Thought I had 40... This is number 40!!!

Ok, I thought I had forty. After going back and counting I had to write one more. What to write about? I could write about the number 40 or how much I love Professor Jones... hoping I'll get an "A" in the class!!! (big smiles) Instead I'm going to write about how frustrated am I because I can not register for classes until the 8th of December. Other people get to register as early as November 8th, but for whatever reason I have the latest date. This isn't fair!!! All the classes are going to fill up and i'm going to be stuck with underwater basketweaving <-- which might be fun but it does not meet the Gordon Rule or any of my prerequistes. All I know for sure is that I am taking Chemistry II and somet type of history. I also need to take Statistics but it clashes with the Chemistry schedule so if anything I'll save it for the following semester. Ok well have a good rest of semester everyone and good luck on the finals. See you guys around!

NO MORE ENGLISHHH

I'd like to take this time to thank Professor Jones for canceling English for the rest of the semester; such a great idea! It was absolutely wonderful to be able to wake up today at 1:00pm, on a school day. I am looking forward to many more of those days to come... except I got stuck with 9:40am on 11/30. I was kind of hoping for an afternoon appointment but I didn't feel so bad when I saw everyone else had appointments before 11 anyway. Yet the people you didn't come to class that day got 1:15 appointments.. What's up wiht that?!?!? I should've not went so than I also could have gotten a later appointment. Oh well... Until than have a good Thanksgiving ya'll... I'll be sleeping as usual.

:(

One of my good friends back home has two dogs, Molly and Opal. One was blind and diabetic and the other had liver problems. I thought it was so crazy how the diabetic one always hadt o get insulin shots and had to take meds for the blindness. The liver one had to have specially prepared foods and I don't know it seemed crazy.
Well when I get to college my roommate begins to tell me about her dogs. Her dogs have pet insurance because they are always getting injured; broken legs, torn ACLs. Oreo suffered from cataracts and soon after blindness in one eye as well as glaucoma. Vanilla suffered from severe allergies that would cause her to bite the fur off her legs. Vanilla also had liver problems and she was taking medicine that caused blindness.
This I thought was crazy. The medical problems all these dogs were having was unimaginable. The amount of money, time, effort, to take care of these dogs seemed endless. The grief the families must feel to watch these dogs deteoriate. From what i've heard having a dog is like having a brother or sister or daughter or son, they're apart of your family and when you loose a family member you loose apart of you.
For my roomie... RIP Vanilla.... kisses.

Lips

Lips is a transvestite restaurant/bar in soho. I've been there 3 times and every time I have a blast. It's really small but very well known; a common spot for bachelorette parties. I normally go with a group of friends; we have a blast. Many conservative southerners down here are like "oh my god... you went to see transvestites?!?!" So what? Have the conservative woman down here have never even stepped into a Hooters.
Well let me talk about this restaurant. The food is not excellent but the performance is amazing. Everyone who works there is a transvestite, some are even surgically altered others are just dressing up for the fun of it. They sing, they dance, they act. They sit down at your table and talk to you about guys, sex, drinks, everything. The stage is at the same level as you so they involve the audience in all their performances. Birthday girls get ot wear cute hats that say happy birhtdya and blow candles out between there legs, bachelorettes parties sing karaoke and kiss the transvestite <-- of course everyone is drunk. Oh yea and if your a guy beware!!! They attack the men dance with him, shove their crotches in their faces... it's all in good fun though. It's just a good time!

Growing up Gotti

Ok Howard Beach is the community I live in Queens and it is unlike any community i've ever seen in my life. WE ARE ALL ITALIAN!!! Have you ever seen Growing up Gotti? Ok imagine guys just like the ones on that show EVERYWHERE! I grew up with those, Brooklyn talking and clean cut I-get-my-eyebrows-done looking guys. Driving around in their parents Benz's and BMW's. I mean NYC is full of very segregated communities. For example is prodominately African American, Corona (Queens) is prodominately spanish, Flushing (Queens) prodominately Asian. It makes sense to have a neighborhood that is extremely Italian. Wel my community is very racist, but the food is amazing! We have some of the best Italian restaurants in all of Queens. John Gotti's son lives not to far from me. A Bronx Tale, those of you who don't know was not filmed in the Bronx, it was filmed in Astoria, Queens. This is also not to far from me. If ya'll haven't noticed.. I'm homesick...

