Nicht Wichtig

phoenix/tempe

2005-08-09T20:47:00.000-05:00

i am sitting in the lobby of an embassy suites in phoenix, enjoying the wonderful world of free happy hour.

that's right, phoenix in august. did i mention that its hotter than the blazing hubs of hell here? because it is. i seriously don't know why people choose to live here full time. it's like walking into an oven every time i leave the hotel/car/dealership.

not too much is new over the last month. the world of auditing is still a busy one, and i was sent out a week early to work in cincinatti because there was so much to be done there.

the thing is, i pass my time by counting the days til the next time i see adam. sad, i know.

half blood(y) prince

2005-07-17T22:51:00.000-05:00

update - i know its been awhile!

i've been in dallas/fort worth for the past two weeks for work. texas is very different than the stories i was told by mom and dad, but apparently midland/odessa is in the middle of the desert. dallas certianly is not, given the showers i walked through on friday, when i managed to fall down (totally gracefully i'd like to add) in front of the dealership and banged up both of my knees.

but knee injuries aside, i drove up to beautiful traverse city and played with camille friday, and as of about 1 am on saturday i am a proud owner of "harry potter and the half blood prince." its totally sweet :)

latas!

in deeeetroit

2005-06-15T15:54:00.000-05:00

well, i'm up in royal oak, thought not without a hassle.

the movers came on the 13th, but the genius woman that has been my consultant didn't seem to think i need a bed to sleep on for another 9 days. as it stands right now i'm sleeping on my floor and will be doing so until the 22nd.

oh, and the cable guy keeps on dicking around on what time he will actually get here. i'm just piggybacking on one of the neighbor's wireless networks until we get our own installed here.

so yeah. just chillin.

9 days until d-troit

2005-06-03T08:52:00.000-05:00

in nine days im having my stuff picked up by the movers (so kindly provided by ford) and ill officially become a michigander. and an adult. yikes.

yesterday i paid a visit to that glittering blue and yellow shrine to swedish design we all know and love - ikea. three hundred dollars later and i think my apartment may actually look like an adult lives there.

this whole decorating thing has me thrown for a loop. somehow i think the ubiquitous christmas lights just won't cut it anymore. i even *gasp* painted my room, which is now the beautiful shade of harvest brown courtesy of BEHR.

not too much else is new to report, to be honest. i'm just biding my time before i have to start work for real and give up the carefree life of a college student :o)

pura vida!

2005-05-29T07:17:00.000-05:00

well, today brings to a close my trip to costa rica with the fam. we're flying back to hotlanta, then to ohare at two this afternoon. i think my sister is more than ready to go home, and i just have visions of duty-free coffee and liquor dancing through my head :o)

all in all, it was a fun trip. we visited san jose, playa jaco, sarchi, monteverde/santa elena, and vulcan arenal. and i saw a sloth (pictures to ensue, i promise).

but the return of my trip means that i have to begin working in a few short weeks, move to royal oak, and generally accept that the real world is upon me. boo.

and i don't say y'all

2005-05-18T09:46:00.000-05:00

Your Linguistic Profile:

65% General American English

20% Upper Midwestern

10% Yankee

5% Dixie

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

movin on up

2005-05-16T07:27:00.000-05:00

or in the case of me, movin on east. two hundred seventy nine point two miles east to be exact.

i drove up to sign my lease/check out my new apartment yesterday. its in royal oak, which though looking a little worn around the edges to me, is apparently a great place for twentysomethings (as in me) to live.

the actual complex isnt too far from main street, which looked as if it was home to every delictible restaurant ever dreamed up in the greater detroit metro area. parking is ample enough, and the walls are thick. if you've ever lived in bloomington, you would thoroughly appreciate that one. my room is small, but with 75% travel, that doesn't matter too much to me at the moment. living with lisa will keep my life a little less complicated because the apartment will at least look like someone is living there.

my only complaint? the fugly carpet.

last week

2005-04-27T19:47:00.000-05:00

tomorrow is my last day of classes at iu. i honestly don't know how i feel about that...

school has its positives. certainly, most would agree that bloomington is pretty far removed from the real world, especially the sphere that most students operate in. that, and the bars are fun *yet crowded* and the extent of my responsibility is to make sure i turn in all of my papers on time. big ten sports, though not football, are another perk of iu.

but i think i'm ready for this whole "adulthood" thing. i want to do something from 9 to 5, then have my own life after that.

lappy: 2001-2005

2005-04-21T11:31:00.000-05:00

may my lappy rest in peace. poor little guy has been hobbling along for a year. no working fan, broken plastic on his body.

however, if my compy could have picked a worse day to die, i'd be impressed. 2 papers due in about, oh, 2 hours. eff. i can only hope that uits will be able to salvage part of lappy's brains.

reactions from the friends:

Skittlbrau: haha, it went to europe. it had a good life.
Skittlbrau: it saw europe before it died.
cnconsta: that's true...
Skittlbrau: i think it led a full life

