Tuesday, November 29, 2011

I'm A Complete Failure...

I haven't posted in a week and am clearly a horrible blogger. Frankly, I've just been lazy. The rest of my time in Florida was fun. I sat next to some thug life guy on the plane who told me he was going to "hit me up on facebook." Thanksgiving was delicious. Then, sadly I had to return to school. Only two more weeks of class until finals! Today, though, was at least somewhat interesting. Now, if you don't know, I drive a 1996 Mustang. It's purple. When I say purple I mean seriously, hardcore, purple. To make it even better, due to an unfortunate accident (the Stang doesn't do rain), she now has a black hood.The Stang and I have a love-hate relationship. I swear the car knows when I talk behind it's back. One night I'll say the Stang is being crappy and the next day she won't start. Or, for example, it won't start for me but if my dad comes over to fix the problem it starts right away. She has become pretty much an honorary member of the soccer team. While I was in Florida my dad put some serious cash into the Stang to fix her leak (did I mention my dad's the best?). Of course, I'm late in doing my Emissions test (as usual...at least it was only a month this time).So, I talked to my dad last night and we decided it'd be a good idea if I went today, considering I've been driving on suspended tags. I woke up, got ready for class, said bye to poopy and bax, and headed out to the Stang. I proceeded to turn the key. Nothing. She had decided not to start. I then called my dad and shared the news. At this point he's used to getting regular calls about the Stang. He gave me some pointers and we got it to start. Later, I returned from class and then headed out to get my test done. Naturally, as I was approximately 5 minutes away from the station, the Check Engine light comes on. It's like she knew. I ended up going to the station and getting the test done even though I knew I would fail. But, for any of you who didn't believe me, I told you the car has a mind of it's own. 

Monday, November 21, 2011

Lions, and Tigers, and Cheetahs, Oh My...

Busch Gardens Tampa is amazing! We had so much fun it's ridiculous. At around 9 am we picked up Karla and Keith and headed out. Of course, we managed to get lost but Karla saved the day and got us there. As we pulled up to the park we all turned into small children and couldn't contain our excitement. Once we got into the park the real fun began. We had only been there for approximately 2 minutes when we see a herd of Flamingos walking directly at us (No, Tim I did not try to steal you one). We then proceeded down the path and stumbled upon the Cheetahs. We seriously saw real cheetahs running around. They were big and slightly terrifying but still really cool. We headed over to a roller coaster but the line was so long we decided to come back to it later in the day. Instead, we got on this ride that takes you in the air through the park. While in the air we enjoyed a view of all the wild animals in the park. Then we happened to notice a rather large red and blue roller coaster. As we watched it, knowing we would later be getting on it, we became instantly nervous (Well, Keith wasn't but clearly he's not human). It was the single most terrifying thing I had ever seen. The hill was straight up, no gradual incline. Then as you are just about to go down the approximately 200 foot drop (straight down I may add) it stops you and you just hang there for a good 4 seconds before it lets you go. Terrifying. We made our way through the park trying to put it off for as long as possible, slowly getting even more nervous by the second. The time came, though, when we had to get on. As we waited in line (a short 15 minutes, thank God) the nerves really set in. I seriously thought I was going to be sick. Then, as we sat in the harnesses all strapped in I knew there was no turning back. So, I closed my eyes and as soon as we got to the top of the hill started screaming like a crazy person. Somehow, we all survived and even got on it again later. We spent the rest of the day (efficiently) making our way around the park. We got to pet Kangaroos and Wallabies!  We even accidentally caught a Christmas show (even though we had plenty of Christmas music throughout the day as it was playing everywhere we went). We stayed until the park closed and we couldn't walk any more. Overall, it was most definitely a success. 
Here are some of the best moments from our trip:







Sunday, November 20, 2011

Adventures In Cooking

Hello friends! Day 2 in Florida was fabulous! First we got up and took Rommel to the dog park where he proceeded to lose his mind and run around like a crazy man. Then, we went shopping for dinner ingredients. After a very impressive and quick shopping trip we headed out to the hair salon and got our hair cut! We then proceeded to the movie theater and saw Breaking Dawn (it was awesome). Anyone from Maryland will appreciate this: the tickets were only 8 bucks. Even better, we got popcorn,a large drink, and candy for only $10. Back home that would have been a solid $25. The most interesting part of our day came when we started to bake. We decided to make Oreo cupcakes and 3-layer bars. Well, in the instructions for the cupcakes it said 3 egg whites. Naturally, I volunteered myself for the task. With the countless hours I've spent watching the Food Network I figured I could handle it. Well, Paula Dean did not prepare me for the reality of this situation. Separating the egg using the shell looked so easy on TV, in reality it was just a little too much for me. I then, stupidly, decided to channel my inner iron chef and do it with my hands. Ew. It was incredibly gross. I somehow managed to successfully separate the eggs after a large amount of "ewwing" and making ridiculous faces (Lauren took pictures of said faces but they were so awful and embarrassing I couldn't bring myself to share them). All in all, our cupcakes turned out awesome. We only ran into a slight problem when the cupcake holders we bought stuck to the cupcakes themselves. Luckily, I got to get back into my comfort zone and cook some pasta. It turned out yummy (thanks to some last minute tips from Dad). So, with full stomachs and freshly cut hair, we are getting all tucked into bed (if Rommel will move out of my spot, that is) and getting some quality sleep before our excursion to Busch Gardens tomorrow! 
(I'm using Spence's gigantic Mac computer right now and can't figure out how to post pictures so I'll be sure to share some later)a

Friday, November 18, 2011

Blogging From Florida..

