Memories with Michael Jackson

So I don't feel bad about writing about Michael Jackson today for several reasons:
1) everyone else wrote about him yesterday, so I'm not just doing it because everyone else is.
2) I'm not a crazy MJ fan, just an admirer of his dancing
3) There's another reason

Hearing that Michael Jackson had died got me thinking. I think about Michael Jackson a lot actually. I was a dancer. and also I took a class my last semester at william and mary call black expressive cultures and two girls in the class got in a huge fight over whether MJ or Prince was better. It stuck with me. Made me listen to both of them more to decide for myself.

I have a lot of random memories with Michael Jackson's music and I was sitting in bed this morning and they just kept coming to me. I decided to write them down.

When I was a kid, like a little kid, my cousin was crazy about michael jackson. she had her cassette tapes of his music. heh cassette tapes. Anyway, she is a year or two younger than me and she used to put turtle neck over her head and then flip them back and call it her hair (she really wanted long hair). ANd I have this picture of her in my mind wearing nothing but panties and this turtleneck hair dancing around to what I think was the "Bad" album.

Weird Al. need I say more?

When the studio that I danced with had lock ins (or prom happened, or we were bored) we would have dance offs. Zoolander had just come out. Hansel was so hott right then. Dance offs always started with "beat it". I don't remember a single dance off that did not begin with "beat it". We learned the dance and would just dance to it sometimes.

This past semester William and Mary broke the record the most people doing the thriller dance at one time. 247 I think. Led by my good friend Kevin Dua, who came up to me probably 9 months ago and is was like "Leslie! We're going to try and break the record! You gotta do this!" See Kevin Dua and I have a strange connection through Michael jackson. We first met in January 2007. There was an auction to raise money for the international service trips. My then boyfriend was going to Kenya and my best friend Tony was going to mexico, I think. So we're sitting there and in between every couple of items there was entertainment. Kevin Dua comes out and does a Michael Jackson style dance to "Billie Jean". He did a FANTASIC job. I was so impressed. I went up to him afterward (he had no idea who I was) and was like "Oh my gosh, you are a homewrecker! I was this close to breaking up with my bf for you." he got really uncomfortable and laughed nervously. and then we were great friends. :)

well My favorite Michael Jackson song is "the way you make me feel". I have to work on studying for midterms now.

25 reasons why roommates are a bad idea

Let's talk about what a bad idea having roommates is! I have had 14 real roommates in my lifetime. This number does not include the 7 frat brothers that I lived with when I was homeless. It is important to note that the number of roommates I have had is no fault of theirs or mine. I guess. The funny thing is that I started with 11 roommates and then went remembered Amanda and had to go to 12. then remembered Megan and had to make it 13. ANd THEN remembered Amy (who ruined my semester of WM) and had to make it 14. Dear Lord save us all!

Almost all of my roommates I moved in with without knowing them beforehand. I did/do this because a) I usually move to places where I don't know anyone, b) I have very few girl friends that I could live with, c) most of my friends lived on campus while I was at school. I have experienced roommates that I instantly click with, roommates that I warm up to, and roommates I could wish many many bad things upon.

I want to take a minute and make a list, a really long list of things that equal bad roomies.

