Spring Break in Sin City

Tonight I decided to steam and exfoliate. Bad idea. My face is red and stings. I don't think that was supposed to happen. Let's all pray that I don't have a nice pink, swollen reflection in the morning. 

I cooked lunch for some friends today. We sat around and discussed a possible Spring Break trip to Las Vegas. I think it sounds like it could be a lot of fun, but I'm a little upset Celine Dion's run is over. She's been replaced by Bette Midler...blah. To me, that's like replacing the diamond in your ring with a popcorn kernel. When I was younger I used to karaoke almost daily to "The Rose," but that's because it was on the only split-track CD I had. And I didn't know any better. Nowadays, the chances of me paying to see Bette Midler are smaller than the chances of finding a McCain bumper sticker on a Prius. It's just not going to happen.

Also, Las Vegas is known as Sin City. Now I have no problem with the occasional streak of naughtiness; in fact, just the other night my roommate and I went out for a particularly sinful night of steak and James Bond. But just what kind of shenanigans can I get into in Vegas? I won't come home married, will I? Although I'm not sure who would be the bigger loser in that situation-- myself or the poor guy that was fooled into tying the knot with me.

That said, it's got to be warmer than Indiana in March. As long as I have water and sun I'll be happy. Off to find some lotion.

I'm Annoyed

This post is dedicated to my good friend A.H. I'm honored he would read the ramblings of a gentile such as myself.

I have decided to make a compilation of things that really irk me. I don't just mean the things that cause me to roll my eyes or shake my head-- we're talking things that I flat out hate. Things that drive me crazy and make me want to...throw ice cubes at people.

10. Realizing that there's no toilet paper just a little too late...

9. That commercial about smoking where the girl says, "Is anybody listening?" "Does anybody care?" Unfortunately, we are listening. But we don't care.

8. Tangled clothes hangers. Grrrr.....

7. Fork tines that stick up a little higher than all of the others. They will catch your lip. Or scrape your tooth. And it hurts.

6. Smokers that hit their pack of cigs against their hand for an incessantly long amount of time. We get it. You want us to notice that you smoke. You're cool. Now pack that nicotine! Pack it! 

5. Those posters where children are dressed like adults and there is one "accent" color, such as a yellow rose or light blue umbrella. You know what I'm taking about-- the "little gentleman" is usually dressed in a trench coat and fedora, receiving a kiss from the "little lady" sporting a frilly dress and oversized shoes. Too cute! I think Angela on The Office has one. Bonus points if it's in puzzle form.

4. Self-portraits used as profile pics on Facebook. Now, I must confess that I am guilty of this. I have, in the past, used a picture of my roommate and myself that I took. However, I took in a mirror and you can clearly tell I'm doing so. Unfortunately, we do have puckered lips, a crucial element in the self-portrait profile pic, or sp3. The sp3 usually also has an arm extending to the outer limit of the shot, because this is the appendage used to take the picture. The photographer typically has a cocked head and is attempting a "sexy" pose. Sometimes we get the best sp3 of them all-- one that has been photoshopped to give it an "I'm deep and I want you to know" look to it-- blurred edges, a haze, transformation to black and white...you've seen them.

3. The grocery cart with the bad wheel. I hate going to get groceries and picking the cart with one, or if you're really unlucky, two, bum wheels. You're stuck going in circles all night, much like the spiders we tortured at church camp. We'd pull off all but one leg, set them back on the bench, and watch them go round and round and round and...well, you get the point. If you aren't stuck going in circles, you're screeching through the store and by the time you leave your biceps ache from pushing against the resistance provided by the bad wheel(s). This can be avoided by switching carts, but often times you have the "late bloomer"-- the cart that develops the problem half-way into the trip-- leaving you with two options: a) retrieving another cart from the front of the store and switching all of your goods over, or b)  sucking it up and using the faulty cart.

2. Cracked heels catching as you slide your feet into the sheets. Gross, and it really doesn't require a lot of explaining. It's just like running a rake across a chalkboard. Luckily, it's nothing a little petroleum oil and nice pair of socks can't fix.

1. Confusing your/you're, it's/its, two/to/too, and there/their/they're. Oh, and it's spelled definItely.

Where has the time gone?

Is it really November? I can't believe the semester has flown by so quickly-- it's been such a blur, what with school work, IUSF duties and job searching-- I can't believe I've managed to make a few memories in between everything!

My 22nd birthday has come and gone. I still forget and tell people I'm 21. I did decide this year that I feel at least 20, but certainly not 22. That's just so...old! Do you ever really feel your age?Do you wake up one day when you're 40 and think, "Hey, I'm 40!"? Anyway, it was a wonderful birthday weekend with friends and family, who always make it so special.

Fall weather is truly here. I've broken out the scarves and Uggs, and there seems to be a constant drizzle coming down. It's almost as bad as London in the summer. The leaves have all fallen from the trees, and the sky never gets very bright. I think my mood always changes in the fall-- it gets a little bleaker and starts to match the weather. 

I find myself complaining about everything going on, but the truth is that I really do love it. I like being busy. I don't know what people who don't have a million things on their to-do list do with themselves. Surely they don't just come home from class and...relax. Don't get me wrong, I'd kill for a night of sleep where I didn't wake up early panicking from something like realizing I'd forgotten to get an Indiana State Raffle License form in the mail on time (long story-- it's taken care of), but what fun is life without a little stress?

Besides-- I'd rather worry about things like this than the things that will wake me up in a year, like panicking because I forgot to pay my rent. Life is good, I just need to take a few moments in the middle of it all to breathe and truly appreciate it. That said, I need to plan tomorrow (drop fundraising kit off by 10, meeting with advisor at 11:15, pick up fundraising kit at 2:30, class from 2:30-5:15, business ettiquette session from 5:00-8:00, pick up another fundraising kit at 8:00, documentary screening at 9:00) and finish my paper and homework due in the morning. Oh yeah, and study for that silly test tomorrow afternoon:)