22nd birthday. part 1.

I came home last night around 11:30 to Brenna (Roommate) putting a small brown paper bag with a ribbon around it in the fridge. The cute little tag said my name on it.
My roommates are adorable.
The other card, tied on my door, told me to look in the fridge.

Went upstairs and got a facebook message from another roommate of the brothel (where I live J), Scott who lleft about a week ago to recover/quarantine himself from the flu.

"i'm coming back tomorrow and COUGHING IN YOUR WIIIINNNEEEE!!!
HAPPY EARLY BDAY!!! "

The wine is in reference to tonight’s festivities., see below

This morning I woke up to a happy birthday from Andrew before he went to class. A text from Tiffany saying happy birthday as well.. and the beginnings of facebook notifying me of many many wall posts.

I got dressed cute. Eyes pretty with my new sephora makeup. Cute scarf left by becka I would never buy on my own. Black fitted shirt, jeans.

I went downstairs, opened the bag in the fridge from brenna found cheesecake and a super nice note. It may be cheap cheesecake from walmart… but it was so sweet. I barely know her and she did something nice and put effort into a cute little package for me to make me smile on my birthday.
I think her love languages are words and gifts.

A few weeks ago I found not only a desk by dumpster diving (note: it was a large apartment complex dumpster and all the stuff I took was in the parking lot next to the dumpster.)
I got a lot of clothes, washed it,
Today I took it to plato’s closet. Instead of taking the almost $40.. I got a BEBE dress, nice shirt, and pair of boots. And a dollar back!

I also went to Arizona trading, they only took the white castle shirt. $3 store credit spent toward a dress for Emily Pounds, to be reimbursed by Bob.

I also went to get my resume reviewed by the business career centers which brought in employers. I talked to Joe from McKesson and he helped out a lot. I have a list of things to fix on my resume and a few things to fix in my life so I can be better off at getting a job after I do that graduating thing.

I am in class. Then going to Jdel to pick up stuff with Andrew (because he’s going to work there!) and to hopefully ask a question about doing more sales or marketing… then… wine!

The monthly wine tasting at the i-bar on mass street just happens to fall on my birthday! The I stands for Ingredient, a restaurant it’s connected to.
My mom, sister, boyfriend, bop it, ben&sofie and a few other people I like a whole lot are coming. And there will be pie. Seriously, awesome.

Spanish Memorabilia!

I went to Spain in 2004 and one of my favorite photos (well besides the party gutter!) was of this church. I didn't remember what it was called until my friend Dara posted photos of it today, it's in Barcelona and is called the Sacred family Temple. What makes this part that I photographed so special is its one of the only places where Jesus is depicted on a horizontal cross instead of a vertical standing one.

It's also notable that the guards look like the dudes in star wars.



this is one I took at a fountain. I also forget the name and city but it plays music and the water goes along to the music. I remember being slightly disappointed that a lot of the music was in English! I also remember a side comment from CA about how this was a romantic spot and how I blew it off at the time but then spent far too long wondering if he meant anything by it.


Oh man! The Spanish sure know how to party! I can't beleive we spotted this treasure of a gutter, but I HAD to take a picture!


And this last one I have on my wall is a painter capturing a plaza area perfectly. One of the best parts about spain was the art- art was everywhere!!



this is a small painting I bought on one of the last days in an outdoor market with lots of vendors. I bought a few, wish I would have bought more. They were originally supposed to be gifts but I never could part with any of them!

That outdoor place was also where I bought a necklace I still wear sometimes.. but am too lazy to go get to take a pic of :)

Well I guess I have one more thing from Spain on my walls - This is a painting I bought in Ronda, Spain the second time I visited. My sister was studying abroad there, so this would have been in 2006. It looks like a real painting but it's actually a print and then someone added texture to it, but I love it!

And I also have a sword that is hella sweet that I got in Spain.. but I can't get a good pic of it without me in it and I look like crap. slept farr too much last night and it was wonderful! After a crazy busy day of tests, I deserved it!


Sooo.. This blog isn't actually that long because it's mostly photos.. but I'm gonna keep rambling because something really exciting happened! through the amazingness of Craigslist I found a home! that's right folks, I won't be homeless next year! The house is super close to campus, the girls seem amazing and the address ends in 1/2 (how amazing is that!) There are some downsides, I would be sharing the attic room, which sounds a lot worse than it is!
I really want to make a may day basket and ding dong ditch them and say 'can I be your roomie?' but I'm not sure if I'm that brave. I feel kinda like its a fancy way to ask someone to prom.. I'm not sure if they're the type to appreciate it or think I'm crazy.

also - It's the last day of BEDA. I will continue to post of course because I am addicted to the idea of the B-log.
and, words of affirmation are kinda the best thing ever.. I asked a friend , who is a guy, about the whole if he hasn't called thing. and this was a much more charming and kind answer that I ever would have expected. thanks PC.
'If i was really interested in a girl, i would have asked for her number and called her...i don't think you should waste your time on a guy like this when there is a ton of other great guys out there. You will find the perfect guy eventually and you will know it because he will want to talk and hang out with you"
boys sometimes don't realize that their input, especially when it comes to matters of the heart, can be so appreciated. The feeling of having these guys (AR was actually way helpful too! even if his advice was to in nicer words, grow a pair and text him) encouraging or giving me advice is currently better than having an actual boy.
And either way, it was a fun night. So I might text him, but my heart will be more guarded. I'm going out tonight, so maybe he'll get a text to come accompany me and buy me drinks :)

Wow, Wednesday already! Book sale yesterday! got a ton of cheesy romance novels and other paperbacks bc I really needed a book with a story. I've been reading the 5 love languages book and it's allright.. just not a story, you know?

