It's All For You

Livejournal

2006-01-17T15:57:00.000-05:00

Hey. I have a new livejournal. I'll probably end up updating that more than I do this, since no one seems to update their blogs much anymore anyway. LJ is more of a community anyway. Anyway, here's the link so you can check what's going on in my rather strange life. http://www.livejournal.com/users/annod039/

That's it for now. I'll see you chaps later (I pulled an Erin).

Farewell.

Disclaimer

2006-01-09T19:28:00.000-05:00

Due to a certain response to my last post, I feel I must say the following:

I would NOT consider myself affiliated with the Green Party. I am a registered Independent, and I have my reasons for that. I am fairly liberal when it comes to environmentalism; I don't consider myself an extreme environmentalist but I still believe that I am one. As far as most other things go, I am fairly libertarian-minded. However, I have never had extremely firm beliefs on certain issues such as welfare and medical aid and such, so I am inclined to lean toward my sympathetic/empathetic nature and be more Democratic as far as those issues. I don't say that I am sympathetic and empathetic boastingly, either. Rather, sometimes my tendency to have sympathy for everyone can indeed be my downfall.

In any case, I had my reasons when I registered as an Independent. Namely, I cannot align myself with one particular party, and I HATE when people pose the "If you had to..." question, because that is not the case in reality. I do NOT have to pick one party. Yes, America runs on a two-party system, but you are not forced to join with either of those two parties. I am more than welcome to have my independent mind. Perhaps it is flawed and illogical, but I have that right to think what I will.

Political Ideology

2006-01-07T17:57:00.000-05:00

You scored as Green Politics. You are a Green!
You beleive in emphasizing environmental issues and that it is important to protect wildlife.

Centrist

92%

Green Politics

92%

Liberatarian

75%

Conservative

67%

Democratic Socialist

42%

Nationalist

33%

Liberal

33%

Communist

What is your political ideology?
created with QuizFarm.com

Now I'm addicted to Blogthings

2006-01-07T08:14:00.000-05:00

Or I'm just bored out of my mind.

I thought this one was interesting because it said N and not S

Your Personality Is

Idealist (NF)

You are a passionate, caring, and unique person.

You are good at expressing yourself and sharing your ideals.

You are the most compassionate of all types and connect with others easily.

Your heart tends to rule you. You can't make decisions without considering feelings.

You seek out other empathetic people to befriend.

Truth and authenticity matters in your friendships.

In love, you give everything you have to relationships. You fall in love easily.

At work, you crave personal expression and meaning in your career.

With others, you communicate well. You can spend all night talking with someone.

As far as your looks go, you've likely taken the time to develop your own personal style.

On weekends, you like to be with others. Charity work is also a favorite pastime of yours.

The Three Question Personality Test

Wow this one was right on:

You Are Likely a Third Born

At your darkest moments, you feel vulnerable.
At work and school, you do best when you're comparing things.
When you love someone, you tend to like to please them.

In friendship, you are loyal to one person.
Your ideal careers are: sales, police officer, newspaper reporter, inventor, poet, and animal trainer.
You will leave your mark on the world with inventions, poetry, and inspiration.

The Birth Order Predictor

Completely Random but Hilarious

Your New Year's Resolutions

1) Get a pet chihuahua

2) Eat more cheese

3) Travel to India

4) Study warrior dancing

5) Get in shape with midget tossing

What Should Your New Year's Resoluton Be?

I Can't Sleep

2006-01-07T07:59:00.000-05:00

So tonight (this morning) has become an unintentional all-nighter. I have not been able to fall asleep at all. I am really tired, but I just can't sleep. I tried reading, watching TV (ugh), my bed, the couch, etc... but nothing worked. I keep on coughing and tossing and turning. Oh well.
Random fact: Hugh Grant and I share the same birthday. How cool is that?

Anyway, here are some memes my mom emailed me.

Which animal totem best suits you?
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Wolf. You are the Wolf. When you are with someone, your allegience never falters. Your family is very important to you and you will protect that family with all you have, no matter what.

Wolf

92%

Dog

83%

Deer

83%

Fox

83%

Salmon

67%

Eagle

67%

Dragon

67%

Stag

67%

Horse

58%

Crow

42%

Bull

42%

Ram

42%

Bear

42%

Snake

25%

Your Love Element Is Water

In love, you connect deeply and commit totally.
For you, love is all about taking risks and moving into unknown territory.

You attract others with courage and confidence.
Your flirting style is defined by your flexibility and ability to adapt.

Nurturing and shared learning are the cornerstones of your love life.
And while you may jump in to love too quickly, you always come out the wiser for it.

You connect best with: Metal

Avoid: Earth

You And another Water element: will pull each other down into a dark place

What Element Is Your Love?

Life in General

2006-01-07T02:08:00.000-05:00

A lot has happened since my last entry. To make this short I will list rather than describe.

-I went to go see Munich with my pops
-I have started to play ping-pong again
-I had a seizure
-I have spent some time with my Uncle, Aunt (his sister, not wife), my cousin Brianne, and my cousin Ruthie who I haven't seen in...a long time
-I spent quite a bit of time with my mom, Annie, and Shodan :)
-I ate at El Minuto...finally
-I watched CSI with my sister...I can't believe I watched TV
-I went shopping

It seems to me that much more than that has actually happened, only I cannot seem to remember. Oh well. I've been in the weirdest mood lately. Honestly, I do not know what has come over me. While I'm in Phoenix I sleep in every day, unless I have to get up early to go back to Tucson. When I'm in Tucson, I am fairly anti-social and all I want to do is sleep. And, generally, I do. Then I wake up and ask myself why I choose to stay in bed all the time rather than spend time with people whom I have just over a week left to see. I don't understand myself. It certainly is not that I don't desire to be with and spend time with them, it's just that for some inexplicable reason, I choose to sleep or read or...sit around and think instead. Granted, I have been sick since Christmas. I woke up on New Year's Day and I felt the worst I'd felt all break, so I stayed in bed thinking that sleeping in would help, but I slept ALL DAY. I do not remember waking up at all, and I didn't wake up until 1:24 the next morning. Today I felt sick so I slept until 5:00 PM. It's sick. I hate myself for it. I don't want to sleep that long but I do. It's the weirdest thing.
Then, when I'm awake, I feel like something is wrong, but I can't pinpoint it whatsoever. It's irritating. Perhaps after attempting to step out of my introverted shell all semester at Hillsdale, I'm taking the opportunity to recoil. I don't know; I honestly don't. I feel exhausted. Oblivious. Despondent. Languid. Weighed-down. I've had the desire to watch all these movies. And I have watched quite a few. Bridget Jones, Pride and Prejudice, The Red Violin, Must Love Dogs, Les Choristes. Well, you all know that I am empathetic. When I watch these movies, when the characters are feeling some strong emotion, I start hurting. Really, actually hurting. A sharp pain goes through my fingers and hands, while I feel a less acute, more steady pain in my chest. I don't know...it's always been this way, or at least for a really long time, but now it's to a greater extreme, and I can feel it more distinctly. Right now, for example, my knuckles are still hurting from a movie I just watched...and it even ended happily.
Goodness. I just don't know what's going on.

Because I'm Bored

2005-12-31T00:24:00.000-05:00

Some MORE surveys from my mom.

One:
01. Do you have on a lot of make-up?
No sir.

02. How much do you put on?
If I wear it (I think the last time was graduation?) then not very much

03. How long does it take you to get ready?
30 minutes

04. Do you put on a lot of lipgloss?
Chapstick brand chapstick

05. Does your lipgloss smell good?
I think my chapstick smells good, if that counts

06. Do you carry a purse?
No

07. What color is it?
Not applicable

09. Do you have a Coach bag?
Ha

10. Do you have a Louis Vuttion?
Haha

11. How many purses do you have?
I think my mom may have gotten me one...

12. Do you like to wear nail polish?
No

13. How often do you get your nails done?
I've never gotten them done

14. Do you like manicures?
I have never had one

15. What about pedicures?
Same

16. Do you have a usual nail salon you go to?
No

17. Where do you get your hair cut?
Wild Orchids

18. Do you dye your hair?
No

19. Do you straighten your hair?
Occasionally. When I get my hair cut, when someone persuades me to, and then sometimes in the winter so I can go outside with my hair dry

20. Do you have lots of pairs of shoes?
I have a decent amount. Not anywhere near what my sister has though

21. What are your favorite shoes?
Reef flip-flops, and if those don't count then my converse

23. Do you wear heels everywhere?
Haha. I'd definitely fall

24. Can you walk in heels and not fall over?
Oh ha...no.

25. Where do you buy your clothes?
I like J. Crew, but I can't really afford it very often, so I accept clothes as people buy them for me or I get school t-shirts. Oh and actually I like buying a t-shirt whenever I travel.

26. Do you go shopping every week?
In Hillsdale if you count Wal-mart

27. What's your favorite store?
Borders

28. How much do you usually spend?
Oh way too much, especially during the holiday season

29. Have you ever been in Dior?
I don't exactly know what that is, so I'm guessing no

30. Do you follow fashion trends?
Sometimes. However I usually follow them right after they go out... I'm just a little slow, that's all

31. Do you have a pair of huge sunglasses?
No. I'd look like a bug

35. How many pairs of earrings do you have?
Zero

36. Do you wear hoop earrings?
Absolutely

37. Do you have a lot of skirts?
I have quite a few that I've acquired throughout my years at Desert...I can think of eight right now, but there might be more...although I don't think so.

39. Do you get your eyebrows done?
No.

40. Can you apply mascara without opening your mouth?
No.

41. Do you wear a lot of eyeliner?
Ugh never.

42. Do you do pilates or yoga?
No. I used to do Tae-bo back in the day though.

43. Do you have a lot of magazines?
No. I'm quite boring if you haven't noticed.

44. Have you ever gotten a massage?
Ah yes :)

Two:
1. You have $10 and need to buy snacks at a gas station; what do you buy?
A water bottle, a soda, gummy worms, a bag of chips, gum

2. If you had to be reincarnated as some sort of sea-dwelling creature, what would you be?
Funny mom. A seahorse maybe...then I wouldn't have to go through childbearing ;)

3. Who's your favorite redhead?
Well, true redhead? Meg Drew. Hannah insists on being called a "strawberry blonde," but that doesn't count as a redhead (for me, anyway)

4. What do you order when you're at a pancake house?
Pancakes, but only at Millie's. I don't like IHOP.

5.. Describe the last time you were injured:
Well I have 8 bug bites right now if that counts. Other than that, I think that it would have to be when Josh slammed snow in my face, so he started running and I sprinted after him, hit a patch of ice (I was wearing converse...), then my entire body flew up into the air and I landed on my butt. My neck was the only thing that really hurt though. I'm pretty sure I got whiplash.

6. Are there any odd things that make you feel comfortable?
Probably but I can't think of any.

7. Tell me a weird story from your high school years:
Define weird.

8. What is the wallpaper on your cell phone?
A picture of Annie and me from Thanksgiving two years ago.

9. Soda?
A&W Cream soda

10. Flavor of pudding?
Not a pudding person

11. What type of shirt are you wearing?
An Argentina (Batistuta) football jersey

12. Prescription medication?
Lamictal and Effexor

13. If you could use only one form of transportation for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Broomsticks

14. How many people are on your friends list?
I'm not on Livejournal so I don't have a friends list. But on AIM I have 97.

15. How many people on your list do you know in real life?
All of them, but I probably talk to less than half of them.

16. What are you listening to right now?
The Killers

17. Most recent movie you watched?
Memoirs of a Geisha.

18. Name 5 things you have with you at all times:
Well, I TRY to have chapstick with me at all times, but sometimes I lose it...right now, for instance. I also try to carry water with me everywhere, but that dies out in the winter. In Hillsdale I always have a writing utensil on me.

19. Would you rather give or receive a foot massage?
I hate feet

20. Name a teacher you had the hots for:
Didn't exactly have the hots for any of them. However, I was infatuated with one of my PE teachers because he was SO talented at everything we did; he was especially good at soccer.

21. What is a saying that you use a lot?
No particular sayings. Just words.

22. What's one piece of advice that you think should be passed on to every child?
The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.

Promises

2005-12-27T19:03:00.000-05:00

All is well here in Tucson. I've been quite lazy though. Ugh. I've been sitting around the apartment with my pops and sister, eating Dove chocolate and listening to either my dad's Bruce Springsteen CD or my iTunes on shuffle. iTunes on shuffle is so hilarious...it goes from Green Day to the Beatles to Relient K to Tchaikovsky to the Shins to Moulin Rouge to Reel Big Fish to Dave, and well, it's just quite the mix.
Anyway, these Dove Promises that I have been eating are so funny. They have these "Promise messages" written on the inside of the foil and I can't help but laugh at them:

-"Make 'someday' today."
-"Temptation is fun...giving in is even better."
-"Discover yourself."
-"It's definitely a bubble-bath day."
-"Keep the promises you make to yourself."
-"Watch reruns, they replay your memories."
-"Listen to your heartbeat and dance."
-"Hey, why not?"
-"When two hearts race, both win."
-"Send a love letter this week."
-"Sing along with the elevator music."
-"Do what feels right."
-"You know what? You look good in red."

Oh my goodness they are so funny. Anyway...the point is that I've had a few good laughs on behalf of my fattening chocolate. Not that I'm getting fat or anything, only that I should be. Thanks father, for that high metabolism :)
I woke up feeling worse than yesterday, so I slept in again. I had planned on going to Jaime and Jared's to see the kids, but I did not want to give them my cold, especially Aidan or Asher, because they're so young. Instead, I went to lunch at El Minuto with my father and Annie. Again my plans fell through when I found out Andrea was not at home, which meant that I couldn't deliver her presents. I didn't just want to go home, so I decided that it would be much more productive if I went to go cash a check so I could use that money and my Borders coupon to get CDs for cheap. I bought "The Everglow" by Mae and "Oh, Inverted World" by The Shins.
But the funny thing is I ran into Andrea at Borders. Oh it was so convenient. I was able to see Kristen's ring (!), give Andrea her presents without making the drive out to Mexico (joking), and hang out with Jay, Luke, Heath, Sherri (sp?...correct me please), Andrea and Kristen. We went to AZPCo and hung out for a while. It was nice.
I'm going to stop writing because...this is dull and boring. Same thing I guess. Whatever. I also just received my grades...

News to come. Farewell.

Christmas

2005-12-26T20:47:00.000-05:00

Well, I hope you all had a jolly Christmas. Overall mine was quite nice. Annie and I are both sick, she worse than I, but still...sinus infections and sinus headaches are never fun. Nevertheless we were all still able to enjoy it, but we all definitely missed my brother. We were able to talk to him through AIM, but it's not the same at all. I miss Stephen. :(
Christmas Eve I slept in, because I was feeling so ill and disgusting. Then my mom came to pick me up at about 11:00, we went to the other side of Tucson to see my Uncle for a few minutes and pick up some chicken noodle soup my Aunt made for Annie. However, while there they overloaded us with all sorts of yummy treats: brownies, cookies, Mexican pastries, upside-down pineapple cake (I've still never tried it...I assume it's tasty...?), and See's Candy.
My mom and I arrived in Phoenix at about...oh I don't know... 5:00ish. Due to the fact that I felt quite ill, I tried to sleep but was only able to lay there half-conscious, hearing everything going on around me, including the movie my mom and Annie were watching downstairs. I finally gave up and got on the computer. I don't remember whatever I did, but it doesn't matter all that much.
Soon after their movie was over we (including Shodan) all sat around the Christmas tree and opened presents. I was very pleased with what I got.
-A Coat
-A Fleece Jacket, which I love
-A Scarf that Annie knitted for me
-Lotion and perfume of my scent from my Uncle
-Wool socks
-A wool hat
-Les Choristes...which I've watched twice already and it has quickly become one of my favorite movies :)
-Monsters, Inc. socks
-TONS of candy, including lots of gum for popping :)
-Money from my father
-Because my Tucson friends seem to always be late with gifts, there is more coming.

