Destiny

I’m supposed to be here.

I believe in signs.

There is no arguing that Erie is meant for me.

My lucky number/softball number is 23. It’s also my mom’s birthday. The key code for my apartment is 23J.

I love the water, and as of right now, I love the snow. Both make me happy. What could be better than a Res Life job on a gorgeous lake with the promise of snow?

My birthday is January 30th. I am an Aquarius. I live on Aquarius Drive.

Being new I don’t know where anything is located. Everyone is very friendly here, so I knew I could ask anyone, but one has quickly become my go-to person. My first friend here, Sheryl has turned into my fairy Godmother. (Thanks for the reference, Meg). Sheryl is the manager of the University Store. When I bought my first Penn State shirt, I met her. She is from Baltimore. Sheryl used to teach in Baltimore City. Anytime I’ve had a question about anything, I go to her first. I needed to find a bank. I asked her. I needed to find Walmart. I asked her. Each time I walk by the store, we wave, and she says, “Have a nice day, Sweetie.”

And now the infamous Raccoon story. I have always felt a strong connection to raccoons. My grandmother lived in the mountains, so I grew up around them. I then associated raccoons with my grandmother and after she died, I knew if I ever got a tattoo it would be of a raccoon. It means home and family to me. I can’t explain it other than to say it offers me a source of comfort.

Here’s the punchline: Erie means raccoon.

Take a second to process that one.

 

 

 

 

Erie is named after the Iroquois Indians who once occupied the area. In their language, Erie means raccoon. When I first read that I started crying.

Is it a coincidence that I’m here? Fate?

It’s destiny.

I survived

I have been here for 10 days. In those 10 days, I have survived two tornados. Yes, you read that right. Summer storms here rival those in the midwest. The first tornado was when Mom was still here. Black sky, crazy winds, lightning like I’ve never heard before.

The second tornado was a few days after Mom left. I’ve heard the term “raining buckets” before, but I honestly think there was an army of men standing on my roof pouring buckets of water onto the ground.

 

This is Lake Blair.

 

 

 

What I learned this weekend about Erie

I bought my first Erie Times-News on Sunday. As a Journalism major in college, I have a strong interest in newspapers and television news. As dorky as it sounds, I was excited to pick up a paper to see what the news culture was in Erie, Pa.

I learned that there is a wild herd of voracious pigs that might soon affect local crops.

In the neighboring town, Conneaut (cone-E-aht) Lake, the Blue Streak Roller Coaster is in 15th place for the Pepsi Refresh Project. (Perhaps you’ve seen commercials for this program). Only the top 10 are funded. I missed my chance to vote.

The word search and crossword puzzles are in English and Spanish.

The political race is hot this year.

What did you learn this weekend?

Comment about comments

I will be publishing this blog as a book when my first year at Penn State is over. The blog-to-book program I am using allows me to include comments in the book as well. That being said, I would really like if you would leave comments here instead of on Facebook. Just click on the comment link after the post you wish to comment about. I would love to remember what you had to say!

Thanks!

I'm here

I made it.

I'm in Erie.

No internet til later this week, so here are a few pictures to hold you over :)

This is Perry Hall. One of the buildings I supervise.

This is Senat Hall, which I supervise and where I live.
This is my patio before landscaping. Left window is my bedroom, french doors are my living room, and right double windows are my study.

Pictures of my apartment will come later :)

Final Days

There’s no turning back now. I’m on the website and I haven’t even moved in yet.

On my to-do list this week included getting an oil change at Jiffy Lube. Let me tell you about my experience. I had to laugh.

I’m sitting in the waiting room. There are 7 chairs. There are 4 people. I was the last to arrive. You know it’s kind of a social norm to leave a seat between you and the next person? Apparently I was the only one that knew this.

In the strangest configuration, I wind up sitting next to a very tall, very muscular man. On my left is a girl about my age with a tattoo on her wrist and shorts 8 sizes too big. In front of me is a young male teenager with a stained undershirt and shorts just barely hanging onto his thighs. On the right is a punky kind of kid with gory tattoos of decapitated  people all over his legs.

The teenager in his undershirt who, stereotypically speaking, looked like he belonged in the city, was on his phone. I didn’t mean to be nosy, but in cramped quarters, I couldn’t help it. He was arguing with someone about how they got him a small mocha when he really asked for a large. A LARGE! He was so very angry.  Jenna, don’t judge a book by the cover.

Lesson learned.

The very tall man next to me asked me to save his seat while he went to get something he forgot in his car. I nodded. I think we both understood he didn’t want to sit next to the mocha guy. He returned with a belt. Not just any belt. He was a cop. He had a gun, taser, cuffs, pepper spray, and about 6 other things in those neat and tidy compartments. He wore it over his shoulder like a purse. The gun was almost in my armpit. Weird.

