Day 180 - I like to eat, eat, eat cupcakes and bonobos

Today was the dreaded second exam. Well ... maybe not so dreaded, but definitely intricate! Last night I studied so much, there were monkeys (and apes) in my dreams. I couldn't help but classify them even while I was sleeping. Bonobos: pan paniscus; Chimpanzees: pan troglodytes; Orangutan: pongo pygmaeus. My dreams were like a scene from Ape World. If there is such a place ....

The test went well - I wore a lucky Michigan shirt, and I think I did rather well. I know that I got a couple of tricky questions right, but now it's just how many points I'll get for my short answer questions.

Came home, went to library because our internet was still down. Read (a lot!) of Onward. Hopefully I'll finish it tonight ... but looking at the time, maybe I won't.

And then (drumroll please!) we got news that my dad got a promotion at work! His original boss was moved to a different department, so my dad took his place. It was very exciting news. So what did I do? Bake 4 dozen cupcakes, of course! (y'all should know me by now ...) Now, enjoy the pictures:

Day 179 - Back to the Stone Age

Sorry for no post yesterday, we didn't have internet, and though I went to the library for an insane amount of time, I didn't think that our internet would be down all night. But, here's what happened:

Yesterday I woke up, went to class. Black double-scoop ballet shirt, denim skirt, black & white plaid ballet flats. Curly hair, pulled half back into a clip. Sorry for the description if you don't care anything about it, but I got compliments on it.

I went to the professor's office hours after class to get some clarification on some of my notes- she was in awe of my note-taking skills, and originally thought that they were printed off from a website or something. Little did she know that I have note-taking down to a science. Literally ... I have a format on my computer for notes for each class. It's pretty intense.

I went home, and went out to lunch with my mom. It was really good, and really fun too. After we got home, I went to the library to study for a while - ended up staying there around 2 hours, just going over flashcards, over and over and over again until I had monkey names stuck in my head.

Came home and read Onward for a while - absolutely loving it. Cleaned the bathroom (I know ... very exciting), and then went to bed. Oh, and Blizzard tried hiding so that I wouldn't kick her out of my room.

Day 178 - I AM a bronze goddess

Well, maybe not so much. But I'd like to believe I am.

Went to class today, turned in the assignment where we had to map out a dead body. Came home, had lunch (grilled cheese) and then went to the library to study for the exam on Wednesday. I thought I would only be there for about an hour, but ended up staying for three hours and making flashcards for the majority of my class notes - plus flashcards for the book vocabulary. I was very productive. Now all I have to do is review said flashcards and maybe I won't crash and burn as much as I expected on this upcoming exam.

I came home after studying and went to tan by the pool with my mom. I've only recently started tanning again (got out of the habit when I was frantic about the first exam), and I must say, I am becoming less ghost-like in appearance. I may not be as much of a "bronze goddess" as I claim, but I do have tan lines, and there is a marked difference in shade.

After tanning, we had dinner (BBQ pork, corn, and potatoes) and have just been relaxing since then. I've looked up books and such and think I'm going to go to Barnes & Noble tomorrow to get the seventh Harry Potter book.

I know, I know. It came out in 2007. I know, really. And I own it up north, but didn't bring it down with me for the summer. What with the movie coming out, I decided it may be time for me to get over my qualms with the book (I hated that Dumbledore died at the end of the sixth book) and just read it. That way, I can say that I finished the series.

I'll keep y'all updated on my progress. But first I should probably finish the other two books I have going right now: Onward by Howard Schultz (it's about Starbucks, what can I say?) and Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos. Both are good, in their own way. Haven't finished either yet.

Day 177 - "Are you pro-Jesus?"

Today started off with some swearing. I'm not kidding: one of my best friends called me this morning at 9:30 a.m.. I forgot to turn my phone on silent last night, and her ring tone is ... well ... rather profane. So, I wake up to a voice swearing at me that "your f#)&#*% phone is f#*%)$! ringing you stupid b#!#%)#." It was quite a wake-up call.

I put glasses on because I could not, for the life of me, see anything, and wandered out to the living room, grabbed a bowl of cereal and had breakfast. It was rather exciting (not).

While my parents went to work-out, I had a freak-out about classes for the rest of my college career, worried that I wouldn't have time to do all of the requirements for both of my majors if I continued at the pace I was going at. When I mapped it all out, it turns out I was correct. So, some panic ensued and I changed around my schedule (note to people: there is a difference between asking for an opinion and asking for permission).

Eventually we went down to the pool to tan - there was the cutest little boy who had a floating jacket and who kept jumping off the ledge. I wanted to bottle up his laugh and take it home with me.

We had dinner, and then hung out for a bit. I had a really nice chat with one of my best friends (who's at school in Tennessee) about serious subjects. Don't worry, not all of our conversations are on such heavy topics as views about sex (before marriage allowed?) and religion ("are you pro-Jesus?"), but even when they are, I still enjoy them. She challenges me to articulate my beliefs, which only makes them stronger, yet also provides a fresh perspective on everything. It's not that we get into heated debates, but rather, we force the other one to think about what they're arguing for (or against).

Overall it's been a really good day. Now I just need to print off some stuff for school, finish up an assignment, and maybe read for a bit before going to bed.

Day 176 - "A book? What do you want a book for?"

Today was pretty much uneventful (I feel as if I've been saying that a lot recently). I woke up late because a cat kept me up (Blizzard .....) and made myself some chocolate chip pancakes. They were quite delicious.

All day I've pretty much been attempting to work on my homework for class, which is to plot a crime scene (complete with dead body) based on measurements we took yesterday in class. Basically, our professor planted a crime scene with a skeleton and knife and we had to take measurements using skills forensic anthropologists would use, and now we have to map our data. It's pretty boring, kind of like connect-the-dots with a human skeleton.

