#75

I hate those stickers, songs, slogans that say 'We'll never forget.' I feel its so redundant.

I'll never worry about forgetting where I was or who I was with or what I felt.

I remember thinking it wasn't that big of an attack. When I went to bed that night, I thought everything would be back to normal the next day. I was so wrong. I remember all the channels were running the same feed except Disney. They had cartoons. 

I remember waking up exactly one year later and just crying, sobbing. I hadn't cried about it yet and I think it was then that it really hit me. We were never going back, only forward.

I can't even begin to imagine what its like for those who deal with terrorist attacks on a daily basis. Its just mind boggling. 

#74

I love these photos.

Source

#73

I just bought my plane ticket home!!! Its official: October 2-October 5 = me in MI! I'm totally excited to see you all and my dog. Okay, mostly the dog because no matter how hard I worked with him this summer he still can't write or talk and Skype totally creeps him out. 

My mom called the other day to tell me that my great aunt and uncle out here in PA were not doing well i.e. coma and dementia. But today when I talked with home, they had woken up from the coma, recovered enough to be moved to a nursing home and talk on the phone. 

I just realized my next birthday I will be 23 which is 2 years away from 25. Umm...where the hell has the time gone? 

We (well me and BART) have picked colors to paint the downstairs of Quarterlife. The dining room shall be a yellow like goldenrod. The living room shall be a cranberryesque color. After picking these colors, I realized that I inadvertently used the candle I received for directing Its A Wonderful Life: The Musical! as inspiration. Scary but I feel the person who gave me the candle would approve.

#72

Things I have learned since moving to Pittsburgh:

1. We (besides Pomme) have been taught the incorrect pronunciation for Carnegie. Its Car-NAG-ie, not Car-NEG-ie. Even the electronic voice on the bus pronounces it correctly.  (To the right of the steps, there is now a dinosaur and even farther to right is my bus stop. I get to sit on those steps for the bus to come.)
2. Famous Kappa Deltas include the lady who designed Suzy's Zoo.
3. There is a Greek restaurant in town whose chef used to cook for Jackie Kennedy Onassis. I plan on finding it.
4. I am extremely short.
5. Though I miss you guys a TON, like so MUCH, like everything here would be ten times more exciting because you would be here, I don't miss AQ that much. I didn't really feel like I should be moving back or be taking classes there. When I do miss AQ, its when I've been drinking and feel very lonely because no one else will try to climb around the living room on the furniture without touching the floor. I realized I barely ever was on the Moose this summer and things have happened that I know nothing about. It just, it feels right to have completed those four years and move on.

#71

I am watching the VMAs right now and they are horrible. Though the highlights include: Britney's opening, Britney winning her very first moonman and thanking me her fan, Christina's performing and oh Jordin Sparks' outburst about promise rings. During the commercials, they are running random facts and Kid Rock performed with Run-DMC 9! years ago. I clearly remember that performance and OMG! it has been almost a decade.

Oh and also Buddy is KILLING ME! I swear she thinks me and BART are idiots. Without her guidance, we probably couldn't get dressed in the morning or feed ourselves. She reminds us about the stupidest things like 'Don't stab yourself in the eye with the pointy end of a screwdriver.' GEEzus, why does she even bother? OR she patronizes us about our music tastes because they aren't nearly as cool as her sad, fiddle, yoddling artists that you've never heard of and never will but that only makes it that MUCH BETTER THAN YOU! Oh, she constantly needs to be near me. I sit on the couch she sits right next to me OR leans on the couch behind me so that I can feel her breath! Tonight, I purposely sat in the chair to avoid this AND she came over at sat at my feet. I cannot get away from her. Its so creepy

#70

I got this from 2 Political Junkies who got it from youngwilhem. I love Zoolander and this cracks me up. Its supposed to be what happened when Gov. Palin was announced as the VP candidate. But I prefer to think this happens all the time and these Dems just cruise the neighborhood looking for a walk off.

#69

Aww..guys I love the love. I can't wait to see you all. I totally wrote that post after 2 gin martinis and I guess some beer (its all a bit cloudy). But I spelled everything correctly!

Pomme came to visit! It was awesome and entirely too short. I can't wait for her to come back so we can properly explore SouthSide Works and finally make it to Dozen.

Its looking like for sure I'll be home Oct 2nd-5th. I'm thinking the fly in late the 2nd possibly to Lansing or Flint. If Lansing, I'll crash at Toi's. And then its to Saginaw on the 3rd for NCC homecoming. The 4th will be spent in GR for AQ's homecoming, Insignis alumni breakfast, and to aww and ohh over Frances being in a wedding. The 5th back in Saginaw until I fly home so if anyone wants to get together that weekend, let me know!

#68

COME VISIT!

I MISS YOU!

LOVE,

MOI!

#67

My weekend in Pittsburgh has turned out to be pretty fun. 

BART's sorta-kinda boyfriend came into town to hang and he's pretty cool. On Friday, we headed out to a big mall to find one of three H&Ms in Pitt. After we returned, we tried out a bar, Silky's, that is just a few blocks away. It was pretty cool, very low key. I think we might return especially since I didn't get carded and there was no cover charge. I got slightly drunk and may have drunk facebooked people. I know I wrote on Toi's wall for sure but if anyone else got one, sorry! I realize I did not drink very much this summer and therefore my tolerance is down a bit. Oh well.

