And So It Begins

Here I am, staring down my last few hours of freedom before classes begin. Like an adolescent, I'm secretly hoping that the flood warning we're currently under continues through the morning, resulting in cancelled classes. Postponing reality, however, will do me no good. And I should act more like a mature adult, right?

I feel as though there's one item of business I must take care of before the semester begins: introducing you to some of my peers in my cohort. They are quite a bunch, and I'm sure much of my posts from here on out will refer to them. Have no fear, they know I have a blog, and I've promised them some anonymity. To construct this anonymity, I've begun creating nicknames for each of them, so you won't really know who they are (unless you're one of them), but I'm sure you'll grow to love them just as I have in the five (or so) short days we've known each other.

IDF (Israeli Defense Forces), Minor League, and Bulgarian Radio were the first classmates I met, and they've proven good companions thus far, suffering through the various workshops, sessions, and orientations involved with the role of first-year TA. Another TA, whom I met later, goes by many names, as he's from China, and no one can seem to pronounce his name. He's asked us to call him Stephanie and Bob, among many others, so far this week. For now, I'm going to call him Texarchina (teks-arch-eye-nuh; you know, like Texarkana - he's from China and went to school at Texas-Austin), but I feel like I can come up with something better, as he's quite a lively individual. Stay tuned on that one.

In the last twenty-four hours, I've had the fortune of getting to spend time with a few others, which has helped to create a few more nicknames. One has a very James Dean vibe and James Franco looks. The name that seems most appropriate for him, though, is Pineapple Express. Appalachian Advocate is a potential future roommate of mine, and she graduated with Pineapple Express last year. App Ad may get a new nickname in the future, as I learn more about her, but after tonight's dinner conversation, she's App Ad. Still working on a good name for R&B, so she's R&B for now. For my HOBY people out there (or those who have done True Colors personality testing using the colors gold, orange, green, and blue), I think R&B's a blue. And for those of you who know me and my color, you know I'm a super blue. Let the lovefest begin.

Oh, and let's not forget about The Cool Married One. I considered calling her "The Married One," until I realized that she and her husband are super cool married people; they've joined us for hikes, drinks, know the city very well, AND she has already proposed some department sightseeing downtown. I like this girl. And she's married. Thus, The Cool Married One. There's also The Professional, who has a full-time job at Wake Forest. With experience in PR and higher ed, I have a LOT in common with The Professional. He speaks my language, and it's good to find someone with whom you can speak your language.

Finally, you have The Great Debaters, which encompasses all of my remaining classmates who are debate coaches for Wake Debate. They are a bit of a subculture of our department, and if I get to know them better, they'll probably emerge with individual identities in the context of the blog. For now, they're grouped together.

So far, we get along REALLY well, which is why I anticipate the need to reference them on this little thing I call my blog. Look forward to hearing more about them - they are really rad people.

Peace, love, and one heckuva cohort--

Emily

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

The period of time from Friday afternoon through Saturday afternoon served as a lesson in peer pressure. And for one of my classmates, the lesson proved to be painful - and sweaty. And I learned that peer pressure isn't just for adolescents anymore.

For those of you who keep really close tabs on me, you know that I have been looking forward to my department's hiking adventure at Pilot Mountain, which was scheduled for Saturday morning. Who would have thought that the things that get me excited are the polar opposite of the things that get the majority of people excited? Friday afternoon, I learned that the Pilot Mountain trip was the LAST thing my classmates wanted to do on Saturday morning. From the sounds of things, NO ONE was going. Dare I cave to peer pressure?

As our enthusiastic prof passed her little notepad around the group, one-by-one, that little notepad was quickly cast to the next, to the next, to the next - no signatures. I stood firmly to my ground; even if I was the only one, I was still going. Bless her soul, one of my classmates penned her name on that little pad. Victory! Now, I could add my name with confidence! The notepad continued to the next, to the next, to the next. At least there would be two of us. Then, in a dramatic change of events, ANOTHER classmate added his name before the notepad reached the end of its line. This second classmate would soon regret that he folded to peer pressure.

