virtual relief

virtual relief- discovering via facebook that your naiive, bushy-eyebrowed high school friend met tweezers in college

call me shallow, but i'm cheering homegirl on.  thankful that outward beauty isn't ALL that defines us.  but still grateful for fun things like makeup, nail polish, and tweezermans.

Blogfans it has come to my recent attention that there has not been a post in nearly a week.  So for your reading delight here's some morsels of my week...enjoy!

-I remembered the code to my bicycle lock and can now ride it any time I'm searching for a breeze through Clinton!  Thought I was going to have to cut that sucker off with a chainsaw, but God had other plans!
-I have made the recent resolution to drink my coffee black.  Why?  Because all tough and cool people drink their coffee black.  Still warming up to the idea but certain that the change will be in full swing soon...
-I have a newfound love for PotteryBarn and rekindled the dream I once had as an 11 year old to be an interior designer as a result of a shopping trip partaken by my mom, my grandmother (aka Nana), and me this Saturday.

That's all for now...peace in the middle east (pitme for those of you savvy enough to be familiar with such lingo)!

insulted

today, my fundamentals of acting professor asked me if i was a cheerleader in high school. apparently, my copious amounts of energy and silliness in acting class constitute cheerleader-esque behavior.

this washed-up, has-been of a high school athlete is too insulted for further comment.

Bebo Norman

As I was just working on a German assignment for class tomorrow, I was listening to Pandora, when I hear a song that's come up on my favorite Pandora station a few times recently.  I start to take in the words, and they sound pretty cool.  The song is called "Bring Me to Life" by Bebo Norman.  Never heard of the guy before, so I look him up on google.  His wikipedia article lists some cool info about Bebo, and as I glance to the bottom, I realize Bebo Norman graduated from PC!  Yup, that's right...never before have I read a Wikipedia article only to realize that the subject was a fellow graduate of my favorite institue of higher education in SC.  Pretty cool!

jawad and timmy

there was a period of time, when my parents first gave me a cell phone, that i would receive calls from people i didn't know. apparently, my phone number had belonged to jawad before it belonged to me. although i never spoke to the same person twice, the conversations always took a similar form:

me - hello?
random girl - who dis be? where jawad?
me - um, i'm sorry but i don't know anyone named jawad.
random girl - hoe, don't try to play me!
me - uh...huh?
random girl - okay dat's fine. be dat way. but you tell jawad that if gonna cheat on me, he betta tell me to my face.
me - um, seriously, i think you have the wrong number.
random girl - i don't need this sh--.

and then the call would be over. at first, i was just shocked, but after three or four calls like this one, it got to be a huge joke with my friends and family. i don't know if any of those girls heard from jawad again or if they just got tired of trying to locate him, but either way, the phone calls ceased after a few months.

since then, i haven't had any calls like that... mainly because i've become a champ at screening calls and i almost never answer a number i don't know. apparently my superior screening abilities don't stop everyone.

last night, at 5:30am, a number i did not recognize called me. i was sound asleep, so the call woke me up. and let's be serious, unless it was a call from one of my parents, there was no way i was talking to anyone that early in the morning. so i just rolled over and went back to sleep. when i actually woke up this morning around 11am, i noticed i had two missed calls and a voicemail. obviously, i don't wake up to that every morning... or any morning. the unknown number had also called at 4:45am, but i guess that time it didn't wake me up. i decided to listen to the voicemail mostly out of curiosity. this is what i heard:

girl's voice - "hey so you all up on my man timmy's phone and sh--, and so i need you to return my call and let me know what the fu-- is going on."

i don't know who timmy is. or what it means that i am "all up on" his phone. but i do know that i definitely won't be returning this girl's call.

food for thought

not sure if you are aware of this, readers, but i-385 is currently under construction, causing greenville to no longer be directly accessible from clinton. this means that we clintonites are now completely isolated from real life. just kidding... well, kind of. we definitely have to work a lot harder to visit those coveted locations not available in clinton: target, moe's, marble slab, miyabi, the movie theater, etc.

brittni and i LOVE moe's and marble slab. over the course of the last few years, we have made many a trip to enjoy good food and good fellowship. moe's dates, as we call these trips, are kind of our thing. i would say, on average, we probably go at least bi-weekly. this semester has been a little different, however, because brittni is student teaching, and it's lacrosse season. (this means she has ZERO free time.)

anyway, yesterday we were thinking about going on a moe's date before the super bowl. and, because i'm the organized one who does the planning, i was in charge of getting directions to the moe's and the marble slab in spartanburg. (since the current state of i-385 prevents us from going to our usual moe's.)

as i searched mapquest for the directions, i noticed a new feature on the website. when you type in a public location (rather than a residential address), mapquest now offers similar locations you may want to check out.

similar locations listed for moe's: krispy kreme and baskin-robbins.

i mentioned this experience to amanda last night and commented that i wasn't sure what criteria constituted krispy kreme and baskin-robbins as similar to moe's. she seemed much less concerned than i felt and simply responded with: "um... they're all REALLY GOOD!"

