kell

Wow, what a summer. After I get back from work tonight (and before I leave for my long diving weekend in Key West!) I'll post something substantial.

Would anyone be interested in going to Bonnaroo with me? Roadtrip to Tennessee for an amazing 4-day music and arts festival? I realllly want to go

Time for a half-hearted update!

1. Famous Dave's - After firing four people, three of them bartenders, I picked up some shifts at the bar. Now I serve tables 0 times a week and tend bar 4-5 times a week. This could potentially be a better way to make more money depending on whether or not the higher powers give me a section in the dining room. Tonight I tended bar with Mike, my manager's boyfriend from another store, and we did pretty well. Also, because she thinks he's the best bartender ever, she gave the saturday night bar it's section in the dining room back! As a result, we made 200% more than we usually make. I worked a wednesday shift and left with $160, a slow friday and made $150, and another $100 for approximately 4 hours of work tonight. I can't complain. The only problem is time management- I need more time to study, but I need money to live in my apartment, so balancing the time spent at work with time I should have studied is a tough opportunity cost.

2. My apartment - Although my housemates are really cool girls, I can't wait to move into my room at baby prosper next semester. I'll actually have room for a desk, believe it or not! And other assorted furnitures! I can't wait. I live in the corner of a room right now with one free-standing closet. And a shelf. I ran out of room for my stuff, and I didn't even bring much from home. Oh well, next semester will be better. I can actually live in more than a space bigger than my bed!

I actually forgot everything I wanted to say/update, so once I remember I'll edit the post.

I need to make an update, but I really don't have the energy to write out a coherent entry. I'll just casually put this out there: I rode a bus for 2.5 hours today and went a total distance of one mile before I decided to walk home during the ice storm. Missed my fitness classes and lost out on some serious study time. Didn't make me very happy. Also, I got iced in the face for 20 minutes walking down George Street.

I need to rant on how Valentine's Day is becoming increasingly worse each year, but I'll save that until I give this year a last chance

EDIT: Valentine's day is becoming exponentially worse each year.

i like boys that like their mothers
and i have a thing for brothers
but they always wait 'til we're under the covers
to say I'm sure glad we're not lovers

you're so nice and you're so smart
you're such a good friend i have to break your heart
tell you that i love you then I'll tear your world apart
just pretend i didn't tear your world apart

I've got about 5 hours of homework to do, so since I'll be awake anyway, I figured I'd post.

I'm at a terrible crossroads and I need to do something out of my comfort zone soon. I'm definitely not excited for it.

In other news, I woke up in an extremely good mood this morning. The weather supplemented my good mood, and I have a relatively awesome day at work. I basically did no work and made 116. Go Giants!

Classes resume tomorrow. Gotta remember to go to work and request off for the weekend of the 20th, I have Philmun. Also, I think I might go to GTown for my birthday and throw a party at my apartment the following weekend, so you're all invited.

Come with me
My love
To the sea
The sea of love

I wanna tell you
How much
I love you


Gotta love Juno. It all makes so much sense.

So my econ class and bio class are in the same room in Hickman, twenty minutes apart. My econ prof likes to end class twenty minute early, which gives me a large amount of time to get things done, but not enough time to wander around campus in search of food (for non RU students, Hickman is on douglass, not college ave.) I have two viable solutions. 1: bring my math textbook and get some studying done. 2: surf online (and do things like post on here) on my iPod, since I'm way too overprotective of my precious Natalie (my laptop). Since I forgot my math textbook, I've already chosen today's means of wasting time. However, if anyone else has some good ideas, let me know; sitting in this room from 2:15 until 5:15 is nowhere near as fun as it sounds.

My dad was in the ER for a possible herniated disk in his back, but we won't know for sure until the MRI comes back. I'm worried. Also, my great uncle passed away on Tuesday, and I wish I could make it to the funeral, but considering he lives in England a d school just started it's not really viable. Consequently, I feel like a terrible human being. I missed my grandfathers funeral in 1997 and now I'm missing my grandfathers brother's funeral.

Class is starting (thank god.) Bye.

