An Entire Life Update

I made a post a while while back mentioning majors and life choices and all that terrible, awful jazz.  WELL.  I'ma gonna tell y'all what's up.  What's REALLY up.

I'm a Liberal Arts major.   The intent is to become a teacher.  4th or 5th grade is best.  Do I know how I'm going to do this?  NOPE.

I'm a junior now and life is creeping up.   I'm not gonna lie, I didn't really plan for after college.  You know, you're a kid and you plan on going to school and then going to college. But then what?  You tell people what you want to be when you grow up, but that's not for another seven years, right?  NO.  NOT EVEN CLOSE.  That's like a year from now.  I still tell people what I want to be when I grow up.  But guess what. I am grown up.  Technically.

Ruh roh.

Nahh, it'll work out.  I just got to make a couple of phone calls, right?  RIGHT?!

Hakuna Matata

Oh... oh hey.   This is awkward.   It's been a while.   No excuses.  I suck.  My b.  Let's quit the chit chat and get right down to business.   

I'm in a ward.  In college.  This evening we had a Priesthood appreciation dinner and though I'm not part of the Relief Society Presidency, I got emergency roped into writing a song for the dinner.  

Let us share, shall we?  It's to the tune of The Lion King's "Hakuna Matata"

Chorus:

The Priesthood power!  - What a wonderful phrase! 

The Priesthood power!   - Aint no passin’ craze! 

---------

You hold the Lord’s power - for the rest of your days! 

It’s an honorable...... responsibility! 

The priesthood power....

Person 1: When you were a young deacon - 

Person 2: When you were a young deacooooon!!! 

Person 3: We found your aroma lacked a certain appeal

                  You could clear the chapel after every ordeal

Person 4: You’re a sensitive soul - though you seem thick-skinned

                 But now, we can call you Whenever! - on a whim!!!

Everyone: And ohh the blessings -- Presidency: oh what’s in a blessing?

Everyone: We praise the Lord’s name -- Presidency: Oh what’s in a name?

Everyone: When we need some comfort -- Presidency: What did ya feel???

.............

THE PRIESTHOOD POWER!   - What a wonderful phrase! 

The Priesthood power!  - Ain’t no passin’ craze! 

------

You hold the Lord’s power - for the rest of your days! 

It’s an honorable...... responsibility! 

The Priesthood power! 

Whisper:

The Priesthood - the power,  The Priesthood - the power,

The Priesthood - the power, The Priesthood - the power,

 The Priesthood - the power, The Priesthood - the power,

The Priesthood...

You hold the Lord’s power - for the rest of your days! 

It’s an honorable...... responsibility! 

The priesthood poweeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrr....

Yup.  It was cute, it was fun, it was written in half an hour.  

Detective's Work

First semester I had to write a short story in the style of Flannery O'Connor.  It's cliché, but it's... alright.

Timothy Prier wanted to be a detective when he grew up. Joseph, his best friend, had a dad who was a detective. and Joseph told a bunch of stories about how his dad caught bad guys using stealth and his gun.  

Timothy loved hearing those stories.  He wished he could go visit Joseph’s house and see  his dad’s gun, but he never was able to.  Whenever he mentioned it to his mama, Josephine, she always mutter something about “different colored skin” and “intolerance” and “just plain rude.”  

Since Timothy couldn’t see Joseph’s dad’s real gun, he had a special routine that he would repeat every weekend.  After he did all of his chores for the week, each Saturday Timothy would receive just enough money to purchase a hard-candy handgun.  Timothy assumed that it was probably not as big as the real thing, but he loved getting one just the same.  Each Saturday, Timothy would go to Mr. Turner’s Drug Store and Mr. Turner would say, “Mornin’, son!”

“Mornin’, sir,” he would always reply.  Then Timothy would go straight for the candy section.  He would pick one that was blue, because that color was closest to black.  He wanted it to be as authentic as possible.  He would purchase his gun, give it a good lick, and then place it in his pocket.  His mama didn’t like that because it ruined his trousers, but a detective always needs his gun.  

