Girls' "POKER" Night.

My my, hey hey, rock and roll is here to stay. It's better to burn out than to fade away, my my, hey hey.

Anyone know who quoted that song in their suicide note? It's a Neil Young song (As much as I don't want to like Neil Young, he really has grown on me) appropriately called "My My, Hey Hey". His band Crazy Horse also does a rendition that goes "Hey hey, my my, rock & roll will never die," and it's much rockier. They're both good, so any interest in Neil Young (or not, even) I'd recommend you give both songs a listen.

That just goes to prove I'm being a good little girl and doing at least SOME studying while I'm getting ready for our Girls' "Poker" Night. I use quotes because due to some unforseen problems, I don't think we'll actually have any poker chips tonight, so we may have to just play other card games this week. I want to make them a semi-regular thing so we can all actually learn poker and then take those skills elsewhere to kick some unfortunate guys' asses and take all their money when they brush us off as unskilled female poker players ;-) I'm hoping to buy THIS book soon to really educate myself, haha. I think it's pretty cheap in bookstores.


The girls will be here in an hour, and I still have no idea what I'm wearing. Not to mention I still have to run to Kroger and grab some Coke to mix with my Captain Morgan Bite (Clear rum infused with lime, it's my new favorite- JUST came out!) and return The Orphan to RedBox. So I guess I should probably go figure out this outfit situation. I'm sure I'll have good pictures to show from tonight in my next blog post. For now I'll leave you with some pictures of the pretty little Valentine's bouquet I bought last time I was at the store, and some Valentines cards I've been making for friends. I haven't bought fresh flowers in forever and I just love them, so I'm obviously pretty excited about these, and so far I'm really liking how the cards are turning out!




OH! I also FINALLY got to the YMCA to sign up, and Kelly and I went today and had a fantastic work out. I'm hoping I'm sore enough tomorrow that I feel I have something to show for it, but not too sore to not be able to work out again!!!

Friday Friday.

Finally this week is over. Though I'm quickly coming to the realization that I've got multiple tests and quizzes this coming week, so it won't be as much of a weekend as I had originally hoped for. Oh well, at least no big homeworks or projects due- I'd rather study than do busy work.

Today I started as a teaching assistant for an english second language class, and it was really fun! Betsy and I just let them ask us questions to work on their English, and I think it was for some other assignment, though we weren't told what it was. They asked us all sorts of stuff from what our favorite color was to what we wanted to do after college. Then we could ask them any questions we had. It was actually really fun getting to know them! Next Friday we're going back to play games with the kids in the class-- we're thinking Pictionary and Scrabble for fun while also helping them with English. It should be fun!

It's really just nice being able to talk to kids from foreign countries when it's OK to say "What? I didn't understand you" and to help them with their English barriers, when it's so common in the business school to just act like you understand what they're saying to avoid awkward situations. It doesn't help them at all, and it does not facilitate better communication by any means. As the teacher, Betsy's Aunt, said, "They come to study in America, and it doesn't do them any good if they don't get to interact well with Americans and learn to speak English.... they're usually so isolated and this gives them a good opportunity!" It almost reminded me of going to France, where we all spoke pretty good French and yet got ignored and responded to like we were "Stupid Americans who couldn't speak the language." I think Betsy and I are learning from the situation just as much as they are!

A lot of the people in the class had already done undergrad, and one woman was even 37, from Korea, with a four year old daughter. I really just enjoyed getting to know them and I think the semester with them will be great experience!

Tonight, Kelly and I went to John and Betsy's and watched "The Orphan". It's still even scarier than the first time I saw it, and I don't think it will ever get any better. SO MESSED UP! But such a good movie. The children actors/actresses in it were amazing! Anyways- hopefully tomorrow I'll at least have some pictures for you. I hope you're all having a good weekend! Anyone doing anything fun?!

A Mish Mash of an Outfit Post

This week has truly been the busiest, most exhausting week ever, with maybe the exception of ICORE case week in December... but the only different was that at least had lunch breaks built in. I've been busy busy busy with class, group meetings, club meetings, Dr. Appointments, project interviews, blah blah blah. It's sad when I hardly ever see my own roommate! I MISS HER! Tomorrow at 11:15 I have my first day as a Teaching Assistant for an English Second Language class that my friend's aunt teaches. I'm hoping it will be fun, in addition to being a fantastic resume builder.

Here's yesterday's outfit... good old American Eagle sweater, Old Navy frilly scooped neck shirt (Which will be sooo good for spring!), and a new cross necklace.

Actually, let me rephrase... an OLD cross necklace. It was probably the second I ever had. It used to be on a much better chain, but that broke, so now it's just on a sterling silver chain that I guess came from some other necklace, though I can't recall what! (I managed to dig out an old picture from EIGHT MILLION YEARS AGO, or, at least 6, of what the beaded cross chain used to look like, way back when I still had short almost black hair- though I guess my hair is usually ALMOST black... since birth anyways.)

