As per the usual, I have neglected my journal. Unfortunately for me, I have no real excuse this time. I have been a college graduate for over a month now. With the exception of my wonderful trip to Italy, I haven't been doing too much.

I spent hours cleaning my room and ushering it into the year 2010. I must admit - it's quite hard for me to throw away all of my schoolwork, Blink 182 and Backstreet Boys posters, and stuffed animals (especially after seeing Toy Story 3). Alas, I've done it and it even resembles a room that a 20-something year-old would have. Sort of.

In other news, I have tried my absolute hardest to follow the FIFA World Cup. It only happens once every four years and it seems to be just as eagerly anticipated as the Olympics. As expected, I have failed. The games seem too long and too boring. It's not that I don't respect the incredible athleticism of the players. Trust me, I do. I just can't fathom a 90-minute game that can actually end in a 0-0 tie. For a bit, I feigned interest for the sole purpose of watching Portugal's gorgeous Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Portugal just lost to Spain (1-0) and no more Cristiano translates to no more Brittany. The U.S. also lost a bit ago to Ghana...which is just as well. I really don't like Landon Donovan (the American 'superstar') and most Americans don't care anyway.

I saw Eclipse, the third installment of the Twilight series, last night at midnight. It was absolute pandemonium at the theater. The sheer amount of overly-excited teeny boppers, complete with Edward, Jacob, and Bella t-shirts and raging hormones, was mind-boggling. I almost felt bad for the stressed Twi-moms, but then I remembered that they probably long for a vampire or werewolf boyfriend as much as their pre-pubescent daughters do. At any rate, the movie was gloriously cheesy (just like the other two installments), but that is what I've come to expect. Taylor Lautner certainly didn't disappoint. Luckily, his shirt was off for 50% of the movie and although I didn't shriek like the other fanatics, I'm sure I felt roughly the same.

A few weeks ago, Jenn, TJ, and I went to Toledo to visit Eric and CJ. It was a nice break from Lebanon and it was a relaxing trip. Aside from a pretty wild party at Peter's, we just sat around and caught up with them. I miss them terribly already.

Jenn and I also went on our annual venture to Riverbend to see the amazing Dave Matthews Band. We scalped tickets, so we had spots on the lawn. About two songs in, we could tell it was going to thunderstorm. Lightning was striking all around and it really enhanced the mood of the concert. The rain started to pour and the wind started to blow and as miserable as it sounds, it was fantastic. For some reason, rain goes perfectly with live Dave. I had to take my glasses off and I felt completely submersed in the music. They even did "Crash" and "Seven!" Mmm...he always helps me simplify my life and re-connect me with what's important. I can't wait to see them again on July 25th in Louisville!

Still no word back from UVA. It seems to me that I'll be taking a much-needed year off from academics.

I promise that I will do a big update on my trip to Italy in a bit. Pinky swear. But, for now, I will leave you with some Ronaldo. You're welcome.

I hate being sick...mostly because I can't sing.

This is the last week of undergrad. Bizarre. I'm swamped with work and yet, I'm still finding ways to procrastinate (like updating my journal).

The Pens won the series on Saturday! Second round, here we come! 

Lately, I've been bothered by the Canadian booing for Sid. During games in Ottawa, fans have booed Sid and chanted the ever-popular, "Crosby sucks!" This is bothersome not only because he is being booed by his fellow countrymen in his homeland, but also because this comes only a couple months after they lauded him as the messiah following his gold-winning overtime goal in the Olympics. I've tried to analyze why Sid could possibly be booed and I have come to one conclusion: Jealousy.

Hockey (and any sport) players are booed for a number of reasons. Some are booed because they are flamboyant personalities that have previously said something offensive about another team. Others are booed because they are openly arrogant and seem to view themselves as demi-gods. Others (*cough* Ovechkin *cough*) are booed because they have previously injured an opposing team's players. Yet, none of these apply to Crosby.