Anyhow, it was a splendid evening with my sister, mother, and Shodan. My sister and I had a jelly-bean tasting contest, which I won :) Then we watched Pride and Prejudice, which is always wonderful. I SO long for a Mr. Darcy though. I just want to fall in love. Annie went to bed early, before the movie was over, but I stayed up until 2:30 to finish it, because...it's almost a sin to only watch part of a movie unless it's when there is a change in disc. In any case, I finished the movie then read some Tolstoy, then went to bed.
I woke up at 8:00, showered, then woke up Annie, and she was ready by nine, so then we left for Tucson. We were at my dad's by 11:00. We opened presents, or mainly my dad did, because he mostly just gave us money. Then we opened our stockings, which were full of candy. Ha. Like I need more. Oh well.
I just sat around all day, talking online, reading, being tormented by my sister, etc...Then I found out that Andrew had to work on Christmas!!! I felt awful for him, so I visited him and gave him his present. Then my dad, Annie and I watched Les Choristes, which finished at about 11:00, my dad then went to bed and Annie and I proceeded to watch Love Actually. Sigh. This only made me want to fall in love more. Haha. No, it's just such a feel-good movie. I love it. I never realized how funny it was until this time. Well, I guess that's how life goes. (Actually I have no idea what that is supposed to mean, but it sounded sophisticated so I said it anyway). I read some Tolstoy and then went to bed. It was wonderful day. I hope you all had wonderful Christmases as well.
Just think...in about 6 days it will be a new year...incredible.

I Wish...

2005-12-23T02:56:00.000-05:00

Your Christmas Stocking Will Be Filled With a Puppy

Well - one cute, soft, cuddly puppy...
And a very soiled Christmas stocking.

What Will Be In Your Christmas Stocking?

I'm Being Sentimental

2005-12-19T21:58:00.000-05:00

Well, being back in Arizona has made me all sentimental about Tucson...I mean, I've spent my entire life here, and it's really special to me, I guess. Not to say that I don't miss Hillsdale, because I do. I love my friends there and I love the snow, I love autumn, and taking walks in the fall and hearing the leaves crunch under your feet, but I also appreciate everything here. So I decided to post these pictures on behalf of all my Hillsdale friends who've never been here so they can see the unique beauty of Arizona, and for those of us who do live here, it's always a good thing to appreciate what we have. I'm sorry there are so many pictures, I just was captured by the beauty of them all that I couldn't eliminate any. Most of the photo credits belong to my mom.
A famous Arizona sunset. This is what I miss when I'm in Hillsdale. Notice the reindeer Jack in the Box thing on the right hand side. Ha.
So this isn't so pretty, but it's Arizona...we get excited when there's any water in the washes whatsoever. Still, the mountains and the sky are beautiful as always.
Another beautiful sunset.
An Arizona sunrise.
Lots of people do this here for Christmas decorations. I think it's awesome. Kind of cute, actually.
This is a view from the backyard of my old house...notice the snow on the mountains all you non-Arizonans.
The foothills...northeast Tucson.

A dead saguaro cactus. Those things are so cool...and unique to the Sonoran Desert.
Another sunrise.
A view of the mountains from Kolb just north of Speedway.
*Sigh* An amazing sunset.
A picture showing how small mesquite tree leaves really are.
A view of the Catalinas over PF Chang's. My mom used to work across the street from there.

A sunset...taken while driving on I-10.
That's on I-10 too. That's me in the mirror, taking a picture of the fields...we have cotton fields in Arizona...nothing cool like the corn fields in MI.
Don't know where this was taken, but it's so cool seeing rainbows when it's not raining anymore and the sky is blue and the sun is shining :)
A view of the sun coming out after a storm. Taken on Speedway just west of Wilmot.
A picture of the storm (a monsoon storm) coming in over the Catalinas. Taken from my brother's house.
The honors dorm at the U of A, where my brother lived.
A picture of the storm moving in.
Another sunset.
Another rainbow. Taken from the front yard of my old house.

More of my mom's surveys

2005-12-17T02:17:00.000-05:00

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:00 AM Arizona time
2. Diamonds or pearls? ehh...
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? I believe Harry Potter
4. What’s your favorite TV show? TV is too cool for me
5. What did you have for breakfast this morning? hot chocolate, if that counts
6. What's your favorite cuisine? As in genre? I don't know. Mexican, Italian
7. What foods do you dislike? seafood, meat off of bones , brussel sprouts, mayonnaise (if that counts as a food), this list could go on forever
8. What is your favorite chip flavor? tortilla chips with salsa. real salsa. oh...and chocolate chips...but definitely not the two together
9. What’s your favorite CD at the moment? Paul Simon Graceland or Relient K Apathetic EP
10. What kind of car do you drive? '92 Toyota Corolla, except this next month I'll be driving my sister's car and my dad's car quite often, seeing as mine can't go above 63
11. What’s your favorite sandwich? good question. I don't really know...maybe Charlie's Chicken at Beyond Bread
12. What characteristics do you despise? dishonesty, selfishness
13. Favorite item of clothing? Puma Pants, green cargo shorts, my jeans.
14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? New Zealand, Switzerland, or Pride and Prejudice country in England
15. What color is your bathroom(s)? white at home, yellow (sick) at school
16. Favorite brand of clothing? whatever. I like J.Crew if I can afford it. I also just love t-shirts...old t-shirts, school t-shirts,
17. Where would you retire? I don't think I'll retire
18. Favorite time of the day? When all my friends are happy
19. What was your most memorable birthday? my 15th...my best friend Danielle threw a surprise party for me and I had absolutely NO idea.
20. Where were you born? Tucson. Couldn't have guessed.
21. Favorite sport to watch? NCAA basketball
22. Who do you least expect to send/answer this back to you? everyone
23. Person you expect to send/answer it back first? no one
24. What fabric detergent do you use? Tide
25. Were you named after anyone? My parents' friend
26. Do you wish on stars? only shooting stars, and only when I'm with someone I want to be with. And yes I just ended in a preposition
27. When did you last cry? At Hillsdale
28. Do you like your handwriting? I don't mind it.
29. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you? Well who would I be?
30. Are you a daredevil? in some respects yes in others no
31. Do looks matter? yes, they always matter to a certain degree. Some people just care about them more than others.
32. How do you release anger? I write or go on walks. Hug my dog and cry.
33. Where is your second home? Well, what's my first home...Tucson, Hillsdale, Mesa...
34. What class in High School was totally useless? Math past the sixth grade was useless.
35. Do you use sarcasm a lot? not at all
36. Favorite movie? I can't pick one. At this present period in time though I'd have to say Bridget JOnes's Diary and Love Actually...pick me up movies.
38. What are your nicknames? Annod, Poki, Poki bear, Poo,
39. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? yes
40. Do you think that you are strong? stronger than some, and weaker than others
41. What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Amaretto from Marble Slab, otherwise I don't know...the "common" flavors like cookie dough and mint chocolate chip and chocolate
42. What are your favorite colors? Maroon and navy. And brown, too I guess...as far as clothing goes.
43. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? I don't know...I'm really insecure
44. Who do you miss the most? Stephen
45. Do you want everyone you sent this to send it back? sure why not
46. What color pants are you wearing? green cargo shorts
47. What are you listening to right now? my iTunes library on shuffle...currently Finding Neverland, "This is NEverland"
48. Last thing you ate? A Reeses Bell
49. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? brown or gray or something boring
50. Last person you talked to on the phone? Josh
51. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? goodness how many times have I answered this question??
52. Favorite Drink? water and A&W Cream soda
53. Do you wear contacts? no
54. Favorite Day(s) of the Year? Christmas Eve...generally...and then the first day of school and the first day of summer
55. Scary Movies or Happy Endings? Happy endings
56. Summer or winter? autumn
57. Hugs OR Kisses? hugs
58. What Is Your Favorite Dessert? there's no way I can answer this question
59. What Book are you currently reading? Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
60. What's On Your Mouse Pad? I don't have mouse pad

A- FOUR JOBS YOU'VE HAD IN YOUR LIFE:
1. Childcare specialist (yeah I know I sound important)
2. Babysitter
3. Student
4. That's all I can think of

B-FOUR MOVIES YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER:
1. Bridget Jones's Diary
2. Finding Neverland
3. Pride and Prejudice
4. Love Actually

C-FOUR CITIES YOU'VE LIVED IN:
1. Tucson, AZ
2. Hillsdale, MI
3. Tucson, AZ
4. Hillsdale, MI

D-FOUR TV SHOWS YOU LOVE TO WATCH
1. Any Arizona basktball game
2. That's it
3.
4.

E-FOUR PLACES YOU'VE BEEN ON VACATION:
1. Fiji
2. England
3. France
4. Mexico

F-FOUR WEBSITES YOU VISIT DAILY (or almost):
1. Weather.com
2. Up the Hill (i.e. my Hillsdale email)
3. Facebook
4. Blogspot

G-FOUR OF YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITE RESTAURANTS:
1. El Minuto
2. Olive Garden
3. Arizona Pizza Company
4. P.F. Chang's

H-FOUR COSTUMES YOU'VE WORN ON HALLOWEEN:
1. A red crayon
2. A pencil
3. A jester
4.

I-FOUR OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS:
1. (My mom's) spaghetti
2. Steak (must be well done and with A1 Sauce)
3. Authentic Mexican rice
4. Corn on the cob

J- FOUR THINGS YOU WANT RIGHT NOW:
1. To see my Hillsdale friends
2. A day in the sun
3. To be able to buy the presents for people that I want to buy them
4. only God knows what i want...

k-FOUR NICKNAMES YOU'VE HAD:
1. Annod
2. Poki
3. Poko
4. Arizona

l. FOUR SCHOOLS YOU'VE ATTENDED:
1. Lamb's Gate preschool
2. Grace Christian Elementary
3. Tanque Verde Elementary
4. Emily Gray Junior High

m. FOUR PLACES YOU'D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
1. Hillsdale (or with my Hillsdale friends, that is)
2. Sleeping
3. Somewhere in the sun
4. In some foreign country

n. FOUR FAVORITE PETS/ANIMALS
1. Golden retriever
2. Black Lab
3. Huskies
4. Kittens (I felt like I had to somehow incorporate Bella and Goliath)

o. FOUR THINGS YOU FIND YOURSELF SAYING
1. Sorry
2. So
3. Anyway
4. well, as in "It's well, not good"

p. FOUR THINGS YOU CAN'T STAND:
1. People using good as a substitute for well
2. Slow drivers who remain in the left lane (on the freeways) and won't move back into the right lane
3. Mark's online AIM language
4. Rap music

q. FOUR PEOPLE YOU LOVE:
1. Annie
2. Stephen
3. My mom
4. My dad

r. FOUR THINGS YOU CAN COOK:
1. (Bake) brownies
2. Seven layer bars
3. Spaghetti
4. Ramen noodle soup

s. FOUR OF YOUR FAVORITE OUTFITS:
1. Puma pants and t-shirt
2. Jeans, long sleeve t-shirt, and a t-shirt
3. My "earth tones" outfit that Hannah and Emily love
4. Pajamas

t. FOUR WAYS TO WASTE TIME:
1. Filling out these dumb surveys
2. Facebook
3. Those weird quizzes at what's it called (?).....blogthings.com?
4. Talking about how much you procrastinate, because by doing it you're only procrastinating longer

Home

2005-12-16T04:42:00.000-05:00

Wednesday morning I left Hillsdale. Wednesday night (or was it early Thursday morning?) I arrived at my mom's. Thursday evening I arrived in Tucson, and now I am home. It's so weird to be back here.
Yesterday (by that I mean Wednesday) was quite an interesting day. My cousin drove up from Ohio to take me to the Detroit airport, which was extremely nice of him. The trip was just...different. Let's just say that he and I don't have the same music tastes, and well...I never want to hear another rap song again. But I couldn't complain, well, I mean I never would complain in a situation like that so I eventually found myself bobbing my head up and down to the beat. AHHHHH! Ugh. Just imagine me bouncing along to the beat of some intense rap music. Wow.
On the way to the airport Orbitz calls me and tells me my flight has been cancelled. My original itenerary had be stopping in Chicago, but all the airports in Chicago were closed because of the weather. Thankfully they put me on another plane through Dallas and I was to arrive in Phoenix only seven minutes after I was originally supposed to get there.
So I wait. And wait. The plane is late. When it finally gets there, they had to de-ice it, which took a little while. Then, once we've boarded the plane and sat there for about...ten minutes maybe, they tell us we have a maintenance problem, and about ten minutes later they tell us our choices are to fly and then make an emergency landing on the way to Dallas or switch planes. Needless to say we all file off the plane and wait about half an hour to board another one. We left two and a half hours later than scheduled.
I slept pretty much the entire time to Dallas, but, naturally, when we arrive I find that I have missed my connecting flight to Phoenix...another hour delay. It wasn't that bad, except I was tired and hungry with no cash except for a couple bucks which I had to spend on caffeine to keep me awake. Still, I didn't really have a bad attitude or anything only because I was so drained emotionally that I couldn't really feel any emotion at that time. All I wanted was to sleep. But I couldn't. Ugh. So anyway we get on the plane and I have to sit next to a smoker who smelled absolutely horrid. Sick. It gave me a really bad headache, but thankfully I had advil with me. The person behind me was sick and blew his nose about....I'd say thirty-five times between Dallas and Phoenix. The person in front of me must have been having some kind of dance party in her chair because she kept on slamming the chair back into my knees. I actually laughed at the situation. I could have cried, but I was too drained. So I kept to myself--put my sweatshirt over my mouth and nose to filter the air, curled up in a ball to give the lady in front of me as much room as she wanted, and read. I started Memoirs of a Geisha because everyone seems to love it. My brother first of all, then my dad, then all sorts of Hillsdale friends...Brad in particular. I'm about halfway through now and I'm very much enjoying it.

In any case, it's nice to be back in Arizona. Annie and my mom came to pick me up at the airport all decked out in their winter clothes. I laughed. Of course Shodan was waiting in the car for me...*sigh.* I love my dog. Today I was showering and she followed me into the bathroom and just sat in between the plastic curtain and the cloth curtain looking up at me. She didn't even lie down. She is SO cute. I missed her so much. Annie, Shodan, and I all shared Annie's bed and that was fun. It was really nice to sleep with Shodan again. And I mean that in a completely non-perverse way.
I slept in really late today...I'm not surprised. I was exhausted. Later on I drove down to Tucson in Annie's car and went to Andrea's to eat dinner for her birthday. This is where all the memories started flooding my brain. Instead of exiting I-10 on Grant or Speedway like I normally do, I waited for the Houghton exit so I could get to Andrea's more quickly. So on Houghton I passed the Civano house...where I lived for possibly the three best months of my life. Then driving to Andrea's house, being at the Childs' house, driving away down Old Spanish Trail, up Houghton to where my brother lived with Jody (running errands for my mom), going over all the speed bumps to get to the back of my dad's apartment complex....every little thing made me feel so sentimental. It was so nostalgic. I talked with my dad for a while and then unloaded in my room, enjoyed my long lost quilt...if only I could bring that to college...then talked online to my Hillsdale friends whom I already miss. I mean, I have lived with them for the past four months--it's only natural.
I decided that I'd go see Darren, so I called him and went over to his place and hung out until 1:45. It was awesome because about 15 minutes after I got there, Thea came over! It was like Thea and Darren in one! Plus Kyle was there too, so we had fun. Man I missed them so much. We played Tripoley for a while...and I definitely missed that too. I think I've decided I'm going to bring it back to Hillsdale. I have to teach those kids to play. Anyway, after that, I went to the bank ATM to get cash. I know it's dangerous at night but I wanted to drive around to allow the fact that I'm back in Tucson sink in. It's so weird to drive Tucson roads again...Camino Seco, Tanque Verde, Broadway, Speedway, 5th...it's so crazy.