Last night, we went to a Pirates game. It was cool. The cheap tickets were only $9 and the seats weren't that bad. I think the best part was one of the Pirates got a home run and there were FIREWORKS!! The stadium was pretty neat because it is missing a wall which allows you to see the river. I loved being able to take the bus right from our apartment all the way downtown to the stadium. 

Today has been very low key and not much has happened. I think I might make or get some pizza because I've been craving it lately. Our washer and dryer were delivered today but neither one is hooked up. I never realized how much I love having clean clothes and I'd really like to have them again. 

#66

So McCain picked Palin. At first, I was like no WTF? omg! what is happening???? She is definitely not Pawlenty and CNN told me that was who he was going to pick and LIES! 

And then I was like ohhhh a woman, YAAYYYY!!!!! a female. I am woman, hear me roar!!!!!!!

And then I thought about everything I knew about Palin: Republican, governor of Alaska, first term, just had her 5th baby earlier this year, children have interesting names-Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, Trig, fishes. So I looked for some more information and it seems like she has less experience than Obama which is interesting because hasn't McCain been making Barack's inexperience part of his reasons why he should not be elected?? The more I researched the more it seemed that Palin was only picked because she was a girl. 

I guess I feel like the Republican party is just trying to appeal to the Clinton supporters who haven't embraced Obama. I feel its insulting because Clinton is drastically different than Palin. I'm not saying one is better than another or anything. But shouldn't they put more thought into who is going to be our next VP? The whole thing just feels like a ploy. McCain, if he wins, will be 72 and the oldest person to be sworn in as President. Apparently, he's had some scares with skin cancer so it is a possibility that he could die in office, which would leave us with someone who has little experience. In the end, I feel like Palin is being set up to fail or be mocked or slammed in the possibility that the Democrats win the race. And I don't like that. 

#65

I realize I never truly introduced the roommates to you all so that is the mission for this post.

Roomie #1 or as I shall now call her 'Buddy'. I've known Buddy the longest out of the two. We grew up together and are both attending Pitt for our MLIS. She's doing the general program so we only have 1 class together. We've never be really close but more like friends because we had so much in common and it was just easier to be friends. I'm not going to lie. Its causing a bit of a problem since moving. She worries a lot more than I do and this gets on my nerves. I have one mom, I don't really need nor want another. But I'm hoping to come out of this whole experience with a umm not closer or deeper but maybe a more meaningful friendship? I don't really know how to explain it.

Roomie #2 or 'BART' is a sorority sister of Buddy. I met her during our first trip out her to look for housing. We clicked that very first day and its been fun getting to know her ever since. She has introduced me to Gossip Girl (Omg, we have missed out on the best guiltiest pleasure, ever!) and I showed her the wonder that is OnNoTheyDidnt. I think she is going to be a fun person to explore Pittsburgh with and an awesome support system.

#64

I went to my computer class today. I think I'm going to like it a lot. First, the prof encouraged us to bring our laptops with us to class. Second, he asked us to create blogger accounts for the blog we will be having to write for participation points during the semester. Third, our first assignment was to download lavasoft ad-ware onto our computers but only if you have a PC. We are going to learn about networking and LAN/WAN and some other stuff I have always wanted to do. I'm pretty excited for it. There are two sections of the class and I heard that I got into the better section, YAY!

But the best thing that happened today was CUPCAKE FEST 2008! This made my day. I think I love living in this city. Too bad I was informed that to get a job I'll have to leave which is a bummer because I was kind of hoping to stay. Oh well, I can always move to DC and live with Pomme, right?!?!

#63

My class tonight on the subject of preservation was ummm interesting? We're going to learn about paper and how to protect it, I think. Something about disaster plans was thrown out there too. But most of all, the class reminded me of taking an Insignis class where everyone knows everything and talks all the time. It gave me a headache and my first bout of homesickness.

#62

I went today too check out my books for school. The Pitt book center website was severely lacking and I couldn't look them up online so a point for AQ. Guys, can I honestly tell how geeked I am for my classes?!?!? Looking at the books I need to get sent me over the edge! Titles including the Social Life of Info., a book by Nelson Mandela!, and Archives, lots of Archives! I realize I never told you my class schedule so here it is:

LIS 2000 Understanding Information    Thurs 12-2:50

LIS 2214 Library & Archival Preservation    Mon 6-8:50

LIS 2220 Archives & Record Management   Mon 9-11:55 (sooo early but I'm really excited for this one. Its co-taught by the chair & my advisor)

LIS 2600 Intro Information Technologies   Tues 3-5:50 (I'm pretty sure this is a glorified computer class)

But should I be worried that a majority of the books needed for LIS 2220 have 666 in their ISBN numbers? I'm just being a bit paranoid, right?

#61

When we got to the apartment/townhouse on Saturday, we discovered it was filthy! like so disgusting that the previous people probably never cleaned. We spent most of our time moving furniture from the van across 3 lanes of traffic and scrubbing walls. It was an interesting weekend. I was able to get the bedroom I wanted despite one roommate expressing disbelief that my furniture would fit in it. But it did and in fact I've got some space left over, maybe for a comfy chair or something, as my room has become the hang out spot upstairs. We really don't spend much time downstairs yet but I am thinking that might change as the year progresses. Its starting to feel more like home but I haven't put anything up on the walls yet because I want to paint. So all the white is driving me slightly crazy. 

