Emily Crouch '12

Return of the Good-Guy

2010-08-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

Good guy- Ed U. Cation
Place- Cedar Rapids, IA
Contact- Emily Crouch, Coe Junior.

It's nice to be back in Cedar Rapids! After 7 months in Washington, DC, I must admit that I was initially downcast to be returning to the midwest, but Coe has its charms :)
This year, I'm living off campus, which will be a big change. No more late night dashes over to the library to print off a last minute paper, no more crashing in Greene after a movie marathon, and no more running to the PUB for a late night snack. Instead, I'm all about conserving gas, energy, and keeping the electric bill down. Still, I must say that having a fireplace and my own kitchen has some perks :)

Tomorrow is the first day of classes, which ushers in a semester of scrambling from one class to the next, bouncing back and forth between ensemble practice in Marquis to history classes in Hickock. (What was I on when I signed up for Orchestra, Band, Crimson & Gold, AND Concert Choir? ...I don't know, but I don't think that I was sane at the time...) In addition, in all of my free time (note: this is sarcasm) I'm working almost full time at The Blue Strawberry downtown, which is amazing :) You know you're over-scheduled when you see work as a time to relax, but I don't mind. Coffee shops are the best type of therapy, IMHO.

Therefore, let the school year begin, and let our returning hero, good-guy, Ed U. Cation, triumph once more!!!

Off to work,
Your Caffeinated Corpse,
Em

Apathy, Apothecary, A Monestary, A Monkey Staring...at me

2010-05-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

I've been getting those familiar, "ugh, finals" apathetic moments more often now a days, which is ok, because it's a typical college student situation...it just doesn't help when your job has you sitting alone in a cubicle all day. Normally, apathy is better handled when in great numbers...but the only company a cubicle provides is that of online friends...who I don't talk to during the day since I'm at work. Ouch (Yes, that was an insanely long sentence filled with many many ellipsis).

Oh well, the weather is amazing in DC during the spring, so I take every chance I can to go outside and chill in the sun :) I LOVE IT HERE!! (in case I haven't mentioned it already) I haven't been posting as many pictures as I used to, but it's mainly due to the fact that I take so many!

curse my habit of insane picture taking!!!

But alas and alack, it's something I cannot change. We're just going to have to suffer through my crazy picture taking skillzzz. ;)

So yes, back to my internship...in a word. n3rdy. in two words. awesomely n3rdy.

Move-in Day: Washington, DC January 31, 2010

D-Day of my whole semester, went better than I thought it would. Pulling up to the house in my yellow taxi, I was expecting to see it crawling with college students lugging suitcases and boxes up and down stairs, in and out doors, the hallway being filled with shouts and laughter, but I was met by the quiet brick exterior of 510 C. There were no scrambling coeds, or stray suitcases lying on the steps, just the Sunday morning calmness of the Capitol Hill neighborhood, and the open door of 510 C. My mom and I were spared the task of carrying all of my luggage up the stairs by a smiling guy who introduced himself as Brandon. With Brandon’s help, the three of us managed to move my luggage from the sidewalk into the apartment 2F. Two hours later, after meeting my new roommates and settling in as much as I could, it was time for my mom to go. This was the moment I’d been dreading; I wasn’t sure how I would react. Would I be upset, nonchalant, or a blubbering mess? Thankfully, it was like any other goodbye at school: a quick hug, peck on the cheek, an “I love you” and she was gone.

The next few weeks, being expected to fly by, moved at more of a banana slug’s pace due to the infamous winter storm, Snowpocalypse. Being house bound for around two weeks was tough, especially because it also meant that the paperwork necessary for me to become an official intern at the National Archives would be delayed. However, the snow finally melted, and I was able to start my internship soon after. The trek up to College Park, Maryland, was a long one, but on the morning of my first day, it was welcome. Using the forty-five minutes to collect my thoughts and prepare myself for the first day of my first truly life-changing experience was overwhelming in one aspect, but comforting in another. I knew there was no going back. I look at that day, February 16, 2010, as the first true day of my Washington DC Semester. My first day was considerably less hectic than I was expecting due to the fact that the Snowpocalypse had so delayed my paperwork that they had to start me off as a volunteer on the Deck Log Project. When applying for the internship at the National Archives, I knew that I would be doing archival work all day- organizing, unbinding, reboxing, describing documents, etc. but I wasn’t expecting to be working on a project such as the Deck Logs. Having the opportunity to hold and organize Navy Deck Logs from World War II was any history major’s dream. I was in nerd heaven, and I knew at that moment that I wouldn’t want to leave Washington when the time came.

The first of March ushered in my first pay period as an official employee of the National Archives and Records Administration. In the mere two weeks I had been at the Archives, I had been made to feel completely at home. The work environment resembled a huge family- conversations about the weekend, movies, books and shows over cubicle walls, laughing rising up from the desks every five minutes, spontaneous lunch outings to a nearby restaurant. Student employees weren’t treated any differently than the full-time employees. No matter what your experience, you were given a project that actually meant something. “Student Employee” wasn’t a synonym for “office runner” or “coffee grabber.” I was surprised at the amount of college students who worked at the Archives. Most of them go to the University of Maryland, with a few American University students in the mix, as well as the occasional high school student. I found out within the first week that often times, the Archives hire directly out of the different Graduate programs at the neighboring University. This idea awoke an excitement in me that knew no bounds. I had already fallen in love with the work and the city, and now there was an opportunity I could do this for a living for the rest of my life! Curious and excited, I began to ask around about the Graduate Programs at Maryland. My team leader on the Deck Log Project proved to be a treasure chest of information. She told me the little known fact that the University of Maryland is home to one of the most intense, rewarding Information Science programs in the country: the HiLS Program. The same program was mentioned to my roommate, Malinda, by the Senate historian while doing an interview. The Senate historian said that anyone who graduates from this program is almost guaranteed a job wherever he decides to apply. This statement intrigued me, and I asked my team leader to tell me more of the program. Herself being a graduate, she gladly provided more information and encouraged me to work towards getting accepted as a grad student. Over the next few weeks I began researching the HiLS Program and found the grad program of my dreams. When I first heard of the program, I thought it was “h-i-l-l-s” program, such as Capitol Hill, but the program is actually a combination of both the History Program and the Library Science Program. Within the normal two year grad period, a student in the HiLS program would achieve a Master’s Degree in History and a Master’s Degree in Library Science. This program also serves as the pool from which NARA hires many new employees as well, or “specs.” The more I was learning about this city, this internship, and the life associated with it, I could feel my feet turning away from Kansas City and begin walking towards DC. I had started to see myself living here for the rest of my life.

