Always A Middle

Permanent Move

2008-11-02T23:56:00.001-05:00

Seeing as how it's been about a million years since I posted on this blog, hopefully anyone who is interested has figured it out now. I've decided to just keep up my blog that I started before I went to Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Soooo, I won't be posting anything here anymore....similar to the routine of the last few months. I'd love to gain some readers at http://julieinrio.wordpress.com though!

In Rio

2008-07-04T13:18:00.002-04:00

Just in case anyone is wondering: I won't be posting here for a while. I am using my other blog for the whole time that I am in Rio de Janeiro. There is a link on this site if you are interested.

All Lies.

2008-06-25T00:15:00.003-04:00

Remember this story?? Well, it turns out that there is a change in the information. It's very minor really, unless of course, you consider the fact that the story was a complete lie to be a major detail. I mean, why should that bother anybody, right?? HELLO?!? What the heck? The tribe does exist, however they were not newly discovered. Instead, we have known about their existence since 1910. Seriously. The guy made up the whole thing about finding a new tribe. He actually knew the coordinates of where the tribe is located,so he sought them out to take pictures and pass them off as a brand-new, undiscovered Amazonian tribe. The guy claims he had noble intentions. (Showing the danger of logging in the Amazon) But, still....lying to the entire world??? Was that really necessary? Apparently he thought so. Ugh.

Here is the new story... http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90781/6436134.html
I encourage you to do some more research on the subject, and to read some other articles if you are interested. And, I wonder if anyone is as offended by this as I am. Anybody??

Home Again

2008-06-23T09:25:00.002-04:00

I am back home from GA, and I am still recovering from an exhausting week. Our group had a fantastic trip, and they all really enjoyed it. Now if I can just catch up on sleep before I leave for Brasil next Monday.....yeah right. I have so much stuff to do to prepare for that, which means, there will be little catching up on sleep. Great. Oh well, you can't win them all, right?

Gone for a Week

2008-06-16T01:20:00.003-04:00

I will be out of town for the next week....with no internet access. So, that means this will be the last post until I get back next weekend. Sorry!

Reminder: If you haven't seen my blog for my trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brasil....you should check it out!
http://julieinrio.wordpress.com

Oh How I Love the Wii...

2008-06-14T02:30:00.001-04:00

My brother and I have been playing various games on our Wii for the last several hours. And, because Wiis are way cooler than I ever imagined....I can also access the internet on it!! That's right, it has a wireless card. So, I'm sitting downstairs on the couch writing this post from my Wii.....and viewing it on a big screen tv. Now, I'm usually not a materialistic person, but I have to admit, this is pretty freaking sweet.

I Actually Won a Contest

2008-06-13T11:13:00.003-04:00

For the past several months, I have been reading a great blog. It is written by a girl who is from New York, but has lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil for the last year. She held a contest to raise some money, and I actually won the contest! This means I will be the new owner of a blue pair of Havaianas and a Brazilian flag canga!! Heck yeah!

Be sure to check out her blog: Adventures of a Gringa in Rio

Places I want to visit in Brazil this summer....

2008-06-13T01:33:00.002-04:00

I decided to make a list of the places I want to see in Brazil. I originally intended for the list to be for my new blog (Minha Viagem ao Rio....My Trip to Rio), but I decided to post it here too. Check out the Rio blog though!! http://julieinrio.wordpress.com

These are in no particular order. Be sure to click each one to view a picture...

1. Ilha Grande
2. Escadaria Selarón
3. Cristo Redentor
4. Pão de Açúcar
5. Ipanema
6. Tijuca Forest
7. Jardim Botânico
8. Copacabana
9. Arcos da Lapa
10. Jardim Zoológico

This is not a complete list, but it is everything I could think of at the moment....considering what time it is... As I compiled this list, I was reminded once again that Rio is truly an amazingly beautiful city.

Random Early-Morning Thoughts

2008-06-08T03:21:00.003-04:00

*I just got home a few minutes ago (about 3 a.m.) I have been out (since 6:30 p.m.) buying stuff for our Vacation Bible School at church, and then decorating at the church. Seriously. Over 8 hours. Kinda ridiculous, no?

*I leave for Brasil in 3 weeks! Super exciting.

*I've been admiring my fish tank since I cleaned it on Friday. It is a 45-gallon tank, so it takes forever to clean, and to do a partial water-change, but it looks so great once it is done.

