hot hot summer

so whats new. saturday i babysat all day. we swam a lot. i am now baby dolphin who gives rides in the pool. hahah fun times. we left round 6 then went to kohls and then my mom and i went home and chilled out. sunday we got up and went to the beach with some of my moms friends. it was a fun day. rob metzger just happened to be like 5 min away so he came out. it was hot hot hot. and we had been there since 11 and rob came at 3ish. we left at 4 and went to get ice cream and candy. hahah this store was amazing. and the people even collected pez. i got some candy and ate some ice cream i wanted to stay there. i love candy! and then we said bye to rob.

but i have left out something. I AM SO STINKIN SUNBURNED. i had no idea i was getting that burnt becuase there was a breeze and i knew i was getting a little toasty, but when we left the beach, i realized that its not a good sign when it is painful to do everything. sit, walk, move. then we got home and i laid down as still as i could. the neighbor lady came over to show me the puppies her dog had, and i was about to pass out. so i ran inside, scared the crap out of her (and myself and my mom) and laid down for a long time.

so this isnt your average sunburn. this is bad! i laid on the couch all evening and my pulse was 107! but this morning i feel a lot better. dont get me wrong, it hurts to move, and i cannot go outside... but i think i am getting better. i look like a lobster. i never ever want to go outside in the sun again.

ok, i think ill go eat some candy now. have a good day!

making new friends.

so its about time i started making some friends here in florida. its been good. I've swam with some friends, ive eaten with them, i play around with them, play soccer in the street. this weekend i am going swimming at their pool on saturday and then to the beach with a different one on sunday. oh by the way, did i mention that they are all 5 and under. hahahah

so little kids like me. i have never really been around little kids. my brother is only 3 years younger than me so when he was little, so was i. and i never really did a ton of babysitting growing up. but ill tell you what. this month ive found out that i like little kids. i like them when they are 4ish. i guess this is a good thing because in like 20 days i am moving to japan and teaching 4-12 year olds.

last night i watched charlie and the chocolate facory. i love that movie. i think its mostly becuase i would LOVE to be in the room where everything is edible and candy!!!!!!!!!! can you imagine? each time i see it, i really want to drink and eat the flower that willy wonka drinks then eats. yum!

ok well back to studying japanese. ive had a pretty motivated day and have already been studying for 2 hours. it just doesnt feel like i am getting anywhere... oh well.. stay optimistic!

dude, i got (another) dell

so this morning i decided to try and call dell again to see if i could get somewhere becuase i hadnt heard back from the corporate level like they said i would. so i call and i get this nice guy rowan, who turns out to be really helpful. he listens to my story and then asks me to hold. so once again i think i am getting nowhere. he comes back and tells me that he can only do one thing to help me. (at this point i think he is just goign to offer to send me my computer and pay for the shipping costs) but no, he tells me he is sending me another system. get out of town! haha so they are giving me another computer. the same one i have now. for free. so looks like ill give one to my mom and ill keep one. so for as crazy inconvienient this was, at least i get a free laptop out of it.

lets see what else is new... the other day i went and saw a movie with my mom and her friend. poseidon. it was stinkin good. i tend to watch romantic comedies so i was on the edge of my seat the whole time, my heart racing, nervous. but i really enjoyed the movie. which leads me to my question of the day...

if you were on a cruise ship, would you be in the small group trying to get out, but you could die or stay with the big group cause you were told to and not even try to escape? what type of person are you?

then saturday my mom and i went to St. Pete Beach. we went to a book store, went window shopping and went to a tea room, then we walked around a little more, then we ate dinner in a cute little restaurant then we walked along the beach. it was nice.

sunday my mom and i went to church, then i read and lounged around for awhile, then we met my grandpa for dinner and i ordered a salad. when i got it, i realized why americans are overweight. my salad was enough for me to eat for 3 different meals. then we went and met some of my moms old neighbors.

today i am goign to read and study and probably watch tv.

dude, i had a dell

so this will not be a happy friendly little blog...but yet a rant about dell. ill start from the beginning.

my computer has been overheating. so i call dell and they tell me i bought the 3 year warranty. just send it in, and we will send it back to you in 7-10 days. sounds simple enough. i get the packing box in the mail, send in my computer, and think...good my computer will be fixed, all is great. yipee! but unfortunatly thats not the next part of the story. tonight i got an email on the facebook. some random girl sends me a message telling me that my computer ended up at her door this afternoon. she wasnt in the room. the computer, MY computer was just left there and she opened it and realized it was a computer and not her computer. so she calls her mom who tells her this has happened before and has heard of this. so she goes to the facebook, and looks up my name. and sends this message...

This is really random but today I went to go to the vending machine and left my door cracked open. When I came back, a huge package was sitting in my room. When I looked at the label, I realized it was addressed to you but my room. So, I guess Dell accidentally delvivered your computer here. I didn't know what would be the best way to get it back to you, so just let me know!


so at this point, i am confused and flabbergasted. Dell sent my computer to the wrong address. even though they had already sent me the box and return label to my address in florida. so i call dell. ugh

i called thinking, alright this will be good to fix.. ill just tlak to someone. blah blah blah... yeah 4 people and 1 hour later, i am told to call back tomorrow morning. no one cares, i keep getting transferred. i keep asking them what would happen if it really was lost, or this girl didnt contact me. the fact of the matter is, my computer is in OHIO and i am NOT. so thankfully this wonderful girl will take it to someone i know and they will keep it for me, but i still want justice.

you better believe i am calling dell and will be prepared to talk to them ALL DAY LONG.... this is not how an established company works. heck i would have just kept my hot computer if id know this was all goign to happen. heck, my computer probably still has problems and i wont know till its too late and im in japan. UGH.

so the rest will be continued. but just some advice to you all...

