No, not that Jesus.
Finally I got to see my Caitles! Saturday night, she picked me up and we went down to Virginia Beach. I told her before that I really wanted to go to Plaza (mmm white sauce and margaritas!) so we went there for dinner. We had a very cute server. We don't know his name, but at some point in the evening Caitlin dubbed him Jésus. We ordered jumbo margaritas, but Jésus suggested we try blue margaritas, so we agreed to try them. They were typical Plaza margaritas--full of tequila. I pretty much gorged myself on chips and white sauce until our food came. I was already feeling the effects of my drink (which I had only drank half of) when Jésus came back and tried to convince us to order more margaritas. We didn't say yes, but for some reason he came back with one for us. He was also hanging around our table a lot talking to us. Clearly, he was flirting with Caitlin. Eventually he left us in peace, so I could finish eating. Caitlin told me she would pay for my dinner if I finished both margaritas. And I did, even though Monday night's adventure was still fresh in my mind. But I was fine. So we finished up and left. As we were walking through the parking lot, Jésus came through the back door onto the outside deck and called to Caitlin. He asked if she was single, and Caitlin flashed her ring and told him that he had served her with Victor before. Then she told Jésus that I was single, but I immediately replied that I live in Boston, although clearly he was not interested in me. So he went back inside, and we laughed about him in the car. Because really, who wants to date a guy that works at Plaza and is probably illegal...even if he is super cute.
So we headed back to Caitlin's house. As soon as we were in the door, Caitlin told me to tell Victor what happened with Jésus because she wanted to make him jealous. He didn't really seem to care that much. Caitlin and I got ready to go out, then Victor drove us to Caitlin's friend's house. We hung out there waiting for some people to show up before we headed to Ambush. We were about to leave when Caitlin realized she didn't have her ID, so she called Victor and he brought it over (grudgingly). We crammed into Caitlin's friends car, and since there were 6 of us, Caitlin laid across the people in the back seat. On the way there, Caitlin's friend was telling us how she and some other girls picked up a male dancer from Ambush one time. I jokingly asked if it was Stetson, and she said it was. Stetson is pretty much the worst male dancer....because he can't dance. I saw him the first time the summer after my freshman year, and he is still dancing at gay clubs. So we got there, and Caitlin and I sat at the bar while everyone else played pool. I got a drink but I drank it really slowly because I was still a little buzzed from Plaza. We were there about an hour before the drag show started. I was looking around for people I knew, but I didn't see anyone. Around midnight we grabbed a table to watch the show. Sandra Lopez, a drag queen I hadn't seen before was hosting. She was good, but no Naomi Black. There was also a rail-thin Vietnamese queen who I think I have seen before. The show was good. Sandra Lopez told Caitlin she liked her boobs and got a little squeeze in too. Caitlin told her she wore an A cup, and Sandra said she must be wearing a really nice bra. Sandra also saw mine from the stage and came over to our table to get a feel. Typical...I go to a gay club and get felt up by a guy. I also had the opportunity to hand a queen money between her legs. How does this shit happen to me??
So that night was pretty awesome. Afterward, Victor picked us up from Caitlin's friend's house and I spent the night there. I like staying at their house, because I get to spend time with my Caitles and play with her crazy cats. But I've realized they are the reason that I probably will not get married. They argue so much! Caitlin swears they are happy together though so whatever. The next morning Victor got us breakfast at Panera. Then they were going to Stafford, so they dropped me off at my house on the way there. I was really sad to say goodbye to Caitlin because I don't know when I'll see her next. I guess we are planning a trip to Provincetown in the summer, or maybe I will go down to Virginia Beach. I'm hoping for Provincetown, but either way I can't wait to see her again!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
sunnier climes
Well, I'm home. I flew back to Bad Newz on Wednesday night. My flight was at 8pm, and I got to the airport around 6:45. Getting there was, surprisingly, not that bad. Until I got on the airport shuttle and had to wait forever for the driver to materialize. But overall, not bad. Going through security was so much fun. If it wasn't bad enough that I had to have buckets for my coat, laptop, laptop bag, and shoes, plus my bag, the woman at the metal detector made me put my scarf through the x-ray too. Because I could have balled up a bomb in my scarf? I made it through the metal detector just in time to see another TSA agent pulling my baggy of liquids from my bag. I apologized, but really I didn't care. I would make the absolute worst terrorist...seriously.
As usual, I started to get nervous once I got on the plane. I really hate flying. But there was a really cute flight attendant named John Paul. He did all the announcements and he had kind of a sexy voice. Then the pilot started talking to us. He said the weather in Newport News was 'much nicer than it is here (in Boston)' which made everyone laugh. The flight was okay. I like looking out the window but it was cloudy and I was just behind the wing so I couldn't see much anyway. So I just turned to the 60s station on XM and tuned out. Before long I was landing in Newport News.
Being back here is weird. Everything is so suburban and spread out. There's trees and grass in the middle of the street instead of train tracks, and there are box stores everywhere. The weather is much more pleasant though, even though I haven't been outside to enjoy it. I've been meaning to walk over to City Center but I've felt so lazy the last two days. I think that's partially because of the adjustable insta-bed I've been sleeping in...it's nice to elevate the head and foot of the bed and just relax. But most of all it is just dull here. I can't wait to see Caitles tomorrow and have some fun! We are going to Ambush, which is going to rock...I'm so excited!
As usual, I started to get nervous once I got on the plane. I really hate flying. But there was a really cute flight attendant named John Paul. He did all the announcements and he had kind of a sexy voice. Then the pilot started talking to us. He said the weather in Newport News was 'much nicer than it is here (in Boston)' which made everyone laugh. The flight was okay. I like looking out the window but it was cloudy and I was just behind the wing so I couldn't see much anyway. So I just turned to the 60s station on XM and tuned out. Before long I was landing in Newport News.
Being back here is weird. Everything is so suburban and spread out. There's trees and grass in the middle of the street instead of train tracks, and there are box stores everywhere. The weather is much more pleasant though, even though I haven't been outside to enjoy it. I've been meaning to walk over to City Center but I've felt so lazy the last two days. I think that's partially because of the adjustable insta-bed I've been sleeping in...it's nice to elevate the head and foot of the bed and just relax. But most of all it is just dull here. I can't wait to see Caitles tomorrow and have some fun! We are going to Ambush, which is going to rock...I'm so excited!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
snow/loveliness
Here's a two-parter. Enjoy!
Snow
Saturday night it snowed. Well, at home we would call it a blizzard. Sunday morning, it was still snowing and starting to sleet. But First Parish was going to be open, so I was still going to church. I realized at that point that I must be insane. So I left pretty early since I wasn't sure what I would encounter outside. When I opened my door, I no longer had steps, but a ramp of snow. After gingerly making my way down to the sidewalk, I managed to get up my street with no problem. Then I got to Comm Ave. With the piles of snow left over from the storm a few days before, most of the snow I stepped in went above my boots. Some of it went to my knees. This was not good. I managed to get across the street, and hoped that the BC bus was still running. I didn't see one, so I started walking down the street, so at least I'd be down the street if I did have to walk to Reservoir. I saw 2 guys waiting in front of Archstone, so I waited there under the awning. They ended up just digging out their Jeep and driving away, but I continued to wait since I had seen 3 buses go by on the other side. Finally, one came, and luckily I didn't have to wait too long for a train at Reservoir. I made it to Brookline Hills and started a rather interesting trek to church. It wasn't a bad walk until I crossed Boylston into the neighborhood. I tried walking up the sidewalk, but it was impossible, so I just walked in the street. Somehow, I made it to church. And a good number of people actually made it.
I was really excited to see the Christmas pageant. It was quite nice, and ended up being totally worth braving the snow. One of the littlest kids (he couldn't have been older than 18 months) was playing a lamb. At first he ran off the stage and back to his mother. His mother guided him back to the front, and at that point he started walking around the stage. Then he picked up one of the wise men's gifts and threw it at the baby Jesus (luckily not a real baby). Everyone was cracking up, which seemed totally inappropriate for a Christmas pageant. But that kid was the star of hospitality, with everyone wanting to know who he belonged to.
Making it home after church was similarly challenging. Again, I waited forever for a BC bus. At least I got another chance to laugh, this time at an 86 bus that somehow got stuck in a snowbank. There was a nicely plowed path through the busway, but apparently that bus driver wanted a little more adventure. He kept getting out and putting sand on his tires, then trying again. It was pretty much a losing battle. Another 86 came and after a while that driver tried to help him. At that point I think they tried moving some of the snow, which seemed like the only logical solution. Unfortunately I didn't get to see the denouement of that saga, as a bus came and I made my way home.
Through all this snowiness, I've started to think about going home. I'm going home tonight, and I'm so excited to get away from the snow for a while. But even though I don't particularly like all this snow, I can't let it cow me into giving up what I have here. I do so love everything else. So the next few months are going to be really tough. I guess that builds character?
Loveliness
Monday night I went out with Tom to celebrate the end of the semester. Tom is one of my favorite people that I've met. He's really a lovely individual...smart, funny, fun, and incredibly beautiful. So we went to a club called Machine. He seemed determined that I find a girl to hook up with. I think the day before I led him to think I'm a lesbian, so I had to explain to my sexuality to him. Normally that causes a lot of frustration on my part, but thankfully he understood what I was talking about. In any case, I had no intention of meeting anyone that night. I just wanted to have fun. We sat at the bar and had a few drinks, then got up to walk around the club and look at guys. Then there was a drag show. It was kind of short and not nearly as fun as the ones I had seen before. Luckily, after that the DJ played really good music so I got to dance. This is the point where the evening began to go south. Tom kept buying me drinks, and I think I had 3 cosmos. I was having fun dancing and doing my signature scandalous moves, much to Tom's surprise. Then I fell over and I remember some random guy helping me up. After that, the next thing I remember is Tom picking up some undergrads in Cleveland Circle. I'm pretty much terrified to find out what happened in the intermediary. I also managed to fall over walking into my house, which wasn't entirely due to my intoxication...I mean it was icy. I had a fight with my key, but eventually I made it into my house. I couldn't go to sleep so I was just wandering around my house until I sobered up a bit. At some point in this wandering I managed to lose some of the contents of my stomach in the kitchen sink. Lovely. It wasn't very pretty considering I had pad thai and gimbab for dinner. Finally I went to sleep, and the next morning I woke up with a fun little stomach ache.
I'm really upset with myself for how I behaved. I love to drink and have fun, but I usually have a little more class and self-control. I have never been that drunk before, and I shouldn't have let it get to that point. I generally try to avoid embarrassing myself in public and in front of my friends. Then again, it could have been much worse. Besides, I'm sure pretty soon I will do something else stupid (probably while sober) and forget this even happened.
Snow
Saturday night it snowed. Well, at home we would call it a blizzard. Sunday morning, it was still snowing and starting to sleet. But First Parish was going to be open, so I was still going to church. I realized at that point that I must be insane. So I left pretty early since I wasn't sure what I would encounter outside. When I opened my door, I no longer had steps, but a ramp of snow. After gingerly making my way down to the sidewalk, I managed to get up my street with no problem. Then I got to Comm Ave. With the piles of snow left over from the storm a few days before, most of the snow I stepped in went above my boots. Some of it went to my knees. This was not good. I managed to get across the street, and hoped that the BC bus was still running. I didn't see one, so I started walking down the street, so at least I'd be down the street if I did have to walk to Reservoir. I saw 2 guys waiting in front of Archstone, so I waited there under the awning. They ended up just digging out their Jeep and driving away, but I continued to wait since I had seen 3 buses go by on the other side. Finally, one came, and luckily I didn't have to wait too long for a train at Reservoir. I made it to Brookline Hills and started a rather interesting trek to church. It wasn't a bad walk until I crossed Boylston into the neighborhood. I tried walking up the sidewalk, but it was impossible, so I just walked in the street. Somehow, I made it to church. And a good number of people actually made it.
I was really excited to see the Christmas pageant. It was quite nice, and ended up being totally worth braving the snow. One of the littlest kids (he couldn't have been older than 18 months) was playing a lamb. At first he ran off the stage and back to his mother. His mother guided him back to the front, and at that point he started walking around the stage. Then he picked up one of the wise men's gifts and threw it at the baby Jesus (luckily not a real baby). Everyone was cracking up, which seemed totally inappropriate for a Christmas pageant. But that kid was the star of hospitality, with everyone wanting to know who he belonged to.
Making it home after church was similarly challenging. Again, I waited forever for a BC bus. At least I got another chance to laugh, this time at an 86 bus that somehow got stuck in a snowbank. There was a nicely plowed path through the busway, but apparently that bus driver wanted a little more adventure. He kept getting out and putting sand on his tires, then trying again. It was pretty much a losing battle. Another 86 came and after a while that driver tried to help him. At that point I think they tried moving some of the snow, which seemed like the only logical solution. Unfortunately I didn't get to see the denouement of that saga, as a bus came and I made my way home.
Through all this snowiness, I've started to think about going home. I'm going home tonight, and I'm so excited to get away from the snow for a while. But even though I don't particularly like all this snow, I can't let it cow me into giving up what I have here. I do so love everything else. So the next few months are going to be really tough. I guess that builds character?
Loveliness
Monday night I went out with Tom to celebrate the end of the semester. Tom is one of my favorite people that I've met. He's really a lovely individual...smart, funny, fun, and incredibly beautiful. So we went to a club called Machine. He seemed determined that I find a girl to hook up with. I think the day before I led him to think I'm a lesbian, so I had to explain to my sexuality to him. Normally that causes a lot of frustration on my part, but thankfully he understood what I was talking about. In any case, I had no intention of meeting anyone that night. I just wanted to have fun. We sat at the bar and had a few drinks, then got up to walk around the club and look at guys. Then there was a drag show. It was kind of short and not nearly as fun as the ones I had seen before. Luckily, after that the DJ played really good music so I got to dance. This is the point where the evening began to go south. Tom kept buying me drinks, and I think I had 3 cosmos. I was having fun dancing and doing my signature scandalous moves, much to Tom's surprise. Then I fell over and I remember some random guy helping me up. After that, the next thing I remember is Tom picking up some undergrads in Cleveland Circle. I'm pretty much terrified to find out what happened in the intermediary. I also managed to fall over walking into my house, which wasn't entirely due to my intoxication...I mean it was icy. I had a fight with my key, but eventually I made it into my house. I couldn't go to sleep so I was just wandering around my house until I sobered up a bit. At some point in this wandering I managed to lose some of the contents of my stomach in the kitchen sink. Lovely. It wasn't very pretty considering I had pad thai and gimbab for dinner. Finally I went to sleep, and the next morning I woke up with a fun little stomach ache.
I'm really upset with myself for how I behaved. I love to drink and have fun, but I usually have a little more class and self-control. I have never been that drunk before, and I shouldn't have let it get to that point. I generally try to avoid embarrassing myself in public and in front of my friends. Then again, it could have been much worse. Besides, I'm sure pretty soon I will do something else stupid (probably while sober) and forget this even happened.
Friday, December 14, 2007
I don't shine if you don't shine
As of Wednesday night, I am one quarter of the way through grad school! And in even better news, I'm still mostly sane! (Or, at least as sane as I was when I got here.) These last four months have been truly amazing. Who would have thought this Virginia girl who went to college 5 minutes away could have packed up all her little duds and moved 600 miles? Since I moved I have grown, improved, and learned so much...
I was so worried about starting grad school, especially after taking a year off. I was frightened that it would be so much more difficult than undergrad. But I found out that it really isn't so different. I'm not sure if there is more reading than undergrad or if it just feels that way since I actually read for classes now...well mostly. My classes were so much more interesting because I'm studying something I care deeply about. Well, except for research. That class was a waste of my time. But in my other two classes, I was eager to learn and really enjoyed class. And I feel that I actually learned a lot, which I can't say for quite a few of my undergrad classes.
I have completely transformed spiritually. I knew I wanted to try out going to church because I was feeling a little spiritually empty, but I don't think I really expected much from it. Everyone at First Parish was so open and welcoming though, and I love it there. I've thrown myself into activities there and made a lot of friends. I really love the ministers, especially Rev. Jim. I'm also starting a Young Adult group, and our first event, Theology on Tap, was amazing.
I have made so many friends. I'm surprised at how quickly I've developed really solid relationships with a lot of them. They are so much fun to hang out with and I'm hardly ever at a loss for something to do. It's kind of funny to think back to when I first moved and didn't know anyone. I was so worried I wouldn't have any friends. I don't know why...I'm such a social butterfly. I'm also glad things have turned out okay with my roommates. I'm not really friends with them, but we get along at least.