Unlike some other players, Crosby is humble about his extraordinary ability to play the game. He is very involved in the community and takes part in a number of community service activities (ex. he hand-delivers tickets to season-ticket holders, visits children's hospitals, his Little Penguins program). He doesn't insult other players on the ice or to the press. In fact, when confronted with insults hurled at him, he often tries to side-step and brush them off as unimportant. He is actually rather uncontroversial and quite frankly, I think his interviews can be quite boring (because he never says anything interesting/problematic). Although I admit that he was quite a whiner his rookie season, I don't see him whining to refs anymore about calls. Very rarely is Crosby involved in fights, and as a consequence, he is rarely responsible for player injuries.

So, I have come to the conclusion that most hockey fans hate Sid simply because he doesn't play for their team. Unfairly, Canadians glorified him as the second coming of Jesus Christ during the Olympics and then almost immediately villified him when the NHL resumed regular play. Why? Simply put - he's the best and he can only play for one team.

Stepping off my soapbox...

Jenn, TJ, and I went to Charlottesville this weekend. It was a wonderful break from the monotony of schoolwork...we left early Thursday. When we got there, we got dinner and went downtown to listen to Ben Harper. He was wonderful (as I expected) and did an amazing cover of "Under Pressure." I would LOVE to see him again. Friday, we went to Jefferson Vineyards for a wine tasting and to relax. We also went to Fridays after Five to watch local favorites, 6 Day Bender, play at the Pavilion. That night, we ate dinner on the Corner, walked back, and stopped at a sushi bar called The Box to watch a blues band play. When we got back, we watched the Hurt Locker. Saturday, we got up early to watch the Dogwood Festival parade. We hung out downtown until heading to the Corner for some Mellow Mushroom pizza. After arriving on campus, we quickly realized that something was up. Everyone was staggering about in a drunken stupor, wearing brightly-colored prep gear. After watching a guy vomit all over himself, we asked a cop what the occasion was and were informed that we happened to be there during the infamous Foxfield Races. To put this into perspective, Tucker Max has a chapter on the Foxfield Races...It was amusing to watch the drunk frat boys and sorority girls stumble to the Corner. We even got "NERDS!" yelled at us from a passing car. Hilarious.

Sidney Crosby is NOT a human being.

Seriously, I cannot believe the game tonight. The Pens won, 2-1, in the best NHL game I've seen this year. Crosby is out of this world. He scored his 25th career playoff goal, made an incredible save, and had one of the coolest assists I've ever seen due to his amazing stickhandling (no pun intended - although I will take a second to think about that).

Don't believe me? www.youtube.com/watch

I have such tremendous respect for athletes that totally dominate their sport. Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, Roger Federer. I'm seriously starting to think Crosby could join this list. There are certainly other players in the NHL that give him a run for his money, but he just consistently proves himself and comes through when it's most important.

I know that I'm biased because I would honestly contemplate mothering his children, but let's be serious. From a completely neutral point of view, he's a force to be reckoned with...

...and absolutely gorgeous. Seriously, find a flaw with this face.


 

[	mood	|	nostalgic	]
[	music	|	"Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles	]

Since we've last spoken, a number of things have happened, both good and bad.

First, Jenn's Grandpa Weiss, who has practically been family to me for the last 10 years, passed away on Valentine's Day. That has been pretty tough for the entire Koenig family. He always called me his "other grand-daughter" and he had an incredible way of making me feel included at every Weiss/Koenig family gathering. I will forever miss his smile and the hilarious stories and jokes he told everyone. RIP Grandpa Weiss.

On a lighter note, I went on a glorious spring break trip to New Orleans with the crew. In total, there were 10 of us who made the trip (Me, Jenn, TJ, Nick, Eric, CJ, Ben, Dustin, Max, and Clint). On the way down, we stopped for the night in Memphis. We cruised up and down Beale Street, eating dinner at a bluesy, BBQ restaurant. Jenn, Nick, Clint, and I made our way into an awesome, modern club called Shadow Club, where Nick proceeded to dance with a cougar. Hilarity ensued. The next day, we finished our drive down to New Orleans.



