Christmas

So, I love Christmas. Not cause of the presents really, that hasn't been a big deal for a while, but spending time with my family is nice. And by my family I mean my mother. Because my dad and Ted aren't really a big part of my life. My dad works at night so he sleeps till 6, takes a shower, eats, watches the news and leaves at 8. We don't really cross paths much and therefore we don't really spend time together. Which is sad, but he and aren't really on good terms as far as families go. Probably because I yell at him at every opportunity for smoking. I once even told him that he wouldn't be alive to know my kids so why should he care. Yeah, probably kind of harsh, but he doesn't see how much it hurts my mom and everyone else that he won't stop. He doesn't even try. and it is really depressing.

Anyway, my mom, Cesca and I made Christmas very merry. We watched Toy Story 3, Elf, made dinner and cookies, and in general had a really good time. She also carried on my favorite (and really only) Christmas tradition: Christmas Eve pajamas! This year, my mother outdid herself; instead of the normal snowflake or winter the

med pj's, she got something better!

My mother knows what is important to me: hockey

2 pairs of Sabres pants!

Cesca and I modeling our new pajama pants

It was a good year. 2 weeks till London. Oh. My. God.

In other news, I saw both Black Swan and Tangled. Both were awesome, but I fell in love with Tangled. It was awesome. So I highly recommend it. So. Freaking. Adorable.

Finals

Well, that time of the year has nearly come and gone. Finals time. That dreaded time of the year meant for sleepless nights, sweatpants and stress. Yes. We all adore them don't we?

This year was especially tough, seeing as having 6 classes made my schedule packed. My 4 written finals all happened on Monday and Tuesday, plus a paper due at midnight Tuesday. Then a presentation Wednesday, but nobody cares about that.

Legal went well. I felt like I knew the material and despite a severe lack of sleep, I put my mind to it and did a good job.

OBM was a nightmare. I thought I completely bombed. Nothing stuck in my head at all. Turns out I did alright. I didn't fail, at least. It wasn't up to par with my normal grades, but I've done so well all semester it shouldn't affect my grade. Still disappointed in my performance, but can't change anything.

Marketing went well after a good study session with Casey. Not even getting locked out and having to borrow Casey's coat and Andrea's shoes could stop me!

Italian. Well, let's just say, io lo parlo bene. I mean, Italian is like my favorite class, so I retain it much easier than any other. That took me about 10 minutes. Probably not my best test, but it won't hurt my grade. I probably got like a 95. Which, considering I got over 100 on the rest, makes it the worst. Aaaah, I wish I always had that problem in my classes.

So now I am sitting in the computer lab with one kid who isn't in COMP110, getting paid to blog and play tetris. I have to make final edits to my research paper for my evolution class, but I think I've improved the paper a lot. I still love my paper. The Evolution of Ballet is something I can talk about all day.

Then my writing presentation. Meh. My group is suiting up and beasting it out. Because we are awesome. And all business majors. She will love it.

Then I have to pack. Ugh. I hate packing. But it is a good kind of packing cause it is LESS THAN 4 WEEKS TILL LONDON OMGOMGOMG. So pumped, can't you tell? I'm thinking of either starting or making this a london blog. Not that too many people read it outside of my friends here. Maybe I'll send it to my mom so she can read about my adventures!

In other news, we had a final, end of semester OL hang out yesterday. So fun, but so sad. I'm gonna miss everyone... That was such a good summer...

Anyway, in tribute to my favorite pics from finals week, I give you Procrastination:





I call this one Dorm Room Pas de Deux



My foot seriously looks so prime

If you like period-dramas

You should watch The Age of Innocence.

How did this come about?

Well, you see, at the Honors banquet this year, I sat down in front of Seabiscuit, since I adore horses and love horse racing. Well, next to me sat this intriguing novel called The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Now I had read Ethan Frome in high school, and while I felt that it was simple and nothing really happened, the simplicity was actually enjoyable. I was also interested in this new novel because of the description, and the fact that it had been made into a movie starring Daniel Day-Lewis (who is very handsome), Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder. So I stole it from Alyssa with the promise that I would give it back once I finished. No matter, she found it somewhere else. Now I get to keep it!

Given this is an Edith Wharton novel, I wasn't expecting bliss. If you haven't read Ethan Frome but are planning on it, don't read ahead cause I'm gonna spoil it.

I mean, in that novel, the two in love try to kill themselves by running their sled into a tree, and at the last second Ethan pulls away and they hit it, though not fatally. Then he basically spends the rest of his life in misery.

Well, it seems Wharton loves love triangles; The Age of Innocence is no different.

A brief plot summary in case you are interested, courtesy of Sparknotes (Slightly edited by me):

Newland Archer couldn't be more pleased with his recent engagement to the beautiful debutante May Welland. However, his world is thrown upside down by the sensational arrival of May's cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska. Recently returned to America after separating from her husband, a philandering Polish count, Countess Olenska shocks the staid New York aristocracy with her revealing clothes, carefree manners, and rumors of adultery. As Archer comes to better know the Countess, he begins to appreciate her unconventional views on New York society. Meanwhile, Archer becomes increasingly disillusioned with his new fianceé, May. He begins to see her as the manufactured product of her class: polite, innocent, and utterly devoid of personal opinion and sense of self.

Anyway, the movie is a gorgeous period piece with great acting, beautiful costumes and remarkable faith to the book, which is quite moving. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and if you ever have 2 and a half hours with nothing to do, you might too!

Here is the trailer :

Whatevs. I thought it was fantastic.

Whoa

Holy crap. This last week has been a nightmare. So much running around to do with no chance to stop and catch my breath. I barely saw any of my friends, which was really sad.

So yeah, Peer Advisors Senior Party was last night and tons of fun! I had a good time even though I was worried it would be awkward. I'm gonna miss a lot of people, not just the seniors, when I go abroad.

I got most of my work done for this week already too! (Take that, 17 page OBM assignment!). All I really need to do is edit my final honors paper. Oh and take 4 exams and do a presentation during finals week. No big deal.

I cannot believe the semester is basically over. 1 week of classes. 1 week of exams. DONE.

Then 3 weeks till London! So prime. I'm feeling really good about the amount of things I accomplished this week and weekend, so I think I am going to reward myself with a movie after the Deans' Host Yankee swap. Sure to be a good time!

Let it be known that I cannot wrap awkwardly shaped presents in newspaper. Oh well. It's about community, friendship and fun, right?

Surprises

So I totally love surprises. What I love more is surprising people. Which is what I did today.

The facts were these:

1.) My mom works in Buffalo

2.) Buffalo is half an hour closer to St Bonaventure

3.) My mother was not going to drive all the way back to Lockport to pick me up and then go get Cesca

However, this morning I get a text saying "Hey, I accidentally took an extra hour off of work, want to come with me to pick up Cesca?"

To which I of course replied, "YES!" So off we went. I told my mother it would be fun to surprise her, so I said, "Can I hide in the backseat?" She was worried Cesca would be able to see me from the window, so I suggested the trunk. My mother was none too crazy about this at first, but the closer we got she decided it would be fun!

So we pull over about a minute away and I quickly hop in the trunk. There is a lot less space than you would think in there... I now know what baggage feels like.

