Food Run, Texting, International

1. I had a friend today text me and ask if he could get me something since he was making a food run. I thought it was very nice of him to think of me. So I gave him a few bucks and told him to get more of my sugar free Oreos. Yummy! I'm happy once again :)

2. I had another friend from where I worked over the summer text me just to say hello. It was good chatting over text and made me miss my old job. I miss the people I worked with and I'm glad they still think of me from time to time.

3. I spent the evening with my international students. I hung out with a bunch of students from Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Japan. I learned so much about Saudi Arabia and Russia today. They even taught me how to write some words in Arabic. I now can write my name in Arabic and even sign my name in Russian and Arabic Sign Language! They teased me and said tomorrow I'm going to be tested. I hope they weren't serious! I know I'm gonna forget everything by tomorrow morning!

DC, Suprise Text, Suite-mate

1. Went to the DC Mall area to get away from things today. The DC Mall is where the Capital, Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Memorial, and all the Smithsonian museums are located. It's a great place to spend the day and an easy time killer. I had a chocolate soft serve ice cream cone which made me feel a little better. Heh, interesting how comfort food always does that.

2. I got a text message from a friend of mine who I met over summer. She and I worked together at the retirement home and became good friends. She's very sweet but in a horrible marriage so she contacted me I guess because she needed some cheering up. I miss her and wish were able to hang out.

3. I love my suite-mate Jersey...she can make me laugh even when I'm feeling down.

No Class, First Day, Free Time

1. Today was the first day of school but my classes don't start till Wednesday. So basically I have two days off until I actually start. Nice schedule, huh? :)

2. I had my first day at work in the RA office alone. Jeez, it was just pure chaos when I got there and busy for the first 2hrs! I was so glad when someone came to relieve me for my dinner break! My first day was a bit overwhelming but I still enjoyed it.

3. I had a lot of free time to myself today which was very nice. I got to take my time doing things and relaxing. I took a walk around the campus since it was a very pretty day. The sun felt so good as I sat under a tree watching students walk by. I wish everyday was like that.

Friends, Friends, and More Friends

1. I saw one of my friends who just came back from summer break. I ran into him at the cafeteria during dinner. When I last saw him in May, he was just getting over a few things going on in his life so he wasn't doing so well. Today, he looked good and had the biggest smile on his face. I didn't get a chance to sit and chat with him since I was on my way out but that big bear hug of his was enough to know that he is doing much better. I look forward to seeing him around this year.

2. My suite mate, "Jersey", just moved in yesterday and today was the first day we were able to sit and catch up. She is so hilarious and she had me laughing for a good half hour. She's got this east coast sense of humor that I just love. This year with her is gonna be a good one.

3. My red headed friend came by tonight to visit. He's had a pretty rough summer but he's slowly climbing out of it and getting back into the swing of things. We chatted for a long time catching up on each other's summers and such. We're in the same program so we have a few classes together. I'm glad he'll be around like last year.

Lunch, Laughter, and Hearing

Lots of positive energy was coming my way today. I don't know why but I hope it stays! By the way, don't forget to check out my pictures on the sidebar under "Pictures"!

1. I met with my friend's mom for lunch in the cafeteria today. She's a very nice lady and very understanding. She's been through a lot and I feel that I have been able to relate to her. I had a good chat and was able to get some things off my mind with her reassurance that things will be ok.

2. After lunch, I went off campus to my department party at a restaurant so we could meet the new first year graduate students. To our disappointment, only one showed up! I got to see my red headed friend who I haven't seen all summer. He's moving into the dorms across the from me so that'll be good. RC was there and as always, he gave me a good laugh in the restaurant and in the car on the way back to school. That guy can make me laugh so hard and I always look forward to seeing him at an event.

3. Tonight in the cafeteria, I was sitting with some of the RA's and an international student. Three of us were hearing with everyone else at the table being deaf. As we were eating, I heard this loud crash of broken glass behind me. In a split second, CK and I turned our heads at the same time to find a huge glass vase filled with large beautiful sunflowers had fallen to the floor with shards of glass everywhere. The funny part was, we were the only three in the cafeteria that noticed it because we HEARD it. Everyone else just went along their business as if nothing had happened. We both looked at each other, smiled and at the same time said, "I guess we were the only ones who heard that, huh?" A few minutes later, other deaf walking by saw the glass and informed the staff so it could get cleaned up. CK and I had a very long hard laugh over this because it was obvious that we were the only ones who heard it! It was funny for us to see everyone else carrying on with only us realizing what had happened. You gotta be hearing at an all deaf university to understand this humorous situation.

Money, Friends, Crafts

1. I found out today that I got a $4,000 scholarship for part of my tuition. Whoohoo! Free money is always a good thing! I was so happy about it that I called and told my parents. Of course, that made them happy too!

