...I almost feel as though my semester was wasted. I don't feel as though I've been truly challenged intellectually. I've had a lot of new concepts and ideas presented to me and I learned a lot about things that I had no clue about before...but I was never really challenged...there never came a point in time when I just said "you know what...I can't do this..." There was Arabic..but even that wasn't "I can't do this" that was "I don't feel like putting the effort necessary to become good at this...it's not worth it."
I can't say I've learned nothing. That would be an absolute lie. In Lohr's class alone I learned more in a semester then I did in two years of high school history courses. I became twice the writer I was thanks to Tamashasky and I now have a much larger range in my writing and thinking due to Collins. I guess my biggest issue is Western Legal Tradition w/ Butterton. That class could have been so much more than what it was. A friend of mine took it under another prof and it was amazing for her. Hard and frustrating, but that's what made it great. For anyone who knows me, you know I do everything "hard core." I want the challenges. I want the sleepless nights and the tears. But did I get that? No. I feel like I got absolutely nothing out of that class. Gah. Gah is the only word that can describe how I feel right now primarily because I know that I can completely blow off studying for the final and still come away with an A in the class.
On the plus side...if nothing else has come from this semester...there was the day in college writing when I realized that I know very little and understand absolutely nothing, especially about religion. Maybe now the real journey begins...
19 December 2004
14 December 2004
South Siders, be silent!
There's a horrible little something out there...it's true atrocity isn't known by very many...and for those of us who have experienced it? Well...let's just say that we do our best to block out the painful memories...
...no, I'm not talking about the Holocaust, the Crimean War or even the hellish experience known as high school...I'm talking about FIRE ALARMS.
I remember that day in February at YC...when some arse called in a bomb threat and we were all forcibly marched outside into the depths of winter...I remember thinking "it can't get much worse then this". Oh how I was wrong.
Picture it people...American University, McDowell Hall, 2004. A young student gets back to her room after a fun night around 3:30 and crawls into bed around 4...then...disaster strikes. Unbeknownst to her and her roommate, the morons on the 6th floor decided to put s'mores in the oven, not knowing that somehow they would catch fire and set off the alarm. The innocent young student is lying peacefully in bed, just about to doze off when she hears an annoying, shallow sound...oddly similiar to that of a knife plunging through your heart. She was just about to ignore the pestering noise, that doesn't quite seem real, when Christine the RA knocks loudly on the door screaming, "GIRLS! GET OUT! There's a FIRE!!" The two roommates fall out of bed and stumble blindly into shoes and sweatshirts then outside into the frigid early morning, December air where they are forced to wait for all eternity.
Except for the all eternity thing...that actually happened...Friday night. Kill me now. Or better yet, kill the idiots on the 6th floor.
...no, I'm not talking about the Holocaust, the Crimean War or even the hellish experience known as high school...I'm talking about FIRE ALARMS.
I remember that day in February at YC...when some arse called in a bomb threat and we were all forcibly marched outside into the depths of winter...I remember thinking "it can't get much worse then this". Oh how I was wrong.
Picture it people...American University, McDowell Hall, 2004. A young student gets back to her room after a fun night around 3:30 and crawls into bed around 4...then...disaster strikes. Unbeknownst to her and her roommate, the morons on the 6th floor decided to put s'mores in the oven, not knowing that somehow they would catch fire and set off the alarm. The innocent young student is lying peacefully in bed, just about to doze off when she hears an annoying, shallow sound...oddly similiar to that of a knife plunging through your heart. She was just about to ignore the pestering noise, that doesn't quite seem real, when Christine the RA knocks loudly on the door screaming, "GIRLS! GET OUT! There's a FIRE!!" The two roommates fall out of bed and stumble blindly into shoes and sweatshirts then outside into the frigid early morning, December air where they are forced to wait for all eternity.
Except for the all eternity thing...that actually happened...Friday night. Kill me now. Or better yet, kill the idiots on the 6th floor.
10 December 2004
And in the end...it doesn't really matter...
...my first semester is pretty much over and I cannot believe it. It went by so fast that I can't believe it's nearly Christmas. Overall, I have to say I'm really happy with how everything turned out. Now given, I consider my math class to be a complete waste of my time and money, but it was necessary. C'est la vie. So overall...
Beyond Sovereignty was a good class. It was far too early in the morning but I learned to look at the world from a new perspective, particuarly involving illicit activity. I also got a quick and dirty rundown on how IR and social science papers need to be written. Given, it does not mesh with my style of writing at all, but that's OK because I don't plan to take many IR/SIS classes and I have no intention of changing my writing style for anyone. Once again, math was a complete waste of time but it was also a GPA booster. Imperial Russian History..well, words really cannot describe that class. Let's just say that not only do I now know far too much about Russia, I also learned how to cope w/ profs who are TOO SMART FOR THEIR OWN GOOD. College Writing was by far my favourite class. Tamashasky was an amazing prof who not only improved my writing style but helped me realize my own legitimacy and credibility. We read some amazing books that changed my view of the world and I'm really hoping that I can get into his class next semester. If not though, Cox is supposedly amazing in his own rite and I'm sure I'll learn a lot from him. Western Legal Tradition was...interesting...true, Dr. Butterton did get off on tangents a lot and I have no idea how I did so well in his class, but I the important thing was the skills I learned in reading legal documents.
Next semester I am taking Macroeconomics, Critical Issues in Justice, Statistics, College Writing Seminar and Third World Literature. Hopefully it will go as well as this first semester went.
Still dreading Pennsylvania.
Beyond Sovereignty was a good class. It was far too early in the morning but I learned to look at the world from a new perspective, particuarly involving illicit activity. I also got a quick and dirty rundown on how IR and social science papers need to be written. Given, it does not mesh with my style of writing at all, but that's OK because I don't plan to take many IR/SIS classes and I have no intention of changing my writing style for anyone. Once again, math was a complete waste of time but it was also a GPA booster. Imperial Russian History..well, words really cannot describe that class. Let's just say that not only do I now know far too much about Russia, I also learned how to cope w/ profs who are TOO SMART FOR THEIR OWN GOOD. College Writing was by far my favourite class. Tamashasky was an amazing prof who not only improved my writing style but helped me realize my own legitimacy and credibility. We read some amazing books that changed my view of the world and I'm really hoping that I can get into his class next semester. If not though, Cox is supposedly amazing in his own rite and I'm sure I'll learn a lot from him. Western Legal Tradition was...interesting...true, Dr. Butterton did get off on tangents a lot and I have no idea how I did so well in his class, but I the important thing was the skills I learned in reading legal documents.
Next semester I am taking Macroeconomics, Critical Issues in Justice, Statistics, College Writing Seminar and Third World Literature. Hopefully it will go as well as this first semester went.
Still dreading Pennsylvania.
04 December 2004
The Long Road (quite literally...this will be a massive entry)
OK...so incase you didn't gather from my oh-so-subtle away messages of "bronchitis: 1284 Ashley: -35" I had a wicked case of bronchitis over the Thanksgiving break that pretty much ruined it for me. But here's the rundown of what happened:
Monday: Mom and Aunt came to pick me up around 9:30. Got back home around midnight after getting slightly lost around the Potomac.
Tuesday: Slept late, walked the dog (yay!), went to the mall w/ mom to get the coat I wanted but would be cheaper in PA, got adjusted at the chiro (those guys are gods), saw dad for the first time (we got in so late and he gets up for work insanely early), then had dinner w/ Carol and Dave and a long conversation with Dave. Very pleasant and enjoyable.
Wednesday: Slept in a bit too late and was a tad late getting to York Catholic to meet Ben to visit old teachers. Deb turned up @ school too so I got to see both her and Ben for the first time since August, which was awesome. Saw the English deptartment, Mr. Andrews, Ms. Lily and Mr. Euclide. Avoided Sahd like the plague. After that we went to lunch @ Taco Bell and met up w/ Kato, Dillon, Steve, Sam and Lisa. Was talked into having a small get together at my house that night by Kato and Ben. So around 9:45 Ben showed up and we got to talk about life at college and how we adjusted for a while before Deb, Kato and Jo got there. Ben ate about 5 pieces of pizza and disturbed us all greatly with his ability to eat. After that I decided we had to leave b/c we were getting loud so we went to Denny's and then just drove around for a while. After a bit I realized we were pretty close to Krzysztof's house and then Ben realized the same thing about 2 minutes later so after a lot of backing up and turning around we visited Krzysztof at like 1am. I'll tell you something it was a RELIEF to see him looking less then immaculate for once. It's nice to see that he's actually human underneath the almost-always perfectly groomed attire. After we talked to him for a while we headed to my house when everyone left around 2:30 or so. Good times, good times.
Thursday: Thanksgiving @ my uncle's house. Pretty cool, got to talk to my cousin Shane for a while and that was good becuase I haven't seen him in years.
Friday: The Day of HELL. This is when my bronchitis set in full swing. In the morning I took a riding lesson w/ Erin which was awesome because I got to ride Cruise for the first time and he is extremely challenging. He kicked me in the knee when I first tightened his girth so I was riding w/ a sore, bruised and swollen knee but I still managed to do really well with him. Very cool. After my lesson I Erin asked me to hack Easter around b/c she turned up lame the other week, so I did. That was fun and I realized exactly how far past her I had progressed. My form and equitation was amazing but I wasn't being challenged at all. But it was still cool just to get out and do whatever I wanted for the first time in a long time. There was supposed to be a movie that night followed by breakfast at Starlite Diner but I was so sick and delerious that I was seeing cartoon animals jumping around.
