Dark

It's the shortest day of the year!
Yessssss.
More light from here on out.

Candy Canes

I mentioned this in my other blog, but...

I love candy canes.

I really do.

I don't know why.
I just do.

... I don't know if I even want to think about how many candy canes I've eaten in the past five days or so. Well. It's really probably not that many, if I stopped to think about how many I have, indeed, eaten. Maybe... nine? Ten? I mean, that's not terrible, I suppose.

But still.

I love candy canes more than I should.
Just saying.

S213

Out of the hospital and into a home.
All moved in and it feels so good.

Except for that stupid fridge.
Gahhh.

Boo CCCB

"The church exists by mission, as fire exists by burning"?

Yeah.
Right.

Something great had better come out of these upcoming changes.

More

I just spent two and a half days alone.
Bliss. Content.

Now there are people everywhere I turn.
I don't even have to see them - my ears suffice.
And I feel so lonely.

Two and a half days wasn't enough.

It works.

I got my hopes up.
And they were met.

:)

Reminder

I'm really blessed.

... That's all I've got to say!

Halloween

Ahhh, yes... it's Halloween. Man. I've always had good memories of Halloween. I think it's ridiculous that people get into the whole "It's satanic!" issue and don't let their kids go trick-or-treating. Going door-to-door to receive candy is not a big deal. If you want to delve into the arguments of the 'holiday' deriving from witchery or dressing up as characters that have negative influence or whatever, so be it. But seriously. It's just for fun, my goodness. Give me a break. Whatever.

I hear my nephew, who is 17.5 months old, is getting dressed up as a jack-o-lantern [his name is Jack, haha]. Too cute.

So. In conclusion:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Ice Ice Baby

It's so cold in the room my Focused class is being held in... man.
I'm wearing jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and a sweatshirt.
It's not good enough.
My laptop is acting as a lap blanket, though. It helps.

But seriously.

Why is it so cold?
Central's air systems suck.
It's either too hot or too cold, all year.
Boooooo.

I've been in a very complaint-heavy mood lately.
I should probably try and change that... oh, hey Jesus! What up?

Apathetic

I really dislike school right now.

The two classes I thought would be my favorites are my least favorites.
The "Central bubble" is really annoying.
People aren't real.
Teachers lecture just to hear themselves talk.
[Or they like to repeat everything my textbooks say... and that's it. Why bother going to class, if I do the assigned reading?]
I'm also pretty sure that they all got together while planning their courses and discussed how they could make the students' lives miserable by making everything due on the same days, and give tests throughout the same weeks.
NOT HELPING.

I've always loved school.
I've always loved learning.

So this is kind of a big deal.
Something is not right.

Last year I felt this way around March or so. It had been a good year up to that point, but I was feeling weighed down due to a few factors. I suppose that even though I say I'm a relatively stress-free person, I was stressed out quite often. I'm really not stressing out right now, though. I just feel so FRUSTRATED. And incredibly apathetic. So if it's only October, and I'm not even stressing out or anything... what's it going to be like in March this year? I don't even want to think about it.

I'm so ready to be done.

But even if I were to get my associate's, I would have to be here at least one more semester after this year. And I wouldn't know what to do afterward. Work? Raise support? Would a mission agency hire me without a bachelor's degree?

This is so ridiculous.

I want to graduate with a bachelor's. I want to be educated and well-equipped. I simply wish there was another way to do things. Apprenticeship. A prolonged internship. Something. Anything. Just... not school.

India

Mumbai.

Is this another fleeting idea?
[Japan.
Gah.]

Or is there truly something to it?

Pray.

Boo!

'Paranormal Activity' is ridiculous.
That's all I've got to say.

I like being scared.
A lot.
More than I should, really.

And truth be told, it wasn't that scary.
Just freaky.

But man.

It was ridiculous.

Lesson learned: Don't mess with a demon.

TK

Three weeks.
Two days.

What an answer to prayer.

Blithe

The redhead was right.
[And no, not for once...]

I am happy.

It's a beautiful day.
And God is good.

The Day After

I love being onstage.
I don't like non-scripted things.
Impromptu?
The worst.
I like to prepare a lot, which we didn't do...
... partly on purpose.
So I don't feel like I did my best.

Even so.
I was so happy to be up there.

Still am.
Happy, I mean.

Six best minutes of the year thus far.

Just kidding.
But seriously.
Three cheers.

Butterflies

I was talking to a friend tonight.
I said I missed having butterflies.
In regards to being a bit nervous right before I go onstage...
... and then realizing that the butterflies quickly fade as I begin to perform.
And so I'm really happy right now that I have butterflies in my stomach right now; we're doing a skit tomorrow - it's actually kind of serious, and we've rehearsed it quite a bit - as opposed to the other skits I've done, which were mostly comedic and pretty much impromptu.

So it's true.
I've missed those butterflies.

Life is interesting right now.
I like it.
A lot.

Encouragement

The smallest bit of encouragement could mean the world to someone. Don't be afraid to reach out to people, even if it's with a simple smile. Oftentimes that's all it takes to brighten someone's day. I'm sure you've heard that many times before, but there's a reason why - it's true! Another thing: don't limit yourself to encouraging only people you know. If you observe or simply "get that vibe" that someone's not doing too great - be it a complete stranger, or a mere acquaintance - talk to them! Ask them how they're doing, or if there's something you can pray about. And who's to say that you should only try to encourage someone if they "need" it? If, at one point in time, you've heard them say something you really took to heart, or saw them do something that you appreciated for some reason, let them know! If you feel someone is doing a good job at something, speak your mind and tell them to keep it up.

Gah.

I don't feel the body of Christ is encouraging enough. To believers and non-believers alike. Maybe I'm just not looking hard enough, or simply don't hear it going around, but I feel that the student body at my school is especially weak at doing this. I've been trying to jump start a movement in regards to encouragement, but sometimes I feel my efforts are in vain. People just keep it to themselves. It hasn't become a ripple effect... yet. Hopefully with consistency and perseverance, encouragement will start to become contagious.

Man...

... I couldn't help myself, I guess.

Except I decided that I'm only going to write in here when I feel like it.
Sporadic.
Excellent.

Finished?

Nine days.
A new record.

I really just don't have the time to keep up with two blogs on top of everything else I have going on. Maybe in a few weeks I'll come back to this, but until then... I simply plan on writing for my 'So Close' blog. Peace.

Grateful

I spent the majority of the day [the hours I was awake, that is...] with my friend Brad. I had a good time. He's a lot of fun to be around. At one point during the day we had quite an adventure as we tried to find a party supply store in Columbia... oh man. I'm glad to be alive. Columbia is crazy. Anyway, yeah. It was good. The best part of the day was when we watched 'Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest' in Pelfrey. Oh. my. word. ! We hadn't seen the movie in probably ten years [or more!] and we both greatly appreciated it.

Seriously. The day had a lot of good moments to it.

And even though I had a phenomenal week, and an okay weekend, I really needed some good, old-fashioned laughter and fellowship. I'm really grateful for good friends like Brad.

Wheat for sheep?

Another year at Central brings another year of playing Settlers of Catan with Jeremy, Dave, etc.

: )

Fantastic.

Remember

Eight years.

Man.

Rant

I'm a pretty quiet person.
I used to be extremely shy, and still can be at times, but not terribly.
I call myself an extroverted introvert.

I don't mind sitting by myself.
I don't always have to be talking to someone.
I don't feel the need to surround myself with handfuls of people, or even just one handful.

But don't ignore me when I make an effort to actually step outside of my comfort zone in getting to know you, after you approached me. When I attempt to make conversation, respond! Engage!

Don't just stand there.
Don't turn your back.
Don't say hi and then walk away, after being asked an investigative question.
Don't constantly look behind me or to the side.
Don't just smile and nod.
Don't simply hear me... listen.

My word.

Circumstances matter in this issue, sure.
I mean, I understand we're busy people, for example.
But when you're obviously just milling around because you don't have class, work, etc., and you're not talking with anyone or let others know that you're about to go do something or meet someone... don't assume that you will have no interaction with others. And when that happens, at least be cordial towards the other person. I really wouldn't think that's too much to hope for... I guess in this day and age, especially in regards to my generation, it is.

I apologize. My mistake.

Dang.
I'm done.

Jokester

Today one of my classes was canceled. Which is why I'm writing this at 2:22 PM, and not sometime in the evening or whatever. Anyway, the teacher personally said so over the phone to me, and I was to tell the class. So I did. Nobody believed me! That's a lie. A few did. And they started packing up their things to get the heck outta there. But everybody else just stared at me with their mouths open. They thought I was playing a joke on them or something, and that I would leave, come back a few minutes later, and be all "Ha ha ha! Just kidding! He's right down the hall!" or something like that. Ridiculous. They had all started to turn their chairs around to mess with the teacher "when" he would "finally" walk in. I bet they were sad that their little idea was pointless to carry out. Oh well. I think it was probably a good five minutes or so before everybody left the room.

Honestly, though. Punks.

Humor

So it's nothing new, but I really enjoy spending time around people with good senses of humor.
I mean, come on... who doesn't?

