Week 8 is finished! Only two weeks left in the quarter. I am so glad. I saw a commercial for macy's yesterday and they showed video of the macy's day parade. It made me think of all the years waking up on thanksgiving morning and sitting on the couch in my pajamas watching the parade onTV with my mom. It reminded me of family and a day off of school and really good food. I think thanksgiving may be my favorite holiday now. And after finals, it's only one week until then. I will get to go home and see my grandparents and help grandma make the stuffing for the turkey. I am so excited!
Oh, that reminds me: I have a new little baby second cousin! Her name is Chloe and she was born on my mom's birthday, October 27th, at 9pm. We are going to go visit right after Thanksgiving because one cousin just had a baby and the other is getting married! This all happened in the last month.
The end of the quarter also means my classes are getting harder and my schedule is more hectic. I have two presentations on Tuesday, a big paper due on Wednesday, a quiz on Thursday, and a third presentation on the Monday after that. Daniel and I are going to Estes Park this weekend so I won't have that much time for homework. But thank goodness today was our last lecture in psychology. After today is just group presentations so I can start studying for the final. I took a biology test on Friday, and on Monday I found out that I got an A! I was so thrilled. I never ever expected to get an A. I was super nervous for it. So now my average is about a 90%. That makes this last test super important.
I am trying to pick up extra hours at work whenever I can. I am losing one shift because of Estes Park and two shifts because of the opera, so I want to make that up. I got two extra shifts this week so that helps. Every extra bit of money that I get is going straight into our savings account for Europe. I'm really hoping to get the RA job because then that will be $6000 that my grandparents are saving on my school that I'm sure they will put towards Europe. But Daniel and I are still trying to figure out how to pay for his part. His parents basically said that they won't give him any money. He has to raise it all on his own. I really really want him to go (obviously) so I am putting every extra dollar that I earn towards his trip. That's really hard because I am making a ton of money between my three jobs and putting a lot of it into our joint savings account. Daniel, on the other hand, has to borrow money from me just to pay his credit card bill. I'm okay with that because I love him and I know he needs help, but it's frustrating too. Sometimes I feel like I pay for everything. Once in a while it would be nice for him to take me out and pay for it himself. I have to give him credit for buying me a beautiful birthday cake though. It would be so much easier to build up a couple thousand dollars for Europe if two people were putting a couple hundred dollars in a month. Right now we both have committed to $50 a pay check, which is $100 a month. Obviously that won't accumulate enough to pay for the trip by itself, so we're counting on gifts from family at Christmas and extra income here and there from odd jobs to fill it in. But we're confident we can do it.
Thinking about all that money stuff is depressing. Even more depressing is my plans for halloween. I have to work. I should probably dress up to work at the desk, but I don't really have a costume and I don't want to buy one. Daniel is on duty so he can't go out either. I'm thinking I'll watch a bunch of movies. But not scary ones. I don't like scary movies.
I haven't gotten my absentee ballot yet and I'm a little concerned. But not enough to do anything about it I guess. I would feel terrible if I didn't vote, but I don't really know who to ask about my absentee ballot. On election night our school is opening up our big convention center and they are playing election coverage on the big huge media screen. Some of the political science professors are going to 'analyze' (like we need more of that) and they will have food and prizes and stuff. I think it will be fun. If I decide to go.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Birthday fun
Well my birthday turned out to be such a great day, mostly thanks to Daniel. After work I went back to bed for about an hour and then Daniel and I and some friends went out for lunch. Hope, Alex, Eric (and his parents - it's parents' weekend) went with us to Beau Jo's pizza. It's 'famous Colorado mountain pies'. The BEST part about it is that they make the crust with honey. So you are supposed to eat your pizza but save the crust and they bring out honey and you dip the crust in honey and eat it for dessert. It's delicious! I had like 4 crusts at the end. It was nice to just go out with friends and the weather was beautiful so we sat outside on the patio.
After lunch Hope invited us to go halloween costume shopping with her. Some of her high school friends invited her to a party so she needed a costume. We went to two different places before we found one that she liked. Daniel had to work at 3 so I dropped him off and went to pick up the cake for my party that night. It turned out to be much more difficult than I thought. The ice cream place doesn't have a parking lot, so you have to park on the street. Well it was really crowded so I drove around until someone left so I could park. When I got the cake and drove back to campus, all the streets were barricaded for the homecoming parade. I couldn't get to my dorm's parking lot. I was freaking out because the cake was melting in the passengers seat while I was waiting for the parade to go by. So Daniel got Jeff to cover the desk and he ran across campus to get the cake and take it back to the dorm. I found a general parking lot and left the car there. It was very stressful! I was planning on getting a nap after that, but no such luck. We had to do mail and by the time that was done, it was only an hour before my party. So we ate dinner in the dining hall and went upstairs for my party!
About 12 people came which was just perfect. We had enough cake for everyone, but not a ton of leftovers. Everyone sang happy birthday to me which was really awkward and embarrassing. But they insisted. Some people had to leave after just an hour or so because their parents were in town, but some people stayed and we played games until about 10pm. Then Eric came over and we hung out until he had to go to work at 11pm. Over all, it was a really great day. I got a gift from my aunt and uncle in Indiana which Nicole helped pick out. It was a necklace. I am terrible at picking out jewelry; Nicole is much better so I like it when she gives me jewelry. And one of my other friends Reema bought me Philosophy. I've always wanted to try it, but I have never bought it for myself. It smells like cinnamon and Christmas. I love it.
Today I have worked a lot. Daniel cooked me a delicious dinner so I could eat before work. I work exactly the same times that the dining hall is open so sometimes I'm just out of luck. And of course we had left over Bonnie Brae ice cream cake for dessert. Daniel and I also planned out our week in France. It's the first definite plans we've made and it makes me feel much more calm and excited instead of anxious and stressed. I think I'm most excited about Versailles. I am very nervous about figuring out how to say the french words though. Daniel and I totally butchered the name of every place we want to visit. The only one I know is "Versailles". And unfortunately we won't be in Paris on Bastille Day, but we will be there during the Tour de France.
This week is advising week and at the end of the week we register for next quarter's classes. We're in week 8 now! 3 more weeks until finals and then home for the holidays. I'm looking forward to going home much more now that I found out that my parents will be gone for two whole weeks and I'm going on a cruise with Daniel's family. So excited!!
After lunch Hope invited us to go halloween costume shopping with her. Some of her high school friends invited her to a party so she needed a costume. We went to two different places before we found one that she liked. Daniel had to work at 3 so I dropped him off and went to pick up the cake for my party that night. It turned out to be much more difficult than I thought. The ice cream place doesn't have a parking lot, so you have to park on the street. Well it was really crowded so I drove around until someone left so I could park. When I got the cake and drove back to campus, all the streets were barricaded for the homecoming parade. I couldn't get to my dorm's parking lot. I was freaking out because the cake was melting in the passengers seat while I was waiting for the parade to go by. So Daniel got Jeff to cover the desk and he ran across campus to get the cake and take it back to the dorm. I found a general parking lot and left the car there. It was very stressful! I was planning on getting a nap after that, but no such luck. We had to do mail and by the time that was done, it was only an hour before my party. So we ate dinner in the dining hall and went upstairs for my party!