Saturday: Still feeling horrible. Couldn't go to Jess's because I was so exhausted I would have crashed if I had tried to drive.
Sunday: Couldn't take the pain anymore. Went to the hospital. Turns out I was sicked then anyone thought. My blood pressure was insanely low (88/50) and I was breathing 20% less then what I should have. After testing my breathing some more, checking for strep and doing some blood work they grudgingly let me go home w/ instructions that I had to be hospitalized if the antibiodics didn't help me. Yay.
Monday and Tuesday: Got an extension on my history paper so I stayed home these two days. It was hell. Couldn't wait to get back to AU.
Wednesday: Finally got back to school in the morning! Had lunch w/ some friends and went to my JLS class where I decided to take my final on the 22nd as opposed to the 8th (I need the extra time to study).
Thursday: Went to Starbucks to study w/ Kat and Sara, registered for classes (I'll give my schedule later), went to library to do research/work on Lohr paper. Slept.
Friday: Russian History (*shudders*), quick shower, quick lunch and then CW where I got my Wiesel/Frankl paper back. Yeah...interesting comments on that...I'm pretty sure Tamashasky's attempting to kill me. Then Sara and I went to the bank, Kat joined us and we decided to go to Dupont Circle for dinner before we went to Union Station to get my coat fixed (guess what?! Wilson's @ Union Station was CLOSED! bastards.) Since god hates me so much the Metro had serious delays at Cleveland Park so we decided to get out and walk to Dupont. That was the walk of doom, hell and misfortune but somehow it ended up being fun and Kat introduced me to a great sandwich place that I love.
Saturday: Pentagon City. Christmas shopping. Schlepped a 20 lb book back home for my sister from Virginia (ok, SW DC...but when I tell her the story it shall be Virginia. I like to exaggerate).
Next: dinner, starbucks, movie, SLEEP
Tomorrow: PAPER, Jessie's AU in Motion thinger, Carmina Buranna (sp? Don't any of you dare correct me).
Monday: One Muslim, One Jew, One Stage thingermabober. Rough draft for Tamashasky *runs screaming through the darkness*
OK...on to bigger and better topics...CHRISTMAS! Before I tell you about what I have to buy or have yet to buy let me tell you about my story of woe (term stolen from roommate) that details exactly how much god and my parents hate me.
Dec. 25, 4BCE*: Jesus is born
Dec. 23, 19** : My mother was born (I don't know what year to put here..honestly, I don't)
Dec. 19, 1991(?): My parents were married.
So not only do I have to buy 2 presents for my mother...I have to buy my parents an anniversary present. They are evil and twisted in this way. It takes me forever to find ONE present that my mom will like and enjoy...let alone 3!!!! Kill me now and put me out of my misery.
*Note on the birthday of Jesus: I was not able to find 3 sources to confirm this date. I also know that it's controversial and debatable but this is the best I can do for right now. I also know that Dec. 25 is not in fact Jesus' birthday, rather it was sometime in Sept/Oct. I'm going on the traditionally celebrated date, people.*
So...people I have bought for already:
*Mom (one down...2 to go, the anniversary present is usually for the house and therefore for her)
*Kelli (giant book of doom)
*Meghan (roommate for those of you who don't know)
*John/Jeffrey (video game)
People I have to buy for:
*Mom
*Dad (ugh...damn straw cowboy hat! You will be my downfall!)
*Sam
*Best Friend
OK, that's all for now. If you actually managed to read all of this and are squinting and wondering exactly how much of your life you wasted on my meaningless rants, hey, I warned you ahead of time. The next 2 or 3 entries should be pretty interesting...I plan to do at least one entry on the state of homelessness in the DC area before Christmas. Stay tuned. It'll be a tearjerker (ha. I can't write that well).
Monday: Mom and Aunt came to pick me up around 9:30. Got back home around midnight after getting slightly lost around the Potomac.
Tuesday: Slept late, walked the dog (yay!), went to the mall w/ mom to get the coat I wanted but would be cheaper in PA, got adjusted at the chiro (those guys are gods), saw dad for the first time (we got in so late and he gets up for work insanely early), then had dinner w/ Carol and Dave and a long conversation with Dave. Very pleasant and enjoyable.
Wednesday: Slept in a bit too late and was a tad late getting to York Catholic to meet Ben to visit old teachers. Deb turned up @ school too so I got to see both her and Ben for the first time since August, which was awesome. Saw the English deptartment, Mr. Andrews, Ms. Lily and Mr. Euclide. Avoided Sahd like the plague. After that we went to lunch @ Taco Bell and met up w/ Kato, Dillon, Steve, Sam and Lisa. Was talked into having a small get together at my house that night by Kato and Ben. So around 9:45 Ben showed up and we got to talk about life at college and how we adjusted for a while before Deb, Kato and Jo got there. Ben ate about 5 pieces of pizza and disturbed us all greatly with his ability to eat. After that I decided we had to leave b/c we were getting loud so we went to Denny's and then just drove around for a while. After a bit I realized we were pretty close to Krzysztof's house and then Ben realized the same thing about 2 minutes later so after a lot of backing up and turning around we visited Krzysztof at like 1am. I'll tell you something it was a RELIEF to see him looking less then immaculate for once. It's nice to see that he's actually human underneath the almost-always perfectly groomed attire. After we talked to him for a while we headed to my house when everyone left around 2:30 or so. Good times, good times.
Thursday: Thanksgiving @ my uncle's house. Pretty cool, got to talk to my cousin Shane for a while and that was good becuase I haven't seen him in years.
Friday: The Day of HELL. This is when my bronchitis set in full swing. In the morning I took a riding lesson w/ Erin which was awesome because I got to ride Cruise for the first time and he is extremely challenging. He kicked me in the knee when I first tightened his girth so I was riding w/ a sore, bruised and swollen knee but I still managed to do really well with him. Very cool. After my lesson I Erin asked me to hack Easter around b/c she turned up lame the other week, so I did. That was fun and I realized exactly how far past her I had progressed. My form and equitation was amazing but I wasn't being challenged at all. But it was still cool just to get out and do whatever I wanted for the first time in a long time. There was supposed to be a movie that night followed by breakfast at Starlite Diner but I was so sick and delerious that I was seeing cartoon animals jumping around.
Saturday: Still feeling horrible. Couldn't go to Jess's because I was so exhausted I would have crashed if I had tried to drive.
Sunday: Couldn't take the pain anymore. Went to the hospital. Turns out I was sicked then anyone thought. My blood pressure was insanely low (88/50) and I was breathing 20% less then what I should have. After testing my breathing some more, checking for strep and doing some blood work they grudgingly let me go home w/ instructions that I had to be hospitalized if the antibiodics didn't help me. Yay.
Monday and Tuesday: Got an extension on my history paper so I stayed home these two days. It was hell. Couldn't wait to get back to AU.
Wednesday: Finally got back to school in the morning! Had lunch w/ some friends and went to my JLS class where I decided to take my final on the 22nd as opposed to the 8th (I need the extra time to study).
Thursday: Went to Starbucks to study w/ Kat and Sara, registered for classes (I'll give my schedule later), went to library to do research/work on Lohr paper. Slept.
Friday: Russian History (*shudders*), quick shower, quick lunch and then CW where I got my Wiesel/Frankl paper back. Yeah...interesting comments on that...I'm pretty sure Tamashasky's attempting to kill me. Then Sara and I went to the bank, Kat joined us and we decided to go to Dupont Circle for dinner before we went to Union Station to get my coat fixed (guess what?! Wilson's @ Union Station was CLOSED! bastards.) Since god hates me so much the Metro had serious delays at Cleveland Park so we decided to get out and walk to Dupont. That was the walk of doom, hell and misfortune but somehow it ended up being fun and Kat introduced me to a great sandwich place that I love.
Saturday: Pentagon City. Christmas shopping. Schlepped a 20 lb book back home for my sister from Virginia (ok, SW DC...but when I tell her the story it shall be Virginia. I like to exaggerate).
Next: dinner, starbucks, movie, SLEEP
Tomorrow: PAPER, Jessie's AU in Motion thinger, Carmina Buranna (sp? Don't any of you dare correct me).
Monday: One Muslim, One Jew, One Stage thingermabober. Rough draft for Tamashasky *runs screaming through the darkness*
OK...on to bigger and better topics...CHRISTMAS! Before I tell you about what I have to buy or have yet to buy let me tell you about my story of woe (term stolen from roommate) that details exactly how much god and my parents hate me.
Dec. 25, 4BCE*: Jesus is born
Dec. 23, 19** : My mother was born (I don't know what year to put here..honestly, I don't)
Dec. 19, 1991(?): My parents were married.
So not only do I have to buy 2 presents for my mother...I have to buy my parents an anniversary present. They are evil and twisted in this way. It takes me forever to find ONE present that my mom will like and enjoy...let alone 3!!!! Kill me now and put me out of my misery.
*Note on the birthday of Jesus: I was not able to find 3 sources to confirm this date. I also know that it's controversial and debatable but this is the best I can do for right now. I also know that Dec. 25 is not in fact Jesus' birthday, rather it was sometime in Sept/Oct. I'm going on the traditionally celebrated date, people.*
So...people I have bought for already:
*Mom (one down...2 to go, the anniversary present is usually for the house and therefore for her)
*Kelli (giant book of doom)
*Meghan (roommate for those of you who don't know)
*John/Jeffrey (video game)
People I have to buy for:
*Mom
*Dad (ugh...damn straw cowboy hat! You will be my downfall!)
