I really hate squirrels. They are not cute, or sweet, or precious. They are dumb, and gross, and I hate them. This is my proposal for getting rid of these bastards. The easiest thing to do, carry around a .22 and just shoot all of them. ALL OF THEM I SAY! But I can't shoot a gun. I've never tried, but I feel like if I have trouble walking in a straight line I won't be able to shoot a tiny squirrel. My proposal, and in my opinion, the best solution, would be to get rid of all the acorns.... Continue reading

It is only Tuesday and it has not been a good week. I failed my first Anthropology exam, so I got a notification that I'm basically on academic probation. I enjoy the class, but being able to identify different African languages is pretty tricky. I went over my test with the professor and got my test score up to a D, but I'm still on academic probabtion. College sucks. Also, I lived in NYC just long enough to make eye contact unbearable. Not like eye contact in conversations, but when I'm walking around campus. I feel like people are staring... Continue reading

I am seriously worried about basketball season. Football, whatever, I can root for UNC. But basketball, I will find it VERY hard to change my allegiance to the Tar Heels. Maybe my reluctance has to to do with not being completely in love with North Carolina's weather. First of all, I take back any of the bad things I said about the frigid temperatures in Brooklyn. I would love to fly my imaginary Millenium Falcon there at light speed to escape this gross humidity. I thought I loved rain, but I don't. Not when I have to walk everywhere on... Continue reading

It's rainy, gloomy, cold, basically the weather I love. I slept probably the latest I have slept in a REALLY long time, 11:30. It felt good at the time, but I look at the clock and it's already 2pm. I plan on cleaning my room, which will take five minutes since it is about 10 ft by 8 ft in total. I also need to do laundry. Which I usually enjoy, but doing laundry in the dorm is just so inconvienent. There is also some studying for my Peoples of Africa exam that should be tackled this weekend. So not... Continue reading

I had a freaky realization today. I won't be a teenager in roughly five months. What.....? When did this happen?! I vividly remember turning 10. Double digits, huge deal! But two decades old? No comprende amigo! Super freaky. Anywho, school is going ok. I'm definitely in the sophomore slump. I still have to get into the School of Education, so that keeps me motivated, but school is so monotonous. I do enjoy school. I want to be a teacher so I kind of have to like it! Just being in school for 15 years straight is bound to make anyone... Continue reading

First of all, I apoligize for not updating my blog lately. I realize I only posted once the entire summer! I am now at UNC and let me tell you, it's pretty stellar! I will absolutely fill you in on some details about classes and such in the near future, but first I am going to tell ya'll (I learned that here) about my first college club/party night out. I just don't think my little self is cut out for that stuff. Here are some observations I made. Observation #1 Well this is more of a lesson. One should ALWAYS... Continue reading

I should first say I'm happy to be home, but why does Kansas have to be home to venomous spiders?!? My parents have turned my room into an office which I TOTALLY don't mind, but means I'm sleeping in the unfinshed basement now. I have always been afraid of the dark and the basement is very dark so I wasn't too excited. I decided I would suck it up because I'm only here for a couple months. I was finally getting used to being downstairs when I woke up with a spider bite! We have brown recluses downstairs so I... Continue reading

First of all I have a wonderful announcement....I got accepted to the University of North Carolina!!!! I'm a Tarheel baby! I am pretty dad gum ecstatic. I'm so looking forwad to the next stage in my life. :) I have been having some fun times with my cousins. Last week I babysat my little cousin Stellie during her spring break. We went to Prospect Park, which was beautiful, and played in the grass. Oh how I miss grass.... The next day we went to Bowling Green in Manhattan. We visited the Native American Museum. Stellie is a mix of an... Continue reading

My entire week has revolved around children. I feel like I'm a mom, and let me tell you, I'm worn out!! First of all, I'm sleep deprived. Not by my own choice...grrr.... I'm ready to be back in my own quiet room, ALL BY MYSELF. I don't do less than 8 hours of sleep a night very well. This past week has been averaging 5-6 hours a night. Not fun. I had a bright moment with my boys at the Transit Museum Wednesday. We have started to work on their photo stories. They are creating a slide show and narrating... Continue reading

We have already had to say goodbye to Dumas Walker. My dad took Dumas to the vet to get a check up and get his shots. Unfortunately he tested positive for feline AIDS. The vet said he will get sick in the next year. The same as with humans, Dumas wouldn't be able to get better if he were to get sick. He's had a runny nose and eyes since we got him but we just figured it was allergies. Now it looks like he was showing signs of the virus. The vet told us he could never go outside... Continue reading

32 days until the last day of classes! It just so happens that the last day of classes is also the final session of the New York Transit museums' afterschool program where I've been volunteering. It is a special program for autistic children. There are eight boys in the program, from grades K-5. They are what keeps me going here in NYC, always making me laugh and smile. One of the boys was very concerned that his partner wasn't at this particular session. "Nicoletta, it's too bad we couldn't just borrow some kids from off the street. Maybe we could... Continue reading

Hmmm..good news first or bad news first? Well I suppose I'll get start with the most upseting parts of my day then go on to the better parts of my day. My University of North Carolina application has been held up due to my ACT. I have the receipt that the score was sent dated Febuary 13th, so I called UNC to see what's up. The guy helping me was really nice or I would have got upset because my day is not going well, but more on that later. He told me that UNC requires the written portion of... Continue reading

After some intense pleading and pursuading from my papa, brother and I, my mama (a.k.a. the BOSS) let us take in this beautiful new addition to our family. Allow me to introduce Dumas Walker. The rumor around the neighborhood is that this precious kitty belonged to the old couple around the corner who passed away. Then when the family was cleaning the house they just left the cat outside to fend for himself. But that's just the rumor. He was definitely a house cat but I think his short time outside has turned him into a nature lover. Our plan... Continue reading

