It's a small, small woooooorld!

The players
~Me
~Sarah S. (Former roomate/suitemate of 3yrs)
~Christy (Current roomate)

You will not believe the craziness of this......but-

Christy's little sister and Sarah's little sister are roomates at College this year.
Wartburg Track and Field.
How did that happen?


LOL!!!!!!!

The situation was best described by Sarah's sister Mary who said she and Kayla (Christy's sis) had a, 'major freak-out moment'.

Omg.

Cheers mates!

Allergieeeeeeees! *fans frantically*

I fear I may have acquired some seasonal allergies.

Maybe.

Either that, or I'm allergic to Minnesota.

The past week my eyes have been super bloodshot (something I've been attributing to my new contacts). Not in pain, just sort of itchy and SUPER red.
It's really awkward.
I'm pretty sure the people at the bookstore must think I'm strung out or something.
I'm not! I promise!
My contacts are just eating my eyes!!

Then, to add to it I've been getting a really runny nose every time I venture from the apartment into the outside world. Today Christy and I ventured to the mall and I sneezed like 50 times!

Is this what allergies are like?

I dunno.

But it's kind of annoying!

In other news, Pippin has now taken to napping in the bathroom sink.
He's such a nutter. =D

Cheers.

It's all that I want and it's all that I need!

I miss theatre.

A lot.

A whole lot.

I miss being in the theatre, being part of a cast, sinking my teeth into a role, digging for the emotion, rehearsing......

I feel comfortable in the theatre.
I need that right now.
I need the people.
I need to do something that I know I'm good at.

I always feel at least a little inadequate when I'm singing, and now that I'm in the city I feel unsure about everything else as well.

I'm craving the safety of a world I understand.
I need to get into a play.

The problem is I don't really have a steady schedule yet, so I can't audition for anything.

I'm not sure how happy I'll be if I have to live without theatre.
It's been over 9yrs of being in productions consistantly throughout each year, and the rest of my life I've been in and out at least once a year.

I'm beginning to show signs of withdrawal.

*big watery eyes*
I can haz theaterz?

Foiled again!

Once more I have been thwarted by the metro transit system!!!!

I WILL CONQUER THIS!!

A bus WILL take me where I need to go on the way home! It WILL!

Until then.....I'll just keep walking the 6 or 7 blocks to my apartment.

In other news...

I don't know if I've said this yet, but I love 'A Very Potter Musical'.
It's actually my current favourite thing.
It's a fan made Harry Potter spoof musical.
And it's actually pretty great quality (unlike most lovingly made fan materials), which is exciting.
Lovelovelovelovelove.
I've had the opening number stuck in my head for about a week, and before that I had 'Granger Danger' stuck in my head for about a month.

I'm sure everyone got tired of me posting, "This could be dangerrrrrrr! I could be falling in love, falling in love, falling in love, with Hermione Grangerrrrrr!" all over their walls. lol.

Watch the show on youtube. The soundtrack is going to be available for download (for free!) on the soon-to-be-revealed Starkidpotter website. Which is super exciting! WOOT!

I suggest watching the show somewhere with a fast internet connection, I know that's what prevented me from watching it all the first time.
And the second time.
The third time though......*grin* fast internet connection = lovely.

In any case, here's the link
http://www.youtube.com/user/starkidpotter?blend=1&ob=4

Just click 'play all' on the 'Very Potter Musical' playlist and enjoy!!


I'm sick of summer and this waiting around,
it's like I'm sittin' in the lost and found
dont' take no sorcery, for anyone to see how-

I gotta get back to Hogwarts!
I gotta get back to schoooooooool!
I gotta get back to Hogwarts!
Where everything is magi-coooooool!

Back to witches and wizards and magical beasts,
to goblins and ghosts and magical feasts
It's all that I want and it's all that I need,
it's Hogwarts! Hogwarts!
yeah I'm goin' back.

taken from 'Totally Awesome' from "A Very Potter Musical"

No noose is good noose!

Well, in case you were wondering, I made it to and from work today using the public transportation system of Minneapolis.

On the way home, the bus that I got on didn't end up going where I needed it to go and I was the only one left on the bus. The driver turns around and goes, "Are you going to the garage?"
"Ummmm....No?"
I tell him where I wanted to stop and he explains that because of construction the route has changed.
Thanks metrotransit website. Thanks a lot.

