Prosecco!

For those who don't know what Prosecco is, it is sparkling wine from Italy. I guess the other European countries had a little bit of an inferiority complex or something when it comes to sparkling wine because since they can't call it champagne because it isn't made in the Champagne reason in France, they had to come up with new names. In Spain, sparkling wine is called Cava. So, that begs the question, why don't we have a special name for sparking wine here in the U.S.? Oh that's right. We just call it champagne because we really don't care if the French are upset with us. Like what are they going to do about it?

Anyway, this isn't what I was going to write about. After work today, I met my mom, Annie and her daughter Emily at Olive Garden. The waitress was pouring my glass of wine (not sparkling), when my mom asked me if our two bottles of prosecco and one bottle of cava was going to be enough for Christmas? This is funny coming from the woman who has half a glass of wine and is ready to pass out. I think that is more then enough because she's not going to drink a lot of it. I just thought it was funny.

Sadly, I really don't have much to write about at the moment. I'm a little tired from working all day. Why do people wait until the last couple of days to go shopping and then are upset they have to wait in lines? Are they all that stupid? Oh, don't answer that. Well, two more days to go. Ick.

Drinking Games!

There are several reasons why I love both my sister and my roommate. Katharine is home for the holidays and is staying with Sarah and I. Monday is usually Monday Night Football but since Andy and Nancy were to tired we decided to stay in. We first watched the remaining episodes of the brilliant Arrested Development and then played some harmless drinking games to some of our favorite Christmas movies, The Muppet's Christmas Carol and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The rules were pretty simple for the The Muppets:

1. Drink every time Scrooge says "Bah Hamburg"
2. Every time Rizzo takes a bite out of something.
3. During Scrooge's visit from the Ghost of Christmas Present, when he says "Know me Better Man" and
4. Drink every time any character says "Merry Christmas"

Well, that got us pretty toasted from that movie alone. I alone went through 2 bottles of Blue Moon. And then we watched the Grinch. It's a good thing it's not very long. First we thought we should drink every time, anyone said something that was not english or something the dear ol' Dr. makes up a new word. We decided this was unwise because we would all be out in the first five minutes. So instead we had to drink every time anyone referenced the Who's and every time the Grinch raised one of his eyebrows. Yes, that was enough. Boy, am I feeling it now.

So Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Holidays. Go play these two games. It's guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit.

Snow just puts me in a bad mood.

It just won't stop snowing! It has been snowing since about 11:30 last night. I was so hoping that Scott was kidding when he said that it was pouring snow. I mean, he is from North Carolina. What does he know about snow? Sadly, he was right and now almost 21 hours later it is still snowing! I can't stand it. I wish it would just stop snowing. Ok, it could be worse. I mean, I didn't have to dig my car out of 4 feet or snow or anything like that.

Another reason I don't like snow is where there is snow, it's cold. I don't do well in cold. Because that means I'm cold. I think I rather be hot then cold. Even my roommate, Sarah's car didn't want to start this morning. Apparently it doesn't like the cold either. I wish I had the option of not working when I get cold. That would be awesome.

Is winter over yet?

Ok, I have left my loyal reader hanging long enough. It's about time that I updated my blog. So this week was chock full of excitement. First, as you all know, Thursday was Thanksgiving. That also means that Friday was the evil Black Friday. Ok, so this year it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. It was still busy. Fortunately for me it was busier in the morning. I was one of the lucky few who closed both Friday and Saturday, so I didn't have to go into work until 2:30pm. By the time I got there, it was a steady busy but not hectic busy and by the time I got back from break at 7pm, the store was pretty much dead. I think the fact that B&N doesn't have any doorbuster specials that most of our customers were mostly there for the coffee. But I'm not worry. The closer we get to Christmas the busier it will be for us. So, yeah Friday wasn't too bad.

