blog, pink, and be mary

happy birthday maeve!!

2009-07-08T19:11:00.001-05:00

happy birthday to the classiest 3 year old i know

Happy Birthday, Julia!

2009-07-01T19:50:00.003-05:00

How in the world can she already be FOUR?!?

A few weeks ago at the Allentown Art Fest, Julia was begging for a balloon the whole day. She was riding on Amy's shoulders asking over and over. Amy told her that she was broke and couldn't afford to buy the balloon. Julia responded with, "but Mooey is fixed."

She NEVER fails to make me laugh.

Can't wait for your super fun birthday party at the zoo! Happy birthday, sweet girl!

happy father's day!

2009-06-21T10:07:00.004-05:00

Looking forward to a great dinner tonight and another (quick!) trip to the beach next week!

Neil just posted this picture on Facebook and I thought I'd share it here too. I can almost smell the Vix vaporub on his nose and the whiskey on his lips!

Happy Father's Day!!

rant of the week

2009-04-28T00:16:00.001-05:00

I know it's late and I have a million other things to do, but I feel the need to get this out there. It bothers me that certain restaurants are trying to market their food as healthy. McDonald's has those dumb commercials where they show lettuce and tomato on a greasy hamburger and voila! it's healthy! Pizza Hut is trying to sell a new "natural" pizza. Even Nutella has a commercial about how she's practically tricking her kids into eating a healthy breakfast by spreading it on toast. I recently dipped some 100 Calorie graham crackers in Nutella, does that mean I chose a healthy snack? (It was delish, by the way. It was also 1 AM while I was working on a research paper, so it was totally deserved.) Anyway, not like I'm gonna start writing letters to Ronald McDonald or anything, just throwing it out there.

End rant.

Hope everyone is enjoying the nice weather :)

day 14

2009-03-27T22:01:00.002-05:00

not much to say today, like usual. i've had 3 consecutive nights of 3 AM bedtimes though, so i don't have an intelligent thought right now anyway. here's what's on my mind:

second year in a row that i've completed all 14 days of BufBloPoFo.
what the hell is this crap?
i just went and saw my best friend's new house. that she OWNS. why are all my friends grown ups?
i tried to find a video of so long, farewell from the sound of music on you tube, but i couldn't find a good one! oh well, you all know the song. (and it will be stuck in my head for days)
that's about it. peace out, homies.

day 13

2009-03-26T22:45:00.005-05:00

I didn't post one year ago, but on March 24, 2008 I wrote this. Glorious spring break. I guess I will give you a recap of this year's spring break.

I went to Oklahoma to visit my freshman year roommate and her itty bitty baby.

I squeezed her cheeks.

I took a day trip to Dallas.

I saw lots of oil rigs...

...and even more cows...

...and a dead bobcat with a beer.

the end.

day 12

2009-03-25T21:57:00.002-05:00

i know my BufBloPoFo posts have been pretty weak. uh, no excuses really. just stating the obvious.

anyway, i'm supposed to give some parenting advice. i'm no parent, but i have been referred to as "the baby whisperer" more than once. this doesn't make me qualified to hand out parenting tips though. you don't need my advice, but ask and you shall receive:

have fun. turn on music and have a dance party. sing out loud in the car (in an opera voice... not like i've ever done this or anything...) you'll look and sound like a fool, but they will think it is awesome.
relax, especially when they are freaking out. they smell fear, so don't be afraid of the inevitable tantrums.
everyone is busy, but make sure you drop everything when they just want to cuddle and watch dora.
ask how school was and help them with their homework.
try to eat dinner together.
let them wear tutus and tiaras to school.
call aunt mooey if you need a break, i'll be over in a flash.

not to get all sappy, but i have worked with some pretty disadvantaged kids before. some of them didn't have parents at home to love them, believe in them, support them, etc. if you show a kid that they have the potential to succeed, something they may have never heard from anyone before, it's amazing how much they will push themselves. sometimes their teachers had given up on them completely, so they had no one to turn to. i always gravitate to the "bad kid" because most likely someone has told them they'll never make it (at least in the environment in which i worked). give them a little time and attention and they might see they are worthy of succeeding. granted, maeve and addie will never be put in the position where they don't get the love and support they need, but every kid needs a little push now and then.

day 11

2009-03-24T22:11:00.004-05:00

i had every intention to take a picture much earlier in the day when my hair was done and i was wearing freshly applied make-up. but where's the fun in that?

it kind of looks like i only have half and eyebrow, but i promise that is not the case. those bags under my eyes are the real deal though. it's a little blurry, but so is my brain right now so i didn't retake it.

here's what i'm doing at the moment:

a case analysis and intervention plan for social anxiety disorder and panic attacks. fun times.

day 7643. or is it just 10?

2009-03-23T22:36:00.001-05:00

I'm posting this from my crackberry in bed even though my computer is about 10 feet away right now. Yea, I'm just that lazy.

I once had to write about my hero in a high school essay. I wrote about Oprah. In my defense, this was pre-crazy Oprah.

Current heroes? No one person in particular. So many people inspire me and support me unconditionally every day. My parents are at the top of the list, giving more and more every day and always letting us know how proud they are of our accomplishments, no matter how small. (For the record, we're proud to be your kids, too.) That goes for all of my siblings too. Being the youngest, I do look up to them all the time. I might be the odd man out by not going into law or medicine, but I've never had to wonder if my family supported me.

I might be a seasoned texter, but my thumbs are starting to cramp. 'Night, all.

day 9

2009-03-22T22:21:00.002-05:00

My question of the day, provided by Big Bear's Cave, is:

If you got a check in the mail today (yes, on Sunday) for $1000 that had to be spent by midnight tonight, what would you buy?

First, thanks for the compliments about my blog’s name. I have to give all the credit to Mikey for the creativity since he is the creator of blog, pink and be mary. I’m sure he didn’t think I’d ever really blog, but look how far I’ve come. All the way to day 9, and for the second year in a row!

Anyway, on to the real issue. I’m really trying to act like a grown-up these days since, well… I guess technically I am a grown-up. If I were going to be responsible, I would send in my rent check a little early, go to Wegmans, pay back the parents an itty-bitty fraction of what they have given me, buy a really nice 3-hole punch*… you know, grown-up stuff. Or, if it was possible to get my whole family together for dinner on such short notice, I’d take them out for a nice meal. But knowing myself, I would probably go on a really great shopping spree. I could drop $1000 in a few hours, easy. I’d also buy Lisa an awesome birthday present.

*I really do need a 3-hole punch. I borrowed Esther’s today and was a little too excited to organize my binders. Maybe I am a grown-up?

day 8

2009-03-21T19:02:00.002-05:00

I don't know Alexandria, aka Cultural Cuisinart, but I come from the age of Facebook-stalking so I did some snooping. Here are some fun facts:

A good portion of her posts are about TV, so I like her already. Although I'm pretty sure they don't show Gossip Girl, The Bachelor and Dancing With the Stars on Sci-Fi...

She knows how to play the drums. That's pretty kick ass.

She is a legit football fan. Not a fake fan, like me. I am obligated to like the Bills, simply because I live in Buffalo. Truth is, the only reason I knew who T.O. was is because of this.

From what I gather, video games are to Alexandria as Perez Hilton is to Mary.

Here's my question: Tell us about the best vacation you've ever had. Where would you like to visit next? Also, just because I'm nosey, how do you know Mike?

day 7

2009-03-20T18:27:00.000-05:00

Oops. Forgot to post. planned on posting about a dead bobcat with a beer bottle. Picture included. More to come on that another day.
At the sabres game. See ya'll for day 8.

day 6

2009-03-19T21:23:00.003-05:00

Like Mikey, I also lived in Bosch and the Village Townhouses. Except mine always smelled like flowers and we didn't play video games. My senior year I lived in a pretty ghetto fab house with 5 girls. There were some pretty fun times in that house, and I have tons of great memories, but I will never live with that many girls again. That was technically my first "home" away from home, but I still just considered it school.

This is my first real home away from home. I lurve it. It's pretty and girly and always smells nice. I love the rooftop patio. I love the location. I love living with one other person who I actually get along with. We joke that we'll stay here and become old cat ladies together, minus the cats. (At least I hope that it's a joke...)

