Feeling oh so nostalgic today as the Simmons College Class of 2010 is enjoying their Senior/Faculty Banquet tonight. For those not familiar the event is held in the dining hall, Bartol, and consists of dinner, free booze, awards to the students and faculty, bonding with the senior class, and did I mention free booze? It really is the beginning of the end. Its a uniquely “Simmons” event. Nearly everyone attends, you get sloshed with profs and then hit the after parties with your profs. Its probably the perfect manifestation of why I LOVE Simmons College. Here are some pics from last year:

Psych People with Professor Feldman, Professor of the Year, 2009!

The Original California Girl, Catie

Class Council, we made it happen!

After Party for Cocktails with my Roomie/Health Inspiration

A Typical Interaction with Sharinny

Practicing my Speech

Sam Furbush, the Original Suzy Simmons

And one of my favorite pictures of "The Firm" of all time!

Ah, I miss Simmons sometimes. I’m glad I graduated but Simmons gave me so many amazing memories that I will always cherish. Most of all I miss my “sisters”! Have fun tonight Class of 2010!

-Left Coast

Now that I have confidence in my running ability, I want a Garmin so I can track my time, miles, etc. I want it.

The past few days I have been re reading parts of one of my favorite pieces of literature of all time: The Preppy Handbook.

Being from the North Shore of Chicago, being preppy is in my blood. Growing up my mom popped his collar (“you look like a vampire!” my brother and I would yell) and my dad wore a pike lacoste polo shirt to bring me home from the hospital when I was born. I was a girl after all! I love the tongue in cheek humor of the preppy handbook and the whole lifestyle. Its really a throwback to a less complicated time. Preppy-dom feels like a comfy safe home for me.

So, you can imagine that I was excited to hear that the original creators of the Preppy Handbook were writing a modern update of the preppy handbook. A book for us! I really hope more communities in the North Shore are recognized (last time only Lake Forest was) and I am interested to see what the update has to say about modern technology etc. Apparently the book will include “how the old guard of natural-fiber-loving, dog-worshipping, G&T-soaked preppies adapts to the new order of the Internet, cell phones, rehab, political correctness, reality TV and . . . polar fleece”. It also will include:

• Wardrobe: Recent prep brands we are forced to recognize. How to tell Casual Friday from, say, Saturday.
• Money: We never talk about it.
• Food: Does the Food Network mean we’re going to have to cook? Bake? Now you’re going too far.
• Scandals: Poor Mrs. Astor. When Mummy’s plastic surgery goes terribly wrong. Rehab and the slammer: the new prep schools.
• We’re outta here: When to name something after yourself, and when not. The right obituary. What to do with your dogs if you predecease them.
• NO TEXTING AT THE TABLE, PLEASE.

You can read about the new version here. It will be released in September. Humm… late birthday present for me?

-Left Coast

PS: Just read that their opening a stand alone JCrew wedding boutique. omg. omg. omg.

Ok, so normally I would think this is totally lame and you all know I hardly do this… but how cute is my cat?

If she hadn’t woken up and pounced on my feet with her claws out ten seconds later she would be more adorable. At least she has a killer instinct. She also allows be to illustrate a point: I finished Game Change a while ago and moved on to Tales of the City.

Overall, I found Game Change to be very readable, especially for political junkie like me. It was fun to revisit the election a year after its completion. I thought the part of the book about the democratic primary was a bit long and dragged in the middle. I suppose it illustrated how the election felt to those paying close attention to it? Maybe. I found it to be a fairly detached rendition of what happened. The authors could have really ripped into, say Sarah Palin for example. They only do so by comparing her run as to Bidens. This is especially visible when debate prep is talked about. Also, John Edwards, WHAT A SCUM BAG! Holy moly! And so delusional. On the whole, I would recommend Game Change to anyone interested in politics, race and politics, gender and politics etc. Now, moving on to what were reading now:

What is Tales of the City? Well, per my mother and wikipedia, Tales of the City is a series of columns by Armistad Maupin first published in the San Francisco Chronicle in the mid 1970’s. They are based around a women who moves to San Francisco from Ohio and moves into a building with an eccentric land lady, Mrs. Madrigal. The book has short “chapters” and is focused around the truly colorful characters who reside at 28 Barbury Lane. I started Tales over spring break and really like it. The short chapters make it easy to read before bed in small snippets. I also like the “Midwest girl moves to California” plot and the characters are very colorful! Plus, San Francisco in the 1970’s is eminently readable. I look forward to reading all the Tales of the City books.

-Left Coast