But what I really loved about this weekend was my co-workers. I really love the people I work with. They really are a bunch of fun people to hang out with at or outside of work. And best of all they love to go out drinking! Friday, a few of us who closed went to Old Chicago and then on Saturday we went to Charley's. You almost always count on someone wanting to go out after work. Even if someone didn't close with us, they would meet us somewhere. Ok, really this isn't anything new. We've been going out after work for awhile. First it was once a week for book club and then it was a couple times a week to play pool. Now it's basically every weekend and some week days. All I can say is that Jeremy is amazing! I don't know how many pitchers we had but he paid for it all. I tried to give him money but he wouldn't let me. That Jeremy, is such a nice guy.

It makes me so happy that I enjoy going to work. This summer the store really sucked. We had a manager who wasn't really a manager. Ok, really he never was much of one when he was the manager but the uncertainty of who was going to be the new manager just brought the whole store down. Now that is all settle the store as a whole has been in a better mood. Even our ASM Tony has been a good mood. Now that's saying something!

Ok, so I've rambled on long enough. I really should start planning these entries out. Then they might flow better but oh well, next time.

I love to shop!

Thursday and Friday mom and I went to the Mall of America for our annual Christmas shopping trip. We did get some Christmas shopping done but mostly we did have a good time. As always. My really is my favorite shopping partner. True, we do enable each other to buy things that we don't really need but that's just part of the fun. Anyway, we have our routine. We have our shopping down to a science. We leave CR in the morning and get to the Mall around lunch. Eat at Johnny Rockets. The best burgers in the mall. Then shop for several hours. Have a nice dinner. Shop for another hour or so. Go back to our hotel and watch a movie or something. Go to bed and do it all over again until 3, ok more accurately and go home. It's great. H&M just open a store at the mall. I love that store. It has great clothes but inexpensive. Way cheaper then the Gap or the Express. It made me very happy. I also bought a new black dress. I really don't have any place to wear it but it's always a good thing to have a black dress in your closet. Who knows, maybe a really cute boy will ask me at to a very fancy New Year's Eve party. A girl can always hope.

So I finally found a use for all of Kat's left over frozen vegetables.

Friday night, Sarah and I were going to meet some of her friends. She was setting two of them on a date, well not really a date per se but more of a social meeting that might in future turn into a date. So, we went to make it less awkward for them. That was cool. It had been a while since I had been downtown on a Friday night. The last couple of Friday nights, I have either been working, had other plans or I was being lame and just stayed in. I was kind of excited about the idea of going out. So, I got all decked out. I wore my one shoulder black shirt and my sexy jeans from the Gap and heels that Anna gave me. I don't wear heels all that often but being that I am a girl, one would think I should be able to walk in heels. Apparently that isn't true. Sarah and I had just gotten downtown, looking for food, when it happened. I fell down and twisted my ankle. Oh God did that hurt! And it was very embarrassing. I hadn't even been drinking yet! Since it was still early in our evening, I was a trooper and I walked all over Iowa City. By the time I got home, my ankle was really swollen. It was almost baseball size. The last couple of days, I have been icing my ankle with Kat's left over frozen vegetables. I knew how own personal frozen section in our freezer would come in handy. At the moment I am using her snow peas. Yesterday, I had Brussels sprouts on my ankle! It's been two days and I my ankle's swelling has gone down but I think it has swelled up a little from last night. It has also started to bruise a bit but apparently that is a good thing.

So what have I learned from all of this. Well, um, it's not that I'm going to stop wearing heels because damn did I look hot. A little less hot limping around but still hot. I did learn that if ever need a good ice pack, Frozen vegetables are great for that!

I'm so tired. I'm in the middle of a split shift and B&N. I went to work at 9 am for 4 hours. It sucked. Especially since I was planning on sleeping in this morning because I didn't have to do anything until 6:30 tonight. That's right, my shift, the one I was actually scheduled for starts at 6:30pm to close. So I was there before the store opened and I'm going to be there after it closes. Boy does that sucks. And I'm working for a fellow employee tomorrow morning at 9 too. When will I ever get to sleep?