Anyway, as I ride in almost complete darkness, I feel the car stop and I hear my sister talking to my mother. My mom says "Just let me put my purse in the trunk." Suddenly, the door is opening and I see my mom's and sister's legs. Then I see Cesca's face- it was first bewilderment, then utter happy shock. She couldn't get over the fact that I had come and was hiding in the trunk! It was so much fun and totally worth a day in the car.

Its gonna be such a good break!

I forgot...

How much I LOVE Pirates of Penzance.

Such a good show. I totally should be studying for legal, which is my last major assignment before break, aside from printing and turning in my AWESOME paper on the evolution of ballet. It is kickass.

I cannot wait to go see Harry Potter tomorrow!!!!! It's gonna be like the longest day ever and I'm gonna be so exhausted Friday. Totally worth it? I think so. Liz even helped me paint my nails (red with little gold dots- so appropriate).

I cannot wait to see my bella! We are gonna have such a great time together and I cannot believe it's been nearly 4 months since I saw her (I don't count the hour I saw her over fall break... it wasn't enough time!)

Then it's 2 more weeks of classes, finals, then LONDON HERE I COME!!!!

Anyway, I should get back to studying. For your enjoyment, here is my favorite song from Pirates- With Cat-Like Tread. It's so ironic that it's funny. Plus they do like 3 encores! And the Pirate King wears purple pants. Who doesn't love purple pants?

Where has the time gone?

Holy crap, it's November

Halloween (complete with awesome costumes) has come and gone.

Shit is getting real.

Things I have to do before Thanksgiving Break (meaning in less than 3 weeks)

1) About 27 homework assignments that I know of, ranging from Legal cases to Marketing and Business letters

2.) Pass 3 exams worth varying percentages of my grade, ranging from 10% to 25%

3.) Grade at least 4 more sets of projects for COMP 110

4.) Apply for my visa and set up my biometrics appointment

5.) Write a 10-15 page paper on something to do with evolution

6.) Start packing up my dorm room so I don't have to bring everything home in one shot before Christmas break

7.) Prepare and present a presentation about a famous Italian person, in Italian

Ok, ok, it doesn't seem like much, but when you consider I have about 17 days to do it, well, that puts me in a fix. I'm trying to stay calm and not freak out, as is my nature, so I've taken to watching scenes from my numerous Phantom bootlegs to calm me down.

This will all be worth it in about 2 months when I am in London. I know it.

Class time. Where has the semester gone?

He had it coming

So, we went and saw Chicago today. It was awesome. I can't believe I went a whole year at a college with one of the best theater programs in the country without seeing anything there! What is wrong with me!?

So I'm in a theater discussion mood now, considering in a mere 2 months I will basically be packing for London. Yes, it is that close!!!

I'm a bit overwhelmed, thinking of money, flats, flights and everything in between, but I am SO excited to be going. I talked everything out logistically with my mother and it seems like everything will work out fine.

There's so much to see and do in London, and I am so super stoked about being a few subway stops away from the theatre district. Not only because this means I will get to see Phantom on the West End at least twice, something I've been dying to do, but there are so many other shows that I will have the opportunity to see. Being a theatre lover but living 8 hours away from Broadway is a hassle (I mean, don't get me wrong, we get shows in Buffalo, but there's something special about seeing things on the Great White Way). So to be a few blocks away from the Broadway of Europe is a dream come true. I can't wait to see Phantom, but my plans also include Les Mis, Billy Elliot, and anything else I can get cheap tickets for (hopefully I get to take the theatre class that gets us into like a dozen shows- surely one or two will be musicals!)

So, anyway, with all the wonderful expereinces and travel that awaits us in Europe. the thought of going to class tomorrow makes me cringe. It all just seems so mundane when I think that in like 2 months I'll be in freaking London. It makes my Writing for the Workplace proposal seem like child's play. Ugh. 2 months.

30 class days plus final exam days. I can do this.

Fall Break

So, as I sit in my dorm room waiting for everyone else to come back, I figured I'd update about how fall break went.

It was lovely and relaxing, and truthfully, a bit boring. Nobody else was home for fall break, which made Wednesday night and Thursday pretty dull. I got most of my homework done though. yeah, that screams thrilling time, doesn't it?

So Friday I ran some errands and picked up som

e essentials I needed like hair stuff and chocol

ate, then a night hung out with Ronnie. We watched District 9, which was actually really cool and interesting. Not a huge fan of the ending, but still, it was really good.

Saturday I went shopping. I really only wanted to go to Aerie cause I had a coupon, but with my mother in tow I decided to shop around a little bit. The result? Some new sunglasses, a purse for Casey, and two pretty awesome finds for my newer 'professional' (ish) wardrobe. Hey, I gotta start stocking up now, especially if I get an internship in London (still not 100% sure on that one yet). Anyway, here they are:

First, an awesome pair of grey pinstriped pants from New York & Company- on sale of course:

The best thing about the pants is the fact that they actually fit me length-wise. Usually, I have to get all my pants shortened because, well, I'm so short that they don't fit.

I'm quite pleased.

Second, a really cute dark grey blazer from Charlotte Russe:

I'm excited about them, not too happy with spending money

when I have to make a deposit for London soon, but hey, it's all worth it, so I can't be too unhappy.

In other news, and speaking of London, my father is super excited about me going. I can tell. He lived in England for a couple of years when he was in the service and was telling me all of the places I should go. He even remembers a bunch of the streets and tube stops I have to take to get there. I really hope they can visit me while I'm there!

Anyway, then I saw Easy A, which was very good, I liked it a lot. Highly recommended. Aaand that's about it. Oh yeah, I caught up on all the Say Yes to the Dress episodes that I missed. Aaah I love that show.

Life is good

I'M GOING TO LONDON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thankfully everyone got in. Major stress = relieved. Now just comes the stress of getting all the paperwork done for visas and everything, flat hunting, packing and getting stuff over there, and everything else.

But it doesn't matter cause WE ARE ALL GOING TO LONDON!!!!!!

In other news, I get to go home tomorrow! I didn't think I'd be this excited, but I have missed home a lot this year, maybe in anticipation for next semester, plus Ithaca has been intense this semester. I need a break.

gah I'm so excited about life right now!

Just have to get through this OBM exam!

Things I would appreciate

There are some things right now that I would really appreciate:

I would really appreciate it if professors didn't all decide to assign massive amounts of homework around mid terms. Life would be fine if I only had tests to study for, not presentations to prepare for, papers to write, movies to watch, etc.

I would really appreciate knowing my grade on my marketing test. Please. It's been a week. It's on a scantron. That means they put it through a machine and it grades it for you. How long does it take to walk down to ITS, pick them up and look at/input the grades? I mean, I'm being unfair. She has other stuff to do. But really, I want to know.

I would really appreciate knowing if I am going to London next semester or not. I hate anticipation for things like this. I like the anticipation of a movie coming out (like harry potter 7) but not critical things like did I get in to the program?

I would appreciate if Ithaca would not start doing loud work that involves banging until at least 8. I hate being woken up at like 7 in the morning by clanging and crap.

I would appreciate it if Fall Break could just get here fast.

Oh, and I would appreciate winning the lottery. Cause that would be cool.

Work

Work is really boring. Whether its me making whoppers or TAing, I'm always bored. I'm sitting here in the computer lab without anything to do. I've done my project grading, my Italian homework, even some homework that's not due till Thursday!

So, I haven't been updating often because I'm so busy that when I get back to the room all I do is crash and veg out with mindless TV or stuff (Modern Family is a favorite) because I can't handle anymore thinking. Oh well.

