An Update! At last!

I know it's been forever since I updated...but truthfully, as I had a large paper due today, I was avoiding any kind of writing that I could.

But now school is over until August (not long enough, if you ask me), and I'm working full-time, supervising summer camp for the Arc. I'm going to have my hands full, I can tell. For the next 9 weeks, I anticipate being utterly exhausted. And then school starts back as soon as it's over.

As far as my Triangle to-do list goes, I've only accomplished trying 3 new restaurants, all of them in Raleigh:

• The Flying Biscuit. This serves mostly breakfast, and you get a biscuit with every meal, even sandwiches. I thought it was reasonably priced for the amount of food you get, but there was a long wait and the service was a bit spotty. So, I might go back, but not for Sunday brunch.
• Waffle House. Ok, this counts, b/c I had never been to one--and it was surprisingly good! I had a chicken biscuit and thought it was quite good. Plus, everything was really cheap--but our waitress was on hour 13 of her shift, and I just felt sorry for her, so I left a big tip.
• Neomonde. This is a Greek/Lebanese place. I had falafel, baba ghanouj (however you spell that), and rice lentils, and thought they were all quite tasty. Plus they have a nice patio area where you can sit.

So overall, not much accomplished. But I have decided to get my nonprofit certificate, which can hopefully help me get a job post-graduation. More on that front later...

Jon and Kate Plus...Themselves

ok, I have to comment on Jon & Kate Plus 8, because all the stuff constantly going around about them is driving me crazy.

I have loved this show for a long time, because I thought they were such a nice family and were struggling, but did it together. Now...well, let's just say both Jon and Kate are acting like they're single again. Jon's going out to bars with random women, Kate spends most of her time traveling and wants a talk show, and they both spend so much time talking to the media about how their marriage isn't working that they aren't talking to each other.

HELLO, YOU HAVE EIGHT CHILDREN. TIME TO ACT LIKE AN ADULT. As someone who went through a divorce, I can attest to how much it affects you negatively, for years--and my parent's divorce WASN'T all over magazines at the grocery store. I feel really, really sorry for the Gosselin kids--the twins notice for sure what's going on, and everyone is an idiot for thinking they don't. They can read, for God's sake.

At this point Jon and Kate should be going to marriage counseling and trying to put their marriage back together for the sake of their kids. What happened to, "we'll always be together", which is what they told them when they renewed their vows?? I just want to shake them both. I loved this show, but I can live without it, as can the rest of America--don't sacrifice your marriage and your kid's emotional well-being for television. Please.

Life update

Well, it's official--I'm moving to Cary in August. Even though I'm still a little apprehensive, and dreading packing everything up again, it will be really nice to be closer to Brian.

In other life matters, I've checked off a few things on my Triangle to do list, such as:

• Going to the NC History museum (this was not as exciting as I would have liked--even the pirate exhibit was mostly just stuff to read. Overall, a bit disappointing, although there was a few things from the Queen Anne's Revenge at the end).
• Having tea at the Carolina Inn (this was nice, although a bit pricey--it made me miss England).
• Going to the Greek Festival in Chapel Hill (this was fun, especially the Greek dancing).

More updates to come...

*UPDATE* I realized I forgot to mention my trip to the Carnivore Preservation Trust in Pittsboro--this is REALLY awesome, and I recommend it if you can go. You can get really close to the tigers (they rub against the cage and purr) and the other various carnivorous animals they have there.

Moving...maybe

Ok, so I found an apartment to potentially move to. But now that I've done all the (really fast) legwork, I'm nervous. Thus, the pros and cons of moving.

Pros:

• I would be a LOT closer to things, such as a.) Brian, b.) work, c.) the grocery store, d.) the gym, e.) home
• I would get to see Brian more often
• I could actually go to church with him and not have to leave an hour before the service starts
• I could actually hang out with his friends when I got invited, instead of saying no b/c an hour and a half of driving didn't seem worth it
• Brian can check in on Maddy when I have to be gone

Cons:

• Moving itself. Again. And also having to pay to move.
  
• Leaving an apartment complex I like to go to one I potentially might not like (ditto neighbors).
  
• Having to learn a whole new community (and a much larger one).
• Still having to come to Chapel Hill 2 days a week for school
• Having to get a parking permit or ride the bus from the CAP lot

Is it worth it? I just don't know...

Movie reviews & life changes

So, I've seen a few movies recently, and thought I would review them. Also, some life updates afterwards.

