moving to a new city has proven quite interesting. i'm soaking up everything like a sponge (or at least attempting to), but in case you ever move to a new city i want to make sure i share my thoughts. you're welcome in advance.
things i've learned: part one
1. it may take maintenance two weeks to fix your sink. and this may result in doing dishes in creative ways.
2. it is hot as hades down here. it's like i'll need to get new skin or something because i don't think i'll make it through july and august if november is in the 80s.
3. everyone grocery shops late in the afternoon on saturday. and i mean EVERYONE. including kids from your school. and they will come up and hug you. even if your hands are full, they only kind of know your name, and you've been waiting in line for half an hour.
4. i do not know how to 'wobble' ... which became apparent as i was chaperoning the sixth grade sleepover. if you also missed out on learning how to 'wobble,' feel free to watch the youtube video below. i've been practicing all weekend so i'm in the know at the next sleepover.
5. people straight up have NO idea what 'carolina' means down here. no idea. and there is some strange rivalry between clemson and SOUTH carolina (commonly confused as 'carolina'), but i just don't get it. i didn't even really know those schools had fans. but don't worry. tuesday is (south) carolina vs clemson dress up day at school and i'll be sporting the true carolina colors. there'll be no "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" in this case.
don't worry, friends. there's more. some of which i'll just have to tell you in person because it's too odd for the blog (shocking that something could be too odd for the blog, right?), other things which will make it in part two. something i know you all will be looking forward to. don't be shy. i'm onto you.
happy early thanksgiving to you, if you're into that sort of thing. i'm much more into getting my wobble on these days.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
my top five holiday decorations.
after a wonderful surprise visit from my parents this weekend (for my birthday ... not just because, although take note: that would be cool too.), i decided to deck my halls because i don't like to do it unless it's worth it (which i know is lame and "missing the point" but whatever). i always struggled with decorating for holidays in college because while i loved the decorations, i loathed only being able to enjoy them for a few weeks before i felt like i had to take them down. no one wants to come back from christmas break with their decorations still up in their dorm room, right?
and besides that, word on the street is that it's bad luck to keep your decorations up in the new year. or at least that's what my 'rents always said. but that's probably just so we'd help them clean them up.
anyways, instead of waiting until december like i should, i followed almost all stores (except macy's i think) and starting unpacking the holiday decorations. and goodness it was fun! now i have over a month to enjoy them before i leave for the holidays. well worth it in my book.
in honor of decorating my little box, i've elected to share my top five holiday decorations with you. as always, enjoy.
 |
| 'you'd better not pout -or mope -or whine -or COMPLAIN!' |
decoration number one: my year-round mantra ... or better yet, my mother's year-round mantra for me. this little reminder ornament actually stays out through the year in hopes that i'll grow up. good luck with that, mom.
 |
| tar heel snowpeople. |
 |
| box from fiffy. |
decoration number three: believe box. if you haven't heard my santa-judy blume story from 5th grade, ask me sometime. but make sure you've gone to the bathroom beforehand. because most of the time people laugh. EVEN though it's actually a tragic story.
 |
| ornament-belly santa! |
decoration number four: ornament-belly (light-up) santa. yes, it IS as wonderful as it sounds! mom and i love cracker barrel and we found this jewel of a decoration one day after dinner. precious, right? i might keep this out all year. that's how much i'm digging it right now.
 |
| 1.5-eared bunny |
decoration number five: 1.5-eared bunny. i'm not exactly sure when or where he lost his ear, or for that matter, when or where he got the .5 of a fake ear made out of what can only be described as folded up paper ... regardless of all of that, this ornament never fails to make me smile. and why wouldn't a 1.5-eared bunny ornament make you smile?
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
30 things to do before i'm 30.
tomorrow i am 25. that's right. a quarter of a century. the big two-five. one more than two dozen. halfway to the hill. YIKES.
in honor of this birthday and because of my obsession with lists, i've decided to officially make the 30 things to do before i'm 30 list. that gives five years to check these off. hopefully that's enough. if not, i'll extend it because as i've said before: my blog, my rules.