My parents and I went grocery shopping, which sounds rather boring, but it was pretty fun. We went to a fruit market that was amazing and I really wish I had taken my camera. The colors were so vibrant, and the mood of the stand was just incredible.

We came home and tanned for a bit, then had dinner. My parents went to work out and I caught up with some friends, and continued to plot the human body. When they came back, we ended up watching the movie Matilda, which is undoubtedly one of my all-time favorite movies. I think I wrote about it before. Anyways, it was absolutely spectacular - I hadn't watched it in a while, so there were little details I forgot about.

I love Matilda - I love her love of books, and how she takes initiative. I especially love when she's four and goes to the library - it reminds me of how I used to count down until I could go again, then just curl up in a corner and read for hours. I've been doing that recently here, just going to the library and hunkering down for a couple of hours, but usually I'm on my laptop and doing school work. Maybe that'll change sometime this week, though.

On the whole "book" topic, I started a new book last night: Onward by Howard Schultz. He was the ceo of Starbucks, and he wrote about his experiences with the company. I needed a break from my other book (Sing Them Home) and this fit the ticket. It's amazing. And I bet I'm going to stay up way too late tonight reading. But you know what? I'm not going to regret it.

So, to answer Harry Wormwood, "A book? What do you want a book for?"

Well, I want a book for happiness. I want a book to let me escape, and expand my horizons and imagination. I want a book as a friend, because it's never going to change, though the way I see it may. Really? Why wouldn't I want a book?

Day 175 - Excavating a Human

Yesterday in class we excavated a human. Don't worry, LSU doesn't let Anthropology 1001 students go to a live crime scene and just let them loose. Nope. This was staged, and was only a skeleton.

Either way, it was really cool. I mean, the whole skeleton still kind of freaked me out, but I liked how we had to measure the distance from the grid block sides using the two measuring tapes - it was like math, but in real life. Plotting coordinates, and now having to scale the photo.

I went home, and eventually went out with my mom. We went to lunch (chinese food), shoe shopping (got some cute white sneakers and tan topsiders), to the library (didn't get any books, but may get in trouble with the knitting book section), to Hobby Lobby (will definitely get in trouble in the yarn and craft section), and finally to Starbucks (not the regular one, and I didn't like it as much).

Yup, it was a fun day. And this weekend can only get better.

Day 174 - Freedom Writers

Today started like most other days- woke up, got ready for class (curled hair instead of straightened it) and decided to wear jeans. Yes, it was hot outside. Yes, it was super humid. But there's something to be said for being a creature of habit.

I went to class (it was raining), and we watched a movie on monkeys. It was ... interesting. Don't get me wrong, I love the adorable chimps, but I could do without watching mountain gorillas killing other monkeys just because they stepped on a certain tree.

Came home, made lunch, talked to a friend back in Michigan.

Then my mom arrived. She left yesterday morning from Michigan, and rolled into Louisiana this afternoon. It was so great to see her again, and to have her around.

She and I watched Freedom Writers while my dad was at the office. I love that movie, not only because it's about a teacher and writing, but because it makes me realize that maybe one of my dreams can cone true: writing something that is beautiful.

You see, this blog may be part of that. But I know that it's not all. I want to write something worth reading, something that shows that I can write, that I am ... a writer. Not just someone who blogs every day, or someone who journals when things get crazy, but someone who people look at and say "Yeah, she's a writer. She's a gosh darn good writer." Maybe not that phrasing.

Freedom Writers makes me believe that this goal is attainable. And no, maybe I haven't been a part of a gang, or been in horrible situations, but part of me thinks, if those kids could do it, can't I? If they can make a book worth reading, even if it's just about their life and feelings, doesn't that mean I can too?

I want to read their book. I want to own it, and get the movie too. And when I become a writer, I want to meet one (or several) of the students. I ant to meet a true Freedom Writer.

Day 173 - 24 hours

In 24 hours, my mom will be here. I am beyond excited, not only because it'll be great to have her here for the summer, but because it has been a month since I've seen her.

I know I didn't see her that often when I was at school, but it's been weird being down here without her. Yes, this past Spring I was down here for a week without her, but even then, I saw her the next weekend.

My dad and I have been getting the apartment ready: cleaning up, making sure things are put away, brushing the cats, scooping their litter, catching up on laundry. I mean, it's not as if we've let the place go, but we just want it to look its best tomorrow when my mom finally arrives.

It was so hard sitting in class today knowing she was driving through Ohio (that stupid state) without me. I wanted to do nothing else other than be there in the passenger seat, listening to music or reading, and just being there with her. But I know my place is here, and that there'll be plenty of time to catch up.

So far today I have finished notes for my class (yay!!) and have read a little bit. But mostly I've been doing things for my other blog. Changing around the formatting, and doing a challenge for it. It was pretty fun: you have to write 100 truths about yourself. Can you do it? It's harder than it seems like it should be.

Now I'm off to take a shower and then get ready for bed. I'd best get a good night's sleep, because tomorrow is bonding time with my mom.

Day 172 - Day'O'Studying

Today I woke up (surprise surprise), and went to school really early. As in,  half-hour earlier than I usually do early. But it was all for a good cause: I wanted to finish working on some notes before a girl I talk to came. She's so sweet, but I always know that as soon as she comes, I get zero work done.

So, I got to school early, went to class (annoying), then went to see my exam after class. No surprises there. I went to Starbucks to study (only lasted about an hour or so), but managed to get a fair amount of work done by throwing on Pandora's Solo Piano station (I swear that that music has made me focus for exams better than anything). Came back home, and hung around for an hour.

I decided that I was getting absolutely nothing done, so I went to the library to study some more - only to find out that they don't believe in having electrical plugs near any of the work tables. I ended up sitting in a chair in their magazine section in order to find a power source. Not my favorite option ....

