Goals for the rest of this semester

-Hike Old Rag
-Eat at every downtown restaurant that I haven't been to, as well as Taste of Thai, Ham's, and Smokin' Pig before I graduate. Also try Kline's Mint Chocolate Chip.
-Go to Reddish Knob for both sunset AND sunrise.
-Ride the drunk bus again
-Have a Harrisonburg/JMU photo shoot at all the landmarks...preferably late at night...over the weekend...if you catch my drift.
-Visit Midgetville
-Visit Mennonite land
-Have the most memorable Spring Break ever. Full of rail drinks, sun, and going out. And ridiculous.
-Find my recital dress(es)
-Iron out summer plans. Aka when I'm moving to NYC and where I'm moving to.
-Turn in my graduation application
-Spend as little money as possible
-Have a heart to heart with someone new
-Upload as many CDs as possible from the Mus Lib onto my computer
-Have a grand exit from the Mus lib
-Leave in good spirits, but not tied to this place and ready for what's next (because I have a feeling that what's next is better)

Mission Statement

Prepare yourself--this isn't my typical cynical banter, so if you're not looking for an inspirational post today, head on back to Facebook.

I'm taking a leadership class this semester and one of the assignments we have due today is our own personal mission statement. It can be in any form you want, it can say basically whatever you want it to, it just needs to express how you want to live your life. Ever since Mrs. Smith died I've been big into acrostics, probably because she was, so I figured that was a great way to get my message across.

So here's what I came up with. I need to remember and live it everyday--that's much easier said than done. And I challenge you to create one for yourself.

Seek forgiveness
Happiness is never overrated
Ask for help
Need grace
No problem is too big
Open yourself
No one can do it for you

Nothing compares to the importance of love—in all forms
Ignore negativity
Consider other perspectives
Others may hurt you, but they also will help you
Listen more
Explore who you are—challenge it

Kindness is quintessential to success
Implore others to be better versions of themselves
Never give up
Give
Energize others
Teach through action
Talk about it

SWEEEEEET FREEDOM

I mean you wouldn't necessarily know it based on the time I'm posting this blog, but I have enjoyed and evening of literally nothing. For the first time in WEEKS. I have been sitting in bed on my computer (aka ignoring the disaster that is my room and homework) watching Food Network for hours. Perfection. So updates on my life...

-I'm not poor anymore. In fact I'm very far from it...but I'm pretending like that is not the case. Otherwise I will be poor again very soon.
-I have basically stopped doing work. I have been blaming this on Oklahoma. I will have to find some new excuse starting, well, now. I guess I can start blaming Nine on Monday. In actuality, it is SEVERE Senioritis.
-To my own detriment this is seeping into job/internship applications. I have one due Monday. I have two essays and a resume to write. ...maybe I should get on that.
-I am obsessed with this website called Sporcle. It's pointless quizzes. No seriously, I'm obsessed
-That's all.

Already bored of this...standard. See you in two months blog.

Utizzle

Hello mes amis! I'm writing from Utah, aka, the Beehive State (I know, what the EFF?! I had to look it up on Wikipedia)! Quick update on life:

-My sweet concert that probably would have been attended by 1000 people, I kid you not...got snowed out. For Saturday AND Sunday. I will now detest snow for the rest of my life and will take a blow torch to the roads should it prevent me from doing anything I want again.
-Christmas at the Kingetts was a good time as always. It involved a Turducken.
-I am now obsessed with Julia Child's cookbook. I blame this 100% on Ashley Bacon. I went to visit her before Christmas and we watched Julie/Julia, that movie about the woman who blogs about Julia Child. And it involves SO much cooking...aka I am obsessed. Because I am obsessed with cooking. So when I got home I realized that madre OWNS the cookbook they talk about in the movie...so now my new thing I cannot wait to do is cook from it. Beef Bourguignon in particular. Potentially going to cook that out here. Actuall I'll (hopefully) be doing lots of cooking out here. Mrs. Snyder told Dan she'll buy whatever ingredients I want so long as she doesn't have to cook. I KNOW. So on the menu for Utah are: Shrimp Alfredo (her request for her bday which is Jan 2), Baked Chicken and Vodka Sauce (Dan's request), Homemade Sauce and Meatballs, and then, if we have time, next on the list is Beef Bourg. and Trailer Trash Chicken (sounds gross, tastes AMAZING).
-I now want to start cooking more advanced things. This is a problem due to my poorness. Let's PRAY I get that job (I'll find out hopefully Friday).
-I watched the entire Lord of the Rings Saga, EXTENDED versions. My coolness just dropped like twenty points, but whatever.
-Other significant stuff probably happened too. But I'm starting to get distracted.

