Juan Muchacho es muy muscoloso

Well. I'm back, after almost a full month on the road I made it back to Denver. Everything was good. Chicago was great, Minnesota was awesome, and Peru was too good for words. I love Peru. I love everything about Peru, and I felt sooooo happy being there. I find myself daydreaming about when I'm going to get to go back. I'm really really really considering doing an internship down there at the English language institute. I would do it as soon as possible if I could, but I think for now, God is telling me to wait. I think I'm supposed to finish school first. However, I've been weighed down with a lot of thoughts lately about what I want for my future. It's weird, I've got sooo many thoughts running through my head, too many to sort out now, but pray for me, to have patience and to have wisdom and trust to listen to God's perfect plan. Well, I said I would post more about Peru when I got back, but I don't have pictures yet soo...now it's your turn to wait for it with patience. :)

Un poste rapido de Peru

Ahora estoy en Perú! Things here are going very well. Some turbulence back in the states for me but I'm not going to think about it now. I'll probably post a long thing later complete with pictures and all that good stuff, but for now, I just wanted to say that I'm here and I'm safe and I'm loving it. The memories are flooding back from when I went here with Ruth the first time, and I've gotta be honest, the first thing that came back to me was the smell of Lima. I totally forgot what it smelled like, but as soon as I stepped out of the airport and was met by the huge crowd of taxi drivers, it was like an instant memory brought to life. I love being able to feel comfortable in a foreign country, and alot of my Spanish has come back to me! No one in the group speaks Spanish and I'm surprising myself alot when I'm able to translate for others, it makes me want to go sign up for a Spanish class right now so I can be completely fluent. Well, like I said more to come later, probably when I get back. I cannot wait to get back home and just relish in Colorado once more. I miss it soooooo much and though It's wonderful down here, I really need to get home. I'll post pictures when I get them, so, until then Bendiciones de Dios a Usted!

Alma! Check your battery...

Why do I always end my titles with ellipses? Ellipses are the most intruiging of all grammatical punctuation I think. It's like I'm trying to entice you to keep reading, because maybe, just maybe, there will be some earth shattering material or some amazingly eloquent prose that might just change your life, (even though most of the time, my entries aren't really worth seeing to the end). Oh well, did you fall into my trap today? Probably. I would have too.

Well anyway, I'm still here in Chicago and it's good to be in a real city again. I love city life, I love the sights, the sounds, the smells (the good ones anyway) and one of the things that I love about being in big cities is that there is always something new to discover or explore. I suppose the same is true for smaller cities as well, but I like to have alot of options. When I take walks around a city, I always like to look for signs of nature and life and how it has adapted to the city. If I were a photographer, I would do a series of nature in industrialism. For instance, the lilac bush that's growing out of the crack in the sidewalk or the bird that is scavenging on the highway median or the vines that are wrapping themselves around fire hydrants and street signs. It wouldn't be a political or social statement in favor of nature over machinery or anything, but it's always been something that has interested me. I'm torn sometimes, because a big part of me is sad when I see how man's "progress" has destroyed God's creation, but I suppose I'm also a product of my society and get excited about big cities and lots of people and living the big city life. I'm a paradox to even myself sometimes. Anyway, Tulips. That is one area in which Chicago has excelled. The tulips here are pretty darn amazing, the blooms are as big as grapefruits and the colors are just spectacular. I have a picture of them as my phone's background and it makes me happy. Alright, well, I didn't really have too much to say today, but I'm getting really excited, because tomorrow, my brother and I leave for Minnesota where we will be spending 5 glorious days with my second family, the Siefkes, and our dear friends the Correas will be there too. The unholy trinity of Missy, Ruth and Gillian will manifest itself once more in Mankato, MN and then after that, I will be heading to Peru. I'm beyond looking forward to going to Peru and doing missions there and all that's left for me to do is be patient for the blessing that is to come. I hope I can talk to people before then, give me a call if you have time, otherwise, I'm going to try and send a letter with some pictures when I get back. God's blessings everyone. Stay tuned....


...Just kidding. No more ellipses for today =).

