Travels

I am traveling a lot of miles over this Christmas break. It's ridiculous!
Right now, I am in Michigan with my sister.
And, woohoo, it's snowing!!
And, double woohoo, we are about to get my new car!!


I will post a photo when I get one. It was great to do gifts with Kayla last night in the hotel room. Unconventional Christmas seems to be a theme this year in the lives of our friends.


So here's my travel break down:
Marion, IN to Libertyville, IL (214 miles)
Libertyville, IL to La Crosse, WI (244 miles)
La Crosse, WI to Libertyville, IL (244 miles)
Libertyville, IL to Gaylord, MI (386 miles)
Gaylord, MI to Libertyville, IL (386 miles)
Libertyville, IL to O'Hare International Airport (26 miles)
O'Hare International Airport to Santo Domingo (about 1930 miles)
We will be traveling to and from work sites all week, so (about 100 miles)
Santo Domingo to O'hare International Airport (1930 miles)
O'Hare International Airport to Libertyville, IL (26 miles)
Libertyville, IL to Marion, IN (214 miles)


By the end of this break, I will have traveled about 5,700 miles. That is a lot of travel!
I'm really bad at taking photos when I should, so I apologize for not having more.

Christmas Plans

* None of the photos in this post belong to me. *


Wonderful things are happening this Christmas break.
I've been home this week and it has been wonderful!
I spent Tuesday in Chicago with Kate. She is the photographer and I hope to see photos up soon on her blog. I'll post the link to her blog when she writes about Chicago.
I love that city. It's the best one in the US and you can't make me believe any differently.


We took the train, walked around beautiful and overpriced shops with amazing Christmas displays. We walked by the Macy's windows that tell a story but we went in reverse so the story didn't really make sense. Oops.


Then we walked to Millenium park and made up stories about the ice skaters. They were elaborate and awesome. The man next to us was hardcore judging (I could feel it in my peripheral vision) but we were having fun. We had lunch at Panera just across the street. They had an awesome set up for getting people their food which sounds silly but it was really great! I notice those things, so sue me. This photo was taken from about where we were standing, so you get the gist. 


After lunch we walked one way and then decided to try another way because we were in the city and sometimes people do that. We went to Garrets and grabbed popcorn because that's what happens in that place. They were crazy busy! We walked a little more and decided we were done with the city.


We waited at Union for about 50 minutes (we had just missed a train when we showed up) and drank large sodas from the McDonald's upstairs. I can't imagine working at that place! People are in such a rush to catch a train or get to work you have to be super fast! It's the elite McDonald's in my mind. I have missed my friend and the day in Chicago was a super way to be reunited.


We were a little sleepy on the train but we were both scared to really sleep in case we missed our stop. Kate's sister picked us up at the station in town and we chilled at her house for a little while. It was really nice. I haven't been there in a while because I've been at school. I can't estimate how long I've spent there over the years.


Then, we got Chipotle and made fun of America's Next Top Model for hours. She's the only one who thinks the show is as funny as I think it is. It's a comedy not a drama. Seriously, Tyra Banks is a comedian who has no idea people are laughing at her. To the right with the flowers is Laura Kirkpatrick, who was my favorite competitor this season. She is so sweet and can be really versatile. Her grandma makes a lot of her clothes and they are not dowdy at all. Laura is down to earth and pushes through in every challenge she faces. I like Laura. 
Then there's Allison Harvard. She is so unique! Her eyes are creepy but beautiful and you want to look away but you can't. She's quirky and doesn't mind being outside the box. 



To the left is her Covergirl shot. I thought they didn't do enough to showcase her unique beauty. The next photo is a still shot from her music video. That episode was an ANTM classic. 

See? Creepy but great. 

Finally, we decided smoothies were a great idea. Turns out, Robek's and other smoothie spots close at 8PM. Were people unaware of late night smoothie cravings are a major issue? We settled for 7-11 slurpees and they quenched the thirst.
It was a great day with a perfect ending. Wonderful! 
---


In the next 2 weeks, I will be in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, the Dominican Republic, and Indiana.
CRAZY!

