Academy Living
Summer Will Always Have My Vote
The joys of an unexpected day off. What else is a girl to do when she has a handful of coupons in her hand, and nothing but a hair appointment scheduled for her day?
Why, yes, indeed, she does head to the mall.
Not to say that this wasn’t a planned out trip. It sort of was. I allow myself to enter the realms of Barnes and Noble at most once a month (unless something more dire comes up, but now that my time with the Academy is over, those needs are not so dire anymore.) I stopped to get my fill for the month of checking out new releases, new cookbooks, any self-help reads which catch my eye on occasion, any new Star Wars literature developments, any deals on Calvin and Hobbes comic books, and a whole slew of other things.
Trust me. My kids are going to hate the moments when mommy says, “Jump in the car, guys. We’re going to the bookstore.” It’s going to be like church when I was a kid.
There is only one thing on a kids mind when they are not allowed to run, jump, and scream at the top of their lungs (and you dare not disobey your parents. Back then, they were allowed to discipline me by giving me a small tap on my backside without fear of someone saying they were abusing me. Some kids need a good swat across the butt, if you ask me.)
Anyways, the bookstore is going to be their church. Hopefully they enjoy whatever their father does on Saturday afternoons. That way, they can bother him and I can have a few hours of quiet, blissful “me” time when the trials of parenthood become far to obnoxious.
Good thing I don’t need to worry about that any time soon.
One of my best deals of the day? Victoria’s Secret is having a handful of good sales happening at this time, and if you’re lucky enough to find something that works for you, you’re getting it for a steal of a price. I managed to walk out the door with a bottle of Gorgeous perfume (in the really cute old-school perfume bottle, too!) for $13.00. Originally, that same perfume, bottle and all, costs roughly $50.00.
Good steal? I think so. Every girl needs to smell good, too.
Snagged a pair of black heels from Maurices I’ve been eyeballing for a short while, especially when the pair of black heels I originally wanted to match a pair of brown ones I bought earlier in the spring are no longer offered on either the website or in store. And I have to get a move on with those zodiac charms before they no longer are offered. Tried to find them in the store, and they were nowhere to be found.
Thank goodness for credit cards. Sometimes.
“Success has many fathers. Failure is a mother.”
The thought-provoking words of Jeanne Phillips, thee advisor to America.
Stop and think about it. Where do we learn our best lessons? When we discover we failed at something. Not necessarily a massive, face-planting type of failure, but something where the outcome was not quite what we expected. I have lived through my fair share of failure in the last couple of months.
Yes, I had a huge crowning achievement in the month of May when I walked across the stage as I accepted my “diploma” from the Chancellor of my Academy, and taking my first real steps into the “real world” as they call it. Not only did I graduate, but I graduated with a double degree in five years. It’s sort of unheard of, but I did it nonetheless.
The sleepless nights, the nights drowned out in Rock Stars and other miscellaneous energy drinks, nights where I wake up with a small pool of drool coating the corner of my textbook, or going to bed only to set my alarm for 3 hours later so I can get up and continue with the horrendous paper whose topic seemed to resonate less and less with every word I typed, the nights where you successfully press ‘Save’ for the last time after reading more about religion in movies than you’d ever care to know on a regular basis.
Those nights were all worth it.
Now, how about the day of my last audition at my Academy? I was primed and ready to sing my heart out. I had my monologue down flat. I stepped onto the stage, introduced myself, and the first note played on the piano, I opened my mouth to let the notes fly….but nothing came out. The music stopped playing and I just stood there. I made the decision to move on to my monologue instead. I got out the first two lines, and then I jumped right to the end. When I know I’m screwing up, my hands start to shake uncontrollably from nerve impulses. When that started happening, I knew I was a goner. As I thanked the directors, I started to laugh and shake my head because I ended my entire audition package with, “That’s all for now because I seem to have forgotten the rest.”
Boom…Roasted on the very stage I wanted more than anything to perform on.
It came as no surprise when I looked at the callback list and my name didn’t appear on it. I would have peed my pants if I saw my name at all.
The thing is…I failed. What did I learn? Maybe I’m not cut out for auditioning for shows after all. Maybe my dream of being an actress isn’t going to happen. It caused me to take a step back and reevaluate where I’m headed in the next 5 years of my life, that’s for sure.
On top of that debacle, I came very close to have big girl jobs. I’ve made it to the final rounds of interviews, only to be told at the end that I’m absolutely perfect for the position, but they were going to give it to someone else.
Great. Thanks.
But, it’s only pushed me to look harder to find where I’m going to be a perfect fit AND get offered the job. I’m getting interviews, so I know I’m someone worth looking at, and when I walk into that room for an interview, I own it.
Year’s of theater experience does come in handy, after all.
It’ all winding itself into one thing I’ve loved since Day 1 of my life: Summer. Summer is such a magical time. Maybe I won’t think so in 20 years or so, but right now, summer is pretty much my definition of freedom and ‘anything can happen’ mentalities. Look at what I’ve done in the last couple of months so far! Stories to tell, for sure.
Along with random shopping spree days, here’s a slew of reasons why I absolutely love summer above every other holiday:
– Rainbows
– Cargo Capri pants (I’m not a huge shorts person, but I’m learning!)
– Cool Breezes (off the lake, especially!)
– Picnics
– Hikes
– Bike Rides
– Sundresses
– Baseball
– Farmer’s Markets
– Birds Chirping
– Flip Flops
– Open Windows (such a soothing thing while you sleep)
– Jean Jackets
– Frisbee
– Camping
– Flowers
– Green Grass (under your bare feet!)
