My Days as a Serving Wench

So, for the two months of February and March of this glorious Spring of 2013, I achieved a dream of mine which had been festering in my mind for several years. Probably from the time that I was 14 and in the eighth grade.

I got to work at the Arizona Renaissance Festival.

Now, the first question that I get anytime someone finds out I've been working at the Ren Faire is, how do you even get into something like that? For me, it's been a long and winding road.

One of my very good friends, who shall be referred to here as M'Lady, has worked at the Faire, with her entire family, since she was a youngster. They are among the actors and actresses who audition every year to be a part of the Royal Court, playing specific characters that entertain the thousands of revelers who travel down to Apache Junction every weekend during the season. I first met M'Lady in the eighth grade, and first was introduced to this fascinating world then. We remained friends throughout high school and even now, and every year, I wanted to work there with her. But between school and extracurriculars, I never had the time.

Until now.

Now, in order to be an actor with the Faire, you have to audition. By the time I remembered my desire to work there, I had missed the audition deadline by two months. However, they were still accepting applications for the Food and Beverage employees, so I filled out the application, dropped it off at the Main Office, and waited.

Waiting turned into a phone call, which led to an interview, which led to me being hired and becoming a Serving Wench (professionally known as a Cash Handler...could you imagine the looks I'd get if I put the former on my resume????)

I was given a costume and a role to play, and let me tell you, I had a freaking blast! I have an obsession with collecting accents, and I regularly employ them from time to time (much to the amusement of my friends and colleagues). I got to be sassy and cute and speak Cockney, and may I just say, I haven't had so much fun working in my life?! Yes, it was long and hot and difficult and I dealt with more drunken men than ever before, but I also got to let my freak flag fly and meet some amazing people along the way.

I met a guy from New Zealand named Jared who was back-packing his way around the world.

I met a big time CEO of a Fortune 500 company who liked to moonlight as a Viking on the weekends.

I got to say things like, "Try my delicious beef jerky! And 'allo, sir, you look like you desire to put your lips around the King's pickle!" (Jumbo Dill Pickles were $1 a piece)

Needless to say, I am sad that the time has come and gone. I know for sure that I'll be working there again next year. The only question is whether I'll return as a Serving Wench, a Lady of the Royal Court, or as a Groom to the Jousting Knights' most prized steeds.

Ah, decisions, decisions.

Well, I'm off! I've got finals to worry about. Best o' luck to ya!  Pip-pip, cheerio!

In Which I Rant...

So, I was planning on doing a post about how my new, part-time job at the Arizona Renaissance Festival was going, along with fun little tidbits that just make me smile when I remember them.

However, something happened, something which has deterred me from that post I just mentioned above.  This momentous, ominous, something, happened this Saturday night, when my best-friend and I went to the movies.

This is how it began.

As you all know, I have been attending ASU, living at the Tempe campus. My best friend, who I call Babs, has been going to a local CC, getting her Associates, and is planning to transfer to ASU afterwards, in which we shall get an apartment together and insane merriment shall commence!

Anyway, Babs and I both work, go to school, and live in separate cities. That being said, since the AZ Ren Fest is only on the weekends, it means that we try to cram in every available second we can to hang out, catch up and just be best-friends.  Since the San Tan mall is literally five minutes from my house, this usually means going to the movies.

Hello Harkins! Oh, the memories!

So, Saturday evening found Babs and I at Harkins Theatres, buying tickets for the 10pm showing of the new movie, Beautiful Creatures.  If you haven't heard of it, or if you haven't seen the trailers, or if you HAVE seen the trailers and are concerned that this will be another chick-flick, I got to say, this was an amazing movie.  The acting and characters were memorable, and I was shocked by how funny it was.

*Link*: "Man, my mom is bat-shit! I mean, seriously bat-shit crazy!"

Anyway, we buy our tickets, under the impression that since it is A) Saturday Night, B) 10:00 PM and C) A relatively mature/young adult movie which we are seeing, that we should have no problem. And any other day, this would still be true.  Unfortunately, fate decided to throw us a curve-ball.

Now, disclaimer: I, like most people, do not appreciate going to the movies, and paying an obscene amount of money (although student discounts help), only to not be able to watch and enjoy the movie due to some obnoxious laughing/giggling/squealing/talking/making-out/etc. It is rude, End Of Story.

