New Blog Title

I was recently looking through blogs I've found on Pinterest and I decided I needed to change the name of mine. While its title "Coin Conscious" made sense to people who know well my love of finding free money on the ground, it seemed like it could come across that my blog was the type which gave advice on penny pinching and useful ways to save your money, so I changed it to something a little more accurate to the things I write about, not that I write about libraries, but I certainly spend enough time in them! Just today I became the mayor (foursquare) of my favorite one at school :)

Sorry for the uneventful post, but I thought my few followers should know why this new blog was popping up in their lists :)

<3

An addition to the last post....

Once again, I found Pooh in a very strange spot this morning, but it kind of made my day.

Pooh squished between the wall and the bed, under my blankie

Hope everyone has a nice day :)

Poor Pooh...

My bed at college seems to expel things from it. My topper is always sliding off, pillows slide through the cracks, I wake up in between the wall and the bed (no joke), so I thought I would post a couple of pictures of where I have found my lovely little pooh bear stuffed animal.

Hanging on for dear life to the "top" of my bed rail

Found sitting among the cans at the end of my bed

I don't know what it is, but finding him in a new "tight" spot makes me laugh everytime :)

Update and Thanksgiving

I know it's been a while since I've posted, so I wanted to do a quick catch-up blog and post some pictures.

Today I finished my last two tests before getting to return home to Anchorage for a week long Thanksgiving day break, woohoo! I am so excited to go home to my sister's baby shower and the holiday feel! The holidays just don't feel the same when you're away from family in a snow-less state. A couple weekends ago Carlo and I made the journey to Wal Mart and did pick up some holiday decorations- which have been nice in the past stressful weeks. I also wanted to share a picture of the delightful little squirrel/s I get to see everyday! Pullman is a wonderland for little woodland animals, and I am always seeing bunnies and squirrels and chirping birds all over. A good "squirrel-watching" location is right on the steps to and from my dorm, so I get to enjoy them all the time. It always amazes me how squirrels are so curious and how their tiny bodies can scamper around so much. Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends!

Carlo is ready for some turkey!

I am ready for Christmas!

A squirrel I met on the way home

My New Obsession...

ENGLISH MUFFINS

So delicious. The first pic is just toasted english muffins with butter and strawberry jam, and the bottom two are of the "pizza muffins" I made today. It was my sister's recipe (not a hard one to follow) you just prep the english muffins with pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings, and then bake in the oven at 350 for about 7 minutes. Instant yum!

Pizza Perfection

Lately Carlo and I have been on a little bit of a pizza craze, and instead of ordering from our College's dining hall, which has cheap, but incredibly plastic pizzas, we decided to order from one of the other places in little Pullman. We found the enticing name "Pizza Perfection."

We  looked at their website online, found the deals page, and ordered  the "Pizza and Side" deal for about $17 (total with tax and delivery fee) a 16" pizza, with two 24 oz soft drinks and your choice of breadsticks. 

They told us 45 minutes.

20 minutes later we get the call to come down.

Awaiting us is a friendly (not creepy) delivery guy with 2 drinks, a large pizza, and a huge bag of breadsticks.

We were in love.

We have now ordered from them many times and they are consistently fast, great tasting pizzas with wonderful service. 

So, if you live in Pullman and need a break from the regular pricey Pizza Hut, try Pizza Perfection (I recommend getting ham and pineapple pizza with the cheesy bread sticks- delish!)

Downtown Pullman

Yesterday Carlo and I were feeling a little bit adventurous (plus he had something he wanted to buy) so we decided to go downtown.
At first we were going to bike, but then Carlo had a better idea of just walking there. Which worked out better seeing as you can't ride your bikes on the sidewalk downtown and we aren't cool enough to ride on the street.
Plus it was much more like a date, and less like running an errand.
So we took some pictures along to way to document our little trip.

Pretty red bush :)

Bunny we saw hanging out under a picnic table on the walk there

The cafe we stopped at for a coffee- looks shabby but was lovely inside.

