Painting The Roses Red

So, yesterday:

- Latin Class

- Meet with Advisor

It wasn't the best of mornings, and

it wasn't the worst of mornings, either.

But, it really sucked.

Latin was fine,

(as it usually is)

but my advisor has decided that

all the work I did over break

(yeah, remember those long hours in Starbucks?)

were not useful, and therefore needs to be

redone in a new and, supposedly, "better" way.

Ugh!

Well, I guess that's grad school for you, right?

Have any of you out there in Grad School had similar experiences?

So, needless to say I was bummin' a bit on the way home.

So, I stopped first to get myself some mini-chocolate stuffed croissants from the cheap bakery type place that is all over Hungary (called "Princess"),

and seriously, they're the best things ever. Someday soon I will take a picture of them and their deliciousness, promise.

Then I stopped and bought myself some roses from the local florist.

Seriously, flowers automatically can make a bad day, a good day.

And, so can buying yourself small presents.

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Then I got back to the dorm, vegged out for a little bit

and then decided to go to Bikram.

Best. Decision. Of. The. Day.

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And God! was it hot in there this time - so, so, so humid.

But also so, so, so, amazing.

It was packed - the room was full of men & women,

sweating, stretching, yoga-ing.

Sometimes I still felt like this:

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But, it was exactly what I needed after a day like that.

It got my mind back somewhere in my body.

I was so much better after I left than when I walked in.

I think I am going to make going at least 2-3 times a week

part of my routine, no matter what I have to do,

or how much work feels like it's piling up.

I need more "me" time this semester!

Have you guys tried Bikram?

If not, I totally recommend it.

Oh, and again:

Keep your eyes pealed

Sam, Neely, & I have a surprise!

After All, You're My Wonderwall

Did I tell you that I finished all my papers?

Because I did. All of them.

Now, that doesn't mean that all my work for the [last] semester is done yet, but it does mean that I am no longer a slave to the click, click, click of my computer keyboard. That makes me happy. Though, yes, I am still sitting in front of it for other work, I'm not actively formulating smart things for days on end. My brain has decided to take a small vacation.

I've decided to try and force this never ending jet-lag out of my system (seriously, 4AM-1PM sleep times? that's just crazy-talk). So, yesterday morning at 7AM I got out of bed after hitting the snooze button a few times, and got my stuff together and left the dorm at 8AM to go find the Bikram studio that's in the city (unlike the one 2hours away in the Buda Hills that I went to last January). And I found it! And the people were nice that worked there! And, while the studio wasn't as hot as the one I go to back at home (seriously, it's almost like I'm complaining about that...), it was still hot enough to remind me why it's called hot yoga. And it was just what I needed: relaxing, working, centering, and exhausting. I was tired by 10PM and ready to sleep shortly thereafter. Though I still didn't fall asleep until about 1AM - that's better than 4AM. I'm on the right track.

Right now, I'm really loving this cover of Oasis' Wonderwall by Ryan Adams. I hope you do too, as it's a calm, almost haunting, version of an old favorite of mine. I like that Adams' doesn't try and remake the song, instead he puts himself into it, and gives it a new feel, a new life.

My classes this semester are okay, nothing that I really like (except my Latin class - who would have thought that crazy language would be my most useful/enjoyable class?), but I'm only taking 5 classes this semester which is such a relief (compared to the 7 last semester, or the 9 of my first semester...).

Let's pause a moment so you can think about how 5 classes is considered an "only" and a "light semester" at this school. Yeah, it boggles my mind too.

But, this leaves me a lot of free time to sleep work on my thesis and get other important things done (like my applications, eventually). So, I'm good with it.

How is your week going?

Thoughtless Thursday

This is a new link-up for me,

but I'm pretty sure it's perfect for me!

Seeing as I feel "thoughtless"

(and therefore extremely random)

all.the.time.

I'm so through with doing work right now.

Not that my to-do list is done,

but rather,

I'm just over!it!

I'm pretty much giving up my weekend,

so that I can finally start worrying about this semester

(oh, and that pesky thesis, eventually).

