Wikipedia

This post is being written because for the past few days, when I try to get on Wikipedia, it wouldn't load so my appreciation for it grew.  I look at Wikipedia for everything.  When I'm watching the news and they reference something that I don't understand- Wikipedia.  When I am watching TV and someone is guest starring and I can't figure out where I've seen that person before- Wikipedia.  I would say I go to Wikipedia.org about as many times as I go to gmail.com.  And that's saying a lot.

Correct Grammar

I love it when people know when to use:

1.  The words to, too and two.  People usually get two right but the other two (ha), not so much.

2.  The words their, they're and there.  Again, there is usually used correctly but for some reason, the difference between their and they're is a little murky.

3.  Me and I.  When you say "between you and..." IT'S ALWAYS ME.  Sometimes, people think it sounds more sophisticated to say "between you and I" but no.  Incorrect grammar never sounds sophisticated.   Hint: take the "you and" out.  Would you say I or me?  Mmmmk.

Kim.Bug.Unit-mate

I love Kim Searles.  A lot.  Kim and I are a unit.  Many times, we say things to each other without words... like people will be talking and we'll look at each other and I'll know what she's saying.  Let's go back in Cadence history.  My second semester, I get to sit in on auditions for the first time and I'm super psyched.  Kim auditions and ... okay one more insert.  During auditions, Cadence is the most obnoxious.  We would write notes on their audition papers and I made notecards for everyone that I could keep so I could always remember what I thought when I first saw them.  I'm super critical of notes so I, unlike American Idol judges, don't care if there's emotion, if the notes are wrong, they're wrong and you don't need to be going into singing.  So I would put check marks next to notes that were correct and x's (usually dark ones) when they were wrong.  Kim got no x's obvi but I did make a comment that I thought she had an attitude.  And I totally remember why I put that.  Someone, I'm guessing Jessica Hiltebidle or Andie asked her to move over somewhere to do scales or whatever and Kim goes mmmmk.  And I thought she was being like, Oh my gah, why you making me move?  And she probably was but this same attitude was what helped us bond and become the unit.  And this attitude would morph into not taking any bs which helped make Cadence as great as it is today.  Anyway, she was clearly one of the two best because we took two and she unanimously accepted and loved.  Moving on.

At the beginning of that semester, we had to make a poster for our table when we were pit-sitting.  I was obsessed with Cadence (still am) and while everyone else was trying to get out of making a poster, I was all about it.  So I shouted out, I'll do it but someone has to help me.  And new Kim goes, I'll help and I was like YAYYYY BONDING OPPORTUNITY.  So I picked her up at HJ and we went (was this the time it was raining cats and dogs or was that just another one of the many times we went to CVS to get stuff to make posters).  Then we started making cupcakes for people.  We made a list of everyone in Cadence... texted all of them and of those that responded, made a map of where they lived and the route that made the most sense and performed our cupcake fairy duties, which usually included drawings.

I hate parking.  I've learned to love driving because it takes me to where I need to go to see people but I still hate parking.  And parking in Chapel Hill on campus is exponentially worse than just reg parking.  So I would pick up Kim before rehearsal (every single one she would let me) and make her go through the anxiety I experienced while parking with me.  Wendy's glorified nuggets also brought us close together.  I think I would be ten pounds lighter if I had never been introduced to them but I'll take the extra ten pounds for the time I got to spend with Kim.  We took turns paying for dinner because it would have been ridiculous to have two transactions every time we went.  I wonder if we made it even or if one of us came out on top.  Ha.

She probably would have enjoyed me being 10 lbs lighter in the picture above and below but it's fine.

Kim is always there.  And she's not one of those people, well I take it back before I say it, she can be but she's not always one of those people, that just hug you and say it's okay, it's going to be fine, everything happens for a reason... blah blah blah.  She's one of those people that is like, yeah, that sucks and let's cry it out, talk it out and if you need to repeat everything you JUST got done saying to enhance your sanity, go for it, I will listen.  Sometimes she's that, it's going to be fine person but sometimes, that's not what you want to hear and during those times, she's your girl.  I go into this place where I feel like people don't like me and I'm annoying and so I told her this one day and instead of saying, oh Melissa, everyone loves you- you're great blah blah blah she goes "that place is full of lies."  So she said all of those things you want to hear but just in a more compact version.  And anyone can spit out all of those encouraging things that don't really mean things but only Kim can say the things she says.

