Looking back

Well, the UHAUL is loaded and it is time to head out. Farewell Evansville! While Evansville was not the city for me, there were things about it that I hope will be wherever I eventually settle down.

1. Diet Mountain Dew - I shouldn't drink soda at all but when I do, it is so nice to be able to order this at a restaurant. You couldn't do this in Cali and I am sure there are few other places that offer this.

2. Fireflies - so cool, even though up close they are ugly buggers!

3. Fall - the leaves changing colors were so beautiful even though it only lasted about three weeks.

Peace out!

So much trash!

As I try to pack up all my belongings for the move, I am getting rid of some stuff through donations to Goodwill and the dumpster. Say goodbye to all my old spices (yes, I had one from 2002!) and all the old clothes that do not fit. The hardest thing to toss was a small box containing the old cards, letters, and such from old boyfriends. I have held on to them for years (even decades) but decided that they don't really serve a purpose. Yes, every once in awhile I can look at them and remember that at one time I was loved (or liked a lot) but they also bring the reminder that things didn't work out: someone lied, we grew apart, it wasn't meant to be. As I took the mementos to the dumpster my heart was racing as if I was throwing away money! I tossed them and since the dumpster was smelly and gross I know there is no way I am going back after them! I guess this is final closure on the past as I move forward with my future.

And Justice for all????

I just finished watching an HBO documentary on the West Memphis Three - three boys from West Memphis, Arkansas convicted of murdering three eight year old boys in 1994. There is a lot of controversy on whether the WMT were actually guilty and if they received a fair trial. I had heard of the case before and netflixed the documentary so I could get some more information so I could make a decision on my own.

The documentary left me with a lot of questions and a very uneasy feeling that the court system may not have worked so I did some additional research on www.crimelibrary.com. I am not sure yet how I feel about this case but I know for certain that their trial was not conducted properly for the following reasons:

1. The WMT Jessie Misskelley confessed to the crime after a 12 interrogation of which only 50 or so minutes was taped by the police. Jessie was a minor and did not waive his Miranda rights (nor did his father). Jessie was also mentally disabled so I question whether he could fully grasp what he was confessing to. In the taped confession, Jessie changes the confession details as he receives more prompting from the police - he originally claimed the crime happened at 9am but after three redirects from the police he agrees it happened late at night! There are other inconsistencies within his "confession" but the judge allowed the confession to be administered (even with the violation of Miranda Rights) and the judge did not allow a defense expert to testify about the possible coercion that occurred by the police in order to obtain the supposed confession.

2. The police decided that the crime was satanic after discovering the bodies of the three murdered boys even though from my research there doesn't appear to be any satanic ritual items anywhere in the crime scene. The police knew of one boy in West Memphis they thought was a Satan worshipper so they decided to pursue him. Damien Echols liked Metallica, wore black, read wiccan books, and had some adjustment issues. For goodness sakes, that does not make you a murderer! I know lots of people who listen to Metallica and never hurt a soul. Same goes for the color of your clothes. I have read Wiccan books and once had a spell book. And finally, how many 18 year olds don't have adjustment issues especially given the tough home life it appears Damien may have had (he was diagnosed as manic depressive). From watching Damien's testimony at the trial and interviews with the documentary film crew, I can admit that he is a bit strange and seemed cocky during his testimony but that doesn't make a person guilty of murder.

3. There was no evidence! No blood evidence, no witnesses - nothing. There were some people who came forward (and some even testified) that they heard Damien admit to the murders and/or participate in satanic rituals but some of the people who testified later admitted that they made the story up! I think a case of perjury during your trial should warrant a retrial!

4. Beyond a question of doubt - There was a hair belonging to a black person located on the body of one of the murdered boys and the police received a report of a black man in a local eatery bleeding, disoriented, and muddy but the police did not follow up and blood samples that they collected from the restaurant a few days later were LOST! Also, the stepfather of one of the murdered boys gave the makers of the documentary a knife. The knife was used and had a small speck of blood in a crevice. When turned over to the police, they matched the blood to one of the victims. Why did he give them a used knife? The stepfather totally fit the murderer profile created by a profiling expert!

I know our court system is not perfect. I know that everyday the innocent are jailed and the guilty are set free (think OJ). It is our duty to ensure that the judicial system tries its best especially when we use the death penalty (a whole other post!); this is why we have created guidelines and accepted behaviors such as Miranda rights. I believe that this case was not handled properly and that the WMT deserve a retrial. I just hope after almost 5,000 days in jail, it isn't too late.

Too Funny!

When I was on vacation in California, my mom was telling me about her neighbor's kid and how he was a bit peculiar. Apparently the boy was wearing a shirt that said "Taking Back Sunday" and my mom asked him if the shirt was for football! Yeah, I know I could stop right here and be funny but it gets better so keep reading. The kid told my mom that the shirt was for church because his crazy church going classmate gave it to him. LOL! My poor mom - I had to explain that it was a band and had nothing to do with football or church!

Making progress

The packing experience is coming along swimmingly which is good since I move in less than 10 days. My bedroom, living room, and bathroom are all packed. Only the spare bedroom and the kitchen remain! These are the pictures of my new two bedroom apartment.

A very California thing to do!

About 130am, I awoke to gunfire not too far from my bedroom window at my dad's house. There were 7 or so shots and then a plethora of police sirens and cars and a helicopter with a huge searchlight. This morning the main street was still blocked off by police with the caution tape. It looked like maybe a drive by shooting??!! Needless to say, I will be sleeping with my window closed for the rest of my visit no matter how hot it gets! Kind of funny that I have been concentrating on finding Indiana things to do before I left but when I come to California on vacation I experience a very stereotypical event!

Merging into 80 MPH traffic

Merging onto the freeway on the way to Pitzer, I was reminded how mindless and easy driving in Indiana is. It also got me thinking about the things I miss about Cali. I know that I don't have plans to come live back in Cali so here is a list of things I would take from Cali to anywhere I lived:

1. Mountains - I know I mention this all the time but there is something to be said for having picturesque view (think of the one for the movie opening - I can't think of the company right now) everywhere around you.

2. Cal Trans - I used to think the roads in California were nasty and there has always been a great difference in the quality of freeways in NorCal versus SoCal. Then I moved to Southern Indiana were every road is pitted with holes, uneven pavement and other road hazards that make your driving experience very bumpy and at times unsafe. I gues you just don't know what you got till it's gone!

3. Diversity - The other day I had lunch with my stepmom, one of her coworkers, and another lady that worked at Harvey Mudd (the campus right next door to Pitzer). It was the first time in three years I had been in a social setting with more than one person who was not white. he only other experiences with visible diversity I have had since I have been at USI was when I was a girl scout troop leader and when I went on a job interview at Penn State!

