was a good day. Today, however, is turning out to be quite strange and unexpected. But I will write about that later. I would rather dwell on yesterday instead of having to think about today...
Sunday night, I went over to Chelsea's house at like, 11:00 so I could spend the night and her mom could us back to Tucson in the morning. Chels and I didn't get to bed until about 1:00, and then we woke up at 5:00 to get ready to go to Tucson. I realized that morning that I had to present one of my biggest projects of the year for ASL that morning at 9:00 and I had completely forgotten about it. Basically we had to perform a five to ten minutes long children's story completely in sign. I worked on it for about 15 minutes in the car to Tucson and then I was like, "Dude, I'm tired. Screw that, I am taking a nap." So I napped the rest of the way to Tucson, helped Chels get unloaded and sent off to her chem lab, and then I went to sign language. Another guy in the class went first and he was pretty good. I was sitting there going, "Whatever. I don't even care about this anymore. If I fail, I fail. Whatever." So I get up and sign my story and guess what? 100%, plus extra points with the teacher for the being "the best so far." Sheesh. I amaze myself sometimes.
Afterward, I had Writing Systems. Lectures are the most boring thing in the world. Good thing I have a bunch of people in that class to talk to. We pass notes and I think all of us are getting to be really good friends. I hope we still hang out after this semester because they're all super cool and we have really bonded through boringness... Afterward, I had astronomy...I was seriously falling asleep...I have no idea what he was talking about, to be honest. Jupiter, I think. I should probably go over the notes online... Then, I had lunch with Alysa and Chelsea, which was kind of awkward and aggravating. Perhaps I will update in my LiveJournal about all of the negative things associated with being a "turtle," but here, I will just stick to the less cynical things. Then, Chelsea and I went to our anthropology class and both of us were struggling to stay awake. That class is insane. Our professor is hilarious and really intelligent, the thing is, she's TOO intelligent. She knows everything there is to know about everything and so when she lectures, she talks about things that go completely over our heads. She talks about these complex things and it is difficult to find the main points we need to know in the midst of her lecture. Thankfully we have a discussion section for that class every Friday where we cover what she is actually talking about. I really like my TA that leads the discussion section, too. She's hilarious and puts things into ways I can understand them; Daninian and Allisonese are similar languages, I think. OH! So on Friday, I don't remember what we were talking about (something to do with Hunter-Gatherers and Genetic Drift or something) and Dana said the funniest thing ever: "It's not like, 'Man, I've got some yams. Now I'm gonna yo ass.'" I cracked up. She was like, "That was nice. I think I might write that down." Basically, she's just really cool. :)
After class, Katie came over for a while and we hung out. After she left, I took a nice nap. Then Lys and I watched The Office (satisfied sigh). Then I went to Ballroom and pumped out the Cha Cha. I am pretty excited...pretty soon Corrie and Jake are going to start putting together competition teams. Blake, our instructor, has to work with the guys first to get them ready to train and then they are going to start finding girls who match their height level to be their partner. I think I have a pretty good chance of being picked because I am at average height with most of the guys and Corrie and some of the intermediate students know who I am. I think they know I am willing to work my butt off for competition if I do get picked. I would have Ballroom on Mondays, Wednesdays (maybe Thursdays, but we'll see), partner practice on Sundays, and possible training work on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Basically my life would be taken up by Ballroom and I don't mind in the slightest. In fact, it makes me even more stoked. I want to compete so badly! Keep your fingers crossed and do some serious praying!
That's about it for yesterday...Sarika and I hung out after Ballroom. I love her and I love us. God is so good. I am so blessed. Yesterday was a good day...today, not so much. But it's only half over, so we will have to see how it plays out. I don't suspect it will get any better, only weirder, but one must have hope...I may post about today, but I think I would just like to ignore it and hope it goes away. My grandparents drove up from Sierra Vista to take Katie and me out to dinner, and Katie is outside right now waiting for me so we can meet them, so...
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
I am trying to update more frquently
so that Tom isn't overwhelmed with the amount of information I put on here when I do post and so that all of you will have something constant to occupy yourself with in times of procrastination. :)
Today was fine. Had ASL first thing in the morning, as always. I was definitely going to come back to my dorm first thing and write this long, passionate post about my hatred toward that class, but I resisted. I think I am going vent a little now, though. I. HATE. ASL. 1) I have already learned all of the material being covered in the class last year. I am bored to freaking tears. Even Sudoku and Word Searches can't help me. It's wretched. And I have SO MUCH work to do for stuff I already know. Sheesh. 2) I think my teacher hates me. She hates the fact that I know all of the answers and don't have to work for it. What does she expect? She knows this is a complete review for me. I think she hates that the students are learning more from me one-on-one than they are learning from her, the professor. Wow, sounds exactly like Wheel's class to me. 3) Probably the thing that is bothering me the most...My professor is an idiot. Really, she is. She keeps correcting me on things that I KNOW are correct. She reprimands me and other classmates for things that are regional sign (there are multiple signing styles and various ways to sign the same thing dependent upon regional change). She's freaking from the Midwest, so she can't possibly have the same signing dialect as we from the Southwest. Also, she's not even deaf; her parents are deaf. So yeah, she's been involved with the Deaf Culture all of her life, but still, SHE IS NOT DEAF, so who is she to say that the things that my previous teacher who is DEAF is wrong? She is trying to convert me to the wrong way of signing just because she thinks it's the right way. The more I sit in class, the more I can feel my perfect, virgin signing being corrupted by The Idiot.