Tomorrow is my day off, so I'm celebrating by going to bed early! Woohoo!

day 5

2009-03-18T22:15:00.002-05:00

so i totally tried to be a cool kid and look just like stephanie tanner. i even tried taking pictures with my webcam, tilting my head and squinting my eyes a bit. yea, i really did. i guess i'll have to settle for katie couric, circa 1993.

since i already did this one last year, i'm not putting nearly as much effort into it. here are my celeb look-alikes.

confession: i kind of wish kate winslet was on my list. i have a little girl crush on her.

oh, and who would mikey be? hillary clinton, duh.

day 4

2009-03-17T21:25:00.002-05:00

I complain a lot about school, but the truth is that I am impressed with the effort I put into it. My program consists of only ten students out of many applicants and I was offered a spot in all but one program I applied for. I’m consistently surprised with the grades I’m getting but I know I’ve earned it. Very few of my friends finished college in 4 years and went right on to complete their masters, if at all. I was asked this week by two of my professors to sit as a student representative on the school’s Academic Integrity Board.

Also, I kick ass at Wii bowling.

day 3

2009-03-16T21:23:00.005-05:00

Hm. Color me stumped. I’m not very crafty. I can’t really cook (unless ramen in the microwave counts). I don’t know how to make baba ganoush or tie a bow tie. Would you like to know how to make a birdhouse? I am not the girl to ask.

So I’m totally stealing someone else’s skill.

See this pretty basket of flower cookies? I didn’t even make them!

Esther made these as favors for a shower. Maybe when Lisa was preggers with Maeve? Anyway, they were a hit and they tasted delish. Start by buying a few different flower cookie cutters. Maybe add a butterfly or lady bug in there too. Make a bunch of cookies, frost them, decorate them, all that jazz. (What, you want the recipe? Uh, ask Esther.) Wrap them in clear cellophane, after the frosting is dry, and tie with a pretty ribbon. I honestly don’t know how the stick was attached- taped inside the cellophane? Outside? Was it baked into the cookie? Esther, help a girl out. Anyway, put one of those green floral sponge things in a basket and stick the cookies in there. Cover with Easter grass. Oh, and don’t forget to hand them out to people when they leave! (We would never do that…)

day 2

2009-03-15T22:44:00.002-05:00

I have a presentation tomorrow that I’m working on, but I thought I’d take a quick break to blog. Plus I’m cutting things pretty close, I don’t want to be a BufBloPoFo loser on day 2!

I don’t really have one favorite food. I am incredibly lucky to have tried so many amazing foods, but I don’t think I could choose just one. It would not include mushrooms or shellfish, mostly because Mikey loves them so much. Maybe we'd jam out to some Spice Girls in the background. One thing is for sure, it would be at Mom and Dad’s table. Instead of choosing just one meal, I thought I’d list a bunch of my favorites!

Favorite Meal:
Mom’s roasted chicken. Rice with the drippings. Green bean casserole.

Favorite Left-overs:
Meatloaf sandwich on white bread, little bit o’ mayo. Only Mom’s meatloaf though. I’ve never ordered it at a restaurant and the thought of eating it at someone’s house grosses me out.

Favorite Fast Food:
Subway. (does this count as fast food?) Sweet onion, Chicken teriyaki on honey oat. Provolone cheese and sweet onion sauce, nothing else!

Favorite Drunk Food:
This is a toss up. Either a chicken finger sub from Jim’s or waffle fries from ETS. Or McDonald’s. Hm, guess I don’t have a real favorite for this category.

Favorite Hungover Food:
Ramen and a Diet Coke.

Favorite Restaurant Memory:
There are 2. Dad already mentioned the first one here. We still reference than night all the time! The second one was when all the siblings went to NYC to visit Cecilia and we went out for a fancy dinner with lots of wine. I was not very mature, apparently, and stuck a leaf from the plant on the table in my front teeth. I proceeded to smile at our waiter every time he came to the table. Ah, memories.

Day 1

2009-03-14T18:59:00.002-05:00

Anyone who reads this (all 3 of you) or talks to me on a regular basis knows that I don’t lead the most exciting life. My regular schedule goes a little something like this: homework, class, TV, sleep. Repeat x 4. Booze a little on the weekends. Start all over again. Mikey, if I can’t think of 3, can I just watch the girls while you pack?

School. I’m taking a little homework break to write this pathetic little update on my life. You all know the deal… I love it, but I can’t wait to be done. It’s a ton of work, but I know it’ll be worth it soon. Blah, blah, blah. I should be finding out my practicum placement for next year pretty soon, which is super exciting. I can't wait to get into the schools and actually work with the kids.
IRELAND! After 2 sessions of summer classes, I’ll be headed to Ireland with the fam for Dad’s super sweet 60th. We’ve been talking about this trip for YEARS and it’s finally almost time to go. Since I’m the queen of procrastination, I spend tons of time googling things to do in Ireland. Oh, and looking for cute, comfy shoes.
My apartment. I know this isn’t really new news, but I still love it. It’s pretty and girly and it doesn’t smell like garbage. I don’t have to deal with the drama of living with 5 girls. It’s the perfect location for the St. Patrick’s Day parade (which is tomorrow… look forward to a post about my favorite drunk food!)

Ok, back to my homework. See ya’ll tomorrow!!

babies having babies

2009-02-17T22:36:00.004-05:00

A 15-year-old girl had a baby with her 13-year-old boyfriend. THIRTEEEEEEEN! When I was 13, I'm pretty sure I was still playing with Barbies. If I had a baby when I was 13, it would be 10 right now!! Craaazy! Baby Daddy looks like he is about 10. He's only 4 feet tall and he still has a squeaky little boy voice. Even worse, she got preggers when he was only 12. WHERE are your damn parents? Ugh, makes me so mad and scared to work in schools.

In an interview, Alfie (the baby daddy) was asked how he would care for his new baby financially. His answer? Get ready for this... He said, "what's financially?" Look at more creepy family pictures and watch the video here.

In completely unrelated news, I had my first presentation last week and got a 49 out of 50. I beat myself up over the 1 point for about 2 seconds, then reminded myself it's still an A. I had a big report due today in another class, so I feel good about finishing that. I have a bit of time off in the next 2 weeks so hopefully I'll be able to spend some QT with everyone before things start getting really crazy. Perhaps some wii dancing at mom and dad's? :)

world's fastest recap

2009-02-08T23:22:00.002-05:00

Even though I’m settled into a routine at school, I am still overwhelmed with how much work I have. Maybe that’s just because I never did the reading in undergrad and I read every word now. I can’t get away with skipping class to watch lifetime movies anymore. Last semester I ended up with above a 4.0! (3 A’s, 1 A+… I must be doing something right)

Over break I caught up on all the seasons of Lost. I’m completely hooked, but if I had watched it on tv when it started I would never stick with it. I think the sci-fi crap is stupid, and giant smoke monsters are just weird. I won’t say too much more because I know Mike and Lisa are slowly catching up. If you watch like 4 episodes in a row then go right to bed, you have some messed up dreams.

I’m so freakin’ excited to go to Ireland! My passport came in... just wait til you see my picture. It's hott.

Today Jess and I saw a guy pushing a woman around outside from the comfort and safety of our apartment (and by pushing, I mean beating the crap out of her). We called 911 but never actually saw the police come, and the happy couple left a few minutes later. As we watched, 3 different people walked by them and did nothing.

My freshman year roommate had a baby last week and I’m going to visit them in Oklahoma in a few weeks. Another college roommate is getting married next summer. This is all very crazy to me, and I think they need to stop playing house.

Miles has called me Mar-Mooey a couple times and it's really friggin cute.

I just watched all 3 1/2 hours of the Grammys. John Mayer is dreamy, but I can't watch his weird expressions while he sings.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2008-12-07T20:06:00.003-05:00

checking in

2008-12-01T13:22:00.006-05:00

so it turns out grad school is a lot more work than undergrad. huh.. who woulda thunk it? despite all the work, i'm really enjoying everything. well most of it, anyway. thanksgiving was awesome. lots of stories and pictures to post once i'm done with the next 2 weeks of hell. for now i have to get back to my research paper and starbucks. i'm counting down the days til christmas break, and i'm officially in the christmas spirit now that we went tree hunting. here are just a few pictures to get us all through til christmas! can't wait to see everyone again!

my apartment!

