Sappy and Sentimental

There are so many nice, cozy home things to enjoy. Even the way home smells is comforting. There are puppy-wuppies to snuggle with, family to talk to, snacks that do not consist wholly of wheat. Even with the latter, however, I think I've managed to eat too much over the past week and a half. A benefit of occasionally disgusting caf food is that you don't eat as much. But when you like every meal that is prepared and all of the food that is available for munching... well, let's just say I should start exercising better self-control.

Today is New Year's Eve. 2008 is almost over. I'm an incredibly sentimental person, and I must admit quite a bit of sadness at the close of this year. So many milestones. My wonderfully relaxing last semester of high school was this year. I turned eighteen and got my first job (after a roller coaster-like five months of looking). And the last four months have been some of the most wonderful ones of my life. TAC and I are a perfect fit. I can't help feeling, however, that a phase of my life is over and a new one has begun. It's like a Great Hand turned the page in my life book. It feels fresh and clean and full of potential... but there's a part of me that wants to go back. The years only seem to go faster the older I get. I want to savor every moment that is given to me to hold.

What will 2009 hold? A few givens - more classes, homework, dancing, finals, job hunting, summer break, Ptolemy, more finals - but how they will come about is always a mystery. There is an enormous range or circumstances which can surround each event. Who knows what will be put on my plate? I can guarantee, however, that it will be an adventure!

Engaging the Brain

One of the nicest, but simultaneously worst, things about vacation is having nothing to do. At all. Nothing. It's nice for a couple of days, but then, in all honesty, it becomes quite boring. Your brain stops functioning and your body becomes a lethargic blob. Yes, you can clean the house for your mother, but that doesn't occupy the brain either. It's mellow work which serves well when you're brain dead from studying, but you can't consider it a mental work out in any way, shape, or form.

This morning, I turned on my brain for the first time since last Friday. And it felt wonderfully good. I spent four hours working out algebra problems which stretched my brain. Just as stretching a muscle which hasn't been stretched in months is painful, algebra smarts quite a bit when you haven't done it since 8th grade. It is a stretch that is mandatory for school, but also quite enjoyable once you get a bit loosened up. I'll be doing quite a bit more of it over the next two weeks, but that is something I'm looking forward to. Call me crazy, but I'm learning to love it. :)

Irony at its best

Here I am, posting, when there is nothing of import to post about. Nothing of even slight import. Things are boring around here, which is wonderful, but not very interesting reading material. If anyone still reads this, which is unlikely.

Last night we went to a family friend's for supper and today we're going to go visit my babies! They won't recognize me, I'm sure, which is incredibly sad. But we'll go regardless. Maybe I can get them to warm up to me. I'm frequently incredibly fortunate in that respect. hmmmmm

Me Be Very Happy

I am home!!! and have gone slightly insane. Outbursts of maniacal giggling happened at random intervals last night in the car on the way back from the train station.

My first finals week was insane. I had my theology final on Monday which wasn't too bad, being open book. In all honesty, it was actually really enjoyable. This was probably because I could actually finish making a point without getting interrupted halfway through.

Tuesday, my section and our sister section had our lab final. This was one I freaked out about. I spent about 18 hours studying for it at the end of which I decided I was a pumpkin. Don't ask me why. I have absolutely no idea.

Wednesday I worked myself up into a frazzled knot about our one oral final, which was for seminar. But it wasn't anything to worry about. All it was was a twenty minute conversation with my tutor about what I thought. It was all my opinion. And again, no one to interrupt me besides the tutor.

I didn't have a final on Thursday, but I spent all day prepping for my philosophy final on Friday. Besides lab, it was the one that scared me most. Aristotle is amazingly wonderful and simple, but his wonderful simplicity is rather daunting to reiterate in your own words.

But after our final on Friday, people were happy. People were running around, skipping, hugging, and generally rejoicing that the semester was over. It had been a crazy week, which I thought would never end, but then it did.

One semester (four finals) down, seven semesters (thirty-eight finals) to go!

when it rains...

...it pours. two posts in two days. what a concept. :)

I have my paper done, my theology, philosophy, seminar, language, and most of my math homework done. And it's only Saturday afternoon. It's a wonderful feeling, but slightly strange. There isn't anything hanging over my head, but it feels like there should be.

We went to a funeral this morning. It was very lovely. There were an incredible amount of people involved: the Bishop concelebrated with Fr. Louis and then there were another eight priests there, there were ten or so altar servers, the schola sang and the church where it was held was absolutely full. The whole thing was just awesomely beautiful.

The Christmas tree is up and decorated. This is because I'm not done with finals until seven days before Christmas and probably won't manage to get home until a day or two later. So, since they wanted to do it with me rather than without me, it went up the day after Thanksgiving. All of the other decorations are out as well, along with the music. It doesn't really feel very Christmasy, in spite of it all. I suppose it will more when I get back from my first semester!

Which is when I will write again, probably. So, until then, God bless!

whoops

I kinda forgot this thing existed. So, if any of you are inordinately patient and are still out there, I sincerely apologize.

What have I been doing since the beginning of October? Everything! Well, maybe not everything, but life has definitely been whirlwind chock full of firsts. I've gotten my grades back from my bug project, my first paper returned, first formal dance, first this, first that...

Some weeks are mellow and some weeks feel surreal. It seems like they decide, every once in a while, to pile an impossible amount of things on top of us at once. Those weekends are painful, but there's always time for fun. Even if they're just little moments on my way to class or at meals, they make me smile and carry me through the day.

I'm home for Thanksgiving... unlimited internet access is a nice treat, but I'm thankful I don't have it at school. A lack of wi-fi forces me to be consistently and efficiently productive.

But more about school. There are days I want to cry and days when I maniacally giggle frequently. Days when I can't focus in class and days when I can't stop talking. Days when two hours of work study flies by and days when I can feel every single minute dragging by. Days when I just throw on comfy clothes and days when I feel somewhat put together. Days when I leap out of bed with a smile and days when I roll out with a groan. But I'm happy. Really, truly, sincerely happy. I've got wonderful new friends who are learning about the Natural Faculties and Interpretation right alongside me.

I don't know when I'll post again... maybe Christmas break. Finals are right around the corner and there's a dance in between. Time certainly flies...

If people are out there, I'll talk to you soon. If not... well, it wouldn't be the first time I've talked without someone listening. :)

TGIF!!!

It's FRIDAY!!! Isn't that exciting??? And I have Monday off!!!!!! whoopie!!!!!

But I can't be entirely happy, though. A little girl who is very close to me is terribly, terribly ill and desperately needs a miracle to get better. Please pray for her and for her family.

Story Time

I was sitting at a table in the commons eating brunch with a group of 6 or 7 people, but this story only concerns three of us, so we will be the only ones mentioned. The reactions of everyone else I will leave to your imaginations. :)

Mama Goose: (gets up to leave and addresses me) "Don't you dare go anywhere, 'cause I'm coming right back."
Me: (my mouth full of food) *nods head in assent*
Mama Goose gets about five steps away
Silly Junior Boy: "I'll steal her away!"
Mama Goose turns around
Me: (laughs) "Don't worry, I'm not leaving."
Mama Goose leaves
Silly Junior Boy gets up, grabs me by the arm and starts pulling me away.
I comply.
We scurry across the commons and hide around a corner
Silly Junior Boy: "Alright, missy, what shall we do now?"
Me: "I don't know, you're the one who kidnapped me."
Silly Junior Boy: "Ok.... how about a night on the town?"
Me: "Ummmm, ok..... works for me."
Silly Junior Boy: "Or a hot chocolate from the coffee shop?"
Me: (grin really big) "Sounds even better."

Three minutes later, Mama Goose hasn't come back and discovered I'm gone

Silly Junior Boy: "Well, I guess we'd better go" (holds out his arm)
I take his arm and we begin to walk across the commons. We get about halfway across when he realizes that since we're not at a dance, the physical contact would be construed as PDA. We drop arms and he ushers me (without touching me) back to my seat.

The End. :D

Dancing!

One of the primary sources of amusement around here is the frequent dances that go on. As freshmen, many of the dances are put on in our honor. The freshmen/sophomore dance was two weeks ago and the freshman/senior one was last night. I'll give you a little account (and a couple of pictures) from both. :)

The theme of Indians and Pilgrims prevailed at the first dance. The sophomore were all decked out in feathers and war paint welcoming the freshmen pilgrims into the "New World" of TAC. The sophomores lively and exuberant attitude made for a fun-filled evening. It was a crazy, loud, happy occasion for everyone involved. Different techniques were employed to 1) get everyone dancing and 2) to get the freshmen dancing with the sophomores. One of the most wonderful aspects of the TAC dances is that everyone dances with everyone else. No one is excluded and the atmosphere is very welcoming to all involved.

The second dance had a more formal theme: 1930s Hollywood Mystery Night. The food that was served was absolutely smashing; the seniors definitely pulled out all of the stops. The lighting was exquisite, the music was well chosen and the decorations were lovely. I had no idea one could make a parking lot look so appealing. :D And while the dance was not quite so exciting and energetic, it was still very, very fun. The more mature seniors added an element of sanity and, well, maturity to the atmosphere.

