Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Super Tuesday

Oops, I said I was going to post more often, didn't I?

Originally I had four papers due today: one seven-pager, two three-pagers, one twenty-pager. But last week our professor gave us more time for the twenty-pager, so I'll take a couple days to polish that one off. The seven-pager I edited and finished on the way home for Thanksgiving, the one Spanish three-pager I wrote (mostly) at home, the other French one I typed up this morning. Not bad. I know some have a much heavier load than I do.

In other news, how interesting. I'm especially concerned about that 2% income reduction.

(Of course, they left out the most interesting part. The caption on the Health page reads, "Growth hormone levels' 'IQ link': Scientists suggest they have found a reason why some shorter children perform less well at school.")

Saturday, November 26, 2005

An apology and a brief description

I apologize for the ridiculous subject line on the last past. I was just trying to express how cold I was.

Thanksgiving Break has been lovely.

Wednesday Tammy and Diana and I finally got away from campus after getting our stuff in Tammy's car and after I returned the library key that I accidentally stole. Good thing I checked my pockets. That's where I put it when I opened up the library that morning.

Holiday traffic was 1 mph for about half an hour, but the rest was reasonable, especially the extra hour we picked up on leaving Indiana.

Tammy dropped me off at Ardith's apartment in Cedar Rapids. This was super because it took 2 hours off my trip home and gave me an Evening with Ardith. We enjoyed potato soup and bills and eggnog and a pathetic excuse for a superhero movie called Daredevil, which I wouldn't recommend seeing unless you watch it with Ardith.

The next morning Ardith drove us up to home in her snazzy Jetta. Dinner was planned for 2:15 p.m. and was on the table by 2:30 p.m. Truly a record! All the kids had been starving to death for nearly two hours, then they were stuffed an hour later.

After dinner we dozed around a while. I made two pies and we watched Lord of the Beans, which is a real hoot to watch, especially with our family!

Thank the Lord for a Thanksgiving so different from last year!

On Friday Daddy and Jason changed our vehicles to snow tires and Ardith changed hers. I didn't do much besides lugging bricks and checking tire pressures.

We also took Family Pictures. One was supposed to be serious. As soon as the camera snapped, everyone burst out laughing. Try explaining that one.

Ardith finally got away after being detained all day for said Family Picture. After supper the rest of us kids watched a western and absolutely laughed our heads off!

Today I hurt my brain while trying to make my thesis paper behave. It finally straightened itself out after I stopped.

Tomorrow is departure time after church services. I expect I'll try to finish editing my thesis paper on the way back and write a 3-page French paper when I need a break from that. And we'll lose that hour back to the Daylight Savings wormhole, but that's all right - better at school than at home. And it's back to survival mode for about two-and-a-half weeks.

Please pardon all the missing commas and terrible style. It's just Break, that's all.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...........

I was about ready to complain about freezing to death. It's 65 degrees F. in our room and I have on a long-sleeved shirt and a turtleneck and a sweater (and I'm still cold).

But, I just learned that our suitemate's room is closer to 60 degrees, as is the room of our RA, who has, incidentally, put in a request to get the heat turned up.

It's all for a good cause. They may only raise our tuition by $500 instead of $1000 next year.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Who said Iowa is rural?

Student Universe (the service with which I purchased my ticket to France) just informed me of a great new deal. $560 for Des Moines - Frankfurt, roundtrip, direct.

Any takers?

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Can it already be Sunday night?

I should post again before the weekend completely disappears. It has been a good week and a good weekend. Plenty of time to work on projects and relatively little sleep deprivation.

This week promises to be busier. Besides the usual round of work, classes, and meals, I have church directory pictures on Monday night, a French movie on Thursday night, a Spanish class to teach for Professor Navarro on Friday, and French Optimist Club Friday night.

Thanks to a well-chosen prize for a scavenger hunt and a lovely box from church family at home, my chocolate drawer is well-stashed. I should have enough to write two 9-page papers and a 20-page paper and a speech before Thanksgiving Break.

More important than all that, though - praise the Lord for His goodness!

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Milestone

Melinda's joining the teenage ranks today!

Happy 13th birthday, Melinda. :)

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Sorry I'm late

I completely forgot to do this yesterday.

Happy 11th birthday, Carolyn! :)

Mommy has two photos and commentary.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

The ceremony

Precisely a little after 2:00 p.m., all 17 of us filed into Ashman Chapel for the Alpha Chi induction ceremony. Dr. Dilling read our names, one by one. Each of us walked up the aisle, lighted our little candle at a larger one on the table, turned to face the audience and recited the following pledge: "I pledge myself to uphold the purposes of Alpha Chi, striving to make its ideals my ideals in scholarship and in service." The little cardboard candle holders could double as cheat sheets. I didn't write mine down and only suffered one six-second panic attack as I was waiting to walk up and couldn't recall the verb after "I... " Commit? Give? Dedicate? Thankfully, it hopped back into my mind just in time.

After reciting the pledge, each of us walked over to sign the register and shake several hands (including President Manahan's) while hearing our respective advisors say nice things about us. We lined up in the back, everyone recited the Alpha Chi motto You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free; then after applause we were allowed to sit down and hear the address. My wonderful Professor Schram was the speaker this year. Afterwards they had us all get on the podium for pictures. It was very odd to stand up there and see several cameras flashing at once.

!!

I just purchased my ticket to France!

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Homecoming ain't nothin' like home

Tonight was Homecoming at Grace. Six of us girls dressed up and walked to the cafeteria to eat by candlelight... I mean, by lighthouses and Chinese lanterns (that would make more sense if you knew that this year's theme was nautical and last year's theme was Oriental). We enjoyed our conversation over a two-course dinner, then trekked down the hill to Rody Auditorium for the variety show, which was, as usual, low in talent but high (relative to person observing, anyway) in comedy. Hmm, I just realized that they never announced a winner! They did show off the Homecoming Court of popular-people-on-campus and crown a king and queen. What do you know, the Student Body President was the king. Afterward we finally got out of the auditorium and went back to the cafeteria and stood in line to get our dessert. After two experiments, I've discovered that chocolate and chai are an especially effective combination for my stomach.

My absolutely favorite part of the whole evening? Coming back to our quiet little dorm room. The others went off to go rollerskating till around curfew (1 a.m.), so I have the room all to myself. Whew. I was starting to feel the effects of people shock.

Why look forward to these 'social events', only to rejoice in getting away from them?

Posting will be more frequent after this. That's a promise.