But seriously.
I like the fact that there are different types of humor, even.
I think it makes life that much more interesting.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if people didn't have [different] personalities or senses of humor?
Man.
I don't want to attempt to imagine...

Cheer Up

I just can't seem to get a break on a couple things.

Disappointed.

Together

Ohhh my.

I love God.
He's really cool.

This weekend has been fantastic.
So much happened in so little time, and my mind is continuing to be blown away by the greatness of God and the way that He works things out in our lives.

Man oh man.

The year has finally truly begun.
Here we go!

Last Time

I'm going home today so that I can work for the last time at Tait Cummins. Cedar Rapids is hosting a national tournament there this weekend and it's going to be really busy - but hopefully not totally crazy. It'll be good to go home and work for a bit, as well as see my parents. I like Iowa.

Friday?

I can't believe it's already Friday. Ridiculous. The first full week of school went well. I'm really excited about all of my classes and everything else that will be going on throughout the year. Three cheers.

NO!

I promised myself I would not procrastinate on anything this term.

Tomorrow [er, today] is the fifth day of school...
... and I've already failed.

At this point, I've deemed procrastination worse than drugs.

Just say no, people.
Just. say. NO.

Gahhh.

Insomnia?

I can't sleep.

Wonderful.

Disregard

What a day.
It was unreal.

In a good way, for sure.
But seriously.

Unreal.

God is making me remember Him.
[I'm glad.]

I couldn't tell you how many times I found myself thinking something along the lines of, "Whoaaa... what the heck is going on?!"

God speaks. God appears through people. And it makes life beautiful.

Fake

I wonder if that's what I am sometimes.
Right now I don't even know.
Stupid mood.

Khalas

STOP.
NO GAMES.

Autumn

It's a beautiful day in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The sun is shining.
There isn't a cloud in the sky.
My brother's mowing the lawn.
[Frresh-cut grass is one of my favorite smells.]
A slight breeze is stirring the cool air.

... It feels like fall.
And I like it.
I like it a lot.

Five Days

I came home.
Hahahahahaha.

I was at school for five days, and came home.
That's got to be a record.

Well, here's the deal. My new computer battery was sent to my house and I really wanted it for the upcoming week. And I thought it'd be nice to go ahead and pick up the things I left behind instead of waiting until next weekend; I'm working next weekend and it's going to be crazy. I'd probably end up forgetting to get my things entirely! I also wanted to make some cookies for the girls on my floor, since I've been a punk and haven't tried getting to know them yet - which I was actually really excited to do, I've just been occupied with getting my things in order and preparing for classes and catching up with friends from last year. Lame excuses, I know, but seriously. I'm excited to learn about these lovely ladies and know their hearts and Christ in them.

MAN OH MAN. It's going to be such a good year!

Experiences

I'm excited for new experiences this year - which, I hope, I will have many of.
We'll see.

That's all I've got for now.
I don't much feel like writing today, for whatever reason.
It was a good day, though.
First day of classes... just went through syllabi; kind of boring, but I'm pretty sure my classes will be really good this semester!

Return

Alright, I'm starting this blog back up as well. I started writing again for my So Close blog on August 15, but didn't have as great a desire to start writing again for this one until, well, just now.

Not a lot has happened since July 20... ok, so that's sort of a lie. But I'm not about to go into details. Let's just say I'm glad to be back at Central Christian College of the Bible and can't wait for classes to start tomorrow!

On another note, while I'm elated to be back at Central, I sense something different in regards to quite a few aspects of school. I can't quite put my finger on any of them, though - of course, right? Yes, of course. I don't know, it just feels... off. Well, I do know that one of the biggest things that's bothering me is a couple of friendships (although one in particular) that seem as if they've eroded over the summer. I just don't think things are going to be the same as last year, which I'm pretty bummed about.

So to whom it may concern: I miss you. I haven't seen you since school let out. We didn't even get to say good-bye. And now you're right here. But I miss you more than ever.

Now that I've got that out of my system, let's move on, shall we? I don't know where to go next, though. Hm. That's kind of how I feel about life in general right now. I'm in the here and now, and not really thinking about the future. This is mostly because I don't know anything about what the future holds for me. Which I've come to accept, finally. It's just that I'm having a hard time embracing the fact. Hopefully that makes sense. I don't know where to go next with my life and I don't know exactly which stepping stone to place my foot upon in my walk with God. There are so many to choose from! That's all.

I have a lot going through my mind right now. A million thoughts racing around at a million miles an hour, you know? Typical. Anyway, I'm glad I've decided to start writing blog posts again. It feels good. : )

Chance

Long story short, I'm making a few changes. And taking a few chances.

I was already thinking about not keeping up my other blog [So Close] but if anything, I think I would stop this one. As simplistic and easy as it is, it's just "one more thing to do" before the day ends. And writing posts for it doesn't bring me as much joy as it first did.

So. We'll see. It's not that "I'm done" with it, I just think I'm going to take a break for a bit.

With that said, until later... peace.

Outro, Part Two

I lied.

Well.
Maybe.

Outro

I'm done.

Spontaneity

I wish I could be more spontaneous. I really do.
I like the idea of just doing something... just to do it.
Not having to think about it at all...
not the consequences.
not the benefits.
not the what-ifs.
Not having a care in the world fits in nicely with this idea.
If only, if only... right? Oh boy.

Work

I like working very much.
I enjoy it. I think it's a blast.
But not for half a day.
Ew.

Fan.tas.tic.

Five days.
Again.

I have nothing to say.

Storm

Right now it's raining.

It rained last night, also.
And this morning.

Now, by "raining" I mean pouring.
Raining cats and dogs?
Oh yes.
And zebras and elephants and hippos and lions, too.

Each time it's rained in the past couple days, it's stormed. Which I'm extremely happy about, because I thoroughly enjoy storms. There's just something about the flashes of lightning and the peals of thunder that brings me happiness. Joy, even. I mean, when I was woken up at 5:24 this morning by a thunderclap, I jumped out of my skin, and smiled. I tried to stay awake to listen to the rain and thunder, but I was so tired that I don't think I lasted even a minute. Still. I was glad it was raining and woke up happy.

If I were to live the rest of my life with at least one thunderstorm a week, I wouldn't complain. I can't take too much rain, but a good storm now and then is fantastic! Three cheers.

Better

Slow and steady wins the race.
Things are getting better, I think.
I'm working on it.

Father

Today is my dad's birthday. He's the greatest and I love him very much. Happy Birthday, Faaather!

Angry

I feel very angry today.
I don't know why.
I can honestly say I hate feeling this way.

And I've been trying to turn my thoughts toward Christ all day and trying to control these swells of anger that seem to rise up out of nowhere, but I have been failing miserably.

I just want to go to the middle of nowhere (I'm in Iowa, shouldn't be difficult to do) and scream.
Sounds fantastic.

Hopefully I can just go to bed and wake up feeling better.
Refreshed.
Cheerful.

We'll see.

Hiatus

While I do have more things on my bucket list [and am continuing to add to the list!], I have decided to take a break from it for awhile. I will return to it in a month or so, perhaps.

Bucket List - Item Twenty

I want to see castles of Germany.

Preferably ones that my parents have visited. They met in Germany, actually, during high school. Both of their fathers were in the army and were stationed there. Cool, right? Anyway, how are castles not cool? I don't know whether I'd like to see Neuschwanstein (the castle that Cinderella's castle was modeled after). Too much hype. I like low-key type places, you know? Something much more unadorned... rustic... visited only rarely. Hidden deep within die Berge (the mountains) lay many a castle to be viewed. Several hundred, in fact. Which shall I visit first?

Bucket List - Item Nineteen

I want to become fluent in at least two 'foreign' languages.

I definitely have the capability to be [at least] trilingual. I'm good with languages, I get it from my mom. I think being open to learning other languages is important. I believe it's insensitive or ignorant, if you will, to expect everybody in the world to know and speak English. I'm sure over the years I will be exposed to many languages and pick up quite a few, even if only at a very basic level.

Bucket List - Item Eighteen

I want to go geocaching in every city/country I spend time in.

Geocaching is a GPS game; you find hidden "treasures" that people have placed here, there, and everywhere. The caches' coordinates have been recorded, so you can find them by those, or try to find them based on a general description of their location. Caches are containers that hold unique, little items. Items can be anything, and may range from McDonald's Happy Meal toys and buttons to old coins and arrowheads. You can take items out of the caches as long as you replace it with something of your own. There is also usually a sign-in book that you may add your name to. There's a whole community of geocachers and you can find more information about geocaching at www.geocaching.com.

Bucket List - Item Seventeen

I want to spend at least one day in each state.

I live in the United States of America, not the United-minus-twenty-three States of America. I want to see what each state has to offer the people of this planet. I want to see my country, not just a section of it. The United States of America has been coined a "melting pot" - not a cutting board or a drawer divider. I want to experience the pot at its fullest.

Bucket List - Item Sixteen

I want to see the Great Wall of China.

I don't think much needs to be said about this. A legendary structure, the Great Wall is of great historical and cultural significance. One should remember that the Great Wall is not just a stack of stones that was built as a barrier, but it also became a tomb. Bodies of builders were placed within the Wall throughout its construction. Something to think about, eh?

