Love of my life

He was once my infallible source of unaffected love and tenderness. There is nothing, nothing I miss more than this little one.

Duncan

Wide rules

Last first day of school. Open notebook to find that it is wide- -- as opposed to college- -- ruled. Mergh. Open another blank notebook to find that it, too, is also wide-ruled. Why didn't I check these notebooks before I brought them down to Charlottesville?? Decide to write on loose-leaf paper and transcribe these notes later (and neater) on college-ruled notebook once I find one. Come home from class and rummage through surplus school supplies that I hoard in my room. Find none.

Look through boxes I store under my bed. Find old graded homework assignments that I'd meant to sort and recycle a year ago. Get carried away and reorganize entire room. Begin first-day readings two hours later. What am I eating for dinner?

There must be others out there who discriminate against wide-ruled paper and notebooks. Right? I prefer college-ruled notebooks and paper for school because that allows me to squeeze more information on each page (helpful for reviewing notes). And my handwriting is relatively small. No, that's a lie; it's pretty average, but my handwritten letters only take up 2/3 of the line width. Am I rambling?

I need a nap.

Calculus class with Prof. Johnson (summer 2008)

College life gif

Before semester starts



After the first week



After the second week



Before the midterms



During the midterms



After the midterms



Before the exams



After getting familiarized with the exam topics



7 days to exam



6 days to exam



5 days to exam



4 days to exam



3 days to exam



2 days to exam



1 day to exam



Night before the exam



1 hour before the exam



During the exam



Upon exiting the exam hall



Break after the exams

Texts from my brother

The real story (from my sister, Amy):

"He ran towards his bedroom door to run to the kitchen to make hot cocoa and opened the door on his toe. He probably scraped some skin off."

Is this sweater ugly?

Choked with anxiety just a day before I was set to go to dinner with an old guy friend, I emailed my bestie, Hallie, to ask whether she thought my black and grey horse-print sweater was ugly. And I politely requested her boyfriend and/or brother's opinion to get a male perspective. Suffice it to say she read through my inquiries because she knows me too well.

The email exchange:

-----  SUBJECT: Is this sweater ugly? ----

Jane: I wore this grey horse-print sweater from Forever 21 to the Christmas exchange with you and Andrea and I wanted your opinion. Brendan's or Jon's wouldn't hurt either.

Here is the picture: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzcT1k0Iz76e4QUfuClz9aop3UNoe7YPn8UiTz6Awew3lo8rvhvij60yxis_rH0hz7vvzo6MGW_F41fc-4TuT1XmhcPeXxOvd5rtq4Nm7JeHStMBjHFrawNo-WSL-vX4SvLo6yiv6fsPH/s1600/horse+print+equine+knit+top+sweater+asos+forever+21+for+less+cheap.jpg

Jane: Btw I'm asking because I think I'll be wearing that when I grab dinner with [guy friend] tomorrow. Wish me luck ...

Hallie: Oh trust me, I knew exactly why you were asking. You need to worry less about impressing boys with your clothes! Just be yourself!
Hallie: From Brendan. I doubled checked to see if he was joking and he said he wasn't, and apologize if he was being too mean. [Jane's note: This made me laugh to no end]

Brendan: It's a strange sweater, too much going on I think. If she's trying to make an impression I would tone it down, the only thing they'll remember is that her sweater had more horses than their automobile. Ugly is a strong word, but I'm pretty sure the sweater isn't meant to be traditionally flattering. Maybe if she wore a coat over it...

I should write for a fashion show/magazine.

Hallie:

Hallie: I can't tell if you are being funny or not

Brendan: I'm serious. Hope that doesn't sound mean, I'm just having a hard time picturing anyone in it.

Hallie: hahaha ok it's what she wants. the girl is WAY too focused on dressing for boys. Bad girl, she needs to be herself.  

Brendan:  I concur. She just needs to be herself and wait for the guy who likes that to ask her out for coffee 

And we mean it missy!

Thanks for the pep talk :)

(In case you were wondering, I opted for a solid-colored sweater instead :] ).

Wildlife at the pond

There are two large 6 x 6 ft windows that face the backyard of my family's house. My siblings and I name all the neighborhood cats that find their way into our backyard and prance around on the low brick walls. Some examples: "Cow cat," "Oreo," "Angel food cake," "Garfield." I wonder what their real names are.

There was once a chipmunk that lived in a hole in the brick walls surrounding the backyard pond. My father and older sister would take turns passing a pair of binoculars back-and-forth to observe the little creature crawl in and about his humble dwelling. I've yet to be home to observe him.

A few years ago, a bird built a nest atop one of the ladders that leaned against our house. The bird had a distinctive feather coloring, so it was easy to distinguish her among her bird elk. Once the eggs hatched, we'd watch the mother hen adeptly spot and retrieve worms from the ground and then fly directly back to the nest to feed her young. From one window, we could often see her eager, hungry little young egging -- eyes hardly open -- for her attention and, of course, the worm.

For three consecutive years, a family of ducks flew in and set up camp in the spring in and around our pond. My dad would provide a daily offering of various leafy vegetables near the nesting site for the ducks to eat. Upon spotting his well-meaning approach, the female duck would then instinctively spread her arms to protect her young ducklings in the water. We suspect that these ducks came from the nearby middle school, which has since been demolished and rebuilt. The ducks stopped coming after the old school was razed.

And then of course was our lop-eared rabbit, Duncan. There is nothing so bewitching as watching a rabbit -- albeit a large, domestic one -- pitter-patter through a bed of daffodils in the spring or inspecting various wild greens for consumption. Sometimes I would find Duncan with his face pressed up against the wire fence, observing with intrigue my next-door neighbor's two Maltese dogs on the other side of the fence. I miss him. Is it strange that I still think of him every day, five years later?

I wonder what animals this spring will bring. And I can't forget: There's a new cat we have yet to name (see below).

New cat spotted

Meet Jane

I'm D.C.-area native and yuppie. This blog chronicles my adventure as I step furtively into bonafide adulthood and furrow through the challenges I encounter along the way. 

Order of the Ampersand was created May 2010, was originally hosted on Tumblr but moved to Blogspot December 2011.

Welcome.

Follow me on Twitter | Email me at mellamojane@gmail.com