It's as if I don't really know where home is anymore.

Uhh...More Things My Mom Posted

2005-12-11T01:10:00.000-05:00

Your Mood Ring is Yellow

Imaginative
Wondering
Thoughts
Peaceful

Mood Ring Generator

[A is for age:] 19

[B is for booze of choice:] never had any

[C is for career] student

[D is for your dog's name:] Shodan

[E is for essential items to bring to a party:] chapstick

[F is for favorite song at the moment:] Be My Escape (Acoustic)//Relient K

[G is for favorite game:]I could come up with one for every letter of the alphabet, but, I'll refrain. Apples to Apples, Scrabble, Tripoley, Spades, Euchre (Thanks to Josh), Text Twist

[H is for hometown:] Tucson Arizona

[ I is for instrument you play:] Hmmm....the kazoo? Or maybe the triangle.

[J is for jam or jelly you like:] I don't really like any

[K is for kids?] Umm I like them, I work with them, I have none

[L is for last kiss] A looooong time ago

[M is for mom's job:] Well she's a mom...that's good enough :)

[N is for name of your crush:] Well let's see if we can figure that one out now...

[O is for overnight hospital stays:] I don't know help me out here mom...

[P is for phobias] Spiders, cockroaches, drowning, clowns

[Q is for quotes you like:] “Truisms are true, hold on to that! The solid world exists, its laws do not change. Stones are hard, water is wet, objects unsupported fall toward the earth’s center. With the feeling that he was speaking to O’Brien, and also that he was setting forth an important axiom, he wrote: Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.”
-George Orwell, 1984 (Winston)

I just picked a random one from my facebook profile...there are lots more.

[R is for relationship that lasted the longest]: Markus

[S is for sexual preference:] men

[T is for the time you wake up] Depends on which day of the week it is: MWF 8:00; T 7:30; Th 8:30; Sat whenever I wake up; Sun 9:00

[U is for underwear:] yes

[V is for vegetable you love:] Real green beans. And broccoli. Anything besides SAGA vegetable sounds good right now.

[W is for worst habit:] putting myself down... *shrugs*....

[X is for x-rays you've had:] Teeth, knee, head MRI, CT scans, hand, that's all that I know of

[Y is for yummy food you make:] brownies

[Z is for something you are zealot about] Okay...I am not zealot about anything. I can be zealous about something or I can be a zealot. In any case, I am zealous about loving people.

A Couple Things My Mom Posted

2005-12-10T18:05:00.000-05:00

1. What does your LJ nickname mean?
Well I don't have an LJ, but...captainplanet is just the first thing that popped into my head one day when Kimmy and I were coming up with new AIM names...Doctorp is actually because of my initials (DrP) :)

2. Elaborate on your icon photo?
Don't have a Livejournal=not applicable

3. Did you lie about your age anywhere on the net?
I think maybe I did once to get an ebay account...but I think that expired anyway.

4. How many LJ friends do you have?
Again not applicable

5. What is your current status?
What exactly does status mean--Student @ Hillsdale College, single, rather melancholy after an awful week...my roommate had an awful week too which just makes everything worse oh and my hands are freezing so I am having a difficult time typing.

6. What are you wearing right now?
Brown converse, navy blue dog socks, jeans, long sleeve navy t-shirt, England football jersey

7. What is life to you?
Attempting to glorify God in all you do

8. What is love?
Oh wow. One time I wrote an email to Mark about this. I don't think I can ever explain it that well again. It'd take a page anyway...but I'd suggest reading C.S. Lewis's The Four Loves

9. What kind of people do you hate most?
People who really make fun of people (and mean it) for fun...mean people I guess. Bullies. My freshman year in HS was terrible.

10. What type of people do you like most?
Loving, sympathetic, empathetic people. Also...confident people...there's something attractive about confidence. If I really thought about it I'd come up with a better answer, but for now that's what I can come up with off the top of my head.

11. What makes you happy?
Good conversations with close friends, making other people happy, making other people feel loved, dogs, little children, happy endings, feeling that I am loved in return

12. Are you musically inclined?
No not really. The only thing I have going for me is that I can sing decently, and I have a really good ear for pitch...that's about it.

13. What would you do if you woke up one morning and found out that the person you love most didn't exist or was killed?
Well...I think I'd have to go into a mental hospital.

14. If you could go back in time and change ONE thing, what would you change?
Nothing. Everything I've gone through and everything I've done has brought me to where I am today, and I wouldn't change that. God works everything for the good...

15. If you MUST be an animal for ONE day, what will you be?
What's an animal that can go a day without eating...ugh I'd hate to have to eat bugs or meat off the bone or something...sick. Maybe I'd just be a golden retriever and fast for a day.

16. Ever had a near death experience?
Well I have been told that had I landed on my head instead of my face in my 8th grade bike accident I would have died...or been in a coma. And then there are all those times driving with Mark... ;)

17. Name ONE obvious personality quality you have.
I don't really know what's obvious about me. I don't know guys...what's the first personality trait that you noticed about me?

18. What's the name of the song that's stuck in your head right now?
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)//James Taylor

19. Are you happy today?
Ehh...I have a headache...

20. Who will cut and paste this first?
No one...my mom has already completed this, and no one else really does these things...

Ground rules: The first player of this "game" starts with the topic "Five Weird Habits of Yourself" and the people who get tagged need to then write a LJ entry about their five quirky little habits as well as state the rules of this game clearly.
5 quirky habits...
1. I HATE wrinkled laundry...if for some reason it gets wrinkled, I'll wash and dry it again...I mean, I'll stay up into all hours of the night just so I can take my laundry out of the dryer right away and fold/hang it.
2. I don't brush my hair with anything except my fingers in the shower because well...I don't really need to. It looks better natural. Exception to this is if I straighten my hair...then a brush is necessary.
3. I take care of others before myself, and this includes my precious Shodan.
4. Toothpaste MUST be squeezed from the bottom of the tube.
5. I have to have everything alphabetized.

Good Song

2005-12-09T01:11:00.000-05:00

Well you know how Mark said nothing goes better with melancholy than Coldplay? Well, tonight is quite a melancholy night for me. Anyway, here are the lyrics to one of my two favorite Coldplay songs on the X&Y album.

"Fix You"

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse
When the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

High up above or down below
When you too in love to let it go
If you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I...

Tears stream down on your face
I promise you I will learn from the mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I...

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

I'm off to bed. Goodnight all.

A Bittersweet Night

2005-12-08T23:33:00.000-05:00

It's the first snow storm. Looking at the tanning stones outside my window, I'd say we have about 10-12 inches. It's quite exciting. And despite what some people may think, I am still able to trudge through the deep snow in my converse, not slip, faceplant in the snow, die, and then be found the next morning all blue and frozen in a snow bank. The snow is beautiful.

However, since my last post the week has only gotten worse. I want to build an igloo with all this snow and hide.

I Wish I Had a Hole

2005-12-08T12:31:00.000-05:00

This morning I had my first final. It actually went a lot better than I thought it would, seeing as last night and this morning I didn't feel like I was ready at all. I mean, I studied a whole lot yesterday, but I was so distracted that I didn't really absorb a whole lot of it. Anyway, I experienced somewhat of a high once it was over. But that sad thing is that it's only two hours after I finished and the high has already worn off.
This week has been awful. Sunday I pulled an all nighter for a paper and well...Annie and I talked online for a long time and Chase and I talked for a while and there were just more important things on my mind than that paper. Whatever...it doesn't matter now. So I went to classes on Monday and managed to stay awake in all of them. Then at 1:00 I fell asleep and slept until...6:00 the next morning. Then I went to class and had a German test at 8:30 and then an hour and a half of Somerville. I suppose after that I had another high point just because that was my last class for this semester.
I've tried to study this entire week but I just CANNOT concentrate no matter what I do. It's so frustrating. I have so many things on my mind right now I feel like if I were in a warm climate I'd dig a hole and climb inside. I can't sleep either. I think I'm just ready to go home. Well, yes, I know I am. At the same time though I don't want to leave my friends...well I just don't want to be away from them for an entire month. But I do want to spend an entire month in Arizona. Going back and forth in between Phoenix and Tucson is going to be so stressful, but it means that it really will take a month for me to see everyone that I want to see. I miss my parents, my sister, my dog. I miss Andrew, Darren, Allie, Thea, Jaime and Jared, little Sylvia and Zoe, Clara and the Daltons, the Monroes. I wish that I could either just go to Phoenix or Tucson, but I can't.
UGH! I wish I wasn't a worrier. I want to help my extremely tense, stressed friends. I want situations to be resolved.I want to relax. I want to know that everything will be okay. *Sigh*

2005-12-04T16:59:00.000-05:00

You Were Actually Born Under:

Fierce and courageous - you are the king of every situation.
You pounce and attack, until others give you want you want.
Daring and magnetic, you inspire others to follow your lead.
And while you're wild at heart, you have some hidden soft spots.

You are most compatible with a Horse or Dog.

You Should Have Been Born Under:

You are totally loyal, faithful, and honest.
However, you don't trust others to be as ethical as you are!
Straight forward and direct, you really aren't one for small talk.
You are a great listener - and an agreeable companion when you're in a good mood!

You are most compatible with a Tiger or Horse.

What Year Were You Born Under?

Oh What a Night

2005-12-04T04:22:00.000-05:00

God is good. I've had an awful last two or three days, but last night was absolutely incredible. I headed over to Galloway at about 7:00 to watch the UA game against Houston, which was tragic and completely pathetic. We lost to Houston!! Oh my goodness. Anyway...that's not really relevant it just adds to the misery of these last couple days, which in turn made last night so much better.
So then Josh, Mark, and I went down to Chase's room to see if he, Brad, and Erin were back yet. They were, but they were also all leaving...which was a bummer. So Josh and I played an incredibly long game of War, which he won. (BTW that did not contribute to the misery...I was glad the game was finally over). Mark, on the other hand, started to write one of his NINE papers that are due by the end of the term...thankfully he finished it. Still though, this was all rather disappointing because instead of our group hanging out and doing something fun all together, Mark was writing a gosh darn paper and Josh and I were playing WAR! War, of all card games...I mean, that's what I played in second grade.
Well then Chase came back (at that point the game of War was not yet finished!), and then Isaac and Jared came along. And...it's not like it was boring or bad or anything like that, it just seemed like we were all in our own little worlds--depressed (I was, anyway), irritable, irritating, or whatever other strange moods you can think of.
Then Chase left again, which was sad, because the rest of us still didn't know what to do. Jared and Mark were working, Isaac was...I'm not really sure, and Josh and I were just...there. Well to make the long story short(er), 1:00 AM rolled around so I had to leave and return to Olds. Jared walked me back, and while we were walking I just realized how gorgeous the snow was, and I decided that I wanted to take a walk.
However, seeing as I was no longer in Galloway where boys abound, it was difficult for me to find one who'd go with me. Mark and Jared were both online but working, so neither of them could go. I almost called it a night so that I could throw myself a pity party, but then Josh signed on and most fortunately said that he'd go with me :)
So Josh and I went on this walk, and we talked about how beautiful fresh snow is...how when it's clean and untouched it's just so...awesome. We talked about how when it's still snowing it makes it so much better. We stopped by Howard (music hall) because there was this area of fresh snow that was just calling out to me. I ran across it (in my converse!) and it was so much fun. Josh picked up a handful of snow and looked up at all the snow falling and said, "You know every single one of these is different?" And it just was so timely because I really needed to stop and think about how big God is, how amazing He is. Every single one of those flakes is different! Think about that...it's so cool!
Anyway, then we both ate some snow until I ate some with some dirt in it (eww), and continued walking. It was just so fun to see SO MANY kids just running around in the new snow. There were about 10 kids just hanging out by the side of the road throwing snowballs at cars; a bunch of people just running around campus having snowball fights; everyone was just so happy, and I needed to see that.
Well. Then Josh and I come up with the idea of taking snowballs into Kresge and attacking Jared while he's studying :) On the way into Kresge I made the most amazing snow angel ever. I soaked my jeans and shoes, but it was totally worth it. Moving on...Josh and I could not find Jared in Kresge, so we resorted to throwing snowballs at people's windows in Galloway. It was so childish but so fun. Plus...it's not like I ever get to play in the snow in Arizona, so I'm completely justified in my childlike behaviour. Josh, on the other hand...no I'm only joking. Well, as much fun as this was for me and Josh, we both decide that it'd be so much MORE fun if we had more people. But Jared was working somewhere, Mark was nowhere to be found, Isaac was nowhere to be found, Chase was in Koon watching a movie, Brad was going to bed, Hallie was asleep, Hannah was asleep, Erin was asleep (that or watching Seinfeld), Andrea was gone, (I know I'm forgetting someone...sorry), well needless to say Josh and I were alone about to give up when he sees Mark through the glass doors of Galloway. So we ran around Galloway calling out for Mark banging on windows but then Josh finally catches up with him when Mark reaches the laundry room. We asked him to come out and play and, naturally, he said yes.
At that moment Jared called and asked if we wanted to go on a Wendy's run, and having nothing better to do at 2:30 in the morning, I said...why not? Well it turned out Hallie woke up, so she came with us to make it five: Jared, Josh, Mark, Hallie, and me. We had fun just getting in the car. I made another snow angel and Josh and I got in a fight and kicked snow on each other until we had to get in the car.
Poor Jared. Driving in Michigan in the winter is so scary! That was an adventure in and of itself. Then we get to Wendy's, and it's closed. Ugh. So naturally we did what all Hillsdale college kids do and made our way down to Wal-mart. :)
Oh my goodness it was so much fun! I found a Winnie the Pooh/Tigger bouncy ball (like the little kid ones that I LOVE to play with) and carried it with me around the store so I could play with it. Periodically Josh would take it from me and then he and Jared would play keep away and wouldn't give it back. Well I showed them... :) No just kidding, well I did manage to steal it back from them a few times, but most of the time Mark would be in between them and just because he's so tall it was easy for him to take it and give it back to me. We spent almost an entire hour in Wal-mart!What losers! Oh my gosh it was so much fun though. I went outside before everyone else did and waited with a giant snowball, then proceeded to attack Josh with it when he came out the door. Then I got in a cart and he spun me around in circles until I told him that it wasn't very exciting. So he straightened out the cart and pushed the cart (running) toward a group of giant cement poles, then at the end he (naturally) jerked the cart so I wouldn't crash and the cart tipped and I tumbled out onto all fours in the snow....it was SO COLD. But we were cracking up because I just knew that that was going to happen and it was just so fun. Goodness.
Then on the way back, since the trip was initially about food, we stopped at McDonalds, and well, let's just say that it was hilarious. None of us could decide what we wanted and we sat in front of the speaker for...5 minutes, and then poor Jared had to relay five people's orders and it was just a mess.
We get our food and then head back to campus to eat, but...oh my goodness....nowhere to eat...what are we doing to do?? I suggest that we just stay in the car, but nope. Mark insists that it's "tight quarters." So we get out. Jared runs to check Kresge (which...face it, we all knew it was already locked) and meanwhile we *legally* wait in the entry to the first floor of Galloway. Finally I just sat down and ate. Mark did NOT want to eat there (granted, it IS a really disgusting little walkway, but where else could we have gone?), but we all decided that this was our only option so he gave in. Chase came back, too. It was quite amusing: Jared [referring to his second cheeseburger]: "Hey Chase do you want my other one?" Chase [imagine Chase's voice]: "No I'm not going to eat your food." Jared: "You want it?" Chase [smiling, catches the burger]: "Okay." I don't know why I'm still going on with this story because it's pretty much over but the conversations were just so funny. I very much enjoyed myself.
We finished eating and I decided that *legally* being inside Galloway at 4:00 AM was not such a good idea...(mainly for Hannah's sake...I love her) so Chase, Josh, and Jared walked Hallie and me back to Olds (Mark remained in Galloway, claiming he'd start his papers), and thank God they did. Some drunk guy smoking a stogey(ie?) wandered up to us as we got to the Olds door. Well the boys pushed us inside so all I heard was Josh say "I'm pretty sure the party's over buddy..." And...that's that.

