I’ve already made three networking contacts, two of them being former teachers from high school. The third works in a nail salon, and said that if I get business cards made up, she’ll put them in her salon. If I get chosen for the next SkillsUSA competition, that will be in March. My former fashion teacher wants to enlist me to help out with not only the next fashion show they put together, but also with the school’s musical. My other former teacher needs someone to help with styling for portfolio photos, and it could eventually turn into a paid gimmick. A friend of mine is getting married in November and I’ve been promised the job as her makeup artist and stylist, and I have friends practically lined up wanting to be my guinea pigs to practice on.

It’s a shame that I didn’t get to start doing this a couple years ago when I first became interested in beauty school. I was discouraged, and was told that “beauty school is for high school drop-outs.” Well, the school that I’m going to requires a high school diploma or equivalent to join the program, so the statement used to discourage me wasn’t entirely accurate. Plus, there’s a lot more to learning about hair, skin, and nails than you might think… it’s definitely not a course for those who completely lack intelligence (though I will admit, the girls in my class are pretty ditzy). The course includes basic anatomy and physiology principles, specific techniques, theory, and some of the stuff we practice is fairly difficult.

But anyway, I’m really glad I decided to take cosmetology. It’s a big part of everything that’s going right with my life, and I really think it’s my calling. This is what I was “meant” to do.

I have so many things to look forward to in 2010, it’s ridiculous. I start school in January. My divorce should be finalized soon. I have an epic trip planned for a weekend in March. I’ll be able to go into the city every weekend to see my friends. I’m sure there are plenty of other things for me to look forward to, but those are the landmarks. There are parts of my life that aren’t so hot (like being in debt, not having a place of my own), but for the most part, I can safely say that this is the best my life has ever been, and it will only continue to get better. I’m about 95% content with who I am and where my life is headed.

I only have one New Year’s resolution, and that is to continue to better myself and keep my life on the right track.

So, Lindsay hadda do this chem project, and it hadda be all like, show the elements in an artistic way, like a song or a commercial or — or even like, an MTV show. So, they decided to do like a “Real World” type thing.

Lindsay was hydrogen, the smallest element. One proton, one neutron… doesn’t really eat much. Anorexic.
Matt Wahl(?) was fluorine. Highly attractive. Typical high school jock, good looking.
Hugel was francium. Big loser-type. Always losing his keys (or electrons). Gets picked on by almost everyone, especially fluorine.
Madison was carbon. Bonds with everyone. Promiscuous. Cleavage and short, tight skirt.
Andrew and Christina were sodium and chlorine. Clinging to each other. Never apart for more than five seconds. Chaos reigned if they were.
I was neon. Neutral to everyone. Space cadet. In my own world. Bright colors. Glowsticks. Raver-type.
And Amy…. Amy was uranium. Her big thing was DON’T TOUCH ME I’M RADIOACTIVE YOU’LL GET CANCER AND DIE!

Needless to say, it was nothing short of brilliant. We even did like the clips with the little like interviews like in real world… Amy’s was by far the funniest. Madison has this little chihuahua (it was filmed at her house) that looks like it’s neurotic to begin with. So like, for Amy’s interview thing she’s sitting there all like “I don’t know why everyone wants to touch me!” And then she starts spazzing and going “GET AWAY DON’T TOUCH ME!!!” and waving her hands and the camera pans to this poor little frightened dog, who’s standing there like “what did I ever dooo?” Then like, it cuts, and you see Amy sitting on the ground coddling the dog, and half a second later she realizes that she’s being filmed, and starts going “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET AWAY FROM ME!” and this poor dog goes from one second being coddled and having affection directed at it to being shooed out of Amy’s lap and screamed at.

It was fucking hilarious though. Honestly, with some practice and refining, this could be the next big reality show. Or something like that.

And then rotf at the end we were all like “Hi my name is so and so and I was this element.” and Amy forgot who she was, so it was like… “I’m Amy Zuchowski and I was ur… ur… anus??” *everyone busts out laughing*

OMG, I wish I could put it on the internet. Because this was seriously the best thing since sliced cheese.

