Friday, October 29, 2010

Happy Halloween

I don't really know when this animosity for Halloween appeared but for some reason I cannot stand Halloween. I think it was a combination of the following:

Moorebid Ball being the biggest, most ridiculous, most annoying event of the year
Drunk/high/stoned college students taking advantage of a clothing optional campus
Drunk/high/stoned college students yelling at 4 in the morning waking me up
Having to go out and buy a costume
Having people judge me for not being original (I really don't care if I'm original or not if that's what I want to be)
Scary movies being played on TV so I can't watch anything without screaming, jumping, or not going to bed at night

Is it so wrong to want to spend Halloween night at home watching a movie that doesn't make me scared to go to the bathroom??

This year was the first year I handed out candy to children. That was the highlight of my life!! I'm NEVER going trick-or-treating ever again because my post, is at the door. The sKiddies were soooooo adorable in their costumes and to see the parents have fun taking their kids around was just as much fun to watch as actually going trick-or-treating myself. I want to be the one who gives kids candy on Halloween.... there's where my fun happens!!

Today during senior sem the ECC/Greenburg kids (idk which group it was) came through Tisch trick-or-treating at the department offices. All of our class went out into the hall to see them. They were SOOOOOOO CUTE!!!!!!!!! I wanted to steal them away haha... relax, I didn't. Then when they were gone we proceeded to analyze the costume variations in a sociological manner (can you tell we didn't want to talk about bivariate analyses of senior sem projects anymore??) We concluded that there was too much gender bias in every child's costume since all the girls were in some kind of dress or skirt and the boys were all in super hero-like costumes. There was not much of a variation so they would not have been a good data set for a senior sem project. We all agreed however that the chicken costume was the winner of all hearts even though the child was in the costume without informed consent and therefore the ethics of such an act was not OK for data analysis... yes, we have all lost our minds from this stupid senior seminar!!!!! EVERYTHING is seen in a sociological way and this is causing us not to function as normal human beings anymore. HELP!!!!!

So the conclusion to my story is that I hate Halloween (probably just hate it at Skidmore) and really wish people would stop inviting me to Halloween parties via facebook because I'm just not going to go to any of them. Besides, I still have to finish my grad school apps, my bivariate analysis write up, my literature review, and my multivariate table for my powerpoint. Weekends are the only time I have to do my homework... So please let me do it!!

Some time this weekend I am also going to keep working on my spring break road trip options. I'm driving from New York to Oregon and back in 8.5 days :) SO EXCITED!!!! This will be the only crazy thing I ever do in college. I really didn't take advantage of being an undergraduate student... mainly because the people I'm friends with don't typically have the money to spend on crazy adventures. I haven't done anything like snowboard or ski during my time at Skidmore and I still don't know how to ride a bike... Not exactly the craziest goals to have as an undergrad but still.... most people do it while they're at college so I apparently missed out. According to the Goals survey and data analysis, athletes are less likely to participate in social events on campus than non-athletes. The figure is statistically significant with a moderate but positive relationship. Oh dear lord!! I need to stop looking at senior seminar projects before my entire world turns into one big senior seminar project. Bleh!! OK I'm going to stop now. I'll be sure to update you about what's going on with my conflict resolution workshops (we're working to get a weekly program running... I don't remember if I already mentioned that). How cool would that look on my resume?? Anyways.... yea... so until then... Laters!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Promised update

Hey everyone!! As I promised here is your update from this weekend.

Friday: I gave my workshop and it went really well. We have one more this coming Wednesday and we hope we can iron out a few bugs that we had with our workshop. Then I went to go take senior portraits. From what I could see on his camera screen they came out pretty nice. I have braces so of course that always makes me feel a little more insecure of my smile but everyone at Falstaff's said that I looked perfect.... we shall see when the proofs come in. Then I went to the barn to set up the ring for the show on Saturday. That was fun because Cindy was actually in a good mood. Then I went grocery shopping and did a little homework all before going to bed. I was in bed by 10 and knocked out by 10:30. Yay exhaustion :P

