Summer is over!

It's interesting hearing everybody getting ready to go back to school. Even radio ads are targeting parents for school lunches and local charities are doing their school supply donation. At church on Sunday, we prayed for all the students who would be leaving for university for the first time. I was getting excited.... but.... wait. I've been in school since May! Where did summer go? :)

Massage therapy school is going very well. At first it was a lot of basics and anatomy, which I had already taken in university. Now we are getting into kinesiology and the muscles, as well as our business class and continuing to grow in our massage techniques. There are nine other people in my class, which makes a nice even number for trading off. There is such a range of people - law students, retirees, and moms - all with the common interest of healing by touch.

The first month after practical work started, my hands and wrists did not know what to do with themselves. They were stiff in the mornings and would send spitting pains if I tried to pick things up at a weird angle. They're doing a lot better though, which is a relief. The rest of my body is doing fine. A lot of the pressure for massage is actually found in the legs, but luckily I spent much of the last two years walking. I do miss that aspect of my lifestyle though.

In other news, I am engaged! My amazing boyfriend proposed and is now my amazing fiancé. We have been putting off wedding planning because he is starting up an insurance agency and wanted to see how it would go, but are probably going to be making some decisions in the next month or so. I'm excited about where all my life is going and what I've been through to get here.

Goodbye, Earl

Shortly before I got to Halifax, I got the memo that I should be expecting a hurricane. On the days leading up to the hurricane, it was hot, still, and humid. I had a tea party at a friend's house, and it was just charming! Hot tea is actually not that bad in hot weather- supposidly it makes your body temperature hoter, which makes the air around seem cooler. The company was great too. There were about eighteen girls in attendence, and we chatted for a while over scones, and then went around and shared our summer and worries for the coming year and praying for each other. It was great.
The other days surrounding Earl I read a lot! I finished Julie and Julia, Grace Abounding, and Columbine. I also baked an apple pie and focaccia bread, which was surprisingly easy! I've made bread before... this was incredible and delicious! So good!

Now that Earl's gone, the weather has cooled. I have helped friends move into their appartments, and have gotten settled back in my room. Unfortunately, I wasn't as content with my class list as I would of liked (I'm not sure what inspired me to take Shakespeare for fun, even though I do like him), and am now trying to scramble my many, random interests into a class schedule. Two days before school starts. *Sigh*

Two Year Overview

You know it's bad when your own mother, who you call every day at 10:30 sharp says "you haven't been updating your blog recently." Either I need to start calling her more, or updating.

The truth is, I've had an emotionally taxing couple of weeks, and now finals are upon me.

Something I have noticed recently, when looking at my 101 in 1001 list, is how much I've changed in the last, approximately 650 days. Sure, that's two years, but it's interesting how much my life plans have changed and new opportunities have been brought to light. The funniest, I feel, is my goal to graduate high school in 2009. Not only will I have graduated high school in the 1001 days, but will be about a month away from my bachelor's degree at the end. :)

It's looking more and more like Latin is not going to happen, but that's fine. I took a logic course instead (I wanted some classical education) and really enjoyed it. Also, I'll be taking a course on Shakespeare, and reading more Tolstoy that I can fathom next year. Overall, I've enjoyed university so far. I'm really really excited about my Number Theory and two Game Theory courses next year, but that's just the inner math nerd in me.

The photography goals have basically been shot, but I do still enjoy venturing out with my camera. I just feel awkward taking pictures of people who I don't know because I'm worried that they'll think I'm creepy, and of people I do know, because they think I'm annoying. So that restricts the pictures to general landscapes or still life, which is fine. But I have also learned to knit and really really enjoy geocaching, and those things aren't expressed on the list at all.

I also need to work on organizing, but that was obvious before this list was created. That being said though, I have coped really well with having my own place away from home, and managing my school work. I think I just try to fit my work into methods that other people use, but don't have the motivation to do so because my own twisted ways work. For example, I have my planner, and a dry erase board in my room with a running to-do list. I own more books than I need, but all of them I either really like, or haven't read yet (but plan to), or feel like I will use them in the future (think homeschooling). In any case, the shelf in Calgary is all alphabetized, and the one in Halifax is sorted by topic.

