Chocolate Rain

What do you do when it's hotter than the blazes in your dorm room and all of your Easter chocolate is melting?

Have a fondue night, of course!

No, we didn't melt our already melting chocolate, but we did have a fondue party nonetheless and it was the best. First, I (Jessica) dropped my Hannah Montana sunglasses in the fondue. Then a bunch of really cool people came over.

And then more really cool people came over.

And then we cleaned up.

It was awesome.

On Friday, Kate went home for a job interview (and it was a success I might add), so Erika and I were on our own. We watched John Tucker Must Die and I think almost an entire season of FRIENDS. We also went to McDonald's looking like this:

Yikes.

On Saturday, it was just a lazy day afternoon. I'm trying to get Erika hooked on the TV show, Chuck, and I think...I think...it might be working.

Chuck is just so cute and endearing :)

After this, we went and saw 17 Again in the theaters.



#1 - Zac Efron = SO HOT.
#2 - I haven't laughed that hard in the movie theater since I don't know when..
#3 - We popped our own popcorn and snuck it into the theater.
#4 - Zac Efron = SO HOT.

On Sunday, it was back to the daily grind. I went to the photo lab and printed this picture for our "solitude" assignment, and three things came of it.

#1 - I was able to print it in one shot...that never happens. What usually takes me 3 hours to make, only took me 45 minutes.
#2 - I kind of electrocuted myself a little bit while in the lab, but I'm ok now. Lesson learned = stay away from outlets after handling prints in the stop bath...
#3 - Everyone in my class loved it in the in class review.

And this is the last picture I printed...it was supposed to be a Christian photograph. It also got rave reviews :)

It's also better looking in person.

That's pretty much it, I think...I'm probably forgetting something...but that will get added eventually, I guess...

P.S. One day, Ryan Ploch will be famous.

We Win!

This is epic.

This is the first blog since August that Erika and I have actually written TOGETHER.
Yowzas.

Also epic: this weekend.
It included Relay for Life, Mario Kart tourneys, baseball games, Taco Bell, Meijer runs, Friends marathons...and CORN DOGS (or, as labeled, corn battered frankfurters on a stick).

#1 - Relay for Life.
It was a pretty dinky turnout this year, but our team raised 1/5 of the total money earned.


Also, When the Clouds Run for Cover played a concert for us

and Erika I walked a total of 2 hours around the track with lots of fun people.

Pablo made another appearance this year and enjoyed it thoroughly, mostly due to the fact that he never got kidnapped. He just got loved on by a little girl.


#2 - Mario Kart Tourneys
We SLAUGHTERED Adam in MK. A lot of talk for someone with very little game ;)
As if anyone could hope to beat us.

#3 - Baseball game
This was the first athletic event that Erika and I had been to all year. Quite a big difference from last year. Our team is pretty much amazing, as usual. And the sun was shining, which was glorious. The only not glorious thing was the ladies behind us who were talking about us like we couldn't hear them. Too bad for them, I have super sonic hearing when it comes to eavesdropping, not real life.


#4 - Taco Bell
Tasty as always, and I won $25 off of my cup! YAY!

#5 - Meijer run
Erika and I witnessed a sight not suitable for the internet. But we also got the makings for fondue and we got corn dogs!!

#6 - Friends marathon
Is any weekend without our favorite friends a complete one? I think not. They'll be there for us!

#7 - CORN DOGS!!
When you mix corn dogs with Friends marathons, life is just that much more worth living :)

Other than that, it's hotter than the blazes in our dorm room, so I'm going to go to the art building now to do photo stuff and Erika is going to cut her toe off in protest.

Ok, Peace out.
Jerica Mellens

PS - Red Wings are totally dominating. Series: 2-0. For those of you who live under a rock.

Let's Go to the Zoo

For Easter, my (Jessica's) parents took me to the Cleveland Zoo.


Contrary to popular belief, I do not think that this zoo belongs in the top 5 in the US...or whatever it's ranked...

I love the Detroit Zoo. It was the first ever zoo that allowed animals to live in their "natural habitats" as opposed to keeping them in cages, like the Cleveland Zoo. Boo.

Free - YAY!!

VS.

Not free - Poor little jaguar :(

But it was nice to get a little time off and go on a vacation with the family. Even if this monkey didn't think so. He's mostly mad that he's in a cage :(

Poor little monkey.

