Saturday, October 31, 2009

Halloween Edition

Halloween is here! Break out those costumes and dollar store candy to pass out to all the kiddies.

Ash and I drove around Franklin yesterday and took pictures. We pretty much were scared the police would come after us because we were stopping at property lines and modelling. It was really fun nonetheless and we were able to call ourselves Bonnie and Claire for the day.





























































Fall Follies was today. Basically it's an event where Belmont students poke fun at what's "wrong" with the campus and its affiliates. They pretty much burned music business kids to the core. It was priceless! Future, Belmont's main rapper, as part of the house band, though, wasn't priceless. He did nothing but stand there and say some "oohs" and "ahhs" as the other singer sang the majority of the songs. I think Future sang, or excuse me, rapped to one song. I can't even remember which song he did. That's how forgettable it was.

Last year's Fall Follies was better (John Flannigan sang. I mean, c'mon!). But the cast did put on a good show. Very entertaining. Props, ya'll!

For Halloween, I'm staying in with my friends. We really didn't find a legit party to go to in time. Ah well....



Enjoy your Halloween, everyone!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Modelesque

Aside from being a journalist, I've become a model for my friends. They're photography junkies. Amanda has a legit excuse. She's in a photography class and has to do portrait pictures. My other friend, Ashley, just loves photography, so she wants me to dress up and let me take pictures with her whenever we have the chance. It's fun and it's a great outlet for me to do a little acting and modelling. I always wanted to model but because of the curves and lack of height God graciously gave me, I'm not 'good enough' for today's modelling industry. That doesn't stop me, though, from giving my friends some good shots. Here's a few recent photography shoots from Ashley Lehenbauer.
















The guy who was modelling with me is Brendan Mayhew. He's a Belmont student, too and very theatrical. Nice bone structure.

Like I said before, yes I am a journalist. And this post wouldn't be a post without the new article that's in the Belmont Vision. There's another article in the paper about my missionary experience in the Appalachian Mountains this summer but for some reason they didn't put it online. Whatever.

http://www.belmontvision.com/news/2009/10/28/plastic-spreads-despite-water-bottle-ban.107012

There ya go, folks! Let me know which pictures you like best =) I'm dying to know!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Wonderful weekend

Happy Monday, everyone!

I hope you had a great weekend like I did.

It was the first time in a long time where I actually didn't worry about projects or papers. I was able to relax and enjoy the weekend.

Ash, Martha and I got up early to participate in the Breast Cancer Walk in downtown Nashville Saturday morning. It was a lot of fun and there were a lot more Belmont students walking than there were last year.

Ash and I power-walked the entire thing and then during the last mile or so jogged about a quarter of the way. It was good, but next year we're determined to jog the entire thing. I'm a little sick after it, what with the cold and such beating on my chest. It was frigid on Saturday.

We went to Wal-Mart and did some laundry list things, including laundry. I had the brainy idea to go work out again after dinner so we did that for 45 minutes. I was exhausted when I finally climbed into bed.

Sunday, Ash and I spent the day at Amanda's house carving pumpkins and taking pictures. Our pumpkins turned out so adorable. We also had pancakes and turkey sausage for breakfast. Pepper and Shirley, Amanda's dogs, also were around so they were getting all sorts of attention.

That was basically my weekend. Scroll down to see some pics if you'd like.

pancakes and sausage
my pumpkin!
Shirlie
Pepper
Ash and me

Friday, October 23, 2009

It's the most wonderful day of the year...except Christmas

Happy Friday, ya'll!

I watched 'The Shining' for the first time last night. Boy, is that movie the creepiest thing ever! What really creeped me out were those two little girls and Danny's 'imaginary friend' voice. I had to shut my ears every time he talked like that. A huge smile spread across my face as Jack Nicholson's famous line, "Heeere's JOHNNY!" was exclaimed. I was waiting the entire movie for that line. You know how you feel so parched after running around in the sun during summer time? All you really want is a tall glass of water.

That line was my tall glass of water.

A little freaked out while walking back to my room, I breathed some worship music. With the long hallways of TK, all I was thinking was having those two girls pop up at the end of it!

You're probably thinking to yourself, "Why in the world does this girl watch scary movies if she's so easily freaked out?"