But here are a couple of pictures for you all to enjoy!

Is Anybody Out There?

If anyone is, I must commend you on your patience. I haven't gotten around to any posting in weeks - Euclid and Homer have seen to that :D

But I'm loving it here! In addition to the academic rigors of college life, the social aspects make it vastly entertaining. The girls are all sweethearts, the boys are very.... um.... amusing, and the general atmosphere lend to frequent hilarity. I'm going to take advantage of the fact that I actually have some time today to post and give you some pictures.




The first one is from our tug of war and mud fight afternoon. The freshmen dominated (as usual) the tug of war and were very spirited in the mud flinging that followed.

The second is from our freshman games, and I believe he is consuming a live goldfish. :)

It's amazing here.... but part of that amazingness comes from the fact that it is so focused on Catholicism and academics. And speaking of academics, I'd better get back to my Homer...

until next time!

Last Things

In 48 hours, I will be on my college campus. I will be spending my first night in my first dorm room with my first roommate (besides my sister, of course). I will have said goodbye to my parents and brother and will not see them until Halloween.

I'm mostly packed, but there are still a few important odds and ends to collect from their nooks and crannies where they have been residing for years. I have a fairly reasonably-sized pile of things in the living room. It's organized and I have written down where everything is, for easy access later. I'll be taking the back bench out of the van tomorrow, so the stuff will fit easily and nicely in for the trip up.

And I have begun to make a small dent in the list of people that I have to say goodbye too. No, actually, it's a fairly sizable chunk, but that doesn't make the remaining ones any easier. One of the hardest goodbyes, in all honesty (and this is going to sound terrible) is my doggies. Despite their silliness, I really do love them both. I'll miss Sam's snuggles in the morning and Wanda's snoring while she begs for food. I have said goodbye to my sister's schoolmates, who have really been my primary social circle during the last year. My Godsister was also at that party, along with her husband and very little baby boy. I have not yet said goodbye to the homeschool circle, but I hope to manage to tomorrow. I said my goodbyes to the work crowd last Friday and the choir on Sunday.

But I'll be back home before I know it I suppose. Thanksgiving is only a few months away and shortly after that is Christmas. Then there is the Easter holiday and then it shall be summer again. I'm not dying or anything :D

Visiting

Ever since Friday we have had house guests. My mother's sister, brother-in-law, and their two small children have been visiting.

We went to the beach and out to dinner on Saturday, went swimming in our pool and out for a picnic dinner on Sunday. It has been fun, but tiring. I woke up with a terrible cold this morning and am feeling rather blahhhhhh. But here are some pictures :)

One last time

It's my last day off. I'll never have a day off again. That's because my last day of work is Friday and then I'm done. Then the days when I don't work will not be days off, in the strictest sense. :D

My aunt and uncle will be arriving either today or tomorrow with my little cousins. It will definitely be an adventure. hee hee

This was funny...

During the encampment parade, Echo Flight (all girls) was marching just in front of Foxtrot Flight. One of the girls lost her shoe and scurried back, right through the middle of Foxtrot. I happened to catch it on camera :)

Encampment Graduation!!!

My brother can't talk at all, but he survived. He can make a tight rack, roll smiley face socks, and roll a shirt so it isn't a dead fish. He has discovered that he is capable of getting up at 0600 hours and only taking the time to put on his shoes before participating in PT. He can eat without taking his eyes off his plate and pivot his corners while drilling. For eight days, he was yelled, growled, and scowled at. He had his rack "flipped" when it wasn't acceptable, clothes thrown out of drawers when they didn't meet encampment standards.

But he also learned that drinking two Dr. Peppers in an hour makes him extremely hyper. And that at encampment dances, girls are scarce and must be searched for. He can do more pushups now, and flexing his arms produces a startling buff result. And he also discovered the value of a familiar face. One particular staff member was shouting and kicking things in his frustration, and my brother didn't care, because he recognized the guy.

He graduated yesterday with grand ceremony. Here's a picture of Foxtrot Flight:

The Agenda

Things are probably going to get crazy busy here over the next few days or weeks. So, if I don't blog much, here's a list of reasons why I'm not around:

- We're leaving in the morning to pick up my encamped brother from Camp SLO and will be gone until Saturday night
- I have my last six shifts at work Sunday through Friday (yesssss!!!!!!)
- My aunt, uncle, and two young cousins will be visiting the area from the 13th to the 18th
- I'm leaving in 14 days for TAC
- I need to pack for said college
- I need to say goodbye to all of my good friends that I'm leaving behind for said college
- i want to read the first five books of the Iliad again before I get to school

It's all fun and sentimental stuff, that I will definitely enjoy doing. I dislike saying goodbye, but I do enjoy the visiting that proceeds it. Car trips are not a favorite of mine, but the destination is supposed to be gorgeous. Work does have its pluses, even if I can't tell what they are while there. I'm stoked for school and everything that goes along with that. But it might make me superbly busy and incapable of blogging in a comprehensive fashion. We shall see!

Update from the front

From one of the senior members at Camp SLO:

Things are going extremely well. 186 cadet basics, 50 cadet staff, and 37 senior staff. No one from our squadron has wanted to go home. We've only lost one overall for medical reasons. A few have been allowed to call home, but did not end up going home. Our female cadets are holding up extremely well. Our male cadets seem equally strong. I try to keep up with our 144 cadets when I'm out and about, but there are so many. I have been partial when taking pictures, but fair.

The weather is a bit chilly today, but has been most excellent since I arrived on Wednesday. Deer come out on post at dusk.

I think the only complaint has been about the food. Not sure they're getting enough. Major Freeman hopefully will slip them more bread and water later tonight.

Lt Kler, I'm told, performed a typhoon inspection that left his flight cleaning up for hours. His call sign is now Typhoon Kler. The sad thing is that it was supposed to be an "instructional" inspection, not a real one. He missed the memo.

Major Ammenn and Lt Jackson have kept up with the others. Lt Natwick was extremely busy yesterday with the obstacle course. Only a few injuries, nothing major. I think after a while he almost gave up with safety prevention.

I continue to sew here; ripped pants, name tapes, patches, patches coming loose and hemming pants. It's been a great first encampment for me. Getting the weekbook together has been flawless thus far. My PAO cadets are amazing as is the videographyer. There will be video's when we return. The signal is not strong enough here to get them uploaded.

If you could, Sir, Please send out an email to encourage every one to go to this website and check out what is happening here. sq45.cawg.cap.gov/encampment.

#5

I was walking into the kitchen from the dining room, carrying a big bucket of water. My side job was to clean up the wine area. Since the wines are stored in sinks of ice, the melted ice runs down the pipe into the waiting bucket. So, since it was the end of the night, I was emptying the buckets. And this bucket was not light. I was going as fast as I could to prevent my shoulders from protesting too much. I walk in the door and I see someone's back in front of me. Recognizing the individual, I asked him to please move for me. And, because he is himself, he stood there, hands on hips, with his back to me. And didn't budge. I adjusted my grip on the bucket and waited. Eventually, I knew, he would get tired of his little game and move on. But it didn't get to that point. All of the sudden, I see an arm on either side of my head. Another one of my coworkers, seeing my plight, reached around my head and shoved the living obstacle out of my way. Thankful and relieved, I continued on my way (after thanking my rescuer) towards the sink. Then the funny thing happened. While my removed obstacle was swearing at my assistant, he started walking forward, but continued looking over his shoulder. Then he smacked into me. Really hard. Stomped on my toes and rammed into my shoulder. I yelled pretty loud (it hurt!) and he clapped his hand over his mouth. I could tell he felt bad, despite the fact that he was blaming this on me. He wasn't apologizing... I don't know if he's capable of stooping that low... but it was written all over his face.

Only 9 more shifts...

A Little Sunshine...

It's so tempting to gripe. And gripe and gripe and gripe. As a general rule, people who incessantly complain annoy me. But I just realized that I have been doing that lately. So, first of all, I want to apologize. I'll attempt to stop doing that. Second, I'll take some action. Here are a couple of things that have been adding extra sunshine to my life lately:

- a long visit with the twins yesterday. They are six months old and so perfect. Two little gerber babies, for that matter. Their giggles, smiles, and general babyness made my day. Life seems extra bright when you have time to spend with such adorable little ones.

- my move-in day is in 19 days! I'm so happy, but the reality still hasn't really sunk in yet. In all honesty, I haven't thought about the reality yet. I don't really want to, in a sense; that would probably make me too excited. Through the magic of facebook, I have been able to communicate with various members of my class. Some of them strike me as being very similar to myself. Others don't. But it takes all kinds to make the world go 'round. I am excited, nevertheless.

I really should be happy. Excessively happy. I have everything I need, and almost everything I want. No excuses.