2008-09-20T12:20:00.008-05:00

As promised, here are some pictures of my awesome, grown-up apartment!

the living room:

the foyer:

the dining room:

the itty-bitty kitchen, taken from the dining room:

my bedroom:

my huge walk-in closet! I still have some organizing to do in here...

next time I go up to the roof I'll take pictures of the view!

nothin' to see here...

2008-09-14T17:41:00.003-05:00

what's a good way to get out of reading a few chapters?
pull the fire alarm!
kidding, i didn't pull it, but the alarm really went off today. see?!

all is well. no real fires. back to reading...

first day of school

2008-08-25T22:20:00.003-05:00

I went home to Mom and Dad's for an awesome dinner last night (and enjoyed the leftovers again tonight!) and decided to spend the night there. I blamed it on the horrible rain storm but really just wanted the comfort of sleeping in my bed. I love my apartment and it is finally starting to feel like part of the every day routine, but there's nothing like sleeping in my bed at home. I set my alarm to leave East Aurora nice and early, but decided I was in no rush and went back to sleep for a bit. Mom made me some breakfast when I woke up and sent me on my way to get ready for my first day of school. I showered and fixed my hair and make up, but made sure to take my time and relax because I was feeling a bit anxious. College was not always easy, but there weren't many times I felt like it was too much work. (Except that friggan logic class. I'll never forget how much I hated that class.)

My friend came over and we drove to Niagara together with another girl from our program. They are neighbors but I'd never met her before today, so it was nice to get to know someone else I'll be spending the next 3 years with. There are only 10 people in our program, so we'll all get to know each other really well. Six of the 10 students all graduated from Canisius, so I already know most of them. We left super early because we had to pick our books up from the bookstore, but we still ended up having an hour before class started. We sat outside and met up with more people I graduated with, catching up on the summer and dreading the start of classes again.

We went into the classroom and our professor was already there. He's a young guy who seemed just as nervous as us. He assured us he knew how we felt because he was in our place at Niagara not too long ago. I think he calmed all of us down because he told us to call him Kevin and text him if we ever had to miss class or had a question about assignments. I really liked the class too. It's called Perspectives in School Psychology... pretty much school psych 101. Lots and lots of reading, which I expected, but not quite as much work as I thought we'd get for the semester. Oh! And he let us out an hour and a half early too!

Cross your fingers that class tomorrow goes this well!

last week of summer

2008-08-18T18:09:00.002-05:00

classes start next week monday. where did the summer go?
i have a super busy week planned of... um, watching the hills tonight. maybe going shopping with mom tomorrow? yeah, not so much planned for my last week of freedom. hopefully i'll get some nice artwork for my empty walls, then i'll post some pictures of my awesome apartment.
i'll probably start posting more once classes start because i'm the queen of procrastination.

i carried a watermelon

2008-08-11T16:03:00.006-05:00

You know those kind of movies that you can recite every line by heart? The ones that you can watch over and over and never get sick of it? That's how Dirty Dancing is for me. After my surgery it seems like it was on every movie channel. And I watched it every time. In high school, my friend and I learned some of the dances... so not only can I recite the lines for you, but I can do it while busting a move. This weekend I took my nerdiness to a new low...
I saw it live in Toronto.

I didn't have high expectations because it's like turing a book into a movie, the original is always better. Pretty bad acting, really good dancing (and it was indeed dirty) and okay singing. It was very entertaining though. It was pretty much exactly like the movie with a few added scenes. There were 2 older couples sitting behind us talking before the play started. This was what I heard:

Old Lady 1: Have you ever seen the movie Dirty Dancing?
Old Lady 2: It's a movie?! No, I've never seen it, who's in it?

(me: WHA!?!?)
OL1: Oh I don't know, I've never seen it either. I think John Travolta.

(No. nonono. Who ARE you people?)
OL2: What is the story about?

(um, let's see here. abortion. scandalous love affair between a girl, just out of high school, and an older dancer. girl loses all of her childhood innocence with one look into his hungry eyes (ha! get it?). all on summer vaca with the fam. don't worry old ladies, you'll love it.)
OL1: I'm not sure. It's a love story I think.
(oh.my.god. how have you never seen this CLASSIC? these women are in for quite a surprise.) OL2: (reading through the program) Oh! The play was made after the movie?

(oh my lord. i give up.)

They were very quiet during intermission.

We went shopping on Saturday morning and impressed ourselves with how fast we got through the whole mall. I showed incredible restraint and only bought a pair of shoes and a shirt (and a very over priced Dirty Dancing t-shirt later on...) While we were there we saw a man wearing an interesting outfit...

I think we need a family girls trip to Toronto to see it together... who's in?

happy birthday!!!

2008-08-08T14:59:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday! I've had fun celebrating your birthday season with you!

aren't we pretty?

gulf shores

2008-08-07T16:14:00.006-05:00

I know it's been a while since we went to Gulf Shores, but procrastination must run in the family.

Mom got to dip Miles' toes in the ocean, just like she did with Julia:

We got to play in the sand and the water all the time:

We ate tons of fried seafood at LuLu's:
(Julia enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and lounged on Papa...)

We celebrated Papa's birthday:

And then Aunt Esther's birthday... and even set the smoke detector off!!

We enjoyed the views of the beach and from the balcony:

It was a really great trip even though I wish everyone could've been there. Look at Esther's blog soon for more pictures!!

sweet internet

2008-08-01T11:25:00.002-05:00

I finally have internet and cable at my new apartment, so I'm sitting here basking in the glow of my giant TV and computer screen. Mikey and I went to Best Buy this morning to buy a router, both a tiny bit hungover from his celebration last night. He just set it up and went on his way so I can catch up on my personal crack and watch some DVRed episodes of Project Runway (man, I hate Stella...)

I'm going home tomorrow for a girls' night while the boys are in NYC for the Yankees game. I'm sure they're gonna be jealous of our night... chinese food and chick flicks! I will post pictures soon of the new apartment and of my glorious vaca to the beach!

The Jerky Hole

2008-07-16T21:17:00.004-05:00

I don't think I ever really got into why I had my tonsils out, although I'm sure you all know about the Jerky Hole by now. My tonsils were unusually large, lumpy, and... hole-y. There were big holes and tunnels that food would get caught in. Gross, I know, but reason enough to have them removed in my opinion. The first time I learned about these holes was a few years ago at Esther's house. We were eating beef jerky and a BIG SPLINTER of it got stuck in my throat! Esther and Cecilia did a little surgery of their own, with tweezers, and got the jerky out. Since then, those food traps were renamed the Jerky Holes. End TMI.
I wrote a loooong post about my surgery and recovery, but I must've been on Loritab still because it was a whole mess of run on sentences and unfinished thoughts. So here's a quick recap: The actual surgery was fine and I don't remember a thing after, "OK Mary, we're just going to give you a little something to relax..." Next thing I remember was waking up not being able to breath through my nose (because of all the blood, so said the nurse... yuck) but hurting too bad to breath through my mouth. The surgeon assured my parents that I made the right decision to have the surgery because (TMI alert!) there was A LOT of crap in my jerky holes, showing how infected my tonsils were. I spent a few uncomfortable hours after surgery in the hospital with Mom and Cecilia. Cecilia took a greeeat picture of me that sums up exactly how I felt, I'll have to post it later. Once I was home I was on a pretty regular schedule of drugs every 2 hours. Mom camped out in my room for a few nights to make sure I didn't overdose or anything. I spent a solid week or so on the couch watching Lifetime, communicating with a dry-erase board and eating popsicles. It was actually a nice little break (besides all the PAIN!) I'm finally feeling pretty good, not 100% but almost there.
I'm leaving tomorrow to finish recovering ON THE BEACH!!! Originally we were only supposed to stay until Monday for a long weekend. Unfortunately Dad still has to come home then, but Esther and I will be staying until Wednesday with Julia and Miles. Mom is staying even longer so she can go to her high school reunion and have some more QT with Aunt Esther. I'll be sure to post pictures when we get back, but for now I have to go finish packing!!

Gulf Shores, Alabama!

TWO!

2008-07-08T18:29:00.003-05:00

Happy birthday to the sweetest 2 year old I know

i'm baaack!

