I have decided that I love cool weather but I'm not the hugest fan of cold weather, unless I am properly attired and not walking long distances.

We're meeting up for the fall retreat in less than 1 hour... whoo hoo... I have no idea what we're doing but I think it'll be good! I'm seriously bringing a school book... I doubt I'll look at it, unless my friend Jolene and I decide to have a study session... but oh well.

So yes, losing the World Series wouldn't be so bad but getting sweept is a bummer. But looking at the scores, I think it's safe to say the Astros did what they could... the White Sox are just better. They're an American league team... and everyone knows that even though they're not half as cool, they are just better than the National league teams for the most part. Anyhow, I'm still proud of my 'Stros for making it to the big time. They worked hard for it.

I took my draft of my second paper to my English teacher yesterday... I have a lot less to work on this time around than last, which is very good. She also said that my last paper was actually one of the better ones from our class, so happy dance to that! It's very encouraging to hear that... I mean... writing is a big deal to me, and I'm in a class with sophomores...

Have you noticed that most of my titles end with ... ?

Congrats to Rach and Nathan!

I have talked to the following people on the phone today about my mom's successful surgery:
~2 different doctors
~Dad
~A woman in my parent's Sunday school class
~Two of my aunts
~My other aunt and uncle's answering machine
~My Papaw and Mamaw
~And finally mom
And I still have to call my grandma and one of my mom's co-workers...

Me: "I made a 12 out of 10 on my theatre project!"
Garrett: "Well that's good... and mathematically impossible."

So after my lab class this morning I found Amy A., Amy B., Nathan M., and Sarah B. in the KUC and hung out with them, but the group ended up dwindling down to Amy A., Sarah, and Lauren. It was so great though, because I filled up all my breaks with scholarship work so I can go home earlier. And while going home earlier is nicer, so is hanging out with my buddies, so I was so glad to see them.

And speaking of friends, I have 100 Phusebox friends now. Woot.

My mom's having surgery on Wednesday (please remember to pray for her) so we went up to the Vanderbilt area so I would know how to go there in case of an emergency and I had to go pick Mom up. Wow... it's such an awesome area. If I was richer and smarter and not interested in mass comm, I would go to Vandy. But then I would be a completely different person...

Today was pretty uneventful other than that. Now for a completely random story that I meant to tell on Thursday...

So I went to the Mass Comm building to go watch a Chinese movie for extra credit in my Understanding Mass Media class. Since this movie is disrupting my eating schedule, and all they offer at the movie is stale popcorn, I decide to purchase a bag of M&M's to hold me over for the next couple of hours. So as the machine is vending, when, well, you guessed it, the bag gets STUCK!!! Agh! I stand there in front of the machine, thinking and pondering. I try a few kicks, try sticking my hand up through the thing (you would have to have a twig for an arm for that to work), and wonder if I should risk buying another bag in hopes that both will come out.

"I feel like I'm in a bad sitcom!" I cry out with a kick.

Down come the M&M's.

The moral of the story: Anything is possible with a good kick!

What a long day! I was on campus from 10:50 until the football game ended. Tailgating was a blast. The Shaws had their own tent, we got food from the BRAA tent, and we hung out at the AO tent. Fun times. I'm too lazy to write a decent post, so I'll leave you with a picture.

First off... wow... I am IN LOVE and I AM LOVED! The Creator of the Universe cares for me so much that he has been captivating me these last couple of days with beautiful red and orange leaves. I love it! I feel like the falling leaves are a show just for me, a whisper from Him saying, "I love you so much; this is for you."

Also, I'm encountering Him in new ways. I've been a Christian for approximately 11 1/2 years, and in that time period it is very easy to kinda forget about how big and awesome God is. But lately He's just speaking to my heart and bringing joy into my life. This Wednesday I was stressing out over something as usual, and on the way to church I could hear His voice stirring my heart: "Let's talk." And just to hear Him reassure me that I have no reason to worry as long as I abide in Him... ah yeah... it was just an amazing peace.

