JMU Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Hope you all get to enjoy good food with family, great friends and football on TV 
I feel so blessed to have my family to spend Thanksgiving AND my birthday with, the most amazing friends, and the thought of my Dad looking down at us proud of the feast we will be eating later <3
Hope you all have an amazing day 
And get out and enjoy this weather while we still have it!
-CS
Well, since I already came up with my next topic, I figured I may as well go ahead and write it. Despite the time. Haha.
Okay, so like I said… it’s TOO early for Christmas music and Christmas trees. We haven’t even celebrated Thanksgiving for crying out loud! I know Christmas-time is one of the happiest, jolliest, merriest (blah blah blah) times of the year, but C’MON PEOPLE, is it really necessary to start celebrating so early? Fall only comes once a year and it would be a shame to miss it because you’re already praying for that white powdery stuff to fall on your lawn.
And is it just me, or does Christmas seem to be starting earlier and earlier every year? It used to be pushing it when the radio stations would start playing Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving, but from what I’ve heard, they started playing carols over a week ago! Ludacris if you ask me!
Maybe I’m bias. I mean, I was born on Thanksgiving and my birthday just so happens to fall on Thanksgiving this year, so maybe somewhere subconsciously I believe that if you’re skipping Thanksgiving to rush Christmas, you might also be skipping my birthday… and I just can’t let that happen.
Kidding
Christmas at the Smith's
But really… what’s with the Christmas trees being up in the foyers already for all the neighbors to see? Is there some kind of “Who can get their Christmas tree up the earliest?!” contest that I missed? Who knows… but if there was, we are certainly losing! You’d think that would affect me more considering how competitive I normally am!
Speaking of Christmas trees… my mom told me yesterday that we are getting a FAKE tree this year. A FAKE TREE! Can you believe that? It makes me sad just thinking about it.
When I was younger, we always had a fake tree, and I can still remember the first time my parents took us to pick out our first REAL Christmas tree. I distinctly remember ruining the surprise for my sister because I figured out what we were doing while we were at the store buying the tree stand (oops), but it was still fun. It took us forever to pick out a tree– a tradition that lasts to this day– but the experience is what meant the most… to me at least. Being in the cold weather all together and especially buying it from an organization that was raising money for a good cause. It all just felt right. After we picked one out, we all had to work together to get it in the house. Dad would carry it in while Mom would help guide him through the house. My mom and I would help direct the tree into the stand. Mom would fill the stand with water and one of us would sweep up the needles that fell off. Once the tree was standing in our house, it always looked twice as tall as it did when we bought it and it was awesome. We have the perfect room for it, after all. Sometimes the tree would sit barren in our house for a few days, but most years we decorated it right away. We covered it in our homemade and store-bought ornaments, many with significant meaning, and then we would all stand back to look at the masterpiece we had created. We only used colored lights and topped the tree with a teddy bear every year, a tradition I plan to continue once I start decorating my own tree. After a few days of the tree being in the house, the room would smell like Christmas. Sure, real trees make a mess, but that smell… I will definitely miss.
So, a fake tree… I guess there’s no getting around it now. Mom’s been talking about it for about a year. It’s harder for us to get a huge tree in and out of the house with it being just the three of us, but I would be more than willing to throw my back out for a few days to have that real tree in our house. I think I just realized how much it actually means to me to think about bringing one into the house every year after going through the fights and the hassles of picking one out that we all agree on (Mallory says we always get the one I like, but I don’t think that’s true). What fun is it to pull a tree out of your attic every year?
Well, that was my 4:00 A.M. rant! C’mon Thanksgiving– friends, family, food and football! What more do you need?
Well, and a few birthday presents maybe
A few days after Thanksgiving, you might hear me belting out a Christmas carol or two, but no sooner!
Happy Holidays!
-CS
Ps. I will write again soon! PROMISE.
I’ve had multiple requests for a new post, so here it is!
There isn’t a central theme or a moral, but simply a hope that this will make you all smile when you read it
Hope everyone is ready for Thanksgiving and all that it entails!