Soon, I was moved away from the Deck Log Project and began to get projects of my own. My supervisors showed me how to navigate the stacks, pull the appropriate boxes of documents, and begin organizing, describing, and organizing the document series I had been put in charge of. More computer training was in my future – the email system, online database, hard drive database, and other programs I needed to become familiar with in order to properly enter in the document information for researchers. Little did I know when first applying for internships, the Archives II facility in College Park was about three times the size of the Archives I facility in downtown Washington. Here, tucked away from the tourists, is the facility built in 1993 by President Clinton as an additional storage and archive facility for our country’s history. The building is home to the documents from the 1900s to the present, which means that a great deal of the collection is comprised of videos, photographs, maps, drawings, posters, and other multimedia. I hardly ever come across any of these documents, as I work in the Textual Archive Division, one which deals only with paper documents. Because we are the larger of the two Archive facilities, we are also home to the research facility. Starting at 8 am, researchers file in through the double glass doors of the lobby, pass through security, and begin researching. Whether it be family genealogy, war records for military pensions, research for a book or a thesis, researchers of all ages come to Archives II to find their answers. They are the main reason archivists have their job. Without people interested in history, there would be no reason to record it, which would nullify the need for a National Archives.

Yup. I love my job. I love my life. I love my SCHOOL FOR HAVING THIS PROGRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and now i'm done. I turned in my last paper today, and the summer is FINALLY here!!!

...

and I'm a junior

wow

Love Life a Latte

2010-04-27T04:23:00.000-07:00

:) Yes, in case you didn't know that about me, I'm one for puns. Not the "oops, that was an accident" pun, but the "ohmygod, i can't believe you said that on purpose" puns. (I'm so pun-y)

Alexandria:
Captain's Row. Once the major port on the Potomac. Scottish merchant city. battle ground of that slightly pushy Brit, Lt. Col. W. Braddock's "The Grandest Congress" of the French/Indian War in 1755. Home of numerous ghosties, goulies, and vampires.

wait, WHAT?!??!

Vampires in Alexandria??

Yes, Vampires in Alexandria. And no, you do NOT want to date them. They do NOT sparkle, smell good, look "god-like," or eat animals rather than dear Aunt Eunice. ...but I digress

Friday and Saturday were spent walking the streets of Old Town Alexandria. My friend Amanda and I took the metro to the city, then a bus down to the waterfront. It was beautiful!.

We walked all around the area, from Union Street, where we ate at the awesome Union Street Public House, to the metro station, which eventually took us home. The area is absolutely thriving with life, families, businesses, and amazing smells! There is a restaurant practically every other storefront, each one with a different cuisine or theme. From Casablanca Moroccan Cuisine to the entirely Lord of the Rings themed Bilbo Baggins Restaurant, the downstairs of which was transformed into the Green Dragon Pub, the number of restaurants and eateries is staggering! ...just the way I like it :)

me + food = match made in Heaven

Me Again

2010-04-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

Hey. It's me again.
To Write Love on Her Arms is an amazing organization committed to raising awareness about and preventing teen suicide, addiction, and depression. Within the past 4 years, they've done an amazing job. Recently, they began a 24/7 suicide counseling hotline, where teens can talk to other teens and volunteers about their thoughts of suicide, depression, addictions, etc.

I've recently joined their Street Team, which means it's my job to promote the organization, and I figured, why not use by blog as an outlet? I don't know how many people even see the blog, but at least I can try :)

So here's the newest post:

TWLOHA has come out with a new shirt, "Wild Things." take a look!

you can get it at

http://www.zambooie.com/twloha/

TWLOHA

2010-04-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

This isn't a "real" post, just a shout out. I'm on the Street Team for To Write Love On Her Arms, and they are trying to win a full page, colour add in USA Today. Please help them win by tweeting the following update on twitter:

"Please Tweet: #AmericaWants @TWLOHA to get a full-page ad in USA TODAY."

It would help SO much!!! Their message needs to get out to the world! Suicide is a growing tragedy in our society, and they're doing all they can to help, but if no one knows about their cause, then what good would it do?

Beach!!!!!!!

2010-03-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

I've FINALLY been to the ocean!!!

This past weekend, a group of about 30somthing college students and interns from my church went on a weekend retreat to Rehoboth Beach, DE. It was amazing!!!!!!! I'd never been to the ocean before, so I was totally freaked out of my mind!!

I WOULD FINALLY LEAVE THE RANKS OF "MIDWESTERNERS WHO'VE NEVER SEEN THE OCEAN!!!"

I've seen lakes, seas of grain, and oceans of cattle, but no natural body of water, and certainly no beaches.

So the weekend started by leaving the church parking lot at around 10:15, then picking up students from GW and Georgetown and heading out on the open road!! We ate at Harris Crab House for lunch, which is amazing! It's right on the Chesapeke Bay, and everything served is caught fresh! NOTHING like the "seafood" we get in the midwest.

The drive from Harris Crab House to Rehoboth took about 3 hours, so we arrived at the beach houses around 3:30-4, relaxed a bit, explored, & started on the weekend!

We had group Bible challenges a few times a day, then some time in small groups of 4-5 to talk and reflect about what was talked about. All of the challenges were amazing. It was nice to get away from it all for a few days and have some quality time with the Lord and His followers. Realizing that you need to re-prioritize you life isn't a very easy thing to do, but when surrounded by other Christians, it becomes slightly less challenging. :)

During free time there were trips to the beach,

exploring the town & the boardwalk,

AMAZING food,

and the game "4 on a couch" was introduced to the group, as well as "psychiatrist" and "family," which quickly became the favorites.

(if you are unfamiliar with these games, you are severely lacking in your life, and must be educated.) :-D

Saturday ushered in a VERY full day: Three challenges, group discussions & then personal time to just think about what was said in the challenges, a scavenger hunt that lasted most of the afternoon took up basically the entire day. The Scavenger Hunt was a RIOT! Everything from having strangers randomly point to the sky, taking a picture with a hermit crab, getting buried to your neck in sand (i did that!), jumping in the ocean (did that too!), doing the "Beatle's walk" across the street, and holding hands while crossing a crosswalk. haha Soo much fun!!!!

Mr. Crabs is a Hermit Crab! yay!

Sunday was the saddest day :( We had to leave! Nooo!!! But it was a good end to a good weekend. :) I got up early that morning to watch the rising sun on the beach, and ended up walking along the ocean for about an hour. It was gorgeous!

I definitely want to stay here.

Rain, rain rain...

2010-03-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

I don't mind umbrellas or Wellies. (I LOVE wearing Wellies, actually.) I don't even mind rain, but dreary days usually usher in a time of over-thinking, which is very inconvenient when you have a book review, experience project, packing, a mid-term, and additional reading to do all before Thursday. At least I was able to get in a fairly relaxing week beforehand!

