Crystal Bridges: Coming Fall 2011

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Yeah, I totally thought this was a casino when it was first mentioned at band. Although sending a pep band to play the opening of a casino might make more aesthetic sense than having people play the fight song for the opening of a fancy art museum...as it is, I wish I could go so badly. I, however, must go to class instead.

PM

The letters PM have come to mean many things in my life...usually they refer to potential members of Kappa Kappa Psi, but today they stand for Prime Minister, because I'm watching the Prime Minister's Questions on CSPAN's website. I like that I always count keeping up with current events as studying for my major, although it has nothing to do with any of my classes. (Although the last time I think I watched PM's Questions was when Gordon Brown became PM & David Cameron was leader of the opposition. That happened, right?) There's something so wonderful about people playing out their political battles in public and expressing their outrage for everyone to hear. I also like that they call each other "right honorable" when they're tearing each other apart.

Also, I read a story on TIME.com yesterday about how students in London are protesting funding cuts to higher education. Then I saw that Penn State students are rioting over the rightful firing of their beloved coach over a shameful scandal. It really calls American priorities into question...out of state costs for students at the U of A are being raised by 32% next year, and no one seems to have noticed it. I wouldn't have heard of it at all if I didn't follow the Traveler on twitter. Although lack of outrage over this may be due to how laughably easy it is to get instate tuition here...it's still not a good thing. I could easily turn this into an attack from the right, which shows that I've spent too much time in Davidson's class.

Parliamentary Funsies: http://www.c-span.org/Events/Prime-Ministers-Questions/10737425347/

Developing Your Intellectual Potential

So, I generally hate talking about religion. I think talking about your beliefs is a way for people to alienate others generally. (Last year, one of my friends told me I wasn't a Christian because I believe that if you live in a part of the world where Christianity isn't the majority religion or if you've never heard of it and follow a good and moral life, God will love you and you get to go to heaven. I'm still upset about this...I find the Dalai Lama to be an adorable little man whose message of peace should resonate with all people, no matter their religion.) But one of my sisters mentioned yesterday that she liked to use Bible verses to show how the 5 & the 8 for TBS are relevant in life outside of college, and it got me thinking about "development of your intellectual potential." I know several people who are extremely smart and don't use it properly. These people don't seem to realize that God may not care about your grades, but I believe that He's disappointed when He gives you the ability to earn good grades on the road to something bigger and better and you choose not to take advantage of that. Maybe you were meant to cure AIDS, but you didn't study for biology and couldn't get into med school. Maybe you could have ended the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, but you skipped class too much. So I study. It's very boring, but I don't want to limit my future. Besides, college is an amazing opportunity that so many people don't have...so I'm going to learn all that I can before it's off to the real world. Or maybe grad school if I ever stop writing and start studying for German.

Also, new second favorite movie:

This video doesn't do it justice at all. Most movies are better as a trailer...this one isn't.

A simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission

I have lots of weird band kid problems, like random calluses on my hands and the inability to walk out of step with the person next to me. But the one I had tonight was not my fault...it was the lack of a trumpet player so we didn't get to do a drive-by pep rally for the kids who are camping out tonight for tomorrow's six o'clock game.

So now I'm watching the end of Pride and Prejudice to make up for this disappointment. I rather hope "we all know him to be a proud, unpleasant sort of man" is not the reaction my friends and family have if/when I get engaged. It's one of those things that's funny in a novel but would most definitely not be in real life. Watching this movie also makes me miss playing the piano so much...I can play some of this music myself and reading Austen is what inspired me to make an effort at piano there for a while in high school. (The only song I can play by memory still is a product of that period.)

Also, yesterday I saw that something was being set up outside the art building (there's a nice courtyard there). Today I realized it looked like one of Gatsby's parties on a small scale...white tablecloths and pretty colored lanterns in the trees. Unlike Gatsby's parties, however, it was only for rich donor people. I realize that Gatsby's parties were for similarly rich people who liked to show off their wealth in different ways, but I'm still disappointed that it was impossible for anyone with a dress and a dream to show up for the endless romanticism.

Now I'm going to watch Elizabeth and Darcy dance a few more times...

The dullest blog post ever.

I've decided that Club Mullins is too loud during the fall semester due to all the frats and sororities that use it for study hours...so I've decided to study in the band hall for now. I'm under the unfortunate impression that doing really well in other classes will ensure that I get a good grade in history...which is not at all true. I can't decide if I find 19th century history really dull or if it's just that I find social history really dull. Either way, studying for my history midterm is really dull. Meh. I should really get back to it.