I will reveal that the personal: dsumrwm is code (hah) for "don't screw up my relationship with Matthew". Again, I have to admit that early on in our relationship, I was concerned my past track-record was dismal (and it was). I figured I would do or say something stupid or hurtful, and that would be that. I probably have said stupid and hurtful things at some point or another, but he's been gracious and we've grown so much over the last two years. We actually had our third "anniversary" (complicated reasoning there) on Sunday, and it was incredible to look back. Long distance relationships aren't easy, but in some ways, I almost thing they're better if you can't get married anytime soon. They force you to take things slower and talk through a lot more. And it's not like we never see each other. So that's been awesome. In any case, I think it's safe at this point to say that's completed. I have overcome that fear, and things are looking very interesting in the next 360 days, much less thirty years.

Bible reading is also going well. I am in Romans now, and I have found that the bus is the best time to include that reading. Most mornings (with the exception of some Tuesday and Thursday mornings, for some reason) I pull out my little pouch as soon as I manage to make my way to a vacant seat, and get a couple chapters read. If I've had an exhausting day, but it's not really late (again, not sure why, but if it's dark, I just feel like staring out the window) I read another couple chapters on the way home. It's not like I have much better to do for my daily hour commute, and it's a wonderful way to start and wrap up the day. I will likely finish Revelation by the end of May, and then it's back to Genesis. I'm really enjoying it. And I'm taking a history of ancient Israel course next fall, so that will probably include some Old Testament readings.

The memorization isn't going as well, but I found a great scripture memory list that I'm working on, and I actually got one nailed down last week. This week is Psalm 16:11.

Anyway, so much for me studying tonight. I have continued my mentality of "If God wants me here, there's no way I'll fail out, and if he doesn't, there's no way I can pass." Not that I've been slacking off. I just don't take exams too hard, and the theory has served me well so far. Everything's lined up to graduate in approximately 350 days. I should start a real countdown... I should get some sleep though... I do love my sleep. That hasn't changed in two years. :)

Moods

It's incredible how circumstantial we are as people.

Like right now, for instance. I just finished talking to someone who "wasn't in the mood" to do something.

I'm in the mood to be confrontational, but I'm also in the mood to be really easily wounded and weepy (hmmm.... ya).

I think I need to challenge myself this week not to allow my mood to be used as an excuse or crutch, and to not allow it to take control over my conversations with others. My hope is that I maintain a consistent, smiling heart, which can be nurtured by reflecting on all the blessings I have in my life. Not to be a moody

Anyway, that's all. Just an observation.

Fresh Blood

I'm having trouble with the book report. The first issue was finding a book along the YLCF themes (ie. not math). The next issue is reading it. I think I"m on chapter 2, and the month is half done! I'll do a report on it once I'm finished, though, even if that's not in March.

On Monday, I was walking next to the Student Union Building when I saw a blood donor truck being unpacked. It's something I've always wanted to do, so during an hour break I had in my day, I rushed over and got in line (in hindsight, give yourself more than an hour; there were three people in line, and it took me a full hour ten minutes).

The first thing they did was ask me if this was my first time. I said yes, and the nurse said, "Ah, fresh blood." That made me laugh, which probably quelled the butterflies and jitters I had for about 0.7 seconds. I also got to wear a sticker that said "1st time donor" so that other nurses would know to explain things to me as they happened, which was nice. I got my basic name and address information taken there, then sent to fill out a medical form concerning my health.

The first fourteen questions I got to fill out myself. They were amusing. One was something along the lines of "Did you live in France for more than six months between the years of _ and _." Lots about where I've lived and the blood transfusions I've gotten.

The next group of questions, a nurse had to read to me and bubble in herself. I had read them over before hand and they seemed to be geared towards discovering if you have HIV ("Have you recieved a blood transfusion in Africa since 1977"), and from the questions, I knew that I was going to answer all of them no. So she started reading and I started shaking my head and she sped up. Let me tell you, that lady was the fastest, most accurate reader I have heard. Granted, she probably had the questions memorized, but she didn't even pause before questions, and she was simultaneously bubbling answers. It was incredible. She also took my blood pressure, which is always ridiculously low (I am my mothers child) but I was so nervous that it was actually on the low end of normal! So that was exciting. Then she handed me four bags, each a liter. My eyes bugged. I know the average woman only has 5 liters of blood. They were going to drain me dry. But she explained they were going to only fill up one bag, and then after it was tested, they would separate it out into the other bags.

