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So I couldn't really think of a solid title for what I've experienced in the past few days, so I just used the main phrase in the song I am listening to. Yeah, Chicken Fried by the Zac Brown Band-- if you're a fan of country check it out. Speaking of country, last Friday I saw Craig Morgan If you don't know, he has awesome songs like "what I love about sunday, international harvester, redneck yacht club," and "tough." It was just what my week needed: a little bit of southern comfort from home with a side of the sight of people in boots and cowboy hats. (always a sight to see, especially the ones who look like they've never worn either before) Oh and I forgot to mention, the best part about this concert was that it was absolutely free. (an awesome example of the great things that the OSU union and activity board does for its students).
But today was even better than the concert, today my friends The Ohio State University closed because of snow. Yes, that's right it was my first ever SNOW DAY! Historically, OSU has only closed the entire campus twice: one way back in the 70's and last year because of some crazy storm that came in (but unfortunately for the students, it was on a Saturday) I found out at about 1:30 in the morning when I opened my door half asleep, and tripping on Nyquil, to find everyone on my floor going crazy and screaming NO SCHOOL TOMORROW!! A lot of people were extra excited because no school meant cancellations on midterms and projects. I'm hoping for another snow day in about a week or so. So, in order to celebrate "my first snow day," I slept in until about 12, procrastinated all day, and then went out with my entire floor to have a snowball fight. I can't imagine how extra awesome my childhood would have been with unexpected snow days.
So.......Ughh I am really sick right now, which means that I missed the OSU vs. Michigan basketball game (missing any sort of buckeye sports event is not in my nature) and have put aside most of my homework for sleep. But there is a ray of light at the end of my sick tunnel because to make things better, LOST is on in 10 minutes! Yes!!!
Last night I was given the incredible honor of eating with our President E. Gordon Gee. For whatever reason President Gee is going to Florida in February, and naturally he decided to have a party where he could meet all of his students from "The Sunshine State" and get an inside opinion on the best places to go.
The party was conveniently located inside the Aquatic Center, which is supposed to be one of the warmest places on campus. So when I walked in, I was welcomed by administrators in shorts and an MC in a hawaiian shirt. There were tables were covered with juicy fruit and sea shell candles. It was one of the funniest yet most incredible things I have ever seen. Oh and of course the food: There were "mock-tails," hamburgers, fries, and my favorite pie ever, KEY LIME PIE!!
After dinner there was limbo and a Florida trivia game with Gee. I mean for someone who is from Ohio, I was impressed with his knowledge of our state. My favorite question and response was,
The MC--" How old do gators get before they die?"
Gee--" I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure it's the same time as those wolverines.."
(This guy is the man! Oh, and I even got a chance to get a picture with him)
Ahh the awesome perks of being from Florida and living in Ohio continue once more. The best part was the goody bag I got when I left which was full of Florida oranges and sunblock. I don't think I'll be using that stuff for a while. But just when I thought my night couldn't get any better, I was relieved to find that I made it home just in time to watch the season premiere of LOST. I am a huge fan and this season is going to be incredible! Please, if you are a fan, feel free leave posts about the show or your opinions, I love to hear what other people think about that ridiculous island.
Today, ladies and gentlemen, a new record was set for me. I, Michael D. Haddock, experienced the coldest weather in my life. At 7 o'clock this morning, I put on 2 long sleeve shirts, a hoodie, a jacket, jeans, and sweatpants, and ventured out into the -14 degree unknown. At that time, I thought I knew what it meant to be cold-- boy was I wrong! The worst part about this experience is that it was -14 without a windchill...
For the past few weeks, I have found myself talking about nothing but the snow and cold, and it's not that I'm complaining, but rather, I'm fascinated. I just think snow and the idea of negative weather is crazy. While I was talking to my parents about the cold (and they were trying to convince me that it was cold in Orlando), my mom gave me great words of advice: "Whether it's 0, -5, or -10, it is freezing cold and your body knows it." At first I thought this didn't make any sense; how could someone compare 0 to -10?! But then when I actually experienced the weather firsthand, it was nothing but the truth.
But enough about the cold, let me tell you about what's really important: I HAVE A HOUSE FOR NEXT YEAR!! Yes, that's right, 4 friends of mine from Smith Hall and I are living together next year. Even though it was one of the most exciting and stressful periods that I can remember, it was definitely worth it. Personally, this was one of the first and biggest decisions that I made as an adult. As strange as this is going to sound, the process of signing that lease and contract almost seemed to happen in slow motion. My parents had to make sure that everything was perfect, like any parent would do in the "out-of-state" position, and rattled me with questions about everything from utilities to potential neighbors. But, nevertheless, I am both excited and apprehensive; it's going to be an interesting experience!
And now, T.G.I.F.-- I hope everyone has a great weekend and of course, GO BUCKS!
It has been a pretty mellow week here at OSU. Now that all of my classes end around 12 or 1:30, I have found new things to do with the rest of my day. Two of those involve napping and hitting the gym. (New Year's resolution is to increase my days at the gym from 4 to 5) But nothing is better than a nice long nap, especially after waking up each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for Math at 7:30. And in case you were wondering, its very very cold. On top of Math, I'm taking English, Biology, and a Tabloid Journalism class (I'm very excited about this one!). It's only been the first week, which means most of the material has been pretty straight forward-- no interesting stories just yet. But I will definitely keep you all posted.