The entire stay in New Orleans was incredible. Bourbon Street is honestly something that eludes accurate description. It is the single-most sleazy, yet entertaining place I have seen in my life. The neon signs, the drunk people stumbling about, the cacophony of music emanating from every club and bar and mixing on the street. Workers on the street, trying to entice tourists to come in with promises of cheap alcohol, beautiful women, or live music. The beautiful balconies (...French or Spanish architecture?), adorned proudly with Saints flags. The smell of Creole food and BBQ mingling with the sound of jazz music coming from a candlelit alley. We went to a number of places on Bourbon. The most notable being: Fat Catz - a dance club that played popular music and NEVER closed - the annoying DJ did shout out to Miami University (which was very cool); a club across from Fat Catz (whose name I can't remember) - we stayed here for HOURS on end because we were allowed on the balcony; Tropical Isle - where most in the group bought the infamous Hand Grenade; Pat O'Brien's - my personal favorite - home of the Hurricane and an incredible piano bar. We spent a lot of time in Pat O'Brien's, requesting songs and singing obnoxiously loud. While on the balcony, we asked passers-by to flash us and were successful many times. We got multiple guys and even a few girls to flash us in exchange for some beads that Ben's friend, Amy, gave us. That, of course, went with creepy guys asking US to flash them, with camera phones at the ready. Mehh...it never happened. I'm all about subverting gender roles. On the first night we were there, we got kicked out of the bar because CJ accidentally knocked a bottle off of the balcony.



The weather was an incredible improvement from the chill of March in Oxford, so I walked around in t-shirts, gauchos, and flip-flops the whole time. The first two nights, we stayed practically in the French Quarter at a hotel called the Pelham. The rooms were small, but quaint (although our room didn't have a window!). The next two nights, we moved to a Quality Inn on St. Charles Ave. Although it was slightly outside of walking distance to the French Quarter, it was conveniently located directly on the St. Charles streetcar line and we took it multiple times downtown (for only $1.25 one way). Our second hotel was also right across from Emeril Lagasse's restaurant.

One of the first days we were there, we explored the Garden District and spent the day at Amy's beautiful house. She is neighbors with Cooper Manning (Peyton and Eli's brother). Other celebrities with homes in the Garden District: Anne Rice, Eli, Peyton, and Archie Manning, Trent Reznor (singing of Nine Inch Nails), and Nicolas Cage. The homes were beautiful beyond description. We spent the day, eating pizza and sitting on Amy's porch.

Another day, we explored the French Quarter. We went inside the beautiful St. Louis cathedral in front of Jackson Square and ate AMAZING beignets at the famous Cafe du Monde. It's a good thing we don't have those here...haha...I was in my glory because the city has an incredible history. We took a Haunted History tour, hearing gruesome stories of the real events that occurred in the city, including the devastation of the Great Fire and the torture that slaves had to endure in cramped holding cells. We stopped in front of the LaLaurie Mansion and heard about the horrible experiments that the wealthy French couple performed on slaves. During this story, TJ literally passed out...and the guide was sure to explain that the paranormal had reached out and affected him. Nicolas Cage used to own the LaLaurie Mansion, but due to his recent bankruptcy, he had to sell it. We also went to St. Louis Cemetery #1, the film site for the cemetery scene in Easy Rider. Although it was a little eery and certainly haunting, the above-ground tombs were actually very beautiful and peaceful.



We took a ferry to Algiers (for no real reason) and gambled at Harrah's. I refused to spend any of my money on gambling, so Jenn gave me $5 and I ended up winning $18! I gave it all to her...because I owed her anyway. :) One night, we went to Tulane for 50 cent drinks. I quickly realized how lucky I am to be a Miami student. However, the next season of the Real World is being filmed in New Orleans and two of the girls showed up at the bar where we were (called The Boot). Back on Bourbon Street, I tried a sip of Absinthe at a Pirate's Bar on Pirate's Alley. It tasted a lot like black licorice, so I'm not a fan. Jenn and TJ had quite a bit and never mentioned a little green fairy. Disappointment. We saw the oldest bar in the US, Jean Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop (1772). It's still lit by candlelight and apparently, it's haunted. I saw a PHANTOM with Hawaii license plates while in the French Quarter. So jealous... I ran into two poly sci friends at Fat Catz, which was incredibly bizarre. Jenn met a Jae Millz look-a-like and was in heaven for about two hours. They exchanged numbers and he called her multiple times, but she's a tease and refused to go home with him (thank God). All in all, New Orleans was incredible. I would LOVE to go back because there was plenty I didn't get to do. I really wanted to go to the WWII museum, but hey, at least now I have a reason to go back.