In better news, one of my photos from photography class got hung up on the "Photo of the Week" wall! Yay!! I'll scan a copy in...eventually...as soon as I get to the library...but it won't be the exact picture, because that one's ON THE WALL!!!!

Oh. Lastly...

Animals Rule!

Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)

For those of you who don't know, I [Erika] am a sports fan. I love all sports... well... almost all sports. I'm not a golf fan or a nascar fan... or any other weird sports fan. But I love hockey, baseball, basketball, and football. Not necessarily in that order... although hockey is my favorite.

Since I have this love for sports, I have chosen a soulmate from all of my favorite teams. Now, a soulmate is very different from favorite player. For example, my favorite Piston is Tayshaun Prince, but he is not my soulmate for 2 main reasons: 1. He is too old for me. and 2. He is married. So the rules for soulmates are that they must be unmarried, and they must be close to my age. And once I pick a soulmate, I am loyal to that soulmate until they are traded or leave the team for some other reason.

Now that you know the basic rules for soulmate picking, it's time for me to share who mine are. I have one from the Red Wings, Tigers, Pistons, and.... Lions... I think. I don't pick college soulmates cause... well the longest they can be my soulmate is for 4 years... and... well, I just don't.

Red Wings
Soulmate: Jiri Hudler - 3 years older than me.

I just decided this last night. It was between him, Jonathan Ericsson and Vlaterri Fillpula. And I know it's risky cause Hudler might be leaving at the end of the season. But... he's just so great. By great, I mean not necessarily skill-wise, because I think Filpulla might have the edge on him there, but I mean he's just so endearing. He always seems so happy. Happy Hudler. He was also the reason the Wings won the first shoot-out that I had ever seen. And his interview afterwards was so great. The person asked him what was going through his mind as he skated out to center ice and he said, "Don't fall... Don't fall... Don't fall." Hahaha. So great.

Favorite: Undecided
This always stresses me out. I just can't choose. And when I think I can... Like... Zetterberg, for example [he's always high on the list]. I start thinking about how great he is and how he should be my favorite. Then Franzen pops into my head. SO great. Then Datsyuk pops into my head. SO great. Then the old favorites pop into my head - Maltby, Draper, McCarty. Also great. Then Lidstrom pops into my head... and it's about at that time that I just resign to the fact that I can't choose one favorite Wing.


Tigers
Soulmate: Curtis Granderson - 6 years older than me

I think this choice is pretty self-explanatory. Even though 6 years is a bit of a stretch, how can I not choose Granderson? He's great. In all aspects. He's a great player - how many triples? And just take a look at that picture. What a catch. And he's smart. Read his blog - great writer. And, let's be real, he's attractive. Great all-around soulmate for sure.

Favorite: Brandon Inge
I was excited... but worried when they signed Cabrera. Cause I have always loved Inge and I didn't want him to be released or traded. I'm sooo glad they got things straightened out. Inge has been my favorite since the Tigers sucked and he will be until he leaves. For reasons like yesterday in the home opener - he made a spectacular catch. So great.

Pistons
Soulmate: Amir Johnson - about 3 months older than me.


This choice shows my loyalty to my soulmates. Back when the Pistons were good, like - really good, they picked up a player that was the same age as me. At the time, 18. I was immediatly excited about this and chose him as my soulmate. He was actually the first of any of my sports soulmates. He has since come a long way with the Pistons. From being a bench warmer to an actual player, he has been an exciting soulmate to watch. But, to be honest, if I hadn't already picked Amir, Rodney Stuckey would be my soulmate. But, hey! No regrets. :)

Favorite: Tayshaun Prince
Ever since Tayshaun made the "block heard 'round the world" on Reggie Miller, he has been and forever will be my favorite. I also just love his quiet style of play. I still say he's way underrated.

Lions
Soulmate: Calvin Johnson - 2 years older than me.



Much like Granderson, I think this choice is pretty self-explanatory. He's the best player on the Lions. And I have always been a sucker for wide receivers, running backs, and corner backs. And, whataya know - Calvin Johnson's a wide receiver, and excellent one at that. It was a travesty that he wasn't in the Pro Bowl last year. Just cause he's on the worst team.... ever, doesn't mean that he's not great.

Favorite: Calvin Johnson
Let's be real... I don't have much to choose from when it comes to the Lions. So my soulmate and favorite are the same.

So there ya have it.
I love sports and those that play sports. I also love the sunshine and warmth we've been having lately. Just to throw that out there. :)

Ok, peace out.

