Tic toc....t-minus 6 days

Six days in which I will go CUCKOO! I will know whether I got in to school or not in 6 days. Honestly, I don't have a grasp on what my chances are, but I'm preparing myself for the worst. The guy at the school said there are always spots available, but it depends on if they find you qualified or not. So what are these criteres they ask for, you may wonder. The first two you have to have and the rest just give you priority over other candidates, the more you have.

Well, I've compiled a list for your(and by your, I really mean my) pleasure:

Two years of higher education studying English.
I gots 4 and it was IN English, will that work?

Six months abroad in an anglo country is highly recommended.
Let's see...carry the 1, minus 5, plus 3. So I have umm...276 months, is that good?

Honors
Well, I took AP classes in High School and had a decent GPA in college...but, of course you had to have proof, so even though I wrote it, they prob won't count it.

Maitrise or master 1 acquired before submission of application.
Well, licence which is 2 years is equal to our 4 year degree, so this one's a no unless they are somehow unaware of that.

Assistantship or lecture position in an anglo country.
Yeah, I kinda did my assistantship here in France. So, again no.

Teaching experience.
This I have and it was in English for two years, so that's good to go. Plus, I tutored English and French for 1 year, although as I have no proof, this doesn't count.

Modules of preprofessionnalisation et/ou de...
Yeah, let me just stop that right there with a big ol' NO.

Language training sessions.
No, as I don't think my 8 days of stage for the assistantship would count so much.

So, do you see why I have all this confuzzlement? Luckily I am spending the day tomorrow(I get up at 4:30!!!) flying back to the states and then this weekend is the wedding and I don't get back until late Monday night. So, I will be very distracted up until Tues when roomie will call in for me and email me the answer(yikes!!) It will be nice to be back, but as it works out, I only have one full day at home with my fam and the rest are just parts of days or late nights. If only I could stay a bit longer, I know my parents and sis are pretty bummed about that. But, I had to buy a ticket leaving Wed night in order to get in Thurs morning to get to Rennes Thurs afternoon to be here for Fri morning in case I ever get into school and have to start. Why they have to start on a Fri, I do not know. Classes at the Fac would start Mon, Sept 24...grr. Oh well, can't change anything, unfortunately.

I have been absent for almost a week at this point. And, guess what? I will be absent again for a week after. My apologies to my dear readers aka I'm probably just apologizing to myself. I will update on University status next week once I know the answer, so keep those doigts croise-d because I still have a bit of a wait. Please wish me tons of merde(eww, sounds gross!)

Drumroll, please

.....................................I am happy to announce that:
a)I made two friends at the Prefecture which made my hour there(even though I arrived right at 9 AM) go by much faster.
b)I was right-I didn't get my carte de sejour and who doesn't like being right?

Ok, totally kidding about b I would have taken being totally wrong and admitting it to the world any day over not getting my CDS and being left in this uncomfortable and anxious state. Ugh! I buttered that lady up at the Prefecture as sweet as a freakin slice of pain de mie. I laughed when she did, I smiled when she did, did I maybe even wink at her? No, I didn't really, but I would have if that would have given me the CDS I wanted.

What's funny is that the reason I didn't get the CDS was not AT ALL one of the gazillion reasons I conjured up in my head that I saw as obstacles. I could change CDS status WITHOUT having a visa, the letter of pre-inscription was perfectly fine, the lady was unexpectedly pleasant and smiled...SEVERAL TIMES! No, all would have been in my favor had I had in my possession a freaking CARTE D'ETUDIANT which of course I won't have until I know if I'm accepted or not which won't be until after I leave France to go back to the US. Arg! She explained that now they insist that you have to have the carte d'etudiant and then lowered her voice to share this secret with me "there used to be so many people who were signing up for school and getting a CDS etudiant just so they could legally stay in France." I shook my head in disbelief as I grasped the paper saying I had only signed up for school and was not yet admitted. "How could anyone ever do such a thing?" Errrr...yeah, I totally agree.

After I had buttered her up, made up something about me not being able to get a carte d'etudiant right away because everyone was gone en vacances(thanks, Sam!), offered my student card from the US and my CROUS Student Number...I just gave up. I am not good at talking people into things and I had really maxed myself out and I didn't see it advancing no matter what I offered her or how nice I was being. Her niceness was GREATLY appreciated and I cannot stress this enough because I now know of two ladies at the dreaded Prefecture who are nice instead of just the one, so I now have more of a chance of talking to someone nice than before. I did go through my documents with her and she did make a suggestion to add another document to my justificatif de ressources so as to be sure to get approved when/if I come back to get my CDS. She was also like, "don't worry, your CDS expires at the end of September, you have time!" Ah, if only she knew.

