Fresh Perspectives

One of the best things I did this Christmas holiday was spend time with my family.  It can be easy to take them for granted sometimes, but when it comes down to it, they are the people who matter most in my life.  We did the normal things....socialize, eat, open presents, and all that stuff but what I really want to talk about is the time I spent with 2 'new' family members. 

First of all, we have a new baby in the family..Tori (short for Victoria).  She is the absolute cutest thing I've ever seen; red hair and bright blue eyes.  My mom and I got to take her home for a couple of days (wow, I'm making her sound like a pet).  But really, this was a new experience for me.  I mean, of course I've done my fair share of babysitting but it's completely different having to look after an 'almost 1 year old' 24 hours a day.  It was loads of fun, but also exhausting.  Tori is a great baby though, she hardly cried at all.  We went shopping together, ate at Groucho's together (yummm....if you've never eaten there, do it! It's one of my FAVS!), I gave her bottles and baths, and helped put her to bed.  Basically, we did it all!  After those two days were over, I took a much needed nap! Even though she was a great baby, I found out that I definitely am not ready to be Mommy Kendall for a LONG time!  (Here's a picture of the cutest baby alive...TORI!)

Now, my second new experience of Christmas break involves my new stepsister, Jessica.  I was so lucky last year when my dad got remarried because I got a little sister like I have always wanted!  She LOVES the movie High School Musical, so one of her Christmas presents was two surprise tickets to see the concert that was at the Colonial Center here in Columbia.  I immediately agreed to take her but let me tell you, I did not know what I was getting myself into!

We arrive about 10 minutes before the show starts among a mob of young girls in 'I Love Troy' shirts (he's the heart-throb of the movie). We literally weave our way through the crowd of moms and kids and find our seats just before it begins.  When the lights went down and a few of the characters came out, I thought I was going to lose all hearing in both ears.  I have NEVER heard so many little girls screaming that loudly in my life!!!  Now, I'll be honest here and say that I did see the movie and I actually kind of liked it, but after the concert I am a full-on fan of High School Musical.  The audiences reaction (or at least the older people, including mine) was funny to watch.  At the beginning, I was just sitting there watching.  Then as it went on I clapped or tapped my foot. But by the end, I was out of my seat, singing and dancing with everyone else, and so were all the moms and dads!  It was definitely an experience and I'm so glad I was there to take my little sister because we both had a wonderful time!

Posted by Kendall at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Christmas is over and I finally have some time to catch you up on all that happened over the past two weeks or so of the break.  But first of all, I'd like to make a quick observation about holidays.  Now, don't get me wrong, I'm definitely all about spending time with family and friends, eating all kinds of good food, parties, presents, and everything else that comes with holidays.  But they're just too short.  I mean, so much preparation and anticipation goes into ONE day, and when it finally rolls around, the 24 hours goes by way too fast.  So, basically what I'm getting at is that when I become the first female president (ha....I cannot even type this and keep a straight face) my first priority after taking office will be to make all holidays at least 3 days long.  Seriously, Christmas, Halloween, birthdays, and so on would be much more enjoyable if they lasted longer than one day.  (I bet I could definitely win an election with THAT as one of my main platforms, eh?)

 On a more serious note:  my break so far has mainly consisted of spending times with family and friends.  Every year of high school, my best friends and I have our annual Secret Santa party where we get together and exchange gifts.  We decided to keep the tradition going, and it was SOOO good to see all of my girls from high school.  Here's a picture of us after the party...

Yay (I can sometimes be technologically challenged, so I'm glad this picture worked!).  Next entry I'll tell you all about my time spent with the 'fam'!

Posted by Kendall at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Merry 'almost' Christmas everyone!!!  Only a few hours until December 25th, and I must confess I just really haven't been able to get into the Christmas spirit this year.  No, I'm not turning into the Grinch or anything.  It's just that it's hard to think about Christmas when it's 70 degrees outside. Gotta love this South Carolina weather!

My break has been pretty good so far.  I won't go into any details or anything (YET).  I just wanted to stop by and say sorry for not posting in a while.  I promise to update everyone real soon.  Just wanted to wish ya'll a very Merry Christmas!

Posted by Kendall at 04:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's entirely too early for me to be awake on the first Saturday of Christmas break.  One might think I'm actually excited to leave school.  In a way I can't wait to go home for a month, see the family and all my friends from high school, but on the other hand, I kinda want to stay!  It's definitely bittersweet.

