Things found while cleaning my room/unpacking
(Keep in mind, these are things I chose to bring FROM St. Olaf BACK to my house. For some reason.)
-11 Spam recipe cards
-1 bottle of laundry detergent that is definitely not mine nor my former roommate's
-A diary from when I was 7 years old
-A pina colada flavored alto saxophone reed
-Yoda Pez Dispenser
-BE YOU pink plastic cup (Kate=love)
-Robotic Spiderman dog/ipod speakers
-4 bottles of hairspray
-9 newspapers from Obama's election inauguration
-Mini lava lamp
-Solved Rubik's Cube
-2 bags of Christmas-themed cupcake paper cups
-Michael Feldman bobblehead
-450 ft white Christmas lights
-22 Word of the Week buttons
-Green leprechaun hat
-Half written letter to Andy
-Bag of Math Wizards ribbons
-Birdhouse made from hollowed gourd
-Silver glitter Elton John sunglasses
And I'm not even done yet. Oy vey.
Happy Monday-almost-Tuesday, kids. Shoot me a text/email/whatevs. I OFFICIALLY start work tomorrow!
peace, love, coffee
ps
Monday, June 1, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
The birth of a blog...
The blog...is born.
As many of you know, I've been putting the Plethora by the wayside to work on starting a new music blog with my bestie Caitlyn. And, ladies and gentlemen, I am please to announce the birth of...Shouting Out Loud in Capital Letters. SOLICL will feature reviews, mixes, mp3s, podcasts, photos, and a whole lot more. We have one post up, and an mp3/post will be up later day. Check it daily, kiddos.
shoutingoutloudincapitalletters.wordpress.com
Off to more of the grad parties that have been dominating my social life. Downside: Friend's extended family, my extended family, pinched cheeks, awkwardness, more balloons than ANYONE should have to put up with. Upside: Free cake. So...yeah. It's worth it.
Peace, love, LARPERS (right, julia and andy?!)
ps
As many of you know, I've been putting the Plethora by the wayside to work on starting a new music blog with my bestie Caitlyn. And, ladies and gentlemen, I am please to announce the birth of...Shouting Out Loud in Capital Letters. SOLICL will feature reviews, mixes, mp3s, podcasts, photos, and a whole lot more. We have one post up, and an mp3/post will be up later day. Check it daily, kiddos.
shoutingoutloudincapitalletters.wordpress.com
Off to more of the grad parties that have been dominating my social life. Downside: Friend's extended family, my extended family, pinched cheeks, awkwardness, more balloons than ANYONE should have to put up with. Upside: Free cake. So...yeah. It's worth it.
Peace, love, LARPERS (right, julia and andy?!)
ps
Monday, May 25, 2009
Um, so cancel that last post about taking a hiatus from the blog. I'm going to continue random and sporadic updates on the Plethora as we continue developments on the upcoming music blog (be. ex. cited.)
Until then, some random things:
1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjVYVQOOJA8
Watch this video. It's so adorable and wonderful and makes me seriously consider going into advertising...someday...
2) Next January, I'll be off to Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Italy for a month's worth of international poli-sci-ing it up, yo. (The picture is from Piran, Slovenia.)
3) Video chat is the greatest thing to happen since the creation of the interwebs. Hit me up, lovelies.
4) I'm not a Twins fan. But Mauer...pretty attractive. Just saying. It makes being dragged to the Metrodome that much more bearable.
Peace, love, Boston Red Sox
ps
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Shameless Self Promotion
2 posts in 2 days?! Great F. Scott Fitzgerald!
But anyway. Here's a shameless self-promotion. (Sorry.)
The first issue of the Manitou Messenger that I've ever EDITED is out on newsstands today. It's the last issue of the year, absolutely free, and features the byline "News Editor" under my name. So pick one up, look it over, and keep reading. (If any of you non-Oles want one, let me know and I'll ship it your way!)
In other news, Oles, chill out about this campus golf article. It was an opinions, no one is ACTUALLY scared of the St. Olaf "bro's", we understand that underneath all of your popped collars and gelled hair lies future doctors, lawyers, businessmen, teachers, blah, blah, blah. It's called the "opinions" section for a reason. Don't let this get out of control, ala the Bon Iver incident of Lutefest '08, and create a black mark on our school's stellar reputation.
