The Aardvark Tipped Over

Roots

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 16:58:37 GMT

I've been busy the past few weeks. It makes me miss school, at least that was an organized busy.

We spent my birthday and some extra days in Shepherdstown, doing the walk through of the new place, and getting some furniture. Since my parents thought I was going to London, they basically gave away three full rooms of furniture that I could have stored in my unit up on 45 until I moved in to a place. Really nice stuff too. Luckily, I've had a complete kitchen since junior year, so money that would have been spent on the kitchen could go to my bedroom and living room. The Room Store actually had some good deals, and my coffee table is eco friendly. It's funny the things I didn't realize went in to moving, even though I've moved around so much in my life. My birthday was spent buying a washer and dryer...a pricey necessity that I didn't even think about. Everything should be delivered next week while we're there, but what isn't, John will get while I'm back in Texas.

We came to Rhode Island for a family reunion for mom's side of the family. My second cousins from Ireland were in town, and brought their kids...with adorable little Irish brogues. I had a really good time at the reunion. My mom's cousins are so warm and welcoming...and loud. We also caught up with some friends of mine and my cousin Lisa, who is getting married next year. After not seeing her for three years we had so much to talk about, and she's asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding.

Moving around as a kid definitely made me miss out on big family time. For the longest time it was just mom, dad and I. Being in Maryland was closer, and we started going to mom's family's yearly Easter Egg Hunt on Palm Sunday every couple of years - but never a big family reunion like this. The best part was hearing people talk about Nannie, Gramp and my Uncle John, and about how much they miss them and how wonderful parts of the family they were. It made me really proud of where I come from.

I feel that way whenever I come back here. It's comfortable, and definitely a place I can come back to if I need to. I'm hoping to bring John to the Palm Sunday Easter Egg Hunt in the spring.

We'll be back in Shepherdstown on the 27th, closing on my house on the 28th and spending the 27th-31st sitting around the house waiting for people to come in and do the electric and water and deliver furniture and appliances.

I'm pretty excited, and hopeful that at least Becca can live with me starting in September.

That's all really. Things are falling into place. I can't seem to find a job in the communications field, so I think I'm going to go with my backup plan and substitute teach. I know I can work in Washington county without teacher certification and get $85 a day because of my bachelors, and one of the sisters in the SAI alumnae chapter I am joining who teaches in Jefferson county and seems to think I could sub without certification there too, the benefit there is knowing a few teachers who could request me to sub for them if they know they'll have to take a day off, I guess. I might try and do writing tutoring for some extra money. It'll be tight, but I'll be able to start English classes at Shepherd part-time in January, so it'll be easy to make that "full-time" to "flexible."

That's all...more Rhode Island fun ahead of me.

Meme?!

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:03:39 GMT

A) People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs & replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.

B) Tag 4 people to do this quiz & those who are tagged cannot refuse. These people must state who they were tagged by & cannot tag the person whom they were tagged by. Continue this game by tagging other people.

1. Which celebrity would you like to meet and why?
Hm...Sharon Osbourne, just because she seems like such a cool lady to sit down to a coffee or lunch with.

2. What do you do before bedtime?
Make some sleepytime tea, brush my teeth, wash my face and read.

3. What is your favorite thing to do on a hot summer day?
If there's water, I'd rather be in it...but if not, sit by a fan and read.

4. What is the city of your dreams and why?
Boston. It's big and has the New England charm that I was brought up with. Plus, the layers and layers of history around Faneuil Hall and the harbor make it extra interesting.

5. Are you an introvert or extrovert?
Extrovert

6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?
Loving someone, it's really nice.

7. Do you trust easily?
No, not at all. I have my reasons.

8. What did you just do?
Finished a donut from Dunkin Donuts.

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
Airplanes. Texas. No job prospects that actually use my degree.

10. Do you have a good body-image?
Yeah, for the most part.

11. Is being tagged fun?
Sure?

12. What websites do you visit daily?
Facebook, MySpace, CNN, Rock and Roll Daily, Shepherd E-Mail

13. Who are currently the most important people to you?
My parents, John, my friends...everyone, really.

14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
I think she's a wonderful person, and I definitely wish we could hang more. :)

15. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?
That new Kid Rock song...no comment.

16. What’s your favorite item of clothing?
Probably the turquoise linen shirt I bought myself for my birthday. It's light, airy and just great.

