Mini-Vacation

Aside from the recent drama in my life, I'm actually having a pretty great time! Next week I leave for DC for 3 days. I know, I know, I was just there in February. I just love that city! It seems like every time I go, I find something new I like.

This time I'll actually be staying in Virginia which is something that I have never done before. So we'll be reviewing the Crystal City/Arlington area. Exciting. Luckily, it's conveniently located to the Reagan airport which we're flying into so it already has a bonus point.

I'll be traveling with a friend of mine that has never been. She had no idea what she wanted to do or what she could do in the city but every now and then I get a text telling me that she's added a couple of things to her list of things to do. Cute, right?

I'm also excited about seeing an old college friend that I haven't seen in 2 years. I felt so awful about not contacting her when I went last time, but hanging out with her this time should be a blast. And lets not forget that I'll be meeting a pretty cool chick for the first time! I'm excited about trying out these places Lilu, and am really thankful for your help!

More info on my exciting adventures to come!

An Open Letter To All Miami Drivers

Dear Miami drivers,

After living in this city all my life, the following is a list of things I've learned most of you are not aware of or chose to ignore. For the sake of your car and mine (and my sanity), I hope you take something away from this list.

1. That little doohickey on the left hand side of your steering wheel is called a Turning Signal. You use it to indicate when you want to turn or change lanes. Go ahead, press it down, it won't hurt you.
   
2. That same little doohickey turns off by itself when you make a wide enough turn but not when you change lanes. Remember how you turned it on? Do the opposite. There we go, it's off.
3. Brake lights are not optional. Buy them, get them, install them. Keep them working.
   
4. My car, much like myself, do NOT want to be sodomized. Get off my ass.
5. It rains in Miami. When this magical event happens and water falls from the sky we should probably turn our lights on so that we can see better and the cars behind us can see your car better.
6. While we're on the topic of rain- please note that puddles are accumulations of water. This is Miami, there are puddles and potholes full of water everywhere you turn! Slow the heck down! Not only is it bad for your brakes but it splashes onto other cars and can scare the be-jay-sus out of an unsuspecting driver.
7. Traffic lights are not there for decoration. Green means go, YELLOW MEANS SLOW DOWN, and red means STOP.
   
8. When making a left turn, either wait for the lead light or when the light is green and there are no cars coming your way. Waiting in the middle of the intersection during a yellow light and wait until the light turns red to make a left turn.
   
9. Yielding. Oh boy. This is when you are actually giving up the right of way, not inserting yourself like a rapist.
   
10. Merging; view number 9.

Sincerely,

Your neighbor.

Movies to see

So, according to Ebert, these are 102 movies to see before you die. Sounds like an interesting summer project for anyone out there with plenty of time on their hands. The ones in the purple italics are ones that I've seen (18 out of 102), how do you match up?

