Things I loved about Thanksgiving

Everyone knows I hate Thanksgiving, but there are still so many things I love about vacation in general that I will ignore what we did to the Native Americans and skip right on to the thanking this year:

1. Getting to see my BW friends- Technically, this happened a week early, but I still am overwhelmed by how much better I always feel when I'm with them. 
2. Getting to see my family- My Greene family that feeds my brain, my Sharp family that teaches me how to do new crafts, my Hines family that loves me like I'm their own (another group of people that always make me feel better) my Sloss family that gives me medical and fashion advice... so much family!
3. Having brother time- highlights include getting to see Mockinjay and having him tell me "I hate girl bands that try to copy authentic rock" ...when I played The Runaways. I have never been so smug. 
4. Watching the parade, frosting slapsgiving cookies, NOT black friday shopping, going to the pops concert, and stopping at shop n' save after the concert to buy cheesey popcorn and ice cream. All but the latter are Thanksgiving traditions, and I'm really hoping next year we stick to the cheesey popcorn run. 
5. Coming home to a cozy apartment- have I mentioned how much I love it? I rearranged my furniture and it makes me so happy. If I could just get my new poster and paper towel holder screwed into the wall, it would be perfect. I even have ice cubes. 

Hard to believe this was 4 years ago...

Things Making me Happy Today

1. Felix Alfeo (see post below). Also, having people in your life to share huge moments like this. I love family, and I love moments like these that make everything change in the best way and bring people together. I love the people that aren't family (but still are) and share these moments-- when you tell your coworkers that there's a new baby in the family, they're mildly interested, but when you tell your best friend and highschool sweetheart, they are genuinely happy and understand these moments. Alec and Burt, thanks for knowing my life and sharing my joy.

2. Little Girls Selling Homemade Gifts-- These group of sisters were going door to door to sell pinecones that smell like cinnamon and have christmas glitter all over them. I loved it. They made them themselves to sell for a church project (their church is right beside our apartment complex), and now my apartment smells like the holidays.

3. Carl Harrison is the new president of Theta Chi- There is a pride that comes only from having experienced the struggle of being on an exec board for greek life. Being the boss of your friends is tough, and it is a job I would not wish on my darkest enemy, but he is going to do great things and will have such a great experience. I hope that he calls me in the middle of the night to vent about it the way I did to him.

One of the important lessons we learned on Exec was that while you should be able to say "thank you" to your chapter for the experiences and lessons, you should also be able to say "you're welcome" after making it better than you found it. So cheers to Harrison for putting himself into a position that will allow him to do that.

Welcome to the World, Felix!

It is official! On November 16th, my baby cousin, Felix Carlo Alfeo, was born (I'm not getting into that silly second-cousin nonsense; he is my cousin, the end. Maybe it could be like Star Trek, and he is the Next Generation of cousin).

To celebrate his birth, I'd like to highlight some of the big moments of November 16th and what they might indicate as to who this tiny person will grow up to be:

1) Tiberius, Emperor of Rome is born-  From this I think we can deduce that Felix will grow up to be a great conquerer of nations, and probably rule his own country.

2) Walt Disney launched Epcot Center's Experimental Prototype- This child will be worldly. That was always in the cards for him.

3) Alphonse Ardoinse is born- A creole accordian player. This seems completely fitting after Barbara and Nick's babymoon to New Orleans. Maybe they can suggest a different instrument, but we will love him either way.

4) Clark Gable died- Regardless of your views on reincarnation, it seems more than fair that Felix should inherit the world's most stunning mustache.

5) Maggie Gyllenhall- I'm not sure what this means. Will he become very famous and use his fame to highlight important political causes? Will he have great bone structure? Perhaps he will be best friends with Batman, who knows.

6) ABBA began their first tour of Europe- So relevant to being a Greene! He was already well on his way to being a pop dancing super star, and here is his sign. The stars are aligned for this child.

Welcome to the world, baby Felix! Welcome to parenthood, Barbara and Nick!

