Fighting in Green Fields

I am a brother of Delta Sigma Pi

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:17:58 GMT

I MADE IT!!!!!!! DSP DSP DSP DSP DSP DSP DSP DSP DSP DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG DELTASIG VPPE SVP VPPA VPCS DSP DSP DSP DSP DSP DSP DSP DSP DSP DSP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So now that I got that out of my system - I am officially a brother of Delta Sigma Pi. Wow, that was literally the most difficult 3 1/2 months of my life to date. I plan on taking it real easy this summer and next year as well. I should have gotten paid for all the shit we had to do. If anyone has seen The Devil Wears Prada...there are multiple scenes in that which show the lead girl running around in heels, trying to accomplish 20 different tasks in a 10 minute deadline - I can't emphasize how EXACT that has been to this semester, and all due to this Fraternity.

But honestly, I've learned so much from the process. I'm much more professional, I get shit done on time, I'm early to meetings, I work well in groups, and I have a better understanding of how to run an efficient organization. Hell, I even like having interviews now. I plan on taking this to ZTA and my fencing club almost immediately, and certainly into the business world later on.

I don't think I've ever felt this accomplished. Yay!

Release (Coming Soon)

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:22:00 GMT

So, now that I've found around 20 minutes to pause and think, I decided to write a quick post. Let's recap all that has happened in the past few months.

- Went to Las Vegas for my 21st birthday. Had a blast.
- Started up school again, was involved with UrbanKnowlogy 101, Zeta Tau Alpha, and the Fencing Club.
- Decided to pledge Delta Sigma Pi.

With that, my "life" kind of ended, as now I just run around trying to get stuff done before deadlines, and prepare for our massive Sunday meetings...of death. Everything borders so close to hazing, but somehow I see all the results that come from everything they make us do, and I know that this is a good way to push myself.

I have sacrificed my friends, my sleep, and UK for this process....I had better make it in.

Also...I think I'm gaining weight. Now, I know when I last weighed myself I sort of cheated, as I had just eaten and was wearing shoes...but damn! Is that from all the stress???? Sheesh, I can't wait to start going back to the gym.

On a side note, people seriously disappoint me. Maybe I shouldn't be so general, or maybe I'm being too harsh. I don't know. It just makes me sad when I see people with such potential, and they do nothing with it.

Oh well, 2 more weeks of this process, then finals, then then I'm FREE.

Tired

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 05:20:41 GMT

Of what?

Dating. Well, in a sense.

I have extremely high expectations. I always have, yet when I've dated I've pushed them aside to allow for something, anything, to happen. And it has, and granted it had it's good moments...But I'm not going to ignore what I want anymore. And if I can't find that in this world, then I'll just wait around for the next.

I love being single. LOOOOOOOVE it. On the other hand, I love my fake man.

I don't even know how to describe this. I suppose certain recent events has spurred this on, but honestly....Women try so hard. We literally alter ourselves to be better, and not just for others, but for ourselves. We see some beautiful woman on tv, and we then try to look like her. We read about some badass female character in a book, and we train to be more like her.

I have yet to see this same phenomina with men.

If I'm going to try this hard, whoever I'm interested in next is going to have to try just as hard. The key to this, I'm convinced, will be that whoever it is will being trying hard on his own, and won't look to me for guidance.

Yeah, this probably didn't make any sense.

Oh, and one of my newest pet peeves - Don't hit on someone as if you closed your eyes, flipped to a random page of your high school yearbook, and landed on their picture. It's annoying.

breakthrough

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:21:39 GMT

Went to work at the Chantilly store this past Saturday night. It was just like any other Saturday night at GP, except I did something AWESOME dealing with one of our "customers".

To give some background, he is a shady character who comes in to game, never spends any money, and loves to give hugs. Those who know me, know I'm not a fan of hugs. But let me emphasize how much this "customer" likes hugs - He will walk in, look around, and if he sees a girl that he knows he can get a hug from, he'll stay. If he doesn't see anyone, then he leaves. If I'm there, he'll hover around the register, waiting for a hug from me (I try my best to ignore him/ act busy/ actually be busy). There was one time where we were closing, and I was cleaning the tables, and he literally waiting behind at each table I cleaned, hoping for a hug. But did he help me put up chairs? No.