High School Cowgirls and Jerryworld, Take 3

Although I know my German skills have been constantly improving from the 3 words I knew when I started college, sometimes I seriously doubt that. Like tonight. I had to look up what "ihr" meant. (It means y'all. It's one of the pronouns you use for basic conjugation.) But I'm going to keep my chin up and do well on my test tomorrow.

I was in Dallas yesterday. It started out looking like it was going to be not so much fun, but I ended up having a blast...although I still do not understand why there are girls dressed up as cowgirls at every Texas high school. The high schools I've seen are in Dallas...Dallas is not in the country. The Arkansas game was fun though! I got all happy and such when it looked like we were going to lose like at Bama again. (True story. I can be the happy one when everyone else gets upset about football.) Then at halftime, I came up with a second-half strategy: for the Hogs to defend their goal while offending A&M. The second part of this strategy was to win. It worked extremely well. And while on the subject of that game, I'd like to say that I have the best little brothers ever in KKPsi. They end up near me in every game. Kody listens to my incessant chatter about how I'm confused as to what's going on and Matt would turn around and high five me whenever something good happened.

Although I'm tired and always always always have something else to do for school right now, I have to admit that my life isn't bad. :) I've got friends that put up with my through my random stages of grouchiness and the sweet prospect of a trip home in 12 days.

My Heart's A Stereo

It's Sunday. I have started a horrible tradition of spending the day reading or doing homework. It's quite dreary...but today I broke with tradition a tiny bit in order to watch doctor who for a while in honor of only having 24 hours of my month free trial to netflix left. Actually, I do this all the time while "studying," which is why it takes me so long to get anything done.

I went to wal-mart earlier...halfway there, I got a text from razalert foretelling the end of the world so I pretty much went in, turned around, and left. I then went to taco bell...running back into gregson in the pouring rain while not getting my food wet at all was a major accomplishment.

(the world did not end, by the way. the u of a just likes to freak out its students.)

I like blogging so much better when I'm tired...

It's true. Also when I'm just the tiniest bit stressed and always when I should be doing something else. I have a German test on Friday that really wants my attention...it's begging for it, actually. Like my German/English dictionary is making faces at me because I'm not using it. And I'm tired, so all of this seems only a bit crazy to invent instead of totally crazy.
Then Maureen Johnson had to tweet the link to her new book again...I resisted the first 212425 times, but this was too much. So I read the whole excerpt. (Very good, incidentally. I can't wait to read the rest...but I have to.)
I also painted my nails all sparkly today & watched a few episodes of Doctor Who. And went to class and did my homework and read an article for another class. I actually did do work today...
Reading YA lit makes me really think about my future and how I'd love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life as a nerdy librarian. It would be so much fun...but I feel like that's somehow taking the easy way out. At least I have about a year before I need to start making grad school decisions...in the meantime, it's time to start googling (or alta-vistaing) colleges yet again!

And oh my goodness...my ILLed book is in. It's going to be dreadfully boring and I'm not going to like it, but I do love using ILL. It makes me feel powerful. :)

If this is a rom-com, kill the director!

My music lecture teacher assigned us to write a few sentences about our favorite piece of music. So I'm listening to the top played songs on my itunes and becoming outrageously happy after a kinda "meh" first day of class. Music lecture actually looks like it could be cool. Thinking about why music is important to me and why I like my favorite song is pretty revealing.

German was only a tiny bit frightening. I caught about 75% of what the Leher said, so that's a good sign. Having 50 vocab words, however, was not. I know I can do it though!! I love German, so it's going to be great! (Also, my teacher has his nose pierced. He doesn't really seem like the pierced-nose type.)

I'm super excited to learn about the cold war...the best part about being a junior is taking classes that are very interesting to me, not just core classes. I spent part of my evening downstairs reading for class already. (Did you know that the US basically had a weird war against the Bolsheviks right at the end of WWI where we were allied with Japan? I didn't.)

Lunchtime in Brough is most definitely a sport now. I had to wander around for 15 minutes before I found a seat...I took to grabbing an empty ice cream cone every lap because I thought I wasn't ever going to get to sit and eat.

I'm just kind of dealing with my social life right now...I spent Saturday & Sunday watching the first season of Doctor Who (and it was awesome). I mean, I talk with people all the time, but I'm probably going to spend the year getting to know my inner nerdfighter better. It's about time she has a chance to show the world how awesome she is!

I think I'm going to write about "Sigh No More" or "Roll Away Your Stone." Then, it's time for more Doctor Who, I think.

dftba

Free time?