I went and got my Panther Card on Monday. Its my student ID, bus pass, debit card all rolled into one. I'm so not at AQ anymore. It was very surreal to take the bus downtown and get off among skyscrapers to get to my college. It was HUGE! I kinda loved it.

Yesterday, I went with a new roomie to the doctors where we discovered she has mono. It made me giggle. It made the 3rd roommate freak out and move her toothbrush. I think that sums up our attitudes towards everything. 

#60

I might have accidentally shoplifted tonight. I swear it was not on purpose. 

I'm still super tired and my room is still not unpacked yet. On the other hand I now own a fire extinguisher. 

I promise a more in depth update later this week.

#59

I am so tired. 

In the last 24 hours, I have flown home from Orlando, loaded a moving van, driven to Pittsburgh, unloaded moving van and am officially in my very first apartment.

Its weird and strange. I am freaked out. I think everything is going to work out though but I still want to go home.

#58

I just got an email inviting me to a Duck Tour. 

I think I am going to do it.

Orlando is fun. I think we are going to the beach today. But we are returning to Universal tonight so my brother can see a wrestling taping. So my mom and I are going to see a movie either Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or Pineapple Express. I'm leaning towards the pot movie.

#57

I am so excited for the Opening Ceremonies tonight! I'm getting a ton of Chinese food and watching them, yay for food!, yay for different cultures coming together! Have you guys seen the Olympic venues in China? They are amazing! 

The Aquatic Center

 

Wukesong Center

This one is my favorite. The Beijing National Stadium or the Bird's Nest is where the opening and closing ceremonies as well as track & field events will be held. Isn't it pretty? 

I leave for Florida on Monday. I am super pumped. I LOVE flying. 

#56

Things I forgot to write about in my last post:

1. Toi scaring this poor girl when she got her first glimpse of the dessert table last night. It was hilarious! Ask her about it!
2. AQ has already reassigned my phone number to some girl who answers the phone "Hi, this is Mary." Is it now an office number? Who has moved in already? And I want my number back!
3. This video one of my new roomies sent me:

#55

Things that have happened since I last posted:

1. I went to Lansing to hang out with Pomme, MMM, and we shall name her Aussie. MMM rode Wylde Thang and there was a tribute to our soldiers overseas at the bar. Its an evening I wont soon forget.
2. I went to the Rose Watson Banquet. While I got to sit with Toi, Toi's Lil Sis, and new Pitt roomie, the best person at our table was this college sophomore who went to CMU who KNEW EVERYTHING. Oh, those were good times. He wants to join ROTC just to ride a helicopter once and he feels that high school friends can never live together at college. Oh, if only he knew.
3. I went to an election party for my dad's boss. He won his race but my dad's other friend, the sheriff, lost. That was a bummer. But the best thing I learned at the party was a former coworker who left to go work at another office, had an affair with his boss there, then used the affair against her when he ran against her in an election, lost his race last night. Thats some good drama. 
4. I signed my very first lease. It is beyond bizarre. I am officially moving August 16th. It seems way too soon and weird. 

#54

Guys!

Morgan Freeman was in a car accident and is now in serious condition.

I am all kinds of sad now.

He's like the coolest guy out there.

#53

I made, well my mom made, my first purchase for the new apartment:

Its a tapestry and I plan on using it in my bedroom. We're allowed to paint our walls and in fact our landlord was like 'all the other units have paint on the walls, this is so boring'. So I was thinking about painting one wall that hot pink color and the rest of the walls the gray color. Then I was going to hang the tapestry on the pink wall and center my bed beneath it. But I don't know which of the 3 bedrooms will be mine yet. So who knows?

Also, I need some opinions. It seems that no one has any opinion about what bedroom they would like. Yes, It seems that I have found people just as indecisive as we are. So if no one else is going to pick, I will. But I need some help. Should I pick (1) the largest bedroom that did suffer some water damage but has been fully repaired and shares a wall with the bathroom and the neighbors? (2) the medium sized one that shares walls with our next door neighbors and both the other bedrooms? (3) or the slightly smaller than #2 bedroom? I kind of wanted bedroom #2 but as my mother pointed if the neighbors are having sex all night I'll have to listen to it all night. So now I'm not sure, hmmm.

#52

How awesome does this look?
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

#51

Ok, I had this long entry all wrote at that I worked on all day but then I read it and was like 'WTF! Moi, you wrote this and you know you are rambling.' So I started all over.
First: Look! a handy dandy map so to help you understand the random neighborhoods in Pittsburgh.

Pitt is located in Oakland and Duquesne (the school my one roommate is going to) is Downtown. We looked in Oakland (too expensive), Shadyside (too yuppie), Lawrenceville (too far away) and Point Breeze (too dangerous). But we finally ended up in Squirrel Hill (ahh just right!). 

 

Squirrel Hill is known as the old Jewish neighborhood which is kind of weird since the Jewish faith is still very prevalent there. There are beautiful synagogues, community centers and kosher grocery stores everywhere. I'll be living right by the intersection of Beacon and Murray. Murray is an awesome street that literally has everything I'll ever need. Panera, Barnes & Noble and Starbucks are all right around the corner. Interspersed between those chains are various local ethnic restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and CUPCAKE BAKERIES. 

But really the best part of the neighborhood is one of its residents:

Mr. Rogers!!!!

Well he no longer lives there on account of being dead and all. But there are plans to unveil a statue of him and I've hear they have such days as 'Wont You Wear A Sweater?' What else could I possibly want in a neighborhood?
 

