Housing Again

I'm on the phone with Liz right now. It's amaaaazing. Finally, someone who understands me! She needs to come back so I can stop being all stressed about everything. This housing situation just keeps getting worse and worse and I may choke someone before the week is done.
On top of my housing stress, the junior history majors had a meeting today to talk about our senior thesis class. We have to come up with a general idea for what we want to write about and pick our professor based on the different section topics being offered. AHHHH! I think I'm going to try and do something about Ireland's involvement in World War II or i don't know. I think my back-up (in case I dont get the WW2 section) is going to be a comparison of American Revolution rhetoric and ideals compared to that of the French Revolution. I'm not sure. I think I'd be more interested in the Britain during World War II class so I think I'm going to try and come up with a topic in that general area. Suggestions anyone? I've got a week before I need to meet with my professor.
God, i'm so completely stressed about so many different things. There is the whole thesis thing. That is slightly overwhelming. Then there is the housing thing. I feel like I'm beating a dead horse at this point but it has literally become the bain of my existence. I can't even get into what is going on. I'm not entirely sure I understnad it either. Thank god this is the last year I have to deal with this. I don't think I could do it again next year.
In other news, I have rediscovered my love of The Mummy trilogy and I'm currently watching the third one online for free. I love these movies. They're kinda cheesy and unbelievable and this is probably the only decent thing Brendan Frasier has ever made. But I love them. In fact, I'm going to go finish watching them. I'm up to the part in the third one where Rick, Eve, Alex and Johnathan (with the help of the Yeti) are in the Hymalayas trying to prevent the dragon emperor from finding the path to Shangrula and the pool of eternal life. So great!

Dark Days

If any of you have ever been interested in the lives of the people who live underneath the train tunnels at Penn Station in NYC, then might I suggest you watch "Dark Days" by Marc Sadler. I, however, like most people, have never given really any thought to those people. So I found this documentary interesting, but mostly weird and creepy. It was just dirty people sitting around cursing, using crack, playing with stray dogs and trying to catch rats. Not really my cup of tea.
I'm becoming more and more stressed about this housing thing. People are so two faced sometimes and this is one of the few times each years when we get to see people's true colors. You have people telling you one thing, telling your friend another and what they're telling both of you is something completely different than what they were saying last week. Then there are people who stalk you and won't give you two minutes to quietly make up your mind. I don't know which type of person is worse. I really hope this works out soon because I don't know how much more of this I can take.
On top of the housing stress, I'm now working on paper number three for the week. It's only Tuesday!! This week, in fact this whole semester, needs to just be over. I can't handle it anymore. If I make it to May with any amount of my sanity intact it will be a miracle.

"There's no such thing as unpaid experience"

I went up to the hill today. Very exciting stuff. Everyone I talked to seems to want to tell me that I should get an unpaid internship for the summer and then get a part time job at Union Station. Shit, son. I've already got a part time job. Its called Harry's. I think my best bet is going to end up being the things I apply for at the different Departments. I found something at the Dep. of Ed that I'm going to submit for. And something at the National Labor Relations Board. Hopefully something will turn up. Otherwise I'm completely screwed.
I hate school work. Its Monday and I'm already in the process of writing my third paper of the week. God this sucks. And I'm still all screwed up from daylight savings time. I'm convinced it take you a week to get over the time change. I have to read "half" of a book tonight. (and by half, I mean effectively skim). I've started but I've got a decent amount to go.