Please forgive the length of this story. I'm just in such a good mood and I had such a good time that I just wanted to share with you all. Oh my gosh guys...thank you for raising my spirits, for ending my week so well, for cheering me up, for just being there...Josh, Jared, Mark, Chase, Hallie...I love you all.

And God, thank you for giving me such wonderful friends. :)

Insanity

2005-12-03T18:51:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness. Everyone is going insane here. There is so much tension in the air...finals are coming, there are papers that need to be written...everyone is just FREAKING OUT!!! Everyone just needs to relax...*sigh*... I'm really worried about practically all of my friends. They're all so stressed and the fact that they're stressed just stresses them even more!
I'm rather depressed. I want to go home and I worry for my friends. I'm not so stressed with school. Actually... I'm not really stressed at all, and that might very well be a bad thing. But I don't care. People are more important than some gosh darn paper. UGh. I was already homesick but all this tension among my circle of friends makes me want to go home even more. But then when I think about that I feel so selfish...I don't know why. Maybe because it's like I'm rushing to get away from all of this but I know that during this next month I'm going to miss my new friends immensely...you know how attached to people I get...and then I'm going to want to come back. But then that too is selfish because I only have a month in Arizona to spend with the people whom I love there and wanting to rush away from them so soon is selfish...it's just a gigantic cycle of selfishness for me. Ugh.
I want to help them though...I wish that there was something I could do for everyone...I just want everyone to be happy and I wish they could relax... I think some people just don't want to be helped though...

Oh God please help my friends. Help me help them.

Oh Arizona...

2005-12-02T12:14:00.000-05:00

Guys, I'm finally homesick. I was doing so well. I just can't wait to get back to Tucson. And Phoenix. Currently I am obsessed with The Format's song "A Save Situation." My favorite line: "I need to get back to Tempe..." *Sigh*

I just want to go home.

PS- I AM enjoying the snow, however much I want to be in Tucson.

Thanksgiving in Wilmore

2005-11-30T13:56:00.000-05:00

Well you all probably know that I went with Hannah to Kentucky for Thanksgiving. Yes, I think I told you that in my last post. I very much enjoyed being down there with Hannah and her family. I am glad to be back though--since Hillsdale is more of a home to me than Kentucky is, it's nice to be "home." Anyway, here are the promised pictures. Sadly I didn't take as many as I usually do ... so I don't have pictures of Thanksgiving Day :(. Actually I only have pictures of Wednesday and Saturday. Oh well. Part of it is that most of my time was spent either sleeping, eating, or working on homework. Well, life goes on.A picture of Hannah and me taken while waiting for Zach to lead the route. . . it was SO COLD!

There's Zach leading the route. Poor guy . . . his hands and feet were frozen.
Artistic shot of Hannah and me.
Zach and Hannah at the top of another (easier) route.
Susannah, Megan (Hannah's best friend), and me.
Hannah threw a giant party. No, just kidding. There were a lot of people though. Rachel, Megan, Hannah, Sarah, Susannah, and Lacey. I was on top of their laps, drinking an Ale8. :)
Susannah, Megan, me, Hannah.
Hannah just looks WAY too happy with that knife. Below is a picture of Susannah and Jeremy...for some reason this dumb thingamabob won't let me type a caption below the picture. So...(in the words of Chris Patrick...) whatev. I'm flexible.

Oh how many times have I done these?

2005-11-25T13:17:00.000-05:00

1. First Name: Donna
2. Were you named after anyone? my parents' really good friend....although I don't know that they even talk anymore...

3. Do you wish on stars? shooting stars, but only when I'm with someone
4. When did you last cry? was it Monday night or Tuesday night? I think Tuesday...
5. Do you like your handwriting? sometimes
6. What is you favorite lunch meat? ham? I'm not really a lunch meat person
7. What is your birth date? September 9
8. What is your embarrassing CD? mmmm...usually when I stop liking something I put it away in storage so chances are there's some really embarassing cd that I don't even know I have
9. If you were another person, would you be friends with you? I don't know...depends on what kind of person I'd be
10. Are you a daredevil? not so much
11. Have you ever told a secret you swore not to tell? yes. Hasn't everyone?
12. Do looks matter? Looks always matter...however, I will say that looks matter a lot more to other people than they do to me
13. How do you release anger? Venting to my wonderful friends, writing, or crying...or...all of the above
14. Where is your second home? haha. funny question. Assuming that Tucson is my home, then Phoenix is second...Assuming Arizona in general is my home, then Hillsdale. Home is where the heart is, right? Well my heart has been split into pieces and is all over the country.
15. Do you trust others easily? Too easily sometimes.
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? my teddy bear probably, or my Pongo stuffed animal. I also really loved those giant cheapo rubber bouncing balls that you buy at Wal-Mart or Target
17. What class in high school do you think was totally useless? Calculus...will I ever need to know the derivative of x to the fifth minus 87y to the negative x power? No, I don't think so.
18. Do you have a journal? Yes
19. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Yes, although I try not to...it's quite difficult.
20. Your nicknames? Oh gosh. Poki, Shistor, Annod, Donnarina, Donnarazzi, Don, Poo, Dr. P (initials), oh the list could go on and on...just ask Annie
21. Would you bungee jump? of course
22. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? sometimes, it depends what shoes they are though.
23. Do you think that you are strong? stronger than some, weaker than others. Whenever i start feeling strong I remember what martyrs have done for their faith in the face of persecution, and then I feel so guilty and selfish...that was not my answer but I like it so I'll use it
24. What's your favorite ice cream flavor? I'm not as much of an ice cream person as I used to be, but I'd have to say Amaretto from Marble Slab
25. Shoe Size? 7.5 or 8
26. Red or pink or black? red
27. What is your favorite thing about yourself? physical or not physical? not physical I'd have to say that I'm trustworthy. Physical...uhh...my wrists...haha I don't know
28. Who do you miss most? Oooh toughy. Stephen, I think...the fact that he's in Tokyo makes me miss him so much more. However, I'd be lying if I left out Shodan.
29. Do you want everyone you send this to send it back? Considering I posted this rather than sending it, they can't send it back
30. What color pants and shoes are you wearing? black puma pants (my favorite) and tan-ish beige-ish slippers
31. What are you listening to right now? Tchaikovsky
32. Last thing you ate? nothing yet today. I drank an Ale8 though
33. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? brown. I'm kinda boring.
34. What is the weather like right now? coooooollld....30 degrees Fahrenheit.
35. Last person you talked to on the phone? Matt, Zach's friend
36. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? body language, I think...like mannerisms, interaction with other people kind of thing.
37. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes I sure do
38. Favorite Drink? water, A&W cream soda
39. Favorite sport? to watch? college basketball and English Premier League football, or World Cup football, to play? soccer...(I'm in the US...it's soccer here)
40. Hair color? brown
41. Eye color? I wish there was some cool way to say this...but there isn't, so...just plain old boring brown.
42. Do you wear contacts? No, although I really want glasses. I have since the 9th grade
43. Favorite food? My mom's spaghetti, Mexican food, Italian food
44. Last movie you watched? Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Wait...was that before Steel Magnolia? Oh I can't remember...one of the two.
45. Scary Movies or Happy Endings? happy endings
46. Summer or Winter? Autumn
47. Hugs or Kisses? hugs. I love hugs.
48. What is your favorite dessert? How can you make me choose? I can't do this.

49. Who is most likely to respond? my mom will probably post it on her livejournal
50. Who is least likely to respond? Everyone else who reads this
51. What book are you reading? Dante's Inferno
52. What did you watch last night on TV? I haven't watched TV since....a long time (well...unless you count watching 2 minutes of Poker in the Galloway lobby)
53. Favorite smell? Tucson after a monsoon, bread baking, my mom's spaghetti sauce cooking, the smell of clean dogs (Yeah, I know I'm weird), good smelling guys
54. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Beatles
55. Do you believe in Evolution or Creation? yes
56. What's the furthest you've been from home? Fiji

Procrastination, Kentucky, and Missing Home

2005-11-24T02:18:00.000-05:00

I am officially the queen of procrastination. Today (technically speaking yesterday) I was distracted from my homework and instead of going back to work on it once I realized that I wasn't doing it anymore, I decided to alphabetize my facebook profile. Tell me guys...how much of a loser am I? I did my music, movies, and books; I was going to do my interests but then I realized how random they'd be in alphabetical order...if that's possible. I hope you know what I mean.
In any case, I did get a lot accomplished today, despite what Hannah may think. She is under the assumption that whenever I'm on my computer I'm on facebook...which is not true. Today she and Megan came in the room to "check" on me and she was completely surprised that I was actually doing research. Ha. I don't blow off things completely...I can't just not do my research paper. I'll finish it. Just you wait and see. The thing is though, that even if I'd finished a month ago, I would still get a C with Somerville. So...I figure, why do it ahead of time? Perhaps I'm thinking with flawed logic, but you know...Dr Somerville is SO discouraging he makes me not want to write. I'm tempted to give up. If it weren't for Philippians 4:13, I probably would.
I also worry about finances. If I don't achieve high enough grades then I'll lose my scholarship, and well...we all know that I couldn't attend Hillsdale without that scholarship. It's just that class though, I'm pretty sure. I should have Bs in all my other classes. Maybe an B+ in German and/or science. I just have to make it through this semester...

On a happier note, Kentucky is fabulous. I love Hannah, her family, her friends, and her dog. :) I miss Shodan so much and it's so comforting to have a dog that I hardly know follow me around, just because...I don't know, it warms my heart. That's so cheesy but it's true. What would life be without dogs? Incomplete. That's all I can say. Anyway, tonight a lot of Hannah's friends came over and I handled it surprisingly well. I played the extrovert better than I thought I'd be able to, and I had fun. Part of it is that I really enjoy spending time with Megan, my Kentucky counterpart and Hannah's best friend. A bunch of us played Catch Phrase together with her grandparents (who are the COOLEST) and it was so much fun. Her grandpa is definitely the cutest old man ever. He just went so slowly with his clues and explanations Megan and I about peed our pants...it was a blast. Then we just had some fun bonding time. It was nice. I love Hannah and it's been such a blessing that her best friend and I are so compatible and love each other so much. Plus Hannah's family is absolutely amazing. They're so wonderful to take me in like this. :) (PS- I have pictures of tonight but no cord to upload them to my computer...I'll post them when I arrive back in Hillsdale).

I can't wait to get home though. I wouldn't say that I'm homesick, but the more I talk to Annie and my mom online, the more I miss them. And as weird as this sounds I can't wait to sleep with Shodan again...my only source of unconditional love apart from God. I feel the worst for Stephen though...he has to be lonely with no family in Tokyo...I mean, Thanksgiving I can survive without family...but an entire Christmas season with no family??? Poor Stephen. I miss him. :( *Sigh* I miss my pops too. The other day he sent me a Sports Illustrated with the UA basketball team on the cover plus a Harry Potter edition of Entertainment Weekly, and it just made me really appreciate my dad and made me miss him. Then today my mom sent me some brownies...goodness. I have a wonderful family. Dysfunctional, but wonderful.

I am blessed.

Wednesday Night Baking

2005-11-17T21:40:00.000-05:00

Every Wednesday night Hannah and I bake for our brother Bible Study in Galloway (one of the boys' dorms). Well, last night I realized that I did not have any pictures of us baking! So I insisted that we take the camera with us and have pictures taken of us. For some unknown reason when I uploaded them to the blog they got all out of (chronological) order, so please bear with me. (PS- we baked banana bread...it turned out really well too).
Andrea, Hallie, and I right before Hannah and I took the goods over to Galloway.
Hannah scraping the mix into the bread pans.
Andrea, Hallie, and I (take no. 2)...goofy faces.
Hannah and I enjoyed the mix after all the work was finished.
Haha...we made SUCH a mess...I had flour ALL over me. It was a blast though.
Hannah smushed (I don't think that's really a word) bananas while I mixed all the other stuff (i.e. the flour).
See above caption.
I told you I was covered in flour.

Photo credits go to Amber Harmon. :)

The First Snow!

2005-11-17T21:16:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness you guys! It is so beautiful here! SO cold, but so beautiful! By the mercy of God I have survived thus far, and I am inclined to think that somehow I'll make it until Christmas break. Guys I am so excited!! This is the first real day of snow I've had in my entire life! Anyway, I'll shut up and let you look at pictures. Hannah and I had some fun today in the snow... :)Hannah, our friend Becky, and I.
A picture of me in front of the berry tree.
I love this picture of Hannah.
Another pic of Hannah.
A view of the school in front of (south of) the belltower.

Well, you see, I only have converse tennis shoes and regular tennis shoes, so I had to run out and stand on that...(what do you call it?) manhole (?) so that my feet wouldn't freeze. They did anyway, but it was worth it.
Photo credit on this one goes to Hannah Stone...an artistic shot of the belltower through the berry tree.
That's me, ducking underneath the berry tree.
A beautiful tree in front of the Chi Omega house...so pretty.
Hannah got distracted while I was taking this picture...that's why she's looking away.
A view of the walk uphill. (They do a pretty good job of clearing the sidewalks).

