We're in our second week of school, about to start the third and I'm already starting to feel the pressure of school weighing down on me. I have homework out the wazoo and so many things for CAB and Dateline that it's driving me insane. I'm sure I don't want it any other way, I get bored way too easily and if I keep my work load heavy then I won't get bored and I'll be able to have a lot of fun doing a lot of things even though it doesn't seem like I'm having that much fun- but I totally am. :) LOL

 But this was a good weekend for me! I went to the Mount's first home football game yesterday and we beat the Wilmington Quakers 21-7 so that was pretty awesome! I went with my friends Sam, Jimmie, Tom, Nicole, and others. We had a ton of fun hanging out in the perfect 80 degree weather! :)

 Then today we went to the Newport Aquarium. When I say we, I mean the executive board of the CAB (Campus Activities Board). There was: Ally the president, Brittany the VP, me as publicity, Molly our secretary, Brittani our Cincinnati Connections Chair, then also James and Justin our 'assistants', then also Tim Bessler, the Assistant Dean of Students. We got to go on a private tour of the Aquarium. We were checking out the space for the upcoming Spring Formal on April 18, 2009. Dates fill up fast for functions at the Aquarium so we had to act fast and we had a ton of fun this morning! We were seeing things most people don't get to see on a normal trip there and we were talking about some amazing things we can do for our dance. One thing that I know I'm super psyched about is the animal encounter. We have the chance to get a penguin or two to come and hang out with us during the dance! They come in a little wagon that says penguin mobile on it and then we can take pictures, pet, and 'play' with them in about 25 minute increments. I am SO excited about that! I mean I know the dance is a fars way off and we have to get through Homecoming first (October 24th) but this is just so exciting and so different from what the Mount is used to that I am just dancing out of my skin trying to be patient and wait for this to happen! This is gonna be one THE premiere events that CAB will be putting on this year and I am just SO excited! (Can't you tell!? Alright, alright. I'm shutting up! lol)

 Later tonight I get to hang out with my family as they come to visit me. My mom really misses me and even though we talk every day, she still misses me. Dorming is different than living at home, obviously. But it's different in the fact that I feel like I'm living in some sort of weird hotel kind of thing and that if I want to go home, I can at any time. I just really miss my pets (two cats, Milo and Domino, and my dog, Ranger) and sleeping in my own bed... But this is where being busy comes in and that way I don't have too much time to think about all those things and those people that I miss the most...

 It's a goregous day outside and I can hear through my open window the soccer game going on in the stadium across the way. I feel like going outside and doing whatever I feel like... So go out and enjoy the sunshine and blow off some start of term steam! :) 

The first is me and Tom at the game. Tom's a fellow blogger. The second is the final score of the football game. The third are two of the penguins that could visit us at Spring Formal. And the last is part of the ballroom that the Aquarium has that we can use if we so decide to. :)

I know that people have been talking about stress and relaxation and exams but I had something fun to talk about for that.  

But first, I wanna tell you that I don’t stress out easily. I usually just wait until the weekend to do homework or projects and just do it all in two days. That’s how I do things and I seem to do well with it. All my homework is done from Saturday afternoon to Sunday evening and then it’s done for the week. 

I can only assume that Damon, in the pool (there was no water), and Steven were just having too much fun hanging out in the Quad. (Notice how freaking green the grass is! Wow… I love spring!!!) I thought it was just really cool that they found a way to relax and just hang out. So a shout out to them! But what were you guys really doing? (If either of you read this, leave a comment at the bottom if you want) J    

So some people have some really interesting ways of relaxing and getting ready for summer. Only three days of school left and four days of exams. I have three days of school, only two exams, and one project left so I am sooo excited to finish and have an awesome time during the summer!    

So keep up with your studies, relax, take a deep breath, and have fun!!! J

P.S. Alpha Phi Omega ended up raising $515 for MS :) Congrats guys!!!

Cincinnati! I love this city. Granted I’ve lived here the past 19 years of my life… which is my… entire… life. Hahaha! LOL And sometimes I still don’t know what to do in this city.     

But one place I went this weekend was Newport on the Levee. Um ya… that’s Kentucky but still- you cross the Big Mac Bridge and you’re in Cincinnati.    

