This is a really short post because it's just an update.
Scroll allllllllll the way down to the bottom of my blog page.... and there you will find a little surprise:)
IT'S A VIRTUAL FISH TANK! Sorry.... I ruined the surprise. But I was so excited when I got it! If you put your mouse over the tank, the fish will come to you, and if you click in the tank, you can feed them! How exciting is that!?!? There are ten of them. One of them is white so you can't really see it unless you tilt your computer screen. I think I will name that one "Invisifish" because it's basically invisible. Feel free to become distracted by my new virtual fish tank. Mwahahaha!
Also, I'm thinking about changing my blog's title soon. I just feel like "Alison's Blog" is so.... I don't know.... boring. We shall see:)
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
A Sneak Preview of 2012
Today I got a sneak preview of the end of the world... it was weird. I did not like it.
*Note: my thoughts/writing is kinda scattered because my head still kinda hurts and it's hard to concentrate right now.
I woke up at 12 pm to howling wind outside. I felt extremely hot and my head was pounding like a spirit drum. I had a fever and a massive headache. I kinda just laid in my bed thinking about how much my head hurt and how I did not have any meds with me to help this problem. I also thought about my dream. I didn't really remember much of it, but I think it had something to do with skiing and Justin Bieber. Maybe I had Bieber fever and thats why I felt sick;)
Anyway, I didn't really feel like dealing with people, or going out to brunch, so I got dressed (dressed meaning putting on a sweatshirt and jeans) washed my face, brushed my teeth and tied my hair up. I then went to walk over to one of the grab and go places for food so I could just bring it back to my room and relax. Going outside was not fun because my body decided today would be a great day to be a drama queen. My head pounded with every step, the sun was too bright for my eyes, and the wind was freakin' cold as ice against my face.
But then I realized that it was the end of the world.
The first thing I noticed was the smell. There was a strong smell of smoke. Like so strong that for a minute I thought my dorm was on fire. Then I noticed the sky. It was pink and orange.... and foggy. I was really bewildered because it was almost 1 in the afternoon and the sky was not supposed to be pink. Pink skies are for sunsets. And the fog was just weird. I put two and two together pretty quickly though. The fog was actually smoke and thats why it smelled like smoke everywhere. But I was still confused as to why the entire sky at JMU was smoky. And I couldn't figure out why nobody else seemed worried about this minor detail that could totally effect the rest of our lives. I mean, COME ON PEOPLE! The sky looks like fire and it even smells like fire and no one else is showing concern? It was also extremely windy. Like the kind of wind that pushes on you and actually prevents you from walking in a straight line. The wind started to make me angry. My head was throbbing, the sky was on fire, and the wind was pushing on me. And then I hear, "YEAH JMU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" right. in. my. ear. I scowled at the boy who just yelled before I realized that there was multiple tour groups next to me.
So picture this: I have just woken up, I am wearing absolutely NO make-up, I am looking at the sky with a very confused look on my face, I am walking like a drunk person because of the wind, and I am scowling at a friendly and spirited JMU student..... the touring students are definitely going to want to come here after seeing me.
Once I get my food and get safely back in my dorm I check TV Guide on my computer to see what's on, and a pop-up pops up. It said, "If you were to die today, who would take care of your family?" and it had this picture of a girl crying over a grave stone. Wow. *nervous laugh* that's ironic because it feels like the end of the world to me. I proceed to turn on the T.V only to hear an emergency message that there are extreme wind conditions, it is unnaturally dry outside, and there are many wild fires in the area so use caution. Uhhhhhhhh.... okay. So, basically you're telling me that it IS indeed the end of the world. Awesome.
*Note: my thoughts/writing is kinda scattered because my head still kinda hurts and it's hard to concentrate right now.
I woke up at 12 pm to howling wind outside. I felt extremely hot and my head was pounding like a spirit drum. I had a fever and a massive headache. I kinda just laid in my bed thinking about how much my head hurt and how I did not have any meds with me to help this problem. I also thought about my dream. I didn't really remember much of it, but I think it had something to do with skiing and Justin Bieber. Maybe I had Bieber fever and thats why I felt sick;)
Anyway, I didn't really feel like dealing with people, or going out to brunch, so I got dressed (dressed meaning putting on a sweatshirt and jeans) washed my face, brushed my teeth and tied my hair up. I then went to walk over to one of the grab and go places for food so I could just bring it back to my room and relax. Going outside was not fun because my body decided today would be a great day to be a drama queen. My head pounded with every step, the sun was too bright for my eyes, and the wind was freakin' cold as ice against my face.