Ah. Nice rant. After ASL, I went back to the dorm to study but Sarika came over and we had a musical escapade. Michael Jackson, Kanye West, Pat Benatar, NSYNC, and Ruthie "Pigfaced" Draper. Oh, and Teddy Gwams. Yup. You're jealous. Then I went to Psych to take my test, which took me about twenty minutes to complete. It seemed really easy and I am really confident I did well, which is refreshing. I came back to the dorm room and I did my laundry and helped Lys with hers, did my dishes, took out the recycle, and cleaned up a bit. I was seriously productive. Alysa told me later that her boyfriend is coming down for the weekend when I am gone, so it's a good thing I was doing some cleaning. I think Brandon is going to be staying the night...he's going to be sleeping in Alysa's bed and Lys will be sleeping in mine. Interesting...hey, at least he won't be sleeping on an air mattress while I'm sleeping next to him five feet overhead...not yet, anyway. Anyway, then Lys went to the gym and I had some nice alone time walking around campus. It was so breezy and cloudy and just altogether wonderful. God is so good. After Lys got back, we went to the student union, got food, and went to Intervarsity. It was good, but really long. We finished our roommate agreement that our RA has been bugging us about FOREVER...it was the stupidest thing ever; we made the biggest joke out of it. Basically we just filled it out with things that would appease Jen and the rest of the VDP staff, but we mutually agreed that we would continue to do exactly what we have been doing because things are going extremely well between us right now and that if a problem ever arose, we would sort it out rationally like mature adults. Why can't the rest of the world be as smart as we?
Discussion section for my "linguistics" class first thing in the morning tomorrow, followed by Writing Systems. I have a quiz like I do every Friday in that class that I should be studying for because last week's quiz was insane (even Jose who had the notes with bolded words right in front of him on his iTouch didn't know any of the answers), but I don't want to. Lys is already asleep so she has no say whether or not I go on Facebook. :) After Writing Systems, I have my dreaded astronomy class. Thankfully it's only lecture day tomorrow...Should be leaving some time in the afternoon to drive home to Phoenix with Lindsey--pretty excited to be going home and definitely excited for the sweet drive with Lindsey. I am so making a fun mix cd before we head out tomorrow! :D
And I thought my posts were going to get shorter...sorry...Well, I think I am actually going to study...who does that in college, honestly?! ;)
Today was fine. Had ASL first thing in the morning, as always. I was definitely going to come back to my dorm first thing and write this long, passionate post about my hatred toward that class, but I resisted. I think I am going vent a little now, though. I. HATE. ASL. 1) I have already learned all of the material being covered in the class last year. I am bored to freaking tears. Even Sudoku and Word Searches can't help me. It's wretched. And I have SO MUCH work to do for stuff I already know. Sheesh. 2) I think my teacher hates me. She hates the fact that I know all of the answers and don't have to work for it. What does she expect? She knows this is a complete review for me. I think she hates that the students are learning more from me one-on-one than they are learning from her, the professor. Wow, sounds exactly like Wheel's class to me. 3) Probably the thing that is bothering me the most...My professor is an idiot. Really, she is. She keeps correcting me on things that I KNOW are correct. She reprimands me and other classmates for things that are regional sign (there are multiple signing styles and various ways to sign the same thing dependent upon regional change). She's freaking from the Midwest, so she can't possibly have the same signing dialect as we from the Southwest. Also, she's not even deaf; her parents are deaf. So yeah, she's been involved with the Deaf Culture all of her life, but still, SHE IS NOT DEAF, so who is she to say that the things that my previous teacher who is DEAF is wrong? She is trying to convert me to the wrong way of signing just because she thinks it's the right way. The more I sit in class, the more I can feel my perfect, virgin signing being corrupted by The Idiot.
Ah. Nice rant. After ASL, I went back to the dorm to study but Sarika came over and we had a musical escapade. Michael Jackson, Kanye West, Pat Benatar, NSYNC, and Ruthie "Pigfaced" Draper. Oh, and Teddy Gwams. Yup. You're jealous. Then I went to Psych to take my test, which took me about twenty minutes to complete. It seemed really easy and I am really confident I did well, which is refreshing. I came back to the dorm room and I did my laundry and helped Lys with hers, did my dishes, took out the recycle, and cleaned up a bit. I was seriously productive. Alysa told me later that her boyfriend is coming down for the weekend when I am gone, so it's a good thing I was doing some cleaning. I think Brandon is going to be staying the night...he's going to be sleeping in Alysa's bed and Lys will be sleeping in mine. Interesting...hey, at least he won't be sleeping on an air mattress while I'm sleeping next to him five feet overhead...not yet, anyway. Anyway, then Lys went to the gym and I had some nice alone time walking around campus. It was so breezy and cloudy and just altogether wonderful. God is so good. After Lys got back, we went to the student union, got food, and went to Intervarsity. It was good, but really long. We finished our roommate agreement that our RA has been bugging us about FOREVER...it was the stupidest thing ever; we made the biggest joke out of it. Basically we just filled it out with things that would appease Jen and the rest of the VDP staff, but we mutually agreed that we would continue to do exactly what we have been doing because things are going extremely well between us right now and that if a problem ever arose, we would sort it out rationally like mature adults. Why can't the rest of the world be as smart as we?
Discussion section for my "linguistics" class first thing in the morning tomorrow, followed by Writing Systems. I have a quiz like I do every Friday in that class that I should be studying for because last week's quiz was insane (even Jose who had the notes with bolded words right in front of him on his iTouch didn't know any of the answers), but I don't want to. Lys is already asleep so she has no say whether or not I go on Facebook. :) After Writing Systems, I have my dreaded astronomy class. Thankfully it's only lecture day tomorrow...Should be leaving some time in the afternoon to drive home to Phoenix with Lindsey--pretty excited to be going home and definitely excited for the sweet drive with Lindsey. I am so making a fun mix cd before we head out tomorrow! :D
And I thought my posts were going to get shorter...sorry...Well, I think I am actually going to study...who does that in college, honestly?! ;)
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Today has been pretty uneventful.
Stayed up until like, 2:00 in the morning with Adam and Andrew studying. Adam was trying to explain pre-calculus to Andrew using calc methods. Poor Andrew. Calc is not something you would want to learn without even finishing pre-calc at 1:45 in the morning, that's for sure. But the good thing is, they keep me focused on my homework.
