(Over)indulgences and (Over)whelmed

To start this off on a tangent, my title reminded me of the movie "10 Things I Hate About You," where the main female character says, "I know you can be underwhelmed, and you can be overwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?" Okay, that's my tangent for the day.

It’s been a while since my last post (for some reason, that sounded like some part of a Catholic confession, though I’ve never done one). Since my “interesting” weekend, I have to admit that I have been both busy and quasi-relaxed (for a couple days).

Last week was Thanksgiving break, the one time of year where gluttony is promoted. Let’s just say that my pants fit a little tighter on Monday morning. Hopefully that is remedied by fewer indulgences in the coming weeks, seeing as I fly to Korea in just 22 days. So I’m going to try to limit my intake of sweets. My brother has the right idea – he allows himself no more than one sweet a day and makes sure he has the right balance of proteins and produce. I never thought I’d say my brother was more committed to healthy eating than I am, but there you go. He was also pretty mad when I joked that he was 10 pounds away from looking like a guy with the build of a “stereotypical gay guy.” Sorry, Cody, but your body fat percentage is really low.

Speaking of my brother, I had a good heart to heart with him on Wednesday(?) night, power walking for two hours with four layers of warmth covering each of us. He wants to be an orthopedic doctor, and it actually sounds like he is looking into it pretty well for only being a sophomore in high school. I am still worried that he has no idea what the concept of money is, either with his money or my parents, but oh well.

I went home on Tuesday evening, greeted by my dog, Snickers, who proceeded to go absolutely crazy when I stepped in the door. His tail wagged so hard that his butt lifted off the floor a little, and my face was covered in wet doggie kisses. He proceeded to be my shadow and nuzzling couch potato for the remainder of my visit. I miss my family when I’m not home, but I really miss that dog.

On Black Friday, we opted for a 9 a.m. drive into town rather than a 3 a.m. drive. That was a lot nicer. We made our rounds, and I came out with the rest of my Christmas shopping done (I am given a “budget” and I have to shop for myself since neither my grandparents or parents know exactly what I want), and my mom got her new 16-place setting white china to replace the china she’d had since my parents’ wedding.

As we have for the last three years, we took a family picture during Thanksgiving break. I’m not very fond of the pictures for this year, but the rest of the family is, so I’ll deal. Family pictures are always an ordeal. They’re stressful and full of bickering; it’s amazing how we all manage to have quasi-natural smiles on our faces during the pictures (but that’s shown to be a fallacy when you look at the outtake pictures).

Now it’s back to the grindstone, with only two weeks before finals. Looking at my to-do list of what needs to be accomplished each day for the next two weeks is daunting. I think I may be making more trips to Caribou Coffee to make myself study and/or complete projects. It’s hard for me to focus while in my apartment – too many potential distractions. Unfortunately, Facebook is still there in Caribou on my laptop. I may have to forego my caffeine limiting to stay up and working.

The ride home and the breakdown

On to part two of the story (from two weekends ago)…

The next morning (last Monday), I woke up early and made my way out to SLU Law campus. To beat the rush hour traffic, I left 20 minutes earlier than I thought I need to in order to get to the law school on time. Little did I know that St. Louis drivers drive much slower and more congested when it rains (probably how Iowans drive when it slightly-to-moderately snows). Thus, I was five minutes late to the law school. They wouldn’t let me sit in on the first class because of it, so I went to their law library and answered a few e-mails in the hour-and-a-half wait until the health law class I was going to sit in on.

When the time came for me to go to the next class, the admissions counselor said that the room she thought the class met in was occupied with another class and that they had no idea where the actual class would be. Instead, I sat in on a Contracts class with a professor who used the word “um” a lot. I never realized quite how much those verbal fillers annoy and detract until specifically that class. They weren’t able to get me into any other health law class, which made me very disappointed since that was the main purpose of my trip. A 1L class is pretty much the same all around the country, but the specialty courses are what set apart certain programs. I left SLU a little less than happy, but I still feel like the overall school is a good fit.

The traffic leaving downtown St. Louis was crazy. There was an accident that took up three out of four lanes during the lunch rush, leaving traffic at nearly a standstill for 20 minutes. All I wanted was an Imo’s pizza (a St. Louis-area specialty) on the way home, and it took forever to get to one because of the accident. I ordered a lunch special 9” mushroom and waited for the tasty goodness.

I was not disappointed. What really sets Imo’s apart are the simple sauce and Provel cheese (a hybrid of provolone and a velveeta-like cheese). It is the only pizza I have found to be just as good (and maybe even better) cold than warm. A good thing, since half of it would be eaten on the ride home.

Driving home was rainy (as the whole trip had been) but not so bad, until I hit Kansas City rush hour traffic. But even that wasn’t as bad as what was to come an hour later.

On I-235 North, all of a sudden, my car began to hum really loud, and the RPMs increased significantly. I slowed down by 15 mph to make sure I wasn’t hydroplaning or something due to all the rain. That didn’t help. Instead, the car started to sputter and stall. I pulled over at the DD exit and pulled onto the exit’s shoulder right as my ’07 Ford Focus gave out. All I could think was FML.

I called up my parents and then the auto club AAA thing. Then I called Ford 24-hour roadside assistance. Neither service knew where I was. It was cold, rainy and traffic-less on this exit in particular. I couldn’t understand how no one would believe that I was off exit DD from I-235 N. A family friend’s relatives lived near Kansas City, so they were out looking for me, too.

By this time, I was being searched for by the Missouri State Patrol, a tow truck service and a family friend. I even called 911 just to find my location, and they couldn’t even locate me on GPS because their system had been hit by lightning a month ago and was yet to be repaired. All I could think was, if 911 can’t find where I am, what if something gravely terrible had happened to me – would I just end up dead?

So I sat there, intercepting calls from my parents, the family friend, the state patrol, the tow truck, the towing service office, the auto club … and I had to turn off my hazard lights, (obviously my heat), headlights and everything but my car cell phone charger just to keep my phone working. I was so cold, since it ended up lightly snowing later that night. I had on open-toed stilettos, leaving my feet freezing. I had on a light fleece jacket, but quickly put on an emergency blanket that offered very little warmth and found a pair of gloves from last winter sitting in my car. I also had to use the restroom, but I was obviously miles from the nearest restroom and the rain was coming down really hard. I didn’t want to get wet and cold at the same time, so I took an empty coffee cup and did what no girl should ever have to do in a car … pee in a cup. So disgusting and demoralizing, even if no one’s watching.

Finally, three and a half hours after my car died, the family friend found me. The state patrolman followed suit about five minutes later. It took the tow truck another 30 or 40 minutes to finally arrive. Cold and tired, I sat in the family friend’s SUV as we followed the tow truck to a Kansas City dealership and turned in the keys. Since I was 75 miles outside Kansas City instead of the 20 miles the auto club and patrol thought I was, my tow service (which only was covered for the first 50 miles) cost me $160. We then drove another 20 minutes to the family friends’ house in Overland Park, KS, where I promptly thanked the family a million times and fell asleep.

The next morning, I found out that my car had some climate control thing break down. It thought I was under sea level, and it shut down my car system. I’d never heard of such a thing, but maybe it was due to the 15 hours of driving in the rain in the past 48 hours that made the sensor system malfunction. It, of course, had to be replaced, but the extended warranty only made me spend $60 instead of the actual $500 cost for repair. Fortunately, they had the part in stock, and I was on my way by noon.

