This Is Our Moment

Senior Year. Who would have thought we'd make it this far? The semester is off to a good start and I don't really have to many complaints. I'm already freaking out about my thesis, but I'm pretty sure I've decided on a topic, I've gotten my Library of Congress card and have requested 14 books from the consorsium. Plus I'm meeting woith my advisor tomorrow.

For the most part, I'm enjoying my classes. Washington: Symbol and City is pretty much amazing. I'm so excited about that class. It's freaking awesome. My Nazism class isn't too bad, but hella note taking and outside reading. And its being taught by the new chair of the department, so I want to do well in the class. I'm sure it will be fine though. Media is gonna be a bitch, simply because it is a class conprised of 42 freshman, John Lynsky, Alyssa LaCorte and myself. Tons of bitchwork. But I've had the prof before and she really likes me so I don't forsee getting anything less that a straight A in that class.

I'm pretty sure I'll have a mental breakdown at some point this semester. My roommates will come back to find me passed out on the foof chair with a cold washcloth over my eyes and a pile of ww2 propoganda books surrounding me. Possibly some redbull cans scattered around. in any event, it wont be a pretty site.

I think I'm dying of the swine flu. not really, but I am losing my voice. For no real reason, because I feel fine other than this terrible cough and the fact that I cant talk. Shit. I hope its not like this all weekend. I've got shit to do. And I need to have a voice.

Knife Fight

I'm at work right now. I'm doing nothing. Just sitting. And I have been for a while. So, I said to myself "self, wouldn't this be a good time to blog about last night". And now that is exactly what I am doing.
Yesterday was Chris' birthday. The big two one. He said he was going to Brickskellers in Dupont with Karl, Kenny and Nick. After that, they were going to go to Irish Times and Erin and I were going to meet them there. That was the plan.
Well, they ended up drinking themselves into half a stupor at Brickskellers, so we went there to meet them. Erin, me, our roommate Ashley and Erin's friend David drove out there in Ashley's car. We got there at midnight. When we walked in Kenny and Nick were standing next to one another and they were the first two people we walked up to. I go to give Kenny a hug and then Nick. But Nick (being completely trashed) throws his arm out in front of Kenny, half knocks him over and throws his arms around me in this huge bear hug that nearly knocked me down. I tried to push him back onto his feet and Kenny had to grab him by the arm and pull him off me. A minute later Chris came over and gave me one of those "I'm drunk so I'm going to hug you and we'll sway back and forth for a minute" kind of hugs. He was trashed but in a great mood and drinking energy shots. Erin, David and I got a shot at the bar and the boys decided to go to Times because the bar was pretty quiet and they had been there for hours. Chris went outside for a cigarette while Karl, Nick and Kenny paid the bill. We told them that we were going to walk back to Ashley's car and we would meet them there, because they were going to get a cab.
When we went outside, I stood at the top of the steps to tell Chris we were going to meet him at Times, while everyone else walked down to the street level. Randomly, as I'm telling him this, some Asian guy standing next to Chris asks me if he can give me an obnoxiously big hug because he saw how I hugged Chris when we walked in. Apparently he'd been drinking with the boys all night. I just looked at him and was like "well, I've known Chris longer than anyone else here. That's why I hugged him." And I walked away.
Thirty or forty minutes later, the four of us are sitting at Times and Chris & co. still havent shown up. I text him and he responds wiht "complications. we'll be there soon." O...k... They got there a few minutes later and Chris and Kenny were all rialed up and hollering about a fight and the bill. Then Nick walked in. He had blood splattered on his shirt, his lip was busted open and he has a cut under his eye that was starting to swell. Apparently their waitress' boyfriend nad his friend got mad that they didn't leave a bigger tip so they came out and were yelling. Chris went back inside to leave the girl another $20 and these two guys start getting into a fight with Nick. Next thing you know, the boyfriend's friend pulls out a knife and tries to stab Nick. Kenny grabbed his arm from behind him, but they the boyfriend grabbed Kenny and pulled him back. For some reason Nick and Kenny were being held back, but hte guy with the knife wasn't restrained. Kenny said he was convinced at one point that Nick had been stabbed and started freaking out. Chris came back outside (after giving the girl a bigger tip) and was so pissed off. He wanted to go back inside and scream at the manager but Kenny and Nick just put him in a cab and they all came to Times looking a little worse for the wear, but just in time for last call.
After the bar closed we went back to campus and hung out outside and in the boy's room for a little while. Then I realized it was about 3:30 in the morning and I had to get up for work in 4 hours, so I went to bed.
In my opinion though, the best part of the night was the fact that I went out and had a shot of Absolut and three screwdrivers but didn't spend any money. Erin's friend David bought a round of shots at Brickskellers and then insisted on buying our drinks at Times too. I felt kinda bad, but hey, I didn't want to be rude and demand to pay for my own drink.