Some Things from Last Week

1. Getting to the gym again-- I cannot stress enough how much better I feel after 2 weeks of extremely sedentary living. It took me 47:20 to get 3 miles (which is more like walking with short bursts of running in between), but I'm not even mad about it because I'm so excited to have access to a treadmill again.

2. New Girl- I am so annoyed with how much I love this show, but I do. Jake Johnson is actually my boyfriend, and we are so happy together. In other news, watching fun sitcoms about roommates when you live alone is a lot like watching romantic comedies when you're really single. Clearly if my bang game was stronger I would have funny roommates.

3. Family that is mail heavy- I have gotten so many cards and packages in the last week, and I feel loved.

Mostly, I am tired and busy and excited to figure out how to manage my time so I don't always feel that way! I know adults go to bed after 10 and manage to do laundry multiple times a week and still go to work every day, so I feel confident I will figure it out soon.

Whoosh.

You know how sometimes, you just need something but you don't know what it is? Like when you think you're hungry so you eat something, but really you were just thirsty and a glass of water would have solved everything?

This whole week I've felt like I was holding my breath. It was exciting and scary and hard and good-- but mostly just exhausting. Today I was driving to dinner and the weather was perfect and my car was behaving and Ben Folds came on, and it was just this perfect moment of

Oh. That's what I needed.

And then I felt like I was breathing like a normal person again and there was no elephant on my chest and things will be ok.

So thanks, Ben Folds, and thanks Barbara for putting him on a mixed CD you gave me 10 years ago, and thanks dad for getting me an aux cord so I could play the rest of Rockin' the Suburbs off my ipod. Things are good.

Currently Reading: Yes, Please

“Because what else are we going to do? Say no? Say no to an opportunity that may be slightly out of our comfort zone? Quiet our voice because we are worried it is not perfect? I believe great people do things before they are ready.”
                                                                                               -Amy Poehler

Dream Pig

My junior year of college, I was inducted into Sigma Tau Delta (the English honor society). It felt like a big deal. I had proof that not only was I an English major, I might actually be good at it. I'm pretty sure President Helmer even gave me a hug. Every inductee was allowed to invite two guests (usually their parents) but that's a long drive for a short ceremony, so my littles came as surrogate family. They took pictures of me and patted me on the back and held my rose while I chatted with my professors, and I felt very very loved.

[Admittedly, getting into an honor society was not the type of thing I fussed about. My identity wasn't tied to my grades, and while I did well, I never cared about making dean's list or proving how smart I was. I was invited to other honor societies I didn't join because I didn't want to pay for them. No one (except maybe my grandmother) cared how many cords I wore on graduation. But for whatever reason, Sigma Tau Delta was the validation I needed in calling myself an English major. I was real. I had a pin that proved it. It was something I valued, and made a goal for, and met.] 

Since my parents couldn't be there, my mom got me a congratulations gift-- my Dream Pig. 

I was a cutesy idea to save money for my writing dreams (get it? Dream Big? Dream Pig?). If I started throwing change in it, I could start to save up for an apartment in Chicago, or take writing classes in LA, or whatever I wanted to do now that I was starting to consider using my English degree for something beyond an excuse to drink before noon (I kid). 

Today, I opened the dream pig... so I could get quarters to do laundry. 

In my apartment in Youngstown.

The day before I start my job--

in marketing. 

Is it what I planned? No. Am I disappointed? Not at all. 

Two years ago, I might have been. But I have a great apartment, and this job is a great opportunity that I worked hard for. It's not glamorous, but good stories don't start glamorously. I may not be using the dream pig for anything special, but I can afford a dream bank account now. In one year I'll have more money saved for my dreams than the dream pig would have collected in 10 years of living in New York. 

So while I'm not taking the conventional road to starving artistry, I'm pretty happy with the one I've found. Think of me when I start in the big bad corporate world tomorrow (or more accurately, a company with 1500 employees that hosts a prayer circle every monday morning) and start my new life direction. 

I believe in adapting your plans. 