I want to thank all those who commented to give me words of support and advice. Ya'll are the BEST!! I go home in 6 days, which is both insanely exciting and indescribely sad. Take today for example. I went to the Brooklyn Museum for a history project. It is so awesome to go to a famous museum and for it to only take 15 minutes to get there. The museum had a Picasso painting and MUMMIES! I thought it was cool to see a real Picasso painting and super cool to see mummies. I am obsessed with mummies, and... Continue reading

I have finally made a decision. It may anger some, and I apologize. In the world of Star Wars, I may have even turned to the Dark Side. I have betrayed my beloved Kansas Jayhawks. I sent an application to the University of North Carolina.....OH! I think my father has disowned me. Just like he will never forgive Roy Williams for leaving KU to go back to UNC. That's my update for now. Not much, but there's not much going on here. I'm going to the Brooklyn Museum this weekend for history class so maybe that will result in something... Continue reading

I don't feel that we are on some sort of track or our life is predestined, but sometimes I sure wish it was. Let me first explain my obsession with New York City. I visited NYC with my family when I was 12. Everything about the city amazed me. I was completely, totally in love with NYC. Not a day went by from March of 2004 until August of 2010 that I didn't dream of living in NYC. I read all the Gossip Girl books imagining myself as the characters living on the Upper East Side. Most of my research... Continue reading

I love snow. It is probably one of my favorite things in the world. I love that it makes most anything look more beautiful. Everything seems more quiet, even in this crazy loud city. The city slows down, and we all take a breather and enjoy the east coast for what it's worth. It snowed most of the day Wednesday. I curled up with a good book and drank some peppermint tea. It was the perfect day. That night it seemed like we were in the middle of a blizzard. Looking out my window I couldn't see the the park... Continue reading

I'm back in Brooklyn. :) Long Island University to be exact. NYU didn't work out. There ended up being no housing available and the fact that I would have to pay roughly $27,000 upfront, without loans, grants or scholarships from the school, caused me to go back to LIU. It was tough having to go back to a school I don't particularly enjoy but, I keep focusing on, at least I'm in NYC! I'm hoping this semester at LIU is a bit better than the last. I've enjoyed my classes, so far, which I think should help. The only class... Continue reading

...to be jolly? Jolly is not how I would describe this holiday season. Crazy may be a better adjective. My Anut Jackie has been diagnosed with rectal cancer. It's pretty far progressed but we are all still keeping hope. My aunt is SO STRONG and I'm so proud of the way she is handling it. Aunt Jackie is so positive and healthy that she just may beat this. She is in the hospital now because of dehydration from the chemo causing nausea and vomiting. I hope she will be out sometime next week. My cousins from Colorado came back to... Continue reading

I'm home!! Yeah!! It feels so good. I'm just relaxing today and visiting my Grandma Etta. :) My mama made me a home cooked meal last night even though it was 11:00 by the time we got home. AND she made me some yummy breakfast! I flew out of Laguardia last night at 7:50. When I got to the gate to sit down and wait I saw a girl I went to high school with!!! I was so stinkin' shocked! I mean I knew we were both in the city but flying on the same flight was just freaky. We... Continue reading

It's so stinkin' close!! I'm so ready to be done with finals and home in wonderful Kansas. I know last time I said I was most excited to see my Papa, well now I'm getting pretty excited to see open plains. I was looking through my pictures on my computer and saw a picture of my brother and Uncle Carlos chopping some wood. The land just went on forever!! Which, in a weird way, brings me to my next lesson. Lesson Number Three: Guys, all it really takes to get to my heart is a ball cap (or even better,... Continue reading

6 days until I'm home! YEAAH! I am most excited to see my stinkin' Papa. He does not know how to talk on the phone. Poor guy. EVERY SINGLE TIME I talk to him he asks what time it is. "Well, Papa, it's just an hour later here...no matter what time I talk to you." Oh Papa! I'm ready to see him face to face and give him a good punch. Just like the good ol' days! Lesson number two: Communication New York City is 1098 miles from Kansas City. Keeping in touch with my parents, friends, family is pretty... Continue reading

As I countdown the days until I am home I can't help but think about the 99 days I have spent here. I have learned SO MUCH about not only myself but the world. I will take the next few posts to break down what I have learned. People are the same everywhere. New York gets this bad rap for being a harsh, cold city. While I understand that it is truly hard to make it in this city, it's also not so different than small-town Kansas. I may or may not frequent a pizza parlor too much. (heehee!) The... Continue reading

It's official I am an impatient New Yorker who gets angry when people dilly dally in the middle of the sidewalk. I mean come on people, move to the side! I live here and have to deal with you crazy tourists everyday. I will admit it gets annoying. I ALWAYS stop to help people that ask for help, but it gets oh so frustrating when people just don't pay attention to their surroundings and walk out in front of you or block the walkway. I have errands to run and you are slowing me down. I guess, imagine trying to... Continue reading

Lately bedtime has been difficult. We are just all on different schedules. I go to bed at 11 and get up at 6:30-7:30 everyday. One roommate goes to bed around 12 and gets up around 11. The last goes to bed around 3 or 4 am, but you can do that when your first class isn't until 3 pm. Even when I'm all curled up in bed and sound asleep, people will come in and out, turn lights on and off, talk loudly, and generally disturb my sleeping. Solution: Talking in my sleep. Last night I was asleep and my... Continue reading