1. "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) Stanley Kubrick
2. "The 400 Blows" (1959) Francois Truffaut
3. "8 1/2" (1963) Federico Fellini
4. "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" (1972) Werner Herzog
5. "Alien" (1979) Ridley Scott
6. "All About Eve" (1950) Joseph L. Mankiewicz
7. "Annie Hall" (1977) Woody Allen
8. "Apocalypse Now" (1979) Francis Ford Coppola*
9. "Bambi" (1942) Disney
10. "The Battleship Potemkin" (1925) Sergei Eisenstein
11. "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) William Wyler
12. "The Big Red One" (1980) Samuel Fuller
13. "The Bicycle Thief" (1949) Vittorio De Sica
14. "The Big Sleep" (1946) Howard Hawks
15. "Blade Runner" (1982) Ridley Scott
16. "Blowup" (1966) Michelangelo Antonioni
17. "Blue Velvet" (1986) David Lynch
18. "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) Arthur Penn
19. "Breathless" (1959 Jean-Luc Godard
20. "Bringing Up Baby" (1938) Howard Hawks
21. "Carrie" (1975) Brian DePalma
22. "Casablanca" (1942) Michael Curtiz
23. "Un Chien Andalou" (1928) Luis Bunuel & Salvador Dali
24. "Children of Paradise" / "Les Enfants du Paradis" (1945) Marcel Carne
25. "Chinatown" (1974) Roman Polanski
26. "Citizen Kane" (1941) Orson Welles
27. "A Clockwork Orange" (1971) Stanley Kubrick
28. "The Crying Game" (1992) Neil Jordan
29. "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) Robert Wise
30. "Days of Heaven" (1978) Terence Malick
31. "Dirty Harry" (1971) Don Siegel
32. "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" (1972) Luis Bunuel
33. "Do the Right Thing" (1989 Spike Lee
34. "La Dolce Vita" (1960) Federico Fellini
35. "Double Indemnity" (1944) Billy Wilder
36. "Dr. Strangelove" (1964) Stanley Kubrick
37. "Duck Soup" (1933) Leo McCarey
38. "E.T. -- The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982) Steven Spielberg
39. "Easy Rider" (1969) Dennis Hopper
40. "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) Irvin Kershner
41. "The Exorcist" (1973) William Friedkin
42. "Fargo" (1995) Joel & Ethan Coen
43. "Fight Club" (1999) David Fincher
44. "Frankenstein" (1931) James Whale
45. "The General" (1927) Buster Keaton & Clyde Bruckman
46. "The Godfather," "The Godfather, Part II" (1972, 1974) Francis Ford Coppola
47. "Gone With the Wind" (1939) Victor Fleming
48. "GoodFellas" (1990) Martin Scorsese
49. "The Graduate" (1967) Mike Nichols
50. "Halloween" (1978) John Carpenter
51. "A Hard Day's Night" (1964) Richard Lester
52. "Intolerance" (1916) D.W. Griffith
53. "It's a Gift" (1934) Norman Z. McLeod
54. "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) Frank Capra
55. "Jaws" (1975) Steven Spielberg
56. "The Lady Eve" (1941) Preston Sturges
57. "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962) David Lean
58. "M" (1931) Fritz Lang
59. "Mad Max 2" / "The Road Warrior" (1981) George Miller
60. "The Maltese Falcon" (1941) John Huston
61. "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962) John Frankenheimer
62. "Metropolis" (1926) Fritz Lang
63. "Modern Times" (1936) Charles Chaplin
64. "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975) Terry Jones & Terry Gilliam
65. "Nashville" (1975) Robert Altman
66. "The Night of the Hunter" (1955) Charles Laughton
67. "Night of the Living Dead" (1968) George Romero
68. "North by Northwest" (1959) Alfred Hitchcock
69. "Nosferatu" (1922) F.W. Murnau
70. "On the Waterfront" (1954) Elia Kazan
71. "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968) Sergio Leone
72. "Out of the Past" (1947) Jacques Tournier
73. "Persona" (1966) Ingmar Bergman
74. "Pink Flamingos" (1972) John Waters
75. "Psycho" (1960) Alfred Hitchcock
76. "Pulp Fiction" (1994) Quentin Tarantino
77. "Rashomon" (1950) Akira Kurosawa
78. "Rear Window" (1954) Alfred Hitchcock
79. "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955) Nicholas Ray
80. "Red River" (1948) Howard Hawks
81. "Repulsion" (1965) Roman Polanski
82. "The Rules of the Game" (1939) Jean Renoir
83. "Scarface" (1932) Howard Hawks
84. "The Scarlet Empress" (1934) Josef von Sternberg
85. "Schindler's List" (1993) Steven Spielberg
86. "The Searchers" (1956) John Ford
87. "The Seven Samurai" (1954) Akira Kurosawa
88. "Singin' in the Rain" (1952) Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly
89. "Some Like It Hot" (1959) Billy Wilder
90. "A Star Is Born" (1954) George Cukor
91. "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951) Elia Kazan
92. "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) Billy Wilder
93. "Taxi Driver" (1976) Martin Scorsese
94. "The Third Man" (1949) Carol Reed
95. "Tokyo Story" (1953) Yasujiro Ozu
96. "Touch of Evil" (1958) Orson Welles
97. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948) John Huston
98. "Trouble in Paradise" (1932) Ernst Lubitsch
99. "Vertigo" (1958) Alfred Hitchcock
100. "West Side Story" (1961) Jerome Robbins/Robert Wise
101. "The Wild Bunch" (1969) Sam Peckinpah
102. "The Wizard of Oz" (1939) Victor Flemming

Fourth of July

So, I've been lacking a bit on the blog writing but at least I have a good reason. Besides getting caught up with work, having a crappy internet connection at home, and the need to really sit down and think before I write- I've had fun!

