Burger King??

Tonight, for the first time in at least four years, I at a meal at a fast food restaurant.

I ordered a veggie burger from Burger King, and here are my thoughts.

1) Disturbed! I can't believe how FAST it was ready! They had it for me in just a few moments. I know for a FACT that cooking a veggie burger takes at LEAST eight minutes, so how did they have it ready??

2) Ick! My tummy felt weird afterwards. I didn't like it!

3) Toppings? They put ketchup on my burger, but no cheese?? Also, fried onions would have been great. But why not cheese??

4) Bummer. I really just went to BK because I wanted fries. I was really hungry though, and saw "veggie burger" on the menu, and felt I really needed to try it. I should have just gone for the fries.

I am really okay with waiting another four years for another fast-food meal...yuck!

Thrifty? Or cheapskate?

Pretty soon, I'm going to need to quit whining and start spending money. I can't be this much of a cheapskate for my whole life - I'll need to stop spending money on fun things and begin spending it on necessities.

Yesterday, I realized that winter has finally arrived. I commute forty-minutes each way to school Monday-Friday. It occurred to me yesterday that the chance of it snowing a huge amount while I'm at school one day is pretty big. I could get stuck in Hawley!

Anyway, I drove to Target in the shining, twenty-five degree weather and figured I'd buy a little shovel to keep in the back of my car. When I got to Target, I was bummed to see how expensive they were and I figured I'd wait to buy one. After all, it hadn't snowed all year so why would it start now? No rush.

Needless to say, today we got twelve inches of snow. YOWSERS! We made it back from Hawley fine until we were two blocks from our house, and then we got completely stuck going around a turn. Oops.

I guess I should have bought that shovel, eh?

If (by Rudyard Kipling)

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream-and not make dreams your master;
If you can think-and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And-which is more-you’ll be a Man, my son!

Infected? (this is graphic)

For the last six weeks or so, I've been coughing up gross green stuff (sorry...). I went to the doctor tonight because it keeps gagging me in class and I have to go to the side of the room and hawk a loogey (spelling?). IN THE MIDDLE OF CLASS, while I'm teaching. Kind of embarrassing, super disgusting.

Anyway, all the doctor did was shine a flashlight thingy down my throat and make a really icky face and say "You've had a sinus infection for a month!" and then she prescribed me antibiotics.

I'm going to feel better soon! Yay!

Today's "Food for Thought"

"Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car."

I've still got a lot to figure out in my life. Today I registered for classes for my last semester of college. Twelve hours earlier, I completed my first night of parent-teacher conferences.

Every day, it's becoming more and more real that after graduation, I don't know what I'm doing. I'll literally be the kid who moves home and lives in his/her parents' basement. I've never had to live with the sense of not knowing what's coming next.

Through school, I always knew that I'd have another year of study. After high school graduation, I knew I would be going to college. For quite awhile, I had no idea where that would be - but I knew I would get into a school and attend it in the fall.

Now, I know where I would like to be - teaching, anywhere and anything. However, it's no longer up to ME to decide where and what I'll be doing. I play a big role in this decision, but I have to apply and be accepted. After talking to several recently-hired teachers, I understand that I may be competing against, literally, hundreds of other candidates for each job.

Looking at my life as a big gaping hole is scary, but it's a great feeling. I plan to work at camp and during the summer, apply to every job I can find. In the fall, I'll either begin teaching or do something else. And who knows what that "something else" may be - it may bring incredible lessons and experiences that I can't even dream up right now.

It's time to quit my "post-formal thought" processes and head to bed. Enough philosophical considerations for one night! :)

"Doing nothing" is no longer a concern!

My last post was all about a day I spent trying to do nothing for a whole day.

Going to camp last weekend was a blessing, but it meant I didn't get anything done over the weekend. I had no idea that this week would be such a doosey!

Monday evening was our first choir concert in Hawley. A fellow student teacher and I recently had a conversation about how waking up for school is different as a teacher than it is as a student. Well, a choir concert is sure different as a teacher than it is as a student! Anyway, the evening went well, but it was absolutely exhausting.

I have been teaching almost every class all week, so I'm mentally exhausted! The kids bring me a ridiculous amount of energy, but I expend so much that I'm ready for bed after school every day.

Next week, we have conferences from 4:00-8:00 PM on Monday and Thursday, so I won't get home until 8:45 PM or so (and I'll go straight to bed). We also have an extra pop singers rehearsal Tuesday at 6:30 PM, so I don't know if I'll even go back to Fargo-Moorhead before then. So that's three days at school from 7:30 AM-8:30 PM (which accounts to 36 hours in three days, or a 52 hour work week, ugh).

The ACDA choir is singing in Communion on Wednesday, at TEN PM! That is so late! So I won't be in bed until AT LEAST 11:30 PM, which makes 5:30 AM an especially early morning. I was thinking about recouping by going to camp the weekend of Nov. 12th-14th, but Chapel Choir's got a couple of events that weekend in which I should participate. Then the next weekend is the ACDA conference, so I'll be in St. Cloud Thursday-Saturday...yikes! Also, HARRY POTTER comes out that week! Do I go to the midnight showing? I always do! I probably should. But I probably shouldn't. Ugh.

Anyway, I have to run to choir. But I'm glad I fit in a quick vent session about how I wish I would have appreciated my down time a couple of weekends ago!

I HATE doing nothing.

I HATE doing nothing. I hate doing nothing. I hate doing nothing. I can't begin to count the number of things I love doing - there are thousands. However, I can only think of a few things that I hate doing. One thing I hate doing is NOTHING. I can't stand it!

I have this list of 100 things I'd like to do in the next 1000 days, and I'm making great progress. I very well may be done in the next 100 days, in fact!

One thing on my list is "Do nothing for an entire day." I tried that today.

I sat on the couch for eight hours, read an entire book, cross-stitched my choir folder, blogged, watched so much TV, Skyped, and read so many webcomics.

After eight hours, I just went insane. I could not do it anymore. My body started twitching and freaking out on me. There was no comfortable way to sit anymore - my back is still just aching from sitting weird on the couch all day. I was all fidgety and bored to tears.

At 8:30 PM, I gave in. I got up, and in the last hour, I have done a ridiculous number of things. After such a long day, I just needed to be efficient and get something done. I cleaned the entire kitchen, did four sinks of dishes, made toasted pumpkin seeds, devoured two popsicles, made lunch for Monday and Tuesday, and sorted my laundry. All in an hour, after doing nothing all day.

Never again will I do nothing for a whole day. I feel unaccomplished and completely unprepared for this week. I feel like I've gotten nothing done and I wasted so much time. I wish I would have gone for a walk (even though it's yucky outside) or played a game or talked to a friend or practiced organ or SOMETHING productive or at least fun!

I cannot relate to my college friends who play video games eight hours a day, seven days a week. How do they do it??

YUCK!

Fun!

I love vacation! Over break, I've done so many fun things. I mentioned several of the chores I've done, but I've barely said anything about the fun I've had!

1. Went out to lunch with Dustin! It was really great to catch up with him again. We had a blast!

2. Went out to dinner with Peter and Zach (camp friends). It was refreshing to see camp friends, and it energized me for the camp retreat I'm going to next weekend.

3. Cooked dinner for three friends! I made penne with a spinach garlic sauce, tossed with tomatoes and chickpeas. It's been awhile since I've followed a recipe and made real food. Thanks, Dad, for the vegetarian cookbook you gave me for Christmas! The dinner was yummy.

4. Played a lot of Pictionary. I'm still not any better, but it was fun.

5. Watched TV with my roommates. Did I mention that it was really, really dumb TV?

6. Read two books. Also, really, really dumb books (they're the written form of chick flicks). Still, fun.

7. Cross-stitched "Chapel Choir" onto my choir folder! Hahaha.



8. Laid in the grass for an hour and enjoyed the 65 degree weather in Moorhead with a beautiful shining sun.

9. Practiced organ, piano, voice, and guitar.

10. Skyped with friends in England, Northern Ireland, Australia, Scotland, Colorado, Michigan, North Dakota, and Minnesota.

11. Played piano at church.

12. Saw the Vienna Boys' Choir perform! Wow! They're okay at singing. ;-)

13. Got laryngitis, completely lost my voice, and had to cancel my voice jury...again. Oops!

Last semester?

I've been working on figuring out my schedule for next semester, and hold your horses, this is going to be quite the ride! This is much more complex than any schedule I've looked at before. Here are my concerns/requirements:

1) No classes before 10:30 AM. Period.

2) As few classes on Friday as possible.

3) I want to take a Religion class from one of two professors, so there are only two available options.

4) I need science. I have to take science or I will not graduate. I hate science. Therefore, I am going to take Astronomy, no matter what.

5) My last requirement for my major is a Creative Applications course in Music. I can take Counterpoint or Orchestration, and obviously I don't like orchestra so I'll be taking Counterpoint (which is only offered at one time).

