Wanderer. It's the name of the song I'm currently listening to.

I'm sittin' in the library (again, yeah yeah, i'm so pathetic) studying with my roommate. She's the best, srsly.

It's strange that finals are almost here, and that the semester is almost over, and I'll be leaving soon. As in, for good, God willing.

My car doesn't feel right. It needs to go to the doctor. It's sick.

We had the lamest dorm Christmas party last night. It wasted 2 hours of my life. It was a white elephant gift exchange, and some girl got a raw cow tongue as a gift. The RAs thought it was hilarious, so did most. I thought it was absolutely disgusting and revolting. So did she, because she immediately threw it in the trashcan.

People are weird. In general. Everyone's sense of humor is absolutely skewed. I'm really the only normal one. And you all thought I was insane this whole time. You're probably kicking yourselves now.

I have lots of stuff to do in the midst of finals weekend. That's right. Who wants to take finals on a Friday, Monday, and Tuesday? It's stupid. Don't try and tell me it's not, any sagu or college person for that matter, will tell you it is.

I'm havin a going away party on Friday. A lot of people probably won't show up, but it's okay. The ones that actually care about me will, and that's all that matters really.

Okay, stop procrastinating, Caitlin. Study for your test tomorrow, your finals friday, and read that book you've been putting off.

FYI: Guys are of the devil. Just sayin'. There are no exceptions. I hate them all.
And I'm so never going to get married.
Celibacy it is.

Let's paint the town yellow, red's been overdone.

Me, Victoria, Tony, and Kyle.

I wanted to go ice skating in downtown Waxahachie. It was a cute pseudo-pond outdoors. It was cold. I wore my coat, hat, and scarf. It was picturesque.

But by the time we got going we were too late. It had already closed. Instead, we went to Bethlehem Revisted. It's this cool little play-like thing the Presbyterians put on. It's an outdoor reconstructed Bethlehem city, and about every hour or half hour, Mary and Joseph ride through on their donkey looking for a place to stay, baby Jesus is born, the wise men come, it's real cool; bad acting though. And it's an entire city of people who act like they're in Bethlehem. I was taking a picture of a goat and some kid girl goes, "You have lightening in a box, too?"

I replied, "Yeah, it's this new invention I got down in Jerusalem. They're way more technologically advanced than good ol' Bethlehem. You should go down and see."
What was I supposed to say to that?

Tony almost got put in prison because he hadn't paid his taxes to Caesar. Three camels walk through the city (they were my favorite part). If I can figure out how to put pictures up, I'll show ya.

Then we walked downtown for a while, and we climbed a building. Okay, sure it was four stories of a fire escape and one story of a ladder, but nonetheless by the end of it I was standing on top of a roof of a building in downtown.

Illegal? Not sure.
But it sho was fun.

Afterward we parked in a vacant lot and danced to Christmas music. Well, kind of. Tony was dancing, Victoria and I two-stepped, Kyle taught us the spastic running man. I laughed a lot.

We tried to find some Christmas lights, but they were not to be seen. Instead, we trespassed onto the playground at Cornerstone Christian Preschool (shhh, don't tell) and played on the swings and seesaws. At 11pm sharp we headed to Whataburger for honey butter biscuits. We colored little kid coloring sheets and played some Enrique on the Jukebox.

It was great fun.
Most definitely.

For those of you who don't know, I'm hoping to transfer to University of Houston next semester. I want to, and I pray that God will allow me to.

But last night I was certainly content to be right where I was; with friends who took me out, made me laugh, and created a wonderful, fun night.

Tony grabbed me, picked me up, and twirled me around so hard and fast, I thought I was going to puke. The whole time he said, "Don't leave! I'm gonna miss you!"

I say, "You don't even know me! You won't miss me!"

I think I'm going on a date tomorrow. Well, kinda. Me and Victoria and Michael and Addison. It's a date as in I'm pretty sure they're paying. And that's fine with me.

Okay, okay, so I'm procrastinating studying for my Theology test. I have to now, though, if I want to get into the Honors College at UH. I need a 4.0. Okay, I don't need one, but I want one.

Sigh.
Studying it is.

Two fingers, ladies and gents.
Later days.

Not quite the end, but almost there.

So I went back into my room, and her lamp was turned off (go figure) but she was still working on her computer. I climbed on Christine's dresser, pulled my pillow and blanket off my bed and came in the front room to sleep on the couch. Just as I was falling asleep she comes back into the room and turns the light on in the vanity. Needless to say, I woke up, yet again.

This was getting ridiculous.

I finally fell asleep, you know cause I could actually breathe and there was no light on, and was woken up at 7:45 by her again in the room making noise. I ended up not getting up when I wanted, I didn't have time to get ready for my 8 o'clock, and I couldn't move. I was ticked. So I went back to sleep.

My other roommates woke me up again around 8:45. They were talking about me, I know, because I was pretending to be asleep and I could hear quiet whispers. Not too sure what all they were saying, I just knew I was the object of the conversation. Jerks.

