Crimson and Clover

Tonight, after an international meal featuring peanut butter soup by Katy, Sicilian Lent Bread by me, hoo-moose by Katy again, and German chocolate cake by Reid, watching Dave Chapelle and learning all about black people ("Is pimping easy?" "Hell yeah..."), we played MASH to find me a husband and a life. Yes, MASH. We are in junior high again. It was between my secret crush, Chad Nibbelink, Marcel Visser, Reid LePage, and Elliot De Wit. It ended up being me and Marcel in an apartment with a Saab, but I deemed the game null because we ended up with zero children. I can't be perpetually barefoot and pregnant if I'm not going to have any kids. No good.
In other news, I woke up at 9:15 this morning to pop the heads off of grubs looking for salivary glands to stain and squash in order to find giant chromosomes. If this sounds gross to you, you're right. I just threw up on my keyboard writing about it.
In other other news, L'Abri encouraged me, as it did Ross, Reid, and Jeff, to make a better effort at embracing popular culture in order to have a better platform from which to open dialogue with postmodern people in our popular culture. God is already there, we need to recognize Him and show Him to others who already understand the context, but did not previously recognize God as being the underlying power. That all sounded pretty amorphous. Maybe this is why I don't post very often.

In an octopus's garden...

The best things ever about the past week-ish:
- Sarah has agreed to let me use her car, so I don't have to bike across town on icy roads with flesh-freezing winds beating me in the face. Oh Sarah, you sweetie poophead!
- Matt Kunnari has an album of The Streets. I like The Streets.
- I got an overtones solo for the Concert Choir tour. I am so hot.
- Despite my best efforts, I actually have some talent in the realm of pool, as in billiards, but I feel dumb calling it billiards.
- Elliot De Wit and pinatas.
- In lab this past Wednesday, I loved teaching. And the Phylum Cnidaria.
- I've started loving Coldplay.
- Andrew some-Dutch-last-name played a bass guitar routine done by the bassist from Metallica, and while my knowledge of Metallica is still rudimentary, the routine was pretty awesome. The judging for the talent show was not one of the best things ever about the past week-ish.
- A homeless guy assured me that I would be a great teacher some day as I poured him a glass of milk.
- Sarah called Katy and I "poopheads" for making up crap about Boston. It's still funny.
- I made bread by hand, from scratch, for the first time, and reaffirmed my desire to be domestic someday. Screw the Women's Lib Movement. I want to be perpetually barefoot and pregnant.

cold hard b****es

Kathlyn Joy just had a moment of genius, and expressed this sentiment:
"More people should like fewer people."
I agree, Katy. There are lots of times when I don't like people, and I think things would be more realistic and less sugar-coated if we all admitted that we have trouble liking lots of people. So do we need to bother? I put to you that we do not. Take THAT Education department.

I often make "what the HECK?" faces at the students in the fifth grade classroom where I'm student teaching. So far they've handled it pretty well, but I'm afraid I might hurt one of them some day. I'm not sure that changes anything, though.

I want to go on a road trip to Vermillion, SD right now. But maybe I'd settle for curly fries from Hardees.

I'm at a place called vertigo

It turns out I'm the most pathetic weakling on earth. I have to bike across town to do my sixty hours of student teaching at the Christian elementary school, and it just about kills me every time I go. I end up getting off the bike and walking about half the time. Yesterday, it was gusting at 50 miles an hour into my face while I was trying to bike up a hill, and Mrs. Zylstra (wife of Prez Z) almost hit me with her blue PT Cruiser. Then I wiped out on a frozen puddle. I like the work at the school, but getting there and back is pretty much hell. What I wouldn't give for a bike with a few more gears. More than one, at least.
Last Saturday I had the opportunity to meat Ephron, one of the guys who goes here from the Caribbean, because I was walking back from the grocery store with my bags and he saw me and offered to help. It was the best part of my day.
Question - which are more frickin' awesome: ninjas or pirates? I think the answer is pretty obvious, but I'm interested to hear if anyone else has an opinion.

New Year's Resolution

Usually I don't make resolutions, because I'm bad at keeping them. I realize it's a little late to make one now, but who cares? I've decided I'm going to, as frequently as I can, wear blaze orange. It's my new favorite color, thanks to a shirt my sister didn't want and a sweatshirt Brielle left here. If anyone has any hunting gear or crossing guard wear they don't want, give it to me and it will be worn proudly.
Question: Are you wearing pink today? You'd better be!

