Red Lipstick and Iced Coffee
There's something about red lipstick that makes me feel sexy. Exotic. Mysterious. I'm always afraid to wear it because
(1) I can't find the right shade
(2) It's too dressy for some things
(3) I feel awkward
(4) It never looks good
But it looks good now. Except my hair's up (because I'm cleaning house) and I'm not going anywhere today.
My parents come into Chicago tonight. We're picking them up at the airport and bringing them to our place (which is why I'm cleaning = impressing parents).
We're touring the UIC campus tomorrow, and I'm hoping it will get me more excited about next semester. I pretty much assume I'll get in (which just sounds cocky, but the only thing against me is my SAT scores, and (1) UIC transfers don't even submit SATs, and (2) my score was way better than the incoming freshman average, anyway). I'm just not looking forward to it as much as I was Northwestern, or whatever awaited this semester. I think there's a number of reasons why this is:
(1) It's not Northwestern. I really really really wanted to go there; it was my first choice college, period. UIC is more of a second, third choice just so I have somewhere to go and get a higher degree. I'm still hoping I'll get Northwestern for grad school... this is just an interim. It's kind of how I viewed FC. Kind of.
(2) College social life. I'm not living in a dorm or really anywhere near there, so it looks like I can't really engage in parties/studying/social settings with friends I make there. Not unless I want to coordinate time with the Metra/CTA and get there. Or just stay after class. Or something. It's just going to be harder than if I were to get into, say, UofC, which is just a few blocks away.
(3) I don't even know what the campus looks like. A problem which will hopefully be alleviated by tomorrow. Actually SEEING where I'd spend numerous hours a day, I think, would help me get excited about spending numerous hours of the day there.
Speaking of which, UofC doesn't really have a college life unless you're involved in a club/sport on campus or want to go to frat things. The school is so academic-oriented (which would be FINE if I had academics to orient to) that there's really no way to make friends with the students unless you're a student there yourself. But then again, beyond parties, what would there be? Some sort of kick-back I just somehow know about and shw up to? I have to know people to do those things, and Jimmy has an in to the wrestling crowd... but especially with season starting up and school underway (and the fact that they're all guys and I'm, well, not), looks like no fun activities there.
And now, about work. Last night I got frustrated and sad because an hours-long job search turned up nothing. I got pissed at the Herald for not returning my calls or emails. I want a job that's preferably in walking distance, rewarding, something I can be proud of, and not some shitty service job that any 19 yr-old with half a brain can do. I want some financial gain through it, but more importantly, I want emotional gain. I want to feel like by having this job I am improving myself or developing skills that I can use in a career (my goodness, a few days ago I COULD NOT for the life of me spell the freskin' word "career"...). I was frustrated last night because I can't FIND a job like that; everything is either too brainless or too advanced (sorry, I don't have the qualifications to be a UofC physics professor). So here's what I'm pretty much going to do:
(1) Get a shit job, probably as a bank teller because that seems to be the most professional out of the service sector available to me. There's 2 banks in walking distance, I can wear my own professional-casual clothes (yay, no bright red uniform), and I can meet people through work and therefore have friends.
(2) Get an internship. Looks like "Time Out," a cultural what-to-do-in-Chicago publication needs unpaid interns. They're right on State St. near Millennium Park which is where the Metra lets out, so it's not walking distance, but not too ridiculous. I guess each intern should expect at least one published article a term, and obviously the better the intern is at journalism, the more articles get published. Best part is, this internship doesn't require that I be a student. Worst part is, it doesn't pay.
So this way I get the best of both worlds: money and meeting people from around here, and having something where I feel like I'm furthering myself towards what I want to do.
Oh and...
Herald update. I called them today (being the asshole that I am... goddammit, just give me the job!) to follow up with the reporter thing. The editor was acually there (OHMIGOD) and basically said they'll be making up their mind on who to hire in about a month. A month. Month..... I was close to saying, hmm, can you make that under a month? But at least this means not all hope is lost.
