It is the longest week ever.

Shouldn't it be Friday by now?

I think that, in this special week, the average day length has been about 32 hours.

My time sheet at work says I worked 5.5 hours today.

But I know better. I'm convinced I really worked about 8.5 hours.

I have a test tomorrow. I have been studying for it for the past two days.

And I feel like I know as much as I did when I began studying.

I can't concentrate.

I can't focus.

But the rest of me is fine.

What is going on?

The Prestige is an amazing movie. I would highly reccomend it. Prepare for a mindbender! The only thing I really disliked about it was the fact that there really was no clear-cut good vs. evil. I found that this really did bother me that there was no "good guy" or "bad guy"... because I tend to be very "black and white" in my views I suppose. But aside from that, I have to give this movie many kudos, not only for being very riveting, but also for its originality. I can honestly say I have never encountered such a story before, and that to me, is pretty exciting!

I also wanted the advice of some camera enthusiasts out there. As some of you may recall, back in the summer I talked about getting a new camera to replace my Sony Cybershot. It was being unreliable back then, but is behaving better (for the most part) these days. However, I have still been wanting a new point-and-shoot. So I had a camera selected in my mind to ask for Christmas. But then, after Hodge's Halloween party actually and seeing the different cameras there, I thought it would be really cool to have a camera that is somewhere between a regular point-and-shoot and a DSLR. I would keep my Sony around for whenever it was easier to deal with, but I thought that having a nicer camera that was still lightweight would be very ideal for me.

Anyhow, for those forementioned camera enthusiasts who have a few moments to spare, please take a moment to consider the three cameras that I think I may be most interested in and chip in your vote (or let me know if you are aware of a better option.) Anyhow, here are the different cameras and some of their specs:

Canon Powershot S3 IS
Weight: 14.5 oz
4.4. in. X 3 in. X 3.1 in.
6 megapixels
2 in. LCD
Price range about $300 - $400
CNET editor review score: 7.7
Many scene and color modes
Canon has a great reputation
Highest review score out of three.

Canon Powershot G7
Weight: 11.3 oz
4.2 in. X 1.7 in. X 2.8 in.
10 megapixels
2.5 in. LCD
Price range about $570 - $600 (not too sure about how mom would feel about that)
CNET editor review score: 7.5
Many scene modes and some color modes, but not as many as previous
Canon has a great reputation
Lightest, but also most expensive.

Panasonic DMC-FZ7
Weight: .7 lbs. (about 11.s oz.?)
4.4 in. X 3.1 in. X 2.8 in.
6 megapixels
2.5 in. LCD
Price: Around $350
CNET editor review score: 7.2
Various scene modes, probably not as many as the Canons
Panasoic has a good reputation
Has the potential to be the least expensive. A silver edition is avaliable and is prettier than the two Canons.

So life since Fall Break...

I found out yesterday that I did not totally bomb my last astronomy test! YAY! It wasn't as good as I wanted (ok... it wasn't an A... but it wasn't a HIGH B either) but it was definitely an improvement over the first test.

Then today in EMC...
My professor, Dr. Bratten, began showing the photo/video projects that she liked the best... and she showed mine! Well... she almost did... tried to anyways... ha ha... the stupid PC didn't like my DVD! She didn't try the Mac or the DVD player (don't ask why...) but I suggested to her to try the latter next time (because she said she would try mine again along with other projects) so hopefully it will actually be shown... and with sound would be especially great. She showed one guy's video on the PC and the sound didn't work, which I thought was a bummer because, even though it's a story visually told, music can still add a very nice touch.

I also got my haircut today. And I like it! I like it today and don't have to wait two weeks to like it... ha ha... but of course it'll probably go into shock the next couple of days just to spite me. But what can you do?

Darn computers.
Darn hair.

*Quote of the week*
"Do you recognize me? I'm a friend of that witch you dated."
"I haven't dated any witches.You must have me confused with someone else."
"No, I'm quite sure it was you."
"By witch do you mean like, a Wiccan person?"
"No, I mean like a mean, horrible person..."
-a conversation between two random people as they were walking out of the business office

P.S. "Don't vote CROOKED, vote CORKER!"
Yeah, that's the campaign slogan I created for Bob Corker. I think he should use it.

But seriously, if you are able to vote, please vote for a man who is actually from our state and knows it, and didn't come from a family of crooks! He also has good ideas and has done great things for the city of Chattanooga! Just something to think about!

Is it so easy to see everyone else's faults and deny our own? Gotta love human nature... yeah right... ICK.

So I don't have to go to school tomorrow... yay for Fall Break (however short it may be)!

And I started writing this really awesome screenplay today. Well, the idea is awesome, so let's hope that my execution of the story goes well.

Let's do something different.

Paint the town red.

Takes tons of pictures.

Make a video.

Go somewhere else.

Any, or all of the above will do.

