So not only am I Lost...

...I'm also kinda obsessed with a serial killer.

After Chelsea's post I realized how much I missed being obsessed with a television drama. Lost isn't on for awhile so I turned to Dexter. The show is about a serial killer who kills other serial killers. Here's my thought process on it:

The main character is a serial killer who kills other serial killers. The inconsistency lies in whether or not the main character can be considered moral and whether serial killers have a right to life.

P1: Killing people is not moral

P2: Dexter Kills people

C: Dexter is not moral

But

Many people believe that it is moral to kill serial killers via death penalty. This implies that serial killers do not have a right to life. Can Dexter really be considered immoral for killing serial killers if serial killers do not have a right to life?

If Dexter was caught he would be considered a serial killer. Inference tells us that therefore, Dexter does not have a right to life. But Dexter only kills a being that also do not have a right to life. Therefore he can not technically be considered a "killer" because he has not killed anything that has a right to life and so Dexter retains his right to life.

Can Dexter be considered immoral for killing something that does not have a right to life? Can you be considered immoral for killing a fly which (presumably) does not have a right to life? I would say no. This leaves me with the opinion that Dexter is doing nothing wrong and is morally justified to kill the serial killers. However, murder is still not morally correct and therefore I am left with an inconsistency as to whether or not to "like" Dexter and I am only two episodes in.

Its kinda a lot like batman. Dexter is a person who breaks moral rules in order to help society. The question is whether society is willing to let a person break the rules.

This probably wasn't the best thing to do right before finals because I find myself thinking about it more often then about my impending exams. However I feel like I logically thought it through so I'm going to say that in watching Dexter I am also studying for Philosophy.

Thirty-Three Thankful Thoughts

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. This year I find myself appreciating it more then ever. Here are some things I'm thankful for.

1. My family - I never realized how much I relied on them before I went to college. They (especially my mom) are my support system and I am so lucky to have them behind me.

2. My friends - right behind my family my friends are (obviously) the people I turn to. I somewhat expected to lose touch with a lot of people after college but luckily I haven't yet. I can't wait to see every one again if not on this break, the next.

3. My health - I've always been a healthy person so I didn't gent the flu shot even though swine seemed to surround me on campus. The peak of swine seems to be ending (for now) and I haven't yet gotten sick (knock on wood). I'm not quite sure how I would handle myself sick in college. On a broader scale, I'm happy to just be a functioning being without any genetic disorders. The more I learn about bio the greater my astonishment is on how the hell nothing went horriblywrong with my DNA - it simply amazes me

4. My pets - I love my puppies and my cats. I miss them lots in school. I've considered sneaking in a pet. I'm leaning towards a snake but while I'm home I'm quite content with my three dogs and two cats who all seemed to miss me as much as I missed them because none of them leave me alone.

5. Food - I love food and I am so fortunate to be a part of a country that has such a surplus of food that we designate a holiday to it. I hope to help spread the wealth.

6. College - Even though I am not sure if I am going to stay at UVM, I am so thankful for the experiences that I have had there and the friends that I have made. I've learned a lot about myself and my values.

7. AP English - quite literally if it wasn't for AP English I would not be the person I am today. Those classes taught me to enjoy being smart and I thank all of the people that were a part of it.

8. Music - I regret not joining a choir this semester and I miss singing a whole lot but I am so thankful that I was able to be in multiple choirs for four years of my life and that my mind was opened up to all different experiences through music. I am so thankful that when I get stressed I can sit down and play the piano or listen to the Messiah and its calms me.

9. My grandparents - I love my grandparents. We understand each other. Part of me wishes that I grew up in their time but I'm happy to be able to connect to it through them.

10. My Computer - I can not imagine life with out a computer. I feel that at some point in my life I will want to take a year long break from modern technology in order to connect with myself some more but for right now my computer is a life saver.

From this point forward expect less and less meaningful things

11. Clocks - I wouldn't have a clue when I was without them.

12. The fact that my Italian Cheesecake has almost finished cooking - I can go to sleep soon.

13. The fact that I get to quite my job as a glorified telemarketer in a few weeks - I am so sick of asking people for money (even though I'm quite good at it)

14. Microwaves - Easy Mac and other microwaveable meals that I once used to stick my nose up at have recently become a main part of my diet and its really difficult to make said meals with out a microwave.