Happy Holidays
-CS
Ps. For all you Uber-Christmas-Lovers… it is TOO early for Christmas music and still too early for Christmas trees! Slow your rolls! (Perhaps a topic for my next post 
)
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter
President Linwood Rose (of JMU) at Jimmy Carter's ceremony
Love this one! On the top of Reddish Knob!
Reddish Knob again!
And when I saw THE BIG ORANGE, I mean lots and lots of orange!
My roommate and I decided to take a weekend long trip to the Univeristy of Tennesse in Knoxville for a football game and to see a great friend Definitely a good decision!
The 5-hour trip seemed like nothing as we turned in and out of mountains on 81 and 40, taking in the beautiful landscape. The rain held off throughout the day except for a few drizzles here and there, and we were able to see for miles out of truck windows.
Once we got there, we entered a stereotypical frat-like house which houses UT’s sailing team. It was straight out of Animal House. Kegs and pong table downstairs with towels and flags draped over all the windows… classic. It was definitely not a house you see at JMU and it was awesome.
Surprisingly clean for a house full of boys, we were made to feel right at home. Threw our stuff on the ground and then headed out for dinner at the Brewery… where we waited for 2 hours to eat! Luckily, there was a great place next door where I splurged and got a strawberry chocolate martini… heaven in a martini glass!
When we finally got seated in the Brewery, we were served large portions of food on top of happy hour drinks and specials. If you ever want a strong, sweet drink… try their Country Relative. That’s an experience in itself!
After dinner, we went back to the house and got ready to walk down to the strip. It was a madhouse! There were so many people– UT and Auburn fans, skantily clad girls, cops, you name it. It took us about 30 minutes to get into the bar because the bouncer couldn’t control the crowd, but once we were in, we all sat on the patio sipping beers and talking. It was a great time. We made our way back to the house around 3 and then I proceeded to keep everyone awake til 5 a.m. Haha.
Day 1 down, 2 more to go…
Day two brought a trip to get a keg, Starbucks and 5-hour energy… quite a combination! We downed some very tasty BBQ, mac n cheese, baked beans and cole slaw– all served up by our host’s mother. She kept us all full of great food for the weekend! We made a what-should-have-been short trip to the bookstore to pick up some UT gear, but found ourselves in a large store that was glowing orange as you approached it. We were surrounded by everything UT you could possibly imagine… including orange and white seer-sucker pants, skirts, and shorts! After a good 45 minutes, I emerged with a sweatshirt and UT football t-shirt– both great purchases
GAMETIME!
We walked down to see the VOL WALK, but only got to see the tail end of it, unfortunately. Then we made our way to Neyland Stadium… the third largest football stadium in the country! It was HUGE! There were trails of orange to every entrance of the stadium and lines everywhere. Luckily, we were in a short line
The view of the river from the stadium was absolutely gorgeous and even prettier at night! Orange and white lights lined the bridges and boats could be seen lining the docks… not to mention there was a full moon!
The game was crazy! Despite the quarterback’s skills, or lack there of, UT fans were nuts throughout the whole game! The sea of orange in the stadium was ridiculous and when taking pictures, orange was about the only thing the camera picked up. It was a great experience!
After the game, we went back to a pot full of hot chili to warm us up and some birthday cake
We stayed in and ended up watching Rudy until about 3:30 a.m. when we decided we should probably go to sleep since we were getting up to go to brunch at 10 a.m.
11:30 a.m. comes along and we are awoken by a large chocolate lab jumping on top of us… only an hour and a half later than we thought we were getting up. We made it to brunch at Cafe 4 around 12:30 (I think) where we only had to wait about 20 minutes for two tables. We ate amazing oatmeal, souffles, and omlettes… all AMAZING.
From brunch, we went back to the house to scoop up some warm clothes and then we made our way out to the club to go sailing! We were only able to sail for about 3o minutes and there wasn’t much wind, but it was still an experience. Plus, I got some great pictures!