*Sam
*Best Friend
OK, that's all for now. If you actually managed to read all of this and are squinting and wondering exactly how much of your life you wasted on my meaningless rants, hey, I warned you ahead of time. The next 2 or 3 entries should be pretty interesting...I plan to do at least one entry on the state of homelessness in the DC area before Christmas. Stay tuned. It'll be a tearjerker (ha. I can't write that well).
22 November 2004
My Life in Words...
For those of you who have been reading my away messages or talking to me at all you might have guessed....this past week was the WEEK OF HELL AND INSANITY.
First there was the paper that ate my soul, then my presentation got pushed back and I ended up not having to turn the paper of doom in until much later, had a Western Legal Tradition quiz (completely forgot who John Rawls was...go me) a math test, the paper presentation and had to finish a Christopher Hitchens book (a brilliant writer but not exactly the lightest of material). However I did take a break to see Bridget Jones Diary: The Edge of Reason (great movie. Colin Firth is a god.)
On Friday I officially switched majors from history to Law and Society (aka prelaw) and from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) to the School of Public Affairs (SPA). I should be OK to double major in LaS and History as well as study abroad, but I won't declare a second major for a while yet. I've already got my non-western history course out of the way (hehehe).
So this weekend was spent primarily in recooperation (sp?) (aka shopping) and preparation. I'm going home tomorrow (Monday) night. I'm skipping Imp. Russia and College Writing and leaving here around 9pm tomorrow. I'm kind of worried about another week w/ my mom (love the woman...but living with her just isn't going to work..ever again). The difference between this break and Fall Break is that I'm actually going to get to see a lot of my friends this time (you guys rock socks) since we'll all be home at the same time for the first time since August.
When I told my mom today that some of my friends were at church this morning she somberly asked, "Ash...why don't you go with them?" And I gave her my truthful answer...that I'm in a period of spiritual searching right now...I don't consider myself part of any church...and I need to find balance before I can expose myself to different faiths to find out which one works for me. She then stiffly said, "We'll talk about that next week." Grrrrrrrrr. I wonder if she realizes her actions are pushing me further and further away from Christianity? Because of my background with it I need to break w/ Christianity completely so that way when I go to search for a faith I can truly look at it unbiasedly (because I do plan to look at it again, it's the only way to go about this). At this point, after that mini conversation, the only person who could get me back into a Christian church is my dad.
This shall be my last post for a while (well..for at least a week. But that doesn't matter because I only update weekly as is.) I'm sorry this wasn't witty or interesting and was basically a mini rant on my life...well, no, I'm really not. I make it my mission in life to write for me, whether it be in essays, blogging or articles and this was what I needed to do. I'm breaking rule number one of writing anything: consider your audience. But, as Sara likes to put it, neither man nor god will tell me what to write. I once edited something I wrote thinking, "wow..that's going to offend a lot of people" and I've never truly forgiven myself for it. I would say I broke my mantra but I don't have one. I really need to come up with a mantra.
First there was the paper that ate my soul, then my presentation got pushed back and I ended up not having to turn the paper of doom in until much later, had a Western Legal Tradition quiz (completely forgot who John Rawls was...go me) a math test, the paper presentation and had to finish a Christopher Hitchens book (a brilliant writer but not exactly the lightest of material). However I did take a break to see Bridget Jones Diary: The Edge of Reason (great movie. Colin Firth is a god.)
On Friday I officially switched majors from history to Law and Society (aka prelaw) and from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) to the School of Public Affairs (SPA). I should be OK to double major in LaS and History as well as study abroad, but I won't declare a second major for a while yet. I've already got my non-western history course out of the way (hehehe).
So this weekend was spent primarily in recooperation (sp?) (aka shopping) and preparation. I'm going home tomorrow (Monday) night. I'm skipping Imp. Russia and College Writing and leaving here around 9pm tomorrow. I'm kind of worried about another week w/ my mom (love the woman...but living with her just isn't going to work..ever again). The difference between this break and Fall Break is that I'm actually going to get to see a lot of my friends this time (you guys rock socks) since we'll all be home at the same time for the first time since August.
When I told my mom today that some of my friends were at church this morning she somberly asked, "Ash...why don't you go with them?" And I gave her my truthful answer...that I'm in a period of spiritual searching right now...I don't consider myself part of any church...and I need to find balance before I can expose myself to different faiths to find out which one works for me. She then stiffly said, "We'll talk about that next week." Grrrrrrrrr. I wonder if she realizes her actions are pushing me further and further away from Christianity? Because of my background with it I need to break w/ Christianity completely so that way when I go to search for a faith I can truly look at it unbiasedly (because I do plan to look at it again, it's the only way to go about this). At this point, after that mini conversation, the only person who could get me back into a Christian church is my dad.
This shall be my last post for a while (well..for at least a week. But that doesn't matter because I only update weekly as is.) I'm sorry this wasn't witty or interesting and was basically a mini rant on my life...well, no, I'm really not. I make it my mission in life to write for me, whether it be in essays, blogging or articles and this was what I needed to do. I'm breaking rule number one of writing anything: consider your audience. But, as Sara likes to put it, neither man nor god will tell me what to write. I once edited something I wrote thinking, "wow..that's going to offend a lot of people" and I've never truly forgiven myself for it. I would say I broke my mantra but I don't have one. I really need to come up with a mantra.
15 November 2004
The Story of Woe
It was a dark and stormy night...ok...I lie...it was a gorgeous, sunny Friday afternoon and young Ashley was happily galivanting out of her last class (college writing, shut up Kat) and was planning on a nice relaxing weekend...then disaster struck. Young Ashley realized that she had a 20 page paper of doom due at 8:30 Monday morning. All of Young Ashley's plans for happiness were destroyed in those 30 seconds of realization for she had not yet even truly begun work on the paper (not to be confused with the Bench of Realization). So young Ashley began researching her paper Friday night and began hard core writing at 2:45pm on Saturday. She finally finished the paper at 11:10pm on Sunday. She sighed a huge breath of relief as the 22 pages of hell came out of the printer and went to the front desk for a stapler (becuase her own stapler wasn't strong enough to cut through the 22 page monster). As the nice DR commented on the insanity of SIS classes and proclaimed his love for the SOC, young Ashley sleepily trudged back up to her dorm in the Virgin Vault, called Best Friend and proclaimed her victory over the demon then took a shower so she would be presentable for her presentation at 8:30 on Monday morning.
Unable to sleep, young Ashley tosses and turns all night and when her alarm wakes her at 7:35 she flips her cell phone open, turns it off and goes right back to sleep until the alarm of her roommate, Meghan, awakes her at 8:35.
Young Ashley is panicked, for her class began 5 minutes ago, quickly brushes her teeth and hair, gets dressed and sprints to the SIS building (all the way across campus). She tears into the classroom at 8:50 and has no hope of slipping in undetected as Evil Professor Collins is standing right by the door. Slinking into a chair in the front of the class, young Ashley attempts to organize her thoughts while the presentation group from last Thursday's class finish up. The minutes slowly creep by while the presentation group rants about the European Union. "Why won't they hurry up and finish already!?" wonders young Ashley, "some of us still have presentations to do." Evil Professor Collins has no intention of stopping them and somehow they end up discussing immigrantion and the European Union for the entirity of the class. Evil Professor Collins says, nonchalantly, "Well...I guess War Crimes Tribunals will have to go on Thursday, eh? You can turn in your papers then." Young Ashley screams "NOOOOOOO" falls out of her chair, and lies on the floor, twitching.
*Disclaimer: What you read here, is fact. This did happen to me and while I...embellished...some parts (my professor is not, in fact, evil. She's actually quite brilliant) most of it is entirely true. To express my utter woe and despair, see end of entry. Thank you and have a nice day. *
$%^*%^&@#$@^*^&$%^*)(%@@!%^*(%##^*()$@!!@$#%$^$%$^@!!$!~#$%#!@$$^$#%#^@#$#@$%#$^&$*&&^(&($@@#$&^^&*(($@$%^&^&$@@$%^^!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unable to sleep, young Ashley tosses and turns all night and when her alarm wakes her at 7:35 she flips her cell phone open, turns it off and goes right back to sleep until the alarm of her roommate, Meghan, awakes her at 8:35.
Young Ashley is panicked, for her class began 5 minutes ago, quickly brushes her teeth and hair, gets dressed and sprints to the SIS building (all the way across campus). She tears into the classroom at 8:50 and has no hope of slipping in undetected as Evil Professor Collins is standing right by the door. Slinking into a chair in the front of the class, young Ashley attempts to organize her thoughts while the presentation group from last Thursday's class finish up. The minutes slowly creep by while the presentation group rants about the European Union. "Why won't they hurry up and finish already!?" wonders young Ashley, "some of us still have presentations to do." Evil Professor Collins has no intention of stopping them and somehow they end up discussing immigrantion and the European Union for the entirity of the class. Evil Professor Collins says, nonchalantly, "Well...I guess War Crimes Tribunals will have to go on Thursday, eh? You can turn in your papers then." Young Ashley screams "NOOOOOOO" falls out of her chair, and lies on the floor, twitching.
*Disclaimer: What you read here, is fact. This did happen to me and while I...embellished...some parts (my professor is not, in fact, evil. She's actually quite brilliant) most of it is entirely true. To express my utter woe and despair, see end of entry. Thank you and have a nice day. *
$%^*%^&@#$@^*^&$%^*)(%@@!%^*(%##^*()$@!!@$#%$^$%$^@!!$!~#$%#!@$$^$#%#^@#$#@$%#$^&$*&&^(&($@@#$&^^&*(($@$%^&^&$@@$%^^!!!!!!!!!!!!
