the good and the bad of having roommates

disclaimer for my current roomies: y'all are awesome....but you know that these are true :)

* * *

the GOOD

[1] You're [almost] never alone.

I'm pretty social...and I like to have people around, which is great when you have roommates because there are almost zero times when there's no one to talk to. In order to be lonely, you have to try to be lonely.

[2] Sharing chores.

What's not to love?? It's not all on me to keep the house clean, and that's fab.

[3] Community food.

LOVE it when someone buys too many oreos or has left over chicken salad/guac/etc

[4] Party people.

When you live with 4 other people, there's almost always have something to do....my social calendar is almost never without options.

[5] Splitting utilities.

This is nice....to heat this giant house and pay for it on my own would cost a small fortune...

the BAD

[1] You're [almost] never alone.

...we all need our alone time. And as Beth has said, walking around naked would be nice.

[2] Sharing chores.

While I really love having a clean home, if I know that someone else will pick up the slack if I don't clean my area of the house this week,it's easier for me to just not pull my weight. And my education in social psychology tells me that social proof usually takes over, resulting in everyone slacking off....no bueno.

[3] Community food.

Sometimes I'm not sure what food is mine....in the same way, it's easy to fall into a resentful "omg did she eat my mac and cheese??" mindset when in fact you've already eaten your mac and cheese....

[4] Party house.

Having an active social life is exhausting. Sure it's nice to have options, but if you want to be alone and there are 15 people over and your only option is to hang out in your room which is on the first floor....well, that kind of defeats the "being alone" mentality.

[5] Splitting utilities.

How could there be a downside? Well...despite sharing utilities, I've run into this issue with roommates I've had in the past... hate to be the lights Nazi, but when your electric bill has been over 200 for the past 3 months, it gets kind of ridiculous. If it were just me, I would only have myself to blame.

* * *

If you paid attention, you'll notice that the good and the bad are the same things. As much as I've loved living with roommates over the past 5 years, I am getting SO PUMPED to live on my own come August. eek!!!

xo, mo

P to the ARTY

Before I begin my ramblings, I would like to ask for prayers for the Mead family, close friends of the family....they've had it rough on this ride we call life. Jack, the dad, died this Sunday from a motor-vehicle accident...a mere 6 years after the death of the their eldest son. 

Please pray for Gayle, that she can remain strong, as she always does, but also knows when to lean on others. 

Please pray for Lauren and Matt as they mourn the death of their father.

And please pray for the repose of the souls of both Jack Mead and Jack Mead, Jr.

Lord have mercy.

----------------------------------------------------------

Alrighty, so I have a tad bit more of unsolicited advice: if your roommate ever asks if it's alright to have some people over and you say yes, make sure to clarify how many is "some".

Lesson learned.

Here's the story.

My roommate, KJ, is seriously one of the sweetest and cutest women I have ever had the pleasure to know. 

Seriously.

We haven't had a whole lot of time to get to know one another because she's currently in the midst of FOCUS Summer Training and she's living at the Newman Center for the time being...so when she came home on Sunday afternoon and asked if I minded if she had some people over on Monday night because FOCUS had Monday off, I happily obliged. Especially since the 2 other women who are living here full-time are out of town this entire week...I was excited to have some other people around besides me, myself and I :)

So yeah. I agreed to having some people over and we went on with our nights...blah blah blah (I know my mom hates that lol)

I went to work Monday and afterwards ran to Hobby Lobby to pick up some paint (I have a craft that I'm working on...will post sometime this week!) and came home to freshen up and make sure that the house was relatively clean for our expected guests.

And this is what I found in my kitchen:

...I guess we're having a party?

I'll give you one guess what those coolers were filled with...here's a hint...if you know my Granny Kay, it's her favorite beverage. ;)

I laughed for a good 5 minutes, completely caught off guard because in my mind, "some people" translates numerically to between 5-10 people max....thankfully, KJ came home soon thereafter and my face must have had what did you do?! written all over it because she let out a cautious giggle and 

"heyyyy...so I probably should have clarified...." 

Luckily, she didn't invite all 400 of the missionaries...only the second years (missionaries who have one year of work under their belt and are set out to serve their second year)...which totals around 100 people. 

EEK!!!

But it's all good...it was really fun to have people around and to get to know a number of new people...75% of whom I cannot remember their names, but what do you expect when you meet upwards of 70 new people within a 3ish hr time-frame? Oh yeah...that's another thing...we estimated once everyone left that maybe 70ish people showed up...that's a lot of people! I knew that this was a party house! 