I, in general, am a social person; this means I need to interact and talk to people. I am also a Type A Know-It-All and control freak, which is beneficial to Babs, since I can then enlighten her to the plot-lines of the different trailers going by as we wait.  It is a mutually beneficial relationship, and one that has never been questioned.

My need to talk (I blame both my Italian genetics and my East-Coast upbringing), also continues during the actual film, but it is brief, quiet and infrequent. More often than not, Babs (or my family, depending on the day, time, and film), will ask a question, a question that I have the answer to, and as is compatible to my nature, I shall answer it.

So it came to be that during our voyeurism of Beautiful Creatures, I made a mention of Emma Thompson's character looking like a Civil War Era hooker (as she was meant to look like!!).  I mentioned this softly, covertly, and with a suppressed smile, conscious of the packed theater around me.  And then, I was shushed.

Shushed.

The woman who shushed me was a middle-aged mother, out with her other middle-aged mother friends, and three, count them, THREE children, ages ranging from 4-8 years old. I don't know about you, but I know that when my parents took me to the movies, it was not to a 10 pm show, on a Saturday night, to a young adult film (all ingredients for, hello, a young adult atmosphere!)

Babs and I looked at each other, shocked, and then smiled, watching the rest of the movie (which is very good, if I haven't mentioned it already).  The credits rolled and, rather than get caught up in the midnight dispersing hoop-la, waited a good ten to fifteen minutes to leave the theater.

We should have waited longer.  Or gone out a back entrance, whichever worked best.

Waiting for us, like some 1950's greaser gang, was the pack of middle-aged mothers, their children half asleep and crumpling to the ground.  Babs and I, seeing no way to escape, began to walk passed them, talking to ourselves and generally ignoring them.  We were cold, and tired, and ready to leave.

But, you know, middle-aged mothers in the Gilbert/Mesa area just don't seem to be able to do anything but storm into other people's business, because no sooner had we walked outside than they began to condemn us with their glares and their voices.

"That was really rude, talking in the middle of a movie.  Why don't you grow up?"

At this point, I had cast the shushing thing as a funny story to relate at a party or a dinner.  But this woman's audacity, the nerve she had to not only reproach me for my behavior within the theater, but to wait outside for TEN MINUTES to tell me to GROW UP, was too absurd for me to remain silent.

I stopped, looked at her, and arched my eyebrow, a skill I've perfected over the years.  The one that says, "You talkin' to me?"

When the woman put her hands on her hips, a satisfied smirk on her lips, I lost my sense of humor, my East Coast blood boiling.

"Well, excuse me, but the last time I checked, late night movies to a PG-13 movie usually implied that teenagers and young adults would be around. So, sorry, if we offended you by our  whispered comments."

The woman's friends all gasped in shock and indignant outrage, in a move so choreographed I wondered briefly if Ashton Kutcher was going to pop out and tell me that I'd been PUNK'D.

"Your behavior was very immature," the woman continued, obviously flabbergasted that I, a 19 year old (I just celebrated by birthday on the first weekend of February), had replied with more tact than she.

"Riiiiiiight," I drawled, rolling my eyes (okay, yes, this was being a bit immature, but I was standing up for myself and Babs, and the gloves were OFF).  "Because waiting outside of a theater for two teenage girls is real mature behavior. Looks like we're not the only ones who need to grow up."

At that point, I was done, so Babs and I walked away, leaving the twittering pack of busy-bodies to busy-body away.

Let me just say, yes, I am a teenager, yes I talk a lot, and yes, I can often be immature (although I tend to be the most mature of my friends).  But really?  You walk onto our (our being the whole young adult collective) turf, cause trouble, and think we won't fight back?

I don't know about you guys, but my parents raised me to stand up for myself, to treat others with respect, and to dish it as its served, with a sweet smile to soften the blow.  The last thing that you want to do is piss me off.

At least the movie was good.

Ahem...It's A Bit Dusty

Hello?  *knocks timidly*  Anyone here?  *shivers as voice bounces off cobweb covered halls*

So, it has been 103 days since I have posted. Bad blogger! Very bad blogger! *slaps wrist with a ruler*

Instead of explaining myself, I'll get right into a recap, and then an update. I'm making it my mission not to neglect this anymore, because it really is therapeutic for me!  Anyway....

