The Must List, Oct 6

1. Sherlock Holmes' "Mind Palace"
This scene happens in Season 2, Episode 2. What a beautifully constructed scene that completely takes you into the mindset and thought process of Benedict Cumberbatch's interpretation of Sherlock Holmes!! Check it out HERE!

2. "The Light in the Piazza" at the Haywood Regional Arts Theater
I saw this musical last night, and it was such a treat!! Why is it completely under the radar? The acting was top notch, especially the college-aged actors (which included two of my friends) that spoke Italian 75% of the time even though they are your average Southern American boys! One word: IMPRESSIVE. A 20-something girl and her mother travel to Florence, Italy to see the sights the mother visited on her honeymoon with the father. Almost immediately, the girl, Clara, meets Fabrizio - a young Italian man who immediately falls for the redhead American. But, there's a secret that Clara's mother is covering up. Will she ever expose the secret? And, will Fabrizio's love withstand the truth?

3. Foot insoles 
Recently, I found out that I am flat-footed. My chiropractor set it up that I received custom-made insoles for free thanks to my insurance!!! HIP HIP HOORAY! I still walk around campus in high heels, but now, my feet aren't achy or sore. The insoles have made a huge difference in every which way. My lower back isn't in pain all the time, and I stand strong. They are even created to fall short of my toes in order not to hang over or be visible when wearing open-toed shoes. I strongly recommend everyone get some!

4. "Sons of Anarchy" Season 4
The drama is back in this original FX series about motorcycle club, Sons of Anarchy. Jax and the gang have been released from prison and now must deal with the sheriff's department that has taken control of their town of Charming. Gemma, my favorite character, is on the warpath to keep Jax from finding out the truth about his father, but Jax wants out of the club altogether. I can't wait for disc 2 to arrive!!

Gemma in "Sons of Anarchy"

5.  Appalachian Mountains in the fall
The leaves have started changing their color, and it is glorious to watch on an every day basis. Driving to school is even enjoyable because of the sheer beauty that surrounds Little Honda. I highly suggest taking a trip and visiting soon before any heavy rain knocks all the leaves off the trees.

6. Daniel Radcliffe in Horns
Didn't see that one coming did you? Harry Potter is back!!!

Photo of the Day: July 12

Recently, we've been getting buckets and buckets of rain!!! It's been nearly non-stop for two days. And, that's great for some because it means that the crops are getting watered. But here... it's just a teensy bit nervewracking.
Here's a picture of Scotts Creek, which is located directly behind my trailer, when the water is at its usual level. Here we see a reasonable level where you can see rocks poking out and some small rapids. There's even a heron wading calmly through the creek looking for trout. The banks aren't swollen. Everything's nice.

 And here's yesterday!!!! ANGRY CHOCOLATE MILK RIVER!!!!!!!! The banks are heavily swollen. One of the small "islands" is gone because it's complete underwater. It is rushing and quite dangerous because of how fast the water's moving. Stuart and I watched it the first day from his bedroom window and saw two car tires float down along with several pieces of trash and large logs!! It's been quite crazy here with this rain... and today, we're supposed to have more!

The Must List, July 9

There's a page in every Entertainment Weekly magazine that tells their readers the "must-have" things of that week. It was usually my favorite page, back when I subscribed to the magazine in high school. Usually, the list was specific, like the "must-have" DVDs for Christmas or the "must-have" books. Well... mine's going to be random, but they are definitely things to you need to eat, drink, borrow, watch, read, and thoroughly enjoy!!
So prepare yourselves... here is my first ever The Must List!!

1. Cherry Berry Chiller drink 
Stuart laughs at me for this, but I LOVE IT!! It's tangy; it's sweet; it's what fast food is supposed to be! And, it's very happiness-inducing! Grab one before it's gone because supposedly they're only around for a limited time. OMG! I want one!! This thing for me is equivalent to a Krabby Patty for the entirety of Bikini Bottom!

2. John Carter on DVD
What an awesome fantasy adventure! I'm not one for space movies - can't stand Star Trek (old or new) and I'm really not amazed by Star Wars. So for me to say that I loved this movie and that it was the greatest DVD I have rented from NetFlix in a few weeks is saying something! Plus, it's Taylor Kitsch with long hair!! YES!

3. Stuart's BBQ chicken thighs
Ladies, you need to find you a man who can grill like mine because this one is taken! Back... away... slowly...

4. Thunderstorms
You can't read a good book unless there's a calm, rumbling, grumbling thunderstorm outside. With the rain drops pattering on the A/C window unit and splashing in the creek outside, there's no other perfect setting for reading or cuddling.

5. Machine Gun Preacher on DVD
Ever since my Non-Western World Literature class, I have been interested in how films portray the discourse of Africa. In this film, Africa is looked at through the white-man-swoops-in-and-saves-black-Africa lens along with your stereotypical violence and injured children. Still, the story will amaze you and leave you wondering how you can improve your life by doing good for others.

6. Cyanide and Happiness web comic
LOL!! Just click on the link! Warning: some material is crude and involves adult language.

Lack of Snow Melts Winter Fun

Here's my latest article for The Western Carolinian. It talks about how the lack of snow is affecting local businesses.

