Can we keep it together? We're singing a new song now and everything starts today.

Today just sucks sucks sucks sucks sucks. I unknowingly singed the hair off of one of my fingers when I turned my stove on and kept smelling burnt hair every time I took a sip of my tea. I was so convinced that I had left the stove on or that something invisible was burning in my kitchenette. Silly Sidney, what an idiot.

Work was work as usual. I spent the day walking around like a zombie and as soon as I could I got out of there. I went to Marshalls afterwards and picked up a few things for P90X. I figure if I'm really going to do this I need to push myself and really commit to the program. I'm not going to get fit and skinny just sitting around. I'm also going to add in running this weekend too. I need to improve my endurance for field hockey and ice hockey and pep band. It would be terrible if I passed out in the middle of a basketball just because I didn't have the lung capacity to play my saxophone. Plus no one wants to settle for the chubby girl.

I want to get out of the city. I know school's just begun, but I feel so cramped and overwhelmed little I'm hyperventilating in a space I'm sharing with six million other people. I want to get away and go to the sea. Recently I considered staying here after school and getting an apartment with a friend and continuing on here, but I don't know if I could or why I even entertained silly thoughts like that. I need to get out of here and stretch my wings for a little while. I was going to go away on Monday, but my dad told me to stay here. Maybe I'll just go out to Valley Forge and hike around for the day.

I heard this song on the radio this morning. I love Guster, why did I stop listening to them?

How many problems can you have Marshall? You're twenty-five years old.

I just finished watching Ceremony, a small indie film on Netlflix. It stars Uma Thurman (Zoe) as a woman preparing to marry her documentary making finance and Michael Angarano (Sam) as a Holden Caulfield-esque younger man who goes to try and thwart Zoe's wedding. Sam disguises his plans by bringing along his friend Marshall, played by Reece Thompson, in an attempt to rekindle their friendship. The weekend turns into a lesson on love and friendship for Sam as things fall apart and he realizes that while his love for Zoe was pure and true, he was only a phase in Zoe's life that she eventually tired of. This film was beautifully done with great lines and wonderful acting. I read an article about how Jesse Eisenberg was originally cast as Sam with Michael Angarano as Marshall. As much as I adore Jesse Eisenberg I don't think he could have done the part justice. Angarao played the part with complete recklessness, delusion, and a beautiful purity of someone who just wants to love and do anything to be loved like that in return and is yet completely selfish and unaware to those closest to him. Think Catcher in the Rye if Holden was in his mid twenties. Sam's relationship with Marshall was also endearing and amusing as two best friends who have lost touch with each other and are beginning to reconnect despite their own problems and the wedding weekend. The supporting cast was also brilliant and well played. Taking place on the ocean in fall, with an amazing and subtle soundtrack, Ceremony was well worth the time.

"I am not going to be a pathetic supporting character in your unoriginal story. You are not Holden Crawford!"

Today I also completed my fist week of classes. I am so excited about the courses that I can barely contain myself. We haven't begun much work yet, but the professors, the course material, the books, and my classmates are wonderful. I have all new professors from last semester, a testament to how much larger the English department is at Saint Joe's than the Physics department. Of course I do have one twice and the classes happen to be back to back. He's great though, very enthusiastic about the material and eager to educate and share his knowledge. He is even having us write a blog in one of my classes instead of just writing a weekly journal. I prefer this because even though I love contributing to my log book, I am more comfortable writing longer pieces on a keyboard and being able to incorporate pictures, links, and movie clips will be the cherry on top of it all. Right now we are reading Beowulf, my second time, and even though my professor is not jumping around the desks reciting the poem, he is educating us on the language and the history of the poem. Today I learned what a kenning was. Example: "whale-road" is the ocean. Awesome literary technique, way to go Anglo-Saxons, way to go.

My senior English class in high school had a private screening of this. We spent the entire movie yelling out the inaccuracies at the screen and making comments about how riduculous Angelina Jolie's character was as Grendel's mother. It was a jolly time, if a bit uneducational.