But then I realized that it was the end of the world.
The first thing I noticed was the smell. There was a strong smell of smoke. Like so strong that for a minute I thought my dorm was on fire. Then I noticed the sky. It was pink and orange.... and foggy. I was really bewildered because it was almost 1 in the afternoon and the sky was not supposed to be pink. Pink skies are for sunsets. And the fog was just weird. I put two and two together pretty quickly though. The fog was actually smoke and thats why it smelled like smoke everywhere. But I was still confused as to why the entire sky at JMU was smoky. And I couldn't figure out why nobody else seemed worried about this minor detail that could totally effect the rest of our lives. I mean, COME ON PEOPLE! The sky looks like fire and it even smells like fire and no one else is showing concern? It was also extremely windy. Like the kind of wind that pushes on you and actually prevents you from walking in a straight line. The wind started to make me angry. My head was throbbing, the sky was on fire, and the wind was pushing on me. And then I hear, "YEAH JMU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" right. in. my. ear. I scowled at the boy who just yelled before I realized that there was multiple tour groups next to me.
So picture this: I have just woken up, I am wearing absolutely NO make-up, I am looking at the sky with a very confused look on my face, I am walking like a drunk person because of the wind, and I am scowling at a friendly and spirited JMU student..... the touring students are definitely going to want to come here after seeing me.
Once I get my food and get safely back in my dorm I check TV Guide on my computer to see what's on, and a pop-up pops up. It said, "If you were to die today, who would take care of your family?" and it had this picture of a girl crying over a grave stone. Wow. *nervous laugh* that's ironic because it feels like the end of the world to me. I proceed to turn on the T.V only to hear an emergency message that there are extreme wind conditions, it is unnaturally dry outside, and there are many wild fires in the area so use caution. Uhhhhhhhh.... okay. So, basically you're telling me that it IS indeed the end of the world. Awesome.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Aliens and Weapons
Let me explain…
Aliens and Weapons is the best game in the world! I played it with IV large group in a giant building called Memorial Hall. There are 3 groups: The aliens (about 8 people), the weapons (about 3 people), and the humans (everyone else, so about 50+ people). First, the humans all go into a room and wait for the aliens to hide all the weapons. Then, the aliens come back to the lobby area and give the humans 1 minute to spread out and look for the weapons before the aliens are also allowed to run free. The point of the game is to tag people so they are out. If an alien tags a human, then the human is out. But, if a human has a weapon, they (and anyone touching the weapon) are safe. And if a human who has a weapon tags an alien, then the alien is out. So basically, the aliens try to tag the humans and get them out before the humans find all the weapons and tag all the aliens out.
I was a human for the first 2 rounds. Being a human isn’t anything special, but it is a lot of random sprinting. You’ll be walking around with a random group (I usually tried to stay with guys because they were good shields) and all of the sudden, someone will see an alien... and then it becomes survival of the fastest. Everyone will turn and run and if you are the slowest in the group, you will probably get tagged out. Wasn’t too much of a problem for me since I’m a runner. The first time I got out, I was acting as bait... and it worked so I consider it a good sacrifice:)
The third round was the most fun. I was a weapon for this round so I had to be hidden in the beginning of the game. The aliens decided to hide me down this dark office hallway in a box. Yes. IN a BOX. I wasn't supposed to make any noise so I thought I would never be found. But I was wrong. This nice girl and guy found me within the first few minutes of the game. And then it was full out sprinting around the building looking for aliens and saving humans. The stairs were always the hardest. I slipped a few times and flat out fell down them one time. I hit the wall a few times too. I quickly found out it’s hard to make a 90-degree turn while sprinting as fast as you can. But it’s totally worth every fall, collision, and bruise. I still have a battle wound….
Another thing that’s great about being a weapon is that you kinda feel like a hero. There was one point where I was running around with some humans and we were looking for aliens. We went down this hallway and heared someone yelling so we went towards the noise. I turned out to be J-Bear (nickname for one of the large group leader guys) who was cornered by two aliens.
