I hope he bought you roses

I had an amazing weekend.

My Aunt LeAnn came down to visit and we went to the flower show- which was really cool. I decided that if college doesn't work out for me, I'll just go hang out at the florist in the jungle of flowers.

I don't care how poor I am, I will always buy flowers. Who needs food anyway?

Do you like my ghetto vase?

-k

Mmm, Derek Shepherd!

We've been lied to for years.

Since I can remember I've pondered over books about princesses and frogs that were secretly princes waiting to be kissed and little did I know I was only setting myself up for failure. I've watched dozens and dozens of movies and TV shows where in the end they really do end up together (besides Dawson's Creek but that's just ridiculous. We all know Joey BELONGED to Dawson.) Moving on...

We do not break up like they do on TV. For some reason these past days I've been thinking about Saved by the Bell, particularly the episode where Slater and Jessie break up. And then they are best friends. There was no blow-out fight, tears, the ripping apart of photographs, slamming of doors. They hugged it out and moved on. I didn't expect my life to pan out like an after-school special, but I didn't think I would feel like I was living in General Hospital. Check me out of this place (although next time I have to go to the ER I hope my doctor vaguely resembles someone off of Grey's Anatomy.) I guess I was a little thrown off guard when I realized that hugging it out wouldn't be an option.

Needless to say, life does move on and so will I.

Time to study for microeconomics!

-K

Sometimes a door only closes

so another one can open.

It's a Death Cab for Cutie kind of day.

I wish the world was flat like the old days

then I could travel just by folding a map

no more airplanes

or speed trains, or freeways.

There would be no distance that could hold us back.

College Solutions Pt 2

Ah Valentine's Day. Probably the hardest day of the year for both men and women.

As a female, I don't really see why guys complain so much about good old V-day. I mean... how hard is it to order her favorite flowers (you can do it online for goodness sakes) and remember to make reservations to that restaurant she's been dying to try, oh and writing a little more than "love me" at the bottom of the card. It's not like they ever in their entire lives pondered over those bulk cards (varying from princesses to wrestlers) hoping that "You're sweeter than honey" would be interpreted as more. It's not a big deal when guys don't receive those candy grams or shout-outs. But for a girl, it is. Honestly, I think it's harder to be a girl and endure February 14th only because you are waiting on a guy to all those things- flowers, food, a sentimental card. Valentine's Day is usually a huge let down.

This Valentine's Day was extremely refreshing (being that the preceding V-day's have been nothing short of disastrous). Dan and I went to a really great restaurant but I was a little mad at the people who sat by us. They brought a boatload of little kids and let them run around and scream (and when the Yuengling costs $7 I consider it a nice restaurant and expect children to be strapped in accordingly). Nothing annoys me more than when I'm trying enjoy myself and a three year-old is standing there staring at me and/or screaming. Go away. Anyway.... aside from the abundant amount of children (I hate rich parents) Daniel got me flowers.

And this is where the College Solutions Pt 2 comes into the equation. As a poor college student living in a small space, I do not own a vase... or anything that vaguely resembles a vase. After some extreme searching... I stumbled upon a Coke Zero bottle. Genius.

Backstory: As stated above, being Valentine's Day, I received flowers.

Dilemma: Flowers need water and well.. without them they turn brown and droopy in a matter of hours instead of two days (just trying to prolong the inevitable!)

Solution: Coca Cola Cherry Zero. I cut a little bit of the top off and created a true work of art.

Here I present: THE SOLUTION!

Don't mind my cat calendar.

-k

College Solutions Pt I

I sometimes ponder why I am paying thousands upon thousands of dollars for an education (usually when I'm depressed)... and then it hit me.

So I can solve things and say "that's because I'm in college." Since moving out I've had to be resourceful and solve handfuls of problems that would create greater catastrophes (in order to not spend money I don't really have).

I present to you now a new series: College Solutions with Kristen.

