Man, Gotta Love Thursdays!

I love Thursdays! This is the one day out of the week I don't have an 8 o'clock class. My first class is at 12:30, so I slept in until 10:30. I ate breakfast then got ready for the day. My 12:30 class is bowling, which makes the day even better. We got put onto teams today and we competed against other teams in our class. I didn't bowl as well today though, I think it was because I just got nervous. Before, we got to choose are teammates, and I have been with the same group since the semester started. So I was a little intimidated by other teammates. I had lunch then went to my next class at 3:30. Although it was history, it was a better class than the previous one. Besides the fact that we just had a midterm the previous class session, but our teacher had to go to a meeting, so we just watched a video than got let out early. That was the extent of my classes today. For University Seminar we get extra credit by going to see the Zoot Suit movie, and that was tonight. Since I didn't have anything else to do, I went with a friend to go see the movie. It was actually a really good. I had read the play for US, but the movie was a lot better. The best part of my day was knowing there is only one more day of this week. This week has flown by, and I realize that is probably going to be like college!

Man! I watch too much TV!

I love TV...I do have a life, but I love TV. I realized going to college my TV watching was going to have to be limited. I begged my dad to let me take my DVR, but he was like no you will be studying remember! Every time I watch a show for the first time...chances are I'm going to get addicted. I have tried to cut some shows out, but it's so hard. Once your hooked on a show it's hard to stop watching. My top favorite shows to watch are Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, Smallville, Grey's Anatomy, The Office (which now Smallville, Grey's Anatomy and The Office all come on at the same time) and Project Runway (luckily that show is almost over). Today though, the season premiere of Gilmore Girls was on, and I had to watch it. The show started at 7 pm and I was sad because I missed the first 15 min because I got back from the gym late. My shower took longer than I thought (sometimes I just shower at rec after working out because those showers are so much better than the ones in Elliot). So anyways this semester is going to present a great challenge in how I'm going to balance my studying time and my TV time...we will see how it goes! I guess it is good that I got a roommate who doesn't watch a lot of TV so she never has it on, and it's her TV so I always feel bad when she isn't watching anything to turn it on.

Why Texas State is the Better School!

I recently joined a new Facebook group called there is a college in my home town, but I didn't stay. That college is A&M. Through out high school I thought that's where I want to go, Texas A&M. It is where my mom and dad went, my brother, two aunts, three uncles, and a cousin all went to school. It's tradition. Fall of my senior year came around, and it was time to take the SATs. Didn't do so well on that test, but I thought "it's OK" I will do better on the ACTs. Didn't do so well on that test either. I was hoping my high GPA would be enough to get in, unfortunately it wasn't. I was upset, but the more I thought about it the more I wanted to go to Texas State anyways. So I deceided to go to Texas State, and am so glad that I choses this school. My top ten reasons (in no particular order) why I am happier here than staying in College Station:

1. Texas State is the best school for my major: Elementary Education

2. The campus is so beautiful, and so easy to get around. A&M is really spread out and has at least a 15 min walk everywhere. The most it takes here for me is 5 min.

3. The river. Although I only got to go a few times because its starting to get really cold, it's still awesome to see it driving around. When I did float the river, it was so much fun.

4. The San Marcos Outlet mall. There are so many shops and since it's an outlet, most of the prices are cheaper than in the regular stores. College Station has one mall with only a few good stores, and since there is only one, you can't go anywhere without someone else wearing the same thing.

5. It is so convenient to Austin. Only a short 30 min drive and you can go to the best restaurants and see the best night life. The closest thing to College Station is Houston and that at least an hour and 15 min. drive.

6. Although I really dislike my dorm, I like how Texas State requires you to live in a dorm because you meet a lot of really interesting people.

7. The nightlife in San Marcos is a more interesting. Just last night I went to Lucy's to see a really cool band called Clap Clap!

8. Although A&M really isn't a cult there are just a lot of traditions, Texas State is better because we have a better outlook, we don't look weird during games (A&M is always chanting).

9. There are better restaurants in San Marcos. Joe's crab Shack is so good.

10. Texas State in general is much better than A&M, and I am glad they didn't except me because I have found an even better school! Plus I get to break tradition in my family!

One test down...many more to go!

One test down...many more to go. I had my first test in my math class today. I was so nervous. I didn't know how much or how little to study. So just to be safe I spent the past two nights and two hours this morning cramming over all the material. I read over my notes, did practice problems out of the book, and took online quizzes on my mathlab (our online homework program). I was excited to see that all of my hard studying paid off (it really does help to study). I started taking the test and realized I know how to do this; I started to get more and more less nervous. Out of the sixteen problem test there was only one I wasn't sure about. Hopefully I did OK. It was a good feeling realizing I survived my first college test!

