Soooo. It's been awhile...

[tunes]: none



So. It's been a long time. And a lot has happened in that time. Sorry I haven't been updating! Tonight is not going to be the update none of you have been waiting for, but I wanted to let you know I've noticed. I hope to finally get around to updating you on the last month sometime during my Thanksgiving Break.

Sunday, busy Sunday

[tunes]: Nothing, though I could use some right now.



Hey all, I meant to tell you about Sunday sooner, but I've been busy with things and, honestly, not quite in the mood. Still not quite in the mood, but I figure I should probably tell you about it anyways, since, if I put it off much longer it'll get lost in the upcoming days.


Sunday was busy, to put it simply. First, there was church, which I had to be there by 9 for choir warm-ups. I hadn't been there in awhile, since I wasn't in town the Sunday before and I completely forgot to go to Thursday's practice until I was sitting to dinner at Erin's. By then it was after 6, and a little too late to show up. Oops! After church I zipped back to my place to iron my Chorale dress, since I forgot to do it before then and get ready for the rest of the day.

Carrying all my stuff, (except for the presents for Maura and Sammy, which I completely forgot at the time,) I walked over to Erin's for the birthday party. Her parents and sister (my aunt, uncle, and cousin) were there already and my parents got into town not too long after. My grandma and Aunt Mary also showed up, and it was really nice to see them. I had to skip out fairly quick for the Chorale concert that was also that day, but I was coming back afterwards.

The Chorale concert was hot. Really. I was sweating so much on that stage. Other than that I really enjoyed it. I actually missed singing in a chorus. It's been over two years since I last did! I also enjoyed most of the music we sang, which is also a plus. Out in the audience, my parents were attempting to take pictures, much to my dislike. Luckily, they told me afterwards they lighting was bad and they didn't turn out well. Phew!

Then it was back to Erin's for a little while longer, after swinging by my place to grab the gifts I forgot that morning, of course! Have I mentioned I love my family? Oh, more than once? Well, it bears repeating. My mom's side of the family is awesome. (My dad's side of the family is non-existant since he is an only child. That doesn't make my mom's side any more or less awesome, though.)


Well, that was my Sunday in it's very basic form. Sammy and Maura loved their presents, and everyone loved the little baby shoes my mom picked out for baby Emily. (I was with my mom when she picked out the outfit... You should see how excited she gets when baby shopping. Good to know my future kids will have way too much stuff because of her.)


Writing this actually put me in a slightly better mood. Hmm.

"I'm not touching youuu!"

[tunes]: Keith Harkin.



I was going to update you on yesterday's festivities, but I am so worn out right now. I've been worn out for quite some time, actually, and it's beginning to get on my nerves. It doesn't matter how many hours of sleep I (attempt) to get, I can't shake it off. I think it has to do with the obnoxious amount of meds I've been taking recently to fend off the excruciating pain I get in my side. I really mean excruciating--I'm not trying to make it sound worse than it is. I've thrown up more than once because of the pain. It's really not fun. I'd explain the cause of the pain, but it gets a little awkward, so I'd rather not. Side pain. That's what it's going to be known as.

It started the end of this summer and came out of no where. I was just starting cleaning my room when I had this pain around my armpit. I had no idea what it was. I figured maybe I pulled something, (how, I have no idea, because it's not like I did anything that would have hurt it,) so I decided to sit down for a little while and wait until it went away. That's when the side pain started in and it only got worse from there. Ended up going to the hospital. (Twice, that day, actually, since the pain had disappeared by the time the doctor got to me the first time.) They did lots of tests, figured out what the cause was, gave me drugs and after a day or two I was feeling completely normal again. It came back again a monthish later but it was easily subdued, (no hospital necessary,) and everything was fine again. Then, just a few weeks ago, it came back and I was back at the hospital once more. They gave me more drugs, but, this time, I haven't been able to completely get rid of the pain. It's like that pesky little brother in those commercials going "I'm not touching youuuuu!" Yeah, he's technically not touching you, but it's still annoying as hell! LEAVE ME ALONE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!1!

So yeah. Long story short, I'm worn out, and the day this pain fully goes away will be a blessed day, indeed. It's literally a pain in my side, but, metaphorically, it's also a pain in my ass.


Change of topic. I think I'll leave you with my "You should go listen to So-and-So!" spiel that I usually do. (I always thought there were more letters in the word 'speil'. Like 'schpiel'. Or 'shpiel'. Anyways.) I know I've mentioned this guy before, since I distinctly remember telling you to go give his sister's stuff a listen, (Rebecca Harkin, if you don't remember,) and he's also one of those talented Celtic Thunder guys, but I don't remember if I ever gave him is own spotlight, so here it is. If I have, he deserves another one. I just love his stuff! Not only is he a fantastic singer, he's also a talented guitarist and songwriter, amongst other things. One of the songs he wrote, "Lauren & I," he sings in Celtic Thunder, so I know I'm not the only one who sees just how talented he is. I'm just waiting for when his solo CD finally comes out. No clue as to when that will be, but you can bet that I will be buying it quick! If you want to take a listen for yourself, you can check out his myspace: http://www.myspace.com/keithharkin or look him up on YouTube, there's lots of stuff there. He's also got his own website that you can take a look at: http://keithharkin.com/

I love to sing-a! About the moon-a and the June-a and the spring-a! I love to sing-a!

[tunes]: none.



So. I feel like I should probably tell you how that audition for the music department went. Besides messing up a little bit here and there, it went pretty well. I was shaking like crazy, though, which is very unusual for me. Normally I get a little nervous, but don't shake much until after I'm done. This time, my legs were going like crazy and I couldn't get them to stop. Strangest thing ever. But, once I was done, they talked to me for a little and then I left. Later that day I got a call from one of the people in the audition and got the unofficial results of it. They are as follows; in my own words, of course...

I was an idiot for trying out for the BFA since I don't really have any classical training. Apparently, the BFA is for people who have been doing that kind of stuff for years and years and such. Oops! While I felt a little bit like a prize idiot, I'm not all that fussed by the mistake. Nothing I can do about it now, and I learned a lesson from it. However, they did think that I have potential and I will be, instead, doing a BA in Music-Performance. I can start with that and then audition again later after I've had more training. The fact that they think I have potential is an encouraging fact and I'm quite happy with the results as they are. My Chorale teacher, who was also part of the pannel for the audition told me the same thing the other day and it makes me really happy that he felt that way. I think, if he had his way, I might have even been in the BFA program, which makes me feel special. He's such a sweet guy and I'm really glad to have him as a teacher.


Let's see. Is there anything else I was going to talk about? Well, I had this really strange dream the night before last where this guy who I'm kind of sort of interested in turned out to be gay. Rather disappointing in that respect, but it was an interesting dream overall. I think the whole "him turning out to be gay" part was due to the fact that, for awhile, I wasn't exactly sure if he was gay or not. I'm still not 100% sure, actually, but I'm pretty certain he's straight. My life, sometimes...

Other than that typically strange dream of mine, I don't have much else to say about the past few days. Tomorrow, on the other hand, is a completely different story. I haven't been so busy in quite awhile. First, there's church, which I haven't been to since the week before last. (That whole being in a lot of pain thing had a lot to do with that.) Then, my parents should be arriving sometime after that and it's over to Erin's for her kids' birthday party a little after noon. From there, I have to go over to Gorell at 2 for warm-ups before the 3 o'clock concert that my parents are coming to. Then, it's back to Erin's for mor birthday party-ness and general visiting with relatives. It'll be a busy, but fun day, I think.

