It’s becoming an expensive weekly date, but I can definitely say it’s been worth it.  No, I’m not talking about my boyfriend.  If I were, then it wouldn’t be expensive at all on my end as he’d be footing all the bills!  Heh!  I’m talking about my brother and me.  Yes, my brother and I have been getting along, and it has resulted in several hours a week of us just hanging out, having a great time, and not bickering.  It’s pure heaven for our mom and dad!

See, this started out with Mother’s Day.  It was ultimately just a task that needed to be fulfilled, but it turned out becoming one fun day at the mall.  Well, it was definitely a fun one for me at least.  I shopped, and he served as my conscience—is it a want or a need?  Then, I became his chauffeur—picking him up and dropping him off at school and at work and such.  It’s definitely a boring task and an annoyance when it means I have to get off the couch and stop watching my on-line shows, but then last Friday it became one great date!  We grabbed some lunch at Checkers where they have these fantastic signature French fries and their shakes are sooo good.  Afterwards, we headed to the movies and saw Spider-Man 3.  I paid for lunch, and he grabbed the movie tickets!   And today, well today was another fun one…how does a late breakfast at IHOP sound to you?

It’s crazy because as any classic brother/sister relationships goes, my brother and I bicker until there’s no tomorrow.  There were days when mom and dad would just stare us down and then threaten to pull out the good ol’ belt should we decide to continue on further with our nonsense.  But eversince I’ve gone to college, the relationship between my brother and I have gotten a lot better.  He and I are actualy functioning people in the house—well for the most part, we’re still pretty silly and annoying for my parents at times.  I mean, what kids aren’t, right?  The same goes for my older sisters and me.  I used to always fight with them and just argue about the dumbest things, but now we actually talk and consult and even borrow clothes and shoes from each other without having to go as deep as the third degree!  We’re actually all more like friends now…

And so it may seem that absence does make the heart grow fonder, or at least in the realm of brotherly/sisterly love.  I can’t say the same  for my high school love that sizzled then fizzled as I went into college, but then again, I’m not giving up hope on long distance relationships yet.  I am still with Shawn, who is now about 5 hours away from me since we’re on summer vacation!

College is indeed not only a time to get older but at time to grow older. 

Well, my dear future Gamecocks, I hope that the sun is just right and the heat not too overbearing!  It gets too hot around here in South Carolina, but of course it isn’t summer if it’s not 90 degrees!  I hope y’all are having a grand summer.   Enjoy not having to open books but more importantly enjoy having now the chance to open up with family and spend more time with them!  Catch y’all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 10:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's the summer, and Hollywood is definitely cashing in on this time of the year.  With one movie after another opening every weekend proclaiming to be the 'biggest hit of Summer 2007,' it seems everyone will be broke by the end of the summer season.  Can y'all believe that some movie theaters are charging up to $8.50 a ticket?!?

There are so many movies that I really would like to watch.  There is, of course, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" that is topping the charts.  I've yet to see that, which I probably will actually do this weekend with some cousins if it works out with my work schedule.  Second on the charts at 'boxoffice.com' is "Shrek the Third."  The third is "Spider-Man 3," which I have seen and did like.  It's more drama and lovey-dovey scenes than the past two Spider-Man movies, but it's still pretty good.  In a week, "Ocean's Thirteen" is coming out, which I would also like to see.  The past two were brilliant, and I absolutely love George Clooney!  (What female doesn't?!?)  The new Fantastic Four with the Silver Surfer comes out in about two weeks, but I'm not too excited about that one.  I thought that the first one was fine.  I'll probably just wait for the "Rise of the Silver Surfer" on DVD.  "Ratatouille" and "Harry Potter" are both further down the road as many other possible hits...the movie list is just endless!!!  I hope y'all are getting to enjoy all of the movies as well.  There's so many movies to watch and most have been getting good reviews!

Well, even if it's the summer, if y'all still have any questions about Carolina, just comment the questions on over.  I know that it's still a pretty busy time with orientation and placement testings and such on your mind, so if there's any question whatsoever in your mind, don't hesitate to ask!

Well, catch  y'all later on flipside, future AND most definitely to y'all newborn Gamecocks...I'm so excited for y'all 'no-longer-seniors-not-quite-freshmen-just-wait-for-the-summer-kiddos!'

Posted by Kriska at 08:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Summer usually spells out V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N or B-E-A-C-H or P-O-O-L or simply put, just plain old F-U-N!  But as you get older, an additional word gets added to this summer lexicon.  It's that dreaded three-letter word, a JOB!