4. Del Taco - mmmm yummy - Chelle and I grabbed dinner there one night. I had the Del Classic Chicken Burrito (which I always get) and a Cookie Dough Shake - sooooo good. I am sad that there won't be a Del Taco at Penn (and now they will be even farther away *tear*!

5. Produce - the produce in Indiana is crap. If you are lucky to find anything that looks decent, it tends to rot so quickly. I have been eating fruit and salad everyday. Plus it is cheaper in Cali too!

6. Swimming - Everyone in Cali has a swimming pool and I miss having one on campus. Chelle and I went swimming twice when I came to visit her and my mom and I are heading to the Hot Springs to do some swimming next week. I love to be in the water!

But for everything I miss, there are things I gladly do without:

1. Smog - nothing sadder than that brown layer of sky that keeps it so you can't see the mountains. *cough, cough*

2. Rude people - People in the midwest seem to be nicer. They aren't in such a rush that they cannot demonstrate a level of basic civility.

3. $$$$$$ - Milk is almost $4 a gallon, gas is just over $3 (the lowest it has been in quite awhile). It is so expensive here.

Going back to Cali

After a long and miserable flight (I had a 4 hour layover and a middle seat on the long flight), I am back in Cali - it's been about a year and a half. I will be here for two weeks - time to celebrate Father's Day, my dad's birthday, and spend some time with my mom and Chelle. Some things change and some things don't- the urban spraul continues to expand in the Inland Empire so that a lot of areas are hardly recognizable, my dad has grown a goatee (which actually looks pretty good), and my dad's car still has an overwhelming cherry smell when you first get in it. It's good to be home and see the mountains! Oh how I miss mountains - they just make the horizon so beautiful. For Father's Day, we went up to Lake Arrowhead. We went their for Father's Day in 2002 so I suppose it is a sort of tradition.

Last night, Cathy asked me if I had seen "Brokeback Mountain" yet. I told her I hadn't and she explained that if I was interested in watching it, they owned it and it wasn't as bad as they thought it would be. I didn't know how to explain that it wasn't the homosexuality that I had an issue with but that the main premise of the movie seeemed to be cheating and I just do not like books or movies that glorify cheating - I just didn't know how to tell her this!

Well, I am off to bathe in the jacuzzi tub then I am driving up to Northridge and LA to see some folks and spend the night with Chelle after having lunch with Cathy at Pitzer (where she works).

Just the beginning

For everyone who mentioned that I had a lot of stuff after seeing the picture I posted on Memorial Day - you have no idea. That picture was simply the beginning. I still have a lot left to pack - the kitchen, clothes, another bookcase full of books.

So now that I am leaving Indiana I need a new name for my BLOG because "California Girl in an Indiana Town" - well, it is no longer appropriate. Any ideas?? I will send the person who comes up with the best idea a prize!

My ideas so far:
1. PENN and pencil: The story of my life (and if I could draw I could scan in pencil drawings I drew)
2. I don't like chocolate -- (this one's funny because of Hershey, Pennsylvania!)

Missing the dry heat

It was hot and humid outside today and I needed to run errands so I was pretty sweaty driving around Evansville in my black truck with no air conditioning! The sign at the local car dealer said it was 100 degrees outside but Sarah said the sign was broken because it was only 92 degrees. It wasn't the temperature that made me miserable (I grew up in Southern California where 110 degree summer days were normal)- it was the humidity which must have been around 85%! On a "the future looks so good" note, it was only 72 degrees in State College today.

Good advice

One should never go for a walk at night after watching "Ghost Whisperer" and "Close To Home"

Things that make me happy!

Tonight during my evening walk, I saw the first firefly of summer. Fireflies are cool from far away - up close they are not the most attractive of bugs. I sure hope they have fireflies in Pennsylvania!

Farewell Angie!

Today we had a going away party for one of the administrative assistants complete with catered cheesecakes, fruit tray, and drinks from the University's food services. The entire division was invited and the VPSA attended.

Oh the joy!

Now that I know I have a place to move to, I have to start packing. Why do I have so much stuff???? I packed all day today - what a way to spend Memorial Day but I feel I was pretty productive.

What do you think?

Friends with benefits

Ha - if you thought this was going to be a dirty post - shame on you!

My friend Sarah (that's her picture on the right) works for a local news station and she got us Media passes for the Evansville BlueCats football game. The BlueCats are an indoor arena football team. We can go to all the games, sit where we want, and don't have to pay a thing! Plus we got to eat in the Media room and after the game we went to the after game party with all the players.

The game was fun even though the BlueCats lost :( Sarah was amazed by my wealth of football knowledge and I was ecstatic when the team tried a two-point conversion (one of my favorite football plays!). I also got to meet Sarah's new beau who seems very nice and he offered me a ticket to see the Indy 500 tomorrow but he was leaving at midnight and I just wasn't prepared for an all night and day road trip. At least I got to cross one thing off my "Things to do before you leave Eville" list (attending the BlueCats game). I guess I just won't see a NASCAR race before I leave.

Wow, did I have that wrong!

Today, I went to Angel Mounds which is one of the best preserved prehistoric Native American sites in the nation - this was on my list of things to do before I left Evansville. I thought that the mounds would be large man-made hills that the Native Americans lived inside of but I was so wrong. Now it might have been interesting if they were burial mounds or trash heaps but that wasn't the case either. Instead the Mounds are man-made hills that the Native Americans built their important buildings on. This picture on the right is one of the mounds. The picture on the left is the view from the top of the tallest mound. Angel Mounds is a large piece of land and the four or five mounds are spread out and not that big. And they are named Angel Mounds after the farming family that donated the land to the state of Indiana. They are doing a dig on the land right now but they haven't found much in terms of ancient relics and no one is sure why the Native Americans that lived there moved away. It was a nice walk though and I chatted with a man from St. Louis who told me that the Cahokia Mounds near St. Louis are the same thing - at least I know not to go there!

Not one of the mounds had a building on it! I think Angel Mounds has potential to be a real interesting place. They believe from the digs that the site was surrounded by a large wall to protect the inhabitants. They had reconstructed one little piece of the wall but it would be neat to see it all reconstructed. This picture on the right is of the bridge to enter the site that went over a moat which was cool. I just think they need to reconstruct the site more but it probably is a funding issue which wouldn't surprise me because Indiana does not care about the environment, natural resources, or anything not directly linked to money (hey it's a RED state!). What a shame!

Eleven reasons

When I was at Penn State, I bought a glass with the following list printed on it.

Top 10 Reasons to go to Penn State:
1. The student body - We are...Penn State!
2. Largest alumni association of any college or university in the world
3. Beaver Stadium, the 2nd largest college football stadium
4. Nittany Lion Shrine
5. Eating ice cream in the creamery
6. Meeting friends at the HUB-Robeson Center
7. Mount Nittany
8. THON
9. The only college with a sports facility named after a University President and a library named after a football coach
10. The autumn leaves in Happy Valley

Here are a couple pictures I took when I was interviewing on campus. Oh, and in case you were wondering about the eleventh reason (this one is probably the most important) - THEY OFFERED ME A JOB TODAY!!

