Concrete Jungle

The view from the plane...looked more like cloudlets than clouds.

A friendly greeting from LGA

I hopped on a plane to NYC today to visit my friend Elizabeth and explore the city. Even though it's just getting started, I can tell it's going to be an awesome weekend. While I was waiting for a bus from the airport, I noticed Mary Steenburgen standing beside me. I legitimately saw Buddy the Elf's mom within the first 15 minutes! Coincidence? 

Sarah Anne & Bailey

Sarah Anne and Bailey's wedding yesterday was incredible! They got married in her grandmother's backyard on the water in Bath, NC. They had a ton of great little surprises, like these glasses (designed by our friend Emily) and a boat that served as a cooler for some of the drinks.

Even though it was sweltering outside, people still got out on the dance floor. And when Taylor Swift's "Love Story" came on, things got crazy. I've never seen guys evacuate a dance floor quite so fast.

Currently Reading.

Last week, I tested out the limit on books one can check out at the library. I came out with these, several were suggested by Abby. My Goodreads account is a lifesaver in a library pinch, too. 

Before And After.

     For the past year, my daily to do lists have generally looked like this:

     Today, this is what my list looked like. I almost felt silly writing it: 

Three cheers for unemployment and to do lists that are more than easy to handle!

Online Education.

A few days ago, one of my professors was talking about the future of higher education and how he believes it will be almost, if not entirely, virtual. At first, I thought he was being dramatic but he justified himself well.

In college, I took a few online courses. Since beginning graduate school, I've taken three courses that were exclusively offered online but were required for my degree. One, ironically, was a course on how to use a computer. Even in the classes that met face-to-face, we relied more on computers than each other. On more than one occasion, a classmate had to "skype in" to avoid getting an absence that would penalize her grade.

On Wednesday, I have two online exams due and they mark the end of my program. I won't necessarily have to see my classmates or professors again. While I thought my professor was odd, it seems that an increasing amount of coursework is done online. I was constantly required to use Twitter, Engrade, Blackboard, Google Docs, Ge.TT, and other various sources to complete and submit assignments. 

I've read a few articles on the issue and it seems very likely, especially considering the upkeep costs of running a university, that the future of higher education will be online. Here are some of the things I've read on the issue:

"The Future of College: How Online Education Is Changing Everything" (Distance Education)

"Colleges Should Stop Imitating Harvard" (CNN)

"Crossing state lines gets tougher for colleges, universities" (Independent Mail)

"The Future of Colleges: 9 Inevitable Changes" (The Chronicle of Higher Education at Georgia Southern University)

Those are just a few articles I found on the issue but what are your thoughts? Have you heard this before?

P.S. The "kissers" responded to the photo that made them famous.

Cap'n Chicken

I've been on a cooking kick lately and it's never been so obvious how much of a novice I am in the kitchen. 


Back in middle school, I wanted to go to Planet Hollywood every time I was in the vicinity of one. It wasn't for their delicious delicatessen, it was because I thought I could meet Bruce Willis. Once when we were there, I noticed Cap'n Crunch Chicken on the menu. It was one of the strangest things I've ever tasted.

And tonight I recreated it using this recipe. I took the baking route, the splatter-safe option. It was ridiculously simple to make and tasted much better than many of my other specialties that include Instant oatmeal and frozen pizzas.


P.S. This is great to make if you're feeling a little bit aggressive! It takes some anger to get the cereal crushed up.

Sondre Lerche

Last night, some friends and I went to see Sondre Lerche at Cat's Cradle. I hadn't planned on going but my professor let us out an hour early, which I took as a sign that I should buy a ticket and drive the couple of hours to see him. Also, how often does the only Norwegian singer you like come to North Carolina? (Every 7 years, according to him.)


Before the concert, a couple of us went to Weaver Street Market where we ran into none other than Sondre himself, loading up on a bag of groceries. We took creepy pictures of him eating and walked by his table about eight times.


The concert was awesome! The openers, Kishi Bashi and Nightlands,  were impressive. I was somewhat taken aback by how good Kishi Bashi was. People who can play multiple instruments have that effect on me.

Is this the way people smile in Norway?

After the show, I got Kishi Bashi and Sondre Lerche's signatures. Kishi Bashi asked for my name and then subsequently wrote a scribbly version that looks more like "Camille" than "Courtney." My friend Erika asked Sondre to sign a plastic dinosaur she had in her car, which was probably the funniest part of the whole night.


P.S. His name is pronounced Sondre Lair-kay, not Sondre Lerchay. I've been getting that wrong for about 3 years now.

Whatif...

"Whatif"

Shel Silverstein

Last night, while I lay thinking here,
some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
and pranced and partied all night long
and sang their same old Whatif song:
Whatif I'm dumb in school?
Whatif they've closed the swimming pool?
Whatif I get beat up?
Whatif there's poison in my cup?
Whatif I start to cry?
Whatif I get sick and die?
Whatif I flunk that test?
Whatif green hair grows on my chest?
Whatif nobody likes me?
Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me?
Whatif I don't grow taller?
Whatif my head starts getting smaller?
Whatif the fish won't bite?
Whatif the wind tears up my kite?
Whatif they start a war?
Whatif my parents get divorced?
Whatif the bus is late?
Whatif my teeth don't grow in straight?
Whatif I tear my pants?
Whatif I never learn to dance?
Everything seems well, and then
the nighttime Whatifs strike again!