A Ronnieless Valentine's Day

Today ended up being a pretty good day, even though for another year in a row Ronnie and I were separated by 90 miles. Katie and I spent our second annual February 14th together and we began the day by volunteering for a local senior citizens' dinner (at 12:30pm!) from 11-2 and then going to a showing of "Valentine's Day" sponsored by Mirabel from 3-5:30. We then went to Old Chicago for drinks and a delicious dessert (the cheesecake lollipop thing). It was a lot of fun and I always love being able to hang out with Katie.

Speaking of spending time with "my closest roommate", we spent nearly the entirety of yesterday together as well. We went to Kohl's, Dick's, and Flattop Grill where I made a delicious combination of noodles, peas, potatoes, celery, and spinach. Then, Lauren (Katie's 9 year-old sister) and I went to Chuck E. Cheese. Word to the wise: rip your tickets in half the long way and the machine will count each half as one ticket! I freakin' love Chuck's because it's an arcade with easy-to-win games. The things I did not like about this particular visit: It was crowded (well, it was a Saturday...) and we didn't get seated for 10 minutes so we had to stand there holding our tokens and cups until we were finally given a table. Then, the table behind us was piled high with food and plates to be bussed, and during the time we were there - 7:30pm to 9:30pm, it was never touched. Disgusting. Also, four of these little kids kept asking me and Lauren for our coins to use! I don't think so!! Finally, I hadn't realized that it was a hangout for pre-pubescent teens looking to drop the f-bomb every five seconds. I'm not sure that I would go back to the Chuck E. Cheese's on Grand Canyon Dr. Not that it's much better than the one in the ghetto near Milwaukee....

I should not have allowed my tv to be put in the living room. The Winter Olympics (of which I am no fan) beat out my wanting to watch either the Amazing Race or Undercover Boss. I'm sorry, but I look forward to watching certain programs and it's annoying that since my tv was moved I can't watch them now. Poor choice on my part!

I made Spring Break plans, Ronnie is on his way to visit, Katie asked me to be a bridesmaid....I couldn't be happier!

The past few days have seemed incredibly busy at work with tons of showings and trying to catch up on the zillions of Craigslist ads I previously posted and change them to reflect the changes in our rent specials!

Yesterday marked the first time Liz, Cait, Katie, and I were all here! We went over to Steph's place and watched the Bachelor (big surprise, lol) with Ashley H, Amy, April, and Mitch. It was a lot of fun and we ordered pizza for cheap! For those who don't know, you can sign up to receive online coupons from Toppers and immediately you'll get a $5 coupon, applicable to other discounts. So Katie, Cait, and I ordered a large cheese pizza and triple order of Toppers' Sticks on sale for $15, and with the $5 coupon, we only paid $10! Love it!

Thursday is our Board Game Night at Mirabel...I think it will be a huge hit since we are also buying pizza and refreshments for everyone! Ronnie will be able to come, which will be fun since I now know that he loves playing games (even though I'm not sure he's a huge fan of Clue or Monopoly like I am).

On to the more exciting news...

I am officially going to San Francisco for Spring Break! Of course, Mark lives out there and Beth will be visiting him and then leaving only days before I arrive! So it goes. I will be visiting Lauren, who I met while in Pylos, Greece. Hopefully her, Kelli, Amira, and I will be able to get together - but at this point it's just me heading out. I already bought my plane ticket, and was shocked that it was almost $100 cheaper to fly out of Milwaukee than Chicago. It set me back only $219, but it would have been $368 out of O'Hare! No thank you. She promised that we could do all of the touristy things as well as go out and have fun. She already warned me that the beaches would be a little cold, but they really couldn't be any colder than the beaches here! I am SUPER excited to go - this is the first time I have ever made Spring Break plans...ever!

Ronnie is coming out sometime today! He will be spending a majority of his time studying for the CPA Exam during the day while I'm working, but gosh, it will be so nice to see him!! He is such a wonderful person and I miss his company. There may even be a possibility of a double- or triple-date with Cait and Alex or Liz and Josh. Fun! I am sooo very excited to see him!