Today was business casual for a presentation (For my class that has way too many words in the name, but is basically a Marketing Stats course). I desperately need some new black pants, so I'm going to have to get on it soon. Our group decided to go with blue shirts, and that was what I ended up with. My bangs are up in the little twisty because ever since I took business presentations my freshman year, it has become apparent to me that if they are not secured up and out of my face, I WILL play with them the whole time. I also threw in a "glasses picture" because it occurred to me I wear them 90% of the time now (I guess I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that I'm really kind of blind), and yet I never take pictures in them.




Of course, the entire day turned out to be me vs. any force known to man.... starting with the ice in the parking lot on the way to class, despite gingerly making my way to the bus stop to prevent such an incident. I've got a war wound from that which is currently swollen, red, and covered in scratches and cuts. I'm sure it will be bruised tomorrow. I don't know why, but I'm always fascinated with the aftermath of injuries (Not so much the bloody kinds). I think just because I don't bruise easily at all, when I do it really weirds me out and I can't ever stop looking at it.

I'm just now getting rid of the bruise from the Alex vs. Kitchen floor battle last week, and the floor burn from it still hasn't gone away. I may or may not be adding a bruise across my arm to the collection from when the bus driver pulled off real suddenly before anyone sat down and my upper arm slammed into one of the poles meant to keep you FROM falling over. Oh well. The only real casualty was my poor little Thursday apple, which was all but completely squished.

RIP Little Stoner

Well, I feel it's only appropriate to have a moment of silence for my poor little yellow snail Stoner (named after beloved Casey Stoner of team Ducati in MotoGP). We've been pretty sure he was on the brink of death for the last two weeks, but the last few days I've noticed no movement at all so I finally decided to lay him to rest. Poor little guy.


I think the frogs are confused by his absence, so I may have to go this weekend and shell out another three whole dollars for a replacement. I guess I'll start have to thinking of names. I'm trying to look up other MotoGP riders to get ideas, and the website is for some reason completely in Japanese with random English blips of words throughout... sooo that's not working out so well.

Although now I kind of feel like a jerk because I sort of just flung him out into the backyard area where he could naturally decay and what not... Err, maybe when the snow melts I'll cover him with some dirt.

For now, rest in peace little Casey Stoner. You will be well missed. By your mom, your aunt Kelly, and your brother frogs Hayden and Rossi who thought you were a couch.


(I really meant to post more pictures but can't find them anywhere- must have been from when my laptop was broken, so I'm assuming they're on my parents' computer!)

Snow Surprise!

I was of course delighted at the flurries yesterday, but never dreamed they'd turn into a few inches of snow for me to wake up to! I did, however, wake up to the "nails on a chalkboard" sound of the stairs outside my window being scraped off, and that incessant beeping noise trucks make as they cleared our parking lot for what seemed like hours. Still, I love the white blanketed ground!

Today's outfit was kind of just thrown together on account of me desperately needing to do laundry and not really having had time for it with all sorts of meetings and homeworks and classes and blah blah blah. I'll be glad when friday comes, even if I still have a test and a quiz and probably a million homeworks next week.

All bundled up to brave the wind storm!

Eyelet skirt detail- right before I realized I was in desperate need of a lint roller.

Outfit

Leggings, high waisted eyelet skirt (yeah I know it's even a little high for a high waisted skirt, but my boobs make things difficult and it generally works best this way trying to pass it off as a dress), and pocket v-neck, ALL OLD NAVY. Scarf- American Eagle, Coat- Worthington. And as far as I can guess the belt probably came there too. As for the cross necklace, you've probably noticed I've been wearing it with every outfit lately... I just re-discovered my cross collection and still need to polish a few of the other ones. The glass bead necklace is the one Betsy brought me from Italy. My hair was doing the super super flat thing, but what can you do?

Oh, and did I mention that I'm 95% sure I'm going to San Francisco on Valentine's weekend!? I was trying to get up to visit my dad in Chicago, but he's all booked up with traveling, so he decided to cash in some frequent flyer miles to fly me out on his trip with him since his weekend was mostly free. I'm hoping to do some of the touristy stuff I didn't get to do the first time there (GOLDEN GATE, perhaps a freezing cold trolley ride!), but either way I'm SO EXCITED!!!

Picture, Recipe, and Outfit Posts all rolled into one-Five Day Recap?

