The beginning of the end...

Well, I'm alive. Those three words pretty much sum up my time in PCB this year. I partied like it was my last spring break ever..oh wait..it was. My intention going into the trip was to create memories that I want to share with everyone, much like I did for my recap of SB 09. However, I'm not going to do that. It's not because this year was X-rated or anything that crazy but there was, what I shall call "the incident", with a friend, that became the center of a trip and I would rather not dwell on it. But besides that, I had the time of my life, just like last year. I met some interesting people and some VERY interesting people, and it definitely felt like a different atmosphere without 40 of my friends partying in our hotel rooms every night. Yet, I still made the most of it and celebrated my 22nd in style. Both trips were unique but the only thing I would say was worse this time, besides "the incident", is the weather. We got three days of sun as opposed to only two days of rain in 09. And, the temperature was easily 10 degrees colder this time around. Despite the sucky weather in Panama, though, it could have been worse. The Weather Channel told me Ohio got pounded with snow and my friends back home told me not to complain because while I was in the sand, they were in the slush. Luckily for all us spring breakers, we got to come back to decent weather (it will be 75 on Wednesday, who's up for some frisbee on the oval?)

After being on vacation for a week and having two of my best friends and a champagne bottle made of chocolate waiting for me when I returned, it is now safe to say that today was one of the saddest days ever-and it's only going to get worse. I have begun what is my last quarter as a student at The Ohio State University and I could not be more upset about it. What makes it worse is that I actually overheard people talking about how bad they want to get out of here. I know the school part is rough on us all but these are the best four (or 5 or 6) years of our lives. This is the place where we learn who we are and make lifetime friends along the way. Why are people in such a hurry to leave? Maybe I just don't want to leave because I don't have a job or a graduate school lined up yet but I will spend a lot of time working on that so hopefully when I write me senior story in 2 months I can mention it.

Despite the sadness, I did find a little bit of inspiration in my finance class. This class was the last one of my day and I went into it with the sour memory of how accounting ripped out my soul last quarter. I had heard finance was better but I had my doubts. I'm just not good with numbers. I was good at statistics but that's because it was more data analysis than crazy formulas like "if 3xy=z2wtf, what is the reciprocal?" I'm not making that up either, it was on the GRE, maybe not the exact letters but definitely the same formula. Side note, if anyone's super bored (which you must be if you're reading my nonsense) wants to figure this out and let me know the answer, I'll buy you a box meal at Cane's. No lie. Anyway, as I sat there with my new Droid Eris, trying to figure out how to send a picture message, in walks this man with funny hair that looks like every other business professor at OSU. I continue messing with my phone but as soon as he started talking about how we got to use formula sheets on exams because he thinks formulas are tedious information for us to memorize, I put it down and decided to give him a chance. The class seemed more and more interesting by the minute. He told us that he is the oldest man with ADD and that the only reason he switched to finance from engineering in undergrad was because it was easier math. Now this is my kind of teacher. What moved him into my top 5 all time professor list had to be his comment about the kind of people that will truly make it in this world: "The ones who will succeed are going to be the ones that leave this lecture and go grab a burger and a beer rather than read the course material because those are the ones that have the social skills that can get them through any situation." I am pretty sure he just described my life phiolosophy to a T. I'm not staying I don't study and work hard because I do and I love doing it, but there is a fine line between overworking yourself and success. Success is not all about money and getting that dream job right out of college or graduating magna cum laude. It's about the way you present yourself to those around you in work or play. In the end, employers don't really care what your GPA was, as long as you have the life experiences that make you a viable candidate for their orginizations. So whatever happens in the next ten weeks, whether I land my "gateway to my dream job" job, or I decide to keep learning, I'm going to live my life to the fullest and make top notch memories that will hopefully send me out in style.

Cheers to you, Professor Hal Green!