I couldn't move still, I was still exhausted, but I got up anyway and felt sick to my stomach--courtesy of the codeine, I'm sure. I just took a shower and I have to get ready for chapel.

I'm still in a horrible mood. Rightly so, if you ask me. They've got to be kidding themselves if they don't hear at least ten sarcastic remarks about last night later today. Shoot, they should be happy if that's all that happens. I'm ready to blow.

This is a rant and rave.

I would just like to point out that it is 11:58 p.m. this night on November 13, 2007, that I became so enraged at my roommate I almost punched her.

Here's the scene:
I went to bed last night around 11 and fell asleep around 12, you know, because of the obscene loudness from the front room. I woke up at 6, as usual, before any of my roommates, to find that I had all this sinus pressure collected in the front of my face: behind my nose and eyes, to be more specific. I walked out of my 8 o'clock class this morning thinking that I was going to throw up and got into bed and took a two and a half hour nap. I slep through dorm devos and I thouroughly expect to be fined for it, but I could really care less. Why the nausea from the headache?

BECAUSE MY ROOMMATES TURNED OFF THE AIR LAST NIGHT.

Now if you didn't know, we have two rooms for our apartment style dorm. A front room, where the desks are located, and a back one, where the beds are located. Henceforth, when I go to sleep I go to the back room, turn the lamp on, and shut the door. Why I hear my roommates, I have no idea. Furthermore, I sleep against the wall one the side furtherst from the A/C on the top bunk. I have a fan that points up to me.

Now, I realize I suffer from hypochondria, and I also know that sometimes I complain about things just to be funny, but this is not either of those matters. When I can't breathe at night, when I'm hot at night, when I wake up sweating because of the stale air, I get sick. Period. End of Story. I have asthma. It's hard for me to breathe sometimes, anyway.

So when the A/C is turned off, I get no air except the heat that circulates from my pathetic little fan. Hence the sinus pressure nauseating headache.

The nap proceeded to heal it. However, I was still tired around 9:30 tonight, after I went for a run. I showered, talked to my roommate Cami and went to bed promptly at 10:30. I planned on getting up at 6, you see.

Christine and Kelani get home from their volleyball game right after I had settled myself in bed. Well, great. Kelani needed to finish her homework, and where better to do it but at her dresser that is located next to my bed. Someone's cold, so the air is turned off. She turns on the lamp that is next to on her dresser startling me and abruptly waking me up from the sleep I was just falling into.

"Can you not do that in the front room?" I hope I rudely asked her.
"Honestly, no, because--"
"Okay fine, whatever," I hope I rudely interrupted her.

I heaved over, pulled the blankets up and tried to sleep. This was 11:15.
Pulling the blankets over my head usually works to block out the light and it muffles the noise, but it does not, NOT, create air. I was suffocating. Literally. And then I proceeded to hyperventilate. I got so mad I wante to punch her, but the fact that I could most likely be expelled for that restrained me. Instead, I got up, got my headphones, and went back to "sleep."

It's 12:10 and she is STILL UP WORKING.
It is still hot.
I am still not asleep.

I took a tylenol with codeine hoping that it will make me drowsy. Hasn't worked yet. And yes, mother, I fully realize the ramifications of what I just did. I probably won't wake up because I took it too late, and when I do wake up I will probably be sick because I took it on an empty stomach. I don't even care.

She just proceeded to ask me, "Does the light on that bed bother you?"
UH, YA THINK?!

Here's my thing, I live in this room, too. I don't apologize for going to bed early, I don't apologize for not wanting to die when I sleep, and I don't apologize for any part of any of my routine. I LIVE HERE, TOO. Have some respect for me as a person and I'll do the same for you.

She's lucky I don't go in there and smash the light and throw the computer out the window.
No, it's not mean. It's justice.

It's 12:13. I decided I am going to huffily go back into the front room, make a big scene about getting my pillow and blankets, and come and sleep on the couch.

I shouldn't have to sleep on the couch. I shouldn't have to be the one that constantly breaks.
But this is how the story goes.

And this is how the story goes.

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays.

My alarm clock rings at 6:00 am. I wake up and continually hit the snooze button. I get up at 6:30 and take a shower. My day has started.

It takes me approximately 40 minutes to complete my morning routines, so I am ready for the day at 7:10. My class doesn't start until 8:00. I go to breakfast. I get a tray of food and sit at the booth, my headphones in my ears. I pull out my history textbook to catch up reading, or my notes to study for a test I have that day. I eat, I listen to my music, and I do homework. At 7:53, I put up my tray and walk to class.

It's computer applications. I sit there "listening" to the professor while Erica and I are in the back myspacing. When the class is over, everyone leaves except me. I don't have a 9:05 class, you see, so I pull out my books and headphones and do some more work. Or perhaps I go back to my room and do laundry, clean, or run errands.