SLS616: do you want to sit shiva for it?
Skittlbrau: im tempted
SLS616: ha
Skittlbrau: can shiva be sat for a gentile compy?
SLS616: well, i think we can only sit thru saturday b/c i think holidays trump shiva
SLS616: you know, thats an interesting question

thank you, hp, for providing me with lappy for four years and headaches over lappy for about 3.5

i'm a toolbox

2005-04-19T16:21:00.000-05:00

so during my afternoon i was bumbling around bloomington, accomplishing nothing (as usual) when i made plans with cam to go to the buxx, our regular pre-disease class date. i stopped at home to drop off the deuce and send an email or two, when

*flash*

i wake up about, oh, an hour later or so, with my head on my keyboard, small puddle of drool in the vicinity. clearly i need to sleep more.

greatest college weekend

2005-04-17T20:03:00.000-05:00

now that about 89% of iu's students are shaking off their massive hangovers, let it be known that this year's little 5 was waaaaaaaay amazing. not only did our riders do amazingly well *good job guys!*, but i had tons of extra-curricular fun with our pair @ breakfast. didn't quite make it through the mens race, but from what i hear chi phi did really well.

i'm glad everyone had a successful and safe little 5!

april showers

2005-04-13T10:37:00.000-05:00

april showers may in fact bring may flowers, but i am mighty tired of the rain in btown at the moment. not only does my bed @ the nuthouse get soaking wet, but the cuffs of my pants remain soggy during my entire class. and i just feel icky and kinda fro'ed out.

but despite the lovely weather of south/central indiana, things are looking on the up and up. i think i have found where i'm living next year, which takes out one more question mark for the adult world.

my thesis is calling, which is a necessary-to-do-before-the-weekendofun type thing for me :o)

2005-04-04T21:14:00.000-05:00

the ever-lovely camille had the introduction to this letter posted on her blog and i just found it so amusing that i have to share the whole thing...

To America
Letter From John Cleese (the actor)

To the citizens of the United States of America: In the light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories. Except Utah, which she does not fancy. Your new prime minister (The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a world outside your borders) will appoint a minister for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminium". Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and 'neighbour', skipping the letter 'U' is nothing more than laziness on your part. Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters. You will end your love affair with the letter 'Z' (pronounced 'zed' not 'zee') and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suffix "ise." You will learn that the suffix 'burgh is pronounced 'burra' e.g. Edinburgh. You are welcome to respell Pittsburgh as'Pittsberg' if you can't cope with correct pronunciation. Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up "vocabulary." Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up "interspersed." There will be no more 'bleeps' in the Jerry Springer show. If you're not old enough to cope with bad language then you shouldn't have chat shows. When you learn to develop your vocabulary then you won't have to use bad language as often.

2. There is no such thing as "US English," We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize."

3. You should learn to distinguish the English and Australian accents. It really isn't that hard. English accents are not limited to cockney, upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in Frasier). You will also have to learn how to understand regional accents - Scottish dramas such as "Taggart" will no longer be broadcast with subtitles. While we're talking about regions, you must learn that there is no such place asDevonshire in England. The name of the county is "Devon." If you persist in calling it Devonshire, all American States will become "shires" e.g. Texasshire, Floridashire, Louisianashire.

4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the good guys. Hollywood will be required to cast English actors to play English characters. British sit-coms such as "Men Behaving Badly" or "Red Dwarf" will not be re-cast and watered down for a wishy-washy American audience who can't cope with the humour of occasional political incorrectness.

5. You should relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen," but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.

6. You should stop playing American "football". There is only one kind of football. What you refer to as American "football" is not a very good game. The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your borders may have noticed that no one else plays "American" football l You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football. Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which is similar to American "football," but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full Kevlar body armour like nancies). We are hoping to get together at least a US Rugby sevens side by 2005. You should stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the 'World Series' for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.15% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. Instead of baseball, you will be allowed to play a girls' game called "rounders" which is baseball without fancy team strip, oversized gloves, collector cards or hot-dogs.

7. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry guns. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous in public than a vegetable peeler. Because we don't believe you are sensible enough to handle potentially dangerous items, you will require a permit if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

8. July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 2nd will be a new national holiday, but only in England. It will be called "Indecisive Day."

9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean. All road intersections will be replaced with roundabouts. You will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips. Fries aren't even French, they are Belgian though 97.85% of you (including the guy who discovered fries while in Europe) are not aware of a country called Belgium. Those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called "crisps". Real chips are thick cut and fried in animal fat. The traditional accompaniment to chips is beer which should be served warm and flat. Waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.

11. As a sign of penance 5 grams of sea salt per cup will be added to all tea made within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this quantity to be doubled for tea made within the city of Boston itself.

12. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all, it is lager. From November 1st only proper British Bitter will be referred to as "beer", and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as "Lager". The substances formerly known as "American Beer" will henceforth be referred to as "Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine," with the exception of the product of the American Budweiser company whose products will be referred to as "Weak Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine." This will allow true Budweiser (as manufactured for the last 1000 years in Pilsen, Czech Republic) to be sold without risk of confusion.

13. From November 10th the UK will harmonise petrol (or "Gasoline" as you will be permitted to keep calling it until April 1st 2005) prices with the former USA. The UK will harmonise its prices to those of the former USA and the Former USA will, in return, adopt UK petrol prices (roughly $6/US gallon - get used to it).

14. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.

15. Please tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us crazy. Tax collectors from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all revenues due (backdated to 1776).

16. Last but not the least, and for heaven's sake.....it's Nuclear as in "clear" NOT Nucular.

Thank you for your co-operation and have a great day.

2005-04-01T12:18:00.000-05:00

I found this, courtesy of the Reader Rant on Capitol Hill Blue, pretty damned funny, particularly since I have *minimal* experience in the world of journalism.

1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.

2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.

3. The New York Times is read by people who think they should run the country and who are very good at crossword puzzles.

4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country but don't really understand The New York Times. They do; however, like their statistics shown in pie charts.

5. The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn't mind running the country -- if they could find the time -- and if they didn't have to leave Southern California to do it.

6. The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run the country and did a far superior job of it, thank you very much.

7. The New York Daily News is read by people who aren't too sure who's running the country and don't really care as long as they can get a seat on the train.

8. The New York Post is read by people who don't care who's running the country as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably while intoxicated.

9. The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another country but need the baseball scores.

10. The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren't sure there is a country ... or that anyone is running it; but if so, they oppose all that they stand for. There are occasional exceptions if the leaders are handicapped minority feminist atheist dwarfs who also happen to be illegal aliens from any other country or galaxy provided, of course, that they are not Republicans.

11. The National Enquirer is read by people trapped in line at the grocery store.

12. None of these is read by the guy who is running the country into the ground.

I do, however, notice the glaring omission of the Chicago Tribune and the Financial Times, personal favorites of mine. What should those be?

2005-03-24T12:52:00.000-05:00

Saw The Ring 2 last night, and boy was it scaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaary. Camille and I spent about the entire movie screaming and hiding underneath our coats. It was good fun though, and my apologies for Molly, who looked pretty mortified after our behavior :o)

2005-03-23T19:05:00.000-05:00

Now that we've all recovered from our sunburns and hangovers, returning to the hallowed halls of Indiana there are stories to tell about exploits over spring break - and I can't say I'm any different. Here goes mine...

For those who didn't know, Adam and I went to Costa Rica for spring break. ***It's the country in between Nicaragua and Panama for the geographically challenged among us*** Pictures of our 8 day adventure are here.

Adam and I departed sweet home Chicago on Friday night, landing at Washington Dulles quite late (or very early, depending on perspective) thanks to the wonderful, not-on-time-at-all performance of United. After riding in the monster-truck like shuttle busses at the airport we spent about 5 hours sleeping in the finest D.C. area airport hotel we could afford and was back at the airport bright and early to begin our trip.

Landing in Costa Rica, our hostel's promised shuttle wasn't there. Called the hostel, and it was the wrong number. Of course, to complicate matters, Adam and I do not speak spanish. Not a single word. Long story short, we take an *unliscensed* taxi to our hostel and check in for the night. The next day we headed to the Coca-Cola terminal and took a bus to Jaco, the resort town on the beach that was our destination.

Getting to Jaco, we check in to our first hotel, which was very nice and very very far from the rest of town. We layed on the beach for two days then checked into the other hotel we stayed in there. For those who are interested, I am sad to report the bar Filthy McNasty's in Jaco is closed... apparently the owner was a bit of a criminal and vowed that the police wouldn't take him alive. And they didn't.

On a lighter note, in Jaco we took a day trip to Vulcan Arenal. Neat, and we got to swim in the hot springs that are fed by the volcano.

After 5 days on the beach, we took the jolting van ride to Monteverde, where the last remaining cloud forest is. We took a tour of Selvatura reserve by taking a zipline through the jungle. Adam just about crapped his pants while I died laughing.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and we flew back on Sunday. All in all, great trip, and I would highly recommend Costa Rica for a Central American adventure!

2005-03-09T11:29:00.000-05:00

Oh the joy of the thesis...

For the Rasssss I have to write a thesis this semester, and I have chosen the subject of marijuana legalization. It's been really really interesting so far, and I'm learning alot - even if it happens to be about the cultivation of a Schedule 1 non-narcotic.

I'm interested to hear what people think. Should marijuana be legalized for personal consumption, as it is in the Netherlands?

2005-03-04T11:57:00.000-05:00

Who knew a simple pair of shoes could make me so happy... I feel like a twinkly toed ballerina!

And yesterday I quite possibly made the biggest ass out of myself possible. After lunch with Adam at the nuthouse, I crossed North Jordan to ride the B-Bus to my holocaust discussion. Adam and I were discussing which color is more appropriate to wear on St. Patrick's Day (he claims since I am Catholic I should be wearing orange, not green).

To make a long story short, I was more focused on talking to Adam than getting on the bus. Stepping in, the bottom of my shoe got caught on the bus, and I fall hard onto the bus. I even slid into the poor busdriver. Also of note was the fact that the bus was about half full...

and nobody laughed. I think they all thought I hurt myself, because people came to help me up and see if I was ok. Once I was up a few people chuckled, but I fell hard, so I think they felt bad.

Where was Adam during all of this? Busy laughing at me on the curb. What a supportive, caring boyfriend I have sometimes...