Tonight, I mark another thing off my summer bucket list by seeing the Dark Knight Rises with someone I’ve been seeing semi-seriously (if semi-seriously is even a thing when it comes to boys and girls going out together), but I’m pretty excited about it.
Not only will there be eye candy up on the screen, there will be eye candy beside me.
All in all, I’m a happy girl right now.
It’s Summer Nights!
Surprise, surprise. I haven’t written for a few days.
Tis the summer spirit. You know why I say that? On a whim, I was looking at my schedule and realized I had nothing planned for a span of three days. No projects, no work, no nothing. What else would I do on these unscheduled days, other than maybe go to the beach and get my tan on harder than before.
It would have been an acceptable use of my time. I even could have caught up on that stack of books on my night table or that stack of magazines lining my bedroom floor….
OR I could swing myself down to a town and see a handful of friends I haven’t seen in (after a small time of thinking and calculating) two years! These friends were my sanity chamber when I was in my second year at the Academy. It was a no-brainer decision.
GO SEE YOUR FRIENDS!
And wouldn’t you know it…Fate decided to lay a lucky hand in my favor, and they also had time off in conjunction with my time. So, behold! The Journalism Gals were back together again. We had dinner, drinks, lots of laughter, and even more catching up on each other’s lives. It was utterly delightful! Who am I kidding….I was freaking psyched to see these girls. All of us are so different, and yet, so very alike.
Isn’t that normally how you find friends?
So, that’s where I’ve been. Now, I’m writing to you about it. Not going to lie…I’m not too motivated to do this. But, just like working out, you have to force yourself to do it, otherwise you’re never going to see results. When I started this blog, I told myself I would do it for at least a year…if I hated it a year later, then I would quit.
Thing is, I don’t hate doing it. I just hate starting and forcing myself to do it.
“On a good day I think I’m a relatively sane person with a few frayed wires. On a bad day I think, ‘Just lock me up.'”
Oh, how truthfully you speak interview icon, Rosie O’Donnell. I’ve been called a fair amount of names in my life. Insane has been among them.
However, purely sane people never truly see what is it they’re after or how to get there. It takes an ‘outside the box’ thinker to really strive and reach for something in a new way. I guess you could say the Jedi are insane. As Han Solo would say, it just some “hokey religion.”
But, you were proven wrong, weren’t you, Han?
I’ve gotten myself in my fair share of crazy, insane situations as well. How else do you explain getting a text at 11:30 pm at night from New Guy (remember him?!), whom I haven’t seen since his lame attempt to “get back together with me” at the bar a week after he broke it off with me, all because I was talking to his best friend while waiting for the bartender to ring up my tab? Yeah, that was a ways back…and we’ve rarely spoken since then. His best friend and I have since had our encounters as well, but New Guys’ friend also never tried to keep me to himself.
It’s the dating game, boys. Once you say you’re out, I’m not waiting around. I have bigger fish to fry.
Anyways, I’m knocking back a well-deserved and specially appreciated celebratory beer with my best friend (I’ve been having a small personal crisis for a few weeks, and it was resolved yesterday, so we were celebrating the lifting of this hellish time from my shoulders), and my phone buzzes. I’m thinking its our mutual friend wanting to come join us. Lo and behold, its New Guy. He’d seen somewhere (or I had mentioned it to him, I don’t quite remember) that I was in town, and if I wanted to come hang-out and crash in his bed after my drinking was said and over with, I was to let him know.
So, here’s me, celebrating the fact a small major crisis in my life had been averted, and I’ve had little to eat and plenty of beer in my tummy. Let’s just say, the alcohol was already going to my head.
There’s a reason I don’t drink a lot of dark beer!
Anyways, I fill in my friend of what’s going on, and she starts making up conversations we’d have if I went over to “hang out.” It didn’t take a brain scientist to know he wanted me over there for one reason and one reason only: to get down and dirty.
I wasn’t having it.
So, I asked him if my friend could come with me. This sparked New Guy’s interest. Two girls + him +his apartment + his bed = a very good night for him.
Or so he thought.
A small white life, perhaps, but when he responded with such liveliness and excitement, I told him, sure, we could do that. I’ve had enough to drink…if he didn’t mind my friend being a guy (in case you didn’t follow that, the white lie was my friend being a dude.)
This small (false) fact had the desired effect. His excitement instantly dropped, and he instantly seemed less interested…unless I came over by myself. Then, “we could still have a good time.”
There was no way I was going over there in the state of my condition. Who knows what he may have tried?
Needless to say, I had a small bit of fun at his expense, but after the way he ended things with me, I’m okay with it. He deserved a small smack to his ego, anyways.
That is just one of the mere adventures I had over the past three days, and I’m sure the rest will come out in the upcoming week. But here is one thing I’m long overdue on, and it’s why my Friday was so Fabulous. I really want to share them with you, so here we go. My Fabulous Friday (even if it is majorly overdue!):
Fabulous Feeling:
Fabulous Smile:
Fabulous Decor Idea:
Fabulous Find:
Fabulous Boots:
Fabulous Look:
Fabulous Headshot:
Fabulous Mean Girls:
Fabulous Arrangement:
Fabulous Laugh:
Fabulous Perspective:
Fabulous Treat: Find the reciple here!
Fabulous Reading:
Fabulous Bit of Advice:
And now, it’s time for me to wrap things up. I shall share more with you tomorrow. Right now, a sandwich, a Vitamin Water, and a cozy chair with a magazine are calling my name.
I’m a sucker for staying cozy at home.
Stupid Is As Stupid Does
Nothing makes me giddier than a huge storm rolling in.