Boston has turned out to be the perfect place for me. There is so much going on and lots of new places to discover. I love my neighborhood because it's quiet yet lively, and within walking distance of campus and Brighton Center. I really needed a change from the slow, backward, conservative South. Sure, I miss some things about home--the food, knowing where everything is, Chanello's and Plaza. But I don't miss how horrible Bad Newz is. The only thing I would change about Boston would be the weather. I have realized that snow is only fun when it happens infrequently and causes school to close. I'm curious to see how I handle the rest of the winter. I guess I'll be alright.
I was so worried about starting grad school, especially after taking a year off. I was frightened that it would be so much more difficult than undergrad. But I found out that it really isn't so different. I'm not sure if there is more reading than undergrad or if it just feels that way since I actually read for classes now...well mostly. My classes were so much more interesting because I'm studying something I care deeply about. Well, except for research. That class was a waste of my time. But in my other two classes, I was eager to learn and really enjoyed class. And I feel that I actually learned a lot, which I can't say for quite a few of my undergrad classes.
I have completely transformed spiritually. I knew I wanted to try out going to church because I was feeling a little spiritually empty, but I don't think I really expected much from it. Everyone at First Parish was so open and welcoming though, and I love it there. I've thrown myself into activities there and made a lot of friends. I really love the ministers, especially Rev. Jim. I'm also starting a Young Adult group, and our first event, Theology on Tap, was amazing.
I have made so many friends. I'm surprised at how quickly I've developed really solid relationships with a lot of them. They are so much fun to hang out with and I'm hardly ever at a loss for something to do. It's kind of funny to think back to when I first moved and didn't know anyone. I was so worried I wouldn't have any friends. I don't know why...I'm such a social butterfly. I'm also glad things have turned out okay with my roommates. I'm not really friends with them, but we get along at least.
Boston has turned out to be the perfect place for me. There is so much going on and lots of new places to discover. I love my neighborhood because it's quiet yet lively, and within walking distance of campus and Brighton Center. I really needed a change from the slow, backward, conservative South. Sure, I miss some things about home--the food, knowing where everything is, Chanello's and Plaza. But I don't miss how horrible Bad Newz is. The only thing I would change about Boston would be the weather. I have realized that snow is only fun when it happens infrequently and causes school to close. I'm curious to see how I handle the rest of the winter. I guess I'll be alright.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
we don't need speed to dance all night
My feet hurt so bad. And I'm surprised I'm not sore, but I'm sure it's coming. Last night was amazing!
Cindy and her roommates had a party last night. I was looking forward to slipping away from all my schoolwork and having a little fun. I got there around 9:30...there were still people trickling in so the party hadn't really picked up yet. But pretty soon one of the hosts turned up the music and that was my cue! There were only a few people dancing for a while but we were having fun. While I was dancing I met a guy named Will. I was surprised to see him dancing. He looks like if Beowulf dressed like a black guy. He is a 2nd year PhD student studying Philosophy, and not surprisingly he reminds me of Dr. Reddick (in personality, not so much in looks thankfully.) But he was a good dancer and I ended up dancing with or near him most of the night. I met lots of really cool people actually.
A little later that night the hosts did a Yankee swap gift exchange. All the guests were supposed to bring scandalous gifts, and the most scandalous would win a door prize. I bought candy handcuffs, thinking that was scandalous but not too over the top. So people started opening presents and the vast majority of them were not scandalous. I started to feel bad until someone opened a vibrator. When it was my turn, I got a bottle of pinot grigio. Naturally I was excited about the wine, but it also had a really cool bottle. It was pretty much the first time I had ever gotten a present I would want in a gift exchange. My gift was one of the last ones opened. Someone made the comment that the girl who got it was really innocent but she would probably open a naughty gift. So we got toward the end and I told Marie that I was excited about my gift. No sooner had I said that did someone steal it away from me. I was crushed! None of the other gifts appealed to me, so I opened the last present under the tree. It was an Ugly Doll. I can't believe they even make such a product, but it certainly lives up to its name. But Marie had gotten snowflake lights and she didn't want them, so she offered to trade me. Well snowflake lights aren't as good as wine but I guess it turned out okay.
So after that I just danced the rest of the night. And it was a LOOOOONG night. Will and I sat down to rest at about 3:20 am, and we chatted a little about communication and education (pretty much the only two things I can talk about semi-intelligently.) Then we got up and danced some more. Just before 4am Will said he was leaving. He was walking back to BC so I asked him to walk me back to my house. It was a short walk from Cindy's, and we chatted a little. When we got to my house he gave me a hug and wished me luck on my papers and such. I probably should have made more of the goodbye, because he is really quite cute, and I would like to get to know him better. So we will see what happens with that.
I have no earthly idea why I am awake right now. But since it is the last week of the semester, I have a lot to accomplish....wait, who am I kidding? I'm going out to Big City with First Parish tonight for Theology on Tap, and I probably won't write Ana's exam until Monday night. Such is the life of a grad student!
Cindy and her roommates had a party last night. I was looking forward to slipping away from all my schoolwork and having a little fun. I got there around 9:30...there were still people trickling in so the party hadn't really picked up yet. But pretty soon one of the hosts turned up the music and that was my cue! There were only a few people dancing for a while but we were having fun. While I was dancing I met a guy named Will. I was surprised to see him dancing. He looks like if Beowulf dressed like a black guy. He is a 2nd year PhD student studying Philosophy, and not surprisingly he reminds me of Dr. Reddick (in personality, not so much in looks thankfully.) But he was a good dancer and I ended up dancing with or near him most of the night. I met lots of really cool people actually.
A little later that night the hosts did a Yankee swap gift exchange. All the guests were supposed to bring scandalous gifts, and the most scandalous would win a door prize. I bought candy handcuffs, thinking that was scandalous but not too over the top. So people started opening presents and the vast majority of them were not scandalous. I started to feel bad until someone opened a vibrator. When it was my turn, I got a bottle of pinot grigio. Naturally I was excited about the wine, but it also had a really cool bottle. It was pretty much the first time I had ever gotten a present I would want in a gift exchange. My gift was one of the last ones opened. Someone made the comment that the girl who got it was really innocent but she would probably open a naughty gift. So we got toward the end and I told Marie that I was excited about my gift. No sooner had I said that did someone steal it away from me. I was crushed! None of the other gifts appealed to me, so I opened the last present under the tree. It was an Ugly Doll. I can't believe they even make such a product, but it certainly lives up to its name. But Marie had gotten snowflake lights and she didn't want them, so she offered to trade me. Well snowflake lights aren't as good as wine but I guess it turned out okay.
So after that I just danced the rest of the night. And it was a LOOOOONG night. Will and I sat down to rest at about 3:20 am, and we chatted a little about communication and education (pretty much the only two things I can talk about semi-intelligently.) Then we got up and danced some more. Just before 4am Will said he was leaving. He was walking back to BC so I asked him to walk me back to my house. It was a short walk from Cindy's, and we chatted a little. When we got to my house he gave me a hug and wished me luck on my papers and such. I probably should have made more of the goodbye, because he is really quite cute, and I would like to get to know him better. So we will see what happens with that.
I have no earthly idea why I am awake right now. But since it is the last week of the semester, I have a lot to accomplish....wait, who am I kidding? I'm going out to Big City with First Parish tonight for Theology on Tap, and I probably won't write Ana's exam until Monday night. Such is the life of a grad student!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
winter wonderland? not so much
It finally happened. Sunday night, Boston got its first real snowfall. I say real because it did in fact snow a couple days before Thanksgiving, but it was just a few flurries. But Sunday night we got a little more than an inch, and Monday it snowed even more. At this point, I began to regret not getting snow boots when they were super cheap at Target last month. So I bundled myself up as much as humanly possible and braved the elements to go to Target. I have a feeling people were looking at me strangely, and very few people were wearing hats or scarves like I was. Surprisingly, I actually purchased a scarf and new gloves on my previous trip to Target in anticipation of winter.
So I got to Target, and I thought maybe I should look into getting some thermal underwear. With difficulty (and after asking a not-so-nice Target team member), I found the rack of thermals. Naturally, they only had two pairs of thermal pants. Surprisingly, they were in my size, but they were white, and I didn't really want white. They had a variety of colors and sizes available for the thermal tops however. So typical of the Watertown Target... I decided to forgo that purchase, a decision I'm sure I will come to regret. But I moved on to the shoe section. They had a pretty disappointing selection. Most of the boots were just downright ugly or boring. But a pair of pink and greyish-green snowboardesque boots caught my eye. And they were on sale! Score.
I've found I'm responding pretty well to the winter weather. Of course I would like for it to be 70 degrees outside again, but I figure as long as I am dressed appropriately the cold doesn't bother me too much. I would, however, like it to be just warm enough to melt the ice off the sidewalks. Even in the snow boots I slide around on the ice. I've already fallen once (no injuries to report), and I'm okay with falling as long as it doesn't happen a) in the middle of a major road, b) on stairs, or c) on the train tracks, especially when the T is approaching. Other than that, I can deal with it.
So I got to Target, and I thought maybe I should look into getting some thermal underwear. With difficulty (and after asking a not-so-nice Target team member), I found the rack of thermals. Naturally, they only had two pairs of thermal pants. Surprisingly, they were in my size, but they were white, and I didn't really want white. They had a variety of colors and sizes available for the thermal tops however. So typical of the Watertown Target... I decided to forgo that purchase, a decision I'm sure I will come to regret. But I moved on to the shoe section. They had a pretty disappointing selection. Most of the boots were just downright ugly or boring. But a pair of pink and greyish-green snowboardesque boots caught my eye. And they were on sale! Score.
I've found I'm responding pretty well to the winter weather. Of course I would like for it to be 70 degrees outside again, but I figure as long as I am dressed appropriately the cold doesn't bother me too much. I would, however, like it to be just warm enough to melt the ice off the sidewalks. Even in the snow boots I slide around on the ice. I've already fallen once (no injuries to report), and I'm okay with falling as long as it doesn't happen a) in the middle of a major road, b) on stairs, or c) on the train tracks, especially when the T is approaching. Other than that, I can deal with it.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
instant replay
Ok, so we all knew eventually this would happen. So in case you were worried, I'm still alive, and I'm not married to my textbooks (we just might be engaged though.) But I have been enjoying all the wonderful diversions Boston has to offer, so here's a little taste of my life in the past few weeks.
I went to Salem the weekend before Halloween. This is me with my friend Candice in front of some ship. Honestly I don't even remember what the significance of this ship was. Anyway, Salem was so CHEESY! I mean I guess I'm not surprised. I'm sure they love to grift the unsuspecting tourists.
Christina's birthday celebration at the Pour House. Somehow we got this reputation as the loud, dancing table....I don't know how that could possibly be the case...
I had a little Thanksgiving potluck at my house the weekend before Thanksgiving. Amy and Sean and Adam and Amber came over. It was a nice little crowd, but we had so much food! In a fit of brilliance, I made a turkey. And it was kind of a disaster. It didn't cook all the way, despite the fact that the meat thermometer said it was the correct temperature. Although later I learned that can be a problem with organic turkeys (I bought it at Trader Joes, so it was also vegetarian-fed, no hormones, pre-brined, and twice what I would have paid at a regular grocery store.) Hopefully I will have better luck next year. I pretty much have to make a turkey next year because what else am I going to do with a roasting pan and rack?
I went to Salem the weekend before Halloween. This is me with my friend Candice in front of some ship. Honestly I don't even remember what the significance of this ship was. Anyway, Salem was so CHEESY! I mean I guess I'm not surprised. I'm sure they love to grift the unsuspecting tourists.
This is a guy sitting on top of the entrance to the Copley T stop. And some guy holding a sign talking about hell. And also lots of people milling about wearing Red Sox gear. And all because of this...
I can assure you that the grey sweatshirt is Big Papi. Trust me. I went to the Red Sox parade and it was the greatest thing ever. Other than Big Papi I saw Jonathan Papelbon (and the Dropkick Murphys!), Curt Schilling (holding the trophy no less!), Dustin Pedroia, Bobby Kielty, and Theo Epstein. Sadly, I didn't get to see Manny... But so far it is the most amazing thing I have done since I've been in Boston.
At a bar in Somerville after my first experience with candlepin bowling. I didn't think I could be any worse than I am at regular bowling...boy was I wrong!
Christina's birthday celebration at the Pour House. Somehow we got this reputation as the loud, dancing table....I don't know how that could possibly be the case...
I had a little Thanksgiving potluck at my house the weekend before Thanksgiving. Amy and Sean and Adam and Amber came over. It was a nice little crowd, but we had so much food! In a fit of brilliance, I made a turkey. And it was kind of a disaster. It didn't cook all the way, despite the fact that the meat thermometer said it was the correct temperature. Although later I learned that can be a problem with organic turkeys (I bought it at Trader Joes, so it was also vegetarian-fed, no hormones, pre-brined, and twice what I would have paid at a regular grocery store.) Hopefully I will have better luck next year. I pretty much have to make a turkey next year because what else am I going to do with a roasting pan and rack?
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
23
The last week has actually been one of the quieter weeks I've experienced since I've been in Boston. Although I did expect it to be the most fun. But things don't always work out as planned.
Tuesday afternoon, after a week of stressing out and procrastinating, I finally finished and turned in my Higher Ed in American Society midterm. That took a lot out of me and I was so glad to finish that thing.
Thursday morning I had an appointment to get my hair done at a place in Mission Hill. Luckily, getting there was easy enough. I passed Northeastern on the way...I hadn't seen the campus before, and now I'm even more glad I chose BC. Getting my hair done was pretty typical. She did a roller set, which was what I wanted. She didn't come check on me though, so I just sat there until the dryer turned off. I was miserable because the rollers were way too tight. So then after sitting under the dryer for an hour, she suggested that because it was raining she should wrap it. Really? I sat under the dryer for an hour for nothing. Plus I had to have the stupid white wrap thing on my head again. AND they charge separately for trims. So I ended up spending $75 for basically nothing. Way to go me.
Thursday night there was an outing for the Higher Ed people at a bar in Brighton Center. It was a pretty miserable night, but I had just gotten out of my stupid research class, so a few drinks were in order. I saw Brent on the way there, which was good because I had no idea where I was going. There was a small but good group. It was a good night...nice and chill. Toward the end of the night a cover band started playing. They weren't bad, just kind of random. So after a few songs we left. We stopped into another bar for a second, but then decided to leave. Getting home was interesting though. It was pouring and there wasn't going to be another bus for a while, so we got a cab to Christina's apartment, then I walked to the shuttle to head home.
Friday was my birthday. When I woke up and went into the kitchen, my roommates had put happy birthday signs for me on the refrigerator. It was so cute! I decided not to do any school work but I really needed to clean up my room a little and do laundry. I spent a lot of the day doing that until I had to get ready for the night. I spent forever trying to make my hair sort of curly, which mostly worked. I got dressed in this really cute lavender, white, and black faux wrap dress that I got at Target but hadn't worn yet. It looked really great on me but the wrap part in front doesn't overlap enough so I had to watch out for that. But I looked great. So, earlier that day, Meghan had told me that she and Devlin really needed to study and couldn't go out really late, but they wanted to take me out to dinner. I was disappointed, but I couldn't pass up free food. So we went to Bangkok Bistro in Cleveland Circle. The food is pretty good there and it was nice to do something social with my roommates for once. After dinner I called Brent to see if he wanted to meet me at my house before we went out. He said he was about to call me to say he was too tired to go out. I understood but I was starting to get upset because I had no idea who was going to show up. I went home to finish getting ready and called Amy. She was still going so I left a little while later. I went to a club called Gypsy, which I heard was pretty cool. When I got there, Amy wasn't there yet, so I sat at the bar and had a drink while watching the Sox game. Amy got there about 15 minutes after me and she had brought her husband Sean with her. We hung out at the bar for a while and chatted and watched the game. Amy also gave me a birthday card which was so sweet of her. Later that night a lot more people started showing up so we went to dance. The DJ played a lot of really random music but it wasn't that bad. I pretty much perked up after I started dancing. We were starting to get tired though so we sat down on one of the couches next to the dance floor. A waitress came up to us and asked if we wanted anything but we didn't. At that point she let us know that our table had a $250 minimum. Well, we were wondering why all the wine on the wine list was over $100 a glass... We danced a little bit longer but after a little bit we left. Despite almost everyone bailing on me I had a really great night, and I found out what a fun girl Amy is!
