Thursday, April 28, 2005

I once thought I had mono for an entire year, it turned out I was just really bored.

what has happened to me? i can no longer sleep at night. i just lay there, thoughts of every. random. thing float through my head. it takes hours after i turn off the lights for me to finally fall asleep only to be waken again between three and four a.m. for yet another hour of random thoughts. i eventually fall back asleep, but am tired, sleepy, and low engergized for the day ahead. this vicious cycle started five days ago and i don't know how much more i can take of it. the first night that i woke up at three thirteen and jumped straight up in bed. "what the heck?" was my inital reaction. "why the hell did i just jerk awake, full of energy at flippin' 3:13 in the morning?" i lay there for an hour or so with random thoughts racing through my head (mulitple times yelling at my body, "fall asleep will, ya!"). random thoughts that never end. sort of like when someone you don't really know (or don't know at all for that matter) keeps talking and talking to you on the "l", then they start flapping their hands saying, "i want my chicken legs (heavy on the g)! give me my chicken legs back!" and you just don't know what to do to make it stop. yeah, kinda like that.

Overtired
Celebration is my attitude for the day
*explicit* and *explicit*
Do you like it when I talk that way?

Passing time
Understanding a prisoner of faith
Broken ties
so demanding
Get up early
don’t be late

I’m faking it again

It’s all in your head
Don’t act like there’s no consequence
No time to pretend
Get through the bend
Inspired by your circumstance

Mesmerized
Monday morning
No answers, no complaints
Sanitize dirty laundry
Uncertain of mistakes
I’m faking it again

Get through the bend
Inspire by your circumstance
Because everything
Everything
Goes away

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

crap. crap. crap. crap. crap!

while thinking about the upcoming week i remembered, this saturday i have to go to uic and take placement test. ugh. i haven't done math in ages and when i went home i couldn't find my trusty "kent" math binder that i had all throughout high school from freshman algrebra up to senior calculus. it had all the notes i would need to refresh my memory a bit. now i have to actually look, read, and learn from a math book. notes are so much easier to understand and help me remember. then there is the english part. crap. last year when i took the placement test it was during spring break right after i had taken dr. lebins 300 question liturary terms mid-term. i knew the stuff and the tricks. but now...now i'm screwed. oh and the writing part. i mean come on, i haven't done anything close to real writing since my term paper LAST! year. how i miss the days, after a term in mr. cranstons honors history class, when it was easy to whip up a five page essay that was actually decent. those days are long gone.

crap. crap. crap. crap. crap!

there is also a spanish test. you'd think i'd be fine after taking four (as in four!) years of spanish. yeah, right. oh man, i don't even do well on test to begin with. uic is going to look at these test scores and go cha-ching! we gotta place (and charge) this girl in math and english classes she won't even get credit for. which means she'll have to take extra classes and stay longer (meaning she'll have to pay us more). excellent. whoever choose to let her in twice, give them a raise!

Monday, April 25, 2005

there's a little black spot on the sun today...

i finally got around to watching Hotel Rwanda. how does it happen that the world power houses look the other way while these things happen? if it doesn't involve their oil, the situation doesn't deserve their attention, their aid? if we get involved it'll cost us money? since when could anyone put a price tag on a human life? one line that got me in the movie was when the lady from the red cross said, "what country wants 20 orphans?" how do countries turn away from 20 orphans, from children who have nothing to do with the situation they were born into? how do countries turn away from refugees knowing that if they don't allow them in they will die? how can we look away while it is happening all over again in congo (and i'm sure in numerous of other places in the world)? a daily fear for woman in the congo is gang rape. a daily fear, gang rape.

