Princess for a week

Due to a minor medical leave of absence, my madre has left me the man of the house for the past 3 nights. I can blast music, watch movies aside from ones played on TCM in black and white (but still all dubbed in Spanish), eat normal sized meals and relax. Although I do not know how to turn on the radiators and it is 16 degress centigrade (6o Fahrenheit), I heat my legs and feet up under the table with a built-in heat lamp in the tv room. My madre's family members have stopped by with a variety of dishes, meals, and sweets for me to eat as if I were somehow suffering from this leave of absense- ha!

I have visited my madre in her hospital room a block up the street and told her that I am living large, as always, because she is the queen of Palma and I, her princess. She joked about staying in the hospital a while longer to let me enjoy her palace and her friends' and family's cooking charity (it's truly like having my own apartment, but overly decorated with grandma knicknacks).

Life is good, and Antonia is well enough to be my slave again. I await the queen's return tomorrow.

Shower episode at the gym

After burning my glutes in my new favorite gym class I hit the shower, or should I say showers. As I rinsed out the last of my conditioner another girl came in, which startled me, being the incapable of nudity American. The steam, hot water, and shock combined caused one of my contact lenses to flip inside out, so I had to pull it out and fidget facing the wall for a minute trying to pop it back in, which was impossible with my wet hands and my steamy surroundings. I am pretty sure the girl thought I was a freak after pulling at my eyeball and hanging out in the shower like a creeper, so I gave up and resorted to tossing it in the trash on my way out. I thought, "maybe this will help strengthen my vision in the eye without a lense, if it has to work harder."

After dizzily getting dressed, I made my way to the bus stop ten minutes away passing Spanish college guys along the path with one eye closed in an attempt to see who they were with my good eye. I doubt they saw it as a wink, but more like I had a twitchy squint problem. I learned that wearing only one contact leaves you with a headache, not stronger vision in the weak eye.

Tomorrow I think I will throw glasses in my gym bag as a means of avoiding a locker room nickname like the "squinty shower creeper".


Plus these glasses are mad men-tastic-->

Rumor dispelled: death by natural causes

The homeless man who passed away yesterday on a park bench outside of my apartment was not, contrary to spreading popular belief, murdered by another homeless man. The rumor started after 4-5 months of bulling between one homeless man and the recently deceased. After a few hours it was confirmed that he passed away unharmed.

Who knows, maybe he froze in his drunken slumber. He was always a gentleman, saying good morning to passersby and never bothering park.

Sources: my madre, the lady at the front desk of my building, and Lorenzo, the homeless man who frequents my apartment to fix things and get his payments (in whisky).

'Tis the season

I kicked off the holiday season with Thanksgiving in Scotland at the University of St. Andrew's with a bunch of HC kids. We had lots of food and fun, golfing, suffering in the wind, seeing Edinbourgh's carnival, castle, old and new cities. Drank tea at the birthplace of Harry Potter, the Elephant Cafe in Edinbourgh, where J. K. Rowling began writing her magically delicious series.

But after returning to little isle of Mallorca, Christmas really started setting in. Lights are strung up over every street and up-popped sidewalk vendors selling home made leather goods, candies, meats, cheeses, olives, glass wear: everything delicious. My madre has set up a nativity scene in the living room and keeps popping her head into my room whistling Christmas carols. Despite the colder weather, spirits are high here on the island!

Feliz Navidad!

Let the creative direction begin, Teenie Weenie films her music video in Palma

Because my blog and I were busy jetsetting for the months of September and October, it's time to recap the pilgrimage of a dear old friend who made the valiant journey to Mallorca to visit old Granny Annie.

Teenie (pictured right) spent her week long October break in Palma sipping sangria, soaking up sun, and of course shooting her up and coming production- a music video.

A senior at Villanova University, Christine studies English and Business and aspires to rock the music world with her debut video this coming spring. Still filming between Europe and the U.S. the video has not released its cast list or specified its musical genre, but is guaranteed to be loaded with action, classy girls, and comedic snippets of college life both in the states and abroad.

Cheers to graduating in the spring (or for me, in two springs), not finding a secure job, and filming videos to post to youtube forever!! **This indicates that I will be collaborating behind the scenes with Teenie Weenie Productions By The Sea as the general manager and creative director.