Bucket List - Item Fifteen

I want to visit the city of Petra in Jordan.

Petra, carved into the side of a sandstone wall, served as the capital city for the Nabatean Arabs. The Nabateans were incredibly civilized people, known for their engineering feats and their artistry. Petra is one of the new seven wonders of the world (well, eight, if you continue to include the Great Pyramid) and I think it deserves to be. Beautifully preserved, I believe Petra continues to be something to beheld - approximately 2800 years after it was hand-chiseled into the rock.

Bucket List - Item Fourteen

I want to go whitewater rafting and/or kayaking.

The roar of the river, the churning of white, foam-tipped rapids... how fun does whitewater rafting look? I mean, honestly. Making my way down the Colorado River on a raft or in a kayak? Sounds good to me! If I get enough experience, I would love to one day paddle through some Class III or IV rapids (I don't think I'd ever become experienced enough to get up to Class V!) and take in the beauty of river-cut rock walls and trees that dot the hillsides. Fantastic.

Bucket List - Item Thirteen

I want to visit Grecian and Roman ruins.

Temples.
The Colosseum.
Constantine's Arch.
The Pantheon.
ETC.
I want to see it all.

Bucket List - Item Twelve

I want to adopt a child.

I've said it before, I'll say it again. I want to have one biological child, then adopt a child the opposite gender of the child I have biologically. At this point in time I don't have a specific region of the world that I'd like to adopt from. It technically doesn't matter to me. I'll just have to pray and wait, I suppose!

Bucket List - Item Eleven

I want to ride in a hot air balloon.

Every time I see a hot air balloon aloft in the sky, I can't help but think what it would be like to soar above the treetops - in something other than an airplane! A small thrill, most certainly, but a lovely adventure nonetheless. I think I would want to take a ride in a hot air balloon by myself. I'm not entirely sure.

Bucket List - Item Ten

I want to plant an orchard.

At first I simply wanted to plant a tree somewhere. But then I thought, 'Ok, this is my bucket list. Might as well go big.' So I changed it from tree to orchard. What kind of orchard, I do not know. I do admit, however, that I would love to plant peach trees. I suppose it would partly depend on where I am when I decide to do it. Also, I wouldn't want the orchard for myself, I'd plant it for someone else.

Bucket List - Item Nine

I want to ride a camel in the Sahara.

Now, I don't mean that I want to ride a camel as a tourist, going around in a circle for fifteen minutes. I suppose I should say that I want to travel on a camel in the Sahara. You know, go from Point A to Point B. Camel caravan? Absolutely.

Bucket List - Item Eight

I want to be published.

I really think that I would like to write a children's book or something and attempt to have it published. Or a Christian inspiration book, perhaps. Devotions. Memoirs. I do believe that I could write something worthy enough of publishing. The tricky part is simply brainstorming and cultivating an idea that I can work with!

Bucket List - Item Seven

I want to learn to play the cello.

I realize that I've talked about learning to play the cello in the past. I simply wanted to make it an "official" item on my bucket list. It's more likely to happen now, right? ... Hm. We shall see.

Bucket List - Item Six

First things first - Happy Father's Day!

Alright.

I want to play cricket with "locals" in India.

I was introduced to cricket by a group of people who worked with my dad; they were from Bangalore, India. Granted, we played a pretty simple version of cricket, but it was great fun nonetheless! Similar to baseball, cricket is a 'pitch-and-hit' type of game that can be played for hours - even days - on end! What fun it would be to play in the homeland of the people who first introduced me to cricket.

Bucket List - Item Five

I want to attend the [summer] Olympics in a foreign country.

Ok, come on. Who doesn't love the Olympics?! I don't think I need to say much more about this. Oh, I must make a note, though: I do not wish to go to London for the 2012 Olympics. I'll wait for a better year. Ha.

Bucket List - Item Four

I want to take a trip down a hill in a Zorb Ball.

The Zorb originated in New Zealand; it's a supersized beach ball that absorbs the impact of the bounce and provides the sphere rider with a good idea of what it would be like to be a sock on the spin cycle. There are now many Zorbing sites around the world. The closest Zorb site in the U.S. to where I currently am is in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, within the Smoky Mountains. I'm thinking roadtrip... ?

Bucket List - Item Three

I want to "beat up" a piece of office equipment (preferably a printer), as seen in the movie 'Office Space'.

Come on. Who, in the entire world, has ever used a printer, computer, scanner, etc. and not encountered a problem at least once in their life? Seriously.

Bucket List - Item Two

I want to run a section of THE Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

I say 'THE' Running of the Bulls, because there are other runnings, but the most well-known is that of the nine-day festival of San Fermín in Pamplona. It can be dangerous, yes, but as long as you prepare and do your research (i.e. what stretch of road you'll run, etc.) you should be fine.

Bucket List - Item One

I want to bungee jump at Victoria Falls.

There is a bridge that connects Zambia and Zimbabwe, and that is the bridge you jump off. The jump is an approximate 360 feet. Impressive, no?
Adrenaline rush at its best, for sure.

Fresh

Bucket list starts tomorrow.
Fantastic.

Balloon

I want to go on a hot air balloon ride.
That is all.

Already?

I can't believe it's already June 13, 2009.
We're almost halfway through 2009.
Ridiculous.

Tap

I want to tap dance.
I miss it.
Blech.

Lousy

I'm such a failure.
At least I have Jesus.

Bucket

I think I'm going to make a bucket list.

Actually, I know I am, because I already started.

And I think that for the summer, that's what this blog is going to be focused on. I may only do it every other day or so. I probably wouldn't write any posts on the filler days. We'll see.

I'm excited, though. It'll be sweet. I don't plan on taking this seriously at all. I doubt that even half of the things on the list will ever be done before I die. Who knows?

Ants

Ants aren't so bad, right?
Right.
But ants in sinks (ahem, Central Spurling) are gross.
However, ants in mailboxes are probably more gross - but only if I have to kill them and clean them out.
Ugh.

Set

I've made up my mind.
I'm going rollerblading tomorrow if it kills me.
I think I'm going to go running first, though.
Sounds so great right now.

Discard

I'm going to start cleaning. I'm going to put stuff in bags and take it down to my church for Thrift Mart. I have so much junk that I don't need or use. And I think my mom even keeps some things because she doesn't know whether I want it or not. I'm excited to start this.

Camping

I want to go camping.
I've basically never been.
But I love the idea of it...
Oh man.

One day...

I wanted to go rollerblading today.

But I couldn't.

Boooooo.

Extraction

I'm getting my wisdom teeth out at 8:00.
Blah.

Rollerblading

I went rollerblading today and it was fantastic.

The Cedar Lake Trail is a smooth, ten-feet-wide, paved loop of goodness. And I think I shall be spending quite some time there this summer. I've always meant to in the past, I just... didn't. Because I'm basically ridiculous. Seriously, though. Rollerblading is so much fun and nice and easy on my aging joints. Ha. Yeah, whatever.

Thursday

I do not want Thursday to come. Ew.
Whatever. It will need to be done sooner or later.
Better sooner, I suppose.

But still.

Ew.

June?

Oh my word. It's June already. I can hardly believe it. I hope this summer goes by quickly. I want to be at school. My thinking is, the sooner I finish, the sooner I'm out of here. Sound good? Yes, yes, and yes.

Not again...

time.

Gah.

Although I started up writing earlier on my other blog, I decided not to play catch-up on it. But I figured a one-word-a-day catch-up for this wouldn't be so bad. Cheap, I know. Oh well. I think I may start doing something different for this blog. I don't know what, exactly. Maybe not make it so random, somehow. I'll think of something...

Not again...

some

Not again...

quite

Not again...

for

Not again...

blogs

Not again...

my

Not again...

neglected

Not again...

more

Not again...

once

Not again...

have

Not again...

I

Grandparents

My grandparents are in town for my brother's graduation.
They arrived today. They'll be here for about a week and a half, I think. Something like that... I don't really know. Doesn't matter.
Hip hip hooray, it shall be a fun time while they're here.

Maybe.

Just kidding.

Gorgeous

Today was a gorgeous day.
And I got a lot done.
Not in a physical sense.
I mean, it's not like you can see the fruits of labor.

But it's still good.

Minimizing

I have too much stuff.
I think I'm going to try and get rid of as much as possible this summer.
Probably take it over to my church for Thrift Mart.
Three cheers.

Warmth

It may be spring in a literal and visual sense, but it feels like fall.

I don't appreciate this.

Some warmer days would be greatly appreciated.
Please and thank you.

Adventures

I hope I get to have some sweet adventures this summer.

I need to spread my wings a little bit.

Bitter

I realized today just how bitter I am about quite a few things.

I don't like this.

Season

'Tis the season... for lawn mowing.

That's right. I mowed the lawn today. And it was fantastic.

That's all I've got.

A Miracle?

I got an A in Elementary Hebrew.

Hm... it's like my 'Foundations' post on December 17, 2008 all over again...