1) If you leave town, forget to take out the trash, and maggots start growing in there, you might be a bad roomie.
2) If you set off the fire alarm at 3:30AM because you are cooking drunk (again), if you might be a bad roomie.
3) If you party with your underage friends on a sunday night until 8AM, you might be a bad roomie.
4) If you leave the burner and the oven on ALL NIGHT LONG, you might be a bad roomie.
5) If you take my things and then yell at me for taking them back, you might be a bad roomie.
6) If you have never lived on your own and don't understand why you have to take the recyclables and trash to the road, you might be a bad roomie.
7) If you used my nice knives and then leave them to rust in the sink, you might be a bad roomie.
8) If you smoke pot in my room, you might be a bad roomie. (though there are those that disagree)
9) If you can't talk to me face-to-face and leave little messages of annoyance and hate on the dry erase board, you might be a bad roomie.
10) If you break more than half of glasses in a week, you might be a bad roomie.
11) If you use so much toilet paper that you go through a roll every two days by yourself, you might be a bad roomie.
12) If you make out with the guy I like who I had over for dinner, you might be a bad roomie.
13) If you think it's a good idea to melt jolly ranchers into big candy slabs and the drip it all over the carpet in the living room which is a ways away from the kitchen, you might be a bad roomie.
14) If you do #13 AGAIN after I spend an hour scrubbing the candy out of the carpet, you might be a bad roomie.
15) IF YOU THEN DUMP ONE OF THE CANDY SLABS ONTO THE DRIVEWAY RIGHT BY WHERE I PARK MY CAR SO THAT I STEP IN IT WHEN I DON'T SEE IT AND RUIN MY FAVORITE SHOES, you might be a bad roomie.
16) If you sleep with a guy IN MY BED, you might be a bad roomie.
17) If you don't know how to clean the dishes when there isn't a dish washer, you might be a bad roomie.
18) If you still don't know how to wash the dishes when there IS a dish washer, you might be a bad roomie.
19) If you put my tv on your side of the room, in a position so that I can't see it, you might be a bad roomie.
20) If you yell at your fiancee on the telephone in our room at 2AM while I'm sleeping, you might be a bad roomie.
21) If I have two guy friends stay in our dorm room over night while you're not there and you freak out because you think they might steal your things, you might be a bad roomie.
22) If you take 45 minute showers everyday when there is one bathroom, you might be a bad roomie.
23) If you and your friends use so much of our electricity that our bill is $400 for a 500sq ft apt, you might be a bad roomie.
24) If you have a party while I'm moving my stuff out, you might be a bad roomie.
25) And lastly, if you think that I'm over reacting when I flip out as I walk into my house after being gone for a week and it smells of vomit, rotting food, and cheap alcohol, and I can't see the counters or the sink, and realize that one of your friends puked all in one of my mixing bowls, you might be a bad roomie.

There! 25 things NOT to do as a roommate! EVER!

sadly, all of them are true stories.
I think this is the last time I live with roommates.

I'm suddenly old

This is the first time I have really had time to myself in months. having a boyfriend is life consuming. I love him. but it is nice to center. I turned off my phone.

I realized about two months ago how out of shape I was. This coming from a girl who never weighed over a buck ten in her life suddenly being of normal body weight. Some people get weird when I talk about weight. I don't think about it as "oh my god I'm so fat" so much as "oh my god I miss feeling healthy and active". My mother would say I'm healthier now. anyway.

So I moved to this new apartment complex in harrisonburg right? It's amazing. I have a gym, a pool, a pool table, foosball, DDR, huge TV, furnished apartment. it's awesome. Very happy with it. I figured, I have a gym at my fingertips for free. Work out here I come. This coming from a girl who maybe worked out in a gym once in her life. I never ran before because I the back of a 70 year old. And gyms just seem to be full of people who judge themselves and other people. So I've avoided them. But this gym is virtually empty, and I discovered I can run. go me.

All of this to say that there is definitely a direct correlation between me working out and me being happy. I'm sure there are studies and all sorts of things that have already wasted hundreds of words to say that, but I discovered it for myself. It was a good discovery.

So harrisonburg is an interesting place. It's a place I have yet to get a grasp of. Cville was easy: hippies, rich snobs, and the punk/emo/I can't tell the difference crowd. There were only those three and then a few normal middle class twentysomethings that have no idea how they ended up there (me, for example). Harrisonburg is different. JMU undergrad pretty full of skanks and skunks. Girls that sit by my pool talking about waking up next to a guy and wondering what she did last night and guys who have little personality and even littler hygiene. I'm interested to see how my grad program compares. At least they're not snooty snobs. They are VERY TAN though. it's incredible.