As many other college students are heading home and searching for summer jobs at the mall, the restaurants, and other shops, I figured that besides simply just earning me some money from any summer job that if I apply to a pharmacy I would be getting a leg-up in the race of getting a degree in pharmacy.  So as soon as I got back from Columbia, I met with a supervisor and got right on the application process.  After three weeks of sitting around the house waiting on paperwork to be approved and pulled together, I am now officially a "Pharmacy Service Associate" at one of the local pharmacies here in my area.  Today was my first day, and it couldn't have gone better than I would have thought.  The people were very nice and very helpful.

Summer jobs are a great way to get you going and saving up for the year as also getting some spending money for those great summer movies coming out!  While you can go to any store or the trusty McDonald's to get employed, it might be to your great advantage to start your job hunting at a place that is related to a field you want to major in.  It'll surely give you a step ahead by giving you hands-on experience and will definitely look good on your resume!

As more high schools are wrapping their school year off, a round of applause and a big congratulations to all of y'all seniors!  I hope that y'all are starting off your summers on a good foot and that summer job hunting is going well.  Catch y'all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 06:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yep, I'm back at home...2 weeks and 2 days to be exact.  I'm loving being home, being with family, being in my own bed, being in my shower without flipflops, being able to watch T.V. on the couch, being and doing pretty much anything and everything that spells out home...BUT!  Yes, there is a but.  I'm actually missing dear Carolina.  Don't get me wrong.  I don't want to do anymore homework, labs, lectures, projects, essays, etc.  I'm really just missing my friends and just doing my own thing.  And besides, as much as there are squirrels in my dad's garden, there aren't nearly as much as and as crazy/scary as those in the Horseshoe.  I'm feeling a little bit of Carolina-sickness!

This summer is starting off pretty slow, though, but I guess it's the world's way of telling me to just chill out and take some time off.  I'm rarely ever not doing anything as I get restless really quickly.  I wanted to actually start working the day after school got out!  But my paperwork for the summer job I applied to are just not quite all together yet, so I have maybe until this weekend to just keep on chilling.  Except for going out over the past two weekends with friends and some cousins, I've been pretty much at home...getting "domesticated" is what my mom and I are calling it.  If I'm not on the couch taking time out, I'm either doing some laundry, packing away some things, or learning how to cook!  (I've always been pretty good in the cooking department, but this time my mom is actually imparting with me her top secret recipes!)  We're finding out that I'm good inside the kitchen but that I suck terribly with the grill!!!

Today, I did get to do something fun, though.  While going on an errand for my mom at Wal-Mart a couple of days ago, I saw my PE teacher from back in middle school shopping down one of the ails.  We had chatted it up, and then she invited me to come over this week and help out with their field day.  Eversince I "graduated" middle school, I have always come back every year for a day to visit.  I wasn't about to break that tradition, so today I took her up on her offer and went to see some 7th graders have a ton of fun...made me remember my good ol' middle school days.  I got to see some old teachers, like Mr. Jones who was an incredibly instrumental person who just made me really enjoy my middle school years!  The thing about me being small, I pretty much fit in just right with all of those kids!  LOL!  I even ran around in the end throwing water with all of the 8th grade field day helpers.  It was pretty fun.  Actually, it was so much fun that I'm coming back tomorrow...well, they also need some more help.  Since I am still waiting around for the supervisor to call me, I might as well be productive for a day and go help out at my "alma mater."

Most high school kids are getting out for the summer now, too.  I hope y'all are getting your summer's off to a good start!  Play hard and enjoy the sun!  (It's so crazy hot here in Greenville, SC!)

Catch y'all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 06:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So.....On this final day of counting down, I ponder on freshie year...only one sleep left, moved things all day long, ran across a 'Shoe, had me a fabbed-out day, got cultured with FASA, thought of football games, and went back to 'First Day.

Dun..dun..DUN!  The countdown is now approaching zero-hours.  My dad has been 'en route' for about an hour.  Between the loading of my things and checking out, I should be on the way back to good ol' Greenville in about two hours.

My how freshman year really just flew past me.  I had so much fun!  No other college could have been a better match for me!  Carolina has been definitely a great home for the past 8ish months.

So, this freshman year of mine, I learned a lot of things.  I found out that I didn't need to bring my entire closet but that it was nice to just have the spare forty shirts and five dresses for those 'just-in-case' moments anyways.  I also figured out that even if I'm not a Chemistry or Physics person that if I just stop freaking out I can still come out with an A in each class.  I have also learned my lesson to always just have Midol and Tums and Bengay on hand for those monthly cramps, nightly tummy aches, and horrible muscle strains from walking to the Williams-Brice Stadium!  And of course, there were lots of other things I learned...it'd take me forever to write about them all...Carolina's just been really great!