But seriously... I am elated. I figured I would get a B, or, if I was lucky, maybe an A-. But no! I received an A. The letter 'A' never looked so beautiful as it did this morning when I checked to see if any of my final grades were up and actually saw a vertical line of them. But the most beautiful letter of them all was, indeed, the one to the right of Elementary Hebrew.

I feel like I could go out and conquer the world... I probably could, too. After all, I am incredibly intimidating.
... Silent shout out.

Jazz

I'm really not a fan of jazz music, but tonight I went to my brother's jazz band's preview concert. They've been selected to perform at IBA (Iowa Bandmasters Association) this year and so they used tonight's concert as a practice run for the IBA performance in Des Moines on Thursday. And man. It was amazing! The Revolutionists, the 'top' jazz band at Wesley's high school, is comprised of some incredibly talented kids, let me tell you... and of course, my brother is the most talented among them. ; )

But seriously.

I really enjoyed listening to The Revs tonight, not going to lie.

Japanese

My brother is teaching me Japanese.
I signed up to take it next fall, but figured I'd get a head start.
My brother is, after all, basically a genius. Not to mention a huge fan of anything that has to do with Japan. So he's more than willing to help me out. My free lessons are my birthday gift, he says.
What a cutie.

Tonight, I learned how to say the following:

'Minna san! Kore wa watashi no cake desu!'

Roughly translated, this means "Everyone! This is my cake!"

You had to be there to understand, but... let's just say that I love me some homemade carrot cake. Mmm mmm good.


In all seriousness, though, I'm really excited to get started. He's going to teach me hiragana and katakana, maybe some basic kanji, and whatever else that comes up. It'll be nice to be a little ahead once classes start. Seeing how I'm pretty sure that I'll be going to Japan over winter break, it'll be nice to hopefully have some conversational skills and helpful vocabulary under my belt!

Oh man. I'm stoked!

Double

Happy Mother's Day!

Also, Happy Birthday to me.

Home

Even though I finished finals on Wednesday, I didn't come home until last night. So today was my first full day at home.

I love Cedar Rapids.
I love my street.
I love my house.
I love my yard.
I love our trees.
And grass.
And flowers.
I even love our weeds.

I love my home.

I love my family, too.

Pella, Revisited

Tulip Time.
Pretty.

Pella

I like parades.
Especially at night.

Third Day

Elementary Hebrew final - down.

Sweet summertime.

Second Day

Acts final - down.
History of Israel final - down.

One to go.

First Day

Oral Communication final - down.

Three to go.

The Pinnacles

I went to the Pinnacles today after church with a couple friends (Seth and Jordan). I had never been, so it was really great to visit and see what it was like. I loved it! It's really a fantastic place and I can't wait to go back. We climbed some sweet rocks and threw stones into the river below... always a fun activity. We then went down to explore the riverbeds and look for crawdads. We trekked our way up the river - thankfully it was a nice day and not cool out, for the water was kind of chilly - but never found anything. Soon enough we ended up deciding to construct a dam. I don't know how or why, it just sort of happened.

... Let me tell you, it was the sweetest dam ever...

It didn't completely stop up the river or anything, but it looked way cool and was fun to build! We kept moving upstream and didn't really see anything that great or anything. But it was still beautiful. We decided to turn back and were trekking in and out of the river. At one point we were walking in the water and just looking around. It wasn't long before Jordan pointed out to Seth and I a snake lounging on a branch that extended over the water. It was pretty large, but we decided to get up and out of the water to get a closer look. Upon closer inspection, we could see that it was a rattlesnake! The boys had picked up a couple large rocks (boys will be boys) and proceeded to throw them at the snake. I think it was Jordan's rock that hit the snake and knocked it off the branch. Well that was cruel, yes, but it was kind of cool at the same time... I know, I'm horrible. But after that, we were freaked out that it had survived and would somehow bite us. Irrational, perhaps, but possible in our minds at the time. We decided to brave it and keep wading downstream.

We were just fine, ha.

We later saw a small, bright orange snake on a rock we were walking up on. Jordan poked it with a stick and flung it into the water and we kept moving forward and walked back into the water, but the snake was swimming back to its original spot, where I was still near; it was coming back to get me! Haaa ok not really. But seriously. We had quite the adventure. We soon exited into the woods and got onto a pathway that led us back to the trail head. Such a fun day. Man. The entire weekend has been really great. The weekend has technically finished today for me, because we start our finals tomorrow. Anyway, it was a great cap to the school year's weekends and whatnot. Fabulous.

PS, We're going to go back to the Pinnacles next fall and see if our dam is still in place.

: )

Marriage

Congratulations are in order for... me!
I'm married! To Jordan King of Pella, Iowa.

Tender.

This is the happiest day of my life.

......

Alright, I'm just kidding.
I'm in the library working on a few things, sitting with some friends - one of them being Jordan. I left my computer for about ten minutes to go print some notes off and when I came back they were all giggling like a bunch of little schoolgirls! They tampered with my Facebook profile, making me "married" to Jordan and writing a couple messages on people's walls. Goodness gracious. Hilarious!

Done

Classes are done for the year.

!

I have four finals next week but I'm not particularly worried about any of them.

Once I'm done... summer.

Lovely.

Highlighters

Today I found that I really enjoy writing with highlighters.
... Excellent.

Brilliant

Two things!

One, Ms. Menear canceled our 8:00 class tomorrow morning. And I don't have class after that until 11:20 usually, so I don't have to get up until maybe 10:45 or so! How great is that?!

Two, it's been raining all evening and when it rains a lot of large puddles and 'rivers' form all over campus. I went puddle-jumping and it was a most joyous event. It was great to just let go and be childish for a while!

Ye-ep, ahhh... life is good. Life. is. good.

Three Days

I have three days of classes left.

Just a little self-reminder.

Fantastic.

Rhymes with...

Alright. I couldn't think of anything I wanted to write about tonight, so I decided to save the last part of a conversation I just had with a good friend of mine. It was ridiculous. It was challenging. It was, to say the very least, epic. It may not seem very long, but from start to finish this lasted about an hour and a half. Enjoy.

Natalie
hey do you need any help with anything if you're for sure doing something on friday?
Dustin
umm...the only thing i haven't looked into yet is borrowing some yard games from people. so if you know any good people to ask...
Natalie
unfortunately, i do not.
Dustin
i'll see if i can get mike to send a message to the faculty or something
Natalie
sounds like a plan, stan... the man... with a frying pan...
Dustin
oh boy… suzanne
Natalie
would you like some flan?

[At this point in time, there was an icon in the chat box that said he was typing a message - the icon was up for about six minutes, but nothing was ever sent.]

Natalie
wow. i'm really excited to get this message.
Dustin
i'd rather get a tan
Natalie
it took you like, six minutes to write that?
Dustin
i had to fight Jackie Chan!!
Natalie
i bet he wiped the floor with you and made it spic and span...
Dustin
let's just say i'm no longer a fan
Natalie
let's stuff him in a van!
Dustin
i don't think we can
Natalie
well... what about wrapping him in saran?
Dustin
i'm gonna need a cat scan
Natalie
why, is something wrong with an organ?
Dustin
no, i can't stop singing Barbara Anne!
Natalie
really?! you should go sing some karaoke in japan
Dustin
i just wanna play Settlers of Katan!
Natalie
i actually think you should go dance the cancan.
Dustin
i only do that when dressed like Peter Pan
Natalie
you are such a madman...
Dustin
did you know that Abraham was first called to Haran?
Natalie
that's right, along with his entire clan.
Dustin
then there was the tribe of dan...
Natalie
which was prophesied to leap from bashan
Dustin
that's when the crap really hit the fan
Natalie
which is exactly why to syria all the tribes ran.
Dustin
is that in the Koran?
Natalie
nah, i actually heard about it from my neighbor, cheyenne.
Dustin
is she related to jan?
Natalie
no, you're confusing her with diane.
Dustin
oh, yeah. she's married to my friend stan
Natalie
i heard they just bought a toucan!
Dustin
oh, my. they already have an orangutan!
Natalie
no, they put him down when he ruined their divan.
Dustin
must have been after he ate that flan
Natalie
must have been, for it was flan made with many a pecan.
Dustin
wow, i'm done. you are the champian
Natalie
yeah you suck, you should probably move to sudan. just kidding. : )
Dustin
omg. that was crazy
Natalie
i know, right? man oh man... ummm ps, it's spelled 'catan'

Ha.
Fin.

Drink

I really enjoy White Grape Naturally Flavored Sparkling Water Beverage With Other Natural Flavors.

Mmm mmm... delicious!

THE FORT

On April 25, 2009 a team of creative architects, innovative engineers, and hard-working construction workers fabricated a structure capable of inspiring majesty and awe within the heart of any who beheld said structure. The groundbreaking of the backstage area within the Ferneau Center of Pelfrey Hall at 911 E. Urbandale Dr. in Moberly, Missouri occurred at 8:40 in the evening, with the assembly of the structure starting approximately ten minutes later.