Then I headed over to a lawn-chair-style-bed in the middle of the gym, surrounded by other beds with other students. Just as they got the cuff around my arm for pressure, the guy I was facing started to black out. There was a little flurry of nurses with cold rags and juice boxes around him, and his feet were propped up and head lowered, hence the lawn-chair. He was fine and my nurse was back in five minutes, but it was a rather interesting thing to see seconds before I was supposed to get stabbed.

Once I was hooked up, it was fine. I had a little squishy ball I was supposed to squeeze occasionally, and my arm fell asleep, but besides that, it was relatively painless. I passed the time watching the nurses test the blood on the table at the far side of the gym and chatting with the nurses. They were all very friendly and funny, and extremely grateful. They kept saying thank you, and I thought that was very nice of them, but really, it's something that somebody needs to do. As the motto of Canadian Blood Services says, "It's in you to give."

I wrote this so that anyone who is considering giving would know all that's involved and feel comfortable going in to the procedure. I didn't feel exhausted at all afterwards, and it was nice to know that I helped someone who might not otherwise get that help if everybody felt it was someone else's job. So yes, I would do it again.

Photo taken by Abhishek Jacob, http://www.flickr.com/photos/abhishek_jacob/3331425437/ .

This Week

I don't usually like to post in this format, but it seems so much happened and there's not much to say about each, so here it goes.

Last week I:

• Had a snow day Wednesday! We got a bit of a surprise dump on Tuesday night, and so Dal and King's were closed. I'm glad, because I had a midterm Wednesday morning, and I would have been sooooo stressed about arriving late because all the traffic was backed up. Unfortunately, I was ready for it and it was a little frustrating to put it off till Friday, but it turned out ok. The snow day helped enable me to get all of the following finished!
• Took four midterms. Some were intense, some were fun, all turned out relatively well.
• Started working out! I went for a two mile jog on Tuesday (while it was still gorgeous), which I don't think I have ever done. I also started a push-up and crunches program, to get me to a level I want to be. The goal is to be able to do 100 pushups and 200 crunches in a row, and to have jogged 30 miles before April 12. I'm contemplating the squats program too, or something for my legs, but jogging may be enough. We'll see.
• Bought new tennis shoes (unrelated, but relevant to the previous point) because my old ones, which I've had about 30 months, have a nice hole in the toe. I actually bought the same ones, Nike Pegasus+, because I really like them, and I've noticed the updated version has an extra thick layer over the toe, so it seems that was an issue. Those shoes have been through lots, including a vat of barbecue sauce, and they've held up. Anyhow, that was my spending spree this week... :-/
• Went to a young homeschoolers science fair with the A's. Lauren and Sarah entered projects on buoyancy, and did a really nice job of their experiment. The atmosphere was non-competitive, and we had a great time. I actually learned a bit from some of the projects, which was cool!
• Knitted a Bible case from start to finish. My ESV was getting beat up in my backpack, so it now has a little lime green sweater. I really like the way it turned out. :)
• Listened to 1 Peter sermons by Mark Driscoll on authority. Here: authority. Here: ungodly authority. Here: wives. Here: husbands. Pretty good. A lot of people don't his style, but the last one was the edgiest I've heard him, at least at the end, and... ya. I think it had truth and was necessary to hear, but not sure about the method of delivery- from the pulpit. Mr. Dave pointed out that when your authority gets public criticism from those higher up, it's harder for those lower down to respect them... definitely see two sides. I really respect what he has to say though. Good message.
• Finished a web design project. We had to make a webpage for a school club. Check it out!

