It's about to get interesting, kids.

classes start tomorrow... oh boy.
While I was considering dropping my 8am sociology, I confess I looked at the roster, and decided it may be worth keeping. There are some interesting kids in that class, so we'll see how it goes. Yeah, so my schedule is pretty much up in the air, but I think that is a good thing overall. It will certainly make it more interesting. I'll keep you posted. ha... haha.

What I'm looking for:

We took these compatibility test things in high school as a fundraiser of sorts. I sort of wish we would do something like that in college just because I feel like there must be some great people out there that I’m just not meeting. Sort of in the spirit of that, I thought I'd do a little post about the qualities I am looking for... you will probably find this at best amusing and at worst pathetic. Eh, at this point I really don't think anyone reads this anyway, so I've got nothing to lose. I think there is a 150- point max just so you know.

Drives a Volvo………….+4

Drives a smaller car………+3

Tall, dark, and hansom…….+6

Majoring/minoring in English, Psych, Env. Studies, Sociology, Religion, Education…+5

Likes good music…………..+8

Episcopalian………………..+9

Catholic………………….+7

Presbyterian…………….+7

Other sort of Protestant Christian…….+5

Dresses well……………..+5

Plays a musical instrument…+7

Has a good set of morals……+7

Makes me laugh……………..+7

I like the parents……………….+6

Likes the outdoors…………+7

Has mastered the whole dorky/cute look……+6

Is a good hugger………….+8

Is passionate about something in life……..+8

Writes poetry/songs………+5

Is soft-spoken……………..+7

Likes kids/good with kids…….+8

Maintains eye contact……………..+7

Challenges me…………………..+7

Can hold a decent conversation…………+8

Comfortable with silence………………+7

Drives an SUV…………-5

Hunts……………………-10

Listens to country/rap music……-5

Drinks too much…………-9

In a fraternity……………-5

Isn't a Christian............-10

so what's your score?

but I don't want it to end...

in some strange way it seems to me that if I post something now, before tomorrow night, part of me will always be waiting for that last show. Earlier tonight I thought I’d actually be OK with this being the end, but lately I decided that it is definitely going to be rough afterall—devastating even. No more shows to look forward to with certainty. I need to keep reminding myself that the guys deserve to take a break, to be happy, and to do their own thing. I’m sure we will meet again some day. I have to think that.

Tonight was lovely by the way. I'm hoping tomorrow night will be spectactular.

another Christmas has passed...

Man, for some reason I am just rarely in the whole Christmas mood. It comes in spurts... all of the sudden I'll start singing a random Christmas carol in the kitchen or whatever, but that's about it. It's not like I want it to be that way. I sort of secretly want to be one of those people who is totally into Christmas, etc. just because they get so happy and into it and all, but I just can't dig up those sort of feelings.

Christmas this year was not much unlike Christmases of the past for me anyway. My mom insisted on buying me a bunch of stuff I'd never pick out for myself--her theme was pajamas this year. (I guess this is because of the whole in the butt of my favorite pajama pants... which by they way no one at the house told me about. I wonder how long it has been there.) So yeah... I got three pj sets more or less with christmas decorations on them. If you know me well (/live in the house) you know that I am often clad in pajama pants, and I just don't want to be wearing pj's with dalmations holding christmas presents on them in august. I don't know. I sound like an awful spoiled brat or something, but trust me... I don't like enjoy the whole process largely because it stresses my mom out since she always struggles with what to buy me. She does this thing--looks down and sort of does this odd smile/frown thing, and says, "yeah, I didn't think you'd really like them anyway. We can return them I guess." It just sucks.

So yeah... yesterday was pretty much a marathon shopping day. The highlites: I found a pretty sweet dress for dockstreet for $31 dollars. It was exciting. I will not go into how I feel about dockstreet quite yet. that will come. I also got a multitude of other things while shopping. Lately I have been using the word "multitude" a lot--just so you know.