15. Goldfish - another staple to my diet.

16. The fact that both my italian cheesecake and chocolate truffles look like that will taste amazing tomorrow.

17. The Sun - with out it plants could not grow and I would have nothing to eat.

18. My House - its warm and cozy and home.

19. My Eyes - they are the one part of my body that I am vain about. I love them .

20. Pianos - if pianos didn't exist I wouldn't be able to play them.

21. The fact that a whole bunch of sciency stuff was figured out way before I was born - I just can't imagine my generation taking the time to figure out complicated formulas or periodic trends or anything like that when would we have the time to check our facebooks?

22. That my family slogan is "Another Sudia Adventure" - it gives me a really good outlook on life.

23. Smelly Candles - I know that I'm not supposed to do this but nothing make my dorm feel more homey then lighting the same candles that my mom lights and making it smell like home.

24. The fact that I only have nine more of these to write - harder then I thought.

25. Dark Chocolate Yogurt Covered Raisins - are delicious.

26. knowing That I can Capitalize Any word that I Want to - this is an odd thing to be thankful for.

27. Soap - if it didn't exist there would be many smelly people in this world.

28. Sleeping In - for me this means sleeping to 8 or 9 but I love it all the same.

29. Spices - bland food isn't good.

30. Sexual Reproduction and Cultures - I love learning about how other people live so I am so thankful that people aren't clones of one another and develop differently with different thoughts.

31. That this list is almost done.

32. That I live in a beautiful area of the world both at home and at college.

33. That I am alive.

The Times They are a Changin'

So since my break down with chemistry I have been thinking a lot about change. Just for some clarification I got an 82 on the last test so I am no longer thinking about the 44. As long as I get a C in the class I will be happy - which is totally doable, I might even crank out a B.

Anyway, back to change. During the period of my freak out I was considering different majors, psychology being the main one and now I am considering different schools all together. I do love UVM I love the location and I love the people but one of the things that I love about it, one of the things that drew me to it, is also the thing that I don't like about it and that is how laid back it is. I am a very driven student. If you know me I would assume you know that I set goals and I dedicate copious amounts of time to achieve them. The people that I've met up here, although very intelligent, do not have the same drive that I do and that puts me in quite a pickle.

To study or not to study, that is the question.

I won't lie, I enjoy studying. For one thing, its alone time, which I can always use more of, but other then that, I simply like to learn - I love when things come together and I love to watch myself put stuff together. Studying= good. Unfortunately many people up here do not have the same idea and its difficult to both balance a personal life and get good grades when all your friends are in the hall chatting and you really need/want to study. I don't like to feel like I am isolating myself but I am starting to get that sensation. I feel like I need to be at a school where the students learn for the sake of learning, and not just because they have to. For me, learning comes before partying and frankly, I enjoy it more, so I'm looking for a college with the same values.

That being said, I realize that I have not met all 12,000 people on campus and I am sure that there are some very intellectual people on campus that I have yet to find I just don't want to search for them. I was so excited to get out of high school because I was excited to be surrounded by the people in my AP classes all the time and I don't feel like that's happening. When I went to Cornell I felt that I could learn from all the people around me and I didn't have to search for those people they were just there. Here, I don't get that same vibe and I don't really want to be the minority again like I was in high school. Maybe I'm just lazy.

When I was looking for colleges I ignored liberal arts schools which I am beginning to think was a mistake. The only liberal arts school I did look at was Reed College in Oregon and (sorry mom) it was poo-pooed by my mother because it was not a research institution. I loved Reed because of the student's drive to learn. Classes are difficult but the students are surrounded by others who are going through the same difficulties and they are all driven enough to overcome them. I need that drive. When I applied to colleges I made the mistake of not applying to any reach schools. This left me with the feeling that I could have done better then UVM and I really won't be able to rest until I know if I can or not. Now I am looking at other liberal arts schools like Reed where learning is the main priority - these schools are also pretty difficult to get into so hopefully by applying as a transfer I'll kill to birds with one stone. I need to do a bit more research but there is a good possibility that I will apply to transfer for next fall semester.

Here's a list of colleges I'm considering:

Reed College

Wesleyan University - they have this great Neuroscience and Behavioral major (combo of psych and bio)

Skidmore College - they focus on making their students creative learners (something I always thought was important) and also have a Neuroscience major

Cornell - although not a liberal arts school I have credits there so I might as well apply and see if I get in...mom's pushing for this one.

