ok so the last two nights there have been crusade parties at these HUGE houses.

The one on Friday night was at this house in Dinky town that just went on forever. You'd go around a corner and there would be more hallway and another room, and then another room. They called it the FROG HOP - no idea why. We toured the house, met way more people than I could possibly remember, then we ended up hanging out in this one guys room with a few people and just talking for quite awhile. Then we headed back downstairs and the craziness had calmed down for the most part ... it was much easier to get from one place to another. We joined the dance party in the one room for a few songs and then Kate wanted to leave ... so we left about midnight or so.

Tonight the party was at 1018 (where Dave lives). I was suppose to go with Kate, but that fell through and I was rather upset cause I didn't really want to walk over there on my own. But I knew that if I stayed in the room all night I would just have been depressed. So I decided to venture out on my own (after calling Dave to make sure I'd have someone to walk home with). On the way there I walked past fraternity roe ... it was rather entertaining. At one house there was literally a live concert going on in the yard. Most of them had couches or decorations outside and were playing loud music. I was walking on the other side of the street, so it was fun to observe from afar. When I was in front of Stanford I met up with Beth (who I knew) and Erika and Brendon (who I met). So I walked the last block or so with them ... and Beth yelled at me for walking by myself. Once there I ventured off on my own and ended up having a lot of fun. They were holding a kereoke contest in one of the rooms and it was absolutly hilarous. I stayed in there almost the whole time ... at least an hour, if not more. There was this guy who I met last night named Collin - soooo funny, graduated from the B'east (which we now have a mutal "hatred" for each other), and he sang Ohhh Ahh by Grits and Bohemian Rhapsody. I am excited to get to know him. I also met a good amount of sophomore tonight that I am excited to get to know more and hang out with - especially Beth, cause she rocks! Overall it was a great night and I am really glad I decided to go.

College life has had its ups and downs so far ... but this weekend has turned out pretty good so far!

well so far so good on the college life.

move-in: went rather smoothly. got all my stuff in the room before 9 am and slowly but surely got stuff out and plugged in and rearranged. I finished putting all of my picturs and posters and quotes and stuff up today. It really feels like home now. I've got my pictures, and my cozy stuff and its really quite awesome. I will post pictures on facebook soon.

hanging out: last night I hung out with Kate and her friend Amanda. we saw the hypnotist on campus and laughed our guts out. We hung out with a friend of Kate's and her friends - went to Applebee's at 10:30 and ordered just appatizers. walked through campus in the rain. tried the "dance" but with almost no one there, went our seperate ways. This morning I ended up going to church with Dave and Kate and saw a few people I knew. We hung out at 1018 (Dave's place) after and he made pancakes. 12 guys in this HUGE house - 2 floors, 6 on each ... 2 kitches ... total craziness. on the way back we got into a fender bender and had excitingness with cops and 4 cars and all that jazz.

TARGET: tonight was the buses to target. all of the campus buses were used to ship probably thousands of people to Target which was opened and stocked especially for UofM. it was like the day after thanksgiving sales multipled and put into one store. people were running to the buses and the line to check out was all the way to the back of the store (like half of the length of the entire outside of the store). I went with Kate and her friend Amber Rose (who is actually in Cenntennial) and Lauren came with us. It was great to see Lauren again, and hang out with her. see is gonna take me (and maybe Kate and Amber Rose too) to Uptown next weekend. I'm excited that she can show me the ropes so I can learn to get around.