So I'm currently reading the Jewels of Tessa Kent. And by currently reading I mean I laid out in the 75 degree weather outside my window and read 50 pages while hopefully getting a little color. I missed you sun, why were you gone for sooo long!

I wish I had photoshop, all I wanted was a pic of David with the quote: "is this going to be foreeever" so I could tell you my feelings about winter and cold pale times.

instead I found this:

the wtf pourer, almost as cool as the wtf blanket.

which by the way, did you hear about the snuggie pub crawl. holy crap. scary.

and for sofie > here's a few of the books I got>> or you can just click over to my shelfari thingy on the sidebar
and I only put in a few of the romance books, there was lot of them! and it was $5 bag day! and some of the cheesy covers are just toooo good to pass up!!

you know when you're in a group. It can be a sport team, a scholastic group like journalism, a religious group.. or even a sorority. And there are some people in that group that just make you not want to be considered a part of that group. These people make you doubt if you should be in this group, because if this is who is attracted to the group, why the hell would you want to be a part of it.

But then there are people who are so good that it makes you proud that you are part of that group. Thanks Rula. Thanks for letting me know that even if I drop, I can still be considered a part of this group somewhere down the road.

"We've got you for life."

This is opposite of the message I have been receiving.
"As I explained in my last email it is not possible with your circumstances for you to become an early alum. *insert group here* would still like to consider you a [member] but the decision to change your membership status is yours."

I just wish I had never gone on that trip, never seen the side of these people that makes me wish I had never known them. I just wish I could separate that better in my mind from this group.

But I talked to an alum of this group, Rula, and she made me feel a million times better.. even if I'm crying uncontrollably now, I feel a lot better. I just wish everyone could be half as nice as her. I just wish people, me included, could care more about other people and less about themselves.

edit/ and she just followed it up with an e-card. more affirmative words and also kinda a thoughtful gift. along with the service she showed me by taking the time to talk with me. thats 3 of the 5 love languages. She's got this shit down!

more for my records than for this blog, but I love saving words of affirmation.

"Jackie!

You are amazing! I know you are an awesome *insert sorority name here*, and always have been, since the day you pledged yourself to us. You will keep on truckin right through and it's my belief that you've only begun to experience the blessings that *insert sorority name here* will bring you through new friends and sisters that you haven't even met yet! We've got you for life!

Loyally, Rula "

BEDA 17

again, no time.

last night was awesome. bars, friends, boys, and jacuzzi. how much better can it get?
saw:
JA- jump on the bandwagon. thats not going anywhere. its a bandbox
JCr-
KP-


need to call
JCa
JA
TT

tonight : Kali's bday and/or angry telephone concert :)


gosh, what an articulate post! and yes, the sleeping was due to staying out late.. i didnt even get tipsy.. tho i may have acted it! too busy takin care of the bday girl :)



edit/ work was good, made an okay amount of tips - some of which i plan on spending tonight at the bars again!
im in a mood. what kind of mood i'm not sure. it was bad-ish earlier because my eyes were being allergic and i was just tired - but caffeine helped and now im feeling allright. about to go run with a guy i met at a party last year - oh the wonders of facebook statuses. might run a 5k sunday.

have a good night all. love the life you live.

and love the people you love. that sounds dumb, but really. let people know you appreciate them. I'm reading the 5 love languages book<< see sidebar. I've looked at the 5 love languages model a lot since my sister read the book a few years ago. .. its an awesome thing about how people absorb love in different ways. If their love language is touch, a hug could mean the world.. or if it isn't... it could just be a motion or an unwanted gesture. even if you would appreciate a hug, they might now.. idk.. I'll write more about it later.

BEDA 15

Today I was far too productive! Burned pictures onto a CD from my cousins wedding (in october of 2007) to send to her. And then burned a CD of pictures for my sorority sister who moved after freshman year and then lost all her photos - her mom asked us to send her photos and even gave us CDs to send them on. I forgot. that was 2 years ago. Wow, I suck. I'm blaming most of it on the whole not having a working CD drive for 3 years thing...

I also deep cleaned my room last night (it was a disaster!) I meant to clean for 15 minutes and then run and then sleep.. but I ended up cleaning until 3am and then waking up in time for my 8am class. I rock. And now I'm running on coffee, about to go actual running.. but thought I would do my BEDA first while I still have energy!

I promised Dara I would write about Spain.. specifically the part about the trip home. Here it is to the best of my memory!