Happy Birthday!

Today is my friend Amanda's birthday but I can't wish her a happy one since she is on vacation in England so this will have to do!

Isn't this a great picture of her?! She is probably making this face as she reads this for the first time!

Adventures in car shopping and repair

A month ago, I decided I was going to buy a new car. Well, it wasn't going to be a new car as much a new used car. I subscribed to Carfax and started doing some comparison shopping. I needed an SUV with a tow package (because I needed to tow the trailer when I moved in August) and decided on a Dodge Durango even though I did toy with the idea of getting another Jimmy.

I don't like salespeople- I know they are only doing their job but I truly prefer a no hassle purchase - c'mon I even bought my cell phone on line - but I went to the car lot prepared to haggle and be bothered. Apparently, it is illegal to sell cars on Sunday in Indiana so I got to look around all the lots without a single salesman - how nice!

On Monday, I went back to the lot with a pretty blue Durango with a tow package. I guess that vehicle was not for sale anymore but they did have other Durangos available. Not one of them had a price on them and when I asked the salesman how much they cost, he said that I would be very happy with the price. Are they free? Because that would make me happy. I just shook my head and braced for the sales pitch.

I took two Durangos for a test drive - both without any salesman with me - that was nice. The Durango is a nice vehicle though I am concerned about the built-in gun storage that comes standard in all Durangos! Neither of the vehicles had a tow package and one of them smelled like a dog. How much do they cost I ask again. And that is when the salesman breaks out the contract and tried to get me to triple my down payment and send me home with over $300 a month car payments. Um, yeah, can you say no thanks.

I tried to leave. The trucks really didn't offer what I needed (a tow package!) and for $300 a month I surely wasn't going to pay extra to have one installed. Plus they really were pushing the red (not a good color for a SUV) Durango with four wheel drive (which I will never use) and bad breaks (the salesman told me that there is supposed to be more give on a 4WD brake pedal than a non 4WD pedal). Salesman, ugh!

The second time I tried to leave, they called in the big guns - the financial manager who explained to me the difference between simple interest and compound interest. He also told me I could trade in the vehicle again in a couple years. First of all, the salesman did not listen to me at all when I told him I was working on my MBA - for goodness sakes we covered all that finance crap in my undergrad - I am not a stupid girl! Second of all, if I was the type of person that traded in a vehicle every two years, would I be driving a 1986? I so dislike old men that think they can be condescending to me because I don't have a penis!

They weren't going to let me leave - I swear I felt trapped so I played their game. I became a stupid girl and started to get all choked up about making such a big purchase so they would let me leave. Gee whiz!

They were going to give me $1000 for my trade in before I did any haggling which is great because I thought I would have to do some begging just to get half of that. I am going to keep the Jimmy for a bit longer which means I need to get some things repaired. I had to buy a new air filter so that meant I had to go to the evil Autozone shop. Think the finance guy was rude, the old men at Autozone make him look sweet. I walk in and tell them what I need and they want to look at my car to make sure I know what I am talking about "because a 1986 Jimmy has to have 8 cylinders" - it doesn't but they argue for a bit. They give me the air filter (which was the one I said I needed) and then ask me if I need them to put it in for me. For Pete's sake, it is an air filter! I know I need to find a better auto supply store but this is the only one on the West side.

Today I get to spend over $400 in tires and wheels. My brother had these rims that made the tires stick out from the frame and when I made tight turns, the tries rubbed on the frame - hence why the two front tires were pretty damaged even though the tires were relatively brand new. Thankfully, the guys at the tire store are never condescending and actually answer all of my questions.

Try these tests Copycat!

Cosmos
You scored 35% exotic, 51% fragile, and 61% complex!

Traditional flower symbolism: modesty.
Which is ironic, seeing how it's called "Cosmos." Cause there are much more aggrandizing names out there, like...ummm...no, can't think of any :)
Your opposite is the Lotus.

Link: The What Flower Are You? Test written by gnomee666 on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Your Brain is 60% Female, 40% Male

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female You are both sensitive and savvy Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve

What Gender Is Your Brain?

Happy Mother's Day!

MY MOTHER'S GARDEN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My mother kept a garden,
a garden of the heart,
she planted all the good things
that gave my life its start.


She turned me to the sunshine
and encouraged me to dream,
fostering and nurturing
the seeds of self-esteem . . .


And when the winds and rain came,
she protected me enough,
but not too much because she knew
I'd need to stand up strong and tough.


Her constant good example
always taught me right from wrong--
markers for my pathway
that will last a lifetime long.


I am my Mother's garden.
I am her legacy-
and I hope today she feels the love
reflected back from me.


~~ Author Unknown ~~

I LOVE YOU! - Tracy ;)

You learn something new every day

Today did not start off well. I was scheduled to leave on a flight out of Evansville at 630am to go to a on-campus interview. At 330am, the phone rang. It was American Airlines calling to tell me that my flight connecting from Chicago had been cancelled and they wanted to get me rescheduled on a different flight. I am sure you can imagine the panic that set in. I was scheduled to have dinner with a couple people from the college at 7pm and the campus was a good three hour drive from the airport.

Luckily, the lady from AA was so kind; she got me rebooked on a Delta flight that flew in directly into the college town. My new flight did not leave until 11am so I had a good chunk of time to get some errands and such completed.

I connected in Cincinnati and during my hour layover was checking out the gift shops. A big type of treat over in this part of the country is Buckeyes. Buckeyes are a peanut butter cookie ball dipped in chocolate and I thought they were called Buckeyes because they looked like eyes. Um yeah, no. Apparently they are called Buckeyes after the nut of a tree that grows in Ohio. I had to learn this from a postcard in a gift shop in the Cincinnati airport which isn't really in Ohio!

Today was definitely a day of learning. Here is a summary of what I learned:

1. American Airlines is the best!
2. Buckeyes are nuts (no, this is not an insult to people from Ohio!)
3. The Cincinnati airport is in Kentucky.

It's not good to overload the brain on the day of an interview!

The end of my long running New Year's resolution

I was doing so well but today I had to go to Walmart to by Dry Cleaning sheets because they did not have them at any other store. Technically, my resolution was to not shop at Walmart unless what I needed was not available anywhere else but I felt so guilty being there and was glad no one spotted me.

Earlier today on the phone Amanda and I were talking about shopping at Walmart (before I actually went there). We had the same conversation I seem to have with everyone when they learn that I do not shop at Walmart.