So it's safe to say that my week has been officially thrown completely off...I went into work today not really knowing what day it was and leaving thinking that it was Wednesday...nope. It's not like I didn't get a lot of sleep last night or anything...everyone had cleared out by about 11 (about half of them had an 8AM holy hour) and with the help of some nice peeps we had everything cleaned up by 11:45 and I was in bed by 12:15! Really though, when you have a Friday/Saturday-type party on Monday, it's really confusing that you have to get up and go to work at 9AM the next morning!

But yeah...I can tell that I'm becoming more and more incoherent in my thought processes and otherwise so I'll be done for tonight...point of post: I had fun. Yay me.

----------------------------------------------------------

Oh and just a note about my posts...I've realized that while I enjoy using my blog to post about my daily happenings and unexpected crazy stories, I miss blogging about random things that I find interesting so I'm going to try to get myself to do that a bit more. I'll continue to post about what's going on with my life, but don't be surprised if you see that there are some random posts here and there :)

things I won't miss

things about this apartment I will not miss:

• creeeeeaky floors - soooo annoying in the morning when I'm trying to snooze for an extra 3 minutes but all I can focus on is the sound of my roommates creaking around. ugh.
• paper-thin walls - also soooo annoying because not only can I hear my neighbors breaking up [or making up - yuck.] with their boyfriends, but again, when I'm trying to snooze, I can hear everything happening in my apartment. ugh.
• obnoxious neighbors who use the stairwells and hallways as a garbage dump - not only have we had to pay a number of repair fees but the people in this building - and their friends - just leave stuff allll overrr the place. For example, there is currently an empty pizza box, almost ripped to shreds, just laying on one of the landings in the stairwell. whyyyyy?!
• this horrible forest green carpet - this is probably due to the price of nicer carpet being more expensive and granted, spills don't really show up on this carpet...but gross. I hate it.

the above and other things have me actually looking forward to graduation...10 days!

Photo Coasters

I am OBSESSED with Pinterest. Obsessed. So when I needed to figure out what I was giving my friends K&A for a bridal shower gift, being the money-less college kid that I am, I turned to the oh-so-inspiring Pinterest for ideas on DIY gifts. There are SO many great ideas, but my favorite was homemade coasters! How cute! AND CHEAP!!! Best part. :)

My inspiration came from Sharon at Two Girls Being Crafty and posted it on Pinterest, naturally. BUT that pin got 258 repins! Holy Shamoly! That made me happy and excited...but I digress...here are some photos and comments on how I made my loverly coasters! I am extremely proud of myself and think they look very nice if I do say so myself! :)

the complete directions for these coasters can be found here

bought 8 tiles at Menards for $0.13 each

Mod Podge cut out pieces of felt to the bottom to prevent scratches :)

slimmed down 4X6 pictures to be 4X4...fit PERFECTLY for these tiles

Mod Podge pictures FRONT & BACK to tiles...allow to dry until no longer tacky

UPDATE: DO NOT Mod Podge the front! Only Mod Podge the backs of the photos so that they stick to the tiles...I ended up with some weird lines and bumps and the top layer peeled off....gross.

when tiles are no longer tacky, use waterproof craft spray according to directions to seal

allow to dry/set (I did for 12 hrs to be safe) and spray with seal again if desired
NOTE: K&A are super cute, yes?! they're getting married on their 7th anniversary! adorbs.

These were honestly a lot simpler than I expected...granted, I was sort of stressing because the shower is Saturday and if I messed them up I would have to figure something out quick...and be out some money.

Speaking of money, here's a break-down of what I spent to make these bad boys

                        8 tiles at $0.13 each = $1.04

                                         black felt = $0.23

                        Krylon Matte Spray = $3.67

                                    Mod Podge = $6.97

                      set of 3 foam brushes = $0.97

     8 one hour photos at $0.19 each = $1.52

                     SUBTOTAL = 14.40 + tax

Awesome! All of the good items left on K&A's registry were at least $15, so I think I got a pretty good deal! And keep in mind that if you already have a sealant spray, brushes, Mod Podge and/or felt, you're golden and looking at a subtotal of about $2.56. That's fab. Although I didn't have any of those supplies, I do now and can use them in the future, so they're more like an investment, right? Right. I mean, let's be honest...normal college kids don't have sealant spray laying around...

caught.