Annoyed

I went in Wednesday with a sheet of paper in my hand. I had written down the days I needed off during the next week. I was plenty early - a week is what my supervisor told me. But, he threw me for a loop. He had done the schedule. And scheduled me on a day which I needed off. And it wasn't just a convenience day off for vacation. I need to go pick my brother up from encampment at SLO. So, I'm not going to be around. Period. No way. I'm going to be far, far away. I went through the list of people who weren't already working that day. Nobody wants to do it. Granted, it was a narrow list. Almost everyone is going to be out of town that weekend - three different weddings, family trip, etc. That means I only have one option: I have to call out. Basically, call that morning and tell them. They're not going to be happy, but my supervisor said I could, if I had to. And I have to.

But it makes me mad. I mean, he told me that a week was plenty. So I gave him a week and a half. He didn't tell anyone that he was doing the schedule early. He took off for Sweden the same day. I'm not really angry. I didn't yell or stomp around, or have any inclination to. It just annoyed me. Couldn't he have a little more consideration for the peons under him?

Options

So many things I could tell you all about, and so little time. It would take me a very long time to share everything about all of the events of the past few days, so here's a very, very, very edited down version.

Thursday: took the day off of work and went to see Phantom of the Opera live at the Civil Theater. It was amazing! I can't believe it! It was like watching a movie. So much so, that I kept having to remind myself that those people were doing those things in front of me at that moment. They were connecting with the story and the songs for that particular audience's benefit. It was really incredible! An added bonus was that I got to get all dressed up :)

Friday: didn't take the day off work, but it was a good day. Not very busy and I had a good section and a good partner in said section. I was done at quarter to eight (like we're supposed to be) and off to the land of pelicans to go to a swing dance. Where, to my surprise, I met a former TAC student who taught me how to lindy hop (a very enthusiastic swing step). Good, good times. He was really an impressive dancer. We also did some merangue (however you spell that), salsa, polkaing (that was an adventure, to say the least), and waltzing. Oh, and we did the Virginia Reel. But not in a slow, dignified way. We did it to a very fast Irish reel, so we ran around like mad people. I spent the night with my sister and my "sister," with whom I stayed up much too late and giggled something scandalous.

Saturday: My "sister" was going to get up at 7:30, because she was being picked up along with my brother to go to a CAP event at 8:15. Her alarm goes off three times starting at 7:00 and ending at 7:40 everyday... well, Monday through Friday. So, at 8:13, we woke up. And freaked out. But we had her pressed, dressed, combed, and eating by 8:25.

Sunday: a day of rest. I had to work, but Sundays are pretty low-key, so it wasn't bad.

Monday: we spent the day with some very good friends that we have known for years. It really was an awesome day. We ate pizza and donuts, played cranium and ultimate, and just had lots and lots of fun.

And now I have to wrap this up because I am heading out to the beach. It is the CAP squadron's fifth Tuesday event. So off I go!

Chickens

I posted three times in one day, but that was five days ago. It's high time I wrote again. Here's a snippet from this morning's homily.

Imagine you're on a farm. Imagine that there are chickens. Now, the parents sends the little children to get the chickens and put them in for the night. So, the little children run out and instantly decide to try to capture the little chicks running around. But, as you all know, little chicks are very fast. Not to mention the fact that their mothers have beaks and claws and aren't afraid to use them. So, the poor little children get frustrated with this and are about to despair utterly when the mother comes out of the house. She takes a basket and places the mother hen in it and covers it. When the mother hen starts clucking (or quacking, as Fr. Michael said) all of the little chicks come running and hop in the basket with her.

The mother hen is the Kingdom of heaven. All of the chicks are the other (morally good) desires and wants and needs that we have in our life. If we pursue the mother hen, all of the little chicks will, inevitably, follow. But going after each little chick individually will never make us entirely satisfied.


I thought it was a good point. A point that is so often illustrated by the world we live in and the people that populate it. Are we, like Solomon in the first reading today, going after the "mother hen"? Or do we ask for the little things that can never really satisfy us?

Third Post in One Day!

I know this is slightly ridiculous, but I'm doing it anyway. But I'm not going to follow the last rule. You can do this if you want. If you don't want to, then it wouldn't matter if I tagged you. My sister tagged me.

1. Link the person(s) who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

1) I say "oy" without the "vey"
2) I have monocular vision (I focus with one eye at a time)
3) I love thrift stores
4) I can kick the back of my own head
5) I can lick my elbow
6) I am familiar with emergency rooms. Very familiar.

er, yeah. There you go.

First Dance

A pic from M&Ms first waltz as husband and wife :)

Thrift Stores

I love thrift stores! My mother and sister think they smell funny and generally avoid them, but I love them! The things you can find are sometimes ridiculously random and junky. But you can find some really neat items, as well. Here's a sampling from today's expedition:

8 antique, high-backed chairs. They looked like something out of medieval times.
Simplicity patterns from when they only cost a dollar (compare that to now when they cost about 15 dollars)
A Gunny-Sacks wedding dress, which I shamelessly tried on.
A Pickles cartoon book
A fur coat
Light bulbs
Electrical outlet thingymerbobs
And a hand-knitted (or crocheted, I can't tell which) throw blanket that we bought for a bargain $7

Like i said, I love thrift stores. :)

#4

It was Saturday night and I was rather flustered. It was 7:30 and I still had four tables to reset before 7:45. We can stay later if necessary, but we tend to get in trouble if we do it too often. So I was a bit wound-up, trying to get it all done. Then I did something which seemed brilliant at the time, but ended up being very stupid of me. Instead of making 10 trips back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room with the necessary silverware, plates, and glasses, I thought that I would try putting it all on a tray and carrying it out together. I had seen someone else do it (the fact that he is a very buff guy and I'm a very not strong girl didn't register at the time) and it seemed like a good idea. So, I did it. Everything went fine until I went to put the tray down. My shoulder couldn't support a controlled movement with that much weight on it and the tray slipped out of my hands and half of the contents fell onto the floor. And a good portion of that smashed. With an extremely red face I started to pick up the broken pieces. With my bare hands. Smart move, right? Y'know, I've discovered that thinking is a very useful thing to do at times like this, but I never seem to think even of that fact. Someone brought me a broom, but by that time, my hands had multiple cuts that were all bleeding. The next step of resetting (after I cleaned up my mess) was changing the white tablecloths. With bloody hands. The rest of the resetting went well, but I wasn't done until five minutes before eight. Thankfully, someone had already done my side-job for me so I could just leave.

But not everything went badly on Saturday. I had one table that was particularly friendly and particularly interested in my name. They couldn't help but notice (can anyone, really?) that it's a very Irish combination. They actually engaged me in conversation for a couple of minutes, which is very unusual, and were extremely obliging and patient and kind. And now they remember me. One gentleman in particular calls me his "little bit of Ireland" every time he sees me. :-)

One Word

This could be rather challenging for a girl like me. I tend to answer things with as many words as possible... but a one word limit? Yes, this should be very interesting.

1. Where is your cell phone? Upstairs
2. Your significant other? Nonexistent
3. Your hair? Long
4. Your mother? Busy
5. Your father? Genius
6. Your favorite thing? Pictures
7. Your dream last night? Bizarre
8. Your favorite drink? Water
9. Your dream/goal? Heaven
10. The room you’re in? Living
11. Your church? Universal
12. Your fear? Sin
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? There
14. Where were you last night? Home
15. What you’re not? Tough
16. Muffins? Yes
17. One of your wish list items? Husband
18. Where you grew up? California
19. The last thing you did? Homework
20. What are you wearing? Cotton
21. Your TV? Off
22. Your pets? Spazzzmaniacs
23. Your computer? Captain
24. Your life? Blessed
25. Your mood? Mellow
26. Missing someone? Yes
27. Your car? Parents
28. Something you’re not wearing? socks
29. Favorite store? Fabric
30. Your summer? Work
31. Like(love) someone? Many
32. Your favorite color? pretty
33. Last time you laughed? Yesterday
34. Last time you cried? recently
35. Who will re post this? unknown

Interesting. Your turn!

#3

Another coworker story...

There is a young man who I work with who is pretty much the bane of my existence while there. He likes to make up songs as he goes along, and they're always about me. Every time he walks past me he taps me repeatedly along the back. He generally just makes a nuisance out of himself. And, because it made me visibly upset, he did it more. So, after a conference with Mom and Dad, I came up with a strategy.

Yesterday, I decided to ignore him. Totally and completely. When he first came in and said, "hello," I gave a very polite but minimal response and walked away. Then the antics began. But I didn't react at all. I just kept polishing my silverware. Eventually, he got tired of making fart noises with his mouth and he also focused on his job. The rest of the shift was more pleasant than previous ones. He continued to sing, and I continued to ignore him.

After all of the residents had left the dining room and we started doing our side-jobs, he started up again. The rap song revolving around me was aggravating, but I just swept the floor around him with a scowl. Now, for anyone who knows me really well, you know how big a feat this is for me. I smile rather incessantly, especially when I'm nervous or uncomfortable. But I kept a straight face. After about 3 minutes he stopped singing and looked at me seriously for the first time in his life. He asked me if I was mad. I told him that I wasn't mad, but that I was ignoring him. He asked me why, and I told him that he didn't need to be listened to. And again, I walked away.