Inner thoughts of an exhausted girl

Well my sophomore year is done, thank God. Most people had their last two week sprint to the end, for me it was more like I stumbled at the beginning of the last 2 weeks, I fell, then rolled a few times, and I skidded face first over the finish line. But that doesn't matter because I made it to the end. I ended up with decent grades 2 Bs and 5 As, and I'm sure you can all guess which 2 classes the B's were in. I think Ms. Martin really just thinks the grading scale only goes up to a B. Anyway I won't bethink on the semester too much, it doesn't matter now because my 4 months of blissful freedom are here. I'm supposed to do nothing but relax until August. So why aren't I relaxed right now? Well probably because I'm going to be a Nomad for the next 3 weeks, and I'm going to love the places I'm going, but I really just feel right now like I am a weary vagabond that needs home but can't quite get there yet. I think I might still just be tired from school though. I feel like a balloon that's been completely depleted of whatever air supply I was given at first, and now Im just on the floor, sad and being stepped on by some snotty nosed kid who doesn't want a broken balloon. Ok just kidding about the last part, but I am tired. Anyway, well I don't know what to write, I'm feeling alot of things right now. I'm happy school is over with for now, I'm sad that I had to leave my friends, I'm happy to see my family, I'm apprehensive about when I'm going to get sleep before everything begins to take place, and I'm glad to be getting home, but wishing I were there now. Sigh... Life...I think that's all I can say about that

Well anyway, Here's a question, If you were to be described by people with one word, what word would you want people to describe you as? Just curious...I would want my word to be inquisitive. I want people to see me as always on a quest for knowledge and experience and just hungry to soak in my surroundings Don't ask me why, but I hope that's true for me. Well I gotta go my battery is about to die. Hope everyone is doing well!

What's happened to me?

Hello Blogspot my old friend...

I've come to write on you again.... Anyway, so I suppose it's been a few days since I last posted something, almost 2 weeks but those 2 weeks were quite possibly some of the most jam packed weeks I've experienced. Last week especially. Lots of things happened, too many things happened. I didn't really enjoy it all that much. Now, I don't want to be one to be all morose about things, but I will retrospect for a tid bit. Ok, so this past week, my schedule was inhuman. Among extra rehearsals for string ensemble and orchestra, RUF, playing for Collin, playing for Joseph, playing for church, String ensemble concert thursday, birthday Friday, dress rehearsal saturday, formal saturday, church Sunday, Concert Sunday, another all nighter for my design project that was due monday, my parent's visiting from Thursday to Sunday, visiting my aunt and uncle sunday, and oh yeah classes on top of that, I was at the end of my rope. I was so frustrated because I was being pulled in 15 different directions, and none of them were my own. I know that I do alot and I volunteer for alot of stuff, but some of it I didnt volunteer for, and I think I was (and possibly still am) at the point where I just want everyone to leave me alone. I love helping out with things and all that jazz, but I feel like after I would say yes to one thing, others started just expecting me to do things sometimes without even asking. But I don't want to make myself out to be a martyr or anything, but I need a break. When you're too busy that you forget your own birthday, and then realize that you're too busy and tired to celebrate it, it's a problem. I'm stressed and exhausted, I have a knot in my shoulders the size of Iowa and I've lost control of my life, but this isn't a new thing for me. This has been going on all year and I'm sick of it. I've done just about everything short of selling my soul to try and get ahead and please people and impress people and I don't know why I do it. Why do I do it? I thought that this semester was going really great and that things were getting back into order, but this last month has just been utter chaos again. I need sleep. I need a break. And I really need to get out of Anderson for 3 months. I can't even think of anything else right now except making it this last week and then not even thinking about school until august. which is exactly what I need. The problem is, will I have the energy and/or motivation to finish out this last week, because I'm not sure I do. People don't believe me when I tell them I'm thisclose to just quitting school right now. They think I'm to committed for that and that I would never make such a rash decision. Sometimes I wish I would make rash decisions like that and totally blow everyone's expectations including mine. Expectations are a funny thing... Anyway, enough from lake woebegone. Sorry my first post back was little more than melancholic. Oh well,

...and the vision that was planted in my brain still remains within the sound of silence.