On Monday I went out to lunch with Rima and Liz, two really awesome women from my church. We went to a Brazilian buffet restaurant that had really good food. I will definitely have to go back there. And it was amazing to have a chance to get to know people from church outside of church. I found out about some of the other things that go on at church, which was good because I felt a little out of the loop. There wasn't much that interested me though. Anyway, I really appreciate how welcoming the people at my church have been and I love it so much!
Tuesday afternoon, after a week of stressing out and procrastinating, I finally finished and turned in my Higher Ed in American Society midterm. That took a lot out of me and I was so glad to finish that thing.
Thursday morning I had an appointment to get my hair done at a place in Mission Hill. Luckily, getting there was easy enough. I passed Northeastern on the way...I hadn't seen the campus before, and now I'm even more glad I chose BC. Getting my hair done was pretty typical. She did a roller set, which was what I wanted. She didn't come check on me though, so I just sat there until the dryer turned off. I was miserable because the rollers were way too tight. So then after sitting under the dryer for an hour, she suggested that because it was raining she should wrap it. Really? I sat under the dryer for an hour for nothing. Plus I had to have the stupid white wrap thing on my head again. AND they charge separately for trims. So I ended up spending $75 for basically nothing. Way to go me.
Thursday night there was an outing for the Higher Ed people at a bar in Brighton Center. It was a pretty miserable night, but I had just gotten out of my stupid research class, so a few drinks were in order. I saw Brent on the way there, which was good because I had no idea where I was going. There was a small but good group. It was a good night...nice and chill. Toward the end of the night a cover band started playing. They weren't bad, just kind of random. So after a few songs we left. We stopped into another bar for a second, but then decided to leave. Getting home was interesting though. It was pouring and there wasn't going to be another bus for a while, so we got a cab to Christina's apartment, then I walked to the shuttle to head home.
Friday was my birthday. When I woke up and went into the kitchen, my roommates had put happy birthday signs for me on the refrigerator. It was so cute! I decided not to do any school work but I really needed to clean up my room a little and do laundry. I spent a lot of the day doing that until I had to get ready for the night. I spent forever trying to make my hair sort of curly, which mostly worked. I got dressed in this really cute lavender, white, and black faux wrap dress that I got at Target but hadn't worn yet. It looked really great on me but the wrap part in front doesn't overlap enough so I had to watch out for that. But I looked great. So, earlier that day, Meghan had told me that she and Devlin really needed to study and couldn't go out really late, but they wanted to take me out to dinner. I was disappointed, but I couldn't pass up free food. So we went to Bangkok Bistro in Cleveland Circle. The food is pretty good there and it was nice to do something social with my roommates for once. After dinner I called Brent to see if he wanted to meet me at my house before we went out. He said he was about to call me to say he was too tired to go out. I understood but I was starting to get upset because I had no idea who was going to show up. I went home to finish getting ready and called Amy. She was still going so I left a little while later. I went to a club called Gypsy, which I heard was pretty cool. When I got there, Amy wasn't there yet, so I sat at the bar and had a drink while watching the Sox game. Amy got there about 15 minutes after me and she had brought her husband Sean with her. We hung out at the bar for a while and chatted and watched the game. Amy also gave me a birthday card which was so sweet of her. Later that night a lot more people started showing up so we went to dance. The DJ played a lot of really random music but it wasn't that bad. I pretty much perked up after I started dancing. We were starting to get tired though so we sat down on one of the couches next to the dance floor. A waitress came up to us and asked if we wanted anything but we didn't. At that point she let us know that our table had a $250 minimum. Well, we were wondering why all the wine on the wine list was over $100 a glass... We danced a little bit longer but after a little bit we left. Despite almost everyone bailing on me I had a really great night, and I found out what a fun girl Amy is!
On Monday I went out to lunch with Rima and Liz, two really awesome women from my church. We went to a Brazilian buffet restaurant that had really good food. I will definitely have to go back there. And it was amazing to have a chance to get to know people from church outside of church. I found out about some of the other things that go on at church, which was good because I felt a little out of the loop. There wasn't much that interested me though. Anyway, I really appreciate how welcoming the people at my church have been and I love it so much!
Monday, October 8, 2007
stripper poles
Since I haven't had class since Tuesday afternoon, I've been sort of working on a midterm, but mostly slacking off. I really have been meaning to get caught up on school work. Really. Saturday, I had already decided, would be a fun day, since I was going to the game and then to a party that night. I woke up really early since the game was at noon. I got to campus around 10:30, but there wasn't much going on. So I just walked around until the game was about to start. I got some pictures and video of the marching band while they played Bowling Green's and our fight songs. The game was actually pretty exciting. Bowling Green isn't a bad football team. But I wasn't even the least bit concerned...I knew we would win pretty comfortably. Although we were a little sloppy in the first quarter... During halftime they inducted former athletes into the Varsity Club. One of the athletes who came back was Gerard Phelan. He is part of BC sports legend, but he is so overshadowed by Doug Flutie. And I think it's kind of unfair, since Gerard Phelan was the one who actually caught that pass. Well, needless to say, we won the game. The score was 55-24. Now we are ranked #4, and this weekend we go to South Bend to beat up on Notre Dame. Hopefully they won't give us too much trouble, but you never know with these historic rivalries.
Saturday night I went to a party at Isabella's apartment. I was trying to get Devlin and Greg to go with me, but they were tired, so I went by myself. When I got there not a lot of people had showed up yet, and I didn't know anyone other than Isabella, but I got a drink and met a few people. After a while people started coming, including Vincent and Charlotte. I hadn't seen them since the tailgate before the Wake Forest game. We all pretty much hung around drinking and talking. Vincent and I got into this long involved conversation about fraternities. He was telling me he wants to join one. That's pretty cool. Before long Isabella was asking me to dance, but they weren't playing any good music, so I just kept mingling and talking. Finally they started playing some stuff I could dance to. I dragged Vincent onto the dance floor and danced with him for a little while. Then I made this Swiss guy (whose name I don't remember) dance with me. Except that I told him he didn't have to do much, which to him meant he didn't have to do anything. So he just stood there and I danced around him. Halfway through he asked me "Do I make a good pole?" Then I danced with Arnaud, who wasn't half bad. After that I discovered that Vincent had gotten hold of my camera and taken pictures and video of me dancing. They were funny but a little bit scandalous. I tried to get them to dance more, but the French and Swiss guys just wanted to hang out, so I just went back out onto the dance floor. I danced with some of the girls, and then a few guys too. One of the guys I met was Keith. He had so much energy so I danced with him quite a bit. We didn't really talk but he seems like someone I'd want to get to know better. So I just danced until about 2 am, when things started to die down. Then I realized I wouldn't be able to get home, but Farooq and Isabella gave me a ride, which was nice of them. That night was so much more fun than any of the parties I went to in undergrad! Of course the next morning I had to get up for church. That was a challenge, but I made it...somehow.
Saturday night I went to a party at Isabella's apartment. I was trying to get Devlin and Greg to go with me, but they were tired, so I went by myself. When I got there not a lot of people had showed up yet, and I didn't know anyone other than Isabella, but I got a drink and met a few people. After a while people started coming, including Vincent and Charlotte. I hadn't seen them since the tailgate before the Wake Forest game. We all pretty much hung around drinking and talking. Vincent and I got into this long involved conversation about fraternities. He was telling me he wants to join one. That's pretty cool. Before long Isabella was asking me to dance, but they weren't playing any good music, so I just kept mingling and talking. Finally they started playing some stuff I could dance to. I dragged Vincent onto the dance floor and danced with him for a little while. Then I made this Swiss guy (whose name I don't remember) dance with me. Except that I told him he didn't have to do much, which to him meant he didn't have to do anything. So he just stood there and I danced around him. Halfway through he asked me "Do I make a good pole?" Then I danced with Arnaud, who wasn't half bad. After that I discovered that Vincent had gotten hold of my camera and taken pictures and video of me dancing. They were funny but a little bit scandalous. I tried to get them to dance more, but the French and Swiss guys just wanted to hang out, so I just went back out onto the dance floor. I danced with some of the girls, and then a few guys too. One of the guys I met was Keith. He had so much energy so I danced with him quite a bit. We didn't really talk but he seems like someone I'd want to get to know better. So I just danced until about 2 am, when things started to die down. Then I realized I wouldn't be able to get home, but Farooq and Isabella gave me a ride, which was nice of them. That night was so much more fun than any of the parties I went to in undergrad! Of course the next morning I had to get up for church. That was a challenge, but I made it...somehow.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
wiser?
As if my upcoming birthday wasn't making me feel old, Kate IM'd me last night...
RavenChild14: How does it feel to be a great-great grandbig?
Wow. Now I feel ancient! However I am excited to see that my sorority family is adding a new member. It's sad though because I won't be able to meet this new addition (at least not any time soon.) But she looks like a very sweet girl. I love my butterflies!
This morning finds me looking for the motivation to write my first exam for Higher Ed in American Society. It's not due until Tuesday, but I would really like to finish it today or tomorrow, and also get caught up on some other work. But I also want to have some time to relax because I don't have class again until Wednesday. My Research and Higher Ed classes were cancelled, and last night I got an email saying Student Affairs was cancelled. Dr. Duffy wasn't feeling well. I can't say I was surprised...I figured it would probably happen at some point in the semester. Although I probably should stop saying that he is close to death. I also need to catch up on laundry and actually clean my room. So we'll see how much relaxation I manage to squeeze in by Wednesday.
RavenChild14: How does it feel to be a great-great grandbig?
Wow. Now I feel ancient! However I am excited to see that my sorority family is adding a new member. It's sad though because I won't be able to meet this new addition (at least not any time soon.) But she looks like a very sweet girl. I love my butterflies!
This morning finds me looking for the motivation to write my first exam for Higher Ed in American Society. It's not due until Tuesday, but I would really like to finish it today or tomorrow, and also get caught up on some other work. But I also want to have some time to relax because I don't have class again until Wednesday. My Research and Higher Ed classes were cancelled, and last night I got an email saying Student Affairs was cancelled. Dr. Duffy wasn't feeling well. I can't say I was surprised...I figured it would probably happen at some point in the semester. Although I probably should stop saying that he is close to death. I also need to catch up on laundry and actually clean my room. So we'll see how much relaxation I manage to squeeze in by Wednesday.
Monday, October 1, 2007
sanctuary
School is seriously kicking my ass. I have soooo much reading every week. My Student Affairs Admin class has the most reading, closely followed by Higher Ed in American Society. Plus I also have a 4-6 page case study every week for Student Affairs, but that hasn't been quite as taxing as I thought originally. It's kind of daunting if I don't keep up, and I haven't been doing too well in that respect. Last week I was really starting to worry if I'll be able to handle it all. I think I was just frustrated, but I'm trying to find a good system.
The rest of my life however is amazing. I was really needing to get out of the house and enjoy myself, and luckily Thursday night there was a grad night out. I had class that night and I was going to rush home to get ready and head over there. Research was particularly rough that night. I was hoping he would let us out early but he kept talking. And talking. And talking even more. You could tell on people's faces that they were so over that class. And I'm sure he lectured past 6:50. As soon as he was done I bolted for the door. I had to wait forever for the shuttle (as usual), but finally I made it home, got ready, and headed out. Then, of course, I had to wait forever for the shuttle to head over to Reservoir. But finally I made it over there and got on the train to Newton Center. As I was getting off the train I ran into a girl in Higher Ed and a friend of hers, which was good because I had no idea where the bar was. We ended up walking the wrong way, then asking someone where it was. It was really weird because you have to walk down this little alley to get to the door. Inside I saw Ashley and Paula, then walked around a little and saw Brent, Mongkol, and Christina. I talked to them for a second before getting some food and sitting with Ashley and Paula. But then I went to the bar, which is what I really wanted. I got a long island and went over and sat next to Brent. He made some comment about my drink choice being unique, which I thought was random. But that's just Brent I guess. Most of the night was just us hanging out, me drinking a lot, and people playing grad student bingo. People were walking around trying to find people who fit certain characteristics listed on the sheet. A few of them applied to me, like being a first year grad student and a master's student. But at some point in the night we decided I had a 'special talent' for dancing, so I delighted in informing people of that all night. Sadly, I didn't get too much of a chance to display that talent. No one was really dancing, but I danced by myself a little bit. It was a good night though because I got a chance to destress a little bit which was great.
I got home that night expecting to stumble in (because I'd had quite a bit to drink) and see my roommates studying. I knew they were going out with other econ people that night, but I was very surprised that they weren't home when I got there. I decided to stay up until they got home. Finally Meghan came home. She informed me that she had made out with a guy in her program. I was shocked but definitely amused. That made me feel like I need to let my wild side out some more because I've been pretty tame lately.
Friday I ventured over to Watertown to pick up a few things at Target. Not too eventful until I was getting my watch battery replaced and another girl behind the jewelry counter asked me if I was in ASA (I happened to be wearing letters.) I said yes and she told me that she was from the Alaska chapter. I told her she should get involved with the alumnae chapter, which she didn't know existed. It's always so fun to randomly run into sisters!
The best part of the last week though had to be Sunday when I went to church. I sat next to Nick and Steve, who are the sweetest guys, and they have been so warm and welcoming to me. When they did candles of joy and concern, I went up to light 2 candles. One was for Cathy, my junior year roommate. Her dad has been really sick, and the doctors only recently figured out what was wrong with him. They put him on a high dose of medicine but they have to reduce the dose, and her dad has been getting sick again. I was so sad to hear that because her dad is such a sweet old man. I lit the other candle for Yvonne and Matt because Matt was being deployed to Iraq for the second time. (But then I talked to Yvonne today and found out he actually isn't going out and might not for a year or so, which is amazing.) A couple people came up to me afterward and expressed their sympathy which was very comforting. The sermon was called How We Are Universalists, and Rev. Jim, who I love, was speaking about love and acceptance and started talking about his brother. His brother was gay and died of AIDS back in the early 80s. Rev. Jim almost started crying, and in that moment I felt like I connected with him on a very deep level. It was an amazing feeling. After the service I talked to Nick, Steve, and Ann for a little while. They were talking about being gay back in the olden days. I told them how I always thought it was interesting to hear stories like that because I went to high school with so many gay people.
After coffee hour there was an orientation for newcomers to the church. We went around the room and talked about the faith traditions we grew up with and how we came to Unitarian Universalism. I talked about growing up in a Baptist family, then ended up entertaining the group with how I became aware of Unitarians through the Simpsons. It was really cool to meet 2 other people from Virginia in the meeting, as well as someone who works at BC. So now I have some more connections at church. I feel so much more strongly about this faith then I ever thought I would, and everyone has been so welcoming. It's also nice to have a couple hours each week to put schoolwork aside and become centered. I'm definitely ready to join.
I can't believe I've been in Boston almost 2 months. My life here has come together so nicely and I'm so much happier than I ever was in Virginia. So I figure whatever craziness grad school has to throw at me, I'm ready. Bring it, grad school!
The rest of my life however is amazing. I was really needing to get out of the house and enjoy myself, and luckily Thursday night there was a grad night out. I had class that night and I was going to rush home to get ready and head over there. Research was particularly rough that night. I was hoping he would let us out early but he kept talking. And talking. And talking even more. You could tell on people's faces that they were so over that class. And I'm sure he lectured past 6:50. As soon as he was done I bolted for the door. I had to wait forever for the shuttle (as usual), but finally I made it home, got ready, and headed out. Then, of course, I had to wait forever for the shuttle to head over to Reservoir. But finally I made it over there and got on the train to Newton Center. As I was getting off the train I ran into a girl in Higher Ed and a friend of hers, which was good because I had no idea where the bar was. We ended up walking the wrong way, then asking someone where it was. It was really weird because you have to walk down this little alley to get to the door. Inside I saw Ashley and Paula, then walked around a little and saw Brent, Mongkol, and Christina. I talked to them for a second before getting some food and sitting with Ashley and Paula. But then I went to the bar, which is what I really wanted. I got a long island and went over and sat next to Brent. He made some comment about my drink choice being unique, which I thought was random. But that's just Brent I guess. Most of the night was just us hanging out, me drinking a lot, and people playing grad student bingo. People were walking around trying to find people who fit certain characteristics listed on the sheet. A few of them applied to me, like being a first year grad student and a master's student. But at some point in the night we decided I had a 'special talent' for dancing, so I delighted in informing people of that all night. Sadly, I didn't get too much of a chance to display that talent. No one was really dancing, but I danced by myself a little bit. It was a good night though because I got a chance to destress a little bit which was great.