Back Again

Back at school after a very uneventful week at home. I drove back today and made the (normally) 4 hour trip in just over 3 hours. I left Bayonne at 2:30 and made it back to Catholic between 5:45 and 6. I think I drive a little fast. But in my defense there wasn't any traffic and you can do up to 80 on the Jersey Turnpike without almost no fear of getting pulled over. Most states give you 10 mph over the speed limit. Jersey gives you 15. So while it usually takes two hours to get out of Jersey, you can do it in one and a half.
Tomorrow I get to go up to the hill to meet with this lady, finally. It should be tons of fun. I cant wait. :::sarcasm::: I'm sure it will be fine. I just really never enjoy doing this type of thing. At least its not going to be too cold out tomorrow so I can get away with wearing my lighter coat.
Well, I need to finish writing this paper that I was supposed to do over break but (shockingly) did not. I've only got to finish the paragraph I'm working on and write my conclusion. Then I'm gonna get to bed because I've got a lot to do really early on and this whole daylight savings, while I think its great... it really throws me off.
I'll let you know how everything goes tomorrow. : >)

Temporary Crown

I hate the dentist. I spent the last two days there getting a cavity filled and getting a temporary crown put on my one tooth. Yesterday, the whole bottom of my mouth was numb for about 4 hours and when the Novocaine eventually wore off I realized I had been chewing on my lip the entire time. It is now swollen, cut and sore as hell. I tell this to Mike cause, ya know (as he later put it) we're like best friends. He finds it hysterical. Honestly, the sympathy is just overwhelming. Haha, joking.
Well my week at home has been sufficiently boring. I didn't get nearly enough work done but I guess that's not such a big deal. I'll just skip the APO meeting on Sunday night and quickly do everything that I should have done this week. I'm so productive and well-organized, I know.
Oh, there was one tiny bright spot in my week though. Yesterday afternoon, I stop in the living room while on my way upstairs. My mom was watching tv and a commercial for match.com came on. After it was over, she turned to me and goes "you know, you should go on match.com, Kaitlyn. I think it really works." After I was done starring at her is some kind of shock and surprise, I was like "why don't we focus on my getting out of college first? Now if you'll excuse me I have to go pack and drive back to school." What. The. Fuck. No words. Non what-so-ever. I haven't even been able to comprehend it. She must have been high on Sudaffed. Or maybe she's been secretly drinking.
So that brief exchange yesterday was the most exciting part of my week. I guess that's why I haven't posted anything. I haven't done anything. Back to school in about 36 hours though. yay!!

Home Front

The mystique that surrounds coming home and seeing the town you grew up in has worn off. Now I'm just bored. Know what I did today? Absolutely nothing. I drove my sister to school, went back to bed, made a dentist appointment and watched the first hour of 24 that I missed last night. That's it. I mean, 24 was the most thrilling part of my day (not that it isn't usually the most thrilling part of my Mondays). But on the excitement scale, it was followed closely by the scheduling of my root canal follow up visit. That's just pathetic. I'm ready to get back to school at this point.
I think the rest of the week might be a bit more interesting. I'm going to get new tires on my car, go read to my mom's class for Read Across America week, get a pedicure and babysit. The excitement is almost too much to handle. But speaking of my car tires.... my g-ma called today and while I was talking to her she asked how I was getting back to school. When I told her I was driving, she said "Oh, so that's ok with your parents, obviously?" No. Actually I was planning on getting up really early on Sunday and leaving before they woke up. Maybe they won't notice my keys are missing. What the hell? Yes they know I'm driving. Then she tells me to make sure I leave early because, ya know, last time I hit traffic. Duh. It was the Sunday after Thanksgiving, it was pouring rain and there was construction through all of Delaware. Did she expect me to fly down 95?
Well, the most interesting part of my day (24) did not disappoint. If you don't watch this show, you should. This week, a bunch of African terrorists infiltrated the White House and took the President's daughter hostage until the President and Jack Bauer surrendered themselves (they were in a lockdown room). Next week, there is going to be a huge explosion at the White House, Jack is going to try and save the President and the FBI is gonna go rogue after a direct order from the Vice President to stand down. I can't wait! Overall, it's a little far fetched. You have to just go with it and not ask too many technical questions about the realistic posability of things. If you can do that, it's a great show.
I don't know why but it sucks me in every week. I've been watching since the first season in 2001 (when I was in the 8th grade!). Honestly, its not a show that I could see very many liberal democrats being a fan of. It's all about storming buildings, guns blazing and interrogating the shit out of the bad guy until he tells you everything. Really, I think it probably had a big influence on the initially formation my conservative views. Which is sad I know, but it had a lot to do with the time (october 2001) and being able to see America physically and literally kick the crap out of the terrorists. My views aren't based on 24 or Jack Bauer anymore (obviously) but at 13 it was something that caused me to become more aware of the world and take a stance on issues. That... and The West Wing. But everyone my age who is interested in politics watched that show.
I think I'm getting sick. Oh, and I hurt my shoulder yesterday. That is always fun. It's been over a year since I hurt it last, so I'd almost forgotten how it felt. I've felt terrible all day. I've got a headache and I'm getting all achy. Damn it! This needs to be done with. I don't have time to deal with being sick. There is homework to be done and car tires to be bought!!
Perhaps I should take some Sudafed and go to bed early. Haha. Yea, ok. That'll happen. But I am going to go take something and hope to fight off whatever it is that I'm getting.