My goals for my trip to Mormon Mecca are seriously start hammering down some internships for May and beyond (which so far so good, I've emailed a whole bunch of people and I have one company I REALLY want to intern for), write my program notes (so far NOT so good, should probably get on that), see Kim and Lydia, learning my Oklahoma lines (YIKES NEED TO DO THAT), and securing a job for next semester (I'm SO close. Please let this work out).

That being said, I'm going to go shower, eat, and start working on Ok! lines. And maybe wake up Dan soon?

CHRISTMAS POST OMGZ

So I was just re-reading my posts from this summer...SUCH A SAD DAY. They're so boring! Indicative of my job I suppose. At least writing them got me through the day. Looking back I have no idea how I even survived. No...seriously.

Christmas Break is the best idea ever. Especially when JMU gives us four weeks off instead of three like they used to. As a random side note, everyone reading this (aka no one) say a prayer that I get hired by the people who I interviewed with last week, because I'm really really poor.

Anyway, Christmas Break. I've literally done nothing but sleep, eat chips, and work out. Tight. Unfortunately that all comes to end basically starting now until Mondayish, because the concert that I have been planning for over 6 months is finally coming into fruition. Noice. I think it will be good. I'm praying it will be good. No matter what, party time immediately following.

Speaking of party time, I'm going out for the first time all break tomorrow and I really need to start incorporating my newest catchphrase obsession into my vernacular--"Sorry for partying!" (thanks Joe). Dan's been saying it all the time and I really need to. I hope that tomorrow night that I remember to say it. It's the greatest excuse ever. "Oh I ran over your dog? Sorry for partying!"

Ok finally tired. Yes tina. Sleep now. Cleaning out Sarah's old house tomorrow (should be quite the emotional journey..........wooooooooooooooooooooo) and then reuniting with my love of loves (Nicole/Nala/Waldorf). And then hanging out with a lot of gay boys...aka standard.

Excel for Dummies

Highlights of the day:
"Vouz j'aider" (I had to pay close attention to catch this one)
Mexican Accent (multiple times)
Sang the alphabet while selecting columns
"Do me a fav" (he'd fit in so well at JMU)
He pronounces "formula" like "formala"
"Position your cell in B18...BINGO! Hyuck hyuck hyuck!" (no, he actually made that sound)
"I looooooove to back up to my formula bar to check my work, keeps me honest."

ALSO: The kid who sits behind me talks like Tracy Jordan from 30 Rock.

Apparently he needs a quote list too:
Teacher was talking about how this room after lunch is condusive to naps, because it's warm and you're full, and Tracy goes "I have the itis". YES TINA.
Teacher: (talking about an imaginary situation for our spreadsheet) 'But it turns out, Nancy's sales reports were not 1896, they were 2019! So let's go in and change that, and see what happens to our formula."
Tracy: Wow...you can go to JAIL fo' that!

Speaking of Tracy Jordan, I watched the FUNNIEST episode of 30 Rock today at lunch. I've watched all of Season 1, but I think I was halfway passed out the first time I watched this episode because I only remember the beginning and the end. It's the episode when Jack is obsessed with Liz's new bf Floyd. But that's not what makes this episode HILARIOUS. Meanwhile, Tracy has learned that he's related to Thomas Jefferson, so he feels compelled to make a Thomas Jefferson movie. So he goes to Don Geiss asking for money, but Don Geiss says no because he can't visualize the preview for the movie. So Tracy, Grizz, Dot Com, and Kenneth make a preview...AND IT'S HILARIOUS. Tracy plays Thomas Jefferson, King George (both in white face), and the woman TJ gets with, Dot Com and Grizz are slaves (with a bluetooth), and Kenneth is a patriot soldier. I thought I was going to pee myself trying not to actually laugh out loud. That show is so insanely funny.

Excel Class

So the other intern in my department and I got so bored last week that we signed up for a Basic Excel class today (which I don't even need because I'm actually really good at excel but I'm that bored). I expected it to only be slightly stimulating (I was right). BUT what I did not account for was our instructor, who may or may not be a cartoon character. He's a 40 year old gay man who is excessively sweating, really nice, and full of catchphrases I've never heard a really person use before.

It kind of reminds me of that Gmail tutorial I made for Dan. Because so far today, he's said the following expressions to the class:
"Just click enter, and bada bing, bada boom, you're done!"
"This icon is just a quick and dirty way of printing."
"KAZOOEE! You made the box yellow!"

I will OBVIOUSLY be updating more as the day goes on, because I'm in this class until THREE. I may be bored, but I will be acquiring a wealth of catchphrases to put into practice once school begins.

KAZOOEE! Time to get back to work!