I'm currently enjoying the last few minutes of an unanticipated break in early week! We got out of indoor rehearsal early this afternoon, which coupled with getting out of morning practice early means it barely even seems like early week! Luckily this madness will soon come to an end.

This early week I've been dealing a lot with how my tiredness chooses to manifest itself. Instead of getting tired, I've just become very negative/easily irritated. I'm trying to keep a lid on it, but I'm super glad this week is almost over from that standpoint. Also, I'm super excited to wear cute clothes again. I think the break from constantly being around my fellow RMBers will be good for all of us. I'm happy to have met so many cool people this week and I'm super excited for this year.

WPS!

1 Week to Razorback Volleyball Band!!!

I love band. It's so good to me.

It's Early Week!!!! This means I'm going to be tired until Saturday...but it's all worth it. Little things like horn angles and the distance your toes are apart become so super important, and silly stuff like classes aren't in the way to bother you. Things are a-changing in the RMB, but they seem to be changing for the better. :) I'm super excited about being on leadership...hopefully I can help make my section better and not be lame about it. Yay band!

Attractive from a distance, crazy up close.

I think Eufaula needs a new slogan. "Where pride creates progress" never made much sense anyways...

I'm thinking "Crazy, but you love it anyways" or "Exciting when you least expect it!"

This slogan has been earned in the past two days for sure. Yesterday, a grass fire almost got to my grandparents' house. It was pretty scary since the police wouldn't let us drive back where they live to check on them and they didn't answer the phone since they were outside wetting down the grass near their house and such. It luckily only came within 200 yards of their place. This incident made it clear that we were in need of some rain. And Mother Nature kindly fulfilled that need...with a raging thunderstorm that knocked out power to most of Eufaula for half the night and most of the morning. Due to that, I ended up going to selflessly volunteer at the elementary school to help my mom get her classroom ready...and by "selflessly" I mean that the elementary had AC and my house didn't.

My mom is also on her second loaner car...her car's AC isn't working, so it's in the shop. She was a driving a loaner from the dealership (it was a grand marquis, more commonly known around our house as the grandma car) but then someone was interested in it, so it was traded for a tank-like ford pickup. All in all, the most exciting week of the summer in Eufaula...I'm so glad I was home for it!!

In other news, I recently discovered the UA frat style twitter...it provides minutes of exciting advice "for the fratty hogs." I just laugh at it...much like I laugh at total frat move, a website where sorority girls & frat guys brag about how stupid they are...apparently they're unaware that the rest of us just make fun of their website. :)

I preordered The Fault in our Stars this week for both me & Emily. Then today I discovered that both Stephanie Perkins and Maureen Johnson have books coming out next month! I'm in young adult literary heaven! I may even start reading during the school year...

It's almost the most wonderful time of the year: early week. I'm sick of summer and this waiting around.

Shenanigans

I'm in Colorado Springs!! National Convention just ended a few hours ago...I'm rather tired, but it was so amazing. I got to see Wava, our founder, and meet several other people important to my chapter. Right now there's some sort of dance going on, but I'm socially retarded and literally ran away after about 25 seconds in that room. Yay me. All the other fun stuff involved me being on ritual committee...I really liked that because I'm a bit of a geek.

The best thing about Colorado Springs is the weather. It rained almost every day, but that meant that the weather was pleasant...I got to wear a cardigan outside comfortably, which was bad for my cardigan addiction and made me really happy. We went to Garden of the Gods and Manitou Springs...both places were super fun. Garden of the Gods reminded me of Robber's Cave a bit...I hadn't gone scampering on rocks like that in a few years. Manitou Springs is supposedly like Eurkea Springs, but I haven't been to Eureka Springs since I was 14 or so, so I cannot vouch for that claim.

I think I'll head to bed...long drive back to Fayetteville tomorrow. For greater bands!

"Wipe that hell off your face!"

Today my world lit group presented our presentation over Dante's Divine Comedy. I doubt that I'll remember much about it a week from now, except that in the original story, Cato literally tells Dante to wipe the hell off his face. We had fun with that. I played Virgil...it turns out epics generally don't have many women in them, unless they need wives or mothers. And since Dante was just travelling through hell (and purgatory and heaven) he didn't really have much need for the ladies.

I saw Evita last weekend at the Tulsa PAC, my Saturday home during the month of June. It was excellent, and made me realize that I know nothing about South America besides that the world's most dangerous road is there (thanks Top Gear) and that Brazilians speak Portuguese. But now I know all about Eva and Juan Peron. Did you know that Juan and his third wife, Isabel, kept Eva's embalmed body on their dining room table? True fact.