how long will this injustice suffice? when will the world wake up? when will people stop? stop putting themselves above others. making distinctions for the primal reason to put themselves above an other race or creed, to say "i'm better than you, because my skin in lighter" or "because these are my ancestors." what crap is that? back, while i was a freshman and justen (who's black) was my "love interest" i remember going over to danielle's house after school for a spanish study group. i don't know who, but someone ask me, "how are you're parents going to feel about him being black?" huh-what? how are my parents going to feel? "my parents won't care," complete with an "are you kidding me?" attitude. then someone said, "i don't know how my parents would feel." then someone else said, "my parents would not allow it. no way. my dad would be so mad." what? her dad would be mad if she brought justen home? but he's, like one of the nicest guys in our class. i was dumbfounded. just because he was black her parents would not approve. i just didn't understand and still don't. when are the veils that are blinding these people burn away; when will they see that the color of you skin, the shape of your nose, the thickness of your hair, the hue of your eyes, are all just that...the color of your skin, the shape of your nose, the thickness of your hair, and the hue of your eyes?


...it's the same old thing as yesterday.

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Today Zach Braff and I held eye contact for more than two seconds twice and so today, today I blog.

while crossing the block during my two mile hike to work, i was almost ran over by a car that had not seen me in the coming across the street. luckily i noticed that the car currently heading towards me was not slowing down and stopped walking before it hit me. by the time the car stopped the driver (whose window was rolled down) was right in front of me and awkwardly (not knowing what to do but laugh) apologized. thank goodness i wasn't stuck by a car today and thank goodness that i was scheduled to work today after asking for and told i'd be given tuesdays off.

so on to what this post is all about (breaking the unofficial blog rule of: NEVER WRITE ABOUT WORK). when i walked into to work the head manager stuck out his hand and gave me a handshake and said, "Good job with the ribbon sales!" (panera right now is giving people one dollar off if they donate a dollar to YME breast cancer association and i guess i'm selling a lot of them or something, i never really found out). after that i thought hey, today might be a good day. then a couple hours later during the lunch rush i saw a guy that looked like the guy from scrubs walking up to my register. i decided that i was not going to bug him by asking him if he was the guy from scrubs or tell him that he looks like him. but, then when him and his friends came up to me his friend said, "you'll have to excuse my friend here, he always gets confused with a celebrity." i then told them, "oh, i was going to say. (then i looked at him) you are him, right?" he nodded and i quickly looked away to make sure not to stare (and to make sure i took their order). i paused and then looked up again and gushed, "i love your show! and my brother-in-law is going to freak when i tell him!" i then realized what i was saying out loud and gasped, put my hand over my mouth and said, 'sorry, i didn't mean to do that." i then took their order, mainly looking and communicating with his friend so to not get distracted by any distractions that could occur by looking straight at zach braff (the first celebrity i've seen in person). then we held eye contact for longer than two seconds when i was asking them if they wanted a cup for water or bottled water. he looked right into my eyes, raised his eyebrows, smiled, and said, "yes, bottled water." i then offered them the breast cancer ribbon thingy and he said, "of course, i always give to breast cancer." he kept talking to his friend while i rang up the ribbon. since i don't ease drop (or more like since i was unable to concentrate on what he was telling his friend and ring up the ribbon at the same time) i only heard the end of the joke which went something like, "you know, like i like to help spread breast cancer whenever i can." he then looked up and noticed i had heard the end only the end of his joke. this was when i saw the beginning of his worried face (the hilarious one he always gives in scrubs) so i smiled to let him know that i knew he was just telling a joke and he smiled back. i gave zach the buzzer for their food, he then walked off to wait for their food, and i told his friend that i'd be right back with their bottled water and fruit cup (this was one fruit cup i was not going to forget). his friend asked me, "oh, so you want me to wait here for it?" i told him, "oh, well, you can go find a seat and i can bring it to you if you want?" (something i would offer any customer). when i saw him leave the line to go find a seat i couldn't but help think, "yes, i get to see zach braff again." the second time our eyes met for longer than two seconds (the second time zach braff looked into my soul*) was when i came back with their waters and fruit cups. i then turned to his friend and said, "we are all out of large fruit cups, so i brought you two small ones instead, is that okay?" they chuckled and said it was fine. yes, zach braff just chuckled at me...was possibly what i was thinking as i walked away. i was so full of excitement, because i just met my first celebrity and it was an actual cool celebrity. i wasn't going to tell anyone at first, but then i looked at the clock and it was only 1:45ish (and i had just offered to stay later for someone who was sick) and i just couldn't wait until 5:00 to tell suzanne and husayn. by the time i was ready to spill the girl next to me (who i knew wouldn't make a big fuss and wouldn't run and go try to sneak a peak at him) had just gone on break for thirty minutes. then i looked to my right and saw my manager and i knew that he was not one to tell, but i couldn't keep it in any longer. "the guy from scrubs is here!" and like that he dropped what he was doing and started walking straight to the dinning room to find him calling back to me, "the black one or the white one?" when patrick came back he informed me that he (zach braff) was in town to do a talk for north western and then patrick went on to tell everyone else the guy from scrubs was here. a couple of people went to get his autograph. when i found out that people were going up to him, i felt bad. dang it, i knew i should have just waited to tell people until he left! let the man eat in peace for once. anyways, as he was leaving i saw him looking around and i hesitated at first to ask him if he needed something, but then i thought if it were anyone else i would have already asked them if they needed something. so i asked him and he said, "oh, i was just--" and then he pointed in the other direction towards his friend. then as he walked out he waved and said goodbye to me.