The week of St. Patty's day was pretty cool. The Friday before, two friends from KC came to visit, Josiah & Caleb. Their welcome to DC experience consisted of the Capitol City Brewing Company for dinner, then a late night Grand Opening of "Dangerously Delicious Pies!", which opened a few blocks from the house. Saturday opened the door to rain again, but Saturdays are grocery days, so I took them to Eastern Market with me. There, they were able to experience DC's most famous farmer's market, craft fair, & flea market (the latter of the three weren't open due to the downpour). After we sucessfully hunted down fresh produce, the rain thankfully stopped. The parade was on Sunday, a fairly chilly, dreary day, which warded off the usually crushing crowds, giving us a great view of the show! Then, after a bone-warming cup of soup at Cosi (think Panera Bread), Georgetown was calling for pedestrians, so I showed Josiah and Caleb around for a few hours.
Monday ushered in an adventure of a whole new level. My favorite band in the WOLRD (yes, no exaggeration) was playing at Jammin Java in Vienna, VA, a suburb of DC. In order to get to the concert, we had to take the orange line of the metro to its very last stop, and then take a taxi to the concert. We got there all right, and the concert was SLAMMIN!! (pics coming up next) So after the amazing concert, we stayed afterwards for about an hour so I could talk to the band. (The boys were soooo nice to wait while I was freaking out about meeting them again.) By the time we left, it was just 10:30, so we ended up missing that bus, but it runs every 30 minutes, so we were fine, right? HA wrong. We ran down the street to Giant Supermarket to grab a snack, successfully missing the 11pm bus as well. After catching the 11:30 bus back to the station, we were met by a disconcerting sight: the gates were closed.
NOOOO!!!!!
NOW how are we going to get home?? By taking 3 buses over 2 hours and walking from the Old Post Office Building and Museum to the house...about 2 miles at 2 am. That's how. Work the next morning at 5 am? haha. Oh boy were my coworkers amused :) (I love my bosses, my coworkers, my job, they're all amazing!!) So after getting home from work, going for a run, taking a nap and cooking dinner (spinach, parsley & goat cheese omelets, yum!) I walked the guys over to my church, Capitol Hill Baptist, and we all went bowling at Fort Meyer! :) FUN!! Josiah showed us all up, but who cares who wins when you've smuggled a gallon ziplock bag of homemade blueberry muffins, oreos, pringles, doritos, M&Ms, and twizzlers into the bowling alley? haha

Spring has sprung!!

2010-03-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

Well, spring has at least poked its head out of the ground.Saturday was the first day that reached above 50 degrees! The Eastern Market & DC's Flea Market was thriving! Twice as many dogs, babies :D, vendors, people just out walking around, or sitting on the curb chatting... Yes, I just said curb-sitters were awesome. in fact, my roommates & I joined them after getting FABULOUS coffee at Perigrine Espresso down the street. (This committed coffeeshop didn't close during the Snowpocalypse! The employees just walked to work! wow. talk about work ethics!!)
So far, the weather's been holding to the "Spring-is-almost-around-the-corner" standard, for which I am thankful. Goodbye Snow! Goodbye Biting wind that takes feeling out of fingers and toes! Hello Sun and flip-flops! (or flippy-floppies, whichever you prefer). Hello Japanese Cherry Blossoms! (you can be sure that I'll have a proliferous amount of pictures during the Cherry Blossom Festival) Hopefully the festival will happen on time this year. The uncharacteristically hard winter DC had has damaged about 4 of the Japanese cherry trees rooted around the Tidal Basin. Luckily, most of the others are fine, but the budding might be delayed. However, the rest of DC seems to be bouncing back quite nicely!
Coming home from work yesterday, I passed by this guy wearing one of the coolest tshirts I've ever seen! (ps-i want one. haha) It was all black, and in white lettering, there were the words,

"iSurvived

Snowmageddon

Washington, DC 2010"

I most definitely am googling the shirt to see where I can get one! haha (after being under weather induced house arrest for a week...at least everyone in 510 C NEEDS one!) What brave soul DOESN'T need this?

And now for something completely different...

2010-03-01T18:48:00.000-08:00

Usually, I'm absolutely PSYCHED about the weekend, but this week, I get to fill out a truckload of paperwork in order to start the "paid" part of my internship...oh boy... haha.

On the bright side, THERE'S NO SNOW!!! Other than the snow that is still sitting around from the Snowpocalypse, we aren't getting any more! We still have wind, and cold (as shown by my previous post...) but there isn't any new snow!

...maybe it's a sign that Spring is just around the corner?

all right, Spring may be a few blocks up and just around the corner, but none the less...

This past week was REALLY busy, but my first full week at work went great! (Last week we had off for President's Day.) I'm able to take a shuttle from Archives 1 (downtown DC) to my job at Archives 2 (College Park, MD) every morning and evening, so it's FREE as opposed to spending $7 a day on the metro. (and as much as I love the metro system, they're raising their prices again...yuck)

This weekend marks the 4th week I've been in DC! The past month has gone by so fast! I can hardly believe I've been living in DC for that long! (on a sadder note, it also means that I'm a month closer to ending the term. :( sad face)

...BUT, my boss at NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) wants me to see if I can stay over the summer, extending my time in DC by three months! Now to find an apartment...this will be difficult in a city where $1500/month is cheap. eek! (hello apartment listing magazines, you're my best friends)

Wake me up when the winter ends.

2010-02-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

Autumn has come and passed,
its golden tones can never last.
Wake me up when the winter ends.

Like the seasons come to pass
Seven weeks have gone so fast.
Wake me up when the winter ends.

Here comes the ice again
Falling from the stars.
Frozen in my pain again
Snow walled in the cars.

As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up when the winter ends.

Autumn has come and passed
its golden tones can never last.
Wake me up when the winter ends.

Ring out the bells again
Like we did when Spring began
Wake me up when the winter ends.

Here comes the ice again
Falling from the stars.
Frozen in my pain again
Snow walled in the cars.

Autumn has come and passed
its golden tones an never last.
Wake me up when the winter ends.

Unlike the winters from the past,
Twenty inches fall so fast.
Wake me up when the winter ends.
Wake me up when the winter ends.
Wake me up when the winter ends.

"AC"ed DC

2010-02-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

Washington is cold,

Imagine living in a

refrigerator.

Haikus are awesome...

sometimes they are confusing.

Help find my lost sock.

I will write this post

entirely in haiku.

So what do you think?

yes...that's what I thought.

All right, so according to the Enterprise, I am not allowed to write the whole post in haiku... fine :P

“You’re an archivist . . . ?

Oh yeah, I know what those are—

National Treasure!”

^haha...thanks. Well yes, archivists were shown in national Treasure but we do NOT normally (more like, EVER) do anything like what was done in National Treasure.

"Organized Chaos.

We guard Past for Future’s sake.

Our sleeves, tinged with dust. "

Brittany Parris

Whether it be papers, photos, books, video clips, or artifacts, archivists organize it all for researchers or exhibits. I am working with Navy Deck Logs from World War 2 - pretty fun! Ok, that was a lie. It's not THAT fun.

My first day of work was Tuesday, the first normal day in the Federal Government after Snowpocalypse. Apparently, you need a badge to get IN and OUT...and I didn't have a badge...Ooooh boy. Luckilly, the front desk called my boss and she came down and got me :) haha. I'm looking forward to this semester! After a few weeks on the Deck Log project, they're going to move me on to a project of my own! Pretty. darn. exciting!!