On the way home, it continued to rain. I filled up my tank and got a coffee, then went through the McD’s drive-thru and ate an entire Big N’ Tasty meal in about five minutes. While going through the drive-thru, my still-hot 20-ounce coffee spilled in my lap. I wonder how I get this anti-luck. Driving, I held my breath as I passed mile marker 72, where I had broken down the night before. I made it this time! An hour later, I got really drowsy and pulled off to sleep for a half hour in a Dairy Queen parking lot.

The rest of the drive was just fine, save for being sick of driving and tired. I got home and realized I had forgotten that I had to do PR phone bank calling for two hours and rushed to that. Even more tired after getting home from that, I wrote a few more e-mails, did a little homework and went to bed. In one word, “interesting” is still not a completely accurate word for that weekend.

Toasted ravioli and crazy cat ladies

If any word were to describe my past weekend, “interesting” (note the quotes) would only say the very least. It started with a rush of homework completed on Saturday, followed by a birthday party for Diane with pizza and Watergate (pistachio) cake (which, might I add, was delightful). This is nothing atypical, so let’s move on to the “interesting” part.

I woke up early Sunday morning to head on the road for a six-and-a-half hour drive to St. Louis. In the rush to leave, I forgot to pick up a prescription refill and headed on the road on a very rainy and chilly November morning. With windshield wipers on full throttle nearly the entire drive south and one-lane traffic due to construction while trailing behind semi trucks, my drive was extended by an hour and a half. Fortunately, I had stocked up on extra-caffeinated dark roast coffee (which I hadn’t seen before but found in several of the gas stations) and PowerBars to keep me going from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The first 20-ounce coffee of the morning had the effect of a double espresso combined with a Red Bull (but tasted far better than that combination sounds). I was pumped on the road those first couple of hours, with my iPod blaring out tunes with fast, energized beats. I suppose later, I should have taken the skipping of Mozart’s funeral march as an omen of the rest of my weekend.

Google Maps has failed me twice in the past week. First, on Friday the 13th (yeah, that’s right), I went to take photos of co-workers volunteering for Meals on Wheels at a local nursing home. The mapping service sent me on a totally different path, and two gas stations were even unable to help me find my destination. The second was in St. Louis. Derrick’s parents graciously agreed to let me stay the night in their house prior to visiting SLU Law Monday morning. Their house is off of an exit that has several different variations, and I ended up taking the wrong exit. I made it after speaking with a gas station attendant who knew nothing and talking to Mrs. Langeneckert.

Upon reaching their house, Derrick’s parents and I sat down to chat and have a glass of wine. Clayton, the middle brother, also joined us. We went out to dinner (sans-Clayton) to get what Derrick always boasted about – toasted ravioli. I do admit, I am a fan, and the pasta and salad I had were also very good.

We returned home to lounge with the two family dogs, Blue and Teddy (also lovingly referred to as “Pooper”), and watched DVR’ed shows. The 20/20 show was actually really interesting, talking about relationship abuse and showing Rihanna’s new music video, “Russian Roulette” (she had been a victim of abuse by her boyfriend Chris Brown earlier this year). I must admit, I was disturbed. Example of lyrics: Know that I must must pass this test/So just pull the trigger. Good message to young girls, Rihanna, especially when also taking into consideration her wardrobe choices here and on the cover of her single.

Crazy cat ladies were also a topic on 20/20. One woman had 123 cats in her residence. 123. I cannot stress the shock of such a number. That is crazy. Another lady had upwards of 70 or 80 cats and spent $3,000 on cat food and kitty litter alone. A third woman, who was still fairly young, had 27 cats. She said she had not crossed the threshold from cat lady to crazy cat lady. Also, “don’t worry; I’m not on medication or anything … anymore.” Sweetie, I think the medication was good for you. Really.

I will continue with the second part of my “two-day” trip in my next post. I’ll let you rest your eyes and save them from the strain of over-reading.

Retraction and reactions

First, it has been brought to my attention that I apologize for things I shouldn't, including the length of my last post. In response, I will retract my apology. I needn't make apologies for things that I am going to do anyway. Yes, I realize that I just wrote needn't in a post, but there you have it.

The other night, while perusing Twitter during my study lapses, I came across people reacting to Taylor Swift at the CMAs. So, curiosity for drama versus studying dipsogens left me searching Google Images for what she looked like. The reaction: skeleton. I really hope Hollywood hasn't convinced another girl to waste away for the sake of what people think of her. Taylor, if I've learned anything about body image in the last year, it's that the worth of a woman is not measured in pounds.

Another reaction: the near-death experience of a Drake first-year student. The freshman was hospitalized with a BAC of .500. According to the wise Wikipedia, anything above a .4 brings a significant possibility of death. The kid was taking beer can shots and drinking cups of everclear. So smart. I wonder if his GPA will match his BAC this semester.

This week has been a whirlwind. I finished up my interviews for my honors thesis, which I found out I will be presenting on Dead Day before finals at 9 a.m. Those last two weeks are going to force me into a desire to do nothing for a while. That actually may work in my favor, since I will be going home to celebrate Christmas early then to Korea for 3 weeks of no particular responsibilities. My test on Thursday, I studied for a grand total of two hours, which should have been more like 6+ hours, but I feel that I still did well on the test. I know I at least nailed the biggest chunk of the test - the essays.

Last night, I went to see Rent at the Civic Center with Erin, Randi, Caitlyn and Keri. It was so good to see all the girls, but especially Keri, since I hadn't seen her in a year. I hate losing touch with good friends, so I'm glad we got back in touch. The performance itself was great, even despite the nosebleed seats. I love Rent, most likely my favorite musical. I basically know every word to every song. Even two of the original cast members were in this production, which was even better. Music nerd, I know, but that is just who I am. Haha. No apologies.

For dinner, we were going to try the new sushi bar near campus called 21. However, the main chef had been in an accident, so the waiter told us they had no salads or soups and some rolls. He also knew nothing about what was in any roll other than the ones that listed the ingredients on the menu. We decided that the go-to Chinese restaurant near campus was a much wiser and consistent choice. Well, that and the fact that they actually had food. Not planning on returning to that sushi place.

On another note, every time I turn on my shuffle, I always hear at some point either Mozart's Wedding Procession or Funeral March. What kind of omen is that? I'm not sure, and I'm not really sure I want to know.

Typical and atypical

Again, an apology for the uber-long post. My week thus far has been an equal mix of typical and atypical. Let’s start with the typical:

Danielle is an overachiever: Usually a given and should become a definition entry in either Webster or Urban Dictionary. Example: In my honors thesis research, I got scared that I would not have enough participants and thought I only had 17 sign-up spots for 20 needed interviews. Thus, I added six or seven more spots to bring the total to over 20.

Lo and behold, I already had 20 interviews set up, and the additional spots brought me to 28 interviews, with all spots filled up and all of them likely to show up (if they sign up and don’t show, they lose two points from their score instead of gaining them). So, that’s an additional 4 hours of recording, 4+ hours of transcribing for me to do. While I appreciate the extra data, which will strengthen my conclusion, it’s adding more time commitment to my already stacked schedule. Conclusion: Without even trying, I must be innately an overachiever.