"Cullowhee's winter wonderland has been nonexistent this season due to unseasonably warm temperatures. While students may be bummed by the lack of cancelled classes as compared to the 2011 spring semester, local businesses also feel the heat of Mother Nature.
Ski resorts, like Sapphire Valley and Cataloochee, have experienced less business this season because few snow-loving sports fanatics want to ski or snowboard in 60 degree weather. Sapphire Valley, especially, has lost a substantial amount of business.

Steve Martel, director of amenities at Sapphire Valley Ski Resort, said revenue is less than half of what it was last year. This year, the facility has been open for only eight days.
"When you can't make snow, I guess the days of our ski hills being open are limited," he said. "You really can't compensate. It's like a golf tee time that got rained out… There's nothing you can do to change the weather."
While the majority if not all of the snow used at the resort is generated, the weather has been too warm to even create ice pellets that convert into snow for skiing. The pellets immediately melt.
"We never got to the point where we could cool down the ground," Martel said. "It's been too warm of a winter to do anything for skiing."
Cataloochee has experienced less of a hit, but Chris Bates, general manager, said that business is "ten percent off" compared to last year..."

Check out the rest of the story here!! 

And if you want more Western Carolinian, be sure to subscribe!

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!!)

Breather

Today has been a rather relaxing day.

I woke up this morning next to Morgan in his gigantic queen-sized bed with soft, feathery dark blue sheets. We ate Raisin Bran Crunch in the living room while finishing the next episode of "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" on NetFlix. I showed off my new sun dress that his mom helped me pick out at JC Penney. It's an "animal palm" print and I adore it!! I don't remember ever owning a sun dress, and this one is super cute paired with a new necklace of a silver chain with a large orange jeweled daisy as the centerpiece.



Shopping at JCP



We headed to Morgan's parents house to drop off his laundry because there's no washer/dryer at his new apartment. Then, we shopped for bedroom curtains at Target before lunching at Panera Bread. I consumed a a warm, gooey bowl of macaroni and cheese, a soft pumpkin muffin, and tangy fresh lemonade. Then, we walked around the shopping complex in the finally warm sun looking at all the different shops that I've never imagined before settling down at a strangely named frozen yogurt joint. Inside, you could pick your container size, pick your frozen yogurt flavor, then add in frozen fruit for the perfect taste. Morgan decided on blueberries and strawberries giving the yogurt a bluish purple color with a sweet, sweet taste!

With purple tongues, we got back into the car and visited a lovely park with a dam and sandy beach. My toes still have flecks of sand between them. I built a small pond turtle out of sand and Morgan tried once again to teach me how to skip stones.

Off to his parents house we went again to pick up his laundry. His younger brother, father, Morgan, and I all participated in some healthy banter while Morgan's dad tried to fix the trunk on Morgan's car and I incessantly hiccuped in the background. We also grabbed some chairs, an umbrella, and towels for our beach trip in a few days!!!!!

It was a gloriously peaceful day with such beautiful weather. Now, I am relaxing more at the apartment while Morgan is working hard at the restaurant. Hopefully, he'll be home before midnight and we can have another peaceful day with beautiful weather tomorrow!

It's like the Old Days

Well, the rain has begun!

Last year, we used to say if it's not raining, it's snowing. If it's not snowing, it's foggy. If it's not foggy, it's cold. If it's not cold, then holy crap it's a sunny day!! Five out of seven days you can bet it was raining here in Cullowhee. For the three weeks I've been here the notorious downpour has been misplaced... until today!

I was drove into Sylva today to look at some art for the living room when the drizzle turned into a downpour. I couldn't see a thing through Little Honda's windshield. The car beside me had caused a wave of water to cascade over my car, it was raining heavily, and to make matters worse when I tried to make the windshield wipers go faster, I accidentally hit the cleaner button and had cleaner fluid spray all over my windshield!!!!

Then, when River and I came back to the apartment to hang out, a wall of rain hit us like a tennis racket smacking the poor tennis ball. The noise was deafening and scared us so badly we both cursed simultaneously. I nearly hit a car again that time as I suddenly couldn't see. It's like that moment when you crest a hill and the setting sun hits you directly in the eye as well as everyone else so they all slam on their brakes. That's the easiest way to get into a wreck, people! C'mon!

The rain lasted throughout the day, though stopped for a few short hours which coincided with the home opener football game (that I did not attend because I was doing more important things). Apparently, we were creamed in our second straight loss. Yes, nothing has changed at all. There's a reason why Western's tuition is so low!

There's been an entertaining, lovely lightning show playing outside, which is a rarity around here. Oh we get the rain alright but we usually miss out on the beautiful side of rain: thunderstorms! I love a good, calm thunderstorm to read or write to. Nothing gets my creative juices flowing like the sporadic extra wattage of light followed by the low grumble of thunder. Such majesty.

Even with the rain, which usually gets me into a fight with town of Cullowhee, it's been an enjoyable day! I purchased a cool hand painted white feather at a deco art/ice cream shop in Sylva. That was pretty sweet! And I got to hang with my awesome friends at Taco Bell where afterward I was challenged to a duel by Christian. Cody ran headfirst into his closet doors on purpose because he was that bored... this was after he beat himself with a wrench. Christian stole my cow-jumping-over-the-moon-patterned bathrobe and wore it around the apartment. He actually looked kind of good. That pastor in Florida didn't burn the Koran... that's a good thing! This day could have gotten seriously out of control around the world. And, I finished another chapter in my novel. That makes 23. I am pleased with the day's events.

So bring it on rain... you will not ruin my day!

Rain outside my apartment door