"The little money I spend there won't make a difference if I spent it somewhere else" - Oh really?! Tell that to one of the stores that cannot compete with Walmart. This argument is like the crazy one people give when they don't vote. We know that every vote counts and so does every penny you input into the economy!

"You can buy everything for a everyday low, low price" - I believe it is a matter of what price you place on your ethics. Everyone knows that Walmart does not treat its employees well (pay, health benefits, working conditions) and I cannot put money into the pockets of a family that is known for being the least charitable family in America.

Taste the rainbow

Yesterday, Dylan kept telling his mom that he wanted to taste the rainbow. Kris thinking she just wasn't understanding what Dylan was saying (he is only two-almost three), sent Dylan to tell his Dad what he wanted. They finally figured out that Dylan wanted to eat the Skittles that were in the kitchen. Kris has since put Dylan on TV probation ;)

Sometimes what you don't say has more meaning that what you do say.

Job search update

This week I was offered a job. They meet all of the personal requirements I hoped my new position would offer - next to a large city, prominent sports program, doctoral program, and an opportunity to supervise a grad assistant. And there were other good things such as being only 20 minutes from my good friend Amanda.

So why didn't this blog entry start with "I have a job!"? Because I could not accept the position! They had a firm start date of July 6th. This wouldn't have been a problem if I wasn't enrolled in classes that didn't end until July 14th! Um, yeah I wouldn't have even applied if the start date was publicized but it was never mentioned and most schools are pretty flexible on start dates.

I guess it wasn't meant to be because I was seriously considering accepting a position at this school and now I didn't really have an option. I was pretty bummed out all day today but I have to think positive (right mom?). I do have a few things in the works and am really excited about my upcoming on-campus interview. Keep your fingers crossed!

Bad thief

There is a quote that says something like "There is no worse thief than a bad book". Oh so true. I just stopped reading "Wicked". I kept trying to read it thinking it would get better but after the graphic beastiality scene I just had to stop. Now how is this a proper sequel to The Wizard of Oz and how could this crap be made into a play? It's probably as bad as Rent.

Um...Have a nice life

Tonight I was once again faced with the weird dilemma a person experiences when they move away from a place. What do you say to a person that you more likely than not will not see ever again?

I invited my current student staff members, the student government members I advise, and students that I have interacted with over the past three years to come hang out at my apartment today. I cooked a bunch of food to lure them in because I wanted to have the opportunity to say goodbye.

Normally when a person leaves you say see you soon but I know that chances are I will not see these students, who I currently see almost everyday, ever again so how do you say goodbye? Um...have a nice life; it was nice knowing you.

I just hope that they know I am sincere because working here without having them around would have been miserable. They made this experience worthwhile.

The eye of the beholder

You know how that Stones song goes..."You can't always get what you want"...it's so strange to once again be reminded that no one is really happy with what they have. We all think something about ourselves needs improvement and often we covet what someone else has while that person doesn't even appreciate what it is we are coveting.

Wednesday at work one of the students commented that I always have such nice shoes and nails. Now the shoe thing is totally true - my shoes rock but my nails looked horrid - I was long overdue for a fill. It's just hard to take a compliment and I do the same thing every stupid girl does - try to deny that the compliment cannot be true.

After class on Wednesday, I went out for margaritas with two girls in the MBA program. It was a long tough semester and we turned in our strategic analysis paper and needed a drink to celebrate. One of the girls is always so polished and put together - very sophisticated and has lead a really cool life: living internationally, developing her own business - you know, things to envy! And then she says to me "You have such nice hair - where do you get it done?" UM, is she looking at my hair? Does she not see what I see in the mirror?! And then to top it off, while we are drinking, I tell her my Jamey story and she says "You have lead a very interesting life". This from a girl that lived in Rome! And she wasn't being condescending!!

I guess sometimes you just might find you get what you need...and the key to happiness is wanting what you need.

A horrid thing to call a person

One of my RAs has a "What political persuasion are you?" test on his MySpace and I thought it would be fun to take it.

You Are a Capitalist Republican

Money makes your world go round - and it's no surprise that you always vote your wallet. You're financially successful (or plan to be), and your agenda is low tax and pro business. You don't get fired up about abortion... but mention capital gains tax, and you go crazy. You want government to be as small as possible - and to stay out of the way of business.

What political persuasion are you?

What a horrible thing to say about a person!! I am NOT a Republican!!!

What I am listening to

Wow, if you haven't heard the James Blunt or Carrie Underwood CDs yet...you are missing out! This month I have really found a lot of good CDs - Chris Cagle's "Anywhere but Here" as well as Tim McGraw's Greatest Hits II. It's hard to be saving to move when there is such a plethora of good tunage out there!

Please don't let it be true!

Today at work, one of the administrative assistants asked why I don't apply for a mid-management position that is set to open up in May. I tried to explain that Indiana just wasn't the place for me. There are things I miss that I can't live much longer without - mountains, an active city life, and a dating pool. I tried to tell her that Evansville doesn't really have a good pool for someone my age and she said that she was sure it was the same everywhere. Oh please do not let that be true!

Thanks.

Um, yeah, well the last post wasn't meant as a poor pitiful me post. It was just an update. But thanks to my cheerleaders - Amanda and Chelle - what would I do without you in my corner!

Job search update

Three years ago, I wasn't stressed during my job search. I was graduating from college and did not officially have a job yet but I was rather confident that even if no one else wanted me, I would get an offer from CSUN. Things played out and I got an offer from USI first. While there have been several moments where I have seriously questioned why I would come here, overall the experience has been good. I have had a chance to be involved in some amazing career opportunities that look good on my resume. I got to live in the snow (mild as it was) and I got to experience Fall (even though it only lasts about two weeks out here). I have made a couple great friends and got to work on my MBA (and only had to pay for books!). Overall - not too bad!

This time is completely different. I am stressed and depressed - ready to cry if I think past August. I have until August 1st to find a job or I am HOMELESS and unemployed! (I turned in my letter of resignation so USI could hire a quality candidate to replace me - it is typical to do this in my field) I am a planner and not being able to plan my life 4 months in advance is killing me! I don't have a safety net like last time. Maybe I am too picky or maybe my head is too big because I think I am a very qualified candidate and should have offers flowing in...but they are not. I have had one on-campus interview so far (I feel it went well and I loved the area that the school in located!) and I have another one scheduled for the middle of May.

I did pull my candidacy from one school that I didn't feel I would enjoy working at (I keep second guessing if that was a smart thing to do). A few schools sent me an email letting me know that I am on their second tier of candidates. I know myself too well and if they ever offered me a interview I would always feel that I wasn't good enough for them and they were "settling" for me so I pulled myself from their search. Please don't let these decisions come back and bite me in the boo-tay!

I did get some good news today though - a position that I applied for that is not in Residence Life called me to move forward with the interview process. Woo HOO I am excited but I don't really like Cuban food ;)!

