The Old

We all have bought things that we look back on wishing we hadn't. In no particular order, here are the little things I've bought or paid for (or someone else bought for me) that I don't regret in anyway at all. Most of them are in someone else's hands in Arizona or are long since used up, but they're a good reminder of things I'm happy to have had.

• cran-grape juice, it was surprisingly delicious
• $5 sun glasses, they're perfect and my eyes are so much happier now. They unfortunately broke the day I got here, and the new ones I paid $10 for aren't nearly as fitting.
• This tan wallet from the sale racks at at some jewelry store in the mall, it fits in my pocket, only problem now is that it's getting old. I need a new one and can't find any I like.
• My comforter, $15 at Ross, it's so cute and girly, but not too girly, and so soft too
• $20 bookshelf from IKEA, it's served me splendidly these past 2 years
• Puffs tissues, when I get sick I use lots of tissues and my nose starts hurting from the tissue use, these tissues really are extra soft
• my oboe, it gotten quite a bit of use these past 4 years
• my IKEA desk, just the right size, holds tons of books, and a good price too. I'm going to miss you desk. I wish you could come with me to North Carolina
• my first cell phone, it's been a necessity several times since I've gotten it
• this game called SET, I really like it
• my body pillow, it's great for taking naps with
• Teva flip flops, my feet actually like them, I even wore them to a formal dance once
• Altoids tins and friends, they've made excellent oboe reed cases - If you have any unusual ones, let me know!

• my Math Club T-shirt, it's officially my favorite T-shirt ever
• My caveroom, as cave-like as it is, it's just the right amount of space for me, if only it had a window.
• my black sweater, it's been PERFECT for so many occasions, it saddens me that it's beginning to wear out
• my black dress shoes with treads - these are wearing out too, they're the comfiest dress shoes I own and look good with pants
• my gray backpack, it's the perfect size for all my needs, a neat design, if only I could change it's color to match my mood, that would be fun
• the GPS for the rental car in Rhode Island, I seriously would have been lost for hours in Boston without it.
• the Sims (original), I used to be an expert at that game, no cheating involved
• purple yarn, I made a pretty scarf, and it helped pass time in the airplanes
• fancy mechanical pencils with the long twist eraser, I use that eraser all the time
• colorful 3-ring binders, telling apart your classes has never been easier
• my computer, I use it more than I should, it fits in my desk, and it glows!
• my 2 black skirts, I love it when skirts swirl when you spin, plus I can sit in them Indian style and ride a bicycle with them! (I've done it several time now)
• red pulse hair dye, having my hair red for a week was so much fun
• my red bicycle, it gets good use and rides great
• my blue helmet, thanks to Mandi for the helmet, it actually fits my head when others don't, and now I won't ever fracture my skull again!
• the barbecue chicken pizza we bought during our MCM contest. I didn't think I would really like it, yet I really want some more. Good choice Crystal.
• Krispy Kreme donuts, it's so sad they closed down in AZ
• my pink argyle knee-high socks, they've kept me just a little warmer this winter
• skii rental, I finally went skiing my last semester in Flagstaff
• my computer moniter, thanks to Justin for the trade, it's freed up a lot of space on my desk
• vanilla bubble bath, ever since I got walking pneumonia last semester, I have thrived off of baths, the vanilla makes them even better
  

So that was a lot, and there are more, but I'll leave it at that.

2000 miles

I finally made it to my new destination! The drive over was happily uneventful. Parts of it were pretty, but most of the time we couldn't see anything because the land was filled with so many trees we could not see past them. Still, it's beautiful. We have flowers in our front yard and trees in the back. Our house is great. It's covered in spider webs, but that's okay---I get my own bedroom and bathroom (and the vacuum took care of the spiders). The place is quite hilly. Riding my bike to class is uphill the whole way. Plus, it's humid, so in order to be proper, I have to change my clothes when I get here. I think I might take the bus tomorrow.

To fund my experience here, I'll be responsible for a tutorial class twice a week. Students will come to me and ask for help on their homework. I'm excited. I've always enjoyed helping people figure out their homework problems, and now I will get paid to do it! Plus, I get to keep learning and learning.

