Listen, the world speaks.

times

2008-10-26T23:39:00.002-04:00

Things are changing, and not for the better. Life's been spinning and spinning lately and I haven't yet figured out how to get out. I've decided to move back to CT after this semester. I'm just not happy down here in DC. i think everyone has places they fit in and places that they dont. and here, i dont.

Instead, I'm gonna go back home, and hopefully get into the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. I dont know why it took me so long to pursue it, but i've always wanted to go into broadcasting. and now i think i can make it happen. im looking forward to being back home with my best friends, and my family, and everything im content with. i dont regret coming down here, though. it just helped me see that the fast life that is DC is not the life for me.

And i wish that certain things now were the way they were in the begining. I want it back. I need to feel that way again. I dont need much, but i need this. Tearin in my heart.

Baltimore Marathon

2008-10-12T15:09:00.003-04:00

So this was the big weekend for Pat. him and his friend Chad had signed up to run in the Baltimore Marathon a few months ago, and the day was finally here, so we all spent the weekend in Baltimore. Chad's family was nice enough to let us stay at their home for a few days, and we had a really awesome time. the morning of the race was very intense, the guys were really nervous and pumped up. did i mention that a marathon is 26.2 miles? totally nuts.

me and elizabeth (chads girlfriend) hungout during the race, going from the start line, to mile marker 6, then to mile marker 13 and then to the finish line where we waited to hopefully see our guys cross the finish line. Pat had been having problems with his knee for a few weeks prior to the race, so i of course was worried about him being in alot of pain. but that final moment when i saw him coming towards me at the fnish line, was one of the most exhilerating feelings i'd ever felt in my life. he looked exhausted, but he smiled anyways, and i just felt like the proudest girlfriend in the world.

in marathons like this, theres a 7 hour time limit for finishing. pat ended up finishing with a time of 4 hours and 17 minutes. i couldnt believe how well he did. i just knew how important this day was to him, and that he'd push through any amount of pain just to finish it. he did so great, i couldnt have been any prouder.

after the race, elizabeth and i took turns giving our guys ice baths, (one of the saddest things ive ever witnessed haha) and his cousins got crabs for dinner. definitely a fun experience opening those babies up. we got back last night, drove through downtown to see all the monuments lit up. pat was in alot of pain that night, and this morning too. its my job to take care of him for the next few weeks, and im actually looking forward to it.

(^^crossing the finish line!)

birthday in philly

2008-10-01T22:17:00.002-04:00

I turned 21 on Sunday, and no i didn't get "effed up". It all started with friday night, my roommate Jenna setup this whole little birthday party for me at our apartment, and invited some people over. She got me these adorable cupcakes from a new cupcake shop in Dupont Circle, and made snacks and dips and drinks. Originally, the plan as I knew for the weekend was to spend the day downtown with Pat on saturday, since he couldnt get work off on sunday. Little did I know what was really happening.

As I was getting some food ready for the party, Pat asked me if i was excited for our saturday, and of course i said yes. then he told me that anything i thought we were doing wasn't really going to happen. Instead, he planned a weekend trip for us to Philadelphia, where we'd have a hotel by the river, and 2 tickets to see Weezer saturday night.

To say the least, I started screaming, and then crying, and then both. All month I had been whining about how I wouldnt get to see Weezer this time around, and how bummed and upset I was about it. I was so excited!

We took the bus to Philly first thing in the morning, and spent the day visiting all of the historic places in the city, which pat just loved. After checking into the hotel and taking a brief nap, we headed over to the river to where the ferry would take us across to Camden, NJ where the concert was. Just a short 10 minute boat ride across the Delaware River and we were right there at the Susquehanna Bank Center. Very awesome place. The show was incredible, I sang louder than ever, and we were singing and swaying and hugging and it was just awesome!

Best part? The Weez closed the very end of the show with Buddy Holly, and played it just as the clock struck midnight, which meant I was officially 21. After the show we went back over the river to Philly, and headed for South Street for my first bar purchased drink, and the greatest philly cheesesteak ever. After a pint of ice cream, i was overdue for sleep.