[side note: these are in no particular order other than the order i thought of them.]
1. visit a castle ... preferably in england or ireland, but i'd be willing to consider alternatives.
2. SKYDIVE.
3. camp out under the stars -- very different than the 'camping' that my family usually does in the hilton.
4. swim with dolphins (in a controlled atmosphere, not because a boat sank and i was stranded in the ocean).
5. go to a pumpkin patch and pick the perfect pumpkin.
6. attend new york city's thanksgiving day parade OR new year's eve celebration -- i'm not delusional enough to think both are possible before i'm 30 ... just delusional enough to hope for one.
7. get a dog and name him doodle.
8. learn to cook something other than pasta that sticks together. and have photographic proof of this accomplishment.
9. find a shark's tooth all on my own ... not because i stole it from one my sister or mom found.
10. read the bible. and understand it. and not the kiddie version that i read when i was seven.
11. adopt a child for christmas.
12. see the blue ridge parkway leaves during the fall.
13. FINALLY go out west. i'm leaving that as unspecific as possible since every other westward plan has failed.
14. actually get up in the early hours of the morning and experience the chaos that is the day after thanksgiving sales.
15. cruise to ... anywhere, really. just go on a cruise.
16. ride in a hot air balloon (and don't throw up).
17. snorkel...or scuba dive, but let's start small with snorkeling.
18. fold 1000 paper cranes and make a worthwhile wish.
19. go white water rafting without wetting my pants.
20. travel by train. not necessarily hogwarts style, but similar.
21. learn to parallel park. so so scary.
22. get a massage. and enjoy it. because it IS possible to relax, right?
23. watch all 7 (kind of 8 thanks to the two part finale) harry potter movies in a row ... spreading over multiple days if necessary.
24. join a church. not just attend one. but join one like an adult.
25. learn how to build and start a fire, all on my own.
26. hike in the blue ridge mountains. or any mountains, but i prefer the blue ridge.
27. learn more than just the harry potter theme song on my guitar.
28. experience a true sunrise. maybe on the beach.
29. become a vegetarian for a month. and people, there has to be a limit on this because of my extreme aversion to vegetables. it's just something i want to try.
30. kiss in the rain.
okay, that last one is cheesy and pretty much just lame, but i saw it on someone else's bucket list and the disney-loving romantic in me squealed. so it made it on the list. if you watch the blog closely, i imagine i'll edit it out to be something legitimate, but for now it stands as is.
challenge: extended. i'll keep you updated, folks!
in honor of this birthday and because of my obsession with lists, i've decided to officially make the 30 things to do before i'm 30 list. that gives five years to check these off. hopefully that's enough. if not, i'll extend it because as i've said before: my blog, my rules.
[side note: these are in no particular order other than the order i thought of them.]
1. visit a castle ... preferably in england or ireland, but i'd be willing to consider alternatives.
2. SKYDIVE.
3. camp out under the stars -- very different than the 'camping' that my family usually does in the hilton.
4. swim with dolphins (in a controlled atmosphere, not because a boat sank and i was stranded in the ocean).
5. go to a pumpkin patch and pick the perfect pumpkin.
6. attend new york city's thanksgiving day parade OR new year's eve celebration -- i'm not delusional enough to think both are possible before i'm 30 ... just delusional enough to hope for one.
7. get a dog and name him doodle.
8. learn to cook something other than pasta that sticks together. and have photographic proof of this accomplishment.
9. find a shark's tooth all on my own ... not because i stole it from one my sister or mom found.
10. read the bible. and understand it. and not the kiddie version that i read when i was seven.
11. adopt a child for christmas.
12. see the blue ridge parkway leaves during the fall.
