HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Belatedly.

Welcome 2010!

New Year's was the first super-fun one I've had in a while. John and I went to Em's and Bri and Drea and Nickles were there, awesomely. It was low-key and dorky--we played Apples-to-Apples (Drea and I tied for the win with ten cards each)--and made fun of how Dick Clark is a corpse. (Am I right?) And J. Lo's HORRIFIC (Whore-iffic?) outfit! D:

Either way, John and I got to celebrate New Year's together (his first kiss on New Year's, woo!) with people that I really love and care about and do not see NEARLY enough (hint hint).

We had a lovely visit with Joey V. a few days back. Three mimosas for me, one for John, and a vodka martini (dirty) for Joey. But it didn't take nearly that amount of alcohol for Joey and I to get catty about high school people. :D We're fun.

Lauren is headed back to Athens, Ohio and Ohio University today--she could not be more excited. Six weeks in Sewickley is not exactly Lauren's favorite thing. She met John this week, and seemed to jive with him just fine (naturally)! (Although I did get one punch in the face)

John and I drive back to New Jersey on the 6th--we're meeting with Brandon today, and hopefully grabbing lunch with Em, Drea, etc. before we leave!

OMG HOW COULD I FORGET LUKE AND JESS GOT ENGAGED WOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

ANYWAY, Betsy called me yesterday. We had discussed the idea of me spending the summer with her at Mercersburg Academy (in PA, near State College) as a videographer while she photographed. Honestly, I'd forgotten all about it and was pretty set on trying for internships, etc. This opportunity is good money, however, and I really don't need that much experience. I'm thinking about it.

(I'd need to find a way to get iMovie onto my PC. The fact that I only need to know iMovie makes me far more qualified than I would EVER be in the true videography world.)

Hope you're all having a wonderful break! :D Two and a half weeks until my LAST semester begins! EESH!

Love,

-A.

Two days in a row?! Insanity!

I guess I'm just making up for the slacking I've done lately. Besides, I haven't said much about Florence/Italy ITSELF. So, I'm going to do what I call an "Emily Post", and observe what's going on AROUND me, as opposed to what is just going on WITH me.

Italians have a very interesting taste. They dress fabulously well, usually in black. They are trendy as all-get-out, to a fault, even. (Puffy coats with elastic belts? EEK!) Every female here wears boots--it was one of the first things I bought besides food, firstly because they were cheap (I may have mentioned the January sales before), and secondly because Florence seems to have every style of shoe I ADORE. They also like blondes. At least the men do. :P Ask Morgan about the encounter she had her first week here, where a guy blatantly felt her ass up in the street.

The Italians practice what they call "Bella Figura". Have I mentioned it here? I forget. Basically, the objective is to look as good as you can before you walk out the door. Why the eff hasn't America gotten on that?! As a result, I LIKE to think I look more cleaned up than usual--I actually put on makeup 90% of the time now, and I try and make the effort to look aloof and bitchy. Hey, it seems to work for the Italians! I've barely been cat-called!

They also have a few obsessions: Marilyn Monroe and A Clockwork Orange. I swear, you see that shit EVERYWHERE. They pay a few respects to my girl Audrey, as well, but not nearly as much as Marilyn (typical! :P). And kebab. There's a place on every corner! This is great for my mouth, but bad for my wallet. (That's what she said.)

As for dislikes, I think that can be summed up in one big one: Traffic laws. I swear to God, the only rule is "Don't hit anyone". And the unspoken one is, "Be as big of an impatient tool as possible, too." Graar.

So, yeah! So far, that's my observation. Limited, I know, but you're reading the blog of a girl who hasn't even been inside the Uffizi for longer than an hour. And I live across the street. :/ I'm a shameful human being.

In other news, my mushroom soup went over VERY well last night! It was a little too salty, but I can fix that! I'm definitely making it for all of us when I come home! What do you guys think? My mushroom soup, and Em can make those little molten cakes of DELICIOUSNESS. Bri? Drea? Ab-Fab? Any input? Tasty bread? Salad?

