4. The Secret Life of Bees

Book 4: The Secret Life of Bees by Susan Monk Kidd (B -)

Bees started off really strong. But there were weak moments that plagued it throughout the entire book. The back qcover uotes from book reviews kept talking about how it was "an amazing mother-daughter book" but I didn't see it that way at all. In fact, most of the so called "mother-daughter" parts I found to be annoying as the main character Lily moped around for her mom that abandoned her with the mean, spiteful father. I wasn't looking at it from a 14-year-old's perspective, but it just made it annoying to read another three paragraphs on how Lily dreamed of her mother returning or why she'd left.

I loved the Boatwright family! They were amazing characters and kept the book moving forward. Their love for each other and reaching out to Lily and her African American nanny Rosaleen was the whole point of the story and why I kept reading.

Honestly, I enjoyed the movie a bit better. Dakota Fanning as Lily just demanded less pity than the book Lily. I enjoyed that more because it was a sorry, moping girl but one with a bit of spirit and braze in the movie.

Overall, it was a nice, calming read.

3. The Constant Gardener

Book 3: The Constant Gardner by John le Carre (A+)

What an amazing book turned into an amazing movie!!! I'm not going to say the book was better (like everyone says). I will say that the movie and book were equally great in their own separate ways.

So if you didn't already feel paranoid about phramasuedical companies, then this is the book for you!! It is an amazing activist book for third world countries told through the tireless efforts of a British diplomat's wife then by her husband as he tries to avenge her death!

Tessa Quayle (pronounced like quail the bird) is viciously murdered while attending a gender conference. Her husband Justin, a diplomant for England's High Commission in Africa, finds out that her death wasn't just the stereotypical violence of Africa but a planned and ordered murder to silence his wife. Tessa and her assumed lover (which is another twist in the plot) Dr. Arnold Bluhm were trying to expose the horrors of the pharmasuedical company the House of Three Bees. Three Bees was selling and distributing a TB-curing drug in Africa even though the clinical trials for the drugs had been rushed and had shown horrible side effects, including blindness, death, and stillborn children in women. Tessa and Arnold try to expose the truth while bad people, including individuals from the High Commission who have ties and stock with Three Bees, try to silence them with everything from threats to public excommunication and finally with death. Justin picks up where his wife left off in an effort to discover to quell love triangle rumors and uncovers more than he bargained for. He then embarks on a worldwide mission to learn not only about the work his wife did but also who she truly was.

The story races from one scene to another and is tied with passionate, beautiful, raw flashbacks of Justin and Tessa. The characters are so deep and multi-layered that you can have a long list for each of why you hate and/love them. It is an extremely exhilariating read that you won't want to put down.
The only thing I have to say about it is that the ending was drawn out a bit but possibly necessary.

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Today I was given my first breaking news assignment ever!! I am beyond proud and thrilled to now see my hard work from today pay off as it was published just minutes ago!!! I definitely have to thank my editor Justin Caudell for his tireless work to help me get into the meeting and for assisting with the details of the story and editing it. I thank you, sir, for your confidence in me! I hope you enjoy the story that I had a blast sinking my teeth into. Look out for follow-ups and editorials on The Western Carolinian's website!! There will definitely be more to come!!

Full story can be read here: http://www.westerncarolinian.com/news/voting-issues-plague-sga-election-eaves-wins-final-tally-1.2129961

Voting Issues Plague SGA election; Eaves wins final tally

"Though not reaching the magnitude of what happened during the 2000 election in Florida, voting issues plagued last week's Student Government Association (SGA) election, forcing a recount of the nearly 1,000 votes cast. "The votes for the election had to be recounted after allegations were made that "false votes" has been cast. Despite the recount, which took three days and included both the SGA Election Committee and IT Services, TJ Eaves and Alecia Page remained the SGA President and Vice President, respectively. Eaves and Page were first announced as Western Carolina University's new leaders of SGA via Facebook and Twitter on Thursday, March 24.

"The recount occurred when competitors Doug Bridges and Ben Collette, running for President and Vice President, respectively, cried foul saying that the election had been tampered with due to illegitimate voters. Eligible voters must be undergraduate or graduate students of Western Carolina University with at least one credit hour for the semester the election is being held. According to the allegations, WCU alumni or students who had withdrawn from the University were able to sign on to the election website and vote.