Sons Of Anarchy

Brought to you by one of my gossip insider/trend-setting friends, Christine Gentilucci. **


Group of guys with gang tattoos, leather apparel and motorcycles, gun trades, gang war, porn film studio, IRA, family, brotherhood- Anarchy.

The Sons of Anarchy is a fast paced tv series with a sexy star and a bada** supporting cast.

On FX Tuesday nights. The show is in its second season, so you can catch up online at http://vod.fxnetworks.com/fod/play.php?sh=soa

A Brown Family vacation pictorial

Almost to the top of Puig Mayor, the tallest peak on the island. (pronounced poodge)














Mom admiring modern art in Sollér.












Strange scenes at La Residencia with candelabra.


























Dad overlooking his empire in Deiá (or gawking at nude swimmers)

















Matt, the bicycle thief, along Palma's sea wall.

Browns visit Mallorca in brief

Yes, the Browns swarmed Mallorca last week. It was in all the headlines that they flew in, rented one of the largest cars on the Spanish market and circled the city five times in order to find their hotel in the ancient small streets of Palma. We wined and dined for a straight week all over the island. Much to Cathy's (my mother by birth) pleasure, she did all the driving, which included James Bond mountain s-turns. Between sight-seeing, spa treatments, hiking and relaxing, we made a date to go out on the town for lunch with my madre, Antonia (my fairy godmother by Spanish adoption).Popsicle, Cathy, Matt, and Antonia in her salon. Note the heavily covered walls.

She took us to a typical Mallorquin restaurant 20 kilometers outside of the city to eat a sampling (feast) of traditional foods (meats). Antonia directed us in the copilot seat as Cathy slithered through tinker-toy sized cars like a local. To start, Antonia ordered some classics- Frito Mallorquin (veggies, potatoes and meat fried in olive oil) and Sopas Mallorquinas (a peasant soup with veggies and stale bread, like stuffing). Cathy had already warned everyone in the restaurant that my dad is allergic to shellfish when our order came. Antonia assured him that he would be fine, seeing as she too has that allergy. Before serving ourselves my befuddled parents and brother took in the foreign sights and smells of the dishes. Dad immediately noticed small shrimp in the Frito Mallorquin as Antonia piled it onto her plate. WAIT WAIT he said with a stern face. Before his next breath, Cathy's arm was outstretched blocking him from his plate and the table. We all look to Antonia's plate, where she is sorting the shrimp from the rest of the vegetables with her fork. I told her my dad would die if he ate this and she looked at me innocently and said, "Well I just pick them out," and went on her merry way eating her shellfish-touched food. Maybe she invented her so-called shellfish allergy, but the Browns were a little startled by this odd behavior, which characterizes most of the European non-sensical zany behavior that us Americans disdain/fear.

Facebook lessons- calling all grandparents!

I just created a facebook page for my madre, Antonia. Stuck in the 1950s, she considers cooking a form of both exercise and entertainment, so this was a teaching first for me.

I put in her email, created a password, and entered her basic information: birth day, April 6th (the day after mine) followed by my birth year (1989) as to not reveal her mysterious ancient age.

She has never learned how to scroll to move on a page, so after cruising around I had to show her the old fashioned way of clicking the down arrow one click at a time to move the page- she's probably never going to use that feature anyway. I wrote down every detail for her to practice again tomorrow. She plans on searching for new friends one week at a time (grandchildren and past Holy Cross girls she's hosted).

After ten minutes of teaching, she was overwhelmed and shut down the internet. Upon turning off her computer we both sad goodnight to her background photo, Julio Iglesias, her fictitious boyfriend, more widely known as Enrique's dad to people my age.

God bless her.

My first CUCARACHA!!

La cucaracha la cucaracha!

You would like to think that this is a form of Spanish dance or music, but don't be fooled. A cucaracha is a cockroach! And I just saw my first one scrambling across the floor of my room! I hollered for my madre to come help me with the "huge insect" because I didn't know whether to toss is out the window or stomp it. She came in with insect-killing spray, but once she recognized the level of severity and told me not to move. They can really move across the floor if you scare them, so she took off her slippers and WHOMPED it with ladylike grace.

Another tip: keep your shutters closed to prevent bugs. You'll just need to wear night vision goggles all day to maneuver the dark halls and rooms of cavernous Spanish apartments. What's with old Spanish ladies hiding in the dark all day? Like it really makes the room unbearably hot, come on. Natural light is healthy and saves them from high electricity bills which have recently skyrocketed.

