Join The Mother(effing)Party!

I'm a superstar.

Or maybe just famous?

Ok. Local Celebrity.

...Right. I sometimes get recognized.
Mostly via drunk girls at parties ("Oh. My. God. You teach Zumba at the gym! This is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo weird that you're here." ...yea, it's not that weird.)

You're looking at (or reading...at?) your friendly neighborhood Zumba instructor. I love my job. Even if it's my second job. What? Teaching Latin cardio fitness classes doesn't exactly pay the rent. Hence, another job that actually pays for my tuition.
So clearly that's not why I do it. Why do I do it exactly (besides essentially mandatory workouts twice a week)? Because of classes like the one I had Wednesday.

Wednesday I subbed a class for the only other instructor in Blacksburg. It was a class at the local Y, not my usual stomping grounds. I teach on Campus as a VT fitness instructor. So just because it's a different (much more age diverse) crowd, I was a little nervous. Would my playlist be appropriate? Would they get my (admissibly lame) jokes?
I was so hyped up that I got there 30 minutes early and sat in the dance room listening to the music. That was when I remembered why I love Zumba so much. It's not about looking hot, it's about feeling that way. And it's my job to make everyone comfortable and loose enough to do that. Every single person has the right to feel awesome about themselves, every woman has the right to feel hot- no matter their size or age. I'm so used to teaching beautiful, vibrant 20-somethings, that I forgot how much fun it is to get down with a group of completely different people.
I love my job.


I had planned on posting pictures of my finished (and architecturally striking, of course) lamp tonight. But the camera was MIA in the wee hours of the morning when I had to go set it up. AKA, I woke up at 8:30 and had to pin-up at 9, which means the camera was sitting on the entertainment center and I just forgot it.
So pictures of my (completed. Yes, completed. Let it be known that I am not useless and completely unmotivated) architectural masterpiece of a lamp will be up tomorrow sometime.
Get excited.

Does This Mean We get a Water park?

Obama's stimulus package was passed by the Senate. I'm pretty sure that means we get a water park. Seriously. It's one of the many, tiny, odd, and seemingly obtuse ideas in politics that still astound me. Under the pretense of "creating jobs" for construction, design (which I appreciate- Obama, you got my back), and ...well stimulating? (Politics always sounds dirty, it's not you.)
I'm guessing that this was added in some sort of attempt to get the bill stonewalled in the senate.

Some republicans were like, "Let's add a fucking water park, who'd pass that shit?"

What they didn't think of, was how much Democrats love water parks. Yea, sucka.


I have a couple questions though... Where will this water park be? who will be able to enjoy said water park? Will it have a politically-oriented theme? When will the water park open? Construction costs?
Basically: I want to go to a politically themed water park. How boss would that be? (does anyone even say 'boss' anymore...I am a true child of the 90s)

So besides water parks and crusty old republicans who, I'm sure, look horrible in swimsuits (as opposed to their svelte Democratic counterparts) I've other news.

Clearly, I'm still alive.
This girl knows how to spin shit like no other.

After spending large amounts of time walking across campus in the perfect weather we had here yesterday (Mid-sixties, sunny, and un-windy, magically) I was able to gather my thoughts, some perspective, and finally talk to B-baby.
And I decided that it really didn't matter that I didn't finish my project perfectly. My professor knows what's been going on in my life yesterday. I've been missing whole weekends (when we arch students really get our work on) to be home with my family, and he knows that. So when I confidently spoke about my piece of crap that was sitting beside me in Pin-up (aka presentation, or design charrette to those not in the biz) I was able to wow him into realizing all of the time and thought I'd put into my crap-ass project.

It was impressive.

Because although my project did suck a little, I knew everything about it. Plus, my initial design was well-thought-out, carefully executed, and well-drawn. It was only the model that sucked.

Moral of the story? I'm allowed to freak out online, publicly... it makes me feel better. That and the fact that one girl didn't have hers done, but she had way less than I did and didn't even try to present. (Yaaaaaaay I wasn't the worst.)

p.s. I still have my pride, etc.

I'm off to my Building Structures: Steel class in a bit. (I love shear and moments!) Then I'm off to the woodshop... that project due thursday? it's a lamp I'm designing. It's gonna be totally boss. Yea, that's right. Boss.

Absolute, Complete, and Utter Failure

You call it failure, I call it resignation.

