As a biologist (I can say that instead of biology major now!), I've learned a lot about adaptation mostly in my Ecology and Evolution classes. I wrote an entire 20-page paper on how whales share a common ancestor with deer, and that whales are essentially deer that decided to return to the water. Thousands and thousands of years after the first deer-like thing and his friends decided they liked swimming more than walking on land, we have what we know as whales. They adapted everything from the water-tight skin to the blowhole. It's all very interesting.
But I've had my own experiences with adaptation. For example, when I was 10 years old I moved from the small town of Lynchburg where I attended a modest, private elementary school to a public school in the significantly larger Henrico County. It was at that ripe age that I learned how to adapt. I've been doing it ever since, and while I usually get nervous about it, I have to say I'm pretty good at it. Whenever I start a new job, I have this horrible feeling that I won't be able to understand anything about it and will be doomed to be a failure from day 1, but this never happened. When I went to France for the summer, I thought I would never adjust to this land across the ocean, but I got the gist of it in about a day and a half.
Now, as I've mentioned about 30 times in previous posts, I'm in nursing school full-time and working at the Italian restaurant where I've worked on and off since I was 16 (yes, with that job I thought I would never get the hang of it, and I certainly did). I started both of these responsibilities 2 days after graduating from Longwood University and moving back into my parents' home. I have definitely felt overwhelmed re-learning my job and experiencing a new school with new teachers, new assignments, and new students who I will spend more time with than anyone else for 15 months.
It's been almost 4 months since all of this began, and I've really gotten into the swing of things. My grades are stellar, I absolutely love my job, and I'm paying off school way faster than I thought I would. All in all, I'm pretty proud of myself. But now that I've adapted to this way of living, I have a full day off and I have NO idea what to do with it. It's funny how a few months ago I would have welcomed a day off and now I'm bored out of my mind.
But then I guess whales wouldn't be too happy to go back onto land after these thousands of years either.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
The Most Petrifying Dream I've Ever Had
I just woke up from a horrible nightmare, and I wanted to type it down to preserve it forever.
First of all, know that I'm not prone to violent dreams (just the night before last I dreamt that I served pancaked to Bruce Springsteen). Also, I had creme brulee for dinner last night, which probably had something to do with this.
Well I dreamed that I was back in my old apartment at Longwood with my same roommates. Raquel and her boyfriend started being really mean to me for some reason and stealing my computer to download weird things and just not being really nice. I don't know what that has to do with anything, but that's how it started. Then a girl walked into my apartment. I can describe her to a T. About 4 feet tall, very dark, with salt and pepper hair except the white part of her hair had been dyed blue on one side of her head and red on the other. She just walked straight into my bathroom. "Who are you and what are you doing in my apartment?" I said. She said something like I needed to fuck off or something. I told her if she didn't leave, I would call the cops. So I did. Typical university police takes foooooooorever to get anything done, so they were like "OK we'll send someone over." Well they sent a freaking handy man. By now, this girl was sitting on one of my roommates beds watching TV. So I pointed to the girl and said "It's that girl in the green skirt and pink top." So he starts taking her by the arm to escort her out. She pretended that she was going with him and then once she started passing the kitchen, she grabbed a fucking KNIFE out of the knife block and threatened him with it. Now my dreams aren't THAT violent so I didn't really see the stabbing because I ran into my room and locked the door. The only thing? My door wasn't locking right, and stabbing bitch was trying to get to me next! (Insert scary music)
So now I'm playing the game of whose weight can open or close the door. She's completely lost her shit. For whatever reason, there was a door that connected my room with Megan's. Of course, that door's lock wasn't working either, but I thought if I could run into her room and lock her door, I would be safer. So that's what I did. Phew. Safe. But now she's even more pissed off. She's trying to use a credit card to get Megan's door to unlock. It pokes through just enough so I can grab it from her hands. Done. Now she's REALLY pissed. To be honest, I don't really remember exactly what happened, but I end up in Raquel's room. Bitch is now throwing herself against the door. Luckily, there's a cell phone there. I'm able to tell the police to bring a SWAT team to my apartment (Can you imagine a SWAT team in Farmville?) and save me from this ridiculous girl. Now I know it's a waiting game. Raquel's door is locked and I'm secure, but she's threatening to break down the door using a machete. MACHETE!!! So I decide I might need to sneak into Michele's room through the freaking window. Did I mention I'm on the 4th floor? I bravely started climbing out the window, when bitch bursts through Raquel's door. She gets to me as I'm just leaving Raquel's room, and all she really did was cut my finger a little bit. I realized at this point that this is the last room in our apartment. There's no where else to go, and if no one comes to save me, I'm screwed for real. With the door and window both locked, she starts throwing her weight against the door. I can see the flimsy wood of the door shaking and trying to give. Just then I heard a huge BOOM. "What the fuck, man?!" I heard her say. The blood spattered through the small crack between the door and the carpet of Michele's room. She had just been shot in the leg. I was smart enough to know that wouldn't stop this bitch so I definitely didn't open the door. Good thing, because she tried to attack the first SWAT guy before they finally took her down. When I walked outside my apartment, there were lots of stretchers lined up for victims. Apparently, in her spare time she had found and hurt my other roommates, but not seriously. And of course right then, I woke up.
