Tuesday, November 29, 2005

stuff

I handed in my bitch of a project tonight. And I filled out my professor's evaluation. I was honest, but not mean. It's all good. One class left this semester (next Tuesday) and then I can celebrate!

I had weekend plans to go visit a friend in West Chester to do Christmas shopping and other assorted holiday fun things. Apparently we had our weekends mixed up, though. Her man is visiting her this weekend, so I am now unexpectedly free of plans. That kinda sucks.

This week is DRAGGING. How is it only Tuesday??? Blech.

Well, this was pointless. And it's past my bedtime, so I'd best be hittin' the sack. :)

Sunday, November 27, 2005

I wanted to do this hours ago...

... but I didn't.

I have a MAJOR report to turn in for grad school and it's due Tuesday. It's part of a reading assessment I've been working on all semester. I have to write a case study and organize everything in a binder and hand it in and hope to God that I didn't fuck anything up. Kinda stressful. I don't think it'd be half as stressful if our professor were just a tad more helpful. But there's not much I can do about that.

So when I woke up today (after getting FOUR hours of sleep), I wanted to get on here and blog my lil ol' heart out. (It's addictive, damnit!) But I didn't. I spent all day working on my project... in between doing laundry and checking my email (not procrastinating, waiting for something from a friend in the same class). The project's not quite done yet, but I thought it'd be okay to take a blog-break.

Last night was crazy. I've never seen Street Road Bar & Grille so packed! It was like everyone and their mother (and father, and sister, and cousin) showed up to see UpFall and In Theory. I feel like I spent all night socializing. I must have talked to everyone at one point or another. I don't think they could've asked for a better crowd. As per usual, the music was kickass. I totally dig UpFall's new covers, and I LOVED the comeback of the Trio Medley!!! Hands down, my favorite UpFall song. And as for In Theory... well, what can I say? Those boys rock hard core. They played all my favorites (although I was promised a surprise cover, which never happened). And I'm all about their new originals, especially "What I Want." That's the shit, man! They need to get that up on their myspace profile so I can hear it again!

It goes without saying that the alcohol was flowing freely. I had several beers, as well as two shots of Jaeger: one with the UpFall boys before their set, and one with Dan... just because I thought he could use one. Jaeger does a body good! And it also goes without saying that the evening ended in the wee hours of the morning at the fabulous GA. There's nothing quite like quoting Dane Cook and debating the merits of standardized testing over a plate of french toast at 4 AM. Good times.

It was a great way to end my Thanksgiving break. Unfortunately, it's time to get back into work-mode. I agree with Sharon - we should have off for Thanksgiving Monday (much like Easter Monday). We could all use an extra day to recover.

Saturday, November 26, 2005

boo... hiss...

I'm so pissed off by the Flyers that I felt the need to post again. Today's game was disgraceful. No other word would even begin to describe it.

But I still have tonight to look forward to... whoo!

Hey, if you haven't already planned on it, come on out to Street Road Bar and Grill to see UpFall and In Theory rock out! It'll be worth it!

Friday, November 25, 2005

the aftermath of turkey... and other adventures

It feels like Sunday, but it's only Friday. That's freakin' sweet.

I've been taking full advantage of my time off from work. Wednesday was a half day, so I had some time to do laundry and relax before heading out to see Jealousy Curve. They were amazing. This is only my second time seeing them... but I think I appreciated them a lot more this time, because I've been listening to their CD since the first time I saw them. I knew more of the songs, so I was able to sing along like the crazy ol' groupie I am. (Just kidding. I'm no groupie. But I do *heart* musicians.)

I gotta say... even though JC was awesome, the bar was a nightmare. It was kinda ratty and dingy and squalid... and very crowded. I had to literally elbow my way to the bar when I needed a beer refill. And the bathroom situation was ridiculous. Three toilets. Total. In a place where alcohol is consumed in mass quantities. And, oh yes, let's not forget the steps that one has to use to get out of the bar. Whose bright idea was it to make the drunk people go down the steps?

Ray and I had some navigational difficulties on the drive home (in the snow, woo!), but we managed to get home without incident. (By the way, Ray, we needed to take 476 south instead of north to pick up 95. Oh well.) I got home at around 2:30 AM and the first thing I did was settle myself in bed to watch that night's episode of "Lost," which I had taped. Or so I thought. Turns out, I screwed something up, and it only taped the first ten minutes of the show. I was PISSED. But I figured out that I could download it, so I did that tonight. I'm gonna watch it as soon as I'm done typing this.
Today my mother and I went to the movies to see "Rent." I was totally unimpressed. I'm not big into movies to begin with, but I figured, you know, it's a musical and everyone raves about it. But honestly? It was depressing, the music was just okay, and it was way too long for my taste. I want my $6 back.