1) Sickness
*When I last wrote, I was still getting over a nasty flu.  Suffice to say that it took about two more weeks of solid Powerade and plain foods before I was completely back on my feet.  Just in time to prepare and stress for finals! Yay!

2) Finals
*Went extremely well (including French, which didn't kick my ass as hard as it usually does). I surprised myself on my Global Politics Final, FINALLY getting an A on an exam! I'd been coasting on high B+'s all semester, and for whatever reason, the way my teacher gives exams just clicked. I ended the Semester with a 3.83 GPA, and made the Dean's List!

3) Accomplishments
*So, back when I was a naive first semester-freshman, I had opted to get honors credit for my European Medieval/Renaissance/Enlightenment History class.  It was a paper on any topic of my choice, either research or literary analysis.  12-15 pages in length, cited in the Chicago Manual Style.  I chose a literary analysis of Anne Boleyn, to see how different authors have treated her over the centuries.  This is all great and good, but I lost track of time. So, by my last Friday, I had six tomes of biographical information to read over the course of the weekend PLUS writing a rough draft that was 12-15 pages. Gah! I now can proudly saw that I accomplished this feat (1700 pages in two days!), pulled my first all-nighter to crank out those fifteen pages, and my professor was none the wiser. He even complimented me on my talent, surprised that this was my first paper.  Needless to say, I got an A in the class, AND the honors credit.

4) Roommate
*It's amazing how just a few short weeks can completely change perspective. When I last wrote, I had you all believing that I was living with some crazed and awful person. Let me be the first to say, THIS IS NOT TRUE! My roommate and I have discovered that we actually are very well suited to living together. We've been getting along amazingly, and I am grateful for such a sarcastic (like me), funny and responsible person to be my roommate.

5) New Year
*So, I am about a month and a half into my second semester. I am taking Astronomy (science requirement), Computer Literacy (computer requirement), a Tudor Monarchy History class (major + fun requirement), an Honors section of English 102 (English + fun requirement), my freshman honors course (honors requirement) and a Latin Salsa/Ballroom dance class (FUN!!!). I just took my first Astronomy Exam and feel pretty good about it. I got an A on my first History paper.  So it looks like things are going well.

That's all I'm going to say for now. Hopefully I'll keep to this more!

Happy Valentine's Day! *smooch*

Happy Halloween...NOT

I usually love Halloween (and yes, I realize that this is a day late, but don't rush me).  I love to dress up, although I haven't in the last few years.  My mom makes special extra-cheesy Mac N' Cheese and homemade chili, hot spiced cider, and we watch Sleepy Hollow (the one with Johnny Depp) on rerun until the wee hours of the morning.

Even though I wasn't going to be home this year, and even though I still wasn't dressing up (why do I have two exams after Halloween? cruel and twisted professors....), I was still looking forward to watching semi-scary movies and hanging out with some cool people.

That all changed when the Stomach Virus from F***king Hell attacked.

Hehe, like the The Last Airbender monologue quote?

My roommate, aka Sansa, had been sick with some kind of flu while home on fall break, and has been nursing a cold ever since. I, on the other hand, have been right as rain, and we'd both thought that I must have a fantastic immune system, or the contagious period had passed before I'd come into contact with her.

Monday, 2am, I was awakened by extreme chills, sweating, what felt like a fever, and several other symptoms that had me running to the bathroom every hour, on the hour.

This is day 4 of this mysterious illness, although today has been much better, thank you very much (but I suspect that it's because of the lovely drugs that I've been given by the kind people of the Health Services building yesterday).

Good news? I do not have the flu, nor do I have some sort of urinary tract infection.

Bad news? I seem to have caught the most current strain of a nasty stomach virus that's been making the rounds recently. It can last anywhere from 3-10 days.  I'm hoping to be over it by no later than Sunday.  Fingers crossed.

Needless to say, my Halloween sucked.  If next year is not better, I think I'll cry.

In other news, I am pleased to announce that I have currently lost 15 pounds since beginning my diet.  And despite my diet of saltines and powerade of the last three days, it has been done gradually and healthily. I am very excited!!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go curl up in a blanket and try to sleep through the night...

