Freshman Escapades Relived

Senior year came, and it's crawling by slowly. I still have no future job. My freshman year credit card expired (which I thought would never happen, how did I get so old?!?!) and I'm currently broke - until Friday that is.

Freshman year, I had so much free time. I only worked on the weekends and my classes were not demanding at all. My best friend Pogo and I hung out all the time and used to skip classes together just to hang out. We had all the same classes freshman year. A lot of things have changed since then. My classes are marginally harder, I work all the time, and my free time has steadily declined. Some things haven't changed though, and won't change until I leave college. Pogo and I still are best friends, but we no longer have remotely the same schedule and are lucky if we can register for one class together. But we still skip class. Together.

But now, it's super secret agent style. Sorta.

Every Tuesday night, Pogo and I attend an International Marketing class. Okay, that's a stretch. Every Tuesday night, Pogo and I are supposed to attend an International Marketing class. Like most professors, ours is drawn to Pogo and his intelligent, yet funny repertoire. Which makes it hard to skip class.

So last night, we went to class against our better judgement because we both have missed so many. We were not sober, to say the least, and while we were locking up our bikes, our professor came out for a smoke before class. Standing there, trying to keep the goofy grins off of our faces and desperately keeping up a semi-intelligent small talk conversation (or just one that made sense) showed us how much better we are inebriated than we were freshman year.

Then we got to class. It was group presentation time. After a five minute heart attack because we thought it was our turn, but really we were presenting in week ten, we both settled down to play Zelda on our respective laptops while planning to at the break on g-chat. The following conversation took place during class.

6:26 PM me: how do you talk to navi again? Pogo: this girl is terrible at presenting

6:27 PM me: all i remember is a is x

Pogo: um

you press up

like c button up

me: ahhh

fuck

okay

i have to relearn the controls

Pogo: you need the c buttons

6:28 PM but i was lying kinda

cuz i think to get navi you press a or b

me: hmm

Pogo: i was right!

eureka!

6:29 PM me: :)_

Pogo: have funnnn

me: thankssss

39 minutes

7:09 PM

me: : we have to hide before we leave
like
cuz she'll find us smoking or something
like we don't wanna be unlocking our bikes in front of her

Pogo: we dont need to hide

me: yes we do

Pogo: no we dont

we just have to be fast

she doesnt always go down

not right away

me: which is why we have to hide

i'm not fast

i'll fuck it up so bad

Pogo: no you wont

me: tony bike lock FALLS APART

all the time

Pogo: omg

okay

fine

me: and it takes like 5 minutes to fix

Pogo: i can see im not going to win

we can hide

like babies

7:11 PM me: my abs hurt so bad

Pogo: instead of being brave

like adults

me: listen

Pogo: aww

me: its got to do with awkward, and i've had too much awkward today

i like avoiding awkward

Pogo: okay

i understand

we will be avoiders today

me: kk

thanks

So my plan was to run out a side door and hide on the only side of the building I've never seen our professor smoking on. First of all, she was printing more evaluation sheets, so we needed to avoid all computer labs. Second of all, I didn't want to be caught unlocking our bikes and her being like "so guys, what's up? Where ya going?". My attendance sucks bad enough, I don't need her to catch me skipping class.

There me and Pogo were, just chilling on the other side of the building. Our conversation was as follows:

Me: This is like freshman year again.

Pogo: Only freshman year, we just would have not wasted an hour and come to class since it's effin' presentations and we didn't need to show up.

Me: We were smarter then.
Pogo: No, we just had more time to pay attention to the syllabus.

Me: Fair.

Pogo: Let's go get our bikes.
Me: Not yet! She'll be there smoking.

Pogo: No she won't, we've only been in class for an hour and it's only gonna last for another 45 minutes, she won't smoke. She's trying to quit remember?

Me: Trust me, she'll be smoking.