He would then go back home to find out that his six year old sister, Louise, had done something terribly wrong, and he would have to figure out what she had done.  For some reason Louise would always get upset by this, probably because Timothy always caught her and always had to shoot her dead.   Louise didn’t like this, and would always tell on him.  His mama would always say that he was too young to be playing with guns, candy or real, but Timothy always thought otherwise.  He was nine and half years old, for goodness sake.  He needed a gun to keep the crime off the streets.  

One Saturday morning, while Timothy was getting his weekly handgun, something was inconsistent with his normal routine.  After his typical greetings with Mr. Turner, Timothy went to pick out his blue prop.  As he did this he heard the front door of the shop open and close and someone yell, “Bob! I knew it!  I just plain knew it!  I knew that she was cheatin’ on me! That dang slut, Patricia!”  Timothy wheeled around to see Mr. Cuckeld, the town bar owner wearing a  wife beater and olive corduroy pants, both in need of washing.  

“Calm down Carter, are you sure?  How did you find out?”  Mr. Turner said.  

“I just know!  I heard them talking outside of my bar about meeting up with each other tomorrow at eight.  Her and that idiot, Don Perkins!”

“Well, what are you gonna do?”

“I’m gonna kill her!”

“What?!”

“I”m gonna kill the both of ‘em!  After all I’ve given her!  A good house, a modest living.  And how dare he take what’s mine!  I’m gonna kill ‘em, tomorrow at eight, they said their going to meet at the motel next door to my bar, and  you’re gonna help me.”  

“What makes you think I’m gonna help you, Carter?”  

“Come on, Bob!  You know what it’s like-”

“Alright! Alright. I’ll go with you.”  

“Great.  Meet me at seven so we can get everything read and set up.  These two are gonna get everything they got coming to them.”  Timothy couldn’t believe it!  He was about to catch two criminals in the act!  He was going to buy his gun from Mr. Turner and pretend like he didn’t just hear everything that they had said.  Then he would meet up with them tomorrow at seven and spy on them and see them commit their crime.  Then he would go to Joseph’s dad and get them in trouble.  Finally, Timothy would be a real detective.  

 * * *

Robert Turner always liked to think of himself of a decent man that always had horrible things happen to him.  When he was 13 his mother died and his father had a serious drinking problem after that.  When he was old enough, Bob opened his own drug store and tried to help as many people as he could with his products.  Sadly, his business wasn’t doing very well.  He only had a couple of regular customers, one of whom being a young black child that only bought a candy handgun once a week.  Then, a few years ago, his wife left him for a better work of a man.  It broke his heart and it re-broke it whenever he thought of it.  That’s why, when Carter Cuckeld came to him asking for help with his wife, Bob was a little more sympathetic, and a little more willing to help, than most.  Now it was almost seven and he was a little worried about Carter was going to do, but he had said he was going to be there, and he was a man of his word.  Now as he arrived at Carter’s bar, Carter yelled, “Bob, I was worried you weren’t gonna come!”  

“I said I was gonna show, didn’t I?” replied Bob.  

“Yeah, but since what we’re gonna do... anyway.  I’ve got the supplies and the plan.  Are you ready for this?”

“I guess.”

“Alright well I found out that she’s gonna be in the motel and then he has to meet up with her a bit later.  We’re gonna go up and snuff her out and then we’ll wait for him and take care of him too.  Quick and easy, get rid of this scum so I don’t have to see ‘em every day.  We’ll strangle them, so it’s quiet, but I brought my gun in case anything gets out of hand.”

“I don’t know-”

“No, no, it’ll all be good.  I’ll do everything, and you’ll hold the gun, and whatever you do will be self defense.  You have nothing to worry about.”  

“Alright, Carter.  I’m letting you take the reins with this.  I’ll just be by your side.”