I've gotten through all of my first major exams in classes. Ithaca skies sympathized with my hectic day yesterday by proceeding to downpour for hours on end. Like literally, the forecast was 100% rain all day.

Anyway, I'm making progress in life, sleeping a little better (with the exception of when people are extremely loud in the bathroom and hallways late at night), and getting through this hellish semester with the hope of London carrying me through. I hope to find out soon whether we all got in or not.

In other news, it's almost fall break and I can't wait. I kind of need a break from Ithaca, as I have spent a lot of time here, what with spending half of my summer in the sweltering heat of the two towers (sorry, I can't resist throwing that in there whenever I can). Plus there's some things I need to get at home, so that will be a nice change of pace.


God. Time must slow down when I'm taing. I still have over half an hour. Ugh. At least it's Friday. Apple Fest this weekend!

How Quickly the Time Goes

Looking at my posts, I realize I haven't posted a lot at all recently. Which is sad, but understandable. There hasn't been much interesting going on in my life besides school. Class, class, class, eat, class, homework, eat, homework repeat. That's basically my life.

In fun news, we went and watched the only home rugby match of the season (We won! Very interesting) and I have begun to learn how to ballroom dance. I have sufficiently mastered the basics of Swing, Tango, Foxtrot (my favorite) and Cha Cha. It's a great time, it's great exercise, it's something I have always wanted to try and it gets me dancing again, which I've sorely missed.

My London App is done. Fingers crossed!

Final(ly) Fantasy X

Confusing title, but I thought it was appropriate and creative. Why? Because Sarah and I are finally starting Final Fantasy X! And by starting I mean started like 2 hours ago but I'm writing about it now.

Anyway, I'm super pumped because it is an amazing game and the voiceovers add something extra. VIII is still my top choice but X is like a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a point behind. As in, virtually tied. X just usually gets the better graphics and voiceover benefits, but VIII is just something special to me.

So yeah, when I'm not completely swamped with homework, work or applications, that is what I will be doing. Hopefully we can finish before London. Shouldn't be a problem, we finished VIII in half a semester, and we have a whole one to beat X.

Other news, Liz and I watched my phantom bootleg of John Cudia, Marni Raab and Greg Mills. So. Good. Seriously, I could watch the show/movie every day and never tire of it, mostly because there are so many different performers and every time it is different. I want to order more, but I'm going to wait until I have at least a full paycheck in my account before I do. I have to save money for London, especially because one of my favorite Phantoms, John Owen Jones, is returning to West End. I. MUST. SEE. HIM. So yeah, that's where some of my study abroad money is going. I also need to save for a trip to NYC after because Cesca and I have to see Hugh Panaro. Cause I love him and he is her favorite. I can never choose my favorite. Then studying abroad in Italy the next year is gonna need some saving up as well. Yikes. So much to save for.

Anywho, I'm off to take a nap then revise/finish my London application. PLEASE let me get to go!

Peace.

I'm sure people actually ask this

Student: “Yeah, there’s something wrong with my academic transcript.”

Me: “Oh, ok. What’s wrong with it?”

Student: “It’s got fails on it.”

(I start looking up his record on the database.)

Me: “Yeah, I can see the fails. Did you pass those subjects?”

Student: “No.”

Me: “Okay, so you failed the subjects, and now they’re on your record as fails. That’s normally how it works.”

Student: “Well, yeah… but can’t you, like, take them off? It looks bad!”

Me: “…”

Student: “How am I going to get a job?!”

Courtesy of notalwaysright.com

IC

So, the memorial service has come and passed with many tears, but also many laughs. Almost my entire family was here, and we just had a lot of good times sitting around and chatting.

On Sunday, I had a final visit with the few relatives who remained and then watched True Blood (which is getting rather strange and dumb) and then Serenity, because we've been watching Firefly. What a wonderful way to end the summer.

Move in day. What miserable weather, not helped by the fact that my stomach was not happy with me today and I felt like crap until about lunchtime, and then it all got better. I'm finally unpacked and I cannot believe how much space I have this year! It's gonna be totally awesome.

So I'm just wandering the internet looking for something to do until Casey gets here, because I'm hungry again. Hmmm. Maybe I'll have to break open the snack box. Yum!

PS. My bootlegs came in and are being mailed to me tomorrow, along with my pillow and probably something random from my mother. I'm so excited!

Better than Average

For anyone who has ever read FML or My Life is Average, and for anyone who as ever worked a day in their life, this site will provide hours of entertainment:


http://notalwaysright.com/

Major Changes

Ok, so I bet you guys are probably sick of me mentioning Phantom of the Opera in just about every post, but this past week has been HUGE for me. My Phantom world has been turned upside down and I need to vent/remark. It's not bad, just strange. It's the first major shift I've been paying very close attention to, so it's a big deal.

Also, my sister is going to Pittsburgh to see the show. I'm insanely jealous, but I comfort myself with the fact that I've already seen that cast, I got to see it on Broadway, my sister didn't (yet, she will with me soon, hopefully!) she's sitting in the last row, and I'll be seeing it in London in a few months.

Anyway, the thing that has thrown me for a loop is the fact that there are major cast changes going on, very close to the end of the tour. It's a busy time for Phantom. The changes are as follows:

Broadway:
Leaving- John Cudia (Phantom, the one I saw, LOVE him)
Jennifer Hope Wills (Christine, the one I saw, I like her a lot)

Taking over- Hugh Panaro (Phantom, I adore him. John sings better, but Hugh is an amazing actor. I've been waiting for years for him to return to the mask)
Sara Jean Ford (Christine, from what I've heard, she's going to be great!)

London:
Leaving- Gina Beck and Simon Bailey (Christine and Raoul- they're awesome. They actually sang at the Paris Opera House, sad I won't get to see them... but i've got a bootleg of them!)
Rumored that David Shannon (Phantom) is leaving, no idea who will be taking over.


Sooooo anyway, I'm sad that my first Broadway cast is no more as of September 4th, sad I didn't get to see Gina and Simon live, but I'm SO PUMPED for the new casts. Gah, it's so exciting! I can't wait to see the show in London!

Marathoning

So, given that I only have about 9 days left here, and Cesca and I were only half way through Final Fantasy XIII last week, we have decided the solution is to sit down and play for as many hours as we can/are available this week so we can finish. I also play when she is at work and vice versa, so long as my brother is not home to monopolize the tv. Are we crazy? Probably, but hey, that's the gamer side.

Other notes, I have one day left to work at the BK lounge, tomorrow, and then I'm free!!! I'll again miss the people, but not really the job. There's too many frustrating people to deal with.

I still need to sort and repack my dorm life again. Gah. I've packed and unpacked so many times this summer its ridiculous.

I watch The Young Victoria. It was everything Alysia said. It was gorgeous and awesome. The end made me tear up. Aaaaaaaaaaaaah love.

Also, the biggest and best news, I'M SHOWING FIREFLY TO MY SISTER AND FRIENDS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH. It's even better the second time when you're watching it with people who have no idea what's coming. Good times.

Well, this week is going to be filled with last minute appointments, last minute shopping, last minute packing, and sadly, my grandmother's memorial service, which is two days before I leave. It's sad, but I need to say goodbye and let go.

Thankfully, mere days after that, I will be REUNITED with you lovely people. I cannot wait.

Ren Fest

Once again, that time of year has come and passed. Ren Fest is one of the highlights of my summer, and it was awesome again this year!