2005-02-25T10:53:00.000-05:00

Which Website are You?

2005-02-21T16:48:00.000-05:00

I thought this was pretty funny... I swear, I get about 12 of those stupid 419 email scams a week. I thought they would stop eventually, but I came to the conclusion that they must work, otherwise people wouldn't continue to send them.

2005-02-14T22:46:00.000-05:00

I quite possibly have the most wonderful boyfriend on the face of the planet *doofy grin*

For the celebration of the big V-day, Adam took me to dinner at Rumblefish, where we were served with a lovely talapia and andouille sausage dish. The restuarant is wonderful for fish dishes, especially for a land-locked state like Indiana. It's the same place that Divino used to be, and the owners are the same, so I'm sure the pasta dishes are pretty good too ;)

After dinner Adam took me to Coldstone where I stuffed myself stupid with chocolate ice cream mixed with Heath bars. Back to his place where he gave me my gift and we watched Dodgeball, which is SOOOOOO funny.

He's so thoughtful :)

2005-02-11T10:07:00.000-05:00

This is so funny I almost peed my pants when I saw it the first time. *Note: I would imagine that this is offensive to about 90% of the population. Consider yourself warned.

On another note, I am so psyched. My mom, as a surprise, showered me with the gift of a Spyder coat for skiing. I feel spoiled :) Now all I need is some snow so I can try it out. Anybody know where there is some?

2005-02-09T23:38:00.000-05:00

So tonight is the end of an era...

I have requested to be removed from the writer list at the IDS. Writing for it, while something I have enjoyed for the past four years, has simply become too stressful when I have other commitments. I think my brain almost exploded tonight, so I'm going to quit while ahead.

Oh, and the telefund is not as bad as I thought it would be. Miracles!!!

And I still haven't written that paper. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow morning before it's due.

2005-02-07T15:13:00.000-05:00

YAY rainy day! Now that I have my wellies, I love rain. Jumping in puddles makes for an entertaining walk to class.

Despite my love for rain, I think everybody is cranky today - possibly attributable to the weather. C'mon folks, it's not a blizzard or earthquake, so life will go on despite your messed up do's. Besides, if you smile, you may brighten someone else's day. Think about it :)

Tonight is my last night of Telefund training, then I'm in on the schedule. Not that I am hugely looking forward to cold calling people and bothering them, but the pay is decent... and Costa Rica is rapidly approaching.

Gotta write a paper for my holocaust class, and I have a disease midterm rapidly approaching... better quit procrastinating!

2005-02-02T21:15:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been over two months since I've updated this thing! Let's see...

Not too much is new on the employment front. Still going to work for Ford Motor Company, still don't know where precisely that is going to be, or what I will be doing. I suppose I'll find out soon enough :-D

Adam's still looking, so if you have any ideas, feel free to let him know...

Recruitment went really, really well. Though I did nothing but wash dishes the whole time, there are tons of new Alpha Gams to play with. They seem super fun, despite the fact that I am never home when they are over!

Classes are going well. I LOVE my history class that is about epidemics throughout history. Not only do we get to learn all sorts of things about nasties like smallpox and leperosy, but we get to look at the narsty pictures too!

I can't think of anything else at the moment, so I'll cut myself off here. I promise to update more!

2004-11-07T19:27:00.000-05:00

I HAVE A JOB OFFER!

parents, you can break my dinner plate now. i can make it on my own :o)

seriously, the pressure is off now. i didn't think i would be as happy as i am right now. i am lucky i have the skills and am in the right place at the right time. i have a few more seconds lined up, so hopefully i will have some options come offer explosion time. if nothing else, i have a great offer with a respected company. its just that relocation part i think :o)

2004-10-31T20:08:00.000-05:00

In honor of X420 ending, my charming boyfriend created this list of what the speakers in X420 have taught our impressionable minds... and without further ado:

What I have learned in X420 (by Adam Steer):

1. Wearing a vest every day regardless of the weather is both fashionable and smart
2. It is better to ramble for an hour then say what you want in 5 minutes
3. If you put a schedule online, it is best to repeat it over and over again
4. Introducing your guest over and over again makes your audience pay extra attention
5. Telling stories that go nowhere is better than having a point
6. Be fake, nobody will notice
7. Making money doesnt matter, as long as you learn stuff
8. Having no company loyalty is rather valuable
9. Sex helps my career - be a "can do" kind of guy (or gal)
10. Sleep in class is encouraged by the business school
11. Good presentations include distracting flashing backgrounds
12. It is not stereotypical to make the kid playing the piano asian
13. State schools should teach you about what you should say to God
14. Yoga is not excercise, but is essential for success
15. Bribing students with free coffee is a great way to make them care about what I have to say

2004-10-16T23:10:00.000-05:00

Vi skåler med vore venner
og dem som vi kender
og dem som vi ikke kender
dem skåler vi for

Oh how I miss Denmark...

On another note, perhaps the most stressful week this year so far is over. Never again will I schedule 9 interviews in one week. Quote me on that one.

Interviewing is going well so far... 2 second interviews and 1 ding. Not too upset about the ding from Intel because it seems that every quarter their finance comes out and says they will competely miss their forecasts.

