Forums, Oozeball, and Opera, OH MY!

Note to self: Don't microwave pop tarts for longer than 15 seconds, they explode!

Two more weeks of classes, then finals week and I'm done for the semester. The Global Warming Forum was Tuesday and all went over well. What a relief! Well over two months of planning went into putting our forum together. I was so nervous when it was about to start, because I really wanted it to run smoothly, and it did. The panelists all presented their different views, the audience had a consistent amount of legitimate questions, and we had a solid number of people show up. I was overall pleased, and I have already started thinking about next year's forum.
Last week was Spring Fever here at ULM. This includes various activities spread out across the week, including everything from loud concerts and Guitar Hero showdowns, to mind readers and free caricatures. Most of the activities I didn't participate in, but I did attend oozeball on Friday. Get this, it's pretty much volleyball in huge mud pits. It's sounds trashy, but it is pretty much awesome. The AMS had two teams. I wasn't actually playing this time but I had a great time watching our people play. And of course, seeing as I didn't participate in the game, everyone was sure to give me lots of muddy wet hugs...and a mud mustache at one point. :-P I am definitely going to play next spring.
My last day at Simmons' was yesterday. Whew, my amount of camo exposure will be going down now. Haha, but really, I did enjoy working there for the most part. The girls in the front were super nice, and I can always use the extra income. Summer will be here soon though, and I'll be working a whole lot back home. So, all's well.
Last night Jacob and I went to a production by the visual and performing arts students here. It was two opera's, one a tragedy, Suor Angelica, sung entirely in Italian, and one a comedy, Gianni Schicchi, which was very fun. Both were shockingly excellent. We have some incredible singers here at ULM and they put on a much better show than I would have expected from this place. I was most pleased.
Well, registration starts tomorrow for Fall classes. I'm sillily excited about this, like the super nerd I am. :] My classes were planned out as soon as they posted we would start advising last week. Next semester is going to be hard. Hands down. But I think I'll like it. Is it wrong to be giddy over new classes when I haven't even taken this semester's finals yet? Ah, well. What are you looking forward to for this summer?

Hair 'n plants

I get irresistible and inexplicable urges to wash my hair at the oddest times of the day sometimes, even when it's really clean and all. I'd been sitting in my bowl chair, reading Anansi Boys by Niel Gaiman, for about an hour when I looked at my clock, thought "4:30, Time to wash my hair!" and jumped in the shower before I had even really considered it odd.
School started back today. It was very much a Monday-after-a-holiday kind of day. But it's back to usual now. My ivy actually wilted over the break. I came home and much to my surprise, it was shriveled all up. In fact, it's still sitting pathetically on my window sill. I watered it in a vain attempt to bring it back, but I believe it's out for the count. Still, I can't really bring myself to throw it out, so I think it'll have to remain there for the time being. Who knows, perhaps it will revive yet? Ah, now that's got me thinking of some cheesy, B-movie about zombie plants. "The Undergrowth Arises!" "Attack of the Shriveled Leaf!" Dun-Dun-Duuuuunnn....No? Okay then, going a bit far there I guess. I'm off to do calc homework now.

Spring and Baton Rouge

I have again been utterly surprised by the greenness of spring. Driving down to Baton Rouge on Monday(more on that in a minute), I kept wondering, What's different around here? Then, coming down a huge sloping hill I realized, Ah, everything is so bright and green! Brilliant purple and yellow flowers grew all along the sides of the road, and it was a very pleasant drive. But I am also ever surprised at spring about how much allergies suck. Pollen piles on pavement and cars and finds it's way right into my nose and eyes. So there is the good and bad of spring.

More good to spring though is definitely spring break. Monday Caroline, Leslie, and I went down to Baton Rouge to watch the LSU women's basketball playoffs game. We had awesome front row seats and had a great time. We even happened to be there at the same time Anthony was visiting the college, so we got to have lunch together, which pleased me greatly. :] It was quite the adventure driving about BR and all. I got to see my lovely Mr. Darby when we were there and stayed at Adam's house. Tuesday we drove back to Leslie's house and played Guitar Hero and such. And now I'm back home for the rest of the week. It's good to be home. I've got two new books and I've been reading like I used to. I love it. ^_^ Peace, everyone.