Despite a mishap with my skirt (I ordered a long one that never arrived at my house, and so I had to make due with a short one Cesca found), I think my costume turned out great! We went on Fantasy Weekend, so Cesca utilized an old ballet costume of mine and some wings her friend from school gave her:



We had a lot of fun, and I didn't buy anything useless that I won't use, only my ticket and food, plus a ride on a WAR HORSE:



We enjoyed a wench show, wench auction (in which my friend Katrina won a bloke by bidding 2 magical lamps, 2 fire breathing dragons and 5 unicorns, or something like that), and a joust! What a great day:

Musical Obsessions

Alright, so it's high time that I showed you guys some other musicals I love besides The Phantom of the Opera, because I actually have seen quite a few. So here's a sample of some of my obscurer favorites! (Plus other songs from that particular show to check out)



Jekyll & Hyde- Confrontation- A Broadway adaptation of the classic story. Jekyll sings of his despair and intent to banish the beast inside him, Hyde sings of how he will conquer. The same guy does both, so it's pretty freaking cool. Great music. See also: Take Me As I Am, Someone Like You, Dangerous Game, This is the Moment



Dracula- Loving You Keeps Me Alive- Yeah, a romanticized Dracula musical. Kind of odd, plays up the romance a lot (there isn't really any in the book, Dracula is a terror), but James Barbour has the voice of a god. Seriously. As Dracula, he sings of his love for Mina and how he is the one that truly loves her the most, not her betrothed. Also, they lyrics of the song fit really well into phantom, but I digress. See also: The Longer I Live, Finale, Please Don't Make Me Love You



The Light in the Piazza- Say it Somehow. A beautiful love story of a tourist and a man she meets in Italy. In this song, they sing of a way to express their love despite the language barrier, reassuring each other that no matter what, they will understand. There are some songs in Italian = BONUS. ****EXTRA SUPER AWESOME FACT*** Matthew Morrison is the original Fabrizio!!!!! See Also: The Beauty Is, Passegiatta, Love to Me, Il Mondo Era Vuoto, The Light in the Piazza







And last but not least, Lestat- Sail Me Away. Another vampire musical, this time based on the works of Anne Rice, the show wasn't well received but has amazing music. The plot is kind of strange for those not used to it (or those who didn't like Interview with a Vampire). But this song is beautiful. Hugh Panaro (a former Phantom on Broadway) sings of longing to be away from the pain and suffering he's endured as a vampire, being betrayed by his loved ones and being tired of life. This is one of my sister's favorite shows, and Sean MacLaughlin, the Raoul I just saw, was an understudy for Armand, and he was awesome. See also: The Thirst, After All This Time, I'll Never Have That Chance


These are less mainstream musicals, so they aren't as well known or as popular, but check them out, they're super awesome!



BONUS! Enjoy The Song that Goes Like This, a spoof of love songs from musicals. Notice the Phantom references! This is a bonus because I forgot it earlier, haha.

Cleaning

So, like Alysia, I started the epic project of cleaning and reorganizing my room with Cesca. It is especially difficult for us, considering we share a room, to organize things because we don't have space for them.
I'm not going to post pictures of everything like Alysia, because I don't have the patience and am not as organized as her when it comes to those things. I should be, because that probably would be helpful in reevaluating what I need for school, but hey, I really just want it to be clean.

I got caught in the nostalgia of it all a couple of times, you know, things from my dresser that are old that I forgot to put away, or old papers, letters and cards I've saved. It's odd to think about how much we've all grown up, even in the past year. I mean, we are 1 year out of high school already. and that is kind of scary. We are mere weeks away from beginning our second year of college, mere months away from living on our own in a foreign country! We're freaking adults! Whoa!!!! Then I found my old Pokemon cards (yes, I was that much of a dork, even that young) and my old beanie babies that we used to collect and play with religiously... Ah, the good ol' days...

Off of that subject because my brain can't process it, my new music box came. It's pretty simple, but I love it:

There are only a few more that I really want right now, and if I found more I'd be happy but I'm not looking as hard for them, as there's at least 40 different ones:


^ I really want this one



<-- This one's a maybe I really like this one too -->




Oh, and this one, even though it's not a music box but a snowglobe:



Bear in mind that my small collection includes:































So, hopefully I can find these cheap online and use my future Christmas money on them (or ask for them for Christmas, haha) so that I can expand my collection. I'm always on the lookout for them!

And in typing this and searching for pictures, I found a couple of sites with them, which is lucky, as they're a bit tricky to find these days. I wish I had a ton of money to just freely spend on Phantom, because I have another secret Phantom project in the works that is gonna cost me lots (and no, this project isn't seeing the show) so I probably will postpone that till after Italy *sigh*. Other than that, buying one of these every couple of months after saving seems pretty reasonable, right? Seeing the show at least once a year isn't a big deal either, right? Alright, I have a problem. I admit it.

Sorry for the long post with a huge concentration on Phantom. I'm still on cloud nine from seeing it!

Ren Fest Sunday!!!

Perfect

This is the only word that can ever possibly describe my beloved Phantom of the Opera. No, the show is never perfect, last night there were quite a few mishaps we witnessed, but in my eyes, the show is perfect. It's a wonderful love story and I'm so blessed to have seen it again.

The drive to Cleveland was sweltering. Lauren had forgotten to inform us that her car had no air conditioning, and we almost got lost in Cleveland trying to find a place to park before just using the vallet service. We met up with some other phans and off we were to the theater just down the street. We attended a pre-show talk where in my head, I corrected the speaker at least 3 times (silly presenters, learn your info!) and then onto our wonderful seats in the balcony. They were actually almost the same place as when I saw it on Broadway, but the other side of the theater. First time, I was on the right with Alyssa, this time, the left with my friends. The seats were perfect.

I was riddled with anxiety before the show. Would Tim Martin Gleason, the first Raoul I saw, live up to the mask as the Phantom? Would I like Trista Moldovan as Christine? Would Sean MacLaughlin impress me as Raoul?

The answer to all of these questions is no. No, Tim didn't live up to the mask, he EXCEEDED my expectations. No, I didn't like Trista, I LOVED her. And no, Sean didn't impress me, he AMAZED me. It was perfect. Every time I turned to Cesca with excitement about the show, a huge smile was plastered on her face. Katrina was brought to tears at the end (of course, who isn't) and there was a standing ovation. God, every time I see it, I can't believe I've seen it, and every time makes me want to see it more and more. Can I ever explain my love of Phantom? I don't think so. It's so much a part of me that it's as natural as breathing, which is scary but true.

So, the highlights:
The costumes, especially the Hannibal costumes are so impossibly beautiful on stage, and pictures can't do their sparkle and shine justice. (Side notes, that's not Trista, that's Sierra Boggess)

Trista Moldovan was a wonderful Christine, her acting was lovely, her chemistry, she really fit into the character. She's the only Christine I've seen use the scarf in Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, and she was really feisty in Point of No Return, which I enjoyed. She also had the best scream I've heard from a Christine when she unmasks the Phantom the first time

Tim Martin Gleason is an excellent and terrifying Phantom. I could feel the menace in the Final Lair when he snarled "You try my patience, make your choice." And the way he acted Point of no Return was brilliant. He was seductive yet forceful, which is what the scene is all about. Not like raping her forceful, but he really had her under his spell and it was brilliant. His maniacal laughter and his pitiful 'I love yous' at the end rounded out his amazing performance.

