Happy Thanksgiving to all, a day late. To be cheesy and fulfill my holiday duty, I am thankful for the turn my life has taken in the past few months because I'm very much enjoying the things I'm currently doing with myself.
On to other holiday duties... FOOD! I ate so much food that I woke up this morning still full and didn't eat until way in the afternoon. But damn, was that food yummy! And now there are tons of leftovers, which is really good but also really bad when it comes to getting too full. But how could one resist Mrs. Fine's Thanksgiving Menu? Let me just give a brief overview of the various foods I fully enjoyed yesterday:
Started off with red wine, crackers and guacamole with hot salsa, amazing stuffed mushrooms, and roasted red peppers
Moved to the table with normal, gluten-free and vegetarian stuffing, gluten-free cornbread with spinach and cheese, delicious sweet potatoes, loads of mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts with lemon sauce, and more that I'm totally forgetting.
After that was some tea, followed by (gluten-free, of course) pumpkin pie, pecan pie and apple pie, with ice-cream on the side.
YUM!!!!!
So all of this food was consumed at Dave's parents' house in Boston. For the first time ever, I spent a holiday with my boyfriend's family! And it was great. I was a bit nervous going into it, just because of the whole concept, but it was great in so many ways and very silly for me to have been nervous at all. First off, as proven in the above menu, his mom is a fabulous cook and was very sweet about my being a veg. She made tons of vegetarian food, making sure to use vegetable broth and separate utensils while cooking. She also put the turkey on a cabinet and made everyone go over and serve themselves, rather than placing it on the table where it would be in my view. What a sweet and thoughtful woman! I felt special. Aside from the delicious food, I got to spend more time with both of them, and getting to know your partner's parents really gives a deeper understanding of your partner in a way that I appreciate. Both Dave and his mom are similar in that they're very aware of emotions and people and the world in general, yet manage to escape certain societal pressures and live in their own worlds without being removed from reality. It's just really cool to get to know her; I like her a lot.
I'm also learning more about his father, who is very political and passionate and funny. At first I was a little nervous about what he thought of me, but now it's a lot more comfortable, and I'm really enjoying getting to know them both while also letting them get to know me. I'm quite glad our relationship is going well! My ex-boyfriend's parents could not believe I was the girl their son dragged in... a poor hick with dreadlocks from KY? Really, did you have to do this to us? That's the attitude Nick's mother assumed when I was around, and it made me feel really uncomfortable (obviously). I'm really happy that Dave has such warm, open, cool parents.
Yay Thanksgiving.
Other things on my mind: recently overheard feminine conversations. The other day, I was riding on the subway and overheard these two twentysomething girls talking about shopping for underwear. One of them said she needed to buy new underwear and that right at that moment, she was wearing her period underwear and wanted to buy new, cute ones. When I heard this I broke into a huge smile because I knew exactly what she was talking about. EVERY girl has her period underwear...those ugly, granny pants that have stains all inside them and are either pink, red or printed with something cheesy like big snowflakes. I would bet that the large majority of women in this world, due to personal experience, understand the concept of "period underwear."
So wait, why is it weird to talk about our periods? I'm sure most people reading are cringing right now, and probably all the boys will choose not to continue further. But that seems ridiculous to me. I hate it when our periods are this gross, hush-hush topic, and I love it when I hear women openly and loudly talking about it on subways. What's wrong with the word "tampon?" Why is "feminine needs" more acceptable than "Tampons, Pads, Etc" in the grocery store aisles? Why do men act offended and ask us to stop talking about it, or pretend to cover their ears when we compare cramps and aches? Our periods are how you got here, mister. Yeah, they're pretty gross, but almost all women have suffered through a period, most likely many of them, and that's just how it is. There are gross things in life that we talk about all the time. I.e., fighting and getting all beat up is pretty gross, but some people actually pay money to watch fights, and lots of people definitely talk about them with frequency. But I bet there are more people in this world have their periods than people who get into bloody fist fights.
So on this holiday weekend, think not only of what you are thankful for or what food you just overstuffed yourself with or what crazy family member you just saw, but think also of the female menstrual cycle.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
I Am Completely Average
The GREs are over! Woo! I scored completely average on the verbal and math sections and am thrilled (the writing scores come later, but I feel very positive about them). All I needed was to score exactly in the middle, and with only two weeks of somewhat regular studying, I managed to do just that. Yay! My programs of choice have all said they don't pay much attention to the GRE scores (focusing mainly on the portfolio), and I read in my study book that most programs in humanities and arts only pay attention to scores that are exceptionally low or high. I am neither. I am contentedly, exceptionally average.