Peace and love,
ps
But anyway. Here's a shameless self-promotion. (Sorry.)
The first issue of the Manitou Messenger that I've ever EDITED is out on newsstands today. It's the last issue of the year, absolutely free, and features the byline "News Editor" under my name. So pick one up, look it over, and keep reading. (If any of you non-Oles want one, let me know and I'll ship it your way!)
In other news, Oles, chill out about this campus golf article. It was an opinions, no one is ACTUALLY scared of the St. Olaf "bro's", we understand that underneath all of your popped collars and gelled hair lies future doctors, lawyers, businessmen, teachers, blah, blah, blah. It's called the "opinions" section for a reason. Don't let this get out of control, ala the Bon Iver incident of Lutefest '08, and create a black mark on our school's stellar reputation.
Peace and love,
ps
In Loving Memory of Steve
Upon writing this, it’s almost been one year. One year since high school graduation, one year since tearful goodbyes and yearbook signings, and one year since Steven Daskam was taken from us all, at far too young of age.
I will be the first to admit that my personal relationship with Steve was a strange one, at best. He served as one of my closest friends, my biggest rival. He was one of my most trusted peers, a thorn in my side, my hero, my villain, and probably the closest thing I’ve ever had—or ever will have—to a brother. We would argue like cats and dogs in class, but mere hours later, he would be the first person I turned to when I had a problem. He was one of those people that was impossible to explain, and even more impossible to forget. We all had different impressions, different relationships, different stories with the man, and we will all remember him in different ways, weaving our stories and memories together, creating almost a security blanket of memories. And, knowing the guy as well as I do (to this day, I find it incredibly difficult to write about Steve in past-tense because—as long as we’re not afraid to talk about it—his spirit doesn’t have to end.), he’s the type of man who would want that.
To be honest, there’s little left to say about Steve that hasn’t already been said a hundred and one times. Yes, he was a genius. He was driven. He was funny, he cared about every single one of us, and he was always, always ready and willing to lend a helping hand. But it’s the little things that seem to stick with me most—the way his entire face crinkled up when he laughed, his weird habit of referring to authority figures by their first names…but only behind their back. It was the way he could figure out exactly how to push someone’s buttons and do that until they were just about to completely blow up at him, and then laugh, pat them on the back, and all would be forgiven. It was the way he would hop from foot to foot whenever he got nervous, which made me even MORE nervous. It was the way he flipped through cook-books, noting recipes he HAD to try (even though, to this day, I doubt he’s ever set foot in a kitchen.) He was brilliant, he was bossy, he was hilarious, he was stubborn, and he was truly one of the most unique individuals I’ve ever met. And, through it all, he was loved. By every single one of us.
Even a year later, the events of Steve’s death are still incredibly vivid. Every late-night phone call serves as a reminder of the call that brought the news, changing my life forever. Occasionally, I can still feel the burn in my eyes, reminding me of that horrible feeling when you’ve literally cried out all you have, and you still need to cry more. And, more often than I’d like, I still get that empty feeling in the pit of my stomach when I realize that, however awful as it is, there are still some problems that literally nobody can fix. My emotions associated with Steve aren’t unusual—they’re something I’m sure every single member of the tiny FCHS student body deals with on a regular basis. And please don’t think I’m writing this for a second to belittle you, to elevate my feelings above the rest. I’m writing it so that we can remember, so that we can reflect on truly what a blessing it was to know this man. We’ve all lost at least one thing in the process of grieving—it’s important that the one thing we don’t lose is the memory of Steve.
There are so many clichés that we were all told, again and again, after Steve’s passing. The one that sticks out most now is “time heals all wounds”. It’s not true. Wounds don’t heal. They scab, they scar, and they stay on you, serving as painful reminders of the past. Sometimes, the scar is all you can focus on, and no matter what you do it won’t go away. But other times, the scar is nothing but a memory, a story, a part of you. And this is what we must strive for Steve to be.