Sorry if this entry is short, but I cut my finger open a few days ago and I have a huge spiderweb-like bandage on my hand that makes typing difficult. For the record, I was walking through a door frame and unconsciously ran my hand across a nail coming out of a hinge. It sucked because the night I did it, I kept bleeding ( through two Band-Aids to be exact) and it turns out I took a nice chunk out of my left ring finger. But, the next day I went to the Student Health Center (which I'm happy to know exists) and received treatment as well as a tetanus shot. At first I was shy when I walked in there, because everyone around me was sick and I just had a cut; but the doctors and nurses treated me like any typical patient. I'm definitely happy that I went there instead of figuring it out on my own, which could have ended horribly.
On a positive note, all is well here in Columbus, with its snow flurries and slowly accumulating snow on the ground. Maybe in a few weeks, we'll have enough to make a snowman! But anyways, hope my finger gets better soon, or I'm going to have to start walking around pretending to be spiderman or make up some freakish story about why half of my finger is missing.
So as I look out my window at the comforting white sands along the Atlantic Coast, I process all my thoughts from this unforgettable winter break. Leaving Ohio when it was 25 degrees and snowing and coming to a sunny 76 in Orlando, Fl was definitely the treat that I had been looking forward too for a long time. My first few weeks at home were perfect: I “vegged� out and slept in and sat at home. Boredom had never felt so good. Then of course I reunited with all of my good friends from high school and we reminisced on the good ole summer days talking about our first time away from home. All of my UF (University of Florida) friends were talking about how they have adjusted to their version of cold, which supposedly was like 40 and 50’s. Then they would look at me and say, “ OK, sorry Michael… we’re not dumb enough to go to that kind of cold up there.� I can never win.
I have never enjoyed Christmas as much as I did during this break. I enjoyed spending time with my parents, who I hadn’t seen since the Penn State football game, and my little sisters who of course were very excited to see me. In our house, Christmas is about two things: food and laughter. No matter whatever we unwrap on Christmas morning, there is always unbelievable laughter and jokes about each gift. This is one of the simple things that I miss and think about when I am away from my family. And of course, since I come from a big Puerto Rican family, the center of any celebration is always food; and when I say we ate, I mean we feasted. We ate before, during, and after Christmas Day. Needless to say, I gained a little happy weight over this break.
Puerto Rico, "La Isla Del Encanto," is the perfect way to describe the place in which I spent the last few days of my winter vacation. The words in parenthesis are seen on every single license plate, and it was what first struck me the moment I arrived on the island. I had been to Puerto Rico twice in my life, but nothing was as influential, exciting, and satisfying as this trip. I arrived in Puerto Rico with a sufficient knowledge of the language, an empty belly, and pale skin. Now, having been raised in a Puerto Rican culture for 18 years, I thought I knew everything about the language and culture- Haha boy was I wrong. These people talked soooooooooo fast. I would ask a question in my frightened Spanish accent, then the person would look at me and probably think, “ how in the world does this kid know Spanish,� and then respond like an auctioneer at a car show. Then of course I would look puzzled and have to ask my dad to ask the same person and translate for me. So, we then left the airport and headed to our apartment and immediately looked out at the view from our balcony. It was breathtaking( I for some reason cannot upload pictures now but just imagine the most picturesque beach scene)
Before I try to summarize all of my trip, it’s important to know that in P.R, we call our aunts Titi; and instead of only referring to my aunts as Titi, we call everyone’s aunts Titi. So to recap, I have a TON of Titis. So when we would go to a party or anyone’s house, it’s pretty much a guaranteed bet, that if I were to walk into there and call everyone Titi, I would be responded with a nice smile. And the great thing about my Titis, is that every one of them knows how to cook- really, really well. A standard dish in P.R. involves rice and beans; either fried chicken or fried beef (in Spanish is called bistec) and lots of onions on top. Occasionally, you’ll have mofungo (which is like a corn/onion, almost bread side) and maybe even a salad. While on the topic of food, another awesome aspect of a Puerto Rican meal is the desserts and pastries. For example, my dad took me to this café in downtown San Juan (which is the capital and oldest city on the island) for one of his favorite childhood pastries called a mallorca. It’s in the shape of an English muffin, except its just fluffy bread with a taste of butter. Whether you get the mallorca stuffed with cheese, ham, or just butter, the finished product is always topped off with a nice coating of powdered sugar. Sounds crazy, but the combo of sweet and meat in my mouth was unlike anything I have ever tasted before. What I learned from my Titi Nancy, and from many other Puerto Ricans, is that if it doesn’t taste good, never serve it. This applied for everything; if the one who was cooking did not like the dish, it would not be made. Luckily, mostly everyone on the island has the same taste in food! On the last day, I spent the entire day at the beach, trying to soak in as much sun as possible. I think I did a pretty good job, because my stomach started peeling into a nice tan. Let’s see how long that lasts when I get slapped in the face by the gruesome Ohio weather.
And now as I head in towards the Columbus Airport, I start thinking about a fresh new start in a new quarter at OSU. I’ll get back to everyone about how my first week of class goes. Hope everyone has a great week!
p.s. LET’S GO BUCKS!! BEAT TEXAS!!
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