Speaking of exciting:

YEEEAAHHH!!!!!!!!

Last night's Olympic competitions were the best yet!!! Men's Snowboarding Halfpipe!!! YEEAAHH!!

As usual, Shaun White was amazing. Pulling off an amazing 46.8 points out of 50 in his first qualifying round, and eventually won gold with the freaking amazing score of 48.4!!!

YESS!!!! GO SHAUN WHITE!!!!!

Of course, I never doubted him for a second :) Out of all of the athletes, he's my favorite :)

. . .

AND AS I WAS WRITING IN THIS BLOG, EVAN LYSACEK WINS THE GOLD IN MEN'S FIGURE SKATING!!!! THIS ENDS THE WORLD CHAMPION V. OLYMPIC CHAMPION CURSE & THE USA'S 22 YEAR MEN'S SKATING GOLD MEDAL DROUGHT!!!!

best.

night.

ever.

Snowpocalypse

2010-02-16T21:23:00.000-08:00

All right, I've been slacking! I know! I'm a horrible person...well, blogger at least ;) BUT these past few weeks, I've been CA-RAZY busy!!!
Normally, winter is one of my favorite seasons (fall being my first), but when the total snowfall for the past 5 days is around 35-40 inches, it starts to annoy you.

apparently, the Snowpocalypse called for a raid on Target. This was what most of the shelves looked like:

The snow started falling early evening Friday and didn't stop til early Saturday morning. By Friday night, my roommates and I were already starting to feel the cabin fever, so we decided to walk down to the Washington Monument. . . in the snow.

not our smartest idea...

BUT Ladies and Germs, WE, five brave yet reckless college students, made it the the monument!!!

While trekking through unimaginable flurries of snow, biting wind, and a RIDONKULOUS amount of ice an slush. . .

We, the few, the proud, the brave. . . the slightly dimented, were able to see several of DC's sights covered in the beautiful blanket of snow.

the U.S. Capitol through the blizzard

In front of the Congress side of the U.S. Capitol

The Smithsonian Castle

The Capitol Hill Reflecting Pool

another shot of the Washington Monument.

Finally, after making it back to the house (barely) we all sat down to a (semi) friendly game of Scrabble and a nice, hot pot of my homemade hot chocolate :)

Therefore, thanks to Scrabble, hot chocolate, and our well satisfied pioneer spirits, we survived the first Snowpocalypse!!!!

The SECOND one, however, was another story. We were all stuck inside for an entire week!!

Snowpocalypse: It's Real

this was the snowfall from the FIRST Snowpocalypse,

and this was the result of Snowpocalypse II.

During our imprisonment in 510 C, we came to realize that Dorothy was wrong, there WAS someplace like home...anywhere BUT home!! It brings to mind a childhood memory: Muppet's Treasure Island!!

!!!!!!We've got CABIN FEVER!!!!!!

Yes, we had it bad. All of us were DYING for entertainment...so what did we do? Well...

we played cards.

and more cards

watched the Super Bowl,

(party animals, aren't we?)

and laughed at the poor schmooks who were actually OUT in the weater!

yes, that's a corgi :) LOVES!!!

Sadly, even with our makeshift forms of entertainment, there were still casualties.

Poor Jeff, we'll miss you.

FINALLY, after the Snowpocalypse II had ended, we ventured out into the alien landscape that was once Washington. It was the first time any of the Smithsonians had been open since the Snowpocalypse, so we walked to the Air & Space Museum! :)

From the Wright Flyer to a replica of Amelia Earhart's plane to a model of the plane that broke the sound barrier, we saw it all!

among the planes, there was this steam powered bike...

can we say, "steampunk?" haha :)

Their suits have come a LOOOONG way, haven't they?

W00T!!!!

my favs :)

pics of the REAL R2 and C3PO will come when I finally visit the National Museum of American History :)

The Wright 1903 Flyer!

BUT...

Hold your applause til the end of this segment and try to contain your excitement,

THE

BEST,

MY FAVORITE,

AND MOST AMAZING EXHIBIT:

THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS!

The plane that Charles A. Lindburg used to fly the FIRST SUCCESSFUL Solo Trans-Atlantic Flight (from New York to Paris) in 1927! For 33 hours, it was only him, the Spirit, and the open skies (and storms, rain, sleet, hail, and the entire Atlantic Ocean underneath him...).

His autobiography, simply entitled "We," refers to him and The Spirit of St. Louis, and focuses on his love of flying.

This man was (and still is) my childhood hero.

Every single chance I could, I studied him, did book reports, biographies, papers, you name it!

. . .

Oh yeah, and there was other stuff at the museum, like the Mars station.

Haha, I got kinda caught up in Lindburg :)

1 Way Tickets

2010-01-31T20:02:00.000-08:00

me w/ my luggage at BWI

In a way, 1 way tickets say a lot about a person. You can come to one of three conclusions about a person who has a 1 way ticket.
1. He/She isn't very organized and doesn't know when their trip should end.
2. He/She is passionate about the trip and doesn't want to create a deadline for their holiday.
3. They're moving.

Well my 1 way ticket is a combination of all three. I'm passionate about my move to Washington DC, and don't want to slam a deadline on my move there, and I'm not quite sure when my internship ends.
So, here I am, sitting on the couch of my new home for the next 4 months, with no return ticket. I don't mind at all! My roomies are awesome, the house is nice, and our apartment is EXTRA sunny with a view of Stanton Park, and I have an awesome internship starting soon!
My cooking skills are going to improve immensely over this semester. Already, I'm trying out new recipes, making my own up, and getting comfortable with grocery shopping on my own :) I have a pot of hot chocolate on the stove right now!

The flight coming up to DC was great: not too long, not too short, quiet, fairly smooth, and I was able to read the entire time! (huzzah to Alice in Wonderland) We got into Baltimore around 3:30, and got to our hotel around 5, just in time to freshen up and go eat! There was this AWESOME restaurant down the street from our hotel called Georgia Brown's, which specialized in Southern Cuisine. Oh wow I'd never stuffed myself like that in my life! Fried Green Tomatoes, Carolina Gumbo, Virginia Peanut Chicken, MmmmMM!!! :)
I think that Union Station is going to be one of my favorite places EVER! :) The building is BEAUTIFUL, with lots of stores and restaurants inside. There's an AMTRAK station so that I can visit my family and friends near by, and it's only a 5 minute walk from my house! w00t!

a view of the Capitol

pics of my apartment

the view of Stanton Park

my mode of transportation for the next few months

So that's what's up in a nutshell! :)

Back to the Grind!

