Aliens?!

So last Christmas break, my brother was still living in Colorado and one of my presents was a plane ticket to go see him. He had decided that we were just going to travel to neighboring states for a week and see as much as we could and enjoy ourselves. So we set out the morning after I landed and decided to drive down through Colorado and look at the scenery and some pretty sweet places my brother was just dying for me to see. We share a lot of the same interests, maybe because when we were growing up, if he thought something was cool, so did I! Once we got down into New Mexico, we decided that the part we had to go through in order to get to Arizona was not the best place to be so we did our best to piddle around and make the rest of the drive that night. Now granted our travel patterns were a little weird so we went back up to the top of New Mexico just to say we had stood at the four corners! There was literally a stone in the ground that said four corners and named the states. WOW! Haha. But we had a good time making fun of some of the things we saw! Next we randomly decided we wanted to see the Grand Canyon and what better time to see it than the time we had?! So on the way to Flagstaff, which is where we were planning on spending the night, we saw a sign for the place were that huge meteor had struck the earth and made a mile wide hole in the ground. Now it was pitch black outside, but for some retarded reason, we thought we might still be able to see the hole in the moonlight which sounds pretty cool in theory. Well once we got off the exit, we realized there was no one around for miles, until this random car sitting on the side of the road turns on its headlights and starts to follow us as soon as we pass it. I started to get a little freaked out because I had only seen that stuff happen in movies! The we started to see random cows standing along the sides of the roads but no farms or fences, just chillin out. Well I started asking my brother is this was such a good idea and he kept sayin don’t worry, we’ll be fine. Next thing I know, steam is coming up in the cab of the truck! BAD! Well something had failed in the engine, and made it to where we had NO heat in the truck at all. It is negative 5 outside. And we get to the damn gate and its closed! I swore up and down aliens were going to beam down and get us because the radio just stopped working too! So we had to leave and get to a truck stop so my brother could take a look at his truck. Oh and by the way, Flagstaff, Arizona did not have to parts to fix the truck! So once we left there we went to the Grand Canyon, and couldn’t even see the Canyon because it was snowing so hard…it was sooo weird! Anyway, we then headed back through Utah to get to his house. The drive through Utah was a 2 day trip with no heat in negative 10 degree weather the whole time and no defrost! The coldest I saw ht gauge get was negative 16 and there was about an hour of my life that I thought I was going to freeze to death! And I know it may sound like the trip was horrible, but it was one of the most amazing trips I have ever been on! We were constantly cracking up at our shitty luck and just being able to see all of that country land was the best thing!! I wouldn’t trade it for the world!!!

Time to vent!

So right when you think everything is going well in your life and you might actually be starting to get a few things together and can chill out a little bit, BAM, the world drops a rock on your head! I decided a few weeks ago to change my major from animal science to wildlife science and as soon as I did that I felt so much better about everything and that I actually had a future and that I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I had all of my classes figured out and knew exactly what I needed to do. So I came home and got all of the classes I needed for my new major except one. No big deal right? So the one class I need just happens to be associated with the chemistry department. The class was full so I thought I could email the teacher and ask if they force add or if I should just wait to see if anything opens up. The man didn’t even have the courtesy to email me back and say anything. I had to go find out that the chem. department doesn’t force add anything and you just have to wait for an opening in the class. I really hope one opens up in January or I reckon I better be finding another class to fill in its place. So anyway I got over all of that and everything starts working out again and now I am all pumped up for Christmas break. So my mom calls me this morning and tells me that she and my stepdad may be moving to WV sometime soon. And the reason they may move there is awesome because they would be helping homeless people by building houses for them. But just the thought of them selling the house we have and moving away breaks my heart. I never thought they would move. I thought that was going to be the house I grew up in forever. And on top of all of that my doggie is starting to get sick and she is old anyway so I have to worry about her until I am able to get home and help her get better. I mean I know my mom can take care of her, but that pup has been the best thing in the world to me! I think I am just really ready to go home for Christmas and be able to see all of my friends I have been missing and have bonfires and sit around and just talk and not have to worry about anything, at least for just that night.

The giving of thanks :)

Boy oh boy is this a holiday full of fun and good food! I love being around family, especially those I don’t get to see too often. I started off the day with the crack of a rifle. Deer season was in full swing and around here we hunt Thanksgiving morning! So after we had the deer hung, my mom comes up to me and tells me she just realized she hasn’t started to decorate for Christmas yet. Now she usually starts decorating before hand, so everyone can see the decorations when they come to eat but things have been super busy and kind of chaotic lately so she was running a little behind. So she goes and gets the decorations that go outside of the house and begins to put them up, which was nice for me because I didn’t have her standing there telling me to make sure I don’t cut my finger with the knife or something like that! A little later we all got ready to go to my grandmother’s on my mom’s side home to have a feast with that part of the family. When we got there, my grandma had cooked enough food to feed and army for a week and the house smelled absolutely delicious! Seeing as the whole family had not yet arrived, we all flopped down in the TV room to zone out and prepare ourselves to be so stuffed we felt like slipping into a coma! When the rest of the cousins and aunts and uncles finally got there, we dug into the food! Now let me tell ya, all this food was homemade and it had no shortage of grease and butter! The mashed potatoes had a hint of garlic, the eggs were sprinkled with paprika, the beans had just a hint of ham flavor, and the turkey, oh the turkey!, it was melt in your mouth and go back for seconds status! We had yeast rolls and sweet tea and three different kinds of pies. All of that food plus good company is what it is all about. Now I know it may sound sad, but these cousins of mine live less than 25 minutes from me and I see them once, maybe twice, a year. I don’t know if it is our busy lives or what but I really wish we could all get together more often. My oldest cousin is due with her first child in early February and she is already pretty popped out there, and one of my other cousins is working as an apprentice wine maker on Afton mountain and has already made his own wine that they would name after him if he was 21. However, since he is not, he has to wait until his birthday to have that great honor. When my brother and my cousin Mark, the wine man, get together, it is like time stands still and we gets to break off a little piece of heaven and sit in it for a bit. I love listening to those two talk about there different hunting stories and fishing trips. And their laughs are contagious. No matter what story they are telling, they can find something to laugh about and it truly ties together all of Thanksgiving, being able to find the good in things and catching up on what you missed over the past year.

