Greyhound and More

I left the Epps' house on Tuesday evening, and rode the Greyhound Bus to Toledo by Wednesday morning. To say that it was interesting is an understatement. Only I would start a conversation with someone who I later found out was a gang member that would think I was cute in my glasses, sweatpants, sports bra, no make-up etc. My personality must really shine.

There were too many layovers (one was an hour and fifteen minutes and the other fifty minutes) and the second ride I didn't get a window seat, so I wasn't comfortable enough to sleep. The third ride I had a window seat, but was too awake to fall asleep, and so I started being productive and wrote some of my paper for seminar. Ugh that silly paper. I've learned a lot about the church I attended through the interviews though. I'm supposed to write about it and compare it to my experiences at a different church.

I got to Toledo at 6:00am and my mom came and picked me up. We got home around seven. Marie was getting ready for school, and I got to see her before she left. Then I went to bed. Mom took me to the hair stylist to get my hair cut and then I came home and went for a walk with Mom and Dad. There's this trail about three quarters of a mile away from the house that we walked at. Then I got home and drove to the Hazlett house. It took about three and a half hours to get there... it gets longer every time. But it was so great to arrive and see Zach's family. His dad was sick while I was there, but everyone else except Taylor, who came home after I left, spent the evening together--we had some giggle fests while I ate supper, and ended up watching Fantastic Mr. Fox. Now I understand the conversations when Zach was talking about these characters said "cuss" instead of swearing at each other. It was a great movie. totally loved it. I went to bed early. especially at their house--eleven o-clock. I slept in Zach's room because my room has been converted into a TV/studio/big-TV-screen-with-a-mac-mini-attached-so-it's-a-blast-to-go-on-to-watch-iMovies-Zach's-siblings-have-made-in-the-past-few-months room.

His room was painted--the walls are now the same color as the hallway to the upstairs, and it seems much cleaner (because all the things that were in the corner with the fishtank is now located in the closet.)

The next morning, I spent a lot of time with Noraa, Jaynie, and D. It was fun. Noraa and Jaynie have three bunnies that they are taking care of right now. Noraa named hers Greybelle, and if it's a boy, GrayBill. :P We swung in the hammock together, and I heard a story about one time when Noraa stood on Zach's shoulders and made this character that did the Dooba Dooba Dance. . . (with his arms, but Noraa's head). . Noraa, Jaynie, and Pop went for a bike ride while I was there, it was so nice. D was making granola for the Easter service at church. It was really good, and she sent some home with me. 

I talked to D about foreign languages and pets, and told her excitedly about how someday I want to card wool to get the poop out of it (or that's how she interpreted it.)

Then I left that afternoon, and got a speeding ticket on the way home. It really sucked because I hadn't sped at all the entire time I was driving, until I checked my phone, and saw that Marie needed the car by five. Irrationally thinking I could make it home by then if I drove faster (there was no way), and realized that that wouldn't work, slowed down, and then I saw the police officer behind me. Meh. Made me mad. I sang worship songs really loud all the way home. 

I watched Bolt! it was funny, but not as good as I expected it to be. Miley Cyrus ruined it for me. 

Our church had it's Maundy-Thursday dinner and Tenebrae service. I arrived as I came home. As usual, I didn't know who to talk to and who to sit with, but people come and sit next to me,  So I ended up at an interesting table with lots of spunky older adults. 

I talked about myself a little (as the questions always do come) but then the attention turned to Ruth, a lady in her thirties with a boyfriend a couple hours away and why these people hadn't met him yet and etc..

On Friday, Mom and I went for a long walk with Rocket and then I took a shower to see how curly my hair would be with my new hair cut (and because I needed one). Pretty curly :), 

We went to the zoo, and it was PACKED. We usually go during the winter and so there aren't that many people there. The best place at the zoo this time for me was the greenhouse--there weren't many people there, and there was a banana tree with little green bananas on it. :) that was awesome. 

We drove to University of Toledo to see my friend Kristen. She went to Streetsboro from seventh grade through nineth grade, and was in my close group of friends before her family moved to Hudson (a town next door to Streetsboro, where I had my indoor soccer league). It was great to see her and we went to Arby's to sit because my family was so tired. We got to reminise and talk about school and friends and things. 

