In need of a warm sweater

Well...winter has finally come to Pennsylvania. And in full blast.

For those of you not reading this from a chilly dorm room at IUP...it's been snowing here all day. The ground I suppose isn't cold enough yet, because it hasn't really stuck (I don't really understand it since the wind is enough to get my body rattling and shaking uncontrollably within an minute of stepping outdoors).

I'm at the coffeehouse, slightly chilly. There seems to be a draft or something, from an open door or a crack in a window. But glancing around at the other patrons in their cozy sweaters of all types makes me yearn for sweater shopping. Some people can really pull off certain styles with flair...Al has on a really simple black sweater that looks SO warm and toasty, yet I'm pretty sure it'd look really goofy on me. Then there's an older woman rocking one of those over patterned colorful sweaters from the 80s...and she looks perfectly fine! I must say, I'm at a loss as to how Andrei (an employee here) isn't freezing with just a t-shirt on. I hear girls are naturally colder than guys...don't really know if that's true or not. But I'm in dier need of a sweater or some gloves or something...leg warmers??

Just a little side story to warm the soul.

Last night I went to Johnstown to pick up my best friend from the train station. While waiting on the platform (with all the nutcases) the church clocks struck 6pm and started playing music. I couldn't believe it, but my favorite Christmas song was playing (O Come, O Come Emmanuel) which I had coincidentally been listening to the entire ride down from Indiana. I hummed it a bit until another church's bells rang out over the song. As the train neared the station, the conductor guy outside on the platform with us would talk to the guy on the train, letting him know which track to take and whatnot...and just before they signed off I heard the man on the train tell the conductor standing next to me, "Hey buddy, if I don't get a chance to see or talk to you before the holidays, you have a Merry Christmas and many blessings to you and your family." My heart just swelled at that one. I always loved Christmas.

Just not this snow!

That's how you know

Thought it was time I updated whoever (if anyone) reads this.

I'm 21 now. YAY! And I'm pretty much over it already. It just feels like it did in England. I'm not a big drinker, I'm just (to use the pathetic excuse my smoker friends have) a "social" drinker. I like going out to the bar to watch the Eagles game or a soccer match and have a rum and coke...or go out with the girls and get a girly Cosmo. I'm not all about the whole, let's get absolutely drunk thing...only on VERY few occasions. Such as my birthday. It was a lot of fun, even though most of my friends at home aren't 21 yet. I just can't wait for Talley to turn 21...and Andy...that'll be fun for sure. The guys and I should be going out sometime this week, looking more like this weekend though, so that should prove to be a good time. My friend's roomate is coming too, so that will be fun. He and I see each other around campus all the time (mostly at my job at Java City), and he normally has a funny story for me.

I'm hooked, absolutely hooked on the new Disney movie, Enchanted. It may look goofy and girly, but if you watched the Disney movies as a kid, or like musicals, or even just think McDreamy is beyond dreamy...go see it! The music is great, full of laughs, and, well...Patrick Dempsey is sooooo cute! And he even sings a little bit...and it is possibly the best moment in the movie! :)

School's really starting to get hectic. I have a project due Friday that I just got on Monday, but I've got the materials for it, and I'll be able to work on it in class tomorrow, so I'm not too worried. My essay for Colonial America got pushed back two days, so that's good. As did my Russian History essay. But I still have much to do, especially with English. GAH! I just hope I can mush all my stuff together, do a good job, get it done, and get the A. Cross your fingers!

Now I'll really find out if people read this...

I need help like no other. I'm entering photos in a Photo Contest, and I can't decide on my entry for Landscape (you're only allowed one)...so please, PLEASE...if you read this, comment and let me know which picture you think is better. THANK YOU!!

A view of the river Cam in Cambridge, UK

The Mediterranean Sea in Toulon, France

Giving Thanks

Well, considering the only time we ever did the whole "Everyone say what you're thankful for" thing was when Jon kept bringing it up and we'd all go around and say the quintessential 'friends and family' reply, I feel I should write a couple of the things I'm thankful for (besides friends and family) on here.

...Unfortunately, I got one thing I was thankful for down, and decided that was a dumb idea...mainly because its hard to come up with things that don't have to do with my friends or family...guess I'm one of those sorry excuses for an interesting human being.

Anywho, I saw a GREAT movie last night with Gallgher...Enchanted...DEF. the best Disney movie I've seen in a LONG time. It was perfect b/c it had the modern plot to it, plus all the old school Disney movies put together, and great music. I'm going to see it again tomorrow I think, I hope! It's most certainly recommended to ALL. Plus Patrick Dempsey is really uber cute in it! teeheehee.

I'm currently typing this up in the kitchen on the hutch, mainly because I'm too lazy to unplug my drained battery and move my Triptophaned butt upstairs. And since I'm getting pretty tired just standing here typing...and my parents are begging me to take the dogs out...looks like I'm done for the night.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Taking a cue from Grey's Anatomy

After seeing a recent episode of Grey's, I've been inspired to list a few things most people don't know about me...a few things that "will make it harder for you to hate me" as Lexi says in the show.