9 - 5

I think I may have found the perfect job for this summer. It's pretty low stress and easy going. Yesterday I had a lot going on because I was figuring out how to do different things and where everything was. It was sort of exciting, sort of boring. But hey, I don't know of many people who say they like work, whatever it is that they may be doing.
Today, Gail (the person I'm working for) called at 10:00 to say she wouldn't be coming in because she had to take her really, really old mother to the hospital. She then went into detail about her symptoms and the tests they were planning to run. Waaay more info than I needed. She gave me a list of about 4 or 5 things to do over the course of the day.... I was done with more than half of it by 11 and the last two things (handle the mail and pick up the checks from payroll) couldn't be done. So I hung out until I went to lunch, came back and took care of the mail, picked up the checks, and spent the next three hours reading my book. Occasionally the phone would ring and I'd take a message. That was the extent of it. I have a feeling this is what most of my days will be like since Gail won't be coming in to work on Mondays and Fridays starting next week. I could finish a book a week if this keeps up.
My hair dyer kind of exploded yesterday morning. It started shooting sparks and crackling. So today I had to go buy a new one. I knew it had been breaking for a while because it would work, and then other times it wouldn't. The fact that it semi-exploded was a little much though. I mean, was that really necessary? It could have just refused to turn on and it all would have been fine.
Tomorrow is Chris' birthday. I'm kind of excited for all of us to finally go out together. I'm sure we'll have a good time. Although, knowing the boys, it could be slightly scary what we end up doing. I could imagine us ending up in some strange bar in Adam's Morgan with no money for a cab, and no real idea how we ended up there. Hopefully, that's not what actually takes place.
This whole being at school with no school work thing it pretty nice. I could get used to it. I get back to my room and don't have to worry about doing anything other than relax or straighten up a bit. I did that today. This whole place was messy. I know I'm OCD, but it was legitimately messy. A dirty blender cup, dirty dishes, empty food boxes. It wasn't just me. It needed to be cleaned. Plus my g-rents are stopping by this weekend on their cross-country trip. And you know it needs to be clean for them because they really are insane. So I cleaned up. And I'll swiffer/vacuum later this week.
Time to go read. Less than 300 pages to go!! (the book is 973 pages long)

The District

I realize that I stopped writing and updating my blog. This is not due to me forgetting about it. Quite the contrary. I thought about posting several times. But when I tried to come up with something to talk about, I would come to the realization that nothing interesting and blog worthy had happened. But now I'm back in DC to start working and I'm sure my life will be slightly more interesting. So, I will now give a general update of the last two weeks. Lets see...
I worked at Harry's for most of the time I was home. It's never dull in that place. Every time I come home, there is a new bum to meet, or an update on the downwardly spiraling lives of our regular bums. We've got this new guy... I don't know his name, but he's a small skinny guy with no hair, most likely in his fifties. He comes in a couple of times a day, talking to himself. I don't mean mumbling. I mean a full conversation. And he's always carrying a small American flag. I think someone gave it to him at the Memorial Day parade last week. Damn people trying to be nice. Aside from that, Gary the Puppet and his band of misfits who live in an apartment across the street are getting more insane. This guy Gary has some kind of disease (I think MS) and he's all messed up. He's got a white trash wife. I mean waaaay white trash. She's got a daughter a couple months younger than me and a son about two years older than me. The son is the only slightly normal one. The daughter just had a baby last year and the poor kid has a trech in his throat cause his lungs didn't ully develop because the daughter was smoking weed while she was pregnant. These guys are pretty much at the bottom of our list of bums.
I got my hair cut on Thursday and colored on Friday. It's ver different and I really like it. It's shorter (only to my shoulder) and I've got a side bang . Plus it is layered with a face frame. The new cut, with the color.... its good summer hair. Hahaha.
Overall, home was pretty uneventful. My sister got into the National Honor Society. She's an overachiever and, while I was the vice president, she'll probably become the president. That's just the type of person that she is. My mom basically told me that Leigh Ann was too good to go to a school like Catholic. Thanks mom! My grandparents are coming home next week for my cousin Matt's wedding. They're driving again. And they said they might stop here over the weekend to take me to lunch and see me. That could be good or it could be bad. I'm not sure yet.
Yesterday the four of us took a trip into the city. My dad thought it would be a fun thing to do. And something different. I swear, for living so close to New York City, I don't go there very often and I probably know less about the city than some tourists. In certain regards. In other was, I definitely know more. Butwe dont go to the city that often. Why would we? It's such a hastle to sit in traffic and then pay $25 to park. There are crowds and its noisy and I don't really have much desire to do touristy things in New York. That just seems rediculous to me and everyone else I know. Well, we went to the city yesterday. We took a double decker tour, which was kind of cool. The guy told us a couple things we didn't know and we got to the see the city from a different perspective. That was nice. We got off in Chinatown and walked to Little Italy, where they just happened to be having a street festival for the Feast of St. Anthony. My sister and I convinced our parents to go to Ferrara's, which is (by far) the greatest bakery in the world. It's amazing. I got a lobster tail and an iced coffee. It was heaven. I always get the lobster tail when I'm there. They're just so damn good. It's something to be experienced. Just off the corner of Grand and Mulberry, if anyone is interested. So after the bakery, we took a cab to the western end of SoHo and went to the Tenenment Museum, which was really cool. There was an obnoxious lady, who thought she knew everything, on our tour though. I hate peopel like that. Why come on the tour if you know everythign already? Wht spend the money? Well, after we were done at the museum, we walked back to Little Italy to get dinnerbecause there were just so many good restaurants. While we were eating, they had a parade where a statue was carried up and down Mulberry Street and people gave donations and prayed to the saint. My dad (being the ass that he is) decided to go stand by the statue so I could take his picture and send it to his friend. They thought it was funny. So that was our day. We had a good time.
And now I'm back in DC and I have work in the morning. I'm sure it will be good and I'll have a fine time. I'm looking forward to just being able to settle into a routine and get used to things. It's like when you start the semester... you're still trying to remember where your classes are and figure out how the semester is going to work out in terms of work. By the end of the week, I'm sure I'll have it all figured out.
Ok, I am completely exhausted from getting up, packing my car, driving down here, unpacking my car, going to Giant, unpacking my room and setting everything up. So I'm going to read my book and go to bed early.