“That’s all I wanted, Bob.”  They then waited until they saw Patricia Cuckeld heading towards the motel and then after she entered they followed her to her room.  Carter wasn’t very stealthy once they were near her room.  “I know what you’re doing here, Patty!” he yelled.  

“Yeah right, Carter!  You have no idea why I’m here, no proof or anything!”  Bob could only look at Patricia with contempt.  Before, whenever he thought of his wife, he could only think of how much he loved and missed her.  Now, looking at Patty, all he could think of was getting back at her, giving her what she deserved seeing Patty get what she deserved.  

“I got proof enough, and I’m gonna stop you in your tracks, Patty!”

“You can’t stop me from doin’ anything! You never could, and you never will.”  And with that Carter whipped out his belt took four large steps across the small, motel room and began to end his wife’s life.    His eyes went dark and was gritting his teeth.  She was clawing at his arms, but she was quickly losing the struggle.  Then she finally stopped moving.  

* * *

Don Perkins was so excited to see Patricia again.  This relationship they had was the as real as it could get.  Every time he saw her, he couldn’t get her out of his head days after, and now he was just about to see her again.  He made his way up the stairs to the room that he knew Patricia was going to be in.  He opened the door and he saw Patricia laying with her head in her husband’s lap.  His stomach dropped.  What was going on?  Patricia hated her husband.  Carter then got up and Patricia’s body eerily fell to the floor.  Something was terribly wrong.  Her body didn’t move at all.  Carter made his way towards Don, and Don couldn’t move.  Carter had a belt in his hands.  

* * *

Timothy was terrified.  He had followed Mr. Turner into the bar, and then he had followed him and Mr. Cuckeld into the motel.  Since they were both so distracted by what they had to do, they that he had followed them, at that point he thought he was doing a pretty good job at being a detective.  Then the door closed and all he heard was yelling and then stomping around.  He was a little scared about what might have just happened, but he just held his gun in his pocket and kept quite, a detective always kept at his post.  

Then Timothy heard footsteps coming up the stairs.  He moved into the shadows as the man opened the door into the room where Mr. Turner and Mr. and Mrs. Cuckeld were.  The door was left open, so now Timothy had a clear view of what was going on.  He saw Mrs. Cuckeld’s body on the ground and Mr. Cuckeld headed for the man that had entered the room.  Mr. Cuckeld had an extreme look in his eye as he wrapped his belt around the man’s neck, and Timothy involuntarily gasped and Mr. Cuckeld and Mr. Turner both turned their heads to him.  Mr. Cuckeld yelled, “Get the boy!”  and Mr. Turner ran to get him, and Timothy made no move to escape, paralyzed by fear.  Mr. Turner grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to a chair in a corner of the room.  

“What are you doing here, boy?  You have no business being here!”  Mr. Turner exclaimed.  Timothy didn’t know how to respond.  He simply remembered a time where his mother said that if he ever got into trouble with some white folks that he should tell them about his life.  Tell them about how nice his family was and what he liked to do in his spare time, but always respectfully, calling them “sir” or “ma’am.”  

“Well, sir, I’m Timothy Prier and I have a little sister named Louise and she’s just six.  And I have a mama, her name is Josephine, and she loves me and my sister.  My father works in the tire factory on the outskirts of town.  He’s a good worker, always gets enough money for my mama to make good meals for us.  Mama says that’s a mighty fine blessing for us to have and that we should be grateful for it every day.  

I want to be a detective.  It’s because my best friend’s dad’s a detective.  I hear the neatest stories about it, I want to be able to keep the streets safe, sir.” 

“What’s that kid blabbin’ about, Bob?” Carter shouted, with the man’s body at crumpled at his feet.

“His life story, he wants to be a detective or somethin’.”  

Carter mutters, “This kid’s seen too much, Bob. We gotta get rid of him.”  

“He’s just a kid, Carter, who’s gonna believe him?” 

“He’s just a negro, Bob, just snuff him so we can get on with our night.”