TP

How awesome is my roommate? So awesome she buys me green toilet paper when she goes to the store. Haha, thanks sweet Caroline. My greenness is almost complete now. :P
What's been going on, eh? Lots of school. Loathing of chemistry and particularly Dr. Grumpy Mcevilpants. My research work for Emerging Scholars is taking up huge chunks of my time, and I'm busy with stuff in the AMS. My list of ridiculous camo-stuff from Simmons' now also includes camo air vent covers and telephones. Walking outside while chatting and trip and drop your phone? Don't worry, nobody, including yourself, will be able to find it! I'm surprised my plants are still alive our window sill. I like apples again. Parts of Texas got seven inches of snow yesterday. And I washed all my clothes for the first time in almost a month last week. That brought two thoughts. The first being, Daaaaaaang, and the second being, I've got a lot of underwear! My excuse?.....No quarters lying about.... So yeah, I've been up to stuff and I feel kinda bad that I haven't gotten to write anything in a while. But so it goes.
Caroline and I signed up for housing for next semester today. We decided to stay in our same room again next semester. We may look into an apartment for the semester after that, but we're in the same place for now. We like it here. Earlier on in the semester we hung a white board on our door to write messages on. Sometimes it's just got funny pictures or where we're at, or messages from people down the hall saying hello. I walked up upon a couple of girls putting sprinkles on the slice of cheesecake I had drawn today. It makes me happy that random people will leave their messages there. And somewhat closer to people in a way. It's like, community through a door sign? I don't know. It's just a feeling I get. Somewhat silly, but I love seeing what people write in response to things we put up there. I guess it's somewhat like writing a blog. Informative of our actions at times, occasionally(hopefully) amusing or at least entertaining, and wanting any form of input from other people. I wish more people would put signs up so we could leave messages there for them too.
Well, Jacob and I are driving home today for the weekend. It's been so long since I've been back, I'm eager to see my family and friends. This is the only time I'll have for a long time to go home so I'm taking advantage of it. Hopefully I'll get to see you. Tell me if you're free. :]

School and a Hunting Store.

So I've been reading a whole lot more and obviously writing a whole lot less lately. Which hasn't really bothered me until today. I've been back in school for a couple of weeks now. I enjoyed coming back and seeing everybody, being excited and asking how people's holidays went, and what they did. But now it's all back to the normal flow of things. All science classes and calc. 2 are what I'm taking. I'd really like to be taking a literature class right now, but that's next year.
Anyways, like I said. I've been reading more. I just finished Diary by Chuck Palahniuk. He's the dude who wrote Fight Club and Choke. Anthony gave me the book for Christmas, and he continues to have good taste in such materials. As soon as I can make it to the bookstore I'm going to buy Brave New World. And probably a couple others as well. And speaking of going places, there's a good chance that my car is terminally ill. Something is very wrong. Most likely the transmission. And if that goes, then I'll be getting to know my bike again quite well. But, it hasn't killed me or died yet, so I'm hoping it will keep kicking for now.

I've got this weekend job at a hunting store... (Okay sometimes there's no way to transition into these things. So blah.) I work as a cashier at this place called Simmons' Sporting Goods. It's where Caroline works, so we switch off weekends. The people are generally very nice, and it's not a hard job at all. This is a very big store, with guns and knifes and clothes and gloves and waders and kill-things-with-these and process-the-dead-things-with-that. And all the people that shop there think of camo as EVERY DAY wear. Like okay, if you're going hunting, or in the military, or hiding out, sure it makes since to wear camouflage, but oh God. Almost every person who goes in there could go back outside, and I would not be able to see them! They even sell camouflage night gowns. And couches. But I guess that's just their thing. And it's definitely not mine. So I shouldn't be hating on them. Just most people around here don't get what I'm saying when I point this out. Reh...hahaha. I'm just totally used to something entirely different I guess. The patrons of Simmons' could say the same type of thing for something about me, I'm sure.
Enough of this for now. I mostly wanted you to know I've got an occasional job. And I do enjoy it for the most part. The people I work with are great, so I have fun usually.
School keeps me busy, my friends keep me entirely happy and entertained, and I'm about to go make a cup of this Irish breakfast tea I've been eyeing for the last half hour. So tell me, how's your schooling and work, life and such? I like to know what you've been up to as well. :]

Oh Green Chair

I get in these moods...where I don't want to write for a long time, then I feel like righting a whole lot, no matter what it's about. And I'm in the latter one again.
Tonight Anthony and Troy and I hung out together again. It'd been a long time since just the three of us did that. It was typical, and comfortable with the wind blowing, music blaring, gas burning, and miles flying by. I don't know why we always end up just going nowhere for a really long time, but I've had some of my best times doing just that. If only we weren't in such a situation where driving cars wasn't so un-ecofriendly...

