Things I've Been Enjoying

Random update for you all. Little fun things I've been enjoying recently.

Wayward Sons: Legends
This webcomic is very entertaining to read- especially if you know your mythology! It has a great story line and funny, semi-related, updates on the weekends.

Food Porn Daily
Appropriate for work! Just maybe not if you've missed your lunch break. These food pictures will make you drool and your stomach rumble. I can sit for hours clicking and staring at picture after picture of delicious looking food.

Post Secret
I think most people know Pose Secret. It's a fun website to read on Sundays.

Plants vs Zombies
I have this game on my iPod and I love it! It has become my go-to game for de-streesing and blowing time at night before bed.

Angry Birds
Angry Birds is such an addicting game! I was addicted to it, then I beat all the levels and lost interest. Still, it's fun to play!

Those are the main things that keep me amused when I'm not talking to Grant, hanging with friends, watching movies, reading or, of course, doing homework. Oh- add working to that. I got the RA position! And I am working at the school's restaurant now, running food and backwaiting. Did I mention that? It's almost bed time, so forgive me. Hope you guys are enjoying the random life updates!

What I've Been Up To

Since I've been gone for so long I thought you may want to know what I've been up to for almost a year! You probably know most of this if you are my Facebook friend.

•I have been stressed (haha, not unexpected and not so different from this time last year)
•I have been doing very well in school (if I may toot my own horn, also not unexpected or different)
•I have an awesome boyfriend of almost 6 months now
oI have never met anyone as amazing as him and he makes me happier than I have ever been
•I miss my pets
•A year and a half straight of living in the dorms is kind of making me crazy
•I am applying to be an RA for my last month and a half of living here, fingers crossed, I should hear back on Saturday
•I’m starting to read more books, working them into my small amount of free time
o7 Habits of Highly Effective People
oThe Radical Edge
•I’m watching a bunch of movies lately (Grant and I have movie dates from 1300 miles away, cute right?)
oCurrently making my way through the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, wicked long movies, but good
•Music has kept me sane, I can listen to it while doing my hours and hours of homework
oJack Johnson, Cartel, and Train are my latest favorites, anything country still holds my heart, though
•I miss cooking meals and baking goodies
•Grant and I are currently planning on going to New Zealand or Australia during his final internship

Yep, so this is what's new in my life. Less generic posts to come soon! Maybe some stuff I've been learning in class. :)

I'm Back!

WOW! So, life is crazy. I am now in the final 2 months of my residency at NECI. I am a MOD 6 (just means how long you've been here, like being a senior) and I am very much ready to be DONE! I love school, but I can't wait to live in my own apartment and work somewhere wonderful. I won't be going far, though. In fact I most likely won't be leaving the town. My boyfriend, Grant, is currently in Florida for his internship. He will be back in VT for his next residency portion of school in June, so I don't plan on leaving. I have never been this happy before, and I wouldn't give it up for anything.

Yes, though, I am back to blogging! I have missed it. I need more than just school and talking to Grant in my life. That's all it has been for the last 2 months. Most likely you won't hear from me too frequently. I still have another month and a half left of classes! And it's going to be the most hectic month and a half of my life so far. I need to find an internship, earn money to be able to afford an apartment, find an apartment, and still deal with my crazy classes and large homework load.

I really am loving my life. I get demotivated at times, but then I remember why I'm doing all this: I wouldn't want to be doing anything else. I love this crazy industry I'm planning to work in. I want to make people happy through good hospitality. I love food.

Just as an example for how infrequent my posts will most likely be, it has taken me a week to write this one! I can't wait to begin blogging again. :)

Happy Summer Solstice!

Hey all! I'm alive. Busy, sad, stressed, frustrated, but alive! Hopefully with this turning of the wheel my luck will change? Everything else is changing, so who knows.

Anyway- I want to wish everyone a Happy Summer Solstice! We couldn't ask for a more beautiful day here. Too bad I have work. I hope you all have nice weather and the time to enjoy it! If I'm not dead tired when I get back tonight I'll be going for a walk. It will be dark by then, but it should still be nice out. It's supposed to be a clear night. :)

Week 1 of Internship

Week one is over! Done! =) And what an exhausting week it was. Monday and Tuesday I was terrified. It was basically just training and me getting used to the place. Wednesday was set-up for the big event at Shelburne Farms. Thursday and Friday was the big event! It was the Slow Money Conference. The conference was a lot of fun to cater! Very busy, since there were almost 600 people there. I am just relieved for it to be the weekend. Who knows what will happen? Life is good right now.

Week Off

I'm home for a week! Well, I'm at my parent's house for a week. It just doesn't feel like home. Sadly enough, my dorm does now. That could change. A good chunk of my friends all left for internship. I still have a few friends there luckily. I have to make new ones when the new group comes in... Of course by this time I'll be working at Sugarsnap, and even more of my friends will have left for their internships. It makes me want to cry, the thought of being up there with no friends. My friends pulled me through so much. And if my parent's house isn't home, and if the people who made college home are gone- then what is home? I just don't know anymore.

I came here to escape from drama for a week. That's all school has been for a while now, drama. Unfortunately I forgot that my family has just as much drama. I already can't wait to go back to Montpelier. At least there it's my own drama I'm dealing with and not everyone else's.

I obviously have a huge resistance to change. I always get panicky when a major change is coming. I don't deal with it as well as I could or should. I know I need to learn to accept change, I just don't know how. I get comfortable and I like where I am. Then everything gets turned upside down.

I think that's it for the insightful, thoughtful, meaningful whining. I feel like starting my day soon. I could use a shower, a cute outfit, and of course breakfast. So here is a list of yays and nays going on in my life.

