So, in my last post I said I'd write later in the week to get some issues off my chest. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for you who read this) I don't remember what I was going to say. Mostly because I now have new things to write about, both bad and good. Here we go.
Last Tuesday I had my yearly physical. For the most part, I'm healthy, except my hemoglobin is rather low and I've been having some girl problems, to put it subtly. After getting some blood work done, I have discovered I have iron-deficiency anemia, which means in medical terms that I am exhausted and need to take iron pills to bring my hemoglobin back up. I need to schedule an appointment to go back and get my hemoglobin and thyroid rechecked, since that too was also looking low. I will also need more blood work done in 2 or 3 months. This is gonna be fun.
While that did put a damper on my Tuesday, Tuesday night I received a very surprising email - I received a Little Brother! Wednesday night was First Degree, and I got to pin my Little, Chelsea. She was very surprised to see me - she told me later she was worried it was somebody she wouldn't like for a Big. I used to think getting a Big Brother was the best thing ever, but now I realize becoming a Big Brother is the best thing ever. I took my Little to Pollyeye's after Degree where we met up with Eddie, my Big, and we introduced her to stuffed breadsticks. Needless to say, she enjoyed her first visit at Pollyeye's. She left a little early to go home with one of the commuter MC's who got ready in her room, so then I got to spend time with my Big. I looked at Eddie and I said, "I didn't know how much love my heart could hold till I was called Big." And it's true. :-)
It wasn't until Thursday that I realized that my Little is a very busy person. Being a pre-law major I should have expected that. But we WILL find a way to set weekly dinner dates together, dammit! I'm still giddy over the fact that I'm now a Big Brother; every time I'm called Big my heart just melts with happiness. It's a feeling I can't truly describe to somebody unless they experience it firsthand. Too bad I'm already failing at being a Big Brother since I haven't seen Chelsea very much since First Degree. I did get a chance to meet her boyfriend and her mother before the game yesterday though. Oh yeah, yesterday was another Game Day against Kent State. We lost, 30-6, but at least our halftime show was amazing. Then again, when isn't Journey amazing?
On a sad note, it is with sorrow I report that Theresa Cousino, a mother of one of my brothers' friends and a friend of my mother's, has lost her battle with cancer on Thursday. After battling it for five years, God told her it was time to rest. This hit home really hard, especially for my mother, who had just got done battling cancer herself and became very close to Theresa over this past year. She will be missed greatly by all who knew her, but we must remember she is in a better place.
That is all.
Thank you and good day.
The occasional sporadic ramblings of a busy yet lazy, obnoxious yet lovable college student.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Just a Small Town Girl, Livin' in a Lonely World...
My funky "I'm feeling useless" mood has somewhat returned. But we can discuss that later.
Fall break arrived in the nick of time. I spent my Friday evening at home (weird, I know) watching one of my personal favorite movies of all time, "Some Like It Hot." It was a movie long overdue watching in honor of Tony Curtis, who passed away this past month. The first time I saw that movie was shortly after Jack Lemmon died, back in 2001. I fell in love with the film the minute I finished watching it. Even all these years later I still marvel at how incredibly amazing this movie is, from the excellent dialogue to the way the film was shot, nothing was wasted in this movie. If you haven't seen "Some Like It Hot" yet, I highly recommend you do. I haven't even yet mentioned that Marilyn Monroe is a star in it as well. Three Hollywood legends, one outstanding film, what could be better?
The following Saturday my sister and I celebrated my 20th birthday (almost two months late) and went and saw a movie together, "Easy A." It was a very enjoyable film, especially those of us who are/were recently in high school and have seen at least one classic 80s teen movie. Think John Hughes (director of such films as "The Breakfast Club" "Sixteen Candles") meets Nathaniel Hawthorne (infamous author of "The Scarlet Letter") and that's the movie: a modernized retelling of social ostracism set in high school, the headquarters of rumor-spreading and stereotyping. Good movie, overall.
Saturday evening I rekindled my love with two of my favorite things: playing in the athletic band, and watching hockey while doing so. For a while I was the only saxophone present, so I played as best I could until the only other saxophone arrived. Hopefully I made my fellow saxes proud. After watching the Falcons lose to the Wolverines 4-2, a group of us decided to head to B-Dubbs and have a few drinks together... or more like the "big kids" shared a few drinks and the "little kids" drank water from a straw. After dropping off Eddie's souvenir which he had left at the restaurant, I made a mad dash to Henry County where I crashed at Kayla's place for the night, just in time for the annual Applebutter Festival.
