April Fool's Hodgepodge

1. April rolls in at the end of this week and in celebration of that infamous date (April 1st) answer this question-What is something foolish you've done?

- A few years ago my friends and I decided to make "mystery cookies". We found random ingredients, threw them together, and popped them in the oven. One of the cookies was nicknamed "Shark bait". Basically, it was a sugar cookies with gummy bear bodies in them. Little did we know, gummy bears practically turn into glass when you bake them. Cleaning that pan took quite a bit of elbow grease.

2. With April comes Easter and that classic edible treat known asPeeps...so tell me...what's your favorite way to fix/eat chicken? That wasn't what you were expecting, was it? I 'fooled' you. teehee.

- I could eat Cracker Barrel's Broccoli Cheddar Chicken all day every day. It's baked chicken covered in cheddar cheese, ritz crackers, and broccoli.

3. What's the best museum you've ever visited? Or your favorite? Or the one you'd most like to visit?

- I absolutely love the Smithsonian's in Washington DC. I'm hoping to go back this summer when our old German exchange students come back. I love all the artifacts they showcase. I think the American History Museum is my all time favorite.

4. You know what they say about April showers...what's your preference-a shower or a bath?

- I love baths, but I rarely ever have time. I'm pretty excited that my apartment next year actually has a bath time. I'm definitely going to set aside time each month to relax.

5. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"...fact or fiction? Why?

- Fact. and Fiction. I love to make things complicated. Romantic relationship wise, if it's meant to be, being apart will make the heart grow fonder. If it's not meant to be, being apart will tear you apart. Or at least make your relationship fizzle out. In my experience, with relationships of any kind, absence makes my heart grow fonder. Being away from home last year made me realize how much I need my family and friends.

6. What's your favorite product made/grown in your home state/province?

- Orange Juice :)

7. What is going on in the world today that affects you the most?

- The fizzling out of the space shuttle missions. Countless families and friends have lost their jobs and have begun to move away. I'm afraid our town will die out once the missions are completely over. Tourism will definitely decrease, as will population.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

- I just got back from a family vacation and I'm finding it extremely hard to get motivated to finish the school year. Final exams and projects are upon us. Time flies when you're having fun.

In case you didn't already know,

life is short and often ends abruptly.

Case and point: This past February, I went to Alabama for my god-brother's wedding. While there, I met a guy, named Ricardo, from Mexico. My god-mother had taken him in after a mission trip and he has basically become part of their family. Ricardo is a fantastic person, so I added him on Facebook and started talking to him through messaging. He went back to Mexico at the beginning on this month to be with his family again.

Recently, his facebook statuses have been rather sad. He's been talking about missing someone and how his life will never be the same again. I asked him what happened and here's the story he gave me.... Last weekend, his girlfriend went to Guadalajara to visit her family. A few days after she left, Ricardo received a phone call from a mutual friend. This friend delivered some terrible news. Ricardo's girlfriend was murdered, in her own home, while she was with her family. He is obviously devastated and doesn't know what to do. Who wouldn't be under these circumstances? What was supposed to be a relaxing trip home ended in horror.

I just don't understand what possesses someone to take the live of another human being. What could possibly cause that much rage within someone? Tonight, hug someone you love. Tell them how much they mean to you, because you never know when life will end.

Spring hodgepodge

1. Sunday was the first day of spring. So they say. Ahem.

What is your favorite outdoor springtime activity?

- I love picnics! I'm usually not a big outdoorsy person, but I'd have a picnic on Memory Mall at school every day if I could. *note to self - call Keegan and schedule a picnic next week

2. Who would you want to come into your kitchen to cook dinner for you?

- Buddy from Cake Boss! He apparently makes fantastic pizzas and of course he'd have to bake me a delicious cake too. If Buddy was busy, I'd call Rachel Ray. While a lot of people find her annoying, I find her sweet and funny. Her food always looks so delicious too.

