Wow it has been forever since I have updated, stranagely I am on e-strip reading other people's journals all the time but have been far too lazy to make my own entry. I am excited to go home next week for thanksgiving even though I had to lie to my boss to get the days off. I don't think I could be alive and not do everything possible to get home for holidays, and not because my family is great or anything, but because of the food of course. I eat nothing but garbage or mass produced food here unless I spend horrendous ammounts of money to go out to eat. Take today for example, a bowl of special k, stouffers mac n cheese, a handful of pretzels and some pop. Oh the comfort of saying pop and not being belittled! I am so glad that Matt is a fellow Buffalonian, for I would be so sad to never say pop or discuss the longing for real wings for months at a time. So yes I will be home at 6:30 in the morning on Thanksgiving, for those of you Mike hasn't told, because my slave driver boss made me work the day before until 6 and didn't tell me she was giving me the weekend off until it was too late to catch a reasonable flight home. So I will be taking a Greyhound (with Matt, I am not crazy enough to go alone) at 8:30 at night overnight to arrive at 6 in the morning. Matt has never taked a Greyhound and therefor is far too optomistic about the trip. I know it will be cramped, long and torturous, while he thinks it will be some kind of an adventure ("we can bring big thermoses of hot cocoa and snuggle and play cards!"). How cute but so nieve.

There are so many things I am dreaming of stuffing into one weekend. I want to take Matt's mom and grandma to see the incredibles, go to golf dome (random but matt has got me wanting to...anyone else in?), DUFFS, spend time with the kitties, pizza hut, KFC and mighty (you would be amazed the things you crave when they are not availible to you all the time), at night playing board games at higher grounds (the last time was so fun..."and he's also the last dinosaur"), MOCHA...
You guys better be ready to hang out because I need to see everyone every minute I can. I will be home for christmas but I'm not sure it will be longer than a week or two. This job sucks. I am working right now technically. I love the money hate the company and the job. Everyday I just have to think about Disney world and sitting in my own living room with my kitties to get me past storming out and quitting. Responsabilities suck so much, and I barely have any. I don't wanna grow up anymore.

I guess I should update for real before I complain. In all my classes I have at least a C + but I don't know what they are above that. Midterm warnings only tell you you are doing bad if you have below a C+ and I never got one so I have at least that. I don't think they are A's anymore though. its hard to go from a 3.8 to not even knowing if you have a B. I just know I am lucky my teachers havent kicked me out for all the classes I have missed this semster. Working full time and going to school full time is harder than I could have ever imagined. My job isn't so much my fan either, as I am late almost every day. In my defense it is never really over 5 minutes and it is the result of being completely dependant on public transportation which is often late and beyond my control. I leave as soon as my classes end but it never seems like enough time. I don't know if the whole company is anal or if it is just my boss, but she is a very by the book woman and as you all know I am not. No one laughed when I started jamming out to the bagel bites song that was stuck in my head by the fax machine, they were not amused. I am so not a cubical person. I am biding my time hoping to transfer to another department after the mandatory 6 month wait but its looking like I may not get a sparkling review. I am just not a professional type person. I need life not black and white faxes and a headset. Grrrr

Anyway so life isn't sunrise and d
aisys but I know that I don't have to stay anywhere I don't feel happy I just wish there were more options. Like maybe working 30 hours a week instead of at least 40. Okay so now back to work, or at least pretending to while I do some Math homework. See everyone this week!