All in all, it was a good week. And now it's reading week!!! So exciting! Though I have a lot of things I need to do, including get caught up on everything I put off because of midterms last week. I also want to finish the Old Testament and get into Matthew this week, which is definitely do-able. I'm at Habakkuk now, so that's 31 pages in my NIV or 21 pages in my ESV (just different print sizes). All the rest are short books. I'm going to keep up the workouts, and Wednesday is Andrew's birthday- the big "oh-four" ;) I also want to finish Contact by Carl Sagan, if possible. It's pretty good so far, but I've been putting it on the back burner, and it's getting burned from sitting there so long.

Learning to Knit

Something that piqued my interest recently is all the handmade goods for sale in Halifax. There's a lovely shop called Love, Me that sells locally crafted clothes, papergoods, and art, among so many other things. I love looking around that store.

From economics, we know that where there's a demand, the smart thing is to produce a supply, so there are also lots of neat craft stores. I first went into The Loop because I was after embroidery patterns. Well, if we're honest I went in because of the color and the interesting looking contraption in the window (later I discovered it's to spin the balls of yarn). Their shop has shelves of wool yarn from all sorts of animals and beautiful examples of different techniques. They also offered classes.

The class I took was called Knitting for Absolute Beginners. It's not entirely accurate, since my mom has taught me how to handle needles, and in the back of my mind, I do actually remember one night that I stayed up till midnight, learning to knit from the internet (successfully- I just never did it after that!) but I wanted to start from scratch. The instructor's name was Cathy, and the class was composed of six girls, around my age and very eager to learn.

Well, in the proceeding three hours, we learned it all! We learned how to cast on, knit, pearl, cast off, and after several jokes about holes and "cat bums," she taught us the proper way to add and subtract stitches to create lace! I really enjoyed it and am busy working on my project: a simple scarf composed completely of knitted stitches (no pearling patterns). But once it's finished, I can move on to all sorts of things- i.e. lace. :) Cathy was a wonderful instructor and maybe next fall, once I'm more comfortable with all the stitches, I'll try another of The Loop's courses on circular knitting (hats, socks, mittens, etc).

[Photo is not my scarf. Just an example of "lace" so you know what I'm talking about.]

Photo by Sally http://www.flickr.com/photos/sallypics/289583941/ Some rights reserved.

Callipygian

I played Cranium with my mom, Spencer, and Carley last night. It was loads of fun, drawing with your eyes closed and trying to come up with a way to use the word "callipygian"... we can't figure out if it's a noun or adjective. (This post is titled such by Spencer's request).

My flight went really well. I got lots of reading done (started and finished a 100 pg book, and got 93 pgs into a 200 pg one) and watched Julie & Julia and Postgrad (which I wasn't as impressed with). I definitely like Julie & Julia though. I had actually gone to see it in theaters with my dad. He suggested it and was one of the only men there, but it was fun, and I think he enjoyed it. I like the blogging aspect and cooking aspect, as well as the history. Julia Child's character is hilarious. Good movie, all around.

Today I got up pretty early and Mom and I went to Market Mall for some Christmas shopping. I finished everyone up that I had left, and helped mom with some gifts for Courtney and me. So yes, I know what I'm getting. But I don't mind. I found that when people spend money on me and either I really don't like it or it doesn't fit or whatever the issue is, I feel guilty that they spent "so much," even if it was just a little.

However, my mom won't let me have my presents yet! That part is awful! Because one of them is a Christmas piano book, and I want to practice... there's no point in practicing Christmas music after Christmas. Sigh... :)

Baby Ruths (said with a sing-song voice)

The prodigal blog writer has returned with stories of camp!

From July 4th to August 8th, I participated in the Baby Ruths program at Pine Cove. Basically, I was assigned to a camp (the Timbers) with five other girls. We were placed under the authority of a "Mama Ruth," Sheryl. During the five weeks we worked to keep the camp as spic-and-span as possible, mostly with the aid of the cleaning chemical Spic-and-Span. We also helped with dishes and kitchen responsibilities and ran the tills at the camp store.

We participated in an intense Bible Study called the Gauntlet, ran by Jeff and Jason, where we studied women of the Bible, character traits, and memorized scripture. There were also mentorship opportunities with the director's wives, and practical skills learned along the way.