3. When did you last fly a kite?

- I honestly can't remember.... I'm sure I took the Germans kite flying when they were here a couple years ago, but I can't remember the details.

4. What topic puts you to sleep faster than anything?

- Physics and engineering. Most of my friends are science majors and I can't stand listening to them talk about their coursework. It just bores me to the bones. I try to get excited for them, but in the back of my head I'm thinking "Why in the world would you enjoy that?"

5. Which flowers do you associate with specific people, places, or events?

- Poppies remind me of music class in elementary school. My music teacher was slightly crazy but every year she'd put on a fantastic Veteran's Day celebration complete with a poppy flower for each and every student.

6. What significant historical events took place during your elementary school days?

- John Glenn went to the moon again when I was in 2nd grade. He became the first person to fly on both the Mercury and the Shuttle missions. He is also the oldest person to go to space.

In 5th grade, the World Trade Centers/Pentagon were hit. I remember it being a Tuesday, because I was in GSP. My GSP teacher told us what was happening but then proceeded to say "But I think it's all a lie. The news stations don't know what they're talking about." I'm not sure if she was trying to comfort us, or if she was seriously that ignorant. But I lost respect for her that day.

I'm also still afraid of low flying planes (unless I'm near an airport).

7. Do you swear? Do you pseudo-swear? (You know crap, shoot, friggin'?)

- I do. I really shouldn't and I'm trying to replace my swears with pseudo-swears, but it's really difficult. It's an 11 year habit.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

- This week has been extremely stressful. I took an astronomy exam today, I have three group projects due soon, an online music module, and an online technology module to complete, and I was supposed to be able to sign up for classes on Friday. Turns out, I can't sign up until I take a test and gain entrance into the College of Education. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do about that, but my friend Whitney is in the same boat as me, so we'll figure it out together if we aren't able to get overrides.

U. C.an't F.inish

Best part about college: Your education is finally up to you.

Worst part about college: Your education is up to you and only you.

Flagler provided every student with an advisor. They required students to meet with their advisor twice a year, no exceptions. If you forgot to schedule an appointment, you could not sign up for classes the next semester.

UCF doesn't give first or second year education majors an advisor. You are expected to seek out advice if/when you need it or just grab a course catalogue and follow the seemingly simple instructions. At first, I welcomed the change in mentalities. I've always been able to develop my own plans for my future classes and I wasted no time creating my schedule for now until graduation. Or at least I thought I had created my schedule. I realized today that I can't sign up for the classes I need until I take the General Knowledge Test. This wouldn't be a problem if the GKT didn't require a little refreshing on my math skills and the classes I need didn't only have 25 seats. By the time I take the test, get my results, and apply for acceptance into the College of Education, my classes will be full. This puts me an entire year, instead of the original single semester, behind.

All of this stress on top of an astronomy exam I'm not prepared for, a group paper, 30 hours of service learning, a week long lesson plan, work, and trying to have something that vaguely resembles a social life. Yikes!

I'm praying for a miracle or a sympathetic professor to give me an override. It's days like today that I wish I was interested in something other than teaching.

St. Patty's Day Blues

As I've already mentioned, I'm not a huge fan of St. Patrick's Day. I've always worn green and participated in the fun, but I've never really found it that enjoyable. These past seven St. Patty's Days in particular have given me the blues. My cousin Evan was a St. Patrick's Day baby and he was as Irish as they come. Red hair, fair skin, kind, compassionate, Catholic, and fun. Growing up, my brothers had a bad habit of not including me in sports and games, but Evan always took the time to make sure I wasn't feeling left out. He taught me how to play pool and helped me beat my other cousins. He'd even sit games out to keep me company.

He also taught me that life is short. In January of 2005, two months before his 17th birthday, he was killed in a car accident on the way to school. Any death is hard, but the unexpected death of a young person cause extra pain. I wasn't a close to Evan as I would have liked to be. He lived in N.C. with his dad and I probably only saw him once a year. But I still miss him dearly. I miss the times we could have had together. Family get-togethers just aren't the same without his smile or his laughter. He'd be 23 today. Graduated from college, starting his own life, doing something amazing I'm sure. I'll try my best to enjoy today because I know Evan would have wanted me to smile. He's my Irish angel.