2008-06-24T19:10:00.003-05:00

Hi! Remember me? Sorry for the blogging break, but I've been so busy since graduation. You know, being a grown up and all. HA! Just kidding. I've actually been gloriously un-busy (yes, that is a word) since then. Let me catch you up on life.

I moved home (so long, ghetto) and have gotten into a great routine of being an old lady. I eat a nice dinner with the parents, watch some inside edition, catch up on the daily gossip blogs, and I'm in bed by 9. (Seriously, I go to bed that early some nights). I've seen some friends from high school which has been fun, but most nights I'm perfectly content with my early bed time.
We had that awesome grad party. It seems like it was months ago! Got lots of awesome and generous gifts! People are too nice.
I got an apartment! After a few days of hunting, my roommate (one that I've lived with the past 2 years) and I found the perfect one. It's not huge, but it's big enough for us. There's gated parking, which is awesome (because I still can't parallel park...). There's ugly green carpeting in it, but they've already started taking it up so we'll have refinished hard wood floors. And get this, there's a roof top patio with an awesome view of the city and the lake! And it's only a few minutes from downtown, so it looks like my days as an old lady are numbered!
I saw this. Twice. Was a little disappointed the first time around, but after hours of replaying it over and over in my head and debating with friends, I liked it much better the second time. Man, I really do have too much time on my hands.
I wrote a 10 page paper on the role of leadership in school psychology. I dislike grad school already.
I've been catching up on this blog. Tear. Get your tissues ready.
I had my last day of work last week at the Boys & Girls Club. I teared up a bit when I left because I know I'll probably never see any of those kids again. One girl, Cynthia, is a refugee from Africa (her dad is still there, "missing".. so sad), the oldest of 4 kids, and one of the hardest workers I know. She just graduated from 8th grade and got a full scholarship to Nardin!! I used to help her type her physics labs, which I didn't even understand. I'm sure someday I'll see her on the news for doing something amazing.
I went to the Corning Museum of Glass yesterday with Mom, Mimi, and Grandma. It's one of those places I've always wanted to go see and so we took our first free day and went! We met Aunt Barb there and she got me the most beautiful tall, glass flowers as a graduation gift. (I'll post pictures of them soon!) As we were leaving, she handed me another gift and said, "every garden needs one of these!" It's a beautiful glass butterfly! They'll be great decorations for my new grown-up apartment!
I went out for ice cream with Esther, John, Julia and Miles the other night. We ordered our cones and had the tiny shop pretty much to ourselves. I was sitting next to Julia and sharing my piece of cake ice cream with her (along with her chocolate with sprinkles...) when a man walked in. I noticed he had a big... uh, thing on his nose. A tumor? Perhaps preparing for a role in a Disney movie? (go ahead and google "nose tumor" and you'll get a good idea). Anyway, I was not the only one who noticed, apparently. Sweet little Julia shouts out, "HAHAHA LOOK AT THAT MAN! HE HAS A BIG NO..." as I slapped my hand over her mouth. I'm pretty sure I bit a hole in my tongue, I was trying so hard not to laugh. I picked Julia up and started asking her about school, her ice cream, anything to distract her. She leans into me and whispers, "But Mooey, isn't that so silly?!?!" Ah yes, it was quite silly. He walks by and again, "LOOK, THERE'S THE MAN WITH THE BIG NOSE!" John and I planned how to get her out so she didn't point and laugh at the poor guy.
I took my friend out for her 21st birthday last night. My 21st birthday was on a Monday too, so I know you can't just bar hop on Chippewa. I took her to the classy local bars instead. Apparently I did a good job though, because I got a text this morning (er, afternoon) that said, "I slept on the bathroom floor last night." I'm so proud :)
I get my tonsils out in one week. blah. NOT looking forward to the pain. I AM looking forward to ice cream and slushies. And lots and lots of cheesy movies. Maybe I'll update before then, but most likely not!

and i'm done

2008-05-18T09:19:00.004-05:00

I graduated yesterday! It's very bittersweet. I've been saying for months that I'm ready to be done, ready to move out, and ready to move on to grad school. I'm done living in a house of five girls among the mess and the drama. I am (almost) done with closing the bar down in the most uncomfortable heels I own. I really loved college but believe it or not, I think I am actually ready to grow up.

Last night was our last night out to celebrate with everyone before we all head our separate ways. I really shouldn't worry too much about not seeing my friends because a very large portion of Canisius students are from Buffalo. I'll keep in touch with the people I really care about and the rest, well I know I'll run into some them once in a while. We started the night at a friends house. Someone brought a couple bottles of (very cheap) champagne and we all toasted each other. We headed downtown for a few hours but ended the night at "our" bar, just like every other Saturday for the last 4 years. As our friends started to leave, people started to cry. Here we were, a group of drunk college graduates crying in a bar to "Livin' on a Prayer"... how appropriate.

the bff

Some of my "class friends" (the one on the left is going to Niagara with me in the fall)

two of my roommates

Mikey's done too!

I am so smrt

2008-05-14T23:29:00.002-05:00

PSY 303 Abnormal Psychology A-
PSY 384 Child Psychopathology A-
PSY 406 Selected Topic Psy: Misperceptions A
PSY 498 Psychology Practicum School Psychology A

Undergraduate Summary
GPA
Current Term: 3.85
Overall: 3.48

Damn, SOOO close to my goal of 3.5 overall!

Happy Birthday!

2008-05-13T21:14:00.000-05:00

Not much time to post because it's senior week. Just got back from a wine tour, headed out to Coles (not school sponsored...) But I just wanted to say...

Happy Birthday, Cecilia!!

DONE!

2008-05-09T08:13:00.002-05:00

I just finished my last exam. I am officially DONE WITH COLLEGE!!!

To Mom

2008-05-08T18:20:00.004-05:00

My mom told me earlier this week that I really need to update, sooo here I am. Nothing too exciting going on except, OH YEAH! I have my last exam tomorrow then I'm DOOONE! So I'm here watching Top Chef reruns, "studying" abnormal psychological disorders, and eating a delicious meal of ramen. The next few weeks are going to be super busy, but with mostly really fun stuff. Next week is senior week so I'll be going on lots of picnics, happy hours, wine tours, and a fancy ball. Pretty much lots of booze to celebrate being done with college.

I'm sure if you watched the news or read the paper you heard about Quad Party. Every year on the last day of classes, everyone gets super drunk and parties in the streets. If you actually go to class, you are probably drunk and take a drink in a water bottle with you. Most professors are cool and either cancel class or just review for exams. This year kinda sucked because there were about seven million police on campus. It was definitely unnecessary to bring that many cops in. I chatted with the SWAT team, tried to feed a K9 dog, and talked to a detective about CSI. A few people I know got tickets for open container, but no one got arrested like they were promising. I had my fun though and was in bed by 8:30.

I'm pretty sure this armored vehicle was completely necessary....

Across the street from my house.

Workin' hard...

I was on the porch of that green house. The K9 unit was there for a while, but they must've thought we were really dangerous because then they brought the SWAT team in (that white van). You can tell they were working really hard...

2008-04-17T22:04:00.002-05:00

Here I am at 10 PM just cracking open my book for a test tomorrow. I had better things to do today. Like go to the zoo! It was beautiful and sooo nice to get outside. (Note to self: your pasty Irish skin has been inside for months… sunscreen would’ve been nice). We missed the elephants but thankfully Maeve does a mean impression of them. The baby tigers were super cute, even if their names are ridiculous. I forgot my camera, but this was only the first of many trips to the zoo in the next few months!

It was an even better treat to get outside because I have been sick for the past couple days. Not I-just-don’t-feel-like-going-to-class sick but really miserable, stay in bed sick. I had a headache all day Monday, but nothing I couldn’t handle. I still went to work and I survived. By the time I left though, I felt like I had been run over by a truck. I got in bed at 6:30 and could. not. move. My room was spinning because I was so dizzy. I was freezing and sweating all at the same time. I slept on and off all night and I was having some crazy dreams. At one point, I woke up and I just knew this was a caffeine headache. (oh yeah, except I don’t drink coffee and I don’t drink that much diet coke...) I had a diet Pepsi in my room so I sprawled out in the middle of my floor at 2 AM and drank it, positive it would make my headache to go away. I went back to sleep and dreamed my bed was a pirate ship and the waves were rocking it back and forth. I think I was delusional. I called my mom in the morning and had her come pick me up. I went home for a couple days for some tlc and lots of sleep. I feel waaay better today, especially after being outside. And really, I could've gone to class yesterday, but I was just having more fun being at home watching Lifetime movies!

