Trick or TREAT!

How I felt getting up this morning:

How I feel about waiting for classes to be done this week:

How I feel about the upcoming Halloween celebrations:

Awwww yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So a few tips for you this Halloween weekend (which starts tonight if you're anywhere near a college campus of any sort. Yep, even a CoCo.)

If you're participating:

• Make sure your costume has some sorta pockets/matching purse. You will not want to hold onto your phone while acting out ghostbusters in your Superman cape.
• Buddy system! No one wants to be that lonely Cinderella on the street. She normally gets mugged by Gumby.
• Smart shoes. I KNOW those four-inch red heels go with your Jessica Rabbit outfit, but there's no way in hell you can do the cha-cha in those all night long, honey.
• Don't give him your number until you've seen under his mask!! Honestly, a Zorro one night may be a Joker in the morning.

If you're not participating:

• Don't call your children. They're participating.
• Oh, you don't have a kid? GET SOME PLASTIC FANGS AND GO OUTSIDE.

Happy Halloween!

Curl Gurl, out!

Over-The-Hump Day

Today is one of those days that I don't think a lot of people appreciate. 

It's rainy and bit dreary if you don't look at it right, but to me it's simply beautiful. If I had one true love, it would be the season of fall. You see, the trees of my backyard are primarily yellow right now (with a few brush strokes of burt orange and maroon). It rained softly last night, so there are hundreds of leaves that have been knocked from their branches covering the back path I take to the bus each morning. So it's like a Pocahontas version of the yellow brick road- very fairy tale and I love it.

...I may have been caught kicking them around like a kid by one of my neighbors.

Things that one must do on a rainy fall day:

1. Order a chai tea latte with vanilla flavoring
2. Hide out in a library
3. ...homework, since we can't really avoid that
4. Wear a comfy sweatshirt
5. Get cozy after the day is done with a buddy and have a jam/chat session

That's all today :)

Curl Gurl, out!

Back to the Working Week

No, I'm not drunk.

But I think my need for sleep is creating quite the similar effect.

I did have a teacher once that was like this during my senior year in high school. She was (is) unmistakably brilliant, but Mondays were rather easy days in our class because she wasn't able to teach first period thanks to a hangover, and she had to keep us on the same schedule as them. It was a win for sure.

What was her key to getting through the day with such a headache? You must but look at the title of this whole blog, my dear.

My roomies and I had a pretty busy weekend, but it was full of awesome so busy was good this time! There were home-cooked dinners, fondue gatherings, roller coasters, and theater. Brilliant. It would have been hard to calculate a higher average of awesome for a weekend, ending in a casual Sunday night homework session with the left over fondue.

But Monday morning always comes, and it's coming too early these days. I'm like a bird- "it's dark, must be sleep time." But Fall is coming around, so 6 and 6:30 happen before the sun has rubbed it's eyes and peered over our sleepy mountains. I love Fall for many reasons, but the light change is not really one of them. However, they do include:

• Pumpkin latte back at Starbucks
• Kuerig puts out its Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice cups
• Thanksgiving Break
• The cool air that is total cuddle weather (gotta find me a cuddler though...)
• Leaves changing
• Pecan pies made with my Nana's fresh-picked pecans
• Coffee is no longer just a morning drink, but something that can be consumed all day long "for warmth"

So as you journey into a new season-changing week, take a moment to thank God for the new pretty colors on the earth... and science: 

Curl Gurl, out!

Garfield's Enemy

Monday appears to have survived another weekend, unfortunately. Honestly, you'd think one of these days it would just die out.
It's been a typical Monday for me. Strange things always seem to go wrong on Mondays. For example- I decided to cut through the mulch to get to the next building and a piece of it jutted straight through my cute sandals and into my toe. Do normal people have these problems? A piece of mulch, really? It was stuck in there so bad I couldn't pull it out and had to get a large male friend of mine to wrestle it out with a pen so I could continue walking to class! Monday's got some fight in her, I tell ya.

But I shouldn't complain too much, as a friend of mine has just sent a link for something AMAZING that I'll share with you: Chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes.
Was your mind just blown? Yeah, I thought so.
Click here for awesome deliciousness
We're going to be trying cake mix instead of making that part from scratch, to add to the laziness of it all. I'll let you know how it goes!

I'm going to share something else with you. It was an assignment from one of my cinema professors. She had us write a paper on what from our past we thought influenced us to be the creative mind that we are today. Now, it took me a second because I don't consider everything that I do to really be creative, but a lot of everyday life takes creativity. Just as a Monday-meditation, take a deep breath away from your hectic schedule to dwell on what childhood habit makes you pick your bedroom colors this way, or tells you to make jokes that way. Perhaps it's the way you decorate your journal or how you scrapbook your prom pictures. In whatever art form you participate in, allow your mind to wonder until it finds the source of that inspiration so today you can fully appreciate those childhood moments.

...then go make cookie-dough-filled cupcakes.

Curl Gurl, out!

No TEAsing!

Well, I'd been doing okay for a while, but today I have a cold. That kind of "gross, I wish that kid was sniffling here next to me" cold. The elephant-nose cold, sounds included. I feel terrible for the people in my classes.

So, I had to go over to the dark side: Tea. My coffee-bean-brain is so confused right now. But a cold calls for tea. It is terrible to be sitting so close to the counter where they call out the orders, though.

"White mocha for Ashlyn?"
"Iced latte for Chris!"
"Carmel machiato for Tina!"
"...Red tea for Curl Gurl?"
Ugh.

The thing is, I don't even like red tea. If I'm going to have tea, I want it either cold & brown with tons of sugar (I'm from the South- it's what we do) or yellow/green with tons of sugar. But that's not what I got today. Why?

Because I'm trying to trick my body into thinking we're at home from school and my mom is taking care of me. Sad? A little bit. But it just might work!

When I was younger, I didn't know too much about tea. Whenever I got sick, Mom would bring me a burn-your-tounge-hot cup of red tea with honey in it. I don't like red tea. I think it's evil and it dries my throat out. The smell gets me every time because I know what comes after it- the taste. However, I was being taken care of so I accepted the offered cup and drank it. After a few cups of these red devils, I felt better! Either red tea works, or my mother's honey was magic. Later I learned I could you know... ask for a different flavor of tea, something yummy like peppermint. However, my tongue, nose, and throat still remember those red, honeyed days lying on the couch and watching the same movie over and over again until I fell asleep. So I'll sip my red tea, hoping my body says: 

"HOLY CRAP, THAT RED STUFF IS BACK. Get well quickly so she won't feed us anymore! All T-cells on deck! Scrub those germs, disinfect those nasal passages- GO GO GO!"

Hope your days are less sniffly than mine!

Curl Gurl, out!

Weekend Woes

Allow me to describe this past weekend on campus with a picture I found:

No one on campus is as cool as PacMan, but you get the point.

The first actual weekend back on campus is always one of the craziest, competing with Halloween, the weekend before Christmas break, and the last weekend before Spring Finals. 

Everyone gets excited because now we're all actually home, we know what all of our classes are and there's not too much homework yet so the little bits of pre-semester-stress are gone. Indeed, this means it's time to celebrate! 

The most fun my friends and I have before noon is definitely Sunday brunch on campus. While it's yummy and cheap, it also provides an entertainment needed after a late night: the Dress Game. You sit somewhere near the middle of one of the dining halls, and watch for the girls in dresses. The game is to decide whether that dress is still from last night, or if they're on the way back from church this morning. You'd think that it'd be pretty easy, depending on the kind of dress- this is not so in all cases. Plus, everyone needs a little pick-me-up before we all head back to the pile of homework none of us have started, thus- the game. 