Ibiza recap

The Holy Cross group ferried to Ibiza for one night to celebrate our friend's birthday (another Happy Happy to you, Jenny!) After a four hour ride on a surprisingly luxurious cruise ship, we arrived at the main port and found a bus that took us to the beach. A few coca colas and sandwiched later and we had gotten enough sun. It was time to pop the champagne!


After a round of drinking champagne at sunset, we raced in bumper cars and got severely bruised by the miniature size of the protective bars.

Pictured: Jenny racing her 5 year old British sweetheart.

The tourist season ends in late September, so we had very few options for restaurants and discotecas, however we walked around until we found a moderately priced restaurant (hamburger joint) and enjoyed great burgers, fries, and tabasco sauce: super American style. We fled the seaside area, where all of the rich old people were wining and dining, for the more "hopping" night life scene of bars and discos. After a few drinks and laughs we were tired from the journey and all crashed.

Next morning- My friend Bryana and I went on a hunt for breakfast, but alas the island's high season has ended and not many restaurants are open OR hospitable to the younger, not so willing to spend big money crowd. After an hour and a half of walking and busing, we stumbled upon a fancy hotel with a deck full of both honeymooners and vacationing old folks eating on a waterfront terrace. We sat down and decided that we would normally only eat at a place like this if our parents were paying, but this time would splurge and spend X amount of euros for this heavenly food. The server showed us the buffet, we collected gourmet food up to our chins and pretended not to notice the snobby onlookers. After finishing our most lux meal of the century, we agreed that we hadn't seen one guest sign a check or give a room number.

So we changed into bathing suits in the bathroom, took a few pieces of bread and fruit for later, and called it a FREE BRUNCH! We couldn't believe that we had fooled them! Although we surely looked like foreigners, we were not dressed or showered to meet the standards of that crowd. Expecting to each pay 40 euros (a solid 60 USD) on breakfast we had dragged our feet onto the back porch door only to walk out the front thirty minutes later having been fed like kings for free!

Sorry for those of you who don't approve of this story, but we are in college and if we can trick an uppity crowd of German and English tourists into thinking we are some of them- GOSH DARN IT WE ARE GOOD OR THEY ARE FOOLS!

Hamburger Island

Conquered. We swam out to this island, claimed it to be ours, and christened it Hamburger Island.

This is the site of my future music video, and also the ideal dream property if I ever become homeless and have to live off the land. There are fish, berries, views, and lots of yachts and planes circling the parameter- perfect. All I would need is some wild cows for hamburger meat and I could open up shop for all the ocean traffic: tourists, pirates, scuba divers, Lost survivors, you name it.

I just need to find the island King who will order bags of money to be dropped from his private jet every few days. No worries Mom and Dad, the current economic crisis doesn't effect islanders.

Very exclusive: for membership details please inquire at the Western Port where the buoys will direct you to the island greeter.

A new day, a new beach

Please take note of the shirt: Mike Brown is my dad.

This was taken at a touristy beach (Palma is a popular vacation spot for German vacationers). As we were soaking up the sun and wading in the sand bars, a troop of German guys walked by singing German beer hall songs and wearing some sort of leiderhossen/soccer uniform combination. It was only midday but I'm sure they were drunk. I've learned that Germans like to socialize, with anyone, and will drink with anyone at any time of day. The idea is very friendly and open, but it can be disastrous. Say you are stuck on a train with some thirty-something year old German men and they begin pouring Dixie cups of wine for everyone, walking between all of the cars making jokes with each other and end up sitting with with you, in a small two-seater. Especially when you're not sure if they are normally accustomed to talking face to face with young American girls (leaving a mere inch between your noses) and saying "I love you" in broken, drunken English.

To finish, Germans are pretty cool, before they get creepy.

So en la Playa de Palma be warned of the German tourists (some teenagers were funneling beer at the beach- at NOON).