WAIT! I forgot to mention that I finally got to see Erin's new baby! She is so cuteeee! I got to hold her, too! I went over there Thursday evening after the audition for dinner, which her Aunt Cami brought and I had a lot of fun playing with Maura and Sammy. I gave Sugar plenty of attention, too, and she was loving that. She was even giving me kisses, which Erin said meant that she really loved it. (I miss my doggie!)


Well, that's it for now. I think I'll head back to my place and read that chapter for history class that I'm supposed to and finally clean my room. I should also head over to Goodwill and look for some stuff for my Halloween costume... I'm feeling unmotivated to do that, though. Stupid overcast weather...

Celtic Thunderrrrr.

[tunes]: none, currently, although I've been listening to Paul Byrom's "If I Could Cry" a lot today...




Today was my first day back at school since my parents came to get me when I was in super pain. I'm mostly better, although I am extremely worn out, which I attribute to the epic amounts of drugs I've been perscribed. I had my second Pysch exam today, and, for hardly studying at all, I think I did pretty darn well. I know I guessed on a few, but most of them I knew the answer to. How I could remember everything with being all drugged up, I don't really know, but, thankfully, I did. I also have my audition for the Music Department to get in the Music-Performance major tomorrow. I have to work on my music so much tonight. My suitemate might hate me, but I think she's crazy anyways, so I don't really care. But that's not what I wanted to talk about.



Last night, I saw CELTIC THUNDER IN CONCERT!!1! This was my first time seeing them live and I've been pretty excited for it. I banned myself from listening to them for an entire month so it would feel extra new. I still caught myself mouthing along the words to some of the songs, though. Oops! I went with my parents, partially because I'm a poor college student with no money and no car to get there, partially because none of my friends really listen to them and would have wanted to go, and partially because I knew my parents would enjoy it. They did, especially my mom.

Before the concert started, my mom, dad, and I were sitting in our seats (4th row, the three seats on the far right of the orchestra section, quite good!) and we were going through the program my dad bought. He had it first, then I skimmed through it real quick before handing it to my mom. Not sure if that was the best idea. First thing she asked me was "Who do you think is the most handsome?" Being diplomatic, and not about to give my mom something to embarrass me over, I said all of them, which they all are, so it's not like I was lying. Anyways, she starts reading through the write-ups on all the guys. Then she stops on the one of a certain Swanky Tenor and says, "I think HE'S the cutest!" I should also add that it didn't go unnoticed by her that all but one of the guys weren't married, and she made it into a very "nudge-nudge-wink-wink" moment. Now you can begin to see why I was not about to tell my mom who I thought was the most handsome...

Then, the show started. (My mom was disappointed that she didn't get to read through all the guys write-ups yet, but it's not like there were going to halt the show to let her finish it or anything, so she got over it. lol.) I don't even know where to begin! They were all amazinggg!!! I'd make a list of every song they sang, but that would take forever, and I left the program with my parentals, so I'd probably forget some anyways. Remember, I was drugged up last night, too! Instead, I think I'll talk about my favorites from each of the guys.


Group Songs:

Which to choose first? Caledonia, by default, was a favorite of mine, but I think that has a lot to do with the fact that they're wearing their kilts, which they enjoy doing sharp turns in. ;) Hey, I'm a 20 year old woman, of course I'm going to enjoy that! It was their encore of the night and they were just enjoying themselves with this number. Paul was teasingly showing off his legs, like usual, although that unfortunately happened on the other side of the stage...darn. Paul and Keith were trying to flip up Damian's kilt most of the time, and Keith even did a bell hop kick whatever it's called as they were exiting the stage the last time.
Take Me Home and Steal Away are also favorites of mine, and Raggle Taggle Gypsy is always fun, but of all the group numbers, the one that really stuck with me was Danny Boy. I'm a sucker for a cappella, and they do it beautifully. They had my mother in tears with that one, since it reminds her of her dad who passed away when I was fairly little. I was nearly in tears, too. Fantastic job.


Keith Harkin:

It's so hard to choose, because I enjoy all of his songs! (Although I still have problems taking "I Wanna Know What Love Is" seriously as a song for reasons completely unrelated to Celtic Thunder. He does it very well, though.) While I was a little sad that they replaced "The Island," since it's one of my favorites, I really, really liked "Homes of Donegal" and think he does a fantastic job on the song. "Lauren and I" was also another favorite that night, as it usually is. I just find it amazing that he wrote it himself! (I wish I could write songs, but I have not discovered that talent in myself yet. Bummer.)


Damian McGinty:

Damian, Damian, Damian. It's always really weird for me to watch Damian onstage because everytime I see him perform, I am reminded of my friend, Chris, who is about the same age as him, looks really similar, and performs the same way he does. No joke. It's like they were separated at birth or something. When Damian does his snaps during "Happy Birthday Sweet 16" I'm thinking "Chris! What are you doing on stage?!" My mom even agrees with me, having seen some of the shows we've been in together. But, that aside, Damian did a wonderful job, despite the fact that something made him laugh right in the middle of "Sweet 16." He looked like he was having a lot of fun up there, especially with "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do," and I have always been a fan of "A Bird Without Wings." (George does a good job with the back-up vocals as well. Such a touching song.)


Ryan Kelly:

The Dark Destroyer rocked it last night with "Heartbreaker"! You could tell he was having so much fun with that song and I was having fun right along with him. He does a really good job with those evil character type songs, and I'm glad he enjoys singing them. He had the girls in the crowd going wild! (And rightfully so!) My most favorite song of his, though, has to be "Desperado." He does a great job of connecting with the piece. (Actually, the web address for this site uses some of the lyrics from that song.) I guess part of the reason I like this song especially is because I sort of identify with the character's dilema. But enough about me.


Paul Byrom:

As soon as he finished singing "Love Thee Dearest," (a song I thoroughly enjoy blasting in my beat-up Heep in downtown Erie,) my mom leaned over to me and whispered, "He has the best voice!" Needless to say, you can guess who my mom's favorite in the group is. I find it impossibly hard to choose a favorite guy in the group, since my number one changes constantly, but I would have to agree with my mom in saying Paul Byrom does, indeed, have the best voice. (Not that the other's don't have good voices--they all have wondeful voices!) I think it just has to do with the fact that I also have a more classical sounding voice, so I tend to lean towards that type of voice. Anyways... "She" has been my most favorite Paul song since I first heard the group, but when I heard "Because We Believe" for the first time last night, it may have been bumped down a peg. A-MAZING!! It makes me really wish I wasn't a poor college student and had money so I could get the CD now! (Being poor SUCKS.) He also did a wonderful job with "You Raise Me Up." I've been a Groban fan for many years now, but that was always my least favorite of all his stuff. Paul makes me like that song so much more than I used to. I also loved when Paul asked one of the people sitting in the pit section for the time while Ryan was singing his part in "That's A Woman." Always a joker, that one...