I explain to him that this is my first solo bus trip and he says, "That's ok. It's only my second week driving! Where do you need to go?"

So the nice bus driver goes off route and drops me off on the side of the road a few blocks from the apartment.
Thank you nice bus driver man!

Tomorrow I have a shift at the bookstore, so I have to try another bus to get home. We'll see how THAT goes.

I really like working in 'customer service' at the bookstore. The only diff. between customer service and the other registers is that we can do returns (something there will be alot of after classes start).
Where the textbook registers are a scary and vaguely panicked place to be, the customer service desk is super laid back and full of happy friendly people.
I love it there.

I also love working the register.
I'm all about patterns when it comes to 'logic' activities, and if there's a pattern or routine in something I feel very in-control and competant. The register is all about patterns. *contented smile*
Yay.

The only bad part about working at the bookstore is being on my feet all the time, which tends to compact the vertebre at the base of my spine and cause me tons of pain. Owee.

I wish there were some way to get into Bookstore work as a regular. I'm going to ask the supervisor tomorrow. There's probably very little chance that I can work there all the time, but I would be so happy if I could.
Then I don't have to worry about getting off for holidays, etc.

There are some church jobs that The Bag is recommending, etc. But the problem with church jobs is that they want you there to sing on Christmas, Easter, etc. Something that I'm just not willing to do.
There are compromises I will make.
Family holidays are just not one of them.
No.
Way.

In other news, our air conditioning is broken again. It never worked in the first place, and then it was fixed for like...2hrs yesterday.
Today it's broken again.
Tomorrow they're coming to 'fix it'. Maybe they actually will this time.

Also, every night this week Laura Blair and I are studying for our entrance exams. The week nights we are studying music history (all of it. *head smack*), and then this weekend we are going to study theory (oh spite, oh hell).
I'm really not sure how in the world I am going to pass either of these exams.....I am SUPER terrified/worried about them.
Seriously.
The entire history of music in 100 questions. Specific questions. Questions like, "Where did Bach die?" The answer to which is, "I don't know...But I think I'll go join him."

Then theory. Three semesters of theory in a massive practical exam. Theory is not my friend. Theory is the bully on the playground that beats me up and steals my lunch money.

Please God, don't let theory take my lunch money!

Well in any case...Tomorrow I work a 4hr shift at the bookstore. That should be cool.
Cheers mates.

Another day, another worry

Tomorrow I make my first completely solo bus trip.

I have a little print out from the metrotransit website which tells me where my stops are and at what times.
There is also a little map which shows me how to walk to my apartment from the stop.

This would be more reassuring if I was a person who could read maps.

As many of you know, I am scared to death of being lost by myself.

*beyond terrified*

Will I make it to work and back?

Pray.

Frickin'...just....suck. *dies*

Dear City,
I frickin' hate you. You are crowded and scary. I get lost all the time and don't know how anything works. It's hot and humid, and I'm tired of being paranoid everywhere I go.
I am tired of being utterly dependant on my stupid GPS. I'm tired of being hot. I'm tired of feeling stupid and beneath you. I'm tired of not knowing how anything is going to turn out. I'm tired of worrying incessantly. I'm tired of being nervous and self-concious. And most of all, I'm tired of feeling alone. That is all.

Absolutely no love,
Rae

A trip to the Mini-Apple's Seattle Grace

Today was a pretty calm day.
Went to church.
Had lunch with Kate and Chaz and some of their friends.
Came back to hang out in the apart. (which was HOT today. Argh).

So I'm sitting around in the apartment, no pants on (it was HOT I tell you! HOT!), and waiting for Christy to get back from roller blading.
I hear the door open and I'm all like, "I took my pants off because it was hot! I look pretty ridiculous!"
And no answer.

Pretty soon Christy comes down our hallway and she's holding her arm and crying.
Ahh!
"What happened?!"
Christy just holds out her wrist which is all swollen, "I can't turn it. It hurts."

I'm staying calm and rational, "It looks like a sprain, we'll ice it and wrap it. I'll call my mom, she was an emergency room nurse and we'll ask her what to do. Do you wanna go to the emergency room?"
"I don't think so...."
"Ok. Here's an ice pack."

I called Mom and she said it needs to be x-rayed because the bones in the wrist crack easily.
Christy is balling because it hurts so bad.
I tell her we're going to the hospital.
First though, we have to figure out where the nearest hospital is.
Google!

