Friday, February 27, 2009
an interesting night...
For my Spring Break I'm driving to Key West and Miami with 3 other people. We're leaving Saturday morning at 9am. Anyways. I began packing last night and realized that I suck at packing... a lot. I got a ton of stuff out, and slowly filtered through it and put stuff away, but then realized I have too much stuff, but would worry about it the next day. I made a list of things I needed to remember to pack, and went to bed. About ten minutes after I laid down I had a knock on my door. My roommate came in in tears and stressed to the max. She wasn't packed, she didn't have her applications done, and she was running on about 2 hours of sleep. SHe was freaking out because she wasn't sure how she was going to get anythign done. So we went over the rest of what she had to pack. I told her to go to bed (it was like 1 am) and get up at 7, that's 6 hours of sleep, and she can pack in the morning, and fill out the applications. Then, she could work on the essays in the car since they're both similar. That calmed her down enough to go to bed.
So she went to bed, and I went back to bed. Now it had been raining for a while, and as I laid down I heard dripping on cloth, and I was like, where is that coming from? Surely my ceiling isn't leaking. I live on the first floor of a three story building. So I feel along my bed, and nothing's wet, and then I feel up by my head, and the side of my bed is wet... Excellent. So I pop out of bed, throw on some lights and look up. Surely enough, my ceiling is leaking. So I'm kind of yelling about it, and my roommate gets up and helps me shove everything under my bed out into the hall (lots of cardboard and a suitcase) and then move my bed around so I don't get dripped on. I put in a service request, and went back to bed.
At 7:05 I got up to make sure my roommate was up, and at 8:15, the Physical Plant guy came over to look at the ceiling. He told me that this was something they have been fighting since the building was built 4 years ago. Something about the joints are bad, and they were going ot fix it last summer, but it got put on the back burner. APparently whenever it rains, and the wind blows a certain way, water in the vent drips through the joints, and leaks. I just happen to have the room where the vent is. Joy to me. So that was fun to find out. So they're coming back this afternoon to see if there's anthing they can do. Until then my room has been rearranged, and I ight have to permanently rearrange it.
On the bright side. I am packed for the most part, and everything fit, after pulling more stuff out, and I am done with classes. :) All I have left is work, sleep, and then leaving tomorrow morning!!! We're meeting at Katy's car at 8:45 and heading out at 9. WE 're stopping in Chatt so I can see Rachel. We're picking up our fourth person in Atlanta around 5:30, we're going to stop in Macon, GA at Wesleyan College, which is where Phi Mu was founded (we're all Phi Mus), so that'll be cool. We'll be stopping in Lake City, FL to sleep, and then we're heading the rest of the way to Key West! YAY!!! I'm really excited, and really ready to go! Just gotta get through work tonight. :)
Monday, February 23, 2009
Roommates... Ugh
This year was the perfect plan... North Hall... 4 separate bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a shared living room and kitchen. My roommates, 3 sorority sisters. One is a 5th year PT major with a boyfriend who lives off-campus, so we don't really see much of her. Two is an archaeology major who enjoys hiding in her room for the most part, although she does on occasion venture out to eat with us or watch a movie or something. Three, a psychology major, and the only way to describe her is eccentric. I love this last one with all my heart, and she quickly became one of my best friends. Last semester we were pretty much inseparable. We would go out together, we were on exec together, and we would eat together. It was awesome. I was like, there is no way this can be bad (I must have jinxed myself). Now she and I have our differences, and sometimes we're girls about it, and don't say anything and just let things play out until we can't stand not talking to each other. Honestly, we haven't had any huge problems. My problem lies with our unspoken 5th roommate.
This person has become like my little brother. He is amazing, and everyday he proves to be one of the nicest people I know. I came to know him through Three. I met him at a party, and he was cool, and we talked with him for a while, and then we left. Little did I know, that he would soon become this 5th roommate. As last semester drew to a close, he and Three began texting more and more, and he would come over more and more, but I was like, whatever. Three confided in me, that she didn't really want him texting her all the time over break because she needed the time to figure out what she wanted. I'm pretty sure he did though.
When the semester began again, we began having dinner nights. One night I would cook, another Three would, and another one of our friends would. Then on Sunday mornings, he would come over and cook breakfast. We would watch movies and hang out... it was seriously like we were adults and not just kids in college (as weird as that sounds). But also as the semester picked up, her was coming over all the time. Literally every night. Three and he would go work out together, go to lunch, cook dinner, watch movies by themselves while both claimed they weren't dating. One day, this came to a boiling point, and I confronted Three about it. How this was tearing us as friends and roommates apart, how I was always the third wheel now, and how I was trying so hard to be single right now because that is truly what I need, and she was not helping. She broke down crying saying she didn't know how to be just friends with a guy (heck I still have trouble with that sometimes), and how we weren't going to see as much of him anymore.