If this post seems dull and undetailed, it's because it has to be. A large component of the program is not knowing where you're going till you get there, or what you're doing till you're doing it. Half the time our mama would wake us up, so we didn't even know how much sleep we would get when we laid our heads down at night. It was a great experience, learning to let go of control and trusting in the program. To be honest, the first week I slept horribly because I was so anxious about what the next day would bring, but then I realized, they wouldn't make us do anything dangerous. They wouldn't make us do anything we couldn't physically do, or something they wouldn't make their own daughters do. If we were hungry, we would be fed on schedule, and if we were hot and nasty sweaty, we would be inside by the end of the day.

I was thinking on the way home about the opportunities I had this summer. I was invited to participate in a student leadership conference in Prague. I also had the opportunity to go to Greece with my family. I would enjoy visiting those places one day, but I'm glad I didn't miss out on this opportunity. I learned more about community and myself, and more about who I want to become than any other experience I could have chosen. Yes, it was exhausting and frustrating at different points, but what I gained by serving was worth it.

My Sincerest Apologies

This blog has been all but abandoned. I really have no excuse, for over the last ten days I'm sure there is something I could have thought of to be of interest to you all. For instance, right now, I'm reading Persuasion by Jane Austen, baking peanut butter cookies, and preparing to attend a Bible study tonight. Furthermore, I haven't written about my trip to Panama, or the other fifty books I'm reading. I haven't mentioned the sermon series on Esther my pastor is teaching on Sunday nights. I haven't publicly meditated on my parents, which I have been doing a lot recently (though I probably won't, since it's private). I haven't expressed my excitement/anxiety/frustration as I prepare for university in September, or even Pine Cove in July. I haven't mentioned my trip to Alabama on Sunday and my aversion to being a passenger on long car rides (it involves nausea and an all around yuckiness).

All in all, I've been a blogging failure. I think I just burned my cookies too.

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get them out of the oven, and my next post will hopefully be timely, interesting, and significantly less reminiscent of a pity party.

Isn't That a Candy Bar?

Great news! I applied for a position at Pine Cove a couple months ago in the Baby Ruth program. It's a staff position for girls during the summer between high school and university (the boys' program is called Young Guns). While we're not in charge of a cabin, we're responsible for the support work around camp (cleaning, cooking, decorating for theme nights, etc). It's also a time for the Ruths to grow together and prepare for life on our own.
Anyway, I got in! I don't know which camp I'm at yet (there are several), but I know from July 4- August 16 I'll be at one of them. I also know one of my friends that I went to camp with, Kelsey, was accepted for the same weeks. I know that whatever happens, I'll be taken out of my comfort zone for six weeks and will undoubtably grow through that experience.

Yesterday, I Saw a Gun

The running joke is, everyone in Texas has a gun. While it's basically true, I'd never seen one, except the occational BB-Gun, Airsoft, and Paintball. I'm a little skittish around guns. I've seen enough of CSI and Law and Order to know what guns do [or rather, what people do with guns]. However, I was over at my friends' house yesterday, and one of them was proud of his new purchase and showed me a semi-automatic, black gun (those are the only technical terms I got, though I know he also told me the brand and whatnot). So, yup, I have seen a real gun. Now I just have to get over whatever it is that is holding me back from learning how to use one.

In the meantime, here is an awesome video clip (which I also was shown yesterday) that summerizes my opinion of guns, and the true purpose of the second ammendment. Enjoy.

Goals for the Next Four Months

I made it to Texas safely. If you haven't noticed, I'm a rather list-oriented person. I decided on the plane that there are a couple basic things I need to do to make this time the most productive. Here they are:

1) Develop patience, living with my dad. This is probably the least quantitative, but something I need to put a conscious effort into, or else it will not happen.

2) Study for my four AP exams in May: Literature, US History, World History, and BC Calculus. If I pass them, those four plus my AP Biology (from last year) will complete my first year of university. This means a lot of reading and independently driven study.

3) Get to know the Campbell family better, which means spending a lot of time with them at church, home, and their home.

4) Save up at least $2,500 by diligently catering/hostessing/expoing at the best Italian restraurant on this side of the Atlantic. Or at least Mississippi River. :P

5) Read five of the Jane Austen novels (I've already read Pride and Prejudice). This goes hand-in-hand with #2, but it's a lofty goal for me, so we'll see how it goes with all the other reading.