13. FINALLY go out west. i'm leaving that as unspecific as possible since every other westward plan has failed.
14. actually get up in the early hours of the morning and experience the chaos that is the day after thanksgiving sales.
15. cruise to ... anywhere, really. just go on a cruise.
16. ride in a hot air balloon (and don't throw up).
17. snorkel...or scuba dive, but let's start small with snorkeling.
18. fold 1000 paper cranes and make a worthwhile wish.
19. go white water rafting without wetting my pants.
20. travel by train. not necessarily hogwarts style, but similar.
21. learn to parallel park. so so scary.
22. get a massage. and enjoy it. because it IS possible to relax, right?
23. watch all 7 (kind of 8 thanks to the two part finale) harry potter movies in a row ... spreading over multiple days if necessary.
24. join a church. not just attend one. but join one like an adult.
25. learn how to build and start a fire, all on my own.
26. hike in the blue ridge mountains. or any mountains, but i prefer the blue ridge.
27. learn more than just the harry potter theme song on my guitar.
28. experience a true sunrise. maybe on the beach.
29. become a vegetarian for a month. and people, there has to be a limit on this because of my extreme aversion to vegetables. it's just something i want to try.
30. kiss in the rain.
okay, that last one is cheesy and pretty much just lame, but i saw it on someone else's bucket list and the disney-loving romantic in me squealed. so it made it on the list. if you watch the blog closely, i imagine i'll edit it out to be something legitimate, but for now it stands as is.
challenge: extended. i'll keep you updated, folks!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
blogging from the box!
i have officially almost settled into my new box ... in my new city ... in my new adult life. hooray for that!
trust me though, it was no easy task. moving is SUCH a beast. and even though i moved every three years as a child and every semester (or a year at the longest) in college, i had no idea it was such a pain.
i'll love this place if it's the last thing i do because goodness knows i don't ever want to move again. sheeesh.
here are a few updates that i'm sure you were wondering about my new digs/city:
1. the cooper river bridge is the most terrifying thing i have ever been on.
2. however, if you keep taking the bridges back and forth you WILL make it back to your home.
3. my bed-corner (not to be confused with bedroom ... since i don't actually have one of those) is so much more lovely with mature looking bedding instead of the 12 year old hot pink, barbie-like stuff i had before.
4. my small, awkward quarters are no match for my mother. she is the goddess of all things moving/puzzle related. it's amazing how she can create cubbies and nooks out of thin air. my father also proved he has outgrown his anti-handyman reputation as he created three little shelving units AND a media stand and none of it has fallen apart yet. it's only been 24ish hours, but i'm hopeful.
5. the hallmark movie channel AND lifetime movie network both come on my digital cable thingy. THIS IS SUCH GOOD NEWS, PEOPLE. not good news for my productivity, but GREAT news for my holiday spirits -- bring on the christmas movies!
6. law and order: svu is JUST as wonderful down here as it was in chappy hill. victory!
so far, so good. come visit!
trust me though, it was no easy task. moving is SUCH a beast. and even though i moved every three years as a child and every semester (or a year at the longest) in college, i had no idea it was such a pain.
i'll love this place if it's the last thing i do because goodness knows i don't ever want to move again. sheeesh.
here are a few updates that i'm sure you were wondering about my new digs/city:
1. the cooper river bridge is the most terrifying thing i have ever been on.
2. however, if you keep taking the bridges back and forth you WILL make it back to your home.
3. my bed-corner (not to be confused with bedroom ... since i don't actually have one of those) is so much more lovely with mature looking bedding instead of the 12 year old hot pink, barbie-like stuff i had before.
4. my small, awkward quarters are no match for my mother. she is the goddess of all things moving/puzzle related. it's amazing how she can create cubbies and nooks out of thin air. my father also proved he has outgrown his anti-handyman reputation as he created three little shelving units AND a media stand and none of it has fallen apart yet. it's only been 24ish hours, but i'm hopeful.
