"I put a spell on you."

-Hocus Pocus

Oh, Halloween. The night of candy and creeps. Of fun and treats. Of ghosts and ghouls, of fiends and fools.
Of laughing and walking, of jubilance and talking. It's a very fun night, although sometimes it can be a bit of a fright!!

I feel like I should stop rhyming now...

Of course Halloween's no fun unless you're all dressed up and in the mood. I was a magician! AVADA KEDAVRA! Just kidding, not THAT kind. Just the kind that has a black stick with a white stripe I liked to say was my wand, a top hat, and a cape. I would take my hat off, spin the stick in circles and say: ABRA KADABRA! Then, after the remnants of the sparkly purple smoke dissipated, a cute white bunny would just hop out of my hat.

How did I do this, you may ask? The answer is simple....magic.
Now, there are some of you out there who may think I'm making this up.
You're right.

So I was a magician, my friend was my assistant, and another friend of ours, well he was my white rabbit. We decided that before we'd get the real party going, we'd make some rounds across a few neighborhoods and pick up some candy.

Now this brings about another age old topic: Should teenagers be allowed to trick or treat?
It's a question that has brought about countless numbers of debates. People have cried, fought, and probably even DIED trying to provide answers for this question.

However, I've found a solution to both sides.
"As long as he donneth a costume, tarts and treats shall be put in his pillowcase."
That's what my grandmother used to tell me.

Actually, they don't even have Halloween in Algeria (which is where this blogger's from), so I doubt that she would have had anything to say on the matter.

Well, I hope you had as good of a Halloween as I did.
Alors, a bientot mes amies!

“People who have lost relationships often wonder why they can't just let it be 'water under the bridge'...

...it is under the bridge-the trouble is we do not live on the bridge, but in the river."
-Grant Fairley

Relationships in high school make just about as much sense as the homework my chemistry teacher usually assigns.

Most sane, functional folks would agree that chemistry is about as senseless as it gets, therefore that would complete the analogy that relationships in high school are usually pointless and end up leading nowhere but heart ache and all the pain that goes along with it.

That's the general rule. There are a few exceptions, like, for instance the people who date all through out high school and then end up getting married. However, that's just a small percentage. What people need to understand is that high school's the one time in our life where we get to act as crazy as we feel like.

I just feel like serious relationships should be reserved for our adult years. We should just take high school easy, and not get involved in anything that could seriously hurt us.

A friend of mine usually always has a significant other in her life. Whether it's a small fling, or a serious relationship, she's got that special some one. However, this summer was a lonely one for her. She had nobody that she felt even the least bit attracted to. You know what she told me? That it was the best, most 'chill' summer that she's had in a very long time. Problems were almost nonexistent to her.

Hmmm, let take a quick look at the correlations in this situation.

Boyfriend=drama.

No boyfriend= (almost) no drama

After a lengthy analytical review of this tid bit of information I've come to the conclusion that boyfriends are the causes of drama*.

Isn't everyone looking to reduce the anxiety they feel. Well, is the month or two of bliss you feel with that special some one really worth the feelings that come with the failure of your relationship? Because, honestly, your relationship will probably most likely not succeed. It's tragic, I know, but that's just the way life is.

I propose a solution to this dilemma. Do you really have to be committed to the one you cuddle with? Why is it so unacceptable in society to have a bit of fun with no strings attached? Not that I would get involved in something like that, but I'm just saying. It's stupid really, it goes back to that whole issue of conforming.

But that's another topic for another post. This one will have to end here. Besides, my sixth hour class is about to start.

*Drama is a slang term commonly used by most high school students to refer to the stress and troubles they feel in their lives.

"If you are not in fashion, you are nobody."

-Lord Chesterfield
(Ouch.)

Guys often wonder, as do girls, what exactly the opposite sex finds attractive. I know I do all the time.

Besides the obvious (good looks, sense of humor, sensitive, and a nice personaity), I'd say that a quality I look for in the guy whom I've given my heart to is that he's a good dresser.

For example, I think one could accurately assume that this fellow sure knows how to dress himself in the morning.

I mean, seriously. Check out that cardigan.

For those few men who are oblivious, the surest way to winning over the apple of your eye is what you put on your body. Most girls would agree in saying that sweater vests are about as sexy as it gets.

So, the overall idea of this particular post is: BOYS. Go out, and buy an ensemble that's sure to make 'em swoon. Take a girl with you. They'll know exactly what you're in need of. They'll know how you can dress yourself in the most flattering.

