Goodbye, 2011.

My my my, has this year flown.  I'm in shock.  It seems like yesterday I was welcoming 2011.  In a blink of an eye, it appears that 2011 has passed.  And with the start of the new year (apparently the last one of human existence), I can't help but to reflect on what 2011 has given and taken away from me.

[via blog.heritage.org]

 Let's compile a list, shall we? Nothing's in chronological order, I'll just write them as I think of them.

Here we go.


1. The first song I sang in 2011 was God Bless America. Not my best moment.
2. I pegged a snowball directly between someone's eyes. So proud of myself.
3. During the course of the year, I bought over 450 glowsticks.

Basically.
[via flickr]

4. I learned CPR.
5. I finally figured out what I want to do with my life.
6. I became employed at the car rental agency I work at now.
7. I successfully made the most perfect fried chicken you'll ever eat.
8. I watched the entirety of Arrested Development. ...Twice.
9. I purchased my first pair of Converse.

10. I rekindled my love affair with Gouda cheese.
11. I had my last two wisdom teeth removed.
12. I lost one of my best friends.
13. In 2011, I had three different college addresses - one from freshman year and two from the past semester.
14. I discovered the magic of omlettes.

[via schwans]

15. I realized how terrible I look in fedoras.
16. I was in a car accident.
17. I gambled for the first time in my life.
18. I went clubbing for the first time in my life.
19. I made more friends this year than I ever have before.
20. 2011 has tested my friendships. It's becoming clear who will stay for the long haul and who will pass with time.
21. I traveled to New York City and Washington DC.

[via popartuk]

22. I finally got the hang of contacts.
23. I switched doctor's offices.
24. I started a recycling program.
25. I went to a concert.
26. I was introduced to Pastabilities.
27. I got a job as an RA on campus.
28. I was chosen to do research with a professor for next semester.
29. I dissected a frog, pig, starfish, goat brain, and sheep heart.
30. I've come to terms with Kanye West's lyrical genius.

Hip hop machine.
[via snacksandshit]

31. I drove just about every car at the place I work at (which is a lot, trust me).
32. I went whitewater rafting.
33. I almost died countless times.
34. I began watching Grey's Anatomy and can't stop.
35. I was proposed to countless times.

This is how it went every time.

36. Ironically, 2011 was a year without romance. The proposals were all food-related.
37. I got my eyebrows waxed for the first time. Yeah.
38. I threw a Swamp People themed party. Complete with camouflage.
39. I gave up on bowling because I think it's stupid.
40. I received an email from a production company asking if I wanted to be in a show regarding teenage girls obsessed with Twilight.

Just because I have the same tattoo doesn't mean I'm obsessed.
[via tattoodonkey]

41. I drank about 75 Shamrock Shakes.
42. I rewatched Hey Arnold, with emphasis on the Stoop Kid episode.
43. While eating out in Ithaca, I also saw a man skateboard down the street that legitimately looked like Gerald from Hey Arnold.
44. I saw Whose Line live.
45. I got really sunburned, to the point where people gathered around me for warmth.
46. I gave blood. And ate an omelette after each time.
47. I felt like a pedophile for the first time in my life after attending a concert with the target audience for kids 8-13 and their drunken parents.
48. I lost 12 pounds this summer.
49. I gained all of that lost weight back when I stepped inside the dining hall.

CURSE YOU, FATTY FOODS!
[via ithaca.edu]

50. I ate a shameful amount of chicken wing dip but I have yet to feel the shame.
51. I worked a 14 hour shift without a lunch break. Car shows for you...
52. I recorded every show during Shark Week, then my sister got mad at me and erased everything. I've never felt more hatred for a person.
53. I received an Edible Arrangement and cried.

54. I'm pretty sure that video is on YouTube. My boss recorded it.
55. I ate an entire watermelon in one sitting.
56. My calves went from wimpy to rock-hard. Thank you, Ithaca hills.
57. I became best friends with my parents.
58. Gary punched me in the face countless times. Each time was when he wanted to go under a blanket and I refused him.
59. I had two steroidal injections into my eyelid, a spot dangerously close to my actual eye. Currently cringing from the memories.
60. I discovered how much I truly hate physics.
61. I realized that I will never be able to achieve an accent other than the one that I currently talk with.
62. I went apple picking.
63. I literally saw a double rainbow. I'm not kidding.

ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE SKY.
[via bandcamp.com]

64. I fell in love with Pad Thai.
65. Randy Pausch reminded me how precious life is.
66. I finally got to sit at the cool round table in Ithaca's library.
67. Chai tea and I are best friends.
68. I realized that my parents will never love me as much as they love Gary.
69. I revived my love with Capri Suns. Specifically Fruit Punch.

Oh baby.
[via drinks.seriouseats.com]

70. I was introduced to incredible music.

72. I discovered this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHnGMV8yOEQ
73. I bought a delicious Nikon.
74. I found my hand twin.
75. I became the go-to masseuse amongst my group of friends.
76. My hair has progressively gotten curlier. Thanks for the curly genes, mom.
77. I watched a person go vegan with success.
78. I made countless batches of creme brulee.
79. I attempted the Single Ladies dance and failed.

[via loft965]

80. I won Monopoly.
81. I went to a jewelry party and was asked to work for the company because of my outgoing personality. Needless to say, I did not want to host jewelry parties, so I politely nodded and declined.
82. I made about 7 peanut butter pies this year. Each time, people fell in love with me.
83. I welcomed a new cousin to my huge family.
84. I became temporarily addicted to the Sims 3.
85. I realized how little instant Netflix offers and often question why I continue to pay for it.
86. I gave my sister a ton of wedgies.
87. I seriously considered whipping up an article for Cracked.com (and still kinda want to).
88. I broke my phone on St. Patrick's Day after getting home from dancing.
89. I fell down a very steep hill/mountain.
90. I saw Transformers 3 in theaters and didn't pee during the whole showing, despite the drink I had.  It was a struggle.
91. I gave up on Friendly's and Denny's and only go to them as a super last resort.
92. I actually took the time to watch Jersey Shore. Regret...
93. I thoroughly questioned Miley Cyrus' sanity almost every day.

Yup.
[via stupidcelebrities.net]

94. My friends threw me one of the best birthdays I can remember. So thankful.
95. I enjoyed laughing at the slow downfall of Nicolas Cage.
96. I went to Johnny Rocket's more times than I would like to admit.
97. I slowly began to learn that I'm pretty damn awesome. The learning is still happening.
98. The best clothes to work out in are spandex capris and a wifebeater. No lie.
99. I was introduced to Boo the Dog and my life hasn't been the same since.
100. Finally, I confirmed that bacon truly tastes good on everything. Everything.

[via dennys]

2011 was one of the best and one of the worst years I've experienced.  I've never laughed harder, but I've also never felt as much pain (physical and emotional) as I have in the past year.  It's been a rollercoaster for sure.  I'm not sure if I would choose to relive this year if I had the chance.  One thing is for certain, though. I'm ready for a new beginning with friends, family, and Gary.  Bring it on, 2012.  This is going to be an excellent year.

Let's Chat

Long time no see! No really, though. I haven't blogged in forever.

But sitting on my warm and cozy couch and cuddled up next to Gary, I have found the inspiration to type up what's been going down in the ever-interesting life of moi. Oh I just threw some French on that. BOOM.

Where to start? Well how about the obvious?

Merry Christmas/ Happy Hanukkah/ Happy Kwanzaa/ Whatever.
I'm trying to be neutral here, but in this house we run Christmas like a well-oiled machine.  I really do love Christmas.  Getting my crazy family together is a guaranteed good time.  If I could only tell you the stories of my Christmas pasts...

I ate so much freaking food.  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I gained about 1,000 pounds.  I had to roll out of my aunt's house.  I was so full that I was in pain. #firstworldproblems.  I got some pretty neat stuff, too.  A nice pair of Birkenstocks, always top fashion in Ithaca, some fuzzy socks, clothes, some college stuff, and a cake pop maker.

Oh yes, I can't lie about this.

Lollipops - but made of cake. Woah nelly.
[via glutenfreediva]

Guys. Guys. I love to make cake. Cake LOLLIPOPS. Kill me. Kill me softly. Because I don't even know what I'm going to do with my life anymore.  The possibilities of cake balls on sticks are endless. Infinite.  Let the brainstorming begin.  I already have about fifty-two billion ideas...