I got home that night expecting to stumble in (because I'd had quite a bit to drink) and see my roommates studying. I knew they were going out with other econ people that night, but I was very surprised that they weren't home when I got there. I decided to stay up until they got home. Finally Meghan came home. She informed me that she had made out with a guy in her program. I was shocked but definitely amused. That made me feel like I need to let my wild side out some more because I've been pretty tame lately.
Friday I ventured over to Watertown to pick up a few things at Target. Not too eventful until I was getting my watch battery replaced and another girl behind the jewelry counter asked me if I was in ASA (I happened to be wearing letters.) I said yes and she told me that she was from the Alaska chapter. I told her she should get involved with the alumnae chapter, which she didn't know existed. It's always so fun to randomly run into sisters!
The best part of the last week though had to be Sunday when I went to church. I sat next to Nick and Steve, who are the sweetest guys, and they have been so warm and welcoming to me. When they did candles of joy and concern, I went up to light 2 candles. One was for Cathy, my junior year roommate. Her dad has been really sick, and the doctors only recently figured out what was wrong with him. They put him on a high dose of medicine but they have to reduce the dose, and her dad has been getting sick again. I was so sad to hear that because her dad is such a sweet old man. I lit the other candle for Yvonne and Matt because Matt was being deployed to Iraq for the second time. (But then I talked to Yvonne today and found out he actually isn't going out and might not for a year or so, which is amazing.) A couple people came up to me afterward and expressed their sympathy which was very comforting. The sermon was called How We Are Universalists, and Rev. Jim, who I love, was speaking about love and acceptance and started talking about his brother. His brother was gay and died of AIDS back in the early 80s. Rev. Jim almost started crying, and in that moment I felt like I connected with him on a very deep level. It was an amazing feeling. After the service I talked to Nick, Steve, and Ann for a little while. They were talking about being gay back in the olden days. I told them how I always thought it was interesting to hear stories like that because I went to high school with so many gay people.
After coffee hour there was an orientation for newcomers to the church. We went around the room and talked about the faith traditions we grew up with and how we came to Unitarian Universalism. I talked about growing up in a Baptist family, then ended up entertaining the group with how I became aware of Unitarians through the Simpsons. It was really cool to meet 2 other people from Virginia in the meeting, as well as someone who works at BC. So now I have some more connections at church. I feel so much more strongly about this faith then I ever thought I would, and everyone has been so welcoming. It's also nice to have a couple hours each week to put schoolwork aside and become centered. I'm definitely ready to join.
I can't believe I've been in Boston almost 2 months. My life here has come together so nicely and I'm so much happier than I ever was in Virginia. So I figure whatever craziness grad school has to throw at me, I'm ready. Bring it, grad school!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
just like home
It's official. I love Boston.
I had an amazing day today. Of course it started way too early... I woke up around 7ish to get ready for the day and finish making my room look presentable. Why? Because Billy, a friend of mine from CNU, was coming to visit! He is in Rhode Island for the month and since he was that close, of course he had to visit. So we planned for him to get on a train at 8:30 in Providence that would bring him to downtown Boston. Around 9:30, as I was getting ready, I noticed I had a text. I was terrified to look at it because I just knew it would be from Billy saying he missed the train. And sure enough, I opened it and it said "Guess who missed the train." I sighed loudly, and Meghan heard me. I walked into the living room and Meg just looked at me and said "He missed the train didn't he?" I was freaking out and trying to calculate when he would get here. Then I walked back to my room to call him and there was another text saying he actually did get on the train. I called him and remained calm enough not to cuss him out, but I really wanted to. He told me he had just passed Hyde Park so he was pretty close. After I got off the phone with him I finished getting ready and left to go meet him. I left around 10 so I could get the shuttle to Reservoir in time. Because of the game, the shuttle was running even worse than usual. I waited about 10 or 15 minutes before one finally came. I got to Reservoir and walked to where I could see down in the station to make sure he wasn't waiting. As I walked up I saw a train pulling up so I headed downstairs. I was thinking he was probably on that train, and as I was almost down the stairs I saw him step out onto the platform. It was so great to see him, and I just gave him a big hug. Then we went upstairs to wait for the shuttle and had a chance to catch up with each other, which was nice.
We went back to my house so he could drop his stuff off and I could get the tickets, and I gave him a little tour of my house. There was plenty time before the game so we went to College Sub and had lunch. Then I took him on a tour of BC, making sure to mention all the little tidbits I've picked up in my time here. By the time we had walked all over campus it was almost time for the football game to start. We were in the upper endzone, which is really not a bad place to sit. The game was really good. I had heard Army was pretty terrible, but they kind of put up a good fight. BC scored a field goal fairly early, then a touchdown not long after that. Matt Ryan got the touchdown, but he had some pretty bad passes during the game. But he is amazing! It was a little dodgy in the first half of the game, especially after Army faked a field goal attempt and ran the ball down the field, then got a touchdown on the next play. At halftime the score was 16-9. Billy asked me if our halftime show was any good, and I told him it wasn't. Because that is the truth. The only thing that happens is the marching band plays some obscure classical music and the flag girls pretend like they can dance. Then it's just dead time until the game starts again. The second half was much better though. Army scored again, but BC got it together in the second half and got way ahead of Army. At the end the score was 37-17.
After the game, we headed back to my house. Meghan was home so I introduced them. I told Billy not to say anything bad about URI since Meghan went there. So they started talking about URI and Rhode Island while I got ready to head downtown. Billy said he wanted to go to Fenway, and since he also said he wanted to go shoe shopping, I had also suggested we go to Newbury Street and/or Prudential Center. So we headed back out to the D line, got out at Kenmore, and started walking. We found Fenway without too much trouble. It was nothing like I expected it to be. It has really high walls so you can't see into it, and you would only know it is Fenway because of all the signs and flags. Otherwise it just looks like a big warehouse-type building in the middle of a city. Either way it was good to finally see the Kenmore Square area.
After that we started walking toward Newbury Street. We passed Hynes Convention Center, and there was something going on in there, so Billy wanted to go in and check it out. It was some kind of college fair. Billy saw people with bags from Monster energy drink and he wanted one, but when we went inside it looked like it was pretty much over. So we went back outside and kept walking. We ended up going to Prudential first and walking through, but Billy wasn't as enthusiastic about shopping as I thought. We walked over the bridge to Copley Place, then went back outside. We were going to head to Newbury but we went the wrong way, so we ended up walking through the South End. So I guess that's another Boston neighborhood that I've experienced. Eventually we started heading the right way. Billy saw a 7-Eleven and really wanted a Slurpee, so we stopped in there. But we were both really hungry, so we were on the lookout for a place to eat. Billy told me he didn't care where we ate as long as it wasn't a chain. We walked almost all the way up Newbury but I didn't see anything that caught my eye. But then Billy spotted a Thai restaurant, so we decided to eat there. When we walked in, the hostess directed us to a table right in front that was kind of separate from the other tables and remarked that it was "more private." I decided not to order pad thai since I've eaten so much lately. I got something similar though...it was like pad thai but with rice. I was glad that my conversation with Billy picked up during dinner because it had kind of lulled while we were walking around. We had a very interesting conversation that at points touched on marriage and religion. I realized how little I really knew about Billy, and it was good to get to know him a little better. After we had been talking a while Billy ordered dessert...some fried banana things. I didn't want to tell him that I hate bananas. When we got them he asked if I did so I couldn't lie. He just didn't want to look like a fattie by just getting them for himself. I decided to try them and they weren't that bad, but I only ate a couple.
After dinner there was still a little time before Billy had to catch a train back to Providence, so I suggested we do the Prudential Skywalk. Luckily after we walked back and found the entrance for the skywalk they were letting the last few people go up. The view was very cool, especially since it was at night so everything was lit up. They have numbers on the window and they give you a little thing that if you enter the number it plays a recording about something you can see out of that window. It was hard to see some stuff in the dark. And a lot of the stuff they talked about I had already learned on the Duck Tour I took over the summer. So overall it was cool but not worth the $9 it cost.
After that Billy had to head back to Rhode Island. I took the train with him to Park Street. We said a quick goodbye, then he headed off toward the Red line, and I rushed across the station because there was a D line train waiting. I'm so exhausted from walking, but seeing the city was amazing. And being with someone from home who I love to death was just what I needed.
I had an amazing day today. Of course it started way too early... I woke up around 7ish to get ready for the day and finish making my room look presentable. Why? Because Billy, a friend of mine from CNU, was coming to visit! He is in Rhode Island for the month and since he was that close, of course he had to visit. So we planned for him to get on a train at 8:30 in Providence that would bring him to downtown Boston. Around 9:30, as I was getting ready, I noticed I had a text. I was terrified to look at it because I just knew it would be from Billy saying he missed the train. And sure enough, I opened it and it said "Guess who missed the train." I sighed loudly, and Meghan heard me. I walked into the living room and Meg just looked at me and said "He missed the train didn't he?" I was freaking out and trying to calculate when he would get here. Then I walked back to my room to call him and there was another text saying he actually did get on the train. I called him and remained calm enough not to cuss him out, but I really wanted to. He told me he had just passed Hyde Park so he was pretty close. After I got off the phone with him I finished getting ready and left to go meet him. I left around 10 so I could get the shuttle to Reservoir in time. Because of the game, the shuttle was running even worse than usual. I waited about 10 or 15 minutes before one finally came. I got to Reservoir and walked to where I could see down in the station to make sure he wasn't waiting. As I walked up I saw a train pulling up so I headed downstairs. I was thinking he was probably on that train, and as I was almost down the stairs I saw him step out onto the platform. It was so great to see him, and I just gave him a big hug. Then we went upstairs to wait for the shuttle and had a chance to catch up with each other, which was nice.
We went back to my house so he could drop his stuff off and I could get the tickets, and I gave him a little tour of my house. There was plenty time before the game so we went to College Sub and had lunch. Then I took him on a tour of BC, making sure to mention all the little tidbits I've picked up in my time here. By the time we had walked all over campus it was almost time for the football game to start. We were in the upper endzone, which is really not a bad place to sit. The game was really good. I had heard Army was pretty terrible, but they kind of put up a good fight. BC scored a field goal fairly early, then a touchdown not long after that. Matt Ryan got the touchdown, but he had some pretty bad passes during the game. But he is amazing! It was a little dodgy in the first half of the game, especially after Army faked a field goal attempt and ran the ball down the field, then got a touchdown on the next play. At halftime the score was 16-9. Billy asked me if our halftime show was any good, and I told him it wasn't. Because that is the truth. The only thing that happens is the marching band plays some obscure classical music and the flag girls pretend like they can dance. Then it's just dead time until the game starts again. The second half was much better though. Army scored again, but BC got it together in the second half and got way ahead of Army. At the end the score was 37-17.
After the game, we headed back to my house. Meghan was home so I introduced them. I told Billy not to say anything bad about URI since Meghan went there. So they started talking about URI and Rhode Island while I got ready to head downtown. Billy said he wanted to go to Fenway, and since he also said he wanted to go shoe shopping, I had also suggested we go to Newbury Street and/or Prudential Center. So we headed back out to the D line, got out at Kenmore, and started walking. We found Fenway without too much trouble. It was nothing like I expected it to be. It has really high walls so you can't see into it, and you would only know it is Fenway because of all the signs and flags. Otherwise it just looks like a big warehouse-type building in the middle of a city. Either way it was good to finally see the Kenmore Square area.
After that we started walking toward Newbury Street. We passed Hynes Convention Center, and there was something going on in there, so Billy wanted to go in and check it out. It was some kind of college fair. Billy saw people with bags from Monster energy drink and he wanted one, but when we went inside it looked like it was pretty much over. So we went back outside and kept walking. We ended up going to Prudential first and walking through, but Billy wasn't as enthusiastic about shopping as I thought. We walked over the bridge to Copley Place, then went back outside. We were going to head to Newbury but we went the wrong way, so we ended up walking through the South End. So I guess that's another Boston neighborhood that I've experienced. Eventually we started heading the right way. Billy saw a 7-Eleven and really wanted a Slurpee, so we stopped in there. But we were both really hungry, so we were on the lookout for a place to eat. Billy told me he didn't care where we ate as long as it wasn't a chain. We walked almost all the way up Newbury but I didn't see anything that caught my eye. But then Billy spotted a Thai restaurant, so we decided to eat there. When we walked in, the hostess directed us to a table right in front that was kind of separate from the other tables and remarked that it was "more private." I decided not to order pad thai since I've eaten so much lately. I got something similar though...it was like pad thai but with rice. I was glad that my conversation with Billy picked up during dinner because it had kind of lulled while we were walking around. We had a very interesting conversation that at points touched on marriage and religion. I realized how little I really knew about Billy, and it was good to get to know him a little better. After we had been talking a while Billy ordered dessert...some fried banana things. I didn't want to tell him that I hate bananas. When we got them he asked if I did so I couldn't lie. He just didn't want to look like a fattie by just getting them for himself. I decided to try them and they weren't that bad, but I only ate a couple.
After dinner there was still a little time before Billy had to catch a train back to Providence, so I suggested we do the Prudential Skywalk. Luckily after we walked back and found the entrance for the skywalk they were letting the last few people go up. The view was very cool, especially since it was at night so everything was lit up. They have numbers on the window and they give you a little thing that if you enter the number it plays a recording about something you can see out of that window. It was hard to see some stuff in the dark. And a lot of the stuff they talked about I had already learned on the Duck Tour I took over the summer. So overall it was cool but not worth the $9 it cost.
After that Billy had to head back to Rhode Island. I took the train with him to Park Street. We said a quick goodbye, then he headed off toward the Red line, and I rushed across the station because there was a D line train waiting. I'm so exhausted from walking, but seeing the city was amazing. And being with someone from home who I love to death was just what I needed.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
we dance
I just had one of the most fun nights I've had in a long time. The grad and law student associations put on a boat cruise tonight. I just got home and I'm sooo tired, but it was such a great night.
Earlier today I went to Hair Cuttery in Harvard Square to get my hair done. The girl just washed, trimmed, and curled it. I wanted it wavy, but she didn't think it would hold properly. So she finished and it looked okay. Then she asked me if I wanted her to wrap it, and I said yes thinking she meant just loosely wrap it so it would stay. But no, she actually wrapped it. She used these white paper things to hold it down, so I looked like I had a bandage for a massive head wound. That was weird. She had pretty much brushed out the style too, so I paid a shitload of money for pretty much nothing. But since I was in Harvard Square, I decided to treat myself to lunch at Wagamama. I was going to eat there, but since I looked crazy I got takeout. Once I got my food I headed home to eat and get ready.
Despite my hair not being curly, it actually looked okay. As usual, I looked totally hot once I was ready. I headed over to the Reservoir T stop so I could meet with a bunch of people to go to the boat together. The first person I saw was Mongkol. As soon as he saw me he said I looked good. Well of course. So we had to wait for more people to show up. Naturally, at this point, I realized I forgot my camera, but I couldn't go back home so it wasn't a big deal. Finally we got on the train and got on our way. The whole trip didn't take very long, but we had to transfer a couple times which just made it complicated. We got there really early so we hung around chatting until they let us on the boat. I was getting bored so I went around the corner to 7-Eleven to get a disposable camera. When I got back people were getting on the boat. I ran into Tamas and talked to him for a second before seeing Sandra, Tammy, and Stephanie. I was actually supposed to hang out with them beforehand but I decided not to at the last minute. We hung out for a while. They were scheming how to attract good looking lawyers. We walked around the boat for a bit before finally just finding a spot and dancing a little. Sandra went to talk to a friend of hers and they ended up coming back over to us with a lawyer and a law student. All the other girls were really excited to be meeting lawyers. They were nice guys though. But then a bunch of the group walked away leaving me with the lawyer and I girl I don't really know. We chatted for a bit before the lawyer moved on. The girl was practically gushing about the lawyer which was really annoying so I wanted to get away from her. We started walking around and I saw Mongkol so I was heading toward him when the girl started pulling me away. She said there was a guy around there that had been 'stalking' her. But I told her I wanted to go over to my friends, so she went downstairs. I went over to my friends and starting talking to them. We walked around for a bit before we saw some other people. Then I started dancing. I think I surprised a few people with how I dance, but I didn't really care. I found out that Mongkol is a really great dancer. I spent a lot of the night dancing with him. We ended up finding a spot that wasn't as crowded which was great because I was burning up, so it was good to be able to feel the breeze. At one point while I was dancing I looked over and saw a guy walking to the edge of the boat with someone else holding a napkin to his face. I thought he just had a bloody nose so I kind of blew it off. I was just glad he wasn't puking. Later Mongkol and I rejoined everyone else and danced some more. It was really hot though so we went downstairs to sit in a little area in the front of the boat. It was good to cool off, and we just hung out, took pictures, and danced a little. Then we noticed we were pulling back in, but it was about 45 minutes before we were supposed to. We were a little confused until you could faintly hear someone announce that they were just letting one person off. Someone mentioned that there was a kid that cut his head open and I realized it was the guy I had seen earlier. So the boat pulled back out and cruised around for a while until about 11:30.