Mocha frappe and velvet cake- best cake ever

Carlo with the goods 

We had to stop and grab some pork springrolls for dinner! Yum!

It took us two years to finally walk around downtown but we still loved it. 

One more thing

I'm dreaming about..... Michael Buble singing "You belong to me" .... and the Holidays :)

Autumn Daybook

Outside my window... there is a team/group of (drunk?) frisbee players shouting at each other on the playfield. It's also almost midnight here, so the dark adds a certain mystery to the voices.

I am thinking... that I cannot wait until the trees start to change and fall comes.

I am thankful... that my sister's baby is healthy, for two sweet nephews, for parents that love me, for a boy who puts up with all my crap, and for a resilient fish. 

From the learning rooms... I am learning things about monkeys and their ancestors I thought no one should care about. I am learning the secrets behind how things are put together inside us, and how those things are put together and react. 

In the kitchen... I made a successful batch of no-bakes this morning! A significant feat which required multiple trips up and down the hallway balancing pans and ingredients. Dorms really make you appreciate having kitchens and food in the same place. 

I am wearing... a mismatched outfit of blue running shorts, purple top, bare feet, and my new bose headphones :)

I am creating...a universe for my fishy

I am going...to finish my lab tonight.

I am wondering...how this week will go. 

I am reading... Dance of Dragons. Honestly, I  love the series, but don't start reading it if you don't want a very graphic story. The author is thorough in his representation of the lifestyles of the characters in the books and does not leave anything out! Gotta love it though. I will soon be reading People of Darkness for my anthropology class, which I am excited about! Plus it will be nice to have an actual book to read, instead of electronic. 

I am hoping... that I will start to feel better with this new medication :( It is not sitting well with my poor body. 

I am looking forward to...Rugby next week. We are going to be (finally) starting contact for the year with the new girls, yay for no braces and new mouth-guards!

I am hearing... "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry, a sad song but I love it. 

Around the house... It is cluttered! Who knew that getting a bigger room all to myself meant that it'd feel so messy! And it's not just me ;) I just feel as though I haven't really made the time to put everything in it's right place, my pictures aren't even up yet!

I am pondering... why I am not in Firenze, like my lucky friend Elika.

One of my favorite things... is to wash dishes with my headphones on. So soothing and peaceful. 

A few plans for the rest of the week: Tomorrow: pick up some things at WalMart including a new passport picture, complete my chemistry lab and make notecards :( The rest of the week involves: waking up, eating, class, eating, rugby, shower, bed. Pretty much every day. 

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

The No Bake cookies I made (well whats left of them!)

The credit for this goes to The Simple Woman's Daybook!

Philippines Food Night!

Tonight Carlo and I fried up the rest of the Tapa we made together.
If you are confused as to what "Tapa" is- it's a Filipino food, beef strips marinated in garlic, soy sauce, sugar and other stuff (if you want to make it HERE is the recipe we used)
Five months ago I had no clue what Tapa even was, but after spring break Carlo's mom sent us home with some that were frozen so that all we had to do was fry it up when we got here. Well, I loved it. Loved it! So we finished off the stuff she sent us and proceeded to ask her for the recipe so that we could attempt it ourselves.
We went to Wal Mart this last weekend and picked up all the ingredients, then came home and made a HUGE batch (if that's the right word.) It's a bit (ok a LOT) different than Flor's, but still delicious! And tonight's was very yummy! So maybe by the time I need to, I will be able to successfully cook Filipino food! I'm learning anyways- I'm learning :)

So happy and hungry and ready to eat!

The overall meal- Egg + Rice + Tapa = Delicious/Tapsilog!

A close-up :P

So if your mouth wasn't watering from the description, hopefully these pictures helped! 

