Negligible snow ...

There was snow on the ground when I woke up this morning, only a few inches - not enough to stop anything but it made the day a bit cleaner. I just finished my last midterm, I dislike how you are given three options and must choose one several times over because my luck would have it that I know all three in one section but none in another section and if given the option to just choose four overall I would have nailed that midterm like a virgin on Prom night - but I digress. It is over now and my Professor curves grades.

My head has been spinning for the last two days but got particularly fun when I was on the elevator at work - this cold medication (I hope) is really tripping me out. There isn't much left to do before a week of helping and playing. I have two more shifts of work and two more classes to work through, I need to pack but just realized I didn't bring a suitcase so it will either be a tote or trashbag (how classy).

I will do up a list this afternoon of administrative tasks that need to be done over the next week: internships, FAFSA, graduation stuff, backlogging notes on readings, journals, etc.

Somewhere in there I may find time to update here for whomever reads it ...

Hack hack cough cough...

Last time I updated I used a lot of capital letters and subtle/blatant indications of who I was talking about. So let's catch up the last 5 days.

Levi came up to visit on Saturday afternoon, left Sunday night. We had a good two days, it was good that we found a way to see eachother in the mess that is living apart. I think it validated our little endeavor a little - showing that we can make it work. We went out to dinner on Saturday night at the Pullman to encompass Valentines Day, our anniversary, and my birthday. I turn 21 on Sunday, Meghan turns 25 - we have always been linked, bad and good luck hitting both of us in the same ways at the same time. It would seem ironic that I have a severe head cold the only weekend my boyfriend comes to visit and just before departing on Spring Break - doesn't really seem fair.

Monday was a blur of cold medication, work, and classes but nothing eventful enough to mention. Today I had a midterm in U.S. Foreign Policy which I think went fairly well, I was worried how much information I would retain with this cold. I had lunch with my Asian Studies Advisor and he said it would be possible for me to major in Asian Studies as well as Political Science. I am thrilled, being a double major was something I thought I had to give up because of my time abroad and a lack of an asian language. Not to say that drunk Australian isn't a language all its own. But with this good news means that next semester is going to be insane, absolutely bonkers. Also at lunch I found out that a woman I used to babysit for own a deli near campus - who knew! Little Thomas is now 7 and in school, it makes me feel old.

I am in the middle of studying for my Terrorism and Counterterrorism midterm which is tomorrow at noon. Then I have some minor assignments to finish before going home on Thursday afternoon. As I think I already mentioned, but am too lazy to backtrack through old posts, I am staying with Joey and the two boys - 3 years old and 6 months old. It will certainly be fun and a miracle if I dont get thrown up on or pee'd on in the week that I will be there.

I still have to see where my last trascript from SCU is stuck, apply for internships and finalize my lobbying for a winter graduation ceremony in December. Not to mention a very very important senior thesis paper next semester that I should start preparing for.

That is the abridged version of the last several days - there is still much to be done so I will "put hoof to dirt".

Communication blackout ...

SOMEONE I know, and SOMEONE you probably know, did SOMETHING stupid last night. This SOMEONE got completely plastered at a bar near his school. SOMEHOW he spent 70$ on alcohol but doesn't remember doing it. SOMEHOW he went to a second bar with his boss but again, doesn't remember. When they got to this SOMEWHERE he drank more and then tried to walk home. SOMEHOW he made it half way. SOMEHOW he answered the phone 1 out of every 8 times it rang. But he couldn't tell me if he was SOMEWHERE so I could call him a cab. SOMEHOW the phone died. SOMEHOW he didn't fall in a ditch or get hit by a car. SOMEONE picked him up and gave him a ride home (at least he remembers the Cop who was nice enough to take him home and not charge him with drunk in public). SOMEHOW he passed out without fixing his phone so SOMEHOW he missed the 25 phone calls from me trying to make sure he was alive. SOMEHOW he slept in while I freaked out, calling hospitals to make sure he didn't die. SOMEHOW he missed the 80 phone calls to his cell and house of me trying to find him all morning. SOMEHOW I took a midterm this morning and barely focused because I hadn't heard from him.