I came home, started laundry, scooped litter, and cleaned my room. I also found out that Blizzard has a new hiding place .....

Yup, she was under the rug. I almost stepped on her head, but didn't. Thank goodness!

Now it's just about time for dinner, and then I'm hoping to either read something for fun (gasp!!) or get more of the notes done. I'm hoping to not have any homework when my mom comes down (2 days!!). I'll let y'all know the progress.

Day 171 - Gorillas and Grades

Sorry for no post yesterday - I fell sleep without planning on it.

I woke up after a horrible night's sleep and checked my grade for my Anthropology class. I found  out that I aced my test, and so that started the day off right.

I went to class, wehere we learned wayyy too much about apes and gorillas (we're starting a primate unit), and had a chat with the teacher after class. It ends up that she was impressed by my test; I explained it was because of U of M. She didn't believe me.

I got back from class, hung out for a bit, and then headed to Starbucks to study. I ended up staying for around 2 hours, but it was so loud and obnoxious the entire time. Just horrible. Really. I have never been in a Starbucks that loud.

My dad came home and we went out to dinner to celebrate my test grade - went to a new deli that was absolutely delicious. Plus, it had amazingly creamy soft-serve ice cream, which is something I love. All over, it was a good day.

We went home and I just relaxed for a bit. That's when I fell asleep, and I woke up to my alarm this morning.

Day 170 - Just squeeze the potato's tummy

Today was/is Father's Day, so, as a special treat to my dad, I woke up early (well ... 8:10) and made waffles. They were quite delicious, if I do say so my self ... even if they were just the kind you make from a box. It's the thought that counts, right?

We hung around for a little bit ... watching TV, tidying up the apartment, etc.. I did some school work and knit. Then went to the grocery store to get things for dinner, and some bread to make a sandwich for lunch. I came back and promptly made a grilled cheese sandwich, which my dad looked at, said "Oh, wow, that looks good" and then proceeds to eat the sandwich. I made myself another.

We again didn't really do anything ... talked to my mom and brother (both are still in Michigan), and I baked 104 cookies. Yes, that's right. 104. We now have Mt. Saint M&M on our kitchen counter.

I know it's slightly ridiculous to make 104 cookies for 2 people. But we're giving some away to my dad's coworkers, and I'll freeze some as well. Maybe we can make homemade ice cream sandwiches later. Yummm.

I made twice baked potatoes for my dad and I for dinner (he also grilled some steaks) and I have to pat myself on the back for these - they were quite delicious. I didn't really know how to tell that the potatoes were done baking (for the first time), so my mom gave me the advice to "squeeze the potato's tummy" and "tickle it ..." to see if it would give a little. Best. Advice. Ever. Well ... maybe not (not playing in traffic is pretty high up on that list) but some of the funniest advice.

My dad's working out now, and I'm cleaning up my room. Then maybe we'll play some cards, eat some ice cream sandwiches, and call it a night.

Class in the morning.

Day 169 - A new way of life

Today has been a bit of a lazy day.

I woke up reasonably early (well ... 9:30ish) and just hung around for a bit - reading the knitting blog, checking email and the random blogs that I follow (yes, I follow more than just one).

My dad and I hung out for a bit watching some random Law and Orders (we're both slightly addicted to the show) and then finally started taping and prepping to paint the dining room. We eventually did get started, and it looks absolutely amazing. Really though. It's my favorite color that we've painted. Maybe that's because it's the maize from University of Michigan's Maize and Blue, but still .... it looks really good in the room.

We went out to Sammy's Grill for dinner, and it was amazing (again). If anyone is in the Baton Rouge area, I highly recommend it. Even if you're not, come. It's worth it. I recommend their homemade pot roast po'boy (a half is way more than enough for a meal) and am slightly in love with their sweet potato fries (well, then again, I've never met a sweet potato fry I haven't liked), and love mixing light mayo and hot sauce (a new addition). Yup. It's probably horrible for you, but it's soooooooo good.

I started a new sweater, too, and if my webcam wasn't broken, I'd be holding it up with a giant grin on my face. I found a new pattern, changed it a bit to fit what I like, and have already knit about 6 inches of the back. I'm also slightly in love with the yarn I'm using - it's so soft, even when it's knit up.

The rest of tonight? Knitting. And chatting with friends. Favorite quote so far:

I can make a mean grilled cheese. And I can turn anything into a sexual reference. Both tasks that I can put on a resume.

I really want to see what type of job my friend will get with THOSE skills.

Day 168 - Napville, USA

Sorry for no post yesterday, but I think you'll understand.

Thursday night I had one of the strangest dreams I've had, ever. I can't remember all of the details, but it had something to do with me being in a special army that was going to fight against the ghosts and aliens when they came to take over the world. Yup. Really strange.

So, as hard as this is to believe, I didn't sleep too well. When I woke up, I was scared for the alien apocalypse, and was dragging for most of the day after I woke up for class.

Class was boring - though I found the cutest picture of a tarsier and sent it along to a friend.

I mean, really, how cute is that?? I want it as a pet. Too bad it's illegal.

I came back from class, and then eventually took an nap, but for who knows how long. I finished the sweater I started during finals week (yes, back in May, shush). I only had one sleeve left, but I was honestly debating just making a one-sleeved sweater - I've learned that I hate knitting sleeves.

Anyways, my dad and I went to Lowe's to get paint for the dining room, and that was about it. We watched The King's Speech. Yup, that's pretty much it.

Day 167 - Knitting to the extreme

Today I started my day with one of the longest and hottest walks I've ever been on - yesterday I went and picked up my parking permit at the LSU public safety office. Little did I know that I would have to park in one of the furthest lots from my class. Yup - and stupid me wore denim capris, and layered shirts. Not smart.

