General update on my life

Good morning, every one!

Since today is the last day of November, it seems a fitting time to give you an update on everything that's been  going on with me lately, just to tie up all the loose ends before we head bravely into this cold December. Besides, this blog is supposed to be all about me, right? It says so at the top.

Also, it's the morning, and nothing has made me angry yet, so I have nothing to rant about. As soon as I leave the house, though, I'm sure something will happen...

Oh, actually, now I just remembered something. But it's just a little something, so here's a quick mini-rant:

A Quick Mini-rant
I'm in this class, Human Growth and Development, which is actually the most pointless class on the planet. The lectures are straight from the book, and the material in the book is basically common knowledge. Like "Health starts to decline as you get older," or "teenagers face many changes in their bodies." Really? You don't say? Anyway, we were originally scheduled to have our Final exam on December 12th, but then the professor said she would hold it on the last day of classes, December 6th, so that we could all get skipping off to home early. BUT NOW she has changed it back to December 12th. And do you know why? It's because she went too slow in the lectures, and now we're behind in the material, and she needs that extra day of lecture. So that is six more days I have to spend in Gainesville, and I have nothing else to do because all my other classes will be finished by then. I guess I'll just work a bunch. Anyway...

Grad School
You may have noticed that I have not said anything about my grad school applications in awhile. Don't worry, this is not because I have given up and decided to become a panda at the zoo (although that is tempting sometimes). Actually, I have made a lot of progress on them in the past few weeks. I finally got a good draft of my essay (it looks nothing like this one, or this one).

I submitted the one to Texas Austin because that was due first. I don't know about you, but I always find submitting things online to be really terrifying. It's like, you just hit a button, and then they take you to the next screen, and your application is gone, no turning back. I always wonder, what if it didn't get to them or what if I put the wrong thing in. I'm also always afraid that I'll accidentally check "yes" when they ask you if you've ever been convicted of a felony. I mean, I always proof-read my applcations, but I could miss something, or I could move the mouse and then it moves the check-mark. You just don't know with these high-tech things! I also submitted to Chapel Hill, which was equally terrifying.

Now begins the waiting game...I have no idea when I'll hear back from any of these places. They don't have definite dates set for responses, or if they do, they don't list them on their websites. I called Chapel Hill a few weeks ago, and they said I'd hear "before March," so I'm thinking...sometime in February? January would be wonderful, but I don't know if that would happen. Actually, in an ideal world, they would tell me right before all the winter clothing starts going on sale, so that I could start stocking up for next year. My winter wardrobe currently consists of a few pathetic pairs of mittens and a pink hat, so, you know, I could use a little more. (Oh, and my wonderful new pea coat. Mustn't forget the pea coat.)

Reading
I have been reading a lot and will probably post a few short reviews soon. I spent a lot of time trying to get through this book Bastard Out of Carolina before finally giving up on it. I just wasn't feeling it. Maybe later. Then, I read The Year of Secret Assignments, by the same person who wrote Feeling Sorry for Celia. I also read Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater (whew! what a last name), which was pretty good but not as good as I'd hoped. I now finishing this book called Round Ireland with a Fridge, which is, you guessed it, about a guy who hitchhikes around Ireland with a min-fridge. It's very, very funny.

Also, I put a bunch of YA books on reserve at the library, so that's exciting. See, I was scrolling through some recommended YA on GoodReads the other day, and it occurred to me that I'm really behind on my YA reading. I mean, I haven't read any of the really big books, the one that everyone talks and blogs about, that have come out lately, or even in the past year. But then I realized that, since these books are genearlly pretty quick reads, I could probably catch up in like a week. So that is what I'm going to do. I have on hold:

-The Future of Us
-Bumped
-How to Save a Life
-Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book 2) (the sequel to Shiver)
-Lola and the Boy Next Door
-If I Stay
-Where She Went (the sequel to If I Stay)

So, yeah, it should be a good week of reading, once they come into the library. Teenagers of Gainesville: return your books to the library NOW!

The Purse

The Purse
So, you may remember from Monday, how I included this purse on my over-priced Christmas list. Well, I didn't even know this when I wrote that post, but Kate Spade had a sample sale on Sunday and Monday, and that purse was one of the items on sale! It was more than 50% off! Still expensive, but probably cheaper than it would ever be again.

So,  I asked myself, should I get it? I spent literally the entire day debating that, while in class and walking to class and eating and working. And then I looked at my bank account, and calculated how much money I would have left over once I paid my rent and utilities and general living expenses. And...I had enough. So I bought it.

It is literally the most expensive single item I have ever bought in my life, and I was so nervous buying it, especially since there are no returns on sale items and because I've never seen the bag in real life before. Also, it cost more than I make in two weeks, which made me realize how little minimum wage really is. (Or maybe how expensive this purse is). Then again, I do only work 12 hours a week. But still. Even so, I think it's going to be good, and I can't wait for it to get here. They emailed me this morning and said that it had shipped. How long will it take to get here!?! Do packages still get delivered on Saturday!?! I don't even know! But I'm sure I'll post about when it gets here, perhaps even compose a poem in honor of that moment. We shall see...


Cold Weather

It has been quite cold here (in the fifties, sometimes even in the forties). I am not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, I'm excited to wear more of my wintery clothes (jeans and tights and scarfs, that sort of thing). And it feels more festive and appropriate to Christmas. But it's very hard to get out of bed when the floor is freezing, and I've been trying to resist turning my heater on because it's expensive.

PS. If you click on any of those book links and then decide to buy the book, Amazon will give me a lil' something off the profits. But would that really be so bad? While you're at it, why don't you click on some of the ads over there. It'll be like you're giving me money without actually having to spend any money!

