[spirited*pnm]

So now for round 2, HOUSE TOURS! This round we could visit a maximum of 9 chapters split between 2 days.

My outfit for this day: chocolate brown tailored slacks (front crease haha), a slate/faded blue-grey ribbed turtleneck, and brown suede and brown-darkgrey-with-flecks-of-rusty-brown-orange tweed mary jane heels with a wing tip style boundary between the suede and the tweed-like material! LOVE THEM!
We had to carry our shoes and other things with us so that we could change out of our boots. This was tough on me b/c changing outside is a challenge when balancing on one high-heeled foot on an icy path, and once you get all changed you have to freeze outside while waiting to be let inside!

On with the story!
I woke up bright and early and walked with Kristen down to our respective PX meeting places. IT WAS FREEZING. My goodness, the frigid air shocked me so. I was wearing a kind of light down mini jacket underneath my bigger coat, and I was still chilled to the bone! I was thrilled when Katie handed me my schedule for the next two days and…I had a full schedule! That warmed me up a bit ☺ Although, I was curious to see which chapters I wouldn’t be going back to…I scanned the list and noticed that Tenderheart and Birthday were not on my list…OK, so who was the third? GRUMPY BEAR. Hmm. I was slightly miffed because I felt like they were the ones who dropped the ball (which was esp. disappointing because this shouldn’t happen at a strong chapter IMO!!). I got over it quickly though because I still had chapters that I had so enjoyed the day before!

Friend Bear
My first party of the day, yay! I loved the 2 tour guides I had at this house; one of them was one of the storytellers from round 1! These 2 girls seemed to have good chemistry with each other and really seemed into their sorority/recruitment/living-in/Greek life. I loved the first floor of their house, but only remember one of the bedrooms I saw. It was cute (and immaculate. Like model home un-lived in. Everything seemed to have a perfect place, like OCD much?). My conversations here were decent, but not as exciting and free-flowing as the previous day. At some points during the party there were AT LEAST five girls sitting around me talking. I remember thinking it was a little weird when a new girl would bump in and ask the same questions the other 5-6 girls sitting there had already heard the answer to…I didn’t want to sound too rehearsed but it was hard to avoid! The (gorgeous) president or recruitment chair came over to say hello too. I was the last one out of this house because I had issues getting my boots on (geez, I’m usually very put-together and suave!)…and then I slipped on the icy front door threshold/step. But I caught myself, phew. I left enjoying the tour/house, a little ambivalent about my convos, and unsure/worried if I had made an impressive enough impression on them. I hope they would invite me back!

LAUGH-a-Lot Bear
I spoke with the most bubbly, firecracker, mile-a-minute-mouth sister (or person) ever! I like to think that I’ve got the gift of gab, but this girl was a bit intense for me! While it was a 2-on-1 with another PNM (who was a sweetheart), there was better chemistry with the three of us than there was at Grumpy Bear the day before. Also, instead of feeling competitive or like I needed to “turn it up” in the 2-on-1, I felt more relaxed and less pressure. We talked about hometowns and traveling. I also met the younger biological sister of one if the girls I had spoken with the day before. This house was decorated very traditionally, with many large area rugs. The upstairs rooms and hallways were seriously brand-spanking new. While that is always nice, it didn’t have as cozy a feel as the downstairs did. I like a house with a little history/character! Overall, I had a positive impression.

LOVE-a-Lot Bear
Just when I thought I had met the spunkiest most energetic person on earth, the sister I remember speaking with at this chapter didn’t even pause between sentences for air! It was tough to keep up with her (and kind if tiring!), but I did enjoy my time with her better than the girls I had met previously. I couldn’t tell if she was really SUPER DUPER INTERESTED in what I had to say, or turned up the charm this much for everyone. I don’t remember much from the house tour, but Little Miss Chatterbox made this house VERY memorable. This house bounced back from my mediocre impression during round 1, but these two extreme ends of the personality spectrum made me a little ambivalent about this chapter.

Good Luck Bear
Oh. Man. THIS was interesting… The girls in this chapter are generally sophisticated/fashionable; they are also known to come from relatively well-off backgrounds. I don’t want to sound too critical, but they flaunted it, and it completely turned me off. The sister I remember speaking with was at one time known as the hottest girl on campus—she had very distinctive features, had attended a prestigious preparatory school (not that that’s wrong, but the fact that she made sure everyone knew was a little off-putting). During our conversation, she name dropped, and “vacation area” dropped, restaurant dropped, hotel dropped (who knew), and any other kind of tacky “dropping” you can do without “accidentally” dropping your wallet and having wads of cash and credit cards burst forth from its seams. This girl’s attitude completely overshadowed the house tour, my other conversations, and any positive aspects I could have taken away from this party. A lady does not discuss her financial situation-- I don’t think she knew the definition of DISCRETION.

I must stop now to pack for a short trip I am taking tomorrow-Monday. I’m hoping I can finish the rest of Round 2 parties later tonight (or early this morning haha) so there isn’t a coup of rush thread addicts! You have my promise (and I don’t break promises!) that I will not abandon this thread!