Was that really a felony?

Last Sunday around 2am, my boyfriend and I were bringing home a friend from my apartment complex when in the parking lot, a big husky guy dressed in all black approaches my car. I figured he was seeing if my car was registered for the apartment complex so I started to point to my tag on the driver's side where my boyfriend was (he was driving). He motions me to roll my window down and pulls out a card and sarcasticastly asks me if I knew what the card was...nor did I know or care but he revealed to be an undercover. First off, what kind of undercover cop has the job of checking a college apartment parking job (he must of been punished for being a complete jerk). Anyways, he continues to tell me that I was in trouble because the friend we were bringing home was urinating behind my car in the parking lot. He then asks my friend how long has he been an idiot for where he responds saying a year. He was extremely rude to him and I throwing the f-bomb in every other word he said threatening him and I with felonies. A felony for peeing in the parking lot...seriously? I nicely asks the cop if the punishment could not so bad because it really was my friend's 20th birthday. The cop tells me to be quiet then says to us, "let's make a drug deal." I was very upset that a police man would use this terminology and I began to get upset with him and asked him why he would use such words when talking to college students especially being an officer. Whatever, the guy was a real jerk. He then tells my friend to pour out the rest of his beer that he did not have in the car and was finishing and then to put the empty beer bottle back in my car...what kind of cop was this guy?! After minutes of debating with him to let us go, he tells me he was going to report me to the apartment complex manager for having a disruptive guest and that I would be in trouble...whatever guy. What was funny was that as my boyfriend and I were returning tfmy apartment complex after bringing our friend home, that same cop was strolling proudly through the parking lot aiming his flashlights inside cars....guess he really has no life!

Last meeting, last everything...

So I'm a little excited because tonight is my last initiation in Tri-Sigma of new members and my last meeting ever ...I'm excited because for iniatiated members, this ritual is very long and kinda boring. I'm also very sad because it's really my last meeting!!! An alum recently gave me a purple and white rope to wear around my neck for graduation, these are Tri-Sigmas colors, I thought this was very nice of her. It's sad to say that after all I have been through and learned from this organization, that I am actually done with it. This is the last time I will be with my sisters as an active member, after graduation I will be an alum and cannot attend all the events that an active member is allowed to attend. But its all apart of growing up and it is something I have to leave behind me for now in order to move on with on my life. I think the officers of the chapter are also going to do some kind of senior send off so that will be cool I guess. I think the senior also read from our chapter journal what past members have put in there so I'm sure there will be lots of tears as well. :( . Oh well, on to the next chapter in life!

Spring Break? Not!

So thanks to a combination of the downfall in America's current economy and 3 of my 7 professors, I will not be attending Spring Break in Panama 09'. I have absolutely no money and have 3 projects to work on over the break. I'm not too upset though because I would not have been able to have much fun on my very tight budget anyways. So far I have spent hours in the library, out of the sun, in the dark reading...while all my friends have been enjoying theirselves in Panama, in the sun, on the beach. I have had so much to do I haven't really had too much time to enjoy myself for this short break. Yesterday my boyfriend Andy and I went into New Orleans for the Nickleback concert (which was amazing) but the weather was gray and mucky. I did however, get to relax and even had a hurricane while listening to music in Pat O'Briens piano bar before the concert. But now its back to reality. Oh well, it was supposed to be my last big fun break before my launch into the real world, but I guess instead I'll be couped up in the school's library...fun stuff!

Grow your own grocery store?

I was reading the news today and read an article on how many Americans are struggling through the recession and are growing gardens in thier backyards to save money at the grocery. I think this is a great idea and will save Americans tons of money! Again on a news channel this morning, a woman reported that she estimated saving about $150 a month by growing a vegetable garden in her backyard. She reported that she nows rarely goes to the grocery store for fresh vegetables, but does go to the store for other needs. My mom has always had a garden in our backyard for years and I'm sure has saved much as well as having the advantage of chemical-free food. The only problem I see here is that if other Americans catch on to this money saving idea, grocery stores will start losing money and therefore farmers will lose money as well. It is a vicious circle American is in. Hopefully someday very soon we will be out of this recession and back to a stable economy.