So I'm moving out in an hour.

So i'm posting from my iPod touch :) gotta love technology!

Ok I'm sorry Elvis, but this is the best Christmas song ever.

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch.
You really are a heel.
You're as cuddly as a cactus,
You're as charming as an eel.
Mr. Grinch.

You're a bad banana
With a greasy black peel.

You're a monster, Mr. Grinch.
Your heart's an empty hole.
Your brain is full of spiders,
You've got garlic in your soul.
Mr. Grinch.

I wouldn't touch you, with a
thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole.

You're a vile one, Mr. Grinch.
You have termites in your smile.
You have all the tender sweetness
Of a seasick crocodile.
Mr. Grinch.

Given the choice between the two of you
I'd take the seasick crocodile.

You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch.
You're a nasty, wasty skunk.
Your heart is full of unwashed socks
Your soul is full of gunk.
Mr. Grinch.

The three words that best describe you,
are, and I quote: "Stink. Stank. Stunk."

You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch.
You're the king of sinful sots.
Your heart's a dead tomato splotch
With moldy purple spots,
Mr. Grinch.

Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing
with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable
rubbish imaginable,
Mangled up in tangled up knots.

You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch.
With a nauseous super-naus.
You're a crooked jerky jockey
And you drive a crooked horse.
Mr. Grinch.

You're a three decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich
With arsenic sauce!

It's only been 3 days at Macy's and I'm already feeling exhausted. Friday I worked 8-2 at Macy's, 5-11 at Dave's. Tonight (Saturday night) I worked 8-2 at Macy's and 5-12 at Dave's. Tomorrow is 3-11 at Dave's. I have two finals on Monday and my last final on Tuesday. I've forgotten what a good night's sleep is like, and my physical fatigue levels are getting ridiculous. I don't even want to tap into the bottle of wine I just opened, and I LOVE white zinfandel.

I need to knit a scarf for my grandmother and wrap Christmas presents, but I'm just too tired. Maybe I'll wake up early and do everything that needs to be done in the morning.

Doubtful.

Also, LJ wanted to change the word "zinfandel" into infanticide, which is really intelligent if you think about it. Subliminal messaging?

I successfully survived my first day at Macy's. I was wearing the wrong shoes for my job though, which did a nasty little number on my pinky toe and the arch of my foot. I got there at 8 this morning and went to HR to try to find out exactly what my job was. I was told to go down to Juniors. I got to juniors and nobody else was there, so like an idiot I sat there looking lost. Eventually people started showing up but I still wasn't given a real job, so I re-folded all the jeans. When the floor manager came down she told me what I'd be doing most of the time (retrieving clothes from the stock room and restocking, fixing up racks, reorganizing things every once in a while to keep it looking fresh), and for the rest of the day I did just that. Climbing ladders was hard in my A-line skirt and high heels, and I almost died once, and I definitely got a charlie horse in the stock room when I attempted the ladder with no shoes on. I learned.

Tomorrow is a pretty long day, Macy's 8-2 (maybe longer, depends on my manager), Famous Dave's 5-(I'm guessing)10, assuming the shift I picked up isn't a closing, in which case I'd be there until 12. I was scheduled to work at Dave's at 11, but since that caused an obvious scheduling conflict I switched with a girl working a night shift.

I've got a lot of baking and knitting to do, just thought I should put it out there.

Also, my mom's a great Ebay-er, so she's going to be selling my scarfs online for me. I'm donating half of all my profits to Oxfam America, so when I list a bunch of scarfs I'll let you know. The price range will probably be anywhere from 8-12 bucks, which seems expensive, but 1. it's charity, 2. they're homemade, and 3. it'll be cheaper than any scarf you find at the mall. So if you're a peace loving hippie like I am, you'll be kind and buy a scarf. Here's Oxfam's mission: click!

