Squirrel! -215

I have never been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. I sometimes say, "Sorry, I'm just a little ADD sometimes" when I get distracted. It probably isn't fair to people who actually have that disorder. I can't imagine actually having it. I have enough trouble focusing as it is. But it is my own fault. I try to do too many things at once. For instance: listen to music, reply to text message, and look at funny picture. I just don't have the mental capacities to do all of these things at the same time. I can't even talk or listen while I'm texting actually. I end up trying what was said and then I have to stop one of the things and do only one thing at a time. When I want to drown out noises and write a paper, I usually have to turn on classical music.

It is easy to drive, listen to the radio, and carry on a conversation, so why can't I multitask with other things? A while ago, I rode around the entire loop (1-mile) while eating mozzarella sticks. In case you did not infer, that means I didn't touch the handle bars for a mile!

Anywho... I kinda just rambled because I didn't leave myself good instruction about what to write for this day. I must have been distracted...

Shop Smart -216

I finally got my truck back today. It took longer than expected, and I was late to my lunch date with Tim and Chrissy. We enjoyed delicious Breadsticks, Soup, and Salad! Afterwards, I went to Sam's with them for the fun of it. I ended up getting awesome Pentel G2 Pens, yummy TGIFriday's Potato Skin chips, chewy Quaker Chewy Bars, and "healthy" Lemon-Lime Gatorade. Honestly, that's a pretty pathetic mix. But it's just what I found.
I don't really go to Sam's very often. Probably less than 10 times in the last 4 years. I went multiple times for new student orientation. It's an art to learn how much food you need for certain size groups of people for certain occasions. I definitely sucked the first time I ordered sandwich meat for a group. Apparently, people don't like ham as much as I do, they hate roast beef, and everyone loves turkey. Lesson learned.

A Series of Unfortunate Events -217

So, Saturdays are the best! I get to sleep late! The weeks are flying by, and I feel like I don't even know what's going on! Probably because I don't sleep regular hours. People keep telling me that it will get better after school, but later doesn't matter, now is what I'm experiencing!
Once I was finally awake, I attempted to do homework. I wasn't super productive though. When I decided to take a break and go mow, the sky fell out and mowing was no longer an option. With the rain, I was even less effective in my homeworking....
I decided to go to Enoch's Stomp to see Elizabeth. I ended up catching up on a bit of blogging while I ate chips and salsa and drank coffee. It was a weird combination for sure! After they closed, I helped clean up. It's amazing how many LeTourneau students work there. We all got ready to leave and made our way to the parking lot. There, Matt's car would not start. After trying to pop the clutch, they decided to give it a jump. That's about the time that Mark realized the fuel line on Martin's motorcycle was leaking on his pant leg. They reattached it and we took off. A couple miles down the road, it came off again. I pulled over and put my emergency lights on. Moments later, Elizabeth and Matt and Josh pulled up behind me. We had a whole line of cars pulled over with flashing lights. People drove by slowly and gave us weird looks. Matt had some electrical tape and I had a pocketknife; Mark did his best to make it last until we got to campus. Thankfully, it held all the way back. But the poor guy had to ride in the rain at points.

I try to tell a story about sometime in the past that had a similar story. Fortunately, I have never experienced a situation like this before! Unless you simplify it down to the phrase "exciting events with friends." Then I have tons of stories! Like the time I was riding in the back of Jimmy Stewart's truck and he drove into the ghetto. Something was going on that was so sketch that he slammed on his breaks and did a super fast 3 point turn to get us out of that place super fast! Of course, I had no idea what was going on. I just thought he was being a crazy African driver. I rode my bike down that same road this summer, not so bad in the daytime.

Vaccination and Castration -218

At the end of every episode of The Price is Right, Bob Barker would always say, "Bob Barker reminding you to help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered!" After being prompted by James to get Black Angus fixed and confirming that he could stay, I set up an appointment to get him immunized and and castrated today. I had to borrow a pet carrier from a professor because I didn't have one. I felt so bad for him. Last night I locked him in the garage to keep him from eating anything. Then I locked him into the carrier. Next I put him in a car, which he hated. Followed by turning him over to people who stole his manhood. I know it's for the better, but I don't think he is going to like me tomorrow.

