A lot has been going on. I've been busy and haven't had time or much motivation to write, so here I go, spilling out a collage of events that have happened since September 6th. Kristen and Nick decided to name the baby Sydney. She's doing very well and already getting strong. Kristen is also doing well but is of course working hard to make it through these first few months. Last Sunday we celebrated Kroy's 15th birthday. Of course everyone wanted to hold Sydney and pay attention to her and I thought it was very mature of Kroy to be alright with that. We had his choice of eats, he opened presents; the usual family celebration. My classes are still going well though Newswriting continues to kick my ass. We had to write stories today in class so hopefully I did better with that. I got a B on the last quiz and am doing very well with the editing portion; I hope to keep that progressing. This morning I got up earlier than the norm to head over to the Blaze (school radio station) at 8. I waited alone for a while until an assistant news editor, a girl, showed up, but no one showed up with keys so once we got into the station, we were still locked out of the booths. But she had me jump on the computer and write a couple stories just for practice, which was fine. The stories are very short (a few sentences) and I took a while writing my first one about the primary election yesterday. My second story was easy; ASU's residence hall expansion. On my way back from the station I felt sick and wanted to throw up. I was having a minor identity crisis and found myself backpeddling to the same old arguement; am I heading in the right direction? Is this what I want to be doing with my life? I can handle this, right? If all of these other people have done it, why can't it? Dear God, I've got newswriting this morning... This place is funny. The dorm, I mean. Emotions come and go as easily as walking through doors and change numerous times before the day ends; sometimes even at the last moment. I like the people though. I don't have to be close to all of them to still feel comfort in having so many of them here. I like the convienence of them, of this place, of this campus. I also really like having my own place. It's so nice to be able to do whatever I want, whenever I want; eat, sleep, watch tv, study...I feel like I can breathe here, even when I've got worked piled to the heavens. I feel...relaxed. Especially at night. I love the nights here. I love when its quiet with maybe a few people whispering down the hall. I love the soft lights of my room, wanting to snuggle up in warmer clothes because I can't change the room temperature, and as delapidated and saggy as it is, I love crashing into my bed at night. College, I suppose, is going as it should. I like my French class a lot. It's the first time I've enjoyed the language since my first class in high school. My professor likes me, I know he does; I'm the only one that isn't afraid to speak up in class. I ask questions and show effort; teachers appreciate that. And he's a younger fellow and I'm not so timid that I won't laugh at his jokes. I love the fact that he speaks English a lot, even though we should be doing more French. I'm happy with the amount of homework, too--so much better than 111. French has just become that one class where, no matter what kind of day I'm having, I know I can leave happier than what I was when I entered. I'm also still loving my fiction and playwriting classes. They've become more challenging, but I'm up for it. We're reading A Farewell to Arms right now and I'm having a difficult time enjoying it. It's the writing style. There's no intimacy. I feel like I know the character's on such a distant level and I'm sorry, but I just can't even begin to understand or believe Catherine. But my professor who lectures is pretty good and insightful; I'm sure he'll spark something in me that will help me to understand it beter. I finally got my ass to the gym today. It felt good. I read the whole time (to the gym, at the gym, on the way back from the gym; amazing I didn't run into anything). It wasn't an extremely vigorous work-out but I was breaking a good sweat. It just felt good to be moving. I scratched a photography itch so I feel all the better for it. Still want more though. I'm also really looking forward to this weekend. Saturday is filling up with errands and then a party that night and Sunday I'll be home for my own early birthday celebration and some greatly desired pool time. I've become addicted to the water (and the free and easy tan!). Well, I think that's quite enough for now. Write you when I do... Carrie