#50

Am watching Project Runway. So far I am disgusted by the judges' opinions. Everything I think it cute, they hate. Everything I think is ugly, aqua, purple and horribly 80', they love. God Nina, you are boring me. I think this is Bravo's way of screwing with the producers after they chose to move the show to another network. Only its us viewers that are suffering.  

#49

The poll has closed. My computer shall be known as Murray Boondoggle (Boonie). I think its a nice mix of funky and cool. He can always go by Boonie if he chooses but this way other laptops at school wont make fun of him. I want to thank MMM for her suggestion of Boondoggle because I never knew what is meant but I think its appropriate. 

I went to the library and got some new books today. The new biography of Benazir Bhutto, a book by the first female press secretary (so I assuming that one is going to be just like watching CJ on West Wing, right?), and Brideshead Revisited. I'm guessing I wont read all of them but I sure looked smart checking them out today. 

Is anyone else totally bored with this season of Project Runway? I just feel I've seen it all before and no one is bringing anything new to the show? I miss Santino, Christian and Daniel V. (even though I read he got a really big head after the show and turned down a bunch of job offers because he felt they were beneath him. And where is he now???) Maybe the change to Lifetime & LA will be good but I sorta doubt it. 

#48

So...the University of Pittsburgh. So much to tell y'all. I've been wanting to write this post for the last month but I didn't want to jinx anything. I think I will start with the biggest and its very literally the biggest.

That my friends is the Cathedral of Learning. It is the tallest educational building in the Western Hemisphere only second to a building in Moscow. Its kind of so over the top that its fabulous. The chancellor of the school has his office here and it makes me giggle. However, there are some very cool things inside. First, the Commons Room:


Its HUGE! all like a gothic cathdreal but with massive fireplaces that are lit during the winter. I guess students study here. While I was exploring I found these staircases that take you to the second floor where there are separate women and men's lounges. Seriously, when I walked in I thought Hogwarts. I've finally made it to Hogwarts and I never want to leave.

The second coolest thing about the Cathedral of Learning is The Nationality Rooms. They have actual classrooms that are designed to look like classrooms from different countries from past centuries. They paid a lot of attention to details and it shows. One room has a hidden staircase behind the fireplace that is reported to be haunted!!! Here are some of my favorites:

Syria-Lebanon Room

Israel Heritage Room

I cannot wait to take more pictures to share or for you guys to come visit so we can explore together!

#47

3 words:

I GOT IN!

#46

I just wanted to say a HUGE thanks for all the support, comfort and advice I've gotten from you guys lately. Dealing with some things/people lately, its really made me realize what GREAT friends I have. You guys don't make me feel bad about myself or doubt myself. You don't make me want to cry or get mad if I tell you right when I meant left. Your friendship means the WORLD TO ME and I am so sad that we wont all be hanging out in A8 next year.


Sorry its so sappy but its how I feel.

#45

An alarm went off at 7:30. It was the loudest thing with bells and a ringtone and something else. It scared me and made it impossible to go back to bed.

We have no plans or appointments for today. So why the alarm went off this early? I do not know. I do not care. I just want sleep.

Thanks for the votes. Its exciting!

Here is another short, informal poll:
When you hear the name Tim-Tom, do you think dog or cat or a dog & a cat (2 separate animals, not like that weird cartoon from back in the day)?

#44

I put up a poll combining some of my picks for the computer name and some of your suggestions. I think voting ends like 7/29 or something like that.

I know I always wanted a baby elephant but Toi would never let me have one. But after seeing this video:

I now want a lion cub. Anyone want to raise it with me? (Ignore the cheesy music)

I feel like I am being stalked by a former classmate. I get multiple texts, voicemails, e-mails, and phone calls to my home line. Honestly, I am a bit sick of it.

But tomorrow I will travel to Pittsburgh with classmate in another attempt to find an apartment for next year. I'm more than freaked out about the whole thing. I haven't been accepted yet and I feel like this is just jinxing everything and I wont get in. Its just not fun.

#43

I want to take a minute to remind everyone to hug their computers.

Because you never know when your mother is going to dump her entire glass of coke directly on top of your computer and you will spend the next 24 hours drying it out and cursing yourself for not putting it on the insurance policy like your mother told you to and the fact that Apple's protection plan does not cover liquid spills.

#42

so excited!!!

#41

I bought myself a new computer case. I'd been admiring it for a bit and when I wandered into the store today it was on clearance. So I snatched it up. 

Anyway that got me thinking I never quite named my laptop. And I feel horrible about that. Its been using the alias "Moi" for about 2 months now. But I've decided its time for it to have a real name. Only I'm completely drawing a blank on anything cool. Should I give it a human name or a reference to one of my favorite shows or something else? Anyone have a suggestion?

#40

I had a crazy weekend and I don't even know where to begin. But I will leave you guys with this:

+

=

AWESOMENESS!!!

#39

I was reading this article today. It was questioning whether or not children should be allowed to attend weddings. As I was scrolling, I saw that the photo they chose to accompany the article was this:

It had the caption "I said no kids and no Time Lords!"

Oh, Donna.

I'm still mad.

#38

That is the picture I took of tonight's dinner. My presentation needs some work but it was delicious. I made Herb Roasted Pork Loin with Parsley Shallot Sauce with Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes. It was fairly easy to make and clean up was a breeze. I used the dried herbs because that is what we had at home but other than that I followed the recipes. Besides being yummy, its also healthy for you which is always a good thing.