I was going to blog from the plane but AirTran is stupid. I kid you not, I brought my laptop for the sole purpose of blogging while on the play. Alas, I was disappointed. They make you pay for wi-fi on the airplane and as much as I enjoy blogging, I was not about to pay for it. Also, the whole stereotype of friendly stewardesses is complete blasphemy. The stewardess was rude to put it kindly. The people on the plane were nice to me but I'm pretty sure they all thought I was an unaccompanied minor (thanks braces). Anyway, I survived my flight and a special fluffy friend was waiting in the car for me. Naturally, our first stop was to a pizza place. Then, we went to the apartment and are already watching Say Yes to the Dress! Night 1 is already an official success!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

In Two Days...

I will be in Florida!! I absolutely cannot wait to get away from this cold fall weather and go to the beach! We're going to do so much fun stuff. First, we are going to see Breaking Dawn! I know, I know, we're losers, but at this point we've committed to the first 3 movies and we have to see it to the end. I'll admit it, I love Edward Cullen (but not in the creepy tween- I'm going to tape pictures of him on my wall-kind of way). Then we are going to Busch Gardens and we're going to ride so many coasters and see some sweet safari animals. I'm also pretty pumped because Lauren's lovely friend Karla and her man friend are coming! Saturday night I'm going to make some delicious Cajun pasta and Lauren is going to make some fabulous dessert (don't worry we'll document it with some pictures). I also am ridiculously excited to be reunited with Rommel Rufus! I just hope he wears his Christmas sweater for me:

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Today Is Lame...

So I don't really have much to blog about today. I went to class. Went to work and then came home. I am pretty proud of myself, though. I managed to teach myself how to fishtail braid. This is the result:


Poopy wanted to say hi  (in Poophead language it's more like "brr brrr") She looked so cute I had to say yes.

Monday, November 14, 2011

What I Should Really Be Doing...

is writing my American Literature paper. But, alas, I have a terrible problem with procrastination. I have been the world's worst blogger the past few days, but to be entirely honest I haven't had much to write about. Nothing really interesting or even mildly entertaining has happened. So, I figured I'd write about sharing some recent developments in terms of my future career plans. I've decided to go to Law School, or at least attempt to. For all I know I could wind up changing my mind (it wouldn't be the first time) but, for now at least, I'm in full on LSAT mode. For those of you who don't know, the LSAT is ridiculous. And by ridiculous I mean the single most difficult thing I have ever seen in my life. I have managed to perfect my free positions kicks in soccer and gotten my mile time down to well under 6 minutes, the LSAT however, is proving to be a bit more unattainable. So, I am taking the same approach I have always taken with sports. Practice. Hard. I figure if I'm going to try it I might as well give it all I have. So with LSAT Questions of the Day from Lauren and massive amounts of reading/studying I may stand a chance. To give you an idea of what I'm up against here's a sample Analytical Reasoning Question (aka the single most terrible things ever invented):

Ms. Jackson's third-grade class must cover the following subjects during the course of the school day: social studies, music, art, math, spelling, and science. Each of these subjects will be addressed once during the school day, and the order in which they will be addressed is subject to the following conditions:
Music must be the third subject covered.
Social studies must be covered before math.
Spelling must be covered before both social studies and science. 
1. Which of the following could be the order in which the subjects are covered?
A: Spelling, science, social studies, math, music, art
B: Math, social studies, music, science, art, spelling
C: Music, science, spelling, social studies, math, art
D: Music, art, spelling, science, math, social studies
E: Spelling, art, music, social studies, science, math
^this is listed as an "easy" question.
Also, 4 days until Florida!!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Friday, Friday, Gotta Get Down on Friday...

