Observations

Hey everybody! Well, Christmas is over. Now it's time for New Years! Woohoo! Ok, I promised some funny stories based on a few observations.

One: Eggnog is addicting. I come to this conclusion based on an observation. Christmas Eve: We're sitting around the bar in the kitchen talking and telling stories and drinking, you guessed it, eggnog. We had all finished our cups except for Mom and had moved on to something hot, like Mom's awesome spiced tea. Dad sat quietly gaping at Mom's cup. The words out of his mouth next took us all by surprise… "Are you gonna drink that?" Silence. Then laughter! We all cracked up! Dad was so serious! He really wanted more, very badly! So then we got into a discussion about the way we all love eggnog and how we could drink it constantly, even though we shouldn't. And so the evening progressed.

One of the things I absolutely love about Christmas, even more than the presents, it seems, are those magical moments that occur spontaneously. Like that wonderful conversation we had around the bar that night. About life, about work, about silly stories and gay guys hitting on people. Hehe.

Two: I now own the softest robe on the planet, with Brandy's coming in a very close second. For Christmas I got a gorgeous green and white robe that feels exquisite! I can't really describe it, except that it's the softest, fluffiest, warmest, most comfortable robe I've ever felt. It's a robe that makes you really not want to ever put on your pajamas. I love it! For those of you at college, I'll bring it back just to share the absolute delight of touching it. :p

Three: Mother is an amazing cook! Not funny, per say, but very true, nonetheless.

Four: I got soo many wonderful gifts! Like jewelry, a purse, socks, my robe, more jewelry, some sweaters, face cleaner stuff, and a full acrylic paint set! Along with a green dragonfly teapot, a dragonfly pin, a pair of dragonfly earrings, and some wonderful lotion, I had a wonderful Christmas. We had chili after church. Mmm mmm good!

Five: Playing Trivial Pursuit with a bunch of guys without Larry and Jan there is rather pointless. The guys were desperately trying to catch up with the girls after we had conquered 5 of 6 categories. The guys: 0. Yeah, really boring. So I, being the "question master", through collaboration with the rest of the girls, decided to censor the questions. The guys got about 10 questions they were guaranteed to answer correctly, and were up to 4 of the 6 categories. We left them there on their own. They then proceeded to get the final 2 pie pieces and make it to the middle, where they missed the final question twice! It was getting late, so we called it a game, but the win was "legally" the guys'. And so we marked it with a special circle denoting a "special" win. That one is going in the record books. They didn't have a snowball's chance in Texas of coming back and winning that on their own. So the girls really won, even though the official "W" went to the guys. So much for our bright idea. We only had the pink piece left… Bummer.

Six: Cats are crazy. At Kim's house I left my windows down on my car. Big mistake. When I got in, there were cats! EVERYWHERE! Actually, they were just in the back seat. But it freaked me out, to say the least.

Well, I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas! And I'll talk to y'all later! Love and toodles!

Season's Greetings!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!

Man, do I have some stuff to tell y'all... But later, because church is going to start soon. So have a great day! Toodles!

Christmas is Coming!

Well well well. Been a few days, I know. Sorry about that. I've had a stomach bug. Eww. Yeah, it was pretty nasty. But I'm much better now. I got the bug from the 5 year old I babysit. Yep. Gross. But Christmas is coming!!! Yay!!!! I'm soo excited! I've gotten tons of stuff for friends and family and I can't wait to see their faces when they open their gifts! I'd love to go into specifics, but my parents read this. Hehe. I don't know who all even reads this mess anymore, but oh well. I'm very much ready for Christmas. After arriving home on Thursday, I went to Jarrod's house and got to hang out in the hot tub with some friends, which was pretty fun, then we got together again Friday night to watch a movie. Saturday I went to babysit, and then church on Sunday. I got sick Sunday night and spent all day yesterday recovering and then finished my shopping today, which was cool. I got a movie and a toy for the babies I sit for, some goodies for Mrs. Sheryl, and some stuff for some other friends. Yay! I like to shop, but I don't really like Christmas shopping. I never know what to get for everybody! But I usually manage to figure something out. Remember to keep Heath in your prayers. He's headed to the sand box. *sigh* I miss my friend already. I can only imagine what his family is going through. Well, toodles for now.

Tuesday

Look what I've learned in my college life...

That's a wonderful excerpt from a Roger Crager song. The rest doesn't really apply. Haha. My weekend was extremely restful and almost productive. I'm happy again, though a bit crazy. Still. Haha. Well, just wanted to let y'all know that I WILL survive and I'm doing fine. I have a monologue to perform tomorrow, so I need to work on that now. Talk to y'all later! Toodles!

Mhmm

Well, just wanted to say a quick thanks to all of the folks who offered their support and love this past weekend. I really appreciate it. And I know there aren't many comments, but I got a few phone calls and visits, so I felt much better when I went to bed. And today was gorgeous and pretty ok, so I'm making it. I have tons of stuff to do this week, so don't expect much from me. I'll talk to y'all later! Love and toodles.

uh... yeah

So. I'm single. Drew and I had a much-needed discussion about where our relationship was and the direction of our intentions. And the decision reached was that the relationship wasn't "clicking" in the same manner as it was originally. We both felt that we rushed into the titles too quickly and that it would be better if we took a break to reassess our emotions. So we're currently just friends. I don't know how long this sabbatical will last, but he's still going home with me next weekend to hang out at our house and whatnot. And we still will probably do things together occasionally outside of church. So I AM ok. And I'll get over it. Tears will fall, but my heart will heal.

No Kidding

So get this. In acting today, as I was getting my things together to leave Mrs. MacIntyre asks me if I was going to be an actress and director. I answered the affirmative and she cried, "I knew it!" She then said, "It's a hard life, with lots of pains. There are joys, too. You'll do well. I'm looking forward to watching you grow." I conveyed my thanks, and that was the end. But whoa! To have someone like that really believe in you, actually think you can make it in their field... That's a serious confidence booster. :)

Last night was rather interesting. I was driving to Bible study and, stopping for a red light, pulled up beside a woman hanging out of her SUV talking to the woman behind her, also in a SUV. Apparently, the woman in the back didn't have her lights on, so the leader felt the need to tell her. And so ensued a conversation about the said lights with thanks expressed at the next light. I smiled at that. Then, out of town, there was a huuuge bag of pine straw lying in the road that we had to dodge. Randomly.

Little Smokies (ya know, the sausages in B-B-Q sauce) and cheese make a great combination. Snacks at Bible study. Hehe.

Ryan is growing a beard. Ryan is Drew's brother. He just decided to let it grow. He said he was tired of buying razors...

Cio and Allie "fought" for about 15 minutes after everyone left last night. Wrestling, pulling hair, boxing, smack-talking. Quite entertaining.

I made a really cool name tag for myself and Drew with silver, blue, red, and green sharpies. Christmasy.

Meeting in a few, so I'm off. Toodles! Sorry so choppy...

EDIT>>> My friend Brittany's Aunt Lula is having some serious trouble. Her heart is failing and her lungs are filling with fluid. She's in the hospital and needs to be in our prayers. Thanks guys.

Today

Conversations are cyclical. Talking to a friend who I haven't seen in a while, I clearly saw the development. It's interesting. Really. Class, life, nothing to do, haven't seen you in a while, who was this person I met with you, how has everything been, how was Thanksgiving, what are your plans for the rest of the day, good luck with class, if there's anything I can do to help with the grade, see you later, take care! Complete circle. Class, everything in between, and class again.

My roommate was in jail for MIP last night. Minor in possession. Of alcohol. Interesting. But she came in sober. Which was something of a change. Very interesting indeed.

I'm contemplating a room change for next semester. The room next door is going to be completely empty from what I've heard. And the suite on the other side is where Parrot lives with Stacey. Easy suitemates. Then I'd have the chance roommate assignment, though. Some strange person that I don't know. Any thoughts on this?

A pretty good day thus far. I got to sleep fairly late and I slept all night, so I'm not tired like I was yesterday. Bible study tonight at 9. One of the last ones for the semester. Kinda sad. I also have a book to read for English. Yeah, I'm gonna go do that now... Toodles!

Thanks

Ok. So I'm thankful for looooots of stuff. Friends. Family. God. My relationship with my boyfriend. Sunshine. Cold weather. Good music. Laughter. The Christmas spirit. Smiles. Being able to make people feel great about being alive. Drums. Awesome teachers. A capable brain. Financial stability. Life's small pleasures, like bubbles. Decorating the dorm for the holidays.

I heard a comment in English today about reality being dark and dreary. My reality is not. And I'm not a superficial idiot. Despite what some might think. So, I wrote a response:

"Despite reality, I am happy. Not because I do not suffer but rather because I see the good in small things. Like the sunshine, bubbles, music, good food, good friends, family, holidays, and children. Life in general is good. It's a wonderful thing to just exist. And that in itself contributes to the joy deep in my heart and radiating from my smile."

How true. And what a shame I can't bottle this feeling and sell it.

Break's Over...

Hey everybody! How was y'all's Thanksgiving? Mine was pretty ok. Yeah, just. But Friday was sooo much better! We stopped by and got Drew on the way home from my aunt's house and then went out to Beaumont with Derek and Brandy. Mom was home alone until about 1:30. Hehe. But we went to see Derek's new apartment he'll be sharing with my cousin and a friend and went to CiCi's pizza. Then we went to see Walk the Line. It was REALLY good. The actors did a phenomenal job on their portrayals. I was very impressed.