I just said goodbye to two of my best friends. And the likeliness is that I won't see them for the whole 3 weeks we're off for break.

It's funny...I never thought I would feel this way. Caught.
When I'm here, I miss home. But when I'm home, I'm itching to come back here.
When I'm here, I miss my family. But when I'm home, I miss my family.
It's not that I don't feel like I have a home, the problem is that I have two homes.

Who knew that the people you're with pretty much 24/7 would become vital parts of you.
Kate was gone for 5 days last week due to some unfortunate events and I missed her like crazy.
When Ry isn't around for 2 days, the next time I see him, I feel like it's been forever.
Liz and I share a brain.
Karen is just as crazy as I am, maybe more...
Carol and I live 15 minutes from one another, but NEVER get together over breaks.

I don't know. I've done it before, so I can do it again, and of course God's on my side and He's the only thing I need, yaddah yaddah...but He put these people, my family, in my life, and it's really hard to say goodbye.

just dance

I think my friends and I are magnets for awkward situations. It seems surreal, but seriously, awkward/funny/weird things ALWAYS happen to us!

We had a Halloween party last night, which was meant to be a pretty big party, but we only invited people that we knew and didn't really expect too many people to bring/invite random people. We mainly did this because if there was an issue with people being too rowdy or loud or something, we would have a lot easier time settling down/kicking out someone we're friends with compared to some random dude no one knows.

While there were no issues of that nature [thank God], within the first 15 mins of the party, barely anyone was there, and all of the sudden some random guy walks in. He starts introducing himself to everyone and one of our friends mentioned that he looked familiar from the Newman center or something, but it was so awkward. He walked around our apartment looking at our art and stuff asking questions, or randomly following one of us into our bedrooms...after about 30 mins, he left but oh my gosh. It was awkward.

The rest of the party went really well, there weren't really any major issues or any more awkward situations, but that one sticks out. Also, I realized that as nice it was to not have to go anywhere and then walk home at like 2:30am, I really didn't enjoy hosting a big party. We rearranged the whole apartment and cleaned and decorated, and by the time all that was over, the party hadn't even begun and all I wanted was a nap! And then the whole night I was watching everyone worrying that they were having a good time..I guess it's mainly my own fault, that I need to just chill and have a good time, but my roommate was worried that the cops were going to get called for noise, so there was that concern in the back of my head. I don't know...it's not that I'll never have another big party, we have three 21st birthdays coming up in the next few months, so there'll likely be parties for those, but it wasn't as fun as I expected. :/ Oh well.

Tonight we're just going to a friends to hangout and party in a smaller group, so that will probably be more fun because I can just relax and have a good time. Nice.

facebook

Facebook is meant to help everyone stay connected and updated, etc...but for me, it just causes an unnecessary stress. I'm on a Facebook fast until further notice...and without prior notice. I just decided this last night before I fell asleep...went on this morning before work, and then when I got home, had my roommate change my password and the email address associated with my account. This way I can neither change my mind and log on nor send a "recover my password" email to my email account. woot.

Facebook is good for many things, but it is also a trap. It sucks you in and you can't get out. And it causes you to be a super creepy stalker. Not good.

So, adios Facebook, see you never? Not really, but we won't be friends for a very long time.

detox

This weekend was full of a lot of healing, love and epiphanies.

The Newman center has a semesterly retreat called Koinonia, and this past weekend was when the fall semester one was held. There have been a lot of changes made to it in the past year and a half and all of the changes, big and small, have been stressful for us older students to become accustomed to. However, instead of being open and willing to see where the Lord is taking us, most of us have resisted change as much as possible and I feel we've been a really bad example for the younger students. After all, this is all they've ever known and they love it, so what right do we have to ruin their peace?

Anyways, I wasn't a leader on NK41, but all my roommates were and most of my friends as well, so the stress that they felt was somewhat transferred to me. I was freaking out about the weekend for numerous reasons, but mostly because I was worried that there would be too many hours of Adoration and that it would be overwhelming for the protestants attending the retreat. Shows how much I know.

We had adoration with many of the community members and it was amazing to watch the retreatants' hearts transform before my eyes and all I could think was how stupid I am to not trust wholly in the Lord and in His plans for us.

