Imperfections

Funny what the rain can do...

2007-03-26T23:55:00.000-05:00

Well hello all.

Long time no talk. No type. Whatever. So yeah, you know what's funny that the rain can do? Rain and just the right music makes Amy introspective. Reflective perhaps. Anyhow, it makes me think. And I guess it makes me blog because it's been a while. I was just thinking about this blog and how it had been ages since I wrote as I was driving home from work today. I was listening to The Fray as I drove in the rain. I love them. Anyone else who knows them knows that their album is mostly depressing. But I love depressing. Always have. Something about depressing that makes me feel good. Feel more alive. Is that weird? I don't know, but sometimes the best thing in the world is to pop on some sad music and get lost in it while thinking about your life. And I'm not saying my life is depressing right now because it's not. I have a job I love, Mike finally left Meditech because they suck and he has a great new job in Boston that he's loving. We're moving to Providence during the month of May. Basically a lot of good things are happening. And yet I revel in depression. I am not depressed about my life. But it makes me think of my mom. I need to explain that before she reads this and interprets that statement wrong. As much as she loves her life now and is happy with who she is and where she's at, there's a part of her that always looks back to her younger years with a bit of longing and sadness that they're over. And I think that's sort of what my rainy day depressions amount to. Not that I would change where I'm at now, but missing parts of my past. So to all of you in my past, I'm thinking of you today and what you've meant to my life.

Wedding Pictures: Part Two (even though it appears before part one...)

2006-11-22T18:52:00.000-05:00

The Wedding Party

Mike and I. Obviously.

The Cake

The Tables
Check out the difference between the next two...

Bouquet Toss

Garter Toss

And I'll leave you with a shot of one of our adorable flowergirls

Past Due

2006-11-22T18:02:00.000-05:00

Current random thoughts:
1. My apartment smells gross like old tacos (I made them last night...garbage must go outside tonight)
2. I love that Christmas is coming! I love hearing the songs on the radio, I love shopping for presents. I just love this time of year. :) I was getting all nostalgic on the way to work today because "All I Want For Christmas" by Mariah Carey was on. It just brings back Christmas memories at Whistle Stop. I still think that is one of my favorite places to be around the holidays. If I could, I'd go back and work there every Christmas. If any of the Whistle Stop crew reads this, I miss you guys and am thinking about you!
3. I have the best job in the world! As you all know from my last post, I officially work for the ACLU now. Good stuff. I started last Tuesday. I love the people I work with. Granted it's only my boss and an administrative assistant, but they're both great. Steve, my boss, is awesome. He even let us out at 3 instead of 5 today. Very nice.
4. I got the proofs back for my wedding pictures. Nearly all turned out great. Here's a small sampling:

Hmm...so apparently this is all that will fit in one post...

Hooray for me!

2006-11-03T01:19:00.000-05:00

Hello, hello! Well, I guess it's safe to talk about that mysterious job now. Sorry I wasn't so forthcoming before, but I wanted this so badly that I was afraid I'd jinx it if I told too many people about it. So here goes. Today at approximately 5:20pm I was offered the job I have been interviewing for!! It's with the ACLU of Rhode Island in Providence. My official title is "Program Coordinator." My main duties will be lobbying and other legislative duties, research, and community education. Also, during the fall/winter I will be helping with fundraising. Tis the season I suppose. Can't say I'm looking forward so much to that part, but hey, you can't expect to love every aspect of a job and I think my other duties will definitely make up for it. I start on Nov. 13, just over a week from now. I can't wait. I can't believe that I've landing the job of my dreams. I know I haven't started yet and there's the possibility of it not being what I expected, but so far so GREAT! I'm really looking forward to it and, of course, the second income will come in quite handy. I just feel very lucky and very fortunate to have landed a job right out of college that is actually a job that I want. I can remember reading the posting for this job almost two months ago. I was practically giddy just reading about it. And now it's mine. Talk about good fortune! And when it comes time to move on, this job will be excellent on my resume. I will be one of three employees in the office meaning that I will have experience in several different aspects of the organization instead of being so specialized in just one area. And, although I know there are varying opinions of the ACLU (some of which are, to say the least, not positive), it is a national organization and a well-known organization. The work I will be doing for them will definitely lead to more opportunities down the road. I definitely can't wait to start. Like I said in the title: hooray for me!

Happy trails...

Talk about nerve-wracking!

2006-10-31T14:24:00.000-05:00

So I just got a phone call about an hour ago and I'm still trying to calm myself a bit. As you know from my previous post, I've been interviewing for a job I really want. I had a phone interview late September and then an in-person interview with the executive director a week ago. This phone call today was from the executive director asking me to come in for yet another interview BECAUSE he's narrowed it down to TWO candidates...one of whom is me. Eek! I go in tomorrow at 5:30. He said it would be brief and he asked me to bring my portfolio again. For any of you social work majors reading this, yes, I mean that portfolio. The giant one we all complained about putting together. Well, that obnoxious portfolio just might be what gets me the job in the end, so it was worth all of the hours and sleepless nights. He'd already said he was impressed with my statistical analyses when I went in a week ago. Thank you, Salve, for the research classes! I suppose it helps that I liked those classes, but still... I've decided that even if I don't get this job, I'm still very happy about where I'm at. I mean, think about it. This is my first "real" job that I'm interviewing for. The first time my resume has been looked at by a potential employer. All for a job I truly want! And I've been told out of however many candidates (there were 6 days of round 2 interviews) that I'm good enough to make it to the top two in the group. Of course, landing the job would make this whole experience even better, but I'm happy with the progress so far!

Happy Trails...

A Rather Blustery Day (or two)

2006-10-29T12:52:00.000-05:00

Mike and I woke up yesterday to a rather rainy and rather windy day yesterday. Our plans for cleaning and organizing the apartment sort of fell by the wayside as a result. You might think that rainy weather is perfect cleaning weather, but it's not. Not for us at least. It was too dark in the apartment and made us just want to watch tv/movies all day. We started off with a bunch of food network shows about Halloween. Which, of course, made us want to make Halloween treats. As we sat staring at the tv, we added cupcake and sugar cookie ingredients to our grocery list (which already included a few items for dinner). Just remember that there's two of us. And we're making cupcakes and cookies. Oh well, it's Halloween, the season of sweets. So anyhow, Mike was the lucky one to go to the store because he didn't like the movie on tv I'd chosen to watch. He swears we started watching Ghost Ship together before and we both thought it was stupid. I swear he doesn't know what he's talking about because none of it was familiar to me. I'm not saying it's a cinematic masterpiece, but I liked it enough. It was fun.

While he was gone I started preparing for dinner. And may I offer a tip for a good meal that works well as leftovers, too? Mike and I eat the Campell's Supper Bakes maybe once a week. We finally stumbled on one that cooks up well as leftovers--the Southwest Chicken. Very tender, juicy chicken the first time around and, since it's a meal for four, we had leftovers which I decided to make into chicken tacos. Mmm. Just reheated the rice with a little butter and red onions, cut the chicken up and reheated it with some taco seasoning, shredded some cheese and lettuce, bought a little sour cream and taco shells and voila! tasty meal number two!

Except tasty meal number two turned dangerous when Mike arrived with the taco shells. I couldn't open the shrink wrap around the shells and since I was too lazy to go in the other room for scissors, I just grabbed the knife I used to cut the lettuce and...slipped and cut my finger. Mind you I also opened the shrink wrap, but I put a pretty nasty gash in the side of my left middle finger. Ever actually cut through your nail? I did. The cut goes from about the center of my fingernail horizontally across and into my flesh on the side. Nice. I was bleeding pretty badly so I raised my hand over my head (because I'm sure...sorry, stupid reference) to slow the blood flow and directed Mike around the kitchen to finish the meal. It seems just fine now, but I'm interested to see how it grows out.

We sat down to our yummy meal and watched The Omen which was pretty good. About halfway through the movie I started mixing up the cupcakes (one-handed...kind of interesting). The first batch came out of the oven just as the movie was ending and then the power went out. Yay! Well, not really. Mike and I actually like power outages, but this time it was just inconvenient. At least we're prepared, though, because we had two flashlights nearby at the ready and plenty of candles already out ready to be lit. But we had more cupcake batter that would go bad and we didn't want to open the fridge in case it lasted a while. Also, Damien: The Omen II, was coming on next and since we liked the first one, we were excited to watch the second one. Well, I filled the cupcake pan and we decided to go for it and put it in the fridge. Then we played a game of Clue by candlelight (fun!). A little over an hour later the power came back on, we made the cupcakes, and, thanks to the magic on On Demand, we were able to watch The Omen II.

And now today it's still very blustery, which we love, and we're making some headway with our mess. Yippee.

Happy Trails...

I'm Ba-ack!

2006-10-25T12:34:00.000-05:00

Wow, so who thought they'd ever see my return to blogger? Come on, anyone even still checking at this point? No? I don't blame you! Haha. Well, whatever the case may be, I intend to pick up where I left off. Sort of. I intend to just "pick up" is porbably better.

Quick catch up (and I mean quick...bare bones details right now): Pretty much from the time of my last post till just about now I was in Michigan. I was back at Whistle Stop part time and planning my wedding full time. Whistle Stop=tons of fun and I'm sad to see it go. Wedding planning=kind of a pain in the ass, but, honestly, worth every second of it. So the big day was Saturday, October 7. Again, I'm keeping the details scarce right now so that I can move right along. I will say that it was an amazing day, though. Perfect weather...mid 60s and sunny. Nice short ceremony (since it had to be religious ), BEAUTIFUL reception. We were going for an autumn harvest ball kind of look and it was achieved thanks to the wonderful professionals (mainly the Hangs) who were able to turn my words into perfection. Mike and I left for our Disney World Honeymoon the following Monday, October 9th. Quick word to the wise: DO NOT GO ON YOUR HONEYMOON DIRECTLY AFTER YOUR WEDDING UNLESS YOU ARE SUPERMAN AND SUPERWOMAN. You will be tired and cranky and needing rest, therefore missing out on half the fun. Mike and I wish we would have had a week in between, but there were several reasons for it working out the way it did and we just made the best of it. Still very fun, but could have been better had we been well-rested.

That just about brings us to the present. We got back from the honeymoon late on Monday, Oct. 16. Mike flew back to Taunton the following evening. I packed up everything and drove out this past Saturday. We are currently living in a pile of rubble because we have no room for anything in our apartment (sometimes not even for us I think). I don't mean to burst any engaged couples' bubbles with this next comment, but be prepared for no magical "I'm married-ness" to wash over you. You'd think you should feel all different, but you don't. You're the same people in the same relationship only with one extra ring each. Not that I'm complaining really. We had a great relationship so it's not like we needed anything different from marriage. We're still happy together and all of that. I think it will set in more around the holidays (mainly Christmas) when we go home and stay at the same place. In the past Mike has gone to his house and I've gone to mine. Now we both have to be at the same place. Time to juggle quality time with both families. That's going to be interesting. But more on that when the time comes I suppose. I will try not to be pessimistic from the start.

Ready for more of the romantic in me to come out? (That's meant to be funny, but don't worry, Mike has enough romance in him for the both of us.) I think the best part of getting married is having health insurance again! I have been without for almost the past two years. I could always go to Salve's clinic while in school, but it didn't include dental, vision, or prescriptions. Very bad. And although they could do gyno exams, if anyone currently at Salve is reading this, I highly recommend NOT going to them for that! I've never hurt or bled after a gyno until I went to the one at Salve. Sorry if that's a little too much information, but it helps drive home my happiness over health insurance. Yay!

One last quick thing to slip in before I sign off for now. Since the end of September I have been interviewing for what could quite possibly be a dream job for me. I had my second interview yesterday and should know by the end of next week if they're going to hire me. Keep your fingers crossed everyone because I need to make money! And it's always better to make money doing something you like. Haha, plus, it sounds like this job might offer even better benefits than Mike's (although glad to have health insurance, his is an HMO and I'm still holding out for a PPO again...), so who knows!

Happy Trails!!

Definitely one of the better ones

2006-06-12T21:04:00.000-05:00

Take this fun quiz. It actually asks you more than 5 questions to determine your match.

You Are A: Kitten!

Cute as can be, kittens are playful, mischevious, and ever-curious. Kittens are often loving, but are known to scratch or bite when annoyed. These adorable animals are the most popular pets in the United States--37% of American households have at least one cat. Whether it is your gentle purr or your disarming appearance, you make a wonderful kitten.

You were almost a: Frog or a Monkey
You are least like a: Chipmunk or a Bunny What Cute Animal Are You?

Gifts for Fadi :)

2006-06-09T15:41:00.000-05:00

Yay for baby things! I finished the set I made up for Fadi and put it in the mail today. Lucy should get it in a few days:

Sorry the picture's not the greatest, but it's the best I could do in a short time. I took it with my phone (quickest way to do it and be able to ship it out). I made spherey first, as you all know from my last post. I had leftovers of both yarns because I over-bought, so I figured I would add a blankie to the gift. I paired the leftover yarn with some old mystery yarn that came from my mom's stash that she happily unloaded on me and another leftover I had from another project. I knit it on size 15s...it's a soft, cuddly, bulky blankie. :) Only problem was I misjudged amounts on (almost) all counts. I ended up having to go buy more yarn of the yarn from spherey and I needed to try and match the old blue acrylic that came from my mom to something new. :( Didn't work. You can't see it in the photo (partly because of the shadow, partly because it's strategically "posed" to hide it), but the strip of blue above the "f" and above the top white stripe (you can't see, but it's there, draped over the back of the couch to match the bottom) is darker than the rest of it. Kind of drive's me crazy, but it was the best match I could do taking gauge, color, and texture into account. I designed the blankie on my own, but borrowed the "f" from the "Letter Have It" bag in Stitch n' Bitch Nation. Hope it gets Fadi's approval! :D

Spherey!

