Susie's Leaning Tower of Chocolate for 2001 October

Sunset View is on intersession and guess who's in charge of intersession activities? Yup, After School Academy. So I'm working 830 until I have class every morning. It's fun though, I'm with the ESL kids. We get recess, and free lunch. I also started my 30 hours of volunteer work at Oakview Living Center. The Activities Director is named Lorna.

I just went into the Law Building for the first time. Our Romanian instructor is a law student.

Yes, faith is like a bass boat. You see, you don't buy a bass boat and leave it in the shed. You don't say, "I don't know how it handles rough water, because I've never put it on a lake." You utilize it, use it appropriately, and as often as possible. You don't go sit in it on dry land every Sunday. -David on his governor's analogy.

I got an email from Alissa Morrow today. Turns out she's still alive after all. I had a meeting with Dr. Porter and got a bunch of pre-research stuff sorted out for my research for the ORCA scholarship. It's an observational study on the correlation between attachment behaviors and temperament in the kids at the DC (the Dystrophic Center we're going to be working at in Romania). My baby sis called me last night, what a sweetheart!

Kickboxing. Finally something that makes me look even more uncoordinated than step aerobics. In kickboxing you're not conveniently given something to trip over and blame your klutziness on. And for some reason it's harder than tae bo. Maybe because when I did tae bo I only had two people and a video screen watching me, not 30 other people.

I finally finished my ORCA proposal. It has definitely taken long enough. Now I just need to go make a decillion copies of it and send an altered resume to my mentor. Work today was fun. I went into the K-1 grade room and helped them count M&Ms. A little girl from my ESL night class came running up and hugged me. I'm in charge of the project tonight and haven't planned anything yet.

Big football game tonight against Utah State. Cami and I are taking our tests then. I turned in my stacks of stuff for ORCA and now it's out of my hands. Nothing exciting has happened. I studied last weekend too.

This weekend... went to see "Serendipity" with some roommies. I watched three movies with the same plot this weekend. Conference, drive to Salt Lake, Conference in Conference Center with Andrea. This is the third time in a row I've gotten to go to a session in the Conference Center. More Conference, more Conference, volunteering. It was a really busy weekend but relaxing enough that I don't feel too stressed.

MArk mark mark! Mark is cool! I love MArk! MArk mark mark!

Today I found out that I can leave another day earlier to go home with very few consequences. Yay! Mom, yesterday was Columbus Day, which is apparently a day Susies and Mommies don't get mail. We still don't have mail and even when we do get it there probably won't be any for me today. But I'm still hoping.

This morning the rain [was so loud it] woke me up at 7 and I was very happy because I finally got to wear the sweater I bought super on sale in July. It rained really hard all night and there is snow on Utah Valley mountains. I got another free elementary school lunch today.

I just ran into Mike who played Wall in Shakespeare last Fall. He's doing good. Then I ran into Shelley and talked to her about boys forever so now I hardly have any time to reply to emails. Luckily I don't have very many.

Looked at [relatively] cheap plane tickets (New Year's in London!) and went to Thai Chili Gardens with Omans and I'm going home tomorrow, woo hoo!

Going home! Yay, I get to see my family! I am driving safe, no worries.

Home sweet home. I got pulled over. I didn't get a ticket. Besides that I think I impressed him with my honesty and lack of previous tickets.

Home (pretend home) safe. Late to my 1100 class as usual. I had a package from my mommy and a letter from "Elder Tenney" waiting for me when I got in at 100AM. I don't think I'm going to make it through dance today. I'm super tired but I just couldn't sleep. oh well, at least I'm here to make a valiant effort.

I had a great time with my great family. It was great. I'm glad I went. I can't wait to go home again in four weeks and one day! =)

This morning some BYU-approved-housing inspector or something like that came and looked at our house. Is there anything wrong with any of your appliances or plumbing? Well, the dishwasher doesn't wash, the sink and the tub drip, both the stove and the oven caught on fire, the bathtub stops draining every three weeks, the kitchen sink floods every two months. And our "carpet" is rotting. Will that cover it?

I walked into the living room during Devotional and there were couples everywhere! All of a sudden all my roommates have boyfriends. Well not all of them, but too many for their own good.

Last night I spent an hour taking apart the pomegranate Brent Jackman gave me. Today my fingers are green. I am on my way to learn how to get out of an emotionally abusive relationship to get extra credit for my Romania class. I should be going to my Biology class. But I'm not.

As much as I don't consider myself a feminist I am finding myself being dragged to a lecture tomorrow in support of my dear friend. Of course I have nothing better to do on a friday night.

Last night I went to visit Melissa Draper and Diane Tenney, who, it turns out, are in the same ward. Melissa was quite surprised, but we looked in the ward directory and that was all the proof I needed to supply. Melissa's good. Her sister, Karen, is good. Diane wasn't home.

It's Saturday. I woke up with lots to do but it's done. Great.

People that are getting married: Sarah and Burke (December 29). Kelly (not official, but Daymon's dad "started saving for the wedding"). Kelly's brother (June). Summer and Winter's brother (December 21). Cami. Someday.

After Sarah announced her engagement Mandy started making predictions. Sarah, Kelly, Cami, me. Well then Kelly and Cami both started talking about it with their boyfriends. Ack! I'm next!

Busy busy busy week.

Lisa and I have bought ourselves some hostel passes even though we haven't paid for our plane tickets yet. We're super excited, talking about metro passes and the like.

Yesterday there was a very large spider in the closet and Sarah killed it for me. I was very calm about the whole thing. Of course Sarah didn't make fun of me or throw it in my face, which made being calm much easier.

To do today: Study for Zoology. Fill out International Volunteers general section final study sheet. Print MFHD paper #2. Earn $30. Set up a time to prepare group presentation for TR.

I had the best sandwich last night. Cami and I went grocery shopping and then I made and ate my sandwich during FHE, raving about it the entire time: whole wheat bread, turkey, colby jack cheese, leaf lettuce, tomatoes (the pretty kind that come in plastic boxes), and alfalfa sprouts. mmm it was so good! I am having another one for lunch.

Today I saw Andrew and Natasha while walking to class. I went to the testing center to take my zoology test and I saw Shari and talked to her a little. Then I saw Becca Mitchell, for the third time ever on campus. We talked for a little while. She's a sweetie. Then I took my test. ARGH! I did terrible! I did extremely well on the first test in this class, without even studying. grrrrrr.

I am wearing pink fuzzy ears. It's not every day I can do that. In honor of the crappiness of my test score I am going to put off the TR project due tomorrow and go eat some food. on the bright side I got 49/47 on my Romanian quiz from last week (and considerably less on today's).