After we got off the boat no one wanted to go to the actual afterparty, so we decided to go to another bar closer to where we all live. We got halfway there but then everyone pretty much decided that they were too tired. I, of course, was a little ball of energy, but my feet hurt really badly, so it was probably better for me to go home. But it was such a great night...I'm really starting to love Boston!
Earlier today I went to Hair Cuttery in Harvard Square to get my hair done. The girl just washed, trimmed, and curled it. I wanted it wavy, but she didn't think it would hold properly. So she finished and it looked okay. Then she asked me if I wanted her to wrap it, and I said yes thinking she meant just loosely wrap it so it would stay. But no, she actually wrapped it. She used these white paper things to hold it down, so I looked like I had a bandage for a massive head wound. That was weird. She had pretty much brushed out the style too, so I paid a shitload of money for pretty much nothing. But since I was in Harvard Square, I decided to treat myself to lunch at Wagamama. I was going to eat there, but since I looked crazy I got takeout. Once I got my food I headed home to eat and get ready.
Despite my hair not being curly, it actually looked okay. As usual, I looked totally hot once I was ready. I headed over to the Reservoir T stop so I could meet with a bunch of people to go to the boat together. The first person I saw was Mongkol. As soon as he saw me he said I looked good. Well of course. So we had to wait for more people to show up. Naturally, at this point, I realized I forgot my camera, but I couldn't go back home so it wasn't a big deal. Finally we got on the train and got on our way. The whole trip didn't take very long, but we had to transfer a couple times which just made it complicated. We got there really early so we hung around chatting until they let us on the boat. I was getting bored so I went around the corner to 7-Eleven to get a disposable camera. When I got back people were getting on the boat. I ran into Tamas and talked to him for a second before seeing Sandra, Tammy, and Stephanie. I was actually supposed to hang out with them beforehand but I decided not to at the last minute. We hung out for a while. They were scheming how to attract good looking lawyers. We walked around the boat for a bit before finally just finding a spot and dancing a little. Sandra went to talk to a friend of hers and they ended up coming back over to us with a lawyer and a law student. All the other girls were really excited to be meeting lawyers. They were nice guys though. But then a bunch of the group walked away leaving me with the lawyer and I girl I don't really know. We chatted for a bit before the lawyer moved on. The girl was practically gushing about the lawyer which was really annoying so I wanted to get away from her. We started walking around and I saw Mongkol so I was heading toward him when the girl started pulling me away. She said there was a guy around there that had been 'stalking' her. But I told her I wanted to go over to my friends, so she went downstairs. I went over to my friends and starting talking to them. We walked around for a bit before we saw some other people. Then I started dancing. I think I surprised a few people with how I dance, but I didn't really care. I found out that Mongkol is a really great dancer. I spent a lot of the night dancing with him. We ended up finding a spot that wasn't as crowded which was great because I was burning up, so it was good to be able to feel the breeze. At one point while I was dancing I looked over and saw a guy walking to the edge of the boat with someone else holding a napkin to his face. I thought he just had a bloody nose so I kind of blew it off. I was just glad he wasn't puking. Later Mongkol and I rejoined everyone else and danced some more. It was really hot though so we went downstairs to sit in a little area in the front of the boat. It was good to cool off, and we just hung out, took pictures, and danced a little. Then we noticed we were pulling back in, but it was about 45 minutes before we were supposed to. We were a little confused until you could faintly hear someone announce that they were just letting one person off. Someone mentioned that there was a kid that cut his head open and I realized it was the guy I had seen earlier. So the boat pulled back out and cruised around for a while until about 11:30.
After we got off the boat no one wanted to go to the actual afterparty, so we decided to go to another bar closer to where we all live. We got halfway there but then everyone pretty much decided that they were too tired. I, of course, was a little ball of energy, but my feet hurt really badly, so it was probably better for me to go home. But it was such a great night...I'm really starting to love Boston!
Sunday, September 9, 2007
fresh and hot
I have survived the first week of graduate school! I must say that I'm proud of myself, even if it is only the first week. But given my plan to just take it one day at a time, it's completely appropriate to celebrate the first week.
Wednesday night I had my second class, Student Affairs Admin. I was anxious to finally get a look at my advisor, the elusive Dr. Duffy. He didn't look as I had imagined him. He was much shorter, stooped over, and he really is old as dirt. I don't really care about his looks (although it might be appropriate to be concerned about his health) as long as his mind still works. I don't think there will be much concern in that respect, and he seems like he'll be a great professor and someone I'll get along with just fine. The class went well. He went over the syllabus and explained about the class, then lectured a little bit. We also did a small group activity. It was a good first class. I think I'll really enjoy it. My only concern is that there's a 3-5 page paper due every class, but I don't think it'll really be a big deal.
Thursday afternoon before class I ran into Mongkol. I had a little while before class started so I sat down and talked with him. Sarah, another Higher Ed person, joined us a little bit later. We were talking about how hard our Tuesday class was going to be. I hadn't really thought about it until then, so she was making me kind of nervous. But by then it was time for class. My third class was Interpretation and Evaluation of Research. This class is taught by Octavio, who is 'not quite a professor' because he hasn't finished his dissertation. As he was explaining this to the class, I couldn't help but think of Octavius, one of my favorite professors from CNU (even though I never actually had a class with him) who is in the same dissertation limbo (and has been for some time.) Anyway, after Octavio talked about himself and the class, we spent most of the class doing an icebreaker. I am not a fan of icebreakers. We had to say our name, what program we are in, and when we'll graduate, then describe ourselves using words beginning with our initials. I said (E) eclectic, because of my very diverse array of interests; (A) Acid House, because it's a book by my favorite author Irvine Welsh; and (P) plumbing, as I was able to attend BC because I spent 8 months selling plumbing supplies (and added that I didn't recommend it.) Finally that was over, and he lectured a little, then we had an activity. That class won't be bad at all, but the professor is a total space cadet. He didn't seem to have it all together and I'm worried his lectures won't be coherent. As soon as that class was over I darted for the door. I was on my way out when Matt, a guy in my program, stopped me to say hi. He told me that Mongkol was "singing my praises earlier" and that he really likes my laugh. That made me smile. A lot.
Thursday night there was a Culture Night sponsored by GISA. Everyone kept asking me if I was going, and of course I was--there was free food! I was late because of class, but I met up with Brent and Mongkol and some other cool people. I saw the roomies, who were already eating, so I just waved at them. There was mostly Jamaican food, which was interesting. It was really good, except that I put some fried plantains on my plate forgetting that they are pretty much like bananas, which I don't like. But everything else was really good. After we ate there were two performers. One girl sang a couple songs, then the next girl sang and bellydanced a little. They were both really good. Afterward I just hung out and chatted with everyone. At one point I was talking to some girls and they asked me what year I was. I said I was a first-year, and Mongkol said "Yeah, fresh and hot." At first I was kind of shocked, but then I said "Actually, I think you might be right." After a while things started dying down, so a bunch of us left and walked home. I walked with Brent for a little while, and it was good to get to talk to him.
I don't have class on Fridays so it was nice not having much to do. Friday morning I decided to take a trip to Allston to go to a liquor store. I had heard the prices were pretty reasonable, unlike the one closest to my house which is outrageous. I think I assumed the prices would be better here because of the competition, but the prices in Virginia are so much better! But the store I went to actually had decent prices, so I picked up some Jack, triple sec, and Bacardi.
That afternoon there was yet another BBQ at the grad student center. I went over there with Meghan and Devlin right when it was starting. No one was there, so we went inside. There were some econ people playing ping pong so we hung around inside until finally people started showing up. We went outside and got food and talked for a while. Brent came by to ask us a question for the grad student newsletter--something we did over the summer that we never thought we'd do. Of course I said selling plumbing supplies, even though riding the Griffon would have been a much better answer. Pretty soon the roomies had to leave to go study. I got up to walk around and saw Sandra who I had met at the last BBQ. I couldn't remember her name but thankfully she recognized me. I sat and talked with her for a while, and her friends Stephanie and Tammy came over too. They're really cool girls. Then I saw Brent and Mongkol being crazy, so I had to go over there. Brent had sunglasses on the back of his head and had turned his shirt backwards, and Mongkol was taking pictures of it. Very strange. I hung out with them for a bit, but then things started winding down, so I headed home.
On Sunday I went to church at First Parish in Brookline. It was the first regular service after the summer, so a lot more people were there. I saw quite a few people that I had met over the summer and a lot of them recognized me and remembered my name. I met a lot of other people too. There was a water ceremony before the service started. People brought water from places they traveled over the summer and put it in pitchers of the direction they traveled. After that we went in for the service. They did a skit about a girl that got shipwrecked and taken prisoner and had all sorts of bad stuff happen to her, but in the end her life ended up working out because of all the things she had learned every time something bad happened to her. It was a really great, entertaining service. And I felt the people there are so much friendlier than the church in Cambridge. So I'm pretty sure that's the church I'm going to join. It's awesome to start feeling spiritually settled!
Wednesday night I had my second class, Student Affairs Admin. I was anxious to finally get a look at my advisor, the elusive Dr. Duffy. He didn't look as I had imagined him. He was much shorter, stooped over, and he really is old as dirt. I don't really care about his looks (although it might be appropriate to be concerned about his health) as long as his mind still works. I don't think there will be much concern in that respect, and he seems like he'll be a great professor and someone I'll get along with just fine. The class went well. He went over the syllabus and explained about the class, then lectured a little bit. We also did a small group activity. It was a good first class. I think I'll really enjoy it. My only concern is that there's a 3-5 page paper due every class, but I don't think it'll really be a big deal.
Thursday afternoon before class I ran into Mongkol. I had a little while before class started so I sat down and talked with him. Sarah, another Higher Ed person, joined us a little bit later. We were talking about how hard our Tuesday class was going to be. I hadn't really thought about it until then, so she was making me kind of nervous. But by then it was time for class. My third class was Interpretation and Evaluation of Research. This class is taught by Octavio, who is 'not quite a professor' because he hasn't finished his dissertation. As he was explaining this to the class, I couldn't help but think of Octavius, one of my favorite professors from CNU (even though I never actually had a class with him) who is in the same dissertation limbo (and has been for some time.) Anyway, after Octavio talked about himself and the class, we spent most of the class doing an icebreaker. I am not a fan of icebreakers. We had to say our name, what program we are in, and when we'll graduate, then describe ourselves using words beginning with our initials. I said (E) eclectic, because of my very diverse array of interests; (A) Acid House, because it's a book by my favorite author Irvine Welsh; and (P) plumbing, as I was able to attend BC because I spent 8 months selling plumbing supplies (and added that I didn't recommend it.) Finally that was over, and he lectured a little, then we had an activity. That class won't be bad at all, but the professor is a total space cadet. He didn't seem to have it all together and I'm worried his lectures won't be coherent. As soon as that class was over I darted for the door. I was on my way out when Matt, a guy in my program, stopped me to say hi. He told me that Mongkol was "singing my praises earlier" and that he really likes my laugh. That made me smile. A lot.
Thursday night there was a Culture Night sponsored by GISA. Everyone kept asking me if I was going, and of course I was--there was free food! I was late because of class, but I met up with Brent and Mongkol and some other cool people. I saw the roomies, who were already eating, so I just waved at them. There was mostly Jamaican food, which was interesting. It was really good, except that I put some fried plantains on my plate forgetting that they are pretty much like bananas, which I don't like. But everything else was really good. After we ate there were two performers. One girl sang a couple songs, then the next girl sang and bellydanced a little. They were both really good. Afterward I just hung out and chatted with everyone. At one point I was talking to some girls and they asked me what year I was. I said I was a first-year, and Mongkol said "Yeah, fresh and hot." At first I was kind of shocked, but then I said "Actually, I think you might be right." After a while things started dying down, so a bunch of us left and walked home. I walked with Brent for a little while, and it was good to get to talk to him.
I don't have class on Fridays so it was nice not having much to do. Friday morning I decided to take a trip to Allston to go to a liquor store. I had heard the prices were pretty reasonable, unlike the one closest to my house which is outrageous. I think I assumed the prices would be better here because of the competition, but the prices in Virginia are so much better! But the store I went to actually had decent prices, so I picked up some Jack, triple sec, and Bacardi.
That afternoon there was yet another BBQ at the grad student center. I went over there with Meghan and Devlin right when it was starting. No one was there, so we went inside. There were some econ people playing ping pong so we hung around inside until finally people started showing up. We went outside and got food and talked for a while. Brent came by to ask us a question for the grad student newsletter--something we did over the summer that we never thought we'd do. Of course I said selling plumbing supplies, even though riding the Griffon would have been a much better answer. Pretty soon the roomies had to leave to go study. I got up to walk around and saw Sandra who I had met at the last BBQ. I couldn't remember her name but thankfully she recognized me. I sat and talked with her for a while, and her friends Stephanie and Tammy came over too. They're really cool girls. Then I saw Brent and Mongkol being crazy, so I had to go over there. Brent had sunglasses on the back of his head and had turned his shirt backwards, and Mongkol was taking pictures of it. Very strange. I hung out with them for a bit, but then things started winding down, so I headed home.
On Sunday I went to church at First Parish in Brookline. It was the first regular service after the summer, so a lot more people were there. I saw quite a few people that I had met over the summer and a lot of them recognized me and remembered my name. I met a lot of other people too. There was a water ceremony before the service started. People brought water from places they traveled over the summer and put it in pitchers of the direction they traveled. After that we went in for the service. They did a skit about a girl that got shipwrecked and taken prisoner and had all sorts of bad stuff happen to her, but in the end her life ended up working out because of all the things she had learned every time something bad happened to her. It was a really great, entertaining service. And I felt the people there are so much friendlier than the church in Cambridge. So I'm pretty sure that's the church I'm going to join. It's awesome to start feeling spiritually settled!
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
...of the rest of your life
I had my first grad school class today! My class was at 4:30, so I spent most of the day primping so I could look hot for my first day. I must say I looked gorgeous, but then I usually do.
I headed over to the grad student lounge in Campion because I heard there would be food all day, but I got there really late, so there wasn't much left. There were a lot of people there, mostly from the counseling program. I sat and talked with them for a while, then walked around campus for a bit. I was hungry, so I went to Hillside to grab lunch, then headed back toward Gasson. I wanted to make sure I had enough time to find my class and maybe meet some people before class got started. Gasson is a very confusing building though. I had the hardest time finding the classroom, only to discover that the door to the room was in the stairwell. I made a quick call to Caitlin to see how her first day teaching went, but she didn't answer. I was a little nervous to go into the class since I didn't see anyone I recognized. But I went in and sat down. More people started trickling in, and I saw a few people I knew. Then I started to get really nervous because I noticed people pulling out the course syllabus and reading it. I had no idea where they had gotten it from. A few minutes later class started and the professor asked if we had received her email with the syllabus. I definitely did not get that email. Luckily she had copies. The first class was just her going over the syllabus and talking about the class and the Higher Ed program a little bit. We were only there about an hour before she let us go. So, first grad school class: very little to report.
After class a few of the girls and I headed back to the grad student lounge since we had a program orientation at 7 and there was a lot of time to kill. We mostly talked about our class and other classes until finally it was time and we headed down the hall. We got there just as the pizza was arriving. We sat and ate while people were coming in. The orientation was okay...it was a lot of information I already kind of knew. It was nice to see some of the professors, but really great to finally see the people in my program. I didn't really meet anyone new though. I was excited to finally see Brent, one of the guys I met over the summer. I also met a woman who did her undergrad at VCU, and she was really excited to meet another Virginian and she hugged me, which was a little weird. She was sweet, but she made a comment that I don't have a southern accent. I hate when people say that!! After that, Ashley and I left so we could take the shuttle together. It was the first shuttle experience for both of us, and I was a little nervous. It was kind of crowded and I couldn't see anything outside. Also, apparently you just have to kind of get up when it's your stop. Halfway through the ride I figured out where we were, but then I didn't really know how to signal to the driver that I wanted the next stop. Luckily there were other people getting off there.
