Party Politics and What Not

Have you ever noticed that it only takes a minute for a party to get out of control?? House parties can turn into nightmares when alcohol is introduced and lack of parental control includes leaving the liquor cabinet unlocked. 

Security at my place is pretty good—and cute too, but this story is about a different situation. 

I got a late night text from a "friend." At first, I thought it was a booty call but it wasn't. Even when they are—they're not mom so don't judge, just sayin'...

She was sitting in the bathroom watching another girl at a party who was wasted. They went to the party together so she didn't want to just leave her there. I asked her why they didn't just get in her car and go. But, the girl was being difficult and wouldn't leave. So I am getting the FML text at two in the morning because the drunk girl was so out of it that she was a prime candidate for getting raped and couldn't just be left there. That's when it hit me. 

All the home training that I got in California from my 'crazy' mother who reminded me to never leave my friends behind and my passport is for Europe not Mexico, was going to come in handy in college! Including: 

*If you are underage, don't drink. 

*Stay away from parties where you know less than 5 people per 25 in attendance.

*Hang out with people that have some sense.

*Watch your drinks.

*Always have cab fare on a date. 

*Know two people that can pick you up no questions asked. 

Thanks mom! I listened even when you thought I was blowing you off. I wasn't. I came to school to get an education not be a statistic. 

Check-In: Two Months

Has it really been two months! No way... I can't believe how time flies when you are having fun or when life is chaotic.... Aye!

My grades are staying strong. I have been eating right and keeping those pesky 15# at bay... I have been able to thin out a bit in the middle so my clothes fit great. I am getting enough food to eat. Life is good!

Countless great things happened to me this month so I am going to thank the people that made this month memorable:

• Thank you to my uncle Michael who found me the perfect car!
• Thank you to my uncle Miguel who taught me how to drive a stick!
• Thank you to my parents for buying this car for me even though I am surprised that you caved on this point. 

Learning to take care of yourself is a process. I am probable never going to be a chef, but I have learned to prepare a couple of things that are low calorie and high taste. I have made some great friends. Life is good...

I have been looking for a job this month. With my resume in hand, I have been to the local places to find a job that works well with my school schedule. Having limited work experience hasn't been in my favor. Wish me luck! So for now, keeping my scholarship is my job.


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Meet the Neighbors: It's Pool Time

I am living the college dream in this pretty cool apartment complex full of super fun college students with little to no adult supervision, but I don't want my mom to worry so I will just say... "College life is Awesome."

How I meet my cute big smiley neighbor:  

When my roomie and a friend decided we needed to catch a few rays on one of the last days of summer, I was happy to find a swimsuit and head to the pool for a little R&R. For a little bit of privacy, the pool has vines climbing over the fencing but it does little to block out the sounds of the residents with the same idea. We have been to the pool before so we were prepared for the amount of people involved and this day was no exception. 

Girls and boys alike welcomed my little crew as we picked some lounge chairs to spread out our towels. There were a lot of people I have never met before so I decided to introduce myself to some of my neighbors occupying the furniture closest to us. There were three of us so we had to take turns to put on sunblock on our backs. It wasn't awkward at all. Not!

One of the guys offered to help me with the middle of my back. But, I told him I don't let strangers putting their hands on me. "My name is *Jimmy," was all he said as he snatched the sunblock out of my hand to squeeze some into his hand. Hmmmm.... I didn't budge. He saw that I was standing there with my hands crossed across my chest so he walked away with about 50 cents worth of my sunblock in his hand.

"Sorry about that," a cute guy near me said laughing— then said, just low enough for me to hear, "Some people have no home training. When you say no, it means no. I understand that, but you are missing quite a bit of your back and I would hate to see you all sunburned." Smile. I think it was the smile. I am pretty sure that was what made me say ok. He just seemed so genuine. 

He made me feel comfortable when he helped me by applying the sunblock while narrating the event. "I am going to touch you lightly between your shoulder blades now, don't get scared. It will feel like I am applying sunblock." Before he was done... I was ROTFLMAO. Yes. I said it! So how did this turn out? We are friendly now. He's super cute and I love that he is such a giver. I like nice cute guys.