So Saturday night he comes in, spots me, and after waiting near the register for half an hour, attempts to go in for the kill. Usually, I give him a hug, then go into the back room and freak out about it. This time, I stood where I was and told him "Hey, I can't give hugs anymore. It's a little unprofessional" and then offered him a handshake. I didn't expect his reaction, which was a weird freak-out where he refused to look at me for the entire night after that. Only later did I find out that one of our other employees (who is a woman) has stopped giving him hugs as well.

It was GLORIOUS.

Honestly, these little victories make my world go round. That and talks of a second Serenity movie :D

Love..

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 06:42:27 GMT

... keeps no record of wrongs.

I'm not one for religiosity, but I can appreciate some of the lessons shown through the good book. I like this saying, in particular, because I feel that this is an area of my life that I need to work on. My temper is too quick, and it's causing me undue stress.

I had a great talk with Latoya tonight, and we vented about....well, just about everything. I'm really proud of her, and all her sacrifices that she's made recently. She is an incredibly strong person.

I cannot make this clear enough: I love this semester. I can't wait for it to end.

Tomorrow..or today, rather...will be hellish, I'm sure. I'm excited to see what will happen though.

Oh, and I've decided what my superpower would be, if I could have one. Silly as it is, it'd make life a little less...dramatic.

Half-way

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:23:13 GMT

There is so much to do, and I'm only hurting myself as I sit here and write in this instead of working.

My financial situation is devastating to me. Much of it is pride, I know. But my pride is where my drive comes from...in any event, I'm dying for a free weekend where I can work for hours and hours and hours. I'm usually on top of all that stuff.

I get initiated into Zeta Tau Alpha this Saturday. This is Initiation Week, where apparently the world ends for me and my pledge class. We have an event that we're hosting for the entire sorority this Friday, and I don't even know what we're doing. Apparently I'm in charge of making up and teaching everyone a dance...but I don't have time for that. But, we'll see how it goes on Friday, I can only hope for the best.

I love this semester, I really do. It has easily been the most exciting, stressful, action-packed semester yet, and I'm shocked to see that it's actually November. I know that I want to stick with all the activities and groups that I'm a part of now, so I know exactly how I'm going to lay out my schedule for next semester. Maybe I'll even join the co-ed Business Fraternity...but that takes up a lot of time too, I'm sure.

I can't wait until Thanksgiving Break, and I'm even more excited for Winter. I love snow, and I love the "feeling" of Christmas. I plan on getting into the festive spirit a lot this year :D

I'm quite happy with where my life is right now. I love my major, my friends, my room mates, my family, my activities - everything is perfect. I wouldn't want to change a single thing, and I don't think I will for a long, long time.

Ok, work time for real now.

Ideas?

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 15:09:14 GMT

I'm trying to think of a character to be for this halloween. The extent of my creativity has led to the possibility of being either a 3 musketeer or one of the fruit of the loom guys. In other words - I'm out of ideas. Help please :D

Slight Disappointment

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:58:43 GMT

Had the first round of auditions last night for UrbanKnowlogy. We auditioned three pieces, and I didn't make the cut for any of them. Not that this isn't unexpected, but I did get my hopes a little high. We are auditioning a few more pieces on Wednesday, but I'm confident I won't make those since I'm not as familiar with these dances as the ones we performed last night. Oh well.

I like being single. I get all sorts of opportunities to help myself in ways I never knew. And now, I get to go through disappointment alone. I like having only myself to depend on. I mean, I know I have friends who are there for me, and I love them, but this is slightly different. In any event, I kind of like it. I believe that is strengthens my character and, if anything, my resolve. I plan to keep working on the pieces we already auditioned for, and maybe with a bit of luck they'll put me in the show. If not, I know there are a lot of other performances that UrbanKnowlogy will be in. And I'll perform in at least one of them :D

Drop it like it's hot

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 03:23:32 GMT

I stopped rushing sororities today. I wouldn't have, if my top two had called me back. But they didn't. A large part of me is relieved; I was really only doing this for my father. Yet, rejection is always troublesome, and I've been thinking about it all day. I'm pretty sure I had a bid from both of my top two last year...so what changed? ZTA I can understand..hell I turned them down twice already. I was going to join Chi O....in the end, I'm both happy and sad. I never thought I'd say that about anything sorority-related.

UrbanKnowlogy practice tomorrow.....I love these dances, but DAMN. I don't know how I made it through auditions. Our first performance is at Midnight Madness here on campus on Oct. 12th. I hope I make the audition for performing (yeah, I made the team, but now I have to try out before every dance in order to perform). I really want to perform at the Patriot Center. That would certainly be a highlight of my....life :D

A cute guy sits next to me in my Management Lab. He's awfully nice. But, I've sworn off men...for the time being.