This is not real life

WE MADE IT TO PALMA! There are 8 Holy Cross students here each with their own spanish "madre" to take care of cooking, cleaning, and being adorable guides to the city. I am the 18th student my madre has invited into her home, so she has this down to a science- laundry bag on the back of my door, towels in the closet, food cooked freshly daily, water filtered in the fridge, and with my own keys I can be independent or hang out with her whenever I want. Yesterday, I met her family just outside the city at her daughter's house and we had some food and hung out on the back patio with their dogs. Today, I took a trip to the "country" part of the island with my friend and our two madres. We ate typical Mallorquin appetizers and then a huge dish of paella (yellow rice, peas, calamari, chicken) topped off with a Mallorquin pastry. I couldn't have asked for a better living situation with a sweet and very wise older woman who enjoys company and understands what it's like to have twenty somethings live in her house.

Yesterday was our first day and we hit the beach, Cala Mayor. Although small and crowded, it's faults were outweighed by the short bus ride and the nice sand and warm water. Many more beaches to come!
Last night we all went out along the marina where young people drink and socialize from midnight to dawn. The HC entourage shared cartons of wine, cups, and straws and walked along the water with the hundreds of other youngsters and started off the year with a bang. Meaning it was a success, because I arrived home safely to my madre's apartment at 7:30 a.m. after speaking spanish and walking around for 7 hours.

Bienvenidos a la vida Mallorquin! For more info about visiting the island

Super-milk

We bought "milk" in a cardboard carton at the local grocery store in Pamplona to eat with our American cereal (our only taste of home). Because the label on the box did not include the word milk, we read the ingredients which say that it is enriched with omega 3s and many vitamins- even better, right? But no. We bought this milk on the shelf, in the aisle devoted specifically to milk and baby products. There were so many kinds we figured the blue box looked safest, and bought three. After drinking it with our cereal, we liked it and made no efforts to further research its difference from our typical 1% favorite in the States.

Today, however, my room mate, Erica, googled "why does European milk taste different than American milk?" We found out that it is ultrapasteurized which gives it an extended shelf life, but shorter drinking life once opened. And thus the dilemma was solved and we decided that we were not drinking soy, goat's, baby, or whole milk. Good thing, because it's delicious and we weren't about to stop drinking it.

San Sebastian

A group of us hit up the beach yesterday, and completely forgot that we are taking classes. It was a vacation. The beach in San Sebastian is a topless one, a great for walking, and preserved with architecture along the boardwalk from the twenties it seemed like. There are floating islands with water slides for kids and loads of sailboats, windsurfing and kayaking. I am jealous that Spanish people go to this beach regularly, not just for vacation, because my beach has no such water sports or fancy restaurants/Great Gatsby hotels that serve delicious drinks and sandwiches.

When I make millions, this is where I'll have my beach house, or my honeymoon.

Pictured: Me with my friend Hadley doing our Saturday tanning routine.

Saludos de españa FREAKS!!!

I'm in Pamplona, Spain for a three week immersion program and language course before I settle down in Palma de Mallorca with a host mother.

Here are a few photos from my excursions so far.

Two are from our tour of the bull fighting arena where the head torrero (bull fighter) gave me a one-on-one lesson in the sand in front of 40 tourists.

Another one is of my room mates out on our apartment's terrace on our first night. (pictures: Hadley, Kathryn, Erica and me- looking fine after 24 hours of traveling, sweating, and being glared at by spaniards). Cheers to a new year!

The days are very long here; we eat dinner at 9 and the sun is just going down. Everything is beautiful and in this small city you can see mountains beyond all of the buildings. We are planning on going to a beach town this weekend and will take photos of the spaniards in the surf.

The euro stinks on ice.

Spanish people have awful American accents.

A vegetable sandwich means some lettuce with tunafish and six scoops of mayonnaise.

Everyone is skinny but eats, drinks and walks a lot.

Hippie moms let their kids poop on sidewalks and pick it up in plastic doggie bags.

Words anywhere .com

GO TO THIS SITE! Wordsanywhere.com

I just installed a wall decal in my bathroom with my favorite quote, "The cure to anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea." I also bought bright orange headboard decals for my twin beds.

Between this site and some others I found by searching wall decals, I found lots of funky designs and false furniture, some examples are: night tables, lamps, plants and trees. I found fun bird cages and cartoons for kids' bedrooms, life size giraffes, penguins, monkeys, I bought a couple things for my room at home and am definitely making future purchases for my first apartment (assuming it is too small for furniture so I will have to fake it).