The game, accompanied by many cups 'o Joe, of course. 

Hope you enjoyed your weekend, and that you're Monday isn't too terrible,

Curl Gurl, out!

I Heart Tuesdays

Do you ever get the feeling that the universe is cheering you on?

No, seriously.
Today I did, and let me tell you- epic.
I didn't think it was going to be that great a day, but when my little Keurig coffee maker spat out my hot chocolate at just the right temperature, and I poured the exact amount of creamer in it first try, I knew there were good things ahead.

So off I go. After such an experience trying to park yesterday, I decided to chance the bus schedule with a little time to spare just in case. It's a bit of walk to the bus stop from our house, but the temperature was just this side of chilly- perfect for a morning stroll so as to arrive at school without sweat already forming.
There's a time stop, but that's okay, I can wait patiently. The next stop, however, has a cute little girl named Erin waiting there. YAY, a bus buddy! And off we went, glad for our perfect timing.

Drop her off, gotta make the long walk to my own building to wait a bit before my class starts. It again, is a bit of a walk, but that's alright. There was a perfect breeze, and as I was passing another building, an entering professor that I didn't know called out "Cool green glasses! Those are some nice shades!"
It was so random, but so sweet and small, I called out a confident thank you and continued on my way, where I found one of the nice girls from a previous class waiting for my class as well.
I mean, I was even rewarded for my time-organization with a reappearance of the hot guy from yesterday's class in today's 9 am. Niiiiice.

I mean, really, the universe was giving this Curl Gurl a round of applause for surviving yesterday, and a big WHOOP WHOOP for conquering today.
Maybe I'll go plant a tree or something to say thank you.

Curl Gurl, out!

Freshmeat

Alright, whether this is karma for running over a freshman or just my never-ending inexperience, it sure as hell is making for one difficult first day.

Started out alright, felt like a boss as I got into Duchess, my boat-sized Buick I recently inherited. But then I came upon the parking lot.
Yeah, no.
Apparently, if you're not there before 7:30 AM, you cannot park in any of the lots that are anywhere near where you need to be. Silly me for thinking I wouldn't have to park somewhere off in the boondocks, which is halfway back to where I live.
So, running out of time, I threw some quarters at a meter and sprinted (as casual looking as possible) up to my first class.
A class that only has 8 girls in it.
Taught by the woman who thinks I'm crazy because she found me pacing in the Theater building last year.
Good.

But things are slowly looking up, as I sprinted back out of class (again, as casual as possible) ripped out of the metered spot just as a cop pulled into the lot, and made my way along the rounds of lots. This led to a  long hike back up to the buildings I have all my classes in, but that's alright. I needed to work off a few calories anyway. This shirt looks better with a few sweat creases, right?
So here I sit, waiting for 3 hours for my next class (as I refuse to move my car again). It's a little bit better due to the yummy iced white mocha sitting next to me. I felt I deserved a little treat for not cursing out loud at any of the other student drivers, particularly that b*tch green explorer with the "Tri Delt for life!" sticker who took the spot I'd been waiting on for 10 minutes.
Maybe I'll get a second mocha.

I was recently provided with an even cooler map of drinkage (by Mr. Jat) than the previous one I have given you, which actually tells the composition of the different styles of awesome. Have fun making your own pick-me-up!

Enjoy!

Curl Gurl, out!

Silly Little Annie...

Annie, the red-haird orphan, was all about "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll love you tomoooorrooowww!!"

Well she can take her tomorrow and keep it ALL TO HERSELF, KTHANKSBYE.

...Is it obvious that I'm a little nervous about class starting?

I mean, it's not just the homework that makes me hesitate. Honestly, I've actually reverted to elementary-school-Curl-Gurl-self. I mean... what if they don't like me??

Starting a new major isn't usually that big a deal, however, Theater & Cinema departments are normally pretty tight knit, so I'm thinking it's gonna be similar to being the new kid at a school that specializes in something you've never done before. Which, you know, is exactly the situation. It's thrilling though, the thought that I'm beginning the journey to my life's career and everything that will come from that.

If you're not a T&C kid, I can already hear you judging, by the way. You're all "There are only two kinds of Theater kids: the weird ones and the sorority girls who want to be actresses."

...that's my fear as well.

But actually, I have met a few T&C kids before and they seem more normal than a lot of the Chem department, so I'm not too concerned about that issue. It's more of "Dear God, if I get lost, at least let me be the cute lost girl rather than the awkward one" kinda stuff. I guess it's just the normal pre-school nerves working there way back up from middle school, hoping that I fit in. Ugh, I feel like a freshman. Not cool.

Hopefully, I'll have some sort of saving knight near by just in case....

Happy New School Year!

Curl Gurl, out!

A New School Year

So, here we go!

There is only 1 more day until sophomore year starts and we all know what that means...

CAFFEINE.

Sweet, yummy liquid courage drug mornings. 

The questions is... what kind?

or really... in what order?

I'm now off campus, which is pretty rad. I'm living in a townhouse with a hall-mate, her brother, and one of her brother's friends, which is pretty schweet. I'm also a full cinema-scheduled gal, leaving the English behind for a while to figure out what it really is I want to do with the rest of my life. It's def different, but I think changes are needed. That's going to be the theme of this semester. You may think that all that was last year, because that's when everything started, but when you begin with a blank page of college experience, it's not really a change- it's just all NEW. Now we're all in different buildings, and yet have to find a way to continue to be the tight-knit group that kept us going through the hard nights and even harder exams. 

So we're just gonna grab another cup 'o joe (or tea, in Erin's case) and take on this brand new challenge. I can't wait!

Rainy Days and Sunny Side Ups

Hey there!

Miss me?

Let me tell you, summers in King George are just crazy wild. You never know what's going to happen, it's just... whoa. You turn the corner and BAM, major adventure.

This is, of course, a lie.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad my family has finally worked out a home base (we didn't always have a defined one) but living in the middle of nowhere can be a little rough.

Thankfully, I have been blessed with a job. I work in a little Indian family-owned restaurant, where the wife is a waitress with me, the husband is half cook, and the four year old is the (adorable) show! Being a curious cat, I've tried to learn everything from the wife, Puneeta, that I can. Not just about which way she wants the napkins folded, but her culture, the life she left in India, and how it feels to love someone enough to live their dream, the way she did her husband's.

But more on that later, because that will take an entire book -hint hint-

I've enjoyed being able to teach Puneeta a few tidbits as well from my culture. That's the Southern-American-College-Youth culture, in case you were unsure. One example being "chill" as something other than a temperature. It's also be interesting to hear "y'all" said with an Indian accent, or to watch how wide her eyes get when I tell her I've been allowed to date since I was 15, and that was old for many of my friends. 

I had a hard time teaching her one lesson, though. You see, in India, the daughter doesn't get too many choices. She's told where to be, how to be, and who to be with. Here, she answers to her father and mother-in-law, instead of the parents still back home. Her job is to run her man's castle, to be ready to jump when he states exactly how high. So, being me as you know me, I wanted her to know this as soon as possible:

But as I watched her tell her husband it would be better for the customer to do things her way, it seems she's had it in her all along.
I am woman, hear me rawr.


Curl Gurl, out!