you know how when after you have a conversation you think of things you should of said instead of what you said. here are the things i should have said to zach braff today:

1.) i loved garden state!
2.) you are freaking hilarious.
3.) scrubs and arrested development are like my favorite shows. have you seen arrested development? you should, it's hilarious. don't even bother renting it, just buy it. i'm telling you it's that good.
4.) this is a silly question but... are you in town because you are going to be on oprah? if you are, can i have tickets?
5.) this is blog worthy.

ahh!! i met zach braff today (and his nice friend, you have nice friends zach braff). zach. braff. said AND waved. good.bye. to. me.

*i say this only for entertainment purposes, i'm not in love with zach braff or have some girly obsession with him where i want him to have my babies [sorry zach, it's just i don't really know you. though, i must say you are truly cute (so cute in fact that from here on out if i ever draw your name during picionary, i most definitely without a doubt or hesitation will draw you) and would probably father very adorable children].

Saturday, April 16, 2005

Why are you squeezing your body against me?

It's a hug, Micheal.

Last night was the first time I was alone (besides going down my perfect rock by the lake...which I call the ocean, for obvious reasons) since getting back from a place where I was 92% of the time alone. What did I do with myself? Naturally, I caught up with Arrested Developement and laughed out loud (which is a given while watching Arrested Developement). I also watched the rest of the second Bridget Jones, which also made me laugh. I was about to write a huge long blog saying how happy and content I'm feeling and why I'm feeling that way, but then I remembered that I did have to get up for work this morning and instead of writing about it I just thought about it while laying in bed trying to fall asleep. It's been awhile since I was able to do that, which made me even more happy about being happy, content, and feeling/remember that I am truely blessed. Today is going to be a good day, because i'm taking two (yes two!) train rides to see some familiar faces, it's been awhile since I've done that too. oh happy day!

Thursday, April 14, 2005

What I should really being doing right now is re-naming this blog: "The Diary of the Worst Cashier (not to mention Closer) in the World."

