Thursday Thirteen #8

Way Way WAY overdue

Thirteen Things that I'm using as an excuse to explain not having blogged for awhile (as always, with pictures) 1.I had a huge research paper due on international education policy (a month ago) 2.I had finals (again, a month ago) 3.My grandfather and cousin died during that time. My grandmother is now in the hospital. 4.I said a temporary goodbye to new friends and my new hometown 5.I moved out (fourth floor, no elevator) 6.I went to visit family in California 7.I visited friends in New York (more pics to come) 8.I finally made it home after a hellish day of foot, taxi, subway, bus, and plane travel from New York 9.I have been catching up with friends, packing, and organizing 10. I had an interview for a position for next fall that I applied for (I got it!) 11.I saw the Sex and the City movie (not a great excuse but...) 12.I went to an organizing meeting to talk about how the Democratic Primary went in this state and what we can do for the fall 13.I am getting ready to spend the entire summer on the west coast working on a political campaign, and I will also be attending the convention in Denver! Therefore, I have been spending money like crazy on plane tickets, train tickets, bus tickets, housing, and getting headaches dealing with all of these schedules!


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Movie photo from: http://pblosser.blogspot.com/2006/10/statism-post-modernism-and-death-of.html

Spring Break - Woohoo?

There’s an episode of FRIENDS where Ross, a professor, is dating Elizabeth, a student. Elizabeth is going to Florida for spring break, and Chandler and Joey shout woohoo after they, or anyone else, mentions it. When Ross asks for an explanation, Monica clarifies saying, “During spring vacation, you do nice things with your grandparents. During spring break, you do frat guys.” (Woohoo). I’ve heard all about Spring Break Miami, Spring Break Cancun, MTV Spring Break, and wet T-shirt contests (woohoo). They’re played up as huge college initiations - the reason you go to college practically. Still, I have yet to (knowingly) meet someone who has participated in these activities.

It seems most people at University left for spring vacation. For example: I went to the beach (woohoo)...but to hang out with the Mother and the Grandmother and look at retirement communities for the Grandmother (no joke). Friend #1 went to Miami (woohoo)...but to hang out with his relatives...who don’t sound like a crazy bunch. Friend #2 went to Philly, and then drove through PA with his mom to see civil war battlefields. No disrespect to the Union and the Amish, but that’s not worthy of a woohoo. Across-the-Hall went camping in Arizona with her dad. Friend #3 went to Miami with the tennis team (woohoo)...but had to live with some team member’s grandparents. Living with 80-year-olds you’ve never met doesn’t exactly scream keg-stands. Friend #4 stayed on campus for hardcore crew practice. According to what we’ve heard, other schools take the rowers to Florida for practice over break. Friend #4 feels like she’s missing out on a pretty big woohoo.

Roommate went to NYC on her own so I guess that’s worthy of a mild woohoo, although knowing her, she’s probably going to spend the entire time in a theater or museum - not dancing on bars. I’m not the only one with a distorted image of college spring break. The little sister of Friend #1 thought we had a break of 3 weeks off to take this huge road trip to Florida for the aforementioned wet t-shirt contests and other woohoo type activities.

Not exactly.

So do I just know all the nerds? Is this what the rest of the American college population is doing right now and my bubble of friends and I are just in a totally different universe? And what do you do for spring break (woohoo) if you already live in FL?

Oh, the Agony

Such is the life of a slacking overachiever.

I am an overachiever. Because of this, I signed up for an independent study policy internship downtown and convinced my Dean to let me take 6 classes during my first year. (I am receiving credit for the internship so it is considered 6 classes total).

I have to write a twenty page policy paper for this internship.

I am a slacker. I have left all of the work to the almost last minute and, during busy weeks, the absolute last minute. I must turn it in tomorrow morning in person. I am stuck in the computer lab writing until it is done. The lab closes at 4am, but I'd like to get out of here by 12:00. No dinner tonight. Just left over Easter chocolate. To achieve my midnight goal, I am posting on my blog, sending my friends bumperstickers on Facebook, and checking out Thursday Thirteens.

Why?

Because only a draft is due. There is certainly time to improve it for the final.

And the independent study is pass/fail.

That's my mantra right now.

"Don't freak out. The sun hasn't set yet. It's only a draft. It's only pass/fail."

Thursday Thirteen #7

(She's actually a wonderful roommate and I'm very lucky to have gotten such a good situation...but these are just the things that irk me).

Thirteen Things I'd like to tell my roommate 1 - Your hair! The diagonal bangs make me crazy! You’ve got to straighten them or something. 2 - Your cough and laugh are awkward and annoying. But i guess you can’t change those. 3 - Please don’t hum or sing. It’s really distracting when you think your mouth is a snare drum and i’m trying to learn arabic. 4 - For the love of god, close the window! It is too cold out and we freeze during the night! 5 - The comments you make about your faith and other faiths really bother me. My faith could not be more different from yours. I’m trying to be open and learn about yours, but sometimes you sound really ignorant. 6 - Please stop leaving your keys in the door. It’s annoying and not safe. 7 - Please remember to turn your alarm off on weekends...really, please do this. 8 - Turn the volume on your alarm down! I don’t know how it takes you several minutes to hear it each morning. I’m across the room and it always blasts me out of bed. 9 - Stop closing the door! If I am in the room with the door open when you get back, please do not then close the door behind you when you leave a few minutes later. Obviously, I want the door open. 10 - Please stop taking my cable out of the internet jack. It’s very passive aggressive. 11 - I don’t want to hear you saying negative things about people you went to high school with. you sound very condescending and patronizing. It makes me feel bad for them, especially when I can identify with the problems they’re having that you’re telling me about. You don’t realize it, but sometimes you’re insulting me, too. 12 - Your boyfriend really needs to spend more time in his room. you may think he’s great, but the rest of the hall, myself included, thinks he’s really very extremely super annoying! I’m really tired of him hanging out in our room every evening. It’s also really awkward when you guys start making out and I am sitting right there. 13 - Please don’t support that presidential candidate.

