Hello Xangaland.....I'm back.  For the time being, anyway.  I was inspired to write again because of something McKinney said in one of her posts the other day about how the people that used to write a lot don't write anymore.  Whether or not she was in any way directing that at me, I'm not sure.  But either way, I've got nothing else to do so I might as well write a little something. 

First and foremost, I MISS SPRINGFIELD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Honestly, it's getting ridiculous how I'm counting down the days, hours, probably minutes - I don't know, I lost count......I miss the people: Andrew, Sodam, Cody, Julia, Brownsberger, Shaugnhottie, Manaboo, T Barnes, Stephen, Courtney Mama, Kimmie, Tony, Brandon, Jason, Cali, Bailey, Matt and LOTS of others that I'm probably forgetting since it's 9:00 in the morning.  I miss having my own little cute room that I can decorate and clean and make look nice instead of living in my old room in the basement where I don't care enought to actually hang things on the walls or to organize it because I'm just going to be leaving in August anyway.  I know this sounds corny so please don't throw up in your mouth a litte bit, but I miss being in close proximity to my boyfriend.  I mean, he's not that far away.  It's like an hour and fifteen minutes.  But it's such a production every time I go up there to visit him or he comes here to visit me.  And not only that, it's so short-lived because the most I ever see him at a time is about 2 days.  Not to mention the gas money has burned a hole in my pocket like you wouldn't believe.  BUT - It was totally worth it because everything that's happened to us this summer and ways that we responded to being apart has only shown me how freakin' amazing Ryan is.  I love that kid to death and we did awesome with being apart.  I'm really proud of myself for the way I handled it because I was sooooo spoiled last semester.  I got to see him ALL of the time, and lots of times that I probably shouldn't have because I had studying to do.... I just want that convienence of walking across Hutchens back yard and up a few floors to be able to see him if I so choose.  16 days and counting!!!!

Second order of business - for whatever reason, I still haven't received my letter with my roommate assignments.  Being the smart cookie that I am, I checked it online instead.  And guess what!??!??!?!?!?!??!?! I DON'T HAVE A ROOMMATE ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN MY JOY, JUBILATION, OR ECSTATIC-NESS!!!!!! I am crossing ever body part I can in hopes that no one will be assigned to my room becuase honestly, I'd probably cry for days.  Okay so not really.  But I would be realllllllly upset.  It's not that I have anything against roommates.  I don't.  Not that my previous experience with roommates was any sort of marvelous ----far from it.  But I'm not opposed to the idea.  However, there is just such a huge chance that my lifestyle and the lifestyle of a randomly assigned Scholars roommate are going to be drastically different that I'd rather not mess with it.  My year will be a thousand times better and happier if I don't have to deal with a roommate....Plus there's a little something in it for the "community" because if I don't have a roommate I'll provide the big cuddlefest bed this year! hehe :)

Okie dokie well this is getting long and I should probably start being babysitter Brittany again.  Will write more later! :) xoxo  

I'm back from Europe!!!! Actually I've been back for over a week but I've been using the past week to get back to normal life.  The trip was absolutely AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We flew into Paris and spent the first day sightseeing.  The second day we had a guided bus tour in the morning that ended at Notre Dame.  We toured through Notre Dame and the spent the rest of the afternoon doing more sightseeing.  We toured the Place de la Concorde, walked all the way to the Louvre, went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and took a boat cruise down the Seine River.  The third day we spent about three hours in the Louvre, which was nowhere near enough time but amazing all the same.  The rest of the afternoon we had to ourselves.  We went to the Pompidou Center and then to the Musee D'Orsay but we couldn't get in because the line was too long and we didn't have enough time.  So.... we hopped on the Metro and rode over to Sacre Coeur to climb the steps and take pictures from the top of Montmartre.  It was absolutely amazing.....