Significant things in my life:

- Start my first day at work at Macy's tomorrow (8am-2pm)
- First final tomorrow night at 5pm
- Moving out soon, feeling both nervous and excited, and will definitely miss the madre
- Became a CLA member of the Philmun staff
- Went to the city with Amanda, saw Sam from Top Chef season 2, had a great time
- Done FOREVER at TCNJ in 6 days
- Crap, just remembered I have a paper to write for Tuesday's final.
- Christmas is coming soon, much love and Christmas spirit!
- Rediscovered my love for classic rock
- Fell, hard.

I just got a second job for the holiday season at Macys. I'll basically be helping out by keeping the place clean (putting back clothes) and doing the register, which doesn't sound glamorous or fun, but it's money. Only getting paid 8.75 an hour, but I also get a $400 bonus for not skipping a shift. I told Kristen at work that I can only work Wednesday mornings, because most other mornings I'll be working at Macys, and then at night I can work at Dave's. She seemed fine with it, as she never puts me on any other mornings anyway.

So, yeah, double income this winter.

Also, I'm moving into my house on Easton January 1.

This'll be one groundbreaking winter!

I just went shopping for 9.5 straight hours. There are enough bags to fill up my front hallway, and I have pictures. More on all that later- first, I'm going out for a run.

------

After finishing off my bottle of White Zinfandel (mom had half of it anyway), I inventoried my purchases for the day. Here's what I got.

- Mitch Present (not revealing, just in case)
- Paige Present
- Emily Present

- Raging Bull DVD
- Dead Poets Society DVD
- Braveheart DVD
- Apocalypse Now! DVD
- Taxi Driver DVD
- Black Hawk Down DVD (gift)
- Heat DVD

- Heirloom Apple Wallflower Fragrance Diffuser
- Vanilla Bean Noel fragrance bulb refill pack

- Eagle Rugby Sweater
- Aerie Underwear (boy shorts!)

- Brown Gap Sweater
- Stripy Gap Rain boots

- Lucky Brand Tye-Dye shirt!!
- Lucky Brand Buddha incense burner with incense
- Lucky Brand Gold necklace, with a heart, feather, peace sign, cross, and symbol
- Lucky Brand Peace Sign Earrings
- Lucky Brand Beatles Special Limited Edition Gold Charm Bracelet (charms included are a pick, bobby hat, Sgt. Peppers lonely hearts club band pendant, Yellow submarine pendant, Drum set, tambourine, a blackbird, an apple?, an actual yellow submarine). It’s AMAZING.

- 2 Body by Victoria Bras, pink and dark brown
- Free black VS cotton panty!

- Express sequin purse for a night out
- 2 Express tank tops w/ built in bra
- 2 Express cotton tank tops
- Express black silk strapless top, for the Xmas Eve party (mega hot.)

So basically, I just spent two weeks of earning in a 9.5 hour shopping trip. It was totally worth it though. I also got offered a job working at Macy's for the holiday only, which I took, because having a second job is definitely necessary after having a shopping day like this, and with the impending rent that's due in a week.

So I got a room in a house on Easton Ave, #172, with a bunch of other girls that seem really sweet. I'm definitely excited. BUT: it's only for one semester, and I need a real apartment (to share with someone? Amanda?) for the summer/rest of my time at RU. So again, any leads would be fantastic.

So I may have bought this irresistably cute bundt cake pan, that has absolutely everything to do with my love for marine animals and scuba diving:



So if YOU want an octopus cake this christmas, tell me!!

I love how the octopus is my favorite marine animal, and I walk into William Sonoma and this is just sitting there, among the normal cake pans. How extremely random, and amazing!

After driving to Trenton to take my Spanish test, I picked up Amanda for some good 'ol shopping. First, we went to a rival Famous Dave's to get some wings and catfish, because we never eat enough at our own. ( Pictures and the rest of my ridiculous journey! Also, balls. I promise. )

Good times. Good times.