#37

I don't even know why I watch Doctor Who anymore. It just makes me sad and angry. I just finished the season finale and my head hurts, really hurts. 

Its like Russell T. Davies (couldn't just be Russell Davies or Russ, oh no he needs that whole long big name because he's stupid) tapped into one of my biggest fears of being stupid and not being able to lead a productive life and injected it all into Donna. Just to show her that she is awesome and BRILLIANT and it was there inside of her all along only to take it all away. Its like she'll forever have that thing on her back that everyone can see but her because the two people she cares about most in the world are keeping the BIGGEST secret from her for the rest of her life. Its just mean, very mean. 

The line at the end when The Doctor was all like I guess they all have someone else blah, blah, blah. Its only because he makes it that way. 

There are only 2 things keeping me a fan right now:

1. K-9 is still just as awesome as ever!!!! Though he should have had way more dialogue.
2. The fact that nothing is permanent on this show. So whenever the writers can't think of a plot for next week, they can always bring Donna back and fix her.

I guess maybe now there is always a possibility that she can find stuttering guy and live a completely fulfilling life.

#36

When I first started this blog, I had visions of food and drink recipes in every entry. I would post pictures of every new attempt and review what went wrong or right. Needless to say, that did not happen. I don't think I've ever posted a recipe or photo. So I'm vowing to change that and this blog. I promise at least one new food and drink recipe a week. The photo thing might be a bit difficult because of the whole no digital camera thing but I'll work something out. 

I bring you the RECIPE OF THE WEEK!!!! I made this for the fam last Sunday night and there were no leftovers and it was pretty easy to make. Oh and it tasted FANTASTIC!

Creamy Baked Mac-n-Cheese

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup cottage cheese (not lowfat)

2 cups milk (not skim)

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Pinch cayenne

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated 

1/2 pound elbow pasta, uncooked.

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack in upper third of oven. Use 1 tablespoon 

butter to butter a 9-inch round or square baking pan.

2. In a blender, mix cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper together. Reserve 1/4 cup grated cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.

3. Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

I used low fat cottage cheese because that's what we had so I added a heaping tablespoon of sour cream. I skipped the nutmeg and used about 1 lb. of elbow pasta.

#35

Sooooo.....still in PA. We leave tomorrow and I am happy to go home. I would love to stay here but I think its just been too much family time. Its not fun when everyone in the whole family like aunts and uncles are all fighting with each other. 

We had another graduation party to attend. But before the party we drove into downtown Pittsburgh to look around. That was a lot of fun and I got to eat at Primanti Bros.  Frances, you should have been there. I could barely finish half and felt bad about leaving all the food behind. After we drove all over the city and visited the football and baseball stadiums we made our way to the party. 

At this point, we were about an hour late but who really cares? Anyway, we got there only to find that UNCLE's family had not shown up yet. Why might you ask? Well my youngest cousin who we shall nickname Bruiser fell off of the monkey bars (according to his sister 6 to 8 feet) and broke his elbow! He was being taken to Urgent Care where his doctor had "long blond hair parted in the middle, he was a hippie!!!"~AUNT

Then, AUNT talked to me today about going out for drinks and devising a plan to take down my grandmother who she believes is bi-polar. Doesn't that sound like a fun idea?!?!? It is like full blown family civil war with my family as Switzerland. The whole thing is just going to explode very soon.

Oh and my one cousin COPYCAT thought it was just hilarious that I got so drunk last night HAHAHA. Whatever, last night my parents didn't think I was drunk. I was loopy but I was no where near as drunk as the night before graduation. I didn't even feel weird when I woke up. So seriously they can SUCK IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

#34

Hi FRIENDS!!!

I can honestly say I am a little bit drunk. I 

woke up at 6 this morning!!!! and drove to Pennsylvania. Then as soon as we got here we went to a 2nd cousin's graduation party. It was okay. They had a slushie machine that my Aunt and I think you all know what Aunt that is, kept telling me that it was more healthy for me to drink a slushie than milk. So I decided to dedicate my time to the beer. Toi, I am sorry. I texted you about 6 beers but then I recounted and it was only 5! I drank 2 Blue Moons:

And  2 Miller Chill. This was my first time trying them and they were quite good. I enjoyed them.

This took me a long time to place the picture where I wanted it. I think it was blogger and its Mac system. Sometimes it is very difficult. 

And then I had a Yeungling. Doesn't it sound like a Chinese panda bear. It is from a brewery in Pottsville, PA. And I quite liked it. UNCLE has a case of it in his hotel room. Maybe I shall wander over and get some.

I WISH YOU ALL WERE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(THAT WAS FOR TOI!!!)

#33

These are Harpo's buddies Benny and Lenny. This is how Harpo arranged them before he wandered off to take a nap. He worries me sometimes.

#32

I've chosen to write in color today for no other reason than I never have before. Nothing much to say except I've officially applied to the last of the grad schools. Its just a waiting game now. 

Oh, Bubba is my favorite brother of the moment for 2 reasons:

1. As he was folding the laundry, he remarked that my clothes looked like they belonged to a kindergartner  because they were so little.
   
2. He wrote me a thank you note for everything I did for his graduation party which included a poem.

"Even though we fight, Even though we fuss

There will always be a bond, Between the two of us!"