Ok, I really shouldn't complain because I need the hours. I'm not hurting for money. I'm actually surprised that at my salary, I'm still able to pay my bills but I can't keep this up. The worry that I won't have enough at the end of the month is exhausting. I'm still hoping to have a full time job by Christmas. I sent my resume to KZIA last week and they immediately sent me an application, so that's a good sign right? The deadline to apply for the position is Monday, so I'm thinking I won't hear if they want to interview me until then. I still haven't heard back from the Director of programming from the Quad City Radio Group. I don't want to pester him but I would like to hear something for him. Personally, I think it is a bit rude that he doesn't email or call me back. If he doesn't have a position open then he should just tell me so I can look elsewhere. You know, all my life I have been told, if you go to college you will have a good job. Well, they lied. I went to college, graduated and now where's my job. Not that B&N isn't a good job. I just don't want to work in retail for the rest of my life. You know?

In other news, Everyone cheer for the White Sox and the Cardinals to make the World Series. Ever since Dad and I went last year, we have become addicted to it and man we want to go again!

This is for my friend Lisa T.! I had no idea anyone actually read my little blog. It's nice to know I have a fan! So not to keep my loyal readers in suspense. We finally got our air conditioner fixed. So we were spared from the unseasonal warm weather, which is good because next week we are expected to get up in the 80's again. I know I can't believe it either.

In other news, Katharine is safely settled in Cardiff. She's only been gone a week and a half and every one misses her. Lisa T.'s birthday was yesterday at a little townie bar called Shakespeare's. I can't tell you how many people said to me, "I wish Katharine was here" or "Katharine would have something interesting to say about this". This is all nice but what about me? I kinda made me feel like a poor girls Katharine. That I'm not interesting enough for them. I know that is not what they meant but, well. I'm a little jealous that everyone misses her. I doubt that a week and half after I finally leave this town people will be saying those things about me. Maybe they will but I don't think so. Anyway, besides that it was a very good night. I love it when Lisa is in town. It's always a crazy night!

So, right now I am dying my hair. It's the first time I have died my hair by myself. I have always had my Mom or Katharine do it or paid someone to do it. I just hope I don't ruin my hair. That would really suck and I would not be happy. Well so far so good. I have like 15 more minutes before I rinse.

That's all that is going in my world at the moment. I promise to update more often. It won't be everyday or anything like that but more then maybe once every two months. I promise!

It is so hot!

Believe or not it is mid August and our air conditioner is broken. or at least we think it is. We came home one day and our apartment was very cloudy and it smelled like something was burning. We couldn't figure out what it is, so it had to be the a/c. Anyway, we have been too afraid to check it so here it we are sweating it out in the dead heat of the summer. Not fair. It will be fixed soon. Oh yes, it will be fixed soon!

Live 8

I think Kat truly summed up the experience on her website, so I'll let her tell you about it. It was an amazing experience and I am happy that I went. I don't know if it made a difference but at least we tried. I hope that everyone who attended one of the 10 concerts around the world will continue to support the cause and write and email their representatives because only with persistence will we be able to Make Poverty History!

I will say a few things about the concert. Bon Jovi Rocked! Linkin Park and Jay Z were Awesome and you have not lived until you have sung the theme song for the show, Fresh Prince of Bel Air with a million other people!

Graduation Day!

It's hard for me to believe that on Saturday, I will be a college graduate. Wow, the four years have really flown by. I mean seriously, where did those 4 years go? I really don't feel any older then when I started back in 2001 but I guess I am. Ok, I know I am but I'm just not mentally prepared to call myself an adult just yet. There is so much I want to do before I have settle down with responsibilities and a nine to five job. I just don't know what I'm going to do next.