With love, with respect, with fondness to my classmates, to my schoolmates, and to everyone who ever got to encounter Steve. You are all truly blessed, and filled his life with so much love. Each and every one of you contributed to his happiness, and the wonderful, brief life he lived.
And Steve, if you’re reading this, I love you. No more words are needed.
I will be the first to admit that my personal relationship with Steve was a strange one, at best. He served as one of my closest friends, my biggest rival. He was one of my most trusted peers, a thorn in my side, my hero, my villain, and probably the closest thing I’ve ever had—or ever will have—to a brother. We would argue like cats and dogs in class, but mere hours later, he would be the first person I turned to when I had a problem. He was one of those people that was impossible to explain, and even more impossible to forget. We all had different impressions, different relationships, different stories with the man, and we will all remember him in different ways, weaving our stories and memories together, creating almost a security blanket of memories. And, knowing the guy as well as I do (to this day, I find it incredibly difficult to write about Steve in past-tense because—as long as we’re not afraid to talk about it—his spirit doesn’t have to end.), he’s the type of man who would want that.
To be honest, there’s little left to say about Steve that hasn’t already been said a hundred and one times. Yes, he was a genius. He was driven. He was funny, he cared about every single one of us, and he was always, always ready and willing to lend a helping hand. But it’s the little things that seem to stick with me most—the way his entire face crinkled up when he laughed, his weird habit of referring to authority figures by their first names…but only behind their back. It was the way he could figure out exactly how to push someone’s buttons and do that until they were just about to completely blow up at him, and then laugh, pat them on the back, and all would be forgiven. It was the way he would hop from foot to foot whenever he got nervous, which made me even MORE nervous. It was the way he flipped through cook-books, noting recipes he HAD to try (even though, to this day, I doubt he’s ever set foot in a kitchen.) He was brilliant, he was bossy, he was hilarious, he was stubborn, and he was truly one of the most unique individuals I’ve ever met. And, through it all, he was loved. By every single one of us.
Even a year later, the events of Steve’s death are still incredibly vivid. Every late-night phone call serves as a reminder of the call that brought the news, changing my life forever. Occasionally, I can still feel the burn in my eyes, reminding me of that horrible feeling when you’ve literally cried out all you have, and you still need to cry more. And, more often than I’d like, I still get that empty feeling in the pit of my stomach when I realize that, however awful as it is, there are still some problems that literally nobody can fix. My emotions associated with Steve aren’t unusual—they’re something I’m sure every single member of the tiny FCHS student body deals with on a regular basis. And please don’t think I’m writing this for a second to belittle you, to elevate my feelings above the rest. I’m writing it so that we can remember, so that we can reflect on truly what a blessing it was to know this man. We’ve all lost at least one thing in the process of grieving—it’s important that the one thing we don’t lose is the memory of Steve.
There are so many clichés that we were all told, again and again, after Steve’s passing. The one that sticks out most now is “time heals all wounds”. It’s not true. Wounds don’t heal. They scab, they scar, and they stay on you, serving as painful reminders of the past. Sometimes, the scar is all you can focus on, and no matter what you do it won’t go away. But other times, the scar is nothing but a memory, a story, a part of you. And this is what we must strive for Steve to be.
With love, with respect, with fondness to my classmates, to my schoolmates, and to everyone who ever got to encounter Steve. You are all truly blessed, and filled his life with so much love. Each and every one of you contributed to his happiness, and the wonderful, brief life he lived.
And Steve, if you’re reading this, I love you. No more words are needed.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Lessons Learned
In just under 3 weeks, I will no longer be a first year at St. Olaf College. Upon realizing this, I created an extensive list in my journal (which is mostly just a slew of inside jokes, wrongly placed newspaper notes, French verb practice, and interesting conversations) of things I've learned in college. While I now know more about Abraham Lincoln, Machiavelli, French ANYTHING, and the covenants of the bible than I'd ever care to, I also feel like I've learned a few things worth putting up on here, if only for my own benefit/sanity.
1) For the most part, I love people. And, if pressed, I would probably define myself as a "people-person". However, human beings, for a lot of the time, really suck. They're awful, they lie, they manipulate, they gossip, and they let you down again and again and again. But, every so often, you'll find an exception to this rule. And it's these people that make it all worthwhile. So love them, let them love you, and everything else will fall into place.