09 November 2004
In related news...I no longer cry every time I see a picture of John Kerry. Amazing president that he would have been, the American people have spoken. I am now looking forward to 4 fun years of protesting in D.C. followed by an absolute smashing victory by Hillary Clinton. I'm going to the Inauguration at any rate, just because I've never been to one and I'm curious.
In my quest to lay off the partying permanently (or at least for a couple of months) I had a really fun weekend. Blew off work on Friday to go to Georgetown w/ Sara (yay for irresponsibility) and Saturday some friends and I went to the monuments @ Federal Triangle. They were gorgeous and I walked from the Smithsonian metro stop to the Washington Monument to the WW2 Memorial then down the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial and finally back to the metro @ Federal Triangle in 3" heels. Oh the pain! But alas I was victorious in my quest and even though the balls of my feet were pretty much rubbed raw it was worth it. I now feel as though I can accomplish anything. Mwahaha.
On Sunday I went back to Georgetown w/ Sara and Sam (since Kat bailed on us) and bought a hat at Urban Outfitters ("This place is more expensive then Gap. I cannot believe I just said that." -Sam). Georgetown is such a cool, historic area (apparently U.S. Grant was quite a speed demon in his horse and buggy back in the day) and there's always something amazing happening there, even if it's just the random homeless people on the street playing amazing jazz.
I have an 8 pg paper due tomorrow, and a 20 pager due next monday! I'm DOOMED.
Oh..and on a really really sad note...Fallujah. This is so horrible. I feel like curling up into a ball and crying.
In my quest to lay off the partying permanently (or at least for a couple of months) I had a really fun weekend. Blew off work on Friday to go to Georgetown w/ Sara (yay for irresponsibility) and Saturday some friends and I went to the monuments @ Federal Triangle. They were gorgeous and I walked from the Smithsonian metro stop to the Washington Monument to the WW2 Memorial then down the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial and finally back to the metro @ Federal Triangle in 3" heels. Oh the pain! But alas I was victorious in my quest and even though the balls of my feet were pretty much rubbed raw it was worth it. I now feel as though I can accomplish anything. Mwahaha.
On Sunday I went back to Georgetown w/ Sara and Sam (since Kat bailed on us) and bought a hat at Urban Outfitters ("This place is more expensive then Gap. I cannot believe I just said that." -Sam). Georgetown is such a cool, historic area (apparently U.S. Grant was quite a speed demon in his horse and buggy back in the day) and there's always something amazing happening there, even if it's just the random homeless people on the street playing amazing jazz.
I have an 8 pg paper due tomorrow, and a 20 pager due next monday! I'm DOOMED.
Oh..and on a really really sad note...Fallujah. This is so horrible. I feel like curling up into a ball and crying.
08 November 2004
2 updates in one day...who knew?!
After lunch earlier I went to the Hughes front desk to say hey to Sam. She, being a good friend, talked to me for a while before banishing me to go finish my paper (still uncompleted). But before I was extradited she marked my hand, with a permanent green marker, with the word, "WORK". Dutifully I finished Wiesel's Night but as I gazed at my hand I saw how something so simple as a mark on your hand can bind you to a place, a duty or a memory. I saw the ties between my mark and the numbers of identification placed on the left hands of concentration camp inmates during the Holocaust. My mark reminds me of my duties as a student, to complete my assignments. On a deeper level it reminds me that my pride and my future as it rests on this paper (at least for now..next week my IR paper will be the determining factor of my future and so on down the line for the next 7 years). The mark on the prisoners of the Holocaust reminds them that they are less then people, more along the lines of mud on the boots of the Nazis. My mark is not permanent, will wash away with my nightly shower in a few hours and will never be thought of again. Theirs is ingrained permanently into their skin and their souls. Every time they see their number (which became their name in many cases) they remember what their life was like while in the concentration camp. They'll remember the fear of selections, the impending death, starvation and complete loss of hope. Their mark will never wash away, and perhaps they are swept with pain and memories torment and despair every time they see their identification number. I'll never know. My mark isn't like theirs. Mine, while a symbol of an impending paper, is also a symbol of a hope for a fantastic life ahead of me.
03 November 2004
Because I feel really really bad...
A correction to an oversight...2 or 3 posts ago I mentioned talking with "some seniors" on a Saturday night. As Josh pointed out, they do in fact have names, and are Josh and Becky respectively. Both are very cool and interesting people. Forgive my oversight, it was very rude.
02 November 2004
It's the end of the world as we know it...and I feel fine...
...well, no, not really. I don't feel fine...I'm worried sick. People don't quite seem to get that not only are the next 4 years dependent on tonight...it's more like the next 10-15 years. I'm scared that Bush is going to win. More importantly, I'm scared we're going to have another debacle like we did in 2000. That is the LAST thing America needs. More shame. More disgrace. I'm scared the Supreme Court is going to decide again, in which case we all know who's going to get it. Oh, and skimming the Post headlines, it looks like Reinquest is going to retire. Great. Bush will get to pick a Supreme Court justice. Yippie.
This weekend was...well, insane is the only word to describe it. Those of you who know what happened, well, you know. Those of you who don't know...you won't know, with the exception of one person. Oh, and I finally saw Garden State on friday night. Amazing movie. Now I just need to see Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and I <3 Huckabees. As well as a few movies which are yet to come out. Oh, and I saw Sugarcult (and got to meet the bassist, Aaron of that band..long story...), New Found Glory and Green Day in concert at GMU on Sunday night. Let me just say, Fairfax VA and GMU are THE DEVIL. Concert was good nonetheless, aside from the fact that the people made me work security. Seriously, wtf were they thinking?! Me? Security? 200+ lb guys were like, "ha. little girl. what are you going to do about it?!" I had to have Sara and some random guy tell a couple of people to back off. I'm a wuss. I know.
And now I'm heading to Battelle-Tompkins for course registration info. session. It's lookin' like American Legal Culture, Theories of Democracy, Statistics, College Writing Seminar, Civilization and Modernization: Asia, and Ancient Greece. Woot.
And to end with a flashback from high school..."What is love?" According to Frankl...love is the meaning of life. Absolutely beautiful. Everyone should read Man's Search for Meaning. It'll make you cry, but it's worth it.
This weekend was...well, insane is the only word to describe it. Those of you who know what happened, well, you know. Those of you who don't know...you won't know, with the exception of one person. Oh, and I finally saw Garden State on friday night. Amazing movie. Now I just need to see Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and I <3 Huckabees. As well as a few movies which are yet to come out. Oh, and I saw Sugarcult (and got to meet the bassist, Aaron of that band..long story...), New Found Glory and Green Day in concert at GMU on Sunday night. Let me just say, Fairfax VA and GMU are THE DEVIL. Concert was good nonetheless, aside from the fact that the people made me work security. Seriously, wtf were they thinking?! Me? Security? 200+ lb guys were like, "ha. little girl. what are you going to do about it?!" I had to have Sara and some random guy tell a couple of people to back off. I'm a wuss. I know.
And now I'm heading to Battelle-Tompkins for course registration info. session. It's lookin' like American Legal Culture, Theories of Democracy, Statistics, College Writing Seminar, Civilization and Modernization: Asia, and Ancient Greece. Woot.
And to end with a flashback from high school..."What is love?" According to Frankl...love is the meaning of life. Absolutely beautiful. Everyone should read Man's Search for Meaning. It'll make you cry, but it's worth it.
27 October 2004
I went back to Birney last week and it went a lot better. The kids were very receptive to me and I just felt a lot more confident. Of course I was alone with 15 hyperactive kids so I had to exude confidence or they would have eaten me alive. It still kills me that these energetic, charistmatic intelligent children don't have half the chance at life that others do but I realized that even if I can only make a difference in one or two of their lives...that'll make this hellish job worthwhile. And when I say hellish I do mean hellish...I feel like curling up into a ball and crying myself to sleep after I come home from Birney sometimes. I just have to thicken my skin a bit a guess, without losing my compassion. It's going to be a bumpy road, but I'm up for it.
The weekend was ok (as much of it as I remember)...I stayed up late talking about politics w/ some seniors, Sara and Jessie @ Hughes on Friday night. Then on Saturday my parents came down for parents weekend. I took them to Guapo's (great tex-mex restaurant in Tenley) and to Union Station. They had fun. I had fun. We bonded. I don't know if I can ever live with them again. I love them with all my heart but fall break was so hard. We'll see how Thanksgiving and Christmas go. I digress. After I said bye bye to mom and dad I met up with some people on southside and while I did my best to convince them to go to Bethesda to wander around they wouldn't listen and we ended up chatting about life, sex and pretty much anything for a hours. Good night (despite the lack of Bethesda).
The week in school has been good. I've done very well on all my midterms and I'm looking at Dean's List for this semester. Kudos to me. I actually got a 94 from Dr. Lohr (yes, the evil Dr. Lohr). He's like, "Well I gave you an A. I very rarely give out As. In fact I never do, you earn them. However this is the highest grade I've given out thus far this semester." And this was the devil paper I had to rewrite at 2am due to hard drive crash. What I don't understand is how I can do so well in one class, and get a B- in another class?!?! WTF?!?! Insanity. Oh well, I'm going to talk to Tamashasky about the B- on Friday.
Birney tomorrow and on Friday. Then a movie Friday night. Saturday's looking like Dupont Circle and Monuments @ night. Sunday is GREEN DAY CONCERT!!