Danielle stresses: This is about as elemental to me as the inhalation of oxygen. Example: Presentations this week and increasing speed on other endeavors has my cortisol on hyperdrive. My feedback system must not be very well adapted to my environment. Thus, my behavioral endocrinology term paper will be on the effects of stress on immunosuppression, seen in research on healing of open wounds on nurse and med students during exam times.

Danielle eats sugar: My sweet tooth is basically the name of my right bicuspid and all additional molars. In essence, I eat way too many sweets. The combination of Halloween, candy corn and chocolate, among other things with sweet carbohydrates, has been terrible for me lately. Worse yet, I have no time to visit the gym, so I eat without burning – a deadly wardrobe combination. Today has proven to be no exception: it is departmental food day at work, which inevitably means mass consumption of all things sugary, glazed and terrible for you.

On to the atypical:

Danielle is tired: Sleep deprivation is usually a state that I am well-accustomed to. It’s just like the stress listed above – the same analogy applies. However, I have been getting tired this past three days or so to the point where I have to go to sleep by 10 or 10:30 at the latest and am still tired when my alarm clock wakes me. Not sure why. Maybe it’s my body finally telling me enough is enough.

I just feel like a lame two-year-old who has an early bedtime, when most college students are up well beyond 11 p.m. every night. What college student goes to sleep at 10 p.m.? (Well, maybe the kind who gets up at 5 a.m. three or four days a week.) Nevertheless, I take back my discontent of napping in preschool – give me a naptime mat followed by milk time any day.

Danielle has plans to be less of an overachiever: Okay, this is usually something I always say I will do, then never end up doing it. I’ll decrease some of my commitments, but inevitably find something else that takes their place. I think I’ve done this all my life; I must just love being busy. I can’t sleep in past 10 almost ever, and I can’t sit while someone else is doing something and I’m not. (Example: Derrick cooking for me. Yeah, it’s hard just sitting there watching and talking. I usually have to have a task to keep me occupied.)

Anyway, I actually plan on taking on less things this next semester, discontinuing my participation in some things and lowering my class load and difficulty on two of my four courses. For the first time in my life, I think I may “coast” through two classes. Hopefully. That’s the operative word here.

Danielle has been referencing herself in the third person all throughout this post: Yes, I am aware that this is very weird, especially while thinking about it as I write the end of this post. It’s like that girl in middle school I knew named “Jazzi,” who always referenced herself in third person, no matter what. Maybe I will refrain from this in future posts. I’m weird enough as it is.

Disney princesses and Daylight Savings Time

Well, after a weekend of Halloween festivities, I am back in the swing of things. First, a recap of the weekend. On Friday evening, I went to a friend’s house, where there was a small gathering of people and not too rowdy (which is fine by me). I even met up with my friend Laura (dressed as Lara Croft), who I hadn’t seen in a while. Erin went as a witch, and I went as a showgirl/cabaret girl, complete with sequin bowtie/vest bodysuit, fishnet tights, black stilettos, white gloves, a cane, and a doll-sized top hat. Yes, I even wore a BumpIt thing to make my hair more outrageous and Amy Winehouse-esque.

Saturday night was the TKE Halloween party, nostalgically called “Washing Machine” (I have climbed into their dryer before just for giggles). Erin went as Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus, and it was pretty awesome, complete with glow-in-the-dark planets and stars and a messy bun I helped pin up. I went as a “generic Disney Princess,” with a light turquoise dress, a tiara, jewels, white bow high heels, white gloves and a glow-in-the-dark star wand. This party was really fun as well, including some of my friends, who went as the characters from Clue, Confucius, the Parker Brothers Monopoly monocle guy and “Derrick when he comes out of the closet” (such a funny costume, Dave).

So, back to real life. One thing I don’t amalgamate to well is the “fall back” part of Daylight Savings Time. It was nice that I drove to work this morning at 6:45 in less than complete darkness, but that 5 a.m. alarm felt a lot like 4 a.m. instead. A few extra snooze buttons later, I got ready for work and for my presentation I have in my PR Publicity class today. Big, important presentation that I have worked my butt off for; unfortunately, I still have two more of those to do this semester in PR alone. Dressing up does help your attitude and confidence, though, no matter what people may tell you. I’d actually feel more comfortable talking to a group in heels and a suit than sneakers and sweats. I suppose it’s like Halloween: if I could dress up every day, I totally would.

On a positive note, I found out late last night that my thesis research has been approved, so I will be beginning interviews this Thursday and posting the sign-up this afternoon. This is a great relief, as now I will be able to hopefully complete my research, thesis and presentation by December. I just hope that at least 15 Intro to Psych students (my research participants) sign up for it to get extra credit points.

I also registered for next semester classes this morning and got into all of them without any snags, which is another great relief. I’m hoping for a great next semester, and with all of these other things out of the way in a couple months, I’ll be ready for it.

Jaded and Juicy Campus

So, I will first apologize for my long post. (Side note: I found a Facebook bumper sticker the other day that said “I’m the kind of girl who walks into chairs and apologizes.”) The last couple of days have been particularly trying for me. I have just not been in a good mood at all and am very lethargic and jaded. Stress has piled up, and as a result, I have taken a few statements too seriously and overanalyzed things to the point where they just exacerbated the stress. Hopefully my two days of rest and social time will help my lackluster emotional state right now.

After my rude awakening on Wednesday, I must sadly report that my schedule did not allow for a nap, and I opted instead to go to sleep at 10:45. This additional lapse in REM sleep time probably didn't help my current mood. Also, my rant regarding Glee was inaccurate – the show actually airs on Wednesday, not Tuesday nights, and thus, it was not aired the night before. Unfortunately, Glee skipped a week, so Wednesday evening did not showcase an episode, either. Wrong night, still a disappointment.

Late on Wednesday, I found out it was National Chocolate Day, I must say it was bittersweet ... for real. I was tempted to go buy a supersize extra dark chocolate bar and ravenously consume it. I fortunately resisted an entire bar of cocoa temptation and settled for a few smaller piece, or else my pants will begin resist my hips.

Speaking of sugar, my high fructose corn syrup addiction has not been aided by the surplus of Halloween candy and baked goods in my face. Of course, this equated to yet another sugar binge, with way too many cookies, bars chocolates and candy corn for one girl’s diet. These spurts should stop or be minimized soon (see above comment re: National Chocolate Day and pants).

A side note here: while typing this, I definitely just swallowed part of my apple core, including a seed. I hope a tree doesn’t grow in my stomach like some version of “the old lady who swallowed a fly.” Then again, I’d constantly be satiated with apples, which I eat at least one of every day. That is today’s attempt at glass half empty/half full optimism/pessimism for today. (Side note: interesting optimism/pessimism application of biopsychology.)

Wednesday night, I also had a group meeting for a PR presentation that will occur Monday. One of my classmates told me that she never talked to me really before we started working on our publicity plan because she didn’t want to “piss me off.” She told me I seemed high-strung and anxious. Funny, considering Juicy Campus, in its heyday last year, said I was “too nice” of a person. But I suppose my high-strung nature is certainly true. Apparently, my personality doesn’t need a Myers-Briggs to show that I live under pressure and often on a mental tightrope.