2) Every. Single. Thing. happens for a reason. I've been living with a hippie for the past year (love.) and--besides the knowledge that I'm horrible with plants, that sometimes (supposedly) primal noises are apparently needed to alleviate stress--she's taught me that absolutely every little thing happens for some greater purpose. And, although the first or second dozen times she told me this I just laughed it off, she's totally right. Every disaster along the way, every earth-shattering piece of drama, every break-up, every failed test, every fight, EVERYTHING happens for some greater purpose. So wallow in self-pity, vent to your bestie, and move on. You'll understand later.
3) Apparently, itunes has this thing called "shared libraries", allowing everyone in your general vicinity to see your music. This can be either a very good thing (instant coolness), or a very, very bad thing (fact: very few people want to chill with the guy who listens to nothing but bad hip-hop and Nickleback. Actually, on second thought, there are some people who would. And most of them live in my dorm...) As the girl who has college a capella and 80's one-hit wonders interspersed with her indie/alt rock, I learned the hard way to make sure you "unshare" your library. (Yes, never be ashamed of who you are, blah, blah, blah. But somethings are better left a mystery.)
4) Staying up for literally days on end may SEEM like a great idea at the time but, I promise you, it's not. You--and your sleeping schedule--will pay dearly for it. (And it explains why this is being written at 3:00 am on a Monday morning.)
5) Sometimes, your closest friends are the ones who live the furthest away. Although there's amazing people on the St. Olaf campus--people who I am ridiculously happy to spend my every waking moment with--there's also a reason why I've kept in contact with so many people who live far away: I love them. Dearly. Which explains why I aim with Julia every single morning, why I text Katie whenever anything even remotely interesting happens (and expect her to do the same), why I run straight to Caitlyn the second I need advice/analyzation/someone to talk to about ANYTHING, and why I routinely talk to Kelley for hours a night. So the lesson here is, as difficult as it may be to maintain a long-distance friendship, it's always worth it.
6) Don't mess with the Caf ladies. They will find you. And make the rest of your meals for the duration of your years at school awkward/scary as heck.
7) You will mess up. And people will talk about you. And it sucks, and you'll want to transfer and just completely escape everything. But, as dire as the situation may seem, they'll get bored and move on to someone else. And you'll be left a stronger--and probably a more interesting--person. (This one's probably especially true at a small school like Olaf, where people literally at times have nothing to do but homework, Facebook, and gossiping. And usually a combination of them all.)
8) EVERYTHING you do will somehow lead to a Harry Potter reference. Maybe it's Olaf's uncanny similarities to Hogwarts (Fact #1: We're not freshmen, we're "first years". Fact #2: All dorms fit perfectly into the Hogwarts houses.), maybe it's simply because we all grew up right alongside Harry and the gang. Either way, I strongly recommend brushing up on your HP trivia before college. You'll definitely need it.
1) For the most part, I love people. And, if pressed, I would probably define myself as a "people-person". However, human beings, for a lot of the time, really suck. They're awful, they lie, they manipulate, they gossip, and they let you down again and again and again. But, every so often, you'll find an exception to this rule. And it's these people that make it all worthwhile. So love them, let them love you, and everything else will fall into place.
2) Every. Single. Thing. happens for a reason. I've been living with a hippie for the past year (love.) and--besides the knowledge that I'm horrible with plants, that sometimes (supposedly) primal noises are apparently needed to alleviate stress--she's taught me that absolutely every little thing happens for some greater purpose. And, although the first or second dozen times she told me this I just laughed it off, she's totally right. Every disaster along the way, every earth-shattering piece of drama, every break-up, every failed test, every fight, EVERYTHING happens for some greater purpose. So wallow in self-pity, vent to your bestie, and move on. You'll understand later.
3) Apparently, itunes has this thing called "shared libraries", allowing everyone in your general vicinity to see your music. This can be either a very good thing (instant coolness), or a very, very bad thing (fact: very few people want to chill with the guy who listens to nothing but bad hip-hop and Nickleback. Actually, on second thought, there are some people who would. And most of them live in my dorm...) As the girl who has college a capella and 80's one-hit wonders interspersed with her indie/alt rock, I learned the hard way to make sure you "unshare" your library. (Yes, never be ashamed of who you are, blah, blah, blah. But somethings are better left a mystery.)