I know what I'm talking about. And you should, too.

"People are more inclined to use the word "like" in absurd demonstrations of stupidity."

-Andrew Jensen, Associated Content


*THE FOLLOWING ENTRY IS RATED R FOR, LIKE, DISTURBING CONTENT AND INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE. SOME MATERIAL MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW...17.*

Have you ever really listened to a girl's conversation without mentally trashing all the unnecessary filler words?
I never really had set out to do so, and one day, the word "like" caught my attention in a conversation I overheard between two girls near me.

Girl #1: Omg, like, did you frickin see (insert male name)'s new girlfriend. Like, seriously, what was he even thinking (no question mark at the end of this sentence because really it's just meant to be a statement to this girl). It just really, like, surprised me, you know? I was just like, how in the world did they end up together.

#2: OMG! I LIKE TOTALLY KNOW! What the heck? It's, so, like, you know, like...RANDOM! They, like, never even talked. Plus she's like fugly as hell. She was like ALLLLL over him at the football game. It was like nasty. I had to turn my eyes. They're so like....ewwww together.

#2: Like seriously, man. What has the world, like even come to? I don't even know. It's all just like, so messed up.

This conversation actually happened. Maybe a little less exaggerated, but it did. And I didn't exaggerate the use of the word "like".
But don't get the idea that, because I'm criticizing these girls' word choice, I am not guilty of making the same mistakes. You'd find that I, like, use the word "like", like a whole lot.
And "man", even if I'm talking to a girl (which my parents advised me against, telling me it'd make me sound too hippyish, which made me want to use the word even more. Hippies are awesome).
And "fuckin" (excuse the bad language).
And "seriously" (even if I'm not being serious)
and "Oh"
and "My"
and "God"
and "you know what I mean?"
and "I don't even know" (although sometimes I do exclude the 'even')
as well as a variety of other useless words that don't add significance to whatever I'm trying to say.

Seriously, like, sometimes I just make myself sound like so fuckin stupid. I don't even know, man. I like, want to sound, smart. You know what I mean? I want people to think I'm, like, intelligent. I don't want them to be all like: "Oh my Goddddd, this chick's so fuckin stupid." I just really don't want that, like seriously, you know?

That, unfortunatley, is something that one may hear coming from my mouth. It's tragic, I know, but alas, very true.
I wish my speaking was more refined and made me sound a little less similar just another catty high school girl. From this moment forth I will do my very best to eliminate useless fillers from a conversation. The "L" word will be totally eliminated from my vocabulary. I will now, when comparing something, use the following: 'such as', 'similar to', etc. etc.
When I want to talk about the emotion I feel towards somebody I will use the words "fond of".

And so it begins...

This guy sure agrees with me.

"No day is so bad it can't be fixed with a nap."

-Carrie Snow

I sit here at my computer at 9:57 PM. I've got an AP Psychology test that I have to study for and another blog to complete. I've got Pre Calc homework that needs to be done, and sleep that needs to be caught up on.

I have not slept more than 8 hours this whole week, basically. Well, let me revise that. I actually went to bed at 9 last Thursday. This whole weekend however, has been nothing more than a great disappointment.
Friday was a birthday party I was unable to attend because I had to work.
Saturday I enjoyed a nice evening with some good friends at Tomaso's pizzeria, where we were almost kicked out for being too raucous.
And Sunday I helped a good friend get over a lost relationship.
And all three days I worked.

Saturday and Sunday I had to wake up at 7. Both nights before I went to bed extremely late. I can't begin to tell you what lost sleep feels like.

Imagine finding the answers to life's most deepest question, but leaving the slip of paper you wrote them on in your back jean pocket. Your mom then proceeds to put your jeans into the washing machine, wihtout thorougly checking the pockets. Needless to say, the paper and the content that was on it are destroyed.

That's how my sleep deprived body feels. Destroyed.

Well, have a good night, and sleep tight.

"Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned."

-Unknown

If you're a person and you somewhat keep up with modern pop culture in the least bit, you probably, most likely, are aware with the name Brad Pitt.

You're also probably aware (again, this is saying that you don't live under a rock), that he's a phenomenal actor. I've always thought this, but I my point was reiterated this weekend after having seen Se7en.