My stomach is also the first to leap when the loudest clap of thunder shakes the house. Considering I’m currently sitting in what could be categorized as a modern-day fortress, it makes my stomach leap a touch more when this huge building shakes with the storm’s rumblings. Then, when the impossible starts to happen, such as a tornado watch in an area that is known for being safe from the whirlwind cyclones, then my hand starts to twist my hair into little spirals of their own.
But the dark gray clouds sure look pretty out there. It’s eerie staring out of these huge glass paned windows and on the bottom third of the horizon is a lake, the middle third is bright, and the top third is clouded over again with the dark storm clouds. A horizon Oreo sandwich of sorts. Downright eerie is what it is. Like a terrible car crash or bear mauling, I want to look away and take cover, but I’m also fascinated by what I see.
When the middle brightness disappears, then I may seek shelter in the catacombs of this place. Maybe I should be paying closer attention to the current weather forecast…
Other than the amassing storm outside, it’s been a very, very busy past week and a half. I’ve had a slew of job interviews (fingers crossed that things are finally looking up!), and I just feel like I’ve been running my tail off. At the same time, I’ve been able to make time to do a handful of things I’ve been meaning to. Look at that, I’m becoming more proactive as the days drag on!
It’s amazing when I think about all I’ve accomplished in the past week. Not just the interviews (I hope you’re still crossing your fingers), but I’ve gone out on a handful of dates, I experienced the Grandma’s Marathon beer tents for the first time, confronted a man’s mistreatment of a lady such as myself, rejected 3 different offers for boyfriends from random strangers, took a stand with one of my employers, and gone out several times with a blast from my past. All in all, I’m having myself a very good time.
While looking ahead to what this current week may bring, I know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. You want to know why I’m staying so cheery? Because in 5 days, I will be celebrating my birthday! Nothing is better than celebrating the day of your birth. I once read a quote somewhere that asked a pretty important questions: “While it is important to celebrate the day a new life joined the world, why are we not also celebrating the lives the brought this life into the world after hours and hours of hard laboring pains?”
Good question, isn’t it?
I’m more so celebrating the fact that I have survived all the incredibly stupid decisions I have made over the years. Some were oh-so-incredibly stupid. Jumping off the back of a moving car? How I didn’t end up with a scratch is beyond me. Drinking so much in my 2nd year at the Academy that I woke up the next morning next to a decent enough friend wearing somebody else’s clothes and my hair pulled back into a bun, and the last thing I remembered was laying down hand containing a full house in our poker game? My liver still hasn’t forgiven me for that indiscretion. Driving six hours across the state of Minnesota to hopefully spend at least 2 minutes of my actual birthday with my then boyfriend after working an event with my interning company, and rolling into the parking lot at 12:02 am then next day? My body sure didn’t need all that caffeine I devoured in the hopes of staying awake the entire drive, and my heart sure hated me about a year later after we broke up.
See? Lots of stupid things. But guess what? They made me who I am at this exact moment. Seriously, I wouldn’t trade any of the things I’ve done to play it safe. Playing it safe doesn’t get results, and this is something I’m learning with each passing day. I also get really speculative on my life around my birthday, so if I sound very philosophical about life in general for the next week, I apologize in advance. It’s the idea of another 365 days have come and gone, and have I spent them wisely? The correct answer is probably no on an all-encompassing scale, but who am I to judge?
“Does Mary Poppins have an orgasm? Does she go to the bathroom? I assure you, she does.”
Thank you for answering all my doubts on such topics, Julie Andrews, the silver screen’s strictest nanny.
There are just certain things you never really want to know. That is one of them.
The clouds have finally allowed their tears to fall upon the earth, making the evening a little bit more miserable than it was before. Add in the idea of Mary Poppins having an orgasm, and I’m ready to call it a night. Merely because I want to shut my brain off so I stop thinking about it. Who wants to think about that? I apologize for putting the thought into all our heads. But the rain has me reminiscing about what i love about the month of June, the official start to summer and the month of my birthday. So, what do I love about this glorious month?
– Vacations
– Travel
– Suitcases
– Weddings
– Fathers
– Summer 🙂
Hoping the weather is treating you with more kindness than it is doing me here. Although its nights like these that make for excellent cuddling.
Cuddle buddy, anyone?
Sharp Cooking
I am *thisclose* to finally solving this no-laptop problem of mine.
Believe it or not, I’ve been scoping out the deals and comparing prices and taking a look whenever I happen to be in a store that happens to sell laptops. I almost feel like a real adult. You know, weighing all my options. Getting all the information. Making an informed decision based on the information I find.
You’d think I was about to make the deciding vote on who will be the next American President. If only I had that power…
But, the decision has come down to this: Either buy a smaller laptop I can get by with in the meantime; a laptop which can handle email, playing music, blogging, the occasional photo download, a semi large photo upload, and my Amazon.com shopping addiction. Among other things, of course, but that’s the basic lowdown…OR…Do I suck it up and pay a large amount of money towards a laptop that can handle all of the above, plus movie editing, photo editing, poster/magazine cover designing, and all the areas of design I wish to pursue independently until a job offer comes along and they give me a company laptop.
Do I dream big or what?
I’m leaning in the direction of getting the smaller netbook sized laptops I’ve been eyeing up. Their price is going to be nicer on my wallet in the long run. However, the big investment laptop is going to happen within the next year. I just have to get through this wedding chaos first, which, let’s be honest, is sucking up a large part of the income from my wallet these days…so probably a good choice on my part.
I have been wrong in the past, especially when it comes to technology.
Last night, I finally watched the movie “Julie and Julia” in its full extent. Why I have never watched this movie prior to last night is beyond me. I found it completely charming. Absolutely and utterly charming. Meryl Streep, there’s a reason your take on Julia Child earned you your 9th or 10th or whatever number nomination for Best Actress.