I know it will all work out like it is supposed to but "worse case scenario Tracy" (as my boss likes to call my pessimistic side) is planning to move in with my mom back in 29! Hopefully they will hire me back at Pizza Hut! (Oh gosh - the nightmare gets scarier!!!)

A very Indiana thing to do

Today while I was working the main Residence Life desk, the students and I were talking about things that I had to do before I left Indiana if I really wanted to say I had a true "Indiana experience". The conversation was spurred by the John Mellencamp concert I saw last night.

The concert was great. Little Big Town opened the concert and though they are a very new country band without a lot of well known songs, they sounded great live. Mellencamp put on a great show - everything I expected. He gave a few liberal speals (which I loved but did get a boo or two in this crazy red state), he cursed (to be expected), and he smoked on stage (I do not like smoking- nasty habit - but I do have to say he does smoke like a man: cigarette between the middle and ring finger, doesn't hold on to the cigarette when he is inhaling. Definitely not effeminate like most men who smoke!) The songs were great though Mellencamp kept whispering to his band members - hope he wasn't chewing them out - I heard he can be quite a mean guy. Anyways, Mellencamp played a lot of great songs but he forgot to play "Dance Naked" which is one of my faves. He did play a few blues songs which I didn't like. I understand that as an artist it might get boring playing "Jack and Diane" every time you are on stage but he has such a vast collection of songs that he does not need to be playing songs he never covered before especially when he doesn't play all of his popular songs! I didn't get to buy a concert shirt because they did not have my size in any of the shirts I liked (talk about poor merchandising!) Mellencamp did earn some bonus points though when he did not play an encore. I so dislike bands that "pretend" the show is over and then come back for another song or two - really, play all your songs and then end the show. Whoever thought of the first encore is stupid and thankfully Mellencamp didn't do it (neither does one of my favorite bands - SoCo!!!!).

Anyways, back to my conversation with the students, when I first moved to Indiana everyone said I would get to see Mellencamp because he plays all the small towns in Indiana since he is from Seymour, Indiana and sings about small towns. I almost didn't get to see him but thankfully he went on tour just at the right time! I had a student that told me last summer I would need to do three things before I left Indiana:

1. Almost hit a deer
2. Watch a Indiana High School basketball game
3. Get struck by lightening

Um, yeah, sorry Anthony, I haven't done any of that crazy stuff!

The students today decided I should go to a Demolition Derby and visit a meth lab. Apparently they think that demolition derbies and drug usage are specific to only the state of Indiana. I did attend a demolition derby out here last August and it wasn't any different then the one in Yucca Valley that I saw like 10 years ago. And I don't know why I would go to a meth lab...I have known enough people whose lives have been f*ed up by that stuff (there but for the grace of God go I) so I don't need to see anymore.

It is funny though to hear what everyone thinks is unique to this area. I would like to eat dinner at an Amish restaurant (Kourt and I are going to do this in a couple weeks) and I think I should see an Indy race sometime this summer.

Motivation

Cross your fingers!

I am off to my job conference - please keep your fingers crossed and send me all the good vibes you can. Quite a few of you are a bit confused by how this job search process works. In case you have not figured out yet, this student affairs field is different from all other field. Hopefully this will make it a little easier to understand.

Every year there are about a dozen or so job conferences for people in Student Affairs. Three years ago I went to a conference called OPE (Osh Kosh Placement Exchange that was held in Wisconsin). That conference is largely geared towards entry level professional (those without experience). This year I am going to ACPA which is a convention for people in Student Affairs - usually those with advance degrees and/or experience. During the convention, they also have an event called Placement where I hope to find a job.

I, along with 700 other job seekers, registered to attend Placement in November. I was able to post a resume and create a profile that described who I was and what I was looking for in my next employer. Because I was a registered candidate, I was able to search through the open positions that the 600 or so employers list on the website. Each employer has on average 1.5 positions available. I sent my resume packet to schools that I was interested in and was able to preschedule interviews with schools that were interested in me.

As of today, I have 11 prescheduled interviews. Not all schools preschedule so I expect to add a few when I get to the conference which is in Indianapolis (just about three hours away). Each interview will last about half an hour. Some schools will ask me to schedule a second half hour interview with someone else from their school. After the conference, the schools will take all the files from all the candidates at this conference and any other conference they attended and decided who they think will "fit" best with their institution. Those people will be invited to an on-campus interview which lasts about a day and a half.

Hope this clarified some of the confusion. Happy St Patrick's Day!

Melly is a mommy!

Melodie and Jared welcomed little Garrett Carson into the world today. Everyone was expecting a girl so Garrett was a bit of a surprise. Congratulations!

Happy Birthday!

Today is my friend Chelle's Birthday!
This picture is from when she came to visit me a couple years ago and we went to Turtle Park in St. Louis. I can't wait to move so she will come and visit me again. Hanging out with her is super fun!

I don't make my bed for health reasons - HA!

Why an Unmade Bed Is Healthier

(FROM http://channels.netscape.com/homerealestate/package.jsp?name=fte/unmadebed/unmadebed&floc=LIV-1_T)

Neatniks, cover your eyes. New research from Kingston University in the United Kingdom has concluded that an unmade bed is not only unappealing to the eyes, but also unappealing to house dust mites, which are thought to cause asthma and other allergies.

The average bed can be home to as many as 1.5 million house dust mites, and when a bed is made up, it traps moisture in the sheets and mattress--ideal conditions for those mites. But the bugs apparently have a harder time surviving in the drier conditions of an unmade bed, reports the BBC News.

The big takeaway: Since dust mites are a leading cause of allergies and asthma, keeping your bed unmade could keep you healthier.

House dust mites are less than a millimeter long and feed on the scales of human skin. They produce allergens which are easily inhaled during sleep. When we sleep, the bed becomes warm and even damp, conditions that help the house dust mites to grow and multiply. "We know that mites can only survive by taking in water from the atmosphere using small glands on the outside of their body," lead researcher Dr. Stephen Pretlove told the BBC News. "Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress so the mites will dehydrate and eventually die."

Job search update - Oh, happy day!

Woo Hoo - today before lunch I received two interview offers. Stress is now happily contained.

Job search update - STRESSED!

Today I received my first "Thanks but no thanks" from a school. Last time I did a job search it was normal to receive a rejection every once in awhile - not every school will think that I am the right candidate for them just like I don't think every school is right for me. Today was just a big deal because it was my first and it was from a school that was towards the top of my preference list.