Honestly, and I'm frightened that this is coming out of my mouth/off of my fingers?, my favorite cast member in the show would have to have been Sean MacLaughlin, Raoul. As a Phantom/Christine fan, I'm usually not quite sold on Raoul, preferring her to be with Erik but accepting that Raoul's a good guy. Not this time. The second he appeared on stage, his boyish charm and wonderfully good looks made me fall almost instantly in love with him, and it's easy to see why Christine was so smitten. Hell, I would have married him too if he asked. (That's them -->)

Honestly, their chemistry was amazing. Their All I Ask of You literally moved me to tears. The love in their voices and such was so blatantly obvious that I found myself rooting for Raoul to get the girl. When he picked her up and spun her around and kissed her like she was his lifeline, my heart was a puddle of goo. That is, until the Phantom rose on the angel statue to sing of his heartbreak. Then I had to knock myself back into reality and say 'Wait a minute, you should want the Phantom to win!'

This was the first time that I actually found myself torn between the two. Usually, no matter how good the Raoul, I'm always like "but she reaaaaaaaaaally belongs with the Phantom." Not this time, which is a good thing because that's how you're supposed to feel.

Anyway, the lowlights, of which there aren't really any, they are mostly mishaps in the show:

In the beginning there are curtains that cover parts of the stage that get removed during the overture. One of them got stuck for a bit and we all sat terrified that it wasn't going to come off and they were going to have to leave it.

A couple of slightly off notes that probably weren't too noticable to someone who only occasionally listens to the soundtrack, but they weren't terrible.

I didn't like the Meg that much, but she's a bit part so that wasn't a big deal.

After seeing it on Broadway, I was reminded how much more a few trap doors can add to the show, but that can't be helped. Minor detail that was easily overlooked.

The worst thing is that Act II goes too damn fast. I want to see Point of No Return so badly but then it comes and I realize the show is practically over. Then I'm depressed.

I also, sadly, did not catch Tim Martin Gleason or Sean MacLaughlin at the stage door. I did manage to meet Trista, and she's super nice and I gorgeous. So it wasn't a total loss. Also, I don't know why my camera effed up the color, but oh well. I met Christine!!!




So, the verdict:

Obviously, the show is/was amazing. The cast was excellent, although I'd say that John Cudia, of the two I recently saw, has the edge. His Music of the Night was a bit more powerful and soft when needed. Tim Martin Gleason is kind of a crossover voice of Ramin Karimloo and John Cudia, and he plays the role well. I wish I could see him after a year or two playing the Phantom, because the longer they go the more comfortable they are in the role, but alas, this is the last run of the tour =(.

Sean= Best Raoul I've seen (Sorry Tim and Ryan Silverman!)

I can't decide who I liked better as Christine, Trista or Jennifer Hope Wills. I don't usually have a preference for Christine, besides not Sarah Brightman. I'm impressed by most of their singing and acting. I think Trista might only have an edge because of her chemistry with Sean in All I Ask of You. Both were brilliant so I'm going to leave that one a tie.

All in all, my life is now both complete and utterly incomplete again. Complete because i got to see the show, incomplete because it makes me want to see it again so badly. Whiiiiiiiiich brings me to my next point. We may have some new DVDs to watch this year =).

A Very Potter Musical

There is a sequel. I feel that is all I need to say in this post.

BESIDES THE FACT THAT TOMORROW I WILL BE SEEING PHANTOM (again, ahem). But hey. It's not like I'm excited or anything.

Pics from that definitely! I'll be wearing one of my new dresses so you will at least get to see that. I'm really sorry. I always say I'm going to put pics up and then I get tired and lazy after work and I don't. But this time I will. Because it's phantom related.

I'm also eying another music box on ebay. Man, I need a job at school or I'll never have enough money for London...

Talk to ya soon!

Random Acts of Kindness

My mother has had some crazy ideas in the past, about our house, our schooling etc. But the one idea that she's always told me about and I've always liked is her idea about Random Acts of Kindness.

It's small things that make the day. My mother will sometimes pay the toll of the person behind her on the way to work, or something like that. Lately, much to my father's dismay, she has taken to randomly paying for the meal of a stranger at some restaurants we go to, most often a Chinese food buffet.

The first time she did it, it was for a Hispanic family with two adorable little daughters. She always says, "maybe that was their splurge for the week or something" and she knows it will brighten their day. I mean, how would you feel if you were out and somebody said your bill was all set? Great, right?

My dad always says that the people she pays for are probably better off than us, and yeah, that might be true, but hey, my mother hopes that it might inspire them to do more good with their money, or maybe it will help someone less fortunate catch up a little. I don't know, but it feels great.

Today at Denny's my sister texted me that she had an inexplicable and overwhelming urge to pay for the meal of the little old man that was sitting alone in the booth behind us. My mother and I were thrilled, my dad a bit annoyed. I think he believes in it, but doesn't want to let my mom know he enjoys things like that. So my sister payed the bill and we left. I wish I could have seen the old man's face. My mom thinks the urge came from the fact that my grandfather is now all alone with really nothing to do because his whole life consisted of taking care of my grandmother. I can only hope that someday somebody sees him sitting alone and does something nice for him.



I hope your hearts have been warmed and you are now inspired to put a little extra kindness in your day for a stranger.



Other notes, I have been shopping a bit to change up my wardrobe. Pics later, maybe, if I get around to it before starting to work again, plus I bought a straightener for my hair that has a cool design on it. I'm excited. Also, in the past three days, I've been to the movies 3 times (this is due to the fact that my father is recovering from surgery for his carpal tunnel and is home for like the whole summer- meaning he is bored of staying in the house, so I've been taking him/he's taken me to a couple of movies) at which I've seen Inception (I thought it was overhyped) Predators (my dad picked it- it's action-y with lots of violence) which was actually pretty good, and The Sorcerer's Apprentice (he really wanted to go, I thought it looked dumb) AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!! I love magic and sorcery, and it wasn't really that childish at all, I mean, it was really good. The best out of those three by far. Yup. That's about it! Back to BK tomorrow!!!


By the way, in case you all forgot, I'M SEEING PHANTOM IN 6 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The End

Well, here it is. The end of 6 long weeks. The end of Orientation Sessions, the end of first year student questions, the end of check ins, check outs and everything in between. And I'm sad. I'm really sad. These few weeks became such a huge part of my life and I'm sad to see them go.

Billy, the intern, was amazing and fun, and I might not ever see him again, cause he's not from here. I know I'll see all the OLs at some point, as we have promised to have reunions, so that's good. But I know things will be different once school starts, and that's ok, I guess...

We're having OL Prom tonight, and I think a sleepover in the lobby, just as one final hurrah before we all part ways in the morning... It's a sad time, but all good things must end.

I must say though, I cannot wait to get home to see my bella. I miss her bunches and that's the one thing I'm super pumped about. So yeah, I can't describe in simple words how amazing this experience has been and how much it has taught me. Thanks everyone for making my first Ithaca summer an amazing one.

Random

To anyone who used to love Pokemon/play it on gameboy, ie, probably none of you, this song is hilarious:



Makes me miss the good old pokemon days... Yes, I was a gamer even in my very young years. So?

1 week to go

Well, the saga of orientation continues with our final week, a double session. Which sucks, I'm going to be exhausted, but I'm kind of glad it's gonna be over. I love the OLs and Ithaca, but there's nothing like being home. I miss everyone and everything a lot.