YAY!
Cats cuddling with me while I'm home
Big bed to sleep in
Care packages from friends
Family that loves me
Seeing friends I haven't seen in a while
Music
Warm days

NAY!
Money problems
Budgeting
Boy problems- still
Annoying family drama
A messy bedroom
Panicky feeling in my gut
Songs that make me sad but I listen to anyway

Just to make this into a sandwich of good, bad, good- have you guys seen this video? It is SO cute!

Pieces are Falling into Place

YES! On Thursday I got an email from the place I interviewed at last week for a possible internship. I got it! I will be working at Sugarsnap starting in June. I am so excited! It's exactly what I want. This is like a huge pressure off my shoulders! I even know what I'm doing for housing. It's not ideal, but I'll be staying in the dorms.

I have been busy the last few weeks. I've got a few of my big projects turned in now. Only another two weeks of school! Well, at least until October when I continue into BA program. I can't believe how many of my friends are leaving at the end of the month, I am going to miss them all so much.

I have been doing more than just schoolwork, though. I've been getting community service hours done. Picking up cigarette butts is gross. But so worth not having to pay a bigger fine and not having a mark on my record. I have been hanging out a lot too. Swimming when it decided to be nice out. We had 80 degree days! Then we got more snow. New England weather....

I'm recovering from a nasty cold. I didn't get sick all winter. Why'd I have to get sick now? Ugh. At least I'm getting better. I am actually attending my friends' pig roast today. Can you say YUM? I'll be DDing for it. Whoo hoo babysitting drunk people! I have to say it is very entertaining.

Any way, just a random update on my life. Which I am loving every minute of. I hope everyone is doing well.

Excited Over Compost

So, for my Capstone Project I emailed the composting company my school uses (Vermont Compost Company) asking them what kind of compostable products they accepted. I asked specifically about biodegradable take-out containers and compostable kitchen gloves. The email I got back shocked me.

Hi Tori

We do not currently accept "compostable" products but we know there are new things coming out all the time and we realize that we need to start re-considering some of the options. Could you get samples for us and info about the suppliers?

Thanks!

Jennifer

I think I even squealed when I read that email! I am so excited that I have the chance to help this big company possibly change their policies and accept man-made compostable products in their bins.

I was telling my parents about this and my mom says they might consider beginning to compost. It took me forever to get them to recycle, so that would be a big step. I just need to gather info about the benefits of composting, why it's so important, and how to do it. (I'm supposed to do this for my project anyway) Once I get this info I can share it with more than just my family. I can share it with schools, restaurants, and anyone else who will listen.

I am truly more excited about all this than I am about the beautiful 70 degree day being predicted, that I can wear a skirt, and that I'm hanging out with a bunch of friends today. This weekend is going to be so awesome.

Change

It's good, right? I certainly hope so because just about all that's been happening lately is changes.

I am busier than ever now! I have five projects I'm working on (one of those is finding my internship...) on top of weekly homework assignments.

There are only SIX WEEKS of school left. This is terrifying for multiple reasons. One being that I don't have an internship yet. Another being that it means saying goodbye to a lot of friends. And finally that means I only have six weeks to complete my capstone project.

Did I tell you about my capstone project? I'm trying to make NECI a greener school. I'm doing a ton of research about compostable gloves and biodegradable trash bags. I get a headache just thinking about all the research, emails, and phone calls involved in this.

I am planning the next appreciation dinner for the students who are leaving. Well I'm in charge of the front of house aspect of it! They have other people taking care of the food part of it, I'll be consulting with them.

I am planning something for Green Up Day on May 1st. Is this something that only takes place in Vermont? Anyway I'm excited about that.

Did I mention that my fines from getting in trouble for drinking are now officially all paid off? I've been working. Yay money! I still have community service hours, but that shouldn't be too hard.

I have a new roommate. It's my awesome friend Lexie, so I'm really happy about it.

As of last night I have a date on Sunday. I am wicked nervous about it. Did you know I've never been on a date? Seriously. I'm going to the movies with a nice guy, though. As nervous as I am I'm also excited.

One thing that hasn't changed is I still have a great group of friends who I hang out with whenever I'm not (or they're not) doing mass quantities of homework. I love having a social life.

More Love

Angela at The Pagan Mom Blog has gifted me this sweet blog award. Thanks! I needed something to blog about. =]

These are the rules of the award

1.Thank the person who gave you this award.
2.Share 7 things about yourself.
3.Pass the award along to 4 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic!
4.Contact the bloggers you’ve picked and let them know about the award.

My 7 Things

1. I am forever the optimist. It takes a lot to get me down usually. The little episode where I was sad for a couple weeks really scared me. I'm glad that it's over, thanks to my AMAZING friends showing me that I'm loved.
2. People are very important to me. I didn't realize this until I came to school. I never thought of myself as absolutely needing to be around others who I know care about me, but it is something I need. I'm not sure how I feel about this.
3. I enjoy pushing myself to go farther than I think I can. I want to know that I can do things. I get very down on myself when I mess something up.
4. There are times when I have no control over my emotions. My emotions scare me, and I don't share the negative ones very often. When I lose control over them I don't know who I am.
5. I am a 5-year-old at heart. I have a jump rope, sidewalk chalk, and balloons.
6. I have punch ball balloons that I punch when I get angry or frustrated. It really works!
7. I have big plans for my future. Since coming to school I constantly worry that there is more expected from me than I want to do, though. If I think about the future too much I get really scared and freak out.

Due to my being so absent as of late I'm not really sure who to pass this on to. If you're reading then please take it and share something about yourself with me! Tell me in a comment if you take it so I can make sure to read your post.