*I need to buy a few more fish.

*I bought 2 new swimsuit tops today......still looking for the perfect bottoms.

*If it gets any hotter in K-Town, I just might die.

New Blog for Rio Trip

2008-06-06T01:55:00.003-04:00

I started another blog specifically for my trip to Rio. I wanted to have a separate blog for all of my friends and family to keep up with my experiences while I'm away. Check it out.

http://julieinrio.wordpress.com/

Amazing 6-year old girl singing

2008-06-03T23:45:00.006-04:00

My step-mom showed me this video, and I was amazed. This little girl is 6 years old, and she has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard. Her pitch is spot on...plus, she is super cute!

I was also very impressed with this one:

Amazonian Tribe...Part II

2008-06-03T13:20:00.003-04:00

As promised, I am finally getting around to writing a post about the article from a few days ago. This is simply my opinion on the issue: First of all, it is somewhat mind-boggling to me that so many people still live in such a primitive state. Survival International estimates that there are more than 100 uncontacted tribes that exist, and of course we don't know how many people are in each of those tribes. When I think of the life that I live in what we would call "civilized" areas, it amazes me that these tribes have survived over the years. They have been able to provide food and shelter for themselves, as well as, protection from the elements and otherr humans. With the controversy surrounding the Amazon, the biggest concern is that tribes like this one are in danger of illegal logging, and development of the area. Brazil's policy is basically to leave the people of the tribe alone, and to not make contact with them. I personally think this is good in the sense that these people haven't been exposed to certain diseases, and contact with outsiders could lead to death and extinction of the tribe. I also think it would be completely disrespectful to barge into the Amazonian basin (a.k.a. these people's home) and demand contact. This would be threatening to the tribe, and would probably result in a tragedy. We don't even know what language they speak, and it is most likely not Portuguese. This would make any contact extremely difficult....even if it is meant to be friendly on our part.

The Brazilian government flew over the basin to take photos simply to prove that the tribe does exist, in an effort to prevent development of the Amazon. It's good to know they are there. Now I think we should leave them alone, and let them continue their way of life.

Uncontacted Amazonian Tribe in Brazil

2008-05-30T12:09:00.003-04:00

I saw this article today, and I definitely want to write a post about it. However, I am a bit pressed for time at the moment. So, I decided to post the link, and I will post my own thoughts later today, or possibly tomorrow. It's pretty interesting. Be sure to look at the pictures.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080529/sc_nm/brazil_tribe_dc;_ylt=Aj7UWbpVq2oDZ0SYCTqojCek4LgF

Boredom

2008-05-29T13:43:00.002-04:00

I've been sitting in my house piddling on my laptop and watching tv for the last 4 hours. Sounds fun, huh? Yeah, I don't really think so either. The truth is: I'm unbearably bored. I just want to get out of the house, and go somewhere. I don't even really care where at this point. I think I might try to talk my mother into going out for a late lunch, as I haven't eaten anything today. Sorry this post is so chato. (boring, lame, etc.) Tchau.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2008-05-27T21:38:00.003-04:00

* Today's K-Town forecast was rainy. Today's actual weather in K-Town was hot and sunny. Get it right people.

* The A/C in my car is out....again. Therefore, the hot and sunny weather was not so pleasant while I was driving.

* I have rediscovered my affection for sunflower seeds. Salty and delicious.

* I'm watching NCIS on the television right now, and this episode is about people being posioned by terrorists on a plane. Not exactly the kind of thing I want to think about these days. But the plane is full of important military personnel and the President. As I don't plan on flying with the President, I guess I shouldn't worry about it too much.

My new Havaianas!

2008-05-21T00:48:00.003-04:00

For my birthday, my best friend bought me my first pair of Havaiana flip-flops. If you have never heard of them, don't feel bad. I hadn't either until I went to Rio. They are these awesome rubber flip-flops that are made in Brasil. There are just a few places in Knoxville that sell them. Dillards happens to be one of them. The catch is, the Dillards in East Knoxville doesn't carry them, but the one in West Knoxville does. Why?? I have no idea. Anyway, because my friend loves me, she went all the way to West Town Mall to buy my shoes.

You can also order them online, as well as search for a store that sells them near you.
Here's the website: www.havaianas.com

I wanted to buy some when I was in Rio last summer, but I never did, and I have been dying to have a pair since I got back. I am now the proud owner of a pair of black ones with a cute little Brasilian flag on the straps. Here they are....