Top Ten Books I Want to Read This Winter

So Today's top ten Tuesday, from the Broke and Bookish Blog, is the top ten books you plan to read this winter. That is, books that have a release date between December 22nd and March 21st.

1. For number 1, I gotta say John Green's The Fault in the Stars, which comes out in January. Did you expect anything different? It's definitely my most-anticipated book of this winter, maybe of this year. It's the first of his books that features a female narrator, and from the previews he's posted on his Youtube channel, it seems amazing. Plus, it's been SO long since he put out a new book! I was a Freshman (in college) the last time he did. I distinctly remember that because it was the first (and only) book I bought in the university book store.

2. Thumped by Megan Mccafferty. Okay, so technically this is coming out in April. But whatever, there's no winter in Florida, so I do what I want. I haven't even read the first one in the series yet (I'm on the waiting list at the library) but something tells me it's going to be awesome. Plus, talking about the university book store reminded me that I actually bought one other book there: Her book, Charmed Fifths. (But I bought that one with a gift card so I'm not sure it counts.)

3. Linger by Maggie Stiefaver.  This book has already been out for about a year, but I'm only now getting into the series. And it seems like a very winter-y series, right? What with it being set in Minnesota, and thus being snowy pretty much all the time.

4. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. Again, this one has been out since September, but I still haven't gotten around to it. It sounds cool, though. It's a mystery series set in London. London! My favorite! And again, a winter-y sort of town, right?

5. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. I got this one at the book sale. It sounds interesting and has all kinds of crazy good reviews at the front. I always take that as a good sign. In fact, that's how I decided to buy the book Special Topics in Calamity Physics, which ended up being one of my favorites.

6. What is the What by David Eggers. Again, got this one at the book sale. I really need to finish all these book sale books before the next book sale in April. Also, John Green mentions this book a lot, and says it's great, so...it must be!

7. Infinte Jest by David Foster Wallace. Okay, it's not likely that I'll actually read/finish this one because it happens to be about 1000 pages long. But someone got it for me last Christmas, and I still haven't touched it. I'm too intimidated! But I really should start on it. And what better time to hunker down with a book than winter, right? Maybe it will happen....

8. The entire Georgia Nicholson series, by Louise Renninson. I've been wanting to re-read this series for the longest time. I loved it in middle and high school, and I wonder if I still like it now. I think so, because even the back covers are hilarious. Maybe this marathon will happen this winter. It'll be a nice break from the hardcore David Foster Wallace stuff.

9. The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. This one just came out, like a few days ago. So it's almost December, right? Anyway, it sounds really cool. It's about a boy and a girl in 1996 who are somehow able to log onto Facebook, but it's Facebook from the future of course. They see who they become later on, and they're not happy about it, so they try to change things. That's all I know. Also, I loved Jay Asher's last book, Thirteen Reasons Why. I'm also on the waiting list at the library for this one. I'm really looking forward to reading it.

10. My own book, Cardboard Characters. I am hoping to put it on Amazon, as an e-book, sometime this winter. Hopefully that will happen. It all depends on if I have enough time to revise it during Winter break/spring semester. But anyway, look out for that!

PS. If you're new here and like books/writing/literature, might I suggest checking out a few other post? For example, today's poem for Poem Tuesday is about books! And last week's was related to writing. There's also this post, a review of the book Feeling Sorry for Celia.  Or, just for fun, you could read this post, about those crazy moments in my life when I thought to myself "this would only happen in college."

Poem Tuesday: There Is No Frigate Like a Book

Hello everyone! Today's  poem is There Is No Frigate Like a Book by Emily Dickinson

(Frigate: pronounced frih-giht. A sailing warship of a size and armament just below that of a ship in the line.) I had to look that one up.

This poem is all about how books take you to new places. Personally, I can relate right now because I did a ton of reading over Thanksgiving break, including a book set in Australia and a book about werewolves set in Minnesota (not Twilight). So I definitely feel like I traveled all around this break, and not just to the International Mall to look at overpriced stuff. 

Here's the poem:

There is no Frigate like a Book  
To take us Lands away,  
Nor any Coursers like a Page  
Of prancing Poetry –   
This Traverse may the poorest take         
Without oppress of Toll –   
How frugal is the Chariot  
That bears a Human soul.

Christmas List Part 2

Okay, so, remember how I couldn't find anything I wanted for Christmas?
Well, that is no longer the problem. The problem now is that all the things I like are way too expensive. That's what happens when you go shopping in Tampa, with all its fancy, high-class stores.

So, without further ado, here is my over-priced Christmas list:

 First up, these earrings from Betsey Johnson. I have some similar ones, which I bought on Ebay, but they're not as sparkly as these.

 Then, we have some shoes from Cole Haan. My cousin works for them, so I've been checking them out more. We got a pair of red sandals from their outlet, and they are so comfortable. They have so many cute ballet flats. Great practical shoes for a future librarian!

 Sparkles!

 I saw these at their store in the International Mall. They are cuter in person, I swear.

 Booties! Amazing. These shoes are so, so stunning. Maybe one of my favorite things on the list.

I also loved these Cole Haan boots (link), but I couldn't get a picture of them. They also come in green!

 At the international mall, I also saw this sweater in J. Crew. I'm not usually a huge J. Crew fan. Their stuff is a little too plain and traditional for me. But I do love this sweater. It's sparkly but not obnoxiously so. I actually tried it on, and it is so beautiful.

Also from J.Crew: This scarf-like thing. On their website, they call it a "snood." It's basically  a scarf that you don't have to wrap around. Because obviously when you are very, very rich and fabulous you don't have time to wrap your own scarves.