Back on "the Boat"

Well, it is that time of year when my fellow Buckeyes and I take a step back and breathe. We have just made it through ten weeks of the worst time of the year in Ohio and survived, although some of us may have some battle wounds due to the icy conditions of the off-campus landscape. It still puzzles me that a city which has seen record snowfalls for the last 3 or so winters can still underestimate what winter can bring. I'm from the edge of the snow-belt so I am always prepared to brace these bitter conditions, though I'm never thrilled about it. But what is worse than the snow and ice itself is the way it makes us all feel like we are powerless in our own environment. I know it's not like the Arctic Tundra but no one wants to walk to house parties (which become twice as crowded because only the smokers care to hang out outside) or bars that aren't in a 5 block radius. Even going to class becomes a chore in the winter. If you don't live on 4th Street or anywhere on Summit south of Lane Ave. you are really taking a gamble waiting for the CABS bus because most likely it's going to pass you by. Now, if you live on 15th and Indianola and you're catching the bus, well, I don't mean to offend, but is it really that difficult to walk one block to safer conditions?

But now it is the day before the official Spring Equinox, winter quarter is over, and if you stand by a window and open your ears and concentrate, you can hear the sighs of relief and screams of rage (good rage, that is) because the worst 11 weeks of the year are in the past. The weather is finally an upper instead of a downer, and if you're lucky like me, you get to go bask in the rays of some warmer destination. I don't think anyone could be more excited about it than I am. There have been so many things I've wanted to write about. Like how awesome OSU basketball is right now, or I'm blown away by the fact that accounting sucked so bad. And let's not leave out how the Browns' quarterback situation reminds me of a third-world government that changes faster than Josh Cribbs can run a 98 yard kick-off return for a touchdown. What sucked even more was that my last final was on St. Patrick's Day. Okay, you're probably thinking, ah that's not bad. How about the fact that it was at 7:30 pm.? Alright, you care a little more. Oh yes, and it was accounting 310, the most annoying class to every single person in the business minor. Now you definitley feel like you wanna buy me a shot next time you see me out. But now that that's done, I've begun packing for my long awaited trip to Panama City Beach, the mecca of all spring break hot-spots. This will be my second year on PCB so I'm definitely no virgin to its intensity, but everyone else I'm going with is and has no idea what's about to be in store. So to pass the time before we leave I've decided to take a second to reflect on last year's trip and why it made it the best week of my life thus far, the things I think I'll do differently, and the things that can never be topped.

I'll start from the beginning-the drive down. I felt like it never was going to end, like we were just going to keep going forever and ever and ever. Not too mention I got to know my anxiety issues a little too well. After about two hours in when we reached Kentucky I all of a sudden felt like I was about to drive off the face of the earth because I could not see anything but pavement and blackness. I started getting light-headed and almost fainted. Good thing there were no cars on the road or my intense swerving would have killed us all. I recall telling my friend that was in the passenger's seat that I was "tweeking out" (a term that I've only ever heard stoners use) and pulled off on the side of the road. So this year, I decided that in order to allow my friends and I to see our next birthdays. I will not be driving until it is daylight.

Speaking of birthdays, mine just so conveniently falls on spring break every year. Last year, I got to celebrate my coveted 21st and by the time I left, every single person I met knew me as "21". I seriously was on cloud nine every single day for the entire week. This moment will never be topped. This year I turn 22 and I am just as excited, but it's a different kind of excitement for sure. I am only going with 3 other girls as opposed to like 30 people from last year. This might create less drama throughout the week, but, come to think of it, the only drama I had I don't remember so we could argue that it never happened. I do know that one of my best friends that was with us went off on me and I'm really glad I don't remember it because it might have ruined the rest of my trip. This madness occured because I mysteriously got black-out drunk the day after my birthday and somehow made it back to our hotel by myself. I also have a number in my phone named "Joe-Spinnakers?". I don't know this person but I remember the next night he insisted on meeting up with me but I didn't know what he looked like. That was probably-no it was most definitley for the best. Any guy who still wants to meet up with a girl after she blatantly says she doesn't remember what he looks like is a skeez. The only reason why he is still in my phone is for a good laugh and a reminder of my stupidity. I just thank God and my friends at the bar that nothing horrible happened to me. So the second thing I have decided I will do differently is to not black out. Which means no tequila. Bummer. Oh well, if it's for my safety then I can sacrifice.