Simply put, Meryl, you were astounding! How I wish I could take acting lessons with you one-on-one to pick every aspect of your brain when it comes to developing your characters. She’s a true master of the Force, that one.
‘Julie and Julia’ was actually the inspiration for my own endeavors in cooking. I was about to start my third year at the Academy, and I wanted to take a passion of mine to the next level. I wanted to become a better cook. I’ve always enjoyed cooking, but never really took the time to really enjoy the whole process, you know?
So, stumbling upon a cookbook by accident called “College Kids Can Cook,” I took on this endeavor the same as Julie Powell: I will cook my way through the book. No recipe goes untouched, whether there is an ingredient already in the recipe I despise. I would cook everything, try everything, and then move on to the next.
Ironically, I didn’t run across a single recipe in this entire book that involved mushrooms. Amazing, now that I think about it. Mushrooms and I simply do not coincide with each other. It’s a texture thing. Bleh!
Regardless of never watching the movie in its fullest extent, I was inspired to cook. Now, I am about to take on my next cookbook adventure, and this time with Rachel Ray. ‘Cooking ‘Round the Clock: Rachel Ray 30-Minute Meals.” I’ll be starting with breakfast, and working my way through every important meal of the day.
Who doesn’t love scrambled eggs for lunch or dinner?
Now, I just need to get myself to the grocery store, buy the ingredients, and I am off! I’ve recently had another inspiration for an entirely different blog. I’m still developing the concept of the whole thing, and, as always, waiting for things to simmer down against my wallet before fully pursuing this next endeavor.
Trust me, it’s going to be a good one. Especially for us women. Two words: Fantastic Drinks. More to come later on this topic.
Overall, my weekend can be summed up in two words: Beer Tents. It was Grandma’s Marathon weekend, and the race is something I’ve never taken in before despite living in this city for the last 5 years. I was right there when the winner of the 26 mile race crossed the finish line, and it was downright thrilling. That guy looked as if he only started running 5 minutes prior to that finish line, and not 2 hours and 15 minutes ago.
Ridiculous. Superhuman strength in those legs if you ask me. Just ridiculous.
The beer tents had their fair share of excitement. Ran into the guy who had the nerve to call and cancel our date at the last possible minute of the night, said we’d talk in a few days, and has never called since. I point-blank told him to his face that if all he wanted was to not see each other anymore, he could man-up and tell me to my face. I’m a big girl. I’m not going to dive into the nearest corner and cry my eyes out for days. We were doing this thing called ‘dating.’ Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
Here’s another word for him: Honesty. If he didn’t want to see me anymore, all he had to do was say so. I’d have taken that answer, told him it was good while it lasted, and moved on with my life.
Instead, he says we’ll talk soon, but in reality never calls again. What’s worse? He had the nerve to tell me to my face that same line. I could see it in his eyes. He knew he pulled a dick move, and I confronted him about it. But he kept on trying to be the smooth, suave guy.
If he calls, he calls. I’ll chat him up, but he’s already marked himself as a massive A-Hole in my book.
“My husband knows so much about rearing children that I’ve suggested he has the next one and I’ll sit back and give advice.”
Sharp words from a sharp royal, Diana, the late Princess of Wales.
Since graduating from the Academy, if I’ve tried to be anything with guys I encounter, it’s honest. I’m going to call them out on their shit. Give me a line, I’m going to call them on it. Try to be smooth, I’m going to ask you your intentions. Don’t call me back and I run into you at a large city-wide party (with hundreds of people running around…it wasn’t on purpose we ran into each other. It was meant to happen), I’m going to question you and call you an idiot.
The real test, however, will be seen if he actually does call back: Will I take him on his word, or flat our tell him he’s a jerk followed by hanging up my phone?
I hope you’re weekend was equally as thrilling. Keep your heads high, and though a day late, I hope you told your father’s how much they mean to you along with a Happy Father’s Day.
Until next time…Bon Appetit!
Technology Wins Again
It’s barely after 10 in the morning, and I’m already downing a Rock Star. Either I am addicted, or I have a serious case of the sleepies. A single day of a pure 18-hour shift can really wreak havoc on your sleep schedule, or something.
Why do I even keep drinking it? It makes me cringe every time I take a sip and feel the fizz slide down my throat. If I’m being honest, the stuff is actually really icky. Yet, here I am, still drinking it. So who freaking knows?
I must apologize upfront. I’m going to try with all my might to keep posting daily. Not just for my followers and readers, but for my personal sanity as well. I had to accept the reality that I’m a writer when my fingers literally start itching for a pen or a key pad every single day. Literally. I have to shake my fingers out and wiggle them around to keep them straight.
Anyways, the apology is coming from me to you because I no longer have a laptop at my disposal. While I was away and at home this past weekend, my laptop decided it was time for it to pass on to Tech Heaven. I returned to sit down and catch up on email, the social networks, and get some blogging in. But, alas, my laptop did not want to start. Her pretty blue lights lit up for maybe three seconds before giving a half-hearted ‘boooooop’ and shutting right back down.
Insert small freak-out here. Believe it or not, my self-assigned mission on the side of technology involved me walking into a Best Buy or Office Max with the sole purpose of buying a hard drive to back up all my files. My laptop had been running pretty slow for the last couple of weeks, and I knew it would be a matter of time before she took the plunge.
Oh, how intuition serves me and I still refuse to listen.
So, a small freak out ensued when it hit me that my plan wasn’t going to work out as blissfully simple as I anticipated. My laptop is dead, and everything I have ever done…photos, graphic design, research for future novel ideas, computer backdrops, websites I had poured my attention into, papers I had written, downloaded music, resumes…ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING…still exists on my now forever sleeping laptop.
