Boston

Sophie suggested I listent to this song because it is describes my life. :) It's from Augustana's "Boston."

She said I think I'll go to Boston ...
I think I'll start a new life,
I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name,
I'll get out of California, I'm tired of the weather,
I think I'll get a lover and fly 'em out to Spain...
I think I'll go to Boston,
I think that I'm just tired
I think I need a new town, to leave this all behind...
I think I need a sunrise, I'm tired of Sunset,
I hear it's nice in the summer, some snow would be nice...
Boston ... where no one knows my name ...

hold yer horses!

I know, I know. It's been a while. But I'm writing about 10 million papers in the next two weeks AND moving, so be patient, and y'all will be rewarded.

The Devil Wears Prada ... and bowling

"The Devil Wears Prada" is an excellent book. I highly recommend it. Especially if you like vengence. :) The movie left out way too much stuff. I'm not going to give it away, but the movie didn't delve into Andrea's friend Lily at all, and I think they changed Andrea's boyfriend's name to Nate. Wasn't it Alex? Am I wrong?

Oh, yeah, and I bowled a 157 Saturday night, and if you know my bowling skills at all, you know that to be IMPOSSIBLE. I don't break 100. Ever. But there I was, bowling four strikes in a row. Have no clue what the hell happened. And then, the next game, I got something like 65. Bleh. :)

Bridges of Madison County

I just finished watching "Bridges of Madison County." Oh my God. BUCKETS of tears. Soooo sad. Tears. Sniff.

it's Andrew JACKSON!

Trivia night with the education people was awesome, even though our teams (we had to divide into two) didn't do well. The Shockers (Liz, James, Erin and Alex) got 80 points, and the Speds (me, Kai, Colleen and Ed) got 61. The winners? They got something to the tune of 127.

talk about a first edition!

I just read this on BBC News' "10 Things" weekly column.

About 750 copies of Shakespeare's First Folio, which set down 18 plays for the first time, were printed 1623 - some 230 survive.

Wow. I wonder how much those are worth today.

one of those survey things ...

99 Questions

1) Do you have a crush on somebody?
of course. duh.

2) Do you hate more than three people?
yup.

3) How many houses/apartments have you lived in?
13. three in Taiwan. two in Lake City. two in Florence. four in LA. one in London. one in Boston.

4) Favorite candy bar?
Reese's Pieces

5) Have you ever tripped someone?
I don't think so. Not on purpose, at least.

6) Least favorite school subject?
Chemistry I Honors. Evil Ehlman implied that I really shouldn't consider the science field.

7) How many pairs of shoes do you own?
waaaay too many.

8) Do you own a Britney Spears CD?
yes, yes I do.

9) Have you ever thrown up in public?
kinda. on an airplane. I have motion sickness.

10) Name one thing that is always on your mind?
Newspapers and the news.

11) Favorite genre of music?
hard to say. poppy-rock? rocky-pop? pop? classical?

12) What is your zodiac sign?
Sagittarius

13) What time were you born?
no clue.

14) Do you like beer?
not particularly

15) Ever made a prank phone call?
yes! once.

16) What is the most embarassing CD you own?
mmm ... Backstreet Boys. :)

17) Are you sarcastic?
very.

18) What are your favorite colors?
yellow, pink, green, blue and purple

19) How many watches do you own?
one that works

20) Summer or winter?
winter

21) Is anyone in love with you?
you should ask other people that

22) Favorite color to wear?
Black.

23) Pepsi or Sprite?
Sprite

24) What color is your cell phone?
blue

25) Where is your second home?
I'm moving all the time.

26) Have you ever slapped someone?
no.

27) Have you ever had a cavity?
yes.

28) How many lamps are in your bedroom?
two.

29) How many video games do you own?
none.

30) Ever had braces?
yes.

31) Do looks matter?
to some extent, but other stuff matter more.

32) Do you use chapstick?
I am an addict.

33) Name 3 teachers from high school:
Mrs. Chapman (yearbook), Mrs. Purvis (U.S. history), Mrs. Franco (English IV)

34) American Eagle or Abercrombie?
neither. ew.

35) Are you too forgiving?
no.

36) How many children do you want?
two. adopted.

37) Do you own something from Hot Topic?
no.

38) Favorite breakfast meal?
I don't eat breakfast.

39) Do you own a gun?
no. nor do you want me to own or touch one.

40) Do you miss your ex-boyfriend or -girlfriend?
mm

41) When was the last time you cried?
don't remember. I don't usually cry. Crying is dumb. It solves no problems.

42) What did you do three nights ago?
became officially employed for the summer

43) Olive Garden?
too much. too expensive. too greasy.

44) Have you ever called your teacher "Mommy"?
no. But Mrs. Chapman's nickname was MOMC.

