Not a bad week after all

Just to update you on what's been going on since my last post: I no longer feel like total crap. The weekend is almost here, which means I will be going to Salem very soon, and I think I did well on both tests I took this week. I know I totally aced my C++ exam, but I have a very good feeling I will be happy with whatever grade I get from my Linear Algebra test. My only issue was that I couldn't remember how to write my answers the way that he likes them... There's only so much I can do though. I'm still a little stressed over my Physics exam, I can't wait till that's over with. Although, to be honest, it would mean that my Chemistry test is around the corner again. This semester is killing me!
I need a vacation that lasts 6 months after this semester is done. Which won't be happening. Matter of fact, I don't think I'll have that long of a break till maybe the day I retire. It's a bit upsetting, but I'll get over it.
XOXO,
Marge

Long time no see

I'm tired, frustrated, stressed out, sad, and I don't know what else... As you can see, things are not going too well.
I took a Differentials test last Thursday and it was bad! I'm telling myself not to stress out too much because it's only been one test, but that's not working out. We're already halfway through the semester, it's time to start worrying. I'm freaking out because my Physics exam is coming up and I haven't studied at all. I'm a little worried about my C++ exam later on this afternoon. I did well on the last one, but this one is a little tougher because I haven't been keeping up with the work. I got my Chemistry grade back (60% of it) and I did awful. I think that's what I'm mostly upset about. There are a lot of different ways to bring that grade back up, but that's not the point. The point is that I worked and studied super hard and it didn't pay off in the end. I completely abandoned my other courses because of this test and it wasn't even worth all of my effort. Now I have tons of more work that piled up in my other classes that I need to catch up with and not even a good grade to balance this bad situation out. Just shoot me now, please.
I do have some good news though. Friday we celebrated my birthday with Anthony's family. It was great, because I had a delicious dinner, a yummy cake, his parents got my Tiffany bracelet fixed and got me an extra charm as a birthday present, and Connor (ahem, Lauren) made me an awesome picture portrait with a photo of Connor and I in it. Couldn't have asked for anything more, both gifts were amazingly meaningful and made me a happy girl!
On Saturday, I went out to the city with the Reddit girls for karaoke. It was super fun, and I sang so much! On top of that, one of the girls got me a beautiful (and incredibly delicious) Mocha cake. It was the sweetest thing and made me so happy!
I invited 2 of the girls I met last September at our first Reddit gathering over on Sunday. It was a pretty mellow Sunday and nothing too special happened. I made some chocolate chip cookies, and I must admit, I've become quite the expert cookie-maker. I'm proud of myself. The Bears totally destroyed the Vikings, and that made my day! The Giants beat the Bills as well... That was a wonderful victory because the Bills have been doing so well. It was a close game, but we came on top in the end.
This concludes my weekend. This Friday we're finally going up to Salem, so I'm sure I'll have tons to share when I get back.
XOXO,
Marge

Meet Sally

Our friends Joe and Rachel got married yesterday. I'm so happy for them! I choked back a few tears the best I could, but after a few drinks, my insecurities got the best of me. Anthony and I took a picture together where I literally looked pregnant. It was terrible! I cried so much because it was really upsetting... I need to lose weight now! It's back to the gym tomorrow (finally) and no more junk food.

As you can see, we finally got a pumpkin! We went to a local business upstate and they had 4 stray kittens. The lady actually offered we take one home, but we really can't handle another cat right now. I named this pumpkin Sally and bought a decorating kit to give it some personality. I tried carving a pumpkin for the first time last year and I really didn't like it, so from here on out, I'm keeping it simple.

I think these are all the updates I have for now, I have tons of homework to do and lots of tests coming up... Pray for me!

XOXO,

Marge

October

Blah, blah, love this month, blah, blah, blah.
I don't think we're going apple picking this year because our schedule is really packed. This weekend we have a wedding, next weekend I have my birthday celebration with Anthony's family, karaoke with the girls, and we're hosting football Sunday, then the following weekend we have my birthday getaway, and we're closing the month off with birthday celebrations with my family and my best friends... I'm a busy bee!
My mom really wanted to throw me a birthday party this year, and I know she's upset I don't want her to, but I just want her to understand that I really appreciate the thought and that it means a lot to me... The reality of it is, I just don't have enough friends. I can count on one hand how many real friends I have, and to be honest, I don't think it's worth throwing a party where only 5 of my friends are present. Sure, we can invite Anthony's friends, and they too are my friends, but it really just isn't the same.
I finally took my chemistry exam today! I can't tell you how good it feels to have it out of the way. It feels like a heavy weight has been lift off my shoulders. I think I did okay. Average, if you may. I definitely passed, but I know I got a some of the questions wrong. I didn't expect an A though, not for this class at least. I know it's very challenging for me, and to have understood chapters 11 and 12 like the back of my hand is definitely a good feeling.
I'm a little bit scared I completely abandoned my 4 other classes though... I really need to start catching up otherwise I'm screwed for the remainder of this semester.
I finally get to go back to the gym next week... This makes me so happy, considering the fact I don't fit into anything anymore! I'm done hating that about myself though... I'm actually trying this reversed psychology where I say, "Oh hey, my ass doesn't fit into these jeans? No problem, I love it actually!" I mean, I keep telling myself how much I hate my body and it just continues to get worse, so maybe this will encourage my body to go the opposite direction. Who knows, right?
Here's something I hate about tumblr. I left blogger once I realized everybody headed over there, and then I realized nobody actually writes on these blogs. All they do is post and re-post pictures of half naked girls, stupid videos, dumb quotes and sex scenes all over their pages. Nobody posts about anything truly meaningful, and their pages look completely bipolar. One second there's a picture of a couple making out, and the next, there's a picture of a starving African child. No, thank you. I like people who write. I like people who take time in expressing themselves.
This is why I chose to come back to blogger -- it's more down to earth. I tried to tumble (or whatever) the other day, and it was okay at first, then it was little fun, then it meant absolutely nothing to me... Now, over here, I enjoy writing about different things and sharing my thoughts, and I also enjoy when friends and family tell me they read my blog and that they enjoyed it. I got lots of hits last month, so I suppose I'm no longer writing for myself. There are actual readers. I just wish they'd contribute a little bit, ask questions, make this page more interactive...
That's all for today...
XOXO,
Marge