Consequences

2005-11-14T13:36:00.000-05:00

Monday afternoons always seem to be a good time for me to write updates, so here I am, doing just that.
Why is it that whenever I have the most to do I can never get anything accomplished? You guys, I have been so unproductive lately. I don't know what the problem is--I just cannot seem to concentrate in any circumstance. I've tried a lot of different things...various places in the Heritage Room, various places on the second floor in the library (or the commoner's floor, as some like to call it), in my room, in the Arb; music, classical music, no music. Nothing is working. Ugh. I have a research paper due two weeks from tomorrow and I haven't finished my research. I have a paper due Wednesday that I haven't started (don't worry...it's only a one page paper). In Western Heritage and English I have probably about 200 pgs. of reading that I have yet to finish. Goodness. I get so frustrated with myself because it's like, "Donna, what on earth were you doing all weekend?" And I have no sufficient answer...only that I did try to do homework but failed miserably at concentrating, so I gave up at the prospect of finishing anything. Granted, I did get a lot of research finished on Saturday, but in the realm of homework in its entirety, that's nothing. Oh well. I'll learn somehow, someday.
Apart from that though, life is going fairly well--at least at Hillsdale, anyway. I'm still worried about a few friends in Tucson and elsewhere around the country, but like Andrea mentioned in her post, I'm realizing how utterly powerless I am. I have no control. I wish I could be there for my friends, but I can't, so I'm putting all my trust in God that He will care for, comfort, protect and embrace my friends whom I cannot be with at the moment. But at Hillsdale, things (apart from academics, that is) are going quite well. Relationships with old friends continue to deepen and mature, and new friendships are beginning to deepen as well. God has blessed me with an incredible roommate and friends here, and I know I've said this already, but you're just going to hear it again. God has blessed me immensely.
I really have nothing to complain about, and all that I am complaining about is my own fault. I hate it when you know you're wrong and you know that the situation that you're in is solely your fault, but you still feel like there's nothing you can do about it. Everytime you try to rectify the situation you fail. Ughh. However, today I am resolved that I will accomplish something. I must be productive. I have to be...otherwise, well, I'll be screwed.

I'm off to go try again. Wish me luck.

Thoughts from the Laundry Room

2005-11-09T02:35:00.000-05:00

I sit, back slouched, facing my computer, typing away on a keyboard from which I hear the abnormally loud clicking of the keys. I lounge around in crocs, basketball shorts, and the two layers of t-shirts I wore earlier today. In the background I hear The Format, the dryer tossing and turning the load of reds, maroons, and browns that so desperately needed to be washed, and the ice maker whirling around--new ice cubes dropping and clanking around in a giant metal...thing.
Back in my room, Hannah sleeps peacefully, with no lights on, no music, and no Donna typing on the keyboard. It is 2:22 am, and I am still awake. If I were a normal person, I'd be in bed by now, having gone to sleep after putting the last load of laundry in the dryer. However, all of you know that I am not normal and far from it. Thus, since I am a stickler for wrinkles, and clean, hot laundry is one of my most favorite things, I eagerly await the silence that comes when the dryer stops. I suppose we all have those distinctive quirks about us; Hannah always tells me that we do. Yes, I probably would not be Donna if I didn't care about wrinkles.
Meanwhile, I eat some cookies, drink some caffeinated soda, and study (last-minute) for my German test in approximately six and a half hours. I wonder to myself if I should bother brushing my teeth and washing my face before my laundry finishes, or if I should wait. I wonder to myself if I should read the Bible now, or if I should wait. Would I not be distracted right now? If I were to wait, then my mind would be free of all thoughts of laundry. Then I decide I would indeed be too distracted, so I come to the computer to let my thoughts flow onto paper...er...I mean, the screen.
This is college life for me. True, I am not always up this late, and most of the time I don't leave the room so that Hannah can sleep more deeply or more peacefully. But today, I thought that since I'd be in and out of the (dorm) room checking on the laundry, I might as well pretend that I'm at a laundromat and stay in the laundry room. I'm having quite a grand time. I took two dollars to the vending machines and got myself some cookies and a soda, cut up some flashcards, studied for German, folded some laundry, talked online to a few people, played some Hearts, stared blankly at this screen, and made my posture even worse than it already was by sitting here in this awful chair for hours.
The thing is, though, that I am doing well. God is watching over me, keeping me healthy, keeping me sane in the midst of all this nonsense that I call a typical day. The laundry obviously isn't an every day occurence, but everything else pretty much is. And I like it this way. There are things more important than sleep...like having time to myself to eat cookies and play Hearts, having time just to sit with nothing particularly on your mind, other than the laundry swirling in the dryer. And friends are by far more important than sleep. The chance to sleep will always be around--my friends will not. Besides, what would college be without a lack of sleep? Answer me that.
It's almost done. I should go now. This may have been a bland post, but it is rather late and I'm in a strange mood. I'll probably read this later on today and say to myself...Donna, you're crazy. But I already know that I am, as do you. So with that note, I bid you all adieu. May the peace of God be with you.

On Circumstances and Prayer

2005-11-08T11:53:00.000-05:00

In my devotion yesterday, I came across this in My Utmost For His Highest. It was extremely pertinent to my life right now, and it's so incredible I just wanted to share it. I'm going to type out the whole first paragraph.

"The circumstances of a saint's life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance. God by His providence brings you into circumstances that you cannot understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands. God is bringing you into places and among people and into conditions in order that the intercession of the Spirit in you may take a particular line. Never put your hand in front of the circumstances and say--I am going to be my own providence here, I must watch this, and guard that. All your circumstances are in the hand of God, therefore never think it strange concerning the circumstances you are in. Your part in intercessory prayer is no to enter into the agony of intercession, but to utilize the common-sense circumstances God puts you in and the common-sense people He puts you amongst by His providence, to bring them before God's throne and give the Spirit in you a chance to intercede for them. In this way God is going to sweep the whole world with His saints." -Oswald Chambers

Isn't that amazing?

I'll end with a few verses:

Romans 5: 1-5 "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work togehter for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

James 5:16 "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."

Stream of Consciousness

2005-11-04T21:41:00.000-05:00

I don't really know what to write about, but I feel as though it's definitely time to update you all on some things. Not just because it's been a whiel, but because there are so many things going on it's been quite overwhelming.
This week has been incredibly long. As you know, I went down to Kentucky last weekend with Hannah, Emily, and Lindsay. Seeing as what an amazing person Hannah is and how popular she is in Wilmore, there were always people around. Don't get me wrong, I had a ton of fun, but I'm an introvert nonetheless. So by the end of the weekend I was quite overwhelmed, emotional, and weary because of the nature of the trip. It was no one's fault--it's just how I react to people I don't know well when I'm around them for a long time.
The week started and all was well, but then I found out about some situations (which are out of my control) and became really depressed and melancholy. Some of my friends and my friends' friends are going through really difficult times right now, and I just want to be able to be there for all of them--comfort them, embrace them, encourage them--but I can't. I know none of these situations are my fault, yet I still feel so sorry for all my friends, and so helpless. I wish I could take other people's pain away. *Sigh*
On a more cheerful note, the weather has been incredible this week. :) The highs have been in the 60's and the lows in the high 40's or low 50's. It's wonderful. I'm so grateful to God for this little extra time in which I can enjoy the sunshine and wear t-shirts. It'll probably be the last week of the year that I can wear t-shirts. Ha. It's lovely though--I would post pictures of the leaves and things, but I left my camera charger in Kentucky, so I have no battery left to get the pictures onto the computer.
What else? I guess...I'm okay. I am well, but at the same time extremeley worried about many of my friends. All I can really do is pray for them and for those affected by the situations. I wish there was something more that I could do.

I love you all, and I'm here for you. Let me know what I can do for you.

Gettin' Lucky

2005-10-26T12:21:00.000-05:00

Hooray! Fall break is finally here. This means that today, in approximately an hour and a half, I'm 'gettin' lucky goin' to Kentucky'. Ugh...something about coined phrases that appear on t-shirts irks me. Goodness.
However, in all actuality I am quite excited. Hannah, Emily, Lindsay and I are leaving at about 2:30 (which really means 3:00) to drive down to Hannah's house. On the way down, I will be performing my incredible oratory skills (*cough cough*) reading Harry Potter aloud. My poor deprived roommate has not read the series, so I bought her the first five books for her birthday, and we are currently in the middle of the first. But you know, there's a lot of time in a six hour drive, therefore I will have lots of time to read to her, as opposed to the fifteen minute sessions we typically do before she goes to sleep.
Plus I'm really excited to get to spend more time with Hannah's best friend from home, Megan. She came up to visit a little while ago and well, I basically fell in love with her. Actually not really, but you know how it is when you just click with someone from the very beginning. She and I share many of the same qualities so it's just kind of implied that we have this deeper understanding of each other than may show on the surface. I don't know if that sentence really made sense to any of you, but I hope you know what I'm trying to say. Sometimes my brain does not want to cooperate with my mouth, or, I suppose in this case it would be my fingers. In any case, I'm very mich looking forward to seeing Megan, regardless of whether or not I can express what I am currently thinking.
I guess that's all for now. I'm sure that I'll have tons to say about the trip when I come back on Sunday, but until then I shall be exercising my vocal chords and entertaining abilities. Oh, but those of you who know me also know that I really do not have any such abilities, so we'll see how this goes.

Trees and a Tribute to Shodan

2005-10-18T12:19:00.000-05:00

A new season has come, and I am experiencing the beauty of creation in a way that I never have before...seasons. Haha. Yes, poor Tucsonans and Mesa(-ns) don't get to enjoy the beauty of the tree leaves changing color. Nor do they experience 32 degree weather in October. Yes, yesterday was the coldest day that I have experienced in Michigan thus far.
Not much else is going on here. However, I have started to walk dogs at the Hillsdale Humane Society more consistently. I miss Shodan sooooo much and not being around her or any dogs for that matter is killing me slowly. So, my next door neighbors (Jessi and Lacy) and I go walk dogs once or twice a week for two hours at a time. We usually get to walk four dogs in that period of time, and it's so rewarding. Yesterday after I was done walking the dogs, I went into "the garage" and played with this cute, cute puppy. He looked like a mix of a golden retriever and a lab. Maybe. He was probably about 3 months old. Anyway, while I was playing with this puppy, all the other dogs were whining at me and barking. All they wanted was to be loved. They wanted someone to pay attention to them. I looked around and watched all the different dogs, and inside my heart was being ripped open. The difference between the dogs that I had walked and the dogs that no one had walked was remarkable. Breathtaking. Heartbreaking. I wanted to stay there for however long it would take me to walk those poor dogs. All they need is someone to love them. Anyway, here are some pictures, just of everthing that's going on.This is perhaps the most artistic picture I've ever taken. This is Hannah and I while we were sitting on the ground covered in leaves.
These are the fallen leaves. Hannah and I had a lot of fun with them. They're all so pretty!
This is all of us having fun on my bed during parent's weekend. I suppose it could be parents' weekend too. I don't think it matters. Anyway, left to right, it is Lauren, Hannah on the floor, Emily on my lap, me, Hallie, Lindsay, and Andrea.
Me and my goofball friend Emily. :)
Hannah and her brother Zach. He came up with Hannah's parents for parent's weekend. Sorry about the redeye.
One of the dogs I walked...I don't know her name, and couldn't really think of one in the time that I walked her. She was so pretty but very difficult to walk. She'd run and pull me along so I'd run with her, then suddenly she'd come to a halt and then I'd fly forward. HA...the fun of dogs... :)
This is Stubs (Jessi and I named him). All he wanted to do was jump on me and be loved...he didn't want to walk, but we got over that. He was so cute.
Some trees on the dirt road that we take to walk the dogs.
A beautiful pic of the road that we take. You can see the leaves changing color. Oh it's so pretty here.
This is Jessi and I; that trip we both got quite dirty. The dogs went a little crazy because they hadn't been out all day. My dirt is more noticeable than hers is, but still.
The leaves on this tree are barely starting to change.
A tree on the walk to Oakley's.
This is Matty. She was one of the crazy dogs that covered me in muck. SHe was so cute though.
This is Ember, the female black lab that reminded me of a fat Shodan. She was rather psycho, but adorable all the same. In this picture she is wet because we took her to a little creek and she had a ton of fun in the water. And yes, she still jumped on me afterwards :)

I MISS YOU SHODAN!

The Leaves Are Falling

2005-10-08T13:49:00.000-05:00

The title should speak for itself. Fall is here. It's currently...52 degrees out. In Tucson it is...(searching)...88 degrees. Haha...why did I come to Michigan again?
No, I'm kidding. I actually like it here, it's just that I don't really have fall or winter clothing. Today I am wearing one of my four sweaters. I have a long winter ahead of me. Well, it's beautiful here nonetheless. I have some pictures but my camera is with Hannah and she's not here right now. I'll post them sometime soon. The leaves are turning red and yellow and it's wonderful to go on walks around campus because the leaves crunch beneath your feet! :) It's funny though because some of the trees are just starting to change so only the very tops of the trees will be red, and it looks quite out of place. I suppose (since I've never really experienced such things as 'seasons') that I've never really thought of leaves changing as a process that takes time...I guess that maybe I expected that they changed all at the same time. Well, everything takes time I suppose. I just didn't think a tree could be green and red at the same time. It's like Christmas! :) Only two months away! Well, like two and a half, but I'll be leaving for Phoenix in two months and six days. Not that I'm counting or anything (I'm really not), it's just only when I think about Christmas that I remember I'm going home. I'm really going to miss my friends here. Sigh. But I don't have to think about that now. Life is fun. Well, friends make life fun. :)
I'm off to do physics. Hooray for the quantum theory! I didn't say all of life is fun, did I?

Day At The Parlour

2005-10-01T13:18:00.000-05:00

So here are some pictures of Mark's birthday at the parlour in Jackson. Directly below is Mark getting out of the car while blindfolded, and then taking the blindfold off, realizing where he is. :) Then there is a picture of Andrea and me in front of the Parlour sign. Then there is Isaac, with a chocolate peanut parfait as big as his head. Below is my incredible Banana Boat (like a "mini" banana split...haha). Then below that is Jared eating his strawberry sundae. Below Jared are pictures of us before and after eating our ice cream...except Mark isn't in the after pic.

Thank God for Friends

2005-09-19T19:37:00.000-05:00

Well, I've decided that it's my friends that are making this thing called college such a wonderful experience. It's strange to think that a month ago I hadn't met any of these people (except Andrea and Allie), and now, they're like family. It's crazy. It hasn't been all that long, yet I don't know where I'd be without them. :) I love them all very much, and as an honor to them, I decided to post lots of pictures. So here we go. By the way, the pictures go from most recent to not so recent (ending with the night of my birthday). PS- Captions correspond to the picture ABOVE them.Andrea, Hallie on the bed, Allie, and Jenny.
Floor view of Hannah painting.
Allie and her roommate Jenny (they came up to visit from Taylor).

Late night snack...thanks mom! :)
Emily fed up with physics.
Lindsay, writing a card on Hannah's bed.
Here I was helping Emily study for her Greek test. I like how all the colors match in this picture. :)
Me and Hannah the night of her birthday.
Hannah blowing out the candles on her cake. Her mom came up to visit for her birthday and brought a home-baked cake...it was so yummy!
Kate, Emily, me, and Christine on the way to church on Hannah's birthday (Hannah was driving).
Hallie, me, Hannah, and Emily lying across our laps. (Hannah was scolding me for hitting her with Emily's hand...)

Hannah, Andrea, Hallie, Katherine, Lauren, Emily, and me outside our dorm.Me, Andrea, and Hallie on my bed

Donna's Tidbits of Wisdom

2005-09-07T16:06:00.000-05:00

I don't really know what this is going to be about. Just wanted to warn you.
So I'm still here and loving it...I honestly haven't gotten homesick...perhaps when the cold weather comes I will though. Who knows? I definitely miss sleeping with my Shodie though. Pillows just aren't the same. Obviously I miss my Tucson friends and Arizona family...I'm just not sick. God has blessed me.