The answer to that question is such. I love horror movies. They give me an adrenaline rush I just can't seem to shake. Sure I can't get the images out of my mind for a while, but the fun is actually watching the movie; I try so hard to get my friends scared and sometimes I succeed and it's the funniest thing ever! Whoever you watch a movie with, chances are they'll probably grab your ankle or arm right when the scary guy is about to get the victim. You scream and smack the crap out of your friend but are you mad? No. You're cracking up because you were the idiot who screamed for no reason.

Same with me. Sometimes I'm the smart one who grabs hold of said ankle. But alot of times, I'm the screaming idiot. Everyone's out to get each other not just in the movies but the viewers on the couch.

'The Shining' has pretty much shaken off of me. I have way too much stuff to do to worry whether an imaginary thing that I seem to conjur up in my mind will come and hurt me. Posh.

Overall, I've had a really good day. Jesus has been on my mind all day and I'm just really happy. It was raining in the morning but I didn't mind. Slipping on my rainboots I walked outside to find it spitting rain instead of the torrential downpours we've been experiencing. Then, around 12pm the sun decided to come out and play. I'm still in my rainboots and wearing them proudly. I'm also sporting the grunge look...hey, it's Friday.

Wait Until Dark is playing at the Troutt Black Box Theater tonight. I'm going with Anna so it should be spectacular. The play's about a blind woman who becomes the target of three thugs because she is in possession of a heroine doll. Talk about the wrong place at the wrong time!

The Breast Cancer Walk is tomorrow morning. I'm going to that with Ash and Martha. Pumpkin carving is on Sunday, Sunday morning to be exact. Ash and I are going to pick up our pumpkins tomorrow after the walk. We then are going to Amanda's house to carve them. It should be a lot of fun and I'm really excited just to unwind and get into the harvest spirit!

Rest assured pictures will be posted.

I think that's all for now. I have a class in about ten minutes so I'll probably pop back in either tomorrow or Sunday night, when I'm supposed to be studying ;)

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Recap of swift fall break




Well, all. The time for reminiscing about my fall break has come. So without further ado...

I hopped onto a plane headed to Philly. My three brothers and mom picked me up in Adam's new used car. It's red. Pretty. Or, wait? Is that too girly to call a man's car pretty? Okay. It's sweet. Handles smooth. Basically just gets him from A to B or C or wherever he's flying these days! Adam's a pilot and he flies out of state pretty frequently.

ANYWAY!

So Thursday, I didn't do anything. It was raining a lot so I exercised, showered, chilled out with my mom and brothers.

Friday my mom and I drove around southern Jersey haha. We were so off our A-game! At first we wanted to go to the bank so mom could cash her check. Well, we forgot where we were going like five times. Thankfully, we were going the right way. My mom said, "You know the reason I can't think straight is because I didn't have my coffee this morning. We ran out of coffee this morning and I just can't function." WaWa was in sight so we stopped to grab a coffee for our fixes. We got to the bank; then my mom had to go to another bank so that we could put cash in her other bank account. I know, CRAZY! Well then we decided she should pay the tuition at LCA. I said that was a good idea so I could see my teachers and tell them all was well.

After that, we planned on going to get me a pair of jeans because I'm so out of denim. That never happened. I wanted a new duffel bag because the one I mainly travel with is in total disrepair. I suppose I'll have to wait until Black Friday or Christmas because a duffel is running close to $115.00 money I don't have. Ireland is this summer and I have to save, save, save!

Well, we decided to go to the grocery store and get salsa so mom could make her amazing mexican casserole. AMAZING! I watched SOTTP 2 and 27 Dresses. Then I fell asleep.

Saturday was a little less crazy. Mom and I went to get decorations for the porch. We picked out pumpkins in freezing weather! I swear I thought my hands were gonna fall off. Some small pumpkins and big pumpkins, white pumpkins and gourds were picked out. Oh! and mums. Gotta have mums. We had lunch at Vincentown Diner, the best Jersey diner ever! I got Starbucks. Mom got WaWa and we made our way home.

