It's the perfect blendship!!

Best friends + Lunch + Shopping + Coffee + More shopping + Pizza (& cheesy bread) + At home-spa night + Mani/pedis + Drinks + Chick flicks + Giggles + Brunch + Celebrity sighting + Antiquing = Perfect weekend!

I got to visit two of my 'fristers' (friend+sister) this weekend. I haven't seen the girls since October, so this visit was long overdue!! It was like college all over again (in a good way). After a quick stop at her lab, Kathy took us to a giant mall...where she tested our shopping stamina (Kathy's shopping skills cannot be matched). After mall walking (which was good training for my 5k!) we decided to stay in for the night. We ordered a pizza and we were all in jammies by 7:30! We had an old-fashioned, no-boys-allowed slumber party...just like the old days!

This morning, we drove to downtown Orange for brunch, and there just happened to be a car show happening. It was like stepping into a time machine! And of course, no Southern California experience would be complete without a celebrity sighting! We noticed Milo Ventimiglia (Jess from Gilmore Girls) checking all the cool old cars.

At first we thought it was just a hipster taking pictures...then we realized it was a famous hipster. We didn't want to bother him...but I kinda wanted to. First, seeing celebrities is still kind of a big deal for me. I am from the central valley, we don't have many celebrities in these parts. Second, Gilmore Girls was what these girls and I bonded over all those years ago in the Freshman dorms at CLU!! In part, we owe our friendship to that show!

I just love that even though we spend a lot of time apart, we always pick up right where we left off when we get back together!!

Homework, Oh Homework

"Homework, Oh Homework
I hate you, you stink"-Jack Prelutsky

Highlighter-check

Pen-check

Notebook-check

Textbook-check

Remembering that going back to school means going back to homework-uh, priceless? I mean...um...

Ugh! I'm sitting here trying to convince myself that I should concentrate on reading Chapters 1 & 2 and then come up with something quasi-intelligent to post on the discussion board. I have until midnight to do this...however, I am extremely unmotivated and all too easily distracted.

Also, I have a hard time seeing a point in taking the community college version of a class I took at CLU...or really, having to take any of these classes at all. The goal of me going back to school is so that I can become a preschool teacher...but aren't I already a preschool teacher?

School Bag in Hand

Last week I went on a little adventure to acquaint myself with the community college campus where I'll be starting class soon. I got my parking permit, paid my tuition, bought my textbooks and found my classes (both of which are in the same classroom, so that's easy!) I am slowly -but surely- adjusting to the idea of going back to school.

Then, over the weekend I went and got new pens and highlighters as well as a new notebook. I got my old backpack out from the back of my closet, and pre-organized everything.

The 2012 wall calendar I got has a dry-erase board segment, so I can leave myself memos and stuff. In fact, all of this is kind of starting to make my bedroom feel like a dorm room. Really, the only thing missing is the poster of Orlando Bloom I had up during my Freshman year at CLU.

Hmm...I wonder where that poster went...

Let the wine of friendship never run dry

...or in our case, the margaritas of friendship!!

Back during our sophomore year, we went to this comedy club. One of the comedians was this guy who was gay...when he saw the group of us sitting in the front row, he said "A group of women on a night out? In my neighborhood that's a lesbian bowling team." We've since embraced that moniker, and this weekend we got the 'team' back together.

When the four of us get together, we get transported back to old times. We cooked a 'family dinner', talked about our lives, our loves and the things we do to pursue happiness, and you can't forget the pitcher of pomegranate margaritas we shared! So many things have changed since we've graduated from CLU, we've been through weddings and engagements, an international move and a baby, loss of job, and loss of family. I can't imagine what life would be like without these fabulous women in my life. Well...I do imagine I might have a lower credit card payment, but it's so hard not to buy that dress when your friends are telling you how great you look in it. Increasing debt is a small price to pay for the best friends a girl could ask for (and a dress that fits like it was made just for me!!)

Then on my way back up on Sunday, I stopped to see Jennie again and to officially meet her baby (last time I saw him he was sleeping, and only a week old). Three amazing friends, and the cutest 'nephew' ever...I am so lucky!

I Wish I Could Go Back to College...