Downside, I'll be back working at BK. Upside, it'll only be like 3 weeks. Soooooooooo. Not that bad. I hope.

In other news, the weather finally righted itself and it's back to normal temperatures, thank god. I thought i was going to die. Literally, I drank so much water these last couple of days it was ridiculous.

Besides that, I don't really have much to say. Orientation is winding down, the countdown to Phantom is down to 17 days, Ren Fest soon after, and then I get to see my lovelies from Ithaca again. I can't wait for the year to start.

Well, off to movie night, see you all later!

Hot Hot Hot

Holy hell, it is hot here. I'm talking like 100 degrees hot. It's supposed to be like 90 degrees for this whole session. Joy.

Whatever, Friday is payday and basically a half day since we're done by noon, so I'm thinking of soaking up the sun and sitting by the pool all day sounds like a most excellent idea. It's really too hot to do anything else, honestly.

Anywho, I did something yesterday that was totally and uncharacteristically badass. Rode. A. Motorcycle. Well, rode on the back of one to be exact, but I rode on one all the same. One of my best friends from home, Lauren, if you remember her, bought one a while back and I finally got the chance to see how it feels. It was liberating, freeing and the scariest thing I've ever done in my life. You could feel the wind whipping past you and as we turned I felt like we were falling, which was scary, because I used to fall on my bike all the time when I was younger and be fine. If you fall on a bike, well, there goes your leg... Which was running through my head as we rode down the street.

No worries, my leg is all intact and I really want to do it again. Lauren and Ronnie both plan on owning bikes soon, so I will get plenty of chances.

Other than that, not much is happening. My week off was great, I spent a lot of time with friends and family alike, ending with my Dad's birthday, which is today but we celebrated yesterday. Also, Cesca and I made excellent progress on FFXIII, getting through 6 of 13 chapters despite her busy work schedule and my visit-everyone-and-say-hi schedule. So yeah, I'm excited to finish that. And spoof eclipse. And see Phantom. And Ren Fest.

Sad thing is, I only have a week and a half to spend with my fellow OLs, and leaving here in 12ish days is going to be really hard and sad. But I have vowed not to think about it and just to enjoy the next couple of sessions. If the sun doesn't kill me first...

4th of July!!!!

Well, I feel like I am the only one who updates really frequently because I talk about semi-mundane things, but I think it's because when I have free time I get bored really fast. Especially when I workout, nap and do all my other internet things and still have like an hour or two to kill... So I hope everyone doesn't mind frequent updates... Anyway...

Happy 4th everyone! I'm not a big celebrator of the 4th, even though I know it's important, I just think it's become very commercialized. Like if you don't show your patriotism by having 20 people over for hot dogs, you aren't American or something...

This may be due to the fact that it's always like 90 degrees on the 4th and everyone always wants to sit outside, half of the family we visit doesn't have AC anyway, and they just want to chill. Well, for me, sweating it out under the sweltering sun isn't something I look forward to on a daily basis.

But we are visiting my relatives today, which is nice because I haven't seen them in a while, and since I have limited time home, I don't know when I'll see them again. Probably right before I go back, but still, it's always nice.

Speaking of going back, I head back on Tuesday, my dad's birthday, so we might have to celebrate a bit early, like Monday, although I don't really have much for him because he never says he wants anything and won't give hints... Grr. Then I'm back for about a week and a half, I come home, am home for about 1 month and then I head back to IC. So this summer has been a little hectic in terms of moving and packing, as you all remember, and I'm not looking forward to repacking all of my dorm stuff. Ok, I am a little because it means I'll be back at IC with everyone, but still. It's a lot of work. I think I'll bring less this semester, since we (hopefully) will only be there for one... I am an excessive overpacker though, I always think I'll need like 75 things "just in case." Oh well.

Other than that, I finally caught up on True Blood, have been playing the awesomeness of Final Fantasy, am looking forward to Phantom in 23 days, Ren Fest soon after that, and then being back.

Wow! Summer is flying by!

Remembering

I walked into my house today confronted by the sight of some things I didn't expect, but should have. A couple of my grandmother's old coats that she hadn't worn in years... Some yarn and patterns she used to use to make our afghans in any color that we wanted... A box of her favorite chocolates that she used to give to us if we were good, which my grandfather had probably brought to her to try and remind her of years past, and which she will never share again... The days of 'helping' her with crossword puzzles and jeopardy are long behind me, never to return...

Losing a loved one is hard, no matter what the circumstances. We all knew it was coming eventually, sooner rather than later, but for me it was still a shock, as when I had talked to my mother a few days prior, she had said my grandmother seemed better...

It hits me sometimes, even though I haven't cried too much. For some reason today, after a fun filled hang-out-with-friends-and-do-random-things kind of day, the chocolates on the counter surprised me, because it always was a special treat when my grandma would share (although, looking back, I think she liked sharing them more than eating them). I thought writing out my feelings might be therapeutic, and I know that I have the support of all of you behind me.

So Grams, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, I promise that I'll remember you always, love you forever, and cherish the time we spent together... Love always, Tina

Vacation

Well, I'm home for a few days on a much needed break from orientation. I guess I didn't really realize how much it exhausted me until I was on my way home and I couldn't keep my eyes open, besides the fact that car rides in general make me tired...

Anyway, I got home, got to see my bella, Cesca, and then we went to see Eclipse. It's hard to judge it because we had to sit in the front row, and honestly, seeing the 'love triangle' on screen makes it seem even more stupid than in the books. For example, Bella and Edward get engaged and they're talking about it, Jacob overhears and runs off. Upset that he's upset, she runs to him and basically makes out with him. Honestly, I don't know if it's Kristen Stewart's acting (it probably is, actually) but the love triangle seems so contrived. It's not even a triangle, as Bella says in the movie, because "It isn't between you and Jacob. It's about me and who I was and who I want to be..." Or something strange like that. My point is that she chose Edward already, like 7 times. Sorry Jake lovers, it isn't going to happen.

Though on that point, the one thing that bugs me sooooo much about Twilight movies, besides Kristen Stewart, is the fact that so many people root for Jacob because he is hotter. Really? Really people? Come on! (This has nothing to do with the fact that I think Robert Pattinson has a more smoldering, handsome look while Taylor has more of a fangirl hotness). But seriously, that's why people hate America. Because we think that just cause a person is hotter, they are better. Ugh. And I hate Jacob anyway for reasons I have already touched on, like he's a whiny bitch all the time begging Bella to leave her love, when Edward is more self sacrificing, if she wanted to leave, he'd let her. Jacob trying to guilt Bella into being with him is a sign of an abusive relationship (according to Cosmo), even though people try and say Bella and Edward is the poster child for an unhealthy relationship. I disagree.

Anyway, expect a spoof coming soon involving Kristen Stewart's terrible inflection, Jacob's disappearing abs and just some more satire. And by soon I mean it will have to be when I'm home for the rest of the summer, which will only be like a month.

Anyway, other news, I got to start playing Final Fantasy XIII, YAY! And I bought one of the music boxes, the one with Christine holding the Phantom's mask to him, so that should be coming soon!

Also, I found out on Sunday that after her long, hard struggle, my grandmother passed away on Saturday. I cried, but honestly, I'm not as grief stricken as I thought I would be... I think it's because we have all been expecting it for months and months anyway, and it really is better this way, so I can't really be very sad because she hasn't been all here for months and it was so hard to see her suffer. So, I just wanted to let you know that I'm alright, thanks for the support.