*Edit: for #4, make that waitressing... : /
*Edit: for Edit on #4, make that catering :)

Upcoming Blog Changes

I have really enjoyed the outlet that this blog has given me to share what I am learning and experiencing with those who wouldn't otherwise find out. It's great to have the opportunity in this sort of technology to (cautiously ;) ) meet fellow bloggers and learn from each other's lives. I plan on continuing this blog for a long time, though I don't know what sort of directions it will take in the future. It will always be found under this address as long as Google and Blogspot provide the service.

However, I realize there needs to be a change in name occationally. Though millions of Canadians will continue to have adventures in the GWN, I will not be one of them. In four days (gulp) I will be moving to the Lone Star State. Ergo, "Adventures in the Lone Star State" seems like a more appropriate title.


It's possible that there will be further changes in June, but that is yet to be seen...

Adventures in the Great White North will return in September with the start of the school year in Halifax.

Old Blue Jeans

I'm not sure if it's the same for guys, but for girls, I believe it's next to impossible to find a pair of blue jeans that fit just right. I find blue jean shopping days make me never want to shop again because they're so discouraging. Either they're too long or too tight or falling off or a weird color or itchy or... something. Thus the four pairs of jeans I have now, I have owned for over a year, and one for three years. Unfortunately, jeans do wear out- especially if they're a daily part of your wardrobe like mine are. It was coming up to jean shopping time for me...

So you can imagine my interest when mom brought home a bag of clothes from her friend that contained jeans that looked like they might just fit. Well, let me tell you, one pair is a little low riding for me, but the other two are the best fitting jeans I've ever owned. They're the perfect length and fit (usually jeans are too long and tight for me). Aaah! So exciting! No jeans shopping for another year! And they're free! :)

It's been a good day, and this afternoon I have three friends coming over for some board games and supper. And cake. Great fun!

Growing Up

Sorry I've been absent. I had a major project due today that I had procrastinated too long for, and ended up completing it within 48 hours. I'm still suffering a little sleep deprivation, but it is finished. Moving on...



With my 18th birthday on its way, I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be an adult. It's weird thinking I'll go to sleep a girl and wake up as a woman (in a legal sense). I'll be able to vote. I'll be able to sign documents. I'll be able to leave the country without a letter from my parents. Though I won't often take advantage of the privilege, I'll be able to buy alcohol. This weekend, when my family goes out to supper I could buy a drink. That just blows my mind. I'll be able to get a credit card. I'll be able to buy a house (if I had the money and current desire). It's just weird thinking that with one sleep, I'll be able to gain all these privileges.



I'm almost having Peter Pan Syndrome. For the first time in my memory, I don't want to grow up. I mean, I do. I want to go to college and get married and have a family, but it happened so quickly. It's sad to realize that my childhood is gone, especially without my reaizing it. My mom was talking to someone the other day, and she said, "She hasn't been a 'kid' for a long time." It makes me wonder if I missed out. It's a weird feeling.

Air Mattresses and Frenchies

There's a lot going on in our little house on the icy road. This week, Aberhart High School is hosting the National Seminar for debaters, and since I was in debate last year, I volunteered two beds for billeting (mine and Kassi's). OH YA, KASSI'S HOME! :P
So we've been sleeping on the air mattress, in the game room. It's awkward to sleep with someone else on an air mattress, because with each move, the whole bed goes up and down (Newton's laws of physics and all). However, we're managing.
The girls that are here are both from Montreal and are very sweet. I watched one of them debate yesterday [in English] on direct foreign aid, and she had a good handle on the concept. I also listened to way too much French for my own good. It really is exhausting listening to an incomprehensible foreign language for hours. Today the girls have four debates, all impromptus (two British parliamentary and two Canadian parliamentary style).
As for myself, I have been working through 1 Corinthians, 1 Chronicles, and Fatal Misconception (historical narrative on population control). At first, I didn't know what to think about Fatal Misconception because it is written with so much bias against both the pro-life and pro-choice side. It sorta ticked me off. I mean, pick one side. I don't know. We'll see- I'm only on pg 64. I'm also on section 4 of my Princeton Review AP Calculus Study guide, and that's going really well. I ought to get off this and do some Calculus and Social homework. Procrastination is such a pain.