Tomorrow is the last day of the summer class I'm taking...I did that thing where I figure up how many points I need on the final to get an A. This is usually a bad idea that results in me watching a movie or writing a blog instead of studying, like I'm doing now. Hopefully the inspiration for the essay section will strike me tomorrow morning.

Girl on Fire

I finished reading Mockingjay yesterday...and came to the sad conclusion that it wasn't as good as the first two in the series. The series was still awesome, but the book was boring for too long. It's a good book to make me think though; dystopic books tend to do that. I'd actually tried to convince myself that I didn't like that sort of book anymore, but my middle school love of books likes The Giver and 1984 is apparently still hiding in the back of my mind.

In sadder news, I don't like the British version of The Office as much as I like the American version. I really want to like it, but their humor is a bit too inappropriate for my taste. Also, whoever borrowed it from the library before me must have keyed it or something...I can barely get the second season to play for more than 2 or 3 minutes before it freaks my computer out.

I'm glad my world lit class is almost over. Yesterday, I read Mockingjay and most of Pretty Little Liars but had to force myself to skim the assigned text for class. (It was from the epic of Son Jara, which had a half page of footnotes for every page of text because the Norton people realized that most Americans have no knowledge of African culture whatsoever.)

Today, this football played in said world lit class informed us all that the knowledge from this class can, in fact, be useful in everyday life. He told us that yesterday he was going to get a smoothie and noticed a hot girl reading a story we read earlier this month and used that to talk to her. Then he said he was an education major, but that may have been a lie.

I'm very excited about seeing Evita at the Tulsa PAC this Saturday. I saw 9 to 5 there last Saturday...my family's on a bit of a binge, I guess. 9 to 5 was cute enough, but not really substantial. 

Favorite song of the moment: "The Perfect Space" by the Avett Brothers

Writing A Paper

Right now, I'm attempting to work on my paper for World Lit. Several things are getting in the way of this, however.

1) This paper isn't due until Tuesday.
I literally have nothing else to do besides that until then. Like I have 22 free hours every school day. I'm going home on Friday and I'm still completely unconcerned about getting done on time.
2) This paper only needs to be 4-5 pages.
I haven't even really been trying, and I'm halfway done.
3) World Lit is a core class.
There are 2 football players in my class...since I am capable of making coherent sentences, passing shouldn't be a big deal.
4) Ms. Al-Dareisah says that she wants to give us all As.
We just have to show that we want them.

I think I may go to FPL in the unlikely event that I get my act together enough to finish today...I do love reading, and I'm sure there are many lovely books out there just waiting for me to damage them due to my habit of reading while eating. Eating is just so boring to me! I need to be reading or watching tv or talking...anything to take away from the knowledge that I'm going to spend days out of my life shoveling food in my mouth. Speaking of eating, I have discovered that soy milk is amazing. It can never replace actual milk, because it tastes nothing like it. Soy milk tastes like vanilla extract smells, while milk tastes like milk. Now I'm googling it to make sure it's not going to cause cancer like my cell phone is.

"It's Really Effing Hot"

Or, the ILOVEMUMFORD&SONSANDISAWTHEMLASTNIGHT post.

I went to Wakarusa yesterday. It was nothing less than awesome...I'd describe it as a lesser woodstock. It's held in the middle of a field in NW Arkansas. The bottles of water were free, and luckily (as Marcus Mumford put it) it was really effing hot, so I sweated enough to get a bit dehydrated and didn't have to resort to use of the port-a-potty. We were so close to the stage...like 4 people back from the rail put up to separate the cheap bracelet wearers (or us) from the old people with more expensive, but less cool looking, bracelets (or them). "They" got to stand right up against the stage...the railing for us wasn't that far from the stage, though. I'd estimate me as being less than or equal too 50 yards away from my favorite band ever. I really really really love all their new songs, and they sang all my favorites. I was a tiny bit annoyed when everyone sang so loudly to their old songs that I could barely hear the band's beautiful harmonies, but in the end it didn't matter. I saw my favorite band sing my favorite songs. It was nothing less than perfect. (Also, why do people not cheer for a song they love until the band begins to sing? I knew what song they were playing by the second chord unless it was new...just sayin'.)

