"you had me at business partners"

the title is sort of obvious...but this entry is my annual "lookback at whatever year is about to end".

I rang in the new year (drunk, which is how i would end up spending most of 2007) with some home friends in nik's basement. quality. Amy, Doug, and Val came to visit me a few days later and we had a wonderful time watching movies and doing nerdy historical things (side note: Valerie loves birds...). Hallmark continued to beckon until i returned to la salle for the spring 2007 semester...which would prove to rock 50% and suck 50%. i continued to be boyfriend-less...which considering, is fine. my family took a trek in february to disney world, which was a much needed break from my honors project and life in general...no one is sad at disney world.

while in disney, i found out that i had been cast as dinah lord in 'the philadelphia story'. this is my dream straight show role...i submitted this show for no other reason than i wanted to be a part of a production of this high brow show. so, maybe the audience didn't get it...but we had fun and i got to do one last show with melissa and chris. improv added a few new members, i drank an entire hurricane and had the most embarrassing drinking experience ever...fortunately, i don't remember it at all. march brought a snowy st. patrick's day and a new masque baby, megan. i had had a lot of fun with doug, but really knowing megan prior to inductions helped make things really fun too. philly story went up, and i was re-elected ar&r.

i declared in may that the summer of 2007 would be 'the summer of megan'. i just had a fantastic feeling about the summer that lay ahead of me. it was the best summer i have ever had. being in philly was awesome and i had an awesome job. my romantic life finally sorted itself out as well. to start off with, i didn't go out much prior to this summer. i was 21, but always chose to stay home and drink with the kids at the townhouse...that's where my friends were. no need to leave la salle. however, after they graduated, my day one friends convinced me that it was time to venture into the world of public drunkenness. i started going to finnegans and mcfaddens and mad river. my life would never be the same. one fateful friday night, scott and sarah took me with them to finnegan's. sarah's boyfriend, mike, also brought someone along...his roommate, jason. i had met jason before, since we were in the honors program together, and i always stopped to talk to him when we ran into each other on campus, but i would not say that we were close in any way. every one there was gathered for a 'habitat' reunion...except jason and i. he sat down across from me and we started talking about things, mainly harry potter, if i remember correctly. after a while, he got up to watch the game shows that were on tv...i joined him, as i was bored and at this point definitly attracted to him. wheel of fortune came on and i got one of the puzzles very quickly (jason would later refer to this moment as the moment 'i had him'. he says "you had me at 'business partners'). from that moment, we were inseperable throughout the night. i definitly liked him, but i had no idea what he felt about me. i talked to sarah, a close friend of jasons and my freshman year roommate, and she assured me that there was definitly something there. i was just waiting for him to make a move or something...he kept texting someone (which he can't remember who) and i was convinced there was someone else. i was clearly wrong...after we kissed that night, there was definitely something special there. i was even so forward as to invite him to stay in my room...which in retrospect, could have been disasterous...but i guess i just knew that there was nothing to worry about. we talked that whole week after...and he didn't make another move...but i was busy and i just figured he was too. sara's 21st was approaching and i really wanted him to come along, but i was nervous to ask...finally i did, he said yes and the rest is more or less history. i was thinking tonight that i was probably in love with jason from the first time i saw him that night...but i also could be really romantic and overdramatic. however, we have been together without a hitch for 5 months yesterday.

the summer continued swimmingly...harry potter, the beach, megan visited, amy's, sesame place, quizzo...then back home for 2 weeks. sarah went to school and i went back to la salle. it was so good to be back at the place that had made me so happy all summer. school started and i suddenly realized that this was going to be the academic semester from hell. grad school had me worried all semester, the show was intense, and i had the 2 worst teachers i have ever had at la salle...hands down. i did really well (actually, the best i had done so far), but i still would not want that semester back for anything. urinetown went well. thanksgiving was wonderful, probably because jason was there and it was low key. my birthday came around again and michele came home from her semester at sea (thank god...)

i just realized i haven't mentioned a15/ihor once in this entry. my townhouse rocks and i wish i could live there forever...sort of. the people, the food, the love. i can't wait to go back.

2008 promises good things. first, i graduate. second, i'll probably be going to grad school. jason and i are on the road to something really good. my classes are amazing.

so, dear 2008...don't. suck.
<3 megan

this weekend is going to fly by too:
today: grad school stuff, shopping with jason, out for panda's 22nd.
saturday: brewer family christmas, driving to philly with jason.
sunday: all day in nyc with jason
monday: new years eve...out with amy and whoever else.
tuesday: home from philly...and no jason for a week and a half :( boo.

that was long...sorry. my year was pretty good once summer hit. i just had to write about it.

i'm peachy.

fifteen.

no...i am not going to do those "15 people" things...just vent about them.

i think they serve no purpose....not at all. if you really feel that way, then just tell them! don't just put them on the internet for everyone to see, but not to know. I just feel like it's weird, you know?

ok...vent over.

i started watching lost today...i'm sick of the plane crash flashbacks, but i'm sure it gets better.

i hope my west wing dvd's come back soon. :(

i'm peachy.

cj cregg and crocs

so, the most dreaded break of the year has begun. I'm not a huge fan of xmas break, and never have been. it's a month off, yes...which is too long for me. however, unlike the summer, it's also cold and grey out for most of the break. i love christmas and i LOVE my birthday (which was fantastic this year), but everything around those couple of days kinda stinks.

i had a great weekend with jason after finals were over, just hanging around the apartment and watching tv. i finished a book and just relaxed, which after this semester, i was sure if i knew how to do that anymore. my parents picked me up on sunday, and i started right back up at hallmark on monday. this week has been pretty good...i worked a lot and i've gotten a lot of stuff done. applications are getting worked on, my room is getting organized (hopefully for the big move whereever in the summer), and i'm reading. however, there has been one thing looming over my entire first week here at home.

WEST WING
my parents 'made the mistake' (and by mistake i mean one of the best gifts ever...you people are good this year!) of purchasing the first 2 seasons of the west wing (aka my favorite show ever) on dvd. so...i've been watching about a disc a night since i got them. all well and good until i got to wednesday...the last episodes of the first season. i had off the entire day from work, so i was in the living room organizing binders and stuff and watching away. the last episode of the first season, if you have never watched the west wing, ends on a HUGE cliffhanger! HUGE! there's a shooting, but they don't let on who has been shot..you just see images of the staff running for cover. it was 9 years ago that i saw that episode, so i don't remember who got shot. I HAD TO FIND OUT! so...it was time for season two. i found out in the first 10 minutes of the second season who got shot...i won't tell you because if you haven't seen it, i want you to watch it with me. i'm plugging along the second season...i get to the second disc and put it in my computer. it says "this disc has been played before...do you want it to start at the beginning or where it was last played". PARDON? so...it turns out who ever makes the west wing dvd gave me 2 first discs and no second disc. boo. to make matters worse (not that this is a terrible, unfixable tragedy), my favorite episode of west wing EVER is on the second disc (for those of you who have seen the series, it's "Noel", the christmas episode...with yo yo ma). i tried to pass the time by watching the first seasons extras disc...but it's not the same. so...no more west wing for a while.

jason comes home today, which could not thrill either of us more. my friends are basically working or out seeing family and i've been working, so i've seen no one (except nikki and fred at hallmark for a few minutes) aside from hallmark people and family. he has been alone at his apartment for a week. soo....we miss each other.

i guess i should read the golden compass or watch the first season of saturday night live. there was something driving about west wing, with the story lines and the endearing characters...but snl is way funnier.

i have work today, then jason comes home and we're going to a coffee house to see my friend nathan play. tomorrow = off...sunday, work...monday, work / xmas eve....tuesday = chrismas!!!...wednesday, work, thursday, work, friday off, saturday brewer family christmas...sunday, new york...monday, new years eve (anyone have plans?)...tuesday, new years and jason's last day. this break needs to go a lot faster. i need a15 in my life...i need something to do. i'm bored.

merry christmas...annual retrospective coming soon!

i'm peachy!

edit: yes, to the dismay of many of my friends, i purchased crocs. and you can suck it because they are comfy and i do not experience foot and back pain after 8+ hours of work on my feet. they are also not the normal style, but the mary janes.

everybody's working for the weekdays...

i hate working.

i hate it because it's just a way of making money and in no way fulfilling.

i can't wait to have a job that doesn't require me to work with children or with glitter.

ugh.

disgruntled peach.

renovations part deux

so, i changed things up again...i can't think of any more cereals, so please help me out.

thanksgiving was fantastic. good food, family, jason, wine...lovely.

that's all for now...i'm exhausted...

rip dr. kerlin

i'm peachy.

