1st package!!

I got a package!!! My Aunt Eileen sent me a very thoughtful package on friday, with so many great necessities! There was a mini magazine about exercising and staying healthy, which i put down by the treadmill so everyone else could read it too, there was a whole pair of shoes!! A cute cute cute pair of REI walking shoes! some toiletries necessities like razors and deodorant, some LAYERED gum, a very fashionable pair of fuzzy gloves, and then of course, her specialty, an article!! This article i have to say, made me feel soooo good about our money situation. It was about how to spend less money grocery shopping, and i think my house could have written this verbatim, because it was all the things we do as a house on Sundays before we buy food for the week!

THANKS EILEEN!!!

So i started teaching solo this week, and it wasn't nearly as terrifying as i thought... Keep in mind they were only 4 yr olds, and then i'm observing 3 yr olds this week, to start solo with them next week. They can hardly hold there attention, but boy do they love the waggle dance! I'm also absolutely in love with the 3 year olds. They could NOT be any more adorable.

Jane and i have already become known at a local bar in South Orange. Not only because we have gone there 3 times in the last 2 weeks, but also because on our way out of the bar on Sunday, Jane tried so graciously to move out of the way for an elderly couple, and forgot to step up onto the stairs, and ended up landing on the floor. Not to mention while the older man tried to catch her, he was referring to her as "Mademoiselle". hahahahahahhahahahaha! Makes me laugh even just typing it! But we are planning on going there every Monday night to watch football. I'm trying as hard as possible not to become too much of a grandma and a book worm, maybe eventually i'll stay past 11:15...

Laura and i attempted to teach eddie how to cook. We put him in charge of the taco meat... watching him carry over 2 separate 1/3 cup of water, taking looooooots of time being so careful not to spill each time on the walk from the sink to the pan, was one of the most hilarious things ive seen. Then it was time to drain the fat..... i'm not even going to try to explain this as well as is was performed, but basically, he sealed the lid onto the pot, tipped it sideways, and watched the fat trickle slooooowly out. If laura wouldnt have taken over, we might still be waiting... Last but not least, Eddie is holding a block of cheese in one hand, and a cheese grater in the other, looks and laura and says.... "sooo... How do i do this???"

oh the possibilities for success this year.

On another note, i'm sure everyone reading this is aware of my dad being diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer. According to everyone, this is the best cancer to have, and while those words are still so hard for me to grasp, i am trying realize it's somewhat of a blessing. It was already hard enough being so far away, and now i just wish i could be home with my family, to laugh at all my dad's unfortunate jokes (that he is apparently telling the cats and dog...) and to help my mom not worry too much... However, everyone i have talked to have been in such high spirits, and although i'm sure my dad is worried, he can't stop finding humor and happiness everyday. We are also fortunate enough to have such a good friend, Joe Quinn, who has helped us tremendously, and i know we are all forever grateful for his help!

Please continue to pray for him, and the his surgeon to have steady hands on October 6th.

This weekend Josh is in town!!! WaHOOOOO!!! I'm oh soooo excited to be in NEW YORK CITY with a friend from HOME! Also, next weekend i am off to Boston to celebrate Oktoberfest!! hellllllls yea!

Last but NOOOOTT least; Care Package ideas!

-Pictures Pictures Pictures!! I miss all of your faces!

-candles?

-an umbrella!!

-vitamins?

-Coffee (k-cups) I know i already put this... but i'll really need these throughout the year!

-hand sanitizer

-Zantac (for if i ever get sick)

-socks!

Da Bears

Hmmmmm.... looks like you guys get lucky again with another post. ha. I really can't keep this up though, because soon you'll stop reading them, and god forbid i actually realize i'm not hilarious.

Also, get this, so i talk to my dad the other day, and he says... "Have you done a new blog yet?" "No, dad it hasn't even been a week, life in Newark isn't THAT exciting..." "Well no pressure Kris, but people really like your blog, i think you should try to write in it today"

hahahhaha. I think he's going to start asking me to make up stories just to help me keep the readers happy. (which i could probably, easily do...)