I think the best thing about PCB was how everyone had this "Anything goes" attitude. I feel like I have that attitude a lot so it was nice to see other people enjoying my same love for life. Some enjoyed it a little too much and probably did some things that I would never do. I may like to have fun but I have morals. So I will definitely be sticking to those just as much this time as I did the last. But seriously, everyday was just more than a big beach party, it was absolute mayhem. I will say that I never really got that drunk during the day because I was more concerned with my tan and meeting up with friends along the beach. Night time was a different story. We tried to hit up a bunch of different bars but Harpoon Harry's and Sweet Dreams Karaoke felt like home by the end of the week. Harpoon Harry's is just like most of the clubs along the beach but Sweet Dreams Karaoke was in a league of its own. It was a dive bar connected to a liquor store and karaoke was involved. How many people can say they did that on their 21sts? Suckas.

Now that I'm back on the 21st birthday topic, I'd like to take a moment and talk about the progression of the event. The midnight portion started out like everyone's midnight portion: me swearing up and down that I wasn't gonna get that drunk because I wanted to save it all for my actual birthday. Ha. yeah, like anyone ever does that. What was supposed to be just the girls in my room going out ended up us plus a group of guys who showed up in my room, one of whom I thought stole my phone. Turns out he just had the same light blue chocolate. One of the girls we were with knew one of those guys so they tagged along. And man am I glad they did. These 7 dudes were the funnest and funniest group of guys I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.As soon as we got to the bar one of them decided he was gonna be my partner in crime and ended up getting people to not only buy me a shot buy one for him too. That's like me in man version right there. I was wasted by midnight. Happy Birthday. In fact, by the end of it I was screaming "I'm 21! I'm on a boat". Now that's where the nickname 21 started. Nothing will top that. Ever.

The next day was my actual birthday and the first day I really drank a lot on the beach. It was also the first day I ever played Louiseville Chugger, the game that combines baseball, chugging, and spinning. One of my friends who wasn't with me on the trip, always raved over this game and after playing it, I was completely shocked that I never took part in this activity before. What was even better was that it was in the sand, making it ten times more difficult to spin. So this year, I will be buying bats and doing it all over again, hoping to make someone's day by introducing them to a new drinking activity, or reuniting them with an old one. I will also be making a return trip to Mikato, the first and only Japanese steak house I've ever been to. I got to blow out a volcano of onions instead of candles on a cake and had a drink called a Happy Buddha. It literally came in a Buddha, which I am now the proud owner of.

Side note, Ohio State is dominating this first half against UC Santa Barbara which makes me feel like tonight is going to be a good night. I would also like to thank the OU Bobcats for completely causing the upset of all upsets thus far and possibly giving us a bigger chance to go to the final four.

Anyways, one of the suckier things for a wannabe sports writer on spring break is that it can be a bit difficult to watch March Madness. The big games I might get to see but I'll probably be too drunk to care, unless of course it's an OSU game. Then I need to remember to get to a TV.

Another side note, CBS sports announcer just talked about how Jon Diebler is from Upper Sandusky and was like "That's where Tommy Boy was filmed". Fail. A, it was in regular Sandusky, where Cedar Point is, and B, it wasn't even filmed there. That just made me laugh, so much for credibility in this profession.

Also, every Bud Light commercial gets me even more pumped for this trip. Alcohol flows like a river in PCB. It never runs out, anywhere. People actually get kegs and put them in the sand which is a beautiful site. Prices are so much cheaper down there than in Ohio, too. If we had those prices on campus, either people would have a lot of extra money in their pockets, or they would buy even more alcohol than they already do. It's a win-win either way. And if you don't have a drink in your hand you automatically become the awkward pink elephant in the room, er, well, on the shore. The point is, you look awkward and no one wants to be THAT person. And, bars in PCB are open until 4 am. It's like the party never ever stops and I love it. It probably takes years off of people's lives but it's so worth the sacrifice to be able to experience it. I think I only stayed out that late one time other than my birthday though, which was the last night. That night was the perfect ending to the perfect trip. We ended up meeting up with the guys from my birthday night which made it a sure thing that the night was not going to be dull. The funniest part about it, at least I thought, was that we all looked like shit. My hair was so frizzed out I looked like I just got shocked by high voltage electricity. And my friend decided she didn't need make up, at least at first. She's the type of person that just doesn't care about what she looks like in public half the time and I love it. But this night she all of a sudden felt the need to go get dolled up. I thought it to be a little weird for her but it all made sense when I was talking to one of the guys and he kept asking where she went and if she was coming back. I don't know what took so long for a light bulb to go off in my head but I realized she was putting make up on to impress him. They've been together pretty much ever since, give or take a few months of the usual figuring out your feelings B.S. I wish I could make a movie about them called Love and Panama, you know, like Love and Basketball...okay no that's not going to happen but it would be pretty funny if I tried to make the attempt