World's Greatest Job

Over the summer I had the most amazing job. I got to be a kids counselor for kids going into kindergarten through 3rd grade. The program is called Summer Day Camp; it is put on by College Station's school district. I worked from 8:30 a.m to 4:oo in the afternoon, monday through Friday. I got paid to play with kids all day! Twice a week and every other Friday we would take the kids to a public pool and go swimming for about two hours. Because of this is, I don't want to go to College Station's public pools for a really long time. Every Tuesday we took a field trip. We went to the Inner Space Caverns (caves), The Waco Zoo, The Sweet Berry Farm, to pick berries, and some in town places like the bowling ally, rollerskating, and to the movies; we didn't have to pay for any of it. The only bad part was that we had to go in the big yellow school bus, that was thankfully air conditioned, and we weren't aloud to sleep. We discovered quickly the best thing to do was sit by a kid that doesn't talk much and just wear sunglasses. It was really hard to stay awake when I was dripping with sweat on our way home from the zoo, and there was a two hour drive ahead of us with 85 kids (split into two buses). When we weren't on a field trip or at the pool we stayed at an elementary school. We had themed weeks where we would have to plan gym activities, crafts, and other crazy stuff to do that fit the theme. One of my weeks was Nickelodeon; I planned things like a shaving cream fight, a homemade slip n' slide, a food fight, etc... I had the best summer working. I met a lot of really sweet and cute kids and had some really awesome and crazy co-workers. I want to be an elementary school teacher so this was my perfect job.

Rusty

This is my poodle Rusty. I unfortunately had to leave him at home in College Station, and I miss him everyday. I got him in the fourth grade for Christmas. He was a complete shock because for a few months before Christmas I begged my parents for a dog and they kept saying no. By the look on my dad's face I knew they were serious, but I didn't give up. Sure enough Christmas morning Santa left him by our tree. He was so tiny and energetic. I got to name him, of course! When he was a puppy his hair color was such a deep auburn that he looked like rust, hence his name Rusty. The only thing that makes me so frustrated is that he is supposed to be mine and love me the most, but he clings to my dad. When I go to let him in he runs right past me to my dad! The ironic thing is my dad was the one who didn't want him in the first place, and as much as he won't admit it he loves my dog. I still love Rusty though, and I wouldn't trade him for the world!

A New Life

It's weird, moving out. On my own for the first time in my life. I mean I have been practically an only child for the past five years since my older brother moved out of the house, but to not have my parents around is weird. I am used to them telling me to clean my room, unload the dish washer, run to the grocery store or having to call around 12 o'clock on a Friday or Saturday night to tell them how much longer I am going to be out. I am close to my family; so the first couple of nights in this new city was not easy. I was literally all by myself because my roommate didn't move in for three more days. This was the hardest part of my new life; it made me somewhat rethink my decision to move away from home, I missed my family. I knew a few people from home, College Station, but they weren't my best friends. The feeling of having to start over made me scared and nervous. It was three weeks ago today that I moved into Elliot Hall. Since then I have fallen in love with college life. I have gotten to know how to get to Target and HEB, the outlet mall, and to my bowling class; I have also met some really cool new people and have reacquainted with some old ones; I have learned study skills and how hard it is to go to 8 a.m class when you don't have someone telling you to get up. The best part of it all is that it is freedom; know one telling me what to do anymore. It is the next step in life; I am excited that I get to go to school to learn how to do my job that I want to do. I went home this Labor Day weekend. It was again weird to travel back home. I came into my house and said "hi parents I am home from college." My best friends stayed in town and now go to A&M; I enjoyed seeing them after a few weeks and to be able to catch up on our new college experiences. My brother lives in Dallas, but comes home on occasion to see his girlfriend, who also goes to A&M. I think it really fazed my parents when instead of just saying goodbye to their son as he leaves to go back home, but now they have to say goodbye to both their kids. This really is a new life. I am excited to face all the new adventures, good and bad, that are going to come my way. I imagine there are many of you who can relate to my story and know what it is that I am feeling.

Why Shopgirl87?

Shopgirl87 is an odd name. You may think, sure, here is a person, who obviously is a girl, that enjoys shopping. The number 87 is either just a number that she chose randomly or a number that has some sort of significance. Well, that is the half of it. As I was entering all the necessary information to create a blog, I came to the part of the process where it asked me to enter in my blogger name. All the other questions had been easy for me up to this point. What is your email, create a password, retype the word you see on the screen, etc...but when I got to this section, create a blogger name, I had to think for a minute. I didn't want something as cliche as my nickname or middle name, but I also didn't want to choose something that was just stupid either. I sat just staring at the flashing cursor on the screen. I was thinking back in my life of something I was maybe good at, teased about, or just little facts about me that I could use as a name. I thought of the perfect name. I chose shopgirl87 because although I do have a passion for shopping, my favorite movie of all time is You've Got Mail. Meg Ryan's character, Kathleen Kelly, used Shopgirl as the name to her emailing account in the movie. For those of you who are somewhat confused to what it is I am talking about, go rent You've Got Mail and you hopefully will understand. Some of you may also think this is still a completely random name; I watched this movie again on TBS yesterday, and remembered how much I liked her username. Aside from shopgirl, the importance of the number 87 is the year I was born. July 29, 1987. Just thought I would stick on one other fact about me and make this username my own.