Second college Update

Greetings,

It is now mid September and I think I have done well adjusting to college life. To begin the dryer hates me. To do one load in the dryer is one dollar. Well after the dryer stopped a went to get my cloths and discovered that they weren’t dry so I went back to my room and managed to find four more quarters and put them in. I went back again and the dryer displayed one minute left. I thought “perfect.” So I waited. Well after ten minutes the display still said one minute and the dryer was still going. I gave up and went back to my room. I let another ten minutes pass and checked again. The dryer was still going and said one minute left. I gave up all together and decided to go to Mass and then dinner. After Mass and dinner I went and checked on my laundry and to my surprise the dryer had stopped. I think it said one minute just to spite me and then when it realized I was coming back it gave up and finally stopped running. That is my laundry horror story.

Last week I was sick, sick beyond all reason. I couldn’t hear very well, I had no voice, I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head, and I had no medication. I got sick on Sunday. The following Tuesday was Sammi’s birthday so I made her a cake. I had my friend help me. Not only had someone used up all the cooking oil that had been in the kitchen the day before but the electric beater didn’t work. I ended up using butter and exerting all the man power Molly and I had to whip the batter. The cake turned out just fine and Sammi had a happy day. Wednesday Father Mike, the priest of the Church my Dad attends, came to campus to visit Sammi because ha had a wedding in Pittsburgh. He was also very nice and brought me Sudafed and Nyquil. He’s my hero. As soon as I had medication I was on the mend and didn’t go through quite as many tissues. The Saturday before I made Jell-O because my throat was sore. People thought I was crazy because I drank warm Jell-O. It works like cough syrup but tastes better and helps your throat. Well making Jell-O was an adventure in itself. The mugs I have are not microwave safe so I had to heat up the water in one of the bowls I have in my room. So I heated up the water, poured it into a mug, stirred in the Jell-O mix only to discover the water wasn’t warmer enough to dissolve all the sugar. So I poured everything back into the bowl, heated it up more, stirred it with a fork (I don’t have spoons) poured it back into the mug and finally drank it. Why on earth would you not make a mug microwave safe?!

So to go backwards even more my roommate’s mom came and stayed that weekend so on Saturday (the day I made Jell-O) we went to Wal-Mart and bought the cake mix for Sammi’s cake, and more water because we don’t drink the tap water. It’s yellow. Julie’s mom took us to Quizno’s (better than caf food) and then on to Wal-Mart. Well we bought all our stuff and went back to the car, put our stuff in the trunk and then Julie’s mom closed her keys in the trunk. We could see the key sticking out of the trunk but the buttons and keychain was inside the trunk. Well it’s a newer car so it doesn’t have a latch you just lift to get the trunk open and for some reason the trunk release button that is in the car only works when the key is in the ignition (crazy Chrysler people). So here we are four women staring at the key sticking out of the trunk. Some guy who was an angel in disguise stopped to help. He ended up taking the entire backseat out and reaching into the trunk all the way across the trunk and pushing the trunk release. Thank God for him.

Moving forward into the week… I locked myself out of my room and unfortunately my roommate was off-campus so I had to pay the RA’s a dollar to unlock my room. Then to make it better a few days later I lost my keys. I went to the RA and she gave me a spare and told me I had a week to find my keys before they charged me fifty dollars for a new one and have the locks changed. I was determined to find my key. I went back to the cafeteria the next morning and they said they didn’t have my key but that I should go check with switchboard (the answer the every question- the brain of the campus). So I wandered across campus to switchboard but they didn’t have one either. The people at switchboard told me to check with my Resident Coordinator so I trudged back up to my dorm to talk to the RD. on the way to her office I met Father Dennis, he’s an awesome guy, he smokes a pipe. So I knock on the RD’s door and she said that no one had turned a key into her but she’d let me know if they did. So I pass the day without finding it. I went back to the caf for dinner and again inquired about my key. Thank you St Anthony they found it. Apparently it had been there all day but no one told the people who scan ID’s that someone had turned in a key. I was so glad I didn’t have to pay for a new key and all that jazz.