On the way to church Wednesday night and then at church when the speaker mentioned Psalm 37:4, this question rose up within me: "What makes you alive?"

So... what makes you come alive my friend? It's a pretty deep question if you really think about it...

Other encounters today: I banged on Eddie Sally's car and nearly gave him a heart attack, I had a long talk with Jessica Goss, and Garrett and I watched a Chinese movie for extra credit (for our Understanding Mass Media class). I took a crazy write-till-your-hand-falls-off English midterm, but feel pretty confident about it. I studied geology in the library with my iPod and it made all the difference in the world. For these past couple of days I've been noticing the simple things, and those have made me feel more alive...

Last night after church I was hanging out with Garrett and Page, and they were going back and forth making fun of how big and fast and much I write, and it was just sooo hillarious. It made me feel alive.

Watching the leaves fall makes me feel alive.

An awesome photo shoot with Anna makes me feel alive.

Watching the Houston Astros celebrate their first trip to the World Series makes me feel alive.

Listening to music makes me feel alive.

Worshipping God makes me feel alive!!!

What about you?

THE HOUSTON ASTROS ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!!! YAY BABY!!!

Geology is still icky. And if anyone wants to pray for my test this Friday, it would be greatly appreciated!

And for once in my life... math is my easiest subject... but that's because it's 1010... thank goodness for that... Anyhow, I got my second test back in there today and I got another 100, so... that's currently my average in that class. I think that should give me enough margin for my English and geology classes in case something horrible happens on these upcoming tests and papers...

By the way, I do not know for a fact that they are tearing down Kid's Castle. That's just what I heard through the grapevine, but I have no credible source to speak of. When Anna and I were there yesterday, we were really hoping that the orange fencing around it indicated that building would be happening outside, with no destruction inside. HOPEFULLY.

A few random things you should know about me:
~My least favorite thing about Murfreesboro is driving in it. My second least favorite thing is the cost of housing and the crazy sales tax.
~My favorite thing about Murfreesboro is my friends. :) Awww...
~I am obsessed with pictures. And scrapbooking.
~I am majoring in electronic media production because well made movies/ trailers/ music videos fascinate me, and I want to have the ability to do that.
~When I grow up, I want to be a story teller. I have many stories I want to share in many different forms and fashions.
~What is way more important to me than a career, however, is first off being in God's Will, and second off, being a wife and mother.
~I'm conservative, and I think Bill O'Reilly and Ronald Reagan are amazing.
~I love to write when I'm not forced to do it.
~I love music.
~Chocolate makes me happy.
The rest I'll leave up to you to discover...

So Anna and I went to Kid's Castle and Cannonsburg this morning...

It was so much fun! Cannonsburg, in case you've never been, is the coolest place in the Boro! There are all these neat old buildings and it's just so awesome! You'd have to go experience it for yourself! Kid's Castle would have been a lot more fun had it not been run over by a whole schoolbus full of kids from Tullahoma. I had actually never been there before and was very impressed. I think it's the coolest playground I've ever seen! I really don't want them to tear it down!

Anna and I agreed that are children are most definitely going to be the most photographed children ever...

For lunch we went to Chik-fil-a and we saw Michael Dillon. He asked if we had been shopping. Ha ha... well that wouldn't be uncommon either...

By the way, I'm still curious as to who wants to go see Toby Mac and friends at Winter Wonder Slam so let me know!

I also found this:
 

I DESPISE geology with a PASSION!!! I'm trying to finish up the most frustrating homework in the world... ok... I know it could be a lot worse... I just can't believe this is supposed to be easy. I guess it just proves how bad I am when it comes to science...

So speaking of schoolwork, I'm still curious about reccomendations/
non-recommendations for classes and teachers. If you're an MTSU student, please scroll down to the previous entry, look through the list of courses, and let me know which classes you have taken and who your professor was and how you felt about the class and the professor. I would GREATLY appreciate it!

