Snow Day at 443

Charlottesville continued it's unusual amount of snow this season when we woke up to 5 inches of snow this morning! While Emily and Kimmy checked for rush updates and Sarah set out determined to conquer the sidewalk (you should see the hardcore snow-melt salt we have), SE caught up on some sleep and Liz decided it was time for some quality playtime in the snow.

Emily and Sarah soon gave in (although the sidewalk was cleared first).

Liz made snow angels.

Kimmy even joined the fun for 16.79 seconds before she rushed off to rush!

We took advantage of the playground across the street, with only minor injuries ensuing.

Happy Snow Day from 443!

First week of spring semester

Just one week ago, we were still blissfully unencumbered with classes. Hard to believe because a lot happened over the past 7 days. Some highlights:

• Kimmy returned from India and was nearly done in by jetlag. She did make it to her classes, though, and was the shining star of her bump group.
  
• Sarah Elaine got a job and celebrated with an absurd trip to McDonalds with the 443 5! She then spent the rest of the week celebrating with cosmos, lots of bad TV, and doodling in her notebooks. Hopefully a reflection of the rest of the semester.
  
• Liz, as with everything she does, put her heart into helping first year girls through the rush process. She also went to a basktball game and a hockey match (sorta) and spent Sunday afternoon watching the playoffs. She did not, however, clean her room this week.
  
• Emily put in long hours for ISC, dealing with plenty of complaints and heavy sandwich platters with grace. She also decided to step back from her thesis so that she could have more time to handle all the other wonderful things she does, and to make sure she doesn't spend 4th year spring break in Alderman!
  
• Sarah was the ultimate hostess: A fabulous visit from her old friend, Anne Douglas, was kicked off with a round of winetasting and Thai food and a night of homemade cosmos. Sarah then spent hours slaving over a Lyon reunion/birthday dinner on Sunday. The rest of the house was lucky & got some of the left overs. Julia Child ain't got nothing on Paxton.
  
• The entire household stopped everything in their busy week to watch the premiere of Lifetime's "Pregnancy Pact." We wouldn't necessarily watch it again, but it was a lovely night together. We'll definitely drink to that.
  

Musings in the Dome Room of the Library of Congress

1. Why can't we have the Library of Congress at U.Va so I can study here all the time?

2. We shouldn't have the Library of Congress at U.Va because it distracts me in every possible way.

3. They confiscated my chapstick upon arrival and put it in the cloakroom. I really need it right now.

4. I spent the past hour trying to design a koozie instead of working on my thesis.

5. Highlight of the day: I saw a man in bright purple spandex on the metro. Then he proceeded to change and put on pants. While we were moving.

Did you know that if the LoC ever burns down, the back up is Alderman Library? Thank you, Jefferson, for that connection. Too bad they confiscated my lighter along with the chapstick...

2010! 2010!

The 443 5 rang in the New Year across 2 continents and in 2 states.

Emily counted down 2009 in the City of Brotherly Love. She needs to tell us how it was! (it was sweet, SE! full of brotherly love and lots of chicken nuggets)

Kimmy flew all the way to India to celebrate the new year complete with sheep brain meals and monkeys! Based on the picture below, it looks like she had a blast with some fellow UVa 2010ers! We're so excited to have her back on the continent in a few weeks and can't wait to hear her stories!

By an act of fate, SE's New Year's Eve plans fell through last minute and she, Sarah & Liz converged in Cville to ring in the new year together. They and a handful of friends had the snowy lawn to themselves, which Liz took full advantage of-- photos of snowy frolics to come!

Liz generously provided some vintage masks and hats, which somehow all survived the night-- one is currently occupying a spot on the mailboard at 443! SE nearly cried with joy (even though she didn't have any champagne at all) to see that the Lawn was still lit up beautifully. Sarah's beautiful laugh could be heard ringing through the columns. It was a lovely way to start off our graduation year!
We're so excited for all that this year will bring and feel blessed to be able to share some of it with each other!

Happy HOOlidays from 443!

As we began a new year, we took a moment to look back on the wild ride that 2009 has been for the five of us, in the form of the 443 Top Ten Moments:

1. Our first night in 443. The lease began, the house was finally ours, and we decided to christen it… in blood. A miscommunication over how fast Emily’s car trunk door was closing resulted in the first house injury – don’t worry, it was nothing 9 staples couldn’t fix. Ian’s head has fully recovered, and the accident brought us all a new friendship!

2. Kimmy’s return from L.A. Our last housemate finally came back to dear old U.Va, and just in time for GirlTalk! After a summer apart – Kimmy in LA interning with Disney, Liz working as a counselor for SEP, Sarah in France and then settling in upon her return, and SE and Emily orienting 2013 – we celebrated with some sangria and summer stories.

3. Wintergreen Weekends. Once each semester, we escaped Charlottesville for some scenery, R&R, and wine in the mountains. Kimmy enlightened us with Wee Sing in Sillyville and made blackmail videos, Liz pierced her eyebrow, Sarah Elaine and Emily made brownies with wine, and Sarah provided chocolate wine and got us all to share some dirty secrets.

4. The night we tried absinthe. Oh wait, that was only 3/5 of us, and it did not end well.

5. Beer Olympics. Sarah rang in 22 with some friendly competition! Liz and Kimmy won for creative cupcake artistry, Sarah Elaine won two actual medals (and slept in them that night), Emily won for clumsiest egg handling (Kimmy still hasn’t forgiven her for the loss), and Sarah won best sport when she caught her egg-toss egg with her shirt. All in all, a successful set of festivities.

6. Thanksgiving Dinner. Complete with a 16-pound turkey

and plenty of P’Andre to go around, it was a holiday/birthday (SE’s) to remember that reminded us how much of a family we are.

7. The Goodwins. Whether they are yelling at us for trying to keep up the house (we’re apparently not allowed to trim the boxwoods), hiring snow removal services and charging us for them, ripping up the rent checks accidentally, or attempting to corner Kimmy in her bedroom… they provide a unique form of entertainment.

8. Sarah and Sarah (Elaine)’s Lyon Adventure. SE made a quick break from exams in May to visit Sarah on the tail end of her semester abroad in Lyon. Meanwhile, the rest of us had to make do on Sarah’s email updates, which offered us insight into her everyday life as an expatriate, such as how she fell off a garden fence and learned about French hospitals.

9. Finals in 443. Exams this year brought out Liz's maternal side, and the rest of us benefited from a plethora of cookies and storytimes by our beloved Lucas (the Christmas tree) and menorah. Surprise Bodo's and rides to Grounds also kept us going, and 443 got all fancy and ended the semester right at Melting Pot, which included some feisty drinks (ex. "Wild Kiss") and a toast to whatever 2010 has in store for us. Definitely the best exam season yet.

10. Lighting of the Lawn. Although not as rowdy as 2008 (no one was lost or hazed, fell off a ladder, disrupted an entire library wing, or introduced themselves to a first year suitemate), it had its own charm this year. Liz helped write the poem, and SE and Emily made sure the lights went on (they did!). And 443 was definitely the loudest group singing the Good Old Song.

xoxo2o1o,

the 443 five