The weekend was ok (as much of it as I remember)...I stayed up late talking about politics w/ some seniors, Sara and Jessie @ Hughes on Friday night. Then on Saturday my parents came down for parents weekend. I took them to Guapo's (great tex-mex restaurant in Tenley) and to Union Station. They had fun. I had fun. We bonded. I don't know if I can ever live with them again. I love them with all my heart but fall break was so hard. We'll see how Thanksgiving and Christmas go. I digress. After I said bye bye to mom and dad I met up with some people on southside and while I did my best to convince them to go to Bethesda to wander around they wouldn't listen and we ended up chatting about life, sex and pretty much anything for a hours. Good night (despite the lack of Bethesda).
The week in school has been good. I've done very well on all my midterms and I'm looking at Dean's List for this semester. Kudos to me. I actually got a 94 from Dr. Lohr (yes, the evil Dr. Lohr). He's like, "Well I gave you an A. I very rarely give out As. In fact I never do, you earn them. However this is the highest grade I've given out thus far this semester." And this was the devil paper I had to rewrite at 2am due to hard drive crash. What I don't understand is how I can do so well in one class, and get a B- in another class?!?! WTF?!?! Insanity. Oh well, I'm going to talk to Tamashasky about the B- on Friday.
Birney tomorrow and on Friday. Then a movie Friday night. Saturday's looking like Dupont Circle and Monuments @ night. Sunday is GREEN DAY CONCERT!!
20 October 2004
For those of you who are interested, I began my DC Reads job today. I warn you this is going to turn into a political rant later...consider this a spoiler and if you know you're not going to like what I have to say...well...don't read.
The line of division between the rest of D.C. and Southeast is as visible as the "SE" markings on the street signs. As soon as the bus crossed over you went from beautiful, perfectly manicured homes with Mercedes, BMWs and Lexus' in the driveways to slums and projects with Ford POSs circa 1950 in the driveways (which, for the most part, were dirt or front yards...you know...whatever sufficed at the time). We passed a large elementary school on the left (by large I mean huge...bigger then YC for those of you reading this from York). The name of the school eludes me at present, but the banner proudly displayed below it shall remain engraved in my mind forever. "Pride of Anacostia." My first thought, literally, was what's to be proud of?! The school had broken in windows (the windows that were not boarded up at any rate), rusty pipes and a nearly destroyed, rusty chain link fence surrounding broken concrete play yard with weeds more evident then trees or shubbery. At the time I figured, "OK...this is the best they've got...at least I'm working here, I don't even want to see what the other schools look like." Then, much to my horror and dismay, we drove right past Anacostia's pride. As luck would have it, I'm stationed at a place called "The Birney School" heretofore known as "Birney." I hesitantly got off the bus and followed my fellow tutors to the rusted, bullet proof door which swung open easily (such a difference from the pristine glass doors at my nephew's school where you have to be buzzed in after being inspected on a CCTV. Ironic how in the areas that need protection the most there is very little (if any at all) and in the areas that need the least security there is more then enough...) ANYWAYS, moving on. A girl slowed down and asked me, "first day?" I nodded my head, then she asked my name but didn't offer her own. After the semi-introduction she said, "Welcome to Birney. That's the only time you'll ever hear that." And I couldn't help but having sudden mental flashbacks to The Shawshank Redemption and remembrances of Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing. After some more quick and informal review and training I was assigned to my classroom of 4th graders (great age group, in my opinion). Today there were 2 tutors in the room, Kim (who has been there about 3 years and loves the kids) and Brian (who is from Ireland and won't be returning again because he's going home). When Kim found out I was going to be a permanent Tuesday tutor she said, "thank god! I was handling this all by myself for weeks now and it is just too much for one person to handle." I quickly learned the kids' names (hey, babysitting a 5 kids, twins and triplets, at once, had to pay off sooner or later.) The kids were great. Absolute sweethearts for the most part, but handling 10 of them with 3 people was hard enough, I cannot imagine how hard it's going to be when there are just 2 of us and I don't even want to think about what Kim went through before Brian and I.
So basically, all this is a set up to prove a point--THERE IS A HUGE DISCREPENCY IN SOCIAL JUSTICE THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. Our current system is not working and something has to change. My biggest fear going into this was that the kids weren't going to listen to me or respect me because I basically understand NOTHING about their situation. I had no issue with that whatsoever. Those kids are some of the sweetest, most open minded people I can imagine. My issue now is surviving a day at work without marching to the White House and demanding that the educational system be seriously re-evaluated. Some of the kids in my class are absolutely brilliant and so dedicated to school. But do you know what their chances of graduating high school, let alone going to college are?! SLIM TO NONE. I see red every time I think of everything these kids deserve (all the hope and happiness I was given as a child, and more) yet are denied just because of where they happened to be born and because of what race they belong to. You know what upsets me EVEN MORE?! The fact that Bush has the AUDACITY to push "No Child Left Behind" like it's some great deed to humanity when not only can he barley speak the english language himself (comment courtesy of Sam) but he's actually underfunding the programs that form the backbone of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK -end rant-. On a happy note...the other day Sam, Jess, Sara and I went shoe shopping in Tenley. Twas awesome. Sara and Jess shopped for "Jap" stuff while Sam and I searched for shoes for her (she desperately needed them). Turns out we have similar taste in shoes (which, of course, makes her awesome) and she bought 2 pairs of cool boots, and I got a pair of comfy black sneakers. Happiness indeed. And tonight we had our weekly girls night. We watched Chicago (fantastic movie) on Southside (everyone who went shoe shopping plus Kat). I'm trying to convince them to do the monuments at night thing before it gets too cold and dark but thus far it's not working (c'mon guys...it'd be fun!). Next Monday I think we're going to go see Taxi. Mwahaha. Kat and her love for her car...go figure...
The line of division between the rest of D.C. and Southeast is as visible as the "SE" markings on the street signs. As soon as the bus crossed over you went from beautiful, perfectly manicured homes with Mercedes, BMWs and Lexus' in the driveways to slums and projects with Ford POSs circa 1950 in the driveways (which, for the most part, were dirt or front yards...you know...whatever sufficed at the time). We passed a large elementary school on the left (by large I mean huge...bigger then YC for those of you reading this from York). The name of the school eludes me at present, but the banner proudly displayed below it shall remain engraved in my mind forever. "Pride of Anacostia." My first thought, literally, was what's to be proud of?! The school had broken in windows (the windows that were not boarded up at any rate), rusty pipes and a nearly destroyed, rusty chain link fence surrounding broken concrete play yard with weeds more evident then trees or shubbery. At the time I figured, "OK...this is the best they've got...at least I'm working here, I don't even want to see what the other schools look like." Then, much to my horror and dismay, we drove right past Anacostia's pride. As luck would have it, I'm stationed at a place called "The Birney School" heretofore known as "Birney." I hesitantly got off the bus and followed my fellow tutors to the rusted, bullet proof door which swung open easily (such a difference from the pristine glass doors at my nephew's school where you have to be buzzed in after being inspected on a CCTV. Ironic how in the areas that need protection the most there is very little (if any at all) and in the areas that need the least security there is more then enough...) ANYWAYS, moving on. A girl slowed down and asked me, "first day?" I nodded my head, then she asked my name but didn't offer her own. After the semi-introduction she said, "Welcome to Birney. That's the only time you'll ever hear that." And I couldn't help but having sudden mental flashbacks to The Shawshank Redemption and remembrances of Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing. After some more quick and informal review and training I was assigned to my classroom of 4th graders (great age group, in my opinion). Today there were 2 tutors in the room, Kim (who has been there about 3 years and loves the kids) and Brian (who is from Ireland and won't be returning again because he's going home). When Kim found out I was going to be a permanent Tuesday tutor she said, "thank god! I was handling this all by myself for weeks now and it is just too much for one person to handle." I quickly learned the kids' names (hey, babysitting a 5 kids, twins and triplets, at once, had to pay off sooner or later.) The kids were great. Absolute sweethearts for the most part, but handling 10 of them with 3 people was hard enough, I cannot imagine how hard it's going to be when there are just 2 of us and I don't even want to think about what Kim went through before Brian and I.
So basically, all this is a set up to prove a point--THERE IS A HUGE DISCREPENCY IN SOCIAL JUSTICE THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. Our current system is not working and something has to change. My biggest fear going into this was that the kids weren't going to listen to me or respect me because I basically understand NOTHING about their situation. I had no issue with that whatsoever. Those kids are some of the sweetest, most open minded people I can imagine. My issue now is surviving a day at work without marching to the White House and demanding that the educational system be seriously re-evaluated. Some of the kids in my class are absolutely brilliant and so dedicated to school. But do you know what their chances of graduating high school, let alone going to college are?! SLIM TO NONE. I see red every time I think of everything these kids deserve (all the hope and happiness I was given as a child, and more) yet are denied just because of where they happened to be born and because of what race they belong to. You know what upsets me EVEN MORE?! The fact that Bush has the AUDACITY to push "No Child Left Behind" like it's some great deed to humanity when not only can he barley speak the english language himself (comment courtesy of Sam) but he's actually underfunding the programs that form the backbone of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK -end rant-. On a happy note...the other day Sam, Jess, Sara and I went shoe shopping in Tenley. Twas awesome. Sara and Jess shopped for "Jap" stuff while Sam and I searched for shoes for her (she desperately needed them). Turns out we have similar taste in shoes (which, of course, makes her awesome) and she bought 2 pairs of cool boots, and I got a pair of comfy black sneakers. Happiness indeed. And tonight we had our weekly girls night. We watched Chicago (fantastic movie) on Southside (everyone who went shoe shopping plus Kat). I'm trying to convince them to do the monuments at night thing before it gets too cold and dark but thus far it's not working (c'mon guys...it'd be fun!). Next Monday I think we're going to go see Taxi. Mwahaha. Kat and her love for her car...go figure...
