It's goodbye to the days of double-fisted drinking (not that I ever did this...or at least did it well), and time to do as this poor soul is doing--double-fisted reading. As my day came to a close today, I realized that I have learned a very important lesson in the budding days of this new semester. As some close friends have warned me in the past, I have realized that my challenge in this new stage of education is not so much learning the material. I, of course, need to do the work and retain the important stuff, but the bigger lesson that I'm learning is how to be a successful and competitive graduate student. It's so very different from undergraduate studies. Even reflecting on the lesson I just mentioned, learning the stuff is the key in undergrad. You have tests, quizzes, and final exams that reflect this fact. Now, though, all of it comes down to what you will do on your own. How far are you willing to go in attaining a shred of knowledge that your classmates have failed to unveil? 
I've been a total loser up to this point, repeating how I'm not competitive by nature...blah blah blah. But, it's finally hit me that I just need to kick it in and get to work. I truly adore higher education and want to be a part of its functioning eventually, and I'm not going to get there by magic...I must, like all of the others, walk the ropes. What I discovered as I had to discipline myself today is that I actually enjoy doing that work moreso than most other things in my life. If you're going to have to work your life away, then why not make it something you love, right? Today was one of my favorite days, and it included hours of plowing through a book and some critical essays and a delightful PB&J sandwich for dinner only to run to the next building for two hours of class. It can't get any better. Okay, that's admittedly a little over the top, but it's good to be waking up to the "job" of a graduate student. We'll see what happens with this awareness : )
I find myself thinking about food a lot lately. As I did some soul searching about why this is, I realized how much food truly is the center of my life. Why do I love food so much? Besides the fact that food is a basic human need, I think that it has, and maybe has been for centuries, an object at the very center of human socialization. I want to know how many sets of friends or how many families are out there who can find social activities that don't begin, include, or end with some form of taking in food or drink. I know for myself, the top three answers to someone (a friend) asking me what I would like to do are: 1)go out to eat, 2)go have coffee, or 3)go get a dessert. To be completely honest, I don't think I want that to change. So, in trying to build on this discovery about my love affair with food, I've decided to try to learn how to cook. I am pretty good when it comes to baking, but I've never strayed too far from things such as Pasta Roni and Mac n Cheese when it comes to cooking. This should be an interesting new adventure...who knows, maybe I've gotta an inner Julia Childs just waiting to escape from the caverns of my soul. Please feel free to submit a recipe because food is love!
Granted, I get plenty tired of all of the WV jokes that are thrown my way since my move to the East Coast. But, I have to give my friend, Chris, credit for adding a comic element of that past world of mine to an already hilarious encounter that took place yesterday. It was such a very normal day...somewhat slow and boring to be completely honest. I had finished readings for class and decided to nap for awhile. I then received a call from Sara, requesting I visit Borders with her to pick up some books and go for some Thai dinner food afterwards. I happily accepted this invite, so we set out on our way. When we first arrived at Borders (for once as customers rather than employees), I suggested we let our friend and co-worker, Liza, know we were there because she was expecting us to come in at some point for our shopping. So, we did so and she took her 10 minute, asking us to join her outside as she took a smoke break. We complied, and sat on the curb, chatting away as people came in and out of our store. Then, and this reminded me of one of those TV scenes when the Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it On" plays and the visuals go slow motion, a man walks out of the front doors, we look at him, he looks at us, we watch him walk all the way past, silent, and then Sara and I look at eachother, and she very calmly, with little surprise, says, "I totally think that was Chuck Norris." This was true, but my brain had not kicked in at all as I watched him walk. It was just an inner thought that indicated I should be recognizing this person and reacting--but that reaction was non-existent. After Sara made her observation, I agreed, and we started cracking up like 8-year-old, giddy schoolgirls. It was one of the most random events of my life. My co-workers, Bryn Mawr customers, and other miscellaneous people exit those doors...not Walker, Texas Ranger!!! So, as lame as it was, I had to spread the joy of this random event. My mother, of course, was thrilled with my experience, as was my father. This fed my fascination, which felt good. Then, I left an IM away message when I went to bed:"Today marks a great day in the history of my life (please know that this is strictly sarcastic)...I totally saw Chuck Norris as he strolled out of Borders Bryn Mawr. I love the random events in life--it's what makes it so much fun."I woke up this morning to Chris IMing me. All I had to read was his first line..."You might be a redneck if..." I didn't have to read on, I knew how it was going to end. He was totally bashing my Chuck Norris excitement. I understand, Chris...it's hard when you're not the one who gets to see Walker up close and personal...especially when he's your idol. Anyhow, I reminded him of the sarcasm backing all of the excitement...and we had a good laugh. Thank you, Chuck Norris,for a great moment that appears to keep on giving. And if you are reading this and would like to reading another account of the adventure, check out Sara's entry.