It's 7 a.m.. I'm sitting alone in the dorm.  My roomate flew home yesterday.  I have the music playing low (jammin' out to The Band's 'The Weight', if you must know.  Don't you love how you can always find a song to fit your mood?  That's what I love about music!) Anyway, I'm almost done packing all of my stuff up to take home.  Lookin' around, the dorm looks pretty empty, and it's definitely sad, considering I've called this place home for the past 4 months.  But, no worries, I'll be back soon enough, I suppose. 

It's pretty hard to wrap this blog up considering I'm trying to procrastinate from leaving, but I'll end with one of my favorite quotes that basically sums up this first semester...

• "Sometimes the light's all shining on me.  Other times I can barely see.  Lately, it occurs to me, what a long strange trip it's been." ~Grateful Dead .... long and strange, maybe, but definitely a good trip -- one I'll never forget!!!

Posted by Kendall at 07:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Since I only have one more day of exams left before winter break, I decided to sit down and reflect on my first semester as a college student.  The whole 'time flies when you're having fun' thing is definitely true.  It seems like just yesterday I was trucking up the never-ending stairs of Capstone on move-in day.  And now, it's already time to pack up and go back home for Christmas.  Here's a list of some of the best (and worst) memories I've had so far at USC:

• getting lost the first day of classes (I knew I should have studied that campus map more closely!)
• the cheese calzones in Gibbs Court (surprisingly I haven't turned into one; I think I've eaten about 100 of them)
• weekend getaways and random roadtrips (USC's definitely the best, but my roadtrips to Wofford and the College of Charleston were pretty memorable)
• tripping over the bricks on the Horseshoe (those things will getcha everytime!)
• FOOTBALL SEASON (and our victory over Clemson....I'm still pumped up about that one)
• my 9 a.m. math class on Friday mornings (Sorry Mr. Smith, but if I had a dollar for all the times I drifted off, I could possibly pay next semester's tuition.)
• going on midnight 'adventures' with the girls (gah...Sonic and McDonald's late night menus have definitely contributed to the freshman 15!)
• hanging out with everyone on the hall (From guitar hero and mario cart competitions to pow-wows in the study room, I love all these kids to death!)
• and last but no least, exam week (library study session and all-nighters, thankfully it only lasts a week)

These are only a few of the great memories I've had so far at Carolina, and I know there will be many more to come.  I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  I'll keep you updated over the break so check for new posts every few days! Until then...

Posted by Kendall at 08:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So...the week from hell has officially begun, but I figure if I survived today, I can survive the next 4! 

I didn't have any exams today, but I worked for 9 hours straight which is almost as bad (if not worse).  I came to a clear conclusion...I am not cut out for a desk job.  I thought I was going to go insane sitting behind the desk at the law firm where I work.  After reading every bit of news, getting updated on Hollywood's gossip, and shopping online for Christmas presents, I realized I had only been there for 2 hours.  I spent a few hours filing, or rather assuring myself of having premature back problems!! Seriously, leaning over file cabinets for hours on end is harder than it seems...  

Then, I listened to Lou (the office manager) tell me about how we have a ghost in the building.  Apparently, she used to be a dentist, and is a 'benevolent creature' (as Lou put it).  She opens the elevator for clients and likes to pace back and forth upstairs, but mainly keeps to herself in the basement.  Benevolent creature or not....the first time I experience any paranormal activities or see any ghostly apparition, that is the last time you'll catch me in that office!

So, anyway, another long day ahead of me tomorrow at work, and then 3 straight days of exams! But I'm staying optimistic because....the end is near!

Posted by Kendall at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

All of this stress from the last week of classes and the weird weather we've been having has really made me sick.  (In all honesty, I kinda think the idea of having to write this final English paper has had a little to do with my health as well, but we won't go there!)  But...good news! I'm finally beginning to feel better.