It kills me that I can't go on adventures. All I want to do is run around and travel and do things that not everybody gets to do. Hell, I'm a half-hour away from party central. No one will join me. Granted, there are good reasons...but isn't being wild and crazy what being young and free is all about? People look at me like I'm crazy when I propose an idea to them. Oh well, I'm going to need to learn some crazy martial arts, so that I can go out and do things by myself...and not die.

I think I'm going to look into the co-ed Business Fraternity on campus. They seem fun, and it deals with my major.

I wish I had a secret place that I could go to for some alone time.

Teddy Grahams = amazing :D

Every once in a while

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 05:57:11 GMT

Life throws a curve ball at you. I've had a few recently, most of which were not pleasant, yet I've learned from all of them. This new one will probably be my toughest yet, and I can't wait to take on the challenge.

SO, here is a lengthy and detailed account of how it happened - - -
((Well, I was going to put a cut here, but it's late and I'm tired and don't care to figure it out right now))
TUESDAY -
I wake up nervous. I know that at 7:20 that night, I'll be attending my first 3 hour clinic for a prestigious hip-hop dance group on campus. I've had years of dance experience, sure...but nothing like this. I tried to go about my day as normal...I went to work, and then attended my two classes. It's tough enough having only 10 minutes between these classes, and then 10 minutes between the class and the clinic...I was running around all day, and was worn out before the clinic even began.
Now, maybe someone out there can get where I'm coming from with this - you know when you think you're good at something, and then you spend some time with others who can do the same thing you can, and you realize that you are terrible at it? Yeah, I instantly had that at this practice. Everyone was good. Everyone was a dancer. And it seemed that everyone was going to make it onto this dance team...except me. On top of that, there were tons of people there. And not just people trying out...this was a SPECTATOR event. Tons of people were just standing on the sidelines, watching and, more importantly, judging. I felt awful, and ended up leaving the practice early. I can only take so much humiliation at a time.
After I got back to my apartment, I decided to practice the dance I had just learned. I knew that I wasn't going to make the team, but I at least didn't want to go in there and mess up a dance that I knew, with practice, I could do.

WEDNESDAY -
I woke up nervous...again. I had originally woke up early for work, but instead decided to stay at the apartment and practice for a total of 4 hours. You'd think that with all that time, I'd get the dance down. Not the case, and my 2 p.m. I was getting pretty jittery, and had half-decided to not even try out. What was the point?
At 3, 4:30, and 5:55 I had class, each with 10 or 15 minutes of break in between, and the auditions started at 7:20pm. I had no time to practice, so all I could do was go through the dance over and over and over in my head. I sprinted to the dance studio after my last class, only to stare at the application sheet before I officially decided to audition. What was I doing? I didn't fit in with this group. I had never done hip-hop before. I wasn't at the same dance level as these dancers. I couldn't do it. I just couldn't.
But I did. I wrote my name and contact information down, and then gave me an indext card with the number 40 on it, and a safety pin (there were a total of 59 dancers auditioning). There was no getting out of it now.
I entered the studio to see most of the dancers at ease and excited. As the practice started, I noticed that the warm up was the same, but the audition dance was completely different. They were teaching us a completely new dance! All those hours of practice, and for nothing. Happily, the new dance was shorter, and slightly easier for me. I nearly had the moves down when they announced that auditions would start.
I waited outside with the rest, practicing and thinking and wondering whether I should leave now and avoid the humiliation or stick it out and see what happens. Before I knew it, they called my number along with 5 others, and we preformed infront of a panel of 3 judges. Oh, and it wasn't just the dance we had to perform...they asked us to freestyle too. FREESTYLE??? I had never done this before! What the hell was I supposed to do!?!?
I left the studio feeling confident that I had not made the team. And to some extent, I was relieved. If I had made it, then I'd have to go to practice and get to know these people and prove myself to them every time we danced. I didn't want all that pressure, and I was pleased that the audition went well and I gave it my all. I packed up my stuff and set out to leave, when someone told me to stay. What? Well...fine.
As soon as I sat down again to wait until everyone was done...they called my number to perform again. Hold up - this is a mistake right? But no, I went in and performed the routine again...this time with a little more attitude and more confidence in the moves. I left thinking "alright, that was probably the maybe group, where they didn't do so well the first time, but they're giving them another shot." So I pack everything up again and begin to leave, when they stop me AGAIN and tell me to wait until the end. Why the hell would you want to leave? Don't you want to stay and see the outcome? - I could read it on their faces, but I knew, deep down, that there was no way in hell I would be accepted.
So I wait a little while longer, and they call my number to perform AGAIN. Now I'm definitely sure that this is someone's idea of a great joke. But, I do the dance with hardly a move missed, and a much better freestyle ending. Good, now I can FINALLY get out of here. And yet again, they stop me in my tracks. I was forced to hear the results. Not 10 minutes later, the judges came out to us to announce who would be on the team.
They began by stating that the numbers NOT called were the ones that had not been chosen. The ones that were, however, were to stay and be welcomed into their new family of dancers. They called out 24 numbers...and number 40 was one of the last ones.

