stuck inside the groove

i just got a pang of homesick. "why georgia" came on my itunes and i automatically felt an urge for the suburbs. for carlisle. for my parents. for my 717 friends. but i feel all sorts of weird, because i feel like it's not for home as it is now, but home as it was 2 years ago. senior year home. high school home. driving to kings gap at dusk with jayda and laura kelly home. go karting and spending 3 hours in the coldstone parking lot home. harassing mr. erb on a daily basis home. sharing a locker with jayda home. being picked up by sally every morning home. picking laura up in the cancun parking lot home. going sledding at nate's home. spending friday nights in basements home. everything that reminds me of home home.

i don't want to go back to that time, because that is in the past, but i wish that i could go home and everything would still be the same. and while i know that they won't, it's nice to think back on them. nostalgia is good sometimes.

jimmy, you shouldn't leave me in the room by myself for this long. i think too much.

dawn is breaking everywhere

a list: from me to me

1. stop listening to glee songs so often. your itunes is getting embarrassing.

2. learn to cook. not knowing how to defrost chicken is a no go in life. your kids will most definitely like more than kraft mac and cheese. get with it.

3. eat more fruits and vegetables.

4. stop freaking out whenever someone says the word "carlisle". it's becoming kind of creepy. it is not a coincidence that you got put in the group to read about the indian school. moderation, my friend.

5. up your creative game. your skills parallel a four year olds. find your creative niche.

6. do your friggin' fraggin' homework. be more productive. god, just do it.

7. don't spend money. it's limited. you're never going to have money, future teacher of america, so learn to be money wise sooner rather than later.

8. jim halpert and marshall eriksen are fictional characters. your love runs too deep. don't use them as a guide in finding a real boy.

8a. find a real boy.

9. one brownie a day. ONE FREAKIN' BROWNIE A DAY. why can't you stop eating them? self control, goddammit!

10. give yourself a high five for discovering nantucket nectar's pomegranate pear juice. it's the best thing since arizona iced tea, but it's expensive. see #7.

11. let loose this weekend. come out of it with a good story or two; it's been a few weekends, and you could use it.

swing low, sweet chariot

Maybe it's my obsession with all things Civil War. Maybe it's the fact that I just finished a paper on Sojourner Truth. Maybe it's Zooey Deschanel's voice. But, whatever it is; this is beautiful.

Last weekend was magnificent. State College is a beautiful town and I had so much fun with Todd and Geoff; but I think my favorite part was the drive up there. Living in Philadelphia, I forget how much I love mountains and country roads. So freeing. Would it be cliche to say that I love fast cars and freedom? Is that socially acceptable? Eh, whatever, it's true.

It took a couple days for me to get back into the swing of things once I returned to Temple, but I'm good now.

It's nice to feel my Temple friends becoming more and more a part of my life with every day. While there are still some moments where I want to see Jayda and just talk to her, it's a good feeling to not have to rely on her as much anymore. She's still my best friend, no doubt about that, but it's nice that I can actually feel myself fully branching out and making my friendships at school more meaningful. It means a lot to me.

I feel like I'm in a really good spot right now and I truly hope that that is not a fleeting feeling.

I love my life. And my friends. And my family (who I get to see again in 3 weeks!).

Tomorrow is Friday, and this weekend should be a good one.

So much free/fun stuff to do. I'm determined to make the most of it.

P.S.

I love my roommate. I love when he runs into my room just to give me a hug. I love that after a long nap, the first thing he asks for is food. I love that we can have a mini celebration at 3 am just because we finally made the decision to turn the air conditioner on. I love that our fridge isn't stocked with much, but it's never lacking multiple Arizona Iced Teas.

dear....

dear skyline of philadelphia,

i love you. you make the walk home from a party by myself worth it. the minute i pass temple towers, you're there, waiting for me, with your glowing lights. you make me feel safe (if only for a split second). you remind me of how big this city is. i am one of 2 million. and that should scare me, but seeing you shining in the distance makes me feel like i belong here; i am a philadelphian. you put my mind at ease.

dear north philadelphia,

i don't care how pungent the smell of poop is in the air, you are glorious and wonderful; you are not as scary as they say. you fill my weekends with fun stories of escapades in the ghetto and experiences that i never thought i could say i had. you are interesting and filled with culture and you are starting to feel like home again.

dear cranberry raspberry juice,

suga how you get so fly? i think i might like you as more than a friend. you are delicious. i woke up craving you this morning, and you did not disappoint. i'm almost done with the current bottle of you, but i fully intend to stock up again. will you be my boyfriend? plz write back.

dear courtyard lights of university village,

whaddafxup? why are you so friggin' bright? i don't think anyone would complain if you took it down a few notches. pretty please? with a cherry on top? hot fudge? i'll even go for sprinkles. i just want to be able to fall asleep more easily. i'll do anything.

dear beds of university village,

you're big and beautiful. i love you.

dear 500 days of summer soundtrack,

you are the bomb. i feel like you were made for my own personal listening pleasure.

dear quentin tarantino,

keep up the good work! i give your movies many huzzahs! nicely done!

dear mappy,

you're the man. it is my dream that the cats will never catch you, and i will help you defend yourself until the end. true love never dies.

happy happy joy joy

Lately a lot of my family members have been adding me on Facebook, which is weird, but I came across this picture on my aunt's and fell in love with it. This is my Grandpa O'Neil and this face is strangely everything that embodies him. He is one of the most stubborn and crank old man you will ever meet, but he is also hilarious and happy and lovely. I respect Grandpa more than almost any person I have ever met. He has never done anything in which he didn't go above and beyond the call of duty to produce something special. In his prime, he was a leading developer of biological warfare for the army and he worked alongside Jonas Salk to help develop the vaccine for polio, he had five children, and he was married to one of the most beautiful women to ever live, Betty Maloney O'Neil. (The most Irish name ever, no?) They were together for almost 52 years when she passed away 10 years ago, which is a feat in itself. The thing that makes that story even greater is that he never lets you forget that they would still be together today were she still with us, celebrating 62 happy years of marriage. Grandpa always has a twinkle in his eye, and while the spring in his step may be gone, the will to bring it back is always there. He is a great man and I hope to have many more years with him. I love you, Grandpa.

my loot plays on a double feature screen; your loot went straight to dvd

Hello, blogging world. Long time no update. I still have to do an update on New Hampshire, but I need to myself to take the time to write that entry. However, it was a wonderful trip and I can't wait to be back to TU with all of the family.

So today I went antiquing with Jayda. Success!

1. Jayda's birthday present, "Dirty Old Men Need Love Too"
2. Retro owl candle. Glorious.
3. 2 shot glasses: PENNSYLVANIA KEYSTONE STATE and MAINE with a picture of a lobster. Maine:Lobster.
4. A glorious green mug. The picture doesn't do it justice.

I also picked up another owl figurine, a Hall and Oates 40 for Mary Penxa, and a bicentennial glass.
I have never really been "antiquing" per se, but it was wonderful.

i want. and possibly need..

everything from the urban outfitters home decor collection.

I held off on posting the Obama figurine, but we all know I want that. But seriously, lately I've been so excited to have my own apartment next year; I'm so excited to decorate it.
Also, Jim: Urban Outifitters has an extensive collection of owl decorative gear. We should take advantage of that. TU! U KNOW!