Daddy, I want a squirrel

Last year around campus I would see chubby squirrels struggling to climb the trees. This year, they are back, and leaner than ever. I've already had a few incidents involving campus squirrels.

Scene 1:

I have to cross multiple streets when walking to class. Yesterday, while coming up to an intersection, I saw a squirrel slowly walk across the street. I'm pretty sure it was waiting for some car to come along and then crash all for the squirrel's sake. Unfortunately, no car crashes happened for that squirrel, and when it got to the other side of the road, it stood up and shook its little paws at the sky. Poor disappointed squirrel.

Scene 2:

Today I was walking to class and I spied a squirrel running around and jumping from tree to tree. Almost rabidly. When I got up close to it, it jumped out of a tree and right in front of my feet. We had a staring contest for a few seconds, it staring at me, me glaring at it, it peering at me, and on and on. Then it ran away.

Scene 3:

The library, like many buildings, has really flat, vertical walls. It is not made of brick, so there aren't crevices on the facade. When walking past the library, I saw two girls staring up at the side of it. So, being curious, I stopped walking and looked. And there it was, Ninja Squirrel, limbs splayed out like in a James Bond movie, climbing up the side of the wall. It was amazing. I love squirrels.

The Olympiad

At the beginning of each school year, there is a little thing the college church group here does called the RFC Olympics. It's basically to let all the new freshmen and transfer students have a chance to get to know the old members of the group. (For me last year...well...I was really shy.)

This year is already turning out to be a blast! So far we have had three events, including a photo scavenger hunt. My team is most likely in third place right now, but I'm pretty sure we deserve first.

I just wanted to make a quick stop by here and show you some of my favorite pictures from the scavenger hunt.

Here a group of us are, getting a picture of a Bible scene. Can you tell which scene it is?

Hint: It involves feeding 5000 people.

I just think this picture is funny. I find it interesting that I can slightly pull off Zach Galifinakis's style. (Picture with a famous person.)

And here we have my top favorite picture. We had to recreate a movie scene. This is Titanic. You can see the nice water under the bow of the ship. And up top you see Jack holding Rose.

While taking this picture, I told my Rose, "I've got you," to which he responded, "Never let go."

Pretty funny for a freshman male. :)

(All the freshmen I've met are just wonderful! Have I mentioned that?)

Yay School!

I actually got a little nervous for the first day of my sophomore year of college.

I think it was because I had two Journalism classes on the first day. Since I declared at the end of last semester, I had never had a class from my major. So when I was the first one to show up for my Fundamentals of Journalism Lab, I was a little anxious.

Unfortunately, we had an assignment on the first day of lab. Unfortunately, we had to interview random people. I am never very good at meeting people and finding out all sorts of information, but let me say...I was just a tad proud of myself. I got some juicy information from my guy. His fraternity had been kicked off campus last year! Win.

I ended up liking my lab a lot, and every other class that I had my first day. Well, apart from the fact that in my Biology class, there are 599 people besides me. We took up a fourth of an arena. It was absolutely packed. To make up for it, the professor played guitar for our class. He apparently is a local celebrity!

I already have homework for all of my classes thus far, but I'm not complaining. This semester won't be hard, but it sure will be a lot of work. I think...I may have to...STUDY! (Cue scary music.)

You see that? My boyfriend and I are cool enough to wear matching outfits for our first day of school.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

I've seen baseball on television, but I've never been to a game. Baseball seems to be a really boring sport to watch...but so does soccer, and I love it, so I thought I'd give baseball a try.

In reality, this is how I decided to go to a game:

Friend- "Hey do (boyfriend and I) want to go to the game Friday night?"

Me- "Don't they have fireworks?"

Friend- "Yes."

Me- "Yes."

You can't keep me away from fireworks.

At the game we got "foul ball territory" seats, although a ball never came to our little group of people. It was funny to see lots of guys with baseball gloves on just waiting to have the chance to catch a ball.

And then...I had my first shaved ice thingy! It was delicious. Now, it seems a little odd that my first shaved ice would be after I've been at college for a while. Let me explain why I've not had one before.

