this blog entry is gonna make me seem like a real alchy.

Tonight, I'm enjoying a cold can of the glorious National Bohemian beer and basically being a homebody on a Saturday night. Zach just bought Dead Space 2 and it is very loud and very scary, so I've retired to my bed with my beer and computer. Thank god for wifi.

I don't know if it's super appropriate to be drinking a beer at 6:30 pm on a Saturday (uh, why wouldn't it be? stupid old Catholic guilt residue!), but here I am.

Recap of the weekend time! Okay, so, on Thursday night I had to attend Phi Alpha Delta initiation with Zach, which ended up at the 13th floor bar at the Belvedere. I had a couple of gin and tonics with the dinner afterward, and then it was JERSDAY! Yes, I, an educated lady who has skin the color of plain yogurt and who has exactly zero animal print articles of clothing, LOVE Jersey Shore. I can't explain it. It's a guilty pleasure that I have seriously come to enjoy over the past year or so. So, Zach, Ellyn and I walked to the liquor store on the way home from the 13th floor and what do our eyes spy in the refrigerated section but...

Yes, the dreaded and ...banned?! Four Loko. Not sure what the specifications of the ban are or whether or not this unnamed liquor store was breaking the law, but we suddenly had the compulsion to purchase four cans (one for each of us including Lindsay, who had class until 9:30 and would meet us at our apartment). Oh, this was truly a terrible idea. But it seemed fabulous at the time. So, Jersey Shore commenced and my boo DJ Pauly D was extraordinarily funny the entire episode. I drank about half of my "Lemonade" Four Loko and apparently this was impressive. I think it just tasted so bad that I wanted to get it over with quickly. I would soon regret this decision. 

Four Loko doesn't give you a normal drunk feeling. It makes you feel crazy. At one point I was interpretive dancing with Lindsay to the Age of Aquarius song by the 5th Dimension. Then, we played the Michael Jackson experience Wii game and I'm not sure, but I think I gave it 110%. I was convinced that it would help me burn off the calories from the Chinese food we ordered earlier in the evening.

So, I think it goes without saying that I remember exactly nothing from that night after we watched 30 Rock and that my head felt like it was in a vise the following morning. Never shall you tempt me with your bright colors and good-sounding flavors again, Four Loko! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...shame on me.

The rest of the weekend has been pretty inconsequential. Zach got his Macbook keyboard replaced for free by the kind folks at the Apple Store (the details of the breaking of the keyboard are fuzzy. I maintain my innocence in the matter). I made a nice pasta dish for dinner. I absolutely scrubbed the bathroom and kitchen and did all the laundry, and now there is nothing keeping me from doing homework. Except for blogging, and listening to random music on Pandora radio, and possibly drinking more beer. But we'll see. 

oh how I wish I was going to dollar taco night at Holy Frijoles.

So, I just got a text before I sat down for my last class of the day, from my law school pal Zac. Not my boyfriend Zach, my friend Zac. Yes, it is confusing. Anyway, he wanted to know if we wanted to join him for dollar taco night at Holy Frijoles, a Mexican restaurant in Hampden. We went after the end of last semester, and it was absolutely delicious and cheap (well, would have been cheap had I not splurged on a cucumber gin martini. mmm..gin), and I really wanted to go tonight. Sadly, I'm in class until 7:35 p.m. and I swore I would go to the gym after class. I'm also trying to eat significantly healthier, and that does not generally involve gorging on delicious tacos.

I'm in class right now and the lecture is boring me to tears, and my headache is ridiculous. This class always gives me a headache and it's not because of the subject matter, it's because the girl in front of me wears the world's strongest perfume. I know I've ranted about this on twitter and facebook but honestly, it's getting really bad. I never thought I was very sensitive to smells, either. I can walk through a Bath and Body Works or a Yankee Candle Store without any problem, and I do wear perfume, it's just very light and you can't really smell it unless you're RIGHT NEXT TO MY NECK. I narrowed it down to the culprit today because she was late to class and the smell was not present until she sat down. I can't even describe it...it's very harsh and strong, but not particularly flowery..ah. I don't know. Anyway, this class is basically me being surrounded by annoying sounds and smells. The guy next to me chews his gum loudly, and the girl next to me and the guy behind me both clear their throats 2000 times per class session. My senses, they are assaulted.

I'm wearing my contacts today. I hate working out with my glasses on, and I didn't want to shove my contacts in in the gym locker room, so I put them in at home around 1pm during my break. So far my eyes aren't red, but I am going to keep wearing them very sparingly because I don't want to look like the Black Swan poster every day of my life again. Although, if they do have the same effect on my eyes, I could probably be Natalie Portman in that scene for next Halloween, as long as I lose about sixty pounds.

