A Lot to Cover

We have dress-up days on Mondays.  No jeans allowed!

                Something that I have discovered since acquiring a boyfriend who also lives on campus is that I spend a lot of time with him.  Because he is a freshman (which means he is taking substantially easier classes, still), and he is taking fewer credits than me, and he doesn’t have an on-campus job, he gets all his homework finished while I am either in class or at work.  While he does encourage me to work on my homework while we are together, I found it rather difficult at first to concentrate when I knew I was with someone who was, say, playing a game on his computer or watching TV.  I am just now beginning to figure out how to best manage my time with this new variable in my life. 

I got him on the nose with some chocolate!

Dan and I made chocolate-covered strawberries one day.

               












I begin with this little anecdote (Side note: Wow, that’s interesting.  Anecdote sounds incredulously similar to antidote, and they mean totally different things.) to give you an excuse for my negligence in updating this blog (Although, as one of my karate instructor says, “Excuses are like but holes – everyone has them and they all stink!” So, maybe my little “excuse” was ill-stated. 

Shooting club

Physics lab

the kitty came for a visit one weekend!

                Although it may be for naught, allow me to add a bit more to my excuse (After all, I can’t blame it ALL on Dan).  My classes this semester require my to put substantially more time and effort into each of them.  Differential Equations (this semester) is leaps and bounds more difficult that Calculus III (last semester).  Chem II (this semester) actually requires me to study unlike Chem I (last semester) (Chem I covered things that I had covered during my three years of high school chemistry.  For this reason, I hardly had to study, and I still did well in the class – I even killed the curve on two of the tests.  But, Chem II is a lot more difficult.  I have to put a lot of time and effort into the class to study and do homework.  Many nights, I will spend 3 hours just doing homework for chem.  This allows little time to read my book for the class or even study for that class.)  Intro to Programming is not particularly difficult, but it DOES require a lot of time outside of class.  We have either a program or a lab due every week (sometimes both due in one week).  On top of that, we have homework nearly every night that we have class (and I have that class four days out of the week).  The homework is always due the next class (which is usually the next day).  My honor’s class also requires more work than last semester, and I still find the class a total and complete waste of my time.  So, with all that extra work going on for my classes, I am substantially more busy than I was last semester (I didn’t even think that was possible!).  This semester, I’m lucky if I go to bed before midnight.  Last semester, I went to be before 11 every night.

Physics lab

I did my nails with little polar bears last week.

Dan and I when mum and dad took us out for dinner

Here are some pictures from the Black-and-White Ball.

my nails for the dance

Dan's new Phi Theta Phi shirt that I made him for Valentine's Day.  He was frowning because he was tired and couldn't take a nap.

                Now that I have filled you in my classes this semester, let me fill you in on my social endeavors.  Firstly, please check out the latest Thielensians (<< and there is my plug for one of my jobs).  Things with Dan have been going well (I’m sure you were all wondering).  He treats me well (helps me load my car when I go home, opens doors for me, he even cleaned my room one day while I was at work!) 

Carynn, Kaile, and Deanna during the volleyball game.

                Three weekends ago, the first weekend in Feb., my parents and brother came to Thiel to meet Dan.  They took the two of us out to eat at Applebees and also took us shopping to find me a dress for Dan’s formal.  The next day, he took me home with him to meet his family.  It was an interesting weekend for both of us; but I believe that it went well on both ends!

JC, Andrew, Greg, and Dan played on the other team.

There were inflatables in the Dome during Winter Weekend, too.

                Two weekends ago was Winter weekend.  It began on Friday night with a trip to the dome for dinner and volleyball with some friends.  On Saturday, Dan and I got all dressed up for the Black and While Ball, Thiel’s annual winter formal.  The dance was a lot of fun!  That Sunday was the soul food feast, an annual dinner put on by The Organization for Black Collegiates.  Like last year, it was YUMMY!

This is Shaymin, my legendary Pokemon

                The week after the dance held Valentine’s day.  Although Dan and I didn't go out for dinner that night (I was too busy with schoolwork, so we are going out tonight, instead), we did exchange presents.  He gave me three roses, a box of chocolates, an absolutely adorable card (that he custom made so that it would have the PERFECT panda on it), and a stuffed animal (a legendary Pokemon, to be exact, since he knew I didn’t have any animals anything like it!).  I gave him a letter shirt, a Black Veil Brides shirt (that I custom made, since that’s his favorite band), and I will be giving him something else, but I’m still working on it.

Camden and I at Friday's for his birthday.