George Donaldson:

I left George for last because he completely amazed me last night. First, there was "500 Miles" which was SO. MUCH. FUN! He usually sings the older, somber, mature, stuff and I loved seeing him have fun with this song. His enthusiasm was infectious, and it took all that I had not to sing the entire song right along with him! (This is another song I have trouble taking seriously due to a hilarious a cappella arrangement a group does on YouTube. But I degress...) I was right there echoing the "da-da-da-da"s when he pointed at the audience, though. I also loved his acting in "A Bird Without Wings" alongside Damian, which I mentioned earlier. Of all his songs last night, though, "The Old Man" was my favorite of his, and, quite possibly, the whole show, which really surprised me. This one had my mom in tears as well, her having been reminded of her dad earlier in the show with "Danny Boy." His performance of this song was just so touching.



Well, I've probably rambled on long enough, and I'm not sure how much of this makes sense to anyone, but I did my best. These drugs are really not my friends. Well, they make me not in pain, but other than that... Not friends. I just wish I could go see Celtic Thunder perform again instead of go practice for my audition tomorrow. I am just waiting for that moment when I walk in the room and completely forget all my words and epic fail and not get in the program. Which would suck. Because I still haven't figured out any sort of back-up idea for what I want to do with my life. Halp?

pee.ess: Here's the link to that a cappella group singing "500 Miles" I mentioned earlier. So funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMWjlQZkecw

Well, hello there, hospital!

[tunes]: None. Watching House on TV.



Since my last post, things took a turn for the not-so-fun. (Don't worry, my cousin and the baby are fine. I'm talking about me.) It actually started the day of that post. I had taken the pain killer and thought it would be enough, but that night it came back so badly that my parents eventually drove down to pick me up. I'm at home now, and while the pain is still there a little, it's much better, especially after my visit to the ER. I swear, I've seen the ER so often lately I could navigate it with my eyes closed. (Okay, maybe not, but I've been there, too much.)

I'm so out of it at the moment. The pain meds make me drowsy and I'm already really tired from the past couple of days of crap sleep.

Well, I don't want to start rambling, which is what I'll most likely do if I continue to go on. Missing classes tomorrow and Tuesday is when I'm seeing Celtic Thunder in Pittsburgh. I'll have plenty to write about then and I'll hopefully be a little more present and coherent to write about it.

First name, Bob...

[tunes]: nothing currently, although I might go listen to Star Wars A Cappella (John Williams Is The Man) on YouTube after this.



So, this one is going to be a short update because I really out of it at the moment due to the fact that I couldn't fall asleep until 2am last night and I took a pain killer a few hours ago for the evil pain in my side that was threatening to return.

The main reason I'm updating today is because my cousin, Erin, had her baby today! I got the completely unexpected text from Ryan at the end of my psych class. She wasn't due until the end of the month! It was especially unexpected because I just saw her last night and she was completely normal. (Well, as normal as you can be when you're super pregnant.) Now, the baby is here, (a girl, named Emily,) and I can't wait to finally meet her!

As for why I saw Erin last night, I was invited out to dinner with her and Ryan and the kids and my aunt and uncle and cousin Mel. It was a lot of fun. I even got to see the kids Halloween costumes afterwards. So adorable! Sam finally got over his fear of dragons and is wearing the costume he was too afraid to wear last year. Maura is a Bumblebug, which is half Bumblebee and half Ladybug, just in case you didn't know. My Aunt Patti made them for the kids. It reminded me of when my mom used to make costumes for my brothers and me.

Okay. I'm going to stop now, because I could keep rambling for hours without making any sense in my current state. I'm already quite sure my flow of thought isn't easy to follow for anyone reading this. Hahaha. Sorry!

Wet Laundry.

[tunes]: Currently none, although I've been on a Beauty and the Beast (the musical) kick for the past couple of days.



Well, today took a turn for the interesting! I finally managed to break my five into some ones after getting lunch at Taco Bell today, which meant LAUNDRY DAY! It was about time, too, so after taking those ones and putting them in the vending machine to get change. (Apparently, my place doesn't get the concept of an actual change machine, so I have to improvise.) I had just enough money to do two loads in the washer and all of it in a dryer. I had my first scare when putting money into one of the washers and it began eating my quarters. I was freaking out because I already had detergent on the clothes and couldn't just take them back out. Luckily, the machine took pity on me after I jammed one of my keys in the coin slot and gave me my money back. From then on, everything went fine until I went to get my clothes out of the dryer, only to find that they were still wet. Not only did I not have anymore quarters, I didn't have any more money to get quarters with. (If you look up broke in the dictionary, you'll see my face right next to it. Srsly.) So now all my wet clothes are hanging in my closet to dry while all the clothes that were dry and hanging in the closet are now sitting on my bed with my damp sheets and damp socks that I don't have anywhere to hang. My damp underwear is hung about the room, including a pair which I hung on my Jesus cross. I feel that might be sacreligious... Oops.

Hopefully, some of my clothes will be dry by tomorrow since I don't have any dry pants and it is supposed to be quite cold tomorrow... Putting together an outfit that was warm and looked halfway normal was quite the challenge, and I don't really feel like putting that much effort into it again tomorrow.




EDIT:

Oh hey there... Guess I already rambled on about "If I Could Cry" in my last entry! Well, the song is that amazing, so I suggest you go take a look at it and listen to it if you haven't already. The links are in the previous post, but here's the link to buy the single: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002R652GW/ref=cm_sw_su_dp It just came out yesterday and, despite my ban on all things Celtic Thunder related until I see the concert on the 20th, I've already listened to it twice.


Now it seems I can talk about Beauty and the Beast, instead! A few days ago, I was in the mood for a musical, and was beginning to really miss doing shows. It's been over a year since I last did one! Actually, it getting close to being a year and a half. To be honest, I was beginning to get tired of it, mostly because of the people. (Not all of them, but a good amount. I was getting tired of the over competitiveness and the bitching and the diva attitudes.) I think the time off from shows has been good, because I find myself itching to do one, and it's for all the right reasons. I don't care what part I am, just get me in a show!

Anyways, that lead me to listen to the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack, which I've been listening to pretty much ever since. I love the movie and I loved the musical when I saw it on Broadway. (Annalise Van der Pol from Disney's That's So Raven was Belle, and I thought she did a wonderful job, though it took me a little while to warm up to her take on Belle. I guess I imagined the character a little differently. Also, John Tartaglia was Lumiere, and he's always wonderful.) I think one of the reasons I really love the musical is because Alan Menkin wrote the music. I don't know why, but I always love his stuff. (Love the music to A Christmas Carol, even though I am still haunted by when I did that show. God, we were awful.) There are even a few times when listening to the music now that I think, "That is definately Alan Menkin's writing!"

Another reason I love the musical is because of the characters. Not just the "good" ones, either. I adore the character of Gaston (and Lefou) even though, in real life, I wouldn't be able to stand him because he's such a freaking tool. (I wouldn't mind Lefou so much, but I'd probably think he's an idiot and not approve of his choice in friends.) When I saw the show on Broadway, Gaston was my favorite, no contest. When performed well, you can't not enjoy him! Of course, I will always love the character of Belle, mostly because I feel that we are the same person. She pretty much sums up our sameness right here:

"I want much more than this provincial life!
I want adventure in the great wide somewhere
I want it more than I can tell
And for once it might be grand
To have someone understand
I want so much more than they've got planned"

That, and we both like to read a lot, and as I said to my friend, Alyssa, earlier, we both can't stand tools. I feel that last one is an especially valid arguement.

Okay. I think I'm going to be done now since I went on crazy long. If you, for some strange reason, have never listened to the soundtrack or, God forbid, have never seen the amazing Disney movie, go do that NOW.