Suck it, Gloria Gaynor

Well, it looks like I might have survived "Urinetown: The Musical". Never before has a show come so close to mentally killing me. Granted, I was only somewhat involved in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown", so I can only imagine what they went through. Right now I'm going to take toll of what was lost, gained, etc. in the last 2 months:

- GPA intact
- right knee: may need medical attention at some point.
- left knee: bruised.
- voice: almost shot to hell
- mental state: same as always (which isn't saying much....)
- Stickies: 2
- Kiss the Casts: 12
- Envelope of Love: gained.
- Relationships: some lost, some strained, most strengthened
- Flowers: 2 bouquets and a house plant (thanks mom!)
- Exhaustion: off the meter

However, no matter how much my knee hurts, how tired I am, how stressed I might be trying to catch up with work, and how much I wish I could have gone to this or seen that, the memories I made in my last show are something I would trade for nothing in this world. What a good show.

Aside from that, I'm actually looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. Jason is joining my family this year for it's very small celebration. I'm working Black Friday and Saturday (I really need money), and hopefully getting a shit-ton of work done. Also, when I return, I have 2 New York trips (hopefully), parties, my 22nd birthday, and MICHELE'S HOMECOMING to look forward to (with the last one being the most awesome and important). There has been something seriously lacking in my life here without Michele. I've loved getting close to people, but she is a huge part of my life here so I'm way more than ready for her to come home.

That's it for now. I'm trying to be as productive as possible tonight so that tomorrow I can really relax.

I'm peachy.

fire and brimstone.

this is the week from hell.

literally...it's why we call it hell week. we're constantly annoyed at each other. there is yelling and pouting...and there is always that person who is the ray of hope. for this show it is none other than my eldest, doug. he has been just optimism personified this week and i just love him for it. good son.

other than that, life has been uneventful. class, work, rehearsal, homework, repeat. i'm ready for friday more than usual. my sister is coming in on friday afternoon and the show opens that night. i'm way excited about it all. it's my last musical here, and possibly my last appearance on the stage in the masque. it's a little sad, but exciting in a way. a lot of things have been happening, good and bad, that have me psyched for may and graduation. i feel ready.

that's really it. i have tons to do before 6, so i'll be going.

ps: thanks to mama for updating everyday.

i'm peachy.

you can never go home again...

Jason and I were sitting tonight at the Friendly's on the Pike and Rt. 15 waiting for our ice cream sundaes. I had ordered my usual, as I am a creature of painful habit, while he waited on the mint chocolate chip concoction that ALMOST got me to change my mind about the reese's peanut butter cup sundae. It was about 10:30, which in central Pennsylvania is very late.

Me: I just realized I can never move back here.
Jason: Why not?
Me: I dunno...
Jason: The people? The atmosphere? The fact that 10:30pm here is equivalent to 3:30am in Philly?
Me: All that and more.

I spent an earlier portion of the night getting drenched at the Homecoming football game at my alma mater, East Pennsboro. I don't remember anything about the game, but just attempting not to get too wet, something at which I failed. When the game was suspended until further notice (it later resumed...in the pouring rain...), I fled with my mother and our friend Kim to the awning in front of the high school, which is something every other middle and high school student without transportation. I haven't heard foul language like that...ever. Even out of the kids I pass on the subway. They were also wet, which my mother observed makes them all the more threatening. After a while, we joined my father and our friend Randy in a sports storage building that the school officials had opened up to shelter the cheerleaders, the homecoming court, and their irate parents. I saw one of my former teachers and I went up and had a chat.

Teacher: So, how is school going?
Me: Pretty well. I'm getting ready to apply to grad schools now.
Teacher: Goodness, that makes me feel old. What do you plan on getting your Master's degree in?
Me: American Civilization or American Studies. I'm hoping to study at either Brown or William & Mary.
Teacher: Why do you want to get your Masters?
Me: Well, I'm hoping to teach at the college level.
Teacher: You're very bright...why don't you just teach high school and forget grad school?
Me: Really?
Teacher: Yes. I'm sure East Penn would love to have someone like you back here.
Me: That's nice.

Just being back at home today makes me realize how much I have grown past this town. I am just too ambitious to live here. No one expects anything more of you than average. It's very frustrating and I could see me falling into a hypothetical hole of despair and loathing. Also, very few of my friends are here. Jason is both places, but even he seems happier in Philly. My plan is to cloister myself away on Delwood Drive and do work and avoid the lameness that is central Pennsylvania. All the bullshit and undeserved confidence the people here possess is starting to make me ill.

Angsty message...over.

I'm peachy!

are you there God?

It's me...Megan?

Today at work I was given proof that there is a God and that he probably thinks I'm OK. First, I finished my close reading for Tuesday in record time. Second, I was nominated for Homecoming Queen (very exciting for me, as I was never nominated for anything like that in high school). Third, I got 2 emails saying that 2 of my three classes on Tuesday are cancelled. Fourth, the 2 big things I'm working on right now are for those classes and they are now not due until the 4th.

Life suddenly got amazing...well...more amazing than before. This week is not going to suck. I feel it. everything is literally falling into place. My friday is going to be extremely relaxing, as I am having afternoon tea at 2 and going on a date with Jason later that night. My parents are coming up on Saturday for parents weekend and for the Improv show, which a lot of my friends who have graduated are coming to as well.

Life is wonderful.

I'm peachy.

about today...

today i played free cell game #8...and i kicked its ass. however, my mind is still blown that the number was just "8". I really thought that the free cell people, who ever they are, just made up numbers and put them on the game. wow.

still...single digits should watch themselves around me. i'm vicious.

and chris...really? i died in episode 4 of 10? i did like the way i went...clever...gross but clever. but episode 4?!

i'm peachy.

idk, my bff jill?

so, i haven't written in a while...this is mainly because i have literally no time to do such things. However, I got my rear in gear last night and did work so I have nothing that HAS to be done for tomorrow. Thursday serves as my Friday...which is sweet. I have class, class, work, and rehearsal. work is great because for three hours i get paid to do homework. I'm mentally tied to the desk from 2 until 5, with some breaks to talk to angie. that helps loads to have a friend at work. I'm struggling to get some alumni relations stuff done this week because lately i suck at my e-board position. i want to do the history stuff, but the alumni relations stuff is far more important. i wanted to get a young alumni event together, but looking at the upcoming weekends, that's not happening until the spring. oh well...that way i can really get the word out there and plan a nice event.

school is going fine otherwise. i have to start thinking about grad school and the gre's and such. eek. i'm so stressed about the three billion things i need to be doing that i took the day off on monday from work and school. i was also psycho-somatically ill. my stomach hurt, my throat hurt...i was a mess.

i had an idea for a story, but i guess i have to start writing it before i decide that i like it or not. i wish i could write like j.k. rowling, or even like jason. that's what he wants to do...write. he's a good writer, i'm sure (i've never read anything he's written). i'm just an uncreative person when it comes to thinking of scenarios and characters. oh well.

i really have nothing interesting to say. i got a part in 'urinetown'...i'm soupy sue. i'm pleased with that. some people in the show, a lot actually (no one who reads this blog though) are so fucking apethetic about the show. they just show up when they want to. we've already had to move parts around. it's ridiculous. at meetings we have to practically baby the membership to get them to know what's going on...i don't remember it being this much of a problem my freshman or sophomore year...i just knew when stuff was and i made it my business to be there. what is wrong with people!? there are some fun freshman though...good, funny kids.

oh well.
i'm peachy.

college is for learning.

things i learned yesterday at college:

1. dave amodei can't count.
2. (in reference to number one) don't let dave amodei mix you drinks.
3. just because a cocktail has a cherry at the bottom, does not mean you should have more than one.
4. playing "never have i ever" with new people can be scary.
5. if you are too drunk to type, go to bed.
6. turn in your roommate agreement on time...otherwise the ra will find you when you are drunk and that's never a comfortable experience.
7. my boyfriend is a very understanding person.
8. i think i have a water fairy.
9. don't fucking drink on a monday night when you have a 8 am on tuesday.

just a sampling, but still.

i'm peachy.

with a side order of jew.

i haven't written in a while. this is probably all well and good, as i have had better things to be doing.

classes are not what i hoped they'd be. they are unnecessarily difficult...and not one honors class in the bunch. a lot of silly busy work is involved in most of them too, so i'm a little perturbed. additionally, some of my professors have this weird idea that i should format everything exactly how they want it. am i going to learn anything from this? no.

i'm in a horrible mood right now, which i'm hoping passes by tomorrow.

i shouldn't be in a bad mood though because frankly i've got it good. i have a boyfriend who really loves me and does cute little things for me, like make my bed or get me peanut butter pie when i've had a rough week. i have great roommates who listen and try to make me laugh and such. i have a large group of good friends who make the weekend worth it. sometimes its just hard to remember that. i just feel overwhelmed, like i procrastinated...which i couldn't have because how do you procrastinate at this stage in the game?

oh well.

i miss michele...i read her blog and it made me feel really happy for her, but it also made me miss her.

i'm peachy.

because it's been demanded of me...

so, since i've been home, i've read, eaten tons of food, spent a day with jason, and dyed my hair, among other things. the dye job isn't intense, but it makes me happier about my general appearance. a picture for you:



I hope this satisfies you, reader.