Well I really should get back to studying (er, i mean, start studying...)
2 weeks of class left and 29 days til graduation :)

mr. golden sun

2008-04-08T11:43:00.003-05:00

not much can get this girl out of bed on a day when she can sleep in. since i have a fabulous senior schedule, i don't have class tuesday or thursday so i usually don't have anything to do those mornings. but today i woke up at 8 (yes that is EARLY... crack of dawn if you ask me) and went outside. i went to elmwood with my roommate to get some starbucks then we sat out on our front lawn for a few hours (while she skipped class...) this is the best and worst time of year for a student of any age. schools almost over, summers almost here... but you still have a month of class to sit through, sorry 'bout that. we justify skipping class at least once a week. "i wouldn't learn anything because i'd just be watching out the window wishing i was outside anyway..."

work is getting to be hard too with the nice weather. part of the program is that the kids have to do homework every day. those kids who take 3 hours to get their homework done? sorry kid, that's not gonna fly with me today because i want to go outside on the playground just as much as you. i realized that i was actually giving answers out yesterday just so they would finish faster. hey, at least we got to go outside sooner! besides, they need the help with their grades anyway....

i think spring is my favorite time of year. it's not too hot, not too cold. everyone has been cooped up for months in freezing buffalo weather. 50 degrees seems balmy once it finally arrives. i looove this campus when it gets warm. it's like spring is an automatic reason to have parties at 2 in the afternoon on your front lawn. the quad is full of everyone "doing homework" or playing frisbee. it's painful to go to class but most teachers don't want to be there just as much as us and let us out early a lot. i've gone to the playground two times in the past week and i've taken many walks in the park. i ate dinner outside last night at esther and john's house. it makes me sooo excited for one more summer of NOTHING! too bad no one will be on maternity leave this summer.

the garvey's sure love their mighty

2008-04-01T12:15:00.002-05:00

holy crap. THIS is friggan hilarious. my little cousin art (little meaning he's over a foot taller than me...) proves that the Garvey's will go to great lengths for some delicious mighty taco....

checking in

2008-03-31T20:02:00.005-05:00

i am probably the most boring person you know right now. i'm laying in bed watching dancing with the stars. i have some assignments i could do to get done early, but really... HA! but it actually wouldn't be that early because 46 days until graduation!!! (haha, good thing i re-read this because i spelled graduation wrong the first time. holy crap and the second time too. i am so smrt.) and to add to the already pretty strong senior-itis (which i've mentioned a few times...) i've been accepted into my top choice program for grad school!! i will be going to Niagara for their school psychology program. yay! i'm very excited for the program, and verrrry happy i can stay in buffalo. i think i was more nervous than i thought about my plans for next year, because now that i know what i'm doing it feels like a thousand pound weight off my shoulders.

mikey and i are graduating the same day, which means the most boring day mom and dad will ever have. seriously though, sitting through one graduation is bad enough, but 2 in one day? it does mean that we will have one kick ass grad party. we're in the planning stages, but here are some things the two of us have discussed, over a fabulous celebratory dinner, so far:

an old time family party at mom and dad's. hot dogs, hamburgers, lots of beer. this, you would think, would be the easiest and most low maintenance. but really, a party at our house is never low maintenance.
move the party somewhere else where we wouldn't be have to spend hours scooping dog poop off the muddy, doesn't-dry-out-til-august yard.
our dream menu may or may not include corn dogs, popcorn, and cotton candy.
a text from mike: "and we should have donkey rides!" 'nuff said.
there will be no "your presence is your present" crap on this invite. ha, just kidding. (no but really...)

so get ready for the donkey rides, because this is gonna be an awesome party.

excuses, excuses

2008-03-24T19:06:00.004-05:00

To Whom it May Concern:

Please excuse Mary's laziness this week as she is on spring break and suffering from a severe case of senior-itis. She has not left her bed or the couch in many hours. No trips to Florida or Mexico, just hours and hours of nothing and loving it. She finished one tacky, easy-to-read book and is on to the next. She has not, however, looked at any homework assignments that are due when she returns. In fact, she didn't even bring them home. She'll be watching Dancing With the Stars, the Bachelor and the Hills tonight, so maybe she'll be back tomorrow. But don't count on it...

Sincerely,
girl on spring break

2008-03-14T11:51:00.002-05:00

Technically I haven't been blogging for even close to a year. But this is how my blog was born, thanks to Mikey, almost a year ago. Things I'll be looking back on a year from now? That's easy:

I'm graduating in May (so scary) and going to grad school next fall. Which one? I don't know yet. I'm still waiting to hear from my top chioce. Will it be the right decision? Let's hope so...
Where will I be living a year from now? This depends on school... Buffalo (hopefully) or Rochester.
Hm... I guess that is all that's going on right now in this exciting life I lead.

Not to toot my own horn (ha, I said toot) but I'm impressed with myself for writing every day for 2 weeks. So long BufBloPoFo... I don't think I will miss you.

tv junky

2008-03-13T20:23:00.002-05:00

Well, my friends, I must disagree with my dear brother. I love reality TV. I am most definitely NOT sick of reality TV. But I do watch my share of real TV too. Here’s a list, in no particular order, of some of my favorite non-reality tv shows.

The usuals… Grey’s, Desperate Housewives, Private Practice. I actually really don’t like Private Practice, but I feel like I might miss something if I don’t watch. Grey’s needs to just… be good again. I haven’t been that impressed with the past few episodes... scratch that... seasons is more like it. I heard a rumor that Julianne Moore is going to be on Desperate Housewives as Bree’s sister, which would be interesting.

Dirty Sexy Money. This was only on for a little while, but I loved it while it was on. I don’t even know if it’s coming back but I sure do miss the Darling family.

In all my spare time (ha) I have been watching Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle online. They’re pretty good, but mostly because I’m just hooked on the sleazy, cheating-on-your-spouse story lines. Yes, they are pretty much the same show and toned down versions of Sex and the City, but I loves me some drama. And SATC is one of my all time favorite shows.

I don’t have HBO at school but I always find time to watch Entourage and Big Love when I go home. Lou and I can spend hours watching past seasons of Entourage. I hate waiting this long in between seasons though because I forget what happens… hence the marathons.

If I had more time to waste watching tv, I’d love to get into Pushing Daisies. I tried to watch an episode at work one day on a computer, but those damn kids were too loud. It’s like they expect me to actually do stuff while I’m there…

I am quite the tv junky. If I added all the reality shows I watch too, you'd be impressed. Unless you're you or you or you because you get it. it must run in the family...

about me

2008-03-12T19:45:00.002-05:00

some not-so-secret things about me:
-this is very un-PC of me, but i think midgets (i mean, little people) are creepy. there's no real reason for this. they're just... so tiny. and really, when i picture them in my head this is what i think of. and he is friggin creepy.
-i dislike birds. if this doesn't scare you, i dunno what does.
-i have an unhealthy obsession with celebrities. i spend more time here and here than any one person should.
-i love reality tv, lifetime movies, romantic comedies, cheesy romance novels... don't judge me.
-i'm a water snob. i don't drink tap water if i can help it.
-i have a killer case of senior-itis.

day...? i lost count

2008-03-11T20:40:00.003-05:00

I just remembered I have a paper due tomorrow. Crap. I'll make this fast...

1. What is your favorite word? What is your least favorite word?
Favorite word: at the moment, "congratulations on your acceptance..." are pretty good words to hear.
Least Favorite: Lots of them. Peeve (as in pet peeve) is one of them. Anesthesiologist is another, mostly because I can't say it.

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? What turns you off?
On: my nieces and nephews. my ghetto fab kids at work. candle lit mass at Canisius.
Off: watching the news, reading the paper...

3. What sound or noise do you love? What sound or noise do you hate?
Love: Babies laughing. A baseball hitting a bat. crickets and frogs in the summer nights.
Hate: My alarm clock. The trucks backing up into the parking lot across the street from my house all morning long (doubles as an alarm clock…) Crows.

4. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? What profession would you not like to do?
Like: a wedding planner, JLo style.
Not Like: this

5. What is your favorite curse word?
Oh, balls.

6. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
"Papa's right over there waiting with a beer."

because i'm tired...

2008-03-10T20:08:00.002-05:00

i'm posting just for the sake of posting right now. i haven't been to bed this early since i was like, 4 and i am super excited about it. i had another grad school interview today, which went well but i'm not sure i love the school. i was up at 5 a.m. and out the door by 6, went straight to work from the interview and didn't get home til after 6 p,m. so i.am.exhausted.

BUT! i did get accepted to another school today! yay! so far that's 3 interviews(including today), 2 acceptances, and another interview tomorrow (my first choice...) :)

i have no no brain power to write anything else worth reading, so i'm off to build up my brain cells for tomorrow.

cross your fingers for me...

home sweet home

2008-03-09T18:52:00.002-05:00

Ditto to Cecilia's reasons.

I’ve been thinking about good old Buffalo a lot lately. I’m going through grad school interviews, few of which are in the area, and the thought of moving away makes me sad. In fact, I found out today that I was accepted to a school (yay!) a few hours away and in the middle of no where (boo). So yes, I’m very excited and for 2 years I could suck it up and get myself an ed-ju-ma-cation, but I would miss Buffalo and everyone in it.

My first favorite Buffalo memories probably started at Garvey’s restaurant. Nothing like a bunch of kids running free in a bar, overdosing on Shirley Temples peanut butter pie and chicken fingers. This really didn’t seem odd to me until I met normal families. One of my favorite days was the St. Patrick’s Day parade. We spent the day at the restaurant listening to bag pipes and watching all the crazies drink the day away. Now that I’m old enough to enjoy the parade just like those crazies, I always wish the restaurant was still open. It would definitely be a different experience now though.

I love having four real seasons and having the extreme heat in summer and feet of snow in winter. Even though my arms are aching from shoveling my driveway all day long, I do love the Buffalo blizzards we get. As long as everyone is home and safe, I love being snowed in. My roommates and I made the journey to Rite Aid and bought their remaining beer and had ourselves a party. Then I made it home to East Aurora and had some quality time with the family.

I can’t forget about East Aurora. Vidler’s, Bar Bill, Toy Fest, and our white trash summer days at the community pool. So even if I do end up having to leave for a few years, you can be sure that I’ll be back.

day 8

2008-03-08T22:34:00.004-05:00

since i'm feeling like crap and about to go to bed (yes, 10:30 on a SATURDAY night.. something really must be wrong with me) i'm cheating a bit on this post.

keep in mind that I:

got a new computer for Christmas and haven't really put the time or effort into rebuilding my music library. I have been using Pandora a lot more lately, too.
am known for listening to crappy music.

itunes on shuffle, and off we go:

Air Force Ones by Nelly (haha horrible.. what a great one to start with)
All Mixed Up by 311 (my dorm room sophomore year was 311, so i have an abundance of 311 songs now)
All My Life by K-Ci & JoJo (sadly, my favorite song ever. i can't believe i just admitted that)
Travelin' Soldier by Dixie Chicks (probably my favorite song they sing)
Back To You by John Mayer (i lurve him)
Crush by Mandy Moore (hey, at least i admit i listen to some crappy music)
Nothin' Else by Justin Timberlake
Straight Up by Paula Abdul (straight up shameful)
Proud Mary by Ike and Tina Turner
Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional
Drink the Water by Jack Johnson
My All by Mariah Carey (everyone has to have a little Mariah on their ipod)
Papa Don't Preach by Madonna
Crazy in Love by Beyonce
At Last sung by Joss Stone (i love this version)
Sunday Morning by Maroon 5
Kiss the Girl from Little Mermaid
Celebrity by NSYNC (not even ashamed about this)
Don't Turn Around by Ace of Base
Spice Up Your Life by Spice Girls

so there it is. let me know if you want me to burn this fabulous playlist for you.

day 7

2008-03-07T20:48:00.002-05:00

Things in my gigantic purse (which also doubles as my school bag)

3 subject notebook (for abnormal psychology, child psychopathology, and misperceptions of psychological topics) and my child psych book.
debit card, license, canisius ID, a couple dollars, lots of gum... the normal things
car keys and keys for my house, esther's house, and mike's house
hand lotion and an abundance of lip glosses and chap sticks
a gift card to jim's steakout (i know, it's awesome)
and this... one of the most amazing things i own

Day 6

2008-03-06T13:26:00.003-05:00

This one was easy for me. I spent every minute of the day with my siblings and cousins. If we weren't playing Colored Eggs in the backyard, then we were most likely watching TV or movies. We watched Peter Pan, Singing in the Rain, and Music Man over and over and over.... I watched TGIF every Friday. Now we live on ABC Family reruns of Full House and Saved By the Bell. I found this on Facebook and it sums up my childhood pretty well:

You Know You're a 90's kid if:

You can sing the rap to "The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air"
You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey from "Blossom" and that "How Rude!" comes from Stephanie from "Full House" (want to feel old... look at THIS!)
You remember when it was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.
You remember reading "Goosebumps"
You know the profound meaning of "Wax on, wax off"
You took plastic cartoon lunch boxes to school.
You danced to "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls (Because I would never do that now...)
You remember the craze, then the banning of slap bracelets and slam books.
You still get the urge to say "NOT" after (almost) every sentence...Not...
Where in the world is Carmen San Diego? was both a game and a TV game show.
You knew that Kimberly, the pink ranger, and Tommy, the green Ranger were meant to be together.
You remember when super Nintendo’s became popular.
You remember watching home alone 1, 2 , and 3
"I've fallen and I can't get up"
You remember boom boxes vs. cd players
You remember New Kids on The Block when they were cool
You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell"
You played and/or collected "Pogs" (um, yeah, I had a pog maker)
You had at least one Tamagotchi, GigaPet or Nano and brought it everywhere
You watched the original Care Bears, My Little Pony, and Ninja Turtles
NANCY DREW AND THE HARDY BOYS WERE THE BEST MYSTERY BOOKS
All your school supplies were "Lisa Frank" brand.
You remember when the new Beanie Babies were always sold out.
You used to wear those stick on earrings, not only on your ears, but at the corners of your eyes.
You were creeped out by "Are You Afraid of the Dark?"
You know the Macarena by heart.
"Talk to the hand" ... enough said (also, "loser, whatever, fly away forever...)
You thought Brain would finally take over the world
You always said, "Then why don't you marry it!"
You remember when everyone went slinky crazy.
You remember when razor scooters were cool.

day 5

2008-03-05T20:06:00.004-05:00

raise your hand if you're shocked i'm still blogging.
(hand raised)

ok so this is gonna be short and sweet. i have a grad school interview tomorrow and i need to go get my smarty-pants sleep.

in the perfect world of nothing-bothers-mary, nobody would ever do these things. (yes, i know. this isn't so much a "make the world a better place" post. more of a "things that annoy the crap out of mary" one.)

if you go through the trouble of taking the toilet paper out of the cabinet, unwrapping it, and using it... then just PUT IT ON THE TOILET PAPER ROLL. it'll take you, what? 20 extra seconds?
i hate when people smack their gum or crunch their food extra loud, especially things like chips or pretzels. pretty much, if you're eating, i really don't like to hear it. going to the movies will drive me nuts sometimes just listening to people eating their popcorn.
don't drive slow in the fast lane.
along the same lines as the toilet paper, if the garbage can is full, just change the bag. shoving garbage in the can until the bag falls down the sides will not make it any easier to change.
this one, unfortunately, will probably never change unless i move out of buffalo. i hate when the bottom of my pants get wet and salty when i walk outside. i'm not exactly what you would say the tallest girl you know, so a lot of my pants drag a tiny bit. that line of salt once it dries drives me crazy!! (because that means i must do wash more than once a month...) also, take your snowy boots off at the door because i hate when my socks get wet. (sorry, esther. i must've passed this one on to julia!)

so, that didn't turn out to be as short and sweet as i'd hope. more dragged out and bitchy. see you tomorrow!

my hollywood family

2008-03-04T21:03:00.002-05:00

I have spent waaaay too much time writing this post in my head today. I’ve neglected my homework, much needed laundry, and time I could be SLEEPING to think about who my Hollywood family would be. I still thought this was super hard, but here ya go…

I don’t know if you knew this, but Mike and I were actually already in a movie before. (Don’t ask... it’s a long story.)