Saturday we were out to Cathy and Smitty's for Thanksgiving with them. We saw Bob, Jodi, Hunter, Jack, Matthew, and a whole passel of folks out there for the shrimp fry. Mmm mmm. Good stuff. Bob is Mom's best friend from high school. Cathy and Smitty are his parents. So we're practically family. We (me, Drew, and Mom) went on a trek through the woods out to the deer stand with Bob and the boys. Hunter is 7, Jack is 5, and Matt is about 18 months old. Jack was attached to my hand the whole time, so I enjoyed my walk with "my boys". Drew on one side and Jack on the other.

Today was church and then hanging out at home for a little while eating leftovers and getting everything loaded up to head back this way. We left at about 2:30. Kourtney saw me driving through town and called my cell phone. I had to stop and get gas, so I dropped by the flower shop for a few minutes.

Back at the dorm I commenced "Project Christmas Decorations" and proceeded to decorate the lobby with the Christmas tree, mistletoe, garlands, and some other things we found. Stacey helped. So now it's all prettyful!!

I went on my blog rounds and watched Heath talk about hunting wolverines... and couldn't stop laughing for a few minutes. That was interesting. Heath, your accent's not as bad as I thought it would be. But other than that I was pretty accurate in my mental guesstimate. Go figure.

Well, I'm tired and Drew's gonna come watch Chicken Run or somethin with me tonight, so I'm out. Love and hugs! I'll post an "I'm thankful" post later. Remind me. Toodles!

Yep

Ok, so my computer's retarded. What's new? Hehe.

Yesterday was another absolutely amazing day! I bet y'all are getting tired of these, huh? Ha! We went to the Renaissance Festival for the final time this year. This was the last weekend of the season. Drew and I got there at about 9 with Mom, Dad, Derek, and Brandy arriving at about 9:20. We went in and had an awesome day, full of fun, laughter, shopping, chatting, and holding hands. Three couples! It was soo cool! We split up after the 3 o'clock jousting tournament and met up a little before 6 for the fireworks. Gorgeous! They did a really good job, the best of the 3 shows we saw, in fact.

With some crazy yells and several games of random "Marco Polo", we made it out to the parking lot. That was about 6:30. At 7:45, we were still sitting there... There had been a wreck involving 3 life-flights. So we waited.

At about 8:30, Drew and I locked up the car and ran over to the truck with everybody else from our little group and jumped in the back, surprising the whole truck. We, of course, were laughing like crazy. I went back and got a CD that I had purchased and we put it in the player and cranked it up! We also built a little fire behind the truck with some hay from the bed of the truck, which drew a bunch of random people. It's amazing how fire and drums can draw people together...

When traffic had barely begun to move, an officer came up and told us to put the fire out because there was a burn-ban on. Oops. We stomped it out and dispersed. Back to the car, and we made it to the cross-traffic and made it out waaay before Mom and Dad. They were on the regular road while we took a short-cut that was usually blocked off. So we waited on the corner at the main highway for them so we could follow them to supper at Jack-in-the-Box. Good stuff!

While we were waiting, since we had kinda run out of things to talk about and we were both getting tired (I get silly when I'm tired, and Drew gets quiet), I started singing Christmas songs. I went through quite a few, and we were laughing the whole time, so that was fun. Anyway, M&D finally got there and we ate in Conroe. Drew and I then drove back here and went promptly to bed.

This morning I woke up at about 7:30 and drank most of a 16 oz. bottle of water and fell immediately back to sleep...

We went to church together and then ate lunch here and watched Dirty Dancing. I took him home so he could finish some stuff, and we have plans for the movies before I have to go home for Thanksgiving. We still need to cement our plans for getting together, but if we can't it'll be ok. We'll manage. :p

Well, I'm tired and my laundry will be done soon, so toodles! Love and hugs!

Days Like These

Have you ever walked down the sidewalk with your eyes closed? I did today walking back to the dorm. The sunlight on my face, the breeze blowing cold on my face, and my all warm in my big green hoodie. Deep breath, slow steps, smile on my face, and hair gently brushing against my cheek...

My errands are taken care of. I got some cash for our final trip to the Renaissance Festival and checked my mail. I got a letter from Mom and a shirt that I won on the internet. Cool, huh? But Mom's letter... I cried. In the post office. :p She just told me that she's proud of me and glad we're more than just mother and daughter, we're friends. What a topper to an absolutely fabulous week!

I have no idea why I've been so happy this week, but the days have just been amazing! I had a wonderful meeting with my English professor on Monday. He said that I don't really act like a theater major in that I am not only vocal in class but apply myself when writing papers as well. So that kicked things off on a good note.

I got a 100 on my History paper (aaaahhhh! I know! I can barely believe it!), bringing my grade back up to a B. I can finish pulling it up with this next test and final paper. But the 100 was based primarily on the main points that I hit in my introduction! Nobody else in the class covered them, so I had, obviously, the highest grade. I was soooo pumped! I was and am in awe! Hehe. Then I heard from my "stalker" and made a friend in the process, so that was interesting. I went to Bible study that night and got a chance to really talk to Drew, which I haven't done in a while.

Wednesday, I performed my monologue and did a lot better than I thought I would. I went to small group Bible study and Drew was there, so he rode home with me and we talked a little more... after I spilled my drink on him. :/ But it's ok. He didn't really mind, and I got most of it cleaned up.

Then yesterday I watched a movie and chilled out. We were going to hang out and watch some movies together, but my boyfriend was kidnapped... by his brother, and he didn't get back until almost 11. Oh well. There will be other evenings. But I got some sleep, another night of rest, 8 hours. Good stuff.

Today, acting class was cancelled, so I slept late, went to English, and then science, ate lunch with a couple of guys from class, and then straightened up my room and went to run my errands. *sigh* I love days like these!

Good Stuff

Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever. There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did I'm going to celebrate! Today, I'm going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger. I will go through this day with my head held high and a happy heart. I will marvel at God's seemingly simple gifts: the morning dew, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds. ^{Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice.} Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people. I'll make someone smile. I'll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don't even know. Today, I'll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down. I'll tell a child how special he is, and I'll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for them and how much they mean to me. Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don't have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me. I'll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith in God and his Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine. And tonight, before I go to bed, I'll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and I will praise God for these magnificent treasures. As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow, I will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life. And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because I know tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life, ever!

Stalkers, History Papers, and Oldies

Whoa, what a week! Yesterday was a roller coaster day, for sure. I found out I got a 100 on my History paper that I was just sure I got a B on! And then RC decided he wanted to mess with me and tell me he was stalking me... So I overreacted a little, I'll admit, but it really did freak me out. I'm better now, especially since he apologized and explained that he didn't expect me to take it seriously. So we've been exchanging notes all day today, and he seems like a pretty cool guy after all. Go figure.

And then, I get home from a great day and turn on my radio... and there are oldies! Yessss! I LOVE oldies! And they're still on, so I'm in a really good mood! Hehe. Yesterday ended on a great note because I got to hang out with and really talk to Drew, which we hadn't done in a while. So I was and am happy.

Wow. I can't believe how blessed I am! God has showered me with blessings, for real! I can't really explain how I feel, but there's this feeling deep in my gut that's tense with anticipation and excitement! And I couldn't pinpoint why exactly even if I tried, but oh, how beautiful is life! And isn't today GORGEOUS?!? It never ceases to amaze me how much God must care about me to make my life so full of wonderfully sweet things! Love and toodles!

Revelation

Ok, confession. It's honestly bothered me that Drew hasn't kissed me yet... until today. No, still no kiss, but I'm suddenly ok with it. Impossible? Not really. I realized that, instead of pushing myself to want something that I have decided a relationship is required to have, I have to just accept the way things are and let them happen. And I realized that Drew's strength as a man, not kissing me, holding off, has actually kept our relationship strong. I should know by now that kissing a guy does not guarantee success, and, in fact, oftentimes guarantees failure.

I've been saying Drew is my "gift from God." And he really is. I honestly see God's will in my relationship with such an amazing man. But I wasn't ready to let God keep working and taking first place in that relationship that He gave me. I remembered a scripture mentioned in a novel I had read. 1 Corinthians 7:1 says, "Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman." Upon further reading I understood this to mean that this applies until marriage, when the two become one flesh. And it makes sense. And I really needed that revelation in my heart. I was disturbed about the situation, though I didn't admit it to anyone, even myself, until I had a dream about it a few nights ago.

My point is simply that God knows what He's doing. My challenge is now to follow Him. And to truly let Him lead in my life, and let His will be done. Ecc. 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in HIS time..." Including, and especially my relationship. It's important to me, and so it's important to Him. Awesome, right?! I agree wholeheartedly with Drew in that MY GOD IS AWESOME!!! Woohoo! Toodles!

