Today's rambling: Hey man, what's your plan?
Written on Tuesday, May. 06, 2003 at 9:54 p.m.
while feeling a bit

As Rosie put it, Clarion is experiencing "Mini ALF"...or, as the organizers like to call it, "Spring Fling". The latter title reminds me of an old high school function, but the former seems more fitting in a way...as long as you forget that ALF stands for "Autumn Leaf Festival". :P See, a whole bunch of vendors that were here in autumn have come back to sell their carnival foods. One of these vendors happens to be the "famous" Poorman's Caramel Apple folks, who everyone on campus was raving about. You take some apple chunks, put them in a waffle cone-esque bowl, add a scoop of ice cream, pour chocolate and caramel over that (plus another topping of your choice--I got Butterfinger topping)...and the ubiquitous cherry. Hearing about this last semester, I was practically drooling. But I didn't get one. So when I heard that they were coming back, I was thrilled.

Unfortunately, I didn't find the product to be worth the hype. Oh, it was good, but not mouthwateringly tasty. I could have lived until next ALF before I had one. By the end of it, the caramel was making me slightly sick to my stomach. But I'm glad I got to experience it anyway.

As Amanda and I were walking toward the little park where all this was located, I heard strains of some very familiar music. I thought it was coming from somebody's car, and at one point I even shushed Amanda so I could better listen to the music. It sounded exactly like "Teacher" (by Jethro Tull)...and 'lo and behold, it was! I guess the local classic rock station was one of the sponsors of this event, so there were a couple of big speakers set up blaring music. I wanted to just stop there on the corner and listen to it. "Teacher" is one of my very favorite Tull songs, along with "Living In The Past" and "Locomotive Breath". It also reminded me quite strongly of Geoff, and for some reason I began wishing that I could at least call him up and warble excitedly about hearing that song over the radio. I don't know why, but hearing certain songs (or artists) on the radio is an exciting event for me. I used to fairly bounce up and down whenever Queen was on the TV or radio, hehe!

I sometimes wish there were people around me who appreciated the same music that I did. In my room, I can count on Kristen singing and bobbing her head along with the Oldies station, but take that music out on campus and I'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who'd be as interested in it as me. People my age don't tend to like an old song unless it's been in a popular movie. And today at the park, the only other person who seemed to be enjoying the Jethro Tull song was some middle-aged guy who was on his cell phone! "Good music, can you hear it?" I heard him say, and I wanted to turn around and exclaim, "Yes, it is!" I can't wait to get back home and hang out with Geoff, as he's one of the only people with similar music tastes to mine (although he's an even bigger music snob than I am!).

I am this close to being finished with Kevin's birthday present! All I have to do now is cut out a square of cardboard to glue onto the back, so that the photo's kinda protected. This frame that I bought from Walmart was somewhat cheap, but all it had was the wooden frame; there were no little things to hold the photo in place from the back. Kinda irritating, but I didn't really have much choice. I am so proud of this thing. Sure, it doesn't take much artistic talent to do most of the stuff I did--the life preserver and watch were just basic circle shapes, and the boat was just a couple of rectangles--but I'm proud of the detailed bits! The life preserver has "R.M.S. Titanic" written in red letters, the watch has metallic gold trim and roman numerals on the face (I looked at a website to make sure the thing was as authentic-looking as possible)...It's just so cute! I wrote "Happy Birthday Kevin" on the back in gold paint, too. And I figure, if I can get this finished by tomorrow, I'm going to give it to him during lunch. Yayness! ^_^

Is it normal to still be regretting a decision this long after you've made it? It's been over a week now since I decided to leave the sorority, and yet I still feel as though it was a big mistake. Maybe all I want is that feeling of belonging. I know the restrictions would chafe at me if I went back (not that they'd let me), but I feel so left out when they all go to meetings and things! And this afternoon, Casey was telling Amanda and Sarah about which fraternity they were doing the float with for ALF...I just felt like getting up and walking away! *sighs* I don't know. Not one person I've talked to has said that they wished I'd stayed--most people were vehemently in agreement with my decision to leave!--but I still can't help feeling that it would have been nice to stay. I'm still wondering if it's possible anymore to start up a local sorority. It would be fun to make up a new set of rules and find people like me...people who don't need all these rules, hehe! And we'd live in old Mr. Mahey's house on Liberty Street:

I don't know what it is about that house. Whenever Kevin and I go on our walks, we always go by that house and I've been drawn to it ever since I first saw it. The sign out front says "Make offer," so I've decided that it's either haunted, or in need of repair. Or maybe that's just the way this realtor has decided to do things. I prefer to think that Mr. Mahey is still inhabiting the place, though, mourning the loss of his wrap-around porch and waiting for someone to come along to rebuild it. Do you see the little sidewalk that curves around the turret part of the porch? That's still there. Oohey! I'll have to tell Kevin! He and I thought that the front porch was something newer, that the entire porch had been torn off and then the little front part (to the right of the turret) had been built there. But no, it wasn't!

I wonder if the realtor guy would be interested in renting to a few responsible college kids. Kevin and I, during a daylight walk, peered in the front door and discovered that there's a gorgeous little stained glass window on the back wall, and a fireplace in the living area.

I want this house. I must find out if we can rent it...assuming we get like 2 more people at least, lol!

Anyway, that's it. Click here if you'd like to see some old pictures of Clarion. I think they're pretty spifty! But then again, I'm living here right now, so that's probably why. ;)