We stopped in Atlanta on the way back. On the way to Atlanta, however, we stopped at Max's aunt's house in Diamondhead, Mississippi. She told us about the Hurricane damage (apparently it hit there harder than in New Orleans) and told us that Brett Favre grew up five minutes from there in a town called Kiln. Miraculously, I withheld my trash-talking. Everyone ate lunch and took turns in the canoes on the lake. When we got to Atlanta, we checked into our hotel in Buckhead and had dinner.



The next day, we took the subway into downtown Atlanta and walked around Atlanta Underground for a bit. We went to the World of Coca-Cola and learned about the history of America's favorite soft drink. We walked around the exhibits and got to see all of the Olympic torches (Coke sponsors the Olympics), the old vending machines, and the couch used for American Idol's Season 4. I tried all 64 drinks in the tasting room...including variations of Coke and drinks from most of the continents. The most disgusting, by far, was the Beverley from Italy...which tasted like cough syrup. We got a free bottle of Coke on the way out and walked around in Centennial Olympic Park for a bit. The Clydedale horses were there from St. Louis (because they were in the St. Patrick's Day parade the next day), so we made our way to their tent. For dinner, we headed to the CNN Center. The guys decided to go to the Thrashers vs. New York Rangers game because tickets were only $10. TJ and I waited for a bit and scalped tickets for awesome seats for $10. Unfortunately, the Thrashers lost, 5-2...but it was a good first NHL experience. After the game, some of us went to a swanky, modern club called Halo in midtown. Although the drinks were overpriced, the atmosphere was good and it was a classy way to end break.

Green Beer Day, the Thursday before break, was amazing...as always. The weather was wonderful. We got up at 4:30 and went over to Derailed for green pancakes, green beer pong, and Patron. A few shots later, we headed to Brick Street for some dancing at 6:00 AM. Next, we went to Underground, followed by lunch at Qdoba and more drinks at Mac and Joe's. Then, I went to class, where a random drunkard stumbled in, sat down for half the lecture, kept interrupting the teacher, and shouted "BAD LECTURE" before scrambling out. I met everyone on the Brick Street patio and we all went back to Derailed for a nap. When we woke up, we were greeted by Morgan and Spazz who came for the night festivities. We went to Steinkeller for a bit, then Skyline for dinner. After eating, we went to Stadium for a bit and then ended the night at Brick Street (where I met Jamie and LP). All in all, it was a wonderful last GBD.



Jenn and I saw Norm MacDonald at MUM. Jeff Tate opened for him before Norm did his stand-up routine. Sure makes me miss the days when SNL was good...



For Jenn and Eric's joint birthday party, we had a Marchoween party. It was a costume party and all of us dressed up as the characters on Clue. Jenn and Eric bought a boob-shaped ice luge for shots. There was a lot of dancing and a bonfire outside, too.



The Miami hockey team won the CCHA for the regular season and beat Michigan in overtime in the regional game of the NCAA tournament (3-2). I wish someone had recorded Derailed's reaction to the game-winning goal. Everyone jumped up, screaming and hugging...and, as per the ush, shirts came off and tables were danced on. Nick and I are going to the semi-final in Detroit on Thursday and I can't wait. If we beat Boston College on Thursday, we play in the national championship game on Saturday (against the winner of the Wisconsin-RIT game). There is a Send-Off Rally for the team at Uptown park tomorrow. I'm so proud of my school. :) Hockey has served as a wonderful football substitute. It's about time I found something to soothe the football withdrawal pain I experience in March...