Sneaking around the side of the building, I made Pogo take the spy position and look through the bushes. Sure enough, she was there! We ran back to the other side, waited five more minutes, then did the spy move again. Luckily, the professor had left, we waited another 30 seconds, just in case she was just inside the building and decided to turn around and look through the glass doors, quickly unlocked our bikes, went to go pick up pizza and continued our previous hang out session.

Adventures abound.

We're Getting Older

I frequently say depressing things like "you've been dying since the minute you were born." Or, "getting older everyday!" People kind of look at me strangely...or they agree. But regardless of how you say it, no one can deny that as the days drag on, everyone is getting older.

There are a couple of things that have changed throughout the years, for me anyway. But then again, I am way more mature than most people my age. And I have a big ego. And I'm perfect. But I digress....

I love people (excluding douches, obviously). I have a lot of friends who I like to keep around. My social web is getting larger every week, and sometimes I wonder how I'll ever keep up with it. However, over the years, I've been getting better at keeping in loose contact with people. It used to be my theory that if you didn't talk to someone at least once a week, you couldn't be friends. But that has changed - try once a year now...or once a decade...

Yesterday something hit me in the face and got sucked into my body, along with 4 Miller Lites and 2 Red Headed Sluts. I've started looking at friends differently. There are certain people that I know are just gonna be around for the next 30 years (or longer depending on our health). And I'm not talking the "we're BFFFs - best friends foreva, foreva!" attitude you have when your 12, until reality slaps you across the face and you realize most middle/high school students are superficial, backstabbing, bastards. Again, I digress.

When I thought of this, I was thinking about one person in particular, but it applies to so many more people in my life. Shortly after I got home (I almost biked into a car. I think it was a combination of the mass amount of alcohol I consumed in an hour and the powerful 75 mph winds) I got a text from the person that made me realize I have long-term friends:

"P.s. I love you, and I hope you're resigned to being life long friends. For cereal."

Doesn't that just make your heart melt?

Also, as we are getting older, we stop forwarding those "this is a really funny but crude joke" emails, and start sending news articles to our friends. Like this one, that outlines how many mistakes hospitals make and how you can help yourself receive the correct surgery, rather than an amputation.

It's a serious concern because as we get older, there are less people to watch out for us.

I'm sure there is much more that will change as life goes on. Whether we're ready for it or not. For now, I'm going to dream of a nap. And tonight, I will arrive in Central PA to visit the hillbillies and rednecks. And grow one more day older.

"Wisdom doesn't automatically come with old age. Nothing does - except wrinkles. It's true, some wines improve with age. But only if the grapes were good in the first place." -Abigail Van Buren

Bike Lanes

I am lucky enough to live in a city that has bike lanes. I am unlucky enough to live in a city with stupid people that don't know how to use a bike lane.

For all you stupidos out there, listen up:

A bike lane is essentially the same as a car lane. Bikes go very fast in them. It is our lane. Don't step into it, open your door into it, drive into it, or cross any of the lines without looking first. And also remember, bikes go up to 30 mph, and usually in cities are going about 15 mph. Doesn't seem like much, but the brakes are hand operated, and do not stop on a dime. Also, there is no metal cage protecting a biker. If you hit us, we will fall and get hurt. And if we can move afterwards, we will probably try to hurt you.

Also, because it is our lane, and the sidewalk is generally immediately on the right and speeding cars are generally immediately on the left, we cannot leave the bike lane.

Today on my way to class, I hit a pedestrian. Like dead on. This little Asian woman was crossing the street mid-block. Or trying to cross. She looked and then just stood in the bike lane because there were cars coming. Unfortunately, I had just come from a downhill and through a yellow light, so I was flying. She saw me, did that little "which way ya going" dance - all the while I was like, seriously?!?! Go back on the sidewalk lady!! She didn't listen to my silent pleas and I plowed right into her. A nice girl that saw it happen pulled my bike out of the road and grabbed my shoes which had flown off. Neither of us apologized. We were both okay and she leapt up and ran across the street. I did not fair so well.

