Sweet Tea Triggers

Today I just realized how much I am addicted to McDonald's sweet tea. For one, whenever my mom sends me McDonald's Dollars in the mail, it feels like Christmas. Second, the McDonald's employees who are always working when I visit (Theresa and Ben) know me by name...and my order. In fact, if one of them is working the headset, I just have to tell them that it's me and they'll have my order ready for me at the window...right every time.

Certain things in my daily routine trigger the need for a sweet tea run:
-Chemistry...anything to do with that class
-Logic homework
-New Testament papers
-a stressful day at work
-not being able to start homework until 10 pm

so, basically, these sweet tea runs are a regular occurrence.

I Would Never...Oh, I Just Did...

It's easy to stereotype college students...what they do, what they don't do, how much they procrastinate, how crazy they are, etc. Before entering college there were certain things that I had heard of that describe college students and I told my self I would never do...well, I may or may not have done some of those things. Like:

-thinking anything before 10 is way too early
-the main way to cook any type of food is using the microwave...if cooking it at all
-instead of falling asleep in class, you just stay in bed and sleep
-you can't even remember the last time you washed your car
-your underwear and sock supply dictates your laundry schedule
-you wash dishes in the bathroom sink...when it's absolutely necessary to wash them
-finding random people in your house is perfectly normal...you will even talk to them like you've known them for years.
-the standard of meals per day falls to 2...if you're lucky
-your trash is overflowing, but your bank account is definitely not
-going to WalMart is a highlight of your week
-you wear the same jeans until you can't remember the last time you washed them
-breakfast is always on the go...if it exists that is
-quarters are like gold
-procrastination is your middle name
-you talk to your roommate on facebook chat...when you guys are in the same room
-you see people you've met several times and still cannot remember their names
-last names don't exist...if you're lucky you'll get the person's first name and their major
-you pay $100 for a book that you read maybe once and return it at the end of the semester for $7
-when the dining commons food is unidentifiable, cereal is always a safe alternative
-you throw things away because you don't feel like washing them
-going to the library is a social event
-you wear flip flops in the shower...for safety precautions
-Visits home depend on how much money you have for gas
-you skip one class to write a paper for another
-Bicycles aren't as lame as they were in high school
-your balance improves drastically...just try shaving in the showers in the dorm
-you've stopped to put $5 worth of gas in your car
-going to the mailbox becomes an ego booster/breaker...take your pick
-packages rank right up there with birthdays
-printers only break down when you desperately need them
-your computer and planner become your brain
-a canceled class is almost as exciting as Christmas
-taking a nap in the library is completely normal
-Christmas lights are acceptable all year round
-you are no longer thankful that fire alarms are here to protect you
-there's always a "question "kid in atleast one of your classes...this is where you get to practice patience
-laundry is an all day event
-you actually start using coupons
-you run out of black ink, and instead of buying a new cartridge, you decide blue is a nice substitute...adds a bit of flair

yep, I most definitely fit into this stereotype...

10 Great TV Role Models for Kids

This was an article title on the MSN news page this morning, and really, I was quite disturbed...

1) Clinton Kelly and Stacy London: tell contestants time and time again that they need to love themselves, love their bodies as they are, and find ways to dress and groom themselves in a way that helps them feel good and succeed in the world.

2) Lisa Simpson: remains passionate, idealistic and sweet despite her circumstances.

3) Mercedes from Glee: beauty doesn't always come in a stick-thin body. She uses her talent to tell the world what she believes.

4) Alexis from Castle: a happy teen who loves her dad. Rather study over the weekend than spend time with her friends - responsible.

5) Tim Gunn: wisest man on television - "make it work" is his famous quote.

6) Jon Stewart: reminds us that extremism evokes fear and bitterness.

7) Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman from Mythbusters: geeky and curious. Relentlessly creative in pursuit of elusive truths. They make learning entertaining.

8) Ellen Degeneres: gives hope to teens who are struggling with their sexual identity.

9) Veronica Mars: smart, fearless, witty, and disciplined. Can tell her parents anything and never fell into peer pressure.

10) Jamie Oliver: taught others how to improve their health through home cooking. He is proof that you can take your passion and make something great of yourself. Anyone can make a difference.

Not bashing on any of these people, do you see why I am so disturbed? I mean, some have pretty good "qualities", but I would not want any of these "top 10" to be my child's role model. Our culture does not need anyone else telling us to love ourselves more, we are already too good at that. The Simpsons...really? First, it is a cartoon, and second, I would never let my kids watch that show, let alone try to make one of the characters my child's role model. Yes, I believe that gender identity is a real problem in today's society, but Ellen Degeneres is not the person we need to be getting our advice from on such an issue.

God calls us to be role models. We need to be stronger than these role models that society is trying to push for. What are we doing today that encourages others to live for Christ?

I Am Officially a Non-Prankster

So, part of the college life is pulling pranks right? Well, I am officially against pranks...probably for the rest of my life. Let me just share a little bit of why I am not a good candidate:

1- I don't like being mean to others...even if it's a joke
2 - I hate it when people are mad at me...seriously, if you wanted to pull a prank on me, all you would have to do would be mad at me for no apparent reason.
3 - and just to show you how upset I can get when people are mad at me...I sometimes cry

Ok, so on Friday, I fell asleep in our RA office on the couch. Well, one of my dear friends found this to be the perfect opportunity to grab a marker and be creative. I'll let you use your imagination on that one :) I eventually woke up, and of course eventually found out that I had marker all over my face. Yes, I admit, I laughed. I thought it was pretty clever..until it took me a total of 25 minutes to wash it off. By then, my face was raw and you could still see remnants of the marker, which now looked like multiple bruises. Oh well, I can just get him back right?