The rest of my day is going to be pretty boring and slacker-y. I got about 2/3 of the way into my first little figurine (I changed my mind about the paper cutouts for now, but I'm not forgetting about them) and then, I think I changed my mind AGAIN and might do cute, tiny watercolors with my chubby little character running around and getting overwhelmed and gossiping and basically doing everything I do. :P

Did I tell you guys about my latest critique with Kevin, the MICA students supervisor? I told him I was interested in injecting more humor into my work--I feel like so many art kids take themselves SO SERIOUSLY. At that, he got really weirdly smug and "oh-yes-I-know-all-about-you" and was like "Yes, you do have that crooked smile." Do I? Really? I think he's thinking of the face I make when I'm trying not to laugh at him. I think he says shit like that because I hit the nail on the head with him in our first meeting and pointed out his caffeine jitters and mismatched socks.

Directly after this, he told me a horrifying story about a boy he was in 4th grade with who slit his wrists (and survived), due to bullying. #1: FOURTH GRADE. #2: KEVIN, WTF? DISTURBING.

Sidenote: I love my Facebook 'Favorite Quotes' section. I have a fantastic sense of humor, you know that? :P

I'm going to call my mom in the next half hour, and she's going to be all cute and engaged, and I feel a little bad to have to bring the hammer down on that in any way, but I NEED to get some solid info on the finances so I won't get beaten by the SACI:NY lady! She's out for blood, I swear.

On a lighter note, apparently Betsy and Jen (you remember, my MICA roommates from last semester) were not shy in asking Robin how far we've gone! He told them the (modest, ungraphic) truth--which is fine by me, I'm just surprised they were so forward about asking! Jen maybe, but Betsy was apparently the one who asked! Funny, and it makes me miss them. :)

Okay, I'm out. Love you guys! I'll update soon.

-A.

ETA: Just got off the phone with Mom, and we settled on a game plan for the SACI housing bill. She's really, really excited about her and Robert (of course!), and she told me that KJ is constantly playing his guitar and drums, that his grades are great, and he's taking up track and tennis! His play opens this weekend--I wish I could be there to see it! Man, he's going to be 14 soon. It seems like he's taking forever to age, but I know he'll be a man before I know it!

Let me let you in on an excerpt from an e-mail he sent after I asked him to assist me with the SACI bill: "As you well know, money is tight all over for most folks and last minute surprises are more difficult to handle. Lisa and I have always been happy to do what we can and I hope you understand that. This is frustrating for me because you're my daughter, I love you and I don't want this to create a hardship for you. I wish I could just pay it but that's not possible."

Logical, realistic and completely understandable.

But wait, what's that I hear? DAD BOUGHT A 2-SEATER CONVERTIBLE. SRSLY.

Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for focusing on the important expenses. For real.

But you've all heard me complain about this a million times. :P

Wooooooooo!

My visa arrived! Hooray!

Whew. Thank God.

Also, I'm home! I'm sure that you've heard. :)

And I have quite a bit of Christmas shopping to do today, so I'll update soon! :D

Love,
A


8:27 pm:

Okay! I shopped with Emily and Bessala today and it was lovely! Took care of Lauren's, KJ's, and Sam's (Dad's stepdaughter) gifts:

Lauren: The Dark Knight and Now and Then DVDs.
KJ: Drum sticks for his new DRUM SET that he will shit his pants for but my mom and sister will go nuts from.
Sam: Two GG-licious headbands and some cute bow clips.
Mom: Lauren and I went in on a facial/massage.
Dad: Us kids are going in on a digital camera.
Robin: Ah-ah-ah! He actually reads this thing. :P ;)
You four!: Ditto, but you'll like them, I hope!

So far, Lisa (Dad's wife) is not yet taken care of. :/ Ooops. But hopefully Starbucks will be open and I can get her a card to go with Lauren's Penguin Bookshop card for her.