Christmas Time

"Christmas time is here" sang the Peanut Gallery. What wonderful children. Linus' reading of Scripture gets me every time. I haven't watched the Charlie Brown Christmas movie yet this season. Perhaps we will watch it at my aunt's house this year because my nephews are pretty young and they somehow it seems slightly more socially acceptable to watch that movie when kids are around.


Tonight was perfect for the Christmas season. We went to church and sang Christmas songs, then I grabbed coffee with friends home from college. My dad and I shopped for Christmas presents and groceries (which isn't really that Christmas-y). We came home and made Christmas cookies and peanut butter kiss cookies while my mom wrapped presents. And now (again, not really that Christmas-y) we are watching the Blackhawks game.


Perfect!

Maximus puts up with a lot from me. This was last night. 

Christmas Tree!!

Look at that face. I love this dog. 

Here are some photos of our cookies!

























 When I became frustrated with our selection of cookie cutters, I took some creative liberty with shapes. They included a snowman, Rudolph, the letter "G", an igloo and a present. It was pretty great.













I apologize for the wacky placing of these photos. I can never get them to go where I want them to go. I guess it creates visual interest!

Finally Finished

That's right, readers. I have completed my first semester of college. Yay!
It feels great to be finished.
Today, I glanced at my backpack and thought "Oh Peeshaw. I don't have to feel guilty that I haven't opened you to view your contents because I have no academic work to be done!"
Okay, okay, so I embellished my thoughts a little but the sentiment remains the same.
I have no academic work required of me for a few weeks and that is wonderful.
I can read for FUN! Yay reading!


Near school, there is this wonderful place called "The Unorganized Book Store" which lives up to its name. Paper back books are $1 and hard cover books are $2. They also have CDs and DVDs but I'm almost sure it's run entirely on donated books. It's small and wonderful and the outside is brightly painted.
Several weeks ago, I was there and picked up Tree Surgery for Beginners by Patrick Gale. I read the inside flap but refuse to find out any more information about it. That, in my world, is pretty daring. What can I say, I live on the edge. When I watch movies, I always use imdb.com to look up the tagline, the stars, summaries, and whatever else so I know what the general plot is before watching it. I'm not sure why I do it. Maybe it's so I don't have to pay as much attention to the movie. After I finish a movie, I always look up the trivia and goofs back on imdb.com. Seriously readers, I'm a party animal.


I like to read books before I watch their movie counterparts but sometimes I am unaware there was a book or don't have the time/patience to read it before seeing the movie.
Anyway, I am not looking into the plot of this book before I read it. That being said, if it ends up being terrible or ridiculously inappropriate, I'm sorry. This is not a recommendation but rather a notice I will be reading it over break.
I have missed reading for fun. It's going to be great.


In other news, I am completely finished with my Christmas shopping. I think :-/
Most of the gifts are already wrapped!
So Yeah.


I packed WAY too much to come home. It's a genetic mutation I believe. When I was putting everything in my car, I could do it over several trips and space it out when I had time. Going back to school it's not quite the same. I have to pull up my car, unload in the lobby (and swipe my ID every time to open the stupid door) then go park my car somewhere, come back and haul everything up 3 floors. Isn't life difficult being able bodied and blessed with more than I need?


I've covered books and movies, so now it's time for music.
I have had a draft of a post sitting in the draft folder for more than a month about music. The music I listen to is so meaningful to me. I have a HUGE selection in my iTunes account (10.2 days worth of music, or 24.51 GB for those of you who speak that language) and that is a lot. The vast selection is awesome because if I feel like jamming out, being sad, crying over a sappy love song, reminding myself of my childhood, or dancing around like an idiot, I can do that with a few clicks. As much as I love all of my photos, I would be devastated if I lost all of my music.
Because my music is so close to my heart, I would feel like I'm giving away a piece of me to share my favorite band/song with you.
Have you ever been really into a show and then the person you talk about it to hates it? Or maybe someone tells you your favorite movie is bad? Ouch. The same logic applies with music.
Rather than give you my FAVORITE stuff, I'll let you peek into what I'm listening to right now.