The next part I wish I could’ve seen in slow motion with that “Chariots of Fire” theme song playing. The human and I come racing around the corner and tag one of the aliens. We then head for the other one as he turns on his heels to run away. As we pass J-Bear, I can see the look of relief on his face and as we run away, he calls out “Thank you for saving my life!” I seriously felt like a hero at that moment. You’re Welcome J-Bear.
This is a real game. And it makes you really sore the next day.
But would I do it again?
Yes! In a heartbeat.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
I Like Turtles.
If you don't get the title then check out this video and it will explain it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMNry4PE93Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMNry4PE93Y
My new years resolution is to be more positive about life, so I decided to write a post about some of the random things I like. I could probably write a lot about things I don’t like. For example, I don’t like the people who guess the same thing in Charades, or the people who give the same clues. There’s always someone in the group who does this… they’re the person who keeps shouting out the same thing over and over and they just keep saying it louder and louder because they think you didn’t hear them. I heard you, it’s just not the answer so… GUESS SOMETHING ELSE and then maybe we can get a point! But writing about stuff like that would be negative and my new years resolution is to be positive, and if I learned anything from Brant in my calculus class, it’s that positives and negatives are not the same. So now I will write about the random things I like:)
I like chocolate. Who doesn’t? End of story.
I like laughing until I cry. It’s the best feeling in the world. If the whole rumor about “Laughing makes you live longer” is true, then I’ll live to be 500. Actually, I’m not sure if I’d want to live to be that old… I only planned on wearing diapers for one period of my life and that ship has sailed.
I like funny old men.
I like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain.
Just kidding! That’s from a song. I’ve never had a real Pina Colada, but I do like Pina Colada flavored Slurpees mixed with Coke… because then it tastes like Vanilla Coke and I loved that when it was still around.
I like singing in the car and singing karaoke. I’m pretty sure I could try out for American Idol because I’m just soooo good at singing…
I really like tigers. They’re my favorite animal:) However, I don’t really care for the Cincinnati Bengals… they’re not very good at football. I cheer for the Redskins because they’re my home team, and the Eagles because they have the prettiest colored jersey!
I like playing Wii.… and I’m pretty dang good at it!
I like California. I was actually born there. Someday I’m gonna drop out of college and live there with my best friend. Her boyfriend will live in a shed in the backyard. This will happen in my second life;)
I like doing fun high adventure things like skydiving, white water rafting, dog sledding, and riding roller-coasters.
I like Narnia. I used to think it existed and that I could find it in my grandma’s house…. wait.… no…. I still think that.
I like magic. That’s probably why I like Harry Potter so much.
I like Kronk from “The Emperor’s New Groove”. Everything he says makes me laugh.
I like Glenn Coco. “Four for you Glenn Coco! You go Glenn Coco!” I think they should make a movie just about Glenn Coco.
I like having family game night.
I like when boys still act chivalrous.
I like writing blogs and I could go on and on with this list. I don’t even care if anyone reads them, but they are nice to write anyway. It’s relaxing because I usually listen to music while I write them and it’s just a nice way to get my thoughts out and take a break from being busy in life. It’s good to stop and smell the flowers every now and then and blogging is a good way to do that……….. And if you’re procrastinating on homework. Blogging is good for that too.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
I Want To Be More Like My Dog...
Yup. That's my New Year's resolution!
I know it sounds kinda weird.... but thats because it's not the normal boring stuff like go to the gym more, or eat less sweets, or get more sleep, or stop killing the neighbors pigs. (If you're one of the people who makes a New Year's resolution like that.... is that really the best you can do? I mean, do those types of resolutions even last past a few weeks or a month or two if you're lucky? No. They don't. Stop kidding yourself. You're basically just going through the 40 days of Lent if you do that. And that's why you should make a new and exciting one!)
So I'm gonna try to explain this the best I can. My dog's name is Dakota! Funny thing is, she is 3/4 black lab (one of the smartest breeds of dogs) and 1/4 hound (one of the not-so-smartest breeds of dogs).... she inherited the hounds intellectual ability. Real life examples of her intellectual ability include: Hiding behind me when a deer jumps out of the woods, barking at nothing, being afraid of anything you shake at her, smashing into walls because she likes to look behind herself when she runs, having no idea what fetch means, and having an irrational fear of stairs (which is called bathmophobia for anyone who wanted to know). Don't get me wrong.... I love her to death, but she definitely isn't the brightest bulb in the pack.