I'm off to enjoy some relaxation at home and have some fun hanging out with Cesca and all my LP friends who I've missed SO MUCH. I miss everyone, and it won't be long till we are back at IC!

Oh. Em. Gee.

So, some pretty amazing shit has gone down today that I need to share. First of all, I'm having a relaxing day as we all went out last night and things were a bit crazy, so I'm enjoying some time off in my room.You wouldn't notice as you aren't here with me, but I had to get laundry that I left in and forgot. But I have a good reason as to why I forgot!
In my spare time, I like to browse ebay because a lot of times it has awesome things for lowish prices. Well, imagine my UTTER SHOCK today when, while searching for a piece for my Ren Fest costume, I stumble across this! (Hence my distraction from mundane things like laundry...)




Now you should all recognize it from my facebook as this (holy shit Alysia, I'm super impressed):

The seller even has a variety of colors to choose from that are awesome as well.
I am so seriously tempted to buy this dress. You have no freaking idea. The reasons why I am not-
1.) It is over $100. This is something that would not be an issue if a.) we weren't going to London, b.) I didn't owe my sister $200 for paying for a PS3 (AND I BOUGHT FINAL FANTASY XIII WHICH IS SO WORTH IT AND I'M SO PUMPED) and c.) reasons 2 and 3.

2.) I have already been working on my costume for this year, which is a peasant look utilizing my corset I bought last year. I already bought a new shirt and am searching for (and have a good idea about) the skirt that I am going to buy. Both costume pieces are still less than the dress.
and lastly,

3.) Because I am also spending some of my hard earned orientation money on Phantom of the Opera related things. As you may recall, I have a couple of music boxes related to Phantom, and have decided to use part of my first paycheck (or part of my last paycheck that I got from BK before I left, however you want to look at it) to buy another music box. Every couple of months I am going to buy one until my collection is complete. In that I mean I get all the ones that I really want, because there are a ton. Some of them are repeats that I don't need and some I don't want, like the Monkey music box. It is iconic, I know, but I don't want a freaking monkey in my collection of beautiful scenes from Phantom. It just doesn't work for me. So, in case you are wondering (and you probably aren't) what these look like, this site has a nice listing of them (although it doesn't seem to have them in stock).

http://corporate.marketplaceadvisor.channeladvisor.com/StoreFrontProfiles/deluxeSFshop.aspx?sfid=104472&c=40005440

Keep in mind that these are actually pretty expensive, as they were released in the 80s and early 90s and production has been discontinued. Hence my constant searches on the internet and especially ebay to see if I can find them for reasonable prices. I am buying one of these 2 (see below) tomorrow, hopefully, if the bids on ebay don't go too high for me. I still have to save a lot for London, you know! [The two that I already have are Christine and Raoul in her dressing room and Christine and the Phantom in the boat (non-globe)].

















The other ones I really want include the one with Meg and Christine, the one with Christine, the Phantom and the mirror, and the one with the Phantom at the organ in his oriental-ish robe. Aaaaand a couple of other ones, but still. I have to pace myself. And wait till Christmas and my birthday so I can not so subtly hint to my sister and mother that those ones are the ones that I want. Eventually, if I have the time, money and frankly, good luck, I will start buying the repeated ones, ie there is a Phantom globe with him and Christine in the boat, which is a repeat of the one Cesca got me for my birthday of them both in the boat, it is bigger and they aren't in a globe. So yeah, that will be happening someday soon hopefully.


So, I'm still blown away by the freaking Renaissance dress and how the hell that happened, excited about my Ren Fest costume, excited to play FFXIII on the new PS3 and HDTV that my siblings and I put our money together for, my trip to Phantom and a new piece to add to my collection (hopefully, if I win the bid...) and then saving the rest for London!!!! OMG I can't wait.


Also, just thought of this question. I can't decide if this one looks cool and is worthy of my purchase or it is weird. Opinions please?

First Session

So, today marks day 2 of session 2, which is the first freshman session for orientation. And that means its pretty much over for me, besides check out at 6:45 (kill me now), they just have to register, get their ids and then they can leave, so I'm not really super involved.

And I have to say, for all my fears and anxieties, I think it actually went pretty well. I answered tons of questions from frantic, frightened freshmen (did you like that alliteration? buahaha) and it felt really good to be knowledgeable and I felt that they looked up to me and respected me.

However, tomorrow begs to be another story entirely (sort of) since I have to be up at like 6 and we have another session beginning tomorrow, meaning I have to be energetic and enthused and act like I haven't done this like 2 days ago. Ugh. Although, our dance is freaking sweet (a video will hopefully soon be available) so I'm thinking it will energize me. Time during sessions seems to fly by, and I'm super excited for a new batch of bright eyed 'babies' to come so I can dazzle them with my charm, wit and knowledge (riiiiggggggghhhhhhtttttt). And they aren't babies. It just sounded cool with the flow of the sentence.

Sorry about all the parenthesis, I'm in a weird mood.

So that's the orientation update, and I'm so excited to be here and to be doing it again tomorrow! (That wasn't sarcasm, I am really super stoked). Talk to everyone soon!

So adorable!

I can only hope something this awesome will happen to me someday!

Zdravstvuite

Hey guys! That means Hello in Russian!!!! It's pronounced Zdra-stvooy-tyeh. I'm learning so much here, haha!

No but seriously, that is on one of my 5 bulletin boards. I should take pictures to show you how freaking awesome they are.

Also, I know a shit ton more about IC than I ever thought I would.

I'm exhausted, it's been a long week and a half, but we only have 1 more big training day (tomorrow), the transfer session (friday), a day off (Saturday) and rehearsals a bunch on Sunday. We are trying to organize a Toy Story 3 trip on Saturday, but idk if that's gonna work out. I know at least 1 person will go with me.

Other news, the power went out (again, it happened last Sunday morning) so we really couldn't do much in the towers. I'm on the 8th floor. No elevators. I don't even need to go to the gym. I'll just walk to my room. Anywho, we decided to pass the time playing soccer, which I haven't done in at least 10 years. Also, it rained a lot. We played outside of the fitness center. It was a lot of fun, some people take it too seriously, I fell about 95 times and am just noticing now that I think my ankle might actually be slightly injured. Whoops.

And that is my life here at IC. It is strange being on a floor by myself, I kind of can't wait for students to get here so I'm not all alone. Although, this is the first time I've ever had my own room, which is kind of awesome. The space is nice. It makes me want a single room forever. Not that I don't love roomies, it's just nice to have my own completely private space.

Well, I have another early, action packed day tomorrow. I'm even meeting President Rochon. I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined any of this happening.

Life is good.

Finally

I woke up this morning at 9:34 am, and it was the most glorious thing I have ever done in my life.

Maybe not, but after I've been getting up at 7 for the past week and then having 14 hours of training every day, 9:30 feels like it's so late. Plus, I have nothing scheduled for today, besides going for some food with Jake and I actually do have to do some work today on my bulletin boards. So it isn't a total day off, but I can work at my own pace and do what I want today, which is nice. It's nice not to have scheduled eating time.

Anyway, I'm learning a ton about Ithaca College, more than I thought possible, and I will probably be spouting random facts forever when I'm hanging out with everyone again. Being here is just so fun and exciting, and I love meeting these new people and making new friends.