Wow, I know I haven't wrote in forever but jill is amazing me with her non regular updates. I am very used to getting my home info from e-strip and I can see that I am not getting much. But here is my update anyway. School is going okay, I don't see myself keeping my 3.8 status from last semester. My classes are harder than I am used to and I have much less time to focus on them than I usually have. Plus 3 out of 5 of my teachers are brand new and have zero idea how to teach a class. One of my teachers is a pretty young mom and while her silly anecdotes are funny to me, they don't get any point across and end up wasting a good portion of my time and sometimes confuse me. Another teacher is an older guy who I am assuming worked in an investment firm or something and has never taught before. The class is finance and so far I have not learned anything. All he does is pop in videos every single class without fail. I tried reading the book and learning things myself but it went way over my head. Anyway...
I am finally starting my job this tueday. It has taken them almost two weeks to finish a background check and drug test. I am very nervous about this job and a little excited. I have never had a real job in my field and am very afraid of fucking it up. I see me overbooking the hotel and being fired or something crazy. I am excited because it is a professional job which means I will get to shop for a whole new professional wardrobe. I am afraid though that I wont be able to come home for holidays or be able to take days off as much as I have with all of my part time jobs. I am also afraid it will drain me to work full time and go to school full time, but I am so excited at the things it will open up to me. I will be able to take that trip to disney world for spring break and I will have enough for my dream apartment and to take my kitties and be able to take Matt out for a real dinner once in a while. I just really want to start already so I can begin a routine because my life has been so hectic and stressful.
I got the lead in my school's play. The play is called "I can explain" and its about a girl and guy's trip through relationship hell. Where I will fit this in between working and going to school full time I do not know, but the director said she is willing to work around my schedule. I really hope she means it because I explained about my work and school sceduling stuff and she still seemed okay with it which is crazy but nice. It is totally going to be a crazy semester, but I am okay with that.
Last weekend Matt took me to the Boston Animal expo and cat show. He knows how I go through furry creature withdrawl when I am away from my cats and when we saw the commercial he knew I wanted to go. The cat show was really wild, if you have ever seen the movie "Best in Show" you would have laughed so hard at being at this place. There were so many people with head to toe cat outfits on and people rubbing their cats down with oil and cat hairspray. One cat even had a full dream house cage that looked like a barbie dream house and it was tucked in asleep in this frilly little bed. It was hilarious. I found the most perfect kitten in the world for sale there. It was a scottish fold boy kitten named kerns, it was the cutest cat I have ever seen in my life, and I have seen some cute ones. It should have been in commercials, it didn't even look real. I am going to scan the picture of me holding it sometime this week. If I had $800 I would have bought it on the spot even though I am totally against buying from a breeder, that is how amazing this cat was.
After the cat show matt and I were walking back from burger king to my house and they had shut down the street for filming. It happens sometimes around my house because its around the block from Marlboro street which is the picturesque street of boston, the one always on postacards because of the pretty townouses. We were standing around to see what they were filming and m
at
t said "holy shit thats jimmy fallon." Drew Barrymore and JimmyFallon were standing like 10 feet away. They have been in Boston the last month or so filming this movie called Fever Pitch about a guy who had to chose between his girlfriend or the redsocks and the house they used as their house is around the corner from me. It was pretty cool to see, I took a couple pictures before they made us leave, but I got one of matt in front of Jimmy Fallon's charcter's car (they had to drag it down the street because jimmy couldn't drive stick) and one of people reloading film in the camera, I'll post them with the kitty picture. We also got followed by secret service on friday of last weekend but thats no big story, the 7-11 in my area is right behind john kerry's house and it was 2am and we were getting some ben and jerrys, they eventually stoped following us but it was funny how indescreet they were. Matt was paranoid though.
Okay now I have to go start some homework. I'll be posting again soon with all the pictures that I just got back when I get a chance to scan them.

Well I got a good job! I am the new reservations agent at The Seaport Boston Hotel! I went for my interview this morning and was hired on the spot (once my drug test is cleared of course). I am so very excited, the hours are good, the pay is amazing, I even get full benifits health/dental, 401k! So now I can save up for my apartment and my kitties well being, and the spring break trip to florida! I am getting real life travel and tourism hospitality experience which will help me on my career path and I have something to carry me over when I graduate. This is such a great thing for me I can't even describe. However until I get my first paycheck, which will probably take a month, I only have $13 in my checking account! I am waiting on my last paycheck from Old Navy and my birthday card from my mom (leave it to my mom to be over a week late with my birthday card). Hopefully that money will keep me with shampoo and toothpaste for the month! Alright more on this and other things later...

I know I write to keep my friends informed and in touch with my life. I like the feeling of closeness to know that even if I don't have time to pick up the phone and call everyone I can post and I can read their posts and the world seems a little smaller between Boston and Buffalo.
PS. I just e-mailed my resume to the human resource department of the Lenox Hotel, Boston's Waldorf Astoria ( www.lenoxhotel.com ). There is a job posted there that I want so bad I could kill. All I keep hearing in my head is the song from A Chorus Line, everytime I think about it "God I hope I get it, I hope I get it, how many people does he need? I really need this job, please God I need this job, I need to get this show!" Wish me luck I am going to need every ounce of it. This job will make all of my current dreams come true, I will be able to afford my apartment in a nice area, be able to get my cats all up to date with their grooming, medical care and shots and take them to live with me in due time! I will keep you all posted