4) Staying up for literally days on end may SEEM like a great idea at the time but, I promise you, it's not. You--and your sleeping schedule--will pay dearly for it. (And it explains why this is being written at 3:00 am on a Monday morning.)
5) Sometimes, your closest friends are the ones who live the furthest away. Although there's amazing people on the St. Olaf campus--people who I am ridiculously happy to spend my every waking moment with--there's also a reason why I've kept in contact with so many people who live far away: I love them. Dearly. Which explains why I aim with Julia every single morning, why I text Katie whenever anything even remotely interesting happens (and expect her to do the same), why I run straight to Caitlyn the second I need advice/analyzation/someone to talk to about ANYTHING, and why I routinely talk to Kelley for hours a night. So the lesson here is, as difficult as it may be to maintain a long-distance friendship, it's always worth it.
6) Don't mess with the Caf ladies. They will find you. And make the rest of your meals for the duration of your years at school awkward/scary as heck.
7) You will mess up. And people will talk about you. And it sucks, and you'll want to transfer and just completely escape everything. But, as dire as the situation may seem, they'll get bored and move on to someone else. And you'll be left a stronger--and probably a more interesting--person. (This one's probably especially true at a small school like Olaf, where people literally at times have nothing to do but homework, Facebook, and gossiping. And usually a combination of them all.)
8) EVERYTHING you do will somehow lead to a Harry Potter reference. Maybe it's Olaf's uncanny similarities to Hogwarts (Fact #1: We're not freshmen, we're "first years". Fact #2: All dorms fit perfectly into the Hogwarts houses.), maybe it's simply because we all grew up right alongside Harry and the gang. Either way, I strongly recommend brushing up on your HP trivia before college. You'll definitely need it.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The World's Best Break-Up Songs, pt 1.
As two of the most cynical people to ever survive southeastern Minnesota/theater camp/driver’s training class, we have long been compiling playlist after playlist of songs about failed relationships. (Fact: Caitlyn’s personal motto is “Every single relationship ends. Ever. So whatever you do, it doesn’t matter. You were doomed from the start.” Paula, on the other hand, simply doesn’t believe the male genders exists and are actually a myth, much like unicorns and El Chupacabra. Therefore, it’s impossible to ever get hurt, because one can’t be broken-hearted by a figment of rumors and urban legends.) So it’s only logical that we spend our spare time compiling the best break-up songs ever. Over the next week or so, we’ll be posting our list up here on Paula’s blog. (And we’re going to attempt, someday, to actually put MP3’s of the songs up with them. Yessss.)
So go dig out your pint of Ben and Jerry’s, crawl under the covers, and blast these songs from your itunes. You’ll feel better after, we swear.
1) I Can’t Make You Love Me (Cover)—Denison Witmer
C-It’s the epitome of pain, because when you break up, you just want to sit in a dark room and listen to painnn. It’s so excessive—so overdone, so tortured, so depressing, and so perfect. It reminds me of this afternoon 2 weeks after a break-up when I had taken a nap because I was so depressed and I woke up and could just feeeeeeel the dispair in the room. It’s right in that point when you’re clinging to depression, because that’s all you have left of a relationship. At this point, you SHOULD be getting over him, but you can’t because you’re too focused on how sad you feel. THAT is what this song is.
P—YES. This song is so emo, it hurts. Also, Caitlyn, that leads to an interesting question. Do we listen to break-up songs to help us get over the jerk, or do we listen to them to cling to the pain? Hmmm…
2) Dog Problems—The Format
P—Best break-up line ever—“B is for believing you’d always be here for me/E is for everything, even when we’d see it though/C, C is for seeing through you, you are a fake which brings me to A, because, because you always run awayyyyy”. It really helps if you yell that as loudly and angsty as possible. Plus, Nate Ruess wrote the entire album of “Dog Problems” to get over his girlfriend. So there is literally not a better soundtrack to your own personal break-up. Ever. \
C—Plus, who doesn’t want a break-up song that has a full brass band behind it?