6) I am paying (well, Mom/Dad are paying [thanks!]) $36,000 for me to attend school this year. I would love to just take twelve credits and totally slack off for my last semester, but I am going to take as many credits as I can and get the best experience I can. Therefore, I need another 2 classes (6 credits).

7) I am going to take a class with my roommate R, who also needs another class. We are going to take it pass-fail, and guess what class it is! Dad, you're going to have a heart attack. Actually, you all might. I'll let you guess, and you can see below.

8) I am going to take Yoga. Twice. Because I can, and it is great. And I already took it once. Yes.

Here is my tentative class schedule. Remember, hold your horses!

Monday:
11:50-1:00 PM Counterpoint
1:20-2:30 PM Constitutional Law (Pass/Fail)
2:40-3:50 PM Astronomy

Tuesday:
10:30-12:30 PM Astronomy Lab
12:50-2:30 PM Yoga
2:40-4:20 PM Legacy of Luther

Wednesday:
11:50-1:00 PM Counterpoint
1:20-2:30 PM Constitutional Law (Pass/Fail)
2:40-3:50 PM Astronomy

Thursday:
12:50-2:30 PM Yoga
2:40-4:20 PM Legacy of Luther

Friday:
1:20-2:30 PM Constitutional Law (Pass/Fail)
2:40-3:50 PM Astronomy

MEA!

Today has been an exciting day! MEA Break is so much better as a teacher! Here are a few exciting things I've done today...

1) Washed the 7 spots of bird poop off of my car
2) Washed the mold out of our bathtub
3) Visited the Moorhead and Fargo public libraries
4) Listened to MPR
5) Went to the bank to deposit checks
6) Shopped for groceries
7) Purchased/created a Halloween costume
8) Cleaned/vacuumed my room
9) Appealed a parking ticket, hopefully successfully

Today was a success!

Today was productive! I...

- Went to the grocery store and purchase adult foods (peaches, spinach, soy milk) and not-so-adult food (jell-o, Scooby Doo fruit snacks)
- Deposited paychecks at the bank
- Returned books at the public library
- Appealed a school parking ticket
- Cleaned my room
- Cleaned the kitchen
- Baked brownies
- Bought a rake and black trash backs, and coincidentally raked the yard
- Had a clubbie reunion and played Telephone Pictionary and Bocce Ball
- Had a birthday party for my roomie Rachel and played pin-the-tail on the donkey, hit a pinata, and did other excellent birthday games

I feel so...productive! Tomorrow:

8:30-9:00 AM - Church choir rehearsal
9:00-10:00 AM - Practice organ, do ACDA score study, meet up with dad (!?)
10:00-11:15 AM - Church
11:15-12:15 PM - Lunch
12:15-1:00 PM - Organ lesson and jury rehearsal
1:00-1:30 PM - Really fast score study
1:30-3:00 PM - Direct ACDA choir rehearsal
5:00-8:00 PM - Play piano for United Campus Ministries gala and worship study
9:00 PM - BED

Also, tomorrow is the Extreme Home Makeover reveal (around 2:00 PM). Some of my friends are arriving at the site at 8:00 AM - they're expecting 15,000 people. YUCK! Remind me not to leave the house tomorrow! Oh wait... :)

Becoming a teacher?

Ah, excellent. I just shelled out $270 and a future four-hours of my time for my first two sets of teacher licensing exams!

I scheduled my first set of exams for Saturday, December 18th at 8:00 AM in West Fargo. This was the only date all semester that works with my schedule, as we're not allowed to take any time away from student teaching for the exam. My last date of student teaching will be that Thursday or Friday, and I'll be testing on Saturday. Needless to say, I'll be fried. The exam is testing my knowledge of music pedagogy, so I'm not too worried about it. In fact, I don't plan to study at all. :) I'll probably hang around in Moorhead that Saturday, then play at church on Sunday and head home to Rochester!

My second set of exams is scheduled for Tuesday, December 21st at 2:00 PM on Greenview Drive in Rochester (sound familiar??). This is great for a couple of reasons. 1) It will make sure I get home to Rochester, which will mean I'm sure to get at least some rest before the exam. 2) Dad can let me practice on his arm and Mom will give me a chill pill. Anyway, the test is on Secondary Pedagogy (grades 5-12), so classroom practices/teaching styles/history of teaching, etc. This may be my downfall! I'll have to start studying soon...

These exams are really frustrating! This summer, they changed the Minnesota teaching licensing exams from the Praxis to the MTLE. I took the first set of Praxis tests my sophomore year, and I'll finish my testing with the MTLE. When I acquire my teaching license, I will have used a combination of the two exams. The Praxis is a nation-wide licensing exam, but the MTLE is only used in Minnesota. Since the Minnesota certification program no longer requires the national Praxis, I probably won't be taking it. However, if I ever plan to teach in another state, I'll need to (and the MTLE won't do me any good in other states). How silly is that!?

PLUS, since it's a brand new test, there are no prep materials available. In fact, the website only includes a brief description of materials covered on the exams, and five practice questions for each. Over the course of the semester, we are hoping they will release full-length practice exams, study materials (such as books I could order), and an in-depth discussion of exam materials.

Isn't life exciting? ;-)

I am old! I am a kid!

I am old!

This morning, I awoke at the lovely time of 5:45 AM. I promptly took a shower and then ate a bowl of Raisin Bran for breakfast while watching the morning news. As I drove to school, I listened to NPR and watched the sun rise.

For lunch, I ate adult food and dined in the Teacher's Lounge. I had a whole grain bread sandwich with hummus/colby jack cheese/spinach, with a side of carrots.

When I got home from school, I cleaned out my car and took out the trash. I then did the dishes and started laundry.

I'm driving out to Hawley tonight for Coronation at 7:30, and I'm planning to be in bed by 9:30 PM tonight.

I am a kid!

When I packed my lunch, I put my sandwich in a Spiderman ziploc bag.

I lost my phone today and ever since, I've been freaking out that I can't get ahold of anyone to tell them how my day was!

My pajama shirt that I woke up wearing says "Don't get all up in my grill!" and it's a picture of a hotdog, hamburger, and a grill.

First day? Success.

Extreme Home Makeover, yeah??

Extreme Home Makeover is in Fargo-Moorhead for the week!

They are producing a show, replacing a home in Moorhead. The house is actually just two blocks south of Concordia, and WOW is there a buzz around here! They started work this afternoon, and there are giant semis and ABC trailers everywhere. Crazy!

The show has 4,500 volunteers from around the community. It's great to think of how many people are willing to help out this week - quite a few members of my church will be involved. The Grommesh family has been through a lot. Their nine year old son Garrett has spina bifida, and their eleven year old daughter Peighton has Axenfeld-Reiger's syndrome, a pancreatic enzyme deficiency. Their new house will be spectacularly handicap-accessible. Yet, a part of me wonders how much could be done if those 4,500 volunteers were spread throughout Fargo-Moorhead, helping the thousands of other people in need. Yeah, this family could use help, but how many other members of the community are in dire need of assistance? Interesting.

We had a great discussion during half-time at church this morning. ;-) But seriously, we have quite a few questions about the effect of this home makeover. What happens to the family after the show? Do they also receive help paying taxes for this new home, which is in a higher tax bracket? The kids' bedrooms are always decked out with snazzy decorations appropriate for their age (think Disney Princesses and GI Joes). But what about a year later, when the kids have moved on but can't afford to paint their rooms? And just looking at past makeovers - it would be interesting to come back in six months and see how many places have been redone, or trashed. How many people can stand living in a chartreuse and magenta dining room? Hopefully this one won't be quite as garish.

Anyway, enough with my cynicism. I'm hoping this will be a fantastic experience for the community. :)

So, here is the website. Check it out!

http://www.extrememakeoverfm.com/

Busy? What's that you say?

Wow, life sure is busy! This weekend, I intended to play catch-up and get lots of rest and do lots of work and such. Did that happen? Nope, not a bit.

On Thursday night, I stayed at home with my roommates and watched Big Bang Theory and Grey's Anatomy. I then went to Tabernacle, our camp-style worship service on campus. It was refreshing, and I'm really glad I went! After that, I felt like I needed to call Drew, a good friend from camp. So I did, and we had a great conversation, albeit into the wee hours of the night/morning. Again, refreshing.

Friday evening, I had dinner with my friend Heidi in DS - we hadn't seen each other much yet this semester, and it was great to catch up! Then, I headed to an event on campus: Chinese Acrobats! They were FANTASTIC! It was such a cool event - my heart was pounding as they performed terrifying acrobatic moves and contorted their bodies and climbed up in the air, yikes. After the show, I headed home. One of my roommates is in charge of the ball at Homecoming, so we made decorations on Friday night. We had ten people over and worked for four hours - until two in the morning! Our house is still covered with glitter and glue and sparkly bits of confetti and silver paper. Hey, at least I'll really appreciate the decorations this year!