In 2004 I went on a school trip to Spain for 10 days. There was a group from Kansas (us, we had about 30 kids) a group from oregon (they had about 12, 1 boy, 11 girls!) and another group who wasn't important. All together about 50 high schoolers traveling around together.
So let's do a brief summary of the wednesday night discoteca (on the 2nd or 3rd day of the trip) and then skip through to the airport.

On wednesday night Nikki D. decided she was going to give me a makeover. I didn't wear makeup. I was pretty much opposed to it. (just ask Angela!) But I wanted to look nice, it was Spain and I was trying new things. One of the boys in our group came to our hotel door and I answered it, all made up and wearing my cute new shirt from forever 21, he didn't recognize me at first and it was the best feeling! I felt so pretty and confident.

I sat next to an Oregonian on the bus there, Marianne, and we talked the whole time. When we got to the boat the discoteca was on the Oregon boy, Chad A, came to join our chat and we hit it off right away. He had a girlfriend. He asked her out on the swings and I thought that was the most adorable thing ever. It was Spain. He lived in Oregon. He had a girlfriend. He was safe. I'm still really shy and awkward around guys I like.. so this was a chance to not be.

We hung out the rest of the trip and this was the summer of Neff(thats a whole 'nother story of a best friend who now hates me...), so I had a lot of issues and he made me talk about it and we sang disney songs and it was just an awesome time.

airport. I don't know why we were running late, probably the long customs line.. but we were waiting to get to our plane home to the US and after we got through customs they said oh.. your plane is at this time, it's already done boarding and it's all the way across the airport, you'll just have to wait until the next flight.

At this point one of the girls broke down. She had been homesick almost the whole trip (except for when she got drunk for the first time ever on the sangria we made!) and had had so many problems like not being able to use her card, so her parents had to send money to her and they were closed or something and she didnt have any money the first half of the trip.. anyways.. she broke down about how she just wanted to go home and we were all behind her, some of the other girls were starting to tear up too- it was an emotional trip, a stressful day.

so the customs man let us through and told us to hurry but we probably wouldn't make it! So we ran through the airport. I don't think you understand! We SPRINTED! I took my flip flops off, held on to my bag and felt like I was running in a race. And yet I still had time to laugh. We all looked so ridiculous. No one was on the moving sidewalks and some guys hopped over onto it to run faster because they didn't realize it was there until they were halfway past it. I remember being behind sean who liked to wear his pants a little baggy, he was half running half limping and holding his pants up. It was amazing.

So we made it just in time. once we were on the plane we switched around a bit. Sean was on one side of me and it was supposed to be a teacher on the other side I think.. but she moved back to sit with the teacher from oregon.. which meant my new friend Chad got to sit next to me. This was after we had said goodbye to each other a million times, hugging each time because we never knew when we were going to separate for real and he would go off to Oregon and I would go to Kansas. Those were the best hugs. That was the best run. Only like 3 of our group didn't make it onto the plane, so they just got the next trip home. but we made it. and it was awesome. and no one's pants fell down.

As we landed in the US, we had to put our trays up. I think we were still on the coast.. not Kansas, but I remember it was the last leg of the trip we were traveling with the Oregon group. Sean had been sleeping on his tray, and with lack of tray he groggily laid his head on my left shoulder. Chad hadn't been sleeping as much.. but he laid his head on my right shoulder. I guess I make a great pillow.

I love good memories. Now off to run and nike+it up! i love my touch!
edit/ I ran 3 miles, gearing up to hopefully do a 5k on sunday if I can find someone to run it with me -todays time: 35 min. and I can do better, i walked a lot. but i definitely got a workout!!! it was so nice outside that I laid out afterwards and read a book, it was awesome.
also - today is KW's 21st so we will hopefully go out in about 45 minutes for a drink or 2 :) too bad she has homework :( and I do too! off to finish my wall street journal articles, I'm proud of the ones I found!

Semi formal

I'm in the polka dots, my date is on the end.


I had an amazing time. He's a good date.


Ever heard of love languages? Quality time, receiving gifts, physical touch, acts of service, words of affirmation.
for more info : Learn the love languages.

The point is that people feel loved differently. A hug to one person might mean the world and to another might be uncomfortable. Some people would rather you do a simple chore for them that tell them they are wonderful. It just all depends on the person.

My love languages are words of affirmation and physical touch. Mostly touch. and I don't get it enough. I used to get a lot of hugs from my high school friends.. but my college girls- they dont understand that that is my love language. and well, I don't have boys very often. And at this dance we danced close, he put his arm around me, held my hand, and I got an awesome hug goodbye.

It was nice. really super nice. to have someone touch me. (and I know that sounds weird.. but really.. just hugs and hand holding and little things.. they just make my day brighter.) I felt like a girl. and that was nice. being the never been kissed 21 year old, sometimes I don't feel so girly, so pretty. He made me feel pretty.

The point is that this makes me feel good. it was a wonderful wonderful night filled with big smiles, tasty drinks, and un-awkward conversations.

I don't know if I like him. I don't know if he likes me.
Right now, I enjoy his company and he enjoys mine. and we both had a good time. that's enough for me.

We need 4 hugs a day for survival.
We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance.
We need 12 hugs a day for growth.

Virginia Satir