While I've been home, I have also shopped...a lot. Mainly cute tops, but i needed a new hairdryer too. Then there were those wedges for 3 dollars that were so cute. and sara and i needed bathmats. so...yeah. a lot of money has been spent. i need to stop that.

what else? i've spent a couple of evenings with my small group of home friends. manda and i had lunch on tuesday with my sister, then that night fred and nik came over too. manda and fred also came by the house to meet jason on friday. everyone's busy though, so i'm ready to come back to school and be with those people again.

i'm way excited about my townhouse. perhaps too much. i'm just going to like having my own room, but having the place to go to see my girls downstairs. and jason's close...

ok...i think i've mentioned jason a lot in this blog, but let me tell you, i could have done it a lot more. i'm very head over heels in love with him. the night before he came to visit, i kept waking up thinking it was morning. i was so excited that he was coming to visit. he met my parents without incident, then we went to taco bell to get lunch for ourselves and sarah. we then went to city island to see sarah and ride the train, which was too comical for words. then we came back to the house and watched 'young frankenstein' and i kicked his butt in trivial pursuit. my mom pulled out the boxed wine for happy hour (which made jason and i feel at home, since we met at a happy hour and have since attended that happy hour almost every week...we're alcoholics). i got gigglely. for dinner, we went to 'five guys' burgers...which was ok. jason hadn't seen harry potter 5 yet, so we saw that, then i wanted to have a gathering, but no one really showed up. then it was late, so he had to leave. i can't believe the day went that fast. i miss him already. jesus i'm a sap..in love.

oh! he bought me a tiny gnome in a box, which comes with a faux lawn, exotic backgrounds, and little flowers. i'm pretty sure he loves me too. :)

ok...love fest over. just had to put it out there.

busy and weird week ahead...sarah goes to school. oy.

i'm peachy.

aha...

there is little that is more wonderful than spending the night with one's fantastic boyfriend, eating peanut butter pie, watching seinfeld, and laughing, all while wearing his pajamas. i am most definitely in love.

i could get very used to this.

in other news, i'm back in the 717 for 2 and half weeks. i went to the shore today and it was blissful...

i'm peachy.

here's how it happened...

since yesterday's announcement of me having a boyfriend, many of my friends have been asking me how it happened. well, here it is...the grand story.

I was sitting in a meadow, full of daisies and baby rabbits, singing to the birds when suddenly a dragon landed on said meadow. He dismounted the dragon, tossed his golden locks out of his eyes, smiled at me and said "you are the most wonderful individual i have ever laid eyes upon! please be my girlfriend!" i thought for a moment and decided that yes, I would in fact be his girlfriend. we kissed, then skipped into the sunset towards a magical castle.

ok...you have possibly realized by now that the story i have just relayed to you is false...but it seems to be what people want to hear. the real story is that we were watching leno after hanging out with friends all evening and we realized it was just the thing to do...the sentiment was there, but no dragon. or meadow.

i'm peachy.

add this to the list...

this was quite the eventful weekend...it was great, but i'm exhausted. here's what i did.

i went waverunning on the delaware, saw 'hairspray', watched 'the producers' for the first time, read children's books, went to sesame place for the first time, had pudding shots, played in puddles, found my new favorite drink, played quizo, evaded the beach tag people, had mack and manco's pizza, acquired a boyfriend, drank stewart's cream soda, made a cake, went to wawa, got sunburned, frolicked in the rain with said boyfriend, almost drowned, climbed a rope course, walked the ocnj boardwalk, took a four day weekend, danced around, sang in the car with megan, spent quality time with some awesome people, and watched 'father of the bride'...

this list could go on, but its not going to. that was a sampling.

this has been a great weekend.

i'm peachy.

pardon me...

people....i realize i'm a huge HUGE nerd. i take quizo too seriously, i know way too much about the masque's history, i know too much history in general, i watch star wars and back to the future, i love get smart, and i more or less live for one h. potter. however, for some reason unseen by myself, a number of people enjoy going out of their way to tell me that my interests are lame, stupid, and that i have no life. how are your cultural obsessions any less stupid, if that's what we're calling them?

newsflash: i'm perfectly happy liking what i like. i figure you are too. so leave me alone about it. i tend to be insecure, but the fact that the most interesting thing that you have to do with your life is tell me how pathetic my life is...that makes me feel sorry for you.