As nice as she was, I was not about to explain that I didn't know whether I was going to get into school in the first place and that I'm leaving for the states next week which complicates things what with leaving my cat, monthly bills and my stuff behind and not knowing if I will come back for good or not. And that I might possibly have to buy a plane ticket just to come back and take my stuff with me. All in all, there was no vomit nor tears which is always good, I only waited an hour(could have been 3 or 4 just to hear no), the lady was super nice and I now know what I have to have. I'm trying to stay positive, but I'm super bummed of course. If anyone has any suggestions on how I could finaigle a carte d'etudiant before I find out if I'm accepted, I'm all ears, baby! Should I try to apply to the Fac? When I studied abroad, I remember not getting my carte d'etudiant until like 2 or 3 months in, but maybe that was because it was a study abroad program? As is with everything here, on verra bien.

Luck be a lady tomorrow?

Tomorrow is IT. Tomorrow morning I will be at the Prefecture with freaking bells on. Despite the fact that so far in Project Edumacate me, France is up by approximately 5 gagillion points to my 1 point, tomorrow will be winner takes all.
Pros
I now have in my hot little hands the following documents:
Passport+copy
Translated Birth Cert+copy
Justificatif de domicile+copy
Justificatif de ressources+copy
Attestation de pre-inscription+copy
Certificat de visite medicale+copy
3 HORRIFIC identity photos
S.A.S.E.

I will also be bringing my life in paperwork form with me, of course.

I'm a good person.

I have a good feeling about this.

I still have yet to toss my cookies or cry my eyes out.

Cons
Another girl in the same situation already tried to change status and they told her she HAD to go back to the US. Uh oh.

Everything paperwork-wise has gone really smoothly for the most part and I've been waiting for some sort of nightmare. Double uh oh.

Bad things come in threes and I've already had two majorly bad things happen this year. Triple uh oh.

I'm not actually accepted into the school yet(which brings up a whole nother set of worries!)

I will probably end up with some nasty witch(replace w with b) who hates Bush and, therefore, me.

France doesn't care that I'm a good person.

Wow, a good feeling? That's promising(insert sarcasm.)

The vomit and the tears are soon to come!

As is tradition, I am expecting the worst so that I can hopefully be pleasantly surprised. But, like I said, everything has gone smoothly for the most part except with the *@&$!%^# rectorat, so I have been just waiting for whatever lucky charms I have fallen upon to fail me at any point now. I know it sounds pessimistic, but I just don't want to get my hopes up and be crushed if it doesn't work out(I literally just almost typed when it doesn't work out, you see how I am?!) So, I will give it a go and please wish me luck because honestly, I think that's the only thing that will guarantee me the opportunity to stay here and get into school. Yikes!

Luck be a lady today?

Remember that teeny tiny miniscule possibility of me being able to stay here in France? Well, I'm about to head off soon to try and get some more info. So, here's hoping a)it's open and b)that I can even finaigle them into giving me some info. I feel like I'm going to gerbe because I really just don't know what's going to happen and I'm a bit(understatement of the century) stressed. So, wish me luck because I'm scaaaaared!

Update:
Bad news-I cannot find out any earlier than debut Septembre.
Good news-I did manage to get an attestation of pre-inscription and the guy I talked to was shockingly very nice and seemed hopefulish for me.
Worst news-I have to go to the dreaded Prefecture and see if I can convince them to give me a carte de sejour without having gotten a visa first for a school I might not even get into.
Best news-I have not yet tossed my cookies.

I think this deserves this much luck-wishing...

TIMES INFINITY!!!

Blast from the past

No, I don't actually mean that awful movie starring Brendan Fraser and Alicia Silverstone. I meant this discovery I made while looking around online...

This

this

and this!

And the ultimate source!!!

1990s, I missed you so!

Happy Blogiversary to me!

One year! I know I sort of abandoned ship for a good bit there, but I did get bit by the blogging bug back around April and have been going strong(for the most part) ever since. To celebrate my Blogiversary today, I watched a marathon of some ridiculous reality show from the states where the girl has to choose from 20 suitors, however, they are all(wait for it)...MASKED! It's called Mr. Personality and personally, the masks kind of freak me out and it's an absolutely ABSURD idea, yet somehow I got myself sucked into a marathon. Darn you, reality tv! Last night, Jen and I made a homemade pizza and it sure was bonne. Here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure...

And you thought this method was only used for wine...au contraire, mes amis. When you don't know how to use a French can opener this is what happens.


Pizzer before shot...


...and after! Chicken, red pepper, onions, pineapple, emmental and fresh mozzarella...it was delish!

PS-I could really go for that piece of cake right about now!