Sesame Strizzle

Sesame Strizzle
Originally uploaded by Denverdesigner07.

This picture comes from a website that is quite possibly one of the funniest ones I've seen in a really long time. Go to www.gizoogle.com and just explore the wonderments that await you. The language is a little rough sometimes (you might not want to go there mom) but I think the hilarity more than makes up for the dirty words. Just wanted to post the picture because it is way too freakin hilarious.

You bet your sweet Aspercreme

Well...I'm not sure I really started this post with anything to write other than just that I think I'm getting back on track. I got my very first 20th birthday gift today in the mail. Gracias to Marcus for the Pizza and Root beer kits, I can't wait to try out the pizza in the toaster oven that we don't technically have *wink* Anyway, yeah. It's been kind of nuts this week and my thoughts are still scattered on a lot of things. I guess I didn't realize it so much at the time, but I've been going through a rough time this semester, even though it was a different type of roughness, kind of a masked rough spot, but still, I didn't realize it so much until a little while ago. I guess I've just kind of been in a funk lately. Not to say that this semester has sucked entirely, but it's not been what I expected it to be. New friends have come into my life, some old friends left, some friends stayed put, but the relationship changed, but Changes...Isn't that what life is full of? David Bowie seems to think so. School work has also been interesting. Sophomore reviews really impacted me. More so than I thought they would. I'm starting to figure out more of who I am and what places things have in my life; what I want for myself and how I want to go about obtaining those desires; what I need in life, and how much patience I'll need to wait for it. So my blog posts haven't been extraordinarily upbeat lately, but I haven't been either. I wanted so badly to just get back to normal and be able to care alot about my work and interior design and everything, but then it just got to a point where I needed a break from everything. like I said earlier, I was pretty much at the end of my rope. I talked to some people about how I basically just wanted to run the opposite direction from interior design, that I just wanted to quit for a little while and go and just help people however God want's me to help them. But I needed to let go, and figure out that this is what God wants for me and even if I feel like I am in the shadows and there is no end in sight, God will lead me through the pits and the mucky muck (little Tenacious D allusion for you) I just am glad that God is still pruning me. Even if whatever I go through sucks beyond all belief, if nothing else I know that it is for my benefit and that God is doing it to grow me in Him. What a blessing and comfort. See everyone Later!

She emerges from the depths...

What a ridiculous week. I have been pushed down and kicked and spit on ever since Sunday. I did not sleep between Sunday and Monday. I didn't turn in my Interior Design project when it was due which is basically equivalent to committing academic suicide right after you cut off all your appendages. In other words it's not a good thing. Anyway, I broke down. Multiple times throughout the week. And I have neither the time nor the desire to recount everything that contributed to make my week hell on earth. But know that I felt like saying "Help, I've fallen, but I'm not even sure I want to get up right now." But it's ok, because yesterday, the clouds finally parted and my week from hell, though still a week from hell, seemed to be clearing up. I've talked to a few people about my situation with Ms. Martin, well, everything is all clear now, apparently, contrary to popular opinion, Ms. Martin does have soul, and coincidentally enough, it is capable of caring and encouraging. Just when I was at the end of my rope with nothing left but to cut the rope, Ms. Martin gives me complements and encouragment. I couldn't believe it, but it's true, and it really was just what I needed. So this week definitely sucked, but it'll be better and I have high hopes (well maybe not high, but definitely a glimmer of hope) that the rest of the year will be ok. I'm getting better. I'm getting there....

Music is what feelings sound like.