I haven't heard much of The Script, but what I have heard I really liked.
The song For the First Time seems very genuine and honest. I really dig his voice. I hope to hear more from them.


When I was little, we used to listen to country in my house and in the car. We still do! I have fond memories of the Judds (see the sisters and their amazing hair) belting out "Whoa whoa, Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days." The song will likely be with me forever. I can't estimate how many times we played that cassette. The other country song I've been thinking about, mostly because it's so fun to sing along with, is Blue by LeAnn Rimes from 1996. How wonderful is that video? She has redone the song with a quicker tempo but I dig the original.


That's life for now.

Finals and Christmas

Here's yet another thing I like about college- we have finals before Christmas break.
In high school, the schedule went something like this:

• Thanksgiving
• A few weeks back at school
• 2 week winter break
• Back for 1 week when all of our teachers said "Hey, remember that stuff I was teaching you for months that fell out of your brain in 2 weeks of relaxation? I'm about to test you on it! You should have spent your entire break studying instead of enjoying quality family time!"
• Finals week
• A long weekend (3 or 4 days depending on the year)
• 2nd semester!

As you can see, it was pretty stinky and I'm pretty bitter about it. But now, here's how college goes:

• A terrible teaser called Thanksgiving (we do not have the whole week off, but that's okay)
• 3 weeks back in class
• Finals week
• Almost a month of break that includes Christmas and New Years and, for me, the Dominican Republic
• 2nd semester starts.

Much better!! 

Speaking of finals week, I just finished my first college final. It was for SOC150 which I highly reccomend. I find the subject very interesting. Would I ever do that as my job? Probably not. Who knows?

Now I will finish writing up my study sheet for my noon final: UNV180. We get a sheet of paper to fill with whatever our heart desires. After that final, I'm grabbing lunch with Liz and then studying some more for tomorrow's finals: WRI282 and Speech. Also, I'm going to pack a little because I'm a slow packer. I have to bring back things for the DR too which means my trunk will be significantly heavier.


I can hardly wait to be home. Just a few more days! I get to see my family, my friends, my bed, my dog, and a bunch of other wonderful stuff. It's going to be great!!
I'm pretty excited about Christmas. Here's a photo I put together of other photos I stole from the Internet:

 Feel free to right click them and "Save As" and steal them because I certainly did with all the photos in these collages. I would give the owners credit if I knew who they were.
May I recommend you place these photos as your background? It's a great way to get into the Christmas spirit!

McConn, My College Love

Hey. Another post about coffee. Get ready.
I love this place.
I got the Hazelnut Bliss Latte. It was decent but I was too distracted by nothingness on the internet to enjoy it. I should have paid better attention to it because it was likely delicious.
Lucky for me, I still have points (like a campus debit card system) to spend AND double lucky, they roll over into next semester.
I need to return my books to the book store at some point.
That's happening tomorrow.


I'm already making a list of things I want to pack for home. I just want to be finished with this semester. It was, by no means, terrible. It was simply exhausting. But hey, reality check, it's over!
I just finished my last class of the semesters. Now just finals stand between me and home. And also, studying.


Now I'm drinking iced coffee. This may be an issue. I should just mainline coffee. It would likely be more expensive. And not as fun or social.
I am headed to the Dominican Republic very soon- 22 days. That's right, Math majors, I will be flying on New Years Day.
I want to see the people of Cielo, have sweat on my brow, blisters on my hands, and go to sleep every night knowing I've done good in the world.

Life Rolls On

My apologies, readers, for my lack of posts recently.
Several factors have contributed and here they are:
1. Finals week is next week (Monday through Wednesday) so classes have been hectic.
2. My grandpa is sick and family stress for all has been high.
3. Laziness.


I hope to keep writing over Christmas Break and I can't wait to gush about the Dominican Republic!
Enjoy your day!

Monday Night Dream

I had a really weird dream Monday night. I'm glad I still remember it because sometimes I don't but I know it was cool and that's frustrating. What if there was some way to draw things out of deep within your brain? Unfortunately, there's not. And if there was, it would probably be expensive and/or deeply unethical. Anyway, on to the dream!