I'm going to name a few things that I've learned ever since I left Tucson:
1. Spit works wonders on computer screens. (Thanks Stephen)
2. After a while, the anthill of Hillsdale really does become a hill.
3. It's very difficult to eat, carry a large bag, and walk up the hill at the same time.
4. No matter what anyone says, warm whole milk is repulsive.
5. Doing physics with a friend makes it so much better.
6. Just because someone looks like Albert Einstein doesn't mean they are Albert Einstein.
7. Every breath I take I am inhaling atoms from Hitler's dying breath.
8. Fritos and Nutella actually make a really good combination.
9. Breakfast does make a difference (yes mom, I'm finally learning).
10. Some things just aren't worth the effort.
11. People are very often underestimated.
12. Days with friends are better than days spent in bed.
13. I get attached to people really easily.
14. The good outweighs the bad. I really am in God's hands.

Alright, I'm off to go make the trek up the hill to see a professor. I'll talk to y'all later.

College and My Roomie

2005-08-30T02:48:00.000-05:00

So...college is the life. I'm still having so much fun. I guess there's still a chance that this could all die down and that I could still get homesick...but I'm really not feeling that at all.
Classes...where to begin? I am extremely excited for my English class. Apparently I have the hardest professor in the department, but for some reason I totally feel up to the challenge. I've had the the class once already, and he seems like a really nice guy, and, well...he doesn't even seem like he's going to be that hard. I know that he's going to grade harshly, but I also know that when teachers go really easy the students don't learn as much. So Iam actually looking forward to a teacher that's going to challenge me and stretch my writing skills, because that way I know that I'll improve. So yeah, I'm stoked.
Physics has never been my thing. That's all I need to say. Except that my professor is cool because he looks a lot like Albert Einstein. :)
My history professor is rather boring, but the class itself is progressively getting better and more exciting. We have some really good discussions. So I'm getting more excited for that class too.
German is a little overwhelming just because it's completely new, but my professor is really nice and cheerful...especially for so early in the morning. :)
The people are amazing and brilliant. I'm meeting new people everyday. Still. I guess that will continue for a while though. I've made some really cool friends: Kate, Emily, Jessie, Hallie, Lacy...and there are a lot more people whom I'd love to get to know better. Not only that, but I get to hang out with people I already knew...the Desert crew and Lauren and Lindsey whom I met this summer. Then there are the professors. They're so wonderful. That's all I can say about them.
And then there's Hannah, my roommate. I think we were meant for each other. She's very impulsive, and although I can be sometimes, most of the time I'm not. She cleans the room, I do the laundry. She's extroverted, I'm introverted. Her voice carries (FAR), and mine does not. She's tall, I'm not. But it's so cool because in some ways we're opposites and then in others we're really similar. We have pretty much the exact same taste in music. Our bedspreads matched without any planning, we both have to have complete darkness when sleeping, and there are a lot more things that I just can't think of right now...it's late. But honestly, I have been so blessed. Hannah and I get along really well. We just kind of clicked from the beginning. We have fun together, but we can read and study silently too...at least for a while.
Hannah's just the coolest. You know when you admire people for those things that you don't have? Well, that's kinda how I feel. She's just an awesome person. I don't think I could have gotten any luckier.

That's it for now. I need to wake up in...6 hours. Guten nacht.

The Beginning of the Many Blessings

2005-08-23T19:01:00.000-05:00

So unlike Mark, I am not going to risk having stalkers to post my contact information. If you haven't gotten it already (i.e. if I couldn't remember your email address) send me an email and I'll get it to you.
Like Mark, I am having so much fun here. My roommate and I are getting along really well; we have a good mix of similarities and differences, which so far is enabling us to...complement each other. Well I guess compliment each other too, but yes, my usage and spelling in the last sentence is correct. I also get to see Andrea a lot...she's two doors down from me in our dorm, and with community bathrooms, there is a lot of interaction between hallmates. I've also met a lot of really cool, brilliant people that I didn't know before. So yeah, I've managed to make about six people that I could call "friends" as much as friends can be in 4 days.
I am incredibly excited to be here. I caught myself walking down the sidewalk yesterday smiling. Now, maybe that's not so strange for you guys, but I usually walk with just a blank expression on my face, smiling at the occasional passersby. But this time no one was around and I didn't have any particular reason to be smiling. Nothing funny had just happened; no one had just given me a compliment or done something nice for me, I was just...happy. So in certain ways I am happier than I have been in a long time. Perhaps that will go away--it certainly will disappear during the hard times--but I feel like this is where I'm supposed to be. It's why this post is entitled what it is...God has given me so many blessings here. There are a gazillion things that could be going wrong right now, but they're not. God has truly blessed me. And yes, I seem to hear Him saying this is not the end of them. They aren't going to come all at once, nor are they always going to seem like blessings, but they're coming.
I have so much for which to thank Him.

Psalm 138:1-3 (NASB)
I will give You thanks with all my heart;
I will sing praises to You before the gods.
I will bow down toward Your holy temple
And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.
On the day I called, You answered me;
You made me bold with strength in my soul.

Just Another Change

2005-08-20T00:02:00.000-05:00

Hey...I just thought I'd experiment with templates. What do you think? For now, here are some pictures of Shodan. Just thought I'd post them since I won't see her for awhile....well, that's it for now.

On Leaving, Goodbyes, and Being Gone

2005-08-18T16:53:00.000-05:00

So, it's finally overwith. Yesterday was my last day in Tucson until Christmas break. I'm in Phoenix now, spending time with my mom and Shodan (Annie left for Tucson right when my mom and I were driving up to Phoenix...I don't understand her). The funny thing is that it doesn't seem so weird to me. I'm leaving to Michigan in 2 days and it seems perfectly normal...
During and towards the end of senior year, I thought that leaving all my friends was going to be incredibly difficult; that I'd cry when saying goodbye; that when the time came, I'd be excited to go to college but dreading leaving my friends.
I hope none of you misinterpret this. I will miss all of you very much, and it is sad saying goodbye. It' s just that I feel I've come to accept the fact that this is just another inevitable step forward in our lives. I mean, especially for us Desert kids who love learning and really want to go to college. I don't really understand what I'm trying to say. Are any of you feeling like this? I guess I just feel like I expected something so much different. With all the "transitioning" stuff we got from everyone last year and the pictures I'd created in my head of saying goodbye...I naturally expected this process of actually leaving to be really difficult.
It wasn't. It was just something I had to do in order to move on in my life. It's the next step in the life that God prepared for me. I'm really going to miss my friends, family, and puppy(ies)--but why should I dwell on that when I'm about to start one of the greatest adventures of my life. This is exciting! And maybe it will hit me when I get there, but right now...I don't really feel sad at all. Should I be sad? I don't know. I know I'll miss Tucson (and Phoenix) and some of the things and people there, but I know what I'm about to experience is going to be incredible.
And also, I'll be in Tucson again in three months. I'm bound to see all of you again--well at least the normal readers of this blog. That helps too.

I hope that made some sense. I'm not really sure that there was a point to this post except for me to express my feelings. Maybe. Oh well. Well, thanks for listening (or reading, whatever).

Just a Quick Note

2005-08-09T01:16:00.000-05:00

Well, it's August now, and I'm so excited for college! Oh gosh...I have my schedule, roommate, I've started to pack, and well, it's just all so exciting! I leave to Phoenix in nine days! Then to Michigan in 12! It all seems so surreal... I'm going to be living on my own...away from (almost) everyone I love, with someone whom I hardly know; yet rather than feeling, scared, apprehensive, nervous, whatever you'd call it--I can't wait for it! I just feel really at peace with everything right now. I know that no matter what, God is going to take care of me. So if and when I do become scared, nervous or homesick, I know that He will be there to guide me and hold me in His arms. What a comforting thought!

Now, I'm quite lucky because I'm going to college with three of my closest friends. That makes everything a little easier for me. But everything I've said applies to everyone who's going off on their own, too.

Stacey, when you feel lonely, scared, homesick, you can know that you are not alone. He is always going to be at your side.

Isaiah 41:10 (NASB) "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not look anxiously about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Emmanuel. God is with us.

Change Will Do You Good

2005-07-31T02:02:00.000-05:00

For any of you who have seen my huge water jug with change in it, you'll be interested to know that I recently counted it all up, and it totalled up to 242.93! Incredible, huh? Just thought I'd share... I thought maybe it would inspire you to save your pocket change...just throwing 40-50-60 cents into a jar at the end of a day for a while can add up.I certainly didn't expect this much.

You should try it.

Stopping To Smell the Roses

2005-07-27T23:33:00.000-05:00

Just wondering...how many of you have looked at the sky the last few days and really appreciated how magnificent God's creation is?

The clouds have been amazing. The contrast of the bright puffs of white against the blue sky...right before the storms head in...oh, it's beautiful. I wish I had my camera with me at all times.

Thank You for Your blessings, Lord.

Crunchy grapes, A Newfound Appreciation, and A Response to Stacey's post

2005-07-22T12:59:00.000-05:00

Do you ever go to sleep early, wake up late (9:00 for me), and still feel tired? Like catching up on sleep somehow makes you more tired? I've never understood why. That happened to me this morning. When I got home from work yesterday I sat around for like half an hour, then fell asleep at like 7:30, slept through the night, and woke up at 9:00. Hmmm...
Kids are exhausting. I now have a much deeper appreciation for what moms do for the majority of their lives...thanks, mom. I hope that I never needed to go to anger management classes like some of these kids do. And thanks for naming me something rather normal...not like Dyanika, Orion, Yaritza, Genesis, etc...
So now here I sit waiting for the time I need to leave. Today unusually I'm eating breakfast...a healthy breakfast. Whenever I do eat breakfast it's ususally not that healthy. But my dad got me some grapes, and for once I can enjoy them because they're crunchy and fresh and juicy. I'm really picky about my grapes. Ironically I was just talking about this with Andrea...soft grapes just aren't the same. Anyway, it's times like these when I just sit here, eating grapes, listening to acoustic Ryanhood (Sad and Happiness), all by myself, that I absorb everything that's happening around me. Allie got her schedule, dorm assignment and roommate. Andrea got her schedule. Hannah already has hers. I'm leaving for Hillsdale a month from two days ago. It all seems so weird. Sometimes I think I'm ready, but then 5 minutes later am reminded of how much I'll miss Tucson, blue skies, mountains, and the Desert community. Then I think about it and realize it's going to take a bit of adjusting. I realize it's a blessing to have the opportunity to experience something completely new and different...to learn to appreciate different aspects of God's creation. Bittersweet. I guess it's just something that everyone goes through at this point in their lives.
But for now...we can just enjoy this short period of Tucson monsoons and lightning shows. :)

The Little Joys of Life

2005-07-20T01:28:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to say I love you to all my friends and fam. You guys help me get through so much. Where would I be without you all? *Sigh*...

Thanks for everything. I love you.

Info About Pictures Below

2005-07-17T13:34:00.000-05:00

I'm really not sure how to do this...I'll try anyway.
I took the top left picture for Mark. It's a huge sign of Vodafone, the sponsor of Manchester United.
The top right picture is of a funny sign. Read it carefully...it's self-explanatory.
Below Vodafone is The Imperial War Museum...Imperial meaning British (Some people might not know that...? Maybe, thought I'd explain anyway). Anyway, a really cool museum.
Next to that is Big Ben.
Underneath those is a picture of an incredible fountain at Trafalgar Square...one of the biggest shopping squares in London.
Below that on the left side is a view of Big Ben from Trafalgar Square.
Next to that is Big Ben. Notice the beautiful clouds in the background. It's my favorite picture (that I took) of Big Ben.
Below that is a beautiful river and landscape. I forget the name of the river...sorry. But in the distance you can see Buckingham Palace.
Below that is just a view of some buildings...with the famous, giant London Ferris Wheel in the background.

Sights Around London

2005-07-17T13:24:00.000-05:00

The London Taxi Story

2005-07-17T13:02:00.000-05:00

Westminster Abbey was beautiful. Unfortunately I didn't get to take good (or any, really) pictures of the front of the Abbey. That morning Lauren and I were told that the bus to Westminster was leaving at 7:45. So we finish breakfast at 7:20, and then we went up to our room to brush our teeth. We come down at like...7:33, and Colleen (one of our chaperones) tells us the bus already left without us. I was shocked. Anyway, we had to take a London taxi to the church to catch up with our group. The taxi was luxurious compared to taxis here in the US. Anyway, so we beat our group to the church, but the taxi brought us right up to where the entrance is. Needless to say, I was practically at the door of the Abbey, so I couldn't get any pictures. I tried to take a picture from where I was but it was awful. Still, in the second picture you can see the back of the front...if that makes any sense.
The service was actually really good. The scripture reading was 1 Peter 3, so I felt really special because I memorized that junior year. I don't know why, it was just cool that the priest read something I was really familiar with. At least I thought so. They took communion, but I didn't go because they serve real wine, and I didn't want to break my abstinence from all alcohol. I mean, not that drinking wine for communion is bad at all, I just would have felt really uncomfortable a.) going up there in the first place and b.) drinking the wine. I don't know...I felt kinda bad turning down the opportunity to have communion, but my discomfort most likely would have distracted me from concentrating and appreciating the real meaning of communion in the first place.
Yeah so...that's it for this post.

Breathing the Air

2005-07-17T03:53:00.000-05:00

Well if you don't know already, Winston Churchill is my hero. He's probably the main reason I went on this trip. Well, on my 48 hour day (the day I got there) we went to his home, Chartwell. It's magnificent. I mean, there is a whole lot I could tell you about Churchill, his home, why he loved it so much, etc..., but it's probably not all that interesting to you. But the beauty of the home and the views from his home and gardens speak as to why he loved his home so much without needing words. Churchill loved to stand out on his balcony and look over Kent, which the English call "The Garden of England." He once told his wife that that view (top left) was the reason he bought the house. That picture was taken on a foggy day, as you can see...just imagine the visibility on a bright, sunny, clear day...*sigh*
Anyway, it was amazing for me especially because I, the (relatively) insignificant 18 year-old girl that I am, was walking the grounds that my hero walked--the grounds he would walk when faced with the stress of his political career; the grounds he would walk while pondering or brainstorming for his speeches to congress. I got to see what he saw. I got to breathe the air that he breathed--the refreshing air of nature, apart from the rest of England, the air which he so deeply loved. You see now why I said I've become somewhat of a Romantic. Yes, well, I can't very well explain it. Experiencing what Winston Churchill experienced was incredible. Once in a lifetime.
The experience was tainted (somewhat) by one of my friends (Alex) dropping my friend and roommate's (Lauren) camera into Winston's goldfish pond. Digital camera. Alex was incredibly apologetic and Lauren got over it so quickly I was amazed. Well, maybe not got over it, but she didn't let it ruin her day. Later on in the trip we were all able to look back at the whole thing and laugh.

Pictures! And More Coming!

2005-07-12T00:22:00.000-05:00

So finally I can upload my pictures...but don't get too excited yet. I've decided not to post the pictures until I write about them, so you can understand the pictures and/or know why I took them. But for now, these pictures aren't of the clouds that I was talking about earlier (those were on the way to Detroit) but they are of the clouds we flew over while on our way to London. The picture at the top of this column is of the sun coming up over the clouds...it was quite a sunrise...the best view anyone could have. If you look carefully at the bottom right picture, you can see a plane flying far below us. That's because huge planes going across seas fly at 38000-41000 feet whereas most commercial flights stay at around 30000 feet. Incredible, huh? I think so anyway. I'm a loser, I know, but I just think clouds are so beautiful. You know that phrase "stop and smell the roses"? Well I think it should be "stop and look at the clouds." *Sigh*
Well, now that I can post my pictures, I'll write as quickly as possible so you don't have to wait very long. Yeah, so I'm off to write now, I hope to get pictures of Chartwell up by at least tomorrow. Goodbye!