HOLY SHIT.

The more I thought about it, the more excited I got. I had made it! ME?! Of all people, me....this is what I've wanted to do for so long, and now, this is my chance. SWEETEST CURVE BALL EVER.

All in all, that's how I made it onto the hip-hop dance group UrbanKnowlogy 101 here at Mason. This semester will certainly be difficult, but a hell of a lot interesting than any of the previous ones. And in some strange way, I can't wait to prove myself on the dance floor..not only to the group, but to all of the Mason campus.

Run for your LIVES! It's..

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:22:01 GMT

the dreaded post-after-the-greatest-concert-EVER!!!! (a.k.a. the Silverchair concert...of amazing)

Last night was truly one of the best nights of my life. For those who would like to know how it all went down

The day starts off as usual. I got up, got dressed, and went to work. At work, we had 19 boxes of inventory come in...and I seriously thought I would never be able to leave. To my surprise, I was able to leave around 3pm and promptly went to Nora's house to pick up her bird Sid (Vicious). I then returned home, set up Sid’s cage, took a short nap, and then started to get ready.

Now, I’ve been to the 9:30 club twice before. I know what to expect, and what everyone wears. But do I follow those unspoken rules? Hell no. I wore a black and pink dress (for those of you who are familiar with the murder mystery party I recently hosted) and curled my hair. Considering that the fashion-norm for the 9:30 club is a nice top and jeans, I was a bit overdressed for the occasion. But fuck it, DANIEL JOHNS is there. I’d say that was the only reason I dressed up…but that’d be a lie ;D

Alli arrived soon after I had just started getting ready, and as soon as we were both dressed and gorgeous, we left for DC. The car ride there was full of nervous excitement for me, but after we arrived, parked, and settled in line I felt much better. I mean, I was going to be seeing SILVERCHAIR in a matter of hours!

We entered the club soon after we entered the line, and after the I.D. checks both my hands were stamped (I still carry their marks around lovingly). Alli and I grabbed a spot on the balcony as close as we could to the stage. Ahh, if only I had some rope and a rose…I would have been ON that stage, and sweeping Daniel Johns off his feet ;D

The opening band, We Are The Fury, was alright. Not my favorite, but I didn’t think it was too horrendous. Nothing like the opening band for Tool…Melt Banana tops the charts for the ‘worst opening band in history’ for me. Anyway, the lead singer of We Are The Fury looked really cute when she came on stage…until she turned around and I realized she was a ‘he’. Weird.

Silverchair finally made their appearance after a good ½ hour to 45 minutes after the opening band…but it was OH SO WORTH THE WAIT. They started with the first song off their new album, entitled Young Modern Station. Now, I will say that at times I’m a little reserved. This is especially the case when I’m in a crowd…but I will say that this was the first time where I let go of all my reservations. I screamed, shouted, sang, screamed some more, danced, called out to Daniel Johns, used hand motions, sang, laughed, possibly cried a little, shouted…..I did pretty much everything. I looked and felt awesome, and was surrounded by awesome people who all came together to enjoy this PHENOMINALLY awesome music. Oh, and Daniel Johns can play the guitar with his teeth. I am so impressed.

Their playlist included songs from their newest album, such as Young Modern Station, Reflections of a Sound, Straight Lines, If You Keep Losing Sleep, The Man That Knew Too Much, Mind Reader, Low, and Insomnia. From their older albums, the played Tuna In The Brine, Without You, The Greatest View, Freak, Ana’s Song (Open Fire), and Emotion Sickness. Sadly, my two absolute favorites (Across the Night, Those Thieving Birds/Strange Behaviour) were not performed. But honestly, for the songs they did play…DAMN :D

I will say that I’ve come away from this experience with a slight feeling of jealous. And when I say slight, I mean enormous. A member from the crowd was actually BROUGHT ON STAGE to request a song (Mind Reader....the holy man chose wisely), and was then allowed to dance on stage with Daniel Johns. Not that I’m dwelling over this or anything but…oh what I wouldn’t give to be that guy. Daniel Johns hugged him. I would seriously consider never washing myself again.