That lasted all of 12 hours. The next day he was over again. Now my little brother has becoe one of my good friends, and last semester we would go on coffee dates and just talk about what was going on in life. We haven't had a single one this semester. I swear to you, it seems like he doesn't blink an eye with out Three's permission. Honestly, whether he or Three can see it or not, this relationship, or whatever they have, is killing him. See, he's a freshman, and we're seniors, which means next year, we're gone. His dad is going back into the active Army, and his family is moving to Germany (not that he's that close to his family, but still), and he is going ot be stuck here, with friends he used to hang out with, but burned all his bridges to, and he's not going to know what to do, and one of two things will happen. He'll go back to his old lifestyle of partying every weekend and tkaing it to the extreme, or he'll sit in his room by himself, and occasionally meet his old friends for lunch. Neither of these fates should happen to him. Here's why I think they will:
We'll take a Monday, he has class, and then he has lunch with Three, then he has more class, then he works out with Three, then they come over and make dinner, and she goes to a meeting, and he chills in the apartment until she gets back when they "do homework" by talking and being entertwined in each other (not in a sexual way, but not in a friend-like way either). Around 11 or 12 they start a movie, 30 minutes in she falls asleep. around 2 or 2:30 whenever the movie gets over, he wakes her up, they talk for another 30 minutes, she goes to bed, he goes back to his place to go to bed, and then gets up st 7:30 the next morning in order to go to an 8 am class, which he occasionally sleeps through. (and he complains that he's tired... hmmm... I wonder why).
I see this everyday. I see him bending over backwards to make her happy, and literally doing everything for Three from getting her water, to doing the dishes, to runing across campus and back for change for the copier before the library closes, to carrying her across the parking lots because she has her clippers on, and it's snowing. Everyday he grows more and more attached, and sure, she's attached, but not like him. She says one thing and then acts another way, so which does he believe, the one that makes him happy of course. It's going to hurt a lot when we leave, and I dont' want that for him.
So what do I do now? Just let it be, because honestly there's a good chance, this is too far along to do anything about it? Try to talk to her again? Talk to him... maybe he'll actually listen (doubtful)? My friend and I stood in the living room tonight for about 30 - 45 minutes discussing, in whispers, the whole situation (they were in her room behind the closed door "talking" again). We're both in agreement... they need to spend less tiem with each other. I think Spring Break will be a needed break for both of them, and I really hope Three doesn't have reception in the Grand Canyon, because I think a few days of silence between them will do them good. After that though... what do we do? Neither of us wants to lose him as a friend. But we both think it'll go straight back to how it is now after SB.
So what now? What's next in the roommate saga?
A one room apartment for me I think.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Snow Day at UE





Tuesday, January 27, 2009
3pm? Really?
Exciting things this past week. UE had Musical Madness this past weekend. Musical Madness happens every year, and how it works is, organizations sign up to participate, and get paired with another organization. Usually, a fraternity will get paired with a sorority, so everyone has guys and girls. Then each group is given a theme. This year's theme was Brother's Grimm Fairy Tales. My group was given Snow White, there was also Hansel and Gretel, The Frog Prince, Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin, and Rapunzel. You take that fairy tale and you put a new spin on it. You write a 15 minute musical and the people from your organization perform that musical. Ours was "Snow White Gone Wild" and Snow White went on Spring Break in Mexico where she met the dwarfs, and the evil step mother sends her henchman, Hogar, to drop poisonous apple chap stick in Snow White's bag, and then of course, the prince comes along and kisses here and all is well. I was a plane going to Mexico, a random girl who throws money at Hogar and a dancer. I didn't have a bigger part, because i could only make it to a few rehersals at the end. I had so much fun though. I'm sad that it is my last one. I've done it every year, and I think this year was probably or best year. We didn't place or anything, but when they had everyone cheer for their favorite group, Phi Mu totally won! That was pretty cool.
That's really the big things that happened. Sig Ep A Go Go (which is a dance competition) is the next thing to take over my life. The theme is 50s and I'm really excited. We have our first meeting tomorrow night. Yay!!! The end for now. Time for bed.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Snow!
Friday, January 9, 2009
First week of my last semester
This semester I am taking Ad Agency Creative Philosophies and this class only meets Wednesday mornings at 9. This is taught by Dr. Stankey who is wild and crazy and I love all of his classes. I am taking Senior Seminar which is M-W-F at 10. I am really excited about this one because we are put into teams and we find a company and we come up with a campaign for that company. Today we were split into 3 groups and came up with activities for the rest of the class to play that were competitive, so we played charades, thumb war, and paper football. By the end of the semester, we won't be meeting very often if at all. I am taking Media Law and Ethics on M-W-F at noon with my advisor, Dr. Shifflet. It's another Shifflet class, but I love Dr. Shifflet, and he's a great teacher. Monday nights at 6 I have Video Production, and I am really excited about it.