Went to all of my classes. ASL--we had to perform a story about one of our scars. I made it up when Adam was confusing the heck out of Andrew and practiced it once. Got 100%. Boo-fricking-YA! Writing Systems of the World--another...stimulating lecture, this time about Egyptian Hieroglyphs, but the really technical, boring side of it. Astronomy--another lecture with the awkward professor that throws out a lot of complex information in a short amount of time and expects us to learn it. It's so hard. Oh, and I got a 28/45 on my large exam for that class. Not good. The professor is supposed to curve it, but I doubt it will be that much. Elena (my friend in that class) and I are going to go do extra credit soon. Thank the Lord for extra credit! Had lunch with Lys and Lindsey...I had a salad which I didn't think would be so good for recently-had-the stomach-flu stomach, but I was fine. Went to The Many Ways of Being Human where I listened to the ever-so-wordy and yet totally hysterical Professor Jane Hill, The Legend. Afterward, Chels and I went back to her dorm and talked for a while. I went back to my dorm and did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, which I am still continuing to do. Waiting for Adam to come so I can actually study. :)
The Office Season 5 starts tomorrow. I know I am not going to make it by then, but I am seriously trying to finish Season 3 and 4 by next week so I can watch the first episode of Season 5 online and then watch the actual shows on TV. The problem is...IV is at the same time as when The Office airs on TV, so....Office? IV? Office? IV? So difficult...
I am supposed to be at the Ballroom review session right now, but I just really didn't feel like going today. It's like, the weirdest thing ever, too, because Ballroom nights are the highlights of my week. I don't think I have explained about Ballroom yet so...I have joined Ballroom Dancing Club. Kind of nerdy, I know, but I absolutely love it. My friend Sarika and I go together and we have so much fun. BDC meets Monday and Wednesday nights from 9-10, kind of late, but we really don't care. Every Monday, our instructor, Blake, teaches us the new dances. The girls and guys are split up, girls on one side of the gym, boys on the other. He teaches us the dances sort of quickly, but it's a lot of fun. Afterward, the men have to go pick a girl (they have to say, "May I have this dance?" It's so cute!) and then we practice the dance. Man, is it a workout! Then on Wednesdays, we have a review session for what we learned on Monday. The review is a lot slower and you can really learn the dance and put it to memory. The first Monday we had about 200 people in the gym (we are hoping the numbers will go down) and on Wednesday, we had maybe 76 (I say 76 instead of 75 because everyone had a partner). One of the great things about ballroom is boy-scouting, let me tell you. Granted, about half of the guys are the dorky, awkward ones who joined ballroom so they develop a little more class so they can maybe have a shot at wooing the laaadies, but the other half are absolutely scrumptious. I mean, there is nothing hotter than a man who can dance the rumba--they can sweep me off my feet ANY TIME! Sarika and my favorite pastime is to stand back with the other girls and "gossip" about the handsome ones or the good-dancing ones or even just the really sweet ones (what am I saying? They all are such gentlemen, honestly). We have met some really cool people in Ballroom and we are having a blast. Sarika and I are taking this very, very seriously so that maybe one day, we will be good enough to compete. WE CAN ONLY HOPE! Until then, we are having the time of our lives and learning how to seduce men using our natural, foxy woman-power in a completely socially appropriate way. :) Basically, I love Ballroom more than anything here at The U, but for some reason, I just didn't want to go today. Feeling slightly slothy today...
This is completely random, but a week ago today, I went to a College of Education party for the incoming freshman. I hate going to freshman gatherings like that because it's just like a huge neon sign that says, "HI! I am insecure about making new friends and I have no idea what I am doing with my life!" but I went anyway because it's for my college. We first started out playing a game where you have a survey and you have to ask people to sign your sheet and if you are one of the first people with "blackout," you will get a prize of...yup. A sticker book. What other major do you know that would 1) Play a really horrible ice breaker and think it was a GRAND time and 2) Give sticker books as your prizes and have the winners so completely ecstatic? Oh yeah. That's the College of Ed, my friends. Afterward, we had a Nacho Social to meet our mentors. My mentor's name is Daniella. She's a sophomore, her emphasis is in High School English with a minor in The Classics (basically what I am doing but with a history twist), and she's a sorority girl. There are three other people who have the same mentor as I but I was the only one who showed up so Daniella and I got to talk a lot. Despite the whole sorority girl thing, she's really cool (she's not typical sorority girl or anything, which is great); I actually like her a lot. She gave me a lot of advice--a lot of which I wish I could remember--and I am definitely not intimidated to ask her if I have any questions about anything. CoE is going to be putting on socials every month that I think I might go to just so I can meet some more people in my major and I am hoping Daniella will be there so I can get to know her better. Basically, I just really like the College of Ed. :D
Hm. That's all for now. I have a Psych test tomorrow that I have to study for and I need to do my ASL homework. Barf. I am going to get some water, some snacks, and go to my favorite spot in the study room. :)
[I promise now that I have covered everything, my posts will be FAR shorter!]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY THREE MONTHS LATE, TOM!
Went to all of my classes. ASL--we had to perform a story about one of our scars. I made it up when Adam was confusing the heck out of Andrew and practiced it once. Got 100%. Boo-fricking-YA! Writing Systems of the World--another...stimulating lecture, this time about Egyptian Hieroglyphs, but the really technical, boring side of it. Astronomy--another lecture with the awkward professor that throws out a lot of complex information in a short amount of time and expects us to learn it. It's so hard. Oh, and I got a 28/45 on my large exam for that class. Not good. The professor is supposed to curve it, but I doubt it will be that much. Elena (my friend in that class) and I are going to go do extra credit soon. Thank the Lord for extra credit! Had lunch with Lys and Lindsey...I had a salad which I didn't think would be so good for recently-had-the stomach-flu stomach, but I was fine. Went to The Many Ways of Being Human where I listened to the ever-so-wordy and yet totally hysterical Professor Jane Hill, The Legend. Afterward, Chels and I went back to her dorm and talked for a while. I went back to my dorm and did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, which I am still continuing to do. Waiting for Adam to come so I can actually study. :)
The Office Season 5 starts tomorrow. I know I am not going to make it by then, but I am seriously trying to finish Season 3 and 4 by next week so I can watch the first episode of Season 5 online and then watch the actual shows on TV. The problem is...IV is at the same time as when The Office airs on TV, so....Office? IV? Office? IV? So difficult...
