online retail therapy!

So while the rest of my campus hustles and bustles as they get ready for the Ludacris and Lupe Fiasco concert tonight... I'm going food shopping. I'm awesome.

Today has been very blah, even considering the awesome weather and the fact that Natalie visited campus. I went to the career fair which was, aside from one good interaction, a TOTAL FAIL. I thought - and was reassured - that it would be easier for me to get a job from these people this time around. Instead, I was met with apathetic recruiters who were quick to inform me they were looking for interns and not full time, even though their listing in the brochure said FULL TIME. Right.

(Can I say that I spelled 'brochure' right on the first try, but that it definitely doesn't look like it's spelled correctly? But it is. I Google'd it.)

I was thinking of venturing out to treat myself to some retail therapy, but it's rainy and I'm tired, and no amount of coaxing from the websites of Forever 21 and Kohl's is going to work. But! I just online-purchased this bathing suit from Victoria's Secret:



A bit pricey, but I didn't get much for my birthday, so I'm using that as my excuse for splurging a bit. It cost $49, plus something like $8 shipping, but because VS is so awesome, I had a $10-off coupon code sitting in my inbox AND I got a free tote with this offer, which was worth $25. And I call that splurging. Pfft!

However, there is something on my wish list that is totally a splurge item, and that's a new iPod.


(in pink, of course)

Of course, I'm going to rationalize this away as well - the battery on my bazillion-years-old and no-longer-trendy iPod mini is kaput. It barely holds a charge from the time I walk to class until I walk back, which is about two hours. My mom found some sites that offer battery kits where I can simply pay $30 to swap out the battery... but I want shiny new toys! Plus, I'm starting to run out of room. So it looks like this will be my next major purchase. Yay, shopping!

I guess I could also provide you with my food shopping list, but I'm positive you are completely uninterested.

grace in small things, 11/365

1. Making my own unique meals, like salad with avocado, corn, tomato, and chicken fingers
2. Getting together with my mom's side of the family and poking fun at one another (and the family members we don't like)
3. Coupons for Victoria's Secret stuff
4. Hitting barely any lights on the drive back to school
5. Realizing I don't have reading for tomorrow's class because we're watching a movie

Doing my part to wage a battle against embitterment; join us.

grace in small things, 10/365

1. Fridays!
2. The Boy buying lunch for me because I'm sick
3. The drive home
4. Long bubble baths
5. My comfy bed at home

Doing my part to wage a battle against embitterment; join us.

grace in small things, 9/365

1. The smell of my shampoo (Sunsilk Daring Volume)
2. Passing by friends on campus and saying "hi"
3. Beat Freaks on America's Best Dance Crew!!!
4. Watching Conan's last episodes - he brought back the Walker, Texas Ranger lever!
5. Knowing I only have one class tomorrow

Doing my part to wage a battle against embitterment; join us.

resolutions check-in: month one.

It's already halfway through February, which is a little mind-blowing. Five weeks of the semester have gone by. That's crazy! I think it's due to not seeing my friends as often, just going to and from class, doing work, hanging with The Boy... every. single. day.

This week I've been ahead on my work, so I took some time tonight to organize my money, something I've been meaning to do for a while. I've got a couple of checks and some birthday cash that has been sitting in my drawer, waiting to be deposited. Anyway, this led me to start thinking about all my resolutions. I figured I'd do a little report on where I stand, since it's just a little over a month since I made them.

1. Cut back on and potentially stop drinking diet soda.
Wow, I'm doing SO WELL on this one. Partly because I was sick in the beginning of the semester, but also just because I drink it a lot more at home than here at school. The one or two cans I did have at home... it didn't taste as awesome as it used to! I'm pretty amazed.

2. Treat my face better.
Ehh, this is going just okay. Before coming back to school, I went out and bought a new face wash and toner, and those have definitely been helping. But I still pick at my face way too much.

3. Eat. More. FIBER.
Yes! Mostly because I had to, I went out and bought dried fruits, fiber-packed cereal and granola bars, and I try to have salad or veggies for lunch every day. Lately though, I've slacked off a bit (those chicken fingers are so damn good!), and my body's starting to warn me about that.

4. Exercise, let's say, at least twice a week.
Nope. Not at all. I blame this on being sick, even though that's only a small excuse. Thanks to Natalie, I got the Dirty Dancing Workout DVD for my birthday that's just waiting to be used, so that's been my little bit of motivation.