"Beginning on Saturday, March 26, SGA Election Committee members Mike Corellie (also the advisor for SGA), Austin Walker, and SGA graduate assistant Ryan Burnette recounted the votes along with IT services. Out of a total 968 votes cast, 15 were found to be illegal after cross referencing over 7,000 student 920 numbers. Both IT and the committee members found that 15 920 numbers were from either past graduates of WCU or withdrawn students. Neither party could determine which campaigner the votes went to.

"However, the 15 votes were not enough to sway the election and the election committee made a unanimous vote during a special meeting held Thursday night that Eaves and Page were the new President and Vice President. The committee did not release the final vote count..."

Kodak Moment: Photo of the Day Sparta Goes Wild

Today I went to the animal shelter to volunteer and gave Sparta a bit of cat nip when I returned. He hates the smell of the all the other cats and dogs on me and I wanted to give him a treat to make up for it. I gave him the cat nip lid with some flakes sprinkled in it, putting the jar in the sink. When I returned to the bathroom, this is what I found!!!!!

Sparta gave himself a nice, long bath in the catnip until I dragged him away to clean up. Thankfully, I was able to save most of the catnip!

Kodak Moment: Photo of the Day March 25

It's the brink of prom season, people! Bust out your credit cards and hit the stores (well, store if you live in Gastonia/Mount Holly/Bessemer City... you know which one I'm talking about, in the corner of the bottom floor of the mall).

I was looking forward to going to the Honors College formal again but it's doubtful that Morgan will be able to make it down since he's so popular for the weekend shifts. Also, we would have had to buy pricey tickets that don't match the value of the dance before he could have found out if he could have gotten off work. Also, I didn't want see or not see certain people, if you know what I mean.

So it's best just to not go and enjoy each other's company in better ways!

This photo is from my very first prom. It wasn't a very nice night. Senior prom was much better! However, I did look freaking fantastic in this ankle-length ruby red gown. But... my hair was another story! We accidentally left the curlers in too long and I looked like a blonde cocker spaniel! Grr...

2. 20,000 Leagues under the Sea

Book 2: 20,000 under the Sea by Jules Verne, Great Illustrated Classics version (A)

The haunting story of Captain Nemo has been a favorite of mine for quite some time. Today, I reread the abridged classic throughout the stormy afternoon while Sparta quietly slept parallel to me on his ottoman.

I have always been enthralled by the ocean so an entire book dedicated to exploring and living in the sea is right up my alley. Unfortunately, the book has lost some of its magic since I last read it. Because of its adaptation style, the writing is "dumbed down" for children. It's the reason this book gets an "A" for a grade instead of an "A+." At the same time, I knew I'd probably never be able to plow through the original novel by Verne. It's why the Great Illustrated Classics series are so great; I can read classic novels but not suffer through them. I believe the only classic I can truly stand is Wuthering Heights, but I still have to be in the mood for it!

At the end of the book, Captain Nemo admits to Aronnax that he is a writing a book of his life. Could there be a sequel to 20,000 Leagues that is like the book Captain Nemo mentions?!?! Is there a book like that? I think that'd be even better than 20,000 Leagues because it wouldn't have Ned the harpooner whining about escaping and Aronnax gasping and marveling over everything. Honestly, man, get over yourself! You wrote an entire book on the wonders of the sea. You've researched all this. Now, shut your gaping mouth and just enjoy the scenery. Your never-ending questioning and badgering of Captain Nemo ticks me off!!!! ...Anyway.....

For those of you who can't make it through a page of Bronte, Austen, or any of the other classics, pick up a Great Illustrated Classics next time you're in Books-A-Million. You get to read a great book that everyone who plays Jeopardy is supposed to know about and you get a black-and-white illustration on every other page!! Fun, yeah?!

Kodak Moment: Photo of the Day March 23

A bit of pottery painting with Morgan at Claymates in Dillsboro. From now on, it will be one of my favorite memories with my boyfriend! Even though we didn't talk much because we were so engrossed with what we were doing, it was just a calming moment to spend with each other. I painted him a cup that is a keepsake of our other perfect day, the day we spent at Wrightsville Beach over Spring Break. He painted me a bowl for my never-ending craving of cereal with a little tulip in the center! I can't wait to pick them up later this week!!!

Morgan's cup, my bowl in the background



Kodak Moment: Photo of the Day March 22

Morgan and I got Domino's last week and they screwed up our order! Apparently, it's "company policy" not to call the listed phone number when they don't have the right ingredients for someone's pizza. So I got a free Sprite!!!!! YAY!! No cups for me!