17 October 2004
I'm so far down...away from the sun (Literally. It's very cold in here.)
It's now Sunday afternoon and I had a pretty good weekend. On Friday Sara and I went to Kat's dorm and watched Bram Stoker's Dracula. Not a bad movie. Not a good movie either.
On Saturday Sara and I bummed around Tenley waiting for the box office to open to get tickets to Lewis Black. We went to Payless where she bought a couple of pairs of shoes and tried to convince me to get these hot pick slipper things that she claimed "worked for me." I, in turn, kept repeating "I'm not cute enough to pull those off" and then some random 35+ yr old man w/ a toddler said, "I think you're cute enough for them" to which a dumbfounded me simply said, "thank you." Seriously, how do you answer something like that?! Oh, at Payless I also talked to a really nice woman from Brazil. I love D.C. Got back to AU, had dinner then I rushed to grab a shower for L.B. I'm sorry, but I stayed in my pajamas all day and if I had to get out of them, I was going to get out of them w/ a vengence. MWAHAHA!
We got to Bender @ 7:05 and the line was already stretched halfway to Hughes. Met a cool guy who was standing in line behind us (Tom) who also saved our spot while we went to get the actual tickets. According to him I look more like a Rachel then an Ashley. I can deal w/ Rachel. It's Francine I have issues with. About 20 minutes later we met up w/ Kat and a bunch of Sam's friends who claimed the line was stretching out into Nebraska Ave (never ceases to amaze me how huge a crowd is drawn by political comedians).
Ben Lewis was absolutely hysterical..."Once I was on LSD I thought my refridgerator was a puma. I saw it get up and run away and I said to my friend, "WHAT IF IT DOESN'T COME BACK?!?!?! WHAT AM I GOING TO TELL MY PARENTS!!!""....After the show I kind of felt like going to a frat. but it was cold and I had a HORRIBLE headache so I came back home, watched the end of Two Weeks Notice w/ Meghan and went to bed. Oh, but first I talked to Kate and a very intoxicated Jo for a bit and ate some raman noodles (I hate those things but at the same time I adore them...)
I had planned on doing homework all day today (Sunday) but instead I talked to my mom on the phone for a while, cleaned my room and went to my RHA meeting (that thing is just getting more and more frustrating!!!) Now I'm staring guiltily at A History of Russian Thought and A History of Russia. In my mind's eye I can see Dr. Lohr, stroking his treasured Ph.D. from Harvard while he readjusts his glasses and cackles evilly while grading my ghastly midterm..."Mwahaha! No University of Chicago for Ms. MacVeigh!! LONG LIVE PUTIN!!!" I'm exaggerating on the thing about Putin...Lohr hates and fears Putin (and the entirity of the former KGB I think...) but the rest is pretty accurate. To quote Meghan...DOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, on a happy academic note. Y'all remember my Freud paper? The one I was up till like 3am on a Jamaican-coffee style caffeine high writing? Well, it was either going to be horribly horribly confusing and damn-near-illiterate or amazingly witty. Turned out witty! And thus ends the long and terrible reign of...the 50-50-90 Rule.
On Saturday Sara and I bummed around Tenley waiting for the box office to open to get tickets to Lewis Black. We went to Payless where she bought a couple of pairs of shoes and tried to convince me to get these hot pick slipper things that she claimed "worked for me." I, in turn, kept repeating "I'm not cute enough to pull those off" and then some random 35+ yr old man w/ a toddler said, "I think you're cute enough for them" to which a dumbfounded me simply said, "thank you." Seriously, how do you answer something like that?! Oh, at Payless I also talked to a really nice woman from Brazil. I love D.C. Got back to AU, had dinner then I rushed to grab a shower for L.B. I'm sorry, but I stayed in my pajamas all day and if I had to get out of them, I was going to get out of them w/ a vengence. MWAHAHA!
We got to Bender @ 7:05 and the line was already stretched halfway to Hughes. Met a cool guy who was standing in line behind us (Tom) who also saved our spot while we went to get the actual tickets. According to him I look more like a Rachel then an Ashley. I can deal w/ Rachel. It's Francine I have issues with. About 20 minutes later we met up w/ Kat and a bunch of Sam's friends who claimed the line was stretching out into Nebraska Ave (never ceases to amaze me how huge a crowd is drawn by political comedians).
Ben Lewis was absolutely hysterical..."Once I was on LSD I thought my refridgerator was a puma. I saw it get up and run away and I said to my friend, "WHAT IF IT DOESN'T COME BACK?!?!?! WHAT AM I GOING TO TELL MY PARENTS!!!""....After the show I kind of felt like going to a frat. but it was cold and I had a HORRIBLE headache so I came back home, watched the end of Two Weeks Notice w/ Meghan and went to bed. Oh, but first I talked to Kate and a very intoxicated Jo for a bit and ate some raman noodles (I hate those things but at the same time I adore them...)
I had planned on doing homework all day today (Sunday) but instead I talked to my mom on the phone for a while, cleaned my room and went to my RHA meeting (that thing is just getting more and more frustrating!!!) Now I'm staring guiltily at A History of Russian Thought and A History of Russia. In my mind's eye I can see Dr. Lohr, stroking his treasured Ph.D. from Harvard while he readjusts his glasses and cackles evilly while grading my ghastly midterm..."Mwahaha! No University of Chicago for Ms. MacVeigh!! LONG LIVE PUTIN!!!" I'm exaggerating on the thing about Putin...Lohr hates and fears Putin (and the entirity of the former KGB I think...) but the rest is pretty accurate. To quote Meghan...DOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, on a happy academic note. Y'all remember my Freud paper? The one I was up till like 3am on a Jamaican-coffee style caffeine high writing? Well, it was either going to be horribly horribly confusing and damn-near-illiterate or amazingly witty. Turned out witty! And thus ends the long and terrible reign of...the 50-50-90 Rule.
14 October 2004
Please disregard last entry. Writer (aka me) was temporarily insane due to loss of entire paper because of hard drive crash. Yeah. It wasn't pretty.
Anyways, so I'm back from fall break now. It was a nice vacation from the work of school but as I worded it to Erik...my home is York, but DC is my life. So needless to say, I'm happy to be back to my life.
The visit was pretty uneventful. Minor car crash. Jittney now requires an entire new bumper, but I don't really care, my parents have decided to sell the BMW and my car and get a Lexus RX300 (aka the Lexus SUV). I'm pretty excited, since this is the car I'll be driving on vacations and through the summer. I also cannot believe that I have become the absolute embodiment of the term "liberal white sympathy." I mean, I'm going to be going into the worst neighborhood in the country to teach these poor little kids how to read and better themselves while I come back to my 40k/yr school, change into my Gap and Limited clothes and go home on Thanksgiving to my gated community in my freakin' Lexus SUV. I should be shot. However, while it's true I've had a lot of opportunities, I've had to work for everything, nothing was given to me and my parents worked incredibly hard to get where they are...so maybe I should suck it up, be grateful for what I am given and use it to help others?
I degress (sp?). The visit home. It was nice, got to see the fam (Mom, Dad, Kelli, Erik, John, Jeffrey, Darla, Alauna, Shelley), my neighbors whom I consider to be my second family (the Gloriosos), co-workers from the hospital (Dar, Kathy, etc) and go horse back riding (WOOT! That was incredible. Somehow, I've managed not to lose any skill in the past 6 weeks, so I'll be OK until I can ride full time w/ the AUET in the spring). I did really stress out on Sunday and Monday to the point where I had to take the flexeril the dr. gave me just so I wouldn't bite my mom's head off (yeah, it was the whole "why do you treat me like a child?!" issue again.) Also got to hang out w/ Steve, Sandy and some of Steve's friends (Jess and Justin). That was fun. Oh, and I got REAL food. Twas nice.
And now, I have midterms to prepare for an a paper to write on Freud's coping mechanisms. I think I'm going to use drug addictions, just because I have so much experience w/ them (not myself, but within my family) and it's a very personal topic for me. I'll cry while I write it, it'll help me understand a little bit more about my psyche and it'll be a good paper.
Anyways, so I'm back from fall break now. It was a nice vacation from the work of school but as I worded it to Erik...my home is York, but DC is my life. So needless to say, I'm happy to be back to my life.
The visit was pretty uneventful. Minor car crash. Jittney now requires an entire new bumper, but I don't really care, my parents have decided to sell the BMW and my car and get a Lexus RX300 (aka the Lexus SUV). I'm pretty excited, since this is the car I'll be driving on vacations and through the summer. I also cannot believe that I have become the absolute embodiment of the term "liberal white sympathy." I mean, I'm going to be going into the worst neighborhood in the country to teach these poor little kids how to read and better themselves while I come back to my 40k/yr school, change into my Gap and Limited clothes and go home on Thanksgiving to my gated community in my freakin' Lexus SUV. I should be shot. However, while it's true I've had a lot of opportunities, I've had to work for everything, nothing was given to me and my parents worked incredibly hard to get where they are...so maybe I should suck it up, be grateful for what I am given and use it to help others?
I degress (sp?). The visit home. It was nice, got to see the fam (Mom, Dad, Kelli, Erik, John, Jeffrey, Darla, Alauna, Shelley), my neighbors whom I consider to be my second family (the Gloriosos), co-workers from the hospital (Dar, Kathy, etc) and go horse back riding (WOOT! That was incredible. Somehow, I've managed not to lose any skill in the past 6 weeks, so I'll be OK until I can ride full time w/ the AUET in the spring). I did really stress out on Sunday and Monday to the point where I had to take the flexeril the dr. gave me just so I wouldn't bite my mom's head off (yeah, it was the whole "why do you treat me like a child?!" issue again.) Also got to hang out w/ Steve, Sandy and some of Steve's friends (Jess and Justin). That was fun. Oh, and I got REAL food. Twas nice.