2006-06-05T23:11:00.000-05:00

Hello, hello! I guess I'm just a knittin' fool these days because I have another finished object to show you! Knit up to send out to my cute lil' nephew, it's Spherey from Jess Hutchinson's Booklet. He turned out really soft because I used Paton's Be Mine to make him. Enjoy!

Blogging from my phone...

2006-06-04T01:46:00.000-05:00

Hello all. This will be a quick one, but I wanted to do this because (geeky of me, I know) I'm so excited about it. Mike and I finally switched from crappy Nextel to Verizon which means I no longer have an ancient, practically obselete phone. In fact, it's quite the contrary now! My phone is cooler than Mike's now...more features and everything. :D I am writing this post on my phone because I have a full keyboard. This phone is like a mini laptop. I love it!! So fun to use...

Happy trails...

Bobble "Pink"

2006-06-02T14:11:00.000-05:00

So I finished piecing together the sweater I've been working on. Check it out y'all:

And closer up:

And the back:

And lastly, the cool buttons:

You can't tell from the picture because the colors are all distorted to show the detail, but they're mother of pearl and the pink design is much more subtle.

Anyway, enjoy! I'll get the other knitted item posted in a day or two.

Oh, and PS...Comments greatly appreciated because I haven't decided if I like it that much or not. It feels kinda bulky on. So please share if you think it's a keeper or not.

Update

2006-06-01T12:13:00.000-05:00

Hello, hello. You are now reading the blog of a college graduate. But, no, not just any old graduate (*BRAG ALERT*), a summa-cum-laude-social-work-department-award-winning graduate. :D Don't hate me because I'm smart. And to top it all off, I just found out yesterday that I won a contest I entered--Influencing State Policy. This contest was practically tailor-made for me, though, because what they wanted to see social work students doing was what was required of me at my internship this year. I used my experiences with MERI (Marriage Equality Rhode Island, for those of you that don't remember) to write about. The contest was super easy to enter. It required writing a two pages or less paper outlining: what I did, how many people would be affected by the policy I was working for, what the outcome was, and what I learned in the process. Simple. So anyhow, I received the email yesterday that I was one of three winners. That part's a bummer, though. One of three. There was only supposed to be one winner, but because it was a social work contest they wanted to be all nicey-nicey and give it to three people whose "judges rankings were so close." Now the prize money (the big draw for me) has to be split three ways. One person was supposed to walk away with $1000--I was hoping it would be me as it would go to some aspect of the wedding, possibly the honeymoon. Somehow $333.33 doesn't seem as significant. Don't get me wrong, it is definitely better than nothing and still helpful, but still a bummer. The prizes are being awarded at a policy conference in DC, but if I attend to receive my awards I'm basically cancelling out the money I just won, so I can't go. :( That sucks, too. What I would give for a short getaway. I'm getting antsy having been in one place so long. Must travel. Soon.

Speaking of travel, though, Mike and I have pretty much decided where we're going on our honeymoon (assuming, of course, that we can afford a honeymoon): Ireland! I'm pretty excited about it. And it's a complete 180 for me to even want to go. I always just thought of Ireland as drinking, beer, and drunkenness (pretty much all the same thing), but lately I'm looking beyond that and really liking the cultural aspects...castles/ruins, music, folklore, rolling green hills...it's beautiful. At least from what I've seen in pictures and heard from people who have been there. I know I won't be able to escape the pub, but I've realized that the pub is an essential part of the culture and the place I will find the music I want to hear. Oh and dancing! I don't know how, but I would love to jig to Irish music. So that's what we're looking at, a trip to Ireland. :)

In knitting news...I actually have already completed a project and just about finished another one since graduation. I don't currently have pictures, but perhaps later today or definitely by the weekend you'll be able to see them. It's nice to be knitting again.

And nice to see friends again, too! It had been a month and a half since I had hung out with Dave and Karon, so Mike and I went for part of Memorial Weekend. I bought shoes while I was there, too. I should post those as well, too, because I think they're sooo cute. (Mom, you can't steal them when you see them.)

You know, I need to mention one more thing about graduation. I meant to work it in earlier, but I went off on a tangent and it no longer flowed. For graduation, my dad and sister, Laura, came out to see it. That was the first time either of my parents have been out to Salve! It was so nice to have them here. :) I got to show them around campus and a bit of the Cliff Walk. My dad was in awe. I think he finally really "got" why I've been out here at school. They only had a real short time, so I threw a lot at them quickly. We were able to go down on the wharves (Laura wanted a Newport tee) where they ate lunch at the Black Pearl's hot dog stand. There was some small little shindig thing going on with music, a petting zoo of goats, and a big old pot of kettle corn--yum! Laura found a T-shirt (I've still got to locate the one dad wanted to bring home for Nick) and then we were off around Ocean Drive. We had to hurry up to the airport afterwards, but it was still a great time. I wish they could have stayed longer. Laura kind of gave me that "I'm eager to come back for a visit" look, so I'm hoping to have her out for a week later in the summer. We can shop, eat, and beach it. Works for me. :)

Happy Trails...

In the words of Jackson Browne...

2006-05-11T11:43:00.000-05:00

All good things gotta come to an end. And in the words of my mom, if you don't know what I'm talking about, look it up. So yeah. I'm done with undergrad. Niiiice. :) It's a good feeling. A couple of people I know are really sad. No offense to anyone, but that makes me want to laugh. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm older and it's not a big deal. Or maybe I just didn't make that many close friends out here? That's always a possibility. I think I can just deal with it better. Endings are kind of a testimony to who your close friends are anyway. If they are close, you'll keep in touch; if not, well, there's always reunions? So yeah, I'm not too torn up about it. There are people I will miss of course, but I'm ready to move on.

I'm actually very happy it's done because I've pulled out ye old knitting needles again. I'm just about finished with the back of a short sleeve cardigan sweater. Hopefully I'll get it done within the week because I'm excited to start wearing it.

The one thing I'm not looking (completely) forward to is moving back to Michigan. And I know my family reads this and it's actually nothing to do with any of you, that's the good part. It's getting a job and being apart from Mike for the summer. That's never fun. I do have a lead on a job, though, but I don't want to go on about it until I know for sure. Right now the ball's in my court and I need to make a phone call about it tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed y'all. :)

Well kids, that's all for now.

Happy Trails...

How true

2006-05-03T00:52:00.000-05:00

You are a Self-Discoverer

You're not religious, but you've created your own kind of spirituality.Introspective and thoughtful, you tend to look inward for the divine.You are distrusting of all forms of organized religion.You especially dislike religious gurus and leaders, who you feel are charlatans.

What's Your Religious Philosophy?

Joaquin :)

2006-04-15T12:01:00.000-05:00

So lately I've had a slight obsession with Joaquin Phoenix. For some reason, Mike is taking it really hard. This is nothing new for me, though. All my life I have cycled through obsessions with movie stars, usually coinciding with the likes of my sisters (this was back when I lived at home). In the past I've liked Christian Slater, Tom Cruise, Tommy Lee Jones (don't ask on that one), Christian Bale, Johnny Depp, etc. I get on these kicks where I have to rent/watch every movie they were ever in and then, gradually, the obsession fades. (In the case of Johnny Depp, well, he's still hot, but it's moved out of the obsessive phase. And there's even movies of his I haven't seen! GASP!)

So like I was saying, my latest crush is Joaquin. He was damn sexy in Walk the Line, so I've been revisiting movies I'd already seen with him (The Village, Quills, and, yes, even Spacecamp) and keeping an eye on cable for other movies with him (Ladder 49 was on recently and Clay Pigeons and Buffalo Soldiers will be on next week). Our Blockbuster sucks because they don't have Inventing the Abbotts or Return to Paradise, but Mike owns Gladiator, so we also watched that. Mike is uncomfortable with this, though. He's normally the extreme opposite of jealous, but this irks him. Big time. He thinks Joaquin is ugly and he keeps reminding me of the fact that he's a "PETA freak" as I so affectionately pointed out to him. The PETA thing is a definite negative. I like animals and all, but PETA's just extreme and insane.

So I'm going to recreate a funny conversation Mike and I had about this yesterday:

A: "I don't know why this bothers you so much. You don't get jealous."
M: "But he's ugly."
A: "You could watch movies with some female movie star you think is hot. I don't care. I wouldn't be jealous because I know they're famous and you'd never be with them."
M: "I know because I'm fat. But you're thin."
A: "Haha, what? Yeah, and you don't like Hollywood."
M: "But you do!"
A: "LOL, so I'm thin and I like Hollywood. That's all it takes to date a movie star? LOL."

Well move over Mike, last I read Joaquin was single.

I wanna be a lobbyist

2006-04-10T17:26:00.000-05:00

How does one go about finding a job as a lobbyist? I've been lobbying the Rhode Island State Legislature for the past month on marriage equality and it's fun! I love it! Sadly, as the school year soon comes to a close (which is not the sad part), so will my short-lived lobbying career. Since working with Marriage Equality RI I've lobbied...umm...about a dozen legislators? Perhaps I am heading for a career in politics. Wouldn't that be fun?? Anyone have connections for a government job back in Michigan legislature? Riiight.

Also, random note. Mike sent me this and I think it's ludacris. I know most of my readers won't understand not being from Harper Woods, but perhaps you can relate on a more basic level of how it would feel if a name change was suggested for your city or town. Check it out if you're interested: Harper Woods becomes a Pointe? If any of the Harper Woods city council happens upon my blog: DON'T DO IT! I was born, raised, and remain a resident of Harper Woods and I STRONGLY OPPOSE A NAME CHANGE FOR MY CITY. I am PROUD to be from Harper Woods and I am GLAD I am not a Grosse Pointer. Even if the name change happens, I will never be anything other than a Harper Woodsian. (It's like Pine Knob. Sorry folks, it will never be DTE.) That's my two cents on the issue.

Anyhow, I don't have much else interesting to report. Oh yeah, except I have changed the location of my wedding. What?!? Yes, 6 months away and Mike and I changed ceremony sites. I'm happy about it, though, even though it means I'm getting married by a priest (yuck) because it's really important to Mike. Our reception is still at the Eagle Tavern, but our ceremony is now at the Grosse Pointe Academy Chapel. (And before you say it, yes, it is in Grosse Pointe which I just spent the last paragraph despising, however, it is where Mike is from, so I have to be tolerant to a degree.)

So there ya have it. Sorry I don't have much else to say. Hmm...I wonder if Lucy will mind if I post this to here (I hope not)...it's my super cute nephew. :)

Happy Trails...

Once again, it's been a while

2006-03-26T22:51:00.000-05:00

Hello, hello to anyone who's actually checked this lately. Since I haven't gotten any angry "why haven't you updated?!?!?" it's probably safe to assume that no one cares anymore. haha. That, or no one has the time to procrastinate and read this.

So here's what I've been up to. I went home over spring break to get some wedding stuff finished. I'm happy to say that I now have a photographer, a dj, and a florist. Things are moving along nicely. Now if only I could get Mike to find someone to marry us, we'd be in a lot better shape...

My sister, Lucy, had her baby this past Thursday, March 23. He's 6 pounds, 2 ounces and he's 20 inches long--skinny little thing! I'm flying home this weekend to see him. I'm really excited. Oh yeah, and his name is Fadi. Fadi Hassan. He's named after his dad (Hassan) and his dad's brother (Fadi). His dad is 100% Lebanese.

I've also been procrastinating big time in terms of assignments. No desire to complete them whatsoever. Usually I eventually get anxious about having them done in time and that kicks my butt in gear, but that's not happening yet. It's my final semester, hell, final month roughly, and I'm DONE. The trend, I know, has been to whine about lack of motivation for some time now. I think I finally figured out why--I'm in the wrong field! I could kick myself for not going to school for environmental sciences/studies. Every job posting I've seen that interests me is environmentally related. Back in 2001 when I had my hiking trips in Santa Fe I contemplated becoming a park ranger. I don't know why I ever changed my mind. At least I would have a degree in the relative area of environment. I'm just not really a social worker I don't think. I want to be a lobbyist/advocate for environmental issues. Something like that.

Anyhow, other than that my latest conundrum is deciding whether to stick around in Massachusetts for the summer or to go home to Michigan. The original plan was Michigan so I could take care of wedding stuff, but I don't know that I have a whole lot left to really take care of. I mean, I have to go to the sites with my florist and photographer to help decide decorations and photos wanted, I have to get my dress hemmed, I'm assuming I'll have a shower and bachelorette party. But really nothing that I couldn't just make a short trip home for. I guess what's really got me thinking about it is the possibility of a job out here. I'm not sure if I have the right qualifications, but I know the agency and everyone in it, which (I think) gives me a leg up. Sooo, yeah. Not really sure what I'll be doing. Oh! The other part that facors in? I don't know if I really want to be apart from Mike for the 4 months leading up to the wedding!! Ugh. Decisions, decisions...

Happy Trails...

2006-02-27T17:22:00.000-05:00

No title for y'all, sorry. Too tired (and I don't really care enough) right now to think of one. I just figured it's been a while since I've updated and I've got...oh, 45 minutes to kill before class so I might as well write a few words.

First off, before I go on to anything else, I want to apologize to Bekki. She's probably reading this right now thinking, "why?". I'm sorry I never answered your IM in time the last time. Well, the last couple of times. I haven't actually been near my computer when they've come in and it doesn't make a sound when I receive an IM. So anyway, I wanted to weigh in on your last one, though. About a quick easy treat? I would recommend Muddy Buddies! Yum! They're extremely quick and easy and I've yet to meet someone who doesn't like them. :) I hope your fudge went over well, though, and that you were able to get some decent advice from someone else. If you wanted to do something else nice for your guy coming home from a long day, I would recommend any of the following:

Making dinner (if he hasn't eaten yet)
Tidying up (if your apartment is often in disarray, like mine)
Having a movie ready to go to cuddle and watch it together

Any of that help? I hope I didn't embarass you by blogging an answer to you... If so, I guess I apologize again and if you just tell me I'll take it out of the post.

