Esprit de l'escalier

I’m finally home…finals are behind me and all I can do now is pray for the best.
Since being home I have been able to hang out with my bestest friends and have some down time. I’ve been able to get back into my usual swing of things…running in the morning, Abs and Arms of Steel workout videos, tennis, playing with my kitties, painting, CSI, church, my Bible study girls, hanging out with friends, etc.
But alas, all good things will be interrupted. In the midst of my fun I’ve got to help out with the Bro’s wedding. It’s cool and all…but I’m just so tired of hearing about weddings. And what’s even worse is that everybody keeps asking the inevitable…”So who are you bringing to the wedding?”
Another weird thing that happened was that an old boyfriend came over the other night. It was soooo WEIRD! He was my very first serious boyfriend and I had been with him for about a year until I saw he started to stray from God. Then I had to break it off. It was sad. It’s amazing how much he has changed since I last saw him. He’s all decked out like an 80’s man…his hair all puffy and the tight pants. Not so cool. yikes. But it was still really nice to see him again and hear how he’s doing.

OTHER RANDOM STUFF:
I love “Murder, She Wrote” – I think it will always be one of my favorite shows. Even if it is all re-runs.

Two finals down…two to go. So as I sit here, relishing the down time…I came across this neato story. Check it out!

Gecko glue

Today I’m cranky and I want to go home!!!! I’m having Loreanne withdrawls. *sniffle* I’m definitly not ready for my finals tomorrow. And I’m in serious need of a daddy and a brother hug! I can’t wait! They’re coming to get me day after tomorrow!

Here’s just a few to tickle your palett until next time:

Words for things commonly seen around Seattle and (more specifically) SPU:

-zori (ZOR-ee): also known as “flip-flops” or “thongs”
-zarf: a sleeve for a coffee cup or beer (or soda) can.
-flews: the fleshy flaps on the sides of a dog’s mouth.
-kibble: dead leaves and other organic material swept or raked up from gardens and courtyards.
-eroteme: the question mark symbol.
-haze: the slightly nappy green cloth that typically covers the tops of billiard tables and gaming tables. (a.k.a. – the remaining tattered threads littering the tops of Ashton’s pool table in the lounge.)
-aglet: (or ‘tag’) the plastic or metal sheath on the ends of shoelaces.
-escutcheon (e-SKUHCH-in): a decorative metal plate around a keyhole, door lock, doorknob, or the handle on a drawer. (sorry dorm-dwellers, you will not see too many escutcheons around your ‘pad’).
-octothorpe: the ‘pound key’ on your phone. (#)
-belgard (bel-GAHRD): a loving look.

And some other fun, but also aplicable words:

-resistentialism: seemingly spiteful behavior manifested by inanimate objects.
*Naturally this word brings to mind many wonderful examples…
-microwave ovens that sabotage your food so that the first bite you take is lukewarm and the second one scalds your tongue;
-elevator or train doors that try to crush you in their grip;
-drinks that walk off by themselves, and glasses that quietly sidle into just the right position so you will knock them over;
-computers that wait with the patience of a trapper for the precise moment when they can crash and eat your most important files (which you’ve neglected to back up on disk);
-televelocoraptor: VCR’s that erase, ingest, or otherwise mangle your favorite tapes;
-car alarms that announce their jargling indignation to the neighborhood at precisely 2:57 A.M., 3:30 A.M., and 4:22 A.M.;
-and of course, plastic wrap. (Need I say more?)

*moving on…here’s a few more before I hit the books again…

-lasterday: anytime before yesterday (NOTE: this is my own word, hehe)

-nudiustertian (N(Y)OO-di-yoo-STUR-shin): adjective that means pertaining to the day before yesterday (NOTE: I think my word is better)

-perendinate (pur-EN-di-nayt): to delay until the day after tomorrow or to postpone indefinitely.

-amphigory (AM-fi-GOR-ee): a poem that on first reading appears to be profound but that on further inspection turns out to be complete nonsense.

-demitoilet: fairly elaborate but not entirely formal dress.

Did you know that ‘applejack’ is actually a brandy made from cider? Hmmm…perhaps that’s why Applejacks don’t taste like apple. They taste like brandy?

Yesterday: Went to classes, then…went to work…which is always fun. But the real fun started after work. My buddy Kyle took me to see Finding Nemo. I have a new favorite Pixar movie! This one was awesome, I highly recommend seeing it as soon as possible. 🙂

Today: Today was prime. I went to work this morning…which was crazy! Soooo busy, but fun nonetheless. Then, my friend Cassie and I walked to Fremont to visit our favorite bookstore. The walk was perfect…sunny, fresh, kermit the frog green grass and trees, prime temperature and talkative birds. Cassie commented how great the sound was of the birds singing and I said that it was part of the soundtrack of my life. And as I think back on it, it really is. I can recall so many memorable moments in my life where the background sounds were composed of a multisonous orchestra of natural sounds…the main instrument being the chavish of birds. Hmmm, interesting. Anyhow, that was one deep thought for the day…more on that later. 🙂 On the way to our favorite bookstore, Cassie and I went to Baja Fresh for lunch and enjoyed some yummy quesadillas. Then we dropped in this little over-priced, shop that had some really cute clothes and stuff…but Cassie and were VERY strong and resisted any temptation to buy anything. Finally we made it to our primary destination and dove headlong into the seas of text, beckoning to be explored. We spent the next few hours perquesting the shelves, being swept up by the titles and intrigued by the kinetic adventures held within each and every one. *sigh* I love books. The only unfortunate part of our adventure was that I spent $32 on books (and these aren’t even text books!). I know I know…I’m crazy. And besides four great books, I also acquired a nice pair of raccoon eyes; the result of a long walk beneath the sun’s attention while wearing glasses. haha, oh well…so it goes, eh?