Just call me mamie

So, for whatever reason, my P.O.S. mattress has decided to slowly age me by 50 years. The past few nights, I've woken up with a sore neck and back, but it was definitely something I could deal with, though rather painful. However, this morning takes the freakin gateau as my neck and upper back are KILLING me. I literally have to turn my entire body if I want to look to the right or left and look like a complete ARSE, otherwise it feels like teeny tiny knives are ever-so slightly stabbing at my left shoulder blade. I also am more comfortable at a slightly hunched over Quasimodo-like posture, how pretty. Not to mention that when something is funny, I start out with "haha" and end with "owwww holy BEEP". Ahh, how agreable!

Guide to enjoying wine...americaine style!

Step One

Pull off cork that has been stuck on corkscrew for almost a week now with your teeth as all attempts with the tea towel have been futile. Use said corkscrew only to discover you are incapable of turning it straight even after several tries.


Step Two

As the cork is now ruined due to 5 million attempts with corkscrew, resort to a more savage technique with knife. Dig away at cork with said knife hoping to remove all of cork and free the yummy wine. When this does not work, start to dig a hole in cork.


Step Three

Get frustrated by hole-digging and just push cork and extra bits directly into the bottle. Next, sieve wine using something meant for coffee(I think?) Lastly, enjoy!

Special visitors

Meet Muffin. One of the first visitors I had here in Rennes was this cute kitty who came to my window for a calin and some croquettes. He apparently was abandoned by his family and he constantly hangs out around our building and several neighbors look after him. He's a very sweet, gentle and nice cat, so I don't know why anyone would have ever abandoned him. The people he used to live with still live in the neighborhood, but he never goes there. He's Sienna's good buddy, but I think she secretly has a crush on him and wants him to be her copain. For being as much of a scaredy cat with other animals(including roomie's 3 lb dog and sis's cat), she and Muffin get along very well and like to sniff each other to see what they've been up to.



Meet Mojito or Momo. This is a tiny kitten my roomate found wandering near a bar right before Thanksgiving. She, of course, could not resist those blue eyes and big ears he hadn't grown into yet and took him back to our apartment to live with us for a while. Momo loved to play and tried to entice Sienna, but she had none of it. She was not a fan of his antics and would hiss at the poor little guy. I, however, thought he was a doll and loved to watch him chase his tail. Since Sienna was already at the apt, roomie decided it would be best to find him a home, so a neighbor a few floors up took him to surprise his girlfriend. We recently heard that the neighbors a few floors up were complaining because there's a cat who constantly meows all the time and we figured out it has to be Mojito. He must miss his first home and us lovely ladies.





Meet Cupcake. I met this kitty in April this year when she came to visit at my window. My sister decided as I had already named the first kitty to visit "Muffin", that this new cat should be called Cupcake. The name just stuck. Cupcake has only been to visit me once and was very skittish and scared, making me think she was a stray. She was very hungry as well, so I gave her some croquettes which I placed on the window sill. Instead of coming right up to the open window, she would paw at the croquettes so they would fall to the ground and she would eat them tranquillement from there. She and Muffin seemed to know each other from around the hood and didn't mind both coming to my window together. About a month later, I saw them across the way, staring each other down and keeping each other company.



I consider myself lucky to have had so many furry visitors this whole time I've been here and hope to have many more!

Mini vacances

Cancale beach

I'm back from another weekend away and I had a blast. We went back again to the roomie's house in Cancale except, this time, with two copines who couldn't make it last time. Plus, this time roomie's rents were there along with mamie and Orki, the 3 lb dog. Fun times. I'll give you a little run through of my weekend.

Friday
Roomie, C and I decided to do something on Friday to fete roomie being off for two weeks. So, it was apero chez-nous and a lovely chicken curry dinner vite fait along with a special surprise dessert of Magnum chocolate and almond ice cream bars. Miam miam! Our interesting(read:cat lady) neighbor even swung by to ask us (again) if her cat that meanders through the building had been bothering us at all and proceeded to tell us the same exact stories she had told just us a few days earlier. Also, she apparently wants to invite us for the apero and have me translate her gospel music. Sounds like a great time(insert sarcasm.) She's nice enough, but I basically think she's a little spe and wanted/wants someone to talk to. We will see. Umm, and apparently she knew that I was American just from word-of-mouth around the building. Which is interesting because, besides our neighbors one floor up that are three young dudes, I have never said more than a bonsoir or bonjour to anyone here, so I'm quite perplexed as to how she knew. Peu importe...new (cat lady) friends are always welcome. Enfin bref, Fri was a (lot) bit of wine, dancing at the apt and then out on the town with some fun girls...good times!