Luckily, I can say that I have no stories for the last 3 years about castration. I do have a funny story about immunizations. Well not immunizations I guess, still a shot though. My sophomore year I had a really bad cold or allergies that I couldn't get over. So I went across the street to the clinic. They told me I needed a steroid shot. Little innocent me rolls up my sleeve. The nurse looks at me with a disappointed look and shakes her head. "What?" I ask completely clueless about the impending doom. "Turn around and pull your pants down." I was ready to leave as soon as she said that. I tried to convince her that I would probably get better soon and didn't need the shot after all. There was no way around it though. She was determined to give me that shot. I was mortified as I pulled down just one side of my pants half way trying to keep as much of my rear end covered as possible. To her it was just another butt to stab a needle in. To me, it was the first person to see my butt in over 10 years! The shot hurt a bit, and it helped me get better. But next time I will probably just try some vitamin C and lots of water or something. 

Best Day Ever!!! -219

TODAY WAS THE BEST DAY EVER!! I woke up to an email that Auditing had been cancelled. So then I had time to finish some work for Tax. Then, during Tax, I got an email that Romans was cancelled! I was so excited because I hadn't done the homework yet. Next, I was excited to hear that I get to keep my kitty! Finally, I got a popsicle from YAC! I was super excited about life all day!

It's kinda funny how students are excited about not having class. They don't realize that that is valuable time that they are losing. Not only is it instruction that they miss and material that may not get covered, but it is wasted money! I once calculated the cost per minute of class. Assuming a 55-minute hour (some classes are 50 (60) and some are 80 (90) ) and you take 18 credit hours, for approximately 15 weeks including holidays. With the cost of tuition at $12,625, that means that every boring minute costs you around $0.85 whether you are there or not and whether you pay attention or not. I work for about $0.14 per minute. That means I would have to work 6 minutes for every minute I'm in class. 18 hours + 108 hours = 126 hours. That only leaves 42 hours in a week. So, if I could survive on 6 hours of sleep a night, not eat, not study, not go to church, then I could break even. But how am I going to find anyone who will work me 108 hours a week? That's over 15 hours a day! I would totally die! I just need a better paying job right? But who is gonna pay me $21 an hour so that I only have to work 40 hours a week to breakeven? Okay. This is stressing me out. I'm done calculating this depressing information! I'm just going to think about how good today was!

So Long Sucker! -220

All good things must come to an end. That includes counseling. As I was walking to counseling I said to myself, "self, you seem to be in decent shape. You've grown a lot since you started therapy. I think you would be okay if you didn't go to counseling anymore." Well I'm glad that I said that to myself because I was prepared when Deena told me that she wasn't going to be counseling anymore. It came as a bit of a shock, but I will be okay. I'm happy for her because it sounds like a good change.

That boy who brought me coffee, he is the one who originally convinced me to go to counseling. I have to thank him for that because it has been really good for me. The woman I originally saw was good, but Deena has helped me make leaps and bounds! I will miss my sessions! I'm glad she isn't leaving the school!

Artificial Stimulant -221

This morning I was nearly late to class. The class that if you get 3 tardies, it's an absence and each absence drops you a letter grade!

The rest of the day I was super tired. So tired that I asked someone, anyone, to bring me coffee. Kelly, the secretary for the psychology department brought me a cup of coffee. It made my day!

My sophomore year, I had a boy who always brought me coffee at the library. We talked some, as long as no one needed help, and got to know each other. He had asked a friend what kind of coffee I like before he ever brought me the first cup. Apparently he liked me! We ended up dating for nearly 6 months! In the end, it wasn't meant to be. 

It Takes Courage -222

Remember that test from Friday? It was pretty bad for everyone. The highest score was an 86 and the average was 69. He gave us the ability to make up 14pts though! So hopefully I will get a better grade after the adjustment.