Kate Spade had this cute notebook. It says "Big Secrets. Brilliant Ideas." Perfect!

 I also saw quite a few things I liked at the Juicy Couture store, which surprised me, because it seems like their target audience is preteen wannabe socialites. But they do know how to make cute clothes. I loved this white, furry jacket. I know it looks obnoxious, and it kind of is, but it's also really cute if you try it on, which I unfortunately did (unfortunate because I didn't want to take it of). Also, it was so soft!

I also liked this sweater, by Juicy Couture. It's hard to see in the picture, but it has a little bit of gold thread detailing. It's very pretty.

Okay, this next one might be my favorite. I saw this Kate Spade bag on their website awhile ago. It's since sold out on the website, but there are still a few floating around on the internet. Anyway, I think it is so, so beautiful and elegant. It also comes in brown, with a black bow.  I can't decide which one I like better.

Also from Kate Spade, these air quote gloves! So delightfully pretentious.

 Also from Kate Spade, this tiara ski hat. So funny!

More sparkly shoes! I'm not sure where I'd ever wear shoes like this but, hey, we're just day-dreaming right?

 Kate Spade also makes these cool "book" clutches. Again, perfect for the future librarian! I think the Emma one might be my favorite. I think there was also Pride and Prejudice one, but that's no longer on the website.

 I also love this bag. Simple, but elegant.

Also love this bangle. On the inside it says "There's strength in numbers" and around the outside it says "hand in hand" over and over again.

More funny gloves from Kate Spade

I saw a Missoni scarf at Anthropologie that was beautiful. I'm not sure the one in the picture is it, but it's close. It was all different shades of pink, with a little bit of silver and gold, and some of the thread was sparkly. So pretty. 

I think you'll notice there's a bit of a winter theme going on. Maybe that's just because that's what's in stores right now, but I also think it has to do with me being a Floridian. I think we Floridians lust over winter items because we never get to wear them. Seriously. I fall in love with basically every coat I see (although my Black Friday one is still my favorite).

Ah...if only I had lots and lots of money.
PS. Speaking of money, I didn't put the prices up because I thought it would ruin the fun. But should I put them up? Do you guys want to know the prices?

Anyway, if nothing else, this blog post definitely motivates me to work hard so that someday I'll actually be able to buy these nice things.

What are you guys dreaming of for Christmas?

PPS. I am not sponsored by any of the brands named above. In fact, as we discussed in this blog post, I am not sponsored by any one. But if any of the aforementioned brands want to send me some free stuff, or sponsor me, or whatever...holla!

This blog post brought to you by our sponsers

You know what makes me really angry?

When good blogs get sponsored and then they get bad, slowly turning into yet another giant advertising medium.

If you've ever loved a fashion blog, then you probably know what I'm talking about, because they seem to get it the worst. One day, they're blogging about the cute shoes they just bought (with their own money) and wearing the same clothes over and over (like a normal person). A few months/years later, every post contains links to their sponsor or giveaways from their sponsor or glowing, "unbiased" reviews about their sponsor. I mean, sure, sometimes the giveaways are fun, and sometimes the sponsored clothes are cute, but I don't want to click on the links, because then I would just be feeding the monster.

The worst is when they try to sneak it in and pretend like they're not being paid to show this stuff, but you, as the faithful reader, can tell that something is different. The new outfit just isn't their style, or the posts just don't sound like them. For example, I used to love this one fashion blog (which shall remain nameless because I don't want to go trashing people on the internet). But lately, the blog has gotten way bigger, and has gotten a lot more sponsers, and she's started wearing really ugly things, sent to her by her sponsors, that I know that she (or any other sane person) would never really wear (unless paid to.) For example, she got sponsored by this fairly big European brand, let's call it LaMode. Well, it seems that LaMode sponsored her but only sent her one, hideous dress, and she has been pimping that hideous dress like no other, wearing it every other day, pairing it with jackets and hats and sweaters, desperately attempting to make it look stylish, encouraging us all to check out the whole collection. Well, there's just no saving this dress, not matter how she styles it. It's just plain ugly. And every time I see it, it just makes me angry.

Then, yesterday, there was another obviously sponsored post. It was just a little thing, but it really made me angry. So, our friendly, anonymous fashion blogger is getting PAID to lead a tour to a large foreign city, let's pretend it's Tokyo. Well, a few days ago, instead of her usual post with photos of her outfits, which is what people are coming to her blog to see, she posted a few pictures of Tokyo and wrote "Oh, I just happened to be thinking of Tokyo today and thought I'd share these beautiful photos with you. Did I mention I'm going on this tour there? You should go sign up to go on it and give me lots of money. LINK" UGH.

It's time like this when I wonder if I should just stop reading.

But in my anger, I thought of something funny. What if this blog (mine, that is) were sponsored? Who would sponsor it? And I came up with some pretty ridiculous answers, because, let's face it, no normal company would sponsor this blog.