Also, I am very honored to be a part of Katie K's wedding! Her and Chris will be married August 14th at the Botanical Gardens - it will be be beautiful, but also very hot! As far as I know, Heather, Erica, and Chris's cousin will also be bridesmaids. Not having been in a wedding before, I am grateful to have Emily Post's Etiquette which Ronnie bought me for my birthday! I will have to work the next morning because August 14th and 15th, as an Madison student will tell you, are extremely busy days due to turnover. On the 15th I will need to be checking-in new residents and handling situations that arise. It will be nice to see the whole JSM staff in one place, but again, it will be extremely busy and EARLY!

I love my job!

I have never regretted taking this position at JSM (rather than applying for a job elsewhere once I graduate). Yesterday was the best day I've had yet!

We have been really pushing one of our properties because it had more vacants than we were comfortable with, and after many ads on craigslist and 4 unsuccessful applications, we finally got three that were accepted! I am so happy! These folks will love living with us :) Steve told Lisa and I to go have lunch on the company! So we went to Panera and enjoyed a nice break from the office. What a great day!

Liz and I then met at Dave and Bridgette's house where Katie was taking care of Wyatt and Finn. It was so good to see her and the boys. I wish that there was a way for her to live with Liz and I next year since she is such a great friend. I think I will ask at work whether or not this is an option. At the least, she is moving in this weekend before school starts :)

How busy life seems!

I can't help but feel a bit more busy now that I am beginning my real-life job tomorrow! I just finished bringing all of my things from home inside, and have spent the last half hour or so reorganizing my food in the pantry. Ha this is proving to be a very exciting night! Here are the things I hope to get done this week:

1. Take out garbage
2. Throw out things I don't use
3. Take keyboard tray off of desk
4. Vacuum room
5. Send books out to Kelli
6. Bring binder back to downtown office
7. Bring books back to professor
8. Return library books
9. Buy black shoes for work
10. Send card to Beth
11. Buy address book
12. Put holiday decorations away
13. Pick up prescription

I cannot wait until tomorrow! I have my outfit picked out already. I feel very lucky to work with Lisa - she is amazing! I have to admit though, sitting here by myself, I really miss Katie E. and Cait a lot! We were fortunate enough to have Katie stop by for a bit, but I haven't seen Keke since August. Beth is gone too, having graduated last month, but I know for sure that I will be seeing her in March (when I go to the MUSE concert!). I thought Liz would be home tonight, but I guess I'll have to see her and Allison sometime tomorrow.

Last night I was invited to Erica's 22nd birthday party, and I am really glad I went! It was nice to see her, Erika, Dianah, and Jenny in a non-awkward situation. I say that because the last few times we have gotten together, I haven't been able to feel comfortable. It is too bad that Katie doesn't get along with Jenny, because last night was a ton of fun and relaxed - I didn't feel like an outsider and spent the whole time dancing, laughing, and having a few drinks with some old friends. I had to bring an old school camera last night so the pictures will have to be taken in and put on a CD before I can upload them. :) Ronnie was a sweetheart and picked me up so that I wouldn't have to drive home. Whenever I return to Madison, I realize how much I miss having him around. He is so wonderful - I love him and always look forward to the next time we can see each other.

The end of fall semester

Wow. I cannot believe that I am only a five page paper and a Latin final away from being done with my final fall semester here at UW. In a little less than two weeks, Beth will be moving away to Chicago and Katie E might be moving in sooner than the date we had initially planned (January 15th). Caitlyn is also back from studying abroad and will be moving back in soon, which also means that Allison, perhaps the best subletter ever, will be leaving us. It is crazy to think that Beth is moving on to the real world in less than a month - I am really happy for her since it sounds like she got a job she wanted and will have her housing situation worked out soon!

As for me, I'm going home for break on Saturday and will return on January 3rd so that I can begin work as Sales and Marketing Manager for Mirabel and Muir Heights Apartments! I will have two full weeks of work before school starts, which will definitely help pay the bills :)

Only one semester left!

Terrace before Turnover

Tonight Beth and Liz and I went to the Terrace after curb shopping for furniture. It was one of the first times since the three of us have been here that we all went out. Curb shopping meant driving around near Breese, Mifflin, Doty, and Gorham looking for furniture which would not be gross or potentially bed bug infested. Needless to say, we found none which suited our high standards.