So... if the ASTROS win today... they will seriously be going to the WORLD SERIES!!! That would be the most amazing thing ever, and I would have a world series party!

One last thing, I mentioned this a week or so ago, but I seriously want to go to Toby Mac's concert WINTER WONDER SLAM on December 2 at Lipscomb! Other artists include, Matthew West, Barlow Girl, John Rueben, and Grits. Seriously, who wants to go, and who will drive? I'll look up ticket prices and let y'all know tomorrow.

So I am currently scrolling through MTSU's spring schedule book online and there aren't any COMM2200 classes popping up. Hmmm...

Also, there are only two Intro to EMC classes- one regular and one honors. Well crap. Not only is the honors class smaller, but it's also at a waaaaay better time than the other class, but I wonder if I'll even be lucky to even make it into the regular class with so many EMC majors that will probably be registering before me.

On top of that, there are only three astronomy classes avaliable- two regular and one honors. Once again, since this class is a popular choice, I hope I can get in.

So... I need lots of backup plans.

By the way, if you have taken any of the following classes, please tell me who your professor was and how much you loved them or hated them. I'm definitely checking out MTSU review but I would love to hear about your experiences. Here are the classes I am interested in looking in for this semester (*) or for backup for this semester:
ASTR 1030 and 1031 *
CSCI 1150 *
COMM 2200 *
EMC 2410 *
SOC 1010 *
MUS 1030
ART 1030
HIST 2010
HIST 2030
PHOT 2050
PSY 1410

Greenbox has arrived!

It looks awesome, Nathan! I  love it!

Ah yes... and the Astros just won! Whoo hoo!!!

It seems to me as if some people are confused. I don't think some of them even realize that they are confused, but I can tell that they are. And I am confused as to why they are confused. I am not confused, and I'm always confused. And these people who are not confused as often as me, are confused. Confused?

Confused is a funny word once you type it out that many times.

By the way, don't become paranoid and think this entry is about you! Don't get confused trying to figure out if I think you're confused. Sometimes I exaggerate things to make cutesy entries... ha ha... or at least I do today.

So yes, I am not confused, not stressed, not worried. Whoa, something must be wrong with me. It must be some hidden pshychological problem that I have repressed that will unearth one night in which I will bawl my eyes out and wonder what is wrong with myself. But I sure hope not! I really like being worried about anything. But it's not like life is all chocolate cake either. In fact, sometimes I wonder if I'm really doing anything worthwhile. It's like that Mercy Me song "In the Blink of an Eye". That line "I know I'm living the good life/ but could my life be something great" really sticks out to me everytime I hear it.

I guess I feel like I'm not being a good witness. I don't feel like I'm being some hypocrite, but it's not exactly like I announce to everyone that I'm a Christian. Shouldn't I be more concerned about the eternity of those around me? Yet I guess I figure what I have to say really won't make a difference. So, I just try to live my life, and if something comes up, then that's great. Is there anyone else who can totally relate to this?

So I wasn't confused, and now I am a little bit. Just great. But I'm not going to worry about it... I guess it has been in the back of my mind, and as I began to type I felt like I should let it out and see what y'all thought about it.

Today actually wasn't too bad. Lab was boring of course. In geology, I sat between Page and Lindsey, which guarantees fun in of itself. And then Lindsey asked Page if he had any games on his laptop, and when she found out he had Mario she went crazy! So of course she insisted she play before class! It was so funny! And then we all enjoyed laughing about the Discovery channel website's volcano simulator website.

Math was boring too, and then I had a quiet lunch at the Cyber Cafe. I only went there because I thought I woud get to use one of the computers, but apparently you can't really do anything on them except stare at the MTSU homepage.

Then I went to the library where I ran into Alli, Lauren, and Sarah. When I walked out I saw Alli Scott (not to be confused with the previous Alli Jo Threet from AO) but I didn't recognize her at first because I'm nearsighted! We had a short convo though before I drove to Hasting's, where I accomplished nothing. Then I went to Blockbuster, signed up for my very own Blockbuster membership card, and rented Beauty and the Beast for my theatre appreciation class report! (And yes, I am watching the movie as I type this! Ha ha!)