On a more serious note, I have to take the time this weekend to clean out my closet and pack up all of my gentle worn and no longer needed clothing to send home with my mother back to Vermont. My parent's how was almost untouched and because our town is high enough in the mountains it escaped what could have been a lot of devastating damage. Unfortunately a lot of people were not as lucky including the town of Waterbury, which is right before Stowe. You have to drive through the small town when you get off the interstate to get to Stowe. Waterbury is situated in a small valley where several rivers come together and join the Winooski. Because of the low laying land many homes and business where damaged beyond repair. People are now gathering what they can to donate to the people in need until the can get back on their feet. Fortunately it is still warm in Vermont, if this had happened a month or two later, it could have been much more serious.

Waterbury. There is a road under all that water. 

Stowe.

Downtown Waterbury.

Homes underneath the water. 

The river has crested the bank and washed away the roads and almost the bridge in the background.

Downtown Waterbury. The restaurant in the right corner was called the Alchemist. It was completely devastated and will mostly likely remain closed. 

More information about the damage in Vermont and how it will affect the fall: 

http://www.cnn.com/2011/08/31/opinion/parini-irene-hits-vermont/index.html?hpt=us_mid

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/02/us-storm-irene-vermont-idUSTRE7814VL20110902

http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2011/09/02/in_vermont_helicopters_ferry_supplies_to_those_stranded_by_irene/

Tip of the day: Don’t smash your face!

It's only Wednesday, but I'm pretty sure that I have already summed up my entire fall semester. Of course I haven't had my Liz Bloch-Smith class yet or my nonfiction workshop yet so my tune will probably change by tomorrow, plus I haven't started field hockey, pep band or hockey yet either. Today however, my fall semester looks like it is going to be very nice. I just wish I could get my sleep schedule down to where it needs to be. Lately I've either been having too little sleep pr too much. Last night I fell asleep fairly early (before 11pm) and then woke up promptly at 6am. I tried to fall back to sleep and then almost overslept my class. It's frustrating, but it's better than the usual beginning of the year pregnancy scare (no worries mom, it's always from irrational stress not the other reason).

I'm a couple weeks into P90X now and I am pleased to say that I have successfully made it through all of Phase One's workouts without having to stop and take a break. Now I do have full intensity through all of them. Plyometric definitely kills and by the end I am barely getting off of the floor, but I can get all of the way through it and maintain ballet feet too. Go me. I'm not really sure how school is going to affect my Tony Horton time other than that I know it's going to take a hit. I've been able to manage it with work and weekend fun, but throw in school too and I'm going to struggle. It's all good as we Purnells say or no worries like my Hebrew Friend will tell you.

In other news I am up to twelve pairs of lacies. I know it's a random segue from school to underwear, but these are the things that are on my mind right now. I got three from Hailey while I was at work. After I got them I spent the rest of the shift showing them off (not on) to all of the hostesses and made Take Out Boy watch over them until I was finished waiting tables. The other day I dragged a friend in with me when I picked out another set. He actually came in willingly and then spent most of the time amusing himself with the body sprays. My friend was helpful in picking out colors though, it was very nice of him.

Today's band: The Boxer Rebellion
Today's book: The Portable Dorothy Parker
Today's nail color: Stiletto Red 

I'm just going to come out and say it, you were kind of a prostitute.

I'm finally sleepy tonight at a fairly early hour (early for me) too. As soon as I finish this post I am turning and sleeping in in the morning. Tomorrow was supposed to be the start of classes, but with the storm damage classes have been delayed until Tuesday, yay! So in the meantime I am going to write about the things that make me happy. Just a little something to think about in spite of all of the ickiness outside. So here are five things that make me happy, in no particular order:

1. Seneca apple chips. I love these things, especially the granny smith kind. They're better than the puffed apples that the Amish women make because they are crispier and tart. I love them better than potato chip or corn chips or pretty much any other kind of chip. I always get real excited when I see them in the supermarket and end up buying more than one bag.

2. Greeting cards. I love greeting cards so much. I try to find any occasion to give them out to my friends. I just think that there's still something so poetic about cards, especially the ones that I hand make. One of my friends has her birthday on Valentine's Day and every year I give her a mess of birthday and Valentine's cards as a part of her gift. Greeting cards, well really cards in general, are a great way to brighten up a person's day.

3. My bed. My bed is awesome! It's a full (a little small) with a cast iron bed frame that has been painted antique white. Right now I have cream flannel sheets and six pillows and two comforters. It's great when the air is cold because I will snuggle down underneath the blankets and pillows where it's all soft and fluffy and fall asleep for hours. So much wonderful sleep.