Now here's what I ask of you all of my smarmey readers (aka AP English class and a few of my mom's friends) are there any other colleges you can think of that would give me the same intellectual stimulus as AP English did where the students are as committed to learning as I aspire to be and at the same time have a personality?

Quickie

I haven't posted any pictures and Vermont is to beautiful for you all not to see. So just a little update on my daily ganders.

I really do walk around and just gawk at how beautiful it is. Every single day there is another view that makes me stop in my tracks and just look. I am going to try to make time to catch the fall foliage and post some more pictures.

Just so you know....

I am not a total failure. I found out that I got a 90 on my bio test today which is also 25 percent of my grade.

I do not completely fail at college. And I am studying so much for chemistry now so that I never do that poorly again..

Life is Good again.

Just Breathe

Yesterday was my first ever three hour exam. It was in chemistry. I did the reading. I did the practice problems. I did the practice tests. I studied an average of 8 hours a day for six consecutive days. I pushed all other assignments aside to study chemistry. I got a 35.

The class average was a 55. It is a class of 206 students. Clearly something is wrong. There will not be a curve. My grade in the class is solely based on four tests.

Luckily, the lowest test score is dropped. I now have a chemistry tutor. I will be attending more office hours. I will get through this and I will do better next time. If I do not do better my mom has promised to not disown me if I change my major to Wildlife Biology which requires much less chemistry.

Life moves on and so will I.

Who are these guys?

Last night after service my friends and I went to a dance party in the basement of Slade Hall. Slade Hall has a co-op with UVM farms and the people who live there grow and cook all of their own food, which is a pretty neat. I had considered living there so I was really excited to see what it was like. I previously thought that the GreenHouse was where all the hippies lived, I was wrong. Slade is where the real hippies live. I walked down stairs and you could cut the cloud of body oder with a knife. Other than that though it was a really cool time. The band that was playing did not have any lyrics they just jammed out (all half naked) and the crowd of people dancing (also half naked) were just rocking to the music and swinging their dreds. It was a really interesting feeling. I've been to local shows before but they were always very intense and mosh pits usually formed - this was so chill and just laid back. Really neat.

This morning I woke up and found out that my neighbors across the hall, Michael and Julian, had these guys who were in a band touring the country sleeping in their room. I don't think that I have ever considered allowing people that I don't know sleep with me, but I guess they needed a place to stay and Michael was either nice or high enough (maybe both) to let them stay with them. As we speak he is going to the grocery store to buy them some food so that after their show tonight at radio-bean they have something to eat on their travels. A girl on my floor, Sophie, gave them a bag of her mom's homemade granola- my Jersey skepticism makes me immediately think that they are up to no good but I am slowly learning that people aren't always going to hurt you.

Today we are all headed down to the farmer's market in Burlington and then are going to go for a walk along the lake. Its going to be a very outdoorsey day - which i'm really excited about. And tonight at 6 we are going to Radio-Bean to see the two guys that slept on our floor play their instruments. Again nothing I never thought I would do yet here I am doing it. College is Great.

Happy New Year!

In case you were wondering UVM has a very large Jewish population. Oddly enough even with all the research I did about that school I never knew this. It seems like my entire floor is Jewish, which is really cool because through them I am learning all about Jewish traditions. For example tonight I am going to my first ever Jewish service with basically my entire floor to celebrate the new year and afterward we're going to go back to the dorms and celebrate with apples with honey as well a some yummy drinks. Tomorrow everyone (myself included) is going down to the lake to throw bread into the water as a representation of the washing away of sins.

I think its really interesting that one of the clubs I am becoming affiliated with on campus is the Hillel Club. I am not a religious person but there is something about the culture that intrigues me. I don't know if the Hillel club knows that I'm not Jewish - but my Jewish friends keep telling me that its fine that I keep tagging along with them so I'm going to continue. A month ago if you were to ask me if I were to be a part of a religious group I would have laughed in your face because I didn't think that I liked religion, but maybe I just don't like christian religions. Or maybe I just didn't like the very small parts of religion that I was taught at my church when I was little. Its experiences like these that are going to make me love college. I'm certainly learning a lot in class (in fact today I humbled myself and set up an appointment with a chemistry tutor) but it is life lessons that I'm going to remember years after the book-smarts leave me.