Needless to say, it was one of the best weekends of my life. Pat was great, I still can't believe how badly he surprised me. Love was definitely in the philly/camden air that night.

new JM album

2008-09-24T18:00:00.005-04:00

So i managed to get a copy of the new Jack's Mannequin album, The Glass Passenger before its actually released next week, and i've been listening to it like crazy. I'm not crazy about the album as a whole, but theres definitely some great songs, with those lyrics that just drive me bananas.

These hammers and strings
Been following me around
From a box filled garage
To the dark punk rock clubs
Of 1000 American crowds
And my friend calls me up
She says, "how have you been?"
I say, "dear I've been well,
Yeah the money's coming
But I miss you like hell.
I still hear you in this
Old piano, oh yeah."
She says, "Andy, I know
That we don't talk as much
But I still hear your ghost
In these old punk rock clubs
Come on, write me a song
Give me something to trust
Just promise you won't let it be
Just the keys that you touch."

Just a snippet of the song "Lullaby". i think the words are beautiful.
but yeah, i strongly suggest getting this album when it comes out if youre a fan of JM at all and liked the first cd,
although its pretty different.

Somerset race!

2008-09-21T11:30:00.002-04:00

So, this morning i ran in a 2K race in Chevy Chase, MD. It was a pretty spontaneous decision to run this race, a decision i made less than a week ago. But i am SO glad i did it! It felt so good to run, and i actually did pretty well considering i'm not a runner at all. Pat came to root for me and take pictures. I was so happy he was there. I think i'll definitely try running more of these races, gradually adding more distance each time.

It felt good to finally do something different for myself down here. BikeDC might be next!

my afternoon in Dupont Circle

2008-09-20T18:10:00.004-04:00

So today i had to meet with my ITEC group for the first time to go over our team project, and we decided to meet down in Dupont Circle, which was totally okay with me since Dupont is awesome. It took over an hour for all six of us to find each other there (its a long story), but after grabbing a vanilla-caramel cooler from caribou coffee, and walking around for a long time, we finally got to chatting. we pretty much just sat in the little park and talked for about 10 minutes and then left. all that trouble for 10 minutes...

But then i remembered there was a Krispy Kreme right next to the entrance to the metro, and since ive never had a donut from there before, i dragged half the group there with me to enjoy. It was totally worth it too, yum. (i still miss dunkin donuts though..)

I came back and helped jenna clean the apartment, and then made us roasted garlic and cheese mashed potatoes... oh yes.

Tomorrow morning i'm running in a 2k race in chevy chase, md. i hate running, but since pats been doing so much of it lately, i thought it was the least a could do to show him i support his efforts. Speaking of his efforts, he ran his first 20 mile run this afternoon, still in preparation for the marathon. I dont think hes doing so well though after that, i think i gotta bring him something to relax him a little later on.

And you know whats really great? making a sweet playlist and taking a bath while listening to it. :)

a few songs im lovin

2008-09-19T22:28:00.003-04:00

stole a couple vids from youtube of songs im really lovin right now.
just thought itd be nice to share the love!

Rilo Kiley- Pictures of Success

Punchline- Getting There is Getting By

Headlights- Put Us Back Together Right

ENJOY!

:)

2008-09-18T00:27:00.000-04:00

cheer me

2008-09-17T16:02:00.002-04:00

today, ive just felt sad. i dont know whats been wrong with me since moving down here, but im just not myself anymore. i feel like theres a lot of components in my life that i need to make me feel happy, and complete. but down here, i can only fill a few of those, and its just not enough.

its fall in ct, my favorite time of year. all the things i look forward to most every year happen now. the parade, the farms weekend, apple cider slushies and football games. my birthday is soon. i just hate feeling this way, its not me at all. its just at this point in my life, i cant have everything i want at the same time. its just not possible. and i dont want to let anyone down.

cheer me up, please?

tengo groceries!

2008-09-15T17:22:00.003-04:00

So i went grocery shopping today, and it always feels so good to come back with yummy food. I got more cinnamon toast waffles, peanut butter, yogurt, fruit, and even hot cocoa mix (i guess im hoping itll get a little cooler out). I thought about going to the mets/nationals game tonight, but the cowboys are on monday night football and i just cant miss that! plus, ive already got tickets to thursdays mets game, so im not missing out.