Fin

Well, folks, you can tell these are the weeks of finals because I have been extremely absent from everything other than the library.

As the year winds down though, it's interesting to look back and see where things started.
I was scared to enter a world where I knew no one. I am still the only kid from my high school at this college, but it's been more of a privilege than a drawback. I thought this campus was so big and that I would have to run to every single class. There were too many building names to remember and the dining halls always got me mixed up.

Today, this campus is my home. I could walk its paths backwards and still make it to lecture on time.

There are two days left for me in my college freshman year. Two days IN to my college freshman year, I was still worried that I'd stumbled into an insane roommate and a hive of crazy people. Several months, a few fights, a romance or two, lots of essays, and many a wonderful night later, I've discovered I was right.

But I wouldn't change that for anything.

Curl Girl, out!

19 Candles

It's a girl!
Cake with a kitten on it
Cake with Superwoman on it
The first of the tweens
The first of the teens!
Sweet Sixteen
Legal, baby!
...even MORE legal, pass the shots!
Pushing 30
Over the hill
Under the hill.

Birthdays are crazy things. They've been on my mind because mine's coming up pretty soon, and I'm really excited! My family is a birthday kinda family. We may not throw the world's biggest party, but no matter where we are in the world- at some point in the day you will be reminded that we know what day it is and we care! So, birthday's have always been big to me.

But not everyone feels the way I do. Erin doesn't like recognizing her birthday too much because she thinks it's a permanent sign of her getting older. She's afraid she won't age well or that this time is just slipping through her fingers. Honestly, Erin? Not even my Nana has these worries!
Sara likes her birthdays, but is kinda anxious about them. Something has always gone wrong at or around her birthday, so she's always anticipating something rather than just allowing herself to enjoy her day.
Daphne, of course, is like me and TOTALLY PEPPY! It's a great day, the sun is shining!!!!

Which is how we all need to be. It's the only day of the year that we can rightfully claim as our very own and be a diva for a full 24 hours. Erin's right- there isn't enough time. However, I'd rather spend that time eating red velvet cake and dancing on tables than worrying about the wrinkles my age will one day bring. Sara's right too- bad things ARE coming, but they're not here right now, so what can you do about them?
Birth is beautiful. It's said that a newborn baby is God's way of saying that the world is to go on. It's new potential fed into a blanding world. Why not celebrate such an amazing occurrence? Why not throw caution to the wind and singing loudly (out of tune) to the smile blowing out the candles??

"Life's journey is not to arrive safely at the grave in a well preserved body but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting 'Holy shit... what a ride!'"

Here's to your birthdays!

Curl Girl, out!

Peter Cottontail

I'm going to ask you a question.
The answer to it will tell you everything about yourself that you or anyone else will ever need to know:

...Do you eat your chocolate bunny from the top or the bottom?

I hope you all had wonderful Easters and the Easter bunny was good to y'all! 

Unless you're a start-from-the-bottom person. Then you're just weird and I'm not sure you deserve whatever the bunny may have gifted you with...

Well, I went home for Easter. Erin came with me and it was the greatest! My oldest brother (we'll call him Jason, I suppose) came home too and we all just jazzed together. 

Sunshine + family + great friends + good food = awesome holiday

It was like a teaser for school being over and being able to sleep in my own bed, take showers without sandals on, and walk around in my pajamas.

Wait, I do that last one already...

What I'm trying to say is that the final countdown has begun! Kids of every age are ticking off the final days of school until we can run screaming from the classroom and throw a bonfire- our notes as kindle. But don't let these last few weeks drag you down. These are the times when it's hardest to make yourself work. It's near impossible to see the sunshine through my window and stay seated, memorizing biology notes, but here I am and you need to try to do the same! We'll trudge (what a great word) through this together and celebrate on the other end!

Curl Girl, out!

Curl-Rex

So as I walked up the stairs pretending to be a dinosaur (sounds included), I realized that it's probably going to be a long time before I find Mr. Perfect...

I got really lucky with my friends, secretly they're all just as weird as I am. Some of them are in fact a little weirder. We hide it well with our cute skirts, good grades, and normal habits. But Erin will rawr back at me when that's how I choose to communicate and Daphne will join in when I'm tripping over myself and laughing. Jay (our good-guy friend) will start a wrestling match in the hall, and Beth (Erin's roommate) will purr and nestle with you like a baby lion when she's napping. Even Sara will sit in the middle of our room and croak like a frog to get my attention.
Yeah, we're the coolest cats you'll ever meet.

But where is the guy that could put up with this?
Is there someone who's okay with most serious conversations ending in a tickle war?
Is there a guy that enjoys being embarrassed by his gal daily?
Most importantly- can he speak T-Rex?

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."

-Dr. Seuss

I'm not rushing it, though. Curl Girl's content here, I'm just kinda curious with Spring bringing out the couples and such. Of course, I must take faith in the fact that those boys (and girl for Jay) must be out there somewhere seeing as all of us are like this due to our weird wonderful parents... and they found each other, right?

See, even if I could be a little less me I don't think I would. My friends and I just have too much fun. It's not that I'm trying to say we're too confident to be pushed around by social standards. It's that I don't think "social standards" are what they're often portrayed as. People don't walk around straight and narrow. I would know, I'm on a college campus for goodness sake! It's not unusual to see a banana being chased by a gorilla or a few girls moonwalking to their dorm. Find me a 'normal' group of people and I'll show you the most bored people on Earth (and I know they're not on this campus). Everyone has their quirks! Some just are a little quieter about their's than others...
So while I wait I think I'll just croak back at my roomie and tackle Jay when he's not looking.

Curl Girl, out!

Gimmie Frogger!

So, it has come to my attention that I am old, and that is very sad.

Not old enough to act mature or anything, at least I hope not.

You see, there have been all these tour groups on the campus recently. Some of them are trying to convince the straggling seniors that this awesome place should be there home next year, and some of them are the high school juniors that are just starting their stressful journey of application season.
But what caught me was the group of younger middle schoolers that passed me. They were all trying not to look too excited as the crossed through our dorm area, but every time a skateboarder made the sidewalk clack or a frat boy jumped over them for a frisbee their heads turned as if on a swivel!

My school never took field trips to colleges so I asked Sara, who was with me, what this was all about. "Kids think we college kids are the shiz, don't you remember?"

Um... yes, I do remember. Was that not just yesterday? When did I actually become one of those old kids that walked around looking like they had a handle on what they would be doing for the rest of their lives? Did I really look like those kids I remember, with the strong voice, to-go box, and laptop?
As soon as it hit me I wanted to stop and reassure them. "No, don't worry! I still have no idea where I'll be in four years! I don't have a boyfriend that I'll be marrying! Heck- I haven't even planned dinner yet! Don't freak out- you have time!"

If I look around, I see all the things that I guess aren't anymore. Sailormoon isn't a regular show every morning. Those gell-balloon things aren't on the infomercials. Hello Kitty is RETRO (wtf??) and green ketchup is no longer a magical wonder.
When people tell me I'm part of a generation, I don't think about it much. But when I look down at those middle schoolers and wonder if they were heart-broken the day Looney Toons stopped playing every Saturday morning... I wonder.

And can someone find me the number of Peter Pan? I have a trip involving the second star to the right I think I want to arrange.

Curl Girl, out!

Snail Mail

My tongue feels weird from licking all those envelopes...
But at least I don't have this guy's job!