5. Save more of my money.
Um.. I think so? My only expenses have been grocery shopping and buying little gifts for The Boy for Valentine's Day. I've done a lot of online "shopping" (throwing things into the checkout bag only to delete them or not buy them), but haven't made any purchases... yet. I didn't get a lot for my birthday - mostly money - so I wanted to splurge on something. I'm eyeing some bathing suits at Victoria's Secret, but I'm a bit weary of buying something so size-specific online. So we'll see.

6. Keep track of where my money goes.
Erm, I just got to that today. I haven't been spending anything recently, so there's not much to keep track of, but I finally set up a spreadsheet with tabs for cash, credit card charges, and my bank accounts. Yay, unnecessary organization!

7. Finally sell some gently-used items on Ebay.
Haven't gotten to this yet.

8. Get on the dean's list this semester.
As far as I can tell, this semester is going to be so much easier than those past, especially compared to last semester. I think I can really achieve this goal.

9. Read more.
Not so much. I've been bogged down with a lot of reading for my Buddhism class.

10. Get a job.
Not yet! Still gotta work on that one.

So far, so good, it seems. Wow, now I feel really accomplished. Hopefully I'll be able to make more progress by next month!

grace in small things, 8/365

1. Weather warm enough for rain instead of snow
2. Making and eating nachos
3. Catching up on watching Top Chef
4. Getting on top of my resolutions, specifically with keeping track of money
5. Having Wednesday's off from class

Doing my part to wage a battle against embitterment; join us.

grace in small things, 7/365

1. Finishing a test for a 400-level course in a half-hour
2. Chicken Caesar wraps with extra dressing
3. Watching cartoons
4. Much-needed naps
5. Going to bed early

Doing my part to wage a battle against embitterment; join us.

grace in small things, 6/365

[Playing a little game of catch-up.]

1. Eating healthy
2. Being the person The Boy wants to keep him company while he does homework
3. Sleeping in
4. Sparkling green tea
5. Lazy Sundays

Doing my part to wage a battle against embitterment; join us.

grace in small things, 5/365

1. Back massages
2. Hand-made (or Microsoft-Paint-made) cards
3. Being able to get ahead with schoolwork
4. Pink flowers
5. CHOCOLATE

Doing my part to wage a battle against embitterment; join us.

happy valentine's day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Celebrating love for my best friends (and alcohol) last night...



And celebrating with The Boy tonight. What better time to introduce him in photo form than today?


(Yes, he's tall. I'm even wearing heels here.)

I hope you enjoy your day with someone you love, even if that someone is you.

Hugs and smooches,
Cait

grace in small things, 4/365

1. Only having one class on Fridays
2. Oatmeal-raisin cookies, one of the only really good items that the food services company on campus makes
3. Food shopping so I have more to eat
4. Getting to see my two best friends!!
5. Margaritas


Doing my part to wage a battle against embitterment; join us.

[Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!]

why so much hate?

I've never really understood the huge debacle over Valentine's Day.

Being alone on Valentine's Day can suck, but only if you really let it. Sure, the holiday used to roll around every year, and I would have that moment of being bummed out because I was single. It never lasted. Passing out candy and little cards cheered me right up. Last year, I had a girl's night in with my roommates. It's all about what you decide to do with your time, and your attitude. Nobody's forcing you to feel sad; you have the option to celebrate love for you friends, or for yourself. Or, as I've seen becoming more popular, have an anti-Valentine's Day in the sense that you celebrate being single with other singles.

Another argument is that, well, if you're in a relationship, you should love each other and celebrate it every day, not just on Valentine's Day. Personally, I've always seen the holiday as a no-excuses day where you have the opportunity to remember to slow down, to be romantic and show your love. Some people don't have the means or the time to be romantic in their lives. It doesn't mean they don't love the person they're with. It's like this - Valentine's Day is saying, celebrate love. Obviously (in a healthy relationship), the love is there every day. Valentine's Day is just a day for everyone to stop and really cherish it.

Maybe my opinion is naïve. I think this comes from my very anti-cynical nature. I'm ever the optimist, seeing the better side of things, and sometimes it just bothers me to see countless people getting their panties in a bunch over Valentine's Day.

Any holiday is what you make it, not what society tells you to make it.

grace in small things, 3/365

1. Getting out of class super early
2. Receiving snail mail
3. Cooking dinner all by myself for me and The Boy
4. Making it to the end of the week
5. Hot showers

Doing my part to wage a battle against embitterment; join us.

RFL countdown: 50 days!

I like this warm weather, I really do. But the wind today is absolutely insane! Of course, better that it's warm wind and not ice cold wind, or else I don't think I'd be here typing right now. Because I'd be busy making sure my face isn't frostbitten.

