(Note: I made all of today's icons. No stealing.)

Happy October! Before I get into a multitude of announcements, let me just talk for a minute about my icons. Making JAM icons this season is going to be a lot harder since episodes are no longer on iTunes which will greatly impede my ability to get decent screenshots. So please excuse me if they're poor quality. In regards to the top three, the first one is from a picture of Scarlett Johansson and the other two are Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Okay, so before I explode... The Office. Wow. I really couldn't believe it when Jim said he was single. I screamed in anger/frustration/depression, but tried to hold onto hope for JAM dating in season 4. Then, when Pam got into the car and drove away, I had a flutter of hope that she was pulling over to pick up Jim. But once she put her head down on the steering wheel, I was sure that she was going to cry about still not being with Jim. I was preparing for the heartbreak of seeing her cry... but wait. Who is that getting into the car? OH MY GOD, IT'S JIM! Wait... no, wait. Maybe she's just giving her best friend a ride home because his car br-- AHHHHHHHHHH!!! THEY KISSED!!!!! THEY'RE SECRETLY DATING!!!

Yes, I screamed again. But the latter occasion was out of ecstasy. Basically, I'm already in love with this new season of The Office. The first episode was HYSTERICAL as well as lovely. I was almost on the verge of tears when Michael suddenly hit Meredith with his car. Wow. There are new episodes every week at least until the 25, and most of them are an hour long. A new episode airs tomorrow, entitled "Dunder Mifflin Infinity." According to the promo, there's going to be quite a lot going on love-wise. I'm taking one specific revelation from the promo with a grain of salt -- I think it's one character faking out another character. I would explain more, but I don't want to give away any spoilers. Yes, it was in the promo, but still. There was some pretty spoilerish stuff in said promo.

Moving on from The Office, the Barack Obama rally was great. It took FOREVER for him to come out, so I ended up just deciding not to take the train home after all. Instead, I was able to stay for his entire speech, and I even got to shake his hand afterwards! The speech was fantastic, by the way. He's totally got my vote. Overall, I had a great time.

So I've been holding onto the big news for last. Are you ready? Okay...

I'M GOING TO SEE ARCADE FIRE THIS SATURDAY!!!

Isn't it fabulous? My boyfriend's suitemate had two extra tickets, so he's giving them to us for $20 each. I've been hearing about this concert for months, and have been dying to go. But everyone seemed to be going, so I figured it would be sold out. Plus, from what I heard, it was also ridiculously expensive. I was just going to be super jealous of everyone going, and roll around in self-pity. But apparently I'm dating a really awesome guy who was able to secure us tickets.<3 I'll blog all about it after Saturday, and hopefully I'll be able to buy one of their t-shirts somehow at the concert (I'm very low on monetary funds at the moment). I'm having a really great week though.

--peace, love, empathy

(Note: Of today's icons I made the first and third icons in the bottom row.)

So tomorrow is the first official day of fall, and yeah, I'm excited. Autumn's my favorite season ever, and the new season of The Office starts on Thursday!

School's been okay. Can't say I love the work load (which so far has mostly just been reading, but it's A LOT of reading), but for the most part I'm loving my classes. They're interesting and engaging, despite the fact that staying up past 2 AM most nights makes me really want to skip my morning classes sometimes. But I have yet to give in to that desire, so at least my willpower feels stronger this year than it was last year.

I'm home for the weekend because I got kind of homesick on Wednesday. Not to say that I don't love Manhattan or NYU because I really, really do. It's just that I missed the quietness of home and my family, so I'm really glad I made the decision to only apply to nearby schools. Living across the country would be such hell for me. Anyway, it's been a nice weekend so far. The Yankees just won against Toronto at the bottom of the 10th inning, and our come back from being something like 20 games behind Boston to 1 and a half is just unbelievably satisfying. We're pretty much in the post-season already, and I cannot wait to kick the Red Sox's asses.  Also, watching the game tonight with my dad was great because most of the people I've met at school are apathetic to the Yankees, so I loved seeing it with a fellow fan.

Going back to The Office, I am VERY excited to see the new episodes. The first four are each going to be an hour long, and there aren't any repeats between them. I can't wait to see what Greg Daniels does with Jim and Pam as an official couple, and the usual hilarity that shall ensue from having new episodes is definitely something to look forward to. Plus, seeing Karen witness JAM as a loving, dating couple? Can't wait. Yeah, so I still haven't gotten over the fact that she called Pam a bitch or that she tried to tear down her art show flyer. It's called karma, and Karen better get what's coming to her (no, I'm not vindictive  ). In all seriousness, I just really want the show to be back already.

This Tuesday, I'm going to The Daily Show with a friend, and there's also a protest against Bush that day at the UN. I'll have to decide if I should go to the latter event. Barak Obama is apparently coming to Washington Square Park on Thursday, and it's a FREE event! What could possibly keep me away from attending that is beyond me.

Anyway, so I've been doing pretty well, and I've got an exciting week ahead of me. GOOD LUCK TO THE YANKEES IN THE POST-SEASON! I would love to see them win the World Series while I'm living in Manhattan.

--peace, love, empathy 

P.S. I forgot to mention! I've started seeing someone. He took me to Hairspray on Broadway and dinner this past Tuesday, and it was incredibly fun.

(Note: I made all of today's icons. No stealing.)

Happy September. So how am I doing now that I've been living in Manhattan for a week now, no parents to help me out? It's been fun. I love my roommates, I've met a ton of really awesome people, and I haven't starved to death... yet.

This week has mostly just been funtivities. There was a free dessert party last night in the courtyard of my residence hall, and I atteneded some workshops about meditation and community service. From Drag Queen Bingo to the Rocky Horror Picture Show, it's been an awesome week. But it hasn't all been fun and games. I had a job interview for a circulation position at the Washington Square News (haven't heard back yet), and I'm brushing up on my cooking skills to prevent myself from starving.

True, I only have two dollars, and I have been having a difficult time restraining myself from buying everything I see, but I think I've risen up to the challenge of living without my parents quite well. But I've hung onto some of my irresponsible tendencies. Three or four nights this week, the people on my floor and I have stayed up till 3 AM, either watching movies, playing video games, or discussing politics and religion. So far, I love NYU, and I love college.

In other news, my floor is planning on making a live-action version of "The Mysterious Ticking Noise" by Potter Puppet Pals, and filming it for Youtube. It should be fun, and as of now, I'm going to be Hermione. Yay. Hopefully, we'll actually do it, and it won't turn into just one of those things you want to do but never get done.

Well, I start classes on Tuesday, and I'm meeting my parents in Queens tonight. As soon as I can and simultaneously feel like it, I'll check in with you guys again.

--peace, love, empathy