Someday I'm Going to Start A Blog

So I haven't updated in about a million years
and I probably won't updated in a million more years
I'll say I will but I won't because I'm lame
I need a new layout too because I haven't lived in the hotel in almost a month, it was very sad to move out.
Have a good life.
Don't read my blog it's stupid.

Ingrid Michaelson is amazing go buy her CD

Last night I went to see Ingrid Michaelson, (if you don't know who she is, she sings the song in the Old Navy sweater commercial, she also sings the song Meredith drowned to in Grey's Anatomy) it was amazing, it was totally worth missing Rock for Darfur. (don't get me wrong, I'm a HUGE Darfur activist, but I don't need to go to a concert to prove it, there's other ways to raise money and support the cause, many of which I have participated in in the past)
It was so good though. It was an invite-only show so it was very chill, not too crowded, I got right up near the stage, and I swear I was just mesmerized by her. Not only is she totally adorable in person, but she sounds as good if not better then she does on CD. AMAZING. she came out wearing this adorable purple knotted knit dress with black tights and chunky knit black boots that may have been attached to or separate from what looked light turquoise chunky knit leg warmers. She was completely adorable, you could tell she hasn't been preforming to long because she had that quirky, somewhat awkward, conversational stage presence. She came on with a little ukulele, commented about how she just started wearing skirts on stage and it's a whole different ballgame when your sitting, and then introduced her fist song 'so, this is a happy song, it's about hating yourself' it was cute. Other notable comments were:
Ingrid: so this is my first time to buffalo, I like your wings
random audience member: hot and spicy!
Ingrid: actually, I prefer them mild
me: yay! (I obviously prefer mild as well)
other random audience member: you should try them barbeque
Ingrid: I will do that
------
Ingrid: So every year September hits and I start getting so excited for the holidays
Me: *some indiscernible excited noise between a squeal, a giggle, and a woot!*
Friend: Yo, Mandy, that's you!
Me: I know! Christmas is the bestest!!! (yes I'm a Christmas fiend, deal with it)
random audience member: Noooo
Ingrid: You don't like Christmas?
random audience member: not really
Ingrid: if you like Christmas, shout "I love Christmas" 1... 2.... 3
Half the audience: I LOVE CHRISTMAS
Ingrid: now if you don't like Christmas shout "I'm a Christmas hating Scrooge" 1... 2... 3....
Half the audience "I'm a Christmas hating Scrooge"
she then proceeded to claim that we won and play... umm.... I can't spell it, that Hawaiian Christmas song that's in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (awesome movie)
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"I want every one to close their eyes and pretend your a little girl"
(this was really funny because she forced the older gentlemen to do it as well and it was so funny to watch)
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random audience member: where were you born?
Ingrid: I was born in Manhattan, New York
audience: cheers
Ingrid: but I'm not really from Manhattan, I'm from Statton island, which is about 80% less cool then saying your from Manhattan.
(it is still 80% more cool then saying your from Buffalo)
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(while tuning her ukulele) It's gonna be really exciting for about the next 25 seconds
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this is pretty cool cuz a few months ago I was singing for like my mom and my aunt
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I'm supposed to come up with witty banter to keep you entertained now
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There's a couple other good ones, but I'm sure they fall under the category of 'you had to be there' she also did really cute 'trumpet solos' putting her lips together and making trumpet noises it was amazing. She really is an amazing person, she's so talented I highly recommend you go see her in concert. Afterwards we walked back to the hotel in the chilling Buffalo weather, but we got to stop at Spot coffee on the way home so it was good, Spot is my favorite, I love how it's right across the street from star bucks and there's always more people at Spot. It was a nice treat, cuz I can barely ever afford it anymore. Now I'm rambling on about unimportant events in my life... you are allowed to stop me at anytime.

Keep Breathing,
Mandy

Just A Quicky

I made a new layout!!
I'll probably be tweaking it all week... I'm not to great with html so it's a process... I just make the graphics and past them in basically
I hope that's legal
I'll write about something interesting soon... probably tomorrow... no not tomorrow, tomorrow's a very busy day. I have sewing class, then Operation Christmas Child, and later, I'm going to an invite only Ingrid Michaelson concert!! (which is kinda bad cuz I'm ditching rock for Darfur, but I'm still WAY excited) I LOVE Ingrid Michaelson!
Well... I have class in 8 hours... but for some reason I'm only getting 4 hours of sleep... (the downside to living in a hotel on the OTHER SIDE OF THE CITY)

stay sweet.