About 12 people came which was just perfect. We had enough cake for everyone, but not a ton of leftovers. Everyone sang happy birthday to me which was really awkward and embarrassing. But they insisted. Some people had to leave after just an hour or so because their parents were in town, but some people stayed and we played games until about 10pm. Then Eric came over and we hung out until he had to go to work at 11pm. Over all, it was a really great day. I got a gift from my aunt and uncle in Indiana which Nicole helped pick out. It was a necklace. I am terrible at picking out jewelry; Nicole is much better so I like it when she gives me jewelry. And one of my other friends Reema bought me Philosophy. I've always wanted to try it, but I have never bought it for myself. It smells like cinnamon and Christmas. I love it.
Today I have worked a lot. Daniel cooked me a delicious dinner so I could eat before work. I work exactly the same times that the dining hall is open so sometimes I'm just out of luck. And of course we had left over Bonnie Brae ice cream cake for dessert. Daniel and I also planned out our week in France. It's the first definite plans we've made and it makes me feel much more calm and excited instead of anxious and stressed. I think I'm most excited about Versailles. I am very nervous about figuring out how to say the french words though. Daniel and I totally butchered the name of every place we want to visit. The only one I know is "Versailles". And unfortunately we won't be in Paris on Bastille Day, but we will be there during the Tour de France.
This week is advising week and at the end of the week we register for next quarter's classes. We're in week 8 now! 3 more weeks until finals and then home for the holidays. I'm looking forward to going home much more now that I found out that my parents will be gone for two whole weeks and I'm going on a cruise with Daniel's family. So excited!!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
It's my birthday....
...and I'm at work. Blech. I had to wake up early on my birthday. But the rest of the day is all mine! Birthday party tonight with all my friends and we're having bonnie brae ice cream cake (it's a Denver thing). Yum!
I'm kind of sad that I'm not with Nicole today. When I was growing up, I always desperately wanted my own birthday. But now that I'm grown up (mostly), I wish we could spend it together.
This morning right when I woke up, Daniel's mom called. She sang the traditional Rosen family birthday song. It's a little different than "happy birthday". Still nothing from my blood relations... kind of disappointing. But lots of facebook messages! That makes me smile.
I'm kind of sad that I'm not with Nicole today. When I was growing up, I always desperately wanted my own birthday. But now that I'm grown up (mostly), I wish we could spend it together.
This morning right when I woke up, Daniel's mom called. She sang the traditional Rosen family birthday song. It's a little different than "happy birthday". Still nothing from my blood relations... kind of disappointing. But lots of facebook messages! That makes me smile.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Happy anniversary to me!
Our anniversary was amazing. It was everything that I wanted... and more. So many of our friends wished us happy anniversary. I wore my beautiful new coat, and Daniel wore his anniversary present, a sweater from Banana Republic. And Daniel bought me a DU scarf from the bookstore. I have wanted one ever since I transferred here, but they are really expensive so I never bought it. But Daniel did! It's yellow and maroon striped with fringe on the ends and it looks exactly like the scarves that all the Gryffindors wear in the Harry Potter movies. When I first saw people wearing them on campus, I thought they had bought Harry Potter scarves. And then Daniel told me that they are actually DU scarves lol.
We went to the melting pot for dinner of course. The restaurant is beautiful. They have waterfalls through the entire thing. They gave us an anniversary card signed by everyone, and a free chocolate dessert! So we did this deal where it's one flat price for all four courses: cheese, salad, meat, and chocolate. After the cheese course, I was already feeling full so I had no idea how I was going to make it through the entire dinner.... but of course I did. We didn't finish everything though. There were a few pieces of chicken left on our plate that we just couldn't finish eating. But by the time the chocolate came out of course we had enough room for dessert! As my friend Hope says "there's a separate compartment in your stomach just for dessert". By the end of the meal, my stomach was completely full and I couldn't possibly eat another bite. We got the cheddar cheese, caesar salad, coq au vin (with red wine- yum!) for the main course, and yin and yang for dessert. In the pot is white chocolate on one side and dark chocolate on the other, in the shape of a yin yang. It was so cool! Pictures:
We went to the melting pot for dinner of course. The restaurant is beautiful. They have waterfalls through the entire thing. They gave us an anniversary card signed by everyone, and a free chocolate dessert! So we did this deal where it's one flat price for all four courses: cheese, salad, meat, and chocolate. After the cheese course, I was already feeling full so I had no idea how I was going to make it through the entire dinner.... but of course I did. We didn't finish everything though. There were a few pieces of chicken left on our plate that we just couldn't finish eating. But by the time the chocolate came out of course we had enough room for dessert! As my friend Hope says "there's a separate compartment in your stomach just for dessert". By the end of the meal, my stomach was completely full and I couldn't possibly eat another bite. We got the cheddar cheese, caesar salad, coq au vin (with red wine- yum!) for the main course, and yin and yang for dessert. In the pot is white chocolate on one side and dark chocolate on the other, in the shape of a yin yang. It was so cool! Pictures:
Other than that, it's been a very stressful week. We have been out every night until late and busy all day long. I made a list of the homework I have for this weekend, and it is twice as long as usual. I have two group presentations on the same day, November 4 which is two days after I am out of town. And the day after that, I have a huge paper due. So obviously I have a lot of work to do. As usual, I am going to try to get as much as possible done before that weekend so I'm not stressed out. Daniel is very concerned that I am going to ruin our romantic weekend by being anxious and stressed the whole time. But I promised him that I will try to get it done ahead of time, and even if I don't that I will just forget about it for 24 hours and enjoy myself.
I had a biology test today that I was really worried about. I got a B+ on my last one and there's only one more before the end of the quarter. And those are the only grades that we get so basically my test grades are my final grade as well. We got a new professor a few weeks ago. He is terrible. He seems very nervous like he's afraid of public speaking or something. And he contradicts our textbook and stuff which is really frustrating. So I did my best with studying and we'll see how it turns out.
My birthday is tomorrow. And so far I've received two cards: one from bells at church and one from the grandparents. That's a little sad.
I had a biology test today that I was really worried about. I got a B+ on my last one and there's only one more before the end of the quarter. And those are the only grades that we get so basically my test grades are my final grade as well. We got a new professor a few weeks ago. He is terrible. He seems very nervous like he's afraid of public speaking or something. And he contradicts our textbook and stuff which is really frustrating. So I did my best with studying and we'll see how it turns out.