The Pillars of the Earth

So I started reading this book. It's called "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. I got it for Christmas last year, because I asked for it. It seems like everyone I know got this book last year for Christmas. At least, everyone from home who I know, who reads regularly. It was the hot gift book of the season.
The book is set in England (I swear, its fate) in the 1500s and its about this mason worker named Tom, who has this dream of builing a great Cathedral. I think somehow he does eventually get commissioned to build a Cathedral and then the reast of the book is about what happens during that whole time. It takes place over a ten year period.
Well, I started reading the book last Christmas when I got it and just never really got into it. It's a very long book (973 pages) and its a slow read. In no way is it any kind of light, beach read. Plus, its one of those books where you have to plow through the first 60 or 100 pages before it gets interesting. Like in "HP and the Sorcerer's Stone" when the first chapter or two are spent talking about Uncle Vernon and his job selling drills. That really draws you in. Or "The DaVinci Code", where you spend the first 50 pages reading about an albino monk and you're sitting there thinking, "what the fuck am I reading? I didn't know Tom Hanks was going to play an albino monk when they make the movie." This is kind of like that. Instead of just laying some background info and getting into the story, the first 65 pages are spent reading about Tom and his family and how they are trying to catch the theif who stole their pig. What does a pig have to do with building a Cathedral??? Basically, the point I'm trying to make is that this is not an easy book to get into.
The thing is, if it was just a hard book to get into and didn't seem that interesting, I would just put it on my shelf and not read it. Maybe my dad would pick it up one day and find it worth while. But there is a flip side to this. Everyone (and I mean everyone) who has read this book has said it is one of, if not the, greatest book they've ever read. Everyone from Oprah, to my aunt, to the manager at Harry's, to one of my friends from high school. People all over have been talking about his book. It's not that new either. The book was first published in 2002. But it has become extremtely popular in the past two years. Probably because Oprah named it one of her "book club" books and then gave away autographed copies at her "Oprah's Favorite Things" special last fall. Then miraculously, it was the hot book last Christmas. So Oprah and everyone else I've talked to has said it is the greatest book they ever read and I absoultely have to read it.
Now I'm starting it again. I've decided to make it my first book of the summer. That way, I'll have to finish it before I can read anything else and I can't push it off to the end because I'm reading other things and run out of time. Even if I dont like it, I'll still finish it.
It's actually starting to get kind of interesting. I'll let you know how I like it and if it is, in fact, the greatest book I've ever read.

It's a Sip of Wine, It's Summertime

I'M DONE!!!!! With papers, with the semester, with junior year. I'm done with all of it. It's amazing. I was convinced it would never end. But now its over and I'm home for the next three weeks. It's nice to be home and have nothing to do. It will be a relaxing three weeks. Then its back to DC for the summer!!! So excited!!!
So I'm watching The Sound o Music on ABC Family right now (god, I love having nothing to do). Last night I watched Notting Hill. Then it was on again this afternoon and I was compelled to sit and watch it again. Really, having nothing to do is fantastic.
Ahhh, so many season finales this week. I'm going to go nuts. Brothers & Sisters tonight. Twenty-four next week. Bones and Grey's Anatomy on Thursday. And I'm not working this week during any of them, which is sweeeeet. I'm only workng three days. I'm pretty sure my manager realized that I'd go crazy if I had to start working tomorrow morning.
Ok, I've still got a ton of unpacking to do. My mom is making me unpack everythign even though I'm going to school in three weeks. Very annoying!