I also hit it off with one of the guys from the fun group. Not really sure exactly how it happened especially because I don't remember even talking to him on my birthday but whatever, I don't remember a lot from my birthday. I won't say too much about him in case he reads this and I wouldn't want to embarass him but he's one of the coolest guys I've ever met and I'm glad I did. So I guess unless I end up marrying some random dude, Hangover style, nothing will beat that.

Sidenote number three, I really hope my friends would never let me have a black out wedding because if that happened I might as well wear a big sign that reads "dumbass" on my head.

Now, as I sit here and look at the clock I wish it would fast forward to 3 am, our scheduled departure time. OSU is killing UCSB so the only thing entertaining about this game at this point is how every time they say "Gaucho" I think "Guido", which there are tons of of in Panama. (I mean this in totally Jersey Shore terms and in no way, shape, or form mean it in the derogitory context). The ultimate Guido, Mike, "the Situation" is going to be down there so you can bet that I will in some way, shape or form attempt to be one of THOSE girls that wants to party with him, only to further inflate his ego. Whatever, if someone wanted to pay me money to be filmed on vacation for a reality show I would probably do it. Only on vacation though, I don't think I want my real life on display for all to see. That just has "famewhore" written all over it.

The only thing truly keeping getting me to pass the time is writing this blog and drinking a big sugar-free redbull. I still have more than half the can to finish but I don't have much more left to write this nonsense. I have a lot more stories but I feel that these were the highlights and lessons that I need to remind myself of this time around. I hope that the things I set out to NOT do I don't do, but if I do, then it will make for interesting material for the post-party blog. I also hope that "I'm On a Boat" plays all the time again because it just won't be Panama for me if it doesn't. So, no matter what you're getting into, (though if you aren't going somewhere fun I may or may not secretly think you're lame) I wish everyone a safe and fun spring break. We all earned this week of freedom from obligations. And if you are a senior like me, live it up because it could very well be the last one you get.

Peace, love, and T-Pain :)

58476521 reasons why LeBron won't leave Cleveland

For my first ever blog post, I felt like it was appropriate for me to write about something that has been bothering me for awhile. Usually I am not one to let an issue burn inside of me for too long. In fact, the last time I let something get to me for more than a month was in junior high when, like any teenage girl, everything bothered me. Maybe it's because this issue is constantly pushed in my face day after day when I sign onto twitter or read a sports column. Or maybe it's just because the concept of it is so ridiculous that I feel like I need to join what seems to be the minority of media figures that has spoken up for the city of Cleveland and its fans. Whatever it may be, I feel with all of my heart and soul that LeBron James is not going anywhere. The only reason why people think he would is because the New York media and its fans feel that since Cleveland is dying and New York probably never will, the only way he can become a bigger icon is by moving to the Big Apple.

I have an entire list of reasons why this just isn't going to happen and also why I can't wait until July 1st when all of the cocky New Yorkers can stick their feet in their mouths when they finally don't get their way.

1. Championship or no championship, everything The King has is in Cleveland.
Whether or the not Cavs bring home a trophy (which I pray they do), LeBron's entire life is in Cleveland. His family might be from Akron but it's only a 45 minute drive down I-77. His friends are his business partners. Moving to New York means they will have to move with him. I know, he can afford it, but there is no place like home. He also has a girlfriend and two children, who I'm sure are just fine where they are.