My birthday is tomorrow. And so far I've received two cards: one from bells at church and one from the grandparents. That's a little sad.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Crazy busy!
Well I have been so so busy that I haven't had time to think let alone blog. But the last week has been very fun. I think mostly because I felt like it's been my birthday for the past week and it's not even until Saturday. I'm making up for last year when I had a crappy birthday.
So on Thursday Daniel and I went to a concert at Lamont. It was our very own lamont symphony orchestra with the London Symphony Choir. They performed Verdi's Requiem. It was amazing. Verdi writes such passionate emotional music, and the choir and orchestra performed it beautifully. There was this one part that repeats three times throughout the requiem and it's really really loud and the bass drum plays really hard. Every time the guy hit the drum I jumped in my seat. I couldn't help it! I have sensitive ears or something, I don't know. But it was great.
On Friday, I worked as usual. A LOT. And then on Saturday Daniel took me out on a date. We made reservations at P.F. Chang's. Daniel doesn't usually like to go there, so it was a nice treat for me. Afterwards we went to banana republic. Last winter every time we went to the symphony or someplace nice I never had a nice coat to wear. All I had was my boring old windbreaker. So I needed like a peacoat or something more formal. Well, banana republic had a sale this weekend: 30% off all outerwear. There was a beautiful coat that I saw a few weeks ago, but didn't buy because I thought I would get one around my birthday and it was super expensive. So I bought it this time, but for 30% off! And we had a coupon for an extra 10% off on top of that, so I got it for about $100 off. yay! I also bought my mom and sister's birthday presents. Then we went to the symphony. It wasn't anything exciting, but I had to go for one of my classes.
Also this weekend, my grandparents bought Daniel and I tickets to see Madama Butterfly the opera. It was my birthday present! I am so excited! I saw one opera this summer and I LOVED it, so I am super excited to see this one with Daniel. And I will get to wear my new coat and be all sophisticated. The tickets were over $100 a piece, they are very good seats. And the shows were almost all sold out so we got some of the last available tickets.
Finally, this weekend probably THE MOST EXCITING thing happened. Daniel and I decided that this summer we are going to go to EUROPE!! Originally, I asked my mom if she thought I could study abroad this summer in Italy. Our friend Jeff was planning on going and looking for some friends to go with. Well, my grandpa said that instead of paying for tuition, he would pay for me to just go on vacation there. Daniel's parents said the same thing. So... there you go. Daniel and I are now planning our vacation to Europe. Here's our plans so far (completely flexible at this point): Leave Denver on July 8 and fly to Madrid, Spain. Spend one week in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, etc.) then take the train to France. Spend a week in France (Paris, Versailles, etc..... see the Tour de France) then take the train to Switzerland. Spend a few days in Switzerland and maybe a few days in Austria or Germany. Then go to Italy. Spend a week in Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice). We are planning on about four weeks total. I also want to go to Greece, but I figure on our honeymoon we can take a cruise to Greece, so it's not essential to do that on this trip. I think the places we have planned will be plenty for four weeks anyways. Yesterday we went to Borders and bought this huge guidebook for Europe so we can start planning our itinerary. We already have our plane trip picked out. We found a flight for pretty cheap. It leaves on July 8 in the evening, lands in London then two hours later leaves for Madrid. And with all the fees (there are a lot) it would be about $1600 a piece. That's actually really cheap compared to what we've seen other places. I am SO EXCITED!! And I'm about 90% sure my grandparents are going to pay for my expenses. Daniel and I are both saving $100 each a month now to put towards the trip. And every birthday/Christmas gift from both of our families will hopefully be cash towards the Europe trip. Can you believe it??? We are so lucky. Hopefully we'll find some friends or siblings to go with us. I think the more the merrier.
Back down to earth now. This morning, my mom's best friend Karen called and said that she is in town for business and invited me and Daniel to dinner. So we asked some friends and found a uniquely denver place that's supposed to have like the best burgers in the country. It was really fun. She is a fun person to talk to, and it was nice to have a tiny piece of home to come visit since parents weekend is coming up and everything.
Tomorrow is our anniversary. Six years! Holy cow. That's a lot. All I can say is I'm dying to get engaged. Who knows..... maybe we'll buy a ring and get engaged in Europe. And on Saturday is my twentieth birthday. I got my first gift yesterday. It was from Daniel's parents. It was such a great gift! It was a manila envelope. Inside was a bunch of information and an application to get a passport and $100 cash. It is an awesome gift because in December I am going on a cruise to Mexico with them and I will need a passport for that and Europe. So they sent me the money to pay for the passport. They are so sweet. I love having two families. It's the best.
Okay, it's time for bed. I have to work at 5am tomorrow. Then in the evening.... The Melting Pot! Wow my life is so exciting right now!!
So on Thursday Daniel and I went to a concert at Lamont. It was our very own lamont symphony orchestra with the London Symphony Choir. They performed Verdi's Requiem. It was amazing. Verdi writes such passionate emotional music, and the choir and orchestra performed it beautifully. There was this one part that repeats three times throughout the requiem and it's really really loud and the bass drum plays really hard. Every time the guy hit the drum I jumped in my seat. I couldn't help it! I have sensitive ears or something, I don't know. But it was great.
On Friday, I worked as usual. A LOT. And then on Saturday Daniel took me out on a date. We made reservations at P.F. Chang's. Daniel doesn't usually like to go there, so it was a nice treat for me. Afterwards we went to banana republic. Last winter every time we went to the symphony or someplace nice I never had a nice coat to wear. All I had was my boring old windbreaker. So I needed like a peacoat or something more formal. Well, banana republic had a sale this weekend: 30% off all outerwear. There was a beautiful coat that I saw a few weeks ago, but didn't buy because I thought I would get one around my birthday and it was super expensive. So I bought it this time, but for 30% off! And we had a coupon for an extra 10% off on top of that, so I got it for about $100 off. yay! I also bought my mom and sister's birthday presents. Then we went to the symphony. It wasn't anything exciting, but I had to go for one of my classes.
Also this weekend, my grandparents bought Daniel and I tickets to see Madama Butterfly the opera. It was my birthday present! I am so excited! I saw one opera this summer and I LOVED it, so I am super excited to see this one with Daniel. And I will get to wear my new coat and be all sophisticated. The tickets were over $100 a piece, they are very good seats. And the shows were almost all sold out so we got some of the last available tickets.
