Life happens so fast here at school.  I decided to categorize the highlights of the last week or two in a different way.

Something dumb: The “Master Cleanse Lemonade Diet.”  Ok, so this was probably not the greatest thing to do in the middle of the semester, considering the amount of stress I live with.  However, two friends and I gave no heed to common sense and decided to fast for 10 days, drinking nothing but a concoction of lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and water.  They gave up after 24 hours.  I lasted 5 days and then got sick.  End of diet.

Something smart: Conversations on ethics, justice, truth, society, purpose.  I have been having many stimulating conversations with profs and students—both in and out of class on these subjects.  Movie discussions, class readings, and even the college newspaper all allow for significant debate on the Christian’s role in culture and politics, the ethicality of various modern scientific and lifestyle practices, and practical strategies to achieve societal movement in the right direction.

Something surprising: Birthday party.  I was kidnapped today…Al Qaeda style.  Blind-folded, thrown into a car with a silent driver.  When I was taken out of the car-red towel still draped over my entire head-my captors led me in circles until they finally undid my mask and there were all my hall girls waiting to surprise me with a cake at the lake!  Fun times.  Got even better when the fearless Jill charmed her way into securing a kayak from some people for me to paddle around the lake and then snookering the ice cream lady-in-a-truck to give us all free ice cream bars.

My captors
 
The Great Surprise

How do you work a kayak?

 Ice cream, anyone?

Something boring: Spanish class, until…oops my turn to conjugate.  Spanish does not top my “All-Time Favorite Classes Ever Taken” chart.  Guess I was dozing the other day.  All I know is, I looked up and the teacher was pointing at me expectantly and I had to quickly figure out which verb we had just been conjugating.  Oops.

Something beautiful: Garden party.  The campus-wide party in the arboretum the other night was a beautiful affair.  An amazing cake buffet with stacked, tiered champagne glasses and sparkling grape juice.  Tiki torches and white lights everywhere.  Beautiful girls, handsome guys.  Band from Detroit and a black and white dance floor.  Worst combination of the night: two-inch spiked heels and ultrasoft and squishy forest floor.

Something ugly: Face Masks…I guess a picture is worth a thousand words on this one

Something fun: Swing dancing.  Swing club is getting off to a good start and has lots of people excited about big band music.  However, I nearly wore through my shoes one night when the swing dancing was moved to an outdoor location and we had to dance in the parking lot.  Polished floors are definitely preferable.

Something crazy: waking up at 7 am for a birthday party.  So my neighbor Mary had a birthday the other day.  We got up and took the cake I had made the night before over to the arboretum and hid in the old stone gazebo.  Then Jill banged on Mary’s door with a panicked plea for help—one of us had broken her ankle in the arb!  Mary came rushing over, first-aid kit in hand and then we popped out singing “Happy Birthday” to her.  The sun was just rising.

Something new: attention…when I had kids.  Yes, I got my first babysitting job…for one of my professors, no less.  I watched them at school and took them to the cafeteria (affectionately known as Saga) for lunch.  I don’t think so many people have ever introduced themselves to me in the space of one lunch period before.  “Whose kids are those?”  “Are they yours?”  “What’s your name again?”  Getting more socially connected was definitely worth the price of getting chocolate ice cream slobbered into my shoulder.

Something old: me.  Yes, it is a fact.  I am now one year older than I was last year at this time.

Something creative: Mary’s cake.  I was proud of this one, considering we have a kitchen basically lacking anything approaching what might be termed a necessity of cooking.  About 90% of the cabinets and cupboards are bare.

Something unimaginative: salad at Saga--iceberg, unripe tomatoes, and canned bean sprouts.  Yum.

Something outlandish: confronting and contradicting multiple PhDs.  Ok, so maybe it’s not the smartest idea in the world.  But I just try to be as charming as I can be and ask good questions.  Isn't that part of the beauty of college anyway?

Something mundane: ironing my clothes on the floor.  I discovered it is much simpler to iron on the floor than monkey with getting out my mini-ironing board.  I now use my ironing board as a table when I feel the need to eat Chinese-style: low to the ground.

Well, I guess that about sums up my life these days.