I am supposed to be at the Ballroom review session right now, but I just really didn't feel like going today. It's like, the weirdest thing ever, too, because Ballroom nights are the highlights of my week. I don't think I have explained about Ballroom yet so...I have joined Ballroom Dancing Club. Kind of nerdy, I know, but I absolutely love it. My friend Sarika and I go together and we have so much fun. BDC meets Monday and Wednesday nights from 9-10, kind of late, but we really don't care. Every Monday, our instructor, Blake, teaches us the new dances. The girls and guys are split up, girls on one side of the gym, boys on the other. He teaches us the dances sort of quickly, but it's a lot of fun. Afterward, the men have to go pick a girl (they have to say, "May I have this dance?" It's so cute!) and then we practice the dance. Man, is it a workout! Then on Wednesdays, we have a review session for what we learned on Monday. The review is a lot slower and you can really learn the dance and put it to memory. The first Monday we had about 200 people in the gym (we are hoping the numbers will go down) and on Wednesday, we had maybe 76 (I say 76 instead of 75 because everyone had a partner). One of the great things about ballroom is boy-scouting, let me tell you. Granted, about half of the guys are the dorky, awkward ones who joined ballroom so they develop a little more class so they can maybe have a shot at wooing the laaadies, but the other half are absolutely scrumptious. I mean, there is nothing hotter than a man who can dance the rumba--they can sweep me off my feet ANY TIME! Sarika and my favorite pastime is to stand back with the other girls and "gossip" about the handsome ones or the good-dancing ones or even just the really sweet ones (what am I saying? They all are such gentlemen, honestly). We have met some really cool people in Ballroom and we are having a blast. Sarika and I are taking this very, very seriously so that maybe one day, we will be good enough to compete. WE CAN ONLY HOPE! Until then, we are having the time of our lives and learning how to seduce men using our natural, foxy woman-power in a completely socially appropriate way. :) Basically, I love Ballroom more than anything here at The U, but for some reason, I just didn't want to go today. Feeling slightly slothy today...
This is completely random, but a week ago today, I went to a College of Education party for the incoming freshman. I hate going to freshman gatherings like that because it's just like a huge neon sign that says, "HI! I am insecure about making new friends and I have no idea what I am doing with my life!" but I went anyway because it's for my college. We first started out playing a game where you have a survey and you have to ask people to sign your sheet and if you are one of the first people with "blackout," you will get a prize of...yup. A sticker book. What other major do you know that would 1) Play a really horrible ice breaker and think it was a GRAND time and 2) Give sticker books as your prizes and have the winners so completely ecstatic? Oh yeah. That's the College of Ed, my friends. Afterward, we had a Nacho Social to meet our mentors. My mentor's name is Daniella. She's a sophomore, her emphasis is in High School English with a minor in The Classics (basically what I am doing but with a history twist), and she's a sorority girl. There are three other people who have the same mentor as I but I was the only one who showed up so Daniella and I got to talk a lot. Despite the whole sorority girl thing, she's really cool (she's not typical sorority girl or anything, which is great); I actually like her a lot. She gave me a lot of advice--a lot of which I wish I could remember--and I am definitely not intimidated to ask her if I have any questions about anything. CoE is going to be putting on socials every month that I think I might go to just so I can meet some more people in my major and I am hoping Daniella will be there so I can get to know her better. Basically, I just really like the College of Ed. :D
Hm. That's all for now. I have a Psych test tomorrow that I have to study for and I need to do my ASL homework. Barf. I am going to get some water, some snacks, and go to my favorite spot in the study room. :)
[I promise now that I have covered everything, my posts will be FAR shorter!]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY THREE MONTHS LATE, TOM!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
So I have seriously fallen behind.
I started to write this really long post FOREVER ago and I just never got around to finishing it. The more I didn't finish, the more I wanted to add on and then the more overwhelmed I got. I decided just to scrap it and start afresh, hoping that this time I would actually finish. I think I am going to do what Emily does and update about every day. I figure that those who really care about my life will read and if you really don't care all that much, skip to the longer ones because they will probably be more juicy.
There's really so much I want to talk about. Let's just go with what's recent and move progressively into the past, shall we?
I was struck hard with the stomach flu Monday. I went to bed Sunday night feeling totally fine. About 1:00am Monday morning, I woke up and began throwing up. I went back to bed and continued to wake up periodically throughout the night to go to the bathroom and yark. I was sick in bed the rest of day. I could barely get out of bed to open the door, let alone go to my classes; I missed every class I had that day. Luckily 3/4 of them were lecture classes so I had the friends I have made in those classes take good notes for me and the other one was sign language and we all know how I feel about that class... The boys in my hall were so sweet to me all day. Zac and Adam (roommates) would tag-team checking up on me to see how I was and if I needed anything, they would jump up and get it for me. I am really blessed to have such nice guys in my hall. Katie and Alysa were really great, too. Felt bad for Alysa that she had to breathe the same air as me, but she handled it well, I think. :) I lied in bed for the rest of the day, barely able to move at all except to go to the bathroom to throw up...By 10:30 that night, I was ready to go to bed, even though I had been sleeping the whole day. I thought that there was absolutely no way I was waking up in the morning. 7:30, my alarm went off and after hitting the snooze button twice (like I do every morning), I was up and ready to go for the day, just like any other morning. I went to my ASL in the morning (my professor decided to emphasize the point of being to class daily by picking on the people who weren't in class the day before and making them sign something random in front of the class. Stupidly on her part, she picks on me first and I did everything she asked for and more. Dang, did I school her!), went home, bought some cookies for the boys to thank them, watched The Office, and went to my last class of the day. Everything was back to normal. Weird how quickly one gets and gets over the stomach flu, huh?