Bible Study

Last night I went to Bible study like I do every Tuesday. Pastor C.F. has been teaching out of Hebrews for the past few weeks and we're now in Chapter 3. Last night we talked about being faithful and not hardening your hearts. Hebrews 3:7-14. Verse 8 reads: "Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness." C.F. used the illustration of callouses, those hard, unfeeling spots you get on your body when some action is repeated regularly. He equated the hardening of your heart to getting callouses. As a country girl, I am acquainted with the concept of callouses, and also with the concept of lotion. Cocoa butter, a particular favorite of mine, works wonders on removing callouses and revealing softer skin. So the key to getting rid of callouses is lotion, right? Well, how do we get rid of callouses on our heart? How do we change those insensitive, unfeeling places back into a whole heart sensitive to God's pull and presence? Lotion. The Bible, meditation, and prayer are the lotions of the heart. Now, we women are especially aware of the need to apply lotion before bed each night and when you wake up to keep skin soft, supple, and yielding. So here's the question. Are you using your lotion? Are you softening your heart and yielding to the Holy Spirit? Are you allowing callouses to be softened and replaced with that sensitivity that comes with an intimate walk with the Lord? I know I need to work on it. And I know some of my callouses are extremely thick and need lots of work. But through daily devotional and prayer and God's guiding hand I know "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13). Love and hugs. Toodles!

Puzzle Epidemic

Well friends, I do believe it's time for a new post. I have found my new favorite song! Well, it's an old song, and it's been on my "tops" list for a while, but it's grown on me some. It's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith. Love it!

I still have those papers to write. Ugh. Well, I have vowed to finish the English paper and read the book before I go to bed, so I may be up for a while... Oh well.

Well, I guess that's all I really have to say... Oh! The Puzzle epidemic! Right! Ok. About 3 weeks ago I was cleaning out the "study room" downstairs just because I was bored and needed something to do. And I found tons of decorations for the lobby, which I used for Halloween, and lots of scrapbooks from previous years in our dorm, and lots of jig-saw puzzles. I am speaking to an older generation, so I know you all remember these. A fine and dying art, I'm afraid the children of today don't know quite what to make of these rare specimens that attest to the patience and skills displayed in the past... Right, so all of these puzzles were just chilling in there, not getting any use, all sad and depressed, crying out to me, "FINISH ME!!!" A few days later, I did just that. I got out a box and put together a puzzle with the help of a few people in the lobby. As the days progressed, more and more people joined in... until the entire house was helping out with the jig-saw puzzles! There was not a bare surface in the lobby on which to place another one, so we demolished a few and started in on the next rounds. On and on it went until... *duhn-duhn-duuuh*... WE RAN OUT!!! Aaaaahhhhhh!





So we're out of puzzles. Help! Anybody who wants to donate a puzzle, send them! And hurry! We're having withdrawals!

Pink shoes

Ok, ok, I know my last post was this morning and I'm going to get all kinds of complaints about "you post too much!" and all that jazz, but hey, my world, my news. So :p!!!

Well, to begin with, I saw some awesome pink sneakers today! They were bright, and I mean super-bright pink sneakers, high-tops, if you know what I mean by that. They were pretty cool! But the thing that really made them stand out was that they were on a guy! And he was straight! Just from the way he walked, at least. But I was so surprised! I literally laughed out loud going from English to Science today. Pretty funny stuff.

In English, I drew a cartoon. I wish I could show you what it looks like, but it's too much trouble to go all the way to the library to scan a copy of it and put it online. So I'll draw a quick sketch and put it up... Grr! It won't load! So we'll cheat the system...

Ok, you can't read it: the top left says "an ambitious student from Dr. Child's English class." The top middle arrow says "paintballs". The top right arrow says "construction workers". And the bottom right arrow that you can barely see says "paint, a little off-target".

Anyway, this all stemmed from the construction workers outside of our building in English. They get very annoying after almost a month of building. Thankfully, they're almost finished.

There was a guy in the hall going to my Science class with a really cool shirt on. It said, "I vote for Happy Hour." Well, I thought it was funny, anyway.

The surprise of the day: our professor really isn't a stick-in-the-mud!!! He's a pretty cool guy, he just has a bit of a dull voice. When you engage him in real conversation he's actually pretty interesting. And we were SURE it was going to be boring! Well, it still probably will be, but not as bad as we first feared.

When I got home and checked my voice mail on my cell phone, I heard a message from Katie. Now Katie graduated from the same town as me, only a few years earlier. She called and asked me to call her back, so I did. And she had a really random question: "How do you reduce the glare on a bald guy's head without powdering him up?" So I gave her my advice and sent her on her way. That was so incredibly random... Haha. But that's ok, because she needed some help and I was able to give it to her. Coolness. Well, that's all for now. Toodles!

She's baaaaack!!

Ok! Here's more of that crazy randomness from the Spatula that you know you've missed!

My roommate's out. She left last night and didn't come home. Should I be worried? Nah. She does this EVERY Thursday night. She goes out and gets niiiice and plastered and crashes at somebody's house. Now, the first time she did this I freaked. I was sooo worried! I almost called her, but something stopped me... And as it turns out she was just sleeping on someone else's couch that night. No worries. Why, oh why did it have to be me? I think God is testing me.

I get to go see "Jarhead" tonight! Mary from FLP invited me to go along with the rest of whoever wants to go. I invited Drew, but I don't know if he'll make it. We're going to Conroe because the theater there is new and a lot nice than the one here, supposedly. But whatever.

I want to go bowling! And we have a bowling alley here. (why do they call it an alley? It's in a building!) I think that will be my Saturday reward. Maybe Sunday...

I have an English paper to write that's due Monday. And a history paper that's due Thursday. Fun fun. I also have a car show to work on Saturday and, of course, church on Sunday. But it shouldn't be an issue. I should get finished with English tonight and take care of the history paper some time tomorrow.

Took a science test yesterday over the weather portion. I have no idea how I did. We've begun the natural disasters portion... Irony: the boring parts of the class were taught by very interesting, engaging professors. The "interesting" part is being taught by the biggest bore in the department. Boo. Oh well.

I scheduled my classes for next semester! I'm taking 18 hours. 16 of those are theater classes and 2 are my dance class. My dance class is in the evening. A hip-hop class. This should be interesting...

Well, class starts in a few, so I'm off. Love and hugs!

Interesting...

Just some random quiz...

You Are an Intense Kisser

When you kiss, it's deep and powerful You don't take kissing lightly Your kisses always have meaning And they always make your head spin

What's Your Kissing Style?

Cute

How funny!

Dragonflies 2

"Dragonfly"

I will never let you down
I will always be around

In the time we are here
We'll see love disappear
Don't ask how
Don't ask why
Just fly, dragonfly
Just fly, dragonfly

I will never bring you down
I will always stick around
I will heat you when you're cold

In the time we have left
We'll raise eyes to the sky
Don't ask how
Don't ask why
Just fly, dragonfly
Just fly, dragonfly

Don't ask how
Don't ask why
Just fly, dragonfly
Just fly, fly, fly dragonfly

A somewhat random song by a group named A-Ha. But you know how I am about dragonflies...

Dragonflies

I love Dragonflies. It seems to be a recent fascination with me. I even got a henna tattoo of a dragonfly yesterday. (It's temporary. Go read the facts and info.) The lady told me dragonflies were "spirit guides". So I did some searching and found a few things.

Dragonfly is the power of light. The dragonfly inhabits two realms: air and water and the influence of both these elements will be felt by Dragonfly people. They will be emotional and passionate during their early years (the influence of water) and more balanced with greater mental clarity and control in as they mature (the influence of air).

I have decided on who I am in relation to my costume. I am either: Freya, Norse Goddess of love, sex, war, attraction, fertility, and beauty, the most beautiful of all northern goddesses who has a thing for cats; Artemis, goddess of the wilderness, the hunt, wild animals, and fertility, accompanied by nymphs; or Terpsichore, the muse of dancing, mother of the Sirens, and player if the lute. I think Freya or Artemis, but I can't make my final decision... Oh well. I like the idea of Freya, but it would make more sense for me to be Artemis. Go figure.

I don't feel good. I'm sick. I'm going to get lots of sleep. I drank some soup and took a long nap just a little while ago. Now I'm off to Christine's for a scene rehearsal for our acting class. When I get back it'll be off to bed again for me. Hopefully I'll be much better by tomorrow morning.

Cha-ching!

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I love tweaking.

Prayer needed... again

Please pray for Eric Mingle. He is a student here at Sam and was in a car accident coming back from his home. He is in critical condition and was life-flighted out to Beaumont. Remember him, and spread the word. What really just emphasized the whole seriousness of the occasion was his best friend and roommate, Chris. He came waltzing into class just like any other day. Dr. Child asked him about Eric... and he didn't know. Nobody had told him. So he left. And Trevor, another guy in our class, is driving Chris to Beaumont to the hospital to see Eric. The look on his face... Well, let's just say we weren't as rambunctious as usual. Sad, sad day. He graduated valedictorian of his class (of, 20, yeah, but still...) and is really an ok guy. He's a cocky baseball player, but he's not so bad. Hopefully, prayerfully, he'll get better. Soon.

>>UPDATE: Ok, according to Jim, a friend of mine, Eric is, in fact, ok. He has a broken arm and some other things wrong, but he's doing good. We heard that he did, however, kill the person in the other car. It was a head-on collision. Eric had fallen asleep at the wheel. We don't know when he'll be back at school, but he seriously needs major prayer to make it through this. He'll have a hard time recovering emotionally if what we heard is truth. Tough day.

