Holiday? What In The World Is That?

No, seriously.

My record is getting worse. We all remember the absent-mindedness that was my Valentine's Day (*hint: click the link if you don't remember*), and here we go again. Today is Memorial Day. The day known across the nation as a time to honor veterans of crazy wars, and barbecue the mess out of some hamburgers and chicken. Sadly though, in all of the rippin' and runnin' (as my Mama would say!) that is my life at Carleton, my memory did not remember Memorial Day, until my sister started talking about all the barbecue she was going to eat and my Dad about all the barbecue he was going to cook. Only then did it start to jel in my mind -- the end of May, everybody off of work, everybody talking about barbecue, Monday. . . *click!* And then it came to me. It's ridiculous. When I'm here, the goings-on of the rest of the world kinda get put off, while the papers and meetings and tests and all the rest of the junk I have to do everyday takes over my mind. (Scary!) There's no such thing as a holiday (this is even true for real Holy Days. Scarier!) on the Carleton campus. It's sad.

But luckily I don't have to deal with that mess anymore, because I'm getting up out of here in 12 more days!! Yeah!

Happy Memorial Day, anyway, everybody. Even if you forgot all about it like me.

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A Verse For You Today:

It is a faithful saying:

If we die with Him, we will also live with Him. If we suffer and endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown Him, he will disown us. If we are faithless, He will remain faithful; He cannot deny Himself. . . Study to show yourself to God as one approved, as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, who correctly handles the word of truth. ~ II Timothy 2: 11-13, 15

The Misadventures of Frank and Tina

Or: A Night Out in Northfield.

Right. So I haven't been THE BEST BLOGGER! EVER! lately. I know. No excuses or anything. I just expect to be forgiven.

And with that, I'll move on! You love the randomness. I know you do.

Okay. Yesterday was our Senior Banquet. Our brilliant, magnificent, monumental, lavish, luxe, unforgettable Senior Banquet. Complete with dry chicken, raw green beans, streakers, unintelligible, slurred speeches, many varied and incoherent toasts, and plenty of drunk people trying to steal the wine from our table. An awesomely memorable evening on the whole.

(If you didn't pick up on the sarcasm above, I gotta ask why do you read this page? It's so not for you. LOL.)

Well, what could possibly top such a supper as that? Hardly anything. Almost nothing except, re-performing that classic International Festival Dance with Edaeni. And then going to a Visions of California information session, and finding out that next year's porgram will spend extra time in the following places: San Francisco, Catalina *and* Lake Tahoe. *AND,* I say, *AND,* they get to chill in Santa Cruz for the Steinbeck portion of the trip, instead of the unbearably lame Pajaro Dunes. Those lucky ducks. I hope they appreciate all the new improvements to the trip, man. Goodness knows I told them all about how good they're gonna have it.

And then, some hours later, after venting about prejudice and the campus community, the coolest kids on campus decided to go downtown for "HIP HOP NITE" at a local bar. On the way we met "Frank," who hung out of his third story window, just to say "hi" to us fine looking ladies. Did he have time to put his shirt on before speaking? Nope. Was he drinking? Probably. Nice enough guy, anyway. We then progressed to the scene of all the action -- "HIP HOP NITE." Did it live up to my expectations? Oh, yeah. Which is to say that "HHN" was as lame as lame can get -- wack music, too much smoke, and no one there. Right. Lame. So we went for food (walked thru the drive thru, yes I did, but I got my taco! and it was good!), and then we decided to hit up karaoke night at a different spot down the road. This was significantly much less lame than "HHN," as you can't help but have fun watching drunk fools dancing to somebody's terribly awful rendition of "You're As Cold As Ice." After an hour of waiting through many unnecessary screeches and many unnecessarily flat notes, and one unfortunate incident of some idiot actually *screaming into the microphone* (why?!!?) we CKOC (coolest kids on campus, if you remember. I sure do love abbreviations!) chose to wow the crowd with some Motown soul, singing "My Girl" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." And yes, just in case you were wondering, we were the best act of the night. LOL. After rounds and rounds of applause, much, much cheering, and a decidedly approving thumbs up from the rather nice old Karaoke Master, we left bar #2 in quest of the rest of our class, and didn't find them. Who cares though. Not me. And then, just for the sake of making a complete circuit, we went back to "HHN" and found it sooooo much lamer than before. Thus, undancified and weary, we made our way home. What a wild night, eh? You know it. Party people, we are.