I'm also over some things with this semester:

- overachievers, who are only brown-nosers in disguise

[seriously shut!up! no one wants to listen to your ignorant 'insights' in class,

and when you write 10 pages for a 3 page requirementyou just make the rest of us look bad]

- classes that don't teach anything, but pile on the work

[hint: if the teacher thinks it's a waste of particular students' time, don't make those students take that class]

- jet-lag

[seriously, i don't like going to bed at 4AM to get up at 9AM, in case you didn't know, I love to sleep.]

So for today,

in honor of being thoughtless,

I'll let others be smart for me:

and last, but not least,

my mantra for the weekend:

[all from weheartit]

(yes, I realize it's Friday,

but I wrote this and forgot to post it yesterday....)

Five Randoms for Friday

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I just realized I haven't really written a real post in, well, quite a while. Sorry! I'm glad you're all still here though - I seem to have gotten vacation brain, or something. So, since there's so much going on in my brain and there is no way this post would be anything other than incoherent, I'll give you 5 random things for today.

1. I go back to Budapest tomorrow. Seriously. Where did my vacation go? Where was my free time? I still have so much to do - namely all those papers and assorted assignments that need to get done, packing (so I can have clothes and things in Budapest), and spending time with my parents and my cats. I'm seriously at a loss for how fast 4 weeks went by.

2. Starbucks has revealed their new logo for 2011. It's kinda chic - if not identical to the old logo, just without the text. I guess their logo is known pretty much worldwide at this point, so there really is no need to actually write out "Starbucks Coffee" on it anymore. I kinda like it, though it will take a little time to get used to. The old log was very self-contained, and the new one seems to just float on the cup. Any thoughts?

3. I'm thinking of maybe doing some sort of weekly prompt thing. I want it to be fun and simple. Probably something to do with music - maybe a "Just Another Music Monday" or something where you can share your playlist must-haves for the week. Maybe even have themes every now and then? You know a workout list for the week, or a driving list, or something. Who knows really. It's just that I'm such an eclectic listener, it would be fun to see all the new and old favorites out there - you know, expand my horizons some more. My iPod is getting a little tired of the same-old, same-old. This means I'd have to learn that McLinky thingamabob, but it can't be that hard, right? Would you want to participate? Link up?

4. We have herds of wild turkeys that go through our yard each day. Today dad and I stopped counting at 100 and said at that point it was just "too many." And really - it is. It was funny when there were like 5-10 out there, but this is just crazy. And you know what? They're mean birds. I don't know what Franklin was thinking when he wanted to make them the national bird. Mom or Dad will throw out a cup of corn for them and they will attack each other over a piece of corn. I mean, I get survival of the fittest and all that - but let me tell you, these birds are FAT fit. They're ugly too. And they flood our yard every.stinkin'.day.

5. Me, Sam, and Neely are in cahoots (best.word.ever.) to come up with a blog challenge come February 1-14 (and possibly culminating in a swap!). Now, while it is Valentine's Day time, this will be for singles and takens alike, and will shy away from the squishy mushy stuff. But it will surely be fun, so be prepared!

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

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It's snowing in Budapest again!

The sky is grey, and the flakes are tiny;

so, if you live anywhere that gets

a reasonable amount of snow, you know:

this could last all day.

I was going to go fencing tonight,

still may,

but the thought of dragging that bag

down snow covered streets,

really doesn't make me want to go.

I also have a meeting for

the Student Union Board tonight;

oh, I haven't mentioned that

not only am I in the SU for my university,

but on the board?

Oops - well, I got elected while I was

home in October. Funny, right?

No matter, it's been a lot of fun.

I'm getting a little headway made

on all of my papers - I've got a few started

and even one that's close to being done.

But still:

Latin Take-Home Exam [so glad we got it take home!]

5 papers, 5 journals (which are just smaller papers, anyways).

Oh, and that thesis thing I need to get started on.

Lots of work, and with deadlines in January,

Christmas break may involve me with my

nose constantly stuck in a book.

Wednesday HodgePodge with Joyce!

1. What is the most interesting thing you've done in the last year?

Summer camp!

Ha! You thought I'd say Budapest,

but really that started over a year ago :)

2. What is your most meaningful family heirloom?

I honestly have no idea.

There are a lot of things in the family

that mean the world to me,

but heirloom? no idea.

3. What food festival would you most like to attend?

all of them?

There's a great [clam] Chowder Festival

near where I grew up that I love.