I can only cross my fingers and hope that all will be saved when I take her into the technical doctors office.
So…I’m without a laptop and will be $700 poorer within the next month. In order to do the things I do and pursue the type of career I think I want, a laptop is necessary. Not to say I haven’t been contemplating the idea of a new laptop recently anyways. I have been, but I still wanted to save my current laptop for simple things, like web surfing, photo hunting, and story writing. The new laptop would be reserved for the hard work…photo and video editing, and the occasional web searching hunt.
What may hurt me the most about not having a laptop? Shopping on Amazon. I am an addict. It’s what I do to destress from a long, hard day. I shop on Amazon.com. Not for clothes or jewelry. But for all things Star Wars. Books (LOTS of books). Music I want to buy. Random ass things I find cool. Movie memorabilia.
I am such a strange nut.
I could care less about Facebook, actually. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m reading about all the awesome things other people and my friends are doing, and I just hate myself because I feel like I have nothing going on. I don’t feed my ego that way about bragging about everything little thing in my life.
That’s what this blog is for 😉
But seriously, take this morning, for example. Three different people are proclaiming that they got the job they recently interviewed for, and they’re not crappy part-time retail jobs. It’s a job with a touring theater company, one is working on a yacht as a host and entertainer, one booked a national commercial, and the other is now a teacher.
Um…can I just get an interview to a job I apply for? Please?
Not to say I’m not getting interviews. I had one yesterday and I have another booked already for next week. But, it’s just trying on my self-esteem to see everyone else so successful and I just feel…stuck.
“Remember when we all wanted to look like Elizabeth Taylor? Well, now I do.”
The substantive stage-stalker, Carrie Snow, kind of gets what I’m saying here. At least I think she does. But, she could also be talking about how now she literally looks like Elizabeth Taylor. Open to interpretation, as everything usually is these days.
Right now, I just want to look like a successful young woman. It helps that my interviewer told me I’ll be successful in whatever I seriously pursue because I’m a pretty attractive young woman. (Don’t worry, he’s married and from how he was talking about his wife, he’s still madly in love with her 16 years later.) Maybe not the most appropriate thing for an interviewer to say to me, but it’s for prospects inside a theater…anything flies when it comes to theater.
If you’re not uncomfortable, it’s not making you work outside your safety bubble. One of my favorite acting lessons of all time.
But I should attempt to get these Bridal and Bachelorette party invitations signed, sealed and stamped! They need to go out today or tomorrow before people get too edgy about not knowing about what’s going on. I don’t want to be THAT maid of honor. But, I’m having a real ball planning them 🙂
Fabulous Friday will be coming at you later this evening!
Until then, find some tunes and groove out to the music. It’s Friday, y’all!
Down to the Last Ingredient: Graduation
This is my last night as an undergrad. How about that? I’m actually graduating.
It’s a funny feeling. Knowing my way of life is about to end and make a quick and rough transition. Although I probably won’t notice the difference until I’m not returning to the Academy this upcoming September. Fingers crossed I’ll have a job by then.
So what did I do to celebrate my last night bound to the Academy by the name of undergraduate? I whipped up my own version of a creamy taco dip, cracked open a Woodchuck hard cider, plugged in my headphones, and caught up on my New Girl episodes. How hilarious is that show? And can I just say Zooey Deschenal is seriously who I would be if I was only a button cuter much like she is? She’s famous for being dorky, funny, and sexy without trying.
Those are my main goals in life. To be seen as sexy while embracing my uttermost dork. I am graduating. They say the world if my oyster. We shall find out.
When I was a sophomore, I came into possession of a cookbook titled “College Kids Can Cook.” My frist year in the dorms did not give my a real chance to try my hand at being a whiz in the kitchen. We didn’t have stoves to cook on. It was either go to the Dining Center or learn to be crafty with your microwaves (and not always with Kraft Mac N’ Cheese either.) So when I moved into an on-campus apartment, you can believe in my excitement about finally having a stove in the kitchen. A real live stove! Suddenly I was cooking hamburgers, steaks, potatoes, real stew for once. Nothing out of a box, and only sometimes from a can.
Plus, when you have a choice to cook something in the oven or the microwave, it always tastes crisper and just plain better when you cook it in the oven.
So I made a promise to myself. I would cook absolutely every recipe in this cookbook. I didn’t care if it was something I already knew how to make or if it contained something I thought was really disgusting. I was going to cook whatever it was according to the recipe, and try it at least once. If I liked it, obviously I would make it again. If I hated it, I would either try to fix it with my own additions and remedies, or I’d simply let someone else eat it.
It’s happened a few times. Good thing my Dad isn’t too picky and eats just about anything.
What does this little tale have to do with anything? I have one recipe left to go, and its spiced coffee. Guess what I’m doing when I get up in the morning? I’m going to whip me up a cup of spiced coffee and (hopefully) enjoy the last recipe to be made out of my book. It’s a nice little bookend to my academic years, don’t you think?
“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”
Favorite words of mine from the famed food fanatic, Julia Child. I’m sure she would appreciate my cooking endeavor over the past 4 years. I sure didn’t know what to expect. Some of them were harder than others, and some I really had to add a lot of my own touches in order for it to taste great according to my taste buds.
Guess I’m just picky. I do like to eat. It’s amazing I keep this slim figure like i do.I enjoy food way too much.
Especially a good juicy steak.
As you can imagine, I’ve had many inspirational moments this week. You know,with everything drawing to a close and such for me. At least, in this chapter in my life. Some changes have already started to happen, a few in progress, and a few others I can only keep my fingers crossed for and hope the Force has a special eye on me when it comes to those areas of my life.
