I think it's time to write a proper journal entry. Whatever that "proper" is defined as; and honestly, I don't even care. I just want to exploit this new journal skin feature. > ) I'm vile like that.

Strange things first; for some very unknown (but I'm quite sure odd) reason my stress level has gone to through the floor (imagine a graph here where the line represents my stress level relative to time measured.) And I assure you that no, the amount of work has not decreased - quite on the contrary. We have tons of things to return yet I have not suffered similar moments of demotivation nearly as often as I did last year. One reason could be that the school authorities realized our schedule is completely ridiculous and reorganized. Or maybe it's because I've become desentisized to stressful situations? o_o Maybe. I'm even as nuts as to speak in the morning assembly - voluntarily! I read Paulo Coelho's How to Climb Mountains. My math teacher said I sounded like a therapist! HALP, something is happening to me! I am not supposed to sound like a freaking therapy person ... o_o Not on the giving end, at least!

I have also done something I haven't in a long time - read a LOT! I used to be a bookworm when I was in elementary school, but I don't know what happened to it. (Or I do know - junior high. >_> ) I have read a variety of genres and I guess that's why I have had a sudden urge to write crap. Well, I wanted to write stories ever since kindergarten anyway - not with the passion like some people, but I just wanted to write. Not for fame or prestige, just for fun and to vent out stuff that was going on in my mind.

Also, another positive thing - I feel like all the relationships (casual or not) are finally in decent order and I don't stress them as much as I used to - again, this is inexplicable but aren't we all at times? Last year a lot of things were going on and I would be lying if I said I was in good terms with everyone most of the time.

What I have also been doing is to surf all kinds of D.I.Y.-sites. Since I realized I will have a ridicously low budget for Christmas, I decided I'd make all (or at least most) of the presents meself. I just need to ransack the crafts-stores and rob all the flea markets in town. Sounds simple enough. It's better than seeing the present you have wanted to buy as "sold out" or "no longer available" or "out of stock". Whatever floats your boat. By the way, if anyone knows any good sites, toss a note my way!

To end this journal entry with which I have spent a long time already, I'm going to quote Mr. Coelho for a bit here, for all of you people who in desperation (or hope seeing my blabber end) read this;

Cassan Said Amer tells the story of a lecturer who began a seminar by holding up a twenty-dollar bill and asking: ´Who would like this twenty-dollar bill?´
Several hands went up, but the lecturer said: ´Before I give it to you, I have to do something.´
He screwed it up into a ball and said: ´Who still wants this bill?´
The hands went up again.
´And what if I do this to it?´
He threw the crumpled bill at the wall, dropped it on the floor, insulted it, trampled on it, and once more showed them the bill - now all creased and dirty. He repeated the question, and the hands stayed up.
´Never forget this scene´, he said. ´It doesn't matter what I do to this money. It is still a twenty-dollar bill. So often in our lives, we are crumpled, trampled, ill-treated, insulted, and yet, despite all that, we are still worth the same.´