Whew. SOOO nice to have them done! I was a mess. I pooped three times before I even made it into the testing center (woo, IBS) and bit my nails down to their nubs. The test is so long that by the last section, I was tapping my feet and popping my back every few minutes, to the point that I got nervous the proctors might think I was cheating. So then I stopped turning around but starting fiddling with my ring until that got boring, and then I started slouching and sitting up, over and over. Damn, it really took a lot of mental energy out of me! For a few hours afterwards, I felt completely spaced and exhausted. Wonderful Lizzy was there to rescue me, cook for me, liquor me up, paint with me, and then take me out for a rockin' good time where we danced like crazy with some even crazier friends. It was the perfect way to end an otherwise shitty day! And now I never have to stress out about the GREs again.
Except that I'm still feeling the stress! But I've learned that this is how I work. My body and mind goes into this mode of completion, so that I do what I need do while definitely feeling a little nervous but not necessarily feeling stressed out... until afterwards. Right when I no longer have anything to stress out about is when my body feels it all. Every semester, I would come down with a cold a few days after finals and be all tight and stressy, but during finals I felt perfectly fine and motivated. I just go into this mode of studying, or doing whatever else I need to do to get things done, and then as soon as I can relax, all the stress hits me. I was soooo exhausted yesterday, and since the test have felt very tense and tight. I got an unusual headache on Sunday and again today, and during yoga I was just out of sorts. My body felt tight and a little shaky, and my head felt muddy. It's strange, but this happens after every big, stressful situation. I guess I just go into this "get 'er done" mode and then once everything's been done, my body is like, "Okay, now that we did what we needed to do, let's be all tight and cranky and achy so we can get all that hard work and tension out of us." But blah! I don't like it.
I also don't like being in a long-distance relationship. Nor do I like being separated from Jess, my best friend from college who I lived with until I moved here. Both Dave and Jess came to visit on Sunday, and it was just so exciting to see them. Then they both left and that definitely added to my crankiness. It's hard! Woe is me!
In other news, I'm making bank lately. Linda went out of town last week and then on Monday, her boss told her that she would be going out of town again for three days, and had a flight scheduled for her in the next TWELVE HOURS. So, I've been practically living with the girls but making excellent money as a result of it. But despite the money (which weirds me out sometimes that I get paid to step in for Mom...), I feel like I've hit my rope with Marie and am definitely needing a break. Thanksgiving is well-timed. The past month has overall been better than the first two, and I feel like we're really falling into a groove where she gets her homework done with minimal struggle and we understand each other a bit more. But she just constantly mouths off about anything. It seems like being nice is impossible for her, but being sarcastic and snotty is natural. And oftentimes it's quite entertaining and funny, but after a long day (I was with them for 14 hours the other day because they were out of school for parent-teacher conferences and Linda was at their conferences and then at work), it's just really grating. And waking up in the mornings with her is hard because we're both such not morning people it's awful. We barely speak to each other, and when we do, it's not pleasant.
Overall though, we have definitely made leaps from when I first started. I've learned much more about her and how she operates and had a big realization while I was camping that I'm often too hard on her. I tend to hold her responsible for quite a lot without remembering that she's still only ten. What a weird age! In some ways, she's very mature, smart and grown up, but in other ways she's incredibly immature. And in more other ways, she's still a fun-loving, silly kid. But I can see the contradiction in her of wanting to be an older girl but still wanting to be a kid. And I remember how hard of a struggle it was for me. I specifically remember my first week of 6th grade, when a friend of mine and I asked the principal when recess was, and he replied, "Girls, you're in middle school now, we don't have recess here." It was embarrassing and such a let-down at the same time. And it's really hard for me to see her express the pain of missing her mother and just not being able to do anything about it. Though she'll never talk about the emotions honestly ("Nah, I don't miss her, she's only gone for three days!" which is followed by an incredible outburst over my having used the pen she wanted to use for homework), it's clear that she's very angry about her mother's work schedule, and misses her tremendously, and I am not at all a replacement and she resents me in some ways because I'm the person that represents her mother's absence. But in other ways, she loves me and realizes I'm not a bad guy and can really have a lot of fun with me. It's just that we've spent so much time together in the passed two weeks! I think we're on each other's nerves. But I'm glad to see general progress. And Angela and I absolutely adore one another. Her birthday was recently and I had a lot of fun picking out presents and burning CDs for her. And we went shopping together the other day, and at one point she grabbed my hand and led me to a rack so I could give her advice. She feels like a little sis already, and she's just so damn cool that I'm excited about our relationship.