I rode into town with Kayla's family very early in the morning, around 7:45, long before the masses of attendees arrived. Kayla had a 4-hour physics class in the afternoon, so the morning was her only choice in getting a chance to go to the festival this year. We walked around quite a bit, making small purchases every now and then until we met up with Erica and her fiancé Josh. The four of us continued to walk around town, looking at knick-knacks and buying food. At some point Kayla left and the three of us journeyed back to Erica's grandmother's house, a small condo on the outskirts of town. It was getting ridiculously hot and we wanted to rest up before going back to town. Just as we were all falling asleep, Tony and his girlfriend (at the time) walked into the house, carrying food with them. The five of us headed back into town together, where we commenced with walking and buying food. Eventually I went and stood in the ATM line for a half hour, then stood in the applebutter line for over an hour and a half. The wait was worth it. I powerwalked back to base camp where Tony took me back to Kayla's so I could drive home. Home took forty minutes to get to after driving around Grand Rapids and being stuck in Waterville traffic. After relaxing at home and making toast and applebutter for my mother, I headed back to Bowling Green to deliver the other pint of applebutter to my Big Brother, who seemed to like it, maybe. After being in BG for a brief time I went back to GR to pick up my dad and brothers, and by 9 o'clock at night, the whole family was back at home.
Monday, I wrote (and finished!) my second short story for my workshop class. I was in a funky mood when I wrote it, but hopefully it won't be ripped apart too much come this Wednesday.
Tuesday I picked up a shift at work to make up for the lack of money I didn't earn over fall break. It was slow but manageable, a happy change from the usual chaos that stampedes through the Nest on a normal school day. After work was done I was about to head home when I saw the Greek store was open. I immediately went inside and made a special paddle for Tony. Is he my Big? No, but he is a great friend and has always been a great friend to me, ever since I met him, which was an unbelievably long time ago. He was one of my seniors in high school, and I was one of his freshman, a bond similar to that of a Big and Little. I gave Tony his paddle as an early birthday present before our chapter meeting Wednesday night. He couldn't have been happier.
School reconvened, much to my displeasure, and now I'm back into the swing of the fall semester. My days are filled with stress and fun, my nights are filled with stress and fun. Finding the balance between work and play has been a challenge on and off, but I think I've finally found my happy medium. If I continue getting my homework done in the day and keep my nights free for fun activities, then I should survive this semester no problem. Only drawback: procrastination. I've had a lifelong battle with procrastinating, but this semester it hasn't really been too bad. Maybe having stupid Sunday night shifts has helped me stay ahead a little bit... maybe. If I can avoid Sunday night shifts next semester, that'd be a blessing you can't even imagine.
I was going to write more, but I realized I've already ranted quite a lot, and even though nobody reads this, I'll save your weary eyes from staring at your computer screen a second longer and call it a post. I'll probably write a new one later this week, just so I can get some things off my chest.
That is all.
Thank you and good day.
Fall break arrived in the nick of time. I spent my Friday evening at home (weird, I know) watching one of my personal favorite movies of all time, "Some Like It Hot." It was a movie long overdue watching in honor of Tony Curtis, who passed away this past month. The first time I saw that movie was shortly after Jack Lemmon died, back in 2001. I fell in love with the film the minute I finished watching it. Even all these years later I still marvel at how incredibly amazing this movie is, from the excellent dialogue to the way the film was shot, nothing was wasted in this movie. If you haven't seen "Some Like It Hot" yet, I highly recommend you do. I haven't even yet mentioned that Marilyn Monroe is a star in it as well. Three Hollywood legends, one outstanding film, what could be better?
The following Saturday my sister and I celebrated my 20th birthday (almost two months late) and went and saw a movie together, "Easy A." It was a very enjoyable film, especially those of us who are/were recently in high school and have seen at least one classic 80s teen movie. Think John Hughes (director of such films as "The Breakfast Club" "Sixteen Candles") meets Nathaniel Hawthorne (infamous author of "The Scarlet Letter") and that's the movie: a modernized retelling of social ostracism set in high school, the headquarters of rumor-spreading and stereotyping. Good movie, overall.