Angel Boy

So......we lost.  Not much of a news flash, but there it is.  At least we got the score to a respectable 43-21 before the game ended.  I don't think we could've handled the consequences of a single digit score.

Any-whooo.....

I previously wrote about going to a university full of pretty people.  This still remains true, however, I wrote with only the female gender in mind.  Today, I'm latching onto the topic of Pretty People - Male Edition.

ASU is filled with every kind of guy; the Humble Nerd, the Geeky Physist, the Boneheaded Frat Brother, and every other mixture in between that you can think of.  However, regardless of the caste that they fit themselves into, there's a rather large percentage (I'd say in the 60% range) that are just as handsome/cute/HOTT as their female counterparts.

This is both a pro and a con.  Pro?  I do enjoy candy, and eye-candy is among the sweetest ;)

Con?  These guys know that they look good, and for the most part, they aren't afraid to flaunt it....directly in the line of sight of the Pretty People I am cursed to breathe air with.  They are sometimes arrogant and judgemental, and regardless of how hard I try, tend to make me feel self-conscious.

And don't get me wrong, there are some very sweet, very attractive guys here as well.  I just happen to be friends with them.  As in, JUST FRIENDS.  And I wouldn't change it for anything, but I'm just saying, I do not enjoy going from hot to cold in the span of sixty seconds.  'Tis not enjoyable, fine fellows, and I dare say it has put me on edge!

I am now receiving strange looks from my festive, painted pumpkin, since I acted that out as if I were a knight of yore.

But, there was a point to this post, and I am going to get to it.

I am a reader.  Avidly.  I consume books the way I've seen my male relatives consume food during game time.  And I've been getting tired of the way that protags describe their Main-Man as, "heartbreakingly beautiful, despite the fact that beautiful was a feminine word".  You know what I am talking about.

I've always seen attractive guys as either Cute, Handsome, Rugged/Dangerous, or Just Seriously Hott.  Never, "heartbreakingly beautiful", and so I was beginning to wonder if this was just some author-drabble used to spice up a plot.

Dear readers, they have not been lying.

The other day, I was late to my Comm lecture (ironic, since I had literally just posted about how I pride myself on leaving 15 minutes ahead of time to get there). I miraculously arrived only two minutes after the lecture started, and there were still empty seats up front that I could grab.  I was looking for my usual Comm Buddy (who's name I STILL don't know), and was surprised/disappointed when I saw she wasn't there.

Two guys were.  Two guys that I have never seen before in my life, let alone in the front row.  There was one seat between them.  And I was put in that awkward situation of having marched down the hall, confident of my place, only to be forced to make a five second decision whether to bail or take the seat.

I almost took a seat further down the row, rather than in the center, but then, He looked up.

The guy on the right was Cute. Dark hair, dark eyes, sporting a Mediterranean tan and sporting a bro-tank and cargo shorts that screamed, "Longboarder!"  (BTW, he did ride a longboard to class).

The guy on the left was, to reuse the piece of author-drabble I'd so despised after seeing it for so long, "heartbreakingly beautiful".

I don't know if you've ever read any of her books, but if you haven't, I recommend reading Lisa Desrochers's YA trilogy, Personal Demons.  It's complete, it's delicious, and it's a convincing portrayal of a love triangle.  The protag, Frannie, is torn between the *sexy, dangerous* demon, Luc (all dark hair/eyes and a wicked smile) and the *beautiful/loving* angel, Gabe.

And, dear God, Angel Boy is in my Comm class.

Quick description: lean, and well built, AZ tan, pale blonde hair that is naturally curly, a gorgeous face, a pale blue eyes that compelled me to sit down.

He also wore a pair of MEK jeans, and that, if nothing else, would endear him to me/my friends for a lifetime.  I'll probably do a post on guy's jeans soon, come to think of it....

Anyway, I took the seat between the two guys, and though we didn't speak, I couldn't help but think about how every time I'd read that phrase over and over, in hundreds of different novels, I'd scoffed at the idea of a guy, so beautiful it was heartbreaking.

Note to self.  Angel Boy does exist.  And I will never scoff again.