Not to long after my brother and I finished dinner at that house, we had to leave and go over to eat with my dads side of the family even though neither one of us were hungry in the least. As soon as we walked in the door, our family said “HEY THERE THEY ARE!!!” (imagine this a little on the loud side) and I walked straight to the kitchen to help my grandma out with food prep. All of the hustle and bustle and hollering was a bit overwhelming at first and I sort of wanted to tell everyone to zip there mouths and calm down, but then I realized that, you know I only see these people once or twice a year, and they I should enjoy them even of they are slightly annoying! So I helped finish cooking the food and getting it to the table and after grace, we all dug in. However, all the digging I did we eat a roll and some more mashed potatoes! That was all I could possibly eat without bursting! And wouldn’t you know, that when we tried to clean up, the dishwasher decided to freak out and blow water all over the kitchen?! Surprisingly everyone stayed calm and someone, I’m not sure who, fixed it and we went on about our business. After the wreckage of turkey, broccoli casserole, sweet potatoes, and many other joyous foods were cleaned up and put away, we brought out the oh so delicious deserts and sang happy birthday to three of the relatives that had a birthday somewhere in the week! And somehow in the midst of all of this, cranium, the board game, was brought out and I ended up on a team. Now I do enjoy board games, but I have never been very good at them at all. My dad actually wrote the answer out on the paper and I said it and everyone got worked up that I got the answer until the realized what he did then they got mad, but dad and I just laughed and laughed and laughed about it because every year someone cheats like that just to ruffle one of my cousins feathers! Now let me tell you about my grandfather! So I had been asking around to see where he ventured off to and no one was quite sure. So I walked into the back of the house and wouldn’t ya know, he is sittin there in his chair watchin the news. He never has been the most social person, but I think that may be way we seem to get along. I laid down on the bed and watched TV with him for a bit until we decided we better go make sure the rest of the house was still standing. The rest of the night was pretty low key. Some people went out on the patio and built a fire in the pit, and other went into the TV room and watched a movie and dozed in and out. As for me, I sat at the table with my uncle and talked about college and life and he set my mind at ease on a few of the classes I have to take. You know sometimes you need that little boost to let you know the world is going to keep spinning and everything will be alright. I feel like Thanksgiving puts all of that in perspective and allows us to slow down just enough to realize what we have and that we need to appreciate it!

apartment

We all know I am a sophomore, and I have been fortunate enough to be able to have an apartment this year instead of living on campus. Let me tell ya, it is wonderful! You don’t have to wear shoes in the shower, you can cook your own food, you get your own room again. I mean it is just like living at home without the parents, and you have to start paying your own bills, but you know what I mean. So I have three other roommates and two of them are moving out next year. Not because we don’t get along, but because one wants to move into her sorority house, and the other is moving to a place with bigger bedrooms, which I understand. I mean she is moving in with some of our other friends so we will still get to see her all the time. But the thing is, we have to find two other people now to move in and take their places on the lease. We found one other girl, and I’m really glad she is moving in because we get along really well and she is a great person. But we are still trying to find a fourth, and we have to find them by the end of November or the office will place someone in that room and we all know that could be a little awkward. So I asked this other girl, but she wants to be an RA again next year and is supposed to let me know if she wants to live here, but we don’t have the time to wait to hear back from her. So I have no clue what to do. I mean I’m not just gonna walk up to someone on the street and ask if they wanna live with us. And all of my other friends already have places to live. Ugh it is so frustrating because I don’t understand why we have to find someone so quick. I guess it is because the village managers are just greedy and want that money or something but I mean come on. Cut us a break. At least give us until Christmas to find someone else. Anyway, if yall have some suggestion on what I should do I would love to hear it because as off right now, I am totally out of ideas. And I guess if worse comes to worse, they will just place someone there, but I don’t want it to come to that because I would like to know the people I am going to live with. Oh and are you guys moving into apartments next year?! I really recommend it! Anyway, let me know what you think!

backwoods

So I don’t know if you guys know, or even care for that matter, but in the state of Virginia, rifle season starts Saturday November 14^th, and I am pumped. This weekend has caused me to have to do a large amount of work this week because Lord knows I’m not going to do any while I home. And that is also the reason I am posting this blog early. Because right around the time it is due on Sunday night, I will coming down the interstate and it probably wont be a good idea to try to be posting this and drive at the same time, plus I wouldn’t get internet so I would be screwed either way right?! And has this past week and the one coming up been hell for anyone else? It seems to me that all of the teachers are trying to get that one last test in before Thanksgiving Break, so they can start hassling us about final exams after Thanksgiving Break. Anyway, back on topic here. So I am going home and I am going to scout around Friday afternoon and see where the deer are coming in to feed, so that way, I’ll have a fairly good idea of where to set Saturday morning when I have to get up BEFORE the crack of dawn and walk in and get myself settled before daylight. I just hope it isn’t freezing, which ‘m sure it will be, but hopefully it’ll all be worth it and I’ll get my buck. Unless opening day is doe day, which I’m not sure about and probably need to look into. Now I know that many people feel that those who hunt deer are horn hunters and they only do it to kill the biggest buck they can, but not me. When I pick my deer, I go for body size and amount of meat. After all, I plan on eating it and feeding others with it. Why would I pick a scrawny little thing with no size to it at all? But you also have to watch out, because if the buck is too big, it’ll taste like crap because the meat will be strong because of high levels of testosterone. But if you kill one big enough to wear it tastes horrible, he was probably big enough to mount. But there I go sounding like a horn hunter! But just so you know, my family doesn’t hunt for the glory of a big kill, we do it for the food. We try to get enough meat to where that can be our main meat for the winter. Deer meat is probably the best red meat for you that there is. I mean they are all natural and lean because they don’t eat grains, just grass and berries, not to mention it tastes delicious if cooked properly. Now I would like to know how you all feel about hunting. Do you think it is ok or do you think it is cruel? Have you ever had deer meat and if so do ya like it? Seriously I want to know how you feel because I know a lot of people that say we shouldn’t hunt.

So Many Questions

Have you ever noticed how some people never seem to have any limits and do whatever they want when they want, and some people are so reserved it is like pulling teeth to get them to loosen up enough to be enjoyable? I have never understood how some people can be so reserved while others can be the complete opposite. I mean I understand being a little shy at first and not always wanted to go out. As a matter of fact I’m not going out at all this weekend. One because I’m sick, two because I have so much work to do that it is burying me, and three I just plain don’t feel like it. But I don’t see that as being too reserved, just enough to have my priorities in line. Maybe that’s what it is. The people that are very reserved just know what they need to get done and they don’t want to waste their time going out? But that also seems to not be all the way true because it seems like everyone likes to have fun every once in a while. Or maybe their kind of fun is nothing like the fun the rest of the people I know. I really just have no idea. I just know that there are some people out there that would have so much fun if they would just loosen up a bit. Isn’t this the time in our lives when we are supposed to be living it up and having fun before the real world slaps us in the face! Although I feel like we are entering the real world already in a way. We get to be at college with no rules except for the ones we set for ourselves, we get to come and go as we please, and we don’t have to do anything we don’t want, except for homework, which some people skip out on anyway. For those people that understand they need to “work hard, play hard” as they say, does that make one of those people with no limits or does it make them someone that can balance out what they need to do in life and they understand how to put things in perspective. Sometimes I wonder if people put things in perspective, including myself. I know we know about the simple things in life, caring for our family and friends. But do we put some material things over others? Do you feel the world would come to an end if your cell phone had no service for more than a couple of hours? Sometimes I could care less if I had a phone but still had some contact with the people I care about. Other times I am like “are you serious?” when I can’t send a text message. It is something I ponder a lot. Is technology a good or bad thing? I mean sure it is wonderful in the ways of science, but what would the world be like if we didn’t have computers or the internet. Of course if we didn’t have those things we wouldn’t know any different. We would look things up in the library from actual books, and we would make a phone call (landline) or send a letter to someone just to say hello and see how everything is going. I have always thought I was born in the wrong time period. So does my dad. We feel we should have been born when the west was being settled and everyone rode horses everywhere and when you told someone something and shook there hand, you meant every word. Of course I do like the pleasures of indoor plumbing and being able to take a bath every day! Wow I have rambled on and I have no idea how I got here, but I guess that is how my brain wants to work tonight scattered! I guess I just wanted to say that we all need to take life in stride and make sure we have everything in perspective. What is important to you? How would you feel if there wasn’t internet or cell phones? Or have you ever even thought about it?!