I'm excited for classes to start and I wish I had friends faster ... but then again I can't expect going from having tons of people to hang out with to having like 3 people to hang out with to be an easy experience. But I am surviving and having fun when I'm not sitting in my room alone. the other downfall is seeing my roommate and her boyfriend together all the time - it isn't weriding or grossing me out, but it isn't helping with the missing of AJ.

so I just remembered why I don't watch the news ...

its depressing and frustrating all at the same time (talented, I know)

Within the 15 minutes or so of news that they showed I learned that our airlines won't be safe until we all travel naked with no luggage and that our children are always being pursued no matter how safe we are being so we might as well start locking them in their rooms or having body guards follow them around to ensure their safety. or maybe we should start making their clothing out of electric fences or burning lasers so anyone who comes to close will think twice once their dead ...


ok, on the slightly less cynical side - what is the world coming to? apparently we can't carry any type of liquid or gel on an airplane anymore because we are "staying one step ahead of the terrorists and elimanting the possiblity of them making bombs out of ordinary products" wtf is that??? I'm all for keeping us safe, and I'd prefer to feel comfortable when I'm flying ... but liquid and gel products?!?! it seems really ubsurd. The other topic was the tmj4 special assingment about kids camps and them posting too much information on the internet because it makes it easier for preditors. So we can't post any information about anything on the internet anymore ... oh, and we want to make sure the camps we are sending our children too aren't telling too much information - or maybe they are selling them to the blakc market of child porn .... ok, maybe that's not a joking matter or I'm getting a little carried away. But seriously people!!! I don't want bad things to happen and there is a lot of crap in this world that goes on ... but some of these things are just getting totally rediculous.



in other news:
I'm home from vacation and it was tons and tons of fun. beautiful and lots of animals.

I miss my boyfriend soo sooo much. This school year is going to be even harder then last ... I can handle it because I can't live without him ... but its hard to deal with because I can't live without him ... *sigh*

wow, my 18th birthday has come and gone and it was truly a blast!  

My day started way too early, but I earned $70 for babysitting from 7-5 with a 3 hour break from 10-1:  in which time I was able to donate blood, stop at AJ's for a bit (fool around a little... a lot), go get lunch at Chipotle - where we run into Ross who we eat with.  I really wish I had gotten to know him better the year he was on ski team ... he's such a sweet guy.  I think he told me happy birthday and to have a great day at least 6 times.  And he kept making sure I was included in the conversation ... it was nice not being extra wheel-ish for a change (not that I usually feel that way).

After I picked the kids back up at 1, we headed back to my house to play for the afternoon.  We found the duplos, matchbox cars and string - not to leave out Josh's rockstar guirtar.  AK hung around till he had to work and I was able to get some things done.  

At about 5:30 the family was at Olive Garden for dinner - mmmmmmm.  It was delicous, and well worth the trillion calories I ate today!  

Once we got home Bobby and Robbie had just arrived and were waiting.  Shortly after them came Lori, AJ and Lauren.  Later Andrew, Katie, Joey, Nicki, and Missy.  We hung out in my basement, talked, listened to music, played the bucket game, I opened the few presents/ cards that people got me ... all totally cool!  My present from AJ was perfect of course - Kira the husky, with Eight Below as the movie.  We had cake and just hung out some more until almost 10.

At 10 we got ready to go, and everyone left - either for BINGO or home.  BINGO rocked my face off, no joke.  It was semi-stressful getting there due to some craziness ... but we got there in plenty of time.  We got our stuff and our seats, then got daubers - bright orange and it sparkles on the outside :-O - then I got my card punch saying that I could mark all 2s cause it was my birthday, didn't really help me much, but I still felt special.  No one in our group won ... I think pretty much everyone got close at least once or twice ... if not more.  But that is the way bingo works.  Missy had one more to go to win the very last game for $1000, but she didn't win.  Matt and Jake ended up meeting us at bingo, and I seriously don't think I would have had as much fun if they hadn't come.  It was me, AJ, Matt, Jake and Lauren on one end, and everyone else on the other end.  and the three boys are just bad news in general, but all three hysterical at the same time.  It made my night.  I really wish I had more time to spend with those guys cause I am just now feeling more comfortable and like I can start acting like myself around them.  The biggest thing was half jokingly half seriously trying to set Jake and Lori up and how we were convincing Jake to move next to Lori or trying to get him to go by her and stuff ... it was really funny.  

Anyway, all and all it was a great birthday and Bingo was a great idea and tons of fun.  I will gladly do that again, and go with AJ and his friends when they go again.  Being 18  is having its perks already and I've only been it for just over 24 hours!


