The First Week of Summer (Weather-wise)

The first hot day has come around. I suppose it's summer, even if the official markers won't catch up for another three weeks. But in my book it's June, and that means summer.

In the spirit of the season, therefore, I had a scoop of Haagen-Dazs new Gelato Cappuccino on the back patio. The temperature was optimal; the scorching hot days had been shooed away by storms. We played a few rounds of rummy and the cat even came over to investigate. In all, it was quite a pleasant evening. This rounded out an already good day as I had only hours previously for lunch discovered a regional cafe it turns out that I love! Port City Java has a location Hagerstown, MD that is fun, energetic and smells fantastic. They even have steamers (a rare treat to stumble upon). I had the Sicilian panini, which included chicken, roasted red peppers and provolone cheese with a side of carrots. To die for.

Of course, one of the most important (and fun) aspects of summer is planning the weekend excursions. Anyone have suggestions? I was toying around with the idea of a hike along the C&O Canal from Brunswick to Harpers Ferry. Or perhaps I should take a trip to local museums. Or I could actually make more progress on the book I am reading (for the first time) and thoroughly enjoying, "The Hobbit."

But these are fun musings, so I'll hardly be rushing them. After all, it's still three days until the weekend.

Psst!

Hey, guys, guys. Guys. Starbucks has half-priced frappuccinos from 3-5pm May 3-12 (and last time I was there I noticed new Sweet Lemon cake pops!). This comes as particularly good timing for me since - as this time of year means woe for us students - I'm writing a paper and would love a delightful reprieve, venturing out in the sun and swiping up a refreshing frappuccino. Yes, this is quite excellent. Now only to pick my flavor.

I have yet to try the hazelnut...

Well, it's been a while since I've posted.

I like temperatures a lot hotter than many people (at least than the rest of my family... much to my chagrin). In recent weeks Maryland weather has decided it is finished with winter, not even allowing for the traditional post-breakup recovery period before leaping into a rebound relationship with summer. This left the state's disgruntled residents with hands on hips, grumbling curses at the skies. Well, spring did come, and made my family very happy. High 50s and breezy with a sunny, cloudless sky, my Dad was so pleased he opened all the doors to the house.

This was not as pleasing to me. For three days by this point I had been promised summer. I had bided my time for long, cold months, and at last had been rewarded fairly with 80 degree weather. Tank tops and shorts were exhumed from dark crevices of the closet... only to be rendered utterly laughable (in my estimation) on the second Saturday of April.

"Oh, but it's nice outside!" my mother tried to reassure me as I proffered a goose-bump laden arm, the sad product of hours in our barn. But like the weather, she had raised my hopes falsely. I opened the door only to be blasted by beautiful skies, a radiant sun, birds chirping.... and a sharp breeze intent on being the center of attention. If it had been possible, my goose-bumps would have become worse.

At this point fully annoyed with the weather for tricking me into wearing a short-sleeved shirt, I scurry up to the house and make a beeline for my room. There I grab the first sweater to come to hand, but find myself lingering in my room since I keep it decidedly warmer than the rest of the house. Eventually I do work my way back downstairs, where I attempt to steal warmth from the cat fast asleep on the sofa. He does not take kindly to this, awakening, standing with a stretch, and moving deliberately to the sofa opposite. I curl up on the warm spot where he'd been.

And this sad behavior was elicited by the false promise of warmth. Had this been a continuation of the cold we'd been having, it would have seemed warm since I would have been adequately prepared with winter clothing, which would have seemed excessive, but still reasonably allowed. Instead, having had spring for a few days just before, I felt odd fantasizing about the cozy warmth of my winter coat. Yet there it was: I wanted it. Guilty pleasures still be pleasures.

