Aren't negative forces, supposed to repel other negative forces?

I've been thinking lately about how important it is for people to be optimistic. It's like since we were little, we were conditioned to point out the negative in other people and in ourselves. Not to sound all depressed or anything, but I am tired of it! We're constantly criticizing, and for what? To draw attention away from ourselves? To make sure no one is looking at us so we feel better. It's amazing how much impact a positive comment can have on a person, especially from a stranger. We are just so used to getting the "Up-down" look from people and feeling like it's because we have food on our face rather than because we look HOT today. If you like to gossip, like I do, try and remember why you're doing it. Why am I telling this story? Is it because everyone thought it was funny that "Susy Swanson" fell in the mud and ruined her hideous outfit that looked like it was picked out by a blind gorilla? Or am I telling this story because it was embarrassing for her, and made me feel superior. Guess what, we're all weird and flawed. So, next time you see something you just HAVE to tell your best friend and all of the random people in her apartment, think would I want them to say that about me? Cause guess what, people talk smack about you too. You just don't hear it...

Vent session complete,
MW

FU

I love the original but I like the innocence of this version.

If you disagree, Forget You.

;]

Target Hit

Lately I have been living dollar to dollar, which I think is fine. I'm go to a Jesuit university, I'm unemployed, and I really don't expect to be saving much from the grocery allowance I get a week from my saviors, Mom and Dad. So, naturally, I rarely ever get to shop or even feel the will to go shopping. The thought of spending more than twenty dollars at one time makes me cringe. Yesterday was my breaking point. I was on the train on my way home from class downtown and I decided to get off a few stops before my home (Granville), and pop into a Target. You see, I really needed a laundry basket. My sad excuse of a closet has been literally overflowing with dirty clothes ever since I moved in. I had forgotten to bring a laundry basket and never got around to purchasing one until yesterday. So I was walking around Target and I found my laundry basket, which was on clearance! Then I saw the kitchen aisle, and everything went downhill from there. I was lost in the shiny array of pots, pans, and cooking accessories. You see, everything in a department store is designed to make you buy. Everything from what's placed on the end caps of the aisle, to the proximity of Laundry needs, to Kitchen items, to picture frames, to art supplies to electronics. Its just a maze. A maze of temptations that encourages your to buy things we have lived without forever and then buy more and more of these unnecessary items until we are at the cash register with everything you could possibly carry in your two pathetic arms and are without a shred of self-respect. I left with $7 in my bank account. Ironically, my last purchase of the day was a piggy bank that was $12.99. This didn't make sense to me this morning when I looked at the receipt. Why was I paying a major corporation to sell me a product that was useless until I filled it with money that I no longer had, I couldn't make sense of.

Before you start throwing tomatoes at me.. I just came back from returning all but two of the items I bought.

I am now left with a laundry basket, and a notebook for writing.

There is milk in my refrigerator now and I feel much better.

Sanity restored,
MW

Front page

So many of you might have heard of my recent accomplishment, but, I have not yet bragged about it here. I recently wrote my first story for my school newspaper and as I went to pick up the published copy I see my article title on the FRONT PAGE of the paper. I nearly fainted. It was a feeling that hasn't come over me in a while. I actually feel like i'm heading somewhere. I've also been offered the opportunity to start blogging for my schools newspaper website. It's about all the ordinary and the not so ordinary events I witness on public transportation in Chicago. I'll start posting the links once it's up and running.

As of right now, it's Friday, and thoughts of thanksgiving and home are flooding my brain. I'm currently watching a movie called 'Outside Providence' which was made who knows when, but a while ago, and is about this kid who goes to boarding school and meets Amy Smart and they fall in love and she gets caught in his room with alcohol and weed then she gets her Brown acceptance revoked, then he fights for her by persuading the dean to let her back in, and then happily ever after 70's kids. Well, not so much happily ever after, people die and stuff but It's a really cute story that always brings me back to the first time I saw it in my sister Laura's apartment back in Seekonk, MA.

I had this interesting dream the other night that I was driving all around my home town blasting music and doing errands. That was the most interesting part of the dream, but it was enough to make me wake up with a huge smile on my face. I love driving (when gas is free). You have such a freedom. You can go anywhere, with whoever, stop whenever, go fast or slow, and outrace any Lance Armstrong look-a-like on a bike. I hate bikers when I'm the one driving. Their awful. But, when I'm biking, cars tend to really piss me off. Funny, huh? Hypocrisy, it's weird thing.

But, I have SO many plans already for thanksgiving break. I'm going to have turkey dinner on Thursday and Friday, then a cocktail party with my parents Friday, and off to the Cape for Friday night! The rest of the plans will fall into place..

I can taste the butternut squash with nutmeg and cinnamon now.