Frustrations

2005-07-09T22:42:00.000-05:00

Ughh...my poor mother, the air conditioning isn't just leaking, it's pouring out water. We placed a pitcher under one of the leaks and it's almost full. Under the other leak we placed a pot, and that's almost full too. The floor is soaked, and the ceiling all around the place where it's leaking is really warped. What's so frustrating is that the lady that she bought the house from isn't cooperating and hasn't answered her phone. When my mom talked to her earlier, this lady acted like it wasn't a big deal...Anyway, it looks as if my mom is going to have to fix it. Hopefully she can rightfully demand the lady to pay for the cost of fixing it, but knowing this lady, she'll probably refuse. Gosh. Some people's kids.
Other than that, I found the software to load my pictures. I uploaded all 607 of them, and then Canon Zoombrowser decided to crash. The database is gone, and it's not letting me set up a new one. So then I thought I'd just uninstall the program and then reinstall it, but it says it can't uninstall it because it can't find the program which it uses. I've tried everything to fix it but nothing is working. Ughhhh. I'm so frustrated.

Up North

2005-07-09T14:30:00.000-05:00

Well I'm here in Phoenix and it's so nice to see my mom and Annie and Shodan. I've come to the conclusion that I should never become attached to dogs anymore. It seems I always have to split with them too early. The only dog that I've ever been with until the end is Comfort, Hope's grandpa and my first dog. Well, she was my mom's dog, but I was a little kid who loved to play with him and thus I got attached anyway. One year there was a monsoon thunderstorm with incredible winds that blew over our backyard fence, and he got away. I remember crying so hard and being the leader in posting Lost Dog signs all over the place. I made my mom and dad make the sign on the computer, make copies, and then take me with them to put up the signs. Sigh, well I digress. Anyway, it's good to be with Shodan again.
And as for these other two characters up here, I think they're doing a lot better. Annie can talk now after getting her tonsils removed, and she seems a lot happier too. My mom's crazy stressed about fixing up the place but all things considered she's doing great, and showing a lot of resilience. The house, well, it needs some working on, but my mom's got that all covered and the process is well underway. It's so refreshing to be up here with her and my shistor. And hey, it's nice to see the princess and the one-eyed monster again too. Oh! And I almost forgot, under the stairs they have a Harry Potter room! I told them I wanted to live under the stairs so I could be like Harry!
My mom is (as we speak) at the storage unit retrieving boxes that might contain the software I need to upload my pictures to the computer. So hopefully we'll be able to find what I need. I'll keep you updated.

But for now, as the French say it, au revoir!

The Beginning of The Incredible Journey

2005-07-07T03:15:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm back from Europe. I have so much to say, and so many pictures. The bad news is that I don't have the right software to upload my pictures. So I will have to wait to post them until I am able to get the software from my mom this weekend. Thus, you will have to wait to see them. I'm sorry. Trust me, I was really frustrated earlier, well, I guess last night. Anyway, I don't feel like posting too much about the trip because you can't see the pictures yet. So, sorry again.
Meanwhile, I'll post what I have already written, which isn't very much at all. It doesn't even get past the first day. Or through the first day. Oh well, I am only human. I'll write when I can. Here goes:

The trip was absolutely incredible, I couldn’t imagine it being better. Okay, so maybe if I wasn’t sick for the first week, it could have been better, but everything about the trip was as close to perfect as possible.
Because I have so much to write about, it’s going to take me a while to post everything about it. I probably won’t even post it all. I have hundreds of pictures and I can’t post them all, so if you want to see them all, you’ll have to come over and see them on my computer. Anyway, there was just so much that we did and so much to talk about that I could write about it for days. So bear with me as I slowly go through it all. But for now I will post as much as I have energy to do.
It began on the very first day on my flight from Tucson to Detroit. As we approached the Detroit airport, there was a mild thunderstorm, so we had to fly above the clouds. As cliche as it sounds, it was a whole new world up there. It’s not like I hadn’t flown above the clouds before, it’s just that for the first time I realized the beauty and intricacy of God’s creation. The beautiful white blanket of clouds below me was actually millions of water molecules forming together in one great mass.
How would you describe a cloud? White? Fluffy? Soft? Being the word-obsessed person that I am, I tried desperately to think of words to describe this beauty that lay right before my eyes. I couldn’t. I realized that some beauty is indescribable. There are just no words to do justice to God’s creation.
It was at this moment that I realized that I am more of a Romantic poet than I ever thought. For that matter, I realized that I am more of a poet than I ever thought I was. This sudden poetic intuition continued later on in the trip, but I’ll get to that in a little while.

Well, that's it for now. I'll move on to the real parts ASAP. Sorry guys. And by the way, I'm glad to be back...I missed you all.

No Clothes For Me

2005-06-21T21:39:00.000-05:00

Here I am sitting in Detroit...with no luggage. Thankfully I was smart enough to put my medicine in my carry-on. Yes, United Airlines lost my luggage. Not only did I not get my luggage, but half of the people on my flight didn't either. My explanation for the situation is this: Last minute in Chicago, there was a gate change; we moved from F4 to F7, and the people at F7 went to F4. Since some of the people on my plane got their luggage, I assume that they started to switch the luggage but didn't have enough time to get all of it. Thus, my luggage is either in Grand Rapids or Omaha. Hopefully it's in Grand Rapids, and hopefully I get it before I leave to Europe! Like I said, I have my medicine, and I also have my toothbrush and toothpaste, wallet, and passport...but no clothes. My shampoo and conditioner are in my suitcase, but fortunately I have deodorant.

I'll be okay, it's just...a really big inconvenience. Just pray that I'll get it before I leave for Europe.

Post about the flight over here forthcoming. I am tired and going to bed. It's three hours later here in Detroit.

Civic Duties, My Dreadful Mistake, Japan, and Moving

2005-06-14T12:33:00.000-05:00

So today at 7:00 AM I left to go to jury duty...not my time of day. Well, when I get there, I park in a parking lot where you have to put money into the slot that says the number of the spot in which you parked. Well...just in case, I put $6 into the slot for all day parking. Then, I walked to my car again and saw that it really said 16 and not 18! Dumb old painted numbers! I wasted $6 dollars (all ones, mind you, because I had no coins) and had to put $6 more into slot number 16! The only problem was that after using all my ones, I didn't have enough to put into slot 16...*sigh*, only to find out later that I had a $5 bill and could have saved 5 of my ones. Oh, I felt so ridiculously stupid. My worst blonde moment that I can remember, but thankfully I don't have them very often.
Well, God has His way of making things better. I would have had to serve in a criminal case, but the suspect came in this morning and plead guilty, so I was excused at 9:00. It was nice. Now I can go to work and make more money...I guess I could stay home, but I think it would only be honest if I go in.
This week in my spare time (not too much), I have to move to my dad's. We have to be out of here by the end of the month, and since I won't be here from the 21st to July 5th, I have to be out by next Monday. I hate moving.
Well, my brother got accepted to a study abroad program at Wasaeda (sp.?) University in Japan (Hooray!). Because I will soon be in Michigan and Stephen will be in Japan, my mother has no reason to stay in Tucson. Thus, she is going to move up to Tempe to take care of my sister, since it seems her health is not so well. So life here at Shenandoah is very chaotic indeed. To make it worse, I'll be in Europe and Stephen will be in California at a huge Anime thing called Anime Expo when my mom has to move, so she's not going to have any help. I'm sure she'll find someone, but not having us here is going to make things difficult for her.

Miscellaneous

2005-06-10T13:15:00.000-05:00

Wednesday I worked mostly with the preschoolers. As crazy as they are, I prefer working with them over the two-year olds. I got to spend a little time with the ones, but little Greg's father picked him up like 5 minutes after I transfered to the ones. I was sad, but oh well. I spent the rest of the time bleaching a trail of ants that had worked their way into the room. What fun.
Wednesday night, I got really sick. I think it was food poisoning from On the Border, but Mark maintains that I got sick from him, even though he wasn't throwing up. I suppose it could be either. I don't really care. Anyway, I couldn't get to sleep because I knew I had to throw up, so I kept dozing off, but couldn't really sleep. Then at like 12:30 I finally threw up...a lot. I'll spare you the details. I drank some soda and took some pepto bismal (gross) and tried to sleep again, but failed. Then at appx. 1:15 I threw up again...a lot. But it was pink because of the pepto bismal. Anyway I called in sick to work because I still felt nauseous (had to spellcheck that one).
Last night I felt a little better, and I had to run a very quick errand to the mall, so Mark drove me in case I passed out. We wouldn't want that to happen while I was driving....Anyway, we walked through Borders and we both reserved a copy of the new Harry Potter book!! YAY!!! I'm so excited! at 0:00 on July 16 we can go get our Harry Potter books! I'm thrilled! Anyone who wants to buy the book should do it now, because you get it for $17.99 instead of $28.99 which is how much it will be when it comes out. Oh and I forgot if you reserve it and come to the midnight party at Borders you can get 25% off another item! I can't wait!
I feel better today. I went to breakfast with Kristen and now am relieved to have seen her before she leaves. Then I went to get my emissions tested and I passed. Hooray! I was really scared that I wouldn't pass. But I did. I am now anxiously awaiting 11:30 so I can leave for work. Hopefully I can work with the ones! We'll see. Have a fantastic day everyone!

The Second Day

2005-06-07T21:54:00.000-05:00

Well today I worked with the ones and twos. The one year old's teacher is a little older than all of my other co-workers, and a little wierder. While the kids were sleeping, she was decorating her bulletin boards and making so much noise...she woke up like three or four kids by rummaging through all her cupboards, rustling a lot of paper, stapling things to the wall, etc...
The two year olds are a lot more work. Not to mention that there are more of them. They went absolutely crazy. This one kid Ian seriously didn't listen to ANY directions...from anyone. There were these twins named Anaya and Rose and they looked a lot like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen when they played Michelle on Full House...big blue-green eyes and the facial structure. They look a lot like her. Only they are hispanic, so they're darker.
Anyway, it was a good day. I like the kids, and the kids are what make it worth it.

My First Day at Work

2005-06-06T23:04:00.000-05:00

So I started work today for the Tucson Women and Children's Center. My shift is Monday-Friday, 12:00-6:00. The good part is...I can stay up late and sleep in. The bad news is I get there right when the kids have just been put down to sleep.
Today I worked just with the one year olds. They slept for a long time, so now I'll know to bring a book :). There were only 8 kids today, and they all were really accepting of me...which was a relief, because I feared that they wouldn't. There was this one little boy, Greg, who really liked me. He is so adorable. You know Nicky and Alex from Full House? He looks almost exactly like them...except with thinner hair. The rest of the kids were pretty friendly, but Greg is definitely my favorite. The people I work with are rather intimidating, but at the same time they seem nice. Most of them I really didn't talk to. I'm sure I'll have a better conclusion as time passes.
Anyway...that was just a quick update, so, I'll see you soon.

It's Been A While

2005-06-05T17:38:00.000-05:00

Well, graduation is over. Senior trip is over. Yet it still hasn't hit me. I have a feeling that it will hit me only when I have to say good bye to my best friends.

But on a happier note, here are quite a few pictures form graduation and senior trip. I just couldn't seem to narrow them down. Sorry about that...it's just I'm very much a picture person...well, here you go:

2005-06-05T17:36:00.000-05:00

Hotel del Sol

2005-06-05T17:33:00.000-05:00

Quite a strange table indeed...

2005-06-05T17:31:00.000-05:00

Me and Mark on that long walk

2005-06-05T17:29:00.000-05:00

Silly girls

2005-06-05T17:28:00.000-05:00

Advertising for Dreyer's

2005-06-05T17:27:00.000-05:00

We are some cool kids!

2005-06-05T17:25:00.000-05:00

Andrea and Allie, waiting in line for Indiana Jones

2005-06-05T17:23:00.000-05:00

Adorable Clara

2005-06-05T17:21:00.000-05:00

I really like this picture of Allie...

2005-06-05T16:49:00.001-05:00

Sisters

2005-06-05T16:49:00.000-05:00

My sister and brother and me

2005-06-05T16:47:00.000-05:00

Isaac, Mark and me

2005-06-05T16:46:00.001-05:00

Mark and me

2005-06-05T16:46:00.000-05:00

Hannah and me

2005-06-05T16:45:00.000-05:00

Darren, Eric, Allie, and me after graduation

2005-06-05T16:44:00.000-05:00

Darren and me after graduation

A Pensive Moment

2005-05-17T19:25:00.000-05:00

I feel like it's time for a new post, but I don't know what to write about.

I finally was able to give my senior expo presentation today! Ughh, it took me so long to have the health and strength to do it, even though I was ready to do it weeks ago. Yet even though I feel so much better, I was standing up there today and I felt low blood sugar and my vision started shaking, so I lost my train of thought a few times...oh well. Persevere through tribulation, right?

Anyway, yearbook signing has made me really start to realize how much I'm going to miss my friends. Oh, it makes me sigh. I just want to tell you all I love you. I hope with all my heart that we all stay in touch...really and sincerely I do. But the reality of that happening is really slim, and it's hard to come to terms with that. Oh gosh guys, I'll miss you.

Just an update

2005-05-09T17:42:00.000-05:00

Hey. I just felt like I should update my blog. Or maybe I just want to procrastinate doing my homework. I have so much to do this week: Christian Living interviews, both budgets, read Peace Like A River, and do my scrapbook! Any spare time will be dedicated to verses. Ahh, the life of procrastination. Then over the weekend I have to relearn all my verses. Oh well. It's my fault.

As far as my health goes, I think I'm doing better. I have a headache right now, so hopefully it doesn't turn into a migraine. I took advil already so it may catch it, but we'll see. I really can't miss school tomorrow. I think that I'm finally adjusted to my medicine to a point where I'm not so emotional. I'm sure Mark is happy for that. I'm still underweight, and as Allie saw today, my shorts are too big for me, but I feel fine, and I am getting better. I have a whole lot of bug bites, but other than that I'm doing okay.

What else? Yesterday I finished my 1984 journal and my When, Where, Why essay and together they equaled around 7600 words. I was okay after I finished them, because it was only 11:00? Maybe? Anyway, then my printer was being incredibly stupid so it took until 1:00 for me to finally get them printed. Then I had the great idea of reading for English, because I amost always read before going to bed. Needless to say, I was up much later than I should have been, which results in my tiredness (is that a word?) today.

I'm really excited because I get to go to P.F Changs tonight with my uncle and my mother (maybe Stephen?). It's my graduation dinner from my uncle...yummy Chinese food....

Sorry this post was kinda boring. I just wanted to tell you all what's going on.

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

2005-05-03T22:29:00.000-05:00

So here I am sitting on the phone waiting to talk to an expedia.com representative because I received an email titled URGENT FLIGHT SCHEDULE CHANGE which told me that I needed to contact them immediately....Okay, so now I'm not waiting for them anymore and things are okay, but that's not really what I came to write about anyway.

Along with Stacey's pot about finishing strong, I feel motivated to write how I feel about this ending too. In the words of Jack Johnson, I think we're all "sitting, waiting, wishing" rather than doing anything about it.

