http://www.flickr.com/photos/starz9987/

so hey, i know we are done with class and all, but here is a new account for my pictures if you want to check them out. i plan on creating a new blog, so i'll put the link up here when i do.

enjoy summer :-)!!

Elvis on American Idol

Elvis comes to life with Celine Dion as they do a duet of his song from the 1968 Singer Christmas Special (aka the '68 Comeback Special). This is phenomenal, I bought it off of iTunes and it looks much better there. Still, it impresses me that American Idol recognizes the original American idol in a respectful manner. ENJOY =)

Dance Marathon Movies

The End is In Sight... when the lights are on that is...

Today was my last day of nursing clinicals in my collegiate career. Simply unbelievable. Throughout the day I kept thinking about that.... huh. today is the last day. i won't ever have to wear these scrubs again. no one will ever say, "Oh you're a student, I want the nurse to do it." no more 50 page care plans to type up. I survived! *Pinch* Yup, I"m really here... But today was certainly more than unbelievable, not just because it was my last day, but because I was working when the POWER went OUT at Memorial HOSPITAL. When does the power ever go out and stay out at a hospital? Thankfully, we had one generator still working, but the hallways were dark and there was no air flow or drinking water available... It was crazy, but quite exciting. It's 10:32pm and I have gotten between 5-6 hours of sleep the past two weeks. While to some of you this may sound average or more than you usually get. However, my body demands at least 7 hours. If not... it makes me pay for it. So I'm going to sleep now in an attempt to be well rested for the weekend so as to not be grumpy at the Senior Formal. : ) Anyway, copy and paste the link below for an article about the power outage. Have a sweet awesome weekend. -Sara
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070426/News01/70426035

Squirrel!

I heart squirrels. Normally I like to chase them. I can tell many an entertaining story on that topic... but this time, one came up to me all on his own looking very hungry. I had experience with the squirrel at ND who did not eat the Dorito I gave him. But this little guy was so loving and so hungry and since he came to me, I couldn't turn him away. I broke off a little piece and put it on the ground. He saw my hand had one too and that was the one he wanted. Everyone tells me that squirrels have rabbis (how is that spelled? squirrels certainly don't have religions, and I'm sure they don't follow Jewish kosher laws... maybe it is rabies or rabbies...) so I didn't let him eat out of my hand, though I did let him touch my foot. Eventually he ate a little one on the ground, and then he ate part of a bigger one and it sounded so cute... his little mouth just chomping away. I would also like to add that Doritos were my first solid food. My dad felt like feeding it to me while watching a football game on TV. To this day, Nacho Doritos are one of my favorites.

I made a video, unfortunately a bit too late, but it is still kinda cute to see him run away from me. I want to get some popcorn or something and try to feed more, and have these little critters be my friends all across this beautiful campus. The video itself is not that good really, kinda not filmed with steady hands, but you can still see the look he gives me. Maybe it was the camera that scared him away.

This is my cousin Brigid spinning... you have to turn your head because I forgot to do that and you might want to mute it because I forget what it sounds like.

She is my youngest American girl cousin and she is sooooo much fun! We almost have the same birthday. Anyway, I should probably do special features on each cousin. I have other videos to upload from Easter, it is just taking awhile. Perhaps I can edit them and make them look nice before they go up.

Happy Wednesday :)

-Mickey

This little guy is so cute. You should look up his many cute pictres. His name is Knut and he lives at a Berlin zoo. I heard of him because he is having teething pains. So cute.

Let's Play Ball

I believe it has been too long since my last post. I love this time of year. As my dad says, all the baseball teams still have a chance. (My dad has a lot of reasons why he loves Spring). Being from Cleveland, I support the Indians. My bedroom at home (aside from Elvis and kitten posters) has the theme of the Indians. It has the supposedly politically incorrect Chief Wahoo as the border. In my opinion, if Chief Wahoo offends the Native Americans, then Lefty should offend every Irish American... and from my perspective, Lefty makes me happy to be Irish.

I knew that baseball season had started. I was too busy at that time to memorize their schedule. Cleveland won its first two games against the White Sox. The only game they lost in that series was the day I wore my Chicago sweatshirt. I felt like I had betrayed the Indians when I found out. So then I decided to do a little experiment. Every time I have worn a Cleveland sweatshirt while watching the Indians, they win. If they are losing when I start watching, once I have the sweatshirt on they start winning. The reverse is true... if I take off the sweatshirt and take a shower while they are winning, they lose.

I'm not completely superstitious, but it sure is an interesting pattern and I do not believe in coincidences.

Anyway, I love baseball. It is my favorite sport to watch. When I was little, I hated playing it in gym class because I was always the worst, but I loved being asked to play with my dad, brother, and neighbor Mike in our front yard. The whole baseball season is my favorite weather. I take the start of baseball as a sign that summer is almost here.