As Promised: The Secret Lives of Drag Queens

Yes, I realize that I haven't updated/wrote in nearly 2 weeks, that my writings been sucking lately, that I have nothing interesting to say, and that this blog is lame.
I also promised you a moderately interesting story that I should have wrote 2 weeks ago when it was fresh in my mind.
So.... onto the secret lives of drag queens since I said that's what I write.
As you should know by now, I live in a hotel, living in a hotel means that every morning and nearly every night I eat in the hotel restaurant (it's really fantastic, because they put it on our college meal plan!) so naturally, after over 2 months of being here I have gotten to know the employees of the restaurant.
So a few days before Halloween, I was sitting in the restaurant waiting for my food. My R.A. had just arrived from shopping with an off duty waiter who she was good friends with. He is assumably homosexual and they go shopping together often so this was no surprise, I knew from speaking with her that their last outing involved him forcing her to by a little red dress and some sexy patent leather stilettos for her devil costume. This time she came back with fishnet thigh highs and a sequined pitchfork. She was showing them to me and one of the hosts, who is also assumably homosexual noticed and stopped by my table as well. Conversation goes as follows:
Host: oooo slutty
RA: it's for Halloween!
me: *giggles* (so not used to this guy not being completely professional)
Host: I wouldn't be surprised if (waiter)* had a pair of those
RA: Actually he went with me to buy them
Random Waitress: So that was him dropping you off, I thought it looked like his car
Host: I swear when (waiter)'s in a dress he thinks he's this big *holds up pinky* but he's not, he's always this big *holds hands out so as to gesture pudginess, this is often seen in little kids singing Christmas songs with the lyrics 'ho, ho, ho'*
me: *giggles uncontrollably* (once again not used to the waiters/hosts talking unprofessionally)
friend who I was dining with: Yo, Mandy, your face is bright red!
everyone: looks at me
RA: Oh, she's just not used to drag queens that's all
me: *giggles evermore while trying to be defensive about the fact that it was more about unprofessional conversation then anything, and not offend anyone in the process* (this is very challenging)
Host: ooo there was some in the paper this week! let me see if I can go find it.
me: *further explains my defense now that the host is gone*
RA: *explains she goes to the drag club sometimes on weekends* It's all gay guys and straight girls!
.....
*host comes back*
Host: here it is!
RA: she looks like shes about to punch her
Host: she probably is
RA: *laughs* you know, I've never seen that one as a man
Host: that's probably a good thing
RA: *laughs*
me:*giggles some more*
Host: She's a lovely woman but she does not make a pretty man
RA: looks better as a woman?
Host: oh yes.

You think you know some people, then you realize you have no idea.... so remember, when you meet assumably gay waiters/hosts, they might just be drag queens. You know, you never really think of drag queens having actually jobs, putting on a suit and tie everyday and getting up to go to work. It's weird, but I suppose drag queens have to pay bills too.

Until next time,
Be Kind.

Why is it harder for an American citizen to get back into their own country, then into another?

Okay, so I haven't updated in forever, but seeing as nobody reads me at the moment this blog exists solely for the purpose of my own amusement and therefore I have no need to post regularly.
Really all I'm doing is delay the potential for my blog to get 'discovered'
which probably won't happen anyways
In conclusion it doesn't matter when I update, despite my catchy name, (which, surprisingly, I still like) no one cares to read my blog.
Probably because it sucks.
Now onto todays topic, a nice little rant on something that ticks me off a lot.