Here are my reviews (written in order that I liked them, not the order that I saw them)

• Seventeen Again: I drug Brian to this with him protesting the whole way that it was a chick movie and he didn't want to see it--but we both came out loving it. Zac Efron, when he's not singing cheesy songs and attached at the hip to Vanessa Hudgens, has great comedic timing. I saw reviews that touted this as a male Freaky Friday, but it was acually a lot better--Zac/Matthew Perry (his adult self) are upset because they gave up a big basketball scholarship and college to marry his high school girlfriend when she got pregnant--and at the end of the movie, he realizes he made the right decision after all, because he loves his wife and thinks his kids are great. Plus, he gets a job as the high school basketball coach and loves that too. In addition to all these happy moral messages, Mike (Zac)'s nerdy best friend, Ned, is every nerd's dream--he made it big inventing nerdy stuff, and now has all types of nerd gear, including light sabers and a bed that looks like the speeder from A New Hope. Overall, REALLY funny, and worth seeing. Possibly more than once.

• Star Trek. So, of course I went to see this with Brian, who is a huge Star Trek fan, but I'm fairly into sci fi stuff myself, given my love for Star Wars and the fact that I've been dating Brian for six years and my only other serious boyfriend before him was also a huge Star Trek fan. I was a tad wary, because the original Star Trek was so hokey (aliens were usually hot women in skimpy outfits who wanted to have sex with Kirk), but this movie was really great. Funny, lots of action, and also lots of Vulcans (my favorite). Zachary Quinto was a dead ringer for Leonard Nimoy, too. I wish there had been more Scotty, though. And less skimpy outfits for the starfleet women. But you can't get everything.

• Wolverine: I went to see this with my mom, who has a bit of an unhealthy obession with Hugh Jackman. She of course loved it, given the screentime that Hugh spends shirtless, but I thought it was a bit lacking in plot. Deadpool only lasts about 5 seconds? Wolverine and Sabretooth fight it out in an alley and no one notices? Mutants jump in and out but never stay long, some of them are recognizable like Scott, but others are new, like Gambit. And who knew Wolverine's claws were originally bone? And...that's about it. It wasn't as bad as X-Men 3 (WHY did Jean Grey go so nuts??), but not as good as the first 2 by a long shot. Sorry, Hugh.

Enough with movies...in terms of life updates, I'm feeling a bit more like myself (but still driving a rental car while I wait for mine to get fixed), I MIGHT be moving to Raleigh/Cary (this is really up in the air right now and really might not happen, so I'll update if anything really happens), I have another paper due this week for my summer class and...Brian's dad heard my dad isn't happy with his not having a job, and now Brian's dad wants to "confront him". I just hope there isn't a dad-on-dad smackdown in the middle of the hospital, given that both of the recently had surgery and aren't exactly young (my dad turns 60 in July!). As if our families weren't complicated enough....

Rough week

ok, so, I realize I haven't written in a while (I promise movie reviews/rants on season finales are coming), but I've had quite a week.

Last Tuesday, my client had a meltdown while I was driving, so it was not the best day at work; then, on Wednesday, I was so preoccupied with getting out of town to go on my much-needed weekend at the beach that I ran a stop sign and got hit by a truck--thus, my car is now in the shop getting its smashed driver-side door fixed. Then over the weekend at the beach, which I was hell-bent on getting to (and did), it was too windy to sit out much, and Brian had a nervous breakdown. Plus my summer school started today, and I had a paper and a ton of reading due. Sooo...I don't think I ever really got the vacation I needed. This week I'm back at work and school, and trying to hold it together while Brian is back in New Bern for a while. I'll post more when I feel more stable.

Pray for me in the meantime.

The Year of Undone Things

So, given that I will probably only be in NC for another year, I have decided to make this my year of doing all the things in the area I've always wanted to do but haven't yet, for whatever reason.

Here's my current list (I'm sure it will grow as I think of more stuff)

• Museums: Museums of Art and History (I've been to both but not in a long time). I would add the Museum of Natural Science. buttt...i've been there 5 times in the past year, 4 of them for work. I'm sure I'll end up there again, too. *sigh*
• High tea at the Carolina Inn (heck, GO IN the Carolina Inn)
  
• Explore Durham/Hillsborough
• Go to Maple View Farms
• Take a sign language class (at Durham Tech)
• Take a cooking class (either at Southern Season or the ArtsCenter)
• Eat at new restaurants
• Go dancing
• See something at the Carolina Theater

That's all I can think of right now...as I said, I'm sure I'll think of more (I also welcome suggestions). The more I think about this the more I realize I really, really don't want to leave....