Sunday, November 28, 2004

The Notre Dame game was amazing. Yesterday was tiring, but good.

* Got up at 6 to pick up my parents and take them out to breakfast. (I love the Grinder. Why don't I eat there more often?)
* Said goodbye - they left on the nice 1500 mile drive back to Texas at around 7:30.
* Went to the grocery store and stocked up on goodies.
* Baked and cooked for 3 hours at Michelle's house.
* Met PIRC-y peeps and created the best tailgate EVER in the center of campus. The menu was amazing; Arash brought the marinated flank steaks (for steak sandwiches!), hot dogs, and a couple of T-bone steaks. Jonathan donated the Heineken, the Kirin Ichiban, and Smirnov Ice. My culinary efforts produced a spinach and artichoke pasta salad, "deviled" potato salad, 7 layer bean dip, Hello Dolly cookie bars, brownies, sugar cookies... and we can't forget the Dos Equis with limes and leftover Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry! Everything screamed classy - I venture to say we had one of the best (homemade) tailgates in our area. None of that Miller Lite shite for us! But the company was even better - Arash, Tania, Jonathan, Matt, and Alex made up the PIRC-y side while Rachel, Chris Norton, and Jason comprised my "current resident" attendance. I'm putting the pictures online at my Imagestation.
* USC dominates. It rains. I take lots of pictures.

Good times. Good times. BTW, the pizza place next to Penguin's in Westwood is SUPER-sketch. Mob affiliations. It must be. However, the pizza is damn good. I'll deal with the mafia for a slice of pie like that.

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Vandalism sucks. So do freshmen boys, for the most part. (Cinema floor's an exception!)

But Lauren gave me a picture from Halloween. I was an angel.



Stressed. And hopefully I can see my parents this weekend. They're possibly delaying the drive.

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

I went to my first football game as a spectator on Saturday. It was simultaneously fabulous and horrible. I drank a beer, but I couldn't go on the field and perform. It was hard.

As I walked to APO boards with Mike Gangl, I encountered the rush of the marching band as they left the practice field. It was 6pm. A few people shouted their hellos. Jovan told me to "do a gig." Many waved and smiled at me.

And then, I found this.

In a half-finished journal, I wrote an entry for September 1, 2001. I remember this day clearly; it was the first football game of my freshman year.

September 1st, 2001

11:58...
the day is almost over.
September 1st is gone forever.
September 2nd approaches.

The distant roar of the crowds;
the exhilarating rush of performance;
the cool sweetness of water on the lips;
the stifling heat rising from the field;
With the 2nd, these experiences ...
are lost? ...
forgotten?...
or perhaps...
SAFE in the recesses of my heart.

It's now 12:02.

Soon, we shall see.

I never claimed it was great, but it brought back my joy for an activity. I had lost that; bitterness and hurt clouded many of my good memories. Yeah. I loved it. And I still love it, in a different way. I wish that things were different, but they aren't. So, I've got to take what I have/had and embrace it.

Monday, November 15, 2004

I just wanted to share a fun picture of the New Res College staff at the Hindu Student Organization's Diwali Banquet. It was a super fun time... and Arun and Vidya were amazing. They performed a traditional Indian dance; it was beautifully executed, the costumes were fabulous, and I was just smiling the entire time they were onstage. I have the biggest crushes on the two of them, and they know. My friends are so talented!



I went in traditional Indian garb. Nitin said I looked like a British colonist who goes around wearing the clothes of the oppressed native people. I told him he was dumb. I love that I have that kind of relationship with him.

Also, I want to share a picture from Spirits @ Troy, the Halloween celebration (debacle?!) of the residential hall. I was out in the hallway socializing after the event, and I came in to discover THIS:



Yes girls, you can be jealous. That's the one and only Legolas... IN MY BED. I'm lucky, I know.

Have I ever mentioned that the Cinema Floor is crazy? In a good way, of course.

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

I haven't touched this blogger in a long time. It's the beginning of November. A lot has happened in the past few months of my senior year.

Recap of my personal life:

• I turned 21. I had the best birthday party a girl could ask for; everyone that I invited... could come! Thanks to Yael, Vidya, Jessica, Vallery, Amy, Jill, Samantha, Nicole, Kari, and Ebonee for making my birthday fabulous. Champagne, anyone?
  
• My parents are amazing. They've lost 30 pounds, they love and support me despite all of the stupid things that I do, and I feel so honored to have them in my life. And can we mention the best birthday gift(s) ever? That 27" LCD TV, the DVD-Recorder, the cushion covers, the skirt... and soon, a new (to me) vehicle with an amazing sound system! I'm such a spoiled only child - now, as soon as we start talking Infiniti G35 coupe, all will be complete.
  
• I decided to take a gap year inbetween undergraduate and law school. I'm trying to find things to do during this time. Job... teaching... study abroad... I'm open to suggestions.
  
• APO is fun, despite the fact that no one wants to give the historian any help (ie, me.) I love volunteering; the service projects make everything worthwhile.
  
• I made several new friends this year: Arun, Vidya, Kari, Ebonee, and Vallery.
  
• I adore the Canterbury group. Hands down, they personify cool Episcopalians.
  
• I reconnected with a couple of old friends this year: Nicole, Yasmin, Jill, Michelle, Alex.
  
• I broke my tailbone, forcing me to quit the Marching Band. It's been the best decision I've ever made. I got a lot out of the TMB; I made friends, I went on trips, I learned a new skill. But this year was different. With a change in leadership and attitude, I couldn't justify my time. And one fact remains: my back hurts... a lot.
  

Recap of my academic life:

• My senior honors seminar for English makes me happy. I have a thesis topic! That I love! It involves food! and women! But I don't have an advisor yet.
• French Modern Culture doesn't involve "modern" times. The craziness of this class makes me cringe every Tuesday and Thursday. I spend most of my time on reading, yet I never quite catch up. I think the fact that I can barely speak French hinders my progress.
  
• I really like Rollo's medieval literature class, despite the fact that much of it repeats from his "Women in English Literature before 1600" class. I can't wait to hear his amusing comments about Margery Kempe - I laugh. A lot.
  
• CTCS 466 is the greatest class known to mankind! (I exaggerate slightly, but it's definitely in my top five classes at USC.) I know half the people in the class, I sit with two of my favorite boys every class period... and I get to see movies before they open in the theaters. How cool is that?
  

Recap of residential life:

• I love the Cinema Floor and my residents. They're just as crazy as me... or more so! I spend so much of my time watching movies, going out on the town, or hanging with my floor. Freshmen have this uncanny ability to be idiots, but I still learn so much from them.
  
• My staff is amazing; while I miss Parkside and my old residents, I love my New staff team a lot. The honeymoon period isn't over yet, despite a few difficulties.
  
• John, the other Cinema Floor RA, works extremely hard; we make a good team for these residents. I'm the frantic, "we must get things done!" RA while John's mellow approach to life makes him a fabulous counselor and friend. I think the residents respect us both.
• Both Alex and Michelle are amazing mentors in this field. Despite the fact that I don't work with Michelle on a daily basis, I still ask her for help, advice, and counsel.
  
• I still talk to many of my old residents - however, I miss the ones that I don't see on a regular basis. Nothing can replace the fabulousness of 4th Floor PIRC South, 03-04.
  
• Did I mention that the Cinema Floor is crazy?
  

It's been a hard and strange year. A bittersweet flavor tinges every happy moment. I'm leaving Los Angeles and USC in May. Consequently, I'm trying to hold onto every small detail.

I think coming to USC has been the best "whim" of my life.

Don't count on frequent updates; I'm too busy living.