Did you know it costs money for me to get into my own country? The other day I thought I'd take a nice day trip up to Canada and show my friends who haven't lived in Buffalo all there life the wondrous beauty that is Niagara Falls. We parked on the American side for a couple of reasons, the first being I was lost enough as it is in my own country, the second being that traffic across the rainbow bridge is ridiculous and annoying because terrorists might want to see Niagara Falls as well. So we walked across the bridge, this was really fun because my friend from D.C. who has never been out of the country in her life kept saying "Are we in Canada yet?" and was very excited as we crossed the boarder. We got into Canada no sweat, apparently we don't look like terrorists. It's the way back that ticks me off, because you have to pay fifty cents to get into your own country. I don't know why, probably a toll, but I'm sure the bridge has been paid off by now, it's been there since forever. What would I have done if I didn't have the money? I'm sure my father would love it if I called him asking for some change to bail me out of Canada. Then came American customs, a lot colder then American customs. First of all, the guy asked us if we were related, it must be said that I'm am just about the whitest person that ever walked the earth, and that the two friends I went with were Black and Hispanic, respectively. I wanted to cop an attitude and say 'Do we look related?' but you don't cop an attitude with these guys, because then you are a terrorist. After the third degree from them to make sure we were not terrorists we finally got back to this wonderful country... or whatever it is.
Tune in next time when we discuss the secret lives of Drag Queens!

I should be tired

I don't know what's wrong with me, I just had Starbucks and a Coke before bed, when I'm clearly already sleep deprived. I've been drinking caffeine all day, because despite the fact that I have an 8:30 Saturday class, I went to Union Bash Friday night and stayed quite late.
What a night it was. First of all, it was 80s themed, which means naturally, I went all out. Are you ready for this? Black pumps, black leg warmers, neon pink leggings, black polka-dot miniskirt, gaudy black angora sweater with metallic sequins all over the collar, neon pink waist belt, hot pink lipstick, way to much blush, body glitter, turquoise eyeshadow, hair teased out to there with a giant pink bow in it. It was ridiculous, but oh so much fun. The night started off slow, my friend and I went down to dinner in the lobby before we left, it just happened to be the busiest night I've seen in a while and we got a lot of stares, it was quite awkward. Then we got to Union Bash super early because my friend had to go through sorority-rush-like rugby procedures involving practicing incredibly vulgar song parodies. I felt very weird sitting there with them, the songs were appalling, and I wasn't really sure how to act. As a Christian, this situation was very repulsive and awkward for me, I knew I didn't do the right thing by not joining in, but did I do the wrong thing by just sitting there? This is the problem with not living on campus, I don't have a place to go when I'm there. All my really close friends live at the hotel or commute so I can't go to their rooms to chill and kill time. Finally, Union Bash actually started and I spent the rest of the evening with Intervarsity. It was so fun, I danced, acted crazy, I got to be myself, it was wonderful. I really love the people in that club, I feel like I fit. We hung out for a really long time after we packed up and left Union Bash. I was the first to leave. I got out to the parking lot and realize I had finally done it... I had killed my car battery because of leaving my lights on. So I walked back up and asked if anyone could give me a jump, luckily someone had jumper cables and was parked in the same parking lot as me and after finally finding the battery (it's in a ridiculous place in my car) I got my car running normally. Needless to say, that kept me out even later. So I overdosed on caffeine this morning during my 4 hour sewing class, which I think actually made me more productive than usual. I only had to use the seam ripper about twice, which is much better than the usual fifty or so. I got my shirt done, a little later than I hoped, but still efficiently, it actually turned out pretty good, well except the sleeves are different lengths, but even that sort of works. Maybe I'll post pictures someday when I get a digital camera.
Maybe this entry sucks
stupid boring life of mine

New York, New York

I fully regret my recent shopping spree.
I do not regret the beret, I felt fabulous all day wearing it, it would've looked great strutting down the streets of Manhattan, but Alas, I have a mere $10.80 in my bank account and I am not going to New York this weekend. See, a dear friend of mine called me a few hours ago asking me if I wanted to go to New York tomorrow night. Of course I want to go to New York this weekend! Unfortunately, bus fare is $120 and though my hotel expenses would be covered by him, I still do not have the bus fare. I wish my metro card worked for cross state trips, I would've even skipped my Saturday sewing class despite the fact that my knit shirt project is due and is still in a state of 2 pieces of cut fabric and a pile of elastic. Oh woe, oh misery, what fate lies against me that I may not travel to New York! With it's great shining pillars of progress and glamor! It's cornucopia of sights and sounds! Oh Broadway! Oh Greenwich Village! Oh 5th Avenue! Why must you tease me, sitting just out of my grasp!
I love being dramatic. The trips obviously not in the cards. This happened to me last October as well...
I'm cursed.
Oh well, I guess it's for the better, at least I'll get my project in.