Create Post

Hmmm... let's see, um... k. It's time for a new post, I suppose. But what to write about... Well, hang on. *digs around in backpack* Look! A post, already written! Let me just type this up...

And here's the news in the world of the Spatula. Heather, my suitemate, is in the hospital. She had a reaction from the lack of insulin. She's diabetic, and she ran out of insulin. And one thing led to another. She got sick the other day and her roommate took her to the hospital. So she's now in the hospital, in a town about 30 minutes away. She's stabilized, but won't return to school for at least two weeks, possibly three. We're not sure if she'll be back at all this semester. We're all going to miss her while she's gone. We sent her a card from all of us at Spivey. So I hope it made her feel better.

I gave blood yesterday! Woohoo! I'm one of those sick people who actually enjoy giving blood. I really do get a kick out of watching my life's source flow out of my body in a hot, red stream into a little bag. I was talking to some girls in the room with me, and I mentioned that giving blood is like an investment. It's something you deposit in the "bank" and can withdraw if you ever need it. I'm O positive, so I can give blood to anybody. Which is very cool. A couple of things were really awesome. One, I could feel the warmth of my blood flowing through the tube into the bag. Two, I felt great! I really didn't feel the effects of blood-loss. The first time I gave I felt it. But not this time. And I got a free super-comfy t-shirt! I left my keys there and got a phone call on my cell from the guy who asked the questions at the beginning. He was pretty cool. All of those wonderfully revealing questions. Haha. I answered "no" to all of them except for the one about being a military dependent and if I felt healthy and well that day. Over all, very cool. I love to give blood. I know, I'm weird, but we've been over this before...

I have decided I don't like our bathroom. Our sink drains too slow, our shower drain backs up and takes a while to drain off, and the handle on the toilet pinched my hand this morning. It hurt, too. So this bathroom is going in the trash and I'm picking up my new one in a little while. Hehe.

Arm hair is the strangest thing... This morning, when I got to my first class, the static electricity from my hoodie made my arm hair stand up, but only on one arm... Go figure. It was kinda funny. So I got back to my room and fixed it with lotion. Easy.

Ok... That's the end of the "discovered" post. Coolness. I guess I'll catch y'all later! Love and hugs!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Well, actually, I did, but I can edit. Mwa hahahahaha! I got a 94 on my English test! Yay! Ok, I'm really done now. Buh-bye.

Home for the Weekend

Well, ok. Went home yesterday. Actually, took Drew home to meet Dad... Yeah... Anyway, it was cool. Dad behaved himself and Drew did wonderfully, as I knew he would. We got there Saturday afternoon and helped Dad clean up a cedar tree. We're still cleaning from Rita, fyi. Anyway, the tree was actually two trees grown together, so there was a nice little groove in between the two original trunks... And inside that groove? SNAKE EGGS!!! Woohoo! Yeah, for serious. They were ground rattlers. We actually saw one before we cut into the main trunk and killed it with the chainsaw (good fun, right?), but didn't think a whole lot of it. Until Derek made the comment that there might be a nest inside. And there was! And they were all still alive! So... we torched 'em. Very cool! We poured gasoline on the eggs in the tree and on a stick, then lit the stick and WOOSH! Fire everywhere! It was GREAT!!! Hahaha. I know, I'm sick... But it was really cool. And we roasted a little egg on a stick just like a marshmallow... Fun fun fun. There was one we had "hatched" before we torched 'em that went down into the chainsaw groove in the tree, and that little sucker burned for forever! But it was very awesome. And they were all dead. Yessss! We checked the eggs and popped a couple open today to make sure. Hehehe... Anyway, we got most of the tree cleaned up, but there's still the main trunk and the part over the fence, so Dad and Derek will take care of that this next week some time. I might have pictures, too. I'll have to get somebody at home to send 'em... Cross your fingers!

We went to church today and Drew met about 50 people, and I really don't expect him to remember any of their names. But we had a good service and a good Sunday School lesson. Well, my class did anyway. I think Drew had a good time, at least he says it wasn't bad... At least they didn't scare him off, right? Lol. Well, lemme get out of here. I know y'all all have better things to do than read my blog. :p So, ttyl! Love and hugs!

Answered

"Baby girl,

I do love you very much!!! More than you will ever know, and no one is or will ever be good enough for you. You know I would rather have you call me and say, "Daddy, I met a guy and I like him" than...letting me find out the way I did. I'm not judging him; I don't know him, but you still should have told me. I don't expect you to tell me every time you turn around, but at least keep me informed about you... You are my little girl and I do want to know what you are doing... As far as Drew is concerned, I won't have a problem with him unless he mistreats you or hurts you in any way. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he has to be perfect but he had be real close when it comes to you... And by the way, I did say I love you when I hung up on the phone the other day, you just didn't hear me. See you Saturday.

Love,
Daddy"

That was the response I got yesterday. Well, there was a lot more to it, but you get the idea. And I started crying...this time in relief. I couldn't believe how much was weighing on this one particular conversation/conflict. Wow. But I'm better now. Yay! I feel lighter! And Drew's coming home with me tomorrow and we're gonna have a good time! And my fortune cookie was right... Woohoo! Unfortunately, I don't remember what it said... Hehe. Well, just wanted to let y'all know that all is good! Dad, if you want me to take something out, just lemme know tomorrow.

Texas Tornado

So the drama! Heh... But seriously. Yesterday was an emotional rollercoaster. The morning started out pretty good. I was a tiny bit apprehensive and almost worried. I hadn't talked to Drew at all on Monday, but I talked to Dad. He found out from Mom about Drew. That's not a bad thing, it just wasn't how I wanted Drew to come into Dad's mind. I wanted to introduce them and then let Dad draw his own conclusions. But it didn't happen like that. So, when I talked to Dad he was in a good moos, no big deal, he just laughed and told me to bring him home to meet him. I responded that I would try, but that Drew works and I wasn't sure he could get off. So Dad was a little perturbed, but I really wasn't concerned about it being an issue. But he called me at about 2:30 yesterday afternoon. He goes into this whole thing about how I'm "hiding" Drew from him and didn't want him to know about my life, etc. He ends by saying that if I don't want him to meet Drew that's fine, I can just be that way. And he hangs up. No goodbye, no "I love you". Nothing. He just hangs up. That hurt far worse than anything he could have possibly said. So I start bawling. I'm in tears, sobbing, so upset I can't think straight. So I IM Jessica and ask her to come cuz I need to talk to her. She does. She lives 2 doors down. She read the email I had written to Dad.

"Daddy,
I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing here. I thought you were going to get to go the Ren Fest so I was waiting for that to let you meet him. And no, I didn't want you to know about it because you tend to over-react slightly to guys. You know you do. You always have. I love you very much and I don't want to hurt you. I wouldn't for the world if I could help it. But apparently I'm not very good at avoiding it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I'm sorry I met a guy and go to school an hour and a half away and don't come home every weekend. I'm sorry I can't fix things. But I'm going to try to bring him home so you can meet him. He really is an amazing guy. So please don't judge him from my stupid mistakes, though I'm not quite sure I know what they are. That hurt me so bad when you called. I'm not hiding him from you! I would be more than happy for the two of you to meet. Honestly. But making that happen is harder than you might think. And I didn't want you to meet him and then it not matter because he didn't hang around for more than a week. But he's still here, so I really do want you to meet him. And I did not tell my brother not to tell you. I told him to give you a good report if you asked. I did want him to be a surprise in a way, and I had every intention of bringing him home, but nobody told me we had power, so I wasn't making plans. It's not like we're incredibly serious right now or anything. He's a really great guy and I really just want to be happy. But please don't create a huge rift between us. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing by writing this email, but I'm in tears and I can't call because I can't talk right now. I'm so scared and yet so hopeful. And I don't want to lose that. I promise you would've met him in due course before much longer. You were already supposed to have met him. He was/is looking forward to it, by the way. Ok, I can't do this anymore. I hope this helps and doesn't make things worse. I know you're not heartless and cruel, but it sure seemed that way when you called angry with me. I can't do anything more than apologize. So I'm sorry, again. Please respond.
Love,
me."

And I didn't call because I couldn't talk because I was crying too hard. He hasn't checked his email yet, so he hasn't responded.

Well, that night I went to Bible study with Drew. I really needed that. I felt a lot better after the study and worship songs. But I had taken a three-hour nap and my eyes were puffy, so I know Drew could tell something was wrong. He made me feel as comforted as possible and didn't have to say a word... Anyway, after Bible study I told him that Dad had called and I was going home this weekend and I'd really love for him to go with me. And he said that was fine and then gave me a hug and left. I went back home (dorm) and called Porkchop. She didn't answer, but called back immediately and asked, "What's wrong?" So I poured out my story. She knows me incredibly well and knows Dad, so she gave the advice I needed and made me feel so much better about things by making me laugh and relax again.

Drew got online. I talked to him for a while and he reassured me that all would be fine, so I was breathing normally again by bedtime, especially after a deliciously hot shower.