Saturday evening I rekindled my love with two of my favorite things: playing in the athletic band, and watching hockey while doing so. For a while I was the only saxophone present, so I played as best I could until the only other saxophone arrived. Hopefully I made my fellow saxes proud. After watching the Falcons lose to the Wolverines 4-2, a group of us decided to head to B-Dubbs and have a few drinks together... or more like the "big kids" shared a few drinks and the "little kids" drank water from a straw. After dropping off Eddie's souvenir which he had left at the restaurant, I made a mad dash to Henry County where I crashed at Kayla's place for the night, just in time for the annual Applebutter Festival.
I rode into town with Kayla's family very early in the morning, around 7:45, long before the masses of attendees arrived. Kayla had a 4-hour physics class in the afternoon, so the morning was her only choice in getting a chance to go to the festival this year. We walked around quite a bit, making small purchases every now and then until we met up with Erica and her fiancé Josh. The four of us continued to walk around town, looking at knick-knacks and buying food. At some point Kayla left and the three of us journeyed back to Erica's grandmother's house, a small condo on the outskirts of town. It was getting ridiculously hot and we wanted to rest up before going back to town. Just as we were all falling asleep, Tony and his girlfriend (at the time) walked into the house, carrying food with them. The five of us headed back into town together, where we commenced with walking and buying food. Eventually I went and stood in the ATM line for a half hour, then stood in the applebutter line for over an hour and a half. The wait was worth it. I powerwalked back to base camp where Tony took me back to Kayla's so I could drive home. Home took forty minutes to get to after driving around Grand Rapids and being stuck in Waterville traffic. After relaxing at home and making toast and applebutter for my mother, I headed back to Bowling Green to deliver the other pint of applebutter to my Big Brother, who seemed to like it, maybe. After being in BG for a brief time I went back to GR to pick up my dad and brothers, and by 9 o'clock at night, the whole family was back at home.
Monday, I wrote (and finished!) my second short story for my workshop class. I was in a funky mood when I wrote it, but hopefully it won't be ripped apart too much come this Wednesday.
Tuesday I picked up a shift at work to make up for the lack of money I didn't earn over fall break. It was slow but manageable, a happy change from the usual chaos that stampedes through the Nest on a normal school day. After work was done I was about to head home when I saw the Greek store was open. I immediately went inside and made a special paddle for Tony. Is he my Big? No, but he is a great friend and has always been a great friend to me, ever since I met him, which was an unbelievably long time ago. He was one of my seniors in high school, and I was one of his freshman, a bond similar to that of a Big and Little. I gave Tony his paddle as an early birthday present before our chapter meeting Wednesday night. He couldn't have been happier.
School reconvened, much to my displeasure, and now I'm back into the swing of the fall semester. My days are filled with stress and fun, my nights are filled with stress and fun. Finding the balance between work and play has been a challenge on and off, but I think I've finally found my happy medium. If I continue getting my homework done in the day and keep my nights free for fun activities, then I should survive this semester no problem. Only drawback: procrastination. I've had a lifelong battle with procrastinating, but this semester it hasn't really been too bad. Maybe having stupid Sunday night shifts has helped me stay ahead a little bit... maybe. If I can avoid Sunday night shifts next semester, that'd be a blessing you can't even imagine.
I was going to write more, but I realized I've already ranted quite a lot, and even though nobody reads this, I'll save your weary eyes from staring at your computer screen a second longer and call it a post. I'll probably write a new one later this week, just so I can get some things off my chest.
That is all.
Thank you and good day.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Final Push of Effort
Only three (hopefully quick) days stand between me and a four day vacation from college. Within these next three days I have three exams I must pass. I really wish I knew how I was doing in my classes, but midterm grades aren't expected to come out for a week or two. I also wish I knew what to minor in, since Telecommunications isn't looking as glamorous as I thought it would.
As I write this, I am sitting outside Kelly Hall, killing time until Marching Band begins at 4. Eddie is attempting to nap, hoodie pulled over his head and everything as he sits in a chair and sprawls his upper half across the table. I went to bed rather early last night (9:30, such an "old person" time to go to bed), and got up around 6 for work. I like to think I "caught up" on the sleep I missed out on Sunday night after working for seven hours straight, but I doubt it. I am feeling a little bit more refreshed, though.
