picture story?

I've really been struggling with the answer to the question "So, what are you going to do after you graduate from college?" Yes, I know that my graduation day is approaching. Yes, I know the job climate is ridiculous. Yes, I have seen the statistics saying that the unemployment rate is more than 10% now, the worst in 12 years. (Even though that is a lagging factor, for all of you super serious business/stock broking/economical whizzes out there - I recently learned about the leading and lagging factors, interesting stuff.) The point is, I get it. I should be focusing on getting a job NOW.

But, it is my life. And I have chosen to focus on the things I deem important right now, which means I am putting off tweaking and updating my resume until winter break. I am going to begin looking for jobs then, too. The truth of everything I know is that I have nothing tying me to one particular place, I like to experience new things and meet new people, and even if I do or don't stay in Minneapolis, I will always have a tie here, just like I will always have a tie to where I grew up. Things like that never change, but I always want to be moving and changing and busy with exciting new projects.

To narrow things down, I do know I like to do this:
I love fonts:
I love travel and reflection:I seldom listen to this advice and would like to more:
I want to see:
I want to:and...
...but until that map appears, I will:So please, let's keep calm and carry on together. I will figure it out, you just have to give me time. Oh, and once I do figure it out, I will be sharing stories and adventures along the way. :)

(sources for photos: ffffound. google images.)

10 songs!

Hello! I know I've taken a little break from blogging this past week, but I am back and (hopefully) with a vengeance! I have only done 4 of my 10 lists of 10, so here is another. 10 songs I have been listening to quite a bit lately. I should admit, I have been missing home and when I miss home I revert to songs I would have listened to in high school. You know, the songs that they would play at dances or you would crank up in your car as you were driving around with your friends. Yes, a few of those are included, but feel free to list songs you've been into lately, too.

I'm heading out!

I am heading to Portland, Oregon! The main reason for the trip is for my cousin, A's wedding. I am so excited to see her and be able to share in her and her soon-to-be husband T's special day!
These photos are from the summer of 2006, which was my first and only other trip to Portland.
I drove to Oregon with the 2 boys on the right and the one on the left flew in from Hawaii...so I have been to the Portland airport, but it was to pick him up! This trip I am going to be flying, and get to meet up with Dylan, the one in the orange shirt. He now goes to college in Eugene and is going to come to Portland for a day to hang. I'm very excited! I leave early this (Thursday) morning and get back Sunday night. Hope you all have a great weekend!

10 TV shows (in no particular order)

That I wish I watched:
1. Glee2. Mad Men3. The Sopranos
4. Heroes5. True Blood
6. Weeds7. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
8. Modern Family
9. Fringe10. The Wire

That I currently watch and/or have seen all of the episodes of:
1. Gilmore Girls2. The Office3. 30 Rock4. Arrested Development5. Grey's Anatomy6. Gossip Girl7. The Big Bang Theory8. One Tree Hill9. The O.C.10. Dawson's Creek
I'm currently taking a class entitled "On Television." (It works for both of my minors: Cultural Studies and Cinema and Media Studies.) We talk about so many different aspects of television and TV shows - everything from what happens to genres to the philosophy to mise-en-scene to semiotics. Every time I leave that class, I wish I had more than basic cable and more time to devote to television shows. I think I'm going to have to rent a lot of seasons of the top list of shows over Christmas break to detox from this semester. And now I have something to occupy my time if, come May, I have no where else to go. Any suggestions on shows I should watch are welcomed!

that was rough.

Last night I stayed up much later than normal studying for a big midterm that I just had. Well, okay, let's back up. First I didn't get home until 9:30pm because of my night class. Then, I was so ravenously hungry that I foraged through my odd, eclectic mix of foodstuffs to make something decent but quickly. I won't even go into the odd food combinations I've been working with, but let's just say that last week when I went to the grocery store I really should have come back with something more than soup and orange juice. The pickings are slim and since I'm me, I just throw a bunch of stuff I like into a pan or pot or something and pretend they all go together. This is not the point, though.

So, I get home and my roommate is starting a power hour. By himself. By pouring beer into a shot glass and taking a shot. He already has 2 beers down by the time I get my coat off and start for the kitchen. Let me remind you that yesterday was Monday. By the time I had actually cooked myself something to eat, we were blasting the tunes, dancing around the living room and laughing hysterically. Needless to say, I didn't start cramming for my test until about 11pm, staying up until about 2:30am and then waking up this morning at 6 (with the aid of Lady Gaga's Paparazzi youtubed from my phone. Seriously. I'm just getting cooler and cooler...)

Anyways, the test was awful. I had read almost everything that was assigned (just being real) and gone over all of my own notes and the notes online and none of that helped. My professor chose the most obscure references and people that had maybe been written or spoken about once and compiled them into essay questions and short answers. Every person that came out of the room looked defeated. Even when I talked to the super annoying man who knows everything (there's always one) he said "That was rough." That was rough, man. Couldn't have said it any better myself.

On a happy note: I am finished with all of my midterms and with my classes for the week. I get to go to a very happy place, Portland, Oregon, Thursday-Sunday to celebrate a really fabulous cousin's wedding. I can't wait!

p.s. I'm working on my poker face. We were trying to get the best ones last night and I just kept laughing. What do you think?
AND I've been dominating these nerds like they are going out of style. They are apple-coated-watermelon flavored and 100% delicious.
And by now you can probably tell my boss isn't at work today...so I took pictures of things like Nerds and blogged quick in between one doctor leaving and another coming in. :)

10 Videos Worth Watching

My second installment of my "10 lists of 10" is videos! These are in no particular order, but all brought a smile to my face. Enjoy!