This past weekend we "kidnapped" a friend and took her to Disney. There's just something about Disney that makes me happy. Even at 9pm when the fireworks are over, my ankles are swollen, and my feet feel like they're on fire, I wanna come back the next day. We went to EPCOT which was great since I had never actually finished the park. It really served to show me that in another life or at some crazy point in my life I want to pack everything I need in one suitcase and try to live in Italy. Even the fake Disney Italy makes me happy. The thought of learning just enough Italian to get by and finding a job and a place to live somehow sounds more like an adventure than something scary. If I wasn't already in debt, I'd do it.

Wow, I just realized what I wrote. A blog I follow (and one I recommend if you've ever been in a relationship, faced hard times, or been a woman) TudorCityGirl, wrote something in response to the statement I just made. I can't say that I've read every post as she has been blogging for much longer but if I'm not mistaken, she has a life coach. The last bits of wisdom she got from the life coach and shared with her readers was to "do everything to live your best life." Coach also shared common excuses that people use to avoid doing so, my previous comment was one of them. Either way the responsible, numbers-loving adult in me won't let me do this until I'm more financially stable.

Lovely little tangent, wasn't that? The real reason for this post was that it is finally July and the 4th is just around the corner! Can you believe it? It feels like this year is both going by too quick and dragging on at the same time. Does that make sense to anyone else?

For most people, Valentine's Day is the day that they usually long for a companion. I, on the other hand, get this feeling around the Fourth of July. Maybe it was that one year with my first serious boyfriend that has had me spoiled and finding fireworks romantic. We went out to Bayside, and even though it was ridiculously hot and there were about 300 people surrounding us, for a brief moment, we were the only ones there. That he had the courage for all that PDA in front of my family no less, really impressed me. Wow, that was so corny! If Mel still reads my blog she'll gag a little. Sorry!

I think I'm going to cut this post short before I get out of hand. Anyone in need of a date this weekend? Lol, just kidding!

All Smiles

The day has finally come (and now gone)! I am officially done with my undergraduate work! The second I walked out of that last exam I was all smiles. I almost couldn't believe it. I actually got a little choked up as I was walking to the parking garage but I knew I had phone calls to make. After a brief call to my mom I started sending out a mass text message so that the world would know the wonderful news.

This has been an amazing weekend so far. Right after I left campus I went home, packed my bag and came to the hotel I rented at Coconut Grove. After a short period of fear (the 5 hour energy drinks I'd had for my last all-nighter were giving me palpitations) I shrieked! I had never seen a bathtub so huge! Definitely made for 2 (maybe 3) people. After a shower and a nap I headed out to Cheesecake Factory with a friend and had quite an amazing meal. The hostess, with whom I am friends with, sent us over a cheesecake that said "Congrats Grad!" It was so cute and thoughtful.

The night progressed and we headed out to the bar right across the way and had a few drinks. After seeing way too many skanky women girating in ways that REALLY should not be done in public we decided to move on. Off to dance! This was the first time I'd ever actually seen one of my friends dance so I was very proud of him!

After sleeping in these awesome beds we headed out for the best breakfast I've had in a long time. Truly delicious! Unfortunately, I had to head out to work for a bit so I wasn't able to shop around. Or so I thought; right when I get to work I'm told I can go home. You don't have to tell me twice! I headed home to pick up my camera and to the liquor store for "supplies."

Arriving back at the hotel, I took a moment to just relax. Watched some tv, had a drink, took a shower and then headed out with a friend to go get massages. We were so hungry though, that we stopped for pizza and it ended up being too late for our appointment. We had to reschedule it for tomorrow which is actually perfect because we plan to go out tonight.