Wakarusa was definitely a college experience I will treasure forever...I'm glad I kinda worked up to this level. First I had to do early week and get used to normal college stuff, then I went to a big showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, then I visited Ozark Natural Foods & the Fayetteville Farmer's Market, so I actually enjoyed all the hippie stuff at Wakarusa...I would've freaked out at the beginning of my freshman year. As it was, I wasn't scared or offended at all, although I think my lungs kinda freaked out as a result of being raised in the "breathe easy" generation...I don't know when I've been around that many people smoking cigarettes. But it was totally worth it. :)

I dreamed in German last night...

Last night, I dreamed that I saw a Wal-Mart while in Germany...which I thought was odd, because the failure of Wal-Mart in Germany is pretty famous. Then, for some reason, I dreamed I had to be a waitress to these cruel Germans who ignored me...I couldn't figure out how to ask these people what they wanted to order in German (although what I did say was grammatically correct) and after letting me struggle/ignoring me for a while, they revealed that they spoke perfect English. I'm going to cross waitress off my list of things to do when I'm in Germany next year...

Birthdays & Redneck Holidays

My birthday is tomorrow. I get excited about my birthday the same way Michael Scott does...although I like to think I'm less childish about it than he. Last year, I drove to Kingfisher and went to my great-uncle Fred's funeral. It sounds sad, but there was heath bar cake at the funeral dinner. This is my favorite cake. I was soooooo happy about that. But this year, I'm going to see Flanagan's Wake, a comedic play about...a funeral. That irony just became apparent to me.

The sad thing about my birthday is that it quite often falls on Memorial Day weekend, the second most redneck holiday of the year. Here is my scale for redneck holidays from least to most:

Martin Luther King Day

Columbus Day

Easter

Christmas

New Year's

Veteran's Day

Thanksgiving

4th of July

Memorial Day

Labor Day

Martin Luther King Day is least redneck because most rednecks don't know this is, in fact, a federal holiday. Veteran's Day, although not an alcoholic holiday, is redneck because everyone must show that they are more 'Murcan than everyone else. Thanksgiving involves football; the fourth of July is historically significant, which is the only thing keeping it below Memorial Day on the scale. Memorial Day is for getting drunk on the lake to celebrate the beginning of summer, but also involves (for some) a trip to the cementary; Labor Day is its end of summer counterpart, but it wins this discussion because it's the last hurrah of the summer.

I love classiness, and redneck things are the opposite of that. So it irks me a bit that my birthday falls on one of the great redneck holidays of our time. I guess that's the price a girl's gotta pay to have a good movie come out on her birthday every year.

It won't be long, yeah.

I don't have internet at my apartment yet. But it should be working soon...

In the meantime, I'm one of approximately 2 people in Mullins this evening who don't work here. It's very creepy...but they're open until midnight! The weather was dreadful today after my class, so I was sick of sitting in my room when the weather finally let up.

I love my apartment! It's super cute and I have my own bathroom, which has never happened before. And my class this morning was pretty good...if the first day of a class sucks, you should probably run away quickly. 

I need a hobby though...that's my next summer project!

Goodbye, Sophomore Year!

Today, I (finally) took my last final...German. It was rather interesting...and by interesting I mean not exactly what I expected.

In honor of the completion of my 63rd college credit hour, I'm going to write 63 things I've learned in college.

