This is my neighbor's pool. You can't see it, but there are about a trillion bugs floating on the top of the water. But that's okay. You know why? Because it's a pool.

Last summer, I had access to the apartment pool where one of my friends babysat. We'd go three to four times a week, and I had a very nice tan. This summer though, the family doesn't live there, and so I have no pool access. We sold our boat a few years ago to pay for my car, so I can't go to the lake. I had convinced my dad to buy us an above ground pool, but the only level area we have in our yard is on the side, where it would be in view of the street, and the stupid neighborhood laws say we can't do that. So, I was missing out on the summer fun of swimming and floating and basically doing anything to get wet.

So, on the day of The Meltdown (as I've come to call it), my dad went over to our neighbor's house (an older couple) and asked if I could use their pool in an attempt to make me feel better. Well, now I have a pool... kinda.

I sat out today with Romeo and Juliet so I could simultaneously enjoy my summer and do my work. I put on SPF 30... and still got fried. My attempts to set myself apart from all the pasty British people has worked - but I'll be red, instead of tan.

Hi. My name is Stephanie, and I'm a bad blogger. I came to this realization when I noticed that my supposedly daily photo blog has turned into a once in a while when I have the time and I feel like it blog. So, from now on, that's what it will be. I wish I could remember to do it every night, but since I can't, I won't try. I will no longer feel remorse for being remiss in my recounts (or what I remember of them) of my life.

Anyway. I haven't had the greatest day. The online portion of my study abroad classes started yesterday, so I've been doing nothing but reading Shakespeare in preparation for the past week. Unfortunately, I didn't get ahead in my reading enough for life not to be stressful. Last night, I was up fairly late writing my two page response to the assignment on The Winter's Tale, which I finished up this morning. When I got the grade back... it was a C. I do not get C's. Ever. I've only ever made one B in a class in my life. My really crappy grade paired with the fact that I have another assignment (in the history class) due tomorrow, which, at the time, I hadn't even started on (for which I had to read an entire 300 page book as well as about 40 pages of online stuff), and I have to read The Tempest by tomorrow as well lead to my first academic breakdown. I've never had that feeling of "oh crap, I'm not going to get this done. I'm not going to get this right. I'm not going to get a good grade and there's nothing I can do about it." Let me tell you, it's really not a good feeling. At one point I actually considered withdrawing from both classes, getting over the loss of almost $3000, and not going.

After a couple of particularly bad hours, I calmed down enough to rationalize and make a plan. I contacted my Shakespeare professor and realized that the history assignment isn't that hard, as well as had some of my mom's homemade fried chicken and a bowl of ice cream, so I'm feeling a lot better about life now. I'm still stressed, more so now than I've ever been for finals or for any other class, or any other thing in my life, really. But as an optimist, there is a bright side: tomorrow, my neighbors are letting me use their pool to study by, so I can take a swim and get a tan, all while reading. Also, if I can get through this and not fail, there will never be another class as hard as this one. I just don't get Shakespeare. I don't think he wrote his plays with any kind of deep literary meaning in mind. I don't think he agonized over the subtleties of every single world. I think he just sat down, and he wrote it, because that was how he made his living. It was either write a pretty decent play that would sell out the theatres, because otherwise, all he'd have to eat is a couple of shoelaces. This opinion of mine makes it slightly difficult to analyze his work, because I'm making things up. I don't believe what I'm saying, I think it's a load of crap. And it probably is.

As for the pictures, I was taking a break last night around 2 when I decided to start playing with my webcam. The first one is my favorite because the book that's burning is Shakespeare. Too bad it wasn't a real fire...

I also just realized that this is my 100th post! So yay. I didn't do the 100 things about me... but oh well. I'll do them on the next post, and it'll be 101 things about me. Or maybe I'll save it for 111, so I can call it Eleventy-One things about me =]

This is my dog, Snoopy. There's nothing particularly special about him today, but this picture was taken on my new digital camera!