Seasons

Although still two months from the commencement of the school year, I've found myself realizing how soon it will be upon me. When put in terms of "two months", I have no worries. But when I look at my calendar and ponder the coming appointments and plans I've made for those two months, I realize my busy schedule will pull me through that time rather quickly before dumping me rather unceremoniously at the doorstep of my school. Now, I'm by no means dreading my return. On the contrary, I'm looking forward to it. It will be my final year and I feel settled in my plans. I'm looking forward to my single room in a house on campus with my cousin and eight others. It promises to be a pleasant and rewarding experience. But still, the warm days of few worries and socially acceptable idleness are an enticing inducement to cling dearly to every last day.

For one, winter and I do not get along. Forty degree days for about a month's duration is all I really enjoy. But beyond December, January through March just grow tedious and allow a debilitating cold to fester within one's very bones for a whole quarter of a year. This is by all accounts highly unpleasant. I like a little snow, Christmas, hot cocoa, and showing my super-warm fuzzy sweater. After I've managed all these things, I'm very much finished with winter, which seems to insist on holding on for a period far beyond its due. But alas, so is nature. But given these truths, I do especially appreciate these days of tank tops and ice cream, bike rides and strolls; long may they live!

Summer

The beginning of summer is a joyous occasion. I was particularly thrilled at the close of the semester due to a particularly strenuous finals week. Having been homeschooled throughout high school and then attending St. John's College in Annapolis for three semesters, I had successfully managed to avoid such difficult exam periods as finals and midterms provided. However, my clever navigation came to an abrupt and unceremonious end with my transfer to my current college. Needless to say, having been thrust into exams in the midst of junior year, I was quite ready for a break. Blue skies and warm sunshine heralded the impatiently awaited time of no school and good weather. So summer, by consequence of the comparative work preceding it, naturally began well. 

There was hardy laughter, boisterous celebration, dancing in the streets, etc. Or at least there should have been, because I was very excited. So there was metaphorical hardy laughter, boisterous celebration, dancing in the streets, etc. At any rate, I had a break from my labors and weather worthy of the occasion. What was not to like? The unfortunate result, however, was I was so busy earning my summer and then promptly enjoying my summer, I shamefully neglected my new blog. The lapse has ended, and hopefully will not occur again in the near future. Ah, summer. 

For Your Viewing Pleasure

Hellacious Tuesdays

It has been a most frantic and stressful day. The tale begins yesterday, when I was first led astray from the golden path of rational and wise behavior by the enticing allure of free food. Food that is not free is seductive enough; but food that is free? I am helpless against it. So needless to say, I partook of the dread bounty, irreversibly throwing my eating schedule for the rest of the day. As a result, I was not hungry at dinner time and I didn't become conscious of my hunger until the wee hours of the morning, at which point I was only still awake due to paper-writing.

Thus begins part two of the chronicles of my foolish ways, as I had not properly planned and written my paper over the weekend, but was instead choosing to write it the day it was due. At last I tame the beast and send it to my professor, but only to be at this point thrust into the arms of still further folly, as I then had to write a paper for my class that at this point was only six hours in the future. I type along for a good hour and a half until I finally have that printed and ready for the class looming in my future. To bed at 4 in the morning, I awake to a shrill alarm clock at 7. I scurry to class in the pouring rain and successfully produce my paper for class, and then am subjected to an hour and a half of tedium. At long last released from this, I head to my next class, which is a Japanese culture class. Interestingly enough, we were exploring martial arts for that particular class, which would have been wonderful and entertaining on any day except the day on which I last ate 18 hours prior and had only three hours of sleep to sustain me. After an hour and a half of minor exertions, I dash to the housing lottery which began ten minutes before my class ended. I arrive only to find myself thwarted by a long, winding line of people. The school had severely mismanaged its procedures, resulting in undue waiting, stress, and boredom. Thirty minutes in, I begin to feel lightheaded, however, I could not pursue a chair without losing my place in line. At long, long last, after a total of fifty minutes standing in line, it is my turn to draw a number for housing. I pull number 38. I was very fortunate indeed!

My original plan had been to skip lunch and instead take a shower and do homework for my 1pm class, but this was when I was still naive enough to believe the housing process would take 20 minutes. But at last acknowledging that at the very least I needed food, I immediately head to the dining hall, where I scarf down a burger and head back to my dorm to finish my homework. 