But Dad hasn't responded yet. I'm going to call Mom and tell her we'll be coming home on Saturday. I don't know if Dad told her about our conversation, but I'm not going to. She doesn't need my problems. She has her own, and it's time I learned to deal with my own trouble. Yes, this is major, and yes, I'd love for her to help, but she has to live with him and I don't. Anyway, I'm still anxious, but I'll be ok. If you would, please pray for me. And Dad. And Drew. And any advice, despite what I've said about dealing with my own problems, would be appreciated. This weekend will be a deciding factor, I fear. Plus I have a test on Friday and a paper due tomorrow. Ugh. Thank you all for reading and your prayers. Love and hugs.

Observation

Ok, strange observation... I realized that I owe the success of my blog to two people: Porkchop and Chad. Cuz Chad told his brother and family and Porkchop never stopped commenting... So it works. So a special "thanks" to those two. And a HUGE special thanks to Heath. I don't know where I'd be without you, buddy. Thanks for keeping me semi-sane. Hehe...

Drew

Ok, ok. Sorry about the delay. Drew is... well, I don't know what we are technically, but he said I could introduce him as my boyfriend, a fact that has yet to pass before my father, so that's still unofficial. But Drew is, for lack of any better comparison, my "Prince Charming" in the flesh! He's tall, dark, and handsome, of Italian heritage, about 6', athletic build, hazel eyes. And we have about a zillion things in common. We both want to go to Hawaii and Colorado and possibly live in California. He loves to do things in the water (ski, wakeboard, etc.), as do all of us. He's 11 days older than I am. And his hands fit perfectly with mine! He's sweet and supportive and friendly and laid-back and a gentleman, and so amazing I really don't think I've touched the ground at all over the past two weeks. He plays the guitar and can sing and has wonderful fashion sense (:p) and is a typical boy in some ways, but is undeniably adorable. He says I'm beautiful... We like the same kind of movies, we can sit and talk about all sorts of things, and then we can just "be" without it being awkward at all. He works, and isn't technically a student this semester, but will be enrolled next semester. He's thinking about architecture but hasn't decided yet. He makes me laugh and laughs at my silliness. He listens to stuff I've never heard of, but I like all kinds of music, so that's not an issue. He's a Christian! We go to church together and Bible studies on Tuesdays and it's a major part of both of our lives. He's calming and exciting both, and he makes me happy. He's very busy with work and all sorts of things during the day, but I am, too, so it's not too bad. We make time for each other over the weekends. His Saturdays and Sundays are pretty much spent with me. And we hang out and watch movies and talk and laugh and sleep and play on the computer. He blogs. But I'm not going to post his address until I ask him. So he'll be aware... Cuz it would be mean otherwise. I told a friend that I really never thought anything so... perfect, I guess, could really exist for me. But it seems as if it does. And I'm excited and scared and happy and a little nervous... I don't know what I'm doing at all. But I'm willing to go with it. And he met Mom and my big brother and thinks they're both awesome. They think the same about him, I think. It's really very cool. And we haven't kissed. We hold hands and give hugs, and it's enough. More than enough.

I actually spoke to Dad today... Mom told him about Drew and the Ren. Fest. He says we have to come home this weekend so he can meet him. I'm nervous about telling Drew, but not nervous about Dad meeting him. Or vice-versa. Is that strange, or what? I know Drew will do wonderfully, just like he did with Mom and Derek on Saturday. He did admit to being a little nervous, but that's to be expected. He was almost excited about the prospect of meeting Dad when we first made plans and thought he'd be able to make it, but it ended up not happening. So I don't know how this is going to work out. But it's really amazing and wonderful and beautiful because we pray for each other. And I care about him so much. He's a friend. A real, true, close friend. And I'm glad there's that before any relationship is even considered.

I met him at IHOP at the beginning of the semester. He was with a friend of a friend. Brandon lives downstairs and Dustin is Brandon's friend. Dustin plays with Ryan, Drew's brother, in a band at church. Drew came with Dustin for dinner and sat by me. For no reason, that's just where he sat down. We ended up talking and laughing through dinner and I really enjoyed myself, but didn't think anything of it. Then I saw him a week or two later walking down the hall. That next Sunday he came to our flag football game. And then he came back to my room and hung out with me for a few hours while we talked about blogging and computers and music and all sorts of stuff. Then we met for coffee on the 26th at Starbucks (two weeks after the aforementioned game), where I met his brother and a few of their friends. They sat over at a big table, a rather amoeba-ish group of church kids that grew as the night went on. We sat together at a small table apart from the group and talked for about 2 and a half hours. Then we drove around to Wal-Mart, which was closed (this was the week after the hurricane) and then to Walgreen's and walked around all of the aisles and talked about nothing in particular. We headed to his house to watch a movie, but his brother told him that his new boss had called and he had to work the next day. So he stayed and I went back home. I got online when I got home, and he was on! So we talked even MORE for about another hour, then made plans to go to Bible study the next night. So we did that, then hung out for a little while in the driveway at his house (because he had forgotten his key) just looking at the stars and talking. Then we saw each other again on Saturday after talking every night for the rest of the week. We got together in the afternoon and watched a few movies (Legends of the Fall (so sad, skip it), The Three Stooges (a cartoon I had picked up for $1), Notting Hill, and The Mask of Zorro), then we just sat there and talked some more for another hour or two before I took him home. He's working on getting a car, btw. We went to church and then dinner on Sunday (he paid) with his brother, Ryan. Then we took Ryan home and he came over later on his bike. We hung out again and he stayed to watch me play the flag football game. He had to be home so he could sleep before he had to work the next day. Then he got sick. And he was sick all day Tuesday and Wednesday. He was a lot better by Thursday, so we hung out again, and watched Ocean's Eleven. Friday was Rootbeer Fest and Saturday was the Renaissance Fest. And now you're all caught up!

But really, I'm very content and really happy with the way life is going. Carrie, is that enough? I actually think of y'all when I think about our relationship because it's so sweet and slow and amazingly perfect... *sigh* Love and hugs!

Busy busy busy

Hey y'all! How's life? Mine's great! Woohoo! Went to the Renaissance Festival yesterday! With Drew! Yay! But I'm not gonna go into that just yet. Mom paid for tickets and Derek came with Brandy, though they've been broken up for a few weeks now. I had so much fun! We went to see a bunch of shows and around to the sword shops and got some really good food and Italian ice. Yummy! We also got some roasted almonds. I bought necklaces, and swords, and wax hands (mine and Drew's together, fingers interlaced). They're green, and a little bulky, but still very cool. I got a green dragonfly necklace! Yeah! Yep, had TONS of fun!

Went to Rootbeer Fest Friday night, which was ok, a little cold, but not too bad. And I can drink IBC Rootbeer! Woohoo! I wasn't sure. But it's all good now!

Went to church this morning with Drew. We went to Fellowship, a rather large Baptist church in our area, on the outskirts of town. Then we went to the youth leader's house for hot dogs and smoothies to watch the Astros and Texans play. Astros are baseball, Texans are football, we had two screens set up for both games. Then we flipped to the Cowboys after the Texans finished. We left at 5:30 after getting there at about 12. The game STILL WASN'T OVER!!! It finally ended in the 18th inning with the 'Stros ahead 7 to 6. Then we had a flag football game and lost, but it's not a big deal. We have fun.

I have a lot of homework to do for tomorrow, so I'll have to be going now. Love and hugs to all!

Impending Post

Hey all! Newest update: COLLEGE IS AWESOME!!! I love all of my classes and all of the people I get to interact with. I'm still alive and well and will have more to post after the Renaissance Festival! I'm going with Mom and Derek and Brandy and Drew. Dad can't go, unfortunately. But we're going twice this year, so maybe there's still a chance. The weather is so great! It's cool and the wind's light and it's wonderful! Well, talk to y'all later! Love and hugs!

I'm Baaaack!

Hey all.

Cheese Pizza

Traditional and comforting. You focus on living a quality life. You're not easily impressed with novelty. Yet, you easily impress others.

What's Your Pizza Personality?

Your Irish Name Is...

Zaira MacDermot

What's your Irish Name?

Your Hawaiian Name is:

Iwalani Leilani

What's your Hawaiian Name?

(Just for you, Drew!)

Your Inner Child Is Happy

You see life as simple, and simple is a very good thing. You're cheerful and upbeat, taking everything as it comes. And you decide not to worry, even when things look bad. You figure there's just so many great things to look forward to.

How Is Your Inner Child?

Your Hidden Talent

You have the power to persuade and influence others. You're the type of person who can turn a whole room around. The potential for great leadership is there, as long as you don't abuse it. Always remember, you have a lot more power over people than you might think!

What's Your Hidden Talent?

Thought those were interesting. But on to other things. Like Rita. The whole experience was very intense. I left college to get away from the storm only to hit the real storm. The eye passed directly over our house. It was so awesome! I don't think I can really describe it, except that in less than 24 hours the entire landscape changed. We lost trees, some tin and shingles, and a few friends' houses. But no injuries, thank the Lord. We all made it through and we are all safe. They're still cleaning up at home. And I feel bad about skipping out on them, but college beckons. My class for tomorrow is cancelled because my teacher is ill, so one last free day. Yes! Thank you all so much for your prayers and concern. I know God's hand really was on all of us.

One amazing aspect of the storm was the simple fact that people mesh well in a crisis situation. Some evacuees sheltered at the church really came together and worked extremely well together. I continue to be in awe. And clean-up began immediately. The eye came over at about 10:30 Saturday morning, so we went right out to see what we could do to help alleviate any of our neighbors' problems during the respite. It's a wonderful feeling to help people.

