mxpx

Hey, I just found out that mxpx is coming out with a new album June 7th. I am pretty excited about this. Thought you all might want to check it out. They're good.

Work and School

I have been so busy this past week between work and school. I only worked 25 hours this week, but it felt like so much along with commuting into class and having class every day. Today is my first day off of both class and work, but lucky me, I get to spend it writing a research paper. I picked the topic of women and pornography, and how certain types of pornography can lead to further rape and violence against women. It is pretty interesting so far.

Work has been going well. I like it there, I just wish maybe I had a little less hours per week. Like, next week I am only working 15 hours, but the week after that I have 32! That is a lot, and that is also my last week of this Women's Issues class, so I will have my take-home final to work on. I feel like I've been making a lot of mistakes at work. I've mainly been on the cash register. I was so embarrassed the other day, because this older man came up with this pornographic magazine to buy, and I could just feel my face flushing as I was ringing it up for him and trying to pretend like it was normal and not staring at the picture on the cover. I'll have to get better at my poker face.

Tired

Today is the first day I have had off of work since Saturday. I am feeling pretty tired right now from all the training. Like, once I get used to the work I probably won't feel so exhausted, but it's a case of where I just get information overload trying to remember everything when I go to work, and trying not to make any mistakes. I think I'll really like it at Barnes and Noble, though, once I start getting the hang of things. The people who work there all seem super nice, and I am not in danger of crushing over that guy anymore once I found out not only is he 19, but he has a girlfriend. Still, he's a really fun guy to talk to, so that's nice. Just everyone who works there is a gigantic book lover (which makes sense), so it's fun to talk about books and everything. I'm working tomorrow again, so I'm trying to enjoy tonight off, but I still had class today, and I exercised, and then I went with my sister to watch her husband's softball game. I might go to bed early tonight. Bed is sounding so good right now.

a new job

You know how I said before that I was going to be working at Blockbuster? Well, just this weekend I got a call from Barnes and Noble offering me the job, so now I am working there! I am pretty excited about it. I just love books and reading, and just being in the atmosphere of a bookstore makes me happy. I love the smell of coffee and leather bound books intermingling. Quite possibly the best smell in the world. I started my training yesterday. We pretty much just toured the store and got explained all aspects of the business. There were three of us in training, another girl and a guy who was kind of cute. He looked kind of young, though. But legal. Hmm. Anyways, I have further training today at 3, where we are going to learn the cash register, and then tomorrow will be our last day of training. I am enjoying it so far, but I haven't even done anything yet. I get 50% off of the cafe, which means frappuccinos at half price!

I also had my friend Sarah come and visit for the weekend. It was so great to see her, especially as it had been over two months since I had last seen her. All we did was talk and watch Buffy episodes. She had to leave before we could finish the last two of the entire series, so now I am on tenderhooks wanting to know what happens. I am going to see if they have them at Blockbuster so I could rent them. I really hope Buffy and Spike end up together. I like them a lot. Both Sarah and I did a lot of swooning over Spike. And she told me that he is actually about 44 years old! I can't believe it. He looks good for his age, that's for sure.

Women's Issues

I have to take a summer class right now, and I am actually enjoying it more than I initially thought I would. The teacher is kind of boring, but the subject matter is what interests me. It is a pretty feminist class, all about the issues that women face around the world. I was shocked by some of the things I read about in other countries. For example, in some countries in Africa, the first bride married into a family becomes the bride of the whole family and has to have sex with every male member on the wedding night, and has to keep having sex with all of them until she becomes pregnant. Or some brides have to give sexual services to her husband's brothers or friends when they come visit the home and stay overnight. Doesn't that sound horrible? It is treating the woman like a possession, a belonging instead of a human being. Some women in voting countries (except for Jordan) have not won the right to vote until as recently as 2003! That just seems so barbaric. This class really emphasizes helping women globally to achieve equality, preventing injustices such as honor kilings (in the middle east when a family kills one of its females for being raped, having sex outside of marriage, or getting married without the family's position and thus bringing dishonor to the family) and bride burnings (when men are paid dowries by their wives and need more money, so they kill their current wife so they can get a new one and thus get a new dowry) while still maintaining each country's cultural differences. I really think we, as a world, need to be more aware of the injustices that happen here on earth and more supportive of one another, especially as females since we historically have not had as much formal power as men.

Don't get me wrong. I love men. I just think we need to be aware of what is going on around the world. After all, Jesus was a big women's libber. That's why I love him.

A job!

