Parents' Weekend 2012

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD

“Bottom line…enjoy right now.  Regardless of who you are and how old you are.  What you have done, failed to do, been or failed to be is irrelevant.  Right now is the best time of your life, so enjoy it.”

-Pop Whitsitt

Whoa.  I cursed myself last week by hoarding the term “uneventful”.  This week was far from the quiet boredom of last week, filled with lots of “exciting” things!

#1: Deer are faster than labradoodles.  Let me paint you a picture here:  I’m walking my beloved four-legged friend, Luca, this past Thursday, like I do every Thursday.  We are enjoying the remnants of summer in the Chapel Hill Woodlands, a tranquil neighborhood filled with acres and acres of tall trees and beautiful houses, a neighborhood where chipmunks run and play in hollowed out tree stumps and the grass is truly greener.  As we frolic among the quiet streets Luca spots something.  Alas, a deer!  One of the many white-tailed beauties in this neighborhood.  Oh but this is not just any deer, no.  It is the world’s greatest, most athletic looking deer in the whole world, a valid threat to my speed walking dog.  Naturally, Luca and I must challenge this gazelle-deer hybrid to a leisurely race through the woods.  And so it ensues…girl chasing dog chasing deer.  Eventually, to Luca’s disappointment and my answered prayers, Luca snagged his leash (which was previously YANKED out of my hand…when the streaking through the woods really ensued) on an unsuspecting branch and was forced to forfeit the race.  In what was a very unsportsmanlike display of rudeness, the deer turned back to panting Luca and me and gave as a look as if to say, “better luck next time suckers” before prancing away into the woods.  Emerging from the forest, thorn scratched and sweaty, Luca and I decided to retire our days of being deer chasers.  Needless to say, I will be keeping a very tight hold on the leash from now on. 

The Culprit:

#2: Property of the 80s: big hair, big sequins, and…terribly hot and poorly ventilated rain jackets?  While I commend the hair and sequins and appreciate their comeback, it was time to see the ladder go.  An 80s gem fell into my hands a few years back when I inherited my aunt Mary’s rain jacket.  The thing is super cute: navy blue with small white whales printed all over.  It looks like vintage J. Crew!  I’m telling you this jacket is not short on style.  What it is short on: the ability to allow its wearer to breathe.  I swear I don’t know how the production of such a jacket was ever legal!  It is made of thick (basically) rubber and has absolutely no attempt at any ventilation.  So every time I wear the darned thing I’m about as wet from sweating as I would be had I braved the elements sans hot flipping jacket!  Anyways my mom has been willing to buy me a new, modern rain jacket, which allows its owner to not sweat to death for a quite a while now.  Unfortunately I’ve been terribly lazy busy and have been unable to procure such a jacket.  This past weekend, my rain prayers were answered and mama came through with a brand new normal person rain jacket!!!! Riveting information to you all I know.  J

#3:  Parents: can’t live with them and…well ya can’t live with them.  I’m only joking but this past weekend was Tri Delta’s annual parents’ weekend and Craig and Ashley arrived Friday afternoon ready to boogy, drink, smile, sweat, laugh, and eat.  If you’ll remember, I was gone for ten weeks this summer and was not at home for very long at all.  Unfortunately my absence permitted me to forget my parents’ obscene schedule.  After partying Friday night at the Parents’ Cocktail, those crazy cats woke me up at 8:30 the next morning ready for breakfast.  I’m in college…on a Saturday…at 8:30!  After a delicious meal, we headed to the heat pit we call a stadium to watch the Heels play the Hokies.  Let me tell you it was hotter than 40 hells!  But the rents were great sports and we spent most of the rest of the weekend recovering resting!   It was really great to see them and I can’t wait for photos from the cocktail to be sent out (cause we didn’t take any ourselves?!?!?!).

Me and my roommate from last year, Mackenzie, ready for parents' cocktail!

            Anywho, this week I have a spanish presentation on the agenda as well as a philanthropy event (if you’d like to learn more about it and donate to a great cause PLEASE click on this link and contribute to the “James Alexander Low Country Boil” at the bottom of the page: http://www.trideltaunc.com/).  Our new pledge class will also be taking their new member pledge retreat this weekend and CAMPING OUT, which should be interesting.  I will also be attending my first Habitat for Humanity build of the semester this weekend, which should also be interesting.  Lots of exciting things to come!  Let me know what’s going on with you and yours!!!!!

Love ya.  Miss ya. Mean it.