How pretty is this tree branch from Dali Decals? And you can pick your own colors for the branches and the flowers.

Indigo Girls

This duo of middle-aged women is still producing legendary music. Like Dave Matthews Band, their music is always good. Their new album (Poseidon and the Bitter Bug) is out and they are on tour with opener Matt Nathanson, also pretty talented and good lookin'. 

All of the IG's new stuff is on their website above.  M

y summer friends are addicted to their music. I'm starting to think it's time we pick up the guitar and get started- it's easy to connect with this music and their amazing voices.  It is also refreshing to hear the range of songs they've come up with while still retaining the IG character.

Website has clips of their recording sessions and links to things they are involved/interested in.

Bit by the biking bug

just bought a bike from a local shop- Brown's Bikes in Beverly (no relation to me).  I love going out and riding after work when it's a little chilly so I don't totally soak myself in sweat. To keep my legs burning I attached a basket and threw in an ipod/FM radio player which blasts everything from the Lady Gaga to Lionel Richie.  So far I have gotten positive feedback from passersby and especially children who sit on front porches or benches on the sidewalk who wave and are surprised by my music.

So this is the bike I (or my parents rather) purchased:  

But I am having a serious dilemma!!  I am a spinning fanatic and was hoping to really get moving on this bike for exercise and longer rides, not just cruising around for fun and into town.  This bike is beautiful, it's called the Cypress, manufactured by GIANT. But although it's fun, it's just not for everyone.  So I'm off to try and trade it in at Brown's, who buys and sells new and used bikes-just the people I need.  

Part of the grind

I'm now a working class hero, on the train by 7:45 and home by 6.  In my window office and eating lunch in a lounge, no longer a dining hall.  BUT I LOVE IT! I'm working at a non-profit organization in Boston, Community Work Services.  It is the oldest vocational rehabilitation facility in the U.S. where we train homeless and disabled people to get jobs- and what a better thing to be doing in this economy. We have lots of participants eager for our help!  

The organization is small and almost closed its doors 5 years ago.  Lucky for me, I am working with a solid team who has welcomed me in to their family and helped me get to know the industry in only 3 weeks.  I am also thrilled to be busy since the weather has not been acting like it's June recently.  

First beach day

It was hot hot hot in Manchester today, peaking at around 90.  I would assume worse in Boston, though. A great beach day, although the water hasn't warmed up enough to bare swimming in.  Swarms of people will be hitting up beaches all weekend and if I may recommend one, it would be Singing Beach, Manchester's finest.  It is already very popular for the Boston crowd, because they only have to hop off at the train station and walk a quarter of a mile with their chairs and coolers. Easy as pie. And on your way back to the train there is a tiny ice cream store en route that serves huge portions of home made delicious flavors, good ole Captain Dusty's.

(Side note: Please excuse that only half of this photo is shown, and the fact that it's focused on one lady's bikini bottom).

Spring Awakening

Racy and fun, plus who doesn't love some teen angst?

I went with two friends to see it in Boston at the Colonial Theater for only $25 each! Students can go an hour before the show and get really good seats in the Mezzanine section.  I wouldn't recommend it for a families or little children, but I do know people who love to see it with their families...anyway, a MUST SEE for a flashback to middle school.  You will want to buy the soundtrack, because it's nothing like a traditional musical with sing songs.  The songs led by females are generally poetic and lyrical, while the male led songs have a punk flare.

This is a music video of "Mama who bore me" with a recording of the performance I saw at the Colonial.  And this is "Don't do sadness" which gives a hint of how the guys rocked the show.

I am... Sasha Fierce

And I am... a big fan.  Beyonce's new album has been repeatedly selling and playing on the radio (lower on the radar, but still highly recommend is her single "Smash into you" which my friend MOLLY told me about).

Her website is black and white which is classy, yet it still represents her B-B-B Beyonce licious attitude.  It's very fan based, so fans can post pictures of themselves and think that Beyonce is going to stalk them and think "Oh yeah I want to be friends with her" or "He's so sexy, step aside Jay Z."  I mean you never know, she might be your new bf.

Also check out the duet version of the single "Smash into you" with Jon McLaughlin.

Canisius College anonymous comment!

Dear sir/madam who posted a comment to me about buying books back. My mom went to Canisius for a year and I can't believe you read my blog! RA RA BUFFALO!