Am I really that intimidating?

I'm 5' tall and still look like I'm 12 years old. However, it seems I have scared the bejesus out of my physics professor last night. He announced to the class today that for the first time in his career, he dreamed of one of his students. I was, of course, the lucky one. He said I went up to him and told him I had a question, but that I needed to discuss it with him in private. Then as I was about to ask him this question, I just freaked out completely and ripped the flesh off of his face with my bare hands. He said that he woke up and couldn't fall back asleep for quite a while. Hilarious, if you ask me. I love my professor though, so I don't want him to have that image of me now. He even gave me a new nickname. I forget what it is, I'll update this later. I feel like we've come closer together though! I know he won't be forgetting my face anytime soon...

What else is new? It's October! It's my month! So excited for all the activities! There aren't enough exclamation marks to express my excitement, actually! After this Thursday I will be able to relax a bit... Chemistry has taken over my life and it's all I think about. I dream about it, as a matter of fact. I've been dreaming about it every day since last Thursday. Make it stop, please!

I hope your October looks promising, too.

XOXO,

Marge

I need to get my s**t together

Totally unlike me to ever cuss on my blog, but there's no simpler way to put it.
One of the blogs I enjoy reading on a regular basis is Amber's "The Daily Doty". On one of her entries, she shared her favorite quote by Walter Wellesley Smith. The quote says: "There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein." I can relate to that quote in so many different ways, but for now, I just want to open a vein and share a few things about myself that I've been bottling up inside.
I went to a high school that really tried to focus most of its curriculum around writing. I truly enjoyed it, but I remember always thinking, "when I get to college, I'm going to study either math or science." Here I am today, halfway through my engineering degree. I struggled so much, and still do. I had to take a remedial math course that wasn't worth any credits, but I have already completed all 3 levels of calculus and am now enrolled in two very advanced math courses. When I told one of my classmates this, her jaw dropped, "you had to take remedial math?!" she asked me, and I nodded; a little ashamed, but mostly proud. How many people can say they started college knowing nothing but simple algebra, and successfully climbed the academic ladder to such advanced courses? Not many people, I can tell you that.
Honestly, I feel stupid around the students in my courses. These are all bright people who knew what they were getting themselves into when they signed up for this major, I just wanted to be different. I thought it was going to be a piece of cake as long as I stayed focused. I kind of feel like Elle Woods sometimes. People have their doubts, but I'm proving them all wrong. So maybe I'm not at an ivy league school -- hell, I'm not even at a 4-year college -- but slowly I'm climbing that ladder, just like I did before. Maybe I don't get A's in every test, but I have my disadvantages.
The reality of it is, I need to stop feeling stupid around these people. I need to stop feeling sorry for myself. I signed up for this. Yeah, it's hard and yeah, it's getting the best of me, but I wanted this. I was the one who got up one day and said, "hey, I think I'll go into engineering." Do I regret making this decision? Hell yeah, all the time! Should I regret this decision? Hell no. I'm halfway there, and all the tough courses are pretty much out of the way. Starting next year, I will be taking courses I want to take, my technical courses. I will be dealing with more physics, I will be dealing with sketching. I will enjoy it. I need to keep my head up, I need to dedicate every single down time I have to studying. When it's all over, I will have accomplished something no one else in my family has. I will have a college degree.
I want to make them proud. I want to make my mom proud. I want to make my grandma proud. I want to make Anthony proud. But most of all, I want to be proud of myself. I want to share this story with others. I want them to see how far I've come. I want to inspire someone.
Thanks for reading.
XOXO,
Marge

My favorite things about autumn

So, it's official, it is fall and this is by far my favorite season. Here's a list of my favorite things:

1. My birthday!

This is a picture of my birthday last year. It's not the best picture, but it was captured at midnight. My friend to the right had the staff of the bar know that it was going to be my birthday in a few hours, and this is the result! Opa!!

2. Halloween has many different categories:

2a. Pumpkin/apple picking

This is a picture from last year when we went apple and pumpkin picking with Anthony's family. We haven't scheduled a date to go back this year yet, but I hope we do that sometiem soon!