On a positive note, I received a notification that I had contingent IRB approved, save for a few changes that needed to be made and resent for final full approval. I completed that last night and sent it in, so hopefully I hear back soon. I also redid my resume for my law school applications, and I think it’s very ascetically-pleasing and well-composed.

A rude awakening and Rent

At 4:15 a.m., my body decided it no longer wanted to sleep. I growled, partly because the sun wasn’t even up yet but mostly because I didn’t go to sleep until 11:30 last night (which isn’t that late), leaving me with less than five hours of shut eye. A nap may have to be in order this afternoon if I am going to be productive past my PR class today.

On a positive note, I am going to see Rent when it comes to the Des Moines Civic Center on November 12! It’s quite possibly my all-time favorite musical, and two of the original Broadway cast members are actually in this production, so that should be awesome! The tickets are pretty much nosebleed, but that was about all that was left without paying three times as much for tickets. I am going with Erin, Caitlyn, Randi and my best friend from high school, Kerianne. She actually introduced me to Rent and its amazing soundtrack six or seven years ago. This should be exciting :)

Speaking of music, I was very sad to see that my new guilty pleasure show, Glee, did not have a new episode this week. It’s a show based on a glee club and reminds me an awful lot of a much smaller version of my middle school and high school show choir days. (There’s also a lot less glitter, eyeliner, sequins and Aquanet in this show, but that’s not of interest here.)

I no longer have cable TV (or any TV reception at all) due to poor customer service and faulty advertising by Mediacom, and so I am only able to watch my shows at least one day after they air online. When you’re already showered up at 4:40 a.m. and are aware that your show normally airs the night before, a little happiness helps your early morning thinking that you can watch the 22-odd minutes of video while eating a bagel and letting your hair dry. Such was not the case this morning, and I resulted to actually being productive by going through e-mails.

On the e-mail note, I had to e-mail the Institutional Review Board for the second time, since it’s been nearly three and a half weeks since I submitted my proposal. I received an e-mail that they were reviewing it and would send me a letter regarding the waiting process, but that was never received by neither my inbox nor my mailbox.

I would really like to see that coming along soon so that I can start my research, which will require a minimum of ten hours in interview rooms at Olin Hall and another ten hours to transcribe the interviews. I then have to evaluate the results and include them in my honors thesis presentation, due approximately two weeks before finals (basically the week after Thanksgiving).

Retreat and Rock Band

Oy, vey. Migraines that go on for longer than 24 hours are unwanted and overstay their welcome by around 24 hours. I battled one all day yesterday and was feeling better shortly before bed. However, my 5:00 a.m. alarm woke me into a half-strength migraine recurrence, which I am currently fighting off with more Ibuprofen and caffeine.

Saturday evening, I went to a Corporate Communications and Marketing team retreat at a coworker’s home in Granger, a 30-minute drive in dark rain. The evening was actually really enjoyable. I ate more snack food than was reasonable, had my first pina colada, conversed for a few hours and played Beatles Rock Band, which, I must say, is awesome! (Can I convince my family to buy one for when I come home for Christmas to play?) I played all three parts throughout the night, and did fairly well in all three. Of course, singing I did best in, then the drums (which made my thigh hurt from a semi-awkward bass drum pedal) and then the guitar (I got a B-grade performance on “easy”). It reminded me of the Beatles honors course I took my sophomore year at Drake, which was by far one of my most enjoyable in my undergrad. We also watched scary movies in the background when we weren’t playing Rock Band.

Prior to the retreat, I spoke on Skype with Derrick, which was nice since I hadn’t “seen” him in a week or so. Hard to believe it’s only 57 days until I board a plane.

This coming Saturday should be enjoyable as well. Why? It’s Halloween, one of my favorite holidays!! I suppose I love Halloween because I love dressing up or even taking on a new persona for a time. This must have been one reason I loved show choir, speech and theatre so much when I was in high school – you were someone else for 10 minutes, 25 minutes, or even two hours at a time. It was great. In any case, I look forward to getting all dressed up, which will happen both Friday and Saturday night, since I have two costumes and can’t pick between the two.

Now for the week before Halloween – copious amounts of work needs to get done in the next five days. I need to go buy some caffeine and carbonation today so that I am able to be productive and alive in what will be even shorter-than-normal Danielle sleep nights.

Super-multitask and social media

Alright, after reading my last post, I realized that I have ADD-esque typing today. I had already spilled coffee on myself twice before 8 a.m. – nice job, Danielle. Thinking about it, even my coffee choice is ADD, as in not your normal latte or black roast: ¾ coffee, ¼ hot chocolate, three sweeteners, ¼ packet of powdered creamer and stir. Instead of my Disney princess and showgirl costumes for Halloween in a week and a half, maybe I should change them to “sexy girl in straight jacket” (yes, it is a legit costume).

One good thing about being a spaz sometimes is the ability to super-multitask. I can be doing 20 things at once. When I’m on the Internet, I never have just one tab or screen open. Usually two or three windows are minimized and the current open window has five or more tabs that I’m actively using. To some people, the word “tangent” is a mathematical term; for me, it means “any conversation with Danielle.” Maybe I should add that into Urban Dictionary. Honestly, multitasking is really useful when you can be on IM, Twitter, Facebook, TFLN, PeopleofWalmart and e-mail while also eating leftovers and doing your homework. A drawback: sometimes you go total space cadet on real life and don’t focus on it. That’s a word to the wise who don’t want to accidentally not listen to people; I know from experience.

Speaking of Twitter, I have currently been assigned to create the new Twitter background for GuideOne, who is launching their social media applications in the next couple months (I believe). It’s really cool to see your work in real life; whether it’s on Twitter, in a newsletter, on a bulletin board or even as a sticker on trash cans. Seeing it in practical use makes the work more real and more rewarding, even if an article is, in the end, bylined by someone else. Plus, I like Adobe Photoshop and InDesign; they let me add creativity into sometimes routine work. Probably why I decided to volunteer for the design work of a brochure, media kit, sponsor packet and letterhead for out PR Publicity client, the Des Moines Derby Dames (D3). (tangent alert: Derby names are hilarious – check out the Name Generator).

Fall Break and Freudian slips

Fall Break came and went … way too fast. The extra two days seemed to not make a dent in my schedule. I wish Fall Break were longer, or at least extended by another two days. Like I’ve said before, 36 hour days would not be a downfall for me, so long as my circadian rhythm was set to those hours, too.

While I was unable to go home for the weekend because I had work all day Friday and Monday morning, I did still allow myself some time to relax a little. I caught up on a couple of shows and even started watching the first season of a show I’d never watched before, Arrested Development. I think it’s pretty hilarious. I much refer it to reality TV, which is just too out there for me anymore. Old reality TV was entertaining in that you could say, “yeah, I might do that,” or that it was one of those things where you were legitimately happy it was the cast suffering these situations compared to you sitting on your couch with a sack of potato chips. Now, OctoMom and Bubble Boy and other superhero names are attributed to less-than-superhero-esque people (yes, I make up words, deal with it). It’s sad, and I’d prefer a little more reality and a little less crazy.

It is now officially slightly less than nine weeks before I am in Ulsan. It’s crazy to think about that. I am so excited that I can hardly wait. In fact, since the second half of a semester is usually more scrambled and hurried than the first, I would like to fast forward through finals until I can go home and see my family and then head to the airport.