That feels better.



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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A New Meme

From Blog Talkers Talk: What does spring mean for you?

Spring means a mixture of activities for me. As a student, it means both crunch time as exams draw closer, slight panic as I make summer arrangements, and relief as the year will almost be over. The weather is wonderful, of course, although it's taking a bit longer to warm up at University than it did back home. I am so fortunate not to have allergies so I am always able to enjoy the weather. This slacker absolutely does not do a big spring cleaning. Throughout the year, I plug along, picking up, vaccuming, and doing laundry as needed. I think the worst part is the weather not being able to decide what to do. This is similar to that awkward period in the fall where it's too cold for half of your clothing, yet you feel stupid in the other half because it's just not cold enough.

I don't get spring fever so much as summer fever. Around this time I start thinking about the Cape where I've spent every summer of my life. I'm also anxious to get past exams an on to whatever fabulous un-paid internship I managed to land. As of right now, I have not yet received acceptances so I am anxiously awaiting those. Daylight Savings Time happens over the weekend where, at college that involves seriously screwing up your sleep cycle, so I don't feel the effects of DST until Sunday night when I'm frantically trying to finish a paper and wish I had another hour left to do it...such is the life of a SlackingOverachiever (well, actually this part is just about the slacking).

I hate my bank

Why are they so unorganized? You would think coming recommended by University and having a branch right down the street from University would make things easy, but no. When I signed up, they asked if I wanted to have a "themed" debit card. I had a choice of about 50 cards with images of trees or kitties or sports teams on them. Frankly, they were all ugly. I said no thanks and they said fine, here's the standard. Standard arrived in the mail and, after some textbook buying drama, was used for a month and worked fine. Then, they send me another card. What?! And not just a standard card, a sports themed one. I tried calling to find out why the hell I have two debit cards and got all tangled up in "If you have a customer service question, press 1. If you want to sign up for one of our special-but-it's-a-rip-off programs, press 2. If you want more options, press 3. If you think my voice is creepy, press 4. If you want to change your theme from ugly sports team to ugly dinosaurs press 5. If you don't give a shit about card themes and just want to know why the hell your bank is incompetent, press go to hell. Please hold."

So I hung up and threw the card in a drawer. I know, not the best choice but I'm new at this. Everything was fine for another month because I didn't use my card, I had too much cash left over from the summer and that covered my meager student expenses. Well, floormate and I go to BadBank's ATM down the street (because it is just a little bit closer than the branch of BadBank). And the card. doesn't. work. What?! Fine, go back to University and try to log-in to online banking using normal card to be told no by the website. Fine, rip that damn ugly sports team card out of the drawer. Try to log on again using ugly card number. Works, account is happy and fine. Call the number on ugly card to activate. Activated, put normal card into drawer and ugly card into wallet. Too late to go back to ATM (kinda sketch area at night).

You would think the debit card drama would be over. But no, I got my bank statement in the mail today. Even though their website keeps bragging to me that I am "going paperless." So why I still receive two statements a month probably has to do with whatever they did that caused above drama. One statement is normal and fine, exactly what it says online. Phew. Second statement, not so much. I signed up for some program that sounded very nice when I started, it is basically to help you save money. They transfer the extra change from your checking account to your savings account. You only make about $1.81 a month but whatever. Well, this statement has that $1.81 added and then says -$20.00 maintenance fee. Again, What?! Why would I be in a program where I am paying $20.00 a month for "maintenance" while only making $1.81?! So today, I am going to schlepp down to BadBank branch and find out what the hell is going on with this account.

Thursday Thirteen #5

T-minus 7 days and counting! Only one week left until graduation. I have my dress (we are required to wear white), I have new shoes, a hair and pedi appointment, a mountain of party invitations, and today I received my first congratulatory card. My grandmother will be flying in next week and, due to a change in schedule, my brother will be able to be here. After four years, I am definitely ready and glad to be leaving this school. I tried to come up with a list of what I will miss but 13 is a lot and I couldn't do it so here are 13 things I am doing this summer.

1. Graduating

2. Going to China with my friend who was born there

3. Burning my uniform and books...well, maybe not burning them

4. Sleeping

5. Visiting lots of family like every summer

6. Seeing my dog who now lives with my grandmother

7. Packing up my life

8. Buying a laptop

9. Practicing violin (ha!)

10. Saying goodbye (maybe forever?) to friends

11. Moving a few states away

12. Flying the coop...

13. ...and going to college!