Silliness on Friday

Saturday
We headed for Cancale around 1 after I, ahem, finally rolled out of bed at 12:30 and then we were off! We dropped our bags off at roomie's and then headed direct for the plage, baby!! Jen and I frolicked in the water and I managed to get knocked over by a wave and lose my lovely designer sunglasses(that I bought at the outlets)...but still, that was sad. Helas. I did, however, manage to get a little color(not too much as I insisted I stay under the parasol like the paranoid geek I am), so I can hopefully look a tad less ghastly(kidding.) We stayed for a couple hours, then walked back to roomie's to shower and have an apero with her fam. They freaking rock. So, we chatted for a bit and then headed out to St. Malo to meet up with two of roomie's friends at a yummy pizzeria. We were staaaarving, so there wasn't much chatting until we started to fill up our bellies with yummy pizza and that's when we decided we would head to a bar that the girls used to go to in their Uni days. Well, the bar did have good music, but was kinda dead to be honest and approximately 5000 DEGREES. Between the heat and the smoke, I had to go outside to take a break and I took Jen with me. It was there she spotted the Becassine figurine she's been wanting to get and we vowed to come back and do a bit of shopping and strolling the next day. We ended up trying another bar, but besides the WASTED British tourists, it was dead and the music was moyen. So, we didn't stay out too late as we weren't very motivees and headed back to crash into bed as we were pretty beat too.

The tinyness that is Orki

Sunday
We got up around midi and had a lovely breakfast/lunch of brioche and tea, sausage, green beans and pasta. Hehe. It was fairly cloudy, then started to drizzle, so we decided the beach would be out and we would head to St. Malo instead. Luckily by the time we got there, it stopped raining and was pretty nice out. We basically strolled around along with the gazillions of people, wandered in and out of shops with the final goal of Jen buying her Becassine and all of us indulging in some gourmandise with a beignet nutella. Yummmm. We slowly made our way out of the walled city and back to the car to head back to Rennes. All in all, a great weekend with great friends!

Sunday Brunch...please ignore the sales gueules;)

Lazy Leah

Because I bought my airline ticket from CT to Philly for the wedding just today three weeks before I go, instead of paying $250, I only payed $185. Yay...65 bucks saved! Sometimes procrastination really does pay!!

PS-I wish I were lazy in the tropical island kind of way!

101 things

As I have nothing of interest to report, I will rely on this questionnaire I found whilst perusing random blogs. I hope it entertains someone besides just me and invite others to answer it on their own blogs!

1. How many keys are on your keychain?

Two. I don't gots a caisse.

2. What curse word do you use the most?

Can't say I'm a big swearer, I AM a cultured lady afterall(hey, stop laughing, I'm serious!) Funny thing is I def swear more in French than in English as it has way less meaning to me. If I had to pick one, though, it would be the F word.

3. Do you own an iPod?

Well, I have an MP3 player, if that's what you mean. I'm not fancy-pants.

4. What time is your alarm clock set for?

Alarm clock? I don't gots no job!

5. How many suitcases do you own?

One ginormo suitcase that I LOVE and my hiking backpack as well as my kitty's little house. How am I ever going to move back to the states if need be?

6. Do you wear flip–flops even when it’s cold outside?

Yes and while it doesn't bug me, the Frenchies go nutty and stare me down!

7. Where do you buy your groceries from?

Super U!, Champion(both at walking distance) or LeClerc.

8. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture?

Be in the picture, I'm vain like that. Not really, I just like to see myself at places to sort of prove to myself I was there. I often like to go back and look at old photos and LOVE to make scrapbooks.

9. What was the last movie you watched?

Last movie in the theatres was Ocean's 13 about five weeks ago. Set to go see Ratatouille tonight(yay!) Want to see Two Days in Paris.

10. Do any of your friends have children?

Bek, a friend from study abroad(but, she's also a bit older than me) and that's it! You didn't ask me (thank goodness) how many are married/getting married!

11. If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you would buy?

My way into France. Seriously though, my way into France.

12. Has anyone ever called you lazy?

Who hasn't?

13. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster?

Hmm, maybe a couple times. I really should take that for those long flights!

14. What CD is currently in your CD player?

No CD. Though if my roomate would like to kindly stop playing "like a boy" and waking me up at 8 AM, I wouldn't mind that.

15. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk?

I heart milk. Especially really cold milk on a hot day, how refreshing. But, I also love chocolate. Hmm, I choose both.

16. Has anyone told you a secret this week?

Don't think so, but it's better that way...I hate keeping secrets! Secrets secrets are no fun, secrets secrets hurt someone.

17. When was the last time someone hit on you?

This past Sat after a Soiree Tapas when we went out on the town. It was a drunk French dude who thought he was really awesome. He was wrong.

18. What did you have for dinner?

I was feeling like spoiling myself a bit, so I had homemade pizza! Chicken, pineapple and mozzarella...miam, miam!

19. Do you wear hoodies often?

Not often enough. And I lost my fave hoodie I bought 2 years ago here in Rennes that I loved because it was nice and light, gray in color and had a purple flower design on the inside of the hood, so it was super cute!