17. What's better: to give or to receive?
Giving, I always feel like I under-react/seem like I don't appreciate receiving, even though I do.

18. What's the first thing you notice in people?
Whether or not they make eye contact.

19. Would you have 100% safe sex with a stranger for $10,000,000?
Maybe...I mean, $10,000,000 would make a BIG difference right now, in terms of paying my parents back and going back to Shepherd, and I suppose if the sex is safe...

20. What were your parents going to name you if you'd been born the opposite gender?
They couldn't settle on a name, and found out early-on that I was a girl because of complications with my mom's pregnancy, so they never had one picked out and never had to.

21. What is your earliest memory?
Going to Twice Told Tales and getting ice cream with my grandfather, and all the stories he told me

22. If you had never met your parents, and you could choose two people you know, or celebrities, to be your parents, who would you pick?
I'm going with Emily in that my dad would be Bill Murray...but we'd only be half sisters because I really want my professor, Monica to be my mom.

23. Do you believe in reincanation? If so, do you ever experience memories from past lives? Describe.
I'm not sure on that.

24. A movie that explains your entire life or entire outlook on life:
Elizabethtown

25. What's your favorite smell?
Fresh ground coffee bean coffee...

what's been what these days

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:07:45 GMT

well, graduation happened. pomp and circumstance, funny hats and robes. i have a piece of paper with my name on it to show for my efforts. the original plan was a family trip to france and england, a summer in texas and then off across the pond for my year abroad.

we cancelled the france trip when we realized that me packing up life, flying to texas and turning around and going to europe four days later for 14 days was a bit much. so, i stayed in shepherdstown an extra week and john and i drove my car down here to texas. we took four days and saw some pretty neat things (including graceland in memphis!) and i loved it.

so, john left. i obviously know no one here and all the quiet gave me time to think. the more i thought about graduate school and london, i was more and more anxious. so, i figured it was my intuition telling me that right now might not be the best time for me to go to graduate school, that a few years in the field would do me good ad help me to decide if that's really the path i want to take. so, i applied for a job in frederick. but, then i realized what my life would be like as a start-up journalist, and i realized it wasn't me at all...and that i was actually hoping frederick wouldn't call me back. the writing i want to do is free lance, and you can't make a living off of that.

i kept telling myself that i just want to teach college. which is when i realized i've wanted to teach this entire time. i almost started out at shepherd as an english ed major, almost switched to english ed but figured it would be a waste of time since i'd eventually need a master's anyway. so...

i'm moving back to west virginia. shepherdstown, in a townhouse that i'm renting from my parents that they're buying with the money we made off of the house in maryland. i'm applying for a few jobs, and i applied to shepherd's ma in teaching english. it will probably take me about a year to catch up on the english classes i need, and i need to pass praxis I and II before i can officially be accepted to the master's program, but what i've heard so far, they'll work with me as a get over all of those hurdles.

visiting everyone there last week made me realize how much i need to be there. shepherdstown has definitely become more of a home than anyplace i have ever lived. i'm so happy there, and i feel so much more at ease with this decision.

i don't like texas at all, and knowing there is a house, more school and hopefully a job waiting for me back there makes texas a little bit more bearable.

so...we'll see what happens next. i'll update on my train adventure later...it needs an entry of its own.

pomp and circumstance

Sat, 17 May 2008 15:48:07 GMT

today...i graduate. i suppose i graduated officially when i got my grades on tuesday that affirmed all systems go...but i guess it just doesn't feel real until i put on another cap and gown and walk across the stage, silently praying i don't fall.

it seems surreal. this week has been ridiculously emotional, and busier than anticipated.

here's to the next step.

i'm finished

Wed, 07 May 2008 22:21:02 GMT

i presented my senior project last night, which was the last thing i had to do for my undergraduate time here at shepherd. i think that my presentation went really well, actually, which was a relief, considering i couldn't breathe, eat or sleep at all the night and day before. my mom came in from houston for the big show and she took john and gordon and i out to dinner afterwards. i took her to the airport today, and missed hilary and chelsea clinton speaking on the front steps of one of the campus buildings on the main street through town. it was originally just chelsea, but her campaign announced early this morning that hilary would be joining her. the roads were shut off when i left at 11:30 to take my mom to bwi, and apparently it was pretty interesting and well attended. i'm on the obama bandwagon myself, but it'll be interesting seeing what hilary's presence here does to the wv democratic primary next week. and also just sort of exciting in general. major politicians and public figures don't really just roll into shepherdstown to hang out with the students and townies.