I don't ever want to eat creme brulee again.
First of all, know that I'm not prone to violent dreams (just the night before last I dreamt that I served pancaked to Bruce Springsteen). Also, I had creme brulee for dinner last night, which probably had something to do with this.
Well I dreamed that I was back in my old apartment at Longwood with my same roommates. Raquel and her boyfriend started being really mean to me for some reason and stealing my computer to download weird things and just not being really nice. I don't know what that has to do with anything, but that's how it started. Then a girl walked into my apartment. I can describe her to a T. About 4 feet tall, very dark, with salt and pepper hair except the white part of her hair had been dyed blue on one side of her head and red on the other. She just walked straight into my bathroom. "Who are you and what are you doing in my apartment?" I said. She said something like I needed to fuck off or something. I told her if she didn't leave, I would call the cops. So I did. Typical university police takes foooooooorever to get anything done, so they were like "OK we'll send someone over." Well they sent a freaking handy man. By now, this girl was sitting on one of my roommates beds watching TV. So I pointed to the girl and said "It's that girl in the green skirt and pink top." So he starts taking her by the arm to escort her out. She pretended that she was going with him and then once she started passing the kitchen, she grabbed a fucking KNIFE out of the knife block and threatened him with it. Now my dreams aren't THAT violent so I didn't really see the stabbing because I ran into my room and locked the door. The only thing? My door wasn't locking right, and stabbing bitch was trying to get to me next! (Insert scary music)
So now I'm playing the game of whose weight can open or close the door. She's completely lost her shit. For whatever reason, there was a door that connected my room with Megan's. Of course, that door's lock wasn't working either, but I thought if I could run into her room and lock her door, I would be safer. So that's what I did. Phew. Safe. But now she's even more pissed off. She's trying to use a credit card to get Megan's door to unlock. It pokes through just enough so I can grab it from her hands. Done. Now she's REALLY pissed. To be honest, I don't really remember exactly what happened, but I end up in Raquel's room. Bitch is now throwing herself against the door. Luckily, there's a cell phone there. I'm able to tell the police to bring a SWAT team to my apartment (Can you imagine a SWAT team in Farmville?) and save me from this ridiculous girl. Now I know it's a waiting game. Raquel's door is locked and I'm secure, but she's threatening to break down the door using a machete. MACHETE!!! So I decide I might need to sneak into Michele's room through the freaking window. Did I mention I'm on the 4th floor? I bravely started climbing out the window, when bitch bursts through Raquel's door. She gets to me as I'm just leaving Raquel's room, and all she really did was cut my finger a little bit. I realized at this point that this is the last room in our apartment. There's no where else to go, and if no one comes to save me, I'm screwed for real. With the door and window both locked, she starts throwing her weight against the door. I can see the flimsy wood of the door shaking and trying to give. Just then I heard a huge BOOM. "What the fuck, man?!" I heard her say. The blood spattered through the small crack between the door and the carpet of Michele's room. She had just been shot in the leg. I was smart enough to know that wouldn't stop this bitch so I definitely didn't open the door. Good thing, because she tried to attack the first SWAT guy before they finally took her down. When I walked outside my apartment, there were lots of stretchers lined up for victims. Apparently, in her spare time she had found and hurt my other roommates, but not seriously. And of course right then, I woke up.