It's not her intellectual skills I admire, but it's her attitude about life. She's always so happy to see me, no matter what. Every time I walk in the doors she's all like "Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! OhmyGOSH!!!!!! I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU! AHHHHHH! yayayayayayayyayaya! I love being a dog!" Every. Time. Even if I'm only gone for an hour. The moment you walk though that door, she bombards you. There is no such thing as a personal bubble in her mind. She also likes to lick people.... like, a lot. It's like she wants to give you a bath or something. And normally her tail is wagging so ferociously that her whole body shakes and she looks like she's wiggling. A lot of people comment on this too.... they'll say stuff like, "Is your dog ok? She's shaking really bad" and I'll be like, "Oh yeah, thats normal. She's just really happy"
I know I can't be as extreme as her. Actually, I don't want to be as extreme as her. But I want to give it a try. I want to be happier about everything even if its the tiniest detail, and basically just be more optimistic. I think I'm already pretty optimistic, but it can't hurt to try a little harder:) And I feel like this will be a good resolution because it will last for the whole year.
And now a cheesy quote to sum it all up because I don't really know what else to write: "I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; They give unconditional love. For me, they are the role model for being alive." ~Gilda Radner
I know it sounds kinda weird.... but thats because it's not the normal boring stuff like go to the gym more, or eat less sweets, or get more sleep, or stop killing the neighbors pigs. (If you're one of the people who makes a New Year's resolution like that.... is that really the best you can do? I mean, do those types of resolutions even last past a few weeks or a month or two if you're lucky? No. They don't. Stop kidding yourself. You're basically just going through the 40 days of Lent if you do that. And that's why you should make a new and exciting one!)
So I'm gonna try to explain this the best I can. My dog's name is Dakota! Funny thing is, she is 3/4 black lab (one of the smartest breeds of dogs) and 1/4 hound (one of the not-so-smartest breeds of dogs).... she inherited the hounds intellectual ability. Real life examples of her intellectual ability include: Hiding behind me when a deer jumps out of the woods, barking at nothing, being afraid of anything you shake at her, smashing into walls because she likes to look behind herself when she runs, having no idea what fetch means, and having an irrational fear of stairs (which is called bathmophobia for anyone who wanted to know). Don't get me wrong.... I love her to death, but she definitely isn't the brightest bulb in the pack.
 |
| It took about 20 pictures (no joke) before I finally got one where she was looking. And yes, she is wearing a Redskins bandana. But she tried to eat it a few days later so we had to take it off. Such a smart dog:) |
I know I can't be as extreme as her. Actually, I don't want to be as extreme as her. But I want to give it a try. I want to be happier about everything even if its the tiniest detail, and basically just be more optimistic. I think I'm already pretty optimistic, but it can't hurt to try a little harder:) And I feel like this will be a good resolution because it will last for the whole year.
And now a cheesy quote to sum it all up because I don't really know what else to write: "I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; They give unconditional love. For me, they are the role model for being alive." ~Gilda Radner
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Student + Dying = Studying
So right now I'm sitting in the Library studying for the 2 finals I have tomorrow. Yeah it sucks... I know. I feel like my brain is rotting right now because it's so full of math and Biology terms. Yesterday was baby animal day at Starbucks (Where instead of writing your name on your drink they write a baby animal) and I was seriously considering putting Baby Protista, or Baby Planaria. So if you didn't understand how much time I'm spending in the library, well now you know. It's pretty bad when you'd rather put a biological organism on your Starbucks drink instead of a cute panda bear or whatever else. It's also bad when you're discussing animals with your smart friend and they ask "Isn't Algae an animal?" It's not. It's a plant. Last I checked plants and animals are pretty different... like so different that they are in different Kingdoms. This is what too many hours in the library does to you.
But anyway, I was trying to figure out my math final review problems and I was looking through my notes and I came across this passage I had written amongst my math notes. I thought it was kinda funny so I decided to copy it here. Keep in mind, I wrote this during my 8 am math class so the thoughts are kinda scattered... and it's written exactly like it is in my math notebook.
