I believe people will do whatever to impress someone they like. When I say like, I thinking more towards ‘like to be in a relationship’.

I said this statement out loud to my roommates and the guy said, “I don’t think that’s true.” and the other roommate said, “I know some guys what won’t do anything if they like you.”

So, what they said was interesting to me because does a person really like you if they don’t try harder to impress you or are they too proud?

I believe if someone likes you they will try a little harder to impress you then they do for most people.

My evidence is I have a guy friend, Andy*, right now who is trying to impress one of my girlfriends, Gwen*. Andy and I have been friends for 2 years we hang out, drink, do dumb things, and whatever it is friends do. But within the two years of knowing him, I never knew he baked. Until this year, when he baked Gwen her favorite kind of cookie and banana bread! When he told me that he was making cookies, I asked him to make my favorite cookie, the peanut butter cookie with the Hershey kiss in the middle. In the end, he didn’t bake my favorite cookie but he did bake Gwen’s favorite cookie. He did make an excuse telling me that I asked for a ‘Christmas cookie’ meaning he wouldn’t break rules for me because I’m not someone he would like to date, I’m just a friend. While Gwen is someone he would like to eventually be in a relationship with so he’s trying more.

*names are changed.

Some other examples I have about people trying really hard to impress someone they want to be in a relationship with is from my own experience.

• I told a guy my favorite Pokemon is Bulbasaur and how I’ve always wanted a stuffed animal. Next thing I knew, he ordered one online and gave it to me as a gift. We never got together.
• Another guy always opened the car door and etc for me, brought me a new backpack when he saw my other one ripping, a new purse because the one I had was falling apart. All of these things were still in perfect working condition but it had to be fixed to him so he brought me all these new things. Things didn’t work out in the end.
• At a music festival, I met a guy who had to play a show somewhere else. It was my last night at this festival. So, after his show, this guy drove back to the festival to hang out with me before I left. Nothing happened after that.
• My current boyfriend, who at the time wasn’t anything but a stranger to me, drove down six hours just to see me again.

I read this quote online about relationships, but I’m not completely sure how it goes, just that the overall meaning of it is: don’t date someone who initially isn’t nervous around you because if they really like you they should be scared to mess things up with you.

It really stuck with me, even if I don’t remember the actual quote, the meaning  is stuck with me. So, in the end, I do believe that if you like someone or if someone likes you, they’ll or you’ll try harder to impress that person so that you are ‘worthy’ enough and the best candidate to be in a relationship with them.

I miss my animal. ‘Animal’ is underlined because it could be any animal that someone misses, like a dog or a hedgehog. That’s what I think other people are thinking about. And I am a part of these people because in my case, I miss two cats, Noble and Zero. Writing this, I feel bad for the people that live on campus because they don’t get anything besides a fish. When people come to college they leave behind their pets. Not that they have a choice of leaving their pets behind, but they go from seeing them every day to not seeing them at all. It honestly really sucks and that’s just my opinion and experience. I get to live with my cats again in a month.

I admit that I purposefully left my cats with their dad/my boyfriend in Minnesota. Moving into my new place, the silence was nice. Being away from them was nice, I don’t have to deal with Noble’s constant sad meowing when the door was closed, him clawing trying under the door to come into the room, and the furriness of his butt in my face when he tried to cuddle with me. I also don’t have to deal with Zero’s sassiness or force him to love me. Honestly, though, I miss them so much from their little pink toe beans, annoying meows, and brotherly fights. After moving out from them, I learned that I wasn’t dealing with it because I love it all. I don’t know what I was thinking, saying yes to leaving them in MN, 6 hours away from me. I miss them so much.

Honestly, it is nice not having to deal with their litter box but I miss seeing Noble’s tuffs of fluffy white hair all over the floor and Zero trying to get out of the house just to sit outside in the sun. Yet, these are the reasons I love my boys and when we are together it won’t be for just a weekend. It’ll be for forever.

The phone stops ringing and at the top of the screen it says: “Sister Dear Facetime unavailable” and with a sigh, I tap the cancel button. Within the next minute, the ringing is back and it’s my little ‘Sister Dear’ Tiffany FaceTiming me back.

