2013 Resolutions (N.a.P.)

Taken from bakedvision

Of the resolutions I had last year, I accomplished one of them.  That's not great, but that just gives me a chance to rethink my priorities and goals for 2013.  In 2012, I learned that I can get a respectable GPA, maintain friendships while maintaining relationships, being a good employee, and eat healthier than I have before.  Even though those weren't listed as goals, I think it says a lot about me that I could achieve that.

Taking into account what I have achieved, these goals are my resolutions in 2013!

• Get a 2013 GPA of 3.3.
• The health goals start here:
• Drink 3 cups of tea per day (morning, afternoon, evening)
• Eat meat five days a week
• Weigh 135 pounds (this target was a goal last year, but I have a better means of attaining it next year)
• Have a dietary plan for the week and try not to stray
• Do cardio at the gym twice a week and do weights 3 times a week
• Sketch at least 3 times a week
• Not use the computer as the default for entertainment

What are your resolutions?

New Year's Resolution 2012 (N.a.P.)

So, as usual, I make resolutions every year mostly based on the mistakes I make the year before.  Though 2011 was fairly difficult, I achieved most of my goals and so now, naturally, it's time to make new ones.  Here they are!

• Weigh 135 pounds by December 31st, 2012
• Maintain my closes friendships
• Bring my protein intake down to 25% (I was going to shoot for 10%-15%, but baby steps)
• Increase my intake of fruits and vegetables
• Bake everything in Babycakes by the end of 2012 (and blog about it)
• Post 3 looks a week on lookbook.nu
• Actually maintain my music tumblr
• Read 5 to 10 books

What are your resolutions?

Christmas Recap (N.a.P.)

Taken from 3vilkid

So after eating lots of food and enjoying time with my friends and family, I received additional gifts.  And they are:

• Letter of accepted transfer to Cornell CALS
• Rarity toy
• Rainbow Dash painting
• Pink puffball hat
• Nail polish
• Money
• Gingerdead cookie cutter
• Earrings
• Candy canes
• iPod Classic
• Clothes
• Bracelets
• Makeup carrying pouch (so useful!)
• Purse
• What to Cook and How to Cook It by Jane Hornby
• Bras
• Scarf

Hope you all had a lovely holiday.  Merry Christmas!

Ten Reasons Why He's My Favorite (N.a.P.)

Taken from sunshinerosepetal

There comes a time in every relationship when you're mad a your other or they're mad at you or something is just going horrifically wrong and you find yourself in the fetal position contemplating every way you could fix it.  That was me last weekend.  And this weekend, everything seems to be working.  He calls me.  We skyped earlier today even.  I saw his face and got really giddy and excited.  But I can't just be giddy and excited when I see him.  I need to be excited most of the time.  Until he actually does something to hurt me.  So since I'm bored and romantic-y, here are ten reasons why Tim is still my favorite.

1. We can watch the same bizarre television shows together.  He likes South Park, I love it.  Almost every show he shows me, I enjoy.  Right now, I'm checking out Arrested Development because it's one of his favorites.  And we have similar humor.  I mean, sure, it's hard to get a guy to like My Little Pony or The Vampire Diaries, but he's slowly starting to accept that it makes me cheerful and it's going to be a topic in conversation.

2. He's soft-spoken.  He's one of those guys that you never would have guessed had an awesome personality if you didn't make the first steps and started talking to him.  That's kind of the story of me and him.  And I'm so glad I kind of creepily clung to him after that one lunch with friends from class.  But he's really shy and it's pretty endearing.  And, this will sound awful, makes me feel comfortable that me and him share this secret of his personality and that I won't have to compete for attention--either from him or other people.

3. We listen to the same music.  Like, exactly the same music.  I show him an indie band, he shows me techno and our musical tastes are both enriched by the exchange.  We go to concerts together, have a great time, and then sit on stoops and talk about how good it was.  We've done this three times so far.  And each concert gets better.

4. He's there for me when I need him.  Sure, last weekend and the days leading up that was an issue, but there are countless times when something at a party or hang out went totally wrong and for some reason or other, I'm scared or in tears and he's there.  He's on the phone, taking a break from his party until I feel better.