We sit. We complain about homework, we talk about how we have procrastinated, yet we don't do anything about it. So we sit some more. We sit waiting for the motivation to do homework to magically arise within us, but we don't do anything until it's absolutely necessary.

We wait. We wait for graduation, for the party afterwards (cheers to no drinking:-D), for senior trip, etc... but we don't live in the present.

We wish. We wish we were done already, we wish there was no school left, we wish it was the last week already. We wish we could go on senior trip now.

All said and written, I have no conclusion for this really...just to express my feelings. I guess...we're just forgetting to live for the present. Graduation will come soon enough...why rush?

PS-- I'm mainly talking about myself. I just used we to be generic.

God's hand, A New Conspiracy, Thespian Night, and A Better Thumb

2005-04-29T01:02:00.000-05:00

So a lot happened today. I'll start with what happened when I was on my way to school: So, I'm driving North, towards Speedway, on Camino Seco at like 39 mph (35 speed limit). Anyway, this Sahuaro student in this red car is trying to turn left (South) on to Camino Seco to get to school...she was late. Seriously, I'm approching the street where she's turning from, watching the cars going south clearing so she could turn, everything was okay, except she forgot to look my way! I was watching her (I think God just told me she was going to go anyway) and she didn't look in my direction at all. Since somehow I had the feeling she was going to go (Again I think it was a God thing), I had let my foot off the gas, and then she just went for it. I slammed on my brakes and honked the most I've ever honked. Seriously, absolutely no exaggeration, we came within 3-5 inches of each other. It was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me while driving. It was completely miraculous. There was absolutely no reason that I should not have hit her. She could have been seriously injured or dead (I would have hit the driver's seat door). I was wearing my seat belt, but I probably would have been injured with like a broken foot or something. It was amazing. Thank God for watching over me. I seriously have never felt the presence of my guardian angel so tangibly. God is amazing. I encourage you to thank him continually for His hand on your life.

Today we (or rather the rest of the newspaper people) finished printing our last copy of The Conspiracy. Hooray! We're done. It's out on time and now all I need to do is give my presentation and I'm done! I turned my portfolio in today, and I am actually really proud of it. I feel like I have accomplished something. Anyway, the new Conspiracy has all the senior info on it for where they'll be next year, so you'll want to make sure you get a copy.

Tonight was Thespian Awards Night. It was so much fun. All the numbers besides Steam Heat were really rusty so it was hilarious to watch them make mistakes and have fun with trying to make it up. Bryce and Megan doing "I'll Never Be Jealous Again" was just incredible. Megan Lamb is so funny. I love her. Ms. Simon kept on forgetting things and Isaac and I kept screwing up and everyone was laughing and just having a good time. And Ms. Simon did something really funny when she was talking about Allie, but you'll have to hear the story because writing it won't do it any justice.

I almost cried when Ms. Simon was talking about me, but I didn't. I figure that if I cry now, I'll bawl at graduation...and that wouldn't be very fun. So I tried hard to stop and it worked. After it was over Allie and I didn't want to leave because we knew that once we left, that was it...that was it. *Sigh*....how bittersweet. Isaac, Kyle L., Allie and I all made toasts and it was just really fun but reflective. I'm sad it's over.

On a happier note, I believe my thumb is improving. Today in Advanced Biology I saw a little red prick in the center of the area that's bothering me, so I thought that maybe whatever I got stung or bit with or whatever it is might be surfacing and coming out. But then I didn't see it at all again, and it's not there right now. I can feel it still in there though, so maybe it will come out tomorrow. Whatever it is, it's really drying out my thumb. I know that sounds weird, but my thumb is all white and crackly and...dry. Well, in any case, I can use it a lot more than I could, and it doesn't hurt at much, so it is getting better.

Well this is getting really long, and you're probably all bored now, but today was just crazy and fun and I saw God in action. It was an amazing day.

A Fat Thumb

2005-04-26T18:50:00.000-05:00

So Sunday morning I woke up and my thumb was throbbing. It was all fat and swollen, and even worse...I couldn't bend it or exert any pressure on it. I have no idea what happened, because it wasn't at all like that on Saturday night, so it had to have happened while I was asleep. I think I may have been bit by a spider or something like that. There is this, hard, elevated, red bump in the middle of my thumb. It's really weird. And two days later, it's still like it was! *Sigh*

ANyway, I've learned to appreciate life with two thumbs. It's really difficult to do things with only one thumb: fold laundry, take a shower, put up your hair, carry two things at once, etc... Oh, and I forgot to mention it shakes too.

So today my new article came out in The Tucson Citizen. Something really cool happened last Tuesday when I turned it in...Billie Stanton liked my article(s) so much that she and Mark (Kimble) offered me another column. I felt really honored. So this article isn't actually my last one like I thought it was going to be, but my last one will come out on May 24 I think.

So anyway, if you want to read it, go here: http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=opinion&story_id=042605b5_teendonna

Until Next Monday

2005-04-17T21:07:00.000-05:00

So I can't type. It took me four times to type that title correctly...*sigh*

I've come to say goodbye for now. I'll be back in a week. I'm going to be engaged in another world. A world in which there is no internet. No radio. No TV. No email. No IM or blogging. Just the phone to set up in person meetings. REAL fellowship. REAL conversations. Writing on PAPER...wow. Thank goodness I could scrounge up enough money to buy my new journal. Otherwise...I might die from not writing. Or I might be smart enough to go buy one. But I did already, so I don't need to worry about it! Hooray!

Hopefully this time will be spent meaningfully. I hope God teaches me something fascinating. I'm sure He will. I also hope to spend some quality time with my friends and family...in person. The media fast itself is not so challenging for me. It's easy for me to not listen to the radio or go online or watch TV or movies. It's hard for me to be disciplined enough to really sit down and take advantage of the time I have and use it to develop my relationship with God. That's the challenge, and I'm ready for it.

Until next Monday, then. Goodbye.

Temporary solution

2005-04-17T15:22:00.000-05:00

I went to Walgreens and bought a $3.99 composition book. It will hold off for a while.

Writing in a trance

2005-04-16T23:15:00.000-05:00

I went to go see Dear Frankie with Darren. It was an amazing movie, but it put me in this trance. I haven't felt like this in a long time. I don't know how to describe it. I came out of the movie speechless. There was nothing I could say. Darren couldn't say anything either, but I think he got over it. I still haven't. As I drove to eat at AZPCO to meet Darren...it's like I was driving unconsciously...however unsafe that may be. I knew I was driving, but I didn't feel like I was. As I sat at AZPCO while Darren was talking on the phone to Katie, I was in another world. Then I heard my name and I kind of snapped out of it for the rest of dinner. But as soon as we finished eating, it came back and hit me. I don't know what's going on. I wish I had words to describe it. How I feel: lonely, distant, sad, strange, hopeful, touched, quieted, serious, pensive, hurt, longing for something but I don't know what. But even these words don't really describe it...sorry, I tried.

I feel all grown up. I don't feel any childishness in my body. Like something happened...like I just woke up from a coma and I have no idea what's going on.

I miss Mark.

Sorry to bear my soul out to you. I've found this blog has captured me. Anyone who knows me knows I am a writer. It's so much easier to express myself in writing than anything else. Writing is liberating. As I don't have enough money even to afford the 6.99 journal at Target, this will have to do for now. I have to write.

I think I'm going to page through a dictionary now. If I find a word to describe how I feel, I'll let you know.

Depravity of man

2005-04-16T02:59:00.000-05:00

So Hannah and I just watched the most depressing movie I have seen in a long time...Blow. It's based on a true story about a college kid who gets hooked on pot, it leads to cocaine, and well...it goes on from there.

I don't understand why some people choose to live their lives that way. It's completely and utterly depressing. Hopeless. Pathetic. It's hard to write this because if for some reason someone wants to see the movie, I don't want to ruin it for them, but at the same time...I want to express my feelings. I just don't know how a person, after seeing all the bad things that alcohol/drugs can do to his life, continue making the same dumb choices. It' s extremely illogical.

Here we go:
"So in the end, was it worth it? Jesus Christ. How irreparably changed my life has become. It's always the last days of summer and I've been left out in the cold with no door to get back in. I'll grant you I've had more than my share of poignant moments. Life passes most people by when they're busy making grand plans for it. Throughout my lifetime I've left pieces of my heart here and there. And now, there's almost barely enough to stay alive. But I force a smile, knowing that my ambition far exceeded my talent. There are no more white horses or pretty ladies at my door."

Tell me if that kind of life is worth living. I can't imagine. Hannah, can you imagine being his daughter and watching that movie when it came out in 2001? Wow. I want to cry for humanity because of the fact that this is a true story. And there are other people who live like this...people our age even who are on their way to starting this kind of life. But I can't cry, I'm too depressed. It was an extremely draining movie. Maybe for some people it wasn't, and still might not be; but for me, I take it to heart.

Lord help me (in all sincerity) if I ever make choices like his.

Ahh...futility

2005-04-15T17:18:00.000-05:00

So going to school today was completely pointless. I say 75% of our class is gone to Catalina...so 1,2,3,4 of my classes were either optional or nonexistent. Oh, but lucky for me Mr. O'Hair was kind enough to give the three of us who were there an extra journal...which I desperately need, so I was grateful for that. And Mrs. Monroe needed me to watch Iain (pronounced Ian for those of you who don't know him...or how to spell his name correctly) during 5th so I'm glad it wasn't completely useless. Oh, but Iain is getting so heavy...my arms are killing me.

But it was fun. Since I didn't have a 3rd or 4th I signed out with Hannah, Ben, and Darren...who were basically ditching their 3rd periods to go to the Speedway/Wilmot plaza and hang out in that golf store (I don't know what it's called) and then go get ice cream at The Yogurt Station. It was fun. Then we came back for chapel...which was not so great--> I think the speaker got thrown off that his DVD's wouldn't play. Oh well. Then I watched Iain and came home.

Futility.

Inspiration from Mark

2005-04-14T23:08:00.000-05:00

Upon inspiration from Mark, I decided to compile a list of my favorite albums of all time also. Here it is (minus the albums I probably forgot about) in no order except how it popped into my head.

Newer:
1. Five Iron Frenzy- The End is Near
2. Relient K- Mmhmm
3. Jack Johnson- In Between Dreams
4. Dashboard Confessional- A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar
5. Spider-man 2 soundtrack (DC, Yellowcard, Jet, Taking Back Sunday, Midtown)
6. Switchfoot- The Beautiful Letdown
7. Coldplay- A Rush of Blood to the Head
8. Green Day- International Superhits!
9. Ben Folds- Rockin' the Suburbs
10. MxPx- Let it Happen

Older:
1. Chicago- Chicago's Greatist Hits
2. The Beatles- One
3. Simon & Garfunkel- Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
4. The Police- Every Breath You Take
5. Elton John- Greatest Hits
6. Supertramp- Breakfast in America (I don't have The Very Best of)
7. The Who- Greatest Hits
8. Paul McCartney- All the Best
9. Boston- I can't find the CD
10. Dire Straits- Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of

And now for my top ten favorite bands ever:
1. Relient K
2. Dashboard Confessional
3. Five Iron Frenzy
4. Simon and Garfunkel
5. Ben Folds
6. The Beatles/Paul McCartney (I'm counting them as one)
7. Supertramp
8. MxPx
9. Green Day
10. Jack Johnson

And now, to differ from Mark's post, my top ten favorite songs ever:
1. On Distant Shores- Five Iron Frenzy
2. Vindicated- Dashboard Confessional
3. Let That Be Enough- Switchfoot
4. Love Song for a Savior- Jars of Clay (ex. of album I forgot...shoot)
5. The Luckiest- Ben Folds
6. The Elephant Medley- Moulin Rouge Soundtrack
7. The Logical Song- Supertramp
8. I So Hate Consequences- Relient K
9. Be My Escape- Relient K
10. Let it Happen- MxPx

Remember these aren't really in any order.

Clarification on depakote

2005-04-13T23:15:00.000-05:00

I just realized I never really told you what Depakote is. They used it on me as a mood stabilizer to aid the Effexor, and now I'm off of it which is why I've been so emotional. It's like...my version of PMS. I have been blessed with not getting PMS or anything like that...but, from what I can tell, my situation is like a prolonged extra emotionally crazy PMS. Sorry to have to use that for an example...but it's the only comparable thing I can think of.

Still being sick...and general update

2005-04-13T23:10:00.000-05:00

So I'm not adjusting very well to being off Depakote. I've been really...overemotional. It's really hard too because it's not something I can really control. Not to mention ear infections and a sinus infection...plus a migraine earlier today too. And now I can't sleep.

Sometimes I feel like asking, "When is this going to stop?" But, I really feel like God is trying to teach me something. I just don't know what. I wish I could just clear my mind so as to only hear God's voice...not mine, not Satan's....just God's.*Sigh*

I've missed a ton of school. Luckily I get good grades so they'll still let me graduate...but I have 17 absences in Advanced Biology, 15 in calculus, and I'm not sure about the others. Hopefully I'll still be able to get enough journals in Christian Living to get an A, but for some reason I feel like that is unlikely. Maybe an A-...we will see. I think maybe what I'm learning is just to put everything into God's hands. I have a natural tendency to worry...and it doesn't do anything for me. I just have to keep telling myself that it's all in God's hands.

I'm worried about finances too. It looks like I may not have enough money to go on senior trip. But if we can get refunded for Catalina, I think we can swing it (we meaning my mom and me). But again...it's all in God's hands. It's so frustrating to not be in control of anything in your life. Oh well.

In conclusion, I'd like to end with this: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil. 4:13

Mixed Feelings

2005-03-30T23:31:00.000-05:00

So I suppose it's time I tell you all. Over spring break I went to the doctor, and got diagnosed with a form of epilepsy. It isn't as bad as Isaac's, but bad enough to where I need to take medicine. Anyway...at that time I was taking Effexor (my antidepressant) and Depakote (aid to Effexor). Well depakote doesn't work well with Lamictal, my new epilepsy medicine, so they took me off of depakote. So basically...I've been going through withdrawal. It's why I haven't been at school this week.

It feels kinda nice to finally have this diagnosed. My last neurologist wouldn't really do anything for me, so it's kinda relieving to have a doctor who's willing to put me on meds if I need them. At the same time, its kinda scary. My body has to adjust to new meds really quickly and I'm still feeling a little weird without depakote. Poor Isaac...I know half of what he feels now. If you could just pray for me (and Isaac) I'd appreciate it a lot.

Playing Edith

2005-03-19T02:29:00.000-05:00

So I'm halfway done with the performances for the play. It's been an experience. The first two plays went really well, and the third was okay. Costume changes are so stressful...we have like 30 seconds to do it all. We have to move around a dangerous set in pitch black...*oh my poor knee*. Tonight before the Hannukah scene I ran into the stove and it was SOOOOO loud. I broke two things off the stove I hit it so hard. Then one of the pieces got stuck on my foot and just kept making more noise. It was awful...but it turned out okay. It's been really emotional...crying 4 times in each performance...it's tough. I'm exhausted, but thankfully starting Monday I can sleep in for a week! I'm so excited.

To everyone who came to the play and is still to come, thank you. It means a lot.

Conforming

2005-03-15T01:11:00.000-05:00

Conforming to the trend, I too have started a blog. It's all Hannah's fault...I had to post on her P&P comment and I had to be a user to do so...thanks Hannah. No I'm just kidding...well, I'm not, but it'll be fun. ANd like she said...it may be good for keeping in touch during college.