Behind me is a very colorful kitty that Morgan colored back in December with a letter I got in a care package. : )

Distance Traveler's Girlfriend Part 3

This is how I imagine Morgan feels... though he is not a time traveler.

"HENRY: ...When I am out there, in time, I am inverted, changed into a desperate version of myself. I become a thief, a vagrant, an animal who runs and hides. I startle old women and amaze children. I am a trick, an illusion of the highest order, so incredible that I am actually true.

"Is there a logic, a rule to all this coming and going, all this dislocation? Is there a way to stay put, to embrace the present with every cell? I don't know. There are clues; as with any disease there are patterns, possibilities. Exhaustion, loud noises, stress, standing up suddenly, flashing light - any of these can trigger an episode. But: I can be reading the Sunday Times, coffee in hand and Clare dozing beside me on our bed and suddenly I'm in 1976 watching my thirteen-year-old self mow my grandparents' lawn. Some of these episodes last only moments; it's like listening to a car radio that's having trouble holding on to a station...

"...It's ironic, really. All my pleasures are homey ones: armchair splendor, the sedate excitements of domesticity. All I ask for are humble delights. A mystery novel in bed, the smell of Clare's long red-gold hair damp from washing, a postcard from a friend on vacation, cream dispersing into coffee, the softness of the skin under Clare's breasts, the symmetry of grocery bags sitting on the kitchen counter waiting to be unpacked. I love meandering through the stacks at the library after the patrons have gone home, lightly touching the spines of books. These are the things that can pierce me with longing when I am displaced from them by Time's whim.

"And Clare, always Clare. Clare in the morning, sleepy and crumple-faced. Clare with her arms plunging into the paper-making vat, pulling up the mold and shaking it so, and so, to meld the fibers. Clare reading with her hair hanging over the back of the chair, massaging balm into her cracked red hands before bed. Clare's low voice in my ear often.
"I hate to be where she is not, when she is not. And yet, I am always going, and she cannot follow."

--- Niffenegger, Audrey. The Time Traveler's Wife. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc, 2004. Print.

 

1. Pretty Little Liars

Book 1: Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard (A-)

I finished Liars today and let me say before anyone goes bashing, this was actually a good book. Of course, I'm already in love with the TV show but the book... wow, just as good!! It wasn't all fluff and girl's powdering their noses like the Mary Kate and Ashley mystery books Kate was obsessed in elementary school. These were pretty girls doing real things!
Don't get me wrong! There was enough fashion and style in that book to keep Kate satsified for awhile! And, as someone who isn't into that stuff, I was confused about a lot of it. I didn't understand what half of those girls wore and why the brand names were so important.

"dark blue Paper Denim jeans"

"Louis Vuitton cherry monogrammed coin purse"

"APC miniskirt"

"Alberta Ferrari minidresses"

Um, English please?

If you can get through all the fashion details about what each pretty little popular girl is wearing and actually get down to the story, then it's a really great read! I can't wait to dive into the second book!! Back to City Lights bookstore I go!

Kodak Moment: Photo of the Day March 18

I got this in the mail today to confirm my enrollment decision for UNCG. This was on the back of my free bumper sticker. It made me smile!!

It means I am one step closer to being with Morgan and starting my new career path.

Mission Book Worm

In my ever-continuing efforts to keep busy while Morgan is gone, I have begun a mission. In his book Three Weeks with my Brother, Nicholas Sparks admitted that he once read 100 books a year during his mourning period after his father died. As much as I love to read, I want to see if I can accomplish the same.

Mission: By March 16, 2012, I will have read 100 books.

Guidelines: After each book, write a review and synopsis on this blog with a final grade at the end of each post.

Right now, I am reading 4 of my eventual 100. The City Lights book store in Sylva is constantly calling my mind so I've starting reading multiple books at the same time like I did in high school.

1. Mens are from Mars, Women are from Venus. I'm reading this as more of a favor to Stuart. He read the book and found it was actually really good. Personally, I'm not for the "self help" type of books or "how can I improve my life" books. If it's "self help" then getting advice from a psychologist-turned-New-York-Times-bestseller is not getting SELF help! However, Stuart was so excited about it that I decided to read it. If we're going to get in a disagreement about something, let it not be because I wouldn't read a book!
2. The Constant Gardener is a thriller that was turned into one of my favorite movies starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weiz. And the book has turned out to be extraordinarily just as good! But it is scaring the crap out of me with medical and pharmaceutical nightmares!
3. One of my favorite TV series right now is thanks to Kate. She got me addicted to "Pretty Little Liars" on ABC Family and now I'm reading book 1 of the series by Sara Shepard. So far, it's been good, not anywhere near pink and fluffly except for the Barbie doll on the front cover.
4. My Side of the Mountain is a reread, which I'm going to say counts. I read aloud to Stuart every night, and he insisted on Mountain. I forgot how wonderful this classic is!!!