Detente

It's a huge night for ASU tonight. For all of you College Football fans, you are probably all aware of the much anticipated matchup between the AZ Sun Devils and the Oregon Ducks. And  OMG, you guys, if you were here on campus, you'd think we were expecting U of A (aka, the Source of All That is EVIL).  It's been insane!

You may have also heard of the prank that Oregon fans played on us Sun Devils, in the wee hours of the morn.  On Tempe Butte lays the iconic, and historic 'A' for ASU. Usually, it is painted Gold and can be seen from miles around. In the beginning of the year, Freshman join in the tradition of "White-Washing the A", painting it white in an effort to celebrate the new year. For this particular game, which is being called a 'Black Out', the A was painted black as well.

Oregon does not like black. And so, they painted it bright, Oregon green this early morning.  Not even three hours later, it was Back to Black. I can't help but be amazed at the efficiency on such aspects here.

Anyway...seeing/participating in this rivalry made me think about one of my earlier posts, and the seeming rivalry that would soon consume my dorm room.

My roommate and I (let's call her Sansa, and I am Daenerys) have reached a comfortable, pleasant, and dare I say it, friendly, camaraderie over the past two months.  I believe that those first two weeks were stressful and combustible because it was new, it was different and I had to adjust.

My friends, I have adjusted.

We've found several points that we agree/share a passion for (sleeping, respect, Avatar: The Last Airbender [the television show, not the God-awful live action film], Avatar: The Legend of Korra, The Avengers, Star Trek, Glee). We enjoy similar music tastes (except Sansa despises country, and I just laugh at her, and give her a pitying smile saying, 'Honey, you're living in the Wild West now. You offend Carrie, Miranda, Taylor, Brad, Luke, Blake, Dustin, etc., you offend the entire State!')

Sansa is a bit more cynical than me, and bit more judgemental (I mean, I can be judgy, but Sansa is judgy about EVERYTHING) but we get along well, and way better than our Suitemates.

In other words, I went from living with a Cersei to living with Sansa (except, I don't see my roommate as being anywhere near as vulnerable and deserving of my sympathy as the Game of Thrones Sansa).

Currently, the score is 15-7, Ducks.  Come on Sun Devils! Fork 'em! We're on a Duck Hunt!!!

Peace out!

C'est La Vie!

Bonjour mes amis!

No, I am not in France or in any French-speaking region, and therefore do not have a brilliant excuse as to why I have not updated in more than two weeks.  Alas, the only answer I can give is that I am a lowly first-year college student, who just had three combined weeks of two midterms a week and is finally on Fall Break (or the measly two day reprieve they deem to be 'Fall Break').  And so, a recap.

First midterm? Human Communication.  Not as dull as I previously thought during the first few weeks of the class, and now, I am really enjoying the lectures. It's funny, because I also have learned that I am a creature of habit (aren't we all?). Every Tuesday and Thursday, I leave my dorm anywhere from 15-20 minutes before the class, as it takes me at least ten minutes to bike there and maneuver my way around the Evil Pedestrian Crowds of DOOM (please refer to my Perils of Biking post). Then, once my bike is locked up and secure, I head into the building, which is composed of a small lobby, two restrooms, and a single lecture hall that can hold up to 400+ students.  I sit directly in the center of the front row (otherwise I'll get distracted by my Psychological Noise - hehe, I referenced a COMM term!) next to a girl I now consider to be a Sister at Arms. (I know this is really bad, but I don't remember her name, only that she's an architecture major and we talk about Gothic and Colonial architecture all the time).  But, I digress.

My COMM professor is an elderly gentleman who shares a striking resemblance to St. Nick aka Santa Claus.  And, he always wears Hawaiian/Floral vacation shirts, so, I have come to the conclusion, that I now know where Santa stays until Christmas - in sunny Arizona!

I received a 76 out of 80, which means an A on my first midterm! YEAH!

That same week, I took my first French Midterm.  Not yeah.  Very bad NAY! NAY, NAY, NAY!!!!!

Needless to say, I may have had a small mental breakdown after that extremely long and difficult exam, in which I called my parents, cried, freaked out, and caused them to worry... A LOT.  However, I am a firm believer that if an Honors Student does not have at least 1 freak out, per semester, they are dangerously close to losing it completely.  I see it as a healthy form of stress relieving.  Which is what I kept repeating to my parents after they continued to call/text/email me, every hour, on the hour, for the next two days.  Finally, I had to make them stop.

