10.31

I remember when my best friend and I discovered sudoku. I think it was back in high school. I don’t remember how it came up, but we took to it pretty damn quick. I used to walk around with a book of sudoku puzzles. And I think we both focused on finishing a few before we fell asleep every night.

I don’t want to call it mind-numbing, but it was a perfect way to calm down before bed. It stimulates the brain; keeps it active. But in a way that puts everything else from your day on the back burner. All worries just fade away, and its the easiest way to hit the pillow and instantly be out.

It was important to me to have some sort of escape back in high school. I had dance lessons, but I eventually had to go home. And one way to let go of my frustration towards my mom was to fill in some numbers once the security of room rescued me. I stopped for a while once my dad and I moved out. But a few years later, I realized that college was similarly stressful. Now I try to make a point to complete a few puzzles every week, even though real adult life isn’t as bad.

10.22

I remember when the Academy added a yoga class. It was a genius idea. I think the owners figured out that some of the girls had so much on their plates that they needed some form of de-stressing. And not just the go home after dance class and sit on the couch; the structured breathing exercises and mind-clearing relaxation. See, we were all taking about six classes a year, with three to four lessons a week each. As well as the annual Nutcracker production, and all of our separate competition numbers. Plus, I’m pretty sure we were all full-time high school students.

So, when this class became available, I immediately bought my own yoga mat. I definitely wanted to avoid going home right away, but probably for different reasons. There was this one time… and I remember just being exhausted from work and school and family drama at the time. I had no escape, except to sleep. And I was in the middle of breathing exercises and drifted into dream land. Not that it mattered. I needed it. I still need it. But I have a king size Tempur Pedic mattress for that now.

10.19

I remember trying to fake my death not to come here every Sunday. I hated church. I only went because my mom threatened to beat me if I protested. So, I’d grudgingly put on my Sunday best and drug my feet every step here. I remained miserable throughout the service until the free food after.

Sunday School was the worst. First off, I’m not a Christian. I don’t have anything against the religion, just the fact that my mom forced me to go along with it and yelled when I tried to explain that this wasn’t what I believed. And sitting through an hour of an old guy blabber on about these great, imaginary feats just bored me. I honestly had more important things to do. Then, I’d have to go listen to the second half of the service… Zzzzzzzzz.

I’ll admit, this place is pretty nice. We never had too much trouble with vandalism on the Island. And people are only allowed in the building for church functions. I know I’ll never come back here, much like my mother. Who decided religion wasn’t her thing. Hypocrite.

8.30

I remember always snuggling with this little dude when I stayed over at my grandparents’ house. I was young, obviously. And there were plenty of other toys and stuffed animals, as I was the first grandchild and the spoiling just escalated after that. But out of that entire room of awesomeness, this is the one I chose to fall asleep with. And no one else was allowed to touch him.

As I got older, I stopped staying over at their house. Actually, I stopped once my Papa passed away. Then my Grandma found a smaller place and I reached the age where all I wanted to do was hang out with friends. It was my senior year of high school when my Grandma decided it was her time to go. She left me a few things, and I had completely forgotten about this dude. I never named him either. It was my dad that returned him to me. He remembered; so I kept him.