I really can’t emphasize how wonderful this concert was. I was so into it, and the crowd was great. The band played so well (of course, nothing less) and Daniel Johns was on point with EVERYTHING. Another highlight of the night – He definitely performed the last two encore songs shirtless. America, fuck yeah.

I can’t help but be a little sad the day after. I wish the concert had lasted forever. Or I wish they could have played every single song they’ve ever done. Or I wish they could continue with all the concert dates, but only perform here in DC. Really, I just want to see them live again (and again, and again, and again). I’m considering trying to buy tickets for the New York show, which will be this Friday. More to follow with this later.

All in all….I can half-die happy now. Only half, since I’ve not seen Porno Graffitti live in concert yet. Oh wait, they’ll be at the wedding. I’ll just have to wait until then :D

Love is Silverchair.

Change whatever Karma means...

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 14:58:52 GMT

......mmmm Silverchair is good.

Ok, so. What a week, eh? To recap - I saw some friends I hadn't seen in a while, I had an enlightening conversation with Alli, I have begun to sort through the largest and most difficult set in our Magic cards, I had a breakdown in the middle of the week, I've planned for a hiking trip this Saturday morning, and I have a long-term goal in mind that forces me to get up and go to the gym.

I think this is a step in the right direction.

SILVERCHAIR CONCERT

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 13:29:17 GMT

SILVERCHAIR CONCERT SILVERCHAIR OMG SILVERCHAIR SILVERCHAIR CONCERT SILVERCHAIR DC SILVERCHAIR CONCERT CONCERT SILVERCHAIR SILVERCHAIRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D

Needless to say - I'm pumped about this concert. Only problem will be that my most recent ex will be there, and I hate him slightly...probably with his new gothic girlfriend too. Bitch, please.

BUT, I'm still going to see SILVERCHAIR whom I'm madly in love with. Look for me on the news guys - I plan on going to jail that night. I WILL get on stage and latch on to the lead singer.

In other news...WoW is quite fun. My Draenei Paladin is lvl 25, and she's adorable. I actually like being a Paladin, there are so many things that I can do. And my favored enemy is the undead, so I can do a ton of damage whenever I'm around them. My guild has some real crazies in it though....but, it always turns out in the end.

Work has been stealing my soul. I hate having only nights and weekends to myself, and I have a powerful urge to get out of town for a while. Perhaps a hike/camping trip, or the beach? Something - anything really.

Did I mention I have tickets to the Silverchair concert? :D :D :D

Well, it's been a while.

Sat, 12 May 2007 16:30:24 GMT

And I'm really just procrastinating before I dive back into this Formal Report for English. It's a fucking monster....so I probably should have started it 15 days ago. Le sigh...

I have started to play WoW now....and that's a monster as well, but one that I fully intend to conquer. And the guys at my Woodbridge store flipped a shit when I said I'd start playing - they even went out and bought it for me. So, in thanks, I must create a character on their server. Hopefully they'll give me tons of stuff :D P.S. I hate dying in that game. And the Horde scares me slightly.

I've decided that I love the 5th cd from Silverchair. It took a me a while to get used to it, but i knew I loved it as soon as I couldn't stop thinking about the songs. AND, I found The Dissociatives, which is pretty much the lead singer of Silverchair + some dance guy. The songs are a lot more...sound-ful, if that makes any sense. But it's fun, and I love the lyrics. And the melodies. And the...everything. OH - and I discovered that Silverchair will be performing at Lollapalooza in Chicago this August. The tickets are extremely expensive, but I'm going no matter what. I HAVE to see them. They're never in the states, so this is my chance :D

Jess is back home, which makes me incredibly happy. I went to see Sipderman 3 with her the other day, and then we hit up Star Thai. Man, I love that place. Sadly, I haven't been able to play as much WoW with her as I would like, due to my last two finals coming up this week.

Corey will also be back for good today from Longwood. I'm quite proud of him in getting his internship. He's pretty much the all-around-great-guy...but better. Lucky for me :D

Arigatou Gozaimasu!