I was at some kind of conference center so it was inside but there was tons of music and concerts going on. It was like indoor Lollapalooza. This band who I apparently loved was playing and for some reason, I was on stage right with one of those arm/boyfriend pillows behind me.


Some other girl joined me at one point too. I remember looking into the crowd and seeing lots of people who were all really excited about the song. After a song or two, the band said "Now Bethany is going to sing a cover for us!" and I was nervous but excited.


The lead singer suggested a song I knew well and I was excited about that.
I started to sing at the microphone nearest me and it was all going very well!
Then one of the guitarists stopped and said "Hey that's a guitar mic" but he couldn't get the voice microphone down low enough for me. (Darn my 5'2" frame!)
When he was adjusting it, it wasn't staying. The song is still playing at this point.
The guitarist suggests I go get a different mic stand that isn't so loosey goosey from his car.


This is the part where it seems illogical, if it didn't already.
It did? Never mind.
So his car is parked in the crowd! I take the keys and drive the car over the barrier for the crowd, up the stairs that lead to the stage, across the stage, down the stairs on the other side of the stage, and then outside. When I was outside, I checked the trunk and the microphone stand was there. I grabbed it and headed inside.
This crazy and completely unnecessary maneuvering of vehicles meant that when I got back to the stage, the song was over.
It was a bummer, let me tell you. At least I got to sing part of that lovely song with the band :)
Would you believe it, there's no photos online of a car in the crowd at a concert. So I drew my own! I have missed not having the "Paint" application on my Macbook, so I downloaded it from the Internet. I am a problem solver. Here's what I came up with:

So I guess I'll rule out an art major too...

Joy

Today is a good day. 

I'm all warm and toasty, just having finished a small hazelnut cafe latte. My compliments to the cute barista who drew a leaf on the top of it. Is it drawing? Sculpting? I'm not sure what the correct terminology is. 
This is not my photo, but it's the kind of thing he did. And it tasted great, so win win. 


I had a 7:50 Sociology class, as I do every Tuesday/Thursday and today people presented about their family structure and things like that. I was reminded of just how blessed I am to be apart of my family. I love them! This is the 4 of us at Kayla's wedding (in case you couldn't tell- isn't she beautiful?) Ben, Kayla's husband, is apart of our family too.


I have a cold (right before finals- cool, immune system) so last night I took some night time cold medicine. I ZONKED OUT an hour and a half after taking them. It was rather impressive. I still feel rather wonky but it's reasonable. 
I feel much better! 

I received a flyer in my mailbox for all the Christmas events happening on campus. One of them is Christmas stories read by the president of the university. How much do I love this place?! I love that we have a nativity scene in the student center. I love that every lobby of residence halls has a decorated Christmas tree. I love that I get to celebrate without pretending it's all about Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus. Everyone here gets excited about gingerbread houses and snowball fights, but we all know the greater reason for the season. It's wonderful. This is the tree in my lobby. Lovely! 


I also received in my mailbox a Christmas greeting from a family from my home church. It was a wonderful surprise and very considerate of them to think of me. Plus, I love getting letters! (Mom,) I already wrote them a thank you note. 


Remember when I was really excited about giving blood? It didn't go so well :(
I ended up with a huge bruise and not being able to give blood because it was going into me and not into the bag. It hurt at the time and now I have an insane bruise. Want to see it? 
I think you do. Sorry if you're squeamish. Pretend it's makeup! 
 

It's pretty gnarly. It looks worse than it feels which is a great quality about bruises. They make you look intense but they probably don't hurt that badly. The first and left oriented photo was taken Wednesday and the other two were taken today. It's starting to get yellow-y. Yuck. Anyway, let's move on.

You all know how much I love my dog. He's an awesome creature. When I was home over Thanksgiving, I took a few photos of him with my webcam and I would like to share them because he's so darn cute! I miss him a lot. 

