Happy Halloween!

Apparently I am the only student on campus who remembered it was Halloween. Or else maybe everyone who isn't an art major just didn't dress up. I'm seeing that as a major possibility. At least over in the arts side of campus people don't look at you weird when you dress up for Halloween.

The depressing part of my costume? I can't wear it to work today. :(

I was trying so hard to find something I could wear to work, because I work in a kitchen, right? So I can't pull out my usual costumes because they involve wearing or carrying large pieces of cardboard, or wearing a shoe on my head, or things like that.

No, I've not had a normal costume since 7th grade.

So I am finally like "GOT IT!" (this is probably the worst executed costume I've had in the last 7 years) I am a Freshman's (college) Diet! I've got ramen, and cereal, and pop tarts, and peanut butter, and fruit snaks and fast food, etc., wrappers taped all over my shirt.

I thought it was brilliant.

Until I realized I can't wear it to work. Because I'm not even allowed to say the word "diet" at work. (it's emotionally loaded language and actually makes a lot of sense). So if I can't even say the word, How I'm I suppose to dress up as a diet? I could actually get in a lot of trouble.

This is why i wish i could have pulled off my assault and battery costume (dress up as a salt shaker and tape batteries all over yourself) But I lacked the resources. Making it incredible difficult.

So I guess I'll go around my boring campus and pretend like people are cool enough to dress up.

The nice part, is I don't actually care that I am the weirdo walking around with wrappers taped to me. I guess that means I've come a long way since Jr. High. I am literally the only person in this lab remotely close to being dressed up and I'm just thinking about how boring everyone else is and not about how stupid I actually look.

So yeah, basically. Dress up for Halloween. It's more fun that way.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!!!

Well, at least I got two posts in this month.

Right, so...it's been awhile...

Here is my excuse, mid-terms, new employment, wedding in Minnesota, not enough time to sit down and process much of anything. Especially process it enough to for an actual blog post out of it.

So, sorry.

But at least I got 2 whole posts in this month.

Just for a little bit of catch up, I don't remember if I told you about my small group communication class and how our first presentation was a presentation on the "best date" and we were competing for the A grade. Only one A would be given out, the next group would get an A- and so on so forth down to a B+.

Well my group decided that everyone should go on a part of the date and take pictures for our slide show, so that we actually have some credibility to claim this as the best date.

Here is a picture if me and my friend Charles, who said he would go with me.

(P.S. I'm a little bit proud of taking that picture without making it look completely obvious that I took that picture. Also, my portion of the date was "star gazing.) if you would like to see our video about the best date, leave a comment and I can send you the link to the youtube video that we made for class.

Anyway, WE TOTALLY GOT THE A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm pretty stoked about it. We worked hard and so I'm pretty excited.

I mentioned that I have a job now. I am a cook at an eating disorder treatment facility. It is an interesting job. We make really good food. But it is interesting and kind of hard to go from people literally begging you to cook to people refusing to eat your food. I don't take it personally, but seeing the looks on their faces when they have food in front of them is just heartbreaking. But it is a good job and I am learning a lot.

I also worked Little Haunts down at the park again, which was way fun, and if you want proof I know the coolest people ever, here is a picture of us in our uniforms.

Yes, I do have a picture where we aren't all laughing, but I think this one is more fun. And no, we do not have a pirate amongst us, he is a privateer.

The next week i went out to Minnesota for my friend Sharaea's wedding. (I think i may have even spelled her name right.) We have been friends since we were 8 years old and she asked me to be her Maid of Honor, so I was. It was so interesting and fun to see her again and also just to go back to Minnesota. Where it is cold. Period.

I also shamelessly flirted with the DJ the entire reception and it was just a ton of fun, because we both pretty much didn't know anyone but the bride and groom, and the brides family.

Now I'm back in Logan and life seems to be settling back in to some form of stable abnormal. I think I even have my Halloween costume for tomorrow and I'm excited to put it together.

I also have a goal to post more than 2 times in the month of November.

Happy Halloween everyone!

...Baby steps?

So remember how I was starting to actually have all these good habits? Like reading my textbooks, or keeping my room clean, or studying.

Well...that lasted only a good tow weeks.

We now look at the last two weeks when I forgot to take a quiz, didn't clean my room for a whole week (if you know me, you know my room can get Katrina-ish [as in that hurricane that hit New Orleans when I was in Jr. High] in a matter of days.)

And now it's the day before a presentation and an hour before my test...what did I do last night?

I listened to Charles give me the rough draft version of the story he is writing...BUT IT WAS SO GOOD!!! I'm excited to see it turn into the full story.

...and now I know remember nothing about the first four chapters of interpersonal communication...

And it's not like I didn't have time to study. I had plenty of time, I just didn't manage my time well.

So...I guess here are the baby steps to where Mandy is actually improving.

1. I cleaned my room yesterday instead of letting it get worse and worse until Fall Break comes around.

2. I'm owning up to the fact that it's my own dang fault that I haven't accomplished my school work and not making up lame excuses.

3. I make my bed almost every morning. (Mom, aren't you so proud? I finally learned after 22 years of life!)

4. I'm starting to take ownership of my feelings. I'm learning less and less to allow someone to "make me angry" Instead of saying "you make me angry" I try to say " I am angry" and then attribute some of the reasons to the person.

5. I'm owning that I have feelings, and I'm trying to inch towards actually sharing them with people. (seriously, you have no idea how big of a deal this actually is. I don't do well with vulnerability.)

I'm sure there are a few more, like I'm trying to do less negative self talk and even working on some positive self talk.

The big thing is that I am aware I am a different person than I was a year ago, and I'm hoping that I'm becoming a better one day by day, just with little baby steps in the right direction.