I love Christmas music. And I love that it is now an appropriate time for me to sing the Christmas music all the time.
I'm currently listening to "Last Christmas" by George Michael. Love it. I'm trying to get my life together for my Mexico trip. I'm leaving for Oaxaca, Mexico in T-minus 8 hours. Flying Chicago to Mexico City, Mexico City to Oaxaca. I'm only there for 8 days - gonna check out the site, do some training with the new staffers, brainstorm for projects in 2009. It's gonna be awesome.
Have a good week, all! I'll update with Mexico adventures!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
yes we can...
i'm so bad at keeping up with this thing, but apparently people read it, so i'll try to be better.
some major things have happened since the last time i posted! a campaign ended, people voted and obama actually won! i supported obama and knew he was up in the polls, but i was still terrified that something would happen...people wouldn't show up to vote...ballots would be lost...a freakish amount of people would go crazy and vote mccain/palin. when he was announced president elect, i couldn't quite believe it.
i was in chicago for his rally, but wasn't really planning on going down to grant park. instead i went to a viewing party out at one of my new roommate's friend's apartments (oh yeah, i got an apartment in chicago...what?!). but after california's votes were in and they made the announcement, we had to go down. we toasted the win with a glass of cheap champagn and jumped on the train downtown. by the time we got down to the park, we could hear him starting to speak, which meant it was time to do a mad sprint down michigan avenue trying not to loose my flip flops. we finally made it to a decent viewing spot and it was absolutely amazing.
the vibe was, well, hopeful. hundreds of thousands of people came out to see this man who had managed to move people to believe that we could do better as a country, that we had to do better. his speech was amazing and the feeling in grant park that night was unforgetable. and it was great to see everyone out there - people of all ages, races, socio-economic background all came out to support him. it was historic. plus, people were wearing these tee-shirts that i was convinced they made in their basements with their bedazzler. my two favorites included one which was a black tee with gold bedazzlement of obama's face...very bling-tastic...and the other was a knock off of the last lollapalooza tee shirts that said "obamapalooza 2008" and on the back it said something like "october 4, 2008. the day change happen." clearly there were too many letters on the back of that shirt and they couldn't fit the "ed" on the end of "happened" to make it grammatically correct. did that stop that from selling them for $10 a shirt? heck no!
amazing.
there are pictures, but my camera went a little haywire and i can't get them onto my computer. gotta figure that out.
some major things have happened since the last time i posted! a campaign ended, people voted and obama actually won! i supported obama and knew he was up in the polls, but i was still terrified that something would happen...people wouldn't show up to vote...ballots would be lost...a freakish amount of people would go crazy and vote mccain/palin. when he was announced president elect, i couldn't quite believe it.
i was in chicago for his rally, but wasn't really planning on going down to grant park. instead i went to a viewing party out at one of my new roommate's friend's apartments (oh yeah, i got an apartment in chicago...what?!). but after california's votes were in and they made the announcement, we had to go down. we toasted the win with a glass of cheap champagn and jumped on the train downtown. by the time we got down to the park, we could hear him starting to speak, which meant it was time to do a mad sprint down michigan avenue trying not to loose my flip flops. we finally made it to a decent viewing spot and it was absolutely amazing.
the vibe was, well, hopeful. hundreds of thousands of people came out to see this man who had managed to move people to believe that we could do better as a country, that we had to do better. his speech was amazing and the feeling in grant park that night was unforgetable. and it was great to see everyone out there - people of all ages, races, socio-economic background all came out to support him. it was historic. plus, people were wearing these tee-shirts that i was convinced they made in their basements with their bedazzler. my two favorites included one which was a black tee with gold bedazzlement of obama's face...very bling-tastic...and the other was a knock off of the last lollapalooza tee shirts that said "obamapalooza 2008" and on the back it said something like "october 4, 2008. the day change happen." clearly there were too many letters on the back of that shirt and they couldn't fit the "ed" on the end of "happened" to make it grammatically correct. did that stop that from selling them for $10 a shirt? heck no!
amazing.
there are pictures, but my camera went a little haywire and i can't get them onto my computer. gotta figure that out.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
8679 miles later
This past month I've been traveling around California doing campus events and faculty meetings at the UC and CSU schools up and down the coast. I started in Berkeley on September 25 and just drove all the way down to San Diego and back over a 4 week period, stopping at 16 universities along the way. It was an interesting 4 weeks and I'm ready to head back...although I'm going to miss having a bed seeing as how I'm sleeping on the couch-bed at my parents' house. Ah well. At least I can unpack...cook a meal or two (soooo tired of road food...I've probably put on 10 pounds since June).