      If you can't tell, I've been doing a lot of letter writing today. I finally got some stamps (...from my mom) so now I can finally catch up on all those people I needed to answer. I know it sounds weird to hear from a freshman in college that I have a lot of letters to get to- but they've become one of the most precious things to me.
Writing is such an intimate thing. You're not only putting pen to paper, but also a tiny part of yourself to send along with the letter in that Beatles "and I'll send all my loving to you" kinda fashion! It wasn't like I wrote in love letters today- a birthday card, answering my Nana, and a fun letter to Erin's army boyfriend to keep him entertained. None of them were too special but are in a way because they were written. I once had an English teacher who said she was glad she hadn't been a writer because she wasn't sure she could be so naked in front of the world. That is what writing is though- offering a piece of yourself up for someone else to observe and even keep.

I had a friend from way back before I moved eleven years ago. Her name is Kay, and after I moved we continuously wrote to one another. Getting a letter from her was the best part of any day, and writing her came right after that. But we grew up and boys and sports teams became a little more important. Years went by and one day this year I found her on Facebook! I thought Kay and I would catch up and suddenly be as close as we once were. Technology would save us- I had my old bffl back! But a few messages and a chat session later, I haven't heard from her in months. We'd been so much closer in those young, misspelled letters than an email that reached across two ends of a coast.

So take some time today and write someone. It doesn't have to be anything from the deep caverns of your heart- just a hey (excuse = Easter card). It's fun! When you open your mailbox and it has a small little envelope in it with a cute little stamp, you'll be glad you did!

Curl Girl, out!

Procrastination

...is what I'm doing right now.

You see, I have writers block on this essay I'm supposed to be doing about authors that have affected American literature. But I just can't get what I want to say on paper, so I figured I could write to you wonderful readers and maybe that would inspire me!

This weekend has been rather relaxing. There hasn't been any drama, there were only a few hours when the sky wasn't blue, and it's just been a generally chill couple of days. Friday and yesterday, I didn't feel very productive, but yet I didn't feel lazy either. Maybe I didn't strike too many things off my to-do list, but when you're laughing and messing around with your friends- that to-do list slips to the back of your mind pretty easily.

It's going to be hard to do work with all this beautiful sunshine going on. It's time for my very favorite sub-season. It's those few weeks when Winter doesn't really want to let go, but Spring is coming full force! The afternoon is warm and breezy, but there's still a chill left on the morning, and a sweater needed at night. It's just right for playing frisbee until the sun starts to go down and you curl up in a blanket for a bon-fire. It's part of the reason April is my favorite month (being born during it does help too, though). The flower buds are still a bit shy on a lot of the flowers, but the cherry trees are bursts of color!

I urge you to keep to your desk! Get your work done so that you can go out and enjoy this awesome time!
I'm sitting at my desk with this unfinished essay in front of me, looking out my window as the sun prepares to depart and it's darn near impossible to stay with my computer when I'm itching to feel cool grass between my toes. I must remember that I did take that time yesterday. It's tempting to think that I wasted that time when I could have been working when now I'm stuck with the paper today. But "the time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." So I know I made the right choice- and must now put away my frisbee and pick up my notebook.

Perhaps if you're reading this, you too need a break from what you've been working on for a while. Take some time and go not-waste it! Wherever you are, whatever the weather- it IS a beautiful day- go conquer it!
...then send me some tips on American authors....

Curl Girl, out!

We Remember

Today is a day of remembrance for Virginia Tech, and Hokies nation-wide. 

I'd like to take this small space to ask you to remember those extraordinary lives we lost four years ago today. Please take a moment for them and those they left behind. We must honor the families that had to piece themselves back together after such a tragic event. 

The Hokies of Virginia Tech are a tight community of bright students from all over. The Hokies are strong, and will continue to be. Instead of allowing today to be full of sadness, let us be proud to be a part of such strength! Today we are a Hokie nation. Today we honor and remember.

neVer forgeT.

We are Virginia Tech!

Lights...

...camera, action!

I recently have become involved with the lighting crew in the Theatre&Cinema Department. As in mastering anything, you have to start at the very basics and work up. I had to construct a light before I could even set a light or even think about mixing color papers. The Light Director, my new friend Kevin, was very patient with me as his right-hand man Scott (who is hilarious) taught me the way around the studio. Scott took me to all the odds and ends so that I would never be lost, and praised my every attempt. I burnt many a finger, and broke several nails, but I followed his word as it was law 57 feet above the theatre stage.

When he began to teach me about angling the lights, he told me "the director secret."
He pointed up to Kevin and said "I love that guy, he's amazing. But he's just like any other director. You can move a light around all day, and then get it to one spot that's close to what he wants. He can say 'shift it to the right just barely!' and you'll go to move it. You grab the light and it shakes a bit, but before you go to actually move it he'll yell 'STOP! That's it-lock!' Don't ever tell him you didn't actually move it. Just lock the light, and step away. To him, you just made his scene perfect."

Each of us sees the world from a different angle. We never quite understand what someone else is seeing until we walk all the way down to center stage and take a look. Even then, we might see something just a tad differently. It's okay- if we didn't then the world would never change!
Angles can be as big as a country divided about their government to two roommates (coughUScough) being divided on how clean the room should be. Sometimes you have to adjust and shift all day long before you can get it right. It's about moving so that you can both see the center stage- both see the action and enjoy it. It's a lesson we have to continue to relearn as we meet, work, and befriend new people.
It's all about the angle of the light.

Sometimes you just have to lock it, and step away.

Curl Girl, out!

April Showers

"April showers bring May flowers!"
...why should May get all the glory for April's hard work?

Where we live, the weather is pretty bipolar- yesterday was beautiful with sun and warm breezes. Today is cloudy and it has been on and off raining since about seven this morning. 

I'm in a total frump because I'm so much happier when it's sunny. I remember at home on rainy days I could just curl up with a Harry Potter book that I'd already read too many times, and just enjoy the rain drops racing to the bottom of the window.

Not so much at college- the deadlines won't wait and we'll have to actually go back outside to get food at some point.

But thinking about how it used to be reminded me of something I found not too long ago:  

Which kid were you?

If there was a table where you both had cable AND had the (yummy) left-overs, that'd be the Curl Girl table. But seriously, I can remember my old cafeteria being very similar to this. Honestly, it didn't change too much through middle and high school. That's why half of you who saw this first thought of the version mapped out in Mean Girls.

So, my plan is to throw some Michael Buble' (I don't care what ANYONE SAYS I'm pronouncing it "bubble!") and stare at my American Lit essay, pretending that if I finish it, I can go read some Potter.

Theme Song of the day: "If You're Going Though Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" by Rodney Atkins

Curl Girl, out!

A New Beginning

Hey there!

So, as you can see, I've gotten rather off schedule. I can make all the excuses up that I want, but when it comes down to it, I think it's been mostly because this form of blogging isn't working for me. There isn't enough room for change, and change is what we're all about here in F500!

In the next few days, or sometime after I handle my approaching deadlines, this blog will continue- but revamped. There will be lessons, but they will be constructed differently. I'm going to shake things up a bit and provide a little more variety, engage a little bit more with the world and see what happens.

To be such a young blog and change so soon may seem silly, but just as we grow and change, so must the things we do.
Here's to a new beginning!

Curl Girl, out!

Lesson 46) Mother knows best

Daphne has a bracelet that says
"A daughter is a gift that grows up to be a friend."