Tomorrow is going to kick MAJOR ASS. Flyers game in the afternoon, and an UpFall/In Theory show at night. The Flyers won today, and I'm expecting big things from them tomorrow. They'd better not disappoint. And as for the bands... well, they never disappoint. And I heard a crazy rumor that In Theory has something extra special up their collective sleeves. (I have an inside source...)

Okay, I can't wait anymore. I need to go watch "Lost."

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

it's the most wonderful (?) time of the year

Look at me go. I'm just blogging everyday now.

Anyway, I feel better. Almost perfect. My throat is still slightly sore, but mostly only after I have a coughing fit. And the coughing's getting better, so I guess it's almost over. But the sore throat does not bode well for my week/weekend plans. How am I supposed to sing along with In Theory or yell at the refs at the Flyers game with a sore throat? Not good.

Here's my gripe o' the day. I'm disturbed by the fact that people are already doing their Christmas shopping. I haven't even started thinking about it. I can barely decide what I'm wearing to work tomorrow... how can I be expected to plan a gift list and a budget? Bleh.

I'm all about Christmas. I like the traditions, the dinners, the cookie baking, the gift wrapping, the decorations. But I can't deal with all this commercialism. Christmas candy was stacked next to Halloween candy in October. Christmas cards and decorations were in the seasonal aisle with the scarecrows and pumpkins in November. And don't get me started on the Christmas carols. Two radio stations are now playing non-stop holiday music. It's not even Thanksgiving. Why do people insist on forcing Christmas down our throats? It feels like it starts earlier every year. There's just no reason for that.

I'm sick of it already and it's not even Advent yet. That's just depressing as all get out.

Bah humbug, I say.

Monday, November 21, 2005

NyQuil is my friend

When I woke up this morning, I felt a lot better than I did yesterday. But after two hours with my first graders, my throat was sore again and my head was pounding. Blech. So I wussed out and went home early. It's the first time in three years that I had to miss work for being sick... and it's the first time that I've ever gone home early.
I spent the day on the couch, wrapped in an afghan, doped up on NyQuil, watching hours of horrible TV reruns ("Full House," "Step by Step," "Family Matters," "Boy Meets World.")


I'm going back to work tomorrow. I have a day and a half left before Thanksgiving break. I can get through it.

Sunday, November 20, 2005

*cough*

I have a sore throat. It sucks. I don't have a fever or a headache or even a cold. Just a sore throat. And I have to teach tomorrow. I'd call out, but we only have 2 1/2 days of school this week, due to the Turkey Day festivities. It's just not worth it.

Anyway.

Rumor has it that there is a shit-load of local rock happening this week/weekend. For those of you who don't know, I am a HUGE fan of the rock. And local rock... well, that's a new passion of mine. If I can swing it, my plans for this week will be as follows:

Wednesday - Jealousy Curve
Thursday - Turkey Day
Friday - Fooling April
Saturday - Flyers game (woo-hoo!), UpFall/...In Theory
Sunday - (much needed) day of rest

Should be a good week.

Last night I went out for a friend's birthday. We went to a restaurant/bar in Bensalem (a total dive, but sometimes they're the most fun). It was karaoke night, and it was also some guy's 80th birthday party. Know what that means? Lots of old people singing Tony Bennett. It was... interesting. But we had a good time. Then Pat showed up and bought us shots of Jaeger. Yay for Pat! Yay for shots! Needless to say, the "entertainment" was a lot more entertaining after that.

The group I was with tried in vain to convince me to sing karaoke. I would have considered it, if not for the sore throat. But I'm not much for singing in public. Anyone who saw me at our last house party saw how I avoided the mike at all costs (that is, until I was too drunk to notice/care). And I've been known to stay away from Ray at ...In Theory shows for fear that he'll stick the mike in my face (as he's wont to do). I've never done karaoke in my life. Ever. One of these days, perhaps.

Gotta jet. My laundry beckons.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

grrrr...

I had a paper & a presentation due tonight for my grad school class. My partner and I met 4 different times (twice on a Saturday, once during our Fall Break, when we had the week off from class, and once before class last week) to work on this project. We exchanged a few phone calls and countless emails. We turned in a 7-page paper, and gave a 20-slide presentation, complete with a 5-page handout, 2 video clips, 3 overheads, and a hands-on group activity. It was quite impressive, if I do say so myself.

It took us about half an hour to present, but it would've been 10 minutes shorter if the professor didn't keep interrupting us to put his two cents in. Then, right toward the end of our presentation, he LEFT THE ROOM to return the TV/VCR. I was appalled. We kept talking, though. Damned if I'll stop so he can run errands. We were the last group to present tonight, so class was over as soon as we finished. Because of his constant interruptions, class ran 5 minutes over, which I'm sure pissed a few people off.