this all being said, i've been thinking a lot this past week about shepherd, shepherdstown and my time here the past four years. quite frankly, i've had about as amazing experience as i could possibly have had at shepherd, and i definitely made the right decision in coming here. shepherd has a lot of quirks, and a lot of its own issues, but i think that's the case for most colleges, communities and pretty much anywhere you'll end up in your life. there isn't a utopia, but for me, shepherd has been pretty damn close. being able to get involved with so many different organizations (i've had bouts with habitat for humanity, shepherd democrats, sga, the picket, different minors in different departments and of course sai and all of the music things) really helped me to learn a lot about myself and what i want out of my life. plus, i have a lot of practical experience to use in the "real world" and better friends than i ever could have imagined. i'm going to miss this place. so much.

my last sai meeting is tonight, too. i'm pretty crushed. i've spent most of the afternoon procrastinating on organizing the vice president, membership binder for the upcoming officer because i'm just not ready to relinquish my power or say goodbye to my sisters. i didn't think i'd be this emotional about it. and four years ago, i definitely didn't think i'd be a part of any greek organization. but, i contacted the president of the houston alumnae chapter and said i'd like to be able to reach out to some people in the area, and figured sisters would be the best place to look, so hopefully they can entertain me over the summer before i head to london and affiliate with the international chapter.

i leave for houston on the 18th...the day after graduation. oh, pomp and circumstance.

i went to the lost dog today, and sat in the sunshine with john and his friend kristin. it was beautiful.

*sigh*...here comes the next step. hope everyone gets through finals okay.

quick early thoughts

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:27:02 GMT

i forgot how much i love my fraternity until last night while we were sitting around meghan's kitchen giggling and cutting up an unnecessary amount of strawberries, watermelon, marinating an insane amount of chicken breasts and stacking up donuts on silver platters. today's province day, and i'm quite excited that we are hosting my last province day (even though i've complained about the stress of preparation). these girls give me both ulcers and make me smile on a regular basis.

i'm going to cry at initiation. no doubt about it.

there are exactly two weeks left in my undergraduate career, and i had no clue they would come this quickly. i'm prepared. i just don't know if i'm ready. (juno reference, anyone?) i also thought the last few weeks would be fun.

wrong.

i don't want to look at a computer screen for a little bit after the 17th.

shower time. love.

update

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:17:11 GMT

I GOT IN...

This girl, pending graduation with a 3.0 GPA...will be a graduate student at the University of Westminster starting in September.

I'm still in shock. Thanks for all the support.

Look out, London...

and in 10 days

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:35:13 GMT

after an amazing spring break, i received a second rejection letter from boston. with my rejections now 2 out of the three applications i decided to send out at this juncture in my meek career, i wasn't very hopeful and decided that i'd stay in shepherdstown a year. get a little apartment all to myself, find a job in frederick, hagerstown or dc, do my thing, take the GRE again with john and apply for either fall or spring admission into some schools, lease depending.

then, the e-mail came.

university of westminster (yeah, the london one) e-mailed me last week, saying that i've made it to the third part of the admissions process and they would like someone from the program to interview me to get to know me a little more and give me a chance to ask some questions about the program that the website and other reading material may not have answered. suddenly. hope. they were strongly considering my application.

i had my interview today with a very nice, quick speaking british lady. she asked about me, why i want to write, what i'd like to gain from a possible year and master's study abroad and if i'd ever considered staying in europe after my master's to work. she, in turn, explained to me that i'd be able to live in graduate housing on campus that they set aside for international students in an apartment type situation where i'd have my own room and share a living room and kitchen with three other students, asked how i planned to pay for the experience, told me some of the ins and outs of coming from america to an expensive city like london and said "you wouldn't be the only american student, there's another girl who is coming from seattle."

the whole conversation was quite promising and exciting all in one. she said i'll know in the next ten days.

so...in ten days, i'll know if i'll spend the next year living and working in west virginia...or getting my master's degree in london.

i don't think those two roads get any more different. i'm not sure how i feel about it.

