Hey Friends~
So, it is friday. It is friday, and in about an hour my weekend will begin. And, while other people are planning cool trips to Chicago or dancing the night away, I intend on wearing pajamas and eating ice cream all weekend. (with a possible break for the farmers market). A few weeks back I went to the library and rented 9 movies... i managed to watch 7 of them before their 10 day rental expired. I feel like i may be one of the laziest people ever, but its really kind of nice. During the school year I'm busy-- I seem to thrive on activity so I try to pack it all in. Next semester I'll have four classes, three jobs, two club positions, three meals a day, and homework. I think it will be busy enough to compensate for my lazy summer.
On the downside, I'm not reading as much as i'd like to. Ah well, such is life.
I apologize for the lameness of my post. To make up for it, i give you a monkey.

~Kristen

Monkey:

Netflix

So once upon a time, a couple of years ago, I heard mention of a new movie mail-order service called "Netflix." This company would, amazingly enough, send you movies THROUGH THE MAIL directly to your house and charge no late fees, and plus they have a GIANT movie database that offers really super obscure films like Italian films from the 1600's. Heh, not quite, but an ample selection nonetheless. In any case, I only just rediscovered how awesome this service is, and how handy it is for college students who a) don't have transportation to go to the video rental store, and b) are bad enough about returning movies on time that late fees can add up and force you to avoid Family Video for months waiting for their computer system to crash so that you'll be deleted out of their customer database forever. And this summer, it's been the perfect chance to sit around and catch up on all those great movies or tv shows that I haven't had a chance to watch for one reason or another!! Including: "The Queen" -- see it, for real. Helen Mirren is a genius and eerily dead-on as Queen Elizabeth in the days after Princess Diana's death in 1997. Also, "Weeds" is rapidly making its way up my list of great TV shows -- Mary Louise Parker is fantastic as usual and the story line is amazing and maybe a little too plausible? Makes you wonder about suburbia, if you weren't already a little suspiscious. Also, the opening song is great.

Take these reviews as you will, and as always, have a good night!! ~ LDM

How Annie Chun Assaulted the Rug

For the next three months, I am living in the French House in a large single that shares a bathroom with one neighbor. Summer living dans la maision Francaise is cake. Like many special interest houses on campus, most rooms in the French House have hardwood floors. Granted, they've seen a foot or two, but they're more pleasant to have under your toes than carpet on a hot day.

Anyway, as one of a handful of students who stuck around for the summer, I inherited a lot when my friends hit the road. The residence halls here usually have one box in a common space designated by the RA as "give-and-take" for recycling clothes and stuff that just needs to move on to someone else on campus. Between my friends and these overflowing boxes, I came into possession of an armchair, 26 packets of Easy Mac, a bag of nutritional yeast, a new box of iodized salt, many craisins, a fan, more oatmeal than I could ever hope to consume, and a half-gallon of Vermont maple syrup (a highlight, to be sure). Also belonging on this list is a large rug. While I love the hardwood floors, I must confess that I was pretty excited when I got the rug. It's just so pleasant! I suppose the total inventory would more accurately describe it as blue and stained and note that it smells a bit like someone's cat, but as of last night, it also smells like Annie Chun.

To backtack a bit, I should explaint that I am off the meal plan and cooking for myself all summer long. Some nights, this means baking and marinating tofu with veggies and rice. Other nights, this means convincing Michelle to collaborate on your basic pasta-with-tomato-sauce shindig. It's nothing fancy, but we do juice fruits and veggies when they come our way. Still, there are nights when I want nothing other than to wait two minutes for my Annie Chun to be heated to perfection in the microwave and be done with the whole food thing.

To tie this all together for you in one messy sentence: I was eating my Annie Chun Teriyaki Noodle Bowl last night, sitting on a borrowed rug watching "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," when I spilled sweet Annie's good cookin all over this magic carpet and my feet (although my toes are not the point). So, after work today I will bike to Cub Foods and buy some carpet cleaner and send a prayer to some higher power that the smell of cheap Asian food will vacate my crib before the scent spreads to my bed. G-ross.

In conclusion, here's my good advice to everyone, everywhere: don't spill things. It's a big hassel to clean up, not to mention a painful way to say goodbye to a hot bowl of Annie. Plus, it makes you feel stupid. No one likes feeling stupid. I beseech you to take this obvious directive to heart, but also to keep your bowls at the table, friends. Heck, if you've got to, cover your furniture in plastic. It's the only safe way to eat!

