She Came from Planet Z

And just like that, the rain stopped.

Heh heh.  Isn't it funny?  How, like, you can have a bad day?  And then, like, have a good day?

And all because you somehow feel better, not because the actual day was any different.  But y'know what feels good?  Feeling good after a day of feeling bad.  Yes I do think so.

I'm making friendship bracelets like crazy.  If you double up the strings, they go really fast.  They are gifts for my wee second-cousins that we see every memorial day.  For two years now I have promised them friendship bracelets, as they always see mine and want some. 

So, uh, be calm and happy everyone! 

I sold my soul to school

Guess what?  School sucks.  I know I'm not starting out happily.  But today, I wrote down "ZOE'S SOUL" on a sheet of notebook paper and gave it to O as a joke, because she believed you actually could place a soul on a sheet of paper. 

I'm not saying that giving my soul to someone would ruin a day, but I literally felt like Bart Simpson in that old episode where he sold his soul.  Crazed and anxious and evil and desperate all at the same time.  I just want to eat that notebook paper up like he did and feel that warm feeling of goodness as the paper settles in my stomach.

Also, to make matters worse, we played dodge ball in P.E. today.

Dodge ball.

Are they trying to KILL us?

P.E. is my 7th period, so I walked home with a sore chest (target spot for the mega-throwers) and low spirits with a Spanish presentation, exams, and a lost soul on the horizon.  (LOST SOUL -sob- !!!) 

Yes, I DO intend on eating more than my fair share of chocolate chips today. 

warmer weather wardrobe water wednesday? no... it's friday

Well, I'm finally doing something good with my clothing catalog obsession. 

I quickly sketch some of the models on the pages, and leave the outfits blank.  Then, when I feel like coloring, I um... color!  It is amazingly fun and I am just as obsessed with it as I am with clothing catalogs right now.

I only draw girls... and that annoys me.  But then again, I always only draw girls.  I guess, in today's world, they're the only ones wearing pretty much any color or design. 

  Yeah, this one is a little crazy.  As you can see I am yearning for a modest two-piece swim suit (does not exist) 

Weather is warmer.  Much warmer.  Our P.E. flag football unit makes me want to write descriptive sentences of our 7th period:

We, in two teams, form lines.  We squint across at each other on the line of Scrimmage, forgetting the next step as the white light deepens the red of our sweaty foreheads.  When our eyes aren't glued to the coveted football, they hang low, soaking in every neon blade of grass as our tongues become ever more dry. 

get over your fears of running with zombies! (no, I mean use the zombies to get over your fear)

How to get over your fear of passing people while out for a run:

Pretend everyone else has turned into a zombie and that they can't see you if you're running.  However, the second you stop to walk, they'll pick up your scent and be on you in a second.  Meanwhile, you are on a quest to find the special zombie key to the gravestone that turns off the zombie curse.  You have to run to it.  Run!  Run!

To you, Pete

Hi, all. 

Well... I've got some late news.

Our poor Petey is gone. 

He had cancer.  He got sick.  We had to go put him down.

We miss him a lot.  Life seems a lot different.  It's been a couple days now, so we all feel more regular.  We feel okay now.  But he is definitely missed. 

To you, Pete.  You were the most wonderful cat I have ever seen on this earth.  Have a good next life, whichever one you are on now.

happy march!

Happy March!  March means spring!  Spring means change!  It means opening the windows and having that un-familiar smell of sunny air waft through the house as the birds chirp continuously!  Ah yes, we have met yet another confusing spring -OOPS- I mean string of emotions (ha ha ha) tofollow yesterday's post featuring "I hate life".

More "I hate life" pictures from yesterday.  I think it's kind of evil that I'm still putting them up, but there's 150 of them, so we're going to be featuring this gray day for a while.  How about something cheerful?

Ha ha ha!  Here I am in a little hat!  It's ME!  Don't we just love me?  And a cute little hat it is too...

And so, before I go off walking with my friend on this beatiful spring day, I'm going to give a few spring resolutions:

1. do what makes you happy

2. go outside

3. go outside and DO stuff

4. walk around random stores and absorb the products and scenes you are a part of

5. do not take anything seriously

6. do not over-think anything

And I think I'll end it at that. 

Important news! Oops, no, false alarm.

Who would like to hear a journalistic rant about me finally buying a new pair of shoes?  Yes?  All of you?  Read away, minions!

Today I went to Kohl's with my mom after school strictly to satisfy my need want for a pair of chuck tailors (a.k.a., canvas shoes).  Never before have I been interested in shoes past the rugged sneakers at the thrift store (that provide cushion and nothing else), so this urge was new and exciting.  And to my surprise, this partially blind trip to find the shoes of my dreams turned out not to be fantasy, as I found a beautiful pair of bright red all-stars waiting to be bought by me. 

After a couple test-walks I knew that they could be mine, especially since they had been marked down a delighful five dollars.  Of course, any sale at all had the potential of completely erasing my conscience.  Or, in this case, the mother.

"You know, you could get the same pair of shoes for ten dollars cheaper on Amazon," was mom's wise advice.  I don't deny that this is perfectly true, but you can't argue with my response, "It's my money.  And I really want them." (Then buys the shoes.)  Ah, youth.  Oops, I forgot I'm not a middle-aged journalist yet. 