five weeks till graduation...that's all i have to say about that.

peace

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:55:41 GMT

spring break trip with the english department to san francisco, salinas and monterey has been...in one word or less...incredible.

san francisco is the greatest city i've ever visited. i don't want to get on the plane back to cranky, closed-minded dulles airport tomorrow morning, i wish dr. nixon wouldn't get in trouble with the administration if i just...didn't get on the plane, and i didn't have half a semester left to finish...it'd just be silly not to finish at this point.

oh...and i don't know if i mentioned or not...but...all of my things at my md house will be moved to texas next week, which means i'll probably never be back to harford county...and i was rejected from syracuse, but made it to the second part of the review process for the university of westminster and should have my decision from boston university waiting on me when i get home to west virginia.

but...after this trip, everything in my life seems serene. i'll figure it out...i'll do SOMETHING.

we're going to the monterey bay aquarium today, and heading back to san francisco after that for dinner and one last night in the city before we head east tomorrow at 11. i get to see sea otters. :)

peace and love.

holding off one more week

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:08:00 GMT

i can't tell if i'm thankful for this or not...

but, we're supposed to get some killer snow storm. the status of this at this exact moment i'm not sure...there aren't streetlights outside my window to suggest snow and ice, but it did start snowing on my way back from wal mart when my mom called to tell me that the great house packing extravaganza of 2008 would be postponed. she told my dad not to even try to come back from texas, as the air ports will probably be a huge mess and told me not to even attempt to get to the highway. so...next saturday i'm going and putting the last nine years of my life in garbage bags, donation bags and boxes.

i've been progressively getting busier, which i'm thankful for...except for the whole when i'm busy i never see anyone and am stuck in my room thing. i enjoy writing for the picket, because i do get a good bit of liberty with what i do, and i'm flattered that they want me to do so much...but four stories in a week is a bit much when i have a midterm on a book on monday and a senior project that i should probably start researching. they were angry when i turned down a talking heads story about gas prices. i have no opinion of gas prices...i walk everywhere possible.

regardless, i suppose things are going well. i completely lost it to my dad on tuesday night. completely. but, talking to him sort of did settle things. he said that if i don't get into grad school both him and mom know that i really don't want to have to move to texas if i really can't find anything there for me and that they would support me until i get officially on my feet wherever in this world i decide to settle. but...if i didn't have to postpone my education, i'd be satisfied.

eh. i should be reading for history of tv instead of watching it, and 'scott baio is 46 and pregnant' is pretty much awful...but...i may just wear my pjs inside out tonight and see what happens. everyone seems to think we'll have a snow day tomorrow...but...shepherd's cancellation policy is a little whack at times.

so...if anyone's in har/co march 1 and 2, let me know...i might need a dinner date or something to make me happier and not covered in dust.

love

"let music charm me last on earth, and greet me first in heaven"

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:19:07 GMT

well.

i figured out what is missing. tonight, when, of all things, i was playing rock band and getting a little too into what i was doing.

i miss the clarinet. i miss wind ensemble...practicing...playing. tomorrow starts a new focus on the guitar. it has to. i can't stay without music in my life. it's just a bad idea.

writing is great...and it's what i love, my calling and yadda yadda...but music. that's probably a passion. i wish i could have put wind ensemble in my schedule this semester. my clarinet hasn't moved from where i set it down when i moved back in.

:( and i can't sleep. *sigh*

despite all of this, i mean...things ARE going well. they really are. i couldn't ask for a better last semester. except for that whole music thing.

"diversity is what makes this whole trip worth the while"

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:49:56 GMT

My dad wrote me a note and put it with one of my Christmas gifts this past year. I put it in my planner where I could read it whenever I needed to, but forgot it was there. I read it today. It changed my whole outlook on how I felt when I woke up on this quite dreary Tuesday. And, I sort of just wanted to share...so it said:

Merry Christmas!

This is going to be real dangerous...writing a note to a literary loved one, less than half my age, when the most creative successful endeavor in my life was figuring out that mushrooms are a really great add to any pizza. Not to mention, someone who I absolutely admire on so many fronts. Where to begin?

This is a monumental occasion. You are embarking on your last semester of your undergraduate studies. I knew a long time ago that your journey would take you on a different, and thank the stars, more creative path than the one I chose. Diversity is what makes this whole trip worth the while, so go for it with gusto! So far, your decisions are beyond question.