Alright, back to the report....yay for looking into and comparing CEOs vs. Sales Managers......

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 05:32:55 GMT

So, this weekend I had some serious car problems. My brakes gave out as I was driving.....so, that was quite an adventure. After all was said and done, the total came to $460.00 - so I'm currently figuring out how I'm going to pay that off. But, it'll all be ok.

I'm really getting into a rock group from Australia called Silverchair. I'm not too big a fan of their first 3 cds, but their 4th (Diorama) is magnificent. I've never been so into a rock group before (that didn't speak English), and that's seriously all I've been listening to recently. They actually just came out with their 5th cd (Young Modern) which is a pretty drastic change from Diorama. I'm still trying to figure out whether I like it or not....but I am a fan of this band, hands down. The lead singer's voice is very addicting...and I love his range. If they ever tour the U.S., I may have to try and see them.

So, I've been talking an awful lot with this guy lately. He's kind of awesome, and he makes me feel pretty good about life. He's opptimistic and sarcastic all at the same time. It's really nice. I think I'll be able to see him this weekend, since he's coming back home (Fairfax) from Longwood. Funny, that I've known him for years since he's been coming into the Chantilly store, but we never talked. I thought he was too cool, and he thought I was too busy with all the guys....yuck, haha. So it's nice to talk with him. Is it terrible that I'm kind of hoping something comes of this? OH well, I'm just being honest, it's how I feel.

Cindy's birthday today - YAY! I got her The Devil Wears Prada, a card, and flowers...plus I may pay for lunch for her and Padre. Who knows...I do have this evil car payment to deal with....

In other news....well that's pretty much it. Extremely sad to hear about Nick Napier...I can remember going to elementary, middle, and high school with him. Crazy, when things like that happen. I really can't get over it, it's pretty unreal.

Also, miss my bestest. I can't wait to see her again, since she's going through all sorts of craziness at Tech. But it'll be alright, I know it will. Celebration FOREVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

Hell yeah :D

Yuck...

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 22:01:39 GMT

So, I woke up early this morning to go to work, only to get violently ill. So, whatever I have better go away soon - I'm not a fan.

In other news, life is pretty good. Getting work done, getting fencing stuff done, talking with people - it's pretty good. I know that I've got a ton of projects that are going to be due soon, so I'm trying to get myself organized so I can get some of it done now, since I know my weekend is going to be packed. Friday at 12 noon I'm hosting a fencing demonstration in the JC food court, so I really hope that that goes well...and I hope all my fencers show up. If not, I will destroy them :D

Had a very nice Spring Break, but didn't get as much sleep as I would have liked. Made a new friend, and hung out with some good people. Worked a bit, too. It was pretty nice, overall.

I can't wait until it gets warm - I plan on going hiking a ton. I need to get out of Northern Virginia for a bit, since it occasionally drives me insane.

Saw 300 for a 3rd time this week with my room mate and father. That movie gets better each time. I appreciate the actors more now, since I watched a few of the behind-the-scenes videos of them working out. Needless to say, I wouldn't want to put myself through that. But, I like to think that I could. Who knows - anyway, it was quite impressive *now release your anger*

So nothing much is really going on. I just go about my day, talking to pretty much only my room mates and my d&d group. Classes are boring, and I can't wait for this semester to be over and done with.

Hope the stores are doing ok. We'll find out soon.

Worst Fucking Week....ever.

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 23:34:14 GMT

I won't go into details, but wow. I'm quite glad that week is over. The weekend was fun, since I went to Tech and spent some good time with my bestest. Talking about our future (and future dogs) with her really made me feel better about life. I needed that.

Had a rough time with my parents over the weekend, but that was partly my fault. I have been sad and furious ever since Thursday, so it has been very difficult to keep my feelings in check. But even though I'm so upset, I feel that this is a good chance for me to channel my anger into something positive - like making myself FANTASTIC, and getting really intouch with my "inner self" - as awful and cliche as that sounds. I plan on taking some weekend day trips once it gets a little warmer, probably into the mountains to get some hiking done. I will also continue with my plan to go skydiving in a few months...or maybe sooner. I will be taking the rest of the semester (and then some) to focus on myself, my feelings, my body, and really figure out what I want.