I don't ever want to eat creme brulee again.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Happy Songs
Do you have any songs that just instantly make you happy? Whether it reminds you of a good time you had or it's just fun to listen to, I can't help but get in a good mood when these songs come on. So here are a few of mine. You're more than welcome to listen to any for your listening pleasure. Maybe it will even make you feel a little happy.
1) Centerfold by the J Giles Band - I've heard this in the car on the radio going to work twice in the last week, and each time I've turned it up to max volume and jammed alone in my car. Both nights, I felt fantastic the rest of the night. My sister burned me a CD with Centerfold on it the summer before my freshman year of high school and I used to listen to it all the time. That CD is long gone now, but I still remember that summer of going to the pool every day with my friends and being excited for high school. I also like any song with "Na na na" or "Sha la la" or something like that in it. It instantly makes me happy.
2) When the World Ends by Dave Matthews Band - This has sentimental value because it's my song with John. The night we started dating, I went to see Dave in concert with Alli and I remember Alli planted the seed in my head about this song. I shrugged it off at first, but the more I listened to it, the more I loved it. Now, it brings me back to the exciting days of having a new relationship. While I love the rhythm of my relationship now, the first few months of it provided feelings I had never had before that have only grown, so it's nice to hear a song and feel that way again.
3) Hotel California by the Eagles - This song reminds me of my family. I'm not entirely sure why except that every member in my family adores this song. When we would go to Hilton Head every summer, there was an outdoor bar/grill that had a few different guitar players and singers sing Jimmy Buffett songs and the like, but no one got more excited when someone would sing Hotel California than my parents.
4) Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root - Honestly, I just like how this sounds. The beat just kind of gets me moving and it's kind of silly trying to sing it since I can't really understand what the guy is saying.
5) Aux Champs Elysees by Joe Dassin - One of the last days I was in La Rochelle, my teacher gave us printed lyrics to this french song and let us listen to it. We tried singing it all together, but this well-known song was too fast for our slow-talking American ways. I have a hard time comparing this song to well-known American songs. It's a song every man, woman, and child in France knows. Not like Itsy Bitsy Spider, but not like Hit Me Baby One More Time either. Some sort of hybrid. Listening to it reminds me of summer, France, and my teacher Nelly.
6) We're At The Top of the World by Juliana Theory - Once again, another song with a "Sha la la la" in it. Something about those songs just gets me.
7) Most Frank Sinatra songs - I work in a restaurant that plays this sort of music 24/7. I know every word and when I hear these songs somewhere else, I can't help but feel a little bit more sophisticated than the rest of the crowd for knowing these classics so well. It also just reminds me of work, where all of the employees make up a kind of family. I absolutely adore my job, and I don't mind being reminded of it any time.
8) Come On! Feel The Illinoise! by Sufjan Stevens - I used to take my enormous variety of Sufjan songs for granted. I would only listen to the songs I really liked, like Chicago and For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti. On my frequent trips to Charlottesville when I was in college, however, I started opening up my mind to more. This song would always come on randomly right as I was about 5 minutes from Charlottesville. That alone would have been enough to make it one of my happy songs, but the more I listen to it, the more I appreciate that upbeat feel to it.
So there's a basic list of songs that make me feel good. Now go turn on your iTunes and listen to yours!
1) Centerfold by the J Giles Band - I've heard this in the car on the radio going to work twice in the last week, and each time I've turned it up to max volume and jammed alone in my car. Both nights, I felt fantastic the rest of the night. My sister burned me a CD with Centerfold on it the summer before my freshman year of high school and I used to listen to it all the time. That CD is long gone now, but I still remember that summer of going to the pool every day with my friends and being excited for high school. I also like any song with "Na na na" or "Sha la la" or something like that in it. It instantly makes me happy.
2) When the World Ends by Dave Matthews Band - This has sentimental value because it's my song with John. The night we started dating, I went to see Dave in concert with Alli and I remember Alli planted the seed in my head about this song. I shrugged it off at first, but the more I listened to it, the more I loved it. Now, it brings me back to the exciting days of having a new relationship. While I love the rhythm of my relationship now, the first few months of it provided feelings I had never had before that have only grown, so it's nice to hear a song and feel that way again.