Oh, and just so you know, from now on, my name is Tina. Or Belle. Whichever you prefer to call me. (Or Mulan! That's right, Edaeni. I'm taking it back!! LOL.)

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A Verse For You Today:

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? Then he should go to the church to be prayed over. Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another, so that you may be healed. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. ~ James 5: 13, 14, 16

I Will Have Children.

Someday. Not today.

I promise.

So, anyway. I admit that I've always figured whenever I grew up I'd be a spinster.

(Your appropriate response: *gasp!* are you kidding?)

No, I'm serious. Especially lately, I haven't felt like marriage was in my future. Of course I don't know if I'm right, but really, when am I ever wrong? Right. So, I've never been too terribly interested in dating or marriage, etc, etc. Just hasn't been a part of my struggle. Dont ask me why. I don't know why. But, for the past week or so, a new desire for precious babies has sort of taken over my former apathy towards my future. Strange, no? Strange, yes. But even stranger is what I think has brought all this on. Wanna know? You do, don't you. :) I'll tell you.

Wait for it.



I said wait for it. Patience is a virtue, man.

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*

Watching The Incredibles has made me want to have children. Yup. And no, it's not because of Violet or Dash, or Jack Jack and me thinking that maybe my kids would have some super powers -- that would be a crazy thought because I'm not a Super. So I don't have any Super blood to pass on anyway.

Sidenote: Yes, I know I'm way too into this movie but it's a little late for criticisms. Where were you when I watched it the first time and wanted to sit through the second show? When I downloaded it? Hmm? Where was all that helpful insight then?

*crickets*

Well, all right then. It's too late for change now.

Anyway. It's not because of the Incredible kids. It's because of the other kid in the movie. You've seen it. You know of whom I speak. The other kid. On the trike. With the beanie. He first appears with a huge bubble gum bubble frozen in front of his face because he's so amazed at how amazing Mr. Incredible is. He last appears in a hyperactively excited frenzy because he witnesses the amazingness of the whole entire Incredible family. Yes. That kid. He.is.the cutest kid.ever.on screen.ever. Period. My favorite appearance of his is his second scene. This scene is also, I believe, responsible for the recent kicking in of my maternal instincts. If you are not familiar with the movie you are weird. No, really. But, for your sake I will recount the scene:

Mr. Incredible has had his worst day since the day he was sued by all these ungrateful folks whose lives he saved and was told to stop being a Super and live a normal life. He's been fired from his job, and he can't tell his wife, because they've just gotten settled in and no one wants to move again. So, he comes home dejected and weary. And he sees The Cutest Kid Ever waiting for him by his driveway, on his trike. With his beanie. Mr. Incredible is of course exasperated and angry (he has had a bad day, if you remember), so he's all extra mean with TCKE, and he says, "What're you waiting for!" TCKE looks at Mr. Incredible and says, "I don't know! Something amazing," and then he shrugs his shoulders and in this small little kinda-scared-but-still-gonna-say-anyway voice, he goes "I guess."

My gorsh. It's all just so precious that it makes me want to have a kid of my own. LOL. It's not rational. I know it. But that's what's up. So now I feel like I need to start paying attention to what's going on in my life re: marriage. Marriage is all of a sudden necessary for me, because I need to be married if I'm ever gonna have a TCKE to call my own. Seems like a drag right now, but who knows. I might get used to the idea in time.

Since I've been gone for so long (sorry!) there's even more to talk about! The International Festival was Saturday, and it was a bunch of fun and good eating. I did a dance, and I sang a song. Both were cool. So bittersweet though, because this is my last International Festival as a Carleton student. Man, I'm tired of thinking about everything like this, "This is the last time I'll get to do such-n-such. . ." but I can't help it. It is the last time. It's true. Things are winding up. But it doesn't follow that I need to be sad about it. I'll be happy. Yup. Because I've participated in 4, count 'em, 4 IFests here. And they were all something amazing. (I guess.)

My favorite picture from IFest 2005:

Vul'indlela!

