Decisions, Decisions

I ask you, my loyal and trustworthy companions on this journey called summer break, what should I do the week of May 21?

Option A: Go to Mississippi to do Katrina relief
This option involved driving to Mississippi with my friend Erin, working there for a week with other Seminary folk, then driving on to New Mexico, where I would need to be picked up.

• Pros: Do good work in Mississippi; get to know people I might not have otherwise, including some of the facilities staff.
• Cons: Driving, eating, and staying in Mississippi all cost money; 5ish days of driving across the country.

Option B: Stay here and work PDR (aka Catering)

This option involves staying here to make some much-needed money by serving catered dinners for the events happening that week.

• Pros: Money saved and earned; a little extra time to move out of my room; flying home might be cheaper than driving; Bill Robinson will be here.
• Cons: It seems a little schmucky to choose money over a mission trip; it might throw off some other people's plans.

Thoughts?

And now I can sleep

This week was busier academically than finals will be for me. I had my 15pg Field Ed appraisal, a short paper, a 25 minute presentation on the development of Sola Scriptura during the Reformation, a group presentation on Cross-Cultural Translation of parables, and my normal Hebrew assignment, all on top of working more than usual. But as of yesterday at 12:30pm the sun was shining bright, the Southern Society BBQ brought everyone out to the quad, and I am practically done until finals. This week I just have one short paper, then we have reading week, then finals, during which I only have 1 exam and 2 papers. So today I slept until 10am, and it was marvelous.
Yesterday afternoon Geila took me and Rachel to get our travel immunizations, so my arms are all pumped up with Meningitis, Polio, Tetanus, and Typhoid. Then we ran around town picking up presents and food for our lovely friend Sarah's 28th birthday party (I'm the 2nd youngest of my group of friends here), and at last eating and playing the night away.
Today I will be working catering during lunch, than catching up on Gilmore Girls, then going to hear Geila preach at her church, then going to see Hot Fuzz. Ah, the joys of Sabbath!

The Nomad Illness

I've been sick for a week now, and it's the wierdest thing. On Easter I woke up with a sore throat, but not a big deal; Monday I missed most of my classes thanks to nausea and soreness, and I drank SO MUCH vitamin C and other such healing things; Tuesday I was still icky, but not as bad; Wednesday and Thursday I was a little congested, but felt fine overall; Friday I woke up with a sore throat, a runny nose, and no voice; same thing yesterday and today. Yuck! So I'm not at church this morning because I can't talk. Instead I am watching the freak storm going on outside my window. Stupid Noreaster! It's supposed to be Spring by now.
In other nomadic news, things are falling into place for this summer. I'm going on a mission trip to Mississippi with school folks to do Katrina relief the third week in May, then driving with my friend Erin from there to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where I will either be picked up by an obliging friend or parent, or else taking a train or bus or something up to Denver/Co. Springs. Then I'll have a few weeks with family and friends in CO before wedding -> Ghana craziness ensues. The Ghana plans, by the way, are not yet all worked out in large part because the field ed office doesn't think we're capable of booking our own flights. Grrr.

Easter Weekend

Kyna was here! Yay! We walked ALL OVER Princeton, including the cemetery, the "museum," the University Art Museum (which is really quite a respectable collection, including Monet, Gaugin, Worhol, and other notables), the University, the Battle Field, and Firestone Library. It was delightful to walk with a good friend and show off the town. We also went to the Easter Vigil Service on campus and Sunday morning service at my church, but decided to forego the 5am service at the University Chapel. Two services full of Alleluiahs is sufficient, I suppose.

I celebrated Easter dinner at my Field Ed supervisor's house with her family (husband and 2 kids a few years older than me) and my friend Laura, a PhD student and former intern at the church.

After dinner I both felt the onset of a wicked cold and started writing a paper. By this morning the cold had fully set on and I had an extension on the paper. So today I've had about 3000% of my daily allowance of vitamin C, a little Sudafed, and some tea, plus a few extra hours of sleep. There's something nasty going around campus, so I really hope that's not what I've caught.

But whether I'm sick or not, Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!