Because I didn't update yesterday, let me recap! Emily and I were invited to brunch by Robin at Sam and Jessie's with a few other friends. It was awesome to see them so soon, and I was thrilled to be able to introduce Em to Robin and the others. The food was also DELICIOUS.

Apparently, one of the other guests, Zander (who I met this summer and who Em went to SA with), asked Robin what's up with us, and I admit, I suspected that Zander was sniffing around me already, since he and his girlfriend just broke up, and he's been texting me, etc. But basically, I think he was disappointed to see that I wasn't single. Although, Zander isn't really the guy for me, although he is cute and nice and well-dressed and all that. :)

For Ab-Fab:

Robin and his brother intended to interview Andrew WK on CMU radio, and he called in and everything, but he was acting really weird and the calls got dropped a few times, and while I don't know how the interview ended, I think it was a disappointment for Robin and Alex. Sorry guys! :( But either way, I'm sure you'd want to know, Ab. Hope Ohio was fun! :D

Also, my grandparents, who are generously footing the bill for me this year so I can go to Italy, called me tonight with some abrupt news that they want to take out and co-sign a loan with me for the next semester instead of paying up front like they did this semester. If that's what they want to do, then I guess that's that, but the fact taht they bring it up literally TWO WEEKS from my departure date and IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHRISTMAS RUSH was giving me a heart attack a little worrisome. Okay, we'll see how it pans out.

Okay, time to finish up some gifts!

Love!
A

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving with your families, friends, food, and football. I'm so thankful for the four of you:

Em: Even though you're outside of the US, I expect you to find some canned cranberries to put on a turkey sandwich today! Love you and I can't wait to see you!

Drea: I know being back here in Sewickley stirs up a lot of unpleasant feelings, but I hope that your time with your mom and siblings (and hopefully your dad) reassures you that you'll be fine, and you're doing great and have so much to be thankful for. :)

Ab-Fab: Hope this weekend's trip to Warren, OH will be action-packed and exciting! :P I know Greg's mom will adore you--say hi and happy birthday for me! Muah!

Bri: I know you're home and I'll hopefully see you before I go back to Maryland. Spending time with your family is always fun, and either way, you make fun times wherever you go! Have a great Thanksgiving. :D

I will be at my Mom's parents' place in a few hours, wishing I were with all of you instead! :P I watched the annual fox hunt take off from my dad's ex-stepmother's farm this morning, which was nice. (I saw Maureen Megan, who cut off all of her hair and now looks like a very hipster-y lesbian.)

Love you all!

-Alyssa

Loving. Living. Small.

Number One: Dan Wolf is now Facebook Official with Katie Campbell. Is that her name? Anyway, Abby if you know anything about her, please-oh-please dig the dirt. :) I am in no way interested in getting anywhere near Dan Wolf's lips anytime soon, but I AM interested to see her deal, because he told me he's already brooding about breaking up, because (this sounds familiar) none of them have time for each other/affection is waning. If he can't keep a relationship going while they go to the SAME SCHOOL, I had no chance. Although that shows that he made way more of an effort with me, which is flattering.

Number Two: I tried to update my status with something funny, but it was replaced when I hit the button with "Alyssa is everything I wish for will never come true." WEIRD. It turns out it was the girl's status who updated right before me, so there was some glitch or something, but it was still strange.

Number Three: Jen is a butt. She has three modes: "Betsy, I need you/r sympathy because Dylan is an asshole." "Betsy, you're a bitch for hanging out with Ryan." and "Betsy, we're friends again because now I get to hang out with Ryan." Damn that girl!

Number Four: I'm going to see Twilight with Bess, because Lauren didn't like it enough to pay for it again. I'm looking forward to this, though, because Bess is a longer-time/more rabid fan. and it should be fun and hilarious. :)

Number Five: Thanksgiving is this week. HOORAY! I get to see most of you! Is Bri coming home, by the way? Love you guys!