Since I'm a senior and a chapel skipper, I didn't realize that one of my friends shared her testimony in chapel today. I have tried to be there for her since she confessed her struggle to me. But I don't know how to deal with cutting. Last fall when she disappeared from campus, I knew that was why. I felt so bad for not telling anyone, but God had people in place to keep her safe. Listening to her testimony later online brought tears to my eyes. She had never told me the full story, but I don't blame her. I was so blown away that she sat on stage and told everyone her story! I couldn't stand there for a minute making an announcement let alone for 10 minutes telling my story! It took so much courage and I am so proud of her!

Vroom, Vroom -223

I tend to speed. There is no excuse for my wrecklessness. I simply like to go fast! On my way home, I was caught going 87mph in a 65. I got off with a warning. How you might ask, that's only 3mph under the felony of wreckless driving. It might have something to do with the awkward couple that was parked in the dark where I pulled off the road. Officer Coffee was slight distracted by them, I think they were underage. Anyways, I drove slower the rest of the way.

My sophomore year, there was a super awkward couple that would always sit in the lobby of Gilbert. I once saw her laying on top of him while they watched a movie. It was super gross and I never talked to them after that! They are married now.

Yahtzee, Yahtzee, Yahtzee! -224

I didn't really have a plan of what I wanted to do today because my trip was so last minute. I figured if I wanted to see my mommy, maybe she wanted to see her mommy! So I drove my mommy down to my ganny's house for the day.

I am the baby of the family. My mom is the baby of her family. Her mom is the baby of her family. It's kinda cool to be the baby of the baby of the baby! There aren't many things that can entertain a 21, 50, and 80 year old. But I did manage to think of one thing. Yahtzee! That game was a staple for our family growing up. I haven't played in years though. I had to ask how to play. We had a grand old time singing our little chane when someone was one dice away from getting a Yahtzee! I am really glad that we got to hang out today! I am learning to cherish the times we have together. You never know how long you have left!

Quick Decision -225

My third and final test of the week was today. Unfortunately, the last test often is not given much attention. I don't think I did very on this test. Hopefully others didn't do well either so there will be a curve! Isn't that horrible? Wishing bad on others! It happens a lot though, and not just me.

Anywho, on my way to have lunch with my friend Kim, I called my mom. She sounded like she missed me pretty bad, so I decided to go home. After all, I just had three tests and minimal homework.

I have learned my lesson. Do not show up at the house without telling your parents you are coming home. They tend to get frightened. That is not a good thing.

Like a G6 -226

My third test of the semester. My second test of the week. My first test in aviation! I had a test at 8am in Foundational Concepts of Aviation Studies. It was multiple choice and slightly difficult. I felt confident going into the test, but afterwards was worried I hadn't passed.

Unlike most classes, she had the grades posted before lunch! I made a 91! I was super proud of myself! Then I remembered that the FAA uses an 8 pt scale. That means that 92 is an a. I made a B. I was annoyed at this. But it's close enough that I can probably recover!

I had another class once in which a 90 wasn't an A either. But I have had so many classes that I don't remember which class that was. Sorry bro. 

Lost and Found -227

Yesterday, in my sleep-deprived state, I managed to lose my pocket knife. It was clipped in my shorts pocket when I left my house in the morning, but when I got home, I couldn't find it anywhere. I immediately began freaking out and retracing all of my steps. After an hour of looking, I gave up an went to sleep. This morning, I was still very upset about losing my knife. I kept looking and asking people and emailing professors, secretaries, and anyone I could think of. I was very downtrodden as I left the School of Business. Across the hall I saw the computer lab and remembered that I had been in there for 2 minutes the day before. I walked in and asked the student worker if a pocket knife had been turned in. He gave me my knife and I was overjoyed! I hugged him because I was so happy! I ran to Dr. Sheafer's classroom to tell her I had finally found it! I hadn't cried that much over losing something since high school when I thought I lost over 400 pictures. The knife is special to me because a special person gave it to me! No one really understood why I was so upset, but how could they? They don't know James like I do!