So other than that, let's see...I'm actually not feeling all that swell at the moment. I want to type this because it's been a while, but I've got a bad headache and I'm feeling all overheated and kinda fevery. Yuck. What I really want to do right now is either go home or at least go outside in the cold and cool down. It's a little hard to concentrate on much else right now. Ugh... Oh well, I'm going to try and ignore it for a bit and go on...

I've been working on a baby quilt for Fadi (my yet-to-be-born nephew). It's almost finished except for the binding. I'm going to have to hand sew it, though, because I can't get the tension right on my machine. I really should take a class on it... I can do your basics, but much beyond that I'm pretty clueless. I want to keep the quilt, though, when I'm done. Haha. So does Mike. I hope you like it when you see it, Lucy.

Ok...forget this, I need to go. I'll write more later.

Come One, Come All!

2006-02-09T19:01:00.000-05:00

It's all happening at the State House! Anyone interested, please join us at a Rally for Marriage Equality! For those of you unfamiliar with Marriage Equality, just click here. We'll all be at the Rhode Island State House in Providence on Tuesday, February 14 from 4:30-6:00pm. Come and support gay marriage! Need a ride? There will be a bus in Newport at Bellevue Gardens Shopping Center (across from Tennis Hall of Fame). Bus leaves promptly at 3:30 and seats are on a first come, first serve basis. Come show the Rhode Island General Assembly that you stand for social justice and civil rights!

S-A-T U-R D-A-Y Niiight

2006-01-24T23:07:00.000-05:00

Haha. Few will understand that title. In fact, of the people who actually read my blog, probably one person will get it.

Anywho, this past Saturday was my birthday. I am now 26. I'm really not all that concerned about age and getting older and blah blah blah. BUT, somehow to me 26 sounds significantly older than 25. I guess it's because I've made it halfway through my 20s? I don't know. Maybe that's just me. But it seems to be the general consensus with my friends who are actually my age. They agree that turning 26 says "adult" a little more than 25 does.

So yeah, that's that. I have a couple of pics, though, too. One is the traditional blowing out the candles. I hate those pictures but they're the ones necessary to really document the moment. Everyone wants to take them, but no one wants to be in them.

Next up is just Mike and I with my cake. Such big candles for such a little cake. I actually like this picture, though. Somehow I look good. And I don't frequently say that about pictures of myself.

For anyone just dying to know, my birthday was very low-key this year. Just as I wanted it. I stayed in my PJs watching TV and doing nothing until 4:30. Mike and I ran a few errands, then Dave and Karon (good friends) came over and we had a lovely dinner of Grand China Buffet. We played a few games and watched more TV together afterwards. Perfect.

Should I be sharing this?

2006-01-23T17:17:00.000-05:00

Hmm...so apparently I have a new dream boy... This one is almost stranger than the last one, though, if you might recall it was Ashton Kutcher. This time, it's Jon Heder, more well-known to everyone as Napoleon Dynamite. It wasn't him as Napoleon in my dream, though. It was in fact Jon Heder. More like this. So anyway, we were hanging out somewhere outside. We were at a party or some other event and we were kind of escaping to be alone. Ooh, how risque, I know. Haha. We left on his motorcycle I think. Actually, I think before we left we'd been flirting, but seeing that he's an actor I decided to ask his twin brother who was also there if Jon was still a "good guy." Like, had his success/fame gone to his head. His brother said something about how he was enjoying the attention he'd been getting from girls because of it, but other than that it hadn't changed him. That's when I decided to head off with him. I don't remember a whole lot about anything afterwards. I don't think there was much after that actually. I think I woke up. Interesting to note, though, is that I only know about the twin brother because Jon had been Punk'd by him. The thing about that is that my dream boys are connected...first Ashton, then one of his Punk'd victims. Coincidence? I think not! :P

Suggestions desperately needed!

2006-01-19T20:04:00.000-05:00

Oh my God! Mike is soooo frustrating!!! Erg. I hate that all he ever wants to do is watch a movie! Don't get me wrong, I enjoy movies and we have plenty that I want to see. But am I the only person who feels like there are better things to do than sit silently for two and a half (or more) hours staring at the tv? Mike's counter argument for this is that I'll sit for that long watching TV shows, but not movies. And this is true. But it's because I get bored with things easily. As I've mentioned in previous posts (I think), my attention span is just not there for 150 minutes and counting. Not for one long story. I can stand half-hour or hour-long shows, but I tend to get bored with long movies. Somehow that just feels like a waste of time to sit watching the same thing for that long. I wish the movie studios would go back to the 90 minute movies. Hell, I'd even be happy to see one that was 110 minutes. But NOTHING IS LESS THAN TWO HOURS ANYMORE!! I just don't have that kind of time. And is it so wrong of me to prefer activities in which we can interact some? We can talk through tv and the shows are broken up by commercials so you can easily get up for bathroom or snack breaks. Sure you can pause a movie, but it just extends the damned running time then. Someone, anyone, please offer suggestions for other things to do. I prefer things that we can do and still interact. I love games. I always try to suggest them. Or puzzles, but Mike is always too tired for thinking that late. Grr... What else is there to do TOGETHER?? We're gone all day at work or school/internship, is it such a crime to want to have quality time together that isn't watching year-long (ok, I know that's an exaggeration) movies? What do YOU guys do with your significant others??

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom.

Oh, and p.s., I would be more inclined to watch these long movies if Mike wasn't constantly telling me I should watch them. If we mixed things up a bit, I would be totally willing to compromise. I promise I'm not a movie-hater. I'm really not. It all started when they started making movies too long.

Doom lurks straight ahead...

2006-01-16T14:58:00.000-05:00

Ahh, school. Am I supposed to be calling it "college" and not "school" now? Either way I'm sick of it. I know I've been heavily whining about it since...ohh...at least a year, but I can't help it. I'm finding I have a very low tolerance for repetition. I need more frequent changes of scenery. I get bored way too easily. And now tomorrow I embark upon my final semester. Yes! That's not one of those yeses you get from sickos who actually enjoy school, either. That is a "thank-the-freaking-lord-the-end-is-in-sight" yeses. Don't let the grades fool you. They don't mean that I enjoy the work any more than you do.

So what, you ask, is better than going back to class tomorrow? Everything. Pretty much. I could make my sister's baby quilt. Or the armwarmers for Laura. Or the mittens for my mom. I could finish my mittens. I could finish that sweater I started for Mike over the summer... I could be interviewing DJs, photograpers, and florists for the wedding. I could pick out my bridesmaid and flowergirl dresses. I could go sample the menu or, even better, taste a few cakes. Or I could become the domestic woman that I think I've decided I want to be. Oh sure, I'll probably work for a while. I'll have to. And I might even enjoy it for a year, but ultimately I'll be a stay-at-home mom. So shouldn't I just be grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning--"keeping house", so-to-speak--to prepare for that role? I'd rather do dishes and laundry than go back to class. Ahh, laundry. I actually really like doing laundry. I like the sense of accomplishment when you're finished. Think about it, you start out with this mound of dirty, possibly odoriforous, clothing and unmentionables. You wash them. You pick the cycle, the water temp, the amount of detergent. You know your laundry. You know how to wash it properly. You dry it with the same amount of care. You know when to choose permanent press over delicate and when your best bet is to hang dry. And in the end, it comes out smelling fresh with that warmth only a dryer can bring. I don't have a washer and dryer, though. I have a laundromat. And I usually only have time for that icky wash-dry-fold service. The clothes don't smell as nice when they come back from that and you completely miss out on the warmth from the dryer. See. There you have it. Laundry is better than school. I quit.

Picture Time!

2006-01-11T17:11:00.000-05:00

Hello, hello.

I've spent the last 3 weeks back home in Michigan, so pardon the lack of blogging. However, you are in for a treat because I have not one. Not two. Nope, folks, not even three pictures for you. I have four! Oooh! Actually, if I wanted to post it, I'd have five.

Pictures 1-3 are of a cute little stuffed toy I knitted right before heading home. It came from knitty.com (check for the link in my "links" sidebar). It was the perfect project to use up some yarn I'd purchased simply because it was: (a) discontinued, (b) on clearance, and (c) I'd read rave reviews of it on my knitting boards.

I originally had intended to let my mom and sisters fight it out for who would get to keep it. They're all suckers for cute stuffed toys. However, I showed it to my lil' brother who had come along with my dad to pick me up at the airport and that was the end of it. I asked him to help me name it and he said "Bob." And then he said, "Amy, when you look at him, don't you just think 'Bob'?" Haha, he's a weird kid, I know. I love him. He proceeded to hold him for the ride home and then wouldn't give him up to anyone. He slept with him every night while I was home and I'm sure he's continuing to do so. Without further ado, then, I present to you, Bob!

Cute, no? I like him. And so does Nick. And the rest of my family. Cool. :)

Ahh picture number four. What an exciting time. This picture comes from my Saturday night adventure. I was driving home from my sister Mary's new house in Kentwood with my sister Laura. It started out like a routine drive across the state (Kentwood is about 3 hours west of my home in Harper Woods). However, I had gotten an ominous phone call from my dad upon just entering the freeway. Apparently the Detroit area was getting freezing rain and driving conditions were not good. Yeah, yeah, I know how to drive, though, so I just disregarded it (sorry, Dad, had I known the car I was in better and the actual suckiness of the driving conditions, I would have turned right around). I had borrowed my sister Lucy's car which my dad bought from our friend, Sean. Hmm...Sean, I think I'm gonna blame this one on you and your damn car. Haha. Sorry, buddy. So yeah, Laura and I were about 45 minutes from home and I thought I was finally in the clear. Visibility had been awful and now I finally had street lights to help me out. Well, the car in front of me braked. No big deal, I braked. Big deal. The car fish-tailed and swerved and slid across the freeway right into a ditch. In this case, the lousy tip you get from driver's training to turn the wheel into the swerve and not in the opposite direction proved useless. Amazingly, I managed not to get hit during this swerving adventure. I was in the middle of three lanes. That was really my biggest worry because the last thing I wanted was for Laura or myself to be hurt. Or for the car to be damaged. I couldn't afford to fix it and God knows my dad couldn't either. When the car stopped sliding, I turned to my sister to ask if she was all right (she was) and we both let out a huge laugh. Might seem weird, but having lived through it, it really was a bit of an adrenaline rush. Besides, imagine what it must have looked like! I wish I had it on video to watch back. Anyway, I got out of the car to look at. Fine. Drivable. Not damaged. Awesome. Tried to drive out. Not gonna happen. With the snow and ice, the slight hill was not gonna let me up it. This is when I found out about the kindness of strangers. I got out of the car and walked up towards the next exit so I could tell the tow truck where I was. This is when the first person pulled over. It was a girl, probably about my age. She offered me a ride, which I declined, but she supplied me with the name of the next exit (I still couldn't read it, it was too far off). I thanked her, she drove off, and I walked back. I called AAA and another car pulled over. I told him I was in the process of getting a tow, thanked him, and off he went. AAA couldn't find anyone to take my call. She was going to keep trying and call me back. Car number 3 stopped to check on us. Again, I thanked them and sent them on. Waiting, waiting, waiting. No phone call from AAA. Car number 4 stops. I get out and tell him I've been waiting on AAA with no luck. The car's drivable, I just can't get out of the ditch. He calls a friend who has a truck (tow truck?). Just then, a tow truck pulls up. Not from AAA, but because someone called the State Police about us. Yay! I was going to get home afterall. Well, car number 4, Kelly (I heard him say that to his friend on the phone), pulled up and waited for us to get out and drive away. Nice guy. But here's the car in the ditch:

So there you have it. My lovely pictures. For those of you who are curious, mystery picture number five is me in my wedding dress. I bought it while I was home and Laura took a picture of me in it in the dressing room. It's beautiful and I love it and the most amazing part is it fits me as is! Well, it needs to be hemmed, but other than that, no alterations! Woohoo! So yeah, I'd post it, but Mike reads my blog and he can't see it, so I have to say I'm sorry to my few readers who will be anxious to see it. You'll just have to wait till after the wedding! Heehee...the suspense! Trust me, though, if I could I would show you. In fact, if I could, I would be wearing it right now. Haha. It's fun and pretty and I feel pretty in it. Fancy dresses are so great.

Happy Trails...

So this is Christmas...

2005-12-18T08:46:00.000-05:00

Hi all. I'm headed back to Michigan today, but before I go I wanted to be sure to post a quick picture of what Christmas in my apartment out here looks like. Mike and I got a tree this year. Yay! :) How fun. This is what it looks like:

I guess it's kind of hard to make out any detail, but Mike and I like it. It's so little, too, (cute!) because we couldn't fit a large one in our apartment. Our tree topper, which I don't have a close-up of is actually a snowman. Mike and I were hoping for an angel, but because of the size of the tree, we couldn't find one that was small enough. Besides, treetoppers are insanely expensive we found out. So we have a little snowman ornament that had a hollow body. One year when we have a true topper we can move the snowman onto the branches instead.
There's one cute ornament that I'd like to point out, too. He's brand new this year (we'd bought all the others over the last few years; a lot of them came from Dansk where I used to work). He's pretty cool, though, I think. He's our Christmas elf:
Well, happy trails folks and Happy Christmas. I'm off to Michigan...

I bring you tidings of great joy...

2005-12-01T14:10:00.000-05:00

School is winding down, thankfully...just one week left then the pseudo-finals. They're all papers and presentations. Not so bad, I guess. Part of me actually likes tests better, though. They're less work. But I guess that's just because I only spend a couple of hours studying for each, if that, and I'm done. Papers require so much more.

The internship is still going fine, nothing really exciting has happened there lately. I'm ever so slightly behind on hours, but I don't think that's going to end up hurting me too bad. I'll just have to tack on a few extra hours the next two weeks. Should be pretty easy based on all of the emails Rick (my supervisor) forwards to me.