I am so thankful for everything, and tonight was one of those nights that really made me realize what a lucky girl I am.

xoxo

Rambling

I am, once again, supposed to be working on a paper about Marxism. A one-page piece of busy work.
So, I decided to blog instead :)

Today I realized the power of talking to your professors. Especially ones whose class you sit in the front row and stare at every day as they break pieces of chalk and create chalk storms in their problem solving.
After receiving a high grade on a recent math test I went in to talk to my professor about what the grade meant as far as my overall grade for the class. He promptly listed off on how he didn't grade with straight percentages and how he assessed the class and its members at the end of the semester. He then went on to congratulate me on the high grade on the test and how I was going to get an A in his class because I was always there and did well on the homeworks. Thank you for making my day Professor Spock :) Yes. He looks EXACTLY like Spock*. But he is very nice and a good teacher so.. no bad feelings.

My bags are packed for Seattle tomorrow and I am on my way to figuring out where I will be living next year. I HAD been placed in a double room with two other roommates, which I quickly tried to get out of, and am awaiting a reply from my hopefully future dorm manager. I am currently trying to get side-by-side rooms with my current roommate in a hall that has single rooms in what used to be double rooms. With large windows. So, much better than the three girls in a double room! Plus I'll have my favorite little roomie close by :)

I am looking forward to being home for the summer. But, not looking forward to the job searching and job. I am trying for something pharmacy related if you know anyone let me know!!! Even without pay, I will work two jobs if I can get an internship or something. Wouldn't that be amazing?

I wish I was going into a field that I could do work from home. Wouldn't that be nice? Although, I suppose it would get boring.  You can't have everything.

I find it amazing that I have four short weeks left of school. Two real weeks, dead week, then finals week. Crazy!

I am meeting with my advisor soon to discuss which classes I will be taking next year, but it's looking like it's going to be full of O-Chem, Bio, and Math. Fun.....

Well I should go finish this paper now :)

One more day until Seattle! In 24 hours I will have just finished a yummy dinner at Bahama Breeze! Can't Wait!

*This is my teacher :) He really is awesome though!

Right and Wrong

So many thoughts have been flowing through my mind.

Opening up.
Letting it out.
Which choice is right? Which is better for me?

Matthew 7:13

A paper.
A test.
A lab report.
Math problems.

3 days until Mom and Seattle.
I can't wait!

xoxo

p.s. If you're into remade/retold fairy tales (who isnt?) I just finished a book called The Rose and the Beast by Francesca Lia Block. WARNING: This is not a book for children. Fairy tales with a darker, modern twist. Gotta say- disturbing. But interesting nonetheless.

Another, more lighthearted retelling is the Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison (how can you not love the name?)

A Little Bit....

Is the title of my new favorite song. Sung by Lykke Li (pronounced Lick-E-Lee), Swedish indie singer whose music style, voice, and fashion style I love.

Love.

She also seems to have a simple outlook on life, and I find it a nice break from the everyday grind of labs and homework to read about her adventures around the world. Watch her video of Little Bit.

I am also loving rain lately. Not that I didn't before. But the pitter patter on the window next to me brings so many thoughts and feelings. Memories of camping when I was young. Of writing stories in a blue notebook. Of rolling around in the deep puddles my street at home acquires. Of what I should be working on.

The feeling of the rain on my toes as I wore my sandals to dinner was delightful and cold.
The feeling of warmth as I am under the covers looking out at the clean green wet world.
The grass is green.
There are daffodils blooming in front of my door.
The world is coming back to life with the rain.

Four days until Seattle.

Back to work.

xoxo

Sidenote

Yet another digression from my paper.
But I just have to record this moment.

I was reading The Working Class in England 1875-1914 and the author used the word tertiary.

I think I have a new favorite word.

The end.

Dramas

Once again I should be finishing the paper due tomorrow - but hey I have a good start so instead I'm going to make a list of my favorite dramas. Most of you won't know what a "drama" is and may think I'm strange or silly for liking them so much. But I can't help loving them, the predictable storylines of love and all the bad things that can happen to prevent it. I used to be shy about liking them, but now I know they're just another form of entertainment and who's to say whether I can like them or not.

So here goes:

Hana Yori Dango

Full House

Boys Before Flowers

Witch Yoo Hee

Atashinchi No Danshi

Proposal Daisakusen

Kimi Wa Petto

Absolute Boyfriend

Mei-chan No Shitsuji

Personal Preference

1st Shop of Coffee Prince

Secret Garden

Stars Falling from the Sky

Romantic Princess

Devil Beside You

And I'm probably forgetting some, but that's just about it.