Finally, this weekend probably THE MOST EXCITING thing happened. Daniel and I decided that this summer we are going to go to EUROPE!! Originally, I asked my mom if she thought I could study abroad this summer in Italy. Our friend Jeff was planning on going and looking for some friends to go with. Well, my grandpa said that instead of paying for tuition, he would pay for me to just go on vacation there. Daniel's parents said the same thing. So... there you go. Daniel and I are now planning our vacation to Europe. Here's our plans so far (completely flexible at this point): Leave Denver on July 8 and fly to Madrid, Spain. Spend one week in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, etc.) then take the train to France. Spend a week in France (Paris, Versailles, etc..... see the Tour de France) then take the train to Switzerland. Spend a few days in Switzerland and maybe a few days in Austria or Germany. Then go to Italy. Spend a week in Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice). We are planning on about four weeks total. I also want to go to Greece, but I figure on our honeymoon we can take a cruise to Greece, so it's not essential to do that on this trip. I think the places we have planned will be plenty for four weeks anyways. Yesterday we went to Borders and bought this huge guidebook for Europe so we can start planning our itinerary. We already have our plane trip picked out. We found a flight for pretty cheap. It leaves on July 8 in the evening, lands in London then two hours later leaves for Madrid. And with all the fees (there are a lot) it would be about $1600 a piece. That's actually really cheap compared to what we've seen other places. I am SO EXCITED!! And I'm about 90% sure my grandparents are going to pay for my expenses. Daniel and I are both saving $100 each a month now to put towards the trip. And every birthday/Christmas gift from both of our families will hopefully be cash towards the Europe trip. Can you believe it??? We are so lucky. Hopefully we'll find some friends or siblings to go with us. I think the more the merrier.
Back down to earth now. This morning, my mom's best friend Karen called and said that she is in town for business and invited me and Daniel to dinner. So we asked some friends and found a uniquely denver place that's supposed to have like the best burgers in the country. It was really fun. She is a fun person to talk to, and it was nice to have a tiny piece of home to come visit since parents weekend is coming up and everything.
Tomorrow is our anniversary. Six years! Holy cow. That's a lot. All I can say is I'm dying to get engaged. Who knows..... maybe we'll buy a ring and get engaged in Europe. And on Saturday is my twentieth birthday. I got my first gift yesterday. It was from Daniel's parents. It was such a great gift! It was a manila envelope. Inside was a bunch of information and an application to get a passport and $100 cash. It is an awesome gift because in December I am going on a cruise to Mexico with them and I will need a passport for that and Europe. So they sent me the money to pay for the passport. They are so sweet. I love having two families. It's the best.
Okay, it's time for bed. I have to work at 5am tomorrow. Then in the evening.... The Melting Pot! Wow my life is so exciting right now!!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
So excited!
I made reservations for our anniversary dinner tonight. We are going to the Melting Pot in Littleton. We have never been there together and I'm not sure Daniel has ever been there at all. I am so excited! It's going to be romantic and delicious and so much fun! And on November 1, Daniel and I are going to spend the night up in Estes Park at the place we are going to get married! I'm going to be 20 and we are going to be celebrating our 6 year anniversary. Wow. six years. That's a little crazy. I'm so so so excited!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Brownies!
I just finished making brownies. I love brownies. I love anything with chocolate in it.
This weekend was really fun. I spent a lot of time hanging out with friends and working as usual. I didn't have nearly as much homework as I nearly do, probably because mid-terms just ended. On Friday I worked for most of the day. From 11am-1pm when I work at the desk it's also Jeff's office hours so he's at the desk with me. He mentioned that he wants to study abroad in Italy this summer, but he doesn't want to go by himself so he asked if I was interested. He told me more about it and it sounds great! I didn't want to study abroad initially because I didn't want to miss a whole quarter here. But 5 weeks in the summer sounds perfect. It's not too long, and I won't miss any class here! And Italy is probably one of the top 5 places I want to go (mostly for the food!) So I talked to my mom and she agreed that it's a great idea! She said that my grandpa would probably be willing to support me and pay for it. We'll talk about it some more over the next few months. When I got off at 9 that night, Daniel invited me to go over to Tim's house with Eric, Jeff, and one of the new brothers. We had to work at Nelson at 11pm, so we couldn't stay for that long. It was fun to hang out with all the guys. That night was the first really cold night of the season. It was almost freezing outside. Daniel and I came back and worked until 1am. Just before our shift ended, I got a call from Leora over at Nagel. She said that the person who was supposed to take over at 1am and work until 7am was in the emergency room. He works at our hockey arena and he was hit in the head with a hockey puck. So I had to go up to Jeff's room and knock on his door and let him know what was going on. He's in charge of the desk so he had to find someone to cover those shifts. I felt so bad waking him up, but that's his job.
On Saturday, I woke up early to get to work at 9. I was so tired from the night before, but I had to go to work. It was wet, misty, and COLD outside. When I got home, Daniel was still in bed. I went back to sleep, but I had a group meeting for psychology at 12. I thought I would just sleep for 45 minutes and then head over to the library. But, I overslept. I woke up at 12:15 and I decided to just ditch the meeting. I was too tired. Now I really regret that decision because all weekend I have felt so guilty about it. I missed the first group meeting because I was sick and now I missed the second one. And we have a paper due tomorrow which I had nothing to do with. I feel terrible. I emailed them and told them I would write the paper, but nobody replied. Every time I think about it my stomach knots up. But I can't go back and change it. Hopefully they aren't really angry tomorrow when I see them in class. When I woke up it was pouring rain outside. Daniel invited me to eat at Chili's with his brothers. They had spent all afternoon at the park playing volleyball in the rain for a Greek philanthropy event. So I drove over to Chili's and we had lunch/dinner. Daniel and I had planned on going to Elitch Gardens that night, but it was 40 degrees outside and pouring rain, so we thought it was going to be way too cold to be outside on roller coasters and stuff. Instead, we went to an exchange with DZ. Because Theta Chi won the tournament, they were invited to an exchange at Stick-E-Star. It's a bar basically right on campus. I felt very uncomfortable surrounded by sorority girls wearing skimpy clothes and trying everything to get alcohol even though they were underage. But I survived for a couple hours. Then Jeff and Daniel and I decided to go home and watch "Saw". For my psychology class I had to watch a scary movie and analyze my fear reflexes. I HATE scary movies. I never ever watch them because I don't enjoy being scared. But Jeff convinced me that I have to see this movie. Before we even started watching it, I was freaking out. But I got through it. I did not enjoy it whatsoever. And for the rest of the night, I wouldn't let Daniel leave my side and I had to have the TV on to keep my mind off the movie. I highly doubt I will watch Saw 2, 3, or 4.
Sunday is my one day to sleep in and I enjoyed it. I worked again for most of the day. After Daniel's chapter meeting that night, we went over to Jeff's apartment up on the fifth floor. All three Erics and a bunch of the other brothers were up there. We ended up just hanging out and talking until almost midnight. I really regretted that this morning when I had to wake up at 7am to be at class. But it was really fun anyways. I shouldn't have gone to class this morning. My professor assumed nobody would come because it's the day after the mid-term, so we just watched a movie. She gave us all 10 extra credit points on our mid-term for being there, but I only missed 3 points altogether so it would have been more worth it to me to have slept in. But I was already there, so I stayed.