I realize that my last few posts have been a little less than extraordinarily upbeat. I don't like to be the type of person that contemplates to a point of exhaustion/depression. I obviously would much rather write about the wonderful things in life like flowers and the smell in the air during a spring night and other things that remind me how glorious God's creation is, but the Christian life is not without struggles and everyone has them. I happen to be struggling through some things right now, maybe not struggles as things that I need to sort out about myself and my place in the world and other things and what place they have in my life. Again, I know I'm probably not making much sense right now, but it's the truth, I don't have any answers or sagacious things to share. Bear with me, I'm still working through things.
On a different note, I played cello tonight for my friend Collin's CD that he's recording. (Ha Ha, I just noticed my pun...different NOTE! Sorry) The cello is an amazing stress reliever for me. Even if I suck, I can just get lost in the tones that come out from my instrument. And the more I play, the more I find out that if I just lose myself to the music and the cello, the better it is. Anyone can be trained on an instrument, but to really play that instrument, there has to be a passion there. Someone once said "Play the Music, not the instrument." I think that's one of the areas that I've really grown as a "musician" in the last few years. I mean, I've only been playing for like 6 years, so I guess in the last half of my career, I've tried to work on just letting the music take over and focusing on what I want to put into the cello which will come out anyway, rather than just playing the notes. I don't even know if that makes sense. I was listening to NPR one day ( I know, I'm a nerd) and Yo Yo Ma was on there, and he was talking about this song he was playing and he described it in such an artistic manner, you could truly tell that he wasn't just playing a song, he was creating a work of art right before the listeners. I think it was Stokowski that said something along the lines of "A painter paints on a canvas, but a musician paints on silence." Isn't it amazing the gift that God has blessed us with? I love it. Music is way too big a part of myself and my identity to ignore or move away from. If I did, I would lose myself.

Back to you, Life...

Despite what my poor blogging habits appear to convey, I have not fallen off the face of the planet. I am here, but this past week I have retreated into a fortress of contemplation. I've been doing alot of introspection and I'm not sure I've come up with any answers yet. Actually I'm not expecting to come up with any answers on my own, I won't figure this one out so I've just been praying for God to give me His wisdom, because mine is worthless. I've been thinking alot about where I am in life, especially with my future plans and what I need to do with my life. Oh, I'm not talking about changing my career or major or anything, I don't think I can find whatever I'm looking for in scholastics. I know this probably isn't making much sense right now, but it doesn't to me either. Alot of this started after sophomore reviews and after I started really thinking about them, I guess this is just my response to it. Anyway, I'll probably explain more later when I can form a cogent synopsis of what I'm talking about, but for right now, I think I just need someone to talk to...

Titled Musing- "Discouragement"

Spring has sprung, the flowers are in bloom, the sun is shining (sort of) and I have hit a rough patch. Maybe not a rough patch, but sometimes it feels like it just a little bit. We got our sophomore reviews back today, and for the most part it was good. I'm in Good Standing which I knew, but I was anxious to see the comments. I wasn't expecting to be with distinction or anything, but I think maybe that's the part that bothers me, is that I'm not with distinction. I know that I'm not going to be magnificent the first time around, it seems like I'll do my best the first time, and if it's not stupendous, if I were to do it again, it would be better. I sort of have to stumble a little bit and feel my way around before I really get a good grip on it. I know it's supposed to be like this, but I think I get frustrated with myself if I'm not amazing the first time. Which is probably stupid, but still, I want my work to set the bar, but it gets frustrating when it doesn't. I guess I sort of set these standards for myself and I do the best to my ability, but I've struggled with this before about if my ability is nothing more than average. They told me I work hard and am tenacious in sticking with things, which is good, what more can I ask? But they also felt like I may spend too much time with other committments. Which made me angry. I am a busy person, I know that, but that does not for one nanosecond mean that I must focus 24/7 on Interior design to be good or at my highest level. While interior design is my number one priority right now, it is not my only priority. My music is very important to me and it sort of makes me mad when people tell me I cannot do both and be at my highest level with both. Especially because I feel that it is completely untrue. And though it may seem to others that you can't focus on both, I feel like I would be cheating myself and squandering a gift that God has given me by leaving something behind to focus on one thing. Maybe I won't be a concert cellist, maybe it won't become my career, but it is a very important and big part of who I am and I refuse to believe that it is anything less than that or holding me back in any way. The rest of the world may say that it does, but in my heart I truly believe that it's not true. Some may say it's egotistical or foolish to think that way, but I don't care, I know the dedication it will take to prove them wrong, and I am willing and able to do so.
So that's probably my biggest frustration of today, I guess I'm just sort of discouraged right now. sometimes it just feels like other people seem to attain things so easily but I have to work through alot more to just stay afloat. And Sometimes it feels like the world is trying its best to push me down and make me give up. But I can't, because I know that I'm not going to quit or fail. So for now, in the words or TuPac 'It's me against the world.'