By this time the housing had been so unexpectedly long, I had but twenty minutes remaining in which to do my homework. I furiously began throwing things together, trying my best to beat the deadline. Ten minutes before class I had to begin walking in order to not be late. I cross campus and arrive, immediately resuming my work. I did manage to put something together in time. It was hardly my best work, but it was passable. The class usually lasts three hours, but my professor kindly released us early. The class is a theater class, for which I had just applied make-up to be graded. It is my custom to return to my dorm and photograph the evidence of my theatrical escapades. However, this time I opened the door to leave and was greeted by a downpour. I closed the door and pondered how to reach my dorm without a blurred mess covering my face by the end. At last I concocted a most ridiculous but effective plan, pulling out my large drawing pad and using it as a bill over my forehead and then removing my sweater and using it as a tent over my head. I'm sure the combination of this set up along with my already outlandish make-up and unwieldy tackle box and bookbag was an amusing sight to behold. 

At last arriving at my dorm, I did, in fact, manage to photograph the make-up. Then I remembered I had to pick up an important letter from the Registrar, the office of which closes at 4:30pm. By this time it was nearly 4pm and I had strange make-up covering my face. Thus began the adventure of make-up removal. Layer after layer of cold cream was applied, massaging it in and using water to wipe away. This process was repeated again and again, each time managing to remove a small layer. My face by this time was a gray blob and the make-up directly surrounding my eyes was stubborn. By the end I settled for a slight gray haze and what was essentially white eyeliner around one eye and black around the other. It was an interesting look.

I make it to the Registrar's with some semblence of normalcy and successfully acquire the letter. At this point, at long last, I have a break! I spend it napping, but only have an hour before I have to head to the housing selection process. I go with my cousin as we hoped to both have singles in the same general vicinity to one another. Everyone attempting to get a single is present, and due to our good numbers I am fifth and my cousin seventh in line. Despite this, however, by the time I approach, both my first and second choices are already claimed. However, my cousin and I managed to both get singles together in a house on the outskirts of campus, which was more than satisfying. From there I run directly to my last class of the day, the "lab" portion of my theater class. It also is allotted three hours, but my professor again released us early. At 9pm, my day hectic day at long last requires nothing more of me! After class I grab dinner with some friends and then head back to my room for some much needed rest. 

In other words, I haven't updated recently because I've been busy. My bad. 

Life & Its Many Obstacles

Being a college student, the work week is not a convenient time to write. Additionally, I'm working this weekend at my family's business, Chartreuse & Co., which features home decor and design. Until the next post arrives, here are some pictures:

"Super" movie

At last I saw the impatiently awaited movie "Super" starring Rainn Wilson (forever to me Dwight from "The Office"). For us to see it involved an extended car ride due to the multiple incorrect exits we took. At long last we reached the correct exit, only to miss it and get off at the one beyond, winding our way around on non-highway roads until we reached the Metro. Upon reaching it we rode it in to the heart of DC, disembarking five minutes before the movie was supposed to start. We then ran down the road in search of 11th St, passing 10th and then realizing our mistake upon arriving at 9th St, as opposed to 11th. We then frantically turned around and sped up the other way, at this point nearly reaching the show time and still not seeing the theater. At last we stop inside a hotel and ask for directions. The woman behind the counter provided clear and accurate directions that led us directly to the theater at long last. By this time it was five minutes past, but the cashier assured us the movie had not yet begun.

Arriving after the trailers but just in the nick of time for the movie itself, we got surprisingly good seats and settled in for a nice laugh. However, that's not quite what we got. All in all it was a good movie and it did have its comedic moments, but a great deal of it was depressing and dramatic. Having to reset my expectations halfway through the movie, it is difficult to gauge its quality as a drama or action film. But the cast and acting was of a good quality and some of the messages were uncommon but worthwhile. In the end, I'm glad I saw it, although it was somewhat unexpected.