Today in class we had our first exam. It wasn't too hard, though it was strange to take a non-scantron multiple choice test (last multiple choice test: high school; last non-scantron multiple choice test: 10th grade). It took me a minute to get used to the format, but overall it went pretty well (knock on wood).

I went to Starbucks to reward myself for making it through the exam and got this

It's a double chocolate chip frappuccino, but instead of the dark chocolate mocha they usually use, I got it with white mocha - it was delicious. The whole thing tasted (and smelled) like an Oreo milkshake. Delightful.

I came back home and just hung out - read a bit (not from the text book), including going through more of this online knitting blog that I've been obsessed with (I made it to October 2004!). I've also been knitting more of the  second sleeve of my sweater I started earlier this summer - it's almost done!

Today has just been a lazy day. I've chatted with friends, and just lounged around. Tomorrow it's back to work on taking notes and such, and have to start thinking about an acceptable Father's Day gift. Wish me luck!

Day 166 - Extreme Coupon-ing Marathon!!

Went to class, then walked to the ends of the Earth to try and find the Public Safety Office at LSU. It was a struggle. I looked up the map this morning and distinctly remember thinking "that's not a bad walk." Well, when I was walking for 20 minutes, I started doubting my reading skills and thought I had missed the building. Nope. I had to walk a couple more blocks. Then I was there. Luckily, the people who worked there didn't give me any trouble with getting my parking pass, and so tomorrow I won't have to spend money to go to class!

I got home and turned on the TV as I cleaned up the kitchen and put away laundry - and found that there was an Extreme Couponing marathon. Oops. This is one of my newest obsessions (along with knitting blogs) - maybe it's my OCD personality, and my love of "extreme" things, but I am in love with this show. So it was hard to stop watching and actually sit down and study.

I studied for a bit, and seem to know the stuff. Not going to say much about how I think I'll do on the exam, because I don't want to jinx it. I hope it goes well.

Tonight I've mostly been knitting, and watching Extreme Couponing, substitution the commercials with studying. We'll see how this works out .....

Day 165 - "This is Alvin. He died fighting for his local Arkansas militia"

Went to class - and reconstructed a human. Yes, you read correctly. Reconstructed a human.

Let me explain:

My professor for my anthropology course is a forensic anthropologist, or something of the sort. So today she decided that it would be fun to have a bone lab, where we would get to handle bones and see what people do for a living. Little did I know that the bones we would be handling were from a once-alive human.

Let me just say, I had a bit of an issue with that. I mean, don't get me wrong, I think it's great that these people donated their bodies to science. And I thank them for it. But it also just was freaky to see what was inside of me, and actually touch what was once in someone else.

But overall it was pretty fun - our group made up a story for the guy (yes, it was a guy). His name was Alvin, he grew up in Arkansas and fought in his local militia. He died by excessive blood loss from his wrist bleeding - he lost his left hand when fighting a battle with the next town over over a supposed cow scandal. My group thought this was hilarious.

This story led into how I don't have a drawl, and have no clue how to dress in the South, and a subsequent discussion about me being a Northerner. They swapped heat horror stories, and listened in awe as I explained how much snow we have ("Around ten inches" "At the same time!?!?" "Yes, at the same time."), how we bear to go outside ("Longjohns" "What are those?" "Well, they're like wool underwear, but pants, and you layer them, they're really warm.") and how I still would have to go to class ("Wow. So you must have a long break because of the snow." "Well, no, Michigan doesn't believe in cancelling classes." "You're kidding." "Nope, I wish I was."). They told me that even though I was down South last July, that isn't the "true" summer, because by that time, the weather is cooling off. Oh yes. That's what they said.

It was so great to talk to people. I mean, I did kind of feel like I was being examined, but it was fun. Tomorrow I'm hoping to get radio station help, and maybe directions to somewhere to study.

I came back to the apartment, and studied for a bit. Blizzard helped.

And I admit it: I have a bit of an obsession. With a knitting blog. It's just wonderful. I've read bits and pieces of it before, but I've recently decided to go through her archives and read everything. Every post. Since January 2004.

I'm crazy. Really. Because she posts almost every other day or so. But here I am, hours later, and just finishing up August 2004. I'm really hoping to get a decent amount of reading time Thursday (after my exam) and this weekend.

And yes, you did just read that I have an exam on Thursday. We'll see how it goes. But in the mean time, I'm getting tons of great patterns of things to knit!!

Day 164 - "Blizzard, why are my bra straps wet?"

Today was semi-eventful.

Woke up for class, and left super early in order to scope out the little Starbucks stand in the bookstore. I ended up getting an iced tea, but it was capital-H Horrible. Weak tea, unsweetened, wrong type of tea, and no flavor. But whatever - it is duly noted. It wasn't even so much as Starbucks as much as a stand that made frappacinos and brewed Starbucks coffee. I think I'll end up just waking up early and making my own tea (once I go and get the right syrup).

I packed up a box for one of my best friends (she just graduated) and though I'd love to send a picture of the gorgeous box, I can't. Maybe once I know she's gotten it. But I think she'll love it ... I really hope she does.

For the rest of the day, I basically ran around doing errands and studied a bit for my upcoming exam (it's on Thursday). I just took a break and picked my sweater back up. I'm finishing up the second sleeve, then just need to sew it all together and knit the collar (probably a lot easier said than done).

I was cleaning up my room (well .... picking up laundry to wash because I'm having a shortage of clothes light enough (yet decent enough) to wear during the days), and the cat Blizzard (white weird-looking one from yesterday's post) had "helped" with my laundry. Now, this may be TMI, but she had somehow found a strap to one of my bras, and had chewed it. When I saw it was out of the drawer, I go to put it back in, find the wet strap, and immediately turn to the cat. Yes, I accused her without evidence, other than the wet strap. But she looked guilty. And she likes to chew on things.

It was her. And the garment is now in the wash. Thanks Blizzard.