I thought it was really sweet. I don't think I've ever had someone write me a poem before. 

The whole family including grandparents and cousins are heading to Pennsylvania for the weekend. It should be pretty interesting. I don't think anyone is actually excited for the trip.

#31

Yesterday was a day filled with movies. First, I went with the whole family to see Wall-E. I was surprised we went to the 5:05 and the theatre maybe had 15-20 people in it. I'll wait to write about my feelings on the film til you all have a chance to see it or until I can't figure out what to post one day and then it'll all just come pouring out.

Anyway after that movie my dad, Woie, and I headed over to the the Temple Theatre for the Saginaw Riverside Film Festival. They had a ton of films I wanted to see but the lack of money and the option of just renting the movies for free from Blockbuster Online won out. But my dad really wanted to go the main feature for Friday night. It was Mystery Science Theatre 3000: the movie. We grew up watching the tv show first on Comedy Central and then when it bounced to the Sci-Fi network. So it was really cool to see on a big screen and one of the creators came along to speak about show, his new book, and why Hollywood Sucks. 

Oh and I figured out that whole Starbucks Card. Toi had given me a Starbucks gift card for my birthday and I registered it online thinking I was doing all I needed to get secret cool stuff. But then I started noticing all these signs about benefits from the Starbucks Card and no matter how much coffee I bought during the last month I got nothing. So I went on their website and found out that you needed to register a second time in a special section. There you get to choose whether or not you'd like the wi-fi option which allows you 2 free hours of wi-fi daily in any Starbucks. Its all free as long as you use your Starbucks gift once a month. 

And then today my mom dragged me back to the movie theater where I saw Wanted. I liked it. Toi, if you ever need someone to play cat's cradle with, Morgan Freeman is pretty good at it. And its pretty hilarious to hear him say Motherfucker. I think that was the best part of the movie. 

#30

I stole this from Toi.

The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed. Well let's see.

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own blog so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them ;-)

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien (I bought the first one, got really bored with it, but someday)
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy 
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger (This is another one sitting on my bookshelf staring at me)
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams*
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (doesn't this fall under #33? do I get to count it twice)
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen (I got halfway through this in France and stopped)
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov (We bought this from the nuns but I didn't read past Chap. 1)
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (Toi~remember how obsessed Mrs. Manwell was with this?)
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

*=reading at the moment

I've got 22. I feel all competitive now. So watch your backs!!!!

Where are all the books Deb made us read? Native Son? The Good Earth? The Awakening? If I HAD to read those, they should be on the list.

#29

I took the dog for a walk around my neighborhood today. It was hot and the dog was being his normal goofy self. As we passed a neighbor in his driveway, I heard "Hi, how are you?" I answered the guy back and he just stared at me for a long time before responding...





I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU. I WAS TALKING TO THE DOG. HE IS A NICE LOOKING DOG.




I didn't know what to think. I was slightly embarrassed. Harpo and I just walked away.

#28

I did just something stupid.

I reread Marley & Me.

Before when I got to the end, I was sad.

This time? I cried like a baby, sobbed.

My brothers were in the same room and didn't even notice.

#27

I just saw a commercial for No One Would Tell. It looks awesome. The story is about a shy teenager (Candace Cameron Bure) who becomes involved with an abusive boyfriend (Fred Savage) and when she tries to break it off she disappears!! Oh and its a "based on a true story" story. Its going to be on Lifetime tonight at 9. I think its a must see or at the very least its getting Tivo'd.

ETA: I Tivo'd this and it was awesome. Candace played the dumb girlfriend and Fred was creepy & controlling. Best parts were the adult characters including the skinny, alive Mama from the Mamas & the Papas and the judge was played by Sally Jessi Raphael who talked to the camera to give us a lesson about helping our friends in abusive relationships.

#26

I survived Bubba's party and am now feasting on the leftovers. They are so very yummy.

I went hiking in the woods today. It was actually fun. I think I'd go back and do it again at least once this summer.

If I get in to the grad school of choice, I'll live with a high school friend and her college friend. They e-mailed me a ton this weekend with prospective apartments. They also want to go visit and check some things out. It just all seems very weird and foreign to me. Probably because it really hit home that I wont me living with any of you for the next year. Oh well...

One final thought: Honey Puffs are very delicious.

#25

I have spent close to a week searching for this commercial online. I saw it for the first time last Saturday and it just made me bawl. I made everyone in my family watch it with me as I cried and cried. Sorry for its condition. Its the only one I could find. But I really wanted to share.



I am so excited for 08/08/08! Here are the other commercials from the same series.







I just saw the Michael Phelps' commercial but it wasn't very good. They filmed all new material of him swimming and it was about him being part fish with funky music in the background. Blah!

ETA: I forgot to add this one. I like the music box melody that plays and I think the way her body bends is so cool.

#24

8:35- I am currently at orientation with Bubba (that my youngest brother, I have called him that for years, he HATES it, I LOVE it). We are in a giant auditorium. No one is talking to each other or talking at all actually. Its very weird, very not AQ.  Oww, microphone feedback. I also feel that we are listening to Big Head's iPod. So far we've had DMB, Kenny Chesney's duet with Uncle Kracker, and some band that whined at us all song so I'm guessing Switchfoot? Dashboard Confessional? someone like them. I am only person with computer. Thus making me the coolest person ever!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOO!!! COLLEGE!! 

9:07- starting Welcome Presentation late!! Unacceptable!

