Day In & Day Out

Day In
Tuesday was busy (thus no blog), even though I wasn't at my internship, I got up really late, and went to bed rather early.
I awakened to the melody of something weird coming from the TV, and my housemates laughing. But it was okay--at 11:30 in the morning, one doesn't complain about waking up late. I just wished that they would have been loud after they'd left the house, but the guys are kind and funny, so I forgave them.
I spent my morning on my feet--there was some pesky, will-not-be-used-Asian spices. (A couple years ago, after Eileen and Wendy moved out of the house, they took most of the food stuff they used, but they did leave some stuff, and as much as we meant to use it, we were too sick of Taiwanese food to even think about touching it. We threw most of it out. I think Mom held onto some tea, in the memory of Eileen, and all of their Good Times. It's still in the tea cabinet.) Anyway, that was what I call an extended explanation with a rabbit trail. So I sorted out the spice cabinet, whilst moving strange Asian Spices. Now there is lots more room for...hopefully not more spices. We really need a way to organize it--like for example, my mom has a spinning two layer lazy Susan, small enough to fit in out spice cabinet at home. We need one of those here. Especially for separating spices to discover which ones we have or not (it seems like there was some miscommunication for the last spice cabinet captain, because there were three half used basil, oregano, and red pepper...
Before he left, Sanjay got a look of a Christmas tree for a moment, and exclaimed "you should make cheesecake cupcakes." I told him if he gave me the recipe I would, and he emailed it to me, and I made them. They were very tasty. They didn't last long in our house.
It was a great afternoon, I got a lot done, and unloaded the dishwasher a couple times, and then I walked to the post office.
It was a little bit more a trek than I thought it would be, but I made it there and got my stamps, but not after waiting a little while, and listening to one woman tell her friend about her black dentist, and the false teeth that he gave her. There was a gentleman opening the post office door for everyone coming in. That made my day.
There were just so many people out on the streets; it was a really nice day. No weirdos, actually. There were little kids walking home from school--and I was happy to see one of them carrying a clarinet case. I was going to ask him about it, but he turned instead of waiting at the crosswalk.
I went to YES organic food market, and used my cheap grocery logic, and picked a ball of mozzarella, a carton of brown eggs, a jar of organic Prego spaghetti sauce, and two zucchini for some recipes coming up in the week. (Lindsay is in charge of the petty cash, and as long as we don't overspend our $300 for the week for food, I can get a refund in exchange for my recipe.)
What I didn't realize about the food that I bought, and my insisting on using my backpack to carry them home, is that it isn't wise to carry glass jars and eggs, fresh produce and soft cheese in the same bag, but i somehow made it home without bruising or breaking anything. Yay!
I bought the mozzarella for the lasagna that I was making for supper. I figured that I would shred it myself, and save myself the money. I did shred it myself, but it was a lot softer than mozzarella cheese has ever been for me before, so it was slightly messy. (We also decided as a house that we were going to buy blocks of cheese and shred them ourselves, because we use so much cheese, to save money. I'm really happy that I have a say on what we should do to reduce cost. Next step, powdered milk yogurt. Mom, by the way, I need to find the recipe for that. Is it in More with Less?
I made lasagna, with much passion, and skill. It made the house smell like Italian heaven. I then made Garlic Broccoli, though a little overcooked and almost burnt it. Corrie had gotten back from work by this point, and was making a salad, so I think I was a little distracted. It didn't help that it was on high heat, as the recipe declares. I think more than a half cup water was necessary.
Dinner was yummy, then some of us worked on the paper that was due today. I'd finished my half of Fets and I's paper, and so I was all set to go play volley ball. Only Lindsay, Andrew, and I played volleyball. Corrie was there, running, but she decided not to play volleyball--she's training for a marathon in April.
Volleyball was a blast, as usual, but I felt like I was actually learning something. I thought I couldn't set the ball at all. But it turns out that I can--I guess I just didn't really have any confidence. But what I was learning, and you learn more each time, is that the back row returns the serve when it's first over the net with a bump (which you don't swing, you just place yourself where the ball is coming), then the middle front or who ever is closest sets it, and if someone is in the front row, they should slam it (or in Lindsay's case, punch it) over the net. You can't hit the net, you can't cross the line under the net when hitting, you can't cross the back line when you are. If your team isn't playing, you are a line judge or keeping points at the net; I was a line judge. Hands down is "in", hands up is "out". Volleyball on Tuesday goes from 7-8:30, which basically means that we play as close to 9:00 as we possibly can, so close that they will yell at us.
I came home and went to bed at 10:30, because I had to wake up early to get to my bus to ride to Tenleytown.