5. the hallmark movie channel AND lifetime movie network both come on my digital cable thingy. THIS IS SUCH GOOD NEWS, PEOPLE. not good news for my productivity, but GREAT news for my holiday spirits -- bring on the christmas movies!
6. law and order: svu is JUST as wonderful down here as it was in chappy hill. victory!
so far, so good. come visit!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
where am i supposed to keep my horse?
so the big move is upon us and there's really nothing anyone can do about it. somehow it is here and life is starting. woah woah woah.
before i take my last load of stuff to my new "home" (which can really only be considered a glorified closet), it was vital that i made my rounds at the public library to say goodbye. i mean, these are some of my favorite people in all of chapel hill (and let's be honest, the world) so naturally i can't just peace out. i'm going to swing back by tomorrow to see as many of these wonderful people as possible, but tonight i made sure to catch sweet susan.
after a wonderful catch up session where we were even able to combine our skills to help a patron with her middle grades book club, i took a hot second to look through a south carolina book that the library has. i mean, you can never be too prepared for your new state, right?
i learned all kinds of things about south carolina history, the economy, the government structure, etc. ... you know, the basics so i don't say something stupid about seceding from the union or something.
but what was my favorite part of the entire book? it was naturally the little snippet that contained the weird laws of south carolina. BECAUSE THESE ARE THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW, PEOPLE.
i mean, anyone can memorize the south carolina state bird (which is the carolina wren for those of you with inquiring minds), but the real things you need to know are the laws that'll surely trip you up. you don't want to move to a new state and get arrested or something crazy because you didn't know you couldn't keep your horse in your bathtub.
and you might think that last one was fake, but here are the three laws listed:
so i now ask you fine blog readers, where am i supposed to keep my horse?? i mean, obviously my bathtub won't work, but my apartment is so small that really was my only option. the jury's still out, but this might be a deal breaker.
also, since these made me laugh, i did a quick google search and found a dumb laws website. some of my favorites for south carolina include:
also, if you're in the mood for a good laugh, check out the north carolina dumb laws. and be honest with yourself about how many times you have broken the third law.
before i take my last load of stuff to my new "home" (which can really only be considered a glorified closet), it was vital that i made my rounds at the public library to say goodbye. i mean, these are some of my favorite people in all of chapel hill (and let's be honest, the world) so naturally i can't just peace out. i'm going to swing back by tomorrow to see as many of these wonderful people as possible, but tonight i made sure to catch sweet susan.
after a wonderful catch up session where we were even able to combine our skills to help a patron with her middle grades book club, i took a hot second to look through a south carolina book that the library has. i mean, you can never be too prepared for your new state, right?
i learned all kinds of things about south carolina history, the economy, the government structure, etc. ... you know, the basics so i don't say something stupid about seceding from the union or something.
but what was my favorite part of the entire book? it was naturally the little snippet that contained the weird laws of south carolina. BECAUSE THESE ARE THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW, PEOPLE.
i mean, anyone can memorize the south carolina state bird (which is the carolina wren for those of you with inquiring minds), but the real things you need to know are the laws that'll surely trip you up. you don't want to move to a new state and get arrested or something crazy because you didn't know you couldn't keep your horse in your bathtub.
and you might think that last one was fake, but here are the three laws listed:
- if a man proposes marriage to a woman, by law, the marriage must take place. [good to know!]
- it is illegal to keep a horse in a bathtub. [i can't help but wonder why ...]
- when approaching an intersection in an automated vehicle, the driver must stop 100 feet from the intersection and fire a gun or rifle to warn horse traffic. [and scare the piss out of other drivers]
so i now ask you fine blog readers, where am i supposed to keep my horse?? i mean, obviously my bathtub won't work, but my apartment is so small that really was my only option. the jury's still out, but this might be a deal breaker.
also, since these made me laugh, i did a quick google search and found a dumb laws website. some of my favorites for south carolina include:
- No work may be done on Sunday. [hooray!!]