Give him a Break!

Ok so we have all seen in the news, since the very second it happened, that Michael Jackson’s death was a tragedy for pop culture. But ya know, we all know he died, and yes some of us may have appreciated the news coverage for about a day…but seriously how long are they going to talk about it? Let the man’s legacy live on and leave his life and family alone. They are still covering his death and plenty of channels, especially the TV guide channel. They just can’t get over it. The same stories are on all the time and his family is constantly being interviewed. Does anyone still care that much? Is there really no news better happening in the world than this man’s death? And will they ever figure out the true story? As you can probably tell, I am way over it. I mean yes it was sad that the king of pop died but he wasn’t an angel either. If any of those accusations about him and the children were correct then that is just sick. However, this whole event has showed how big of an influence he was on the world. There we people crying and leaving flowers and teddy bears outside of his house and the hospital. It was, from what I hear, almost the way it was when Elvis died. The world mourned both of their deaths for the simple fact of them being entertainers and touching that many peoples lives. I understand that they were influential and all but I feel like the media is just dragging it out way too long and putting to much emphasis on Jackson’s death. Anyway… there is my rant on how I feel about that. Just let him die peacefully, Lord knows his life wasn’t peaceful ever since he was born.

Surprise!

So this past week my brother decided he had had enough of being away from his family and that instead of living in Colorado anymore, he would just come on home. Well he only told my dad about this decision and just packed his stuff on up and drove through one of the biggest blizzards Colorado has seen in twelve years. I didn’t even find out about this whole trip home until about two days ago and as soon as I found out I was bound and determined that I was going to come home and see him no matter what. I called him everyday to check up on him and make sure he was doing okay and that the trip was coming along well. He told me some of the craziest stories about what he had to deal with during this trip but none of it surprised me very much! He had to drive four hours out of his way in Colorado because the blizzard had snowed all of the interstate shut then he had the driver’s side of his truck iced shut while he was driving because it was so cold and the wing blowing the snow and rain directly into the truck. Then his rear driver’s side tire blew up on the interstate and when he got out to change the tire, his jack broke. So he had to fashion a way to get his tire changed and that set him back on his time by about two hours. So he stopped to get some diesel fuel and realized the radiator was cracked, and when I heard that, I started praying even harder that ole Ralph (the name of the truck) would bring him home safely. I didn’t even care if the darn truck died right there in the driveway, just as long as it got him to the driveway! Well he finally made it home at 12 o’clock last night and I made sure I was going to be able to get up just about as early as I could stand it and hit the road to come home and pounce on him. So I left out at 5:30 this morning and drove through the nasty rain on to Middlebrook and got there by 7:15. Well of course he was still sleeping when I got there, which is understandable. He had just driven sixteen hundred miles across country by himself. So as tired as I was, I went to take a little nap in the chair, and I would wake up when I wake up. Well I woke up, about four hours later, and he was still sleeping and I couldn’t take it anymore. So I went into the bedroom and woke him up! So after I got him out of bed, I went out and made one hell of a breakfast! We had scrambled eggs, bacon, country ham, and pancakes! I know, a heart attack waiting to happen. So we sat down and ate for a spell and he told me more about all of his hunting and fishing adventures! We were cracking up about just about everything, and it made me feel so good inside. I have prayed everyday since he moved that he would come back home to live and look where he is! So after we got done eating and I cleaned up and all, we got our stuff together and headed out because he had some really good friends he wanted to surprise and then we came on to my grandparents house for Sunday dinner which is where I am right now. Now if you remember, none of my family knew he was coming and they haven’t seen him for just shy of a year. When we walked in, my grandma looked like she might have a fit she was so happy! She was actually jumping up and down and squealing! It was one of the best things I have ever witnessed. Pure joy and excitement for prayers being answered! My granddad also looked shocked, but he doesn’t really get too worked up about much, but I know on the inside he is just busting with happiness. So as we sit here right now, we are waiting for dinner to be ready and I am listening to my brother tell his stories of all the things he got to see and do. The lighting in this room makes it feel even more warm and happy. The yellow orange light and glow in the little fire in the hearth gives the feeling that life is good today! And the way he is telling his stories, in the tone that he is always right!, makes this Sunday seem a little more complete then the others. He may have the attitude that the world should work the way he wants it to, which it never will, but that is how he has always been and I wouldn’t want him to change for anything in the world. This is what I feel like makes life complete. Sitting here listening to stories and how people tell the stories from their point of view.
I have an exam I have been studying for tomorrow and I have a feeling I will get a good dose of coffee tonight because I haven’t studied hardly enough for the exam but I was bound and determined to spend time with my family so I will just have to pay the consequences later tonight but I am willing to pay the price. The ride back I am sure will seem a lot longer than normal because I will be worrying about the test I have. I mean it is not like I have putting off studying, I studied for about two and a half hours today during down time and I know that will help, but I will stay up tonight until I know everything I need to know and hopefully, it will pay off! My point is that, family is precious, and I don’t put much before them!

Hurry Up

They say pictures are worth a thousand words. Do you believe that? Or is it the memories that picture brings back that is worth so much? I have pictures all around me of family and friends wherever I go in my house, and every time I see them, it brings back all of those memories of the vacation I was on, or the night out with friends, or the simplicity of life in the summer time! However, I have never been one to take a lot of pictures. I just really don’t like it, because people can’t just take one picture, they have to take several, and I have things to do! But after the fact, when I see them all put together in a collage or just sitting around giving the room a personality, it does make me happy and feel good inside. Especially if the picture is of a person that has passed away. Those are the ones I cherish the most. Family means a lot, and can never be replaced, and the pictures of them helps me to remember the place that person holds in my heart and of all of the lovely times I had with them. To me, the best pictures are the ones where people are laughing! It makes you think, what are they laughing at, and do they still laugh when they see this picture? I know that if I walk by a picture, and I am in it cracking up, I start laughing all over again, mostly because I remember what someone said or did, and it had that big of an impact on me! So I guess what I am trying to say is, I hate the process of actually taking the pictures and having to deal with ‘does everybody look good?’ and that sort of thing, but I love the outcome and how still memories come to life when you see them and remember what was happening at that exact moment.