This is the sound of settling

Back in classes!
Since I've got little else to say, I'll give you the run down of classes, everyone's favorite, I know:
Historiography - This class is going to kick my butt. Keeping up with reading will be a miracle in itself, but I already feel intellectually destitute trying to keep up with what Krygsman is saying, and it's only been two classes. Plus I have to read City of God by St. Augustine and write a 4 page report by the 26th, and I don't own the book yet. Rock on.
Applied Ed Psych - This class shows promise, especially since I enjoyed my first ed psych class so much, but we haven't really done too much yet. Today we watched a movie about 13 year olds having sex, so maybe that's a sampling of good things to come!
Gen 300 - This class, I've already decided, would be a lot better if there weren't 117 other people in the class. The issues that come up are going to be important and controversial, but when 5/6ths of the class is comatose, reviving only long enough to think less of those of us who speak up, it's more obnoxious than provocative.
Medieval History - I have high hopes for this class. There's a high percentage of underclassmen, so it's not so transcendentally academic as some history courses can become. And we get to watch movies like Braveheart and Monty Python and the Holy Grail during class.
Education 267 - This class has some long, drawn-out, jargon-filled name that I don't remember, but it's basically about high school and curriculum design. Despite initial reservations, I think it might actually turn out being ok. Today we talked some about the need to turn the entire educational system upside down. I can roll with that.
Teaching Science: Methods - I am more excited about this class than I've been about any class ever! It's my first night class, which set off alarm bells at first, but after going the first time, I'm so excited to teach. The guy who's teaching is so realistic and practical, funny, and original. If it sounds like I'm in love with him, it's because I am a little. Too bad he's married with three children, eh?
Concert Choir - We are going to kick some major a** this semester. We have about 7 gigs scheduled all over NW Iowa and Omaha, plus we're touring down in New Mexico, SoCal, Colorado, and, YES, the AZ. I sort of get to go home for break, even though we're on tour! I'm excited to show off my corner of the country to my friends who have never been. Plus, we're singing some of the most amazing music I've ever experienced. Hot.
Student Teaching-60 hours - Hopefully this happens. As evidenced above, I don't have a lot of space in my schedule. Plus I don't have a vehicle, so I'm stuck with working at a school that's within walking/biking/bobsledding distance. Here's hoping! If it doesn't, I'll use my womanly wiles to persuade Dr. Sewell into letting me take History of Calvinism.
Question for this post: Can you dance, like actually dance? I sure can't, and after just watching Save the Last Dance, I really wish I could. And that I had a black boyfriend, because that could be hot.

I'd rather be a sparrow than a snail

1. I am back in the States. My trip was FAN-FRICKIN'-TASTIC. I really don't know how to put it down in a post, but it was beautiful, funny, hard work, and relaxing, while also being a huge eye-opener to suffering and poverty in the third world. I will never be the same, I can safely say that much. I'm planning on setting up a webpage with pictures and commentary so people can get an idea of what I did in Nicaragua for two weeks, so I'll put that on here when it's set up.
2. There is a huge pile of dishes on the counter. I think it's been there all break, which, I admit, is pretty gross.
3. Brielle and Matt are now married. This is really happy, but at the same time sad, because I think all three of us remaining roommates will admit that Brielle was the social hub of our room. And the resident art major, so Katy will have to step up her work to redecorate our room. Maybe I can take some crayons to the walls as a way of helping.
4. It's lightly snowing here, and much colder than either Arizona or Nicaragua was even close to being while I was down south-er.
5. Classes start on Tuesday. I think I'm actually ready. I will be officially ready once I get all of my truly foul-smelling laundry done, and tackle the dishes. And register, because everyone knows that if you don't register, you will officially die at the hands of Ken Boersma.
6. I'm going to work at becoming a Metallica fan because Tom Dykstra told me to. I do what Tom says.
7. I miss my sisters. And parents.
Question: what's the big deal about New Year's Day? Every party I've been to I feel like a doofus yelling "Happy New Year" and throwing stuff in the air. Resolutions are something, but what's the big deal about making them on January 1? I dunno, the best feature I can pick out about New Year's Day is the Rose Bowl. Which is a great feature, but it doesn't have much to do with the holiday.

Flash! Ooooohhh, he saved every one of us!

Heyo! Christmas break post! My sister and I decided that the proportionality of how lame a person goes up at the same rate as the frequency of his/her posts on his/her blog while on a break/vacation. Since that made no sense, maybe no one hates me yet! :) Either way, I am unlame, I guess.
I received my passport finally, although I had to beat up two mailmen and an old lady to get it. My picture is a thing of beauty, and I look forward to filling it with stamps from exotic locations like Managua, the Seychelles, and China Grove, TX. But now I don't have to worry about trouble in the airport, and there's this personal message from the US Secretary of State telling anyone who reads it that I am entitled to protection from any enemy while in a foreign country. It makes me want to find a US embassy and demand sanctuary.
Since I really don't know much about what's going to be happening on the trip, I won't post much about it at this point. I know that I leave Monday, there will be lots of rice and beans, and I may pick coffee. And I can't eat anything fresh because it might contain Malaria or Yellow Fever or Black Death or Jungle Boogie or something else hazardous. I'll fill you in when I get back!
Happy Christmas, everyone. I went on a rampage on my other blog, decrying the rape and pillaging of the Christmas celebration in the name of a materialist holiday, but I'll say no more of it here. I hope you enjoy the break, and friends, and sleep, and chance to remember that the birth of Christ happened in order that the death and resurrection of Christ might come about.
Ten thousand thank yous to Reid, who introduced me to the song detailed in the title. WHO SANG IT? If you know, make yourself heard! And in the meantime I won't be in the country. Everyone who will be at the wedding of the century, you have a good time. Everyone else, shame on us!
Kisses