But, anything in Italy

involving pizza or pasta would be fine by me :)

4. Snow: love or a 4letter word?

I still love snow,

though, at home it tends to become a 4letter word :)

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5. Can/Do you ski? Are you any good?

I can snowboard!

But I am awful at it.

My family isn't much for the slopes.

6. What quality in your best friend are you most thankful for?

humor

patience

a sense of adventure

7. Describe the coziest spot in your home.

in my dorm room: my bed

at home: curled up in front of the woodstove,

with the cat(s) of course!

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8. Random thought:

I go home in 13 days!

Day 9 with Aly & Molly

Favorite Holiday Recipe

This is really impossible to do from overseas

without my cookbooks :(

As my favorite recipes are for candy-cane cookies

(look like candy-canes, not taste).

But, I can give you another recipe I like:

Molasses Sugar Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups shortening
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Melt the shortening in a large pan on the stove, and cool. (wood-stoves are excellent for this!)
2. Add sugar, eggs, and molasses, beat well.
3. In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together and add to the pan.
4. Mix well and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
5. Form into smallish balls. Roll in (christmas colored!) granulated sugar.
6. Place on greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 8-10 minutes.
8. Store in an airtight container to keep from getting overly crisp.
9. If they do lose their softness, an easy way to restore it is to place one slice of fresh bread in the container with the cookies for a couple of hours or overnight and they will be soft again!

Hello, November.

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Can you believe it's already the middle of November?

That there are only 26 days until I go home?

That there are only *gasp* 36 days until Christmas?

I have so much work still to get done (Latin 'exam', 6 papers - oh, and maybe some actual work on my thesis?) before I can even begin to think about being done with this semester. Granted most papers aren't due until Jan 15, but still - I'd like to be as done with them as possible before I go home so I can actually enjoy Christmas.

I started looking, seriously, at some post-baccs to apply for (remember that dream from way-back-when? before I moved to Budapest?). I cannot believe the time has come to actually begin applying for them! (seriously, where did the last two years go? Is this how fast time really goes by!?) One of the ones I've been seriously looking at is at the University of Louisville (much to the dismay of my dad, a die-hard UK Wildcats alum/fan). Why UL (seeing as I was raised a UK fan as well...) - well, not only is it the complete package that I'm interested in (study groups, shadowing available, MCAT prep courses, volunteer opportunities, etc.), but they also have a program that if you do well (3.3+ in your coursework, you're accepted to their med school. Which is in the top 75 of the US - not super high, but still a pretty decent position! So, that will probably be the #1 on my list. Applications to start in the fall aren't due till June, but they do rolling admissions, and only accept a small number of students, so it's better to get them in fast! It's also good because a post-bacc not only readies you for med school, but vet school, dental school, pt school and an other med-based sort of school. So, no need to have my mind made up 100% just yet, right? Options, people, options.

And now, to start another paper (just finished one a few hours ago...)

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

I Can Taste The S'Mores Already!

I’ve been a bad blogger. Really.

Sorry about that.

It’s just that, nothing really interesting has been going on over here. And before you reply with “But Courtney, you live in Budapest!” Let me just plug the fact that the past month has seen most of my friends slaving away over their theses, which are now mostly all turned in. This means little time for doing things with friends. Thank God, they’ve all been neurotic for the past few weeks, and it’s nice to see them all just relax again!

So, while they’ve been slaving away, what have I been up to?

Well, I found out that I got a job for the summer! I’ll be a councilor at a girl scout summer camp for eight weeks! I am beyond excited about this! I cannot wait to be dressed down in t-shirts, shorts, tevas, and bug spray for the summer! Making campfires, roasting s’mores, singing silly and sappy camp songs, eating pb&j’s and other assorted camp foods -and GIRL SCOUT COOKIES all summer long! It’s going to be an amazing summer and I seriously cannot wait for it to get here! The staff is international, which is really cool - and there is even one girl from Hungary! I met her a week or so ago when she was in town for her work visa - and she is awesome! I may go visit her next week where she lives to hang out some more.