Friday night at the stroke of midnight my 21st birthday officially began. I was supposed to spend the night at a club named the roxy but seeing as how it was the first weekend of the school year every club in the world was having a "back to school party" and the roxy was no different. Apparently DJ Jazzy Jeff of Fresh Prince fame was the Dj for the night and cover was $25 so I knew that option was out. Eventually I ended up with some people going to my best friend's roomates' from last year's apartment. The apartment was owned by 5 girls and the party was like those 5 girls me and my best friend and maybe 4 other girls but there were a billion guys there. Once everyone found out it was my 21st birthday it was like the mission to get me drunk, and I did. This will probably be the last time I will ever do that because it was far too scarry for me. From the stories of people there and my blurred memory of that night, I apparently told some kid from Wentworth's (Matt's college that is almost like 90% guys because its a technology school) hockey team that I wanted him to be my present at midnight. Somehow that doesn't suprise me I was very drunk, nothing happened thanks to my friends, but things came close apparently. Looking at the picture of him now I can understand why in my drunken stooper I almost jumped him. He's the one in the white, other than the crazy eyebrows he was pretty hot. Of course I told him I had a boyfriend after I sobered up a bit and we kind of decided that if we ever ran into each other again at Wentworth it wouldnt be wierd...but it will because now I am humilitaed. It turned out he was a freshman. I told Matt as soon as I got home of course, he just laughed because I didn't do anything but I still felt guilty, even though I don't really remember all of it. We decided its best for me not to drink hardcore unless Matt is around to take care of me. He said I was cute when I was drunk, who says that?

Auka (yes thats her name, shes from austrailia and shes named after aukland), Me, and my best friend Jen (how drunk do I look?)

Jen and Auka's boyfriend Mark (in the red), and my almost hook up Dane (in the white)

Me and Jen

Mark (red) and Dane (white)

After my drunkin night (and being woken up by mike's call lol) Matt and I got some krispy Kreme on my birthday morning and then I got may hair cut at a very nice place. She spent like an hour and a half drying and curling and styling my hair, it felt so good. Then we took a little trip outside of the city to charelstown were we saw the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) and the USS Constitution museum. We didn't get to see it all so we might go again next weekend. Then we went to the 3-D I-max movie Ghosts of the Abyss about the wreckage of the Titanic. It was very cool, creepy, but very interesting. We had planned on going to the 80's laserlight show at the planetarium but the subway was under construction so we didn't make it in time. Instead we walked through Charles Street (one of the most quaint streets in the city) that was so peaceful and nice. we stopped by the common to visit the 9/11 memorial that they deicated that morning too. After that we went to the California Pizza Kitchen for a late dinner where I got (this sections is mainly for mike's fascination with what people eat) Linguini with shrimp and garlic cream sauce and matt got a carne asada pizza. Then after watching American Chopper on the discovery channel I went to bed.

All in all this past week's birthday celebrations helped make my birthday the best ever! Thanks to everyone who sent well wishes, cards and presents, and to the people whos presents and well wishes are still in the mail (or at their house until novemeber).

It is 3:30 am and I need to get up at 6 to take the 7 hour drive back to Boston. Insomnia can be so frustrating. I actually got home from my lovely early birthday dinner with, jill,jim, teres, and mike at Olive Garden early enough to get a good night sleep. I thought I was ahead of the game because I was actually tired at midnight even though I woke up at 2 after staying up all last night. Of course and hour and a half after I fell asleep I woke right back up. Then the crazy wives tale sleep aids came into play, stretching, music, glass of milk etc. but nothing worked, then came the inevitable sleep time calculations "if I fall asleep in the next 15 minutes I will get at least 3 more hours of sleep....okay well if I fall asleep 30 minutes after that I will get about 2 and a half hours of sleep..." Alas I have decided to embrace my sleeplessness and look up crazy things on the internet until I need to get out of bed. Although everyone knows that last hour right before they have to get up they end up falling asleep making it feel impossible to get up and be motivated. Grrrrraa!!