Corned Beef and Hodgepodge

1. What would you do if you found a pot of gold? Let's pretend this pot of gold is worth exactly $1500 (which would actually be more like a cup of gold at current values). Anyway, let's also pretend you have to spend it as opposed to making a donation someplace. Now tell me what you would do with that cup pot of gold?

- Put it in my savings account and spend it on gas each week. Or splurge and buy the Coach purses I've been drooling over for the past couple weeks.

2. Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day in any way, shape, or form?

- I wear green because I hate getting pinched. But that's basically it, which is really bad considering I'm a quarter Irish. This year, I wasn't even going to wear green because I don't own any, but since I'm teaching I decided to join the festivities.

I'm actually looking forward to the Leprecaun's visiting my classroom this year.

3. Have you been bitten by the Spring Cleaning bug? What spring cleaning job most needs doing at your house? What spring cleaning job are you most dreading?

-I've been tidying up my desk drawers and trying to organize things for when I move in August. I'm definitely not looking forward to cleaning my closet. I'm not exactly sure what's living.... or dead... in there.

4. lime-shamrock-sage-forest...your favorite shade of green?

- If I had to pick a shade, I'd say lime. When I was younger, I wanted to paint my room lime and turquoise. A weird combination I'm glad I didn't pick.

5. Thomas Jefferson once said, "I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it." So...do you believe in luck or do you believe we make our own luck?

- We definitely make our own luck. Wishing someone good luck on a test doesn't really mean anything unless they've studied. So I guess luck comes from time and dedication.

6. Monday (3/14) was Pi Day. Get it? Pi =3.14. Those math types are so clever aren't they? Since I'm not one of them tell me what's your favorite piE (the edible kind).

- Boston Cream Pie >

7. That same date (3/14) happens to be the birthdate of the late physicist Albert Einstein. I bet he knew the value of Pi. So...what do you think is more important and or valuable in life... intelligence or common sense?

- I'm a gifted student and as the joke goes, we're super intelligent but we have no common sense. That stereotype is generally true too. Most of my friends could solve a calculus problem in under a minute but possessed no common sense. In life, I think common sense is more valuable than being able to tell someone the value of x.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

- I turned 20 yesterday. It's weird to think I'm not a teenager anymore. Birthdays seem to mean less and less as you get older. I've never been a huge fan of making a big deal about a birthday. Parties as a kid were fun, of course, but as a teenager, I'd rather hang out with a couple friends instead of have a huge party. Turning 20 is scary though. I'm trying not to think about the future much because the unknown freaks me out. I'm scared I'll never get married. I also have an irrational fear of never being able to have kids.

The Apartment Hunt

Wednesday, (after getting in at 3 from my birthday celebration) Keegan and I went with our parents to look at apartments in the UCF area. We signed a lease and are officially moving in August 10th!! I don't know who's more excited, Keegan or me (I? I'm bad at grammar). Here's the basic play by play.

Apartment Complex #1 - My friend Meli lives here and recommended it to me. I've stayed at her place before and I have always loved it. It has: a shuttle to campus, full washer/dryer in each apartment, 4 bathrooms and bedrooms, a full kitchen, a gate that closes when the front office does, 2 security guards on site from 10pm-6am, a security camera of the front gate that you can watch on your tv, phone and internet connections, a pool, gym, and sand volleyball court. This is the place I was in love with before we even went on an official tour and I was just waiting to see if Keegan and her parents would love it too.

