random

So here is my fourth blog, and I have nothing write about. I have already told you guys’ my life story, and you know basically everything about me. All my classes are going well and I am enjoying most of them. The only class that is giving me a hard time is chemistry lecture. I didn’t do too well on my first exam, but luckily he drops one of the grades. I never really enjoyed chemistry, but I somehow got an A in that class in high school. My engineering class isn’t hard at all. We just finished doing sketching, and that reminded me of my sophomore year drafting class; I loved it. I took three years of drafting while in high school, along with an engineering class call the “principles of engineering.” I loved all these classes and I miss my teacher so much. He was the greatest teacher ever. Well, while I was in these classes we had a chance to become certified mechanical drafters. We had to take a test that was two hours long, and had more than 300 questions on it. When I took it, I was so nervous; I actually passed with a grade of 84. In order to pass the test you had to get a 75 or higher. The grading scale was much stricter than it is here at Tech. So I am a certified mechanical drafter. I had the chance to become a certified architectural drafter, but I fail by two points. It didn’t really bother me that much just because I don’t want to become an architect, so I wasn’t too bummed.
I’m assuming most of you went to the football game last weekend; the one with the all the rain? I am so sorry that you guys’ had to sit through that. I didn’t get to go because I had to work, but it’s not a big deal. I’m not too mad that I didn’t get a ticket; I would have probably gotten sick. And if any of you are sick, don’t come to class! Well, I got to watch the game at work, and it was the greatest game ever. No one thought that we were going to win, but then we pulled it off, and took it! I went home that weekend too, and ate dinner with the fam. It was good, I love going home to homemade meals. Tech has good food, but nothing beats a home cooked meal. I’m sorry that you guys can’t go home to eat with your families like I can. I guess that’s one of the good things about living near home. Once I get my own apartment though, I doubt that I will be going home every weekend like I do now. I have been trying not to go home so often, but it’s really hard not to. I have a puppy there that I miss so much, and when I come home, she gets so excited and I’m excited; she’s so cute!
So, I’m wondering; where do you all go to study? One of my favorite places is in the Torgersen Bridge. It’s always really quiet in there, and you can look out the windows to see things to distract you. Or I usually just sit in my room and do homework if my roommate isn’t in there. I also go to the coffee store by the math emporium. They play really chill music there, and it’s nice to sit in the comfy chairs and cuddle up doing homework. When I lived here in high school, I used to go there all the time and pretend I was a college student because that’s a cool place to hang out if you know your way around town. I felt really cool, but I really wasn’t. Oh well. But now that I am a college student, I am cool, or I like to think so. Do you ever wonder if people think you’re a college student or not? Sometimes I feel like people look at me and think I’m still in high school. People always used to tell me that I look younger than I am, so when I got to high school people thought I was on the wrong bus, or I got off the bus too early. I think it’s because I’m so short. But I have grown up a lot since then, so I hope people don’t think that I’m a lame high school student hanging out on campus.
Do any of you read the website Reddit? If not, you probably should because it is an amazing site. People post things on the website and then other people comment on them. I know this doesn’t sound too interesting, but it is especially when people write about funny things. People also post pictures on the site that are usually animals that are doing silly things, or people doing silly things. They are really appealing. You just have to watch out for the tag NSFW, which stands for “Not safe for work.” These articles or pictures usually are talking about sexual things, or showing nudity. Other than that, the site is safe. I really like it because you find new things on there, and they are posted to make you laugh so it’s funny. So instead of wasting time on Facebook, you guys can read Reddit and actually have a good time reading interesting articles. And when I say articles I mean posts. These are not news articles, so they are fun. They get on the site by people looking at them and then the vote it Reddit worthy or the vote it not Reddit worthy. So the top posts are never disappointing. One the first page I just found a link to a picture that shows how to open a padlock without knowing the combination. This would be really useful if you forgot your combinations. You can print out the page and there are spots for you to write down all the steps. Pure genius.
Until next time,
Melissa

Man, I love College.