To make a long story short: we ended up taking a 2.2 mile "strenuous" trail at Pilot Mountain, although none of us had really confessed much prowess in the hiking sector (besides my first classmate who signed up, her husband, and their dog, who appeared to hike regularly, according to their Camelbak water backpacks). Classmate #2... not so fortunate. He confessed last night (at my SECOND, free Dash game - man, I know the right people) that he threw away the t-shirt he had worn hiking when he got home. Let's be honest: if I threw away every sweaty piece of clothing, I'd be running naked as a jaybird 95% of the time. However, I understand the horrifying symbol that his grey t-shirt must have become after that hike.

Here we are after: (sans classmate who tossed his t-shirt afterward; he's our adept photog for this shot)

Wait, I'm not sure you can read that sign. Let's take a closer look:

My enthusiasm for this hike may have been based on the definition of "hike" in West Central Ohio, where any slight hill is hard to find. I remarked to a few of my fellow hikers that "hiking" in Ohio is much different from "hiking" in North Carolina. Lesson learned, but now I'm prepared for the next one!

Peace, love, and sweaty t-shirts--

Emily

Carrel 3, Carswell: My New Office

Yesterday, I picked up my student ID and the key to my office in Carswell Hall. Some might say that I'm really going places - that I'm really moving up in the world. Others (who are visual learners and scrolled down to the photos before reading) would disagree. I am the proud inhabitant of carrel three of the second floor of Carswell. Yes, my "office" is a mere carrel, but I'm pretty gosh darn proud of it. The door locks, there's a light bulb in one of the three  sockets, it looks dusty but it's not, and it's all mine.

My carrel isn't the only highlight of the last two days; and, no, I'm not being facetious. I was most delighted to learn about the TLC, Teaching and Learning Center, at Wake. Now, the TLC is oft-confused with the Learning Assistance Center, however, my friends, they are not the same center. The Learning Assistance Center is for students and the TLC is for faculty and TAs! It's a resource for us, so we can be the best teachers we can be. They offer regular workshops. OUTSTANDING! When Wake says they're a teaching-centered institution, they mean it! Little known fact: nationally, WFU is ranked 12th overall in terms of Best Undergraduate Teaching (according to our dear friends at U.S. News & World Report, America's Best Colleges).

Oh, did I mention what greeted me at TA orientation yesterday? A cooler emblazoned with the Mountain Dew logo (and full of Mt. Dew and other Pepsi products, as logic would have it). GREAT way to start orientation. And the day ended with an ice cream social. Pssshhhh. Awesome. I mean, Dew and ice cream socials pale in comparison to the teaching-centered mission of the school, but they're up there!

Today, I met more fellow commies (that's what the department named their intramural softball team last year, as I learned today).  I'm sure I'll describe my compatriots in more depth in future posts. The department wants to start a group run, group walk, intramural teams, and we ended tonight at Dr. Giles' house (on Faculty Drive, so YES, there are faculty who live on Faculty Drive!). Tomorrow, a few of us are going hiking at Pilot Mountain. Tomorrow night, we're catching a Dash game.

As Dave Matthews would say, "So much to say, so much to say, so much to say, so much to say." Expect more posts as orientation continues and classes commence. For now, here's a look at part of Carswell Hall. That lower level is where my "office" is located (see the open door on the right? that's me!). While my carrel doesn't look like much on its own, I hope you agree that the overall ambiance is very nice.

Peace, love, and my new office--

Emily

We Try To Do This About Once a Month

People, I think I live in heaven. My apartment staff was handing out Krispy Kreme donuts at the front gate of the complex this morning. Going to work, coming from work, going to school - it didn't matter - everyone in my complex was greeted by the apartment staff and a trunk full of Krispy Kremes. Seriously, the trunk of the apartment manager's car was stocked with donuts.

Now, if I hadn't been up there to work out (shameless plug that I worked out today), I would have--

1. missed the donuts
2. had a camera to capture this beautiful moment

Between crunches and cardio, I ran out to the gate to grab myself a piece of the glory. When I asked, "Is it the first day of school or something?" Nathan, the apartment manager (who also greets me as "BUEHLerrrrrrr!"), says, "Nah. We try to do this about once a month." Groundbreaking. My whole state of mind turned on a dime. Nothing makes me more excited to get up every morning and go to class than the possibility of Krispy Kremes once a month. I guess I'm not so nervous to start school next week! Donuts!

The donuts were packed up and taken away at about 9 am. As I left the fitness room at about 9:10, I shook my head in pity for those poor schmucks driving out of the gate - they had no idea that they were just 10 minutes away from glazed, soft, sugary goodness.