Anyway, highlights of my Cali experience:
Anyway, highlights of my Cali experience:
- Checking out the Jamie Lidell concert with Kate at the Filmore in San Francisco
- Wine tasting in Sonoma with Todd and Sam
- Surfing at Pismo Beach with Robert
- Spending time with Jim and Diane in L.A.
- Hitting the LA celebrity party scene with Niki
- Hanging in the mountains with Leah, who I haven't seen since we got on separate planes in Fiji
- Lounging in the feather bed at the Mariott Resort, San Diego
- Catching up with old New Comm roommie, Amy in San Fran
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
i heart you, old college roommate
Sometimes I forget just how much I MISS my friends. I feel like I go for so long without seeing them that I forget how awesome they are, which is no good. Definitely need to see everyone more.
I stopped in Cincinnati just in time to experience life as it once was - no power, no internet. Kinda crazy and my sympathy goes out to those 850,000 Cincinnati-ians who don't have power. Luckily, I had Suzi and her little family to hang out with while I stranded in the powerless city. It's funny how different our lives are these days, but even so it hasn't much effected our friendship. I mean, she's got a kid now, Drew, who turns out is a pretty spectacular 9-month-old. In fact, I think we're in love. She's definitely a cool mom and we definitely still have our giggles when hanging out. Ah, we've come a long way since puking in the bathrooms of Armstrong Hall... :)
I have two more cities before heading back to Michigan at the end of the week. I got to Morehead, Kentucky tonight and decided to have a look around. Turns out it's rather gorgeous in these parts. The road that my hotel is on is just a couple miles from a Cave Run Lake, which is beautiful. I'll post pictures later.
Peace out all. Or rather...y'all? Do they say that in Kentucky? Who knows...
I stopped in Cincinnati just in time to experience life as it once was - no power, no internet. Kinda crazy and my sympathy goes out to those 850,000 Cincinnati-ians who don't have power. Luckily, I had Suzi and her little family to hang out with while I stranded in the powerless city. It's funny how different our lives are these days, but even so it hasn't much effected our friendship. I mean, she's got a kid now, Drew, who turns out is a pretty spectacular 9-month-old. In fact, I think we're in love. She's definitely a cool mom and we definitely still have our giggles when hanging out. Ah, we've come a long way since puking in the bathrooms of Armstrong Hall... :)
I have two more cities before heading back to Michigan at the end of the week. I got to Morehead, Kentucky tonight and decided to have a look around. Turns out it's rather gorgeous in these parts. The road that my hotel is on is just a couple miles from a Cave Run Lake, which is beautiful. I'll post pictures later.
Peace out all. Or rather...y'all? Do they say that in Kentucky? Who knows...
Sunday, September 14, 2008
just south of skunk river
I spent the last week driving around Iowa, and there was some river called "Skunk River" which I found hilarious. I kept seeing signs for it and it made me laugh every time. I also passed a community with a giant sign that said "Cornhaven Community." Also hilarious. Oh, and I stopped at the world's largest truck stop on I-80. It had a movie theater, restaurants, shops and even a dentist office. Pretty impressive.
I spent the weekend in Chicago and I feel like every time I come here, it becomes harder to not want to be here more permanently. I just like the community. Haha, I think I'd be happy with any sort of community at this point. One of the only complaints of being on the road so much (well, y'know, other than the constant driving and bad road food) is that I have zero community. People ask me where I live and the answer is no where. I have no home. I mean, I guess I could call my parents' house my home, but I don't have a bedroom or any of my own space there...I sleep on the couch in the den, so it doesn't really feel like my home anymore. I definitely miss having that sense of community in my life. One day, Chicago, you and I shall reunite in a far more permanent way.