After about 10min we decide on Hennipen Medical Center because it looks huge and will be open.

We get into the car and drive to the wrong door, where they direct us to the right door.
After much driving, Christy gets into triage and then into a room.
I have to get my picture taken for a visitor pass and then meet her in the little treatment room where we have a very attractive doctor!
He was an intern, so he wasn't a full doctor yet, and he kept saying, "Sorry!" every time he pressed something that hurt. Cutie.
He also had glasses. Cutie again.
Several more attractive male doctors passed outside the room, and an attractive male nurse loitered in the hall for a while.

Christy was given vicoden and taken for an x-ray.
Turns out she has indeed broken a bone.
To be specific, she has a closed fracture of the distal radius on the joint. *eep!*
She has to make an appointment with a specialist and then they will decide whether to let it heal on its' own or go in for surgery to set it.

Then it was time for her to get a plaster splint put on.
Our cutie glasses doctor then russled up some graham crackers and saltines for Christy's icky stomach (vicoden will do that).
He and the beautiful female doctor then had some fun with plaster wrapping up Christy's arm.
It took a while, and it's only temporary, but it worked.

We then rode the elevator down to the ghetto pharmacy under the hospital, where a big scary guy was having trouble with his prescription and was planning to solve it with the pharmacy worker by 'waiting for him to get off work' and 'messing him up'. There were a lot more curse words involved, but you get the gist. Then he disappeared for a while and came back with some of his 'family', more big guys......We got outta there pretty quick.

Happy to leave the ghetto pharmacy, we passed once more through the hallways of hottness and retreated to our car where the meter had run out (no ticket though!) and drove home.

I made soup and grilled cheese for us both and we've been chillin' out ever since.

So that was our adventure. =D
A fractured distal radius, a hospital full of hot doctor interns, and a native american gangsta in a basement pharmacy.

Well done us.
=D

'District 9'; proving that action movies don't have to be 'Transformers'

Today I went and saw 'District 9' with Alex and Christy.
SOOOOO GOOOOOOODDDD!!!!!

This movie is awesome.
The hype was totally right.

The movie is set in a world where an alien spaceship has stalled over Johannesburg(sp?) and the aliens are then confined to a ghetto like environment and treated as 2nd class citizens. One man changes his mind about their treatment when something extreme happens to him....something I am not going to tell you!

The movie is very much a comment on aparteid.

Aside from being just a really, really good movie (think 'Independance Day' meets 'Children of Men'), there are also a few things that I think make it extra cool.

1) The lead actor has never acted before. Turns out that the screenwriters (including Peter Jackson) were friends with him and they were like, "He does good impressions at dinner. Let's have him read some stuff." So they did, and ended up giving him the part.
His performance is amazing.
He's getting crazy good reviews, and I agree.
It's just really interesting to watch him knowing that he's a little baby actor! It's all really raw, and there's this sort of wide eyed innocence that comes through.
Also...South African accents are sexy. =D

2) The script was improvised by the actors. Pretty cool huh!? Do you end up with a lot of curse words? Yeah. Would you be cursing a lot in their situation. Most definately. The whole movie is shot in a sort of 'guerilla' movie style, as if it were a documentary; and the reactionary dialogue really lends it a realistic tone.

3) The aliens were created using the same motion capture technology that they used to create Gollum in 'Lord of the Rings'. The actors weren't reacting to a green ball on a stick, they were reacting to each other. Good call.

(on a side note I would like to let everyone know that my kitty is crawling all over me and trying to cuddle while I type. *sigh* I LOVE HIM!)

To wrap up; is 'District 9' a huge upper? Not necessarily. But it's also not a downer. It's just a really good movie that you walk out of feeling really good about.
Well done Peter Jackson!
WELL DONE!

Let's keep making thoughtful aciton films and move away from the vaguely racist, Megan Fox driven, soft-core porn that was 'Transformers 2' (which would have been better had they focused more on plot and less on breasts. *rolls eyes*)

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, GO SEE 'DISTRICT 9'!!
Tomorrow I'm checkin' out the Vinyard church downtown with Kate and Chaz and their friends.
Wish me luck!

Cheers mates.

When music speaks our hearts...

'Hold My Hand'
Jeff Blumenkrantz (download it from his podcast on itunes)

There must one sorta decent guy out there
who's willing to hold my hand.
Hold it for all to see,
sweaty though it's bound to be...

