Good and Bad News

Mayu got the grant to study in Santa Fe this summer! Hoorah!

BUT...this means I will be without my Mayu all summer! :(
Who will I go to happy hour with? Who will I spoon with and watch Zoolander? Who will dance and make a fool of themselves with me at Finnigan's? Oh, what will I do without my little alibaster doll?

So sad but so happy for her!

60 Degrees and Sunny

I'm in an absurdly good mood right now...I have more energy than I have had in days. I think this is further proof that I have seasonal depression, because I feel better than I did throughout the entire winter. Let's just hope the energy lasts through this ridiculously boring research methods class I'm in right now so that afterwards I can use it to get done the mass amounts of work I have to do. Ofcourse, maybe if I just paid attention in my classes instead of blogging, I wouldn't need to do so much work outside of class. Oh well, that's a price I'm willing to pay.

Time Traveling

If I could go back in time to any one point right now, I'd want to be back in France, back in the summer of 2004 when I went on vacation with my family. My computer screen flashes all the digital pictures I keep on it, and the one of me in a shabby hotel in Nice caught my eye as I was doing my homework. In it, I'm holding a 3 euro bottle of champagne in the air, dancing around in delight as my brother laughs at me and snaps the picture.

After days of making terrible jokes about how nice Nice must be, we hopped on a train that afternoon leaving my mom and dad behind so we could get a taste of the beautiful south of France. We exited out of the train station in Nice, walked a few blocks and grabbed a bottle of champagne, and then walked a few more until we found a hotel that cost only 40 euros a night. I love and miss that sense of spontaneity we had. Neither of us knew the land or the language; we had no idea where we going or what we would do; but we hopped on a train in the middle of Europe and went on our way, hoping for the best.

Unfortunately, however, we didn't find the best part of Nice. We quickly wondered into what was clearly "the wrong side of town". Graffiti was prevalent, laundry hung out the windows of the apartment, and the streets were desolate except for several sleazy old men strolling the streets smoking cigarettes: it was essentially a 21st century Moulon Rouge. I was just waiting for the prostitutes to come out on the balconies in their red ruffled dresses to drink whiskey with their lover Pierre before breaking into the can-can. And we didn't exactly find the highest quality hotel either, but it was what you'd expect for 40 euros a night: two dormitory style single beds, a 14 inch tv that was dangerously close to falling from the stand that held it to the wall, and a tiny bathroom that had just enough room for you to walk into it, turn, and sit down. But we had our champagne which, despite the fact that it was bought from a French bodega, was superb. Had we not had to pour it into two 5 inch clear plastic cups on top of a wobbly fold up table, I would have thought I was at a five-star bistro.

Though our living situation wasn't luxurious, I had two of the best nights of my life there in Nice. Freddie and I had a great time that first night and on the next our friend Johnnie, who has been living in Cannes, met up with us to continue the festivities. In our time in Nice we made some friends, a few enemies (Johnnie doesn't get along with the Germans),and some of the greatest memories ever. It was all so perfect. Sitting here in my room, attempting to balance my extremely hectic schedule for the remainder of the semester, I long for that week in France when I didn't have a single stress. Not once did I need to worry about what I would be doing the next day, hour, or minute. I just soaked up the early summer sun, sipped my wine, and enjoyed the time with my family. I love that none of us cared about seeing the sights. None of us wanted anything more than to sit outside and eat long lunches, stroll through the towns of central and southern France, and maybe take a few pictures by a public condom machine or a topless perfume model.

It's hard doing work knowing that next semester I'll be in Madrid. I try not to think about it to much because, most importantly, I still have several weeks left of school to get through and also because I don't want to build it up too much in mind, only for it to be a disapointment. But I am looking forward to going, to being back in Europe, to taking a break from the fast-paced Northeastern lifestyle. I think its something everyone should do, and nothing anyone seems to regret. I just hope that my friends will be able to visit me while I'm there and if they have time, maybe my brother and Johnnie, so we can have our European reunion. Only this time, no peeing in my suitcase please.

My bad luck

I'm convinced that, while numerous wonderful and exciting things happen to other people, I am cursed with only miserable experiences. Here's some proof for ya:

1) While in Boston, Liz met her "future husband" at one of the bars we went to. Despite the fact that it was a short drunken encounter, he called her a few days later, and it turns out that he's a chemistry grad student at BC and really wants to meet up with her again. The only thing I got in Boston was a wicked hangover and a stronger New England dialect. Moreover, the last guy who I gave my number to turned out to be a major creep and has continued to call me for the last six months. I haven't answered the phone the last 200 times he's called yet he still leaves me weird, awkward messages asking me to call him back.

2) For spring break this year I went to "sunny" California. I packed three bathing suits, ten tank tops, and like all my miniskirts yet it was too cold for me to even wear flip-flops. Chris, Jack, and Brendan on the other hand went to Florida where it was around 85 degrees the whole time. Chris is like 5 shades darker AND they saw Kelly Clarkson in South Beach. I'm like 10 pounds heavier and saw a toothless hippie sleeping under a bush.