20. Can you whistle?

Yes. But, par contre, I can only snap with my left hand-isn't that weird?

21. Have you ever participated in a protest?

Non.

22. Who was the last person to call you?

My roomie called me today because she was bored at work.

23. What is your favorite ride at an amusement park?

Hmm, I like to play it safe with the water rides. However, I always manage to get peer pressured into going on the Roller Coasters and they terrify me every time...I need to learn a lesson!

24. Do you think people talk about you behind your back?

I'm sure people talk about me behind my back...but, hopefully it's all good stuff!

25. What area code are you in right now?

35000 aka RENNES.

26. Did you watch cartoons as a child?

I certainly did! Although, I really have trouble watching them now. That is, the ones meant for grown ups. Things like The Simpsons and Family Guy. Animated films are, however, a different story.

27. How big is your local mall?

Umm, do you mean the centre commercial? Yeah, a)not really a mall and b)not that big.

28. How many siblings do you have?

A sister who is 7 years older.

29. Are you shy around the opposite sex?

I can be pretty shy around anyone, really. But, meet me when I'm with 2 or 3 friends and I'm totally at ease. I wish I were more like my dad, though, as he is a HAM and a half. He can talk to ANYONE about ANYTHING, I envy that.

30. What is your biggest regret?

I don't have any as I don't believe in regrets.

31. When was the last time you laughed so hard your sides hurt.

I laughed at something geeky my roomate said at our roomate interview last night.

32. What movie do you know every line to?

Not every line, but Bridget Jones' Diary. When I was little, it was The Little Mermaid for sure.

33. Do you own any band t–shirts?

Def not.

34. When was your last plane ride?

May 2007 to the states for my Aunt's funeral.

35. How many chairs are at your dining room table?

Always 5, sometimes 6.

36. Do you read for fun?

Absolutely, but it's been a bit now since I've had a book on my nightstand. Waiting(very impatiently I might add) to start Harry Potter.

37. Can you speak any languages other than English?

French and Spanish(although this last one is getting worse and worse by the day, I swear!) I also know choice words from the languages of countries I've visted plus Russian and Chinese. I randomly taught myself 1-10 in Italian. I'm a language fiend!

38. Do you do your own dishes?

YES...and UGH! I've never lived in a place that had a dishwasher either, so I don't know any better, but I would love to have one un jour. Seeing them at friends' houses, ca donne envie!

39. What color is your bedroom painted?

Yeller(unfortunately)...bedroom back home is purple which is my fave color. When I grow up, I think I will opt for maybe a medium blue?

40. Have you ever cried in public?

Yep, but not many times. I really try to avoid it when I can. The last time I did was when I was really sick, very fed up and scared about it and complaining to my friend.

41. Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop?

Laptop, which is virus free since Wednesday...yay!

42. Which do you make, wishes or plans?

Living in France means making wishes.

43. Are you always trying to learn new things?

I HEART LEARNING.

44. Do you shower on a daily basis?

Gotta be honest...it really depends. Am I working or not? Am I single or dating someone? Yup, I'm grody.

45. Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos?

I think I'm good for now...I have two in one ear, three in the other, the nose and then a Triskell tattoo on my foot. I am planning on taking out the nose one before I turn 30, though.

46. Do you believe that the guy should pay on the first date?

If he invited, then def yes. If not, I will go splitsies. Money makes me uncomfortable, though.

47. Can you skip rocks?

Don't think so.

48. Have you ever been to Jamaica?

Nope. And I would rather go to Hawaii.

49. What to snack on at the movie theaters?

Popcorn...or my sis, sometimes cousin and I smuggle in Twizzlers or Junior Mints from CVS. Here, I've smuggled in stuff from the candy shop before. I'm cheap, people! I remember one time going to the movies with my best friend with a box of cereal. That was random. We do love cereal, but still, that's kinda weird.

50. Who was your favorite teacher?

My 5th grade teacher. She made learning fun and that's where it all begins, baby!

51. Have you ever dated someone out of your race?

Not so much.

52. What is the weather like?

Summer-like slash fall-like.

53. Would you ever date someone covered in tattoos?

I'm not typically attracted to that, but if I like someone, what's that to stop me?

54. Do you have an online journal?

Here she blows.

55. What was your favorite class in high school?

French...does that surprise you? Also, choir and lunch because that was social time!

56. Do you enjoy traveling via airplanes?

Not so much. I can never sleep very well hence why I should try the sleep meds! But, if I slept through the meal(s) and they skipped me, I would be FURIOUS. So, maybe not, afterall!

57. What personality trait is a must–have in your preferred gender?

I know it's cliche to say, but true for me, HONESTY.