1) No matter the weather, it is 85 degrees or warmer without a cloud in the sky at Lot 56 from August to October.
2) Every building on campus "used to be a dorm." This may or may not be true...
3) Fayetteville is the best town in the world.
4) The Dalai Lama is a proponent of peace, but some people use their religious differences with him to spread hate...
5) Brough just isn't very good...
6) Never say "I am good" in German. It doesn't mean the same thing at all.
7) Conversely, never say "I am bad" in German. It took me a month to figure that one out...
8) Earplugs are wonderful, wonderful things.
9) Free concerts in the cold of early May are the best, especially when the band is awesome and annoyed to be in Arkansas.
10) You can get all your clothes fo' free if you're in band and are in the right place at the right time.
11) "Friday" is appropriate every day of the week.
12) Never leave your umbrella in your room. Always keep it with you.
13) The band hall is the best place on campus to: watch a movie, practice your instrument, paint canvases, have chapter, talk with friends, and study. It's okay for band practice too.
14) Mr. Pratchard "goes both ways."
15) Skittles is the best janitor ever.
16) Some semesters, getting all As shows not that you're a dedicated student, but that you took really easy classes.
17) Having a water bottle with you at all times is a must.
18) If your teacher makes derogatory remarks about sororities and fraternities, realize that he/she WILL NOT realize that you're in an honorary sorority for members of the college band.
19) Band gives so many things away. I've been to Georgia & Dallas twice this year, and unfortunately have been to New Orleans as well.
20) New Orleans is the sketchiest city I have ever been to. It glorifies everything I disapprove of.
21) Going to a BCS bowl does not mean that you will a) have good seats or b) be able to see the field.
22) Script Ohio is the coolest thing I've ever seen a marching band do.
23) Beverly is the worst soda/pop of all time.
24) The Dalai Lama has the best laugh.
25) Borrowing your sister's dress means you'll get lots of compliments.
26) Nail polish is ALWAYS a good investment.
27) College math sucks.
28) Nothing in college is for free...you pay for it in your student fees. But it sure feels free!!
29) It's sad every time everyone leaves...and happy every time you're reunited.
30) Every time your day sucks, chances are one of your friends is having a worse one.
31) Don't take 7:30 classes...they don't stick in your memory at all.
32) 12:30 Brough is an Olympic sport.
33) International Relations is both an easy major and the best major of all.
34) Club Mullins is the most happenin' spot on campus.
35) Leggings are still not pants.
36) Sorority girl shorts, however, are super comfy.
37) You will see people in class on exam days you have never seen before and will never see again.
38) After freshman year, packing isn't fun any more.
39) Facebook is an addiction. Everyone has their own ritual...mine's facebook, e-mail, then twitter.
40) With hulu, the need for a television is eliminated.
41) After a while, you begin to recognize most of the people you see around campus. It's creepy.
42) Procrastination is not my friend. I generally just don't do it...
43) Always always always wear sunscreen whenever going outside for any amount of time.
44) Aloe vera is pretty cheap at Walmart...
45) Even the worst basketball game experience can be made fun with a fight!
46) Per diem is a band kid's best friend.
47) Hitler got the idea of killing mentally challenged people from the US. Really, America? Really?
48) Bill & Hillary Clinton never actually went to school here.
49) 1924 & 1950 are near each other on senior walk. Coincidence? I think not...
50) All organizations on campus change drastically all the time...having a guaranteed turnover every 4 years does that to a club.
51) The Brandon is always an appropriate dance move.
52) Backstage at the Walton Arts Center is rather swanky.
53) When it rains, the best route from Gregson to Mullins is cutting through the art building.
54) If the Quads has a pop machine, it's very well hidden.
55) If a store is out of your brand of detergent, wait to buy more. Switching brands is bad news.
56) Nothing is more magical than watching the sun rise from the steps of Old Main.
57) Concert band is the most fun band of all!
58) My concert black is my most comfortable outfit.
59) Getting a job when you've never had one before is hard.
60) The German department is made up of amazing people I'd like to be friends with in real life.
61) Despite that, sometimes "das ist alles fuer heute" is the best phrase you'll ever hear.
62) Double check your schedule the night before classes start; sometime they like to switch rooms on you.
63) I love the University of Arkansas. Woo Pig Sooie!!!!

Here's to another 60 amazing hours. I can totally believe I'm halfway done with my undergrad work, though.

April on Parks & Rec likes Neutral Milk Hotel. I like this show even more now. And that was the best episode I've seen yet. NBC comedy's soppy romantic parts make me into a soppy romantic person, despite my current view that having a boy in my life would suck. Having an ignorant, inconsiderate roommate will do that to a girl. But despite all that, I'm hoping that someday, one of those rom-com moments will happen to me.

Tomorrow, I move out. Changes like this make me want to mis-quote Noah and the Whale: "It's the first day of summer. And my life is starting over again."

New Specs

I got new spectacles today. I absolutely love them. They're just glasses, but they're a bit too big for my face and really thick (like half an inch think) and make my eyes look tiny, so I'm going to call them specs. Also, Anne Hathaway has poor eyesight and she refers to her specs as specs. Anyhow, my depth perception is all messed up in these bad boys...I really want to watch Speed Racer right now...I'm pretty sure it would be even more trippy than usual!

Also, I went to the Fayetteville Farmer's Market on Saturday. It was...wonderful and possibly the best thing I've ever done in Fayetteville. There were pretty flowers, hippie farmers, a lady dressed like she belonged in a Victorian brothel, Tibetan monks, and a lady drinking champagne at 10:15 am. I'm pretty sure the monks were temporary due to the Dalai Lama's visit this week, but the overall experience would still be great without them...the place had a carnival atmosphere, but admission was free for all. Then my friends and I explored a few of the little store on Fayetteville's square. We all found a billion cutesy things we want and can't afford. But some good craft ideas were found as well...it was a very successful trip.