Sigh, not today, though. I'm off again - Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Columbus this week...
Have a good Sunday everyone!
I spent the weekend in Chicago and I feel like every time I come here, it becomes harder to not want to be here more permanently. I just like the community. Haha, I think I'd be happy with any sort of community at this point. One of the only complaints of being on the road so much (well, y'know, other than the constant driving and bad road food) is that I have zero community. People ask me where I live and the answer is no where. I have no home. I mean, I guess I could call my parents' house my home, but I don't have a bedroom or any of my own space there...I sleep on the couch in the den, so it doesn't really feel like my home anymore. I definitely miss having that sense of community in my life. One day, Chicago, you and I shall reunite in a far more permanent way.
Sigh, not today, though. I'm off again - Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Columbus this week...
Have a good Sunday everyone!
Friday, September 5, 2008
p.s. - here's my schedule
So here is my schedule for the next 2 months. If you live or are going to be in any of these places, email or call me so that I can find you and not be super lonely for 2 months!!!
- E.Lansing, MI: 9.5 - 9.6
- Chicago, IL: 9.7
- Iowa City, IA: 9.8 - 9.9
- Cedar Falls, IA: 9.10
- Ames, IA: 9.11 - 9.12
- Chicago, IL: 9.13 - 9.14
- Urbana/Champaign: 9.15
- Bloomington, IN: 9.16
- Morehead, KY: 9.17
- Cincinnati, OH: 9.18
- Columbus, OH: 9.19
- Cincinnati, OH: 9.20 - 9.21
- Detroit, MI: 9.22 - 9.24
- San Francisco, CA: 9.25
- Berkeley, CA: 9.26 - 9.28
- Davis, CA: 9.29
- Rohnert Park, CA: 9.30
- San Luis Obispo, CA: 10.1 - 10.3
- Los Angeles, CA: 10.4 - 10.6
- Santa Barbara, CA: 10.7
- Northridge, CA: 10.8
- Los Angeles, CA: 10.9 - 10.12
- Riverside, CA: 10.13
- Fullerton, CA: 10.14
- Long Beach, CA: 10.15
- Irvine, CA: 10.16
- Costa Mesa, CA: 10.17
- La Jolla, CA: 10.18 - 20
- Berkeley, CA: 10.21 - 10.22
- Detroit, MI: 10.23
- Oaxaca, Mexico: 11.5 (?)
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
ikes, it's already september!
How is it already September?! The summer flew by faster than usual this year. Ikes!
I've made it back to the midwest safe and sound. I spent the last week with Alissa and Matt in Baltimore, hanging out in my old hood with my old dog. Apparently Lucy still sleeps up in my old room despite the fact that I moved out 2 years ago. :)
Anyhoozle, Bmore was fun. I worked from the house most days and then hung out with Alissa and Matt in the evenings. Pretty chill, but after this summer of constant moving and especially after the craziness of NYC, it was nice to have a "home" for more than 2 or 3 days. I did go with Alissa to work one day because she works in the building that houses the School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins, which was one of the programs that I was interested in. I quickly realized after visiting that I am incredibly under qualified. Sigh. Maybe in a few years after I have more experience on my resume.
My parents and Paul came out to Baltimore on...Wednesday I think? We were all there because Lauren was getting married in Virginia, so it seemed like a good opportunity to hang out as a fam minus Mark because he was being lame-o. The parents and Paul drove down to VA on Friday morning (Paul was an usher and had to be at the rehearsal on Friday night) and the rest of us drove down on Saturday morning. Lynchburg, turns out, is much like Jacksonville in that there is just NOTHING there. The wedding was a total of 17 minutes long and then we had 2 hours to kill before the reception so my fam, Rick, Donna and Riley all headed to the TGI Fridays to get some adult beverages. Eventually we made it to the reception where, like a bad girl at a high school prom, I spiked all of my family's peach punch with vodka out of a Sprite bottle which I had stashed in my purse. Us McIntee's, we are trouble makers. Anybooze, it wasn't really my style (I prefer dancing and boozing at receptions...go figure), but Lauren and Dustin seemed to have a good time so it worked.