'Cause if he held my hand he would own my heart
before the count of three;
and maybe I could trick the guy
to fall in love with me.

There must be some sweet fool
who would dare to take my hand on a crowded street
or at a table in some cafe
or even halfway through a matinee.

He'd sometimes squeeze,
and sometimes stroke,
and sometimes let it be;
and maybe I could trick that fool
to fall in love with me.

I wouldn't care what those five fingers did all day
They could roll cigars, or detail cars,
or draft a spaceship that flies to mars.
They could feed the homeless,
or match up DNA.

As long as those fingers are tangled up in mine by nightfall
anything's, everything's ok

There must be one kinda normal chump out there
who's ready to take a leap.
Give me a second look.
Skip the cover, read the book...

And when I find that chump,
who's willing to embrace my one demand
I'll give the world,
because he held my hand.

My strangely clammy,
chewed up fingernail,
often trembling,
yet virtuosic,
anti-bacterial lotion wearing-
hand...

My First Apartment

Well, here they are! A few pictures of my very first apartment!

First things first....Outside of my apartment there is a TARDIS!!!!

...Well, sort of anyway. =D

Here's our living room! It's very spacious and comfy.

The kitchen. On the other wall there is exposed shelving and a sink. Not much counter space, but we're making it work.

The Bathroom.

Last but not least, my new best buddy Pippin! Isn't he adorable?

Even if he sleeps all wierd. What kind of cat sleeps on his back?! He's like a little rag doll. lol.

Well that's all for now!
Cheers mates!

In a year or two I moved to the city thinkin', what have I got to lose?

I am officially moved in.
Hello Mini-Apple! I'm here!

It took forever to get everything unpacked, and I overused Dad a bit as far as making him hang things up.....But he's good at it!

Today was my first full day in the 'Big City'.
I had an interview at the University Bookstore, so Christy and I drove to the Coffman Union (a frickin' HUGE complex with starbucks and a US postoffice, bowling ally, movie theatre, etc.).
I had a few errands to run before the interview, and then I just waited.

During the time I was waiting Tornados touched down in Minneapolis!! So everyone had to go downstairs to the basement of the Union in order to wait out the winds of death. I laughed because it reminded me of Iowa where Tornados happen all the time!

After 15min in the basement we got the 'all-clear' and I went upstairs to my interview.
And guess what?
I have a job!
Through September anyway....It's just for fall rush. But that's ok! It's better than nothing! I'm going to work cashiering and get extra training to work Customer Service.

Christy says there are some positions open at the library, but they haven't posted them on the internet yet, so she's gonna check tomorrow. I will apply!
I've already also applied to be a student parking attendant in one of the parking garages. I know it's not very glamorous, but you don't have to do much and it's 8 bucks an hour!

After the interview I dropped Christy off at work downtown and drove myself home (with the aid of Sherry the GPS). I'm pretty sure I was driving in the bike lanes for part of that...But it was raining! And I was confused!
I just try to look as contrite and confused as possible when angry cars pull past me.
"I'm sorry! I don't know what I'm doing! I'm not being mean, I'm just confused!!"

After I made it home, I did some cleaning and some final unpacking touches before heading to the Super Target in Roseville (a suburb).
All. By. Myself.
I looked up the address and Sherry took me right there.
On the way home I think I only cut off one car *looks contrite, "SORRY!!!"*, and missed one exit.
It'll get better.
While driving I played Jason Robert Brown on my ipod; because I have decided that he is the soundtrack to my city experience. He just screams 'urban awesome'.

This evening I cleaned some more, built another bookshelf, cooked dinner (chicken panini...mmmm...), and worked on job applications (why didn't Wartburg ever tell me what a cover letter was or how to write one?!).

All in all, things went pretty ok.
*deep breath*
Still goin'.
Long term plan: Keep goin'.

Cheers mates.

The unexplored country...

Tuesday morning early, I leave Iowa for the snowy, wintery wilds of the Mini-Apple.

More scared than excited at this point.
But I'm sure it will be fine.

I have decided the reason I am so freaked out about this is that it is my first official experience with 'the unknown'.