He was glorious in Inglorious Basterds, he was so badass in Fight Club, he made me swoon and weep like a little girl in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (I purposely made sure I mentioned that certain movie title to up my word count;), he manages to fit his roles so completely that you'd think he might be just a little crazy.

Now, the movie Se7en, was a very, very, very disturbing film. And it made me think a lot about God.

In case you haven't seen the movie, it's about a very devoted Catholic who believes that he has a greater purpose than the rest of the lowly human beings that surround him. He believes that he has to preach to the world.

He does this through the popular 7 Deadly Sins. He first finds an appropriate example of a person who fits each category. In case you don't know, these sins consist of:

Sloth

Gluttony

Greed

Envy

Lust

Wrath

Pride

He first kills the gluttunous man. How does he do this? He forces him to eat to his death. Literally.

He makes him eat and eat, with a gun pointed to his temple the whole time. Finally the poor, overweight man passes out. Then this guy, who thinks he's doing the world some good, gives him a good, firm kick to the stomach. At which point, the victim's stomach explodes.

Ouch.

Well, he basically tortures 5 people to their death in accordance to their sin. The ending's twisted. You've got to see it if you haven't already. And when you do, we should talk.

Anyways, it made me wonder. Isn't what this maniac did exactly what the holy books of our religion (well, if you're a Christian, a Muslim, or a Jew) say that God's going to do to us when we die? Only these victims were able to die. In hell we are just tortured and reborn so we can be torutured again.

Religion says that the nonbelievers will suffer in hell fire for eternity. For not believing, for claiming that God is nonexistent. Which is definitely not what I'm saying. I'm a firm believer in God. It just got me thinking.

It just seems like an extremely harsh consequence for a matter of belief.

“Salsa has now passed ketchup as America's favorite condiment."

-Jay Leno

Sunday night was a special night for me. It was the night that my closest friends were going to come over to celebrate a trademark event.

My seventeeth birthday. It was to be a night of glorious fun. Of singing, and laughing, and dancing and having an all around good time.

For any occasion there are to be preparations made. One must provide the necessities all party goers look for at a fest. Primarily-food. So my mother and I piled into our family van and made our way to Hy-Vee, a popular grocery store, to look at some possibilities for the cake we wanted.

As I am still just an apprentice, and not yet able to be on my own, my mother actually, for once, let me drive. That helped make the experience all the more enjoyable.

So there we were, in the Hy-Vee parking lot, about to make our way in to preview a variety of all sorts of tasty tarts. We went inside to the brightly lit store, and were just hit by the rhythmic and soothing sounds of all sorts of foods and other items being checked out. To the chatter of customers and employees, and to the rolling of shopping carts. To the sizzle of food in the Chinese section of the store, to the awkward, yet strangely tranquil background music.

Going in there, I personally knew seven people. Lots of students work there. I've heard it makes for a good after school job, with flexible hours and understanding bosses and lots of people to ask in case you need somebody to cover a shift.

Well, my mother and I made our way to the bakery section. All of a sudden, I stopped. Right in front of me in a little half spherical case, was a plate of tortilla chips with a side of salsa. Taped so intricately on the plastic lid was a sign that read, "Sample".

Now, I have to tell you. I love tortilla chips, especially with salsa. I couldn't pass up such a treat. One thing, though, did confuse me. I would assume that the majority of the population share my sentiments on the deliciousness of chips and salsa. That did not support the fact that the plate of chips and the bowl of salsa was nearly full, a rarity for free samples so late in the day. But of course, my stomach won the battle and I took a chip between my fingers and scooped up a healthy amount of salsa.

Oh, the explosion. The salty, grainy taste of the chips mixed with the almost sweet taste of the salsa. It was an orgasm of the nutritional kind right in my mouth.

The feeling of ecstacy was immediately over shadowed by something else in the back of my throat. I realized then that there was a trail of fire leading from my stomach to the remnants of the salsa on my lips. And oh, how it burned. My nerves screamed for water, but there was none to be found.

My face and my eyes turned red and tears streamed down my face. I could not move because the pain was crippling. My mother's eyes widened as she turned and took in my gruesome appearance.

"Asmaa! What's wrong?"

I was parched. I could barely respond.

"The salsa..." was all I could manage to reply with. My voice came out raspy and dry.

My mother's face relaxed and she looked at me with an "I told you so" expression, I could only see no traces of sympathy, just amusement, at my situation.

"Water..." I tried shouting. But, alas, there was none. None to be had for the poor girl who put the wrong kind of salsa in her mouth.