Pedestrians beware of Bikers!

Is it absolutely necessary for students on bikes to peddle so fast on the sidewalk and scare walkers to death?! I swear I've noticed lately that bike riders around UL's campus are hitting speeds that are potentially lethal if they do fully hit a walker. Several times in my college experience have I been accidentally hit by a biker or slightly brushed. They scarce the crap out of me now! I hear behind the buzz of the wheels behind me growing closer and closer and my anxiety grows so high that I am going to be hit by some maniac on a bike that I am terrified to move left or right or even turn around to see what side of me that are coming up on so I figure that getting struck in that back is better than face-first! These bikers have got me absolutely terrified when I hear or see them coming...its ridiculous! Today, my boyfriend and I were walking back to my apartment together, not putting anyone in danger like some people, just peacefully making our way back. Two bikers passed up when I commented in show much they scared me by how fast they are peddling...my inspiration for this blog came when he intensely responded saying how he saw a guy in the quad get struck the other day and said that he noticed as well how ridicuously fast the bikers are going. Does UL need to put up biker speed zone where crowds of people are walking? Maybe. I figure that walking to class is usually a stress-free part of my day...not anymore! I am now trying to avoid areas where bikers are or am looking a head for them so I know where they are and get out of their way because they seem to like to go past people at high speeds! I sometimes feel like yelling at them telling them to slow down..but come on, what am I an old grandma already yelling at youngsters to slow down? Its time to graduate already.

Greek Week

ULL recently had its annual Greek Week for all of its Greek on campus. This years, my sorority's team was paired with other awesome organizations that are really competitive and always seem to do well at the weeks events ! Each year, the Greeks get together and compete against other Greeks in events such as a scavenger hunt, sports, banner contest, skit, and strut contest. It is really a lot of fun and a great way to meet new people. The last day of the week, Friday, was Greek Olympics where all teams gathered together and competed in event such as tug of war, baseball, two-legged race, touch football, and pie throwing. Last year Tri-Sigma and our other Greek teammates came in second. This year there was also a scavenger hunt where all the Greeks were sent out find random facts and items that the Deans place all around our campus. A the Greek awards, Tri-Sigma and our teammates ending up coming in second again...that is still something to be proud of and it definitely was alot of fun this year!

Nickleback Concert

For Andy's birthday back in January, I surprised him with tickets to the Nickleback concert which is April 17th. He was of course, surprised and very excited. Since the concert is coming up right around the corner, we have begun to make plans for the day. The concert in at the New Orleans arena. My house in Mandeville is about 35 minutes from New Orleans so I was thinking that the two of use could go down to New Orleans that Friday afternoon and have lunch somewhere nice and somewhere he has never been before (he is from Houston). I think after lunch we were talking about going to Harrah's Casino for a couple of hours (we'll prolly both go broke here!) and then head to the concert. Nickleback is playing with Seether and Saving Able so the concert should be awesome! After the concert we are planning to head home to Mandeville to stay the night which is a short drive from the New Orleans arean. Andy is my best friend so I know we will have an amazing day and night. Can't wait!

Here is a clip of the concert!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d8uqE09ooo