I have a new almost niece! Mike's sister, Jean, had her baby on November 17. Her name is Leslie Marie. She's a cutie. I already knitted up a cute little sweater for her, too. Well, I think it's cute, but I guess you guys can all be the judge. The only problem is it's HUGE. I made the smallest size the pattern had: newborn-3 months. I checked it against the measurements on the pattern, too, so I know I got guage (sorry for the knitting term folks, it basically means it turned out the size it was supposed to). Since winter and cold weather is really just starting, she should hopefully grow into it and be wearing it within a month or so. Here it is:
The color is a little off, at least on my computer. It's a really cute bright lime green and the "red" is actually more of a dark hot pink. Oh well, no worries. You all get the idea.

Since I'm on the topic of knitting, I need to finish up my pair of mittens! The weather is making my hands cold! I've had one done for some time now. If I finish my papers soon I will finally get those done and post 'em here.

Lastly, Mike and I are very excited about the Christmas season. We've already watched a bunch of Christmas movies and two of the radio stations are already dedicated to Christmas music. We're not quite ready to be listening to them non-stop yet, but it's nice to have the option. I still think of Whistle Stop everytime I hear a Mariah Carey Christmas song. I'm going to do my best to get to their Christmas Eve party this year before the Posch family festivities commence. I'm actually even more a part of their celebration this year, too! I've been included in their Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas morning present-opening since Mike and I started dated, but now I am more of an official "Posch"--my name was added to the "kid's" name draw. (I say "kids" because the youngest is already 20, so they're not really kids anymore...) I'm so excited about who I got, too! I'm buying for Joe, Mike's oldest brother. I have my ideas, but I won't post them here. I know he doesn't read this, but it ruins surprises anyway. Jean has my name, which is also really cool, but I don't know what to ask for! I'm trying to think of something, but nothing comes to mind. Don't get me wrong, I'm not all "oh, I don't need any presents" (which I kind of don't, unless someone wants to send money to my wedding fund. Ha!), but I really don't want anything in particular that I can think of. Yarn? Or gift certificates for yarn? A massage wouldn't be bad. I don't know, if any of you faithful readers have any suggestions post it in a comment!

Happy Trails Y'all!

Long Time No Type

2005-10-30T16:09:00.000-05:00

Hello hello. Sorry to all who like regularly updated blogs. Life Just doesn't seem to allow for that these days.

School is school which means it's very time consuming. Thankfully it is senior year. It can not end soon enough. Screw grad school, too. I'm more than ready to be done. At least for now. And when I do finally go on to grad school? Well, if I decide to go on with social work and get my MSW I'm actually looking at Columbia. Ambitious? Maybe. The thing is, though, I don't know if I want an MSW. I'm looking at getting a Master's of Environmental Studies. Or Environmental Science. They have a decent one at Brown it seems. Is that also ambitious? I don't know. My grade's are good and Mike seems to think I should have no problem with Ivy League. To me, they're just schools. I'm not really all that impressed with names.

Last weekend Mike, Dave, and I did our annual Pumpkin Tour. That's what I've been calling it at least. We drove through parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island in search of pumpkins, gourds, apple cider, pumpkin pie, and the good old New England foliage and outdoors. It was fun. Helps to get us in the fall/Halloween spirit. I should post some pictures. If I think about it again soon, you will see some. If not, you'll have to bug me to post them. The weather was actually just about perfect, too. Not in the way that most of you would consider it perfect I bet, but it was for us. It was chilly and overcast and a little drizzly on and off. It was very fall-ish. Plus, it meant no place was crowded! Yay! At one point, we were driving down a road in Connecticut that had nothing but trees and open fields and hills around it. It was great. Not a building in sight! At the end of the day I had three wonderful pumpkins to show for it. I really do need to take a picture of them. They're great. One is just a small round decorative pumpkin, kind of the "perfect" pumpkin. One is tall and skinny and doesn't stand up too well on it's own. The last one I trudged back to what had turned from a pumpkin patch to a mud patch to find. Back there I got to see all of the imperfect pumpkins that don't make it to the displays. Some shaped like peanuts, some with inconsistent coloring, others with strange dents from being crowded in when growing, perhaps? Well, I saw my perfect pumpkin amidst these rejects. It is shaped like a skull. I can't describe it any better than that. I haven't gotten around to carving it yet, but I'm hoping to get to it tonight. I will have to post "before" and "after" pics of each them.

Do you know what's sad, though? I actually don't have the Halloween spirit this year. I'm not sure why, but it's missing. Last year Mike and I pretended we were back in grade school and we made all of these Halloween decorations out of construction paper. We saved them to display again this year but we just never got around to it. Seems kind of silly now given the fact that tomorrow is Halloween. I haven't even really felt like watching the usual Halloween movies. Mike pulled them all out at the beginning of the month. We've watched a few Hitchcock's that were fun, but that's about it. I think part of what's ruining it for me is that I'm not dressing up. I know, I know, I shouldn't have to dress up at my age, but I like to. I have nearly every year of my life until this year. I just don't have a reason to. We can't pass out candy because we're in an apartment, we don't have a Halloween party to go to. I'm not living on campus or even in Newport so I'm not seeing all the kids in the dorms dressing up. It's all just kind of depressing.

I went shopping for some new clothes yesterday. That was fun. Thanks to student loans I was able to add two pairs of pants, four sweaters, a pair of shoes, and a new winter coat to my wardrobe. Woohoo! And I managed to do so without overspending. Yay! That's always a big plus. I have to say, though, my two favorite purchases out of the bunch are the coat and the shoes. It's a long coat that is actually kind of dressy, which I've never really had before, and the shoes are real shoes. They didn't come from Payless like the last who knows how many pairs I've bought. They're actually leather! No "manmade upper" for me! I haven't bought a pair of nice shoes in a really really long time, so this is quite exciting for me. :)

Before I head off, I have one last update. Knitting. During the pumpkin tour I actually got to do some knitting in the car so I have a finished object. Sort of. Half of a finished object I guess. One mitten down, one to go! I found out I really like knitting mittens because they're actually really easy and they knit up quickly. Nice. That's the sort of project I need these days...instant gratification.

Alright, I'm off to do homework, carve pumpkins, and light my fall-smelling candles. Keep your fingers crossed that I can somehow capture the spirit.

Happy Trails...

Oh!!! P.S. Congratulations to my sister, Lucy! She's pregnant and due March 29, 2006! :) Exciting! I hope she'll like some knitted baby items! :) When I get around to knitting them that is...

Sunshine in these dark times

2005-09-26T17:18:00.000-05:00

Ok, so the title's a little dramatic. I don't care. School and internship are still both major chunks of my life. I get up, go to one or the other of them, come home, do homework, and go to bed. Weekends aren't much different except that I start out at home doing homework and I never actually go to the internship or campus. However, this weekend I enjoyed Newport! I miss living down there. I'm sure you've all gotten that jist from reading this blog, but I really do miss it and this weekend was a prime example of why.

On Sunday I had to be down on campus for a VIA ceremony. The current VIA seniors (myself included) were receiving pins for their dedication to the program. Yay! I love VIA. Anyway, I had to stay down in Newport because Sunday night I was participating in...Mom, don't laugh...mass on campus. Apparently every department on campus has to take a turn sponsoring mass this year. Well, Sr. Johnelle (dept. chair) was smart enough to claim an early mass before life gets too hectic. So I got to read the intercessions. The whole "for so and so, we pray to the lord." What I'm getting at, though, is that I had a good 3 hours in between the end of the VIA ceremony and the start of mass.

Mike, David, and I did something that, surprisingly, none of us had done yet. We went to "The 17th Annual Taste of Rhode Island." A good old tastfest. We ate crab cakes, carne asada, lobster and cheddar and pumpkin stew, lobster and artichoke dip, lobster rolls, bbq ribs, coffee heath bar gelato, pumpkin pie, brazilian grilled chicken...mmm...just remembering it all makes me want it all over again. And there are things we didn't get around to trying because, unfortunately, we were just to darn full. Mike and Dave did a Sam Adams beer tasting. Yuck, I hate beer, but they enjoyed it. We won some Southwest Airlines post-it-notes and "kuzzi" (what any normal person would call a beverage cozy)...don't be jealous. We entered to win some Southwest travel and a $100 restaurant gift certificate...I think it was for 22 Bowen's? Anyway, my point is, it was fun to be a Newporter again. :)

Happy Trails...

I'm sick of thinking of titles

2005-09-13T21:36:00.000-05:00

Hi all. Classes and internship have officially started. So far so good, but it's really too early to say that. I have the same people in nearly all of my classes. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Makes it comfortable, I suppose, but the same faces over and over gets a little boring. I'd like the opportunity to meet people still. No offense intended to any of my fellow classmates! I guess that's what religion will be for. I don't know people in that class, with the exception of...3? But somehow I don't quite see that as a class to make friends... Just a hunch.

Once again I find myself wishing I was closer to or actually on campus. I'm down in Newport Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesdays are as follows: Class 9:30-1:45, break for lunch? homework?, Class 3:30-4:45. Thursdays are the same except classes don't end until 7:30. Yeesh. So yeah, I'm in classes pretty much the whole day each day I'm down which doesn't allow for much visiting of friends. I swear I will not lose touch with friends. I want to make sure I still hang out with them from time to time.

Taunton is almost like living in isolation. If it weren't for Mike, I'd go crazy here. Oh wait, though, I don't have Mike. Well, not this week at least. :( Life is awfully lonely without him. He's living it up in Portland, Oregon until Friday night. That's right, baby, he's away on business. :P I hate his business trips. Poor guy, though. This past Sunday, the day before he left town, he got himself some first and second degree burns from some hot oil while cooking. Nothing like a trip to the emergency room with the world's worst support system (i.e. me). It's not that I'm not supportive really. Not that I don't want to be at least. I just suck at medical emergencies. Even something as simple as a burn. Ooh swelling! Ooh redness! Ooh blisters! Yeah, I can joke about it now, but when faced with it I turn into a mushy pile of uselessness. It's great. Really. You should try being like that sometime.

Jumping topics, I'll be down in Newport for Convocation tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I'm receiving the Regina Scholarship again. (Yes!) My presence was requested by Dr. Trainor, as the email said. Afterwards I'll probably be hanging around the library for a while working on my homework. Yippee. Really, though, I want to keep on top of that. This year there is no room for falling behind. No opportunity for catch-up.

Yesterday I was happy to find my prize waiting for me in my mailbox. I entered a contest on Craftster. This was my entry. I came in fourth, but that's fine with me. The top five all received the same prize. I'm pretty excited about it. As you all know from reading this blog, I love knitting and now this will help me learn how to design my own patterns. Yay! You guys might see an Amy Original posted on here sometime soon!

To resurrect my old sign off -- Happy Trails...

Random Ramblings

2005-09-05T17:40:00.000-05:00

Hello, hello. Much to say, but I don't feel like writing it. However, the longer I wait, the more pointless it will be to post it. So quickly here, with a few pictures, I embark on my post of completely unconnected subjects.

1. Good bye Potatia. She left me on Friday, September 2. She'd been pretty much dead in the driveway since the middle of July, but she's finally been towed away for charity. Here's a few pics of her very last moments with me:

It was sad to hear that she'll "be going into the crusher." I knew she wouldn't be much good for anyone else after me, but I still didn't want to hear of her sad fate.

2. I've been experimenting some with new knit patterns. What do you think?

From left to right, the stitch patterns are: checkerboard, basketweave, bobbles, twisted drop stitch, drop stitch. The background of the bobbles is stockinette and there are a few rows of garter around the two drop stitch rows.

It was a lot of fun trying out new stitches. I'm going to have to find a way to add some of them into future garments.

3. I start my internship tomorrow and school on Thursday. I can't really post a whole lot about either until after they happen, but I just wanted to put it out there. I'm really not excited to be going in at 8:00am tomorrow, though. How un-fun is that? And I'm supposed to be functional? Hmm. Not sure how that will go. On top of it all, though, I have managed to get through the summer with very few nervous/anxiety/bad heart days. Now, with just these two new events looming over me, it's all returning. Yuck. With any luck, however, this internship will not cause my nerves to go crazy on me. Most of my duties with them (from what I understand so far) will be researching, writing proposals, and perhaps speaking at the statehouse. All of which I am capable of with no adverse side effects. I do get a touch of jitters with public speaking, but nothing to the extent that I actually have a bad heart day because of it. The fact that I will have very minimal interactions with people and no clients in the sense that you would think a social worker would have clients makes me quite happy and positive about this internship. Now if only I could get my nervous body to agree with my rational head, things will go just fine.

I've been hit

2005-08-31T10:13:00.000-05:00

By evil blogger comment spam!! I'd heard about this, even seen it on other blogs, but until now have been able to escape it. I had to delete SIX spam comments from the previous post!!! I hate spam! I was just having this conversation with Mike a few days ago. Well, not about this exact topic, but about people who have jobs like this. How can someone work for a living doing this sort of crap?? I could never! Knowing how much people loathe spam, how could you live with yourself? I guess the problem is, there's a lot of people in this world who do a lot of things that (I'm hoping this will be a true statement) most of us would find to weigh heavily on our consciences.

This being said, I am now watching my comments extremely closely! It sucks because I get few comments as it is. I don't really want to deter people from commenting (isn't that half the fun? Finding out people read and liked your blog??), but I may have to set some controls and either: a) allow only registered users (which blocks out my family and nearly all of my friends. Besides, one of the spam comments was from a user...ugh!) or b) simply not allow comments at all. Neither of those options sit very well with me, so I may have to just do as I am doing now and keep my eye out for the stupid spam and just delete it as it comes. How obnoxious.

Anyone going?

2005-08-31T00:05:00.000-05:00

http://www.bostonknitout.com

Lots 'o pics of my latest crafts

2005-08-24T14:39:00.000-05:00

Knit purse:
<--Rightside out

Inside out-->

Crocheted Grocery Bag Bag:

Knitted Dishcloth:
Yes, that's my sink. It's drying on our dishpan.