"At this point, I've kinda shut down. I realized that it is only 8:33 when I thought it was 8:56. Why that random time? I have no idea. I just kept thinking in my head, It's 8:56... it's gotta be 8:56. So anyway, I don't really know what I should be taking notes on right now. It's not really math. In fact, now that I'm looking, I don't see a single number on the board. Thats what I hate about this class. It's more writing than actually solving equations. I always thought that math was stuff with numbers like 1+1=2. At least I got that impression from elementary school all the way through high school. But i guess not in college.... no no no. I actually have no idea what we are doing. I also have no idea why this is still considered math. And I have no idea when we will EVER need to use this in the future. Funny story actually, when a kid asked my professor when they would need to use this in the future, you know what he said? He said "Well, if you are ever trapped on a desert island, you could just write this is the sand for fun! And you could try solving these equations with different formulas!".... he was completely serious. If you knew my math professor, you'd know he was a complete nerd and is obsessed with math. He thinks its the greatest thing in the world. In my head I was just thinking Wow! I've never thought of that before! That is a really good reason to be learning this stuff, because if I was ever trapped on a desert island, since that happens all the time, i would have a great time solving impossible math equations instead of trying to find food, shelter, or a way off the island! Thanks Brant! Brant is my math teachers first name. I like to call him that in my head since his last name, Jones, is so common. Poor Brant. He doesn't even know what's going on. Half the class is sleeping and the other half isn't writing anything down. I at least LOOK like I'm paying attention. I keep writing this and looking up so it looks like I'm paying attention and taking really good notes. He probably thinks I'm absorbing all of this so that one day (when I get stuck on a desert island) I can write it in the sand. NOT! Ok well now its 8:56. Finally! Almost time to go:) I'm outta here... oh yeah, and you should probably look over chapter 5 because I obviously didn't take any real notes... ok bye!"
And then I drew a picture of a flower.... because randomly I like doodling flowers in all my notebooks.
So yeah... that's the story of my math life. And why I'm back here in the library. And why I can't find any notes on chapter 5. Well, we'll see how this studying is going to pay off tomorrow when I take my final. I kinda wish.... wait no.... REALLY wish I didn't have to take this. I was actually facebook chatting with a guy in my class the other day and he asked "If Brant mysteriously didn't come to class on Monday (the day of our final) would we still have to take the test?" I laughed. But I'm not sure if I should have because he didn't respond after that... hmmm.... Well, See you later!
But anyway, I was trying to figure out my math final review problems and I was looking through my notes and I came across this passage I had written amongst my math notes. I thought it was kinda funny so I decided to copy it here. Keep in mind, I wrote this during my 8 am math class so the thoughts are kinda scattered... and it's written exactly like it is in my math notebook.
"At this point, I've kinda shut down. I realized that it is only 8:33 when I thought it was 8:56. Why that random time? I have no idea. I just kept thinking in my head, It's 8:56... it's gotta be 8:56. So anyway, I don't really know what I should be taking notes on right now. It's not really math. In fact, now that I'm looking, I don't see a single number on the board. Thats what I hate about this class. It's more writing than actually solving equations. I always thought that math was stuff with numbers like 1+1=2. At least I got that impression from elementary school all the way through high school. But i guess not in college.... no no no. I actually have no idea what we are doing. I also have no idea why this is still considered math. And I have no idea when we will EVER need to use this in the future. Funny story actually, when a kid asked my professor when they would need to use this in the future, you know what he said? He said "Well, if you are ever trapped on a desert island, you could just write this is the sand for fun! And you could try solving these equations with different formulas!".... he was completely serious. If you knew my math professor, you'd know he was a complete nerd and is obsessed with math. He thinks its the greatest thing in the world. In my head I was just thinking Wow! I've never thought of that before! That is a really good reason to be learning this stuff, because if I was ever trapped on a desert island, since that happens all the time, i would have a great time solving impossible math equations instead of trying to find food, shelter, or a way off the island! Thanks Brant! Brant is my math teachers first name. I like to call him that in my head since his last name, Jones, is so common. Poor Brant. He doesn't even know what's going on. Half the class is sleeping and the other half isn't writing anything down. I at least LOOK like I'm paying attention. I keep writing this and looking up so it looks like I'm paying attention and taking really good notes. He probably thinks I'm absorbing all of this so that one day (when I get stuck on a desert island) I can write it in the sand. NOT! Ok well now its 8:56. Finally! Almost time to go:) I'm outta here... oh yeah, and you should probably look over chapter 5 because I obviously didn't take any real notes... ok bye!"