No jobs, no luck, guess we're all *******

As graduation is pending and I am faced with the reality of having to attain some kind of career in the next few months...my mother said to me today that she was nervous I would have a hard time finding a job anywhere. Thanks to the grossly regime of our new president and all of his stimulus plans (whatever) Americans are scraping for jobs that pay minimum wage. If you keep up with the news like I try to do you would discover that more and more Americans are being laid off, even those who have their masters degree and thougtht their jobs were stable. I recently found out that an old neighbor of mine, 26, who has his masters in business and such (very smart and driven guy) was just laid off because the company he was working for closed down his branch in New Orleans because the company (will remain nameless) is facing bankruptcy. All I can say is he is actually one of the lucky ones to get laid off, his parents are going to help him out for a while and he does not have a family to support, like many many others do that have recently lost their jobs. I heard recently on the news that hundreds of nursing students are being rejected from schools because, even though the need for nurses in this country is high, hospitals and such find it financially easier to hire nurses from outside of the U.S that will work for cheap. Wow. So pretty much if your American and you have a high level of education your screwed in the job market because companies cannot afford you!! I guess some of us have a better chance at getting a job at McDonald's (where I heard they pay up to $10/hr) than joining the white collar work force. All of this mess has just got me, like many others, very worried about my future...so what now...I guess I'm better off finding a job in another country, at least I know I won't have the risk of suddenly being laid off.

Some good and some bad

So of course living with 2 girls has its ups and downs. Rebecca, Kristina and I do however, mostly have our ups. We have grown to love each other and respect each other's differences. At first, whenever Rebecca moved in with Kristina and I last semester, we had some problems adjusting to how different we all were when it came to our homelife. They're better now in that we all work together to keep up with the housework...but its still mostly me. We have fun so much fun together watching movies, tv shows or just hanging out together, relaxing. I know I am going to love the quiet of my house when I move home in May but will absolutely miss their liveliness and love that they bring to the apartment. Borrowing clothes, giving and getting advice, crying on each other's shoulder's when we had a bad night, helping each other with schoolwork, cooking meals for one another, and all cuddling up in one bed to talk about our crazy lives or to watch a movie...I will miss it all. There have been a few fights over the last year, but I think all roommates disagree on certain, which is human nature. No matter what, we are there for each other. The era of living with roommates is finally coming to an end in my life, its a good thing but something I will never forget.

Big Bully

My mom calls me the other day and tells me that Trouble was bullying Bella again. Each day he moves about the house from my room, under my bed, my window, the living room window, and the diner room window...he has a routine. Anyways, so my mom tells me that he was sitting on the diner room window and the back door was open for Bella to come back inside. She said she watched Trouble jump up from his slouched position and purposely stand in the doorway when he saw Bella running up. As soon as she got just close enought to the doorway, Trouble swatted his paw at her and hissed histerically--he was barracading the doorway!! She kept trying to get past him and he would just not let her in. Finally my mom said she felt bad for laughing at the situation and chased Fatty away. "He's a terror" she told me. I feel bad for Bella but I really don't think he could ever hurt her, she's almost 3 times his size now, though he pretends he is larger than life. I swear they are the funniest two animals to watch when they get together, he hates her and all she wants to do is play! Maybe one day they'll finally get along, hopefully

Another foot in the door

So today it became official...I ordered my cap, gown, and graduation announcement! I'm almost there, 2 more weeks to go! All I have to do now is pass all 7 seven classes and I'm out...that is , hopefully I will pass all of them! Feels good to finally realize and accept that after all this time, I will be achieving a degree. The only problem I have now is to figure out what to do after graduation, yikes! My mother is very excited of course and wants to throw me a big graduation party...my sister did not graduate from college so I guess she's thrilled that one of us is going all the way. I'm inviting a few friends from Lafayette, my boyfriend and his family and some neighbors. Also, my family from New York, South Carolina, and Texas are all coming in and we're having a crawfish boil to celebrate my graduation...I'm ready now to kick back with a beer and grub on some crawfish!