Meu aniversário está chegando! ...how the years fly....

2008-05-17T22:58:00.006-04:00

That's right, my birthday is just around the corner, and I am super excited! It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone so quickly. I've heard that as you get older, the years seem to pass more quickly, but I am just coming to realize how true that is. I went to a high school graduation today, and as I watched my friend walk across the stage, I thought..."Wow, that was me just a year ago." A lot has happened in the last year...I graduated high school, became an adult, traveled to Brasil for the first time (and fell in love with the people and the country), I got my first and second tattoos, started and finished my first year of college, lived away from home , and of course many other minor things. It almost doesn't seem possible, but yet it is. The cool thing is: I'm so looking forward to all of the new things that will happen in my 19th year of life!

2nd Degree

2008-05-09T12:50:00.003-04:00

Last night, I spent 4 hours in the Emergency Room due to a 2nd degree burn on my arm. I was attempting to mow the yard yesterday afternoon (because my brother has been too lazy to do it). I noticed something was wrong with one of the front wheels, so I was trying to fix it. When I did, my arm touched the muffler on the side of the mower. Now, I don't know exactly how hot those things can get, but this one was HOT! The very second I felt it, I jerked my arm back. Then I ran to the water spicket at the front of my house, and ran cold water on my arm from the water hose. My left forearm was very red, but I was hoping I didn't burn it too bad. I went inside and showed the burn to my grandmother. She said I should put some aloe vera lotion on it. So she got the bottle of lotion, and squirted some on my arm. I started rubbing it in, and immediately, my arm felt like it was on fire. I then spent the next 10 minutes screaming in pain; unable to hold back tears. I put ice on the burn, which finally did help. When my mom got home, she called the doctor, and they told her to take me to the ER to have it checked. By this time, I could see that the middle section looked like a 2nd degree burn, and the doctor at the ER confirmed my diagnosis. I have to keep antibiotic ointment on it, and keep it wrapped up until it heals. I have no idea how long that will even be. Great. She also wrote me a prescription for pain meds, and that has helped a lot. I took one last night (well, about 1:30 a.m.) once I got home from the hospital, and I have not had any more pain so far....graças a Deus! I am hoping for a speedy recovery, and a scar that isn't too awful.

Spring Cleaning

2008-05-05T13:01:00.002-04:00

I am not usually a fan of cleaning. In fact, I avoid it at all costs. However, with the abscense of actually living in my house and bedroom for the past several months, my room is a disaster. Seriously. I'd post a picture if it wasn't so bad. So, I have decided to spend this afternoon sorting through everything....mainly a lot of clothes. I am the typical girl who says "I have nothing to wear!", when I have a bedroom completely full of clothes. Generally when I say that, I mean..."I have nothing suitable to wear for this occasion" or "I have nothing that I am in the mood to wear". But, since my trip to Brasil is quickly approaching, and I will need to pack enough suitable clothes for over a month, I am going to have to do some cleaning and sorting. I'm not particularly excited about the actual cleaning part, but I just keep reminding myself that it is somewhat a preparation for my trip, which makes it much better. Até mais.

Done!

2008-05-01T23:16:00.004-04:00

I am officially done with my first year of college!! I never thought this day would come. Today was truly a great day. I spent the night with one of best friends last night, and she rode up to school with me today. I took my History final, which took me an hour. Then I sold my books, got my financial aid stuff set up for next year, finally found someone to do my room check-out...who happens to be a very nice Brasilian guy....and my hero for the day! After finishing up everything on campus, Fleda and I went to a really cool coffee shop in Middlesboro. It is freakishly like Starbucks...which is totally fine with us! We had some delicious iced white chocolate mocha lattes, and then I drove us up to the Pinnacle overlook in Cumberland Gap State Park. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend going up there. You drive up a mountain for about 4 miles, and then walk up to the overlook. It's really nice because the walkways are nicely paved with hand railings and interesting signs to show you where you are in relation to the three states. (Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia) We walked a little off the trail, as well as hopping a rail to climb on some pretty awesome rocks. The view was absolutely breathtaking. It reminded me how much I do truly love where I live. We managed to find our way back to my car, and then headed back to K-Town, where we had dinner, and then went back to her apartment. Oh, and did I mention I am done with a year of college??? Yes, today was definitely a good day.