My mother took me along and went back to the table on which the salsa was resting, she wanted to look at the salsa's description. It read:

Hy-Vee's Super Spicy Signature Salsa

Sample at your own risk!

"See, Asmaa, you never just eat something without at least looking to see what it is, first," she told me, exasperated. By this point, the ravaging effects of the salsa were subsiding and I was beginning to get the use of my mouth back.

"This experience has taught me a valuable lesson, Mom," I told her. "I will never eat salsa that spicy again."

To this day I have kept that promise to myself and never again will that salsa ever touch my lips.

"Men grow cold as girls grow old, and we all lose our charm in the end, but pear cut or square shaped these rocks don't lose their shape."

-Marilyn Monroe

You ever heard the phrase "Diamond's Are A Girl's Best Friend?"

I certainly have, and if you haven't than you've probably been living under a rock for the last 60 years. It's an idea that sounds very practical to me, and something that I very much agree with.

So far, I've only succeeded in making myself sound like a shallow gold digger, but truthfully, I'm not.

At least, I don't consider myself one.

Where does love get us? Have you ever heard of happy poor people?

They're hard to come by.

Money is a necessity, something we can't live without. Even if you're not the one making your own money the government's providing you with the money you need to exist.

I've never heard of a grocery store that takes love as a currency. I know we, at Target (which is my place of employment. Yay $8 an hour!), certainly don't.

I've never heard of a bank that checks your love score to qualify you for a loan.

I've never heard of a car dealership who'll sell you a car with no love down payment.

I've never heard of an infomercial that asked for only 3 easy payments of love.

Basically, the point I'm trying to make,

Love will not find a way

There are mountains too high for love to conquer

Nobody will always love you

Love can cross us one time, but it most likely won't last for a lifetime.

Don't get me wrong, here, I'm a firm believer in love. I believe in all sorts. Familial love, friendly love, romantic, spiritual, tasteless, young love. Yes, yes. I very much do.

The thing is that I've spoken with too many silly young girls, read too many Facebook statuses, seen too many movies, and read too many books that all try to make us believe that there is something that can overcome anything.

(I bet you can guess what that something they're referring to is).

But it can't. We're all human, with animal instincts at heart. Our emotions fade and time cripples us. We've all come to rely too much on the materialistic things in life.

“Loneliness is about the scariest thing there is.”

-Unknown

Take it from somebody who knows all too much about it.
The best way to spend a Friday night is not alone.
Due to a recent curfew change, this blogger's gotta be home by 9:30.

No, you didn't read that wrong. 9:30 is the right time. I actually have to be home at that time.
Stupid? Yes. Very.

Even though that's the reason I won't be going to a late movie showing with a group of good girl friends, that's not the what this particular entry's about.

I've decided to make a list of productive things to do on a Friday night spent alone.

1) Procrastinators! Start your homework. Seriously. Jam packing your weekend with pointless shit is...well...pointless. You know that sick feeling you get in your stomach when it's eight o'clock Sunday night and the mountain of homework on your bed is no shorter than it was Friday night? Well, by eliminating at least a portion of your work load also eliminates those butterflies that predict sleepless nights. I don't know about you, but I certainly can't be very analytical at two in the morning. Especially when it comes to AP Lang essays.

2) Clean your room. Do it. It's easier to actually do it than it seems when you're standing in front of your floor that's not actually visible beneath the foot high pile of clothing that's hiding it. Pop in a good CD (personally I'd suggest the White Stripes or Noah and the Whale, they make for good room cleaning music). So the music's playing and bit by bit you're getting your room to be a little more neat, a little cleaner, and finally you've found where that weird smell's been coming from. It's that PB&J sandwich that slipped between your fingers 3 months ago when you were doing your homework and ended up under your bed. You told yourself then that you'd pick it up after the sentence you were currently writing, but you forgot, and that bread, peanut butter, and jelly provided four and a half star room and board for the mold that took hold of your sandwich.

3) Watch a good movie. Read a good book. Rent one. Or opt for the alternative and watch it online. I don't actually know if that's legal or not, so I'm not endorsing it. You can do it if you want, but just know that I strongly advise you against it. You know you never have time to watch a movie over the week.

4) Call in work and see if they've got a couple of hours open. At least make some money. You'll be happier when your paycheck arrives.

