Okay, gang, here’s the drill:

I’m going this weekend to the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Fall Conference. It’s somewhere within an hour of Spokane (I don’t know exactly where). I am NOT GOING TO BE HERE AT WHITMAN. I am also not going to be taking my computer with me, because, duh, I’m going to be camping. If you absolutely need to get in touch with me, though, I will have my cell phone — though I have no idea how good the reception will be out there, so it’s not guaranteed. I’m leaving at two today (Friday), and I’m getting back sometime between noon and four on Sunday (don’t really know, sorry). So I’ll miss y’all, but hopefully I’ll be having a great time somewhere that’s not Walla Walla! Prayers are appreciated, and of course I’ll blog the whole deal when I get back.

God bless!

Since I haven’t posted in awhile, I get to use several songs: “Big Man on Mulberry Street” by Billy Joel; a cover of Elton John’s “Daniel” by Leslie King and Marmalade; and “When You Say Nothing At All” by Ronan Keating (check this out for a beautifully orchestrated midi of the song).

God is telling me to study, then sleep, and I don’t wanna. He’s knocking my head on the wall, saying, “You eedeeott!” And here, I am ignoring him.

I wanted to blog tonight — since I haven’t really done so for awhile — and of course I get online at exactly the wrong time: “Due to planned maintenance, Blogger will be unavailable for a few hours starting at 11pm (Pacific) on Wednesday, October 29. Thanks for your patience.”

So instead of doing German — as I KNOW I should — I am blogging straight into a text file, which I’ll post tomorrow.

Yesterday was a weird day. It was really windy all day, and since I felt really ill in the morning, I didn’t go to my morning classes (I only have early morning classes Tuesday and Thursday). I was going to do my voice lesson, because the teacher has to drive out a long ways to teach, and so it’s a big inconvenience for her if I cancel at the last minute; but when I got there, there was a note taped to the door that said she was ill, and so all her classes for the day were cancelled, and would have to be rescheduled. I took this as a Sign, and subsequently called in to work sick. (Basically, pots and pans is great to work at when I’m stressed or emotional or whatever — being sequestered in the back of the kitchen to work alone on something which is so totally ingrained in me gives me two hours of time for contemplation, Tuesday and Thursday. But when I’m feeling barfalicious, it is just not the place to be. Too much picking up and moving, too many slimy things, but mostly, too many gross smells.) Anyway, this boring story has a point. Namely, that instead of working noon to two, I napped. It was warm, so I left my window open. It was really windy out, and when I woke up at two (feeling significantly better, thank goodness, because I had a meeting with my core prof which I really needed to go to — I guess I still looked a little green, because she asked me if I was feeling okay, but I felt enough better that it really was fine), my window-sill was coated in dust. We had a whole big dust-storm that lasted all afternoon; it even seemed to get dark early. It was like fog, but khaki-colored, and it was frankly pretty gross. Walking outside left one with a funny taste, a sticky feeling on the skin, and a great thirst. Also, where usually people walk past and say, “Hey,” all that was manageable at that point was a close-lipped smile. On the upside, there were probably more people in Prentiss than there have been all year long…

I got the least amount of sleep Sunday night that I have gotten since I have been at school. I also don’t think that I have worked so hard on a school project — of any sort — for quite awhile. I drew a picture-book out of Job (like a children’s book, with stick figures and stuff), and it took me a pretty long time. Anyway, that was what the meeting was about, and I didn’t come away with a very good impression of what sort of grade I am likely to receive on it, which annoys me. I hate feeling so ambivalent, and I felt like the meeting didn’t resolve anything — though it was interesting, and entertaining, and I feel like my core prof is starting to be demanding enough that I might theoretically keep my wits a little sharper.

Since we’re studying the Tanakh (specifically, right now, Job) in Core, I thought I would add this; I thought it was kind of cool. I think its strength is really in its bibliography, which I haven’t checked out as well as I can; but it’s fun to poke around it. I especially find interesting the “Methods” section, but “Context” and “Topics” are really useful too.

This weekend, talked to Lauren, Abe, and John. Also, my parents. I could not have been happier — I missed y’all a ton. Also, Lauren, your blog for Monday totally felt like how my life is. I feel intellectually dull, and spiritually not much better. Everything is supposedly going fine, I have no reason to be unhappy, but basically, life-wise, I am sitting and splashing in a cold little pool of ambivalence. Nothing in my life is moving forward right now; I feel like I have no goals that mean anything to me. I need to work on this. (Not that I’m saying you have no goals — only that your description of certain feelings caused me to consider this.) Also, Charles Williams — I went looking for some Williams at our library, too. They have almost none, and not the ones I wanted. Sniffle.

Random other stuff:

A week or so ago, I dyed my hair. No, Mum, not any weird color — actually pretty much exactly the color it already is. Juliana didn’t even notice that I’d changed it, and she usually notices stuff like that. Somebody said my hair looked good, and she went, “Oh… um… did you cut it again?” *kicks Juliana*

But it feels SO much softer, healthier; it looks shinier, less frizzy. I’m really glad it worked out. Since it was a light color, it didn’t really affect my roots, either (I didn’t want to bleach it — ew), so really, it looks the same, only more smooth and happy.

I found Frazz online, and it made me very happy. Frazz is one of my favorite comics, but it’s not in the Oregonian or the Walla Walla Union Bulletin (yeah, it’s a paper. Laugh it up).

Saw “The Thomas Crown Affair.” Very tricksy, very fun. Clever.

Saw also “Pretty Woman.” Possibly more cliched than “Dirty Dancing,” and not as much. But it was fun. I really like the hotel manager, he’s the Colonel Pickering of the piece… (I wish there were more Colonel Pickerings in the world. They are always appreciated, and even though they never get the girls, the girls always love them. But I suppose perhaps that’s why there aren’t more: because they never get the girls…)

Have a German test on Friday. Wish me luck.