This year, Tiffany is a sophomore at the University of Omaha. I tap the answer button, she is wearing a towel and in the process of drying her hair. It’s 11pm. She likes to shower late, just like when all of our conversations happen. Late.

Yet, once the other answers it’s like we aren’t even apart. It immediately goes into a conversation about her day and the past other days just to catch me up on her life. Some days there just isn’t time for us to talk. “It’s really hard being here,” Tiffany said, “hard because sometimes I just want to talk to someone who understands everything about me, but I can’t because our schedules are different. When one person is free the other isn’t or sleeping or working . . . it’s just hard.” It’s the really bad days that get us to call another.

Long-distance sibling relationships aren’t your typical relationships because casual relationships fade over time sibling ties are forever. When you stop seeing a friend and you meet back up sometimes the relationship is still there but other times, the connection is just gone. You don’t really have that problem with siblings it’s just the family connection. You don’t have to talk or interact often because no matter what family ties last.

The thing is with FaceTime conversations they can last a while, compared to a quick phone conversation. Brayton Hagge, in her last year of college at Morningside, has a younger sister, Keely, who just started college at Doane. It was between Brayton’s classes when she got a call from her sister needing to talk to her as soon as she can.

Brayton agrees that sibling conversations are never chit-chat it’s always, “I had a really bad day can you listen to me?” or “OMG this just happened!” or “OMG I can’t believe this just happened to me.” or even “Hey, I just wanted to hear your voice.” those are the only times Brayton hears from Keely, and I hear from Tiffany. It’s the dramatic moments or the big moments in life that make long distance sibling relationships hard because you’re only in contact with those moments. Even then you hear about what happened it’s a couple of days late.

Telby, my boyfriend from Minnesota, thinks a little differently. His home in Minnesota is six hours away from Sioux City and he talks to his younger brother once or twice a week via phone call, snapchat, or text message. “I think it’s relaxing,” Telby laughs, “that means I don’t have to deal with Tyber [his brother] and his nonsense.”

Distance with siblings is a part of growing up and it can’t be avoided. There are ways to adjust to the distance such as setting aside time during the day to make plans to talk. Texting is also an option but it can be harder because other things can distract you while you’re texting, while a phone conversation is in the moment and present for the person and self.

The distance of being in another state is just different from other types of distance because according to Tiffany, “Going away, this time, is more permanent compared to an overnight trip or being gone for a week. You never know when you’re going to see the person again.”

For Brayton, she says it was hard studying abroad in Northern Ireland last year because she had to miss her sister’s high school graduation. Sure, Keely was mad that Brayton missed her graduation. Yet, the distance also brings people together.

“Now that Keely is in college it’s easier for us to relate now that we are dealing with the same challenges,” Brayton says.

Telby says, “Being apart has made our relationship better and I appreciate them more when I do spend with them.”

“Hey, I’m getting sleepy. Thanks for talking to me.” My sister says.

“No problem. Good night.” We blow each other kisses and then we hang up. It doesn’t get easier, but it’s all just a growing process. My little sister just isn’t so little anymore. We’re all just learning how to be on our own and sometimes we just need someone to hear us.

I’m picking at the scab on my face in the reflection of the phone as it rings. “C’mon, c’mon. Pick up.” The phone stops ringing and at the top it says: “Sister Dear Facetime unavaliable” and with a sigh I tap the cancel button. Then within the next minute the ringing is back and it’s my Sister Dear, Tiffany, FaceTiming me back.

I tap the answer button, she is wearing a towel and in the process of drying off her hair. It’s 11pm at night. She likes to shower late, just like when all of our conversations happen. Late.

Yet, once the other answers it’s like we aren’t even apart. It immediately goes into a conversation regarding about her day and days past because some days, there isn’t much to talk about or there just isn’t time for us to talk.

The thing is with FaceTime conversations they can last a while, compared to a quick phone conversation. Brayton Hagge, in her last year of college at Morningside has a younger sister, Keely, who just started college at Doane. It was between Brayton’s classes when she got a call from her sister needing to talk to her as soon as she can.

Long-distance sibling relationship aren’t your typical relationship because relationships fade over time, sibling ties are forever. When you stop talking to or seeing a friend so often, sometimes the relationship is still the same when you meet up again but other times, the connection just is no longer there. You don’t really have that problem with siblings. Which is a broad thing to say because not all siblings get along, it’s just the family connection. You don’t have to talk or interact often because no matter what family ties last.