A very long post about college

I haven't posted in quite a long time. Mostly because I don't really feel that there is anything post-worthy and I still don't but I feel guilty not posting so we'll give it a shot.

College is wonderful.

I love waking up every morning and looking at the gorgeous mountains. I love walking to class and seeing Lake Champlain, and I love the people. I don't know how to describe the people at UVM other than good. I have never been to a place before where I felt that everyone around me could actually do something to change the world. At UVM not only do people care about world issues, they actually know something about it and are trying to make the world a better place. I love walking around campus, meeting new people and hearing their goals because it gives me hope that the world is not going to self-destruct - there are people who really do want to save it and I am lucky enough to be surrounded by them.

My dorm is wonderful.

My best friends thus far are my neighbors - what can be better than that? I live in the GreenHouse, which means I applied to live in a community that commits to living environmentally friendly. I am so happy that I made the decision to live here because the people are just amazing. Going back to the whole change the world thing, the students living with me really do want to reduce their carbon footprint and the faculty that teaches the GreenHouse Program are so excited to show us how. We have composting buckets in the garbage room - and the compost we produce goes into a garden that grows organic vegetables. There is going to be a tri-applethon where students get an opportunity to go apple picking but instead of using motor-transportation people with either walk, bike or canoe to the orchard and then walk, bike or canoe back. There is a guild within the GreenHouse that creates environmentally friendly artwork, one of the items on the agenda is organic hand made tye-dye. And the list goes on, there are just so many opportunities to learn how to live the way that I want to live.

My classes are wonderful.

On the first day of my philosophy class, my philosophy professor introduced himself as Don and said that we can call him whatever we like as long as it is not "Mr. Lobe" or "Professor Lobe". He also explained why he did not feel that some words were curse words: "Fuck and shit are not bad words. Everybody shits and fucking is good so how can something that feel good be bad?" and "Lets say that someone cut me off while I was driving. I would never say "that bitch cut me off" because the word bitch is derogatory I would say "that fucking asshole cut me off" because again fucking is good and everyone has an asshole." Needless to say the class is interesting. I can tell that the guy is a genius, sometimes I can't even understand what he is saying but in a class of 20 I really enjoy having to try to decipher his lectures. I love going to his class because I think differently than in any other class. I am taking biology, chemistry, and statistics so philosophy gives my science brain a break and allows me to use some creativity and analysis.

Clubs are beginning to be wonderful.

I love a packed schedule and luckily my time is starting to fill up. I am apart of the FeelGood club which makes grilled sandwiches to end global hunger. All of the food for the sandwiches are locally donated to the club and we sell them for a $4 donation that goes directly to the Global Hunger Project. I think that we have already made somewhere around $5000 dollars this year (in 2 weeks) so I am very excited to continue with it. I am trying to do some more volunteering with an environmental club called VSTEP and am looking into alternative winter and spring break options as well. I take a free salsa class on tuesday nights and just got myself a 10hr/week job. On top of that I am considering taking up pottery and using the pottery studio on campus.

So yeah I'm getting busy.

Labs start this week which means an added amount of work. I'm hoping to handle it all. I feel like even though I'm pretty involved there are so many other clubs I wanted to join that I just don't have time for. You may have noticed that there is no singing or acting on that list. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not. I'm working on trying new things - if I miss it enough I can always audition for a choir next semester.

I think thats about it. I'm coming home October 24th for the annual Pig Roast. I am pretty excited to eat a home cooked meal (especially if I can cook it myself). More than that I'm excited to sit in my pajama's at the kitchen table and watch the news. Or (again in my pajamas) sit around the fire pit and enjoy the sunset. Its the little things that I miss the most. Oh and BAGELS. I miss bagels so much. The only bagels I get are thomas' and no one who is not from Jersey understands that Thomas' Bagels are not bagels. They are merely thick bread with a hole in the center and they are disgusting. People should not have to toast their bagel in order to make it crisp. It is possible that the first thing I do when I get to Jersey is order an egg and cheese bagel at Lox Stocked followed by some pizza at Mario's. Surrounded by friends from home, of course.

Oh yeah Oh yeah Oh yeah

When I was looking at schools, a big part of my decision on who to pay $40,000 a year to was the availability of undergraduate research. No one topped UVM. They have an amazing program for undergraduates to work along professors, do real research, and even get their name published. I won't lie, a very convincing factor for me happened at an admitted students day when the biology professor said that he had undergraduates working in the Bahamas right now (winter break) just watching the behavior of lizards. Oh and they were being paid - doesn't get much better than that right? So basically since then I have been waiting and waiting and waiting to get involved and start some research of my own.