And now, I have midterms to prepare for an a paper to write on Freud's coping mechanisms. I think I'm going to use drug addictions, just because I have so much experience w/ them (not myself, but within my family) and it's a very personal topic for me. I'll cry while I write it, it'll help me understand a little bit more about my psyche and it'll be a good paper.
05 October 2004
And because my sister won't answer her phone...
I have decided to rant. Yeah, big surprise there, right?
Well, ya know what, I love France. I love French people (guys in particular), French food, French music, French perfume, French culture, French art, French literature, French philosophy, French clothing. Everything. Except the language, which undoubtedly I would still love if not for a certain evil little person who shall remain anonymous (oh wait, I'm not in a nice mood tonight am I? Mme. Learned).
And you know what I love most about the French? THE WAY THEY HATE US. Can you blame them? I mean, really. We're absolutely some of the most uncultured, uncivilized people on the planet. We feast on junk food which kills us, have a huge problem with obesity, rely completely on cars (most of which are freakin SUVs), can barely speak our own language (let alone the language of others) and best of all, we think we are always right, when most of the time we are so ridiculously wrong!!!! I love how people think science is an American art...sure, we've got NASA, and look how messed up that is! The best scientists ever have been European (I don't need to list names...) and the most technology/anything science related comes out of Europe even though America takes credit for it.
Oh, and on a random note...I think I'm going to get a manicure this weekend...and guess what kind it shall be?!
Well, ya know what, I love France. I love French people (guys in particular), French food, French music, French perfume, French culture, French art, French literature, French philosophy, French clothing. Everything. Except the language, which undoubtedly I would still love if not for a certain evil little person who shall remain anonymous (oh wait, I'm not in a nice mood tonight am I? Mme. Learned).
And you know what I love most about the French? THE WAY THEY HATE US. Can you blame them? I mean, really. We're absolutely some of the most uncultured, uncivilized people on the planet. We feast on junk food which kills us, have a huge problem with obesity, rely completely on cars (most of which are freakin SUVs), can barely speak our own language (let alone the language of others) and best of all, we think we are always right, when most of the time we are so ridiculously wrong!!!! I love how people think science is an American art...sure, we've got NASA, and look how messed up that is! The best scientists ever have been European (I don't need to list names...) and the most technology/anything science related comes out of Europe even though America takes credit for it.
Oh, and on a random note...I think I'm going to get a manicure this weekend...and guess what kind it shall be?!
01 October 2004
"Um..yeah...Saddam...oh! Wait..I mean Osama bin Laden..." -GWB
Just watched Kerry wipe up the floor with Bush. I mean, Bush was hunched over like rabid little raccoon with his claws beared. He kept interrupting the mediator and getting flustered and his ears were the colour of a ripe tomoatos. It was beautiful. Policy wise, there were no surprises, but Kerry just looked so much more poised and presidential then Bush. Can you imagine how the Edwards-Cheney debates are going to go? It's going to be a conservative massacre.
A good bit of my floor (all of us being political fiends) gathered in our common room for cake (to celebrate September birthdays, yes, Christine (our RA) is just that awesome) and watch the debates. It's so awesome and I love it here!
Tomorrow is my two favourite classes, Russian History and College Writing respectively (gotta love Lohr and Tamashasky). Then I'm just going to relax all Friday night.
OH! I got my tutoring job! I get the privilege to go into southeast DC (Anacostia, one of the worst areas in the country) and teach poor, young children how to read! I'm so excited! I can't wait, this is going to be such a great experience. So I've got tutoring training from 9am-5pm on Saturday then I have to go to a Powderpuff planning meeting (damn you, RHA!!!) and Sunday I'm going to Union Station and Pentagon City w/ some people to return the jeans my mom sent me (I now have 2 pairs of the exact same kind of pants) and to just bum around and see some more of the city. Then, next week, home! I'm excited because I miss my sister, my nephews, my parents and my dog AND I get to go horse back riding all day on Wednesday. WOOT!
Oh, Meghan HORRIBLY insulted me just now...she said I have a cheerleader name and that hurt me deep down inside *sniffles*. J/K. Love ya, Meg.
A good bit of my floor (all of us being political fiends) gathered in our common room for cake (to celebrate September birthdays, yes, Christine (our RA) is just that awesome) and watch the debates. It's so awesome and I love it here!
Tomorrow is my two favourite classes, Russian History and College Writing respectively (gotta love Lohr and Tamashasky). Then I'm just going to relax all Friday night.
OH! I got my tutoring job! I get the privilege to go into southeast DC (Anacostia, one of the worst areas in the country) and teach poor, young children how to read! I'm so excited! I can't wait, this is going to be such a great experience. So I've got tutoring training from 9am-5pm on Saturday then I have to go to a Powderpuff planning meeting (damn you, RHA!!!) and Sunday I'm going to Union Station and Pentagon City w/ some people to return the jeans my mom sent me (I now have 2 pairs of the exact same kind of pants) and to just bum around and see some more of the city. Then, next week, home! I'm excited because I miss my sister, my nephews, my parents and my dog AND I get to go horse back riding all day on Wednesday. WOOT!
Oh, Meghan HORRIBLY insulted me just now...she said I have a cheerleader name and that hurt me deep down inside *sniffles*. J/K. Love ya, Meg.
27 September 2004
Konstantine- Something Corporate
Just back from Philadelphia like 2 hrs ago. Great, great weekend.
And time for the quick recap (yes, you know my "quick" means tediously, horribly long-winded):
Friday- Suffered through my 2 favourite classes (they were good. Got a good grade on my first college paper!) Got to the bus station easily (made all the metro stops, etc) and had a long wait at the station. Got to 'Delphia around 9:30 where Jo, Ashley and Jarnese picked me up (they had one hell of a time finding the place) and went back to CHC where we just chilled and talked 'til late into the night/morning.
Saturday- Slept late, had lunch and just chilled most of the afternoon. Went to see Without a Paddle w/ Jo and Alisha (absolutely HILARIOUS movie) and then we drove around for a while. Came back to the campus to find Gavin and some of Jo's other friends in the process of getting completely drunk off their asses. Gavin is absolutely the FUNNIEST drunk ever. I think the "Broken Dick" story speaks for itself. After making sure he didn't die we talked to Bill and Nick (?) for a while and they made me talk on the phone to their friend George (w/e).
Oh, and on a side note, Jo dyed my hair. Darker brown now, I liked it a lot. She did a great job.
We did a lot of other stuff as well, I just don't feel like typing it. Ask if you're interested. I did get "dorm sick" though and while I shall miss Jo and the people I met up there, I'm happy to be home.
On another note- I'm REALLY REALLY hating int'l relations. It just has too many ties to economics for my taste. I also think I'm going to switch to a major in Justice, Law and Society (JLS) and a minor inr history. I just like JLS so much more and it's such a better prep. for law school. Also, Dr. Butterton thinks I should look into the law school @ the University of Chicago. Woot.
Oh, and my mommy sent me clothes and ramen noodles!
And time for the quick recap (yes, you know my "quick" means tediously, horribly long-winded):
Friday- Suffered through my 2 favourite classes (they were good. Got a good grade on my first college paper!) Got to the bus station easily (made all the metro stops, etc) and had a long wait at the station. Got to 'Delphia around 9:30 where Jo, Ashley and Jarnese picked me up (they had one hell of a time finding the place) and went back to CHC where we just chilled and talked 'til late into the night/morning.
Saturday- Slept late, had lunch and just chilled most of the afternoon. Went to see Without a Paddle w/ Jo and Alisha (absolutely HILARIOUS movie) and then we drove around for a while. Came back to the campus to find Gavin and some of Jo's other friends in the process of getting completely drunk off their asses. Gavin is absolutely the FUNNIEST drunk ever. I think the "Broken Dick" story speaks for itself. After making sure he didn't die we talked to Bill and Nick (?) for a while and they made me talk on the phone to their friend George (w/e).
Oh, and on a side note, Jo dyed my hair. Darker brown now, I liked it a lot. She did a great job.
We did a lot of other stuff as well, I just don't feel like typing it. Ask if you're interested. I did get "dorm sick" though and while I shall miss Jo and the people I met up there, I'm happy to be home.
On another note- I'm REALLY REALLY hating int'l relations. It just has too many ties to economics for my taste. I also think I'm going to switch to a major in Justice, Law and Society (JLS) and a minor inr history. I just like JLS so much more and it's such a better prep. for law school. Also, Dr. Butterton thinks I should look into the law school @ the University of Chicago. Woot.
Oh, and my mommy sent me clothes and ramen noodles!
19 September 2004
Aloha- (yeah, I don't know what that was about either.)
This week's been good. I had a lot of homework, as well as a Russian history paper and debate to do, but they went well. Thursday night I was freaking out because I had my first college paper to write. I mean technically I've been writing college papers since 10th grade, but this is different...we shall see how well I do, mwahaha.