As beautiful as his face is, I really like the bottom left photo. I don't know why he does that, but he hides his face like that sometimes. He's strange which is something I like about him a lot. 

I arranged these photos using "Collage Creator Lite" which is a free App for Macs, in case you are interested. It's very easy to use and if I had spent more than an minute (literally) I could have made something fairly sophisticated with it. I recommend it, and the "Lite" version is free. Who doesn't love that? 

Also, today is a great day because I've got great music. I've been listening to the album "Plans" by Death Cab for Cutie and the album "Simple Math" by Manchester Orchestra. The song "Summer Skin" by Death Cab is great for fall because it talks about summer ending and moving on. I love Andy Hull's voice and getting to see Manchester Orchestra live in Chicago with my best friend was such a blessing. 

The quality is somewhat low because the woman behind is was not exactly the world's most professional photographer. I had to mess with levels so you could see Andy Hull (dead center in the photo) which essentially means me running levers left and right until I get what I want. I really should have taken a photo class in high school. On the bright side (literally) check out our smiles! Perfect :)

Now begins the "Collection of Analysis" work for my Writing for Results course. I have to find 10 persuasive pieces of writing and then write a short (250-350 word) explanation of how their argument was structured. Seems easy enough! It means a lot of Googling controversial topics. Here I go!

ps- I know I've been slacking on the photos but this one makes up for it! 

Smiles and Rainbows

This blog has been kind of a downer lately. I'm merely stating a fact, not apologizing or looking for reassurance in either direction. This post will be about things that make me smile.
I tend to attain greater joy from little things than other people do, I think. This is such a blessing.
Little things like when I unfocus my eyes and the Christmas lights get all twinkle-y. I love that. It makes me very happy. On the negative side, little things also get me down much easier than they do for other people (I assume, I've only ever been me!). Something like dropping your pen and leaning down to pick it up and then dropping it again before you even sit up straight. Grr.


Here's some little things that make my day. I hope to continue to do this kind of thing because I want you to know you are not alone if one of these things makes you giddy and because it reminds me how wonderful my life is. Also, this is somewhat inspired by Kate's Things I Love Thursday posts. She's awesome. Just sayin.


1. Seeing people hug at baggage claim in O'Hare. It is rare I get to see it play out all the way. The ideal is seeing Johnny's eyes searching around and craning his neck, bags in hand. Then he spots her. Suzy. She comes running and there's a moment of collision that says "Hey! I missed you! Now you're here and I am excited about that!" There's a moment in any good airport hug where the faces are buried in the space between neck and shoulder. This goes for anyone- parents and kids, friends, married couples, etc.
*Also, if you feel like bawling your eyes out, go on Youtube and search for videos about soldiers coming home. Seriously. You'll cry like a baby. I personally recommend this one with over 6 million views. I dare you to keep a dry eye after the 2:00 mark.


2. A darn good smoothie. Right now I am drinking a Mango Jet Tea smoothie that is delicious (compliments to McConn). Raspberry, strawberry, mango, and pretty much any other fruit in smoothie form makes me happy. I guess that one's not so strange.


3. Little kids with funny t-shirts. I know they don't dress themselves but that's why it's so funny. The best one I have seen in a while is a bib that read "Those fools put my cape on backwards." How can you not laugh at that? Etsy.com is a great place for handmade, vintage, or antique stuff. Along with everything else you can imagine, people sell clothes they have made or screen printed including funny baby clothes. That website is amazing. If you check out my Christmas List you will see a few items were listed on Etsy. God has gifted so many people to craft and create.


4. Nail polish. I'm not a girlie girl. Really. Ask my mother, she will confirm this fact much to her dismay. Over the years I have collected enough nail polish to cover the state of Maine. Much of it is  not red or pink. I have many blues, greens, one blue that turns into green in the sun, purple, matte finish polishes, neons, sparkles, etc. I'm hardly every patient enough to let my nails completely dry when I do them on my own so when they turn out well, it's really great.