58. Have you ever been attracted to someone physically unattractive?

Hmm, I've had crushes on people that my friends couldn't really get and also have had crushes on people who weren't the standard version of attractive, but they had great personalities. But, I also find people can become more attractive to you over time as you start to fall in love with their personalities.

59. When was the last time you slept on the floor?

Well, I was sleeping on a matelas gonflable for the first week I got here, does that count? Otherwise, right on the floor must have been in college.

60. What is your favorite alcoholic drink?

Yum. Oh, oops, saw alcoholic and went on auto-pilot. Hehe. I like rum, pineapple juice and grenadine. Pina coladas too! I mostly like the sweet ones, but beer holds a special place in my heart as well.

61. Does your closest Starbucks have a drive–thru?

Closest Starbucks? Tear.

62. Do you like your living arrangement?

Yes, I really, really lucked out and I hope our new roomate(whomever s/he is) will be just as awesome!

63. What is your mother’s hometown?

Nova Scotia, Canada. She's a lovely, lovely Canuck!

64. How many hours of sleep do you need to function?

I can manage to function after even a nuit blanche. But, I really need at least 7 or 8. I likes me some sleep.

65. Do you eat breakfast daily?

Normally yes. LOVE CEREAL!

66. What was the last thing to scare you?

Something that I convinced myself sounded like gunshots. I am a scaredy cat and I will really have du mal when the roomie leaves for vaca.

67. Are your days full and fast–paced?

Not in the least, especially these days. I like it like that except in extreme cases where I start to go stir crazy and answer 101 question questionnaires.

68. Did you ever get in trouble for talking in class?

I was really good in class until I got to my AP French class in high school where a bunch of my friends were and we just constantly would chatter away and my teacher once sent me out to "get a drink of water" ie take some time to calm down because we were cracking up.

69. What is your favorite fruit?

Strawberries and pineapples. Hands down.

70. Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages?

Nope.

71. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?

26.

72. Are you picky about spelling and grammar?

Yes, me no likes when peopl dont speaks verry gud, yo.

73. Do you believe in life on other planets?

I think it's possible, but not necessarily what we would consider as life.

74. Have you ever been to Six Flags?

Yes, but to me it will always be Riverside.

75. Who was the last person to piss you off?

It takes a lot to truly piss me off, but a couple "friends"(acquaintances) got my goose this past weekend because they were being very judgmental which I CANNOT stand.

76. Do you believe that God has a gender?

I'm Agnostic, ask me when I figure the whole God thing out.

77. What was the last thing you ate?

Special K with peches and abricots...I did breakfast for lunch!

78. Do you get along better with the same or opposite sex?

I tend to have more friends that are girls, but maaaaan, I miss guy friends! Girls are just so complicated sometimes!

79. What did you dress up as for your first Halloween?

I remember a picture of me as a witch, but I dunno if that was my first one. My mom made me a butterfly costume one year which was pretty awesome of her. I miss Halloween.

80. How did your parents pick your name?

They just liked it. But, my middle name is the same as my aunt's(mom's sis) and pretty common except for they changed one letter.

81. Do you like mustard?

Not really...and I'm not a fan of most condiments either(hate mayo with a passion.) However, my tastes are changing as I age ever so gracefully.

82. What do you tell yourself when times get hard?

Things happen for a reason, this is all meant to be.

83. Would you ever sky dive?

I highly doubt it.

84. Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back?

I usually wake up on my back, but I try all positions until I can get comfortable.

85. What character from a movie most reminds you of yourself?

That's a good question, but I have no idea. Someone who likes France, but loves her friends and family from home and doesn't know what's next, who's that?

86. Have you ever bid for something on ebay?

I certainly have, but not in a long time.

87. Do you enjoy giving hugs?

I love, love, love hugs. I would take them over bises any day.

88. Would you consider yourself to be fashionable?

Not so much. I have neither the money nor the desire to be trendy. I wear things that are comfortable and (most of the time) flattering, but also cute!:)

89. Do you own a digital camera?

Yeppers and thank goodness for it.

90. If someone you had no interest in dating expressed interest in dating you, how would you feel?

I would feel uncomfortable knowing I didn't have the same feelings but I wouldn't know how to tell him.

91. What celebrities have you been compared to?

I remember being told I look like Erika Christensen and in middle school, I was told Jacinda from the Real World. Moreso Erika of the two, but not really either.

92. Who is your favorite Star Wars character?

Don't know Star Wars.

93. Does it annoy you when someone says they’ll call but never do?

Yes, I don't like waiting around or empty promises!

94. What books, if any, have made you cry?

The most recent was Marley&Me when I read it in February. But, I'm an easy cry, so I know there have been many more.

95. Do you think you’re attractive?

I'd like to think so, depends on the day, the hair and the outfit!