Oye como va

I have no idea what those words mean... but they are famous on the "A" train. Everyone who comes to the city has their funny stories about the homeless people, money collectors, street performers, etc. Well when you live there it's an everyday thing, nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. You sleep through the performances, you ignore the money collectors, there's just no time and no patience for that crap. I've seen it all, but there's one guy that stands out in my mind. I'm on the "A" train at 2am on a Saturday <--- not the safest idea for a young white girl, but whatever. The train is pretty empty. (Ding Dong) Doors close an a short, Mexican man with a stuffed horse attached to his behind and a guitar in his hand gets onto the train. He's wearing a sombarro and a horse's hind legs and behind are attached to him as if he also was a horse. I don't know how exactly to explain it but being a little tipsy and seeing this is hysterical. He begins to strum and sing completely out of key "oye como va... bueno anos da..." I don't know the words as you can see but I don't think he knew them either. I had to give that guy a dollar just because he had big enough balls to do something crazy like that at crazy hours of the night. All I can say to that is... Only in NY!

Rockafellar Ctr.

What's the best part of Christmas? For me, it's Rockafellar Ctr. Christmas just wouldn't be the same if I didn't go. Everyone should at one point see this beautiful site. The tree's height can not be put into words. Forget about pictures you will only the trunk and yourself in the picture. The rink, which is right below it, is jam packed with people. Except to wait online to skate at least 2hours, and yes this is all in the freezing cold. Not to mention Macy's down the block puts dolls in the window doing different things people crowd around and it's like an organized event. Security guards line you up to see Macy's windows full of goodies. My family's ritual was then to eat at Tad's steak house a couple blocks away but someday I would love to eat at Tavern on the Green, one of the most expensive restaurants in the city. You get into an elevator in the middle of the sidewalk and take it underground. The restaurant is under Rockafellar Center and it is directly lined up with the iceskating rink so the wealthy people eating can laugh at us clumsy ice skaters. I am a true romantic so my favorite part is how at least 4 guys on the ice skating rink, throughout the course of 4 hours, get down on one knee and ask their loved ones for their hand in marriage. Everyone in the rink stops skating, the hundereds of people walking by stop walking, and everyone stops to clap and cheer... for every couple. It didn't matter how many times it happened we still clapped and watch the girl freak out and hug their fiancee. Someday that'll be me...

What about Bright Futures.. for me?

What about out-of-state scholarships? Florida colleges give so much money to students who graduated from Florida high schools. What about us out-of-staters? I have a bright future too ya kno? I feel like it is discrimination. I am being discriminated against because I didn't graduate high school down here. They give out free tuition... FREE Tuition to students plus textbooks. Wanna know what I got from USF? $400. Yes, ladies and gents, a mesely $400 for a parking permit and a bag of potato chips. Thanks for coming to USF, have fun spending your money at the local deli!!!

Semester #1

ALL DONEEEE <-- well almost. Only about two weeks left of my first semester at college. I can't believe it. The time did fly. I have only 2 finals on the first day which is amazing. As soon as i'm done I will out of here for one whole month... I'm more than excited i'm estatic. It's all I talk about how i'll be back in my city in less than 3 weeks. Until than I have due dates, meetings, and a couple more classes to attend. This is when things get harder; i'm pressed for time. Tuesday these blogs are due, math test on Tuesday, dance paper due Tuesday, and Chem assignment due Tuesday. Not to mention the following week I have another Chem assignment due as well as an exam the following day. This is no time for me to be slacking and thinking about the city... MUSTTTT FOCUSSSSS.

Away at college.