I found this ironic:

at JC Penny, the sexy lingerie area is located right next to the maternity clothes area. ha... haha. I don't know... I thought it was pretty funny at the time.

high expectations

Man, you know it’s a good commercial when you see it, and you want to buy it even though you know from experience that it's just not that good. I was psyched about the Sonic Gingerbread Blast milkshake for days, and after my mom bought me one, I proclaimed my happiness, but after I had tried it, I found it did not live up to my high expectations. (so many commas.) my high expectations often mess up everything. I mean I know I should have high expectations for life and other random things sometimes, but it sucks when they’re just never met. I could go on about this for quite awhile and complain about my (lack of a) love life, but I will spare you.

let's talk about the weather--that's safe.

Everyone keeps saying that it's so cold here, but it's really not. I can go outside most of the time without a jacket (during the day), and it's been into the 50's and 60's. I guess it just seems warmer coming from Winston-Salem where I left behind freezing rain and wintry mixes.

been sitting around like a bum the last few days. I've been trying like mad to get a job. The manager at American Eagle actually recognizes me when I walk in now (I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not). Dad told me I had to be aggressive, so I've been trying. I still hadn't received any phone calls despite the promise from the woman at AE, so I went back today. After stopping in at a few stores I had applied to earlier, I was walking back out to my car when I decided to stop at one more place... Sam Goody. I chatted with the two women behind the counter only to later find out that one of them was the manager--which actually was perfect since I didn't really have the time to get nervous, and I was more myself up until then). Anyway, I filled out some forms, and she told me they'd have to do a background check on me, but she told me to fill out some W-4 forms (and that is a good sign) and to come back in a day or two and I could start working. So this is extremely good news. I don't know why I didn't stop in there before. I don't have to worry about wearing clothing the store sells every day since they don't sell clothes there, and there doesn't seem to be a real dress code, and they sell music and dvd's and stuff which is better than clothes anyday. Plus, they're right across from a coffee place. oh yes, this is going to be the beautiful start of something.

been getting darn sentimental lately thinking about the end of my favorite band, Jump, Little Children. No more stand-up shows. No more eagerly waiting for hours to see them. No more road trips. It's all just really sad. And I only just started to actually talk to the guys. (esp at the most recent show at NCSA--which I technically shouldn't have been allowed to see. I actually helped them unload their stuff though... it was great.) I know this is bad and may be unhealthy, but I really, really have enjoyed going to their shows. It has given me something to look forward to, and well after 12/30, there will be no more. I mean my favorite band isn't one of those that sells out amphitheatres and tours maybe once every three years. You actually get to talk to them, and you could reach out and touch them at shows if you wanted to b/c they're that close. plus, they're just so real. ok, I should stop now because you probably think I'm crazy.

Time to make some dinner para la familia.

detached.

Man, yesterday I was in a weird mood. I guess it was because I was sick, but I really can't blame it on meds since I didn't take any. I'm kind of against medication when it can be avoided. Actually, this dislike/fear of doctors and medicine has been in my family for a while. I recently found out that my great grandmother basically died because she refused to go to the doctor after chronic severe stomach problems, and then her spleen or something ruptured. (OK, that was a tangent, and it didn't really help my case at all.) Really though, I think my immune system is better because it actually gets to work out. Maybe my bizarre behavior yesterday was just my own immune system secreting something resembling medication that made me feel/act so weird.

I just literally didn't feel like doing anything, but it wasn't just slough because I didn't want to do nothing but I didn't want to do anything. (you might have to read that sentence a few times, but it really does make sense. I promise.) I didn't even want to sleep. That's how weird it was. I just literally didn't want to even be. and it wasn't even because I felt crappy because I really didn't. I know this emotion is hardly warranted when my life is compared to that of others. I know this.

Then later on I was especially hyper even though I had not taken in any caffeine. It was like my body just forgot to secrete some hormone and then put out a whole lot of it at once to make up for it. Looking back on it makes me wonder if that is what it is like to be depressed... if depression is some sort of hormonal imbalance. It makes sense. That is so crazy though. I don't know if it's worse to not feel anything or to feel too much--like too much lonliness or sadness or heartbreak or helplessness. There must be different types of depression that are really almost opposites if you think about it. Really though, is it better to not feel at all or to feel awful inside? sometimes I wonder.

I'm home

So right when I crossed the border into South Carolina, I looked around and suddenly the cars I thought were around me the whole time all had South CArolina liscense plates on them. How and when does the switch take place? I could have sworn they were all NC plates thirty seconds earlier.

