Dear boys again,

Thank you.

Cars should come with owner's manuals. Oh wait...

So when I got back from Christmas, my car's battery was dead. The nice man from AAA explained that car batteries were not meant to last 6 years and replaced it for me.

Two weeks later, the fog lights turned on without me actually turning them on. While I was driving, while the car was parked, even after I shut them off they turned on again. Not wanting to kill yet another battery, I pulled the fuse until I could get it in to a mechanic.

The mechanic at the dealership explained that I needed a new switch, whatever that means, and that it would be about $350. I was expecting that, so no big deal. However, when he returned to tell me my car was ready, he also told me that I needed new brakes (and a new caliper and rotors). For $780, he could do that too. Luckily for me, he had to order in the caliper, so I didn't say yes right away. As he brought my car back to me, he said, "Didn't you see the brake light?"

Okay, so that light has been on for at least a year. However, I just assumed that the sensor was broken and ignored it. After this conversation I looked in the owner's manual and it turns out that light being on means you should have your brakes checked as soon as possible. Who knew?

$780 was still a lot of money, so I got a second opinion. Good thing I did, because I was able to get new brakes and rotors for $400 less. Hooray for helpful friends and family who told me I was getting ripped off and helped me find another mechanic.

So now I have spent nearly $1,000 on my car this year. And it's not even February yet.

Dear boys,

I don't care that you say you're emotionally stunted/socially retarded/whatever other crap excuse you're using today. Grow up, deal with it, and start dating.

So I just read Stargirl. It's your standard teenage be-yourself-no-matter-what-other-people-think story. But my favorite part of the book was that this girl expressed herself by caring about other people. She read the obituaries and birth announcements. She knew where every bulletin board in town was. She cheered for both teams at basketball teams, and didn't understand why this got her excluded by her peers. Basically, she believed that everyone deserved to be celebrated.

All of this reminded me of my freshman orientation. They had us all gathered on DT field. The counselors told us that everyone deserved a standing ovation sometimes. So they told us to ask for one. All you had to do was shout, "I want a standing ovation!" You got mobbed and cheered by anyone close by. Throughout orientation weekend, this happened pretty regularly. It even carried over into that first semester. But then, as all trends do, it died out.

Wouldn't it be cool if you could get a "standing ovation" whenever you want? You ace a test; you need a pick me up; you have no reason but you feel like a million bucks. I think it's a fantastic idea.

One year older and wiser too

Things I have learned recently:
1. Flying with the flu is definitely not fun. But hey, you can give your seatmates a funny story to tell their grandchildren.
2. Wyoming is windy and cold.
3. I am a hazard to myself. In the course of a week at home, I had a bruise on my knee from Mom's steering wheel, bruises from ice skates, and a blister from my walking shoes. My sister says I should stay in bed to prevent further injury.
4. Sewing is still a very frustrating process.
5. Car batteries are not meant to last 6 years. Also, if they are that old and you leave your car sitting around undriven for 10 days, the battery will die. Hooray for Dad and AAA.
6. Disneyland with a ton of people and no fireworks isn't much fun. Watching the ball drop on TV with a tub of Ben & Jerry's is much better.
7. Candy-coated peanuts and banana mints are not a balanced meal.