The weekend went so fast and now it's the sixth week of class! This quarter is going by so fast. I finally feel like I belong here at DU. I am involved in the school, I have a ton of friends, my classes are going so well. On three mid-terms I got a B+ and two A+s. Tomorrow I will find out my fourth. I am loving living in Nelson with all my friends and making a ton of money while doing my homework at the desk. And my admissions blog went live today! Everything is going great :-)
This weekend was really fun. I spent a lot of time hanging out with friends and working as usual. I didn't have nearly as much homework as I nearly do, probably because mid-terms just ended. On Friday I worked for most of the day. From 11am-1pm when I work at the desk it's also Jeff's office hours so he's at the desk with me. He mentioned that he wants to study abroad in Italy this summer, but he doesn't want to go by himself so he asked if I was interested. He told me more about it and it sounds great! I didn't want to study abroad initially because I didn't want to miss a whole quarter here. But 5 weeks in the summer sounds perfect. It's not too long, and I won't miss any class here! And Italy is probably one of the top 5 places I want to go (mostly for the food!) So I talked to my mom and she agreed that it's a great idea! She said that my grandpa would probably be willing to support me and pay for it. We'll talk about it some more over the next few months. When I got off at 9 that night, Daniel invited me to go over to Tim's house with Eric, Jeff, and one of the new brothers. We had to work at Nelson at 11pm, so we couldn't stay for that long. It was fun to hang out with all the guys. That night was the first really cold night of the season. It was almost freezing outside. Daniel and I came back and worked until 1am. Just before our shift ended, I got a call from Leora over at Nagel. She said that the person who was supposed to take over at 1am and work until 7am was in the emergency room. He works at our hockey arena and he was hit in the head with a hockey puck. So I had to go up to Jeff's room and knock on his door and let him know what was going on. He's in charge of the desk so he had to find someone to cover those shifts. I felt so bad waking him up, but that's his job.
On Saturday, I woke up early to get to work at 9. I was so tired from the night before, but I had to go to work. It was wet, misty, and COLD outside. When I got home, Daniel was still in bed. I went back to sleep, but I had a group meeting for psychology at 12. I thought I would just sleep for 45 minutes and then head over to the library. But, I overslept. I woke up at 12:15 and I decided to just ditch the meeting. I was too tired. Now I really regret that decision because all weekend I have felt so guilty about it. I missed the first group meeting because I was sick and now I missed the second one. And we have a paper due tomorrow which I had nothing to do with. I feel terrible. I emailed them and told them I would write the paper, but nobody replied. Every time I think about it my stomach knots up. But I can't go back and change it. Hopefully they aren't really angry tomorrow when I see them in class. When I woke up it was pouring rain outside. Daniel invited me to eat at Chili's with his brothers. They had spent all afternoon at the park playing volleyball in the rain for a Greek philanthropy event. So I drove over to Chili's and we had lunch/dinner. Daniel and I had planned on going to Elitch Gardens that night, but it was 40 degrees outside and pouring rain, so we thought it was going to be way too cold to be outside on roller coasters and stuff. Instead, we went to an exchange with DZ. Because Theta Chi won the tournament, they were invited to an exchange at Stick-E-Star. It's a bar basically right on campus. I felt very uncomfortable surrounded by sorority girls wearing skimpy clothes and trying everything to get alcohol even though they were underage. But I survived for a couple hours. Then Jeff and Daniel and I decided to go home and watch "Saw". For my psychology class I had to watch a scary movie and analyze my fear reflexes. I HATE scary movies. I never ever watch them because I don't enjoy being scared. But Jeff convinced me that I have to see this movie. Before we even started watching it, I was freaking out. But I got through it. I did not enjoy it whatsoever. And for the rest of the night, I wouldn't let Daniel leave my side and I had to have the TV on to keep my mind off the movie. I highly doubt I will watch Saw 2, 3, or 4.
Sunday is my one day to sleep in and I enjoyed it. I worked again for most of the day. After Daniel's chapter meeting that night, we went over to Jeff's apartment up on the fifth floor. All three Erics and a bunch of the other brothers were up there. We ended up just hanging out and talking until almost midnight. I really regretted that this morning when I had to wake up at 7am to be at class. But it was really fun anyways. I shouldn't have gone to class this morning. My professor assumed nobody would come because it's the day after the mid-term, so we just watched a movie. She gave us all 10 extra credit points on our mid-term for being there, but I only missed 3 points altogether so it would have been more worth it to me to have slept in. But I was already there, so I stayed.
The weekend went so fast and now it's the sixth week of class! This quarter is going by so fast. I finally feel like I belong here at DU. I am involved in the school, I have a ton of friends, my classes are going so well. On three mid-terms I got a B+ and two A+s. Tomorrow I will find out my fourth. I am loving living in Nelson with all my friends and making a ton of money while doing my homework at the desk. And my admissions blog went live today! Everything is going great :-)
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Love (sigh)
Yesterday in Psychology, we talked about love. It is so interesting to me. I think love is one of the most mysterious things. How is it that I fell in love with Daniel? What is it about us that draws us closer to each other than anyone else in the whole world? Is it a chemical thing, or just something we made up to make us happy? Is Daniel THE person for me, or are there thousands of people in the world that I could just as easily fall in love with, if only I had met them first? There are so many things we don't know about it. In class we talked about the evolutionary function of love. Basically, we evolved to love because it gave us a better chance at surviving. We were more likely to reproduce healthy children. But also, in the animal world, mating is actually kind of evolutionarily dysfunctional. For example, male birds are usually brightly colored to attract a female mate. And we talked about stereotypes of love and if they're true. I know that mine and Daniel's relationship is very unique, so it's hard for me to relate to other people. I mean I've never dated around. I don't have any exes to compare to Daniel. It's actually kind of weird. But obviously, really cool too. I mean how many other people knew their husband in middle school? How many other people can say they have never kissed another person besides their husband? And how many people can say that they knew who they were going to marry in high school?
It's the weekend! I love the weekends because I always have tons of time to hang out with my friends. And I don't have hardly any homework this week because we just finished with mid-terms. So basically it's working and hanging out with friends!
Daniel and I are starting to plan our anniversary/my birthday weekend. I think we are going to go to the Melting Pot for dinner on the 22nd and then on the 25th a bunch of friends are coming over for a party for my birthday! Then in November, we are going up to Estes Park to spend a night in a cabin up there. Really, that's just to see the reunion cabin where we want to get married. And we want to see how much snow there really is on the ground and what the weather is like.