Shopping!

[tunes]: None, currently, but I did watch the video for "If I Could Cry" from Sleeping Beauty the Musical.



I should probably start off by saying that I'm in a much better mood today than I was in my last post. Excluding the fact that I woke up at 5am sweating since the heat came on in the night and I have no control over it. So I turned on the fan, which was really loud in such a quiet room. I couldn't fall back asleep because of the fan, but I couldn't turn off the fan because I couldn't fall back asleep in the heat. Somehow I got to sleep and all was right in the world.

That isn't what I intended on talking about at all, but, apparently, my mind is still holding a grudge against that incident. What I was going to say was that, today, I went shopping with my cousin after church. She had to get a few things for the kids' birthday party next weekend and she wanted to know if I wanted to tag along since she could use some company. Of course I said yes because she wasn't the only one who could use some company. It was really nice to spend some time with her. We ended up not only getting what was on the list, but a few things for the new baby that's due at the end of the month, also, as well as grabbing some lunch at the little hibachi place. It was nice to be able to talk about things with her. I may have said it before, but my cousin is really awesome. My family in general is pretty awesome. (Okay, so I may not say that about my immediate family very often, but I've been living with them all my life. Give me a few years on my own and I'll feel different about that. I'm already starting to, at least when it comes to my parents.)

Speaking of Erin, I can't believe she's going to have another baby at the end of the month! This month, in general, is shaping up to be an interesting and event-filled one. Next week is the kids' birthday party and the following Tuesday I'm going to see Celtic Thunder with my parents in Pittsburgh. Then, Thursday, is my audition for the Music Department, which I am so not ready for yet. I should get on that... Sometime at the end of the month Erin's having her baby, and I'm going to another double-birthday/halloween party around Halloween for a couple of friends. Oddly enough, I feel like I'm missing something. Oh yeah. October 25th is a Chorale concert. I'm probably still missing something, but that's okay. You get the gist.

Before I go, I must do what I always do, which is write a little ditty about whatever it is I'm listening to. This time it was "If I Could Cry," which is one of the songs from an upcoming musical called Sleeping Beauty. While I have no idea when it will be premiering, I do know that it will be premiering on the West End (i.e: London.) A bummer, really, since I read the synopsis and it seems like an interesting twist on the tale of Sleeping Beauty and would very much like to see it. Maybe by some odd stroke of luck I'll find myself on that side of the pond when it's there. Lord knows I want to study abroad. I know of the song because Paul Byrom of Celtic Thunder sings it, and quite well I might add. It's supposed to be released as a single shortly, but I don't have an exact date yet. Here's the link for the video: http://www.youtube.com/user/SleepingBeautyVideo and here's the link for the musical: http://www.sleepingbeautythemusical.com/ Not too much information on it yet, but there are some clips of songs from the show, which I am about to give a listen to right now.

"Don't give up. It's just the hurt that you hide..."

[tunes]: None, because this computer doesn't have Adobe, which is just lame. I'd move to another one, but this is the 4th computer I tried in this room and the only one that worked so far. Not about to test my luck again... Have been listening to Josh Groban again, lately. Don't know why it's been so long since I last listened to him. Very good.



Today, I woke up at 11:00am thinking that it was going to be a fairly decent day. My first two classes of the day were cancelled, so I got to sleep in, (something I desperately needed after the crap night's sleep from the day before,) and my first class wasn't until 1:25. It's now 10:30pm, and I've long since taken back what I said about today being a decent day. It wasn't. The worst part is that it wasn't because of anything that happened. It was just me letting things get to me.

I'm one of those people who let things bottle up and pretend that everything is just fine when I'm around people even when things aren't. I don't really know why I am that way, but I am. I think it's a mash up of various things, but that's not really important to know. When I'm around my friends I'm usually smiling or being silly. I joke about things that tend to upset me. I brush them off. It works for the time being, but then I'll have a day like today which just sucks. Even now I'm beginning to brush it off saying, "Ehh, I'm over it now." I am now, but it'll be back eventually. Even writing this here is hard because I feel like I'm whining and complaining and I don't like being vulnerable. That is probably a huge part of the issue.

I guess I should probably get to the whole point of why today turned out to be crap. Well, it's Homecoming weekend here at IUP, and everyone seems to be doing something with someone somewhere. Me? I've got absolutely nothing planned. I'm probably not going to the game tomorrow because I'd end up going by myself. I don't really know anyone here. I know a few people, but of the two people I talk to the most here, one isn't even going to the game and has other plans with some friend, and the other one went home for the weekend. She's really having a homecoming weekend. lol. I don't really get why they call it Homecoming, since I left home to be here... (There I go making (lame) jokes again.)

This whole not really having friends here wouldn't be such a big issue if I had a car. If I had a car, perhaps I'd have a job, which would mean I'd know some people from work. If I had a car, I could go visit my friend in Clarion when I'm feeling lonely since it's only an hour and a half away. But I don't have a car. And I don't have a job. And I don't have any friends here yet.

So yeah. That's the main point of why I'm in such a crappy mood today. There are other things, but they aren't worth getting into...

DOUBLE TRUE.

[tunes]: Oslo Campfire - Port O'Brien



Hello, all (one of you.) Nothing earth-shattering to discuss here, but I though I'd leave a little something today. On my way over here to the library, I had a 90s nostalgia moment. It's extremely windy out today and I caught myself reminiscing of the days of windpants and their matching jackets. God, 90s fashion was so bad. I remember having a wind suit when I was little. (Was that what they were called?) Believe it may have been purple. Or blue. Or both. It was as I was remembering those windpants that I had this sudden urge to listen to the Backstreet Boys and N*Sync. Ahhahahahaha.


Last night I spent the evening at my cousin Erin's. I walked over there by myself for the first time, and I am very, very proud to say that I did not get lost! This may have partly been due to the fact that I looked up the directions on Google Maps previously. Google Maps is a life saver. You can bet that when I finally get a car I am so getting a GPS unit for it. I won't use it around town back in Erie like my brother has been known to, but I'd get lost anywhere else without one. Especially long-distance trips.

Anyways, I went over there for dinner and help with some of the songs I have to memorize for my music department audition on the 22nd. I ended up staying until midnight watching Harry Potter! Hahahaha. Erin actually went to bed before I left and Ryan gave me a ride home after the movie was over. I was pretty much dead for church today. Maybe staying up that late wasn't such a good idea, but it was Harry Potter! Come on!

I don't have too much planned for today besides cleaning my room, which desperately, desperately needs done. I was busy last weekend so I didn't have time then. I'm really not in a cleaning mood, so we'll see how that goes.


Before I go, I'm going to do what I usually do, which is plug a band. Maybe one day I'll get payed for something like this. Or, perhaps, someone will be doing that for me! Who knows? I'll keep dreaming. So, Port O'Brien. I quite literally just started listening to them today. Never heard of them before, but I'm already really liking them. They remind me of The Shins in their early days a la "O Inverted World." I love that CD, so it's only natural that I would like these guys. They've actually got a tour that just started, but they aren't coming anywhere near me. Not that it matters, since I'm broke poor. They describe themselves as folk/acoustic/indie, which was pretty much what I was going to say, so I'll just go with what they said. If you like that kind of stuff, check them out! If not, do it anyways. Maybe you will find out you do. Should probably give you a website, huh? http://www.myspace.com/portobrien

Why other countries hate America.