                That week also marked the beginning of lent.  I gave up superfluous sending (nothing but the necessities for me, now!  Which at this point in my life means just milk.) 

                That weekend (last weekend), I went home to see my family.  On Friday, I (well, actually, Dan) loaded my car.  I then drove to Pitt to pick up my cousin Devin, who was also going home that weekend.  I was really glad to see my family and my dog and cat for the weekend.  On Saturday night, we went out to eat for my brother’s birthday.  It was nice.

the soul food feast

                Now, you are probably wondering what’s on the agenda for this weekend.  I’ll give you a brief run-down before I leave.  Today, Dan and I are going out to eat for Valentine’s Day.  Tonight, we are going to the formal for Dan’s fraternity.  Tomorrow and Sunday are set aside so I can begin studying for midterms next week (that’s right: midterms already!)

The weekend started out with Vandi chewing mum's slippers. He then spent the remainder of the weekend intently staring at the slippers.

Some of my friends and I at the Soul Food Feast.  This is Anyha, Dan, Sean, me, and Bess

                Well, hope you all have had a good month!  

Two Weeks Past

                The last I left you, I ended by informing you that I had been asked on a date.  So, I guess it’s time to fill you all in.  His name is Daniel McFetridge  and he is a computer science major.  We had one class together last semester and that is how we began talking/texting.  We talked every day over break, and I was pretty sure that he liked me.  The Thursday of the week back, he informed me that he liked me, and I informed him that I felt likewise.  We began hanging out more often, and he asked me on a date that weekend (the date was the following Monday).  He had every intention of keeping the events of the evening a secret; however, typical me, I figured it out.  We went bowling (Two games: I won one; he won the other.), and then he took me to Red Lobster for dinner.  Afterwards, he told me that he really liked me and that he had a good time.  Then, he asked me to be his girlfriend.  So, I now have a boyfriend. 

Dan and I in the library doing homework.  Andrew stole my camera and took a bunch of pictures of everything from Dan and I to the books to the wall to a ceiling light.

                Other than that, I've been keeping up with my schoolwork, working on the paper (which came out today and is online now: http://www.thiel.edu/Thielensian/index.htm), SI (which started this past week), and going to the gym a fair amount with my roommate, Michelle; her boyfriend, Troy; and Dan.  As per usual, it keeps me busy.

This is a picture of the lab we did in Physics this past week.  That blue light is a stream of electrons  that was dissociated and then reformed shortly after.  We were studying the particle-like behavior of electrons.

I found another car like mine!  And Andrew decided to pose for the picture.

                My classes are not particularly easy this semester; I can tell already.  Differential equations is really rough.  I was talking to some of the other students in the class today, and none of us did particularly well on the homework.  Also, none of us really are quite sure what is going on in that class.  I need to find time to meet with the professor, I guess.  I don’t want to get behind.  Chemistry is also rough this semester.  Unlike last semester, the information is not stuff that I studied in high school.  That means I need to teach myself a lot.  My professor doesn't teach very well and she flies through the material so quickly, and she assigns graded homework on information that she hasn't yet covered in class.  My programming class is four days out of the week, and my professor likes to assign homework that is due the very next class (So, often, the very next day.).  I mean, that isn't too bad, it’s just a lot of work.  I don’t even want to think about how much work that will be in a few weeks when the information becomes more difficult.  My HONORS class is annoying and boring.  The professor doesn't do anything (it’s all up to us, which is alright, and I do enjoy the discussions sometimes, but it’s frustrating because none of us ever know what she wants, and when we ask her for more information or clarification, she successfully manages to confuse us even more.).  On the bright side, she is a pretty easy grader.  Last is my physics lab.  I don’t have very much to say on that matter.  It seems like it will be a lot of work both inside and outside of class.

Andrew was joking around during study tables and was trying to come up with a hand sign for Phi Theta Phi, his fraternity.

                Last weekend, I helped out with the physics departmental scholarship day.  I kept students who were here for physics entertained while they were waiting to be interviewed.  I showed them around the department and talked to them about physics and student life at Thiel.  Then, on Sunday night, Dan and I made pizza (one of those boxes from Walmart that I like so much).  Pizza is his favorite.  This week, Dan got a pretty bad cold.  For about two days, he thought he might even have strep.  So, I made him vegetable soup.  It actually turned out pretty well.  I was pleasantly surprised because I had never even attempted to make it before!

It has been snowing a lot this week!  This was taken on Monday.

