It's Winter, There's Snow

It's winter. This is Massachusetts. There's snow. Stop freaking out. The majority of people have one of two opinions in regard to snow. The first: "OMG WHAT IS THIS COLD MISERABLE NONSENSE ARCTIC TUNDRA THIS IS ANTARCTICA BAH HUMBUG," and the second: "Wheee~ I simply love this magnificent and pristine blanket upon the weathered earth and cherish its presence." The extent to which either opinion is exaggerated is up to your interpretation. No matter whether you've already built an armada of snowmen or have imprisoned yourself in the warmth of your bed, let's face it: snow is good.

When I say that snow is good, I don't mean that it's good because it causes frostbite, pneumonia, broken hips, lost toes, or any other misfortunate byproducts. Snow is good because it means that the people of Earth have not ruined the atmosphere to the point at which the good Earth is a boiling vat of hell. Hobbits would shake their fists at us in anger and damn us for ruining the good, tilled earth.

It doesn't matter whether you like snow or not because the inconvenient truth (pun intended) is that it's a vital part of the eco-structure, much like rain is. Snowy climates act as homes to organisms that are seldom found elsewhere and is a critical method of water storage. Without it, areas will be more prone to wildfires and droughts in the summer because of the lack of moisture throughout the year.

Lesson: don't pollute the Earth to oblivion, please.

For further reading,
NYT

College Lyfe: Showers

I showered in the dark today. Yep, that's right. A nice, long hour spent in warm-tempered water spewing out from a pressurized spout a foot above my head. In the dark. Why? Because the light in my preferred shower wasn't working (so much for motion-detection lights). Allow myself to insert the next point of concern: Why is that shower your favorite even though the light isn't working? Well see, the disfunctionality of this light is a very recent occurrence which I quite hope will be solved within the next day because I really do not prefer to shower in the dark. But yes, I have a favorite shower. Because unfortunately, showers are not equals and they are not all made the same. It's the sad truth, but it's TRUE.

As a matter of fact, upon arrival to this school I made a point to find the best shower on my floor. At first glance, I liked the middle shower in the unisex bathroom because of its location, but the water pressure SUCKED. Then I tried the handicap shower, thinking that it would be nice and roomy and comfortable, but nope. Disappointed again and left with the third and final shower which has now become my shower. But I didn't stop there! I tried the showers in the second bathroom too, in the event that someone happens to be using my shower during the frame of time that I intend to shower. So yes, I have a backup shower in the backup bathroom. And this, my friends, is what college students do! When given the option to shower in 7 different showers, one should try them all and discover the best option of the given choices! Smart kids pick smart showers. Except mine has a broken lightbulb, so I guess it's not smart anymore... and I guess that means I'm not smart anymore. Boo hoo

January Blues

It's 4:16 and the only thing I'm thinking about right now is dinner. Not really, but it's on my mind. Anyway, today was our first day back in classes so I got to enjoy a lovely 2 hours and 15 minutes worth of valuable learning-edumacation time. Splendid, isn't it? But actually, it is kind of splendid because my Tuesdays and Thursdays end at 11:15. Which is cool, I guess. But then I have a lot of time to kill do work (heheh yeah right). It's probably just me but I just don't feel mentally competent to be starting classes. Break was too short. That's right, my brain hasn't fully recuperated from the horror of finals week. But I just have to get over it, don't I? It frightens me to think that in a couple weeks we'll be getting the first of our exams... UGH. Whatevs, I can handle it (jk not really).

So, what's going on? Well I guess I write for Uloop now (whoo!) so you can expect articles from me on the site. This semester I hope I can get a chance to do a Habitat for Humanity build because CARE gypped me last semester (jk i love you guys). Other than that, crew is starting in mid-Feb so my 5:00 mornings haven't started yet (thank the lord). Oh, and ITS REALLY COLD HERE. It's actually really cold everywhere so why am I complaining? You Ithacan kids are probably icicles walking through a bajillion feet of snow (I dunno, is there snow up there?). Anyway, the cold sucks and the snow sucks and I would very much rather be in my bed at home all day.

Speaking of frigid temperatures, this semester should be called the "ITS NEVER GOING TO GET WARMER THIS IS NEW ENGLAND WHAT WERE YOU THINKING" Semester. Because even in the spring it's chilly. And classes end at the end of April. So if you think about it, this semester mostly takes place during the winter. I don't know why I packed so many shorts. I might as well surgically attach myself to my bean boots and ski jacket.

I also appreciate any and all care packages that everyone should be sending me. I forgot my mug, water bottle, tea measuring spoon, and I purposely left my french press at home. I could use all of those. (But I miss my mug the most. Twas such a great mug)

Now I have to muster up something to submit to Uloop.

PS Did Facebook just have its first site crash? WHOAH. (or is it just me)

The Wardrobe

I am sitting in my closet. On my immediate to-do list: figuring out what to bring to school clothing-wise. See, this really shouldn't be a concern considering that I know I'll probably be wearing the same thing every day until laundry day comes. My typical school-day uniform consists of skinnies and a tee, but it's nice to look decent once in a while, right? That's my justification for everything else I may be bringing... But wearing skinnies every day probably also doesn't mean that I need 20 pairs, right? And do I really need to bring every single shirt I own? Probably not.

What the world needs is a college clothing calculator to calculate how much clothing you need to bring. Let's see, it would start with initial physical boundaries in regard to luggage size and how much you can actually bring. If you're travelling internationally, you're probably not going to send your entire wardrobe to school unless you're super mega rich and you have a private jet. Students who intend to travel by car can pretty much bring whatever they want, as long as it fits in the car (which would be fairly difficult if you have a smartcar. but hey, it's smart- maybe it can expand ten-fold to fit a full fridge). Then there would be a coefficient spectrum on which a person would identify their level of fashionista-ness ranging from "I am a hobo and I wear what I can" to "I am the ultimate fashionista and I am Kate Moss' IDOL." From there, factor in meteorological change within the time frame that you will be at school and voila! Now you have a magical number providing a rough estimate of how many clothes you should be bringing. Of course, there would be a Premium version with the payment of $1.99 which allows you to factor in frequency of laundry, how much space you have in your dorm, whether or not you intend to be making trips back home, extracurriculars that may need a specific wardrobe, and a bunch of other relevant things that have sent us back to the mall with a plastic card and an intent to buy.

Well, I have a week left until my imminent departure and no matter how much I want to bring my 30-pound pink tulle ballroom gown (jk I don't have one), it'll have to stay at home. Now I have to find space at home to stow away the clothes that I won't be needing. Oh goody. Watch out, Mount Holyoke: the return of this skinnies and tees chica will be uneventful and un-fashionista-like. Cheers to fashion uniforms and predictability!

+ Cross your fingers for the one and only Butterball and her application to Moho! (Although she seldom needs luck) She's my only fan.