Me: Even though she kind of annoys me, I think Drew Barrymore would play me. Reece Witherspoon would be good too, but really just because she's my favorite actress. I cheated and used this and the celebs I match up with are:

Rachel Bilson
Alyson Hannigan
Hayden Panettiere
And a lot of Latin actresses I’ve never heard of…
(uh, show’s how accurate that is…)

Dad: Jack Nicholson
Mom: Diane Keaton
Esther: Winona Ryder maybe? (Before she was kinda crazy…)
John: A much younger Hector Elizondo. Or Bruce Willis
Mike: I’ll be a follower and say Kevin James. But I could also see Ryan Reynolds. And I've always thought you were a perfect mix of Ross and Chandler.
Lisa: Tina Fey
Cecilia: Chloe Sevigny
Lou: Andy Samberg or Giovanni Ribisi. Or Johnny Knoxville.

not my usual monday

2008-03-03T21:39:00.003-05:00

Today was a pretty normal day, but when I really think about it there were lots of good things that happened to me. Usually Mondays kind of suck but, maybe because of the awesome weather, I was in a really good mood.

I went to church last night and it was a really nice experience. I love the Canisius chapel and always feel so at peace when I’m there. Last night was the candle lit mass, which is my favorite. But it was extra special last night. My friend is going through the classes to be confirmed and as part of the class they have to go to church every Sunday night. They are incorporated in the mass someway every week which is really nice. Last night, they lined all the candidates in the aisle to be blessed and asked everyone to stand next to their friends to show their support. My friend didn’t realize I was at mass so when I walked up next to her she was really surprised and happy. It was just very meaningful and I was happy to be part of it.

Today started out as a really good day. You know how some morning are just easier than others? Well that was what today was like. My alarm went off (I usually loathe my alarm) and I was wide awake. I strolled to class in the beautiful weather and was just in a good mood. The best part though? Remember this exam? Wellll... I did fail it with less than a 50 the first time I took it. The professor gave me an extension to retake the exam this semester. It took one frantic night of studying with Mike for me to learn enough to pass. I returned the book today, so the class is literally out of my hands now!

I had a good day at work too. I worked with 2 girls on their homework then helped them study for a math test. Math is definitely not my strongest subject but I can handle the 3rd grade curriculum. Studying turned into playing school and I became the student. (Playing school is still way more fun if you get to be the teacher…) I solved a division problem the girls thought was especially difficult and I became the class genius! They even gave me a parade for solving it! (Someone should tell my logic teacher I deserve a parade for passing!) But more than just getting praised for solving a problem, I really got through to these girls. It was nice to see that I could make learning fun for them and actually have fun myself.

1 grad school interview down, 3 to go!! Yes interviews suck, but at least I got this far! :)

Now I’m ending a good day with a great night. I have an early doctor’s appointment tomorrow so I’m home for the night. I got a real home cooked meal and I get to sleep in my own bed. Which I am going to do right now!

2008-03-02T17:47:00.003-05:00

Esther and I go to a step aerobics class together on Saturday mornings. The first session just ended and Esther asked if I wanted to rejoin. I hesitated because I never know what Friday night will bring, and being energetic that early in the morning is just not my thing. Those of you who know me realize that sleeping in makes me very happy. I decided to stick with it again because, in my exact response to Esther, “I HATE it sooo much” but I really do feel good afterwards. We also do weights and abs that always leave me sore. We also started swimming lessons with Julia and Miles yesterday so we were at the Y for hours.

Jump to today where I had to participate in a bowling tournament for work and well, I’m ready for bed. The bowling tournament was actually pretty fun, despite the fact that 90% of our staff members are in college, therefore hungover on Sunday mornings. Our boss was so proud of us as we guzzled our Gatorade. :) I actually had the highest score on my team (which isn’t saying much) and won a party for 10 at Coldstone in a raffle!

Moral of the story: Lifting weights and being in a bowling tournament will leave your arms feeling like jell-o. Also, getting 4 hours of sleep and having a killer hangover really suck.

While I'm still at theBloFoYoMoFos:
My favorite gift was from the same Christmas as this.

BufBloPoFo.... maybe

2008-03-01T20:09:00.002-05:00

She was a BufBloPoFoHo... FoSho

Well, I’m not too sure I’m ready to commit to such a serious blog event, but I’ll play along until I get bored with it.

I didn’t technically start my own blog. Being the brat that I am, I always made fun of Mike for being such a blog nerd. He always tried to convince me to start my own but I refused over and over. So one day I was reading my email and saw that Mike sent me something like this: “hey how’s it going, blah blah blah.. oh yea, I made you a blog.” And, uhh, that’s it. That was almost a year ago but I didn’t even know about it until months later. So here I am, a converted blog nerd.

See you tomorrow...

maybe

these are a few of my favorite things

2008-02-26T19:35:00.004-05:00

Spice Girls

2008-02-17T20:11:00.003-05:00

Here are some pictures from the Spice Girls concert a few weeks ago. It seems like it was months ago! We had an amazing time and it really was a great experience. The crowd was made up of girls in their 20's and gay men. The gay couple sitting next to us was there for the second night in a row. When Posh did a cat walk to Vogue by Madonna... they cried. Actual tears.

Sporty, Ginger, Posh, Scary, Baby

Ginger in her old school British flag dress.

One of many, many costume changes.

Last song of the night.

Cold Day!

2008-02-11T12:18:00.000-05:00

Even though my house is freeeezing and my walk to class was brutal, the frigid temperature is so worth it. I have a cold day off from work because Buffalo schools are closed! Woooo!

I do love my job though. The kids are hilarious (most of the time) and I do feel like I'm making a difference (sometimes). I've been working with a group of 4th graders for the past few weeks on pages of homework everyday. If one kid in their class acts out, the teacher will add on a few extra pages of math homework for everyone. They end up spending the entire 3 hours doing homework instead of enjoying their after school program. I am always tempted to write that mean teacher a little note telling her to give these kids a break!

A lot of the kids, especially the girls, have been giving themselves haircuts (at home, thank God!). A little girl in kindergarten came in with the best mullet I've ever seen. Imagine this on a 5 year old girl...

I meant to post all the Christmas presents and hand made cards I got from the kids. I got some beautiful napkin rings, hand written books and even a half-eaten candy cane. This is the first (of many, I'm sure) Valentine picture I got.

I hope everyone has a fabulous "Vaentines" Day!

spice up your life

2008-02-04T08:40:00.001-05:00

I'm driving to Toronto in a few hours to go to the Spice Girls concert. My roommate and I both agreed that last night was like Chirstmas Eve, where we had that excited/nervous sleep when you wake up every few hours just to check the time. This is shameful to admit, but we went to Target last night to see if they had this on DVD, since we both only have it on VHS. (Note to self: Target employees, as professional as they may be, will laugh in your face). We are staying in a nice hotel, thanks to my roommate's dad who agreed it was the responsible thing to do. Look for pictures in a few days!

America's Next Top Models...

2008-01-29T01:24:00.000-05:00

I have horrible luck with computers. (I'm on my third of college so far...) Last semster, my second computer stopped working. I didn't back anything up, of course, and I was sure I lost everything. But I got an awesome new computer for Christmas and Dad's computer guy fixed my old one. I decided to look through some of my older pictures today and found these. I laughed out loud for a good five minutes. Next time I'm having a crappy day, I'm just gonna look at these for a good laugh. Julia and Maeve, I promise to delete these before you have your first boyfriends...

2008-01-21T23:50:00.000-05:00

Remember when Maeve was this little?

Yea... me either.

Have fun at school, Miss Maeve!

(And just so you know, Julia told me she would rub your back at nap time if you got a little sad.)

Ice Bowl!

2008-01-03T12:13:00.000-05:00

Lou and I chose to sit in the upper bowl seats. The view was awesome!

All the kids freezing our bums off.

Ice statue.

It's rare when the 5 of us are together in one place...

High School

2007-12-31T14:29:00.000-05:00

One of my best friends from high school made dinner for a bunch of our friends while we were all home. It was so nice to see everyone and catch up. One of my friends is engaged, which just seems silly. Like she's playing wedding or something. One of our favorite teachers from high school even showed up! She insisted we call her Julie now because we were drinking wine with her.... so weird. We took lots of pictures, and HOLY CRAP.... we look like grown-ups!