Saturday: 4:30am I wake up thinking I'm late. I look at my phone cry a little inside because I could have slept for another hour... but what ever I just get up anyway. I eat breakfast and get my things together and then Julia came and picked me up. 6:45am we're at the barn ready to work. I handled Junior--the HANDSOMEST pony I've ever handled... too bad he doesn't stand still. Then around 9 the show started and everything fell into place from there. I drew Brownstone--aka the horse that bucked me off and landed me in the hospital on the first day of lessons. We've had a special bond ever since then. Regardless, I rode as best I could and placed second. Not bad for my first time showing but not quite as satisfying as winning. Needless to say our team won with a PERFECT SCORE CARD :) We rock, Skidmore Equestrian Team!! Then I went home and ate lasagna--Raisa made it and it was HEAVENLY!! It only lasted us like a day and a half... if that!! Lol Then I h0pped on skype and talked with Grandpa Moose for 5 hours :) It was the best conversation I've held with someone because I haven't seen him in a year so we had a lot to catch up on. Both serious issues and jokes brought us closer than we had ever been. We have another session reserved for Thanksgiving... Grandpa Moose, good luck with your tests this week and with your conflicts we discussed :D I miss you and want my gingerbread cookies when I come home!!

Sunday: I woke up and went to the barn to walk my pony. He was excited I had treats for him and loved me for it. Then I came home around 11am and went straight to Senior Sem work. I literally worked on my univariate findings for 3 hours before settling on how to write it. Next I have to write up my theory section and do my theory powerpoint slide. I had done my bivariate slide before hand so that was one less thing I had to worry about. Of course my literature review is supposed to be growing as time passes but honestly, I'm stuck. I haven't worked on it since the last time we turned something in... which was only last week but still. I texted in my absence from practice, as I said I would in the last post. It was nice to get some work done and feel completely freaked about all the work I had on my calendar. Then around 3 I got a text from Jeremy, which was nice because I hadn't heard from him in a couple of days.... Last time I really talked to him was a while ago (I can't even remember specifically when). We continued to chat via text so that I could still get my work done at the same time. Then at 5pm the faculty and staff children came trick-or-treating to Northwoods and Scribner village apartments. Their costumes were pretty creative, I must admit. The first knock on our door was one of the trainer's sons and it was his first time trick-or-treating. He was cookie monster with a cookie bag for candy!!! How adorable is that?!?! I wanted to steal him :) I threw my lion blanket on and said I was a lion as I was handing out candy lol. Sad but I didn't want to dress up. It was my first time handing out candy!! I'm growing up :P Our house bonded together over the cute little kids who had really fancy (and weird and cute and everything else) costumes. Then we worked on homework a little more and by 10 everyone was in their rooms working. I was planning on going to bed but Jeremy kept me up because we felt that we should play catch up. So at 11:30pm I hopped on skype and we chatted for a few hours. I was able to coach him through a conflict as much as I could so now I can do my conflict coaching write up lol. Sorry J3, I'm using you for my advancement in my class and job :P I hope I at least helped :/ It was nice to see you and talk to you again.

So now I'm here on Monday afternoon writing to you. I have to get going to work pretty soon but please if anyone has any conflicts they would like coaching through or if a mediation is necessary, PLEASE come to me, I could use the practice!! Fight club has me at in-take hours from 1-4:30 on Mondays and 8:30-11:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So please use me as a resource. The process is voluntary and confidential and I will be neutral. It's a great experience to partake in!! Hope to hear from you soon!! Until then... Laters!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Stress with a smile

Hey everyone. I know I haven't been keeping you as updated as I said I would but I mean really, I'm having trouble catching my breath, let alone finding time to sit and cry. So here's a brief update: GREs sucked and I failed miserably at them (looks like I'm not going to UPS, c'mon OSU... Accept me please!!); Big Top was pretty awesome even though I couldn't perform in it because of my injury... the lights didn't go out for the glowstick section, which sucked, but we still killed it; and since my back injury I've still be dancing and riding like normal, I just don't show anyone how weak I am by letting them know I feel pain.

Coming up:Tomorrow is a study day, which in Skidmore terms means get drunk in the AM and party until you hurt. I, fortunately, have three excuses as to why I will not be participating in it (so don't even bother asking or calling me up to find out what I'm doing!!).