I applied for 17 positions. I have not heard from but a handful of schools interested in setting up interviews at the job conference which is in just THREE weeks! So I am stressed - what if I don't find a job? What if no one wants me? What if I have to move back to 29 Palms and find a new career? Yeah, my stress level is up to my eyes - you know, the level where you start to cry for no real good reason :(

The Island of Stupidity

This afternoon I went to Starbucks to drink some green tea while I studied for my ECON test that is on Thursday. It was a productive afternoon because I was able to finish a chapter and a half and feel pretty confident about the exam. Could I possibly get an A in ECON this semester? I had to take three ECON classes for my undergrad and received an A- and two Cs. An A this time would be superb.

The local Starbucks had four comfy chairs and several tables for studying. When I arrived, the chairs were taken by two men reading books and two women just hanging out. About an hour into my study session, one of the men leaves and on the way out says goodbye to the two women. The women ask him if he finished his book. He says he is taking the book in small doses and finds it interesting if he reads it with an open mind. This comment perks my attention - what could he be reading? A social commentary, a comedian politcal examination...no, "The DaVinci Code".

Their conversation that follows had me fighting to keep my mouth shut and not laugh out loud! The man talked about how there was some compelling facts in the book that might make him believe it really is true. He has the DVC version with the pictures so when the book talked about The Last Supper he could see that Mary Magadelene really was in the picture. One of the women asked if The Last Supper was a real painting of Jesus and did someone really paint it?! Then she asked is Leonardo DaVinci was real and oh, wasn't he the guy that painted the Sistene Chapel?! They all three agreed that he was. Then she said "I am an idiot". Finally, something I could agree with! The man asked them how big they thought the Mona LIsa was. He let them know that it was 21 inches - just like the size of my book. His book was about 12 inches - men are always exaggerating on the size of things ;)! Their conversation lasted about 15 painful minutes and concluded with an agreement between the three of them that DVC was just one man's opinion!

DVC is a work of fiction! What makes it a good work of fiction is that it weaves in actual history and true facts with a story. For conspiracy theorists, it is exciting to read and ponder that possibility of a worldwide conspiracy to cover the truth. I believe there are several powerful entities in the world that could have the ability to influence the world's thinking, but I don't spend any time thinking DVC is real anymore than I think Harry Potter's secret world of magic really exists (though it would be cool if I was a muggle).

Christmas is over?

So the other day one of my coworkers asked me how I fit everything in - class, work, extra activities for work, me time. I laughed. I am a mess - barely hanging on to sanity. You laugh? Well, here is the proof - yesterday, five days after Valentine's Day, I finally was able to make time to put away all my Christmas decorations.

On Grey's Anatomy (which I watched as I dismantled my tabletop Christmas tree), the hot black doctor told the neurotic asian doctor, "I am nearly perfect. You are a mess but I love you anyways. Why won't you let me love you?"

That is what I am holding out for - someone to bring order to my chaos.

Today is NOT single awareness day!

All month, I have argued with single people that Valentine's Day is not Single Awareness Day anymore than St. Patrick's Day is not Non-Irish Awareness Day. I like Valentine's Day - a chance to reflect on the power of love and tell those around you that you love/like/appreciate them. Yes, I agree that for a single person it can be sad if you do not have plans and no one you call that "special someone". But I am single and I find ways to celebrate today. Some say everyone is Irish on March 17th so why can't everyone be in love on February 14th? Love yourself - go get a massage, love your friends - have dinner with your single friends, love your family - give your mom a call.

Hallmark did not ruin this day - you do not even have to buy a card today to show someone you appreciate them. We don't blame Hallmark for ruining birthdays and you didn't even do the hard work on your special day - your mom did. You forgot the pain but ask any mother and she'll tell you about the 12 hours she was in labor, the drugs, the ripping, the blood - graphic enough? Maybe we should buy our mothers presents on the day we were born!

If this is the only day your significant other tells you that you are loved, you are not in a healthy relationship. Don't blame Valentine's Day! Oh and by the way, I love you for reading my rants and ravings. Have a LOVEly day!

A good day!

Today I slept in till 1130, sent out four resume packets, and bowled my highest game ever - a 153!

I advise a student government organization called SHA. The SHA President has made it a point that the executive board should regularly have events were they get togehter and hang out. Today we went bowling. I am an average bowler with scores usually between 85 - 120. The first three games weren't anything extraordinary. In game four I got a turkey - my first ever!- which lead to my high score game.

At the end of the day, I went to Target and got some strawberry creme heart shaped Peeps - yummy. Today was a good day!

Hungry Homeless People

Today I took a three USI students to Indianapolis to help an organization with food prep - sandwiches, soup and such - that they give to the homeless in downtown Indy. A professor at USI and my mom both wondered why we wouldn't feed the homeless in Evansville. I argued that a hungry homeless person was a hungry homeless person regardless of the city they were in and that the problem is larger in Indy. Then today as I am driving to Indy, I see two homeless people in Evansville. Oh boy - the guilt!

The students really enjoyed the day - one of them had never done any volunteer work before. I think that they felt good that they had actually made a difference. I am proud of them. In two weeks, a group of students are going to help at the Indiana State Museum Art Show. Matt is going as the advisor but I want to go too even though I am the one that told him he had to go so I could stay home. When will I learn that I do not need to be involved in everything?! Plus they are going on my only day off this month - please send me your good thoughts that I will be strong and maybe sleep in or catch up on homework or clean my apartment or tackle the list of things that need to be done instead of going on this trip!

Baby steps

When overwhelmed with all that must be done, I am a crazy list maker! I can cross one off the list because I finished the resume today - three pages long (Don't worry all my business friends - this is completely acceptable in this field). I have narrowed the 250 plus position listings to 83 potentials that as of February 3rd are offering positions that I am :

1. Qualified for
2. Interested in having

Now I must minimize the list and start sending out the resume. Keep your fingers crossed and I will keep you updated because I know I will be posting a lot. I find blogging to be a good outlet when potential stress runs high.

And so it begins...

Today is the beginning of the "endless nonstop wish I had a day off" spring semester rush. This afternoon I am leaving to go to Rose Hulman to take a group of students to a leadership conference for the weekend. Once I return it is RHC programs, SHA events, Eagle Road Crew field trips, Admissions socials and teaching the university's alcohol class. Nonstop work with one day off (Sunday, Feb 26th) until I leave for my job search conference on St. Patty's Day.

Don't ask me how I am going to squeeze in the required reading for my two classes and all the job search stuff that needs to be done.

Poor Frogger

I haven't been able to post in awhile because I have been locked up for murder. Okay, I wasn't really locked up but I did kill Frogger and I feel terrible.

In October, I pulled in the lime and rubber trees from my patio because the news was forecasting the first frost to hit that night. A week or so later, I noticed a little tree frog hanging around my fish tank. I figure he came in with the tree and since it was so cold outside, I didn't put him back outside to freeze.
I would see Frogger once every week or so all winter long. Then last week it was 60 degrees outside so I caught Frogger and put him outside. The next day it snowed two inches!