5. The way he makes me laugh.  Usually when he writes something funny, it's gut-wrenching laughter.  The most recent I can think of is everytime I say something like "I miss your face."  And he responds with "me too."  And I'm like "damn, boy."  And he says "Yep, I miss my face all the time."  And then we laugh and endorphines are released and life is good.  He's a pretty funny dude, but see point number 2.

6.  He enjoys my baking.  I haven't baked a nonvegan pastry in forever.  And now that I have to eat mostly gluten-free, the Babycakes pastry book has been overly convenient.  And most people like their pastries to be milk-full and egg-full.  But he enjoys mine.  And there's no more awesome feeling in regards to cooking when the person you're dating, who you spend time baking and planning meals for, enjoys eating them.

7. The way we snuggle.  Not going to lie, the first time I went to sleepover at his room in Poland, I was worried snuggling might be uncomfortable.  He's six feet tall and is a bean pole.  But he is just so much taller and longer than I that he basically forms a crescent around my small frame.  And he just holds me so close.  Like, I can feel his chin on my shoulder.  The best feeling: when he kisses my shoulder before falling asleep and upon waking.  It's just so comforting and I can't wait to enjoy it in two weeks.

8.  He's a computer science major, I suck at computer science, and we get along perfectly.  People have asked us what we talk about.  But there are things pertaining to majors, such as future plans, that transcend dislike and disinterest.  And honestly, I find it completely adorable when he gushes over his computer architecture class.

9. He lets us do our own thing.  He likes driving around with his friends, I like watching hulu with mine.  He goes to parties, I stay in and watch shows and blog.  We totally respect each other's time spending.  As long as some contact is maintained.  Like, when we party, we call each other to feel like we're enjoying the experience together.  And we giggle at the silly things that are happening and it isn't too obnoxious.  Except for when we get to the slurry part.  Then it gets completely obnoxious.  And now to round out the list...

10. He is really attractive.  What can I say?  Like most normal girlfriends,  I am attracted to my boyfriend.  He's tall, lean, handsome, has gorgeous eyes, and a great personality.  What's not to like?

Krakow (N.a.P.)

My stay in Krakow could be summarized by a month-long booze and crappy eating fest with some studying and dating in between.  You might think I'm joking, but I'm really not.  So let's do a week by week run down.

WEEK ONE

I moved into this lovely building where my room was attached to another by a bathroom and we had a communal balcony.  How many dorms in American have balconies?  That's what I thought.  The first day I met my roommates and went to the downstairs bar to meet people.  Everyone seemed pretty chill but were pretty tired from coming into the dorm that day.  The second day I took a placement test and got into level B1, which is for people who can speak but not spell good.  We had two teachers per lesson, a vocabulary teacher and a grammar teacher.  I also took an afternoon course in Twentieth Century Polish literature.  That was fun, I guess.  After classes, my roommates and I checked out the Polish night life and did a lot of this:

Mm, yep.  That weekend, we went on a rafting tour, which was fun but kind of scary at the same time.  This one kid got heat stroke, passed out, and threw up because of food poisoning.  Forty-four other people got food poisoning too, which was kind of scary so they closed the dining hall downstairs.  I avoided it and got to enjoy this lovely view:

WEEK TWO

I went exploring the town with my uncle and grandfather (not actually related, of course.  I have a strange habit of calling people relatives).  But I also started spending a lot of time with this lovely human being:

He is my boyfriend now and we complement each other very well.  So I did less partying and more dating.  Well, that's not entirely true.  I did go out for my roomie's birthday to this fancy club.  I still can't decide if I actually liked the club or not, but some things will never be known.  That weekend, we went on a hiking trip in  further southern Poland in the town of Zakopane.  In true TKF form, we arrived an hour and a half late and only go to see the crappy waterfall, not the cool one.  Hanging out was fun though.

And then afterwards, my fake family and I went to the absinthe bar to enjoy a few drinks and a few more bars and basically turn into the best shit show of the century.  Because that is what cool kids do after hiking and midterms.

