Natalie

Advent calendar - 17/24 complete What went well today? I got started birthday shopping because the holidays do extend to my dad's birthday (April 8th) in my household since birthdays always happen after New Year's starting with me, then my two sisters, and lastly my parents. We've done it ever since my birth year 1996. Optionally, it ends with Easter weekend due to the lunar calendar if it falls after my dad turns a year older. If it falls before my parents' birthdays, there is just nothing to worry about. About the birthday shopping itself, I just checked Mom off the list. Now, who is next? My sister who will be 20 soon. I could treat her with Starbucks coffee and just chill out. I will do it at least twice: one for Christmas and the other for the birthday. I do not have to worry about my other sister until early March, which is good.

Is that Wait But Why? I've seen the talk before and read the blog. Have you read it before? Look here. https://waitbutwhy.com/

Advent calendar - 2/3 complete Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder - 61 pages left to go... ? I had spare time on my hands to do more of my midquel before bed. Other than that, nothing much else happened except... Mom's retreat was over. The last show I watched was yet another episode of The Great Christmas Light Fight Show. Fun!

Because I have more important priorities like finishing community college. My gaming problem? I was bored and I wanted something fun to do. I played the stupid mobile game for a year and a month. Then again, I was stressed out when things do compete with each other and I have to take control of my life by making sure school and homework are on top of my priority list. I just don't want my mind to be idle all the time. I can keep my brain busy and engaged, for I don't want temptations to you know... procrastinate. I graduated from community college 3.5 months later. I have 4 months into a gap year and counting. I am still becoming a better person.

I guess so. Playing 1-2 hours a day is normal when it comes to moderation. But anything more than that and pretty soon you're wasting time gaming excessively (for example, someone games all night and sleeps throughout the day - that is not healthy for an individual). Me? I sometimes waste days being idle in my life. As a kid, I just wasted my potential to do homework watching too much television and doing other sedentary activities at the least growing up despite having constant ABA therapy with adults who are 20-35 years older than me two to three times a week. Fast forward over a government school life later, I am a part of the GQ community for seven and a half months now. I know what it means to survive a changing world since I was a youngster. I didn't stay up too late much often, but I am a normal person when it comes to the waking hours of the day and snoozes at night. What book are you reading? Mine is Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder which is 10 pages away to the 3/4 mark. I will consider choosing what to read next afterwards. It should be something I wanted to read because of Tumblr. Guess what? It is... Good luck on your 90 day detox challenge.

Advent calendar - 5/8 complete I didn't do anything else over the weekend, but it seems that we are reunited with my sister who just got home from college by plane. It has been 2 days since... did you know what happened last night? I won the Clue board game. That defining moment made me wanna read either a cozy mystery sequel to The Lady in the Attic or the next 2 major Hannah Swensen installments: Strawberry Shortcake Murder and Blueberry Muffin Murder, or better yet: classic Sherlock Holmes if only I clean up behind the couch.

Advent calendar - 13/24 complete Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder - I just passed the antipenultimate recipe of the book for like 3 pages. If you don't know what it is, it is (spoilers: chocolate covered cherry delights). Otherwise, 85 pages left to go! Do you know what I just watched? The Hitman: From Pop to Prison. It is a 2-hour documentary about the life of Lou Pearlman, the music producer who brought to you two familiar boy bands I recognized from Radio Disney as a kid: The Backstreet Boys and N-Sync. They're like The New Kids on the Block of the top end of millennials. Keep in mind I haven't heard of the original boy band NKoB that much since they used to be popular "in the early 90s" (you know when my parents dated and got married near the end). I worked 3 hours today, but I will work more on Tuesday in time for my second white elephant gift exchange party this year. I finally paid $54 for the course certificate of The Science of Well-Being from Coursera. Yay! ? Sorry, it took me around a month to figure it all out for myself. Please forgive me if I am mistaken for restarting the passwords over and over again and again each time I log on (overall, I actually did it twice). ?