Tomorrow I am taking a boat trip that the dorm organized to a town called Visegrád. I’m super excited about this, as I haven’t been there yet and it’s supposed to be a beautiful city. Plus, 3 hours each way on a boat? Awesome! So, I’m sure I’ll have plenty to write tomorrow night!

images: [we[heart]it]

HodgePodge & Giveaway Reminder

****Just a quick reminder to enter my give-a-way! You've still got some time, but let's be honest here - I love seeing new comments pop up under there. So, in my time of need (these exams and final papers may just do me in.... but fret not, somehow the giveaway will go on!) make this girl happy!***

I am one gigantic ball of stress. Here's my to-do list:

Due tomorrow: Paper on Medieval Science

Monday: Latin Exam (yes, the exam that you HAVE to pass to get your degree. Yes, it holds more weight in that department than the actual blasted thesis!). (9am)

Monday: Presentation for Medieval Science (1:30pm)

Tuesday: Exam for Religion & Authority (11am)

Wednesday: Oral Exam for East Central European Renaissance

Okay, so written out it doesn't look so bad, but I swear that Monday Latin Exam line is glowing and taunting me. Why must Latin and I be on such unfriendly terms? I like it! I just wish it was more willing to work with me rather than confuse me. [As a side note, I have learned more about the English language, grammar, and structure this year than all of the rest of my schooling combined. Strange, hunh?]

Oh, and I'm seriously having a love affair with WeHeartIt. Hence why I am overloading you with pictures I did not take (super-stress-ball-courtney does not carry her camera with her, because super-stress-ball-courtney takes really bad pictures). How did I not know about this website earlier? Also, why did I learn about it right before my exam/paper stress period? No good!

Also, I feel like I'm back in high school - Mom got me a Napster gift-card for Christmas, and I seriously love it. Now, it's not as fun as when you used to get all sorts of free music and had to play roulette as to which songs would download faster (remember the little red, yellow, and green lights it used to have to tell you which ones would download best?), and whether what you were downloading was actually the song you wanted or not. Now it's like the little annoying sister to iTunes. But it does have one feature I just love. Radio stations. Specifically one that plays awesome jazz. Studying has never been so chill.

Life In The Fast Lane [The Eagles]

I feel like I've just woken up from a coma that was induced by massive amounts of schoolwork. Well, maybe woken up is not the exact term I'm looking for since I feel more like a zombie, walking around and making all the motions of a living, breathing student (and even managing to make some intelligent sentences come forth from my vocal chords).

All I know is that I'm really, really, really tired. The past three nights I've been up until near 2am working on putting together some journals for my class on the East Central European Renaissance. Interesting class, interesting books read for said journals, even interesting thoughts that I wrote down. But so bloody time consuming! I actually think I ended up doing a lot more work than I needed to (near 6,000 words - 14 pages 1.5 spaced), but hopefully that will be reflected in my grade and will also grant me some leniency in the second round of journals due at the end of March.

I have my Thesis outline presentation next week Tuesday, which is frightening. Why? I have very little of it figured out. However, this is not that bad of a thing as most people still have more unanswered questions about their thesis than I do. Is it bad that their shortcomings make me feel better because they make my shortcomings seem more slight? The books I'm skimming reading right now for it are all incredibly interesting - medieval medicine, leprosy, witchcraft, IV Lateran, women's health and sexuality in the Middle Ages. So, at least my reading material

is not putting me to sleep.

I gave up soda for Lent. Lent, for me, is a time of year where I get to see which of my addictions I still have control over. I get to see just how strong I really am. Last year it was tough - being at a desk all day I normally had a glass or two of soda with me to help me make it 'till the end of the day. Cutting it out meant completely changing my daily habits. And soda was cheap and in places, like at the UNC baseball stadium Boshamer, there were really no non-soda options (okay, you could get sweat tea, but in 6 years I was never converted; nor was I going to pay $4 for a bottle of water!). I got better at carrying around a water bottle with me wherever I went and slowly as the caffeine headaches faded I sunk into my no-soda routine. And at the end of Lent I found that that first sip of my long awaited Dr. Pepper tasted not as glorious as I remembered. When did soda start tasting like syrup?