We ended our journey by driving down Langdon figuring that coasties would have good stuff to put on the curb, but were disappointed and ended up at the Terrace. A pint of Strongbow and a smal bag of popcorn later, and we met up with Megan and some of her friends. One of them is about to go to Costa Rica, on the same trip Katie E. is taking. I'm really going to miss her (Katie E).

We decided after slightly more than an hour and a half that having been poorly nourished by the small bag of popcorn I consumed and Liz and Beth having had nothing to eat, that McDonalds would be a delicious decision. Nugs it was! It was very nice of the tallest man working there to offer Liz and I a free vanilla shake and a carmel sundae. We were grateful, and Beth was not disappointed, having herself ordered a sundae. Overall, the night was wonderful, but would have been made better by Ronnie having graced us with his presence (though driving from Milwaukee to come out for only but a short while is much more than I would expect, especially having given no previous notice).

ScribeFire

Okay so I'm a little nervous, but I'm finally using ScribeFire, which I downloaded quite a while ago so that my blog would be amazing. I guess I'll just continue as normal...

I'm feeling somewhat overwhelmed this week. I really shouldn't have gone home, but I did. I feel like Ronnie and I really needed to see each other, plus my mom was anxious to see me. This weekend is the start of Spring Break, so I guess I could have, and should have waited to go home. So it goes. Anyway, I have a huge research paper due (previously mentioned in an earlier post) and apparently the exam I thought was on Thursday got moved to tomorrow! Ah!

I also started receiving more information about the Athens trip! Katie and I will be roommates, which will be a relief. I don't mind rooming with someone random, but it's like a bonus getting to room with someone you know, and having shared a room with them before.

I'm still waiting for the official confirmation on Pylos. I don't know why I'm nervous about getting in, despite it being a first-come first-served program, but I am. I'm also nervous about coming up with the money for these trips. Without airfare I'm looking at about $8,000. Not to mention, I'll be paying rent in hopes that I'm able to come back in July and work for JSM (if there's work to be done). Fingers crossed!

Next year's housing situation is getting complicated [next year we are staying in the same apartment but two girls will be abroad in the fall and one might be gone in the spring]. For a brief time I considered moving in with Ashley, who lives next door and needs two more roommates, but I really can't afford $520/mo with just water included. With the plan I came up with for next year, I'll be paying $294/mo which is just fine with me, since I have to share a room. Trust me, next year might not be everything we hope it is since there were four of us last semester, three of us this semester, three and a sublettor next fall, and potentially five of us next spring, in a three bedroom apartment. We'll see...

My First Woot-Off

Well, today is the day I have been eagerly waiting for: my very first Woot-Off. I wanted very much to buy the Phillips Ipod Dock Speakers, alas my state was entered as "Alabama" rather than Wisconsin, so I missed out on that one. On the way to class I happened to miss out on headphones and a $5 HP webcam. Inevitably whenever I leave, an amazing new product that I could actually use goes up. Cait debated getting the $80 8gb IPod but missed out on it by the time she made up her mind. I really wanted the Digital Photo Frame for $50 but decided that I would do my best to hold out for a Bag of Crap. I have been patiently waiting for it. I can't really start my paper until another lame item shows up. So I will wait, hiding in the shadows until BOOM! I get what I want.

UPDATE: I managed to get a pair of Bluetooth headsets and an HP webcam. I got something else, too, but I can't say what it was since part of it is going to Liz when she gets back!

I am slightly depressed that Liz is not here to share this exciting event with me. On another note, Cait and I went out to Lake Mendota and took a picture with the giant Statue of Liberty.

I'm a creep

Today, rather than beginning my reading for cultural anthro (Anthro 300) I ended up spending about an hour creeping on facebook. Why? I'm really not sure. All I know is that the semester is just beginning and I already feel busy. Last week I worked 26 hours. I also worked out for at least 7 hours last week. I've been really good about going to the shell every morning, except for one time last week. But, to make up for it, I ended up going to the SERF later and working out an hour before I went to Late Night Yoga with Cait. It's also nice knowing that I've inspired Cait and Beth to come work out! I even bought cute stretchy pants at Old Navy.