2010-01-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

Speaking of grind...I need to remind myself to get more coffee beans. haha :)

Well, Winter Break has been officially over for Coe, BUT not for me! HA! In two weeks, I am going to be flying out to Washington, DC for the semester to participate in the DC Term. The DC Term is a study abroad program that Coe participates in. However, instead of taking multiple classes, you have an internship at the place of your choice (providing you're accepted). In the past, there have been students interning at State Representative offices, Embassies, etc.
My internship is at the National Archives facility in College Park, MD, where I'll get to archive documents & research materials for the research room. Wait, there are TWO National Archive buildings, you ask? Well, yes! The facility in downtown DC is their most well known one, however the facility further north, in College Park is where most of the offices and stacks (storage areas for books/documents/ etc) are. :D

So, AWAY with homework and classes, dorm rooms and cars! Washington DC is where MY brain and I are!! :)

No Ruby Slippers

2010-01-15T10:58:00.000-08:00

There is NO place like home!

No, I'm not Dorothy and no, I'm not in Kansas, but I HAVE been home (as evidenced by my previous post...before Christmas...oops)

Break has been great! I haven't had a whole lot to do aside from playing taxi to my little sisters. My roomie, Joan came to spend Christmas with my family :) That was a WHOLE lot of fun, and for a first time Uno player, she was RUTHLESS! haha :D

My family always plays Uno Christmas Eve. This year we spent the night at my grandma's.
Joan was TOTALLY winning almost everytime. haha!

Me, Phoebe, Lydia, & Joan at my grandma's on Christmas morning.

(notice we have boots instead of stockings...we forgot our stockings at our house. haha)

Me & Joan :)

My grandma has this ridiculous number of birds around her house.

Oh yeah...don't forget the squirrels. They LOVE the "Squirrel Proof" birdfeeder... HAHAHA

The bird's perch is set with a counterweight that shuts the feeder if something too heavy sits on it...So the squirrels figured out how to eat the seed without the perch. haha greedy squirrels :)

fat bird :)

I love this picture :)

beautiful cardinal!

more fat birds :) haha

Home, sweet, Snowless, Home

2009-12-21T19:19:00.000-08:00

Well I don't know how I feel about the "snowless" part, but it IS good to be home!

I'm currently watching "The Sing Off" finale, which is AMAZING by the way! The Sing Off is NBC network's a cappella singing competition. . . AWESOME!!!! Finally, America can see what REAL singers sound like :) w00t!!

So, even though Kanas City is snowless...it's still Christmas, which summons numerous practices and rehearsals at church for the Cantata! This year, my sister was Mary, and my parents were Simeon and Sarah, the Innkeeper and the Innkeeper's wife of the inn and stable Mary and Joseph stayed at the night Jesus was born. It was an amazing play, called "One Bethlehem Night." I was the lights and "keyboard button presser" haha (yes, that was my real title. lol)
I wasn't able to get pics of the actual show since I was behind stage, but I took a pic of the cast afterwards, in all of their robed glory! haha

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink

2009-12-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

why is there nothing to drink? Because all of the water is SNOW!!!! Coe now has about 16 inches of snow!!! The beautiful, sparkling, diamond-like snow has covered EVERYTHING!!
Unfortunately, said snow is not the ideal snowball packing snow...but here at Coe College, we make due. Why get your hands cold and wet by making a snowball when you could just throw your friend/victim INTO the snow? They get covered, and while they're trying to stand up, you make your get-away into the nearest building...or behind the nearest friend. haha :D

I haven't yet made it outside with my camera, but soon I will have pictures of this Winter Wonderland!

A Picture is worth...well, a lot

2009-12-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

All right! I promised pics as soon as they'd let me upload, so here they are!!

The American Century: A Joke in One Act takes place in 1945.

Director: Melissa TouVelle

Stage Manager: Ashley Garst

Stranger: Tyler Heisel

Man: Joe Sorensen

Woman: Emily Crouch

Tom's (The Man) homecoming after 4 years of being away at war.

Tom and Margaret trying to figure out what to do with the Stranger that showed up in the kitchen

What can I say? My character's curious...but the stranger claims he's our son come back from the future.

Trying to figure out if men really DID land on the moon

Making the stranger, Tommy, eat his crust...haha I got to be a mom. lol

Now for some Thanksgiving pics :)

The Plaza Lights testing!! Usually, the Plaza Lighting Ceremony takes place after Thanksgiving, with like, a bajillion people, but we found out that the technicians turn on the lights at 2 am the tuesday before Thanksgiving!!!

...so there I was with my family...in 20 degree weather...at 2 am waiting for lights to come on...yes I know, genius. lol

my mom, sisters, the Brauninger family, and Aaron.

my cousin, Eliana...a terror to technology...that's my phone she's eating.

we celebrate Grandma's birthday at Thanksgiving too :)

visiting my cousin Adrian and his family the day after Thanksgiving.

Ailia :)
the new baby, Acacia! :)

The KU/MU Border Wars game at Arrowhead Stadium

our seats were on the 50 yard line, 21st row :)

dad, Uncle John, and Steve

Alexander is my hero :) He scored the first 2 touchdowns by outrunning the ENTIRE field. I mean, he was yards ahead of EVERYONE!!

this was THE most intense football game I'd ever been to!!!

FINAL SCORE: Mizzou 41 KU 39!!

Mizzou scored a fieldgoal in the last 5 seconds of the game!!!

CELEBRATE!!! YEEAH

me and my sisters :) After the game, we went home and decorated the Christmas tree :)

Dad and Phoebe

Sissy dog :) always faithful

gaaaahh sissy!!!!

oh dad. haha

me and my best friend, Brianna before I head back to school

So that was Thanksgiving break in a nutshell! :)

BACK TO STUDYING!!!!!

ONWARD!!!

...

help me

Snow! Snow! Snow-de-snowsnow!!!w00t

2009-12-08T21:21:00.000-08:00

YEssss!!!! First snowfall of the year!!!

I threw the first snowball of the season at my roomie Michala :) heehee...yes I regretted that later.

But today, THE snow fell. Not just a dusting, or a frosting, but a DUMPING of snow. It's still coming down actually! We're on a blizzard watch, I believe. So, in honor of this beautiful snowfall, we - Brittany, Carmen, Allie, Jordan & I-, like mature, scholarly students of higher education went and played in the snow :) YAY It was amazing...and freezing as heck. haha I realized that I need to practice my snowball making if I am going to survive the winter with my family. (The lack of snowball making skills at my house is certain death by slush ball)
However, the downpour of snow was ill timed. Tomorrow is "Reading Day" which is the day right before finals when all classes are over so the students have a free day before tests. What a waste of valuable snow that could have canceled classes... *sigh*

Words aren't coming easily today. I believe the upcoming finals have fogged my brain. . . which is understandable. Right now, I'm studying for Irish Lit and editing a history paper. ...joy...haha
I have to say, I will be QUITE happy when finals are over. :) However, that also means that I won't be back at Coe for another year because of my Washington DC term in the spring (SO EXCITED) :)

Well, I'd better get back to devoting my undivided attention to studying...whoo...