At the end of the day, there are so few precious things that are really important. When I see your smile, witness your passion, and see how much others truly enjoy you just being you, I knew what is really important. Remember that if you can put your head on the pillow every night knowing you did your best and treated everyone with the same respect you deserve, the day was a complete success.

Keep a clear head as you move toward the next set of decisions. It is like building a home. A great foundation is critical to a solid building, but you still have to pay attention to all the details after the concrete has been laid. I have no doubt you will continue on a successful path, sure with some twists and turns, but nothing that can not be managed. Go with your gut, be happy, be yourself, and keep having fun.

Most importantly, be Bethany - your Mommy and Daddy are counting on that!

Your loving Dad

That is all. Have a great day.

what's lately.

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:50:37 GMT

as the move to texas gets more official, i get more upset about it. my parents officially have the house down there, and as soon as the new mortgage financing goes through and the inspection passes and they sign the contract at the end of february, my dad will move in, grab a few cheap pieces of furniture and get his car shipped and live in texas permanently. until then, he's in and out of hotels as the weeks pass, leaving on sunday afternoon and flying back to be with my mom in maryland late friday night.

meanwhile, my mom sold our ravens' season tickets and made a deal with the guy working on our house that he'd complete all of the necessary things we need to do. i need to go home a few weekends and decide what goes to good will, what goes to texas and what goes into storage for the days after i graduate from shepherd. it's a lot to do, and it's all happening fast. i called my dad tonight on his new texas cell phone since the battery in his maryland cell phone died. i cried when he didn't answer. not because he didn't answer, but because i looked down and my cell phone caller id said TEXAS in bold font.

i always said i wouldn't go back to harford county after i graduated. not out of any sort of pretension, there just simply isn't much in the way of...new music/rock/new media journalism in harford county maryland. i need to go back up north. and...hopefully i'll go to grad school right off the bat, but, even if i don't, destination wouldn't be har/co.

so, why am i so upset about this?

i guess right now it's all of the ambiguity that this holds. when i realized how miserable my mom is right now all by herself in our house in maryland, i realized i could never be as selfish as to ask her to stay in that house alone until may 17, so i told her this, and she said a lot was relying on timing right now, but that she appreciated my thoughts on the subject. i honestly don't know where home will be come may 17, the places i'll stay while i look for jobs or while i wait for graduate school to start have almost a 1500 mile difference and a time zone change between them.

and...visting home won't exactly be home...it'll be visiting my parents in the new community where i'm sure to never truly know where i'm going.

i just really don't know how this is supposed to make me feel. our other moves directly applied to me...i was four and 12. i'm 21 now...and about to have a bachelor's degree. and i don't know where my home is.

but, school is going well. the boys next door introduced me to rock band last weekend, and i'm embarassed to say the number of hours we spent between saturday and monday playing. i've gotten pretty good at the bass though. i'm sending my applications to boston university and syracuse university on either saturday or monday. everything's all set there. these applications were the hardest, the other three after this should be smooth sailing.

i haven't been sleeping well, so i may try and get some rest. sleepytime tea, my pillows and "the audacity of hope" keep looking at me from my bed with longing. they need me more than livejournal does right now.

don't mess with...

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 04:57:08 GMT

well...

my parents are moving to texas. dad starts his new job on monday. i don't know how to feel about this.

peace

hm...

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:44:57 GMT

well, back to shepherd today...for my last semester of undergrad.

it's exciting to know that new adventures possibly wait on the horizon of graduation...but also sad. i have amazing friends there, and it's come to be the only place where i've really felt a home. the whole last semester graduation thing is quite bittersweet. but...i think this semester will be a good one. it has to be, right?

it was good seeing the people i saw over break, especially considering it will probably be my last extended stay in harford county...ever. my parents are moving, are 90% sure of it, and will be selling the house in may when i'm out, know where i'll be living and can go through all my things. but, if dad gets this job, he's going right away and living in corporate housing...mom will visit him and join him officially in may.

things don't stop changing...ever...do they?

oh

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 01:27:19 GMT

oh, and i've decided to apply to grad school after all.

so...my gre scores suck...but what do i have to lose? my fear of rejection has held me back enough in my life...this all needs to change, that's what 2008 is for. not being afraid. i have one month to get my act together and send said act to syracuse university, boston university, emerson college and marshall university.

here goes nothin'...

hope everyone has an excellent 2008

merry christmas!