So, here is a list of potential sponsors, based on my most blogged-about topics:

• Some kind of sound-proofing company, like a company that makes giant foam walls that keep out all noise. They could give me a free trial of their foam walls, and I would come on here and be like "Oh my God. These new foam walls are amazing. I can't even hear my annoying neighbors anymore!" They'd have to have like superpowers, though, to block out that noise
• Alternatively, I could be sponsored by a new, quiet apartment complex. They would move me into one of their apartments, and I would blog every day about how blissful and quiet it was. "Day 14: So quiet! This place is amazing." "Day 28: I slept all night! Amazing!" "Day 70: Still no sign of my neighbors. Does anyone else live in this place?!" Most boring blog ever.
• The city of Austhillberg. I could write more loving blog posts about how amazing their city is, about all the great educational resources it has, and how it never snows there. Tourism revenue would go through the roof, and people would actually move there (more than just me). Call me, mayor of this fictional city!
• Another potential sponsor: Some company that decides your life for you, since I have so many post about not being able to make major life decisions. This company, lets call them LifeCo, would come in and whip me into shape. They would make all decisions for me, and I would blog about how happy and not confused I was, and how I now have the perfect answer whenever anyone asks me what I'm doing with my life. And then I would posts links to their website and you would click on them and then you too would know exactly where you are going.
• On that note, I could also be sponsored by a company that writes application essays for you. I would post "Hey guys, remember how bad my old essays were? Remember how hopeless I was? Well, NOT ANYMORE! Check out my new and improved essay." And then I would post my essay, and it would be terribly bland and sound like something written by a robot (which, hey, it probably was.)
• Libraries, although I'm not really sure they're in the market of sponsorship. 
• Poets. Ditto.
• Bob Graham. He'll run for president* and I'll be his hip, cool connection to the younger crowd. I'll come up with some catchy slogan, and recruit celebrities to endorse him, and I'll go to college campuses across the country, talking about how he's down with the young people. And then when he wins, I'll become the First Blogger. Or Head of the Department of Defense. Either one.

Well, now that I've made up that list, I see that this blog has many more marketing opportunities than I once thought. If interested, have your people call my people! And readers, don't be surprised if tomorrow the URL of this blog changes yet again, this time to JulieLovestheLifeCoandBGforprez.com.

*Bob Graham is not running for president and does not endorse this message.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

Hello, friends!
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know it's been a little quiet around here lately. I haven't been all that busy, honestly, just lazy. Well, Black Friday was busy, and Thanksgiving was lazy. More about that later.

Many people have been posting lists of things they're thankful for, and I have decided to do the same, because that sounds like a nice idea.

So, I am thankful for...

• My friends and family. I've made a lot of new friends this year and become better friends with some. I'm glad there are so many people who will put up with me, and I'm grateful for their support.
• You, people who read this blog. Seriously. I put a lot of time into this, and even though I mostly just do it for me and for fun, it's still nice when people read it and respond. 
• Books. Obviously.
• I'm thankful that senior year has been fairly smoothly lately
• My health
• My new job. It's been a great learning opportunity for me. Also, you know, when I think about it, there are so many things that could've gone wrong. I could've hated all my coworkers, or could've been assigned something super super boring. So I'm pretty lucky that it turned out so well.
• For new beginnings and for all the possibilities waiting after graduation. I'm really lucky to have had all these opportunities, and to have all the ones waiting for me later on. 
• The fact that life can always change, and can always get better. Last year at this time, I remember I was a bit of a wreck. I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life, and my family was constantly bugging me about it, and I never had an answer for them. On top of that, I was involved in a relationship that wasn't really good for me. A year later, all of those problems are gone, and things are so much better. It's a nice reminder to me that, no matter how bad things get, they can always get better, especially if you make an effort to do so.
• The internet, and this blog. Even though I've been on facebook for years, I'd never really gotten into the internet beyond that, until recently. Now, I've discovered Twitter, and new blogs, and google reader, and I've started a new bog. It's been a great way for me to connect with new people and see about the different lives people are living, something which I'm always curious about. And it's just really fun.

Thanksgiving this year was fairly quiet, but nice. I was really, really hungry by the time we ate (around 1 PM), which I think actually made the experience better. The food tasted so good. My favorite was the mashed sweet potatoes. 

Also, I was wondering, what time do you guys have your Thanksgiving dinner? I've always wanted to have ours at actual dinner time, because it feels weird to be eating this big meal in the middle of the day. Anyone want to share?

Anyway, that night, my brother and I went to Best Buy, not because we wanted to line up to buy stuff, but because they were showing the Deathly Hallows on a big screen (actually it was a white truck). So, we went, and sat around waiting for them to start the movie (we got there way too early), but then we left because it was too cold. We went over to Walmart, right next to Best Buy, and just bought the DVD, and then we watched it in the comfort of our own home, while eating leftover mashed sweet potatoes. So much better.

But - my God - I could not believe how many people were lined up at Best Buy, even at 8 pm when we got there! So many! The line stretched around the building. I really wondered what they were there for. Personally, I think it's better that the stores open late on the night of Thanksgiving, rather than early the next morning. It's probably easier for people to get there. However, I do worry that Black Friday is intruding on Thanksgiving, and that the sale times will slowly get earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving night, until there's no Thanksgiving at all, just Black Thursday. Oh dear.

I did not go out at midnight or 4 AM for the Black Friday sales, but I did go out in the afternoon with my mom, just to witness the craziness. First, we went to Best Buy, which was chaotic, of course. We just went to get a few DVDs for my brother, nothing huge, but we still had to stand in the huge line. Oh well. It went pretty quickly. Then, we went to my favorite, Nordstrom Rack (Nordstrom's amazing outlet store). It was really not that crowded, but the parking lot was crazy, because it's in the same shopping plaza as Target. There, I tried on a few dresses that were on clearance, but they didn't work. Then, I was just wondering through the store, when I saw a beautiful cream-colored pea coat. I'm not really in the market for a coat, being in Florida and all, but I decided to try it on, just because. I always like trying on winter stuff. I think it's because I never get to wear it. Anyway, the coat was beautiful, but it was a 6 and was just a little too tight. They didn't have an 8 in the cream, and then 10 was too big and looked a little off. Then, I saw an 8 in black. It was like fate. At first I was a little sad that there was no cream 8, but black is probably a better idea, and it looks so sleek. It has this nice stitching in the middle which has a "slimming" effect, which is nice since I think coats normally make everyone look a little puffy. And it has a hood!  I ended up getting it, by the way. It was just too good of a deal to pass up, and the only coat I have is a puffy ugly parka. Now I have to go somewhere snowy for Grad school so that I can wear it! Haha. Goodbye, Texas.

