It is so hard to write this damn thing! I never know how to begin.

I wanted everyone to know that I'll be walking in the AIDS Walk Los Angeles on October 17th. I'm quite excited. If you happen to have 25 or more dollars laying around that you would like to donate to fighting the AIDS epidemic (and helping me raise my goal of $250) then please visit this website and sponsor me:
http://aidswalklosangeles2004.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=57875&u=57875-59102788
It's obviously a really fantastic cause, so I know I don't need to hype it up, but don't feel pressure to donate just because you love me or whatever. But please do donate if the spirit so moves you.

Friday is Salsa Night, woo hoo! We get to have free dancing lessons and then dance the night away to live music and food somewhere in downtown L.A. The best part is that I get to wear a pretty dress.
Also, Josh is coming to visit! Too bad his sorry ass never reads this blog, the dummy. His loss, right guys? Anyway, we're going to the Body Worlds exhibit at the Science Center across the street. Have you heard of it?? They preserved all these cadavers with plastic or something and posed them doing cool things, so you get to look at dead bodies playing basketball with creepy eyes that stare at you, etc. I'm pumped.

Let's take a poll. Is it more important for me to take a voice class or a guitar class next semester? I really feel like I need to advance my singing abilities, but my poor guitar sits unused under my bed because I only know how to play like 6 chords and I play the same song over and over again. What do you think?

This is a long blog! Don't forget to check the picture page, because there a lots and lots of new ones up!

Love,
Emily

RACHEL IS HERE!!!!!!!! I haven't actually seen her yet but she's in los angeles and I get to touch her face in only a few hours barely! I am so excited because she is probably my favorite person in the world. I'm super pumped for her to meet all of my friends and for them to see her because I talk about her constantly. By the way, everyone should always look at www.rachelroellke.com. Pay special attention to her blog. I was reading it the other day and realized how amazing she is, because she bares her entire soul all the time (a stark contrast to my blogs... "hey guys, this is what i did today! yay!") and does it in a wonderful beautiful way. She is a fantastic writer and should be published immediately. It's urgent. In the meantime, please read her blog so that you can experience her talent. Anyway, we should all be as honest and real as Rachel Roellke. She is also the best sister ever.
Tra la la la la la, sing a happy song!

I just got home from seeing RENT in Orange County! I hadn't had much contact with the music since my cds got stolen, so it was really nice to hear it all again. (Josh also re-bought me the disc set so I have it now :)) The talent was actually quite unremarkable, surprisingly... and there were some technical difficulties, like the sound wasn't mixed properly or something. But it was fantastic all the same, and I cried, and smiled, and was as giddy as a little girl. siiiigh.

Work was super fun today. I got to organize all of their photos into albums and make labels and dividers. Time flew by. At least faster than when I was looking at one list of names and checking to see if they were all on another list of names. Fuuun.

The new freshman on the swim team are in the process of being hazed mercilessly and since we live across the hall from 5 of them we get to experience it along with them. Two showed up at our door the other night (in speedos) covered from head to toe in egg and flour asking to use our shower. uuuummm,ok.... Our bathroom still smells like eggs, and even the cleaning lady missed the eggshells in the shower. We also got to witness the mini-musical they were forced to put on (a Grease revue) which was highly entertaining. It's really disgusting what these poor boys have to go through. It's sad that you can escape the Greek system but still be subjected to its despicable practices, shockingly permitted in collegiate athletics! yuck.

I have my first midterm tomorrow. I really have no idea what to expect, except for it to be really hard. Especially because I've hardly studied. AACCKK scared. OK wish me luck. MOM if you read this I need $75 for my dues in APO! love you all....

Home.. what a concept!
I made it to Fresno in one piece, for those of you who were concerned. Thanks to everyone who helped me get here, whether it was finding me rides, offering rides, giving rides, giving moral support, making me feel SO loved, etc! My cup runneth over.
The Greyhound was OK, that's about all I can say. Doing anything for 5 1/2 hours probably sucks, but sitting on a bus is definitely up there. I did meet a neat girl from Fresno who had never heard of USC (she went to Buchanan, what can you do?) We chatted and I read "The True Believer" and ate Better Cheddars and slept.
It was so surreal to get off 99 at Fresno Street and drive by the Burger King where I spent a large portion of my senior year lunchtimes. Weird to see my house, too.. it's so clean without any kids home to make messes! Poncy wasn't even happy to see me, stupid dog. We had Bobby Salazar's for dinner and I got to take a BATH and shave my legs comfortably and get a glass of water out of the refrigerator dispenser and hug my mommy and daddy and kiss them goodnight and I don't know when I've been more content to be at 5270 E. Townsend.
OH and I went to Fashion Fair, which was also way more exciting than it's ever been, and I spent a whole bunch of money on CLOTHES, which I NEVER do! It was so liberating.
Dance in Flight at EHS tomorrow...
If you're reading this and you are in Fresno, PLEASE CALL ME BEFORE SUNDAY SO I CAN SEE YOU!
I love everyone.