Crazy Busy

The Crew:
35 bags for one house! Wow!

Nicole and Jen

I have been rediculously busy recently, but now that things are calming down, I figure I should do a personal update for those of you that rely on this blog for those sorts of things.

-I "resigned" from my job, due to various causes that I cannot elaborate on here because of papers I signed.

-I figured out what university I am going to, got accepted, and am heading out to Nova Scotia to check it out in exactly two weeks. If anyone knows anything about me and universities in Nova Scotia, you can probably connect the dots... pop over an email if you'd like details.

-My friend Kim and I organized a leaf raking charity for our school. We raked leaves around the neighborhood for Operation Christmas Child, and raised over $250. (Pictures are above)

-I only have two real months of school left! Yay!

-My wonderful mommy finished her nursing exams! Now all she has is her practicum!

-I bought an external harddrive that was priced beautifully for the size. What this means for you: more pictures at a better quality!

-The quilt is scheduled to be finished within a month. Look out...

The Future: A Scary, Yet Exciting Place

I thought I had all this university stuff figured out. I would go to U of C, I would apply to HBU as a fall-back, and I would apply to Rice because they're waiving my application fee, and to deny them would be idiotic.

Then I got several "talks" by parents and grandparents about my major choice. I find linguistics interesting, but I definitely see their point... for what?

So I started looking at other majors. Then other schools.

I thought I was back where I started. Confused, frustrated, and exhausted.

Google helped, as well as college board and a few college sites, but what really helped me was a comment from one of the girls I worked with. She said, "You use numbers all the time, and you're so literal about it. 24 hours is 24 hrs, and you just wrote undefined for your '$/hr'."

So I thought. I still plan to take at least a couple linguistics classes, but I'll probably major in something mathematical. Actuarial Science sounds interesting. Then Dalhousie University came up again. I haven't considered Dalhousie for a couple years. They have a sturdy math department there.

In any case, I have about four months till I want to have all my applications finished. I still have to take the SATs, and who knows what college board is doing about my National Merit standing.

Who knows where I'll be headed in 365 days.

Compilation of Randomosity

A few thoughts:

• This isn't really a thought. It's more of a story. So my dog really has a thing for rummaging through garbages (I personally don't see the joy in it). The two are locked in the kitchen all day while I'm at work, and though I feel sorry for them, I see no other way around it. The main kitchen door is baracaded by a shock matt (which is off) and a baby gate. The other door has french-style glass doors. I came home today and Lacey was on the other side of the fence, all obstacles intact. All household garbages well explored. Thank goodness trash was collected this morning. I apparently have over estimated her jumping ability.
• I was on my way home from work today the radio was playing "Kathleen" by Josh Ritter. Upon closer examination of the lyrics, the guy is quite the womanizer, but the opening line was so romantic that I thought I'd share it: "All the other girls here are stars; You are the Northern Lights." *sigh*
• If you frequently check my "To-read List" (HA!) you'll know I'm rereading Blue Like Jazz. I'm getting quite a different perspective out of it from the last time I read it. However, it's that sort of book- very open ended and up to reflection. On Sunday, our pastor was talking about the Trinity, and off on a dogleg he was discussing the complexity of God. He used a quote from John Wesley: "Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man and then I will show you a man who can comprehend the Triune God." Since that's rather double-negative based, I prefer Donald Miller's view: "[God] will make no more sense to me that I will make sense to an ant." Why is this important to understand? My pastor said, "If He's small enough that you understand Him, He's not big enough to help you with the struggles of life." That's a rough summery of Blue Like Jazz for you. Donald Miller is trying to show that God is larger than Christianity- that Christian Spirituality is the larger box that holds Christianity, because though inspired by God, Christianity is a religion carried out by men. He says, "For much of my life I had been defending Christianity because I thought that to admit that we had done any wrong was to discredit the religious system as a whole, but it isn't a religious system, it's people following Christ; and the important thing to do, the right thing to do, was to apologize for getting in the way of Jesus." I really like this book, but you sort of have to read it to get all of what he's saying. :)