Speaking of hockey, Sidney Crosby = Sex. I realize that he, single-handedly, crushed the hopes of America during the Olympics...but something about that almost makes him MORE attractive. Don't get me wrong. I was undoubtedly rooting for the U.S., but if ever there was a somewhat acceptable alternative to US gold, it would be a Canada gold...with Crosby scoring the final goal. The US-Canada game was absolutely INCREDIBLE. When Parise scored, taking the game into overtime, the entire continent was either screaming with joy or sitting on the edge of the couch with bated breath. But back to Crosby, the fact that he ended the game is a picture-perfect ending for the "Next One." It couldn't have been scripted better. Sid the Kid is incredible and something about the fact that he played for the "bad guys" makes him so desirable in a Voldemort, he-who-must-not-be-named kind of way...like he's the forbidden fruit that must be tasted. The good news? He spends most of his time one state away from me...Look out, Crosby! 



I absolutely cannot believe that I graduate from college in a month. I really haven't come to terms with it. I've been living in a perpetual state of denial, while also using my impending-graduation as an excuse for my laziness and lack of work ethic. Second-semester senior syndrome has hit me hard and all I want to do is spend time with my amazing friends and go uptown every night. I just can't imagine not living here. I remember freshman year, when I contemplated transferring and went home every weekend. I'm so glad I stuck it out because I absolutely LOVE my school. I do not want to leave yet. Time flies...

Amazing Miami memories:

How beautiful campus is when the leaves change in the fall. How beautiful campus is when the flowers bloom in the spring. Piano Man at Brick on Wednesdays. Jump around during the 3rd period. Late nights at Houston Woods, playing sardines or Red Rover and looking at the stars. Long nights in Swing, playing Rock Band for hours upon end. Sieve, sieve, sieve, sieve, sieve, sieve, sieve. It's all your fault! Tower-to-Go loaded fries and Tornados. Every night at Derailed with my favorite people. The sound of Pulley Tower playing a song on the bells. Dinner at Harris. Dance parties on furniture. Halloween parties at Derailed. Being one of very few fans at a Miami home football game (and still being proud). Thanksgiving at Central Perk. Burrito Loco. Seeing Colin Powell, James Carville, Gregory Maguire, Cleve Jones, and Naturally 7. Tuesday '90s night at Brick. Hot Scott hot subs. The friendship corridor in Ogden. Girl Talk concert. Green Beer Day. Monday Karaoke night at Brick. Waiting in line for hockey games. Hearing the marching band practice during naps in Tappan. The Mexi-Club at 45. Clark Kent stalking. Remnants and Misfitz concerts at Hall Auditorium. My crush on the owner of Brick and 45. Sitting in MET quad with friends. Late nights at Shriver. Meal plans. The MAC Championship game in Detroit. Walking to Alexander every Wednesday for dinner freshman year. Dinner at Bell Tower. Nasty Underground. Tacos and tubbies at Mac and Joe's. The opening of Chipotle uptown. Singing the Miami fight song at hockey games. Spanish and poly sci friends. Sitting on the patio at Skipper's. The beautiful plum tree in front of Central Perk. Week nights at Steinkeller. Sneaking boys into Ogden after hours. Switching housemates at Central Perk. Bonfires in backyards. Valentine's Day corridor party. Senior year bar crawl.

I'm going to miss everything about Miami and Oxford. Over the last four years, it has become home to me. I have gotten close to the most amazing people I could ever imagine. After leaving high school, I never thought I would make friends that were as close as my high school friends. I was wrong. Our group at Derailed couldn't possibly be any closer than we are...and it hurts to think that in a month, we won't be spending every waking moment together. However, I take comfort in knowing that we will still be best friends, and even if distance separates us, nothing will change. I will take a piece of them with me forever and I hope that they will do the same with me. They have changed me for the better. Absolutely nothing can break the bond we share and the memories we have made together. I can't wait to come back to Miami with them and reminisce about our perfect days here. :)