Saturday was another marathon day. I had a phone date with Mary at noon, and then a group project meeting from one 'till two. I worked on a paper after that, and met my orientation partner at the cafe at four. We planned a club reunion for our freshmen clubbies, and we're each going to meet with our clubbies individually in the next few weeks to check in (there are 22 of them, mind you!). At 4:30, I got together with Lise to catch up and exchange cooking utensils we'd accidentally switched when moving out of the apartment last year. I went home and had a quick dinner, and met my roommates, a couple other friends, and a friend from camp who goes to MSUM. At 7:30, we went to the Rocky Horror Picture Show at MSUM. It was a fantastic production - I'd never seen it before, so it was a bit of a culture shock. We had a blast yelling sarcastic comments and dancing along. Definitely a new favorite film! After the show, we headed over to Fargo to see a local band play. Post Traumatic Funk Syndrome, a stellar jazz ensemble made up of mostly Concordia profs was playing. We had a great time, but I sure was tuckered out!

This morning, I woke up and was at church by 8:30 AM to rehearse accompanying the church choir. After the rehearsal, I practiced voice until church at 10:00 AM. We stayed for some excellent refreshments (cake and lemonade) after the service, but ran home for a quick lunch. I was supposed to have an organ lesson at 12:15 PM, but my organ prof is in the hospital after an awful asthma attack! So I called him to check in, and it sounds like he's recovering well, for an old geezer. ;-) Anyway, he was scheduled to accompany me for my voice jury this week, so I think I might be looking for a last minute accompanist! Yikes. So, in the time when I should have had an organ lesson, I watched the season finale of Grey's Anatomy with my roommates. I've never cried at at TV show before, but I lost it at this. Unfortunately, the show ended at 1:25 PM and I had to rehearse with my good friends in the ACDA Choir at 1:30 PM. I showed up to the rehearsal sobbing and a mess, and they all laughed at me and gave me hugs and said they did the same thing when they saw the season finale. I felt a little better. :-) After rehearsal, my roommates ran to JoAnn Fabrics in Fargo. I helped everyone find fabric and showed them how to go up to the counter and get it cut. I felt special. ;-) Anyway, with the Harvest Ball coming up for Homecoming this week, I'm making a sash to go with my belt. So, I got some great black satiny fabric. Should look good, I hope! After the JoAnn run, we all have been doing homework. We ate a quick dinner together, but have been decked out on the couches in silence for hours studying.

Not only is this my last week of class before student teaching (next Monday, October 4th, yowsers!!), but it's my senior Homecoming! We've got a lot of events coming up that mean more to me than they have in the past (i.e. Coronation, and friends visiting!), so I'll be busier than normal. It's going to be quite the week...

Spellng?

I've always considered myself to be a great speller. Honestly, I still gloat about winning spelling bees in elementary school. Hey, doesn't everyone have something silly of which they are particularly proud?

Anyway, the more I write and the older I grow, the more I realize I have difficulty spelling some words. I'm not sure if it's because of new technology and digitization, since I do most of my composition on the computer. However, I feel like I've lost some of my spelling abilities!

Lately, I've been keeping track of words which are especially troublesome for me to spell. Here is the list I have so far:

Bureaucracy
Tocatta
Sovereign
Village
Massachusetts
Misspell
Surveillance
Hippopotamus

The words are presented in order of most-commonly-misspelled. And yes, I did spell-check that entire list!

Thought of the Day

I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own. -Andy Warhol

P.S. I have two real posts that will be coming up soon - 1) 100 things to do in 1000 days. 2) Words I can't spell.

Back to Blogging!

Wow! Has it ever been quite the last few months. I'm not quite sure where to start - perhaps a brief synopsis of each event? :)

Florida: Well, I'm pretty sure everyone who reads my blog was on the Florida trip with me. So, I'm not going to expound on it much further. It was just a great opportunity to hang out with family and see theme parks that I don't really remember ever seeing before! Plus, I met Disney princesses. How great is that? Seriously, though, it was a wonderful experience. I hope we have another chance to do it again!

Utah: I was lucky enough to get to fly to Utah to visit my best friend for a few days! I am so happy I had the chance to meet her friends and see where she's been living for four years. Now, when we talk (which we do every week for an hour), I can picture her friends, apartment, boyfriend, and campus. I even know what the Graham Canyon ice cream tastes like, and what the view of Provo looks like from the peak near campus. The trip was so fantastic, though, I just smile every time I think about it. I still can't really believe I got to go!

CAMP!: I don't even know where to begin in regards to camp. This was hands down, my best and worst summer that I have had yet. I connected with the staff better than I ever have before - leaving was so difficult that I stayed an extra day, and then had to just leave because it was so difficult to be around my friends knowing I'd be leaving soon. I've been texting, Facebooking, Skyping, and calling my friends since camp - I've never really kept in touch after camp before. It's been really fun to be able to video call friends across the world, in England, Australia, Scotland, Northern Ireland, etc.
Anyway, the summer was quite the learning experience. I didn't realize, going into the summer, that I would practically be in charge of the camp. Each week, I created schedules for 27 employees. I made cabin assignments - deciding who would work with each age group, which cabin they would stay in, and which campers would be in their cabins. I was responsible for checking to make sure that all remaining balances had been paid on campers' accounts.
I ran the camp store, which entailed quite a bit! Mostly, I kept track of campers' deposits and how much they spent each day in the store (and what they spent it on). I updated this daily. At the end of the week, I did camp store returns. After store closed on Friday at 5:15 PM, I could total how much each camper would get in a return. Then, I would count the cash and put it in an envelope with their name on it. With each envelope, I attached the campers' release form for the parent to sign (which I had to sort by unit, cabin, and name), and their t-shirt (which I had to gather and sort by size and camper). Camp store/returns were quite the doozy!
I was also in charge of a bunch of other random things. I coordinated a bus to come and pick up the horseback riders and golfers each week to transport them to their respective activity locations. I was also in charge of communicating with the horseback/golf places to arrange times. I filled the slushy machine every day (my least favorite part of my job) and made the slushy mix for the next day. A few days a week I led early morning options, such as yoga/kayaking/hiking/swimming. I also ran the dining hall a few days a week (making sure campers came to set up for meals, finding a group to say grace, etc.). Often, I sudbusted (washed dishes) for the hour after meals.
Campers' Choice was another activity I was responsible for. Each afternoon, the campers have between 6-8 activities to choose from. After lunch, they sign up for these activities. I was responsible for choosing activities (part of the scheduling process), signing kids up for the activities, tracking down campers who didn't sign up, ringing the bell at the end of rest hour to signal the start of Campers' Choice, going around to all the activities to make sure the campers arrived, and tracking down campers who may not have been at the activities.
There are a bajillion things I am forgetting, but these were the main responsibilities I thought of in the five minutes I took to type this. It's exhausting just thinking of everything else I had to do. My recommendation to the camp for next summer is to have two people split the job. Yowzers!

Orientation: I worked on campus for a week this fall as an Orientation Leader! With my partner Skyler, I was responsible for a group of 22 freshmen (my club). We had an excellent group - they came to everything, participated, and maintained a positive attitude. Skyler and I acted as shepherds, taking them from activity to discussions to presentations, etc. We were also responsible for doing teambuilding activities, playing name games, etc. It was such a fun experience! Skyler and I complemented each other well. He was great at leading discussions, and I used my camp experience to make up games and fun filler activities on the fly. All of our clubbies have two classes together this semester, so we went to go visit one of their classes this morning. It was really fun to see how much they've grown up and matured! The class was really interesting, and it was great to see them again.

House: My living accommodations this year are quite different from the past. I'm living in a really nice house right next to campus with three other girls, and two guys in the basement. Upstairs, we have a kitchen, living room, dining room, four bedrooms, and two bathrooms. I'd say we're pretty well off! The girls are good friends of mine, and it has been great to be immersed in a positive and fun atmosphere. They're always engaging in goofy conversations and encouraging me to bring out my girly side with silly TV shows and make-up/hair/such. I just love coming home to friends who ask me how my day was and are always up for a great conversation. It's such a change from the past few years, but it has been really good for me.

Back-to-school: Remember the kids' show from Nickelodeon in the 1990s, "Ahh, Real Monsters!"? Well, the start of this semester has been a bit of "Ahh, Real World!" Getting up at 6:30 AM to head to Hawley for student teaching is giving me at taste of what the real world is like. It's going to be difficult having a full time job, while being a full time student! Especially with ensembles, lessons, and organizations. Anyway, I didn't get off to the best start with two of my teachers - they are pretty dry and straightforward in their teaching. However, I've realized that I am learning a ridiculous amount, and with cramming a semesters' worth of classes into a month, the teachers must be efficient and effective. Also, night classes are awful. Yuck!