5. The moment where a song hits that one part that positively shakes your bones. I believe this moment crosses genres of music from classical to metalcore. There is a moment where I just want to move with the music and let go. It feels amazing and always puts a smile on my face when it hits. I often accompany it with a little headbanging or air guitar playing, but you be you. This moment can be better achieved when the music is LOUD and you are alone or with someone who loves the song just as much as you do.


6. Getting the lyrics exactly right. I have this idea that at some point in my life, I will attend a concert and they will need someone to sing and I can say "I'll do it because I know the words and I can sing and I love this band and this is my dream!" The likelihood of this happening is low. I'm well aware. This in no way inhibits me from dreaming and preparing. Hitting a high note with Kelly Clarkson is almost as good as not getting the words jumbled in a rap part of a Top 40 kind of song. Also, *Fun Fact* I can 'rap' (I assure you no one in the rap community considers this rap) Aaron Carter's "Aaron's Party (Come Get It)" perfectly word for word. You've never heard it, you say? Listen here. It's probably a sickening amount of brain space that is used on lyrics but that number is probably impossible to calculate.


7. Glasses and sweatpants at night. I just recently began wearing my glasses even semi-regularly. I wear them in chapel and for night driving because hey, they help. Guys or girls who wear their sweatpants and glasses at night always make me smile. They look so comfortable and relaxed. The first time I realized just how happy this made me was likely on a retreat or something where we had a night meeting. I loved that people felt comfortable enough with our group to not have to put on this front. It feels trustworthy, I think.


8. Catching an obscure reference in a TV show or movie. It's the best when this reference is to a book. When I catch it, I feel like I could be friends with the writer which is cool because I like their show or movie. This also applies when people say a veiled Harry Potter reference in conversation that someone would only understand if they were big fans. When I catch it, a bond is formed and I feel really cool.


9. When people have a big goofy smile or comical laugh. The best example I can think of is the Cypher family back home. My friend's dad has this amazing smile that makes his whole face turn red and a vein pop out of his forehead. It makes me smile just thinking about it! All of their kids have laughable laughs  that make me smile too. Sometimes I don't think the joke was funny, but I end up laughing at their laugh. The ability to make others laugh is one of the more common superhero traits.


10. Finding that show or movie that's so bad you can't watch it without laughing [and, if you're lucky, a friend to watch it with]. A primo mainstream example of this would be the Twilight series. Alright, hear me out. I read the books. All 4. They were written to make teenage girls keep flipping the pages and clearly, it worked. In the grand scheme of all things literary, the books are not that well written. Allow us to refocus on the movies. I will, in any case where it's reasonable, read the book before I see the movie. I did see the first 3 Twilight movies and laughed through every one. The first one is one of the worst acted movies I have ever seen. It's ridiculous. It should be classified as a comedy, not a drama. A TV example would be America's Next Top Model, or ANTM. It is so stinking dramatic it's out of control. Lucky for me, I have found Kate who finds it equally laughable.


Each episode goes like this:


1. Here's what happened last week
2. Here are snippets of this week
3. Theme song. The opening credits change but are ridiculous every year and way over the top.
*Commercials*
4. Typically a view of the house, talk about what they think this week will be or how they were on the "chopping block," meaning the bottom 2. One girl is eliminated every week and immediately return to the house, pack her things, and go home. The other girl who was almost eliminated takes time to talk about how she has to "step up her game" or something like that.
5. Tyra Mail. Tyra sends them a little letter with cryptic clues as to this week's challenge. The girls make ridiculous guesses as to what the challenge might be.
6. The girls go to the challenge. This is sometimes runway, sometimes a teaching session with a drama coach, learning interview skills, learning dance, whatever. Something with a model lesson behind it like "being aware of your whole body's movements" or "moving through space." There is a challenge winner. She might win money, jewelry, clothes, extra frames for her photo shoot, and sometimes she can pick 1 or 2 other models to share in her prizes like a spa day. That changes each week.
7. The girls go home and fight. There's always drama sometimes accompanied by cursing. It could be about putting raw chicken in a bowl, getting in the shower first when someone else called dibs, not doing the dishes, someone eating someone else's cereal bars, arguing over who should have won the challenge, etc. Yes, all of those have happened on the show. Someone is always nervous about the photo shoot because they did poorly at the challenge. Sometimes a girl will call home and chat about other girls in the house but somehow the girls forget that the room where the phone (and a camera!) is was not sound proofed. There is usually a girl standing outside listening to the whole conversation and brings tidbits to the rest of the drama sharks. And, you guessed it, drama ensues.
*Commercials*
8. Sometimes they throw in a little extra piece here. It may be a story about one of the girl's home life, maybe one of the girls did something goofy on the set, etc. A mini human interest story.
*Commericals*
9. The photo shoot. This is how the girls are judged week to week and it decides who goes home. They  have the most ridiculous ideas ever. In the past, they have put them on harnesses and made them superheroes, geishas holding cell phones, had them lay in a coffin as each of them were the 7 deadly sins, make their own outfits out of grass and sticks and leaves and pose near a waterfall, made them fairy tale characters who were falling so the girls were hitting a huge mat after every shot, put them in creepy 1920s circus gear, put them on stilts, etc. It's typically loosely tied to the challenge. Jay Manuel, or Mr. Jay, is their director. He tells them if a shot isn't working and what the models need to change. Then he tells the camera which girls did well and who struggled. He also reports back to Tyra when there's a meltdown. He's kind of a snitch.
10. Usually they go back to the house and talk about who they think is going home. Drama.
*Commerical*
11. Panel. Tyra stand in front of the girls and says "You know our fabulous prizes--" and then proceeds to list them anyway.
Tyra and her 3 other judges call the girls up one by one as the rest of the models stand in the background. Each girl talks about how she thinks that week went and then Tyra says "let's see your photo" and they pull it up. The general rule for the judges is "If it's freaky or weird or unattractive, we like it. If it looks like something your average American would look at, it's 'commerical' and boring and we hate it." This is the time when Tyra says "Mr. Jay said that you were 'rude and hard to direct' on set, what is that about?" and then the model comes up the a lame excuse and then Nigel Barker says "That sounds like a lot of excuses and you need to take responsibility for yourself." Then the model says "Thank you," and walks back. This continues through the rest of the girls in a similar fashion. Sometimes the girls cry if they did badly or if they think they're going home.
12. Then Tyra tells the girls that "The judges will deliberate and when we call you back, one of you will be going home"
*Commercial*
13. The judges look at the photos one by one and talk about what they liked and did not like. Usually it's really stupid stuff like "Look at how stiff her pinky is- UGH!" and then when the model is making a face like she's bored stiff, they love it. They say things like "she needs more life in her eyes!" but don't say that to the girls so the girls can't improve. Then a few weeks down the road, they can say "Week after week, we've said your pictures look dead. And clearly you are not listening."
14. The girl with the best photo is called first. Her photo is displayed in the house that week as digital art. Tyra has each girl walk down the runway like they did to be judged and then she hands them their photo when they are safe. Tyra says "Congratulations. You are still in the running towards becoming America's Next Top Model" When it gets to the last 5, usually Tyra holds one side of the photo and the girl holds the other and she chides them. Then it's the final 2.
15. Tyra says "I have only one photo in my hand. This photo represents the girl that will still be in the running towards becoming America's Next Top Model. The girl who I do not call must immediately return to the house, pack your things, and go home." She says it as dramatically as possible. Then Tyra points out why each girl is in the bottom 2 and how they are there for opposite reasons and says "So who goes home?" [long pause filled by dramatic music]. Tyra pulls out the photo of the girl who is staying and says her name. The girls usually hug one another and tears are typically involved. As the girl takes her photo, Tyra reminds her of what she needs to do and she walks to the other safe girls.
16. The eliminated girl and Tyra stand alone on the runway and Tyra encourages her to keep going with her modeling career which is stupid because people who win the show have no modeling career. I don't expect much of a girl who was eliminated if that's what winners do.
17. The girl is seen packing up at home. She talks about what a great experience it was and how she will keep modeling and that this will not stop her. Her photos from every week show as she zips up her suitcase. Sometimes she leaves a note for the other girls and then walks out.
18. Then there's scenes from next week!!