- A person must be eighteen years old to play a pinball machine. [thank goodness i pass this test! gotta get my pinball on.]
- It is considered an offense to get a tattoo. [but is an offense punishable by law? because if not, the harry potter scar tattoo is still a possibility!]
also, if you're in the mood for a good laugh, check out the north carolina dumb laws. and be honest with yourself about how many times you have broken the third law.
[hint: for me, every single day. also, just in case they ever change the order of those laws, the above hint refers to the singing law. some of those other laws could be awkward to break every single day ... or ever ... so i felt clarification was important.]
Monday, October 24, 2011
no time for sleep
i feel like i'm wearing a zombie costume a week before halloween. and it's not because i'd ever be a zombie. don't be ridiculous. i always aim to be something cute. like a poodle skirt girl. or tinker bell. and just for the record, i choose to not include the year i wanted to be a military person so i wore my dad's BDUs and thought i was the bee's knees. trust me, i wasn't. i was just awkward and it was hard for people to see me in the night. not cool.
[side note: if you don't know what BDUs are and you're having trouble figuring out how awkward i was, check out the wikipedia article here. if you really know me, you'll understand why this doesn't fit my personality at all.]
but back to sleep, or lack of sleep really. when life is going at downhill-roller-coaster-speed, there's not much time for sleep. as you can see, there is always time for blogging though. thank god for that, right?
anyways, why is there no time for sleep? well for starters, for 72ish hours this past weekend (friday-sunday, don't bother me about math) my wonderful mother and i adventured all over charleston, south carolina searching for the perfect place for me to make my new home. and when i say all over charleston, i mean it. i'm pretty sure i have been on every.single.road in west ashley and johns island, in addition to those on james island and downtown. and yes, we adventured north into north charleston and accidentally over the bridge into mt. pleasant on our hunt. it was a nonstop, little-sleeping crazy weekend full of hide-and-go-seek apartment style.
well it turns out that place is STILL hiding from me, but in the mean time i've at least found something ... and no, it's not a cardboard box.
although if we're being honest, it's about as big as one. so for all you future visitors (and please come play -- we can go to the beach HOORAY), make sure you bring a sleeping bag (because that's about all there is room for...and even that will be on the "kitchen" floor) or plan to stay in one of the many nearby hotels.
and also, feel free to donate to the "get megan a bigger apartment" fund that i'm setting up asap. but hey, at least i'll be able to get some sleep in my new box...which is more than i can say for the past days of chaos.
[side note: if you don't know what BDUs are and you're having trouble figuring out how awkward i was, check out the wikipedia article here. if you really know me, you'll understand why this doesn't fit my personality at all.]
but back to sleep, or lack of sleep really. when life is going at downhill-roller-coaster-speed, there's not much time for sleep. as you can see, there is always time for blogging though. thank god for that, right?
anyways, why is there no time for sleep? well for starters, for 72ish hours this past weekend (friday-sunday, don't bother me about math) my wonderful mother and i adventured all over charleston, south carolina searching for the perfect place for me to make my new home. and when i say all over charleston, i mean it. i'm pretty sure i have been on every.single.road in west ashley and johns island, in addition to those on james island and downtown. and yes, we adventured north into north charleston and accidentally over the bridge into mt. pleasant on our hunt. it was a nonstop, little-sleeping crazy weekend full of hide-and-go-seek apartment style.
well it turns out that place is STILL hiding from me, but in the mean time i've at least found something ... and no, it's not a cardboard box.
although if we're being honest, it's about as big as one. so for all you future visitors (and please come play -- we can go to the beach HOORAY), make sure you bring a sleeping bag (because that's about all there is room for...and even that will be on the "kitchen" floor) or plan to stay in one of the many nearby hotels.
and also, feel free to donate to the "get megan a bigger apartment" fund that i'm setting up asap. but hey, at least i'll be able to get some sleep in my new box...which is more than i can say for the past days of chaos.