This is not my coat, but close! Like this one, it has a hood. But the buttons are smaller.

After that, we went to the International mall, which is the big, fancy mall here in Tampa. We could not find parking anywhere. Literally anywhere, and it has a huge parking lot. It was the most crowded I'd ever seen it. We almost left, but then we spotted two people leaving, and we stalked them down. Again, it was fate. We mostly just window-shopped at the mall, which is fun at International because, like I said, it is so fancy. They have Tory Burch (which I do not really see the appeal of), Kate Spade (which I totally do), Juicy Couture, Betsy Johnson, J.Crew, Armani Exchange, Gucci, on and on...so much fancy stuff! I'm surprised they let us peasants in!

We finished up the shopping day at that epitome of Amerciana, Sam's Club. My mom needed to buy a few things, so while she was looking around, I just sat in a massage chair they had out. That was pretty nice, and it was funny to see people's reactions when they walked by and saw me sitting there. It was like everyone who walked by had something to say. Some people just nodded in approval, with a smile that said "good call on that one." Some people glared at me, wondering if I would ever get up so they could have their shot. Some people just made little jokes like "oh, guess you're all worn out," or "Hey, she's got the right idea." This one woman stood a ways away from me and just stared at me for awhile. I couldn't tell if she was waiting for someone and just happened to be standing there, or if she was trying to decide if she wanted a massage chair, or what. Then finally, she said in this kind of angry voice, "So that feels good, huh?" I wondered if she was passive-aggressively trying to get me to get up. But I didn't, I just nodded and smiled, because I hadn't even been sitting there for that long! And then eventually she went away.

So that was my Black Friday adventure! Did any of you find a particularly good deal?

College Moments

The other day at work, my boss and I were talking about those magical moments of college, those times when you looked around and thought to yourself, "wow, this is so college," or "hey, I really am in college, aren't I?" because whatever was happening would never happen in real life, or was something that, until that moment, you'd only seen in movies.

For my boss, it was a night when she and her friends went to Walmart at 11 PM, bought cookie dough, and ate it raw. That's right. No cooking, no rules. She says she thought to herself "take that, mom! I do what I want now." Yeah, librarians know how to party.

I have had many such moments in college, and I'll share them with you now. Or at least a few. The best ones. We'll skip all the boring ones, like orientation, and the first time I said "I'm an English major," and the first time someone asked "what are you going to do with that?" and the first time I got in a fistfight (those last two may or may not have been the same moment). (Kidding). Here we go:

My First (and only) frat party:
In one of the first weeks of my freshman year, I went to my first (and only) frat party, with some friends from orientation (read: People I really only hung out with because we were all freshman). It was really just like a movie, and my group of girlfriends and I starred as the Awkward Freshmen in the Corner. They held the party at the frat house, like a movie. I'm not sure how they got away with this, because I know UNC (where I spent my freshamn year) is a dry campus, and so is UF, and the frats at UF always (I think) have their parties at other places. But, whatever. It was in a frat house. Lots of people stood smoking on the big, southern porch outside. There were lots of empty bottles of vodka on the counters, and stains all over the carpet. The walls were bare, except for formal portraits of frat brothers, dating back years and years. We had to go down to the basement for the party, which terrified me at the time. I think we were all just a tiny bit scared we might get roofied, and so none of us ate or drank anything while we were there. I think it was rush week. Downstairs, some crappy band played on a makeshift stage, and people crowded the tiny dancefloor. We literally stood in the corner and watched people dance. I remember there was a girl who was very drunk, in very high heels, and she danced, as they say, with abandon. One of my friends, the pretty small blonde one, got hit on by a drunk senior, who instantly became the one-man welcome wagon when he heard we were freshmen. Funniest of all, out in the middle of the dance floor, there was a guy on crutches with a cast on his foot  floor, still trying to bust a move, with red plastic cups in both of his hands. We left the party after an hour or two, and I'm pretty sure none of us had any fun. (Except I did enjoy the people watching. Also, I remember thinking to myself "this will make a great story someday." And well, here I am...)

The Confession Tent
Much shorter story than above, but still funny: So my freshman year, someone set up a tent right in the middle of campus, with a sign outside that said "Confession." As in, he wanted people to come inside his tent and tell them his secrets. Awesome idea, right? I'm pretty sure it was a joke and not a religious statement. I remember passing by it and thinking, in a very freshman-y way, "Oh my God. College is so cool. People are so funny." Now as a cynical, world-weary senior I think, "how did that guy have time to sit in that tent all day? Didn't he have class?" So it goes...

Porn In Class
In the Spring of my first year, we watched porn in class. Like, as part of the class. Like, the professor put it on the syllabus and popped in the DVD and led a discussion about it. It was a porn adaptation of Macbeth, for a Shakespeare on Film class, called "In the Flesh" (yeah, I bet you just googled it, didn't you?). Our professor wanted us to see Shakespeare in its many modern interpretations and, for the record, she fast-forwarded through all the dirty bits (there was much fast-forwarding) and told us we didn't have to come to class that day if we didn't want to. I went, nervous that I would be the only one to show up and thus look like a huge perv. Everyone showed up. And as we sat there, discussing the implications of translating Shakespeare to pornography, I thought to myself "this would NEVER happen in high school."