Lessons: I am taking voice and organ lessons again this semester! How exciting! I had tonsillitis so much last semester that I ended up taking an incomplete in the course. That means that this fall, I have a jury and extra lessons to make up. So, I am taking two lessons a week and preparing for my jury at the end of the month. Eek! Organ lessons couldn't be better. I LOVE playing the organ a silly amount - it's a challenge, and fun, and entertaining, and I just adore it. I am playing really great music, too. I'm most excited for the Widor Toccata! I've got the first page down pat - we'll see about the rest. Anyway, my organ teacher has been really accommodating about taking lessons while student teaching. So, I'll be meeting with him on Sundays after church, around 12:15 PM. How great is that??

Student teaching: I had my first school visit on Wednesday. I left my house at 7:15 AM, ready for the 25 minute drive to Hawley (I was supposed to arrive at 8:00 AM, so I thought I'd be a little early). I ended up stuck behind a train for fifteen minutes and then had to fill up on gas. I called my teacher at 7:40 AM to let her know I'd be late - she wasn't thrilled. I was disappointed in my first day. My teacher and I really didn't connect right off the bat, and it was just a dreary start to student teaching. I am hoping that since it was only the students' second day of class this year (and first day of choir), I didn't get to see my teacher's or students' true personalities. Hopefully things will brighten up a bit when I visit again on Wednesday!

Choir: This fall, choir has already been my high and my low. I've still been having a hard time about not making Concert Choir - a girl I don't get along with well has made a few snide remarks, and I've let them get to me. I've been trying to enjoy Chapel Choir, but there's just been this pit in my stomach whenever I think about the Concordia Choir. Then, last night, I attended one of my favorite worship services on campus, Tabernacle. It's a small group (only six of us girls were there last night) where we sing campfire worship songs with guitars and roast marshmallows. We then have a devo/Bible study/prayer group. At the end of Tab, we went around the circle and said our highs and lows for the week. The two girls before were both juniors and vocal music ed majors. Their low for the week was not making Chapel Choir. I was immediately ashamed and embarrassed for the thoughts I've had about Chapel Choir and the Concordia Choir. I have so much to be thankful for, and I am so lucky to be a part of such an incredible ensemble! My goal for the semester is to not take for granted the extraordinary opportunity I have in singing with the 111-member Chapel Choir.

Jobs: I am not working much this semester, which I think will be nice. As a student teacher, we are not supposed to have leadership positions on campus, or any sort of job. Well, I will (hopefully) have the same leadership positions in Chapel Choir as I did last year. Thankfully, I'm not the ACDA president anymore (now I'm the archivist - how sweet is that??), so my workload will be considerably less. I'm still working as the pianist at Grace United Methodist Church, and I'm looking forward to getting to know our new pastor! I'm not tutoring through the Academic Enhancement and Writing Center this semester, but I'm looking forward to starting back up next spring. Honestly, it's been nice not tutoring from 9:00-10:00 PM every night. It really messed up my evenings! It will be fun in the spring though, when I don't have much left to worry about.

Anyway, there's the long-winded update on my life. If you made it this far, congrats! And thanks for reading. :)

Inception

Quite a few people have recommended that I see the film "Inception." They've mentioned that it has a message I would enjoy, and is a film that would make me think. I still didn't feel the urgency to see it, until I read this blog about the film. Now, I can't wait! :)

"Why I Enjoyed 'Inception'"

i went for the upside down buildings and the special effects. These things will blow your mind and win awards but they are not the reasons you should go. You should go for the humanity of the film. You should go because you will relate to the people stuck in moments, the people living with ghosts, people trying to get home. You should go to be reminded that our lives are also stories and every good story is about someone fighting a battle and there are no enemies greater than the ones called guilt and regret, pain and shame. The movie serves as a reminder that these enemies unchecked will haunt and hunt you always. Thankfully, the movie also serves as reminder that people need other people, that our stories and our battles and our dreams, these things are meant to be shared.

i went for what i saw in the previews, fantastic things pushing and falling and exploding around the characters. i left thinking about the things that push and move in me, my ghosts and wars and dreams. The movie suggests that we are most alive and most awake when we are dreaming. And while a case could be made that it is speaking to the dreaming that occurs when we’re asleep, perhaps it’s true or even more true of the dreams we dream awake.

Inception suggests that there is much at stake; our hearts and our children and the air in our lungs. i am 30 years old. It doesn’t feel old but some days it sounds old when i say or see it. It’s easy to buy into the idea that “dreaming” is a silly word for children, that “battle” means the military and that ghosts are not real. Inception felt like an invitation, a reminder that there might be more to the story, a world we don’t see but one connected to the days we wake to.

There is certainly much at stake. i don’t know your story or your dreams or the things that steal your sleep, but i know they matter. i hope your story is rich with other characters, rich with friends and conversation. i hope you know some people who will carry you and i hope you get to carry them. i hope that there is beauty in your memories and i hope it doesn’t haunt you. And if it does, then i hope there is someone who will talk you through the night and remind you of the promise of the sunrise, that beauty keeps coming, that there are futures worth waiting for and fighting for and that you were made to dream.

Peace to you tonight.
jamie

Hiatus

Clearly, my blogging has fizzled out over the last few months. Just thought I'd post a quick update and let you know that I probably won't be blogging again until this fall, either! Between finals, being home, traveling, and camp, my chance to write has dwindled away. Feel free to send mail, though! I'll be writing lots of letters. :)

Enjoy the summer!

HP

I've been reading up a storm this last week - I'm working my way through the Harry Potter series again. In four days, I read the first four books. I've fallen off the wagon these last couple days with visits from friends and trips to visit friends. However, I'm ready to start back up again tonight! Problem is, these books just keep getting longer and longer! Seven hundred pages? Wow!

It's been really fun to reread the books, since I haven't done that since high school. I've probably read Sorcerer's Stone ten times, but I get something new out of it every time. It's also been fun to compare and contrast with the movies. Not a whole lot is different or changed, but so much is missing! I've been totally nerding out.

Also, I've been having this recurring dream of riding a flying motorcycle. I couldn't figure out what was up, until a friend of mine noted that I must be Hagrid.

What a fun adventure!

Exciting Month

This is an exciting month! It's full of lots of countdowns, and lots of wonderful trips. Here are the numbers!

9 days until Florida!

15 days until Utah!

23 days until camp!

Grades

Here are my semester grades! I'm a little bummed. ;-)

Art & Science of Teaching - A

Ecology of the Educational Setting - A

Methods of Teaching Vocal Music - A

Orientation to Student Teaching - A

Brass & Percussion Techniques - A

Film Music - A

Choral Conducting II - A

Organ - A

Voice - I

All looks great, except for my voice grade! I had Tonsillitis for so much of the semester, that I had to agree to take an incomplete and finish my lessons/juries this fall. So I'm hoping to never get Tonsillitis again, and fill in that spot with a big fat A pretty soon. :)