It's 12:02 a.m. and I am writing this now, because of the fact that I am the worst cashier (not to mention closer) in the world. You might think I'm exaggerating, because sometimes I do that. But, as my tearful eyes prove, it is true. I'm pretty sure I said, "Sorry!" to one guy 43 times. I'm not certain, but I'm pretty sure after the fourth "Sorry!" one person gets in less than four minutes the word and the meaning loses it's sincerity. To make it worse, he substituted his chips for a fruit cup and I forgot to give him his fruit cup. He came back five minutes later for it, and once again got another one of my Sorry!'s with a face of disgust in disappointment of my lame fruit cup forgetting self. Then this other time a lady came in with a huge order, but the people who put it together were smart. They made and printed out each of their orders, which was a very helpful aid while collecting all their bottled waters, lemonades, and bagels. I once again forgot the fruit cup (those dang fruit cups!) which actually was okay this time because she was more understanding having a big order and all. But then she came back to tell me that I punched in "for here" and they had to take back all the food and re-package it "to go". That I felt really bad about, because it was more work for the people behind the line. The next person right after that ordered a loaf of bread sliced, but as I put the sliced bread into the plastic bag the bread slices fell all around the bag. That's when this big dork just wanted to cry, "Why!!?? Can't I do anything right!" I, like usual, apologized and told the nice lady, "Just a sec. I'll fix this for you." The nice lady turned to me and said, "Oh don't be silly. That's fine. I'll take it like that. You would be boring if you were perfect." (side note: I could have given that lady a hug) So maybe I shouldn't be so negative (haha at first I wrote positive), maybe what I should really be doing right now is re-naming my blog: "The Diary of the Least Boring Cashier (not to mention Closer) in the World" Let me explain the closer part of that statement. I'm the slowest closer. For whatever reason I can't get everything done fast enough. Each task takes me forever and it's so freaking frustrating. Today everyone left a good 15minutes before me. Part of it has to do with that dang pastry display that has to be perfect (and the other part has to do with how much I suck, plain and simple). It's the same display that has new signs and plates missing each time I go to set it up. I must have spent at least 20 minutes putting it together and that's without really double-checking to see if I had everything done correctly. I tell you, I'm horrible. You wouldn't think some one could be so bad at something so easy, but I am one horrible cashier (I truly doubt that anyone could be much worse. Unless they really tried to beat me. And I mean really try).

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

It's just like Santa's workshop! Except it smells like mushrooms... and everyone looks like they wanna hurt me...

so many firsts this past weekend:

-first time at work that someone gave me a break (i didn't even realize that the one manager forgot to give me breaks until i left work and was like, "i'm hungry. why am i hungry at 11:30?")

-first time i got a real cell phone (not only do i get to live with suzannne and husayn, i get to be on their cingular wireless family plan. plus! i have one of the easiest phone numbers ever.)

-first time i went to the zoo and did NOT sing nor had stuck in my head, "Ohhhhh...I went the animal fair! and all the birds and beast were there!...something something something....the monkey he got drunk. bah-bum. and sat on the elephant's trunk. bah-bum. the elephant sneezed and fell on his knees and that was the end of the monk. the monk, the monk, the monk. and that was the end of the monk."

-first time (just now) that in my head i pictured the monkey flying through the air from the elephant's sneeze. it's late and i'm delusional and i'm laughing (hard).

-first time i got a day off from work since starting (which was suppose to be on monday but they called me and asked if i was doing anything important. if i could lie, that would have been i time i would have lied. but i can't lie and so i went into work and didn't get out until 12:14 a.m. yeah, after that i found myself slightly wishing i could lie. p.s. clean up is a bitch)

-first time i remembered where the condiments button was located on the cashier for the "you pick two" screen.

-first time i made a latte, hot chocolate and cappuccino. (the latte was good, the hot chocolate over flowed, and the cappuccino was almost made without foam. thanks to carlos, there was foam)

-first time someone gave me a rough idea of how much i'm making an hour at panera (by the time i thought to ask, i felt stupid asking because i had been already working for a couple of days)

-first time i rode the "el' by myself. funny story. imagine me getting off my first "el" ride at 12:23 a.m. and walking (very funny due to the aching legs from standing up seven hours straight) back and forth trying to find the exit. that's right i couldn't find the dang exit. don't. even. ask.

-first time i got to sleep in a bed since i got back home from south carolina.

-first time amia cried for me when suzanne (holding her) started to walk into the other room.

-first time amia tried to share something with me. (she was sitting on my stomach knawing [if you can really knaw on keys] on keys and she would stop and hold the keys up to my mouth and wait until i [pretended] to knaw on them like she was doing and then giggle in delight).

-first time i got something other than a hot chocolate at starbucks. (i got an iced chai latte while waiting for an interview)

-first time that i found out that if you google "Do you has" or "do You has" or "tomasha gordon" you'd be directed to this very stie, onionlee.blogspot.com (i don't understand the "tomasha gordon" either).

