Check out time

I'm officially gone for the semester, which is unfortunate since I have a 15 page paper due tuesday and a final exam on Friday. Gone is a purely emotional state rather than a physical one. I haven't even started packing yet, and I move out of my room for the summer in less than 2 weeks. I don't yet know where I'll move too, but that's a story for another day. I've spent most of the weekend working on this paper, which consists of answering 13 doctrinal questions for ordination in the United Methodist Church. I think what makes it such slow labored work is the fact that I'm not learning anything new or researching something I'm interested in by writing my answers. It's stuff I know from theology classes and the Bible and life and John Wesley's sermons. I'd rather be researching something and constructing an argument. Really, I'd rather be on my way to Colorado. I am so excited to get to see Claire and Dave, and then all the Spokomptonites who will be at the wedding that I'm pretty much useless for doing anything else. I am in fact so excited to go, and so eager to not work on this paper, that I took a picture of myself being excited while I should have been working on my paper.
No offense to my PTS friends. I love you all dearly, and am looking forward to fun times this summer and next year and beyond. But my soul longs for the fellowship of the people who know and love me best, and it's only two weeks until I get to start wrapping my arms around those little slices of heaven who are Claire and Dave and Jeni and Mary and Becky and Kyna and Anna and Shelly and Jasmine and many more who I won't mention because I don't think they read my blog.
And now I will continue the procrastination trend by going to the Wawa.

Since Jeni is my hero . . .

. . . and I want to copy everything she does so I can endeavor to be nearly as amazing as she is, here is the Meme from her sight. Sadly, many of my answers are different from hers, so I have a long way to go to attain awesomeness.

Accent: Depends who I'm talking to. I pick up accents quickly. I'm from Colorado, so it's pretty neutral, but their are a few words I pronounce weird for no particular reason.

Booze: Guiness, Fat Tire, Alaskan Amber for beer. Anything that sounds like it would be good on ice cream otherwise (Bailey's, Frangelico, Kahlua, etc.) and Mike's hard.

Chore I hate: Dishes. Luckily I don't have a kitchen here.

Dog or cat: Dog, as long as it's past the destroying things stage.

Essential electronics: cell phone, laptop.

Favorite cologne(s): Since I'm allergic to it, I'm gonna go with none of the above.

Gold or silver: Silver.

Hometown: Littleton, CO, though I spent more time in Wheat Ridge, am most recently from Spokane, and currently live in Princeton.

Insomnia: rarely

Job title: Student, and intern at the Bonner Foundation.

Kids: I like other people's

Living arrangements: A 12x15 dorm room in Alexander, out of which I soon be kicked for the summer. Hopefully kicked into a nice housesitting gig.
Most admirable trait: my friends are super important to me
Number of sexual partners: zero
Overnight hospital stays: One, last semester after my ear surgery.

Phobias: Birds, and things closely resembling birds (bats, Central American moths, etc.)

Quote: "Honey, I'm home!" - Me, Kyna, Becky. Many many many others.

Religion: Christian.

Siblings: One younger sister

Time I wake up: between 6:30 and 8.

Unusual talent or skill: I'm pretty good at languages.

Vegetable I refuse to eat: maybe radishes, but I'll really eat just about anything

Worst habit: not doing my laundry, picking at my face.

X-rays: Other than routine ones at the dentist, my ear last semester.

Yummy foods I make: Mac and Cheese, Curried Fruit. I can cook chicken breast and put cheese or spagghetti sauce or something on it.

Zodiac sign: Virgo (surprise, surprise!)

The beginning of the end

Well folks, I've had my last class of my first year of seminary. That's right, no more class until September. I do still have 2 papers (one of which is due this Monday and I haven't starting researching it yet since all I've done this week is Aramaic) and 1 exam, but mostly I'll spend reading week and finals week working, hanging out, packing, and letting the excitement over upcoming reunions and weddings build in my little heart.
I leave for Colorado 3 weeks from today!!!