Well guess who just got a mentor? Me! Basically I applied, and within a week a professor at the medical college let me know that she would be interested in mentoring me and wants to meet for coffee when I come campus in only 15 short days. Holy smokes. I am seriously almost turning into Sarah, that's how excited I am right now. Basically the deal is, we meet and discuss what I want to do (her focus is in neurology) then I just kind of watch her for a bit, little by little I should get more responsibility and eventually do some research of my own. So yeah I'm stoked. Oh another plus, did I mention that she's works at the university's med school (our med school is sixth in the nation - little bit of catamount pride). This is good because I have been playing with the idea that next summer I could go with UVM's MEDLIFE program to South America and give basic medical treatment to people that need it (playing with the idea means I plan to do this but I have to convince the parents to send me to a third world country). Anyway perhaps with an in at the med school, I will have a better chance at getting into the program.

So yeah, I'm already piling things into my schedule. I have a feeling that I'll be cursing myself in a little while but for now I am so excited to be busy again.

I officially have 22 days until I go to college. Wow.

I'm not really sure what else I wanted to say other than how surprisingly close college is. I've been looking at schools since literally the fourth grade and now that my wait is basically over I'm becoming a little slap-happy.

I recently found out that my calculus credits from Seton Hall transfered to UVM so I switched into calc II ( i might be crazy) which means that after this semester I never have to take calculus again. Whoo! I also changed my chemistry lab up so instead of it being late night on a thursday it is now early in the morning on a wednesday and only has 10 people in it. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing. Currently my body clock tells me to wake up around 8 I'm hoping that I remember to pack this clock with me come August.

I'm a little worried about fitness. UVM's campus is definitely walkable so I'm planning to walk most of the time but when those huge storm clouds roll in carrying rain and sleet and snow and hail I may just have to take the bus. Which brings me to another issue, public transportation. I do not know how to use it. Yes the busses on campus only make like 5 stops and I think that there is only one line but I guarantee you that I will miss a class at least once because of them. Going back to fitness I'm looking at the class schedules and they don't quite match up with my schedule. It looks like I am going to have to take a 6:30 am spinning class if I want to get cardio in.

As far as the dorm situation goes I am a happy camper. I found out that I got into the GreenHouse which is basically a dorm where the students sign a contract to "greenafye" their life. I'm pretty stoked about this. I want to learn how to live a green lifestyle so that I can lessen my impact on the earth throughout my life. The dorms are also located in the newest (eco-friendly) and nicest dorms on campus. I'm pretty sure I only have to share a bathroom with a max of 3 other people and we have a fire place.

If you want to check it out here's a link. Click on "Virtual Tour"

I don't know who my roommate is yet. I find that out the middle on August which is only a week before I leave which means that I don't have much time to coordinate who brings the microwave and who brings the mini-fridge, or who is going to stock up on bathroom cleaning supplies (one down side to the GreenHouse is that we clean our own bathrooms). I suppose these things will work themselves out.

I've been going college shopping crazy lately. I have everything I need minus laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, a mirror and my books. I can't buy books until August 8th which makes me a little nervous. UVM has this thing where if you buy stuff through the campus store they pack it and bring it to your room for you so that its there on moving day which is great except for that fact that you can't get a Chemistry book for less that $150. My plan is to go through Amazon and buy books for $5 but I just don't know if they will be shipped home in time.

Thats about it. Lots of stuff to look forward to. I still can't believe that its actually happening.

Sunny Arizona

So if you happened to be in my English class this past year and you listened to me rant some time in February you would know that my previously divorced cousin moved out to Arizona, married a man who was also previously divorced with children, and then proceeded to get pregnant. You would also know that I was not happy with this arrangement.