On a similar tangent, one of my roommates and I listened to a FOCUS (Fellowship Of Catholic University Students) talk all about women and how we tend to try to fill the space in our heart meant for our future husband with random guys who we "fall in love with" everyday without being concerned with guarding our hearts. Oh man. I felt like that entire talk was directed towards me. I frequently refer to myself as a crazy person, [which I'm trying to stop] but I realized that it isn't that I'm crazy, it is that I have this immense capacity to love, and that's how I was made!

I long to know my future husband; to love him, to cherish him, to take care of him! But, until I meet him, I need to fill this void in my heart with the Lord, rather than in "emotional mental relationships" [you and the object of your affection are in an emotional relationship in your head, but he doesn't know it because it in fact does not exist].

So, now, how to change my ways? Ugh. Old habits die hard. I now fully understand and appreciate what that saying means. Well, there are a couple of steps:

1. Revert back to my old way of seeing men. I used to try to view all men as brothers in Christ. Not as a prospective relationship, etc. Just a brother in Christ. Period.

2. Fill the void in my heart with the Lord through prayer and sacraments. He already occupies the majority of my heart, but until He reveals to me who I am to spend the rest of my life with, He needs to be my everything. All my love, all my hope, and all my joy.

3. Become okay with being single. I mean, it isn't that I am unhappy being single, but it is very hard sometimes to not wish you had "someone" when your roommates are either in a long-term relationship, or are in the process of figuring things out with someone. I need to become content with how my life is right now.

4. TRUST that the Lord has everything under control. I knew I struggled with this before my epiphany, but now, more than ever do I actually need to implement this into my life!

5. Love. Just love. Life, friends, school, family, EVERYTHING.

So we'll see how this goes...don't worry, all you people who don't read my blog will be informed on a regular basis about how I am doing. :]

born to be wild

I just wanna be bad.

blow off some firecrackers, TP a house, go crazy. SOMETHING.

This has been the topic of my apartment for quite some time...I feel like all we do is homework and hangout. Granted, only one of us is of drinking age, so karaoke bars, etc are out of the question, but I'm so bored!!! Last weekend we actually did some fun stuff...ran a 5K with our newman center, had a bbq/concert thing...and then ended off the day with a roadtrip to U of I where we got lost and were almost eaten by coyotes. Good times.

That's good and all, but I feel like I need I WANT that constant rush of adrenaline!

Today, in my Culture of War class, we were talking about "The Lust of the Eye". You may recognize this from the Bible, but the author of the book we are reading talks in depth on this subject. One of the parts of the lust of the eye that he identifies is the "Delight in Destruction" and my professor asked who out of us would like to blow something up right now. As expected, all of the people who raised their hands, minus one, were guys. And no, that one girl who raised her hand was not me. But I wanted to. I really think it would be great fun to go shoot off some fireworks, or bottlerockets, or whatever they're called! The fire, the noise, the smoke, the thrill!!!

Actually, what I REALLY want to do right now is jump in a car [preferably a convertible] and drive somewhere...maybe CA? CO? Mexico? I don't really care, I just want to get out, do something. NOW.

But no. I'm a student. I have class. I have to be at work in t-minus 30 mins. But I will do something. ANYTHING. eventually.

maybe I'll become a runner....

danger zone

My kitchen is a danger zone. With 4 girls living here, it would be expected to be a little messy sometimes, but lately it's just been driving me crazy. We're all super busy, but I can't remember the last time we had an empty dishwasher AND empty sink. The floor is gross, so I avoid looking at it. I wipe down the counters as often as possible, but there's always crap all over the place. Aggravating. I'm to blame as well, I just wish we all weren't as busy as we are and could take the time to clean on a regular basis.

Also, I didn't know mold could grow in the fridge...apparently it can. I had a tupperware container with spaghetti sauce in it because one of my roommates is an art major and she needed the jar for her oil brushes [or something artsy like that]. So, being the nice roomie I am, I gave her my jar and put the sauce in a tupperware. bad idea.

I think that glass jars are meant to keep things fresh [like sauce] for a while...but because my tupperware was in the back of the fridge, I saw it every now and then, but didn't ever use it up...and now? gross. mold.

I just kind of looked at it this morning and thought to myself "well that's gross...I'll deal with it later." But finally I got up the guts this afternoon to clean it out. Oh my gosh. The was one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen....it didn't really smell, but there were little growths all over the place.

It's times like these when I miss living at home full time. If this had happened at home, my mom would have taken care of it...but because I'm an "adult" now..I have to do it. dang it.

I think I like this blogging thing...but it's still too soon to know for sure...





maybe his sauce had mold in it too? :]