Number Six: I sang (not that well) and Robin gave a hilarious Donatello X performance last night at Coffeehouse. (Donatello X is a beat poet--he's super sexy and stylish [he wears all black and a beret and sunglasses] and his poetry [such as The Blind Watchdog or Incandescent Delight] is swoon-worthy). He was so cute. :D

(We barely freaking hide it anymore. We were all touching last night while Marla's back was turned. Well, of course, we were sure her back WAS turned, but she was in the same room for goodness' sake.)

Number Seven: I fell asleep on my couch last night, woke up at 4:30ish and went to bed, woke up at 8:45, and was running late for my nine AM shift. I thought I was ready, but when I glanced in the mirror, I had eyeliner and mascara smeared ALL OVER my face--a combination of falling asleep with it on, and the tears my eyes made because they were so dry from sleeping with contacts in. AWESOME. But now I am clean and cute again. :)

Number Eight: No new Gossip Girl tonight. :(

Okay, I have to write a paper. Muah. Love you!

xoxo,
Alyssa

P.S. What I want my life to look like: http://lovinglivingsmall.blogspot.com/

Election '08

I know you all voted--at least, I'm pretty sure. Ab? Bri? And I DEFINITELY know we didn't always agree. No matter the outcome, I love you guys and have only the utmost respect for you.

(But if Obama does win I'll still cry and be glad I'll be in Italy when he's inaugurated.)

But seriously. You guys are awesome people, and I love you so much! :)

I hope you all voted, and I'll talk to you when we have a new president elect.

xo,
Alyssa

P.S. Gossip Girl, anyone? Amazing? Blair/Chuck win and Jenny is a moron? Anyone? :P

Personal Letters.

To Drea--

I'm so sorry about Nick. I know we both knew you guys wouldn't get married, but it's still so disappointing to see that structure you've built up for almost four years collapse so unceremoniously.

I would have hoped that Nick would have more respect for you, and a willingness to, if not work harder, let you down more gracefully than this. For someone who seems to be so even, his whims and emotions get the better of him sometimes.

You were in love for a long time, and I can't imagine how much this sucks. But you know you'll always have us.

To Emily--

I'm so excited for you to head off to England and have a blast and meet new people and make new friends (but not make TOO good of friends and forget us :P). You deserve it and I can't wait to hear your stories!

I'm ESPECIALLY excited for you to spend your break with me in Italy! Hopefully, by the time your break rolls around, I'll have gotten the hang of Florence and my routine. :) And we can go woo some Italian men. For you, of course, if you haven't found a cute and charming Oxfordian by then. :P

To our awesome upcoming spring! Cheers!

To Ab-Fab--

Despite whatever conflict arises, I'm really glad you're with Greg, and have had the chance to feel what it's like to be cherished. You're completely cherishable, and I hope you know that that's the way it should always be, not just "the best it could be".

You're awesome and we want you to take care of yourself! Love you!

To Bri--

Where are yoooooou?! You should get out of the wilderness for an hour to blog and let us all in on your adventures. Bear Grylls would be jealous. :P Either way, meet some brawny ski instructor while you're at it. :D You're so lovely and smart and funny, and it would be nice to hear from you more often!

Love you guys!

-Alyssa

P.S. I totally told Hot!Ryan he was hot last night, and I wasn't even embarrassed! I rule. :P

P.P.S. Oh, and I never mentioned that Lacie defriended me on Facebook, did I?

First Grave Shift of the Year.

So, here I am at the Commons, for my first grave since last semester. I took a caffeine pill and I'm ready to roll!

It's good to be back, I reconnected with Melissa and everyone, and when classes start I'll be seeing even MORE people and that excites me--heck, I even like getting to see the new freshmen!

My room is looking fab--I set up my bed frame today, so I feel very talented in carpentry right now. Go me. :) I'll have to take some pictures soon.

