A Cog in the Writing Machine

So since this is not a free write, my sentences will be much more complete and my spelling not as sorry. Or at least one could hope, right? 

I have chosen a space already, I've actaully even gone and taken pictures. I knwo, I'm just that much of a go=getter. Not really, a friend was giong to the mall and I decided to go with her and just brought my camera along for the ride. As I was walking around the mall my friend wanted to go in to Hot Topic and I was like, "Sweet, I can get something for my sister!" Her fifteenth birthday is in March, dear god help us all.

Anyways, we're walking towards Hot Topic and I remember I have this project. I was like, "Heh, why not?" So I started snapping photos. Unfortunately it was like five in the afternoon so there were hardly any people there btu I did manage to pget a ffew photos of some people there as well as merchandise in side the stre, teh store opening and la de da, y'know?

I was walking around the store and I couldn't but help think of the long history I've had with Hot Topic. As people have started to realize, I'm sure, I wear drak colors. Yes, I have worn a bright blue dress or something like that but you'll catch me dead before you see me waring an outfit sans a dark color, preferably black. I just think bright colors should be reserved for Spring and I'm just not a Spring...I'm more of an Autumn.

Anyways, I remember the first time I walked in to a Hot Topic, back home south of Houston, and just being in awe. I was a truobled little tween with no sense of direction and here I found a safe haven with nice salespeople and dark, cute stuff like skelanimals and Emily the Strange.

So I continued to walk around the store, even buying a shirt so I felt as if I had helped the economy a little before taking a few more pictures. I think I loaded up on quite a few of them and I am going to try and go back some time this weekend (maybe friday or saturday) during a high traffic time to see if I can get some pictures of the people who actually go to hot topic.

What's funny is Hot Topic is owned and run by the same peopel who own and run Abercrombie AND Fitch. So, very interesthing. They just have different 'buyers' who go and get stuff for their retail stores. Dunno, thought that was fascinating.

So what was really nice about Hot Topic was they were playing the Twilight soundtrack and I got to listen to Rob Pattinson sing. It was amazing, I felt so relaxed...which is what I needed after the horrid two weeks I've had recently. That isn't always teh case though, sometimes the music is absolutely blaring with death metal but hey, who wants to hear trance/pop/dance music all the time? It's good to change things up every now and then.

So yeah...Hot Topic, woo! I mean, how argumentative could you get but a place that wants you to not conform just like all the other mass shoppers who go to Hot Topic.

These last two weeks have been downright awful. Well, it could've been worse. Last week was the first week of school for the new semester of the Spring. Anyways, so right off the bat I had to be back way earlier than everyone else and my friends had yet to have gotten back to school, actually, most of them went back to school yesterday. So, I had to come back early for RA training and that was fine and dandy except for the fact that I was behind on all my decorations for my wing because one componant was really intensive. I did Hogwarts as my hallway's theme and I hand made all of their crests to go on their doors. When I mean their I meant my girls, my residents, I hand made all htir house crests.

So I was behind on that, great, I was so mad at myself because I was like, "I'm going to be on time with stuff this semester!" And school hadn't even started and I could tell I had disapointed La'Cresha my hall direct...fantabulous.

So school stoarts, the week of Auditioning hell begins. I am a musical theatre bfa major so I am required, by my major, to adutiion EVERY semester whether I want to or not.I really wanted to this semester because of the plays we had going: A cHOrus Line, Scapino, and Talkign With. So, totally jazzed up I go to the pre-audition dance tutorial on Monday to learn the begining combination that we are to be scrutinized on the following day. Three horus later I am pretty much about to fall on the floor due to physical exhaustion. My muscles didn't have any time to breathe and I was back in the first giroup about to dance till I could dance no more. The balls of my feet were screaming in ligament and musuclar pain by the time I was finished two and a half horus later.

So I then had to get changed and go to a program that night in Colby hall which was a complete and utter bust...like two people came and it was so wretched and boring. Love to see that girls care.