                Right now, I am sitting in the Bistro with some of my friends: Carynn, Kaile, Deanna, JC, and Damian.  Tomorrow night, we are all going to build a bear (the campus is holding a build-a-bear event!).  Dan went home for the weekend to work.  So, I plan on working on homework, going to build a bear, doing my nails, and (hopefully) finding time to finish the letter shirt I am making Mike (because Andrew wants me to make him a letter sweatshirt, so I need to start working on that so that I have time to make Dan one for Valentine’s Day.  SO. MUCH. SEWING.).

                Well, this was quite a long post.  Have a good week, everyone!!!!

Finals Week, Break, and the First Week of Spring Semester

The Criswell seafood feast (on Christmas Day) is my favorite dinner of the year!

This is the pistol that Santa brought me for Christmas.

Mum always reads "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve.

PJ on New Year's Eve

At one point over break, I took Camden to Denny's for dinner.

Final's week kept me very busy.  Between helping my friend Mike study for his Algebra final and studying for my own finals, I had a lot to do.  I finished the semester with A's in Chem 1, Principals of Computer Science, my Honor's class, and Modern Physics.  I received a B in Calc III.

After my surgery, Devin, Melynne, and MJ came over to decorate a gingerbread house.

One of my friends has a birthday in the summer.  Last year, he complained that  he didn't get to celebrate his birthday on campus   So, for the past two years, we have randomly chosen a day to be his "surprise birthday" (He get's no notice -- just a decorated door and some presents!).

I left school on Friday, Dec 14.  On my way home, I swung by Pitt to pick up my cousin Devin and bring him home with me.  We barely fit in the car!!

Audrey, who was my boss for the paper last year,  spent this semester in India.  She gave a presentation of her trip during final's week.

Throughout break, I went to see The Hobbit with some of my friends from karate, had knee surgery and then went to the karate Christmas party that same night, went shooting, celebrated Christmas (I got a new pistol), and spent New Year's eve and day with friends.  It was a fun break, but was all too short.

This is my roommate Michelle and her boyfriend Troy.  I took their Christmas pictures this year!

Now, I have been back at school for nearly a whole week.  Classes began this past Wednesday, and I have homework already!!  This semester, I am taking Differential Equations, Chem II, Introduction to Programming in C++, Honors Interdisciplinary Course II, and Intermediate Lab for physics.  That's a total of 18 credits.  I am also continuing to work my two jobs: SI leader and Thielensian Editor.

my friend Kailee at the Dome Opener

Now, enough information about my classes.  There is important information of the social front -- I have a date tomorrow!

Well, my apologies that it took me so long to upload this (and for it's rushed nature: I have lots of homework to do)!  I hope you are all well.  Stay tuned for my next post!

Every fall semester, the professors and staff of the college make a midnight breakfast for students during the weekend before finals.  President VanAiken is always in charge of making omelets.

Before Final's Week

me in Rockefeller Center

Mike and I in M&M World

St. Patrick's Cathedral

there were lots of horse-drawn carriages in Central Park

Mike and I in Max Brenner's

This was written right before final's week.  However, due to how busy I was and issues with my computer's ability to connect to the internet at my house, this is the first opportunity that I have had to upload it.

a red panda :-)

I have been so busy since Thanksgiving break that most days I leave my room at 7:30 and don’t get back until 9 or 10.  Between classes, meeting with professors, Thielensian stuff, and homework, I've been running almost nonstop.  During my first week back, I had a paper due, plus physics homework, Thielensian articles to write, and a speech to start.  Then, that Saturday, the college took three buses of people to NYC for the day.  I went with my friend Mike.  He had never been to NYC before, so I got to plan the whole day.  I took him to Times Square, Central Park (where we visited the Central Park Zoo), Rockefeller Center, and Max Brenner’s.  More specifically, we went to M&M World, Hershey’s World, The Disney Store, Toys R Us, St. Patrick's Cathedral, F.A.O Schwartz, the Central Park Zoo, Nintendo World, a farmer’s market on the walk to Max Brenner’s, Max Brenner’s, and a few other random stores.  Overall, we walked well over 120 blocks!  It was a very long day, but it was lots of fun!  Mike really had a great time, too!

our main dish

our desert

me in Max Brenner's

Mike in Rockefeller Center

Mike took this pic of me in Central Park 

A Break Filled with Family and Friends

Here I am, shooting an AR-15.

I would like to say that I wrote this right after I got back from break, but didn't get around to posting it until now, but I didn't change anything from the original write-up.