[tunes]: Currently none, although I desperately wish I were in Toronto right now seeing the brand new Celtic Thunder show that is currently being taped. As it stands, I won't be able to see this until it shows on PBS sometime in spring. It's supposed to be completely completely different.



So, I'm feeling rather snarky and bitter this evening, and I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself until my wonderful friend Sam suggested ranting in here. If anyone else besides Sam actually reads this, you can check out her blog, too. She's my only follower, so she shouldn't be too hard to find! Anyways, after contemplating on what to discuss, I decided on this: (My snarky ass comments will be in parentheses. And in blue.)

"American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists

and Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950's, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce.... I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has run its course.

Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.

Here is a model separation agreement:

Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes. (If we go by where most liberals and conservatives live, I guess that means we get most of the coasts, including L.A. and NYC, and you guys get stuck with the midwest... I'm beginning to like where you're going with this!)

We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military.

You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell (You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them). (Ooh. Wow. A fat joke. So matureee. I'll take that as long as that means I never have to hear Rush Limbaugh ever again.)

We'll keep the capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies,Wal-Mart and Wall Street. You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys, hippies and illegal aliens. We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and rednecks. We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood .. (Yes! No more Fox News! But I think the homeboys will be going with you. They like guns.)

You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us.. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.

We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values.. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N.. but we will no longer be paying the bill.

We'll keep the SUVs, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Subaru station wagon you can find. (If that means I never have to see another fucking Hummer again, I will die happy. Don't come complaining to us when your gas prices skyrocket.)

You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors. We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right. We'll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the National Anthem. I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute Imagine, I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing, Kum Ba Ya or We Are the World. (I think I'll go with "Heal The World" by Michael Jackson. He had a good idea with that song. And I think Jesus would approve... You Republicans like Jesus, right?)

We'll practice trickle down economics and you can give trickle up poverty your best shot. Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name, our flag, and "In God We Trust". (Since when has our history, name, or flag ever offended us? Unless you're talking about how embarrassed we feel when other countries judge us by the way you all act.)

Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you Answer which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.

Sincerely,

John J. Wall

Law Student and an American"

I don't even know where to begin with this thing. I guess I could start out with the first major thing that jumped out at me. "You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security." Last time I checked, we invaded Iraq on the sole basis that they MAY have had Weapons of Mass Destruction. I won't point out that they didn't. We know that. What I remember was many of our allies didn't agree with us. Britain didn't think it was such a hot idea, but they did end up going along with us. When France refused to help, we bashed them and started calling French Fries "Freedom Fries" in retaliation. It's nice to know we revert to 5-year-old games when we don't get what we want. We shouldn't just protect our allies, we should also LISTEN to them. I might add a lot of our allies are apart of that U.N. that you want to give away. You might find that you lose a lot of your allies to us when we are busy listening and cooperating with them instead of charging off into battles that haven't been carefully considered.

Then there is the health care issue you complain about. I just watched a YouTube video of a Democratic Senator showing how many doctors support the Public Option of health insurance reform. For the life of me I can't find the video, but it showed that 63% of doctors support both private and public insurance options and 10% support just a public option. That makes 73% who are in favor of the Public Option in some form or another. I think if doctors approve of it, it's probably not a half bad idea. It will greatly affect them, too, after all. I won't get into extreme detail about the health care reform because I'd be here awhile and you'd get bored reading it all, but I'm tired of hearing everyone bashing Obama on it. He is the first president with the balls to confront this issue since Theodore Roosevelt, which was almost a century ago. It's a tough issue to deal with and he's trying his best, something that can't be said for the many other presidents both Democratic and Republican who have pushed the issue aside over the years. His plan might not be the perfect solution, but it's better than what we've been doing the past 100 years. At least he's trying. He's not afraid to have people disagree with him, especially this early in his presidency. That takes some real balls. You conservatives should consider growing yourself a pair as well.

Of all the things that piss me off about this guy's statements, the fact that he proudly states the fact that he's Christian, yet proposes so many un-Christian-like ideas. He talks about how health care is a luxury and how us liberals should have to take care of the homeless while they keep all the money. I'm a Catholic, and, last I checked, Jesus wants us to help the poor, not sit by and watch them suffer while we live in comfort. He talks about keeping the "greedy CEO's." If that's not the most un-Christian-like thing I've ever heard I don't know what is. Greed is one of the seven deadly sins and yet he supports it. If being Islamic or Jewish or Socialist makes me a better person, then I might just drop Christianity. Thankfully, that's not how it works. It hurts to see it portrayed so, though, because it only re-inforces the way others see Christians in American society. If you're going to keep the Bibles, I suggest you all give them another read-though, because you seem completely misguided.

Sometimes, I am ashamed to be an American because of the way many other countries view us. This man's ridiculous letter only hurts that world view. Maybe one day we'll finally realize how immature we look... I hope it's soon.

One last thing: Jesus and his followers were socialists. So if you're going to divorce yourself from "American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxist and Obama supporters, et. al," you're divorcing yourself from Jesus. Think about that one.

Juke Box Hero

[tunes]: Clair de Lune - Lucia Micarelli



Well, I'm in one of those weird blah moods right now. I can't really think of a reason why, but that's okay. I swear I had a reason for writing here besides the fact that I haven't in quite awhile. Let's see...
Oh yeah! Tuesday my friend Laura came down and we went to see Foreigner!!1! We had a complete blast, and, even though our seats were literally the last row in the balcony, we had a really good view. Yes, neither of us were alive when Foreigner was in it's prime, but who cares. They're music is great and is still popular today. You know there good when Temperance Brennan has them in her collection. I wanted to bust out a high kick in Bones's honor during "Hot Blooded", but there wasn't really any room. I did mentally, though. Today, I caught myself singing "Cold As Ice" when I was headed to choir practice because it was really chilly out, and I laughed. Then there's the fact that I can no longer take "I Wanna Know What Love Is" seriously because I have actually sang it at church. No joke. The director of the Teen Mass Band at my church back home felt it was appropriate. I don't know how he manages to ignore the fact that it's about sex and not Christ's Love...
Erm... Besides having three tests this week that I'm fairly certain I got A's on., (maybe a high B on the history exam,) there hasn't been much else to get overly excited about. The next big thing happening is Maura and Sammy's joint birthday party that I'm going to and then the Celtic Thunder concert, which I am very excited before. You will definately be hearing about those on here.

Before I go, I am obligated to mention that you should check out Lucia Micarelli here: http://www.myspace.com/luciamicarelli. She is an extremely talented violinist who I had the pleasure of seeing play live for Josh Groban. She plays everything from classical to rock. She has actually done both at the same time, playing "Nocturne/Bohemian Rhapsody" which you can watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fAFltewQ48. When I saw her live, she did a kick ass version of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" which I loved. Long story short, she's talented. She also has a Twitter if you've got one. I do, too, incidentally...

Things I do instead of homework...

[tunes]: None, currently, though I did just get finished with watching the latest episode of Glee.