Why did the boy throw the clock out of the window?

2009-12-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

TO SEE TIME FLY!!! haha

Well I've certainly seen that happen here at Coe this semester!! It's been my busiest semester yet, and everything came to a screeching halt in November!

So, here's what's been going on since my last post on the 5th of November.
Drumline has beaten its last drum until next fall. (so sad :( and yet, I am somehow thankful the season is over...I feel like a traitor). The Kohawk's last in season game was awesome!!! ...and so COLD!! However, the exciting game made up for the unexciting weather :)

Charlie helped the drumline out a bit :) haha

The final score!!!! YEEEAAH!!!

There was Coe's production of She Would if She Could, which was awesome! There was also Melissa TouVelle's senior Directing II project, "The American Century: A Joke in One Act," by Murphy Guyer, which I was in. The play was awesome :) The American Century is a one act play running about 45 minutes, and revolves around a life changing 45 minutes for three characters: Tom, an American GI just returning home after four years fighting in Europe, Margaret, the picture of the stereotypical 1940s housewife, and a stranger, Tommy, who turns out to be Tom and Margaret's son who's come from the future.

I know that sounds crazy, but the play is extremely interesting! If you can, pick up a copy from the library or bookstore. It's a fast read, and engaging all the way through.

Then, like water for a thirsty man, THANKSGIVING BREAK!! Yeeeeeah!! However, it flew by too fast :( My family started a new tradition this year: Plaza light testing at 2 am!! w00t!! Crazy, you say? NO! says I! So here's why this is awesome. Every year, the Plaza, a really ritzy shopping district of Kansas City, has this amazing Christmas light show the day after Thanksgiving. Everyone goes to watch these thousands of lights get switched on and it's a huge deal, however, everyone and their mother's brother is there, so it's always jam packed. This year, my mom found out that the tuesday before Thanksgiving, 2 am on the dot, the technicians in charge of the lights turn them all on so they can check all of the bulbs! It's essentially the same thing as the actual ceremony minus the humongous crowd of people and music.

My computer is not allowing me to upload any pics right now, unfortunately. However, my next post, I promise, shall be filled with pictures (both of the play and Thanksgiving).

Happy December! :)

5th of November!

2009-11-05T14:32:00.000-08:00

So we're all familiar with the movie, "V for Vendetta," but what many don't know is that the story behind the story, Guy Fawkes, is true. Here is where the history major comes out of hiding...she's done a pretty good job at avoiding the blogger screen, but an appearance HAD to be made today! I mean, the history behind today is fascinating! ...okay, maybe just to me...but anyway...

In 1605, 13 conspirators plotted to blow up the British Parliament by lighting 36 barrels of gunpowder they were able to smuggle underneath the building. However, Guy Fawkes, along with the 36 barrels, was caught underneath the House of Lords. Soon after, many of the conspirators were caught or surrendered, then executed by the British government. But how did this incident become a national holiday? When the conspiracy was foiled, the British people were so thankful that they lit bonfires in celebration, thus, the beginning of Guy Fawkes Day/Bonfire Night.

The popular rhyme, which was featured in the Hollywood movie V for Vendetta, talks about burning Guy:

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder treason and plot.
We see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!

Guy Fawkes, guy, t'was his intent
To blow up king and parliament.
Three score barrels were laid below
To prove old England's overthrow.

By god's mercy he was catch'd
With a darkened lantern and burning match.
So, holler boys, holler boys, Let the bells ring.
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the king.

And what shall we do with him?
Burn him!

However, he wasn't burned like the rhyme says (ouch). Instead, he and the other conspirators were hanged...ouch ouch!!

So this year's Guy Fawkes day was gorgeous! Brisk fall weather, sunny, the campus was beautiful :)

So celebrate Guy Fawkes day with V for Vendetta (amazing movie, btw)

:D

Remember, remember...It's now NOVEMBER!!

2009-11-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

Yeah! It's NOVEMBER!!! The semester's over half way over, winter, snow, and Christmas are almost here, but closer in time...THANKSGIVING BREAK!! w00t!!

So Halloween was two days ago...a-MAZ-ing. I LOVE Halloween! Probably the theater geek in me, but I LOVE costumes...and candy :D haha
So this year, I ended up with three Halloween costumes. Yes, THREE. No, I didn't go through too many wardrobe changes, I just had a LOT going on this week. First, I was Jackie O., for the History Club's Annual Masquerade Dance.

Heidi and Me

20's Flapper & Jackie O

Meg and Me

Meg was a Librarian

I was the DJ...yay!

Amber, Brianna, Megan, Heidi, & Rachel

Kitty, Ballerina, Schoolgirl, 20s flapper, & Gypsy

They wanted to learn the Thriller dance...

My second costume, the Grudge girl, was for the Annual Voorhees Hall Haunted Hallways Contest. You know, the girl that pulls herself across the floor by her arms, has bad hair, and makes a sound like a bunch of marbles in a blender.

Haunted Hallways was a whole lot of fun. We were able to decorate in less than 2 hours this year! Last year, my hall spent about 4 hours getting ready for the competition. We didn't have a noticeable theme, just a lot of creepy zombies and ghouls running around screaming, and a whole lot of fake blood. It was scary nonetheless!

The next morning, my throat was sore, and my entire upper body was sore too. It's what I get for screaming and dragging myself along the bathroom floor for two hours straight...ouch. On the bright side, the hall had a whole lot of fun!

Jolly, haunting the bathroom

Daniell

Aly zombified

me, zombified

Grudge! haha

The girls "decorated" the bathroom mirror with

"Beware" and "Don't let me catch you!"

The haunters!

Michala, Aly, Jolly, Joan, me, & Daniell

The Friday before Halloween, I went to a friend's aunt & uncle's Halloween party. Oh it made me miss little kids! (Remember, when you're at school, it's very rare that you can interact with kids, so the few times you do, it's so much fun!!!)

Isaiah in his costume...Carmen with Caroline

Lydia and Tori

After the Halloween party, it was...

THE EVE6 CONCERT!!!! YEAAH!!!

I found a Batman!! haha. Yay Justin!! ...Shayla, Kathrine, & Debra at the concert

Yay Converse :) Everytime I see someone wearing Converse, I have to take a picture. :)

Halloween was actually pretty quiet, and I didn't want to risk loosing my camera (the horror!!!) so here is a pic of all of us!

The Girls:

Molly (SIMS character), Debra (schoolgirl), Carmen (Supergirl), Kathrine (schoolgirl), Susan (bumblebee), Shayla (schoolgirl), & me (Batgirl)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! HAPPY AUTUMN!!

What IS this?

2009-11-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

I have come to the realization that Iowa needs therapy, serious, anti-bipolar (is that a word?) therapy...well, at least as far as the weather is concerned. Coming from Kansas City, I thought that the "toilet bowl of the weather system" was there, but it's NOTHING compared to this!!

