Greatest Party Of The Year

Halloween 2005
Krystal the Canadian Mountie
Me the Beer Garden Girl
Jayme the Ringmaster

Bill

"He's dead?"

Fabulous

This is how I felt today...

Cillian Murphy

Another candidate for the role as my future husband...

London's Calling

Everyday I get the insatiable urge to run away... If I had the money, today I would have.

Atlantis

An Elephant No More

Tonight I finalized a hard decision.

Over the past two weeks I have lived my life the way I want to. I realized that luy letting a few things go, I had actually become happier.

So tonight at 5:58 p.m. I turned in my resignation to the Republican club.

There were people who drove me nuts and people who I couldn't see enough. But it got to the point where I couldn't handle the pressure anymore. It makes me ache when I know I am disappointing people, but unrealistic expectations are hard to live up to.

The sad thing is that I feel free. I realized that the Republican club was one of my commitments that was dragging me down, so I let go. Now I have so much more guilt free time to devote to my true loves - school, friends, reporting, sleeping and enjoying an actual social life.

Why?

Today I noticed a dent in Rocket's hood.

On closer inspection I saw a large and in charge dirty footprint.

Dirty prints in the layer of sap, clearly outlined dude-sized skater shoes.

Another print higher on the hood.

Another print on the roof.

Another print on the trunk.

Some guy thought it was funny to walk over the top of my car.

What an incredible feat.

Not only was my car vandalized, but I now I have to weigh the decisions ahead of me.

1. to give my car up for a week to get body repair and increase my monthly insurance premium yet again

2. to leave the dent and reduce the price of the car even more when I sell it in May

I'm sure his friends got a hearty laugh.

I got sick to my stomach.

Step

I have been trying to lose my freshman-15 since I gained it my first semester of college.

I will graduate in May.

It's time for drastic measures.

I know the South Beach diet is very successful for me, but it's hard to cook EVERY meal EVERY day when my life is this hectic. It was much easier over the summer when I could give my mom a grocery list and a dinner request. (She even packed my lunches in the morning and left them on the counter with a little note!) But I don't have enough time, money or energy to follow a diet. So I eat as well as I can -- you know, condensed vegetable soup, fat free cheese and sometimes chicken.

I have a nagging voice in the back of my head that reminds me of my own promise to do something nice for myself every day.

So tonight I took my first Step.

I showed up at my gym, stretched and ready to go. I was surrounded by three middle-aged women and a platform in front of me. I worked so hard even my neck was sweating. I kicked my own butt, literally and figuratively. And then I rolled my ankle.

I only stayed for half the class (30 minutes) because my ankle was swelling, but I was so proud of myself. My muscles are weak and shaky, and I know tomorrow is going to be painful. But it was worth every ache and even all the swelling.

Sew Awesome

I got to sew today and realized I had forgotten how much fun it is to complete a project.

I have a jean mini skirt with frayed edges because it's the "cool" look. The only problem is that I can't wear it because when I washed it for the first time the edges frayed another half an inch. So I trimmed it and decided that I couldn't wash it again until I created a seam that would prevent the fray from spreading. Today I made that seam and got very excited that I had completed a project on my list and I could once again wear my skirt - just at the time when fall is kicking in and it's too cold to actually wear it.

I also added ribbon to the petticoat on my Halloween costume (German beer maiden) and extended it another two inches so that my butt doesn't play hide and seek. I created tassels and relaced the bodace.

Now I'm desperate to start working on my quilts again, but I don't have enough money or enough time to finsh them.

Playing Chicken With A Train

Last night was the most fun time I have had with my girls this semester.

We played board games and went sailing with the Captain. At 11 we finally decided it was time to leave the house and head down to our favorite bar Joe's -- where no one knows your name and you can throw discarded peanut shells on the sawdust-covered floor. As we left the house we heard the distant toot of an approaching train.

There was a long pause when we all realized that we were still a block away from the tracks. Jayme yelled "TRAIN!" and we all started running full sprint. This must have been a hysterical sight because we were all running uphill on asphalt in heels. We were laughing and yelling and running at the same time as we dodged the falling gates and ignored the flashing lights and repetitive chiming.

As we reached the tracks I gasped for a breath of air I heard the same yells and laughter coming from behind me. I looked over my shoulder, almost tripped, and saw three other groups of friends all racing for the finish line.