Kodak Moment: Photo of the Day March 17

Today was a sad day but it ended happy! I got to see an awesome band, We the Kings, in concert!!! But it was an overall sad day because after two days of bliss, Morgan left to go back to Raleigh this morning. We said good bye then I sat, barely awake and mentally unaware, in classes for four hours.

But to leave things on a brighter note, today's picture is of my three coupons for free Starkist tuna I received in the mail!!! I called up Starkist a few days ago to complain about some scorched tuna I had purchased. Half of the fish was a sickly yellowish orange color... definitely not right! And, I called and got some awesome coupons!! I look forward to using them.

Kodak Moment: Photo of the Day March 14

This was taken right before I headed off to church... an Episcopal church. That was an eye-opening experience!!! Everyone was super sweet though!! But as a child Presbyterian and a teenager/young adult contemporary Baptist... I was so out of my religious league! I wore Morgan's shirt for courage!

Off Campus Living: Parking

(As written for The Western Carolinian newspaper in my column "Off Campus Living 101")

After many nights of checking Catamount email for cancelled classes due to snow, spring is starting to return to Cullowhee. Hopefully, it will stay.

In the past week, temperatures rose and the sun emerged behind the thick mountain clouds to shine down on the Intramural Fields, Cullowhee Creek’s icy water, and the half of the UC lawn not surrounded by chain link fence. Honestly, I am more than grateful. It means I can stop worrying about one of the biggest concerns of my school day because I can bike in the warm breeze. I am referring to parking!

Parking is one of those diseases Western Carolina cannot get rid of. All the commuters complain that they can never find a space (at least not one that’s close to their classes). All the freshmen complain that their cars are too far away. The parking situation is literally a mess, and both commuters and residents suffer from odd, out-of-the-way parking spots and never enough spaces.

What’s the point in even having a car here if it is such a hassle? ...Have you looked around Cullowhee lately? You need a car to survive up here! Most people I know hate the walk from Reynolds to the dining hall. Now, imagine you did not have a car. Folks, it is a long walk from here to Wal-Mart. And, as an off campus student, I may not need a car to drive to school because my home is across the highway. But, I need groceries! Money orders for my rent! Without a car, I would have checked out months ago!

Commuters do have a few options to get them through the school day if parking is a problem. The Jackson County Community Transit bus rolls through the nearby off campus housing sites every school day, many times a day. Fare is free after flashing your Cat Card, and if you catch it right, the bus will get you to class on time. Another way is to make your friends wrestle with parking for you. Got a class together? Car pool and be free of parking duty thanks to your awesome pals!

On the other hand, Western Carolina makes parking more difficult than it has to be. When it snows, several parking spaces are eliminated for commuters because that is where the cleared off snow is dumped for the lot. Specifically, I am referring to the commuter lot next to Hunter Library. I have pulled into the lot to see over 20 spaces gone due to the lot was not cleared or cleared snow was dumped into the spaces. There have been complaints this school year that commuter lots have not been cleared at all even though classes are still in session. It is dangerous to drive on these crazy, curvy roads to get to class. If I am going to risk my life, I would at least like a snow-free parking space when I get there.

Speaking of dangerous, have you noticed strange, contradictory emails from the University? One was sent in February saying how there was black ice and snow on the ground, and travelers should take extreme caution. Directly under that, “changes to the university schedule have not been made.”

In December of last semester, a snow storm hit Cullowhee during the week of final exams. Classes were not cancelled, probably because it was exams, and commuters were forced to: a) drive and risk their lives in the snow and ice, b) take an incomplete on their exams and complete them in January, or c) reschedule their exams for another date before grades had to be submitted. I bundled up and walked through the snow and ice to take my exam. A 20-minute walk became ten minutes longer in the icy wind and slick sidewalks. Already suffering from mono, I risked my personal health to take an exam because the University was unaccommodating for their off campus students.