So last week was good, i got to do some work at work! I taught little pre-schoolers the Waggle Dance!! its a dance where you pretend you are a bee, and find a flower in the garden, and put your hands in the air and waggle your bum. Not going to lie. probably the cutest thing i have ever seen.

But all the comedy lies in the roommates, so i'll keep going with that...

So Friday night Eddie's Aunt invited us to her apartment in NYC, and treated us to amazing pizza, like reeeeeeeeaaaaalllly amazing thin crust pizza, spicy chicken, lamb(!!), like a bbq onion or something delicious, and a margarita-the pizza not the drink (which i didn't get to try because i was soooo full!) She also forced dulce de leche ice cream, oatmeal cookies, and beer down our throats too. Geeze. its hard to even type again it was so painful... When it was time to leave and go home, i just couldn't do it... After being in such a beautiful home, i just couldn't go back to my messy messy room.. So i begged his aunt to let me stay the night... haha. So Eddie and i had a little sleep over watching too many you tube videos.

my favorite still being; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nda_OSWeyn8

Also, it was was kind of indescribable being in NYC on 9/11.

The night of 9/11 some Former JV's took us to the Newark Bears game...They are an independent minor league baseball team. Eddie, very into baseball, looked up the roster and realized he knew of a bunch of them, former MLB players.. One player specifically, was Carl Everette, who is a former Red Sox player, and who is also known as Jurassic Carl, because he claims he doesn't believe in Dinosaurs. As we found this out we quickly created an enemy as he glared at us every time he came up to bat, because, well, it wasn't too hard to spot out the girls yelling "PTERODACTYL! TYRANNOSAURUS REX!!!" and so on.. Some of my roommates also had the idea, that out of all the men in Newark, our best chance at finding our soul mate was getting to know the friendly Bears... So, after all our hard work in cheering them on, telling them how... hansom... they looked, they seemed to be very focused on this game against Camden in particular, and finishing their season with no distractions...... which you know, that's fine, totally fine.

Eddie and i were up with the FJVs for most of the time, (who by the way treated us each to a beer and a hot dog) and we foolishly decided to spend more than a tenth of our stipend on 2 more beers. Some might argue that it wasn't worth it, but they dont know how LONG that game was.

After the game, they did some fireworks after, you know, for the whole 9/11 shin-dig.... well as all of you know how poor the city of Newark is... we are absolutely positive, they got all, yes ALL of the reject fireworks that you could get... they were flying EVERYWHERE, literally in every direction possible, not going off, not in sync with one another, NOTHING. Also. by the end of it, we were being hit in the face with ash and engulfed in a cloud of smoke. THANKS NEWARK.

Jane and i went grocery shopping this week. We kinda failed. We went over budget by about 30 dollars...... NOT GOOD. but we also bought stuff that will hopefully last us about a month, like raisins, nuts, turkey burgers, and coffee; Now we better save money on the next run!

Okay, now i want you all to know i am COMPLETELY joking about these gift packages. I mean YES what i am asking for would be amazing, but most of it i don't NEED. Simple living guys, i take whatever i can get! So definitely no pressure. However, for those of you who are bored, jobless, can't stop thinking about me, still bored, or actually very worried that i might not make it thru these months with mice, spiders, beetles (which i found in my room yesterday) 5 strangers, and only a hundred dollars a month.... i'm going to keep posting items i'd appreciate!! But don't worry, just like my dad says, NO PRESSURE!

Gift packages!

-Pictures! ( i need to see some familiar faces!)

-A calendar -sorry Roger, i forgot mine at home :(

- k-cup coffee (individual coffee - its the only machine we have at work, and we gotta bring our own)

-socks!

-IBprophen

-A camera (i'm really not going to stop trying with you guys :)

PS Spelling corrections josh???

Birthday weekend!