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A Verse For You Today:

But God, who is rich in mercy, by his great love, even when we were dead in sin has quickened us together with Christ. . .for by grace are ye saved, through faith, and not that of yourselves. It is the gift of God. ~ Eph. 2: 4,5,8

(Man, it was so cool that one of my favorite verses was the background for ODB today. I felt special! Don't know why. LOL.)

I am well. My computer is well. Mall Of America Sucks.

Well, maybe not that last one. Well, yeah.

Okay. So I took my poor computer into the campus computer doctors last week, because they hadn't got rid of the viruses like they said they had. Last time I picked it up the computer guru guy told me he'd run all kinds of virus scans in safe mode and that had fixed everything. When he told me that, I was like, "Hmm. . .okay." Because I'd run the virus scans in safe mode before I even brought it to them, and I wasn't able to fix everything (red flag #1). But whatever. I really wanted my computer back because I missed it, so I took his word for it and brought my system home and hooked it up. Only to see the same virus I'd been fighting for weeks. Oh, but it had gotten smarter! Instead of connecting as soon as I turned my computer on, it waited 5 or 10 minutes before it started messing things up. The little rascal.

In despair, I brought my computer back to the "computer guru" (in quotes because you need to read it sarcastically -- guru he is not.) on Friday and told him he didn't fix anything. He looked at me like I was crazy (red flag #2), and had the nerve to be dismissive with me, like I had no good reason to be there. He said, "Yeah. We've got a long line of other systems to work on today, so maybe you should just come back on Monday. (red flag #3, otherwise known as the last straw.)" I almost went off, but I checked myself, so I only had an attitude in my mind; went a lil something like this:

What?! Wait all weekend to have a functional computer just because you didn't do your job right the first time? I don't think so. No indeed. I oughta let somebody know just how well you're doing your job, you non-virus cleaning jerk!!!

May seem like a harsh reaction, but if you know me, you know I can barely breathe without my computer. This was not a happy time. I was not a happy girl. So I was like, forget "Computer Guru Guy" (don't forget the sarcasm) I'll look some things up online and fix this myself! And that's exactly what I did. I am now happy to report that my computer is virus-free, spyware-free, trojan-free and virtually un-hijack-able. All thanks to me. Yup.

So that was Friday. Saturday and Sunday were peaceful and relatively uneventful. Some singing and dancing (Vul'indlela is my new anthem, and as soon as I know the words, and what they mean, I'm gonna sing it all day long!!). And Monday, I went to MOA which (as you already know if you're reading carefully, but I'll reiterate just in case you're not) sucks.

I mean, I say it sucks because, it just does. It's so sprawled out that you gotta plan exactly where you wanna go, and so you end up forgetting things or you never find a new store that you might like. Just, ugh. I went on Monday because I could go for cheap, and I really wanted a dress for graduation (37 days to go! whooo!!) and a Mother's Day present for my mama. I got both of those things, but at what cost to my soul? Don't even ask. The saving grace of the day was the looooooong, sooooooothing time spent lounging in the massage chairs at Brookstone. Yeah! I'm always saying I don't need a massage, or I feel fine, etc. but just a few minutes nestled in those nerve-melting cushions and my whole world view turned around. Well, not really. But I really loved the massage chairs.

Early in the day, around 1 o'clock me, Hustleman and Island Diva went in and sat down, and I guess we were taking too long, because this old man tried to be slick and unplug the chairs! Like we was just gonna get up and move along. Yeah right! LOL. I stayed right where I was, and that chair got plugged right back in. Trying to hurry me, I don't know who he thought I was, but I got my massage on in Brookstone for as long as I wanted! We came back in the evening before it was time to go, and I decided that I'd get my mama her present there. Of course after I actually spent some money in the store, they couldn't be stingy with the massage chairs. Well they could, but that wouldn't be nice. So I stayed in once again as long as I wanted, without any interruptions. Was wonderful. Made the whole trip worth taking. So I guess maybe I should revise what I said earlier.

The Mall Of America sucks if you don't go to Brookstone and get an hour's worth of massaging for every 3 draining, wearying hours that you spend running around trying to find Old Navy, Express, or the food court.

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A Verse For You Today:

Now, unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy; to the only wise God our savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. ~ Jude 1: 24-25