And now I would like to be a hypocrite and complain about complaining. So please skip this section if you want. I get sick of hearing how much work everyone has to do. It does not get the work done any faster in my opinion. Granted, sometimes I call my mom when I'm stressed out and don't know where to begin, but my mom isn't a student. It is funny to hear girls walking together, saying exactly what they have to get done by when. I admire the people who, though they are busy and have much to do just like everyone else, don't mention all their work and just do it when they have the time. I strive to be like those special people.

Actually, it helps to turn on a game when doing homework. You can set little goals for yourself to have sections done by the top of the third inning, or however you choose. I remember in high school I would just sit on the couch, and spend the length of the game studying or doing work. I was amazed at how much I could get done. Now its different in college, and this wouldn't work for everyone. You have to be interested enough to stay awake, but not too into it that you only watch the game and do work. I suggest it though, as an alternative to complaining.

Oh, and I guess I better wear Cleveland apparel from now on... don't tell the baseball gods that I'm not wearing any right now.

Also, I apologize if this does not make sense. My thoughts have not been flowing in order, but I don't think that is something new...

*More exciting things to come soon*

-Mickey

Whatever happened to "Love your neighbor as yourself?"

For all of you yet to hear the news: this morning at Virginia Tech a gunman killed 21 and wounded 21 students and teachers. He opened fire in a dorm and then in a classroom building. The details are still yet to be released, but there a lot of people out there who need prayers today.

My reaction:
I am so disgusted with society today. All I read about in the newspapers day after day is about the trauma children are facing in Iraq - some children not speaking over a year now in response to what they've witnessed - then here in the U.S. the man who opened fire in an Amish school, a nurse charged with over 25 counts of murder that took place throughout his medical career, because he liked the “high” of calling a Code, the five children who died in a house fire set by an arsonist, a little girl kidnapped and raped and then stuffed in a trash bag to be buried alive. Or something even less traumatic, but equally evil, as being called a racist name, not being hired because the individual doesn't fall in the ethnic requirements of a company, women selling themselves to make a living, a kid being bullied or shunned by peers b/c s/he can't afford to buy the name brand labels, girls starving themselves to look "beautiful".... I realize that there are horrible things happening all over the world and this won't ever stop, but yet with events happening like today it makes me throw up my hands and scream ENOUGH ALREADY!!!! Where has the decency, respect, or LOVE of anyone gone?? What makes a person like today open fire on innocent students? It just doesn't make sense.

What's sad is incidents like today makes me SCARED to think about what could happen here in South Bend or at home. What if it was my sister, boyfriend, friend, or teacher who was killed today? Somebody could just walk right up to anybody with a gun and take their life, and devastate the lives of so many others indirectly. My boyfriend was in LaFortune when a girl received a call on her cell letting her know a friend of hers was dead - the ND student had just transferred from Virginia Tech this semester... It can hit closer to home than we think. These tragedies can happen anywhere and I feel like there are few ways to protect myself. I know I can't live my life in fear but still... it makes me think, when will I be next? Or just why is this happening? I want to know!

What makes a person think they have the RIGHT to take away somebody else's life? I'm sure there are multiple factors that contribute to all of this: lack of parental supervision or lack of respected parental or authoritative figures in their life, easy access to drugs and guns, the desensitization that occurs through violent movies and video games, intolerance of other religions, lifestyles, or beliefs, the belief that a person has a RIGHT to do whatever they want (even take a person's life because of X reason), increasing divorce rates, lack of education, peer pressure, bullying, unrealistic demands and expectations in the workplace or at home, selfishness, decreasing available jobs, the cycle of poverty..... Like I said, I'm sure there are TONS of reasons, and it's horribly sad to think that this won't be resolved. Yet, I say won't, because I think a resolution CAN be found. And how can this be resolved? LOVE. This may sound incredibly clique, but if one thinks through any realistic situation that could lead a person to gun down 21 students I can guarantee there is a lack of love, if not within the murderer, then within his life.

Sigh, then again, people have such a distorted view of love these days… and I'm certainly no saying I have love all figured out either! It's a life long process. I don’t know what else to say at the moment, but here are some quotes from Mother Teresa on love:

“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”

“I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?”

“If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

“In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.”

“Intense love does not measure, it just gives.”

“It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.”

“Jesus said love one another. He didn't say love the whole world.”

“Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action.”

“Love begins by taking care of the closest ones - the ones at home.”

So for what it’s worth…. share a little love today. Please. And please pray for the killer, his victims, and those effected in some way by this tradegy. Thanks. -Sara

Easter bunnies for you :-)