Going job searching tomorrow. Wish me luck.

I hate cell phones except when I'm talking to you

I don't know why,
but something in your voice changed that night.
You had never sounded harsh at all,
but the night you brought me out of my dreams
your voice was soft and gentle.
Was it something in you that changed that night
or something in me?
or did it only seem different because I had just awakened?
...
Although we're in different places
somehow we're connected by a wire
that spans across the continent.
It is this thin string that ties us together.
I can hear you breathing,
but I can't touch you.
Maybe it's safer that way.
...
I told you once that thinking about you
made me want to write poetry,
so here it is.
There is no rhyme and no rythm--
only my emotions conveyed through these words.

some disconnected thoughts:

Drama (no, I'm not talking about a genre of WB shows or a theatre production)... sometimes I can't decide if I enjoy it or I despise it. Right now I'm leaning more towards the latter. Sure drama can make things interesting, but it can also interupt a peaceful, go-with-the-flow mindset.

On a completely different note...
Me and four of my housemates went camping this weekend in "Waynesville, NC." I'm not exactly sure why I put that in quotes... read into it what you want. So when we showed up at the first site, it was full, so we were sort of disgruntled if you will and nervous that we had driven for about 3 hours for nothing. Enter Cassidy's Dad who was kind enough to find us a place at some other location--Hemp Farms--I think it was called. Yeah, so we set up the tent by the light of Kasee's headlights and gathered sticks and stuff for the campfire. Yes, we had a campfire, and there were s'mores involved (as well as veggie burgers on sticks). Too bad we didn't sleep on grass or even dirt--no, we slept on gravel, and gravel sucks. Gravel is not even outdoorsy. Other than that, it was nice. We barely saw anyone else there at all, and the view was pretty nice. So yeah, we had a grand old time, and I even got in some spooning... or as I like to call it: spooning for survival because it was a bit chilly. So yeah, then we hung out in Asheville for a while which was really nice. I really do want to live in Asheville at some point in my life. (like when I get out of Wake.) I have found that the mountains are quite enjoyable--a nice contrast to all that beach time. (Not that I'm complaining about the beach of course).

So my car wouldn't start on Saturday night, and for that reason I had to pay $79 today to get it fixed which sucks a lot. On a more positive note: It could have been a lot worse--my car could have chosen to stop working while I was alone at a concert in Charlotte or Asheville or something, so for that I am definately thankful.

So I signed up for this thing called Audioscrobbler which keeps track of the songs you play through i-tunes, and connects you to people that have a similar music taste, so that's pretty sweet. My page is here in case you want to see what I've been playing lately. I only just figured out how to use it, so despite what it says, it has not been up since September.

another brief scene from a dream...

I just dreamed that I went home, and my dad somehow managed to grow out his hair--it was longer than mine, and he wore it in a ponytail down his back. It was weird because it wasn't gray. There was also some random baby living at my house that resembled this girl I was friends with in CT when I was about 5.

Then yesterday night my dream took place in my friend Liz's old house (that she hasn't lived in since 7th grade).

I was reading some Keats poetry last night before I went to bed--"The Eve of St. Agnes"--apparently there's this tradition or something that if you do certain rituals on the eve of st. agnes and you are a virgin, you will dream about your husband. Interesting concept. I think I have dreamed about my future husband before, but I could never make out his face.

sigh.

I want so much to be an artsy person--someone who has deep discussions about passages from great books in front of a fireplace to people wearing sweater vests and chords, but I'm afraid that I just am not capable of such things. I want to be intellectual... maybe that's the problem--I want to be intellectual, so I'm not. It just sucks--I don't want to fit in with the general Wake Forest crowd, but I look the same--I have rainbows and a freaking north face backpack! I think much of my frustration comes from my recent grade in English. I like English so much, but I just suck at it. I have these good ideas, but I can't ever incorporate them properly into an argument. How can I be thinking about grading English papers if I can't even write them, myself? I don't know.