However, that soon faded and my taste for the stuff came back along with my need for the caffeine. So, I gave it up again this year and let me tell you, it hasn't been even half as hard. Partially because soda is not as big of a consumer item here. People drink it, but let me put it into some perspective: the size of their extra large drinks at fast food places (McD's, BK) is smaller than our small drink back in the States. Think about that for a moment. As they slowly make the sizes get bigger in the US - a medium drink (which is what they consider to be a "regular" with a combo) at Wendy's today was the size of a large about 5 years ago. Today at most Fast food places they have to give you those crazy tapered cups when you order even a large because they won't fit in the cup-holders of any cars! Don't even get me started on the XL drinks - I could fit my head in one of them, I swear! (That being said, when I drive between NC & NH I get the biggest ones I can find, but that's for not having to stop and get new drinks all the time. Granted, that probably means more bathroom stops, but whatever).

So, with such a culture where soda isn't offered to you at every turn I don't think about soda that often (except for right at the moment of writing this!) and I drink closer to the amount of water one ought to drink in a day. I feel fabulous. And it's not a battle not to drink it this year, I don't even find myself reminding myself to get water or juice and to bypass the soda: I just do it. This is not to say either that I haven't probably upped my coffee intake - but that I blame more on the culture and less on the lack of soda. Every other minute you're being asked to accompany someone to get an espresso or a coffee. It's just the way of life here.

What addiction are you battling this Lent season, if any? What has been the hardest thing you've given up? What's the strangest thing you've heard of someone giving up (I've had friends give up facebook for Lent before, they say it was liberating but difficult)?

5 X 5

I woke up today (late, as usual on the weekends, the alarm went off and my body cringed and denied that one could set an alarm on the weekend) and freaked out at the amount of work I have still to do this weekend. And I really wanted to post something too, but I was afraid that any time given to my blog would be too much time away from the mountain of schoolwork I have (as, yes, it does take me too much time to cleverly weave my words). But then, while eating my breakfast and reading over some new posts this morning I found out I had been tagged in this fun little game by my fellow New England native Sam, from Life is Beautiful. (ps. you really ought to check out her blog!) It's sort, it's sweet, and it will let me write here and write the 3.5 other papers on the docket for today (yes, you did read that number of papers right).

So, here we go! 5 simple questions that need 5 answers each!

#1. Where were you 5 years ago?

(February 2005)

- I was finishing up my Sophomore year at UNC.

- I was trying to determine a major so the NCAA wouldn't keep me from fencing.

- I was still learning the ropes about life in the South.

- I was more potentially devoted more to fencing than to my schoolwork.

- I was a wide-eyed 19 year old.

#2. What is/was on your to-do list today?

- Finish journals (all 4 of 'em) for my renaissance class.

- Finish presentation for Medieval Science class.

- Clean my itty-bitty room

- Go for a run.

- Do some Yoga.

#3. What 5 snacks do you enjoy?

- Cheeze-its

- Chips & Salsa

- Cape Cod sea salt and vinegar kettle cooked chips

- Resees PB Cups Miniatures

- The cookies here that have chocolate on top and jam in the middle

#4. Name 5 places you have lived.

- NH

- Chapel Hill, NC

- Carrboro, NC

- Rome, Italy

- Budapest, Hungary

#5. What 5 things would you do if you were a billionaire?

- Donate at least $5Million to Charity

- Pay off all my family's debt & put $ into savings so as to not incur more debt

- Buy a vacation home for my parents & give them enough $ to retire on

- Buy me a house & car(s) - 1 practical, 1 fun (Aston Martin!)

- Completely re-do my wardrobe

Tag 5 Lovely Ladies

- Kelsey @ The Seattle Smiths

- Tia @ Stoic

- New England Girl

- Jessica @ Chasing After Fireflies

- Blue Violet @ A Nut in a Nutshell

Thankful [Josh Groban]

So just a quick post to show I've survived - I promise to have a real post chronicling my journey back to the States and the subsequent trip to NC as soon as I'm home from NC :)

Oh - and of course when I get to NC they have a crazy winter storm. Welcome home to me, right?

But I made it through the end of the semester, have turned in three of my six final papers (one more is due the 31st of December and the other two are due 15 January) and am enjoying my time in my second home of NC. It's hard for me being back here - why on earth did I leave?! Three more semesters of CEU and then we'll see - hopefully I'll end up back down here someday!

Hallelujah [Handel]

Just a quick, quick note.

I promise a real update tonight.

I just needed to share my feelings right now.

Latin exam = OVER.