Why would Western do that? Is the off campus population that small? According to a representative at the Admissions Office, “about 50 percent” live in residence halls. However, the gap is even bigger when looking at Western Carolina’s website. On one page, Western posted the General Weather Policy that reads, “Since Western Carolina University is a residential university with more than 3,000 students in residence halls, the university does not… close its operations or cancel classes in Cullowhee because of bad weather.” It sounds like the majority of students live on campus and everyone else will have to suck it up. But then if you read the "About WCU" page, there is a different vibe. “A member of the University of North Carolina system, WCU now provides an education to more than 9,000 students…”

9,000 students! That means that there are 6,000 students who live off campus, take online courses, take classes at a different campus, or are studying abroad. Out of the four, two of these categories are affected by adverse weather and snow.

 While Western Carolina recommends that commuters stay home if road conditions are bad, I for one cannot afford to miss the majority of my classes either because of their content or because they only meet once a week. Every class is vital, and if Western Carolina does not cancel university activity during a bad winter storm, then Little Honda and I will just have to skid down the mountain to campus. Hopefully, there will be a parking space somewhere in all that snow!

(How's that for investigative journalism!!)

The Gray Area

At Tuesday's ballroom dance class, I was doing the cha-cha with Jonathan from "Sweet-N-Low." We were stepping back and forth in our little corner, trying to master a new move that involved me pivoting. I just couldn't get it down. There was something about the dynamics that I was missing. Upon finally accomplishing it, I felt such awesomeness! We performed the move a few times with success before stepping apart and taking a break.

Suddenly, things got fuzzy. A heavy heat settled over my brain. Everything became slow. I couldn't focus on what Jonathan or anyone else was saying. The room became stiff and stuffy; the air had been sucked out! My knees began to wobble; my strong legs turned into jelly left in the sun. Jonathan moved toward me to try the dance step again. He took my hands and stepped back in the first move, but I shook my head, staring intently at the ground.

"No, no...nonono," I remember saying.
"No?" Jonathan questioned.
"No..." I struggled to lift my head up to meet his face. "She" - I pointed at my friend Kat who had ran off to get me food - "she's gonna to get me s-s-stuff..."
"Stuff?"
"Um...uh..." My memory was blanking. The ability to form words was quickly declining. It was the beginning of the end. "Sugar!" I managed.
"You. Sit down. Here. Sit down," Jonathan said. (If you had read "Show of Splenda," it is obvious that JC has a full understanding of what I was feeling.)
I sat. And waited for normalcy to return...
This is an occurrence that happens a too regular basis!

* * * *

I tell this story because of something that happened before Spring Break that until now, I have been too angry about to write about it rationally. Even still, I might get a bit carried away if I get going.

For months, I have been waiting for my sugar to be low enough to get it tested at Western Carolina's Health Center. Finally that happened. And when I got there and my sugar was tested, I had a big surprise!!

My blood sugar, as weak and horrible as I felt, was at 88.

Normal is around 100.

...There was nothing wrong with my blood sugar.

However, no one could tell me what was actually wrong with me. I got pricked then questioned like a prisoner about my entire health history but still, I felt no one was actually listening to what I was saying. Whenever I said "this has been happening my whole life" or "I've experienced this since kindergarten," the nurse or physician would skip by it and I would catch a disgruntled frown on their faces. It was frustrating like "I'm telling you the truth. Why isn't this as important to you as it is to me? This is my life!!! I need help fixing it!"

After snacking on some Saltines and peanut butter and answering the never-ending, often repeating questions, I was given this as a diagnosis:

"You're a tall, skinny, 19-year-old female. Sometimes, people of your height, weight, and age can become hypersensitive to these kinds of things."

.......

WHAT?!?!!?

Are you saying that I nearly black out in dance class because I'm hypersensitive?

That I was wheeled through the Denver, Colorado airport in a wheelchair after throwing up for two days because I'm hypersensitive?

That I spent nearly every month vomiting in a toilet when I was between the ages of five and seven because I'm hypersensitive?

That I need other people to literally carry me up stairs or even down the hall after not eating for too long because I'm hypersensitive?!

....

At that point, the doctor was studying me. "You look like what I'm saying is bullcrap," she informed me as I continued to stare at her. "What's going through your mind?"

I explained that after everything I've been through, that just didn't seem to fit. "I just want to know what's wrong with me," I admitted.

And then she said something I will NEVER forget... something so insensitive and rude, something so out of place for the context we were in: a scared, young female student begging for answers and a supposedly professional doctor... her answered was: "Well, medicine isn't as black and white as we'd like it be."

...It was then that I stopped listening to anything else she had to say. And, I left the Health Center stressed and in tears.