I'm currently halfway through Secret Garden (below).

Yes, I admit that dramas may be shallow or "cheap". But they are a satisfying escape into a completely different world from the one I live in. I watch them not find some deep form of enlightenment, but enjoy them and the characters in them.

So if you're bored and looking for something to do, I would suggest trying one out. My favs are probably Full House and Hana Yori Dango and Secret Garden. Watch them here (hulu) or here (this one has rankings and such.)

Oh and if you DO watch one- make sure you watch as least the first two episodes before deciding whether or not you like them as with anything the first episode is the most boring, comfusing, and weird of all of them.

Productive Procrastination

Today has ended up being one of those days where you realize just how much you have coming up. In my case a test tomorrow on an insane class, an insane assignment due tomorrow for my other insane class, a discussion online for a not so insane class and a 5 page paper due friday for that same class.
So what do I do? Anything BUT those things of course.

However since college I like to think of my procrastination as productive as opposed to high school where procrastination meant hours on facebook looking at who knows what.

Today- while I was supposed to be working on the beastly math assignment I thoroughly cleaned my boyfriends suite. Yes, his suite. He has his own room and shares a bathroom and living room area with two other roommates. Both of whom love to drink powerades and leave them all over the place and just be dirty in general. So I cleaned the dishes Carlo and I had used earlier in the too-small sink in their bathroom (which luckily is cleaned by the dorm so I didn't have to worry about that!) And as I was drying them with my ipod on blasting my inspiring cleaning music, I felt compelled to clean everything. This includes organizing Carlo's desk, hanging up stray sweatshirts, making the bed, putting miscellaneous things away, and scrubbing the lanoleum floor with clorox wipes until my finger tips were pruny from the cleaning chemicals.

As I went to the bathroom to wash my hands after the work was done I spotted the ever messy ps3 area. And couldn't help myself but clean up all their bottles, straighten the pillows they love to rearrange, and clean the dirtiest floor I have ever cleaned, which is saying a lot. Well, I managed to finish everything in about an hour and a half, perfect timing for Carlo to come back from his quartet practice and come home to a nice clean room.

Although I made no progress on my work in those two hours, I did make the suite much more tolerable and made the boyfriend happy in the process :)
So I would say it was a productive procrastination, and that if I learn nothing else here at college paying $40 a class I have learned how to clean the right way
<3

Busy

It seems like everyone I know right now is busy.

Me with classes and school and life in general.
My sister Kelsey, with kids and knitting and organization
My sister Whitney with work and home and school and everything between
My mom with her busy season at work
My dad with work and managing everything at home while my mom is busy at work for 12 hours
My best friends with school and music and random sports
Even random people I walk by at school are listing off the many things they have to do this semester or weekend.

It's midterm time here at WSU, in fact I've already had one of my 6 tests, and stress is at a high with rugby (which I seem to be going to less and less often) and labs (which they thought would be fun to make even MORE stressful than last semester) and being able to return my kindle.
Returning the kindle should have been a simple "tape-on-label-drive-to-store-forget-about" type of thing but no, I don't have a car, the campus doesnt have a UPS place, I don't have box tape, and if I don't send it out within thiry days from 1/20/11 I will be charged a whopping $250 replacement fee. It's all I can think about.
So please pray that I get it sent out. Who knew something so small could be so stressful that I wake up thinking about it and spend my days figuring out ways to get it in the mail without spending $5 on a cab or for a pick-up.

Linear Communication

Today as I was sitting down to do some Linear Algebra homework I found the strangest thing.

This note.....

With directions to THIS note....

With directions to another page that they never must have found the time to write on because it was blank.

If you can't read the small fuzzy pictures- don't worry- it wasn't that fantastic. The weirdest part of it all was that the writer was a student at WSU- the college I am attending now.
"Well that's not THAT weird" you say.... no it's not. The WEIRD part is that I bought this book off of amazon from a huge textbook distributer... weird.