Peace, love, and donuts at least once a month--

Emily

The Doctor Is... In. For Now.

On the heels of a Today segment this morning about the increasing numbers of Americans on medication for anxiety, I happily and victoriously self-diagnosed as not needing anxiety medication, contrary to the opinions of, well, a few people.

And then I started reading my emails.

For those of you who worked with me in Weber Hall, the doctor is currently in; however, the doctor may be out by Wednesday evening. For those of you who don't know what this means, scroll to the bottom.

The orientation schedule that I so diligently recorded in my planner weeks and weeks ago still stands (thank goodness, because I couldn't find my favorite pencils and had to write it in pen). A copy of the schedule (with some notes to eliminate confusion) was sent to us by a faculty member who ended her email with, "We have a lot to cover before classes start on August 29, so try to get some rest, eat well, and get some fresh air to prepare for the start of the semester." Oh my... do I need to carb up, too? What about water consumption, vitamins, and stretching? With proper stretching, will this all be easier? My head feels like it's filled with tangled yarn.

And then I get an email to sign up for a session on "Preparing Your Graduate Thesis or Dissertation" for October 16. That's exciting, but now I'm thinking about when I'll make a trip to the library to find the room, ZSR Library 476, so that I don't get lost on the way. Is a day in advance enough? A week? Should I just go tomorrow? And while I'm at it, should I determine a thesis topic before classes start? Is that smart? Is that what the smart people do?

ID cards, parking permits, computers, mailboxes, refunds from financial aid, materials to prepare for TAships, class registration, and don't forget that final fax confirming that I got a tetanus shot at the end of June. If that fax doesn't make it by next Monday... oh, the immunization saga will, indeed, continue.

It all goes down on Thursday, people. Until then, you better believe I'll be blogging about the joys of the pool at my apartment complex, perhaps accompanied by pictures. That is, if the weather cooperates, and it doesn't rain the next two days.

Peace, love, and stress... or anxiety... or stress... I'm not sure--

Emily

PS - See Emily's comic relief and creativity at work:

I Didn't Try Sweet Tea, But...

List of things I didn't want to do when I moved south:

• Drink sweet tea
• Listen to country music
• Use tobacco products

List of things I want to do now that I live in the south:

• Say "y'all" as frequently and naturally as possible
• Have an accent (a southern one, that is)

Now that we're all on the same page, I must admit that last night, I did one of the things I swore I wouldn't do...

But let's focus on the positives here: I actually left my apartment.

Last night, I enjoyed a little "ultra saloon" (what does that mean?) called Johnny and June's. Luckily, I'm not so out of touch with the history of country music that I didn't know the origins of the name of the bar (however, I did learn the difference between bluegrass and country, which I totally thought were the same things). Actually, I know quite a bit of old country, which is probably why I was so offended when a gentleman at the bar said, "You're going to need to learn this song if you're going to live in the south," referring to "Fishin' in the Dark." Ummm, hello sir, not only do I know every word, I learned a very finely choreographed dance to this song from the one and only Steinke brothers and performed that dance at Kimi's wedding. Get a grip. And my mom would slap me silly if I didn't know one of the most famous songs from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. O-ffended.

Anyway...

I still haven't confessed which of the items on the no-no list I undertook last night. No, Mom, not tobacco products, and the title of this post clearly states that it wasn't sweet tea. Yes, country music. And I met the band, and they're rad guys. So take a little listen, and support a little group of musicians called the Chris Lane Band.

Peace, love, and country music--

Emily

Some Things Change, Some Stay the Same

Other than finding it extremely difficult to navigate outgoing mail and non-direct deposits, you might be wondering what else has been new and different in my first two weeks in The Dash.

I still live in a swing state, so presidential election attack ads are a norm on the local TV stations (which, for those of you who don't know, are all that I have. I opted to cancel my Dish Network in order to save money, so I'm left with two CBS stations, two NBC, the CW, and about five public access stations. I've been watching quite a bit of I Love Lucy, Gilligan's Island, Matlock, The Rockford Files, The Twilight Zone, and Perry Mason in exchange for Dr. Phil, which/whom I still cannot stomach.).