We watched a film in class today called Life & Debt. its this documentary about the money and trade problems in Jamaica. basically the stuff that tourists have no idea about when they visit. it was kinda cool. better than listening to that teacher talk for an hour and fifteen minutes...

Talked to mom again today. She said she bought stuff to make chicken soup but she wasnt going to make it anytime soon because she wanted me to be home when she made it. Plus, dad's very strict about his soup rule. You know, the one where he isn't allowed to eat soup in between the exact dates that make up summer. But as soon as that first day of fall hits, he's all for it. What a doof.

Less than two weeks til i turn 21!

HOT

2008-09-14T18:39:00.005-04:00

i seriously think it was a hundred degrees today. for crying out loud its september, can we cool off a little? because of the ridiculous heat, i stayed in for most of the day. i made homemade garlic mashed potatoes (i roasted the garlic in the oven for cryin out loud), watched football and baseball games, and did homework. roomie finally came back today from home, i started to feel like i had my own apartment for awhile!

in other news, the new Punchline album comes out tuesday! woooo!

im meeting with a lady tomorrow morning for a potential once a week job, cleaning her extremely rich giant house. i know, doesnt sound like the best job, but i could definitely use something that pays well, is close to campus, and only once a week.

i want to start saving up some money for a potential spring break trip. i dont care where i go, i just want to actually go away for spring break once. sure break is in march, but i think i want to go back to old orchard this year. its been too long and i miss it like crazy. ive been dying to take pat there, its one of my favorite places ever.

exhausted

2008-09-13T23:22:00.003-04:00

So today began with intensity. Pat and I went downtown to the national mall, and while he ran, i biked right next to him, for 12 miles! we did three complete laps around the mall, from the capital all the way down to the lincoln memorial. pat was a trooper, it was so hot out and he hadnt run 12 miles before, but he totally did it and i was so proud of him.

then we came back to tenley and got lunch at Chipotle, which was amazing as usual. and u even went next store and got a chocolate oreo milkshake from Z burger. yum.

so along with sore knees and sunburn, i think a little heat exhaustion and dehydration took over my body tonight. i hadnt felt this sick in a really long time.

my plans for tomorrow? NOTHING. i plan on relaxing as much as possible. hopefully i feel a while lot better when i wake up than i do right now. its bed time.

booked it

2008-09-11T21:32:00.004-04:00

So i'm pretty excited. I booked my train tickets to go home for fall break next month. I really miss home alot, despite my thinking I wasn't going to. I talked to mom on the phone tonight for over an hour, which was nice. She sent me a card that I got today in the mail. It was an "i miss you" card, aww haha.

My apartment is so quiet with just me here. I gotta pump up the jams or throw a party or something haha. Tomorrow is friday, thank god. On saturday, pat and i are going downtown to run/bike ride to help him train for the marathon (and just giving me a good workout) and then getting lunch at Chipotleeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

homework time! then sleeps.
seeya!

ps. i fixed my own bike brakes tonight, how handy am i? (ok so i had to watch a step by step youtube video on how to fix bike brakes, but i broke out the tools and everything!!)

a new recipe

2008-09-10T18:32:00.002-04:00

So after a rough day and night, I ended up having a pretty nice Wednesday. Classes weren't as bad as usual. Our lab for ITEC was confusing as hell, and my vocal class was easy as pie (we were learning to clap quarter and half notes...), but then a revelation happened: i slightly semi a little bit kinda understood my Calculus professor today!!! i mean, you dont even know, the last math class i took was pre-cal with ms. eaton junior year at bchs. so yeah, about 4+ years since math, and i have yet to even remotely understand my redskins-obsessed calc teacher, until today that is.

derivatives were the word, and although the first 20 minutes was a complete blur, the rest seemed almost english. it was so exciting that as soon as i got out of class i called pat to tell him the good news. god im retarted.

in between classes i met up with pat, took a little snooze, and helped him cook his weeks worth of pasta dinner with everything but the kitchen sink in it. i love cooking for him. hell, i just love cooking.

i rode the bike back home, finished up my statistical analysis on Burma for my 3rd World class, and then made dinner... with a new recipe i came up with! id love to share it with you (you really being me, cause nobody else reads this haha).