When I went to college, I ended up going to Wartburg. A college I had had associations with since forever, and knew very well. My only fear was finding friends, which I did the very first day with my glorious roomate, the effervescent Sarah Schnoebelen! The years that followed were filled with all that was comfortable and familiar.
Each time I left for the Burg I was leaving the 'very' comfortable for the 'only vaguely less' comfortable.

Now I am going to the big city.
I am leaving for a place where I have no idea of the area, or even how to get around. I don't know how a city without a subway works! I don't understand buses, and trying to figure out where I'm supposed to park is a challenge all it's own.
That's when I can even find where I'm going!
I also don't know people. Alex and Christy. That's pretty much it. Sonja will be there, but she doesn't get back from Namibia until November.
The University of Minnesota is a new school as well. Not only a new school, but Grad school! A whole new program with it's own quirks and ins-and-outs to figure out.

*sigh*
I finally feel like I'm being shoved out of the nest.
I'm sure I'll fly, it's just that nobody likes that first bit of falling do they?

My first order of business will be to try and figure out the theatre department.
I need to get into a play. That's where I really click with people.
I need some theatre to make me feel at comfortable again.
Wherever I go the stage is a haven, and I will be glad to be back on the boards again.

Meanwhile I will continue to stretch my IKEA muscles (who built a dresser? I did! And two cabinets!), try to make the apartment into a home, and suffer heart palpitations every five seconds.

Ack!

I didn't believe it was possible...

But Neil Patrick Harris just got cooler.

Sometimes I wonder...

I know that God has that special guy out there for me.
But it doesn't stop it from hurting when the one you want isn't the one God wants you to have.
It makes it easier.
But not easy.
*sigh*
Life.

Thinkin' bout the day that you'll wake up and find
that what you're lookin' for has been here the whole time.
If you could see that I'm the one who understands you.
Been here all along, so why can't you see?
You belong with me.
You belong with me....

This is a counselor! Do NOT make me come in there!

Oooooooh All-State camp.
=D

The first weekend is done! It was soooo much fun!
The counselors are all people that I love and we don't have alot to do, so our days consist mostly of hanging out, making Wal-Mart runs, and napping.
At night we work at the dance or at Kareoke and then we put the chittluns to bed.
Counselor meeting with ice cream, and then we go to bed.

The mornings are usually filled with girls knocking on the door (between 6 and 7am) because they've locked themselves out of their rooms while showering. *rolls eyes*
I can only remind them to TAKE THEIR KEYS WITH THEM so many times!!!!
Apparently it's very difficult to remember. lol.

There weren't a lot of busts this weekend.
Peter got one group of kids hiding in a room while they were supposed to be in rehearsal.
Three of them finally came out after pretending like they weren't in the room for 5min, and when Peter went inside, he found a guy and a girl hiding in the closet.
LOL!
Ridiculousness.
Seriously. Teenagers are frickin' ridiculous.
It's unbelievable how unthinking they can be.
The counselor KNOWS you're in there!! What do you think is going to be gained by you hiding and then lying about there being a girl in there?!! Where is the logic in that?! All that does is get you in MORE trouble for lying!
*head in hands*
I think what Jacob likes to refer to as 'women logic' is actually 'teen logic'.

Another night I we had some boys on Hebron one who were determined to get a butt whooping.
They started having a dance party with super loud music after lights out, and the counselors (who were at our meeting) went running out to catch them. They saw us coming and turned off the lights and the music, so we yelled at them from outside through their open window.
When we were about halfway back to the other building, the music started again.
HELL NO!
So we go sprinting back to their window, and I, seething, ripped them a new one.
"Try it again! Go ahead! Try it one more time! Give us an excuse to come in there! Because if you do it one more time that's what's gonna happen There is NO point in hiding (they were hiding at this point) wee KNOW who's in that room! We have it written down!! DO NOT test us!"

It went on a while longer than that, but that's the jist.
Yeah. I was pissed.

On the last day the counselors had to get up super early in order to be ready to check people out at 7am.
The night before, I had a girl sick with the flu a little after 2am. She wanted her mom to come and get her from Cedar Falls. So, I was up for about a half hour with her, giving her mom directions to the dorms, getting her checked out, all that good stuff.

*sigh*

There wasn't a lot of stuff that happened, other than those few incidents. So all in all, we had a pretty fantastical weekend.

Tomorrow, I go to Minneapolis to start the moving process. WOOT!
Unfortunately I have to leave at 6am. unwoot.

Cheers mates!