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 02:23:51 GMT

Merry Christmas everyone!

And, in the spirit of the season...expand your vocabulary and donate food to people who need it:

http://www.freerice.com

Every word you get right in the little quiz donates 20 grains of rice to the United Nations to help fight world hunger, and it's free...and you can play as long and as much as you want.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday with family and friends...and that feeling continues throughout 2008.

On Earth, peace, goodwill towards men...

ugh

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:02:13 GMT

i've hit emotional rock bottom with him...

the good news? nowhere to go but up at this point. i just wish he would get out of my head, i need the space he is taking up, i only have so much. i have things like school, friends, family and other...erm...prospects to think about. i wish i could have just held up my end of that "eff off." nope. i like being nice, but it puts me in tough positions sometimes. no more drama in 08, that's for damn sure.

oh well. want more substance? http://tremmy.blogspot.com

hello winter break, how i missed thee. and now...sleepy time tea and catching up on all the hours of sleep shepherd owes me.

and so it goes...

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:38:07 GMT

i'm in the lab. i've been in the lab since 9:30 this morning, rendering the same clip. fuck it. the rest is going to be a crappy preview render. i'm so finished pretending to be good at animation.

i do like my film though, i really do. i'm interested in seeing what the class will think, since the reaction in 310 last night was...interesting. but, then again everything is interesting over there. i'll get it up on youtube for the world to see, and be uncomfortable about it.

what's been good since i last wrote?

thanksgiving was. thanksgiving was quite nice, actually. i loved being at the paper for 8 hours. i really felt like i finally made that missing connection with some of the reporters, and i felt appreciated there. apparently, the editor has been telling people how fabuous i am, and i'm definitely not trying to toot my own horn. i had two stories in yesterday's edition of the paper, and one was on the front page. it was quite nice, actually. sometimes those ego boosts are what you need to get you through a dull, dreary, unmotivated finals week.

what else? oh, i got to catch up with some harford countians that i hadn't seen in at least a year. that was nice as well.

personal relationships are on the mend. i think pedro and i may finally be able to be friends without any sort of scathing hatred...which is nice on a number of levels. maybe the scathing hatred was coming from me, but...it could have also been at all angles. one thing is for sure: this semester has been a trip. from feeling totally abandoned to appreciated in a few weeks...it's a good thing, i suppose. i think life may finally get back to abnormal for my *gulp* last semester at shepherd.

speaking of...let's not mention that. i'm scared shitless. thinking about staying at shepherd though, to get my masters of arts in teaching...before i get my masters in journalism...the mat is something i can do part time, and would really help out with the whole college professor thing. of course. that is if the program gets off the ground like it is supposed to in the spring...and if i even qualify. this is all what i'll bring up with dr. hannah in january.

i don't think this is selling myself short...i really think it will help me in my long term goals...and i'm really not ready to leave shepherdstown and all of its magically consistent inconsistencies. *sigh*

film time is soon.

i'm afraid of next semester...not the course load, but of the unknown and the ties. i'll say it again: i fit in here.

i feel nerdy updating my livejournal in the lab. so...off i go.

salsa slipping

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 05:20:03 GMT

hello.

today, i was at food lion picking a few things up (like gingerbread coffeemate! tis the season! yum!), like i usually do on tuesdays. tuesdays has become the day i run out of things, and i'm not quite sure why. i was walking up one of the asiles to get more sliced turkey from the deli for my lunch-at-random-time-while-running on monday and wednesday. apparently, the stocker had knocked over a jar of salsa and was in the process of cleaning it up and walked away from it. they don't make "caution, salsa on floor" signs and i guess i'm not responsible enough to look at my feet when i walk. i stepped in the salsa and slipped. i fell...fairly hard, but was too embarassed to tell anyone. my pants were covered in salsa just as one would suspect. i felt like an idiot...and now it's hilarious. more than anything else, it's ironic. ...i'm allergic to cayenne pepper, and therefore am allergic to most salsas.