2b. Dressing up

This is an oldie but a goodie. I was 16 when this picture was taken. From left to right: my stepdad, a close family friend and her boyfriend.

2c. Scary movies

I have mentioned numerous times how much of a halloween junkie I am. I love scary movies! Not the new ones though, I love the classics. "Nightmare on Elm Street" being my favorite and Freddy Krueger my favorite fictional character.

2d. Candy!

Who doesn't love candy? Don't answer that though, because it may upset me. I know there are a few people out there who don't really enjoy candy, (I know, hard to get around that statement, right?) But I loooove my candy, especially gummy bears, Smarties and white chocolate!

3. The weather

I do hate the rain, I'm not gonna lie, but I love the cold weather! I love wearing hoodies and jackets and my Uggs. The only time I enjoy the rain are on days I get to sleep in and stay home all day.

4. Football season

I love football! I also love hockey, but I see hockey as more of a winter sport, even though it isn't. I'm so torn between being a Bears fan and a Giants fan. This is the perfect picture to represent my views on football. Also, isn't Anthony super cute?

5. Hot chocolate and cookies

I already possess a wonderful chocolate-chip cookie recipe. However, now I need a sugar cookie and butter cookie recipes! I also need to learn how to make my own hot chocolate. I usually just buy the pre-made mix, but I'd like to have a homier recipe at hand.

6. Fall television

Although school is keeping my schedule hectic, I have had some time to watch television on Wednesdays. My favorite show, "Modern Family", is back and right after is a new show "Revenge" that premiered this week. I actually really enjoyed it, so I'll probably be watching it this season. NCIS is also back, but I missed the first episode, so I'm hoping to find it online somewhere.

That's about all, what are your favorite things about your favorite season?

XOXO,

Marge

Monday night football

I had no clue what the title of this entry should be, so I named it after the first thing I heard. As you can guess, I am watching the Giants vs. Rams game tonight. My physics professor is at the game and he said that if the Giants lose, we can expect a very tough exam. So, they better win!

I had a very fun night out with the Reddit ladies. As you can see on the picture above. I made some good friends and I am hoping to hang out with them again sometime soon.

What's super, duper exciting is the fact I am going to Salem for my birthday! I am a huge Halloween junkie, and this is something I've wanted to do for a long time, so I'm super stoked. We're only going for the weekend, but that's plenty of time in my opinion.

Speaking of Halloween, I finally saw "The Exorcist" for the first time in my life yesterday evening. I was expecting a lot more, but either way, it was enough to scare me. I love the thrill!

School is hectic. As I've mentioned in the past, there aren't enough hours in the day. I am working super hard on chemistry, but still don't know what to expect. My first exam this semester was today and it was for my computer methods class. I didn't even know how to go about studying for it, but I don't think I did too bad. I have a linear algebra quiz this Wednesday, and we have a study group tomorrow, so I'm definitely going to that. That's all for tonight.

XOXO,

Marge

I just don't understand

I've been working out a lot lately, and have started eating healthier, and always try to eat breakfast, and somehow, instead of losing weight, I'm putting more on. Can someone please explain that to me? It's been 3 weeks now and I'm just bloating up and none of it makes sense.

It's really upsetting to know you're putting on weight and doing nothing to prevent it. It's even more upsetting when you're trying really hard to get back in shape and all you see are negative results.

Now, what's even worse than that is, the fact that fall is pretty much here (today's high is 56F) and I don't fit into any of my fall/winter clothes! I just want to cry!!! I have an event tonight I've been organizing for the past 2 weeks and I have nothing to wear. Literally though. This isn't all just in vain. I'm actually heading out to buy an outfit right now, 2 hours before my party. If I had any self esteem left, it's pretty much gone now.

Other updates? School still sucks the life out of me. I still love my physics professor. My house is still dirty. I did the laundry today. I've been working really hard in chemistry. Tomorrow my mom's roommate is helping me with some of it actually. What else? Anthony's off to Atlantic City tomorrow for his college buddy's bachelor party. Am I jealous? A little bit. Does he deserve some guy time away from me? Absolutely.

Anyway though, I really just want to crawl under a rock and never leave my house again. Hope your Friday's better than mine.

XOXO,

Marge

Finally, some time in the kitchen!

The title says it all. Although I did not get to cook a delicious dinner, I did take care of breakfast both today and Sunday, and I made cookies. That's some progress, right? Although baking shouldn't count. I was so proud of myself for waking up at 5:30AM to make Anthony and I breakfast this morning though. Go me!
I just registered to volunteer at the 9/11 Memorial center. I figured it's for a good cause and it's near my school. Why not, right?
I really need help with Chemistry! It isn't even funny anymore. Thank goodness we are only up to chapter 12. In any case, I still have all of 11 to teach myself and I can't even finish my lab because I can't remember how to do half of the stuff in it. I am still really enjoying Physics though... I'm also starting to cut professor Know-It-All some slack because I really enjoy the topic he teaches.
I haven't been to the gym since last Wednesday because of all the studying I had to do. It's crazy how much work has accumulated already. I guess it's really hard to get around to doing everything when you have 3 pages of work for every single one of your 5 classes and still need to teach yourself stuff you should have learned last semester in Chemistry. I'm really overwhelmed and it's only the 3rd week of classes. Someone, please, help me!
I'm going to the gym now since I have some free time before I have to bury my head in another textbook...
XOXO,
Marge

Game day

Today is the 10th year anniversary since the terrorism attacks on 9/11. There is nothing like being home and watching America's game with your loved ones on a day like this. We shall never forget the ones who lost their lives 10 years ago and they are forever in our hearts.