We were decorating the porch, me taking pictures when my dad got a call from Alan who was bow hunting on our property, that he shot a spike buck! My dad, Adam and I rushed down to the field to see what he got and boy howdy, what a shot! Right between the eyes Alan shot that thing. That means we'll get more meat from it. YUM!


I took pictures of the gutting process but I won't post those on here. I posted them on facebook so I won't post them again.

Saturday was a chill night. I didn't go to church on Sunday because I was so dang blasted tired and I still didn't pack up my stuff. I had to leave for my flight at 3:30.

Everything was done by 2pm so I had a good hour and a half to chill out and relax, say bye to everybody at least until Thanksgiving.

That was the short existence that was my fall break. I can't believe tomorrow's Wednesday and there's only a week until the end of October. CRAP!

Okay, the clock has struck one so I will depart. CIAO!

Monday, October 19, 2009

I'm baaaaaack

Fall break has come and gone. It was awesome, but I don't have enough time to get into details. Details, though, and pictures will be posted very shortly. Possibly tonight, depending on how much homework I have.

With fall break done and over with, there are only seven more weeks of this semester. This makes me ecstatic yet sad because I know the first half of my sophomore college year is over. Ah well...

Enjoy the video of the song that's stuck in my head! =)

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Tomorrow how I love ya!





Today I had my media ethics midterm.

Tomorrow I have my history exam (not a midterm, thank Jesus!). And my flight.

I can't wait to go home at least for a little while. The boys will probably want to show me their deer stand and I'll probably scout deer with them. My mom and I have some girl time to do. Shopping, maybe?

Oh! And we're going to New York to see Lady Liberty. We're taking my grandmom. She's never seen it so we're going on a party cruise sort-of-a-thing. It should be fun. Expect pictures!

Okay, I think that's it. I probably won't blog until I get back from Jersey. Or, if something AMAZING happens during my stay, I will battle the dial-up that has possessed our home computer and write on there.

Enjoy the rest of your week, everyone!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Tres Dias!

Fall break is almost upon us! I haven't really talked about my angst to go back to Jersey and family for a long weekend. Well...I'm talking about it now as Miley Cyrus's song "Party in the USA" plays on the radio for about the twentieth time today. Oy...

How I love Tennessee in the fall. It's almost the end of October and unfortunately, the weather hasn't been brisk like I was expecting and hoping for. Ah well. Hopefully by the time I get back from home, Tennessee will settle into it's autumn ways and give us a beautiful fall before winter hits us like a rock.

My flight is Wednesday night and I'm coming home Sunday night. I'm glad a few days home is able to be done. My brothers miss me and I have so much to tell everyone (career-wise). I miss my pets, too. Ash and I have been talking about how she wants a great dane and I want a lab. Talking about labs, makes me think of Samson. How I miss that yellow bunch of crazy. I miss my cats, too. It's just time to go home.

I made such an awesome purchase yesterday. I was swooning so much over Michael Buble's new cd, Ash and I went to Target and I couldn't leave the store until I bought it. Popping it into my computer and listening to it about three times in a row, I have now found my 2009 favorite cd.

**Josh Groban's new cd comes out March or April of 2010. Keep your eyes peeled!

A more in-depth critique of Buble's cd is on my other blog http://www.amandastrav180.blogspot.com/

Friday, October 9, 2009

Squeal of Delight!

I was checking my Yahoo! mail and a message from Michael Buble's fan site was in my box. I opened the piece of mail half expecting an advertisement for a mug of Michael's mug for 20% off with membership. What I got was ten times better.

I had to stifle a squeal.

My mind sparked as I realized Buble's new CD "Crazy Love" comes out today! I am super excited. I became a Buble' fan around the same time I discovered Josh Groban's sweet, sweet musical voice. I found Groban first and swooned. Then as I was perusing Borders.com for Groban's then new CD, Awake, I saw in the suggestion box Michael Buble. I meandered over to Youtube to sneak a peak and fell in love with his buttery voice.

<----  I'm sorry. But can we just pause a second and appreciate the oh-my-gosh hottie now displayed on my blog. He looks SO good with a little five o'clock, does he not?


Moving on...

The album I own was his recent one, Irresponsible, but now my heart swells as I anticipate the purchase of "Crazy Love".

