at home with dad....

I work at my dad's hardware store in the smallest town in Virginia while I'm home. My dad is a republican in that way that I'm-a-republican-and-everyone-else-is-a-lesser-citizen way, and despite the fact that I have a strict no-talking policy when it comes to politics with my dad, he seems to know that I voted for Barack...which he likes to mention whenever a member of his particular brand of republican-ism comes in.

It's really great that I'm not allowed to have my own opinions without getting ridiculed in public by my father.

yay political bigotry!

If it weren't for the fact that my dad is a really great guy, other than the fact that he thinks he's always right, and the fact that I love him more than anything in the world, I would run away.

That's all that I have to say about that.

Groceries and Aaron Karo

Ok, so I'm in the middle of finals. I'm leaving for Manhattan in a week, and I'm thinking, I'm out of food but I'm leaving in a week, so why would I buy more? It's like, just buy a half-gallon of milk you fool! Now I have to drive 10 minutes to get a sub instead of 2 minutes to the grocery store because I'm too lazy to buy my own bread and turkey.

Also, have you ever had a conversation where someone is talking about a blog you read? Here is an example:

E: So, the guy whose blog I read went to Penn, and it's so funny how he talks about how crazy it is up there because it's an ivy league school and you don't expect that kind of thing from an ivy league school.

Me: Why are they all from Penn? The guy whose blog I read is from Penn, too. What are they doing, creating a new species of funny blog authors? Have you ever heard of Ruminations by Aaron Karo?

E: Are you effing kidding me

Really? In this era of billions of blogs, how is it that E and I, two completely opposite personalities, ended up reading and loving the same blog by some guy who lives in LA? Of course, there are other blogs that aren't read by anyone but the author. Oh, oops. Did I just call myself out?

by the way, check out ruminations.com. Read from the beginning. This guy was funnier than me, and more intelligent than I ever hope to be, when he was a freshman in college. This guy figured out things it took me 3 years of college to figure out in his first month. Makes me question the validity of my GPA.

woohoo football!!!

So! It's time you know where I go to school because have I got some news! After an embarassing start to the season, the Virginia Tech Hokies are going to the Orange Bowl in (what we hope to be) sunny Miami Florida!

I say I hope because last year we went and it was cold and miserable the entire time. Not exactly the kind of weather you would expect: when you look outside your window and see the palm trees swaying in the wind and being pounded by the rain, it's straight-up depressing.

E and Twin are coming with! And we are (yes, we are, and no, I am not kidding) DRIVING 17 hours to go to this game. It's over new years, so all of E's roommates/our friends who are in the band are going to party like it's the year we graduate in Miami! How cool will that be?

Word to the wise: If you want to drink in Florida, it's strictly BYO unless you want to pay 30 bucks for a 350 of aristocrat. We're bringing champagne, too!! yummy! Yes, I am of age.

If the weather is beautiful, get prepared for pictures and be prepared to be jealous because it's FLORIDA instead of blacksburg Virginia (where it is colder than the average tundra)

When In Rome....

This may give away my position...but that is OK, for I am going to RIVA in Switzerland for 6 weeks this summer! I just got accepted into an international communication program there and I will be studying international PR and photojournalism in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

My school has a villa there that I will live in with 29 other communication students and 3 faculty members. The program is 2 weeks of in-person study, and 4 weeks of online coursework that allow us to travel as groups, by ourselves, or with family or friends.

10 days of the travel weeks are going to spent with E, my favorite boyfriend ever, and we are going to Italy and France. 10 days will be spent with Twin, who is actually 10 years older than me, but is my lookalike sister nonetheless. We are going to go to Greece or Croatia, as well as Switzerland. The last week will be spent with Daddy, and him and I are going to Germany to the place where him and Mom met and fell in love (such a beautiful story...remind me to tell you sometime!)

I just found out during Thanksgiving, and that is what I am thankful for! The ability to further my horizons and spend time in Europe, learning other business practices, other cultures, and, perhaps most importantly, other foods. YUMMY italian food, I am so excited. I'm a little weary of French food, but hey, whilest in Rome/Paris...

Any suggestions for international travel? Hostels? Transportation? Food? Museums? Culture? I want to know all of it! I don't want to be one of those people who travels to Italy and eats in an Olive Garden, or goes to Paris and JUST sees the majestic Eiffel, and misses out on great, lesser known, experiences.

I'm off to the library to check out travel books on these glorious places!

OBAMA!!

I am so proud to be an American today. While the electoral process and me have had a difficult relationship for years, it was still incredibly evident through the electoral college and the popular vote that America was ready for something different, and that we knew exactly what we wanted.

Regardless of who you believe should have won this election, Barack Obama is going to be our president. It's important to be supportive of him in these trying times.

Last night, I got two incredible opportunities.