Poor Frogger - I feel so horrid and have been in mourning ever since :(

There are things to do in Evansville

One of my New Year's resolutions is to stop saying there is nothing to do in Evansville and actually participate in the things there are to do around here. In the past, this has been a hard thing because I never could find anyone to go with - either other people were not interested or they didn't have any money (people here are always broke, which I don't understand, but that is another rant and rave for a future post).

Today I went to the university's Martin Luther King Jr. luncheon. There was a keynote speaker, an interpretative ballet dance on Rosa Parks, the Culver Elementary Drumline (which was cool to see since I always heard them practicing when I went to Culver to lead my Girl Scout troop), and a step dance routine.

The food was made by the university's food service so it wasn't all that good but the program was really good. I sat with a group from the university's career services office. One of the guys at the table thought that the hot sauce was French dressing and poured it on his salad! He still ate his salad!

There is a Russian Ballet presentation of Sleeping Beauty on Tuesday and a Harlem Globetrotters event on two Fridays from now but I am on call for this week and next (gosh darn job ruining my life! LOL)

Need caffeine

Okay, so one of my handful of resolutions was is to stop drinking soda and to lay off the caffeine (not a total withdrawal but a drastic minimization). It was not abnormal for me to drink a couple Mtn Dews a day and to drink 2-3 energy drinks a week. Of course, there was some regular trips to Starbucks in the mix too.

This is the second day of class and I am craving some caffeine - need that kick. It doesn't help that I have been sick for the last week and just want to sleep right now.

Like Jack's Mannequin says "I need caffeine in the bloodstream".

I am fighting it but it shall be interesting to see how much caffeine I drink this weekend - I have 5 chapters to read! I am going to make some tea now.

The War hits home

This morning on the news, they announced that funeral services for Private Pfender would happen this week. I never had the pleasure of meeting this young man but his death brought the war a little too close to comfort for me.

I first learned that Jonathon Pfender existed when the local Pizza Hut on St. Joe announced wishes of good luck on their marquee. He worked at the Pizza Hut, enlisted in the Army, and was sent to Iraq. I don't know what he looked like, what he did in his spare time, what made him who he was but thanks to that marquee I knew that he existed and I knew that he must have had an impact on those who knew him because that marquee kept the wishes of good luck on display - it never came down.

I don't know if my sense of comradery with Private Pfender was because we both worked at the Hut. It seems that I always have an instant bond with a person when we find out we both did some time smelling like pizza (not as pleasant as you might think). The announcement of his death today just really jarred me and put a more personal spin on the war - I didn't even know him, just knew that he existed.

I think the feelings are a lot like those felt after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. I don't have a frame of reference for what those locations looked like and I (thankfully) did not know anyone who was personally affectected so I was detached and until Private Pfender I was detached from the war also.

Mixed feelings - not sure if it is like the Toby Keith song "I wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then". I do know that even though we never met, I will never forget Private Pfender - my life from this point out is definitely different. God bless and keep you Jonathon Pfender.

Hey - that building is leaning!

Amanda and I drive from Milano to Firenze (Florence) where we are to meet back up with Heather and Melissa at 3pm at the hotel. The drive through Tuscany is beautiful. A lot of people think of Tuscany as a city but it is more like a state/county. Rome is in Lazio and Florence is in Toscana (Tuscany). During the trip we do ponder why we have American names for the Italian cities - why can't we just call it what they do?

We arrive at the hotel a little early and grab a bite to eat at the local bar. An Italian Bar is like a coffeshop. Think more like a snack bar than an alcohol bar. On the way to the bar, we pop into the liquor store. A nice sized bottle of Galliano is 13 euro. What a bargain but I am worried about customs and bringing over too much alcohol and having to pay custom fines. Amanda and I are trying to find some Absinthe but have had no luck so far.

We meet up with H&M and decide to take the train to Pisa. The train ride is about 40 minutes long. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is actually part of a church and is quite interesting. The sun is setting and I get some great pictures. Across from the tower is a great store and I am excited to be able to finally find a touristy gift shop. The store is closing and they will not let us look around anymore. I sadly look at the clerk and she lets me purchase the two items I had in my hands. While she is ringing me up, I add a few more items that are around the register and then see under the counter the Italian charms that I have been looking all over for. I spent about 80 euro in the store, imagine if I had a chance to actually look around!

We have dinner at a same trattoria in Pisa. I play adventurous again and order some food that I am not quite sure what it will be like.

My mother's birthplace

Amanda and I get up early and take the vaporetto for one more ride through Venice (I thought it would be a neat thing to see at dawn). Unfortunately, the taxi does not ride the full loop at such an early hour. We have breakfast (one of the yummiest of the whole trip) and take the ferry back to mainland.

Amanda is getting better at reading the crazy Italian directions. As soon as we pull into big cities, she runs in to a hotel and asks for directions. This has proven to be quite successful except when some of the streets do not go straight through. We had to drive around a block like three times to get going in the right direction. Roundabouts are fun!

In Milano, we stayed at a Best Western with the snobbiest clerks ever. They were so standoffish and rude! Amanda and I - wise from our many driving misadventures - take the subway to the Duomo. We struggle trying to understand how the Subway works when some people from Holland help us (they say they were just as confused yesterday).

The Duomo is a large building with spires and we think we should be able to see it. Amanda stops and consults the map swearing the building is just ahead of us. Hesitantly, I follow her directions and as we walk a block or two - boom- there it is surrounded by modern skyscrapers that are home to many elite fashion designers. Many of the shops are closed because of the holiday (not that I could have afforded to shop there even if they were open!) Milano is full of street vendors with lots of good bargains and Amanda and I find a World Gifts Festival. While it didn't prove to be a good place to buy souveniers ("Hey look I got you this African tribal doll in Italy!"), it was a lot of fun.

For dinner, we eat at an upscale resturant. At the hotel, we pay to check our email and I discover that my bank fee for withdrawing money from the ATM is about $10! This picture is the view from our hotel. At the hotel, we see an amazing video for a song called "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter. It appears that he is probably British and the video has such a good story. I was hoping to find a good Italian group over here but I think Daniel Powter will suffice. We try to get an appointment to see "The Last Supper" but with the holiday, the hotel clerk tells us that it won't be possible.

"But will they be dried?"