While I feel as though nothing is broken (especially my laptop which I fell on), my right gluteus maximus hurts like none other. I can't really walk up stairs or sit. My right arm hurts at the elbow and wrist, and there is gravel still in my hand. When I finally got to class, I just sat there and cried for 45 minutes while I was thanking my lucky stars that I didn't hit my head, break my pelvis, kill the pedestrian, break my bike, or doing anything else that would've required a hospital visit or thousands of dollars.

I went to Eastern Mountain Sports to look at helmets. Yes, I don't wear one. But I should, I know. $64-$180. Why is being safe so expensive? Why can't people just be smarter?

Confessions of a Rom-Com Lover

I love Rom-Coms. Yes, me. For those that know me, this may be a tad bit hard to believe, but I really do enjoy rom-coms. Yes, even really horrible ones. Like the one I watched tonight - Confessions of a Shopaholic.

The whole premise of the movie is about a journalist (picture Legally Blonde, but with an IQ about 10 points higher) who is in a load of debt. Becks wants to write for a fashion magazine, but instead gets a job at a sister magazine, one about finance. The way she got the job - a tequila fueled letter to the editor, which she meant to send to the fashion magazine editor but instead, mixed up the addressed envelopes in a alcohol induced screw up. Turns out, the financial editor really liked her "new spin on things" and the "girl in the green scarf" became a hit throughout the magazine industry. Basically, things catch up to Becks, but in the end, she pays her debt, learns a valuable lesson, patches things up with everyone who she alienated through her lies, gets back at the bitchy glamor girl, and wins the extremely dashing man with a British accent's affection. All wrapped up in a neat 1 hour and 44 minutes.

And I loved it.

Even though it was completely ridiculous and implausible.

Which is why I enjoy watching rom-coms only alone, or with other rom-com lovers.

I like how everyone's life always turns out well, even in the most dire circumstances. I like how reality doesn't really matter. I love the ridiculousness of the entire plot. Rom-coms stay true to themselves. Usually when I'm watching a movie, I pick apart every detail, question all plot holes, and pay attention to details - like in the same scene a clock will read 10:30 and 11:30 during the same conversation. I'm a movie cynic. But I love rom-coms. And I'm willing to suspend belief for that 1 hour and 44 minutes every time.

The thought did cross my mind that in real life, Becks would be homeless (or living with her parents), never had a job past staff writer (she certainly didn't have the work ethics or smarts to be a freelance journalist), would've been ignored by the handsomest man on the planet, and probably would have ended up either dead via suicide, or an old bag lady. But none of that happened in the movie, so good for you Becks!

So when I'm 35, you can probably find me eating ice cream, cuddling with my cat, and enjoying a wonderfully fantastically horrible rom-com completely alone and also completely happy.

Oh wait, you can probably find me doing that now.

As Winter Approaches

My senioritis is in full swing. I didn't study for any of my midterms and passed them all with flying colors. I skip at least 3 classes every week, and I'm totally unprepared for the 4 humongous papers due by week 10, along with the three finals.

At least Thanksgiving vacation will give me a short, much needed, break. As will this weekend when I travel home to Central PA to brave the wind, the hillbillies, and the warmth that my parents can afford to pay for.

All of the following are things I can't really flesh out into full entries:

1. Why is it that when a professor says "Andrea, please see me after class" that my heart still drops and I feel like I'm in deep, deep trouble, when really, I should just be relieved that I actually showed up to class today so she didn't take notice of my every-other-class absence.

2. SEPTA is on strike. Basically, all of Philadelphia has been abandoned by buses, trolleys, and subway trains. I hear there is a graveyard of trolleys up on 40th and Baltimore, all fenced in so that they do not get destroyed.