this isn't directed towards one specific person, as a number of people have taken it upon themselves to do this to me. there are certain people where this exchange is the way we operate, as in one d. sullivan. he and i have communicated for years in insults and jabs at the other's interest...but we do respect each other. i don't feel like the people i'm writing this about have any respect for me...and frankly, it's mutual.

~~~~

in other news, i have no idea what to do with the rest of my life and if one more person asks me about it, i'm going to rip their kneecaps out and try to replace them at the elbows.

considering the tone of this entry, my life is pretty fantastic in most respects. i have a job where i can spend the day reading and being nerdy. i have someone new and pretty fantastic in my life. i'm going the beach this weekend and home next week. sigh of contentment.

i'm peachy. agitated...but peachy none the less.

ch-ch-changes...

there have been a few changes in the links as of late...thanks to a certain *cough* person who finally wanted to be linked. :)

i'm peachy!

where my thoughts escape me...

so, i've pretty much had the best summer of my life this year, which was much needed after the shitshow that was my junior year. i've gone out to the bars, i've seen shows, movies, and concerts; i've made a great new group of friends; i've gotten closer with my old friends; i've had a great time. there are still a small number of things i want to do before i leave though:

1. go to ocnj (friday!)
2. see tom's 'romeo and juliet'
3. go to '1776' sing-along
4. go to sesame place (monday!)
5. do nerdy, historical things

despite all this, i am so ready to return to harrisburg. i haven't seen some of my friends since january...these are people i've been friends with since i was nine and i've never gone this long without seeing them. i'm ready to relinquish my independence for 2 weeks so that i can get a home cooked meal and quality time with my family and our cats. here are the things i have to do while i'm home:

1. summerdale diner AT LEAST once.
2. hersheypark with fam.
3. water golf on city island.
4. lunch at roxie's, possibly with rosemary.
5. movies at AMC and the midtown.
6. go to 2nd street (just because i haven't yet...) with lettie, fred, and nik.
7. farmer's market for used books and lunch
8. chinese at ho wah.
9. hopefully spend an evening at the albrights.
10. stuffed shells at barbs.
11. perhaps a sports event with my dad.
12. perhaps an indie flick with my mom.
13. day of sisterly fun...
14. nights with 'the crew'.
15. scrapbooking and collaging (the latter for ihor...)
16. tea at the cornerstone.
17. afternoon at the library.
18. one day in my room of reading.
19. bowling....definitely bowling...

i'm sure the list could continue, but it just gives you the idea of the things i've been missing this summer. i have a really good feeling about senior year. good house, good neighbors, decent classes, and other things that indicate the awesomeness of fall 2007/spring 2008.

i finished harry potter and the deathly hallows in 10 hours. i'm sad it's all over. i guess i have the next two movies to look forward to though.

time for dinner and a nap before quizo!

i'm peachy!

theme.

i changed the theme of the blog...if you would rather be a different character, give me the heads up. please.

i'm peachy!

the girl who waited...

ok, so i admit i've been very slack in my blogging. i apologize. there's been a lot going on in my life to this point. things have changed greatly since the fourth, but there's no reason to talk about that now. the only thing on my mind today is the boy who lived.

tonight, some 13 hours from now, the final installment of the harry potter series will be officially released and i will have a copy in my possession. then, for the next few days, he will be my constant companion. this isn't difficult as somehow or another i have duty both saturday and sunday nights, in neumann hall no less, so i have nothing better to do than watch movies and read harry potter. i'm going tonight with kate and my best friend amanda to the borders on the avenue of the arts and we shall get our copies of the book. amanda and i also saw 'order of the phoenix' at midnight opening night, so this is becoming a nice trend.

i'm not so sure how happy i am that this book is coming out. i think i'm more sad then anything. i've spent the last 6 years of my life reading about these characters and enjoying wondering what will happen next, and suddenly they will no longer have new adventures. i have my theories, which run much alongside of doug's.

today at work, one of my co-workers said that i reminded them of ginny weasley. that made me very happy.

what else? well...i've been spending a lot of time at the library. watching movies, mainly. next weekend i'm going to the shore for the day, which is exciting since i haven't been in over a year. for once, i think i know where certain aspects of my life are going...it's nice, since i haven't felt that way in over a year. wow...with that considered, the last year wasn't that great in most respects.

on sunday, doug and i went to the decemberist's concert at the mann center, and they played with the mann center festival orchestra. it was amazing, in short terms. i wish they had a live recording of that concert, or one of the concerts that they did in the same style elsewhere. they have this beautiful song about being on stage that might be among my favorite songs ever right now. they use a lot of celtic influence in both their music and their lyrics. download their stuff now...it's wonderful.

other than that, i've been working in community development. not much to say there other than i really enjoy working there. i get to work with my friends and do what i want most of the time. woo.

that's it. i hope this occupies you at work.

i'm peachy.

"it does not do to dwell on dreams, Harry, and forget to live." - Albus Dumbledore.

val knows too!

You scored as Prairie Dawn, Prairie Dawn is very mature and intelligent. She writes plays, directs them, and plays the piano. She leaves the acting to her friends. She likes studying and thinking about her future career. She's serious, but she can be spontaneous at times. She's a born leader, and she is a mediator. Prairie knows how to meet people and have a good time! Prairie Dawn 82% Rosita 82% Zoe 79% Ernie 75% Cookie Monster 75% Bert 75% Abby Cadabby 75% Elmo 64% Grover 61% Count Von Count 61% Telly Monster 57% Oscar the Grouch 54% Big Bird 50% Which Sesame Street Character Are You? (Many outcomes) created with QuizFarm.com

i am a future ex-pat.

"Couldn't help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land
Where justice is a game." - Bob Dylan

I don't typically write political essays, or even essays that are remotely serious. However, considering today's date AND the recent events in Washington, I figure it's time I start.

As an American Studies major, I have gained pride in my nation. I have come to appreciate our film, music, and other cultural contributions. I have also come to better understand what we were founded on and what we stand for. Or, what we are supposed to stand for. I learned in the past year the extreme risks that the founding fathers took to gain our independence and to draft our laws. Millions of Americans have died for various causes, first to prove ourselves worthy of being our own nation, then to prove that this republican experiment could prevail, and later to allow democracy to remain intact where it had already taken root. However, I think John Adams would be turning in his grave to know that we are just walking into countries now to spread democracy. We are entering wars under false pretenses, exploiting the lost lives of thousands of civilians to justify a personal agenda. I have to agree with Keith Olberman: President Bush, allow yourself a last shred of dignity and resign.

However, if Bush resigns, then Cheney is President, which is just as bad, if not worse. So, he should resign too.

If I belonged to a club that I was embarassed to admit that I belonged to, I would eventually just quit. Clearly I don't believe in what they stand for and it would just be better for all that I left. However, I believe in what Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence. I believe in the United States Constitution. I believe in the Gettysburg Address, the Frontier Thesis, and the Myth of the West. I can't imagine living in a nation where one day I can be in a bustling city full of information and the next be looking at nature at its best with no connection to the outside world. I feel goosebumps when I see the flag or when I hear the national anthem. However, if I was to travel outside the country, I could not muster enough pride to tell a foreigner that I was American. I'm not pleased with the way our nation looks to others.

Bush is making a mockery of the risk that Roger Sherman of Connecticut took when he signed the Declaration of Independence, which if the Revolution had failed, would have been a one way pass to the gallows. He is making a joke out of the risk John Dickenson took when he refused to sign the D of I, exercising his right to disagree and respectfully leave others to their ideas. Millions have died to protect our way of life and he is making a mockery of them too.

Britain got it right and changed political leaders. Why can't we? It's because we're an apethetic nation. It's difficult to tell what is right and what is wrong. However, that's the beauty of living in America (as it is on paper). We can disagree with our leaders and remove them peacefully. We can disagree with each other. We can openly say that we don't like what our leaders are doing and take action. We just need to get off our butts and do it. When things like the Scooter Libby incident occur, I want to leave America. I want to go to Canada or Great Britain. So far as I can tell, justice isn't a game to them.

Finally, I didn't vote for Bush...ever. In the 2000 election, I was 14 and in the 2004 election, my absentee ballot was never sent to me (dispite my timely application for one), but I was intending to vote for John Kerry. I don't really like him, but I really don't like Bush and any vote against him to help the Democrats was mine to give.

This may not be the most detailed or accurate. It's just what I feel right now, on our 231st birthday.

Thanks to "the lady" for the Keith Olberman video to inspire this rant.

Harry Potter is coming! the essay that is...

I'm peachy.

It does not do to dwell on dreams...

...and forget to live.

Wow. I haven't written in this for a while. Mainly it's because I've been fairly busy...re-reading Harry Potter. Yes, my obsession with "the boy who lived" has resurfaced in full force. Currently I'm between 5 and 6, because I can't get my hands on a copy of "Half Blood Prince" yet. Anyway, I've been busy with otherthings since the 17th, when i wrote my who essay.

18th - Sara stayed over and we had fancy beers and went to quizzo. It was also a Day ONE day, so it was a long one (Monday's always are.)

19th - I worked, we had a staff meeting at Ritas.

20th - Day one...reading hp.

21st - Day One. I also saw West Side Story at Neumann College because my friend Scott was playing in it. It was fantastic!

22nd - Gwen's Going Away Fiesta! Pay Day! Amy Slept Over!!