After sailing, we hung out and took naps for a bit and then were served BBQ and crab cakes
Another night in, so we decided to watch Wind, a sailing movie that nearly every guy in the house knew all the words to.
Then, two of us decided to stay up until 4 a.m. on Monday morning when we were supposed to sleep, while the third slept for a few hours. Let me tell ya what… there are some inappropriate shows on at 3 in the morning!
Overall, it was an amazing experience and a great weekend and I hope I get to go back sometime soon!
I’m not sure that was the best description of my weekend and it definitely didn’t do it justice, but I haven’t gotten much sleep in the past few days! Haha.
Much Love,
-CS
I don’t often recommend music to many people, but this is one band I will promote!
Straight out of my hometown and all graduates of Christopher Newport University, CHASING ARROWS definitely has a winner on its hands with the new single “Dreams of Mary.”
I highly, HIGHLY suggest everyone checks this video out! If you enjoy it, pass it along to your friends!
http://www.youtube.com/chasingarrows
GREAT VIDEO!
Enjoy!
-CS
So, I’m sitting here building my resume and, all of a sudden, I realized that everything I’ve done for the past however many years I’ve been in school finally means something.
When I was in high school, I couldn’t have cared less about passing the AP Exams, or how well I did in my Environmental Science class… but in college, the work you do pays off in the end. You learn how to do the tasks you’re going to be asked to do once you get out into the “real world.”
And at the moment, I’m realizing that I may, in fact, be ready to leave my humble abode and take my first steps into that so called “real world.”
Scary, huh?
Yea, I think so too.
I have to admit, before Monday, I was a little freaked out about the fact that I was going to have my LAST FIRST DAY of classes EVER, but now, three days deep into my senior year, I couldn’t be happier!
Day 1: I started my internship at WVPT at 9 a.m. with high hopes, but was instead of manning a camera or frolicking around a TV studio, I was locked in a small, absolutely freezing editing room where I had to watch tutorials for Final Cut Pro 4 for TWO AND A HALF HOURS. Now, that task wouldn’t have been all that bad except for the fact that I had to sit on my hands the whole time and wiggle around trying to stay warm. I don’t know if anyone else has this problem, but when I get too cold, I can’t sit still and I get so uncomfortable that I would rather be doing just about anything else. Nevertheless, as I sat there thinking about palm trees in the hot Florida sun, I did also learn about editing with one of the best editing programs on the market. And I loved it.
After my internship, I had time to come home, eat lunch and take short, but very sweet, nap.
Then I had my GSCI 101 entry level science class with Meghan (my new roommate!), which was alright. I’ve never liked science, which is why I saved my last general education class until my senior year to guarantee that I got into the easiest class Yea, that’s right.
After science and an hour long break, I had my photojournalism class where I realized just how excited I am to be a senior because I can get into awesome classes like PHOTOJOURNALISM finally after 2 years of trying. After this semester, I am going to know how to use my Nikon D-60 to its full capacity!
So, to recap: First day of senior year was great I’m well on my way to that job in NYC! (Fingers crossed!)
Day 2: Classes started at 12:30 (I’m a late riser) with Public Relations Management. The professor is very energetic and really knows his stuff when it comes to public relations. It’s going to be great! I’m not sure I really want to go into that field anymore, but it’s still going to be good to learn all I can! Public Relations can be my back-up job
After PR Management, I had my Mass Communication Law class. My professor has to be one of the most brilliant people I have ever come in contact with and I couldn’t be more excited to learn about the First Amendment.
Day 3: This morning I had the second day of my internship. I went in and found no producers or editors, so I sat in the hallway for a few minutes. After my boss came in, he told me I would be watching more tutorials (COLD!). After a pit stop at the bathroom, I ran into my boss at the entrance to the editing room where he told me I could shadow another editor who was working on a promo. I sat in there with him for a little over an hour, just watching, but it was so cool! After that, I helped him set up the set for Virginia Farming, a nationally broadcasted TV show. I got to set up shots on the cameras and wear those really cool, chunky head sets that you always see in the movies The talent showed up, a very sweet Jeff Ishee; we had a short conversation while waiting for the camera”woman” to show up, but after 15 minutes of waiting, she didn’t show. So, I was asked to work the camera on my first day in the studio! They taught me the hand signals and assured me I would be alright, and I was! It went very smoothly and they were very appreciative. Then they told me that I had technically been the Floor Director for the taping Now, that’s something to put on my resume!