FIRST it was beautiful, crisp fall weather. There were firey leaves on the trees,

squirrels racing around the campus as if they were on crack, it was lovely.

THEN winter hit. Howling wind, biting cold, even threats of snow!! So this lasted for about

two-ish weeks.

NEXT fall was back, followed by winter, followed by fall, followed by...well you get the point.

AND the floodgates of Heaven were opened multiple times over these periodic moodswings, you had to either swim or float to class these past few days.

However, it has dried up (oh so slightly) and fall has returned once again. Whether it's for good, I cannot say, but hopefully, fall will still be here tomorrow.

One of those Days...

2009-10-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

I knew today was going to be "one of those days" when I woke up 10 minutes before my alarm went off with a headache, burnt tongue (thanks coffee...), and one of those "sinus coughs" ...Oh boy, here we go...
Miraculously, I was able to get to my first class (fully clothes, teeth brushed, face washed, hair...well, in a hat...) on time, without the aid of Coffee (aka - Life giving water). From there, it was work, a dash to the caf, where I inhaled lunch, then off to my 12:30 class after which I have more work, then a break during which I can run back to my room and change for orchestra (fyi: straight skirt + cello = the impossibility to play...lol) at 3:30.

However, during all of this, I discovered the cure alls for "one of those days"

1. Feel good about yourself. Wear your favorite shoes, shirt, whatever. (For me, it's wearing one of my pairs of Converse :) )

2. Put your favorite song or album on repeat on your ipod and listen to it between classes.

3. Smile. :) A lot. :D Even if you don't feel like it. :) The smiles you get in return will be enough to turn that fake smile into a real one. :D

4. Talk with friends about a favorite subject. Movie, book, music, a class. Whatever. Actually talking to people you like about something you like will get your mind off of how horrible your day is going, and it will cheer you up a bit.

5. Food. Of course :) Comfort food is a must. Eat something you love. Forget about watching what you eat for a day. Now that doesn't mean go pig out and eat the caf clean, but it does mean to indulge yourself a bit.

6. Talk to family. This ALWAYS helps me. Even if you're not homesick, talking to your mom, dad, sister, brother, grandma, whoever, will make you feel better. (Remember, they love you even when you came downstairs to breakfast looking like that Muppets character, Animal)

So enough of my Oprah and Dr. Phil-ness today.

Coe's campus is absolutely gorgeous this time of year. All of the trees are glowing oranges, reds, browns, and yellows, turning the campus into a sea of fiery colour. (Yes, I spell "colour" with a U. It's the British form of spelling, and I've always spelled that way. I have no idea, but it might have something to do with my avid reading habit.)

The weather has lost it's pseudo-winter frostiness and has melted back into Autumn's gorgeous 60 degree days, 40 degree nights. This means I'll probably start going on Drives again. Drives are a thing that I started doing with my roommate from last year. Every once in a while, when we were both really needing a break from homework or the dorm, we'd just get into her truck or my car, pick a direction and drive with the radio up, windows down, singing at the top of our lungs. I love it :) Now we wouldn't go too far, Drives only last around an hour. We still have homework, remember? haha.

Well, It's about time for me to go to work, so I'll leave with the lyrics to my favorite song (the one that is on a continuous cycle on my ipod), The Town Where You Live by Sherwood.

I must say,
It's a nice day,
When the leaves start to turn, there is so much to learn from the freeway,
You're my friend,
For the weekend,
When the spring comes around, you can show me the town that you live in,

And tonight I walk through an empty street,
With my shadow stretching in front of me,
When my lonely thoughts meet my lonely feet,
And the cold reminds me that I've chosen this life,

I must say,
It's a nice day,
With the flowers in bloom, there is so much to view from the freeway,
And we're friends,
For the weekend,
And when the fall comes around, you can show me the town that you live in,

And tonight I walk through an empty street,
With my shadow stretching in front of me,
When my lonely thoughts meet my lonely feet,
And the cold reminds me that I've chosen this life,

So hang up the phone cause you're probably better alone,
So hang up the phone cause you're probably better alone,
So hang up the phone cause you're probably better alone,

And tonight I walk through an empty street,
With my shadow stretching in front of me,
When my lonely thoughts meet my lonely feet,
And the cold reminds me that I've,

And tonight I walk through an empty street,
With my shadow stretching in front of me,
When my lonely thoughts meet my lonely feet,
And the cold reminds me that I've chosen this life,

Spring, Summer...Winter?

2009-10-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's correct. Planet Earth has boycotted Autumn. Now, you're forecast goes directly from the sunny, breezy days of summer to the biting, windy days of winter. Break out your hats, coats and scarves folks! Winter is here!
We are supposed to get snow tomorrow. UNBELIEVABLE!!! I wonder if other countries have this problem, or if it's only the US of A that has a messed up weather pattern...
So, Fall Break has come and gone, marking the middle of the semester! Only 7 more weeks to go! Midterms have been conquered (or have been victorious...depending on the amount of studying one has done), Halloween is THAT much nearer, which means...Thanksgiving is closer!!!! AND Christmas! All right, I'm getting ahead of myself.
I drove back to Kansas City for my break, and to the sounds of dogs barking, sisters squealing, guinea pigs squeaking, and many feet pounding on the floor, I was welcomed back home :) (there was also one black cat staring holes in the back of my head...) It was nice to get home for a while. Volleyball games, movies with my sisters, church on Sunday, and a visit to the Converse Factory Outlet occupied my relaxing holiday. The drive back...not so fun. Around Brooklyn, Iowa, my ipod died, so I was left to channel flipping, trying to find a decent radio station. Fortunately, I found one, so I wasn't completely forlorn during the last hour of my drive. Have you ever gone for an hour on complete silence after four hours of non-stop music? It's depressing!!
However, the prospect of a mere 3 days until the NEXT weekend was heartening, and LOOK! We're almost done with the week already :)

The KC Star Printing Building

My sisters and I :)

Our house

JoAnne, my kitteh :)

Sissy, one of our dogs

Jackie Marie, our other dog

Swimming in Autumn?!

2009-10-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

To all quad crossers: BEWARE!!!

During your daily walks across the main quad, watch where you step! The rain has created so many puddles, you could find yourself swimming to class! (Which would NOT be very comfortable, seeing as how the weather is about 59 degrees plus windchill...cold + wet = yuck)

However, on a happier note, GO KOHAWKS!!! Homecoming weekend was a blast! The theme this year was "Rock 'n Shine in 2009" and the celebrations started off on Thursday with the annual Homecoming Follies, a time where the Court is introduced, in combination with an Open Mic Night of sorts. Drumline played, like we do every year, along with several other acts, some of which, drumline members did as well!

Drumline!