Today my knee and surrounding area was all sore. Like, you know when you get a flu shot, the muscles in the surrounding area get sore? Yeah. I still have the band-aid on my puncture wound. I’m afraid that if I take it off, I will either be utterly grossed out by a HOLE in my leg, or that it’ll ooze. Or something. ‘Cause I’m paranoid like that.

In other news… I didn’t do much today. My leg was sore, and it felt weird to walk on, so I didn’t go to class. I’ll go tomorrow though, I promise. Classes are ending soon. Where the hell did this come from?! It just snuck up on me! This means I have another History exam coming up, an essay due in Fashion, and a group project coming up in Sociology. Ugh. Sociology. I have to find out about transferring to Suffolk. Nassau is too far, and I’ve changed my major. Maybe Suffolk will have classes that will be relevant to my major.

That’s right folks… I’m not going for a career in fashion anymore. It’s just way, way too competitive. I’m going to do web design now. Maybe I can take all sorts of fun computer programming classes, lol. But yeah. Suffolk.

Four books. Three of them were used.

Two. Hundred. Dollars.

I didn’t get lost on the way to Nassau Community this time (yay!), but finding a parking spot was close to impossible. Well, I went and got my ID card (in which I look like a total buffoon, lol), and then I went to class. US History… probably one of my least favorite subjects. BUT, there’s this really hot guy in my class. HE HAS A TONGUE PIERCING.

Well, after class, I went outside, and I called Gen’s cell, to find her. Turns out, she was just around the corner of the building from me, cause all of a sudden she goes “Oh wait, I see you!” I looked around, and there she was waving to me. Hah. So, we went and scoured the parking lot for my car… found it after about 10 minutes.

As we were leaving the parking lot, Gen shouts “Oh my god! That guy… his face!!! He has a flat face!!” And I looked. And that kid was in my class. And I was like “Oh my god, he’s in my class!” Like, this kid’s nose was FLAT. He was weird looking. Gen and I laughed about it for a while. Then, there was stop and go traffic all down Earl Ovington Blvd. and Hempstead Tmpk. because of at least three accidents. Fender benders, actually. But people are stupid.

Then there was Cracky McCracker in the car in front of us with the NJ lisence plate and the Portugal sticker. Hahahahahahaaa. And then there was the Johnny Depp Pirates poster and I almost crashed into the car in front of me. Focus, Arwen, focus.

So yeah, we finally got onto Wantagh Parkway, and we were talking and catching up, and I missed the exit for Northern State, so somehow, I ended up on Jericho Tmpk… and then I ended up on the LIE. How I managed that? I have no clue… But then there was this truck merging on the right. And I hadda brake… otherwise it would have hit me. An Entemann’s (or however it’s spelled) truck. With a giant cookie on the side. Gen and I both screamed. It was the cookie from hell.

Yeah. And then there was the truck full of ducks. Like, imagine a truck. Only, the back part was entirely cages. And in those cages were ducks. There had to be hundreds of them. And after that truck passed, there was a blizzard of down. So we were fascinated by the ducks. And then I got off on Deer Park Avenue, which turned back into Jericho Tmpk., and I found my way back to East Northport. Then I dropped Gen off at home, came back home to my house, ate dinner, and played some games on the computer.

So yeah, that was my day, pretty much. College isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

In E-Team, my group was mad because I wasn’t in school for the past few days. I wasn’t in school because I was ill. So instead of doing our PSA commercial in the way I’d suggested, which would have gotten us a higher grade, they did it in the way they originally wanted to, which was stupid, defeated the whole purpose of a PSA, and is probably going to knock our grade down quite a bit.

I’ve developed quite the crush on “Greg”. He likes two other girls, both of which are not me. In fact, I think he despises me. *sigh* I wish I could find someone who actually liked me back. Yeah… that’ll be the day.

I’ve been subconsciously developing a diet that consists mainly of frosted mini wheats and coffee. I don’t believe this is a good thing.

I absolutely love how my so-called “closer” friends love to find things to do at the last minute. I don’t know… it’s just seemed like a recent trend: ditch Arwen.