End of Cape Week signifies the start of summer!

After finishing final exams many of the HC folks head to Cape Cod for an infamous week of fun in the not-so-sun (because it's still May in New England).  A great way to kickback and start the summer, yet a sad time when it's time to pack up and head home, because we either won't see our friends until school starts in the fall, or in a year from now because we are studying abroad (this is not the case for me, because all of my friends WILL visit me), or we are graduating (which no senior would like to admit or discuss while partying on the cape, but still toasts to the past four years with their classmates).  As a sophomore, I understand the process as being quite drawn out for the seniors.  They have a two week + period between their final exams and the day they suit up in gowns and shake Father McFarland's hand on stage.  For the duration of those two weeks, every member of the senior class (and those who associate with them closely) has a drink in their hand and a smile on their face.  I'm sure it gets to be rough when you notice the belly you have grown just in time for graduation and family parties to ensue.  And with each passing class in a small college such as HC, the juniors step up to plate to set the tone of the proceeding year.  

I am happy to have jumped ahead in the matriculation process at Holy Cross by studying abroad for a year.  As I see it I'm a senior, and I've heard that my experience abroad will be culturally and fun filled, so I'm expecting a very easy workload, contrasting with any junior year on the hill.  Hasta luego Holy Cross y buena suerte a todos los licensiados!

"Hannah Montana: the movie" and "17 Again"

These Disney stars never quit! How much money and fame can they earn? It's probably a good thing that my parents didn't sign me up for the Mickey Mouse club at age 6 so that I would waste my childhood learning how to do synchronized dances.  But Zac Efron and Miley Cyrus are teenage millionaires, not bad.  At least I can say that I didn't start highlighting my hair, fake tanning or watching what I ate when I was 12.  And I'm normal, enough. Here's my HC glamour shot for the Women's golf website.  I may not make U.S. Weekly, but at least I have friends.  Sorry Zac and Miley. 

Bruce: the Man, the Myth, the HOTT STUD

Last night I went to the Brice Springsteen concert at the Boston Garden, compliments of an HC friend and her family.  We had a blast grooving to his new stuff and old hits.  No only did he swing around the microphone pole, but he did a few pushups on stage.  We had super fly seats, but were jealous of the middle aged women in the standing section reaching for him along the edges of the stage.  He had a great set list, which included "Glory Days" and "Thunder Road". The locally acclaimed band, Dropkick Murphy's, came out on stage for a song as well, which really got the audience riled up! Maybe he's trying to relive his glory days by going on tour, but Bruce definitely still knows how to rock.

Spring Softball League... serious players

Softball game today at 5 get ready for the Girls Next Door to take charge. We got nice bright pink t-shirts for the last two games of the season and plan on looking pretty fly on the field. 

Results will be posted.

Post Easter Break- crunch time at the Cross

Batteries recharged after a 5 day weekend at home and for me and many others the stakes are set high and we are grinding out work in full gear to the finish.  Exams end May 9th, just in time for warm weather and graduation parties.  Last Friday with a high of 70 in the Woo not too many people were cramming in the stacks.  As the year closes the senior class gets in the habit of drinking daily (to forget about their soon to be jobs or failed attempt of finding one) and they post photo albums of pictures from freshman year.  Meanwhile, the rest of us keep studying and preparing for the future hoping that our efforts will reap rewarding job opportunities or prestigious grad school admission.  Hopefully the economy will pick up and there will be jobs by the time I need one in 2011.

Side note: I feel like the Rev Run from Run DMC who has his own tv show, Run's House, because I wrote this from my BlackBerry.  He posts prayers and reflections to his fans through his BlackBerry every morning while relaxing in the bathtub of his multi-million dollar home.  I mean I write it from school where we don't even have baths, so I guess our situations can't really be compared, but hey I got a new BlackBerry so SHIZZAMMM. (Yeah, Julia, I said it. I love having this addictive phone and I don't care who knows it!)