Collegebox My Life

It's almost over! The end is in sight! There is a light at the end of the tunnel! ::insert other triumphant metaphors:: There is just one final that stands between me and summer. Unfortunately, that exam is philosophy and it may very well kick my ass. It is not going to be easy. I almost wish I'd had t on Tuesday and I had politics tomorrow. Then I could get away with not studying, because I'm mentally spent. I have no more energy to focus on anything.
On top of that, I had to get all of my shit packed for collegeboxes. They 're coming to pick everything up early tomorrow so I needed to get the bulk of my packing done today. I've got three boxes worth of stuff that I'm storing for the summer. Plus I'm leaving one box of stuff (mostly kitchen things), our beer pong table and the traffic cone with Erin Kilroy while I got home for three weeks. She's staying here and I think she'll be living with Liz and me this summer, so she said I could leave it with her till I get back. That's good because I've most likely got a car full of stuff to bring home. Some of it wont come back in June (like the tv) and I need to make sure I'll have room for the mini fridge to come back down. That will be my biggest challenge. I'm sure it will be fine though.
Ok, so I just got off the phone with my Dad. I told him I'm coming home Saturdya so that I can sleep Sunday, since I'm very sleep deprived. He followed that up with "did you call Eddie to get yourself on the schedule to work these next few weeks while you're home?" Is he kidding? I mean, yea I planned on working a bit while I'm home for three weeks so that I can make some cash to get me through the first two weeks down here, but my dad is like a slave driver. I just want to go to sleep! So now I have to call Harry's tomorrow to make sure that I can work for the next three weeks. God forbid I have a day off.
Well, I must go summon the will to study Aristotle and Rousseau. Not that it will be difficult, I mean who wouldnt want to study Aristotle and Rousseau all night? It's so much fun. Just... gag me now. Get it over with.

Have You Massacred the Indians?

Why yes. Yes, I have massacred the Indians. While sitting in Leahy early last night, Steve Anderson came over to talk because he was procrastinating doing his take home final for Krum. He asked me how my paper on he "massacred indians" was going. Sunday night I wrote a paper about Indians. Last night I was writing a paper about the Boston Massacre. The two of us have spent so much time writign papers in Leahy that we're starting to confuse our own work and each others. I could have sworn he was working on the Krum final last week. haha.
Regardless, last night, at 5:45 a.m., I finished my 10-15 page paper on "the Boston Massacre and It's Implications". It was twelve pages of real historical research and thought. Riviting stuff, I'm telling ya. Hell, whom I kidding? It was complete bullshit worth 50% of my final grade. Hopefully the prof likes it. I think he will. He's not a very hard grader.
At quarter to six this morning, when I left Leahy, I seriously contemplated sitting up and just watchign the sun rise, because it was already kind of light out. That's sad. I slept until about 12:30 then got up and started packing--collegeboxes comes on Friday. Because I'm staying for the summer I have some stuff that I'm not going to pack up. Hopefully I'll have one less box to leave with them.
I got an email from my fave person this afternoon. Of course I'm talking about Linwood Dailey. So I go to the package room, all confused because I'm not expecting anything. Do you know what it was?!?!?! It was my Kenny Chesney tickets!! I had listed teh school as my address because I figured they would get here in June and I wouldn't want them shipped home if I would be here. But they came early. It's so awesome, they say "floor seats" acrosss the top. I'm uber-excited. Plus Erin and her brother got tickets and are going to come tailgate with us all day. It will be wonderful. I just need to figure out a way to bring the blender. Kenny conerts are definitely pina colada events.
Ok, I'm back in Leahy. I really should just sleep here. I've got a media paper to write tonight that is due in Marist by 5 pm tomorrow. Why can't this prof be simple and just let us email the papers to her. Oh, thats right. I forgot. She "cant accept or greade anythign that is emailed to her". Why? god only knows. But I should get writing. I'm hoping to be out of here by 3 tonight.

Physics

I've got a job for the summer!!!!! I'm going to make $13/hour to sit in the Physics Department, answer phones and fax papers. It will be glorious. I walked in today to meet with the student who works there now, and she was sitting there with her boyfriend, watching Family guy. I think I'm made of gold. Although, I will have to get a second job of some sorts, waitressing or hostessing. Maybe I'll work at the movie theater. Haha.
I think I'm looking at an all-nighter in Leahy. I've got about 3 pages written on a 10-15 page paper that is due tomorrow at 5. I'm not concerned though. I'm about to start quoting the shit out of primary documents and I think there is potential to insert a picture into the paper. Besides, I don't do my best writing until after midnight anyway. Hence why I have two rebdbulls, my Ipod and no exams tomorrow. I'm good to go ::hand motion from taco bell commercials::
Well, I guess I can check another thing off of that list I made at the beginning of the semester. Get a job/have an awesome summer. I think that I will definitely b successful at the second.

Finals

Hell week has begun... finals week! It shouldn't be that bad because, theoretically, I only have two finals. Politics tomorrow and philosophy on Friday. But I also have a paper due tomorrow, another due Wednesday and another due Thursday. So that makes the week pretty hellish. But it's almost over.
Last night I was up until 5 in the morning writing my paper that is due tomorrow. It's done though. At about 2:45 I had 3 pages and could have gone to sleep and gotten up to write this morning, or just toughed it out and finished it. I decided to finish it. So now I just have to proof read it. I'm glad I got it done because I got to relax a little bit today before starting on my next paper.
With each passing day, I'm becoming more and more concerned about the state of my summer affairs. I've got this pain in my stomach that gets continually worse as we creep closer to the weekend and my departure date. I'm going to be so, inconsolably miserable if I have to spend my summer in Bayonne. Not that I dont love my hometown, but there is nothing there for me. My dad tried to tell me today that a "good second option" would be me working 4 days a week at my g-ma's liberal, union-representing law firm in the city. I wanted to scream at him. How is that a good second option???? It not at all, anywhere close to what I wanted to do this summer. In fact, its the polar opposite of what I wanted. Does he not get how depressed I'll be? Well, at this point there is nothing I can do. If something works out in the next few days great, but its slowly sinking in that I'm going to have to go home this summer. I just have to accept it.
I have a paper on the Boston Massacre I really need to start writing.