-emiloser

Aaahh, it's 5 p.m. and my day is just getting started! I really should get my act together and study, but playing around on my website is FAR more entertaining.

So yesterday, I spent all day with Habitat for Humanity on one of their projects in L.A. I really surprised myself.. getting up at 6:30 a.m. VOLUNTARILY to help build a house? Slightly out of character, I know. But it was so much fun! The project, when completed, will be about 60 houses in one big development somewhere in L.A. (I have know idea where we were). My group worked mainly on one house, putting up wood siding. At first I was apprehensive about climbing up two stories on rickety scaffolding (and I mean really rickety) but you actually get used to it really fast. I got to wield a heavy duty hydraulic nail gun, which was cool but also super scary. Would that not be the absolute worst way to die, ever? Nail gun to the eye OR falling two stories...take your pick. Our supervisor was this really cool guy named Sinan from Albania (or was it Armenia?) who called everybody "buddy" or "girl" and made us laugh a lot. He also drank some of my water without asking, but I don't mind. Anything for Sinan.

Anyway, all in all it was a very fun and rewarding experience that I'd like to participate in again. The group at USC that we went with is APO (alpha phi omega), a service fraternity that I think I'm going to pledge. It'll be a good way to meet people at the very least, and who knows, maybe I'll magically turn into some humanitarian who does this sort of thing on a regular basis. It could happen.

Siiiiigh. so much to do, so little time!
I just got back from a Commedus (improv group at SC) show in front of Tommy Trojan. it was hilaaarious. Sean Bury was there, which was neat, and I want to go see his Talking Animal show in Hollywood but I don't have a car, which is not neat.
I had my first day of work yesterday. It was super. I shredded documents for an hour (sketchy, huh?) until I broke the paper shredder :( Then I typed a letter and wrote "Emeriti Center 14-0422-0000 0171 08821" on about 60 forms. That's probably some bank account number that shouldn't be posted on the internet. Oh, well.
THEN I had dinner at the lovely Lizzy Carley's house (Rachel's old house/roommate) and met lots of Lizzy's nice friends. One was from Fresno... does anyone remember the Tashjians from Manchester? I know you do, Mari. Who am I kidding? Nobody reads this except my mom, Rachel, and Elisha. It's fun to pretend like the whole world is listening.
Oh, Butch Walker vs. American Hi Fi with Everybody Else was AWESOME. They rocked so hard. American Hi Fi was lame, until they played with Butch, and then they rocked. They covered Elvis Costello and U2, played Marvie classics, and all of Butch's new album. I'll have pictures up soon.
Homework is beckoning. I hope this is entertaining. How am I doing?

rainbows and sunshine,

sweet little emily.

well, I think I'm getting sick, which is never good... especially because my mommy isn't here to take care of me! my throat is sore and my snot is green... probably more information than any of you wanted, but that's what you get for not having anything better to do than read my blog! muahahaha.

there isn't much else to report, besides the fact that josh is coming on tuesday and we're going to see butch walker and I'm totally pumped! Be sure to make comments or send me email, because it's always lovely to hear from ANYONE! love to the world,

-e$

are you supposed to sign blogs? oh well.

first blog ever!
I never thought I'd be an internet junkie, but I'm pretty sure that having a "blog" is one of the telltale signs. Rachel thinks I should have one to keep people posted, as opposed to mass email, about my college experiences. As if I'd send mass emails, anyway...
Move in day and welcome week went pretty smoothly. The stories I have to report are as follows:
My very first day on my own, I waltz straight past a "wet floor" sign and slide gracefully into the splits. Luckily the only people around to witness were some sympathetic sorority girls ("oh my god, that would have TOTALLY been me! you poor thing."). I did, however, injure my hip flexor. I'll live. As if that wasn't embarrassing enough...
It's quite easy to lock oneself out of one's dorm room. And one would find the solution to this problem also very simple, because all one would have to do is go to the front desk of the building and get the spare key. However, when one locks oneself out of one's room on the way to the shower wearing only a towel, one would find it difficult to travel to the front desk, wouldn't one? In this situation, one might be forced to knock on the door of one's neighbors, one's MALE neighbors (8 of them in the suite), and ask for some clothes. Hypothetically speaking, of course. Man, that would suck if that happened to someone!
That's enough for now. I hope everyone enjoys the website, courtesy of Rachel Roellke, web designer extraordinare! You're the best, Karquan.