2. One of my friends arrived today with his mom. It was so good to finally see him and chat with his mom. His mom is a very nice lady and I always enjoy talking with her. My friend lives on the floor above me so it'll be good having him as a neighbor.

3. For work, we have to create a picture of ourselves using construction paper and such. I had my supervisor print out a picture of myself. Then I cut only the face and glues onto a body I had created using construction paper. For the background, I glued a white frame onto red paper and then cut out a purple heart and pasted on there. It came out really cute! Everyone like the big heart for the background and said it fit my personality. I enjoy doing art and craft kind of stuff so it was a nice way to relax.

Errands and Friends

1. I had a good day today. I got my pictures developed and downloaded onto my computer. They came out great and I can't wait to get them posted for all my friends to see! I also went to the grocery store and got my sugar free Oreos. For some reason, I had a craving for Oreos. I like the regular ones but I can't handle the sugar. I know "sugar free Oreos" seems like an odd combination but I like them. In fact, I've already eaten half the box!

2. Got to hang out with Islandgirl this afternoon. As always, she made me laugh so hard and gave me good positive vibes. :) She's a very positive person and always upbeat so I like being around her. She's also very funny and we always have a good time together.

3. Got a surprise call from a good friend. I was very shocked and not expecting it. Good to chat with him even if it was short. It was definitely a nice surprise :)

Shoes, Cafeteria, Time Off

1. I wore my brand new blue Skecher's today for the first time since it was cold and raining. I love Skecher's because they're so comfortable on my feet. However, these are still kind of stiff so I was starting to get a blister. It was worth it though. I like how these have the silver lining along the sides. Makes them look pretty without being too girly.

2. I made a couple of my friends laugh today in the cafeteria. One of them had asked me if I thought the soup was good. I replied with, "Yeah I liked it. It was pretty good." I was eating my dessert by this time to which I added, "...but this carrot cake tastes like paper!" They started laughing pretty loudly. It was obviously no surprise to them. You gotta know the cafeteria in order to appreciate that comment. :)

3. I found out today that I have tomorrow off. I'm looking forward to having time for myself and getting things done. I'm hoping I can find a place to get some of my pictures developed.

Teacher, RA, and Pizza!

1. I saw one of my professors today. It was good seeing him again and I have an appointment to discuss my classes for Fall. I'm hoping this semester will be lighter.

2. There's a girl who I'm working with as an RA. She lives on the 6th floor and I'm on the 4th. Today was the first day I got a chance to know her and we had a sort of bonding experience. I think her and I are going to be friends. She's pretty cool and we have the same ideas/philosophy on Deaf culture and such. She's an undergrad in the Deaf Education program. Oh, and she's hearing just like me :)

3. I had a slice of cheese pizza today with my dinner. I normally don't eat pizza because it's so high in fat and calories. Plus the grease tends to make me sick if I eat too much. For some reason though I had a craving for it. The cafeteria pizza isn't all that great. Either way, it still tasted good to me! Now I all I needed with it was a beer! ;)

Sleep, VP, and Room

1. I got to sleep in today! Yippee! First time I've been able to sleep in all week! I looooove sleeping in! I could easily do without mornings.

2. I got to chat with a good friend of mine on VP (video phone) today. I really miss him and it was good to see his face and catch up with what's been going on.

3. Cleaned my room and did laundry. Since I've moved in I haven't had a chance to wash my sheets/bedding or organize my room. I think I finally have everything in place. Plus I get to sleep in clean downy fresh blankets and sheets tonight! :) I love the smell of clean laundry.

What's up

I'm finally settled at school in my dorm. It's so nice to have my OWN room. I applied to be an RA in the dorms this year so I have 12hr days of training! I'm so exhausted after training! My only day off this week is Sunday which I'm looking forward to. I plan to use that day to SLEEP!!! I know a whole week has gone by so here are the top three positives that stand out for me...

1. I went to a baseball game last week before leaving for school. It was the best time I've had in a very long time! The group who I went with were part of this special VIP club where tickets are $167 a piece. For that price we got to park close to the stadium, eat in the restaurant, and be waited on in the ball park in our section. The restaurant featured fancy food and was an all you can eat buffet with unlimited drinks! This included alcohol :) I was seated directly behind home plate about 8 rows up I think. Either way, it felt like I was on the field itself! If we wanted drinks or food, we could order it from the server in our section and they would bring it to us. Nice service! I guess you get what you pay for! The whole time I was there, I felt like a kid at an amusement park. I don't remember the last time I had that much fun and truly enjoyed myself. If I can remember, it's been a long time since then. Hopefully, I'll be able to go back and watch another game. Oh...and we won! :)

2. I got my request and was placed on the international floor with the international students. It's been great meeting them all and learning about their cultures and countries. Last night I chatted with a student from Saudi Arabia. It was fascinating learning about his country and dispelling many myths that we as Americans have of them. He had a combination of SA sign and American Sign Language so I was left to fill in the blanks but I got the gist of it. Of course I get along well with the Japanese students and can communicate with them very well. I try to spend a few minutes with them everyday and make sure they are ok. Right now they're all excited to be here. By November, culture shock and stress will hit them. I'm just glad I'm not with all the hearing graduate students this year!