2. Championship or no championship, James understands what his departure would do to his fans.
It doesn't matter whether or not he gets his ring this season. Ok, wait, let me rephrase that, it DOES matter. Cleveland fans have not seen one of their teams win a major title since 1964 when the Browns won the Football National Championship. However, because this was before the Super Bowl became the granddaddy of all gridiron games, the only people that find this relevant are Cleveland fans. Winning this year means fans can finally have something to smile about after constant heartbreak. But even if the Cavs finally do pull it off, it would become irrelevant if LeBron decided to walk away from the team that finally created a sigh of relief in northeastern Ohio. He knows this. He's known this all his life. Which is why he knows that walking away would be a slap in the face to his fans and create a domino effect for the rest of his career. I can see it now: LeBron leaves, loses most of his true fan base, and is greeted at Grand Central by a bunch of fair weather fans that probably know nothing about his full career and just want to feel cool wearing his jersey. This brings me to my number three:

3. LeBron is a born leader
There's just no way someone who is such a positive asset to the NBA would sell out his team because people say he should. Everyone knows how he is with his teammates, he's a leader, not a conformist. How could "anyone from New York that is a true LeBron fan" (lol) not realize this? If I was James, I would be loving this right now, watching everyone debate over my future while I just go out there and have a good time on the court. He's not worried about what people say because he doesn't care. He knows what he wants and that's not anything that isn't Wine and Gold.

4. Championship or no championship, LeBron knows what leaving would do to the city of Cleveland.
It's no secret, Cleveland is not exactly the most prosperous city in the US these days. My mother, who now lives in Parma, the largest suburb of Cleveland, is a huge history buff and likes to spend time at the library looking up random facts. When I took her out to lunch a few months back, she decided to enlighten me with the fact that in 1960, Cleveland was the 8th largest city in the US. Now, it ranks at number 40 and that number will probably continue rise. Though the city and its suburbs are continuously hit with economic downturn, one thing that keeps it thriving are its sports teams. No matter how bad any of them are, Cleveland fans are the most diehard fans in the entire nation. No other city has witnessed ALL of its teams fall short season after season. Yet, they always bounce back and say "There's always next year". But if LeBron leaves us now, especially with a ring, it might take a lot to get back up. This isn't just blowing the World Series twice in one decade or having the owners of a franchise trade away your best pitchers only to have them match up in a World Series. This is worse. It's worse than having your already unstable football team shipped off and then four years later getting an even worse team than you had before. I know, this brings up bad memories and I know people will argue that I'm wrong, but this is most definitely worse: this is a player leaving on HIS OWN terms, not anyone else's. And that will be the final jab to the artery before the city goes into asystole. LeBron is aware of the devestation this area has faced and being the man that he is, will not let it get any worse.

5. Despite its disparity, Cleveland is actually not a bad city and Lebron knows it.
I follow Josh Cribbs on Twitter. He often tweets about the fun he's having out on the town with James. Cleveland is a fun place. I am from Sandusky which is an hour west and also an hour east of Toledo and I would much rather go to Cleveland than the armpit of America. It smells better, the shopping is better, and there are way less Michigan fans to deal with. It makes me sad that people hate on Cleveland so easily, especially people that have maybe only been there once and probably didn't get to see all the good things the city has to offer. After getting a minor in criminology, I have learned a thing or two about why metropolitan areas can get a bad rep. The main reason is that when a city is predominantly based on one kind of industry, it has a greater chance of failure than one that hosts a mix of manufactured products and corporate services. Since Cleveland was more a industrial city than a service-oriented, many of its businesses disappeared, leaving what were once cultural hubs nothing more than "the parts of town you do not go to at night". But though there are some rough parts due to the end of the industrial era, there aren't nearly as many as there are in New York and it's definitely cleaner than New Jersey (at least that's what I hear). I have never been to New York, either, but from the stories from my friends and the billions of times I've heard "Empire State of Mind", I have a pretty good picture. I don't want to hate on the city and I would love to visit soon. If I like it, I wouldn't even mind moving there, not because I think it's better than anywhere else in the world, but because I am young and the time is now to experience things outside of my comfort zone. It would be kind of cool to tell my future children that I lived there for a bit, as it would if I lived in any other iconic city. And, I am not the decade' best athlete, I am a writer and the best jobs are not in Ohio. It breaks my heart to say it but it's true. I've been looking for the last year. LeBron does not need to live and play in the biggest US metropolis to capitalize on his wealth. Everything he needs and wants is in his own back yard, no resume or cover letter necessary.