In Like a Lion...

New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg said last night "March is the month that comes in like a lion an goes out like a lamb. So while it may not yet be time to start counting our sheep, the lions are definitely roaring". I'm not sure I remember that last time we got a major snow storm in March but yesterday afternoon they were calling for something between 8 and 14 inches. New York closed the schools for the first time in five years. I think we ended up getting around 6 or 7, but that is still a lot for this late in the season. I mean, on Friday it was 63 degrees in DC, then yesterday it snowed for upwards of 6 hours.
Saturday night, after spending a thrilling amount of time wikipedia-ing things, my parents called to say they were leaving this fundraiser dance at hfa, that they were at they were going to The Starting Point for one drink and did I want to join them. Sure. So I go meet them at The Starting Point and the entire town is there. Which is normal, but they are all already half trashed because everyone was at this fundraiser, including the owner of The S.P., and they had an open bar at this thing.
The Starting Point is great because it's a locals type place. The guy who owns it is a fireman. It's not a high maintenance place. You could go there for a drink after you've been out to a nice dinner or you could go there in a sweatshirt to get a pizza with friends. The crowd is usually a mix of some young 20 somethings (who dont feel like going to hoboken), 30 and 40 year olds, families with kids, couples, singles, groups of friends. Everyone knows everyone, even the younger people. They play great music, which is usually a mix of 80s and 90s stuff. On game day, you're lucky to get a seat three hours before kick off. They've got a tiki bar in the back for when its warm out in the summer. It's basically your everyday "regular joe" type of bar. I love the place. Anyway, back to my story...
So I go meet my parents, who havent really drank that much. Most other people there were drunk though. We were going to stay for one drink and go because my parents were tired. Well, I outdrank my mom 2-1 and kept pace with my dad. I think he was impressed. By the time we got home it was waaaay later than we had thought we would be out. It was so late that before I went to bed I was talking to Liz online because she had already woken up for the day (she's 6 hours ahead of us). That's pretty late.
Then yesterday we did nothing. My sister made me watch this weird MSNBC Reports special about these two college girls who were in a terrible car accident. One died and the otehr was crtically injured but the hospital apparently mixed the girls up and told the families that their daughter had lived/died when it was actually the wrong thing. So this family sat with their "daughter" for five weeks while she was wrapped head to toe in bandages and in a coma and the other family buried their "daughter". Then they find out it as all backwards. Crazy. That was about the extent of my day.
Well now I'm in my house doing absolutely nothing. It snowed and my parents both have off of work and (shock!) good ol' HFA cancelled school today. Now we're all in the house together and we'll probably end up choking each other before the day is done. I think i'm going to start reading my English Civil War book so I can write my paper on it before I go back to school. Or maybe I'll start my media paper, because that'll be much easier. I'm going to go find some way to entertain myself...

p.s. that's a pic from my sister's bedroom window. it looks out on the backyard and garage (which aren't in the pic) and our neighbor's houses on Humphrey Avenue