She also was in the most inconvenient spot when I was cleaning the room. She's good at finding those - and plopping down, not moving until you move her yourself, or leave the room (and then she'll just follow you to that room and do the same thing).

Well, now it's back to laundry, then shower and then bed. Yup, very eventful.

Day 163 - An email - "She's a social little cuss, isn't she?"

Let me just preface with this: for the last two weeks or so, I've been taking pictures of our cats. Not because I'm a cat lady, but because I then send those pictures to my mom, who's stuck in the north teaching for a bit longer before she can come south for the summer. She misses her little buddies (it was just her and the cats this school year), and so I try to bring them to her for a little bit each day. This is one of my finer emails (just written today, recounting the weekend of painting).


Subject: Busy busy busy!


Oh wow! It certainly has been an eventful weekend! Both for the humans and for the kitties! I know we've talked, but just wanted to give you some visuals.

Saturday we painted my room. I've sent pictures, but here are some more:

a photo of the corner near my bed. It was the best picture of the actual color.

the flags are finally back up. I must admit - the wall looked bare without them!

Now to the more important subject: the rotten furballs.

Blizzard and Libby pretty much kept to themselves on Saturday. Hiding under the sofa. All day. Well, mostly. Blizzard came out to check on our unpacking process - the box looked a bit suspicious.

 Dad and my's thumping around in the bedroom kept them pretty clear of the door, and there was a decent amount of activity going on in the hallway (both apartments across the hallway had people coming and going). When the cats finally did come out (it was pretty late), they acted a bit lethargic, but themselves nonetheless. Libby did a very nice cat roll, and Blizzard thought she was on something.

But, eventually they hit their rhythm, and mirrored each other in the funniest way.

Sunday was a bit more .... interesting. In the morning, Blizzard wanted desperately to help, whining at your door just begging to come in - "I can help! I promise! White cat hair will give the paint texture! I can help roll the paint on the walls!". We kept her out, with the promise that she could help if/when she grew opposable thumbs. She didn't much like that answer, so she and I played a nice game: she would try to paw the door open, and I would swing it shut again with my foot. I think I thought it was more amusing than she did. Oh well. Tonight she was more social, and helped me study, while keeping me warm (well ... a part of me anyways).

Yup, she's laying on my textbook. And yes, I am now apparently a footrest. Good to know my place in the world. Once I started writing the email, and transferring photos to the computer, she decided to "help". She was really cute, until the giant glob of drool landed on my arm.

She was shameless, and gave me one of those "you're welcome" looks. I guess I should be grateful ...?

Not to be forgotten, even Libby ventured out for a bit. Well .... if you can even call it that. Come night-time on Saturday, she faced one of the toughest decisions of her life: eat or hide. She had come out from under the sofa (cat equivalent to coming out of the closet?) to get a little nibble, but right at that moment, someone across the hall went out, or came in. Anyways, there was noise. Woah there ... something different. The only problem affecting her decision was that my room was different. And you know how much we don't like different. So she just sat there... still as could be (if I don't move, they can't see the fat cat, can they?) until the noise went away. Then she continued on her journey to the food bowl. Mission accomplished.

Overall the weekend has been fun - though it looks like Dad's going for a repeat performance next weekend and we'll try to tackle the living room.

Day 162 - From Beige to Sunshine

Today my dad and I painted my room. We've been living in this apartment for close to 2 years now, and we thought it was about time to get out of just white walls and make this truly feel like home. And what better way to do this than paint?

Earlier in the week (Thursday?) we went to Lowe's to get the supplies: drop cloths, brushes, rollers, and, of course, the all-important paint. We decided on a couple of colors: blue for my parents' room, purple for the bathrooms, and a lemony yellow for my/my brother's room. My room was the first on our checklist.

Yesterday afternoon, I taped most of the room, and this morning (well ... closing in on afternoon) we finally picked up our brushes and went at it.

I must admit, I was a bit scared for a yellow room - don't get me wrong, I love yellow. Adore it. But there's a fine line between a yellow room and living in a lemon. I didn't want to do the latter. To we picked out a color (scarily called "Lemon Twist") and got to work.

Cutting in: one of the most hated tasks. Ever. I mean, I wanted to do nothing more than pick up a roller and slap mass amounts of color on the walls. But nope, it wasn't time. So instead I crouched and cut in from the baseboard up around the entire room. My back and knees were so sore.

Then my dad gave me the task of taping the bathroom (since we were planning on doing that next). I got half-way done, and then he came in, saw exactly where we would need to paint, and asked "Well, you can live with a beige bathroom, right?" Yes Dad, I guess I can. But honestly, I don't mind it white, at all.

While I was in the bathroom, my dad got to work rolling paint onto the walls. It. Looked. AMAZING!!!!!! Yes, we were walking the line between lemon and yellow, but we found that the paint dried a bit darker, and a whole lot muter.

We finally finished the room, and then went out to dinner while some of the paint dried. When we came back, the room still looked spectacular, and we moved furniture back into place. The fumes aren't bad, so I think I'll sleep in my new sunny room tonight.

It's hard to imagine that this room was beige this morning, and is now yellow. But we did it. And it's such a shock as to the difference it has made - I didn't mind the beige so much, but I also had never had color on the walls. It's so different walking through the rest of the apartment and having it all be white/beige.

Tomorrow we're painting my parents' room - a nice medium blue. It's going to be so much fun. And after that? Maybe we'll try and tackle the living room .... vaulted ceilings and all.

Day 161 - Principle Principal

Today started like every other day this week .... woke up, got ready, drove to school.

I got lost in the library attempting to find the Starbucks, only to find out later that my precious Haven is in the bookstore, instead. Lecture was rather boring (very repetitive) but I did learn one thing: my professor is a horrible speller. She misses letters, whole words, and today did the unforgivable mistake of mixing principle with principal.