But a good thing about staying home a lot... I make kickass iced coffee.
(1) I can't find the right shade
(2) It's too dressy for some things
(3) I feel awkward
(4) It never looks good
But it looks good now. Except my hair's up (because I'm cleaning house) and I'm not going anywhere today.
My parents come into Chicago tonight. We're picking them up at the airport and bringing them to our place (which is why I'm cleaning = impressing parents).
We're touring the UIC campus tomorrow, and I'm hoping it will get me more excited about next semester. I pretty much assume I'll get in (which just sounds cocky, but the only thing against me is my SAT scores, and (1) UIC transfers don't even submit SATs, and (2) my score was way better than the incoming freshman average, anyway). I'm just not looking forward to it as much as I was Northwestern, or whatever awaited this semester. I think there's a number of reasons why this is:
(1) It's not Northwestern. I really really really wanted to go there; it was my first choice college, period. UIC is more of a second, third choice just so I have somewhere to go and get a higher degree. I'm still hoping I'll get Northwestern for grad school... this is just an interim. It's kind of how I viewed FC. Kind of.
(2) College social life. I'm not living in a dorm or really anywhere near there, so it looks like I can't really engage in parties/studying/social settings with friends I make there. Not unless I want to coordinate time with the Metra/CTA and get there. Or just stay after class. Or something. It's just going to be harder than if I were to get into, say, UofC, which is just a few blocks away.
(3) I don't even know what the campus looks like. A problem which will hopefully be alleviated by tomorrow. Actually SEEING where I'd spend numerous hours a day, I think, would help me get excited about spending numerous hours of the day there.
Speaking of which, UofC doesn't really have a college life unless you're involved in a club/sport on campus or want to go to frat things. The school is so academic-oriented (which would be FINE if I had academics to orient to) that there's really no way to make friends with the students unless you're a student there yourself. But then again, beyond parties, what would there be? Some sort of kick-back I just somehow know about and shw up to? I have to know people to do those things, and Jimmy has an in to the wrestling crowd... but especially with season starting up and school underway (and the fact that they're all guys and I'm, well, not), looks like no fun activities there.
And now, about work. Last night I got frustrated and sad because an hours-long job search turned up nothing. I got pissed at the Herald for not returning my calls or emails. I want a job that's preferably in walking distance, rewarding, something I can be proud of, and not some shitty service job that any 19 yr-old with half a brain can do. I want some financial gain through it, but more importantly, I want emotional gain. I want to feel like by having this job I am improving myself or developing skills that I can use in a career (my goodness, a few days ago I COULD NOT for the life of me spell the freskin' word "career"...). I was frustrated last night because I can't FIND a job like that; everything is either too brainless or too advanced (sorry, I don't have the qualifications to be a UofC physics professor). So here's what I'm pretty much going to do:
(1) Get a shit job, probably as a bank teller because that seems to be the most professional out of the service sector available to me. There's 2 banks in walking distance, I can wear my own professional-casual clothes (yay, no bright red uniform), and I can meet people through work and therefore have friends.
(2) Get an internship. Looks like "Time Out," a cultural what-to-do-in-Chicago publication needs unpaid interns. They're right on State St. near Millennium Park which is where the Metra lets out, so it's not walking distance, but not too ridiculous. I guess each intern should expect at least one published article a term, and obviously the better the intern is at journalism, the more articles get published. Best part is, this internship doesn't require that I be a student. Worst part is, it doesn't pay.
So this way I get the best of both worlds: money and meeting people from around here, and having something where I feel like I'm furthering myself towards what I want to do.
Oh and...
Herald update. I called them today (being the asshole that I am... goddammit, just give me the job!) to follow up with the reporter thing. The editor was acually there (OHMIGOD) and basically said they'll be making up their mind on who to hire in about a month. A month. Month..... I was close to saying, hmm, can you make that under a month? But at least this means not all hope is lost.
But a good thing about staying home a lot... I make kickass iced coffee.