“I can’t do that, Carter.  If you want it done you’ll have to do it.”  Timothy could barely hear them talking but he knew something bad was going to happen.  He was holding onto his gun for dear life, just sitting in that chair.  Then he saw Mr. Turner’s already sad face turn to anguish.  Then there was an exchange of hands.  Timothy felt something awful, something terrible was coming.  He clutched his gun even harder.  Mr. Cuckeld turned to face Timothy with a gun pointed towards his face.  Triggers were pulled and within Timothy’s pocket were the remnants of a hard-candy handgun. 

Blogger Fail - Summer Term

Yup.  Go ahead.  I deserve it.  I, me, doth faileth at the blog.  I'm not gonna lie, I'll probably continue to fail.  But right now I'll just share with ya'll what I'll be doing for the next five months. 
I'm going to be doing an August term (Others call it "Summer Term II")  During this term I will be taking...

Marriage and Family: 8am - Oy.  (I recognize that this is actually quite reasonable.)
A study of American marriages and families. Attention is given to successful marriage and family relationships based on research examining dating and mate selection, marriage, sexuality, family interaction, family resource management, parenting, divorce, and remarriage.
And...

Astronomy: 10am - Just in time to see the starts!
Study of the motion, physical properties, evolution, and environments of the sun, moon, planets, and stars. Includes observing activities.
Six credits!  Whoa.  Aug term is about a month long.  Should be fun, right?

Then for the Fall Term I'll be taking 13 (possibly 14) credits.  
MWF:
Introduction to Music History: 9am This course has two goals: to refine listening skills, thus increasing the student’s understanding and enjoyment of music, while at the same time providing a survey of the major composers and musical styles of the Western classical repertory to be encountered in concert halls today. Students will be introduced to music from the Baroque, Viennese Classical, Romantic, and Modern periods, including works by composers such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, and Stravinsky. Genres to be covered include the symphony, chamber music, opera, song, and choral music.

(I might do... Concert Chorale: 10am  "Advanced choir" ish.  I have to audition, but I'm BASICALLY in.  Haha - just kidding.)

Child and Adolescent Development: 12:30pm (Just Monday and Wednesday)An introduction to human development. Emphasis is on life span processes within physical, emotional, cognitive, social, personality, and moral development. Major concepts, theories, and principles of child and adolescent development are covered.

Foundations of Education: 2:30pm
A study of the practices and issues that affect American education. Consideration is given to such topics as philosophical approaches to education, history of American education, and the organizational and cultural aspects of schools that influence education practices.

For Tuesdays and Thursdays...
Bella Voce: 9:30am
Another choir.  Just girlies.

Group Voice Instruction: 12:30pm - I took it last semester and I'm taking it again.  I love this class.This course is designed for the beginning vocal student offering group instruction to familiarize students with the fundamentals of singing and provide opportunities for development of vocal skill and public performance.
It shouldn't be too difficult.  I'll keep you posted.  But probably not.

I'm not dead yet.

I have twenty more days of my freshman year at college.  This semester has been nice. Not too many papers (except for the three that I'm putting off right now by writing this), just one obnoxiously insane presentation.

But the biggest theme that has occurred this semester is MUSIC!  Let's start at the beginning and waste time, shall we?

It started of with me taking chemistry.  I was relatively "excited."  I liked chemistry in high school and I had done pretty well and I was hoping this class would simply reaffirm my feelings on the subject.

FALSE.

The teacher and I did not get along.  I don't think he knew it, but I knew it enough for the both of us.  So I dropped it like a hot tamale.  But with that class dropped I had some space to fill.  My roommate was signed up to take a class called Group Voice Instruction and I had heard that it was supposed to be really good.  The problem was that there was a possibility of me not getting into the class.  After a stressful couple of days, I finally got in and things started to settle.

This class has basically changed my life.  Ehh... yeah.  It has.

It is taught by Clayne Robison, with the help of a couple of characters.

BYUtv - Beautiful Singing: Not Just For The Chosen

This is a short film that we have watched many times and it is basically what we are learning in class.  Dr. Robison is sometimes a startling person, but you just go along with it because you know(hope) he knows what he's doing.