I'm sorry - it's been drilled in me since third grade. And it was a shock to see her mess that up - I would have thought she would have known it. But apparently not.

I came home from class (without stopping at Starbucks), ate lunch, and watched last night's episode of So You Think You Can Dance. It. was. amazing. I'm in awe of everyone on the show, and everyone who tried out, because there is no way I could ever do those things with my body. And they make it look so effortless.

My dad came home from work early (he only works half days on Fridays), so we hung out for a bit, I chatted with friends, and eventually started taping my room so we can start painting. I've finished about 85% of the room (the only parts left are those parts that I can't get to without moving furniture), so it looks as if we'll start painting tomorrow morning. Yay!!

After we went out for dinner (a pizza place that was decent, not great), my dad and I went to Target to get a fan and some random stuff. But, I also found Tazo Passion Tea, which iss what I always get at Starbucks. Though they didn't have raspberry syrup, I got the tea, and am now sipping on it (iced, with home-made liquid sweetener). It is quite delicious.

Now I'm just reading and writing. Going to head to bed pretty soon.

Day 160 - Mission accomplished

Just a note: I'm super tired, and probably shouldn't have procrastinated on this, but it's going to be a short post - I may amend it tomorrow if I have time, or have anything else to say

Today was a day full of fulfilled goals.

1. I got to school early. Not super super early, but I somehow cut my commute by 8 minutes. I think leaving earlier means that I beat some of rush hour traffic ... and hit the lights at the right time. Anyways, it was amazing, and started the day off on the right foot.
2. Learned about a Starbucks on campus. I've been hunting for one ever since Monday, and finally got the nerve to ask a girl whom I've seen with a Starbucks cup for a couple of days now where she got her liquid Heaven. She told me. And now I know the secret hiding location of Haven - I'm going tomorrow morning to check it out.
3. I did a good deed pretty early on: right after class let out, I overheard a woman ask the professor about what she should do about notes from the days she has missed (she just transferred into the class today and needed the notes from class from earlier this week). So, without being pushy or anything, I offered up my notes, which I had already typed and formatted (to my OCD standards) and was more than happy to just e-mail off to her. She accepted, and we got to chatting. I learned that she is coming back to school after a 25 year hiatus, and is juggling a job as well. I give her so much credit, and I hope we'll chat more as the course progresses.
4. I went to Haven and talked to the baristas. They're starting to recognize me, and one guy is even getting to know what I like to drink. But sometimes I mix it up, so he has a bit more to learn. Will it be a grande? Or tall? Tea or frappacino? Or try something new??
5. I have reached new levels of procrastination - I came back from Starbucks around 12:00, made and ate lunch, and then literally watched TV/surfed online until I made dinner
6. Dinner: 3 things. All pretty decently made. Chicken - marinated in Italian dressing, covered with herb bread crumbs and parmesean cheese (my dad loves it). Biscuits - drop biscuits (Jiffy mix "just add water"). And corn. Yes, pretty starchy. But I wanted to get three things on my dad's plate. Success.
7. Walked for a bit with my dad - we did a mile loop around the complex, and it was pretty nice. Sometimes our conversations can get a bit awkward (boys, friends, etc), or emotional (school, grades). But today it was fine [a bit of a rough patch when I told him the classes I'm taking next semester, but nothing we couldn't handle]. I must admit, it's been so nice to have this much one-on-one time with my dad - we're joking more, and know each other's little quirks. I think he enjoys coming home to someone every night, and I enjoy being around him. (warning: sappy moment coming up). I guess I didn't realize just how much I missed him, and missed living with him, until I'm down here for more than a week and actually get into a routine. It'll be so hard to leave at the end of the summer, since I'm afraid that I'm going to get used to having this. But then I'll go back to school, and hopefully everything will still be good.

That's it, but I'm pretty sure those are more feats that I've accomplished today than in a while.

It was a very successful day.

Day 159 - Haven for homework

Today was Natural Beauty Day, which meant that people weren't supposed to put on make-up or do anything fancy with their hair. So I embraced it and didn't do anything. For some reason my hair was super straight this morning, so I guess it decided to be nice for me. How considerate.

I threw on shorts and a Michigan T-shirt and headed out for class. I was praying for college tolerance, and got it, for the most part. I received numerous strange looks from people, mostly questioning expressions, saying "Why are you here?!?". But no one threw me off campus for it. Thankfully.

Class ended early (I'm sensing a pattern), and I went to Starbucks (haven) to study for a couple of hours. I ended up staying there for close to two hours, and even though I wans't a big fan of hteir music selection, and didn't enjoy not being able to access the internet (maybe it was just my computer, though), it did help me focus on doing my work.

I stopped and found a nice Chinese restaurant, where the food is pretty decent (not necessarily the ethnic quality I've found in Michigan, but good enough for Louisiana standards). After coming back to the apartment, I watched some Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and then continued on taking notes from the textbook.

A storm rolled through and scared the cats. It startled me too, a bit, just because it looked like a monsoon and had no sign of stopping. It was so dark outside, I ended up turning on most of the lights in the apartment and closing the shades to the giant window/sliding glass door thing that makes up most of our living room wall (it leads out to our balcony).

Anyways, I ended up finishing another chapter of notes (only have to do one more ... hopefully I can finish it tonight) and now my dad and I are going to go to Lowe's to pick out paint. Fun fun. And maybe I'll stop at Haven again and get more work done .... maybe.

Day 158 - Moodle-ing

Today started off like yesterday - rolled out of bed at an ungodly early hour (this time it was 7:15 am), straightened hair, got ready, had toast. Left for class at 8:20 am.

I was on a desperate search for Starbucks, but couldn't find one. I've been seeing Starbucks cups on campus both days, but nothing on Starbucks.com says anything about a store/stand on LSU's campus. I think they're hiding from me ... but I'll ask someone tomorrow, if I can get up the nerve to admit my addiction.