96. What are you allergic to?

The pollen that would land on our window sills freshman year of college. That's all I know of.

97. Are you a jealous person?

I can be.

98. What’s your opinion on sex without emotional commitment?

Ask me after this weekend...kidding!

99. Do you ever feel guilty after eating meat?

Well, I don't really eat pork and never beef after reading a book about the conditions of animals raised for meat on huge farms.

100. If you were born the opposite sex, what would your name have been?

My parents don't remember! I dunno, Leo? Hehe.

101. Is it lunch time yet?

Been there, done that.

Sad news

My childhood pet, Abby, was put to sleep this past Friday after a recent discovery of a neurological problem. This was possibly curable but due to her age (14) and her other problems(arthritis, eyesight and hearing), even if she recovered which would be very hard on her, it wasn't likely she would have a great life. My family was forced to make a decision for what was best for her, so the vet came over to our house and put my puppy to sleep. According to my mom, she was asleep the whole time which I am so grateful for because I would have hated for her to be aware(as much as a dog could be) of what was going on and I also think it would have been rough on my family. My poor mom is heartbroken because Abby was really always her dog, her buddy who followed her around everywhere and she depended on my mom just as much as my mom depended on her to always be there.

Though this is not the same feeling as when my aunt passed away earlier this year in May, I still feel I have lost a family member and it still hurts. This has been a tough year and it's times like these that I wish I were back in the states with my family and friends. In a way, I think I had the easy way out not being there to see my dog get progressively worse with age and then in recent times where my dad had to carry her outside to go to the bathroom when she could just not walk around. Also, I wasn't there when the vet came for my own closure as well as to be there for my family. It sure will be weird to go back home in September to a dogless, empty-feeling house. I really think it won't hit me until then. If you never had a childhood pet, I think this concept of a pet as a family member would be pretty hard to understand, but as someone who had a cat at 7 and a dog at 10, boy do I get it. We grew up together. Anyway, so that's my news for now. I included a recent picture of Abby which is one I got from my mom and is not the best to represent her, but it's all I got. Hope all is better in your neck of the woods!

Oops

I forgot to say who I'd love to see give us a taste of their ten things, so here she goes:

Ashlie

Colour Me Crazy

Crystal

Jennie

Sam

Ten reasons why I am a freakshow aka things you probably didn't know about me

I've been seeing a surge of these kind of lists lately on fellow bloggers' sites, so I thought I'd dabble in one myself since I am bored, I mean, ever so dedicated to blogging.

1) In 8th grade, three friends and I came up with a brilliant plan to escape from school. We discovered a window in a bathroom on the lowest level that we could crawl out of(with the help of, ahem, a screwdriver...no, not the drink!) in a bathroom that not many used. So, on the very last day of school at the same prescheduled time at the last class of the day, we all asked to be excused to go to the bathroom from our respective classes and headed to said bathroom. There, one of us played guard at the door and the others diligently worked to unscrew the screws. Well, along the way, we discovered the window was actually jammed and could be pushed open. All that planning and work for nothing! Well, not really, mes amis, we jimmied that sucker open and ran for freedom taking a path by the trees where hardly anyone could see us. I think we ended up going to the center of town to look at the shops there and probably only got out 30 minutes early. But, boy did it feel good at the time to break out of school and run free!

2) I despise mushrooms. With a passion. I call them "dirt of the earth" and they make me want to toss my cookies. I have tried many different kinds and, at this point, refuse to try any more. At restaurants, I order dishes like this: "I'll have the such and such, but without the mushrooms." If you serve me dinner and there are mushrooms in the dish, I will pick out every last one of those little buggers, no matter how small.

3) I suck at directions and dislike driving. For example, to follow a map, I actually have to turn it in the direction I'm headed in order to be able to understand how to go about getting somewhere. If someone gives me directions and they're facing me, I automatically go up next to them and face the same direction because I can't do the opposite thing. I have recently become more adventurous in trying shortcuts and parallel streets, but normally if I know the way to get somewhere, I will always go the same way even if it's the long way. As for driving, it stresses me out to be constantly paying attention and I never feel at ease. I like to be in the car, but as a passenger. Well, that is except for when I feel nauseous on long trips sometimes(I can't read in the car.)

4) I have now lived in six different places. Born in Nova Scotia, Canada where my mom is from, I moved to Connecticut when I was only 1, went to university in Virginia, studied abroad in France, then studied abroad in Spain, then after graduation, moved to Quebec for 6 months. This lady's got some mileage on her!