Torture -228

I tend to be a procrastinator. Sometimes when I have test, I stay up most of the night before studying until the wee hours of the morning. Last night was no different! I stayed up until 5am and woke up at 7am to get ready for my 8am class. The test was in my 9:30am class. I think I did pretty well, but there really is no telling. I was slightly delusional at one point. Instead of writing "Scope Paragraph," I saw fit to write "Mouthwash Paragraph." when I showed Mrs. Bellamy, she smiled but was not nearly as amused as I was! I sat there laughing so much at my little joke that I began crying and had to leave the room so as to not distract the other test takers.

A couple semesters ago, I had a paper due for Mrs. Bellamy's class. I started it at 2am and finished around 7am. I stayed up to turn it in that morning. After it was graded, and I had a 95, I proceeded to tell her that I wrote it the morning it was due. She was not pleased. She told me that I wouldn't always be able to get away with that. So far, it seems to be working for me!

Oops -229

So when I don't have time to write my post for the day, I leave myself a note. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what "Government Online homework/ passing microsoft" was supposed to be about. I mean, I know that I was the only person to pass the Microsoft certification for Access and Excel last semester. But I'm not sure why I was going to talk about my homework.

Stalkers -230

Tonight I was ambushed outside of the library. As I left work at 12am, I saw standing near my car a figured I recognized. I told him thatstalking girls was not acceptable and he agreed. I asked why he was there, and he proceeded to tell me some overwhelming information. I took it with a blank look and semi-listened while freaking out on the inside. That's all I am gonna share about that incident.

Now let's flashback to freshman year. I rode my bike a ton back then! On two separate occasions, I came outside after class to find an apple on my bike. I never found out who did it, but I had my suspicions. I didn't want to confront the guy because it might have encouraged him, and I didn't like him at all. The guy was slightly creepy and I had 5 out of 7 classes with him one semester. He got married this summer, but he continues to say hi sometimes. We never were friends, so I'm not sure why he persists.

There is a quote about LeTourneau guys: The odds are good, but the goods are odd! I think it is semi true. 

The quote about the girls is slightly funny: Girls are like parking spots, all the good spots are already taken, and the rest are handicapped or way out there.

The Vampires Got Me -231

Periodically, Carter Blood Care comes to LeTourneau for a blood drive. I usually try to give, but this Thursday, I knew I needed to wait until today so I could donate with Jenni. I can't always give blood because my hemoglobin is not always high enough. You have to have a 12.5 in order to donate because they don't want you to become anemic. Today, I had a hemoglobin of 12.7! I did a little dance in my chair because I was so excited! Jenni hadn't been able to give for a while either. She got a false positive on a Hep B test, so they told her not to donate until she heard from them again. We were both excited to give!

Even if I do have a high enough hemoglobin to give, the donation process doesn't always go well. The first time I ever gave, I cried. Not because it hurt, but because I knew that someone out there was going to need this blood and it would save their life. It was kinda silly, but it made me cry.

Once I recorded the woman stabbing my arm and watched the video over and over, trying to make myself comfortable with the idea. It never worked and I still get nervous right before they put the needle in.

Another time, I was getting a little faint, so I asked for some water. About that time, the guy next to me passed out and when he woke up, he freaked out and it was a crazy ordeal. That was not my best experience.

Probably the worst experience was when I asked the girl if she was new and she told me it was her first week. I shouldn't have asked; I think it made her nervous. My arm has been stuck many times and has scar tissue. In an attempt to avoid it, she messed up. I couldn't look and I still don't know happened, but two other phlebotomists came over and had to fix it. I felt bad for her, but whatever. I survived, and that is all that matters.

The lady today did a great job!

She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy -232

I really don't have a great timeline in my head about when things happened when I was younger. Most of my stories about my childhood start out, "When I was nine,...." But that's probably not true most of the time. It could have been when I was seven or eleven. Sometimes I know exact dates, but mostly I just generalize with nine.