Now we are home, and I made an improvised version of curried tofu stirfry for supper. Mom and I worked on my prayer and financial support letter for my GO assignment. 

It has been great to play the piano at my own home. 

Taking University by the Horns.

(I was going to use my new college vocabulary, but I do know that there are some of my relatives who would not like to see how rebelious I am.)
Ahem.
I am not a Biology Major.
Ok. Technically I still am. On paper.
But my heart was changed weeks ago.
My "interest" in science was a self-placed psychologically tweeked engravement in my mind because I wanted to have a career that was financially stable. Silly silly reasoning. I did NOT want to be like my parents, and become pastors, going to seminary and not being able to always buy what I wanted. How selfish that statement is.
Within this first month of college, I have realized that I have A LOT to say. About God and about many other things. I like to be informed and to have the answer. I like to be able to tell other people about things so that they can also e informed. I love to tell people of the things I know in a laid back atmosphere. When I go running I can talk about what I'm thinking, blurting out thoughts as the enter my brain. I realized this month that I want to be directly helping make people happy, and more stable in that happiness.
At my first piano lesson, I realized how much of a commitment that two credit class was. My teacher, knowing that it wasn't my first priority, not being a music major, still made it possible for me to have an hour long lesson. The fact that I hadn't had a lesson for almost nine months showed how rusty I was, but she hit the nail on the head and we got going. I want to practice everyday. I want to play all the time. but I ahve these pesky classes that I have to go to. Biolopleh, which I have to have a diet Coke and constant texts from friends to survive, along with lots of burps and giggles with my friend Susan. And Chemistry... I have found a love. But it is time consuming and motivating to do better in. Chemistry is more absolute than Biology--it is more like math than science for me. Which is one of the reasons why I think I enjoy it. Realizing that, I could have done well in a math class this semester. And although it would have been time consuming, all of the work is directly related to a formula, which is preferred.
Back to Piano, though. It is directly connected to my brain. When I practice, it's not studying, a habit that I have to reinitiate myself with. It's like eating, and sleeping. Something that not only makes a day better, but it makes it so I can function. (Have you met me when I haven't eaten? I'm constantly reverting back to the hunger every five minutes.)
I'm addicted to caffeine, as stated for Biology. Who knew science was so boring I'd have to do drugs to get through it.
Not that all science is unbearable. I enjoy setting up Greta Ann's Human Anatomy and Physiology labs even though I haven't gotten to see any cadavers yet. My time will come. I did tell her I had interest in that. There are jars with pigs, possums, jeely fish, and some unidentified I think headless organism in them. There are also skulls. (All of these I have observed and entertained myself with while setting up labs and getting easily distracted.) The most surprising skull for me was the fetus skull. It was so light! I was surprised. But I recall holding baby Carmine, when I was working with Tessa this past spring. He was so light. It's saddening, and frightening, and I don't know what I think about it. If I had a baby and it died, I wouldn't donate it to science. That seems insensitive.
I'm kicking *butt* in my Ruling Ideas class. I'm writing a children's book. We were supposed to write it about a person college aged who made a difference. I was struggling with finding a person to write mind about. So I decided to do Jamila, who is in my Honors class, and participated in the Morocco YES trip this past year. The illurstrating is going pretty well, but it is time consuming and I don't know if I am going to be able to finish and still feel good about the pictures I'm drawing and shading. I will post the pages of the book after I am finished.
Animal blood.
Never thought I would write about it, but Greta Ann had to ahve it ordered for a lab, and it didn't come yet and so we were having to call the costumer service and see why it didn't come. The reasoning makes sense, but you'd think that they would inform the customer of the reasoning. "living" products are shipped directly from the vender on a different time schedule and they only ship on Tuesdays, and if one misses the time deadline on the Tuesday before they have to wait the entire week. That's what I learned.
I "like" my workstudy. Kind of like how I "like" dogs. I'm not sur ehwat would be better... considering there's not much work that I enjoy doing. But I could be an informant at the historical library. I just don't think I could work with Lois.
I went running yesterday. It went great. I think a lot of people are surprised that I can run so much.. Probably because I don't exactly have an athletic sort of body shape. But heck yes, I can run a little bit more than three freaking miles. :D
Dig it.
I have to pee and go get more diet Coke. And maybe go run again.