The advent calendar - 50% complete, and only 50% more to go CBS workbook - more of the same except... I forgot to do day 7 of week 12 for the day. I mean I could've liked the "spin-zone" more, but still... it's so hard to bring unity back nowadays that now, it "will not return to me" because of the bygone era hippies' fault that started it all in 1968. Every CBS class is all about the unity topic-wise according to its own contract and the variety of groups are supposed to grow together while studying a book of scriptures at a time. To me personally, I think everyone is divisive and sensitive like never before. Things changed... they used to develop thick skin in the past, especially in the old days. And surprisingly, why did the people at my old church retain some thick skin from deteriorating just because we were supposed to talk in unison topic-wise? Drum roll please... I only have 112 pages of Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder left to go. I can't take this anymore because I am too tired for the day. I feel like I have to watch The Great American Baking Show on ABC, but I regretted that decision due to bingereading a book. And I know that I've seen the Great Christmas Light Fight Show at one point during the holidays this year (spoilers: a large family from my mom's childhood place - Portland, Oregon - won).

Advent calendar - 11/24 complete CBS Workbook - now on day 7 of week 12, we're gonna go back to the beginning Mom says afterward (how much longer until I can finally get back to my 52-week Bible reading plan to finish off the final five weeks worth?) Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder? I am around halfway complete. I binge-read the 2019 graphic novel "New Kid". It is about the seventh grader who is an artist like my sister except he does comic sketches that take up two pages each occassionally. My sister is pretty much more of a doodler each Sunday morning service lately. Here's something not in-sequence, but this is what an average Sunday morning is like to me over the past four-ish years since starting college: In a Sunday morning service, there's the local church worship music (mostly the CCM I was familiar with) which takes up the first half of the service and then a lecture-like sermon pops up in-person, leaving the time with the other half of the service before the congregation was dismissed. The total amount of time ran in an average service was 90 minutes. Oh! I wish there would be ten minutes of worship, five minutes of announcements, more than at least a required hour of preaching (I say approximately 70 minutes is good enough), and one more worship song like the good ol' days. I also wish more people would show up earlier before start of service or better yet the adult Sunday school class begins. So that way it would be better off each week; but however, I just can't regrow the number of how many congregation members unless I start a door-to-door soulwinning club to run a marathon at a dorm that was built over a year ago, so lost souls can be invited to my church. That's my opinion. Others surrounding me said we should cut a service by 30 minutes to an hour, so more people can come. It's their opinion, not mine. I respect them no matter what.

You're welcome.

I am 5/12 done with the advent calendar. Check! I am mostly done with the workbook for a week. For my free time to occupy, I am still continuing on with Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder... and guess what? I am now on chapter 12. I never got a chance to prerecord future entries before I leave to go to Grandma's house because Mom says I have a cold and I can't make it to her house on Thursday, leaving me to stay on schedule even more. My mom, my sister, and I went to Ross to buy boots, wasting $60 on me. I am considering going to Financial Peace University in a new year or something because I am sick and tired of living a paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle since 2008.

Congrats once again!

Hey, you are back and I am sorry for one of the doors closing on you. It is okay. I am on a 100g carb and 80g protein-combo diet. Speaking of trying to use the relaxation routine, I think reading and journaling were maintained right now since high school so does milk before bed since I was around 10 or 11. About the volunteer work, let me think about my past experiences... I worked at a renewal food bank for the CAPStone project when I was in 9th grade. Occassionally, I just volunteered at my dad's kids ministry when I was growing up (specifically during my adolescent years and at one point in my college life). I have dealt with the set-up and take-down so much for literally every weekend since the great recession of 2008-09 up until the end of my college life, I can't wait to get a job at the wedding venue in the East Coast of America so bad. In 12th grade, it took me and my mom less than 50 hours to do the volunteering opportunity video for the senior culmulative project. Actually, it cannot be of myself but rather it is for others. I wasn't interested in volunteering. Why? At the time, I am already college-bound and I cannot wait to graduate from high school just one week and a day before Jill got married to Derrick. It took me an extra year after this to finally be able to move on with my life to go to college, and as a result my volunteership centers more of the local church and less everything else because I wasn't able to at least get ALL of my very own dreams accomplished. So what?! I got all my prerequisite courses I needed to do to get through life but not including the internships. Check! Science of Well-Being. Check! Sociology 249: Disability in Society. Check! Small Group Communications. Check! Business 101. Check! Leadership classes. Check! Some adult Sunday schooling. Check! Did you know that my college is partially full of internationals? That is because "we need diversity". Nuts to them! My local church is multicultural congregation-wise, but the theology when it comes to the preaching by a senior pastor is just old-fashioned (remember they have copies of the dark red New King James Version underneath the seats) and it was sprinkled in with real, inspiring stories to lift up the spirits and the facts that are shocking but surprisingly true. Sometimes, it was riddled with the history of western civilization, the American Dream, and the church history with the revivals of recent centuries. I know I am not some history major from a private university, but according to my sister she said that the sermons are theme-based. I totally agree with her! I am considering volunteering at the local library because I have volunteered at my old school library around the last month of 10th grade.