Kane

Funnies for the week:

Light At the End of the Tunnel

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD

“After careful consideration and many sleepless nights, here’s what I’ve decided. There’s no such thing as a grown-up.  We move out, we move away from our families.  But the basic insecurities, the fears and all the old wounds just grow up with us. Just when you think life has forced you to truly become an adult, your mother says something like that.  We get bigger, taller, older.  But, for the most part, we’re still a bunch of kids, running around the playground, trying desperately to fit in.”

-Meredith Grey

            This was a doozy of a week and, admittedly, it gave me a run for my money.  But I have survived the storm and have once again been successfully initiated into college exams…the realness within the real world.  Sometimes these types of weeks can breed the best perspectives though.  I have found a renewed inspiration for crafting, which comes at a good time because I am making lots of new pressies for my new tri delta little sis.  As the library late nights and hair loss from last week drift away with the warm weather, I am gearing up for a relaxing week leading up to…PARENTS WEEKEND 2012!!!!!  Parents weekend, for those of you who don’t remember is a weekend when parents get to see what they’re spending their money on parents join us native tarheels in celebration of our school, sororities, and parties.  This weekend my rents will be arriving just in time for our football game against Virginia Tech.  We will be going to Tri Delt’s parents cocktail and dancing a lot!!! And there is guaranteed to be lots of yummy food and hot weather (which can cause lots of profanity to ensue sometimes…)! Anyways with an oasis on the desert horizon, I am heading into this week cool, calm, and collected.  I’m Dr. Phil y’all!

#1:  There is a comedian named Brian Regan who does this bit about people who get flustered and don’t know what to say.  (This is the link to his live bit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S52-5DPRnck)  Anyways the idea is that people go into an airport and the person at the ticket desk says, “Have a nice flight” and the person says “You too”… AWKWARD since they are likely not going on the flight.  Another example: you order a delivery pizza and they say, “Enjoy your pizza” and your response is, “You too”.  Anyways the bit is about misplaced responses which I encountered a LOT this week!!!  The best example I can remember occurred Wednesday morning as I was leaving my News Writing Class.  As I was walking out the door I wished my Professor a good weekend and he replied, “Yeah! It was really good to see you!”  Like what????  You too.  Let’s do this again sometime!  Next week maybe?  Same time?  Odd.  But it made me laugh.

#2:  Fraternity houses are no place for squirrels…or any living thing for that matter.  Unfortunately, even after careful supervision and sincere nurturing, Baby Beta Squirrel passed away this past week from unknown causes.  He was certainly a nutty character but warm presence in that house nonetheless.  RIP BBS.

#3:  Swings are fun.  This weekend I got back to the basics at a local playground/park and it was just what I needed!  If you don’t remember, I am involved in an organization here at UNC called “Best Buddies” and I am paired with a mentally handicapped adult.  For Molly (my the best buddy) this group mostly consists of us hanging out, Molly calling me 14 times a day, many of them before 8am, and us laughing…a lot.  This weekend was the first group meeting where all the buddies and college buddies gathered to hang out in the sunshine and eat a whole lot of Harris Teeter chocolate cake.  (There was also white grape juice, which I am a huge fan of.)  Anywho, Molly and I posted up on the swings while she caught me up on her sister’s dog and the pizza she had for dinner last night.  We also had a very serious chat about her not calling me so early.  And then we drew some Picasso-status pictures.  It was a great day!!

#4:  I made a lapse in judgment.  Remember when I wrote all of those wonderful things about that nobody we call Whit?  Well this week he told me I wasn’t as funny as he is.  (Bad mistake sucka.)  Anyways I wrote all of those things because he held a gun to my head…I don’t actually think he’s all that cool.  Did I tell you he once pushed me into a wine display at the Harris Teeter???  Every single one of those suckers fell and shattered, leaving a sea of red wine.  All his fault but blamed on me.  Shame on you big brother. #24 on that stupid list of things I love about him: he’s mischievous. 

            I’m off to watch Breaking Bad, a TV series that I have just been introduced to and am strangely addicted to.  It’s pretty terrifying but also very interesting with great acting…if you’re lookin’ for a new show or a distraction ya know?  Anyways, I’d LLLLLLOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVEEEEEEE to hear about what is going on in your real worlds.  Even if you think it isn’t that neat, it’s probably just exactly what I’ve been hoping to hear about J  Love ya.  Miss ya.  Mean it.

Kane

I have arrived. FALL in.

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD

“Everything passes, everything changes.  Just do what you think you should do.”