And then I drew a picture of a flower.... because randomly I like doodling flowers in all my notebooks.
So yeah... that's the story of my math life. And why I'm back here in the library. And why I can't find any notes on chapter 5. Well, we'll see how this studying is going to pay off tomorrow when I take my final. I kinda wish.... wait no.... REALLY wish I didn't have to take this. I was actually facebook chatting with a guy in my class the other day and he asked "If Brant mysteriously didn't come to class on Monday (the day of our final) would we still have to take the test?" I laughed. But I'm not sure if I should have because he didn't respond after that... hmmm.... Well, See you later!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Dante's 9 Levels of Hell-o
9 Awkward Social Situations
Level 1: The first level is when something happens that makes you feel like you’re part of the Mean Girls movie... “She doesn’t even go here!” Enough said.
Level 2: The second level isn’t too bad if you are good at small talk. This is when you go somewhere with two people. One person you know really well, while the other person… not so much. Everything is going great until the person you know leaves you for a minute and you are left with the person you don’t know. This is only awkward if you don’t really know what to say to them. In this case, (if you are at lunch or dinner) you can take a really, really big bite of food to discourage any conversation, or you can just tough it up and start small talking.
Level 3: The third level is when you think you know someone, so you say hello, but then you realize it’s not them after they give you funny look OR someone knows you, but you completely forget their name.
Level 4: The fourth level happens to me all the time at church. I’m an Usher so I stand in the back with the other teen Ushers. When the sign of peace comes I’m usually sweating bullets thinking about it. (not really… that’s gross. but you get the point) I’m trying to decide who to hug and who to just shake hands with. Have you ever been in this kind of situation? It’s not helpful that one of the girl ushers knows EVERYONE so she just hugs them all. This is bad because then if I decide it’s too weird to hug one person, then they might feel left out that they were the only one who didn’t get a hug from me. Ehhh so confusingL I usually just go for the hug unless the person sticks out their hand for a handshake before I get to them.
Level 5: The fifth level is that high-five you THOUGHT was for you but it turns out that it was for the person behind you… yes, this has happened to me. This situation is even worse when you see the person you accidentally high-fived many times after the incident.
Level 6: The sixth level is Bluetooth devices. Those things are the most annoying things ever. You’re in a store and the person next to you says something that sounds like perfectly normal conversation like “Do you know what this is?” and then you proceed to respond until the person says something again that’s completely different and starts walking away. What’s even worse is that the person with the Bluetooth usually gives YOU a funny look after you try to respond. I really just wanna say “YOU’RE the one who looks like you’re talking to yourself! Why are you looking at ME weird?!?” and then suckapunch them in the face, take their Bluetooth, and run away cackling! But I usually just end up apologizing and walking away feeling lame.
Level 1: The first level is when something happens that makes you feel like you’re part of the Mean Girls movie... “She doesn’t even go here!” Enough said.
Level 2: The second level isn’t too bad if you are good at small talk. This is when you go somewhere with two people. One person you know really well, while the other person… not so much. Everything is going great until the person you know leaves you for a minute and you are left with the person you don’t know. This is only awkward if you don’t really know what to say to them. In this case, (if you are at lunch or dinner) you can take a really, really big bite of food to discourage any conversation, or you can just tough it up and start small talking.
Level 3: The third level is when you think you know someone, so you say hello, but then you realize it’s not them after they give you funny look OR someone knows you, but you completely forget their name.
Level 4: The fourth level happens to me all the time at church. I’m an Usher so I stand in the back with the other teen Ushers. When the sign of peace comes I’m usually sweating bullets thinking about it. (not really… that’s gross. but you get the point) I’m trying to decide who to hug and who to just shake hands with. Have you ever been in this kind of situation? It’s not helpful that one of the girl ushers knows EVERYONE so she just hugs them all. This is bad because then if I decide it’s too weird to hug one person, then they might feel left out that they were the only one who didn’t get a hug from me. Ehhh so confusingL I usually just go for the hug unless the person sticks out their hand for a handshake before I get to them.