Easter Eve

Sitting on the couch with the rentals on Easter's eve watching The Ten Commandments.  My posts are all from the couch, because that's where I set up my computer and charger, but I promise I have moved from the couch since coming home on Wednesday.  WHen I was a wee woman, I always loved dressing up for Easter Sunday in whatever pastel floral dress my mom had picked out for me.  We would go to mass and then brunch with friends and family.  A few years ago, my dad and I discovered the sunrise service held at our town's beach.  It is pretty painful to wake up in the dark and drive down (if you really are ambitious you will hit up Dunkin Donuts on the way) but it is fun to watch the sunrise and start the day off with a  very abridged version of mass.  I'm sure a lot of you are looking forward to breaking Lent and hopefully have learned a lot from your sacrifices, but I didn't give anything up so I've been indulging in soda and sweets and will continue to do so tomorrow.

Happy Easter.

I hope the Easter Bunny comes tonight!

I don't know the little guy in this photo, but I have many pics with the same bunny.  Maybe I'll get the chance for another tomorrow?

reporting from my parent's Jordan's Furniture couch

Beautiful weather, a 6 day Easter Break (gotta love the Jesuit school calendar), and access to the golf course and beach. 

Last night I ate with friends at The Wild Horse Cafe in Beverly, which was a first for me and an oldie but goodie for my friends.  I've always heard they have good food, but boy do they have good food!  Comfortable environment, felt like I was up in Vermont with the funky mismatching couches and fabrics, the bead board rustic green walls, and the warm lighting.  There is a dining room and a bar with lots of seating and two menus.  There are lighter fare options, and comfort food for the soul for all seasons.  Try the desserts, too.

Today I went to Newbury St. in Boston to get lunch and shop with my madre. We ran into a friend from HC and enjoyed walking around in the Boston sun.  We stopped in at the Nespresso store, which if you haven't heard is all the rage for you coffee drinking feigns.  A subsidiary of Nestle, this is the fastest growing company in the country.  My mom has installed her own machine in our newly redone kitchen and renamed it "Cafe Cathy".  Not only will she save on her home brewed lattes, she doesn't have to leave the comfort of our home each blisteringly freezing winter morning or show her unmade face and 

sweat pants to every resident of our town.  Now that's a DEAL! I'm not a coffee drinker, but this machine has changed my mind- from lattes to cappuccinos to coffee and any kind of flavor from around the world, I feel like a queen when I taste one.

Double birthdays means double cakes

Along with the Red Sox hat, Molly and I got a huge cake from the local Sweet dessert shop in Worcester.  Our friends love the sweets!

Very representative of our favorite sports.

On a separate note, the Red Sox opening day was postponed due to rain and will be held tomorrow at Fenway. I hope my parents enjoy it, as I do homework and sit in the library on another rainy day.

recap of turning 20!

Today was my birthday, April 5th is always epic, also known as National "Go Broke" day where we are all supposed to go out and take a risk on gambling or love or whatever.  Unfortunately, I have no money to go broke with and love is light-years away.

My parents and I celebrated at a Worcester restaurant, the Sole Proprietor and I got an enormous birthday cake in the shape of a Red Sox hat!  You can tell how much my dad and I enjoyed it.

Then the real party began.  My room mate, Molly, and I celebrated our day apart birthdays by throwing a Jock Jams theme party. An Annie Brown wannabe even showed up!

Everyone looked quite jocked out as we jammed to the 90's classics such as "Whoomp there it is" and "I like to move it move it" and "Tootsie Roll".  Not sure how, but each birthday seems to top the last!  Cheers to my parents for having no children left in their teens!

The HOFF at his best

Everyone has heard this classic song, but David Hasselhoff shines in this Youtube music video.  Quite entertaining, awful visual effects. 

Hooked on a Feeling

Belltower Books

I am one of the new Belltower Books representatives on campus, which means we are taking down the school's book store monopoly and buying back any and all books from students for a higher price.  Go to the website during exam week to make an appointment with me and I will come to your door with cash.  It sounds like a scam but it's NOT! I bring a tote bag and a price scanner to your door and exchange cash for your books.  And it's not even just the books you used for this semester or in school at all, we will most likely buy any book from you.  The more I sell the higher my commission, or a percentage of my sales.

About the company: Belltower Books was founded by two Cornell students roughly 10 years ago and has been ever expanding to hundreds of schools.  They came to our campus 2 years ago and are still going strong.  

It's a recession and I'm a starving college student, support the cause and sell to me!  

Worcester dining

This afternoon I enjoyed a strong afternoon tea and delicious late lunch with a friend and her mom at EVO Dining on Park Ave.  A great spot for casual dining with healthy, organic options and a gluten free menu.  They have great apps, entrees and desserts.  I just took out the leftovers from my apple pie pizza that I didn't finish this afternoon and ate it for dinner, fine dining for a college kid.  