Last night, Erin, Diane and I went to the comedy night at House of Bricks again. I may actually get up there and do something next time; it may not be funny, but I’m a girl, I can get away with it ;) The comedians were really pretty good this time. One guy had a joke about being in a dollar store and looking at the dollar pregnancy tests. Believe me people, they’re real; I’ve seen them. Honestly!? (side note: “!?” is an interrobang, which I found out last night; the grammar freak in me didn’t know that one) When the real deal costs you a good $8 or so (or at least they did when I worked at pharmacies), you might want to be a skeptic. This isn’t choosing between Charmin and generic; sure one may chafe and one doesn’t, but I think knowing if your eggo is preggo or not is a little more important. It’s like selling $1 Plan B, it’s just not a good idea. I don’t think I’d ever trust one of those, should I ever need to use one in the distant future. If people need a cheap pregnancy test, go to Planned Parenthood. Don’t play roulette with your uterus. … and that’s my public service announcement for today (another side note: I first typed “pubic service announcement” – Freudian slip, anyone?).

Settling with the score and seasonal sugar

One score and 27 hours ago, I was informed via e-mail of my LSAT score from the test I took three weeks ago. The score was within my range, and it places me in the 75th percentile of those who took the test. While, of course, I would love a higher score, this puts me in a good position for law school applications. Hello, SLU :) I honestly don't think I could've handled having to take that thing again in December, especially with finals, my honors thesis presentation and Korea all around the same time. So, that's good.

Since Wednesday, I have been on sugar consumption overload. That night, I attended the Delta Theta Phi Pre-law Professional Evening I planned as academic chair of the organization. Sodexo knows how to make rice krispies, and they are my downfall. I had a couple ... er, three ... of those suckers. The last couple of days have been also occupied with a halloween candy trail mix I made. And my dinner tonight had plenty, too.

Tonight, Emily Krueger was in town, and she invited me to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner with some family members. Eating so much sugar, I really wanted some leafy greens, so I decided to order a salad. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to the Luau Salad ... I about freaked out when I saw the size of this thing. Now I know why everything in the U.S. is jumbo-sized, even our "healthy" options. It was soooo good, with wonton strips, mango, chicken, veggies ... yum. And of course, no trip to the Cheesecake Factory is complete without a piece of cheesecake! My selection was the seasonal favorite - pumpkin cheesecake. It was amazing; the aftertaste was almost better than the actual taste ... Goodbye, skinny day jeans.

In sickness and in sweats

This weekend, to say the least, was exhausting (which is sad because I didn’t get a lot done).

After work Friday, I went to the doctor. I received a prescription to help with my respiratory infection, and was sternly instructed by the nurse, the doctor and the pharmacist to refrain from alcoholic consumption for the next 10 days. The reason: it would basically make me get violently ill after one sip. Okay, guys, you convinced me.

They always say you always want what you can’t have. I’m here to tell you it’s true. Though I am 21, I rarely feel in the mood to consume alcohol just randomly. However, with my stress and sickly feeling, I really wanted a glass of wine with my dinner Saturday night. No dice. Also, I always, always crave Tasty Tacos on Sundays, at which time they are closed. Without fail, my stomach told me a late dinner of Tasty Tacos sounded amazing even earlier than normal at 10:10 p.m. on Saturday (they close at 10). Again, no dice.

However, I got an amazing, god-sent gift from Claire Celsi, who brought me both my letters of recommendation for law school and homemade chicken noodle soup (delicious, especially with the unsalted saltines I bought Friday – and yes, I bought unsalted ones, I know I’m weird).

Overall, my weekend was shot. I spent about 80 percent of my time in my bed, either sleeping, trying to sleep, resting, trying to focus or working on the computer. In addition, I used up an entire box of Kleenex – I should buy stock in that. Like healthcare lawyers, tissues will always be in demand, so long as the human condition remains mortal.

I took an online exam yesterday for my medical terminology course, and halfway through, I completely had a random surge of nervous adrenaline, which made it very hard to get through the remaining half hour of the exam. To illustrate my condition, I felt like George of the Jungle when he consumed an entire can of non-brewed generic coffee grounds. But I completed it and am fairly confident in an “A” grade.

After dozens of Sudafed tablets, ibuprofen tablets and tissues, I feel quite a bit better today. Hopefully this all clears up soon.

P.S. - nothing is more comfortable than men's sweatshirts. (And yes, I'm wearing one now).

A Mayan experience and meat

Wednesday was a good night. Erin and I went to go hear Maya Angelou speak at the Bucksbaum Lecture. She was able to project humor and seriousness at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed her frail yet fiesty demeanor, especially when she read this poem:

The Health-Food Diner

No sprouted wheat and soya shoots
And
Brussels in a cake,
Carrot straw and spinach raw,
(Today, I need a steak).

Not thick brown rice and rice pilaw
Or mushrooms creamed
on toast,
Turnips mashed and parsnips hashed,
(I'm dreaming of a roast).

Health-food folks around the world
Are thinned by
anxious zeal,
They look for help in seafood kelp
(I count on breaded veal).

No smoking signs, raw mustard greens,
Zucchini by the
ton,
Uncooked kale and bodies frail
Are sure to make me
run

to

Loins of pork and chicken thighs
And
standing rib, so prime,
Pork chops brown and fresh ground round
(I crave them all the time).

Irish stews and boiled corned beef
and hot
dogs by the scores,
or any place that saves a space
For smoking carnivores.


-- Maya Angelou

Oh, what a woman, and a St. Louis woman at that!

A bad day and a better day

A healthy dose of optimism. That’s what I need. Is what the doctor ordered half-empty or half-full in my medicine cup?

Needless to say, Monday was a less-than-ideal day. One might even call it “crappy.” I discovered that my last boss at Costco Pharmacy, who was going to write me a law school letter of recommendation, contracted H1N1 and was unable to write me a letter. With my hope of submitting applications before November 1, this posed a great challenge to find another person willing and able to write a letter in the next two weeks.

I also received an e-mail from Travelocity telling me that my flight in December would be altered to cause me to have a nearly-16-hour layover in New York, during which time I would also have to transfer from LaGuardia to JFK (or the reverse, I can’t recall). Now this is ridiculous. Thus, I called up Travelocity, and in a two hour three-way call between myself, the agent and a Delta Airlines agent, my flight was cancelled and I was rerouted to a schedule that would require I spend the night in an airport for 14+ hour layovers and/or spend the night in Seoul alone. Not exactly what I wanted to hear.

Fortunately, my Tuesday proved to be a better day and helped partially negate the problems from the day before. One of my favorite professors, whom I have taken four classes with, agreed to complete my letter of recommendation within two weeks. So grateful! Additionally, after an hour of searching on the Delta Web site, I called up the agent from Delta again and was able, after another hour and a half on the phone, a flight that had only two layovers, which were each less than three hours long, and I would land closer to Ulsan, where Derrick is staying.

Alas, a tension/sinus migraine flared up last night and almost immobilized me before work this morning. After some fountain Sierra Mist and caffeinated coffee TLC, I was able to ward most of it away. However, I began to have a dry (though not sore) throat last evening and into today. Let’s hope that’s nothing to worry about, considering that the entire Polk County only has 1,000 vaccinations to go around, and I am not one of the target publics (baby/child, sickly, elderly or pregnant) to receive one. I am also wary of flu shots because the last one I got in high school caused me to sit in a chair covered in Vicks Vaporub just to breathe and living on Pedialyte and Jell-O, a.k.a walking pneumonia (though I was stationary for a week). Well, now it’s time to down my Vitamin C tablets and drink OJ – and stress less since that weakens your immune system, too.