The show is so terrible. There's 18 seasons which means that marathons happen very easily. We enjoy ourselves and laugh at how ridiculous it is.


*Whew that was a long post! Now I'm going to donate blood. Enjoy the day, readers. Have yourself a smile or two please!

Coffee

In case you didn't know this about me, I love coffee. 
I won't label myself as an addict or a coffee snob or any of those other ugly sounding things.
What I will say is that my day is better with a good cup of coffee. 




McConn is the coffee shop on campus and it's usually very good. I've had maybe 2 drinks that did not meet my expectations but nothing that was undrinkable. 




I used to only like the Frappuccino, which the Starbucks website calls a "blended beverage." That, my reader, is a euphemism for a coffee slushy. You can get all kinds of flavors and some without any coffee in them at all. I was that middle schooler in line behind you with the gift card and too much blue eye shadow (is there any acceptable amount?) ordering a grande carmel frappuccino. Slowly but surely, I got sick of those things. The bottom 1/3 of the drink is usually crushed ice with very little flavor left. With the carmel frapp, which did include coffee, there was always a bad taste in my mouth afterwards. That was not conducive to the hushed and dramatic conversation I was trying to have with my best friend at the table next to yours. I know, we were still too loud for you, other Starbucks customer, as you tried to blog about the meaning of life. 
*Also, WOW full circle much?*


I moved on to highly sugary coffee drinks like carmel macchiatos and occasionally iced coffee (with cream and sugar always). I still enjoy things like that, but I can drink real coffee now (I'm an adult!! do adults say that?) with cream. I prefer if it has a flavor in it but I can do without. For example, today I got a Cafe Latte with English Toffee. Delicious. 


This will certainly not be the last time I rave on about coffee and my love for that stuff. 
Go check out Kate's post about coffee because I can guarantee a laugh for you. 

I'm Like A Bird

There was a song I used to listen to by Nelly Furtado. I found the link for you here in case you have no idea what I'm talking about. I was 7 when it debuted but I remember listening to it more when I was 10 or 11. There's one line in particular that is sticking out to me right this second.


"I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away
I don't know where my soul is, 
I don't know where my home is"


I realize the song is a little dramatic and cheesy, but hang with me here.
I think the reason Ms. Furtado's lyrics are reaching out to me tonight is because I'm having a rough time with this "I live at school but my parents are at 'home' and what the heck does 'home' even mean" thing. I know from a zillion cross stitched pillows that "Home Is Where Your Heart Is" but as Relient K will remind us,


"If home is where the heart is
Then my home is where you are" (listen)


I also know I'm in college now so times have changed. I kinda live at home and mostly live at school for 9 months of the year and only the Lord knows what this summer will bring so let's not even go there. 
I'm not the only one wrestling with this. People will say "After lunch I'm going to go back and sleep" but they conveniently leave out labeling their dorm room as "my room" or "home." When the dorms are filling up again after a break, people will say "it's so great to be back" as though they were coming home. Strange. I'm right there with them! 


It was tough to leave home and come back to school. I have a bed in both places if you're standard for home is wherever you lay your head down at night. I bring clothes back to the house for the weekend because I am a visitor in my own house. I don't really live there. I live here in the dorm but it's not my home. 
It stinks to have to leave home when I know the next 3 weeks will be insanely stressful with school work and social stuff. That's always sort of stressful. Looking at this week I feel like it's this huge blob at the end of the street and as the clock gets closer and closer to my 8:20 Monday morning wake up call, I'm taking a step towards it. I know it won't attack all at once, but fighting a slow bit-by-bit battle seems like a bigger challenge than kicking its but in one fell swoop. 


I know, I know, I need to suck it up. This is college. It's supposed to be a challenge. I've never done this before but I hate letting that be an excuse. I should be good at something the very first time and never mess it up or have to do it differently. Duh! 


So now I will return to the homework I didn't do over the weekend and stop complaining about how tough life is when I am insanely blessed. 
Ah, Life.