45) Have you ever been in a castle?
yes! yes! I have!

46) Nicknames?
Jules, Spud and some others

47) Do you know anyone named Bertha?
no.

48) Ever been to Kentucky?
no.

49) Do you own something from Banana Republic?
no. I would really love to be able to afford things from Banana Republic.

50) Are you thinking about somebody right now?
yes.

51) Ever called somebody Boo?
no.

52) Do you smoke?
no.

53) Do you own a diamond ring?
no.

54) Are you happy with your life right now?
most days.

55) Do you dye your hair?
I did once sophomore year. auburn highlights.

56) Does anyone have a crush on you?
I don't think so.

57) What year were you born?
1983.

58) What were you doing in May 1994?
In the fourth grade. Probably arguing with Lea Coleman about how to pronounce Boston. I insisted it was BOE-ston. I wasn't very bright.

59) Do you own a Backstreet Boys CD?
yes. See No. 16.

60) McDonald's or Wendy's?
Wendy's.

61) Do you like yourself?
most days.

62) Are you closer to your mother or father?
both, for difference reasons.

63) Favorite physical feature of the preferred sex?
height.

64) Are you afraid of the dark?
No.

65) Have you ever eaten paste?
no.

66) Do you own a Web cam?
no.

68) Ever broken a bone?
no, but I broke my sister's arm once! :)

69) Do you chat on AIM often?
often enough to be a distraction.

70) Pringles or Lays?
Pringles.

71) Have you ever broken someone's heart?
probably not.

72) Rugrats or Doug?
Rugrats.

73) Full House or The Brady Bunch?
Full House.

74) Did you like your high school guidance counselor?
yes.

75) Has anyone ever called you fat?
yes.

76) Do you have a birth mark?
no.

77) Do you own a car?
technically, yes.

78) Can you cook?
if I want to

79) Things that annoy you?
oh, many, many things

80) Do you text message often?
not too much.

81) Money or love?
love. my chosen professions are journalism and education. neither is going to let me pay off my student loans early.

82) Do you have any scars?
yes.

83) What do you want more than anything right now?
to know which path to take.

84) Do you enjoy scary movies?
no.

85) Relationships or one-night stands?
relationships.

86) Big Red or Juicy Fruit?
Juicy Fruit.

87) Do you enjoy greasy food?
sometimes.

88) Have you seen all of the Rocky movies?
none.

89) Do you own a box of crayons?
yes.

90) Ever had sex in a public place?
what is sex?

92) Who was the last person who said they loved you?
don't remember

93) Who was the last person who made you mad?
can't tell you that.

94) Who was the last person who made you cry?
don't remember, but it must be something major. I don't really cry.

95) Who was the last person who made you laugh?
James.

96) Who was the last person you fell for?
oh, dear.

97) Who was the last person who instant messaged you?
my sister

98) Who was the last person who called you?
James

99) Who is the person most likely to fill this out?
don't know.

July Fourth!

Ever since I decided that I would be in Boston, I've planned to go to the Boston Pops July Fourth extravaganza. There was somewhere else I wanted to be on July Fourth (BBQ on a roof, anyone?), but c'mon, can you really just let an eight-year-old dream die like that?

I bought those little blue ice pack things, sunscreen (SPF 45), bug spray, water and food. I brought my hat, sunglasses, cash, flip flops, books and iPod. I dragged along a blanket, a tarp, an umbrella and a pillow. I was so prepared. Rain or shine, Charles River Esplanade, here I come!

This being Boston, where the Revolutionary War basically started (technicalities aside), they're pretty patriotic here. Not only do we have "Patriot's Day" off in April, there was also no school on July 3. Exciting, huh? So I spent July 3 interviewing for summer jobs and obsessing over July Fourth. I found out online that gates open at 9 a.m., but people start lining up at DAWN. I got stuff ready the night before and woke up at 3:30 a.m. to shower, pack some more and ... wait until 5 a.m., when the first T train runs.

I get there at five till 6, and where were already lots of people there. Apparently, there were people who planned to camp overnight, but Boston police wouldn't let them until 3:30 a.m., so they had to mill around the area until then. By the time 8:30 a.m. rolled around, the lines (there were three) wound around trees, gates, concession stands .... madness.

When the gates opened, security checked every bag that everybody brought and gave everyone a wristband, but after that, it was a free-for-all. The group of us who got there around 6 claimed the spaces somewhere in the middle of the field called the Oval. My perch was literally in the middle of the Oval. It was perfect.

See? A perfect spot. Notice the flag in the middle is a colonial flag.

From 9:30 a.m. until 8:30 a.m., when the concert starts, it's just me, books and sun. Until it started to rain. At 2 p.m. And 4:30. And around 7. This is where the (waterproof) tarp and umbrella came in handy. Around 8 p.m., there are people crammed in every grass space available, and organizers have stopped giving out wristbands to entry.