Now, I'm the best I may not be the greatest gift ever - but I did come wrapped in pink!

There was once a day when all we wanted to do was prove our mothers wrong (or fathers, I don't want to discriminate boy/girl). Admit it- you went out of your way to wear shorts when she said it was too cold for them. You shivered instead of taking the offered jacket. You stayed up reading the night before a test instead of going to sleep as instructed. We're all guilty of this.

Then you matured... kinda. You start listening to her, but that's mostly because it really is 20 degrees outside, and that test is now the SAT. As much of a rebel you want to be, you'd also really like to get into college. You at least wanna beat what's-his-name in your English class 'cause he will not quit bragging about his stupid score.

Then there's these days. I don't know when it'll come for you, or when it did. You realize you need her advice, and go seek it. You don't sigh when she's on the caller ID of your cell phone. You actually tell her what's going on in your life and asks what she's up to. They're there when you say the wrong thing, when you get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and when you need a paper checked.
You think she's gotten cooler.

I hate to tell you this, but chances are Mom (or Dad) has been the same since the stork dropped you off. Isn't that annoying?! Try as we might, it looks like we're the ones that grew up. The lesson here is that if you've hit these days- love 'em and appreciate it. One day you'll be a mom and you'll be able to see from the other side what happens. Thank goodness our mothers were once daughters too so they knew just to be patient with us!  If you haven't hit these days- here's my promise that they'll come. You just gotta hold on a little longer.

Another note- biological or not, we all have a mother on this earth. Today, be thankful for those women in your life, whoever they are! Here's a glass of wine (even though it tastes gross, they seem to like it) for moms everywhere!

Curl Girl- out.

Interruption

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog to entertain you with something hilarious.

Put the following into your address tab, and enjoy!


http://www.flashbynight.com/drench/

and

http://www.wimp.com/animalvoiceovers

Curl Girl, out!

Lesson 45) Old Man Winter

This is a continuation of Lesson 44, when I spoke to you about Spring's love-powers.

You see, Spring is here now. Just a few days of light and green growth and we've already forgotten how cold we were and all the scarves we layered up. I hate to tell you this, but the Earth continues to move, and Winter will come back. This means that this love-power is going to go away too.

Which means that a bunch of the couples getting together these fews weeks will be breaking up breaking up as well.
But think about it, everyone has to break up at some point, right?

When I became an annoying pre-teen, my mother got me the little book "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff," which I of course tossed aside for long periods of time. I eventually picked it back up one night when I couldn't sleep and started leafing through it. One little chapter I found was about breaking up and it brought up the question- do you remember that very first person you had a crush on, that very first relationship? I mean the veeeeerrrrry first one, when you both still had braces and you'd just gotten over the whole cooties thing.
Yep, I saw you shiver. You wouldn't date that boy today if someone paid you, would you? Imagine if you'd NEVER broken up with him. If no one broke up, we'd all be stuck with that first person we crushed on.
I would never have existed because my Nana stole my grandfather from his fiancee', to being with. But on a more personal level, that boy I first liked was adorable at four. Now? He's shorter than me. He doesn't play a sport, an instrument, he's not doing so great in school, I mean this kid just isn't that fantastic. I'm sure you can come up with one or two of those kids that you look back at and say "what was I thinking??"

Now you're thinking: thank God for break ups. I want you to enjoy your Spring, bringing you butterflies on your nose and in your tummy, but remember it leaves as quickly as it came!

Curl Girl, out!

Lesson 44) Timon and Pumba

"I can see what's happening."
"What?"
"But they don't have a clue."
"Who?"
"They'll fall in love and HERE'S the bottom line- our trio's down to two."
"Oh."
"The sweet caress of twilight, there's magic everywhere..."

Honestly, if you haven't seen The Lion King and therefore do not know the above lines... I just don't know what I can do for you. Just kidding! I can duct tape you to a chair and make you watch it, haha!

Spring is in the air, Ladies and Gentlemen. Spring is beautiful and I absolutely love it. I'm in a constantly better mood in the warm weather, as many people are. The returning sunshine brings out the new leaves, the flowers, the birds, the animals...
... and the couples.
BOOM! It's like everyone just EXPLODES with the need to be in a couple. They want to have that someone to go on a picnic with, someone who will kiss them goodbye before they head into class. They "need" that someone to take cool evening walks with now that the snow's melted and we can actually leave the dorm room.

...Yeah, that's stupid.
No, I'm not a bitter single girl telling you that having someone is stupid because I'm jealous. Don't get me wrong- I think it's wonderful to be part of a couple. I'm telling you this because I don't want you to make the same mistake that I'm seeing in several people right now. There are some couples that are getting together at this time of year just because of accidental timing. But I don't want you dating someone because you want to be a part of this seasonal movement. That's a horrible reason to be with someone! If you wouldn't date them in the dead of Winter, don't do it now. That's not you liking them, that's the pollen messing with your brain! You don't need a boyfriend, you need allergy medicine.

If you're lovestruck- go for it. But do me a favor and before you say yes (or maybe you're the brave one asking), take a moment from staring at his tan face and summer shorts and ask yourself- would you say yes if he was in his big down jacket and those clunky snow shoes?

Curl Girl, out!

Lesson 43) "Losers Like Me"

First of all, I'd like to give a moment to Liz Taylor, who died yesterday morning. As Elton John said "We have just lost a Hollywood giant; more importantly, we have lost an incredible human being."


So... I'm sure that you've noticed what a fail I've been with my updating recently. I told you I would never do such again, and here I am. I guess I'm still learning, huh?


Today's lesson is brought to you by Glee (judge me all you want, I love that show) and a fellow F500, Erin. 
Glee is a teenage drama turned musical, so it's awesome. Recently they did a song 'written by the members of the Glee club' for Regionals called Losers Like Me. It's about people wanting to be -you guessed it- losers like them because "everyone you wanna be, well they started out like me!" This is pretty true, actually. Whether it's actors who started as the whimpy theatre kids, or Einstein who wasn't that great at class or making friends, the people we look up to didn't start out that wonderful. They were the normal kids, maybe not the losers of the losers- but not the ones everyone knows either.

I was sitting with Erin yesterday and I made some silly joke that really is only funny to me, probably something about wanting to be a dinosaur. She laughed and looked at me saying "I feel as if you say things like that way more often these days. You started out not saying it at all, then you just said it to us, and now you'll speak that way to anyone!"
Yeeeeeaaaaah. So maybe I shouldn't make these comments so frequently (who doesn't want to be a T-Rex, though?). My point is, I hadn't even realized this. In a lesson before about dancing in public I told you that I've become very (too much, perhaps) comfortable with who I am, and I'm not afraid to show it anymore.

These two things are going to be combined (like a DOUBLE lesson, so intense!). Now, we have losers who grow up to be awesome and a dinosaur girl who can't NOT but be herself. What can we get from that?
Anyone?
I'll just tell you.
WE ARE THE AWESOME PEOPLE OF TOMORROW. Isn't that such good news? Doesn't that get you super excited?? I can't wait to tell how this band geek became a star. You've come this far with me, so let's be honest- you're in that loser boat with me. This sounds like just a statement, but it's a lesson. We might as well sign up for those classes/degrees next semester that we want to take, rather than the ones our society tells us will make the most money. We might as well stomp up the stairs like a velociraptor because we'd embarrass ourselves tripping anyway. We can watch Glee and The Big Bang Theory with no shame because as 'Finn' said "Yeah, I'll just shake it off, I'll get you back when I'm your boss!"