DONT BUY A DELL. DONT BUY A DELL. DONT BUY A DELL. DONT BUY A DELL. BECAUSE IF THERE IS A PROBLEM... GOOD LUCK FIXING IT, GETTING YOUR COMPUTER RETURNED TO YOU, OR CONTACTING SOMEONE.

i am so frustrated.
goodnight.

good movie

so i got the chance to watch the sisterhood of the traveling pants. it was a great great great great movie. if you have seen it, im sure you agree. if you havent seen it, and you are a girl... go rent it! my favorite part of the movie was the greek boy and rory from gilmore girls. oh....sometimes i wish real life was like the movies... hahaha

the sound track is amazing also!

other than that, im done babysitting. now i do a whole bunch of nothing in life.... well i do go running and exercise, and study japanese and read, but it does leave a whole lot of time to sit around and watch tv. i really want to work. i am bored!

me and my grandpa 

me and the brothers 

mom bud me and scooby 

me bud and scooby 

me and my brothers. 

michelle, joel, charles, me, joel, diane 

my dinner. yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

diane, joel, charles, joel 

cookout!!!!! 

me in the gazebo 

me smelling the flowers 

dad and diane's backyard where i ran around in barefeet...no worries of dog poop 

at the airport wednesday morning 

at the airport wednesday morning 

me and my running partner, olivier 

me and christian 

me and ruth lise 

we will miss you jen eureka.  

marie christine and me 

me and my greek friend....victor. hahah 

me and vero, my goodbye party 

olivia and me saturday before i left 

its about time i updated...

so lots of stuff has happened since the last post... ill start with the monday before i left france. i was planning on hanging out with some friends monday night. raquel and rach told me they were babysitting, and i was a little skeptical, but they left and i got a call from the lady who they were babysitting for, telling me they would be late to pick up the 2 girls, and asking for a cell phone number.... so i believed them. then ruth lise came and picked me up.. and when i got in the car, she asked me to put a scarf over my eyes. so we were driving a long with my eyes blindfolded. we stoped, parked and then walked down the street and then up some stairs. i had no idea where i was. we got in and i got unblindfolded and my friends ahd thrown me a surprise goodbye party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (i have always wanted a surpriseparty, but i always figure it out so noone bothers to surprise me) we were at olivier's apt. and there was him, ruth lise, victor, christian, a friend of olivier, vero, and....RAQUEL AND RACHEL! i was so surprised! then we ate and then we played a game.. the jen quiz. there were lots of questions about me and we went around and if you didnt answer correctly on your turn, you had to choose a paper with a dare on it.

tuesday, i was really busy, getting eerything done. victor came for lunch, i wen tot the post office, i packed, and then that night i went to bible study then ruth lise came over to spend the night. we talked a little and then we went to bed. i had no desire to go to bed becuase i knew that i was leaving the next day.

wednesday we got up and put my stuff in ther car and then olivier came and we all rode to the airport. i didnt want to leave. we gotot the airport. my suitcases were over weight and i had 3 carry on bags, but i got through just fine. then ruth lise had to go to get to work, and olivier and r squared waited with me, prayed for me and sat with me. finally it was time to go... and so i walked through security and thats when i started crying. i cried then and i cried on the plane. i wished that the plane wouldnt take off. but it did... and then i had a layover in munich, chicago and finally i arrived in columbus.

charles picked me up. in his new car. we went to his place and he cooked some good food. and we talked for awhile. then he took me back to my dads and i went to bed. the next day i repacked in the morning, then i went and hung out with matt wigton and jenny bibnick at panera. it was a nice time. then i got back to dad and diane's and we had a cook out. we ate hamburgers and corn on the cob and baked beans. yum! i ran through the yard with my shoes off. michelle and joel and charles and another friend came over. it was a nice time.

friday morning at rhe crack of dawn, dad took em to the airport and i goton the plane for florida. i arrived at 12:30 and found my mom. we drove back, stopped at kohls (i found 2 pairs of jeans for 13 $) and then we went to lunch. i met some of my moms friends and then my brother and my fake brother came over. it was good to see them.

sat morning at 4:45 i woke up to go babysitting. and babysit i did. 10 hours with 2-3yr old twin girls. they are cute but between jetlag and constant paying attention, i was tired. i didnt knwo how i was goign to make it through the day, but i did. then mom picked me up at 6 and we went to a book store and walmart. then home. i ate a sandwich and went to bed....

sunday morning 5:45 i got up to go do 8 hrs of babysitting, which was much better than the day before. i was much less tired and had a goood time. then mom picked me up and we met my grandpa for dinner then came home watched a movie and did whatever.

so now you are up to date on my life. i have noticed some strange things since ive been back... here they are...

the 2 liters of pop are huge. i picked one up and asked my mom if they changed the size... but in france they are 1 liter bottles.

people bag your grocieries for you! its not a hectic time and its quite nice to check out.

americans are super friendly. in chicago, i met a feew older couples and they were just talking up a storm about their vacations, their kids, whatever... so funny. i forgot about that. i forgot that in the states, you can talk to whomever you want and its not weird.

i miss the public transportation
the food servings here are huge.
the US wastes a lot
people are big and loud here.

i miss speaking french.

well thats about it for now. i babysit for the next couple of evenings and my computer is goign to be sent one of these days in the near future to get repaired... so it could be a few days till the next update.

i dont want to leave!!!

so yesterday i was sad. i went to church and said goodbye to everyone. its getting to be real now. i have to pack today and get some stuff done. i wish i could stay a little longer. i am goign to miss the way of life, my friends, public transportation, working 12 hours a week, the food, the weather....so many things...

so dont send me mail to france anymore. ill post a new address soon