Apartment #2 - We both know a few people who live here and have gotten mixed reviews. Some friends have re-signed for next year and some couldn't get out fast enough. They have: a shuttle to campus, a choice of 1 bathroom for every 2 bedrooms, or 1 for each, full kitchen, a security guard on call 24/7, a gate, pool, gym, basketball, phone and internet, and mold. Yes, mold. Our tour guide told us that mold has recently become a problem but they are renovating all 34 buildings (eventually). This means that while staying here, each and every tenant will eventually be asked to pick up and move to a new building. The complex will pay movers to pack and deliver your things, but during exam week or any other week for that matter, it's a bit of an inconvenience.

Apartment #3 - Neither of us know anyone who lives here, but we decided to give it a tour and see what they had to offer. They had: a movie theatre, full gym, shuttle to campus, off duty police officers, pool, full kitchen, phone, and internet. My first impression was good (mostly because our guide definitely wasn't an eyesore), but I was sad to learn they were out of 4/4 and the next available size was slightly above what we were willing to pay.

Keegan ended up loving #1 as much as I did so we went back for a second tour and signed our lease. We're already making lists of decorations and other items we need/want (including a 6 piece Disney princess dining set. No, I am not about to be 20.) I'm excited to move out again and I'm also glad I'll only be 30 minutes away from home. I'll still get to see my family whenever I need to/they need me.

Signing the lease lifted a huge weight of my shoulder and I know it did the same for Keegan. We were both stressing about where to live and I know we're both relieved to have found such an amazing place. God definitely loves us.

Mardi Gras HodgePodge

1. The season of Lent begins on March 9th this year...do you participate and if so, in what way?

- I don't usually participate to the extent a normal Catholic does. I was raised in the Catholic church, but as I got older, I realized I associate more with Protestant beliefs. I still try to give something up for Lent, but I don't fast or refrain from eating meat on Fridays. Although recently, I haven't been eating that much meat on any day...

2. Traditionally pancakes are eaten on the day known as Shrove Tuesday which is the last day before Lent (March 8th this year). So....butter and syrup? Blueberry? Chocolate chip? ewww, no thanks!! What's your pleasure when it comes to eating pancakes?

- Pancakes of almost any kind are delicious. Over the summer, I went to Gainesville to visit a friend and we made pancakes with Cadbury chocolate pieces. Talk about delicious food! I don't put too much syrup on my pancakes because it tends to give me a stomach ache, but a little isn't bad.

3. Spring is coming. (It is coming, right?) What's your favorite springtime flower and do you suffer from seasonal allergies? Two questions I know, but they're lightweights.

- Cherry blossoms count, right? I absolutely love the way cherry blossom trees look when they're in bloom. I thankfully, do not suffer from allergies which is good because my car is currently covered in pollen.

4. "Our opinion of people depends less upon what we see in them than upon what they make us see in ourselves." Author unknown. Agree or Disagree? Why?

- I'd have to say I agree with this quote, occasionally. There are some people I don't like hanging out with because they make me see a side of myself I don't particularly like. For example, I have a friend who is a really judgmental. We'll walk around together and she'll constantly be nitpicking everyone she sees. When I'm with her, I tend to join in, but once she leaves I feel terrible.

5. Since it's "March" and also the season of Mardi Gras....have you ever been in a parade? What's the best parade you've seen?

- Oh, marching band. I was a member of marching band for 6 years in middle and high school resulting in being in about 8 parades. I was never a fan of participating in them. My arms and legs always felt like jelly afterwards. I honestly can't remember the last parade I got to see in person.... Always being in them stopped me from actually getting to enjoy the parade itself. But as Daniel Tosh says, "the worst fireworks are always better than the best parades", so I suppose I'm not missing out.

6. You would jump up and down and shout for joy right now if someone told you___________?

- I won the lottery. or cancer was cured.

Generic answers, I know...