"The whole life of the good Christian is a holy longing. What you desire ardently, as yet you do not see." -St. Augustine

"But I still haven't found what I'm looking for..." -U2

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." -Phillipians 3:12-14

Thanks so much, everyone! I got my FireWire cable, hooked it up, and it was magical! I've edited an entire video tonight! I can't believe it! I used iMovie instead of Final Cut Express because I find it intimidating at the moment! I shall advance to that level next. Anyhow, I am burning the DVD as I type. I am so crazy excited! I knew there was a reason I spent so much money on the dern thing...

Now that's one less school-related thing I have to worry about...

I got my new iMac today.

I love it.

It's beautiful.

But I have no idea how to work it.

Mainly... I can't figrue out how to capture video so I can edit... and that's sort of important.

Help would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I have no idea where my video camera's firewire cable is. Can I buy a generic one somewhere to connect my camera and my computer? Apparently my iMac does not recognize my camera via USB.
Also...
Oh crud... I forgot. I have a lot of questions but little answers... please help me, friends...

*EDIT*

I REMEMBERED!
I bought the Apple Care Protection Plan or whatever it's called, but I received no paper work on it, proof that I have it, or anything of that nature, and that scares me. I don't even know how I would contact them if I have a problem...

I told Facebook that I did not want them to publish anything on my mini feed. And then when I saw my friend looking at my profile on Facebook, it was there! That's totally uncalled for! I even signed on to check my privacy controls to make sure I had done it correctly, and I had! DIE MINI FEED DIE!

Anyhow know what I need to do? Other than totally yell at the Facebook guy?

In other news...

I'm a j-group leader now and we started our group last night. I think it's going to be good though I'm pretty nervous about it!

And I'm really hoping my iMac will come in this week...

I may be going crazy.

Well, maybe not literally.

But I don't think it's a conscidence that when you're finally soaking in the peace that God gives you and abiding in Him, that the devil throws you a million curveballs to distract you from that.

Thank goodness for friends and family to help take my mind off of those petty little worries.

Thanks so much for everyone who wished me a happy birthday! Hopefully being 20 will get better soon... maybe it will be once the semester is over... sigh...

Well folks, I am no longer a teenager, but an old woman of twenty years! I can't believe it! I don't feel that grown up yet...

I remember when Nathan Moore turned twenty and he went on about how old he was and Amy Bonin and I made fun of him for it. And now here I am, going on about how old I am... ha ha...

I feel like, however, I am definitely growing, maturing, and learning at this time.

I've had some amazing Facebook wall messages today, such as Zach Ingle's "How do you feel knowing you've lived through two whole DECADES?!" and Ben Wicks' "it's all downhill from here". Oh, and John Dunahoo's "presents stink from now on". And Graham called me "Short One of Doom". I have such encouraging friends, don't I?!

Anyhow, I lastly wanted to share this picture with y'all... it's from my 16th birthday party, which was my last birthday in Texas before moving here:

So my whole life (literally) I have believed that I am not allowed to make mistakes.

No one told me to be that way. I wasn't raised to believe that. There weren't any traumatic events in my early childhood. Satan just lied to me long ago and I keep believing it.

And I think... sometimes God lets us make mistakes in order to uplift us.

Yeah... that's what I said...

He lets us fail so we can succeed.

It's paradoxal, but I think it's true.

Because... it's all for His glory... and not for ours.

And I think that's what He wants to show me right now.

So... I totally bombed my astronomy test... it was bad. But, my teacher said that it would get easier, and that I really had no reason to stress over it right now. I do wonder if this means I should take the optional final at the end, which wouldn't be too horrible if it wasn't comprehensive. If it's the only final I would have to take though, well other sociology which would be a breeze, then I might would do. But I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

The good news is that I made high A's on both my sociology and EMC tests, so at least I'm not totally retarded. And I'm doing well in astronomy lab. We did the planetarium lab today and it was awesome. If only all of astronomy was about looking at stars and naming constellations (which I seriously thought it was! Boy was I wrong!) And I have no idea what's happening in Tennessee History... he just lectures, so I take the best notes I possibly can and we'll see where that leads in the future! No idea when we're taking our first test, but we have a book review due in early October... so I need to read that it this weekend.

Anyhow... I have been unusually peaceful today about the astronomy, and I totally credit that to God. Wednesday night He really broke me and it gave me a whole new perspective on His control. It was... so eye-opening, and I feel like it's really changing me... like maybe I am finally learning how to not freak out... how to sit back and really abide in Him. That is something I have rarely mastered before.

Also in Amy's world, I think I'm going to get an iMac instead of the MacBook Pro. I can get a more beefed up (filled up with all sorts of memory and hard drive space), more powerful iMac for less money than the MacBook Pro I was looking at. The only disadvantage to this decision is that I no longer have portability as an option, but before when I was looking at the Pros, I had viewed the portibility more as a bonus than a necessity.