After I got home I called Caitlin to find out about her day, and then told her about mine. I miss her a lot, but we are already planning a vacation to Provincetown next summer. Hopefully I will see her sooner though. Other than that, I'm doing really well here. Not a bit homesick!
I headed over to the grad student lounge in Campion because I heard there would be food all day, but I got there really late, so there wasn't much left. There were a lot of people there, mostly from the counseling program. I sat and talked with them for a while, then walked around campus for a bit. I was hungry, so I went to Hillside to grab lunch, then headed back toward Gasson. I wanted to make sure I had enough time to find my class and maybe meet some people before class got started. Gasson is a very confusing building though. I had the hardest time finding the classroom, only to discover that the door to the room was in the stairwell. I made a quick call to Caitlin to see how her first day teaching went, but she didn't answer. I was a little nervous to go into the class since I didn't see anyone I recognized. But I went in and sat down. More people started trickling in, and I saw a few people I knew. Then I started to get really nervous because I noticed people pulling out the course syllabus and reading it. I had no idea where they had gotten it from. A few minutes later class started and the professor asked if we had received her email with the syllabus. I definitely did not get that email. Luckily she had copies. The first class was just her going over the syllabus and talking about the class and the Higher Ed program a little bit. We were only there about an hour before she let us go. So, first grad school class: very little to report.
After class a few of the girls and I headed back to the grad student lounge since we had a program orientation at 7 and there was a lot of time to kill. We mostly talked about our class and other classes until finally it was time and we headed down the hall. We got there just as the pizza was arriving. We sat and ate while people were coming in. The orientation was okay...it was a lot of information I already kind of knew. It was nice to see some of the professors, but really great to finally see the people in my program. I didn't really meet anyone new though. I was excited to finally see Brent, one of the guys I met over the summer. I also met a woman who did her undergrad at VCU, and she was really excited to meet another Virginian and she hugged me, which was a little weird. She was sweet, but she made a comment that I don't have a southern accent. I hate when people say that!! After that, Ashley and I left so we could take the shuttle together. It was the first shuttle experience for both of us, and I was a little nervous. It was kind of crowded and I couldn't see anything outside. Also, apparently you just have to kind of get up when it's your stop. Halfway through the ride I figured out where we were, but then I didn't really know how to signal to the driver that I wanted the next stop. Luckily there were other people getting off there.
After I got home I called Caitlin to find out about her day, and then told her about mine. I miss her a lot, but we are already planning a vacation to Provincetown next summer. Hopefully I will see her sooner though. Other than that, I'm doing really well here. Not a bit homesick!
Sunday, September 2, 2007
winning is everything
The last week has been a lot of fun. My life is finally picking up, which makes me very happy. On Tuesday I went to a Graduate Education Association meeting. Only 3 other people were there, but it was nice to be around people from the Lynch School instead of so many economists. The first half hour we just chatted, then finally had the meeting. It was pretty quick since we were just talking about a few ideas for the start of the year.
On Thursday we had orientation. I got a pretty late start that morning, then I had to actually find the Graduate Student Center. It's way on the other side of Beacon St. But I found it pretty easily. I went in and people were standing around talking in little clusters, I assume with other people from their program. I saw Bridget and a few other girls sitting at a table, so naturally I went to sit with them. We chatted until it was time to take a campus tour. The tour was very short, just a walk toward the building we had to be in next where our tour guide pointed out some of the buildings and a few interesting facts, but it wasn't nearly as complete as the actually campus tour, which I saw in April. After the tour we had a resource fair, at which a few offices and organizations had tables with information, signups, and the like. But there was food, and the girl I had been with most of the day, Stephanie, and I grabbed a plate and sat down to eat and talk. After that we did actually visit some of the tables. I was excited to see 2 people I had met in June, Isabel and Mongkol. And one of the tables was handing out free umbrellas. So that event wasn't a total loss. Stephanie and I found Bridget again, and since Bridget didn't have anything to eat, we went to find food. The rest of the afternoon was presentations about the libraries, health services, and IT services. Those were mildly informative.
The orientation event I was definitely waiting for was the BBQ. Why? More free food, of course! We got there and there were no open tables, so I suggested we be social and sit down with other people. Turns out, most of the other people at the table were from Lynch School. I wasn't surprised, we were the most represented school at orientation. The food was standard but I was curious about the cash bar. It was just beer, wine, and bottled soda. I got a Smirnoff, which was $4. My table had a good mix of people and it was great to have a conversation where I didn't hear words like differential equations and econometrics. After my table disbanded I went to talk to Mongkol. He was sitting at the edge of a massive group of Asian students. I think I was kind of thankful I didn't actually have to walk through the group. I talked to him for a bit and he introduced me to the 2 guys he was talking to. He just asked me what classes I was taking, and I asked him how his trip home was. And then randomly through the conversation he would turn to the guys and start speaking in another language. He explained to me a bit later that he was trying to learn to count in Indonesian or something, but I always feel self-conscious and out of the loop when people start talking in other languages around me. We didn't talk for long, as he had to leave. I saw my roommates but I didn't really want to get sucked into another boring conversation about econ. Then I saw Kyle, who is also in the econ program but I decided to talk to him anyway. He was sitting with some French girls who were actually in the MBA program. As the BBQ was winding down one of the girls, Martine, invited us to go to Roggies for some drinks with some MBA people. We headed over there and there were a ton of people. But the beer was free. We ran into Kyle's roommates who went downstairs with us. We sat down and met a few more people. One of the girls I met that night is from Harrisonburg, and it was nice to finally meet someone from Virginia. We had a great time and no one seemed to care that we weren't MBA students. After a while I was getting a little tired so Kyle's roommate Brian and I walked home. We got to the top of my street and he said goodbye to me, and I was really upset with him that he didn't walk me to my door. But I made it down the street just fine (comforted by the fact that I was carrying a giant umbrella.) I told Meghan about it and she promised to bust his balls about it when she saw him in class.
Friday, after my roommates' last math camp class, they decided they wanted to go to Little Italy. We met up with yet another econ kid, James, and took the T downtown. We walked around for a bit before settling on a small, cute little cafe that wasn't too crowded. I had a macchiato and a really intense but delicious chocolate dessert. It was great because the cafe had very reasonable prices. Later, another guy, Tamas, joined us. We stayed there a little longer, then walked to the harbor, then through a little more of Little Italy and Faneuil Hall before deciding to head back to Brighton. We were going to meet up with Will, another econ kid, and his girlfriend at Mary Ann's, the local dive bar. But Mary Ann's doesn't take passports as ID, so Tamas and James couldn't get in. We decided to head over to Cityside. I ran into Noam and Martine, 2 people from the MBA program I had met the night before. I chatted with them before getting a drink and heading upstairs to rejoin my group. We had dinner there and chilled for a while. Afterward we went to the liquor store to get beer and headed back to my house. We played Kings which was a lot of fun, but after that people were pretty tired, so we hung out for a little while until finally everyone left.
Saturday was the first football game, against Wake Forest. I was super excited. I emailed Dr. French because he went to Wake. As I was getting ready for the game there was an email from him waiting for me. He said he hoped BC lost the game, which made me want a win even more. The roommates and I met up with Kyle, Tamas, and a couple other people a few hours before the game. They wanted to hit up the tailgates, and Tamas' roommate apparently knew where we could go. We walked around campus until finally they figured out where we were supposed to go. We had to go through the parking garage, show our ticket, then walk across the baseball field. And once again, we were with MBA students and drinking their beer. It was nice to hang out with everyone I had met a couple nights before. We stayed there until the police told us to go into the stadium. The game was awesome. The coolest thing was that they played a Dropkick Murphys song before the game, and then throughout the game the marching band played it too. Wake scored first, which was not good, and our kicker looked a little rusty. But it was a pretty good game, and BC picked up and started scoring. The halftime show was boring. BC's marching band is a lot smaller than I expected and not very exciting. The game was really long too. It lasted 4 hours. Part of it was commercial breaks, which was strange. Toward the end the TV people were telling them to keep the game moving. At the end, BC won, and the score was 38-28. I was really excited to be able to gloat to French. After the game, the guys got some beer and we met up at Kyle's house to hang out. It was really chill, and I drank a lot more than I ought to have.
This morning was good considering how much I had to drink. I fully intended to go to church. I wanted to check out Arlington Street Church, which is downtown. I was concerned because they seemed to be a little intense from their website. But church definitely wasn't happening, and I've pretty much decided I want to join the church in Brookline. I couldn't go there today because they are closed for Labor Day, which I have never heard of a church doing. So I will go next Sunday, which is the first regular session and will be in the main sanctuary. There will be a lot more people there, so I'll be able to make a better decision about joining.
Classes start this week. I'm very slightly nervous, but more excited than anything because I will finally have stuff to do during the day. I can't wait!
On Thursday we had orientation. I got a pretty late start that morning, then I had to actually find the Graduate Student Center. It's way on the other side of Beacon St. But I found it pretty easily. I went in and people were standing around talking in little clusters, I assume with other people from their program. I saw Bridget and a few other girls sitting at a table, so naturally I went to sit with them. We chatted until it was time to take a campus tour. The tour was very short, just a walk toward the building we had to be in next where our tour guide pointed out some of the buildings and a few interesting facts, but it wasn't nearly as complete as the actually campus tour, which I saw in April. After the tour we had a resource fair, at which a few offices and organizations had tables with information, signups, and the like. But there was food, and the girl I had been with most of the day, Stephanie, and I grabbed a plate and sat down to eat and talk. After that we did actually visit some of the tables. I was excited to see 2 people I had met in June, Isabel and Mongkol. And one of the tables was handing out free umbrellas. So that event wasn't a total loss. Stephanie and I found Bridget again, and since Bridget didn't have anything to eat, we went to find food. The rest of the afternoon was presentations about the libraries, health services, and IT services. Those were mildly informative.
The orientation event I was definitely waiting for was the BBQ. Why? More free food, of course! We got there and there were no open tables, so I suggested we be social and sit down with other people. Turns out, most of the other people at the table were from Lynch School. I wasn't surprised, we were the most represented school at orientation. The food was standard but I was curious about the cash bar. It was just beer, wine, and bottled soda. I got a Smirnoff, which was $4. My table had a good mix of people and it was great to have a conversation where I didn't hear words like differential equations and econometrics. After my table disbanded I went to talk to Mongkol. He was sitting at the edge of a massive group of Asian students. I think I was kind of thankful I didn't actually have to walk through the group. I talked to him for a bit and he introduced me to the 2 guys he was talking to. He just asked me what classes I was taking, and I asked him how his trip home was. And then randomly through the conversation he would turn to the guys and start speaking in another language. He explained to me a bit later that he was trying to learn to count in Indonesian or something, but I always feel self-conscious and out of the loop when people start talking in other languages around me. We didn't talk for long, as he had to leave. I saw my roommates but I didn't really want to get sucked into another boring conversation about econ. Then I saw Kyle, who is also in the econ program but I decided to talk to him anyway. He was sitting with some French girls who were actually in the MBA program. As the BBQ was winding down one of the girls, Martine, invited us to go to Roggies for some drinks with some MBA people. We headed over there and there were a ton of people. But the beer was free. We ran into Kyle's roommates who went downstairs with us. We sat down and met a few more people. One of the girls I met that night is from Harrisonburg, and it was nice to finally meet someone from Virginia. We had a great time and no one seemed to care that we weren't MBA students. After a while I was getting a little tired so Kyle's roommate Brian and I walked home. We got to the top of my street and he said goodbye to me, and I was really upset with him that he didn't walk me to my door. But I made it down the street just fine (comforted by the fact that I was carrying a giant umbrella.) I told Meghan about it and she promised to bust his balls about it when she saw him in class.
Friday, after my roommates' last math camp class, they decided they wanted to go to Little Italy. We met up with yet another econ kid, James, and took the T downtown. We walked around for a bit before settling on a small, cute little cafe that wasn't too crowded. I had a macchiato and a really intense but delicious chocolate dessert. It was great because the cafe had very reasonable prices. Later, another guy, Tamas, joined us. We stayed there a little longer, then walked to the harbor, then through a little more of Little Italy and Faneuil Hall before deciding to head back to Brighton. We were going to meet up with Will, another econ kid, and his girlfriend at Mary Ann's, the local dive bar. But Mary Ann's doesn't take passports as ID, so Tamas and James couldn't get in. We decided to head over to Cityside. I ran into Noam and Martine, 2 people from the MBA program I had met the night before. I chatted with them before getting a drink and heading upstairs to rejoin my group. We had dinner there and chilled for a while. Afterward we went to the liquor store to get beer and headed back to my house. We played Kings which was a lot of fun, but after that people were pretty tired, so we hung out for a little while until finally everyone left.
Saturday was the first football game, against Wake Forest. I was super excited. I emailed Dr. French because he went to Wake. As I was getting ready for the game there was an email from him waiting for me. He said he hoped BC lost the game, which made me want a win even more. The roommates and I met up with Kyle, Tamas, and a couple other people a few hours before the game. They wanted to hit up the tailgates, and Tamas' roommate apparently knew where we could go. We walked around campus until finally they figured out where we were supposed to go. We had to go through the parking garage, show our ticket, then walk across the baseball field. And once again, we were with MBA students and drinking their beer. It was nice to hang out with everyone I had met a couple nights before. We stayed there until the police told us to go into the stadium. The game was awesome. The coolest thing was that they played a Dropkick Murphys song before the game, and then throughout the game the marching band played it too. Wake scored first, which was not good, and our kicker looked a little rusty. But it was a pretty good game, and BC picked up and started scoring. The halftime show was boring. BC's marching band is a lot smaller than I expected and not very exciting. The game was really long too. It lasted 4 hours. Part of it was commercial breaks, which was strange. Toward the end the TV people were telling them to keep the game moving. At the end, BC won, and the score was 38-28. I was really excited to be able to gloat to French. After the game, the guys got some beer and we met up at Kyle's house to hang out. It was really chill, and I drank a lot more than I ought to have.
This morning was good considering how much I had to drink. I fully intended to go to church. I wanted to check out Arlington Street Church, which is downtown. I was concerned because they seemed to be a little intense from their website. But church definitely wasn't happening, and I've pretty much decided I want to join the church in Brookline. I couldn't go there today because they are closed for Labor Day, which I have never heard of a church doing. So I will go next Sunday, which is the first regular session and will be in the main sanctuary. There will be a lot more people there, so I'll be able to make a better decision about joining.
Classes start this week. I'm very slightly nervous, but more excited than anything because I will finally have stuff to do during the day. I can't wait!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
there's no other way to find it
After quite a few days of pretty chilly weather, the past couple days here have been hot. As in, Dirty South hot. Saturday's high temperature was somewhere around 95. I had been complaining about the chill, but since I don't have air conditioning, I did what any reasonable person would do and went to the beach. Actually I was hoping for at least one beach day before the summer ended. So on Saturday afternoon I packed up a blanket and towel and headed to Revere Beach. Getting there, I had the same problem as last weekend because it seems they will be working on the Blue line for some time. But it wasn't so bad. Lots of other people decided to take advantage of the weather that day, but there were still plenty of decent spots on the sand. The sand was burning hot, just like I like it, and I stuck my feet in the water for a few minutes before finding a place to lay out. I brought along a book and attempted to read while sunning myself but positioning the book so I wouldn't have weird tan lines proved to be too complicated, so I abandoned the book. This led to a little boredom, so I turned over onto my stomach and continued reading. I'm pretty sure my back got a bit of color, and my legs did somewhat, but my shoulders and chest are still pretty pale. But I was still bored, so I packed up my stuff and went to play in the water for a few minutes. Then I headed to the same ice cream shop I went to last week, enjoyed some cake batter ice cream with sprinkles, and headed home.