Then, of all of the bizarre things, he started being nice to me. The songs and the poking stopped. He became very helpful and very courteous. Well, at least, very helpful and courteous compared to his normal behavior. The only problem was, all of my other coworkers noticed the change and began to think that something else was going on. Then, in confirmation of their suspicions, he asked me to go party with him. I told him "no," and that made him slightly mad. Then I told him that I was Catholic and was going to Mass in the morning, so I had to get home early. His response: oh, you're one of those? hmph

We'll see what tonight holds in store for me

#2

These stories don't have anything to do with the residents whom I serve, but rather with the coworkers whom I tolerate. (Note: I am NEVER going to complain about someone not being a gentleman just because they don't hold the door for me. . . if they don't swear at me or hassle me, I'll love them.)

Saturday: I was walking towards a door, my hands full of glasses, when the door was kicked open by someone on the other side. The door smacked into me pretty hard and I got shoved back into the wall behind me. But, rather than apologizing and moving on, the young man started using an inordinate number of expletives to express his feelings. Then, after about thirty seconds, he recollected himself, apologized, and practically ran away. I don't think I said anything besides, "it's alright" and "don't worry about it," but that didn't stop him from rambling on. Ever since, he has been meticulously avoiding me. (Note: just in case you're wondering, there is a window in the door to prevent that from happening. Unfortunately, the top of my head comes up just below the window :D)

Sunday: We all had to vacuum before we left. So, as I was waiting for my turn with it, I was amused by watching another young man entertain himself with the lighter he always keeps in his pocket. Then, all of the sudden, the entire lighter caught on fire. I don't know how it happened, but a ball of fire suddenly appeared in his hand. He dropped it onto the carpet and started trying to stamp it out. All he succeeded in doing, however, was to send if flying across the room to scorch another part of the carpet. Someone else managed to stamp it out, but not before it had left a pretty good mark on the carpet.

Incorrigible teenagers....

#1

At my new job, there are lots of little things that happen that are pretty funny. But, due to the complexity of everything, I don't really have time to reflect on them... and laugh. So, when I remember, I'm going to put them down here, for everybody else to enjoy.

For example, there is a group of 8 people who always wants to sit together. Unfortunately, the biggest tables we have only accommodate 6 comfortably. At their insistence, however, we continue to seat them together, squashing the chairs and place settings together. One lady, fed up with the squashed environment, started to complain loudly. We told her that we could split them up, seating them at two separate tables. But, no, that would not do. Instead she asked, "Why don't you just make the chairs smaller?"

Ahh, the privileges of being rich and retired. :D

M&M

Today, at eleven o'clock CST, M&M became one! I can't believe they're married! And, since I'm in a sentimental mood, I'm going to tell you a little bit about my history with these two.

Mr. M is a long time family friend. Looooongggg time family friend. Our fathers went to college together and worked together. They've remained close ever since, thus the children of both are as well. It has been at least 25 years... I'm not exactly positive on the number, but at least that long. Mr. M is the oldest of the eight children and, for a very long time, wanted to become a priest. In fact, when his mother told me he was courting the then Miss M, I didn't believe her. When you meet him now, he comes across as a nice, mature, respectful, and altogether good guy. But when he was three years old... well, let's just say he wasn't quite the model of decorum that he is now.

My mother was at the grocery store with his mother. My mother was pushing the cart with Mr M in it, while his mother put stuff into it. He, being at that very mischievous age of three, was reaching for all sorts of things that he shouldn't have. When my mother told him not to do that, he grinned at her, leaned over, and spit on her shoes.

But I also have memories of him being very helpful and kind. One in particular was when I was about ten and he was 15. I was riding my bike around a dirt path, hit a bump and fell head over heels down a hill. I was quite traumatized and crying. Mr M picked me up, carried me to his aunt and uncle's house (where they were visiting) and deposited me at the door were my mother was. He was very nice about it, and checked up on me a few minutes later - just to make sure I was ok.

Mrs. M I met just a couple of years ago, at a Father-Daughter dance Mr. M's family was hosting. The two of them were not courting at the time, but Mrs. M was another close friend's roommate at TAC, thus she had become a part of the local family already. She taught us all the basics of swing dancing, waltzing, and polkaing...all with an English accent. :) I saw her again not much later, up at TAC, where I met her sister who is going to be in my class at college. Mrs. M is such a wonderful person...I remember telling her sister after M&M started courting, that if I was going to pick any girl for Mr. M, Miss M would have to be her. Her sister replied that if she had had to pick a guy for her sister, Mr. M would have been him. We smiled at each other, and then watched M&M waltz around the room at the dance. It was clear to almost everyone that the two of them were perfect for each other.

And now they aren't two people anymore. Mr. and Mrs. M are one... married until death do them part. And I am so incredibly happy for them. I wish I was there, but as I am not, I shall spend my day praying for them with all my might and main.

Miscellaneous

This post is going to be a conglomeration of stuff. Bear with me, please.

This afternoon I go in for my third day of work. The elusive HR department never officially contacted me, but my supervisor did. He told me to come in anyway, because HR had told him that my paperwork had gone through. So far, the job isn't terribly exciting or wonderful, but it is a job. It's what I need to be doing now. And I'm just thankful I have one at all...it was looking pretty dicey for a while there. :)

I have had an abrupt redirection of my attitude towards CAP stuff. I am no longer allowed to do things for my brother. I'm allowed to help him, but not to do things for him. Apparently, there is a difference. He's learning how to iron....hehe. It's quite an adventure. He's learning, but he is a boy. There are certain limits on their domestic abilities.

And I picked up this quote today from a great source for this kind of thing: "Dating is about seeing if someone is a good match, not about beating someone into being a good match." ~ Dr. Laura

And I only have approximately 41 days until move-in day!!! And I say approximately, because I've been naughty and lost track. But I think it's 41 days :D

But where I would rather be right now is Springfield, Illinois. I hope M&M have a wonderful wedding tomorrow!!! And I wish I could be there!!!

So it begins...

Yesterday I pulled a very dusty, slightly battered, book off of my shelf. I began flipping through, skimming slightly as I went along. First fifty pages are an introduction... considering the book, that is fairly reasonable. The next 110 pages are books 1-6 which also need to be read.

"What is this?" you may be asking. Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is my first reading assignment for school: the Lattimore translation of Homer's Illiad. Generally, freshmen are given two or three days to do it, but my class has the advantage of having a couple of seniors giving us early notifications. So, in between work, getting my brother ready for encampment, and myself ready for school, I have a bit or reading to do.

But I'm not worried...yet.

The Curse of the BDU

My brother, a member of Civil Air Patrol, is going to go to 8 days of modified boot camp between the second and ninth of August. Encampment, as it is titled, is a time for making friends, beds, and laundry. Since CAP is the auxiliary of the Air Force, they wear uniforms, follow customs and courtesies, and become experts in drill and ceremonies. All of this is done in a hardcore fashion at encampment. It's always very cool and rewarding for the cadets who approach it with the right attitude. However, due to the extensive physical training that they go through, two sets of the battle dress uniforms are required. And he only has one.

This one set of BDUs cost me many hours of stress, sweat, and consternation. They're REALLY into measuring things during the inspections, so if something is a tiny bit off, the cadets are expected to have it remedied by the next inspection. To make matters worse, different inspecting officers measure things differently and have different opinions on how it should be. So, I ripped off those patches over and over again, hoping to appease the different gentlemen. In all honesty, I was beginning to think they had some conspiracy to ruin my sanity going. But, after a month or two, I managed to get it right. Scott doesn't get barked at anymore, and I don't have to fight with any more inanimate objects.

Well, I won't until his new set arrives tomorrow. I have a lot of work ahead of me. His CA Wing patch has to be creased and placed three quarters of an inch below the shoulder seam. The non-creased, reversed, flag patch needs to be attached to a creased sleeve one half of an inch below the shoulder seam. The name tape and CAP tape need to be affixed above the breast pockets, touching the top edge of said pockets and the sides lined up with the sides of the pockets.

Then, they need to pass inspection, which seems to be a slightly subjective process. Ah, well. Even if I'm not in CAP, I get to experience all of the affects of being in it. :)

Maniacally Sewing

After months of plotting, planning, and coupon clipping, I have managed to buy the materials to make myself a formal dress for TAC! The fabric is gorgeous... just running my fingers along it sends a thrill up my spine. The main part of the dress (i.e. the bodice and skirt) is a rich, dark green crepe which is very simply, but elegantly, cut. The sleeves of cream lace are bell-shaped and long, but the final length of them is something which I am still deliberating.

It is a very formal, very chic, and very modest dress :) The best part is that it only cost me $25! I'm not quite done with it yet. I need to hem both the lining and the outer dress, install a zipper, and, as I mentioned before, decide how to finish the sleeves. But I am super excited and super happy with how it has been turning out! I can't wait to wear it!

People Singing

One of my favorite songs EVER. Be inspired!

Introducing the newest member of my family!!!

Captain MacCromber!!!

My mac

I'm very excited. And slightly befuddled. I've always used PCs, so Mac's are a little beyond my comprehension. But my sister has been helpful in my management of Cap'n Mac.

But it's fun

yay!