P.S. – My post title reminds me of the Animaniacs short “Good Idea/Bad Idea” with the mime. Loved that.

Lande and law school

In dealing with those who are undergoing suffering, if you feel burnout setting in, if you feel demoralized and exhausted, it is best, for the sake of everyone, for you to restore yourself. The point is to have a long-term perspective.

I always knew the Dalai Lama was wise.

That is why, despite a hearty serving of business in my life, I took a day and a half off of work, homework, blogging, email, Facebook, Twitter and anything else technology related. Instead, I went home Thursday evening to surprise my dad on his birthday and go out to dinner with the family. I think he was pleasantly surprised, and it was nice to be home, even if only for about 10 hours, since I had not been home since the end of spring semester.

The next morning, I got up at 5 a.m., got ready and drove to Iowa City to visit the University of Iowa Law School. John Lande, or just "Lande", was kind enough to take me in for the day and let me sit in on a class. Upon parking, I accidentally missed the law school and walked all the way past the U of I Hospital and medical research buildings, clear on the other side of the graduate campus. It was cold and rainy, and sans-umbrella and high heels made for an interesting trek to the law school.

After Lande's Crim Pro (criminal procedures) class, we then went out for lunch at The Vine and a meeting for AA (Appellate Advocacy) and then to see four 3L students argue a case in front of the Iowa Supreme Court justices. It was a really good learning experience, and I give props to those four students who were able to brave what one of the justices later joked as "questioning almost to near law student abuse."

Later on in the evening, we went to a reception dinner at one of the law professor's homes. The food was obviously great (catered), and I took my plate and sat down at a table. Who would sit down next to me other than Iowa Supreme Court Justice Hecht. Wow! He made small talk with me for a good chunk of the dinner; you certainly don't talk about living in a small town in Northern Iowa with a supreme court justice every day, so this was a good experience. Afterward, Lande showed me some of Iowa City's night life, which I enjoyed (I also liked that we went to a graduate bar, not one densely populated with undergrads with fake IDs). Following a couple drinks, we grabbed some delicious walking tacos and a cab ride home to sleep.

It was a full day, but I really enjoyed it. Now, I am back in Des Moines and have to face the reality of work and school and homework again. I think it finally hit me how hard law school is going to be. Certainly, I didn't think it would be a cake walk by any means, but it will be intense. This is why I need to find ways to relax and destress in times of burnout and overload before next fall begins. "The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. -Aristotle"

Confidence and kindness

It’s tomorrow.

Yesterday, that sentence scared me beyond belief, actually to the point of tears.

Today, my mindset has changed. Goodbye, Kleenex. Goodbye, hypersecretion of glucocorticoids. Hello, LSAT.

I had been so scared of the test that I was starting to doubt myself. My last practice test didn’t go over as well as I’d have hoped, but thanks to the support of family and friends, my confidence is renewed. Tomorrow is another day, and I am prepared.

Prepared – what a word! I didn’t take a prep course, just practice books and Saturdays spent at the library with a timer. But I prepared well, I think. There comes a point when preparation is all you can do, and there’s no more preparation to be done.

Here are two quotes that I love (and I love quotes):

Confidence is preparation. Everything else is beyond your control. – Richard Kline

One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation. – Arthur Ashe

I am confident. I am prepared. I am ready.

Why let a ScanTron scare you from success? It’s just paper, bubbles, and charcoal-colored remnants of a No. 2 wooden pencil. I am no less of a person if my score is lower than expected. I am intelligent and confident, combined with preparation, to follow through.

The support of family and friends has been so great. Derrick, I couldn't have made it through yesterday without your reassurance. You're amazing. The one word you have described me is "determined," and with that determination I will do this. Erin, I couldn't have asked for a better roommate to put up with my griping and for taking away my prep books last night so I wasn't tempted. Mom and Dad, thank you for your support from your calls, texts and emails from yesterday and today.

I also got some advice from a UNI student who took his LSAT in June and shined on test day: "On test morning just look at yourself in the mirror and say, 'I'm the baddest mother @#%$^& in the world and I'm going to rock this test.' You've done the work now its time to go fill in some circles and get the score you deserve." For the record, I will do that in the mirror at 6 a.m.

SLU law, here I come.

The American Non-Idle and Post-Its

The reason my blog has been absent this week is due to the fact that my schedule has been intense. Unfortunately, that is not expected to change for at least the next 10 days.

There’s a quotation from Thomas Jefferson that states: "Determine never to be idle … It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing." To be blunt with myself, I take this quote far too seriously most days.

Almost every day these past few weeks – and especially this past week – my planner has taken a beating. Not only is every centimeter of writable space been filled for each calendar day, but I have also resorted to adding at least one (sometimes two or three) post-it notes with additional to-dos, appointments and assignments. Simply put: these high heels have been running feverishly lately.

Tonight, I am running errands quickly before meeting Caitlyn to do a 35-minute practice LSAT section. After that, I am finalizing some things for the Delta Theta Phi pre-law fraternity’s Professional Evening next month, which I plan as academic chair. Then, it’s off to Erin’s 21st birthday dinner, which will include some tasty Mexican food (but I am not enjoying a margarita or Cuervo shot due to tomorrow). Saturday (the reason my Friday night will not be in the 21st-esque manner) I am headed to Ames early in the morning for a Kaplan-proctored practice LSAT – the last full-length practice test I will take before the real one on the following Saturday. I have a Delt post-rush BBQ to help with as soon as I get back, and then a TKE post-rush party that I am excited to attend. P.S. – the above events are just a foretaste of the next 10 days or so.

Whew! I hate to seem like I’m rambling or complaining – and looking back at what I just wrote, it seems like I am – so I will sit back, take a chill pill and hopefully be a calmer girl after my real LSAT.

Dumpsters and Victoria's Not-So-Secret

I forgot to inform you of the wonderful Friday morning I had prior to the Britney concert. I decided to be a good girl and take out the trash before heading off to work. Upon throwing the two bags into the dumpster next to my apartment complex, I realized my apartment key had gone along with them ... to the very bottom of this nasty, stinky, sticky dumpster. Reaching for them did no good; standing on my tiptoes and catching my armpit on the rim of the dumpster was also a failed attempt. I had to, in stilettos and dress clothes, climb into this dumpster, which had condensation all over it from the early morning dew. To accomplish this task, I had to hobble onto a wooden sawhorse that was about to fall apart and climb in. Disgusting beyond words. I was glad I put on perfume five minutes earlier to mask whatever smells I picked up in there; I also had no time to change before heading off to work, so with a damp tissue I quasi-cleaned my shirt and took the layer of grime off of the soles of my stilettos.

There is more from that day prior to Britney as well. After work, I drove to Dahl's to pick up a few groceries. On my way back, I saw a black, lacy thong sitting in the middle of the 31st Street entrance ramp. All I could wonder was who takes a walk of shame down the intersection of the interstate and 31st Street? It remains a mystery, and reminds me of the blue Victoria's Secret "sexy little things" line thong that appeared a few days earlier just off the lawn of my apartment complex. Victoria - I think you need to work better on that secret of yours.