Thanks everyone for one of the best birthdays ever!!!

guys you should pay attention, a lot of its true ...  (except maybe the babe part at the end)

A poem for girls...
 

I shave my legs,
I sit down to pee.
And I can justify any shopping spree.
Don't go to a barber, but a beauty salon.
I can get a massage without a hard-on.
I can balance the checkbook,
I can pump my own gas.
Can talk to my friends, about the size of my a$$.
My beauty's a masterpiece, and yes, it takes long.
At least I can admit, to others when I'm wrong.
I don't drive in circles, at any cost.
And I don't have a problem, admitting I'm lost.
I never forget an important date.
You just gotta deal with it, I'm usually late.
I don't watch movies, with lots of gore.
Don't need instant replay, to remember the score.
I won't lose my hair, I don't get jock itch

And just cause I'm assertive, Don't call me a b*tch.
Don't say to your friends, Oh yeah, I can get her.
In your dreams, my dear, I can do better!
Flowers are okay,
But jewelry's best.
Look at me you idiot...
Not at my chest.
I don't have a problem,
With expressing my feelings.
I know when you're lying,
You look at the ceiling.
DON'T call me a GIRL ,
a BABE or a CHICK .
I am a WOMAN.
Get it?, you D*CK!?!

So the past two days I have been watching two kids that are 6 and 5 (a boy and a girl, respecitvely) and they are super cute (both adopted from Russia, blonde hair blue/hazel/green eyes)  They are usually really well behaved and just all around cute kids.

I've been taking them to their soccer camp in the mornings and staying while they play and learn and such.  It never ceases to amaze me how creative, imaginative and carefree little kids are.  All they know is the world that they are in right now, nothing more, nothing less.  They don't understand the difference between a video and a picture on a computer screen because no one ever explained it to them - they only know what 10 +10 is because someone told them is was 20 and they remembered - Seasame Street is called "Elmo" because that's their favorite part.  Yet, their minds are incredible when it come to their imagination.  I spent almost a half hour listening to Gracie explain to me how to "finger weave" with string to make a castle - complete with pond, ducks, alligators, and a squiggle jungle gym, a waterpark, and an oreo castle.  All it was was 5 small pieces of string tied around her fingers, but she explained and she showed and she told why and where and what.  It was truly amazing to me.  And watching the kids at their soccer camp is incredible as well.  They are both talented, but not always the best.  Yet they keep trying, they don't know or care if they look stupid, and if they don't do well - life goes on.  I've also decided that I love watching little kids play for the same reasons.  They can create everything out of nothing and it doesn't matter what they can or can't do, becuase even when they fall on their face, its fun.  

Watching these kids for the past few days has made me excited for my own someday.  I'm not ready to go out and have kids right now ... but it makes me really excited to have kids of my own (especially with that special someone).  Excited to the point where nine months of pregnancy, child birth, crying, no sleep, dirty diapers and throw up all seem worth it.  

Being around little kids helps you remember your childhood - when the attic closet was big enough to play house in for hours and hours everyday, when your stuffed animals could talk and when toy cars and GI Joe were indestructable in any journey they chose to take.  When it didn't matter if the toy was broken, it was just as good as,if not better than, before.  When coloring inside the lines didn't matter, and random shapes were dolphins and dogs and people.  I can't wait to watch my kids grow and learn and be creative and imagininative.  And for me to learn from them ... because every now and then, we need to truly be reminded what being a kid is really all about. 

so that was the weridest fun night that I have had in a really long time - maybe ever.  