Thanks y'all for reading along and 'experiencing' my freshman year with me.  Come join me now as I start out....SUMMER '07!  I'll try to find some exciting thing to do to Blog about...I'm sure I can find something crazy to do.  I'll be sure to enjoy my summer as also await coming back to Carolina in the fall!

Catch y'all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On the seventh day of counting down there's only one sleep left...moved things all day long, ran across a 'Shoe, had me a fabbed-out day, got cultured with FASA, thought of football games, and went back to 'First Day.

Only one more night here at MaxcyPad...*sigh*

Catch y'all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks!

P.S.  I also had me my one last Beezers Sicilian for the freshman year.  It's probably rounding out my Freshman 15.

Posted by Kriska at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On the sixth day of countdown I moved things all day long...ran across a 'Shoe, had me a fabbed-out day, got cultured with FASA, thought of football games, and went back to 'First Day.'

Today reminded me somewhat of my first day here at Carolina when I was moving in.  Basically, I spent my entire Saturday moving things out of my friends' and my room.  Shawn's and Megan's parents all came in the morning to pick up the big appliances and extra furniture along with a few other things that they no longer needed for the last few days of exams to make actual moving out day easier.  Eric actually moved out this afternoon, and boy, did he have a lot of things.  I feel so exhausted right now...I've sweeped three floors, moved several pieces of furniture, carried a couple of bags and boxes...and Lord knows what else!  It seems so weird to be slowly sending things back home...so weird to be moving out.  It seems only like yesterday when my parents were dropping me off here at Maxcy...

Well, here are some pictures of that first day when I moved into MaxcyPad.  That's me with my parents.  The other picture is my roommate with her dad and her grandma!

Hope y'alls weekend has been going great...Catch y'all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On the fifth day of counting down I ran across a 'Shoe...had me a fabbed-out day, got cultured with FASA, thought of football games, and went back to 'First day'.

Now, now...I'm not talking about any ordinary shoe here.  I'm talking about a shoe, which either night or day will hold this charm that just captures every Carolina at heart!  The hustle and bustle of campus pretty much happens here, except for the Russell House of course.  My friends and I usually love to hang out here,too.  Throw a frisbee or a football around...have a picnic...read a book...pretty much, any good break from studying.  Not that it isn't also an ideal place to study because it actually is too.  With the wireless network available here, students can usually bring their laptops along with all their books and such and study.  All this can be done at the 'Shoe.

I love the Horseshoe.  Walking through it every day from Maxcy to my classes or to anywhere else...it's just so nice and so pretty.  Especially this past couple of months when the flowers were in bloom and the weather was fairly nice, the stroll through the 'Shoe has become the highlight of my days.  There's just no place like it.

Well...'tis all for tonight folks.  I can't believe that in roughly 60-ish hours I will no longer be able to enjoy the Horseshoe...well at least not for another three months or something.

Catch y'all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 11:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On the fourth day of counting down, I had me a fabbed-out day...got cultured with FASA, thought of football games, and went back to "First Day"

So let the good times roll as today turned out to be probably one of the best days I've ever had since I started out my freshman year here at USC.  Let me just give y'all the quick highlights:

1)  I had a barbecue pork croissanwich at the Horseshoe Deli today for lunch.  With a side of coleslaw and Cherry Coke to wash it all down, I'd have to say that I had one heck of a mean lunch!

2)  I was freaking over my Physics Final.  But when I finally did calm down, I actually found myself doing fairly well in it.  With a little leverage, an A might still actually be in sight for this class.  But I shall no longer speak of the class, lest I let myself down and get upset if my expectations get set too high....hehe!

3)  Did I say I took my Physics final today?  Yep.  This only means one thing:  NO MORE PHYSICS!

4)  End-of-Physics-Celebration with Cynson, Amanda, and Codi--the three people I got to know really well because of on-line CAPA Physics homework.  Together, the four of us worked our way through the semester, and hard as it was, we definitely had planned for weeks that we would go and eat out after our Physics exam.  So, off we went to Moe's where I most definitely enjoyed a Moo Moo Mr. Cow.

5)  Got caught up with some ELR reruns (Everybody Loves Raymond, just in case you didn't know!  Hehe!)  I used to hate the show for some reason that I don't really know...probably just because everybody loved him, I just wanted to hate him.  But because nothing is really good on cable TV these days, ELR has just been something the group has picked up...kind of a neat thing to do together.