5) Write an autobiography. Who knows? Maybe you have an intriguing life that'll get people laughing, weeping, and on the edge of their seats at the various events that deeply affected you. You might end up becoming the next Augusten Bourroughs, whose hit book Running With Scissors ended up a movie featuring lead actors such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Evan Rachel Wood, greatly succeeding in box office numbers.

6) Save a cat. Did you know that 34.7% of the time there are cats in trees that cannot get down. Drive around town and offer your services to poor kids, parents, and nice old ladies who can't, for the life of them, get their poor kitty to climb down from where they're perched.

7) Make lists. Possible topics
-The best parts in the Harry Potter a)Movies b)Books
-List of probable outfit choices for the upcoming week
-Different hairdos
-Birthday/Christmas/Halloween/Easter/Halloween gifts
-Books you still need to read
-Things you want to do before you die

I sincerely hope that this will somehow help relieve you of your lonely boredom come your next planless Friday night.

“We need others.."

...We need others to loved and we need to be loved by them. There is no doubt that without it, we too, like the infant left alone, would cease to grow, cease to develop, choose madness and even death."

-Leo F. Buscaglia

Isn't it just tragic how much loneliness takes a toll on our well being? Isn't it sort of pathetic and undermining how humans yearn for attention and companionship? Those who do grow up in isolation usually turn out to be oddballs with a variety of mental problems, who fit into society like peas grown outside of a pod. Their shape is so distorted from the abnormal growth process, that the pod they were originally supposed to have grown in can no longer house their disfigured little shapes.

Those poor, poor peas. My heart goes out to them.

A friendless existence is a funless one. People with no friends are often dubbed "losers", as if being alone makes it impossible for one to win.

I'd never want to be alone. Never ever. Just the thought of having nobody scares me. It's a world, 6 billion, last I heard.

I'm almost one hundred percent sure that of all those 6 billion want somebody. Somebody who they can relate to, somebody who shares their idea of a good time, just anybody, really.

To have no friends, no family, nobody who cares is probably the saddest of all possible existences. We need love and compassion to maintain a positive outlook, towards ourselves and towards everything else, really.

Many people have tried to figure out a solution to calculate happiness, and they've found that the obvious things, money and fame, provide only temporary satisfaction. That real, elongated and permanent happiness comes from love and the feeling of being loved.

There are those who do enjoy solitude. There are times when we all just need a break and we prefer to keep to ourselves. We all need our "alone time". We're alone, but not quite lonely. Even though I'm by myself I would be reassured by the fact that there are those who still care for me, that I choose my solitude.

"He who trains his tongue to quote the learned sages, will be known far and wide as a smart ass."

-Howard Kandel

Now if you're the least bit attentive you may have noticed that I begin each blog entry with a quote. Selecting from broad range of possibilities is a rather complicated process, and it takes great thought and careful consideration of detail before I make my choice.

To start off my entry, I think up a topic to write about, I write it, and then I'll look at a variety of quotes or sayings that somewhat fit my topic. I'll then choose the one I deem most fitting and attach that to the beginning of my entry as the header.

Although it may sound like something more appropriate for some one with a greater comprehensive capablity, anyone can do it.

Quotes are amazing. I love 'em so much. I mean who are all these smart, wise, insightful people who came with such wise, insightful things to say. How do they do it? Do they wake up in the morning daily and think to themselves that they've got to say something meaningful to make the day worth it? Look at Marilyn Monroe, she was labeled as a sex goddess with nothing more insightful to talk about than her blondeness, but some of the greatest celebrity quotes have come straight from her mouth.

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." — Marilyn Monroe

Sometimes, when I'm bored, I'll just google quotes. When I'm reading a good book, and a certain line catches my eye, I'll make sure to write it down on my book mark (which usually consists of a post it note).

Quotes make everything so much better. To say something and then bring up a quote that backs up exactly what you've just said makes you sound more intelligent and justified.

But a word of semi-wise advice, don't quote too much and don't use too many quotes that consist of big words, 'cuz then, you just kinda sound like a jerk. I once knew a girl who did that, constantly quoting people. To say the least, people weren't too fond of her.

Quotes are funny, they're sometimes sad, and they're oftentimes interesting. If my friends and I ever see a movie that's really good, all we'd quote for the next week would be that particular film. Boy, you shoulda seen us after we became obsessed with the hit Australian HBO show, Summer Heights High. Half the words that came outta our mouths were said in Australian accents. One might be justified in saying we went a little bit overboard with that one.