So it’s been four weeks since we have started college and it has been going great! I love not having rules and doing things on my own time without parents in the way. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family but my mom was way too into my life and it’s great to finally have that separation. Now that I don’t actually have to live with my parents, my relationship with them has changed a lot. I do go home every weekend because I have to do laundry and I work right near my house so I usually stop by just to say hi. I have been trying to go every two weeks, but it’s hard when they live right next to Lane Stadium! Anyways, my relationship with my mom was never that great, we would always argue a lot about stupid things, I think it was our strong personalities. Like I said, now that we don’t live together we get a long so much better. We don’t argue and she has finally let me go and lets me do what I want to do. My dad has always been chill and I love him to death. He is the main reason I want to become an engineer. He has become so successful and I strive to be just like him when I grow up. He has always been harder on my sister; I think it’s because she is more like him and I’m more like my mother.So I work at Maggie Moos, which is a marble slab ice cream shop. I love working here because I get to work with people my own age and I get a log with everyone there. I have been working here since
October of last year. I don’t make a lot of money there, but it’s a job and I enjoy it. I also work at CMI which is a branch of the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center. CMI stands for Conservation Management Institute and they work a lot with the environment. This job is ideal for me because I am interested in Environmental Engineering and this job really got me involved in the things I might be doing later. The job I had was really tedious, but I was actually learning things while I was working which I liked a lot. My job consisted of looking at aerial photos and mapping out wetlands on the photos. The program we were using is kind of like AutoCad, which I already know how to use so I didn’t need that much training to do the job. I was such a quick learner too, that I got a raise my second week! I was really happy when that happened because it didn’t seem like they did that a lot.
So do you guys know anything about this “Farm Ville” on Facebook? I have just started it to see what it was and it’s so addicting! I don’t even know why it is so addicting, it just is. For those of you who haven’t heard about Farm Ville, it’s like you have your own farm and you grow stuff and then sell the things you grow for money. I know it doesn’t sound that great, but it really is. The thing that got me going is how you have to harvest your crops before they wither and die. Last night there was a power outage in Lee and O’ Shag, so I couldn’t get on the internet! I was freaking out because my strawberries had to be harvested. Sadly I didn’t get to them on time, and they died. The internet still isn’t working for some reason, but I’m connected to wireless, so I can take care of my plants. There is also this other game on Facebook call YoVille which is where you live in a city and you bake stuff at the local bakery. Right now I’m baking pies and cookies, and I think I’ve got some cupcakes. It’s just like Farm Ville, but you bake stuff and if you don’t get to it on time, they will over cook. I just checked my cookies, they are at 75%. Phew! But I have really got to stop playing these games. They aren’t really that fun either, they are just addicting! Another fun game to play is called “Filler,” it’s on Kongregate games, just Google it and you will find it. I just want to say that it is fun and you actually have to think about what you’re doing. It’s also extra fun on the tablet because you can actually move faster than you can with a mouse. Same thing with Crayon Physics; you draw awesome shapes and try to get a ball into a certain spot. It’s really hard to think about too, it takes a lot of mind power. I love games that are challenging because when I win them, it feels great. Anyway, you all should play these games, because they are amazing!
Since I live in Blacksburg, I thought I would tell you guys about all the places downtown that you should know about. The first place is called PK’s. Best pizza ever! And if you go on Thursdays they do this thing if you get a 16” pizza when you are ready to pay the bouncer will come over and toss a coin and if you guess the right side that it will land on you get the pizza for free. It’s a great thing because us college students don’t have a lot of money, and it’s really fun. Another place you guys should know about is Macados. Though it isn’t downtown, it is right across from the math emporium, so it’s not hard to get to. The great thing about this place is the food is great and it isn’t expensive at all! The environment is also really nice; it’s a bar at night and a family place during the day. It’s a really good place to go for a first date too.

until next time,
Melissa

Lacrosse playing engineer

So when I left your guys last time I had told you my life story. To be honest, I’m not too sure why I wrote all that stuff, it’s not like I need you guys to know everything about me and feel sorry for me. I really don’t want that. I’m not the best at making a good impression on people. I asked one of my teachers to write a recommendation letter for me once and I decided that I wanted to read it and she had said that she thought I was really stuck up when she first met me. I was so mad that a teacher would put that in a recommendation letter! But really, that’s not me. I don’t try to be stuck up, I want to be peoples’ friends, but I’m really shy when it comes to meeting new people. Once I meet people and I feel comfortable around them that’s when I start being myself and I get out of my shell.