such was my day. i was sleepy until about 11, which is exactly what happened last night and was the reason i didn't get to bed until 5 in the morning. it's nice being awake all hours of the night when i have things to do, but eventually, i run out of assignments for that particular day, or can only do so much planning and thinking about editing when the lab is closed, you know? it's lame sometimes, having a major where i have to schedule homework time based on when i can go to the computer lab and rely on people to do their job. eh...

i blame the salsa incident on my lack of sleep...as well as this entry.

thanksgiving break is next week. i'll be holding down the fort in the apartment here for a few days, as i have to do 4 full-time days at my internship sunday through wednesday to get the hours i need by the end of the semester. i'll probably be the only one on campus, or close to it, since we don't get a fall break and everyone is itching to escape. i'll get home sometime wednesday night and will be home until sunday nov. 25. if anyone wants to get together, i'm game.

peace.

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 04:13:17 GMT

i haven't done this for a while, but i have indeed been lurking, peeking in on what everyone in virtual world has been up to as of late. i figured i would post, basically because i saw shaffner had and she told me to on skype. i'm just now getting around to it and feeling witty/nostaligic enough to do this. maybe it's something i should pick back up in this last year here. maybe. i don't like saying that silly word 'last,' as its come up far too much.

well, here i am. i survived my summer of northern virginian traffic and terrible attitudes and my summer of corporate creativity. i guess i learned a good bit...of what i don't want out of my life at all. i did, however, adore being that close to dc. i'm interning now at the hagerstown herald-mail, which is a paper that serves hagerstown, md., charles town, wv. and waynesboro pa. it's nice there. the editors and reporters i'm with have a lot of experience in the business. one of my stories was on the front page (top story!) this past weekend. i like it much better there...it's a more creative laid back environment...and it's loud...and the police scanner is interesting some days.

school is school.

there's been a slight change of plans. the gres...well they went just about as terribly as they could have, with the exception of the writing section, i got a 5 out of 6 on that. i really only care about the writing section myself, as an m.a. in journalism doesn't really involve my sweet (lack) math skills. besides that, i've developed a nice anxiety problem for myself that has since been a bit lighter and easier to deal with since i decided that a year off wouldn't kill me. so...in may i'll go someplace. not sure where yet...but i'll just take a year, have a little job wherever i end up...travel, maybe...just do things. it's scary.

i'm not ready for may 17, and i'm trying not to think of it too much. shepherdstown is the closest place i've known to home. my parents will have moved by that time, i'm sure...so forest hill won't even be the substitute home that it has been.

i fit in here. that's all really.

i'm back? maybe. how is everyone?

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:41:35 GMT

Woo! I'm 21! And! I have a fall internship with the Hagerstown Herald-Mail...

but...

WOO! I'M 21!

Not sure how long this will last...

Sun, 13 May 2007 20:58:16 GMT

Uh...last night I opened up the livejournal wound. I really hope I'm not lame enough to be addicted again. I really prefer my thoughts and most of my words to be private, but the fact that I can't find any of my notebooks and I really need some sort of...ugh...I hate the word outlet...but, outlet at the moment because there are a million things in my head right now. So...we'll see how long this lasts, but for now...enjoy.

I got a new phone today. It's red and makes really annoying "xylophone" sounds whenever you press a button. Oh, and it has the most gloriously crappy ringtones I've ever heard in my short-lived life. The one I've got now sounds like a porn funk on steroids. Life doesn't get much better than porn on steriods. I'm going to miss Old Blue, though. It's funny, the sort of things people get attached to. Of all electronic devices, I get attached to a crappy LG slide phone. We had some great times, and it didn't crap out on my first drunken outing with it, in fact...it was the apartments that killed Old Blue. *sigh* Another story for my memoirs.

It's Mother's Day. Mom and I couldn't make it through Mother's Day without fighting. Because of my lack of ability to deal with confrontation, I'm locked up in my room, hiding from her and dad. I doubt that's the mature thing to do...in fact, I KNOW it's not that mature thing to do, but I'm not 21 yet, therefore, I am not mature enough. I may go out to Starbucks for the second time today, just to avoid it...and to put more caffiene in my system. I sort of miss the Lost Dog being walking distance...actually, I already miss having EVERYTHING in walking distance, it's beautiful out.

I'm supposed to go shopping with mom tomorrow...that always goes over so swimmingly. I don't even know why we try and force the whole mother daughter shopping bonding thing, when we both know we can't shop together. At least she's finally begun describing my clothing style as "classy." Damn straight, I'm classy.