Oh....and no men. I'm currently on a man-hating rampage. :D

Myrtle Beach 2007

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 16:07:27 GMT

Before heading back to school, Nick was kind enough to accompany me on a winter-getaway trip to Myrtle Beach this past weekend. I had a good time, although I think he would have been happier with a less touristy choice of beaches to visit, and with a lot less driving. We drove for about 8 hours on Friday, then wanted to see the Isle of Palms on Saturday (which was another 2 hour drive there and 2 hours back), then finally heading back on Sunday in the snow, making that an 8 to 9 hour drive. But along the way we had some good times: South of the Border, Myrtle Beach, Isle of Palms, and lots of restaurants.
Some of the more funny experiences Nick and I had involved some of the places we ate at. We had seen signs the whole time driving down for a chain of fast food places called 'Bojangles'. I thought it was an odd name, and proceeded to crack jokes about it the entire trip, thus earning me the name "Baby Bojangles, Happy Feet's retarded cousin". Also, Nick and I stopped into a Waffle House on the way back from the Isle of Palms. There, we were greeted by a nice woman who sat us down and talked with us a bit. After our food had arrived, she went back to talking with another co-worker, and continued on a rant that was taking place before we entered the restaurant. She seemed to be on a serious man-hating rage, and one of the funniest lines she said was "Men are worthless tits on a boar-hog!". Nick and I did everything in our power to keep our laughter in check.

Below are a mix of pictures that Nick and I took on our vacation.

Trying on a sombrero at South of the Border

Picture of Nick at the Isle of Palms

Pier at the Isle of Palms

My picture of the sunset

Nick's picture of the sunset. He's quite a bit better at this than I am.

Sunset silhouette.

Sunset silhouette of Nick.

Fin.

NY, NY

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 06:28:06 GMT

Yesterday I was invited to go to New York City with a relatively-new friend I've made this semester. She called me, asked me what I was up to, and then told me to pack because she had made us reservations at a hotel in Times Square as part of my birthday gift (that PLUS transportation). Random and spontaneous? Yes. I only wish that I could take some people with me, but this will be a good time for me to get to know her (and her fiance, since he's coming as well!) I only hope we're not mugged....but if that happens, at least I'll have a story to share when I get back.

I leave today, see ya Friday!

And,
I'm sorry about last night. I called around 8:30 and your dad said you were asleep. I feel bad since we just had a great talk about random stuff like this and I know you need this more than I do. I promise if I find anything fun or exciting, I'll bring it back. Just don't run off with any thieves before I return! (And no faking death, thanks). I'll see you Friday!

Happy New Year!!!

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 22:46:12 GMT

Had a great New Years Eve this time around - consisting of food, drinks, and Cranium :D

I won't dive into details, but the pictures may explain enough about it...

Jess riding the foot massager

The gang

Best friends?...No, couldn't be.....

Matt and Jess!

Yay for comfy pants

Intense game of Cranium

7 up Cup

Is this the 'dress' part of the 'crude ba-caa' part?

Good times, good times :D
And yes, 5 AM heart to hearts kick ass.

Birthday Bash

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 22:14:21 GMT

I'm officially 20 now! My birthday was a blast - full of family, friends, and food :D My day started with a late lunch at Star Thai with my parents and Jess, and then a few mixed drinks soon after that at my house. Once a little buzzed, Jess and I attempted to take over China in Dynasty Warriors 5. After a few screams, laughs, and defeats, I took Jess home and then came back to get dressed for my birthday dinner. Nick arrived at 8 (in a suit, no less), and took me to dinner at the new Cheesecake Factory in Fair Oaks Mall. We had a wonderful dinner, and a big surprise between the appetizer and the main course. After dinner we headed back to my house for dessert with my parents and Jess. While eating birthday cup-cakes, we watched The Office -season 2, and talked until early morning hours. It was FANTASTIC. :D

Flowers from my Aunt and Uncle.

Festive Jess

Seriously - the longest phone call ever.

Happy Hour Jess!

Heading out to dinner!

Birthday cupcakes

I couldn't have a birthday without acting a little crazy ;)

Well, that's all.

Clink-Clink

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 07:47:08 GMT

It's been a bit of a rollercoaster lately. I'm running on 4 hours of sleep, but it's nice to know that 3 of my 5 finals are finished! I can't wait for my winter break to begin - there are so many changes I want to make!

This afternoon I had a bit of a meltdown. I felt unprepared for my Macro final, and I had had so much coffee and red bull that I felt sick to my stomach. Instead of studying, I began to think about school and work and where I was going with my life. What was the point? Who cared? Yatta yatta yatta... I could go into lengthy detail, but the point is that in a matter of minutes I completely turned against myself and the world. I hated everything, for really no reason. After a while, I calmed down, disregarded my earlier thoughts, and continued to cram Keynes' false theories into my head in preparation for the final test.