So I think I’ll continue my story with the day I found out I was going to Virginia Tech to be an engineer. So since I lived in Blacksburg before I went to Tech our school had a special day where only people from Montgomery County could apply to Tech for early decision; they called it on-site early decision. I was so sure that I wanted to go to Tech that I didn’t apply to any other schools. I didn’t know what I was going to do if I didn’t get in. So on decision day, they brought in a bunch of people from Tech that went through all of our schools applicants and picked only the finest of students. We would find out if we got in by the end of the day. But my boyfriend, that many of you know about already was doing co-op so he got to leave school early. So we both went to the guidance department to see if he could get his letter before he left to go to work. Since I was there with him, our guidance counselor got both of our letters and he told us that we both got into engineering at Tech. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. Not only did we find out that we got into one of the top engineering schools, but we found out before everyone else! So for the rest of the day I had to pretend I didn’t know that I got in because it would be unfair and people would complain if they found out that we got to know early. So all during lunch I was “freaking out” but I really wasn’t. I was so happy in the back of my mind.
Now that everyone knows everything about me I don’t know what else to talk about. I’m not very interested in sports, only Tech football. I did go to the Marshall game and we beat their asses, excuse my French. Maybe people are interested in why I didn’t want to move away to a different school. Well here’s the thing: I haven’t lived here my whole life so it’s not like I’m staying in the same place. Also, living in Blacksburg as a high school student is way different than living in Blacksburg as a college student. I just want to say that Virginia Tech is its own town; it is just surrounded by another town. And I love Blacksburg. It is the greatest place on Earth just because everything downtown is so close and there is so much variety.

So something that wasn’t mentioned in my profile that I think needed to be said was that I used to play lacrosse. I had been playing since 6^th grade until my senior year in high school. We didn’t have a high school team but I played on a club team when I moved down to Blacksburg. Lacrosse was a northern thing, and it didn’t come down to the south until maybe four or five years ago. So while I was on that team I would say that I became one of the key players of the team just because I had the most experience. During my junior year, I have a record of seven goals during one game. And during my senior year my record jumped to nine. Though we never won any games I had a blast playing on that team. Everyone was there to have a good time, and that’s what I like most about sports is meeting new people that share the same interests. I hope to go back this year to go coach for them, but I’m not sure how much time I will have. I would love to help them out; one of my teammates that will be on the team next year said that I come back then they may actually win some games. I laughed because it’s true; our coaches from the past have never been that good. Last year we had a mom as a coach because no one else wanted to do it. It was one of the worst seasons for the team. Also, she hated me for some reason, so I never became captain; not even co-captain. That made me so furious. Everyone agreed to have me as captain, but the coach decided to over-rule and made someone that didn’t want to play be captain. I just didn’t understand what I did wrong. Now, I was the goof-off of the team just because I was trying to make everyone happy and make them want to come to practice. This may have had an impact on the coaches thought of me, but what I was doing wasn’t bad. I wasn’t wasting time or distracting. I was just simply trying to have a good time.

Well its bed time, and I have almost gone over my minimum of 1000 words so I better stop before I go over.