Our flight was scheduled for 6am which of coursemeans that we need to be out of the house by the god awful hour of 3am. So whatever, I get up, get on the plane take, my aisle seat and fall back to sleep (we even get the seats right behind first-class so there's ample leg room). Life is good until about two hours before touchdown when a very large French woman needed to see out the window, more specifically my window. I don't know whether the window in her aisle had disappeared or was covered by a large gorilla but either way she apparently couldn't see out of it For the first fifteen minutes that she stood there, literally half an inch away from me, I pretended not to notice her. I stared blankly at the movie screen in front of me and waited for her to go away. Fifteen minutes later she hadn't left. She was actually leaning over me and resting on my seat. Her large armpit was inches away from my face as she tried to get a better view of the sky. At this time I gave my mother a look of "get this woman away from me" and she proceeded to give the same look to the large French woman. When the large French woman realized that perhaps she might be a nuisance she said in her broken French accent"I want to look out the window"(Oh you want to look out the window! Well why didn't you just say so? Come sit on my lap and I'll braid your hair while you get a good view of the sky.) as if a simple explanation of why she was practically laying on me made it all better. The large French woman continued to stand there until the captain signaled the " Fasten Seatbelt" sign. Thank the good lord for that sign. I was finally able to breathe oxygen instead of her CO2. After the flight I ran off the plane and practically took a shower in the ladies room. The idea of her body touching mine still makes me want to wash my hands. Ugh.

We got off the plane and were ready for our next adventure: the rental car. Originally we were going to get a regular car, no gizmos, no gadgets, but through the wonderful persuasion of the rent-a-car person we decided to get a convertible with a GPS. We were told that this was a great idea. Since we were coming from rainy New Jersey we would love putting the top down and enjoying Arizona's sun. There was only one problem with this logic, it was 116 degrees in Arizona and even moving at 75mph (the actual speed limit there!) it still felt like 116 degrees. But do not worry we kept the top down for the half hour drive to the restaurant and a got a tan line from that half hour ride so all is well. Oh one more thing, on our drive out of the rent-a-car place the "oil change" light came on and the breaks squeaked. Keep that last tidbit in mind for later.

After breakfast the day was spent by the pool where I got to know my new relatives. And they are all great. Even baby Kate. I don't usually like babies but this one got me thinking that maybe they are not all to bad. I was really nervous around her at first but by the end of the trip I was starting to catch on to the whole feeding/burping/bouncing thing.

I actually really like the man that my cousin married and even more bizarre I really like his children. So I suppose that I was a little to hasty to judge my cousin's decisions. It was really hard to leave on wednesday and we actually had our flight pushed back so that we could stay longer with the family.

When we weren't with the family my mom and I toured all of northern Arizona. I don't know about you but I was always under the impression that Arizona was a flat dessert. Perhaps this is just my American geographical ignorance, but never did I think that I would be climbing mountains. I was wrong. Remember those squeaky brakes I was telling you about before? Well they are a lot squeakier when you are barreling down a twisty turney mountain eight THOUSAND feet about sea level. You definitely get what you pay for. We used Dollar rental cars. I don't recommend you do. The first day (monday) as a mother/daughter couple, we drove for five hours to get here:

That my friends is the Grand Canyon. It is seriously one of the most magnificent places that I have ever been to. There are no guard rails and no one keeping you from getting to close to the edge. (Funny fact: there is actually a book about all of the deaths at the Grand Canyon whether it be suicide or sheer stupidity lots of people fell off.) So since there were absolutely zero boundaries between me and certain death every time I went a little to far for my mother's comfort she gave me worrisome "Be Careful" and I responded with a jump or two in the direction opposite of my mother. Its good that she loves me so much.

Here are a few pictures of the three hour ride back to flagstaff AZ:

I just want to take a moment to say how much I love the midwest. It's so big and there is so much free land. The rush hour in Phoenix is like normal traffic on rt. 80. It's just great. And the weather is perfect because although it reaches scorching temperatures there is no humidity. Eighty degrees in AZ is absolutely wonderful and unlike in New Jersey there is zero sweating involved.

The next day we drove to Sedona Arizona which was where my cousin got married. We hiked the same trail that she and her bridesmaids hiked and wondered how she could have possibly done it wearing a big poofy white dress, in three inch heels, and very pregnant. It was a tough climb but again absolutely gorgeous. Sedona also has a lot of Indian (no I'm not being politically incorrect thats what they want to be called out there) jewelry and artifacts and what makes it better is that it's cheap. I bought a hand made set of jade earrings from an Indian man that would cost over 20 bucks in NJ for 8 dollars. Here are some pics of Sedona:

The middle picture is a scale of just how large the place really was and the picture on the right is called Bell Rock which was the rock we climbed.