Long Way Home

This past Saturday I drove home for the day to visit with my brother and parents and also hang out with my Aunts, Uncle, and cousins who came by for supper.  My mom made some delicious baked spaghetti (def one of my favs!) and we all played scrabble and taboo.  I also beat my brother in Wii Resort 3-point shootoff (who says I'm not good at basketball!), and my dad and I showed off some sweet dance moves.

I drove back Saturday night so that I could make it to Sunday school and church on Sunday.  My parents get very nervous about me driving at night, so my mom made me promise to call her as soon as I got back to school.  (It's about 50 minutes from my house to PC.)  As I was pulling out of the driveway, my mom noticed that my front left tire was looking kind of low.  My dad followed me to a gas station right off the interstate in Chapin and filled up my tires with more air.

I actually enjoy driving...believe it or not...as long as the conditions are not excessively stressful.  (Driving in Harbison during Christmas...def not my fav).  My mom called me about an hour after I left the house, nervous because I hadn't called her yet.  Forgetting that my dad had to fill up my tires with air, and that my cell phone has a hole and is connected to my keychain (if you haven't seen my new phone I will show it to you because it is SUPER cool), which was in the ignition because my car key is also on my keychain, my mom called me right about the time I got to Newberry.  I couldn't ignore the ferocious vibration of my phone, so I pulled over at the next exit to call my mom back.  I made it to PC, called my parents, and everything turned out alright...but stopping off the interstate reminded me of one journey I made home last Spring.

It was the second semester of my freshman year at PC.  I decided to go home for the weekend.  I also was in a very adventurous stage of my life (I would describe myself as adventurous in general though some may disagree), and went off of an initial gut instinct to drive to Irmo without taking the interstate.  Naturally, I got directions from Mapquest, packed a totebag for the weekend, and got ready to leave.  I lived across the hall from a very cool, artsy girl named Caroline.  She roomed with my best friend at the time, and I visited her room often.  Caroline loved to drink hot tea.  I aspired to be as cool as Caroline, so I started drinking hot tea too.  Knowing I needed a drink to make it back, I figured what better to take with me than hot tea?  I got a giant thermos, nuked some H2O, and put 2 teabags in the water considering the sizeable amount of tea I was preparing to consume.

The ride home along the backroads of SC proved to be an interesting one.  I passed through downtown Union, noticed a state forest, and got lost only about 2 times.  About the time I crossed the interstate leaving Clinton, I realized I had to use the bathroom...number 1.  I figured I could hold it for an hour until I made it home.  Not recognizing that the drive home down the backroads would take longer than the drive home on the interstate, or that I drank about 30 ounces of hot tea, I later cursed myself for my stupidity!

Somewhere between Pomaria and White Rock (didn't know those existed?  neither did your average South Carolinian...), I had to go so badly that I thought I would explode.  If a hospital was nearby, I would have definitely checked myself in because I had to PEE to the extent that it was a medical issue.  I was in pain.  But smartie pants decided to take the back way and the only possible toilets nearby were inside some country-bumpkin churches or residential homes!  What to do, what to do, not even a gas station in sight!

Finally I saw a sign for a restaurant.  I turned down a little road, drove for about 2 miles, praying that there would be a bathroom I could visit, and pulled into a gravel parking lot of a small local restaurant.  I can't remember the name of the restaurant, but it was built from logs and had a carved sign that stood barely off the edge of the road.  There was only 1 other car in the parking lot.  I left my car, locked my door, and walked (if you want to call it that... really I was hunched over, my knees together, skipping/running) towards the restaurant.  Thankfully, the restaurant was unlocked.

Inside, the lights were dim.  I noticed unfinished floors, big wooden booths, a stage in the corner, a register near the door, unlit neon beer signs, and one lone old man sitting in the first booth, pen in hand, finishing some paperwork.

"Canipleaseuseyourbathroom???" I cried/pleaded?

Not thinking of the safety of the situation, I ran to the back of the room, and powdered my nose so to speak.  Well...I definitely felt A LOT better.  As I exited the bathroom, I explained my situation to the man (I was on my way home from Clinton, decided to take the back roads, had to use the bathroom REALLY badly) and made my merry way back to the car.

It was only about another 15 miles until I made it home, but after I told my mom the story she made me promise never to take that route home again.  Needless to say, there are definitely some memorable journeys back and forth between PC and home.

