Back at school

This is my second day back to school and nothing much has happened, really. I have substantially less work this week than I did before I went on Spring Break (I survived the week from Hell, by the way! Completed everything but one assignment that really didn't care to do in the first place, so be proud of my accomplishments!), however, I do have a ten-page paper due tomorrow that is only half finished and I have absolutely no motivation to do whatsoever. At this rate, it'll probably get to be about 1:00am before I actually start working on it...Other than that, this week should be pretty chill. Although I have just returned from a wonderful week at home, I am sick of school already and desperately wish to be back at home spending time with my family. Perhaps it is the fact that the week was indeed so wonderful and it didn't feel nearly long enough that I have this unquenchable yearning to return, but whatever. Only 16 more days until I go back home! (but who's counting...?)

In other news, my best friend, Jared, and his mom are driving down to the U this weekend to visit and take a tour of the campus. I am so incredibly excited to have someone I am so close with experience my world and see all of the places I am so repetitiously mentioning. The only issue is...Jared and his mom have major food allergies. Jared and Linda are both allergic to gluten, so anything with wheat, oats, barley, and other assorted grains are completely off-limits, and Jared is also lactose-intolerant. I have come to discover that is much more difficult than it seems to plan and make meals for them to eat. So many things have gluten in them, even things you would never expect like tomato soup (don't believe me? Go look at the nutrition facts...). I think I have concocted a few meals for both of them, and I am also relying on the assistance of Taco Bell and Applebees to help me out...But besides me stressing about the food options, I am completely and utterly ecstatic that they are coming down here to visit. I am sure if you speak to me between now and then, that's all I will be talking about.

I sent in a summer-job application yesterday! While applying for the Youthworks job, I received an instant message from one of the ladies I met on the Youthworks trip I took two years ago. She had taken her youth group from Washington state on the trip and she and I became very close while we were there. She was inquiring if I had heard anything from Youthworks, and that when I heard back from them to inform her if I got the job. After finding out that I didn't get it, I emailed her and told her the bad news. Jokingly, I asked if she knew of any good places to apply for a summer job. She emailed me back and told me that she was no longer the youth pastor of the church in Washington but that she is now the Program Director of a 1-12 grade Lutheran summer camp in Washington and that I should apply for it. Well, I sent in my application yesterday, emailed her and told her that I did, and I received back a very excited email from Nichol saying that she will look out for my application. Pray that she and the other hiring staff smile upon my application!!

Next week, I have my appointments with both of my advisers to discuss my class choices for next semester. I am assuming that I am going to be taking mostly English classes with a few Deaf Studies or Interpreting courses. Unfortunately, with the Arizona Education budget cuts, the Secondary Education department at the UofA has been completely abolished. The Secondary Ed students will now be forced to major in the subject they want to teach and then take education classes as their minor in order to get their teacher certification. This system is beneficial in one aspect because the teacher will be more well-versed in the subject they are going to teach, but will be ill-prepared to teach in a classroom setting. In effect, I am no longer a Secondary Education major, but rather a double-major in English and Educational Interpreting (unfortunately) with a minor in Education. I am thinking about modifying my minor to include another area, which I am hoping will be Classics. For some reason, I am thoroughly interested in Classical Mythology and other such subjects (probably just because Professor Sexy is totally fantastic), and I think I would really enjoy learning more about the subject area, but we'll see. Sadly, I am really starting to hate American Sign Language. Well, I guess I can't really say that. I really enjoy the language, but I do not appreciate the culture that goes along with it, and considering that the culture is a vital part of the language and my major as an interpreter, it's kind of difficult to run away from. It really saddens me that something I used to be so passionate for has fully lost its fire in my life and I no longer care for it whatsoever. Since high schools nowadays (and especially the high school in Gilbert I want to teach at) prefer that incoming teachers are equipped to teach more than one area of expertise, I am reluctantly going to stick with American Sign Language just because I am good at it, but for no other reason but that. Ironically, I am discovering that I am less proficient at English than I originally accepted and that scares me because I am going to get a huge slap in the face next semester when I am enrolled in upper-level English courses, but I stay true to my dream of wanting to be an English teacher because I do love it and I don't want to do anything else. I am really starting to pity my future students...

Well, I should really get going on that paper...You know, I think I would rather pluck my arm hairs out one by one than write this paper, but such is life...

Take care everyone. I miss you terribly but am so thankful for your presence in my life. <3