And now here I am, blogging away, contemplating taking a quick nap before I get ready to go out to dinner with a (surprisingly large) group of friends. I wonder if we should go back to the place we had breakfast? Hmmm....

Ok, nap time!

Almost Done

I don't have much to write today except for the fact that it finally hit me; in 5 days I will have a Bachelor's Degree! It's about time! Though the fun times seem to have gone by too fast, in the past couple of semesters I questioned whether or not I'd make it out in one piece.

So what is a girl to do? Celebrate! Thank you, priceline.com for helping me book a 4-Star Hotel in a great area for only $65. I'll be there and partying immediately following my final. I'm looking forward to relaxing and getting together with some great friends.

Making It A Habit & Dr. S

Apparently in order to for a habit (or get rid of one) it will take you approximately 3 weeks to a month. Should not be too bad if I start slow, right? So far I'm keeping that in mind and instead of opting to go for a run at 5am I am just taking the stairs up and down, no matter where I'm at. Luckily the highest level at the parking garage at school is only 5 flights up and my class is on the 4Th floor. We'll see how this goes.

I suppose blogging could very well be another habit to pick up. Let's call this day 3. Twenty-seven more to go. I really started blogging because a professor of mine recommended it; she always stressed reading and writing to improve our day to day lives. When she found out that I wanted to pursue AmeriCorps, she told me personally to do so. So, here I am. At some point I'm sure I'll email her the link to this and hopefully she'll see how she influenced my life yet again.

I'm going to welcome this digression and talk a little bit about her.

My first encounter with Dr. S was my sophomore year when I took American Government with her. Boy did she rattle my nerves! 8 am class and there were no excuses and no way to get in that door if you were there at 8:01. Did I mention that attendance was mandatory? She did not, and does not, play games. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but when we found out that she is an ex drill Sargent we knew not to mess with her!

Her class, although one of the most difficult courses I'd taken, proved to be a lot of fun. We were constantly analyzing the current political situation and learning to put theories into practical perspectives and this was the kind of thing that I loved!

Dr. S was always someone that I could approach after class. I remember making her late to her next class a couple of times because I loved talking to her. She is one of those individuals who will show you genuine interest (and lack thereof) whenever she can.

Fast forward a couple of years and I am now in my last semester at college (or so I thought). I run into Dr. S at the Political Science department and she greets me warmly. I was so surprised to see that she remembered me. Right away she asked me, "Are you taking my class next semester?" What do I say? Truth is, I hadn't planned on it but there it was, another challenge. Could I do it? On the spot I decided that I wanted to get the most out of the education I'm paying for and told her I'd sign up.

I was waiting to talk to an advisor and she stepped in and did it for me. Needless to say, the guy that was there waiting shot me a couple of dirty looks since I was getting all my questions answered on the spot. I walked out feeling accomplished and excited.

Fast forward again to the first day of her Supreme Court class. Here was where I found out I wasn't the only masoquist out there that was a part of her following. As she was giving her usual "I'm not taking crap from anyone" speech she asked for those that had taken her before to stand up. A good 1/3 of the class rose. She called us crazy and told the rest of the class to ask us if she was serious.

Throughout the semester it was really the only class I focused on. I had no interest in my other classes anymore, I was taking them just to finish and get my degree. Towards the end of the semester Dr. S and I had a little chat. She had noticed that I was "burned out" and said so to my face! Cue the waterworks. Truer words could not have been spoken. This was exactly what I needed to hear. She didn't say it in a judging way, she seemed to understand. And in fact, she did. She told me that she had felt this way once before too, she went off and joined the army.

We started talking about the AmeriCorps option and she pushed me to do it. She said it was a great opportunity and through my tears I told her the programs I was interested it. For whatever reason I am tearing up now and I can only imagine that it is because I have yet been able to express my gratitude to her. This woman does it all. She is a professor and is herself a law school student. How does she do it? I don't know the answer to this but I am so thankful God put her in my life.