Ich gehe nun zu Bett. Ich schlefe. (Ja? Correct, Mum, Dad, Prof. Soden?)

Time of actual blog end: 12:35:42 AM Tuesday Morning / Wednesday Night.

So, saw Diabolique (or “Les Diaboliques”) last night… very very cool movie. I most definitely approve. Twisty, creepy, etc. Also, the most Hitchcockian movie I’ve ever seen that wasn’t made by Hitchcock. Highly suspenseful, etc.

For something a bit more creepy, read this. And then consider that, in terms of the serial killer profile, this guy is hitting most of the nails right on the head. He:

- Considered himself as separate, and above the rest of society.
- Had a creepy van.
- Hated the barking of dogs. Just like Berkowitz.
- Suffered rejection amongst peers in his profession.
- Wasn’t in the career he really wanted to be in the first place.
- Was frequently exposed to death early on in his career.
- Lived (at least for awhile) in a very dilapidated, not at all nice part of town.
- Painted supergross paintings.
- Thought his life was a failure.
- Was thought by many people who knew him to be very creepy.

Just something to consider. We’ve been discussing euthanasia in Religion class, which is why it’s on my brain…

This just makes me so happy. Particularly the bit about the cartoon, check that out. And the music. Yeah. Dude!

The Lioness by Songs: Ohia

Not much going on here except that I’m getting used to it, I think finally. Something about knowing where most everything is, about getting acquainted with my teachers, and so on and so forth. Lots of stuff I can’t describe, and a few things I don’t want to. Also, the weather is more human now that the cold has snapped in.

Next weekend I’m going on the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship “Fall Conference”. So if you want to talk to me — too bad, I’m going to be out of town.

That’s all the news that’s fit to print.

Sorry by Nerf Herder

This makes me very sad today

Short post. Life is otherwise good, but wahh…

the cobra spits venom;
it stabs, it smarts, it stings.
seeks, strikes, destroys,
and dances while Max sings.
so once tall mighty walls crumble all at his kiss;
Berlin, Ilium, Elysium
all unclean things,
grease and grime,
killed like Cleopatra.

in deep seas the behemoth’s lost;
he brews a squall in the darkest depths.
turning and tumbling, tripping and flipping,
churning and toiling and burning and boiling:

scrub.
wash.
rinse.

Max’s hands already are like billowy clouds
like cotton, or cream,
or the body of a Balinese cat:

light.
soft.
white.

an insect enters the final rinse;
an ill host, it puts his fly soul to flight.
“no somnolent surrender nor sweet suicide is his,”
the cobra hisses.
“this is a sanitizing solution.”

a can of pickled beets bleeds.
Diana, make it lovely
as you did Iphegenia at her final hour:

reduce.
reuse.
rebirth.

Max rinses the sinks, drains the tanks,
he funnels away the soggy stars.
He takes and soaks the ratted rag,
degreases the celestial vault;
till only stainless steel stays.

he goes, clothes soaked,
clocks out, goes home
with the turmeric stain of this two-hour war
a wide smudged smear on his brow.

Last couple of have days have been kind of weird. Wednesday was just *so* busy… from 7 in the morning (when I got up for class) to about 11:30 at night, I was going nonstop. After my classes, I went on a section “date” with my section and boys’ section 3-West, and it was terrifically fun. We all got dressed up as cowgirls and cowboys and we went to the brewpub for dinner. There were about thirty of us that went, and so they seated us outside under this sort of covered area with a fireplace… it was good to be in a situation to actually talk to boys (since our dorm is all-girls, we don’t meet them really outside of class, and it’s hard to really make friends in class somehow). Also, they had these big baskets of unshelled peanuts, and they put them on our tables; then the waitress said, “just throw the shells on the ground.” One of the boys threw his peanut-shell over his shoulder, hitting another boy in the head, and then about two seconds later, the air was full of flying peanut-shells. That dissipated once they brought our food, but every now and then it would start up again. (At one point, our whole ten-person table planned a coordinated peanut-shell strike against the table next us.)

Then after dinner, came back to dorm and hung out, talked to people, did homework until 10:30, when the Testostertones provided Prentiss’ study break entertainment. Every Wednesday night at 10:00 or so — this time 10:30 — the Prentiss residence staff plan some sort of stress-relieving study break activity. One time it was “Twister and Twizzlers”, and we played Twister and ate Twizzlers. Another time it was a Kindergarten theme, and so we played jump-rope and had juice boxes. Anyway, this time the Testostertones were there, and they are so good that a bunch of people came from other dorms to see them. Still, mostly girls going all ga-ga over manly men singing a capella… it was the height of my day, especially since they sang Africa, which is romantic, and 80’s, and they sing it well, and The Title of the Song, which was really funny. They had the full-on boy-band mockery complete with singing to specific audience members, and the right kind of clothing and dance moves.

Check out The International Guild of Lamp Researchers. This is by far the most interesting of recent random discoveries on-line. I mean, there are websites that are interesting but not very specific and well-developed; this one is very specific and still interesting. Also, I’m surprised just *how much* information there is on it. A searchable list of 9000 US Patents pertaining to lighting?

Naither random interesting thing today: this random girl and I saw a dead squirrel under one of the oak trees on campus, and it was quite a bonding experience. It was really sad; one always sees the squirrels dashing about so skillfully, we take it for granted that they will not falter and fall — but they, like man, are imperfect. These little reminders of death guard against worldliness, and are good for the soul.

Barista Goddess say: “Bjork says, ‘All is full of love.’ Troggs say, ‘Love is all around.’ Roxie says, ‘There’s love everywhere.’ No wonder the Romantics think love is air.”