23rd - I read alllll day and was on duty....so yeah.

24th - I read all day and saw "Evan Almighty" that night (It was OK).

25th - Day One (I lost a kid), Quizzo was cancelled. Boo on the 25th. I read.

26th - Community Development by day, Staff Meeting, KFC, and duty by night.

27th - Day One. I read.

28th - Day One. City to hang out with Paul. ( I say it again, best I've eaten in a loooong time.)

29th - CD by day, out to Finnegan's and the Brewery by night with Julie and Cait. (Oh, I also finished HP 5).

30th - Pam's Grad Party!

Today I'm going to clean up a bit (sara's probably staying over tomorrow) and seeing Ratatouille with the same basic people I saw Evan Almighty with. I really want to see Evening...who wants to go? I figure I should take more advantage of the fact that I can actually see Indie films this summer. This week I'm also dying my hair (HP 5 - the film is upon us!). I'm going as Ginny Weasley. I also need to order my Decemberist tickets and my copy of HP 7. July is a great month!

Look for an essay about Harry Potter soon.

chester knows.

when i was a freshman at la salle, graham rowe introduced me to the music of one elliott smith. he made me this cd with his favorite songs on it, such as 'needle in the hay', 'christian brothers', and 'waltz #2'. however, the song that struck me the most was 'say yes', most recognized from the film 'good will hunting'. i fell in love with this song. up to that point, the last artist who had influenced me in such a way with one song was ben folds and his song 'the luckiest'. for the last 2 and a half years, i have confidently stated that 'say yes' is my favorite song of all time. hands down.

today, at 11:34 am, it was officially dethroned.

i decided that i wanted to buy some songs on itunes this morning and i looked around at my friend's favorite music to get an idea of what i wanted. i bought cat steven's 'here comes my baby' and some other music, but i moved on to a band that my dad really likes. when i was little, and just into the beatles, i asked my dad who his favorite band was. he answered "the who". he knew this would confuse me (i was maybe nine years old), and i said "who?". he responded "who". this went on for a while until he finally said "the who. they were a band that started around the same time as the beatles. they're my favorite." i pondered this for a while, until i decided that it would be best for me to go back into my room and listen to the white album again. over the next few days, probably on the playground, i pondered about my father's response. i liked the beatles at first because dad liked them, but now i realized i was on the wrong path to being just like my dad. unlike other little girls, i did not listen to mary kate and ashley or the spice girls. i was not interested in the backstreet boys. i liked what my parents liked. as a family, we listened to disney, elton john, billy joel, and whatever my mom liked (when it was just her). my mom loved (and loves to this day) celine dion and gloria estafan. i can only deal with them for a short period of time. i preferred my dad's music, far and away.

after this blow to my tiny mind, i decided to find out what this 'who' was all about. i rifled through my parents selection of cassette tapes and found 'the best of the who' or something like that. i popped it in and listened to it...and decided that it was crap. i didn't listen to the who for another 5 years. at the end of middle school, my mom bought my dad 'tommy' for his birthday (the cd, not the movie). because it was like a musical, i really liked that. whenever we were in the car together, i always asked my dad to put that in, and he was happy to oblige.


over the last few years, my musical interests have gone all over the place. today i decided to go to my friend's blogs and facebook profiles to see what songs and artists they enjoy. i decided that i wanted to hear what the fuss was over this song paul likes called 'baba o'reilly'. after such a long time of hating 'the who', i decided that, like green beans and boys, my musical tastes could change. i purchased it without listening, also purchasing 'love reign o'er me' by the who, 'moondance' by van morrison, and 'here comes my baby' by cat stevens. i figured i'd download them on my computer, upload them onto my ipod and listen to them in the shower. i brushed my hair out and placed my ipod speakers on the ground and plugged it into my nano (its name is chester). i spun the little wheel to 'baba o'reilly', since it's first alphabetically, and pushed play.

suddenly i was entranced. i couldn't really hear anything else. i just stood there looking at my ipod in disbelief of the amazingness that came out of the tiny speakers i had got for christmas. it finished and i had it play again. and again. i think i've listened to it a total of 10 times so far today. and what gets me the most is that i've heard this song before, but only in commercials, so never in its entirety. i also can't explain why it's so good. it's just everything about it. the lyrics, the keyboard, the guitar, the drums...just the combination of everything is pretty much perfect.

baba o'reilly is now my favorite song.

apologies to the who and to elliott smith.

i'm peachy.

hot cup of soup and cherry chapstick.

so, lately i have felt attractive. it's not that i typically think myself to be a horrid creature who should only show my face in the early morning hours, but this is different than just feeling confident in my looks. I hold myself differently and i guess the confidence i've picked up this summer in a number of areas of my life translates to the outside. However, tonight an event occurred that I never in a million years would have believed would happen. I was on campus rounds with two other girls, all of us having the same general body type and stature, and we were crossing the haymen center parking lot to return the TCLAM keys. Suddenly, we hear this obnoxious yelling and we quickly realize that it's directed at us.

"Hey there ladies! Aren't you pretty!"
"Now THAT'S a hot cup of soup!"

Yes, we were being cat called and sort of objectified by a group of twelve year olds, with their parents close by. They just kept calling at us until we were out of sight, and then again when we came out of Miguel. It was simply ridiculous. Despite the fact that I was really in no danger, I desperately wanted a large sweat suit to pull on and cover myself with.

On another note, have you ever waited for something that you have no control over, such as a calendar date to arrive? I am right now and frankly, it sucks. For the next week, I get to go through life wondering a lot of things that I have semi-definite ideas about, but I have no idea if I'm right. I have a large number of indications that I am, but again, I could be reading into things because I want a specific outcome. Arg. On the bright side, I have a lot to distract me until then, so it won't be too awful and painful.

On yet another unrelated note, I want to perform again. Soon. Tavern gave me the bug (and the confidence) to sing in front of people, or perform. Thankfully that can be satisfied in about a week when I return to Tavern with my friends. I'll be singing and dancing alone in my room until i exhaust myself and fall asleep. I want to run in the morning ( I am out of shape), so this could be interesting.

eeeeee.

i'm peachy.

ps: comment away. various forms of distraction are clearly welcome. :)

brits on parade...

...or the list of celebrity men i think are attractive. i like to do one of these every once in a while. it amuses me, it amuses other, and it always seems to contain a large contingent of those of the british persuasion. let's begin.

10. Owen Wilson

- First, I love every movie this man does. Shanghai Noon, Shanghai Knights, the list goes on! I kid. I love his good movies too. I first fell in love with him when I saw Zoolander, and from then on I sought him out in such films as The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. That crazy nose both adds to and detracts from his overall appearance, making him lower on the list than his brother. Additionally, he has a speaking voice that makes me swoon. mmm.

9. Colin Firth

- He's British, he's played every symbolic and literal form of Mister Darcy known to man, and by golly I love him. I especially enjoy him in Love Actually, but frankly who doesn't? He's wronged by his slut of a girlfriend and he meets a lovely Portugese girl who loves him back. I also discovered that you can't help but love him in Bridget Jones, even in those moments when you think he's marrying other women, because you know in your heart that he is the one for Bridget! I'll see movies purely for the Firth factor.

8. Prince Harry

- Now, I realize that this list might have seemed like a list of actors who I adored, but I did say celebrity, and this red-head and his brother are amazingly beautiful. Fortunately, his father's genes had nothing to do with his looks (or teeth, as I discovered in January when I met Prince Charles). However, this third in line to the throne is less attractive in comparison to his brother because he A) is dating someone and B) is a little too socially crazy for my taste. Still.

7. Harrison Ford

- When I was eleven years old, I saw Star Wars: A New Hope for the first time. When I was eleven, I had my first major celebrity crush. However, I also discovered in that year that Harrison Ford was far older than my own father and our love would never withstand those challanges. Sigh. Still, I've endured many the sub-par or scary film just to see him. I peed myself during What Lies Beneath, and had any other actor been the star, I would have left. However, I just had to see more of Ford. American Graffiti, Star Wars (etc), Witness (swoon), Regarding Henry, and Indiana Jones are just a few of the films I watch again and again for him.

6. Luke Wilson

- The more attractive, and slightly more prolific, Wilson brother. While both are quite sophisticated, Luke has an extra aura of hotness about him. Think back to "Legally Blonde: 1 & 2", "The Royal Tenenbaums" and others...who is the romantic lead? He is. He's smart (you'd have to be to be in any Wes Anderson film), cute, has a great voice (speaking...i've never heard the man sing), and just all around desirable.

5. George Clooney

- This man just gets better with age, like a fine wine or cheese. When he was on ER, I didn't get what the fuss was about, but after watching him in various films, especially the Ocean's films, he seems to have the same quality of the Rat Pack, only more functional. The only thing you could have against mr. clooney is that he has a pet pig, but considering that i love pigs (the animal that is), i'd be good go. He's also decended from the amazing Rosemary Clooney, so those are some quality genes.

4. Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint

- Ok, the next two are a little weird. I love the two boys from Harry Potter. I think they are just adorable...one of them is 18...i think. Anyway, Radcliffe has beautiful blue eyes, which in the movies piss me off, but when he's not playing Harry Potter, they are more than acceptable. Why weren't there boys this cute when I was younger? The other Harry Potter character actor scores just a little higher than the other for one fact alone: that red hair. I've always had a soft spot for the character of Ron Weasley in the books, and it pretty much translates to the films and to the actor who plays him. I think I also have a thing for guys who are not traditionally seen as attractive. They didn't make the list, but I also love the actors who play George and Fred Weasley, but they don't have red hair for real and I don't know their names...therefore it's unfair for them to make the top 10.