2004-10-08T22:30:00.000-05:00

I am Indie Girl
Click on the picture below to read more:

Take the 'What Kind of Girl Are You?' quiz at CookingToHookup.com

2004-09-19T15:44:00.000-05:00

Hilarity ensues...

2004-08-28T15:21:00.000-05:00

Category III - The Regular
Jo(e)

You are the quintessential standard conjured by the
word 'Friend'.

What Type of Social Entity are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

2004-08-24T21:01:00.000-05:00

wOOt!

back in bloomington, and golly, its nice.

i'm all moved back into the house, i have my job back at the library (with a raise) and a new gig at the ids is possible. and i got a good bed. never forget the important things.

classes start on monday, which i am not too particularly excited about. after getting my ass kicked unexpectedly in denmark, i can't quite muster excitement for classes i know are going to be on the difficult side. however, as the roomie is starting her graduate studies, i don't have much to complain about.

adam's apartment is still in existence, which i take as a positive. it is decidedly nice after being sublet - no odd smells or anything. i'm just in a holding pattern till school starts - work, hang out with friends, and sleep. not too much exciting in my world.

2004-08-12T23:11:00.000-05:00

A small glimpse into the madness that is my home...

Mom: I'm pissed! We didn't go to the fair this year. We should have gone.
Lauren: Bitch aint got no funnel cake up in her ass.
Mom: I want you to repeat what you just said and listen to it.
Lauren: Bitch aint riding no rickety-ass ferris wheel either.
Brittany: Lauren, you are an articulate young lady.

The above is precisely why you shouldn't watch your mom and little sister consume copious amounts of Kaluha. Strike that, this is precisely why you should watch your mom and little sister consume copious amounts of Kaluha. Good, wholesome family fun.

On another note, both my sister and myself have decided to give the Upper Penninsula of Michigan a modicum of respect after years of making fun of the Yuppers. They are, sad as it may be, our first line of defense against the nefarious Canuks. It's a hard choice, but I will choose my backwards-talking countrymen over those hockey-crazed maple leaf lovers hands down.

***DISCLAIMER*** Any disrespect to Canada, Michigan, or other parties is intentional and purely for entertainment purposes. Email me about it and you will get cut. I'll cut you so good, you're gonna wish I didn't cut you so good.

2004-08-05T16:40:00.000-05:00

I had my last beer of the next few months last night... Fall semester will be a dry one. Out of frustration, I have decided to go on Accutane, which will make me pretty again and *possibly* destroy my liver, which rules out alcohol totally. In the end worth it, but it will suck at first, for sure. Good think I like club soda :)

Lauren has become increasingly cranky regarding her gimpiness. I do have to say my sympathy is growing increasingly limited. She's lucky enough to be able to get her feet fixed, and her being on crutches is NOT my fault, despite what she may think.

But all in all its been a great day... due to the arrival of !2! pairs of shoes in the mail! My pretties that Adam bought me, plus my Pumas arrived. My feet are so happy...

2004-08-02T11:45:00.000-05:00

I made it home yesterday, despite the minor glitch that made my flight, oh, about 4 hours late. Good job American Airlines! Way to set the bar really high.

Despite the travel woes, it was wonderful to see my lovely boyfriend for an entire weekend. We basically bummed around Manhattan and sweated alot. That, and we visited his sister, who lives in a charming neighborhood in Brooklyn. Now that I have seen that all of NYC is not like Manhattan, the idea of looking for a job there is much more palatable.

I'm still unemployed in the traditional sense, but I am taking care of my gimpy sister and working around the house for the parents. Not as bored as I used to be.

2004-07-23T09:38:00.000-05:00

Hilarity ensues...

Thanks Eddie!

2004-07-21T19:13:00.000-05:00

bored. to tears.

I have no job. I have nothing to do all day. Literally nothing.

But in one week from tomorrow I'll be out in New York visiting that hot stud boyfriend of mine ;o). He's apparently put on some weight and everything!

And thats it for me. Because I do nothing all day.

2004-07-20T05:36:00.000-05:00

Back home again in Indiana...

I arrived safely home at beautiful Chicago O'Hare airport last Thursday. I am currently still battling my massive jetlag - I really hate this waking up at 4 am shit.

As I am currently unemployed, I am just bumming around the house and going to the gym alot before I can go back to school and get crackalackin on my senior year.

More updates later... its lunchtime with Lauren!!!

2004-07-14T14:48:00.000-05:00

I have downed my last pint in the Paxton's Head... :(

I'm leaving Normandie Suites today. Its wierd for me to think that after six months of being in Europe I'm finally headed home tomorrow. I haven't had a rootbeer in months, let alone a Mountain Dew. I can't even imagine what it will be like to drive a car. All those little things we take for granted...

Today was my last day of work at the Gospel Oak Housing Office. On the whole, working for the GO Partnership in the London Borough of Camden has been a great experience. I learned ***tons*** about the reality of depressed urban areas and how to make the place I worked a better place. I was really sad to leave today, and a tear was on my cheek as I rode the 24 for the last time to Leicester Square.