This is the title of a song from the musical Avenue-Q. A show I haven't seen yet, and could probably give or take, to be honest. Most of the songs I've heard from this show are pretty raunchy (even if they are mildly entertaining). But some of them are pretty applicable (I've thought about adopting 'There's a Fine, Fine Line' as my personal theme song several times), and about a year ago, the song 'What Do You Do With A B.A. In English' seemed to echo my thoughts exactly. In fact substitute 'English' for 'Religious Studies' and that song described my plight to a 'T'. Now, I've moved on. I have discovered exactly what to do with a B.A. in Religious Studies. I became a youth director. And a grown-up. Which means I have more responsibilities than I have ever wanted in my life. I hate being an adult. I love being a youth director though. Especially on the third Thursday of the month...Network Lunch day. Today's lunch, however, was held at CLU. It was so strange to be back. On my drive over, all I could think about was the pressure of Rally Day this Sunday and the thoughts that kept going through my head were I wish I could go back to college, life was so simple back then and I wanna go back to my room and find a message in dry-erase pen on the door
Then I got there, I drove through campus on my way to the chapel and then end of the song came to me But if I were to go back to college, think what a loser I'd be-I'd walk through the quad, and think "Oh my God...these kids are so much younger than me."
Really...I'm three years old than the seniors, which means I am six years older than the average college freshman. Being back on that campus made me feel so OLD. The campus hardly looks the same, there are so many new buildings, and yet somehow it seems so much smaller.
I see all these students in their tank tops and flip flops and cut offs, and I drive in in my grown-up car in my khaki pants and my knit top and my flats. I looked like an adult, and I looked older than these...these...kids. I didn't feel older than them though, or I didn't want to. I am definitely hitting my quarter life crisis. This is the worst feeling ever. I am rebelling against adulthood as best I can, and it's not an effective rebellion...

Be True to Your School

I went to college at California Lutheran University, and I loved it. I had experiences at CLU that I wouldn't have had anywhere else. I can talk anyone's ear off about how much I loved my time there. It wasn't all rainbows and unicorns, but the good times far outweighed the bad. If you ask me about CLU, I will be more than happy to answer your questions with glowing honesty. The professors were amazing, and there were a few that I went out of my way to be sure I had a second (and sometimes, third) time.
I made amazing friends at CLU. I received a great education at CLU. I got involved in campus ministry at CLU. I lived on campus for 4 years at CLU. If it wasn't such an ugly color combination I would proudly profess that I bleed violet and gold (which translates into purple and yellow, which translates to gross). If my mascot weren't an adjective, I'd be proud to say that I am (a) Regal. If our NCAA bracket weren't division...40, I'd proudly cheer on our teams. Heck, I'm proud anyway. I love my school. I also love that they use nearly any excuse to give away free stuff. T-shirts mostly. I have probably a month's worth of CLU shirts.
But this month isn't 'shirt shots' (possible theme for next month though). When I graduated I was given what I am going to call an 'alumni starter kit'. It had a license plate frame (which is on my car), a 'class of 2008' water glass, and the obligatory 'take this to your office so everyone knows where you went to school/brag about your alma mater' mug. I love my school. I love mugs. My school loves giving away free stuff. Win-Win-Win!
Except I don't have to brag about my alma mater at work. CLU does that for me. Working at a Lutheran church, we get so many 'hey the students in your congregation should go here' brochures. Plus, my boss's oldest daughter goes there anyway.

That being said, I slept horribly last night, so I'm going to take a nap now.

Once Upon a Dream

I've had this re-occurring dream ever since I graduated from college, I hadn't had it in a while...but I dreamt it again last night.
The dream has a few variations, but mostly it is me realizing near the end of the semester that I am registered for a math class (it's always a math class) that I haven't been attending. Not because I was a ditcher, but because I had forgotten that I was in that class. I usually show up, and the professor will say something snarky like , "Ms. Chambers, I'm so glad you were able to make room in your obviously busy schedule to join us." The other students are all 'judgy judge' because I'm never in class. I feel stupid because I went to class on the first day, and forgot for the rest of the semester (until that particular day, for some reason).
And instead of Cal. Lu, the 'college' in the dream is actually my high school campus.
Last night though, I had to take a test. I've never taken a test in my dream before, it's usually the registrar telling me that I'm not going to graduate because I was never in class. Also last night, the role of the professor was played by Matthew Morrison (Mr. Schuester from Glee). That's the weird part. I'm pretty sure if Matthew Morrison was my teacher, I would show up to class.

I don't know where this dream comes from, I only took one math class in college and it was my freshman year, so I wasn't in the habit of cutting class yet. (Although my senior year I had very patchy attendance in my philosophy course...hmmm)