a good dose of karma

i started this post on monday, and then a strategy midterm and an extreme amount of work plus the onset of a sinus infection (a result of some karma issues, i'm sure) kept me from finishing and updating.

my brain has been on overload with a random assortment of thoughts and opinions, mostly reactions to really ridiculous things going on around me. it's been that kind of week.

it starts with last thursday, when i was basically accosted in my econ strategy class by this kid who i've never seen before asking to borrow my notes. yes, i am that girl. i get to class early; i sit right up front with open seats on either side; i answer questions when no one else responds (and the prof just stands there staring at us); i ask questions when i'm confused instead of assuming i'm an idiot; and i take immaculate notes. and not just in strategy, but in all my classes. it's a well-known fact that my notes are often better and more thorough than the teacher's lesson plans or anything you could buy from cliff-notes (or nittany notes, to which i briefly offered my expertise for payment until i had to drop the class because i couldn't understand the professor enough to take notes). so right. this kid. he sits down next to me (ahem!) and then, even after i explain that i really need my notebook and have a really busy schedule and really can't give it to him, pities me into giving him my notes by promising that he'll meet me at 11 (it's 9am) to give them back. so at 11,he's not there. i text him; he'll meet me after my next class at 12:45. nope, not there again. now he'll meet me at 3:30. at 4:15, he shows up with my notes, gives a casual "thanks!" and peaces out. i am fuming.

so i've been bad-mouthing him since 9am when i gave him the notebook, and i continue to bad-mouth him until around 6:15 when i'm walking to my night class. i get a phonecall: "hi. this is the state college police (at this point i stop walking and start thinking about anything illegal i'd done ever in my life). we found _____ (i still don't know his name) passed out in his car and were wondering if you could give us any information on him." "excuse me, but I don't know who you're talking about." "______; your number was the last in his phone and text mesages." "oh! the kid i leant my notes to! i actually have no idea who he is. i'm really sorry, but i just met him this morning and didn't even know his name." a few more exchanges and then hang up.

so that's what i get for being totally mean to this kid all day. he passes out in his car. i still assume it was from overdose of some illicit substance, since i'm more than 90% he was of that variety... i sent an email to the univ. police about it, so we'll see what happens.

so that was karma-harming event number 1.

number 2 i can partially attribute to my mother. we both have an issue with my gynocologist. we think she's overly-concerned about my hormone levels, and since i've had a ton of problems taking hormone pills before, we're sick of dealing with her recommendations. so when she ordered that i get a bone density test and the insurance wouldn't pay for it, my mom was really annoyed that she wanted to fight it and get them to pay. eventually it worked out in her favor, and i got my test. we hadn't heard back from her (it had been almost a week), so my mom figured nothing was wrong. and we were feeling rather cocky about it. we spent a full 15 minutes bashing her on the phone. and 20 minutes later my mom calls me back and says that the doc called and said that i have osteoporosis.
smack. thank you, karma.

so after that ordeal on monday, i decided that i REALLY needed to be nicer to people and stop thinking mean thoughts because i can't afford any more bad karma. my super-nice efforts must have paid off, because i'm fairly certain i aced my strategy exam. this isn't confirmed by anything other than me looking over the posted answers and convincing myself that i put the same (though i really think i did), so i'm not off the hook yet.
if you have tips for restoring favorable karma conditions, i'd be willing to burn incense and jump around 15 times while holding my ear and singing the abc's. i'm desperate.

on a happy note, i have another reason to get excited for my summer internship: pret-a-manger
apparently they've opened a chain on the 18th block of I (Eye?) Street. I work at 1300. STELLAR. this was the cafe lyss and I stopped into after our gorge-fest in NYC, and i loved their coffee and cute photographs of food resembling animals/people (like above) on the wall. their sandwiches, soups, and desserts all looked so tasty, and they provide nutrition info (which is a perk when you have an infinitesimal amount of issues that require you to know exactly what you're putting into your body). this serves as a serious upgrade from my previous lunch haunts: cosi and corner bistro. i love cosi, but i got totally sick of trying to figure out how to eat chunks of turkey between 2 pieces of ruler-shaped flatbread. weird. corner bistro does have good chicken salad and the scrumptious pretzel rolls, but since csis used it as their only catering source, i maxed my quota after like 2 days of "work."

i don't think pret can replace the gazpacho from marvelous market, though. that will be the true test. i'll let you know in a few months.

tonight lyss and i are making salmon for dinner. this is exciting because we haven't cooked an actual meal in quite some time. i'm going to try the peppery brown sugar salmon from ezra pound cake, paired with some broccoli. i'm sure it will be fabulous.

tomorrow i have to re-do the tomato tart for barefoot bloggers. my last attempt (which i had to modify) failed miserably. i'm still making modifications, but i hope this turns out much more appetizing and inspired than the previous. no, i won't tell you about it. i'm ashamed.