Walk Like an Egyptian

Erika and I were observing a cultural phenomenon the other day.

While walking to McDonald's for some weekend ice cream, we discussed a drama class that I took in 7th grade where we analyzed the way that people walked. These are some of the things that my drama teacher said you could assume about people by their walking body language.

*Disclaimer: If you walk like one of these things and are offended by the description, it's not my theory. Don't even try to get mad at me, Andrew.

Walk #1 - The Sasquatch (my name for it, not his)



Essentially, this is walking with your head far forward. It means that you're not really aware of others around you, nor do you care what they think. You're highly motivated, and might be a little socially awkward.

Walk #2 - The Peacock

This is when a person walks with their chest being the forward central point of their body. It's pretty much like you have a string around you, and whatever your walk type is, that's where the string is pulling you from. (I know this picture sucks, but it's the best I could find...)

These people tend to be pretty well grounded, but depending on how far they stick their chest out can tell you how much they think of themselves. Super far out = pretty pompous. Erika is this walk but Erika is not pompous.

Walk #3 - The Hipster

This one is when you walk with your hips pulling you forward. I'm guilty of walking like this. I could not find a picture of this, but I did find a picture of a man doing an exercise.

People who walk like this tend to be popular and have a lot of self-esteem...sometimes to the point of arrogance...Spot on.

Walk #4 - The Sloucher

These people walk with their shoulders forward. They usually have little to no self-esteem or have been made fun of for being tall and try to compensate by being "shorter." Sometimes, this one can be mistaken for the Sasquatch. Don't be fooled.

So, that's all I want to talk about. Now you can all go around analyzing/judging people because of their walking habits.

You're welcome.

P.S. Emily, this one was for you. Not because I was thinking of a walk that you do, but now you have to get me a certain celebrity's phone number ;)

Carolina on My Mind

Back by popular demand.
Sorry we have neglected for so long. I [Erika] am taking 18 credits this semester and it's whipping my butt. So that's my excuse. I'm not sure what Jessica's is. Maybe she will say in her next post. :) Whenever that may be.

Lots has happened in our lives since our last post, obviously. But. I'll skip the play-by-play and just go straight to the newest most exciting information: SPRING BREAK!

Yeah.
It happened last week and it was... marvelous. I really can't explain just how great it was. It was so nice to have a break from school. And a fun one at that. Jessica, Kate, Alyssum and I all headed down to Greenville, South Carolina for the week. And like I said. It was great. I think I'm gonna just do what I always do and make a list of the highlights for y'all. [Yes. the "y'all" was on purpose to get you all in the southern mindset].

Ok. Highlights. And... go:

1. On the way down we stopped at a gas station that was so old you couldn't even pay at the pump. It was great. And the people inside were so nice.

2. Alyssum/Jessica accidently super-sized it at Arby's. Hahaha. It was so funny.

3. We ate in Buttermilk. Aka: the greatest place on earth where everything is funny.

4. We called one of those "how's my driving?" numbers on the back of a semi to report a good driver. You could tell the phone lady wasn't used to that. And she called me "sir." Oiy.

5. I saw a dead dog on the side of the road and Jessica and Kate took advantage of my dismay and took the... best... picture ever taken of me.

6. Kate waved at a trucker who then followed us at a pretty high speed [for a semi] for quite a while.

7. When we went to Sonic, there was somebody there w/ narcolepsy who had been there for hours and just kept passing out in the car. I'm not making this stuff up. I swear.

8. The grass was green. And the sky was blue.


9. We climbed on the waterfalls of Falls Park even though it's "strictly prohibited." Shh, don't tell. ;)

10. We went to the "coolest toy store on the planet" and I thought a chair was a hat. Don't even hate on me. It would have been a sweet hat.


11. Alyssum FELL. hahahahaha.

12. We went downtown on the St. Patty's night for the Blarney Bash. Let me tell you. It was an experience:

13. There was a drunk couple there who.... well.... let's just say were a little too close to each other for too long in a far too public place.

14. And. There was a "drunk" child. Ok... let's hope not literally, but it sure seemed like it.

15. And. There was an Irish Gypsy Fairy Queen. She wanted to dance w/ everybody. But we wouldn't let her dance w/ us cause she was weird. And obviously we don't dance w/ weird people.

16. Kate and I got a picture with the guitarist from Gypsy Soul - the band that was playing. They were really good, but the man held us a little too tight and too long for comfort. Haha.