Super Binder Sunday

Unlike many Americans, instead of spending yesterday with friends watching the Super Bowl, overanalyzing commercials, and pigging out on snack foods, I rested, reorganized class notes, and made a schedule for the week.

During this time of regrouping yesterday, I realized that the 1-inch binder I bought from Fred's last week wasn't going to cut it for all of my class handouts.  I decided to visit Wal-mart and pick up a 2- or 3- inch binder to satisfy my organizational needs.

Finding a partner to go to Wal-mart with me wasn't easy.  It was, after all, Super Bowl Sunday, and a lot of my friends were hanging out together.  After a few failed attempts to sucker someone into joining me on my trip, I decided to brave the 15 minute commute to Wal-mart and the binder quest all alone.

Initially, I was a little fearful about going to Wal-mart (in Laurens, nonetheless) at night by myself.  As I pulled into the gigantic parking lot many thoughts were playing through my mind.  Would I be abducted?  Sold into slavery?  Stuck in the trunk of some psychopath's car with duct tape binding my mouth shut?

Ok...well as I parked and walked into Wal-mart I only noticed women exiting the store.  Beginning to feel relieved at the sight of a feeble, hunched-over, 80- or 90- year old woman walking to her car, I fiercely entered the Wal, so confident that I even greeted the employees near the door.

After briefly examining some flowers at the front of the store that were on display for Valentine's day, I made my way to the school supply section.  I picked up a 2-inch white binder (Wal-mart has a very disappointing binder section, just for the record), checked out the arts and crafts aisle, and the book aisle, and found myself next perusing the music/dvd section of the store.  (Sometimes you can find CDs or DVDs for only $5...what a steal!)

As I was looking at all of the crappy DVDs, I heard a buggy pulling up behind me.  No big deal.  Then a voice..."Well Hello there, how are you doing??"  Ok...no big deal.  I turned around to find a stranger talking to me!!  Next I take myself back to elementary school...all those reminders to never speak to strangers.  I make up some quick, average response "Finethankyouhowareyou" and steer myself to the next aisle.  Then, all of a sudden, creeper follows me there too!!

ONE OF MY GREATEST FEARS BEGINS TO COME TRUE!! AHH!!

Suddenly, a $5 CD becomes my last priority.  I walk briskly to the checkout, subtly peering over my shoulder every few nanoseconds to verify that I'm not being stalked.  I go to the 20 item or less checkout, pay in cash, and my 2-inch binder and I make a quick run to the car.  I press the unlock key on keychain, praying that it will actually work because oftentimes it malfunctions, get in the car, lock the doors again, and in colloquial terms...put the pedal to the metal!!  As I try to decide whether or not to take a secret route (that I haven't even yet discovered) back to Clinton in order to lose my stalker, I check my rear view mirror only to realize that nobody's behind me.  I'm safe.

As I retold this story to Ash in bed last night, we both giggled at how silly I was.  Then she asked me what time I went to Wal-Mart...I told her it was around 8 pm.  She started laughing profusely and said that should be the punchline of the story.  And so followers...there you have it.

just a little summary of what my day is like:

• being reminded of the gospel in john 3...that god really loved us first...he sacrificed his son for our sake in order to satisfy his wrath...he is jealous for our affections and will go to any price to win them!  his sacrifice is good and he is good!  he is the only one who knows true tolerance, true diversity, because his covenant of eternal life extends to WHOEVER believes!! ahh gets me so excited :)
• english major scrabble at 2:30.  i love scrab!!
• dear john, the day it comes out, a little later with some wonderful girls! :)
• possible chickfila encounter?
• and duh...dp at the cob=dance party at the campus outreach building.  

really?? what a fabulous day!  so thankful for fun days like this.

village cup

i am in love with the village cup. it is the cutest coffee shop/cafe i've ever seen.

picture this: two really comfy, warm, cute sitting areas that bookend a section of tables. awesome food (including wheat free sandwiches!) and great coffee drinks. free wireless internet. local artwork displayed all over the walls. dim lighting. fire place.

basically, it's the perfect place to spend an afternoon alone or with a few friends. the owners are locals, and they love what they do. and i've heard that they've been known to give free stuff to regulars. : )

readers, if you reside in the clinton/laurens area, you should totally check out the village cup. you will love it too!

oh, and ps: this post comes live from the most comfortable chair in the whole world... which just so happens to be located right next to the fireplace in the village cup.

learning connections

recently I have discovered that I subconsciously apply specific methods of learning to various elements of my lifestyle.

a few examples:

in my special education class we learned how to write reflections by answering the questions what?, so what?, now what?, as a way to apply what we're learning to our future classrooms.  instead, i now sometimes study verses of the bible this way during my time with God.

in campus outreach we learned how to have a "first generation" mindset when meeting new people and planning for events and stuff on campus.  basically, this just means to not do things the way they've always been done just because that's the way it's always been; but instead, to plan things and hang out with people in a way that's never been done before.  for my position in zeta, i have to plan bid day and the new member program for next fall.  i met with a girl who's helping me this week and tried to explain to her that i wanted to have a first generation mindset about bid day this year, but i'm not so sure if she understood.

not so sure if these things i'm learning were meant to be applied in different ways, but i'm definitely learning a lot!