I wanted to go away to college. It's been something I've wanted since I was young. It's an independent experience, defintely something I wanted to do. Although it is not for everyone I knew I could handle it. Well I was going away up until June my mother decides to buy a house 20 minutes north of here; so much for going away right? I mean going away has its pros and cons. Whenever I need my mother she's right there and it tends to be very convinent... at times. Other times I will get a phone call on a Saturday morning at like 10am, "Jill I stopped by to say hello!" That is a definite con! I'm sleeping and I have to wake up and entertain guests. I dunno I guess if I really wanted to I could transfer to another school, but I guess I could get used to it. I mean she is my mom.

Thriftin'

Alright I'll teach you college students a thing or two about thriftin'. NYC- #1 thrift stores in the country.. wanna know why? What makes a good thrift store? The area/neighborhood it's in, preferably wealthy. Wealthy neighborhood=people with nice things=good quality items at thrift stores. Upper East Side the thrift stores are soooo expensive... I mean hello it's a thrift store!!! Well these stores can still put a price of $200 on a used Gucci bag and people will still buy it. Well down here I've been shopping around, looking for some quality thrift stores. I can't say i've found much but I do enjoy thriftin anyway. You never know what you will find for amazing prices. Some people will be like "EEWWWWWW you wear used clothing?!?!?" I mean first of all you will be able to get items for like 1/4 of the price and you know what as long as there's no stains, holes, tears, throw it into the laundry, give it a good washing... and WALA... it's good as new!

Insomnia

Every college student has insomnia... ok maybe not serious, diagnosed insomnia but we all are up at all hours of the night doing work, partying, staring at the ceiling. Ok but I'm beginning to think I have serious issues. Friday night I was up until 8 am, yes, 8am and you know what? I wasn't even doing anything I just couldn't sleep. School nights i'm up until 4am and that is the earliest. This past week every night up until 5:30am and you know what happens it causes me to then go to wake up like 4pm in the afternoon. This cause and effect system is messing up my sleep schedule. I am on a crazy schedule go to sleep late, wake up late, go to sleep late, wake up late. Oh and forget about me trying to get back on schedule. I've tried everything from counting sheep to making myself tired by reading to setting my alarm very early to wake up early and start my day... but then there's the snooze button, us college students are very familiar with that damn snooze button. Right now its 10:55pm i'll be going to sleep in about 5 hours my night has just begun wooohooooo!!!!

Give to the poor!

Alright, everyone was right: college students are broke! It's confirmed. I am poor and the socks i'm wearing as we speak are not mine, the ramen noodles are beginning to taste like sewage, and let me not even think about textbooks for next semester because I might have to borrow from the library!!! Ok gas to go up to NY... at least 100 bucks and where is that gonnna come from? Hmmm... there should be a book or website out about how to make quick and easy money in college because we are all poooorrrrr! My mother warned me, my father warned me, my friends warned me. First couple weeks here I was sure whatever i'll be fine: lets eat at the Olive Garden, let's go to Busch Gardens, let's go see Incubus. Couple months later, hey where's all my money?!? Wish I listened...

Class... oh yea!

Waking up for class is defintely the hassle of a lifetime. I had such a difficulty senior year and college is no different especially since they have these things called lecture halls. Why is god's name should I get up for class if it doesn't matter? Chemistry lecture hall... I haven't been there in a month and I'm still doing decent. So why go?
My decision to come to a big school is what I got myself into. My boyfriend goes to a school of about 2,000 students all undergraduates and his classes consist of about 15 kids per class. But should students have to be treated like high schoolers, where attendance in mandatory? I think not. I think small colleges like Ohio Wesleyan (where my bf goes) are meant for those that need someone on there back like go to class or for people who need to attend class because they can't understand the material without it. College should be work-at-your-own-pace and teach yourself and if you need help or tutoring look into it which is why many schools offer online courses.

Walk through the space...