The team used resources they found in the vicinity of the stage; resources included innumerable mattresses, blankets and sheets, chairs, pieces of a musical set [pillars, styrofoam pieces], a large, empty wooden box, fußball tables, a ping-pong table, an air hockey table, and music stands. Various extra props were strewn throughout the structure. These pieces gave it a more home-like feel. The structure was originally intended to be a simple "fort". However it did, indeed, turn out to be more of a home - or even more of a castle - than anything. Rooms that had specific purposes were created throughout the the building process. The "fort" - which later came to be known as THE FORT - included a backyard, a living room (complete with working fireplace), a boy's bedroom, a girl's bedroom (which also acted as an armory), a kitchen, a multi-purpose room, and a sacrificial room. Please note: The team has decided not to comment on the construction of this room at this point in time.

The team of visionaries included students Dustan Corcoran, Kane Cotten, Seth Harken, Natalie Keene, and Loree Vickio. Honorary member of the team Michael Walton sat in on the construction of the structure for an unrecorded amount of time. The team and THE FORT had a number of visitors throughout the night, such as fellow students Julee Benton and Billy Glosson. The team found Benton and Glosson to be positively delightful; they were courteous and excitable. Unfortunately, this could not be said of other student visitors, who found themselves to be inexplicably envious of the team's wondrous structure. A great bitterness swept over these students and their anger caused them to take on the decision to attack THE FORT.

Armed with volleyballs and basketballs, the attackers quietly sneaked onto the stage and wordlessly launched their weapons onto the roof of the structure. The attackers then proceeded to retreat, but not before the team caught a glimpse of them. Corcoran chased after the attackers and was soon followed by Cotten. Although the weapons caused little damage to THE FORT, the other team members remained behind to fix the structure and prepare for another possible attack. Corcoran returned in haste to report that the attackers were being held in an inescapable room and that Cotten was guarding the entrance to said room. The team continued to put finishing touches on THE FORT and make sure it was structurally sound. Unfortunately, moments later the team was notified by a third party that the attackers were being difficult. Corcoran and Keene traversed to the containment room. From what the team could piece together, the third party was being blamed by the attackers as the actual perpetrator. Having seen the true attackers, the team dismissed this accusation and then used force-and-chase to rid themselves of having to deal with the attackers. Corcoran, Cotten, and Keene returned to THE FORT. There was peace for the rest of the evening, although the team was in defense mode during that time.

The structure continued to be worked on; construction ended at approximately 10:35. Benton and Glosson returned for another visit. As they conversed with the team within THE FORT, however, a resident assistant informed them that the structure needed to be dismantled within twenty minutes. Disheartened, the seven students remained inside of THE FORT for a few moments. They were soon joined by three other students: Rich Heuer, Annie Nickel, and Tyler White. After expressing their impressibility, they joined the seven students in deconstructing THE FORT. Although it had taken one hour and forty-five minutes to build, it was taken down in less than ten minutes.

The team believes that although their structure of beauty, elegance, and strength may not exist in a physical sense anymore, it will always exist in their memories and hearts.

"THE FORT stands!"

"THE FORT lives on!"

Note: Corcoran, Cotten, Harken, Keene, and Vickio decided to retaliate against the attackers. After the dismantling of their beloved structure, they took a break and then journeyed to Wal-Mart for supplies. After completing their act of retaliation the team members retired to their respective dormitories. They consider the "war" to have merely just begun.

Irritated

I am irritated.

I rarely become irritated, or annoyed.
Like anything else, I let things build up to the point of ultimate frustration and once I get there, my feelings get the best of me. I mean, I can handle a lot of whatever. It usually takes quite a bit for me to be mad, upset, embarrassed, irritated, etc. And even then, after a day or two I'm over it and I don't think about any of it ever again. I'm not completely thick-skinned, though; there are times when a single sentence is said and I will feel like I've been cut right open. Those things stay with me a long time. But seriously. Sometimes I just want to say, "Enough is enough. Stop."

I think it's just one of those days...

... but I am still irritated.

I think I'm more irritated at the fact that I let myself feel irritated than over what has actually been said - even though what's been said has accumulated over a span of time, and it wasn't a mere one-time statement or anything.

Parsing

Man oh man... I have eight verses of 1 Samuel 17 to parse for Hebrew by 11:20 tomorrow morning. Fantastic. Well. Technically I have five left... but I'm going to type everything up, so I say I have eight. This is the most ridiculous assignment ever. I like it, but I dislike it. I have purposely put it off, even though I know that when I sit down to just do it I will have no problem and won't mind the work.

Two Weeks

I will be done with my first year at Central Christian College of the Bible two weeks from today. I will pack everything up on Tuesday, May 5. I will take my last final at 3:00 on Wednesday, May 6. Once finished with the final, I will walk out the door, get in my car, and drive home. Stoked. It's been good, but I need a break. Even though I'm taking three classes online this summer... I need to be away from Moberly, Missouri.

And that's all I have to say about that.

MICHAEL WORSTELL

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Psalms

I sat in the library tonight after doing homework to read in peace. Such a good time to do so... what with it being the end of the year and everything, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the work that has yet to be done. So I read a lot in the Book of Psalms. Great choice. Reading Psalms just relaxes me. Fantastic.

Rain

I like rain. A lot. But I do not enjoy driving when it is raining. Booooo.

Intimidation

I don't hate a lot in life...
but I do hate the fact that I intimidate people.

I don't know how to change this fact.

Time for a journey.

Interest

So.
This is new.

With my brother's love for Japan, I suppose I knew all along that it really was only a matter of time before his passion would have an affect on me.

Let's see where this takes me.

Frazzled

So much to do... so little time.
Cliché, but true.

Hockey

Tonight I watched the first playoff game for the NHL Stanley Cup. The two teams playing were Vancouver (Canucks) and St. Louis (Blues). I've got a couple friends who are pretty into the Blues, so they had me watch a few games with them this season. I'm not going to lie, I never thought I would enjoy watching hockey - especially on television (I enjoy watching sports in person more than on television). But seriously... I really enjoy watching hockey. For one thing, it's fast-paced basically all the time, which I love. And another thing is the fights! Hockey is brutal, for sure. It's honestly fun to watch the game hoping a fight will break out. I know, I know, violence isn't a good thing, yadda yadda yadda. But it's hockey. It wouldn't be hockey without violence and fighting. Man oh man. Brilliant game. Brilliant sport.

Help

Today was good.
There was a lot of negativity coming from the student body, though, and that was a bummer. It wasn't even lunchtime and I had already heard so many complaints and such that I was feeling pretty weighted down. So many students were not wanting to be back at school. Granted, it's the first day after a pretty long break, and I understand that. But seriously. We don't have to be here. We get to be here. We are so blessed, and I think we forget that often.
I had to pray a lot today for patience and a positive outlook. I was looking to God all day, and that really helped me survive, if you will. I've also been praying for a lot of students lately. So many have been on my heart, all for different reasons. I simply hope that God listens to and answers my prayers by uplifting and encouraging said students in ways that are beneficial to each of them.

God is good.
All the time.

Home Stretch

I have four weeks of school left: three weeks consist of classes, the last consists of finals. I have three finals this term, as well as a speech to write and present. I'm not too worried about any of these things.

This year has gone by so quickly that it's basically ridiculous. There have been highs and there have been lows, but when it's all said and done I've enjoyed most of the year. I've loved the schoolwork, and cannot wait for next year to start in that regard. But I do need a break. I've worked hard. I've learned so much, though, and wouldn't trade all the time and effort I've put into my studies for anything. And I've grown more than I like to admit. I'm merely stubborn.

I'm ready for the next few weeks. They should be good.
Busy, but good.
Long, but good.
Tiresome, but good.

Let's do this.

Good Things

I really like jellybeans.
A lot.

On another note -

HE IS RISEN!

Ahhh

Home!

I love my family.

And my nephew loves me.
Tender moments.

Not quite!

It's good to be home...

almost.

I'm at school for the evening and will drive home tomorrow.
Still. I'm that much closer to seeing my family!

Don't lick me.

I am now an irregular candy cane.

Not too red, though.
Just deep pink.

Ha.

Sun

Sunshine.
Warmth.
Finally.

What a day.
Complete with pink legs.
Amen and amen.

Enjoyable

I feel so inspired right now.

I like this feeling.

New

I just finished watching A Walk to Remember for the first time. Oh my goodness. Yes, it's a Nicholas Sparks book. Yes, it's cheesy. Yes, it's a chick flick. But I loved it. I really did. It was inspiring, not going to lie. I need to really start living my life in such a way that reflects who I am and what I believe. I need to take each day by the horns and live each day as if it were my last.

Fam

I got to see my dad's brother's family today.
That was pretty sweet.
They live in Gulf Breeze, Florida. One of my cousins, William, is a junior in high school and he was playing in a basketball tournament; his team made it to the championship game and we got to watch. They didn't win, but there were a lot of unfair calls being made and such. They played pretty well, though.
It's always good to see family.

Bummer

Dear warmer temperatures,
Come soon.
Please and thank you.
Love always,
Natalie

Finally

I'm in Gulf Shores now.
And I couldn't be happier.
Three cheers!

Stuck

So I'm in Memphis, Tennessee at the moment.
I'm supposed to be in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Story time.