Until next time,

Melissa

DeeperLook

I’m going to take time to write about my background, where I came from, my high school and why I am so glad to finally be in college. So, most of you already know that I moved down to Blacksburg after 6th grade. My dad got a new job, and we had to move because of it. I used to live in Honeoye Falls, New York. I’m going to be honest, I loved it up there. Thought the weather wasn’t always amazing, and I didn’t have many friends, I still loved it. But when that one summer day did come, it was like Christmas morning (but without the snow). In school, I was never the popular one, I would always sit either in the back or middle so I wouldn’t get noticed. I was also the nerdy girl that people tried to avoid, it wasn’t very fun. When you’re younger I don’t think you realize how your actions can hurt the people around you. In a way, I felt invisible. I wasn’t the most confident person when I was younger because I was really short, fat, and had acne. I wasn’t happy with the way I looked, and I think people noticed that. I was telling my friend a couple days ago that I was fat as a child because my parents always told me to eat everything on my plate at the dinner table. When I was younger, I didn’t know portion control, so I would grab a lot of food, in turn I would have to eat it all. I’m not sure if that’s how I became fat, but that’s what I like to think.
So when I moved down to Blacksburg I was really excited because I could start my life over again. I could get some real friends, and actually be “popular,” whatever that means. So here I am, little short, semi-fat (I was starting to thin out), Melissa. I felt really confident when I moved because people didn’t know me and I could basically become anyone I wanted to be. So first day of school, I was still quiet, I was waiting for people to talk to me because I was really shy. I met some really good friends, but still no one that really seemed to be “best friend” material. So finally in 7th grade, this girl named Claire moved down to Blacksburg and we had a few classes together. We started talking and getting in trouble together, so we became best friends. We had slumber parties every weekend and things were going great. I really liked who I had become, I was known in the school, and it seemed that people wanted to be friends with me. Well turns out, I was only known because I was the loud, obnoxious girl that everyone secretly hated. Since I had been attention deprived from my past, I really liked all the attention that I was getting, even though it was good attention. I finally grew out of that stage once high school started, and I was so happy. Now that I think about it, I really didn’t like who I was. I don’t want to be the person who wants attention and will do anything to get it.
So, I was in high school now and I have become semi-loud but only with the people that I was good friends with. As the years went by, I simmered down to the person I really was. I realized that I am a girl who wants to have a good time, but finds it hard to make friends. I used to be really social because I was confident. I still am confident, but something has changed and I don’t know what it is. Since high school started, I started to lose friends. They were getting interested in drinking and smoking and I was left behind. I didn’t want to do any of that, therefore I lost all my friends. Luckily there was this one person that never left my side. His name is Brian, and he is my best friend. Through all the hard times, he was there. He never left me for drugs and alcohol. We were perfect together, and still are. Brian is my boyfriend of two years, and I have known him for four years. But there is one downside to having someone this close to you. He is always there, so while I’m trying to meet new people, he is there, and personally, I would rather be with him because he is my security blanket. I don’t want to be like this anymore. I want to meet new people, get new friends because all my old ones found new friends. I have tried for so long to get them back, and try to understand where they are coming from, but I just don’t understand, and I’m ready to meet people that are just like me. Unfortunately I haven’t found new friends yet, even though I am in college. There are so many people to choose from, but I still can’t find that one person to be my best friend. I still talk to Claire, but it’s not the same as it was. She has changed into someone that I didn’t become friends with at first. Although I still like her as a person, she has lost the best friend gene that I liked in the beginning.
So here I am in college, ready to become an engineer, and I have no girlfriends. I listen to this radio show called “Love Line,” though they don’t air anymore, I listen via internet. This show is great; it’s hosted by Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew and they basically answer calls and help people with their relationships and love life. So there was this one episode where a girl was having boyfriend problems and said that she didn’t have any girlfriends. Dr. Drew stated that girls should have a group of other girls that they hang out with. I think that this is true and I need to start looking.

Until next time,
Melissa

WANTED: Alexandra Egert

WANTED:

Young girl known for being too friendly

Goes by: Alexandra Egert, or Ali (for short)

Appearance: Shoulder length brown hair, brown eyes, approximately 5’ 6”, perfect white teeth, 18 years of age.

Persona: Always smiling, easily approachable, a lot of school spirit

May be found at: Local thrift store doing community service, zoo, playing volleyball, church, Hypatia dorm, watching Army Wives, playing violin

Alexandra was found last week being too friendly to strangers in her first week of her college career. She was found talking to people she didn’t even know. This is typical, because she did win her high school senior superlative as being the friendliest. Back in her home town, Chesapeake, Virginia, she was also known for this, but she fled to Blacksburg before they could catch her. She went to Blacksburg because she wants to become and engineer. Alexandra wants to become an engineer because she enjoys math and sciences. Virginia Tech is known for its engineering school, and Alexandra likes to sense of community here, and the school spirit.