-first time i went to a target in the last three weeks (which IS a big thing).

-first time i feel somewhat independent and somewhat grown up.

so after my interview with starbucks i was thinking of how i really will have no life if i get the job. i will have to wake up early, work, take a three hour break, go to work (at another place) and close (getting out anywhere from 10:45 to 12:00). that doesn't leave much time for getting to know and meet new people (which is a bit sad, considering i am in the chicago area and there are lots of bahai's in the chicago area) or even for going home to see people (can i really survive this long, being so close without movie nights?). i did request and was granted tuesday nights off (for ruhi). other than that, i don't think i'll be getting out much to meet new people. which is okay. i mean, for one, i need the money for school and once school starts (if i'm commuting) i'll have a car and will be working less hours. also, i'm a bit of a homebody anyways and look who i'm living with; amia! like i would really rather go out instead of staying in and playing with her? oh, puh-lease.

----------------

I used to laugh at all those songs
`bout the rambling life, the nights so long and lonely
Well, I ain't laughin' now
Now that I'm caught up, it seems
In all the same ambitious dreams
That only lonely life allows

And the home I don't go home to
The friends I don't see
Aren't the part of this life
That endears it to me

If that's the price I have to pay
For doing things my own way
Then it's what I'll have to do somehow

Till I find my way back to my heart
For there's no one but me's gonna take my part

------------------

And just when you think that you've got enough
Enough grows
And everywhere that you go in life
Enough knows

Up up up up up up dances
The steam from the sewer
As she rounds the corner
The brutal wind blows right through her

Up up up up up up raises
The stakes of the game
Each day sinks its bootprint into her clay
And she's not the same

And just when you think that you've got enough
Enough grows
And everywhere that you go in life
Enough knows

Half of learning how to play
Is learning what not to play
And she's learning the spaces she leaves
Have their own things to say
Then she's trying to sing just enough
So that the air around her moves
And make music like mercy
That gives what it is
And has nothing to prove

She crawls out on a limb
And begins to build her home
Amd it's enough just to look around
To know she's not alone

Friday, April 08, 2005

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZA!

Since it is liza's birthday and there is (sadly, very sadly) no family party today i will share what happened last year. if you would so kindly click
  • here


  • you will see it was one crazy birthday celebration. my dad and mom who usually tell the birth stories the right way, got a little creative (or maybe the truth came out) because two of liza's friends were there and they had an audience and maybe possibly felt that they needed to add some humor to the story (and add some humor they did). or maybe it was messed up because i called them on everything weird they said interupting them on an average of every five seconds (which, in my defence was rather hard not to do). oh man, that was one messed up story last year. liza, look on the bright side even though you didn't get a family party, you at least didn't have to hear your birth story the way it was told last year.

    Happy birthday!

    sara. elizabeth. bassitt. check out you blog for once will ya AND though i did not call razian to wish her a happy birthday, i did write about her birth story on her birthday (that would be the entry dated april first)

    Wednesday, April 06, 2005

    an overdue filler inner

    i haven't even been here a week and already i feel like i've been here for awhile. it just feels right. you know what i like about the city? even though that there are tons and tons of people, you can always find a place of your own. like this afternoon, for example, i went down the lake to say some prayers and found the most perfect rock. it was positioned in such a way that if sitting there you would have the best view of the lake. a view where all one can see is water and sky. if you wanted to see anything but water and sky you would have to make a conscience effort to turn your head to the side. plus, my little perfect spot was tucked away by the taller rocks hiding me from any possible people walking by. i felt completely detached from the noises of lake shore drive that went on behind me. i can't wait until summer weather comes here to stay and i can go back to the rock and paint. anyways, i know you have heard this before (at least if you read any of my siblings blogs), but evaston is great.