That's the latest. The GREs are over, my work schedule should be more normal in the next few weeks, I have a break coming up, and am actually looking very forward to working more on my portfolio. I miss that, because for the passed two weeks I've dedicated most of my writing time toward learning new vocabulary and reviewing geometry. But no more! My stories have never seen a more dedicated Becky...
Except when she's sleepy. I'm out to bed...er, to the pull-out couch I'm sleeping on.
Whew. SOOO nice to have them done! I was a mess. I pooped three times before I even made it into the testing center (woo, IBS) and bit my nails down to their nubs. The test is so long that by the last section, I was tapping my feet and popping my back every few minutes, to the point that I got nervous the proctors might think I was cheating. So then I stopped turning around but starting fiddling with my ring until that got boring, and then I started slouching and sitting up, over and over. Damn, it really took a lot of mental energy out of me! For a few hours afterwards, I felt completely spaced and exhausted. Wonderful Lizzy was there to rescue me, cook for me, liquor me up, paint with me, and then take me out for a rockin' good time where we danced like crazy with some even crazier friends. It was the perfect way to end an otherwise shitty day! And now I never have to stress out about the GREs again.
Except that I'm still feeling the stress! But I've learned that this is how I work. My body and mind goes into this mode of completion, so that I do what I need do while definitely feeling a little nervous but not necessarily feeling stressed out... until afterwards. Right when I no longer have anything to stress out about is when my body feels it all. Every semester, I would come down with a cold a few days after finals and be all tight and stressy, but during finals I felt perfectly fine and motivated. I just go into this mode of studying, or doing whatever else I need to do to get things done, and then as soon as I can relax, all the stress hits me. I was soooo exhausted yesterday, and since the test have felt very tense and tight. I got an unusual headache on Sunday and again today, and during yoga I was just out of sorts. My body felt tight and a little shaky, and my head felt muddy. It's strange, but this happens after every big, stressful situation. I guess I just go into this "get 'er done" mode and then once everything's been done, my body is like, "Okay, now that we did what we needed to do, let's be all tight and cranky and achy so we can get all that hard work and tension out of us." But blah! I don't like it.
I also don't like being in a long-distance relationship. Nor do I like being separated from Jess, my best friend from college who I lived with until I moved here. Both Dave and Jess came to visit on Sunday, and it was just so exciting to see them. Then they both left and that definitely added to my crankiness. It's hard! Woe is me!
In other news, I'm making bank lately. Linda went out of town last week and then on Monday, her boss told her that she would be going out of town again for three days, and had a flight scheduled for her in the next TWELVE HOURS. So, I've been practically living with the girls but making excellent money as a result of it. But despite the money (which weirds me out sometimes that I get paid to step in for Mom...), I feel like I've hit my rope with Marie and am definitely needing a break. Thanksgiving is well-timed. The past month has overall been better than the first two, and I feel like we're really falling into a groove where she gets her homework done with minimal struggle and we understand each other a bit more. But she just constantly mouths off about anything. It seems like being nice is impossible for her, but being sarcastic and snotty is natural. And oftentimes it's quite entertaining and funny, but after a long day (I was with them for 14 hours the other day because they were out of school for parent-teacher conferences and Linda was at their conferences and then at work), it's just really grating. And waking up in the mornings with her is hard because we're both such not morning people it's awful. We barely speak to each other, and when we do, it's not pleasant.
Overall though, we have definitely made leaps from when I first started. I've learned much more about her and how she operates and had a big realization while I was camping that I'm often too hard on her. I tend to hold her responsible for quite a lot without remembering that she's still only ten. What a weird age! In some ways, she's very mature, smart and grown up, but in other ways she's incredibly immature. And in more other ways, she's still a fun-loving, silly kid. But I can see the contradiction in her of wanting to be an older girl but still wanting to be a kid. And I remember how hard of a struggle it was for me. I specifically remember my first week of 6th grade, when a friend of mine and I asked the principal when recess was, and he replied, "Girls, you're in middle school now, we don't have recess here." It was embarrassing and such a let-down at the same time. And it's really hard for me to see her express the pain of missing her mother and just not being able to do anything about it. Though she'll never talk about the emotions honestly ("Nah, I don't miss her, she's only gone for three days!" which is followed by an incredible outburst over my having used the pen she wanted to use for homework), it's clear that she's very angry about her mother's work schedule, and misses her tremendously, and I am not at all a replacement and she resents me in some ways because I'm the person that represents her mother's absence. But in other ways, she loves me and realizes I'm not a bad guy and can really have a lot of fun with me. It's just that we've spent so much time together in the passed two weeks! I think we're on each other's nerves. But I'm glad to see general progress. And Angela and I absolutely adore one another. Her birthday was recently and I had a lot of fun picking out presents and burning CDs for her. And we went shopping together the other day, and at one point she grabbed my hand and led me to a rack so I could give her advice. She feels like a little sis already, and she's just so damn cool that I'm excited about our relationship.