“What is it like being away from your sibling?” I asked my sister over FaceTime.

“Well, it’s hard. Really hard because sometimes you just want to talk to someone who understands everything about you, but you can’t because schedules are different, when one person is free the other isn’t, or sleeping. . . it’s just hard.”

Brayton agrees when I say when I talk to my sister it’s never chit-chat it’s always, “I had a really bad day can you listen to me?” or “OMG this just happened!” or “OMG I can’t believe this just happened to me.” or even “Hey, I just wanted to hear your voice.” because those are the only times Brayton hears from Keely, as with me and Tiffany. It’s the dramatic moments or the big moments in life that make long distance sibling relationships hard because you’re only in contact with those moments.

Brayton says it was hard studying abroad in northern Ireland last year because she had to miss her sister’s high school graduation

Distance; part of growing up–> different from other times

distance impact the relationship

way this pain/hurt can be avoided

conclusion: it doesn’t get easier but you can take steps and find ways to keep in touch.

Phone conversation. Texting is hard because so busy and things can distract you when texting, but on the phone it is in the moment and present for the personand self.

Questions for Reader:

What do you want to read?

What do you want to know?

Confusion?

What think should be added?

My scavenger hunt is going into someplace that I normally see and being curious enough to go in there and write about what was going on and what I saw.

Instead, I searched my memories and one memory that will and has always stuck with me is the first time my house was robbed. And for the first time, in my life, I’m going to put it down. I feel my eyes welling up and my chest getting tight because this moment was the first moment that I think really shaped the rest of my life.

I’ve lived in Vietnam where I had my dogs kidnapped in the middle of the night and I learned later that they were probably eaten, the house I lived in with my family, across the street was a little girl with her older sister and mother (who wasn’t there) they  lived a little above the poverty line where at least they had a roof over their head and i wonder about them to this day, i was kept a close eye on because i am an american and to other vietnamese people kidnapping a little girl and holding her for ransom money is a possibility. Vietnam opened my eyes and the things i learned there as a kid i don’t think had much of an impact on me as this.

This is America. I was in the second grade. It was a rainy day, I liked and still do like the rain. But then it was just another gray day. It was a little later in the day, had to be a weekend because I wasn’t at my after school babysitter (down the hill from my house), it had to maybe be 6p or 7p. My mom had just picked me and my siblings up from the baby sitter’s house. I was so excited because at home my dad had made my favorite soup, white chicken chili, and I couldn’t wait to eat it.

My mom pulled into the garage connected to our house. I grabbed Ann Marie’s baby bag and rushed through the door leading to our basement. It was dark and unfinished with tools laying around because my dad and his friends were working on it. I’d gone through the basement before and it gives me a weird dark, creepy, basement vibe but something about this time was different. I didn’t know what but i knew something was wrong. Then Tiffany, my sister who is two years younger than me, rushed past me and ran up the stairs and immediately i shook off the feeling and ran off after her.

Upstairs there was the soup warming away in the crock pot. This is when I noticed things are a little different. My parents are very neat people and like order in their house. They live by that saying: everything has a place and everything will go back into its place. putting down Ann Marie’s diaper bag, I noticed that my dad’s video camera box was laying over on the side of the table empty, he only had it out for holidays or birthdays and we didn’t have any of those coming up.

Then Tiffany came from around the hallway, probably coming back from her room, “What’s with all the pennies?” she asked and that’s when I noticed that the floor was COVERED with pennies just tossed about and then I heard my mom’s voice.

“Girl’s get out!” she said in Vietnamese. I don’t know what she saw, but when my mom says to do something, you do something.

We went to our neighbor’s house so my mom could call the police and wait for our dad to come home which would be at 8pm or 9pm.

I remember standing in the room that looked at our house and the alley. From the other room, I could hear my mom talking to the police and my sister complaining about being hungry. I was too.

Eventually, the police showed up and the next thing I really remember is sitting on the living room floor eating some Vietnamese food my mom had picked up from the store. Tiffany was starving so I gave her my pieces to eat while I made them into smaller pieces for Ann Marie to eat.

Then a police officer sat down next to us:

“What are you guys eating?” 