Bear in Mind

"What makes a man a good priest - or a good husband - is being a real man. What distinguishes a real man is that he is able to give all of himself, without reservation, to the call. He doesn't just want to be able to give his whole self, but is actually able to, without holding anything back. You need to be able to give your whole self."

~ Father Raymond in "Black as Night" by Regina Doman

It isn't hard to apply this to oneself. In my case, obviously, the roles of nun or wife are the ones available to me, but the principle remains the same.

Just think about it.

Victory SHALL be mine

First semester. Against this. I will manage to kill it.


Jerusalem cricket

An infamous TAC freshmen horror story concerns these creatures. Apparently, they are quite numerous around campus and so are a favorite "prize" to pin to one's bug collection board. However, one unfortunate team caught it, placed it in a jar with whatever substance they used to kill it. Since these bugs are infamously hard to kill, they placed the jar in the freezer for a couple of days. Certain of their success, they pinned it to the board and left for the night. By morning, it had resurrected from the dead, unpinned itself from the board, and eaten all of the other bugs in the collection.

ugh, ugh, ugh

But I SHALL conquer!

Alleluia!!!

It is quarter to two in the afternoon and the window is open! A ridiculously pleasant breeze is blowing in through the window. It is amazing what influence on your mood the weather can have. I have been barely able to keep my eyelids propped open the past few days. I was not motivated to do anything beyond that. Today, however, I finished quilting my quilt and got halfway through binding it. And the day is only halfway over! And, unlike the past few days, I can think comfortably about what sort of dress I want to make myself for the TAC winter formal. It has been simply too hot to think of floor-length polyester dresses for the past few days. Now I can, with great delight.

But there is one dark cloud on the otherwise clear, bright, and deliciously cool horizon: my sister is gone :( Since she is gone ten months out of the year at school anyhow, you would not think that this would bother me. But she isn't at school, so it bothers me. Don't ask me to explain it...I couldn't...I can't. She's in OOOOOOOOklahoma for the week. And I'm here, waiting for the phone to ring. It isn't Prince Charming's call that I am waiting for, either. That would make waiting here bearable. But it is that job that I have been applying to for the past two months. They can't seem to put the pieces together and hire me. I've done my TB test, I got my background check, did a drug screening, signed 25 different documents promising that I wouldn't lie, cheat, or steal, and I even called my "future" supervisor to tell him I had done all of that. I was hoping he could prod HR in the right direction. I'd sort of like to start working before move-in day (which, btw, is in 58 days!!!). But, as it now stands, I am here and my sister is there. Which must be the way it should be...I really could not be considered to be in control of this situation.

But that isn't why I started posting today. The breeze just kicked up again, reminding me why I did start writing. I'm thankful for what I have. The bright, golden sun is looking down on an earth that is warmed by its radiance...but not too much today. Not too much.

Finally

It's 9:30 in the morning and it's still under 100 degrees!!! Yessss! Now that this miraculous occurrence has taken place, I'll actually write a post. :)

Friday afternoon, (when it was 95 degrees outside) my maternal grandparents made it here from their home five hundred miles to the north of us. They hadn't been here in three years, which made this occasion especially exciting.

We were apprehensive about the interaction between the dogs and them, but they were fine. After the dogs got their initial rambunctious "hello" over with, they were really models of good behavior. Sam attached himself in a particular way to Grandma. He followed her everywhere, laid at her feet, and generally made himself agreeable. All little kids have an especial liking for my grandmother, so Sam's affection is, I suppose, further proof that he is just like a little kid.

And, in true Italian fashion, we all ate way too much this weekend. Because of the heat, Mom didn't really want to cook. As a result, Friday we had pizza, Saturday we went out to a really nice restaurant to celebrate Mom and Dad's anniversary, and Sunday we went to a more casual family restaurant. I don't think I have to eat any substantial meals for a couple of days. Just little bits of protein so I don't pass out. Other than that, I don't think I'll be needing much food.

But they left this morning :( I hope it won't be another three years before they come down again...

How much is real estate in Alaska?

It's soooooo hot here...

And reallyyyy humid...

I think I might melt...

but that would be too much work...

ugghhhhh...

I'll come back when the temp decides to stay under 100 degrees...

for more than an hour...

goodbye...

Hobbitly Partiness

Yesterday was Walnut's twentieth birthday. A hobbit at heart, he was given a birthday party of magnificent proportions.

Breakfast was served at 8:30 am. There were five people in the "core" group of the party. We had other visitors - some more long-term than others - but Raspberry, Banana, Strawberry, Blueberry, and Walnut were there to both start and end the day. Raspberry made the breadpudding which we feasted on for breakfast and we raided Banana's store of tea. After a very tasty breakfast, we hunkered down on the couch in the TV watching room to start our Middle Earth adventure. The Fellowship of the Ring was viewed with much commentary and laughter. The close quarters of a couch make for jovial times. :)

A picnic lunch was planned. We had a couple of false starts, but we did eventually get on our way.



We were certainly an interesting group. Walnut led the way across the field, bearing a backpack which contained the carrots, plates, forks, water bottles, and his birthday present. My sister and I were carrying the quiches, and Raspberry has Maxine in hand...her faithful but temperamental guitar. The Strawberry was laiden down with the potato chips. When we emerged from the brush on the far side of the field, we encountered a city worker. He must have thought that he had gotten stuck in a time warp back to the age of the hippies. I was wearing a long denim skirt and my long hair was blowing around. We were carrying a lot of food...and a guitar. I'm sure we made his afternoon. :)

The picnic was a success. We ate the wonderful food that was the handiwork of Banana and the cookies that I happened to be successful with. Afterwards, the guitar was handed off to the birthday boy and the girls laid down on their backs and sang. It was really quite pleasant. We were lying in a fashion that put one person's head on another person's stomach and so every time you laughed the person's head would bounce around. This would cause the other person to laugh...and once that vicious cycle got started, it took a while for it to stop.

Walking back with full stomaches and empty dishes, we were getting pretty warm. The day was toasty, but we found ourselves a remedy: running wildly through sprinklers. We had a very short, rather lame game of tag during which all but one of us got sopping wet. That made the walk home much more pleasant, but it didn't make the sidewalk any cooler. And the barefooted hobbits got some scorched feet. But we didn't care - we were having fun.



The viewing of The Two Towers commenced when we arrived back at the wonderfully air conditioned apartment. Sitting around in wet clothes is slightly uncomfortable... but LOTR is a fantastic distraction.

Because of the enormous amount of time it takes to watch the extended editions, we didn't take a break for dinner, but we managed to have a scrumptious one while viewing the movies. We did, however, take a break to eat cake and for Walnut to distribute presents (for anyone familiar with hobbit tradition, this makes sense). The sung happy birthday was in multiple keys, but it was very heartfelt and very appreciated by our resident hobbit.

We did finish watching the movies before midnight...by fifteen minutes. Our core group was still alive, talking, and deliciously content. We'd had way too much food, way too much television time, and just the right amount of comradely squashing on the couch. :D

Implications?

The raspberry, nord, banana, and blueberry went on an adventure today. It was fairly uneventful, but something that happened at the bookstore has given me pause.

Since the three of us children were negligent, we didn't get Dad a Fathers' Day gift, so that was one of the three missions that we had to accomplish while out and about. We ended up at the bookstore and found ourselves in the "religious selections" section. I spotted a copy of St. Augustine's "City of God." However, it was a hardcover and I am a firm believer in the discount paperbacks give. The nord found a paperback copy. Without looking twice at it, we got in line, bought it, but never got out the door. Why not? Because I realized that above the title it said "Abridged Edition for Modern Readers." So, we scurried back to the aisle with the hardcover, exchanged them and left.

But it made me wonder. Why "abridged edition for the modern reader"? What does that mean. There are a few options, as I see it:

1) The unabridged edition has the kind of English that is practically gibberish to those of us who live in the 21st century.

2) People were smarter back then, so modern publishers have to dumb content down to accommodate us.

3) Modern people couldn't handle the hard truth about anything, so they smooth things over to appease us.

4) The average attention span has shortened over the years, leaving us incapable of getting through 400 pages, but we can handle 250.

If you can think of any other reasons, feel free to enlighten me :)

Gotta love brothers

I did something the other day...something I got in "trouble" for. Technically, I was in trouble with my mother, who actually has the authority to do those things, but my brother decided to take matters into his own hands.

"This court finds you guilty on the charge and specification of ______. You are sentenced to four days of puberty."

It isn't what he meant. But it was certainly funny. :D

F-R-I-E-N-D-S

I have been very lucky in my life in respect to my friends. My mother quoted my second grade teacher (my last public school teacher) during my high school graduation. Miss Hovey said this about me, "She is everybody's friend." I've always made friends easily and I thrive off of interaction with them. If one looked up "extrovert" in the dictionary, my picture would be smiling up at you.

Unfortunately, when I was younger, I didn't have the discretion I now possess when picking my friends. I befriended people without thinking...without making a judgment about whether they and I could really be friends. Fortunately, I've learned to take a second look before throwing myself in head first. But I still have to consciously make the decision to do so. In public school, I had two friends who both believed that they should be my only friend. This, of course, was a problem. If only I had had the insight of someone slightly older, I would have recognized this in the pattern of behavior of both of them. Well, having one friend was never an option for me, so I spent every lunch break sitting in between them, trying to reason with them. I don't believe I ever got anywhere.