3. Hugh Grant

- Again, I've seen a multitude of films just because he was in them. My favorite Hugh Grant film is definitely "Love Actually", although how can you lose with a cast like that? I also spend part of the first Bridget Jones movie hoping that she'll choose him (which she thankfully doesn't). I also would like to forget about the whole prostitute thing. He has lovely hair, and he's cute, and he can sing! Check out Music and Lyrics if you don't believe me.

2. Prince William

- This should not be a shock to anyone. He's single, he's next in line, and he clearly got the Diana genes in every respect. Poised, seemingly polite, and a smile that could melt the coldest of hearts. There is really no reason to go on. Just look at him.



1. Paul Rudd

- This is always a suprise to people. I can see why, but still. I think he is just too funny and simply adorable. The only reason I initially saw "Knocked Up", "Anchorman", and "Wet Hot American Summer" was because he was in them. I'll watch the stupidest movies just because he's in them. He always plays this sort of kind, but really an asshole, man who I can't help but enjoy.

i'm peachy

for jmc

so, my masque mother has now requested an update, so i must oblige.

this week has been one of the best weeks ever.

it started out last thursday when i went home for my sister's graduation. on thursday i went out for ice cream with my parents, john came over to hang out, and sarah and i talked into the evening. on friday, i went shopping with my mom, lounged around, had dinner with my parents and their friends, and went to the movies with john (we saw 'shrek 3' which was cute). i haven't spent decent time with john in a long time, so this was welcome. afterwards, we hung out in his backyard which is beautiful. it was sorta dark and there were fireflys in the trees, the moon was out. it was lovely. i which i had a painting or a picture of it. on saturday, my grandparents came up and we went to sarah's graduation. they sang "for good" as the senior chorus selection and it was beautiful and quite appropriate. another girl in my sister's class sang "there you'll be" in honor of some of the student's parents who had passed away, and it was phenomenal. after sarah graduated, we had dinner and hung out. we decided to go to nawakwa (the camp where my sister goes every year and is being a counselor this year) to watch the sun rise. it was nice to be out there with my family. we went to a diner on the way home and then i slept for a while. i came home (rather, back to la salle) and crashed.

day one has been crazy. i've had some nice student groups...one was amazing. nice kids who were really attentive and enthusiastic. i couldn't have asked for a better group of people to lead. my hosts and i are getting closer too. i introduced the box game to them, which was a big hit and it will be played again.

last night i went out with a number of people to celebrate dave sullivan's birthday, which was fun. the resturant was neat and it was nice to see some alumni who i don't get to hang out with much. after one bar, gwen, mike, and i left the group and headed to tavern. let me just take this time to thank michael and gwen for taking me to this amazing place. i smiled from the beginning of the night until i got back to la salle. and apparently, that was only the half of it, so i can't wait to go again next friday.

i had another reason for being so happy yesterday. however, i don't want to jinx anything. i'll just say that this could be a really awesome summer.

i hope that was sufficient.

i'm peachy!

for one sea.

sara said that if i didn't update, she would explode. i would hate for that to happen, for primarily selfish reasons. here goes.

day one is going swimmingly. the only time i really thought anything bad at day one was on thursday when michal (and consequently I) had the worst group ever. oh well. i changed into my cute traveling clothes (no kidding) and got to 30th street with enough time to spare for some kfc and book browsing. i love the train, so i enjoyed that 2 hours and mom and dad took me to brusters for ice cream. afterwards, john came over and we hung out and my sister came home from hersheypark. thursday was good (although, i do wish i could have seen caitlin sing at grape street.)

today was also awesome. i lounged until about 2. i got ready for the day and my mom and i went to walmart. i got some cute summer pjs with woodstock on them. megan and i decided to go to the ben folds / john mayer concert. i got a yoo-hoo at the grocery store, which really alone could have made my day. the albrights came over for dinner, which was awesome chicken fajitas. dinner was great until the storm picked up, so i called john and we went to see 'shrek the third', which was good, but not near as good as the others. we hung out after and i was happy with the day.

tomorrow sarah graduates from high school. hooray! i'm so glad for her and that she'll never have to get screwed over by that awful place ever again.

i hope that was good sara. it's late, but i didn't want to forget.

tomorrow i also get my new planner for the year. woooooooo!!

i'm peachy.

shrooms at cirque de soleil

so, i'm home right now for the first time since easter...and for once, it's truly fantastic. i'm relaxed sitting with my cats and amanda and we just saw "knocked up". my sister's party went well and people liked my slideshow. i have a pretty full week coming up, with places to go and people to see. I will return to the central pa area on thursday night or friday morning for my sister's graduation from high school. i should purchase tissues.

that's it for now...i just wanted to update on the glorious that is...home. not that i don't like philly. i love philly...just once in a while it's nice to go home.

i'm peachy.

copy-cat.

to work now. in time, check out my film blog...the sunset boulevard link.

i'm peachy.

well golly gee.

i had no idea so many people read this on such a consistant basis. i'm rather pleased. thank you.

so, i have declared this "the summer of megan". not in the david burkowitz way, but in the "this will be the summer i never forget" way. i'm living in a fantastic city, especially for a history nerd like myself. there's culture everywhere. rittenhouse square, shopping, food, shows, museums....and the people. some of my favorite people in the universe live in the area, so i can actually see them this summer. last summer, i just sat at home doing nothing (because that's what we tend to do in enola) and wishing i could be at fun parties with my friends in philly. now i can do that! i can have dinner with them. go to movies! meet new people! solidify friendships! have a lovely time.

i'm also taking a cue from one sam fran and i'm watching the afi movie lists. i started this about 10 years ago, when they first did the AFI 100 years 100 movies list. there are so many lists to choose from. i'm also attempting to read one book a week. granted, until july 21, some of these will be re-reading the harry potter series. however, i'm 3/4 done with the first new book on the pile. "surrender the pink" by carrie fisher (yes...that one). i wanted to have a "postcards from the edge" weekend, by reading the book, then watching the movie. however, the la salle library does not have either the book or the movie...sooo...yeah.

i spent the last week watching star wars alot, because the 30th anniversary of the release of "star wars episode 4: a new hope" was on friday. if you want to waste some serious time AND feel like the kid in wet hot american summer who wears the cape (you know..."a douchebag is a hygenic product". that kid), go to www.wookieepedia.com. it's the star wars wiki...wikipedia, only entirely about star wars. its creepy, but really intense.

i watched "hannah and her sisters" the other day. it was great. really. i really do enjoy a good woody allen flick. if you have any suggestions, please pass them on...i've seen a lot of the ones from the 70's, such as annie hall, love and death, manhattan, sleeper. however, i don't know which other ones to watch. suggest away!

that's really it. i love comments from you people.

i'm peachy.

renovations

so, i got bored and decided that it was time to revamp the blog. i hope you like your link. if a link is not working, please alert me to this fact, i'd appreciate it.

i'm peachy.

blog sweet blog.

I started a blog for my family that's not filled with my angsty drama and stupid stuff that's just about what i'm doing at school and what i'm up to. it's the "Philadelphia, PA" link. It has pictures and only one entry. :)

i'm peachy.

week one: harry potter and the sorcerer's stone

summer has officially begun.

in addition to that, i have vowed to read at least one book a week for the entire summer, which i started with the re-reading of the first harry potter book. i have decided to re-read all six books before the final installment of what is easily my favorite book series of all time. i finished it yesterday at the park, and now i'm reading jane austin's 'pride and prejudice'. i'm trying to alternate harry potter with other new reads.

so, this week has been frought with anxiety. first, i had to wait on my grades from the second semester from hell. i was petrified that this was the semester that i was going to have to explain away to my parents and work extra hard in the fall to make up my gpa. i really did. i'm never that kid who always does well and fears doom every year. most semesters (since elementary school), i'm confident that i did my best, or that i knew i screwed up already. well, when your independent honors project doesn't go quite as you expected it to, you're bound to have some worries. well, i did fine. in fact, and yes i'm going to brag, this was my best semester (grade wise) so far at la salle. four pure A's and a B+ (from leibiger). i now have a gpa of 3.62. woo. and phew.

with that, my mother reminded me, i should be looking at the requirements for grad school and start getting ready for that, if it's really what i want to do. i went in with full confidence. a year long project that i got an A in, good grades, honors program, leadership, involvement, etc. i look better on paper than i did in high school, with the exception of grades and test scores (i haven't taken the tests yet). i went on google and just typed in "american studies graduate programs". i clicked on george washington university and went into the home page for american studies graduate programs (probably museum studies or american material culture) with full confidence that they would beg me to go there.

*SLAP*