Eighth period a few of us played Frisbee in the E-Team room. That was fun.

The stupid freshmen in my media class were throwing empty soda bottles around. Not to mention that my headache by this point had reached its peak for the day. Then the teacher reprimanded me because I didn’t know where my group was the entire period.

I saw Thea today. Thea makes me happy. I showed her some of my logbook art and she thought it was cool.

I hate my bus. First of all, half the people that are on that bus, get off at the first stop. And those are the same kids who think they’re all ghetto and shit… which makes bus time oh-so-fun. Second of all, you always get the kids who aren’t supposed to be on that bus, which overcrowds the bus, to the point where there are three kids in a seat. High schoolers aren’t tiny, either.

And the fact that I feel horribly diseased doesn’t make things a whole lot better.

I just wish that for once, I could have a good day with no strings attached.

It’s the Suave Vibe, peach scented. That’s the shampoo that I emptied half the bottle into a travel squirt container, and brought with me to Lake George. We don’t have any more now… I used the rest (from the little squirt container) a few weeks ago. But the squirt container is still there in the shower, with a little shampoo residue left on the bottom. And every time I take a whiff of it, it brings me back to the good ol’ days of Lake George.

It reminds me first of the showers. And how you’d have to press that damn button every five minutes, because the shower would shut off. And that one shower on the end, that shut off literally every ten seconds. And the showers would find the most convenient times to shut off, like when you had shampoo in your hair, or soap in your eyes. And the big effin’ spider that hung out high above the four shower stalls with it’s babies, terrorizing us all. And Eliza’s bottle of bug spray that I emptied on a single spider. In the shower. And the fact that none of the girls went a day without makeup, even though we were at a campground in upstate New York.

I smell the shampoo and I’m reminded of the cool mornings with the dew on the ground, when we’d all run to go take our showers, before breakfast. And I remember how the bathrooms overlooked the lake. And how I sat outside, waiting for Eliza, and how funny Justin looked with his wet mop of hair. And how funny I looked when I didn’t blow dry my hair.

And I remember how good nature air smelled, even when infused with the intoxicating fruit scents of our shampoos, conditioners, and bodywashes.

The food I remember fondly. The food that was so ruggedly good, it cleaned out your system. Made you healthier. The wonderful shish-kabobs that my cooking group made. With steak, chicken, pineapple, mushrooms, onions, and red, yellow, and orange peppers all diced up and soaked in teriaki sauce. And Joshie’s reaction when he almost ate a piece of undercooked chicken.

“I almost said ‘We have scallops?’… wait, that’s not a scallop….”

And our day activities. I remember Fort Ticonderoga, and how Erin said that our tour guide seemed a bit… well, not straight. He was cute though. And how Erin and I had Eliza take our picture with him. And I remember how Justin wore that ridiculous Seuss hat. Not to say that my fuschia knit hat wasn’t ridiculous… And ah, the Native “naked” man. The one I interviewed for my “Adirondacks Interview”. He was a registered indian, and his name, when translated, meant “Red Hawk”. And I remember how all my friends were mad because they wanted to interview him (no two people could interview the same person).

Black Mountain… I remember having to use my inhaler about 3/4 the way up, and Joshie jokingly asking me to pass it around. I remember the weather being less than pleasurable, and the ground was soggy. The air was soggy too. Then we passed the hunting club, and Joshie made jokes about being minority.

My Spanish ass wasn’t the “butt” of jokes… yet.

When we got to the top, it was chilly, but I remember feeling so accomplished. I ate a pita sandwich and peanut butter and chocolate chip apple for lunch. I remember having my dried mango strips, too. And I remember how Eric made me share, on the bus on the way back. And I remember (as I think everyone does) how on the way down, Joe began telling a joke, got as far as “Yeah, so I went down on my girlfriend…” then slipped on wet leaves, fell on his ass, and wiped a boulder clean. And I remember how Justin had to carry Evan Rogers down, because he had a “hurt ankle.”