Everyone seems to love the fact that I’m doing this just to learn as much as possible, as opposed to doing it because I have to. I love just being at the TV station and I’m already learning so much! Everyone there is amazing and so willing to help me out.
After my amazing morning, I had my science class again where I facebook stalked for the majority of the time (sorry, Mom!) while the professor taught the Scientific Method… yes, apparently they think we are dumb. Then, I had my photojournalism class where I found out I had only been taking snapshots when using my camera, as opposed to photographs. I love knowing I learned something when I walk out of a class
So, there’s the rundown of my first three days Hopefully, I didn’t put you all to sleep!
Hope all you seniors enjoyed your first few days as much as I did and aren’t freaking out yet!
For those interested in my adventures at the TV station, I will keep you updated
NYC, HERE I COME!
-CS
After reading and watching “He’s Just Not That Into You,” I realized a lot of things (as I’ve mentioned in earlier posts). Guys should ask the girls out, guys should be the ones who pursue the girls, and most guys like a challenge (and, like the book says many times, I’m a very attractive woman ).
I believe those things, but I find that many girls still don’t. I’ve watched a few of my friends meet guys who absolutely treat them like crap, but still continue to talk to them. Doesn’t matter what I say, “there’s just something about him.”
But when should a girl say “enough is enough”?
If a guy told me he was going to call me and didn’t, that’s it. If he wanted to call, he would have and it’s no skin off my back. His loss, right? But what if you continuously talk to a guy and he makes plans to hang out with you and then he doesn’t call you? You stay up waiting for his call, but your phone never rings. The next morning, the guy says that he thought you were going to call him, or that he fell asleep. Now, maybe one time is okay, but what about twice after that? A guy won’t keep me waiting around for him, I know that much. If he really wanted to hang out, it would happen. It’s simple as that.
Next scenario– a guy confuses the crap out of you and says things that make absolutely no sense. You delete him from your phone and don’t hear from him for two days. Then he texts you saying “hey good lookin” like nothing ever happened? What do you do? Me– I would probably respond, but be very short and maybe at some point even ask what the heck is going on. A guy who texts you every day or every other day, but never hangs out with you when he says he’s going to, doesn’t really want to hang out with you. He wants your attention. He is going to keep texting you every day or every other day just to make sure you’re still attached and that you don’t forget about him.
Next– a guy tells you you’re shy and that you act weird around them, but not anyone else. Ladies, he’s hiding his own insecurities and trying to make you run back to him. If he tells you you act normal to others, but weird to him, $20 your first reaction is to not act normal to other people when he is around, instead of trying to be less weird around him. But the fact of the matter is that you shouldn’t have to change the way you act at all. If a guy tries to bring you down because you’re shy, it’s because he sees you talking to other guys and feels threatened. And then after you leave, he will text you to start up normal conversation like nothing happened again. But stuff did happen– stuff that shouldn’t be pushed aside.
It’s guys like that who really mess with girls’ heads. And those guys do nothing but piss me off.
If you ever come in contact with a guy like I’ve described, do yourself a favor– dump him and get yourself a drink. Don’t waste your time wondering if you’re actually going to hang out tonight or the next night. Don’t waste your time thinking about a unpredictable guy when you could be out having a great time with the friends who really love you. Don’t waste your time with some sleezy guy when you know you deserve better, but for some reason do not think you can get it. There’s a guy out there for you and you will find him when the time is right. Things happen when they are supposed to and I believe that very firmly!
So ladies, the next time an attractive guy who says he’s going to call you and after two weeks, hasn’t– move on and find someone worth your time.
You’re all beautiful and deserve much more than what you settle for.
-CS