I've become very fond of different types on teas, lately. So much so that I bought my own little personal teapot that holds two full cups of tea and has an integrated strainer for tea leaves. I've been keeping my teapot busy. Right now I'm sipping a white tea with mandarin. Other teas I've tested today: Mango Green Tea from Teavana (very subtle mango flavoring, I would appreciate a little more, but excellent as far as green teas go. Caffeine free. Although you're not meant to put in a sweetener, it's very bitter and I was forced to add half a packet of sweet and lo.), White Ambrosia white tea (white tea leaves, coconut pieces, and vanilla. Very ambrosial, as the title suggests, and very smooth for a white tea. Highly recommended: Tea Forté. Absolutely no sweetening necessary, and if you did, it would probably ruin the flavors.), and "Get Gorgeous" Red Tea (a Be Well Red Tea courtesy of The Republic of Tea. You can definitely taste the orange as well as the Chamomile, and it's a good morning tea. Caffeine free.) As I try more and more teas, I'll recommend them to you. The next big tea purchase I buy will have another type of green, an oolong tea, and a black tea that isn't Earl Grey, as I've had so much earl grey in my life that I'm immune to how it really tastes.

I went to Georgetown for my "fall break" (I'm still clueless as to why it exists, but I won't complain.) and, after playing Halo 3 nonstop the entire weekend with my brother and his roommates, I came home and bought my own 360 and copy of Halo 3. It set me back a months rent, so consequently, it probably pushed back my moving out process a month. Assuming the winter is actually beneficial to Famous Dave's, as others claim it is, I'll make the money back in a weekend and a half so I'm not too worried about it. If you have any game suggestions (other than Gears of War which is next on my list, and the irresistible Beautiful Katamari [or Katamari Damacy 3] which I bought with Halo 3) let me know. I'm not fantastic with sports games and fighting games in the style of DOA or Mortal Kombat are my worst match. I love RPGs (Elder Scrolls IV will be bought soon as well) and anything of that nature. Also, is Viva Piñata a joke? It looks irresistibly cute and I'm tempted.

Before I left I cleaned my entire room and did my laundry, and so far, I've been keeping up with being neat. Am I sick, or am I growing up? I think I'm ready to move out, mainly for reasons I can't discuss.

Upon further speculation, I think I'm going to get hurt soon. We'll see.

Interesting day, to say the least.

After returning home from class this morning I received an email saying I had a 2pm appointment with the dean of culture and society concerning an e-mail that falsely canceled class a month ago:

Dear Kelli,

I am writing to set up a meeting with you, informally, to discuss an incident that occurred in class this fall. I will need to speak with you in my office as soon as we can conveniently set up a meeting.

At the meeting I will outline the incident and discuss it with you.
Please understand that I do need to see that we meet to review the situation.

I will expect you to phone my assistant, Diane, or communicate by e-mail with her.

I will appreciate your prompt attention.

Cordially,

Dean, School of Culture & Society

So I went in to the 2pm appointment her assistant set up for me. Apparently, she'd only asked to speak to about 3 students because she had already ruled out the other students in the class. She asked me if I knew how the school sets up the e-mail addresses, if I noticed anything strange about the e-mail in question, those sorts of questions. She kept repeating 'I'm going to be more lenient than the police for the students I'm questioning if he or she comes out and admits to the identity theft.' Basically, I was accused of the whole incident. I left, promptly called my mom and bitched for 10 minutes about how outrageous the whole thing was, and then drove to Flemington. The e-mail was sent out to everyone's last name with a 2 after it (so mine was beard2@tcnj.edu, which coincidentally is my actual e-mail address, explaining why I got the e-mail but apparently most of the class didn't.), so she assumes someone who's e-mail is like mine with a 2 after their last name did the deed. I'm not happy about this, and it only further illustrates my hatred for the TCNJ administration. Sure, I understand the logic in your investigation, but go straight to the police so the IP address can be traced and you can avoid falsely accusing innocent people like me.

Being incredibly angry, I drove to the Staples in Flemington. Don't laugh too much, but I have a deep love for notebooks, journals, pens, and other similar types of office supplies. Shopping for said items calms me down. I bought myself a new journal and two boxes of my favorite pens, then splurged on a hamburger happy meal. The guy who gave me the happy meal halfway leaned out of the drive through window, smiled with probably half his teeth, and said "that's for you? How cute" with the sketchiest smile I've ever seen (And I had the dishwasher at work tell me he wants my babies, and still, not as sketchy.) Made me laugh.