Going back to my original point, though. Quotes are awesome. Use 'em. You'll be glad you did.

"Lust is easy, love is hard..

and like is most important."
-Carl Reiner


I didn't hang out with my friends very much this summer. Maybe 6-8 times total. Why? No, I'm not a lonesome loser. I do honestly have friends. The real reason I saw so little of my closest companions was because I was kinda, sorta in AFRICA.

Yes, Africa. A lion was my neighbor, and my hut was made out of mud and adobe clay.

Only not really. Specifically, I stayed in Algeria. Even more specifically, Oran, Algeria. We stayed at my grandmother's house, and she lived in the city, as in downtown.

My grandfather owns a business in Algeria. He used to own a series of small factories, but ended up selling most of them. Now all he has under his possesion is his farm. Over the summer his financial advisor, who was also his close friend, visited quite a bit. I didn't mind his visits, not at all. In fact, I kind of looked forward to them. Not because I liked the guy himself, but because of who he'd bring with him.

His name was Noah, and he had eyes that reminded me of the strip of Mediterranean you could see from my window. They complimented his olive skin tone nicely. He was smart and charming and would come to apprentice his own grandfather as he was to take over the family business. He was also a very private and modest person. Because of the culture he was raised in, we couldn't even be in a room alone together with the doors closed. We hit it off right away.

My grandfather, one day, had asked me to come to the sitting room so I could hear a little bit about some of his business. It got boring quickly, so I excused myself. I went to the kitchen to get myself a glass of water and I turned around and there he was.

He smiled and bam, I was gone. He asked ever so politely if he could help himself to some water. "So you're the American gal, huh?" he questioned.

"The one and only," I replied. From there he asked me all about life in America, and I asked him all about his.

The difference in culture between here and there is astounding. Boys here are so crude and impolite compared with the ones I met there. Sex is never discussed between girls and boys. Some of the things I told Noah I talked about with my guy friends shocked him. Some of the things I told him that guys would say to girls he would not believe. I enjoyed my summer there with Noah as my companion, but he would never take it to anything furthur than just being friends. He said we were much too young to go anywhere serious, and he didn't believe in just "having fun".

So it makes me wonder, why do people just mess around? Have we diminished the meaning of a relationship? It's rare to find a 16 year old that's never been kissed, but having spend the summer in a culture where kissing is something that's done between two people who love each other very much and are either married or going to get married, makes me understand its real significance.

"A photograph is memory in the raw."

-Carrie Latet

Have you ever thought of the significance of a photograph? We take them all the time. Especially my group of friends and I. There's no way we're going to have a party, get together, or just any special day without at they very least one of us having a camera.

I spent this summer in Algeria, a country located along the Mediterranean coast in North Africa. My uncle, who lives there, used to be an avid photographer and still, semi sort of, is. He remarked that I took a lot of pictures, which I did (I love taking pictures). He turned to my other uncle and said, "Remember when we were kids and pictures were special? Now, it seems, they've lost they're charm."

That comment right there, made me stop and think for a second. I'd always thought of pictures as significant pieces of time. When that shutter opens and closes it captures a moment, one that would have otherwise been lost. When you take pictures, it seems, you almost have the power to record time.

"You don't take a photograph, you ask quietly to borrow it."

-Author Unknown

As I said before, I love taking pictures. Last year I worked hard until I had the means to buy my very own camera, and if I could, I'd carry it around with me virtually everywhere. It's the greatest disappointment to me when a beautiful moment slips by unphotographed. If I had a penny for every time I thought, I wish I had my camera with me, well I might actually have enough money to buy a new camera.

It makes me wonder though, am I abusing my right to take pictures? Am I really taking too many? Am I diminishing a photograph's significance by having thousands on my computer? I honestly don't know. Whenever I'm taking pictures I always feel like taking as many as I can because the likelihood of getting a really good picture is rather slim. In about the 250 photos that my memory card holds maybe 10 or, if I'm really lucky, 20 will be even worth saving.

When I take that many pictures, I alwasy tell myself that I'll just delete the ones that didn't turn out well, but most of the time that doesn't work out. It's honestly very hard to bring myself to delete a picture. It's realize that it's pretty ridiculous, but I still often find myself rummaging through the recycle bin, on my computer, looking for the pictures I may have mistakenly or unwisely deleted. I end up restoring pictures that should probably just have stayed in the trash bin.