Your Questions Answered

Well, a number of you have been adding comments to my blog so I thought I would write a quick entry responding to those. I am also starting classes on Monday so I most likely won't get around to writing again until next weekend.

I know one of my my comments on my last entry may seem a bit odd to some of you. The point about not meeting many home schoolers. At home I am very involved in home school circles, and as we all know, home schoolers have their own unique culture. So being some where that isn't populated by under-socialized anti-government skirt wearing girls (I'm joking; I've never met a more social, open minded, well dressed group then in my home school circles) is just strange for me. I wasn't really expecting to find that here, but I'm going through just a bit of culture shock.

Yes, I do have a bottle of hand cleaner on my desk. The reason: I have met more people in the last few days then in the last three years, and yes I have shaken a whole lot of hands, so mom (and Charlyn) I am using my hand cleaner. The Lysol wipes are for cleaning my room.


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.


Amendment 1: I love and miss you all.

Amendment 2: So please keep writing me comments and emails.

Amendment 3: In case you didn't figure it out, I'm trying to use positive reinforcement to get everyone to leave comments. You leave a comment and then get the satisfaction of actually getting you questions answered. See, basic psychology.

My Room!

The first picture is of my side of the room. Notice my periodic table on the wall. It is the only poster I have gotten up on my wall. So now everyone here knows I'm a chemistry nerd.

The second picture is of my desk and computer. I have the Nanny Journals on the screen.

It is already so strange being here. I like everyone, but it isn't home. It certainly makes me want to go to Medical school in Oregon. I'm getting to know everyone, but I miss everyone at home.

The strangest this so far: I've only met one home schooler!

The coolest thing so far: Bagpipes at a ceremony yesterday.

The Hardest thing so far: My parents Leaving.

The Easiest thing so far: Knowing that this is where God does want me.

The funnest thing so far: Country Line Dancing last night (if only it was ECD).

The most boring thing so far: Being told again and again that we have to study hard. That is the reason I'm here, to study, if you haven't figured that out by now you shouldn't be at college.



Cheers!


Your Literary Junkophile.


Amendment 1: All my friends need to get gmail so I can talk with you.

Amendment 2: I miss you already!

Its a Dorm Life for Me

Well, I'm now in my dorm room and sort of settled in. I start classes on Monday and I can't wait. I'm taking O-Chem, Physics (with calc.), English composition and a PE class. The trip down was fun. My family had some family time and most of the drive was beautiful. We got to stop in the Redwoods and drive down Highway 1. That was all really amazing. Check out my pics. at the end of this post.

On thursday I started orientation. In some ways this was good, but a lot of the information was a repeat from the school I went to last year. But it has been really great to get to know everyone. I have one roommate; there are 5 other girls in my suite (we all share one bath room!); I have 24 girls in my section. I have already gotten to know the girls in my suite really well. I have a lot in common and we all get along well. (Don't worry, my friends here will never replace those of you at home). I will right more later, but right now I need to get some sleep.


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.


Amendment 1: My car packed with everything for college.





Amendment 2: A large Woodcutter and his blue ox




Amendment 3: Me in the Redwoods



Amendment 4: The Beautiful California Coast


Amendment 5: I have a new favorite bible verse. Isaiah 41:10 Don't be afraid for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

Addendum

One more thing this is a video I found that is really sweet and sums up how I feel about all of you.

http://www.inspiringthots.net/movie/life-on-train.php

Thanks for Riding with me!

Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.

So Long and Thanks for all the Fish!

Well, I'm sitting in my room for the last time for a while. I'm sitting here eating Oreos and milk (I'm a dunker in case anyone cares). It is really odd to think I won't be here in 24 hours, or 48, or 1000hours. Don't get me wrong, I'm really excited about school, but it will be strange not to see everyone for so long. I'm really going to miss a bunch of people.

My Darling Sister
My Darling Sister's best friends (OK, she is one of my best friends as well, you know I love you Britt :) )
My mom and dad
My Bestest Friends, Christie, Mariah, Becca and Rachel (Charlyn fits in here too, but I'm already missing her)
My best Nana/friend/teacher.
My favorite little boy (Reggie)
My very goofy but talented worship team at church
My Pastor
Everyone at my church (I'm actually trying to think of someone I won't miss)
All my friends at dance class (you know who you are)


Now here are the reasons I will miss these people (and dachshund:

(Maddy) She is not only my sister she is my best friend, but closer
(Britt) We are closer then most actual sisters
(Mom and Dad) Hey, they are my mom and dad
(Christie, Mariah, Becca, Rachel)I won't have anyone to "enjoy"; all the deep discussions and stargate talks; it is just Becca (need I say more); she is so funny and sweet.
(Mrs. R) She is so close to me and has had such a wonderful impact on my life, and hey she is 78.
(Reggie) My little buddy is always there for comfort.
(Worship Team) I love them for their strange ways, Dustin, Eric, Jared, Brian, Ann, Steve, Christie, Heidi.
(Dewey) My pastor is so much fun, and love to listen to his sermons, how many people can actually say that they would listen to their pastor talk for fun.
(My Church family) Everyone at New Hope is so great and loving. They are a second family and I can't imagine my Sundays without them.
(My Dance group) I have only been going to dance for about 6 months but I have made some really good friends that I will miss dancing with and talking with.