So that was really the trip. My mom and I laughed a lot and had an absolutely wonderful time, the car did not break down or go over the edge and I learned that I should trust people's decisions more often. Perhaps I am not always right.

I have one more picture to show you guys. On the first day that we were there I learned that my cousin's husband does not like to eat vegetables or strange food so on my endeavors I found a box of larvae, fried and coated with a mexican spice. Needless to say I bought it because after all who wouldn't try larvae if given the option? He would not eat it but the rest of us did!

Alabama comes to NYC

Yesterday I went to the city to see my friend Imran. I met him at Cornell last summer and I can honestly say that he is one of the funniest people that I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Unfortunately he lives in Alabama and I have an uncanny fear of the south (toothless hicks with banjos just aren't my thing) so after I left Cornell last July I never expected to see him again. Luckily I was wrong. Here's how the day unfolded:

11:00 - I breathlessly run onto a train headed towards NYC. I literally just made it in time.

11:01- I begin to read my book.

11:07 - Two hispanic women with a very loud conversation between them board the train. I didn't learn much Spanish in high school but I did learn that "puta" means bitch/whore, and these women used that word a lot. My attention was therefore ripped from the pages of my book and spent solely on trying to translate these two "putas" (if they call themselves/each other that I can too right?) . From what I understood they were talking about finding socks and eating fish? I really have no idea what they were saying but I was pleased when I picked up on a singular words like "tambien" (me too) or trabajando (working). Five years of Spanish was obviously time well spent.

11:20 - Enough Spanish for the day I went back to reading.

11:40- Look at the meadow lands! I always thought that something with the name meadow in it would include fawns, and baby rabbits frolicking about while birds carrying holly leaves swooping overhead. Like this:

Instead the Meadowlands had absolutely zero wildlife in them. And how could you expect them to when it looks like this:

I saw multiple tires just floating in the water corroded by numerous toxic wastes. Seriously people this is despicable. It kills me that I live in a state where people think that it's absolutely fine to dump their garbage on the side of the road or toss their empty McDonalds bag out the car window. And you know why people think it's ok? Because they have no one to tell them that it's not. Yes the government is beginning to pass more laws on recycling and becomming environmentally aware but until there are stricter punishments or even a slap on the wrist every time a person pollutes, things aren't going to change fast enough.

Ok thats enough about that...I've said my peace back to the trip.

11:45 - Someone sits down next to me on the train and then immediately gets up and sits next to someone else. Apparently I smell.

12:27 - The train arrives at Pen Station I get out and follow the crowd to the upper level.

12:28 - I find 7th Ave and am on my way. I command respect and I own the city look at me go.

12:29 - I went the wrong way. I learned that I don't know how to read street signs. I am lost.

12:35 - Back on track I again rule the world look at me go.

12:45 - I arrive at our meeting place M&M world. He is not here yet so I stand outside of it for 10-15 minutes looking like a creeper. Good thing that there were cute boys there also looking like creepers. We did not talk. We did however lock eyes and blink at one another which meant that I was allowed to join their creeper corner so I did.

1:00 - Imran arrives we embrace and then walk for a good two hours during which we eat at Rays pizza (so good), look at every street vender and finally buy a pashmina, search for the perfect pair of cheap flip-flops and succeed at Modells, explain to numerous people that "no we do not like comedy in fact we both detest laughing", and enjoy a drink and detoxing wheat grass shot at Jamba Juice (Incase you were wondering, wheat grass shots literally taste like grass. I do not recommend them to anyone who is not on a grass only diet and/or enjoys the taste of grass...Katie perhaps you should try one).

3:00 - We headed over to Central Park (I directed us and no we did not get lost) and stayed there for a bit. This was my first time in Central Park and I wonder why I was never taken there sooner. If I ever moved to NYC I believe that I would take up residence in the park. Probably in the tunnel where the man with the saxophone plays. I could steal some of the food given to the zoo animals and live a very happy life. (If life does not go as planned this has become my Plan B so in 5-10 years if you ever visit the park, remember me please) . We chilled on the grass for a bit but then it was time to leave.