1000 Awesome Things

By Lucy Oehler

Inspired by www.1000awesomethings.com

1. Relay for Life

2. When someone changes for the better

3. Driving in a convertible with the top down

4. Saying "I apologize" and hearing "You are forgiven"

5. Receiving letters from your grandma

6. Taco Bell at 1:30 AM

7. Those old friends you never see, but who will always be friends

8. When the workers at Best Buy ask you how you're doing and you respond honestly

9. Using dried-up, old bread to make croutons

10. Still wearing t-shirts from ten years ago

11. Photobooth and its silly edits and filters

12. Scholarships to attend conventions

13. The first day you can wear flip flops

14. Having a big sister with whom you may talk about anything

15. Ordering your favorite meal at your favorite restaurant and never trying another dish

16. Joking about something you'd never do, then doing it

17. Playing "House"

18. Playing in the arcade, like Aladdin's Castle at the mall

19. Gospel music

20. Playing Hearts around the kitchen table

21. Riding in a yellow school bus

22. Rolling on the floor laughing

23. Walk-in closets

24. Having a Get Things Done Day

25. Playing with the palms on Palm Sunday

26. Calling a shirt a "blouse," pants "trousers," and a dress a "jumper"

27. Singing songs and roasting s'mores

28. A new pencil box

29. Wearing socks and sandals

30. Jesus

31. Wearing cute rainboots on a rainy day

32. Changing your mind after a bad first impression

33. Snowshoeing uphill

34. Forgetting to set an alarm, sleeping in, and missing nothing

35. Home-cooked dinner

36. Winning the game of “Life” and rubbing it in your opponent’s face

37. Dressing up to go out to dinner

38. Donating money to a good cause

39. Buying school supplies in the fall

40. Weird family Christmas traditions

41. Living in the middle of nowhere

42. Being on the Dean's List

43. Intervisitation rules

44. Holding hands on a walk

45. When you drop your pencil and your neighbor picks it up

46. When you make plans and they work out perfectly

47. Eating cookie dough

48. Packing sandwiches for a long raod trip

49. Ordering t-shirts off of woot.com

50. Building your own bookshelves

51. Asking "How are you?" sincerely

52. An unfinished party basement

53. Throwing candy in a parade

54. The abundance of songs using only sol/mi/la

55. Dropping your phone in the lake and not ruining it

56. Remembering that there is always room at a circle table

57. Reading the last page of a book

58. Proposing under the bell tower

59. Calilies

60. When someone reassures you that you will be successful in life

61. Arrested Development

62. Bonding while canoeing

63. Finding pages of pictures in the middle of a long reading assignment

64. Not watching famous movies (like Star Wars!)

65. Outdoor activities done indoors

66. Making a wish at 11:11

67. Hipsters

68. Rocking out at your favorite band's concert

69. Girl Scout cookie delivery day

70. Games anyone can play and win or lose

71. Being more than "just friends"

72. Squishing your toes in the mud

73. The perfect driving playlist

74. Friends whose handwriting is like that of a kindergartener

75. Using your roommate's shampoo (thanks!)

76. Operation Beautiful

77. Calling scarves "sarapes"

78. Breaking into harmony at the end of “Happy Birthday”

79. Eating any food with peanut butter

80. When someone respects your political views

81. Funny bumper stickers

82. Coming up with unqiue ways to say "Happy Birthday"

83. Seeing "The Nutcracker" around Christmastime

84. When someone checks to make sure you made it home safely

85. Meeting for lunch with your old roommates

86. Folding origami cranes

87. Visiting old school-teachers

88. Writing, playing, and recording your own song

89. When the post office forwards your mail

90. Dying Easter eggs

91. Playing Sardines on campus with your friends

92. Cross-country skiing across a frozen lake

93. Airplane!

94. First-Day-of-School pictures

95. Enjoying a sunshower in a field

96. Using camp as an excuse to go three days without showering

97. Wearing your hair in braids

98. Color-coordinating school binders, notebooks, and folders

99. Fishing off a diving board

100. Just having one drink

101. Recognizing your best friend's handwriting

102. Seeing a celebrity and pretending you’re best friends with him/her after the celeb spotting

103. Going to bed early and waking up late

104. Playing Kick the Can with the neighbor kids

105. Minnesota Public Radio

106. Jumping off a diving board

107. Breakfast in bed

108. Acting too young for your age

109. Extending your birthday to Birthday Week or Birthday Month

110. Arriving sooner rather than you anticipated and enjoying those extra few minutes

111. Old people saying “whazup,” “for shizzle,” etc.

112. Reading your Middle School journal/diary

113. Showing off your hot bod in a bikini

114. Never growing up

115. Running through the sprinkler

116. America's Funniest Home Videos

117. When the doctor prescribes meds and you feel better

118. Finding the button that fell off of your shirt

119. Spell-check on Microsoft Word

120. Warm weather after a long winter

121. Playing bean bag toss with Beanie Babies

122. Waking up in the morning still smiling about the fun you had last night

123. Superbowl commercials

124. Supporting public radio

125. Skyping with friends studying abroad

126. When milk is advertised as 2 for $4.00 or 3 for $6.00

127. Talking on the phone for hours

128. Saying "I you"

129. Finding a subleaser for when you're away

130. Running down Eagle Lawn

131.Volunteering at the women's shelter

132. Using justified alignment in writing an essay

133. Getting dizzy on tire swings

134. Receiving a standing ovation

135. Hearing "I apologize" and responding with "You are forgiven"

136. Making anything Facebook Official

137. When you're sitting alone and someone joins you

138. The school-wide spelling bee

139. When those two people who should have started dating a long time ago finally start dating

140. Walking right up to the edge

141. Finishing a Rubix cube

142. Being a girl and loving chocolate and flowers

143. Putting the milk in the cupboard and the cereal in the fridge

144. Taking a picture with the Easter Bunny

145. Having high expectations

146. Summer haircuts

147. Combined birthday parties with your birthday buddy

148. Having family members who are talented

149. Running into old friends at the grocery store

150. When your mom wakes you up before your alarm

151. Being "Just friends"

152. Playing trampoline games

153. Sitting at the circle tables at DS

154. iPad jokes

155. Parking illegaly and evading a ticket

156. Noise-cancelling headphones

157. Watching a dragonfly hatch

158. Finding a sale on something you were going to purchase anyway

159. Taking your dog for a walk

160. Playing Simon Says

161. Writing a horrible love poem

162. Holding hands and meaning nothing by it

163. When your mom packs lunch and sneaks in an "I love you" note

164. When your best friend knows what you're thinking, but you've said nothing at all

165. Constructive criticism and helpful feedback

166. Sharing mp3 player earbuds with a friend

167. Flexible/great return policies at stores

168. Bubble baths

169. Having an awesome dress rehearsal

170. Mixing the line between dreaming and reality

171. Grilling pancakes over an open fire

172. Releasing an album

173. Baby blankets in college

174. Big Bang Theory

175. Deleting your ex's phone number out of your phone

176. Spitting watermelon seeds into the lake

177. Decorating the house for each holiday

178. Pounding on your chest and yelling like Tarzan

179. Being at the top of a ferris wheel

180. Philosophical conversations with someone you just met

181. Purposefully mixing up "there," "their," and "they're"

182. Pronouncing foreign words completely wrong

183. Root bear floats

184. Finding shapes in the clouds

185. Calling AAA and handing over your car problems

186. Starting a countdown really far in advance

187. Watching Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen films

188. Going to Prom with a group of friends

189. Ice-breakers and get-to-know you activities

190. Toothpaste for Dinner comics

191. Snacking on chocolage chips

192. The first dance at a wedding

193. Using abbrevs

194. Reciting nursery rhymes

195. Concordia's Homecoming bonfire shirts

196. Jogging with your iPod

197. Gerbera daisies

198. Super soft tissues that don't hurt your nose

199. When you really do love someone more than words can express

200. Beating the odds

201. Prexy's Pond and its fountain

202. Playing games on your TI-83 calculator

203. A summer lake cabin

204. Boat parades

205. Singing the national anthems of other countries

206. Playing Follow the Leader

207. Old-fashioned #2 yellow pencils

208. Making banana boats over a campfire

209. Concerts of local bands

210. March forth/March fourth

211. The moments right before you fall asleep

212. Totally relating to country music, but never admitting it

213. Questioning your own beliefs only to make them stronger

214. Old-school Grandma-like cell phones, such as the Jitterbug

215. Imagining current pop artists in fifty years

216. Home stays on choir tour

217. Having a Negative Nancy/Debbie Downer night, but allowing a friend to turn it around

218. Not having a final in a class

219. Drinking organic coffee

220. Eating in the dining hall and just swiping your card to pay

221. So many variations on the game "tag"

222. Living in a college town

223. Hanging out at the grocery store when there is nothing else to do

224. Sleeping on Olin Hill

225. A good talk over a game of cribbage

226. Desirable test results

227. Cuddling with puppies

228. Cancer survivors

229. When the sun peeks through the clouds

230. Kayaking through white caps

231. Wearing a helmet on a motorcycle

232. Blow-up water toys that look like animals

233. When someone tall volunteers to reach the top shelf for you

234. Garage bands

235. Painting your room

236. Cutting your sandwich like a puzzle

237. Wearing your Cobber ring

238. Using your cell phone as a flashlight

239. Climbing up a slide then sliding down

240. Recycling plastic bags

241. Putting leftover veggies in your omelet

242. When clothes come out of the dryer not wrinkled, so you can just hang them up and not iron them

243. Setting a new record

244. Your relatives in Hawaii

245. Making a necklace out of noodles

246. Wearing clothes you purchased in the kid's department at Target

247. Chinese all-you-can-eat buffets

248. Coloring books

249. When you make someone else laugh

250. Nostalgia

251. Leaving certain questions unanswered

252. When you're upset and someone wraps you up in a big hug

253. Taking a nice pen from the waitress at a restaurant

254. Footie pajamas

255. Neat cookie cutter shapes

256. Writing, and never sending, a letter

257. The perfect swing-dancing partner

