Do I Wish I Could Go Back to College?

"I wish I could go back to college. In college you know who you are."-Avenue Q the Musical

Is this true? That in college you really discover yourself and you find your true identity? I don't really buy it, but I do know that college is a very unique time in life when you can truly think about identity and what values you hold true. It's funny, I never missed college a whole lot. I mean, there were certain times I would love to repeat, but other things I am happy are over. However, the one thing I miss terribly is the proximity. We were all so physically close. You could walk over to a building to see your friends. Everyone was always online, so you could talk to them on aim, and then go say hi, and it just felt so wonderful to have people you cared about all in the same place.
And then it was gone, just like that. I graduated and had to face the reality of life which was, I didn't live at college. I had to get a job, and focus on my future, and I couldn't walk over to ML to see Tina, I'd have to drive for a half hour on the highway, and most likely, she wouldn't be home, because she now has graduated too, and is searching for a way to make a living or even a life.
I mean, I have a wonderful fiancee, who I love dearly, and am truly grateful to have him in my life. But no one takes the place of friends who you love dearly.
I was always one of those optimistic kids who was like, "Of course this isn't goodbye. We're TOTALLY gonna visit each other, in fact, I'll call you when I get home" kind of a thing. Well, life isn't that easy or convenient, despite the internet and phone.
I decided with Pierre yesterday to do a little New Year's get together. And when he asked me why I invited so many people, I told him, that in actuality only like 10 will come at most, because most people have plans, or have a life, or obligations, and don't feel like shlepping to our house, or are on vacation, or whatever. People have their own lives. We are not in college where everything revolved around our social lives with some academics thrown in.
Right now, I'm thinking to myself, that I am grateful and happy where I am, but you know what I would like for the holidays? Just to have one night with some of my friends and my fiancee, just one night to catch up and see their smiling faces in person. Is that really too much to ask? I guess in today's world it is. And in actuality, no matter what happens for new year's, it's never what you think it's gonna be, because despite all of the hype the media gives it, not everyone has access to "the club" or "the party", and some people don't want to get so drunk that they can't remember their name the next morning. I like to be able to identify myself without having to wear a nametag, thank you very much.

Diamonds and Orchids and Designer Gowns- oh my!

I was watching a show called "Platinum Weddings" earlier today. It was a marathon of "Platinum Weddings", actually. Oh man. One of these shows I was watching, they had six courses of food. Six courses, hmmm. I don't know if that's really necessary. I feel like the weddings we see on TV are all about excess. It's as if a normal man and woman finding each other aren't good enough, we have to dazzle it up with jewels and sparkly chandeliers and make it so grossly over the top that it wows everyone who walks in the door. Who started this tradition of having grossly overstated weddings?
I wonder. I mean, I always thought of weddings as things in huge churches, with high ceilings, and dressed with long trains. However, there are other people in the world, besides Christians, and other places to get married, that don't have high ceilings. And it's not even really about the ceremony, it's all about the reception.
While watching this show today, I was amazed at the insanity of some people's receptions. One couple had a white "seamless" dance floor put in. I don't even know what that means. Another couple had various Las Vegas acts perform and two bands, and fireworks and pyrotechnics. There are children starving in Africa, why do you need fireworks at your wedding?
Another couple had over 50,000 dollars worth of flowers at their wedding. I mean I love flowers, but don't they want to save for retirement?
I feel like people think that weddings are outside all practical and rational thought. But the truth is that they are far from it. One must think rationally about these affairs, otherwise they become larger than life, and larger than the thing they are actually celebrating.

the smallest laptop -IN THE WORLD

I have an "EEE PC" by Asus. It's really not that exciting. But you would think otherwise.
Let me explain.
A year or so ago, when we had money ( or at least weren't in the middle of the economy breakdown), my fiancee and I went to the PC Micro Center on a search. Our search was fall really small laptops. He wanted to use his on the train to work, and in general. I wanted a laptop I could take notes in class with, and could bring to the library, or Starbucks, or wherever, and it wouldn't be heavy. We found an awesome machine (in fact I'm typing on it right now) the EEE PC. The investment was well worth it, and not very expensive either (considering that it is a laptop).
Most laptops are at least six hundred dollars, at the very least, for full-sized laptops. We got ours (his black, mine white, we are big dorks I know) for three-hundred fifty dollars each.
I know what you are thinking-WOW, HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?
Well, it is. And as I explain to many a fellow Starbucks customer, every time I use it, or at the library, or at MSU, here's the deal-
I wouldn't use it as my only laptop, because there isn't a ton of memory ( I usually use stick drives when I work).
I wouldn't put music on it (I don't think the contents of your IPOD would fit).
I have uploaded pictures on it using my camera and a card and it worked really well, but then I made sure that they weren't saved on the computer, because it would take up too much space.
It is the most convenient thing ever ( I take it with me everywhere!)
It allows me not to have to buy a crackberry, or any of those phone things where you can be reached 24/7.
The computer runs Linux, so it is not Microsoft and has none of its programs, so you don't have to pay for all the Bill Gates licensing crap.
However, it has free software on it, already installed called "openoffice" which allows you to do all the microsoft like programs and save them in other forms, for example,
I do a doc. in openoffice/writer
and save it in word, and it's almost the exact same product.
They have the same thing for excel, adobe,powerpoint etc.
The internet is hook up or wifi, just like a normal laptop.
So, you may be wondering- why is she telling us all of this?
Well, every single time I go out someone asks me about it. Whether it is a 13 year old, who thinks it's a MAC because it's white, or a 72 year old who wants to try computers for the first time, I explain it again and again.
I just really should guide them all to this post. I mean if they already have a computer. But seriously, if you are looking for an easy to use, lightweight (2lb), affordable laptop, get on the EEEPC train! I also hear that Acer has one as well, but don't know much about it . ..