Here's the menu!

Country Club Thursdays

This could be the next best thing for me:

1.) I get out of class at 3:15 and head to the car already dressed for golf, which doubles as a tennis outfit.

2.) Play a few holes from 4 to 5:45. Walk in to the club house from the 7th or 8th tee. Quench my thirst at the snack shack.

3.) Head back to campus with my Prince (not Charming, but rather my tennis racquet), take off my windbreaker and get ready to sweat it in a doubles match.

4.) Get a nice dinner for free at the dining hall (similar to signing the bill for your parents to receive at the ned of the month) 

5.) Successful day of playing social sports for 4 hours! Hit the showers and finish my homework.

 

My very talented mixed doubles partner from the summer, Henrik, and I playing on the grass!!! (check out his blog for his ski updates out in Colorado and extremely cool videos of him and friends skiing)

Hitting up the links with my family out in Cali at Clint Eastwood's course, Tehama.

I can't think of a better way to enjoy the spring by staying outdoors and managing my time.  This better become my Thursday routine.

Dress as your Favorite American

This was the party highlight of last weekend.  Lindsay Lohan and Sam Rohnson popped in holding hands, Richard Simmons did some jumping jacks, Chris Brown and Rihanna had some issues, and I dressed up as Bernie Madoff (probably the least favorite American on most peoples' lists).  

This was a great party idea and was open to lots of creative options.  It also wasn't a theme where girls use it as an excuse to dress like hookers, which made it more fun and unique.  People came dressed as a range of icons from current pop and political figures back to the 80's and even back to Amelia Earheart's time (pretty sure she had a hand sewn leather helmet on if I remember correctly).

So hats off to a successful night full of surprises and laughter. Keep 'em coming.  I hope I still throw costume parties when I'm older.

First time out at the driving range

wasn't too productive.  I'm typically frustrated and always sore 5 hours later.  Especially when it's an astroturf range and your degree of error shrink because no matter how much you mess up your swing, the ball is still going to go pretty far.  

So today the season began!! Although it was 40 degrees and windy this afternoon, it should warm up soon. I'm headed out to play Blackstone National golf course tomorrow after classes, a true start to the season. 

Here is the link to Blackstone.

They even have a birthday club, good thing I checked it now seeing as my birthday is coming up in 4 days!

Weekend review

Who wouldn't want an overcast day that feels like the Scotland/Ireland climates to get homework done on a Sunday? It was a brisk 45 degrees in Worcester today and there was not much going on.  Quite the contrast from yesterday's hot hot hot 65!!!!! Intramural softball started up, frisbee and footballs were being tossed outside, and a badminton/volleyball net was set up outside of Mulledy beach (the grassy area in front of the freshmen dorm fondly called the beach).  I would call that a successful weekend. 

Dressed in pink skirts and ponytails, my softball team, The Girls Next Door, played the Bet Wetters, a team of sophomore boys who apparently like to wet their beds.  This non-competitive, approximately 4 inning long, fun game allowed us to catch some of spring's early rays.  The opening pitch was thrown at 1 p.m. on the freshmen fields while an actual women's varsity softball game played along side us.

For those of you who aren't in the 32 team league of softball players, I suggest that you join next year.  It's an ongoing tradition and unless you take a ball to the face, it is fun for everyone no matter what the skill level! 

Pretty soon the Sox will be back in town to PLAY BALL!

What to name my children

So I have a generic name, Anne, which is a patron saint of something and is conservative and common in my family.

Does that mean I have to follow the trend in my family, or is it P.C. to branch out and give my children absurd modern names? 

I'm having a tough time with this puppy- it's not like I'm fifth generation of the Anne Catherine Brown lineage (not that that is possible, because women typically take on their husband's surnames), but what would be more appropriate: to name my children after traditional conservative Christian saints or after something that I find either inspiring, fun, or spiritual in my own way.  I've been wrestling with this since 7th grade, even though I don't plan on having kids for a WHILE.

Here is a link to both funky and some more generic names

Good thing I have a few years to make these decisions... 

or is now a good time to tell my parents that this belly isn't from college drinking, but that I'm preggers?