5) In an awards ceremony at the end of the year in 7th grade, I was the shoe-in to get the French student of the year award. Near the beginning, I received a few different awards in different subjects and was happy enough, but eagerly awaiting my French award. Foreign languages was one of the last categories(probably right before computer class or something) and I could not contain my excitement. And the award goes to....NOT LEAH. What? Shock all around. Ok, I might be exagerrating a tad, but it was def not expected by me or people that knew me. The award actually went to one of my best friends at the time who was decent at French, but not that great. However, the teacher LOVED her. She was one of those teachers that was in on all of the gossip and some students told her about it because she was younger and kinda hip. Well, this girl would gossip with her about her boyfriend and what was going on and the teacher was tickled pink. Anyway, that was the reason she gave her the award and my friend even admitted it. If you can't tell, I am still bitter to this day. I made up for it in 8th grade when I got the French student of the year award and we all know 8th grade awards kick 7th grade awards butts. Not to brag or anything, I also got the French award as well as the foreign language award(as I took French and Spanish) in 12th grade and, well, nothing beats that. Wow, I am cool.

6) My friend and I once taught ourselves all the state capitals in less than an hour after knowing less than 10. It had always bugged me that in elementary school, I never learned the state capitals. Well, I don't remember learning them anyways and I've confirmed with peepz who went to school with me. Anyway, point is, it bothered me. So, one day, hanging around with my friend Kevin, we taught ourselves all 50. I am proud to say I will probably kick some a$$ if challenged to play the state capitals game. By the way, this was senior year in college that I learned them. Haha!

7) I love playing games and I like competing. Scattergories, Monopoly, Guesstures, Pictionary, Cranium, Guess Who, Capitals game, Name a French person, Most likely, Famous people names, Uno, BS, Crazy 8s countdown, Kings, A-hole, Beer Pong, F the Dealer, Nintendo. Anything really as long as it's not sports-related except Mini Golf and Bowling! And, I only like playing games I'm good at ;)

8) Summer is my least favorite season. This is due to one simple fact: I hate being hot and I get hot fairly easily. Franchement, if I'm going to be hot, I want it to be because I am on a tropical island somewhere on vacation. Like in February when I was in Puerto Rico, that was acceptable. However, heat just where I live makes me miserable. I hate being sweaty just from walking around, heat makes me feel lazy, my face gets all red and my hair is everywhere. Also, when I'm hot, I advise you not to touch me. It just is me looking out for your safety because I will immediately wrestle myself free and might elbow you by accident in the process(sorry, to all I've done this to.) Furthermore, I advise you do not BY ANY MEANS point out to me that I'm hot. Saying things like: "you're hot, huh?", "wow, your face is really red", "my word, you sure are sweaty" will NOT make me a happy camper.

9) I have fairly curly hair. Does it run in the family, you ask? NOT AT ALL. Milkman's daughter, anyone? Also, what's weird is that as a young child, I had super curly (I'm talkin ringlety) hair which soon straightened out as I got to elementary school age which happens often. Pretty much the entirety of elementary school and up until 8th grade, I had thick, straight hair. In 8th grade, my hair started off wavy and progressively got curlier as each year passed. When I got to college, my friends pointed out I should try some product in my hair and see what happens. Well, what do you know, I have curly hair!

10) I am a makeup freak. Well, these days I am. In middle school, I wore tons of sparkles, purple mascara and shiny lip gloss. In high school, for whatever reason, I stopped wearing makeup completely. I looked a hot mess. It wasn't until college that I rediscovered my love for makeup and taught myself techniques for how to apply it. My friend just told me the other day I was the one who taught her how to wear makeup, I was actually kind of touched. Funny thing, though, many a friend has asked me to do their makeup and at first I would do it, no questions asked. Nowadays, I explain the discovery I have made over the years. While I would love to do their makeup for them, I'm no good at doing makeup on other people! I hold brushes awkwardly, put on too much bronzer and get lipstick on their teeth. I'm more than happy to give recommendations for products, but don't expect me to do your makeup. As one friend put it after I did her makeup, she looked like a "terrifying porcelain doll."


In other news, the picture in this post is of my dog, Abby. Unfortunately, it's the only picture I have of her on my computer as other pictures of her were taken before I even had a digital camera. As it stands, it looks like my dog back home who is a 14 year old Springer Spaniel is not doing very well at all and we will probably have to put her down. Apparently, my dad has been having to carry her outside so she can go to the bathroom because she isn't able to walk due to some sort of fused circuit in her brain. Very sad. She has been taking medicine to get better and it is possible she could recover from this, but even if she did and it wasn't too hard on her, she has other problems like arthritis, poor eyesight and hearing and we just don't know how great a life she would have. I wish I was there with my family and I don't really think it's fair I'm spared from seeing her in this condition and won't be there to see her go. It really does nothing for closure for me and I can't be there to be with my family for them. This is awful and I know it's a part of life, but I just wish she could just go on her own without us having to make the decision. Growing up sucks and I really don't know if I'm ready to lose another member of my family this year.