Other than that, I've watched a whole season of Cake Boss on netflix (my sister got it) while making my door tags in my dorm room (which is so weird, I'm in my own room. I've never had my own room!) and I'm having a great time learning our dance. I can't wait till it's done and we can record it and I can show it to you guys!

Well, I actually do have things to get done, one more week of training then I'll be actually leading the freshmen! Whoa! See you guys later!

Orientation Schedule

Holy shit. This is going to be intense. Here's the basics:

I have training every day from about 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Except I have Saturdays off (thankfully). I will be using those to rest, I think.

We are having a ton of meetings informing us about everything from the different schools to just about every office/service available on campus. I will know more about IC than I ever thought I would after these two weeks, I think.

Among other things, we will be decorating the floors/bulletin boards, working in the office, going to information sessions and teambuilding. Oh yeah, and a dance. Yikes. I can't say I'm excited right now, I'm a bit frazzled and nervous, but I think everyone else is too... My mom texted me after she and my father left and said that "they wouldn't have picked you if you weren't awesome- go show that Christina to the world!" and in our OL training manuals, it says "trust yourself, you were chosen as an OL for a reason" so I guess I don't have anything to worry about. I hope I can find whatever it is that everyone sees in me and turn it up for these next couple of weeks.

Anyway, after these rigorous training days, the Orientation schedule doesn't seem to be that bad. Here it is for your reference, although Casey is probably the only one who will find this useful, as she is the only one that lives a convenient distance from Ithaca to visit for a short time.

• Session I (Transfer Students): June 18
• Session II: June 21-23
• Session III: June 23-25
• Session IV: June 28 -30
• Session V: July 7-9
• Session VI: July 12-14
• Session VII: July 14-16

Then I stay to clean up til the 18th of July and I'm done! So it really isn't that long of a time to be away from home, especially since I can be home the 30 to like the 6th.

Also, I'm thinking that since our OL training theme is Toy Story, we will be seeing Toy Story 3 when it comes out this June. So that is actually really exciting! Alright, well I'm off to get ready for bed. Cornell ropes course tomorrow! Yay!?

The way back

Well, I am going to be on the way back to Ithaca in short time. I'm nervous about making friends, of course, and also nervous about the amount of stuff I packed... I'm an excessive overpacker, but I can also usually squeeze a lot into my bags- ask Sarah, she saw me pack up my dorm room.

Anyway, my friends and I saw Get Him to the Greek last night. It was strange, crazy, vulgar and HILARIOUS. I didn't know what the hell was happening, but it was really funny and crazy. I still want to see Prince of Persia... Maybe I can convince some of the OLs to go.

We also finished watching season 1 of Spartacus, which I recommend if you like stuff about gladiators, or graphic blood, violence, profanity and sex. Because there was a lot of that. It was a really interesting show though, along the veins of Rome, which my parents watched. So yeah. Plus all the actors are suuuuper buff so that was a bonus.

Alright, well, my dad gets really impatient so I'm going to finish getting ready and go. Hopefully I'll have time to update you guys on how awesome (hopefully) things are going.

See you later!

Quotable moments from closing

So I haven't finished talking about my vacation, and honestly that's gonna take a long time.

Or not, I'm just gonna finish it right here without pics. Friday Nick graduated. They marched in formation with the band (video eventually cause its cool) and it looked AWESOME! Our group had a huge banner for Nick. We definitely won most devoted/enthusiastic family. Then, we lounged around the pool for about 10 hours and it was freaking awesome. It felt so nice to just chill and relax, especially since they had a hot tub. It was glorious. Then we drove back a total of 18 hours over 2 days. Note to friends: Don't drive that far with your 81 year old grandfather who can't hear despite hearing aids. Just don't.

Anyway, I'm very busy with unpacking, repacking, figuring out what I don't have, shopping for it, and working, I'm worn out. I've been closing for about half of my shifts, which means that I get there around dinner time and stay till about 1:30-2 in the morning. It isn't too bad if you're working with the right people, which, fortunately, I have been.

Tonight, after being in exceptionally good moods after a pretty smooth close, Cesca and I decided that we didn't feel like going home yet, because after you've been working for 8 hours, you don't want to just go home and crash, you feel like doing something because you're just so awake when you get home. So, we decided to hit up Denny's, which, besides McDonald's, is basically the only place open past like 10 in Lockport. So. Lame.

Anyway, we were pretty hyper so we got a few hilarious quotes out that I just had to share:

Cesca: *Looking at light fixture* DUDE! These lights have a covering so you can't get to the lightbulb! *goes to poke light fixture* Oh wait, never mind. They don't...

Me: This is what I'd be like when I'm drunk, except I'm just happy!
Cesca: You'll come to associate those two as the same feeling eventually...

and...

Me: Dude, I was so afraid there was going to be a tornado tonight!
Cesca: You only thought that because Jared said that... I didn't even know it was raining. I thought there was an alien outside going *attempting to imitate the noise the drive thru makes when it's raining* click cluck clock click!!!

Home Again

And so begins my saga of packing and unpacking. I arrived home from DC today at about 4 after spending a couple of days there and in South Carolina to see my cousin graduate from the Marine Corps boot camp. It was a ton of fun with a few minor bumps, so it's gonna be a pretty long post.

We left bright and early Monday morning to head to my Uncle's house outside of DC. We hung around there for a couple of days, which was relaxing. Their dog, Champ, was a puppy the last time I saw him, and man, has he gotten HUGE. We packed up Wednesday morning for the long drive down to South Carolina. We didn't end up going to the beach, but the hotel was great. So we hung there Wednesday and did our own thing.




Seriously, if you ever get the chance, GO TO THIS RESTAURANT. Chick-Fil-A is freaking awesome and delicious, and not up north. I loved it. So yeah, that was a good time.
Best quotes from that night and probably the entire trip:





Ted: Do you think if I stood up and yelled "The South will rise again!" that I would get a yee-haw?

and

(While discussing native americans and land)
Ted: Well, we did pillage their land from them...
Grandpa: They had their chance.

Other than that, not much happened the first few days.


On Thursday we rose at the lovely time of 5 am so that we could eat breakfast and get to the bast by 7am to see my cousin Nick on what they call a "motivational run." We actually saw him!!!! He's in the middle behind the guy with the flag



Then we had to wait around for a while until the Liberty Ceremony started, where we saw him in his uniform with his platoon. Seriously, watching all of them march in together was so freaking cool. Marines have sort of a special march/walk which looks awesome when they're all in sync.



So the entire group of us (18 of us, to be precise) were wearing shirts that said Zablonski (my cousin's last name) and had his picture and platoon info on them (my aunt made them herself with iron on stuff) and yeah, people were jealous. I think Nick was partially mortified and proud at the same time, since the average number of guests a marine has at his graduation is 4. Our group had 18. While we were saying hi, one of his drill instructors said "God damn Zablonski, you've got a whole fucking platoon!" But the best was yet to come.

After the Liberty Ceremony, Nick was free to hang around with us for a few hours and so we ate and he showed us around the base. But seriously, it was about 95 degrees with the sun shining, so on the way home, after Nick had to report back, I almost got sick and we were all exhausted and just hung around for a while. The next day was graduation!



I'm starving right now though, and I have to do a couple things so I'll finish updating in a little while. Here's a picture of me, my brother and my sister with my cousin, just to tide you over!