Theme song of the day: Pink's "Raise Your Glass!"

Curl Girl, out!

Lesson 42) Party Harness

Happy St. Patty's Day!
I'm wearing my green, and I hope you are too so that you don't get pinched!
The Yummy page has been updated for those of you that plan on celebrating tonight ;)


I don't know if any of you had friends that were leash kids when they were younger, or if you were one yourself, but I know one or two that were. I used to make fun of these people with all the "free the leash-kids!" jokes and all. But I'm starting to rethink this idea. I suppose it's better to have a kid on a leash then to lose them in a crowd.
So... do you think they come in adult sizes?

Ha ha, just kidding!
No I'm not. I'm totally serious, where can I get a few?.

Maybe this will be my million-dollar-invention (you can't steal it, I have it documented on this page!). Think about it: They could come in all different colors and sizes. Girls could get matching ones for their friends!  We could make college-designed ones with team colors and mascots, or even ones with the different sorority/fraternity letters. They'd come with reflectors for the walk back, just incase your pet friend ran out in the middle of the road dragging you with them. They would even have a wrist adjuster so you could tighten it on and still have your hand free for your own red solo cup soda can. You could have them custom-made with your name on the handle and your friend's name on the harness!
I feel as if there are a lot of events, big and small, that could have been avoided if only I'd had one or two.
Yes, I'm brilliant and about to be RICH!

But incase you opt out of my amazing Curl's Party Harness (do you like the name? Maybe not catchy enough) allow me to remind you of an earlier lesson of mine. I once told you that you need to make sure you have a plan before you go out. I've also told you to watch out for your friends when you go to places. Here's one thing that I haven't said yet that maybe I need to: allow your friends to watch out for you. Keeping tabs on the whereabouts of your friends is one thing, but making sure they can see you too is a big deal as well. If you're heading to the bathroom, let them know. If you've decided to go home, let them know. If you've found a cute boy to kiss in the corner, make some eye contact with your girl to let her know you're okay. That way, when the moment comes when you're not around and haven't said anything, she can panic accordingly and go in search of you.

Maybe I'm sounding like a mom here, but hey- lessons learned, right?
So have a safe weekend...
...and get your orders ready!

Curl Girl, out!

Lesson 41) Cosmo

If you think about it, a girl's life can be time-lined by which magazine she's reading.

• She starts out as a small child in sneakers that light up and pigtails with her little American Girl magazine that tells her to be pretty on the inside. 
• She then moves into Girl's Life, which I don't think was that popular when I was a tween, but I've seen it around a lot. I'm pretty sure it touches on the topics of that first kiss and such.
• The prestigious moment comes when our girl becomes a young lady and reaches for her Seventeen Magazine. It breaches the world of fashion and what may or may not be going on... down there. It's an introduction to the awkward questions, but sill has the funny stories to keep her light-hearted.
• Then, there's the day she picks up her first Cosmo. We've hit the Glamor and Lucky stage, dear. Baby girl is now a young woman and she wants "50 Ways to Seduce a Man (In A Minute or Less)" to be only a few pages down from "The Most Influential Women in Today's World, and How You Can be One of Them" and "Orange is Back to Stay!" Yes, she still wants the horoscope in the back so that she can find out when her little Taurus self is gonna be blessed with a Prince Charming, but she's left her light up sneakers and braces far behind.
• I refuse to say that Good Housekeeping follows these. Instead, I will say that this woman moves on to Southern Living or Martha Stewart, even. Garden Design and all sorts of categories open up, but I will not be one to hop the Housekeeping wagon, no Ma'am.

However, I would like to propose that maybe one never leaves the Cosmo time of life. I say this mostly because this is where the F500 are right now, and none of us ever want to leave. Perhaps we will remain perpetual college girls. But really, which of our future husbands will complain about that?

The current Cosmo issue actually has the "50 Ways to Seduce a Man (In A Minute or Less)" article, and we have been pouring over it. No, we're not desperate for a way to finally land that cutie from lecture- these things are just hilarious! We started going through the list of ideas other women have sent in. There are comments that range from sexily taking a sip from his drink, all the way to knowing which type of chocolates to bring his mother (because if Momma likes you, you have an automatic in). Sara read them off to us, and let me tell you- there are a few girls that are a little too creative for their own good. 

This is simply the point of life we have reached, and it's interesting to look at. Grabbing my Seventeen, I always wondered what secrets hid behind those sacred pages on the shelf right above. Now here I am, admiring the coming summer colors and trying to do the weight-pumps just like the girl in the picture (btw, who actually exercises looking that good?). 

I dare you, no matter what point in this magazine-line I've constructed you're at, to sneak out and get yourself a Cosmo tonight. Curl up in front of the nightly news, or in your bed where your teddy bear still hangs out and enter the sexy, sale-seeking universe brought on by great clothes and boy talk! Maybe you should still be more concerned about getting your report card or picking up the groceries, but tonight is a Cosmo night, you deserve it.

Curl Girl, out!

Lesson 40) Horsing Around

Here's where my train of thought went:
"This lesson is about leading people on... like a horse off the lead... horsing around... haha that's what got to the leading on... Hey, don't horses ride in circles during training?"

But no, this lesson is not about horses. It's about my lovely roommate, Sara.
Sara became quick friends with Mason's roommate, who we'll call Mitch (why do so many of my male friends have 'M' names?). Mitch was actually the boy from THE CODE lesson, in case you're curious.
From the first time they hung out, there was a level of teasing flirtation. Not the kind that leads to anything too heavy, just light fun stuff. This + liquid courage resulted in the place they are now, which is something along the lines of "friends with benefits." Sara's very happy with their current system. She's been very upfront about how she feels and what she wants. This has been the most vital communication! Because of this, it's not awkward throughout the week. They hang out and it's normal, minus a few rude fun comments from the peanut gallery. There are no expectations... or there hadn't been.

What the rest of us are worried about is: what happens after?
There are some expectations developing, involving selections for "date parties" with Greek life and such events. Mitch is alright with this, because it's obvious to all of us that he'd like a little development. However, there's no guarantee that such an action will take place, or that it won't.

I wish them the best, and hope that all works out for them, whatever flavor of relationship that may end up being. The aftermath can be helped by us, the peanut gallery. We have to be the supportive crew. It's our job to give them our real opinions. In situations like these, people benefit from every angle that can be seen. Daphne, Mason, Carrie, and I are doing just that. We've discussed the events with each other, and expressed our views to the two of them as well. (Ew, that sounds so bussiness like. I promise we don't have committee meetings about all this... they're more like gossip sessions!) But, in the end it's their choice. You have to keep the balance of helping them see everything, but also remembering it's their life- not yours.
I believe in this specific instance, all will be well. I know Sara is a logical person, and I'm pretty sure Mitch is too, so there are no real worries. I'm using this time to remind you, whether you're the Sara, the Mitch, or the peanut gallery, you have a duty to be upfront about your feelings, while remembering it can effect everyone around you as well.

Here's to the friends, and here's to the benefits!
Curl Girl, out!

Lessons 31-39) Spring Break

Alright... I've failed my challenge already. It's been so long since I posted that I actually had to sign back into the site- how embarrassing!
I have a small excuse, as it was Spring Break for me and my schedule was way off, but I'm still sorry. However, to make up for it, tonight I will be posting some of the most yummy recipes for y'all!