Ah yes, I remember Stone Bridge & Caves, and how the lady who worked there identified with my One Ring on a piece of hemp around my neck. And the geodes. And how when we went to that one part where the big rock slab had fallen, Joshie told me NOT to scream.

And last but not least, I remember the last night at Lake George. And how we had that wonderful dinner, everyone sitting together. And how Yanni said he was happy he met Erin, and how badly we all teased her afterwards. And that spot on the rocks by the edge of the lake, where you could sit and look across the lake at night, looking up at the stars, and listening to the calming lapping of water upon the shore below you. And how we all sat there, in silence, but so much was said. We knew that that was the first and last time we would ever experience that. We wanted to stay there forever. But alas, we couldn’t.

Every now and then I try to revisit that feeling in my heart… the feeling of accomplishment, being close to my friends, and total wholeness that I felt only there. It’s a hard feeling to revisit… and I only seem to feel it on certain Team occasions… such as times spent at Pinkham (during the Whites trip), especially when we sat by the fire, and just talked. It always seems to be the last night of a trip that this feeling comes back to me. Maybe it’s because I realize that this can’t last forever, and it’ll all be gone the next morning, when we’re shipped back to Northport.

I know I’ve overlooked so many aspects of the Lake George trip, moreso than I can even fathom, but I wouldn’t have enough time in a day to talk about everything. So I’m going to end it here, as I intake the scent from the travel sized shampoo squirt bottle, and get a little teary eyed.

Teamies, I love you all. Even those of you who get on my nerves and make me want to not go on another trip with you, because we’re all like a family, and you’re all the ones who make everything worthwhile.

Friday was gym day, and we did a beach cleanup. Beach cleanups can be fun yet at the same time what you find will be so utterly disgusting that you want to chop your hands off. I was partnered up with Eliza and Manda. Manda was taking pictures, Eliza was holding the trash bag, and I was picking up trash.

Found a used condom. Said “ew”, picked it up with a stick, and tossed it into the bag.

Found a dead, half-eaten bird. Thought it was cool, picked it up with a stick. Eliza refused to let me put it in the bag. Hadda put it in Schultsies.

Was kicking through some washed up reeds, saw a piece of plastic sticking out, picked it up.

It was a used condom. Ribbed.

I threw it back down on the ground, ranted and raved for about ten minutes, then stuck my hands in the water. Yeah, like the Long Island Sound is any better. Psh.

So anyway, then we played some volleyball. Volleyball and NyQuil don’t mix. Hell, sports and ME don’t mix. Anyhoo, on with my life…

Friday evening I hung out with Eric downtown… all we did was walk around and talk about stuff. It started to drizzle, so we headed up towards the library to see if Manda was there. She wasn’t, so we made out way to Carvel, to bother Arpana. Arpana told us to come back in five minutes, because her parents were leaving, and she would give us some complimentary ice cream. So we bolted across the street to Stop & Shop (because by now, it was full-blown raining) and met up with Justin, Hugel, and Mazur. Then we went back to Carvel and Eric and I got ice cream. Hugel drove us all back to Justin’s, and my ice cream exploded on me. I took the top off and chocolate ice cream poured forth.

Well, we were playing soccer up at Bellerose Ave. School. Oh, how I love E-Team soccer. Well anyway, the ball was comin’ at me. I was gonna kick it, and I was gonna kick it hard. I wound up, and put all this force in… and I missed the ball. My knee hyper extended slightly. Or so, it felt like that. I collapsed on the ground. It hurt so fucking much, but we were in the middle of a game. I figured, I’d walk it off.

No such luck. It was fine until later when I went to kick the ball again, and my knee felt like it exploded. I decided to sit out for the last 45 minutes of gym, wherein they decided to play 2-hand-touch football… or whatever it was. I don’t like football. I didn’t pay attention.

But yea, so I got back to school, and my knee still hurt, so Schultsie put an ace bandage on it, and said it looked a little swolen. They sent me down to the nurse, I filled out an accident report, put ice on my knee, elevated it, and an hour later, my mom came to pick me up.

So here I am, at home, in pain, hoping it’s nothing more than a sprain.