3) Hotel California by the Eagles - This song reminds me of my family. I'm not entirely sure why except that every member in my family adores this song. When we would go to Hilton Head every summer, there was an outdoor bar/grill that had a few different guitar players and singers sing Jimmy Buffett songs and the like, but no one got more excited when someone would sing Hotel California than my parents.
4) Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root - Honestly, I just like how this sounds. The beat just kind of gets me moving and it's kind of silly trying to sing it since I can't really understand what the guy is saying.
5) Aux Champs Elysees by Joe Dassin - One of the last days I was in La Rochelle, my teacher gave us printed lyrics to this french song and let us listen to it. We tried singing it all together, but this well-known song was too fast for our slow-talking American ways. I have a hard time comparing this song to well-known American songs. It's a song every man, woman, and child in France knows. Not like Itsy Bitsy Spider, but not like Hit Me Baby One More Time either. Some sort of hybrid. Listening to it reminds me of summer, France, and my teacher Nelly.
6) We're At The Top of the World by Juliana Theory - Once again, another song with a "Sha la la la" in it. Something about those songs just gets me.
7) Most Frank Sinatra songs - I work in a restaurant that plays this sort of music 24/7. I know every word and when I hear these songs somewhere else, I can't help but feel a little bit more sophisticated than the rest of the crowd for knowing these classics so well. It also just reminds me of work, where all of the employees make up a kind of family. I absolutely adore my job, and I don't mind being reminded of it any time.
8) Come On! Feel The Illinoise! by Sufjan Stevens - I used to take my enormous variety of Sufjan songs for granted. I would only listen to the songs I really liked, like Chicago and For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti. On my frequent trips to Charlottesville when I was in college, however, I started opening up my mind to more. This song would always come on randomly right as I was about 5 minutes from Charlottesville. That alone would have been enough to make it one of my happy songs, but the more I listen to it, the more I appreciate that upbeat feel to it.
So there's a basic list of songs that make me feel good. Now go turn on your iTunes and listen to yours!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Goodbye
I generally hate goodbyes. I think because change scares me most of the time. Even if I'm overall excited and feeling positive about a change, it's scary to do something different. I'm very much a people-person. Personal relationships are very important to me and I try to do everything I can to maintain them even in conditions that make it difficult. For example, I make an effort to send a long e-mail to my best friend from childhood every few months, and greatly appreciate when she reciprocates. Leaving Longwood and my college best friend, Megan, was also difficult, but we try to stay in touch using the magic of the internet, and we still are able to know what's basically going on in each other's daily lives. My very best friend, Alli, moved to Chicago 3ish weeks ago. We hugged and cried and said we would miss each other, but I knew I would see her again soon when she came into town on business. I've gone 3 weeks and more without seeing Alli, so this goodbye wasn't so bad as it was exciting for her to be going on such a fantastic journey.
However, this weekend, she came home for that business trip, and I was forced to say a real goodbye, with no hope of seeing her again for at least a few months. Last night, at her dad's house, we held hands and reminisced about the ridiculous things we've encountered throughout our several years of friendship. I've had a couple of very meaningful goodbyes like this: my grandfather in his hospital bed before he died, before John left Richmond for UVA freshman year, my family before heading to France for a month. This goodbye is one of those that will always stick with me. One that's full of happiness, tears, good memories, and promises to stay in touch.
It makes me realize that it's not the end of an era, just the end of a chapter with another chapter waiting to begin.
However, this weekend, she came home for that business trip, and I was forced to say a real goodbye, with no hope of seeing her again for at least a few months. Last night, at her dad's house, we held hands and reminisced about the ridiculous things we've encountered throughout our several years of friendship. I've had a couple of very meaningful goodbyes like this: my grandfather in his hospital bed before he died, before John left Richmond for UVA freshman year, my family before heading to France for a month. This goodbye is one of those that will always stick with me. One that's full of happiness, tears, good memories, and promises to stay in touch.
It makes me realize that it's not the end of an era, just the end of a chapter with another chapter waiting to begin.
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