Guess What. I'm an RA.
Somehow, the lovely ladies and gents at Ithaca's Res Life thought I would be the best little Resident Assistant they've ever seen. And by golly I think they were right. I start training on January 13th, which means that I will make my third freaking move of the year. My dad hates me.  I kid, but I have made an enemy since these moves began - my refrigerator company. Oh yes, children.  I call them up and tell them that I'm moving yet again and this is how the conversation goes:

Me: Hello! Good morning/afternoon! I'm just calling to let you guys know that I'll be moving this semester, and I'll be taking my refrigerator with me.
Lady at the fridge company: [Wheezy New Jersey accent] Ugh, alright. Hang on a sec.
Me: Sure thing!
[ten minutes pass]
Lady at the fridge company: Okay, what's your name and where are you moving to?
Me: Well, my name's Eve [last name] and I'm moving to [third address of the freaking year].
Lady: Well it looks like you've already called about you moving twice already. Are you really moving again or is this a joke?
Me: No I'm not joking, I just want to keep the records updated. I'm not quite sure why anyone would prank call a refrigerator leasing company, but okay.
Lady: You're all set...again. Have a nice day, I guess.
Me: You too.


So after I talked to the stupid fridge people, I took care of other things such as enjoying my life.  I packed up most of my room before I left for winter break, so moving this time should be pretty easy. In fact, we've gotten pretty good at doing this. Perhaps my dad and I should open a moving business...dare to dream.

*A Father, His Awesome Daughter, and a Nifty Truck
[via twomenandatruck.com]

With being an RA, I have to do those things that make your little floor look so cute. You know what I'm talking about. Door tags, bulletin boards, floor programs, the whole nine yards.  Guess what, my door tags have already been approved and holy toledo I'm a little too excited.  You know me and my unique sense of humor.  So you know that my door tags are going to be awesome.  And the last thing I want to do is disappoint.  What do you think: Despicable Me Minions. Yes? No? Oh hell yes guurl marry me? I choose the third, myself.

They're going to look so cute, I can't handle it.
[via g4tv]

I also have to come up with ideas for the bulletin boards and floor programs.  So here's one of the only times you will see/read me begging.  No one ever comments on my blog, which is fine.  But here's the dealio: I have extremely creative friends.  So, here's what I'm asking - if you have an awesome idea for me, for the love of Jesus tell me.  I'll pay you in Cake Pops. Any flavor you like.

On top of being a spring RA, I'll also be doing some research with a professor.  I'll be working with some little fishies to see how the liquid fracking components affect fish hatching and survival.  Pretty neat stuff, considering that Ithaca is like the anti-fracking capital of the world.

See y'all in the lab!
[via sickgoldfishcare]

So, come January 13th, my life will probably be the craziest it'll ever be. Except when the weird stuff goes down at the job I work at, but those are two different kinds of crazy.  Looking forward to the roller coaster ahead of me.

What's New?

Why hello!

I thought Ithaca was going to escape the doom and gloom of winter...I was severely wrong. It's been so nice out lately.  The sun has graced us with her lovely presence and for the first time in Ithaca history, I still can't see my breath. And it's November. By now, Ithaca is 10km underneath a newly-formed glacial mass. Students begin their transfer applications to the University of Miami, and a scalding hot cup of coffee is your only motivation to arise out of the cocoon you call your bed.

If they sold these in Twin XL size, that company would be eating filet mignon 24/7.
[via kidshaus]

But it's nice still. And for that I am happy. It isn't lasting for long. And being the environmentalist I am, I know why it's so nice out right now, which makes me sad.  But I also know what we're in for. And let's just say that I've already emailed those baby cocoon people asking for a larger size.

Like all good things, this blip of good weather in the sonar of the sad and cold ocean must come to an end. I just tried to make a fishing metaphor. I might have failed. In any case, it was wonderful while it lasted. If only I could have worn my sunglasses throughout this time...which brings me to my next point.

Have you ever had a sty? If you don't even know what that is, then you've never had one. But let me tell you, styes and I are besties. But it's more like styes love me and I hate styes. They really suck. They're painful. Styes have caused me to spill gallons of detergent on my dorm room floor. Styes have made me go see an opthamologist only to be told to slap a hot tea bag on it. We live in the technological age where anything is possible! Medical advances are being made every single day, and the best treatment for these things is a tea bag?