Now that I'm older, I can usually pick out the "kindred spirits" in the room. Sometimes I'm off in my first assessment of the situation, but I can usually amend it if need be. I don't believe I've ever completely estranged someone...but I guess if I had completely estranged someone, I wouldn't know it. Moving on...

Like I mentioned earlier, I have a really great group of friends. They are all kind, caring, sympathetic, and fun. I honestly don't know where I'd be without them. Probably lost in the woods of the world . . . I really truly would be. Here are some great quotes about one of the greatest gifts God has given us:

"Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with."
- Mark Twain

"The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The friendship that can cease has never been real."
- Saint Jerome

"Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods."
- Artistotle

"Friendship? Yes Please."
-Charles Dickens

Something to think about . . .

The Third Sorrowful Mystery, from the perspective of the rose
by Danielle Rose

My seed was born
One bright spring morn
In gardens grown by God.
Out of the earth
My stem gave birth
To petals red as blood.

The gentile rain
My growth sustained,
And like each seed God sows,
I dreamed one day
That I'd be named
A king's most precious rose.
--
One day a soldier
Bent me over,
Tore me from my bed.
All beaten, battered,
My stem tattered,
Wanted not but dead

In cruel hands ripped,
My beauty stripped,
'Twas not the dream I chose,
And filled with shame,
I wept in pain,
No more a precious rose.
--
Then did I see
The soldiers lead
A man through palace doors.
Was this my king?
Why did they bring him in,
This man so poor?

A purple garment
Hid the torment
None but I could see.
They mocked and laughed,
Gave him a staff,
And bowed on bended knee.
--
They bent me round
And wove a crown
And placed me on his head.
My petals found
Crushed on the ground,
Like tears of God turned red.

With each small sin
I was pressed in.
I pierced with self-disdain.
In thought and deed
I made him bleed,
My selfishness, his pain.
--
"Behold!" they'd sing,
"Behold your King!
Hail, King of the Jews!"
With each reed's blow,
Our pain did grow,
As one we are abused.

Despite the crown
He did not frown;
He smiled with love instead,
And carried me
For all to see
Upon his tender head.
--
Once placed with awe
In manger straw,
Anointed by John's hands,
Transfigured on
A mountain dawn,
Now wore a mangled branch.

Once gently kissed
By Mary's lips,
And blessed with magi's myrrh,
Baptized by
A parting sky,
Now streamed with blood so pure.
--
An innocent brow
Calls to us now
To follow this example:
To let our thorns
And all that scorns
Be healed within his temple.

Though dreams may fade,
Each one was made
In seed that Jesus sows.
And now I see
I'm called to be
The King's most precious rose.

Graduation weekend

The past two days have been rather crazy. I'll give you a summary. Whether or not it will be brief, I don't know yet :)

Friday started out earlier than I anticipated. I was expecting to leave the house at approximately 11:15 to get to the Cunninghams' by 11:30. Instead, I had to leave the house at 10 (which I found out at 9) to get to the Cunninghams' and do a Holy Hour before we went to Mass. This wasn't a bad thing, but it deprived me of an hour or my morning. To any guys reading this, it may not seem important. But to girls, an hour is important. Not that I had anything special planned - I just didn't get all of my chores done when I had anticipated that I would.

For the Mass, "my" choir was supposed to sing the Latin Mass parts. However, my choir usurped me and decided to to the Our Father in English. Then Father usurped the whole choir and started saying both the Holy and the Lamb of God. So, things didn't go exactly as planned, but we got through it. As long as I don't dwell on the unmitigated disaster that the Our Father became, I will remember it as a very pleasant last Mass with Father.

After Mass and the party, we went to the Cunninghams' swim lesson. They aren't the traditional lessons that most people receive. They are "water safety" lesson. Basically, this way the kids can be reasonably safe in the water. They learn how to swim basically and float when they get tired and/or need air. The little ones are so cute!

Saturday was the big day. Ten o'clock Mass was supposed to be offered by our religion teacher mentioned above, but he wasn't able to make it. Thankfully, the abbey sent down a substitute priest who was very nice. For his homily he told stories of young people (young women, actually) who had changed the world because they had said "yes" to God. Very inspirational. After Mass was the presentation of diplomas, during which the parents got up and gave speeches about how wonderful their children are. I was really, really red when it was my turn. It was pretty embarrassing, but it only happens once . . . so I suppose I'll survive. :D

This afternoon we went to the Commissioning Ceremony for an Air Force staff sergeant who became a second lieutenant. There was lots of patriotism in the air and lots of men in uniform . . . big plus. haha, jk

On the way back, we kidnapped Andrea with her knowledge and consent, and went out to dinner at Outback. The food was excellent, the conversation was not stimulating, but it was entertaining, and the atmosphere was pleasant. It was nice that my sister was able to come for dinner at least. Her finals are next week, so she's been cramming, but she escaped the textbooks for a couple of hours and came with us.

Now I'm sitting in the computer. Writing this. And in about 10 seconds I'll be done. The End.

Why me?

Yesterday I got some good, but frankly startling, news. I have been selected to receive a Knights of Columbus scholarship from my parish's council. I'm very grateful, thankful, and happy . . . but I must admit that the most overwhelming emotion right now is shock mixed with disbelief. I mean, someone wants to give me money? Not that I'm complaining. I'm just very surprised.

Growing Up

There is a certain terror in growing up. I suppose that it lies in the change that comes wrapped in the same parcel. There are a lot things that I don't know about being an adult. Or, rather, things that I know about in theory, but have never experienced. The thought of doing something new and different has always scared me. Once I do that thing, I lose my fear of it. But making myself do it that first time is always challenging. Asking for job applications scared me...until I had done it a half dozen times. Same with turning in those applications. Now that I've done it 15 times, the knot in my stomach doesn't have such a formidable presence.

Then there are all the people around me who are growing up. Because I was homeschooled, my friends aren't all exactly my age. In fact, most of them are several years older than I am. Or younger. I have a friend who's in the Marine Corps and several friends who find "Duck, Duck, Goose" the height of entertainment (and I'm not referring to you college students). I girl I grew up with has three children and one on the way. People are graduating college, getting married, having children . . . and all of those things are so hopelessly grown up. Granted, I'm not to that stage yet. My high school graduation is on Saturday, freshman move-in day is August 20th . . . so I'm not that old. But the fact that a good percentage of my closest friends are is terrifying.

When did we grow up?

A Novena Prayer

A group of us have been doing a novena for a friend's healing, and this is the prayer I decided to use. I really love it... hope you do too!


Novena of Confidence
to the Sacred Heart

O Lord Jesus Christ,
To your most Sacred Heart,
I confide this/these intention:

(mention your intention )

Only look upon me, And then do
What your Sacred Heart inspires.

Let your Sacred Heart decide
I count on it, I trust in it
I throw myself on Your mercy,
Lord Jesus!
You will not fail me.

Sacred Heart of Jesus,
I trust in You.
Sacred Heart of Jesus,
I believe in Your love for me.
Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Your Kingdom come.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
I have asked you for many favors,
But I earnestly implore this one.
Take it.

Place it in Your open, broken Heart;
And, when the Eternal Father looks upon It,
Covered with Your Precious Blood,
He will not refuse it.

It will be no longer my prayer,
But Yours, O Jesus.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
I place all my trust in You.

Let me not be disappointed.

Amen.

An Excerpt

from Regina Doman's "Black as Night"

Sometimes, it amazes me
How strong the power of love can be
Sometimes it just takes my breath away.

You watched my love grow like a child,
Sometimes gentle and sometimes wild,
Sometimes you just take my breath away.

And it's too good to slip by,
It's too good to lose,
It's too good to be there just to use

I'm going to stand on a mountaintop and tell the good nws
That you take my breath away.

Your beauty is there in all I see
And when I feel your eyes on me
Sometimes you just take my breath away.

Since my life is yours, my heart will be
Singing for you eternally
Sometimes you just take my breath away.

And it's too good to slip by,
It's too good to lose,
It's too good to be there just to use.

I'm going to stand on a mountaintop and tell the good news
That you take my breath away.

At last he receded, and let his picking linger to a stop. When the last string had stopped vibrating and stillness filled the closet again, he looked up to find he had a live audience as well. Brother Herman and Nora were leaning against the wall of the sacristy, listening.
"Beautiful," Brother Herman said. He glanced at Nora, who still hadn't moved.
"Yes," she said at last. She took a deep breath. "Is that a religious song?"
"It's just a folk song from the 70's I learned growing up," Brother Leon said. "No, it's not really religious."
"But it's a true love song," Brother Herman said, patting Nora's shoulder. "And hence, deeply religious."

Birthday fun!

Yesterday was my birthday! I definitely don't feel my age. I always thought people who had lived this long would have acquired some great wisdom or knowledge. Maybe they do and I'm just exceptionally immature.