This year has been better in general so far... don't get me wrong. It's just that I have a lot of the same frustrations: I don't know what to major in or what I'm good at, I'm having the same issues with boys, and I'm not fostering my personal relationship with God nearly as much as I should. I feel like a big faker going to church every Sunday. I just don't know.

eh... oh well

Well I would have been on WakeRadio today, if we could have figured out how to turn off the pre-recorded show. ooops... I guess that intern thing didn't prepare me too well. We gave up and left... it was sad really. Well, better luck next week. Just so you know, in the future I should be on on Thursdays from 3-5 PM. (http://radio.wfu.edu/)

Yeah, so I love the house that I'm living in by the way. It's a great environment to live in... ha...ha. I am not the only vegetarian here, so that is sweet.

Tonight I am going to President Hatch's house, so that'll be interesting I guess. I almost hope he doesn't have a veggie alternative just so I can make a point about how there aren't the veggie options on campus really either.

So even though many may call them "sell outs" or whatever, I saw Coldplay last Friday night. Before you look down upon me or judge me, just know that I was actually volunteering there in the name of Fair Trade. I got 98 people to sign a petition and talked to really cool people besides, so that was exciting. I loved it because it gave me a chance to talk to random people that I just normally wouldn't have. (Also let it be known, that Coldplay has some pretty sweet stuff out... the lyrics to many of their songs are great... and I really enjoy Chris Martin. I didn't enjoy the fact that the show was pretty well... showy with the lights and everything. But Gwenyth Paltrow is pretty lucky... an amazing poet for a husband. I hope Chris serenades her regularly.)

Jump, Little Children tomorrow night at Ziggy's. =)

a dream

I meant to post this yesterday, but oh well. My last night at home I had this (short) dream:

I walked into Johnson toward my room, and all of my friends from high school were sitting on the ground outside of my door. I continued to walk toward them and toward A103 (my old room), but then I said, "Wait... but I don't live here anymore." and the dream ended--sort of like a fade out, and I woke up.

last night in my bed until Thanksgiving

Well my room is pretty much empty again. The cars are packed, the gas tanks full, breakfast waiting (already made) in the fridge, i-tunes mix entitled "sophomore year begins" made, and everyone safely in bed. In just a few short hours I will embark upon my life as a sophomore in college. wow. No longer will I be that scared freshman for whom everything is new. I will not get lost on campus (well maybe still in Tribble), I will be one of those annoying people who runs over to hug her friends, I know more of what to expect, and I don't have to take a stinkin' math course. (For the first time in years I will not even need my fancy TI 83 which I have bestowed upon my brother. cheers.)

I'm going to be living in a house! wow! Tomorrow night will set the tone for the rest of the year that I will spend with the other nine people (except for Joan, my roommate, who is arriving a bit later). I'm nervous, excited, and anxious at the same time. I really hope I will be able to sleep tonight. Last night I already did not sleep too well due to my (poor) choice to watch a special on serial killers right before bed. (I couldn't help myself, the whole idea is just so fascinating. I knew before I set out to watch it that I would have trouble sleeping, but that didn't stop myself from turning on the TV. On that note, I will not have a TV in my room this year. Joan said she doesn't need one, so I decided I would also try to live without one. I think this will be good. And, hey, I could watch Gilmore Girls with Courtney or someone on the way back from Presby, and it will even be like a special bonding time. I have to admit that it will be sort of sad living away from Carol. By the end of the year we really just clicked, and I have only known Wake with Carol as my roommate up until this point. I am of couse excited about roomming with Joan, however, and hope that I will still see Carol and her crazy coats around.

Alright, here goes nothing. I will try to jump right into my sophomore year and not look back at what "could have been."

when does the day end and tomorrow become today?

Sometimes I want to go to bed, and I know I should, but I have this feeling that I’m forgetting to do something or that I just haven’t really felt like I’m ready for the day to conclude. It’s almost like I need to do something meaningful before I go to sleep. This is a feeling I get before I turn off the lights usually—it’s not like I have trouble actually sleeping… just turning off the lights when I haven’t really done anything productive for hours. This feeling is rare at school because I usually go to sleep following completing my homework or after a visit to Waffle House or after a good discussion with someone. All of these things have a definite end, but sitting here in my room doing random things on the computer or reading or packing… well those things could keep going for a while longer. They have no definitive ending. I guess that’s my problem. I feel like the day is simply not over—like I’m closing a book in the middle of a sentence or something. Or perhaps this is just a God thing telling me that I should pray or read the Bible before bed. I don’t really know.

what the heck?