Later in the day today, Zac down the hall invited me to come chill in his room for a while. Even though I was going to go do homework, it was his birthday and since he taken such good care of me the day before, I felt I owed it to him. I ended up hanging out with him and his suite mate Andrew for a good hour and a half. Both of them are super nice guys and I really hope all of us will be cool friends. Afterward, I went to study but my roommate was asleep, so I was forced to go study elsewhere...so here I am...Adam and Andrew from down the hall should be joining me shortly...super fun guys to hang out with and they actually make me get off Facebook to do my homework and make sure I don't fall asleep. Good guys. :)
Until they get here...I will write about my AWESOME weekend! OK, background story: So on Emily's blog, Tom and I have a little competition for the best Mad Lib that Emily provides on her blog and in every new post, she declares a winner. She told me that she was going to send me a really cool gift over the weekend (I was checking my mailbox every day!) So on to the story...Friday was a tough day. I had three classes and in every class I had a test. Yuck. Afterward, I went grocery shopping with my sister and Alysa (we also met a really nice guy named Kyle who helped us carry our groceries. The once-thought jerks of VDP men are turning out to be really sweet!), then lots of walking around campus for nothing but I won't get into that, then I met Lindsey and Stephen and the three of us had some serious bonding time like oldschool junior high days. Lindsey told me that Emily made a mistake and put my name on the package but put Lindsey's address on it instead and that I needed to come to her dorm around 8 so I can get it and have Emily on the phone while I open it. I was all excited. I had been waiting for it all week and I was almost out of fruit snacks. :) Lindsey, Alysa and I went to dinner and then I went in the conference room to call my mom who was in New York and I talked with her and Grandma for a really long time. Lindsey kept calling me while I was on the phone with her so I had to end our call early. I walked outside to go call her and she and Lys were standing there. She was like, "So, do you want your present?" Just then, EMILY runs out from behind the wall! AH! I was SO excited to see her! According to everyone, I let out a scream that sounded like I was being murdered. AH! It was so good to see her! The rest of the night, we just hung out in my room talking and laughing and catching up. The next day, I went to my Centennial Hall interview (I got the job without even having to interview! Woot!) and then Em, Linds, Lys, and I went over to Katie's apartment and she and her roommates cooked us a home-cooked meal of Italian sandwiches. YUM! Then we all went to the mall and Lys picked me out some really cute clothes (as always. Gotta love my roommate. :]). Then Em, Linds, Lys, and I drove to another mall to see Mamma Mia! (Alysa's first time seeing it, my second time, Lindsey's seventh time, and Emily's TENTH!) And then...well, let's just say we had a little adventure on the way home...:D Emily and Lindsey spent the night in my dorm, we watch half of Heartburn (STUPID movie but the only reason it was good was because the Majestic Meryl was in it!). Next day we went to church with Katie at First Southern Baptist and it was a good service, wasn't it girls?! ;) Afterward, I introduced Lindsey and Em to the wonder of IQ and their killer sweet potato fries. We watched the rest of the movie and then goodbyes to Emily. :( But basically it was the best surprise I have ever gotten and it was so incredibly good to see her. I love you, Em!
So I should really go...Adam has been standing over me tapping his foot for about 10 minutes, telling me it's time to stop wasting my time and actually study...I'm telling you, it's quite beneficial to hang out with these boys! :) I will post about everything else soon!
There's really so much I want to talk about. Let's just go with what's recent and move progressively into the past, shall we?
I was struck hard with the stomach flu Monday. I went to bed Sunday night feeling totally fine. About 1:00am Monday morning, I woke up and began throwing up. I went back to bed and continued to wake up periodically throughout the night to go to the bathroom and yark. I was sick in bed the rest of day. I could barely get out of bed to open the door, let alone go to my classes; I missed every class I had that day. Luckily 3/4 of them were lecture classes so I had the friends I have made in those classes take good notes for me and the other one was sign language and we all know how I feel about that class... The boys in my hall were so sweet to me all day. Zac and Adam (roommates) would tag-team checking up on me to see how I was and if I needed anything, they would jump up and get it for me. I am really blessed to have such nice guys in my hall. Katie and Alysa were really great, too. Felt bad for Alysa that she had to breathe the same air as me, but she handled it well, I think. :) I lied in bed for the rest of the day, barely able to move at all except to go to the bathroom to throw up...By 10:30 that night, I was ready to go to bed, even though I had been sleeping the whole day. I thought that there was absolutely no way I was waking up in the morning. 7:30, my alarm went off and after hitting the snooze button twice (like I do every morning), I was up and ready to go for the day, just like any other morning. I went to my ASL in the morning (my professor decided to emphasize the point of being to class daily by picking on the people who weren't in class the day before and making them sign something random in front of the class. Stupidly on her part, she picks on me first and I did everything she asked for and more. Dang, did I school her!), went home, bought some cookies for the boys to thank them, watched The Office, and went to my last class of the day. Everything was back to normal. Weird how quickly one gets and gets over the stomach flu, huh?
Later in the day today, Zac down the hall invited me to come chill in his room for a while. Even though I was going to go do homework, it was his birthday and since he taken such good care of me the day before, I felt I owed it to him. I ended up hanging out with him and his suite mate Andrew for a good hour and a half. Both of them are super nice guys and I really hope all of us will be cool friends. Afterward, I went to study but my roommate was asleep, so I was forced to go study elsewhere...so here I am...Adam and Andrew from down the hall should be joining me shortly...super fun guys to hang out with and they actually make me get off Facebook to do my homework and make sure I don't fall asleep. Good guys. :)
Until they get here...I will write about my AWESOME weekend! OK, background story: So on Emily's blog, Tom and I have a little competition for the best Mad Lib that Emily provides on her blog and in every new post, she declares a winner. She told me that she was going to send me a really cool gift over the weekend (I was checking my mailbox every day!) So on to the story...Friday was a tough day. I had three classes and in every class I had a test. Yuck. Afterward, I went grocery shopping with my sister and Alysa (we also met a really nice guy named Kyle who helped us carry our groceries. The once-thought jerks of VDP men are turning out to be really sweet!), then lots of walking around campus for nothing but I won't get into that, then I met Lindsey and Stephen and the three of us had some serious bonding time like oldschool junior high days. Lindsey told me that Emily made a mistake and put my name on the package but put Lindsey's address on it instead and that I needed to come to her dorm around 8 so I can get it and have Emily on the phone while I open it. I was all excited. I had been waiting for it all week and I was almost out of fruit snacks. :) Lindsey, Alysa and I went to dinner and then I went in the conference room to call my mom who was in New York and I talked with her and Grandma for a really long time. Lindsey kept calling me while I was on the phone with her so I had to end our call early. I walked outside to go call her and she and Lys were standing there. She was like, "So, do you want your present?" Just then, EMILY runs out from behind the wall! AH! I was SO excited to see her! According to everyone, I let out a scream that sounded like I was being murdered. AH! It was so good to see her! The rest of the night, we just hung out in my room talking and laughing and catching up. The next day, I went to my Centennial Hall interview (I got the job without even having to interview! Woot!) and then Em, Linds, Lys, and I went over to Katie's apartment and she and her roommates cooked us a home-cooked meal of Italian sandwiches. YUM! Then we all went to the mall and Lys picked me out some really cute clothes (as always. Gotta love my roommate. :]). Then Em, Linds, Lys, and I drove to another mall to see Mamma Mia! (Alysa's first time seeing it, my second time, Lindsey's seventh time, and Emily's TENTH!) And then...well, let's just say we had a little adventure on the way home...:D Emily and Lindsey spent the night in my dorm, we watch half of Heartburn (STUPID movie but the only reason it was good was because the Majestic Meryl was in it!). Next day we went to church with Katie at First Southern Baptist and it was a good service, wasn't it girls?! ;) Afterward, I introduced Lindsey and Em to the wonder of IQ and their killer sweet potato fries. We watched the rest of the movie and then goodbyes to Emily. :( But basically it was the best surprise I have ever gotten and it was so incredibly good to see her. I love you, Em!
