spent president's day weekend in pittsburgh with the family. my cousin's humongous (90 people!) wedding shower was the central event, but the whole weekend had a celebratory vibe. we ate lasagna and played with our little serious man baby at aunt teresa lynn's house on friday, then finished out the night with some surprise birthday brownies. saturday was the actual shower, and i had a chance to catch up with my hilarious great aunts (they're pretty rowdy and have amazing irish accents). afterwards, we went back to my aunt mag's house and celebrated aunt dee's birthday with 56 miniature gourmet donuts from peace, love, and little donuts. then we hit the town, hung out with more family, met up with high school buddy baby eric, and ended the night demanding chik-fil-a and settling for mcdonald's nuggets. my family has some amazing people in it and i'm especially fond of sitting around with my aunts, listening to stories. they're all exceptionally good story-tellers and i love seeing the bond my mom has with her sisters. this was just another wonderful weekend with the dear company of my steel city family.

temple smash is a student run, live studio sketch show at Temple University. I've spent the majority of my college career working on this wonderful, collaborative show. twice a semester, 60+ students get together, give up all their free time (and some of their money), to produce the show. it gives students hands-on experience with studio lighting, camera work, technical direction, audio equipment, directing for camera, acting for cameras, and working as a group to create something. it has contributed enormously to my growth as a student at temple, helping to shape my career aspirations, friendships, and personal attitudes.

recently the university denied temple smash studio space, thereby ending the live studio element that has come to characterize smash. help to keep this amazing production alive, by signing this online petition. it takes so little time, but would mean a lot to students at temple. specifically, this temple student.

falling in love with my hometown again

winter break was wonderful and 100% exactly what i needed. having three weeks off to hang out with my friends and family in the 717 was ideal. maybe because it was our last winter break of college, but a lot of my friends were around this break and not working jobs. which translated into a lot of hanging out. we went bowling at the alley by our old high school, hit up new coffee shops, utilized our new legality to go to bars and breweries, played a lot of just dance, went to the farm show (classic), and ate a ridiculous amount of good food. it felt really good to be around that group of people - people i grew up with, who understand all the same references, and who operate in the same frame of mind. it was also interesting to experience my hometown as an adult, with a bunch of old friends who are now adults as well. harrisburg is definitely not the most exciting city, but it's always good to me.