I made some cookies but I was not quick enough to take a picture of my fresh batch. In a matter of 5 minutes, 12 of my cookies were gone! Definitely the best batch I've ever made...

Anyway, there isn't much to update you on, but I will close this off with a beautiful picture of Connor and I from yesterday.

XOXO,

Marge

Waking up late

Yesterday I woke up at a decent time, got to the bus stop early and had no trouble getting to class on time. I remember thinking, "when you're on time, everything goes right." I don't even know how my brain came up with such a catchy phrase, but it did. My day was pretty wonderful, and if you ask me, it's been the best day since school's begun.

However, today is a whole different story. I heard the alarm and thought my boyfriend hit snooze by accident when he went to turn it off. So, I turned off the alarm and didn't even bother opening my eyes to check the time. Ha, only to wake up an hour later and find out that I had actually turned off my alarm instead of his! Turns out I was half an hour late for class and it was really upsetting. Not only because it makes me look bad in my professor's eyes, but also because Physics is my favorite class and I thoroughly enjoy it. I don't ever want to miss a minute of it, and I most certainly don't want to look lazy.

Well, I'm not going to cry over spilled milk. Just need to actually open my eyes next time I reach for that clock!

This weekend is pretty packed! I have our friend's birthday get together tonight, Anthony's cousin's 14th birthday party tomorrow, and football on Sunday!

Hope all is well on your end...

XOXO,

Marge

Rain, rain, go away!

So yes, today is raining and it's disgusting out. It's also pretty chilly, and to me, that simply means summer has come to an end yet again.
I went to the gym for over 2 hours today! I did 40 minutes of cardio, 20 minutes of weights (approximately,) and I took a Zumba class. Which didn't go so well. Right at the end, there was about 10 minutes left of class, I pulled a muscle. It was around my butt and it did not feel good! The class itself is pretty out of my league, I made a complete fool of myself, but I wasn't the only one. I actually really enjoyed it though, and I plan on taking it again next week! Hopefully I won't pull another muscle...
Then, as I was stretching out to make the pain go away, this personal trainer approached me and offered some help with this new machine that would really help stretch out and relax my muscles. It was wonderful, but I learned something quite unfortunate.
Turns out that my body is all messed up from carrying all that weight on my left shoulder. I'm incapable of having it on my right shoulder and it's really starting to show on my posture. She says I have a mommy body and I don't even have kids! She also said that if I keep this up, I can develop Scoliosis and that's something I most certainly do not want! She told me, she ordered me actually, to start carrying my bag on my right shoulder otherwise I am really going to regret it. So, I'm trying, but I'm struggling. I really don't want to be permanently damaged.
Anyway, that's all for today, I have some studying to do.
XOXO,
Marge

Anthony's finally home!

I'm going to keep this post short. First and foremost, as the title has stated, my boyfriend is home! I'm so ecstatic!

I finally got around to doing the laundry. The house still isn't clean, but it is organized.

I did half of my Physics homework, I'll do the other half tomorrow sometime.

I hope you are having a wonderful 3-day weekend!

XOXO,

Marge

New title

As you can see, I changed the name of the blog. Since so far there has been no success in the kitchen, I think I'm just going to make this blog about my general life. I don't know what to call this journey, I thought maybe "life," but the chances of me updating this blog for the rest of my life are very slim. So, I just kept it "Marjorie's Journey," plain and simple.

I'm really quite impressed I've been so good about updating this blog so far. Usually, you can tell right away whether or not your blog will be successful. I know this because I've had more blogs than a normal girl should probably have in her life. And I'm young.

Anyway, Anthony is still not back from Westchester. We were expecting him tonight, but they want to keep him for one more day. So, it sucks, but at least I know I get to see him tomorrow.

My best friend was supposed to come stay over and keep me company, but I told her he was coming home tonight, so we canceled our plans. Now, here I am, all alone, writing on my blog. It's not that bad, I just wish I could get off reddit.

I haven't done the laundry. I haven't cleaned the house. I haven't cooked for myself. I haven't done my Physics homework. I'm really just a huge failure this weekend so far.

I plan on doing all those things tomorrow before Anthony gets home. I like to have him come home to a pleasant environment, I don't want him to witness my current living situation. Of course, I'm mostly exaggerating, but he still deserves all the best.

I was so excited and looking forward to his homecoming tonight and now I'm just really upset again. I feel so bad for my little guy, he's only going to have Monday off and then it's back to the daily grind again.

I'm most certainly not looking forward to Tuesday, but I am excited for the gym! I don't know what it is about me lately, but I am thoroughly enjoying working out. That's a miracle, because if you knew me, if you really knew me, you'd know how much of a lazy bum I am. Especially when it comes to working out. I don't know, maybe it means I'm growing up.