From my dorm room freshman year
Yet another college rite of passage: Buying an artsy poster

2 AM Pizza
One night, towards the beginning of Freshman year, my roommate came back to our room around 2 AM. I was still awake (Why? Couldn't sleep? Facebook stalking people from orientation? I don't remember...) and she said she was hungry. "Let's go get pizza," she suggested. I remember this seemed like THE craziest idea at the time, that we could just get on the night bus, ride out into the town, and eat pizza, and no one would stop us. And we did it. Let me tell you, I felt like the biggest bad ass in the world when I rolled up into that pizza place. At the same time, though, that idea, that I could just go anywhere and no one would know, always kind of freaked me out, and still sometimes does. It's cool that you don't have to answer to anyone, but also scary to think that no one is responsible for you.


Champagne
For my friend Becky's 18th birthday (read: also during freshman year), a group of us went out to dinner. Afterwards, we all squeezed into her cave-like dorm room, and some hot-shot popped a bottle of champagne, which had been chilling in the mini-fridge. We didn't have cups, because we were freshman and cups are for grown-ups and people who actually have kitchens, so we just passed the bottle around, bonding through our shared germs. Also, I'm pretty sure we all kept yelling at each other to quiet down "or else the RA is going to come." Classic.

My First Exam
College isn't all about partying, you know? And I'd never felt like more of a serious college student than on the day of my first final exam. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was terrified. And honestly, I still think it was a pretty intense experience, especially for your first exam. It took place at 7 AM or something crazy early like that. It was a freezing December morning, snow on the ground (reminder: Snow exists). I ate a lonely bowl of Cheerio's in the dining hall, along with the few other poor souls who had early exams. The class was a survey English course, covering everything from the middle ages to the Protestant reformation (I think?), taught by a very enthusiastic and only slightly insane old man professor, whose name I forget (sorry!). For the exam, we had to identify different passages of poetry, including their title, their author, and their year, which meant memorizing a lot of poetry and a lot of dates, since I didn't know which ones would be on the test. I think there was also an essay, but I don't really remember, and I ended up doing fine. What I remember most, though, all these years later (okay, it hasn't been that long), was that quiet dining hall, the grey winter sky outside the windows, and that bowl of Cheerio's, which I almost couldn't eat it because of my nerves. And then afterwards, I was, in my little freshmany way, almost proud of how intense it had been. I felt like the fact that I survived such a hard, un-high-school-like exam made me a real college student.

Okay, so you might have noticed these are all from freshman year. I didn't intend for this to be a post reminiscing about freshman year, but that's the way it goes sometimes. I think it's because, as the years go on, I start to be less amazed by everything that happens. It's less like "this is so college," and more like "this is my life." I mean, in the beginning, even going to the library felt cool, like I was in a movie. (Although I do still get a  small thrill when I see all those books, or when I feel the buzz of activity in the study rooms.) Also, I think maybe as a freshman, we seek out these "college-y" experiences, fueled by pent-up energy from years of waiting for our chance. And then, as the years go on, we get more into our routines. We find the parts of college that we like and keep doing them, and, for the most part, the other things fall by the wayside. Meanwhile, the things we like become, as I said, routine, and no longer a noteworthy moment.

So maybe it's good to have freshmen around, to remind us why college is so cool. For example, a few months ago, I went to this charity dinner where we were all randomly seated with people we didn't know. (Although I, being the cool senior who has been around, still knew a few people at the table. No big deal.) A few of these people were freshmen, and one of them let out a small gasp when I said I was a senior (again, no big deal). We all had a nice conversation, not talking about anything in particular, just our majors and that sort of thing. Oh, and study abroad. Those kids had a lot of questions about study abroad. Then, at the end of the dinner, one of the freshman boys looked around the table and said, with a contented sigh, "Isn't it so cool how in college you can just sit down with anyone and have the best conversation with them? I mean, you just meet interesting people everywhere you go." Isn't that just the cutest thing? But seriously, it did remind me of the fact that most people at college have at least one cool story. I think this happens in the real world, too, but, coming from high school, it's a real change. I mean, you try to sit down at a different lunch table in high school, even if you kind of know the people, they'll probably just give you blank stares.

And, of course, I still do have some "college moments" from time to time, just not every day like freshman year. For example, the other day on my walk, you might remember I saw some kids playing humans vs. zombies. They were toting nerf guns, orange bandannas tied around their heads. That stuff just doesn't happen, except in a world that's populated by young, creative people with some spare time on their hands. Or when I walk through Turlington Plaza, a hub of UF's campus, and hear people earnestly expressing their ideas on everything from religion and politics to big/little reveals and annoying professors. And then, of course, there are the crazy football games...

Top Ten Authors I'd want at Thanksgiving

Whoa! Another entry today!? Yes, that's right, my friends. This week, in addition to getting a second helping of mashed potatoes, you're also getting a second helping of blog.

I was browsing through some blogs today (I have time for that sort of thing now that I'm on break) and I found this blog about my favorite thing: Books! Apparently they do these top ten lists every Tuesday, so I have decided to link up with them and join in on the fun.

So, today, it's the Top ten author's you'd want at Thanksgiving. My list is going to be surprisingly similar to the original, but that's just because that blogger has good tastes.

Okay, let's go!

1. Bill Bryson. Oh my God. Not even a question. He is so, so funny. I know he would be full of sarcastic side comments and fascinating bits of trivia. Best dinner guest ever.

2. John Green. If he's as funny in real life as he is in his videos and books, then he too would liven up dinner. He could bring his adorable son, Henry, and his funny brother Hank, too.

3. Sarah Dessen. She just seems so nice. AND I could finally ask her about all the stories behind her books. She just seems like someone who has a few secrets up her sleeve. I would give her some wine and try to get them out of her. Or, if that fails, we could talk about Kate Spade purses. According to her Twitter, she's a fan.