The weekend's been a lot of fun also. On Friday night I was feeling sick and tired (reaction to the TB test I needed for my interview) so I went to bed early and slept late. But on Saturday I went to the rugby team's party. It was a costume deal, so some of the girls on my floor got decked out in complete 80s-regalia. It was an impressive sight to behold. I however, just wore jeans, THE slut shirt (hehe) and a red sox baseball jersey stolen from Lindsey. Joanna went as a lifegaurd and kept blowing her damn wistle so Erin and I joked that we were going to wait until she was completely intoxicated then steal and convince an even more drunk frat boy to swallow it, alas I ended up hanging out w/ some guys from Leonard Hall and never got to see this fun deed played out. *insert sad sigh here* The cops busted up the party due to noise complaints. So I ended up walking home on Massachusetts w/ some people who I had never known before that night. Got back to the dorm, watched a bit of Fight Club w/ some people before crashing into an unflappable sleep which lasted until 12:30 this afternoon. Life is good.
Now I'm writing my College Writing definition essay. It's title: "Horse racing: Adrenleine Rush or Animal Abuse" and it's turning out rather well thus far. It's also not due until Tuesday so I'm so proud of myself for starting now!!!
Next weekend it's off to Philadelphia to visit Jo and whoever else I can. Senior Week 3: The Adventure that Never Really Ends Continues in Philadelphia!
This week's been good. I had a lot of homework, as well as a Russian history paper and debate to do, but they went well. Thursday night I was freaking out because I had my first college paper to write. I mean technically I've been writing college papers since 10th grade, but this is different...we shall see how well I do, mwahaha.
The weekend's been a lot of fun also. On Friday night I was feeling sick and tired (reaction to the TB test I needed for my interview) so I went to bed early and slept late. But on Saturday I went to the rugby team's party. It was a costume deal, so some of the girls on my floor got decked out in complete 80s-regalia. It was an impressive sight to behold. I however, just wore jeans, THE slut shirt (hehe) and a red sox baseball jersey stolen from Lindsey. Joanna went as a lifegaurd and kept blowing her damn wistle so Erin and I joked that we were going to wait until she was completely intoxicated then steal and convince an even more drunk frat boy to swallow it, alas I ended up hanging out w/ some guys from Leonard Hall and never got to see this fun deed played out. *insert sad sigh here* The cops busted up the party due to noise complaints. So I ended up walking home on Massachusetts w/ some people who I had never known before that night. Got back to the dorm, watched a bit of Fight Club w/ some people before crashing into an unflappable sleep which lasted until 12:30 this afternoon. Life is good.
Now I'm writing my College Writing definition essay. It's title: "Horse racing: Adrenleine Rush or Animal Abuse" and it's turning out rather well thus far. It's also not due until Tuesday so I'm so proud of myself for starting now!!!
Next weekend it's off to Philadelphia to visit Jo and whoever else I can. Senior Week 3: The Adventure that Never Really Ends Continues in Philadelphia!
11 September 2004
California- Phantom Planet
Last night some people from Northside, Meghan and I went to Georgetown w/ the intent of just walking around. However, Meghan and I managed to get us into a 21 and over jazz bar/restaurant thing that was absolutely awesome. The band was great and Meghan got up and danced w/ some old guy who could seriously dance. It was great. I discovered that not only is Giddeon from Gettysburg, he went to Delone! Small world. It was like, "omg! Someone who knows what rt. 30 is!!!". After the longass walk from Georgetown to the metro and finally getting back to AU we watched a bit of Cruel Intentions then Meghan and I just talked about life/friends/etc for a couple of hrs. Overall a good night w/o going to a frat. I'm happy.
Today we went "TDR shopping" aka stealing food from the dining room and taking it back to the dorm @ brunch then I went to Pentagon City and Georgetown w/ some people from Arabic. Fun stuff.
Now my feet really really hurt and I want to go out but I don't want to go out, ya know?
Oh, got invited to a "heaven and hell" party @ some frat w/ GW next week. Maybe I'll go...
Today we went "TDR shopping" aka stealing food from the dining room and taking it back to the dorm @ brunch then I went to Pentagon City and Georgetown w/ some people from Arabic. Fun stuff.
Now my feet really really hurt and I want to go out but I don't want to go out, ya know?
Oh, got invited to a "heaven and hell" party @ some frat w/ GW next week. Maybe I'll go...
05 September 2004
Parents came down for dinner tonight w/ me since my bday is coming up shortly. It was really good to see them, but kind of weird at the same time, just because it's not the same anymore. I was horribly, horribly home sick yesterday, but feeling much much better now. It's weird becuase the homesickness comes in spurts and bouts.
Other then the horrible homesickness this weekend's been fun. I was in Georgetown all night Friday until around 5am. Really really beautiful area, but I prefer Adams Morgan. Saturday ran around D.C. a bit more and then today I woke up late, had brunch w/ people from the floor and then cleaned my room and such waiting for parents. No classes tomorrow so I'm going to sleep late and then get my work done.
Oh, fyi: Cheesecake Factory is DELICIOUS!!!!!
Other then the horrible homesickness this weekend's been fun. I was in Georgetown all night Friday until around 5am. Really really beautiful area, but I prefer Adams Morgan. Saturday ran around D.C. a bit more and then today I woke up late, had brunch w/ people from the floor and then cleaned my room and such waiting for parents. No classes tomorrow so I'm going to sleep late and then get my work done.
Oh, fyi: Cheesecake Factory is DELICIOUS!!!!!
02 September 2004
So classes are going well. Arabic seems manageable. Not fun or easy, but manageable. To think that one day I may actually be able to write and understand that language is beyond comprehension. I got my topic for my term paper in Beyond Sovereignty. It's going to be War Crimes laws involving immunity. Should be interesting. My lit. prof. is amazing. I'm so glad I didn't test out of that class now. Math really really sucks, but we all knew it would, didn't we? And history is just flat out hard. It's even worse because I just know a teeny bit of Russian history when it seems like everyone else knows so much. Also doesn't help that I'm fairly certain I'm the only freshman in the class...
Thank god the weekend's here...I need to have some fun w/o worrying about waking up early the next day and so forth and so on.
On a really annoying note, my damn printer won't work!!!! Ugh. I have to find some time between my Russian History, my interview and lunch tomorrow to take the disc I made to the library to print. Of course that means going back into the bowels of hell but c'est la vie.
Thank god the weekend's here...I need to have some fun w/o worrying about waking up early the next day and so forth and so on.
On a really annoying note, my damn printer won't work!!!! Ugh. I have to find some time between my Russian History, my interview and lunch tomorrow to take the disc I made to the library to print. Of course that means going back into the bowels of hell but c'est la vie.
29 August 2004
I'm on the outside...I'm lookin' in...I can see through you, see to the real you..
So I went into D.C. last night for the first time. Adams Morgan to be more specific. Very very cool area. Jazz bar, sushi/american food place (that was messed but fun..how many places do you know where you can get gyoza and french fries on the same plate?) then to some frat party off campus. After that we came back to AU and hung out for a while behind Anderson/Letts then back up to McDowell 2 and hung out in the lounge. Christine (the RA) was glaring at us. *rolling eyes* But that was a lot of fun and I met some more cool people from WCL, Tenley, Leonard and Hughes. I love living on Northside. You can always easily find a party but you can't always escape them the way you have to @ Southside.
25 August 2004
I'm so far down, away from the sun that shines to light the way for me and darkness comes away from the sun.
Well..the big news. I passed my test this morning w/ flying colours! That was by far the most grueling, exhausting thing I have ever done in my entire life. I knew it was going to be hard, but 8 rounds of sparring w/ Jon and Mr. Mike of 5 minutes each?! 'Twas HELL! But it was worth it. This entire month of getting up at 6 and working harder then I've ever worked before has been worth it. I'm now an Apprentice Instructor and I can train others in savate. I'm so happy!
After my test I had a half hr. private riding lesson (exactly how crazy am I you ask? VERY VERY CRAZY) which went very well. Katie set up a fun, challenging course for me involving a huge oxer and one very very odd jump that I went over 3 different times all at different angles during that course. She also gave me some serious praise. She said I've come so far since I started working with her she can't believe it (which is true) and that I will undoubtedly be one of the best riders on my school's team.
After lesson I said g'bye to Easter until Thanksgiving (I'm crying inside, I'll miss that little witch) and then got my meningitis shot (oh the joy) and now I'm procrastinating cleaning out the inside of my car and packing some more. Later tonight going out to dinner w/ mom and dad and going to see a movie w/ Ben, Jo and Sam.
I'm getting very annoyed waiting for Steve the Pirate the Second to come (my new cell phone) and I feel like listening to the 3 Doors Down "Away from the Sun" CD (hence the title of this post).
At any rate...ADIEU!
After my test I had a half hr. private riding lesson (exactly how crazy am I you ask? VERY VERY CRAZY) which went very well. Katie set up a fun, challenging course for me involving a huge oxer and one very very odd jump that I went over 3 different times all at different angles during that course. She also gave me some serious praise. She said I've come so far since I started working with her she can't believe it (which is true) and that I will undoubtedly be one of the best riders on my school's team.
After lesson I said g'bye to Easter until Thanksgiving (I'm crying inside, I'll miss that little witch) and then got my meningitis shot (oh the joy) and now I'm procrastinating cleaning out the inside of my car and packing some more. Later tonight going out to dinner w/ mom and dad and going to see a movie w/ Ben, Jo and Sam.
I'm getting very annoyed waiting for Steve the Pirate the Second to come (my new cell phone) and I feel like listening to the 3 Doors Down "Away from the Sun" CD (hence the title of this post).
At any rate...ADIEU!
24 August 2004
Bienvenuto! Bonjour! Bienvenitos!
So in honour of moving to AU I'm creating a new online journal, this time @ Blogger (obviously) because I think it's prettier and it has better options, etc.
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