When I was about 12, I wanted a shaved ice at a pow-wow my family attended. My parents bought me one. It was beautiful. Perfect rainbow stripes. I could be making that part up. But it was mine! I craned my neck to get to a vantage point over the ice before I bit some off...and then...all of the ice slid out of the cup and plopped on the floor. I'm not sure how that happened, but it was devastating.

Our team won, 4 to 0 (I think)! The most exciting times were when we were scoring. So...4 times were exciting.

And then...FIREWORKS! The biggest fireworks I've ever seen!

Meet Tambourine!

As far as I know, everyone who reads this blog knows me. However, on the off chance that I become slightly famous and people start reading this blog who don't know me...well...this blog is especially for you!

Things that I want you to know about me:

1) I like classic vehicles. My dream vehicle would definitely be a 1950's Chevy or Ford truck, but old Thunderbirds and mustangs make my eyes water too.

2) I used to play soccer in high school. Now I am out of shape.

3) I also used to be in musicals in high school. My senior year I had the most amazing costume that my mother and I designed and made.

(This one is not it.)

4) I make faces. According to my mother, they are not always attractive, and I agree. But I like making faces!

5) I love Christmas lights! (I covered his head because I did not want to share the lights with him.)

6) I want to be a photographer when I grow up more.

7) I am really claustrophobic. For instance, this picture was taken on a trip through a tunnel. My mom thought my face looked funny so she took a picture. When I started crying after exiting the tunnel, she realized that I hadn't been "making a face." (See what I get for making faces?)

Back in town!

Oh me? I've just been moving the past few days. No big deal. Just a new apartment.

The best part about moving back early is getting to spend quality time with my brother and sister-in-law. Lots of you may not know them, but they are some of the most fun people to hang out with.

To give you a tiny look into less than an hour with my brother...

He took me to different places to pay deposits for water and electricity. Upon arriving at the water place, my brother sees that there are donuts sitting on an empty counter. So, of course, he mentions it to the lady behind a desk, and she, of course, offers him a donut. It may not sound like a fantastic story to you, but to us, it was awesome.

When my parents came up this past weekend to visit, we all got to go to the farmer's market. It could very possibly become a tradition for me to go to the market now every Saturday morning. It smelled lovely, not only because there are fresh flower booths at every corner of the market, but the market is set in one of the prettiest places in downtown, filled with tiny ponds and flower bushes.

As much as I'll miss my friends and family from back home, I love being back in my college town!

I'm Getting Old!

I've only been alive for 19 short years. I personally think that I am not old, dated, or out-of-touch with youth these days. However, I find that youth these days are WAY out of touch with...well, my generation.

Exhibit A)
Every night at camp, a group of counselors serve dinner to the 11-14 year olds. One night when I was helping, we decided to sing songs that we all knew to them.

Song #1: Tearin' Up My Heart - NSYNC

Song #2: Everybody - Backstreet Boys

Song #3: Don't Wanna Miss A Thing - Aerosmith

Song #4: Don't Stop Believin' - Journey

Now, maybe it is just me, but these songs are kind of really popular! NSYNC and BSB had it pretty big in the 90's-00's. And the other two songs get played all the time on radio stations and Glee!

Well, not a single kid knew the songs we were singing. We got quite a few odd looks and we didn't know why until we realized that those songs had come out the years that the kids were born!

Exhibit B)
Taboo is a fun game where you basically play charades, but with words, no movement. On a game night, I was in charge of the Taboo table. In the first round, a few of the words the kids pulled out were "Garfield," "Arnold Shwarzenegger," and "Shaquille O'Neal." And all of these words...they did not know.

I remember when the first kid pulled out Shaquille O'Neal and looked up at me with big blue eyes asking who it was. I just stared back at him. "Seriously? The 7 foot basketball player? Really?"

"No ma'am I don't know what a Shaquille is."

Oh dear.

I suppose that the older I get the more out of it I will be with my pop culture knowledge. I just didn't expect it to start this early!!