WEEK THREE

The third week was another week of exploring the city, but also kind of melancholy because the three-weekers were leaving so everyone wanted to spend as much time with them as possible.  But I also met my boyfriend's brother who came for what we called the three day accelerated course in drinking.  He wasn't actually part of the program, but we made him feel like he was.

We also had this cute, course-wide bonfire where there were contests and singing and, of course, kielbasa.  The sad part was, it had rained so much that day that it screwed up the fire wood so we didn't have an awesome burning inferno on the dorm quad, but the sausage was good and everyone had a good time.

The last day of the week was the closing ceremony for the three-weekers.  My boyfriend and I skipped it to go to a Morrissey concert.  It was SO MUCH FUN.  I only heard a handful of songs before, but this 50-something-year-old man had true stage presence.  And the dubstepper I'm dating liked him, which was totally bizarre.  But I had a ton of fun.  And then afterwards, we went to the closing ceremony after party, which for many people, was another shit show.

WEEK FOUR

The first day of the last week, we went to a salt mine.  It was pretty awesome.  It's so bizarre how it's all underground and still really preserved.  In addition, there were salt statues there a few decades old and they haven't come apart yet.  I got really light-headed and giddy from the lack of oxygen, so my friends had a hey-day with that.

That week was also a cultural excursion for me.  My boyfriend took me to an art museum and the next day me and my other friends went to the zoo while he was packing and stuff.  The zoo was surprisingly a lot of fun.  Polish animals are interesting, mostly kind of slow because of the crappy weather.  I've never been to a Polish zoo before and I haven't been to a zoo in general in years.  But making jokes and enjoying one of the few good days was a nice experience.

We also had the four-weeker closing ceremony, which was really cute.  There was a slide show, musical performances, and the giving out of diplomas.  I got an A in both my classes, which made me ecstatic to the point of tears.  So we also had an after party and I had a lot of fun with my friends (my boyfriend couldn't be there because he's backpacking for a week and kind of fell off the face of the Earth).  But the next day, we went out to a fancy place to get nice deserts and later went out for drinks together for the last time.

Poland this year was an amazing experience.  I met a ton of great people, fell in like, learned a language, and started to appreciate my Polish culture a whole lot more.

On My Way to Krakow (N.a.P.)

Taken from 

So, in a few hours, I'll be boarding a bus to the capital of Poland, Warsaw, and then a train to my final destination here: Krakow.  I'll be starting a four-week summer program where I'll be taking Polish language (finally need to learn grammar, yo) and learning about 21st Century literature.  But before all that, I spent some time in Goniadz.

All following photos come from my flickr

There's a river, Biebrza, where I used to swim all the time, but there wasn't much water and it was pretty cold most of the time, so I spent a lot of time walking around and taking pictures of things with my friends.  There were a few parties, but those were at night.  And I'm pretty sure my friend still owes this one kid 10 zloty (around $3.5) for booze.  It's legal for kids under 21 to drink here and it blew my mind.

But, we also spent a day in my home town of Bialystok, where my friend and I saw a play and my mom and I took care of important things.  Like getting my proof citizenship card and a bank account set up.

When I get to Krakow, I'm going to have to move in, meet my roomie, get a monthly bus pass, and settle in and take a little break from vacation and be a college kid again.  I'm excited to meet new people and for all the adventures that await!

My Two Cents (N.a.P.)

Taken from Yahoo! news

I want to preface this with the statement that I am not one for revenge.  And that is mostly because I had a Christian upbringing where if someone wrongs you, turn the other cheek, walk away, talk it out, or in general do anything that doesn't involve hurting the other person because it's better for the soul.  Or because you're better than that, pick your side.

That being said, there's also the concept of justice.  Justice is generally defined as moral righteousness or exacting some form of punishment on people who performed misdeeds.  Sure, it is not right to revel in the fact that someone just died, but this man wronged a few thousand people in a matter of hours ten years ago.  I don't think the US should have out right killed him, but if he went down in a fight, then at least they gave him a shot.  I'm sure the US would have much rather given him a trial and heard his side of the story than just taking a gun to his head, as South Park seems to imply (South Park is not a credible source for anything, just so you know).  Some people argue, this point I agree with, that they gave the suspects a trial, but that's because they were suspects; it wasn't a known fact unlike in Osama Bin Laden's case.  But that doesn't mean we should have outright killed him.  But if they were planning on taking him and he wouldn't go without a fight and got killed during the raid, that's what happened.  Can't change that.