We get on the road early in the morning so we can get a good day in Venice. We take a ferry to Lido and find our hotel with relatively no problems (surprise, surprise, we really didn't get lost!) At the hotel, I ask for laundry service. I bring down my jeans and ask for them to be washed. I don't want my clothes pressed just washed I tell the hotel lady. Melissa asks "But will they be dried?" Um, have you ever received your clothes back wet when you pay someone to wash them? Too funny especially because we were speaking in English so there was no misinterpretation due to the language. The poor hotel lady looked at us like we were crazy Americans!
We walk around downtown, get lunch and I a lot of pictures. We head back to the hotel where we take the hotel private water taxi to Murano Island - home of the world famous blown glass. We watch a small demonstration on the art of glass blowing and then go into the Murano show room. The glass is beautiful - they actually are pieces of art and come with matching price tags to boot! We take the vaporetto (water taxi) to Venice and walk around. It is so cold that we skip the gondola ride but we do stop at Harry's Bar and have a Bellini. A Bellini is a champagne cocktail that was created at Harry's Bar. The place is pretty packed but we are able to grab four seats at the bar where we enjoy our Bellinis while we watch the bartender make at least 100 Bellinis! For dinner we head to a Chinese restaurant on Lido and Melissa has "shitty shrimp" for dinner. Yes I laughed - yes it was mean but oh it was sooooo funny! We head back to the hotel to change and get ready to celebrate the New Year. I fall into bed and am out. They say how you spend new year's is how you will spend the year - I guess this means I will be getting a lot of beauty sleep!

Fair Verona and my foul mood

Verona was probably the place I was most looking forward to visiting. I added it to our travel itinerary because I wanted to go to Gardaland and to see all the Romeo and Juliet stuff. Gardaland is Italy's largest amusement park. So many people go to Disneyland when they travel to the US and I thought how many people who go to Italy actually take part in the modern culture?

Since Heather and Melissa stayed in the South for an extra day, they were going to meet us at the front entrance at Gardaland. Amanda and I got lost (imagine that!) and were about a half hour late. Melissa and Heather were not out front and Amanda suggested they may have gone inside to wait for us. Of course, the idea of this made me mad because we weren't that late. About thirty minutes passed when I agreed with Amanda's viewpoint that we should go in the park since we did not have all day to enjoy the rides and such. We agreed that every hour or so we would go back and check for the girls. The park had these cool statues where you put your face inside the character - it actually looked like you had a costume on - they were that well made! Inside the park I want to buy a Gardaland hoodie as my souvenier but also because it is very cold. Damn these Italians for being so well dressed - the park's sweatshirt options are very limited. In fact, I will not ever see an Italian wearing a hoodie during the entire trip!

I do get a gray sweatshirt with Prezziamo on it. Prezziamo is the green dinosaur mascot of Gardaland (think Mickey Mouse). Prezziamo means Parsley in English. Throughout the park there are signs thanking the corporate sponsor of Gardaland. We are unsure if it is a cigarette, a tube of chapstick or a sparkplug.

The park inside was festive - they have music piped throughout the park in all different labguages and every once in awhile I get to hear my fave Chrisitmas tune "War is Over". We rode on the rides. Nothing as extreme as Six Flags since the big roller coasters were closed but we had fun and hours passed and still no sign of H&M. Amanda noticed that one of the big roller coasters was opened and we rushed over and got on - what fun! We checked the gate again and then decided to get a bite to eat in the park, ride two more rides and then head back to the hotel - hoping H&M would meet us there. The park's food was actually pretty good - better lasagna here then I would have in Rome later in the trip. I accidentally got bubbly water and have redeveloped a taste for it - I went through a phase a couple years ago where I drank a lot of Perrier. As we were finishing up our lunch, H&M walk in. They saw me in the window. What luck!

They decide to get something to eat as Amanda and I go to ride the last two rides (I love amusement park rides!), get some zucchero fileto, then we head to the hotel. The lady at the hotel wasn't the nicest of people because we apparently only had a room for three people and four people could not be in there - oops - she was very mad. Guilette's castle closes at 730pm and Heather has to take a shower. Everyone decides we should drive and knowing our track record, guess what - we get lost and drive around for two hours with a stop to see a castle. It is too late for Giulette's castle and I sat in the car for about 40 minutes while everyone else got directions when we finally find the place we wanted to be. As we are walking through Verona, a group of boys comment that we are BRUTTO. We end up eating pizza and I try the speck which is very much like a super thin bacon.

I know that the whole Romeo and Juliet thing in Verona is a tourist trap and not the actual people referred to in the Shakespearean play but I had really had my heart set on seeing them. Not being able to, the unappetizing pizza for dinner, missing some stuff at the park because of the constant trips to the Gardaland front gate, being called ugly, everyone snapping at each other while we were lost - it really put me in a bad mood which lasted until the next morning. Luckily, I have good friends who forgive me for being a butthead but this day made me miss my mom who I realize I love to travel with - thankfully in three to four years I might be able to come back to fair Verona for another chance to see the sites.

Mezzogiorno - The South

Today Amanda and I left Naples and headed southeast. Heather and Melissa took a train to Sorrento and will meet us in Verona tomorrow. On Amanda and my road trip agenda is seeing Castel de Monte, the Trani Cathedral, and the truji -these beehive structures that no one is quite sure why they were built - maybe religious or battle related.

During our road trip, we have lots of time to talk and ponder all things Italian. Like for instance, no public toilet has a toilet seat. Does everyone in Italy straddle the toilet seat? Is this the way to prevent people from sitting on the seat? Did they all get broken? Is there a toilet seat shortage in Italy? All questions and no answers.

Castel de Monte was built around the number eight with a beautiful view. We have decided it would be the perfect wedding place. Guests could stay on the top floor and all the wedding activities could happen on the first floor with a different activity in each of the eight rooms. I suppose I would be open for marriage if some guy could afford to rent the castle and fly all my friends and family to Italy for my wedding!

Inside the castel, there is a "modern" art show. One wall is covered with wall paper containing sketches of people having sex.

We had a nice lunch outside the castle - I had sausage (not really a big sausage eater) but I wasn't really sure what I was ordering since it was not in the Italian dictionaries. Yes, I could have asked the waiter but I just wanted to take a chance. The sausage was okay but scored an A+ for presentation. It came with mashed potatoes (very good but different from the US version) and green onions that were really good but I have no idea how they were prepared - maybe blanched.

A lot of Italians speak English to us right off the bat without giving me a chance to practice my mad Italian skills. We decide it is because Amanda has red hair and pale skin. She most definitely cannot pass as an Italian so they know we are foreigners.

At the Trani Cathedral, we get to see the Adriatic Sea. It has a beautiful turquoise color that is amazing. It starts to sprinkle at the Cathedral so we decided to cut our sightseeing short and begin our long drive up to Verona. Because it is winter, it gets dark very early so I am sure we missed some beautiful views but the ones we did get to see were great.

Driving has gotten a little easier as we have decided we need to start trying to read the directional signs as Italians. When we start to get lost and frustrated for the rest of the time we are in Italy, we will simply remind ourselves to "not think like an American". Finally, we arrive in Verona after spending an exorbitant amount of money on the toll roads. The man only has a room with a Frenc (no h on purpose) bed - we don't know what this means but we take it. A frenc bed is a full.