Well, I’m off to bed. Love and hugs. Thanks again! Y'all are amazing!

Pam Here

Hey all. I'm back at school. Tired and dirty, but fine otherwise. We made it through. I'll tell my story when I've recovered from my adventure. :p Love and hugs!

Hurrican Rita

A few really quick things. One, I think the rising gas prices are a conspiracy to reduce the obesity level in our nation. More people will walk places because gas is too expensive to drive everywhere. Hehe.

Two, yes, Rita is coming our way. Home is directly in the projected path. So pray. I wish I would've stayed at college, but Mom and Dad made me come home despite my protests. So we're hunkering down, preparing for impact. This is scary. All north-bound lanes are jam-packed. Bumper to bumper for miles upon miles. There's a highway right off of our road and the cars are backed up as far as the eye can see. They aren't allowing people to travel east or west very far. They've even turned all south-bound lanes north in upper Houston. We have a massive oak tree in our back yard that probably won't make it. Our cows are locked up on top of the hill to escape flooding. We're all worried and on edge. Needless to say, all of Southeast Texas needs lots of prayer. This is going to be bad. She's the third largest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin. And there've only been about 9 hurricanes ever named with an R. And she has something called the stadium effect. That means there are ten-mile-high thunderstorms on all sides. Lots of noise. I'm almost excited. Heh… With the predicted path we're no longer just getting tropical storm winds. We're getting real hurricane stuff. And we're on the bad side. SO here goes nothing. But some silver lining. I get extra time to study for my tests that were supposed to be today and tomorrow. And Heath says they may even deploy him to Texas. Haha. Can't you just see him parachuting down into Texas to "save us all"? Thank you for the laugh Heath. I wish. I'll try my best to report in by the end of next week. Don't worry if you don't hear from me. Someone will make sure y'all know if something happens. Thank you all for being such amazing friends. I hope to hear from y’all again soon. Love and hugs.

Football

Well, our first flag football game was... interesting. It was last Sunday at 7. We lost. 16-0. But it was fun, and that's all that counts. I ran into Chas and bruised me ankle and sprained his wrist. But he's ok. Over all, I'm having a great time. My roommate is a little trying at times, but we usually get along just fine. I have some homework to do, like English, History, Science... all of my classes, actually. I have a paper due for English next Wednesday, a History test Thursday, a Science test Friday, and a scene due Monday. Lots of fun. But I'm making it. This is a really cool poem I got from Mark called New School Prayer.

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That’s no offense; it’s a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hail
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God’s name is prohibited by the state.

We’re allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They’ve outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It’s "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We’re taught that such "judgments" do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It’s scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school’s a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; my soul please take!
Amen.

Well, love and hugs to all!

URGENT!!!

Sure Fire (aka Heath) is in trouble. The folks in charge found his site and thought it was inappropriate due to (in their opinion) SF being racist, sexist, and an extremist. Now, those of you who know SF are well aware of the fact that this is completely untrue. Please take the time to visit and tell the military eyes watching just what the truth is and SF that we're behind him all the way. Pray for him, that this would pass. We're talking serious problems. Possible discharge from the Army (the job he loves more than anything), public humiliation, a search of his personal quarters, and much more could be the end result of this. He's distraught over this and needs our love, concern, support, and prayers. So help. This is our turn to return the favors of times past and ensure a continued friendship in times to come. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and aid.

We love you Sure Fire! Pass the Brass!!!

Character Sketches

And so I continue my off-location posts. :p At the beginning on this particular composition, I'm sitting (actually laying) on the floor in the lobby of my dorm watching my housemates play Mutants and Masterminds, an RPG somewhere along the lines of Dungeons and Dragons. These people are so incredibly unique that I'm in awe at their personalities. They mesh incredibly well. But they are, for the most part, old friends. I'm entertained at the very least. But allow me to introduce my subjects. My setting will change over the course of this post, so I won't bother to specify. Suffice it to say that I'm trying to encompass all of the people with which I interact from my house on a regular basis.

To being with, there's Josh. He's a wiry guy with long hair. He has diabetes and is currently playing narrator. Josh is the house masseuse on part-time duty. He's very much a great guy, very friendly, and incredibly kind. He lets me give him his shots. That's pretty cool, lemme tell ya. Josh is a biology major. He's been in the house for a few years and likes it as far as I know. I don't really know how else to describe Josh except that he is incredibly caring. He always says "hi" and waves when he sees me. He offers to share with me if he's eating something and is always willing to lend an ear if I need to talk. I think it's safe to say that everyone in the house knows Josh. Which is impressive, all things considered. Josh and Dave are roommates. They both love comic books and comic book characters. Josh's favorite is Batman. For Halloween we're going as Batman villains. I'll get back to y'all with a final list. Josh is a mix between JP and Chas as far as actual talking goes, but they all have a unique spin on life.

David and Regina could almost be described together. They are an item. They both act in the Renaissance Festival every year. David, whom we call Dave is a large individual, about 6'2", 300#s or thereabouts. Dave's favorite comic book character is The Hulk. Regina, or Gina, is about 5'2", a little over 100#s. They make a great couple. It's really neat to see them together because they dote on each other. And you can see the camaraderie and love between them. It's not extreme or gross at all, just sweet.

Steven is our house pet. He "lives" under the stairs. We call him our under-the-stairs troll. I made him a curtain for his little cubby-hole under the stairs. He's from New Jersey but moved to Texas before he started college. He has red hair and is about 5'7". Steven is a very cool guy. He doesn't actually live in Spivey, just visits every day. He goes home at anywhere from 11 to 2 at night. But no one begrudges Steven his home away from home. We accept him and welcome him. Everyone jokes that they've been trying to get rid of him for 2 years and nobody's succeeded yet. But we love you Steven!

Chas is the resident "Mexican". He's 6'3" and only about 150#s. He's broken 19 bones, some twice. He's thinner than Josh. He's got short black hair that he spends 30 minutes on every morning. He does the robot surprisingly well and is very entertaining. Chas and Josh are on the same lines as far as being friendly to everyone, but Chas is quite a bit more vocal. Which is really funny considering his roommate is JP (see below). Chas is comparable to Donkey from the Shrek movies. He randomly bursts out in song and sound effects. But he's funny. His bed is the softest of any of ours. He has this great mattress pad. Hehe. I know this because I perch on his bunk (the top) when I'm in their room studying or just hanging out. I'll either sit there or on the floor. That room is so much more welcoming than mine. It appeals to the darker side of my tastes. Just in general. From the arrangement and decoration. But the door is always open, if not literally then figuratively. Chas is very big on hugs, as is Dave. This, of course, doesn't bother me at all. It was actually a relief to find someone to whom I can relate. The running joke: "Do ya want to cuddle?"

Then there's Nicole. She's a very sweet girl who jokes around and is sarcastic more often than not. She's short, about my height, and quite a bit more voluptuous than I am. She has brown shoulder-length hair and a very sweet smile.

Keith is our homosexual resident. He has a boyfriend named Noah and is about as feminine as I am. He's friendly and our interactions are never awkward. He's a nice guy and not someone I feel threatened by at all. I don't agree with his sexual orientation, but it's not my place to judge or condemn.

Now JP is a very intriguing case. He was quiet for the first three weeks. I didn't hear him talk very often, and when I did he was very soft-spoken. After this past weekend he's not so quiet anymore. Nothing specifically happened, but Saturday, as I was hanging out in the lobby, he came down and just started talking. About nothing in particular, just conversation. That evening he asked if I'd be home for Trivial Pursuit. I informed him that I wouldn't be back from Gala until about 11. He said they still might be playing when I returned and invited me to play. He was sitting outside with Nicole when I got back and asked if I was going to play. I said yes, and we all sat down and played. JP and I were a team (because I was losing miserably and JP doesn't know much about sports), Steven and Chas were a team, Nicole was by herself, and Josh read the questions. (JP and I won by a single piece of pie.) He has been very open since then. We actually talked yesterday and he interacted with everyone more than he ever has with me in the room. Then he came to check on me last night after Jessalyn's tantrum. I think, no, I know we're making progress. He's about 5'7" with brown hair.

On to those who don't play the RPGs. Jessalyn, my roommate, is unpredictable and almost a trial to live with, but I'm making it. Communication is the key, and I know this, so we'll be fine for the year at the very least.

Heather, one of my suitemates, is awesome. She has diabetes and is from Louisiana. Her house lost a few shingles in the hurricane, but her family is perfectly fine and in good spirits. She's our house comedian. Extremely funny and very nice. She's very blunt, but seldom to the point of insult. She's quite a character. And she's a very good friend.

Lisa is my other suitemate. I call her Colorado because that's where she's from. She has a red car and loves for things to match her car. She's very sweet but a little confused about guys and relationships right now. She'll get it sorted out, I'm sure. She's quite an athlete. She has rotator cuff problems (both sides), but gets shots to help make them feel better every three months or so. She really needs the surgery, but she might join the military and doesn't want that on her record.

Jessica is another close friend. She's in the marching band and is a wonderful person. She's a ball of tight energy with lots of potential rage inside. She is very intense, but is super sweet and a really great person. She reminds me of my old drum major Maria. Yeah, she's like that. I can't really describe her any differently. You'd have to meet her or know Maria.