1. My absolute favorite artist, Sabrina Ward Harrison's video of her True Living Project. You can see it here. (I couldn't embed it, sorry!) She recently reworked it, which is exciting and makes me realize that she is staying true to the "living" project.

2. I wish I would have been in this crowd. So so much.


3. Did you ever do this with the cups? We have a home video of the cheerleaders, from when my mother was a cheerleading coach for the high school I went to, doing this cup game. They are trying to teach my brother (then probably about 5 or 6) how to play, and I am being held (at about 2 or 3 years old) by one of the cheerleaders not playing. I loved hanging out with the cheerleaders. My mom would bring me to the practices and even started a youth squad. :) But, these girls can sing while playing the game to keep the beat. So cool.


4. Lady Gaga - Paparazzi Yes, I like it. I think it's a really interesting music video!


5. Can I get your number? - MadTV (Dedicated to Ramone...if you know the story, you get it.)


6. I love the people's reactions when they throw their trash away! (Found through another video I posted a little while ago here.)


7. This, quite simply, is beautiful.


8. I sang this the ENTIRE election day. I thought Mary Kate was going to hate me by the end of the day because I wouldn't stop singing it on our way to class in London. I have to admit, it's still pretty catchy.


9. I don't care that I've already posted this one. It still makes me happy. :)


10.And finally, a few of my favorite boys doing the "Single Ladies" dance. Link here. It was so funny when they first did it...in the basement of a church...with a priest watching. Oh, man. I love them.

100!

This is my 100th post on this blog! (Finally, I know.) I was awol this last week because I was very sick. I finally managed to get the infamous H1N1 after successfully avoiding getting it from my sister and multiple friends. In the end, it was my roommate who was the best at making me ill (he thinks that is what he had and I definitely had what he had - but you are not supposed to go to the doctor if you suspect you have H1N1 so I don't have a test or paper saying it is definitely my diagnosis. Either way, it was not fun.)

I did have a great big weekend of fun with a lovely girl named Ms. Beth and a few other friendly faces (including Frank Warren of Postsecret!) last week and then, on Sunday I wasn't feeling so hot. I ended up waking up Monday feeling a bit worse. I went to work and after a few hours of blowing my nose, using hand sanitizer like it was going out of style, and feeling my head get warmer and warmer, my boss sent me home. I then stayed home, barring getting medicine or soup, until Friday. I have never missed so many college classes in a row in my entire life. I essentially skipped all of last week. I am finally feeling better and am trying to catch up on all of my assignments in order to be on track before I leave again on Thursday.

This semester has seriously been the hardest and most demanding of my life. It is not solely because of my classes, but rather because of my other "real-life" schedule. I think my body finally said "enough!" and decided that it had been healthy and moving nonstop for long enough. I know that the slowing down was beneficial and not going out definitely aided in my feeling better now. Of course I still have a cough, runny nose, cold-like thing going on, but that can be dealt with much easier.

But! In celebration of my 100th post, I am going to be doing lists. 10 lists of 10 things that relate to random topics, chosen by me. Or, if there is something you want a "Top 10" list of from me, then just leave it in the comments and I'll include it! I'll be doing these throughout the month of November - can you believe it is November already? - and am pretty excited for it.

Here are 10 things I loved or thought were funny from my sick week:
1. Hot tea. My lifesaver. and throatsaver.

2. The man at Lunds (a grocery store) who thought flirting with me on a Monday night was a great idea. I feel as though he should have noticed my purchases (including orange juice, tea bags, soup, mashed potatoes, cough drops, gatorade), my very comfortable attire (sweats and a big 'ol comfy hat on top of my head,) or the fact that my ears were clogged and I kept having to say "HUH?" whenever he would ask me a question. But nope, that did not deter him. He asked me if I had just come from class and when I said "No, from work" he responded with "Oh, where do you work?" "What's your major?" "Do you like it?" "I like your hat." etc, etc. Excuse me sir, I would love to chat with you at ANY other time in my life, but right now I MUST look pretty dead, and if you would take into account the mass amount of soup and mashed potatoes I just bought, you would realize I am sick. Nope. Nothing would deter this man. I paid with my debit card and as a goodbye he said "Thank you Ms. (and then he seriously mispronounced my last name) and have a great night!" You too, man. You too.

3. MASHED POTATOES.

4. My bed. AND my comforter. I'm in love.

5. Gilmore Girls. They are so fabulous. They help me sleep, they provide nonstop entertainment when I can't sleep, they are officially my friends...still.

6. Nice little texts from the few people who knew I was sick.

7. Kleenex with lotion.

8. Ricola cough drops.

9. Having a phone with internet so I didn't even have to leave my bed to email, Facebook, text or call in to tell people I wasn't going to be where I usually am/said I would be.

10. Being healthy enough to go to Where the Wild Things Are on Friday with my sister and friend as a "whoo! you survived this week!" treat for all of us. We had all suffered some pretty bad days last week. But, that just means this next one is going to be fabulous...after the couple of midterms I have left.

HAPPY NOVEMBER!!!