Oh and now the story of the tattoos. Tattoo girl was so excited to start a conversation with Tattoo boy in front of everyone. The were sitting as far away as they could get in that room, by the way.

Tattoo girl: Oh dude! I love your tats!

Tattoo boy: Thanks, yours are alright. Where do you get yours done?

Tattoo girl: Oh man, I have wings on my back! Wanna see? Without waiting for an objection, she pulls up the back of her shirt up to her neck in the middle of the waiting room and shows off her wings.

Tattoo boy: Oh cool. Where do you get them done?

Tattoo girl: My sister does them. She has her own needle. I’m getting my own kit next week. I think I’m going to start doing my own.

Tattoo boy: Clearly regretting speaking to her. Oh. Good Luck with that.

Meanwhile the cop and I were crawling in our skin, in a waiting room where the AC was broken and leather chiars may not have been the best choice.

He looked at me just as they called his name to pay for his car. He was definitely telling me to stay strong for another 15 minutes before my car was ready. I’m so angry he got out first. I felt like I was on a reality TV show.

I’m going to miss Baltimore.

Independence Day

Obviously this is overdue, but I'm finally back in the world of technology, so better late than never.

Mom and I go on vacation every year for Independence Day.


We go to celebrate independence, but not our country's; ours. We left Howard County on July 3rd 2005. My mom left her boyfriend of 15 years. I left my stepdad. She left her house, her gardens, her apple trees. I left my friends - my best friends. We left our comfort zones.

After 15 years, we were finally free. We were starting over in Perry Hall in a new house, new community, and most of all a new normal. It was the right decision. The necessary decision. I never thought that finding my voice in college would lead to the ultimate break-up for my former family. But I think it was what my mom needed to help her find her voice.
Independence Day will always have a huge, personal, meaning to us. I can't imagine a better place to celebrate than Smith Mountain Lake.

Summer Reads Part 1

For some reason, I decided that this year my summer reads would not be fiction. Somehow all of the books I wanted to read, and actually checked out of the library, are “educational” (I count biographies in this category as well).

And I love my choices!!

So here’s what’s in my beach bag:

How the States got their Shapes

By: Mark Stein

U.S. History was one of my favorite classes in High School. Yes my AP History teacher is now in jail for being a drug dealer, but I digress. There was so much information to learn, it was heard enough to fit it all in by Friday May 9th. I still remember the date of our AP test. It was and forever will be engraved in my brain. Anyway, because of what I already knew, and my hidden dorky passion for history, I can tell this book will absolutely change your life.

I am only on Delaware – it’s written in alphabetical state order – and my brain is so happy. The book is about what you think it should be about – why borders of states are where they are. It’s interesting, insightful, and perhaps preparing me for my stint on Jeopardy! Just kidding, but I do feel smarter :)

 

Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World’s Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her

By: Robin Gerber

So I haven’t read this one yet – I’m saving it for the shores of Smith Mountain Lake. But it looks like a fun read!

I still have every single one of my Barbies and a tub of clothes and accessories. I remember playing with my Barbies in my basement play room for hours on end. I had the Barbie Camper, so my Barbies always went camping in their pink and glittery RV. It was by far my favorite Barbie toy. Barbie dreamhouses were very expensive, but my dad got me a knock off dreamhouse for Christmas one year. You would have thought my dad gave me a lifetime of puppies. I played with that house until we moved, and I guess I outgrew it. But as I’m writing this, I want to run down to the closet next to the laundry room and start an all-night Barbie camping trip.

Hopefully this book won’t Cloud my view of my perfect Barbies.

 

 

  Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584-2069

  By: William Strauss and Neil Howe

  Come on, does this one really need an explanation? First of all, this book is about 4 inches thick. So much knowledge to impart! But in all seriousness, generations have greatly intrigued me and this book goes farther back in history than just the living generations (which is very difficult to find research on) and even speculates what future generations will be like. This will be a book to read along with a highlighter. I can tell this book will be a staple on my bookshelf until it disintegrates.

If I do in fact decide to pursue a Ph. D., I know my research will center on some facet of generational characteristics and diversity. Just in case you wanted to know :)

 

Well simply because I’m too tired to type any more, consider this the first installment of my beach bag summer reads. Check back later for the rest!

P.S. Vacation in 3 days!

Yahoo!

It's official, not like the last time...

According to my online Towson Account, I have officially been awarded a Master of Arts (woo hoo!). Sorry the picture is blurry, it's the best I could do. Now I'm just waiting for it to arrive in the mail!

This was a welcome sight, especially for those of you who remember what happened last time I graduated...or didn't graduate. If you need a refresher, or haven't heard the story, here is the story of how I didn't graduate with my Bachelor's.