Stacy is her roommate and the sweetest, quietest, kindest person at my age I've ever had the privilege of meeting. Stacy is pretty much angelic. Hehe. She may not think so, but I think she's precious. I'm still amazed at her patience and sense of humor. It takes a whole lot to ruffle her feathers. She was born in India and is Pentecostal. Stacy, Lisa, and I went to the Assembly of God church together yesterday. It was very neat, and quite an experience. We're still "church shopping" for the time being, though.

Ashton, Ashley, Cheyenne, Stephanie, Amy, Darcy, Karen, and April are all fellow Spiveyans. They are, for the most part, the people I talk to. I also know Bobby, Brandon, Grant, Morgan, Todd (sort of), and Victor (whom I've never actually spoken to). There's another guy named Jonathan in the marching band who lives right across the hall with Victor. That's pretty much everybody I can think of right now.

So now you can see what sort of people I deal with and hopefully you won't be completely lost when I mention names. Hopefully. Well, that was the "character sketch" I promised, so I'm off to write a paper now. Toodles! Love and hugs!

Interesting Conclusion

Good morning! Here's the deal. I am extremely blessed in my friends. Allow me to explain. Last night my roommate came in at about midnight. I was up doing some reading for English (almost finished, just a few chapters left). I had propped the door open to our room because 1) it was cold and that helps warm things up, and 2) I hate the idea that our room is closed off. I had been downstairs off and on all day, but propped the door open later in the evening, after football practice. No biggie, right? That's what I thought, too. As it turns out, she's had this absolutely terrible weekend. The door propped open is the icing on the cake. So she gets mad and slams the door/let's the door swing closed on it's own weight (which slams).

I didn't think anything of it sitting downstairs in the lobby talking to people. Suddenly, Josh and JP come down and ask me if everything's alright with Jessalyn. I tell them I don't know, and they explain that she slammed the door acting all mad. So I go upstairs and smooth things out. That's not really a big deal after she reveals that she's not mad at me, just doesn't want the door left open (which probably should've been communicated earlier, but whatever). So I tell her I won't leave it open anymore when I'm not in the room (a better idea anyway, as it is college) and she proceeds to tell me about her very bad weekend. And yes, it's very much worth stressing over, so I don't begrudge her that.

In the midst of her story, we hear a knock on the door. We call "open" and JP sticks his head inside and asks if he can see me in the hall for a second. I go, of course, and he asks me what's wrong, and Josh comes up as well. They both make sure that she's ok, and everything's cool now. And that I'm ok. Which really made me feel great. Their concern really boosted my spirits.

Later that night, I was finishing up my reading down in the lobby and David comes up to me and asks the same thing. I reassure him that everything's fine. Just the fact that they told him what was happening made me feel so much better about living here. I love my dorm!

I finally finished my reading and went to bed. So yay! An interesting way to end the day, I'm sure.

Now I'm off to class. I need to eat breakfast and finish getting ready. I just wanted to share that while it was fresh on my mind. I'll give some rough character sketches soon of the people I interact with just so everyone can have an idea of what life in the honors dorm is like. Love and hugs!

Pam's Sunday

Good morning everybody! I have news. Both sad and happy. First, the sad. Bill Stovall, a good friend of ours passed away last night. He's been having lung trouble for over two years now. He's in a much better place. Our prayers go out to his wife and children (all adults) and grandchildren. His sons weren't the best, but I'm sure they loved him.

Good news: I got a new Bible! It's green (my favorite color) and a KJV. It's actually a pocket Bible, but I love it so far. The references aren't as great as in my old Bible, but I'm still enjoying exploring it.

Last night was Gala. Gala is our scholarship benefit variety show for the theater and dance programs. I had fun. I was working the silent auction, but the auction ended about 25 minutes after my shift began, so I shifted responsibilities. Instead of talking up the items, we guarded them and then distributed them upon payment. So I got to take money from patrons. Fun fun! Some of the stuff was SOO awesome! But it was also semi-expensive, so I didn't get anything. I thought of Mom when I saw a turquoise purse and some hand-crafted jewelry. But the jewelry was a bit steep and I didn't see the purse until the bidding was closed. Oh well. It was a good experience. We struck the set right after, so I didn't get home until 11-is. But it was perfectly alright. I went to bed pretty quickly, so it's all gravy.

There are Hummers in Huntsville! Real Army Humvees! Camouflage and everything! I was pumped! They're in a little fenced-in area down the road. You know, you could hop the fence, hot-wire a humvee, then run through the gates... Hehe. I bet gas-mileage isn't good enough for all of that.

I went to an Assembly of God church this morning with Stacy and Lisa. It was a learning experience. The next Sunday I'm here we're going to do some more church-hopping, but to Baptist this time. We went to Fellowship Baptist Sunday before last. Last weekend was the cow sale.

Well, now it's lunch time and then homework. Jessica wants to go to a movie today, but I don't know if we're still on for that. We'll see. Talk to y'all later! Love and hugs!

Night-time at College

We played football tonight. Lots of fun. We lost, but it was still pretty cool. 4 on 4. 3 girls. I was told that I am a "stud". So...

Every evening there's something going on in the dorm or around campus. We played Trivial Pursuit last night. We play tag on a regular basis. Paper, Rock, Scissors is our favorite pastime after video games. We're even planning a themed Halloween costume set-up. I'm going to be Poison Ivy. DC Comic Villains. Yeah, we're nerds. But I'm content. I've found a whole building full of friends and I love it!

Today was pretty uneventful over all, but Jessalyn came home. She's excited about her guy. He seems really sweet. And rich, so she's happy. Lol. But seriously, she really likes him. And I'm glad she's happy. She still talks up a storm and comes in at all hours, but I'm tolerant and can handle it. No problem.

I still have some reading to do for English then I'm off to bed, so I'll talk to y'all later! Love and hugs.

Weekend of the Spatula

Hey everybody!!! Yesterday (Saturday, Sept. 3rd) my family and I went to a cow sale in Lockhart, Texas. Lots of fun, old friends, new pals, and good food. What's really funny is that on Thursday I got a fortune from a cookie that read "You will meet old friends soon." And I did! Hehe. But back to the weekend.

We left here (Sam Houston State U) at about 4 PM on Friday. We got to Lockhart at about 7 PM that same day. We had to stop at Wal-Mart in Brenham to get socks, but other than that it was a straight shot. We arrived in the middle of the heifer sale. This is the first year we had a sale of the sort, so it was interesting. I went around and said hi to the people sitting on the outskirts and my parents, since I hadn't seen them in almost two weeks. I then went to the back to see my two friends. Makayla is 13, about 4' 10", and about as big around as a number 2 pencil. She's a sweetheart, and LOVES animals. She and I love to ride horses and play with the goats and talk about cows and girl stuff. Then I spoke to Mikey. He's 15, and taller than I am. About 5' 8" or so. I love to talk to him. He knows all sorts of stuff about world news and has valid points and opinions, but loves video games and guns about as much as me. Very cool. We talked for a few minutes then I went in and ate some great fajitas and cookies. After the sale, we went around and said hi to everyone we hadn't already seen. Most of the people who participate know us very well, so there weren't very many introductions. I did meet Gayle and Theo, as well as Craig that night. We went to the motel and chilled for a while before falling asleep at about midnight. Well, I went to sleep at midnight. Derek and Brandy went to sleep at about 2. They had been watching a movie.

Saturday morning we woke up and got ready at about 7:30. I went to Mom and Dad's room to talk to Mom for a while before Derek and Brandy woke up. (To clarify, Derek had his won bed and Brandy and I shared the second bed in our room. Mom and Dad were by themselves.) Dad was already gone, but returned before too long to change. We were all up and ready by then, so we all went over to the sale barn, which is only a hop, skip, and a jump away. Actually, it's across the air strip.

After saying good morning to all of our friends, Makayla and I started riding horses. She rides Blue, her 22-year-old horse. I rode Star, a recent addition to the family. We had a lot of fun putting them through their paces in the big empty field next door to the sale barn. That was actually the first time I've ever ridden a horse at a gallop and felt fully in control for more than two seconds.

The sale began at about 12:30, half an hour later than planned. The food was late. But it was good, that's for sure. We started the sale with several donated items that went to the sale fund. We don't charge for food and we don't charge a commission, so we have to make money however we can. Our cows came up. The first sold for $1,300. The second sold for $900 (my brother's cow). My cow sold for $1,200. The fourth and fifth cows sold for $1,200 and $900. Overall, some would say it wasn't a bad day, but we were expecting SO much more. There was a note in the comments and the "auctioneer's assistant" explained that it was for our college funds, but I guess it wasn't a big deal. Gayle and Theo bought my cow. She'll have a good home.

After the sale I met Jared from Minnesota. He was pretty cool. We talked about the differences in our climates and the "joys" of the cow business. I then went to find Makayla. We rode horses again. It started to rain, so we took off for shelter, then decided it didn't really matter. We were both hot and sweaty anyway, and the rain felt wonderful. It did start pouring for as few minutes, so we sound a shed and dismounted. After chilling for a few minutes before the rain quit, we remounted. As I did, my pants stretched at just the right place... and they split. Right down the front. Terrible feeling. So Makayla rode over to Derek and got the car keys, we rode out to the car, I tossed Makayla my reins, and drove over the the motel to change pants. I had an extra pair, fortunately, so I got back in a few minutes and got back on. This time, I used a little more precaution and got up on the side of the trailer first, then stepped down into the stirrups. We rode from the back of the barn to the front door, at which point my parents informed me it was time to go. So I took Star back to the pen, told Makayla a quick goodbye, and went to the truck. When I realized I wouldn't see her again before we left, I was a little upset, but she knows how to reach me. Yay for email!