South Carolina meets South Louisiana

So, my uncle and older cousin came down to New Orleans for their very first Mardi Gras this past week. For them, I can imagine it was like stepping into the world of Oz...literally because on Fat Tuesday along with the many other extravagant costumes were the the lion, tin man, scarecrow and Dorothy parading through Canal Street drinking what looked to me like Hand Grenades and catching beads from the Truck Parade. So my family and I (very much not new to Mardi Gras) took the two to the Riverwalk to eat charbroiled oysters from Drago's (wow, deliciousss!!) which they were not so keen to try but eventually did, and then took them to Bourban right after. Their faces when women were popping out of windows, almost naked was timeless. My uncle and his camera soon became infamous as he could not help himself but take pictures of every strange costume or strange looking person on the street. What was even funnier was that we caught cops snapping some shots when they thought no one was paying attention to them. After a while (and a couple of cheep beers) my cousin began to get into the spirit and was hootin' and hollarin' for beads from people on the balconies. Hurricanes, Hand Grenades, jello shots...they tried them all and could not believe that people were allowed to walk around in public with alcohol. Everything about Mardi Gras and the Louisiana carefree easygoing culture seemed to just blow their minds, lol.
Later that same day we took them to get some of New Orleans best Po-boys at Johnny's. Besides the craziness of Mardi Gras, one thing I did note on was how disgusted they were of all the trash that is left behind after a parade. They were absolutely appalled at how the people seemed to have to sense to throw their trash away in trash cans. I tried to reason with them and explain that is does all eventually get picked up but they were set in their environmentalists ways. Overall, the guys had a great time and were exhausted and not ready to go back on Wednesday. I think we showed them how we do it down in the real South.

Here is a clip of Mardi Gras 2009 on Bourban Street, a little laste of how crowded and crazy our trip was:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp3lvvX4mdo

California Dreaming

My elder sister, Becca Garcie, has lived in California for over 4 years now with her husband Jeff. Since she has moved to California I have gone to visit her twice. She has come back to Louisiana once. Times are hard and money is tight...I completely understand why its been so hard for her to come back home. As well, she is unable to get up and leave on a moment. She lives on ranch with 4 horses, 2 pigs, 4 goats, tons of chickens, 3 dogs, 2 cats, 3 ostriches, and 1 llama. Yea, she's pretty out there as far as animals. She breeds and trains and the horses, sells the goat milk and chicken eggs, and eats the ostrich eggs for breakfast. It's always very interesting to listen to her day when we talk about 3 times a week. Either the llama got loose and was biting everyone, a horse got sick or pregnant, or the dogs were bringing dead rodents into the house. There always seems to be something crazy going on in her life. Becca and Jeff live about an hour from any city with gas stations and grocery stores. She when Jeff forgot to fill up the car last time we went into town, I get a phone from my sister bitching because she's stuck 30 miles from her home on a very rural road with the dogs all going nuts and trying to run away...very interesting. Anyways, she loves her life and is very happy living freely with her animals. She has always wanted to get out of Louisiana, I don't blame her, California is beautiful.

I wanna press snooze again!

I now find it harder to get the motivation to get out of bed every morning and go to class...my classes lately seem pointless and like I could of slept in. This one teacher keeps telling us he will have our grades from the test two weeks ago in the next class. Guess what, still no grades so he decides to talk about his recent trip to China for three class periods. Someone finally asked him if this was going to be on the next test, guess what...nope, sure not! He just likes to talk about himself and tells us to just read the book. Honestly UL, what are you paying this guy for?! Anyways, I am just so ready to be done with my undergraduate classes forever but am scared to face the real world when it comes time. What makes is harder to get up is every other senior saying the same thing making me think its not worth it either. I guess I just need to suck it up and listen to my professor talk about how the Chinese women were all rubbing his belly for good luck...schmuck.