Fire night was fun as always.  AJ got off work early cause it rained, so that was good.  I told Crabb she could sleep over.  I had to pick my brother up, but ended up going totally the wrong way and got really upset and frustrated about multiple things (having Crabb and Erik over for one).  But in the end it all turned out really well

I am so thankful for the two best friends that I have ... and that they are dating ... and that AJ is good friends with them too .... oh my gosh, we have a couple!  You know how child-free couples always have their "best friend couple" that they tell everything and its totally 100% open and honest about pretty much every gorey detail??  That would be AJ and I with Katie and Erik ... werid!  It totally felt like that too - 4 friends (2 couples) sitting around talking about our relationships at what seemed to be one of the couples "houses".  It was a great night ... despite the few roadblocks and speed bumps ... I learned a lot, about everyone ... and want to keep learning more, even if it might not sit right or hurt a little bit at first

I am officially a University of Minnesota student, fully registered and ready for fall classes.  I am so excited.  Orientation went really well and I met a bunch of really cool people from my program.  I'm taking 16 credits next sememster.  One honors class that is part of my major program.  A studio class - which basically means double the amount of work of other classes, but its "stuido" related homework - so not always reading and papers and such ... so more fun (for me at least).  I have the introductory class for my journalism/mass communications minor.  And 2 freshman seminars.  Those are classes created by the professors and offered only to freshman with small class sizes.  So they are really fun and interesting, and the profs really want to be teaching the classes.  Its a big load, and I hope I can handle it and keep up a 3.5 to stay in the honors program.  I am really excited.  Here's my actual schedule:

Monday:  Journalism 1001 - 3 credits, lecture - 9:05 - 9:55

Tuesday:  Honors Intro to Design Thinking - 4 credits, lecture - 9:35 - 11:30;  Foundations of Drawing and Design - 4 credits, studio - 11:45 - 2:45;  Creative Problem Solving - 2 credits, frosh sem - 3:00 -4:50

Wednesday:  Journalism 1001 - lecture - 9:05 - 9:55;  Utopias and Anti-utopias - 3 credits, frosh sem - 2:30-5:00

Thursday:  Honors Intro to Design Thinking - lecture - 9:35 - 10:25 - discussion 10:40-11:30;  Foundations of Drawing and Design - studio - 11:45 - 2:45

Friday:  Journalism 1001 - lecture - 9:05 - 9:55

'Tuesday is my killer day, and Thursday isn't great either.  But I have no 7 or 8 am classes and only one hour-ish class on Mondays and Fridays ... I am super excited!!!

is it normal when you feel more loved, accepted, and wanted from your boyfriend's family then you do your own friends??
(his uncle's fiance to be exact)

I don't know if its just me changing, or everyone changing or what - but lately I've felt so unwanted by the majority of my friends.  No one listens to me anymore, I've stopped trying to tell stories because I get interuppted at least 5 times per story.  When I try to get things together on short notice no one wants to do anything.  a whole 4 people came to my graduaiton party (excluding AJ and Matt's gf).  It was my graduation party for crying out loud!  I feel bad being so pissed at everyone, but on the other hand it seems totally justified.  I honestly couldn't stand the sight of most of those people today, and I'm not really sure how I spent like 5 hours with them.  Even if I wasn't great friends with the two people, I would have made the effort to make it to both parties in the same situation - an hour apart or not. 

in general I just feel totally unloved by everyone in my life with the exception of about 10 people (excluding church people, cause they all love me still).  People that had a huge part of my life, and had a big impact on who I am today didn't even show up, no RSVP, no card, nothing.  Maybe because I am the type of person who is more on top of all that stuff and "more into it" is the reason that it makes me so upset when people come off as completely thoughtless ... but I just can't get over how pissed I am.  I am so ready to just get out of here, away from all my friends and to make some new ones.  Maybe I'll end up meeting some people at orientation this week and that will help.  I was looking forward to a great summer with lots of random hanging out, lots of laughs and great memories.  Now it just looks like a big mess of nothingness ... I kinda wish I was on work crew now - at lesat I'd be guarnteed fun for 2 weeks. 

I almost wish I would have gone to AJ's.  The small amout of awkwardness would have been worth it because it probably would have made my day better ... at least I would have felt wanted.


ps - AJ, I love you, and you aren't included in any of this: you belong in the elite few that I don't hate right now.  And I love your family ... and as much as my day kinda sucked, Holly made my night - its amazing what the littlest things can do for people from time to time