That being said, when I was nine, I started walking behind my dad with my toy mower and I "helped" him mow. Once I was big enough to mow by myself, he let me. I really enjoy mowing, even to this day! Despite many obstacles that I have encountered with it, something about it just relieves stress for me and gives me a huge sense of accomplishment.

Tonight, I decided that the grass was too tall and needed to be cut. Due to the storm on Wednesday, there were several limbs on the ground. So I first picked up all of them and cut the ones that were too big to fit in the garbage. I downed 2 gatorades and 2 waters in the process. I think my shirt had about 3 cups of sweat in it. But that's not a big deal to me, because it is where my sense of accomplishment comes from. Unfortunately, by the time I was finished and I put everything away, it was too dark to take a picture.

During college, that is one thing that I have missed, mowing. LeTourneau has a Grounds Department that takes care of all the lawn care needs! I suppose I could have applied to work for grounds, but they do more than just mowing, and I prefer my library job. I'm so glad to have a lawn to take care of!

For the record: It was a push mower, not a tractor. Also, I doubt anyone thinks that being covered in sweat and dirt is sexy.

Jesus said to give to Caesar what is Caesar's -233

You know, it's usually around week four that tests start up in all of my classes. Not for this kid. My first test was today: Week 3 Day 4. It was a TAX test, not to be confused with TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills).

I know how much you all love to file your Personal Federal Income Tax Returns! It is absolutely fascinating stuff! You start with your total income, take out any exclusions, such as interest on municipal bonds, to get to gross income. Next you subtract "above the line" deductions to arrive at adjusted gross income. Then, based on your position, you will take either the standard or itemized deduction. Subtract out personal and dependency exemptions to find your taxable income. Then, find which tax bracket you are in to calculate your tax. The last step is to apply any credits you may be eligible for, and you will have the tax due or a refund.

Sounds simple right? Well what if your dependent dad dies on January 3rd? Can you still claim him? What if your wife disappears on May 30th and you haven't seen her since? What is your filing status? Can you claim your 25 year old son as a dependent because he lives at home? Your husband and you are filing separately and he itemized. Can you take the standard deduction? All these questions have come up! Tax is a very complex thing. Perhaps I should restate that. Tax filing status, deductions, exemptions, and credits are complex. Taxes are simple, you owe money unless you can prove otherwise.

My first semester as a business student, Spring 2012, I helped with VITA, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. VITA is a program sponsored by the United Way. I had had no previous experience with tax and was not really sure what I was getting into. But with a little bit of training, and lots of practice, I ended up doing really well. I helped several people do their taxes that season! I think 1 may have been rejected, but that was because someone else had already claimed the kid. Needless to say, it wasn't my fault that it was rejected. I look forward to serving again next semester!

Freshman -234

I decided that, for my sanity, I needed to drop hours at work. The Wednesday morning shift was one of the first I dropped. Working from 7:45 until 12:00am was more than I could handle. So today, I slept in until 10:30 because my first thing wasn't until 11am. Whenever I have the chance, I try to sleep. The other hours I dropped were my afternoon hours at Facilities. So I went from having 12.5 hours of work today, to just 6.5 hours.

The evening shifts are the absolute best at the library. As long as the coffee is fresh and the books are shelved, you can do your homework the whole time. You still have to get the door count every hour and help students with stuff, but it's pretty chill. Well usually. Not tonight though.

I have never really minded freshman until today. I had homework that I was trying to finish when several slacker students came into the library trying to do an assignment that they were given at the beginning of school that is due tomorrow at 1:30pm. I laughed at first, because that was me 3 years ago; doing everything at the last minute! But when a student impertinently asked me, "What are you? A sophomore?" I was no longer amused by these boys. I indignantly informed him that I was a senior! I helped them with as much of the library homework as I could, and told them that they should have come earlier. I guess you can't really count on anything. Life goes on!