Why?

2005-08-19T12:31:00.000-05:00

I don't understand. How come I can cook, but I can't bake? I can make a meal no problem. I can even improvise without recipe or measuring, but when it comes to baking (I'm talking desserts here) I just can't do it. Not from scratch at least. I haven't ever messed up a mix (like a boxed Betty Crocker/Duncan Hines creation), but from scratch it never quite turns out right. They're always edible, but not really how they should be. I'm mainly talking cookies here I guess. My example right now is a batch of oatmeal cookies, recipe taken off the lid of my Quaker Oats. My family has been making this recipe for years and I love them. Light and crispy and delicious. I make them and they're chewy and more cake-like. I had a similar problem with my mom's sugar cookies she makes at Christmas. Again, light and crisp. So buttery they practically melt in your mouth. My version? Chewy! And it has nothing to do with cooking times because my cookies do achieve that nice golden brown. Any longer and I would be burning them. I know there are people out there who enjoy chewy cookies, but I am not one of them. I was raised on a crunchy cookie and that is what I like. How sad that I can only produce chewy ones. :(

Summer...

2005-08-17T11:48:00.000-05:00

Look what you've done to me! I really, truly, and completely have become nothing but lazy. Life has been monotonous, but the last thing I want to do is go back to school. It sucks when you're this close and you just want to quit. And it's not for some deep reason or anything. I'm just ready for a change and sick of school. I just don't want to do it. Period. That's it. I will, however, be going back which means Hell for about 9 months. Ugh.

I don't really know what went wrong this summer. It was nice. I didn't have a job, I spent a month in Michigan with my family. I even got a little surprise extra time in Michigan because Mike had to go back for a funeral (his grandfather passed away last Monday) and I went with him. This trip took place last Tuesday and was the perfect opportunity for me to make this:

I suppose if you scroll through my blog you'll see I've been busy with crafting, which has been great. I even have a few more things I haven't posted yet. One is a silly little fluffy purse that I knit for a wedding. (Yes, that wedding, if you read my other post.) And I also made some pillow covers which you can see here.

I currently have Mike's sweater still on my needles as well as a shrug to match the halter top a few posts down. Hopefully both can be finished by fall so they can get some use this year. That would be nice.

In other news, this has a been a big year for my family it seems. First, Mary and Andy tied the knot on May 13th (I think, or was it the 14th? Uh-oh, now I'm not sure). Then, Mike and I got engaged on May 16th. (We now have a wedding date, too--October 7, 2006.) But now, Lucy and Hassan got married this past weekend on the 13th.

Sheesh, I'm really wandering in this post. Perhaps I should just stop. I'm thinking that I may have done better this summer if there was more structure, so who knows, I just might be happy to get back to school.

Ranting

2005-08-06T22:45:00.000-05:00

So this will be quick. Mike and I went to one of his co-worker's weddings today. I love to dance. I love to dance dressed up. Mike knows this. The opportunities to dance while dressed up are few and far between. I wanted Mike to dance with me just once before we left. He didn't. He was too uncomfortable to dance in front of his co-workers. Maybe it's just me, but I think one dance and potential embarassment is an easier thing to deal with than a pissed off Amy. GRARRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

Finished Knit Object #2!!

2005-08-01T22:43:00.000-05:00

Hello! I have another tank top to show off!! Yippee!!! It's so exciting to knit things that you can actually wear!! :D What do you think??

Happy me:

And so you can see it a little better:

And if you're curious about the back:

The back lacing needs to be done up again and shortened I think. That's really the one downside to this top -- the lace-up back. I can't really do it myself, so I have to rely on Mike. He tries his best, but he's a boy. I'll have to learn how to put this on backwards and then twist it around the right way I think.

I'd like to make a shrug to match so that I can wear it a little into early fall.

Anyhow, what do you think? I'm pretty happy with it. It fits well and it's quite comfy. :)

Dream boy?

2005-08-01T19:28:00.000-05:00

For the past two nights now I have dreamt of one boy. Not my boy. But Ashton Kutcher. What?!?! Yes, that's right. I dreamt of Ashton. And two nights in a row, that's new for me. Strange. I'm not all smitten by him either. In the dreams we were more like good friends who flirted with each other. I kind of think I dreamt of Ashton the second time because I saw how much it bothered Mike the first time. I mean, nothing happened in the first dream that I couldn't/shouldn't share, so I did. Ok, ok. So I shared knowing that it might get to Mike, but come on, nothing wrong with a good tease once in a while. So here are the dreams. Please save all of your "huh?"s for the end and just try to bear with me. I don't quite understand them either. They're dreams.

Dream #1:
I was at a Rolling Stones concert with a couple of friends. I had a backstage pass so I was hanging out backstage. Ashton was there. (I kind of got the feeling I already knew him to some extent. Casually at least because we were pretty chummy.) The opening act didn't show or something, so Ashton told me and my friends to perform. We did. Well, I sang some back-up and danced. We got huge applause and I rushed offstage where Ashton told me how great I sounded. I told him he was a liar because I sounded awful and he had some cute response that made me smile (I don't remember it anymore). I then proceeded to ask him if I could hug him because he was good to hug. He said something about how I could hug him because he liked me.

Dream #2
I was at a store (perhaps a book store?) with Ashton. We were spending the night there. (Weird, I know.) We were sleeping on these wooden-slatted chaise lounge things. We each had our own. We were kind of flirty, though, and some woman came up to us for some reason. After talking for a minute she turns away and then she realized it was Ashton. She says to me "do you realize who that is? he's famous! you know him?" I just kind of played off of her. Ashton and I just laid on the flirting. It was definitely like Ashton and I were longtime friends and I was totally unfazed by who he was.

Ok. Now you may ask the obvious questions, such as:
"Why Ashton Kutcher?"
"You went to see the Stones?"
"What were you doing sleeping in a bookstore?"

"Why Ashton?" Might be answered by:
I watch That 70s Show twice a day (weekdays). I've been known to watch Punk'd when there's nothing else on. Guess Who, though I haven't seen it, is coming to DVD soon so there are ads all over tv. And I just saw him on Oprah the other day.

My answer to the others and anything else you might think of is "I don't know!" But, I will say this -- I enjoyed both dreams. They were fun. And Ashton, after those, I will be your friend any day .

Argh!!!!

2005-07-28T13:53:00.000-05:00

This whole wedding planning thing is frustrating! Every time I think Mike and I are on track, we're always thrown a curveball. :(

Our first major hurdle was whether or not religion would play a part in our wedding. I said "no," Mike said there was "no other way." Ok, fine, I'll give him that. Not particularly fond of it, but I can do that for him.

Next, it was about the time of day. I wanted a late morning wedding with an afternoon reception. Perhaps an afternoon tea? Mike says no, he wants a reception to last into the night so people can party. Which leads us to problem number 3...

Alcohol. I would be perfectly happy with a champagne toast only or a minimally stocked bar. Mike says half the reason people come to weddings is to drink. Looks like you all get to get sloshed on us.

Then there's venue. Because of the religious aspect, I am forced to look at churches. Mike's favorite -- Grosse Pointe Academy Chapel (he went to school there for 2 whole years) -- is way too dark and dismal for my liking. I went on my own to see it first, then back with Mike. We snuck around trying to turn on any possible light, but it was still dim at best.

I love the idea of a reception at the Eagle Tavern. And guess what?? Mike actually agrees! So what's the problem?
1. They only do evening weddings unless we want to get married in the off-season (Jan-Mar), which we don't. (Our biggest worry for evening really, is daylight for picture taking.)
2. Their chapel, though perfect in size and beautifully simple and white, is non-denominational which equals pain in the you know what trying to find a priest to agree to marry us there.
3. Our chosen date, August 12, 2006, is unavailable because it is during the extended summer hours season.

We've decided to work with that, though, because we're both kinda stuck on it. Sooo, I've given up my day wedding. I'm actually fine with that now. For me, the place was more important than the time. Also, as it turns out, Mike and I both might have connections to a priest who just might agree to the ceremony there. And as for August 12? Well, there really was no important meaning behind that date, so we're flexible.

Sounds like we're on track, no? Well, we are. Possibly "were" after I talk to Mike when he gets home from work.

We've decided on an October wedding, kind of in keeping with the historical aspect of the Eagle Tavern. (It's an old stagecoach stop from the mid-1800s.) They offer an historical menu and bar package. How fun would it be to have a harvest ball theme? Think The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I could have a dress with period influences. Perhaps Civil War Era? Think Gone with the Wind or Little Women. Yay! We're both excited! So what's the next step? Call and check availability.

Weekends in October, starting the 14th (the date we were thinking of because my dad's birthday is the 7th), are "Hallowe'en Nights in the Village." Their wedding coordinater isn't sure if that date would be available or not because of the special event. It may be, though, but if it is there will be gravestones in front of the chapel. There will be scarecrows and a headless horseman or two. There will be pumpkins and fall/Halloween decorations everywhere. And don't forget about the roughly 2000 kids who will be trick-or-treating throughout the village that night.

I honestly don't think it's too hopeless, as long as it's available. If you think about it, it's in keeping with our theme and will already be decorated accordingly. Plus, if our guests wanted to (especially the ones with children) they could participate in the trick-or-treating. So there's a potential for built-in entertainment, too. I just don't think Mike will go for it. One of his initial issues with Greenfield Village was that he didn't want the public part of his wedding. A bunch of trick-or-treaters is definitely the public. They would not be allowed into the chapel or the Eagle Tavern, but they would be roaming the village.

I know it's not hopeless yet, but I feel like I practically need to start back at square one.

Home again, home again jiggety-jig...

2005-07-20T13:02:00.000-05:00

Hi all. I was home in Michigan till yesterday evening. Well, technically I was home in Michigan until Monday morning. Then I hopped in my car and drove to New York. State. Not city. I stopped in Williamsville (near Buffalo) and visited with some of my future family -- Mike's sister, Jean, her husband, Jerry, and their adorable little girl, Molly. They were a lot of fun to hang out with for the day. I've pretty much known them since Mike and I started dating, so it's not like this was going to be an awkward-I-hardly-know-you thing anyway. It was great hanging out with Jean especially, though, because she wanted to know all about how the wedding planning is coming. She is very excited about it all which is awesome. :)

I left Jean and Jerry's yesterday morning and rolled into Taunton around 6 o' clock-ish. I think all of western Massachusetts got rain yesterday. I was traveling with the storm, so it was a riot. I was lucky to experience almost all degrees of rain, from the annoying light mist to the visibility-blocking downpour. Yay. I made it safely and soundly, though...to an empty apartment. :( I knew I was going to beat Mike home, but it was still kinda sad and lonely to come back to a place with no one there. Especially when you think about the fact that I was coming from a place where I was never alone once. Someone is always home in Michigan. Ok, so maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but seriously, not by much. Rare are the days you call my house back in Michigan and there isn't a single person there to answer the phone. If you don't get an answer, the more likely culprit is a phone with the ringer shut off. (My mom gets sick of the phone if we get too many phone calls in one day. Or if she's trying to watch TV.) Anyway, the point of all of this is, I missed my family. I was home for a little over a month and there were things I wanted to do that didn't get done. My mom and I were supposed to see The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and I was supposed to take Nick (my lil' bro) to the big mall he likes. I'm sure I'm probably making them to be more important than they really are, but I hate saying I'm going to do something and then not doing it. I don't like letting people down. Especially when I know it will be months till I see them again. And it wasn't just family stuff that didn't get done. I didn't get to see my friend Jenna or most of the people I wanted to visit with at Whistle Stop (my former place of employment). I was hoping to get a visit in with Rita (my neighbor down the street). Sorry to everyone I missed...I'm aiming for the next visit for sure. Somehow times just slips away and you don't even know where it went or what you did during it.

I know I'm glad I did what I did, though. I got to have the video game night at Adam's. I had a few family game nights at Lucy and Hassan's. I spent a night in Grand Rapids with Mary and Andy. (Nick even got to come for that one!) I played a LOT of video games with Nick -- Sonic, MarioParty, WarioWare. I had some fun really late nights with Laura. My parents and I talked about wedding stuff and they even came with me to a couple of potential ceremony and reception sites. It was fun.

Now I'm back in Taunton, trying to motivate myself to not be lazy and waste the rest of the summer. I know school will creep up on me awfully fast. I'm practically counting down to semester break already.

I seem to be posting less frequently...

2005-06-18T23:49:00.000-05:00

Hi all. I'm home in Michigan right now. Have been since...June 13, well, practically the 14th really since I got in so late. It's pretty cool to be here. I have a lot of siblings to visit and catch up with. :) The two youngest (Laura and Nick) are still at home. My days with them have been filled with video games and board games. Let me just say that I've played a lot of WarioWare already. It's all good, though. Laura and I have also pulled out some old favorites--a couple of the Mario Parties for N64. Haha, the best blast from the past by far, though, is the old board game Mall Madness. It's copyrighted 1990. Even my older brother got in on that one surprisingly enough. Of course, he might not like me telling everyone that, but oh well. We all just like to goof around and have fun together (often while doing stupid things). We also played a rousing game of Pictionary with some modified new rules a la me. Our faces all hurt by the end of it. I love when that happens. :)

I've also been out to Lucy's new apartment with her fiance, Hassan. I'm jealous. It's much nicer than what Mike and I have. I am completely envious of all of her closet space, not to mention the fact that some of them are still empty!!! Also, she has really comfortable couches instead of a crappy old dorm room futon and a super secondhand loveseat. :( One day I will have a house I can decorate with things I actually would want in my home.

I haven't seen Mary and Andy yet, but they will be over tomorrow. The whole fam is gathering for Father's Day. It should be nice. We always end up having fun.