My finals week has been amazing, and here are the reasons my Friday is a bit more Fabulous because of it:
Fabulous Snack:
Fabulous App:
Fabulous Decor Idea:
Fabulous Attitude for the Real World:
Fabulous Beach Tip:
Fabulous Geek Out:
Fabulous Summer Goal:
Fabulous Smile:
Fabulous Bracelet:
Fabulous Daydream:
Fabulous Advice for Men:
Fabulous Relationship Advice:
Fabulous Pose:
Fabulous Information for Stupid People During Finals Week:
It’s a long list, to be sure, but I’ve had a lot of Fabulous Inspiration this week. To those of you graduating from your own Academies, congratulations and best of luck to you. As for me? I’m continuing to take it one day at a time, and finally devoting my time to projects I want to take on and traveling to places I’ve always wanted to see.
Right now? The Jedi are needed more than ever.
I need to grab some shut-eye. I have a stage to cross tomorrow. It’s the biggest stage cross I’ll make in my lifetime. At least until I’m at the Oscars 🙂
Write That Down
The more the weekend approaches, the less able I seem to be able to focus.
I suppose the reality of graduation does that to a person. Who would have thought it? The sad part is that I’m not done yet. I can’t switch my brain off from this train of thought just quite yet. I have 35 pages of my screenplay. One more thorough proof and that will be done. I still have to finish my scenic design project, but that will be accomplished by tomorrow morning by noon. Fingers crossed anyways. Then, I just have to give a brief presentation on why I designed it the way I did and I am on the road. Not to anywhere in particular. I’m staying put for the summer anyways. It’s a nice thing to think, in case I start getting antsy.
I simply cannot wait to no longer have this homework cloud hanging over my head anymore. I know I’ll still take on projects of my own liking, but then I get to work on them at my leisure. I don’t have deadlines according to someone else’s lame schedule. That’s what will happen when I get a real job, I know that, but at the same time, thinking I will have absolute control over every second of my day is a heartwarming thought.
Just a lot of thoughts running through my head this evening.
One such project I have started finally? Making my very own pair of Star Wars work-out pants. Actually, they’re not even pants. They’re going to be capri’s once I’m done with them. I have this tendency to overheat when I’m working out, so ultimately, the less clothes I am wearing, the better. It’ll be better when I have my beach body in tip-top shape for the upcoming beach season. Don’t shake your head at me. I live on the beach when I’m not at work, so I need to look good. It’s calming, its relaxing, and it lets me get some much-needed (and enjoyable) reading done.
When’s the last time I was able to say I read something for my enjoyment? Oh, graduation, you bring me so much joy.
I sure hope our key-note speaker is a good one. If he is boring, I will not be able to stay awake for the whole ceremony. Otherwise, I’m going to be so interested in seeing you is all around me that I won’t even notice. Lots of caffeine will be ingested that morning for the sake of staying awake the entire 3 hours I’m supposed to simply sit and stare at someone’s face half an arena away.
It’s fun to think about the changes I’ve made in my life since coming to the Academy five years ago. I’m much more open to meeting new people, I’m way open about my nerdiness, I tend to kiss just about everyone when I’ve had a few too many drinks, and I can no longer live without a planner. Umm…when did this start happening? In high school, I remembered everything. Every deadline, every due date, just absolutely everything.
Somewhere between 2007 and 2012, I lost a piece of my mind that helped me remember all that.
“I write down everything I want to remember. That way, instead of spending a lot of time trying to remember what it is I wrote down, I spend the time looking for the paper I wrote it down on.”
You have seen into my soul, Beryl Pfizer, one who is lauded for her one-liners.
I literally told my interviewer today that I am crazy. I explained my entire schedule to her and what’s like to live my every day life on a “common” day, and she just laughed and shook her head. How do you do it all, she asked, and I shrugged merely to say, I guess I’m crazy. Everyone told me I was crazy for taking on a BFA in theater and a BA in journalism. How will you divide your time between two majors that will demand your attention 24 hours a day and seven days a week, and every single week of your life until you are done with college?
Again, I’m crazy. Good thing the Force is a powerful ally.
As we near the end of my career at the Academy, a few words of wisdom never go underappreciated whether they come from friends, family members, a professor, or a random stranger I’ve met on the street and have heard two seconds of my newest upcoming chapter in my life.
So, with me acting as that (not so) random stranger, here are a few boosters to keep your going through the week. After all, it’s almost the weekend!
– Give yourself some credit. You deserve it!
– Joy is never far.
– You have the power to make good things happen.
– Hope can get you through just about anything.
– Think you can’t do it? You’re wrong.
– You’re ready for your dreams. Reach for them!
– Life has more ups than downs. Enjoy the ride!
I know that last one is easier said than done, but it really is true. This past week has brought some pretty amazing days, and it all came down to the little thing that brightened my day. Finally using that gift card to get a free coffee, taking a walk by the lake, hearing someone utter as they pass about how pretty my hair looked, receiving a text from someone I didn’t expect to hear from anytime soon, eating a dessert that miraculously appeared out of nowhere because the kitchen accidentally made too many…
It’s all about the little things.
It’s amazing what a new lip color can make you feel. If you’ve never experienced feeling like a new person because you found that new shade meant just for you? I suggest you get out there and look for it. It’s something small, but like I said, the smallest things often make the biggest differences.
And write it down so you don’t forget!
Time for the Reflection Pool
I’ve complained about Monday’s a handful of times. They’ve never been kind to me, but yet, this has been one of the best days in recent months that I can’t stop myself from smiling. It’s just been a purely great day, and it would be ungrateful of me not to smile and thank the Force and higher forces for blessing me with such opportunities and great people in my life.