After Paris we took the high-speed TGV train to Nice.  We went to Monaco to see the palace, watch the changing of the guard, and do some shopping.  Later we toured a perfume factory in Nice and then went back to the city for some more shopping, a walk down the beach, and a fantastic dinner.  After Nice we stopped in Pisa for a few hours on our way to Florence.  We toured the cathedral and baptistry at Pisa.  Then we continued on to Florence.  FLORENCE WAS MY VERY VERY VERY FAVORITE!!!!!!! We had the most amazing pesto at a cafe in the city, walked through the streets and shopped for fake Gucci, Prada, and LV purses, and then ended the night with some gelatto at a cafe near our hotel.  Our hotel was amazing too.  It was owned by a family who bought two 19th century homes that were next to each other and put them together to form the hotel.  Every room was different, every bathroom was different, it was really bed-and-breakfast-y....... if that makes any sense.  Basically, really quaint and cute. 

After Florence, we drove to Rome.  Honestly, I really didn't like Rome at all.  Don't get me wrong, all of the historical stuff and monuments were awesome.  Completely unbeliveable..... but the rest of Rome was really crappy.  It was SOOOOO dirty, the traffic was horrendous, every inch of every wall was graffittied, our hotel was in the ghetto, and to top it all off the weather was bad.  But anyway........ after we left Rome we went to Pompeii on our way to Sorrento.  Pompeii was by far the coolest thing I saw on the entire trip.  I never realized how big the actual city of Pompeii was - the guide said that it had been a city of close to 20,000 people.  AND the amount of the city that they have excavated is astonishing too.  It would take weeks and weeks just to walk through and see all of the areas that they have excavated.  We stayed the night in Sorrento and then got up the next day to go to the Isle of Capri off the coast of Sorrento.  We took the 30 minute ferry ride to Capri and toured the island before having some fantastic pizza and pasta at a cafe in the main piazza of the island.  That afternoon we took a two hour cruise around the perimeter of the island and into some of the caves.  We took a little time to do some shopping before taking the ferry to Naples to meet our tour bus.  That night we went back to a hotel in Rome to catch our flights the next morning.  All in all, the trip was more amazing than I would have ever imagined!!! I loved it and will most definately go back if I ever get the chance!! :) WOW sorry that was so long........... and probably boring....... but oh well......... my hands hurt now..... I'm going to eat lunch now..... Au Revoir!!

I've decided to resume posting on my Xanga because (1) It's summer and I'm bored (2) I actually have the time to post now and (3) I think that there might possibly be a few people who want to keep up on what's going on with me over the summer, since I probably won't see them again until the fall.

So much has happened since the last time I posted and I guess my only explanation is like what Mana said in one of her posts.  I've been too busy living life to have any time to write about it.  I think that statement is very true for the way my life has been unfolding over the past few months.  So much has changed, so much has happened.... but it's been incredible.  With the exception of the "shit hitting the fan" the way it did in my suite during finals week, my semester could not have been more fun or perfect.

Anyway, right now I'm sitting in Ryan's house in Eureka by myself.  Sort of weird.  He has to work all day and his parents and sister just left to go to lunch and to Border's for a while.  I'm probably going to get in the shower here pretty soon because I'm supposed to call Elisha around 2 to hang out with her today until Ryan gets off work.  It really sucks that he had to work today.  I feel bad for him.  I can't wait until Elisha's party/get-together thing tonight.  Hopefully, I'll get to meet some of Ryan's Eureka friends that I've been hearing about for months and months.  They all seem like really cool people. I'm banking on some good conversation and fun people followed by some yummy "lemonade"  It's been a while......

OH and in case you don't know, never heard, forgot, lost your mind, lost your marbles, are living under a rock for the summer, or went into hibernation.........

I LEAVE FOR EUROPE ON TUESDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT'S THREE DAYS, PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHH I'M SOOO EXCITED!!!!!

Not that you're the one
Not to say I'm right
Not to say today
And not to say a thing tonight

But suffice it to say
We're leaving things unsaid
We sing ourselves to sleep
Watching the day lie down instead

And we are leaving some things unsaid
And we are breathing deeper instead

We're both pretty sure
Neither one can tell
We seem difficult
What we got is hard as hell

A hundred thousand words could not quite explain
So I walk you to your car And we can talk it out in the rain

And we are leaving some things unsaid
And we are breathing deeper instead
And we are leaving some things unsaid

I can sing myself to sleep
No more

Not that you're the one
Not to say I'm right
Not to say today
And not to say a thing tonight

these speak to recent life happenings.......... I can't stop listening to this song.....