The concert was spectacular. Amazing. Definitely worth all the wait. And Steven Tyler and Joe Perry were awesome. Of course, everyone left after Steven and Joe and didn't get to hear "Stars and Stripes Forever." Confetti flew. Fireworks exploded. People cheered. Fantastic!

Rockapella!

Many people missed out on the confetti.

I love Keith Lockhart. Did you know that he got his undergrad at Furman in Greenville?

Another secret crush: broadcast journalism. gag. OK, so print also makes dumb mistakes. But we employ copy editors.

The fireworks ended at 11 p.m., and I got back to my apartment around 12:30 a.m. Utterly exhausted, and there was class the next day. :(

BUT

My friends James and Christina both have blogs. See the "blogs/links" sidebar or just click on their respective names. So, if you have time, give them a read. James is a reporter in Adrian, Mich., and is as weird and nerdy (perhaps nerdier) as I am. Christina is also a reporter, and she is also weird. And obsessed -- OBSESSED, I say -- with food. And she is a tiny, tiny girl. They are both hilarious. Plus, they write for a living. How can you go wrong with that?

ok. so I lied.

Classwork (pfffft) and procrastination (that's more like it!) has gotten the best of me. There WILL be photos and updates.

But I went swing dancing Friday night. THAT was fun. Wow. I don't think I've had so much fun in a long time. :)

July Fourth

I camped out to get a good spot at the Esplanade yesterday for the Boston Pops July Fourth free concert. There will be photos and stories this weekend! The featured special guest star are Rockapella and ... STEVEN TYLER and JOE PERRY from Aerosmith! Needless to say, when Steven and Joe went on stage, it was mayhem. :) I have pictures of them, too! So that's this weekend.

LOST! and other adventures in Boston

This is what I wrote in an e-mail to my friends this morning, with additions and revisions. Have a peek!

I had to get this book for my Literacy and Assessment class, and I happen to have a Borders coupon, so I thought I might as well use it. There is a Borders near the Downtown Crossing T stop, and the map tells me that I would be about two blocks away from Borders. After my lone Tuesday class ended (about 6:30), I took the T to Downtown Crossing and asked the T guy (his official name) where I should go to find this street that Borders is on. He said to go out of the exit on the right and take a left and then a right and I will see it. Great!

So I walk and walk and walk. I need to tell you guys that because I don't have a printer yet, I have the map of the area in my head, semi-memorized. So I walk for about 20 or so minutes, but I don't see it. Where is it?! I stopped outside a restaurant and asked the valet where is this street. And he said, oh, you're quite a ways from it, but if you continue going straight for about five blocks, you'll hit it. Wonderful! Thanks.

So I walk and I walk and I walk. I walked for another 20 minutes or so. Waaaay passed the five blocks, but I decided to have some faith. Well, I hit the parking lot for the aquarium. Now, I know from my semi-memorized map that I should be NOWHERE near the water or the aquarium. This is trouble. I made a left at this point so I would be walking parallel to the water and then made another left, thinking that at worst, I would just go back to where I started.

I walked and walked and I figured that it's now a good time to ask for directions .... again. I stopped by the Marriot hotel at some cutom house and asked the front desk person where I can find this street and he gave me a map (!!!!!) and highlighted it and told me to take a left and an immediate right when I go out the exit. Awesome! Thanks!

Map in hand, I go out the exit and made a left and a right. But I was standing in the middle of one of those five-street intersections ... and I was turning round and round with a map in my hand, apparently looking very befuddled because a lady in a hat stopped me and asked me what I was looking for. So I told her.

She said walk down the street where a car had stopped and to go ALL the way down until I got to Post Office Square and then to keep going. I'm supposed to see the Borders right in front of me. Yippeee! I thank her and am on my way.

I knew I was going the right way when I got the Post Office Square and saw the Borders two blocks later. It was awesome. It only took two hours of walking, four people and a map. I got back from my adventure at 10 that night, completely exhausted.

Classes are going OK so far, if a bit overwhelming. It's a lot of new information with actual, experienced teachers in the class, so it's a bit intimidating. Hopefully that feeling goes away because my classes are fascinating. For my Literacy and Assessment class (yes, the same one), I had to get a MySpace account. Am not happy that I now have MySpace. I was holding out so well! I have a feeling that class is going to be really high maintenance.

On Sunday, I explored Harvard Square with Erika's friend Dan. It was fun, if rainy. :)

On Thursday, I went to a karaoke bar with Andre and his friends and sang that Proclaimers song about 500 miles ... it was hilarious, apparently, because I was giggling through most of the song.