Huzzah!!!!!! I am now a proud new employee of Blockbuster videos! I am so excited. I had an interview last night with the store manager, and then he called today to offer me the position of Customer Sales Representative. So, basically I use the cash register and check in videos and stock the shelves. I think it will be a good job. The manager seemed pretty nice and laid back, which is good. I need to buy some pants to work in, because the uniform is the wonderful blue shirt you see and either biege or khaki pants, but I do not own biege or khaki pants. Darn, I have to go shopping. : )

I had my first day of summer school class today. I felt like it is a continuation of spring semester because I barely had a weekend off. I actually had less days off in-between classes than I did last semester. I have to commute, too, now, although this is currently giving me the chance to listen to the second Harry Potter book on CD in my car. I like that. I am living with my sister and her husband this summer, which has been fun so far. They have the cutest siamese cat, too, which I love to play with. And now between work and school, I should be pretty busy. I'm trying to enjoy this bit of free time I have before I start actually working and doing homework. I went to a scholastic book fair on Saturday and got some books, and so right now I have started the Charlie Bone series. I am reading the first book, Midnight for Charlie Bone, and it is good so far. Nice, light, summer reading. Maybe more appropriate for someone in elementary school, but I like it anyway. I'm actually kind of missing my dorm room and all the people I was making friends with in Champaign. It always takes me awhile to adjust to things, and now I have to adjust to a new town again. But I will be busy, and I'm sure this summer really will fly by. I'll have to enjoy my time here while I can.

A Semester Finished, a Chapter Closed...

I have survived my spring semester! It feels so good to be done with everything, even if it is only for a weekend. I start my summer classes on Monday. Yippee. Meanwhile, I am back at home in Chicago and frantically trying to unpack all my stuff before I leave on Sunday for Bloomington.

It was kind of sad leaving the dorm for the last time. I went out on Tuesday night with some people in my dorm, and it was a lot of fun. We were all just talking and hanging out. It was one guy's birthday, this guy on my floor who I thought was pretty cute and we would talk on the elevator and stuff, and we got to talk some more that night. Then, I saw him the next day and we talked, and the last day I was there he asked if I wanted to go out with some of them that night, and I had to give him the bad news that I was leaving. At least I got a hug from him. : )

Today has been the exciting errand day. I got my car emmissions test done, and now it is having an oil change, so I am here at the library waiting for that to be done. I feel so tired. And it was one of my friend's birthdays on Wednesday, so tomorrow night some of her friends in Chicago are throwing a party for her and she wants me to go. And I don't really want to go. I am not much of a party girl unless it is people I know and like. I don't like parties when I feel like the whole purpose is to just get drunk. I think I'll drive in separately so I can leave whenever I want to.

So, that is my exciting weekend. Oh, I have an interview on Sunday night at 5:00 with Blockbuster about a summer job, so let's hope that goes well. Wish me luck.

Okay, I'll Explain

So, I'll explain my last comment. I am sitting here in my computer lab in my dorm innocently typing up my final, and I guess I was looking too sexy. That one guy in my dorm I mentioned earlier who likes me came up and asked what my schedule was like, did I have an hour or so to go out tonight. I am horrible at saying no even though I kind of wanted to, so I said yes, that was fine. He said he's getting people together for this one girl who I don't even know's birthday, and we're meeting in the lounge at 8:30 and walking to this bar that's like a block away. So, at least other people will be there. He went over to talk to this other guy about coming (who lives on my floor and is cute and nice and we always say hi to each other but have never really talked) and then came back, didn't say anything, just kissed me on the forehead and left. Not sure what that means, but I tend to overanalyze things. So, now I'm wondering if I should bring my friend Chris along as support or not. It's going to be a group of people who I probably won't know except for the person who invited me, so I would feel more comfortable bringing a friend. Decisions, decisions. I wish I was better at making them. At least this is taking my mind off the fact that I asked my dad for money to help pay for summer school and he pretty much refused, and last time I saw him over spring break he showed me this new painting he had bought for $10,000. I guess art is more important than his daughter's education. I'm pretty mad at him right now, if you haven't guessed. But I'll report tomorrow about what happens tonight.

What to Say

What do you say when a guy comes up to you randomly and kisses you on the forehead? I said thanks.

Weekend Update

I have had a pretty crazy week, what with working on papers and finals, driving to Bloomington twice for two interviews with Barnes and Nobles (yeah!), and going out with some friends. Yes, I got called for an interview at B & N with the assistant manager on Saturday, and he said I would hear back in about 3-4 days about if I will get picked for the third interview or not. I hope so, that would be my top choice for a job this summer. Discounts on books AND Starbucks coffee, plus (and I did not know this, maybe you did), but it is connected with B. Dalton and Game Stop, so I would also get discounts there. Isn't that nice? I feel like even to get a little part-time job anymore, it is about who you know or who you can impress. I don't know why it is this hard to find a job. I think what is hurting me is the fact that I will only be around for the summer. I kind of hedged with B & N to make them think I might be there longer, and I feel kind of bad about that, like I was lying to them even though I didn't actually lie.