I left Central this morning at 9:00 to get to Columbia Regional Airport by 9:45.
My flight was at 11:23.
Long story short, we didn't leave until 12:40 because all flights were grounded in Memphis due to bad weather.
Got into Memphis at exactly 2:30.
Five minutes before my flight was supposed to leave for Pensacola, Florida.
Fantastic!
Thankfully, that flight was delayed to 3:30.
Sat on the plane for a good half hour due to weight-balance checks.
Flew more than halfway to Pensacola, about 45 minutes...
when the Memphis dispatcher radioed in, telling the pilots to turn the plane back around because they were over their duty hours.
What?
Yes.
We had about half an hour left to get to Pensacola.
But no. We had to go back to Memphis.
Then we had to fly around in the air for twenty minutes because there was too much fuel in the plane... ?
Supposedly there are no extra spots on the night flight to Pensacola.
Supposedly there are no extra spots on any Friday flights.
Supposedly there are no extra spots on any Saturday flights.
"Extra spots" on flights include flights to Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Biloxi, and Mobile.
Wonderful.
Fortunately, my dad got me on a flight tomorrow morning because he's an elite member or something? I don't really know. But I am thankful that I don't have to wait until Sunday to fly out... I'm not even standby or anything. I have a guaranteed spot on that flight to Pensacola tomorrow morning.

Seriously, though.
I wish I were already in Gulf Shores with my grandparents, instead of at a Holiday Inn in Memphis.

Mostly because my hotel room smells like old pizza.
Ew.

But God is good and He works everything out. Brilliant.

Class

I have one more class until spring break can officially start for me.
History of Israel.
Oh yes.
A full fifty-five minutes of Pelfrey-isms, flipping through my Bible, answering true/false questions on my study guide, and wondering what kind of funny things Dave will say or what kind of interesting facial expressions I can get out of Dustan.
Such a good class...

Chapel

I'm really excited for chapel tomorrow.
I don't know why.
I just am.
However, that seems to be the case each Tuesday and Thursday nowadays. Don't get me wrong. Chapel's always pretty good. It's just that I'm not always excited for it. But for the past month, I've been really excited for chapel on Wednesday and Friday. I always start getting excited the evening before those days. It's pretty great.
I don't know what will be sung, who will speak, what the sermon topic will be, which or whose prayers will be answered, or what kind of greatness will occur... but God is good. And I'm sure I will not be let down.

Never again!

Today I finished writing my speech that I started... yesterday.

Oh... my... goodness.

Because it's a longer speech than my previous speeches and requires a lot of preparation, it took me about 12 hours to put it together... from researching and forming an outline, to writing the speech and creating a slide presentation to accompany the speech.

I have never waited so long to start a speech assignment. Usually I have them done like, a week before I present - not a day!

Ridiculous.
I think part of the reason why I put it off so long was because I was, in no way, happy about the topic of speech I was stuck with (homeschooling). Fortunately enough, I learned a lot about it... and have conquered the assignment with honor and glory!

Not really.

But seriously. It's all good.
I have learned my lesson.

Sugarlips

That marshmallow peep lip balm I mentioned a couple days ago?
Yeah.
Much like the treats that were the inspiration... basically pure sugar.
Man oh man! I can't even handle it. Hilarious.

Snow

WHAAAAAA?!
SNOW?!
Come on, Mother Nature. It's March 28. Enough, already.

Cute

I am home for a couple days. I am super tired from driving and am emotionally exhausted... it's been a long week... blech. When I came upstairs I saw that my mom had switched out my new Converse (one of the shoes of the pair I bought a few weeks ago was kind of dirty!) and bought me some cute, little socks that are purple with yellow chicks on them. And going along with the chick theme, some marshmallow peep lip balm! Haaaaahahahaha. I love you, Mutti.

Spring Cleaning

I've started to clean my area of the room.
It's gotten really dusty and such!
This became apparent as I was moving things around and taking them out to my car. You see, I've decided to take some things home this weekend, because it will be the last weekend I go home before school ends and I don't want to cram everything into my car in one night before leaving. So I figure that by taking things home that I won't use or need (or wear!) for the rest of the semester, life will be a lot easier come May 7/8.
Sweet.

Moooood

I technically feel happy.
I am doing well.
But I am sad.

Make sense?
No?
Oh well.

It's the truth.

I have had a long day.
... A good day.
But a long day.

Good/Bad

Good intentions... bad word order.

Yeah.
That works.

Man.
Clarity is key.

Enough

Boys.

It's all I hear about when I'm in my room.
It's all I hear about when I'm in the dorm.
It's all I hear about when I'm with girls anywhere, no guys around.
And I am sick of it.
Absolutely ridiculous.
Don't get me wrong, I like the boys on this campus for the most part; there are some decent, God-seeking young men around here.
But seriously.
Do we have to talk about them all... the... time?
Give me a break.
There's more to life than knowing who is "talking" with one another, and what people are hearing and seeing happening over the course of time and which people do or do not "go good" (that's right, not even go well) together.
And oh, what's that? You want to know why nobody's interested in you? It's because they know that you don't care about anything that truly matters! They know that you put God on the back burner! It's obvious. God will make things happen when the time is right. So stop freaking out!
Until then... come on, girls.
You're giving all of us a bad rep.

Apples

I really like apples.
A lot.

Pink ladies used to be my favorite, but I think I like Gala apples better.
Mmm mmm.

Fantastic.

J/E/J

I love my sister and brother-in-law.
And my nephew.

That is all.

Indianapolis

My parents and grandparents are in Indianapolis, Indiana right now.
So is my brother. He is in the National Honor Band of America (playing trumpet) and his concert is tomorrow. He auditioned for it last year and was accepted. He made seventh chair, I think. This year, he made second chair. Second chair. What an accomplishment! I am so proud of him... I wish I could have gone to the concert. Such a bummer.

Newbies

I love meeting new people.
I especially love meeting new people whom I have mutual friends with.
That's really fun, in my opinion.

What a grand time.

Desperate

I need some peace and quiet.

Leprachauns!

Huh? It's St. Patrick's Day?

I forgot.
My bad.

Pink

I did my homework outside today, seeing how it was about 65 degrees - or warmer! It was incredibly nice. Just an absolutely gorgeous day. The only thing was, I wore a t-shirt and now my right arm, from halfway between my elbow and shoulder, is pink. Granted, it'll probably be gone in day or two, but seriously? Ugh. Whatever. I don't mind, the warmth was lovely and I have no regrets! Definitely a reminder that I'll need to wear a lot of sunscreen on spring break, though. : )

Who cares?

He said.
She said.
He lied.
She lied.
I did this.
They did that.
Blah blah blah blah.
Gossip.
Jerks.
Punks.
Idiots.
Backstabbers.

Wow.

What an encouraging school body I am part of...

Sickening.

Garden

Talking about spring and summer yesterday really made me start thinking about what I wanted to do this summer. One thing that came up was garden. I mean, not just weed and move plants around or whatever, but start a garden. Actually plant things and take care of them and watch them grow over the months and enjoy the fruits of my labor, so to speak.

Mutti, you should talk to dad about this. We were talking about vegetables a couple weeks ago. We want something more than just the potted plants on the porch. Ya dig? Ha. No pun intended. Man I love puns, though...

Seriously, though. I want more color in our yard. More structure. It'd be a difficult task, though, because of what's already there. We've got a lot of invasive species and they definitely just kind of take over... I really want to try and fix that this year.

Oh man. I can't wait.

Summer

Being the aficionado of 'first days' that I am, it is my pleasure to say that the first day of spring is next Friday.

Thus, spring is basically upon us.
And I couldn't be more glad...

I will take vibrant flora over "sparkly" snow any day. I put quotation marks around the word sparkly because a lot of people I know say they like snow because it sparkles. Big deal. So do sequined leotards, but you won't see these people wearing them because the sequins sparkle... so I don't see the reasoning behind liking something because it sparkles. Whatever.

Anyway, I am not a winter person whatsoever.
Give me warmth or give me death, by golly!

I honestly love heat. Humidity, too. It makes me feel alive when it seems the air is thick with moisture. I don't like heat indoors, though. Being indoors when it's as warm as it is outside - if not warmer - makes me feel like I'm trapped in a box or a cage. I think that's why I don't enjoy school as much as I do during the fall and spring.

But soon spring will lead into summer and I cannot wait. I love everything about summer. I think I love summer the most of the four seasons, but it's not my favorite... is that strange? I think it is, but I don't question it. Last summer I worked outside a bit in the yard and I really enjoyed it. The thing was, I didn't want to be in the sun a lot because for some reason I was really worried about the whole skin cancer/wrinkle issue. So I stayed inside more than I would have liked because I wasn't willing to take those preventative measures such as using sunscreen and not being in direct sunlight hour after hour after hour. Yet it's not even technically spring and already I don't care as much this year. I mean, I will certainly take those measures, but I'm definitely going to be out there working and playing and enjoying summer life.

Simply put, I'm excited for spring [and summer!] this year.
Sweet.