If you are out and are in desperate need of some new music (which we so frequently are) swing by your nearest fye, borders, barnes 'n' noble, target, wal-mart, WHEREVER, and pick up a copy of Buble's latest.

Here's the list of songs on the album:

Cry Me A River
All Of Me
Georgia On My Mind
Crazy Love
Haven't Met You Yet*
All I Do Is Dream Of You
Hold On*
Heartache Tonight
You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
Baby (You've Got What It Takes)
At This Moment
Stardust
Whatever It Takes (bonus track)
*co written by Michael Bublé

I'm quite excited to hear his co-written songs. I definitely think he should write some more of his own ...maybe he will in. All in due time.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Thoughts came back...he didn't

The memories came back today. I thought I had fought them off, but, alas, as I was reading my medieval world homework, he came back to mind. I fell asleep, thinking I could get rid of him just as quickly as he came. I awoke unsuccessful. '

The questions came back, too. Why hasn't he written me? What's going on? Where is he?

I thought I was good to move on. I pondered over these opportunities that are opening up:

I bumped into my basic news instructor today and she beamed over me, saying how proud she is of me. She then began to tell me about magazines and newspapers, stating matter-of-factly that I'm ready for them. When I came back to my dorm, to my thoughts, I just kept thinking of him smiling and nodding in approval. He would be proud. He was proud when he was here, encouraging me and flashing a smile every time I talked about the successes. He never said he was proud, but I could feel it: the awe of the compliments as he saw them unfold--one by one.

In light of these thoughts, I think it's time to share what I wrote a few weeks back when I was thinking of him as I am now.

1


It’s been seven years, a

Short but long seven years

Since I have seen your face,

Hugged you tightly.

The cicadas are calling the trees and

Likewise, my soul calls for you.

“Where are you?”-“Where are you, my love?”

2

Oceans surround the earth with their crashing waves

Their dark curtains, rolling and flowing,

Trying ever so hard to destroy the ships that

Rise and fall with the motions.

They taunt.

“Try. Just try and get passed us.”

The waters dance in too-soon victory.

These dark crashing waters separate us.

3

But, oh, my love—though I in flesh am far away—

My love leaps and bounds and flies over the waters,

Over those high crashing monsoon tides,

Finds you

And surrounds you—unbeknownst—

Like a fluttering ethereal spirit

My love surrounds you

Where you tread

Wherever you lie

4

Men gaze, stare, and catch my eye

But they look away, for they see

In my eyes a soul not there, a

Girl whose soul, they know, is with

Another

“She gave her heart too soon.

Love grasped her too tightly, too quickly,

Too quickly.”

5

Too quickly? I ask. Is it all so

Harmful to truly love?

Though you are not near to me in body

You are with me in spirit.

Though you packed my heart among

The other possessions you took—oh! How you possess me!--

I have never felt so alive!

Love, if awakened early, is harmful

Love that has pricked the heart

At just the right moment is

Wonderful

To love the right one

Is as natural as breathing

For love, that age-old ‘motion, is

Air for the soul

My love, though your flesh is far,

In my slumber, amidst the many

Flashes of color, behind my lids

You are there.

6

It’s been seven years, a

Short but long seven years

Since I have seen your face

Hugged you tightly.

The moon is full and all is quiet

As is my heart.

For I know tonight,

I will dream of you and will continue

To dream

Until the day our hearts join again.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Monday, Monday

Mamas and the Papas were right about crying on Mondays.

I bumped into Courtney, one of my friends I met in my journalism classes, and she said she's making journalism her minor and majoring in entertainment industry studies. E! here she comes! She said she cried about two times today before 9am!! I'm thinking the stress and tests are getting everyone down lately.

I was talking to Tara, a girl in my group for covering diverse, and she feels so overwhelmed with all the stories we have due in the course of the semester. I feel overwhelmed as well. If I cut out that class, I think I would be ten times less likely to pull my hair out.

Tempers and stress levels are running high this semester, more so than they were my first semester at Belmont. It seems the teachers wanted to be harder. I can just picture the teachers congregated in a room, discussing how they can make our lives a living hell and still convince us it's in our best interest.

I know that's certainly not true but it gives an answer to this wave of stress that consumed all of us as we arrived to Belmont. An answer, no matter how inadequate, is still an answer.

