it's done.

My four-year/eight-semester tenure at the Daily Trojan is over. In a way, I think it's time anyway; I was getting really cynical and bitter, and it's good that someone else is taking over. :) But it's been a huge part (some might say the entirety) of my life at USC, and I'm going to definitely miss it.

Today, I've also turned in my decline form to USC Rossier. I mailed my acceptance form and deposit to Boston College. So unless I don't graduate in 2 weeks, I'm going to be in Boston from the end of July until winter 2007, at least.

I also got my cap and gown from the bookstore today with my gift certificate that Mona gave to the senior editors. It's a good investment of the money, I think.

Today, I also set up my Alumni Association account and my permant alumni forwarding e-mail. So that's done.

So many things got done today in terms of finishing up my college career, but as sad as it might seem, it's time.

Boston, HERE I COME!

almost there

I'm almost decided where I want to go -- Boston. The thing is, though, if I'm going for the right reason. I see it as a fulfillment of a dream, but what else is pulling me there? Am I going to regret this down the road when I can't find a job in Massachusetts?

I'm going to Boston Friday to the BC Lynch School Open House to attempt to find a job to fund this endeavor. Either way, though, I'm almost there.

there is a decision to be made

Just because I got into my top choice doesn't mean I am guaranteed to be able to go. There are MANY questions I have to ask and my parents want to know. And right now -- without calling to get those questions answered -- it seems to be leaning toward USC. But I'm calling tomorrow for anwers. Will update.

YES! YES! YES!

I GOT INTO BOSTON COLLEGE!!!!!!!!

YES!

just like London

Today, I rode the bus to the Beverly Center to get my contact lenses from Lenscrafters. It rained. I had an umbrella. I was wearing sneakers. I walked everywhere. It's just like London. (tear).

I got a messenger bag from Old Navy ... they are in the men's department, but whatever. It's a messenger bag. They all should be unisex.

Macy's was also having a HUGE handbag and shoe sale and I got a Guess wallet that retailed for about $45 for $15. :)

I bought end-of-semester books from Borders for my students. Borders gift wrap! :)

And I bad boba.

It's a good day. (Other than my enormous headache.)

great ad(vert) campaign

I always see this ad in Tube stations, and I never got a picture, of it. But this is a great ad(vert) campaign for London.

This one is my favorite.

Brad Whitford!!!!!!!!!!!

I was biking to Cafe 84 on Thursday with my sister when I thought I saw someone from West Wing .... BRAD WHITFORD!!!!!! I love Josh Lyman.

I THOUGHT it was him, and I DIDN'T STOP.

I turned around and said to Amy .... I think that's someone from the West Wing.

I WAS ON A BIKE.

He was walking.

I could've turned back and talked to him.

Damn it.

It's my first real celebrity sightighin my whole 4 years in LA.

Sigh.

failed the kids :(

I spent Tuesday night finishing (!) British history reading/homework. I was done at 3:30 AM. I spent the rest of the time transcribing my students' interview tapes, researching their topics on Lexis-Nexis and making a story template for them to easily write a story.

I went to sleep at 6 AM. I set the alarm clock for 8 AM. I was going to set my British phone, too, but saw that it was still set to 3:30 AM from my nap before I left for Heathrow. I got allll sentimental and put the phone back in my desk drawer.

I went to sleep.

The alarm clock rang at 8 AM for about 3 minutes or so.

I woke up.

I turned off the alarm.

I reset the alarm for 8 AM.

I went back to sleep.

I woke up at 10:15 AM.

My reaction: OHHHHHH NOOOOOOOO!

Especially because I don't have a car, and Steven was probably waiting for a long time with no way of contacting me BECAUSE A THIEF STOLE MY BAG.

more stolen stuff

Turns out the thief also took my 1G flashdrive and my Miu Miu-but-I-didn't-realize-it-was-made-by-Prada-at-the-time sunglasses. The only pair of PERFECT sunglasses I have ever owned. The model number is SMU59E. It took me an hour to find the model number and another hour to call London stores to see if anybody have it in stock. And some more time to scour the Internet for them. Is it worth it, though? To buy another pair of the sunglasses I didn't even know was designer until I got back to the States? To buy another pair of the sunglasses that I got on sale in the first place?!??!

stolen!

In the back of my mind, I always knew that one day, I'm going to get something stolen in my college career. It's inevitable. Well, it happened tonight at 11:20 PM on the nortwest corner of Jefferson and McClintock as I was waiting for a light to turn green.

I actually saw the perpetrator standing on the hill where Bank of America was and thought that it's strange that he was standing there alone in the middle of night as if he's waiting for someone or something. So I distinctly remembered to get a good look at him.

I was waiting for the light, and he literally ran from behind me and snatched my Trader Joes bag from my right handlebar and ran away northbound. By the time I remembered that I should scream for help/chase him down/etc., it was too late because he was gone. I didn't remember a car drive away, though, so I'm not sure where he went.

Anyway, there was nothing of real worth to anybody else than me. There was only $3 in there. And my precious 2 British pounds. And sheet music (Harris' Prelude, Pachelbel's Canon in D, Love Actually songbook that I bought in London).

About an hour ago, I remembered that I also have in there my voice recorder that I bought in London. But luckily I've already uploaded the Foshay interviews, contrary to my procrastinating styles. Man, those Foshay interviews would've been hard to get back.

My cell phone is also gone, but I think that's the only real thing I would need to buy to replace.

I was already in the market for a new wallet as a graduation present to myself (as I had done in high school), so that's just an expense that would've happened anyway. I've canceled my credit card and check card. I have a negative balance in my USC check card, and I can replace my driver's license. I don't have a car here anyway.

There are probably various receipts and papers in there that I don't remember exactly, but thankfully I took out my Lenscrafters stuff and thankfully I didn't have any notes or textbooks in there. Because that would make studying a little hard, seeing as how finals are coming up.

This incident tonight has also illuminated for me how DPS works, and I have mixed opinions about it. It is true that they responded pretty quickly, but I think they took too long in trying to nail down a description. It took 10 minutes to get the preliminary info, and by the time I actually went in the squad car with the officer, I have a distinct feeling that it's already too late. We sat in the squad car for a few more minutes while I tell the officer what I told the officer at the main desk. It was then that we drove to Jefferson and McClintock to look for the guy. There were a close call, but the guy didn't have the correct hair style.

We went back to the DPS office, and they took a formal report. They got a description:

5-foot-8 to 6 feet
stocky build, about 230-280 lbs
Hispanic
black shoulder-length curly hair
baggy white shirt
long short blue jeans
white socks
white sneakers

They got a description of what was stolen:

black Tommy Hilfiger wallet, trifold
credit card
2 check cards
SC driver's license
$3 cash
2 British pounds
cell phone -- Siemens (although I now think it's Samsung) silver flip

They called it plain theft.

On the bright side, my parents can stop worrying about my going over the cell phone limit and my credit card spending, as I have neither.

a chronogical oddity

in a couple of hours in midwestern and western U.S., it's gonna be 01:02:03 04/05/06.

fascinating

Internet sex abuse victim talks to NYT.