I know that my journals generally talk about kitties at least 75% of the time so it is no suprise that I was so happy, and in rachel's case sad, to hear others speak about theirs. Drchlorine your cat is absolutely adorable, or should I say muy guapo! I would love to meet him sometime, he seems so charming. I am very suprised I havent thought of posting an entry from one of my cats. Sometimes they instant message people without my consent if I leave my laptop open but they havent mastered full words or sentance structure like The Mang. Rachel I am so sorry you feel that you have to give away your cat. Does your kitty already have a new home or are you looking for one? and why exactly do you have to get rid of him/her if its not too much to ask? I don't know the entire situation of why you feel you have to give it away, but I agree entirely with Sqb and all of his points. Either way its awful that anyone should have to go through that. My mom, the horrible creature that she is, got rid of my two cats one day while I was away at school (I was a sophmore in HS at the time) and I had had them since I was 11. I can't ever remember crying that hard as when I came home and there was not a kitty to greet me. It took me a long time to get over that. Now I have 4 cats that I have had for almost 4 years, they live with my mom here in Buffalo while I have been going to school in Boston but I die a little bit every fall when I have to leave them. My goal is to get an apartment by either christmas or summer break of this year and bring them to live with me one by one, as my mother is evil and unstable when it comes to just about everything and I often fear for my cats safety, conditions, and health. Anyway I wish you luck and if there is anything I can do to help please let me know, I would gladly go out of my way for a furry friend.

Lordy its been forever since I have updated, I always have tons of stuff to say but I always exhaust my topics in various conversations and it makes me not want to talk about them here. I guess since everyone else is reflecting on their summer thoughts and memories I shall too ( hope you have some time, its a long one). First off I agree with several things in mikes journal (but not all of course). I have slowly gotten to the realization that this probably is our last summer, I know Matt and I are sworn on getting the apartment and staying in Boston next summer, so regardless if anyone else leaves the B-lo it will most likely be my last summer with our group. I guess I always knew it was only a matter of time before I was out of buffalo forever (aside from visiting of course) but I never really thought about not seeing my friends, aside from sporadic visits for a few days at a time, basically ever again.
I think everyone has that friend of the family that they call aunt, uncle, or cousin that you aren't actually related to, but that your parents were friends with before you were even thought of, so you have been taught to call them this from a young age. In most cases you only see them on special occasions or when they visit every so often, someday we will be these people to each other's kids. Does this make any sense to anyone else? I guess when I think about it that way it makes me pretty sad to know that for all the years we spent together night after night in all kinds of situations and places, we will barely be acquaintances. I know that this summer (and most of the months leading up to it) I basically lost one of my best friends in one form or another. We used to talk about everything together and I respected her advice on just about everything. I realize that my relationship with Matt changed my relationships with my friends, especially hers, but I have made and extremely conscious effort to stay tuned in and be in touch as well as spend time with her and everyone else, but unfortunately I don't feel like she has made the same effort for me, and I know I am not the only one who feels this way, but I can only speak for myself. All of that aside I have always loved and been proud of the fact that we have all stayed so close and that when christmas and summer came around we would all slip back into our old routines with a few variations. Now I realize that this is the end of that era of familiarity and comfortability, but does it have to be so cliche that we all move away and lose touch? Couldn't we all make a little more effort to be in touch and connected. I know this sounds corney and the disconnection will probably be so gradual that we will hardly notice, but I can't see my adulthood being as special without each of you and, even more corney, I don't want my kids to grow up without really knowing each and every one of you. I know I couldn't have grown up without you and I would hate for them to. Lets always stay as close as humanly possible, even if it takes that extra effort, I know you are all worth it.

[inlink]terry,281[/inlink] Did you not like T-bag? If I had known I certainly would not have continued with it if I thought you were offended. How about T-nacious? T-ranasaurus rex? Terry-ham lincoln? Or if you would prefer just Terry I can do that. Nicknames are just kind of my thing with new friends, but if my terms of endeerment are annoying or offensive I would gladly take them back. I've got no hard feelings about the other night, you can call me what you like, however of the two I would rather be called D-licious. I looked up the other and thats kind of crazy that you even knew what that was, I mean I had to look it up because I had never heard of it, where would one hear/learn such a word? Creative, gross but creative, but thats what I like about you. I just hope we are all cool now, I hate it when my feisty-ness and lack of inner monologue gets in the way of friendships.

I was looking around on the buffalo.com events section to find something fun to do on this chilly friday and came across this event posted:
First Corinthians Six Eleven Group
Date: 1/1/2004 through 12/31/2005 every Friday
Description: Learn to gain and maintain victory over homosexual sin. The First Corinthians Six Eleven Group meets every Friday night at 7:00 at New Life Assembly. Ring the doorbell when you get there.
Click for more details...type

Not only was I amazed that it was there on the events section of a buffalo news run site, but if you look, they actually meet to discuss the "victory over homesexual sin" every Friday! These people have nothing better to do with their ignorant lives then to spend their friday nights searching for an excuse for their gay bashing.Nice buffalo. com