Luaupalooza 2009

Yesterday was everyone's favorite day of the CUA year. And no, I'm not talking about Administrative Mondays. I'm talking about Luaupalooza. It's the one thing our school does right every year, and everyone shows up to. It is the all afternoon, all night, Luau themed party that we use to celebrate the end of classes and the end of the year. There is free food, music, rides, games, free t-shirts (which you must line up for an hour beforehand). People basically just hang out all afternoon and play on giant blow-up carinval rides while listening to different bands. Its my favorite day of the school year.
Unfortunately, yesterday they were calling for rain so the Luau got moved inside, which isn't really that big of a deal It was more well organized than when it got moved inside freshman year and everyone hung out until around 9/9:30. We then made Pina Coladas and sat outside listening to summer music because it was so niice out. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The night didn't end so well, but I'm not getting into it. I'm just done with this year and ready for it to be over. I'm done bending over backwards and dealing with shit that isn't my problem. I'm handling my own things and thats it. I don't have the time or any more energy for everything else. That's all I'm saying.

p.s. that is this year's t-shirt

Swine Flu

I'm sick. I've caught the swine flu. I'm achy, my throat hurts, I'm freezing cold in Leahy (even though its been hotter than hell in here) and I'm just all around sick. Clearly, it is swine flu. It has nothing to do with the end of the semester and the fact that I haven't gotten a really good night's sleep in two weeks. With my luck, I will now be the first confirmed case of swine flu in the DC Metro area. Great. I always wanted to be in the news. Not!
Despite feeling like crap, I'm in Leahy and have been here for over three hours. I'm working on my annotated bibliography for my research presentation for tomorrow. Although Walt O'Donnel and another guy from my class are both sitting by me and they dont really have any idea what we're supposed to do for this presentation. Walt is making his paper outline, the other kid already wrote his paper (overachiever!) and I'm doing the bibliography. But I'm not too concerned about whether or not I get all of my sources written about. I'n fact, I think tomorrow before class I may work on an outline so that I'm not sitting there for five minutes talking about the different depositions of people who argue about where the Captain was standing and who he was talking to when the order to fire was given. Its really not that interesting.
On a side note, Brian Neimic just walked into Leahy and started giving cookies to everyone! That's friggin awesome!
Ok, I'm getting back to work because I need a decent night's sleep to fight off this deadly virus.

ps: for those who dont appreciate my sarcasm and exageration, I don't have swinne flu. I've probably just got a bad cold

SARs part deux

We're in day four of the heat wave and I'm beginning to get used to/enjoy it. Warm weather is always better than cold. I sat outside today and read through my history documents for my research presentation that I have to give on Wednesday. I think I'm looking at a long night tomorrow and all afternoon on Wednesday. Fun! Well, 2.5 hours sitting in the sun both paid off and had its consequences. The good news is I've got my first flip-clop tan of the summer. The bad news is that I'm now sunburned on my legs and arms. Really. Not cool.
Top this off with the Swine Flu pandemic. There have now been confirmed cases in New Jersey and the largest outbreak in the country (about half the cases) have been at one high school in Queens. Fantastic. I've got the immune system of an AIDs patient!!! Don't you people get this!! I just had a terrible coughing fit. Clearly i'm infected. The first confirmed case in DC. My coughing has nothing to do with the soda I was drinking moments before.
Ok, I need to get back to making my annotated bibliography. I actually hate making these things but somehow I got it in my head that it would help me be able to give my presentation on my research. So I'm making one. And I've got a looooong way to go.