Perhaps I’m feeling reflective since I am five days away from walking in my own graduation ceremony. Yes, indeed. Five days. Kinda freaky if you ask me. Five years have gone by in the snap of my fingers. Seriously, it feels like it has gone by like a breeze, and I’m feeling appreciative of all the people I have met in those years. Whether they stayed my friend for years to follow, or if they were a buddy when we were in class together, if we dated or if we merely flirted, or if we made out like mad at that one party back in my sophomore year…however I met you, I’m thankful for knowing all these people.
Everyone walks into our lives for one reason or another. It’s not necessarily clear why they enter our lives when they do, but they enter it and leave it with a purpose. We are meant to know them when we know them. It’s up to us to figure out why we were blessed to have them in our lives, no matter how brief an encounter.
How’s that for deep Jedi wisdom?
Honestly, I should be typing a cover letter right now, but I just don’t have the ambition. Even with it being a great day, it’s been a weird one.
My back was tweaking out when I woke up this morning, and I had to start my day with my Modern Dance final. I was practicing/warming up before class and my back was not having it with a particular move I had to do, and I was starting to freak out. Of all days my back wanted to be in bad shape, it had to be this morning. I sucked it up and made it through the entire routine, and it was fantastic. We’ve never danced it better!
But, a strange, but awesome, thing happened at the end of the final. One dancer was having some difficulty with her piece. I didn’t pry to ask what was wrong, but something was not jiving with her this morning. It’s not like her. She’s a phenomenal dancer, and she and I bonded a lot this semester, so it hurt my heart to see her struggling like this.
At the end of the final, she still had to perform her piece completely, so our professor took her outside,spoke with her for a few minutes, and when they returned, our professor announced she would dance the final piece with my friend. It was an incredibly sweet gesture, and reaffirmed every reason why I loved this particular professor. I will never forget the things she has taught me.
But here’s the part that got me going this morning. Our professor didn’t know the routine, but she danced with my friend and classmate, and it looked so beautiful. To top it off? The main lyric of the song is “By Your Side.”
The tears sprang into my eyes, and stayed far longer than they should have. All through my friends’ piece, through the group hug at the end of the class, and into the hallway where it all started to hit me. These people were huge pillars in my life, if even for a semester, and I couldn’t have imagined it without them. They embraced my nerdiness (I performed my midterm to a song from the Transformers 3 soundtrack. Let’s just say it was epic.)
Just all around a wonderful group of people. To make me feel better, I wasn’t the only one who started to cry.
But the biggest thing? I think it was the realization I no longer will have such a support group around me all the time. I will not always have these types of people around who will encourage me when I struggle, to catch me when I fall (metaphorically and literally) and I won’t have people who accept me in all my artistic endeavors quite like they did.
It was an amazing experience of feeling such an emotional response like that. Live in the moment. Feel what you feel, and let it be what it is.
That’s Jedi Lesson #2 for the evening. I hope you’re taking notes.
But for all the great times, now reality is hitting. I will have loans to pay back in six months. Ahhh…the legacy of five years of wonderful stupidity and intellect. How’s that for an oxymoron?
“I had one stocked that dropped to the point where I owed them money.”
Wanda Sykes, the star of her own show, sure knows the hecticness and uncertainty of investing your money into something, be it a stock or an institution. Regardless, it’s a risk. Was it worth it? I don’t hold the answer to this quite yet. Probably won’t for several years.
We’ll see how quickly I get a job after college before I judge anything on my education 🙂
That’s enough for tonight. I hope you’re all doing well, and thank you for coming back to see what’s up. I know I’ve been slacking on updating my blog on a daily basis here, but there is a lot happening in my life right now, and I’m enjoying the ride. I’m almost ready to take that step into the rest of my life.
Soon, I’ll be seeing you from the other side.
May the Fourth Remain With You
I know, I know, I know….I’m the author of a blog dedicated to learning the ways of being a Jedi in this day and age. Yet…I neglected to make a post on my Jedi-based site on the most important day of the year for Jedi: Star Wars Day!
It’s belated, but still relevant.
Of course I was out celebrating. I embraced the night of the Force and let it take me where it would. Believe me, it took me to a few good and unsuspected places, and I ran into a few people I met randomly and thought I would never meet again. The Force works in mysterious ways, and will continue to work in mysterious ways. Keep listening to the gut is what I say. It took good care of me last night, and it’s a wonderful thing to tune into, but I’ll discuss that more in later postings to see what other things develop over the next couple of days.
What a night! We hit five different bars in less than 3 hours, and I have never felt so connected to a city or to its wide array of strangers. At the same time, I ran into quite a few people who could be labeled as a freak. However, I’m not going to judge them on anything. New philosophy? No Judgment on anyone whatsoever! I’m serious. It’s so much better to embrace them for who and what they are instead.
Anyways, I hit a milestone last night. I decided I didn’t want to worry about whether I looked beautiful or not every second I stood breathing and watching others in a corner. I especially didn’t want to have to worry about how I looked while eating my pizza I was ravenous for last night when we hit the fourth bar of the night. Pizza never tasted so delicious. Or water…when you’ve been drinking nothing but Blue Moons for the past 3 hours, all you want to do is drink some quality H2O, and boy, it tasted really, really good.
I really didn’t care about what I looked like, either. I actually simply wore a T-shirt, a zip-up hoodie, and jeans out. I didn’t need to look sexy while I was out gallivanting across the city in the wee hours of the night. I wanted my stable, trusty boots to get me from Point A to Point B. The night sky also decided to drizzle on us the entire evening, so I wanted a good to keep my head, for the most part, dry. My bangs did get wet, however, and they ended up curling like the stupid cowlick that it is, but I didn’t care. I was surrounded by homegrown, music loving city folk and I enjoyed every moment of it.