Talal, Gabby, Adrian, Suzie, Justina, Paula, and Kerry will be missed :(

On another note, my mom is going to KILL me when she gets my credit card bill... London's sales were way too good to pass up. I got the cute gold ballet flats from Office, majorly posh clothes at Zara, and loads of stuff at my new heaven, TopShop.

But the reality of my financial situation dictates I must spend the next six weeks at home working... lets hope that UPS is nice enough to let me sort packages for them for a solid $8.50 an hour...

2004-07-07T12:18:00.000-05:00

One week and one day left... sigh.

The next few days are going to be jam packed with all of the London I didn't get to do...

Tomorrow I am going to the Jerry Springer Opera with Allison, Virginia and Tonya. Should be a redneck good time... and it is one of the most popular shows in the West End right now.

Friday Camille is coming in for her few days of London fun, which should be a wholesome good time. That, and I snagged us tix for the House of Commons on Monday.

Tuesday and Wednesday mean work, and Thursday morning at 6 a.m. (thank you Swiss Air) I fly back stateside.

Don't really know how I feel about that yet...

In other news, I really want these shoes... seems all the stylish ladies have them :)

2004-06-30T08:14:00.000-05:00

!!! TUBE STRIKE !!!

Which, of course, is why I am not at work right now.

The lovely union workers of the London Underground are taking industrial action today because they want (drumroll please)...

a four day work week.

Bear in mind they only work 37 hours a week to begin with. It must be nice to be union and European.

In other news, Canterbury with the lovely miss Allison this weekend is on the slate, as well as a theatrical experience like none other next Thursday... the Jerry Springer Opera. Then Camille arrives in London, and then home.

Its kind of wierd to think that I will be re-entering the United States after 6 months. It hasnt seemed that long, but in other ways it seems like forever since I've had a Mountain Dew or an AMF at Upstairs.

That, and in the fall, I am literally not going to know about half of the people in the house. Wierdness.

2004-06-26T16:48:00.000-05:00

I came to the realization that the Queen is my neighbour. But I digress...

Working with the Camden Government has been fabulous. My boss, though on holiday, is very, very cool. The people I work with are a fun bunch. We even took a long lunch on Friday to have pints and drown out the sorrow of England being eliminated from Euro 2004.

The neighbourhood I work in, on the other hand, is well, dodgy to say the least. Shiftless kids begging for handouts right by the tube, boarded up windows on my way to work, and all the corner stores sell "imported" chips.

But... today CAPA took us to Stonehenge and Bath, both of which were very exciting, despite the miserable English weather. Looked at old rocks in both places, but at least it was interesting!

That, and I went to the Tate Modern tonight, which was pretty super. Its open late on Fridays and Saturdays, which gives people who work far from the City (like me!) a chance to see it. Good times.

Two weeks from Thursday and I'm home!!!

2004-06-22T16:19:00.000-05:00

Woah it has been awhile... so update!

Well, the morons at CAPA managed to pull their heads out of their asses for oh, 10 minutes, and I had a great interview. Mind you, not with Sargent's.

The Sargent's interview was a TOTAL disaster. It was horrible. I would have been more captivated by paint drying than the job they were offering me... data entry. Yes. Data entry.

So I return to CAPA and tell Jacky-boy (man in charge of internship search) to get his ass into gear or I am moving my flight home and stiffing them. Which tells you exactly how frustrated I was then.

However, Jack, the master of quick saves, got me an internship with the GO! Partnership, which is a branch of the Camden Borough government. Went to the interview, and everything was rosy. Fabulous even.

Now I am working with 6 other people who are working on the area of Camden that is the most downtrodden. I work in a housing project literally. I am absolutely ghetto-fab. My job is more on the "public policy analysis" side of my education, which is nice in its own way.

Tonight I began my Bikram Yoga education. Wow, is it a workout. A really fun one that I am doing tomorrow, to be precise. Hey, £10 for 10 days? I'm using it!

On another note, soccer, I mean football, madness has fully engulfed England. Every day its a contest with the newspapers (both tabloid and broadsheet) to come up with the cleverest headline. Ick.

2004-06-14T05:14:00.000-05:00

Exciting weekend!

On Friday we (as in the roomies, others from CAPA) went to a gimongous club in the West End. Now I know you are all thinking "But Brittany, you hate clubs!" Ordinarily you are right, but this place was quite fun.

Saturday and Sunday were completely lost days... but I did make it to the British Museum - alas, only the Egyptian collection. It is literally the largest museum I have been in. Mind boggling, how many of the world's treasures are in one building.

Oh yeah, and Troy. I would have to agree with Camille's assessment that it was a pretty stupid movie. However, Brad Pitt's skirt more than made up for the glaring deficiencies of plot and substance. That, and whoever played Hector was hot too ;)

Today I have an interview with the Go Business Partnership - Camden. It's more along my Public Policy Analysis track, and this could be an interesting interview. Tis at 2, so we shall see.

2004-06-11T06:34:00.000-05:00

I am definitely to the point of tears right now :(

CAPA has got to give me one good reason why I shouldn't raze their building to the ground. For chrissakes, my DAD is doing better on the London internship search than they are.