It's always something... and lately my internet has been "On the fritz", as they say. So that would explain my five day absence. That and the fact that most of this weekend was spent out or in bed, and today was spent on too much homework and group meeting time than a no class day should call for. I did however go to the gym on Lauryn's guest pass with her and Kelly, and I know I'm going to hurt like hell tomorrow (In EVERY muscle, including those I didn't know existed, thanks to the awesome variety of machines at the Y) but I know it will feel SO awesome at the same time. I can't wait until I can start going regularly.

So for the pictures from the last five days, we'll just so a "Picture Post" sort of deal, followed by pictures of MY NEW GREEN (turquoise) SWEATER! I'll also warn you that there are a few pictures of some pretty good (I guess I'm biased but everyone else said it was good too!) food I've made the last week, so if you're hungry, you might want to come back later!

(This picture is actually from LAST LAST friday when I mentioned we went out for Sushi. Finally broke out the Target dress with my ribbed leggings, black booties, and purple bomber)

Made some delish lasagna and hosted a mini dinner party with Betsy, John, Todd, and the lovely Kelly roommate.

Went out, and took good pictures, with some of my favorite ladies :-)

Woke up to shoes spread ALL over my room after an indecisive dressing before going out.

(I've been trying to follow a minimalistic route with the makeup lately)

Hung out with the girls (AND GUYS!)

Put shoes on our heads?

Played Quarters. Should be noted that this game requires skills I certainly don't have.

Made Sausage Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Pepperoni Pizza

Made one of MY best Chicken stir frys so far- still perfecting that recipe!

So finally, the green sweater! I've actually worn it one or two other times, but this was the first time I took any pictures. No big surprise, but I love it just as much as the orange sweater! I really like how it looked with the black v-neck pocket T (Old Navy) because the two different colors in the knit stand out really well against it. It also makes my eyes look really green, which I guess I figured out this weekend that they are. Strange thing after growing up knowing your eyes change color but thinking they are predominantly blue. My hair was also very haphazardly thrown together and back in a headband after a wake-up call a bit early for my tastes, so disregard.

Sweater and Headband from American Eagle. V-Neck from Old Navy. My best guess is that the necklace is from For Love 21, but who knows!!

Picture Post- Nostalgia

My darling roommate Kelly did a picture post in honor of IU's 190th birthday, which obviously made me get all nostalgic and want to add some sloppy pictures of my own. So I hope you enjoy. And afterward, go check her out at Sew Me Some Love.

All I know is this is from an album titled "Silver Flip Flops", and I don't have any of those, so I must have lost them that night. AND... I guess someone made me try something sour.

JAGAAABOMBS! JAGABOMBSSS! (Not Right Now, I'm in the F*in Zone!)

Russian Spy Night... because we all gave each other Russian nicknames and took walkie talkies with us to the party.

The night Gil's poor car got towed.

Little Five 2009- Block party.

Little Five 2009- Cowboys and Indians.

Ball State Tailgate- Papa Hoov and the girls.

Little Five 2008- Ying Yang, BOOP!

Purdue tailgate freshman year.

IU!

Saki bombing at Japonee freshman year.

House party with the entirety of our freshman year floor.

Michigan State game freshman year- floor seats, Heaven and Hell themed costumes, WE WON!

The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny

I have missed History of Rock SO MUCH! Today's class largely centered on Frank Zappa, which I'll admit I really just don't like so much. I appreciate and respect the artistic value of his "music", and I like a few of the songs, but some of it is AWFUL. I'm not even kidding... go listen to "The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny" by the Mothers of Invention. It honest to god made me feel like I was being abducted by a colony of aliens resembling Chucky dolls (Child's Play anyone? I had nightmares about that movie for years when I was younger, so that partially explains my discomfort with this particular song) and I think I spent the 6 minute entirety of it's class playtime just wishing it would end.

(Ironic that the colors of this album match my blog so perfectly)

Besides the occasional awful song, usually few and far between, I love hearing random fact about various artists, albums, and songs, and hearing music I might otherwise never have given a second thought. That, and I'm a complete Rock junkie anyways. I think I agree with my professor, Andy Hollinden, that there is NO form of music out there which I can comprehensively say I hate. Even types I don't necessarily love, I can usually find at least a few songs I enjoy in some way or another. Also useful advice: "Do not assume that just because YOU don't like something, it sucks." So true. Sometimes it's hard to wrap our heads around the fact that what we like, and what we think, is not always right, or at least not the same opinion of everyone else. And where would we be anyways if we all thought exactly the same way?

(Andy Hollinden)

No doubt I'm excited to see what this semester holds, since we'll finally be getting into 80's rock (AND pop, new wave, etc!)... which my friends all know serves as the core of my musical preferences.

Right now I'm listening to music from the 50's/60's class, more specifically the Beatles. I love all the slightly obscure songs... some of which I doubt I would have ever heard had I not taken this class (Norwegian Wood? One of my favorites. But you can hear me ramble about that one here). SO good.