Level 5: The fifth level is that high-five you THOUGHT was for you but it turns out that it was for the person behind you… yes, this has happened to me. This situation is even worse when you see the person you accidentally high-fived many times after the incident.
Level 7: The seventh level is when you’re in a crowded large area like a dining hall or grocery store (if you are at home). As you are walking around, you bump into someone you know so you do the polite thing and say Hello. You proceed to go your separate ways, but then you run into them again like 5 minutes later. You both kinda laugh it off and say Hello again before you part ways for the second time. And then it happens…. Again. You see them a THIRD time. You try to make a lame joke about it saying something like “do you have a twin, or something?” laugh it off, then leave again. Then it happens a fourth time. This time you try to make awkward small talk, or laugh feebly before leaving them. At this point, you try to avoid them. If you see them at a distance, you start to head the other way. If they’re over in the fruit and vegetable section…. Well suddenly you want milk…. Really bad. If they decide they want milk too and you make eye contact from afar, the next thing you do is grab two of the nearest products to you and start comparing the ingredients… very carefully. Get to know what Riboflavin really is. This will give you an excuse not to make more unwanted eye contact.
Level 8: The eighth the case when you see some one you kinda know, but kinda don’t. You know what I mean. It’s that person who was in your freshman class in high school and you sorta talked to them then, but ever since you haven’t said a word to them. You know their name but you’re not sure if they remember yours.
So one college day you see that person while walking to class and if you’re like me, you think… “I didn’t even know they went here! I wonder if they remember me? I remember them. We were kinda friends. Oh gosh, now I’m staring” then you awkwardly look down, but the whole time you’re thinking “Should I say hi? Or wave? Or would that be weird. What if they have no idea who I am.” Meanwhile, the distance between you is getting smaller and suddenly you have to make a decision. Usually in this case it’s a lose-lose situation and you were doomed from the start. If you don’t say hi, you feel guilty and wonder if they are sad that you didn’t acknowledge them. If you wave and they don’t wave back then it’s just super awkward. Sometimes they wave back, but usually they have that look on their face like :/ Most of the time I just smile at them and hope for the best.
Level 9: The ninth and final level is a lot like level 8, but usually worse because you definitely KNOW the person and you know you are gonna have to say hi. The awkwardness usually starts when you’re walking down a long and straight path. The path always has to be long and straight to maximize the awkwardness and make the build up long and painful.
So you see the person 50 yards away and they see you. You make that split second of eye contact and you both know what’s coming. You’re gonna have to say hi, but the problem is WHEN to say it. If you say it to early then you have to go through that long silent pause afterwards where you just keep on walking by. Plus then you’re kinda shouting to be heard at that far distance. You have to wait for just the right moment. The problem is… you’ve already made eye contact so you both know it’s coming. You usually pick up pace to close the distance faster. Suddenly, 50 yards seems like a mile. Then, your mind goes into overdrive. Your eyes start darting around because you don’t know where to look. You can’t look at them just yet because the distance between you is still to far for that, but if you look straight down you just look sad. I usually choose a nearby tree to stare at, or if I’m lucky, there will be a random squirrel on the ground eating something, so I just look at that and pretend like it’s the most fascinating thing in the world. Sometimes I stare at my phone like a have a text, or I’m checking the time. ANYTHING to avoid more eye contact. You glance up to check the distance and make eye contact again. Now you just have to go for it but you need to drag it on as long as possible to avoid the long pause afterwards. For me it usually goes like this…
Me: Heeeeeeeeeeeeyy! J
Other person: Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! J
Me: (next logical sentence that comes to my scrambling mind) How are yooouuu? (even though at this point I only half care….) :/
Other person: Goooooooood :/
Me: Alright… See you later :/
Other person: (nervouse chuckle) ok byyyeee! :/
By dragging out the greeting it usually takes away a few seconds which is good because at this point you’re both desperate.
I think we need a universal signal of understanding for these types of situations since we all have experienced some of them…. And if you haven’t… well then you’re just really lucky.
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