First, I got to hang out at a LGBT community event with some friends, and let me tell you- that group? Is so happy. This means so many changes for their community, and all changes for the good!

Second, I went to a friend's house for President Elect Barack Obama's celebratory speech. This friend happens to be Black, as is his roommate. The other girl there was Hispanic. D says, through tears, "I never thought I would live to see this day. I have never been so hopeful". I know that this election was not about race (it definitely wasn't a factor in my vote), but it is still historic, and it is still a huge, huge step forward in our country for tolerance and love for everyone regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, and background.

God Bless America!

so cute!

My sister just bought a new puppy! Her name is lily and she is a 15 oz (omg) yorkie. Full-grown, she will weigh 5 pounds. She gets to pick Lil Lily up right before Thanksgiving, and as a welcome gift I ordered the cutest little Lily (ha) harness and leash. I got it in the mail today...it is SO TINY!

Isn't this just adorable? Lil Lily is going to look super cute. And my siter will have something sunny to use to brighten the cold, windy, Chigaco winter. (Don't worry, Lily will have sweaters to keep her warm up there!)

Also, when all of the dogs come home for Christmas, we are taking a picture with the women of our family. To mark this occasion, Lily will get a teeny-tiny stocking to cuddle into, Emily will get an elf hat (she's a tiny little scottie), Carrie will get reindeer antlers (another scottie, the family doggie), and Twix will get a santa hat (she's a mutt, the biggest of the lot, and my own personal cuddle-bug!)

Aren't these just so precious? I can't wait. I will need to, of course, find the perfectly preppy stocking for Lily. I guess a stocking is fitting, seeing as she is a present and too tiny to wrap in a box (c:

Oh, hey everyone! In case you haven't left the hole you've been living in for the past few weeks, the election is tomorrow! Get out and vote!

TPP in Chicago!

This weekend I went to Chicago and had an amazing time. I'll spare you most of the details because you will no doubt shrivel up with jealousy. Suffice it to say, I ended up in the Signature lounge in Hancock Center, along with Obama's campaign workers. I had to literally hold myself back from asking them if he was going to be there (c: Delicious drinks, though, and an incredible view.

Tip for the wise: When visiting Chicago, to avoid the 13 dollar fee to go to the observation deck in Hancock, go to the Signature Lounge for drinks. An incredible drink is 13 bucks, and you get the same amazing view. A real win-win, I would say. Oh, and for the ladies, go to the women's rest room. It has the best view in the entire tower (sorry, guys!)

I tried to convince my sisters to go by Obama's house for a little bit of cultural stimulation, but my Chicago-dwelling sister assured me that we couldn't get within viewing distance because of secret service. Too bad. We reconciled ourselves to going to see a comedy sketch called Campaign Supernova at the Second City. I highly recommend it; it was incredibly funny and entertaining. However, the sketch is extremely liberal...so if you take issue with that, I don't suggest this show. But that was to be expected in Chicago I suppose (c:

One more thing. Don't lay down under the Bean in Millenium Park. You will get your yellow Izod cable-knit sweater COVERED in black USOs (Unidentified Staining Objects) and your sisters will not let you live it down, because why would you lay down under the Bean? Not for the great pictures or anything...

Students and Apathy Towards Voting

Yesterday (October 6) was the last day to register to vote in Virginia. I was walking around campus and, having registered my ownself about a month and a half ago at my parents' new address, was impervious to the yells of fellow students about time running out to be able to cast a vote in this, a most historical election.

Sets the scene, doesn't it, for a wonderfully long line of college kids signing up because they all care about something enough to actually vote for or against it. Unfortunately, that is not the case. I actually heard students, at a state university, say no, they wouldn't register to vote. Why should they? College kids don't have strong opinions about anything, and even if they did, their opinions don't matter in the big picture of presidential elections. Right?

Wrong.

Many of my professors and other adults feel that students today don't care enough about anything to do something about it. Unfortunately, the system tells students that caring about some issue is not enough, and that having a voice doesn't mean it gets heard, so students simply don't take a stand.

It's a little late to be publishing this post, seeing as voter registration ended yesterday. However, there will be other elections. I don't care if you are liberal, conservative, democratic, republican, independent, or whatever. If you count yourself as "apathetic", consider one family member that you would do anything for. Then, pick something that that person relies on lawmakers to have. Let that be your stand.

Everyone has the opportunity to make a difference- and it's not too late for college kids. A lot of people don't realize that who elections put into public office affect whether or not we will receive federal and state funding to pay for our education. This should scare all of us into rocking our own personal vote. If that's not enough, what about the fact that our parents (or maybe even we) have money invested in a stock market that is on the brink of failing us?

There are things that can be done. Everyone believes that this generation is lazy, undereducated, and apathetic. Who would want those words to describe them?