258. When someone volunteers to help

259. Calling newspaper ads "commercials"

260. Indie music

261. When lip balm fixes/allieves your dried/chapped lips

262. This American Life

263. Saying "Come into my big circle" and opening your arms to give a hug

264. Filling in a Su-do-ku puzzle with random numbers

265. When your pen doesn't work, so you lick the end, and then it works

266. When a friend is waiting to pick you up at the airport

267. Nap parties

268. Telling your darkest secret and getting it off your chest

269. Being in the wedding party

270. Having an accompanist for your choir rehearsal

271. Anagrams

272. Saying "I'm this many" when asked your age

273. Minnesota Lutheran lunches: hotdish, jello, and lefse

274. Going down the waterslide on your tummy, head-first

275. Working as a team

276. Dreaming of flying

277. Founding new school clubs to meet your own personal interests

278. Grammar-check on Microsoft Word

279. Your talented friends who are always willing to help out

280. Writing with Sharpies

281. Saying "I love you"

282. Realizing how soon summer is

283. Bragging about age-old victories (Have I mentioned that I won the spelling bee in third grade?)

284. Misspelling words so that they look funny

285. Dog-earing pages in a book

286. The messages on Starbuck's coffee cups

287. Singing carols with your family

288. Being really awesome at Origami

289. When your date pays for your dinner

290. Living your dream

291. The things you don't know about people

292. Design-your-own t-shirt websites like Café Press

293. Earning Girl Scout patches

294. When you wake up and your hair looks nice

295. Spark Notes

296. Rollerblading on trails through the woods

297. Having a really productive afternoon

298. The one notebook that you use for taking notes in every class

299. Reading messages in old school yearbooks

300. Using the library to your benefit

301. Hamster races at the local pet store

302. The ladies working at the Hallmark store

303. Meeting the author of your favorite book

304. Writing Mid-Year Resolutions

305. Recognizing someone by their gait

306. Celebrating random holidays no one has ever heard of

307. Believing

308. All things Harry Potter

309. Zebra pens

310. Achieving your desired outcome

311. Hanging out alone on a Saturday night and loving it

312. Listening to your grandparents reminisce

313. Getting paid to do what you love

314. The echo circles all around campus

315. Singing campfire songs while you're not around a campfire

316. The person you never knew had perfect pitch

317. Wearing white socks with your black dress pants

318. Trusting in the Lord with your whole heart and mind

319. Writing a love song

320. Buying random crap at a garage sale

321. Using a binder to organize your papers

322. April Fool's Day jokes

323. Forgetting your troubles

324. Trying something new

325. Highlighting a whole page of text

326. The Jungle Gym at the library

327. Eating giant burritos at Chipotle

328. Checking out flip cameras from the library

329. Listening to kids sing silly songs

330. Starting the weekend on a Thursday night

331. Funny YouTube videos

332. Building a couch-cushion fort in your room

333. The Make a Wish Foundation

334. Going bowling after Prom in your formal attire

335. Turning on a fan to create white noise that helps you sleep at night

336. Earning a gold star on your crown

337. Kayaking on calm water

338. Someone you can trust that will never judge you

339. Keeping and reading old birthday cards

340. Visiting a far-away sibling and then being able to visualize where they are

341. Writing in yellow gel pen so no one can read what you wrote

342. Long, drawn-out jokes that actually aren't funny

343. Taking the bath samples from hotels

344. Telling knock-knock jokes

345. Rocking the overalls and a plaid, flannel shirt

346. Making a time capsule

347. Watching your favorite TV show you missed on Hulu

348. When someone tells you that you are beautiful

349. Memorizing a classic poem

350. Your favorite hymns

351. General store-brands, like Wal-Phed instead of Sudafed

352. Receiving a daily Bible passage in a text message

353. When someone is really talented, yet selfless and humble

354. Recycling plastic water bottles

355. Scratching your plans for something more fun

356. Long conversations while on the swings

357. Dropping an old grudge and letting go

358. Nongendered names for God

359. Not making callbacks and not minding

360. When utilities are cheaper than usual

361. Realizing that you have a famous Doppelganger

362. When someone else surprises you by emptying the trash

363. Using the word "pun" as a pun

364. Making up nicknames for Minnesota Twins baseball players

365. Second chances

366. Positive humor

367. When someone walks you home

368. Lego Dollhouses from the 1990s

369. When your dog really does eat your homework

370. Successfully executing a kayak t-rescue

371. A surprise-cancelled class

372. Celebrating your 60+ anniversary

373. Drawing with your eyes closed and laughing at the result

374. Bert's Bees Wax chapstick

375. Trying out a new tongue twister

376. Family members who are friends

377. Old people making sex jokes and not realizing it

378. Eating Vegetarian

379. Correctly using the words "quote" and "quotation"

380. Having a best friend who knows you better than yourself

381. Tumblr

382. The shoes that light up when you walk

383. Using Dining Dollars to buy your lunch in the Maize

384. A really good DJ at the dance

385. The little carts at the grocery store

386. When someone correctly pronounces “contemplative”

387. Exercising on a daily basis

388. Watching the first plant buds grow in the Spring

389. Christmas ornament/napkin rings made out of toilet paper tubes

390. A warm-fuzzy pair of slippers or booties

391. Laughing till you cry

392. Watching the Grand March at Prom

393. When a picture captures the perfect moment

394. When your roommates are gone for the weekend

395. Take-home tests

396. Having another first kiss

397. Picking wild flowers

398. Zipping two sleeping bags together to make a giant sleeping bag

399. Enabling someone else to reach his or her own goals

400. Naming inanimate objects

401. Velcro shoes

402. Sending letters to your grandma

403. Taking your own pillow on a road trip

404. Ending a sad song with a hopeful Picardy Third

405. Saving nice voicemails

406. Getting published

407. Playing pogs

408. Being naturally talented at something you love

409. DOL and DEAR time at school

410. When a bad situation turns out well

411. A baby’s laughter

412. The Grand Canyon

413. Leaving Post-It Note reminders

414. A surprise bonus, raise, or promotion

415. Never stepping on the sidewalk cracks

416. Playing with Lincoln Logs

417. Making awkward moments even more awkward

418. Having a dad who is an English major and will proofread all of your papers

419. Learning to play your favorite song on the piano

420. Beeswax candles

421. Better-Than-Homework Cake at DS

422. Wearing a Burger Kign gold crown

423. The marching band's bass drum player

424. Slow dancing

425. Finding those quite, hidden little places to study on campus

426. Setting your alarm clock for times like 7:27 AM or 9:13 AM

427. Rewinding a VHS

428. Shaving with a new razor

429. When the DJ plays your request

430. Super-helpful unsolicited advice

431. When gas prices go down right before your road trip

432. Falling asleep doing your homework

433. Whipping out Harry Potter spells in public

434. When the glass is half full and not half empty

435. when music takes away your tears

436. Huney Nut Clusters Just Clusters

437. Spring Study Day

438. Anyone over the age of 80

439. Giving a standing ovation

440. Regifting

441. Nerf wars

442. Getting a free dessert at a restaurant on your birthday

443. Funny podcasts

444. Playing Telephone Pictionary

445. Having a friend who is a pyromaniac

446. Falling in love

447. XKCD

448. Improvisatory rapping

449. Following links on Wikipedia when you should be productive

450. Letters you wrote to your friends in first grade

451. Arriving not too early and not too late

452. Funny blogs

453. The day after finals

454. Knowing who is wearing the mascot costume at a game

455. Eating corn right off the cob

456. Playing on a recently-tuned piano

457. Dr. Seuss

458. An awesome new haircut

459. The moment you realize you made the right decision

460. Learning to ride a bike

461. Remembering that it's five o'clock somewhere

462. Luncheons at work, staff banquet

463. Shopping at used-clothing stores

464. Taking a sick day when you're not sick

465. Seeing new faces at Mick's

466. Going to a friend's musical performance

467. Dressing up for a 1950s dinner

468. Handwriting thank-you notes for others

469. Admitting the truth

470. National Public Radio

471. All the things you can make with a role of duct tape

472. Simulation computer games like Sim City 2000 and Roller Coaster Tycoon

473. The color cerulean

474. Your quirky uncle

475. A high self-esteem

476. Making up words as a kid and letting them stick in your vocabulary

477. Asking a kid to guess how old you are

478. Wedding dances

479. Campfire hobo dinners

480. Laughing out loud at the funnies in the paper

481. Hugging your baby blanket or teddy bear

482. Faith like a child

483. Grilled cheese and tomato soup on a cold day

484. When someone gives you a teddy bear

485. Eating the free samples at grocery stores

486. Getting the position you applied for

487. My Life is Average

488. Curling your hair

489. Telling someone "Happy Birthday" at midnight

490. Being on TV

491. Long walks on the beach

492. Walking instead of driving

493. The discount movie theatre

494. Putting everyone's feet in the middle for "eeny, meeny, miney, moe"

495. Friends who are like family

496. Having several places to call home

497. Using punctuation.

498. When relatives get you sweet deals at the places they work

499. Your grandma's Christmas cookies

500. Jumping in someone else’s picture at the last-minute

501. Turning off your cell phone and turning off the world

502. Dressing up and having an anti-prom

503. Making silly home videos

504. Helping someone else at the grocery store unload their cart

505. Getting to the end of your giant to-do list

506. Blaring your favorite music out of your car windows at a stoplight

507. Going on a hay ride

508. Quick Monopoly games

509. Awkward starfish

510. When indie bands are featured in local concerts

511. When a friend takes you to your favorite restaurant

512. Visiting relatives who live in far-away, awesome places

513. Tipping your neighbor's boat

514. Raspberry rhubarb jam

515. Taking shaky-face pictures

516. Wishing on the first star you see tonight

517. Dancing to "Auld Lang Syne" on New Years

518. Reminiscing about 90's TV shows (Aah! Real Monsters, Doug, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, All That, etc.)