Halloween

As kids, I think most of us enjoy dressing up for Halloween and going out to get candy and see all of the costumes people could come up with that year. But I always wondered what the cut off age for other kids was. I wasn’t allowed to go trick-or-treating after the age of twelve, which was perfectly fine with me because I didn’t really want to go anymore anyway. But that all changed when I came to college. Now most of us, as college students, see Halloween as one of the weekends we look forward to all of fall semester. Figuring out costumes, and having multiple plans for what we want to wear and where we are going to go that night, and where the friends from home that are coming down are going to sleep. For me, that five year time gap where I didn’t dress up and get all excited seemed to recharge my batteries and allowed me to get pumped up for that wonderful weekend! To be quite honest, by the time I was twelve years old, I was so burnt out on the whole thing that I was fairly sure I never wanted to participate anymore anyway. And up at my dads out which is out in the middle of nowhere, no one ever came to get candy any way so what was the point? I used to have to go into town to show off my costume, and some of the people handing out candy were so sketchy that I am pretty sure I was traumatized by one man. Drunken people shouldn’t be allowed to climb trees, but one man in town decided to would be a good Halloween joke to play and that I looked like the perfect candidate to try his routine out on. I just remember he was up in the tree making these owl noises and then he started cackling and even my mom was kind of freaking out. Then he proceeded to get louder and louder and I guess all of the effort it took to scare me made him tired and next thing I know, he falls out of the tree and flops directly on the ground face first and just laid there. It scared me so bad I don’t even remember if I let out a scream or not but I took of running like a bat out of hell and didn’t stop until I was sitting in my grandparents living room trying to catch my breath. I lost about half of my costume from running and I never looked back. I think my mom picked the pieces up for me as she brought up the rear. We told my granddad what happened and he walked down to the mans house, and as he got there, the cops were putting the man that dove out of the tree into the cop car, so apparently someone called the cops to come get him. I just know something needed to be done with him, because he almost gave me a stinking heart attack and made me loose all of my candy (I dropped my basket on the run!). I am pretty sure it was that night that made me not want to participate anymore. I thought I was supposed to be having fun, and yet I almost peed myself. I don’t really even know why it was so scary for me. I guess seeing a drunken person fall out of a tree and look like they are just lying there dead isn’t too pleasant though. But know that the college atmosphere has me pumped up again, I find the holiday very enjoyable, and you can look like the biggest idiot because it is ok, just pass it off as a costume! So I hope all of you are stoked for an epic weekend! Because if I can get past my scare as a child and have a good time, I have a pretty good feeling mostly everyone will have a blast!

Where are the Wild Things?

So everyone has a favorite childhood book, or two! Mine were Is Your Momma a Llama and Where the Wild Things Are. So naturally I just had to go see the movie when it came out this past Friday! I thought it was a pretty good movie considering it was based on a ten page book that didn’t really have a plot to it. The monsters obviously didn’t look real but I feel like they weren’t supposed to. The beginning of the movie really does a good job setting up the reason Max runs away, with no one really listening to him and his sister being rude and not standing up for him. I found it comical the way the he plays in his own little world only because most small children do that in order to entertain himself. He makes a number of forts to play in and makes up his own situations to act out with his stuffed animals and toys. When he does run away, the placement of the boat seems almost too perfect, but then again it is a movie. When he does arrive at the island where the wild things are, the scene is intense. One of the monsters is pissed and destroying everything but none of the others can do anything about it. He tells them to be still and that he is there to be their king and get everything back in order. In a way he is a parent figure and soon learns the responsibilities the position entails. When the monsters are tricked into believing he has special powers and can take of them, they all begin having fun and enjoying each other for a short while, until they realize their problems still exist. The goat in the movie seems to symbolize Max, just in the wild thing world, No one every listens to him and his “friends” are always rude and disrespectful and hurting him. Max recognizes this at towards the end of the movie and apologizes, because he wasn’t very nice either. Carol, one of the more important monsters that takes care of Max first, is the one that needs the most help. He is very dramatic and feels the whole world is against him and his pessimistic ways seems to bring everyone else down. KW is the girl Carol, he is a boy by the way, really likes and she feels the same but he frustrates her so much that she would rather not be around him. She has these two friends that are owls, which she gets her advice from. The way she gathers them to talk to them is hilarious. She just hits them in the head with rocks until they fall out of the sky, then goes and scoops them up. And they don’t actually talk, they just squeak and hoot but the monsters say they are able to understand them. Max asks them what he should do, but they aren’t much help. It does however show he cares about them and that he wants to help them but he doesn’t know how. Max begins to realize how he was acting out with his mother earlier in the story, by the way Carol begins to act and be disrespectful. Max lets him know when he is getting out of control, just as his mother did to him. Once Max goes and talks to the rest of the monsters and lets them know that he isn’t going to be able to help them and that he needs to leave is when the movie begins to get very sad. As Max is leaving in his boat to go back home, Carol comes running to say goodbye, but he is too late, Max is already in the ocean. So instead the monsters begin to howl to send him off, and Max howls back, knowing that they were all able to teach each other about their own lives. When Max returns home, he is greeted by his worried mother and the audience is able to tell that he has learned to be more respectful and to listen to he, because of what he was able to learn on the island.

I thought this was a very good movie, with a deeper meaning that was woven well into the story line. Max is able to learn a lesson on how he should behave, and I feel that the movie is able to portray that to children if they watch it and pay attention, but then again you never know. Yes, the movie is sad and unrealistic with the monsters, but it is imaginative and fun at the same time. The characters personalities are funny at times then can switch over into serious and judgmental just as humans can. They understand they have to be there to help each other, and that they have problems that need to be worked, but they don’t understand how to help themselves until they understand they have to pull together and put aside their differences. I don’t really remember much about the nook, but I do know that some of the details of the movie were very different from the book. The part in the book where Max is sent to his room, and that is where he has the dream, is a totally different scenario in the movie. Instead of going to his room, he runs away and falls down into the forest and that is when he begins his journey to where the wild things are. I reckon they did have to change the storyline just a bit to allow the movie to flow a bit more. And the alterations aren’t a big enough deal to interrupt the storyline in the book so it all worked out. You may here people say it isn’t a good movie and that it is too sad, but I feel that it was resolved well and that the lessons it portrays is done very smoothly and that Max learns the error of his ways by having to deal with other people acting that way toward him. So go see it and judge for yourself!