3) That’s It, I Quit, I’m Moving On—Adele
C—It’s so easy. And vindicating. It’s exactly what you want the guy to see in you, whether or not it’s true. Even if you’re spending your days in your room crying on the floor, all you want him to feel emanating from you is “That’s it. I quit. I’m moving on.” So you wear your best clothes, do your hair perfectly, and hit on all his friends. =)
P—Exactly. I think this song is for the moment when you realize the guy you’re with actually really, really sucks. And you have no choice but to break it off, regret that you wasted three months of your life on him, and delete the number from your phone.
4) Testament to Youth In Verse—New Pornographers
P—For some reason, this was THE SONG of my last break-up, even though it has more to do with the radio than with relationships. Maybe it was the kick-arse drums, the “No, No, No, No, No” chorus, or the brilliant line “When You Play like a fool/then like a fool you get played with” (which, I’ll admit, was my Facebook status for an embarrassingly long time.) Seriously. Turn on this song, walk to the place that you KNOW you will see him at, and I promise that you will feel like a vindictive character from a lame romantic comedy.
C—“Testament”, I feel, is kind of like your sassy best friend who just won't take your moping anymore. Its like "Seriously? This guy was a douche and you fell for it. So feel like a fool, accept it, and get over it."
(The World's Best Break-Up Songs will continue to be posted sporadically throughout the next week)
So go dig out your pint of Ben and Jerry’s, crawl under the covers, and blast these songs from your itunes. You’ll feel better after, we swear.
1) I Can’t Make You Love Me (Cover)—Denison Witmer
C-It’s the epitome of pain, because when you break up, you just want to sit in a dark room and listen to painnn. It’s so excessive—so overdone, so tortured, so depressing, and so perfect. It reminds me of this afternoon 2 weeks after a break-up when I had taken a nap because I was so depressed and I woke up and could just feeeeeeel the dispair in the room. It’s right in that point when you’re clinging to depression, because that’s all you have left of a relationship. At this point, you SHOULD be getting over him, but you can’t because you’re too focused on how sad you feel. THAT is what this song is.
P—YES. This song is so emo, it hurts. Also, Caitlyn, that leads to an interesting question. Do we listen to break-up songs to help us get over the jerk, or do we listen to them to cling to the pain? Hmmm…
2) Dog Problems—The Format
P—Best break-up line ever—“B is for believing you’d always be here for me/E is for everything, even when we’d see it though/C, C is for seeing through you, you are a fake which brings me to A, because, because you always run awayyyyy”. It really helps if you yell that as loudly and angsty as possible. Plus, Nate Ruess wrote the entire album of “Dog Problems” to get over his girlfriend. So there is literally not a better soundtrack to your own personal break-up. Ever. \
C—Plus, who doesn’t want a break-up song that has a full brass band behind it?
3) That’s It, I Quit, I’m Moving On—Adele
C—It’s so easy. And vindicating. It’s exactly what you want the guy to see in you, whether or not it’s true. Even if you’re spending your days in your room crying on the floor, all you want him to feel emanating from you is “That’s it. I quit. I’m moving on.” So you wear your best clothes, do your hair perfectly, and hit on all his friends. =)
P—Exactly. I think this song is for the moment when you realize the guy you’re with actually really, really sucks. And you have no choice but to break it off, regret that you wasted three months of your life on him, and delete the number from your phone.
4) Testament to Youth In Verse—New Pornographers
P—For some reason, this was THE SONG of my last break-up, even though it has more to do with the radio than with relationships. Maybe it was the kick-arse drums, the “No, No, No, No, No” chorus, or the brilliant line “When You Play like a fool/then like a fool you get played with” (which, I’ll admit, was my Facebook status for an embarrassingly long time.) Seriously. Turn on this song, walk to the place that you KNOW you will see him at, and I promise that you will feel like a vindictive character from a lame romantic comedy.
C—“Testament”, I feel, is kind of like your sassy best friend who just won't take your moping anymore. Its like "Seriously? This guy was a douche and you fell for it. So feel like a fool, accept it, and get over it."
(The World's Best Break-Up Songs will continue to be posted sporadically throughout the next week)
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