So I should really go...Adam has been standing over me tapping his foot for about 10 minutes, telling me it's time to stop wasting my time and actually study...I'm telling you, it's quite beneficial to hang out with these boys! :) I will post about everything else soon!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Well, the vote's in.
Very quickly, too. The professor of the interpreting class emailed me back and told me that they had already taken three quizzes and covered too much information to allow me into the class. I'm pretty upset. I really hate my ASL class; like, I can't even tell you how much I dislike it, especially since it's the first thing I wake up to. But God's got a plan as to why I am still in that class, I just don't know what it is yet. Guess I am going to be doing lots of word searches this semester...
It's the third week of school...
Things are going well. Alysa (my roommate) and I have basically got our schedule down. We know when we need to go to bed, wake up, clean our dorm room, do our homework, do our laundry, hang out with which people which day, etc. It's really nice falling into a routine; I think I function better this way.
Nothing much to report. Alysa, my friend Sarika from high school, and I went to the football game on Saturday. It was technically my first UofA game as was it for Alysa, and it was Sarika's first time to a football game ever. The three of us had a lot of fun participating in all of the Wildcat traditions: the jingling of the keys at kick-off, the "OOOOO!"ing when it was appropriate, the repetitive cheers and hand clapping, etc. Unfortunately, though, we did not get to experience the infamous chanting of the quarterback's name, my favorite cheer. Better luck next time.
I am still lax in the friends department. Alysa is really my closest friend here, which isn't so horrible because the roommate is the most important friend you can make. Alysa is in the same spot as me, so it's nice to have someone to go through it with. The two of us have been hanging out with my sister, Katie, and a couple of my friends from high school. I think Alysa likes all of my friends and I know they like her back, so it really works out; I think we all have a pretty good time together. But that still does not shake our craving to make some new friends here. I think we're both feeling a little lonely.
I have been searching quite intently for a Christian group to be a part of. I tried out four different Christian groups on campus and I think I have narrowed it down to the one I like the best. It's a group called Intervarsity and it's a nondenominational Christian fellowship that focuses on campus outreach. My friends Andy and Stephen (brothers) told me I should try it out and they thought that I would really enjoy it, which I did. I took Alysa with me and she really enjoyed it, too. She knew someone who was involved with IV so she immediately felt a part of the group. We decided that we would go next week and hopefully that will be our new church family and possibly the source of our new friendships. I know I am going to have a hard time fitting in with the crowd just because I lack a lot of social and "making new friends" skills, but I am going to take Andy's advice and really try to be outgoing and talk to people. It scares me to death, but I am going to try.
My sign language teacher finally returned to Arizona after spending two weeks out of the state tending to her sick father-in-law. I spoke with her after class about possibly transferring to a higher level of ASL, and she said I had two options: 1) That I take the semester final and if I get a C or better on the exam, I would automatically have 4th level proficiency. The problem with that is that I am fairly confident that I would test out of it and then I would drop from 16 credits to 12, which I really can't do. 2) Email one of the professors and ask if I could join his/her high-level interpreting class. If he/she approves, I must take the semester final and score a C on it and then I will be transferred into an interpreting class. I was so excited when I heard that I could be joining an interpreting class because that's always something that I have been interested in doing, but my professor told me that the chances of the other professor accepting me into his/her class is a very slim one considering we are already in the third week of school. I am praying (and I want you all to pray, too!) that everything works out and I am able to switch classes; I don't know how much I can take of people asking what the sign for "have" is...
The other classes are fine. I am having a difficult time with my astronomy class, though, because the material is quite grueling and difficult for me to understand and the professor isn't very good. Katie is helping me with it, thank goodness. I am so blessed to have such and awesome sister! Other than that, school is school. Oh! Sarika and I are going to a ballroom dancing class this evening--I am so stoked! If we like it, it is going to be a weekly Monday night event. :)
That's pretty much it. Love to all. Updates will be coming soon. Comments are appreciated!
Nothing much to report. Alysa, my friend Sarika from high school, and I went to the football game on Saturday. It was technically my first UofA game as was it for Alysa, and it was Sarika's first time to a football game ever. The three of us had a lot of fun participating in all of the Wildcat traditions: the jingling of the keys at kick-off, the "OOOOO!"ing when it was appropriate, the repetitive cheers and hand clapping, etc. Unfortunately, though, we did not get to experience the infamous chanting of the quarterback's name, my favorite cheer. Better luck next time.
I am still lax in the friends department. Alysa is really my closest friend here, which isn't so horrible because the roommate is the most important friend you can make. Alysa is in the same spot as me, so it's nice to have someone to go through it with. The two of us have been hanging out with my sister, Katie, and a couple of my friends from high school. I think Alysa likes all of my friends and I know they like her back, so it really works out; I think we all have a pretty good time together. But that still does not shake our craving to make some new friends here. I think we're both feeling a little lonely.