An update before class.

So, basically after my challenge was over, I pretty much stopped updating this thing. I've been so, so busy with classes and getting back in the swing of things at school that blogging is pretty much the last priority. I have some time before I have to leave for class at three, so while I enjoy this cup of tea I'll make a little update.

I got back from California on January 9, and classes began January 11. That meant that I had only two days in which to get over jet lag, purchase my books for the upcoming semester, complete my homework for the first day of classes, oh, and sleep. It was exhausting and I think I napped for eight hours in one day after the first week was over. It was totally worth it though..my nephew is the world's cutest baby and I am so glad I got to spend time with him. I can't wait until my sister comes out to visit in February/March (she has not decided yet).

Look at that face! 

My classes this semester are great so far. I've gotten called on in Con Crim Pro TWICE so far (he cold called on me the first day, and the third class he began calling on people row by row. I sit in the first row.) Astoundingly, I knew the answer both times. I think I am finally getting used to this "talking in class" thing.

I was relatively pleased with all of my grades from last semester. I did much better than I have done in the past and I didn't feel that crushing despair I normally feel when I receive my G.P.A. I am very busy with classes, like I said, but I've still been able to see my friends and hang out with them when I have the time. I've even been able to cook a bit. I think I'm going to start linking to recipes in my blog that I made that week, meals that ended up being delicious. Here are a couple:

Roasted Eggplant Soup. Sounds odd, I know, and I've actually never eaten eggplant before, but it was delicious. If you like things with a little kick (and I do), I highly recommend adding her "spice suggestions", which I believe are 1-2 teaspoons of cumin, 1 teaspoon of coriander and a pinch of red pepper flakes. I just had a bowl for lunch and it was perfect for a rainy day like today.

Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers. This was so tasty and healthy, too! Zach's mom has a subscription to Cooking Light and I read a few of her copies over break, and then I checked out the website to see what they had for ideas. I just used the thin sliced chicken cutlets that I normally use to make anything with chicken and everything turned out great. Zach was skeptical, but he cleaned his plate.

That's basically all the "real" recipes I've made this week (I also made chicken parmesan and a stir fry over rice, but those aren't really recipes). This weekend I plan to organize my cupboards and take stock of all of the things I have, because I almost always end up overbuying things when I don't realize I already have them. For example, my six cans of black beans.

I was in Target a couple of days ago and I saw that they had a 6 quart Crock Pot on sale for only $30! I've always wanted a slow cooker, especially this semester because there are two days a week when Zach and I don't get back from class until almost 8 p.m. and it would be nice to have a meal all warm and ready to go. It also came with a "Little Dipper" which is basically a teeny Crock Pot to put warm dips in for parties. I was pleased, because I didn't realize that when I bought it so it was a nice added bonus. I think this week I am going to attempt beef stew in it, so we will see how that goes.

I have to head off to class now. See ya, three blog readers!

new bangs, new year.

I'm still in Lake Tahoe, CA with my family visiting my sister/brother in law and brand new nephew. He is simply adorable. He is currently at his first doctor's appointment so I am just hanging out at their house by myself. Did some laundry and whatnot.

Four out of five of my grades have been posted, and I'm relatively pleased with all of them so far. I suppose that has a lot to do with the second year curve being higher, but I do feel as if I worked much harder this semester and I actually understood a lot of my classes (which is pretty much a first, haha) so I'm happy.

Time to go finish the laundry. It's the least I can do while I'm still here.

last challenge. THANK GOD

Day 30 – A photograph of youself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days

That's me in front of Lake Tahoe. My sister lives out here and it's awesome.


Three good things that have happened in the past thirty days:


1. My first nephew was born/I got to meet my first nephew. He is precious.
2. Got fairly decent grades for the 3/5 classes I took this past semester. I say 3/5 only because I haven't received the final two grades yet.
3. I am done with this foolish challenge. 

never?!

Day 29 – Something you could never get tired of doing.


That's impossible. Even if I love doing something very much, it's impossible not to get tired of it. For the sake of this insanely hyperbolic question, I'll say either sleeping or snuggling with Zachy. I know, ew, stop it, disgusting. Possibly also reading terrible celebrity gossip blogs online. I know, my pseudo-intellectualism is a total sham. 

been taking a coupla days off to hang out with a baby.

Day 28 – Your favorite movie.


No way I can pick just one. UP is amazing, There Will Be Blood was great, and I can't not watch Forrest Gump every time it's on TV.