-Bob Dylan

            I’m in a bit of a hurry to write this and get back to studying so I guess it’s not such a bad thing that this was such an uneventful week.  Most of the fun happened on the weekend anyway.  I hope you all are enjoying the weather transition as much as I am but that you are not cramped up indoors like I am.  Anywho, here ya go…

#1: Squirrels make for great cute pets.  I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s the weather change, but for some reason squirrels are seeking shelter in the most unlikely places: fraternity houses.  This week alone two fraternities have adopted baby squirrels from the great outdoors, deeming them domestic pets.  One squirrel, which I am particularly fond of, has claimed the Beta fraternity as its new digs.  The boys have been very impressive in their pet endeavors, nursing the baby squirrel, which has a broken arm, back to health.  “Baby Beta Squirrel”, as the rodent has fondly come to be known as, is making a grand recovery and is spending its days sleeping and just plain looking cute. Next pet mom and dad?

#2: Football games are fun.  So I don’t understand any of the rules, and let’s be honest, I don’t even really watch the games, who cares?  I am a football fanatic!  This weekend I attended my first football game of the season and I did it in style: in the Blue Zone.  For those of you who don’t know, the Blue Zone is awesome. Why?  Because it’s air-conditioned!!!!!! After tailgate hopping and enjoying my fair share of sweet tea, deviled eggs, and hush puppies (in honor of alumni weekend), I headed off in the heat to watch the Heels play those gross ECU pirates.  Boooooooooo.  Lucky for UNC, we rocked the game and left the stadium with a 27-6 victory.  Needless to say, the day was a blast (see what I did there?  ‘Cause the air conditioning was blasting. Haha I’m funny.) and I think I might be returning to other games this Fall.  If I go to two more I will have already broken my record two-game streak!

#3:  Home is where the heart is…and the fall clothes…and the good cookin’.  After the game on Saturday, I made an impromptu visit home to pick up some clothes for the cold that is coming and to spend some time with mama and the Phillips family.  I was greeted Saturday night with a gourmet salmon and lemon fusilli dinner.  After spending time with the fam, I dozed off in a normal size bed (my one at school is a twin trundle bed and I often find myself wedged up against the intricate metal bars when I wake up in the morning…good thing it makes me look like a princess!!!!).  Then I woke up at the respectable time of 11, went to church, then headed over to my old stomping grounds: East Boulevard Bar and Grill, where I enjoyed some DELICIOUS fried pickles and caught up with my old boss.  After studying at home for a little bit, I packed up my car and the delicious chicken noodle soup my mom made for me and headed back to the hill.  “Home sweet home”.

I’m certain that I am forgetting something but I really am in crunch time for my two exams in the next two days so I will bid you all adieu.  Love ya.  Miss ya.  Mean it.

Kane

Wait. Is it your birthday?

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD

“Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.”

-Guillaume Apollinaire

            Today is a very happy day: today is Whit’s birthday.  Why is it that even as people grow older around us, we suspend those we love in youth?  To me, despite the fact that Whit is 23 today, Whit will always be 13.  I am 9 and we are riding to Tennessee in the backseat of my mom’s minivan watching Princess Diaries for the umpteenth time, quoting every line.  He is droning on about something ridiculous and I’m laughing at every word, simultaneously begging our mother to stop at the next Cracker Barrel so we can pick out candy.  It isn’t that this is the favorite memory of my childhood or even that it is my favorite memory from Whit and my relationship; I think it’s the idea that at 9 and 13, we still had so much of the world ahead of us, without any clue about who we would become.  After that period of time I think we began to see who we are and where we were going. 

            Anyways, the reality is Whit is not 13 anymore.  It is 10 years later and I love him just as much now as I did then.  I can say with confidence that he is my brother.  It’s funny because I hear friends of mine talk about their sisters or their life as an only child and all I can think is, man feel sorry for people who don’t have a brother.  But what I really feel is sorry for people who don’t have a Whit.  So in honor of his birthday I thought I’d give you guys a list of 23 things I love about Whit (in no particular order).  I have no doubt that he will never let me live this down for its corniness and that he will continue to tell anyone who will listen that I am “the solar eclipse of suckiness”.  Don’t care.

1.     Whit is HILARIOUS (understatement of the year).  The other day he said to me, “Kane, you know how when you leave some where you say, ‘I’m glad I got to see you’? Well when I leave somewhere I usually say, ‘I’m glad you got to see me’.”  After laughing out loud, I realized that people are probably pretty glad they got to see him.

2.     For inexplicable reasons, Whit seems to think I’m invincible.  This is a pedestal that I’m not quite ready to climb down from.  Once, when my family was at Disney World, we were standing in line for the rock’n’roller coaster, I left to get “fast passes” for the tower of terror.  My parents were concerned that I was not going to be able to get back through the crowded line to them but my brother insisted that I was a bulldog and would throw some elbows.