Because I like lists, and I just bought four new movies, here is a list of all the movies I own, color-coded by how I acquired each:

Amazon.com Gift 5.99 DVD Store on State
Target Blockbuster Wal-mart

• 1408
• 50 First Dates
• Alexander
• Along Came Polly
• Amityville Horror
• Anchorman
• Big Daddy
• Brother Bear
• Count of Monte Cristo
• The Day After Tomorrow
• Dirty Dancing Havana Nights
  
• Finding Nemo
• The Green Mile
• Gladiator
• Kingdom of Heaven
• Knocked Up
• Lord of the Rings (1-3)
  
• Mamma Mia!
• Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl
• Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest
• Planet of the Apes
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre
• There's Something About Mary
• Troy

That was exciting. Anyway, for anyone who caught my name on the news or through online articles, yes, I was at the Monster Truck show here in Madison and yes, I did see that man get run over. It was awful to see and I'm going to leave it at that. I don't think I'll ever forget what I saw, or the reaction of the crowd and driver.

On a happier note, I've now visited Sonic three times successfully. I say successfully because of almost all of the times I've attempted to go there, there has been such a long line that it's almost not even worth it. Yeah, I said it. Though delicious, it is not worth it to be in line for more than 20 minutes for Sonic.

We hosted a fondue party last night for Liz's going away to Costa Rica complete with a homemade fondue recipe invented by Liz! She made a chocolaty peanut butter fondue in which we dipped angel food cake, pretzels, strawberries, oranges, apples, and marshmallows. Yummy! It was the four of us roommates plus Katie, Amy, April, Steph, Mitchy, Josh, Alex, Trent, Ashley, Dani, and Bri. I'm really going to miss her - she is amazing. Who else is going to enjoy FailBlog with me? Honestly though, we've gotten a lot closer this year and it's too bad that we might not see each other until August. Why August? I finally got my acceptance letter to Greece! That means I'll be in Athens, and possibly at a field school afterward, from late May until July or August. We'd end up missing each other by only a day or two.

My room is an absolute mess. If I had to pick an adjective to describe it, I would say that it's awful. The excuse I make is that the time I spend cleaning my room could be better spent working out. Though often I find that I work out best in the morning and end up not cleaning my room anyway.

I think that's it for now. I really should get around to studying since I have an Italian exam this week (thank goodness I'm taking it pass/fail) and I have a bunch of anthro reading to catch up on.

A wonderfully unexpected change of plans

So it turns out that next year Katie E is going to be living with us! I really miss seeing her and since she is going to be rooming with Liz next year, I'll get to see her every day of the week! Plus, that means we'll also get to see more of Wyatt and Finny.

I think I've decided to try my best to pursue a career in underwater archaeology. Hopefully I will get into a field school - I was really excited about the one in the Agora (in Athens) but it sounds really hard to get into. Now that I'm thinking about doing underwater archaeology, it would be nice to find an opportunity that would involve diving. Here are two other fieldschools I am looking at:

Greece - University of Montreal
Pylos -University of Missouri - St. Louis

I am really frustrated with Ronnie right now. If he doesn't want to call me back or talk to me that's fine: I can take a hint.

Encounters of the Random Kind

I love it when I run into random people. Here's a list of everyone I ran into and how. God this is so much better than writing for the Herald. haha.

Around 1:30 pm: Left the Brothel with Liz who had Psi Chi induction. We both looked hott.

Around 2 pm: I met with Exec Board in the Beefeater's room. So, it wasn't random, but whatev. I saw Maggie, Loryn, Liz P, Justin, Maggie, Kelsi, and Megan. Good times.

Around 2:45 pm: I ran into Hilary and Rene as I walked down the street in a very short dress without shoes. Look at this guy with shoes! Fuck shoes!

Around 2:47 pm: Saw Raj. Sort of. I thought it was him, but didn't know for sure so I continued to walk past him until he said hi. We talked about APO. It was nice. I was still not wearing shoes.

Around 2:49 pm: Saw Carly biking by. Said hi, and managed to step into mud, shoeless.

Around 2:54 pm: Saw Liz walking home. Very nice. We walked home together so I didn't have to get my key out. Amazing.

Around 5:56 pm: Went over to Lauren's to work on MHR. While there, Amanda came over. She is Dana's roommate and I went to high school with her. Highly random.

Around 6:43 pm: Tricked Beth into going to Wendy's. Delicious. Muahahah! Came back, watched Princess with April and Liz (see below).

What a nice day.