The day started out in the best way possible - Mass! We were going to leave right after and chill at home, but Deacon Bob had other plans. My brother, who is one of the senior altar servers at our parish, needed to be trained alongside the other senior altar server in how to use the incense. So, I had an "accidental" Holy Hour. But it was really, really nice. I mean, it is only fitting that I spend an hour with the person who caused and is causing me to be in existence. :)

At 11:30 we got home. Mom insisted that I open my presents. The one from my parents was awesome - "The Sound of Music" on dvd. You may find it funny that someone my age would get that movie for her birthday, but it is seriously one of my favorite movies of all time. It might even be my favorite movie of all time.

Mum took me out to lunch with my little brother. The place where we ate has awesome food, but what we did after was even better. Right next door to the restaurant is a grocery store that has intensely good frozen desserts. You just stick 'em out on the counter for a couple of hours to defrost and you have a masterpiece to eat. So we got one. Along with a week's worth of groceries.

The afternoon was filled with watching "The Sound of Music." Like I said before, I love that movie! At about five o'clock I started warming up for my voice lesson. I usually don't warm up for that long, but I had not had a lesson in such a long time, that I needed to get myself back in gear. My lesson went from six to almost seven (we ran quite a bit longer than normal) and from seven to eight-thirty we had choir practice. Now, some people think I'm insane to go to choir on my birthday, but I love all the people and I love to sing. The combination of the two made it the perfect way to spend the evening.

At about nine pm we did cake and ice cream. After that, most of the house went to bed. I normally go to sleep fairly early, but I figured that you only have one eighteenth birthday, so I was going to enjoy every minute of it. My brother volunteered to stay up with me until eleven - after that we had strict parental orders to go straight to bed.

It as a fantabulous day, and I had a blast. Oh, and I got flowers for the first time ever. Dad got me a dozen yellow roses! They're so pretty and sunshiny . . . if the day was a package, the flowers were the neat bow that tied it all up. :D

Memorial Day!

This weekend is supposed to signify the official beginning of summer. However, the sun seems to be having a hiatus in this part of the country. It has been cloudy and pretty chilly for the past week. Hopefully we'll get some sunshine soon. But, living where I do, that really is not a concern. It will warm up...probably too much for comfort...very soon :D

"What, silent still? and silent all?"

"Ah, no - the voices of the dead/Sound like a distant torrent's fall."

Trouble was afoot in the Mesa last night. A rich man, by the name of Rupert Sheinhardt, was hosting a party to celebrate his many accomplishments and marvel at his good fortune. He is the wealthiest man to ever hail from, visit, or even look upon Muncie, Indiana. But, before he could make his appearance, he was murdered!

Since I was invited to this "Murder Mystery Dinner", I was able to take part in the fun and spectacle involved in solving this mystery. Everyone was given a character. Every character (besides the detective - he was there to moderate) had a grudge against Rupert. He had afflicted everyone in attendance by his greed and selfishness. His offense towards myself was that he was inheriting my aunt's estate. An estate that should legally have been MINE. I was a nasty, rich, aristocratic snob. I was terribly mean to everybody. . . for about thirty seconds at a time. I couldn't keep it up much longer than that. Everyone else was much better at staying in character. I guess it comes from attending a media school. . . you witness a lot of theatrics so you feel more comfortable with them. Whatever the reason, the other people were absolutely fantastic in their roles. My raspberry was a stupendous Texan. . . accent and all. My sister was the victim/host's sister, and was married to "the short one." I was unfailingly and consistently nasty to both my sister and her "honey-bunny". (Isn't it funny that it is easier to be mean to people that you know? You think it would be easier to insult people that you weren't friends with. Another phenomenon of the human psyche I suppose)

The evening was stupendously fun. I, being the snob, spent a lot of time with the jerk in the room. We got to insult each other all night. But, in the fun, we let the murderer win. Somehow, and this remains a mystery to me, I was the last one left with the murderer. I had the opportunity to kill him, but I killed the short one instead. Granted, the short one was acting suspiciously and, like Mofia, there isn't much real evidence to go off, but I still feel terrible! I could've killed the murderer! But I didn't! He got away with murdering 30 people! Horror of horrors!

But it was ETMF, and I'd do it again. I want to send out a big "thank-you" to "Effie" the maid, the mother of the host (whose character name I can't remember!), and the cowgirl who didn't officially have a character as far as I could tell.

'Tis the Season...

...for American Idol to be over. The finale is tonight...we'll see which David wins. One of them sings everything but specializes in rock. The other sings lots of stuff...but it all sounds the same. Tonight the winner will be drowned in confetti and paparazzi, but here is a song meant just for the loser. Enjoy!

The Terrors of Anticipation

I have a job interview tomorrow. It's actually the second one I've had. And it's the second one at the same place. If tomorrow goes as well as last Monday (not the nineteenth . . . the Monday before) I should have a job. If it doesn't go well . . . I don't really want to go there.

I'm nervous and terrified and happy and excited. There is one thought that has given me consolation, though: I'm in good company. No matter how terrible or boring or horrendous or (imagine this) fantastic this job is, all the other TACers will be out there, too. I know that summer jobs are a common thing, but that doesn't make me feel much better. But the thought that my schoolmates are all in the same boat with me is of great comfort. I hope August comes quickly!

MK's Visit

We have had the privilege of having a very old family friend in town from Oklahoma for the past couple of weeks. Technically speaking, I haven't seen her except for the past few days, but she has been local rather than halfway across the country.

Yesterday involved surprising my sister with MK's appearance. My sister's roommate helped plan the whole thing. JP has a strict visitor policy which involves paperwork. Generally this is done by the individual hosting the guest, but since we wanted to surprise the host, we were allowed to have the paperwork done by her roomie. Mrs. C was kind enough to drive MK and I over to my sister's apartment before she came home from class. When we spied the truck pulling into the garage, I hid in the closet (to keep her from getting suspicious) and MK hid behind the bedroom door. She placed her purse on the desk as a means of diverting attention.When Andrea walked in, she tiptoed up behind her and placed her hands over Andrea's eyes and said, "guess who?" Surprisingly, Andrea guessed on the first try! The general happenings of hugging and exclaiming and wondering followed.

After MK spent the night at the apartments, we picked her up after she had sat through half of one of Andrea's classes. We then took her over to a fish taco place where another friend met us and we enjoyed a nice lunch together. MK and 3/5 of my family went over to the Museum of Art downtown and we enjoyed the Renaissance/Baroque era art work which was mostly religious in nature. This was more enjoyable than the Museum of Man which I found to be a bit disturbing. Rather strange.

We just dropped her off at her aunt and uncle's house. Tomorrow she starts on her way to the launch pad of the "Crossroads" which is a pro-life event in which young adults walk across the country. We've enjoyed having her...I don't know exactly when I will see her again. But, I am sure that there will be ETMF going on the next time I do. :-)

I have a cell phone!

I got this today. My parents' policy has always been that you get a phone when you leave for college. The purchase of mine was a little earlier than expected, due to the fact that my sister's old phone died. Since we had to go to the phone store anyway, we got both of us phones. Aren't they spiffy?


(That's a HUGE picture, isn't it?)

Nostalgia

I wrote the following about this time last year. Scott had just joined CAP, and I saved these thoughts under the title of "first impressions." Kind of fun to look back on. Even if you don't know any of these people, impressions are amusing things. And it is amazing how wrong one can be. Or, in the case of the following, how ridiculously accurate.

Call-signs according to me:
Corey – “Bogerding” (present day note: long story, inside joke...my sister will get it)
Kler -- “the Chief”
Cadet Saavedra – “has hair”
Goodall – “the singing cadet”
Kennedy – “the one I haven’t met yet”
Capt. Ammann – “the laid back senior member” or “Santa Clause”
Lt Saavedra – “the intense senior member”
Mahalik and Tavan – “the other BTF cadets”
Murphy has always been Murphy
Ellis – “Hollywood” (named for non-reg sunglasses)

Notes about Sq. 144:
Everyone is addressed by their last name.
No one laughs at Capt. Ammann’s jokes.
They are better at drilling than organizing test taking.
C/2dLt Connolly is much more intense at CAP than at school functions. (Dual personalities are apparently a common denominator of cadets)
They have very comfortable chairs.
“October Sky” counts as aerospace education (it has something to do with rockets).
The whole thing is very formal. Uniforms, drill, chain of command; it’s like they’re already in the military.
They call their hats “covers”.
“144, hoorah”
Cadence is always called with a southern accent.
The air force is better at being military than it is at distributing quality uniforms.
Part of PT exercises is ‘bellowing’
Mrs. Murphy is very entertaining when sleep deprived.
Capt. Ammann would win any and every beauty contest.
Ramos looks just like Scott
Murphy looks like she’s 20 yrs old. (she’s 15)

The Problem with Education

A recent conundrum got me thinking. A 16 year old gentleman that I know was assigned a history project. According to the directions, it was due by this coming up Friday. But the facilitator at his charter school isn't coming to pick up samples and things until June. He also hasn't gotten an answer as to whether this project counts for his grade. So he doesn't think he'll do it, since no one is giving him a straight answer. To put this situation in perspective, the project has to be one of three things: write a ten page paper, video yourself giving a 15 minute presentation, or do a canvas painting that incorporates elements of a certain historical event. So, clearly, this is no minor amount to do. If it doesn't need to be done, 99% of people wouldn't do it. Unless he gets instructions otherwise, he isn't going to do it. And it most certainly won't be done by Friday.