“Being a sex symbol is a lot of hard work, and requires a Spartan discipline. I work out, I don’t go to parties, I do not smoke or drink alcohol, I am vegetarian, and I am asleep by 10 p.m.”
The hardcore beauty’s life advice of Mallika Sherawat, a Bollywood beauty.
Honestly, I believe every single word she is speaking. In order to look well rested all the time, you actually have to be well rested all of the time. Half of beauty is not looking like a walking zombie every other hour of your waking life. It also means not having some of the greatest experiences of my life. I don’t condone massive amounts of drinking, but the occasional drink with your girl friends, the beer and the game with your guy friends, or even the I-Had-A-Shit-Day-And-Need-A-Buzz moments…if you never let alcohol be a part of your social life, you’ll never have those moments. As embarrassing as they are sometimes, everyone should have those too drunk moments that make them blush three or forty years down the road. If they make you laugh, they are worth noting.
Smoking is something I wouldn’t recommend. I was a smoker for a short time in my life, and I don’t ever want to return to that. It’s icky. You smell like smoke all the time, your teeth are yellow, and you’re cooking your lungs from the inside out. Um…not okay. Id rather cook my steaks than my own set of lungs.
Working out is admirable, but I don’t do it enough. I’d be even more of a babe and even more of a badass Jedi if I did work out more. My body is in good shape now, but it could be better than it is.
Parties….it all depends on the party and who is going to be there. Not every party is a rave, but not every party is tea time, either. Some of my best memories from the Academy will be the parties I went to and danced my ass off. Or drank so much I hated everything about the world the next morning, but you live and you learn.
The truth is every woman is beautiful, and what makes them this beautiful? The Force! (You had to suspect it was coming!) In honor of Star Wars Day, our Fabulous Friday (if a bit belated, excuse me for celebrating the Force yet again), is going to be dedicated to none other than the Star Wars theme itself. Here is what continues to inspire me about Star Wars each and every day of my Jedi life:
Fabulous Dress:
Fabulous Easy Party Treat:
Fabulous Polish Look:
Fabulous DIY:
Fabulous Fantasy:
Fabulous Underappreciated Female Lead:
Fabulous Kicks:
Fabulous Music for an Introduction:
Fabulous Inner Thought:
Fabulous Gift for a Jedi’s Dad:
Fabulous Reality TV Show:
Fabulous Pick-Up Line:
Fabulous All-Time Movie Poster:
I could go on and on with this Fabulous Friday, but I won’t. Star Wars is something that has been a part of my life since I can remember. ‘Empire’ was the first movie I can remember my mom putting into the VCR for me when I was a little kid when I couldn’t go run around outside on a rainy day. I was sunk from that moment on. In fact, all of my nerdy endeavors can be traced back to my mom. Whether this was her plan all along or not, I’m not too sure…but it worked regardless.
There is more music to be heard this evening, so I will catch up with you cool cats later.
Be safe out there, and groove to the beat pounding in your own chest from all that bass.
And yes, it literally does rock you.
So the Farewells Start…
It’s true what they say about Keira Knightley and her acting. She never closes her mouth.
I’m currently watching the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, and she never has her mouth completely shut. Her bottom lip is always hanging slightly open. Or her one eyebrow is arching itself way higher than the other for some odd reason. What the heck is that all about? Even with all that going on, she would go on to be nominated for an Oscar three years later.
Maybe I should start picking up on a few of her facial tics. Although, I prefer to keep flies out of my mouth and my lower lip is far plumper than hers.
I’m going to be perfectly honest with you, I’m not looking to write a very long posting here tonight. I’ve had a very long day filled with a mix of emotions I knew were forthcoming, but it doesn’t necessarily prepare you for them once they hit.
There were a number of farewell dinners taking place today, and I took them harder than I thought I was going to. I was actually spared from the afternoon one. I had to miss our faculty lunch due to my class happening at the same exact time, but I got the full brunt of it this evening at my farewell dinner.
I’m proud of myself. I didn’t cry until the very end after I’d opened all the going-away present my peers gave me. Even the two boys on our office team went out and specially wrapped my gift for me. They didn’t have to do that, and it sure made me smile. A very sweet gesture to me sure.
I know great things wait ahead of me. It might just take some time to get to them, but I’m here, living life and what better adventure ist here than that? I’ll probably be complaining tomorrow about how I have no future, no job, no relationship,no nothing. Just smack me across the face. I’m far more optimistic than that in real life.
“Sex in space is more than a big bang.”
An interesting perspective, Vanna Bonta, the inventor of romance enhancing space suit.
Hey, who knew? I’ll let you ponder the excitement of that prospect when we start exploring space travel as the next advancement of the human race.
But for those moments when you begin to feel down, here are a few things to remind yourself of and how much potential you really hold for the world waiting outside your front door:
– You know you can do it.
– Wonderful things happen all the time.
– You accomplish so much more than you give yourself credit for.
– Today is a miracle. And so are you!
– Treat yourself like someone special.That’s what you are.
– Hope. Plan. Proceed. Succeed!
– Take the next step. You’re almost there!
With graduation taking place in just over a week, my focus has been all over the place and I do apologize for that. My blogging has been suffering from it. But, once week has slipped by and I have only finals and the upcoming summer to think about, I’ll be more than ready to share my thoughts on every subject once again.
I have a few things I want to throw your way, and several things have happened that simply need discussing!
Take care, and curl up tight under your covers. The frogs are singing their pond songs tonight. I’ll be opening my window to fall asleep to them this evening, and I couldn’t ask for more.
Until next time, May the Force be with you.
PS – Tomorrow is Star Wars day!
The Modern Jedi 