So graduation is Saturday. I had decided years ago that I would not be participating in the ceremony. I just don't see the point. I think there are better things that I can do with my time then sit through Kirk Ferentz and other speakers so I can walk across a stage for two seconds, shake some important person in the University that I have never seen before and then pose with a blank degree. To me that sounds like torture not a celebration. So instead, I am going out to breakfast with my friend Elizabeth, and fellow graduate, and her girl Sarah. Then Later having a dinner with just my family and then Kat is taking me to see the All American Rejects at Gabes! Now that is how you celebrate graduation. I have told be several people that I will regret not walking and maybe I will but that's ok. I'm willing to live with that. It would be one thing if I had relatives who were flying in to see it but since none of them have yet to make the trip to Iowa (except for the Grandparents, who came once to see Kat graduate High School and too be fair to them, they would have come to mine if they were not ill. Traveling is just too much for them and I understand that.) so why would they start now. I may sound bitter but I am kind of relieved because I really did not want to walk. So they have relieved me from feeling guilty for not doing it.

I'm sure my parents are a little bit disappointed that they won't get to see me walk across the stage but I also know how grateful they are that I am not going to make them sit through the long boring speeches. I've talked to other people who are graduating and are walking and it seems like most of them are only doing it because their families want to. That's great and all but doesn't it take a little bit away from the ceremony if you are forced through it? It's their graduation, shouldn't they do what they want? It is easy for me to sit here and speculate because I don't know their reasoning. To me, it seems selfish to ask someone to do something they don't want to do. Maybe there is something about the whole thing that I am missing but oh well, what do I really know anyway.

To the Class of 2005! Congratulations and Good Luck! May we all find jobs in the very near future!

What am I going go do?

I recently had an assignment in my broadcast journalism class to do an interview. It was suggested that we use this opportunity to use this interview for our final project but considering that I have yet to pick a final project I was left scrambling to find someone to interview. I have been thinking a lot about life after college, probably because I am graduating in May. My friend Elizabeth, is also graduating this year but unlike me she is going to graduate school. Elizabeth is an interesting person to talk to anyway but I thought it would be relevant to this time of the year to do a story on "going to graduate school". So I emailed, Eli (Elizabeth is a long name to type over and over again) and asked if she would let me interview her and because she is a sweetheart that she is, agreed.

It took us a couple of tries to actually get together but eventually we finished the interview. I haven't heard that tape yet because I turned it in my professor but I thought we both did a good job. In the course of the interview, I asked Eli why she wanted to continue to study classics in graduate school. The moment she started to talk about classics and what she liked about it her face lit up. She talked with such passion and enthusiasm, that it made me wonder if there was anything in my life that I talk about with such passion and enthusiasm. It was clear to me that the main difference between her and me is that she knew what she wanted to do with her life and knows what she needs to do to get it.

Me, I think I know what I want. I would like to be a producer for a sports radio station some where outside of the state of Iowa. I have submitted applications for internship at various stations because I do not think I have the experience needed to get a job as producer now. Honestly, I have no idea if I am going about my job in the right way. I don't even know if I will be any good at it, really. I am constantly second guessing myself. I'm sure that is normal. Gayane, my professor, has told me that I'm getting better at writing in broadcast style and I feel that I am improving with my editing skills but I don't know. I feel that maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I'm missing that passion and enthusiasm. I love working at WSUI and the people there but I have not spent that much time at the actual studio. Sometimes, I wonder if I'm only interested in working in radio because I think it would be cool to work at a radio station.

After we finished the interview, I thought to myself, I hope that whatever I do in my life that when someone asks, why I do what I do that I will speak with the same passion and enthusiasm that Eli did. I think that is a goal of mine.

Why I still like Baseball.

Doesn’t it feel like ages since the Boston Red Sox won the World Series? I know it was only last October but with all the talk of steroids and congressional investigations, it is like the world has forgotten. I was lucky enough to get tickets for my dad and me for game 4 of the World Series. It was an experience I would never forget. There was a tension in the air. It was in St. Louis and all the Cardinals fans were hoping for a win to prolong the series but there was also an excitement of possibly seeing history in the making. All of us who were in Busch Stadium got to see live and in person something that has not been seen since 1918. It was amazing!

It was not long for all the good feelings that came out of the Red Sox win to quickly dissipate for me. Soon after talk about which multi-million dollar player deserved another multi-million dollar contract and which player may or may not have used steroids. Why do I like this sport of over paid, self absorbed, juiced up little boys who hit a ball with a stick?