519. Finding something nice to say about someone not nice

520. Meeting your family at Disney World for a family reunion

521. Procrastinating and having a blast

522. The phrase "Bees knees"

523. Visiting the puppies at the local animal shelter

524. Photos in the public domain

525. Kids who still believe in Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy

526. Giving in and hiring Merry Maids for a week

527. Capitalizing nouns like the Germans would

528. Vanilla-scented anything

529. The Stone Henge benches

530. When the person you voted for actually wins the race

531. Trying on new or prospective pairs of glasses

532. Pushing yourself

533. Picking fresh strawberries

534. Father-Daughter dances

535. Friday Favorites on MPR

536. Playing free games online

537. Jesus Christ, Superstar

538. Going to the science museum

539. Dreaming the impossible

540. Watching an entire movie trilogy in a row

541. The Happy Cobber

542. Rocking the band's shirt at a concert

543. Hearing a friend's life story

544. Drawing with sidewalk chalk

545. When you can't fall asleep at night because your mind is spinning, thinking of wonderful things

546. Clearing up the huge pile of papers on your desk

547. Spilling paint on your blue jeans

548. Mount Rushmore

549. Going to the grocery store and buying everything but what you need

550. Being really good at photography

551. Not believing the world will end in 2012

552. Smiling at the person walking the other way on the sidewalk

553. Having your own room

554. Birthday presents that only the gift-giver and the gift-receiver understand, but both love

555. Finding time to stop and smell the flowers

556. Finishing clinicals early andg etting to sleep in

557. Hugging a pillow as you fall asleep at night

558. Piggy-back rides

559. A new pair of scissors

560. Pumpkin pie

561. Analyzing every situation, and then giving up and learning to just live oyur life

562. The granola at camp

563. Watching YouTube videos with friends

564. Writing in your crush's yearbook in Middle School

565. Whipping out the word "qi" in Bananagrams

566. Traditional American folk songs

567. Legwarmers and armwarmers

568. Finding a quarter on the ground

569. Sound spelling accurately

570. Apple products

571. Playing Skip-it outside

572. When your mail order arrives a day early

573. Making lemonade when life hands you lemons

574. Jumping up and down to pretend the stars are meteors

575. Having a lemonade stand outside

576. The Office and the Office on Thursdays

577. Having great ideas and carrying through with them

578. Being beautiful without wearing makeup

579. Wearing overalls

580. Holding hands under a blanket

581. Not walking under the bell tower

582. Going on a worm rescue mission after a storm

583. Filling a journal with wonderful memories

584. Target Field

585. iTunes Genius feature

586. Growing a lot so you can love who you are

587. 2-for-1 deals at Dairy Queen

588. Making websites on Geocities

589. Selling random crap at a garage sale

590. Finding fossils at Quarry Hill

591. Using networking to your benefit

592. When the substitute teacher correctly pronounces your name

593. Borrowing sugar or an egg from your neighbor

594. Running out of shampoo and conditioner at the same time

595. That boy you married in second grade

596. The first robin you see in the spring

597. Chewing on your pencil eraser

598. The power of a first impression

599. Applying classroom knowledge to everyday life

600. Playing Tiddly Winks

601. Making someone else's dream come true

602. Elation after a good audition

603. Dressing up in formal attire for the opera

604. When a friend buys you a drink

605. not using punctuation

606. Wearing your hair in pigtails

607. Listening to the AM radio

608. When the top few inches of the lake water are really warm, but the rest is cold

609. A snazzy new pair of handbell gloves

610. Class reunions

611. Playing "School" on the first day of summer

612. Driving ten hours to visit a friend for five hours

613. Playing Hide-and-go-seek or Alpha Wolf in a corn field

614. Laughing at a bad decision made

615. Celebrating a holiday with a friend's family

616. When cough drops actually stop your coughing

617. Being an accepting loser after defeat

618. Growing a lots o others can love who you are

619. When the Grand Canyon takes your breath away

620. Using hex codes to create your perfect color

621. Whose Line is it Anyway?

622. Memorizing the times table

623. Displaying your trophies and medals on the wall

624. "That's what she said" jokes

625. Dreaming of wonderful things

626. Trading school pictures

627. Having a pen pal

628. The 1990s

629. The give-a-penny, take-a-penny dish at the grocery store

630. Creating a Play-Doh sculpture

631. Shopping at Target rather than Wal-Mart

632. Political buttons

633. When big-named musicians visit small towns like Fargo

634. Using puffy-paint to make your own spiritwear

635. Counting on your fingers and toes

636. Flirting with the salesman and getting a discount

637. Having a favorite day of the week

638. Knowing when to use a comma

639. When a hug says it all

640. When your roommate does the dishes

641. Watching the clouds

642. Concordia's mascot, Kernel

643. Adding a new number to your contacts list

644. Getting a handicap in a game other than golf

645. Listening to cassette mix tapes

646. Making up your own expletives

647. Saying a prayer for a good friend

648. Someone who can sing any style of music

649. Looking through the rain to see a rainbow

650. Confidence

651. Having a "Blessing of the Tractors" ceremony

652. Your first kiss

653. Shopping at garage sales

654. Going out to dinner and a movie

655. When a friend texts you just to say hi

656. Olive Garden salad

657. The Twins' postseason

658. When someone borrows your pen and remembers to return it

659. Playing Acrophobia online

660. The kind and caring reference librarians at the library

661. Waking up to happy text message sin the morning

662. Camp's giant slip-n-slide

663. When someone else makes your day

664. Videotaping yourself practicing so you can do better next time

665. Recognizing your own strengths

666. A good old-fashioned picnic

667. "Getting married" while singing

668. Thinking about nothing at all

669. Identifying constellations

670. Your first piano teacher

671. When others bring you baked goods

672. Telling someone how much they mean to you

673. Stretching your limits

674. Playing outside barefoot

675. Cobber beanies

676. Accompanying an awesome performer

677. Little kids going on Easter egg hunts

678. Buying in bulk at Sam's Club and Costco

679. Actually playing hopscotch

680. Sleeping under the stars

681. Camping

682. Fun, new vocal warmups

683. When someone's major is just right for him/her

684. Travel coffee mugs

685. When someone truly appreciates your efforts

686. Your best friend forever

687. Crying till you laugh

688. Using the "x" in Scrabble

689. Paper grocery bags

690. Wearing mardi-gras beads as a part of your daily attire

691. Being an upperclassman

692. Depositing your pay check

693. Having a Progressive dinner

694. Using a wooden dowel as a baton

695. Making flashcards to study for a vocab exam

696. Passing a class after failing every exam

697. Writing your paper single-spaced then waiting until the end to double-space it

698. That voice you could pick out of any crowd

699. Taking graduation pictures

700. Respecting others and being respected by others

701. 16-year olds singing about love

702. Floating on an air mattress and pretending to walk on water

703. Fresh flowers

704. Thanking God for an amazing day

705. Accidentally coordinating clothes with your best friend

706. Wearing a boy's sweatshirt

707. Playing parachute games

708. Embossing

709. Falling asleep during a movie and waking up for the end

710. Walking to Fargo

711. Payday

712. Having a pizza party

713. Taking candid pictures of others

714. Post Secret

715. Sledding on inner tubes

716. When a friend prays for you

717. Playing with Betty Spaghetti

718. ColdStone-flavored jelly beans

719. Si-si-oh-playmate and criss-cross-applesauce

720. Constructive confrontation

721. A new roll of toilet paper

722. Using Microsoft Excel to do your calculations

723. When you end a day with lots of things to add to your list of Awesome things

724. Taking a good passport picture

725. Listening to music from when you were young

726. Finding poems and paintings from kindergarten

727. Relaxing your muscles in the hot tub

728. Inside jokes

729. Climbing into a recently-made bed

730. Getting a good haircut at Cost Cutters

731. Hanging out on another college campus

732. That one friend who will listen to your stories that have no purpose

733. A shelf full of coloring books in your grown-up apartment

734. Being fashionably late

735. Happily accepting defeat

736. Turning on the radio right to your favorite song

737. Dipping your grilled cheese sandwich in tomato soup

738. The Office

739. Anyone under the age of five

740. Finding your hidden talent

741. Driving toward the mountains

742. Pretending a stick is a wand

743. Having a toothbrush decorated like Batman

744. Jokes about Sex on the Beach

745. Birthday parties at the roller rink

746. Knowing that you look hot today

747. Surprise parties

748. The marching band's sousaphone player

749. Finding a four-leaf clover

750. Slinkies

751. Accidentally rhyming in conversation

752. Mullets and mohawks

753. Barely scoring at all in a game and cracking a joke about how you thought you were playing golf

754. Memorizing children's books

755. Making something out of nothing

756. Using a bandana for any and every accessory

757. Renewing your license and taking a good picture

758. Taking a Mental Health day

759. Blowing out the candles and making a wish