Tractors = Delicious

I received a package from home today. I knew it was coming. I had left some shampoo and stuff at home last weekend. I won't be going home for a couple weeks, but I didn't want to have to go out and buy things when I had honestly just bought them about a week ago. Anyway, my mom also stuck in a box of Annie's Cheddar Bunnies, the most wonderful orange, cheddar-flavored, bunny-shaped snack cracker you will ever come across. However, she also put fruit snack packets in there, too. Here is what she wrote on a post-it note and stuck on top of the cracker box:

'Nat, I hope you enjoy the Cheddar Bunnies! I bought the fruit snacks because you could only find tractor shaped snacks in Iowa! They also act as packing! Love, Mom'

How great is that? It's true, the fruit-snacks come in yes, tractor shapes, but also a barn, a pig, and another shape that doubles as a tractor wheel and the sun. So, so, so funny. Oh man. The packets even have the whole John Deere design going on. I love it. My mom is the best.

Quesadillas

I'm pretty sure that quesadillas are one of the most delectable food items one may ever consume in their lifetime.

Just saying...

Early

I've been up since 6:30 this morning.
I gathered my things.
Got ready for the day.
Drove for four hours.
Went straight into Pelfrey for small group.
Started twenty minutes later.
Went for two hours and fifteen minutes, approximately.
Unpacked half my things from my car.
Because I'm dumb and don't unpack everything while it's not raining...
Helped a friend with Hebrew.
Kind of.
Did my Psychology homework.
Went over the answers with a different friend.
Watched an intramural basketball game for 30 minutes.
Hilarious.
Wrote a speech that I thought was due on Friday.
[Nope! Definitely due tomorrow.]
Took a Hebrew quiz in the library.
Practiced my speech.
Edited and revised it.
Practiced my speech.
Talked/hung out with yet another friend.
Helped him answer two of his American Gov't homework questions.
Practiced my speech.
Fell asleep...
... for AN HOUR.
Woke up.
Went back to my room.
Am freaking out about this ridiculous speech.
All on approximately five hours of sleep.

Head

My head hurts. Blah.

Yui, Part Two

Ohhh my goodness.

Yui is absolutely precious.
Too cute, for sure.

She giggles at everything, which may sound weird or annoying, but it is absolutely endearing. Yui is pretty open and simply a sweetheart. I wish I could spend more time with her... alas, I have small group and school. I'm driving back to Central tomorrow evening so I don't have to get up early to drive and get in on time for small group [which I have not attended for two of the four weeks!]. Anyway, Yui is just super fun and basically adorable. Whenever the Okinawa students come I find myself wishing I could go to Japan. One day... I mean, who knows?

Yui, Part One

I'm home for the weekend.
Again.
Some of my friends have been giving me crap about going home so much (I think this makes the sixth weekend... ?).
Whatever.

This time I have an extremely legitimate reason, though. This is the weekend that the Japanese exchange students arrive. My high school, at which my brother is a senior, has a sister school in Okinawa, Japan, and for two weeks they send about 14 students to our high school for an English-learning experience. These students are all very bright and they are on the English track at their school (as opposed to a math and science track). Because my brother's been in Japanese at school, we've had the privilege of hosting a student for the past three years. Technically my brother's not in Japanese this year, because he's brilliant and took AP Japanese last year as a junior. But it's totally cool and my family's honestly just really great for this kind of thing, so it wasn't like Cain Sensei (the Japanese teacher at our school) wasn't going to allow Wes to host a student during his last year. Anyway, our student's name is Yui and I'm super excited to meet her. I didn't get to meet the student last year because I was in Utah. They hosted a girl last year, too. The first two years we had boys. Kazushi and Masachika... oh boy.

Anyway.
This weekend should be fun.
I think we're hosting the first party (the two weeks spent here in good ol' Cedar Rapids, Iowa are filled with events and get togethers). But yeah. Stoked.

Out

I can't wait to leave the country.

I will miss my family.
That is all.

Food

Is it just me, or has the food at school gotten progressively worse the past couple weeks?

It's not that the meals are totally awful, but the food that comprise the meals themselves just tastes... bad.

I don't even want to eat, anymore.

Looks like it's cereal and peanut butter sandwiches from here on out, kids.

Fish

I'm pretty sure I'm a fish out of water.
I have been incredibly thirsty for the past few days.
Kind of weird.

Fish out of water...
hm.
Reminds me.

When I was younger and would go to my grandparent's house (my father's parents lived in the same town in Alabama before they moved to Gulf Shores and we moved to Iowa), I would often swim in their pool. I was always the first one in... and the last one out. Fish, indeed.

Yuck

I have a big heart.
But it can be quite ugly sometimes.

Reading

I don't read for myself enough.
The Bible doesn't count.
CNN articles online don't count, either.

I used to love to read.
I mean, I still do.
But it used to be that you could always find me with a book in my hands. I love to read all genres of books. I suppose I read fiction the most, but I thoroughly enjoy nonfiction, too. Essays, biographies, history... I can find something good in most areas.

I have a couple handfuls of books in my room that I brought to school; I had never read them... but they're simply collecting dust. Five years ago, that would not have been the case. Those books would have been read in a matter of two or three days (I'm a quick reader). Sure, I may spend a lot of time doing homework and studying, but I still have a good amount of time open throughout my days.

I'm going to read those books.
And I will enjoy doing so!

Forgive, Don't Forget

Ignorance may be bliss...

but it's rarely right.

Convo?

I need some good, old-fashioned conversation.

Please and thank you.

And, uh... a bit of intelligence added in there would be nice.
Incredibly nice.

Run

I just want to run.
Run far.
Run fast.
Run hard.

Sounds glorious.

Ugh 5

to posting.

I'm over it.

Back in business.

Ugh 4

in regards...

Ugh 3

very lazy...

Ugh 2

been so...

Ugh 1

I have...

Raccoons, Revisited

So I'm at home... again.
I believe this is the fourth weekend in a row.
But it's mid-winter break, so I have an extra day added to my weekend.

Anyway, we had a few surprise guests drop in directly after dinner.
Last June (the seventeenth, to be precise), I stumbled upon three, baby raccoons - or more like they stumbled upon me! Anyway, three raccoons were scavenging around outside our eating area window, where my mom had scattered some bread around our bird feeder. Well, at first there were only two. Then, soon enough, a third joined them. I just knew it was the three raccoons I had seen in June. Precious.

They're too cute.

Good Cheer

To be honest, I don't technically "feel" any better.
However, I am attempting to adjust my attitude and believe that my mood has improved quite a bit already.
I'm ready to come back.

Vicious Cycle

Ugh.
I'm rarely sick, but when I am it can take quite a while to recover.
However, I don't think I'm getting sick or anything. I don't know. I just really don't feel well. At all.
... Lightbulb.
I don't think that I'm physically sick or whatever, so much as stressing and worrying myself to feeling sick...
Great.
But, I mean, I am one of the most stress-free people I know. I rarely stress. And I don't find myself worrying a lot, either. So in conclusion, I believe that this is really not good. And that makes me worrisome... yet not being worried is important to me... but then focusing on not worrying and trying to make everything alright makes me feel stressed. Then I worry some more. I can't think clearly. My stomach feels like it's tied up in knots. My head hurts. It's difficult for me to write, even - and when that happens, I know something is wrong. This is just ridiculous! And it's starting to scare me.

Hebrew

I just finished studying Hebrew for four, straight hours.
What a night.
... And I still do not feel prepared for my test tomorrow.
Great.

Magic

It's amazing what some good, old-fashioned laughter can do.
Brilliant.

Ready

I'm still looking for that change in my life that I talked about a month and a half ago.
Where is it?
What could it be?
Or maybe, what should it be?
I don't know.
Regardless, I'm ready for it.
I honestly need it.

Lurve

Happy Valentine's Day!
Or, as a lot of people say, Happy Single's Awareness Day!

It's been a good day. Drove back to school from home this afternoon. Turns out everybody was in Columbia. So I got to spend a lot of time by myself today. Not gonna lie, it was a great thing...

Lifelines

Lifeline #3: My Mom

My mom is my rock. After God, she is the one I turn to the most. I talk to her more than the rest of my family, and even more than my friends and the people whom I am surrounded by constantly here at school. She is the one I turn to with questions [both secular and non-secular], or when I am upset, or when I simply need a bit of intelligent conversation... and no further commentary on that is necessary. In all seriousness, though, my mom is a very special woman and she helps me get through every day, without even knowing it. Just thinking about her brings a smile to my face.

Well. Now you know, Mutti.
And I thank God for you.

Lifelines

Lifeline #2: Pen and Paper

When I don't feel that I can say or pray the right thing, or I just have all these emotions bottled up inside that are creating extreme tension, I put everything out on the table by writing. I simply let it all out, usually in cursive. Because even though the writing may be full of mean, ugly thoughts and such... it at least looks nice and pretty. Writing always has been - and likely always will be - my preferred form of communication. I am all the more realizing the importance of oral communication, but writing simply does it for me. It works. It's good. And it helps me more than venting to a friend or screaming into my pillow or whatever else people may do.

Lifelines

I feel like we all have "lifelines" that help us along our daily walks. These so-called lifelines can come in many different forms, such as people, objects, concepts or ideas, books, conversations, etc. Lifelines are semi-earthly things, if you will, that you are able to cling to and have that sense of hope that we seem to so desperately need. They give us some breathing room, you know? For whatever reason, I've been thinking about my lifelines recently. I'd like to share a few of them over the next few days. So here goes!