Currently Listening How To Save A Life By The Fray Unsaid see related

I'm BAAAAACK!!!! This post is dedicated to a certain Mr. Charles Neiss who has reminded me numerous times that I haven't posted on Xanga in ages, basically because he's my stalker and just pays that much attention to the frequency of my posts.  Thanks for keeping me on my toes, insano-Postal-Service-bomber-guy's friend. What would I ever do without you?????

The reason for my lack of post-age recently is primarily the same reason as Mana pointed out in one of her recent posts.  I've been too busy living life instead of just writing about the little mundane thoughts and happenings that used to comprise most of what I did on a daily basis.  I don't think I've ever known Busy like I know Busy this semester.  Between Hall Council, GPA, Sigma Kappa, classes, seeing my family, hanging out with Ryan, hanging out with friends, my reality television addictions, homework, and EFFING facebook, I just don't know where the heck my time goes!!! LOL that really makes my life sound pretty lame... hehe.... oh well.....

Soooooooo I realized that I haven't posted about the events of Valentine's Day... Let's just say that it was amazing and most definately the best Valentine's Day in the history of Brittany Jones.  Many of my presumptions, falsities, and generalities about the competance of the male species were proved wrong right in front of my beaming eyes..... and it was INCREDIBLE! If those of you that haven't heard the story are really THAT curious, call me.  I'll gladly tell you! It's my new favorite story to tell....

soooo the rest of the week was crazy busy and fun.... hung out at the Castle for the first time on Thursday and met some fun Phi Mu Alpha boys.  That was pretty cool.  Went home on Friday and as soon as I got home we turned around and left for St. Louis for the night.  Taylor had to go to a gymnastics competition to watch if before she can make the team.  Meredith wanted her to see the level that she would be competing at once she makes the team.  Soooo anyway.... it was kinda boring but still interesting.  They all did the same rountines on every event.  When you watch the same beam event 60 times in an hour you kinda sorta get sick of it.....but anyway.... I must got on a tangent for a second..................................................................................................................

There was a team at this competition from St. Petersburg, Florida! At a one day competition in St. Louis.... okay.... AND they were competing in an under-8 division..... AND.... the woman next to me was telling me that these little 6 and 7 year old girls practice SIX days a week for FOUR hours each day!!!!!!!! THAT IS RIDICULOUS! what the eff!??! You should have seen the muscles on these little girls....it was crazy.... they probably could have kicked my rear and they were 7 yrs. old....

ANYWAY---- so I stayed the night in STL on Friday and then came home Saturday afternoon after some shopping with Crazy Cheri.  That was all kinds of fun..... Saturday night I hung out with Bret at Greg's house and got to see Ms. Katybug Whites which was awesome.  I really miss that girl! Anyway---then Sunday I got sleep in, went to lunch with the fam, went bowling with the fam (all kinds of funny....Allie bowled with the little pusher stick .....i got two strikes in a row....wooooohooooo), and then came back to Spring-town for the PRESIDENTIAL PARTY OF BLISS!!! IT was a BLAST and I officially love all of those kiddoes.... you know who you are..... the events of the latter part of the night were ummmmm, interesting...... I'm gonna take Tony's mantra on this one.... no regrets........

Monday was a great day because I was able to catch up on a lot of the crap that I put off last week and was actually able to just sit down and relax for a while. PLUS I got to see Ryan again!! It's crazy how much I missed that kid this weekend!

soooo yeah........... you happy now Charles?!??! now that you know my every waking thought and action for the past week or so??!!  hope so....

I'm sure there's more to say, but that will be another post (that will probably come in the near future) because thise one is ridiculously long and doesn't really say a whole lot... it's just a recap of life Brit Jones-style.  Need to go make a Hall Council agenda before American Idol! *kiss*kiss*kiss*! I'm out!