We had Chinese food for dinner. Good stuff. Shrimp, egg rolls, fried rice, and fortune cookies. I don't remember what mine said. Sorry guys. We went back to the motel and changed into out swimsuits. We swam for about an hour and a half, doing all sorts of things from racing to dunking to jumping to throwing each other up in the air in cheerleader fashion. Brandy did a full backflip, but she's a cheerleader. I was honestly very impressed with my own back dive. Derek, Dad, and Brandy were all surprised that I actually pulled it off. I wasn't surprised exactly... just incredibly pumped.

We left this morning at about 7:30. About an hour down the road, we stopped for breakfast. McDonalds!!! After another 15 miles, the car started acting up. We were in separate vehicles. Dad took his truck on Thursday to haul the cows. He took 4 home (1 is ours, 3 belong to a friend). So Derek, Brandy, and I followed on Friday in Mom's car. So the radiator's seriously screwed up. They put water in it and left it at a store about 2 miles down from where we stopped. Dad will go get it tomorrow. Lots of fun, I'm sure. I just hope they can get it fixed. So we crammed into the truck (yeah, right, the truck's HUGE) and rode the rest of the way back (another hour and a half) to school. They dropped me off and then continued on their way at about 10:30 this morning.

So, that was my oh-so-exciting weekend. We got some money, but not a whole lot. Prayerfully it'll be enough to get us through school for a while. But we'll see. He hasn't failed us yet, so I don't doubt Him now. Other than that, life is great. I'm going to drop my dance class (Jazz 3, WAAAAAAY too advanced) and hopefully get into a lower level class. Hope everybody had a great week and weekend! Sleep LAAAAAAAAAATE tomorrow! Talk to y'all soon! Love and hugs!

As Promised

Well, news, news, and more news. Heathykins knew this was coming, so I'm so sure he was holding his breath. Lol.

Dad reads my blog. I knew this, but it didn't quite register when I posted. So, big shocker, I IMed him last night to tell him about buying my new computer (which he wasn't too happy about) and he told me this: "I've always told you the truth, so I read your blog. Don't follow your hormones. Follow your heart and let God lead you in any new relationships and whatever you do at school. Focus on classes first." That was actually my paraphrasing, because I can't quote it word for word, but I really almost cried when I read that. I felt so much better!

I talked to him today. Greg, the guy from the previous post. I told him that he could hate me and I would understand, but that I just want to be friends. He said ok and hung up. He called me back a few minutes later and asked me if I was serious about being friends or if it was just a "cop out". I told him that I was serious. So we discussed how we were gonna handle this and talked for a while just like before, and we're cool now. I feel SO much better! Thanks for your advice, guys and gals. So I have a new friend and no relationship. And now I know to be straightforward at the very beginning about where I stand on what I'm looking for in a guy. Right now, that's nothing serious.

So I'm good. Yay! Classes are going great, life is pretty much on track, and, with the exception of our mirror falling off of the door at 4 in the morning, life is just wonderful. I realized last night that I LOVE to draw. I drew a little Chinese village and it was pronounced as "awesome" by our house artist. I drew a dragon that "rocks", also according to the house artist. Jessica is her name, btw. My roommate and I are getting along and my suite-mates and house-mates are so TOTALLY GREAT!!! Anyway, I appreciate thoughts and prayers. Love and hugs!

The Truth

Ok, here I am, spilling my guts. Honest. And I need advice. Quick. There's this guy. We met and hit it off last Monday and saw each other the next day and the next, etc., and then again today. And yeah, we kissed, but nothing else. But I don't know what to do about this. I don't feel comfortable with the relationship. I can talk to him about anything, more so than any other guy, but I don't feel like we should be anything more than friends. He's supportive and sweet and friendly and a theatre major, like me. But he's mixed. And he's kinda chunky. And his voice is higher than mine. Shouldn't I be blind to any flaws in an ideal relationship? My gut instinct is to say "no" to the whole situation and run. I'm not comfortable and I'm not at peace. But I don't want to lose something so great that is his infatuation with me. I feel accepted and beautiful with him. But I don't know if I want to be seen with him. I know that sounds terrible, but I'm trying to be as straight-forward as possible. Mixed, for those of you who need clarification, means that one parent is white and the other is black. In this case, his mom is Irish-Indian and his dad is 3/4 black and 1/4 Mexican. With my own personal standards and views, I don't honestly feel comfortable as his "attachment". For whatever reason. I'm not racist by any means, but racial mixing... I really don't know what to do. I'm confused, overwhelmed, and very uneasy about everything right now. I'm SOOO not ready for this. So, help? Advice? Tips, ideas, suggestions, or previous experiences? I'm lost and I don't know where else to turn. I know, sob story of the month, but I'm lost. I'm almost in tears. I told him I want to take the weekend off and he SAID he was cool with it, but he's a guy. So that prolly means he's not cool with it. 'Nough said. I'm not ready for this, I'm not read for any commitment outside of classes and friends and sleep. I'm going to bed now after some thought and prayer. This weekend will be my time to just be. I haven't "been" since I got here. Man, this is so screwed up. What now?

Distracted...

Hey all! How's it goin' in the world of the normal? My life is pretty peachy right now. Acting I is going to be so much fun! English is really awesome because we get to have group discussions. Science is dominantly geology for the semester. Yay, right? I'm gonna have to take serious notes for the science class. But that's ok. I don't have to buy a lab manual after all, so that's cool. I still need 6 novels for English, but I'll order those online. I have the first one I need, so I'm pretty much all set for now. Don't know about history, but that'll fix itself tomorrow.

Being a theater major is a lot more complicated than I thought it would be. I have to audition for every production and deliver a monologue. Which I don't have. And I have to sign up for crew and hope I get the place I want. I didn't know it was going to b so involved and it's a little frustrating. I have meetings and auditions today and tomorrow. Fun fun. Might stay out late tonight cuz my first class isn't until 11 tomorrow. I guess I'll hang out with Greg, if he ever calls. Or maybe Lisa or Heather or April... Or maybe even DJ. Well, I'm slightly distracted and preoccupied, so excuse the shortness. Later all! Love and hugs.

COLLEGE!

Hey all! Word from tha COLLEGE GIRL!!! Hehe. I stayed up really late last night, had a fairly productive morning this morning, and plan on havaing some fun later tonight. Gonna maybe go back to my cousin's apartment and chill with her and her buds. Met my suitemates and housemates. All very cool, lemme tell ya. April, Colorado, Heather LA (Louisiana, not Los Angeles), and all of the crazy, eccentric, smart guys down the hall. Then there are the guys from the apartments accross campus, my friends from school, and so many more random people worth meeting... I don't know where I'm gonna find the time to meet all of these people! I'm so excited! I'm so glad to FINALLY be at college! Yay! Whoo, deep breath. I'm gonna order my own computer soon, but I think I'll wait until after I get the money from my cow. After the cow sale. Anywho, I'm super excited, all unpacked, and so happy! So, I'll talk to y'all later. Love and hugs to all!

Today's Anthem

Breakaway
Intro (2x)
Da da da n da da
Da da da n da da
Da da da n da da da da da
Da da da n da da
Da da da n da da
Da da da n da da da da da
Grew up in a small town And when the rain would fall down
I'd just stare out my window
Dreaming of what could be And if I'd end up happy
I would pray
Trying hard to reach out But when I tried to speak out
Felt like no one could hear me
Wanted to belong here But something felt so wrong here
So I'd pray, I could break away
CHORUS
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly.
I'll do what it takes till I touch the sky.
Make a wish, take a chance,
Make a change, and break away.
Out of the darkness and into the sun.
But I won't forget all the ones that I love
I'll take a risk, take a chance,
Make a change, and break away
(repeat intro once)
Wanna feel the warm breeze
Sleep under a palm tree
Feel the rush of the ocean
Get onboard a fast train
Travel on a jet plane
Far away
And break away
(REPEAT CHORUS)
Bridge:
Buildings with a hundred floors,
Swinging 'round revolving doors
Maybe I don't know where they'll take me
But I gotta keep movin on, movin on,
Fly away,
Break away
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly.
Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye
Take a risk, take a chance,
Make a change, and break away.
Out of the darkness & into the sun
But I won't forget the place I come from
I gotta take a risk, take a chance,
Make a change, and break away.

D-Day

Today is the day! We're moving in! I'm SOO pumped! But I'm riding over there with Mom and I'm afraid she's gonna spaz on me about being careful and making right choices and all that jazz. I don't think I could handle her crying all of the way. Connie, her co-worker said yesterday that I need to be nice to her, that she's taking this really hard. And she is. Harder than she took my brother moving to college. What am I gonna do? Pray for me, that I'll have patience and strength and the courage to tell her how things are and not be rude or impolite. I'm worried just thinking about it...