760. Being a humble winner

761. Learning HTML and making your own website

762. Pretending to be really great a sport at which you are actually terrible

763. A brand new, fuzzy sweatshirt

764. Being really terrible at playing pool

765. Remembering to pay your rent on time

766. Grading on a curve

767. Thinking of all the things you love

768. Having to work hard to achieve your goal

769. Family reunions

770. When the bell tower plays "Hymn to Concordia" at 9:51 AM

771. Finding out your best friend is really awesome at something and you never knew it

772. Following through with a New Year's Resolution

773. Toe warmers

774. Digital SLR cameras

775. Using up hamburger patties and buns at the same time

776. Dressing up in formal attire

777. Memory-foam pillows

778. Having a spam e-mail account

779. Taking out your contacts after a long day

780. Trying to set world records

781. When the understudy gets a chance to perform, too

782. Wearing a new pair of shoes right out of the store

783. Online bank transfers and bill-pay

784. Verbing nouns

785. Telling a story and ending it with "and then I found five dollars"

786. Dome-shaped buildings

787. Making soup for the soup kitchen

788. When Dad fills your car with gas

789. Noah's Ark wave pool

790. Funny keychains

791. Yogi Tea

792. Boy bands

793. Music in the public domain

794. Second dates

795. Waking up on the right side of the bed

796. When "snooze" is just the right amount of time

797. Your sassy gay friend

798. Crossing items off your to-do list

799. Sitting under a tin roof during a rain storm

800. Hanging out in the garage because it really is the cool place to be

801. Canoing the Boundary Waters

802. When you make someone else smile

803. Stretching tall and saying "I'm so big!"

804. Washing your hair in the lake with herbal shampoo

805. That old, worn-out jean jacket

806. Telling your life story

807. Reusable water bottles

808. Slipping on a banana peel in front of lots of people

809. Short lines for your favorite roller coaster

810. Places that will deliver pizza all night, 24/7

811. Indoor waterparks and theme parks

812. Red, white, and blue jello on the 4th of July

813. When you say nothing at all

814. Climbing the giant tree by the soccer fields

815. Dark chocolate

816. When a friend cuts your hair for free

817. Coupons for the grocery store

818. Art galleries

819. Girl bands

820. Creating sanctuary in an unexpected place

821. Wearing a lifejacket on a boat

822. Snapping out of a bad mood

823. Church choir sopranos

824. Carrying, and using, a reusable shopping bag

825. Receiving a note from a friend folded awesomely

826. Using a hairbrush as a microphone

827. Watching the sun rise in the morning

828. Thinking that you know what the real world is like

829. When you have an awkward moment and no one says "awkward"

830. Star tipping

831. When the person ahead of you in the line at the grocery store buys your groceries

832. Using udder cream (made for cows) as lotion for curing your own dry skin

833. Sleeping in your own bed after a long trip

834. Pretend-spelunking

835. A giant dining room table that can seat everyone

836. When someone switches your laundry for you

837. Telling stories around the campfire

838. Spending your life savings on something totally wroth it

839. The hibiscus plants in DS

840. Spontaneous folk, hymn, or carol sing-alongs

841. Watching Disney movies and singing along

842. Being halfway there

843. Going green

844. Having really great handwriting

845. Making your own greeting cards

846. Fostering animals from the local animal shelter

847. Care packages from home

848. When your favorite group does an encore

849. Spelling "revolution" with a backwards E and backwards L and realizing what it says

850. Having pizza delivered

851. Coming up with new nicknames

852. Making your own jewelry

853. Skipping class

854. Standup comedy shows

855. Sending postcards while on vacation

856. Literally going over the river and through the woods to get to your grandmother's house

857. Telling funny stories from grade school

858. Finishing the New York Times Crossword Puzzle

859. Fleece tie blankets

860. Love at first sight

861. When you're lonely and a friend calls

862. Being single and loving it

863. Collages of your favorite pictures

864. Sharing a blanket

865. Knowing that when you dream in another language, you really are fluent

866. When babies laugh

867. When a passerby offers to take your picture for you

868. Playing Predator-Prey at Wal-Mart

869. Folding a dollar bill into something neat

870. Lying in the grass

871. Using PowerPoint to create an exquisite presentation

872. When someone you think is mad at you really isn't

873. Listening

874. The scent of fresh laundry

875. Returning to good health

876. Cornstock

877. To Write Love on Her Arms

878. When something takes less time than expected

879. Cheesecake

880. The writings on the bathroom walls at Mick's

881. Bookmarks

882. Making cake batter ice cream

883. Ice cream cakes and cookie cakes

884. Saturday birthdays

885. Thursday nights

886. Sharpie pens

887. Finding a mint in your pocket when you have bad breath

888. When music moves you to tears

889. Moving on

890. Finishing a paper before the night before it's due

891. Unannounced visits from friends

892. Eating breakfast for lunch, lunch for dinner, and dinner for breakfast

893. Eating food on a stick at the Minnesota State Fair

894. Unintended puns

895. Getting along with people you used to not get along with

896. Sweatshirt blankets

897. Getting a new leotard for ballet class

898. Adding exclamation marks to everything

899. Locking yourself out of your car, but having a spare set of keys

900. Hearing reassurance that you did the right thing

901. Making someone else's day

902. Living somewhere beautiful

903. Being pleasantly surprised and proven wrong

904. Being a martyr for your cause

905. Receiving "thinking of you" greeting cards

906. Photo screensavers

907. Roller Coaster Tycoon 3's ride-your-own-coaster feature

908. The smell of a campfire

909. Midnight Christmas service

910. Sewing your own clothes

911. Sleeping in Eagle Lodge at camp

912. Trick-or-Treat for Unicef

913. Decorating your wall with posters

914. Adding the carrot nose to the snowman

915. Playing pig-pile

916. When kids say the darndest things

917. Pretending to be full of yourself

918. Finding acronyms/anagrams for your name

919. Using a wooden dowel as a wand

920. Getting a toaster for your birthday

921. Approved parking-ticket appeals

922. The day that Dairy Queen opens in the spring

923. Curling up under a blanket in front of the fireplace

924. Playing Acrophobia online

925. Orange shag carpet

926. Tracking your height on the wall

927. Getting a new prescription and being able to see

928. Ole and Lena jokes

929. Raising monarchs, starting as caterpillars

930. Watching your kindergarten choir concert

931. The Yellow Bike program

932. How ugly babies are cute and cute babies are cute, but normal babies are just normal

933. Musical birthday cards

934. Texting yourself reminders

935. Catching minnows in a net in the lake

936. When one door closes and another door opens

937. Indoor activities done outdoor

938. When the lyrics to a song tell your feelings better than you ever could

939. Sailing and letting your fingers run through the water

940. Selling your old crap at a garage sale

941. When your sibling marries someone awesome

942. Kissing in the rain

943. Diversity in the classroom

944. Not drinking underage

945. The Purple Mountain's Majesty Crayola crayon

946. Inspirational quotations

947. Counting down the days until something happens

948. Old couples who were high school sweethearts

949. Basking in the sun on the unused track equipment

950. Friends since birth

951. The wonderful inspiration Ralph Waldo Emerson

952. Getting a 4.0 for a semester

953. Quoting Dr. Seuss in everyday conversation

954. Seeing the positive in something negative

955. When 8 AM class is cancelled

956. Yelling "Olly, olly, oxen free!"

957. Actually laughing out loud when you type "lol"

958. Learning to forgive and forget

959. Having an umbrella at just the right time

960. Calling a couch a "davenport"

961. 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner

962. Getting locked on the roof

963. Improvising jazz piano

964. Performing in an exquisite concert hall

965. Piggy banks that are actually shaped like pigs

966. Decorating the mantle with lovely decorations

967. Happy endings

968. A new tube of toothpaste

969. When someone asks if you're okay

970. Sunrise Easter service

971. Crossing your eyes and making a silly face at someone

972. When a guest leaves and calls to let you know he/she made it home okay

973. Dancing in the rain

974. Acting too old for your age

975. Playing pong

976. Fresh roses

977. Netflix on Demand

978. Water beds

979. At a wedding, watching the groom as the bride walks down the aisle

980. Winning anything free

981. When a man proposes with his grandmother's ring

982. Dancing while n obody's watching

983. The Minnesota Orchestra

984. Homecoming and seeing your old friends

985. Listening to Mika to pump yourself up

986. Marshmallow Mafia

987. Becoming fluent in another language

988. Using rubber cement to glue papers neatly onto a posterboard

989. The first snowfall

990. Going on a trip with your sister

991. Biking in the bike lane

992. When a man asks his future father-in-law for permission before proposing

993. Falling asleep counting sheep

994. Sporting your school's lanyard

995. Listening to early NOW CDs

996. Wearing a seatbelt in the car

997. Just being excited about life

998. Poop jokes (What’s brown and sticky? A stick!)

999. Playing marco polo in the lake

1000. Using a big word in everyday conversation