Most parts of the US are celebrating.  Hell, people are posting statuses equating it to Harry Potter or talking about how coincidental it is that 66 years ago, Hitler was also announced dead on May Day.  That's people's means of expressing themselves.  Others are worried or fearful of what is to come.  Al-Qaeda just lost one of its leaders, so they are probably mournful of that.  And perhaps even planning on retaliating.  But I guess all we can do is hope that things will get better, because right now, there is no guarantee.

A Little Informal Today (N.a.P.)

Taken from kitty revival

So, I'm keeping things informal today.  Like, I usually try to have some form of structure when it comes to the paragraph poems (mostly because I'm too lazy to figure out where to break it).  But today I just want to talk about working out and stuff.

I've been doing a lot of it recently.  I mean, I jump rope at least twice a day, 15 minutes a round.  And I've gotten so much better at it!  It's really really exciting.  Like, I can do side-to-side jumps which doesn't sound like much, but for me, it's great.  I can jump a lot without the rope catching onto my foot.  It's great!

I still need to work up to getting through a second circuit of that Tron workout I'm trying to do.  It's just so hard!  After the first one and the jump rope cardio, I want to like...collapse on my bed and stay there haha.  That sounds horrifically lazy.  But I'm working on it!  The sucky part is that back on campus, I won't be able to jump rope, but I realized I could go to the gym really fast in the morning and do 1000 meters or so on the erg machine because that doesn't take as long as, say, trying to do 30 minutes on the elliptical, even though that's a definite time frame.  I'm just trying to figure out ways to stay active on campus so I don't derail my liking of my body too hard too soon.

Gift Recap (N.a.P.)

Taken from * The stars that shine for you ... *

So, like a lot of people, I got gifts from people!   I didn't even ask for much, so I am super appreciative of everything my relatives and friends got me.  Here's an idea of what I got this Christmas:

• My period
• A cold sore
• A net book
• A few nice dresses (girl's gotta look pretty when going out to parties)
• Jewelry to accessorize  those dresses with
• A new hat
• New slippers (they are awesome)
• A mini coin/ID pouch
• A nail kit
• New straightener
• Yelling Bird squishable (IT'S LIKE HUGGING A PERSON)
• A book about the Apocalypse
• Despicable Me on DVD/Bluray
• A circle scarf
• Photo albums
• Body wash
• Candy

I think that's it.   My break has been amazingly restful and nonproductive.  Well, that's not true.  I've done a ton of movie watching and hanging out.  It's been great.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

First Semester: Top 10 Academic Moments (N.a.P.)

So as you people know from my blog, I've led a pretty active social life and an emotionally demolishing academic life.  But it's all in good fun.  Since today was the last day of classes, I am writing about the top moments in my classes.  Because the social and study life hasn't ended quite yet.

1. Getting really close to the mean on my last calculus prelim: It had to happen eventually, but it was such a good feeling, I ate a chocolate chip cookie.  My tummy is going to hate me in a bit.
2. Doing an entire assignment for computer science by myself: I cried a lot.  I cried while doing it, I cried when it was done, I cried when I got a good grade.  Mind you, the last two were out of happiness.
3. Playing a game in chemistry class: It was ONE TIME.  And it was hilarious.
4.  8 AM classes: Never again.
5. When my TA didn't show up for discussion: It was the Tuesday before a prelim.  We could have actually benefited and she decided to just not show up due to sickness and then have office hours when no one could come.
6. Going out on Thursdays and making it to class every Friday: It is QUITE the accomplishment.  Trust me.
7. Freshman Writing Seminar class: Listening to a professor talk for 75 minutes each "discussion"?  Never again.
8. Not having a stable syllabus in FWS: There's an only time for everything.
9. Taking that first prelim:  I've never felt so scared in my life.  And it was pouring rain.  NOT FUN.
10. Creating the sun in chem class: Burning magnesium has about the same light intensity as the sun.  Don't try it now, just go to a 2090 lecture before a break.  Or the end of the year.

