Hello from Illinois!  Well, I've been home for nearly three weeks now.  I'm working at a NPO (non-profit org) for Actuaries.  What is an actuary?  Well, it took me most of my first week there to figure it out.  An Actuary is someone who analzyes risk for all sorts of businesses (most particularly banks and insurance companies).  It's fun stuff.  The best thing about it: I can wear both fancy business clothes when I want to or JEANS! when I want to (we're in casual summer dress code right now).  Bad thing: it's an hour drive each way in rush hour. 

Speaking of driving, I will probably be getting a car next Monday/Tuesday.  The Taurus has lived a good life but it is now dying.  I'm looking into getting a Hyundai Elantra.  They have a nice 10 year warranty which will be good for all of the miles I plan on doing with it (back and forth to Lafayette for another year and then hopefully moving to the east coast for the next....years).  It seems like it will happen but you never know with this type of stuff. 

Besides that, I'm just chillin'.  Making the usual trips to IKEA!!!!, Crate & Barrel, and numerous other stores.  I'm already pumped for next fall.  For those who are extremely concerned, I kicked major academic ass this spring and left with a 4.0.  This resulting even though I wrote a 30 page paper on Euro Disney.  I'm good like that.  So where to next?  FOUCAULT...and wedding planning....a major contradiction.  Such is the life I've constructed.  :-)

With everything that's going on lately, I feel that this song is most appropriate:

"Vienna" by Billy Joel

Slow down, you crazy child
you're so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you're so smart, tell me
Why are you still so afraid?

Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?
You'd better cool it off before you burn it out
You've got so much to do and
Only so many hours in a day

But you know that when the truth is told..
That you can get what you want or you get old
You're gonna kick off before you even
Get halfway through
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Slow down, you're doing fine
You can't be everything you want to be
Before your time
Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight
Tonight,...
Too bad but it's the life you lead
you're so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you're wrong, you know
You can't always see when you're right. you're right

You've got your passion, you've got your pride
but don't you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Slow down, you crazy child
and take the phone off the hook and disappear for awhile
it's all right, you can afford to lose a day or two
When will you realize,..Vienna waits for you?
And you know that when the truth is told
that you can get what you want or you can just get old
You're gonna kick off before you even get half through
Why don't you realize,. Vienna waits for you
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Life since the last post has been incredibly hetic.  Since then, I adopted an eight-week old kitten (black tiger with gray) from the animal shelter.  She's absolutely adorable.  I just have yet to pick out a name for her.  I'm too particular with names.  I hope that I can get pics on here soon to show her off. 

I also was in the hospital yesterday morning for food poisoning.  Let's say this, I will NEVER eat at Applebees ever again.  Thanks to them, I'm not living in the bathroom anymore.  Since then, I've been struggling to eat something and get homework done.  While I am not completely feeling wonderful yet, I still have mega amounts of work to do before the end of next week.  This conflicts with the side affects of my medicine- sleepyness. 

So yah...there you have it.  Need to get back to homework before I fall asleep again...

Dear Lads & Lassies of Clutterville-

I am taking a survey of sorts with this post.  I need to write a horror story for my history of death class and I need to know an answer to this question:

What do you fear about the horror genre the most?  What makes you jump out of your seat, cover your eyes, scream, or try to act macho as to impress your date? 

Merci!  Au revoir!

1. What is your middle name? Marie

2. How big is your bed? full
3. What are you listening to right now? People walking back and forth outside

4. Latest health resolution? lose weight, feel great

5. What was the last thing you ate? i think i had popcorn last night...
6. Last person you hugged? my cat
7. How is the weather right now? cloudy, cold
8. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? Nick
9. What foreign language would you like to learn? Latin & Dutch- need to know these in order to research in the archives

10. Favorite type of Food? Italian

11. Do you want children?  yup
12. What's your favorite posession from your childhood? my baby blanket...I still love that worn out thing...i have no clue where it's at though
13. What is one thing you wish you could do soon? get my PhD

14. Hair color? right now, brown with copper streaks, later this month...who knows ;-)
15. Eye color? grayish blue
16. Do you wear contacts: yes I do
17. Favorite holiday? Christmas and National Christina's Birthday..Day
18. Favorite Season? Spring
19. Do you sing in the shower? no
20. Last Movie you Watched? does Friends count?
29. What books are you reading? Hehhehe...this is a fun question...let's see...The Secret Life of Coffeehouses, Reluctant Revolutionaries, John Locke: 2 Treaties of Gov't and Letter of Toleration, Life of Charles II, Anti-Americanism, Euro Disney Travel Guide en Francais, and a heck of a lot of articles on Death, Ghosts, and thigns that go BUMP in the night....
30. Piercings? regular ear piercings
31. Favorite Movie? V for Vendetta, currently