I should be writing my reaction paper on accidents as one of the top eight causes of death, but I've been avoiding it all evening. I think I'll start it after this, since it is due tomorrow at noon. So far, I've just been messing around facebook and twitter and such, and watching Glee, of course. This last episode, I think, is the best one yet, and I'm including last week's episode with Josh Groban in it, which was VERY hilarious. I was trying so hard not to laugh out loud in the library while watching it and there was a moment where I nearly cried. If you haven't started watching Glee yet, I highly suggest hopping over to Hulu.com and catching up because it is worth it. I won't spoil anything for you, but I want to make a mention of Mike O'Malley's performance as Kurt's dad. I thought he did a wonderful job, as he always seems to do. You might recognize him from all the Time Warner Cable commercials or from the TV show "Yes, Dear." (For you 90s kids, he was the host of "Global Guts." lol.) I should probably confess that part of the reason I think he's awesome is because I had his aunt as a Music Theatre teacher and she was AWESOME. But enough about that...

Tomorrow I've been invited over to my cousin's for their pizza and a movie night, which I am quite excited for. The main reason for going is that Erin is going to help me find a couple more songs for my audition on the 22nd, for which I will be eternally grateful. I have such an awesome family. I really do. I'm also going to enjoy getting to hang out with them all, especially Maura and Sammy. They are so adorable. Sam, of course, wants to watch The Bee Movie, which I haven't seen, but who knows what we'll actually see. I haven't seen Cars yet, either, so maybe we'll watch that. Those are the only two movies I ever hear about from him, so I don't know what else they have. lol.

Well, I think that's it for now. I'm kind of excited for tomorrow, so maybe if I finish this reaction paper I'm feeling less than excited about it'll come sooner. We'll see.

Memorization Nation

[tunes]: Dreams - Sephira



Hey, all! Hope all (one) of you are doing well. I'm not doing too bad. I'm certainly not freaking about my life plan as much anymore. Instead, I've got the audition for the Music Department to worry about. Just when I think everything is fine and dandy. lol. Turns out, for Music - Performance majors, you have to memorize 4 different songs, one of which has to be Italian. When I first found that out, I completely flipped because I only had the music to one song I definately wanted to sing and I wasn't even sure if I was going to use it, since it's not exactly an easy piece for an accompanist to play if they haven't had time to look at it before. As I was lying in bed last night, though, I suddenly realized I probably have a copy of another song I wanted to sing in my e-mail inbox. When I checked today, I was right, and I was also pleased to know that it was in the key I wanted as well.
I'm not sure what other two songs I want to sing, but I think I'll ask my cousin for suggestions. My old voice teacher, Keri, also gave me a few that I'll have to look into. I was thinking of doing "Caro Mio Ben," but I already know of one other person who's singing it that day and I wouldn't be surprised if more do. We'll see, since the two I am already fairly certain I'm using I don't expect everyone else to have: "O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion" from Handel's Messiah and "Ombra Mai Fu." I've got my Italian song, so that means I don't have to worry about that. I'll let you know when I've decided on what to sing.

Oh yeah. The parentals are coming down on Sunday to visit and drop off my keyboard so I can work on my songs a little in my room as well. Thank goodness for only being 3 hours away! I wish I could be home this weekend since my grandpa is visiting on Saturday and I haven't seen him in awhile, but, sadly, I don't own a car. Such is life... I need a job. Bad.

One more thing before I go: I figure I should tell you to check out Sephira! I actually have never listened to them before today, but I'm glad I did. They are two sisters who both sing and play violin. I didn't even know it was possible to do both at the same time! They're classically influenced, but I wouldn't go as far to say they're classical. They've got their own sound that I find really interesting. I'm actually going to be seeing them October 20th since they are touring with Celtic Thunder, so I will most likely be mentioning them again here. For now, you can check them out here: http://www.myspace.com/sephira

Life is terrifying.

[tunes]: That I Need You - Rebecca Harkin



So, I am sorry I've been completely slacking on keeping up with this thing. I have always kind of sucked at keeping up with blogs. I don't know why.
I don't really have a specific reason to write here today. I guess I could talk about how I quite literally have no idea what I'm going to do with my life after college. The only thing I like doing is singing, and the odds of being able to support myself on that alone are very slim. I don't really know what I'd want to do as a back up. It's kind of freaking me out. Even if I figure that out, the whole process of getting a real job is a little frightening, too. I just feel so unprepared for life. And I'm 20. I feel like that is a problem...

Okay. This is a short post because I'm freaking out all over again as I think about it. One more thing before I go, I think you should take a little time to check out Rebecca Harkin here: http://www.myspace.com/rebeccaharkin I got wind of her through her brother Keith who is in the group Celtic Thunder that I listen to. She doesn't have a CD out yet or anything, but I can't wait to see what the future holds for her. I really like her stuff and will definately be getting her CD when it comes out. If you want, you can check out her brother as well. He sings back up vocals with her on some of the songs and is quite talented as well.

Crazy dreams...

[tunes]: Not Alone - A Very Potter Musical



There's not too much to talk about as far as the day has gone, but I had a really, really strange dream last night and I figured I'd share as much as I can remember.

It started out with me visiting my friend Sam at her work, (I have no idea where it really was because I know for a fact that it wasn't her actual place of employment. I've never even been at her work.) As I was about to leave with another friend Sarah who was there with us, I collapsed out of nowhere and completely blacked out. Next thing I know I've woken up in a hospital where I am told that some random heart problem I've known nothing about almost killed me. (It wasn't a heart attack. I think it was some sort of heart defect.) All I know is that when I woke up I was really confused. I actually think I may have even had one of those dreams within a dream thing where I dreamed that that happened and was afraid it would happen in my dream real life. Not really sure because I've forgotten much of the details.

While not quite as unnerving as the dream I had where all my teeth randomly fell out, I still woke up thinking "WHAT THE FUCK?!" I think it may have had to do with all the times I've randomly been in the hospital this summer. Maybe I am subconsiously fearing that something else will happen that will stick me in a hospital. Or I'm just falling apart.

Blood Drive

[tunes]: Watching the Very Potter Musical on YouTube. I highly suggest doing the same. HILARIOUS.



So, in all the excitement of getting you up to date, I didn’t even mention anything I did yesterday. Normally, that wouldn’t be a big deal, since Tuesdays don’t generally have much going for them as far as plans, but yesterday I finally got to do what I’ve been attempting since senior year of high school: give blood.

Now, I know you’re probably thinking “What’s the big deal?”, but I’ve tried to give blood twice before and something always ends up happening and I can’t. The first time, if I can remember correctly, my vein collapsed or something like that. All I know is that I got all the way to having the damned needle stuck in my arm when, part way through it, something went wrong and they said “Nope! Good luck next time!” (Or something to that effect.) The second time I was told that my iron levels were too low, so I failed again. All I know was that I was going to be pissed if I didn’t get to this time. Thankfully, the only thing that went wrong was that my heart rate was a little high, but that was because I had quite literally JUST come from the gym, so the guy just waited a little bit and retook my pulse. All good! In the end, the lady who took my blood was really nice and she got my vein on the first try, which is wonderful, and I ended up being done in six and a half minutes, which is fast. Yay for me!


Seeing that I have given blood, I now think you should, too. I don’t want to hear about how it hurts to get stuck with that needle because it didn’t really hurt all that bad. (If you’re one of those weird Twilight fans and want to get bitten by a weird sparkly vampire some day, I assure you that will hurt much more than getting a needle stuck in your arm.) If you have some sort of fear of needles I have a friend who does and she got over it to give blood. (If your fear of needles is really bad, I guess you can use that as an excuse.) It’s not a long process either. Think of the lives you’re saving. I saved three, just so you know.