Today I got a package from my Aunt and Uncle. They sent me a bunch of Halloween decorations and candy and rice krispies treats! yum! I'm really lucky because I have my parents, grandparents, and aunt and uncle to spoil me. It's basically just me, my sister, and my brother because my other cousins are secluded in the church of scientology. Although we are planning on going to visit them in December. Daniel and I were already planning on going to Disneyland right after Thanksgiving. Well my cousin Cedar is due to give birth really soon, so my grandparents mentioned that they want to go visit her and the baby sometime while I'm home for Christmas break. I think that sounds awesome! I hardly ever get to spend time with my grandparents because when I'm home in the summer, they're in Utah and when they're in Phoenix, I'm in Colorado. So it would be great to get to go to Disneyland with Daniel, spend some time with my grandparents, and meet my new second cousin all in one trip! I'm so excited!
It's the weekend! I love the weekends because I always have tons of time to hang out with my friends. And I don't have hardly any homework this week because we just finished with mid-terms. So basically it's working and hanging out with friends!
Daniel and I are starting to plan our anniversary/my birthday weekend. I think we are going to go to the Melting Pot for dinner on the 22nd and then on the 25th a bunch of friends are coming over for a party for my birthday! Then in November, we are going up to Estes Park to spend a night in a cabin up there. Really, that's just to see the reunion cabin where we want to get married. And we want to see how much snow there really is on the ground and what the weather is like.
Today I got a package from my Aunt and Uncle. They sent me a bunch of Halloween decorations and candy and rice krispies treats! yum! I'm really lucky because I have my parents, grandparents, and aunt and uncle to spoil me. It's basically just me, my sister, and my brother because my other cousins are secluded in the church of scientology. Although we are planning on going to visit them in December. Daniel and I were already planning on going to Disneyland right after Thanksgiving. Well my cousin Cedar is due to give birth really soon, so my grandparents mentioned that they want to go visit her and the baby sometime while I'm home for Christmas break. I think that sounds awesome! I hardly ever get to spend time with my grandparents because when I'm home in the summer, they're in Utah and when they're in Phoenix, I'm in Colorado. So it would be great to get to go to Disneyland with Daniel, spend some time with my grandparents, and meet my new second cousin all in one trip! I'm so excited!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Victim # 3
Tonight at dinner I killed my third "assassins" victim. He didn't even see it coming. The game is over this weekend. I think we are going to see who has killed the most people, and that person wins. I have killed three right now. I looked up my next target on facebook and memorized her face. So we'll see... I just may get four before it's all over.
Mid-terms are finally done! I took my last one this morning. I did WAY better than I thought I would. Every single test took less than an hour which is usually a good thing. I felt confident so I think I did well. On biology I got a B+ which isn't bad. I really want to keep up all As, so I will have to do better on the next two exams to get an A in the class. But since I'm not falling asleep everyday anymore, that shouldn't be hard. I haven't gotten my grades back for spanish, psychology or Core (the one I took this morning), but they were very easy.
The past few days have been packed full of hanging out with friends and doing fun stuff. Last night Daniel and I attended a "values dinner". It's an event put on by the student life office. They invite pretty much everyone, and whoever RSVPs gets to go. There were about 50-60 people split up into 5-6 tables. It was completely free. We dressed in "business casual" (I never know what that means) and met up in the Gottesfeld room. It's a little room in our athletic center right under the bell tower. It is a beautiful room with chandeliers and elegant paintings and things on the walls. We had a three course meal. I didn't know anybody at my table, so I met 9 new people. There were little boxes on each table with 20ish questions inside. While we ate, we took turns going around and answering questions about our values. The questions were designed so that I really got to know the people at my table. We only spent an hour together, but by the end of the meal I knew a lot about each person. And I love any reason to get a free meal that's not in the dining hall.
Then after dinner Daniel and I went to Jeff's room for his "cookie dessert". He made up this crazy dessert. He takes a roll of cookie dough and spreads it in the bottom of a baking dish and bakes it. Then you scoop out a little of it, add a mound of ice cream, sprinkles, and tons of toppings, and sit in front of the TV and gorge yourself. Or at least that's what Jeff does. I just had a polite little serving of cookie. We had fun gossipping with Jeff and Nikki and her boyfriend Brian. The latest gossip is about the kid with the swimming pool in his room. This weekend the RAs on duty discovered that a resident had an inflatable pool in his room. He used his trash can to fill it up with water from the shower. He was in his bathing suit swimming in his dorm room. And when the RA came in, he promptly told her to take her shirt off and join him. So she called campus safety and they waited there while he took 2 hours to empty the pool one trashcan-full at a time. The things these crazy college kids think up. He must have been very intoxicated.
Today Daniel's boss, Jessica, asked me if I was planning on being an RA next year. I told her that I probably was. Then she asked that if a position opened up sooner than that, like this year, would I be interested? I told her yes. I didn't realize that there are rumors circulating that one of the RAs is going to quit. I am so excited at the prospect of being an RA! I love all of the staff here, and I know all the pro staff. I know all the rules and policies and everything. It would be a really easy transition, and I think Jessica thinks so too. So it seems that I may be offerred the job soon. And that means... free room and board! That's $10,000 off my school costs. It's still far from certain or even probable that they will pick me to replace the RA that quits, but it's a possibility.
I feel like this year I am so much more involved with everything on campus. I work for res life, the physics and astronomy department, and the office of admissions. I'm in choir and sweetheart of Theta Chi. Last year I was in nothing. I went to class and then hung out with my friends in the evenings. This is so much better. I get special privileges because I know the pro staff. And I am making a ton of money with all of my jobs. And I feel like I have a real investment in the school. Like I am making a difference on campus. Besides that, I have made triple the number of friends I had last year. I am always waving to people in the halls and I always have someone to eat lunch and dinner with. I love it! This year is awesome.
The quarter is half over. I will be back in Phoenix in six weeks. And I'm actually really looking forward to it. I miss my friends back home. And my family too. And who doesn't love Thanksgiving dinner? yum!!
My birthday is in 17 days. Daniel is planning a party for me here in our dorm. I haven't had a party in such a long time. 2 years actually. I remember my 18th as one of my favorite birthday parties ever. I think because of the people that were there. I hope this year is as good as that party.
Mid-terms are finally done! I took my last one this morning. I did WAY better than I thought I would. Every single test took less than an hour which is usually a good thing. I felt confident so I think I did well. On biology I got a B+ which isn't bad. I really want to keep up all As, so I will have to do better on the next two exams to get an A in the class. But since I'm not falling asleep everyday anymore, that shouldn't be hard. I haven't gotten my grades back for spanish, psychology or Core (the one I took this morning), but they were very easy.