Mom: "Hey honey, how are you doing? Any better? You know I love you."

Me: "I'm doing fine, really, and yes I know you-"

Dad: "Do you want me to stop by before I leave? Check up on you?"

Me: "No Dad, I am seriously oka-"

Mom: "I think that would be a good idea, hon. Take her out to lunch or something?"

Me: "Guys, seriously I'm-"

Dad: "How does 2 sound?"

Me: "Guys! Just because I freaked out once, after having a seriously stressful week, and after trying to comprehend advanced grammar in a foreign language, does not mean that I am going to break down, drop out of school, and flip burgers for the rest of my life!"

SILENCE

Dad: "Sushi?"

*Sigh* Me: "Yeah, Dad, sushi would be good."

Anyway....

Next was my Global Politics midterm, and this is where it gets really frustrating.  I know the material.  I know, I know the material.  And yet, when I get the exam in front of me, the first half, I kick ass, and the second half, the questions are worded in such a way that they double-speak around my brain, negate half of what they are saying, and are only True/False.  Grrr...

I later found out that the guy who is physically teaching the class (aka, the Monotone Grad Student) wrote the second half of the exam on his own and that the actual professor, who assigned the readings and the lectures, wrote the first half.  Double grrrr....

I got an 80 on it, which isn't horrible, but it's frustrating when I know the material, etc. and that the only other grade in the book is a 10pt assignment.  So, my perfectly respectable 100% dropped to an 82%, and that, my friends, does not sit well with me.

I then wrote a paper for my Honors Class, which counts as my midterm, on the Gender roles of the Odyssey by Homer, arguing whether the men or the women were more heroic, and, if they BOTH were heroic, how did they differ.  Pending results...

My French professor came back and asked us what happened on the exam; apparently, every 201 class sucked hard on that exam, and all the 201 professors are scratching their heads muttering, "Pourquoi?"  In the words of my professor:

Prof: "Grading your exams made me want to drink heavily and for days."

So, we told him what was on our mind, and he said that we would receive the exams back, and that if we corrected our mistakes we could make up some of the points. Hooray! I got my exam back, and was pleasantly surprised: an 80, with the potential to achieve an 88 or an 89%! (Please note the difference between my Global Politics 80% and my French 201 80%, because I know I deserved higher than an 80% in the first, and expected a 50% in the second).

This past week, I took my first History Midterm, and it was exciting! One, I am a History Major, so if I don't enjoy my History class, we are going to have some issues.  But, I was done with the multiple choice in fifteen minutes (not rushing through it, just understanding and knowing with certainty the material) and done with the IDs (describing the Who, What, When, Where, Historical Significance of a specific person, group, peoples, wars, treaties, etc.) in the next fifteen. Pending results, but I'm super confident!

And last, but most certainly not least, was my French Oral Midterm, in which myself and a partner had to read an intense, two page dialogue, during which our instructor would listen meticulously to our pronunciation and flow, and then have a conversation with our partner, on a subject chosen/asked by our instructor.  The result?

I was complimented on my accent and pronunciation, merci beaucoup, and both my partner and I received a 98% overall on our midterm!  Commencing happy dance...now!

ANDDDD, I just received my first grade on my first History Paper that was sent in a few weeks ago.  95% (there's been a lot of Happy Dances), and the only main comment was not to pack in so much detail that I nearly double the required word count.  Hey, if my only problem is that I write too much, I will gladly take it!

And so, after three intense weeks of studying, and flash cards, and notes, and a brand new HP printer! (that's a story for next time), I arrived home Friday afternoon, got my nails done (they are super cute and Fall-timey), lazed around the house with my animals (3 cats, 2 dogs, 5 chickens, 1 lizard, and a partridge in a pear tree....not really, but if you minus the partridge, that is truly the list of my menagerie at home), went on a full day shopping spree with my best friend (pictures shall follow), and have a hair appointment later on today.  And I don't head back to campus until Wednesday morning!

Alas, C'est la vie! Et, la vie est belle!

Salut!