It's really weird being so far away from everything I know. The people I've met so far are really great. I've met a ton of people who use statistics all the time. It's amazing. We're going to have statistics themed dinners with a few people from church.

My computer broke the day I got here, so I'm using the school computer right now. Once I get it fixed, I have a bunch of pictures of the old and then pictures of the new I want to post.

Doing it backwards.

I'm living in the right places at the wrong times. Last week it was freezing in town! And I mean freezing. It's not supposed to be this cold in April. It even snowed! Granted, the snow melted when it hit the ground, but it still snowed. Then, last weekend, I took a trip home. Can we say HOT!?! Next time I go home, I'm bringing shorts and flip flops. It was 95 outside and the thermometer said 83 in the house. That wouldn't be as bad if I hadn't grown accustomed to my apartment which has been as cold as 50 degrees inside, or colder. Fortunately, I've gotten a heater since that time, but I've gotten used to an apartment at about 65 degrees. 83 is just too hot. So now, I'm back at school, and what do you know? It's cold again. SUPER windy, and cold. Now consider how I've been living these past 4 years of my life. Summers in the valley where it's HOT, winters in the mountains where it's cold. I really am doing it backwards.

On the plus side, I've had some excellent adventures in beautifully springy perfect weather. Here is a really cool site I visited of the Palatkwapi Native Americans:
The dagger of light goes right through the center of the spiral at the equinoxes. Pretty neat.

And here is one of the most beautiful places on Earth:I actually didn't take any pictures of the landscape. This was in the background of another picture, but this place really is beautiful if you go. Way more pretty than this picture! While we were there, I spotted something hiding in the brush. Can you see it?

It's a small world

I was recently accepted to graduate school at a university on the other side of the country. In a couple of weeks I plan on visiting to check it out and see how I like it. To make my trip more beneficial, I made a phone call to my church to see what activities they might have while I'm there. The lady I talked to got me in touch with one of the girls who could help me out. Great idea! I've been hooked up with a place to stay and possibly a ride. That'll make my trip a whole lot cheaper. The funny thing is, this girl called me back a little while after we talked and asked if I knew Carlton. "No," I said. Then she asked if I knew him from work over the summer. That's when it clicked. Of course I remember Carlton! We were both interns at the same company last summer. So she put me on the phone with Carlton for a couple minutes. He said he'll be on my welcoming committee when I get there. Who knew that I'd know someone in a small town thousands of miles from home on the other side of the country??? Needless to say, I'm super excited for my trip.

New England

This weekend I flow to Rhode Island. Crazy eh? It was quite the opportunity. When I arrived, my luggage was no where to be found, so I decided to go shopping so that I would be dressed at least somewhat appropriately for my interview on Monday. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, I had a nice car. The lady upgraded me to a Volvo when I told her I didn't want it. Now, I hope I still get reimbursed for the rental car. Anyhow, I took a trip to Boston, MA that evening. Here are some of the sites I saw:

I don't remember the name of this building.

This is how all of the streets in Boston are. Parallel parking times 100!

This has some incredible American history with it. If only I remembered what that was.

The next day, I had my job interview and took a few pictures of Rhode Island:

The Gazebo outside my back door at the hotel.

I thought this bridge was pretty cool.

So cool, I had to pay $2 to get across.

Take a Bath

It seems that I find something to keep myself busy every weekend this semester! This past weekend I worked on a mathematical modeling contest all weekend. You try and find an answer to one of these questions in the course of just one weekend. We chose the bath problem. I think taking a bath is far easier than the research required to even begin to get an idea of how to answer the problem. Still, having a real world problem to work at was fun and a good experience too. Side note: The only problem with being this busy is that I don't have time to do laundry, clean my room, or even buy groceries. I lived off cold cereal and canned soup all last week. Fortunately, a class got out early last Friday so I could buy a few more things.

Now just wait and see what I'm doing next weekend. :)

Adventures in Nebraska

I went to Nebraska last weekend! Why Nebraska in the winter you ask? I attended the Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics. Despite the blistering cold (it really wasn't that bad), I loved the opportunity for adventure to see a new place. AND I got spend 3.5 hours in Denver. Granted, it was in the airport during a lengthened layover. I still had fun. I finished my very first crocheting project. A pretty purple scarf!