SOMEHOW the worst that happened is that he is hung so far over the edge that his head is going to explode from the blood rushing to his brain.

SOMEHOW he thinks he is getting out of this with a simple apology. SOMEHOW he thinks its cool that someone will actually look for him if he does actually disappear.

Silly rabbit, tricks are for kids!

Never eat glue ... it gets sticky

I am hoping that my brain will defer from imploding or melting on my Various Artists tshirt until 5pm tomorrow when both of my midterms are done and I can start trying to get my school work for next week out of the way. This weekend is a much needed two day break with Levi, not from Levi, WITH! I know, the shock is hard to contain, we actually get to see eachother.

A week from tomorrow I am heading down to Richmond for my birthday and Spring Break. I am staying at Joeys to play with the munchkins and maybe relax. Is it wrong to read a 3 year old a book on the Bush Cabinet from the first term (Rise of the Vulcans - for my US Foreign Policy class)? I will be sure to sprinkle the reading with some truths and explanations but I don't think he will go for it because there aren't any pictures. I might just read during nap time. Joey is letting me borrow her car to sprint around town so I should be able to run my errands and take the kids into BF and see the girls. I might pick up some crafts but I should be smarter than to mix toddlers and sand, glitter or glue.

But back to the grindstone ...

Political Correctness ...

Due to the climate of political correctness now pervading America, Kentuckians, Tennesseans and West Virginians will no longer be referred to as "HILLBILLIES." You must now refer to them as APPALACHIAN-AMERICANS.

And furthermore .... HOW TO SPEAK ABOUT WOMEN AND BE POLITICALLY CORRECT:
1. She is not a "BABE" or a "CHICK" - She is a "BREASTED AMERICAN."
2 . She is not a "SCREAMER" or a "MOANER" - She is "VOCALLY APPRECIATIVE."
3. She is not "EASY" - She is "HORIZONTALLY ACCESSIBLE."
4. She is not a "DUMB BLONDE" - She is a "LIGHT-HAIRED DETOUR OFF THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY."
5. She has not "BEEN AROUND" - She is a "PREVIOUSLY-ENJOYED COMPANION."
6. She is not an "AIRHEAD" - She is "REALITY IMPAIRED."
7. She does not get "DRUNK" or "TIPSY" - She gets "CHEMICALLY INCONVENIENCED."
8. She does not have "BREAST IMPLANTS" - She is "MEDICALLY ENHANCED."
9. She does not "NAG" you - She becomes "VERBALLY REPETITIVE."
10. She is not a "TRAMP" - She is "SEXUALLY EXTROVERTED."
11. She does not have "MAJOR LEAGUE HOOTERS" - She is "PECTORALLY SUPERIOR."
12. She is not a "TWO-BIT HOOKER" - She is a "LOW COST PROVIDER."

HOW TO SPEAK ABOUT MEN AND BE POLITICALLY CORRECT:
1. He does not have a "BEER GUT" - He has developed a "LIQUID GRAIN STORAGE FACILITY."
2. He is not a "BAD DANCER" - He is "OVERLY CAUCASIAN."
3. He does not "GET LOST ALL THE TIME" - He "INVESTIGATES ALTERNATIVE DESTINATIONS."
4. He is not "BALDING" - He is in "FOLLICLE REGRESSION."
5. He is not a "CRADLE ROBBER" - He prefers "GENERATIONAL DIFFERENTIAL RELATIONSHIPS."
6. He does not get "FALLING-DOWN DRUNK" - He becomes "ACCIDENTALLY HORIZONTAL."
7. He does not act like a "TOTAL ASS" - He develops a case of RECTAL-CRANIAL INVERSION."
8. He is not a "MALE CHAUVINIST PIG" - He has "SWINE EMPATHY."
9. He is not afraid of "COMMITMENT" - He is "RELATIONSHIP CHALLENGED."
10. He is not "HORNY" - He is "SEXUALLY FOCUSED."