Top 5 Friends Everyone Needs

Through high school, most of my friends were circumstantial (but still absolutely valuable and loved) so it wasn't until college that I fully understood the value of making friends. Before I left for BW, most of my friends were people I had known since I was 6. When I moved to Berea, I learned that not only was I responsible for actively making my friends, I was also able to hand-pick the people I wanted to hang out with (if you didn't grow up in a small town, you will not understand this. When your grandparents were best friends with a classmate's grandparents, you were stuck. When you both took Spanish II, or AP English, or Stage Band, you were stuck. This is why I never dated someone my age).

Now that I'm removed enough from college to feel settled in the friendships that lasted the latest transition, I've grouped some of the "types" of friends people might forget to find, but will definitely need. Also, these are all totally selfish and based on friends that make you a better person, and that's just fine. Friends should do that. If you can, be one of these people for someone else. 

1) The Activist- If you can find someone that hits all the major social rights groups, even better, but sometimes it's easier to fill this "type" of friend with several people. Sometimes, you may have questions (what's the appropriate way to refer to a transgender person? Why are feminists mad men asked them to smile?) because you aren't part of a certain community, but you want to be respectful in your ignorance. The Activist is your person. It can be scary to admit you don't know something, and even scarier when it's a heated topic, so this person is your go-to for how to be a more aware and considerate neighbor.

2) The Media Junkie- Again, this might be a few different people. I have friends I can text and get 5 music, book, or movie recommendations, and I could text them again next week and they could give me 5 more. These people broaden your horizon and make you think, and I'm also convinced these shared interests immortalize your friendship. There will never be talk of the good ol' days when you can talk about a new book. 

3) The Nurse- Everyone should have a friend that is in the health field. Someone you can call when you aren't sure if you should go to the ER, or that can explain glycemic index, or just give you piece of mind when WebMD tells you you're dying of infected-hangnail-syndrome. Seriously, make one of these friends NOW, because when you're sick and you don't know how much of what medicine to take, these people are the best. 

4) The Current-Events Snob- If you don't have time to read a newspaper or listen to NPR, just make friends with one of these people and enjoy the fruits of their labor. They love talking about news, and you don't look like a fool when you're talking to other people who assume you've been following Iceland's Spatula Crisis. 

5) The Lifetime Friend- Not everyone has one of these, and I know I'm lucky to have several. The lifetime friend is the person that remembers the one time you threw up in gym class in kindergarden, and when you had your first kiss in middle school. They remember all your fears, even the ones you conquered over a decade ago. They were there when you were nervous to start high school, watched you cry when you left for college, and shared your fears after graduation. For a lot of people, the lifetime friend is a sibling-- even if they aren't, you usually share moms. I know that if Becky Greene can't come to my rescue, Momma Hines will. The lifetime friend is the most difficult to hold on to (it takes a lot of flexibility for a friendship to withstand so much change) but more valuable than the other four put together (or at least 2 out of the 4. No reason to give Burt and Harrison more of an ego). 

Currently Listening...

Have I posted this before? I feel like I have. Either way, I love it and it always makes me feel wistful.

Tyler gave me a list of bands I should be listening to, so while I'm doing boring adult stuff (tonight, it's studying sales ads because I legitimately have no idea what a "good price" is for a lot of things) I can listen to new music and get out of my rut. 

November: Coming of Age Movies

Since November marks my month of new, big-girl type adventures, I decided it is totally appropriate to make this month's theme Coming of Age Movies. This was a little harder to set up as a list, so suggestions would be much appreciated!

Already Viewed:

Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky, 2012) I will never stop loving this movie. It is so perfectly sincere and honest and everything teenagers need to know, without being overly dramatic or boring.
Stuck in Love (Josh Boone, 2012) I didn't expect to even watch the whole thing, and instead I ended up loving it. If you're in the mood for a predictable but light, family-friendly romantic drama, this is it.
Palo Alto (James Franco, 2013) Blech. Go home, James Franco. This has "I am so smart give me an award" all over it.