4 comments on the last blog... and right after I changed the settings to let "annonymous people" leave comments. Interesting that they seemed very random (well the annonymous ones anyway)... almost like they were trying to use me to advertise. sad. I will conduct an experiment to see if it happens again, and then I may have to change the settings. I don't think they even read my blog because the last entry wasn't at all insightful, and they put stuff like, "hey, great blog!" Also, what's with that second comment about spelling and the i-pod? That was pretty funny.

Back at home

Yeah. So I got home Monday night. Since then I've basically just been sitting around and reading and avoiding cleaning my room. You see, I still haven't unpacked from school from when I got back in May. If you could see the floor of my room, you would think that some sort of disaster must have occurred within, but you would be wrong. I've just been ridiculously lazy pretty much. I mean I want to pack, I just don't want to unpack. Another one of my problems is that I just don't want to throw away stuff. Even if it seems it's totally pointless to keep stuff, I just have a hard time letting go I guess. (That kind of goes along with my love for photo collages, Andrew. so many memories can be found just by looking at a movie ticket stub or something like that.)

I went to the dentist today. Always an experience at the dentist. I both love and hate it. I absolutely love the clean feeling afterwards, but I hate actually being in that chair. You really have no control at all. Today the lady who was working on me had the hic-ups. You can only imagine the pain this caused me.

I am excited about getting back to Wake. I have actually recently had some dreams that included Wake people (had a dream about Ben last night, and I honestly don't really remember anything about it). I'm excited about getting to know the people in the house for sure. I'm also excited about going to see shows with people. Can't wait to get back in touch with Sarah (Dunham), and I'll definately miss Alex.

I've been waking up stinking early lately, and I can only guess that it is because I have been going to bed by 10:30 every night. Man, I have no life. Well, I'd better wrap this up. It's getting close to bed time.

death

This morning I saw a dead, beached dolphin on the beach. I was so shocked, I couldn't even cry it was so sad. (The worst part was that I saw another dolphin swimming just off the beach as if it were looking for it's friend.) I also saw a really pretty dead butterfly on the ground in addition to a dead skink. What the heck is that all supposed to mean?

kids

(I wish I could post some stinkin' pictures to make this more interesting, but I am not on my personal computer now. I will work on that later at some point.)

I come to these random revelations or decisions quite often now for some reason. Today I decided that I wanted to name my son "Jack." No, I mean I'm obviously not planning on having kids in the near future, so I don't know why this came to me, but there it is. My dad's name is Jack, and it used to be that I didn't really like that whole naming your kid after some family member thing, but I do kind of like it now. I'm still not down with the giving him the dad's name, but grandfather? why not? My dad's pretty amazing, and I think that it's really funny to give kids sort of old people names. (I also like Frank and Max).

Wow, that was kind of a strange topic to share with people. Oh well.

Kids can be so funny. We have the little ones here this week--2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders. After breakfast this morning, one kid just goes bolting out of the dining hall and yells, "YESSSSS! FREEDOM!!!" Another kid asked if I would pass her the "sustinance" at dinner, and claimed that she always calls rolls that.

My one-piece tan line is out of control. seriously, you will laugh.

The other day I sat out in the rain on the dock and thought about life for a long time. It's funny... I brought out my i-pod, a journal, and a book, but I ended up just sitting there and thinking and praying. I'm really trying to figure out what God's will is for my life. This is not easy to do. Preachers always say that we are supposed to do God's will, but they don't mention how we're supposed to know what the heck that is. They say they were called to do this or that, but how do they really know? I don't know. I've been struggling with this for a while. I have the tendency to look for "signs" everywhere because I think they might be from God. I just don't know.

This is it... this is my last week out at camp. I go home probably next Tuesday. No more docks to sit on, no more beaches to run on, no more crazy mating squirrels, no more cheesecake, no more singing songs with kids right before bed, no more trips to Newton Farms, etc. I'm going to be soooo bored during that time before school starts back up. I'm ready to go back soon.

Yeah, I'm sorry... I really didn't have anything to write about. I just did it for Betsy's entertainment.