How do you feel now?

Ever think about smoking? Ever wonder about the women around you that may be pregnant but they are just puffing away while their infant, in a sense, is puffing away too? This ad does a fine job at getting the viewer to stop and think about what they are looking at and how this is a reality for some babies. The view is emotionally gripping and it is hard to look away no matter how much you would like to. The way the infant, or even fetus, it is hard to tell, is laying there in a bed of cigarette butts makes the audience feel a sad presence come over them, and that is the whole point. It is supposed to play on your emotions and even make you angry so that you will want to do something to help the children and talk to mothers to get them to quit smoking. The play on logos, and how the picture offers up a good reason to stand there and think about what you are looking at and realize how you feel when you look at it, is very powerful. The picture even seems to have its own tone. The way the entire picture has a shade of blue makes it look dim and in a way, depressing. And the way the infant just lays there helpless really allows the viewer to know that it is dependant on others to help it, and change the mother is acting and to care more about the child, than to put its life in danger for such a worthless product. It also looks as though the child is worthless to the person that had it so they just through it into the ash tray with the rest of the items they decide to discard. The baby is covered in ashes and just laying there in need of someone to stand up for it and help it to survive. The campaign doesn’t even need to put words across the picture or have someone’s voice describe what is going on because it is blatantly obvious. Don’t smoke, especially if there is a baby around or one on the way. I feel the ad is very persuasive, and at the least, thought provoking, and powerful. If it were displayed in Times Square, or somewhere equally as populated and busy, it would catch the eye of many and may even change the views of some people because they may have never thought of the way others are affected by cigarettes. Even though it is critical of smokers, I feel not many people would take offense to it because it is such a reality, and those children need help. And even if some people are offended by it, maybe they should be. Maybe their world needs to be shaken a little bit to bring them into reality and show them that a baby is helpless and when people smoke, it affects their little lungs and they deserve better than to be treated like and ash tray.

Be Kind...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJK3MZL0JOc&NR=1

Be kind to your behind! That is the ad slogan for Cottonelle toilet paper. What is so catchy about the commercial, though, is the lab puppy they use to test out the product and compare it to other leading brands. He is so precious, and he makes the commercial likeable because he is so darn cute and playful! The commercial excels in the areas of pathos and ethos by playing on the viewers emotions and using visual arguments against other brands. Even if someone isn’t a dog lover, I feel they would pay more attention to the commercial because it is active and doesn’t get boring as the ad demonstrates comparisons to other brands of toilet paper. And the fact that the little puppy just looks so cute and cuddly and fuzzy make you think the toilet paper will be soft and not all stiff like others. However, you have to wonder how true the ad is in that other toilet tissue will either not be strong enough and rip all to shreds, or that it will be too stiff and harsh to use? That is where logos comes in. Is the ad plausible and reasonable, and are the facts correct. I feel the commercial does a good job at convicting the audience that Cottonelle toilet paper is soft and strong by the way the puppy is bouncing around and laying on it while it is ‘hanging’ in the sky. And the way the pup falls through the other brands or slides down them because they are too rugged imprints in the viewers mind and makes the argument that the others brands just don’t compare. However, one issue I noticed that was not talked about in the commercial, or any of those toilet paper commercials for that matter, are the prices. I mean I understand that you want to use toilet paper that is of nice quality, but I don’t want to pay a small fortune for it either! If the Cottonelle ad designers would through a sentence or two in about how it is priced below the competitors or something like that, it may help to seal the deal on what kind of toilet tissue to buy.

Even so, the way the ad is set up, it seems as though it would catch the viewer’s eye and that even if that particular audience doesn’t go out and purchase the product, they may still talk about it to other people because the star of the commercial was so adorable and playful. It seems that many ads or commercials use animals to attract the viewer and help them to become intrigued and pay attention to eh product and the animal promoting it. As long as they can keep the audience interested for that thirty second time span, or sometimes longer, they have a good chance of adding new customers and spreading the word of ‘being kind to your behind!’ With the dog and the voice of the reader, the commercial is catchy all-in-all.

THE LION KIIING!!!

This is one of my favorite movies of all time! I love the story line and the characters and how cute Simba and Nala are as cubs. Also, Rafiki is hilarious in how he acts and when he sings and rattles his little stick! The beginning of the movie is so colorful and happy when the pride is celebrating the revealing of Simba and he grows big enough to go play out in the pride land with his friend. Mufasa is such a good father figure to his son and is good at making sure he shows his son the land he will one day rule. They seem to have a good relationship as they play and even when Mufasa has to scold Simba for doing something wrong. However, the section of the movie where Mufasa dies trying to save his son makes me cry almost every time I watch it. It is really messed up how Scar can set all of that up to kill his brother and then blame it on the nephew. It shows how the Shakespearian theme of Hamlet is incorporated into the film. In the play, the uncle killed his brother then tried to kill his nephew but the ghost of the father comes back to help his son and the Uncle is defeated. This is the same as in The Lion King, the ghost of Mufasa speaks to Simba and helps him to defeat Scar and take over the pride as he was destined to do.

The movie can become quite dark at times and the music becomes more intense. With the black and green display of lava shooting out of the ground when scar is singing is one of the scariest parts. And when the hyenas are marching in from of Scar like soldiers while he sits there looking like Hitler makes me want to turn away. During the section of the movie where Simba returns to try to take back over pride rock, all of the backgrounds are dark in color and secrets are revealed. Then fire lights the ground and everything becomes red as the fight begins between the hyenas and the lions. As the battle rages on, the bird, Zazu, the warthog, Pumba, and the meerkat, Timon, provide comical relief! Zazu keeps the laughs coming in every part of the movie he is in just because he is so overprotective yet the lions never care about what he has to say or pay him any mind. He is however very useful in making sure Simba stays safe and when he gets in trouble, he goes and gets Mufasa to come to the rescue! I feel like even in movies that are semi-serious, they always try to have one character that can make the audience laugh and take some of the tension away. Most cartoon movies make the comical character bright in color and odd looking so they automatically draw attention!

As the movie comes to an end, Simba and Nala end up becoming the “leaders” of the pride and a couple starting their own family with a female cub, whose name isn’t revealed until the next movie. She is presented to the pride by Rafiki just as Simba was and the movie comes full circle, but still has plenty of room for a sequel to be made, and it is. The ending has a way of bringing a smile across the audiences face, young and old. I know grandparents that love the movie just as the three year olds do. It’s hard not to like cartoon movies as I have said in my previous blog. They are just so intricate with the details of the characters and the facial expressions and the way the changes in weather patterns are drawn. Most anyone likes a movie that turns out well in the end and everyone is happy. Even if it is cliché, and doesn’t turn out as it exactly would in the real world, when everything works out perfectly, it fills that little spot in our heart that builds us up and makes us feel good when the movie is finally over.

really...REALLY??