These last few weeks have been the most stressful three weeks I've had so far this semester. The FMB traveled to the Big House with the football team to play against the Michigan Wolverines; the Falcons were raped thoroughly with a 40-something point margin between our score and theirs. Being a diehard Ohio State fan, I felt incredibly unholy standing in that evil stadium, though I must admit, it was HUGE. I'm not sure if I'll ever play in front of 110,000 people again, so I'm thankful for that opportunity. I'd so much rather travel to the Shoe next season, though. We shall see.
Bid Night was also last week. It did not go as I expected; of the 35 names of individuals who were hoping to receive a bid, only 12 of them did. Compared to how many of us were Membership Candidates last year (and the year before), that number is extremely low to me. I was incredibly upset that we turned away so many wonderful people, but what's done is done. Unfortunately, I had my first breakdown of the semester after Bid Night was done. Thankfully my Big Brother was generous enough to let me talk with him at his apartment, where I ended up crying. I cried more on the way home, and while trying to fall asleep, and the feelings of Sunday night still hungover well into Wednesday. I'm just glad I wasn't the only one who was having a terrible week, as bad as that sounds. But we all pulled through.
Saturday was BG's Homecoming Game. It was great to see some beloved alumni return to their alma mater and join in the fun. Our halftime show was "The Firebird" and after ripping our hair out all week to put it together, "The Firebird" flew beautifully at halftime, much to my relief and surprise. The crowd also seemed to love it, which also caught me by surprise. Despite how wonderful the FMB did, the football team still lost to Buffalo by two freaking points, 26-28.
In an unrelated note, my high school football team broke their two year losing streak last Friday and defeated Elmwood, a high school we never managed to beat while I was a student. Yay Knights, keep up the great work! Otsego's homecoming is approaching soon, so that'll be something else to look forward to for this month. And First Degree is in two weeks... I really hope I get a Little... fingers crossed.
That is all.
Thank you and good day.
As I write this, I am sitting outside Kelly Hall, killing time until Marching Band begins at 4. Eddie is attempting to nap, hoodie pulled over his head and everything as he sits in a chair and sprawls his upper half across the table. I went to bed rather early last night (9:30, such an "old person" time to go to bed), and got up around 6 for work. I like to think I "caught up" on the sleep I missed out on Sunday night after working for seven hours straight, but I doubt it. I am feeling a little bit more refreshed, though.
These last few weeks have been the most stressful three weeks I've had so far this semester. The FMB traveled to the Big House with the football team to play against the Michigan Wolverines; the Falcons were raped thoroughly with a 40-something point margin between our score and theirs. Being a diehard Ohio State fan, I felt incredibly unholy standing in that evil stadium, though I must admit, it was HUGE. I'm not sure if I'll ever play in front of 110,000 people again, so I'm thankful for that opportunity. I'd so much rather travel to the Shoe next season, though. We shall see.
Bid Night was also last week. It did not go as I expected; of the 35 names of individuals who were hoping to receive a bid, only 12 of them did. Compared to how many of us were Membership Candidates last year (and the year before), that number is extremely low to me. I was incredibly upset that we turned away so many wonderful people, but what's done is done. Unfortunately, I had my first breakdown of the semester after Bid Night was done. Thankfully my Big Brother was generous enough to let me talk with him at his apartment, where I ended up crying. I cried more on the way home, and while trying to fall asleep, and the feelings of Sunday night still hungover well into Wednesday. I'm just glad I wasn't the only one who was having a terrible week, as bad as that sounds. But we all pulled through.
Saturday was BG's Homecoming Game. It was great to see some beloved alumni return to their alma mater and join in the fun. Our halftime show was "The Firebird" and after ripping our hair out all week to put it together, "The Firebird" flew beautifully at halftime, much to my relief and surprise. The crowd also seemed to love it, which also caught me by surprise. Despite how wonderful the FMB did, the football team still lost to Buffalo by two freaking points, 26-28.
In an unrelated note, my high school football team broke their two year losing streak last Friday and defeated Elmwood, a high school we never managed to beat while I was a student. Yay Knights, keep up the great work! Otsego's homecoming is approaching soon, so that'll be something else to look forward to for this month. And First Degree is in two weeks... I really hope I get a Little... fingers crossed.
That is all.
Thank you and good day.
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