And so, thus ends the most exciting part of Zoe's day.  If you wish to hear real news:

I didn't make the basketball team (although I did make 1st cuts), and I went to NYC with my dad for a single day on Saturday.  Pictures are yet to make an appearance.  I am now deprived of any sort of activity/sports option that will make me feel normal health-wise, which is un-settling.  Especially because of the abundance of holiday candy and chocolate chip bags.

Blogging 101, a novel

Heya!  The absence is due to being in Oregon for the past week or so.  I've got some new art and such, but I got this irresistible question.  My help was actually wanted about starting a blog!  My help!  Well, there's nothing better than leaning back and sharing some of my wonderful wisdom with you all, so here goes.

(P.S. by that, I mean, this is gonna be a wordy one, as this is such a rare opportunity, so stay tuned if you want more pictures than words.) 

Dear question-asker!

-How do you start a blog meaning...  how do you write posts?  How do you actually create one?  How do you get the courage?  Tell me if ya want more information (or if this has been blown way out of proportion), but this is what I've put together in response:

#1: pick a blog site.

-I started planet Z on TypePad, if you haven't noticed from the url.  If ya want good safety and quality, it's an excellent option.  The only downside is that you have to pay a little bit each month for it.  If this doesn't sound too good, I recommend Blogger.

#2: parents?

-I started planet Z because I really wanted to.  I was inspired by other bloggers, and my mom had a blog too, so it made setting one up easier.  If you're worried about asking your parents, I figure there's a lot of other more difficult things to ask them, so this one shouldn't be too tricky.  Nonetheless, it depends on the parents and how you feel about it all.

Extra:

-One of my problems was worrying about whether or not I was going to be able to post regularly.  Big word of advice: if you want to, just do it.  You will most likely be able to post regularly, but you'll never know until you try, and you don't have to post every day.  Post once a month if you want to.  Some awesome people do. 

-I am always envious of some people's design and prettyness of their blogs.  This can be accomplished, but is not really necessary.  This is pretty much a public diary to stop you from saying too much, so keep it your own speed.

-Blogs seem sorta common/popular these days, but there's certainly room for one more.  It's a pretty big world out there.

-And most of all kids, have fun!  And eat this new healthy energy bar!

-Wait - what was the question?  Okay bottom line: I started this blog with Typepad.

A little bit of darkness

Now we can easily say, "It's that time of year again" with a corny rising of tone of voice at "time of year".  Most of us (this could easily mean all of the little "me"s in my brain, or the cluster of girls I sit with at lunch) are thinking about...

costumes!!!  Why yes, we're not too old yet!  Right?  Yeah!  We're not!  It's just time to break out that black lipstick and lay on the eyeliner like never before.

 
Ah!  I mean, ah ha ha ha haaa!

 
I picked out the perfect combination of gothic-schoolgirl, inspired by the Addams Family.  Duh duduh duh *click click*.  Yup, I am going to be Wednesday Addams.  I actually kind of envy the name.

 
You should thank me for sparing you the millions of other practically identical sullen photos of myself in my half-finished Wednesday costume - it's fun to be photographed without expression, knowing it'll have meaning anyway.

Oh yeah- noticed how I said "half finished".  Yes, I do know she's got this huge pointy white collar and big white buttons to tail after it.  But, with some stripy tights, I've practially got a 10-dollar costume (thrifted dress).  Ponage!

 
And to be poned as well.  One of my favorite cartoonists, Roz Chast, has poned me (have ya noticed my new middle school vocabulary yet?  Don't try to figure out it's real meaning... it seems so innocent now).  No, my spirits have not been crushed.  I merely agree.  Yes, I do use this blog as a small form of self-publicity, and yes, I do ramble on and on about the crap that I make and do.  This is a blog.   

And yet, blogs slowly take the form of an underdog... as we witness the trend decrease. 

I can't think of a more exciting way to say FIRST DAY OF GRADE 8!

Yup, the title pretty much says it all.  And for once, I feel great.  For you see, I have developed a wondrous philosophy... (que the song music)

Sixth grade?  Everyone's still their same, loony un-self conscious self.  They're still at that point where they're saying, "I'm never gonna stop wearing pink socks!" or, "Aren't these braces great?"  Oh, the poor fools.  I wish I were them.  And THEN,

Seventh grade.  OK, things are getting a bit topsy turvy here.  Cool?  No body knows what it is, but no body wants to admit they don't know what it is either.  Funny?  Only the cool people can do funny.  The other people clearly do not exist.  And no one ever knows why.  Or why the cool people are cool in the first place.  (confidence, probably... lucky dogs)

But wait!  Here are the key, commercial-y words: it gets better.  OK maybe sorta kinda.  Because, after all, you are hearing this from an "8th" grader who just got back from her first day of school.  But folks, much has been observed. 

-Kids: happier.  They've been at this school two whole years.  They're the top dogs.  They have everything under control, are gonna be outta there in a year, and as far as they're concerned (with the exception to the usual peer pressure, etc.) nothing matters.  Yah, the kids (get this) were actually laughing at the teachers jokes.  And joining in.

-Teachers: happier.  Frankly, because they feel more cool.  The kids aren't afraid to show it.  So neither are the teachers.  Simple.

-Me: happier.  Hey, it's only the first day of school, but the vibes are speaking to me. 

So, hopefully you've actually read this entire thing and managed to let at least some vibes speak to you.  We shall see if this theory of mine proves to be true.