'Tis the season to be pastey

That's right, the time of year has come when I am reminded of how truly special my pastiness is. Nothing reflects the sun quite like my pastey legs. One might think that now that there is a sun to be reflected my legs will soon be pastey no more, but one would be wrong. I will spend the next four months startling others who only thought they were pigment deprived. It's a fun hobby, winning the white legs contest. And I embrace it with pride. So if you are ever feeling a little blue about the summer sun leaving you with less that the exotic tan you were hoping for, feel free to take a gander at my shins and know that you are sun-kissed after all.

Past, Present, Future

Hey, if it's good enough for Jeni, it's good enough for me.

20 years ago I . . .
1. Moved to Colorado with my parents and little sister.
2. probably did something mean to my little sister.
3. Was learning how to read.

10 years ago I . . .
1. Was "dating" my first (and last so far) boyfriend.
2. Was in my first year of Latin.
3. Decided I wanted to be a pastor.

5 years ago I . . .
1. Graduated from high school.
2. Went to Nicaragua.
3. Had the worst summer of my life (but I'm all better now).

1 year ago I . . .
1. Got accepted to Princeton Theological Seminary.
2. Graduated from Whitworth College.
3. Learned how to Lindy Hop.

So far this year I . . .
1. Started (and have almost completed) my second semester of seminary.
2. Visited friends in Spokane.
3. Learned Aramaic.

Yesterday I . . .
1. Transcribed my Aramaic homework.
2. Went to the Easter vigil service.
3. Watched 2 episodes of Dawson's Creek.

Today I . . .
1. Went to the 5am Easter Sunrise service, and the 9:30am Easter service.
2. Transcribed more Aramaic.
3. Had good conversations with a few friends.

Tomorrow I will . . .
1. Transcribe more Aramaic.
2. Go to 3 classes (no skipping during the last week!).
3. Talk to Claire while I should be transcribing Aramaic.

It may not be the Rockies . . .

. . . but the Delaware Water Gap recreation area provides a pretty decent hike. A few of us hit the trail today, Good Friday, since we didn't have class and it was a great way to avoid studying, get away from campus and into nature, and to get to know some people better. It drizzled rain most of the day, which kept us cool and, well, wet. But it was warm enough to still be pleasant, and it cleared up long enough for us to eat lunch by the pond that was the telos of the trail.
This also expands my definition of hiking, which has been strongly influenced by growing up near the Colorado Rockies. To me, hiking is steep, high altitudes, occasionally treacherous, and climaxes with an amazing view of the city or the canyon or the rest of the mountain range. Here hiking 7ish miles was no problem with pretty slow inclines, hardly any elevation (anything below 5000 might as well not be elevated), really no danger at all, and a final view of the still waters of the pond. I like it, although I wouldn't trade my mountains for the Pennsylvania hills.
Many people emerge from hiking with a heightened awareness of God's goodness and creativity in creation. I admit that this is not often my reaction. I see God much more in the people with whom I am enjoying creation, and today I rejoice in having glimpsed Christ in each of my companions on the trail.

The Cure for the Common Bibliophile

This here is Whiteley Gym, where I have spent the last week selling, sorting, pricing, cleaning and acquiring books. I have skipped about 1/2 of my classes, and done VERY little homework because of the annual book sale, but it's been a blast. An exhausting, dirty blast. We raised over $26,000 for seminaries in Kenya, Ghana, and Ecuador, so it's worth all the hard work. In all fairness, I didn't do that much work compared to the three people who were really in charge. A group of us is going to get hour-long massages to recover from hauling all of these books around, and it's been a lot of fun hanging out with and getting to know the other people who were working on this project. Next year my friend Rachel and I are going to have Special Collections (sets, rare books, etc) as our pet project. We are planning to meet the with special collections guy for the seminary and learn about how to price rare books and stuff like that. It'll be a fun hobby. I also came out of the sale with some pretty cool stuff, other than what I listed in the previous post. And not all of it is as dorky as those ones are. I do need to get another bookshelf for next year though.
In other news, I got hired for the summer at the Bonner Foundation so I'll be in Princeton when I'm not at weddings. More to come on that later.