I’ll get off my soapbox now.


One last thing: Sparkly vampires? Srsly?

I am FINALLY back!

[tunes]: Practice Me - Urban Sun



Well, the title says it all. Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. (Although, I don't think anyone actually reads this regularly, so it's not like anyone's been too upset by it. I should work on that.) Why haven't I posted in a week and a half, you ask? Beats me. I think it's partly due to the fact that I've been busy and whenever I got enough time to sit down at a computer and write something on here, my brain has been bust and I wasn't going to be able to write anything coherant. The better question is: What have I been up to since my last post? Let me go see what that last post was, and I'll tell you!

So, I left off with saying I was going home for Labor Day weekend. That Friday evening, my mom and Grandma, along with my older brother who I was not expecting, came to pick me up and drop off my TV. Then we went over to my cousin's where the the four of us, plus the four people in her family, plus her sister and parents who came in all had dinner together and visited for awhile. That's not even half of my mom's side of the family, just so you know. I then spent the night at my Grandma's before coming home, where I spent all day relaxing.
Sunday, I went to breakfast with Sam and Sarah, which was fun. I wasn't sure if I was going to get to see Sam while we were was in town, so I was particularly happy about that. Now that I think of it, Sunday was quite busy. That afternoon was German Fest, which Alyssa met me at. As soon as I walked up to the entrance I couldn't stop laughing because the whole thing is rather amusing. German polka music blasting all over the place, men in Leiderhosen, and more beer and German food than should ever be in one place. For how German I happen to be, I am not a fan of German food. I actually picked off all the sauerkraut on my brautwurst sandwich when I got one. Nasty stuff, sauerkraut. Don't get me started on Liverwurst and Braunschweiger. I shudder when I think of how my mom used to try to make me eat it when I was little. The only reason I really go to the German Fest is so I can pet the llamas and cows and such they have there.
Sunday night was Teen Mass church times, also with Alyssa, and we were much less mature about it than usual. We spent the entire homily counting how many times Fr. Mike said the word "breadline," (13, if I remember correctly,) and trying not to laugh too much. I think everyone was jealous of our mad clapping and dancing skills during the Lamb of God, though. Chris approved of it, though, since he said that's the spirit that's been missing lately. (It has. I won't get into the issues I've begun to develop with the Teen Mass Band... Unless you want me to.) After church, we all went to the Ringside, of course, and had lots of fun being silly and stupid, which is what we do best. Chris probably thinks we're all crazy, but we're okay with that.
Monday and Tuesday morning were spent doing pretty much nothing, so I won't bother elaborating on them, then I was back here Tuesday night with my TV stand, and back into the swing of classes on Wednesday.

Then a bunch of stuff happened between there, mostly classes, but my brain has just shut off and I can't remember much of it. Sang at mass with the choir on Sunday, which was nice. I found out one of the girls from my Corale class is going to join the choir. She's an Alto 2 with me in Corale, so it's doubly nice, since that means I can sit next to her in Chorale as well as choir. Yay!
There was one more thing I wanted to mention... Oh yeah! In my health class on Monday, we had a one page paper due on a topic of the Health Care Reform bill and watched Obama's speech on it. I wrote mine on the Public Option, which was oddly relevant at this point in my life. Now, I always considered myself for the bill as it currently stands, and watching the speech only confirmed my support for it. I hope it passes, before it gets changed too much.


That's about all for this post. I apologize for the slightly rambling nature it took on. I'll try to write better from now on. And more often. Before I go, though, I'd like to suggest taking a listen to Urban Sun. They are a funk rock band that I happened to go see with some friends while I was in NYC, and I really like their stuff. You can check them out here: http://www.myspace.com/urbansun. Their full album is also on iTunes, which is where I got it from. I really suggest listening to it. I'm a fan of "Practice Me" and "Destination" especially, but I love it all. Funk Rock. It's good. :)

Sorry it's been a little while...

[tunes]: I have been watching/listening to the Star Wars a cappella John Williams tribute video an obsessive amount of times.


So, as the title states, sorry I haven't updated in about a week. I promise to update you soon, but I am uncharacteristically tired right now and have no mind with which to write anything more than a few rambling sentences. Maybe later tonight or tomorrow I'll get back to you. All zero of you that actually read this...

Labor Day Weekend!

[tunes]: I was watching the Crazy Christian Lady from Wife Swap earlier on the Tube of You...


Before I get to the reason why I'm writing a second post in one day, I wanted to share with you that I fought my fear of going to strange new places by myself today. Twice, actually, if you really wanted to know. I did indeed go to the gym, which is always a good thing. I got in a decent work out for it having been two weeks since I was at the gym last. (There is a story behind that one, but I don't think you want me getting into it. Let's just say that I've seen hospitals wayyyyy too many times this summer.) I also went to choir practice for the church that is about two feet from my building. My cousin, Erin, invited me, so I plucked up my courage and ignored the "OMGNEWPLACEWITHPEOPLEIDON'TKNOW" feeling and went. I had a good time, and little Sammy was so excited to see me. He's so cute. I actually colored him a picture of Lightning McQueen from Cars since he loves anything and everything car and train related. Can't tell you how many times I've heard about all the different characters in Cars and what sounds they make. Still haven't seen the movie, though, except for this part right here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8GJHJlN7VA. (All because the minivan goes "MiniMiniMiniMiniMini..." as he drives. heeheehe.) But, yeah. Back on topic, choir practice was nice.

Now for the big news. I get to go home for Labor Day Weekend!! I'm quite excited, since I wasn't sure what I was going to do for 4 whole days all by myself. My mom's picking me up on Friday and we're staying at my Grandma's overnight, then I'll be home Saturday, possibly swinging by my Aunt's, since my cousin Jackie may be in town. I may have to tell her that story about the random guy thinking I was Jackie, since my mom and Erin both wondered if the guy thought I was her. Apparently we look alike, although I don't really see it.

Well, that's the lowdown for the next few days. Can't wait to go to the Teen Mass at home with Alyssa on Sunday and see Anita at the Ringside afterwards. I don't think she'll be expecting me.

Grilled cheese is the sustenance of life.

[tunes]: The click-clacking of keys on a keyboard.


Right now, I am sitting at one of the library computers debating on whether or not to go to the gym. While I know I should go, since it is healthy and good for me, I have this strong dislike of going to strange new places by myself. I guess this is mostly because I hate to look really stupid. I mean, I wouldn't mind it if I had a friend with me because, at least, I wouldn't look stupid alone, but I really don't like going someplace where I don't know what I'm doing. I have issues, apparently. Makes me wonder from time to time if I would ever need a therapist, but that's a really scary new place where I would most certainly look stupid, so you know that's never going to happen. Not that I actually need one.

For the past few days, I've had grilled cheese almost every day. This might seem kind of monotonous, but I'm quite thrilled by the whole concept, at least for now. On Tuesday, I even managed to have it twice in one day, although I didn't plan to. I had the delicious sandwich for lunch with my typical salad, intending on having something completely different for dinner, but I got invited over to my cousin's for dinner before we went to the Indiana County Fair, (which was a lot of fun,) and guess what I had there! GRILLED CHEESE!!1! Not going to lie, I was STOKED. IUP even goes one step beyond your typical grilled cheese from time to time and serves things like grilled ham and cheese or grilled turkey and swiss. I suppose I'll get tired of grilled cheese soon enough, but, for the time being, I am enjoying the variety of grilled cheese sandwiches in all their cheesy goodness. Om nom nom.