On Saturday, I took a practice LSAT logic games section with Caitlyn and missed zero questions! Pretty exciting. And the LSAT I took yesterday in the library was in my range again. I am taking a Kaplan-proctored practice exam on Saturday with the hopes of this final prep test to reflect a similar pattern in scores. Only 12 days from now, I will be taking my exam ... oh, my goodness!

Free tickets and a fantastic freak show

I went to the Britney Spears “Circus” Tour show at Wells Fargo Arena last night. Even though my friend, Joanna, got me free tickets, I would have gladly paid $50 or even more for the entertainment I received. The opening act was Jordin Sparks, who has a very good set of pipes. I really enjoyed that she used her backup singers in role-playing throughout her set. Then, the 22-minute wait for the circus began. And let me tell you, it was worth the wait.

The main event started with an actual circus show, complete with about 15 minutes of nunchuk-swinging ninjas to amazing feats of strength to a girl performing unbelievable jumps on a moving/bending balance beam to a legless woman showing her fantastic skills on a trampoline. Then, the hour and a half of Britney started. No one cared that she was obviously lip-synching; the entertainment factor she brought through dancing, wardrobe, etc. well made up for it. I want all of her bodysuits, which were lingerie-inspired. The set was amazing – full of plush chaise lounges, 10-foot-tall picture frames, cages and so much more. She was even put in a magic box where blades are put through her body while in the middle of a song.

The interims when Ms. Spears changed allowed more circus acts and highlights of her dancers. The dancing itself was very promiscuous, enough that I was wondering why there was a 10-year-old girl sitting two seats down from me and not being forced to leave by her mother. It was clothed sex on stage, basically, at some points, but the overall impact of the show was amazing. I danced and danced and sang to her songs. She even did a cover of Alanis' "You Outta Know," which was surprisingly well done.

I honestly thought I was going there to see the train wreck that would ensue at Britney’s expense, but I can also honestly say that this concert was among the best that I have ever been to. It was a freak show, but in an amazing sort of way.

Brahms and Britney

In the last couple of days, amidst the chaotic lifestyle I lead, I have come to find that I really miss back when I used to sing arias and classical/foreign pieces. I lived for those things in high school, taking lessons on a weekly basis and performing in shows and honor choirs and competing in contests. I hope that someday, I am able to sing those kinds of pieces again. It's far too late for me to join any Drake choir (and I am far too busy to do so at this time), and the karaoke bar is no place for Mozart, Brahms or even Phantom of the Opera. I'm not saying that the occasional renditions of "Bohemian Rhapsody" or "I Don't Care" aren't fun, but I love the traditional music, back when people wore corsets and powdered wigs. Maybe I'm weird. Maybe. And just maybe when I'm older I can find a venue or venture in which such vocalizations are appropriate. Until then, I will stick with singing to myself or to popular songs everyone else sings to.

Tomorrow after my internship, I am going to the Britney Spears "Circus" concert at Wells Fargo Arena. I can't wait to see the crazy people there and the inevitable, yet thoroughly entertaining, train wreck that is the pop princess. Thanks, Joanna, for the free ticket!

As of two days ago, I am "depriving" myself of Twitter for a week to monitor how I feel about it through a deprivation study for my PR research class. Funny how I miss pieces of technology when I can't have them. I suppose it's a weeklong quasi-version of Lent. I am glad, however, that I gave up Twitter and not pepper or artificial sweetener - I would have already broken my study several times over if that were the case.

Jackie O and a busy week

On Sunday night, I went to a "Dead Celebrity" party near campus. Yes, this is a little morbid for a party, but just think of the costume possibilities of such a party ... Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole, Michael Jackson, Billie Mays ... so many great ideas. After debating between two celebrities, I settled on Jackie Onassis Kennedy (Jackie O). It was so fun dressing up in big sunglasses, a pill box hat, a cream sheath dress, pearls, flipped out hair, a Chanel wallet ... you get the idea. Erin went as Janice Joplin (perfect for her), Randi as Grace Kelly, Diane as Lucille Ball and Linda as Audrey Hepburn.

So many great costumes were there besides ours, including Anna Nicole, James Dean, Mr. Rogers, Kurt Cobain, Carmen Miranda, Tupac, Judy Garland. Someone even went as "Ashlee Simpson's career" ... haha. Really a very enjoyable night. I even won the costume contest, receiving a random "Bon Apetit" poster and bragging rights as the prize.

Earlier that day, I took another practice LSAT, and I'm hoping that these scores continue to be high all the way through the real deal on September 26 - less than three weeks away!!

So many other things to get done this week, including finalizing my IRB proposal, an honors thesis form, getting letters of recommendation in motion, my law school personal statement, work, quizzes and an upcoming exam, amongst meetings and pre-rush events for several organizations I am an executive member of. Why can't Labor Day weekend be just a couple days longer? That would be fantastic.

Chili and clothing

Shopping is tiresome (but fun). Let me tell you. I woke up this morning at 8 a.m. with the intention of getting a new driver's license that was horizontal and represented my being 21. Little did I know the DOT is closed for Labor Day weekend, so no dice on the ID. Instead, I did a little lounging before going over to the TKE house to eat chili and better-than-sex cake (I don't think the name is appropriate for the cake). The chili was spicy, but so good that I finished two bowls and a small piece of the cake (it's good, but almost too rich of cake for me).

After our bellies were full, Erin, Diane and I went shopping. Diane really wanted to find a dress. Amidst the racks of the first store, I found a Halloween costume - a Disney princess dress that is actually really pretty. That whole "college-girls-must-dress-slutty-for-Halloween" rule won't really apply to me this year. I like the idea of being sexy but not slutty. It's classier.

By the time we made it to Jordan Creek, my feet were killing me from some flat shoes - go figure. So I went and bought a pair of super cute cheap heels to walk around in for the duration of our excursion. Funny how those heels were more comfortable than flats with Dr. Scholls inserts. Must be a sign I need to continue wearing stilettos ... such a burden ...

Erin and I enjoyed playing personal dresser for Diane as we perused the racks for some pretty dresses. As we waited for her to change into each one, we also enjoyed critiquing and commenting on the gaggles of high school girls buying their homecoming dresses. Apparently the style this year is neon colors with animal print and sparkles ... it's an 80's safari on drugs. Not always the best looking. But Diane looked great in several dresses and did purchase one.

After 6 hours in stores, I was a little lightheaded, so we grabbed some caffeine (I got a whole 54 ounces of it) and went back to eat at home. Exhaustion from shopping, oh boy.

Hypnotism and heffalumps

Today was the final day of GuideOne's Charitable Giving Campaign. My manager, who headed up the communications and planning for the event, was gone for the holiday weekend. Thus, I took charge to arrange for the hypnotist to come in and perform at Noon in the cafeteria. The top ten voted managers/supervisors were to be hypnotized, but only seven came up to the stage. The hypnotist wanted an even number, and when no one stepped up out of the entire audience of a couple hundred people to volunteer, I went up and took a seat.

Never being hypnotized before, I was unsure how this would be. But I will do my best to recap my 45 minute hypnotic experience.