    i feel like i should give an actual uPdating on the happening of the past week (yes, week. i can't believe it's only been a week. it feels like i've been here forever. in a good way). [but first a quick overview of my trip home. when sara, mom, and matthew came to pick me up i showed them around and then we went online to get a hotel for charleston and asheville. i only knew one street in chalreston and as it turned out (thank goodness) the hotel we got (for almost 50% off!) was on that one street i knew. charleston was great; while eating dinner we watched illinois get into the final four (it was heartbreaking to watch them lose the championship two days ago, but i had fun pulling out some of amia's toys to explain to suzanne what a screen was), increased (plus confirmed) my liking charleston by 86% and i will go back there with money for shopping (which is no time soon, that's for sure). the drive to asheville stunk. much due to the fact that mother nature desided that each time i got behind the wheel there would be not only fog, but also rain and when the fog finally clear up, it would just pour heavy rain. asheville was great also and i would like to go back someday to vacation for a week. we were suppose to stay in cincinnati, but as we were driving by it i said, "let's just go home!" and we did. and that was the vacation that was. you want more? ask katie for the letter i wrote her, it gives a more deeply insight of the trip home.]

    one of the first things husayn said to me when i first got back (and five seconds ago) was,"it's kinda like you never left," and it's true; that is exactly what it felt like. i mean i knew that i had been gone for six month, but i think because i was at home, somewhere familiar, it felt like i had never left (even though when i see my children i know that it will be evident that i was not there. kids grow so fast). i wanted to move into the allmart's right away, because i didn't want to unpack in batavia and then re-pack and re-unpack again in evanston. but then i found out that when i was asking my dad to stay with them ( when i was asking if it was it was finacially possible), he thought i was just asking permission to live with them. what i am saying is that i found out i'd be living at my own expense. i got so excited about just living with the allmarts that i didn't really think about costs. so, the second i got into evanston i started looking for a job. by friday afternoon i had applied to all the immediate locations (stores within three to eight blocks). on saturday i went out with suzanne and amia to apply to the immediate locations i missed on friday and then ventured out by myself to downtown evanston. --remember: i didn't know exactly where i was going and for the last six month i had been living in hemingway, s.c. just remember that.-- when i reached downtown, my body went into a bit of shock, "so many stores, people, so many stores." at first i tried to walk off my shock, that only worsened it. everywhere i turned there were stores and as far as i could see there were stores. i turned right around and headed straight back to the apartment, not able to stop and apply to any stores. to wrap this up...on sat. i applied to panera, made it past the manager interview and was offtered a real interview. on mon. morning i had my real interview. by mon. afternoon they had called back offered me a job and asked to come in to fill out papers (making my grand walking total of the day: eight miles). on tues. went to Planet Bread, graduated, and brought home fresh bread made by me. today, i started training. it's been crazy to say the least, cra-zy.

    this entry was all about updating, making it rather long and boring. so to make up for it let me tell you what one of my favorite people did today.

    today, while i had my hand clamped over my cereal (to protect amia from belly ache or up-chuck), amia (after trying with all her mighty strength to pull my fingers away) bit my nose! she only has two little teeth and she managed to bite my nose! there's more. then (later) while i was telling suzanne the story i turned to amia and kissed her nose and said, "that's what you can do amia. you can kiss my nose, not bite it!" she then leaned towards my nose and bit me, again.

    Monday, April 04, 2005

    Do you has?

    Four months ago at a youth gathering a girl comes up to me and says, "Do I know you? You look so familiar." I ask, "Have you ever been to Illinois?" She says, "No. (pauses) But you look so familiar."

    Last week at a gift shop for a mansion the sale lady says to me, "You look familiar, do you live around here?" I tell her the truth; no. "Oh, I thought you looked like one of the students from a class I used to teach or something."

    While filling out tax forms my soon to be manager says to me, "You know, you look like the other cashier we have."

    Walking past a car dealership a man in a new car pulls up to me and waves me over. Thinking he's asking for directions I lean towards his car and say, "Yes?" The man looks at me a bit confused and then says, "I'm back!" while holding up a piece of paper. I smile and politely inform him, "Sorry, I don't work here."