3) I spent St Patrick's Day at Penn State this year visiting my cousin for her bday with a few of my childhood friends. My one friend Katie hooked up with an extremely attractive guy within a half hour after getting to the frat party. I got beer all over me and slept on the floor.

4) For her birthday, Trisha's mom sent her an entire package of fresh cupcakes with sprinkles and icing to decorate them with. The last thing my mom sent me was a package of twelve-grain hot cereal and a Jesus Pen....ok that was actually kinda cool.

5) Saturday night, as usual, my friends and I went to Towey's, a sleazy but beloved neighborhood bar. Chris, for some unexplainable reason, got free drinks all night from John, the bartender. After paying for my seven dollar Long Island, John yelled at me for not tipping him more. Even though I tipped him a normal amount and he was clearly just busting my balls, I felt guilty and tipped him double for the rest of the night. I came home with $1.72 in change.

6) A few weeks ago, I lost my wallet which contained my ATM card, some gift cards, my insurance card and my id. I hadn't been out drinking. I didn't spend a hectic day at the mall. I just went to class, came back, and it was missing from my bag. I had to use a fake ID to get into the bars that weekend despite the fact that I'm 21 while, at the same time, struggling not to spend all of the 30 dollars in cash I had on me so I could buy my train ticket home for Spring Break. Around the same time, Erin got a call from her mom telling her that another one of her checks came in the mail. For some unknown reason, Erin periodically gets checks from the government for various amounts of money. This one was far less than usual though- only a hundred some dollars.

So I think the facts speak for themselves: I live a pathetic and unfortunate existence while good things continually happen to everyone I know. If things continue to follow the same pattern I should be renting a quant little one bedroom house with my boyfriend Suave and our 5 cats in just a few short years. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll get the teller position at the bank too. But as I think I've made clear, I'm NEVER lucky so more likely I'll just gain 300 pounds, grow a mustache, and yell absurdities at the neighborhood kids as they walk home from school. So warn your children to stay away from crazy old lady Jane because she just might bark at them if they get too close to her front yard. But don't worry, as long as they don't touch any of my Virgin Mary lawn ornaments, I won't bite.

Spring Break begins

Since I carelessly lost my wallet last week in a classic "Jane move", I was forced to trek my ass to the DMV yesterday to get a new license. The ticket we drew upon arriving said our wait would only be approximately 20 minutes but, as can only be expected from the DMV, my mom and I spent over two hours there waiting for the ridiculously inept employees to help us. At any giving moment there were no more than two people working, while the rest took their "breaks". Though the DMV is clearly never a place anyone wants to go, I have one thing to say for it: nothing brings people closer together than their mutual hatred for this evil, evil place. Everyone waiting there was friendlier to those around them than people are at church. Everyone was talking, making jokes, starting random conversations with those around them to discuss the idiot working at desk 6. While there I found a new hairdresser, someone helped me fix my watch, and I have a date for next Friday- people there are that nice. It's really somewhat of a beautiful thing when humans can join together and share a smile as they curse the jackasses who work for the DMV.

So I finally have a license again which is great because I really didn't want to have to bring my passport with me when I went out that night. Freddie and I were heading to Solaris after having dinner at my Aunt Nell's to indulge in some Long Island Ice Teas, something we had been craving for well over a week. Nothing beat the look of impressed recognition we got from Celeste, the bartender, as we ordered them. Clearly it is not an often purchased drink there. Unfortunately it was the only drink she served us that night since she got off work just minutes later. A new guy we had never seen before replaced her and he was one of the worst bartenders ever. Everyone was outraged at the pace at which he waited on people. I mean, the guy should work for the DMV!

As can only be expected from a night that starts off with some wine, a white Russian, and then a Long Island, Freddie and I ended up getting pretty drunk. Kilkenny and Mikey met up with us and we ended up walking down to Toweys to finish up the night. After heading home, Freddie and I had one more beer and watched home movies: an odd drunken habit we picked up over Christmas break. Laughing at my cousin Liz in the videos, I had the urge to call her- at 4 in the morning- to discuss with her the humorous nature of her behavior- another bad habit I've developed. She was very nice to me for clearly being exhausted and not wanting to talk to her drunken younger cousin about playing in blow up pools and Easter egg hunts. What can I say, I have an overabundant love for the girl and sometimes I need to talk to her in the middle of the night. So my apologies, Liz, for being a degenerate. Unfortunately, I have to warn you that it probably won't be the last time.

Tomorrow I head off to Santa Cruz with Mayu for spring vacay. It should be a marvelous time. I've never been to the west coast so I'm looking forward to checking it out and judging for myself whether Aaron Karo's observations about east coast vs west coast are true.

Then when I get back its off to State College for St Patty's Day with my girls. Looks like Alice might be coming along now too so it should be quite the weekend. So much too look forward to! I can't wait! I'm sure I'll have plenty to discuss in the future- and Liz, you might want to put the cell on silent because there's a three hour time difference between Cali and PA so the calls could be coming in quite late!!!