Monday, October 17, 2011
don't judge a book by its cover. for realz.
in order to prepare (if that's possible?) for my upcoming job, i've decided to take a hiatus from reading all of candace bushnell's books (if you don't know her stuff, you should -- http://www.candacebushnell.com/) and focus on things i might be able to recommend to kids.
not that sex and the city and lipstick jungle aren't worthy of recommendations ... because they so are. but maybe just not to tweens. and just for the record, i'm not thinking of that as censorship. i'm just thinking of it as responsible librarianship. and while i'm being honest about what i think, i'm not so sure some of the things in those books are completely appropriate for adults, but whatever. still good.
 |
| don't judge me because i haven't read some of the INSANELY popular ones. better late than never, right? |
anyways, i went to the bookstore (i know ... not the library. but i didn't want to wait for the books because i'm the world's most impatient library patron) and picked up some books that were on a middle grades list ... and some others just because i thought they should be on the list, even if they weren't. and after reading the backs of the books and realizing they were more often than not FAR from my genre of choice, i decided i needed a solid princess diaries type book. essentially, fancy nancy in middle school.
after reading the back of the books and scrutinizing the covers (shameful, i know), i settled on a megan-type book about a girl who wants to fit in and has two gorgeous and famous parents. i thought it was a slam dunk book (which basically means an easy read about an ugly duckling who eventually becomes sassy and beautiful just like her rockstar parents).
OMG PEOPLE I WAS SO WRONG.
now that's not to say it wasn't a good book. it was. i read it almost straight through because it was so gripping, but holy cow was i off base. and if you don't want it spoiled, stop reading here.
 |
| the stars and happy writing on the cover? TRICKS. |
okay you've continued reading, so i'm about to spoil. so the girl i thought was an ugly duckling? well, she does have famous, beautiful parents that make her feel slightly inadequate, and when she moves to a new school she has all the same insecurities that new kids have. as she's struggling to fit in with the popular crowd that likes her for her parents' fame, her mom gets cancer (and dies), her dad relapses with his alcoholism and causes a terrible wreck which sends him to jail and then alcohol rehab, and hannah (the main character) ... well she decides she's not pretty enough or skinny enough to be in the popular crowd AND deal with all this crap from life so she starts throwing up.
and i'm not just saying it's alluded to in the book. full out details on her binge eating and purging are all over those pages. which of course makes it real and carries such a huge impact upon the reader, but WOW. not princess diaries chick lit like i was expecting.
but again -- it was a good book. maybe a little graphic and detailed for someone with as weak a stomach as myself, but hannah's struggle with fitting in and dealing with all that stuff at once? that's real life, folks.
albeit she was dealing with EVERYTHING at once, but still ... the girl was able to be real about her "issues" (as she called them), learn to be happy again and love herself, and of course ... snag a true winner of a boyfriend in the end.
[side note: while some books tend to gloss over the details, this doesn't leave much to the imagination. and as startling as that was, from someone with no background on how haunting bulimia and alcoholism can be, this stuff seemed legit. there wasn't a complete rainbows-and-sunflower ending (although she did snag that boyfriend), but the struggle wasn't forgotten, instead being stated that she was going to slip and it was going to be hard -- but she would be able to learn to cope.]
[side note: while some books tend to gloss over the details, this doesn't leave much to the imagination. and as startling as that was, from someone with no background on how haunting bulimia and alcoholism can be, this stuff seemed legit. there wasn't a complete rainbows-and-sunflower ending (although she did snag that boyfriend), but the struggle wasn't forgotten, instead being stated that she was going to slip and it was going to be hard -- but she would be able to learn to cope.]
so all in all, am i glad i read it? definitely. but was there anything in the entire story i expected? only the boyfriend.
so be careful, kids. don't judge a book by its cover (or its title for that matter). but if you do, like i did, read it with an open mind. and try your hardest to find the good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)