I'm Awake, What Else Do You Want From Me? -235

Whoever decided that 8:00am was a good time to have a class was smoking something! How on earth could teaching half-asleep students be a good idea!? In order to retain information, don't you have to process it? How are you supposed to process information that early in the morning?!

I guess 8am isn't that bad. It is definitely better than FS1 at 7:35am. But of course, the classes after lunch are nearly as bad since you've just eaten and want to sleep. 3pm is by far the worst! Who wants a class at 3pm?! That's nap time!

My 8am this semester is at least interesting. There is usually some music and lots of youtube! Plus, I have coffee, so I stay awake. Today seemed to drag on though. I felt like class was almost over, so I checked the time.....8:40am....only half way there. The last 8am class I remember having was freshman year, spring semester. Dr. Patrick Mays taught Biblical Literature. Before class every day, he would play music on his iPod Shuffle. That is one of two things I remember about that class. The other thing is that I got a B because he would not let me do anything to get extra credit. I was just shy of an A, 89.3%. That wasn't enough to round up, and I was very disappointed.

Forget It -236

I'm going to be honest. I don't remember much from Monday. The only thing worth mentioning is personal information belonging to another person. So, that being said, I can't tell you without causing hurt to someone else.

Kind of disappointing huh? Not getting what you expected. It sucks right? But that's what happens sometimes. You can't know everything that is going to happen, so you are bound to be disappointed when unexpected things happen.

How do you handle disappointment? Do you throw couches like I did? I hope not! That was a stupid decision. I don't recommend throwing things. Do you  yell at the person who caused the unexpected event? I hate being yelled at, so please don't yell at me.

Sometimes we don't handle our emotions well. It takes time and many experiences to learn how to properly/maturely handle what we are feeling. I don't handle some emotions well. But I have been in counseling long enough to talk myself through a healthy process to handle some of my emotions (at least to some extent).

I am not ashamed to tell you that I've been in counseling for two full years. It is really nice to be able to talk to someone older and wiser who won't judge me and who can offer help in understanding life. I think many people could benefit from counseling, not because there is anything wrong with them, but because it's a safe place to process life.

So that's my rant.

Heathen -237

When I told Dr. Sheafer that we would miss church this morning, she told me that we had to have a mini service in the car. True to my word, we played "Christian" music until 12pm. At that point I turned on MY SONG! I have listened to this song countless time since I bought it on Friday!

We would have gone to church, but Hannah needed to be back for something and I just wanted to get back so I could start on homework. I ended up sleeping instead, and I nearly missed the Aviation Ladies Kickoff! I arrived a little late, but so did the guest speakers! Now, I know you are wondering why I am attending an aviation event. It is because I was invited by my instructor. I am in Foundational Concepts of Aviation, so I get invited to stuff like that. I am all about free food, so I went. It was really cool! I enjoyed it for sure!

Going to that kinda felt like going to the School of Business academic chapel before I was a business major. I felt slightly out of place, but I had been invited. People tend to be very segregated at LeTourneau. Whether you live in Tyler Hall or Thomas Hall, whether you are an Engineer or an Aviation major, whether you are part of a society or club, we are all LeTourneau students! I think people forget that we have that in common.

The Big D -238

When Hannah asked who could take her to Dallas today, I jumped at the opportunity to travel home. I swung by Dallas Baptist University so she could surprise a friend, then continued to Arlington where I dropped Hannah off, and then I proceed to Denton to visit Katie! I haven't seen Katie since possibly Kevin's first birthday...he's nearly two. It was nice to catch up some as we ate at Chick-Fil-A, and nicer still to go to a library together. It brought back fond memories for sure!

After leaving Katie's house, I headed to James and Cecilia's house. Part of the afternoon required a nap. For dinner, we went to Denton, to Mr. Chopsticks, which is one of our favorites. It was my small attempt at thanking James for the car. But the day wasn't over yet. I still had to drive back to Arlington. I may have missed my exit in my sleepiness. I had a great day!

