Great Birthday!

I had an awesome birthday! I don't have the time to go into the details now, but it was awesome. Thank you everyone for making it so wonderful!

Gasp

Given my skills at detecting masculine hotness, I am quite shocked that the men here at State have so long evaded my detection. Well, no longer. Hotness breaks down into two categories: those who are cute and have an excellent wit and other great attributes (non-physical, such as an accent, a good sense of humor, being liked by small children) and those that are breathtakingly handsome (Sean Bean, Johnny Depp). I told you about the one guy I met a month ago, and now I have to tell you about two other guys. They both work for the UAB (union activities board) at the Student Theatre, and they are both hot. I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End one night, by myself. On a spur of the moment decision, I decide to buy some candy. So, I go to the concession stand, order a Mike n Ikes, pay, and then Oh My God - I see the cashier. Wow - he had hotness written all over him. I must have looked like a deer in the headlights. He was tall, slightly muscular, with longish (just above his chin) dark brown hair. And he was gorgeous! I don't even remember making my way to my seat, I was so taken with his appearance. Sigh. No matter. Last night, I went and saw Ocean's Thirteen with Becca - funny movie. Then we came back to the room, I got another buck-fifty, and went back so I could see Waitress (the one with Keri Russell). There's this guy who stands like a bouncer at the entrance to the actual theater room and checks your receipt to make sure you paid to watch the film. He is of the same complexion and looks of the guy that was at the concession stand last week - he wasn't so breathtakingly gorgeous, but he was hot, and a little unkempt - like he forgot to shave that morning. (Yes, please!) But this guy actually singled me out to talk to me as I showed him my ticket. It was just small talk, but I didn't see him talk to anyone else, and it made me feel special, and he was hot. Anyway, that's all. Time to go home and celebrate my birthday in good company!

Room decorating contest

The people just came to take pictures of our room for the annual room decorating contest. Oh my God, can you say "gay?" The university housing guy recognized my room from last year's contest because I had the poster of Captain Jack Sparrow by my bed. I have to admit that he has excellent taste because he said it was a very, very good poster.

Three sheets to the wind...

And boy am I dizzy! So far the only effect that alcohol has had on me, and by alcohol I mean two smirnoff ices and one bottle of Ballatore spumante champagne, is that I am very sleepy and a little dizzy. And if this damn room would stop spinning, I might be able to tell you more! But, the cool thing, is that everything is much, much funnier now. If I laugh, I cannot stop laughing. This is awesome!

The First Sip

Click here...

Happy Birthday to Me! (<--click here)
And yes, that's me in the picture!
The song is more than appropriate, don't you think, for a 21st birthday?

I LOVE Pirates 3!

Excuse my vigor, but I really do love Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End! I saw it when it came out, and thought it a bit long but excellently done. I saw it again on Friday last, and was pleasantly reminded of how good a movie it is. I saw it again tonight, barely an hour ago, and I still must say that it is one fine movie. Not because of Johnny Depp (though he certainly helps), but because it is wonderful in its own right. It's practically three hours long, but tonight, on my third viewing, I didn't look at my watch once until it was over. I'm really, really struggling to find a fault with this movie, and I can't. I can't find a loose end, a plot-hole, or any bad acting. The actors were great, the special effects were awesome, the story is wonderful, the score is probably my favorite movie score ever, and I collect movie scores. The people who composed the score are complete geniuses, and complete jackasses for not including it in its entirety on the soundtrack I purchased. I love the score, I love the movie, I love it all! I know that to lesser fans of the movies, or to those who are not fans of the movie, you cannot begin comprehend the feeling in my words. I pity you. I can't wait until it comes out on DVD!

Of Sparta and Apples

I twiddled around with some screen-caps of the movie 300, and added a few choice phrases to liven things up a bit. Note: if you didn't see the movie, you probably won't get the Apple jokes.