I was down there to go the Newport Aquarium on a field trip with my mom’s class and I got to walk around the levee and then part way across the Purple People Bridge. It’s this awesome PURPLE bridge that is strictly a pedestrian bridge that connects Cincinnati and Newport. It’s an awesome bridge if you think about it. You get to cross over the Ohio River from one state to another, one city to another. It’s a really cool concept.     

But I had so much fun at the Aquarium and I’ve put some choice pictures up below. It was fun seeing the fish and the sharks and the divers hanging out with those sharks. There were also the jelly fish and the penguins and the alligators… LOL J     But it was an awesome little trip and a break away from reality when I only went fifteen minutes from my house and actually it’s only fifteen minutes from the Mount. It was a great little outing in which I got to a break fun my busy and hectic life and just hang out a bit. Newport also has a movie theater and shops and restaurants and fun things to do. It’s a great place to hang out and get away… I recommend hanging at the Newport whenever you get a chance- too much fun. J

Ok… so I took my Praxis I test this weekend at the University of Cincinnati! But it was a freaking fiasco! LOL Let me explain…    

First, on Friday night, my mom calls me up at about 5:30 or 6 PM asking me to come join her and my dad for dinner. So we go up to Salem Gardens for dinner (corner of Beacon and Salem in Mt. Washington/Anderson area of the East Side of Cincinnati)- great food there. And then my mom suggested we go over to UC to check out where I’d be taking my Praxis test in the morning so I knew where I was going at 7:30 AM the next day. Well, we get there. We check out Dyer Hall and the Teacher’s College buildings- that’s where my mom took her Praxis test (granted, it was like 2 years ago)- but we couldn’t find the testing center for the test. So we went to the Edwards Building- where the Testing Services’ offices are. But they were closed and that was to be expected at 8 PM at night. So we went to the university’s campus security/police station. And they spent about half an hour with us trying to find this place- nice people. But they couldn’t find it either. So I said, well, the ets.org website says the Testing Services are in the University Pavilion building- but of course that was locked too- but I said I would try checking that out in the morning (risky considering I had to be there at 7:30 AM and I wouldn’t get there until about 7:15 which would give me 15 minutes to find this place).     

Anyway, come Saturday morning, I head up to UC, get there, park (stupid meters still run on Saturdays so I parked at Hughes High School for free- across the street), and go to University Pavilion. I try the first door, well that’s the third floor! Go figure! So I go down the steps on the outside- the steps inside where closed off- so weird. I get down there, and that’s the second floor but it’s all ground level. So strange… So I see more steps inside going down and get down there, go to the end of the office, and there! There’s the Testing Services! At least I thought it was. The lady there asks me, “Are you here for the GRE?” And my heart drops. I told her no that I was there for the Praxis. And she’s like oh that’s here too! And I was so relieved! I had found the right place! Ahhh! So excited was I! (Now I sound like Yoda)    

Anywho… I started the test before 8 AM and was out of there by 11 AM. I took the computerized test so I got my reading scores and math scores right away- 181 and 183 respectively which are both passing for the Mount’s standards! (174 for each) I find out my writing scores in about 2-3 weeks- so just right before I get out of school I should know how I did! But what an ordeal! Geez… J    

The other interesting tid bit of news was the Cincinnati Flower Show is going on down at Coney Island! It started on Saturday, April 19^th, and goes through Sunday, April 27^th. It looks quite interesting actually. I’ve been watching them set up for about 2 weeks now- that’s how long it takes to set up for a week long event apparently. But the weird thing was I saw a camper all set up down there and looks like there was a family settling in for the week or something- just to see flowers! It was interesting to say the least… But I included the website for the show if you wanna check it out and head over there. It’s about 25 minutes away from the Mount. Basically, if you wanna go, you take Delhi down to River Road and head East on River Road. Follow that onto the Sixth Street Viaduct, follow the signs for 50 East. Cross through Ft. Washington Way. Follow the signs for 471 South/Kentucky/Newport. Get onto 471 South. Follow the signs for 275 North/East and once you merge onto 275, you cross over the Ohio River, take the first exit on your right- Kellogg Avenue- and Coney Island is on your right. It doesn’t take long and it looks like quite a show! I may just have to go with my mom- she has a green thumb, I have a pale one. J    

That’s all the news I have so far on my life at the Mount but I’ll let you know what else is around the corner. “Until then, keep your eggs- sunny side up!” (Princess Diaries II: The Royal Engagement) 

http://www.cincyflowershow.com/