Can I Take that Back?

Have you ever spoken and wished that you could immediately take the words back or that you could crawl into a hole?

Here are the Testimonials of a few people who did....

FIRST TESTIMONY: I walked into a hair salon with my husband and three kids in tow and asked loudly, "How much do you charge for a shampoo and a blow job?” I turned around and walked back out and never went back. My husband didn’t say a word he knew better.

SECOND TESTIMONY: I was at the golf store comparing different kinds of golf balls. I was unhappy with the women's type I had been using. After browsing for several minutes, I was approached by one of the good-looking gentlemen who works at the store. He asked if he could help me. Without thinking, I looked at him and said, "I think I like playing with men's balls."

THIRD TESTIMONY: My sister and I were at the mall and passed by a store that sold a variety of candy and nuts. As we were looking at the display case, the boy behind the counter asked if we needed any help. I replied, "No, I’m just looking at your nuts." My sister started to laugh hysterically, the boy grinned, and I turned beet-red and walked away. To this day, my Sister has never let me forget.

FOURTH TESTIMONY: While in line at the bank one afternoon, my toddler decided to release some pent-up energy and ran amok. I was finally able to grab hold of her after receiving looks of disgust and annoyance from other patrons. I told her that if she did not start behaving "right now" she would be punished. To my horror, she looked me in the eye and said in a voice just as threatening, "If you don't let me go right now, I will tell Grandma that I saw you kissing Daddy's pee-pee last night!" The silence was deafening after this enlightening exchange. Even the tellers stopped what they were doing. I mustered up the last of my dignity and walked out of the bank with my daughter in tow. The last thing I heard when the door closed behind me, were screams of laughter.

FIFTH TESTIMONY: Have you ever asked your child a question too many times? My three-year-old son had a lot of problems with potty training and I was on him constantly. One day we stopped at Taco Bell for a quick lunch in between errands. It was very busy, with a full dining room. While enjoying my taco, I smelled something funny, so of course I checked my seven-month-old daughter, and she was clean. Then I realized that Danny had not asked to go potty in a while, so I asked him if he needed to go, and he said "No". I kept thinking "Oh Lord, that child has had an accident, and I don't have any clothes with me." Then Isaid, "Danny, are you SURE you didn't have an accident?" "No," he replied. I just KNEW that he must have had an accident, because the smell was getting worse. So, I asked one more time, "Danny, did you have an accident?" This time he jumped up, yanked down his pants, bent over and spread his cheeks and yelled, "SEE MOM, IT'S JUST FARTS!!" While 30 people nearly choked to death on their tacos laughing, he calmly pulled up his pants and sat down. An old couple made me feel better by thanking me for the best laugh they'd ever had!

LAST TESTIMONY: This had most of the state of Michigan laughing for 2 days and a very embarrassed female news anchor who will, in the future, likely think before she speaks. What happens when you predict snow but don't get any.... a true story...? We had a female news anchor who, the day after it was supposed to have snowed and didn't, turned to the weather man and asked: "So Bob, where's that 8 inches you promised me last night?" Not only did he have to leave the set, but half the crew did too they were laughing so hard! Now, didn't that feel good?

Spring? Break ...

I find it ironic, or badly named, that next week is "Spring Break" and there is snow on the ground. Thats like a giant billboard screaming "winter! winter! this means its winter!" but I digress. This week is moving, weighing, and doing the normal chicken sans head routine. I have two midterms on Thursday, an essay due tomorrow, and I already had an exam today. I got back my term paper from Women & Politics that I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to finish and I got an A! Suprise, suprise - I guess my writing has become more structured and academic while I have been gone. Woohoo, thats a relief because I have four more term papers to do this semester.