I haven't done much talking since I've been home. I'd...kill to talk to anyone right now. Even 1 inch x 1 inch. *sigh* My tolerance for home has dwindled to a whopping 34 hours. I'm so done. My parents are really tense about something that they're clearly leaving me out of...I really don't like it when they do that. They have this sort of vision that I'm still a baby...but I duno what's up...they're just walking around sort of being snarky with each other and with me...and they they make up and they're fine again, only two minutes later to go back to being snarky and then telling me how proud they are of me.

I forgot how much I love my gauchos...

Anyway...I think Starbucks is calling me.

Does Bel Air have any other coffee shops?! I want to go someplace to people watch, like in Sheptown.

That was probably a very stupid question, and a dumb request.

It's been months

Sun, 13 May 2007 02:23:03 GMT

It's been months and months and months since I last wrote. I had to use blogger during the semester for my comp. mediated comm class, and I'm honestly sort of turned off to the whole blogging scene, I suppose...but I'm bored, and all of my belongings that are fit to write in are packed God know's where amongst boxes and bags from my hurredly packed apartment, so here I go.

This semester was...interesting. I learned a lot about myself, and where I'm headed. It was sort of cool, actually. I also made a pretty spectacular group of friends that made me realize a lot about myself, as well.

I did a pretty stellar job in classes, too...made a little documentary and a few other things...and actually did a lot of diverse bits of writing here and there. I'm going to write about the arts...and teach college...and live in a sketchy apartment alone or with one other person. That's all I want.

Most importantly, I got a sweet internship. Starting next Monday, I am the Multimedia Intern for the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. It was a pretty competitive program, and looking at all the prestigious schools on the list of other interns that I got in my e-mail...I still feel incredibly lucky to have been chosen. I'll be doing audio editing, internet radio, web development and podcast stuff. Basically, looking at an iMac all summer...but that's really nothing different than what I do 80% of my day. Aside from that, they take the interns on a bunch of field trips to the other performing arts venues in the greater DC area, I get free tickets to some of the performances...and it's paid. I move in with Becca in Leesburg for the first week of the program, after that I'll be living at George Mason University for the rest of the summer. They open their fabulous looking apartment style dorms to interns in the Northern VA/DC area. I'm stoked.

I'm home for a week...then it's off on my adventure to a totally foreign place all by myself. I can't wait.

How is everyone?

Accident

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 04:13:04 GMT

So, tonight was supposed to be The Trio's (Kevin, Neena, and I) adventure to Bristow, VA for the Kelly Clarkson (shut up...we love her) concert at Nissan Pavilion.

I had a bad feeling about this yesterday afternoon...I KNEW something bad was going to happen.

We were on 9, going through Leesburg...Neena was driving because I was too weirded out to drive, but I said it was because I wanted to save money on gas because I have to drive home this weekend, had driven to Essex Saturday, and to the metro station to go to DC on Sunday. It was all stop and go traffic...you know the kind...the stuff that's really hard to read.

Well, Neena picked up speed a little too quickly I guess...but I doubt we were going over 10 at the time...and the van in front of us slammed on its breaks. I closed my eyes and when I opened them the air bags in the front seats had deployed and there was smoke everywhere. We all got out of the car fine...and everyone in the van was fine too...the van itself didn't have much damange, but Neena's poor Lumina is really messed up. The whole front end is crunched in...and we have no clue where the Chevy emblem ran off to.

We're okay though...which is all that matters. Neena's arms are burned from the airbags and Kevin got a little cut up and bruised up...but we're okay. I only have a bruise on my hip from the seatbelt and my necks sort of sore...but we're okay.

I called AAA for Neena so at least the towing wouldn't be a million bucks and Becca came to get us, since we were probably only 20 minutes from her house in Leesburg.

I just can't believe that I felt this coming...something told me yesterday when I yelled at Neena because I thought she wasn't wearing her seatbelt in my car (you guys know how I get)...that I did NOT want to drive to the concert.

Yet another adventure to add to the books, I suppose...

We got back to UH and I fell asleep for almost three hours before Kevin woke me up and said he was going back to Boteler, and I probably should too. So, here I am...shocked...but good, all things considered. Think I'm going to go back to sleep.

Hope everyone else is good...