* * * *

She's wrong. I know she's wrong! I can't tell you how or what is actually wrong with me, why I have these horrible, crippling spells. Maybe she's right about one thing; maybe it's not hypoglycemia. But it's more than hypersensitivity! Because I know my body and I am the only person who knows what I go through, and it's more than this! I was so frustrated, so disgusted by that woman's insensitivity, and so broken hearted that I didn't get any answers! It was worse than having my heart broken by a boy.

Dear physician who told me such things, that is my life that you're just throwing out the window with your insensitive words. The way you treated my situation was deplorable, and if I knew the right people to talk to... I would highly recommend your removal from the Health Center. Because of you, I feel horrible about myself, like I'm making up my own sickness in my head and that I'm a liar about what's happening to me. You have only fulfilled the theories and anecdotes that hospitals and health care facilities are horrible places!

* * * *

I will find out why my body reacts the way it does! And, I will find a cure, and I will get better!!! Because I REFUSE TO LIVE MY LIFE LIKE THIS!!!

However, I am extremely thankful that this is all that's wrong. While Jonathan and I have similarities, I do not have to inject myself with insulin every day nor have I experienced the hospital stay from Hell that he did when he was 12. And, I'm not taking pity on him. In the short time that I've known him, I can say I love Jonathan! That boy has more imagination, creativity, and energy than any person over the age of five that I've ever met. He has a spark of magic in him that cannot be replicated in just anybody. And, I bet part of the reason that spark is there is because of what he's been through. Even if we never talk again after ballroom class ends, I will be happy and proud to say that I knew someone that strong and brave and beautiful.

But I cannot forget two of my dearest who have been there every moment since I met them... Morgan and Chris. Chris, while callous and harsh in his opinions when I talk to him about my problems, is a sweet and gentle friend when I get sick. He never grows impatient or gets frustrated when I become difficult (believe me, a 140-something pound, 5' 10" girl is very difficult to handle when she can't stand on her own!) Chris carries on when I can't, and he has never treated me special or different. On the other hand, Morgan has been my special nutritionist trooper. He has taken me to special dietary appointments and held my hand when I can't hold open my eyes. He has loved and doted on me with lots of chocolate and peanut butter! He has been my inspiration to get better, to make sure I get sick less often. His patience and understanding has been invaluable to me, and it's what I love the most about him! To both of them, I am most thankful!

* * * *

This has been a very eye-opening experience. Since moving to Cullowhee, I have learned day by day how to efficiently care for myself and what does or does not work. There will still be moments when I crash. Realistically, there will always be moments when I crash throughout my life unless there is a cure for this "hypersensitivity" or whatever this is. I have also learned that the medical profession... they don't always have the answers. And sometimes, you have to come up with your own. As I try to move forward from my negative experience at the Health Center, I will always remember to trust in my own instincts. No one knows me like me.



Kodak Moment: Photo of the Day March 8

This is at the art museum in Raleigh. The best part... admission is FREE!! Also, this painting!
In the background is an upside down artwork of 'The Mona Lisa.' The artwork is made up entirely of spools of thread.

Through the viewfinder, you can see the picture completely put together and right side up! This was one of the few pictures Morgan and I agreed was awesome. Our art tastes, we discovered, are very different!! He was oh so bored in 20th Century Italy!

Random Memory: Stranger that I Know

Over Spring Break, Morgan and his roommate from now on dubbed "Fox" needed to go to Crabtree Mall to visit the Time Warner Cable kiosk. I also needed to go because Mr. Mars, the bear Morgan had built at Build-a-Bear, was ripped at the seams on his leg. He needed a quick stitching, which Build-a-Bear provides for free to their bears. Together, we piled into the car and went through the streets of Raleigh.

I was wearing a cute blouse, big bug-like sunglasses Kate had picked out last summer, a short big & white skirt with brown high heels. I felt fabulous but also a bit out of place considering I was walking around looking very adult but carrying a teddy bear in my arms. I felt I was being stared at. What I didn't know was who was staring at me.

Morgan, Fox and I went our separate ways. I got Mr. Mars stitched up downstairs while Morgan and Fox stayed upstairs. To get downstairs, I had to descend a large curved stiarcase in the middle of the mall. Unbeknownst to me, Morgan was perched near the top of the stairwell at the kiosk. This is what he told me:

"I pretended you weren't my girlfriend and that I didn't know you - that I was just checking out a very hot girl walking down the stairs."

I was completely smitten by the thought.