This past weekend I went home and the weekend before that I went home. both times I was set on going out dancing like I used to do. And I felt old. I never made it out to the clubs. Mostly because I feel like going with just my boyfriend is silly. The other reason is because I can't remember why I paid 10 dollars to get into a clubs that charged even more for its drinks and was full of annoying drunk people. And I miss my girl friends. But then I never went out with them. So why do I miss this so much? I miss looking fabulous. I haven't worn make up in months. literally. I haven't gotten dressed up besides for a wedding since october. My poor shoes, who I adore oh so much, are sitting in my closet pouting at me because of their lack of use. I miss my shoes. How materialistic is that?

on friday while my brother was gone somewhere or something, I saw his longboard. Now I've never been a real 'sporty" girl in the typical definition. I was a dancer. We're danty. But I've been eyeing this skateboard thing for months. I finally worked up the courage and I put on my new balances. last time I tried to ride a skate board when i was 11 I fell and got one of the biggest blood blisters of my life. So I'm scared as I'm carrying this board outside. I grab John's John Deere hat so that I get in the right head space and I go. after about 10 minutes I'm gliding around the neighborhood, loving every second of it. But I found out that I have to do it with music playing. I'm more coordinated when music is playing. puts me in a rhythm and my muscles are used to having musical accompaniment maybe :). Anyway, by the end of the day i was doing pretty well and then john went out and bought one for me and him to play on. I went down my first big, windy hill today. and I didn't fall. very proud of myself.

Dude, it's 10pm. I'm totally supposed to be back from grocery shopping now. haven't even left yet. Bad lika.

But I know, Change go'n come

well I'm going to move again. :) this will be 11 times since 2004 I think. I'm a pro. after tonight I will be a harrisonburgson lol.

so far 13 couples have gotten engaged since december.

I had depositions for the lawsuit against me...one of the most awful experiences of my life.

Sam came home

I quit two of my jobs. and my last one I'm pretty sure will no longer need me after the 17th.

school ended. I failed a class...school has started again. already not doing so well.... this is a problem.

I decided that I love my boyfriend. that's pretty huge i guess. we got in our first fight last night. it was a stupid fight. I think it was just the stress of me moving.

Twitter has driven me crazy and yet I can't seem to bring myself to get rid of it.

I'm wasting time I don't have.

let's go to italy.

My closet door broke...so I fixed it...I'm handy like that..yo

Yeah. I know. I've been ignoring you.
Yeah. I know. I've been doing it on purpose.

I stopped because 1) I was tired of sounding pathetic, 2) I met an amazing guy (whom I'm now dating), 3) I picked up yet another job, 4) I decided to become a somewhat more social drinker.

Things I have learned in the last month:

1. there just might be nice guys in this world. There is a story behind this guy and it is quite epic. I'm killing time, so I guess I'll tell you. So March 1, 2009, I was sitting in the starbucks at the corner. It was cold, snowy day and all of my 2 friends in Cville were out of town on spring break and all I wanted was a good book and a fireplace. I provide the book, Starbucks provides the fireplace. Bonus is that the comfy chairs are right in front of the fireplace and no one is in there because its UVA spring break and all the wahoos are wahooing somewhere else. thank god. I snuggle up with my copy of My Antonia and begin to read. a good hour passes and this boy (ok man, but boy is such a great word) walks in. catches my eye, but no fireworks. he sits down at the couch behind me a ways. about five minutes later his phone does an obnoxious beeping thing and I throw him the evil eye. How dare he ruin my relaxing reading and fireplace snow day? he mouths "sorry" and I turn away, readjusting myself so that i don't have to look at him. About 30 minutes later he moves to a table to my right by the window. I give him the benefit of the doubt and explain to myself that he just wants to watch the snow, not me. I readjust myself again, throwing my rainbow scarf over the arm of the chair, maybe he'll take the hint. Another hour goes by (he's writing, very brooding of him). He begins a conversation with other people sitting around me about the snow. I make some comment about how we are supposed to get six inches before it is all over. I go back to my book. Please don't talk to me. Oh no, he talks to me. I decide to be nice. I ask the obvious question: "so do you go to UVA?" he gives me an unexpect answer: "no, I just moved here in january". me: "weird, I just moved in january too, where ar eyou from?" him: "Glouster". me: "weird, I went to W&M, that's like 15 minutes from there." we talk more, kinda hit it off. He then says something that changed everything: "so the bar at the corner has all of the their special on drinks from the whole week on sundays starting at 7, it's 6:30 now...wanna go?". My thoughts: "I like you already". we go have good conversation, he's 26, works at lowes, loves his mom, and karaoke. after a few drinks he asks if he can be sappy (he is very sappy) and take me for a walk in the snow around campus which is right across the street. I've never been around romantic men like this and I have no idea how to act. so I goof off the whole time. I push him over, I throw snowballs at him. I refuse his help up a snow bank and fall flat on my ass. needless to say, I laughed a lot. more than I have in a really long time. he walked me to my car. asked if he could see me again, I say sure. I go home. I tell my roommate. twist of events: somehow he originally talked to my roommate about living in my room before I agreed to it. it's a small world ladies and gentlemen. fate? I haven't decided yet.
   