well. suddenly it occured to me that i would have to apply. and that there are other people applying. and i would have to pay for all this. and i would be doing 2 more years of papers and classes and all the things that this semester made me hate. so i clicked the red circle at the top of the page (i have a mac) and went to bed. a restless night with lots of clockwatching and infomercial viewing. after the most relaxing day of the year so far, i was brought back into stress mode in a rude way. i worry that stress will never go away and that this obnoxious eye twitch i've had since december will just become a "charming" little quark that my future acquaintances will have to politely ignore. not only do i have to apply for grad school, but i also have all the things in the masque that i want to do. loads of records keeping, better communication with the alumni, and some other stuff.

ugh. i think someone up there enjoys watching me have a meltdown everyonce in a while.

back to ar&r work. somehow, this relaxes me.

i'm peachy...

with the lights out, its less dangerous

my junior year has come to quiet close. this causes me to reflect on the year that was and finally anticipate the year that is to be.

in general terms, my junior year was not good. my classes were stressful, i took on an honors project that was just too big to handle, my romantic life was less than it could have been, and the relationships with my friends changed. things that used to make me happy didn't anymore. even the masque got knocked down a few pegs on the happiness scale. i constantly was evaluating and re-evaluating the decisions i made in my sophomore year (which i recently discovered means "wise fool", so it was a good year to screw up). now, a large chunk of the friends i've had at la salle are graduating and i'm a senior. i always like having people to look up to, but the prospect of being that person to someone else is kind of thrilling. now i'm sitting in my empty apartment, just waiting for someone to tell me to move to my summer housing, as i'm staying here this summer. this year is the year that la salle has made me the least happy, yet this is the summer i stay. odd, but hopefully a good decision none the less.

tomorrow my parents are coming to spend the day with me. i wish my sister was coming, but she has two proms this weekend AND work, so therefore she is not able to come visit. she's graduating high school in about a month, which is another thing that scares me about next year. she'll be nine hours away and my parents won't have anyone at the house, other than the cats. when i do go home this summer, the week after, my sister leaves and it will just be the three of us, something that hasn't existed since sarah's birth 18 and a half years ago. granted, she has left for week trips to the beach and to youth group conferences, but she's always back in a week. and that week is always very weird.

senior year does look to be a whole lot better. my senior year of high school was that too, after the suckiness that ws junior year at epahs. the shows for our masque season, whether it be two shows or three, looks to be pretty fantastic. eboard...well, i've discussed this with a lot of people and now i'm just determined to do my job better and to make the best of it all. my class schedule AND my classes are great, with not one honors class among them. that was one positive of junior year...i finished the honors program, and with flying colors (i hope). anyway, the class schedule is pretty sweet:

Monday: 2pm religion in america
Tuesday: 8 am religion in philadelphia, 11 am ethnic american literature, 6pm american literature from 1900 (drama queens)
Wednesday: 2pm religion in america, 4:30pm women in america
Thursday: 8 am religion in america, 11am ethnic american literature
Fridays: OFF.

two of my four housemates also have fridays off, which is the final awesome point of my senior year. my townhouse is going to be amazing and it will be that place that everyone goes to to hang out. its me, sara, michele, amanda, and liz, which is only a recipe for awesome. it is also an old masque townhouse (a-15), so i'm very excited about all this.

ok...that's all. i'm bored, and i figured that other people had to be bored as well.

i'm peachy.

I am alone. I am scared. I hear strange sounds...what can I do?

the title is from this ad that came in the mail over spring break. my mom and i laughed at it for days, because on one side it has this woman who is obviously screaming with her sheets pulled up. it's supposed to invoke fright...but in my mother and i it invokes laughter and taunting. on the other side is this very stern looking woman and the headline says "SAY NO TO A NURSING HOME". again...hilarity.

I realized (through my friends, mainly michele) that my life isn't bad. i always say 'everyone's in a relationship' and that's totally false! many of my best friends are single. and who cares if i'm single. this weekend i was presented with the oppurtunity to be unsingle. and after some discussion, we decided that it was a bad idea. friends is good. looseness is good. Philly story went well this weekend. my aunt rosemary came down with mary fran on saturday and my family and fred came down on sunday for the matinee and the alumni / senior reception. everyone seems to agree that i did a good job. props to jo anna for ordering the pins in such a mass quanity and for starting the pinning up again. the thing for matt was lovely too and i anticipate more loveliness on saturday when more alumni come. john also surprised me on saturday by coming up and we hung out with my friends and it was good.

school is so busy, but the few hours i get back without rehearsals is glorious, so i'm not floundering anymore. i'm doing the reading! i'm doing things ahead of time! i won't fail! hooray!

i'm also shaken up by the va tech thing. I have two friends who are down there, one of which is an RA. they are both safe, thank goodness and i just worry about things like that happening elsewhere.

i re-discovered my fleetwood mac music. and my piano books are all here at school now. life is good.

i wish i had some witty observations, but i'm really tired and not in the mood at all to observe things. perhaps later.

earlier i was going through my old livejournal and i came across an entry of michele's that made me laugh. the last line was "we saw ugly face girl get arrested tonight". this is one of my fondest memories with michele last year. me, anthony, caitlin, michele, and mike glanzmann were driving home at like 3 am from the diner and we saw ugly face girl being handcuffed and put in a police car. michele and i were half asleep until we saw that. we ran around the dorms and were goofy until about 5 am. I cant wait for spring 08 when we live together again.

did i mention that next year, A-15 is going to be awesome? well, it will be. come visit. what's even better is i'm really having a good time with my roommates in the apartments (finally). woo.

i'm peachy!

"my real name is diana but my sister changed it"

tonight is opening night of "The Philadelphia Story". I'm currently sitting here with my nails freshly taken care of, my hair in a towel, my eyebrows plucked and my stomach spinning. I could not be more anxious right now. I have wanted to play this role in this play for so long and now I get to do it! Tonight, I'll finally perform for someone other than celeste, kate, and amanda. Sunday is the alumni reception, which is another source of anxiety for me, but I'm prepared. i just hope people get it, and if they don't...they still think the show was ok and i can provide the "crude" humor for those people.

last night i was lamenting life and through the efforts of the lovely hannah, i realized that my life isn't so bad. i did get the role i wanted in the play i've wanted to do since i was 14. i have AMAZING friends, especially my improv-ers as of late. my family loves me and doesn't cause problems. i got the best masque baby a mom could ask for, as well as just being part of a great "masque family" (sorry for the creepy masque stuff, but it's true). i got the summer job i wanted. the thing i lament is the absense of a male companion in my life (which sounds like i just want a male prostitute...eww). i'm happy with me...why can't someone else be just as happy with me (mutually). my guy friends are the best guys in the world, but of course, they're also like brothers to me and that would just be weird. i'm hoping with patience that it all comes together for me.

and besides...john o'riordan is my date to formal. guarenteed good time. ha to you!

i'm peachy

POST 200!

sooo...it's my 200th post!

and it's not going to be angsty!

i realized that as soon as i complain to my mom about something, it starts straightening itself out. i should do that sooner, rather than later. boy and i are talking online right now...and we have been for about 2 hours. so...that's that. :)

here is a letter to sleep that i wrote last year when jerome 306 was known as the 7th layer of hell:

dear sleep,

how have you been? I've been fine, although i've missed you terribly. you just don't come around anymore and it hurts. i have an 8 am class today...and in case you didn't notice, i didn't take my customary afternoon cat nap in the sun, just so that we could spend some extra time together tonight. now, you know that i'm not as happy without you, so please come back. i need you to help me deal with all kinds of things, such as class, homework, auditions, and the variety of social items i'm trying to work out.

please reconsider coming back to me.

olives and kisses,

megan "i used to get a good 9 hours in" mcgee

it still applies today, more or less.

happy 200th post blog. yay.

i'm peachy.

return to middle school.

so, in case you haven't noticed, there's this boy i like. i see him sometimes on campus and we've hung out a few times, and in those times, i thought that he might feel the same way about me. well, now i'm not so sure. we haven't hung out in a while. granted, we are both very busy people, but still. i'm not sure why i'm investing so much thought into this boy. there is nothing official about it at all, but i still don't want to feel used, which is what i feel i might feel if nothing comes of all this. he is pretty much everything i'm looking for in a potential petit amie, but i don't know what to do about this. i saw him today at dinner and i got really nervous and lost my appetite and megan and i had this long discussion about what i could say to him, which ended in us leaving without saying anything to him. he probably saw me and thought i was a dweeb for not saying hi to him...but he didn't say hi to me either.

this is all very middle school. can you blame me though? i'm not very good at this...never was and then i got out of practice.

i'll read this in a few months and cringe...hopefully because i can't believe i was so stupid to not just talk to this guy, because there is something more there at that point. i really need to check my emotions with this...i'm a mess. ask megan (the little one), she'll tell you.

i'm peachy...and romantically retarded.

reunited with the better half...or...enigma

so far...break has been a shit show.

i don't know what to do about him. i hope he doesn't find this. he'll think i'm weird, i just know it. i just want to know so i can either move on or keep going and not have my little heart stepped all over.

today, i found two lost halves to two pairs of socks. i was overjoyed.

baby week begins a week from today. again, i am overjoyed.

breakfast of champions is fast becoming my favorite book ever.

i'm peachy.