So, it's only 9:45 but I just couldn't contain my excitement and had to share my day so far. Sadly, my friends, I am 19 years old and have braces. I know what you're thinking, "oh that's not so bad. Better to get them now than when you're 30."  I've heard it all before, trust me. However, the combination of braces and the fact that I'm tiny has caused me to look like a 12 year old. Seriously, people legitimately think I'm in middle school. On a good day someone might guess 16. Now, this hasn't been all bad. I mean, I get cheaper movie tickets and stuff which is nice. 2 years and 3 months ago (yes I know the exact date, don't judge) I go my braces on. In two months I will finally be getting them off! However, there is a catch. After they take off my braces, I have to wear a retainer that will perfect my bite. This is no ordinary retainer my friends. As my orthodontist put it, "it looks like a mouthguard." I'm not talking a little one that covers your top row of teeth. Oh no, I'm talking full-on, looks like on of those snore reducing things, mouthguard (don't worry, I'll be sure to post a picture). I have to wear it for the first 48 hours straight and then only at night and for 4 hours sometime during the day. How long I have to do this for- I'm not sure. So, yes I will look incredibly goofy, make fun all you want (cough cough Tim and Mark) but at least I will no longer look like a small child.

Now, on to more important things. Today is veterans day and as you know, an important day for my family. So I want to wish a happy veterans day not only to those close to me but to everyone currently serving as well as those who have served in the past.
Corey


Spencey Poo

And in honor of my recent orthodontal news, I felt it necessary to post a classic "mosnter grills" picture. (metal-mouth mania 2007 anyone?!?)

And yes boys, I did pick the most ridiculous pictures of you I could find

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Why Today is Awesome....

1. It's Thursday, which means tomorrow is Friday, which means it's almost the weekend! woohoo

2. I got inducted into Sigma Tau Delta today (it's the international English Honor Society). This is my first legitimate achievement that isn't sports related.

3. Most importantly, GREY'S IS ON TONIGHT! I know, I know, you love it too. I mean, who doesn't love Grey's? I seriously wish I was Christina Yang. Only Lauren fully understands my appreciation for all things Yang. Also, McSteamy...love him! Another fabulous part of it being time for Grey's is that I'm having a Skype date with my two favorites:

Lauren and Rommel!! In case you don't know, Rommel aka Stinky is my sister's dog. He's pretty much my favorite dog of all time (he plays dead when you pretend to shoot him, how could you not love him?) and I miss him dearly. Luckily, in one week we will all be reunited!

 I also wanted to discuss the release of Modern Warfare 3. Those of you with boyfriends or brothers can appreciate my situation. I live with 2 boys, though I think "dude" would be a better word choice.I love my roommates (I'd hope so, Tim is one of them) and I can't complain about anything. Seriously, I would recommend living with dudes over girls any day. Anyway, my roommate loves to game and he's a yeller. I don't think "yeller" is even a remotely appropriate enough word. So clearly since MW3 came out there has been an excess of yelling. Now, some would assume that this would make me angry but I've actually found it quite entertaining. The sheer amount of ridiculous things being shouted in this apartment in the last few days is enough to fill a book. So, on that note I would like to leave you with a wonderful form of poetry I've recently discovered. It's called Broetry and it's officially my newest obsession:

Move In
by: Brian McGakin

We're not even out of the car yet, but
I've already been secretly searching.
Pull up, park, campus greeter(no). Unpack,
too much crap, elevator (almost,no).

Extra-long twin sheets, toothpaste,microwave
make sure to get the whiteboard up, make space
for the roommate's stuff, RA (no, again),

mini- fridge. Lunch break, dining hall, first time:
nothing good. It has to get better, right?
So many other things should be on my
mind- books, classes, friends- and I honestly

don't know when I might see my mom again,
but all at once the next four years look fine:
well that girl across the hall does at least.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Well Hello There...

So, I suppose the best way to start out a blog is by introducing myself. I could sit here and relate my whole life story but, to be entirely honest, I doubt anyone would be all that interested (besides, I'm sure I have some sort of paper to write). So here are the basics:

Name: Alli
Age: 19
Current Occupation: Third Year College Student
Major: English
Hobbies: soccer and lacrosse (I play for school...go gators!), cooking, reading.

I have always found, though, that what truly describes a person is their family and friends. I don't think that simply describing them would do them any justice. I believe that photos tend to paint a better picture (no pun intended). 

My sister, Lauren. We think exactly the same way and pretty much have our own language.
Corey, my big brother. He's a combat medic in the Army

Tim, my boyfriend. He's amazing. 
My wonderful soccer team. I love them.

Baxter, the world's worst cat. Sadly, he is incredibly adorable and it's impossible to stay angry at him.
Semma "Poopy Pants," the world's most ridiculous cat. Seriously, she steals pizza and eats with her paws.
The loves of my life.

Knowing that, you may now ask: What is the purpose of this blog?
The answer is simple: To relate my college experience. I attend an all women's university and can hardly say I have had the typical "college experience." I've discovered that college is not all about frat parties (clearly, we don't have any of those) and the stereotypical red-solo-cup ragers. For me at least, it has become about finding who I am as a person. This rings especially true now as I approach the conclusion of my college years. I find myself stuck, trapped by a major I love. I'm essentially having a mid-life crisis at 19. I have changed my mind countless times as to what I really want to do with my life. I suppose this all part of the journey, a journey I now aim to share with you.