• When told to relax/sleep, instead of just relaxing, I bent over in my chair like a rag doll.
• While being "on a plane," the sight I saw outside near Hawaii was none other than a whale - Shamu to be exact.
• On that same plane, we came upon a nude beach. I apparently covered my mouth, grimaced, covered my eyes and turned bright red.
• While riding a Harley from the airport, I was pulled over. My excuse was that I "had a llama in Hawaii, and it was going to have a baby, and I saw Shamu, and I saw this really appalling nude beach that I had to get away from." I was also riding the Harley with my right foot slightly up in the air, as if there was a second gas pedal there (in addition to using the handle throttle).
• Money was raining on me. To get as much as possible, I was shoving it in my pockets, but also in my hair, my cleavage and my mouth. Go me.
• On the beach, we were given a creature. Mine was a baby heffalump, a tiny elephant with wings and was fuzzy. (Just for reference, other given answers were cat and crab).
• I sipped drinks whenever they were offered on the plane, at the beach, and apparently always held them so that they would not spill, even when bending to get something from under my chair. I even offered some to my baby heffalump, who enjoyed the beverage.
• I am apparently an excellent imaginary surfer.
• I was told to tell someone that they were a "bad putty tat" and sit down and lick my hands while wearing cat ears. I did that twice.

All in all, I'd say it was a pretty interesting experience, one that I would try again. The session was taped, so if I get that video, I will be sure to edit this post to have a link to it.

Protestors and poultry

Today, while walking to my PR Publicity class, I noticed PETA protestors outside the McDonald's restaurant on 31st and Forest. They were holding signs that said "McCruelty" and featured pictures of scalded and mutilated chicks and chickens from hatcheries and chicken production plants. One of the girls was sitting in a vat of Hawaiian Punch (yes, I asked) and covered in it, representing a dead, scalded, bleeding chicken.

Yesterday, I found a tweet on Twitter that gave the link to a video of a hatchery inhumanely treating chicks in Iowa. The video was not put out by PETA but by Mercy for Animals; PETA supports the video all the same. It was just a coincidence that that video was released yesterday, but PETA had already arranged to protest in Des Moines today anyway.

Being the persuasive PR students we are, my class convinced our professor that this would be a great opportunity to get in on a live PR event. We went down to the McDonald's and spoke with a lot of the people involved. The store manager would not comment on the situation, just saying that they came in shortly before protesting to say that they were doing so. He took a fellow classmate's information and McDonald's did call him back. Max Maher sent me the transcription of the McDonald's representative, which you can read at the bottom of this post.

At the counter, I heard a worker yell out an order ready for three McChickens. I pounced (not really) over to the young man who took the paper bag of sandwiches and asked him about his purchase. He said that he wasn't even hungry, that seeing the protests made him want to buy the McChickens, so he did. His two friends followed suit. Another gentleman, who had entered the side door and not seen the protestors, said that while he was eating a chicken sandwich, he would not have been swayed to change his decision to eat that sandwich.

Going outside, we spoke with the coordinator of the protest, a girl named Kristina. She discussed the more humane ways of killing the chickens, a process called "CAS," which the burger chain has adopted in Europe and most recently in Canada but not in the U.S. "CAS" is also known as "controlled-atmosphere killing" and is a painless gassing method to kill the birds. While she said it is cheaper for McDonald's in the long-run, one must also take into consideration the costs to the slaughterhouses and hatcheries and the possible rise in chicken prices. Being the country's largest seller of chicken products, McD's is likely to see that as a definite drawback. However, the American Humane Certified said that CAS is not conclusively a humane method of poultry slaughter. Poultry were excluded from the Humane Slaughter Act.

I like being humane to animals, but I'm sorry, no vegetarianism or veganism for me. I eat Boca burgers and tofu, but I like my sirloin steak, Thanksgiving turkey and the occasional 2 a.m. McChicken. And I will continue to do so.

This is the response Max received from McDonald's regarding PETA:

"We appreciate the chance to correct the inaccuracies of PETA's campaign, and to outline the facts about McDonald's animal welfare practices. McDonald's expects humane treatment of animals by our suppliers in every part of the world where we do business.

McDonald's requires our food suppliers to do the right thing - for animals, for humans, and for the environment. Our goal has always been to lead the industry by bringing about improvements in animal welfare including rigorous, ongoing audits of our suppliers' facilities. McDonald's works with leading independent animal welfare experts and makes decisions based upon science to promote continuous improvement in animal welfare as part of our broader sustainable supply chain initiatives.

McDonald's continues to support our chicken suppliers' use of both controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS) and electrical stunning. There is no conclusive scientific consensus that one practice is better than the other, however, we recognize that in either method, good management practices are critical.

It is also important to note that in the U.S., there are no large-scale chicken producers that currently use the CAS method, therefore demands to purchase chickens from this method to meet McDonald's supply needs are not viable."

The ticket and the passport

Two weeks ago, I booked my flight to South Korea to visit Derrick, a guy I have been seeing for about nine months. I will leave from the Des Moines airport in the afternoon on Wednesday, Dec. 23, and get into Seoul at 5:15 a.m. on Christmas Day. I am very excited, as I have never left the country before and am ready for an adventure. I miss him so much, and we have kept in close contact since his departure a month ago ... today marks a full month since I have physically seen Derrick. He is going to plan a lot of fun stuff for us to do when he has the holiday weekend and New Year's weekend off from work, teaching conversational English at a Hagwon in Ulsan, Korea. I won't be back in Des Moines until the 16th of January, leaving a full three weeks for me to explore the country with him. He is even planning a small trip to Japan to see the sights, possibly for New Year's.

The only drawbacks (besides the expensive ticket) are the layovers; one going to Seoul for 11 hours and changing airports in New York, and one in Atlanta for 8 hours on the way home. The jet lag could be fierce, too, but the red eye flight from New York will allow me to sleep, which will be nice.

Another good thing is that I am expecting my passport any day now, after getting an email from the U.S. Government today that it has been finished and is on its way! Now I have the tools needed to make this trip and future trips across seas.

My parents have expressed concern in my leaving the country, but I am hopeful that they will support me in my choice and be glad knowing that I have many ways to keep in contact with them and that I am safe and taken care of, with well-prepared plans, for when I am in Korea.

I am so excited for this trip! I am so excited to do something new and different, which I would like to experience. I don't want to look back 50 years from now and wonder why I didn't travel when I had the freedom to do so. Now, I have started.

The LSAT and the LBD

Yesterday was a pretty good day. I scored ten points higher on my practice LSAT than the previous Saturday, which I hope continues! That would be amazing for me and law school financial aid ... as law school is crazily expensive. There are only three more weeks of practice tests until the real one ... oh, boy. I also went shopping and found the most perfect little black dress (LBD) that I would wear everywhere I like it so much:) They are classic - every girl should have one. I also bought other feminine things that are otherwise impossible for me to find.

The evening before, I went to the iCubs game. The skybox seats were fantastic - the view of the field was really incredible! I had some great conversations, drank half a beer and was able to catch up with Joanna, who had previously been studying abroad in London. There were fireworks at the end as well, which were actually about 3 times better than those I saw on the Fourth of July.

Today it is back to homework. I have some medical terminology chapters to read and two quizzes to take online. Of course, study/reading breaks are always needed. Maybe I'll even get around to doing my laundry if I can find enough quarters lying around. Another note ... bagels are really tasty, especially with cream cheese, lemon and capers. Yum.