Heat Wave

Right now (and for the past two days) the DC-Philly coridore is the hottest place in the country. Hotter than Miami, Las Vegas, California, Texas, everywhere. The average temperature has been between 87 and 92. It's hot. And it is definitely a welcome change from the rain and misery that had taken up residence in the district since the day before my birthday.
Friday we went to Loriol Plaza to get dinner and drinks. Unfortunately we went at an ungodly early hour and caught the happy hour, postt-work crew. It also meant we were done eating by like 9:30 and that we were home by midnight. In all, while the margaritas were good, the night was a bit of a bust.
Yesterday we lounged around and did nothing. I helped set up for the APO banquet in the afternoon and then showered so that pre-gaming could be done before the event started. We got there a little after 7 and immediately bought our tickets for the cash bar. I'm pretty sure Fr. Andy thinks I'm an alcoholic because he knew we had some drinks before hand, saw Andy and me walk over to the bar as soon as the bartender showed up and then (when he was deciding whether or not to have a drink) I tried to convince him that he should. Maybe not the best idea. Oh well. After the banquet, Marian and I went to Times and met up with John, who was there for his friend's 21st birthday. We closed the bar down at 3:00. It was good times (no pun intended).
Today was, quite possibly, hotter than yesterday. It was ungodly. Erin Kilroy and I went and got smoothies at PG Plaza and they were fantastic. then I came back and procrastinated before goign to the APO meeting at 5:30, where we had nominations for next year's exec board. It was interesting and pretty predictable, which led to no drama (no fun!). Although, I think the drama that unfolded at the banquet with certain alums was more than enough.
So I may have a new opening on the job front. I'm still not giving up on hte departments and agencies (they'll be getting phone calls tomorrow) but there could be another opportunity. I was checking the CUA Career Services' website today and they had some jobs listed for the summer. One was as an office assistant in the Physics Department. I hate physics but I can suck it up for a summer, because it pays $13/hour and is 9-5 everyday. That's pretty sweet money. I emailed the contact person today and attached my resume. Basically it was like "hi, i'm not a physics major, but i can file and type. will you hire me?" Maybe it will work out. Fingers crossed on something presenting itself soon because I know if I go home in two weeks and dont have any potential things, then I'm not getting back down here. I'll be commuting into NYC everyday and that is not something I want to do, at all.
Ok, I'm in Leahy procrastinating working on my media paper and then beginning my history research that is due on Wednesday. I need to get to work.

Midnight McFlurries

Another late night. I didn't get to bed until 3:30 last night and was actually in Leahy for a good amount of time because Megan and Stacie were there working on the philosophy papers. I was about ready to have a nervous breakdown about it because I had no clue what I was even supposed to be writing about.
Around midnight I had an epiphany as to what the paper was supposed to be about and, suddenly it all made sense. The three of us then decided that we were hungry and we really wanted McDonalds. So we took a drive to the McDonalds, which is like 15 minutes from campus. It was a project because the first intercom didnt work but it didn''t say it wasn't working and it was lit up like it was fine. The working intercom was around the corner. So the three of us, like fucking idiots, sat there for like 7 minutes waiting for someone to come take our order. We finally realized what dumb asses we are and got our orders before heading back to school and buckling down for another 2 hours of writing.
Tonight I think I'm heading back to Leahy to finish up my philosophy paper. Its due tomorrow morning. After that class, I can relax, call all the places I've applies to for jobs, give a tour and shower to go out. Because tomorrow night we're going to Loriol Plaza for margaritas and then I think we will be going out to other places.
Ok, I'm giving myself until 9 to relax and rest because I'm exhausted and freezing cold (I think I'm getting sick). Then it's off to Leahy. To write a philosophy paper. On Aristotle and Rousseau.
Fantastic. I've got 2 giant redbull to get me through it all.

The Berlin Wall

If anyone ever needs to know anything about the Berlin Wall or Ronald Reagan's famous "tear down this wall" speech, I'm your person. After the past 2 and a half days, I'm pretty sure I could tell you anything there is to know about that topic. I thought it would be interesting and whatnot, especially since I'm a Reagan fan (really, who isnt?) but I was sorely mistaken. If I never write/type the guy's name again, I'd die happy. The same goes for the Brandenburg Gate. Really, I think the US should have just nuked the shit out of Moscow in the 50's and just been done with it. I mean, they didn't even have toilet paper. There is no way they would have been able to detect a nuclear weapon. Damn communists.
At least the paper is done. I just have to proof it, which will only take me a few minutes. Right now, I'm moving on to my philosophy essay which is due on Friday. Prove why Rousseau disagrees with Aristotle's claim that all men have a natural desire for knowledge. Joy. I think tonight is going to be mainly the research end of it and tomorrow will be the bulk of the writing. I'm just kind of burnt out tonight from writing all day. God I hate the end of the semester. On top of the paper I finished today and the philosophy paper due Friday, I have the following:
-3 pages on the film "Capturing the Friedmans"
-10-15 pages on how the Boston Massacre was the cause of the American Revolution
-8 pages of analysis on documents pertaining to a 17th century murder trial in New England
-3 pages on the film "this film is not yet rated"
-and a media paper of undetermined length on an undetermined topic
FML

On top of all this, on Friday afternoon I have to call all the different agencies that I applied to and folow up with them. Find out when or if I will be hearing from them. Hopefully that will help to give me a better perspective on where things stand. If it doesn't sound to promising after that, then Saturday and Sunday are going to be spent looking up temp agencies to register with and maybe checking out some places in Georgetown or Dupont to get a job.
Perhaps a good note though, I've decided I'm going to do Jumpstart in the fall. I have 2 days off and need to do something with my time, other than try and get a part time on-campus gig and write my thesis. Plus, if you do Jumpstart and apply for Teach for America, you are automatically pushed through to the second round of interviews. And there are only two rounds. So it definitely can't hurt my chances if I'm participating in that program while applying to T4A. Its areally good reume builder too. And, I mean, lets not forget that it actually does help young, disadvantaged kids who don't necessarily have the strongest role models in their lives. Its a win-win all around.