Isaiah CBS "Spin-Zone" Workbook: now on week 12 The 2 Samuel Advent Calendar: 25% Complete Project Exodus: still 9/20 complete and haven't proceeded since this past autumn I am done with the Christmas shopping! I am now a third into Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder finally because the Internet went down for like 2.5 hours since I got started on some catching up time with the advent calendar. My first white elephant gift this year was a card game of UNO and five different balls of Lindor chocolates. I need 1 more white elephant gift exchange left to go... that is happening on next Tuesday. Today, a family friend of my parents just got married. And I am finally hosting the meet and greet tomorrow for the first time ever! Yay! It has been nearly 18 months since I got my little but more flexible job. Look what the Lord had done to me after waiting a long while for the things to finally happen month after month as of lately... Thank you, God! I am thankful for my blood donation after 10 months of taking iron supplements. I'm thankful for the candy cane themed Christmas party yesterday. It was such a blessing to sing Go Tell It On the Mountain... and making a gingerbread house for 20 minutes before everyone else.

@ismailkanaan Let's hope so this week...

Christmas is in 23 days. 2020s is in 30 days. My birthday is in 50 days. Yesterday, I got started on 2 Samuel (1 chapter a day). The reason why I am doing it is because I made up my own advent calendar to Christmas. Other things that are still ongoing right now is the Community Bible Study "Spin-Zone" Workbook on Isaiah, Project Exodus, my 52-Week Bible Reading Plan, the OT/NT reading calendar, 4 of my own works, and 4 books I have yet to finish this December. I have one more item on my Christmas gift list and it is located at a downtown small biz 1.5 hills away from home. We got rid of some of the outgrown clothes this past month. Check! Now, I am waiting for not only my next paycheck, but also my passing grades to get my course certificate.

Christmas is in 25 days. 2020s is in 31 days. My birthday is in 51 days. Yesterday, I bought 4 pairs of socks, 5 dresses, and 1 bath set on Black Friday but still... no luck finding clothes for the giving tree until tomorrow... Over the past half a week, I lost 0.6 pounds and I lost track of food logging due to my sister being at home for Thanksgiving despite the fact that I am still sticking to my diet and activity. My brain just rewired to the nutrition plate the week of my weight loss appointment after I still had my food pyramid stuck in my mind since I was in government school.

@Big Adam They are progressing okay. But the thing is if you fail for a bit, don't beat yourself up. Just pick up your pace and keep going! @ismailkanaan Thanks! Countdown to Thanksgiving: 2 Days My birthday is in 56 days. Christmas is in 4 weeks. The entire 2020s is in 5 weeks. Perfect timing left to get my 52-Week BRP done! I know I have a day in my thanksgiving advent calendar (3/4 complete) left until my sister comes home from college. I'll wait and see how it goes because "self-care is important" my parents told me about.

Hetalia and Avatar: The Last Airbender... they're great shows to watch. See it for yourself! It's very good!

Who is it by?

I suggest reading Carnegie's How to Influence and Win Friends. Something that was recommended from over the summer which I should read that has everything to do with my social life besides church and family.

My public library system was open from 10am until 9pm on Mondays to Thursdays. Fridays, it was open from 10am to 6pm. Saturdays, open from 10 to 5. On Sundays, it's open from 1-5 in the afternoon. About Starbucks, the downtown region of my hometown has more open hours than the downtown region of a city where my dad works. I dunno much about the local coffee shops and the hours of operation, but I know public transit buses ran from 6 in the morning until 10 at night on Mondays to Fridays.