Joe, who's a snare in drumline, singing & playing one of the songs he wrote.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a picture of G, Duroje, and Seth singing/beatboxing their arrangement of "Lean on Me" :(

Then there was the Parade on Saturday morning, which was cold, but since we were all walking with who knows how many pounds of drums strapped to our bodies, we worked up quite a sweat! And of course, in typical Drumline fashion, craziness ensued:

Fr. Megan Patch and Drumline Kaptain G. Oakley Lyon

Drumline 2009!!

Heath Long, Kaptain 2008-2009

His way of being "Rockin' and Shinin" was to be Kiss...nice

Walahroo Drumline 2009!

The homecoming game Saturday was a blast, despite the biting cold brought in on wind's wings. The 37-7 win over Luther was awesome!! Drumline and the Cheerleaders kept everyone's Kohawk spirit up with several new cheers and songs.

Drumline Kaptain (yes, spelled with a "K") G. Oakley Lyon

Drumline was cold...HUDDLE!!

...or you could be completely fashionable like me, and wear your drumline shirt OVER your hoodie...haha

No, I do not play the quads. This year, I'm the "swinger" in drumline, which means I go from instrument to instrument depending on what we need. My main instrument is the snare, which is what I played last year. The quads is the only instrument that I don't know yet. All right...I can play one song, "Paco." haha

Later Saturday was, of course, the Homecoming dance! Yeah!!! It was amazing! The committee this year did a great job! The DJ was great! No technical glitches, all amazing songs, great decorations...all in all, the best homecoming yet!

Me and two of my roommates, Michala, and Brittany before we went to eat

(We ate at Eggroll House...classy, right? haha)

arriving at the dance

The lovely ladies Molly, Debra, and Kathrine :)

Me and Angelea, the wonderful President of the Homecoming Committee!

This girl did more than anybody can ever imagine! :)

The typical throng of dancing college co-eds

Brittany and Michala dancing with our fourth roommate, JoAnn (to the left of Brittany)

Roomies!! :)

I love these girls :)

JoAnn, Brittany, me, & Michala

Dancing comes in MANY different ways...hahaha

Michelle, our RA from last year, with Brittany :)

Winding down with friends after the dance can be one of the best parts of Homecoming:

Chillin' with Meg

Matt and Meg

So I wore Jellies (yes, Jellies, those things of the '90s) to the dance, and I found out they glowed under a blacklight! haha

this is what my shoes looked like under normal light.

(I took the Jellies and embellished them w/ silver ribbon to match my dress and turned them into ballet slippers)

What would a post about Homecoming be without a picture of Charlie shakin' his tailfeathers at a Kohawk game?

Rain + Amanda Bynes...

2009-10-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

While sitting in my room with one of my roomies, Brittany, and our next door neighbor, Naz, a deep, profound realization hit me: Iowa weather sucks!!!! ...but is perfect movie weather!!!! The equation is simple:

1. Have one rainy, windy, cold, yucky day.

2. Add a good chick flick, or movie of your choice

3. Throw on a pair of comfy pjs and fuzzy socks

4. Mix in roomies & friends

Viola!!! A great way to avoid outside yuckiness

WARNING: skipping class to do this equation will result in the lowering of GPAs and the angering of professors...

DO NOT ATTEMPT DURING CLASSTIMES

So, with this short post, and hopefully cure to rainy day blues, I'm off to lunch!!

Homecoming!!!

2009-09-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

GO KOHAWKS!!!
It's homecoming week! Usher into my life the frantic dashing to and from extra practices, performances, meetings...sheesh...
So our football team is doing great this year!! (I wish I could say that for my KC Chiefs, but no...) It's perfect football weather too! A high of 67 all week! Welcome fall!!!
I absolutely LOVE this time of year!!

AY, thou art welcome, heaven's delicious breath! When woods begin to wear the crimson leaf,

And suns grow meek, and the meek suns grow brief

And the year smiles as it draws near its death. Wind of the sunny south! oh, still delay

In the gay woods and in the golden air,

Like to a good old age released from care,

Journeying, in long serenity, away.

In such a bright, late quiet, would that I

Might wear out life like thee, 'mid bowers and brooks

And dearer yet, the sunshine of kind looks,

And music of kind voices ever nigh;

And when my last sand twinkled in the glass,

Pass silently from men, as thou dost pass.

~William Cullen Bryant~

The campus is absolutely gorgeous! All of the trees are turning, the air is chilly...bringing the scent of Crunchberries to campus. haha

So this will be a short post due to the fact I have a Mu Phi Meeting in a few minutes, but I'll post soon!!

Picture Time!

2009-09-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

All right! so since I figured out (finally) how to upload pics, I'm making good my promise to upload Saving Jane Pics!

Here are the best ones!

Marti!

Saving Jane!!

Brandon, the bassist

Dak, the drummer

Renee and I at the concert :)

Dak's Converse :)

P.S. - I absolutely LOVE Converse...I have about 7 pair. haha :)

Pat's Converse :)

Brandon's Converse :)

The set list

coolest pic ever! haha

Brandon and Pat rockin!

Marti rockin with each of her band members

I love this one! I don't know why, but I just do!

Carmen w/ the band

Meg w/ the band

Me w/ the band

haha! Dak is looking in a different direction in every pic! lol

First Post!

2009-09-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

Hey! Welcome to my blog! Thanks for reading :)

So, if you're reading this, you probably followed the link from Coe's site, right? Well good for you!

So yesterday, SAC (Student Activities Committee) was able to bring Saving Jane to Coe!! It was awesome! SAC always brings some great artists, but this year, we get two big, mainstream bands in one semester! In October, Eve 6 is coming for Halloween (the poster outside the Caf says .costumes welcome! haha)

The Saving Jane concert was awesome!!! ...like I said before...can't say it enough! It's so hard not to be excited when you were able to see Saving Jane for free! The set list was great, and surprisingly, they played a lot of covers. There were still several original songs, and you could tell that they were having a whole lot of fun playing them. (You'd hope so since they're a professional band...)

Set List:

9 Lives

One Girl

Imperfection

Supergirl

Sex on Fire

Wagon Wheel

Butterflies

Acoustic Songs (3)

I Alone

Happy

What Didn't I Say

Untouchable

Loser

Say Please

Girl Next Door

I know that this sounds extremely cliche coming from a college chick, but Girl Next Door was definitely their best song! They saved the best for last, and as a surprise, they arranged the chorus from "You Belong with Me" by Taylor Swift. It was amazing! The band was really nice after the concert. Marti, Pat, Dak, and Brandon stayed for quite a while afterwards and gave autographs, took pictures, sell merch, and talk with everyone. Granted, since I stayed at the concert so long, it was hard getting up this morning, but the prospect of a three day weekend was too much to ignore!!

We get Labor Day off, so I'm actually typing this at home in KCMO. A plus to having a birthday that falls on or near Labor Day: you get a day off! wh00t!! :) So thanks to a National Holiday and the fact that KC is only 5 hours away from Cedar Rapids, I'm lounging on the couch watching Pirates of the Caribbean while typing this. So, enjoy the pics and the videos I post of the Saving Jane concert!

Til next time!