Angel hair pasta
w/ a white wine garlic cream sauce

basically, you cook the pasta as normal. in another saucepan, i melted about a tablespoon of butter, and chopped up 2 pretty large cloves of garlic. once the garlic cooked a bit and started to smell really good, i added about 3/4 of a cup of white wine. i scraped the bottom of the pan to get all the garlic and butter mixed in with the wine, and once it came to a boil, i added another half a cup of wine. then i let boil to reduce for about 8 minutes. once the wine had reduced a bit, i turned the heat down to medium-low and added about 3/4 cup of heavy cream, along with some salt and pepper to taste. i let simmer for about 5 minutes. then once both the sauce and the pasta were done, i poured the cream sauce right over the pasta, added a little bit of grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and mixed together.

and thats it, its really easy, and incredibly amazing. now mind you, you probably want to cook up some chicken breasts to add to this, but i didnt have any thawed.. so straight up pasta was good enough for me!!

anyways, im now sippin some lemonade, watching rachael ray (per usual) and getting ready to finish my marketing homework, and reading for comparative politics. ice cream sundae tonight? holler

Asthenia

2008-09-09T16:25:00.003-04:00

So today was a day. The day was okay, though I still wasn't feeling well from yesterday. I'm making dinner tonight for Jenna and I, some yummy pasta with tomato-mozzarella-ricotta sauce, and corn on the cob. I have a butt load of homework and stuff to do tonight for this week, so I should probably get on that soon. I'm hoping to do something fun this weekend. Roomie is going away for another long weekend which means another empty apartment for me.

Today I woke up feeling this sort of uncertainty in my gut. It was really strange and uncomfortable. I'm not really sure why it came about all of a sudden, or even what it meant. What could I be unsure about?

I really have to start getting to some homework. I'll write again soon.

a new life

2008-09-08T21:32:00.002-04:00

Holy moly. So this blog was created back in January when I was required to have one for my New Media class, and I more or less just remembered it existed. I realized that now, more than ever, I need a place to write. There have been some big changes, which require big thoughts, and those thoughts need to be let out. I don't think theres anyone who will read this besides myself, but thats okay. I'm considering this to be my own personal thing, so I can eventually read back and see how I used to feel about things.

You may notice my location isn't Bristol, CT anymore. I moved down to the nation's capital to finish up college and experience life a little bit. The move has been good, but really hard on me so far. I'm bad with change. I get comfortable with living the same way and that's usually just how I like things to be, the same. I fear change, responsibility, failing. I'm sick of relying on others when I know I need to rely on myself alot more. I just have to push myself a little bit and I think I'll be just fine.

I'll tell you though, never in my life did I ever think I'd miss Bristol. But i totally do. I miss my house, and my bed, and my family, and my friends. And I miss having an accessible car (ive walked/biked more in the last three weeks than i have in my entire life haha). So far classes are pretty crummy. I went from feeling really smart to feeling very lost and out of place in school. I think it's just the combination of bad classes this semester thats making my first experience at this school feel difficult.

Saturday night, I did decide to go out and meet a friend at a party. If you've known me for a long time, you'd probably think I'm the life of the party, and easily able to go out and meet new people. Since being down here, I've found a completely different side of myself that's socially afraid to go out and meet new people, and I can't figure out why that is. But I did go out, despite feeling a little nervous about it, and I honestly had a really good time. I met some really nice girls that seemed to think I was nice too, or so i hope. All in all I was just glad to have gotten out of the apartment for a change.

I should also mention Pat. Of course he's one of the reasons I moved down here, if not the biggest one of all. I'm just really blessed to have him in my life and he's been my biggest support through everything, and not just since being down here. And I admire him. He takes everything for what it is, and never complains. I can only hope to be even a fraction of what he is someday. He makes the days go by a lot easier for me, and for that, I am forever grateful.