Daytripper

Ok, here's my second story, sorry it took so long, Jeff et. al.
The snow's a lot meltier and the roads are much clearer since it warmed up, but last week they were pretty slick yet, and I've got to cross one to get to class. So I did my usual prance across traffic to get to Renaissance and Reformation and hit a slick spot.
WHAM!
I fell on my side with unbridled indignity, bruising my hip. Then some punk-ass sophomore who drives to class pulled up to the stop at the street and began to turn right onto the street, where I was still struggling to stand. He has the gall to honk repeatedly at me, then give me the finger. I muttered things about his questionable parentage under my breath, then grabbed a chunk of ice and chucked it at his red Grand Am, and I think I dented it, but I ran off like a naughty little kid, so I don't know what he did after that. What a lousy piece of crap. At least I got his piece of crap American-made car.
I hope this story was worth the wait, all. Now my question of the day:
Is it true?

Two Stories

For the final Plant Morphology lab today, the prof had each of the three of us in the class prepare a food with algae in it, as a way of engaging the subject matter, I guess. So I got all set to make these pork-kelp roll things, rehydrating an entire package of kelp and buying two pounds of pork. So at about 1 last night I was up cutting up pork and spicing it before rolling it up in kelp strips. Turned out I used less than a half pound of pork and about a foot of kelp blade, when I rehydrated about 6 feet of the stuff. So now I have five feet of kelp at my disposal. But our story takes a tragic turn when I wake up this morning to go take a test at 8. My kelp wraps needed to cook for at least three hours in boiling water, so I put the heat on low and dropped them in a pot of water on the stove. When I came back four hours later, a strange smell seeping out into the yard under our front door gave me brief warning that all was not well. Opening the door removed all doubt. Apparently the water in the pot had boiled off long before my return and the things not only burned, but apparently caught on fire, because when I arrived they were already little charcoal lumps in the bottom of the pan. And I can't forget about it, because burnt kelp smells sort of like a crematorium, at least I'm guessing so. So our apartment smells like dead people and we can't air it out because all of the windows are frozen shut.
This post is already too long, so I'll save my second story for tomorrow. The question of the day is, what to do with five feet of spare kelp? The more creative the answer, the better of a friend you are!

YES

Watch this please!
Leindert Van Beek played it in Chapel this morning. I was delighted.

Excuse me while I kiss the sky

Back from the WI! I had a great time, but nothing really happened, so I'm afraid I have little to report on the weekend. I got home and my house smelled of fish. It still does.
Lots to do this week. Today was supposed to be a solid homework day, but so far it's mostly a sit around and pretend to do homework day. I don't really know how I managed to pass high school with a 4.0. It's a mystery.
Someday I'm going to sit around all day and just color. With REALLY good colored pencils and complicated coloring books. None of this Precious Moments crap.
And finally, to boost my ratings and comment return, I'm going to scrap with the current desktop image and biggest desire and instead ask a question, so that people who read this can have something to reply to if nothing else strikes their fancy. Today's question: Why did Christian Bale stop dancing? He's done well for himself as the stoic and silent Batman/John Preston from Equilibrium type, but - WOW - that guy had moves. Remember Newsies? Swing Kids? Gold, solid gold.

Goblet of Fire!!!!

Yep, that's about it. I am mega-stoked. Scar in place, wand in hand, and lots of homework to do while waiting. Harry Potter forever!

Getting the s*** kicked out of me by love

A few nights ago there was a concert choir shindig down by the new firepit, and while parts of it were unusual, I very much enjoyed the little chat I got to have with Dr. K. We spoke of beer, grammar, coffee, and the Texas Two-step. It made my night, if not my week.
I did not pass on to the second round of NC/DC, a fact about which I harbor very little true regret, because it just took too much time and energy. I'm glad to have time again to do homework and take leisure without feeling guilty about letting down my school. Now all of the remaining contenders had better step it up and go the distance.
Tonight for coffee time I have made oatmeal brownies. I made them up as I was baking them, but I don't think they'll be as singularly odd as the "cookies"/papillion I made last time. THOSE were some weird stuff.
And now, my weekly quote from The OC:
"Do not EVER mess with Journey." - Ryan Atwood, the hottie with a short fuse and excellent music taste.