This means three things for me. One, I have no buses to play dodge ball with on my bike. There are however, plenty of cars. Two, people who don't normally drive are driving everywhere! Bike lanes, opening doors, and just driving normally have all gone out the window, and getting anywhere on my bike takes about five minutes longer because of the extra vigilance necessary on my part. Third, there are bikers everywhere. I use the term "bikers" loosely, as many of these "bikers" are really just pedestrians that decided to ride a bike until they can again walk/take public transit. These "bikers" are giving us real cyclists a bad name. Mostly because of sidewalk pedaling. It's NOT OKAY to ride on the sidewalk. Unless it's less than a block and there is NO ONE on the sidewalk. Which means you must be getting off your bike before the next block. Please. Also, get out of my way. You are slow, I am fast, I will pass you. But I can't pass you if you are swerving all over the place. Drunkies.

3. Medical students, listen up. My hands/legs keep falling asleep. Usually when I'm in bed, however, right now, my right hand is partially asleep, from the wrist up. What is wrong with me? I would look on WebMD, but they will just tell me I have a brain tumor. Which is not a far stretch, as I've recently been talking out loud to myself. A lot.

4. My International Marketing professor showed us like 4 anti-smoking commercials last class. And then proceeded to go out and have a cigarette. She also yelled at me and Pogo for not wearing helmets, while telling us a story about how her husband caught her not wearing one once. I love people that can be outwardly hypocritical.

5. I must look really ragged today, as when I went into work to lock up my bike (my U-Lock broke so I'm using my roomie's, who also happens to work with me) everyone looked at me with really concerned glances and said "are you okay?!" My roommate was just like "you didn't sleep, did you?" I love how I can always count on the bar manager to be an unconcerned ass. He was just like "want your paycheck?" No Ben, I'll be back after class. Then two hours later, I'll be back again to work. FML.

6. I'm totally gonna start my Christmas list now. And on the top of the list will be: powerful space heaters.

TGIF, TGIHSO, and GICT! (Thank God I have Saturday Off, and the last one, is a secret, until late tonight!)

Nothing in Life Runs Unmixed

And a great big thanks to Robert Frost for the title of this post. He's from my hometown you know, well, at least conceived there!

There's an administrator at Drexel, Mark Greenberg, whom I've never met, but I love him anyway. I've been a creeper and have definitely seen him around, but he has no idea who I am. Understandable since I slouch around in sweatpants and a sweatshirt most of the time, and he's a busy man who wears a power suit everyday.

Why do I love him so much? Well I first started loving him for his emails. Normally I abhor getting extra emails that fill my already overstuffed inbox, but his, I always take an extra ten minutes to read. Since I was in the honors college, I've gotten the Greenberg emails since freshman year. They are always about life, always inspirational. And he always knows just what to say! A year-ish ago, he was moved from being the Provost of the Honors College, to some other position in the University. He still writes those emails, but now everyone gets them. And thank goodness about that.

Greenberg cares about his students, the university, and the well-being of everyone within this small community. Like genuinely cares. Like, if the University ever stuck me with a shaft bigger than my body, I could go stalk him, corner him, and he'd help me. In a University this big, that is a big, big deal. Especially when most people are more concerned with making your life as difficult as possible.

Also, the last email he sent out totally made my life. It was all about how he was born in New York and a diehard Yankees fan, but then moved to Philly and loves it here and raised his kids here, etc. Basically, my life, only delete like 20 years off of living in each place. Okay, not really, but I was at least born in New York (my hometown was totally mentioned in an episode of Law & Order: SVU in season 2 OMG LOLZ). Anyway, the point is...who do you root for when both the Phillies and the Yankees are in the World Series.

Here is my (and his answer). Root for the Phillies. Because how can you deny a team like that. And we live here and I like not getting beat up. But if the Yankees somehow win, I can still be relatively happy series. However, Mark Greenberg said it much better, and of course included Robert Frost's "nothing in life runs unmixed." What a wise, wise man.

GO PHILLIES!