I am gradually making friends but it is hard to get to know people when you are constantly reading for Honors. My friend Molly from across the hall found one of the funniest passages in the Iliad, either that or we were slap happy and tired. Homer is describing a battle scene and said “The sharp stone hit him in the forehead and smashed both brows in on each other, nor could the bone hold the rock, but his eyes fell out into the dust before him, there at his feet.” Molly read that and burst out laughing, she told me about it and then when I read it later on I laughed to. It might be funny or it might not. I think we had just had enough of the Iliad that anything would make us laugh. I have made friends but a lot of time is dedicated to studying. As time goes on I’m sure I will meet more people. Our honors class had a toga party and watched the movie Troy (which is totally in accurate) in honor of finishing the Iliad. We also almost got written up for making too much noise after quiet hours but because there were so many of us the RA decided no to. Those of us in the Honors class who do not spend every waking moment studying Greek mythology have come up with a game for class. Because the class is based mainly on discussion participating is mandatory. Everyday before class we come up with a list of words that we have to integrate into the conversation. However if you are the first person to say glory you get minus one point. Some of our recent words include: Kool-Aid, lotion, the big blue, viscous, quagmire, Brad Pitt, and much more.

My roommate is real nice and we get along well but today I was a little frustrated. It looked like her backpack and closet had regurgitated all of its contents onto the floor and chair. I walked in and there was stuff everywhere and she was no where to be found. When she came back I asked her if she could at least clear I path so I could get to my bed and desk with out slipping on a paper and stabbing myself in the toe with a hanger. Eventually she did clean it up but I was a little frustrated that she said she would, left, and then came back later. I now I’m a little stressed so I have to be patient and I have been. I haven’t yelled or argued with anyone. I just calmly talk to her and asked her to give me a little space. I need to find a friar to talk to. They are here for the students, and they know how the freshmen feel. The friars are here to help and love it when students go to them to talk or get help. It’s on my to-do list.

I have found several Packer fans here. We are a bunch or happy cheese heads. Also last weekend when the Yankee’s played the Red sox I found a bunch of Yankees fans to watch the game with. There were one or two Red Sox fans, and lets just say they don’t take losing to well. Packers play the Broncos in the Mile High city on October 29^th. Monday night Football!!!! Sammi and Matt Fleming think the Broncos will win but I highly doubt that. Mwahahaha!!!!

There is no Starbucks within 30 miles of here. The coffee shop on campus has some good things but I miss my Starbucks. They “proudly brew Starbucks coffee” but I don’t drink straight black coffee. The nearest Noodles is Cleveland, I’m not missing it that much though. And the nearest Chipotle is in Pittsburgh. The RA from down the hall said she would take me to Starbucks because I have a Starbucks card that I can’t use. Last night we sat in the hall way and made hot cocoa. She and I have a class together so before class starts we sit and talk about Europe because she studied in Austria last year.

I went to get a Snickers the other night from the vending machine (they don’t have any other candy bar) and to my disappointment my Snickers didn’t even have caramel. What a let down. Recently a kitten has adopted FUS as its home. It wanders around outside the cafeteria and students stop to pet it. There is also a cat that patrols the door by Egan hall, our academic building. In the mornings it’s a real challenge getting gin and out of the building without letting the cat in. unfortunately the nice crisp fall weather we were having has disappeared and the temperature is rising again. A new dorm was built for this year, and the courtyard between it (Lizzie Louie) and Tommy More, is still under construction. I now know how to lay cement asphalt and decorative bricks. I could drop out now, lay cement, asphalt and bricks and say I learned it all in college and never had to leave my dorm room. I can see the construction of the courtyard from my window and eagerly await its completion. I also have a beautiful view of the sunsets. However I hate the smell of Steubenville in the morning. And, surprisingly enough I can see stars at night. One would think with all the pollution you wouldn’t be able to see anything. I guess that’s why the water’s yellow. Oh and there are rabbits on campus. The cutest things and some of the guys actually try to catch them. The rabbit just hops back and forth and all around and the person chasing the rabbit looks ridiculous. It is one of the funniest things I’ve seen on campus. People can’t tell which way rabbits run so they look like little kids who run around chasing the dog or something. Highlight of my day, after Mass of course.

Well I’m off to the caf; hopefully it’s not corned beef and cabbage again (bleh)L. I would do anything for a Chipotle burrito or a steak. I should find a ride to Applebee’s.

College- The First Week

To begin, I arrived safely and thankfully at Franciscan University. I must say the drive across Kansas was rather boring. By the time we hit Indiana, Sammi and I found a way to entertain ourselves. We held my giant teddy bear up in the window every time we passed an eighteen wheeler and tried to get the drivers to honk or wave. For the most part we were successful. My mom’s driving drove Sammi and me crazy. She drove exactly the speed limit for most of the trip, stayed behind cars that were going the speed limit and she never really got used to the brake on the mini van.