4. Snow days. We don't see as many snow days in Philadelphia as I did up in Vermont, but the ones down here are pretty epic. Last winter we had a couple of good ones where the city was completely crippled by the weather, but everything was all white and sparkly. It was so pretty outside and the best part is that school was canceled. Unfortunately it's hard to find someone to go for walks or make a mess in the snow with me.

5. Matt & Kim. Matt & Kim is the most epic music duo ever. One of my most favorite concerts at the First Unitarian was a Matt & Kim show. My ipod has a smart list dedicated to them and whenever I'm feeling a bit blue or lethargic I put on some Matt & Kim and dance around. They have helped get me up and down between Philadelphia and Vermont when I'm driving late at night. I share them with everyone I meet and everyone loves them too.

Yanti Parazi

It's not true, but maybe if you say it real fast it might be. This weekend is the weekend of all weekends: the last weekend of summer and Irene. It's true, summer is over and I am sad to see it go. I have spent many a lovely day on the beach or with friends and many a night out drinking at the bars. Lucky for be I jumped back on the exercise train early enough that I have not only avoided a beer gut (gross),  but I have also lost some weight (go me!) I am looking forward to fall though. I recently received an email from school notifying me that I have somehow achieved enough credits to have senior status and that I must remember to fill out my intent to graduate form as soon as possible. Let's be real though, I WILL forget.This weekend is also the weekend that hurricane Irene is supposed to ravage the east coast. My mother has already contacted me about leaving Philadelphia and I have already politely declined invitations from relatives to journey further into the state to get away from the storm. If I didn't have to work and the fact that there is an entire state in front of mine to protect me from the watery typhoon I would have gladly accepted. I like LC every now and again. Lucky for me Mary Ann and Lance will be visiting in a few weeks and we can hang out in the LCs then.

I really find it funny that the National Weather Service named a hurricane Irene in the first place. Irene is Greek for peace. I know this because Ms. Knapp's middle name was Irene and during "Ms. Knapp tells a fact" time she told us about how she used to hate her middle name until she learned that it was Greek and meant peace. Kind of like how I used to hate my middle name. I'm not a cookie people! Anyways I'm not worried about weather, because after all it's just weather. It comes and it goes and if there's any damage left in it's wake you clean it up and move on. I'm just worried about parking my car too close to a tree or the power going out for too long and spoiling all of the food that I don't have in in my fridge. If I'm lucky work will be closed and school will be canceled on Monday. I can only wish.

Looks ειρηνικό from space, right?

I had an excellent girls night last night. I went over to a friend's house with Marg and we had dinner and watched a movie and just got caught up on our lives since we had last seen each other. All three of us have been friends since freshman year when we lived in the hotel together and even though there have been times when we have been less close or completely separated by distance, we still try to carve out some time to spend together and be a part of each other's lives.

We watched Something Borrowed last night. It was cute movie about going for it and not letting people get in the way of doing what is right and what you want. It also about making up for missed opportunities. The best part was John Krasinski though. Everyone else love Colin Egglesfield and he Tommy Hilfiger looks and Connecticut waspy-ness, but since I've always been partial to Jim I had to side with John. Overall I liked the movie (I'm a sucker for romantic crap like that), but I am on the fence about reading the book, hopefully it was better than the movie.

Now since it is the weekend and I never get around to blogging after a night of work and drinking, I will leave you with this little gem:

Awesome, I know. Until Monday my fellow school chums. 

And if you feel just like a tourist in the city you were born, then it's time to go and define your destination. There's so many different places to call home.

I had an epic day at the beach today. EPIC DAY! It started off slow because someone forgot to get up this morning. I mean honestly, who forgets the last beach day of the summer? Anyways  once we got on the road and actually got there it was amazing. The sunny was out and there was a strong breeze to keep the heat down. Unfortunately the wind was a little too strong for frisbee, but now that it's school time we can play on the fields. Woo woot. The water was perfect though. After the initial shock of the cold water against my skin I hated to get out. The current was a little too strong for me to be comfortable swimming alone so I had to keep getting out when Yonni did, but eventually I just said fuck it and went in. Apparently the bear's fur is just for aesthetics because he kept getting cold in the water. The trick: just stay below the surface. Afterwards we made a quick stop to the uncle's to return the beach chair that has been living in the back of my car all summer. I get to keep the key though. Coming down we saw White Castle off of 37 and decided to Harold and Kumar it there later. Since Yon is nice and dark I am left to be Harold. Yipee. White Castle is not as good as I remember it being from when I was younger and it's no surprise that Lance hasn't eaten there in thirty years. And to top it off none of the Harold and Kumar movies are instant on Netflix. Despite that small setback and two cups of milky sugary coffee from Dunkin' I had a really nice ride back to the city with Yonni and I'm decently tuckered out that I might get a good night's sleep for a change. I'm sad that there won't be anymore beach days for a while, but I'm glad that I was able to end the summer with a satisfiable bang. Next week classes start.