9:10- Bubba is too slow to win trivia prize. Weird, since he plays trivia all day long online. 

9:13- Welcome Video; President of Ferris slightly looks like President Bush.

9:17- School psychiatrist has Frasier's hairline. hmmm...

9:20- NOW LIFELONG MEMBER OF BULLDOG FAMILY

9:23- I just learned at a ferris e-mail address looks more professional on my resume than gmail or yahoo.

10:30- All the students have left and it is just us "parents." We have done a wonderful job raising our children. After all they got into college didn't they? (So did the Unibomber, I don't really think we should think this is that big of an accomplishment.)

10:45- Guidance Counselor just instructed the parents to find out their children's user names and passwords to spy on them over the next four years. Nice!

11:00- Have broken away from herd of parents and decided not to attend the 3 hour Q&A session. Off to Qdoba's for free wireless & chicken tacos.

#23

This is for Toi and Frances. Tonight, I learned that they are in awe of this woman: Elizabeth Kucinich. She's a British citizen who married a Congressman who is 31 years older than her. He tried to run for President but got smacked down. She has her tongue pierced and one of her heroes is Princess Diana. She sounds fascinating.

#22

I’m watching the annual AFI countdown “10 Top 10” with my parents. I love watching these countdowns. But my parents keep ruining the ends of all the movies I haven’t seen yet. On a side note, "Laura" the movie I’m named after placed #4 on the Mystery list. It makes me happy.

ETA: I just discovered the origins of the dingo ate my baby. Oh Meryl Streep!

After watching “The Unicorn and the Wasp”, I was inspired to read some of Agatha Christie’s books. I remember as a child seeing them on my parents’ bookcase. So I spent all night searching for them in the basement where almost all the books were banished to when the den roof caved in. I couldn’t find them anywhere. I came upstairs and asked my parents where they were. Once they actually paid attention to my question, I discovered that my mother donated them all to library because no one was reading them. This was disappointing. So I headed over to Zauel and checked out “Murder on the Orient Express” and another something about a funeral. I’m excited to read them. 

I’ve also recently got the new Ann Brashares novel “The Last Summer (Of You and Me)” but I haven’t started it yet. I hope its good. I enjoyed the first Sisterhood book, the second just made me so mad, and the last two were okay.

#21

This afternoon I had an interview for a scholarship. I thought it went pretty well but who knows? Anyway, as I was getting ready for the interview, I was talking to Frances on chat about how nervous I was and then I wandered away to pick out an outfit. When I returned to my computer I found this typed in the send box: "Just be yourself and you'll do great." My brothers were the only ones home at the time and they both deny they did it. And I'm pretty sure the dog didn't do it, but I found it a very sweet gesture.

I just finished rolling out 9 pounds of meatballs. I smell like meat.  

#20

Ever sit down to write and find you have nothing to say. Hmmm...lets see. I spent Saturday in Frankenmuth with Toi and was surprised to see how lame the Bavarian Festival was. I always thought it would have been like homecoming at AQ. Nope, just old people and goth kids competing in a Battle of the Bands. Guess which group I attracted more? Anyway, we ended up fleeing the town after we were unable to find reasonable prices for food.

Then on Saturday, Toi and I went to Birch Run to meet up with MMM(omg, I cannot think of a nickname for you and I want to publish this entry and its been an hour, so I'll come up with something later and edit this I promise) (I think this shall be your nickname but I'm just trying it out) and Swede, her boyfriend who was visiting from Sweden. They were adorably cute with each other. After lunch, I rushed back to Saginaw to help with party preparations to find my house abandoned. So I was able to avoid chores for a bit longer.

Now I am watching the Tony Awards and the cast from "Passing Strange" is performing. Its really good, different than traditional musicals. 

ETA: The Little Mermaid flipper costume is scary. She has a tail and two legs at the same time.

Oh, Toi and I were thinking a weekend in Chicago would be fun before summer ends and we truly have to become grown-ups. So start thinking about a weekend that works well for you and hopefully, we can all get silly drunk & re-enact our sneaky cab ride. 

#19

I bought a hat today. It was an impulse buy. I liked it in the store. But now that I've got it home I'm not so sure. So I'm wearing it all today with the tags still on trying to decide whether or not I should take it back.

#18

Seriously you guys, I have the best brothers. One just randomly brought me home a mint mocha  chip frapp from Barnes & Noble. And the other volunteered to go grocery shopping and when he came back, he put them all away himself. Living at home can be difficult at times but sometimes its just plain awesome.

#17

So I got bored with the template. It took like 4 hours and 2 computers but I was able to create the header. I think I like it. I'll probably change it again in a few days. 

Anyway, I got into graduate school. I found out last week but I didn't tell anyone for a while until Toi's mom came over. It just feels weird and I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it. I think its because it really hit home that I'll be by myself next year. Soo...if anyone wants to come to grad. school with me next year, let me know!

Coldplay is coming to the Palace of Auburn Hills on July, 5th. I think it'd make a great "Wooo!!!! I graduated college! Wooo!!!! I got into grad. school!" celebration thing. 

#16

I was already pretty excited for Dark Knight even with my mother's mandate that we were not going to see that movie that caused Heath Ledger's accidental overdose. But then I saw these.

Dark Chocolate & Peanut Butter!!! Yummmm.... Apparently, they were first released in 2003 but I completely missed them. So I'm glad they have brought them back because they sound like heaven. This is my new summer goal to find and eat as many as a can. 