With what I've been learning I am able to use it in my other class: Bella Voce!  The same couple of characters who help Dr. Robison with Group Voice are the conductors for Bella Voce.  This class has also had a greater impact on me than I could have ever expected.

Here is what we have done this semester:

For our first concert we did:

Dirait-on - Morten Lauridsen
We are a womens' choir, so it is slightly different from this.

Tango To Evora - Loreena McKennitt

Set Me As a Seal  - René Clausen

My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord - Moses Hogan

Sing Me to Heaven - Daniel E. Gawthrop

Psalm 23 - Z. Randall Stroope

Revelation - Z. Randall Stroope
This one is really intense.  Especially this video with the illustrations.

Now we have another concert coming up on April 21st where we will be singing Sing Me to Heaven, Psalm 23, and Revelation along with:

Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit - Rosephanye Powell
This version is very different from what we sing, mostly just the same words, but you get the idea.

Hoj, Hura, hoj! - Otmar Mácha
I'll be singing one of the solos in this one.  I'm excited.

Because of these two classes over the course of two semesters my love of music has grown exponentially.  So much, in fact, that I was considering doing a double minor of Early Childhood Education along with Music.  But, for whatever reason, the Early Childhood Education minor is no longer available.  At least at this point in time.  So we'll see how things pan out.

I'm grateful for the all the opportunities I have at this school and the people I have met that help me improve in my skillz.

Twenty more days.

Back.

Night night, Mom.  I love you.

Miss

I'm really grateful that I chose to go to this school.  I would have been miserable if I went to any other place.  I'm grateful that I'm able to give the advice, "Pray about it," and it's not a horrendous joke.  I love seeing the same faces that I see in church in my classes.  I love being in 3 choirs even though one if them is a slight abomination.  I think my ward is wonderful and all three hours are very enriching.  FHE is always a blast and our family is a pretty good size with consistant attendance.

Of couse I miss my ward at home.  The smallness and warmth.  But something that I truly miss is hearing the Sacrament Prayers in Spanish.

It took me forever to find these:

Oh Dios, Padre Eterno, en el nombre de Jesucristo, tu Hijo, te pedimos que bendigas y santifiques este pan para las almas de todos los que participen de él, para que lo coman en memoria del cuerpo de tu Hijo, y testifiquen ante ti, oh Dios, Padre Eterno, que están dispuestos a tomar sobre sí el nombre de tu Hijo, y a recordarle siempre, y a guardar sus mandamientos que él les ha dado, para que siempre puedan tener su Espíritu consigo. Amén.


Oh Dios, Padre Eterno, en el nombre de Jesucristo, tu Hijo, te pedimos que bendigas y santifiques este vino [agua] para las almas de todos los que lo beban, para que lo hagan en memoria de la sangre de tu Hijo, que por ellos se derramó; para que testifiquen ante ti, oh Dios, Padre Eterno, que siempre se acuerdan de él, para que puedan tener su Espíritu consigo. Amén.


I never really realized what a blessing it was to have a multilingual ward until I came here and no one was speaking Spanish, or signing.  Every Sunday I've been aching to hear these prayers in Spanish.  I guess it shouldn't matter, but it's a comfort from home that I'd like to have.  

Laundry Day

On our floor we have three pairs of washer/dryers.  It is nice, but when you need to do laundry you have to keep checking to see when you can get your stuff in.  And even when a machine says it's ready for your clothes you can open it up and there will be someone else's clothes in there.

That is when you face a problem.  "Do I move their clothes?"  "Do I wait for them?"  "What if they take forever to move their stuff?"  "If I move it do I put it on top or put it in a dryer?"  Well. Today was laundry day.  And I had to ask myself those questions.