4. Kathryn Stockett. I just finished reading the Help, and I want MORE books from her. Therefore, I would invite her to dinner and badger her until she agrees to publish something within the next year.

5. Stephenie Meyer. Okay, before you roll your eyes, hear me out on this one. Maybe it's just because I just saw Breaking Dawn, but I'm feeling curious about her these days. I want to know, once again, the story behind the story. Plus, I bet she's got some great gossip about Robert Pattinson. (Inviting people to dinner just for information seems to be a reoccurring theme here...)

6. Maureen Johnson. She seems crazy. And fun.

7. Sharon Creech. How did it take me this long to put her on the list!?! Anyway, she's amazing. She just seems so wise and interesting. Very well-travelled. And I've always loved her books. I bet she'd be a great guest.

8. Ray Bradury, because he wrote on of my favorite books, Fahrenheit 451

9. J.K. Rowling. Once again, how did it take me so long to put her on here!?!

10. Johnathan Safer Foer, because he wrote another one of my favorite books, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Plus, he might have the scoop on the upcoming movie.

Poem Tuesday: I Go Back to May 1937

Hello friends! Today's poem is by Sharon Olds, and it's called "I Go Back to May 1937." The gist of the poem is that the speaker is imagining that she has gone back to the day of her parents graduation. Her parents then are happy and young and fresh-faced, and as the speaker looks at them, she realizes that they have no idea what's coming for them. They seem so innocent, but they are about to go out into the world and get hurt, and hurt each other, and their children. The speaker contemplates warning them, but realizes that doing so would result in her never being born.

I hope everyone won't read too much into this, what with my posting it around Thanksgiving and all. I don't mean for it to be a commentary on my own parents.

However, I do think that no family is without problems, and it's just interesting to think back on the time before all these problems began, and what the people involved were thinking before they took that first step towards their doom. I also think the speaker of the poem is in an interesting position, almost like that of a fortune teller. But by far my favorite part of the poem is the last line, where she says "Do what you are going to do, and I will tell about it." To me that perfectly summarizes the role of a writer. The writer, as much as he or she may want to, can't stop people from doing what they want, so she just has to sit back and watch and write about it. And, weirdly enough, if you did stop people from doing all the crazy things they do, you wouldn't have anything to write about. This is similar to how the speaker can't stop her parents from getting married, because then she wouldn't be born. It just makes you think about the struggles in life, and how they end up being part of who you are, and part of the story you tell about yourself. (Actually I guess I should say it makes me think about that. For all I know, it makes you think "Oh hey, I forgot to buy milk this week.")

Whoa! Was that too much? Quick, someone make a Rebecca Black joke.

Anyway, here's the poem:

"I Go Back to May 1937" by Sharon Olds
I see them standing at the formal gates of their colleges, 
I see my father strolling out
under the ochre sandstone arch, the 
red tiles glinting like bent 
plates of blood behind his head, I 
see my mother with a few light books at her hip 
standing at the pillar made of tiny bricks with the 
wrought-iron gate still open behind her, its 
sword-tips black in the May air,
they are about to graduate, they are about to get married, 
they are kids, they are dumb, all they know is they are
innocent, they would never hurt anybody.
I want to go up to them and say Stop, 
don't do it--she's the wrong woman, 
he's the wrong man, you are going to do things 
you cannot imagine you would ever do, 
you are going to do bad things to children,
you are going to suffer in ways you never heard of, 
you are going to want to die. I want to go 
up to them there in the late May sunlight and say it,
her hungry pretty blank face turning to me,
her pitiful beautiful untouched body, 
his arrogant handsome blind face turning to me,
his pitiful beautiful untouched body,
but I don't do it. I want to live. I 
take them up like the male and female 
paper dolls and bang them together 
at the hips like chips of flint as if to 
strike sparks from them, I say
Do what you are going to do, and I will tell about it.

Awesome Things

Hello, friends!

I have to say, even though I spend a lot of this blog space ranting and complaining, my life is actually pretty awesome. I thought I'd take some time today to acknowledge all the little things I've loved about this week.

First, whipped cream! That I whipped myself!

You see, I was at Publix the other day, and the berries were on sale! So of course, I had to get some. But then I thought, well, I'm not just going to eat berries plain, am I? It's not like I can take them to school in my lunch because they'll just get squashed. Then I had the brilliant idea to make whipped cream.

I learned how to make it from working in a kitchen at a summer camp (with a gourmet chef, I might add). It's fairly easy to do. You just pour some whipping cream in a bowl and beat it with a whisk until it looks like whipped cream. The chef I worked with used heavy cream and added some powered sugar, so I did that too. It is so good. I just want to put it on everything. 

Next: Sunflowers!

These babies were also on sale at Publix this week, and they are my favorite flower, so I just had to get some.  I put them in a vase in my room, and they just make me so happy every time I look at them. 

Cheerwine! I made this little cocktail after work one day. It's Cheerwine, whipped cream, and a crazy straw. (Yeah, I know how to party).  I told you I wanted to put whipped cream on everything. 

If you don't know, Cheerwine is a cherry-flavored soda that was previously only available in North Carolina. But now it's all over the place, and I am so excited! It is so tasty. Their slogan is "Born in the South, Raised in a Glass." Ahahaha!

The Help

I finished The Help this week, and I will probably have a more in-depth review coming soon, but let me just say now that I loved it. I could not stop reading it, and I when I finished I just closed it and sighed, and just sat there thinking about it for awhile. Yeah, it was one of those books. 