Haha, on a bit of a back-tracking sidenote, Lucy and I went to buy the new Backstreet Boys CD when it came out last Tuesday. Good stuff. Even though this may lessen what some of you think of me, I have to say I was very excited to be buying it. I like it a lot and hope to see them in concert this summer. Lucy and I were talking about that and I received an email update today of their tour schedule. Too bad tickets are close to $60 each. Ugh. Unfortunately that might mean that we won't be going. Damn. I'll just have to pull out all of my old BSB VHS's instead. Oh man, good times. Haha.

Anyway, that's all for now. More to come another day.

Happy Trails...

I finished something I started!

2005-06-08T11:14:00.000-05:00

Hey all...

So I've been doing a lot of knitting lately (as I said in my last post, or in a recent one at least) and I have actually finished a project I started!! I'm sooo excited. I'm pretty happy with the result, too. Honestly, I wish it was just a tad longer (I may be thin, but I don't really like showing my stomach...it can just look...trashy, I guess). But yeah, I should probably post the picture, huh?? Psh, of course I already took a picture of it. Silly you.

from the front...complete with incredibly geeky smile and some lovely garbage in the background...

...and this is the back :)

And this is the end of my post tonight.

Happy Trails...

My turn to post a cheesy quiz...

2005-05-29T18:58:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I admit that I take these quizzes I just don't post them. Until now I guess. I just thought this one was funny and pretty accurate. Oh yeah, and I like Star Wars...

Star Wars Horoscope for Aquarius

You can be cruel and torment people who disagree with you.

Deep down, there is a peace-loving, friendly side to you.

You have a knack for inflicting pain on people and use your intellect during battle.

Star Wars character you are most like: Darth Vader

What is Your Star Wars Horoscope?

Super quick one...I promise!!

2005-05-29T02:11:00.000-05:00

My life has officially been consumed by two things:

1. Planning my wedding
2. Knitting/Crocheting/Crafting

Mike and I have some leads for the wedding...now we just need some $$ to make things happen. Anyone care to donate? Any offers over, say, $100 guarantees an invite! Haha, that's a good deal, right??? (seriously...I have a PayPal account if anyone wants to take me up on it! Haha.)

As for the knitting etc., unfortunately that costs money, too. Thanks to my parents, though, for sending me all of my mom's yarn that she doesn't use. Some of it is being turned into a sweater for Mike right now. I must say that I'm pretty happy with it so far, too. Especially since it's my first big knitting project! I'm sure all the rest of the donated yarn will come in handy and keep me occupied, too, while I stay out here in MA without a job. :\ I really wish I could get a job. It would help with the boredom factor AND fund the wedding and the knitting. But alas, I am going home to MI for a month starting June 13 which means I am unhirable at the moment. Oh well, I'd rather be hanging with my fam anyway. I don't see them all that often anymore.

Well, Happy Trails...

My Ring! My Ring!

2005-05-16T21:06:00.000-05:00

My ring on my hand's. Ahh, the magic of computers make my hands look nice. :)

My Ring! ...only closer!

2005-05-16T21:05:00.000-05:00

My ring in a beautiful close-up shot. :)

The Rumor Is True!

2005-05-16T21:01:00.000-05:00

Well, well, well. What a day of days! I got a phone call this afternoon from my mom telling me that my sister and her longtime fiance finally got married last Friday! Congratulations Mary and Andy!

While discussing their new marriage, though, my mom and I got on the topic once again of when Mike was finally going to propose to me. Mike and I have talked about it sooo many times! Well, as of today my wait is officially over! Mike and I are in fact engaged! The ring is absolutely beautiful and it's a perfect fit! It's a .65 carat diamond in a round brilliant cut with a platinum band. (The only reason I know the specifics of carat size is because the ring came with this whole quality certificate that talked about all of that sort of stuff.) Oh, and yeah, it's from Tiffany's. Heehee. It's awful purty. :)

Silly Mikey actually managed to surprise me, too. He took half of a day off of work and surprised me shortly after my shower by ringing the doorbell. Haha. I actually almost didn't answer it because nobody just randomly comes over. But it rang twice so I threw on sweats and his button down from the day before and left the towel on my head and went down to answer the door. Mike was standing there with his hands behind his back and this nervous little smile on his face. He told me how much he loved me and asked me to marry him! :) I actually didn't even say "yes" right away because I was so shocked that he was able to surprise me! I just hugged and kissed him and asked him why he wasn't at work. Haha. I know, I'm romantic. He actually had to ask me if I was saying "yes." Silly boy, he should have known it was a big old YES before he even asked it!

Well, we called our family and a few friends and then went out to buy a wedding etiquette book (so I can learn to be proper) and my first useful wedding magazine. I say 'useful' because I don't even know how many wedding magazines I have already bought in my lifetime, but I've never truly needed one until now. :) It's so exciting!

No more emotional rollercoaster!

2005-05-09T19:18:00.000-05:00

I feel like my teacher (Sr. Johnelle) is toying with me! Her secretary (Mona) calls me this morning and tells me I should call her (Sr. Johnelle). I'm assuming it's concerning the information I left her about the possibility of the Washington Semester (mentioned in my last post). I had left her a brochure and then emailed her more information. Well, she did in fact want to talk to me about it, but to tell me that she thought it would not be in my best interest because American University does not have an accredited program and I really can't afford to miss the senior social work classes at Salve. She said it will set me back, in terms of graduating on time, and because it's not accredited I would not be able to go into a Master's program with advanced standing. That is, of course, assuming I want to get an MSW (Master of Social Work). Personally, I'm really leaning towards environmental studies anyway. But anyway, needless to say, I was really disappointed and upset that I was told I couldn't do it because I had really gotten my hopes up and gotten excited about it. It was practically all I could do to not cry while I was still on the phone with her.

I called Mike and my Mom (but my uncle was visiting) so my Dad called me back and we talked about having a balance between optimism and reality and how much it sucks to be an adult. Of course, my poor Dad is a little biased at the moment because he's been laid off for a few months now. We talked about how much we hate money and that only the lucky few really end up doing what they want to do because one way or another life gets in the way. How's that for depressing? God, he even told me about a poster he saw that was supposed to be like one of those cheesy posters people hang in offices with words like "leadership" or "courage" and a picture of a bald eagle or something. Well, this one he saw was kind of like a negative take on that, meant to be a joke. It sounds just awful, though, if you ask me. On the poster is a box of fries and underneath it said "We can't all be astronauts." How depressing!!

But yeah, this whole things turns out to be an evil emotional roller coaster because after I hang up the phone with my Dad I check my email. Sr. Johnelle replied to the email I sent her saying that she had not received the email before we talked on the phone. She thought the program sounded interesting and she said she will look into it and see if we can come up with some sort of a compromise so I can do it. She said she couldn't make any promises because I have to follow the standards of the CSWE (Council Social Work Education), but it might be a possibility. At this point I don't want to get my hopes up, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Go Here

2005-05-07T14:22:00.000-05:00

Check out this website: Washington Semester. If you look at program choices, I really really really really really want to do the International Environment and Development Program. You get to go to either Brazil or South Africa, depending upon which semester you go. Please please please tell me I can go Sr. Johnelle :( It sounds just amazing...

Dates still happen!

2005-05-04T12:15:00.000-05:00

Last night I went on a real, bonafide date! It was wonderful. And the best part was that I forgot about it.

You see, sometime last week Mike and I were watching television like we so often do and a married couple on tv was talking about how they needed to still go on dates even though they were married. I think it may have been Hal and Lois on Malcolm in the Middle. Anyway, I remember turning to Mike and saying, "Yeah, we should go on a date!" And then Mike said, "I would like to take you out on a date on Tuesday." And then we shook on it like you do for any important deal or arrangement.

Well, the weekend passed and so did Monday and most of Tuesday. I had forgotten about our deal until Mike called on his way home from work Tuesday evening. "Be ready to leave for our date when I get home," Mike told me. Oh happy day! The date that I forgot about was now a surprise date! The best kind!

He got home and we left for dinner. We went to Henry's Root Beer Stand. I enjoyed a hot dog with everything--ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions--fries and a sprite. How's that for a sexy date? Mike ordered a bacon double cheeseburger, fries, and a root beer. Both were yummy. We ate at a picnic table outside. I have a feeling we will be frequenting them quite a bit this summer. :)

Part two of our date continued its 50s flair with a stop at Ryan Family Amusements for a little bowling fun. Turns out they have duckpin bowling at the one in Taunton, not regular bowling. It was hilarious. It's like bowling with bocci balls. Poor Mike needed some bumpers in the gutters. I highly recommend it for anyone who hasn't tried it yet. It's much more difficult to control your bowling ball!

The night ended at the movies. We finally went to see A Lot Like Love. It was cute. Not great, but it was an appropriate date movie. We had fun because we snuck candy into the theatre. Shh...don't tell anyone! We couldn't help it, though. The theatre at Silver City Galleria doesn't carry SnoCaps or Raisinets! What kind of theatre are they? I mean come on! Those are movie theatre staples as far as I'm concerned, not to mention our favorite movie candies!

Well, that's it. It's nice to have dates even when you live together and have been in a relationship for nearly 3 and a half years. Here's to many more to come!

Here ya go Bekki

2005-05-02T12:44:00.000-05:00

Well, here goes. Another new post. Finally. I have my title girl to thank for this. And don't worry, I am not trying to single you out and I am definitely not annoyed. In fact, I have to say a big old THANK YOU! because it means that someone actually reads this! Even if it is only when you're proscrastinating studying for your finals... Heehee, I'm just joking with you. You know I love you Bekki. :)

I'm not going to do the big update since last post because I don't think too much of any worth has happened. I did finally get my new glasses, but somehow no one has noticed. I swear, they are different frames, though! My old ones were very dark brown or black. My new ones are burgandy!! That's a big color change. It's kinda funny because I was worried it was too bold or I would look like Sally Jesse Raphael. I guess I look exactly the same.

My internship is over. Oh happy day! I have to say, though, it ended very nicely. No loose ends and a fun little luncheon to say goodbye.

I have been the epitomy of lazy thus far in terms of finals. It's been nice, though. I just had a whole weekend without any school-related activities! My exam schedule is pretty decent, too. I have my first one this evening at 6. It's only worth 5 pts toward my grade, though, and there's no way to study for it. It's going to be one question that I will have to answer from the perspective of a social worker. OoOoh! My 3 remaining finals are on Thursday. They are back-to-back which isn't cool, but I know I will probably have at least an hour in between them still. Spanish will probably be the most difficult. I didn't retain ANY of it this semester. Then I have 2 social work exams. I'm feeling pretty good about things. I can't wait for Thursday to be over, then I can concentrate on fun stuff that I like to do.

For any of you wondering, I will be in Taunton until about mid-June. Then I will go home for about a month to visit my family and hang out with my cool siblings. :) I'll be back in Taunton by mid-July, hopefully with two of my sisters in tow. :)

That's enough for now. I hope I've satisfied all of you people desperately looking for a distraction from studying.

Happy trails...

I'm Alive

2005-04-17T00:12:00.000-05:00

Well, the title about sums it up. It has been forever since I've posted and it's because 1) I don't have the time right now (only 2 weeks of classes left, then finals) and 2) I have nothing to post lately except complaints and I have been doing WAY too much of that lately.

Just a quick update, though, consisting of tidbits both useful and useless in nature:

April 7th was Mike's 27th Birthday. :) Aww...I love him
I have been sick all of this week
My mom sent me the recipe to brown sugar muffins a few days ago which really made my day...yum! (I used to beg her to make them for me when I was a kid)
My internship is winding down, that's a big old "woohoo!"
I'm picking a new internship for next year (if I come back next year. currently leaning towards a yes on that one)
My glasses have been ready since, oh, sometime last week? Anyone wanna run to LensCrafters and pick them up for me? I kinda don't ever wanna go back there...this is the second time I had them redo my lenses!

Alright, well, wasn't that exciting folks? So once again, in the words of Jackson Browne "I'm Alive."

Happy Trails...

Do I always need to have a title??

2005-04-02T23:33:00.000-05:00

Argh. I don't know what to write, but I'm getting the urge to post. Maybe something good will just flow out. Or maybe I'll just ramble on about crap. Who knows? Who cares?

I'm having one of those highly irritable nights where there is nothing I want to do, but I want to do something. Mike has tried to put a few different things on tv, neither of which have interested me in the slightest. The first was Kingpin, but I hate Farrelly brothers movies. Then he tried to put on an episode of South Park that made fun of hippies. Ok, I can laugh at just about anything on the show, controversial or not. But when I'm already irritated, I don't want to sit through something that makes fun of something I like. I know, I know. I never was a hippie. I wasn't even alive in the 60s. Or 70s for that matter. But I've always held a bit of a romanticized view of the hippie culture. They're carefree. They help each other. They stand for social justice. They did what they wanted. So no, I'm sorry, I don't want to watch South Park rag on them right now. One day I will laugh at that episode. Maybe tomorrow even, but not tonight.

I guess this has the potential to really turn into yet another "I need direction" and "I wish my life was different" posts. Of which I am sure some of my friends will read, but none will comment on. Funny how no one ever wants to talk about "bad" stuff. Just ignore it and it will go away. Maybe people shy away from it because they don't know what to say. But you know what? Sometimes it really is just the thought that counts.

I can't wait for this school year to be over. It has been one stressor after another and summer will be a most welcome relief. I want to go home and be with my family for a little while. And for those of you that know me, that's something that you don't hear me say often. I do, though. I was talking to my mom the other day on the phone and she said just the perfect thing ever: "This summer you can come home and just sleep in and relax and eat meals that you don't have to cook." That just about sounds like heaven right now. Of course, I would like to add on to that. I want to play video games with Nick. I want to hang out with Laura and have "girltalks." I want to hang out with Lucy and have her in hysterics from all of my movie and Monkee quotes. I want to see my dad and make sure things are going ok. I want to be with my mom and be the person who "whips everyone into a frenzy" over things, but gets people to do things they wouldn't normally do. I want to have more nights at Adam's and I want to crash at Mary and Andy's with the girls--no matter how much Andy doesn't always want us there. One thing, though, that I'd most like to do is figure out what the hell I want to do with my life. I know, any number of people will tell me "good luck" with more than a hint of cynicism. It's one of those way out there dreams. But one day I will know it and I will get there. I will find something that I enjoy doing enough to do it for the rest of my life. I will live somewhere that makes me happy. I will be married and have my family...little George Henry, Judy Jane, and Lucy something-or-other. Haha. Ok, well, maybe I don't truly know what I will name them. But those are the top choices right now.