Black Beret

I bought a black beret today. It's been something I've been meaning to do for years, I've just never got around to it. I've never exactly been financially stable, I'm good with money, I've just never had much of it, and when I had the money, I didn't have the means to get to the mall. Now I have the means, not the money, but in honor of my second job interview I splurged a little and bought a couple warm cozy items for fall/winter. It was only $10.50!! I feel so glamorous, so poetic, so fashion, so Paris. (not Hilton, of course) I may never take it off. I'm dreaming of matching it with my pink princess peacoat and my black cashmere scarf, and the new boots I just bought. I suppose I'd pair them with my black leather (possibly pleather, I don't know they were an Amvets find) gloves with the bows on them, though I wish my cashmere ones hadn't ended up in a snowbank during a particularly sudden snowstorm during a shopping excursion last January. I'm going to look so cute this winter. I'm also very glad I got boots, cute ones, I really didn't want to go another winter all Uggs all the time, their not even real Uggs, their not even real sheepskin. I really should get one of my friends in Australia to ship them over, I know where they can get sheepskin boots mad cheap. Or all just hold out as a reason to visit once again, I miss it terribly, I miss them terribly. Back on the subject of hats, I finally found the white knit hat I've been dreaming of (for less time than the black beret, but still a significant amount of time) however, I do not have as much hair as I've had while dreaming of it and realize it will do better to wait until next winter, or when I actually get the job. Well, I'm actually on a hardworking streak lately, so I'm going to take advantage of it and try not to do my homework at the last minute for once.

Blog Action Day

Ok, I have approximately 31 minutes left of Blog Action Day
Today is Blog Action Day, being the tree hugging environmentally friendly, public transportation taking, windmill loving girl I am I'm of course participating in this wonderful event. Maybe I'll be able to add another leave on the 'I Am Green' Facebook application for it (I'm already up to 74)!
Lightheartedness aside, this is a serious issue. I just saw on the news this morning that most of Georgia only has enough water left to last them 3 months. Is it time yet? Have we realized that we need to do something about this now? If the entire population of Georgia was threatened by a terrorist attack, you can be assured that the government would be on top of it. They would do everything and anything in their power to stop it, so why not this? Why isn't enough being done? I mean there are so many simple things that can be done to save the environment. Here's some things I do:
-I always recycle, not just newspapers and soda cans, everything I possibly can. Especially clothes, I don't see the point in throwing out clothes. Maybe it's because it's my art.
-I bring my own shopping bags shopping, and when I do acquire a plastic bag, I reuse it.
-I use public transportation to get to an from school everyday, despite the fact that I own a car
-I try and do everything in one trip when I do use my car
-I wear clothes several times before washing them, this is obviously exclusive of socks underwear and items that have gotten sweaty, smelly or significantly stained
-I use compact florescent light bulbs, they're more expensive, but they last longer, it wins out, it's kinda like buying wholesale goods
-I use towels several times before washing them, your using clean towels to dry a clean body thus the towel remains clean
-I only use cold water to do my laundry, it gets the same amount of clean, I also suggest using Arm and Hammer essentials, it has more natural things in it and less chemicals, and I swear it's the only thing that got the grease stains out of my clothes when I worked at a pizza place.
-I turn off lights, the computer, the TV, and even the heat when I'm not home/they're not in use.
-I don't leave my car running when I'm waiting for people etc. I turn it all the way off instead of letting it idle
-I shower every other day, unless I'm really gross for some reason it's better for your hair anyways, helps restore natural oils your hair produces to make it shiny
-I own secondhand clothing, a lot of it actually I'm addicted to Amvets
-I don't litter, if you litter I've just lost some respect for you
-I turn off the water when brushing my teeth
-I try and shop locally, Buffalo doesn't have much, especially not in my price range, but the amount of fuel it takes to ship clothing from China is ridiculous and buying locally is definitely a good option.
-I don't smoke, it's bad enough your putting it in your lungs, must you put it in our air?
Come on, is it really all that hard? Half those things aren't even sacrifices, they save you money on gas, electricity and heating bills, other things that drive us crazy. So what do you say? Will you take a green initiative in your life, and save our planet before it's to late?
Done with 4 minutes to spare.