-Julia

Somewhere between the lines lies a place we call reality.

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Sometimes Beloiters like to study,
Sometimes we like to relax,
Sometimes we like to put up shows
And make each other laugh.

Enjoy these pics from Beloit's productions of Two Gentlemen of Verona that went up last November!

Peace,
Travis...

weekend; random thoughts; cute photos

Heyo!! Hope everyone had a good weekend...I pretty much sat around and watched episode after episode of "Sex and the City" and "Scrubs" until I finally freaked out from too much inactivity yesterday and went for a long run/workout. Now my abs and legs are sore, but I was able to eat one of those new delicious waffle bowl sundaes at Dairy Queen without feeling guilty about it. Every summer, after about a week of saying "mmm, no homework for me!" every night after work, I realize how much I depend on school year events for providing me with distractions and entertainment. Predictably, I'd foreseen this wall of impending boredom and I've already taken measures to combat it. First of all, I extended a special project I'd been working on with my advisor this spring. It's on the role of the city in the literature of James Joyce and James T. Farrell, and the due date for the final draft of my 20-page paper is August 1st. Pretty exciting stuff. Also, Jim discovered this blog called "Cute Overload" and so he's been sending me photos that look like this:

Yeah. I know. I can't even deal with the cuteness. Oh, and I found this one too, which is getting my vote for Beloit's new mascot:

*Head explodes* "Overload" is pretty accurate.

Rats. Thinking about the special project makes me realize how it's already June and how quickly this summer will probably go. Pretty soon though I get to see my friends Zeva and Steve--Zeva will have just returned from her spring semester in New Zealand and I can't wait to see her!! Luckily we're reprising our sophomore year and living together again in the fall. I somehow managed to get the sweet deal of RA-ing the Clary Street apartments, which means not only do I get a giant single, but it's also with three friends of my choosing. And a brand-shiny-new kitchen for cooking! Still can barely believe my luck in getting that spot.

Ok, I think I've pretty much exhausted my blogging capabilities for today. Have a good Monday afternoon/night everyone! ~ Laura DM

The Summer so far...

Well, I've settled back into the Beloit life, from the pretty campus, to friendly people, to the unpredictable weather. It's not much different from before I left for Austria in January yet still subtley so. The campus has changed a bit, like actually seeing grass in a field of mountainous dirt that has become the new Aldrich Field, to random trees that seem to have just disappeared, to the huge, fenced-off hole behind Chamberlin where the foundations of the new Science building have begun to be laid. Then there are the people. People change while you've been gone for six months, attitudes and situations, faces change as do connections. This hasn't actually been a problem at all, if anything it's been a great improvement in relationships and friendships. I've changed as well, though still realizing exactly how and in what ways. I feel more concious, more aware of both myself and my capabilities, of my place in both the immediate surroundings and the greater journey of my life. I've gained a sense of purpose, a focus and contentedness that I've never felt before. We'll have to see how far that can go.

It's been nice again to hang with my brothers in Phi Kappa Psi, explore the surrounding towns of Rockford and Janesville, become integrated into a fun and comfortable team in the Admissions office, finally get everything out of storage and organized in my French House single, and above all, spend many wonderful hours with my girlfriend who stuck with me through my six months abroad. Quite refreshing.

Last Thursday, Adan, Morgan and I drove down to Rockford for Thrusday night swing dancing shenanigans. It's been a long time since I've had a chance to just dance, especially with someone like Morgan who actually knows what she's doing. In Vienna I took the opportunity to attend two of the Viennese Balls, learning Viennese waltz and watching the Debutants, but it was very much a different flavor and overall somehow not the same.

This weekend was really a whirlwind of activity, from driving to Elgin, IL for a highschool graduation party, to getting everything into my room, to being stuck in the rain while running along the Rock River, to practicing voice again in the second floor of Pearsons, with its beautiful accoustics and peaceful decor. Then the rain began to pour and the campus is alight with glistening blades of grass and leaves as the clouds move away towards the horizon.

It's the start of another week. I think there's more dancing (tango) down by the river tonight. There's a class offered weekly I believed for free that is often taught by a professor (and friend) from Beloit, Darrah Chavey, and his wife. Should be fun. Maybe I'll watch a little Evagelion before I go down there. Hmmm....

Anyway, that's all for now!


Bis spater.
Travis Barrett...