#15

Is it wrong that I want to go see NKOTB in concert?

#13

I accidentally skipped 13 so these are a little out of order.

Anyway, I might have started gathering information on a little trip that would take me from Detroit to Cardiff. It'll only cost me $1,455 for the airfare, which is kind of expensive. But then Toi suggested flying to London and driving to Cardiff. So I looked up that option. While it is more expensive, it comes with the experience of driving through the English countryside, which I think would just be the best part of the entire journey. So who is up for it? If more than 2 people want to go, we could upgrade to a better car like a convertible. And we could learn about driving on the wrong side of the road!

ETA: Jessica Alba named her baby Honor. Did she not see the Scrubs episode with Carla telling Turkleton how stupid it would be to name their daughter Honor?

 

#14

Yo!

I went and had dinner tonight with some friends from high school. It was fun. Though, I wished I had sat by the ones I haven't seen since graduation. We would have had more to talk about and I wouldn't have had to hear the same stories over and over again. After that Toi and I did what almost every Saginaw Friday Night (SFN) consists of: searching through the Target 75% Off rack and a stop at Starbucks. I just wish there was something anything else to do on any night of the week here in Saginaw. 

Earlier today I was shopping with my mother for Michael Fest '08, which you all are invited to by the way. Anyway, I had just parked the car and was walking to the store when I hear my name being screamed across the parking lot. Another high school classmate had spotted my car and remembered it from high school all those years ago. Its weird being back home this summer even more so than years before.

Also, I got a refund check from AQ and I was so excited because who doesn't love money! Until my mother pointed out that it was probably just my housing deposit. And then suddenly it just wasn't as exciting as it was before.

#12

I was looking at the sale section at anthropologie.com and while everything was still too expensive for me (I mean seriously $139.95 for this on clearance?!?), I found some pants.

I would show a picture of them. Except wait a mere 2 hours after I found gray dress pants available only in my size reduced to $9.99 from $125, they are gone! GONE! gone!

I was weighing the pros and cons of the pants. 

Cons: were wide leg pants, already own a pair of gray pants with slight wide legs, seemed to draw attention to hips 

Pros: a pair of anthropologie pants for $9.99!!!!, i could always use more pants- they are kind of mandatory for being in public

I was torn and I didn't know what to do before I was like "Aha!!! I will blog about it and my friends will tell me what to do." So I start writing this post, go in search of the pants, and can no longer find them. 

This teaches me to buy first, think later. I mean thats the only lesson that can come from this, right?

#11

So this entry is a little unfocused.

I had to go make an edible picture for my mom because she was making a retirement cake for someone. It was supposed to be simple. I take in the image to the cake store and they scan, copy, and print on edible paper. It ended up taking 40 minutes! So there I was surrounded by cakes, cookies, and candy for almost an hour and no samples to try. It was difficult.

I went to visit Toi (formely known as Bestie) tonight. We ate some Chinese and shopped. I got a t-shirt from J.Crew and some nifty lip gloss from Bath & Body Works. I fell in love with the mini scone pan at Williams-Sonoma. If I had it, I could make scones everyday. And I know that I would make them everyday. Really I would. You all could have some. 

On my way to meet her, I realized I came home from France a year ago today. That just seems crazy. It does not feel like a year has gone by.

Did anyone else stay up ridiculously late last night to watch the Wings only to have them lose in the 3rd overtime?

I have to go to the dentist tomorrow. They kind of ambushed me and forced me to make an appointment. I have to admit I haven't been in a while with the combination of not living in the country, working with dental people in the summer who would clean my teeth for free, and the fact that the hygienist would make me cry when she cleaned my teeth. But I've heard they got a new one who is gentler. Downside, she is the mom of a high school classmate. Last time, my brother went in, she made him talk on her cell phone with her daughter. I hope nothing like that happens tomorrow because 8:30 is just too early in the morning for that.

Oh, just to let you all know, Bath & Body Works is coming out with a new scent on July 7th. It is entitled Rain Kissed Leaves. And it has a motto something like: lustrous. youthful. poetic.

Ya, its special. 

#10

After attending my cousins' jr. high track meet, my other cousin's baseball tournament, and getting myself sun burned, I decided I needed a reward. So I went shopping. After looking at all the shoes the store had to offer and wondering why my options were cheap hooker platform or old maiden shoe. I saw this kid trying on the cutest gold sandals. So I casually planted myself next to her and started searching for my size. I tried on the 5's but they were a little too big. I tried on the 3's but they pinched a little. And then after much searching I found 4's and they fit perfectly. And here they are:

Yes, I know. I just got new shoes like a week ago. But these are sandals and they were on sale. And I got to try on 3 DIFFERENT sizes to see which one's fit better which I never get to do. As I was desperately trying to find a size 4, the kid's mom approached me. She had noticed that I was a bit older than all the other 8 year olds in the kids sections. And she wanted to know if I normally have a problem finding age appropriate shoes and where did I usually get my shoes because her 12 year old daughter was having the same problem. Yeah, I'm sure the exact same problem with you know me being 22 and her daughter being 10 years younger! I explained that it took a lot of searching but it is difficult finding something that does not have a Disney's character's faces plastered on it or lights up when I walk (which she just found to be the funniest thing ever). ha ha ha ha, so damn funny. Laugh it up, lady, laugh it up.