Anyways, I walked into class (around 9:02 - I had checked my phone right before stepping into the classroom) and my professor started discussing her "Moodle" habits. Now, I had never heard of this, so I was thinking it was a euphemism for something (drinking? sexual encounters? illegal activities?). Do people moodle at Skeeps at U-M? (Skeeps = Scorekeepers [a bar]) She starts asking the class their opinions of Moodle, and only then did she see my thoroughly confused and concerned face. She asked me whether I knew what Moodle was, and I replied that no, I had never heard of it. It ends up it's an online thing for classes (like CTools or Blackboard) that allows professors to post supplementary materials, open forums, and overall just give the class additional resources. Then I understood.

She doesn't like Moodle. So I don't have to worry about it.

The lecture was pretty boring (elementary stuff) but we did watch a film about Darwin's Theory of Evolution that wasted 50 minutes of class. I call that a bonus. And we were let out about 20 minutes early. Score.

I went to the bookstore and got an official LSU binder (and 3-hole punch), then returned home (after a Starbucks run) to marinate chicken for dinner [teriyaki - a new step outside the box] and just veg out for a while. I tanned for the first time in a couple of days, and didn't do any homework. It felt great.

Now I'm going to maybe take some notes, charge my laptop, then turn in for the night. These early mornings are getting the better of me, and I don't see how I'll keep surviving them until I find a way to fulfill my Starbucks need in the morning. ((I would just go to my normal one down here, but that would mean me driving directly into rush hour))

Day 157 - "I'm intrigued, tell me more"

So I know the day isn't over yet, but I've come to the conclusion that there isn't much more that will happen today, other than making dinner, eating dinner, doing homework, and working-out. Shower, sleep. That's about what my life has boiled down to.

Today was the first day of classes, and I must admit, I was a tad nervous. Not only was I scared of getting lost, but also just for class in general. But mostly about getting lost. You see, I have a really weird sense of direction. As long as I know my cardinal directions, I can figure streets out easily. Which is probably why Michigan is so good - the planners made it so that the Graduate Library (the giant building that everyone knows) faces directly North. So it's really easy for me to put everything into perspective based on how I am oriented to the Grad Library. LSU isn't like that. Nope. They have curvy streets, and I get turned around really really easily. So getting lost wasn't only an option, it was almost a requisite step this morning.

I woke up super early (6:50 a.m.) so that I could register for the course and pay the university (they decided on Friday to purge my schedule, so I had to re-do everything). After straightening my hair, doing make-up, and finally deciding on an outfit, I packed my backpack and headed out 50 minutes before my class was scheduled to begin. To some of you, this might not be super early, but considering the fact that I can make it to campus in under 10 minutes, even I admit it was pretty ridiculous.

But it's a good thing I did, because after parking and walking to the building (I didn't get lost on the way there!), I learned that LSU doesn't believe in building maps. Oh, and the building my class was being held in had 2 wings, both numbered the exact same way. Not the smartest thing, is it? Nope. It took me 20 minutes for me to find my ground-floor classroom, and stopped 4 or 5 innocent people to ask "Am I going the right way??" I only took 3 wrong turns. I would consider that a success.

Class wasn't too bad - we got let out 40 minutes early (it's supposed to be an hour and a half class), but it was pretty entertaining when the professor wanted us to go around the room and introduce ourselves. She wanted name, class standing, and why we took the course. When it was my turn, I stood up and said

Hi, I'm Claire, and I'm going to be a sophomore at the University of Michigan in the fall. I took this course because it sounded interesting, and it was one of the few classes Michigan would take as transfer credit.

The next person stood up, and tried to start talking, but the professor exclaimed, "Hold on, I'm intrigued, tell me more." She wanted to know why I was at LSU, whether I was transferring, what classes I'd taken at Michigan, and where I was originally from (she was from Canada and was curious). It was pretty funny, since she took a liking to me because we're "fellow Northerners." I'm thinking that we'll get along just perfectly.

Since class, I've gone grocery shopping (I'm making a kind of potato casserole thing to go with our grilled entrée) and am now slowly making my way through reading the textbook for the course. I need to read 120 pages by next Thursday, which really isn't a bad workload (considering what I've had to do in the past), but I think the hardest part as a Michigan student is getting over the fact that I have to read a textbook written by an (ewww) Ohio State professor (Ohio State and Michigan have one of THE largest rivalries).

I wonder whether the professor will understand my unwillingness to do the required readings ....

Day 156 - The magnificent views of Oak Alley

Alright, I have GOT to stop putting things in the queue, because it seems like they never get posted. Here's the post from yesterday, just copied and pasted from the original post.

Today was both lazy and adventurous. My dad and I lounged around the apartment for the better part of the morning, and into early afternoon. But, with my "nagging," we eventually left to visit a plantation. The day's pick? Oak Alley, in Vacherie, LA.

The drive was ... on the longer side (it took us around 40 minutes to get there) and the skies were threatening rain the entire way. I had brought an umbrella, but based on yesterday's thunderstorm, it wouldn't have held up. We arrived at Oak Alley and walked around the grounds a bit (they were GORGEOUS) and finally took a tour of the house. All I can say is that the pictures can speak for themselves. A lot of my friends have commented about how gorgeous the photos are, but all I really did was point and shoot - the views took care of themselves.

With this shot? Point and shoot. Honestly.

After the tour we basically just came home, and it was good thinking, because about 5 minutes later, we drove through some rain. I know that I don't melt, but Beckett (my camera) doesn't really enjoy getting wet.

Now we're home and dinner's about to be grilled (Italian-dressing-marinated chicken), and then I'm going to go to bed (lame, I know), since I start class bright and early tomorrow.

Day 155 - Wrath of God

Today wasn't too exciting - I woke up rather late (around 11 or so) and just hung around until 1:00, when I went down to the pool to tan.

