The Age of Sweet Potato Fries

What I'm Listening To: Mighty to Save-Hillsong

SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED. I was running around with my head cut off, and still am. Hopefully next week will be a little bit better. Some highlights are that I submitted NOSTALGIA to the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition. I'm excited to see the outcome of that, but we'll see how it goes. They go until people submit 5,000 copies or the deadline closes. I still have to re do my website and those logistics. I switched my major from Journalism to Communication Disorders. Prime Magazine is doing all right and hopefully it will only grow. Running a magazine is definitely difficult at times, but the goal is to keep doing what I can to make Prime a success. I'm applying to be a counselor of the Summer Collegiate Experience (SCE) this summer in Madison. Also, I've finally mapped out all of the history and finished the research for my new fantasy book about faeries and elves. I actually started writing last night, so I'm excited. I cut down from 16 credits to 13 although it still feels like I'm doing a lot. I'm still an Information Guide at the Red Gym and I've also taken on the position as Housing Specialist. I'm also training girls for the Miss Black and Gold pageant in a couple of weeks, solidifying my role in the Vagina Monologues in a few weeks, and going to Primetime with Campus Crusade for Christ more often. It's amazing. My friend and I are very happy to be a part of the organization. Mostly, I've been trying to do some reading. The Wicked Lovely series is truly awesome and I can't wait to read the other books. Most of my reading has been towards the spiritual side of my life. That's mostly it, other than the fact that I've been mostly eating out or buying random food because a lot of times it's awful and I'm sick of eating the same thing. So that's mostly everything in a nutshell. Wish me luck for ABNA!

FINALS & excerpt from the crazy life

What I'm Listening To: This Christmas-Christina Aguilera

This day alone has been CRAZY. My Spanish final is tomorrow, which is why this post will be brief. I was supposed to start studying on Friday, but I had a meeting for the Pink and Black Benefit and a Winter Formal to attend that night for Campus Crusade for Christ. Louisa from the Christmas party was there and so was Dana. After Dana left, Louisa and I hung out and she introduced me to all of the people she knew, which was great. One of the best parts of the dance for me was being single and still getting to slow dance. God knows me too well, and I really had an amazing time. So needless to say, I didn't study that night, but I got home earlier than I would on any other Friday night, which was fabulous. Saturday, I worked practically all day with Pat in the CIC and then Kayeloni came to visit from practically near Green Bay, so I HAD to hang with her because I hadn't seen her in FOREVER. I miss some of my SCE people. So we kicked it for a bit, ate at BW3's, and then hung out in my room, catching some of the Marquette-Madison basketball game on TV. Then, because I was a good friend, I didn't study and went to the ballroom dancing showcase with her to watch Alejandro Roman-Roche dance. The showcase was amazing and I really want to get out there and take lessons. So, I came home after that and thankfully got a little studying done. Today, I had a Diversity Committee brunch which tasted excellent, rehearsal for the Vagina Monologues, studying for Spanish, executive board meeting for Prime where we focused on putting together the magazine, and now hopefully more studying for that Spanish final and some theatre work as well.

Oh, and I found out a shocker today: The "Our Deepest Fear" speech, the one that everyone says was written by Nelson Mandela and in one of his inaugural addresses is NOT by Nelson Mandela and was never in any of this speeches. It is actually a poem by Marianne Williamson from her book "A Return to Love." Mind boggling. Clearly I have to read this book.

$60 for one poem? No way.....

What I'm Listening To: Oh Happy Day-BeBe Winans

Prime Magazine, the magazine that I edit, is holding a poetry contest for all you aspiring poets out there. The first prize is $60 and a five page spread in the magazine. The second is $25 and the third is $15. I mean how many people can say that they make $60 an hour? The poem probably won't even take you an hour if you have your creative juices running or if you're a good writer. The contest is running NOW through December 7th, so please submit your poetry to the contest, and GOOD LUCK! For more details, please visit prime-magazine.webs.com

Midterm Season

What I'm Listening To: I Gotta Feeling (Black Eyed Peas)

I've learned a lot of things in the past few weeks. Hopefully if I can get a new phone, these blog posts will be more frequent. Nikki Giovanni has written me back again, saying that I can quote her. I am really happy about this, and I plan on submitting to several poetry journals before the release date of my poetry book to build up my literary resume. I also plan on shooting a YouTube video for my first novel Nostalgia. Other than that, I found Victor Webster on Twitter. I didn't realize that he had a small role on Lincoln Heights (the show I've been watching online for the past week). So mostly everything is good, and Prime Magazine is having a poetry contest, which I am trying hard to facilitate.

I think my hugest decision is that I'm going to a Writers Conference in New York on November 5th. I've paid for the conference and my parents are helping me pay for it. Janet Reid is supposed to be there, along with many other good agents. Hopefully I can get some insight and hopefully I can keep trying to get Nostalgia published. I would like to finish Renovatio by the end of next year, but with all of these projects going on and midterm season, it's a little hard too balance everything.

But now I think for the first time in a long time, my vision is clear and I can see where I'm going with no distractions.

Crank....Whoa

What I'm Listening To: Tu no eres para mi by Fanny Lu

I'm currently sitting in the Student Activity Center and trying to study for my Spanish final for 226 next week. We already finished the Spanish Literature 224 class, and my teacher Marcelo is the best. He simply cancelled our final and gave us the same grade that we got on our last test (mine was 100%). This other final is grammar and I've already been so bad that I don't know what's going to happen. We just have to wait and pray I guess.

I spent the all of yesterday just concentrating on relaxation (which I don't usually do) and watched Crank for the first time. I already knew it was going to be good because Jason Statham was in it, and I simply adore his work. It was hilarious with plenty of action...

Today, I had to get to work though. I'm sending off my letters to Dr. Angelou and Nikki Giovanni this week, getting ready to move out of my apartment, and seeing about Study Abroad stuff and a semester internship in Washington. I can't believe I'm going to be gone from Madison for almost 2 years. That's probably going to be weird. I should probably start looking for material for PRIME, the magazine that I edit, right about now. So with that and all of the gloomy weather outside, I'm putting my nose to the grindstone yet again.