2. My legs are casper the ghost white. wearing jeans all year round is probably not the best idea I have ever had. and I don't really remember why I do it. because it's not the conservative homeschooler in me. and I was a dancer in leotard and tights. it's a stange thing this deal I have with my legs. they are great legs. I don't know why I don't show them off. They really miss the sun.
   
3. its allergy season. need I say more.
   
4. I'm not good at my job. I just got a new client. I start with him tomorrow. but I'm seriously thinking about quitting.
   
5. Beer and Cell Phones don't get along. I turned 22 on March 24. and well, it was great night. until my cell phone went for a swim in a pitcher of beer and got drunk and might have gotten alcohol poisoning because it didn't so much work after that. so i had to get a new one. its very pretty.
   
6. Old cars will die. Azulita decided to explode. in richmond. which is at least an hour from everyone I know. It started getting angry at me as a pulled of the ramp and by the time I got to my destination...well I didn't actually make it to my destination. I made within 5 blocks though and ran the rest of the way. had a meeting. took it to a Saab place right next to where I left it. They told me to take to some place down Broad street. and that something may be wrong with my transmission. well that's just great. and it would've been fine if broad street was all downhill...but no braod street is all up hill. adn the transmission is kinda important for getting a car up hill. and about half way up that hill at Pleasant's hardware, when I pressed the gas pedal..it sounded like I was moving....but I wasn't actually moving anymore. so I cried. because I love my car. and it hurt to see her hurting. called a tow truck and they towed me to some repair shop. told me they couldn't get to it til the next day. so I began my walk to the rental car place. I stopped and got krispie Kreme first because, well let's face it, this was a crisis. I walk into Enterprise, they tell me they have no cars. so they give me a ride to hertz...no cars. stupid drivers in snow can't drive. so I walk to Budget. finally a car. a nice shiny red colbalt. those things have really bad blind spots. never get one. All this time...my dad is in heart surgery. it was a bad day. BUt I got new a car now. 2000 honda civic. boy car. with girly flair. its a drag queen.
   
7. Boyfriends are really good for hanging hammocks on my porch.
8. Tax returns are such a great feeling.
9. Oh, and Gossip Girl is life consuming.
   

so since february I gotten a new boyfriend, a new car, a new cell phone, a new computer, and new TV series addiction. which is pretty much a new life.

I'm on a boat!

Twas an epic weekend. it was the most fun I have had in a long time. I didn't even make it to Campus Golf.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

So I had a conversation with Sonny today about language. Now Sonny is a English Education grad student at UVA. Sonny is one of the smartest and opinionated people I have ever met. But there is this thing about Sonny that has the potential to drive me crazy, if he didn't have other redeeming qualities. He is like a walking SAT vocabulary test. I don't understand the meanings of 1/3 of the words that come out of his mouth. He must always pick the BEST word for what he is trying to communicate, and i totally respect him for that. And I can see why I think he's so smart, he probably has me fooled. But the thing about it is that he then expects me to pick the best word for the occasion and corrects me when I don't choose one that agrees with. The thing is, I make up words most of the time. Its something I've always done, and its something that I love about myself. so when i use the word "beautifulness", it is the word that I have decided was the best of the occasion. Even if its not really a word. and if I want to say phrases like "My syntax is dyslexic". I can. and the fact that I separated myself from my syntax was intentional and not redundant. Don't judge me.

Friday I met Ana. Ana is very pretty. I'm realizing that there are more cool women in this world than I originally estimated. I apologize to all the cool women out there that I didn't believe in. We gotta stick together.

I miss Sam so much. I also miss my cousins. I want to have a girl cuddle session and eat cookie dough and drink wine. this is what I want.

Dont act like I never told ya

um in case you ever come across this question in your life, oranges and coconut milk never mix well in a smoothie, EVER. it doesn't matter what else you put in there. it tastes like vomit.

don't do it!