32. Favorite college football Team? I guess Purdue


33. What were you doing before filling this out? writing a paper that's due today

34.  Any Pets? Murphy, the sweet and affectionate kitty...will possibly have another this weekend!!! WOOOHOOO

35. Do you IM? not really anymore...i can't stand talking on it...i get antsy when people don't respond

36. Dogs or cats? both...cats are cute and easy to take care of but I love dogs' enthusiastic nature

37. Favorite Flower? Irises

38. Favorite ice cream flavor? Baskin Robbins Rainbow Sherbert

39. Who would you like to see right now? a massage therapist

40. Have you ever fired a gun? nope and will never do so....I'm anti-NRA.

41. Do you like to travel by plane? Most definately

42. Right-handed or Left-handed? For the longest time, I was both but forced in elementary school to pick a hand- so it's right

43. If you could go anywhere, where would that be? Europe


44. Are you missing someone? Did I lose someone else?  My gosh... :-)

45. Do you have a tattoo? I'm a sissy when it comes to pain

46. Do you still watch cartoons on Saturday mornings? Do I still watch TV (actual TV, not DVDs)?  Not so much...That's good time for homework!

47. Are you hiding something from someone? Not so much

48. What's the neatest invention/tech item you've seen lately? the robotic vacuum...i'm so getting one of those!  It charges itself!!!!!!

49. Whats the wallpaper on your phone? the beach scene

50. DID YOU GET ENOUGH SLEEP LAST NIGHT? I'm so excited because I finally got 6 hours of sleep...I've been going on 2-4 this whole week

51. FIRST THING YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THIS MORNING? what else should I write about in my paper

WHAT DO YOU HAVE HANDY AT YOUR BEDSIDE? cell phone, books, engagement ring, Jimmy the horse, my alarm clock

53. GRILLED OR FRIED? Grilled


54. WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUe???? DNA

55. What are your favorite smells? Lavendar, eculaptys (can't spell that)

56. FAVORITE HANGOUT? History Grad Offices in REC

57. 3 THINGS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT? cell phone, laptop, my cat

58. FIRST THING YOU WILL BUY IF GIVEN 1 THOUSAND DOLLARS? pay student loans...won't even make a dent

59. FAVORITE SONGS? look at my iPod

60. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? not making it in grad school, not getting into a good PhD program, not getting a job, not getting a 4.0 this semester


61. ARE YOU A GIVER OR TAKER? i give and take

62. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES? Stina, Stinapotomus, TA

63. WHAT IS YOUR DAD'S MIDDLE NAME? really couldn't think of anything else to ask?

64. WHATS YOUR MOTHERS MIDDLE NAME? if you're going to write a quiz, don't half ass it

65. STUCK ON A DESERTED ISLAND & COULD ONLY BRING ONE THING/PERSON?  a plane to go back home

66. FAVORITE T.V. COMMERCIAL? what's this TV you speak of?

67. WHO'S YOUR CELL PHONE PROVIDER? Cingular
68. FIRST THING YOU'LL SAVE IN FIRE? my cat
   69. Favorite color? blue
70. WHAT ARE THREE THINGS YOU ALWAYS BRING WITH YOU? why do I feel that i've already answered this question...well, cellphone, homework, and my diminished pride
71. WHAT DID YOU WANNA BE WHEN YOU WERE A KID? an actress
72. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY DO WHEN THE CLOCK TURNS 11:11? eat lunch, dream, or make myself stay up at least until 12 to finish homework

73. Favorite pair of shoes? flip flops

74. WHO DO U WANT TO MEET? Michael Foucault
75. WHAT DO U THINK ABOUT BEF0RE Y0U G0 T0 BED? next day's homework
76. What high school do you or did you go to? Crystal Lake Central HS

77. What is you favorite store to shop in? IKEA!!!
78. Do you have a job? If so where? yes- as a Teaching Assistant...keeping the kids in line

79. Where is one place you would hate to live? Nebraska...they seem to have a lot of tornadoes
80. Gold or silver? silver!!