And then, the icing on the proverbial cake: Before we left, he gave us back our graded paper and the grade for our presentation. Lemme get this straight... he somehow managed to read a 7-page paper, grade it, and give his full and undivided attention to our presentation, all in the space of 25 minutes? I don't think so. We did all that work, and all we got for it was a few check marks on the paper, and a comment that said "nice use of powerpoint" for the talk we gave tonight. Bullshit.

We got an A, though.

But still. This professor really gets on my nerves. Course evaluations are next week. I can't wait to write about him. Fucker.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

girls' night out

Tonight was surreal. And that's all I have to say about that.

Thursday, November 10, 2005

yawn

Ugh. It's Thursday, but I still feel like I'm recovering from last weekend. I had 2 long days, 2 late nights, a lot of alcohol, and 4 hours of driving. I felt fine Monday and Tuesday. Then yesterday, I felt like I was sleeping on my feet all day. I overslept, rushed to work, and dragged my ass through my day. Today was slightly better, but still... trying to stay on top of 19 energetic first graders is draining enough as it is.

Despite my sheer exhaustion, I'm trying to figure out my plans for this weekend. I should do something relaxing. I don't see that happening, though. I feel like going out and doing something fun. I'll regret that next week, for sure.

I am TOTALLY looking forward to the UpFall/In Theory show on the 26th. It's been way too long since I've seen the UpFall boys live in concert. And rumor has it that they have some new material. Hmmm... any chance they've learned "I Touch Myself"? That would rock hard core.

Wednesday, November 9, 2005

hell yeah

Got my midterm back last night.... got an A (96).

I rock.

Sunday, November 6, 2005

wedding weekend

I. AM. SO. FUCKING. TIRED.

I spent the weekend in New York for my friends' wedding. I had a great time, but it was a busy weekend. Rehearsal & rehearsal dinner Friday night, hairdresser came early on Saturday morning, pictures started at noon, ceremony at 2:30, reception at 6. Then back to the hotel to hit the club in the lobby for more dancing, then up to the bridal suite for some after-hours partying with the newlyweds. I didn't get to sleep until 4 AM.

The bridal party was very large (6 bridesmaids, 1 man-of-honor, 1 best man, 6 groomsmen, 1 mother-of-the-groom escort, 1 flower girl, 1 ring bearer), so we had an 18 passenger SUV scheduled to take us from the apartment to the church. But when it got to the apartment (10 minutes late), it was leaking transmission fluid. There was no way to get a replacement limo in time, so we had to call cabs. Talk about arriving in style! The replacement limo took us from the church to the reception hall, and then a school bus took us from the hall to the hotel (along with about 30 other out-of-town guests). Even though the SUV was cool, I think the cheese-bus ride was the highlight as far as transportation goes. There's nothing quite like a busload of drunk wedding-goers singing at the top of their lungs while passing a bottle of vodka around. Sweet.

Embarrassing story of the evening (you knew there would be one!): It was cocktail hour, and some bridesmaids & I were mingling with guests. I saw a VERY good looking guy standing by himself across the room, eating some hors d'oeurves. Dark hair, nice suit, no wedding ring, and it didn't look like he was with anyone. No one I was talking to knew who he was, so I made it my mission to find out. I said to one of the bridesmaids, "Okay, he's not married, as far as we can tell. So knowing my luck, he's gotta be gay." Just then, the DJ asked the bridal party to line up so that we could make our entrance into the reception hall. Hot Guy walked past us on his way into the hall, and the man-of-honor (bride's gay best friend) stopped him so that he could introduce all of us to his new boyfriend. DAMNIT. Later, I told man-of-honor & Hot Guy the story, and we all had a good laugh over it. But man, what a waste!

Anyway, I'm exhausted (I got maybe about 10 hours of sleep total this weekend)... and I'm probably still hungover... and I'm sore from walking around in heels and dancing all night. Tomorrow is a faculty meeting, so I don't have to deal with the kids. Whoo-hoo!

Thursday, November 3, 2005

I'm awake!

So it's almost midnight, but I'm not asleep because tomorrow is a personal day for me. WHOO! I'm leaving for NY sometime in the late morning/early afternoon for my friend's wedding (which is Saturday). I'm in the wedding, which means I have a lovely hunter green dress that I'll wear once and then stick in the back of my closet to collect dust. Oh, and shoes dyed to match.

I did my nails tonight. I never do my nails, because they always chip. This time is no exception. I went with a French manicure (a do-it-yourself kit, go me!), thinking that a lighter color wouldn't show as much if it chipped. I can see the imperfection, but I'm sure no one else is going to be staring at my nails. At least I hope not. That'd be kinda creepy.

From what I hear, there's going to be a shortage of single guys at this wedding. The groom is 35 and his friends are all married already. That doesn't bother me TOO much... but it'd be nice to meet someone, you know? Hell with it. I'm gonna go get drunk & have a blast either way. It's gonna be one hell of a party.

I still haven't packed. Eh. I'll get to it later.