I told my mom about this neighbor and sent her the picture above. She asked me, "Is it possible for girls and boys to be friends?" I think so. I will keep you posted.

PS: Just a tip to all you rico suaves out there. Act like a gentleman. Don't get pushy.. girls don't like that.

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoFreshman15

Meet the Neighbors: The Potato Trick

Can I borrow a cup of sugar? Ha ha ha ha ha.... no ladies this is not how I met my neighbors. I didn't go over there and borrow a cup of sugar. I'm not that kind of girl. Sugar implies that I know how to cook which I do not. Plus, sugar sounds like a cook from scratch kind of thing!

You know those TollHouse Cookies that you break apart and bake, that is all the sugar I consume every now and then—I like to eat them with milk.

So, I met my neighbors when I needed a light bulb. I know I had them somewhere. But, I couldn't find them. It was late and I don't have a car so I went next door to ask about a light bulb to borrow. 

After I explained that my lamp fell over and broke the bulb, my neighbor offered to help me fix it. This is something that I knew I needed help with because the bottom of the bulb was still in the lamp. I wasn't sure how I was going to get it out. 

So "Kane" grabbed a potato and came over. He was standing outside of my door because hey he's a stranger! I ran in to grab my lamp. 

"Do you have a knife?" He asked me. A knife? Images of Law and Order: SUV flashed through my head. I think he saw my panic. Because he smiled. 

"I don't cook," I said. So he went back into his apartment and came out with half a potato. 

I was just standing there with my lamp. He gently took it out of my hand and he put the potato over the broken bulb. He push it down hard and turned it a little bit. He pulled the broken light bulb base out of the lamp! 

He told me to wipe it down with some dry paper towels. Then, he disappeared into his apartment. 

I was standing there feeling like I was missing something. Then I remembered and I knocked on his door. Honestly, I felt dumb standing there with the lamp in my hand. 

He opened the door with a paper towel in one hand and a light bulb in the other. "I figured you'd be back," he took the lamp out if my hand wiped it down and replaced the bulb. 

I thanked him and smiled. I learned something today. If you ever break a bulb in the lamp base use a potato to take it out! Plus, my neighbor is a cutie.

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nofreshman15

Picture from: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20434090_20863187,00.html

Can't We All Just Get Along?

Can't we all just get along? Not if you are going to act like a bitch... Just sayin'. I have decided to separate myself from people that are not displaying the personality traits of a real friend. Read about it in my blog:

So if you have a person in your life that is not serving you in some way, why? Did I strike a nerve? Good! When I use the word "serve," I don't mean it in a demeaning capacity. I mean it in a reciprocal relationship like a give and take. I love to serve a purpose in my friends' lives. I give and give until it hurts sometimes. Like my Grandpa used to say..."When I am willing to walk over coals for you and you can't walk across the room to pee on me if I am on fire, there's a problem."

Trust... I have to be able to trust that I am safe in your presence and through extension my belongings. Being in college is super exciting and there are a lot of choices to be made. I know that doesn't sound like a lot to an adult, but I don't have the practice you have in juggling so many things that I can't even enjoy one. I have to practice it every day to be that good at it.

Respect... One thing I am happy about is the freedom I have to make my own decisions, but I try to remember that my rights end where yours begin. You could try that too! For example, you have a right to have a crazy "rager" party when I am out of town, per se. But, I have a right to have my belongings respected and not stolen by the alleged small gathering of "friends" you invited into our home who by the way don't have any idea about what happened to my HP laptop.

Compassion... Thank you for feeling so bad about it. A ride to the store to purchase a new one would have been a great way to show it, but I had to call someone else to help me because you didn't have time to help me after you got my stuff stolen. That's a great friend trait.

