Absence

You know that quote that so many people say: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."
Well, it's true. I have multiple examples of this:

One would be my best friend who is over at basic training right now. If you know me, you know who I am talking about. He is an absolutely amazing friend to me, and we've been writing letters back and forth while he's been away. He won't be back 'til May-ish.. That first week of him being gone was the worst.. I was used to him being around all the time..almost to the point where I was frustrated by his presence lol(: Now, I just wish things could have played out differently.. I mean, I definitely do not regret anything, but I do sometimes lay awake at night wondering what could have been said, or changed..and what not.

The other would be a friend of mine that I've known for about 5(?) years now.. I remember our first class ever together.. Mr.Wagener.. Haha :D That crazy critter. I remember this friend of mine's glow and the fondness I felt for him right away. We dated once, and things did not turn out so well, and we haven't dated since. I think there will always be a sense of brotherhood with him, because of how close he is with my family now. He just clicks well with everyone here, which I think is awesome... But for a while, he completely stopped talking to me, and practically avoided me. I couldn't figure out what was up with him.. I asked him if he was mad at me or if he just didn't want to be friends.. We worked things out now, so let's pray that we can actually be good friends again :)

"You are not alone tonight
Imagine me there by your side
It's so hard to be here so far away from you"

Love,
Kjerstin L.

Fear

Fear sucks.. Fear of dying young, getting sick, being single forever...
But fear does not have to control your life.
What you can do is face it,
Which is what I have decided to do.

I have many fears.. Some of them were stated earlier, but there are other ones that I won't specifically put on here. Anyone can ask me about it, and I'll tell them, but I would prefer for it to not be out there, in the cloud, forever.

The fear that I am going to overcome will take a while for me to prepare myself for,
But I am willing to take a chance if the other person is.
I am willing to face my fears.

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence,
By every experience in which,
You really stop to look fear in the face.
You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. "

Love,
Kjerstin L.

Bad Breath

My aunt asked me:

How do you get rid of coffee breath if you have no gum, mint or toothpaste?

Now, rather than just answer that question, I'm going to answer the best ways to get rid of bad breath, in general, because these tricks also could possibly work for coffee breath.

I'm going to tell you eight ways that you can get rid of bad breath:

1. Keep your mouth moist
   *Drink water
2. Ask for a dish that either has or comes with ginger, basil, mint leaves, or parsley.
   *Chew on any of these for instant refreshment
3. Eat an apple
   *Freshen and remove any pieces of stuck food in your teeth
4. Use salt, if you can take it without raising suspicious glances
   *Gargle it
   *More effective if combined with baking soda
5. Have a glass of whiskey! (21+)
   *Kill the germs on teeth causing smells
   *Don't overdo it; breath worsens the more alcohol consumed
6. Sneak a spoon into the bathroom:
   1.Stick out your tongue and check for a pasty white goo on it
   2.Turn the spoon upside down and use it to scrape your tongue, using a back to front motion
      *Try to relax or you will gag
   3. Rinse your mouth and the spoon and sneak it back to the table
       *Make sure you rinse the gunk off!
7. If you can't sneak a spoon:
   1. Go to the restroom
   2. Wash your hands
   3. Use your fingernails to scrape your tongue
   4. Wash hands again
8. Rinse your mouth with water, and use dry paper towel or the inside of your shirt to rub each of your teeth. Then rinse your mouth again.
   *Be sure that the towel and/or your shirt are clean, otherwise it might make your breath worse

Hope this helps!

"..Most dear actors, eat no onions nor garlic,
For we are to utter sweet breath."

Love,
Kjerstin L.