I just have to survive finals.  And then move onto semester 2 of engineering school.  I WILL SURVIVE, BITCHES.

Sunday November 21st (N.a.P.)

I honestly have no time today to think of a decently clever poem about my life and weekend, so you get this instead.  Here is a look into my mind when I do too much and somehow don't get enough done.  Like, waking up before 10 AM on weekend days because I have work and stupid crap like that.  So here is a to-do list of things I need to accomplish or else I am totally fucked this week.

• If I Get a Ride to Walmart
• brunch at RPCC at 10:30 AM
• get in car, go to Walmart
• come back, do some math homework
• go to Duffield for tutoring at 1 PM
• work on chem and computer science all day long
• If I Don't a Ride to Walmart
• brunch at RPCC at 10 AM
• wait hour for bus
• sit in bus for an hour
• get on bus to get back which takes an hour and a half including wait time
• go straight to Duffield, meaning lugging my math textbook to Walmart
• do work and grumble about buses all day long

I hate how far everything mostly useful in this town is from campus.  I have work to do!  Oh well, who sleeps anymore anyway?

Halloween (N.a.P.)

So this year for Halloween, I went as a "Scottie Hottie" just because of a stupid accent-related incident that occurs every time I go to a party.  Costume wasn't too slutty, which made me happy.  Other people had pretty cool ones.  There was the Statue of Liberty, Rihanna, Chatroulette Troll, Lumberjack, Deadmau5, Chewbacca, Frat bros, Emo kids, etc, etc.  The music was good, people were fun.  I usually spend my Halloweens at home with my friends or going to see the annual parade.  If I could make it to the city to see the Greenwich Village one, I totally would.  Now, for some pictures.

FOOD (N.a.P.)

Doing a food photo blog about the awesome things I ate today.  I hung out with PBD, Designer Boy, and Alice Dork.  It was so much fun and awesome to be getting real non-dining-hall food.  I hope your stomach gets excited!  Images are all from Google Images.

Camping Trip (N.a.P.)

Friday night to Saturday, I went camping with my unit and it was super duper fun.  The RA and faculty in residence were there, so we had some supervision, but it was still great.  So here are some pictures.  We made some food, put up tents, roasted marshmallows, and went for a hike.  I won't caption these, but you can get the idea of what went on.

Have you guys ever gone camping?  What was it like?

Turning Over a Leaf (N.a.P.)

Last night, I cried genuinely for the first time at Cornell. That other time I cried, just tears went down but it wasn't cathartic at all.  Last night, I cried so hard so much hurt.  And honestly, it was awesome.  It's the first time I genuinely gave a shit about something other than...I cannot finish that statement.  Not because the thing at the end of it is scandalous or stupid like "getting laid" but because there isn't anything there.  There hasn't been much since October of last year.  I've made some of the best friendships ever, but I don't really look too far ahead to see where I'll wind up..

But last night, I just got taken back to the really really bad place I was in sophomore year.  Before I met MSCBFF.  I never talk about what went down in those months because honestly, it's all I remember.  I had to piece the rest of that time together through essays and notebooks I had in class.  It wasn't good.  I would say fun, but that is belittling how crappy it was.  I know me and the person involved have forgiven each other and whatever, but the fact that the situation ever came to pass is still there.  And that's about as much as I'll talk about it.

I know getting left behind last night was a total misunderstanding and miscommunication.  So I will use the phrase that I've been using for all the good encounters I have: "If it's only tonight, that's alright with me."  But this morning I realized that I cannot be that passive or complacent.  I have to look to the long term.  This time, I am not leaving in 4weeks.  I'm sticking around a bit.  I can stop surviving and working on the immediate.  I want to make lasting connections.  And you know what?  I will.  The risk-taker that hasn't been around for a while is back.  She's going back to the adrenaline of being unsure rather than just not doing anything to avoid that exhilarating fear.  And sure, it might hurt, but it'll be more awesome than not doing anything.