Definitely had my share

My freshman year at UL I had a roommate that I had never met before. The first time I walked into my first apartment I was scared out of my mind to meet this new person. Her name was Katie. I met her while I was outside smoking a cigarette on our porch (I used to smoke). This meeting really helped our relationship in that we were both able to socialize with each other outside on the porch while we smoked each day. She was such a nice girl, but unfortunately, she was failing out of UL and going to a different school. She moved out and I got another random roommate. Angel and I did not have much in common. She spent alot of her time in her room (ususally with a boy) or studying on the couch, ignoring me. She was black I was white...there were plenty of differences. My stepdad Jeff thought it was hilarious that I ended up with a black roommate. Anyways, she ended up moving out and one of my best friend's Rebecca took her place. We had soo much fun together but at times we had some arguments. She was different from my previous two roommates...she was very outgoing, very loud, loved to talk, loved to always be around, and was a little messy. Eventually we both ended up moving out of that apartment complex because the prices rose severely and niether of us could afford the rent anymore. I then moved into a much larger apartment with two other roommates. Kylie and Kristina were quite a pair. At times I felt like their personal maid. They would literally leave old dishes and food in their room for so long that everything would begin to mold. You couldn't even walk into Kylie's room because there were piles and piles of clutter covering her floor...I didn't see carpet in her room for months at one point! Kristina was a terrible cook and never cleaned up her messes or her dishes...this went on for months and I could not take it anymore and began to argue with them over the mess. Kylie's family had to file for bankruptcy and she was eventually kicked out of the apartment for not paying rent. Kristina and I went on to live with each other for about 5 months until Rebecca moved in. So now it is the three of us and we all get along pretty good. Kristina and Rebecca have really improved and help clean up the apartment every once in a while. We are the best of the friends and I am now sad to moving home in May and to no longer have roommates.

Trouble vs. Bella

We got Bella (a standard poodle) when she was about 7 weeks old this past November. At first, Trouble was not interested in her and wanted nothing to do with her no matter how hard we tried to get the two used to each other. Even as a standard poodle 7 week old puppy, my cat was still larger that Bella...which he probably should not of been. For a while he was still the dominant animal in the house as Bella was still getting used to her new home and still small and weak. As she begin to shoot up like a tree and became very energetic, she more and more wanted to play with 'fatty' (this is my mom's new name for Trouble) and he was still not interested and only hissed at her. We thought that somehow the two would eventually learn to like each other...we thought wrong. Trouble growls and paws when Bella comes near, she only wants to play, she's still a puppy. He is so funny though and seems to taunt the fact that when she's in her pen he can freely walk around the house and sit with us at the table which obviously drives her nuts as she barks histerically when he does this. When she is not in the kennel, they are fine but just keep their distances...Bella tries to approach him and always get the front of his good paw right in the nose! Oh well, I guess when your a spoiled fat cat set in your ways, your going to still be king of the castle.

Fat Cat

Let me start off by saying Trouble was orphaned at about 1 month old where my mother found him in a ditch in our neighborhood. He was the CUTEST lil thing you had ever seen, a small grey furball with then, blue eyes (they're green now). I couldn't resist so I took him in without even consenting it with my mother. Every night he would sleep with me and I spoiled him rotten with treats! Anyways, I was coming back from work one evening, (he was about 1 1/2 years old at the time) when I went to the fridge to give him a treat like I always did. Anytime anyone cooks food in the house, no matter what it is, he is at your feet begging like a dog. Well now he doesn't go too near the fridge. Okay, so I opened the fridge with Trouble at my feet when a huge and very heavy clock that sat above the fridge fell, missing me (which I wish would have happened) and hit the cat, which broke its fall and didn't even have a crack in it. Before I even knew where he was hit he took off. After of course searching and calling him for the rest of the night, mom and I decided he would come back on his own. That morning at about 6am, my mom is in my room calmly waking me up with Trouble in her arms ( I think she was trying not to freak me out). My worst fears had come true...he was hit and hit hard. His left paw was a little larger the size of a tennis. It was swollen and obviously broken. So I immediately took him to the vet hospital where I stood histerically crying at the counter begging them to send him to the ER. So later that day as I was forced to go to work (I sobbed for hours) the vet finally calls me with an update. Trouble had to have an extensive surgery that lasted about 3 hours. All of the tendons in his paw were shattered and he had 7 fractures in that foot. The vetalso had to put 5 metel pins in his paw to help the bones grow back together. Anyways, after weekly check ups and about $2000 later, Trouble was back at home and recovering for good. He wore several casts that reached all the way up to his shoulder blades and when he walked he looked like a Nazi salooting Hitler (it was funny but terribly sad to watch). The point of the story is that during his recovery, which was about 6 months, he did not move around much and gained ALOT of weight from me having to nourish him back to health, and feeding him treats all the time because I felt so damn bad about what happened! So now I have this 19lb cat that lays in my bed ALL day like he's king of the castle. He hates to run around, except he has to from our new puppy Bella who is 3x his size now, but I wouldn't have it any other way...he's fat, moody, snores when his sleeps, his belly and butt shakes when he does walk, eats too much, but he's alive and walking on all fours and he's mine...my fat cat.