About two weeks ago, I was on my lunch break between classes. I was sitting in my favorite Sports Bar, when on one of the big screens was a Spring Training game between the New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates. As much as I tried to resist I could not stop myself from watching. The sound was off but the closed captioning was on. I swear between every at bat the commentators spoke of nothing else but Jason Giambi and steroids. I hate what this scandal has done to the sport because baseball is a great sport. It is our American Pastime. This is the sport of my childhood. I can not even tell you how many games I saw the summers we had season tickets to the Kansas City Royals. I saw George Brett’s last big league game. I’ve seen a game winning walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning and a triple play, two of the rarest feats in baseball. I did go through a period of disinterest in baseball but I have always loved the game.

But why? In my lifetime, baseball has gone on strike, raised ticket prices so high that it is almost impossible to go to a game without going into debt and now the player that is about to break the most cherished record in baseball may be a cheater. As I was watching the game this question kept running through my head. Why do I keep watching? No matter what happens in baseball, I still get excited for opening day and the play-offs and then it hit me. I watch because I can relate to baseball. Baseball is basically a game of failure.

If you really think about it, what we think is a good batting average is around .300. So that means a player only gets a hit 3 out of 10 times he is at the plate and that is if the player is good. Majority of players are happy to hit around .250. In most cases, we would look at this as a failure but in baseball we reward it. We cheer it! It makes hitting a homerun even more wonderful, a Grand slam even more spectacular. When a player finally does succeed and gets a hit, it makes that hit even more significant. Personally, if I knew going into work everyday that I would only succeed 30% of the time, I do not know if I would even bother but baseball players come in each day and try.

And that is why Baseball is our American pastime. It is the American dream. If first you don’t succeed then try, try again. Just like the Brooklyn Dodgers used to say. “Wait til next year!”. In real life, we may fail more then we succeed but we continue on. If something does not work out the way we wanted it to then we try something different. Who knows, we may strike out on our first at bat but we might hit a home run on our second. There is a hope in baseball, that we will break the odds and bat in the game winning run or pitch a perfect game or hit for the cycle. That is why I keep watching. With all of baseball’s faults, I can see a little bit of myself in it. I may not be a Barry Bonds or a Curt Schilling. I probably more of a utility player that makes the league minimum but I still have a chance to do something great.

This brings me back to last October and the Boston Red Sox. They were almost out in the ALCS but rallied past the Yankees and then swept the Cardinals to win their first World Series in 87 years. It took them almost a century to achieve it but they did and in a single moment, it was like all the failures of the past just went away.

Blogcritics.com

I have recently joined a new website called Blogcritics.com. Some of you may have heard about it since it has more then 700 members. It is a great community of bloggers. Everything in pop culture you could ever want to know is on that site. Music, books, movies, Culture and politics. It's all there! So check it out! There's a link below the archives to the right. Here is my first post.