These pictures aren't actually from today. I took them the last time I went to the Pinnacle in the fall. Just to give you an idea of how cool it is though....

Where is my RA??

2008-04-30T08:47:00.003-04:00

Between finals and moving out, life has been crazy busy for me the last several days. Last night, my mom and my brother drove up to campus to help me move out my stuff. Now my room is basically empty, with the exception of the few things I needed overnight and today. I had a form slipped under my door one day telling me that I needed to schedule a check-out inventory with my RA before I leave. Sounds easy enough, right? Turns out, it's not so easy. I have gone to her room and knocked....no answer. I put a not under her door yesterday morning...still nothing. Everytime I look down the hall to see if her light is on...no, it's off. And, I realized that I don't think I have seen her car recently. Hmmmmm. So, I would schedule my check-out with my Resident Assistant.....IF I could find her! Can't I just hand my keys to someone and go home?! Do they really think I'm going to walk out of here with the desk, or maybe a mattress?? No, I'm not. I just so desperately want to go home.

History final exam

2008-04-24T20:35:00.002-04:00

In my last post, I mentioned an issue with the final in my History class. Allow me to explain what the problem was....

Tuesday April 8th: Class cancelled
Thursday April 10th: Class cancelled
Tuesday April 15th: Class scheduled to meet, but upon arriving to the room, I find out that a conference is being held in our classroom. My professor shows up at 12:57 p.m. to about 20 of us students standing in the hallway. Class is supposed to start at 1:00....at 1:03 p.m., she dismisses us because she doesn't want to wait for the people borrowing our room to be done.
Thursday April 17th: Class meets
Tuesday April 22nd: Class cancelled because my professor is sick
Today April 24th: Class meets for 10 minutes...in which she takes over half of the material for the final off of the study guide. Yay!

So, it all turned out ok in the end. And since I am definitely not a fan of the class, I didn't mind having 4 classes cancelled. However, I would have been pissed if the material we hadn't actually been able to cover was still on the final. Thank goodness school is almost over.

Wrapping things up around here

2008-04-24T12:04:00.004-04:00

The semester is coming to a close, and I must say that this coming summer just might be the best one ever. I am looking forward to it like you would not believe. In summers past, I have done a few cool things here and there, but nothing incredibly extravagant....you know like basically living in a foreign country for 6 weeks. However, I have decided to make the most out of this summer. As all of these exciting plans float around in my head, I am also trying to figure out where to start packing. I have to (or should I say: GET TO) move out of my dorm next week. Oba!!! (That means "yay!") As of right now, I'm planning on moving everything out on Tuesday evening. I am just going to keep enough stuff here for an overnight stay Tuesday night; which I will take home with me on Wednesday afternoon. Then I will have to drive back up on Thursday afternoon for my History final...Dear God, please just let my professor change it! (I will explain why later today.) And after Thursday, I will be done!!!! Over the past several months, I have accumulated a lot of junk here in my dorm, and it is going to be a pain to pack it all up again. But! I will be glad to be back home :)

The vet clinic

2008-04-21T12:18:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, I put some hours in at a vet clinic near my house. (I have to get in 20 hours for my Small Animal Medicine class.) Friday afternoon was really slow....Saturday, on the other hand, was pretty steady. I went in at 7:30 a.m., and I was supposed to get off at 12:00. I ended up having to stay an hour and a half later because we had a very sick cat. After doing x-rays, and blood work, we still didn't know what was wrong with her. But, anyway, I'm really enjoying my time there. I'm going to work this afternoon, and I'm actually looking forward to it. The manager of the practice told me if I wanted to work there in the future, that would be a possibility. Of course, I am going to be super busy this summer...and GONE for 6 weeks! But, I would love to work there in the fall when school starts back. Spending some time in a clinic is kinda confirming that I made a good decision concerning college and my major...which is always a good thing.

I'm cold

2008-04-14T20:52:00.002-04:00

After enjoying about a week of weather in the 65-70 degree range, I got quite used to the warmth. Yesterday, it was in the 50's. Today it was 44. I am NOT ok with this. Allow me to remind anyone who has forgotten.....it's APRIL. It shouldn't be 44 degrees in the middle of April. And, to make it worse, my dorm building has been switched from heat to air, and even if I turn the knob to heat on the unit in my room, cold air still comes out. So it's freakishly cold in here. Last night, I slept in sweatpants and a hoodie, and I still woke up shaking from the cold. Not cool. (no pun intended)