Then, Thursday night I went to see Sahara with some friends, which was fun. On Friday night I went to see two bands play at a bar here in Champaign, and they were really good. My cousin invited me to go, so I went with her and her new boyfriend and his sister. The bands were called Punsapaya (I think I spelled that right), and Bottle of Justice. I liked them both a lot, they were both rock groups. My cousin knew the members in both bands, so she introduced me to them, and they were a pretty hot group of guys. There's something about a guy in a band that just makes me salivate and want to jump his bones.

So, wish me luck this week on my finals, and on getting a job!

Reading Day

Ahhh, reading day. The name conjures up images of laying around on a blanket under the sun reading a good book. This name is grossly misleading. It's really a day that we don't have classes and have time to work on homework and finals. And while I appreciate not having class today, I would much rather be laying about reading my current book checked out from the library, Enna Burning by Shannon Hale (yes, it's from the children's section, no it is not porn). She writes kind of fairy-tale like books. This is actually a sequal to her last book, The Goose Girl which, for you uninformed, is the name of a famous fairy-tale. Pretty good books.

I have managed to secure two boxes for my move! I have been having the hardest time finding boxes at stores, but finally managed to hit gold at Jerry's IGA! My new favorite store. So, screw you Target and Meijer for not having any boxes because you smash them up immediately with your corregating machine. Jerry's IGA is my hero.

Manna From Heaven

Yesterday was just the day I needed to finish out the end of this school year. I have been working so much on homework, that I feel like I haven't talked with people for awhile, and yesterday, that is all I did. It was so wonderful, like manna from Heaven. First, all the teachers in my building brought food for us students for the end of the year for lunch (which meant bringing in Jimmy John's sandwiches, but hey, I'm not about to complain), so I sat with people from my social work program who I haven't talked with for awhile and we talked for about an hour. Then, I had class, where everyone was supposed to give a 6-7 minute presentation on a policy in schools, but we didn't have enough time for everybody, and since it was going alphabetical order, of course I did not get to go. So, our teacher just made us hand in our power point notes and she is going to grade those. Then, I drove to Bloomington to have dinner with my sister and her husband and interview at Barnes and Nobles, and I talked with one friend who lives out in L.A. on the way there and one of my old roommates from college on the way back. And when I got home, our small group was having our end of the year party, so I went to that and got to hang out with my friends there. It was so nice, especially realizing I have made more friends this year than I realized. I just love days where all you do is talk with people. Maybe that's why I'm going to be a social worker. : )

Guys are Weird

So, I ran into this guy in my dorm the other day who likes me, and he had a camera on him. He saw me and was like, "Oh, I'll take Kate's picture." So, he took my picture, and when I asked him what it was for, he said he was taking pictures of his college life to give to his mom. Why does he need a picture of me for his mother? We went on one date, and haven't hung out since. Does anyone else think that's a little weird? What is he really going to be doing with that picture?

In completely unrelated news, I took out one of my nose rings yesterday. It was a momentous occasion for me. Now I only have one. It was just time, I guess. I figured it would be harder to hide two nose rings in my internship next year then it would be to hide one. I guess I'm growing up.

Hello again!

I was gone this entire weekend in a nearby town, spending time with the fam. My mom and grandma came down to my sister's house, and I met them there. It was fun. We didn't really do a whole lot. We went shopping (of course, my family seems to shop every time we get together, but I don't mind), we went out to eat, we went in the hottub of the hotel where my mom and grandma were staying. It was pretty nice. And I didn't do a lick of homework. I did, however, look for a job there this summer. I thought I was going to be getting a summer job at Blockbuster, but I called the store to see about my application, and found out that they already hired two new employees 3 weeks ago to replace the one girl I thought I was going to replace, since she was strongly recommending me, and he doesn't know if they will have any other positions open until the ISU students leave, so I have to call back in another week. So, I got applications for Victoria's Secret, Express, Starbucks, Best Buy, and Barnes and Nobles. I have a cousin who works at Best Buy, so I'm going to see if he can get me a job there, and they apparently have open interviews every Wednesday at Barnes and Nobles, so I'm heading there this Wednesday to interview. I'm all worried now about not getting a job this summer, I'm only going to be there for 3 months, and I really need some sort of summer job. So, please pray that everything works out for me!