As a follow-up to my past blogs that have included gushings about my iPod Mini purchase, I must bring closure to a tragic tale...A few weeks ago, as I got ready for work, I had my tunes rocking through my iPod. When I was finished getting ready, I grabbed the pod, which I had put down at one point, in order to pack it up to take with me on the road. Unfortunately, it slipped right out of my hand, and it came to rest on the rather hard tiled bathroom floor. I was misled in thinking that I could possibly have gotten lucky for the third time with iPod drops, for I had previously dropped it on the pavement. As tough as my lil' pinkie was, it did not fare well in this situation. It was not cracked, but it refused to do anything when I pushed buttons. I have to say that this was a stunning discovery for me. Just as movies and TV claim that one's last thoughts before death wander to years past and fly by in chronological order, I began to instantly mourn the loss of a great companion--musical companion that is. I think the soundtrack to my flashback would have to include such hits as "Islands in the Stream" (me and the ipod being the islands), "You are So Beautiful," etc. I truly miss having my little iPod attached.So, my co-iPod Junkie, Sara, tried her best to assist in the resurrection of my functioning iPod. She even had me convinced that I could pull off not revealing the whole truth of the matter to the Apple Store employees (something I've never been good at). Alas, we made the pilgrimmage to the Apple Store in King of Prussia only to discover that everyone else in the region also needed their assistance that night and we were too late. If I had any way of knowing iPod mouth-to-mouth rescusitation, I surely would have done it. But, it's no use. The iPod has officially flatlined...crossed over...however you want to put it. I am currently pondering how to replace this loss. Being a starving student to begin with, it was a steep purchase. Buying two in a matter of months, however, seems a bit excessive to me. In the meantime, Sara lent me her precious green iPod to use as I wandered Villanova's campus last night for class. The fantastic thing was when I turned the pod on, and it was like 20 or so seconds into a song, and I just hit the play button to resume the play that Sara had started. You know you've found a friend in someone when you can start up their iPod and not have to even once forward through a song or artist. Oh well...life goes on.
This post serves more as a thank you than as a time to consider a funny or philosophical thought of the day. The time of the year has come quickly when I have no choice but to shed 23 and welcome 24. It's crazy how the years seem to move faster and faster, but I have to say I can't complain...life is good.I have to admit I would have never dreamed about 2 or 3 years ago that a few hours at a restaurant, surrounded by friends, would satisfy my birthday celebration craving. However, this year has proven a turning point. Funny how those around you can make virtually any setting a perfect place for maximum fun. While the night was rather short, I feel so satisfied with my birthday festivities. There was a close call because they revealed to the waiter that it was my birthday, and I thought for sure I'd have to suffer through a loud round of singing and clapping, but the gods were on my side and I didn't have to do so. This moment did remind me of the time years and years ago when my sister told a waitress about my birthday, and when the staff came out to sing to me, I quickly excused myself and hung out outside until it was clear to return to the table. Easily embarrassed as a child? For sure. In any case, thank you to all of those who made this birthday a good one (including Peg from back home who pulled off a spectacular and priceless surprise that I stumbled upon as I left the house tonight). I hope you know how much I appreciate it. 23 wasn't bad, and 24 is sure to be even better.
I realized as I became embroiled in a fierce debate at work tonight that everyone should go the extra mile in the area of geographical knowledge--especially before choosing to enter battle. I admit that I'm very fuzzy on many areas of the United States; however, what I do know is the area from which I come. Here's what happened:It was closing time at the store, and I was the lone female amongst three other male employees. The manager commented about my home being "down there." In response, I pointed out that I drive directly west and only slightly south to get home. That part of the encounter ended at that point, but the other two males (we'll call them Bill and Ted just for the sake of simplicity) chose to pick up the fight for their fellow Borders soldier. They began, very stongly, insisting that that could not be because they had driven from PA to OH several times without ever being in WV. My point was that you have no choice but to pass through WV unless you're slightly north of Pittsburgh--see map at top. (I should know this since I lived there for all but the past 4 months of my life). Bill just used his Enlightenment logic to back his argument while Ted chose to back his issue with the claim that he had never been to WV. Being that Borders is a bookstore, and being that bookstores carry atlases (in fact several varieties), I marched back to the travel section and marched back up to the front to prove that I had outwitted these two smarties. The manager, who briefly teamed up with the other two, suddenly backed down when I showed him the hard facts. Ted gave up fairly easily and just laughed. Bill, however, took it a little harder. You could see the defeat in his eyes, and about ten minutes later, he looked at me and said, "You have to admit that that's a very small pinhead portion of WV." To this, I responded, "Yes, Bill, but you have to realize that I, along with many other people, inhabit that pinhead portion, and since when do pinhead portions of states get wiped off the map?" It was a valiant last ditch effort to gain a point or two in the battle--but, I think I have to take the win on this one. The lesson(s)? #1: Don't argue with folks about their hometown regions. #2: Clear up your geographical trouble areas. #3: Even when you think you have no chance of winning in a situation like this, you must pull out your tools and persevere--it makes it all the sweeter when you win.