I went back and forth a couple of times to see when a washer was free and then finally it was.  Then I go back to my room and a haul my stuff to the washer room and I open it up to see that that there are clothes in it.  Well, I don't want to wait for a bit to find out that they moved their clothes and someone else took the washer.  So I take action.  I see that a dryer is done so I open it up and see... that there are clothes in it.  BUT there is a small basket next to this dryer.  The question asked is, "Is this basket corresponding with the clothes in this dryer or is it just a random basket?" So I take the leap and I grap the clothes and put them in the basket.  Mind you, they were clothes of a more... they were on the "whites" cycle.  So I had to handle someone's unmentionables.  So I was already too far into this to go back.

Now, I take the person's clothes that were in the washer into the dryer that I just emptied.  BUT NOW I had to think about whether I should start the dryer or not.  BECAUSE I didn't know if I could ruin anything or not.  So I stood there for a bit and decided that I wouldn't. Then I finally put my clothes in the washer and started 'er up.

I went back into my room, walked around, and decided that I needed to leave a note for the person whose clothes I took out of the washer and put into the dryer but did not start the dryer for.  SO I took my roommate with me and we went back to the washer room.

In this washer room there's a little white board but no marker.  So we went out into the hallway and borrowed a marker.  I thought about it for a little bit and decided that I didn't want to use the board because nobody really looks at the board.  So I wrote a note on the washer.

"Dear person in this washer before me,
I moved your clothes into dryer #1, but I didn't start it.  Sorry.  I didn't want to ruin anything.
I hope this erases.  It should.
Love,
I'm not putting my name, but I will clean this up if it leaves a mess.
Happy washing!"

Now I'm going to check my laundry.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-chaange

Majors and Minors

Last week I wanted to be  a Liberal Arts major, with a minor in Family and Child Development.

This week I want to be a Family and Child Development major, and minor in Early Childhood Education.

They say, "Career opportunities available for early childhood education minors include preschool director, preschool teacher or aide and public school aide. Early childhood education enriches the skills of those who become involved in their communities or religious volunteer organizations. Students will not attain a teaching certificate upon completion of this minor, but early childhood education is an option for those who may be considering entering the field."  So that's good, right?   I don't want to be a grade school teacher. But I could do preschool.  I think.  


Don't tell me, "Ohh, Mary you have plenty of time to think about this..." 


I like planning. 


Please comment.

Life Two

Well.  I haven't vomited yet.  Although I think I almost did this morning.

I guess I should start from the beginning.  Hmm?  We get there on Wednesday and we are supposed to check in at the Lofts (the girls' dorms).  We go in and it's pretty crazy.  Not as organized as it could have been.  And that is where I get some very special news.  I am in a completely different room.  New floor and everything.  Do we know if my roommates moved with me? Nope.  We walk into the room and there's a girl with her two parents who is someone I have never ever seen before in my life.

I have new roommates.  I had spent all summer trying to get to know my roommates so we could ease into this stupid college experience as smoothly as possible.  But no.  I have to start over.  I have to go in with my arms outstretched in a completely dark room.

So it's my family and hers unpacking.  She's from Indiana.  Blah blah blah unpack.  We leave and get more stuff done.  And come back to find another roommate.  From New Jersey.  Then more unpacking.

Then sleep?

Thursday?  Alright.  Orientation.  It's basically EFY.  I literally have two counselors and we have groups and we play games with our groups and we have groupe meetings and discussions and we go to assemblies.

Friday?  Same thing.  Except even though I'm in "Bella Voce" on Tuesdays and Thursdays I still had to audition for the people to see what they thought of me.   So you go and wait with a bunch of other people in the hallway and while you wait you can totally hear the person going.  And while you wait you have to pick a hymn to sing for the people.  There are a couple of books going around so you can think of a hymn but I needed a book to see.   The rumor is that they as you to sing the soprano part and the alto part (with the piano).  So I end up choosing "As Sisters In Zion".