Untitled musing

It doesn't feel like Easter. I haven't been very reflective this year, and I think that part of that comes from not being able to attend Lenten Vespers on Wednesdays because of my class, I haven't had any time of preparation. But I suppose that's no excuse, shouldn't I have been preparing myself. Proabably, but once again, I've fallen short. Sometimes it feels like I keep working and pushing myself and my limits and keep striving to be better, but I don't always know why. I guess it's just always how I've been and it's how I've been raised...if you don't like something about yourself or the situation you're in you should change it. I feel like I'm constantly waiting and working for change. That there always has to be something better out there that I'm working towards. Why? What am I waiting for? Am I waiting for the perfect career, perfect financial situation, perfect friendship, perfect (gasp) relationship? I think part of me is scared to think that maybe I'm working and striving and it's going to be in vain. What if I'm supposed to end up poor and working at St. Anthony's Central Hospital until I retire, what if all of my friendships have major flaws? What if I'm supposed to stay single for the rest of my life? Why should I be scared about that, God's promised to take care of me, but will I be too proud and doubtful to realize that maybe God plans on taking care of me another way than what I think is the best way. I suppose deep down that's what I'm really afraid of, that I won't have the faith to let God take care of me according to His will even if it's not according to my will. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this one, but as usual, I extirpated some of the thoughts that just started flowing. I'm not deep. I'm definitely not a forward thinker or sagacious in any way shape or form. I wish people wouldn't encourage me to be like that, because I feel like I probably think of more of myself that other people do already. Sometimes I wonder what people really think of me and what they see me as. Am I putting forward the characteristics that I want people to see in me enough? Because I wonder if people only see me as that sarcastic girl who talks too loud. Yeah, I don't like hanging around her too much either...

Ahhh...spring

Azaleas
Originally uploaded by Denverdesigner07.

It's definitely springtime and the flowers are starting to bloom on campus. These are azaleas which can be found in abundance at AC. I love flowers! I know that's really old woman-ish but I really do, they're so pretty and wonderfully joyful. They really brighten my day. Anyway, not too much has been going on lately, I do have some more happy news though- I auditioned for a choir scholarship not thinking I would get one, but I did! I was really happy! My other super happy news is that I got a 93 on my Residential Interiors test!!!!!! And not only that, but Ms. Martin wrote "Very Good!" at the top of my paper!! I know that may seem like something really stupid to get excited over, but hey in the interior design world at Anderson College, getting not only an A from Ms. Martin, but a complement as well...That's like striking oil and gold...at the same time!
I'm trying to think of anything else that's going on, not too much, this week is Easter, but it just doesn't feel like it, I missed Palm Sunday services, and I will be spending Easter by myself again, which is sad, but I don't really want to think about it too much, because then I start missing home, but I'll be fine, I'll be home in like 2 months and my parents are coming in 3 weeks so I've nothing to be upset about. I've been really happy lately, everything just seems like it's been great, and even if somethings haven't gone the way I want them to, and some things have changed, I don't have to worry, because all things work together for good to them that love the Lord. So I will enjoy myself this spring and the rest of this school year, taking time to stop and smell and enjoy the flowers and just do everything to the best of my ability that God has given me.

Hey, did you hear the one about the girl who got stuck in an airport overnight in Houston?

Yeah I didn't think it was very funny either...

Well update time, I'm back at AC after a total of 25 grueling hours of travel which was only supposed to be 4, but it doesn't matter now: I made it. I thankfully got on the 9am flight out of Houston with much gratitude going towards Continental Gate Agent Linda who put me at the top of the standby list and made sure I got on the flight. Josh and Courtney, (to whom I now am eternally indebted) picked me up from the airport, smelly and dirty and everything and we made it back. I'm just glad that trip is over. Phew, I'm really tired now, but I'm going to go stuff some envelopes with my Peru support letters and then drift off into one of the deepest sleeps I've had in awhile. Happy news: The support raising efforts are going wonderfully! A family from my church wrote me a check for Two Hundred Dollars!!! I'm so thankful for the support and encouragement of this family! God is Good all the time and all the time God is Good!!! Please continue to pray for this trip, that everything will go according to plan and that everyone will be blessed in their efforts. Hope everyone has a good night!!! Proverbs 3:5-6