So somehow I ended up getting only two hours of sleep last night, and not very good ones at that. Luckily the quiz I just took in my Buddhism class was the only thing on the agenda, and it was easy, so I was done in a half hour. I guess this is what it's like to take a 100-level course in senior year, after getting so used to 300 and 400-level courses. Yay!

Anyway, the main reason for this little ol' post is to start giving little nudges about Relay for Life. I absolutely love participating - it'll be my third year. From making team t-shirts to decorating the tents that we don't even end up sleeping in, the event is just so much fun from beginning to end. This year I'm trying to put in a little more effort for fundraising. Usually I just bug my parents and that's the only money I get. Last year I got a few friends to donate, and this year I'm looking to add a few more friends to that list.

Back to reality - time to write a 2-page summary about Richard Hatch and tax evasion. Yay, forensic accounting!

grace in small things, 2/365

1. Sleeping in
2. Actually getting assignments done
3. Our communal pet goldfish, Chipotle and Pepperjack
4. Demetri Martin's new show
5. Warm weather and the smell of rain

Doing my part to wage a battle against embitterment; join us.

grace in small things, 1/365

Today I joined the community Grace in Small Things, after seeing a few bloggers participating. Enjoy, and I hope you join too, if you aren't over there already.

1. Italian sub sandwiches
2. Snuggling under still-warm covers with The Boy after coming in from class
3. Driving home and blasting music while doing so
4. Fiber bars that are actually really yummy
5. Pre-dinner naps

quiz time!

While stumbling around the blogosphere, particularly my suggested blogs on Google Reader, I found the following quiz that Ashley at Turquoise Ribbons took. Turns out we got the same result, which means Google Reader is just that amazing at finding people just like me.

Here are my results, which are pretty scarily accurate.

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are an Audrey!

You are an Audrey -- "I am at peace"

Audreys are receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They seek union with others and the world around them.

How to Get Along with Me

• If you want me to do something, how you ask is important. I especially don't like expectations or pressure


• I like to listen and to be of service, but don't take advantage of this


• Listen until I finish speaking, even though I meander a bit


• Give me time to finish things and make decisions. It's OK to nudge me gently and nonjudgmentally


• Ask me questions to help me get clear


• Tell me when you like how I look. I'm not averse to flattery


• Hug me, show physical affection. It opens me up to my feelings


• I like a good discussion but not a confrontation


• Let me know you like what I've done or said


• Laugh with me and share in my enjoyment of life

What I Like About Being an Audrey

• being nonjudgmental and accepting


• caring for and being concerned about others


• being able to relax and have a good time


• knowing that most people enjoy my company; I'm easy to be around


• my ability to see many different sides of an issue and to be a good mediator and facilitator


• my heightened awareness of sensations, aesthetics, and the here and now


• being able to go with the flow and feel one with the universe

What's Hard About Being an Audrey

• being judged and misunderstood for being placid and/or indecisive


• being critical of myself for lacking initiative and discipline


• being too sensitive to criticism; taking every raised eyebrow and twitch of the mouth personally


• being confused about what I really want


• caring too much about what others will think of me

Audreys as Children Often

• feel ignored and that their wants, opinions, and feelings are unimportant


• tune out a lot, especially when others argue


• are "good" children: deny anger or keep it to themselves

Audreys as Parents

• are supportive, kind, and warm


• are sometimes overly permissive or nondirective

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

feeling lonely.

This semester is turning out to be a really crappy one, considering it's my final one.

Last year was my favorite year of college, and I shared most of it with three amazing people. One graduated a year early and headed off to medical school, one graduated just last semester, and the third lives off campus. Okay, so maybe living off campus isn't really a valid reason not to see a person, but we just haven't found a schedule that works. I also spent three and a half years having weekly dinner dates with my friend from high school who also came here for school. She too graduated a semester early.

To top it all off, my three best friends from my major are in neither of my two accounting courses this semester. I didn't realize how awful this would be, because it turns out a lot of our hanging out was during or right before/after class. Seriously. I finally ran into one of them on campus the other day, and I realized I hadn't actually talked to her since break.

So basically, I've spent all my time either alone or with The Boy. It's difficult to make plans with people, especially since I'm still having all my fun stomach issues. The easiest way to meet up with people is to grab a meal together, and that is a situation that sometimes goes badly quickly for me.

I'm hoping to reach out to my friends and hoping to feel better as well, so that I don't spend this entire semester holed up in my room or only with The Boy.