Although I was away from school, I managed to remain just as busy over Thanksgiving break as I am while at school.  I got home late Monday night (about 11:00 p.m.) because I stayed at school for shooting club (which I ALMOST didn't do.  However, coach e-mailed us and said that he had a surprise for us and that it was going to be like Christmas.  As soon as I read that e-mail, I turned to one of my friends and said, “We’re getting new guns.”  As it turns out, I was right; we got 6 new pistols (including a revolver) and two AR-15’s.  Needless to say, practice was a ton of fun and I’m glad that I stayed!

from left to right: Stuartt, PJ, Brian, me, Jen at Denny's

from left to right: Stuartt, PJ, Andrew, me, Brian at Denny's

                On Tuesday, I slept in until about noon.  Then, I played the Sims 3 Seasons (the newest expansion pack that I hadn't gotten a lot of time to play, yet) for a few hours.  At three, I went to the HS shooting team’s practice where I shot 3-p (three positions: standing, kneeling, and prone).  Overall, I didn't do too badly considering I haven’t shot all the 3 positions together in over a year.  My standing and prone were pretty bad (a 69 and an 87, respectively).  In high school, I was consistently shooting in the mid-upper 90’s in prone and mid 70’s in standing.  My kneeling scores saved me on Monday (kneeling always has been my best shooting position).  I shot a 95 in kneeling (which is pretty consistent with what I was shooting in high school).  After shooting, I came home for dinner; however, dad made hamburgers (ONLY hamburgers), and I’m a vegetarian.  So, I had him give me some money and I ate garlic bread from OIP for dinner.  Then, I went to karate and was able to see all my karate friends.  After karate, Jen, PJ, Brian, Andrew, Stuartt, and I went to Denny’s for a late-night breakfast.

                On Wednesday, I traveled to State College for a knee appointment (I have a meniscus that is torn on both sides and will be getting surgery over Christmas Break).  Then, Aunt Connie and I stopped at Victoria’s Secret so I could try on some PJ’s.  After I got home, I went to Hebrews (a coffee shop in town) with my friend PJ.  On Wednesday night, I began working on my paper for my honors class. 

                Thursday was, of course, thanksgiving.  So, I spent much of the morning working on my paper.  Then, we went to Grandma Jeanne’s house for dinner with the Lehman side of the family (That’s my mum’s side.).  Dinner was yummy, and it was nice to get to see Devin again (I can’t wait until Christmas break when I will have some time to actually hang out with him.).

from left to right: me, Melynne, MJ, and her friend Black Friday shopping

                The next day of my break was Black Friday.  Yay.  We (meaning my mother, Aunt Kim, MJ (my cousin, Mackenzie), and Melynne (Devin’s girlfriend)) woke up at about 3:15 a.m. to meet at Grandma’s at 4:00 a.m.  and go to Altoona for shopping.  It was nice this year because there were hardly any lines (the mall opened at midnight, and other stores opened at 8 or 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving!)!  I did hear from several people that everything was PACKED at midnight.  I didn't get too much this year while shopping, but I did spend the money.  I got an iPhone, a robe from Victoria’s Secret, a new winter coat, and a few small items for presents and such.  I also managed to get a substantial amount of work done on my paper on this day.  Friday night, dad and I watched the movie Field of Dreams. 

Aunt Kathy and I with our martinis

mum and Aunt Kathy with their martinis

                Saturday was the Criswell Thanksgiving, which means the house smelled really good all day as mum and Aunt Kathy cooked dinner.   On Saturday, I drank my first martini: cranberry (Aunt Kathy made it.), and ate a very yummy stuffed squash (which I think needs to be made a part of all my Thanksgiving dinners).  After dinner, dad set up the Christmas tree.

dad decorating the tree

                On Sunday, I packed my bags and loaded the car.  Then, we put on our traditional Christmas CD and decorated the tree and other parts of the house for Christmas.  Right before I left to return to school, I set up the manger (That has been my job for years, and I love doing it.).  Once I returned to school, I brought all my packages upstairs and began putting stuff away.  One of my friends, Mike, came over, and he, my roommate Michelle, her boyfriend Troy, and I lofted my bed and rearranged my room.  Then, as I finished unpacking, Mike decorated the room for Christmas.  We have garland, lights, snowmen, and a decorated Christmas tree!  YAY!

mum putting an ornament on the tree

the Christmas tree all decorated

And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care"

the manger 

                Well, I have about three weeks until break (18 days, to be more exact.  Yes, I have a countdown on my door.).  I shall be more crazy busy than usual as I try to get everything finished in time. Wish my luck!