I didn't think this was physically possibly, but this both sucks and blows

Well, this is seriously the worst travel experience of my life. I am now in Corpus Christi International Airport. But Gillian, it's almost 9 o'clock, and you were supposed to leave Corpus Christi at 4:00 this afternoon. I know. We left Corpus at 5:30 because there was nasty weather in Houston. But Gillian, if you left Corpus Christi, shouldn't you be out of Corpus Christi? Right again, however, due to another influx of bad weather, we only got a third of the way to Houston, before we just started circling and then about 20 minutes later, when we were about a third of the way there, they realized that we would run out of fuel before the weather cleared up, so back to Corpus Christi it was. Good plan, we'll just wait out the storm in Houston and then take off, right? Too bad the storm came to Corpus. I am now in proverbial limbo in Corpus christi. So Gillian, what's to become of you? Well, for now, I will starve in the Corpus Christi International airport which is roughly the size of a soccer field while being subjected to the latest adult contemporary hits which includes, Amy Grant, Kenny G, and Michael Bolton. You know what they say...Small Airport, nothing is open to get dinner so you get bad music instead. Maybe they don't say that, but it's definitely what I'm experiencing right now. 43 of the 46 passengers on the flight bailed and took the nearest cab to the nearest hotel to fly out late Sunday. I can't do that, I have classes Monday. So right now it's looking like whenever the lightning advisory is lifted (which is probably going to be at least an hour) they'll refuel the plane (which will be another hour) and then the 3 remaining passengers will be lifted off to Houston, where I shall spend the night trying to get comfortable in the connected airport chairs that make it impossible to lie down. Darn you commercially designed furniture with armrests. Then, tomorrow morning, I will bitterly miss Palm Sunday services that I will replace with praying my hardest that I can fly standby on one of the flights tomorrow. It's not looking good. At very worst, I won't be able to fly out until Monday Afternoon. Please for the love of God pray that I make it tomorrow. Until then, it's me, the other 2 passengers, Pilot Christian Bassolino, and the latest adult contemporary hits, eagerly awaiting our departure from this God forsaken airport. Hopefully Kenny G won't make it to Houston.

USS Lexington

USS Lexington
Originally uploaded by Denverdesigner07.

By the way, this is the view I got from my hotel at Corpus Christi, this is the USS Lexington, an aircraft carrier during WWII.

¡Adios, playa Asoleada!

Here I am, the last leg of my Spring Break 2005. Waiting in the Corpus Christi International airport for my 4:00 flight so I can head back to Anderson. My friend Josh is picking me up at the airport tonight where he will be receiving a very funny thank you gift. I didn't know what to get him from the beach, so I thought I would play it safe and give him the goofiest thing I could find. And holy moley, it's the weirdest thing I've ever seen in my entire life. It's a coconut that's carved to look like a pirate's head. It's really ugly, but it made me laugh, so hopefully he won't think I'm too weird for giving him that. I'm also getting him a gift card to panera or atlanta bread company or something so it actually looks like I'm thankful for his help. Friends are a wonderful thing to have around. Ahh...friends, it's funny the people who come into your life. It's sad when some people go out of your life. But like Robert Gallagher said, Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine. Ha, good quote. It doesn't help me like change anymore, but it's something to think about anyway. I suppose one of my shortcomings is that I have a hard time adjusting to change. I'm an old fuddy duddy and I like to get things in order and then keep them that way. It's kind of weird, because I think people may not realize this about me until they get to know me. Based on certain aspects of my life, I think people may think I'm not afraid of things, I can just throw caution to the wind and take whatever life throws at me. I suppose that's kind of true in a sense, but I don't necessarily embrace the change without a care. For instance, I packed up all my stuff and I moved 25 hours away from my home to go to a college I found online. Brave? Nope, I was scared as anything, but I knew it was where God wanted me to be. And that really is the only reason I've been able to do anything that may seem "brave" in my life. God guides me, but one thing that he's had to work on with me is my stubborness to just balk at change. I'm the type that needs to set down roots as soon as possible, I don't like not being in the know with what's going on. It's foolish, and proud, but it's me. Well, anyway, change is a good thing I guess. Even change with friendships....somehow. That's what I'll keep telling myself anyway...