Oh and whoever you are that had this book. You took terrible care of it because I've had to tape the first 4 chapters back in.


This little message brightened my homework filled night and reminded me what a small world we really live in after all.

Green Tea

As a coffee lover and a chocolate lover had I the choice between a cup of coffee or of tea I would usually chose the coffee. But I recently learned of all the benefits of a good green tea.

Pros:
1. Raises metablolism
2. Calming
3. It's Ancient- green tea/the herbs in it have been in use for centuries
4. Energizer without the caffeine crash
5. Warm
6. Cheap and easy

Cons:
1. Tastes a little funky- but I think it'll grow on me :)

So I'm going to try and make a new habit out of drinking green tea.

<3

Amazon or AmazING?

Most everyone now knows what a kindle is. If not... click here to learn.

Well this last summer, as a generous graduation gift, Carlo's parents got me a kindle. I don't know how I ever survived without it before as now I always carry it to class or in my purse- just in case I have a moment to spare to read. It went with me on the cruise through the mediterranean... to hawaii.... to washington....to illinois. My kindle is more well traveled than many people I know.

However....

Today as I went to turn on my beloved portable library of books the screen fritzed. All that appeared were shades of black and grey lines, no words.

Well- after unsuccessfully trying to figure out what was wrong, I called Amazon services. When the info person picked up the phone I was expecting to hear a list of orders to try and get my kindles working again. Instead as soon as I told him the problem the man said "ok we'll go ahead and get that replaced for you." Simple as that Amazon is sending me a new replacement kindle as I type. I could not believe how fast and easy it was to get the problem fixed.

THANK YOU AMAZON!

So- if you were debating on whether to get a kindle or not- or any other kind of technological reading device... I would highly recommend it. Amazon has great customer service, easy to use items and are all around great.

Go buy yours today! Or tomorrow I guess :)

<3

Return to School Daybook





FOR TODAY

1-13-11

Outside My Window... I can see nothing. It's pitch black outside, not that I can see out my window right now as my roommate insists on closing it all the time.

I am thinking... that I am sick of this dorm business and am ready to just move into my own place. My roommate is great- girls on my floor- not so much. How did I get the room next to the loudest girls on my floor? I am also thinking that I should be getting to bed as tomorrow should be a long day.

I am thankful for... the three day weekend coming up.

From the learning rooms... I just started school again, so I have six new classes going on right now. The two math classes are kind of a lot- but I'm enjoying it and the new topics.

From the kitchen... I cannot stop eating all of the macadamia nut kisses my doggy got me from Hawaii

I am wearing... Layered tank tops as the heat in our building is on the fritz, my comfy Joe's jeans, acorn slippers, and my tie blanket I made with my two best friends.

I am creating... the longest math problem I have ever done. It is a beast. No joke.

I am going... to eat biscuits and gravy for breakfast. I can't wait :D I'm pretty sure that breakfast is the best part of my day for thevery reason of those flaky biscuits.

I am reading... The Truth About Forever. A book by Sarah Dessen- one of my favorite authors. I also recently- as in 10 minutes ago- bought Anna and the French Kiss on my kindle, due to a recommendation from my friend who blogged about it :)

I am hoping... that I can find a good church in this tiny town. I had found what I thought was a good one- but alas- it wasn't. So now I'm on the search again. Something that contains NO joy, especially without a car.

I am hearing... Regina Spektor's Samson, possibly my favorite song about her. And the crazy girls SCREAMING in the hallway at 11pm- 2 hours after quiet hours started.....

Around the house... what house??????? :( Oh you mean my room? I guess I'm lucky that I have a clean roommate- my room is spotless in comparison to other girls in my hall who could make it on to the Hoarders show no problem.

One of my favorite things... is reading. I love the escape and the fantasy of it all. When I stop and remember they're just words I can't believe the impact it can have.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I am planning on finishing homework tomorrow so I can enjoy the long three day weekend and be ready for Rugby next week.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

My Grandpa Wes and I- I love this!