Lifeline #1: My Bible

When I feel like I have no one to talk to... and perhaps don't even want to talk to God... I turn to my Bible. More often than not, God speaks to me through His Word - even during those times that I don't feel like talking to Him. Unfortunately, I don't turn to this lifeline as much as I should. But when I do, I'm always thankful for what I get out of it, especially when I receive encouragement. It's definitely a good lifeline to have...

Yayyy

It's Mike Guy's 20th Birthday! Three cheers.
Oh, Mike.
He's such a good person.
Great friend.
I sure hope he decides to stay next year, after all. Hm. We'll see!

Hate

Dang it.
I hate myself.

Bishop

Bishop Julius Calvin Trimble spoke at our church this afternoon. Well. Evening. The service started at 4:00, but he didn't start his sermon until 5:30. It was a really nice service. We joined with a few other Methodist churches in our region; our church hosts things like that because it's large - and it was not flooded this past summer...

Bishop Trimble was appointed Bishop this past fall. Bishop Gregory V. Palmer was our previous bishop. I had heard Bishop Palmer speak a few times during his term; I always enjoyed listening to what he had to say and benefited from his sermons greatly. Bishop Trimble's sermon was fantastic. I was really encouraged and can't wait to hear him speak again.

Three Years

I figured out tonight that I will still be able to graduate in 2011 like I am "supposed" to, having graduated high school in 2007. It's going to be challenging, for sure. But by taking the same number of classes I am taking this semester (seven - 19 credit hours), each semester for five semesters after this spring, I will be eligible to graduate in December of 2011.

Rock on.

Again

I am at home.
Again.
I was just here two weekends ago.
And the weekend after next I'll be home again [for mid-winter break].

... I have my reasons.

But I am glad to be here and am excited to spend time with my family.
My brother is in Ames for the Iowa State University Honor Band. We're going to his concert tomorrow. Before then, we're visiting my sister's family for a bit. I'm excited to see them, for sure. This should be a good weekend - even though I've got some homework I need to work on!

Tired

Is a little courtesy too much to ask for?
What about less selfishness?
Or a nice bit of cordiality?

I mean, honestly.

Busy

I have so much to do tonight.
Ugh.

Wrong

I like being right. Correct. Whatever.
However you want to put it... I like it.
I like it a lot.

However,I don't mind being wrong.
It's not fun to be wrong, necessarily.
But it's not always a bad thing.
You always learn something from being wrong.
It's humbling.

Tonight I realized that I don't mind admitting that I am wrong.
Is that prideful?

Tea

Today I drank some tea; it was fantastic. The tea I drank was Queen Catherine, loose leaf. I had never tried this variety before, so I was in for a surprisingly wonderful treat. The tea was very soothing, and subtly strong - if that makes sense. Life just seems... right... when drinking tea.

As much as I enjoyed the Queen Catherine tea, however, Bigelow Lemon Lift is still my favorite.

Uneventful

Today was so uneventful... man oh man.
Usually I do quite a bit of homework on Sundays.
The only assignment I did today was a character profile for Acts - and it's not even due until Thursday.
It was just one of those days.
Blaaaaah.

PS, I can't believe it's already February.
Crazy!

Late

I can't believe I just slept for 12 hours. Holy cow.
My body's kind of sore, I actually think it's from sleeping for so long.
Weird.
But I don't care.
I really needed the hours. Beautiful.

Hot Cocoa

I think I've developed an addiction to a delectable beverage.
Hot cocoa is amazing.
My mom gave me these individual packets of different flavors over winter break and it's kind of ridiculous how amazing some of them are...

I mean, come on. Chocolate graham?
It doesn't get much better than that.

Sleep

I am going to bed when I finish writing this. I'll get about eight hours of sleep. This will be the first time for that semester. I'm really excited. I've been incredibly behind in my sleep, so this should be wonderful for me. Man. I'm so tired... this is beautiful.

Sickness

So apparently Loree has whooping cough. However, some of our friends checked things out and they believe that she actually has mono. Great. Thankfully enough, I have not come in direct contact with spit... or anything like that. Mmm yeah. Thus I should be alright. Leez is freaking out, though. She's already a mild germaphobe; she's got disinfecting wipes and a disinfectant spray that also kills the flu virus. Supposedly. And she's taking at least 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day [and just started on 'calcium chews' tonight!]. I'm not worried about getting sick, I rarely do. Sometimes I get a bit of a sore throat with drainage or whatever, but maybe only once a year. It's too bad about Loree, though. She's been sick a lot this year. She takes somewhat good care of herself. She doesn't eat that great (not a fan of fruit and vegetables) but oh well, I guess. Hm.

Revival

This is Revival Week at Central Christian College of the Bible.
I've never been part of a revival, so I've been asking around as to what, exactly, a revival entails. Most people say that it's just a lot of music and maybe a pretty good message or something like that. I've gotten mixed reviews on the whole event; about half of the people I've spoken with said they really enjoy revivals, the other half said they do not enjoy revivals. Thus, I was curious about what my first revival experience would bring and what my reaction would be. Well, first of all, our chapel service wasn't much different from other chapels. The music was really good, true. And the speaker gave one of the more memorable messages I've heard while here at Central. I went into the beginning of Revival Week with an open mind and heart, and I'm glad. I've been asking God that He would work in the body of Christ at Central throughout the week and just renew our spirits and refresh us with His Spirit. I'm sure the rest of the week will be great and I'm excited to see what it brings.

Studying

I have been studying a lot lately. It's only about to be the third week of school. The library is now my second home. Fortunately, I love my coursework and studying is actually an enjoyable task; it's not so unbearable. Oh, the joys of school. ... And believe it or not, that was not a sarcastic remark.

Driving

Man oh man, I love to drive.
The three-and-a-half hour drive to Moberly/Cedar Rapids is a nice drive, and I enjoy it greatly. There are some fun hills and curves in the great state of Missouri to navigate... Ha.

Away

I came home yesterday. I needed to get away from school.
It was just one of those weeks. Starting Monday - before school even started for the week - I knew I was going to want to come home. Weird, I know. I tried to not feel that way and adjusted my attitude to the best of my ability. I mean, I was even debating whether I really would go home, up to basically an hour before I left. But I'm really glad I decided to leave. I have already had a good time. I will leave around one or so tomorrow afternoon. It'll be nice having my batteries charged an extra bit before next week.

Surprise

I was pleasantly surprised with chapel today. I'm not going to lie - I went into it with a biased viewpoint because of who the speaker was... and that was not fair. He did quite a nice job and I walked away with new knowledge and I walked one more step with God.

I got over the unpleasantness of who the speaker was quickly enough, but one of my friends, who also is not a fan of the teacher that spoke, would not stop making little comments in my ear about the speaker and his message. That irked me a bit. I wanted to say something, but I didn't.

I should have.

Vowels

Hebrew vowels are dumb. There are too many and they all look too similar.
Arabic vowels are not dumb. There are not too many and they do not look similar.

Blech.

Nice

I am nice...
a) always.
b) often.
c) sometimes.
d) rarely.
e) never.

This is a difficult question to answer about myself.
As much as I'd like to say the answer's a, I know that's not true.

I'd say it's most likely b. There's no reason in my mind, however, that it could never be a. Always. Last night (around 11:30) I was being jokingly mean to Loree - with Leez, mind you! - but I made a promise that today was going to be a 'nice day'. I challenged myself to be as nice as possible to everyone. Doesn't sound too hard, right? Right. And honestly, I did pretty well. I really was quite nice. I failed in the end after calling one friend a jerk and then telling another friend that he was a punk... I don't even remember why I said these things, they just came out. And they weren't said in such a way to make them feel bad or anything. But both comments were unnecessary, you know? I really do think that I should make an effort to be more kind to others. Go that extra step. I'll work on it and report back - eventually. !

Inauguration

Today Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States of America.

Rock on.

[And no, this does not mean I am a "Democrat" - which is also not to say that I am a "Republican". I simply mean... it's cool. Someone new. Fresh. And the first African-American president? Rock. On.]

Glad

I just found out about a coffee house here in Moberly. It's called The Third Place and it's near where I go to church, I believe. I'm really excited about this, because I don't think many other students know about it and it'll be a good place to go study or just get away from Central if need be - without having to go to Columbia. Three cheers.

Homework

I am already ahead on homework.
I am glad.

That is all.

Hair

So just now, I wanted to put my hair up into a ponytail. I pulled it back with my right hand, reached with my left hand for a ponytail holder on my right wrist, and couldn't feel it! It was gone! I always keep a ponytail holder on my right wrist. Suddenly, an idea came to mind. I asked my friend and lovely roommate, Loree, if she knew how to do 'the pencil thing' where you stick a pencil in your hair to get it to stay in a bun. Sadly, she told me that she did not. However, I decided to try it anyway. I twisted my hair into a bun, wove a pencil through it, and said a quick prayer. I lowered my hands... SUCCESS! I felt so triumphant that I couldn't help but write about it. So here I am, writing my blog posts for the day without my hair annoying me. Beautiful.