Random Post from Corpus Christi,

I'm terribly distraught I don't have any way to take a picture, but I'm pretty sure that Groucho Marx just walked into the AquaJava coffee shop. He's dressed well in his pinstripe suite. Apparently his death in 1977 is agreeing with him nicely. Who Knew?!

Hola Amigos!

¡Saludos de Corpus, Christi! Si usted consigue siempre la ocasión de ir aqui , tome la oportunidad. ¡Es grande!

Now for all the gringos, Greetings from Corpus Christi! If you ever get the chance to come here, Take the opportunity. It's great!

That's right folks, I'm writing to you today from Texas, where the weather is set at 70 degrees, the beach acts as the backyard to my hotel room, and the U.S.S. Lexington is my next door neighbor. So far, I've spent most of my time on the beach which is wondefully warm, and today I went downtown where I sat for awhile in the South American coffee shop called AquaJava. Muy unico (unique) indeed. Tonight I will be heading over to Blackbeard's, a restuarant/bar/music hall where I hope to find some good live music and not too many drunk college students. So far, I really haven't noticed the tide of spring breakers here, I think they're all at South Padre Island which is about 20 minutes away and that is ok with me. So, Gillian, any interesting stories from the road? Just a few. The airport just about gave me a heart attack because when I went through Security, they searched my bag with my laptop in it and found my stash of cocaine. Good thing they believed me when I told them it was baby powder. Just kidding, but they did do the swabby thing test to my computer and for whatever reason my computer set off the alarm for chemicals and they had to do a pat down. It really did scare me, especially when it happened for a second time! But then they cleaned their stupid dirty machine and it came out all good. Disaster Averted!
My other fun story from Corpus Christi is that yesterday I walked to the Whataburger about a half a mile or so away to grab some dinner, and I decided that I didn't really want to walk back when it was dark, so I got my food to go and started to head back to my hotel. So I'm walking back with my food bag and it was kind of boring, but luckily the cat calls and whistles I got on the way back kept me entertained. My personal favorite, and vote for Bud Light's Real American Heroes award goes to you, Mr. Sidewalk Bad Pick-up Line Guy. When other people pass by on the sidewalk, they don't say anything and keep on walking, but not you sir. No, you have guts and the wit to come up with lines like "WhataBurger for WhataGal!" So crack open an ice cold Bud Light, Mr. Sidewalk bad pick-up line guy, because if it weren't for guys like you, there would be nothing for other guys to strive for when trying to hit on women.
That's my only fun story so far, but hey, tomorrow is another day. I think I'm going to try to go see the Lexington and the aquarium, but the aquarium costs 12 bucks, so we'll see. It's been good so far though, My spring break is rapidly coming to an end and I think that now is the time when I need to start mentally preparing myself for what lies ahead, and though I won't feel as overwhelmed with work as I was last semester, it is most certainly not the time to rest on my laurels. I have a semester to finish, and I'll be darned if I don't do my best to present my best work in everything. Ready Team....BREAK!

So that was my little pep talk for myself, Interesting random fact about resting on one's laurels, "The Greeks awarded wreaths of laurel leaves to the winners of the Pythian Games, and the Romans gave similar awards to distinguished citizens. For some winners, as with winners of gold medals in modern Olympic games, the award is enough; they have reached the pinnacle. Emanuel Deutch's 'Literary Remains' (1874) carries the suggestion: 'Let them rest on their laurels for a while.'" From "Dictionary of Cliches" by James Rogers (Ballantine Books, New York, 1985). " Isn't fun to learn something new? I thought so.

Anyway, there you have it. Soon I'll be back to school and back to my friends and all that good stuff, and then there's only 6 weeks until school is done, 7 weeks until my brother graduates, and then 8 weeks before Joleen graduates, and then I will be in Peru!!! Pray for that trip that all will go well, I hope everyone else is having a wonderful spring break! See ya!