4:30 - We leave Central Park to walk a dreaded forty-nine blocks all the way to Greenwich Village which is about three miles. We walked straight down 5th Avenue and passed all the stores I would never enter in fear that the shop keepers would see my Old Navy wardrobe, call security and have me escorted to the Gap sale isle. They were gorgeous though. We saw Louis Vuitton, Tiffany's, Yves St. Laurent, and my personal favorite Burberry. We continued our walk past St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Empire State Building. We saw a part of NYU's campus and then met my parents at Alta's (http://www.altarestaurant.com/) for a six o'clock reservation on west 10th Street. Yum was it good. There were no courses and the plates were small so the waiter advised us to each order about three things and that the food came out as soon as it was finished cooking (hence no courses). The chard baby octopus was my favorite. It was a very casual style eating and it got very loud (I was literally yelling my order to the waiter) but that means that everyone enjoyed themselves. After dinner the waiter advised us to go to Magnolia's Bakery for dessert but Imran had to get back to Brooklyn so we passed on that (I vow to go back one day and try it).

Over all it was a great day. And besides the one fopaux in the beginning I directed us to and from where we needed to be and did it with style. Imran has told me today that his legs are "dead" and that he's "not used to walking at a NYC pace" that "people in Alabama don't walk fast because they never have a mission". Well we had a mission, and we got everything accomplished but unless UVM kicks me out today I don't really need to go back to the city for a while.

These past two days I have been on Long Beach Island with three boys and a girl all aged 16-18 Here is what I learned:

1. If you are in a car alone with three boys they will take control of the music and you will lose your hearing - Music on the trip ranged from head banging heavy metal, to rap, to screamo music all of which was played as loud as my poor little civic could handle. Imagine a car literally packed with white kids blasting Afroman's "Colt 45" while driving down a predominantly rich white neighborhood , we got many looks of contempt as we ruined a whole bunch of old ladies naps.

2. Be straight with boys and they will be straight with you - I had an amazing heart to heart with my guys and loved it. I shared, they shared, life is great.

3. Jumping in the ocean will leave whole shells in your bathing suit - 'nuff said.

4. Generally the object of a vacation is to make you happy if this is the case don't see "My Sister's Keeper" - absolutely wonderful movie , I will watch it again and again and cry every single time but that's the problem it was a bit of a downer.

5. Mini-golf can become a very competitive contact sport - When five people are trying to get five golf balls in one hole at one time noses may bleed and feeling may be hurt. Expect it.

6. Not every ice-cream place is as nice and friendly as the J-Dairy - the ice-cream workers down there were nasty each and every one of them.

7. When playing slots, the combination 7/3cherries/7 makes 300 tickets come out, this takes an incredible amount time. People will gawk (even though we only won tickets) and when it happens twice the guards begin to look at you funny. It also seems that no matter how many tickets you win the prizes are always crap. For example we won over 2000 tickets and we won a deck of cards and a paper chinese checker board.

8. It gets very hot when you and two others sleep on a pull out couch, especially when they play the "push CarolAnn off the bed game"

9. If ever offered a few days stay at a beach house with friends take it. I have to say, I laughed a whole lot on this trip and pretty much enjoyed every moment of it. I really do love my boys. Now it is time to go find a hearing aid.

The Meaning Behind the Blog

Very simply put:

Existentialism-the belief that humans have complete control over their lives. 

Determinism-the belief that a higher power has complete control over human life.

Well I don't really believe in either. What I do believe is that we are all destined to die (Thank you English class) and the fact that we make constant decisions that will eventually lead us there.  

So anyway this is a blog about the choices I choose to make and the lessons I (hopefully) learn along the way.  In all truthfulness this is also a blog because my English teacher and some of my classmates (who I seemingly want to stalk) have one and because I was bored on a Sunday afternoon. 

Quick Update:

6/19 - I became an alumni at JTHS 

6/21-6/23 - Trip to Burlington Vermont for my college orientation. Met some great people and fell back in love with the University of Vermont. I also picked up a double major in English. I figure, well I actually don't know what I was thinking other than Stephen King is speaking at UVM next year and English majors get an up close and personal visit - sounds as good of a reason as any to me. 

6/24-6/26 - Went to Annapolis and Baltimore Maryland with the family. Rode on a schooner, ate to much crab, went to an aquarium. It was good family bonding time but I'm pretty set for awhile. 

6/27-6/28 - Opened this blog! Grad parties galore. 

Future prospects: 

6/29 - The Last Supper at Frankies! 

6/30-7/2 - LBI at Emily's shore house with coffey, frank, ryan, and eddie.

7/2 (later) - BBQ and fire