When you are out in public do you try to be a little more respectful of the people around you? I know I do, especially when there are young children around. I may curse when I get frustrated but when I am in public and within earshot of people I don’t know, or even those I don’t know very well, I monitor myself and make sure I am on my best behavior. However, not everyone in the world feels that they need to be mindful of others. In an article on foxnews.com a couple beat a man because he asked them to stop cursing with his young children within earshot. They were at one of the KFC’s in Massachusetts and it was taking a while for their order to be ready so the couple became frustrated and began to curse the man taking the orders. When another patron in line asked them to stop, the man punched him in the head and the woman proceeded to kick him while he was down. Talk about rude and disrespectful. Both of the assaulters were charged with assault and battery but its unknown whether or not they will be convicted because it hasn’t gone through the court system yet.

I wonder if other people were around to witness this, and if so did they try to stop it? I would like to think that if I would have been there I would have tried to help, but in reality, I’m sure if I would. I think I might be too scared to walk up to those people and say something and try to get the woman to stop kicking the man. It would be a little intimidating to go up to someone beating the crap out of someone else and tell them to get a life and go away! Anyway, the link is below but I basically told you the whole story!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,559580,00.html?test=latestnews

Life!

I grew up knowing what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Ever since I can remember I have wanted to be a veterinarian. Well some things change. Since my sophomore year has started, I have been leaning further and further away from vet school. I really just don’t think it would be for me. I don’t know if I could handle four more years of schooling after I finish my first four. I also don’t know if I want to spend all of that money that is going to take a good bit of time to pay back. I have also realized that I am not very fond of math. I mean I can do it and I seem to be pretty good at it (sometimes!) but it just really isn’t my thing. Being a vet, I feel like I would have to do a lot of math and conversions and stuff, and it might not be that hard but I just really feel like it would make me happy. I want a job that is satisfying and fun! Why have a job you don’t enjoy if you are planning on having that career for the rest of your life? So now that I have no idea what I am going to do with my life, I am back to the square I was at when I was four years old, when kids shouldn’t care what they want to do yet.

The career options I have in mind now are on the verge of being unrealistic. All I want to do is run a ranch in Tennessee with beef cows and horses. But the way things are now-a-days, it doesn’t look like I could make a living doing that which means I would have to have a day job too. Then I would have to come home in the evenings and take care of the farm, and to me, that’s not the way the dream should go! I guess I could stay in animal science with a business emphasis, that would probably be ok, then I could be set for several different types of careers. Or I could just be a bum! Some people do that and it seems to work for them! No but really, I have to decide what I want to do by the end of this year so I can figure out my classes and all and so the college I’m in can get everything straight. I plan to do a whole bunch of research of Christmas break, when I have time to actually breathe and sit down and think through all of this rationally. Finding time to figure out how you want life to go is a magic trick in itself!

Do you feel like you work load should not be as heavy as it is, but then other times you can’t find anything to do? Like sometimes I have so much work I have no idea if I will be able to finish it all in time, then other times I sit here and twiddle my thumbs and wonder if there is anything else I can do to get ahead to even out the work load. Some teachers don’t give any work which is always nice, and others pile it on like you don’t have any other classes except theirs. I mean I know I shouldn’t complain because I signed up for the class and all, but sometimes I just wonder if they want us to be tired for class. That is usually how I end up, I don’t know about you. I try to stay awake in all of my classes because I feel it is disrespectful to the teacher if I am laying there sleeping, but sometimes it is all I can do to keep my eyes open. The night before that class I was probably doing all of this homework I had for the next few days and for the class I am in, and not only is it tiring, it also drains your mind and soul! I’ll admit that sometimes I put things off until last minute, but so far this school year I do 95% of my work ahead of time, and I still get swamped. I also try to balance out my school life with my social life, but the social part usually gets put on the back-burner until the weekend, and even sometimes then I don’t go out and see friends and have a good time because I have so much work to do.

With all the work, it just makes me realize even more that I need to figure out the road I am following so all of this work isn’t for nothing. That is what I worry about, wasting time where it could have been spent somewhere else. The classes I have that deal with animal science don’t really seem like work at all because I really enjoy learning that kind of stuff, but some of the others feel like they aren’t relevant to the career I want; therefore, making them hard to enjoy. I am a hands on kind of person, and learning from a book just doesn’t feel natural to me. However, there are people in the world that love learning processes from a text, and that is perfectly fine, but if I can’t actually see it happening, I almost couldn’t care less. That’s part of the reason I want to have a farm or ranch and grow things to make a living, because you can see how you are affecting what you come into contact with, and you can see yourself making money that will pay the bills. I also like having things that need to be looked after a little bit. I love to take care of things and feel like I had a hand in making that things life a little easier. Maybe like a calf or something. They need a little help at first to stay well and be healed when sick. When I see that I made an impact, it fills my heart a little bit more. So I guess I just need to find a way to make me new dream career come true. I’m not afraid to work hard for it, but I want to see the change that’s happening.

Tears

This may pertain to the girls more than the boys because for some reason society has geared the male population to not show emotion in front of others, which I think is silly. Anyhow, when your parents dropped you off for college and helped you move in, did they cry when they left? Or better yet, did your mom cry? I know mine did and this is my second year. Not only did she get emotional at that time, she gets a little upset every time she leaves, and to be truthful, so do I. But I am one of those people that will cry when I see someone else is really upset or will laugh when I don’t even know what is funny!

One of my apartment mate’s parents came to visit this weekend for a sorority event and the morning they left, her mom started to tear up and was stalling so she wouldn’t have to leave. The dad looked and the mom and said ‘Oh come on, no crying, we’ll see her soon.” It is true that we go home and see our parents every once in a while and we talk to them on the phone regularly. But that doesn’t seem to make things any easier because we still don’t see them everyday, and for some of us, the change is drastic and takes a while to get used to. I know that every time I go home, it gets harder and harder for me to come back to school and I have no idea why. I think it might be because I realize I am that much closer to entering the real world and I have to go back to paying bills again and all that jazz. Then when my mom tears up or gets a frog in her throat and says “I’ll see ya later sweetie, be careful” I know it’ll be a while before I see her again and I don’t like it at all. Part of that may be because I can sense her sadness and it radiates to me. That always seems to make the drive a little longer.

But on the flip side, I do enjoy the freedom of not having parents around all the time to check up on me and I don’t have to ask permission to go somewhere or any of that. I know the situation of being on my own and taking care of myself is overwhelming but I welcome the challenge because I know I can’t ride my parent coat tails all my life. It may be hard or sad at times, but I have to suck it up and deal with it! When my mom leaves and she wants to cry, but won’t, I know she too has realized its part of the process, and crying isn’t going to change that, is just makes it a little harder. So how do you feel about parents getting emotional, if yours even do? Does it make you a little sad too because they are leaving, or because you hate to see them upset? Or are you glad to be rid of them and on your own?!

