| waiting |
06.24.08 |
Tomorrow is the big day. It's hard to believe that the time has come already. I'm taking my road test tomorrow. I was expecting to wait another year, but my mom bought her car on Monday so I've got this week only.
It's funny how when you've waited so long for something it's like a dream when it actually happens. While you're waiting it seems like forever, but when it's actually here that time fades away and you haven't really been waiting that long.
I've waited a little over four years longer than most of my peers and it was worth every second.
I just hope I pass! |
| (0 comments) | give me your 440 |
|
| screwdrivers and summer |
06.17.08 |
Last night was awful. I had been doing okay, studying for my health practical, writing my speech on George W. Bush for public speaking, and I even made cookies and watched Titanic.
Then Neil called. It started off as a great conversation, talking about cooking for one and how much it sucks, and my classes and his internship and how we should both work in the same city next summer. But then we got to talking about my major. Basically Neil was just giving me the same shit my parents give me about not knowing what I'm going to do with it yet, although my parents wisely stopped trying to talk about it after a few times. It's not like I haven't thought about it before. Remember live for today? It stresses me out so much when I do think about it that I should just take it one day at a time. Look at me two years ago. There were so many things different about my career path. I just didn't want to talk about it because I'm worried too, but he didn't need to know that.
I did my practical for health today. My partner Sarah had embedded a screwdriver in her right forearm. I'm just glad I didn't get the car accident! Lucky for her, though, I got to be a car accident victim.
Josh and Cassandra brought me to their apartment tonight for ice cream. We had chocolate strawberry sundaes, which were amazing, and we played Phase 10. Me and Cassandra tied to win. I haven't spent time with them in awhile.
Neil's for sure coming home this weekend, and we're planning to take Tony's son fishing. Tony works for Neil's parents; I met him last weekend after the church rummage sale. |
| (1 comments) | give me your 440 |
|
| every mosquito in minnesota |
06.15.08 |
Listening to: My Life's Been a Country Song - Chris Cagle
I went to church this morning at 8:00. Paulsons weren't there; they showed up later for the meeting and the 10:00 service. During that time I went to Dunn Bros with my mom and took my health test online. It went alright. I ended up with a 92% on it.
Neil called after church and I came over to help with the kitchen. They were still wiring the lights, so I didn't do much. Neil did fix the sprinkler with epoxy though, so that was fun.
Neil and I went for a walk into the woods behind his house, by the creek. I got bitten by every single mosquito in the state of Minnesota, I swear. My arms are covered with bites, there are a few on my feet and legs and even some near the waistband of my jeans. It was worth it though. :) I took a hot shower, so the bites don't itch too much.
I left for Mankato at about 18:00. Neil was going to play 4-H softball at 19:00, and I was bummed because I've never missed a game that he's played in. He ended up not playing and headed back to Ames. I miss him so much already. Hopefully he comes home next weekend; he hasn't decided yet. Otherwise I won't see him until Independence Day. |
| (0 comments) | give me your 440 |
|
| those lousy nurses |
06.13.08 |
I woke up at about 4:00 to a tremendous crash and my mom screaming at the bathroom door. My dad had gotten up to go to the bathroom and passed out. He was disoriented and kept trying to get up and go back to bed; all tolled he fainted five times. Not gonna lie, it was scary.
We took Dad over to Mayo anyway to see that since he had already prepared for the surgery, if there was any chance that they would still go through with it. The surgeons decided against it and sent Dad to St. Mary's for emergency care and evaluation.
At St. Mary's they admitted him overnight for "observation" and ran every test they had studied in medical school. Between the two hospitals, we spent about eight hours there. Thanks goodness I'm not pre-med. Hospitals wear me out. I know if I become a cop I'll spend my fair share of time in hospitals, but still. Even being in one makes me feel ill enough to be there, if that makes any sense.
There were a few funny incidents while at the hospital. The doctors who referred us to St. Mary's advised Dad not to eat before he was evaluated, but me and Mom were starving as well, so as soon as we got to the emergency room we got granola bars and coffee out of the vending machines in the lobby. Dad was watching us eat them and he said in this small voice, "Can I just hold food? I can't eat it, but I just wanna hold it." Which sent me and my mom into gales of laughter.
Then the nurse sent my dad into a room and told him to get into the hospital gown. He changed, then we all waited for someone else to come tell us what was going on. A man came in and asked us what was going on, and my dad said, "I don't know; the nurse just told me to come in here and take off my clothes!"
The man said, "Those lousy nurses! All they do is tell you to take off your clothes." We all had a good laugh over that. |
| (1 comments) | give me your 440 |
|
| music camp memories |
06.12.08 |
Today was the beginning of my long weekend. I gave my speech about banning fireworks, took a test in Diversity, and we starting practicing first aid on each other in health. I was paired with a boy in my class I didn't know, but we were both good sports about it. I have very low blood pressure, so when he tried to take mine he got a number so low he was sure that he was doing it wrong. My poor partner. :)
Then we acted out scenarios as if we were first responders, so of course we had to bandage each other, splint limbs, do a head-to-toe examination, etc. Basically, invade each other's personal space bubble. With a head-to-toe, you essentially feel the person's body, searching for injury, from "head" to "toe." (Obviously.) So at the end of class, my partner sticks out his hand.