P.S. Hey Cass, did you notice the spattering of my newly seasoned vocabulary? Haha.

I love this school. I can honestly say that I love this school and the people in its community. Yesterday was craziness (as usual). I got up early to meet a friend for breakfast and go out on a few assignments. But, what I thought to be just another day on the job, turned out to be another grand adventure. My buddy Luke is the one I met for breakfast and he’s the awesome guy who drove me around to all the locations I needed to get to in order to finish my job. We had a rough start because just as we were heading out, I realized that I didn’t have all the paperwork that I needed, namely some guest passes to gain access to the places I needed to go to. My contact had sent them in the mail last tuesday and I checked my mailstop earlier that morning only to find that they hadn’t been delivered yet! Our mailing services are a tad bit slow. So we had to improvize…long story short; I did get in without the passes (Thank the Lord) and this was only after taking the scenic route to the locations and after a little fender bender. Overall, it was fun. I would give more details as to what my job is exactly…but if I did…I’d have to kill you. No joke. haha.
I got back from my job just in time to go to work at the bookstore (my other job). It was great, I love my bookstore job. I love books. We’re approaching graduation time and it’s so great to see the people come in to get their caps and gowns. I get this rush of excitement when they approach the counter with glowing faces and tell me their degree so I can give them the proper tassel. As excited as I am for them…it makes me anxious to think about how fast my own graduation is approaching. I know it seems far off…but this last quarter went by soooo incredibly fast.
Naturally, there were many exciting things that happened at the bookstore…but I’ll save those for later.
Right after work I had to book it over to the park for the annual Falcon BBQ picnic. Except, this time their was no actual bbq, we settled for pizza because my editor and chief didn’t think her george forman grill could pull off a sufficient meal. haha. It was fun to just hang out with the crew without the stress of a newspaper deadline. We played frisbee, whiffle ball and just enjoyed each other’s company. I’m sad that the seniors are leaving. But I am still looking forward to next year’s staff. I think we’ll have a good one.
Then after the bbq, I had to run back to my dorm for the floor meeting which was also followed by the floor celebration. It was a fun time. You can see cybercassie’s journal for details about our good times.
I feel bad though that I was late to the meeting…unfortunately I was intercepted by a friend who was heavily in need of an ear. He was all pumped to talk to me about his day. It’s funny how excited he gets about stuff. Everything is so intense. haha. Anyhow, finals are approaching like an ominous rain cloud. But like all clouds, they’ll pass and the sun will be waiting!

Earlier this week my roommate and I took the west side elevator (which had recently been out of commission) up to the laundry room and took care of our laundry (which took about two minutes). When we were heading back down to our floor, the elevator doors opened and surprise…there was a dismantled bathroom stall in the elevator! What in the world?! Everything was there except the toilet…there was even a practically new roll of toilet paper. This weirded me out…I have no words to further describe the situation. This confounded me because it all happened so fast. These guys must have been pros…my roommate and I had been in that same elevator not more than about two minutes earlier…I can promise you there was no trace of a stall to be found. Then poof! There it is! Anyhow, I later talked to my PA (she handled it after we informed her of our encounter) and she told me that the guys up on 6th (i think) had been missing their stalls for a few weeks and had been doing just fine without them. How awkward is that?! wow. Another question that came to mind was…where in the world had the stall thieves been keeping this souvenir? I can’t imagine something that big was very easy to hide. And how would you go about stealing something like that without anyone noticing? I am amazed. haha…boys are weird.

“No man is an island, intire of itselfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine…any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee”
John Donne
“Every person, regardless of personality of occupation, has a brain in which their exists some particular area of optimal functioning – an area that, when accessed in the right situation, can provide the person with an experience of enormously fulfilling, competent, joyful activity.

People’s talents vary greatly: Someone like Leonardo da Vinci seems to have had a whole continent of brilliance. Others of us have archipelagos. Some of us have gifts in language, mathematics, science, spatial relationships, or music.

How great or numerous your talents happen to be isn’t the crucial thing. What matters most is that exercising your gifts should feel terrific, provide a vehicle for personal growth, or even form the basis for a career.

Why don’t we always know about these islands?

First, our islands of brilliance or giftedness sometimes come so naturally that we don’t even know we have them or that they make us exceptional.

The second reason we may not be fully conscious of our islands is that we may not have had sufficient time, opportunity or daring to follow our own inclinations.

It’s never too late for you to find new islands of brilliance for yourself or your loved ones. All you need is commitment. Every day, you make many small choices that determine how you spend your time; as soon as the commitment is there, you can begin to exercise your will in a new direction. A first step toward developing that commitment is to confirm and accept that you, like every one else, have islands of brilliance and can find them if you are determined to do so.”

*Mental note:Things to Do –
1. Study for finals
2. Make arrangments to get home after finals week
3. Find ‘island’ of brilliance

Do squirrels ever chase their tails? If they did, that would be funny.

Went to study at the park today. It was really encouraging to see all the parents outside playing with their kids. What was the most exciting to see was all the fathers out playing sports with their kids. In fact, I can only recall seeing like two moms. There were way more dads. And I even saw a few families. It was so sweet. Hooray for family day at the park!