Sweet potato fries?

After raiding my parent's DVD collection back home I have rediscovered my love of The O.C. What a great show about one of the most pointless places on the planet. Somehow FOX knew that people would be obsessed especially when they're from a small, cold New England town. My entire high school was captivated by this show when it was on the air and since it played on FOX you had no excuse not to watch it. My favorite season was the fourth because there was no Mischa Barton. I know the whole premise of the show revolved around but I couldn't stand Marissa Cooper at all.  I was definitely a Summer girl.  Actually I was a Seth Cohen girl. That character was my dream guy and the peak of Adam Brody perfection. The fourth season was also when Ryan finally got himself a decent and very hot haircut.

I got my first email from the school reminding me to fill out my intent to graduate form and remember to pick up my cap and gown in a few weeks for senior photos. Ugh. This blows, but it also means that the days are finally counting down until when I am done with school and off to see the world somewhere else. I had a mini chat with a friend today about where I would go. I don't think that he is keen about e packing up and leaving because he kept saying that I could stay here and work or go to grad school. Sometimes I think he doesn't know what to do with me. I'm not like a lot of the other people that he can put in a box and know where they're always going to be. I'm more like a caged bunny that rattles around in the box and knocks other stuff down or like a square peg in a round hole. There's not a very good definition out there for me. I need to get out of here for a little while, but for the first time I actually admitted out loud that I wouldn't mind returning to Philadelphia (or the greater area) to go to school or work once I've had an adventure or two. Sometimes I just wish I could pack people up and take them with me. For now though I need to focus on school and remember to fill out my intent to graduate form on time. 

Still awake. Now what?

Rant of the day: Air conditioning makes my nose stuffy and then I have to breathe through my mouth when I go to sleep. I hate air conditioning. As someone who already sleeps with her mouth open it would be nice for me to be able to breathe in through my nostrils so that I'm not choking on the drool that is making my way out of my mouth. Okay rant over.

Classy Sidney.

It's 3am right now and I can't sleep. When I came back from Vermont last month I was falling asleep early and waking up early. Slowly I started going to bed later and later and sleeping in more and more. Funnily one of my friends was staying up late and now he's going to bed much earlier than me and getting good sleep. Some thing's not right here. I decided to use my awake time to watch The Social Network. I will say that it was a good movie, but I'm partial to just about anything Aaron Sorkin. The format was not the way I expected and the clips from the trailers I had seen completely misled me about the characters. I enjoyed the way the movie used the depositions to tell the story of the origin of facebook and the people involved in its creation. The actors also did an exceptional job as well. I was particularly pleased by Andrew Garfield. His character had a sad story line and Garfield did an excellent job as the wounded friend. Now in the real world I love Jesse Eienberg. He and Christopher Mintz-Plasse are my new Michael Cera. They have aged nicely into awkward, but still cool personalities while Cera has become more and more whiny. In this movie though, Eisenberg was on my most hated list. I hate to think how accurate this movie was about Mark Zuckerberg because he was portrayed as a complete asshole. I really enjoyed the end of the movie with Eisenberg's character refreshing a Rooney Mara's character's facebook page in the hopes that she would accept his friend request. 

"You're not an asshole Mark, but you're trying so hard to be."

Since I still can't sleep I decided to clean out some boxes of junk and put my book shelves in order. I have two full bookshelves, a shelf on my wall, and a night stand full of books and I have more stacked on the floor. I honestly don't know what to do with them all. I hesitate to buy another bookshelf mostly because I don't know where I would put it. Instead I'm keeping the stacks by the lawn chair in the living room. It looks sort of "white trash chic." I have most definitely created a very nice collection of books for myself this summer and one day when I have a house with built in bookcases I will have a space for all of them. Until then I'm making do with laminet shelving and milk crates.