    Now, as I'm sitting here, I ponder, "Do I has a universal face?"

    Saturday, April 02, 2005

    I dare say, it can't get much better than this.

    If it takes three jobs for me to able to live here, so be it.

    But why?

    Well, because when Amia (not that Amia herself isn't enough of a reason) woke up this morning and saw me sleeping on the couch she clapped her hands in excitement.

    Friday, April 01, 2005

    A Birth Story

    It is a tradition in the Mitchell family to tell one's birth story on their birthday. So today I will share with you my version (like there is any other version) of Raizan Marie Mitchell's birth story.

    This birth story begins way before Raizan's actual birth (which I guess is true for all birth stories). Back when I was in eighth grade and two of my friends got puppies. After playing with their new puppies, I wanted one for my own. I wanted a dog that I could actually pick up and play with (that is, to play with without the fear of getting my face bit off). And so the begging began. My parents kindly laughed in my face when I first asked. I started off heavy, bringing up the subject every time my parents engaged me in conversation. Then I backed off, knowing full well that if it started to annoy my mom there was no chance of a dog. [side note: kkkkkkkkkkkjjjhuj --Amia just wanted to say that she likes Raizan so much that she kicks her legs and claps her hands when she sees her (this is, of course, a rough translation. what Amia really meant is, quiet frankly, beyond me)]. So then I only brought it up once in awhile to make sure they were aware I still wanted a dog and also to check to see how they were warming up to the idea (at this point; they weren't). [side note: kkkkkkkkmnnnnnnnbbbbbkjm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmkkkkk ---Amia would also like to say that she likes Raizan, but from a distance. She (Amia) is sometimes scared of the 85 Ibs. dog that licks her face. (once again, this is a rough translation)]. In the fall of my freshman year another friend of mine got a dog that was half chocolate lab. I fell [side note: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ --Amia says that she is also scared if Raizan�s tail (for obvious reasons) this is not a rough translation due the look on her face] in love and while playing with it one day I decided that when I get a chocolate lab I'm going to name it Raisin (because if you squeeze together all the extra skin in a puppies face it looks like a raisin). Now that I had a name, all I needed was a dog. This led me to phase three of my master plan. I went online and sorted through magazines for pictures of dogs. Then I had to wait untile my parent's went out one night [my parent's didn't go out much so I had to patiently wait. the time (finally) came when they took the family out to Old Country Buffet with Grandma and I stayed behind].

    Once they left, I got out my piles upon piles of dog pictures and taped them up all over the house. This idea, by the way, was not my own. I borrowed it from one of my friends (that's how she got her dog). When I was finished, there was no place in the house you could stand where there wasn't a picture of a dog in eyesight. My parent's came home and laughed. "Oh, Anya," they said while shaking their heads. By this time I had gotten Matthew and (I believe) Daniel excited and wanting a dog, too. Soon after I set up all the pictures, they had finally warmed up to letting me get a dog (I think my parent's finally broke after two weeks of finding new pictures of dogs everywhere they went). [side note: v\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ --free to interpretation] That is they were willing to let me get a dog if the dog was free. By the time March rolled around they gave completely in and on Naw-Ruz, after a basketball game my parents they told me they would buy me a chocolate lab. We found a breeder (after I cut out multiple ads from the newspaper that covered my desk in art class) and on April 1st the puppies were born, and one month later we were aloud to pick them up. The day we were to go and pick out a puppy I couldn't go, because of my soccer banquet. Instead Sara (this is where I would put "Dog stealer of the World", but I have learned to let that go by now and will refrain myself) went with my dad to pick out the puppy.

    Raizan Marie you were the cutest puppy, if i don't say so myself. The whole family was up to meet you and you were quite overwhelmed. We spent the whole evening circled around you in the living room, you were so adorable. (okay so maybe we were circling you to protect you from Yammi, too) You became so overwhelmed with excitement that the second you took a breather (to drink some water) you collapsed (face first into your water bowl) and fell asleep (face still in your water bowl).

    Hap-py Birthday Raizan!