I didn’t know what to say because I didn’t really know myself, I just knew it tasted good. I offered him a piece and he declined and went back to my mom. I continued to feed Ann Marie as I watched tiffany play with the pennies on the ground. What was up with the pennies? Tiffany today thinks that it was the robber’s way of laughing at us.

There’s a part about this huge piggy bank I used to have. The robbers stole the entire thing. I know that because it was a cermanic pig if they broke it glass would be everywhere. I had that pig since my first birthday, I was 7 when this happened, my mom had been putting money in there since saving up for college and it was all gone. She says there must have been over $1000 in there.

Eventually, the police wrote up their report and left. I don’t think my dad was home yet, but he was close. I asked my mom if I could eat some soup and she told me not to touch it. Why? Just in case the robbers might have poisoned it or something. She dumped the whole thing out.

I think about this memory a lot because I like analyzing it to see where I come into play. I think because of this I lock the door immediately when I walk inside the house, I don’t like wasting food because I watched my favorite soup poured down the drain or Vietnam and the sisters or my parents refusing to let me leave the table until I finished my food, my habit of not eating just to let others eat. I don’t know what else to say, but there’s the place I went to and now it’s here.

Diane: “What goes on a BLT?”

Brayton: “Bacon, lettuce, and tomato.”

D: “Then why do people put avocado on it? There is no A.”

Owen: “There’s no bread either! So, what?! BBLTB?”

D: “You only have one slice of bacon on your BLT?”

O: “BBBBBBBLTB.”

D: “Bread, bread, bacon, bread, bacon, bacon, bread, lettuce, tomato, bread?”

O: “It could be banana!”

This stupid question turned into a conversation. Asking what a BLT is honestly isn’t dumb. Someone who doesn’t know what it is could genuinely be wondering what it is or what those letters together may  mean. The conversation above was with the people I live with who know what a BLT is. Brayton gave me a weird look when she answered because I always share cooking videos on Facebook, so I bet she was wondering why I was even asking.

Another dumb question I asked was to Jordan. The question was: “Do you think ants can get high on Antacid?” He looked at me confused and immediately changed the conversation. I believe that he didn’t answer me because that is just Jordan’s personality and he doesn’t deal with the stupidity of his friends. So, he chooses to ignore it.

I did get some responses to the question if they think ants can get high on antacid. The person would simply laugh and shake their head slightly while saying no. I felt dumb asking these questions like people were actually wondering if I was that dumb. Yet, am I just that curious to wonder that out loud.

Sometimes I feel like dumb questions are just more curious questions than normal questions are because no one really wants to ask them and sound dumb. I don’t think anyone wants to ask something that just seems so obvious. That being said really dumb statements followed by dumb questions do exist.

“Great Britain, home of the Britains.”

“After receiving a confirmation last spring that Super Troopers would be getting a sequel, it’s been reported by Broken Lizard that the film is finally in production. (via Consequence Of Sound)”

http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/super_troopers_sequel_begins_filming

What makes it work?

• It is short and it tells me what I need to know.

How did it grab your attention?

• The title grabbed my attention.
• ‘Super Troopers’ is a movie that my boyfriend and his friends like the movie. So the common interest in the movie is what makes this.

After 15 years since the first ‘Super Troopers’ movie was in theaters a sequel is finally in the making!

Immediately after class, I opened the box.

The first bag, I gave to Jordan because he told me that he loves animal crackers. Then he called me weird.

Normally, after class, I put my headphones in and walk home. Today, I was going to Olsen with Jordan. As we walked to the Olsen Student Center my headphones were nowhere in sight and I actually paid attention to people. Walking past people I had thoughts like, do I give it to her? But then I’d have to give crackers to the entire group. I could give it to that person, but they have too many things in their hands. I could give him a bag, but he doesn’t look like he eats cookies. I basically made excuses for myself.

Eventually, I saw a friend walking past and I gave her a bag and she responded with a “Bless you.” I laughed, but I think this was when I gain the confidence to start just handing cookies out to people. I saw someone sitting down on a bench outside of Lewis Hall on her computer and gave her a bag. I didn’t ask her if she wanted it. I just handed it to her. She looked at the bag, then me, and with a smile said thank you.