Moving into the dorms was easy. The orientation team was amazing, carrying all of our stuff up the stairs. Pulling up in a periwinkle purple mini van took a lot of courage but at least we didn’t have to stay by it for long. The dorms have air conditioning and thank goodness for that because it is so hot and humid. It has, however, cooled down. Our internet is not working, making it extremely hard to communicate with people. The RA’s said the internet is being worked on. Our fellow dorm Marian has no air conditioning but they do have internet. Personally as of now I’ll take the ac over the high speed, it’ll come soon enough. I can still get online, I just have to walk down to the JC Williams student center to get online and finding time to do that is difficult.

We are having a tea party in honor of surviving the first week of college. As of today Thursday August 30, 2007 we have been here for a week. The girls on 3^rd floor are really nice, and the lofts up on 4^th floor are really cool. We met some upper classmen who showed us their loft; it’s really big and spacious. The walls of our room look bleak and bare with nothing on them. Apparently we didn’t realize we’d have so much wall space so I have sent home for posters. The girl down the hall had her mom stay till Wednesday that’s a long time.

All weekend masses where in the field house so it wasn’t until Tuesday that I was able to go to Mass in the chapel. Sitting in the chapel is so amazing and looking at the cross against the back wall makes me feel like I am back in St Clare’s in Assisi. The feeling is awesome. I have decided to sit in the front so that I can see and don’t have to go to the back of the chapel for communion. At noon Mass, both times that I have attended, one of the professors and his family have sat in front of me. The kids are adorable but also very distracting. This up coming weekend, September 2nd and 3rd, is opening weekend so once again Mass is in the field house.

Sammi and I managed to find Matt and his good-looking cousin Nathan, not to mention a few other good looking guys, not that we’re out for our MRS degree or anything. There are about 7 of us from Colorado here but I only met one other guy. Oh and it’s a college campus so everyone plays Frisbee. I can proudly say that I bought my very own Franciscan University of Steubenville Frisbee. Apparently one is supposed to name the Frisbee but I am not entirely sure this is true so I will wait a few days. There is also a group or several groups who play Frisbee golf at night, so you have to be careful walking around.

On Sunday we had our “Dinner with 12 Strangers” and went to the Zinno’s house. Three small groups were lucky and were invited over to Righteous B’s house. I hear most of the boys who went to houses with little kids were chased around the house with light sabers and swords. The kids at our dinner were adorable. There were a set of one and a half year old twins and they were the sweetest kids.

Father Dave is still in Austria and no one knows when he’ll be back. Sammi and I just know that the year we go to Austria will be the year he comes back, just our luck. I can’t wait to go to Austria, I’m so excited, but I don’t think I am going till junior year, maybe sophomore.

Classes started Tuesday at 8am. Tuesday and Thursday I start at 8am and finish by 11am so I have the whole day to myself. Mondays and Wednesday’s I have class at 10am, 1pm, and 3:30pm and then on Friday I only have class at 10am and 1pm. The Honors class is fun, people seem to get off topic and others dominate the conversation leaving the rest of us in silence. Some people are also looking too deep and are way too excited. One girl wants to read other books to see if she can find the background of a certain character so we can further evaluate a situation. The rest of us think it’s a little much. A friend, Zach, and I were saying we should keep the intelligence down to our level and suggest that at a certain point during the Iliad they should have ceased warfare for ice cream. It would have been much more diplomatic. University Foundations is one of the weirdest classes I have and I really don’t know what it’s for. They gave us a packet to read but only gave us the even numbered pages so today when we all went back they apologized about it and then found out from the students that both packets they gave us were missing pages and not just one. It’s so boring and it’s my 8am. The rest of my classes are good. I had to drop history which I now think will be part of my major. As soon as I get and academic advisor I can figure out classes, majors, Austria, and my career. French is a nightmare. The Professor spoke in all French and I am happy to say I understood him. That’s a plus. However the rest of the class appears to be a teach yourself sort of thing so I might just die.

The food in the cafeteria is really not all that bad. The pizza there is awesome. I’m not starving just yet. I seem to be eating a lot of pizza because all the weird looking entrees they have don’t seem too good. The one time I did go to get a sandwich they were out of roast beef. I was a little upset. I do have Mac& Cheese in my closet that I can heat up it the microwave anytime. Plus with all the hills around here I don’t think I’ll be putting on weight, aside from building up the calf muscles.

Homework is a little overbearing but with time I will be able to adjust and figure out a schedule. The coffee shop in the JC has also been helpful in those times when I am falling asleep into Luigi Guissani, not because he’s boring, but because I’m exhausted.