Earlier today I decided that I needed to get myself back on track spiritually and go to church. When I visited Boston in June I checked out a Unitarian Universalist church in Brookline, but before I committed to a church I wanted to see a few more. So I decided to go to Cambridge today. Getting there was easy enough. I was a little early but luckily I was right in Harvard Square and, surprise surprise, found a Starbucks. I almost didn't want to go in because someone was begging for spare change right out front, but my desire for an Orange Passion iced tea won out. So I just ignored the person on the way in and out, then went on to church. At first it was okay--a woman came up and introduced herself, then offered me something to eat since they were having a breakfast. The selection was pretty limited but I helped myself, then started talking to some guy. Later he introduced me to two other people. We chatted but the conversations lapsed a couple times. I couldn't think of many questions to ask about the church, and they offered up very little information. After I finished breakfast people started heading into the service. I tried to walk in with one of the people I had been talking to but he went off somewhere else so I just walked in by myself. I ended up sitting by myself, which made me feel kind of awkward, but I noticed that most of the people were pretty spread out. At one point they had visitors stand up to be greeted, then we had to greet our neighbors. There was only one person close enough to me to talk to. She shook my hand but refused to let go and invited me to come back when their regular services began (and when the majority of the membership would actually be there.) Finally she released her grip and I could sit down again. Then they took collection. Ordinarily I would happily give money, but I didn't have any $1 bills, and I felt strange about giving change. And since I was by myself, the usher was looking straight at me when I shook my head that I had nothing to give. She gestured that it was okay, but I know she was probably thinking bad thoughts about me. I felt guilty in any case, so I guess I have to make it up later. The sermon was excellent though, and very timely. It was about stress and how you shouldn't really worry but just focus on the important things in life. Definitely going to be useful in the coming weeks and months....as long as I can remember it. But other than that I just didn't get a good vibe from the church. After the service there were refreshments, and I was chatting with someone very briefly, but the conversation fizzled out almost as soon as it began, so I just decided to slip out.
After I left I attempted to recall my brief exploration of Harvard Square in June so I could figure out where I was supposed to catch my bus. I walked the wrong way, of course, and as I was heading in the right direction, I saw the bus I needed pass. And this time I know it really was the bus I needed. Fortunately that bus runs every half hour on Sundays. Also, the lovely bums who occupy Harvard Square (of which there are several) provided some amusement. One in particular gave me a little chuckle when I saw his sign, which read "Spare change for housing and weed...the necessities of life." Well, at least he was honest. And if I was the change-giving type, I probably would have rewarded that honesty. So anyway I just walked around a little more then popped into Staples to buy some pens, which turned into spending $25 on things I wanted but probably will not use with any regularity. Then I headed back to the bus stop where I waited a few minutes until my bus came and I headed home.
In other news, I'm still kind of bored and friendless. And my room is still a wreck. I really plan on getting it together before classes start but I can't make any promises. My living room now has a futon, the DVD player is hooked up, and the TV is on the TV stand now. All we need now is some side chairs and a coffee table, and to position everything properly. The dining room is empty except for some large boxes that will have to wait until trash day to be discarded. The kitchen has everything we need so far, so I can cook and bake to my heart's content (which isn't very much.)
The roommate situation is working out well. We get along and we seem to be cooperating very well where the household is concerned. We opened a joint bank account to pay rent and household expenses from. For the most part they have been at math camp and studying a lot. At this point we are probably all on our best behavior, and soon each of our peccadillos will come out. I'm looking forward to that actually, just to see who I'm really living with. The only complaint I have so far is with Devlin's boyfriend. He is a very nice, friendly guy, just a little messy. Nothing major, and it seems everything was picked up before he left, but there had been cups and plates left in the living room and on the kitchen counters. But really it wasn't a big deal...not like I want to ban him from our apartment or anything.
This week the grad school prep kicks into high gear. We have orientation on Thursday, and the rest of the week will be spent ensuring that things are in place before classes start. I have to admit that I'm a little nervous about getting back into school mode, but there is a reason why I'm here. I mean other than meeting hot law students.
Earlier today I decided that I needed to get myself back on track spiritually and go to church. When I visited Boston in June I checked out a Unitarian Universalist church in Brookline, but before I committed to a church I wanted to see a few more. So I decided to go to Cambridge today. Getting there was easy enough. I was a little early but luckily I was right in Harvard Square and, surprise surprise, found a Starbucks. I almost didn't want to go in because someone was begging for spare change right out front, but my desire for an Orange Passion iced tea won out. So I just ignored the person on the way in and out, then went on to church. At first it was okay--a woman came up and introduced herself, then offered me something to eat since they were having a breakfast. The selection was pretty limited but I helped myself, then started talking to some guy. Later he introduced me to two other people. We chatted but the conversations lapsed a couple times. I couldn't think of many questions to ask about the church, and they offered up very little information. After I finished breakfast people started heading into the service. I tried to walk in with one of the people I had been talking to but he went off somewhere else so I just walked in by myself. I ended up sitting by myself, which made me feel kind of awkward, but I noticed that most of the people were pretty spread out. At one point they had visitors stand up to be greeted, then we had to greet our neighbors. There was only one person close enough to me to talk to. She shook my hand but refused to let go and invited me to come back when their regular services began (and when the majority of the membership would actually be there.) Finally she released her grip and I could sit down again. Then they took collection. Ordinarily I would happily give money, but I didn't have any $1 bills, and I felt strange about giving change. And since I was by myself, the usher was looking straight at me when I shook my head that I had nothing to give. She gestured that it was okay, but I know she was probably thinking bad thoughts about me. I felt guilty in any case, so I guess I have to make it up later. The sermon was excellent though, and very timely. It was about stress and how you shouldn't really worry but just focus on the important things in life. Definitely going to be useful in the coming weeks and months....as long as I can remember it. But other than that I just didn't get a good vibe from the church. After the service there were refreshments, and I was chatting with someone very briefly, but the conversation fizzled out almost as soon as it began, so I just decided to slip out.
After I left I attempted to recall my brief exploration of Harvard Square in June so I could figure out where I was supposed to catch my bus. I walked the wrong way, of course, and as I was heading in the right direction, I saw the bus I needed pass. And this time I know it really was the bus I needed. Fortunately that bus runs every half hour on Sundays. Also, the lovely bums who occupy Harvard Square (of which there are several) provided some amusement. One in particular gave me a little chuckle when I saw his sign, which read "Spare change for housing and weed...the necessities of life." Well, at least he was honest. And if I was the change-giving type, I probably would have rewarded that honesty. So anyway I just walked around a little more then popped into Staples to buy some pens, which turned into spending $25 on things I wanted but probably will not use with any regularity. Then I headed back to the bus stop where I waited a few minutes until my bus came and I headed home.
In other news, I'm still kind of bored and friendless. And my room is still a wreck. I really plan on getting it together before classes start but I can't make any promises. My living room now has a futon, the DVD player is hooked up, and the TV is on the TV stand now. All we need now is some side chairs and a coffee table, and to position everything properly. The dining room is empty except for some large boxes that will have to wait until trash day to be discarded. The kitchen has everything we need so far, so I can cook and bake to my heart's content (which isn't very much.)
The roommate situation is working out well. We get along and we seem to be cooperating very well where the household is concerned. We opened a joint bank account to pay rent and household expenses from. For the most part they have been at math camp and studying a lot. At this point we are probably all on our best behavior, and soon each of our peccadillos will come out. I'm looking forward to that actually, just to see who I'm really living with. The only complaint I have so far is with Devlin's boyfriend. He is a very nice, friendly guy, just a little messy. Nothing major, and it seems everything was picked up before he left, but there had been cups and plates left in the living room and on the kitchen counters. But really it wasn't a big deal...not like I want to ban him from our apartment or anything.
This week the grad school prep kicks into high gear. We have orientation on Thursday, and the rest of the week will be spent ensuring that things are in place before classes start. I have to admit that I'm a little nervous about getting back into school mode, but there is a reason why I'm here. I mean other than meeting hot law students.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
learn it. live it. love it.
The past few days have been really busy but a lot of fun. The roommates are finally both here. Meghan got here on Friday afternoon. She is a really cool girl. She's from New York and went to school in Rhode Island. We don't have too terribly much in common but we seemed to hit it off and chat a lot. Friday night we went to a bar not too far from our house with Meghan's best friend. It was nice and chill but really small. We just had a couple drinks and an appetizer and hung out. It was nice to finally go out and do something. Once we got home we decided to explore our basement. I had never been in a basement, and I was terrified. Meghan had peeked down there and said it had a lot of cobwebs. We went down and it was dark and kind of scary. We really just wanted to see where the washer and dryer were. But as we were heading out Meghan's friend spotted something weird on the floor. Meghan shined a light on it and we realized it was a dead squirrel. That was so gross, and we booked it out of the basement. There was some speculation about how it got there, but I didn't care, I just wanted it gone. That was disgusting. Luckily Meghan's dad came the next day and took care of it for us.
My other roommate Devlin came on Sunday morning. She is really bubbly and seems a lot more like me personality-wise. She is from Oregon but went to school in Vermont. After she came we went out for coffee, so we got a chance to get to know each other. Since Meghan and Devlin are in the same program, they had a lot more to talk about with each other. But it was nice and chill, and they are both pretty awesome girls so I figure living with them is going to work out well.
Later that day I made the trek to Everett for the Boston ASA alumnae BBQ. Since the bus I needed to catch only runs once an hour on Sundays I left with plenty time to make it there. Or so I thought. I was fine until I got to Government Center and found out that the Blue line was shut down from there to the airport. So I got on the shuttle which had to go some long convoluted way to get to Maverick and then to the airport. Once I got there I had about 15 minutes to make it to Revere and catch the bus. I was a little concerned but I got there right about when I needed to be there. But then I walked outside and saw the bus I needed going down the street, and I was way too far away from the stop to make a run for it. I was so upset. Until I looked across the street and realized I was at the beach. That made it all better. Even though it was just a little bit warm outside and the sky was kind of cloudy, I took my shoes off, rolled up my jeans, and walked around on the sand. It felt so nice to have sand between my toes and I didn't get a chance to go to the beach at all this summer. I went in the water which was chilly but tolerable. Even though it made me miss Virginia Beach, Revere is such a cute, quaint seaside town. After I played in the water I saw someone with ice cream so I went in search of that. I walked back to the beach and watched the water as I ate it. After that it was about time for another bus to come, so I went to the stop and waited. Finally it came, but it went to the Wonderland stop and the driver got out. When he got back, we went back toward Revere Beach, and I realized that I could have gotten on the bus an hour before but I actually had needed to be at the stop across the street from the one I thought was right. Oh well. I was glad I got to go to the beach anyway and discovered a good spot in case there are any more good beach days this summer.
After I got on the bus it was a little difficult to tell where I was but the driver pointed out the street I wanted to get off on and I found the right stop thanks to the recording inside the bus. After that it was just a matter of finding the house. I didn't want to take out the directions I had written because there were some sketchy individuals around. So I kind of had to wing it. Street signs here are really weird, if there are any at all. They don't have cross signs, so you can never tell what street you are on, just the street intersecting it. I recognized the name of one of the streets I needed to be on. Unfortunately, the street was just a gigantic hill. It really had to be at about a 45 degree angle. After hiking up the hill I saw a street that I thought might be where I had to turn, but there was no sign. I figured I'd just chance it, even though it another hill and I would be so upset if it was the wrong street. As I was walking up though I could smell someone grilling so I figured I had to be close. Once I got to the top of the hill I saw it was the right street, thankfully. I looked to my right, the direction I smelled food, and saw a house on the corner with a ladybug banner on the front, and I knew it was the house. As I turned down the driveway there was a woman standing at the grill who looked up at me strangely. I hadn't even thought about the fact that I was just showing up to this woman's house and she had no idea who I was. But I told her I was there for the BBQ and introduced myself, and I think she recognized my name from Sister Circle. So she took me over to the rest of the sisters and introduced me. She said she was excited because 3 new people had shown up. I sat down with the sisters but there wasn't a whole lot of conversation going on, so I just munched on a piece of watermelon until people started talking. I asked some people a few basic questions like what chapter they were from, and a few people asked me where I went to school and what brought me to Boston. I had kind of expected there to be a lot more people and for it to be hoppin, but it was also nice to just chill and meet sisters. All the women there were about the same age and had been out of school for around 10-15 years. There were a couple of kids there, 2 of them being the host's kids. The conversation picked up after we ate, and we talked about the area and ASA stuff. Overall, it was nice and chill and I'm glad I went. The next event is apple picking, which sounds okay but I won't be heartbroken if I can't make it.
The trip home was much easier. The thing that sucked was waiting for the bus. Everett is kind of a sketchy little town. There were a lot of hard looking people, and I was right across from one of those kind of convenience stores you see in downtown Newport News. But then it also sort of reminded me of a little mountain town, especially because of the hills, except that you can see downtown Boston from there. I thought it would take me much longer to walk from the house to the bus stop, but I practically ran down the hills, so I had to wait about 15 minutes for the bus. I was so happy when it got there. I got on the train at Wonderland and made my way back toward the city, then switched to the shuttle bus. On the bus I overheard a guy mention he went to high school near DC, and since he was right in front of me I asked him if he was from VA. He said no, he just went to school around there. But he was friendly and he, his wife and daughter, another couple and I all chatted during the bus ride. The guy's daughter was so adorable, and she was so excited to go to the aquarium. When I got to Government Center, I was briefly tempted to get dinner at Wagamama, but I resisted and headed home.
Monday morning my roommates started math camp to prepare for the math they will need in their classes. I was afraid I'd be lonely all day, but then I realized I had a million things to do. I had to call Ferguson and find out why I hadn't gotten my last paycheck. I really didn't want to have to go through that, but I really do need the money. Then I went to campus to get my tuition bill fixed, which thankfully was painless. After that I headed to the bookstore to scope out the books I needed. Monday night I went to my friend Alex's house because he is moving so he offered me a lot of his furniture. I still needed a desk and dresser, so I said I'd take a look. Devlin came with me since she also needed stuff. We walked all the way over but I had forgotten to call him and make sure he was home, so I called him on the way but he didn't answer. There was a bunch of old furniture on the side of the road and Devlin looked through some of it, none of which was any good. I was worried we had a wasted trip until finally Alex called as we were about to leave. As soon as I saw the furniture I loved it and wanted it, and he offered me a really great deal, so I called Meghan and asked her to drive over so I could get some of the stuff home. I mostly needed her to take the dresser and Devlin and I were going to wheel the desk home, but the body of the dresser wouldn't fit, so we got everything else in her car. Later, Alex borrowed his friend's SUV so he could bring me the dresser. I was so grateful to him. He is a really sweet guy, and I was hoping to get to know him better. But he is moving home at the end of this week. It's sad, but it's a better situation for him.
Today I had to go to the bank to get the check for last month's rent. That was a lot of money. And going to the bank was a strange experience. The tellers were all behind glass with just a little slot to pass things through. I was at the counter for what felt like forever because she had to transfer money from my savings account to checking, then generate a cashier's check and a money order, then deposit 2 checks. I was so glad to get that taken care of though. It was good that I did because my landlord just randomly showed up a little while ago to pick up the lease and the check. I finally got to meet him and he was nice and willing to take care of the problems with our apartment. One of my keys doesn't work, a lot of our lights are blown out, and most of our outlets are two-prong, so he said he would get those things taken care of. I'm so glad we have a good landlord.
I'm still working on unpacking, but I'm glad my life here is pretty much settled. I'm still lonely and friendless, but soon everyone will be returning to the area and my social life should pick up. Until then it's just nice to hang out and have time to myself.
My other roommate Devlin came on Sunday morning. She is really bubbly and seems a lot more like me personality-wise. She is from Oregon but went to school in Vermont. After she came we went out for coffee, so we got a chance to get to know each other. Since Meghan and Devlin are in the same program, they had a lot more to talk about with each other. But it was nice and chill, and they are both pretty awesome girls so I figure living with them is going to work out well.
Later that day I made the trek to Everett for the Boston ASA alumnae BBQ. Since the bus I needed to catch only runs once an hour on Sundays I left with plenty time to make it there. Or so I thought. I was fine until I got to Government Center and found out that the Blue line was shut down from there to the airport. So I got on the shuttle which had to go some long convoluted way to get to Maverick and then to the airport. Once I got there I had about 15 minutes to make it to Revere and catch the bus. I was a little concerned but I got there right about when I needed to be there. But then I walked outside and saw the bus I needed going down the street, and I was way too far away from the stop to make a run for it. I was so upset. Until I looked across the street and realized I was at the beach. That made it all better. Even though it was just a little bit warm outside and the sky was kind of cloudy, I took my shoes off, rolled up my jeans, and walked around on the sand. It felt so nice to have sand between my toes and I didn't get a chance to go to the beach at all this summer. I went in the water which was chilly but tolerable. Even though it made me miss Virginia Beach, Revere is such a cute, quaint seaside town. After I played in the water I saw someone with ice cream so I went in search of that. I walked back to the beach and watched the water as I ate it. After that it was about time for another bus to come, so I went to the stop and waited. Finally it came, but it went to the Wonderland stop and the driver got out. When he got back, we went back toward Revere Beach, and I realized that I could have gotten on the bus an hour before but I actually had needed to be at the stop across the street from the one I thought was right. Oh well. I was glad I got to go to the beach anyway and discovered a good spot in case there are any more good beach days this summer.