Today will be College Solutions Pt I: The Case of the Missing Twisty Tie.

Backstory: My roommate Brittany hurled a loaf of bread at me at 2 am. Funny. In the process of flying across the room, the twisty tie fell off the loaf of bread (gasp!)

Dilemma: We all know what happens when that twisty tie comes off the bag (i.e. I usually forget to put it back on and my mom yells at me).. but this is college. There aren't any parents here to yell at us- or buy us new bread when it goes stale and moldy for that matter. So I had to come up with something... I just had to.

Solution: Be creative of course. Use those materials around you... so I used Brittany's iPod USB cord. It worked rather well if I do say so myself.

Let's get some before and after pictures on this college victory:

Here we have the sad loaf (of really bad bread from 7-11) without a twisty tie. I shudder to think what would happen if time had elapsed...

and...

Ta-daaaa! This is why I am paying ridiculously large amounts of money! Look what this institution of higher knowledge has taught me! To be resourceful!

Outcome: While the USB chord worked well, I ended up finding the twisty tie in my bed (???). But I left the USB chord wrapped around the bread because it would be a waste to not utilize my innovation.

-k

Snow days in Dilaphelphia

How beautiful is the sound of not waking up? Drexel, notorious for not closing its doors on the snowiest of days, shut down all functions (unfortunately, that included Chic-Fil-A) giving me an entire day to procrastinate studying for an Astronomy midterm and writing a paper.

It brings me to say... that this city DOES NOT know how to handle a snow storm. A few weeks ago we got less than an inch and Drexel had to put thousands of pounds worth of salt on the sidewalks (end result: too much salt/not enough snow = salt EVERY WHERE. Every carpet, hard surface, stuck on the bottom of every shoe...) and now.. Market Street isn't even plowed or our sidewalks. Which is fine with me, I own boots and a keen sense of adventure (maybe I should invest in elbow/knee pads and a better sense of humor?)

That being said, some interesting things have happened in the past 24 hours.

Brittany, Meg and I decided to participate in a snowball fight... except we didn't know where it was. We did find it... 30 frozen toes and 40 minutes later, only to realize it was Americans vs. the Asian Honors students. Epic.

Aside from throwing snowballs, we made snow angels and walked around the area- really beautiful and serene. So much better than studying.

Although now as the day winds down, the uncertainty of classes tomorrow draws me back to my room with my books and highlighter. I shall now show you what a Drexel Snow Day looks like:

Starting off with breakfast/lunch at Drexel Pizza, I indulged in an amazing omelette (why is that the omelettes at the cafeteria where I paid thousands for a meal plan taste like cardboard and this one whose price shall not be mentioned taste just delicious? This should be my dissertation.)

Here is my view from the 10th floor... you can't tell but it's snowing like CRAZY. The city skyline is hidden in a white cloud. Really awesome... it's even better because you know you might not have to sit through Microeconomics.

My study station and my fuel- German Chocolate from Minh.

Well. Homework is done (for now!) and the snow calleth. Missing you all!

The Writing Process

As I sit with a blank in front of me waiting for my hands to perform miracles (i.e. a 3 page paper on poets I pretty much care less about,) I tend to think about everything I'd rather be doing.

I present to you, the 17-step writing process.

1. Sit down, clear all distractions.

2. Open word document, write your name and title

3. Check your e-mail.

4. Check CNN for breaking news.

5. Check your e-mail again

6. Get a snack.

7. Take a walk around the building.

8. Sit down, clear all distractions.

9. Text 10 people.

10. Complain about how much this paper sucks.

11. Check your e-mail.

12. Check the weather.

13. Take a shower.

14. Complain about how much this paper sucks.

15. Sit there staring at the screen.

16. 4 am: sit down and bust a paper out in 40 minutes.

17. Complain about how you stayed up all night writing a paper.

Okay. Going to write about Tennyson and Byron now.

-k

This is what Winter Quarter looks like

Fuel.