My brother, Alan, surprised me last night with a phone call. I love that! He went to his friend's quinceanera and had a blast. My mom sent me pictures of him in his suit and let me just say, he probably got a few girls' numbers Saturday night. The thing with Alan is he's very particular about he dresses, especially when it comes to dressing nicely. He's also a musician so the girls in his sophomore class think he's so cool. He's writing his own songs and I know every time he calls me, he wants me to hear his new one. Alan cracks me up.

He really had me cracking up with his hunting story.

Austin (my brother 18 months younger than me) and Alan (4 years younger than me) received their bow hunting license for this season. They have become obsessed with hunting since then. Austin got a job and with his money he's earned has bought camo, corn to bait the deer, and a blinder to protect themselves from the elements when they're in the deer stand.

A group of about five deer came around the boys and Austin went to shoot and missed. They got out of the deer stand and went to scout the deer. Austin drew back his bow and...hit a tree. He mistook the tree for a deer (wha??).

The boys are scouting again, and Alan finds a groundhog roaming around. The groundhog looks at him and starts smelling him and waddling around. Alan looks to his right and sees a little grey mouse also staring at him. Alan's a little freaked out about that but he doesn't do anything to the rodent. The mouse and groundhog stay around Alan for a little while until the groundhog waddles into his hole and the mouse runs away. For a few moments, Alan was the male version of Snow White. How quaint!

Austin and Alan go back into the tree stand and while the wind is whipping and the sky is grey, Alan falls asleep in the stand. He wakes up to find Austin walking back to the house without him!

"What the heck!" he thinks to himself and climbs out of the deer stand and walks back to the house.

"Why'd you leave me?" Alan asks Austin as he walks into the kitchen.

"I thought I had to go to the bathroom but I changed my mind," Austin says while getting something to eat. "You're in the house now so stop complaining. We'll go out later."

When Alan told me that, I started cracking up! I told my friends the story and they just shook their heads and chuckled to themselves.

Alan also told me a doe was standing right in our front yard. I told him the deer are just waiting to be shot and eaten, so here's hoping they get a deer. Chili made with deer meat is the best and I've missed that for such a long time.

The weather is getting colder and autumn is settling in here in Nashville. It's so glorious. I can't wait until the leaves start to change. That's when the campus turns magical for a few weeks...

Saturday, October 3, 2009

The way you make me feel!

Songs in iMind:

Nothing Left to Lose--Mat Kearney

Use Somebody--Kings of Leon

Destressed Saturday once again and enjoyed this beautiful weather.

Sometimes, when there's a lot of work ahead of you, you just need to do something that makes you feel good. Today was the perfect day to do nothing but something all at the same time.

Ash and I got up around 10am and went to Cabana Tan near Franklin to get our tan on. 20 minutes later and we were nice and toasty, praying we weren't as badly burned as we were the first time. It's been a whole day and I still haven't seen any redness; I'm thinking that's a good sign.

After tanning, we went to grab brunch with Amanda and Martha at the caf. Joy...It was preview day today so there were a lot of extra kids, a lot of parents. Wowzers.

We then went to Old Navy and Wal-Mart. I had to get a new pair of jeans and ink for my printer. $32.00 for ink!! The vexations of a college student. We then went to McKays where I was hit on by a bonafide creeper. Despite the sudden urge to vomit over the situation (I didn't by the way), I did pick up some Nicholas Sparks. Though he is on the "depressing" side, where all of his books are sad one way or another, he is a fantastic writer! I picked up "The Notebook" and "Nights in Rodanthe". I've seen the cinematography of "The Notebook", but I think the book will be ten times better. I'm excited. I've started on "Nights in Rodanthe" first, though, because I haven't seen the movie so I can't expect anything to happen.

A very nice night was spent in the prayer chapel with Martha. I'm working on my special project and she's sort of my Simon Cowell. However, she thinks everything is great! Which I mean that's great but I want this project to be perfect. We'll see how it turns out. We're returning to the chapel tomorrow night (that is, after my article is written). I'm feeling very relaxed about this article so we'll see where this all goes.

I think that's enough typing for one night. Have a wonderful rest of the weekend everyone!

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