7. How clean is your car on the outside? Inside? Is there junk in your trunk?

- As I said before, my car is currently covered in pollen. I see no point in washing it until spring has finally settled in, because it'll all just accumulate back in a couple days. My brother washed my car last Saturday and it's already just as bad as it was before. The inside is also not so clean. Dog hair all over the seats, random trash in my glovebox, a sweater, jumper cables, and boots in the trunk. Going to school 30 minutes away means I live in my car on Mon., Wed., and Fri.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

- I'm going apartment hunting today, which I'm extremely excited about. I already know where I'd like to live, I just have to make sure my roommate loves the complex as much as I do. Moving back out is both an exciting and scary experience. I'm much more established at UCF than I was at Flagler. I have different groups of friends and different things I can do each night, so I'm sure I'll be okay. But there's always that voice inside my head telling me I'll just slip back into the funk I was in last year. and I REALLY don't want that to happen.

Marching into Wednesday HodgePodge

1. March 2nd is Dr. Seuss's birthday so I'm wondering...do you like green eggs and ham? Okay-how about this...how do you like your eggs? Or don't you?

I am not a fan of oddly colored foods. When I was younger, colored ketchup (as in green and purple) was really in, but I couldn't stand to eat it. I also couldn't eat colored apple sauce or pizza sauce that came in Lunchables.

But I do love eggs. Sunny side up is delicious. In fact, I may make them for dinner.


2. Is March coming in like a lion or something less ferocious where you live?

March is coming in a little less ferocious. Midterms are this week, but mine have been extremely easy.

3. Do you work better or worse under pressure.

I do work pretty well under pressure. I tend to procrastinate when it comes to assignments, but I never get below a B.

4. March Madness-are you a fan? It's college basketball in case you're wondering. And if you're outside the USA tell us, is there any sort of 'madness' taking place during March in your part of the world?

I do love college basketball, but I haven't really been keeping up with it this season. March is always mad in my house. My mom and I both have a birthday. Midterms and spring breaks. A lot of running around really.

5. Under what circumstances do you do your best thinking?

Listening to music, in the shower, or lying in bed. I always come up with great ideas in the shower, but I forget them by the time I have paper.

6. What item of clothing from your wardrobe do you wear most often?

Definitely my jeans. I rarely ever wear anything other than jeans to school or work. I'm trying to expand my wardrobe, but it's difficult.

7. Do you use sarcasm?

It depends on who I'm talking to. With certain friends, I use it all the time. I'm rarely ever serious when I'm with Gemini Blvd. or Chrissy. But some of my friends don't understand sarcasm...

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Midterms are officially over and my spring break has basically begun. I welcome the break, the time I get to spend with friends, and the opportunity to sleep in. Everyone needs a break once in a while.

Fire is a scary thing

I've always been fascinated by fire. When I was younger, I'd sneak a lighter into my room just so I could set paper on fire. As I got older, my fascination became less like pyromania. I satisfied my fascination by lighting candles or sitting by the fireplace instead of destroying old papers and plastic hangers. I was never afraid of burning myself or setting something ablaze, at least not until this past weekend.

I spent the majority of my weekend in Orlando hanging out with friends who live over there. Saturday afternoon, I got a call from my mom telling me to be careful because there were brush fires all over the Titusville area. I kind of blew off her warning and assumed the firefighters would have the fire controlled in no time. Boy was I wrong. Late Saturday night, I was driving home with Chris when I thought I saw something orange shooting up over the trees on Highway 50. He must have seen it too because he looked over at me with this look of fear, confusion, and curiosity. As we got closer to town, we saw the wetlands burning uncontrollably, trees covered in black soot, and firefighters trying to get into the woods to put the fires out. Witnessing this terrifying scene definitely changed my fascination of fire into complete fear.

The original blaze has been put out (after burning 6000+ acres), but another has popped up a town over. This new fire has already burned 16,000+ acres and is barely 25% contained. I'm worried about my friends who live over that way as well as the firefighters trying to contain the flames. One brave firefighter, Matt Wescott, has already been sent to the hospital with burns to his face. If you're the praying type, pray for rain. Pray for the safety of the firefighters and for protection and comfort over those affected. I don't even live in harms way and I was too scared to go to sleep until nearly 2 last night. Here's a picture from Florida Today of the flames I saw.