Went to Sargent's, and I was not completely impressed. I need to sort out my other options. Shite.

2004-06-10T17:16:00.000-05:00

If you see me bald, prowling the streets of London, it will be because CAPA has driven me to the point of pulling out my own hair.

These people have to be the closest thing to useless put on the face of this planet. I'll run down what was supposed to happen and what did happen with my arrival in London.

Lets see. I was supposed to have an interview with Research International. However, what did happen was the program director called so many times that RI backed out, leaving me internshipless and about $4,000 in the hole with NO JOB, contrary to CAPA's promises.

Then they were supposed to arrange an interview with the Marriott group in central London. That did not happen.

I am left with the last-best option of Sargent's, which is both good and bad. Good, in that it helps poor children with cancer. Bad, in that I don't really want to work for a non-profit in the summer when I could be corporate.

Thus, my conclusion: CAPA sucks ass. Do not give your people your (or your parents') hard earned money when they do precious little with it. However, I will see. Maybe Sargent's will blow me away tomorrow, and maybe RI will pull their heads out of their asses. I guess I just have to wait for tomorrow...

2004-06-07T09:30:00.000-05:00

CONGRATS on being a doctor now Zim Zim... or should I say Dr. Zim Zim, the ghetto economist!

2004-06-07T09:22:00.000-05:00

So after a weekend of no information from CAPA, I found out my internship placement from them. I must say, I am quite pleased with the results. I am placed at Research International, a multinational that specializes in producing independent research on all sorts of subjects. wOOt!

That, and its only one tube stop away from the faboo flat in Knightsbridge. In fact, its just about across the street from One London, the most prestigious address in town. I am feeling quite swanky at the moment. Downside? Most likely wearing a suit EVERYDAY!

The flat is cool, flatmates are cool, and the job is cool. This is going to be a great six weeks!

2004-06-03T01:57:00.000-05:00

A few things only, as the aforementioned internet is expensive.

1. OMG my flat is 2 blocks from HARRODS! wow.

2. The new harry potter movie is beyond fabulous. go see it, all of you :)

2004-06-02T11:25:00.000-05:00

I gotta be kinda quick, as this stupid internet thing is like, oh, £4.50 an hour. Ridiculous. Anyways...

I have arrived in London! After lugging my 40+ kilos of luggage through the Tube to the amusement of many a Londoner, I have arrived at my lovely hostel (like Camille, I only travel in style). I have to go find my flat soon, so I can move in before the jetlagged kids from the US get here in all their sleep deprived glory.

A few random thoughts on some of my day:

1. Jesus H. Christ, London is expensive. My credit card is already shaking in its little boots.

2. Brits are quite helpful when it comes to a silly American girl who packed WAY too much and has to lug her skis through central London. They got a few laughs out of that one.

3. European men have this stunning capacity to look gay when they, are in fact, quite straight and hitting on the oblivious aforementioned American girl. Sheesh.

Ta for now, because I have a flat to find, and maybe a movie to see (no subtitles YAY!)

2004-05-29T10:10:00.000-05:00

finals are done... WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

I'm kinda down, as my semester in Copenhagen is drawing to a close. Adam left this morning with Sharon for a week in Spain on the Costa Del Sol *hate him* and pretty much everybody else is leaving today or tomorrow as well. I'm in Humlebæk until Wednesday morning, when my good friends British Airways will transport me to London.

But I am WAY busy until I leave. Tonight I am going to the Tivoli Pleasure Gardens *no jokes please* with Suzi and her host family. Tomorrow I am headed back into Copenhagen to the Ny Carlsberg Glyptothek and (possibly) the Carlsberg museum. Monday is a national holiday, so I might *weather permitting* head to Odense for a day of reading in beautiful gardens. Tuesday I need to pack, and Wednesday I'm London bound.

London is going to be AWESOME. Not only will I actually know what I am buying in the grocery store, but the movies will be non-subtitled and I can read a newspaper in the morning. Aaah, the small joys of life. My dad is coming to London the first weekend I am there, so it will be thrilling to see some family!

2004-05-23T06:50:00.000-05:00

Woah, its been awhile!

Lots has gone on in the past few days. For those among us who want to be princesses, the supply of eligible European princes has decreased even further with the marraige of the Crown Prince Fredrick (of Denmark) and Crown Prince Filipe (of Spain). Luckily, the Swedish and British princes are single still, but the supply is dwindling...

I visited my sister in Dublin the weekend of the 14th. Twas good times, good to see family. We went to a piping festival in Malahide and drank a LOT of guinness. The Guinness Storehouse, which was quite cool. Very a la the Heineken Experience.

Right now I'm prepping for finals :( and getting ready to leave for England. It's hard to believe that I am leaving Denmark in a week from Wednesday. Sad!