Potential November Flicks:

Stand By Me (Rob Reiner, 1986) I've seen pieces before, but it's one of the "traditional" coming-of-ages, which is not as popular with the IMDB list-making crowd.
Rebel without a Cause (Nicholas Ray, 1955)
The Karate Kid (John G. Avildsen, 1984) I know, how have I gone this long without seeing it?
Say Anything (Cameron Crowe, 1989)
The Spectacular Now (James Ponsoldt, 2013) This was consistently on every list I looked at for coming-of-age movies, even more than Breakfast Club.
Reality Bites (Ben Stiller, 1994)
The Virgin Suicides (Sofia Coppola, 1999) I loved the book, and this has been on my watch list for a while.
Kicking and Screaming (Noah Baumbach, 1995)
High Fidelity (Stephen Frears, 2000)


So, that's November! Let me know if you have suggestions to add!

Case of the Mondays

1. Finding a Bug on my Thermostat-- Bugs do not belong places I put my finger. Bugs do not belong anywhere in my space. There was only one, but now I'm paranoid that I'll find more.

2. Being Denied a Library Card-- In Berea, all I had to do was ask nicely and they gave me a library card. In Youngstown, they demand a photo ID proving my residency. The lady at the desk got me so flustered (she was very pushy about what kind of ID I could use and was totally skeptical when I said I didn't have any of her options since I had only moved two days ago. No, lady, I am not trying to con my way to a free library card) that I ended up walking out of the library after we ended our super uncomfortable conversation. Then once I got to my car, I realized that I could have stayed just to see the library and sit, but it was such a weird interaction that I didn't want to go back in.

3. Netflix not Connecting-- Stupid. Thankfully, Amazon instant video has my back tonight.

Now, the Good Things!

1. Getting my first package delivered- I have a real antennae now! I haven't gotten it out of the package yet, but it got here, which means other packages will also find their way to me.

2. Spending the day with Becca and Momma Wagner- They took me to an Italian restaurant (because Youngstown is super Italian) and then drove me around Boardman so I could see where everything was. Then I went to their house, so now I know how to get there!

3. Having chocolate/peanut butter cookies in my cupboard- Sure, the girlscouts do it best, but the cheap version of tagalongs are still delicious.

3 Things about this Weekend

1. Getting Excited about Adult Things- According to my timehop, last year I was excited because Clint Eastwood called me to remind me to vote. This year, I'm excited because one of the three carports open at my building is directly across from my door. Instead of $5 pitchers at Eastland Inn four times a month, I will be indulging in parking my car under a roof.

Other exciting things? Being able to put nails in my walls, buying a pet plant (which still needs a name), having family that helps move heavy furniture, living near multiple grocery stores, having a dishwasher, and getting 12 channels with my dad's wire antennae. Also, buying a new lamp was a pretty big deal.

2. Being Anxious about Adult Things- There is so much space in this apartment! I know that this is a luxury anxiety, but you could actually live in my closet (which also means murderers can lurk in there). Cooking is also very scary to me. Not the actual cooking part, but the part where I have to make responsible nutritious choices and plan ahead. Also, I haven't been overwhelmed with loneliness, but I worry about getting lonely. Usually it happens when I look at the clock thinking it's almost bedtime, but it's 6 o'clock and I still have lots of day to do something with. Yesterday I went to Kmart and Marc's and just wandered around for a while. Tonight, I'm organizing my planner and making a budget.

3. Having Basic Comforts in Adult Life- I don't care how bad the finale was, How I Met Your Mother will always be the security blanket of tv shows and having it on while I'm nesting is a Good Thing. Also, my literal security blanket (my fuzzy pink blanket I've had since freshman year) has been equally great-- especially since my apartment smells like paint, so I have to leave the porch door open and it's freezing. I'm also super happy with my shower. When I was struggling to adjust to college, Barbara told me that sometimes a warm shower is all you need to calm down and feel better. So I have everything I need to manage this!

Bonus: I am currently living 12 minutes away from my roommate's mom, and she comes up to visit her on the weekends, so it's not even like I'm starting new! Becca came over yesterday so I didn't have to sit alone all night, and she just called to check in on me and make lunch plans or tomorrow.