Me every night.
[via practicalglamour]

And that's how it's been for year now.  Every month or two, a stye and six of his friends would party it up in my eye and then leave after two or three days.  But this time is different. It's like this stye started partying and once the drugs wore off, he took a little look around and liked what he saw.  He liked what he saw and he wanted to stay.  For the past two weeks, this thing has deceptively gotten better, then turned for the worse.  Right now, we're on a downward spiral.  My eyelid has a nice, hard lump on it.  For those of you interested in medicine, google chalazion.  That's what it is, folks.

So, this new enemy and I duke it out.  I went to the health center and now I have an appointment with an opthamologist.  In fact, the very same one that I saw a year ago and sent me away.  This time, there shall be no sending away.  I'm going in for a consult and I'm finishing this.  My eye shant be a frat house where styes can just take a load off. Nay.  Find another victim.

I would like to take some time now to discuss my college's health center with y'all. It looks like any other outdated building on campus, with the wood paneling on the walls, pamphlets about every single disease known to man (as well as a pamphlet on hookahs...), and the uncomfortable leather-esque furniture that can be easily cleaned with a Clorox wipe in case a youth decides to chunder.

Also, it looks slightly like an all-women's prison. Just throwing that out there.
[via ithaca.edu]

But here's where it got weird.  All of those things should be expected of any college health center. But one thing should not. And that, my friends, is the music. You walk into a health center and are serenaded by the soft symphonies of coughing. Perhaps the ringing phones offer the beat by which the flu victims can cough to. If you're lucky, you might even hear the terrible elevator music overhead.  But no. Oh no. This is where I was thrown aback. Because after I checked in with my Quasi eye, I sat down. It was then that it truly registered. I listened in and heard autotunes and a synthetic drum beat. While everyone was dying around me, Bruno Mars was singing us away. I kid you not. Perhaps it was a fluke. I listened further only to discover that they had a hip play list filled with club beats and dance tunes. Bruno Mars, then Drake, then some other dude who relies on machines to make his voice sound good. It was one rapper after the other.

"Feel better kids. Also, the new album comes out on the fifteenth!" --Actual quote from Mr. Mars
[va idolator]

Which brings me to my question of the day. Who in their right mind plays rap music in a health facility? It's so out of place! Ridiculous. Blasphemy. Auto tune mixed with coughing does not bring a smile to my face. In face, it brings an upside down smile, more commonly known as a frown, to my face. Sadness washed over me like saturated fat on an artery.

Update: I did go see the eye man a week ago and he shot some roids into my eye. That was fun. Also, I'm on meds and flaxseed oil. I'm not sure if you've ever taken flaxseed oil pills, but woah nelly are they a doozy. 

This is actually to scale.
[via profimedia]

It's a sad day in the neighborhood. But in the end, everything works itself out. Even if I have choked on those mammoth pills more than once. Egads.

Rough Start? Check. Overcoming it? Check.

Words cannot even begin to describe these past months.

Let me tell you, children, there is a reason why I haven't had time to sit and breathe, let alone blog. 

I don't even have time right now, but I love you all and I feel like this might cheer you up.  Or not.  It might make you sad.  Whichever, I hope to spark some form of emotion with this post.  It's going to be a long one, so fasten your seatbelts.  After all, it's been over a month.

Getting back into the swing of things, I sincerely regret my decision to major in a science.  Like I said before, science is my thing.  But I wish it wasn't...it's so difficult sometimes.  Like, I want to rip my hair out and walk around campus with bald patches because I have so much homework due tomorrow difficult.  And not to sound conceited, but I'm not the dullest tool in the shed if you know what I mean.

That is, when it comes to books.  Throw my ass in the streets and you better have an obituary pre-written.

"She didn't last an hour..."
[blogspot]

I love bacon too.  I couldn't resist...

For real though.  On top of the massive workload I'm beginning to receive, there is a myriad of reasons as to why these past few months have been pretty rough.  Oh and midterm grades come out tonight.  My nails...are chewed to the cuticle.

ALAS.

Moving on.  Mind you, nothing on here will be discussed in detail.  However, I will discuss some of it.  Public blogs aren't the best place to vent about things other than school and food.  Just so we're clear on that.

I live alone on campus now.  In fact, I'm in a completely different building.  I've been in a single for just a little over a month now, and it's nice.  Sometimes I miss having a roommate, having someone to talk to before you go to sleep, splitting grocery costs, just little stuff.  In the end though, living alone has definitely done me a lot of good.  Getting to the place I'm in now is a completely different story, however.  It's not the prettiest one either.

