In which conclusions are drawn & the future is looked to

I'm sitting here thinking about blogging more regularly & find myself getting frustrated before I've even started.

I mean, I've spent this whole summer learning about social media & The New Digital Age, in which "linkbait" is a word a bloggers are semi-celebrities & the whole of the Internet is at your fingertips. I've read Mashable almost every day for the past three months and spent time dissecting what it is that makes blogs work and fail -- how to attach a blog to a small business, for example, or use Twitter to start a fundraising campaign for a non-profit.

On Saturday I had a great dinner with Jolie O'Dell of ReadWriteWeb--she's a journalist who blogs prolifically (both for pay and not) about tech issues, start-ups, road "twips," etc. She enthusiastically recommended that I focus on honing a Blog-blog for myself (not just an Anneka-Goes-To-College-I'm-so-frustrated-with-my-paper-and-oh-yeah-I-joined-a-sorority blog), start my own Vimeo channel, & Develop My Personal Brand.

This leads to an effusive: My brand?

Although I think she misunderstood my lean when I said I was a Communications major, I'm actually very intrigued by new media--not to mention words, writing, and the interpersonal internet phenomena that is blogging & microblogging. But here's my issue: there are SO MANY goddamn bloggers in the world. People blog to share expertise, to vent, and to get up on personal soapboxes, for sure, but if I started Blog-blogging, I think it would be less about that and more about... sharing? Yeah. Sharing.

Anyway. Jolie is great. Top ten most beautiful people I've met in my life and clearly passionate, hyper-intelligent, and driven. Check out HER personal blog here for a more comprehensive look at what I'm thinking about.

Anneka seizes the day (Carpe Yvette)

It is 8:30am. I have been sitting outside the Haas Center office of the Community Service Work Study Coordinator for 27 minutes. I got here right when the Center opened--why? Because they are screwing me over, hardcore. I applied to get funding to work at Washington CASH this summer (I'd get paid through Federal Work Study). Now, I submitted ALL my paperwork the first week of Spring Quarter. 8 weeks ago. The actual deadline for application was May 8. 2 1/2 weeks ago. The coordinator looked over my paperwork when I submitted it and unofficially approved it, telling me I could email my boss and tell him it's all good for the summer. 

Since then, I've been at the Haas Center what seems like every week to check in and be like, hey, when are official program acceptances coming out? when can I register for an orientation? and I've been pretty much blown off. In fact, I came in this Tues to ask again. Turns out, other people who applied for the program got emails congratulating them and asking them to register for an orientation on WEDNESDAY. Absurd. 

And now, I sit here with my latte waiting for Yvette. Too bad I have class in 25 minutes.

Also today is the TriDelt in-house draw, meaning I find out if Danielle and I get one of those delicious two-room doubles, or get stuck in the QUAD. Yuck. Oh god wish me luck...

EDIT: At 9:28am, Yvette emailed me the acceptance form letter. No apology/explanation. But that's ok, because I've been approved to work 350 hours this summer! Hot dog.

Anneka has fun & ignores her PWR paper

(TriDelt Special Dinner)

(TriDelt Formal)

(TriDelt Formal Initiation)

22 days until my last final and summer.

I'm in IHUM lecture again, no big surprise. We're talking about the play Topdog/Underdog, an incarnation of which I saw in Ashland in like... 2003? Holla.

The past weekend's been great... Tridelt Special Dinner was fun (the theme was "We're On a Boat," in reference to this) and it was profuse with sailor costumes, fruity drinks, fresh mango, and lobster for the main course. YUM. 

Big exciting carrot at the end of the stick: on the 9th, Robbie's coming to pick me up, along with all my stuff. We're going to drive all the way back to Seattle, but just... sort of... via DISNEYLAND. No big deal. We're spending two days and three nights in the park (not in the fancy Disney hotels... some Ramada) and we're gonna eat Ramen instead of Disney food so that maybe we can work a pair of Mickey Mouse ears each into the budget. Haha.

God, my allergies are being ridiculous. It's awful too, because the weather's so hot -- it's better today, high of 81, but yesterday the high was 97. Grossss. 

That's all for now, folks...

Anneka has fun with Karinna

(Above pictures are the only ones on my camera, which died almost immediately... K has the rest)

Our antics included, but were not limited to:

- CalTrain and BART-ing to SF to see 17 Again with Zac Efron and explore the huge, multi-story Forever 21!

-Exploring the Stanford Shopping Center, including their Nordstrom (giving me a really bizarre am-I-in-Seattle moment while perusing BP with Karinna)

-Eating an entire half a watermelon outside with plastic forks

-Eating red velvet Sprinkles cupcakes... mmmm

-Attending the oh-so-glam Charity Fashion Show, complete with free hair products and energy drinks. LEGIT

-Eating Fraiche fro yo (there was a lot of eating that went on)

-Watching Twilight

-Biking biking biking

Anneka loves

1. Water. Cold water.

2. Walking to the library in the cold air listening to my iPod.

3. Not having to draw because I'm living in TriDelt next year, a beautiful, well-equipped house with open kitch and two room dubs.

4. Being told that instead of taking a date to formal, I can ask two or three friends. Yessss.

5. Checking out 8 books on my research topic and feeling hella collegiate.

6. An upcoming paycheck, first of this job.

7. New conditioner.

8. The fact that my wonderful boyfriend is DRIVING to California to pick me up along with all my crap so I don't have to store more than is necessary.

9. Baby Karinny is coming to visit DAY after TOMORROW!

10. Hand sanitizer. Booooo swine flue.

11. Comments. Does anyone still read this?

Anneka wants summer in Seattle

+ I'm coming home on Thursday night! I absolutely can't wait.

- It's supposed to be 95 degrees today, and nowhere is air conditioned. Deathhh.

- My wisdom tooth hurts... I have to get it out soon.

+ Big Sis reveal on Saturday: Alison and Kyla took me out to brunch at Hobee's, which was fabulous... chapter meetings start this week, and formal in a couple weeks!

- IHUM lecture...

+ Karinny is coming to visit weekend after next! Now, if only I can figure out a way to procure a car to get her from the airport.

Anneka makes good decisions

I DROPPED FRENCH. Amazing. This allows me to A) concentrate on IHUM/PWR/dance in prisons/my work at the Center/TriDelt stuff and B) sleep and C) stay sane. Thank the lord.

I'm actually in IHUM lecture now and we're discussing the difference between dramatic theater and Brecht's epic theater. Sigh. Boring.

It's been a fun week -- it's TriDelt's big/lil sis week, which means I have a very mysterious big sis who keeps leaving presents in my room and decorating my walls! Yesterday she left me two very delicious red velvet Sprinkles cupcakes, three bottles of nail polish, trashy magazines, and a really nice mix. Two days ago, she brought me a morning latte and filled my room with balloons. Yay sororities? Yay presents?

I'm excited that I don't have to draw (the draw changed this year, and everyone's really stressed out about it), and I'm excited to potentially room with Danielle in TriDelt's two-room doubles, and I'm excited for our house chef. I think this is a really good thing.