ps: he is the enigma in question. no. not jesus. i did not find god over break.

wondering, wandering, overwhelmed

so, i originally intended for this to be a short update...but blogger made me jump through hoops to do it, so now i'm making it worth the effort.

i won my seat back in e-board elections. i'm very happy with the incoming e-board, considering that four of us are returners...whoo. i now feel overwhelmed. i have so much to do for the e-board and i have to keep reminding myself that i won this for a reason and i have to fulfill my duties. there were two people just as qualified as i with great ideas. but i won...so yeah.

rehearsals are in full swing. that does wonders for my self-esteem. not. i never feel quite good enough, although i think that has a lot to do with me being, well me and i'm getting over it.

school is school and it's being a poop lately. again, overwhelmed.

i need spring break so much right now.

i'm also confused about this guy. i haven't started a new relationship in any capacity since high school, so i don't know the rules of college dating. apparently they are different. i want words for things, and everyone tells me that you just have to go with the flow. really? REALLY!? i go through periods of being convinced that we are on track to a relationship, then the next minute i'm convinced that there is some other girl who is winning his affections. i dunno.

my life really isn't that bad, it just feels that way sometimes.

i'm peachy...sorta...kinda. yeah.

surround sound chairs

whoa. holy crap. i haven't updated in forever.

apologies.

a lot has happened since i last updated. the day after my last update, we picked a new improv team, with who i am quite pleased. bekim, hannah, and stephan. crazy. then i also had auditions for "the philadelphia story" and call backs, since i would be in disney when the actual call backs occured. based on this last statement, i was more or less convinced that I would not get in. my family picked me up on jan. 30 for the airport and we had a great trip. we stayed at the contemporary, which was fabulous, and my sister and i got to spend a ton of time together riding rides and being goofy. on friday morning, just after i entered mgm studios (my favorite park), doug called to tell me that i had gotten the part of dinah lord! This is exactly the part i wanted, so i was like screaming in the middle of the park. the next day was obviously spent on cloud nine. my parents were in florida for a mr. handyman convention, so on friday night, we went to animal kingdom for an exclusive ride (or three in sarah, dad and my cases) on everest, which is fantastic. on saturday, sarah and i spent the day shopping and at animal kingdom. after all that, we went to epcot for a special formal dinner, which was really good. salmon AND steak on the same plate. delish.

i got home and there was tons of work to be done. drawer boy, classes, and improv had snuck up on me while i was away and that next week was spent recovering my life. i did a little too much partying on friday after the show and i paid for it the rest of the weekend. on valentines' day, i was given a gift of no classes. i spent the day with masque people and one of my new friends who i met outside the masque. it was lovely. good people, good games, and good food...what more could i ask?

tomorrow is eboard elections, which i'm nervous about. people tell me not to be, but lets face it...i can't help it. i've learned over the past year to be a slight pessimist so that when things don't go my way, i don't get as upset about them. i'm only running for my current position (alumni relations and records) and i really hope i get to keep it. that would make my life. i love that position more than anything in the masque. when all the other things about the masque fall apart, i can always go down into the office and make files and spreadsheets and clean and be a general nerd. we also decide masque 'babies' on friday, but we don't annouce them until march 13th. this is going to be painful. i just feel it.

in other news, i no longer feel that i'm going to die alone. at least, i don't feel that way every second. i only feel that way once a day now at most. it's nice.

time to get my laundry and get a shower. long day tomorrow.

sorry about the not posting...as you can see, there's been a bit going on in my life.

i'm peachy

Suddenly I See

must channel...must channel...

alone again...naturally.

so it's friday night at 11:30 and i'm here in my apartment alone...well, essentially alone because my roommates are here, but they are asleep. my friends are tucked in their beds with their significant others and i'm here again to lament my being alone. everyone keeps telling me to be patient, but it gets harder to do that when all i see around me are happy couples. i just feel lame. i'm 21 years old. i should be out and about, living the life of a college student.

what it all boils down to is: i'm a douchebag. i screwed up my romantic life last year and karma is REALLY biting me in the butt for this one. i wish i could just find out how long i was going to be alone. another month? another year? it's really bad. my life was simple and i decided that it was too simple. now it's boring and going literally no where.

i guess i'm going to watch TV for a while. then go to bed. this better get better soon, or i'll be pissed.

not peachy.

don't comment unless you have some serious solution to my issue. if not, don't bother. i don't want pity. i want answers and resolutions.

hips don't lie.

the past week or so has been quite eventful and deserves an update.

on thursday and friday (11 / 12), I worked. and worked. my possible last days at hallmark casa de cards. seth and mj had lunch with me on friday and after work, i went out with my parents to the center street grille for snacks and drinks. we were supposed to see the boys basketball team play, but the game was moved to york. anyway, one white russian later, amanda picked me up and we met fred at my house for one last hang out before we all went back to school. note: do not buy american idol ice cream. i've had bits of clay aiken and justin guarini stuck in my teeth for days!

saturday was spent running errands. first i went to the high school to help out with the musical, then to the farmers market to look for books and lunch with megan h., then to walmart, the cupboard maker, and finally to see 'dreamgirls'. it was amazing. i want the soundtrack, but i need books first.

sunday was the big move into la salle. mom and dad left around 2:30ish and val and doug came to visit me. later, doug left and amy joined val and i for a girls night of daquiri's and movies. we proceeded to crash every party in the townhouses and i was not sober. meh. monday began with a little hang over that disappeared once i ate something. i finished unpacking and i decorated my room some more. i hung out with the girls some at the townhouses and bought books. finally, i rounded out my break with quizzo at the dark horse pub. good times. we did really well, but not well enough.

tuesday was the first day of classes, but i only had one class, which was awesome. after class i went to kate's and val's. we had ttc dinner, then watched 'the family stone' for kate, because she had never seen it. I read for class, then went to tech and nailed and screwed..and built stuff too!

today was pretty sweet as well. 3 classes. civil war with leibiger = awesome. soc with alvare = weird. religion is with ramshaw = what i expected. i came home for a few minutes to do work and eat, then i visited georgie, had improv practice and went belly dancing, followed by a wawa run. belly dancing will kill my abs. great day though.

it's time for homework. i have no idea what to do with myself this weekend. i would love to go somewhere off campus. let's see how successful i am.

i'm peachy!

Edward Rutledge and the Costco Experience.

I'm updating because Miss Kate Pendola requested that I do so. Because I love her so very much, I am obliging.

This break really has not been that eventful. Nik's New Years Eve Bash was fantastic. It was fun getting drunk with my friends from home. We played board games and Wii and hung out. It was really nice especially since we won't see Nik or Lettie until June. NIk is traveling to Greece, back to America, then to Australia and New Zealand, while Lettie will be spending Spring 2007 in Hong Kong. So jealous. At least I'll be getting postcards and flags from all over the world. I worked on New Years Day with my favorite co-worker Eryn. We were both sick and miserable. We made a great pair.

On the second, the invasion from the east came in. Amy, Doug, and Val came in like a whirlwind to southcentral PA. We went to Barbs for pizza, then to the hilarious state museum for the afternoon. Amy and I found out what it would be like to be a mole, and Doug found out that his girlfriend enjoys birds to a disturbing degree. That night we had dinner and my friends from home (Samantha, Nik, Lettie, and Manda) came over for Shout About... and Beyond Bolderdash. Good times all around. We rounded out the day with "The Birdcage", because Val had never seen it.

The third was a day of history. We took the afternoon auto tour in Gettysburg, taking wildly inappropriate pictures all the way. We had dinner, Doug played the piano, Amy and I talked, and we watched "1776". God I love that movie. Mmmm...Rutledge. (Only Amy understands our love).

They had to leave on the fourth. :( boo. I worked the next few days and on Sunday, Lettie, Manda, and I had our girls night. We drank pina coladas, strawberry margaritas, and rum and cokes and I still have rum left over. (Note: come over Sunday night...I return that night and I would love to supply the kiddies with some boozie). We watched movies and played games (we heart board games). I woke up the next day, Lettie and I watched Mary Poppins and I went home. I spent the next two days trying to finish "Dearest Friend", a very interesting biography of Abagail Adams. I highly reccommend this book to any and all history nerds out there. I also went to every possible appointment a person could have. Dentist, facial, vet. Seriously.

Tuesday my family and I took Manda to her first farm show (and my 17th). I love the farm show. Food, Animals, and Ugly people. So much inbreeding! hehe. She had a great time and so did we. The only negative was the lack of potato donuts. We got there too late. As of late, I have been reading "John Adams" by David McCullough. I hope I can finish it by Sunday. Doubtful, but still. I've done some shopping this break. I've relaxed. I've worked my butt off. I went to Costco tonight for the first time. It was awesome. I bought a big jar of jelly belly's (like Michele's) and a pack of Vitamin Water.

Last night my mom asked me outright if I was concerned about being single and if I had gotten over my last relationship. I sort of lied about it, but sort of not. I'll talk this out with the people who I normally talk it out with.

I tried to do Pam and George and Kate's thing...but I realized I'm far too obvious and that I have withheld very little from the people who matter. (That should say it all).

Entertain me with this:
1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal. You MUST. (Unless your name is Sara E. Allen).

There you go. Comment away!

I'm peachy...and missing you all!