We made it safely to the other side and all immediately bent over, hand on our knees, choking through our laughter and side-aches caused by running on a full stomach of rum and diet coke. I stood up to stretch the stitch out of my side when the train passed and the wind blew my hair up like Marilyn Monroe's white dress. As I shook my medusa-like mane out of my face I looked at my girls, bent over and laughing, and thought, "wow, that wouldn't have been the same with anyone else".

Shopping Spree

My friends and I went on a shopping spree this afternoon and I came home dragging four bags. I know my Visa is going to spontaneously combust soon, but each day I do something nice for myself and this was it. The interesting part is that half of the stuff I bought are presents for other people. And the stuff I got for myself was totally practical. Right.

Salon Day

Ever wonder why a bride is glowing? Though it is mostly because she's marrying the man she loves, it is also because she just had the best salon day of her life.

I spent two and a half hours in the salon today getting my hair done and I feel like a brand new person. I got a complete highlight and a brand new style. The best part was that I got my head massaged and I arrived at a midterm with full wringlets. There was a bounce in my step today and I must have had a stupid grin on my face like those girls in the Nice'n'Easy commercials.

I have had some negative things happen in the past few weeks and now I am working on fixing the problems. I have left groups of stressful people behind and I have made new healthier friends. My grades are good, my goals are greater and my friends are the best. My last accomplishment was to get my self-esteem back up to normal, and with this 'fro I have!

I have been obsessed with touching my head all day because I can't believe it's real. Of course this excitement will wear off tomorrow when I need to style it by myself. My cowlick will miraculously reappear and my bangs won't swoop. But for tonight I'm going to knock his socks off.

Chris, if you read this, thanks for being an amazing friend through thick and thin hair.

Fat Frankie

I think my goldfish has an eating disorder.

I bought him because he was plump and adorable. But now I have to admit to myself that my boy is getting fat. And I mean fat like his swimmer fins are so dwarfed by his chubby tummy that they just wiggle in space and don't assist him in maneuvering - kind of like the arms of a T-Rex, they're there but don't serve a purpose. I should have named him Rex.

I feed him a pinch of flakes twice a day, and when he sees me pick up the food can he starts to shake with excitement. Within seconds, when he has finished his meal, he begins to scour the rocks for anything that he could have missed, which is highly unlikely considering the way he hoovers his food.

He must love me for more reasons than just because I'm his source of sustenance. Every time I enter the room he greets me cheerfully. When I sit here at my desk he does tricks for me and sings along when I have music on. But if I get too close to that food can without immediately feeding him he gives me the silent treatment, hides behind his castle and pouts.

So the other day I gave in and I fed him an extra large pinch. He was so overcome with glee that he couldn't decide which pieces to eat first. But later I came back in and he didn't look good. He was breathing pretty hard and had to concentrate on swimming. Everytime he would stop moving he would begin to float rapidly to the top of the tank. I got really upset and made Roommie come in and give her medical opinion. She concluded that Frankie might spontaneously combust and I should leave the room so I wouldn't have to witness it.

Surprisingly he made it through the night and was famished again the next morning. And yet I still have the urge to give the fat kid more cake.

I'm an iPoder

I love my iPod. It's a lifestyle.

My life has background music and I can change my theme song according to the situation. It's awesome.

When I'm on campus and I see someone I know they can tell I have headphones plugging up my ears and therefore don't press me for conversation. It's a lifesaver.

I have a beat to my step and I stand up a little straighter when I am listening to my favorite lyrics. It's uplifting.

Wonderful Day

There are a few simple joys in life that keep my world spinning.

I love sleeping in and actually plan it into my weekend schedule. I woke up today at 1.

This afternoon as I walked to the ATM I saw a dog tied to a parking meter. I stopped and pet him for a few minutes and cooed at him like a middle-aged woman in the prescence a baby. Repeat on the way back.

Then I got to drive across town to get lunch. I love looking around, listening to my compilations of indie rock and thinking. I took the long route today.

I actually made dinner without burning myself or lighting something on fire. Granted it was a frozen all-inclusive kit. Trader Joe is my hero.

And now as I sit here I realize that I love the sound of my keyboard keys clicking. Tick.

Tonight I will see three different groups of friends. We're going sailing with Captain Morgan. I love that damn pirate.