Today at exactly 1 O'clock, I will be turning in possibly the worst model/project ever made by a 3rd Year Architecture student.
For some reason I just had a complete breakdown during this project, which is actually an extension of a project we did last semester. A complete mind collapse.
I say resignation, because this morning, when I tried to salvage my pride and turn a conglomeration of hot glue, Soldering metal, and zap it into a functioning and presentable model, I had to stop. I couldn't do it.
Now, I am not someone who has ever failed anything (except for a maybe a math test-but not from lack of trying or effort.) This project today will be my first real, actual failure. It's going to be interesting. I'll probably cry...just so there can be no confusion over the total loss of pride, work ethic, and reputation.
Sure, there have been a lot of variables- My mother's return to Chemo, my lack of motivation to become an architect when it's one of the 5 careers NOT to go into right now, and the bachelor (which I watch obsessively). O.K. so that last one: not so much a variable.
The only thing that I can possibly hope, is that my professor takes into account how hard this has been for me, and that I can bring my grade up to passing in the coming semester. I'm banking on option #1.
What I really need to do, is stop feeling miserable, and look at my options. This is not the end of the world. One project won't end my career in architecture.
And if it does...there's always prostitution. I mean, this girl is selling her virginity for 3.5 million dollars. Back-up plan #1. Well, maybe that can be back-up plan number 5 or 6 or something...
In reality, if this semester really goes that poorly, and they don't allow me to stay in the program, I'll just switch my major. All of my plans, etc. will be gonzo, but I won't die. I will live. Even if I end up working at Sam's club for the rest of my life, I will live.
Good god, can one project really ruin your life that much? No. If there's one thing I won't do, it's let that happen. I'm over this. A release of feelings, a quick loss of pride, and I'm on to the next project (which is due Thursday.) Good Lord, I'ma die.

Lovin' Leopard

New Things!
Change is definitely good, especially if it's for the better. I was able to exercises some of my design muscles in a new way last night. You might notice the result in the overhaul of the blog appearance.
It's fun. I might have to restrain myself from changing it every month. Mostly due to the fact that I just found a site with the best free fonts in the WORLD. For some reason, fonts just speak to me. Maybe because they make words, which I'm already infatuated with, into something...more. They also have the best names: the one on my header- which I have now adopted as Carpet Bodies' official font (This of course, is subject to change) is called "brown bear funk".

I also feel sort-of like I'm coming out of the closet, and into the large and eclectically decorated living room of the blogging world. I've been exploring and reading, discovering and laughing. We really do put our lives out and onto the internet- our very personalities. It's crazy (In a good way, of course.)
I say coming out of the closet, because I've been blogging for almost a year now- but I've never really been blogging. You know? It's more than just posting and releasing your thoughts out there. That's fine too, but there's also this whole subculture- groups of different people writing about their lives. I've come across people who are like me, people who are not, people in different walks of life, people that I don't really understand. But they're all still out there, sharing their thoughts and opinions all the same.
My favorite blogs are the ones that are so clearly a creative release. They're not seriously writing, they're writing just because. Just for the hell of it.

That reminds me, I was watching E! last night (well half-watching, the other half of me was assembling my new header, etc.) and Mario Lopez was talking about some man group or something, and they were discussing women, and what they found attractive and unattractive based on viewers questions. One of the questions (Aha! there is a point to this story!) was from a girl who asked if her cursing was unattractive. All of the men on this panel-of-sorts unanimously agreed that cursing was a major turnoff. Is it really?
I mean, sure if she has a mouth like a sailor... but really? so guys can spew profanities like a drunk sorority girl spews...(discontinuing simile here), but we, as women, must not say such things.
Now, I do actually agree that cursing a LOT makes you look trashy- when you think about it- it's rude. But I also have to admit that I love throwing a good one in every now and then. It's for emphasis... That brings me to the real question- does that apply to writing? Is it unattractive for women to include curse words in their writing? And wait--can writing be attractive?

Interesting thoughts.

In other updates, my quest to meet someone which is more or less, a half-hearted endeavor due to my self imposed regulations (I won't be stationary for another year--therefore no dog, and no man) has been absolutely boring and fruitless.
By some twist of fate (but mainly structured program components) there is no one new in any of my classes. Since the Architecture program is relatively small, you know everyone after a while. And the ones that are attractive options, well they are taken or gay. Damn.
Everyone says to "join a club"! Go somewhere new! Unfortunately, I really don't have time to join a club (please refrain from any comments having to do with blogging taking up a significant amount of free time...I'm at work right now a.k.a. getting paid for this sucka!)
Going somewhere new is hard when you live in Blacksburg, VA.

OK, so I honestly have no right to complain- I go to school at a male-dominated campus, and have a neighbor who brings me brownies (though My roommate swears his mom was there that weekend and that, consequently, it was she who made the brownies and sent him over with them) This should still make me feel better.

Someone told me once that I'm intimidating. I'd like to think it's just an overwhelming amount of beauty and intelligence that makes me unapproachable. Though, in all reality, it's probably the fact that whenever I'm on campus, I'm either with my roommate, or I'm reading the book that I keep stowed in my purse. (That's right- I keep books in my purse. Always.)
I just remind myself that I'll meet all kinds of people in about two months time, when I finally (finally) turn 21. I will go out, be fabulous, and have many guys buy me drinks because I'm so outgoing and flirty (this will, of course, be after I've already bought myself a few drinks). Though the caliber of such men that would be met in those situations? Well...this is College.

I know, I know, and I know a million times- that you will find someone just when you least expect it. And maybe that's true, but, uh? could he hurry up a little bit... I mean , damn. At this rate I'm on the fast track to being that teacher you always felt bad for in high school because she so clearly didn't have anyone in her life- and never would.

Maybe if I stopped cursing?