Day Out
I woke up at 7:20 to get ready. Then I left the house by 8:20, which, as I was certain, I was on time to the schedule that I'd written down. When I got to the bus stop, I was on time, and I waited for the bus. I knew which bus I needed to get on--H4, heading toward Tenleytown. And I also know that Brookland was the end of the the H4 bus route, and that Tenleytown was the other end. So you would understand why I was confused when the H4 bus came with the heading of "Van Ness UDC". I knew this was close to Tenleytown, but I didn't get why they didn't just put Tenleytown.. and my directions said that it was toward Tenleytown, and then I was mad at WMATA, confused, as I got on the bus, and started riding. I got out my notebook and looked at the directions that I was supposed to follow.
"Directions to Tenleytown: @7:20 leave for Metro, take H4 bus toward Tenleytown."
Shoot. I woke up an hour late. The difference was that I wasn't stressed, and now that I was on the bus on my way there was nothing I could do about it. So I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and waited. And waited. 8:45, my proposed time of arrival, came and went, and I rode the bus and read. I got impatient, got off the bus near a Redline Station, asked for directions to the Metro (a kind, middle-aged, chic lady pointed me in the right direction), got on the Metro, rode it until Tenleytown station two stops later, climbed the stairs, and crossed the street to Wilson High School just as the H4 bus arrived. . . Talk about irony.
I went into the school, signed in and went through the security, really fast, though there were some students that were messing around that were giving the security guard a pain in her butt. I got to Colman's room at 9:40, a little later than I wanted to, but when I got there, Colman was chill and I just sat right down, and joined in with what was going on.
He was actually reading through some of his self-made evaluations--I think that parts that he found humorous--and that led to some discussions about catcalling, abuse in relationships, and movies that they watched in class. During class, some people got distracted--Adrian was on his iPod looking up facts on HIV/AIDS part of the time, while eating Mike 'n' Ikes, and drinking a red colored soda. Some students came into class after I did. (Colman doesn't make his students take tests because it's an unfair way to test them, so there wasn't a final exam). And of course, you have your sleepers, extended-bathroom-break-ers, and those that blow their nose out in the hall several times during class (although I think he's legitimate).
After class, Colman was going to find out the schedule for next semester, but the information wasn't quite ready yet. I rode the bus home. On the way, a woman and her six-month-old baby got on and sat next to me. I started a conversation with her. Actually, the little boy, but directed toward her.
"Where are you going?" I asked him.
"We're going home. We just got immunization shots." She responded..
"What's his name?"
"Chekeesee" (I think. It was something like this.)
She talked about how he addresses adults with an assertive "uuu", but not children, and decided that she wants to put him in daycare so he'll interact with other babies a little more. It was wonderful. Then he was talking to me, while I was reading, and she shushed him, and told him that "You shouldn't interrupt her reading." It was so sweet.
I got a phone call from Sanj on my way home telling me to finish Fets and I's paper because Fets' mom and he went out for lunch. So I rushed home, made eggs on toast, celery and apple slices, then abandoned my dinner and ran to Fets' computer and attempted to type a conclusion paragraph. I usually don't put off writing papers down to the last second, so it was kind of hard for me to conclude on what we were writing... but I poopled something out.
Our first official seminar class was okay. I took notes for everything so I didn't lose Doug. I was sorta tired so my mind was everywhere. I was thinking about shopping later,  how much I missed Zach, how hungry I was, what I was going to eat when break started, and of course what we were talking about in class. But it was a miscellaneous thought mix.
After class, Christa and I walked to PNC Bank, CVS, Yes Organic on 12th street. It was a little cooler than my walk yesterday, but we got there without dying from the cold, it was more of a slight brisk feeling.  We walked over to the bank, and I was going to cash Lindsay and Jessica's checks--they endorsed them and everything and I signed the checks as well, but the teller said that the other person whose checks they were had to be there with identifiable ID, and that was frustrating.
We walked to CVS and located the loofahs (all over $3), then proceeded to the dishwasher soap. I went to ask about getting a CVS card, one clerk said I couldn't get one because they were out of applications, but I asked another, politely, and she gave me a card and told me to register online. Talk about efficient.
Only thing is, we got back and CVS.com was NOT behaving. But no matter. We still got a working card. (for now.)
We stopped and walked through YES! organic, and found a wonderful mini bulk section! Christa and I wrote down prices for the things we thought we might buy in bulk, and then walked home.
Dinner was interesting. As it usually is when there aren't any other options for veggietarians besides leftover lasagna and rice. Yay for for green beans and dumper dove organic sliced apples. I have had so many in the past week. That and celery. I could live on the two.. and peanut butter, and chocolate.
Speaking of vegetarianism. It's going well. All the vegetarians are talking of eating fish in the next week, and I think I will participate in that ritual. As far as the Splenda cold-turkey experiment is going, I'm surviving. I have been participating in the ritual of eating natural sugar, and I don't think my figure is suffering. For now, I have to watch the dark chocolate though. It sneaks up on me. And then shoves itself into my mouth. And I cannot help myself.
We had a pre shopping meeting, and a house meeting (with post shopping notes) and then Christa and I chatted about majors and boys, while exchanging back rubs.
I was looking through the drawers of the TV stand (there are six drawers--it's a BIG TV stand), and I located several magazines that are begging to be cut up tomorrow!! :) There was also random things like prohibited thumb tacks, which may or may not be pushed into my wall this semester for collages...
But the best find, even of the magazines--a book--How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas. 
Woot Woot! Yaya. I'm totally going to read that this weekend when almost no one is here and I have all this time to be a bump on a log. And then I will tell you of my life plans.

By the way, I contemplated being an English Teacher today. It might be something in my future. But as of now, I'm content taking 300 level English Writing courses to satisfy my LIberal Arts and graduating in 2011. What you think?

PSBTW. My thumb is getting a blister from typing.....