I went back to campus, got the absolute best spot in the parking garage (first floor, RIGHT next to the exit to get to the student center), downloaded and read the article for anthropology, and went to class. I got out 30 minutes early, enjoyed my night's TV shows, and typed this up.

I'm going to DC tomorrow night until Tuesday night, so I need to get packing for that. I've got a doctor's appointment at 9:30, work from 11-(i hope)2:30, 30 Days of Night with Steffan and Cyren after work, and then I'm catching an NJ transit to Newark at 5:30, meeting up with my dad, and driving down to Georgetown. It'll be a long day, but definitely worth it tomorrow night when I'm parked on Mitch's futon playing Halo 3 with some old friends.

I'm in a cleaning mood, I need to do laundry and pack for the long weekend, watch some movies, make some herbal tea, relax, break open my new journal, and go to sleep.

Hasta martes.

I'd just like to say that the only tangible thing I've learned so far in my biology class is that you have a 1 in 5 million chance of being killed by fallen space debris.

My life is pretty much insane right now; here's whats up:

1. I'm moving. My mom told me a week or so ago that she's selling the house in the spring and moving to Pennsylvania with her boyfriend, and that I need to find an apartment. Assuming I get into Rutgers for Marine Biology, I should logically look for an apartment in NB. If you have any information about one (and it's not for a semester, it's an actual apartment I'd be living in full time, seeing as how my mom's shipping off to Pennsylvania) let me know. I told my mom I'm looking in NB, and she starts on about how it's not safe, and I should live in Somerville with a roommate and commute to Rutgers. Oh, mother. You can't kick me out and then tell me I can't live near my school, it doesn't work that way. The prospect of losing my house is a little unnerving (but it's happened before so I know I can handle it! It's sad I'm this jaded.) and even more so since I'll be living on my own without my mom there in case I fall, but I need to grow up sometime. This thought leads me to my next case: I really haven't grown up normally. I mean I go from divorce (which is normal) to crazy mom/sister to moving into her (ex-)boyfriend's house and back, going to Maryland and back for the money, then commuting two semesters to a school that hates me. And now I'm being left in an apartment in NB because my mom's moving to Pennsylvania. Anyone who has known me for 3+ years can testify to the craziness of my life. So yeah, moving out into the world. Let me know if you've got apartment info. I'll be living there year round.

2. I work way too much to enjoy my free time. In order to save up money to rent out an apartment, I've been pulling every free shift that doesn't coincide with school. This weekend I'm working a double shift on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Read: masochistic. Hopefully business will pick up so I make decent money, otherwise I'll be really pissed for working so much with no gain. Tonight's really my only night off until next Thursday. All I've done is watch The Office premiere and try to get people to go out, but since it's Thursday, it's difficult. I think Ed, a friend of mine who left work in early July for the police academy, is stopping by tonight to say hi, and since I haven't seen him since he left work I'm excited for it. Even if it is for like 10 minutes.

3. I'm kind of involved with this guy right now, except not really. In Spanish I came up with "casi novio". Hopefully he'll get over this weird commitment thing he's got going on and make things for real, but for now, we're just kind of together without any real acknowledgment of the fact. It's hella weird, but at the same time, it's keeping things interesting and it's got me on the edge of my seat. I just don't want to get crushed, again. Things need to start working my way, I'm pretty sure I deserve that by now.

4. Old friends are coming back into my life, new friends are fading away or manually pushing themselves away, and my future is so uncertain it's starting to bother me. I need something concrete. A boy, a plan, even a night where I know what's going to happen. Anything would be good. Muse has it best:

Hold you in my arms
I just wanted to hold you in my arms

Far away
The ship has taken me far away
Far away from the memories
Of the people who care if I live or die

I'll never let you go
If you promise not to fade away
Never fade away

So, on that note, either friends stop fading away, boys start being concrete, or life start treating me better. I'm an optimistic person, but even optimists need more than blind cheerfulness to stay optimists.