I have been searching quite intently for a Christian group to be a part of. I tried out four different Christian groups on campus and I think I have narrowed it down to the one I like the best. It's a group called Intervarsity and it's a nondenominational Christian fellowship that focuses on campus outreach. My friends Andy and Stephen (brothers) told me I should try it out and they thought that I would really enjoy it, which I did. I took Alysa with me and she really enjoyed it, too. She knew someone who was involved with IV so she immediately felt a part of the group. We decided that we would go next week and hopefully that will be our new church family and possibly the source of our new friendships. I know I am going to have a hard time fitting in with the crowd just because I lack a lot of social and "making new friends" skills, but I am going to take Andy's advice and really try to be outgoing and talk to people. It scares me to death, but I am going to try.
My sign language teacher finally returned to Arizona after spending two weeks out of the state tending to her sick father-in-law. I spoke with her after class about possibly transferring to a higher level of ASL, and she said I had two options: 1) That I take the semester final and if I get a C or better on the exam, I would automatically have 4th level proficiency. The problem with that is that I am fairly confident that I would test out of it and then I would drop from 16 credits to 12, which I really can't do. 2) Email one of the professors and ask if I could join his/her high-level interpreting class. If he/she approves, I must take the semester final and score a C on it and then I will be transferred into an interpreting class. I was so excited when I heard that I could be joining an interpreting class because that's always something that I have been interested in doing, but my professor told me that the chances of the other professor accepting me into his/her class is a very slim one considering we are already in the third week of school. I am praying (and I want you all to pray, too!) that everything works out and I am able to switch classes; I don't know how much I can take of people asking what the sign for "have" is...
The other classes are fine. I am having a difficult time with my astronomy class, though, because the material is quite grueling and difficult for me to understand and the professor isn't very good. Katie is helping me with it, thank goodness. I am so blessed to have such and awesome sister! Other than that, school is school. Oh! Sarika and I are going to a ballroom dancing class this evening--I am so stoked! If we like it, it is going to be a weekly Monday night event. :)
That's pretty much it. Love to all. Updates will be coming soon. Comments are appreciated!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
I forgot
to put in my last post my new college contact information. Feel free to email me any time at coolartic123@aol.com, allison.sherer@gmail.com, or at my UofA email address amsherer@email.arizona.edu. I check all of them at the same time, so I'll be sure and get your email at whichever address you send it to. Also, for those of you who have Skype (it's like an instant messenger system and an over-the-internet phone call/video relay system all rolled into one. If you have a microphone or a webcam on your computer, I really suggest you get it. Even if you don't have a mic or a webcam, it's a great instant messenger system. It's wonderful and it's FREE!), my screen name is allison.sherer . I would love to talk to you there. However, although technology is great, nothing can beat old-fashioned letters. If you want to send me a snail mail [or presents, *hint hint* Haha, just kidding], that would completely brighten my day! You can write me at:
Allison Sherer
575 N. Highland Ave.
Room 391
Tucson, AZ 85719
I hope to hear from you soon! More updates will be coming soon.
Allison Sherer
575 N. Highland Ave.
Room 391
Tucson, AZ 85719
I hope to hear from you soon! More updates will be coming soon.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
College
Well, here I am. I have finished my first week of schooling at UofA and am starting my second week. I moved into my dorm a week ago Thursday and I love my room. It's a fairly good size and it's not that bad to keep clean. Check it out! (Click on the pictures to see them more clearly)
My room is on the third floor, but it leads to the outside. It does not really make any sense when you try and explain it to people, so hopefully you can understand by seeing this picture...
Looking down my hallway (the community bathroom is the first door on the left; our room is on the right side of the hall)
Alysa's and my room!
My side of the room! (my posters are not up yet, though...)
The best thing about my room is my roommate. Alysa and I get along so well. I was seriously scared before coming here that I would get an awful roommate, and all of the things I was scared I would get in a roommate, Lys is definitely the opposite. Since the very first day we moved in, we have been friends. We do almost everything together and we tell each other everything. It's amazing how you can know someone for such a small amount of time and you can become such good friends. It's really great that I have her because I don't know many people here. I have a few friends from high school that I hang out with, but for the most part, I hang out with Alysa and Chelsea Shidawara (for those who know her). Chelsea basically lives in our dorm, not even kidding. She is constantly over at our dorm and the people at the front desk just let her into the locked building, thinking she lives there. It's pretty funny, actually. I am still looking for a good Christian group to get involved with. I have been trying out various ones but I haven't found the one that just clicks. I hoping to join Future Teacher's Club, but I don't know when they meet. I am just really hoping that a find a good place to belong and some friends to belong with.
My classes are OK. I have five classes, 16 credits. Every morning besides Friday at 9:00, I have my American Sign Language 4 class. Level 4 classes are supposed to be your second-to-last class before you are fluent in American Sign Language, but the level of this class is nowhere near that. The professor takes things very slowly and the curriculum that she is teaching is what I took last year in high school. The people in that class are so not up to the standard that they should be. All of last week, we were doing review of "level 3" (which is really a review of level 2, something I took two years ago) and the students were having trouble with the simplest things. They would forget words that were some of the first words you learned when you were first learning how to sign. I was sitting there the whole time thinking, "Are you KIDDING me?! You use that sign in just about every other sentence..." It's been awful. I sit in class and do Sudoku the entire hour and the professor and TA don't care because whenever they ask me a question, I sign it perfectly and answer it perfectly. Both of them can't believe I am a freshman because I am far above all of the seniors (which is what most of the class is comprised of). It's just a waste of my time, really. I am going to talk to my professor about possibly switching to a higher level of ASL, but she has been out of town for a week. I still need to take 16 credits, so if I can't switch to a higher level, I am stuck in this incredibly boring and irritating class. Every morning. Yuck.