1. I have to give a conflict resolution workshop up at Glens Falls High School from 10am to 1pm. I have been working so incredibly hard on this workshop with a chick who needs to learn to keep her damn mouth shut. Literally everything I say as an idea for what to do in the workshop, she replies with "that's not a very strong idea." When I say, "well what would you like to do then?" She replies with, "I don't really care. I'm just doing this because we have to. You can create what ever curriculum you want." So I met with our other group member and we created the WHOLE curriculum AND I typed it up so that we could just give it to her so she knew what we were doing. Her response, "why couldn't I contribute to it?" WTF?!?! I've been trying soooooooo hard not to yell at her. UGH!! Regardless of what she did or did not contribute, we are traveling up to Glens Falls tomorrow to present our workshop (that I worked on for three weeks) to high school freshmen.

2. I have a horse show to prepare for. We are all supposed to go to the barn and help clean tack or horses or the ring itself. I'm helping to set up the ring. I have six assignments due on either Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, which means that I can't attend the preshow dinner. This also means that I'm ditching out on another team event because of school... LAME!! I've been thrown from a twice this semester, I've lost feeling in my left foot, and I have messed up my back. Yet somehow I'm still showing on Saturday. Cindy must be desperate.

3. The horse show itself. Athletes are not allowed to drink or party 72 hours before a game/match/show. That's the official rule that almost no athlete follows. However, I do. Not to mention that I have to be up and working at the barn by 6:30am on a Saturday. I can't stay up past 10pm unless I'm at Breakbeats practice, which we don't have on Fridays for good reason. I'm struggling to stay up and type this post as it is. My body hurts, I'm exhausted, I want to cry but don't have the energy to. I really just want to freeze time for a day. I want a day to sit and do nothing. Have nothing due the next day, have no dance practice, no equestrian practice, no show, no test to prepare for..... NOTHING. I don't have very good stamina. I just can't do it.

So there are the three excuses... In other news, I wish I had a separate email address that I used for the STARR project/my job. I get 32 emails a day and if I don't check it constantly it fills up and I have to respond to all of them at once. I constantly move emails that don't say STARR in the subject line into another folder and then forget to read them and then completely screw everyone over for not reading it. Today I found out that I can't vote because I didn't mail in something that I was supposed to have mailed in like a month ago because it was in an email I didn't read!! I haven't ever voted before so I didn't understand what I was supposed to do. I thought the absentee ballot was the email I got not the application to get the absentee ballot. EFF EMM ELLE!!!!! Apparently I now need to add "talk to family members" on my to do list so that I don't completely forget that I have family members. Today someone asked me how's your cousin doing (because she's pregnant and the person asking me was pregnant) and I literally looked at her and asked, "What cousin??" I was legit so confused!! I seriously don't talk to anyone about anything other than school or team stuff. This is messed up!! I need to give something up this semester or else I'm going to suffocate myself.

So here's the deal... I can't give up equestrian because... well let's face it, it's just not an option unless I'm physically dying or literally failing a class (which I can't do either). I can't give up any classes because it's already the middle of the semester and a drop would say something on my transcript, which I need to look pretty for grad school applications (F*** that reminds me, I didn't fill those out yet). I could theoretically give up Breakbeats but that's like saying I could give up dessert after I eat my vegetables.... I don't see that realistically happening. I could give up fight club for a little while, just until I get my feet back on the ground (which I may have to do). I can't give up work because it's important to my future, my senior sem project, and, well, me.

Giving up fight club will give me an hour of my Wednesday night back to me. Giving up a Sunday practice and maybe a Tuesday practice every now and then for Breakbeats will give me about 5 hours to add to homework time. Giving up my Thursday practices for equestrian will give me an hour and a half. IF I give up all these activities, I should be able to eat and sleep. As of right now I'm going off of 10 meals a week. I manage to squeeze in an 11th when I eat a hot pocket on my way to practice on Thursdays. I can't eat lunch because I'm in classes all day and I tend to sleep through my alarm so I run out the door for class without breakfast. This semester will basically be the death of me. But that's OK because next semester I will have 12 credits, one academic class, and another class that ends in the middle of the semester. So this is my veggie time, next semester is my dessert. Well it better be since I have enough credits and all my requirements fulfilled for graduation. I will technically be graduated this semester. HELLZ TO THE YAY-YEA!!