Ok, well, you know what? That last little thought made me smile and maybe that means I've written enough and accomplished what I set out to do by posting tonight.

Happy Trails...

I went on Spring Break and all I got was this stupid anxiety disorder

2005-03-25T22:51:00.000-05:00

Well, this has been a less than relaxing, yet less than productive spring break. I realize I'm jumping the gun a little because technically break doesn't end until Monday night, but there's no reason to hope for more from it.

Monday morning I had to say goodbye to Mike because wouldn't you know it, he had to do a site visit in Kentucky during my break. He was gone until late Wednesday night and the boredom had more than set in by then.

I think it's funny that two of my teacher's told me before leaving last Thursday to "be sure and take some time for yourself over break." They said it with such sorrow, like they knew I wouldn't relax and they knew it's, at least partly, their faults. It's almost apologetic, which I suppose is nice.

While Mike was gone I completed my Easter outfit. No, I didn't make it, though as you all know, I can sew. It's a dress that I found at TJ Maxx. Surprisingly, it is the exact dress that I paid over $100 for this past summer, but in a cute spring fabric. And much cheaper of course. The only problem with it is, although it is spring and the weather has been getting nicer, there's still a bit of a chill in the air for a nearly sleeveles dress. I must have tried on every style of every ivory cardigan available at Silver City Galleria Mall but to no avail. The closest choice was a ballerina style wrap cardigan at the Gap, but they did not have my size. Well, being the avid crocheter, I decide that I could make my own and headed to JoAnn's for some yarn instead. I am quite proud of the cute little shawl/wrap I was able to produce.

On Tuesday I had my internship the full day. Or rather I was supposed to. I was having another "bad heart day" as I call them. Bad heart days include rapid and/or pounding heartbeats, almost always coupled with hot flashes and feeling like I could faint at any minute. I hate those days. Especially when I know that home is a 45 minute drive away. I almost fainted while driving once before, as well, which adds to the scary factor. My blood has been tested for everything under the sun that might cause it--anemia, diabetes, thyroid disease--but nothing. They have hooked me up to an EKG, but still I am "healthy." This sort of a thing runs in my family. My grandma has been hospitalized for it even, but also never diagnosed with a reason. I've been having bad heart days a little too frequently lately, too. I had a pretty bad one a week ago Tuesday, as well. I almost called an ambulance for myself. The thing is, once it starts, it's exacerbated by the anxiety over whether or not I will faint. Or if I do, will I come to ok? Even if no one is around to poke me? It all seems to be turning into an anxiety/panic attack thing. I don't like it one bit.

Anyway, so after that on Tuesday I had some major apartment cleaning to do on Wednesday because I couldn't stand it anymore. I also had to pick Mike up from the airport. Well, ok, I didn't have to pick Mike up, but after three days I sure wanted to. We still have the problem of only one car, though, so I drove him to work on Thursday, ran some errands, and then picked him up from work.

Today, Friday, I had to go back to my internship to finish an assessment I was supposed to finish Tuesday. I was taking out a potential Little Sister to get to know her outside of her home. Lucky me and my heart, I was starting to have a mild anxiety attack out with her. Somehow I made it through, though, hopefully without her catching on.

Oh my goodness this is long, I think that's enough for now even though I haven't gotten into my big annoying glasses issue or the fact that I'm supposed to have a 10 page paper written by Tuesday AND celebrate Easter AND go back to my internship on Monday.

Ugh, can't I just drop out of school and be a homemaker? I'm starting to think that will suit me best.

Happy trails...

Now That's Customer Service!

2005-03-18T18:53:00.000-05:00

Do you know how difficult it is to surprise someone when you live together? Well, it is. You know what the best part is, though? Somehow, Mike and I still manage to do so. :) Back in January, Mike organized a crazy surprise birthday party for me right under my nose! Now, we're both attempting Easter surprises since we're doing our first Easter together out here. It's kind of exciting. But back to great customer service. :) I ordered something special for him (I won't say what yet because he reads my blog), but I asked the company to deliver it in an unmarked box because it was a surprise for someone I live with. Do you know that I got it today and the shipping department had cut the "from" area of the label off? I was so happily surprised that I wrote them an email telling them how impressed I was. It's just nice to know that there are companies out there that really want to please their customers. :)

A Series of Unfortunate Events...and other such wanderings

2005-03-11T15:43:00.000-05:00

Well, my poor Michael seems to have the worst luck. You all read about his food poisoning, then his car accident, and now he is sick. Last night I was out buying nearly every cold remedy known to man- cold medicine (both day and night formulas), throat drops, honey (for tea or a hot toddy), gingerale, and ice cream. Personally, I would have gone with popsicles, but Mike insisted he would take his chances with ice cream bars.

Now for the topic jumping, so be prepared...

I taught myself to make cables in knitting. It was fun. Took a few tries, but I finally got the hang of it.

I ending up dropping the workshop that kept getting changed on me so that I can freeze my butt off at the St. Patrick's Day Parade tomorrow. This will be my third year in Newport and I figured it would be more fun to see a parade than to learn about the effects of race, class, and ethnicity that I have already learned about in at least 3 other classes so far.

I can actually say that Facebook has had one positive impact on me so far: I have gotten back in touch with Sarah Holsinger. She used to live across the street from me back in the days of growing up. I actually used to baby-sit her, which is kinda funny now because we are only 3 years apart. It used to be more like just hanging out with a friend anyway, so it's great to get to know her all over again. She goes to Northwestern in Chicago and is majoring in Geology and minoring in Religion. Apparently she wants to go on for a Ph.D. and be the cool Geology professor one day. I think that's awesome.

A number of things have made me reconsider an environmental major or career. First off was my workshop that I had last semester: Environmental Issues in the 21st Century. Now this semester, my Biology class is entitled "Humans and Their Environment." And now being back in touch with Sarah and learning what she is doing has made me look for schools with environmental studies programs. I'm not going to drop out of Social Work after having made it this far, but I'm wondering if I could somehow combine the two? I don't know. I was always the geeky little kid, though, doing reports on the Three R's (reduce, reuse, recycle). I advocated for paper recycling in my elementary school. I bought "50 Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth." I've been known to bug my parents on more than one occasion to make sure they were taking full advantage of our curbside recycling at home. I even started composting until my parents told me it was gross and it smelled too much. :( And after those fateful trips to Santa Fe back in 2001, I seriously considered becoming a park ranger. I used to be a member of the NPCA (National Parks Conservation Association). And just two days ago, I found a copy of the Sierra Club Magazine at the laundromat to read while I was waiting. I miss that part of me. I don't like having doubts about my life at this stage in the game. I know there are plenty of people who would say I was lucky to only be 25 and having doubts. It just sucks when two sides of yourself want two seemingly incompatible things: 1) settling down and having a family 2) continuing my education to really find the right place for me in this world.

Happy Trails...

What makes someone a good blogger?

2005-03-08T11:48:00.000-05:00

I was just pondering this question while I was studying for my Methods Mid-term (in Social Work). Well, I wasn't thinking about it while studying. I was thinking that I was due for a posting to my blog as I was realizing I couldn't read the words in my notes anymore because I have gone over them so many times already. So I throw this out to you, what makes someone a good blogger? Does a good blogger:

a) post daily
b) post about every little daily action
c) reveal inner thoughts
d) ask and attempt to answer philosophical questions
e) use their blog to tell a continuous story (whether fact or fiction)

or does it not matter as long as the blogger is having fun? If the answer is "a," then I have surely failed because I don't have the time or enough interesting things to post everyday. I suppose I use a mixture of b-d, though not much philosophical as of yet. I think "e" is a very intriguing option, but I'm not that creative. Haha, but if you ask me about my childhood screenplays I just might divulge.

It's kind of a strange thing, blogging. I mean, you never know who might be reading it. In a way, you might have to be careful what you say. Or, you might be doing it just for your own personal satisfaction much like you used to keep a journal or a diary with no intention of anyone ever reading it. I'm guilty of wanting an audience I suppose because I have added a link to my blog in both my AIM profile and my Facebook profile. Perhaps most, if not all, bloggers are really just seeking attention for one reason or another.

Anyway, I should get back to studying and stop blathering on yet again. I have a feeling I can be pretty boring.

Happy Trails...

The Facebook

2005-03-04T14:52:00.000-05:00

So here's the deal. Salve recently made Facebook thanks, for the most part I'm pretty sure, to Student Government (which I am a proud member). Facebook is (and i quote from the website) "an online directory that connects people through social networks at colleges and universities." You have to nominate your school to be a part of it and if accepted, it joins the ranks of such prestigious schools as Harvard, Yale, University of Michigan (I have to throw that one in because, after all, Michigan is home), and so on and so on. Sounds pretty cool, no? Well, sure I guess. I have joined and so has a good portion of Salve from what I can tell. My question is then, is there really and truly a point to it? In a way, it really seems like a sort of popularity contest. You invite people to be your friends and then it is broadcast to everyone how many friends you have at your school. But wait! There is another level of coolness you can acheive: Friends from other universities! You can then join groups based on interest, organizations, sports, and frats/sororities. You can search for people based on what school they go to or what high school they attended. Best of all, though, you can post a picture! I wonder how many people realize how..."loose" (and I'm not referring to their clothing)...they look in the one's they chose. Or maybe that is what they were aiming for. Who am I to judge? Afterall, the group "I am Obviously Wasted In My Facebook Picture" does exist, complete with members. Maybe all of this is just beyond me because I am ever-so-slightly older. I recently turned 25 (back in January) and I'm a junior in college. It was my choice to wait and for the most part I really think it was the right thing to do. Problem is, the whole partying/drinking mentality held by so many college students really sets me a part from them. Even when I was newly 21, I was never really a drinker or partier. In some ways I feel like my age creates a slight wall around me at school.

Anyway, I'm veering down sideroads I had no intention of traveling. I don't mean to sound cynical (though I'm sure that tone does come through). I also don't mean to be a hypocrit because I did in fact join The Facebook. I guess I just need to take it at "face" value (hahaha...pun slightly intended) and just have fun with it. Just what I need...another internet distraction in my day!

Happy Trails...

Oscar Weekend

2005-02-28T12:02:00.000-05:00

I've been completely and utterly lazy this weekend. As I noted on Friday, my workshop was cancelled, so I decided to forget there was such a thing as school. I didn't touch my homework (which kind of screws me for tomorrow), but I spent a lot of time catching up on my Oscar nominated movies. I don't really know why I watch the Oscars. I think they are a lot of fun, but the people I want to win seldom do. Here's my quick critique of just a few awards:

*Best Actor should have gone to Don Cheadle. Granted I didn't see Ray, but Hotel Rwanda was just an amazing movie.

*The Aviator won entirely too many awards. It was alright, but being 3 hours long, I fell asleep for the last half hour of it. I do think Cate Blanchett deserved her award, though, she was excellent.

*I would have liked to see Best Actress go to Catalina Sandino Moreno, but I was not surprised to see it go to Hilary Swank. Million Dollar Baby was a good movie.

*Although I didn't really think it stood a chance, I was really hoping Best Picture would have gone to Finding Neverland. At least The Aviator didn't get its hands on that award, too.

Overall, an enjoyable Oscar experience. It was nice that it ended before midnight, but some of the formatting changes were a little strange. For example, some people didn't get to go on stage when accepting their award? Poor people kinda got shafted with that one. Also, I would have liked to have seen the silent snipets of animated shorts and what not. I think it's interesting to get a glimpse of what they are about so that I might be more interested in watching them.

Anyway, enough of my rattling on. Good night and...

Happy Trails...

Just the facts, ma'am

2005-02-25T13:51:00.000-05:00

1. Snow day today means no workshop! (That's a good thing)
2. Only I can have such bad luck with glasses.
3. I ate lunch at 10:30am.

Number one needs no explanation, but you might be wondering about two an three. I have broken glasses after falling off of a carousel (don't ask for any more on that), lost a pair in the Atlantic Ocean while I was jumping in the waves, and now have managed to make the lenses peel after a simple cleaning. Jusy my luck! I was happy to find out, though, that Salve's student health plan actually has vision coverage. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. So tomorrow I am going to the eye doctors and then I am going to pick out some new frames. :) How exciting!

Now for my early lunch. I was actually craving breakfast, but we don't have any breakfast foods at the apartment aside from cereal right now. I wanted eggs and bacon, maybe even hashbrowns. Mmm. Well, the more I thought about a hot meal, the more I thought about throwing something together that we have here in the apartment. I came up with angel hair pasta, teryaki veggies, and chicken. A little homemade lean cuisine-esque meal. Not bad. I didn't even realize until I sat down to eat it that it was only 10:30. Oops.

Alright, well, nothing really else to say. Haha, not that I had much to say up there, either.

Happy Trails...

March is official craft month??

2005-02-23T14:34:00.000-05:00

At least that's what my JoAnn's e-circular says! Woohoo! As you know, because all of you have read my profile, I love crafting--crocheting, kniting, quilting, sewing--I love it all. Of course, I am sure they are saying it's craft month to promote sales and stuff, but whatever, it's all good. :) The only problem is my local JoAnn's Store sucks. I don't know if they are constantly cleared of merchandise because of in-store sales or because they don't know how to properly stock their shelves. I was really disappointed to do a store locator search to find that the closest JoAnn's SUPERstore (not just Store) is some 75 miles away in Connecticut. We used to have one in Newport, but that was turned into an Old Navy sometime last year. I really need to find a novelty yarn store somewhere in the Massachusetts/Rhode Island area. I know they are more expensive, but selection is going to be soooo much better. Anyone have any suggestions? I know there has to be one around here somewhere.