Accountability... We have a lease with real clear guidelines of the consequences of said action. I can't help that the landlord enforces them. That doesn't make me mad at you. That makes me absence when you made bad decisions that have now caught up with you. We can still be friendly to each other we have space to share.

Faith... You know that moment when you think your "friend" is great and they do something that is so wrong that you can't believe it. So you say something and they have the nerve to be offended. Nice!  Friends should look out for each other, protect each other from harm, and keep the lines of communication open in times of trouble.

I know that this is something that we are going to have issues with for a while. I am happy to work on this, but if you think I am going to trust you to show me respect and compassion without taking accountability for what you have done to this friendship you are placing too much faith in how great you are because I can do better than a friend that changes how they feel about me when they make a mistake.

One Month Check-In

Thanks to all the people that have given me advice on how to stay in shape while handling my 17 credit hours. Some of it made me laugh so hard I cried! But, some of it stuck and here's a little list of what is working great for me.

1. Plan Ahead: This is helping in class and on maintaining my ideal weight. By choosing the foods I plan to eat before I go to the grocery store, I am able to have quick and easy foods available all the time. Without a food plan on campus, this has been important because I can't just roll into the cafeteria and grab a bite to eat. In class, I am reading ahead and getting a baseline of knowledge so I am learning more when I am in class, not seeing something for the first time.

2. Get Plenty of Exercise: My apartment has a gym which I like to run in. Everyday, I ride my bike to class and walk all over campus to get to each building. They have a yoga class I take on campus. Also, there's the constant movement of being young and free of my parents... dancing or walking around at concerts.

3. Drink Plenty of Water: I drink a glass of water when I wake up. I had a water bottle holder attached to my bike. I drink water all day long and with dinner at night. Sometimes, when I feel hungry and I drink water the feeling goes away. I read somewhere that your body doesn't know the difference and I just make sure I eat enough food too!

4. No More Soda: This was the hardest change for me. I love soda! But, the empty calories were making me have sugar crashes during the day and I honestly like to eat and wanted to use my calories wisely. So, now I have lots of fresh fruits and vegetables to snack on all day.

5: Read the Food Labels: The "I can't cook" thing has been a bit hard to work around. I have been reading the labels and deciding if the calories are sensible. But, I try to shop around the edges of the grocery store instead of the prepacked stuff. I overflow my fridge space with fresh organic fruits and vegetables. I get the tuna in the pouches so they are convenient for travel. I buy organic eggs and eat them every day.

6: Smile and Enjoy Life: I am young and learning how to live on my own. When I think about how blessed I am to have this opportunity, I smile. Thanks for your advice on how to maintain my weight and sensibilities. My family is close by and I spend time with them any chance I get because together we are stronger.

Follow my journey online at www.facebook.com/NoFreshman15

Can I Buy a Vowel?

I know that college is supposed to be harder than being in high school. I am "onboard" with that as my new reality, but why can't my math teacher enunciate the English language? I would love to know what he is talking about without reading his lips. I don't want to sound ungrateful... but I want to be in the know!

I took this issue to my mom and the first thing she asked me was: Is your book in English? Actually she asked: 

¿Es el libro en inglés? 

Wow! Just wow.... I didn't really think about that when I was hating on the teacher for not speaking perfect English in my class even though he has been meticulous in writing how to solve a problem on the board. Then, she reminded me that I had a so-so Pre-Calculus teacher my Senior Year and I had to teach myself that subject all year... and he spoke PERFECT English! I earned an "A" in both semester so I felt like my problem was solved.

I  originally tested into Calculus, but it was completely full so I took College Algebra to get my science classes opened to me. I can choose between Calculus and Physics later. So for this class, I am fortunate to have the knowledge in my mind and only need a little refresher course to get my juices flowing.  I alone am responsible for my education and I can't let anyone stand in my way to success—especially in such an easy class! 

I am capable of learning from a book and what a blessing to have this gift, this opportunity to grow. For now, I am learning from the book before class and reinforcing my knowledge through the lecture. I show up ready to learn more. This is what my mom suggested and so far, it is working great.