So I continue on with my audition week, the homework is piling up and the hours are getting later and later that I am doing auditions and getting back to my room and sleeping. I'm running low on energy and I'm hardly able to get out of bed I'm still sore from Monday and Tuesday.

So audtions week gets over and guess what? I get TWO call backs. That's right, TWO! I've never been caleld back before so I was beyond really excited. So teh callbacks take about...oh....five and a half hours? Yeah, Five and a half hours of being in a lobby with the same people kind of makes you want to run away sceraming. So I get done with that and leave.

Saturday, late saturday, I get teh cast list...gee, not casted, what a flippin' surprise. I honestly thing the department doesn't like me at times but then again, it could be because I suckas an actress. I would like to think it's ebcause the department doesn't like me, I hate it when people displace blame but I've gotten much better as an actress and I knwo of the caliber of the people who go in to audition...I know I'm not lastp lace anymore and far ahead of many of the girls that go in there.

So great, just flippin great.

Start this week, I'm flippin behind on homework for my Wednesday class, how did this happen? Not to mention I was so sick from Monday from whatever I had that even though I busted my butt to get homework finished for Tuesday I couldn't attend half my classes, what the use was that?!

Oh and Tuesday night I found out we were disbandign the women's lacrosse team here at TCU for a semester because of poor attendance rate by the girls...that was my life and passion outside of theatre, my get away from the world and it was pretty much ripped away...had to hand over my goalie sitck and everythign...

Sad days of a college student.

<3,
Audrey

My favorite part of Inauguration Day is watching the First Lady (if there happens to be one) and hearing all about the Inaugural ball. My interest in the First Lady is because that's where a lot of strength is held for the President, her choices can be bold or demure, conservative or liberal, etc. The ball itself is wonderful to hear about because of all the grandiose plans and the extravagant nature for celebrating. Interestingly enough, both of these topics, the First Lady and the Inaugural Ball, are filled with arguments. 

A new museum is to be constructed in Las Vegas / not constructed the building was already there/ to be created in Las Vegas. It is to be centere around the Mafia of America, a really big part of our history that has influenced America. Too bad the government doesn't want Las Vegas to use their surplus package for this endeavor.

Mafia has been a huge part of American History and there are many things that have been kept hush hush over the years. All people have learned fabout the Mafia is from The Sopranoes or Corlione, this is influenced by the Mafia but is not exactly the truest of stories. The museum would let visitors coem in and wire tap each other and stand up for mug shots while going through and looking and learning about the history of the mafia.

This is a great idea for Las Vegas who is trying to widen their events available for the under 21 crowd. By doing this they are making Las Vegas even more of a tourist spot because soon families will be able to travel there for entertainment filled weekends or weeks not just the 21+ who are the only ones allowed to have the real fun in Vegas.

The government is saying that using teh surplus packet is a no go because it is seen as a "localized earmark project that does not belong in legislation." Even whenever Vegas sees its tourism as equal to that of car sales that -were- happenign iN Detroit. If the stock market and soon the motor industries are to be bailed out then why not the arts who have been trying to change with the populace to accomodate new and ever changing trends and apeals.

The government sees this as a waste of money and not worth a surplus package. Supporters of the museum would disagree because the surplus packet is for creating jobs, a long lasting change to be made, and to not be a waste of the taxpayer's money. I personally see that the museum would be hiring people, many people in that for administration and creating exhibits, cleaning the museum, safe guarding the museum. Also, once something is up in Vegas, it tends to sky rocket and stay there for a long time (unless you're bette midler's performance) and thus both of these would make it not a waste of taxpayers money.

People are worried of this romanticizing crime. I think it would do the opposite. I believe it would show the truth behind the mafia.

My name is Audrey Burkhart and I am from Santa Fe, TX. Yes, there is actually another Santa Fe besides that of New Mexico. I am a Sophomore here at Texas Christian University and I am majoring in Musical Theatre with a minor in Arts Administration. I am a Residential Assistant in Colby Hall, this is my first year doing it but I'd like to continue till I graduate. I am on the women's Lacrosse team here at TCU as well as partaking in the greek system both with a theatre honors fraternity and a social sorority.