Although the commercial breaks yield some familiar sights, the weather reports on the local news have me marveling at my new locale. My local weather people categorize the local region into three parts: the Piedmont, the foothills, and the mountains. I have foothills and mountains! Eek! How delightful. If you're not-so-familiar with the geography of western NC, no, I do not live in the foothills or the mountains. I'm in Winston-Salem, one part of the Piedmont Triad. Greensboro and High Point make up the other 67% of the Triad.

Drive down my street just a few blocks, and you'll notice that we aren't in Kansas anymore, Toto. If you've been keeping up with this nail-biter of a blog, you've already learned about the new grocery store chains that I now call my own, but the fastfood chains are going to take me (and my digestive system) some time to get accustomed to. The first three fastfood joints you encounter on the drive out of my complex are...

Yes, that's Bojangles', Pig Pickin's, and Biscuitville, right in a row. Chicken, pork, and biscuits - what more could a girl want? Oh, that's right, maybe I'll want the old school 1995 Taco Bell that's just a bit further down the block. I noticed in the spring that Winston-Salem has not rebranded their Taco Bells, which I thought had happened at least a decade ago. Nonetheless, that mid-90s Taco Bell represents some comforting, familiar food among all of this unfamiliar comfort food on my block.

Perhaps my next post will be about the awkward sense of unbelonging that I felt as I parked next to a Crown Victoria and walked out to the sidewalk to take this photo.

Peace, love, something old, something new--

Emily



Wanna Know What Happens When the Know-It-All Doesn't Know It All?

Warning: this post will be much more introspective than previously released material. Perhaps this self-reflection is a result of the many cheese-filled hotdogs I've consumed lately. Reader beware.

In response to the question posed in the title of this post: she freaks out.

Moving to a new city by myself has yielded new experiences, many of which I welcome with open arms. Sometimes, however, I find myself in a situation in which I don't know what to do... and I shut down. Rather than ask for help, look dumb, or do something wrong, I'd rather do nothing at all. Allow me to share some examples.

The first know-it-all freak-out was produced as a result of the need to send mail out. Where do I put outgoing mail? Somewhere in the apartment complex? Do I go to the post office? Should I know this already? Is this something people know? Have I been handicapped by living in small towns? Is that why I don't know this?

It took me about a week to grow the courage to ask the guy in charge (who knows WHAT his title is) at the leasing office the answer to this question. I threw it out there, rather nonchalantly, as he turned over my mailbox key to me. Turns out, my mailbox is just outside my apartment, AND there's a slot marked "OUTGOING MAIL" right there. If you check out the photo, you'll see second floor windows in the background of the mailboxes; yeah, those are my windows. Maybe if I left my apartment more, I would have noticed those. And I was really worried about where to send mail from...

The second instance came about when I received my FIRST PAYCHECK FROM WAKE FOREST!!! (I don't use multiple exclamation points very often, so let's really take a moment to celebrate this - the paycheck, that is; not the exclamation points.) Upon handing over my check, the ever-so-insightful girl at the HR office says, "And that's a live check, so you're going to want to cash that." Oh, why thank you, genius of the planet. What else would it be?

With dismay, though, I realized that I hadn't really had to cash a check in a long time. And I just opened accounts at a new bank (shout out to Wells Fargo), and I really didn't want to look dumb there, either. I let the check sit over the weekend. And Monday. And then, finally, on Tuesday, I Googled how to deposit a check. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Seriously, people. I Googled that, for fear that I would do it wrong and people would... what? People would what? Put a dunce cap on me at Wells Fargo, right there in the lobby?

Still laughing at myself; just a minute.

So I successfully cashed my first paycheck yesterday! Woot! I totally didn't screw it up. No dunce cap, no clever rhyme about my shortfalls; it was all okay.

Wow, this is a long post. Who knew I had so much to say about things I DON'T know. HA! This is therapy for me, folks, just let it happen.

Here's to asking for help when you don't know what you're doing--

Emily

The Unique Cuisine of a Grad Student Budget

Living on my new grad student budget promises to yield some interesting culinary creations. With only pennies to spare, not a morsel of food in my pantry will go to waste!

Which is why I ate grilled cheese sandwiches made with hamburger buns yesterday - check it out...

Doesn't it look so perfectly delicious?! It's easier to spread the butter on the smooth sides of the bun, the shape is perfect, and the bread smashes down just fine. Yum!