So those are my communication classes, and it's great b/c those first three have about 15 people in common. Wednesdays are fun. After advertising about 15 of us migrate one floor upstairs for our next class, and then after that class, most of us go to lunch, and then an hour later we all returnto the same room where advertising is and sit through Media Law. :) It really is amusing, and it's nice too, because I will always have someone around me to ask what's going on.
I am also taking voice and piano this year, both for one hour. Piano is Mondays at 2 for a half hour, and I'm no sure when voice is yet. On top of this, I am a tutor for Basic Web Production again, but I am actually tutoring a blind student in this class, so I have to attend classes with him which is Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 to 12:15. So my Tuesdays and Thursdays are no longer free. Oh well. I get paid $25 a week to sit in a class i've already taken and play on my laptop. Woot!
Of course I'm still working at Texas Roadhouse, at least through March. I work Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Sun morning. In April starts softball season. I'm an assistant coach for Mater Dei High School again. I'm pretty excited about it. Of course working makes it a little hard to attend all the pre-season practices, but I will be going to as many as possible.
It should be a good semester. I'm excited. I worked Wed, Thurs, and tonight, and I work Sun morning (all of those shifts were picked up). Tonight after work I'm going out with a couple of my girl friends to RiRa's Irish Pub. I think this semester is starting off well. :-D
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
"to know what you are, would take a lifetime"
My friend Zac wrote the following, and it seems like a good entry for this particular blog:
what is it "to know"?
how do we establish what is right and wrong and know the correct course of action?
one of Webster's definitions
know:to be aware of the truth or factuality of : be convinced or certain of
this is how we most commonly use the word. Another definition given by Webster's is: to perceive directly : have direct cognition of (2): to have understanding of
so by the first definition the word is used in absolute terms. if something is known it is understood fully or infallible. by the second definition it is something previouslt experienced, understood, or similar to something else known...not quite as concrete.
anyway, the reason this question "what does it mean to know something?" comes up is...
how does one select the proper course of actions in their life? they obviously must base their decisions on what they "know", be it the people in their lives, the events, knowledge of circumstances. but all of these theing come back to what we know, or more importantly, what we think we know.
absolutely nothing can be known ansolutely (kinda sounds like the phrase "never say never") So if we understand that nothing can be truely known we admit that all of our decicions are based on what we think we know. We must act on information that we choose to be correct or things that we choose to beleive. But why do we choose to beleive if we cannot be certain without any shadow of a doubt? Because we have faith. We have faith that the odds are in our favor, that the science will back up the facts, that the people we trust will come though, and that our god will be there as we were taught. Any or all of these are how we defend the choices we make from the attacks of our own minds, of our own doubts.
at some point we must act. damn the incessant voices of self doubt. we must act and truley know that what we did was right because we have faith in ourselves and everything that supports us because if we don't we will be torn apart by our own minds.
It is a new year. Welcome to 2009. A lot happened in 2008, but a lot more will happen in 2009. For starters I graduate in 4 months and 3 days. Then it's off to the real world I go complete with a full time job and a place of my own (hopefully at least). As the new year sets in, I've decided to be one of those people who makes a new year's resolution, but they are less of resolutions and more of goals. Goals for the semester, that will hopefully spill over into my life after school. I've decided to post them around my room and hopefully I will see them everydya and so it will help me accomplish them. Some of them are concrete and others are more abstract. I will post them at the end.
As I said, next up in life begins the real world. I did a lot of thinking over break, and although I had been considering Teach for America vs. getting a job, i decided getting a job would be better. I've decided that I'm going to try to avoid things that are just prolonging the future b/c I am too scared. That's all that would be. I thought long and hard about places that I wouldn't mind living and have decided to concentrate mainly in the St. Louis area, but as my mother pointed out, I should explore all my contacts b/c those might lead to something amazing. I also decided that getting a job is the priority and a dream job would be nice, but is not necessary or even necessarily attainable right out of school.
To know oneself is very difficult, and it is possible that you can go through life never knowing yourself fully. I don't want to be one of those people. I believe everything happens for a reason, whether to teach you something, or lead you somewhere, the trick is figuring out which. So that is my next step in this crazy mixed up time we call young adulthood. I've been told many times, everything will work it's way out like it's supposed to. Now comes the hard part... waiting.
"I am who I choose to be. I always have been what I chose -- though not always what I pleased." -- Lois McMaster Bujold
"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do." -- Epictetus
Goals:
Eat 2 cooked meals a week
Graduate Cum Lade
Send out at least 10 resumes/follow-up on at least 10 connections a month
Step out of your comfort zone when applying to jobs
Start learning how to save and budget now
Work first, play later
Reward yourself for a job well done
Have an amazing Spring break
Go to Colorado for Joana's graduation
No speeding tickets
Stress is not worth your time and energy
No drama! (Especially boy drama, they aren't worth it)
Be open to new ideas
Work out 3 times a week (work does not count)
Live, Laugh, and Love more