17. A man with long braided pigtails [we now refer to him as Pocohontas] was impressed with how excellent we all smelled. What can I say? We aim to please.

18. We went to Table Rock and went on a slew of adventures there too:

19. A boy took his shirt off so that we could gaze lovingly at his muscles. Or lack thereof.

20. Kate and Kendal and I went off the path quite a bit and always took the adventure way. Which means going over trees that would be much easier to go under. And Jessica and Alyssum did a great job taking beautiful pictures of it all.


21. Kate and I climbed a tree. Kate fell in a hole. Hahaha. Yes. I do get joy from seeing people fall, ok?


22. Jessica, Kate and Alyssum experienced Waffle House for the first time. They liked it... except for the gas that followed. Yes, I'm sure you alll wanted to know about that. :)

23. Our waitress there said that we were all very polite and then compared us to teenagers. But it was all good in the 'hood cause she was so nice about it.

24. Jessica and Kate are in love with the Game Show Network. And we almost got to be on it and talk to Carlton from Fresh Prince.



25. We got all dressed up and went downtown for dinner, and a man looked at Kate with the opposite of disgust.



26. We went to Liquid Highway cause we got mad at another coffee place for not letting us sit where we wanted to. But it all worked out for the better cause the barista there was HOT. And he put a heart shape in my coffee. SCORE.

27. We were slightly scared by a homeless man trying to talk to some girls and following them. Yikes. Don't worry, though. He didn't follow us. Kate was too fast for him.

28. We had wrestling matches galore. Kate and I always won.

29. Kate and I got cool sunglasses, I got a cool ring, Jessica and Alyssum got cool dresses, Kate got cool earrings and a headband and Alyssum got a cool... something else. :) [for a picture of Jessica's dress, look at our dressed up picture. for a picture of Alyssum's dress, email her and ask her to take a picture of her in it and send it to you. for a picture of our cool sunglasses, look below. for a picture of Alyssum's something else dream on]


30. Kate and I are the best singers in the world. We did a cover of All-American Rejects' "Gives you Hell." Let me tell you. It's great.

31. "Truth," My workshirt, Bat Cave, Buttermilk, GSN, Liquid Hotguy are just some of the many things that will now live in infamy because of this trip.

So that was our spring break in a list of 31 highlights. Hope you all enjoyed it.
And sorry again about the neglect. We will tryyyy to be better.

Ok. Peace out.

Life in Technicolor

All right, folks. Here is part 2 of my 2 part Costa Rica blog. :)

Day 12 -
Today was kind of just a travel day. We made our way to the Arenal Volcano. And the place we are staying at is a BEAUtiful resort type place today. When we got there we all just lounged about by the pool and the hot tub. It. Was. Spectacular.
Couple things I noticed today: (1) I wish I could sleep better on the bus. (2) I am SO thankful for my iPod. (3) When you tell people that you are getting credits while sitting in a hot tub, they will laugh at you.

Day 13 -
Today would have been 100% cooler had it not been rainy and cloudy. But, hey. You win some, you lose some. We went on a boat ride today to the bottom of the volcano which was really neat. I am always up for a good boat ride. :) We also went to the hot springs. Which was cool. Like... 8 or so natural hot tubs. Spectacular.
Couple things I noticed today: (1) Ellen Degeneres is hilarious. (2) Lava looks like a white cloud coming down the mountain during the day. (3) Iguanas look like mini-dinosaurs. (4) The hot springs weren't quite as natural as I would have expected/hoped. It was kind of like a little mini-resort. I thought we would have to like... hike to them.

Day 14 -
Today was our first day in Limon. I have never felt so much like an outsider. I don't like walking around unfamiliar cities at night. Oiy. I just felt like such a tourist today. And I don't like that feeling. Not to mention the fact that everytime we went out somebody was stressing the importance of keeping your bags in front of you at all times. Yikes.
Couple things I noticed today: (1) if a car sees you crossing the street, they don't slow down. They speed up. (2) Talk about a snap back to reality - coming from the resort type place here. I can see why they think all Americans are filthy rich.


Day 15 -
Beach day! Oh my gosh. It was great. We got up. Ate breakfast. And went to the beach. Now, I don't tan. So I therefore normally am not a lay-out-in-the-sun-all-day type of person. But. This was great. I had so much fun. And I saw wild monkeys.
Couple things I noticed today: (1) the monkeys are very bold. They will come right up to you and steal chips out of your hand. (2) Yeah. I don't tan. (3) I got offered a joint. It's not really something I noticed, but still worth mentioning.



