"And I'm not ready for some burned down bridge just yet."

So.... classes at Wheaton have started.  Break was AWESOME but I was ready to go back.  I really missed my Wheaties! (Wheaties are for champions..).  Anyways, so far I really enjoy each of my classes (unlike last time) but there is a sizable amount of reading and writing attached to them... so you will most likely find me in the student center place on weekday afternoons. 

This weekend I'll be heading up to Lake Geneva (for jr. high youth camp), where with windchill we will likely be seeing a high of -15 to -25 degrees.  Never in my life have I experienced such cold temperatures.... I'm scared.  Seriously scared.  But I love my girls so I am going and I will have a good time, darn it!

Hugs to all!

i hope you know
you're my favorite thing
about the west coast
i wish i stayed
i hope you wait
so here i am
counting down the days
till california comes

this is the least that i can do
you know i'm bad at calling you
the best way i can extend
the lonely words i miss you
i'll say it but i'm sure you knew
you're what i look most forward to
coming back to where i've been
i'll just leave it at this
~Playing Favorites by Starting Line

The General Update:

Well I'm sitting here packing... going through my closet.... coming up with three big trashbags of giveaways... most of it's really not that cute... it's basically a bunch of stuff that doesn't fit and really plain items that just can't be used for layering or anything like that.... and things that just aren't in fashion anymore (remember the mock neck tank sweater look... like back in 2002??... yeah it's been a long time since I last cleaned my closet up...I'm such a pack rat: I always think to myself "Self, maybe you could possibly wear this again" but I finally broke the habit and gave away everything that I haven't worn since May with exceptions given only to dresses).  I also narrowed down the shoe selection which once stood at 48 pairs ( I seriously don't have a shoe fetish, honestly... I mean I only have like 20 pairs with me at school...even though I go through and throw away shoes every 6 months to see what I need).  So anyways, as I was going through my closet and going through clothes I remembered all the things they had been to... one skirt I couldn't bear to throw away simply because of all the memories attached... most of the clothing though (shirts in particular) were usually worn no more than 3 times with the rest being what some may consider "overworn" I like to think of them as "loved" however.

The other part of this process was the packing.  I feel as if I've just gotten into my 909 swing of things and I'm really going to miss everyone soooo much, but it's only 4 months.  Awww.... Jen and I never got to have a picnic (boo rain).

Michelle, I will see you in Chicago when you visit.  That will be kick-ars and 3/4 of the LC (Jen are you sure you can't come?) will go find a dancing place where they play indie and 80's stuff and we will dance the night away. 

I am soooo stinking scared of freezing to death. 

Honestly, it probably will happen.... I will die in the midwest, a bleak and cold death.  No joking around here. 

Ugghh.... why am I going to school in the great state of Illinois??!?!??!?!

Yeah for being done with work until May, at which point I will most likely try out a new area of the store...hopefully not shoes though because I don't want to start a shoe fetish...or handbags... or lingerie... maybe it would be best for me to work in men's... that way I won't be tempted at all..... Is it normal to go shopping everyday? No.  Is it normal to have 75% of clothing articles coming from only one store in your closet? No. 

Taxes ate up a whopping $350 of my paycheck for the three weeks I worked.  f-bomb that.  Other than that I love the company I work for and I'm gonna miss my lunchbreak mixed berry chicken salads.  And making breakfast at night....

Today was filled with pampering stuff (I have bangs now, how weird is that?) and eating and a brew ha ha to take place later tonight. 

Currently Playing Tapestry By Carole King see related

- I Feel the Earth Move -

There's nothing like an earthquake to shake up your morning routine and get things rumbling... unless there's three.... "mother nature did the one-two-punch on the southland this morning."  That's the California I know! Earth quakes and El Nino... maybe it's good that I'm heading back to Chicago?

Currently Playing Hopes & Fears By Keane see related

- Somewhere Only We Go

This is what I do at work when there are no costumers:

~I help pick out shirts for guys in shoes.

~I sit in the back starring at the ceiling with everyone from kids holding reticketing guns that way if we're caught by a manager (which we were) we can say we were doing something.

~I go shopping... today was "new lacey underwear" day.

~I write haikus with coworkers (here's an example)

Manager got mad

Wishing people would come

All ready to close

But I did clean stuff, brush up on my Spanish (which is pretty much nonexistant in the first place), and help this one lady for like an hour (no joke) who was going to put her baby boy in a girl's lacey frilly christening dress because it looked more traditional... it was ridiculous how much help she needed... and then she's buying a shower gift for her BEST friend who is having twins and gets these two clearance sleepers which were $4.90 each.... and then she kept looking around and changing her mind... and she was just really really annoying... and all I wanted to do was just sit down and drink some water..... I think I have PMS because usually something like that wouldn't bug me... yup... that's gotta be it... everything was really annoying today... it was just one of those days.... So I cheered myself up by getting new underoos and the Keane CD... The End.

2 more days in El Nino-infested SoCal and then it's back to McDonald's... I mean... Wheaton.

Currently Playing Hellogoodbye By Hellogoodbye see related

- -

Ok... well if you happened to catch the two truths and a lie post before it was mysteriously taken down, JEFF was correct! The truth of the evening included fun 80's/indie/british dancing in Hollywood followed by an exciting pull overage by two cops on motorcycles performing tests for alcohol usage (no one had anything so it was obviously all good). 

I think my hearing is back to normal now.  I also think the LAPD needs to find some more stuff to do.

Working takes up a lot of my life.  I think this winter break the grand total of hours worked comes close to 120 and since I refuse to let that mean less time with friends, break hasn't exactly been good for sleeping... but I really like Nordies... and the discount... and the fun people I work with... even though pretty much all the cute guys are into other cute guys... I still like it... and I like the discount... and I like using three dots as semi-epillipses.  Is that the right word?  I don't really know.

Oh yeah and for those of you still reading: what would you do if you absolutely loved the college you attended... I mean you do NOT want to leave... well, what if they don't offer the major you've had your eye on since your jr. year of high school and kind of pushed aside because the school was so good and then realized that, oh wait, you really did want that major after all and you feel passionate about it when you don't feel as passionate about the other subjects... (major= art history; wheaton's art history class offerings= very few and far inbetween, and when they are offered they are often for only 3 credits...). 

The Norton Simon has an awesome collection of landscape paintings, modern art, and Dutch still life... this one is by Corot and I always visit it when I'm in the museum.  Sometimes I feel kind of like that little guy in the painting.  You really need to see it in real life to get the full picture though, to see the texture, size, what not.