I had wondered why the last few days and friggidly this morning all of my showers had been cold. Since the building is heated by steam it didn't make too much sense that we would be out of hot water. But now I know, some tube bundle thing was breaking, breaking, and finally broke. Physical Plant fixed it and Kable now has hot water and oh it is soooo nice. Mystery solved.

Happy Valentines day to everyone. I am reserving celebration until Saturday when Levi is finally coming to visit for two days. YEY! For those of you who are single and want to smite Valentines celebrations today is also Hitler's birthday so you could rattle some cages by spreading those declarations around.

No new news to report on the car situation except that it remains the pustual of frustration on my life.

Back to the books that smell like a career.

As predicted ...

****** IT'S SNOWING !! ******

It is in fact finally snowing - we are due to get 12-15 inches in the next two days, its not revolutionary but at least its snow. I am currently at work getting caught up and caught ahead on assignments so that I can play in the snow tonight with Cate with no guilt. I will post tomorrow - I may even find a way to take some photos of my snowy mountain town and post them.

Rude awakening ...

My fridays are always free and open (by design) so that I have a chance to catch up on sleep and downtime in my hectic week. I waited up until Levi got off work at 1:30 then crashed. Did I mention Levi got a job, this is the first time he has worked in the entire time I have known him - haha. He is working the door at a local bar in Boone on weekends. Right now I am again waiting up to talk to him when he gets off work. But back to the story: At 5:30am I bumbled out of bed because my phone was ringing, I would normally answer with "you better be bleeding or on fire" but my eyes focused enough to see that it was an Australian number. Levi's sister got a new job so his sister, her boyfriend, family friend and his parents got together for a weekend of good food, expensive alcohol, and swimming in the ocean at his parents resort. I felt like the I was having an out of body experience until I came to enough to actually participate in the conversations. I got passed around the room to say hi and hear everyones voice (it was too early to translate the accent however). I mentioned to them that should probably wait to call Levi until he was already up for an early class - but they didn't. So an hour later I got another phone call from Levi seeking comradery.

But with that behind me, and it was a really pleasant opportunity to talk to my pseudo-family back in Oz - I got some sleep and took a relaxing day of laundry, cleaning, and studying. The mid-atlantic is due to get hit with 10 inches of snow tonight, New York is already getting slammed with a good long winter but I have yet to see snow since I have been home so I am waiting anxiously. If school closes that measn that I also have the day off of work, and will spend the day sledding with friends.

Maybe I will sleep through tonight but it was worth it ....

Someone's got a case of the Mondays .... on Wednesday

This week so far has been flying by - only I have been hanging off the back trying to hold on to the tailpipe. Monday was work, studying, early morning yoga, and staying up until 2am finishing a term paper. Tuesday began unpleasantly when I dragged my sorry ass out of bed at 7am to tweek the paper and get it printed off before my 9am class. And now it is Wednesday - welcome. I didn't go to yoga this morning which means I got to sleep in 9 minute bursts (snooze) until I absolutely couldn't stay in bed any longer. Rushed through shower and ate lunch in route to work. So that brings us up to date excluding the weekend which I don't want to talk about - hate to spread the unpleastantries of life.

I am currently looking up the specifics and aerobic benefits of Australian Rules Football (by far much more entertaining than American Football). There are some aspects of general education requirements that I like, such as electives like Aerobics where the assignments are pissweak and silly. The downsides to gen ed classes are they take up time and money outside of actually getting me a major.

I discovered at lunch on Monday (or maybe it was dinner) that there are quite a few people, like me, who aren't finishing school until December 2006. Because my school is relatively small they only have one full graduation ceremony a year - in May. There is a processional of all of the professors, a congregation of all of the college staff, its a huge ceremony with two rehearsals. But only once a year - so if you graduate in December you are s.o.l. The school does allow Dec. grads to come back the following May and stand with subsequent class. But that requires you to also attend the two rehearsals and if you don't live here 3 trips back to Staunton can be a huge imposition. Not to mention those like me who are likely not to be in the country that long.