Fried Chicken

After I read The Help, I could not stop thinking about fried chicken! It comes up a lot in the book. And I love fried chicken. Anyway, I'd never made it before, but this week I decided I'd try it. It was definitely an interesting experience. The oil bubbled and popped. I was afraid it was going to splash me, but luckily it didn't. I used a fairly simple recipe, which you can look at here. I used canola oil to fry it, because that was what I had around. Most places I saw recommended vegetable oil, but the canola oil worked just fine. 

As you can tell from the above picture, the chicken looks a little gross while it's frying, and that definitely serves as a reminder that this is not great for your health. But oh, it tastes so good! And every once in awhile can't hurt, right?

Finished product

The pan after I took the chicken out

Dinner is served! 

Candles

So Glade has these special fall candles out, and I got this one, called "Cashmere woods." It smells wonderful. I've been lighting it every night before I go to sleep, and it's very calming, and not too overpowering. 

Monte Carlo

Uh, is Selena Gomez one of Blair's minons now?

I thought about not including this one, because I wouldn't say I love it, but oh well. It was cute. 

So anyway, my friend Laura and I watched the movie Monte Carlo last night, which is about a girl who goes to France and gets mistaken for a celebrity (hmm...this sounds familiar). Then she trades places with the girl and gets swept up into her whole world, with her two friends (Blair Waldolf and blondie) along for the ride. The movie was incredibly predictable, but it was entertaining and light-hearted, and Blair Waldolf's love interest was super hot. Plus, we had fun guessing everything that was going to happen next and making snarky commentary. 

Taylor Swift's unreleased songs

Earlier this week, Laura (double shout-out!) showed me some of Taylor Swift's unreleased songs. This one, Sweet Tea and God's Graces, was one of my favorites. I don't know why...just something about it. I think I like the sweet simpleness of it. And luckily, someone made this handy Youtube video of it, so you can listen for yourself. Hit it!

The Gators! 

The Swamp!

Let's be real, I love the Gators every week, but today is extra special, because it is my last game as a student! Whoa. Whoa. It's a big moment, guys. I might actually cry when we sing Boys of Old Florida. But will it be because I'm graduating or because the Gators are losing yet again? Only time will tell....

And that's everything! That's a lot of love, right? Well, I gotta eat lunch before I head to this 1 pm game. 

Have a great Saturday, everyone, and go Gators! 

PS. I did not get paid off by Cheerwine, Publix, or Glade. But if any of those companies want to send me money or a lifetime supply of their products...I'm here. 

The Rules of Gossip Girl

And continuing with the pop culture theme...

I have been watching Gossip Girl for quite awhile now. Since the beginning, really, although I did stop for a few years in the middle there. It was just getting too ridiculous, what with Chuck’s dad dying and that crazy girl having a baby. But now I’m back to watching it, and I must say, I love the Chuck and Blair dynamic, even though this whole Louis-triangle thing is getting a little annoying (And how ridiculous is his accent?). But seriously, I wish they would just cut all the other characters (especially Serena. Seriously, does she do anything but complain about her life and beg for attention?).

Anyway, since I’ve been watching for so long, I’ve noticed a few patterns in the show. It’s like the characters keep getting themselves into the same problems, even though these problems have happened a million times before, except with maybe a few different details. These people just never learn! (Translation: These writers just never have new ideas!)

Therefore, to guide the poor souls of the Upper East Side (and for your entertainment), I have devised a few rules for them to live by:

The Rules of Gossip Girl

1) Anytime someone offers to do something nice for you, they are actually going to stab you in the back.

2) Never rely on someone else to relay an important message. They will either never deliver it or change it or tell everyone you know or use it against you.

3) Never, under any circumstances, give anyone your cell phone. Don’t let them answer a phone for you, either

4) If you must give someone your cell phone, first erase your entire history

5) Whenever possible, make a pun out of Chuck Bass’s name. Ex: That Bass-tard. His Bass-ets. Like a Bass out of Hell. That motherchucker. Is this good cop, bass cop? Want to hide out at the bass cave? And, my favorite, when Chuck himself says “You’ve just hooked yourself a Bass."

He's chucking with my head! 

6) Anytime a random stranger appears, he is not actually a random stranger. Either he is being paid off by someone you know, or is a distant relative, or is someone who will soon have his own sub-plot, if he plays his cards right

7) In fact, assume everyone you meet is working for someone you hate. Or wants your money. Possibly both.

8) If someone invites you to a party, they are either going to try to kiss you or humiliate you. Possibly both.

9) Parties always occur at the most tense times, causing all that built up tension to explode, and all secrets to come out. (You would think they would learn their lesson and just stop having parties. But no...)

10) Even though you supposedly go to an Ivy League school, you never have to study. However, you may occasionally be seen holding a highlighter or carrying some books, if it is convenient to the plot/wasting time before something happens/making you look sexy.

11) Always assume people mean the opposite of what they say. Ex: “You are my best friend” means “I hate your guts.”  “I am your cousin” means “I am some random stranger.” “I forgive you” means “I will hold a silent grudge and find little ways to ruin your life.” 

12) Blair Waldorf's headbands. That's not really a rule but I just felt like I had to mention it.

13) Anytime you’re at a party involving masks, and you see someone you know, assume that it is actually someone disguised as that person you know. And double check the face under the mask before kissing them/telling them deep dark secrets/giving them important papers. (Seriously. This happens ALL the time on this show. Why are they always having parties with masks? And why don’t they ever learn? These people...)

14) Most importantly, trust no one.

There are probably more...but that’s all I can think of right now. I’ll add more as I continue watching.

PS. Chuck Bass puns supplied courtesy of this tumblr I found on Google. They even made a snazzy gif for it.