All for now,
MW

Hell week has gone belly up

This week was probably the craziest week I've ever had. Now I know what those really skinny productive people are talking about when they say "I don't have time to eat lunch, I'm so busy". I finally understand what they were talking about. Though.. I still did my best to eat, I barely had time to think this week. I picked up an article for my school newspaper (which I'm so excited to see go to print!), and I'm working on two group projects simultaneously. This was all I thought I had to do until two days ago when I realized I had a french test at 8:15 this morning. It's safe to say I wrote over 150 flashcards last night and had to wake up at 6 to review them only once. It was a bad feeling. I had been interviewing people all week for my article and didn't even think to get a head start on my test. Silly me, procrastination is unfortunately a friend of mine. BUT at least I was productive this week. Also, you all should know, it was pretty cold this morning at a nippy 45 degrees. Starting to regret complaining about the heat. I can't wait to see snow though. I already have plans for the first day it snows. I'm going to curl up in my bed with hot chocolate smothered in cool whip, pop in charlie brown thanksgiving or christmas (whatever holiday I'm feeling that day), and bask in the joy of the holidays. This is proof that I just don't understand holiday depression, even if you're single, charlie brown will always be your date.

and don't forget leftover pumpkin pie. yum. I can't wait for Thanks-g.

All for now,
MW

November 10th, 5:37pm, 68 degrees.

I'm wearing a t-shirt outside. It's November. Now, if there's some scientific explanation for that, someone, please, enlighten me. All I heard when I moved to Chicago was how horrible the winters are and how if I didn't have the biggest baddest waterproof, ice proof, abominable snowman proof jacket I would freeze to death. Now, let me reiterate, I am wearing a t-shirt and jeans outside past 4pm. It is November 10th. You might think this is just a weird day right? Wrong. Let me give you the rest of the week's forecast. Thursday- 65, Friday-65, Saturday-53, Sunday- a whopping 45 degrees. Gosh, I better get out my booties cause its going to be a COLD one. I'll keep you all updated with the weather here and let you know as soon as it drops below 40 degrees. I feel like I live in southern California, which seems nice and all but I miss fall! Complaining about heat is about all I have for today ladies and gentleman, but no matter, it's a serious annoyance. It's a nice cool 45 degrees out back home right now, good old Massachusetts, never fails to bring a fall.

All for now,
MW

Vent Session - Soup Slurping

Okay, is it really necessary to put all your force into breathing in when you are eating soup or drinking tea? Seriously. I could put a vacuum in a bowl of water and it would make about the same amount of noise as a certain someone I know makes eating soup. I can barely stand being in the room right now. If I had any clean laundry I would get dressed and run away to a place where slurping is against the highest form of law and the repercussions are none other than "No soup for you" soup Nazi Seinfeld style. I can't wait until my laundry is done, or the slurping stops. Whatever comes first.

Vent session complete.
MW

Where I ate last night..

Friday = Funday

Yesterday could have possibly been one of the most riveting days I've had all year. I've been in somewhat of a scholarly funk this semester at school because I realized I'm one of the few sophomores who isn't at all sure of what they want to get their degree in. Sure there are a few people who aren't sure but I wanted to have direction, a focus, something to care about besides my social life. So yesterday, I had the privilege of meeting with the dean (that's right, head dean) of the Journalism School. Journalism has been something that I have been toying with forever. Even when I was little, my dream wasn't to be a doctor, lawyer, or even a trash man (like my big sister always wanted to be), I wanted to be a food critic. A writer. Someone who could tell people what was up, and what wasn't. I ignored the dream for a long time until recently when I decided to pick up it up again (due to hating everything else I've tried). My meeting with the dean went FANTASTIC. I even showed up with a little notebook with questions I had written in it for him, I must have looked like the biggest reporter dork ever, but it totally worked out. He told me everything I ever wanted to know about the industry, and even told me stories about how he had influenced whole states by writing one single investigative piece. I was falling in love with the career more and more. I had one final test to make sure it was really something I could do. I asked him what type of people are usually in the industry, he went on and on about how curious you must be. He told me getting to the bottom of things has to be a constant desire in you and you must be willing to do the research. It was then I knew, this was for me. I flashed back to every argument my friends or family ever had about some stupid fact or law and how my main solution was always to run to the computer and ask Google. I can't waste my time with useless arguments when I know there is a real answer out there! Luckily, when I'm in the real journalism industry, I'll have access to much better resources than Google. I left the meeting with a follow up with the assistant dean and a huge goofy smile on my face. I think I seriously got a tan from light I was basking in. (Lyric- Hot Hot heat) The first thing I did was call my Dad and tell him the good news, he was more than supportive of my initiative to score a dean meeting and start moving on with my life. I stood outside for about ten minutes in nasty bitter cold with my cell phone hand exposed, but I didn't even care. I was already numb with excitement. To top off my Friday, I took my friend out to one of the BEST seafood restaurants in the city and had a flash back of home as I bit into the first bite of my fresh lobster salad. It couldn't have been a better day. It's important to remember excitement is just a step but leads to motivation, which leads to initiative, which leads to success, which leads to happiness.

All for now,
MW