After the wedding, my family drove back to Alissa and Matt's house for Labor Day and then I drove back to Michigan with the parents. It was weird cause it kinda felt like a family vacation, which we haven't taken since I was like, 14 or 15. The 10 hour drive home brought back some bad memories of the summer I was 11 and my parents decided it would be a good idea to pack me, my 2 brothers and my sister into 1 van and drive the scenic route all the way to California and back. I wore my All 4 One cassette tape out on that trip. Not cool...
It's now back to normal life for me. By normal life, I mean car rentals, long drives, countless hotels, too much fast food and college campus after college campus. I'm tired just thinking about the weeks to come. Sigh. I'm getting closer and closer to breaking down and moving back...getting a dog (I really want a dog..Karen called me a pet-o-file the last time we hung out in Detroit because I kept lusting after all the dogs walking by us). I also decided that the next apartment that I have has to have a dishwasher. For all of the houses and apartments that I've lived in since moving out of my parents' house at 18, I have always had to wash my dishes by hand. And now I want a dishwasher because that's fancy. Honestly, I think if I wasn't moving to a place where I could surf every weekend, I'd totally bail and move back to Chicago. The possibility of surfing on a regular basis is the only thing keeping me going...
I'm beat. Night all. Happy Tuesday.
I've made it back to the midwest safe and sound. I spent the last week with Alissa and Matt in Baltimore, hanging out in my old hood with my old dog. Apparently Lucy still sleeps up in my old room despite the fact that I moved out 2 years ago. :)
Anyhoozle, Bmore was fun. I worked from the house most days and then hung out with Alissa and Matt in the evenings. Pretty chill, but after this summer of constant moving and especially after the craziness of NYC, it was nice to have a "home" for more than 2 or 3 days. I did go with Alissa to work one day because she works in the building that houses the School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins, which was one of the programs that I was interested in. I quickly realized after visiting that I am incredibly under qualified. Sigh. Maybe in a few years after I have more experience on my resume.
My parents and Paul came out to Baltimore on...Wednesday I think? We were all there because Lauren was getting married in Virginia, so it seemed like a good opportunity to hang out as a fam minus Mark because he was being lame-o. The parents and Paul drove down to VA on Friday morning (Paul was an usher and had to be at the rehearsal on Friday night) and the rest of us drove down on Saturday morning. Lynchburg, turns out, is much like Jacksonville in that there is just NOTHING there. The wedding was a total of 17 minutes long and then we had 2 hours to kill before the reception so my fam, Rick, Donna and Riley all headed to the TGI Fridays to get some adult beverages. Eventually we made it to the reception where, like a bad girl at a high school prom, I spiked all of my family's peach punch with vodka out of a Sprite bottle which I had stashed in my purse. Us McIntee's, we are trouble makers. Anybooze, it wasn't really my style (I prefer dancing and boozing at receptions...go figure), but Lauren and Dustin seemed to have a good time so it worked.
After the wedding, my family drove back to Alissa and Matt's house for Labor Day and then I drove back to Michigan with the parents. It was weird cause it kinda felt like a family vacation, which we haven't taken since I was like, 14 or 15. The 10 hour drive home brought back some bad memories of the summer I was 11 and my parents decided it would be a good idea to pack me, my 2 brothers and my sister into 1 van and drive the scenic route all the way to California and back. I wore my All 4 One cassette tape out on that trip. Not cool...
It's now back to normal life for me. By normal life, I mean car rentals, long drives, countless hotels, too much fast food and college campus after college campus. I'm tired just thinking about the weeks to come. Sigh. I'm getting closer and closer to breaking down and moving back...getting a dog (I really want a dog..Karen called me a pet-o-file the last time we hung out in Detroit because I kept lusting after all the dogs walking by us). I also decided that the next apartment that I have has to have a dishwasher. For all of the houses and apartments that I've lived in since moving out of my parents' house at 18, I have always had to wash my dishes by hand. And now I want a dishwasher because that's fancy. Honestly, I think if I wasn't moving to a place where I could surf every weekend, I'd totally bail and move back to Chicago. The possibility of surfing on a regular basis is the only thing keeping me going...
I'm beat. Night all. Happy Tuesday.
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