6)  Finally and best of all...well, it's a tough choice (possible A on Physics or what I'm about to talk about...)

Eric, Megan, Shawn, and I went out for a late night 'Shoe-ing as the room has gotten so unbearably hot.  Something is wrong with our airconditioning and the heat in the room was just getting to us...so we went out to go play outdoors where it was actually a bit cooler...

a.  Playing the ABC game with the frisbee between the four of us wasn't quite successful because we could not finish the alphabet and could only go as far as 'Q'.  I totally suck at Frisbee, but I think I'm getting better.  I can actually catch now...at least about 1/3 of the time or something...hehe!

b.  Blowing Bubbles everywhere was fun...not just because it brought back childhood memories of running through bubbles but because the bubbles were mutated or something!  Trust me...the bubbles would not pop and you could pick them up off off whatever they were attached to.  It was like...plastic bubbles or something...pretty neat!

c.  Never had I played four corners, and never would I have ever played it in kindergarten if I had played it the way we did tonight.  It was actually more like EXTREME FOUR CORNERS.  First of all, we had no defined boxes and no chalk to draw lines.  Secondly, we had to play on bricks (some of which were deadly causing you to almost fall flat on your face).  Thirdly, we only had an old, balding, heavy basketball to throw around...so let's just say...bruises on thighs, jammed fingers, and slammed on feet.  Nothing says good times more than being injured together with friends!

d.  Here is a picture of the scene of the crime:  McKissick at wee-hours of the night...

Not really sure what's in store for the rest of my last four days here at USC.  I'll probably be studying for my last exam, but I'll definitely be also hanging out with friends...man, how I love Carolina!

Well, catch y'all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On the third day of counting down, I get cultured with FASA...thought of football games, and I went back to "First Day"... 

That's me with some of the members of FASA--the Filipino-American Student Association.  That is Beverly, Brenda, Philip, and AJ with me on a trip to Atlanta to watch a performance of the national folk dance group of the Philippines--the Bayanihan Dance Company.  Let me tell y'all, that night was fantastic!  The performance was at the incredibly, amazing Fox Theatre.  If any of you have not seen a production at that theater, it's a definite must-do!  The setting and the ambiance of that auditorium was just...impeccable!

In any case, FASA.  How has FASA meant to me this past year?  Well, the quick and short answer would be... A LOT!  I've had so much fun with the members of the group.  We all had such a blast simply from just hanging out and having pot-luck dinners to going to a horror house for Halloween (where I definitely was the entertainment of the night!) to dance practices at the Russell House to the actual dance performances to just anything and everything!  It was through FASA how I met some good friends...especially one in particular...Ms. Beverly!

Beverly has been tons of fun.  From having rendez-vous for lunches to bake sales for RFL to cooking food for our FASA pot-luck to anything and everything...she and I have had some good times this year!  With most of our members being seniors and leaving us this semester, she and I will rule FASA TOGETHER in the upcoming years..hehehe!

Well, again...my gosh, how time flies!  And, really how fast does it go.  Tomorrow, by 5PM, my career in physics will end as I take my final exam in it.  Oh, I definitely hope it will be the end of that career.  I've never been much for Physics.

Well...'tis all for now folks!  Hope y'all are enjoying being with me on my last few days here at Carolina.  Catch y'all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On the second day of counting down, I thought of football games and I went back to "First Day"...

So, yes, the pictures above don't quite represent the best moments of our football team this past season.  I picked the wrong "Tennessee" game to do a football flashback on.  I should have probably posted pictures of the Middle Tennesse game instead.  But this blog isn't really about just this one particular game...it's about all of the games I enjoyed (and barked loud and somewhat crude statements, pardon me!) here at our very awesomely sweet Williams-Brice Stadium.

I watched most of the home games except for probably 2 or 3 that I missed the ticket distributions for, and well, I just loved every single one of them.  Besides that one incident when a big guy who was about twice my size fell on me as I was climbing up the stadium and that same game when some guys decided to chew tobacco next to me...most memories at the WBS were definitely enjoyed.  Best of all, all of those games were watched with my roommie.  I think she learned a lot about me from watching football games by my side...she found my inner beast!  As much plays and rules I may not quite fully understand, I am perhaps one of the craziest person to watch watching football (or any other sport for that matter actually.)  I just get so into the games that's all.

Anyways, just wanted to look back on them WBS moments.  Screaming "GAME-COCKS!" and finally catching on after the second game I watched that at every kick-off the whole phrase that everyone screams out is actually "Go, Fight, Win, Kick A**!"...well, they definitely top off as some of this year's college-ing defining moments!

Catch y'all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 10:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)