Alright, I ought to work on my homework now.

A convo in the library:
Me: Hey, what are y'all doing.
Lauren: Looking up pornography.
Me: Lauren! What did I tell you about that?!
Lauren: You're the one who told me it was good!

ASTROS FINALLY WIN AFTER 18 INNINGS!!!

Heros of the game: Lance Berkman (Berky), Brad Ausmus (Aussie), and Chris Burke (Chrissy, AKA the young'n that just won the game!)

Whew. The week is over.

And I'm still not suffering as horribly in college as I feared. I got a B+ on my English paper. A B+ in a sophomore level honors class where the teacher is pretty darn hardcore... yeah... that's not too shabby. I am, however, going to try to revise it for an A, because that would be super awesome.

Hmmm... not a whole lot to say today. I'll try to say something more worthwhile next time.

The Astros are TOTALLY spanking the Braves!

The people that I am working for now for my scholarship service hours are so nice and they really like me a lot!

Garrett randomly ran into me.

I saw a bumper sticker with an elephant peeing on the word "liberals".

I found out I have a 96 average in my geology class... I thought it was lower...

I saw an awesome old car and I took a picture of it with my camera phone. It should show up in the photo box soon...

I guess that's all. I've had a good day, and I'm very thankful for that!

Well, I went to the handwriting analysis. I was impressed... but not the lady doing the handwriting analysis. In fact, I was very underimpressed by her. Or maybe just the idea of typography in general. Getting really specific about a person based on their handwriting just does not work most of the time. However, some things were very accurate. I print instead of writing in cursive, which apparently makes me a "just the facts" person, which is soooo not like me at all! But my large print can account for my ability to hold a grudge, my love for bright colors, and Mexican food. (Well, she said hot, spicy foods, so that would pretty much just be Mexican for me.)

What did impress me was the young lady sitting to the left of me. You see, we were supposed to write about the person right of us and what we thought they were like. Well, my mom was sitting to the right of me so I didn't have much of a challenge. Anyhow, so when the handwriting woman put up what the woman next to me wrote about me... whoa. It blew me away. Almost everything was true! It was crazy! I guess that goes to show that you can tell a whole lot about a person by merely looking at them.

Here's what she said about me:
~Conservative (very true)
~Have lots of friends (I would like to think so!)
~Good team player (I think so... hope so!)
~Love my pet (well, I don't have a pet, but I love everyone else's pets!)
~I moved once during grade school (in addition to a couple of other times, yes I did!)
~Love my favorite foods but I don't like to try strange new things (very very true!)
~I enjoy romantic comedies (as long as they're clean this is true... While You Were Sleeping has been a long time favorite of mine!)
~Have had 1 or 2 boyfriends (I'm still dating the only one I've ever had)

We're not supposed to judge, but isn't it crazy how much we can sometimes see in another person? I think I am more interested in people watching now more than ever before. (Ben Wicks says it's creepy that I like to people watch at the airport... but oh well).

All I can say is that this has all been very interesting to me...

OH! And a group of seriously needs to go to that Toby Mac Winter Wonder Slam thing at Lipscomb. Tickets go on sale Saturday! Who's interested?!

How about them Astros?

So there's going to be this woman doing handwriting analysis at the honor's college at 4:30 and I really want to go... it sounds so interesting!

MTSU should have a Marinas on campus. And a Cracker Barrel. And a REAL Starbucks. And many other things. Mmm... a Sonic... that would rock. I would buy cherry limeaides all the time.

I have an Understanding Mass Media test tomorrow. To say I have learned something in that class would be quite an understatement... so pray that I am able to learn a whole lot tonight! :) I think Garrett would also appreciate prayer for this test.

My geology professor is especially giddy about rocks. It's amazing how God created some people to be.