Sleep Deprivation

The final weeks of the semester are hell. I hate them. Really, I do. I have 7 papers to write in the next 2 weeks. Approximately 60 pages (and that's a conservative estimate). I haven't gotten to bed before 2:30 in the past few days and I have a feeling that this pattern is going to continue until classes are over and the finals have been taken. I'm going to start living on Redbull pretty soon. I've already started resorting to it. But I'll elaborate more on that later. Right now, its 2:55 and I'm going to go to bed so that I can catch 5 hours of sleep, get up and go to philosophy and then come back and continue writing. ALL. DAY.

It really will be a miracle if I survive the next 2 weeks.

It Got a Little Crazy Last Night

It has been an interesting weekend. Thursday I went to the baseball game with Erin. The Nationals won, which was nice considering they hadn't won a game yet this year. The terrible downside of the night though? I tripped on the steps at the stadium and fell (I'm such a fucking klutz). At the time, I had a beer in one hand and a hot dog in the other, so I couldn't even brace myself for the fall. I just completely wiped out. My blackberry, which was in my pocket, was totally cracked. I now have a huge series of cracks on the screen. But at least the beer and hot dog were saved. I have insurance on my phone. I didn't have insurance on the $12.50 I had just spent on my beer and hot dog. I would have just been shit out of luck. So I look at it as an acceptable loss. I'll get a new phone and all will be good. After the game, Erin and I went to Brooks' for a drink. We ran into Alec, who was there with two of his friends from the Basilica choir. We ended up drinking with them for a while and one of Alec's friends bought us all a round of rum and coke's.
Friday was Odyssey Day. And it was very hot. I gave tours for three straight hours and got a little sunburned. Which was nice. I need to get some kind of tan going. I'm way too pale. I've decided that I'm spending the month of May laying in the sun in my backyard. I refuse to come back here in June and be pale. That is, if I do come back here. Although, I don't really have a job at home. Other than the liquor store. So I'd be no worse off hanging out here than hanging out at home. Minus the money it would cost to live here. But we'll ignore that fact for now. That's my new philosophy.
On Friday night, Erin, Erin and I went to Irish Times. It was good. Erin's bf showed up after the baseball game, slightly trashed. So he was kind of funny. And we met this guy from CUA Law who looked exactly like Green Bean. It was really weird. He was nice, but just the fact that he looked like Green Bean was kind of creepy and strange. Overall, it was a good night though. Not too epic, but still pretty fun.
Yesterday I helped Erin move some of her bulky stuff since she's moving into our trailer for the final 3 weeks of school. It's crazy. Then I had to go to the APO Girl Scouts on Campus Day event. But none of the kids showed up. So it was just the brothers all sitting around doing arts and crafts and talking. It wasn't terrible because we turned it into a de-facto fellowship event but it was kind of a bust as a service project. The afternoon was spent relaxing and doing absolutely nothing. It was glorious.
Last night, Erin and I went back to Irish Times. It was all Catholic people. I mean, you could barely move the place was so crowded. The rugby team was having their formal in the downstairs area from 8-11, with an open bar. That meant that by the time we got there at 10:45, they were all trashed. I mean, there was a freshman sitting outside waiting for an ambulance to show up so that he could have his stomach pumped. After that, all the underage kids fled because they were afraid they would get re-carded. There was a girl from the formal sitting on her bf's lap outside, passed out. When he got her up to move her, she started projectile vomiting all over the place. Half hour later, we're standing outside talking to 2 kids from school who we know, and two Times workers start dragging this guy outside (and he was putting up a hell of a fight). Next second, half the rugby team is outside trying to calm this guy down. Well, I guess they didnt do a very good job, because the next thing you know, he's been wrestled to the ground by 4 workers and another junior is up against a car with his hands behind his back. I don't get why the junior was arrested though. I had seen him and he was calm and fine. When the cops showed up, they handcuffed him and then stood there and talked to him for like 5 minutes. He never seemed to freak out of anything. So I don't get it. Well, the drunk guy ended up getting carried into a squad car by four cops. So that was the rugby team. I don't think they'll be invited back.
About fifteen minutes after we got there, I ran into my friend Kevin, who is on the rugby team. He's from Bayonne, I went to high school with his sister, I graduated with his girfriend Alyssa and he's bff's with my cousin Nick, who lives down the block from me. He tell me that Alyssa is actually there because she came down for the dance. So I spent the next half hour catching up with her and talking about everything that's been going on with the people we went to school with. After talking with Alyssa, Erin went home because she was tired and not drinking. I ended up going downstairs where rugby had been having their party, but at that point it was open to everyone and there were tons of people. I ran into Kenny and this kid Connor, who is in my history class. We hung out at the downstairs bar and talked for a while. Then we ended up going upstairs to the regular bar and getting some more drinks. The next thing I know, Kenny said he had to go to the bathroom or something. But then he's by the front door, with a bloody nose, trying to get a towel. And in the next instant, he was gone. Like, he'd left. Very weird. So it was like 1:30 at that point and I went home not long after that. T'was an epic night.
So that was my crazy weekend. Now this afternoon I have to help Erin move the rest of her stuff and then write two small papers for history and media. That way I can spend the rest of my week working on my politics and philosophy papers, which will not be fun.