My mom

Talked to my mom last night.  Shared with her some info from the last blog post.  Asked for a little insight about this summer:

Me: "So Mom, what do you think I should do this summer?  Do you think it would be good for me to work at a summer camp?"

Mom: "Well, you did always love Bug Juice."

I love my mom!

Recruiters camp out in Springs

For all of you faithful followers (shoutout to ward!!) who are aware of the time Ash and I finally went to sleep last night (3 AM) as a result of the last blogpost (read it.  ASAP.), it may amuse you to discover that I had a 9 am class today.  Not only did I make it to the said class, whose topic just so happened to be Linguistics, but I made it to said class in pin attire!  Praise be to God for that one because I woke up at 8:41 am and am definitely not skilled in the getting ready fast department.

Naturally, my body ached for caffeine after said class.  My first choice, of course, was some coffee from Springs.  12 ounces of java, a little skim milk, and 4 Splendas did the trick.  Along with an egg and cheese breakfast sandwich and a little time with the Lord studying John 3, I had all of the energy I needed to bounce back from this obvious sleep deficit.

As I'm exiting Springs, I notice several tables set up with information about summer camps.  Recruiters were in our student center offering information about their various camps.  Being the kind and indecisive self that I am (believe it or not...I have no idea what God has for me this summer), I decided to grab a few applications from the recruiters.

Slight problem: just grabbing a few applications from camp counselor recruiters is actually impossible.  Why?  Because you can't just grab an application, you also must provide very specific information about yourself.  Such as?  Who are you?  Where are you from?  What are you looking for this summer?  Why did you choose PC?  And what do students like you actually do on the weekends here?

In a jumbled, confusing, and most likely incoherent manner I answered: Amanda Sutker.  Irmo, South Carolina.  English Major.  Secondary Education Minor.  I want to learn more about God this summer, and maybe more about myself too.  I have no clue how I ended up here, but I love it.  And on the weekends, I go to mixers with my sorority, drive to Greenville to shop, watch a movie, or eat ice cream, and on special occasion, I am able to overhear the great pranks that occur, including those involving crab legs.

After talking to representatives from Camp Burnt Gin, Camp Kanuga, Camp Thunderbird, Camp Greenville, Camp Grier, and Camp Buc, I've almost got this routine nailed.  Some of the representatives are a little awkward and over-smily.  Some of them heard me talk and just got quiet, suggesting that perhaps their camp wasn't best suited for someone not akin to hiking with no other outdoors experience.  And some of them were fun, engaging, and personable.  Honestly, I had a blast.

At the end of each visit, the recruiters asked me to sign my name and email address on a list of interested applicants.  When I signed the lists, I was the first and only interested applicant on every paper.  Inevitably, this action tugged on my heart and made me feel a little sad for the recruiters, who now knew so much about me and shared a lot about themselves, and why they loved camp as well.

Anyways...I think I have a new perspective on summer camps now.  Who knows where I'll be this summer, but I'm definitely sending in a few applications the next few weeks.  I also visited Springs after our CEP to grab lunch.  Upon leaving, I smiled and waved to the recruiters.  I didn't check to see if they had any more interested applicants yet, but they all acknowledged me too, some of the guys doing the weird man head nod, the old awkward guy telling me goodbye by name.  If I gained nothing else, at least I now have a few new friends :).

if professors were greek

last night, amanda and i, snug in our side-by-side twin beds, talked until 3 am...

- guessing which fraternity or sorority each member of the pc faculty would be in if professors were greek. (personal fav: dr. barr - alpha sig)

- guessing which fraternity or sorority our non-greek friends would be in if they had ever rushed. (personal fav: paul klein - pike)

- laughing about how every time we think we have one of the boys figured out, they do something ridiculously surprising. (personal fav: parker young - found in a study room in the library yesterday... by himself)

- musing about the inner-workings of boy world and wondering if it's anything like girl world. (personal fav: if two boys like the same girl, how do they handle the situation?)

granted, everything is funnier late at night, but i feel pretty confident these thoughts are worth a good laugh any time of day. :)