But I'm all good now.  The wave of confusion and borderline depression has ebbed.

Goodbye, wave of destruction!
[via blogspot]

I feel like I've lost a very dear friend of mine.  And trust me when I say that it hurts. It always hurts when you feel like you can't repair a friendship.  It hurts to try and realize that the other person doesn't want to be in your life anymore.

What's done is done.  There's nothing I can do to change it; it's out of my control.

Anyway. Like I said before, I'm in a new building.  The walk isn't nearly as bad and the people on my floor are incredible.  Seriously, if anything good came out of my situation it's that I got the opportunity to live in a community. A place where people care about you, where you can knock on someone's door and be welcomed, a place to be happy in.  I didn't have that until now.  I'm in the international dorm now. Let me tell you something, people: international students are the nicest out there.

Seriously.  It's Hug-Fest 2011 in that building.  It's so refreshing to be surrounded by people that are nice and good.  It's like living in the world of Full House.  But you only have Danny Tanner.

ALL DAY EVERY DAY. LET'S GO.
[via blogspot]

In all seriousness, I have learned (and continue to learn) things about myself as a result of living alone.  I'm coming to realize that I'm a pretty cool lady.  I'm pretty smart, I'm obviously the love child of Paula Deen and Antoine Dodson (butter and sass 24/7, baby), I'm not the ugliest out there, and I'm a really good friend (at least I like to think so. I would love for someone to tell me otherwise.).

And with this new sense of self comes its own challenges.  But for right now, everything is settling down.  I'm living in a much better place.  I'm starting to realize who I am and what I want out of life.  I hope you're happy for me. I'm happy for me.

But a lot has gone down in these past months.  I've been to places and I've made a crapload of food. I didn't take pictures of the food though, I apologize.  Use your imagination. Or Google.  It's the same in today's society.

Let's see.  Cooking wise, I've made:


Rainbow Cupcakes: I love making these, but they're starting to get old.  It seems like every time I whip up a cupcake, it just has to be frosted like this.  However, they are consistent crowd pleasers. Everyone asks how it's done and I always end up convincing someone I'm a wizard.  Because I am.

Apple Pie/Fritters/Sauce/Crisp/Plain Ol' Apple: A while back a few friends and I went apple picking.  It's always been a family tradition for me to bake everything apple related the same day.  I made fritters (so effing delicious), sauce, and a pie. Seriously, apple pie is so awesome.  It just screams Fall.  It's when I know to embrace the changing leaves.

Made by my hands. Oh yes.

Chicken Riggies/Non-Chicken Riggies: Simple and wonderful.  I think everyone reading this knows how I feel about chicken riggies.  It's one of my comfort foods.  I made it twice in one week.  Currently taking a break from it...riggie overload.

Attempted-Fried-Ice-Cream-Turned-Failed-Mission-Turned-One-Slightly-Successful-Gluten-Free-Fried-Ice-Cream

BREATHE. JUST BREATHE.
[via miller-mccune]

Fruit Salsa/Food of the Gods: All it's made of is chopped fruit.  Seriously, take strawberries, pineapple, kiwi and cantaloupe and chop it.  Chop it until your heart is satisfied.  Add in some honey and sugar for good measure.  The fruit takes care of the juice on its own.  Oh my goodness I'm thinking about it again...so delicious.  Cinnamon sugar pita chips are definitely the best scooper for this salsa.  It is fruit perfection.

I think that's all the food I've made thus far.  I know I'm forgetting stuff.  The joys of not remembering things...

Oh I made creme brulee too. And crab cakes.  Just remembered those.

They'll pop up randomly during the rest of this post, don't you fret.

Aside from living in my dorm kitchen, I took a little trippy down to my favorite city of all.

Washington, D.C.


Oh how I love you. How I would live in you if I had the chance.  If only...

I went to Georgetown Cupcakes.

I peed myself in Georgetown Cupcakes. Because I was in cupcake heaven.  I left with 6 and an empty wallet.  But I left happy, damn it.  I walked everywhere in DC.  Literally, miles a day.

We went to Filomena, a restaurant I saw whilst watching ze Travel Channel.  They show those restaurants for a reason.  We went and holy chicken tenders was the food delicious.