When Alexandra isn’t talking to strangers she also enjoys going to the beach every year to Ocean City with her family. She has been spotted there every summer since 1995. When she isn’t at the beach, Alexandra is doing community service. Sometime in the past, we heard, she was spotted at a “Toys for Tots” convention helping out. She says that helping people makes her feel good, and it gets her in the Christmas spirit.

Alexandra listens to all types of music, so the chances of you finding her in FYE are slim to none. She likes most of the top 20 songs that play on the radio, but she also likes everything else, especially classic rock. She doesn’t enjoy country music as much as a cowgirl would, but she says she likes a select few. Alexandra says that she doesn’t watch a lot of television, but we found out otherwise. We heard from some of her close friends that she actually watches a lot of television shows. She likes to watch Gossip Girls, Greys Anatomy, and Housewives. She also used to enjoy watching Gilmore Girls with her mom, but since that show is no longer on air, she now watches Army Wives with her mom. This gives them time to connect and have some mother daughter time.

Last weekend Alexandra was found last week eat crab legs and Oreos, at the same time! These, come to find out, happen to be her two favorite foods. Someone also spotted her walking to class eating a Nature Valley granola bar, which she seems to enjoy very much. Alexandra was has also been seen surfing the web a lot lately, mostly Facebook; but who hasn’t? When she isn’t eating crab legs or surfing the web, Alexandra likes to play violin. She has been playing since she was in 6^th grade, and has played in some very important places like The Carnegie Hall in Manhattan.

URGENT:

We recently caught up with one of Alexandra’s good friends, Lauren, and she gave us some good information about Alexandra. Lauren is the same age as Alexandra and says that they hangout all the time. Lauren knows Alexandra really well, so we thought we should catch up with her to get some more information. Lauren says that when they hangout they don’t usually go anywhere, but instead play board games and watch movies. Lauren met Alexandra when they five and starting dance together. They did tap and ballet together and they switched over to pointe. She had told us that Alexandra needed to quit dance so she could devote more of her time to volleyball. Lauren also said that she and Alexandra played in an orchestra together. They were in the Western Branch High School Bruin Sinfonia Orchestra, and performed on two of the post prestigious stages in the country, which included the Kennedy Center. Other than playing violin, Alexandra watches a lot of movies. Lauren told us that Alexandra prefers to watch chick-flick movies, but she is content with anything. Though she doesn’t enjoy suspense or horror movies, but she will watch them if forced.

Here are some other little facts about Alexandra that may be helpful to us finding her. Lauren told us that Alexandra loves to take a lot of photographs. She likes to capture memories in photos and then place them in scrap books so they last forever. Alexandra also likes the color pink, but what girl doesn’t? We heard that her favorite shape is a dodecagon, which is a 12 sided shape for those of you that aren’t math majors. And surprisingly her favorite subject is math, if you didn’t already guess from the dodecagon fact. So that’s all the information that we got out of Lauren. We are almost positive that she is going to go to Alexandra now and tell her to flee the country because she is a wanted criminal.

Case and Point:

Alexandra is a very outgoing person. Though she may seem a little nerdy on the outside, she really does know how to have a good time. Alexandra is overly friendly, but we all can see that she is harmless, and she just wants to be your friend. If you happen to run into her, don’t panic, (She doesn’t bite) just carefully tell her your name, and be friends with her. She is a really great person and everyone should want to meet her and be her best friend. From taking ballet and playing violin, we don’t think she is very harmful, so we are closing this case. Though she could kick you really hard with her ballet spins, or hit you with her violin bow, but she wouldn’t even harm a fly.

Alexandra:

You are free to go as the friendliest person in the world. So go ahead and be yourself, do what you do best. Go on and be an engineer and show the world how amazing you really are.

Live long and prosper.