3. I've seen some of my classmates around campus. It's been good seeing them and catching up. My favorite person, RC is actually in RA training with me. We have a good time talking shit and joking around with each other. He's actually in the same program/major so will be seeing him a lot. And no, I'm not interested. He's been in a serious relationship for 2yrs now. Plus he's not my type. Just a good friend and classmate who I look up to and respect.

Work, Biscuits, Tradition

1. Last day at work was today! Whoohoo! No more waiting tables!!!!

2. At work for dinner, one of the entrees they served was fried chicken with buttermilk biscuits. I didn't eat the chicken but I did help myself to those biscuits. Yummy!!!!!! Those were the best biscuits I've ever had! I ended up eating two of them but it was so worth it.

3. There's a lady who comes in who I've mentioned before. She usually comes in with her friend who's from New York that has the thick Jewish accent. We get along very well and always have something to talk about. Basically, I can see that she's become attached to me. Today, she gave me a folded one dollar bill which surprised me. I thought she was giving me a tip or something (we're not allowed to accept tips). Then she started to tell me the Jewish tradition behind it. She said it's customary in Jewish tradition to give a person who is going away a dollar bill for protection. She said it represents God watching over you until you reach that destination. Once I reach my destination, I'm to give the bill to charity or to someone who needs it. She wished me well and hopes I will come and visit her again some day soon. I was very touched by this gift and will take good care of it until I reach DC. I'm now starting to think about visiting the retirement home next time I come back here for a visit. I will definitely never forget her and her kindness.

Baseball, Music, CoWorker

1. I found out today that I'm going to a baseball game on Thursday! Whoohoo! I'm very excited about this since I haven't been to a real baseball game in over 10yrs! Been dying to go to one since I got here.

2. At work, one of the servers was listening to his IPOD while setting up the tables for Sunday Brunch. In the middle of this, he began singing the words out loud. I recognized the words immediately as I've been trying to figure out who sings the song and what it is called for a very long time now. It's called "Why You Wanna" by T.I. I heard this song a lot on the radio during my road trip on spring break when I drove from Salt Lake City, UT to Washington, DC. Mostly it played as I drove through the Midwest (Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, and Ohio). I like the beat and rhythm to this song, not necessarily the words. Anyway, he let me listen to it on his IPOD and we danced to it in the dining room as it played. I haven't danced to a song in a long time so it felt good to just let myself go without a care. It was so much fun and some of the other servers joined in. Almost like we were having a party in the restaurant before we opened.

3. Tonight I went to the video store to rent some movies. As I was walking out, I ran into one of the cooks from work. He was there with his girlfriend and two kids renting movies (obviously!). His kids are soooooo cute and his girlfriend very cool. We chatted for about 20 minutes and then we parted. We had a great time chatting in those 20 minutes with a lot of laughs and good vibes. He's one of my favorite people to work with just because he's funny and easy going. He told me that many people are sad to see me leave and can't believe my last day is approaching fast. I didn't realize that I was so well liked there until he was telling me about it. It was nice running into someone familiar considering I really don't know many people here. Made me feel like I wasn't a complete stranger and that I'm not completely alone. Also, I realized that even though I haven't known my co-workers for very long, they really did become my family even if it was for a short while. I'm gonna miss them.

A Good Friend, Blog, Word

I haven't written in a few days only because I've been too tired or too lazy to write anything. In the last few days though, I've had many positives things happen that I can't condense it all. Although I will only write the top three for now that stand out.

1. I made up with a good friend of mine whom I've known for 13yrs. She's been angry and hurt at something I said a while back. Even though I thought everything was done and forgotten, those hurt feelings were still there. After 2hrs of talking on the phone, things are going to be ok. I really treasure my friendships with my friends because I see them as my family. They are all I have in this world.

2. I deleted my old blog. It was getting too depressing and I was starting to write too many irrational things. It's time to let the past go and move on. I can't believe what a relief it is not to have that blog anymore.

3. Word got out at work that I will be leaving to go back to school. I've only known these people for a summer. I was surprised to hear many of them say that they will miss me and they are sad to see me go. Some talked about a going away party for me which made me feel good. Whether it happens or not is not important to me. It was the thought that counts for me. Many residents at work also heard I was leaving. I got many hugs from them on this day and even had some tell me they were proud. I can't tell you the feeling I felt inside. Just made me feel special.