But I am one of those people who would do it. Why? Because I find satisfaction in learning things. I truly enjoy learning. In my opinion, this is due to the way I got my education. In the modern public school system, they manage to take every particle of enjoyment out of school. They make it about making the teacher happy. Or the school's ranking. Anything and everything except what it should be about. The student and the expansion of their mind should be the priority. And I believe that in many cases it is. But the teachers have never learned how to communicate that. If the aforesaid young man were to do the project, I am sure he would gain something from it. Something that he will have to get some other time, some other way -- or maybe not at all. You loose a lot of the value when the student doesn't appreciate the benefit he receives. I, thanks to my wonderful teacher (:D), haven't lost that appreciation. I recognize the good that comes out of doing the harder work, of going the extra mile. I could've scraped through school the easy way. I could have done basic coursework. But then I wouldn't have learned the wonders of physics or the charms of calculus.

This, I believe, is one of the most major problems facing the educational system. People don't do things to better themselves. They haven't been taught the effectiveness of self-motivation. I truly love learning. This particular gentleman doesn't seem to.

"The Dumbest Generation"

This is why I'm going to TAC...I'm going to be countercultural!

Can U Read Kant?
By DAVID ROBINSON
May 13, 2008; Page A15 of Wall Street Journal

The Dumbest Generation
By Mark Bauerlein

It would seem that technology and culture both make the present a good time to be young. The digital tools that are reshaping our economy make more sense to young "digital natives" than to members of older generation, an imbalance of abilities that tips the economic and political scales in favor of young people. Meanwhile, aging boomer parents, rather than pass down a fixed, canonical culture to their kids, encourage a modern-day version of their own rebellion, inviting younger voices to disrupt stodgy cultural continuities.

To Mark Bauerlein, a professor of English at Emory University, the present is a good time to be young only if you don't mind a tendency toward empty-headedness. In "The Dumbest Generation," he argues that cultural and technological forces, far from opening up an exciting new world of learning and thinking, have conspired to create a level of public ignorance so high as to threaten our democracy.
[Can U Read Kant?]

Adults are so busy imagining the ways that technology can improve classroom learning or improve the public debate that they've blinded themselves to the collective dumbing down that is actually taking place. The kids are using their technological advantage to immerse themselves in a trivial, solipsistic, distracting online world at the expense of more enriching activities – like opening a book or writing complete sentences.

Mr. Bauerlein presents a wealth of data to show that young people, with the aid of digital media, are intensely focusing on themselves, their peers and the present moment. YouTube and MySpace, he says, are revealingly named: These and other top Web destinations are "peer to peer" environments in the sense that their juvenile users have populated them with predictably juvenile content. The sites where students spend most of their time "harden adolescent styles and thoughts, amplifying the discourse of the lunchroom and keg party, not spreading the works of the Old Masters."

If the new hours in front of the computer were subtracting from television time, there might be something encouraging to say about the increasingly interactive quality of youthful diversions. The facts, at least as Mr. Bauerlein marshals them, show otherwise: TV viewing is constant. The printed word has paid a price – from 1981 to 2003, the leisure reading of 15- to 17-year-olds fell to seven minutes a day from 18. But the real action has been in multitasking. By 2003, children were cramming an average of 8½ hours of media consumption a day into just 6½ hours – watching TV while surfing the Web, reading while listening to music, composing text messages while watching a movie.

This daily media binge isn't making students smarter. The National Assessment of Educational Progress has pegged 46% of 12th-graders below the "basic" level of proficiency in science, while only 2% are qualified as "advanced." Likewise in the political arena: Participatory Web sites may give young people a "voice," but their command of the facts is shaky. Forty-six percent of high-school seniors say it's " 'very important' to be an active and informed citizen," but only 26% are rated as proficient in civics. Between 1992 and 2005, the NAEP reported, 12th-grade reading skills dropped dramatically. (As for writing, Naomi Baron, in her recent book, "Always On: Language in an Online and Mobile World," cites the NAEP to note that "only 24% of twelfth-graders are 'capable of composing organized, coherent prose in clear language with correct spelling and grammar.' ") Conversation is affected, too. Mr. Bauerlein sums up part of the problem: "The verbal values of adulthood and adolescence clash, and to enter adult conditions, individuals must leave the verbal mores of high school behind. The screen blocks the ascent."

What frustrates Mr. Bauerlein is not these deficits themselves – it's the way a blind celebration of youth, and an ill-informed optimism about technology, have led the public to ignore them. "Over and over," he writes, "commentators stress the mental advance, the learning side over the fun and fantasy side." Steven Johnson, in his best-selling "Everything Bad Is Good for You," describes videogames as "a kind of cognitive workout." Jonathan Fanton of the MacArthur Foundation writes that children have created "communities the size of nations" where they explore "new techniques for personal expression." Such assessments, Mr. Bauerlein argues, are far too charitable.

Mr. Bauerlein contrasts such "evidence-lite enthusiasm" for digital technologies with a weightier learning tradition. He eulogizes New York's City College in the mid-20th century, a book-centered, debate-fostering place where a generation of intellectuals rejected the "sovereignty of youth" in favor of the concerted study of canonical texts and big ideas.

Is there any way of recovering this lost world? Probably not. But the future may be brighter than Mr. Bauerlein allows. No matter how frivolously young people may use digital technology now, a schoolchild's taste for play tells us little about what the next generation of intellectual leaders will do with technology's tools. There are glimmers: The new Amazon book reader may bring the best of predigital life forward into the present, and any number of institutions are (gradually) exploring ways to harness the new communications environment for scholarship, innovation and profit rather than idle enjoyment. In short, the children of future years will learn from their elders how to make the most of digital life just as soon as there are elders in place to offer instruction. The "elders" now don't seem to have a clue.

Mr. Robinson is associate director of Princeton University's Center for Information Technology Policy, a research center for the study of digital technologies and public life.

I'm a Thief

I stole this from my favorite hobbit after Samwise.

The rules:
Bold what you have read, italicize books you’ve started but couldn’t finish, and strike through books you hated. Add an asterisk* to those you’ve read more than once. Underline those you own but have not read.

The ultimate hitchhiker's guide by Douglas Adams
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The kite runner by Khaled Hosseini
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Life of Pi : a novel by Yann Martel
Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra
Crime and punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
One hundred years of solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Vanity fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
Ulysses by James Joyce
War and peace by Leo Tolstoy
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
The brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Catch-22 a novel by Joseph Heller
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle I) by Neal Stephenson
A tale of two cities by Charles Dickens
The satanic verses by Salman Rushdie
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books by Azar Nafisi
The name of the rose by Umberto Eco
The Kor'an
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
The Odyssey by Homer
The Canterbury tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
The historian : a novel by Elizabeth Kostova
Foucault's pendulum by Umberto Eco
Atlas shrugged by Ayn Rand
The history of Tom Jones, a foundling by Henry Fielding
The three musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The sound and the fury by William Faulkner
The Iliad by Homer
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Emma by Jane Austen*
Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
Sons and lovers by D.H. Lawrence
Gulliver's travels by Jonathan Swift
The house of the seven gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies by Jared Diamond
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Lady Chatterley's lover by D.H. Lawrence
A heartbreaking work of staggering genius by Dave Eggers
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
The once and future king by T. H. White
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
To the lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Oryx and Crake : a novel by Margaret Atwood
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed by Jared Diamond
The corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe
Underworld by Don DeLillo
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The grapes of wrath by John Steinbeck
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake
The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
Jude the obscure by Thomas Hardy
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
Tender is the night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A portrait of the artist as a young man by James Joyce
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
The divine comedy by Dante Alighieri
The inferno by Dante Alighieri
Gravity's rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Swann's way by Marcel Proust
The poisonwood Bible : a novel by Barbara Kingsolver
The amazing adventures of Kavalier and Clay : a novel by Michael Chabon
Sense and sensibility by Jane Austen*
The portrait of a lady by Henry James
Silas Marner by George Eliot
The picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The man in the iron mask by Alexandre Dumas
The god of small things by Arundhati Roy
The book thief by Markus Zusak
The confusion by Neal Stephenson
One flew over the cuckoo's nest by Ken Kesey
Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
The system of the world by Neal Stephenson
The elegant universe : superstrings, hidden dimensions, and… by Brian Greene
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
The known world by Edward P. Jones
The time traveler's wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The mill on the Floss by George Eliot
The English patient by Michael Ondaatje
Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon
Dubliners by James Joyce
Les misérables by Victor Hugo
The bonesetter's daughter by Amy Tan
Infinite jest : a novel by David Foster Wallace
Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad
Beloved : a novel by Toni Morrison
Persuasion by Jane Austen
A clockwork orange by Anthony Burgess
The personal history of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Tropic of cancer by Henry Miller

I haven't read many of these at all. But from the titles, that might be a good thing.