So, back to the pranking. I REALLY don't like it. BUT, this was a good opportunity for me to do it because, you see, it takes A LOT to make this friend mad. Or so I thought. So, I mustered up the strength to do some damage. Not permanent damage, just enough to be a little annoying and provide a good laugh. Of course, the whole time I'm doing it, I'm feeling extremely bad, but I eventually got over it.

Well, later I found out that he got back to campus sooner than I thought. No big deal...until his roommates told me that he had had a really bad day and then came back to school to what I had done. Awesome, of course I would do it when he had a bad day. So then I asked his friends how upset he really was. Then they informed me that he called campus safety to "report vandalization". Yep, my plan is totally going in the opposite direction I intended it to. I then asked his roommates where he was so that I could go apologize and clear everything up. I found out he was in the computer lab and headed over. By this time, I feel HORRIBLE...so horrible I am on the verge of tears. To make matters worse, I get to the computer lab, motion for him to come out, and what does he do? Gives me the worst look I have ever received in my life, pulls up his hood, and walks away sulking in the opposite direction. Okay, now I am horrified.

So, I go back to the dorm, crying because I feel awful. And go back to his room to clean the remainder of the mess up. Finally, he calls one of my friends and says that he is back from the computer lab and wanted to talk. I was so relieved! I could finally apologize and clear all of this ugliness up. So, I cautiously go outside where he is sitting just waiting for him to stand up and start yelling. But he didn't, he just sat there, so I preceded and apologized for what I had done, that I was sorry that he had a bad day, etc. Hoping that he would maybe forgive me eventually.

And you know what he did?? He just looked up and said, "I was just joking".

Oh.my.goodness. I have never felt so many emotions at the same time in my life! I was SO relieved that he was joking, I still felt bad for what I had done, and I was a little mad that he had gone so long with this "just joking" thing.

Well, finally we got it all sorted out, and I'm pretty sure we're still friends. And yes, I will probably be laughing about this whole thing a month or two down the road. What did I learn? A LOT. When it's all said and done, I will never pull a prank ever again...no matter what. Why? Because I never want to feel as horrible as I did last night ever again!

And of course, when I am stressing out like this, pretty much everyone I encounter gets the low-down. So, to.....

my beautiful Co-RA: I'm super sorry that we couldn't watch Project Runway, I love that show and was looking forward to watching it with you. I'm sorry that this whole situation stressed you out so much too. But thanks for being there, you make me laugh :)

the betraying roommate of my object of revenge: Thanks for letting me into your guys' room :) Even though it cost you cleaning up everything afterwords...I'm sure you liked doing it though since you're the neat freak of that household (ps - I'm sorry your name sounds so...degrading. I couldn't think of anything else!)

my object of revenge: oh my, that was crazy. You can rest assured that I will never do that again. I'm really sorry too for doing that to you; I'm sorry that you got upset. And don't tell me that you weren't upset because your betraying roommate told me that you were upset initially :) So, please forgive me and I hope we can still be friends :)

Dress to Impress

In Chemistry on Wednesday, the guy who sits next to me asked me why I "dress up" all the time. Now, what he meant by dress up is wearing anything but sweatpants and a sweatshirt. So, I just told him that I felt better, more awake, and thought I did better in class when I dressed like I do. He thought that was interesting and said he was going to try it.

Today, he walked into class wearing brown shoes, gray sweatpants, a white polo, and a black sweater over top.

He may need a few lessons...

The Reuben

Fall break was last weekend, and let me tell you...it was a MUCH needed break. I am extremely grateful for it :) But, I was also ready to get back into the routine and let the semester keep going on its merry little way. When I returned to campus yesterday for dinner, NOTHING on campus was open where we could get food. So, I was "forced" to grab something off of campus.

I opted for Arby's. I tried a new sandwhich the last time I went there and it sounded pretty good. And, Arby's is right across the street. It seemed like a win-win situation.

I got there, and none of the sandwhich meals looked like the one I had had the previous time. Then, I spotted the Reuben. I really didn't know what it was, but from the picture, it looked like roast beef and provolone cheese between two pieces of rye bread. I almost asked the cashier before ordering to see what exactly the sandwhich was, but what else could it be??

Apparently I have no clue what a Reuben sandwhich is - corned beef and sauerkraut! And yes, I took a BIG bite. Actually, I took a couple of bites. The first couple bites I just couldn't tell what it was. And then, I opened the sandwhich and smelled it...then I figured it out. And was completely disgusted.

The thing is, on Wednesday I got food poisoning just from a cheeseburger! Clearly, my body is really picky when it comes to eating meat. So, the whole night I was dreading and just waiting for my stomach to get back at me for being so inconsiderate and putting those two nasty foods into it. But, thankfully, nothing happened.

Needless to say, I will NEVER, EVER, eat another Reuben sandwhich.

The Backward Notebook

Today in church, I sat by a lady that was writing in a "backwards" notebook. Well, really, it was a notebook made for leftys! For you right-handed people, you don't have to fight against the binding when you write in a notebook. It gets quite annoying, and personally, my handwriting looks sloppier the closer I get to the binding because the binding gets in the way and my hand is constantly fighting against it. You may think the journal above looks like the defect out of the bunch; I look at it and get excited because the notebook was finally made for convenience!