I received an iTunes gift card for Christmas this year, and I finally had time to put it to use last night. I have to blog on this experience because it was my first official iTunes experience...and definitely not my last. High praise is in demand for this business venture because it has so many perks. The fact that you can search for an artist and pull up all of their albums or search by a song and see all artists who have produced the song in the past is fantastic. Plus, the music is much cheaper and you don't have to buy an entire CD in order to enjoy a favorite song or two. Even more important, especially for starving students, is the fact that you can oftentimes purchase an entire CD for cheaper than $0.99 per song, which means it's much cheaper than buying retail. With the exception of this last perk, I believe I put all of these benefits to use in my buyage last night. Here's a record of my first iTunes expenditures:1.) Purple (Stone Temple Pilots)- "Interstate Love Song"2.) Grave Dancers Union (Soul Asylum)- "Runaway Train" [Major blast from the past]3.) Tigerlily (Natalie Merchant)- "San Andreas Fault," "Wonder," "Beloved Wife," "River," "Carnival," "The Letter," "Jealousy," "Where I Go"4.) Give Up (The Postal Service)- "Sleeping In"5.) From Under The Cork Tree (Fall Out Boy)- "Sugar, We're Going Down"6.) Stars: The Best of 1992-2002 (The Cranberries)- "Dreams," "Linger"7.) What's Following Me (Eleanor McEvoy)- "Precious Little"Fantastic music, fantastic shopping experience, and a good reminder of just how cool the iPod and all of its components are. Hazzah!
I was lucky enough to close 2005 with a trip home to see those I love and with whom I have spent many years of my life. The week was one of catching up...on love, the town gossip, and the goings on with the kids. This picture pretty much sums up what I did with a majority of my time there. I just can't get enough of either of them. Sydni stuns me everytime I'm with her because she's growing into such a sensative little person...she convinced me to eat at least two Spree candy canes each time she visited my room...only so I would share them with her. Seth has taken to burrowing his head in your chest and grabbing your face with both of his little hands to show his love and appreciation. What a great thing to watch them grow into people from the little creatures they started out as. 
While it was hard leaving them behind and heading back to Philadelphia, I had a great Dudley New Year's Eve party to attend, so things were looking up. I've realized that while my blog on 2005 was important for cleansing and moving out of the past year, it's just as important to focus on what I look forward to in the coming year. Here's a brief list:1) Continuing to meet wonderful people in my new home. I've been so lucky in who I have met out here--at school, at work, and otherwise. My goal is to continue doing so. Life only continues to be enriched with every other human being I add.2) Continuing to learn about myself and my goals. While most set resolutions at this time, I choose not to. Why? Well, I'm a firm believer that we change, as people, almost every day. So, what seems appropriate as a goal on January 1st probably won't withstand the changes that occur over the year. Instead of letting myself down, I will wake up each day and come up with a plan for the day. I see that this may simply be a product of my incredible problem with procrastination, but it works.3) Building a better foundation. I find myself a little too impulsive sometimes, and this does not work well with reality. As a result, I am going to try to better focus myself. It's been hard doing so during the past 4 months, but I think it's a good thing to work on.4) Have fun. One of my friends recently gave me advice for a specific situation in my life, and that advice was to laugh and have fun...not to take things too serious. I have decided to try to incorporate that into my everyday life. Stress is bad, and I invite it into my life too frequently...no more. I will remain steadfast in my venture to enjoy at least a majority of everyday. This is sure to be a good year. "The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark."
(Barbara Hall, Northern Exposure, Rosebud, 1993)
It's goodbye to the days of double-fisted drinking (not that I ever did this...or at least did it well), and time to do as this poor soul is doing--double-fisted reading. As my day came to a close today, I realized that I have learned a very important lesson in the budding days of this new semester. As some close friends have warned me in the past, I have realized that my challenge in this new stage of education is not so much learning the material. I, of course, need to do the work and retain the important stuff, but the bigger lesson that I'm learning is how to be a successful and competitive graduate student. It's so very different from undergraduate studies. Even reflecting on the lesson I just mentioned, learning the stuff is the key in undergrad. You have tests, quizzes, and final exams that reflect this fact. Now, though, all of it comes down to what you will do on your own. How far are you willing to go in attaining a shred of knowledge that your classmates have failed to unveil? 
I've been a total loser up to this point, repeating how I'm not competitive by nature...blah blah blah. But, it's finally hit me that I just need to kick it in and get to work. I truly adore higher education and want to be a part of its functioning eventually, and I'm not going to get there by magic...I must, like all of the others, walk the ropes. What I discovered as I had to discipline myself today is that I actually enjoy doing that work moreso than most other things in my life. If you're going to have to work your life away, then why not make it something you love, right? Today was one of my favorite days, and it included hours of plowing through a book and some critical essays and a delightful PB&J sandwich for dinner only to run to the next building for two hours of class. It can't get any better. Okay, that's admittedly a little over the top, but it's good to be waking up to the "job" of a graduate student. We'll see what happens with this awareness : )