Hit 'em hard, let 'em know who's who

You know what I love?
Good college football. Despite the fact that I live with a bunch of sports haters, I will step out and say that I do love some sports. Namely college football and college basketball, because I say that the professional varieties of these two fine recreational activities are basically separate sports because they're so corporate.
That being said, you know what else I love?
That the University of Arizona, which I will admit has an abysmal record on the season (I think we've won......three games?) is absolutely smearing UCLA, which has a perfect record to date. It makes me miss the days of season tickets to games with my mom, sitting up in the nosebleeds and fighting off 4 inch long grasshoppers and moths just to get a chance to shake my keys at every kickoff and cheer with every first down.
I'm sure most of my reading audience hates me right now, since I've dedicated an entire post to talking about my love of sports, but rest assured, I'll return to my typical sarcasm soon enough. Kisses all!
Current Desktop Image: A Microsoft Paint picture my sister drew me to show her rebellion and disgust at having to analyze her own urine for an introductory Biology class.
Biggest desire at this moment: To be at Arizona Stadium, surrounded by mutant insects, screaming my guts out.

I got soul but I'm not a soldier

Hooray, I'm updating! I'm taking advantage of my illusory break that is Friday afternoon to prattle on about unimportant things in my life since, hey, I don't have a 15 page paper due until Tuesday!
Yesterday I stood with Marcel, Craig, and the Wienbergs in front of the Campus Center and gave out free hugs. People around here don't go for hugs, it seems, because I only gave out 3. But I found out that, despite the hugs being free, they made $13 off of hug-tificates. I'm quitting school and becoming a professional hugger.
Tomorrow morning I'm leaving at 5:30 with my plant morphology prof and two classmates to drive to central Iowa to check out Woodman's Hollow. We're going to spend all day taking notes, drawing pictures, and collecting samples of mosses and liverworts. Dig it. I'm so sleeping in the car. If anyone wants a moss sample, let me know and I'll hook you up.
I have to get back to making agar plates in a bit. Sometimes I forget I'm a biology major, and then when I remember I laugh a lot because I think I'm an embarrassment to the department. Oh well.
Current Desktop Image: a bunny with a pancake on its head
Biggest desire at this moment: security. Not just a sense of it, but the real thing. It is good.

Throw up your rawkfist

At the behest of Sammy G., I am updating, and I'll try to be a bit more frequent. Sorry Sam.
Tonight we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving, which is a fabulous holiday, if for no other reason, because it meant we got three kinds of pie for dessert tonight. HOWEVER it is also a fabulous holiday because my lovely roommate is a Canadian, and she's awesome.
I am so excited for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to come out. Like, seriously, who wants to wait in line opening day with me????
I went running tonight and it was a fiasco, because apparently after eating a Thanksgiving meal you have to wait more than two and a half hours to avoid cramping, plus I'm still a little sick so my throat was all nasty and my ears hurt. Basically I cried all the way home.
This had better satisfy all 4 of you who read this for a day or so, because it's too late for me to think of anything more clever...
Current Desktop Image: Something my sister sent me, and it's basically an inside joke so none of you would appreciate it. Philistines.
Biggest Desire at this Moment: to redo this past Saturday night. If you want details, feel free to ask. I may or may not tell you.

Gimme three steps

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted, I guess. Hmmm, an update on my life as it has progressed since last y'all heard:
I am of legal drinking age. And I do it ALL THE TIME. Ask anyone!
I have become proficient at procurring catcalls from mysterious residents of North Hall. I must be sexier than I used to be.
I like Bright Eyes.
I am woefully behind in most of the reading for most of my classes. It's pretty frickin' awesome...
In lieu of gifts, most of the people I know gave me chocolate for my birthday. The thought it nice, but chocolate don't pay the bills.
I'm going to Kansas City for Tri State to visit friends, and it will be a wild party, no doubt. What happens in KC STAYS in KC.
I learned Farsee.
That's about it. Except that last one was a lie. Vaya con Dios, muchachas!
Current desktop image: definitely Billy Idol looking sexy
Biggest desire at this moment: front row seats at a Lynrd Skynrd concert. Not backstage, because they're kind of gross, but the music = sweetness

Frivolity

New rule: Every grassy hill you see, you must roll down. That is all.
Current desktop image: the lead singer of The Streets (British rap group) singing over a pint
Biggest desire at this moment: cherry limeade

What the......?!?

Where the hizzy did all of those ad things come from???? I thought I was all popular again when I came on the other day because I saw I had 7 comments for my last post. Then I found out they were all advertisements for really stupid things. Like, I didn't bother to find out what they were for.
Good story, Bethany.
Current Desktop Image: the lead singer of The Killers
Biggest Desire at this Moment: a 30 hour day. That's all