One sunny day in the summer of 2008, I received a letter in the mail from Towson University, stating that there was an audit of my completed credits, and according to their files, I did not have the necessary number of credits to graduate. Mind you, I had already crossed the stage and was set to start graduate school in the fall. Knowing that this was all a mix up, I immediately called the registrars office.

Let's call the lady that answered the phone, Betty. She will be a lot of this story.

Ring Ring
Betty: Hello, how can I help you?
Jenna: Hi there, I received a letter in the mail saying I didn't graduate, but this can't be possible. I've calculated my credits every semester.
Betty: Alright, let me take a look at your account
typing typing typing
Well Jenna, it appears you have 119 credits. You need 120 to be awarded a degree.
Jenna: WHAT???
Betty: Why don't you come to the office, and we can look at options for you to get that final credit.
Jenna: I'll be there in 10 minutes.

At this point I was frantic. I texted Craig and Alex because they always calm me down.

I drove to Towson, and walked through parts of Enrollment Services that I never knew existed. Finally, I found Betty's office. I stormed in told her I had to graduate. However this happened, it needed to right itself quick so I could start graduate school and a graduate assistantship. SHe explained the only way for me to get credits fast was to take a CLEP exam. Basically a subject based test (like the ACTs) that if you passed, gave you two credits. While it was the middle of summer and the last thing I wanted to do was take a test, I didn't really have much of an option.

Betty started me on the paperwork and processed the $75 price of the test and looked through the testing schedule. The only test available in the short time I needed was Calculus.

I think I might have started crying at that point. Or maybe it was just in my head. Either way, it was a sad moment.

In high school the highest math I completed was Pre Calculus. In college, I took Math 105 - an open note, open book, open professor class for all assignments and tests. We learned probability. Simple Interest. Things I learned in middle school. There was no way I was going to pass a Calculus test in 3 days.

Betty assured me that I could find books to use to study in the library, and I would be fine. I somehow went along with Betty's attitude and was going to take this test. I needed to graduate.

After finishing the paperwork, Betty wanted to introduce me to Alice who would actually be administering the test, so I wouldn't be any more nervous to take the test. Betty walked me to Alice's office. We introduced ourselves and then Alice realized she was off, and Susan would actually be administering the test, so I should go meet her.

Again walking all over the concrete building, Betty finds Susan's office and we introduce each other. Susan invites me into her office and asks me to tell her why I am taking this CLEP exam. I start telling her the whole story and reiterate how this is preposterous and I know I should have more than 120 credits.

Susan: Jenna, were you in good standing with the Mass Communication department?
Jenna: Yes, I think so.
Susan: Great, hang on a second.
She picks up the phone and calls Jim. (Don't ask, I don't know who Jim is)
Susan: Hi Jim, I have Jenna Blair here, and she needs to graduate. Oh yes? It's a credit issue. Ok. Yes. Great. Thanks, Jim.
She starts typing away on her computer
Susan: Congratulations, Jenna! You just graduated!
Jenna: ?
Susan: Looks like you can go cancel that Calculus test!
Jenna: With pleasure!

I walk back to Betty's office to cancel that crazy test.

Jenna: Guess What?
Betty: I don't know, what?
Jenna: I graduated!
Betty: Oh, Jenna, I'm so happy for you!

And she gets up from around her desk and gives me a giant hug.

So that children, is the story of how I graduated from Towson University, the first time. Let's see what happens this time!

Food for thought

I always wonder why birds choose to stay in the same place, when they can fly all over the Earth. Then I ask myself the same question.

So much to say!

I feel like I've been out of Blogland for years, when really, its only been a month.
Since my computer crashed: I've graduated, went to an O's game, packed my office, packed and moved out of my apartment, bought a new computer and started my summer countdown to my official move.

So, here is a brief pictorial history of the past few weeks.

The only pictures I took at the game were us waiting for the lightrail. Incidentally, this is my absolute FAVORITE picture of Courtney.Jaime as a supermodel. She waited forever for the perfect gust of wind. Just kidding :)

The evolution of my packing in dear Scarborough 125...
What used to be my perfect shoe closet...

My diet for the week: pretzels, soup, trail mix and cereal.

This is about 75% of my stuff...

Sadly, no pictures of my move to Erie. I forgot to take pictures. But there will be pictures when I move for good :) The move was seemless. The Director of Residence Life and one of the Coordinators helped me unload the moving truck, and it honestly only took about 15 minutes. We spent Friday evening and Saturday morning touring the campus. We walked around Wintergreen Gorge and Knowledge Park. Beautiful paths and flowers and hiking! I know I will frequent these places a lot.

I think that is a quick summary of my life that past few weeks. Erie is getting so much closer!

I'm back!

I am now with a computer, therefore the anticipation for new posts will soon subside :)

Give me a few days. There are a ton of pictures to go through and a ton of unpacking to do. When I take breaks, I will get back in the blogging state of mind.