TATS

They started about 2000 years before Christ with the Egyptians and Nubians and have continued to be a form of body art ever since. They are called tattoos and what is it about them that either makes people love them or hate them? I know so many people that have tattoos and they don’t really bother me. In fact I thought about getting one for a while myself. I think they are very intriguing, especially if there is a story or meaning behind the ink, or maybe if you drew the design or created the idea yourself. I feel that it is one more way to express a thought or opinion, but some people might go a little overboard. My brother has a couple of them and some people look at them as being tacky or unattractive, but they don’t know the meaning or the story, or the reason he got them in the first place. Some people just have something that means so much to them that they want the world to know about it, but it also draws a little bit of attention, which may be the reason some people get them. Whether it is for a relative or friend that died, or a celebration of life, or just to be unique, people are entitled to it. And it was their money, so why should we care?!

In some cultures, the tattoos are a sign of rank are age and they let others know who to show respect and who needs to respect them. In ancient times, slaves and criminals were marked to show that they had lesser value, or that they had done something wrong and the community needed to beware of that person. Others were marked as a right of passage into adult hood or to tell a story of the hardships that person had to face in their lifetime. In some cultures, throughout a person’s life, they get certain tattoos on their body that tells their life story and what they have had to deal with. By the end of their life, their body may be completely covered with pictures that tell their stories and the trails or periods of happiness they went through.

Even though I don’t personally have any tattoos, I hope that people think about the story behind the picture before they judge the person for having it. Most of the time, I feel like a person probably had a reason to modify their skin, unless they just decided one night that it would be cool to have it. In which case, I would suggest a little more thought because even though the ink can be removed with a laser, the procedure is pretty permanent! But if you can come up with a cool design that you decide you could live with for the rest of your life, more power to you!

Cartoons

So how many of you out there are considered an “adult” yet still like to watch cartoon movies?! Because I know that I am still a big fan and I can’t seem to help but want to watch them! I like the old school kind but the new ones are pretty good too since the technical part of them are increasingly better and the animations seem more real. Take Ratatouille for example. The animation makes him almost seem like a real mouse doing these things with the lighting and all. But it also has that, ‘this is defiantly a cartoon movie’ because some of the stuff would never happen. I guess that could go for a lot of movies these days, especially action. A lot of the stuff these actors do in the action movies like driving a car through a building or breaking there legs on four places and keep doing the mission they are on, come on. But then again, I guess that’s why it is a movie and doesn’t happen in real life. Going back to cartoons; have you ever thought about all the time and effort it takes to make a cartoon movie? I know a lot of it now-a-days is done on the computer, but back in the day, they drew all that stuff by hand and it just blows my mind that someone had enough patience to sit down and draw all of those sequences. I give them a little clap for all that hard work. Don’t you? Unless of course you think it isn’t that hard. And if that’s the case I reckon you are a darn fine cartoonist yourself! Anyway, I just wanted to draw attention to the people ‘behind the scenes’ in all of those cartoon movies I enjoy, and hopefully you do too. Also, the people who read the scripts for the characters, like in Finding Nemo, are very impressive. They really get into character and let me tell you, they got jokes! It’s like they can see the animation as they are reading the script, heck for all I know they can. All I know is that they are fascinating!

Parody!

Poor, poor, Miley Cyrus! The girl can’t do anything without getting critiqued, but this is funny! She does look a little odd in this music video because she is just so random. Please let me know what you think about the parody after watching the original. You may not find it as humorous as I do but that’s ok! Don’t get me wrong, Miley is ok, but sometimes she is just way over the top and she does things worthy of making fun of! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr0Wv5DJhuk :original

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTC4qkb8Ppk :parody

It's Not Their Fault

Have you ever noticed how everyone loves puppies but as soon as they grow into dogs, some of those people don’t like them anymore? Well I think that is total bull. If you decide to get the puppy, then you shouldn’t understand that one day the thing is going to grow up and become an adult dog and eat a lot more and get into things they shouldn’t. They are animals, they don’t know any better unless we teach them, which is something that should be taught to them as puppies. For all those people that go out and buy puppies because they think they are cute then as soon as the dog starts to grow up and isn’t as cute anymore, so they take them to the shelter…WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? Those animals didn’t ask for you to take them in, if you feel like you may not be able to handle the dog once it matures, don’t get it, it is that simple. So now I have to get e-mails from the local animal shelter saying that if someone doesn’t adopt these dogs, they are going to be put down because there isn’t enough room for them. You know whose hands the blood is on when those animals get put down? The people that took them to the shelter.

Now I’m not talking about those people that find a stray animal and take them to the shelter so they can at least be fed. No those people do a good thing because they may not be able to adopt the dogs themselves so they give the owners a chance to find the dog. I am talking about the ones that go out here and look for an animal to give a home then turn around and decide that wasn’t a good decision and basically throw them to the county to take care of. I don’t understand how those people sleep at ngiht knowing that the animal they gave up may have to be euthanized because they may never find another home. Those dogs aren’t allowed to live in the shelter forever. Usually if they aren’t adopted by a new family within three months, they are put down because the county doesn’t want to waste any more food or time on them. And I can almost understand where the county is coming from on that point, because the shelter is a business, but if the dogs hadn’t have been given up on in the first place, they wouldn’t be there.

When I get the money and the space, I plan on going down there and adopting dogs and even if I can’t keep them all, I am going to find them a real home somewhere they can run and don’t have to be all cooped up. And the same goes for cats, even though I am not the biggest cat fan, they are in the same situation as the dogs. I hope that reading this will make someone go down to the shelter today and pick out a dog or puppy and give it a good home. They don’t deserve to have to live there and count the days until they get adopted or the county decides they need to get rid of a few. It’s unfair…so please please please, help them!

Mountain Folks

One of the first things we notice about people is the way they talk. We don’t all have the same speaking voice, especially where I was born and raised. I never thought I talked differently at all, I just thought that was the way the words were supposed to sound. I have always said ‘yall’ and ‘reckon’, it was the way I was raised and I never thought twice about it until someone made fun of me in school one day for my ‘southern accent’. I was born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley and had lived there my whole life. How was it possible that I talked differently from the same people I had grown up with? When I would tell people I had lived here all my life and didn’t think I talked any differently than any of the rest of them, they would argue that I did. People in my classes used to tell me I talked like I was from Georgia or somewhere in the Deep South. I do admit that I draw out some of my vowels a bit and would such as ‘tiger’ and ‘five’ are pronounced with long ‘I’ sounds but that is about the only difference I have noticed. When I try to explain that to my peers, they look at me and laugh and tell me that I sound way more country than most of the people they have met from the area so I guess ill never be able to win that argument. I even asked my family if they think the way I talk sounds different from anyone else. Most of them say no, and that I pronounce my words just like the rest of them, but others that don’t see me very much tell me I have a little twang to my voice. My dad says that if that’s true he has no idea where it came from, but I think that is because it might have come from him!