Day 16 -
So today we made our way back to San Jose. It's funny how this city that I was so intimidated by has become our home away from home. I love the Don Carlos Hotel. If you're ever in San Jose, stay there. :) We had dinner at somebody's house and they performed traditional Nicaraguan dances for us. They were really neat.
Couple things I noticed today: (1) I like euchre. I hadn't really played in a while. And I like it. (2) I also like my roomates here and that we can do stupid things and think they are funny. (3) Diane would have loved the dances.


Day 17 -
Today was just a chill out in San Jose day. We ran some errands: last laundry run, last bank run, that sort of thing. And the main event of the day was getting pierced and tattooed. I didn't get anything done, but there were 3 belly button rings, one tattoo, and one eyebrow ring. We also saw Valkyrie. Which was a good movie. Not really the light-hearted comedy I was in the mood for. At all. But good nonetheless.
Couple things I noticed today: (1) Mandy handled getting a piercing just like I would have - by passing out. (2) It's important to get off at the right bus stop. Otherwise you will risk your life like 10 times crossing one street. (3) I did my mini-lecture. And our professor likes to interrupt me. A lot. (4) Brooke looks great w/ her eyebrow pierced.

Day 18 -
Today was another travel day. Off to Manuel Antonio. My first trip ever to the Pacific ocean. Yes. After all the travel it was a marvelous day. Swimming in the ocean, watching the sunset on the beach, eating a really nice, fancy dinner - all great. Really really great.
Couple things I noticed today: (1) The waves in the Pacific are huge. Like seriously 2 times my size. SO much fun. (2) I have very little patience for people with no patience. (3) I can't stop taking pictures of beautiful sunsets. (4) Brooke still looks great with an eyebrow ring. (5) People think Jamar and I are or should be dating.... awkward. (6) I'm better at the salsa and meringue than I could have guessed. Our teacher chose me to be his partner when showing people how to do it. Yesss. :)

Day 19 -
So could today get any more perfect? Nope. I don't think so. Today we went to the Manuel Antonio National Park which is home to the 3rd most beautiful beach in the world. Yup. It lived up to the hype. Then after we spent some time there, we went on a boat. Like a little mini-cruise that included free [non-alcoholic] drinks, dinner, snorkeling, dolphin sightings, salsa, meringue, and jumping into the ocean off the upper deck. Seriously... Perfect Day was the theme song of the day.
Couple things I noticed today: (1) snorkeling is so cool, but it takes some time to get used to so that you're not inhaling salt water. (2) I love jumping off of high things into the water. So much fun. (3) I saw a rock that was in Jurassic Park. (4) It's much harder to dance the salsa and meringue on a boat than it is on the ground.

Day 20 -
Ok. So today was pretty darn great too. We went zip-lining. Probably one of the coolest, funnest things I have done in my entire life. Oh my gosh. I really don't think I can express how much I loved it. Right after zip-lining we headed back to San Jose. Ugh. I definitely was not ready to go back...
Couple things I noticed today: (1) Alex [Our substitute leader who also taught us to dance] didn't really like zip lining, despite what he said... (2) Amanda Petrakovitz is popular among the Ticos. (3) Like I said - I absolutely love zip-lining. (4) Danielle has huge guns.

Day 21 -
Today was just a get-ready-for-tomorrow day. We did some last minute souvenir shopping. Went to dinner at the place we ate on our first day... and just kinda relaxed before our 16 hours of travel tomorrow.
Couple things I noticed today: (1) I like shows like CSI, The Mentalist, and House. (2) They have these carmel-coffee candies that are delicious. (3) Mandy Phillips and Brooke Nanna are awesome.


Day 22 -
Today is the long, long, looonnnng travel day home. It's weird how fast this trip has flown by. When we made it back to the States, it was so nice to be able to read the signs, talk to people easily, and pay in American money. And it was sooo nice to see my family again.
Couple things I noticed today: (1) 5 hour lay-overs aren't quite as bad as they sound when you're with a bunch of friends. (2) Bennigan's in an airport is sooo expensive. But so good. (3) Quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies are sooo much smaller than Colones.

And that's about that. Hope you enjoyed and I didn't totally bore you. But. In my defense, if you were bored, you had the option to navigate away. :)

Annnd...
I'll leave you with this image:



Ok. Peace out.