A few of us purchased bumper stickers...it was the kind of atmosphere that made me totally love Fayetteville and be so thankful that I get to live in the greatest city in the world until 2013 at the least.

Partying in Club Mullins

Right now I'm studying for finals in the reading room at the library. It's cool...I know a bit more than most people about Polish political parties right now. The Dalai Lama is coming to speak here on Wednesday...it's a huge deal. I'm very excited for this. Right now, there's a bunch of Tibetan cultural stuff in the reading room. And a bunch of interested people from the community looking at it. I'm glad they're here...it's really cool stuff, and it's almost a shame it's all here during finals week, when the students don't really have the time to appreciate it. At least someone's getting a good cultural experience out of it!

(Also, I've made a mental note to come here to study here between 8-5...someone's supposed to be working on a butter sculpture. It's high art for Tibetans. And that's not sarcasm.)

http://libinfo.uark.edu/info/events/eventgallery.asp?EventID=65

Nuclear So and So's

I went and saw Margot and the Nuclear So and So's last night. It was cold and afterwards I couldn't really feel my toes, but it was fun and indie-tastic. They sang my favorite song I'd heard by them. (http://grooveshark.com/s/Talking+In+Code/2oMZ0e?src=5) And they all seemed a little bit angry that they were 1) in Arkansas 2) in the cold 3) and not many people were there. They all kept drinking out of green solo cups between songs...I'm sure that was water. :)

So, a night of music to cap off a day spent studying for econ in Club Mullins. Unfortunately, the concert drove most of the econ out of my mind...but my test is at 2:30...plenty of time to pick that knowledge up off the sidewalk and stuff it back in my brain where it belongs.

You know the end of school is near when it shows up on the 10-day forecast. Today is my last day of MWF classes...finals are near!

Beating the Tuesdays

I did the impossible today...I beat the Tuesdays!! I've been...if not pleasant, at least not horrible, all day! And to celebrate, I'm wearing my Weasley sweater, a long sleeved t-shirt, a scarf, and a hoodie to go to an outdoor concert. In all fairness, nothing says nice weather like an outdoor concert in May. Unfortunately, the weather was/is less than cooperative, and I shall have to suffer possibly frostbite in my quest for a free indie concert experience. Maybe I'll write about both that and my shiny new red rainboots if I don't lose my fingers in the process. :)

Prettiness

I went to see Reasons to be Pretty this afternoon. I don't know what I expected, but it was not among my favorite plays. It's about 4 people...two couples at the beginning. They all end up breaking up. And the angry looking girl in the middle is angry for most of the play. The guy on the right looked like Jason Sudekis somehow when he was acting. That was kinda cool...his character, Greg, was my favorite.

 

This fit together really well with the TBS stuff I was reading over a few minutes ago; we're supposed to have "physical and mental qualities of an attractive nature." But this isn't about being pretty...it's about taking care of yourself and being healthy. The concept of prettiness has been thrust in front of me a lot today. It's becoming more multi-dimensional all the time...

But I didn't do so well today at having "a cheerfulness at all times." (another ideal of Tau Beta Sigma) Sometimes we all have those days...I just need to work on having them a lot less. Goals are good though!

Anyhow, it's raining here...again. A fitting way to start off the stress-filled last week of classes, I think.

Rainy day count: 2. My new rain boots are in Fayetteville and will soon be in my possession!

Slow down, Lady MacDeath, slow down

I went and saw Sassy Gay Friend this evening. He was, in fact, both sassy and gay.

Afterwards, I went to get ice cream with some friends (or watch some friends eat ice cream; I ate a huge cone after Gator Golf this afternoon). I had one of those sentimental moments where I was really happy for no reason just riding in the car on the way there...that "we're young and independent and happy" feeling. It's quite awesome.

Earlier I went and mini golfed with some friends. I'm very horrible at mini golf, so taking me along was a horrible idea; I lose all self-confidence and give up trying. Basically, I'm a huge grump. I had the highest score by 10, but if you make a hole in one on the last hole, you win a free game...so now I have a free game card for Gator Golf in my wallet.

I've just been taking it easy this weekend, but then I realized that I actually have stuff to do. We're in the "final crunch" of the semester...2 tests before dead day, then formal (yay!), then dead day & composites, then finals week. But when that's all over, I get to move into my first ever summer apartment! I'm very excited...I've never had my very own bathroom before.

Now I'm off to contemplate the issue of the veil in France.