Don't get too excited now... i DON'T plan on blogging all the time, i'm still just doing my tasks faster than they expect me to finish them.
This weekend we kinda all split up. There was a JV party in Baltimore in which Eddie went as our house ambassador because none of us were planning on heading out there. We received word during the party that our ambassador was quickly becoming popular among the guests and repeatedly becoming shirtless when entering a new room... Not sure why the shirt didn't stay off.. I'm guessing the turning of heads when he took it off, was just what Eddie was looking for when he entered the JVC.
Laura got to go to the Boston College football game, or at least the tailgating part of it... talk about jealousy!! What i would have done to be Quackin with the Quackers for the Ducks!! Expect... did they REALLY have to win 72-0?? That's jus RUUUUDE!
Jane, Janet, and I went into the city for Jane's birthday Sat night. We met up with her Cousin, found a happy hour that sold DELICIOUS hot dogs (sautéed onions, and crumbled potato chips!) and 3 dollar beers (pretty good for NYC). Her cousin was amazing, and treated us by picking up the tab!!! The next day we went to BROOKLYN!!! I LOVE BROOKLYN!!
At the JV house in Brooklyn, they were having a bbq for us, and they were man-ing the grill, but booooy do they got some things to learn about burger making! they sure were delicious home-made patties, but apparently they didn't know that burgers shrink when they cook...... luckily they made about a million.
Jane and i slept at the Brooklyn house, we just couldn't get enough of being outta Newark i guess... but they next morning we went to the West Indian Parade! check it out; http://www.google.com/images?q=west%20indian%20day%20parade&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1024&bih=651

New Ideas for gift packages;
I think id really like to focus this year on growing my hair out... the lady at the post office told me 'Babooka hair oil' really works!!
i'd also like to fit in a little more here, so i think i should be darker... since i'm scared of tanning booths, a spray tan package would be So appreciated!
with love
the Newark newb

the Newark Newb

Welp. i'm bored as heck, so i'm gonna start a blog!

I have the best room in the house. expect it gets coldest in the winter, its ALLLL WHITE, there's a hole in the floor that is patched up with duck tape, and the windows - with bars on them of course- wont open. Best room I promise!

My roommates couldn't be more hilarious. Eddie, the only boy, LOVES the community block cat. He's a great guy who is doing prettttty darn good living with all girls. Jane's room is right next to me, she's a little OCD, and has the attention span of a puppy, but is very similar to me in terms of music (lightweight :) love you Jane!), going out, and a love for our own humor! Laura is next down the hall, I work every day with her at the GNC. We are so lucky to work together! She is pretty hilarious alllll the time; she is addicted to sugar, LOVES organization, and LOVES to clean... We get along GRRRREAT!!! hahaha! forrealz tho, shes amazing! Gillian is next down the hall, it took me a minute to catch on to her humor, but once you catch on you see that she never stops! She's probably one of the sweetest girls i know. However, the roommates and i are a bit worried about her because she has a tendency to wink - ALOT - and we are nervous she is going to wink at the little children she teaches on accident...(when ever she winks at me, i just blink REALLY hard back at her). Janet is down stairs, Janet has me literally cracking up allll the time. Partly because she is from Minnesooooooota, and her accent is hilarious! But also because she's got so much energy and humor. She is probably the most selfless person i may have met whose my age; She willingly took the basement, and created a room so we could all have our own room! Amazing right?!?!

I painted my all white dresser orange yesterday. I painted it will the drawers not only still inside it, but WITH all of my clothes in it...i painted it shut. (typical Kristin eh??) ps. its STILL shut!

We are gonna have mice (A package with mouse traps would be HIGHLY appreciated - jk)

We cook lots of food, i'm making enchiladas tmrw! But i starve all day before dinner. In fact, Laura makes fun of me because i have to ration out my pb and j or my stomach growls TOO loud.

Ive been to NYC twice already! Honestly, i didnt see much of a difference from Eugene...

-CARE PACKAGES May or May Not INCLUDE-
Granola bars
hot coco mix for the winter
a hook to go over my door for sweatshirts
pictures of you so i can decorate my wall more
pretty pens so i can write you
socks
movies?
expensive hair products? (i mean, i gotta try)
and maybe a pair of earrings!