Sam Adams

My boring junior seminar class finally payed off today. When I got into politics, our prof asked us which historical figure was the most important leading up to the signing to the Declaration. I raised my hand and asked if he meant in the political or public opinion arena. He said either one and I told him I thought Sam Adams was the most important. The prof looked at me for a second with a surprised look on his face and then said "well I thought I was going to get to play cat and mouse for a while but you hit it right on the head. Sam Adams. And why is he the most important?" Then I got to go into a whole thing about the Sons of Liberty and the Committee of Correspondence. He ended up relating it to the Boston Tea Party and the Tea protests yesterday. But ohh yea, I had some major brownie points by the end of that tangent. Then later on in the class I got into a debate with Brendan about the representative democracy that the United States is founded on and I'm pretty sure the prof supported my argument. It was one of those times when the prof looks at you and is like "Go back at him. I think you're completely right."
In history, I'm pretty sure I frazzled my professor. After he left Caldwell to sprint back to Cardinal Hall to get papers that he thought he left there (but still couldn't find) I asked him how the weight of our graded prjoects would change since our second paper is now optional extra credit. He said everythign would still count for the same percentage but then I asked him what would happen to the 15% that was supposed to be for the second paper. He like a deer in the headlights and was like "well, I'll try and figure that out and let you know." Then I asked him if we were going to get back our first papers at some point and he was like "yea, at some point. eventually the t.a. will give them back." Ok. Great. But hey, I filled my class participation credit for the semester in that class today. Instead of a lecture we had a discussion on these douments about a rebellion that we were supposed to have read. Well, I didn't read them and I don't even have them. Although, I did comment on all of them and raise valid concerns about their credibility. Basically I kicked ass in class today.
It's beautiful out today and Erin and I are going to go see the Nats-Phillies game tonight. Tomorrow is Odyssey Day. Hell on campus. I hate Odyesy Day. I would really like to appologize to all the poor college students my parents and I tortured while looking at schools. But its ok, bceause Erin and I are spending the weekend at Irish Times!! And Saturday night, the rugby team is having some kind of end of the year thing there. Three guesses as to who is on the rugby team. Haha. It's going to be a good weekend.

Hell

My media screenings are supposed to run from 5:10 to 7:00 on Tuesday nights. That's two hours for us to watch our social change documentary. More than enough time to watch tons of movies. Today, the screening ran from 5:10 to 7:40. We got out 40 minutes late!!! What. The. Fuck. Why couldn't the prof pick any one of the countless movies that are under 2 hours in length. The best part is, she told us it would run a little bit over 2 hours, but only a few minutes. That's fine. I'm thinking like 10 minutes. It was probably exactly two hours and it wouldn't be a problem. But 40 minutes? That's redic.
The next two weeks are going to be complete hell. Tonight I have to write a 5 page history paper on a book that I'm reading as I go. Tomorrow, I have class from 10-11, a tour at 12:30, class from 3-5, an ambassador meeting at 5 and I'm working the blood drive from 6-7. Then I have to come back to the room, eat dinner and write a 6 page media paper. Apparently on Thursday, APO is holding game night in our trailer. I was never informed of this. Carolyn just assumed she could use our place and that really pisses me off. Why doesn't she hold game night in her Mill apartment? So I need to clean for everyone to come over. Friday is Odyssey day. I'm working for about 4 hours after my morning class gets out. I will be going out that night. Without a doubt. Then Saturday, I have Kids on Campus Day for APO, all day. Great! That will be fun. Sunday will be spent wither in the Library or Leahy, doing copious amounts of work.
Next week, I have a media paper due on Tuesday, a politics paper due Thursday and a philosophy paper due on Friday. I also have an optional history paper to replace a grade that I nee to do. Then the APO banquet on Saturday night. That brings us to the final week of classes an then finals week.
God, for as long as the semester has dragged on (and believe me, it has dragged) it also went by kind of fast. Although, with finals week approaching, it brings up the summer and I'm still kind of anxious about that. I don't have any plans set in stone yet and it's making me kind of nervous. But I'm trying to remain relaxed and not obsess about it too much. Though, I'm not entirely sure I'm doing a good job of not-obsessing. I really am trying though.
On a complete side note, Liz has finally realized the need for us to move to Britain and meet British guys. Yay! But I'm still completely jealous that she went to Serbia and has now met a British guy that may or may not be crashing on her couch for the next month. I'm the one who loves all things Britain! Oh the injustices of the world! Haha.
Ok, time to get back to work on this paper. I have over a page, which is good. Only 2-3 more to go.

p.s. my cousin just announced via facebook that she's having another baby. those 2 move fast considering they had a just baby in may.

p.p.s. the Giants 2009 season schedule has been announced. looks like we'll have to be the road warriors again.