Let's get down to business (to defeat *beat, beat* the Huuuns).

Lesson 31) Everyone Likes The Top Of A Muffin Best...
But no one likes a "muffin top." For those of you that don't know this term, it is the pudge (aka fat tissue) that rises just above one's pants, forming the same shape as a muffin that shapes around its tin. They can be small or large, and any size in between. Now, you should always love your body- that's a given. If you feel beautiful/handsome, it doesn't matter what the numbers (or anyone else) say. However, I do not love my body when it's looking good and then I go home and eat everything I can get my leopard-polished hands on. This is not nice to my body. In fact, I am being rude to it by stuffing past its "full" notch, and then attempting to stuff it into my party-jeans. How dare I? When you go on breaks you HAVE to be careful to keep to your regular diet. Yes, a treat here or there to celebrate being on break is wonderful, but try to remember that break does end, and those calories refuse to be left at home!

Lesson 32) Spring Flings
No.
Back in "the day" these were fine- back before iPhones, back before Facebook, back before Twitter. These days, there is no one out there that you don't have a way to keep in touch with other than snail mail. Spring Flings are supposed to be precious days spent with someone you found at the beach, or is the son of a family friend you shared a condo with, or the hot life guard by your grandma's pool... the likes. Spring Flings were people you walked away from when school called again and you told your friends about him/her... gazing wistfully into the distance, hoping one day you might meet again. Today, you can just look him up on Facebook or Tweet him. Then, where does the magic go? A few slightly awkward conversations ('cause let's be real- how much actual talking about yourself did you do on vacation?) that end in you just not pressing the "poke back" button and hoping that his family decides not to join yours this coming summer! I could give you many stories of such flings from the F500, but they're all the same. Either agree to be a REAL Spring Fling with barely a last name, or fall in love and be with him forever- because the middle road is no longer available in today's world.
Sorry, to all you Romantics out there, but someone had to tell ya.

Lesson 33) Would You Like Some Couch With That Potato?
I'm going to be brief. If you're home for break, GET UP. Get off the couch and go outside. If you come back and everyone else has been going on adventures and all you have to share is a record for how long a person can watch "The Real House Wives of Orange County" before their head explodes, there's a problem and you're going to be sad.
Get up and GO OUTSIDE.
...not that I know what the "The Real House Wives of Orange County" is or anything...

Lesson 34) The Lone Star State
Did you know that when you go into bars in Texas with your parents, they don't ID you?
This is what Sara learned over her break. Her family went with some friends to an estate in Texas and she had an awesome week! We got texts/picture all week about the awesome places she was going and cool sites she was seeing along her hikes and adventures.
I'm going to encourage you to take such trips as breaks. She was with her family, and she had an excellent time (even brought me back an uber pretty bracelet)! She didn't stay at home, but she didn't do one of those crazy drink-all-day-and-night-first-week kinda trips either. All the horror stories about those trips are true, to be honest. I can say that because I know a lot of the kids they happened to. No, I'm not a prude (trust me) and I'm sure they're fun at the time, but wouldn't you rather have shorter periods like that -such as the weekend- and be able to have real memories? I'm not trying to push the mushy-family-time ticket, but we're almost to that age where we have our own house and own mortgage- take the opportunities when you can!

Lesson 35) Center of The Universe
I would prefer this to be me. However, that kinda gravitational pull doesn't look good on that many people, so I'll acknowledge that I'm just one of the shining stars! In reality though, we have to remember that breaks from school are breaks for everyone. Breaks for you, breaks for your Mom worrying where you are, breaks for your Dad sending you grocery money, and breaks for your siblings. It was weird when I was in high school and both my brothers were in college. None of us ever had the same breaks, so there was always one or two of us wondering around while everyone else's lives were going on as usual. It's okay to be relaxing, but there are other members of the household who are trying to enjoy their break as well, or trying to keep to their schedule! As the little sister, I ask you to be considerate of the siblings when you come home. As a college kid, I remind you that your parents are paying your tutition so you should probably be nice while you're home. This is a lesson I'm working on myself- you may no longer be surrounded by 20,000 other college students, but you are certainly not alone.

Lesson 36) Procrastinators Unite... Tomorrow
I hate doing laundry. Honestly, I would rather wash dishes, or iron, or dust. ANYTHING would be better than sorting out those clothes, timing the dryer, hanging things up, folding, ect. I don't know why I feel so hateful towards laundry, I just do.
So of course I put it off until the last few days I was home, when I didn't have anything to wear and was about to resort to digging through my brothers' old drawers. When we go home, we need to get such things done ahead of time. The last few days of break need to be relaxing, not stressful and full of work. We need to be appreciating those last moments of family and free food!

Lesson 37) Sleeping Not-So-Beauty
Over breaks it's really tempting to just sleep forever and a day. You're at home and your alarm clock is taking a week off too! However, this isn't the greatest for your sleeping schedule. This morning I had to get up in time to be ready for class like normal, and that was just difficult. I wasn't too bad over break, but my body was not happy about this whole getting-up-before-nine stuff that I had brought back. Imagine how bad it will be if I do that all summer! Also, I think it messed up Mom's schedule as well since she couldn't do everything she wanted since I was sleeping in, such as turning on washers.
And remember what I said- we want to keep the parents happy.

Lesson 38) You're Like Coming Home
This is a country song by Lone Star that you should go listen to.
For the first time for me, returning from break was actually really exciting! I was so glad to see everyone, it seemed like I was falling back into place, as if we'd never left. All the sudden people got my jokes without explanation, and I could return to my regular vocabulary. Don't get me wrong, I love my family. But first semester was a tiny bit rough for me and this one's going really well group-wise. Plus, I've been in my dorm room longer than I've been in the new house my family moved into this summer. It's not home, but it's a home, and I'm happy to be here. These are the friends I belong with, and you should always appreciate these moments. Yeah, you're going back to school where work and study resides BUT you're back on your campus where you rule the world!

Lesson 39) Garfield Is Right
Mondays suck. Let's be real, they just do. Every professor wants to throw things at you because he/she's coming back from break to and realizes they have to get everything done before the semester exams start. None of the F500 is having a good day. My bio professor pushes up an exam, Sara's math proctor yelled at her for doing something another proctor told her to do, Daphne found out her 10 page paper is actually due THIS week, and Erin's teachers were just generally unkind.
But it's supposed to be in the 60s/70s by Thursday, so we just have to get over Hump Day (Wednesday)! Mondays are evil, but surviving it just means you're a little closer to the next weekend. Push through it, Honey, because next Sunday is the official beginning of Spring, so the sun will be shining!!

Sorry all of these came together, but they're just as loved as all my other lessons!

Curl Girl, out!

Lesson 30) Red Wine and Bow-ties

Today is the first day of Spring Break, YAY!!

The start of Spring Break was supposed to be celebrated by Sara, Daphne, and I joining my brother and his friends in an epic dance party. We'd been looking forward to it all week because we decided a few weeks ago that my brother's would be a place we only took the Fantastic 500 rather than bring our whole crew (Erin had taken off earlier in the day to get home to her cadet beau, so she wouldn't be joining us this time).

Friday's classes end and the three of us go out for some celebratory ice cream before we decide what to do with ourselves for those awkward hours of Friday before one gets ready to go out for the night. We all pack a little bit, then just hang out. Eventually, we decide to nap for a bit. I got up before Sara, so I went to lounge around with Daphne. While with her, she gets a phone call from a very distraught Jake, a friend we made due to his boyfriend, Hanson, being a real close friend of ours.
Daphne is closer to Jake than I am, so when he came over I peaced-out to give them a moment. I had only been back in my room for about two minutes before Daphne knocked on my door with Jake in tow.

