Chocolate-Covered Blueberries

     I really love chocolate-covered blueberries.
     I remember having them when I was younger, and then they just sort of disappeared from my life for a time, occasionally popping up to surprise me with a couple delectable bites.  Then, once I got a job and had the money to buy my own stuff, I eventually remembered that I enjoyed them and bought some for myself.
     It's like being reunited with an old lover.  Or so I assume.  I've actually never experienced that.
     Anyway...
     Because BYU-Idaho has a three-track system, the schedules are pretty different from the other schools.  This meant that when almost everyone I knew was back in school in the middle of August, I sat comfortably in the knowledge that I still had another month.
     Don't get me wrong; it was a little boring sometimes.  But I really learned how to manage my free time when I only had myself to entertain me.  Many days involved watching a movie while eating a cream cheese Danish and/or chocolate-covered blueberries.
     And I'm not quite sure why, but there's something oddly fitting about eating chocolate-covered blueberries while watching the fifth Mission: Impossible movie.  Maybe it was a life-changing experience or something that's stuck with me ever since.
     But I digress.
     So, in the middle of September, I headed up to BYU-Idaho with about half a bag of chocolate-covered blueberries (besides all my other possessions).  For the first couple weeks, I'd snack on them occasionally, but once I'd gotten to about a quarter of a bag, I decided to save the rest.
     Well, I sort of forgot about that.
     Then, one day, in what was probably November, I suddenly remembered that I had not yet finished my blueberries.
     Finishing that back was one of the most comforting moments I experienced during that first semester.
     What was the point of this tale, you may ask?  Well...
     I like chocolate-covered blueberries.
     "So count your blessings every day.  It makes the monsters go away.  And everything will be okay.
     "You are not alone.  You are right at home.  Goodnight."

An Ode to the Stillness and Silence of the Night

     I could go to sleep.  I mean, it's almost eleven o'clock and I have work tomorrow morning at 8:30.  Officially, it's because my hair's wet and there are few things I hate more than sleeping with wet hair.
     In reality, though, it's because the more enticing option is to sit here and type while my space heater does miracles and I listen to various scores from the Mission: Impossible movies.
     And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I have next to no social life.
     Not that I'm complaining.  Trust me, if I wanted to be sociable and spend my nights out on the town, I would.  But I learned long ago that that is simply not the life for me.  I much prefer to sit comfortably, all wrapped up in a blanket, and read a book, listen to music, write nonsense, or watch a movie.  And if I'm really ambitious, I'll do all four (but not at the same time).
     I just love staying up.  Night time is my time, and I think part of it has to do with the fact that I have no choice but to retreat into my own little world.  I can be as thoroughly emotional or emotionless as I so choose, and it affects no one but myself.  No one ever need know that I've kept the same score on repeat since ten o'clock.
     Well, I suppose you now know.
     Oh, but I truly do hate waking up before nine in the morning.  8:00 to 8:30 is manageable, but in my opinion, there's no reason the world should start before eight in the morning.  Alas, I am not in charge, and the world keeps waking up at dismally early hours.
     Sometimes I wonder if there's a purpose to it -- me staying up late, I mean.  I know for myself that I thoroughly enjoy these silent hours that I can mold with my thoughts.
     Is it lonely?  Oh, terribly.  But I enjoy that.  I like being alone, and I think that's part of the reason I enjoy staying up late -- I can be by myself with no one to interrupt me.  But then there are times I look around and truly feel the emptiness in the silence.  There are certainly nights when I desperately wish there was someone else to enjoy the quiet with me.
     The wonderful thing is, there are plenty of people who gladly would.
     But for now, I just sit here in my room, typing out my random thoughts and wondering how on earth we got to this point.  I've gotten used to it by now, though.
     I still wish I didn't have to work at 8:30 tomorrow morning, however.
     "So count your blessings every day.  It makes the monsters go away.  And everything will be okay.
     "You are not alone.  You are right at home.  Goodnight."