2004-05-13T03:27:00.000-05:00

i'm back from munich in one piece, i'm glad to report! adam and i headed to bavaria on thursday after class. friday was a national danish holiday, so another day of drinking beer was in order.

due to the incompetency of V Bird adam and i spent a few hours in beautiful niederheinn airport (apparently it's by duesseldorf, who knew?) before we arrived in munich. got ourselves to our hostel and tucked into our beds.

the next day we went to fuessen, which is about 2 hours away. fuessen's claim to fame? schloss neuchwanstein, mad ludwig the second's tribute to richard wagner (and swans). very, very nice. pictures to come, i promise.

rode the train there with some of our interesting american compatriots. please, americans travelling in europe, DO NOT WEAR SWEATPANTS! europeans think we dress sloppy enough without you running around in your neon pink sweatsuit ensemble. at least pants that zip, for god sakes.

after that interesting side excursion, we spent the rest of the weekend drinking beer, cheering on FC bayern muenchen (who lost to bremen, btw) and eating sausage. i'm back in cph, which is all abuzz about the Crown Prince getting married to australian commoner mary donaldson. it's friday, for all you royal watchers.

2004-05-05T06:53:00.000-05:00

hey Alpha Gams... check this out...

I think every self-respecting squirrel needs one ;)

2004-05-05T04:09:00.000-05:00

Hey! I'm back from Amsterdam in one piece. This time it was a little crazier...

Turns out that 30 April is a national holiday - the queen's birthday, to be precise. We figured this one out after the flight attendants on KLM were all wearing crowns on the plane. Once we got off the train at Amsterdam Centraal, we saw what we were in for...

The streets were packed. There were people drinking, dancing, and smoking in the streets. OMG, it was this strange mix of Fourth of July, Mardis Gras, and a garage sale. People were going nuts, and I knew what my flight attendant ment about it being "the biggest party in Amsterdam, ja"

Sadly, few pics, as most of the stuff Adam and I did were either repeats of the last trip, but the place we stayed, the Hans-Brinker, was much more choice. I slept in fear of my life from the sketchy British dudes in our room, and the fire alarm went off every night at 5 a.m. All in all though, it was a very good trip.

And, as I promised, the pictures from *part of* my vacation are up, if you want to see :)

The DiS sponsored stop in Brussels, skiing in Innsbruck, more DiS fun in Frankfurt am Main, and Easter in Rome.

I'll try to get the rest of them up soon, provided Imagestation lets me upload them all :)

2004-05-04T03:48:00.000-05:00

The vacation post, copied and pasted from my old blog... pictures to come!

DiS - where I go to school - gives us lowly students a three week travel break, which certainly is most welcome.

The first week I spent traveling around with the other International Business and Economic students. First we went to Frankfurt am Main, which was wonderful not only because we got to visit cool places like the European Central Bank and the Deutsche Boerse, but also because I got to see my good friend Camille, who has been in Germany forever now. I ate some funky green sauce with hardboiled eggs and cold potatoes *a frankfurt specialty* and had some quality girl time with Camille and Allison W. Good times!

The next stop was Luxembourg, which is a tiny country that houses the European Investment Bank, a slush fund of EU money that helps correct structural imbalances, etc. Interesting visit, but pretty much all I saw of Luxembourg was a bridge or two, a bar, and our hotel, because we were there a max of 20 hours.

Brussels was the final IBE stop of my travels. We went to other EU places and sampled the fine Belgian beer. Lots of it. They make this wonderful fruit beer that is quite delish... and it was all great. The Belgian people are also really, really friendly, which was wonderful.

I went back to Copenhagen for a day to exchange clothing, then Adam and I got on a plane and headed for Austria. We had a 24 hour layover in Vienna where we met Adam's parents, and I got to visit a museum dedicated to the work of my favorite artist in the whole world, Friedesreich Hundertwasser. Amazing.

We travelled on towards Innsbruck, meeting Adam's parents again, and we skied for 3 days on a glacier. The scenery was stunning and the snow was great. We even had a powder day!

Adam and I took the night train to Rome, where we stayed in a quite posh hotel and stuffed ourselves stupid with yummy Italian food. We went and saw all of the things you see in Rome (Colosseum, Forum, Vatican, et al). Best part, since we were there over Easter weekend, so we saw all the cool Easter stuff like the Via Crucis, Easter vigil mass at St. Peters, and the Papal address to the world. I even saw the pope at all three things. I am such a good catholic :)

From Rome we went to Florence, where once again I stuffed myself stupid and saw artistic treasures, like Michelangelo's David. I saw Leslie, one of my Alpha Gam sisters, there as well, which was really nice. Beautiful city, but it was completely overrun with obnoxious American high school students.

After spending a day in Milan - not even worth discussing - Adam and I spent 4 days in Prague. I LOVE Prague. It was cheap, the people were nice, and the city is gorgeous. We went and looked at all the obligatory tourist things like St. Vitus cathedral and the Prague Castle, and went shopping. Oh, and we stayed in a BOTEL. That, for the unawares, is a combination of BOAT HOTEL. It was very interesting, to say the least

We flew back to Copenhagen on the 18, and I have been back since. At least the weather is getting nicer here!

2004-05-04T03:37:00.000-05:00

I sincerely promise this is the last change for the location of my blog... I like the whole Blogger setup a lot better... plus a lot less annoying emails to boot!

I will re-post my long travel break story later today, and the long awaited pictures! WHOO!

*Nicht Wichtig*