Also, we keep typos alive.  I want to did.  I love you bug.

I love you bug- your friendship means so much to me.  You're like a handprint on my heart <3.  Bah ha.  No, but really.

Birthday Cards

I really really like mailing people birthday cards.  With facebook now it's not really hard to remember people's birthdays.  It's right on the front page and you click a button and type "Happy Birthday!  Hope you have a great day!"  But there's something special about getting a card in the mail with real handwriting and knowing someone went to the store and picked out a card just for you.  So what I do is... at the end of the month I look at all my list of people whose birthdays are that month (it's already typed up and saved on my computer) and I write them in my planner like as a shopping list.  I go and get birthday cards for the specific people- not just cute ones that would work for anyone.  Oh, and I always get them at Target.  Alwaysalwaysalways and by always I mean for the 3 months I've been doing this but I'm obviously keeping it up because it's one of my favorite things.  And then I take them home, put them in the envelope and put a sticky note on it where I put the day of the birthday and then under it the day I need to send it and put them in order of when to send them so I don't forget any!  And then I send them and people get so happy and that makes me happy.  Happiness all around.

UNC

I love UNC. I love the quad in the spring and the arboretum in the fall. I love the Pit on a sunny day and Graham Memorial Lounge on a rainy one. I love Roy all the time. But what makes UNC truly special is not our beautiful campus, our distinguished reputation or even our basketball team. It's us -- the student body -- who make UNC what it is.

I have memories of all of these things Eve talked about.  I loved sitting in the quad on a spring day doing the crossword puzzle and Sudoku in the DTH with Jaimie and then, later on, Michael Stanley.  

Fall is my favorite season and there's nowhere I've seen as beautiful as UNC's campus during the Fall.  

Oh the pit on a sunny day.  I didn't experience the pit too much until I joined Cadence... pit-sitting and pit-singing.  

And Graham Memorial was so peaceful and conducive to my reading. 

I love Roy all the time too!  I remember standing in line for one of the many basketball games I had the privilege to attend and the security guard asked if I could let Roy through.  I got so excited!  Roy touched my arm, shook my hand and asked me how I was doing.  Through great inner strength, I was able to respond with a coherent, "I'm great, how are you?"  

But I have to agree above all of these wonderful things that I will always have fond memories of, it's the people I met there and the relationships I formed that made UNC what it is to me today.

 

Malia Losordo

I love Malia so much!  I like her little voice and how she says me tooooooooo!  I don't want to say anything lightly but I think it's safe to say Malia is the nicest person I know.  I have spent a lot of time with Malia because we were in Cadence together and when you're in an a cappella group, you spend a lot of time together.  I don't know that I've ever heard her say anything negative about another person.  Malia brings sunshine into a room.  Sometimes, literally.

Also, from a musical standpoint, she has the best pitch recognition and learned all of our music so, so fast.  And her voice is beautiful and I got to hear it all the time being a fellow solid sop 2.

She's a good listener and is such an encouragement when you're down.  You know you can always call her and she'll help in any way she can.  She also took very good care of my frog pants while they were in her possession!  My frog pants deserve a completely different post to come soon.  She gives good hugs and I'm hoping she'll keep me on track studying for the GRE that we're taking together on August 3rd.

I love you Malia.  Thank you so much for all the laughs, support, encouragement and lovelovelove.

PS- we need a picture together.

My iPhone

I love my iPhone SO much.  First of all- I went from the most basic phone you can have to this one and that probably makes everything that much better.  I like that I can get on the internet everywhere... like while driving.  I am all about looking up reviews for stuff so if I'm trying to decide between two brands or something it's super easy.  Also, probably my favorite thing is that I can see a texting conversation... not just one at a time.  I like that because if someone responds hours after I've sent something with "yeah," I'll know what they're talking about.  I also like that I can have my little puzzles no matter where I go and it's cool because if Zachary emails me, I get it as soon as he sends it and then I can try to catch him in case he's still on.  Lovelovelove this phone.  Oh yeah, and the camera is so much better and I can send the pictures to Zachary or any one else so so fast.  And you can make it to where you can see the picture- like a backwards camera.  It's so cool!!