I hardly ever would have driven home for one day when I was driving my truck. It was not easy for me to justify that much gas usage for such a short trip! However, I did it once. February 2nd, 2013. I left from LeTourneau around noon and traveled to see Elise for her birthday. Around 2am, I departed from Dallas and arrived in Longview at 4:30am. That is the only time I remember making a day trip to Dallas. It was a great day!

What's in a name? -239

Tonight was the naming ceremony for the new girls on G1! Some girls got super excited about their names. Other girls were less enthused. A few were perplexed by their names. Unfortunately, I can't divulge any information about the names for two reasons. The first is that no one is allowed to know what their name means until their second year. The second reason is because I was not included in the naming process for whatever reason. (trying not to be bitter) For the next week, everyone must call each other by their floor name.

 When I came to LeTourneau, I was quite a loving, outgoing, hyper freshman. The upperclassmen thought of Dug, the dog from the movie UP, when they thought of me. Incorporating the double e at the end of my name, they named me "Dugee" (pronounced: Doug-ee). It was very fitting, and I have had professors call me that in some of my classes!

"My name is Dug. I have just met you and I love you!"

"Stop you dogs!"

"I do so ever want the ball please!"

"I can smell you!"

The name I received from 2A, our brother floor, was Tic Tac. I thought they were telling me that I had bad breath. That was not the case however. Tic Tac was short for Tic Tac Toe. Tic Tac Toe has X's and O's. X's and O's are hugs and kisses. That's what they thought of me.

The number that I chose for the back of my shirt was 83. Later I realized that that was when my parents got married. My reason for picking that number was because I got a ticket for going 83 mph in a 70 mph zone!

Picture Perfect -240

Yearbook pictures were taken today! I didn't remember until after I had already gotten to campus though. I asked if there would be retakes because I didn't want to get my picture taken today. To be transparent, I have a zit that I don't want published. Tony told me that I will have an opportunity in October to get a picture taken, so I will try to keep my face clear.

My freshman year, I took a good picture. I put on my red plaid shirt, straightened my hair, smiled, no big deal. The picture was great!

Sophomore year was quite a different story! I wasn't trying to look good. I wanted to look like a total nerd. With tape on my glasses, my hair in pig tails, my superhero cape, and a cheesy grin, I took my picture! I did not realize that the yearbook picture appeared on MS Outlook on networked computers. That means that whenever I sent an email to my professors, they saw my goofy picture! Bad decision!

For my Junior year picture, I wore my new grey button down and straightened my hair. I smiled and took a great professional looking picture! I use it on LinkedIn! My mom loved it and we ended up purchasing a package. My mom got the 8x10, Cecilia got a 5x8, Dr. Sheafer got a wallet, and the rest are still in my room. I've been meaning to frame the other 5x8 and give it to Laurie, but I haven't...

I think I'm going to be the type of parent who makes their child get a picture every year and frame them so that you can see the progression! 

You can sleep when you're dead -241

I have a tendency to be super ambitious. I think, "Oh yeah, I have plenty of time for this!" Then later, I realize that it is 3am and I haven't gone to bed yet! Every semester, it seems like I sign up for classes and work and end up dropping hours along the way. This semester was no different! Taking 18 credit hours and working 27.5 hours was already about to kill me by day 9, so I contacted my employers and reduced the number of hours I work. It was quite a relief to unload that stress. But I will point out that it is nearly 3am when I wrote this blog post. I did finish my homework, and hopefully, now that I have more time, I will be able to catch up and maybe get ahead.

My first freshman semester, I was working at University Development with the Phon-a-thon. That was a job I enjoyed, but would never apply for again. I called dozens of people and solicited prayer requests, up-to-date information, and money. Talking to Alumni about their time at LeTourneau was cool, but asking a graduate from two years ago, who hasn't got a job, to give money to a school that already caused him a huge financial liability, that is not my favorite thing to do! Since my hours were in the evenings, when I was supposed to be studying, I ended up quitting so my grades wouldn't suffer anymore. I kept the library because, "Who doesn't love getting paid to do homework?!"