When oh when can I finally be done?

I just don't understand some teachers, if the class ends at a specified time then the darn class ends at that time, not when your finished talking about yourself! This one teacher I have, has no respect for her students and even though many of us in the class I'm sure have classes way across campus that takes a full 15 minutes to get to, she continues to discuss herself and her life till we're are all about absolutely red in the face. She drives me nuts! I have another teacher that tells the class he doesn't care if we're graduating this Spring, he will fail us...thanks Professor Helpful! I just don't understand most of the professors at this university, if we are the ones paying thier salaries, you would think they would put a little more input into their teaching and actually want to help students and actually care about them not being late to other classes! This semester makes me not want to go to any of my classes because most, not all, but most of my teachers make me sick with disgust at their disregard for students. Is it a rule that once you've spent half your life teaching that all your values as an educator just fly out the door?! I have learned that in the past almost 8 semesters I have spent at this university that no one cares about you...no one, you alone have to fend for yourself even as a very confused and scared freshman your professors and other faculty will not even do so much as point the way of the right direction (and I mean that loosely). I have had to rely on the help of my older sorority sisters and elder classmates for tips and such. My advisor, oh lord don't even get me started on that man...every single question I had for him he had to call someone else to ask. When it came time for scheduling, he did not know what classes required prerequistes or not so I ended up begging another teacher to allow me into a class that required a prereq just so that degree plan would not get more off track! Easy to say, I am ready to leave this university and seriously doubt I will miss many of the faculty I have met along the way.

Excellence Award, Me?

So I was nominated by my sorority for Greek Woman of the Year at ULL...yea, I was thrilled! When they told me I thougtht the girls were joking but apparently they were not. So, I signed up and already had my interview which was yesterday. Usually during an interview, I am sweating, panicky, nervous, and speechless. Luckily, I knew and have worked with 2 of the 3 Dean's that were interviewing the nominees. They asked several tricky questions that I wasn't fully prepared for but I think I overall did ok...am I going to win the award, can't say but I am very honored to have been nominated for such an award. Guess I'll find out on April 1st! Wish me good luck!

After 4 years, its coming to an end

I have been a member of Tri-Sigma sorority for almost 4 years and now I finally coming to a crossroads where I must choose a path for a better life. I could stick around Lafayette and continue to contribute to the sorority post graduation, but would I be wasting my time. I'm definitely not one of those sorority girls that is going to get our letters tattooed on my foot or ankle or something, but I want to carry the memories and my sisters with me forever. After graduation, that's it, it's over...no more meetings, sisterhoods, homecomings, philanthropies or socials, I have to face real life and get a real job. It's hard having to grow up and make decisions that can change your life...I really wish I could go back to high school and do everything right all over agai n. I do however, wish that I would end up in Tri-Sigma again because I would never want to not be able to experiance the greek life. Though it has been work to keep up with everything in college, the sorority was my best choice mostly because I have improved as an adult and as a woman. Hopefully I will leave some kind of legacy so that the newer members will know who I was. I put so much into it, I was an officer, a chairman for just about everything, national delegate...and now, I will be an alum that can have some input but never the same involvement. Oh well, we all have to grow up eventually right?

This is a clip of a sisterhood event this semester...
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=548317854940&subj=47906841&nctrct=1239669772562