That's the latest. The GREs are over, my work schedule should be more normal in the next few weeks, I have a break coming up, and am actually looking very forward to working more on my portfolio. I miss that, because for the passed two weeks I've dedicated most of my writing time toward learning new vocabulary and reviewing geometry. But no more! My stories have never seen a more dedicated Becky...
Except when she's sleepy. I'm out to bed...er, to the pull-out couch I'm sleeping on.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
A Woodsy Weekend, A Gross GRE
This past weekend was heavenly. Dave and I ventured to Harriman State Park for some illegal, out-of-season camping and got absolutely lost in the woods and each other and how great life is when you're cuddling with your favorite person by a toasty campfire. Luckily, Dave is Mr. Mountain Man who grew up raised by wolves, so he knew all the right ways to do everything. I assisted him in performing the necessary duties to keep us warm and happy, learned how to make and tend to a proper fire, and chopped a bit of wood for my first time. Our fire proved to be entertaining enough for both nights and even part of the second day...we passed so much time just watching the embers and flames. It was a hell of a lot better than TV!
The weekend included making out atop big rocks, investigating for only the best fire wood, getting lost at night ("Oh, yes, definitely I can get us right back!"), a bit of scrabble, plenty of tequila and PBR, yummy food, lots of snuggles, and two little field mice who were brave enough to run over and stare straight at us. And how adorable they were! But we ran them off before bedtime...no one wants wild mice, not matter how freakin' cute they are, running in the tent.
Unfortunately the weekend also included studying for these damn GREs. The date is this Saturday, November 10th, and I absolutely can't wait to get them behind me. I feel like I've been doing so much studying but at the same time I sucked it up on the practice test, so I'm uncertain how the actual test will go down. In my defense, the practice test was filled with plenty of distractions (I was taking it in my kitchen) and I did quite well on the writing section. But the verbal was just okay, a little bit above average, and the math was embarrassingly bad. Thank god my prospective programs don't really care about these scores, especially the math scores, but still. I don't want to look like a complete dumbass!
In addition to absolutely hating the GREs, I found out that my chances of getting into NYU are less than 10%. I'm still going for it, but after I received this bit of info, am also going for quite a few other programs. Thanks to everyone who has helped out with the portfolio so far. I really appreciate the input!
So, I'm getting back into the swing of New York City and these applications and working and all that. It's amazing how only two and a half days away can really change your mindset. Just being in the woods like that with only one other person, to return to a city like NY in only an hour car ride! It can throw one off a bit. And I still feel like I'm adjusting to the city in general, so adjusting to it after the woods felt especially confusing.
Lastly, Frida Bat says, "Hi." And she just added, "I love Mama Tay!"
The weekend included making out atop big rocks, investigating for only the best fire wood, getting lost at night ("Oh, yes, definitely I can get us right back!"), a bit of scrabble, plenty of tequila and PBR, yummy food, lots of snuggles, and two little field mice who were brave enough to run over and stare straight at us. And how adorable they were! But we ran them off before bedtime...no one wants wild mice, not matter how freakin' cute they are, running in the tent.
Unfortunately the weekend also included studying for these damn GREs. The date is this Saturday, November 10th, and I absolutely can't wait to get them behind me. I feel like I've been doing so much studying but at the same time I sucked it up on the practice test, so I'm uncertain how the actual test will go down. In my defense, the practice test was filled with plenty of distractions (I was taking it in my kitchen) and I did quite well on the writing section. But the verbal was just okay, a little bit above average, and the math was embarrassingly bad. Thank god my prospective programs don't really care about these scores, especially the math scores, but still. I don't want to look like a complete dumbass!
In addition to absolutely hating the GREs, I found out that my chances of getting into NYU are less than 10%. I'm still going for it, but after I received this bit of info, am also going for quite a few other programs. Thanks to everyone who has helped out with the portfolio so far. I really appreciate the input!
So, I'm getting back into the swing of New York City and these applications and working and all that. It's amazing how only two and a half days away can really change your mindset. Just being in the woods like that with only one other person, to return to a city like NY in only an hour car ride! It can throw one off a bit. And I still feel like I'm adjusting to the city in general, so adjusting to it after the woods felt especially confusing.
Lastly, Frida Bat says, "Hi." And she just added, "I love Mama Tay!"
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