Mother and I went rug shopping today, but didn't find any we liked for Caroline and me to put in our room. We did however find a very comfy chair that I think we'll get. Can you guess what color it is? Green of course! The big thick cushion is great. When you sit in it, it fits closely to your body, like it is giving you a strong but gentle hug. The fabric is slick and soft that turns light and dark shades depending on which way you rub your fingers across it and it is big enough to be entirely comfortable in, but still reasonable to fit in our dorm. I like how I can pull my legs up and curl up like a cat in it. In fact, I believe it's the same chair I fell asleep in at the store many years ago while Christmas shopping with my Mum. I had just sat down in it for a moment when I awoke to a mother, sister, and daughter all kinda staring down at me and asking, "Well I wonder how much it is," and "Where's the tag?" I was most confused until I realized they were talking about the chair I was sleeping in, instead of me. Then I was embarrassed because I was asleep in a store and they had been standing right over me... But yeah, anyways, I like it. Happy Green Chair! ^_^

Tomorrow the plan is Me, Anthony, V for Vendetta. Such an awesome movie! Everybody should watch it.

Late For Holidays

I've tried a few times now, and I couldn't seem to get anything right out of the posts I was writing for New Year's and Christmas and such. They were either too wordy or too vague. But I'll try again, but with the basics only.

1-Christmas was excellent with the family and friends and such. We had a fun party with the family and my parent's friends. Tasty food, constant singing and playing of musical instruments(My family has been blessed with a fine talent and so they always make music when they're together.), lots of laughing and warm feelings going around. All that sentimental stuff that seems typical for the time of year. I love all the mushy stuff with everyone giving hugs and grinning and surprises and giving people gifts and watching the reactions they have when they open them. Yeah, so it was a fun Christmas.

2-New Year's was different from ones in the past as I got to spend it with Jacob, meeting his family and friends. We got to eat good gumbo around a fire while hanging out with Indian bikers who played the guitar and could talk your ear off. We also went to some fancy house way outside of Baton Rouge where the stars were so much brighter. Several seemed to shine brighter than the fireworks that sparkled across the night sky. It was a fun party. I like Jacob's family and really enjoyed meeting his friend Adam. He's a pleasant guy to know. Overall, I had an excellent time in Baton Rouge and hope to be able to go again.

3-I think New Year's celebrations are weird and a good bit silly. I'm glad I got to spend New Year's Eve with my boyfriend, but I've been doing some thinking about this whole celebratory thing we do at the ending/beginning of each year, and I'm still not sure what I think of it. I don't know what exactly it is. I tried writing about it, but it didn't work. I remember last year struggling with the same thoughts and attempting to put it down, but I just ended up deleting what I had on it, just as I have done now. I've been trying hard to pin down why exactly I think it is so odd how we celebrate new years. I don't know why I just always think, "Huh," as people stand around at midnight, cracking crystal champagne glasses and whopping and hugging and kissing, and lighting fireworks when the calendar date changes. I mean, I really like all the champagne and hugs and kisses, and the sparkleworks, but for me it just doesn't seem fitting. Well, not entirely. I'm all happy with revelry in the light of a new bright year. I like that welcoming. But, I don't like how we forget to close the old year. It just seems to me like we forget about reflection. About what we did and what we changed and what the really good and bad things were. Things don't get closed off. I just see it as head-diving into some uncharted territory without standing back, seeing where you just came from in order to judge where you're headed next. Maybe this came out correctly. Or maybe I'm looking way too far into things and people just want to enjoy a good party and tradition. It's probably the latter one. I am fairly found of festivities, so I guess I should probably go with that.
Hrmm, looks like I ended up doing it again, but I really just want to put a post up, so I think I'll leave it at this for now.

In other news, I've really enjoyed my work at the NWS, I'm excited about starting the new semester(I move back in a week.), and I finally got my new eye glasses. I was most pleased about that. This holiday I got to read books, watch movies, and hangout with my dear friends I hardly ever see during the semester. I'm happy I was here, and I'm happy I'll be back to school soon. So yeah, I guess I'm happy all around most of the time. :]