Random Sighting

Becca and I went to the mall last night to find a birthday present for a friend of hers. We (Becca) finally decided to get Tiffany a slice of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. So, Becca and I made our way there (we were on the opposite side of the mall). Just as we rounded the corner that would bring us face-to-face with the entrance, a couple passed us going in the opposite direction. What's so remarkable about a couple, you might ask. Well, what struck me was the look of absolute happiness on the man's face. He had his arm around his girlfriend (I assume), and she was leaning into him. Neither one seemed to feel the need to speak and break the moment. He looked completely content, like life couldn't get any better for him than being with her at that moment. I don't know how else to describe it. I don't know why I noticed it - it was just one of those things. But it made me smile to see it. Maybe I'm just being sentimental and romantic. After all, I did meet someone... OK, not that kind of someone, but a memorable someone. He made a very lasting impression on me...I don't know if it was how intelligent and witty he was, or if it was how refreshingly well-mannered he was, or if it was just because he was cute...but, like I said, he made a very favorable and lasting impression on me. If only I knew his name! He's not in any of my classes, I don't know what major he is, or if he's a graduate, doctoral, or post-bac student (I think he was a bit older than most undergraduates). I don't know a thing about him, except that he likes organic chemistry and that he's a great guy. If people had theme music, then the love actually tune (the one that plays when there's an initial attraction between any two characters) would have sounded as I met him. But enough about that, it's time to study for Biochemistry!

Make a wish, Dad!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Not my best work.

His first card of the night and already it's a doosie!

A classic saying brings mirth once again.

Funnily enough, the pages are completely blank.

Preview of coming attractions.

Some pictures speak for themselves.

I sense a theme.

Just in case you didn't know Dad is also Terry.

Some people were cranky...

...and some people were tired.

The awww of the evening.

Zoey was feeling a little possessed...perhaps
it was the snake venom coursing through
her veins...do we have another
Bonnie in the making??

Lady in The Water, Revisited

Whilst studying for biochemistry, I decided to let the movie Lady in The Water play on in the background (a truly effective studying technique). The movie was written, directed, and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, a genius in my opinion when it comes to movies and good stories. The plot of the movie is based on a bedtime story that he made up for his daughters. Upon watching the movie again, I mean listening to it whilst I studied, I have come to see it in a better light - if you remember my review of it when first I saw it, I said it was too improbable, that the characters believed the plot too quickly, that there was no skepticism. I still maintain that opinion, although not quite as harshly as before. I think it is a good movie, and it made me tear up a little, which is usually an indicator of a good movie by my standards. Don't get me wrong... not every movie that moves me is good...I was struggling to cry silently during the beginning of Disturbia and seriously considered leaving during the first ten minutes because it upset me so much...and I would not call Disturbia a good movie...I wouldn't call it anything other than disturbing, come to think of it. But I stray from my purpose. As Lady in The Water came to an end, I let the credits play on while I became more attentive to my biochemistry text. Then at the end of the credits, M. Night Shyamalan left a very sweet message:

To my daughters, I'll tell you this story one more time.

But then go to bed.

Tutoring

This semester I returned to the weekly assigned tutoring program. Last semester, I took the course that taught me the basics of how to do everything, and then this semester I'm sort-of on my own. But I do have a supervisor, and I do have to set aside two tutoring-sessions this semester to be observed by my supervisor. My first one of these sessions was last Friday. My supervisor is a very nice woman named Joy, and she observed me tutoring a student in Chemistry 201, quantitative chemistry. After the session, Joy and I met to discuss the session. She said I did wonderfully - that I used wait-time, guiding questions, closed-ended questions, helpful study hints, and delayed-positive reinforcement, things that other tutors had trouble incorporating into their sessions. We discussed the areas that I wanted to improve in, and then we talked in general about the tutorial program itself. I asked how many tutors there were total. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 60-75. That translates to less that 200 students who are able to use the weekly-assigned tutoring program (where one tutor meets regularly with the same 2-4 students all semester). I asked how many people apply for tutoring services per year. Over one-thousand, and the number has been going up every semester. That means that only about twenty percent of the students who apply for tutorial services actually receive them! They (the Undergraduate Tutorial Center - UTC) had been brainstorming ideas about how to increase that percent. One factor that contributes to such a low percent is the fact that some students apply for the WA program every semester. They have 4.0's, they are smart, they could get through the class just fine by themselves, but they want the security blanket of a tutor. They would do better visiting a sign-up tutor as they need it, or visiting one of the drop-in tutorial centers whenever the need arises. That would clear room for the students who don't think they'll need a tutor, and then several weeks into the course, around about the time they have their first exam, they find that they were gravely mistaken and need help. But by then, there are no more WA tutors, and those people are pretty much SOL. How to change that...? I had one idea...have two deadlines for the WA program. Let people apply early, and then assign them to one batch of Tutors. Then wait a month and assign the people that apply then to the other WA tutors - perhaps the tutors-in-training that are in the class. I wonder if that would work - Joy thought it was a good idea (that made me feel good). But ever since I heard that the need for tutors was so unmet, I have been thinking about how to change that. I'd like to see more students involved in the tutoring program as tutors. One way to increase that would pinpoint the classes that students need tutors for most often (mathematics, chemistry, physics, foreign languages). Then midway during the semester, just before registration, go and talk to several sections of each class and tell students about the tutorial center. Tell them that if they are doing well in the class, and they are enjoying the class, then they might want to help other people do well and enjoy the course in future semesters, and get paid while doing it. If they are interested in tutoring, they would still have time to register for the course (ECI 210: Introduction to Collegiate Tutoring). Just a thought. . .