I'm starting to think I should buy that all-ramen noodle cookbook that exists out there in the world somewhere. However, I'm QUITE a mad scientist (that's right, Andy Buehler: mad scientist) in the kitchen. I'll be sure to post more low-budget creations as they come to fruition.

For now, I'm off to conjure up a way to make my cheese-filled hotdogs into a meal different from the two I had yesterday. Don't worry, Mom (and others), I'm getting plenty to eat! This is a real test of my creativity - you know, like when I claimed that not cleaning my room as a kid was a test of my memory...

Peace, love, and vittles (that one's for you, Annette)--

Emily

Learnin' You a Thing or Two about W-S

Listen, folks. I would like to teach you a few things that Wikipedia taught me about Winston-Salem (so... we'll see how credible this info really is).

I didn't really need Wikipedia to tell me about the tobacco history of Winston-Salem. I mean, the name of the city itself and the neighboring village of Tobaccoville were two signs. And then there's Reynolda Rd., Reynolds Park Rd., RJ Reynolds High School, Reynolda Village, Smith Reynolds Airport, Zay Smith Reynolds Library, etc., etc. History lesson: RJ Reynolds founded the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, home of Camel cigarettes, among many other brands. Much like sweet tea, the use of tobacco products seems quite popular in Winston. And just like the drinking of sweet tea, I will NOT be joining in this activity.

Here's something you MAY NOT know: the first Krispy Kreme doughnut shop was opened in Winston-Salem. I might have one of those.





Hanes (you know: socks, t-shirts, underwear, Michael Jordan) had its beginnings in Winston-Salem. Much like Reynolds, you cannot drive around the 'burbs of W-S without driving on a road, boulevard, or parkway with the word "Hanes" in it. And not only do you see Jordan in Hanes commericals on local TV, you also see him endorse the hospital here in Winston. Don't forget, he was a Tarheel! (Sadly, this video is NOT the one for Forsyth [emphasis on -syth, not For-], but for a neighboring hospital. Same one. Still funny.)




Texas Pete hot sauce: W-S

Wachovia: W-S

I bet you feel really smart now.

Peace, love, and learning--

Emily

The Immunization Saga Continues

Finally! After approximately seven attempts to contact Student Health Services, I spoke to a PERSON!

For those of you who do not know, I have been entangled in immunization drama since the end of June. Upon submitting the requested immunization records and receiving a tetanus booster (which caused an apparent allergic reaction stemming from the bandage adhesive), I received further notification that I needed some other tetanus series of shots.

Another trip to the doctor's office.

The nurse, the doctor, and unsuccessful calls to two health departments and Student Health Services could not figure out what this requested vaccination could be. Was there that much rust in North Carolina?

After weeks of unreturned phone calls and voicemails, I spoke to a wonderful lady who informed me that the vaccination for which they needed record from me was one I would have received as an infant. Phew! Now, to track down those records.

And here I am, waiting for a returned call from the doctor's office, who can't seem to verify that I received a tetanus booster on June 26, and the health department, who is trying to track down my infant immunization records.

WOOOOO! Hopefully this is all wrapped up before I register for classes in less than three weeks.

The good news: NO MORE SHOTS!

Peace, love, and no needles--

Emily

Get In My Belly!

So I've lived in Winston-Salem for nearly two days, and here is what I have discovered:

1. A delicious, cheap sushi/hibachi place with speedy service
2. A yummy steak for less than $12 very near campus (ask Alyssa)
3. Homemade potato chips can be crispy OR soft, and my new-found friend, Abrams (HOBY NC-West/WLC), likes his potatoes from Putters in this order: soft potato chips, buffalo chips, crispy potato chips
4. Locally-brewed beer, Red Oak, which is pretty gosh darn good, but for $11.50/pitcher, umm... yeah.
5. Steak sauce and ketchup are apparently not common condiments to be placed on restaurant tables, but ranch dressing IS.
6. Harris Teeters, Lowes, and Food Lion are my grocery options. Yes, there is an Aldi here. Yes, there is Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Harris Teeters' font of their logo looks suspiciously like Comic Sans, which makes me suspicious of Harris Teeters.

Basically, I've left my apartment to eat...and I'm okay with that.

Tomorrow, maybe I'll do something besides eat. Or maybe I'll just continue this trend. I have a 24-hour gym at my apartment complex... or I could gain the - uh - 1st year grad student 15?

Peace, love, and North Carolina barbecue...

Emily