6. LeBron is an amazing, talented athlete not a money-hungry business goon
This is a quote that I found on Cleveland.com today from Steve Rosner, a so-called marketing expert, about why LeBron would benefit from going to New York:

"If he would come to either the Nets or the Knicks the business opportunities for him to continue to grow his brand would be much greater in a metropolitan area as opposed to Cleveland," Rosner said. "Endorsements can always find where he lives, but living here and being the face of the franchise will give him the opportunity to enter into the type of discussions that might not be available in Cleveland."

Are you laughing yet? How about now:

"This is the business capital of the world, and there's more international business done out of New York than Cleveland or any other market in the NBA," Rosner said. "It's short-sided to think only about his endorsement portfolio. Those people will always find him. But his business portfolio has the potential to expand enormously if he's in this environment full time."

These quotes were seriously the icing on the cake for this post. Even though LeBron makes lots of money, it does not buy happiness. And how does LeBron playing for the Knicks or Nets have anything to do with international business? He is an ATHLETE! He is focused on basketball right now, not how much he can expand his portfolio. He already has endorsement deals on lock. A few months ago, I was in Chicago's Niketown. There is an entire floor devoted to him. There is a lifesize statue of him right in the middle. Does that mean if he goes to Chicago he gets the entire store? Michael Jordan also only has one floor of his merchandise and he actually played in Chicago. Endorsements are endorsements and if companies want you to sell their product bad enough they will come to you, whether you are in Cleveland or NYC or, I don't know, Iceland. James is their investment, their asset. The only way he would become a liability is if he, God forbid, pulls a Tiger Woods. But even Tiger still has a line of $90 golf shirts on Nike.com

7. LeBron did not help build up this team only to throw it all away
I remember when I was a freshman in high school and everyone was talking about "The King". At the time, I was just an amateur Cleveland fan. I liked the teams and I knew the main players but I was more concerned with being insecure and conceited all at the same time. But, I was always interested when the boys in my English class would talk about the great LeBron James. So I looked him up and thought, wow, this guy's pretty hot. Now, I am about to graduate college and have become much more a sports fan than I was 8 years ago. And LeBron has gone from being the most talked about high school athlete of last decade to the most talked about pro-athlete of this decade. He came to this team that was 17-65 the season before his draft year. He was their savior. He was the one who would change the future of Cleveland sports. It was because of him that the team changed the way it ran things. Now, he is surrounded by all-star caliber, from veterans of the game to players who have evolved as Cavaliers. It doesn't matter that Shaq only has one year left of contract, which a lot of people say is the key reason James will leave. LeBron has it together and even if the slim chance happens that he doesn't get his first ring this season, he is going to have a much better chance of eventually getting it with the Cavs than if he went to the lowly Nets. Why would any intelligent person think that he would go to a team that just might end up with a worse record than the team he signed with 7 years ago? And so what if his friend Sean Carter (that's Jay-Z, in case you were confused) is rumored to buy the Nets and move them to Brooklyn? That doesn't mean he has to follow suit. Not to Brooklyn or Madison Square Garden. The only place he knows he has any business playing is right off of Ontario Street in Cleveland, OH. Oh, and the whole number change thing. If he was going anywhere else next season he would not have to change his number, you only have to do that sort of thing if you are staying with the same team. So chew on that one NYC marketing experts.

Well, maybe I only have 7 reasons at the moment. I'm sure there are more and I'm sure I will figure them out. But I am getting tired and if I keep going I just might start making as much sense as, well, LeBron going to New York. I feel that this was a pretty good start to my blogging experience. There will be many more to come. Maybe someone will actually care. I once had a teacher say that you're the best writer in the world until someone else reads your work. I still have a lot to learn but I'm not done with school just yet so I might as well keep on practicing. LeBron practiced his talent and now he has everybody talking about his future. Lets just hope I'm right and he stays were he belongs.