Things are not always what they seem...

Neither are the dates of exams, even after I check them again and again. For about two weeks, I have been laboring under the impression that I have two exams this Friday, and when I checked the syllabi for both classes yesterday, I found that I was mistaken. I have no idea why I thought that, but I have to say it was a nice feeling to push them back a bit. It was also a nice feeling to take a nap this afternoon. I have been tired all day, so when I got back from class and finished some homework, I popped on Dirty Jobs for a bit and when I felt myself drifting off, I turned off the tube and rolled over. I woke up about an hour later, completely refreshed and disoriented. And I think I swallowed my gum because I had it in my mouth before I went to sleep, and I couldn't find it when I awoke. Anyway, off to a quick dinner and then more tutoring....

Le dimanche

It's a lovely Sunday afternoon, and here I am again, procrastinating on Biochemistry. Some things will never change.

Last night, Dad called to say hi and he said that he'd finally finished with the fence - that he'd strung all 2,600 feet of the wire, plugged it up, and took Zoey out for a stroll. Then he says that it works, and Zoey is hiding in a corner of the house, refusing to come outside. Of course, I asked for more information. Apparently, Dad, in his great zeal to see if the fence worked, cranked the fence up as high as it would go, then let Zoey out of the house. The first thing she did was try to get into the chicken pen, and the fence zapped her collar. She backed away. She then tried to jump the fence where she has normally been getting out, and her colllar zapped her. She then went to the last place where she could get out easily, and in mid jump, the collar zapped her. After that, she took off, full speed ahead towards the house and won't come out. Poor dear!

Le Samedi

It's a lovely Saturday afternoon, and here I am procrastinating on studying for Biochemistry. Rebecca and I spent the morning sleeping, drinking coffee, and then eating breakfast. After that, we spent several hours at the mall shopping for Dad's birthday. I had several good ideas, and one did pan out. We bought presents from Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, Hallmark, Sears, Bath & Body Works, and Barnes&Nobles. I spent almost seventy dollars today, but I got a present for Dad's Birthday, a card for Dad, a present for Mom's birthday, and several presents for their anniversary (which was last weekend). I feel great about all the purchases, and even greater about my Venti Java Chip Frappuccino from Starbucks. Becca's out doing something with her friends; for some reason she absolutely cannot stand staying in the room for extended periods of time. Me, I'm quite content never to leave save for the dining hall and classes.

I have entered the room into this year's NCSU Room Decorating Contest. We didn't win last year, but Callie's and my room must have been ranked quite highly as it has been featured in the housing magazine and the flier for this year's Contest. Perhaps, if I display a bit of NCSU school spirit (I'll have to conjure it from somewhere because I don't have any myself), the room might make it into the top three. First place gets $50 on iTunes, second gets $40, and third gets $30. I'll settle for third.

I think it's time to get back to biochemistry...although it really isn't that bad, just tedious. But I really liked memorizing the structures of the amino acids. I have an exam on Friday, and a quiz on Monday, so I have to get cracking. Can you believe I'm actually taking the time to read the book and outline the chapter?!?

P.S. The people upstairs have been humping away non-stop since Friday morning. You'd think that they'd think to oil the bed frame so it didn't creak so tellingly. I think they even did it in a chair, because I could hear a chair rocking away quite forcefully for several minutes last night. Sodding shaggers.

Ma Famille.