So a group of us are going to lobby to have a more informal, less faculty required, smaller Winter Graduation. Maybe have it in the art gallery, maybe in the big conference room in the library, maybe in the church - we have to get permission first. There are approximately 20 girls who are in our boat (1/5 of normal grad class) so we will see. When I get bored I lobby for the entertainment value. When I was in the 5th grade a set up a lobby group to try and get bike racks at school.

I am staying up on the mountain this weekend because I have to work - I haven't left since I got here ... I am going bonkers.

Nostalgia and naivitey ...

Its pitiful that I watch Mcleods Daughters because I miss Oz and my friends. Neighbours I could understand, but the US seems to be one of the only countries that it doesn't play in. Its not for the tv - its for the landscape, the accent, the nostalgia. I stumbled across it on a channel directed at "women's entertainment" (whatever that means). I don't really follow the plot - I just let it play in the background and stop long enough to see the scorched earth and acoubras.

Levi and I have been harshly struck by the reality that we had a really good setup in Lismore. The minimum wage was 4 times what it is here. The community that we lived in was familiar. We were together, every day and every night. I had three jobs and they happened to all be within 100 yards of eachother. We cooked meals together and had a routine. I can't believe we ever complained when we were there - but that is the beauty of hindsight.

I have accepted that I don't really fit in the life here, its great to see my family and when I am not with them I will miss them greatly. I needed to come back home to realize that I don't fit in this pigeon hole anymore. I am looking forward to finishing school, and the friends that I have maintained while I was gone I will have for the rest of my life. There seems to be a box around some of my other friends, they can't see beyond their own shadow, they don't ever want to and thats their perogative. I wish the plane tickets were cheaper, the flights were shorter - and as long as we are making fantastical wishes, some teleporters would be great.

Its 3am, I have a pile of assignments to do and only one more day left in the weekend.

Night.

soundtrack ...

Disobey my own decisions
I deserve all your suspicions
First it's yes and then it's no
I dilly dally down to you, oh
But I've got no secrets that I battle in my sleep
I won't make promises to you that I can't keep
And you know that I love you
Here and now not forever
I can give you the present
I don't know about the future
That's all stuff and nonsense
I once lived for the future
Everyday was one day closer
Greener on the other side
Yes I believe before I met you
I assumed that your love was brighter than the stars in my eyes
Now I know how and when I know where and why
And you know that I love you
Here and now not forever
I can give you the present
I don't know about the future
That's all stuff and nonsense
(Tim and Neil Finn)

Burn Lulu ... burn!

I'm so not religious but I laughed outloud when I saw a sign out front of a church here that read "Stop, drop, and roll doesn't work in Hell".

Still no car, still no sanity but things are progressing fine. I have three essays to do this weekend, two of which are research paper. I get to have some fun and write a 2 page essay on Australian Rules Football for my fitness class. The plan to go to Richmond this weekend and help Joey move (and play with the toddlers) is off because I need to get the dragon that is schoolwork back under control. I miss the apartment on Union street, and sleeping in on sundays with Levi. I was actually an adult for a split second and now I am back to limbo - but it was a nice glimpse that I can handle independence (just like all the travelling showed me I can adapt).

Levi and I were talking on the phone last night about my birthday. Last year at the end of February we strapped sparklers to a Barbie knock-offs back and lit her ablaze - she melted and almost caught Sam on fire. The next day it was so hot that at dinner with the 'rents the Tim Tams (its a chocolate cookie) were melting while they sat on the table. Maybe this year it will snow - it hasn't yet and I want to go sledding for the first time in 2.5 years.

Food for thought:

Anybody who believes that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach flunked geography. ~Robert Byrne

I have seen the future and it is very much like the present - only longer. ~Kehlog Albran