Random fact: Charles Lindbergh was awake for 55 when he made his flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Just now, I was slightly tempted to stay up since I'm only going to get a couple hours of sleep this morning.

Truckin' Along -242

For EO tonight, the 2A Titans escorted the G1 Superheroes to a Ford F250. We loaded up and they proceeded to push us around the entire loop (1 mile) It is one of the annual EO activities that I enjoy! Afterwards, we played group games in MSC-3 which included: "Do you love your neighbor?", "Tarp Drop Name Game," and "Shuffle Butt." I had a lot of fun! I think I might get some bruises though. Shuffle Butt is a particularly awkward game because you are trying to sit down and you often end up in someone's lap...

So about truck pushing. Last fall, while going to the monthly dinner at Alex's parents' house, I was backing into the woods to save parking space. Unfortunately, I miscalculated the length of my truck. This caused the front end to slip over the edge of a small hill and I lost traction on the back tires (my truck is rear wheel drive.) It was terribly depressing because I had brought a Californian, eco-friendly car driving, guy friend that I had a crush on to dinner and he saw this girl, who always talks about how good she is at backing for a woman truck driver, get her truck stuck. Out of the house came 20 guys from 2A, they gathered around my truck and pushed me out of the ditch. I sat there for a minute and cried because I was embarrassed, but then I thought about the humor of it and laughed it off. I will never forget that moment of vulnerability when I had to ask my brothers to help me. Thanks 2A!

Extended Orientation: Take 4! -243

Tonight was the first night of Extended Orientation (EO)! Despite having a frick ton of homework to do, I went to the event because I am not going to miss out on anything this year, if I can help it!

After filling out a secret sister paper, we decorated cookies! We had to explain what our cookie said about ourselves. For instance, one girl put a yin-yang on her cookie and said that she feels like she is always contradicting herself.

My cookie said FRIEND and had a heart on it. Then I cut off some other places that didn't have frosting. My explanation was as follows:

My cookie says a lot about me because I really love my friends, but I don't have room for them all. (I ran out of space while writing). I am learning to cherish the friends I already have and stop trying to add so many new ones because there isn't enough time for everyone to be invested in well. While I was writing, I mispelled frei and had to wipe it off and correct it. This shows that I'm not perfect and I make mistakes. I try to clean it up and just keep going. The heart is because I love my friends. Finally, there are parts of my life that I don't like, and I wish I could just cut out some of the bad. But it's not possible to just remove them! I was just talking with a friend last night about wanting to physically remove emotional, mental, and spiritual burdens. So cutting off the extra cookie seemed like a great way to kind of remove some stress from my life. Several of the girls who don't know me well yet were caught off guard by the depth of my explanation.

Sitting there with only three other girls I met freshman year, we talked about some old memories from years past. I was reminded of being a freshman and not knowing what the seniors were talking about. I guess that's just how life goes. You learn and experience many things in college! I pity the student who leaves college without changing!

I pray that it's raining on Sunday... -244

This morning at church, we sang "Let it Rain" The band and the congregation were filled with passion as they sang out to God to rain down His love on us! Little did I know that God had rain in the weather forecast. We weren't really praying for rain, so I think that the rain was a result of me and Ryan washing my car. You can't wash a car without it getting messed up within a day or two.

I don't have a story about rain messing up my car, but I do have another story about rain. Some of you may be aware that LeTourneau's Memorial Student Center is surrounded by a berm. (Feel free to look up the term "berm" if you are not familiar with our campus!) A few years ago, when I was not wise, I went "berm-sliding" with some friends. Now there are rules about doing this, but we did not care. We got into clothes we didn't care about and ran up the big hill! After seeing a few people survive the ride, I put on my adventurous face and ran toward the edge! As my bottom hit the ground, I took off with great speed! I screamed all the way down! The fun lasted only a few more minutes before my bum hurt and we heard the sound of the police sirens. We ran back to our dorms all muddy! I didn't realize just how dirty I got until I took a shower! Not only were my shorts muddy, my underwear got muddy and I had dirt on my butt! I never did that again!