As you might've read earlier, I was going to go with either the Canon Powershot or the Sony Cybershot. However, when I got to Best Buy today, they didn't have the specific version of either camera that I wanted, so I bought the Nikon Coolpix instead. Now, the camera I have now is also a Nikon Coolpix, just a much earlier version of it. I love that camera, but it's just outlived its expiration date, only turning on when it feels like it. I'd hate to get to England and my camera be in a bad mood!

The new one has 10 megapixels and a 5x optical zoom! It also has VR & ISO 3200, but I have absolutely no clue what that means. I also got a package deal with a 4GB memory card, an extra lithium-ion battery, and a camera case all for 50 bucks, instead of the $100 it would've cost had I bought it separately. So yay for good deals!

I also saw the Night at the Museum sequel. Great movie! Very funny, and something the whole family can enjoy. The new Terminator is pretty awesome as well - not nearly as cheesy, now that Arnold's not in it. I recommend both =]

I was in Destin. But was I at the beach? No. No, I was not at the beach. You know why? Because I was in the middle of a tropical depression.

The picture is not of a river. That is a picture of what is supposed to be a storm drain. It just looks like a river.

Well, I'm headed to Destin again in the morning. Yes, I just got back, but that trip was with a friend, and this one is with my family for Memorial Day weekend. Because of that, I won't be posting for the next few days. I'd love to, really, but there's no internet at our condo unless I sit on the big rock in the parking lot. That usually leads to getting ants up my pants, since they happen to like that rock, and I don't think the internet is worth that much!

Today I spent the day doing... not much. I got up, went to breakfast with my dad, came home, and watched TV/played around on the internet. After a while, I got motivated and cleaned out the computer room/guest room, which had all of my stuff from my dorm that was not being used as well as bags of clothes that I no longer wear.

I went to a friend's house for a little while during the afternoon to give her a poster she wanted. I ended up staying two hours watching episodes of season 2 of Big Bang Theory, which is a new favorite show for me. If you haven't seen it, it's pretty funny - watch it =] If I was a man and slightly more neurotic than I am now, I would be a member of the cast. Maybe that's why I like it so much...

Now I'm off to pack for the beach, which I've been putting off all day. I don't know why, because it will only take me a half hour, but I'm really wishing I had some Harry Potter-like magic powers that could just bippity boppity boo it all in the suitcase for me. But I can't put it off anymore... wait! I have to take a shower. So yes I can!

I have a dilemma. My apartment complex allows small pets, as in hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, snakes, lizards, etc. My original plan was to get a hamster, but I really want something that I can actually play with, so I thought I'd get a bunny. I've been going back and forth between the two for weeks. I took my mom to the pet store, and we found a bunny, a mini rex (shown above), that we both fell in love with. The cage is big enough for the rabbit, but small enough that I could have it on the floor of my bedroom. I really want a rabbit.

The pet store guy said that so long as the cage was big enough, having one in an apartment would be fine. Several people have told me that rabbits smell stongly, though, and I don't want me room to smell bad. However, the internet has told me that so long as I change the hay/bedding stuff regularly, it won't be a problem. I'm worried that it'll chew things too... but I want a bunny!

But maybe I should get a hamster. I've had one before, when I was younger, so I already know what they entail. But now that I'm on the whole rabbit kick, I don't really want one anymore. I may as well get a stuffed bear. But it would be better than nothing...

I just don't know which one to choose!

I have to say, summer is incredible. I've been AWOL for a while, and I apologize. I haven't really been up to much. I finished finals and got my grades back. I earned my first B in my life: a B+ in my Latin American history class. Honestly, I don't even care. I'm just glad to get out of that class!

I also moved back home. I haven't unpacked everything yet, so our guest room is full of boxes, bags, and some other miscellaneous items, but regardless, it's really nice to be back in my bed and have my own bathroom. Never again will I have to live in a dorm!

This past weekend I went to Destin, FL with one of my friends from Thursday to today, Monday. She's married and pregnant, her husband about to deploy overseas, so this was a last hoorah for her before she enters mommy-hood. We both had a really good time - I got enough sleep that I actually started waking up at 8:30. On my own.

I'll be leaving again for Destin on Thursday for Memorial Day with my parents to go see my grandmother. At this rate, I won't be blending in with all the pale British people after all!