XOXO,

Marge

11 most used products

I was on youtube today, and came across a lot of vloggers talking about their 11 most used beauty products. I don't have a vlog or anything, but I wanted to share my favorite products as well.

1. John Frieda Full Repair shampoo and conditioner

People always compliment my hair and ask what I do to it... Not much, really. I comb it while it's wet so that it doesn't get frizzy or too volume-y. I suppose my shampoo and conditioner are a little pricey, but nothing too crazy. I try to avoid blowdrying or straightening my hair because I fear I'll damage it.

2. Aveeno's Skin Relief moisturizer

My skin has always been an issue. I have extra dry skin and have consulted many dermatologists in the past. They've prescribed many things, but nothing was ever really successful. Then, a couple of years ago, Aveeno came out with the moisturizer pictured above. It is for extra dry skin and works wonders! I love, love it! Ever since I discovered it, I never looked back. It sells for about $9-$12 usually.

3. Clinique Happy for Men

This is by far my favorite scent! I know it says 'for men', but trust me, it is very feminine. I discovered this cologne when I was 15 years old, and bought a couple of bottles since. My last one was in August of 2009. I unfortunately had to part with a full bottle prior to boarding my plane in Chicago. Since I had so many perfumes waiting for me at home, I decided not to buy a new bottle and to try new things instead... However, I miss it so much and I know that this will definitely be my next purchase at Sephora.

4. Mood Swing by Too Faced lipgloss

If I were making this list in order from favorite to least-favorite, this would definitely be number 1. I've been using this lipgloss since '08. It is amazing, to say the least. I've only found it at Sephora and I always recommend it. It gets your lips to the perfect shade of pink every time.

5. Essie nail polish (nude colors)

Honestly, I don't care what the color is. As long as it is neutral and slightly pink, I am good to go. However, the brand really does make a difference, and I'm an Essie girl!

6. Venus Breeze by Gillette

I've been a faithful Breeze consumer for the past 5 years. I think it's been 5 years, I might be wrong.

7. Almay's Smart Shade liquid concealer

I often change eyeliners and mascaras, but I pretty much stick to my good ol' concealer. I use Almay, and it's fairly new, maybe 2 years old. The liquid is white when it comes out of the tube, and blends with your skin tone (because it's smart, get it?)

8. L'Oreal Sublime Bronze towelettes

I'm very self-conscious about my skin. If I have to wear a skirt or a dress during winter, or right after winter, I need to go out and buy these little guys. They work wonders. You don't see the difference right away, and next thing you know, your legs are beautifully tan. They don't turn you orange either. It gives you a nice, even, natural looking tan. I never used it in any other part of my body, however, and I don't suggest you use it on your face.

9. Herbal Essence mousse

I've definitely been using this mousse for at least 5 years. There's nothing too special about it. It leaves my hair soft and it smells wonderful. Usually when I like a product, I stick to it. That's probably the reason why I haven't shopped around for mousse ever since. And to be frank, I rarely use it. It's one of those beauty products I go to when I'm in a rush or simply lazy.

10. Bath & Body Works Sweet Pea hand sanitizer to-go

I adore my hand sanitizer! I love the sweet pea scent the most. I have one bottle hanging from the handle of my pocketbook and another that travels inside my wristlet. It's everywhere I go and it smells like heaven!

11. Blistex DCT

I love my blistex and it's the best medicine for chapped lips, especially during the winter. I have about 3 packs in my nightstand. It's always in my bag, but I always forget to use it. I don't have chapped lips because every night, at least 3 times in the middle of the night, I use my minty chapstick that sits on my nightstand. I'm very OCD about it because I hate chapped lips! Since I have awesome moist lips the entire day due to my nightly routine, I forget to use my blistex. It is still amazing though and definitely deserves to be on this list!

Alright, so that was my list, you should share yours, too!

XOXO,

Marge

Super long post

I'm back at the gym, thank goodness! It's the one thing that's keeping me sane right now. School is just devastating. I thought I'd be able to handle this ridiculous schedule, but so far not so good. I'm physically and mentally exhausted! Yesterday I figured going to the gym would help to keep me busy, and time would go by faster... Boy, was I right! I decided not to go to my school's gym. I figured I already have a NYSC membership, so what are my options? There's a NYSC right by my school, so I decided to walk in and figure some stuff out. I upgraded my membership to passport, that way I can go to any NYSC available anywhere (even the Boston one, although it's not called NYSC). Then I bumped into my good friend Melissa, and she didn't even blink when she said she wanted to join so we could go to the gym together. How cool is that?! Today she signed up and next week we will start going together. We are only able to go on Mondays-Wednesdays due to our class schedules, but the other days I'll still be going by myself (such as today).

I was there for 2 hours and I worked all of frustrations out and enjoyed some time in the sauna as well. It was glorious! Too bad Computer Methods burst my bubble of joy soon after!