Christmas Recap

2007-12-31T14:07:00.000-05:00

When we were little, it was tradition to sleep in the same room on Christmas Eve. (Well, actually, we usually slept in the same room every night but that's beside the point...) Dad would come in and read The Night Before Christmas and we laughed every time he made puking noises as he read "...and he threw up the sash." Louis and I would wake up at about 5 AM and everyone would tell us we had to sleep for another hour before we could wake up Mom and Dad. As a rule, we had to make coffee before we woke them up.

This year, Louis and were in the den watching a movie after everyone left the big Christmas Eve party. I woke up at about 3 AM and realized that we were both sleeping in the same room like we used to. At about 5, Lou told me we had to go up to bed because otherwise Santa wouldn't come.

Even though Christmas is way different than it used to be, I coudn't have been happier. I got plenty of time loving Addie, saw Maeve and Julia open tons of presents, and took a long nap with Miles. It was a very merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T12:14:00.000-05:00

I'm typing this on my new computer while wearing my new Gaustad jersey!! Santa was good to me! :)

I'll post again after I take a nap and eat brunch!

As Julia told me...
MOOEY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

Sabres Game

2007-12-18T23:56:00.000-05:00

Saturday night was my dad's office Christmas party at the Sabres game. Everyone had a blast and the Sabres won! It was also Miles and Julia's first hockey game. Julia entertained everyone by listing the players (Ryan Miller, her favorite, and "Maximus" Afinogenov to name a few...) It was an excellent way to start Christmas break!!

Miles didn't seem to mind all the noise...

Watching the players skate!

She couldn't keep her eyes off the ice!

Welcome Baby Adelaide!

2007-12-18T20:31:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the world sweet baby girl. We all love you more than you know!

more bullets

2007-12-11T19:42:00.000-05:00

I didn’t take my hard exam today. Instead I went to my professor’s office to review and make sure I was ready. He told me I’m not and I probably would get less than a 50 if I tried to take it today. So I cried. In his office. Haha! Then he told me it would all be ok and gave me his cell phone number in case I needed someone to talk to. How much do you wanna bet I’ll be getting a call from the psych office tomorrow?

Cecilia, Esther, and Mike all made me care packages for finals week

Cecilia’s had brownies, hot chocolate mix, a stress ball, an awesome mug with pictures of me all over it, and fun pens and highlighters.
Esther’s had delicious study snacks: a Clementine, an apple, some ho-hos, pop rocks, chocolate covered pretzels and some pop corn.
Mikey’s had a Starbucks mocha frappuccino and a 22 oz Blue Light.

My siblings know exactly what I like.

A little boy at work today wet his pants while he was talking to me. He’s 4 and he’s not potty trained. Another little girl wiped a booger on her homework. I pretended I didn’t see it because it was just too gross to have to clean up. Plus I think it will be funny when the teacher is grading it.
I haven’t started Christmas shopping yet. I hope I can go shopping on Friday and get most of it done in a day, but realistically I will probably be finishing on the 24th.
I'm going home on Friday night for dinner for Mikey's birthday. I can't wait! I get to see everyone, plus Mimi and Aunt Esther are here and I haven't seen them yet. It will be a great end to this week!

Checking In

2007-12-10T21:42:00.000-05:00

Hi! I'm still alive! I have nothing too exciting to share, just some random stuff.

Leah's was much cuter, but this was a good way for my roommates to procrastinate! http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1288804766
So, my GRE scores sucked... but my advisor is telling me not to retake them. He said I'm putting too much emphasis on these grades and that grad schools don't put as much importance on them as I think. Statistically, my chances of doing way better are pretty low. And since my verbal grade wasn't horrible, there's a chance that I could actually lower my score. He told me to focus on making my applications (mostly my personal statement) perfect and to stop freaking out. So, what do you think? Any advice?
I have my hardest exam tomorrow. Then 3 papers due by Friday.
I didn't get any good pictures of my outfit at the holiday sweater party, but maybe you'll be lucky enough to see it in person.

I'll let you know if I survive the rest of the week!

2007-12-06T23:33:00.000-05:00

the GRE's= sucky crappy smelly piece of crap. and i hate them. and i will be retaking them next month.

in other news, i bought a fabulous christmas sweater vest for a tacky holiday sweater party. and a turtle neck with wreaths on it. from sears. don't worry, you'll see pictures.

Week in Numbers

2007-12-04T20:29:00.000-05:00

My Week in Numbers:

7 days in the library, my new home.

2 days til I take the GRE's. I'd love to say I've been studying like crazy and I'm totally prepared... but I haven't, and I'm not.

4 presentations done in 2 weeks. That's a lot of powerpoints.

2 exams on Friday. I'm sure the first thing I'll want to do on Thursday night when I get home from the GRE's is to STUDY some more.

2 papers due. 1 tomorrow, 1 Friday.

7 grad school applications to complete.

1 awesome care package from Cecilia, with the most delicious brownies ever!

0 brownies left.

0 phone calls returned.

5 days til finals week even starts... and a whole new list to complete!

21 days til CHRISTMAS!!! I CAN'T WAIT!

I am so smrt

2007-11-26T16:05:00.000-05:00

some good advice for everyone

2007-11-25T21:54:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving weekend was awesome. I got to relax for a few days and didn’t even look at most of the homework I brought home. I didn’t get quite as much sleep as I hoped for… because Julia slept in my bed with me on Thursday and Friday nights. Before bed on Thursday, my mom gave Julia some tips. She told her to tell Aunt Mooey not to snore, not to tickle her feet, not to wet the bed, and not to steal the blankets. At about 3 AM, I felt a little hand rubbing my face. I rolled over and asked what was wrong only to hear a groggy little voice say, “Aunt Mooey, don’t wet the bed.” We both giggled then went right back to sleep.

She woke up at about 7 AM on Friday and I was not ready to be awake. So I turned on some cartoons and went back to sleep. I was startled awake when Julia yelled, “look Mooey, there’s a mouse!” I shot up and looked around my room for the unwelcome rodent. I asked her to point to exactly where she saw the mouse. She pointed at the cartoon on TV.

This weekend was a nice preview of what Christmas break will be like. Only 3 weeks left!

No Words Needed...

2007-11-20T21:22:00.000-05:00

Spa Day!

2007-11-19T18:43:00.000-05:00

I spent yesterday at the spa with just the girls. It was a nice little break from reality and really great to spend some quality time with everyone. I realized while we were getting our manis and pedis how different our family is. Katie and I were trying to explain our connection to our... uh, pedicurist? (foot lady? professional foot scrubber?) It is a pretty strange relationship, but really cool that everyone is so close.

I have an outline, a powerpoint, and a presentation to put together for tomorrow. So it’s back to reality for now...

A Little Late...

2007-11-17T20:28:00.001-05:00

I know it's late for Halloween pictures, but I had to share this. I remember thinking at the time that if I wrote on my blog, this would definitely have to go on it. So I went downtown for Halloween because it seemed like a good idea to go out on a Wednesday night. A sketchy guy was walking around taking pictures, claiming to be from the Buffalo News. A few days later, I checked the Buffalo News website, curious to see if the sketchball was actually telling the truth...

Yes Mom, I was in the Buffalo News doing the YMCA.

The Ultimate in Procrastination

2007-11-17T20:04:00.000-05:00

It seems I have inherited the blogging gene that the rest of the family has. Or, should I say, I was peer pressured into it. Mikey set the whole thing up for me, which was the only thing really holding me back. He told me about it months later and I told him I’d think about giving in. So, here I am!

I am super busy right now. I know I always say I’m busy, but usually I’m just lying so you think I’m being a good student. This semester has been the hardest so far, and on top of that I’m taking the GREs in 2 weeks and I’m trying to get grad school applications ready. Don’t let me fool you though, I’m doing everything but work right now (hence the blog…) My room is clean, my laundry is done, and I refolded all the clothes in my drawers. So you can expect to see a lot of posts here for the next 3 weeks :)

My new blog is AWESOME.

2007-03-27T14:37:00.000-05:00

My favorite sister is Esther. And my favorite brother is Mikey, who is obviously not nearly as busy as he says he is.