I kid you not. I got the holy grail of seafood pasta dishes.  Are you ready for this? ARE YOU READY? Like it or not, I'm going to describe it.  Grab the nearest napkin and buckle up.  We're heading into Drooltown.  Picture this: black pasta (oh yes) in manicotti form.  What's filling this pasta, you ask?  Why, only shrimp, crab, scallops, mozzarella and ricotta.  That's all.  It's nothing special really.  Except for the whole covered-in-lobster-cream-sauce thing.  I basically ate the ocean for lunch.  And it was beyond delicious.  BEYOND. I dream about it sometimes. Four to seven times a week, in fact.  That's normal, right?

Aside from the incredible food, I went to DC with a purpose.  Ten other students and myself from our college's anti-genocide club went to a conference on Saturday and Sunday.  They were jam packed with mini croissants, breakout sessions involving today's critical issues regarding genocide, box lunches with Clif Bars included (hell yes), and leaders and students from around the world.  It was an incredible experience.  I learned so much and gained more knowledge by some of the world's leading anti-genocide figureheads.

I wish I took pictures of the conference.  Living with regret.  Let me tell you, if you ever get the opportunity to do something like I did, DO IT.  It was awesome.  I'm really glad it's an annual thing, I plan on attending...annually.

That Sunday, we had the rest of the day to ourselves.  A bunch of us walked around the city, taking in everything.  We went to the US Botanic Gardens.  Lucy had a field day.

I really love Lucy and her capabilities. We went to the Museum of Natural History.  That was pretty neato, let me tell you.

I did a bunch of things in DC.  At the end of each day, though we would go back to my lovely cousin's house and relax.  They're awesome and I'm so grateful that we could stay with them. And use their kitchen for our own culinary desires...

But my trip has ended and snow has begun to creep its way into my life for another nine to ten miserable months.  From here on in it's all about physics, chemistry, keeping warm and keeping sane.  But isn't life always about those things?

Also, a random thought that sincerely confuses me: why do people wear hoods halfway on their head?

[via 123rf]

Either commit to the whole thing or not at all. There's no in-between.

Brain Status: Liquified.

Let me tell you something, people.  I forgot how damn hard college is.  When it's summer time, all you think of is the fun times in college.  You know, the leaves falling on the quad, you laying in the grass catching some rays, laughing with professors in class.

Ah socialization.

I love what I do in college.  I love where it's going to take me.  I love science, I really do.  But sometimes (most of the time, let's be honest here), I wish I loved easier subjects.  Holy hamburgers.

I'm majoring in Environmental Science and also doing the Pre-Med track.  So for those of you who don't know the extent of how horrific this is, let me elaborate.  A general science major has to fulfill 120 credits for his or her major to graduate.  This means 15 credits every semester dedicated to your major, each semester.  Not to mention the general education requirements Ithaca has so lovingly spilled upon me.  Needless to say, being buried in homework from Day 1 is typical.

Actual photo of me every night.

It has only been a week since I began my second year of science love/hell.  I hate it but I love it.  I wish I wasn't so completely torn with my feelings about my future.  It makes deciding what to do that much more difficult.  Alas.  Now the point of this post isn't to complain about my workload, it keeps me busy, but it is rather to make everyone understand how hard college is.

It's not just throwing frisbees around the quad, people.  It's real work.  And by real I mean excruciating.  And by excruciating I mean "don't let Eve near sharp objects or else."

SHINY!

I kid, I kid.  But seeing as how my entire life is schoolwork and stairs, let me give you a description.  I start four of five weekdays up bright and early at 6:00am.  Did I mention that it is neither bright, nor early?  Well that's because the sun has yet to rise.  Wonderful.  Anywho, I head on down to breakfast and munch on an omelet and fruit until 7:45 rolls around.  Then it's time for Chemistry.

Ah, chemistry.  At 8 in the morning.
My morning pick-me-up.  I enjoy chemistry.  In fact, it's probably what I'll concentrate in.  I just get it, at least these first few days.  I'm sure that in a week I'll post an entire entry about how I'm lost in chemistry.  And posting something about it instead of seeking help would actually hurt me more...

My last chem class was four years ago.  God, writing that down makes me feel so old.  Sophomore year of high school was the last time I dealt with elements, bonding, and reactions.

My brain, Chemistry section.