Later tonight, I came back to dwell on my upsetting emotions. I realize that I need to stop being fake. I need to stop being nervous around people, stop ignoring people, stop over-booking myself, stop talking with people that make me upset, stop wasting my time, stop holding myself back and most of all, stop having such a low opinion of myself. I am fly and fabulous, and to hell with anyone who thinks otherwise. I may not be pretty, and I may not be smart, but NOBODY can do me like me.

"I told you to clink-clink! Lock down!" -Tyler Perry's Madea

Rockstars

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 06:44:54 GMT

Thanks to his wonderful photography and computer skills, Nick was able to transform me, Latoya, and himself into rockstars for his graphic design class.

Nick, in all his emo glory

My beautiful room mate

End! :D

Zombies

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:27:18 GMT

I revisted the idea of zombies today at work after a co-worker mentioned a comic she was drawing about our store. Clever, in the sense that it dealt with all the people who came into our store looking for PS3's and Wii's (which we don't sell) turning into zombies and attacking our establishment. Thankfully these would be the traditional slow-moving zombies with a possible fast-moving boss zombie (the career mom who has to get a game system for her kid). My co-worker was looking for ideas on weapons, assuming that the zombies would die if their heads were severed or they caught on fire. I offered her the nail gun, which isn't the best weapon choice, but at least it's a little different. After a while our conversation turned into a discussion on what would happen if zombies entered our world, but didn't necessarily take it over as shown in so many horror flicks. To start, the zombies would have the classic 'first attack', leaving towns and cities destroyed, and I guess helping with over-population too. But what if humans could contain the zombies after a while? We'd perhaps find a way to live with the zombies. After all, we couldn't just trap and kill them all, since they may not know what they're doing. If it's their nature, and not a conscious choice, then is it our right to kill them? Granted, those that were found guilty of killing humans would have their chance in the court room. Activist groups would spring up; defending the rights of zombies. Now, since there is a new 'being' in the world, they would affect just about every part of our lives. I'm sure some people would keep them as pets, and with that I'm sure food companies would create a new line of 'zombie food' fit just for them. Also, the entertainment industry would jump on that, creating a new line of entertainment made specifically for zombies. They'd become a whole new economic force in the world. And maybe, after a while of living with humans, the zombies would be able to control their aggressive tendencies and perhaps even attempt to get jobs. A zombie bell hopper? A zombie server? Well...I'm not so sure about servers, since I'm not a fan of skin-rotted waiters. But, you get the drift. And if a zombie committed a crime (aside from killing someone, which is a given)? There would be a whole new division of law enforcement to deal with zombies, and with time they may even incorporate zombies as well. Speaking of law enforcement, I can only assume that zombies would eventually be trained to join the military, allowing for a new faction of mobile troops. They may even be "perfect" soldiers, since they could get hit, feel no pain, and keep marching. Also, going back to the rights of zombies, what if a human wanted to marry a zombie? I can only imagine the legislation dealing with that one, since even today it's hard enough for two people to marry. And along with marriage comes divorce - would it only increase the statistics of failed marriages? What about discrimination? I can only imagine that many people would not be content to live with zombies so suddenly - and perhaps even a new wave of discrimination would ensue.

The possibilities are endless...but at least it's interesting to think about.

Fin

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 23:53:13 GMT

It's funny to think how just a few days can change your whole outlook. For all the hell I went through during Thanksgiving break, I couldn't have hoped for a better outcome. Let's review:

Jess came back, and we dove right into Soul Calibur III....again. We watched Castle of Cagliostro and rented Castle in the Sky, both of which are by Miyazaki and are quite fabulous. Also, I had to work every day save Sunday at the Chantilly store. Nothing too exciting, but did get to spend time with my mom and even had a few surprise visitors. Family came to visit, which was an adventure in itself, but everything ran pretty smoothly.

Overall, I came back to school with a great sense of closure. I had seen everyone I needed to see, told people things I needed to tell them, and realized that things are never as bad as they seem. So now, even though I'm back to school and all it's shitty work, I'm a lot happier than I've been in a long time. I even began putting up the posters in my dorm, because now all of a sudden I care, and I'm ready for a fresh new start.

Oh, and I totally feel like a rock star. :D