My customized Longchamp Le Pliage, which happens to be the biggest size available (size 4), made its way to my house all the way from Paris last Christmas. I was looking for the perfect school bag, and this just happened to be it. Now, as you can see on the website, it is enormous. I can literally fit my life in there. My laptop, my stuffed panda, all kinds of pens and sharpies and notebooks, gym clothes and shoes, make up bag... Everything. It's ridiculous! There's not a single person who hasn't made fun of me when they see me dragging that thing around. I love it and hate it at the same time. It's only been 3 days and my shoulder is killing me. Today I decided to leave my laptop behind, and for some reason, it weighed just the same. The craziest thing is that I don't even have my textbooks in there yet. I just don't know what to do! I'm seriously considering getting one of those bags with wheels. I'll look like a dork, but at least I won't be walking sideways for the rest of my young life.

Here's something interesting... Since I finally met all of my professors, I can now give feedback of what I think so far. Let's start with Chemistry, since that's the one I have most things to say about. I have had terrible luck with Chemistry at my school. I'm just not good at the subject to begin with. My first Chem course, I took with this blonde lady, let's call her Barb. Barb was very sweet, and very intelligent. She spoke well and was always willing to answer your questions. However, Barb did not know how to teach. She would read off power points and rush through everything. Every week we had 2 exams. 1 for lab and 1 for the course. Now, believe me when I say this, maybe 2 questions out of the 20 was something she actually taught us. The other 18 questions made absolutely no sense. I'm not even exaggerating. Three quarters of the class dropped her. I was one of those students.

So, round 2 of Chemistry, I took with someone we'll call Earl (he really did look like an Earl). Anyway, to sum things up, he was even worse than Barb. I did not learn a single thing in his class. The only reason I passed was because our final was open book. It was a miracle. In fact, Earl was so awful, he was fired right after our finals. Thankfully, nobody else will have to suffer the way me and my classmates did.

Now, this semester I wised up and chose the best professor my school could offer. I don't know what to call him, so let's just go with Professor K. Prof. K has a good reputation, so I built my whole schedule around his class. This is the reason why I'm at school from 8AM till 8:30PM sometimes. All because I wanted to learn from Prof. K, because I knew that with him, I'd be able to understand the subject. Yesterday was my first Chemistry class, and guess what? No Prof. K, and instead I get Dr. Kumar (not his actual name, just a very common Indian name).

Don't even get me started because I might cry. Long story short, the school can do nothing to help me. Nothing. Trust me, I'm at school all day, I have nothing but time in my hands. I literally ran up and down that building, and nobody's able to help me. So, now I'm stuck with Dr. Kumar and I'm most certain the best I will do in this class is a C. He doesn't even speak English. He's smart and nice, just like Barb, but he can't teach.

We're calling my Physics professor Morten Harket, not as handsome, but just go with it. I'm calling him that because his cellphone rang in class and his ringtone was A-Ha's Take on Me. It was a sight to see and hear, to say the least. I don't mean to sidetrack, but here's a fun fact: Out of my 6 professors, 3 answered their personal phone calls in class and another ate a sandwich during lecture. This is how you know my school is pretty much a giant piece of poop in downtown Manhattan. Anyways, back on track, Harket is super funny. He's my favorite professor! He's clever, has a great sense of humor, pretty goofy, and boy does he know what he's teaching. He doesn't even use notes, that's when you know he's good. Not only that, but I actually understand everything so far. Let's hope this doesn't change.

My lab instructor in Physics is a hot mess! She's this old lady, let's call her Martha, and she's all over the place. She barely speaks English; I believe she's either Russian or Italian (long stretch, I know). She talks to herself mostly and repeats herself about a billion times and has little fits. Like, she freaks out within herself. It's so bizarre. I do not understand a single thing she says and I'm really relying on my lab partners and the lab manual itself for half the course.

Next up comes Professor K. Although I was not fortunate enough to have him for Chemistry, I do have him for the most useless course I'll ever have to take in college: Computer Methods. This class drags on and on. Prof. K is actually pretty boring, turns out. He might know his science, but he really needs to brush up his computer skills. He's also pretty deaf and I'm almost sure he let one rip the other day (it was awful, it was one of those farts that linger on and on).

Then we have professor McDerp. He has a very Irish name and I'm pretty sure he never left the 80s. He must've repeated five times that he was a "night person." Good to know? He's very funny though and really well spoken. He has a background in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering. I actually stuck around after class (although it was 8:30PM) and got to know him a bit. He's my Differential Equations professor. He also happens to be my second favorite professor at the moment.

Lastly, we have Professor Know-It-All. He's straight out of Africa, not even kidding, and he is mean. I took him for Pre-calculus last summer, and he made me cry a few times. I really did not want to take him for Linear Algebra, but because I was working around my Chemistry course, he really was my only option. Today I almost started crying because of my flashbacks. He is my shortest class, and somehow, it's the class that stresses me out the most. All because of him. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the whole semester with him, but we'll see.

I really need to end this entry. I don't think anyone will even read this far... If you do, I will close this off with some sad news. Anthony went up to Westchester today and he will be gone indefinitely. 28,000 people, I believe, still have no power. I'm very lonely. I hate being home alone and having no one around but my cat to talk to. I also really need someone like him around after a day like today. Or days like everyday this week so far. The weekend can't come soon enough. I miss him so much, I hope he gets back by Saturday -- fingers crossed!