 Needless to say, I have some refreshing to do.  I have a feeling I'll do fine in this class.  The 8:00am four times a week is the roughest part though.  It's not even like I can waltz on up the trillion stairs back to my room to take a quick nap.  Why?  Well, I have a class directly after that.  And another one right after that.  Oh yes children.  Going science non-stop from 8:00 to noon is a pure delight.  And by delight I mean hell.

Basically.

Right after Chemistry, I move about two doors down to my next class of the day.  Called Earth Systems Science, this is basically a steroid-pumped version of Earth Science.  Now I hate to brag, but Earth Science is somewhat of a specialty of mine.  Freshman year of high school taught me well, and I'm very familiar with all of our lab equipment.  Which is wonderful.  Back when I was a lil' tyke, I geeked out on two things: sharks (marine biology in general, really) and minerals.  Yeah.

All of my passwords for the computer were different minerals.  Not only did I love the fact that nobody would ever guess them (because I'm a perpetual nerd and everyone made their passwords their crush's name back in second grade), but whenever I'd type in my password I just felt so awesome.  I would use a pencil and think of the sheet-like structure of graphite. 

100% Carbon.  100% AWESOME.  100% my password to get into my Nickelodeon account.

Needless to say, this class will probably spark some inner mineral love I've been suppressing.  I'm afraid to discover this side of me.  If I start referencing minerals and rocks later in the year, just go with it.  Accept me for who I truly am.

This is the class that I'll have to go outside for, despite the weather.  You know, I love being outdoors.  I love the smell of rain and I love walking through the occasional forest.  I wear bandanas when I hike.  But between what I'll have to do this year in Earth Science and the personally-crafted version of hell I endured last fall has definitely made me come to the conclusion that I would much rather work indoors than out.  I can't work in the field.  I think I would go bananas too quickly. 

I would actually turn into Tom Cruise.

So after this class lets out, it's 10:00am and I've already got two sciences under my belt for the day.  Alright, let's take a much-needed mental break.  Perhaps a nap?  Perhaps hanging out with friends for a few?

OH HELL NO. 

After that class, I walk up a flight of stairs and walk right on into my two-hour physics class.  Oh yes.  Physics.  2 hours.  PHYSICS. 

Hold me.  This is the class that I'm the most terrified of.  I've been avoiding it since I was cut out of my mother's abdomen.  When you're over ten pounds at birth, it's pretty much the only option.

Me two days out.  Except I'm a girl.  And not Asian.

I've been avoiding physics like the plague.  I am a serf and it is an infected rat.  I see it everywhere, but I run.  I run fast and I run hard.  But my time is up, and I've got to bite the damn bullet.  Six hours of physics every week until Christmas.  Perhaps this will be the best Christmas ever.  I should make friends with it now before it becomes too late.  So I'm trying to patch our relationship up, mostly with equations involving subscripts and deltas. 

And this is when I die.

Alas.  So I escape from the prison at noon and go about my life.  Until I start homework.  Hours and hours and hours of homework.  That is all the science I'm taking this semester.  You would be crazy if you did more.  People think I'm crazy for doing this much as it is.  It is my life, folks.  You can't run from your life.  Or postpone it.  Unless you're Dr. Evil and Austin Powers and you freeze yourselves for 30 years.

Austin, you have to shave that.  I know it's cold in there, but you look like an ape.

To fill up those lovely general education requirements, I've also enrolled in an art history class.  Because we need to take art to graduate.  Hmph.  Let me tell you, it is a foreign language.  In the land of atoms and equations, people all around me are talking about artists and interpreting why they used acrylics instead of oil pastel.

I'm a fish out of water.  A scientific fish thrown into a vat of paint.  FISH CAN'T BREATHE IN PAINT.  AT LEAST NONE THAT I'VE HEARD OF. 

It's rough.  But this class is ridiculous.  Guys, the professor went over Stonehenge and the Pyramids for a collective fifteen minutes, then we spent the remaining hour watching Ancient Aliens on Netflix. 

Oh yes.  This is no joke.

This is real life.  All in all, this semester is going to be interesting.  I'm not sure how mentally sound I'll be anymore.  It's already Week 1 and I'm babbling.  Motor controls are beginning to weaken.  Comprehension of the world around me is fading.  To everyone in college, I sincerely salute you.  I hope that you find much success this semester.  Mine is debatable at the moment.