My birthday's next Wednesday! Yay! I love birthdays... And considering that I will probably order the Mac early next week (due to Wes's suggestion to wait for the next Apple Event) I will probably have it on or shortly after my birthday! Happy Birthday to me! And then that weekend I will be shooting and editing for my first college video project! Excitement!

iMacs vs. MacBookPros...

So if you had the money for a Pro, but were cheap (no... let's say frugal...) and thus considering the iMac, which would you go for? The mobility of a laptop is really nice and would be hard to give up, but considering that this computer will be exclusively for video editing, what is most important is memory capacity and all that jazz... which I honestly don't know enough about! So if y'all have any advice about which computer may actually be a better deal that would be fabulous! Thanks!

P.S. to everyone: Please hold a prayer vigil for my astronomy test on Wednesday... Stars are more complicated than you would think, especially when your scientific intelligence level is extremely low... There is a reason for my ten point difference between my English ACT score and my science ACT score...

I need to make a pretty important decision. Please pray for guidance.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is just about the weirdest movie I've ever seen. In hindsight though, I see the brilliance of it.

"I woke up from a dream about an empty funeral
But it's better than a party full of people I don't really know"
                                                                            -Jars of Clay

(All this said with poppy guitar music in the background... yet still fitting...)

On a completely different note, it was cool seeing the Krystal's commercial stuff going on at school today. Even though I am not too fond of Krystal's and pretty much loathe their commercials, it was still neat to see everything in action. I just wanted to jump in and help. I am totally in the right major. It's nice to have peace about that at least. Now if I could only figure out some other things...

Alright Mac users, I have a couple of questions for y'all...
1.) Is the oober expensive extended warranty really worth the money?
2.) Do I need to buy a modem if I am going to use wireless Internet? Or something else perhaps, like a wireless adapter or something?
Also, do y'all have any extra advice for purchasing a Mac? I'm thinking I might get it this week. Here are the specs of the MacBookPro that I am interested in: 15.4 inch screen with 2.16 GHz, 1 GB, and a bunch of other stuff that I don't really know much about, honestly... ha ha. I'm also thinking about asking them to ship with Final Cut Pro Express pre-installed on there for me. Is that a good idea? It would make my life easier for sure...

And thanks to my collegiate standing, I would save a couple hundred bucks! Whoo hoo! This is all a little scary for me... I have never spent this much money at once by myself for one thing. Or more than one thing for that matter.. ha ha... I don't want to mess this up, because this is about $2500 we're talking about here, and I don't take that lightly! I know I'm really blessed to even have that money to spend and I don't want to casually throw it away. I do, however, feel very confident that video production is something that God has called me to, and this would be a great investment, and I could also start using it this semester for the two video projects I have for class. And that's a pretty exciting thought!

Lastly: Congratulations Matt and Bethany!

Birthday countdown: 2.5 weeks

21.5 days until my twentieth birthday...

and I found my first gray hair this morning...

eek!

Well, the first major event of my day was learning about the death of Steve Irwin, aka The Crocodile Hunter. To me it's pretty devestating. I mean, it's not like I've been crying about it, but that guy was so cool, and I hate that he had to die so young and leave behind a wife and two young children. I hope and pray that they are able to cope with this. I still can't believe it... it's so surreal to think thtat after all this time, a stingray of all things is what gets him. Death is so sudden, quick, and unpredictable. It can be scary, but at least I have confidence in where I am going afterwards.

I also watched some of Seasame Street this morning. :) It's actually pretty awesome! They had Natalie Portman as a guest star for today's episode! She even sang! I thought it was pretty cool.

Mom and I went on a shopping extravaganza in Cool Springs. I got the cutest dress ever at Ann Taylor Loft for half off! I love it. Now I need shoes to go with it... ha ha... guys, you have no idea how simple your wardrobe is compared to ours, especially when it comes to shoes!

I don't want to go back to school/work tomorrow...

So, if you've been one of these people riding the fence, saying maybe maybe maybe, but never making a commitment, today is that day my friend. Today, you must commit, stand up and say "YES, I WILL GO to Boenhoffer's tonight and have a wonderful time with my awesome friend Amy!"

Please? I don't want to be lonely. :) And it'll be awesome.

In other news...

I dropped Southern Literature and stuck with Tennessee History. And this means I will be finished with my gen. eds this semester! Yay! That will be a good feeling.

I've also decided I'm going to give MTTV a whirl, and am praying about a couple of opprotunities I have. I also plan to buy a MacBookPro in the very near future.

And I am officially dating an old man... ha ha... that sounds sooo wrong! Ok, he just turned twenty, and I'll be there myself pretty soon (on the 27th, don't you forget it!) It just sounds so old to me! I mean, where has my life gone? Wow... Anyhow, wish Garrett a happy belated birthday if you never wished him a happy birthday yesterday.

"Walk through the doorway of the great unknown
This is the moment..." - part of Sanctus Real's "Possibilities"