But, even though I've been getting back into the MICA swing of things, I'm totally jonesing for you guys ('You guys' being Em, Bri, AbFab and Drea, for those extras who read the blog, not that I don't love you too!)! I just wish we'd had more time to pal around--I only saw Bri for a day! But, I'll see you all soon enough, I hope! (VISITVISITVISIT<---my subliminal message to you.)

As some of you may have seen in my note, my classes for this semester are thus:

Monday: Native American Art (For now.)
Tuesday: 19th Century French Art
Wednesday: Intro to Ceramics
Thursday: Illustration Concepts and Short Fiction Workshop
Friday: Day off! :)

I'm looking forward to starting my classes--I feel like I'm struggling to remain occupied!

Ooh, 12:34 am. Make a wish! That this year will be fruitful and successful. Is that the same thing? OH WELL.

Anyway, I'm sure I'll be wishing I was unoccupied after a few weeks of classes. :P When that time comes, just remind me what I'm doing here! :D

You guys need to update me more about what you're doing! I feel like my word are dropping into the Internet Void. Gimme something to work with! :P

Miss you and love you dearly,
Alyssa

Hooray for things to do!

Emily is home! And since we've already spent, like, 15 of the 36 hours she's been home and awake together, we are doing the logical thing and spending all day together again today. :)

It is SO nice to have someone [sane] to hang out with.

Drea will be home in two days, I hear Bri will be back for a couple days at the end of the month, and hopefully Ab-Fab, you can find some time to come down and hang out with us soon. We miss you!

Saw Lacie briefly on Sunday--it was awkward, and she got that dreadful Monroe piercing I advised against.

Short entry, but it's only been a couple days, so, not much to report.

Muah!

Love, Alyssa

Panic.

I just had a fist of panic clench my heart. It's what happens every time I think about money and rent and school.

I still haven't paid my remaining installment for the Spring '08 semester (although I expect my mom is in the midst of taking care of that), and I only have about six hundred dollars saved so far this summer. It's already July seventh. I haven't been working nearly as hard as I should be. Last summer I had two jobs and made upwards of three thousand dollars and I STILL didn't cover a year of rent.

Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.

WHEW. Exhale. I've got to take this as it comes. I let myself get overwhelmed. Dammit.

Dear God, help me to have the work ethic and the opportunity to take care of these finances for MICA and rent (especially rent), and if, for some reason, that's not your will, give me the strength to accept that I may have to face a serious struggle, even if it may not be what I want to do (obviously).

God, I wish you guys (Drea, Em, Bri, Abby) were here. (You should probably know that at this point 'you guys' means you four.)

Hey, kiddos.

I don't have much time before work, but I wanted to get in some blogging before I leave.

Well, work is going really well--I really enjoy it and I like the people I work with (mostly)--unfortunately, there aren't enough hours for me, so I'm getting another job soon. I have to keep a lookout in the next few days for places I might be able to apply.

Only one more month of rent to be paid on my old place! :D Then I'm done with that crap, and I can ceremoniously delete my landlord and my super from my phone. Hooray!

Speaking of school, I got a phone call from my friend Paul Capetola the other night (you met him, Em). It was SO good to talk to him. I missed him, and my other friends from school. I feel more in-the-loop when I talk to them.

In relation to my last entry--that's (mostly) sorted out, although a related problem has surfaced that we're dealing with. Right now is just about protecting and taking care of this person for the time being. But, I know it will turn out alright.

Went to my cousin's grad party last night, and I met my eldest cousin's tres hot friend Mike. But it was only half way through the night that I was told he had a girlfriend. Dammit. :P

I miss you guys! ['You guys' being Drea and Emily and Bri and Abby.] I'm all alone now! Which is okay because it leaves me more time to work, I guess, but it would be nice if we were together. BUT, I bet you guys are having a good time and/or getting things done, so it's okay for now. But, we're pretty much spending everyday together when you guys get back.

I'm just sayin'. :P

Well, I have to go, but I'll post again soon. :)

--Alyssa