What is it about?

IMPORTANT AND URGENT: The Science of Well-Being (when grades pass, I have to pay for my own certificate and my parents would have to pay me back) and clean-up around the house (just placed my lost present in the box that used to ship my stuff earlier this week, so I call it a horizonal time capsule for the future baby showers to come once when I become a volunteer) IMPORTANT BUT NOT URGENT: Project Exodus (9/20 complete - on hiatus mode due to workbook, will resume tomorrow as I promise), my 52-week Bible reading plan (still 47/52 complete - to be completed over Christmas break from workbook hopefully), the T-Books w/ fam (20% complete; will do 2 Thessalonians next after the workbook), the Daniel advent calendar for Thanksgiving (still 1/3 complete and I got so much time on my hands for two works in progress below), Isaiah: A CBS (Community Bible Study) Spin-Zone Workbook (still Day 6 of 7 complete for Lesson 10 with just a question dealing with restoration in handy), and the OT/NT walkthrough (paused due to workbook, will do more Leviticus and Matthew AFTER I am completely done with week 10 of workbook in time for a whole week of Thanksgiving) URGENT BUT NOT IMPORTANT: Time Bomb: an old-school fanfic from 2013-14 (it has been more than a week since creating new content), its midquel about the royal sisters (today, I am making new content - it's about the former relationship the younger sister had), Between Shades of Gold: An Arthurian Retelling of a Legend (it has been more than half a day since I made a sub-scene about the royal family of two parents and four half-blooded children), and my comic project (on hiatus for 3 months, no further signs of urging to do more artwork since I DNF'ed (did-not-fnished) the sky) NEITHER IMPORTANT NOR URGENT: my 6-year old blog (just got started on A New Prologue post last Tuesday) Bookish Update Time: a multitude thereof - Face to Face Book 2 (stopped over halfway in the middle of a preface); Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (will plan to do chapter 2+); Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanna Fluke (planning to do chapter 2+ also); and 5 Levels of Leadership (will do Level 4+ eventually... incoming...) Order Update Time: the package had just arrived this morning first thing I woke up

IMPORTANT AND URGENT: The Science of Well-Being (must get a certificate when grades pass) and clean-up around the house (just found a lost present that was supposed to be given over to my cousin before May 13th, but no... I have to instead donate to one of the baby showers at the local pregnancy resource center if I am lucky enough to volunteer there) IMPORTANT BUT NOT URGENT: Project Exodus (9/20 complete - on hiatus mode due to workbook, will resume by Friday), my 52-week Bible reading plan (still 47/52 complete - to be completed over Christmas break from workbook hopefully), the T-Books w/ fam (20% complete; on hold), the Daniel advent calendar for Thanksgiving (1/3 complete), Isaiah: A CBS (Community Bible Study) Spin-Zone Workbook (Day 6 of 7 complete for Lesson 10 with just a question dealing with restoration in handy), and the OT/NT walkthrough (paused due to workbook, will do more Leviticus and Matthew AFTER I am completely done with week 10 of workbook in time for a whole week of Thanksgiving) URGENT BUT NOT IMPORTANT: Time Bomb: an old-school fanfic from 2013-14 (it has been more than a week since creating new content), its midquel about the royal sisters, Between Shades of Gold: An Arthurian Retelling of a Legend, and my comic project (on hiatus for 3 months, no further signs of urging to do more artwork since I DNF'ed (did-not-fnished) the sky) NEITHER IMPORTANT NOR URGENT: my 6-year old blog (just got started on A New Prologue post)Bookish Update Time: a multitude thereof - Face to Face Book 2 (stopped over halfway in the middle of a preface); Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (will plan to do chapter 2+); Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanna Fluke (Finally, just finished chapter 1! Sorry for the typo on the author's last name from earlier. I just changed it to make it more accurate, yet also sense.); and 5 Levels of Leadership (will do Level 4+ eventually... incoming...) Order Update Time: the book called "Sugar Detox" realeased from a week ago and an analog weight stepper from Amazon were now on its way and will arrive tomorrow