"Now that I've felt you up, my name's Blake," he said, grinning.
I laughed. "I'm Rachel."
After classes were over, I called up Patrick and asked if he wanted to get together and hang out. He didn't have a car, so he rode his bike to campus.
We spent an hour and a half in the basement of the PA, just talking about everything. Music, college, friends, music, parents, cancer, music, music, etc. We reminisced about music camp a lot! It is how we met, after all. Something Patrick said that struck a chord (no pun intended!) with me: "Those were the best memories of my life." I'll elaborate that in my private entry later.
After awhile we decided to walk to the Hub in University Square to get coffee. Apparently Patrick and I have very similar tastes as far as coffee goes! We both can drink it any time of day, we're both known for our coffee addictions, and we both agree that Kwik Trip has the best coffee, despite the fact it's a gas station. Who knew?
By the time we walked back to MSU and Patrick left, we had spent three hours together! I had forgotten how much I love that boy. The last time we saw each other was over Christmas break, freshman year (about a year and a half ago).
My mom came to pick me up and I drove home. My parents spent most of the day at Mayo in a class that was supposed to prepare them for my dad's surgery tomorrow.
I spent the better part of the night scrapbooking and watching a movie. I've got to go to bed early; tomorrow is going to be long. :( |
| (0 comments) | give me your 440 |
|
| sturm und drang |
06.11.08 |
So the title means, rather appropriately, "storm and longing" in German.
Storm. I had been sitting in my room alternately studying for Diversity, writing my fireworks position statement for speech, and watching episodes of NCIS to relieve stress. Neil called, so I decided to go for a walk to take a break, stretch my legs and get out of my dorm room. Good plan, huh? Well, it's been grey and windy all day, so I figured I would be alright, as long as I took my raincoat. I was all the way down the sidewalk and in the Crawford parking lot when the tornado sirens went off. Cue me:
"Oh shit! Shit!"
Neil says, "Is that the . . . tornado siren?"
"Screw taking a walk! I'm going downstairs," I said, running back into the building. I found Heidi and Carissa in the lobby.
"Call me back when it's over," Neil said, and we hung up.
I wish I'd had my notes with me. It was hot and humid in the basement corridor by the laundry room. Carissa tried to quiz me since she took Diversity last semester, but we didn't get too much done. We just talked about law enforcement classes and how summer is going. The warning passed at about 20:45, so I went back to my room. If it goes off again, I'm bringing my Diversity notes with me!
Longing. I called Neil back after the tornado warning passed. I'm so excited to see him this weekend! He told me that his family is celebrating Father's Day on Saturday. They're going to the Hubble House in Mantorville, then heading to Rochester to pick out lights since they're remodeling their kitchen. Funny. I thought I'd get to stay in Owatonna on Saturday. Even if I don't go with them (it's up in the air; Neil hasn't asked them about me going yet), I'll probably end up at Mayo all day with my parents.
I'm not sure though. I feel like no matter how many times I go to family functions with them, I'm not welcome. It would be easier if Brian were there. But I don't think he's coming home. I think the reason Brian makes me feel like I belong but not Neil is because Neil treats me like a girlfriend (which is as it should be) but Brian treats me like a sister. It makes it easier to act like I belong, and acting like it convinces me that I actually do belong. |
| (0 comments) | give me your 440 |
|
| rockin' in the quarry |
06.08.08 |
Listening to: Walkin' Shoes - Wade Bowen
Rockin' in the Quarry was a success. It didn't rain (though it threatened to all afternoon), and the sun even came out near the end. I enjoyed it, not nearly as much as I did in '05 (my first Quarry), but it was a little sad as well because this is supposedly the last Quarry concert. Ten years of an amazing tradition that the public loves, then we get new management and everything goes down the tubes. This is me, shaking my head. I don't know what I'm going to do about MSO next year. Luckily, I have the whole rest of the summer to figure it out.
I went out for Katie J.'s 21st birthday to Pub500 with a group of people. Juwon was her designated driver. I suddenly realized that I had a speech midterm due the next morning though, so I had him drive me back around 23:00. I'm glad I went with them, though. I cleared up some questions Juwon had about Amy and how she's a "professional liar" - his words, not mine. I think I just blew that shit wide open for him though. I'm sure I'm going to have an explosion on my voice mail later. Oh well. He deserves to know what he got himself into.
I also got to talk to Joe F. again, which was cool. I haven't seen him since music history was over a month ago. Turns out he's going to be in my music theory class in the fall. Awesome.
Juwon and Joe had to deal with me on a caffeine high or something like it. I think I was acting like I would if I was drunk. I've never been drunk, so I wouldn't know, but I was getting kinda crazy, and I was letting myself. Katie seemed to be holding her alcohol well. Near the end Eric and Jerusha came, so I talked to them a little bit. Maybe Eric and I will actually come to rehearsals for MSU orchestra on the same days next fall! |
| (0 comments) | give me your 440 |
|
|