Well, my brain just shut itself off, so I can't think of anything else to say. (Well, I could, but it would come out as a bunch of mumble jumble and make no sense at all.) I think this may be my cue to scoot over to the Co-op Store and buy myself a lanyard for my ID. Even if I don't go to the gym today, I'll need that lanyard for the gym eventually. To quote Dexter from Sarah Dessen's This Lullaby: "Huffah!"

First Day. Again.

[tunes]: Michael Bublé

Before I talk of my first day of classes, I want to mention that, just within the past few days, I’ve been on a Michael Bublé kick. I mean, I’ve always appreciated his music and I think he’s quite talented, but I never really listened to him much. I only have two of his CDs on my computer because I happened to pick them up at the library. Since I’ve gotten here, though, I’ve been listening to him more than usual, and I really like it. There’s just something so soulful about his music that draws me in. He has a way of taking old songs and making them his own. He does a good job at it, too. (Except for Mack The Knife… In my opinion, a jazzy, upbeat version of that song is just weird, no matter who does it.) I guess his music is just something I really connect to at this moment in time.


Today was my first day of classes, and I can proudly say I didn’t get lost once! There wasn’t anything too eventful about the classes, since it was, basically, an overview of what the class would be like and an explanation of the syllabus. My teachers seem nice enough. My Psych teacher seems pretty cool and I’m interested to see how Health and Wellness goes. I’m not sure how I feel about my History teacher, mostly because she reminds me of my psychotic 12th grade English teacher, Mrs. Buccarelli. (BUCC!) That lady was nuts, let me tell you, but at least the class was easy. Hopefully, this class will be similar in that respect, if she does turn out to be as weird as Buccs was.

Well, it’s a relatively short post today, since there isn’t too much to expound on. Perhaps, once classes get going, I’ll have more to say. I think now I’m going to face my irrational fear of initiating conversation with strangers and go find out about Choral auditions as well as Opera and Music Theatre workshop. Let me see what music I have to possibly use, first.


Pee.Ess:

[newtunes]: Ryan Kelly via Bebo.com (Good stuff, in my opinion.)

I didn't end up signing up for Opera or Musical Theatre workshop this year. This was partly due to the fact that I could not find the sign up sheets, (I may have been too late,) and partly because I didn't have anything I could have used without feeling like an unprepared douchebag. While I am quite sad I won't be able to do a show, (it's been far too long since my last one,) I think I will be okay. Perhaps it's for the best since I probably have enough on my plate as it is. (Speaking of plates, they had Beef Stroganoff at the dining hall today. Haven't had that in foreverrr.)

I did, however, sign up for Choral auditions, and I will be doing that tomorrow at 2:20. I haven't been in a chorus in quite a long time and a part of me really misses it. Especially a chorus with good guys in it, since I haven't been in one of those often. I love me some manly singing voices. :) Speaking of manly singing voices, I suggest checking out Ryan Kelly. http://www.blogger.com/www.bebo.com/ryankellymoy1 As of now he doesn't have a solo CD out, but he is a part of a group of five Irish singers called Celtic Thunder, which are also quite talented. There's a link for the group's site somewhere on his page I believe.

Every college student loves Free Food.

[tunes]: Vaccuum man vaccuuming. Yeahhh.



So, I figure I should probably start off this post by explaining exactly why I hear a vaccuum. That is because, as a poor college student who currently has no job and only 40 dollars to her name, I can't afford interwebs. Also, the crappy dorm I'm staying in isn't one of the technical school dorms, so I don't get the school internet there. So, yeah. I'm kind of bum out of luck until I get a job. Hopefully, that will be soon. Until then, don't expect particularly frequent updates, although I'll try my best to keep up.

A lot of yesterday consisted of applying for jobs, a task which I dubbed "The Great Job Hunt" in order to make it more entertaining for myself. I ended up hitting five different places, so, hopefully, I'll get a call from at least one of them. I'm hoping for Family Video, since the people there seemed like a lot of fun, but a job is a job at this point.

On my way back from the job hunt, a most amusing situation occured. As I was walking up the street back to my place, I heard someone calling from across the street. Assuming it they were trying to get someone else's attention, I ignored him and continued talking to my mom on the phone. He called a few more times, so I turned to see who it was and he waved at me. Being polite, I waved back, then he proceeded to shout, "I haven't seen you in ages!" I had never seen this guy before in my life. "I don't know you!" I yelled back across the street. His response: "You're not Jackie?" Laughing, I told him I wasn't. I must say, though, from far away, he looked rather cute. Maybe I'll see him around. I certainly wouldn't mind.


While yesterday was pretty laid back, aside from the Job Hunt, today I was all over the place. From church with my cousin, Erin, and her family to various campus meetings, I wasn't in my room for more than 20 minutes once my day started. On the plus side, all my meals were FREE, which, as a college student, is a huge bonus. There was Free Food at the "Welcome Back" picnic after church, ice cream at the Ice Cream Social/College of Fine Arts Informational Meeting I had no idea about, and even more Free Food after the Freshman Convocation. I was definately fed well today! I also got a four-leaf clover from Ryan and the kids that morning. Hopefully, they're as lucky as everyone says because I can always use some luck. I don't think I have my own! (I won a pair of tickets later in the day, so perhaps it is lucky!)

Another good thing about all that is that I actually got to meet some people! Erin introduced me to a lot of people at church and told me about choir practices on Thursday, which I am going to try real hard to remember to go to. I also met a girl named Chelsea and her roommate, Jenny, through the Informational meeting and the Freshman Convocation. They're both Fine Arts majors, so I hope to see them around.


Well, classes start tomorrow and it's getting late, so I think that's all for tonight. I am so not ready to start, but, hopefully, it won't be so bad. I just hope I don't get lost! That four-leaf clover might really come in handy...

College: Take 2

[tunes]: P.S. I Love You Soundtrack



I never quite know how to start these things, (nor apparently how to keep them going since I generally abandon them after the first month or two, but I’m going to try to be better about that one…) I guess I should probably start by explaining what exactly this blog is going to be about, since you might want to have some idea of what you (and I) are getting into.
Right now, you’ve got a girl with rather smudgy glasses sitting at her computer in a half decorated, dingy dorm room who’s about to take her second stab at college, or first, if you could count those two years at AMDA college. This is real college. AMDA…not quite. Don’t get me wrong, though. As a music theatre conservatory of sorts, I learned a good deal at AMDA, and living in New York City for two years was definitely a great experience, but I wasn’t quite prepared to make the full leap of living on my own and supporting myself. I still think I have a lot of things to learn, which is why I’m doing the whole real college thing.

To make a long story short, this is going to be about my years at college. You’re going to be reading about all the things I’ll learn and experience while I’m here, and I don’t just mean in my classes. You’ll hear about the good times, the bad times, and all the crazy times in between. My joys and fears will be privy to you. (Sound a little crazy and intimidating? Good, because it does to me, too. It’s a little frightening thinking about it myself, but I’m going to try to put it all out there and not chicken out.)


This is the life of a 20 year old about to start college with 40 dollars to her name and no back pack. I don’t know how I’m going to do it either, but I think I may need to start with finding a job…