This semester I took an amazing class offered here at USF called Dance Improvisation. I advise anyone who enjoys acting like a kid and getting an A for it to take this class next semester. It was the most amazing class i've ever taken in my life. It's fun and laidback. It was 3-4:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Professor Morris (just call her Merry Lynn) would take attendance at the beginning then we would "walk through the space." She would ask us to be, feel, act like certain objects or types of movements. For example we would pretend we were being pushed or pulled, pretend we were a bird, pretend we were being tossed or squashed. We would play games like relay races. We would do fun projects in groups where we would draw things then show what they look like with our bodies. The great thing about this class is may feel stupid at first but everyone is doing it so everyone looks stupid and it's a lot of fun because we all act silly and so does the professor.

Sandy

I am so happy for my birthday my parents got me a car... yes ladies and gents a car! My baby (my first car) had to be sold before I left to college because it had to air conditioning and a car with no air conditioning in Florida would be insane. I sold it to my best friend who is taking good care of it and when I go up to New York in December I will be able to drive it.
Back to my new car, my parents found a 96 saturn in good condition. She is tan and cute and I'm very happy. I get her in a month just in time to drive all the way up to New York with my roommate which I am extremely excited about. It'll be a real road trip in my new car and I can't wait. I wish the time would come sooner. I really am so excited about going back to city. I am so looking forward to seeing all my friends, dad, old coworkers, visiting my old high school, my old dance studio, everything and everyone else I left behind. (sigh) I'm so happy!
PS- Sandy is what I named my Saturn because it's tan like sand and saturn SA, sandy... get it?!?

I should get paid for this....

I should get paid for all the damn promoting I do for USF. Everyone I know in New York knows I brag about my school. The past semester a couple friends came to visit and all of them really enjoyed it and most of all loved the weather. One of friends may even apply here. I convinced my boyfriend to apply here. I am bringing USF a lot money and recognition by getting people to apply and by me just always talking about the school. USF should hire me as an official promoter in New York I will make a lot of money... Hey you come to FL the weather is beautiful and right now i'm only wearing a tank top and a skirt... that gets them everytime because right now everyone is wearing winter coats already and i'm rubbing in there faces how I only need like a long sleeve shirt and i'm set for the day.

Guavaween=Mardi Gras

Alright as you all know by now i'm from NYC and i've seen some of the craziest things downtown in village on halloween... but may I remind you it does involve costume and clothing I might add. Guavaween should have been Mardi Gras for all of Tampa. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I went with a bunch of friends; we all happen to be out-of-staters so none of us were familiar with what went on at this festival. Boy were we in for a surprise!!! I mean I was fighting guys off me. It was terrible; I felt so trashy and on top of that was the attitude of every girl there was shameful. My friends and I could not believe the rudeness and disrespect men displayed for women and how vulnerable and sleezy the women appeared for men. The only safe place on that street for respectable women was the clubs. I felt safer and calmer in a club then on that damn street. GEEZ! Someone had mentioned if I don't like Guavaween don't come to Gasparilla... whatever that means!

The Second Review

The other review I chose was the only other lengthy review I came across with decent comments and statements about the movie. This reviewer, Josh Stoik, discusses how Animal House is classic and surpasses all the rest of the movies similar to it but because it was the original it is loved by many. Stoik also discusses, similar to Ebert, that it's "not about the lines but the way they are delivered." He also mentions how the movie is too lenient about letting the crimes committed like rape and under-aged drinking slide by and the conclusion causes everyone to root for the Delta fraternity. The key thing mentioned in this review is "Animal House is such a timeless classic that is based on such traditional stereotypes that will probably never change."

Ebert's Movie Review

It took me quite sometime to find a legitimate movie review source for the movie Animal House. Mainly because the newspaper websites did not review movies dated back past 1983 and the other reviewers I came across were like one paragraph long and were random people just making comments on the movie. I finally came across Roger Ebert's review of Animal House. Ebert rates the movie with 4 stars and discusses why Animal House is so funny and still so popular mainly because of its raunchy one liners and the actors playing the parts played them well. He feels the a big part of a comedy is how the actor creates "this sort of comic pitch."