So it's finally my turn OH.  Wait.  They made us fill out a little piece of paper with our info and everything and our choir background.  I said:  3 years of high school choir, church choir since 8th grade(?), and conducted choirs.  Now, after I came in and handed that paper in and introduced myself they asked about it.  Oh.  Again they.  There were two guys (rather young, maybe still students)  and one old, sweet lady.  Yeah.  They asked about the conducting.  And right at that moment I completely regret writing it down.  And I told them.  I said, "I probably shouldn't have written that down."  And they laughed.  They loved me. But I told them that I conducted the youth choir and the ward choir.  And they might have been impressed.  I don't remember.  Wow.  Anyway.  Getting to the point.  Ummm what did we do.  I think first we did.  My range.  I got up to I think she said a high C and then down to an F# if I heard/remember correctly and then we did a memory thing where she would play a little five note diddly and I would sing it back to her.  No big deal.  Unless I'm tone deaf.  Then we did the hymn which was okay.  The problem with the whole audition was that I was pretty rusty.  I hadn't been singing  very much for the past two weeks and so I was a bit squeaky.   The worst part of the whole the was the alto line.  I start making my one line up because I wasn't looking to hard and I was all over the place.  And once I lost one note I lost 'em all.

I think the results are in, but I don't want to go down and check 'cause they're so far away.

And then for the rest of Friday we had the luau (I went - it was just food) and Knight games (we're the Knights) which were fun to watch people fools of themselves.

Saturday? We took an honor oath.  We did a service project.  OH.  Ok.  We had a toilet problem.  We went all over the dorm looking for a freakin' plunger and we finally found one but I knew by just looking at it that it probably wouldn't work.  I tried for an hour to fix the toilet but it wouldn't work.  I was so upset and a little angry because what kind of dorm wouldn't have a plunger even in a closet somewhere.  So, after a little bit of crying,  I drove to walmart (I'm not going to capitalize it.)  and bought a stupid plunger.  Though I shouldn't call it stupid because it is my most favorite thing.  After I unwrapped it and unclogged the toilet, I woke up my roommate and told her the toilet worked (it had been  about 7 hours of it not working).  Then I went to my computer to tell Facebook that the toilet worked and my internet wasn't working.  I nearly started crying again.

Oh yeah.  That's a thing.  The internet is seriously having a problem.   It's fast when it works but something is wrong.  I'm doing different experiments before I go to people because it's seriously a weird problem that all three of us have.

Then I did my laundry and then we went to a dance.  Then we went to sleep.

Then we woke up and went to church.  Tonight we have a fireside.  And now the internet is breaking left and right.  I'm truly angry.


Overall:
I'm glad that my room got switched.  Classes are starting tomorrow.  Mmmmmehhhhhrrrrgggg. Scared.

Oh boy.

Today, I got a college email about housing.  It showed me where to find out who my roommates are (who a already knew about) and what to do when I get there. 

"New students are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday, August 25^th between 9am and 5pm. Orientation activities will begin the next morning.  Your student ID card and orientation materials can be picked up at Main Hall after you have checked into your housing assignment."

Before, I was pretty okay with the idea of going to college.  But after getting this email, I am scared.  I am scared about being eight hours away from home.  I scared about living with three new, different girls and having no privacy. I'm scared to be taking college-level classes.  I'm scared to have more papers.  I'm scared to have to take care of myself.  I'm scared that after this, after the next four years, I'll be a full on grown up.  That I'll have to have a job, that I'll have to support myself.  I'm scared that I can't do it.

It's all hit me.  And I don't want to go.  

Colegio part deux

I didn't even think to put course descriptions so here they are!


Biology of Women:
Basic biological principles related to women’s health. Topics include nutrition and fitness, stress management, reproductive anatomy and disorders, sexuality, pregnancy and childbirth, menopause, and other health concerns.


College Algebra:
Designed for students with a solid background in high school algebra. Provides a basis for further mathematical study. Students with a strong mathematical background should take MAT 241 rather than MAT 115. Topics include equations, inequalities, graphs, linear functions, polynomial functions, rational functions, exponential functions, logarithmic functions, and trigonometric functions.
-I don't know why I'm not in calculus because I just took pre calc.  I guess this class is a starter for everyone.