****

This memory really strikes a cord with me, and I'm so happy that Morgan told me what was going on while my back was turned.

Morgan and I have now been dating five months without any "let's have some space" or "we're currently taking some time apart from each other" moments. Our relationship is strong, and our trust towards each other is deep. Except for what physical activity we have chosen and promised we won't do, there is not much new ground left to cover in our relationship. We moved fast because of knowing we'd be separated soon; we have reached the steady, relaxed lull of our relationship.

For me, I love it but I also miss a few things of October when we first got together. The butterfly wings tripping up in my stomach. The learning the feel and smell of this new person you're with. The staring in their eyes to memorize the color. The never-ceasing grin after he left for his place and wondering when he'd text you good night. The excitement and nervousness.

Then, Morgan goes and does something like, "I pretended I didn't know you." It was like a reset button.

Which brings me to this...

Many times, I have heard of people breaking up because they get tired of their significant other. Not because they fight hysterically or because they've changed so much they don't recognize the person anymore. Because they are tired of them, like an old toy from childhood or a song played too many times!! People are not things!!! You can't just ditch a human being and all he or she has invested into a relationship with you because it's "new" or "exciting" or anymore. No, you are the reason your relationship is boring. You're tired of you in the relationship!!!

The great part of that is that you can fix it. I'm not saying Morgan has become bored with me and used his "I pretended" technique to make himself interested in me again. I know for certain that that's not the case at all. And, it's not the case for me either. I like going to bed knowing that somone cares for me deeply in a way my parents don't. I like not being constantly on the look out for Mr. Right. I enjoy skipping my make up routine in the mornings because I don't care how I look! I have already snagged an amazing guy!!!
 But for those who feel their relationship is lacking and uninteresting, next time your girl or guy walks away from you... look at him or her like you've never met them before. See what happens!

Public Announcement

I learned this from a very talkative woman at a random gas station off of I-40.
No one is buying gas for their cars on March 11th. It is a day long boycott to try and get gas prices to fall back down to a reasonable level.
Maybe it will work. Maybe it won't. I got half a tank right now, so I'll keep away from gas stations on the 11th for the sport of it.
Feel free to do so too, and feel free to pass the word along!!

Distance Traveler's Girlfriend Part 2

I identify with this passage a lot, mostly because it is about Henry (that would be Morgan) teaching Clare how to cook for the times when he's gone (that would mostly definitely be me!!). But I also like it because of the last resounding statement at the end of the passage.

"CLARE: Henry holds up an onion and looks at me gravely and says, "This... is an onion."
I nod."Yes. I've read about them."
He raises one eyebrow."Very good. Now, to peel an onion, you take a sharp knife, lay the aforementioned onion sideways on a cutting board, and remove each end, like so. Then you can peel the onion, like so. Okay. Now slice it into cross-sections. If you're making onion rings, you just pull apart each slice, but if you're making soup or spaghetti sauce or something you dice it, like this..."
Henry has decided to teach me to cook. All the kitchen counters and cabinets are too high for him in his wheelchair. We sit at the kitchen table, surrounded by bowls and knives and cans of tomato sauce. Henry pushes the cutting board and knife across the table to me, and I stand up and awkwardly dice the onion. Henry watches patiently. "Okay, great. Now green peppers: you run the knife around here, then pull out the stem..."

We make marinara sauce, pesto, lasagna. Another day it's chocolate chip cookies, brownies,creme brulee. Alba is in Heaven. "More dessert," she begs. We poach eggs and salmon, make pizza from scratch. I have to admit that it's kind of fun. But I'm terrified the first night I cook dinner by myself. I'm standing in the kitchen surrounded by pots and pans, the asparagus is overcooked and I burn myself taking the monkfish out of the oven. I put everything on plates and bring it into the dining room where Henry and Alba are sitting in their places.Henry smiles,encouragingly. I sit down; Henry raises his glass of milk in the air: "To the new cook!" Alba clinks her cup against his, and we begin to eat. I sneak glances at Henry, eating. and as I'm eating, I realize that everything tastes fine.
"It's good, Mama!" Alba says, and Henry nods."It's terrific,Clare," Henry says, and we stare at each other and I think, Don't leave me."

--- Niffenegger, Audrey. The Time Traveler's Wife. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc, 2004. Print.

Kodak Moment: Photo of the Day March 6

Hello, all!! This will probably be the last Photo of the Day for a little bit. Once again, my laptop was completely taken over by a computer/Trojan virus thing and is completely ineffective! I have a paranoid warning message as my desktop background, my anti virus software has been literally hidden from me, and I cannot open any applications on my computer until I give the viral hostages my credit card number. Still don't know how that happened, but for right now, I have Morgan's computer for one more day!