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkohpile.

Amendment 1: Everyone needs to check out my sister's blog http://www.maddy-confussedmind.blogspot.com/ she gave me some really good advice for things not to do at school.

Amendment 2: Everyone got that Reggie is my dog right, not some random guy I like.

Amendment 3: So Long Oregon, California here I come!

Amendment 4: I know that there are some people I forgot to say goodbye to. To those of You: Goodbye, I will be praying for and I can't wait to see when I get home!

Amendment 5: The post title is a line from the Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a book/movie that is not as anti-Christian as everyone says, but that is a different post.

I'm off to the land of Cereal

well, I leave the day after tomorrow. I'm sad and excited all at the same time. I can't wait to get back to classes, meet my roommate, start my second year of college, and generally be on my own. But I'm nervous about leaving my family and generally being on my own. Today was the last time I will be at church for a while, and it was really hard to say goodbye to everyone. A lot of people that went through the church split are really close. We have become a family and it was like saying goodbye to a family today. It was hard knowing that I won't being see those people next week. Church is something I look forward every week and to lose that is really sad for me.

On a lighter note: Last night I went to the ECD ball. I had a wonderful time and the ball went very smoothly. Except for the people that didn't know how to dance and kept messing others up (you can't blame them, I was like that once, but it is still bothersome), and the fact that it went a hour and half late. Once again it was hard to say goodbye because unlike my Church family, I won't see most of those people until December or next summer. Though, thanks to HSA and Gmail I will still get to talk to most people even when I'm at school.

Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.


Amendment 1: I leave on Tuesday for the land of cereal (fruits, nuts and flakes).

Amendment 2: Here are some pictures from the ball:


My Hair



My Dress


Talking with Friends

Working Toward Leaving

Well, I spent most of today getting ready for college. A couple hours of shopping at Wally World (Wal-Mart), going through my closet, opening all of the things I purchased at walmart, and other random things that I needed to do before leaving. Right now our biggest problem is if everything is going to fit in the back of our car for the drive down. I have confidence in our extreme packing skills, but my mother is already making plans to ship me a box of clothes I won't need in the first week.

I just took a brief break from writing to try on some long lost PJ's. So right now, between my light blue robe, matching slippers, and my "new" PJ's, I look like some well dressed 7th grader at a slumber party.

I realized last night that when I head off to college I"m really going to miss tutoring. I spent the last two years tutoring a number of different students in math and science, and now that I will be at school I will really miss my math/science challenged middle school and high school students. I'm not sure why I like tutoring, but I really do enjoy it. There were a lot of hard things, those days when nothing went right or when I thought I student had understood something only to learn to late they hadn't. Though, it has led to some very embarrassing situations for me.

Two years ago when I was at Western, I was tutoring a girl in math and biology. Her main problem (in science) was that she didn't have good study skills. Bio. has lots of memorization and if you can't come up with ways to memorize stuff you can really struggle. So I was frequently in the library after school trying to come up with goofy little sayings and phrases to help her remember that various parts of what ever bio organism she was memorizing at the time. But when that didn't work I was left with acting out the part to hopefully cement a hand motion in her head. Needless to say, in my Senior year, not only was I classified as I geek, but I also received many funny looks in the library after school.

You maybe wondering, why if with all of these difficult times I like and will miss tutoring. perhaps another story will explain.

The same year, I was also tutoring a 6th grade girl. She most likely had ADHD and/or dyslexia, but hadn't been tested yet. She was frequently getting picked on at school and was failing both math and english. All of this had been going on for most of the year, and not surprisingly her self-esteem was suffering. So I can't even begin to describe the look on her face when she would finally get something right, or when I would tell her she wasn't stupid. She was so proud that she was getting tutored by a senior that she told the whole middle school about me. Though, it was odd being known by the middle school as "Blank's tutor", it did give this little girl some needed bragging rights. The expressions of the other middle schoolers when I would sit next to this girl on the bus or tell off one of the 8th graders for picking on her were priceless. I will really miss tutoring next year.


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.


Amendment 1: I get to try on my ball dress tomorrow.

Amendment 2: Only three more days until the ball, and five days until I leave for school.

Amendment 3: I am now on HSA.