I'm currently knitting a bikini. It's more for practice than for use right now, though. It's my first true knitting project actually, but I don't have the proper elasticized yarn to make one that's usable. That would be nice. I really have to expand beyond scarves, though. Right now my repertoire consists of hats, scarves, mittens, a shawl, and the beginnings of an afghan. One day, when I finish the afghan, Mike will love me even more. He's been waiting a while... I have a problem finishing big projects, though. I get bored easily. I love to experiment and try new things. Like two Christmases (is that how you pluralize it?) ago I made scarves for everyone in my family. Well, just about everyone. But anyway, each one was a different design. I taught myself some different stitches and threw together some fun patterns and whipped 'em out in no time. Scarves can be easily finished in a day. I like that about them. Afghans, though, take some time. They are no more difficult than a scarf. In fact, they pretty much are scarves. Just over-sized. After I get started, though, and see what the pattern will look like I start thinking "Huh, well that was easy. Cool, I can do this. Let's see what else I am capable of." And the afghan gets put aside for a new, exciting, and often more challenging project. Like I said in my first blog--I need to work on my staying power.

Anyway, this being said, I'm thinking I may start a new blog just to talk about my craft projects. That way, if anyone is just bored to tears by them or would rather see me as the young woman I am as opposed to the old-lady hobbies I love, they can separate the two. At least in blogs. In person these two are one in the same. Sorry :)

Happy Trails...

Oh! PS...Would anyone be interested in starting a crocheting/knitting circle? I'm not sure if I really have the time for it or not, but I'm kinda curious if there would be interest for it. Also, I really am just a beginner, MAYBE advanced beginner, so I wouldn't really want to be in charge. Maybe I could co-lead with someone or something. Let me know your thoughts.

Today's excitement is...

2005-02-22T17:00:00.000-05:00

Mike got in a car accident! I was woken up at 8:54 this morning from an Emergency Room phone call. Luckily he is ok, minus a big red bump on his forehead and a slightly banged up knee. I don't know all of the specifics about the crash...something about a car plowing into his rear passenger door. Unfortunately, Mike was at fault. In the early morning sun he couldn't see what color the stoplight was on. Turns out it was red :/

Bad news is he took the Jeep today instead of my crummy minivan. Either way we're still down a car for a few days. I guess we'll be renting one soon. Everything is such a headache, though. Because the Jeep is a lease, it needs to go to the dealership. It's a big ol' pain in the booty moving the car from the place the tow truck took it to the dealership. Plus, we need to get the rental from the dealership too, as far as I know at least. Blah.

Anyway, I am just happy he's alright. Besides, I like taking care of my baby :)

Happy Trails...

ps...Tina, sorry I went back to the small font, but the larger font broke up in places. Did you notice that whole lines went missing unless you highlighted them? Maybe you can offer some advice on that one, I don't know...

Amy the Food Critic?

2005-02-21T16:52:00.000-05:00

At the suggestion of my good friend Tina, I have upped the font size. (Update: Feb. 24--I changed the font back because I couldn't stand how the larger font wasn't loading properly.) To any of my loyal following (ha!), sorry I haven't posted in so long. I realize it's been long enough to make people lose interest...oops! Nothing much has been going on lately, though. Last time I wrote about the upcoming break which would have been great except for a few small eating disasters...

Saturday night Mike (my bf) and I headed down to Newport to visit our friend Dave. Because Newport is the land of a thousand restaurants/bars, I wanted to be adventurous and try something new. I pushed for Salvation Cafe, a kind of fun and quirky eatery. We ordered the satay trio to start. Decent, but very small. I was originally thinking of ordering it as a light meal. Unless you want really light, don't do that. It was a shrimp, a piece of chicken, and a piece of steak on separate toothpicks with some peanut dipping sauce. Tasty, but tiny. Dave ordered the Blue Corn Chicken Salad. It was decent and the portion size was pretty good. He reported slightly dry chicken and was unimpressed by the lack of dressing choices. I ordered the Codfish Wrapped in Rice Paper. The codfish was cooked well, flaky like fish should be. The side of cilantro mashed potatoes had good flavor despite the green color, but they were a little cold. Poor Mike, however, ordered something that I would not recommend to ANYONE. Balsamic and Herb Marinated Beef Tenderloin. He likes his meat medium rare. Ok, so I'm not a fan of pink and bloody, but whatever floats your boat. His beef came cold and unsatisfactory. He was unhappy with the sauce as well. A mere three hours after eating it, he ended up in the bathroom with problems at both ends. Sorry, I'm trying to put it as nicely as possible. I guess I should just say food poisoning. He was ill for the remainder of the evening with lingering bathroom issues even now. I might go back to Salvation for drinks one day (the Lime Rickey was excellent), but I'm definitely wary of the food.

That was bad food experience #1. We ended up spending the night in Newport, so we all went out to lunch on Sunday. Brave Mike. What else can you do, though, if you're hungry? We tried the recently opened Blue Plate Diner. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a sucker for diners. I wish I had grown up in the 1950s and 60s. That could be a whole other post, though, so we'll ignore that for a moment. We started off with some cheese fries. Nice. No major complaints. I would have been happier with just slightly more cheese and Dave said the fries could have been a little crispier, but I would order them again. Lunch was a mixture of Philly Cheesesteaks for the boys with Minestrone for Dave and Chicken Noodle Soup for Mike. I ordered a tuna melt with mixed veggies and Mike and I split a plate of Mac n' Cheese. The cheesesteaks were actually made with tenderloin tips, which Mike and Dave both thought was a nice touch. They downed these sandwiches in minutes. The minestrone was lacking in substance--Dave counted the number of vegetable pieces and wondered where the noodles were. The chicken noodle looked good and Mike reported that it was ok. My tuna melt, although listed as coming on an english muffin (yummy), came on toast. It didn't look bad, but I wanted my english muffin so I sent it back. I wish I hadn't. The english muffin came out like a sponge. Maybe you guys aren't as picky as I am, but there's nothing worse than a soggy english muffin, especially for a tuna melt. I took a few bites and left it. My mixed veggies were even more disappointing. A promising mix of carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans was an overcooked bowl of mush. I could have mashed them all together with two strokes of my fork. Oh, and I almost forgot the mac n' cheese! It was obviously Stouffer's, fine, but barely luke warm. Bottom line? Cool retro ambience, low prices, and large menu selection do NOT make up for food quality.

Hope I haven't bored you too much with this one...

Happy Trails...

Moving Right Along

2005-02-17T11:15:00.000-05:00

Yay for last day's before long weekends! As we all know, President's Day is on Monday and for just about everyone with a job or school, that means a day off. The last day before breaks like this usually drag, but not today. Maybe it has something to do with the quick start I had this morning...

I woke up at my usual Thursday time--about 6:30. Yes, that's AM. Showered, dressed for the day, and headed down my three flights of stairs to get to my 8 o'clock class on time. Outside on the porch all it took was one step. Bump, bump, bump, THUD! That was me. Falling down icy steps. Not fun. It hurt. :( My poor bum. It knocked the wind out of me, so I just sat there on the last step for a minute in pain and shock. My landlady, who lives on the first floor, heard the noise and looked outside to see what happened. Funny thing is, this is the first I've met her. She's just lucky I'm ok and I'm not the type to sue! I am a little sore, though. My butt and my back are a little achy. Could the fall have jostled my brain at all? My head feels kinda funny, too. She didn't salt the steps because she didn't think it was going to go below freezing last night. Well, I can't be entirely upset with her. It was an honest mistake. The ice on the steps was so thin that it just looked wet from yesterday's rain. But moving right along...

I got to my 8 o'clock 15 minutes late. Not bad really. Took a few notes. Went to Spanish. Took a few notes. Aced my quiz from Tuesday. (I have excellent short term memory if I cram moments before.) Now I am in the library. Two more classes--one of discussion, one that's a test. I'm happy about the test, though. Want to know why? No, I am not prepared. I did make note cards last night, but I haven't read them yet. A test means getting out early from class. And starting my weekend sooner. :) Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and, because of the adjusted school schedule, most of Tuesday as well. Bring it on baby!

Happy Trails...

I thought I moved out of the dorm...

2005-02-16T14:07:00.000-05:00

Oh joy. Here's the deal about me. I used to be an RA at Salve, which I think I mentioned in my last post. I quit mid-year (at the end of last semester) because I wasn't getting homework done. Too many distractions, too much extra responsibility. I moved in with my boyfriend of 3 years, 3 months (exactly, as of today) in an apartment roughly an hour from campus. We live in an 3-floor house on the third floor. There are two apartments on the third floor, the other of which has been vacant since before my boyfriend moved in back in July. Well, just recently we got a neighbor. The apartment was rented out to a girl about my age. I think this is her first time living on her own. She enjoys hard rock. I don't mind hard rock, or music in general. In fact, I love music. BUT, not when it's loud enough to seep into other people's apartments.

I have to admit, I don't take kindly to change. I need a period of adjustment and you kind of have to prove yourself to me before I will like you. I don't deny that I've had a negative attitude about getting a neighbor from the get-go, but this girl isn't making it any easier for me. If anything, she is validating my concerns. In an attempt to make me more open-minded, my boyfriend (who has met her, I have not yet) told me that when he met her she seemed very nice and said "don't be afraid to say something if I'm being too noisy." Ok, back up. If that isn't a red flag, I don't know what is.

That off my chest, I am off. Well, off with my post. I have to do a little homework and studying (if possible with the noise...) and then I need to buy some new clothes/shoes for my internship so I can look pretty and stuff. Haha.

Happy Trails...

Oh Sleepy Day...

2005-02-14T16:11:00.000-05:00

Why does today have to be Valentine's Day? And no, I am not getting into one of those "I hate Valentine's Day because if you don't have a significant other it just throws it in your face and makes you depressed" attitudes. I hate that people are calling it "Black Monday." Grow up. Celebrate if you want, ignore it if you want. Just don't ruin it for those of us who happen to like the holiday. I've always liked it. I think it was by far the coolest, though, when I was in grade school. Making little Valentine's holders to put on our desks and trying to figure out who in your class had a crush on you because they gave you a Valentine that had the word "love" on it.

I've strayed from my point. Valentine's Day should never be during the week. It should be a Friday or a Saturday only. I am a student. My boyfriend has a job. We don't do Monday nights. Do you know what Monday nights are for? Sleeping. Sleeping and homework. And this particular Monday night I must spend studying for a test in Bio and a Spanish quiz. I took German in high school. Can I take German in college? No. I have to retrain my brain in foreign languages. It thinks the only other language than English is German. It is whole-heartedly rejecting my attempts at Spanish. And right now I'm already tired, so by the time I get home tonight...roughly around 9pm...I will barely be able to keep my eyes open to read let alone celebrate the holiday and be all lovey-dovey.

You know what I find amazing, though? Not even a minute ago my eyes were closing. If I'd had a place to rest my head I would have been out in seconds. That's when I thought I was heading to school to begin studying. Since I've decided to post on here, though, I'm awake! It's a miracle! Now I just have to convince myself that I actually like to study and I'll never be tired again! My problem, though, is that although I may not enjoy studying, I enjoy good grades. If only I could have the one without the other. Once upon a time I could. In high school. I don't know if it's because I'm older now or because high school was a joke. Probably a little bit of both I suppose. Man, I'm sleepy again. I shouldn't think about school. It does bad things to me. Ha.

Alright, alright. Time to focus and get to work. With nearly two hours before my next class I may actually finish a good chunk of my studying to allow for some nice Valentine's Day cuddling tonight. Aww...that's a nice thought.

Well, until we meet again...
Happy Trails to You!

Hello

2005-02-13T21:38:00.000-05:00

Hi. First and foremost hello. I'm new to this. I guess that shows due to the fact that this is my first post. Also, I'd like to put a disclaimer on the title of my blog. I hope I haven't stolen anyone's name. It wasn't available as a web address to my site, which makes me think someone else has titled their blog "Imperfections." If so, no hard feelings. The name is probably only temporary anyway.

I suppose to gain any sort of interest or following I should give everyone a little background information. My name is Amy. I'm a 25 year old junior at Salve Regina University studying Social Work. That's the absolute basic. You know what, though? You'll all get to know me gradually as I continue posting anyway. Ha, I should probably say if I continue posting. I am a habitual starter of projects with very few actually completed. This is almost like a test for me to see if I can improve on my follow through.

Here we go. Idea. Where's the lightbulb?? Here's a list of my most recentlys for you:
Most recently...
1. Watched Movie: Shanghai Noon. Ok, so maybe that's not the best one to start with. I can't help it if I love watching Owen Wilson movies. And Jackie Chan's moves are a serious artform. But I don't want to get to deep here. It's just a fun, silly movie.
2. Listened to CD: Paint the Town Pushstars The Pushstars are an awesome Boston band. I'm originally from Michigan and saw them opening for Julian Lennon and have been a diehard ever since. Check out their website: www.pushstars.com That's my shameless plug for the post. Only one. Promise
3. Watched TV show: Felicity. Season two. I love Felicity. Anyone else a fan? She should have chosen Noel. It kills me that she chose Ben. Still, it's a great show. It's a college show. And up until two months ago I could identify with it even further--I used to be an RA.
4. Eaten food: Lobster Ravioli and a side of corn. I'm about to partake in some mint chocolate chip ice cream as well. Weird category to include I realize, but I was running out of ideas. And who knows what you guys might infer about me from a simple meal. A correct inference would be that I love ice cream. I eat it almost daily.

Alright, well, let's see if this catches anyone's eye. You know, I used to keep a lot of journals when I was younger and at one time I always ended my entries with "Happy Trails to You." In honor of my past I think I'm going to pick that up again. So...
Happy Trails to You!