Happy Labor Day weekend people.

"And It Goes POW POW POW POW POW" (N.a.P.)

The lyrics in the title are taken from the LCD Soundsystem song I started off my first college morning with.   But I had a good first day yesterday.  I met all my suitemates, my room hasn't fallen apart yet, and I think I made a few friends...I think.  I mean, at least I met people like Masshole and VA Gamer who I talked to a lot on facebook and didn't really get the chance to hang out with when I first met up with them.  Curse you, parents!

Anyway, it's like midnight. Been running around up and down campus lots because I guess they want their engineering kids to be skinny.  So I am tired.  I will have a legit entry...soon.  I hope.

Going Away To College For a Bit (N.a.P.)

Dear My People,

So I'm leaving for Ithaca, New York in a day or less. Butt-fuck no where, I know. And I have to be up at 4 AM, so I probably won't be sleeping tonight.  Actually, I might have to.  And I know I'm really excited and you're all thrilled for me. But there's definitely a huge chunk of you that are like "oh noez, Imma miss yo face" and "what am I going to do without youz?" There's a huge chunk of me that'll be like that too.

Let's step back, and breathe.  Haha, I'm being such a hypocrite.  As I'm editing this for 5 millionth time, making sure it's perfect, tears are streaming down my face because, you know, acoustic music is the best stuff to listen to when you're leaving most things and people you know for a while and need to get that full nostalgic effect.  But, I'm going to take it up like a big girl.  In all honesty, I'm a bit scared.  I've been away in places by myself, but I haven't actually lived there. 

But it's not like I'm being sent away to a hermitage or a nunnery or a cloister where I won't be able to contact you ever. I will keep in touch with those of you that have made a permanent residence in my heart (so corny, I know, bear with me). And I shall also keep in touch with those that I met recently, since I like following through on things and seeing where I'll wind up. Sure, we didn't get the chance to spend enough time to see where it will go. Good news?  I am coming back for Columbus Day weekend and Thanksgiving and Christmas/ January.

In addition to the so-far-yet-so-closeness of where my college is, there's also cell phones and facebook and the blog. I have T-Mobile so my cell reception might be terrible, but there's free wifi so computer is the way to go. Granted, I won't be able to be online as often as I was during the summer. The first week or so, I won't be online at all.  But wall posts and facebook inbox messages and emails are welcome. I like those better because I can step back and think of something super eloquent to say. Or reply quickly with something clever and snarky. Pick one.

But I will miss a whole bunch of people. Because I care. And I will try my best to keep in touch with everyone. I'm not going to make any promises for fear of disappointment and rawr towards me. Unless it's dinosaur "I love you" rawr. I'm not going to try to be profound (because that is stupid), but even in my collegiate state of study, friends, and God knows whatever else goes on at school, I won't forget the people who helped me be the girl I am today.  That's the only thing I can promise.

Love, hugs, and sincerity,
Joanna

P.S.: Here's a play list of songs just for you guys.
P.P.S.: Seal found on the Internet via Google images.

My Cover of "Last Night on Earth" (N.a.P.)

So this video is dedicated to my friends.  Because I love them.  And one of them thinks Ithaca is not on Earth (Alice Dork). This is my first time singing into a webcam and showing off my guitar skills (or lack there of). Please be nice xD

It Hit Me (N.a.P.)

Instead of doing a poem, I'll post some pictures I found on the internets of things that are my favorite things from home that I can't take with me.  All images are from iStockPhoto, Flickr, and the Guardian.  God, I feel so crappy right now.  Why is it only 5 days?

Everything is all ready for packing.  I just picked out my outfits for the next 5 days so that I don't have to sift through what's been put away to find something to wear.  Actually, screw that.  Let's go on sheer spontaneity.

Anyway, about the pics.  Each of those places have lots of meaning for me.  I either hung out there, had a memory there, or met really awesome people there.  And those are pieces of home you can't take with you.  Unless I figure out a way to make everything at Cornell open for 24 hours.  That will most likely wind up being my room.