Hmmm... I might update later if I have any other random thoughts to share...

photo from SingAHappySong



photo from SingAHappySong

J-Mo: You are gonna put us up on the Phuse, right?

The wedding was so beautiful and sweet and great! Happiness...

Be sure to check out the other pictures in my photo box.

By the way, does anyone have an extra program from the wedding? I accidentally left mine at the reception and I really wanted one.

Other quotes from the day:

Me: (reading the recipe from the reception favor) One teaspoon of patience?! They'll need a lot more than that!

Sarah: This makes me happy.
Me: That Chris is married?
Sarah: No. Well that... but what I meant was my latte.

Garrett (to Graham): I'm going to throw sand at you at your wedding.

*EDIT* HOLY CRAP MTSU JUST BEAT VANDY!!!!! I THINK I'M GONNA FAINT!!!!! That is officially the most AMAZING thing I've ever seen!

Or whatever color you are.

Anyhow...

Interesting day. Let me start with yesterday afternoon. I found out that I was being relocated from honors to human sciences for my scholarship work because the honors college secretary LIED and said that I never do my work and I spend all my time in my mom's office talking to her. NOT TRUE!

That hurt a lot. A WHOLE lot. I'm not used to not being liked, or lied to, and especially not by an adult!

I went to the human sciences department this morning to talk to them about switching over and they were so nice. I'm so glad I'll be working there instead.

So my school day was pretty good.

Then after school (and lunch with my mom at McAlister's where I saw Becky) I had many driving around- turning at all the wrong places journey. I was going to stop by parking services on my way to Wal-Mart, but I turned into the wrong place. Then I couldn't figure out the right place to go from where I was so I gave up. So then I went to Wal-Mart, but not without making a wrong turn, and when I got there, my bladder was about to explode so I went into Dairy Queen. I couldn't figure out how to lock the door, and some girl opened the door on me. And then I made it to the Wal-Mart gas station, just to learn that despite what "low" price they supposedly had yesterday, today their gas was 2.99, just like it is everywhere else in town. All the trouble I could have saved if I had known...

Whew... what a time all that was. I'm glad it's the weekend.

Yesterday evening my J-group girls sang me happy birthday, and they even had a cake and a card for me! It was so sweet!

Tonight: Shopping!
Tomorrow: Chris and Emily's wedding!

It hurts when you believe someone has lied about you to someone else, and it makes you look bad.

Just when I was starting to feel better about it...

Please be in prayer for Garrett's family. His great aunt died last night.

Love you guys...

1. Because of my dreaded English paper, I am not attending the honors college ice cream mixer that I have long anticipated.

I did, however, get my picture taken with the lovely Mayfield cow Maggie:



photo from SingAHappySong

The other two girls are Kimmie and Carolyn, and they're on the Collage staff with me. By the way:

2. I'm starting to enjoy the Collage staff.

3. I still don't care for HSA and I don't think I'm going anymore.

4. My scholarship service hour work is going to be moved to another department. Ask me if you want to know the story. If not, we'll just leave it at that.

5. I can't wait till AO. And it feels really good to say that.

I'm gonna be OK.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes, whether on here or on Facebook! I really appreciate it!

So after I walked to the KUC with Garrett after English class, I headed over to Peck Hall to meet with my professor about my paper. Wow... I'm sure glad I did! She crossed out two of my paragraphs and gave me other ideas and suggestions for imporvements for the type of paper that she wanted. So basically, since I came home from school (at 4... ick... way too late) I've been working on majorly revising this paper. As I told my mom before I left, "I'm going home to reconsider my life, my paper, and my minor."

Sigh. It'll all be over Thursday. I'll be happy to get a B out of this paper. Dr. Therrien is one tough cookie.

I got an e-mail from an old Texan friend yesterday... it was crazy awesome. Sometimes she would be kinda mean to me, but she apologized for how she treated me in the past and was telling me about all the awesome ways God was moving in her life now! I thought that was so awesome! God is good.

And He'll get me through this semester...