3.     With regards to his facial hair, Whit is a ginger.  And who doesn’t love a ginger?

4.     He has an accent, a newly developed one, but an accent nonetheless.

5.     He has cute cool friends.

6.     He likes to boogie board wave surf with me.

7.     He’s great with little kids.  I don’t know what it is about him but kids friggin love him.  You’d think they would be scared of a hairy manboy that big but they go berserk for him.

8.     Whit is great at impressions.  My personal favorite is Daffy Duck.  That’s some good stuff right there.

9.     Whit has HORRIBLE taste in music.  We usually end up listening to some sort of hard core rap, Podunk country, or some sort of alternative indie crap that Whit has deemed valuable (String Cheese???? Come on Whit.”).  Why do I love this about him?  Well other than it being fairly entertaining, it makes me feel really good about my own choices of music.

10. My friends love him.  Even though he literally has never remembered one of my friends’ names, after countless encounters and introductions, they still leave his presence laughing and saying good things about him.

11. Whit is great with parents.  The wonderful things that people’s parents have to say about Whit will never cease to amaze me. 

12. Whit wears the greatest T-shirts.  I don’t even know if “great” is the best word to describe his vast collection of shirts but they are certainly diverse and entertaining, and they always make me laugh…or roll my eyes.

13. Whit hates most green vegetables (brussel sprouts, asparagus, spinach, do you like green beans now? I can’t remember).  More for me!!

14. He’s a killer dancer.  Although his episodes are few and far between, if you can catch Whit in one of his groove sessions, be prepared to witness the ultimate break down.

15. Whit is a wonderful artist.  I say this with a bitter taste in my mouth.  Before the kitchen renovation, my parents adorned our house walls with drawings, paintings, and sculptures done by Whit.   And for good reasons-he is great!  Wanna know how many pieces of art of mine my parents displayed?  One.  And it was in the bathroom.  I think they were sending me a message…they think they’re so clever.

16. Whit is quick to act.  This characteristic can often work against Whit, but when it does, it sure makes for a funny story down the road.   During Whit’s senior year of high school, he backed into my dad’s truck…in the driveway…at 6:30 a.m.  There was little thought prior to Whit putting the car in reverse and gunning down the driveway.  That being said, my car was “stolen” once.

17. Whit is ever present.  This goes for all siblings I imagine but when I really get to thinking about it, I realize that Whit is the only one I always really have.  Now I have great friends and I love my parents but a sibling is the one person who knows the genuine you and knows how you became the way you are.  I appreciate this element of our relationship.

18. Whit is older.  This is probably one of Whit’s best features in my opinion.  I consider him a sort of trail blazer if you will.  Whit did everything first so I had an opportunity to learn from his mistakes and figure out how to make the same ones without getting caught. He’s there to advise me although his advice typically resonates as “seize the damn day”. 

19. Whit has great comebacks.  Not only is Whit funny, but he is also quick-witted, an attribute that is highly underappreciated in my opinion.  Whit can hit ya with a come back before you have time to get an insult out.  I literally laugh about some of the things he says for days after he says them.

20. Whit, like me, hates Pride and Prejudice.  I realize this might not come as a surprise but it is a key component of the operations of the Hollingsworth family.  You see, my mother (bless her heart) loves Jane Austen and watches Pride and Prejudice (the TV series, which is somehow worse than the others) on the regular.  Only upon our incessant insistence will she turn the blasphemy off; after all, a united front is stronger than a man who stands alone.

21. Whit loves quote wars.  I value this quality in anybody but Whit has mastered the art.  Quote wars, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, occur when people engage in conversation using only quotes, preferably funny ones, from popular movies.  Whit and I particularly enjoy sparring over The Ringer. “You scratched my CD! You picked it up in broad daylight and you scratched it!”

22. Whit is genuine.  For the most part, Whit means what he says.  He loves stronger than anyone I know, even after being hurt over and over again.  He would do anything for the people he loves and while many do not understand the way that Whit loves, it is stronger than any love or respect I’ve known and it’s worth more to me than other loves…which leads me to my final praise:

23. Whit loves me.  When I was a freshman in high school and Whit was a senior, some sophomores were throwing apples in my direction at lunch, as the typical freshman hazing.  At the insistence of my very concerned friends I went and told Whit (lameeeeeeeeee) and within minutes he came storming out of the cafeteria like a bat out of hell to warn those sophomores about throwing apples at his sister.  He never once has thought twice about doing something when I asked him to and he has been there for me every time I have needed him. You really are a great brother, Whit, and I’m so grateful that you’re mine.  Happy Birthday loser!

Love ya.  Miss ya.  Mean it.
Kane