On the plus side, it looks as if I'm getting some color :) I'm thinking about writing a book: How to go from Casper to Beige in 10 Days. I hope it'll sell. Just kidding. Though I am an expert on the subject.

I could only handle being outside for so long, so I came up and watched a movie (Bring it On: All or Nothing), and then the Wrath of God came.

What I mean? A giant storm. A Louisiana thunderstorm. Unlike Michigan, where it just rains for a couple of hours with low, rolling thunder, in Louisiana, it rains like it's the end of the world for about 45 minutes, complete with hail, tons of lightning, and violent thunder, and then it leaves.

This storm was intense, even for Louisiana standards. There was marble-sized hail, which started as soon as the rain started coming down.

The white spots in the trees? Some of the smaller hail pieces.

My dad and I went out to dinner, but learned soon enough that anywhere north of the main road was out of power - we were basically a 1 square block that had power. Luckily, we found a place to have dinner, and then went to the grocery store to get some supplies for dinners and such for the next couple of days.

Day 154 - French Toast and Fitness

So I realized that my post for yesterday didn't post (I had it in queue). But here's what it said:

Today was uneventful, but fun.

I went to my dad's work for a nice french toast breakfast, and even though it was a bit boring just sitting in his office for a while, it was really nice to chat with the people he works with and be introduced to new people as well - it's so adorable how much he talks about the rest of us when we aren't there.

After hanging around his office for a while, I left and went home. I tanned for a bit, and then just hung around again, watching TV and looking at recipes.

I've gone through 37 pages of blog recipes .... and have way too many ideas about what to make for my dad for dinners. Too bad his idea of "stepping outside the box" is Italian-dressing-marinated chicken breasts.

Other than that, I haven't done much today - I'm going to work out in a little bit.

Day 153 - A fish out of water ...

Today has been ... interesting. I've been quite a fish out of water.

I started the day by going to LSU (Louisiana State University) in order to drop off the last of my forms (this was an immunization one) and to get the textbook for the class I'm starting next week. I got lost a bit, but eventually found my way to the visitor's parking lot, obtained a map, and was on my way to the Student Health Center.

When I got there, I got lost (again) inside the building, but luckily ran into someone who was going to the Immunization desk as well. After waiting for a couple of minutes, the lady at the desk turned to me and I handed her the first form, explaining that I had already faxed in the second page. She had me fill out the form again (it had something to do with rabies), turned to me, and asked "Have you been bitten by an alligator?" Taken aback, I responded "Can alligators carry rabies?" This started an intricate Google search on whether alligators could, in fact, carry rabies. They can't. Once this was learned, the lady turned back to me and asked, in all seriousness, "Well then, have you been bitten by a tiger recently?"

You know what? I don't think I have. But thanks for asking.

Once that was done, I found my way to the Student Union, and to the bookstore in order to get the textbook for the course. I asked the student to get the book, which he did, and when he handed it to me, he called to another worker "Shirley, can you help out this cute Northerner? I don't think she knows where she is." An older woman comes over and tells me, in all seriousness, "Well, honey, you can just hop on 59 North. That should take you in the right direction."

If that weren't enough, my dad came back from work and took me to a concert. Someone names John Waite. I had never heard of him, so dressed in what I thought was normal concert wear (usually we go to classical concerts): a sundress (white bodice, black elastic at the waist, light denim skirt), paired with gold gladiator shoes and a ballet pink cropped cardigan. Little did I know that John Waite was an '80s rock-and-roll hit. So I was only a bit out of place. More like completely out of place.

But it was fun anyways.

Right now I'm looking at Blizzard, one of our cats, who has just curled up into the most adorable ball of fluff on the other bed in my room. Really. She's curled into a ball, is sleeping, but had her head upside down. Her tail is covering her eyes, and one of her front paws is holding on to her back leg, like she's trying hard to stay in formation. I almost feel bad about kicking her out in a little bit (I need to go to bed, and our two cats get really loud at about 2:00 a.m.).

Day 152 - A pattern emerges

This morning was a rough start - I was woken up at 1:30 a.m. by the cats, and eventually threw them out of my room so I could finally have some peace and quiet to sleep in. But sometime when I was up, I decided to turn off my alarm for the morning, and ended up rolling out of bed around 10:30 a.m..

Not a problem, right? Wrong. Because I had planned to go to the mall between 9 and 10, in order to beat any traffic on the way. So I finally left the apartment around 11:30, only to hit major traffic on the way there, and arrive at the first store about 12:15 (the trip was only supposed to take 20 minutes).

I was in desperate need for more bathing suits (stupid me had believed that 2 suits would suffice for 3 months in the South ... yup, not so much). I found two cute ones at Old Navy (I was getting desperate for ANYWHERE that would sell bikinis). And I must admit, I love them - one is an asymmetrical black bandeau top with a bikini bottom with multi-colored anchors on them [enough preppy to stay me, but still modern/edgy]. The other is neon pink string bottom with a blue flower, with a top in the blue flower pattern and pink strings. The second one is more of a "goal" suit - something I'll wear when I get more tan, and work out more.

After getting back from the mall, I had lunch, then laid out for a bit ... well ... maybe for an hour or two. I then just hung around the apartment until my dad came home. Then it was off to dinner, grocery stores, and finally home to work-out.

Here's Claire's second not-so-smart thing of the day (the first was thinking two bathing suits would last in the South): I realized that I forgot to bring down work-out clothes made for the South. Meaning? The other day I worked out in light yoga pants. But the only other pair of pants I brought down to work out in were heavy sweatpants with MICHIGAN down the leg. Not the smartest thing, when it was 97 degrees outside. But I went, and worked out, and sweated in the sweatpants (I  guess the name is correct, at least). Maybe my next investment is some shorts .....