Sunday morning I woke up, tried to talk...and who would've guessed it?  NO VOICE!  Well put it this way, I had a voice, it just sounded like a combination between 1) the old hag from Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" 2) a 50 year old lumberjack and 3) a 10 year old girl who's been smoking since birth.  Believe me, none of those sound good, and the three of them mixed together is just downright awful! So, for the past 3 days, I've tried my best to communicate through sign language which is pretty hard to do since all I know how to say is 'I love you'.  Anyway, I'm finally feeling better and I finally got my voice back.  I realized it this morning when the alarm on my clock-radio went off playing the Chestnut Song (my favorite christmas song...you know the one that goes "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...").  So, I started singing and 'VWALA' my voice is back!  It's definitely great to be able to talk again.

 Now, only 2 more days of regular classes, then exam week.  This semester has gone by SO fast.  Still, I won't be completely stress-free until next Friday after my last exam.  And to all of you high school students (and hopefully future Gamecocks) I know you're probably pretty stressed out right now too, but just remember...we're almost done!

Posted by Kendall at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, I just woke up from a nap and had the craziest dream ever.  I felt compelled to share...

Remember: this is a dream and I have to write fast since it's all in my head! I hate how dreams have that mysterious way of disappearing from your memory forever. So, here it goes...I was walking to class like normal.  It was a regular day, the sun was shining, campus looked the same EXCEPT there were no people around.  So, I start to turn around in circles (yeah, picture the Sound of Music, arms stretched out and all).  Then randomly, I switch scenes to being on the game show What Would You Do.  It's the old-school Nickolodeon show.  I'm not quite sure what was going on, but I remember getting slimed (if you're anywhere close to my age, you know what that is).  It's one of Nickolodeon's trademarks...the green globby stuff that is dropped on your head.  And then suddenly the dream ended.  I hate dreams like that; the unfinished ones that leave you with so many unanswered questions.  But there was one good thing about the dream:  it brought back a nostolgia for my younger years when children's television was actually worth watching.

 Everyone has his or her favorite Nickolodeon show.  Maybe you were a 'Clarissa Explains it All' kinda girl or a 'Salute Your Shorts' guy.  ("Camp Anawanna, we hold you in our hearts, and when we think about you...". If you can finish this song, you're pretty cool in my book!)  My personal favorite was 'Are you Afraid of the Dark?'.  I can literally remember being horrified during that show.  Obviously I was too scared to change the channel though because I've probably seen just about every episode.  But alright, I'm done reminiscing about the old Nick shows.

I hope eveyone had a great weekend!  I'm off to another busy busy week.  This is the last week of regular classes and I have a ton of stuff due.  So, if I don't parish from all of this stressful work, I'll write more soon!  See ya!

Posted by Kendall at 01:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First of all, I want to apologize for not posting much this week.  It has defnitely been one of the busiest weeks since I've been in college.  There's only 1 week of regular classes left, so my professors are really loading the homework on.  I had three papers due: one was 2 pages, another 5, and a killer 8 pager.  Yeah, needless to say, my fingers are sore from typing so much.  And on top of all those papers, I had a huge Math exam (that I got a 103 on...yay!).

And no, I'm not done yet.  I'm taking a self-paced Astronomy class, and I finally finished all my requirements for it this week.  I was SO relieved to get that out of the way.  The class is extremely easy IF... you're responsible and diligent enough to make yourself go fairly regularly.  So, if that sounds like you, I definitely recommend it.  All you do is go to the Astronomy Center and take 15 questioned tests on the computer.  They're not really graded;  it's more of a pass/fail thing.  (It takes 13 out of 15 to pass.)  And the best part is, you can take them as many times as you want.  17 tests gets you an A in the class, and there are also some units that are required, like Unit 8 for example.  Unit 8 is a cummulative test of Units 1-7 and it's basically the test everyone dreads taking b/c there are 30 questions.  I'm not proud to say it but....it took me 10 times to pass this one.  I framed the receipt and hung it up on my wall, no lie! (After each test you take, a computer prints out a receipt telling you if you pass the unit or not.)  So anyway, enough of this rambling about my Astronomy class.  I'm finished with it, and that's all that matters!

So, now that i'm completely worn out, i'm going to hop in my cozy bed and take a much needed and deserved nap!

 P.S.  It's South Carolina's Arbor Day, so don't forget to plant a tree!  My friends and I are going to Wal-mart this afternoon and buying baby trees to plant.  Well, my one friend says she's getting a bonsai tree, and everytime she tells me that I laugh because all I can think of is Mr. Miyagi from karate kid. Aren't we such great citizens?!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Posted by Kendall at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)