Ok it's officially past 11pm and I have yet to stay up past 11:30 this semester. So I'm gonna head off to sleep so that I'm not exhausted for my workshop tomorrow. To the Skidmore friends I have left: I'm sorry you haven't seen me this semester unless you're in a class with me or on a team I'm on. When you become a senior you'll understand. To my family: I swear I'll read all of the emails you've been sending me once I'm done with my senior project on the 16th of December. If it's something that's uber importante you should probably send it multiple times until I respond with "OK it's done, thanks." To all the other random people who read this: I'll get better about writing in this blog when I get through my semester of stress, which I cover up really well with a smile that says, "my teeth hurt and a smile is all I can manage to do right now." I'll write a short post about how the show goes just so you know... but until then... Laters!

Monday, October 4, 2010

I love Mondays

I know this sounds weird but seriously... Mondays are my favorite days of the week. This is the day that I wake up after having worked on Senior Sem work for 25 hours per weekend and feel relieved that I don't have to look at the assignment again until Friday. Then I get up and brush my teeth... you know get ready for my day. I go to Senior Sem Lab and work on my project. Then I go to Senior Sem Lecture (which I love so dearly because our class is becoming closer as a group and we have a common enemy to complain about) and finally Jazz class. Jazz class is literally the best class to have on Mondays. It wakes you up, gets you moving, and convinces you that you are awesome. It just makes you feel so good about yourself. Then I go to lunch and get ready for work. This is the day that I work from 1-4:30... another reason to LOVE Mondays. I get to work for 3 and half hours!! All the other days I just work 2 and a half or 1 and half. But Mondays... man-o-man I get to sit at my desk for 3 and half hours. Did I mention that I LOVE my job. I wish I could go back to the summer time when I was working from 10-4. It's amazing how happy I am after work.

Mondays also mark the start of the week that had worked so hard on the weekends to prepare for. I work Friday afternoons and nights, Saturday from when I wake up to when I go to sleep, AND Sunday nights on homework assignments for the week. I get ALL my work done for the entire week since I don't have time or energy to do anything during week days to do homework. So come Monday, I'm homework free until Friday. I can just focus on school and dance and riding all week.

The last reason I love Mondays so much is that I get to dress cute. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, I have to dress in either dance clothes or riding clothes (LAME). Friday I get to dress cute as well but Friday marks that start of another hard weekend in which I struggle to finish my work before Monday. So Mondays are my favorite day of the week.

On Saturday I had a performance for an event called Hoopla. It was promoting healthy lifestyles and getting outdoors and stuff like that. Breakbeats performed and offered a 45 minute workshop. It was pretty awesome. Little kids dancing all over the place (so adorable) and loving us break dancing. I freestyled for the first time in my life. That was fun and I managed to get my confidence about freestyling up :) It was an awesome day until I realized that I had lost 12 hours in the day that I usually use to do work. So Sunday I had to sacrifice going to Breakbeats practice so that I could get my work done in time :(

I talked to J3 on Saturday as well and things are decent with us. I still feel awkward talking to him but we'll get through it (I hope). He's still convinced that he can get me to go backpacking with him. HAH as if. The closest I get to roughin' it is going to the beach house and sleeping outside in a hammock. I will NEVER do anything remotely close to what he does as a mountaineer. Blech... I shiver just thinking about it!!

Today I learned something about the possibilities for my Senior Sem project. I could go to a Sociology convention and present my topic!! It's in February so my project will have been completely done by that point. It's a weekend long expedition and we sleep 3 to a room... only problem is that I think it's during a horse show weekend. I have to talk to Cindy about the possibilities of doing it or if I have to not get my hopes up and say "sorry can't go." I also think that it's the weekend that my mom and aunty and possibly dad were going to come up to watch me ride. So if that's the case... Sorry can't go. My whole class got super excited about it but honestly it's a soc convention... in Philadelphia... how exciting can that be?? No offense to sociologists or Philly fans. It's just not my scene.

I'm don't really have much else to catch everyone up on except that I have lost 5 lbs from Pilates and I'm eating a salad like once a day :) Aren't you proud of me?? I'm feeling great about myself and loving having pain in my body from riding and dancing every day. I know it sounds masochistic but if you are an athlete or a dancer, you know what I mean. Anyways, I've gotta get going to work :D Update you soon!! Until then, laters.