I *heart* Buffalo New York

I've just come to the conclusion that I'm living on my own. I'm actually living on my own. I wake my self up everyday, I put myself to bed every night, I feed myself, I get myself places on time, I'm looking for a job on my own, I'm managing my own money. It's crazy. It's not as hard as I thought it would be. I just can't believe I'm actually doing it. I'm thinking back to last year at this time. I was so scared. So worried. I didn't know where I was going, what I was doing. There was no plan. See, the thing is though, there's always a plan, God's plan, and that one worked for me. If you would've asked me about a year and a half ago where I would be at this time, I would've told you I would be at Parson's, studying fashion, living a fabulous life in one of the best cities in the world. Well, It's close. See if you would've asked me a year ago I would've started pulling my hair out and listening to Run Kid Run. (seriously, We've Only Just Begun got me through this time in my life) See, I didn't realize (though I should have, but I've never been the most organized) that you needed an Art portfolio to get into Parsons, I thought I would be submitting a Fashion Portfolio. I'm not a serious artist though, I'd love to be, but I never really pursued it. Don't get me wrong, I love art, I know all about it, a lot of people consider me 'artsy', but I don't sit around drawing still life and portraits and other things deemed necessary for a portfolio because apparently they show some skill other art forms don't. So I couldn't even apply to the 'school of my dreams'. Or I could've whipped up a portfolio in 2 months on top of school work, a job, youth group, etc. I however, enjoy getting a moderately good amount of sleep, and a low stress life.
So I'm here. In Buffalo New York. See the thing about Buffalo is, it's not as bad as people think.
Sure, our weather is awful, and our sports teams are cursed, there is absolutely no reason tourist would want to come here (other then cheaper hotel prices then actually staying in Niagara Falls) and oh yeah, we're the 2nd poorest city in the nation, but there's something about those of us that actually stay, it's like an unwritten bond; we're all moderately insane for living here and we accept that. It's for the most part, lived up to it's title of the city of good neighbors. Now, I'm really in Buffalo, see I grew up in a little bubble town suburb of Buffalo, I loved coming up to the city for art festivals and local boutique shopping, it had that city energy I always crave. Not a lot of it I'll admit, but you'd be surprised if you stayed here long enough. I've also been seeing a lot of hope for Buffalo lately, rumor has it we're finally developing the waterfront (tourists?) Someone just bought a bunch of the abandon buildings downtown and is fixing them up for stores and apartments. (yes, our downtown is basically abandoned, there is no life there unless there is a Sabres' game) We're taking in alot of refugees from wartorn countries (Did you know Buffalo's west side is the 2nd most diverse area in New York State, next to New York City?) Best of all, we're getting greener. Green roofs have been popping up, we also have and eco friendly dry cleaner, best of all, we have windmills, 8 of them, they're probably my favorite part of Buffalo, they were built on basically uninhabitable old factory land from Buffalo's steel days. I remember coming home from vacation this summer and looking out the plane window and seeing them right away, right on the lake like little tiny pinwheels stuck in the ground by a child, it was beautiful. Actually they were quite beautiful today as well, set against a little strip of pinkish sky peeking out from underneath looming gray clouds, as Lake Erie sparkled with sunset hues.
So, it's not New York, it's not the original plan, it's not what I dreamed of in High School, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Everything about this makes sense, the fact that I get to experience Buffalo on my own, like I never really have before, the fact that I'm getting a sweet financial aid deal and am going to school nearly for free (a lot better then $42,000 a year at Parsons) I can study abroad while I'm hear and take my senior year at FIT (basically just as good as Parsons, besides Tim Gunn isn't there anymore) I have more time to watch my baby sister grow up, and help my other younger sisters and my parents (and me as well) adjust to me being away and on my own. I know I wouldn't be this okay with everything in New York, I'd be losing it. Everything's working out, everything's relatively perfect. I don't even wonder 'what if?' I know I'm where I'm supposed to be, meeting the people I've been meeting, everything, and I'm staying in a really classy hotel, (college ran out of dorms, funny huh?) which is nice, I don't have to share a bathroom, I get free breakfast every morning (it's really nice too) I get to feel like I'm classy and rich. It's wonderful, it really is.