XOXO,

Marge

Back at school

The picture above was taken around this time last year. This is my view of NJ from the west side of my school building. I believe I will have that same view this year due to my late classes. I'm not quite sure of that yet though.

I am writing this from the courtyard of my school. It's beautiful today and not too hot either, especially if you're in the shade like I am. It's funny that just yesterday there was a hurricane over NYC and today it is gorgeous out and looks as if nothing as tragic took place. It really wasn't tragic so to speak, but it did cause some damage and a lot of people are out of power. Pike Electric Corporation dispatched a couple of crews from Ohio to help get services back up. I feel so bad for Anthony, he worked this entire weekend and has to work doubles all of this week. Financially speaking, however, these are very good news.

I have so much free time this semester due to my spread out classes. It really sucks actually, because I'm leaving home at 6:30AM and not getting back till 9:30PM some days, and the most I'll have is 3 classes in one day. I'm thinking of joining either an academic club or a social club. Either Engineering Society or the Math club. I just don't know, but I want to do something fun!

I finally got around to cleaning the house yesterday! It's actually a pretty funny story... Anthony was called into work at 1PM and all the plans we had went down the drain. So, I decided to watch TV and stuff my face with junk. I had about 10 rolls of Smarties and immediately started running around like the energizer bunny. At 7:30PM I decided to start cleaning the house. Now, let me tell you, the place was a mess! It looked like we left the windows open and Irene was inside the crib tearing it up. (Well, maybe not that bad, but it was bad.) It usually takes me about 5 hours to clean the whole house, this is due to distractions; such as facebook, reddit and youtube. However, because I had so much energy, I didn't get bored for a second, and I actually ended up doing a very thorough job in a matter of 2.5 hours. If you were there to witness, it would look like someone pressed fast-forward on my life. It was freaking awesome though! The place looks great now! It shocks me how messy my house gets after only a weekend of laziness. Anthony was very content to arrive home to a neat house. He deserved that.

Since I won't be able to go to the gym as often as I'd like this semester, I think that perhaps it'd be wise of me to find out if my school has a gym. I heard something about that... I know they have a pool, but if they had a treadmill that'd be awesome. That's about all for today, take care!

XOXO,

Marge

What's in the oven?

Chocolate chip cookies, that's what! I'm baking some so that Anthony can take them to work with him tonight.

Irene is here, and so far so good. It should get really windy at around 3AM though... Stay safe, everyone!

My plans of cooking so far have pretty much failed. The supermarkets are a mess due to Hurricane Irene, so I couldn't find important ingredients for my dishes. Super sad face! I was going to make a peanut butter pie for Mikey tomorrow, but since our plans have changed, I won't be making one till maybe next weekend. Mikey, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. I am thinking of you and will not rest till I make your pie!

Anyway, I have the grossest menu for this weekend. It includes lots of junk food. I figured I'll get it out of my system now that I'm going to start going to the gym again. I hope! Wish me luck...

XOXO,

Marge

Oh, Irene...

My boyfriend Anthony works for NYC's ConEdison. His division deals specifically with Brooklyn/Queens overhead. To put it simply, if your power goes out, he's the guy you go to. There is a lot of work to be done when it gets too hot, or when it snows too much, or there's a tornado, or, you guessed it, when there is a storm. Overtime is at its peak now that Irene is around the corner, and Anthony is working nights this weekend. I'm so proud of him, but I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't worried or that I didn't feel bad for him... Good luck, babe!

On other news, today was my first day of school. It was okay, but I wasn't in any way excited about it. My Physics professor is quite the comedian, so it makes the whole situation a little better. I went to the bookstore and looked up all the necessary textbooks I'd be needing this semester (a total of 7,) and it would have cost me $1,350 to purchase them at my school (tax inc.) There's no way I'm spending that much money! So, instead, I rented 5, own 1, and have to purchase the last. I don't know how much the last book is going to cost me, I'll find out on Wednesday, but I have spent a total of $295 on 6 books!!! I'm awesome, I know... Seriously though, before you purchase your books on campus, take a look online. I wouldn't suggest renting books that you'll need for more than 2 semesters (like in Calculus - I took 3 semesters and the total I paid for renting the book, I could have used for purchasing it instead.) I also don't suggest renting lab books; you're better off purchasing them new. However, if it's just for one term, it's the best thing you can do! A couple of my favorite websites include: Bookbyte, CBR, and Half by eBay.

Today I got to see Anthony's nephew, Connor. He's 8 months old and absolutely the cutest baby ever! While we were there, I learned something interesting. Obviously I'm new to this whole cooking thing, and I learned from his sister that it's not a good idea to buy fish at the end of the week. Good to know! Unfortunately, I won't be able to cook my Cod dish till who knows when! As I mentioned on previous posts, the only days I'm able to cook are weekends, so I'm scratching anything fish-related out of my recipes to try! Super sad, I know.

I still haven't gotten around to cleaning the house. I need some motivation! I hope the few of you who are following my blog are enjoying it so far.

XOXO,

Marge

I just don't have it in me

Today is one of those days... I woke up congested, with a sore throat and my nose bled on top of that! When the weather gets too dry (like in my bedroom,) my nose bleeds. It totally sucks!