This picture is of the frozen yogurt Morgan and I got at Yogun Fruz at a small shopping village in Raleigh. It's strawberry and blueberry, and it was quite expensive but SO DELICIOUS! It was much better than the Loco Pop I got later that was Cherry Lime. It's made with real fruit so it was much more sour than I expected!!! Not what I had in mind. Yogun Fruz.... oh heck yeah!!!!

Spring Rehabilitation

Honestly, Stuart and I had been going through a rough patch lately. Long distance was taking a very heavy toll on each of us independently and our relationship together. There were very strong doubts in both of our minds that we'd be able to make it another month.
Thanks to Spring Break, however, we have had ample time to repair and restore the foundation of our relationship. With the time we've had together, we have had quiet moments of togetherness and the fighting has dissipated. In fact, I've never felt closer to another person as I do with Stuart. The second he walks out the door to go to work, I immediately think of a random, silly thought that I want him to know. Being near him makes me relaxed and calm. Sparta adores him! He is a realistic provider, a gentle yet powerfully opinionated person. We share similar tastes in movies and swap music loves. We feel the same way on polka dots.
"I love this jacket," I said while sitting on a sunny hilltop outside Stuart's apartments. "Even though it has stripes."
"What's wrong with stripes?" asked Stuart.
"I'm not a huge fan of stripes. But at least it's not polka dots. I hate polka dots!"

(Without a pause) "I love you!" Stuart said.

I had hoped this Spring Break would be warmer. I packed a bunch of halter tops, a jean skirt, shorts, and a knee-length dress all for it to be chilly in the never-ceasing wind. When we traveled down to Wrightsville Beach for the day, Stuart was dressed in long pants, two T-shirts, and a windbreaker jacket. I had on a bikini top, see-through blouse, shorts, jacket, and Stuart's windbreaker pants. We were both huddled into our beach towels for warmth as the wind badgered at us, but every second was enjoyable because we were together and happy. Stuart built sand over my feet into the shape of scuba flippers, we trod through the tide pools formed by low tide where we found warm sink holes to bury our feet in, and ate a mountainous lunch we packed for the trip. Even with the cold, it was the best day all Spring Break. On the drive back, I read aloud from Three Weeks with my Brother, a memoir from popular author Nicholas Sparks, just like Ma used to do on our drives to our rented beach house when we were all a family.

We might have survived without Spring Break. We could have gotten through it but there would have many more fights. But something tells me that if it weren't Spring Break occurring so early in March thanks to Western Carolina... Stuart and I might not be celebrating our five-month anniversary on Monday.

Hopefully, with all we have gone through and the trust we have built together over these past two weeks, our fighting will lessen and our trust will keep us together while we're apart.

Kodak Moment: Photo of the Day March 4

Morgan and I were attacked by sea gulls while down at the beach!!! It was insanity!! We were the only people there, and those birds desperately wanted our sandwiches!!!! Here is one flying overhead quite close.

100

Welcome to my 100th post for "Apartment 101." I am so excited to have reached this number!! Thank you to everyone who has followed this blog publicly and to everyone has been reading my strange thoughts, musings, happenings, and poking through my photography. Your comments, Likes on Facebook, and reads make my day!

To celebrate my 100th post, I decided it would be a good time to announce my grand news: as of yesterday morning, I was accepted to University of North Carolina - Greensboro!

I am beyond thrilled and excited to continue my college education at this university. While I am slightly saddened to be trading in my Catamount paws for a Spartan helmet, I cannot wait for the adventures that will unfold with my two pals Anna and Joe, and I will be so happy to be closer to the love of my life.

The greatest tragedy of this news is that I will have to say good bye to seeing Chris on a daily basis. Since meeting in freshman year, Chris became my immediate confidant and best friend. He was everything I needed all through freshman year and well into now my sophomore year. I only hope that our friendship will remain strong though we are apart and I will be able to see him on a semi-regular basis. Even though I am moving, I will not ignore or forget our great friendship and hope he feels the same. Though I will be busy with my junior year, a boyfriend, and adjusting to a new city, it is important to me to work on keeping our relationship as close as it is now.

I cannot and am already making plans for my big move to Greensboro!! Anna, Joe, I hope you're ready!!! Because Sparta and I... here we come!!!!