The past few days have been packed full of hanging out with friends and doing fun stuff. Last night Daniel and I attended a "values dinner". It's an event put on by the student life office. They invite pretty much everyone, and whoever RSVPs gets to go. There were about 50-60 people split up into 5-6 tables. It was completely free. We dressed in "business casual" (I never know what that means) and met up in the Gottesfeld room. It's a little room in our athletic center right under the bell tower. It is a beautiful room with chandeliers and elegant paintings and things on the walls. We had a three course meal. I didn't know anybody at my table, so I met 9 new people. There were little boxes on each table with 20ish questions inside. While we ate, we took turns going around and answering questions about our values. The questions were designed so that I really got to know the people at my table. We only spent an hour together, but by the end of the meal I knew a lot about each person. And I love any reason to get a free meal that's not in the dining hall.
Then after dinner Daniel and I went to Jeff's room for his "cookie dessert". He made up this crazy dessert. He takes a roll of cookie dough and spreads it in the bottom of a baking dish and bakes it. Then you scoop out a little of it, add a mound of ice cream, sprinkles, and tons of toppings, and sit in front of the TV and gorge yourself. Or at least that's what Jeff does. I just had a polite little serving of cookie. We had fun gossipping with Jeff and Nikki and her boyfriend Brian. The latest gossip is about the kid with the swimming pool in his room. This weekend the RAs on duty discovered that a resident had an inflatable pool in his room. He used his trash can to fill it up with water from the shower. He was in his bathing suit swimming in his dorm room. And when the RA came in, he promptly told her to take her shirt off and join him. So she called campus safety and they waited there while he took 2 hours to empty the pool one trashcan-full at a time. The things these crazy college kids think up. He must have been very intoxicated.
Today Daniel's boss, Jessica, asked me if I was planning on being an RA next year. I told her that I probably was. Then she asked that if a position opened up sooner than that, like this year, would I be interested? I told her yes. I didn't realize that there are rumors circulating that one of the RAs is going to quit. I am so excited at the prospect of being an RA! I love all of the staff here, and I know all the pro staff. I know all the rules and policies and everything. It would be a really easy transition, and I think Jessica thinks so too. So it seems that I may be offerred the job soon. And that means... free room and board! That's $10,000 off my school costs. It's still far from certain or even probable that they will pick me to replace the RA that quits, but it's a possibility.
I feel like this year I am so much more involved with everything on campus. I work for res life, the physics and astronomy department, and the office of admissions. I'm in choir and sweetheart of Theta Chi. Last year I was in nothing. I went to class and then hung out with my friends in the evenings. This is so much better. I get special privileges because I know the pro staff. And I am making a ton of money with all of my jobs. And I feel like I have a real investment in the school. Like I am making a difference on campus. Besides that, I have made triple the number of friends I had last year. I am always waving to people in the halls and I always have someone to eat lunch and dinner with. I love it! This year is awesome.
The quarter is half over. I will be back in Phoenix in six weeks. And I'm actually really looking forward to it. I miss my friends back home. And my family too. And who doesn't love Thanksgiving dinner? yum!!
My birthday is in 17 days. Daniel is planning a party for me here in our dorm. I haven't had a party in such a long time. 2 years actually. I remember my 18th as one of my favorite birthday parties ever. I think because of the people that were there. I hope this year is as good as that party.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Me?! Playing Softball?!!
Yup, that's right. Yesterday was Tri-delt's annual "Strike out Cancer". All the Greek organizations (and a few others) pay $200 to enter themselves in this softball tournament. We go to Cornerstone Park and play 20 minutes games. Daniel and I were a little late because I had to work. We got to the park around noon, and our team had already won a game! Each team has to have at least 4 girls, and at least 10 total, so like most of the other fraternities, we borrowed a few tri-delt girls to play on our team. The game that we won, however, was actually a tie. So we rock, paper, scissored for it and won. Then we had a catered lunch while watching another team play. There were actually three fields going on at once. And there were something like 12 teams I think. Then I got to play! I stood out in the outfield and when the ball came near me, I chased after it and threw it to the pitcher. I didn't have a glove, so it was a little scary. We lost that first game. Since it was double elimination, we were still in the tournament. So then we played GB. That's a sorority, so it was pretty easy to beat them. And I got to bat in this game! After two swings that missed, I hit one pretty hard and got a double! I was so excited. When I got to the base I jumped up and down. My whole team was also very surprised and happy. But then the next batter hit one pretty hard into the outfield, so I ran really hard for third base. Half-way there, I realized my whole team was telling me to turn around and run back to second because it was caught in the air. I had so much momentum going in the forward direction that when I reversed, I slid in the dirt and fell. My jeans and hands got very dirty. So then I felt like a real softball player! The next game, we lost badly. I did get a hit again, but I didn't make it home. It was really fun to get outside on such a beautiful day and make money for a cause. All the money went to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
On the way home we stopped at Costco. It's the first time we've had a chance to go there since we got here to Colorado. We got a giant thing of toilet paper, a 5 lb bucket of cookie dough, and some steak. So that night, Daniel cooked us a nice meal with steak! He did such a good job. It makes me really happy that he knows how to cook. I can't wait until we have our own place and we can cook dinner more often. After dinner, Daniel was on duty so we had to stay in the dorm all night. My friend Hope was working the desk, so I went to hang out with her while Daniel went on rounds. And when I got down there two of our other DAs were there, so we all hung out. We ended up playing Scattergories for like 2 hours. I did pretty well, but Hope beat all of us by a lot. Then it was time for bed. It was such a great day. I got to spend pretty much all day with Daniel. I'm a little sore today, but it was worth it.
On the way home we stopped at Costco. It's the first time we've had a chance to go there since we got here to Colorado. We got a giant thing of toilet paper, a 5 lb bucket of cookie dough, and some steak. So that night, Daniel cooked us a nice meal with steak! He did such a good job. It makes me really happy that he knows how to cook. I can't wait until we have our own place and we can cook dinner more often. After dinner, Daniel was on duty so we had to stay in the dorm all night. My friend Hope was working the desk, so I went to hang out with her while Daniel went on rounds. And when I got down there two of our other DAs were there, so we all hung out. We ended up playing Scattergories for like 2 hours. I did pretty well, but Hope beat all of us by a lot. Then it was time for bed. It was such a great day. I got to spend pretty much all day with Daniel. I'm a little sore today, but it was worth it.
Friday, October 3, 2008
One mid-term done
This week was a little crazy. It went so fast, I can't believe it's Friday already! The highlight was definitely Wednesday. I woke up really early as usual to work at the desk. Class went quickly and I didn't fall asleep or anything which is unusual for Wednesdays. I had a paper due on Thursday that I was putting off, but obviously I couldn't procrastinate any more. So I sat down at noon and finished it in less than an hour. It felt so good to finally get it done and not have to worry about it anymore. Then when Daniel was done with class at 1, we did the mail really quickly so that we could get on the road and go up to the mountains!