1. I need a pillow on my lap when I travel to be comfortable. A security thing that has stayed with me since the "poo-low" I dragged around as a toddler.

2. I absolutely LOVE watching TLC's Little People, Big World.

3. The best thing a guy could say to me is, "You're lovely" or "You look lovely"...something with 'lovely' in it.

4. I love photography...especially architectural photos.

5. I hate all types of fruit. I won't eat it. And the only veggies I like are potatoes, corn, and raw carrots. And I've never had scurvy. :)


So there you have it...

What are the five things that will make it harder for me to hate you?

What is it about snow?

Just a small update here...mainly about my recent activities (and consequently how much I am enjoying myself).

Got back to Eastern PA Friday afternoon with Talley. The 4 1/2 hour drive is really becoming shorter and shorter...not to mention, good CDs help. Driving through snow, however, isn't always fun. It was certainly pretty though. Ironic, how as soon as we get into Priscilla (Talley's Acura) and pull out of the Campus Towers parking lot, it begins to snow. It snowed about half the drive home.

When we finally reached Philly (I even held my breath for 2 tunnels!!...Talley was too busy singing Michael Jackson songs to compete with me) Talley, her boyfriend Frank, and I all deliberated on how we'd score more tickets to the Orchestra that night, since Frank was only able to get his hands on two - from two of his students, Jarret Ganskey and Lingyu Lu...Talley's Asian, so it worked out perfectly.

We found out we could each pay 10 bucks for a student ticket if we purchased them directly from the Box Office before 6:30 so we got dressed and headed downtown to buy the tickets and get some dinner at Olive Garden. Paul, Frank's friend, met up with us for dinner too. After stuffing ourselves to the brink, we quickly (and painfully for those of us wearing heels) made our way back to the Kimmel Center for the performance.

I must say, it was quite impressive. We were even able to be a part of a recording of one of the pieces, so that was pretty exciting. And funny, since you had to try your best to remain quiet, there was a woman a few rows up from us who had her hand clamped down on her daughter's mouth for half of it.

We eventually made it north to my area Saturday evening for some Wafflehouse, Coldstone Creamery, and some shopping at the Promenade. I love walking around there, stopping in the shops, grabbing a hot chocolate or mocha at Starbucks (the ONLY Starbucks I'll go to...mainly for its convienience), getting warm by the fire pits, and catching a movie at the Rave. Ah, good times. I think Talley and everyone had a good time here in the valley, at least I hope they did.

Fastforward a few hours, and here I am at home. Go figure, it's snowing. Probably the same snow we encountered back at IUP, but no mind. The ground's too warm for the snow to stick, so its just making the roofs look slightly dusted and Christmasy. Pair that with the fireplace roaring in the living room, my two labs chewing on my old field hockey balls, my dad blaring Pink Floyd, and I can finally smile and say, "I'm Home."

Girls on Planes

While enroute to Carcassonne, France back in March...the unthinkable happened. My heart was lightened. Now, granted, that happened everytime the plane landed safely (I'm afraid of flying) but this was different. My heart was lightened by a little French girl, complete with pink blanky.

Now, to set up the story...

I was travelling with a good friend all around France, mostly by train, but to get from England to France, we flew. He took the window since he didn't get much sleep the night before at the airport and I took up the other two seats in our aisle by draping my legs across them. I drifted off into a half-sleep after takeoff and blared some Cartel in my headphones.

In this drowsy state, I was waiting for (and dreading) a flight attendent to come around and tell me to put my legs down. I didn't need to wait too long before I felt someone lightly touch my knee. Before opening my eyes fully, I swung my legs down and almost kicked a little girl in the head. I stopped myself, with one leg hanging above the little girl who looked about 3 or 4 years old. My other leg was already resting on the floor, with the little girl's hand and blanky on my knee. The warmth from her blanky was amazing (it was FREEZING on that flight). She just looked so sweet and innocent, her eyes were huge and light blue. She hardly blinked while she stared at me for a minute or two. I couldn't help but smile at her and it took everything in my body to resist reaching down to hug her. Eventually she looked from me to my friend sleeping against the window and started sucking on her thumb. With blanky in hand, she pointed to my friend and mumbled something. And I said something along the lines of, "yeah, he's sleeping." She looked confused so I said the same thing in French and then she giggled a little bit and put her blanky back on my knee.

We hit some slight turbulance, causing me to grip the armrests and sent the little girl tumbling to the floor. She pulled herself up using my jeans then pointed to a woman sitting a few rows up and said, "mama." I smiled and nodded and looked to the woman who gave me an apologetic glance. Then the little girl wandered back to her mother.

It's not until now that I realize this, but I never saw that little girl again; not even while leaving the plane once in France. But I know I'll never forget her, nor how calm and happy she made me in a matter of two minutes.

Just a story from my travels that few know about.