Heloise and Abelard may be the greatest love story that most people have never heard of. All I knew about Heloise and Abelard was that they were twelfth century lovers, who’s romance ended in tragedy. Oh and their joint grave site is right next to Jim Morrison’s in Paris. I knew that they had to more to their story then just tragedy if 900 years after their death, we are still talking about them. So, I was very excited to read James Burge’s book Heloise & Abelard: a New Biography. In the interest of full closure, I am a history student so I find these types of books fascinating. I know they can be boring but Burge is able to work through the material and make it read like a novel. He allows the reader to get involved in their love affair. A nice departure from the usually history literature fare.
Heloise and Abelard romance plays out against the background of twelfth century Paris. Abelard was the star of the intellectual community. A wunderkind, who out debated his teachers and set up his own school before the age of thirty. Heloise was the niece of a Bishop in Paris. She was raised in a convent and was educated. She was fluent in Latin and well versed in classical works. It is unclear how they met but Abelard moved into Heloise’s Uncle’s house and began to tutor her. They soon fell in love and began writing each other. Their letters will filled with they lusts and passion and even details of their sexual activity as well as they philosophical discussion. After two years of keeping their love affair a secret, Heloise became pregnant. Heloise’s Uncle was obviously unhappy and took his revenge by hiring men to castrate Abelard. So that is one way to end a love affair or at least the physical aspect of it. Heloise and Abelard both entered monasteries and did not talk to each other for fifteen years. It took Abelard to write his own autobiography to get them to start to write each other again. Even after all they went through and their distance, their love was still present. Their story will make any cynic become a romantic.
Burge, a historian himself who had study their letters for many years, analyzes and picks them apart and puts into context of their time. When he describes Paris around 1100 A.D., I could picture it in my head. I imagine the busy streets around the Cathedral of Notre Dame, filled with students, clergymen, royalty and merchants selling their wares. Burge does his best to trace their relationship through they letters. From the first to the last and where the letters leave off, Burge fills in the blanks with his well researched material on the couple and the people around them. My only complaint about the book, I can not blame on the author, for I know he exhausted all his outlets. I wish more time was spent on Heloise outside of their relationship. Sadly, Heloise is victim of the gender bias of history. Documents on women were rarely made and kept and if they do still exist are scarce and usually incomplete. There is no record of her birth or where she lived before she moved in with her uncle. All that is known is that she was raised in a convent outside of Paris. She probably would have been lost to history completely if it was not for her affair with Abelard and for that I am grateful. Other then that, Heloise & Abelard was a fun and interesting read.

I think it's time for a change.

I'm sure I have mention this before but just in case I haven't, I'm graduating in May. The thought scares me and excites me. To be honest, I do feel ready to graduate. I have really enjoyed my time at U of Iowa but it is time to move on. But on the other hand, does this mean I'm going to have to be in grown up? I'm not sure I am ready for that. The thing is, I don't really feel like an adult now, even though I have not lived at home for four years and pay my own bills. Two years ago I bought my first car with my own money. Typically Adult stuff right? I have also had some of my income supplement from my family and I am still on their insurance and my mom still does my taxes for me. Thanks Mom. So I guess I'm not quite an Adult yet but as soon as I graduate, I'll have to pay for all that stuff myself. I guess I'm not afraid of graduating but what do I do after? My whole life to this point I have been a student. I have had jobs but nothing I would want to make a career of. I have just recently applied for an internship at NPR. I don't think I'll get it bought it would ease some of my anxiety. I think I would be really good for it and NPR is known for being a great place for first time jobbers (yes, I know that is not a word but I like it and it's my blog so it stays) and they usually hire people who intern for them first. Wish me luck! If not NPR, I hope to have some kind of job, that is not my current job and out of Iowa. Like I said, it's time for a change.

I can't believe that it has been a month since the last time I updated.

Ok, I can believe that. I've always had this problem with every diary I ever had but I want to do better. I will try to post a new blog every week. That's my goal! Anyway, the Australian Open started last week. Yeah for tennis! I love Tennis! But you know that. It's become almost a tradition that the Aussie Open will have some kind of drug controversy before it begins. Last year, it was Horse face. This year, Svetlana Kuznetsova tested positive for Ephedrine at a Charity Exhibition in Belgium. The Belgium sports minister decided to bring it upon himself to announce that she had test positive and didn't have a lot of proof to back it up. So anyway, she has been cleared and he is in big trouble. Deserves him right. As for the tennis, all the favorites have gone through with little trouble. I can't wait to see Roger Federer and Andre Agassi. The world number 1 and defending champion vs. The 4 time champion. Tres Interesting! Tonight is Lleyton Hewitt and Rafael Nadal. Hewitt, is not the most popular player and is playing in his home tournament. He usually chokes at this time of tournament, so I would predict little Rafa to win but Llegs has been in fine form this year. So I'm going to go with him. Only thing I know for sure is that every other point there is going to be a "C'mon" or "Vamos". Get ready for some fireworks.