Becoming a Leader-Servant:
Introduction to the leader-servant mission of Southern Virginia University. Through lecture, discussion, and exercises, students will explore the importance of scholarship and discipleship in becoming leader-servants. Students will also explore each of the university’s core values and how those values can be incorporated into daily life. Attendance at lectures, forums, and devotionals required. Satisfies the core curriculum requirement for leadership and service.


College Composition:
Development of critical thinking skills through reading, writing, and speaking with an emphasis on refining one’s ability to identify, propose, and defend text-based claims. Includes guidance in analytical reading as well as instruction in the writing, editing, and research processes. Students also receive instruction concerning how to access and use learning resources provided by the university.


America and the Enlightenment:
An introductory study of the American Founding in the context of the European Enlightenment using primary texts from major American and European authors of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Topics include the rise of modern science, capitalism, popular government, and the role of religion in a free society. Includes LDS scripture on the purposes of government.


Bella Voce:
Bella Voce is an ensemble whose aim is the training of women’s voices and intellect. This group is an audition choir performing choral music crossing many genres and eras.

Colegio

Whelp.  I got my schedule a while ago.  I feel like I should be hearing about my roommates soon, but I don't know.
Tell me what you think about my schedule.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday:
9:00 - 9:50 - Biology of Women
10:00 - 10:50 - College Algebra
11:00 - 11:50 - Becoming a Leader-Servant
12:30 - 1:20 - College Composition
1:30 - 2:20 - America and the Enlightenment

Tuesday, Thursday:
9:30 - 10:45 - Bella Voce

14 credits.

Wouldn't you like to know.

Whelp.  I'm back.  Let's get the low-down in bullet form. 

• The first day was Friday.  
• It took eight hours to get to Virginia.  That is too many hours. 
• We went through some insane lightening storms - very exciting.  
• The hotel was livable, but not delicious. 
• The second day was Saturday.  
• The breakfast at the hotel was pathetic. 
• We went to SVU where we supposed to mix and mingle.  
• We did neither.  
• The people spoke.  Blah blah blah.  
• I didn't allow Mother to go on a tour.  
• We ate delicious food in the dining hall.  
• I was never really nervous about being unfed at that place.  I knew that they were talented in the arts of food.  
• We then walked around a little.  
• Went to the girl's dorms.
• They have AC - win.
• They are far from everything else on campus - unwin.
• I'll have a car - equalizer. 
• I'll probably have either 2 or 3 roommates - we'll see.
• We went to the bookstore.
• It's basically a mini version of the BYU bookstore.
• Very mini.
• But just as nice.
• Nothing like the Fordham bookstore - which was awful.  
• I got my lanyard. Which is basically the only reason for why I wanted to go SVU. - Check. 
• We drove around town then went to Wal Mart. 
• This is where I got my ball.  
• This was one of the best things that happened to me.  
• It's a bouncy ball, but the size of your fist.  
• It's filled with a liquid and blue GLITTER. 
• We went back to the hotel and rested.
• The third day was Sunday.
• We didn't go to church but we went to Cracker Barrel - which was surprisingly good. 
• This is where I got those little wax bottles with colored liquid.  Very fun.  
• We then went to my uncle's house with his three cute little girls and their fresh set of twins.  
• So much fun - plan to return.  
• Then we went to my grandma's house and rested. 
• The fourth day was Monday. 
• Grandma made us an extravagant breakfast  - miles better than the hotel breakfast. 
• Grandma gave me this water thing which I forgot I'm trying out right now.  Better go check it out. 
• A majority of the water was boiled away.  Good thing I checked.
• Then we left.  
• Made pretty good time - five hours.  
• Now I'm catching up on things - not doing my homework.  
• And tonight I have to go to an awards thing.  
• Waste. Of. Time.

Overall, it was a good trip.  Let's just say that I had bacon ever single day we were gone.  Good deal.