It wasn’t until recently that I discovered I speak with a different dialect of English than many other people that live near by. It’s called Appalachian English, and some of the words were derived from how Irish settlers spoke, and many new words were formed by mountain folk and just drifted up through the mountains with travelers. When I began to do some research on the different way of talking, I noticed that I used a lot of the same vocabulary as the mountain folk, as did the rest of my family. I am not the only one that has been asked “Hey where are you from?”. My brother got it a lot when he went down to North Carolina for school. They tend to speak the same way down there but with a little different of an accent on the words. I found it funny when my brother called and told me that someone asked him where he came from, because he hardly ever got asked in high school, unlike me. However, as soon as he traveled a little bit, people began to wonder. As a result of him going to school in a more southern state, he came back with some new phrases that I had to think about to understand what they meant so I reckon they had some mountain folk down there too!

YouTube has a video about Appalachian English and the old timers that are very fluent in speaking it. Some say that the dialect is inferior and that the people that speak ‘mountain’ are just lazy and lack the intelligence to speak properly. I don’t think it is inferior at all. We talk this way because we were raised this way and we can’t help if we sound a little more country than others. I don’t make fun of how people up north talk. Yes, it may be irritating at times with the spin they put on the words, but I keep those thought to myself. However, some people have no problem telling others what they think about them. In the video, the person interviews these little old back woods men and women and ask them how they way certain phrases and what those phrases mean. A lot of the words they use are made up but everyone in the community understands how they are used. ‘Si-gogglin’ for example means that something is built crooked and looks awful. For people that weren’t generally liked very well, they were nicknamed ‘peckerwoods’. Lots of older women called traveling salesmen this term. On the other hand, people that no one knew but looked like they had the potential to be very nice were called ‘jaspers’. If the folks didn’t know your name, but you appeared that you may be a nice character, they tried to be a little more respectful with the words they used toward you! The word ‘plumb’ came to be a replacement for the phrase ‘all the way’. For example, instead of saying all the way worn out, they would say plumb worn out. I use that one a lot myself, just because I grew up with my dad using it all the time and it just stuck.

Simple words that everyone uses today had a little bit of a different pronunciation towards the end of the word. For example, flour for some people is pronounced ‘fl-our’, but for mountain talk it is pronounced ‘fl-hour’ with the ‘our’ drawn out. We also generalize certain things such as soda. Whether it is Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, or Coca-Cola, we call it coke. A lot of the English we use is grammatically incorrect but most people are still able to understand it. For example, instead of saying I saw you the other day at the grocery store, we say, I seen ya the other day at the grocery store. Many of the phrases we use different verb tenses but we mean the same thing and most outsiders can still understand what is being said as long as it inst too extreme. I have learned to tell people that make fun of the way I talk that I am proud of where I am from and that is just the way I was raised.

It isn’t every day that you run into a Polish girl that used to live on a ferret farm in Wyoming, but that is exactly where Caitlin Kwiatkowski spent the first three years of her life. Even though she grew up as an only child, she did have a cousin that lived with her family for a short while she was in the fourth grade, and she views him as a little brother since they grew up with each other and spent a lot of time together. With her background and heritage, she has become, and remains, very close-knit with her family and friends. At the age of five her family decided to move to Pennsylvania for the opportunity of her dad to pursue his job. Her dad chose a profession as a veterinarian and felt that the east coast had more to offer in the ways of working to help animals. In Chambersburg, she was able to pursue one of her passions and become an avid tennis player. She had the opportunity to play all four years of her high school career on both the junior varsity and varsity teams and was fourth on the varsity ladder. Caitlin was presented with the award of most improved player from tenth to eleventh grade when she moved up to varsity from junior varsity. She loves the competition of the game and the intensity of knowing that at anytime, the leader of the match could change. Her teammates really admired her hard work and the pressure she put on herself to always improve her game and whether she won or lost the match, she kept a good attitude.

People that know Caitlin personally say she is very outgoing and always has a smile on her face. She is able to have fun with whatever it is she is doing and prefers to go out and have fun trying new things rather than sitting at home and lounging around. She has an amazing ability to cheer people up even when they are feeling down or unsure about themselves. Her laugh is contagious and when she walks in the room and smiles, you can’t help but to smile back. She could be having the worst of days and when she sees you she still has a smile on her face. Even though she grew up in a little city surrounded by farms and mountains, Caitlin really likes to eat sushi, but says you can never go wrong with her mom’s cooking! All of those home-made cookies and peanut-butter pies really hit the spot! In her opinion, she thinks her mom is one of the best cooks there is and that opinion may be one of the many reasons it was just a little tough to adjust to Virginia Tech. It also doesn’t help the transition with her friends being so far away from home and her going off to different colleges and having to deal with the change themselves. They are all able to see each other after periods of time and it seems like nothing has changed between any of them. They are able to be as close as they were before they went their own ways for any amount of time.

She realizes that once you have to move away from home, you become aware of exactly what it is that you loved most about that place. The smells and the views she once took for granted. The little side streets and boutiques in town. The friendly waves of the neighbors when you pass them on a back road. With all of that in mind, she still knows she will be able to deal with the distance because it is only four hours away and she can still go home and relax with her family on weekends if she feels like going for a drive. It takes some getting used to but she seems to be adjusting just fine. She is starting to make lots of new friends here in Blacksburg but is keeping in very close touch to her friends back home and at other colleges. In her spare time, Caitlin loves to go shopping; her style has a unique twist, and hangs out with her friends and boyfriend, Zane. He has nothing but good things to say about her, and to him, she is the one of the people that can make him happy and cheer him up when it seems like everything that could go wrong is going wrong. Her personality is what he enjoys most about her because she is positive and doesn’t sweat the little things. Multitask is her middle name and she knows when to buckle down and get to work and knows when it is time to loosen up and have a good time. Caitlin loves to go to the movies and can what just about any genre of movie and enjoy it. She loves comedy and it is her sense of humor that makes her able to take practical jokes and laugh it off!

She is in the engineering program here at Virginia Tech, but isn’t sure what type of engineering she wants to do yet. Aerospace or ocean engineering seems to be the way she is leaning at the moment, but she is keeping an open mind to all of the categories in the field. With as many jobs as there are in the engineering world, Caitlin hasn’t decided exactly what kind of job she wants but she shouldn’t have any trouble finding one that suits her with as broad of profession as engineering. She wants a job that makes her happy and supplies her with enough money to keep her and her family happy, but she also wants a job that is challenging and requires her to think outside of the box. With whatever this life decides to throw her way, she will make an influence on the lives of the people she meets because she is such a caring and compassionate person.