I felt good, doing a good deed like that. I missed the feeling of making people happy and seeing them smile. This assignment really reminded me that I really like to see people smile. I hate people, but I never wish for their unhappiness.

I continued to walk and I wondered what was going through the minds of other people.

“Why did that girl give her animal crackers?”

“Oh! They must be friends, I wish my friends would do that for me.”

“I wish I had animal crackers. Should I ask her?”

Just some generic ideas of what might’ve been going through the mind of others.

Walking inside of Olsen, there were a couple of girls sitting across from the front doors and to the side was a group of three boys. At this point, I felt like if I gave the girls the animal crackers, I was obligated to give the guys cookies as well. I felt like being in an enclosed space, I had to give everyone around me a bag of cookies. While being outside if I gave the cookies to one person and another passed by I didn’t have to give that person cookies.

I gave a bag to the girl dressed in all black. She looked at me confused. She was also the only person that asked me: “Why?” My response, “Just because.” Her face lit up and she thanked me. I gave a bag to a sportier looking girl sitting two seats away from the other girl and she thanked me as well. Everyone on this campus seems to have manners.

The guys, I just placed them on their laptop or whatever they were doing and they all got so excited! One of them asked, “Is this your good deed for the day?” I said no but as I think about it was it a good deed for the day? It made me think about what good things I’ve done in the recent past. I can’t really think of anything. So, this might’ve been my good deed without me even knowing. Is giving out cookies, that I didn’t even buy and I’m only giving these out for an assignment really make it a ‘good deed’?

I left them with smiles on their faces.

Downstairs in Buck’s, I gave two more bags away. They didn’t ask why but they thanked me. I have a single bag left. I gave my last bag to a friend and called it a day.

People trust too much or maybe I just look trusting today. What if I wore my ‘I hate everyone (and pants)’ shirt? What kind of comments will I get then? What would’ve happened if I wore all black with pure black make-up? Would they be willing to keep those cookies then? What happened if I just threw them at people? Would they still smile about animal crackers being thrown at them?

There are so many different events that could’ve happened if I looked or acted differently. There was very little confusion in people’s face, just smiles of happiness. I find it so interesting because growing up kids are taught not to accept gifts from strangers. I didn’t know a majority of the people I gave those cookies to, and they accepted these cookies with smiles.

Jordan started choking on an animal cracker and accused me of poisoning him. For all any of those people know, I could’ve been trying to poison them! One girl asked a question and even then she trusted cookies coming from me.

What’s done is done. I believe that this campus is too kind and trusting of strangers. I’m happy I could make someone’s day a little better or more interesting with this assignment. Yet, was doing any of this my good deed for the day? I’m not really sure. I did get good karma, because someone gave me a banana nut muffin.

Thursday night . . .

Jaden, a waiter at Olive Garden, is dressed in all black, apron included, with a green button pinned onto his shirt with his name labeled on it. He is in the back of Olive Garden finishing up a cup of coffee before starting his 2nd shift today.

Summer just ended and he spent it bartending in Okoboji, traveling to Miami, New York, and Chicago, and singing in the music building on campus to relax. With school just starting up, he doesn’t normally work weeknights, but he had Thursday off and decided that he can pick up a double shift. Not working at Olive Garden over the summer, he’s not completely on top of his Olive Garden serving game.

The night is slow until a 12 top table shows up. They are seated in Jaden’s section and immediately be feels a mix of panic and jitters. Jitters he’s assuming from the coffee kicking in, and panic to make this new 12 top table feel welcomed and that his other tables feel that they have his attention.

He goes to the 12 top table greets them and attends to them. Along with the a smaller table that he knows will probably feel left out. The smaller table is understanding of his position from also working in the food business.

Worn-out from the previous shift, earlier today, he still has a smile on his face and continues his job. Customers are seated and chattering about their day, while waiters and waitresses do the same in the back, the cooks banter back and forth as they finish up the meals. Jaden’s food for the 12 top table finishs in waves, so, as the meals are finished he brings the food out, with the help of his co-workers. He serves his other tables as well, topping off their drinks, attending to them as needed. He’s getting back into the swing of things.

The 12 top table leaves happy and a $40 tip. The other table leaves content with their tip on the table and compliments his service as they leave. Jaden is relieved for a good night and his shift at Olive Garden is coming to an end and a new day of school awaits him.