After I got on the bus it was a little difficult to tell where I was but the driver pointed out the street I wanted to get off on and I found the right stop thanks to the recording inside the bus. After that it was just a matter of finding the house. I didn't want to take out the directions I had written because there were some sketchy individuals around. So I kind of had to wing it. Street signs here are really weird, if there are any at all. They don't have cross signs, so you can never tell what street you are on, just the street intersecting it. I recognized the name of one of the streets I needed to be on. Unfortunately, the street was just a gigantic hill. It really had to be at about a 45 degree angle. After hiking up the hill I saw a street that I thought might be where I had to turn, but there was no sign. I figured I'd just chance it, even though it another hill and I would be so upset if it was the wrong street. As I was walking up though I could smell someone grilling so I figured I had to be close. Once I got to the top of the hill I saw it was the right street, thankfully. I looked to my right, the direction I smelled food, and saw a house on the corner with a ladybug banner on the front, and I knew it was the house. As I turned down the driveway there was a woman standing at the grill who looked up at me strangely. I hadn't even thought about the fact that I was just showing up to this woman's house and she had no idea who I was. But I told her I was there for the BBQ and introduced myself, and I think she recognized my name from Sister Circle. So she took me over to the rest of the sisters and introduced me. She said she was excited because 3 new people had shown up. I sat down with the sisters but there wasn't a whole lot of conversation going on, so I just munched on a piece of watermelon until people started talking. I asked some people a few basic questions like what chapter they were from, and a few people asked me where I went to school and what brought me to Boston. I had kind of expected there to be a lot more people and for it to be hoppin, but it was also nice to just chill and meet sisters. All the women there were about the same age and had been out of school for around 10-15 years. There were a couple of kids there, 2 of them being the host's kids. The conversation picked up after we ate, and we talked about the area and ASA stuff. Overall, it was nice and chill and I'm glad I went. The next event is apple picking, which sounds okay but I won't be heartbroken if I can't make it.
The trip home was much easier. The thing that sucked was waiting for the bus. Everett is kind of a sketchy little town. There were a lot of hard looking people, and I was right across from one of those kind of convenience stores you see in downtown Newport News. But then it also sort of reminded me of a little mountain town, especially because of the hills, except that you can see downtown Boston from there. I thought it would take me much longer to walk from the house to the bus stop, but I practically ran down the hills, so I had to wait about 15 minutes for the bus. I was so happy when it got there. I got on the train at Wonderland and made my way back toward the city, then switched to the shuttle bus. On the bus I overheard a guy mention he went to high school near DC, and since he was right in front of me I asked him if he was from VA. He said no, he just went to school around there. But he was friendly and he, his wife and daughter, another couple and I all chatted during the bus ride. The guy's daughter was so adorable, and she was so excited to go to the aquarium. When I got to Government Center, I was briefly tempted to get dinner at Wagamama, but I resisted and headed home.
Monday morning my roommates started math camp to prepare for the math they will need in their classes. I was afraid I'd be lonely all day, but then I realized I had a million things to do. I had to call Ferguson and find out why I hadn't gotten my last paycheck. I really didn't want to have to go through that, but I really do need the money. Then I went to campus to get my tuition bill fixed, which thankfully was painless. After that I headed to the bookstore to scope out the books I needed. Monday night I went to my friend Alex's house because he is moving so he offered me a lot of his furniture. I still needed a desk and dresser, so I said I'd take a look. Devlin came with me since she also needed stuff. We walked all the way over but I had forgotten to call him and make sure he was home, so I called him on the way but he didn't answer. There was a bunch of old furniture on the side of the road and Devlin looked through some of it, none of which was any good. I was worried we had a wasted trip until finally Alex called as we were about to leave. As soon as I saw the furniture I loved it and wanted it, and he offered me a really great deal, so I called Meghan and asked her to drive over so I could get some of the stuff home. I mostly needed her to take the dresser and Devlin and I were going to wheel the desk home, but the body of the dresser wouldn't fit, so we got everything else in her car. Later, Alex borrowed his friend's SUV so he could bring me the dresser. I was so grateful to him. He is a really sweet guy, and I was hoping to get to know him better. But he is moving home at the end of this week. It's sad, but it's a better situation for him.
Today I had to go to the bank to get the check for last month's rent. That was a lot of money. And going to the bank was a strange experience. The tellers were all behind glass with just a little slot to pass things through. I was at the counter for what felt like forever because she had to transfer money from my savings account to checking, then generate a cashier's check and a money order, then deposit 2 checks. I was so glad to get that taken care of though. It was good that I did because my landlord just randomly showed up a little while ago to pick up the lease and the check. I finally got to meet him and he was nice and willing to take care of the problems with our apartment. One of my keys doesn't work, a lot of our lights are blown out, and most of our outlets are two-prong, so he said he would get those things taken care of. I'm so glad we have a good landlord.
I'm still working on unpacking, but I'm glad my life here is pretty much settled. I'm still lonely and friendless, but soon everyone will be returning to the area and my social life should pick up. Until then it's just nice to hang out and have time to myself.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
ready steady go!
Well, I'm finally in Boston. Actually, I've been here for 4 days. I've been kind of holed up in my apartment with almost no contact with the outside world. And let me tell you that was soooo much fun. Anyway, the last few days went a little something like this...
Packing:
Sucked. I hate packing. I have always hated packing. Oh and I pretty much finished, umm, right as I was leaving.
Loading the car:
Was a fiasco. As usual, my mother complained, but I told her I needed an SUV. But we got quite a bit in there.
The drive up:
Was not as bad as I expected. We finally left around 5:30am (after saying we would leave at 4). My mother decided she wasn't going to take 95 up, which was probably a smart choice but made for the most boring drive imaginable. It wasn't bad through Virginia and Maryland because at least there was stuff to look at. Once we got to Pennsylvania though it was just trees and hills. We stopped at Cracker Barrel and had breakfast somewhere near Harrisburg, PA. The food was pretty awful. Well, maybe people in PA have different tastes. But how they managed to mess up scrambled eggs and french toast I will never know. We were in PA for about 5 or 6 hours. I was so happy to cross into New York, even though the scenery was still the same. When we got to Connecticut it was about time to stop for lunch. We saw a sign for a Subway so we got off the interstate in some quaint little town and drove around on narrow little streets, only to find a tiny little Subway that we couldn't figure out how to get to. So we just got back on the interstate and looked for a bigger town. We had lunch at Friendly's in some other quaint town. Right after lunch we passed through Hartford, so there was at least something outside to look at, but after that it was just more trees. That drive just confirmed for me how happy I was that I didn't get into UConn. Finally around 5:30 we reached Boston. So the drive only took 12 hours with 2 hourlong stops. Not bad. Thankfully, finding my apartment was pretty easy.
Seeing my apartment:
I had only seen pictures since I didn't get a chance to come look at it on my last trip. The outside was, as I had heard before, kind of crusty looking. Once I finally got inside after fussing with the keys a little bit, I was surprised but pleased. I expected the inside to be really fresh and newer looking. There are a lot of scratches and cracks, but overall it looked pretty nice. I think it will look much better once everything is set up. My bedroom is perfectly sized. I was worried about it because I didn't see pictures of it, but it is spacious and has 3 windows so it gets tons of light. There are really only 2 major problems with my apartment. All of the outlets are 2 prong, so I can't use any of my surge protectors. Which has really complicated my TV/internet setup because now everything is stretched across my living room and I can't have everything plugged in at once. And that's no good. Luckily my roommate is bringing converters when she moves in on Friday. The other problem is that I am terrified of my stove. Yes, terrified. I've never had a gas stove before and even though my mother said you just turn it on like a normal stove, I'm beginning to think it's more complicated than that. Every time I turn it on I hear random clicking and hissing, and it takes a while for it to actually light. So I'm trying to limit my use of the stove until someone explains it to me. Thankfully I bought a lot of food that doesn't require cooking. And I hate cooking.
And the rest:
I'm still working on unpacking. It's kind of difficult because I don't have all my furniture yet. So far I've only gotten my bed and a bookshelf. And by the way, I put both together by myself. Not that it wasn't challenging, or that I didn't screw both of them up. But I did it, and neither has collapsed yet so I guess I'm okay. But my stuff is pretty much strewn all over the house. I full intend on having all my stuff in my bedroom by the time my roommates arrive, although we'll see how that goes.
I ventured outside today for the first time since I've been here (other than shopping the first morning.) I just walked to campus, near the reservoir, and then to CVS to get a few things for the apartment. It was good to get a little exercise and fresh air, and the weather was really nice. It was warm, not humid, and there was a nice breeze. I think I'm going to like the weather here. And yes, feel free to bring that up when I'm complaining that I don't like the cold.
So far I've been okay and not missing my friends too much. I'm really ready to make friends here. The ASA alumnae chapter is having a cookout on Sunday so I think I'll go to that. And I can't wait for my roommates to show up so I'll have people to talk to.
But I think I'll be happy here. Something about it just seems right. That, and going back home would be the ultimate failure.
Packing:
Sucked. I hate packing. I have always hated packing. Oh and I pretty much finished, umm, right as I was leaving.
Loading the car:
Was a fiasco. As usual, my mother complained, but I told her I needed an SUV. But we got quite a bit in there.
The drive up:
Was not as bad as I expected. We finally left around 5:30am (after saying we would leave at 4). My mother decided she wasn't going to take 95 up, which was probably a smart choice but made for the most boring drive imaginable. It wasn't bad through Virginia and Maryland because at least there was stuff to look at. Once we got to Pennsylvania though it was just trees and hills. We stopped at Cracker Barrel and had breakfast somewhere near Harrisburg, PA. The food was pretty awful. Well, maybe people in PA have different tastes. But how they managed to mess up scrambled eggs and french toast I will never know. We were in PA for about 5 or 6 hours. I was so happy to cross into New York, even though the scenery was still the same. When we got to Connecticut it was about time to stop for lunch. We saw a sign for a Subway so we got off the interstate in some quaint little town and drove around on narrow little streets, only to find a tiny little Subway that we couldn't figure out how to get to. So we just got back on the interstate and looked for a bigger town. We had lunch at Friendly's in some other quaint town. Right after lunch we passed through Hartford, so there was at least something outside to look at, but after that it was just more trees. That drive just confirmed for me how happy I was that I didn't get into UConn. Finally around 5:30 we reached Boston. So the drive only took 12 hours with 2 hourlong stops. Not bad. Thankfully, finding my apartment was pretty easy.
Seeing my apartment:
I had only seen pictures since I didn't get a chance to come look at it on my last trip. The outside was, as I had heard before, kind of crusty looking. Once I finally got inside after fussing with the keys a little bit, I was surprised but pleased. I expected the inside to be really fresh and newer looking. There are a lot of scratches and cracks, but overall it looked pretty nice. I think it will look much better once everything is set up. My bedroom is perfectly sized. I was worried about it because I didn't see pictures of it, but it is spacious and has 3 windows so it gets tons of light. There are really only 2 major problems with my apartment. All of the outlets are 2 prong, so I can't use any of my surge protectors. Which has really complicated my TV/internet setup because now everything is stretched across my living room and I can't have everything plugged in at once. And that's no good. Luckily my roommate is bringing converters when she moves in on Friday. The other problem is that I am terrified of my stove. Yes, terrified. I've never had a gas stove before and even though my mother said you just turn it on like a normal stove, I'm beginning to think it's more complicated than that. Every time I turn it on I hear random clicking and hissing, and it takes a while for it to actually light. So I'm trying to limit my use of the stove until someone explains it to me. Thankfully I bought a lot of food that doesn't require cooking. And I hate cooking.
And the rest:
I'm still working on unpacking. It's kind of difficult because I don't have all my furniture yet. So far I've only gotten my bed and a bookshelf. And by the way, I put both together by myself. Not that it wasn't challenging, or that I didn't screw both of them up. But I did it, and neither has collapsed yet so I guess I'm okay. But my stuff is pretty much strewn all over the house. I full intend on having all my stuff in my bedroom by the time my roommates arrive, although we'll see how that goes.
I ventured outside today for the first time since I've been here (other than shopping the first morning.) I just walked to campus, near the reservoir, and then to CVS to get a few things for the apartment. It was good to get a little exercise and fresh air, and the weather was really nice. It was warm, not humid, and there was a nice breeze. I think I'm going to like the weather here. And yes, feel free to bring that up when I'm complaining that I don't like the cold.
So far I've been okay and not missing my friends too much. I'm really ready to make friends here. The ASA alumnae chapter is having a cookout on Sunday so I think I'll go to that. And I can't wait for my roommates to show up so I'll have people to talk to.
But I think I'll be happy here. Something about it just seems right. That, and going back home would be the ultimate failure.
Friday, August 10, 2007
goodnight Virginia
In about 4 hours I will be leaving for Boston. This will be the first time I have ever lived outside of Virginia. So I am pretty much terrified right now. I'm excited to be moving on to the next chapter of my life, striking out on my own, and all that. I'm a little emotional though, because this is a huge step for me. Also, I think I'm a little depressed that I didn't get to spend time with Kate and Nick. It's strange to be going to a city that is totally different than what I'm used to, where I don't know many people, and I won't know where anything is. I'm going to miss my loves and Chanello's cheese bread like crazy. But I know this is absolutely right for me, and I can't wait to find new loves and a new favorite comfort food.
So all that's left is to finish packing and cleaning up my room. Then at 4am I will set off for a very long drive up there. I kind of wish I could fast forward through that part and be at my apartment getting settled in. But the drive will be nice and I'll be going down some roads I've never traveled before. That'll be a lot of fun. I can't wait!
So all that's left is to finish packing and cleaning up my room. Then at 4am I will set off for a very long drive up there. I kind of wish I could fast forward through that part and be at my apartment getting settled in. But the drive will be nice and I'll be going down some roads I've never traveled before. That'll be a lot of fun. I can't wait!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
this is how it started...
Once upon a time I decided it would be a good idea to leave everything I have ever known to move to a city that (at that point) I had never been to. I decided on Boston on a whim, but mostly because I wanted to be somewhere more liberal than Virginia, my lovely but almost draconian home state.
My junior year of college, while I was a sorority recruitment counselor, I had a revelation that I wanted to work in Higher Ed. So I applied to 3 grad schools in Boston: Northeastern University, which seemed like a great fit (until they couldn't find half of my application); Suffolk University, which I wasn't really interested in but applied anyway; and Boston College, which I was sure I would not be accepted to, but I would try anyway. I also applied to the University of Connecticut, which is a great school, but I later realized I would not have been happy there (helped by the fact that I didn't get in.) After all the stress of the application process, I was accepted to BC. After a visit to Boston in April, I knew I had made the right decision.
So here I am...well, almost. I'm still in Newport News for the next 3 weeks. It hasn't fully set in that I'm really moving. The other day I saw my tuition bill. It was for $9332. Even though I knew it was coming, and exactly how much it was going to cost, I don't think anything could have prepared me for seeing it in black and white. Right after that I got a copy of my apartment lease. I've never had an apartment; I've always lived at home or on campus. Having to pay rent and bills other than my cell phone is completely new to me.
But now it is big girl time. The next 3 weeks will be spent packing up my life here, spending time with friends I've had for years, and getting ready to venture 600 miles north. I'm really not ready for this. I don't think I will be, but that's just fine.
My junior year of college, while I was a sorority recruitment counselor, I had a revelation that I wanted to work in Higher Ed. So I applied to 3 grad schools in Boston: Northeastern University, which seemed like a great fit (until they couldn't find half of my application); Suffolk University, which I wasn't really interested in but applied anyway; and Boston College, which I was sure I would not be accepted to, but I would try anyway. I also applied to the University of Connecticut, which is a great school, but I later realized I would not have been happy there (helped by the fact that I didn't get in.) After all the stress of the application process, I was accepted to BC. After a visit to Boston in April, I knew I had made the right decision.
So here I am...well, almost. I'm still in Newport News for the next 3 weeks. It hasn't fully set in that I'm really moving. The other day I saw my tuition bill. It was for $9332. Even though I knew it was coming, and exactly how much it was going to cost, I don't think anything could have prepared me for seeing it in black and white. Right after that I got a copy of my apartment lease. I've never had an apartment; I've always lived at home or on campus. Having to pay rent and bills other than my cell phone is completely new to me.
But now it is big girl time. The next 3 weeks will be spent packing up my life here, spending time with friends I've had for years, and getting ready to venture 600 miles north. I'm really not ready for this. I don't think I will be, but that's just fine.
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