Being Content

So I'm spending my Friday night alone in my room watching the NBC shows I missed last night. Earlier this year, that might have bothered me. But my roommate is out of town, and I'm savoring the alone time. It's pretty hard to come by here...even when you're in a secluded part of the library, there are still tons of people nearby, and no one really hangs out in their car.

The weirdest part of college is not the first part when you come here and you're super excited and you meet people who are just like you. It's the second part, when you all begin to grow up some more and realize that no one on earth is just like you. At the beginning of the year, I had a hard time coping with that and felt left out/misunderstood. But I'm happy right now. I know I'm in the right major and taking the right classes and making the right grades and hanging out with the right people. It's really great, actually.

I woke up at 4:35 this morning and watched Wills & Kate get married live...because there are just some things you can only do when you're in college (seriously, I don't care that much. and i wouldn't get up early if i had to work or something). It was nice...but doing massive amounts of laundry this afternoon was nicer. Happiness is a clean set of sheets and a clean comforter.

Sunny day count: 2. I'm putting my rain boots away...

Cake decorating in a fascist dictatorship

So my fantastic future roommate & I have both decided to wake up earlier than any person should ever get up and watch the royal wedding in about 5 1/2 hours. I should really get to sleep...

I had a dream about cake decorating in a fascist dictatorship last night...in a mall. It was one of the weirdest ones I've had recently. Then the teacher in my dream told me I got a B- on my final paper...which ruined my vague dreams of getting a 4.0 for my entire sophomore year.

Today was a good day. Chapter makes everything better...I love getting to see all my sisters. And our banquet thing's next week...which means Olive Garden for dinner next Thursday!!

And I feel like my mom every time someone comes into a room and immediately turns on the tv. The older I get, the more things I say that are exactly what she would. I'm pretty sure that's not a bad thing either.

Sunny day count: 1 perfect day. It's the kind of weather that inspired the alma mater.

Charade

I found the movie Charade on hulu earlier. This scene featured two of my favorite things in the world:

Audrey Hepburn and German airplanes. I'm extremely happy.

The party don't start til I walk in...

The small things in life make me happy:

I can now spend my Friday night partying in Club Mullins...they usually close at 6, which makes for a lame party.

But I'm not partying there tonight, for once. (It was becoming a problem.) I just did TBS stuff in the band hall for a bit, then did the last homework for econ and now (I can't believe I'm saying this) I'm just relaxing!! I don't have anything due until Sunday, so I'm watching AVPM yet again. I keep on wanting to respond to people in my limited German...I'm so glad my oral exam's over!

You know how supposedly Big Brother is watching everything you do on the internet and putting it in ads? I spent a bit of time comparison shopping for rainboots (got a mad deal on them too) and now all the ads I see are for boots, which just makes me excited for my new rainboots.

Rainy day count: 4. I'm starting to like this weather.

The Tuesdays

I have been afflicted with The Tuesdays every Tuesday this semester. It's like the difference between the blues and the mean reds...except I know why I'm grumpy. I don't see any of my friends until 5:30 on Tuesdays, so I pretty much don't talk to anyone. By dinnertime, I'm grumpy even if I feel fine. It's horrible...at least I only have one Tuesday left.

So in other news, I read Anna and the French Kiss last weekend. It was amazing...never doubt John Green's taste.

Fayetteville has been experiencing enormous amounts of rainfall the past two days (Classes actually got cancelled yesterday due to it) and now I can't tell if my lovely upstairs neighbors of 245 are moving their chairs around or if we're in for another storm. My rainboots unfortunately bit the dust...or rather, the water yesterday in front of Humpdump, so I ordered new ones...should be here next week! They're going to be red...I'm extremely excited.

First blog?

I've never had a blog before unless you count the myspace one that everyone had...as I recall I only talked about the truly important things on that, like the Jonas Brothers concert I went to when I was 16. But today the idea seemed truly golden, so I decided to go for it. Also, I should be studying for my German oral exam tomorrow...but I'm not. I think I'm ready though...my friends translated "Black and yellow" into German last night at dinner (Ja! Du weiBt was es it. Schwartz und gelb.), so I'll have that to fall back on.
Also, blogging seems like a hipster sort of thing to do. And if it seems hipster, it probably isn't. That's something I've learned this year. I got my junior band backpack this morning...which means I'm officially halfway done with being the the RMB (sad) and almost halfway through my time here at the U of A (also sad, but slightly less so. Band doesn't have finals).
Anyway, I'll probably write for 3 or 4 days then lost interest. At least I'll have tried it. And if I don't get a summer job, I may turn to reviewing every single thing on hulu here. Something to look forward to. :)

Tschuess!