Awkward Microbiologists

Today we had a picnic for the Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology departments to celebrate the end of the school year.  There were kegs and good food and lots of fun.  Except for really awkward people.  I, for one, do not enjoy large gatherings.  I just get really self conscious and super awkward.  One good thing to note though, is that a lot of people who work in labs have this sort of personality.  So about half of us just stood there in little circles awkwardly avoiding eye contact and talking as little as possible. Well, at least I fit in here, right?

It's that time of the year again.  Finals.  They are upon the collegiate population of the United States.  So, I thought what better way to study for finals than write a blog post!

This past semester has been a flurry of trying to figure out where I'm going in life.  I thought everything was all set for graduate school and then started second guessing myself.  That seems to happen in college a lot, and I've been told it's completely normal.  That doesn't make it less terrifying in the slightest.  I've decided that the best option is not to stress myself out, but to wait and see what options present themselves.

I have a few goals for this summer, and they seem pretty reasonable for now.

1. Practice the piano! I haven't really practiced for a year or so, and it is always good to have a daily regimen.
2. Speaking of regimens, I'm hoping to exercise more this summer.  I went in to the doctor for severe abdominal pain this spring and it turns out that the most likely cause for the awful pain was diet and lack of exercise.  So I've started to eat more fruits and veggies and less processed food.  It really helped, and running more regularly will also help out my insides.  
3. I also have a book list for this summer that I will be updating regularly.  So far it has Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, but I'm sure I'll figure out more books to add.  If anyone has any suggestions, leave them in comments!

There will be more goals as I finish up finals, I'm sure, but for now that seems like enough.  I may be starting up a video blog (terrible quality since I have no equipment) for staying in touch with my roommate over the summer, but we shall see if that actually pans out.

Hope that finals week and pre-finals week is going well for all my fellow collegiate wanderers!

Shampoo and Flute Lessons and Bars OH MY!

Seeing as how it's been almost a month since my last post and I have 35 minutes before I start teaching, I thought I'd write a little blog post.  As I just said, I'm teaching flute lessons to a girl from my elementary school.  She's in 8th grade and I've taught her before.  That's my summer job!  I also get to start my new shampoo (baking soda!) tomorrow morning, as I just ran out of my old shampoo this morning.  I am pretty excited for this prospect; I've been hording up by baking soda for about 3 weeks now and finally get to use it!

Last night my parents and I met up with a guy from my dad's choir and we went to a little bar downtown and then went to the St Martin's Chamber Choir concert.  While my parents didn't like the bar that much, I thought the atmosphere was great.  Not quite as cheery as pubs in England, but it was getting there.  The concert was divine.  They sang from behind us because the organ at the front was out of commission.  My favorite was a Howells mass composed for Christ Chapel in Oxford.  It made me want to go to graduate school at Oxford all over again.

Today I realized that I have made quite a few mistakes with my past relationships.  One example is the guy I hated for three years, then realized that if I hadn't been so enthralled with him in the first place, he would have been a really cool guy to know.  He's working in Paris this summer and would be a great contact to have if I ever decided to go back there.  Oh well.  Live and learn.

I suppose I should eat breakfast so I don't keel over with all the flute playing I'll be doing soon.

Home again

The semester has come to a close at long last.  I moved back home with my dad on Friday and I'm still in the process of unpacking, cleaning, and organizing.  This is the beginning of the long period of living without a true home.  I'm a little bit scared, but I need to learn to embrace the nomadic life a little!  Hopefully this summer will play out well with trips to both Nebraska and Michigan to see family and old friends.

Speaking of old friends, I've started practicing the piano again.  I have some nice pieces picked out to get me back into the groove and possibly I can convince my parents to let me have the keyboard at the apartment next fall!  That would be awesome; I cannot express just how much I've missed playing this year.  

I start classes in three weeks.  I'm taking Intro to Cultural Anthropology and Physics this summer.  The physics class should be interesting--there's a lab component online.  I apparently buy a big box of cool physics toys and do my own experiments! I started reading the Anthropology textbook the other night.  It's very interesting.  I think I will be quite glad to add Anthropology as my second major.  Hello five years of undergrad.  While I'm at it, I might as well get a minor in Religious Studies!  You know, just in case I don't have enough to do. 

With that on my mind, I think I will go eat dinner now.  We're having chicken, and for the first time in weeks, it's not fried.  Happy Summer!

Cinco Cinco

That will be the name of my very first 5K!  I am running with Nicole and Kjersti, my fantabuloso room/hallmates for next year.  The other one...is LAME and not coming.  But perhaps this unnamed person shall come and cheer us on? What do you think, Emma? You know you waaaant to. In other news, there are only 2.5 weeks of Freshman year left to endure, and one of those is finals! EEP!

This weekend, Emma and I are traveling to Lakewood to see my parents and bid goodbye to our pastor.  He has accepted a call to Chicago, and while we are very happy for him, we will miss him quite terribly.  It is safe to say that tears shall be shed this Sunday.

Herb Gardens in Pots

Next year, I wish to start a nice little herb garden in a few pots, so I just bought three (hopefully helpful) books to help with the planning process.  It would be so nice to have some life in our tiny, tiny apartment.  Kavi could have some company!

This summer, I will be taking classes in Physics and Anthropology and gardening and cooking instead of watching countless hours of mindless television.  Hopefully, the gardening and cooking will come as second nature so I can continue this endeavor to be more homebodyish once I'm living up in FoCo year-round!

Internet

I love going home for breaks.  I get to see my parents, I get to relax, I get to eat awesome food.  Just about the only thing that irks me about the homeplace is the internet connection.  When I want to work on the internet to find database sources for a speech, I have to go to the library so that I don't shout things at my computer all day!  I really hope that next year, where we live, the internet is superb and not dodgy.  Because if it is, I will find myself watching Bones at the library all night.  Although that might be a deterrent enough so I never procrastinate...yeah right.