My other classes are pretty good. The rest of them are general education classes that have nothing to do with my major but they are required to graduate. It's funny, the classes I was looking forward to, I no longer am, and the classes I was dreading, I no longer am; so it's just a give and take. I am taking Writing Systems of the World, The Physical Universe, The Many Ways of Being Human (not like we don't know how to be human already...), and Structure of Mind and Behavior. My Writing Systems class is one of my favorites. I have it Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for one hour. I think the material is going to be interesting and the way the class is set up, I think it is going to be super easy. My professor is kind of funny: he speaks VERY softly into the microphone to the point where you can barely understand what he is saying unless you are in one of the first five rows. As quiet as he is, he's a really good professor; he really keeps my attention and is a very nice man. So far, I am really enjoying that class. My Physical Universe class is OK. I have it Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for one hour. My professor looks like my old algebra teacher from high school. He is kind of an awkward man and seems very skiddish and nervous in front of the class. He is quite boring, actually. The class seems pretty hard with lots and lots of reading, and I am really unsure how I am going to study for that class. But who knows? It could get better. I absolutely love my Many Ways of Being Human class. I have it Monday and Wednesday lectures and then a discussion session with some of the people from my class lead by one of the TAs (who is really great, mind you). The class is supposed to be a mix between economics and sociology focusing mostly on capitalism, but my professor didn't like that, so she changed the focus to be about the economy of language. And apparently she can do that because, according to my discussion TA, "Jane Hill is a freaking legend." I adore my professor. She is so funny and she really makes the class enjoyable. The material she is covering is so interesting and she makes it really tangible. Apparently this is the last year she is going to be teaching before she retires and I am so glad that I got a chance to have her before that happens; I like her a lot and her class is definitely my favorite. My last class is Structure of Mind and Behavior and basically it's an intro to psychology class. The class seems hard, but the professor is really good, so I think I will be OK. The class is about 600 people full, and I mean FULL; there is hardly ever an open seat. Even if you arrive five minutes before the bell, it's difficult to find a chair. I don't really like the lack of personal quallity of the class, but what can you do? It's a good class all the same.
That's really all that I can think of to tell y'all. I am going to posting weekly blogs (definitely not as long as this one and the previous ones) most likely on Tuesdays or Thursdays, so please check often and please leave comments. Keep me in your prayers; you are in mine. Love to all.
My room is on the third floor, but it leads to the outside. It does not really make any sense when you try and explain it to people, so hopefully you can understand by seeing this picture...
Looking down my hallway (the community bathroom is the first door on the left; our room is on the right side of the hall)
Alysa's and my room!
My side of the room! (my posters are not up yet, though...)
The best thing about my room is my roommate. Alysa and I get along so well. I was seriously scared before coming here that I would get an awful roommate, and all of the things I was scared I would get in a roommate, Lys is definitely the opposite. Since the very first day we moved in, we have been friends. We do almost everything together and we tell each other everything. It's amazing how you can know someone for such a small amount of time and you can become such good friends. It's really great that I have her because I don't know many people here. I have a few friends from high school that I hang out with, but for the most part, I hang out with Alysa and Chelsea Shidawara (for those who know her). Chelsea basically lives in our dorm, not even kidding. She is constantly over at our dorm and the people at the front desk just let her into the locked building, thinking she lives there. It's pretty funny, actually. I am still looking for a good Christian group to get involved with. I have been trying out various ones but I haven't found the one that just clicks. I hoping to join Future Teacher's Club, but I don't know when they meet. I am just really hoping that a find a good place to belong and some friends to belong with.
My classes are OK. I have five classes, 16 credits. Every morning besides Friday at 9:00, I have my American Sign Language 4 class. Level 4 classes are supposed to be your second-to-last class before you are fluent in American Sign Language, but the level of this class is nowhere near that. The professor takes things very slowly and the curriculum that she is teaching is what I took last year in high school. The people in that class are so not up to the standard that they should be. All of last week, we were doing review of "level 3" (which is really a review of level 2, something I took two years ago) and the students were having trouble with the simplest things. They would forget words that were some of the first words you learned when you were first learning how to sign. I was sitting there the whole time thinking, "Are you KIDDING me?! You use that sign in just about every other sentence..." It's been awful. I sit in class and do Sudoku the entire hour and the professor and TA don't care because whenever they ask me a question, I sign it perfectly and answer it perfectly. Both of them can't believe I am a freshman because I am far above all of the seniors (which is what most of the class is comprised of). It's just a waste of my time, really. I am going to talk to my professor about possibly switching to a higher level of ASL, but she has been out of town for a week. I still need to take 16 credits, so if I can't switch to a higher level, I am stuck in this incredibly boring and irritating class. Every morning. Yuck.
My other classes are pretty good. The rest of them are general education classes that have nothing to do with my major but they are required to graduate. It's funny, the classes I was looking forward to, I no longer am, and the classes I was dreading, I no longer am; so it's just a give and take. I am taking Writing Systems of the World, The Physical Universe, The Many Ways of Being Human (not like we don't know how to be human already...), and Structure of Mind and Behavior. My Writing Systems class is one of my favorites. I have it Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for one hour. I think the material is going to be interesting and the way the class is set up, I think it is going to be super easy. My professor is kind of funny: he speaks VERY softly into the microphone to the point where you can barely understand what he is saying unless you are in one of the first five rows. As quiet as he is, he's a really good professor; he really keeps my attention and is a very nice man. So far, I am really enjoying that class. My Physical Universe class is OK. I have it Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for one hour. My professor looks like my old algebra teacher from high school. He is kind of an awkward man and seems very skiddish and nervous in front of the class. He is quite boring, actually. The class seems pretty hard with lots and lots of reading, and I am really unsure how I am going to study for that class. But who knows? It could get better. I absolutely love my Many Ways of Being Human class. I have it Monday and Wednesday lectures and then a discussion session with some of the people from my class lead by one of the TAs (who is really great, mind you). The class is supposed to be a mix between economics and sociology focusing mostly on capitalism, but my professor didn't like that, so she changed the focus to be about the economy of language. And apparently she can do that because, according to my discussion TA, "Jane Hill is a freaking legend." I adore my professor. She is so funny and she really makes the class enjoyable. The material she is covering is so interesting and she makes it really tangible. Apparently this is the last year she is going to be teaching before she retires and I am so glad that I got a chance to have her before that happens; I like her a lot and her class is definitely my favorite. My last class is Structure of Mind and Behavior and basically it's an intro to psychology class. The class seems hard, but the professor is really good, so I think I will be OK. The class is about 600 people full, and I mean FULL; there is hardly ever an open seat. Even if you arrive five minutes before the bell, it's difficult to find a chair. I don't really like the lack of personal quallity of the class, but what can you do? It's a good class all the same.
That's really all that I can think of to tell y'all. I am going to posting weekly blogs (definitely not as long as this one and the previous ones) most likely on Tuesdays or Thursdays, so please check often and please leave comments. Keep me in your prayers; you are in mine. Love to all.
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