Anyway, today I'm supposed to clean the house, and I really don't feel like doing it! It's one of the days when all you want to do is lay on the couch and watch TV. I really need to clean and cook dinner, but whether or not that will be happening is still a big mystery. I hope Anthony doesn't mind taking care of dinner tonight, and if I don't clean today, I will definitely take care of it tomorrow.

So you might be wondering who are the two little guys on the picture above. Here is the story... We went down to Ocean City, MD a few weeks ago for vacation with Anthony's family. While down there, we stayed at the Sea Watch condos, and downstairs there is this little shop called "My Place." They sell ice cream, snacks, pizza, sandwiches, etc. Anthony's been going down to O.C. for as long as he can remember. While we waited for our condo to be ready, he went to My Place to see if they still had a picture of him hanging up on the wall (they hang random guests' photos all over their walls, they've been doing this since the mid-eighties). And guess what? He found his picture from back in 1994! Anthony is the one to the left, he was 8 years old, and the little man to the right is his old buddy Edward. How cool is that?!

That same evening, I tried their vanilla ice cream float and fell in love! I'm not much of an ice cream person to begin with, especially not vanilla, but their French vanilla was out of this world. I had their float every single day we were down there...

Back home, I started to crave their vanilla ice cream like there was no tomorrow. I decided to look for something similar at the supermarket and found Edy's Double Vanilla. It's nothing like My Place's French vanilla, but it comes close... I'm very excited I can have my own floats now and I won't go crazy being so far from My Place.

XOXO,

Marge

So much to do, so little time

Today I did the laundry for the first time in my life! I know it sounds absolutely ludicrous, but it is true... I've been lacking a few skills as a woman, but thankfully I'm finally stepping up the game. I've cooked dinner every single day since Monday. They've been super easy though! I have made pirogues out of the box, tortellini out of the bag, and today I made Sloppy Joes out of the can... I know my lack of work is really quite sad, but like I mentioned on my first post - baby steps.

School starts this Friday and I'm totally dreading it! Since my schedule is going to be completely packed, I will only be able to cook dinner on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On those days, I plan on making a legitimate dish and not something out of some can, box or bag. Don't give up on me just yet! For instance, to kick the school semester off, this Friday I am making a Cod meal, and on Saturday I will be making a summery pasta and the sauce will be made from scratch! Sounds exciting, right? I don't know how either of those will turn out, but I'm looking forward to getting my hands dirty!

I found the recipes online and they are super, super easy. I will share them if they are in any way successful.

More on my laundry experience though... I actually loved doing it and am looking forward to doing it again next week! I'm sure I will quickly get over it and it will actually start to feel like a chore, but for now I am enjoying it while I still can!

On this day, 2 years ago, Anthony asked me to be his girlfriend. It has dawned on me recently, (I can't believe it took me this long,) how much my boyfriend does for me. Anthony is truly the most amazing person I have ever met outside of my family. He is the best partner and my best friend. He provides so much for me and is always so patient with me... I honestly couldn't have found anyone better than him in this world. Things got extra sappy, I know, please excuse me. I just feel like I don't tell him how much he means to me as often as I probably should, and I know he will be reading this... So babe, I love you and thanks for being with me! From now on, leave dinner to me whenever I'm home at the right time, and don't you worry about the laundry anymore! Just sit back and relax, because I know you deserve it after all the long hours you work. I'm all grow'd up, so it's time I take my role as a big girl.

XOXO,

Marge

My first post

As the title has stated, this is my first post on this blog. I've had numerous blogs, but I always end up forgetting about them. This time though, I'd really like to make this work.

If there is one online community I truly admire, it would have to be the food blogging community. I've been trying to become part of it for a very long time. The reality of it is, I bake often and I'm actually good at it. However, when it comes to cooking a typical dinner, I just don't have it in me. I'm trying to change that. Not only because my boyfriend's mother has told me to, but also because I actually want to.

I've been taking baby steps. And trust me, when I say baby steps, I really mean it. Today I am making tortellini. Not from scratch or anything, straight out of the bag. I'm boiling some water right now. My boyfriend, Anthony, is working nights this week and he is taking a nap before dinner and then heading out.

We've been living together for nearly 2 years and he's the only one who's done any cooking thus far. I have baked plenty and most of my final products have been successful. But I think it's time I put on my big-girl pants and start making dinner on my own.

I've been a follower of bakedbree for almost a year now and have tried many of her recipes. Reading her blog today, I learned about Jennie and Mikey Perillo. If you don't know their story, you can read about it here. It has not only brought tears to my eyes, but it has inspired me. I am looking forward to making my own peanut butter pie this weekend.

Not only did I learn about the Perillos, but I also learned about Ava's Tea Party. Ava Rosemeyer would have been 8 years old yesterday. To learn more about Ava, click here.

I found out about these beautiful and inspiring people through Bree's food blog. I do not know these women, but their life stories hit close to home and my heart goes out to them.

To sum things up, this blog is about my day-to-day life and more specifically, about my journey in the kitchen. I hope you enjoy it!

XOXO,

Marge