"Wake up Sara, we have to get all of Jake's stuff out of Hanson's room- now."
Oh. I could see the hurt, anger, and confusion on Jake's face, so instead of asking questions I did as was told, grabbed a sweatshirt and pair of sandals and off we went! Being girls experienced in heartache, we made Jake sit down for a bit and tried to get him to eat (how could he resist Chipotle?) as we learned what had happened. It appeared there had some cheating found out by some misplaced emails on Hanson's iTouch Jake had picked up earlier that day.
So after some food, and a stop by the grocery store for Jake to pick himself up some cheap red wine, we returned to their frat's house to their shared room. During all of this, Hanson is calling and texting Jake up the wazoo- just tearing the phone up trying to figure out what to do and explain that he may have messed up, but he would never actually cheat on Jake.

We were the moral support and talking coaches. We were the board to bounce ideas off of and the ears to rant to. We were the cheerleaders and the glass re-fillers.
I watched as the minutes went by... we were missing more and more of my brother's party, but Jake needed us there, and he didn't want to go out with us.
In the middle of a quiet moment, Daphne spotted bow-ties. Only she can not seem silly asking Jake to teach her how to tie one at a time like this! He laughed and offered to teach all of us. How crazy we must have looked- all of us girls in our yoga pants and disheveled hair from our naps, sporting fancy bow ties! But it was hilarious, and for just a moment it took Jake's mind off of the situation and gave his body a moment to relax before the next tense phone call. Whether she did it on purpose or not, I'm not sure, but either way Daphne defiantly gets points for that move!

We probably would have had a better time at my brother's. There would have been more music and a crazier time, but we had a choice to make and I know we made the right one. Jake needed shoulders to lean on, and we were all willing to give up our night to make sure he made it through his!

Next time, we'll dance!

Curl Girl, out!

Lesson 29) Oh, Poor Grasshopper

Never, ever, EVER correct a TA.

If you don't already know, a TA is a Teacher's Assistant. They are typically a part of large classes, such as Biology or Philosophy classes. They lead recitations and labs, the menial things that the professor doesn't want to do because he/she is too busy doing real research.

Well. I have a problem. Judging by the stories of my father and my brothers, it's genetic so I refuse to take full blame for it (haha)!
You see, when someone is blatantly wrong, I have an irresistible need to correct them, especially if it effects other people. The unfortunate part of this is that I don't have a filter on these corrections... even if it's for someone in higher authority than myself.
In high school I did this a lot. Teachers would write something wrong on the board, or put incorrect grammar in an assignment and I just couldn't stop myself! But back in my hometown, people knew who I was and who my parents were and that I was a generally good kid so they never took offense, they just laughed and chalked it up to another point of Curl-Girl-ness.

TA's do not feel that way. In fact, they get rather upset. You see, I received an email that was sent to my entire recitation group from our TA, who we'll call Antelope (because his name is a similar creature). A fellow student replied (honestly, they should just remove the 'reply all' button) asking about what we should do about the homework due in the next class. Antelope's reply was that we should slip pages blah and blah with the attached questions under the door before we took off for Spring Break if we wanted credit.
Well, that seemed silly to me. Why would we turn something in two weeks earlier than the other 146 kids in Phil 1504? So I sent a message back pointing out that the syllabus stated that the homework wasn't due that early, nor was that the next assignment due, but there was one before it. Perhaps he had meant something else, since we had not learned all of the work required for that particular assignment.
Antelope was not exactly pleased. If I were to translate his email to something a little more polite than his actual message it would say something like:

"Dear Curl Girl,
You are but a young grasshopper, and I am a master. Though you are correct in this instance, you should be aware that masters do not listen to grasshoppers, no matter how correct they may be. I will send out the correction to your fellow grasshoppers, and will expect the assignment on the date established in the syllabus.
-Antelope"

So, crawling back under the rock undergraduates apparently belong, I sent an email back thanking him for being so understanding and he could shove his master-ness where the sun doesn't shine I wished his Spring Break was positively awesome.
I'm behaving from now on, scared to step out of my little lines for my grade, but I tell you, Antelope better check himself because the last time I checked, lions hit the top of the food chain, and have you SEEN this mane of mine?

Curl Girl, out!

Lesson 28) The Code

"...Wait, you have to take me to shore, according to the code of the Order of the Brethren..."
"...First, your return to shore was not part of our negotiations nor our agreement, so I must do nothing, and secondly you must be a pirate for the Pirate's Code to apply and you're not, and thirdly the code is more of what you call guidelines than actual rules..."

Once again, if you don't know where this quote is from, you need to sprint over to the closest movie-rental and fix it.

Today, we talk about THE CODE. Boys have this thing they call the "Bro Code," which is actually kinda funny and just about every male follows it, whether they're aware that's what they're doing or not. It's the regular sort of 'do not date your bro's ex-girlfriend without permission' and 'driver gets to decide rule for shot gun' stuff along with 'men do not go to the bathroom together' jazz. Most of it is common sense, at least to the majority of semi-nice people. Well, girls have this code too. Although some girls are complete b*tches losers and do not follow it, we were all born with a deep connection between females that comes from an innate feminine knowledge and the suffering/common sense/love/joy that comes with such knowledge.

Thursday (when this was supposed to be posted) brought an interesting time when THE CODE actually had to be examined. Allow me to start with that there was not a fight- so no worries.
As I explained last week, Thirsty Thursday have become a part of our group's lives these days. I, like I've stated before, cannot take part in such events due to having actual classes on Fridays. This week, my 8 am was cancelled, so I suppose I could have participated, but chose not to.
Sara, however, decided that she could afford to go out. Early in the afternoon, we were both done with our classes and sat around to discuss the night. You see, she had a strong inclination that she would not be returning alone from the party...

No, my roommate isn't one those girls. It was a particular boy- keep the judgement to a minimum!
Either way, it was not going to be that great if she and I were both occupying the room that night. So exactly what was the protocol for this sort of situation? For many girls, this would have resulted in a very tense conversation filled with uneasy looks and uncomfortable silences. However, Sara and I have already been through our share of weird phases and can talk about things like this rather openly. We even have some fun talking about such things these days!
THE CODE states that no girl can be kicked out of her own room, no matter how hot the guy is. THE CODE does also state, though, that once a boy becomes a big enough deal, room occupancy does need to become at least a discussion. The conclusion Sara and I came to (that we were both happy with) was that it wouldn't be so bad if I had a sleepover with one of our friends, such as Erin or Daphne, since none of us had anything too early or important to do the next day, and it was the last day before Spring Break anyway. But the deal went like this: we were baby-proofing and cleaning the room together, and this wouldn't be a regular thing but would be discussed each time and the result would depend on the individual circumstances of our schedules.

I could go on and on and on about THE CODE and the way you need to follow it and the consequences of not following it, but I thought this little example of my roomie and I chatting one of the rules out would remind you to always keep in mind that we, whether ladies or bros, do have some guidelines set down for us no matter your religion or beliefs. Talking about it with your besties will always keep fights and disagreements from occurring, so today we take our lesson from Mr. Gibbs:

"What do we do??"
...
"We keep to the code."


Curl Girl, out!