Since we grew up in Arizona, we never got to see leaves change colors for the fall. We asked a few friends who grew up here where we should go and they gave us some really good ideas. So we hopped on I-70 west and just drove. We didn't have a particular destination in mind, or a time frame, or really any plans at all. We just drove. It was the most spontaneous thing that we have ever done, and I didn't have a panic attack! We saw signs for Red Rocks, so we decided to stop and take a look. It's this giant outdoor ampitheater built into the rocks. Daniel has been there to see a couple concerts, but I never have. It was beautiful. You could see for miles in every direction. The weather was perfect, too. There was a light breeze blowing, but it was sunny. Then we got back on the road and went up to the Continental Divide. On the way there is when we really started to see the leaves change. In the east and other places, the trees change to red and orange and yellow. In Colorado there are two types of trees: ones that stay green, and aspens that turn a bright gold. We could see patches of this blinding gold in among the green forests. The sun shined off them and it looked almost like fire. We stopped on the side of the road and took some gorgeous pictures.
We decided to drive up to Keystone and Silverthorne and have dinner. Keystone is a ski resort, but it's not open yet. Silverthorne is a little town just outside Keystone where there are lots of fancy hotels and restaurants and shopping and touristy type stuff. We have been there before in January when Daniel's fraternity brother/my boss/ our friend Jeff drove us up there to go snowboarding. We thought maybe some of the restaurants at the ski resort would be open, but it was just deserted. So we drove to Silverthorne to find a place to eat. Jeff knows Silverthorne really well because his parents live there. So he told us about this place called the Mint. There's no menu, just a meat counter. You pick out the meat you want and they hand it to you raw. Then you go over to this giant grill and cook it yourself. It was so fun! I'm glad that Daniel knows how to grill really well. It was delicious. At the table next to us was a couple from Georgia. They were nervous about cooking the meat themselves. They asked us if we did it ourselves and we told them yes. They seemed to think that if we could do it, then they could too. We started talking to them and had a really interesting conversation. They were obviously evangelical Christians. She went on for 20 minutes about how great it is to homeschool your kids because you can control what influences they have and who their friends are and stuff like that. And they asked about us and our plans for our future and all that.
So we left to drive back home at about 6:30. On the way back, we drove past this little town called Georgetown. Daniel has been there because one of his fraternity brothers owns a cabin there. It's the cutest little mountain town! All the houses are different pastel colors. The streets are built into the side of the mountain. And as we were driving through, a herd of deer walked right up to us! They weren't afraid of us at all. Crazy!
It was such an awesome day. We spent the whole day together and I didn't have any homework to worry about, and Daniel didn't have any phone calls, or work to do, or anything. We both had such a great time. We were exhausted that night, but we had to do our laundry. So at 10:30pm when it was finished we both passed out and fell fast asleep.
Today I had my biology mid-term. I waited until last night at 11:00pm to really sit down and study. The day was so busy with class until 6, and then dinner, and the VP debate, and then we played taboo with some friends at the desk until 11. I sort of read through my notes, and made flashcards and stuff ahead of time, but nothing serious. I never ever procrastinate like that, but I think it went okay. I guess I'll find out on Monday when I get my test back. I have a spanish mid-term on Monday, Core (classical music) on Tuesday, and Psychology on Wednesday. So it seems that my weekend will be full of studying. Psychology is really the only one I need to study for. Spanish isn't difficult, and of course classical music will be easy. I just need to study the names and artists of some paintings. I really hope these mid-terms go well. They're my first big tests of the year, and I want to start it off right!
Since we grew up in Arizona, we never got to see leaves change colors for the fall. We asked a few friends who grew up here where we should go and they gave us some really good ideas. So we hopped on I-70 west and just drove. We didn't have a particular destination in mind, or a time frame, or really any plans at all. We just drove. It was the most spontaneous thing that we have ever done, and I didn't have a panic attack! We saw signs for Red Rocks, so we decided to stop and take a look. It's this giant outdoor ampitheater built into the rocks. Daniel has been there to see a couple concerts, but I never have. It was beautiful. You could see for miles in every direction. The weather was perfect, too. There was a light breeze blowing, but it was sunny. Then we got back on the road and went up to the Continental Divide. On the way there is when we really started to see the leaves change. In the east and other places, the trees change to red and orange and yellow. In Colorado there are two types of trees: ones that stay green, and aspens that turn a bright gold. We could see patches of this blinding gold in among the green forests. The sun shined off them and it looked almost like fire. We stopped on the side of the road and took some gorgeous pictures.
We decided to drive up to Keystone and Silverthorne and have dinner. Keystone is a ski resort, but it's not open yet. Silverthorne is a little town just outside Keystone where there are lots of fancy hotels and restaurants and shopping and touristy type stuff. We have been there before in January when Daniel's fraternity brother/my boss/ our friend Jeff drove us up there to go snowboarding. We thought maybe some of the restaurants at the ski resort would be open, but it was just deserted. So we drove to Silverthorne to find a place to eat. Jeff knows Silverthorne really well because his parents live there. So he told us about this place called the Mint. There's no menu, just a meat counter. You pick out the meat you want and they hand it to you raw. Then you go over to this giant grill and cook it yourself. It was so fun! I'm glad that Daniel knows how to grill really well. It was delicious. At the table next to us was a couple from Georgia. They were nervous about cooking the meat themselves. They asked us if we did it ourselves and we told them yes. They seemed to think that if we could do it, then they could too. We started talking to them and had a really interesting conversation. They were obviously evangelical Christians. She went on for 20 minutes about how great it is to homeschool your kids because you can control what influences they have and who their friends are and stuff like that. And they asked about us and our plans for our future and all that.
So we left to drive back home at about 6:30. On the way back, we drove past this little town called Georgetown. Daniel has been there because one of his fraternity brothers owns a cabin there. It's the cutest little mountain town! All the houses are different pastel colors. The streets are built into the side of the mountain. And as we were driving through, a herd of deer walked right up to us! They weren't afraid of us at all. Crazy!
It was such an awesome day. We spent the whole day together and I didn't have any homework to worry about, and Daniel didn't have any phone calls, or work to do, or anything. We both had such a great time. We were exhausted that night, but we had to do our laundry. So at 10:30pm when it was finished we both passed out and fell fast asleep.
Today I had my biology mid-term. I waited until last night at 11:00pm to really sit down and study. The day was so busy with class until 6, and then dinner, and the VP debate, and then we played taboo with some friends at the desk until 11. I sort of read through my notes, and made flashcards and stuff ahead of time, but nothing serious. I never ever procrastinate like that, but I think it went okay. I guess I'll find out on Monday when I get my test back. I have a spanish mid-term on Monday, Core (classical music) on Tuesday, and Psychology on Wednesday. So it seems that my weekend will be full of studying. Psychology is really the only one I need to study for. Spanish isn't difficult, and of course classical music will be easy. I just need to study the names and artists of some paintings. I really hope these mid-terms go well. They're my first big tests of the year, and I want to start it off right!
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