Ma grande-mère, la mère de ma mère, s'appelle Betty. Grand-mère Betty a les cheveux blancs, courts et frisés et les yeux bleus. Elle a soixante-dix deux ans. Son mari, mon grand-père Bob, c'est mort. Ils ont quatre enfants, qui s'appellent Alan, Jean, Carol et Donna. Donna est ma mère. Elle a cinquante-quatre ans. Ma mère a les cheveux marron, courts et frisés et elle a les yeux verts. Ma mère est grande, mince et belle.

Ma autre grande-mère, la mère de mon père, s'appelle Anne ou grand-mère Cumbie. Grand-mère Cumbie a quatre-vingt six ans. Elle est petite, forte et vieille. Elle a les cheveux blancs, courts et frisés et les yeux bleus. Son mari, mon grand-père Cumbie, c'est mort. Ils ont sept enfants, qui s'appellent James, Nathan, William, Patricia, Wilma Jean et Johnny. William est mon père, mais il s'appelle Terry. Mon père est grand, fort et beau. Il a les cheveux courts, noirs et blancs et les yeux marron. Il a soixante-deux ans.

J'ai trois demis-soeurs, deux demis-frères, un frère et une soeur. La plus vieille est ma demi-soeur Renee - elle a quarante et un ans. Elle a les cheveux longs, marron et frisés et les yeux marron. Son mari, mon beau-frère, s'appelle Gene. Gene et Renee ont trois enfants, qui s'appellent Michele, Brittany et Josh. Brittany a seize ans et Josh a quartorze ans. Ma nièce Michele a vingt-cinq ans, elle a un mari qui s'appelle Brandon, et deux enfants qui s'appellent Kayla, qui a neuf ans, et Tyler, qui a trois ans.

Lisann est ma demi-soeur aussi. Je ne sais pas combien ans a-elle. Elle a les cheveux marron, courts et frisés. Elle est de taille moyenne et elle est belle. Son mari s'appelle Michael. Ils ont deux enfants: ma nièce Meghan et mon neveu Curann. Je ne sais pas combien ans avons-ils.

Rita est ma demi-soeur aussi. Je ne sais pas combien ans a-elle. Elle est petite, blonde, et belle. Elle a des lunettes. Son mari s'appelle Patrick. Ils ont un enfant, ma nièce Skye.

T.J., mon demi-frère, est le plus vieux. Il a trente-trois ans. Il est blonde, de taille moyenne, et beau. Il a les yeux bleus et il a des lunettes.

Darren, mon autre demi-frère, a vingt-six ans. Il est grand, mince, et marron. Il a les yeux marron et il a des lunettes. Sa femme, ma beau-soeur, s'appelle Kim. Kim a trente et un ans. Elle est petite et belle. Elle a les cheveux marron, courts et frisés.

J'ai vingt ans. Je suis de taille moyenne. J'ai des lunettes, les cheveux longs et marron, et les yeux verts.

Mon frère Robert a dix-neuf ans. Il est le plus jeune. Il est grand ( grand beaucoup), marron, et mince. Il a les yeux marron.

Rebecca, ma soeur, est la plus jeune. Elle a dix-sept ans. Elle a les cheveux marron, raides, et longs. Elle a les yeux verts. Elle est petite, mince, et belle.

Sexy Swagger

I read today that the ratio of waist to hip measurements to give a woman the perfect sexy sway had been mathematically determined to be 0.70. Jessica Alba, with her measurements (I don't recall them now, but you can be sure they were small) has a perfect 0.70 - making the movement of her hips sexier than Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, and Scarlet Johansen. She even trumped Marylin Monroe, who came in at 0.69. Isn't it neat how they could calculate the most 'pleasing' ratio?!? I told Becca, and she wanted her measurements to calculate her ratio. I whipped out the tape measure I keep in my desk (it's part of a sewing kit) and let her measure away. Her ratio: 0.789; a little off. Then she told me to take my measurements and calculate my ratio. So I did, and she entered it into the calculator. Guess what it was...a perfect 0.700! Fancy that!

What is going on???

Our Ford Windstar breaks down and dies. We get a new car. Becca's phone starts malfunctioning, she gets a new (used) phone. That phone is in a bad way. She may be getting a new (used) phone. My phone is malfunctioning. I don't know what is happening!