At 10:10 I go to chapel. After the praise and worship is over, I pull out my books and do some more reading, unless the speaker just so happened to grab my attention. Or if it's prayer and praise chapel. After chapel I go to American History II. I listen to her powerpoints, underline notes in my book, and the class is over. Victoria and I eat lunch.

If today is Monday, I eat linger in the lunch room and go get ready for work in a few minutes. If today is Wednesday or Friday, I linger a little, go back to my room and prepare my notes for a test I have in the week, do some errands, clean, or study some more before my Bible Study class at 1:45. I sit in class, take notes, listen to the professor until 3:05. After, I return to my room, drop off my books, change into something a lot more comfortable, grab my whistle and I'm off to work.

I work until 6:00, unless my bosses have decided to leave early, then it's kind of understood that I will be staying there until the last kid leaves. We play outside, do paint projects, I help them with their homework, beat them mercilessly in go fish, and sign them out. Then I go back to school with Victoria and we head straight to the lunch room before it closes. We eat and I go back to my room to relax a little before we run at 7:00. After I run, I take a quick shower, change clothes, then go to the library to finish any homework I have left, I clean the room, or if there is nothing left for me to do, I hang out with Victoria and others in the lobbies and around campus.

At 10:15, I head back to my room and get ready for bed. If my roommates are in the room we talk a while. I usually crawl into my top bunk around 10:45, 10:30 if I'm lucky. The door is shut, the air is on, the lamp is lit so my roommates can see when they get to my room. I lay in bed listening to loud noises. Lately, they have decided to play volleyball in the front room, and they've been unusally loud. If I'm real lucky, I fall asleep around 11:15. But usually it's not until 12:30. I haven't decided why I still continue to go to bed so early if I'm still not going to fall asleep until so late. Around 3:30 am I awake with a start to find I have to go to the bathroom. They've left all the lights on, so I go around the rooms and turn them all off, then go back to sleep for another hour and a half until I awake again at 6:00am. Then my days starts all over again.

Of course, if today is a Friday, after we eat dinner we sit around trying to decide what we're going to do. Sometimes we dress up and go to Dallas and walk around. Sometimes we sit in the lobby and watch movies. Occasionally we go to the mall, but it usually makes us depressed that we're so poor. Mostly though, we sit around talking to other people about how there is nothing to do and how we're so poor to do anything anyway. At 1:00 am, I go back to my room and sometimes stay up later doing homework, or other things. I sleep in the next day until noonish.

Oh, the life of a college student.

Synonyms.

"Hey girls, I'm sittin' with you," I say to the girls at the lunch table when I put my bag down and go get my tray. When I come back; however, they are leaving.
I suppose telling them I was going to sit there was synonymous with "Hey, please ditch me so I'll look like a loser."

Last night I crawled into my semi-comfy bed and pulled my sheets up. It was time to go to sleep, I thought I had conveyed that thought quite well. Apparently, though, getting into my bed is synonymous for "Let's try to keep Caitlin from sleeping." My roommate decided she had to do her homework in the back bedroom, with the lights on, the door open, while she sang.
Needless to say, didn't sleep much that night.

I went home for the weekend. It was a better trip than I thought. However, when I am not in the room that is synonymous for using my desk to put stuff on. I walked back in my room and found a pile of trash and a collection of odds and ends that I know for a fact was not there when I left. Hmm, now where could that have come from.

Room checks are every Thursday. The post-it note to remind us on the front bulletin board must be synonymous for "Caitlin never cleans" because all my stuff miraculously gets put away somewhere come Thursday night. It's a wonder to me when I walk into my room, you know, to start cleaning my stuff, and it's all put away. And I can't find it. I think they're hiding my stuff, as well, because I am missing more than just a few personal items.

Cleaning the playroom after forty kids is synonymous for leaving trash lying everywhere, because apparently we have no idea how to clean.

These are just a few examples of what my life has been like this past week. But it's okay, I am persevering, getting through, and I am almost done with my third semester of college.
Yippee!

Other news:
I have completed seasons one and three and half of season two of The Office, courtesy of Jordan Williams. That girl is the best cousin.

I want to be Raggedy Ann for Halloween, but I need a Raggedy Andy. Though no boy seems to want to take me up on this idea.

One of my co-workers is mad at me I do believe. Hey, it's not my fault I want him to work. Sheesh. He only comes in three days anyway. If I had it my way, I would fire him and hire someone better. Maybe he'll quit.

I took an open book/note test today. Easy as pie. And my theology class is cancelled. 2 whole hours of freedom before I go to work. I have lots of things to do. I should get started.

Three weeks, five days, and counting until Thanksgiving break. I expect you all to be there. Seriously. Oh, and by the by, an old friend will be coming along with me. I am quite content about this news, I'm not gonna lie.

Okay, well, I haven't officially unpacked from the weekend I went home, so I guess I should probably do that. It is probably annoying my roommates. But hey, I don't sleep, so I guess I don't really care.

:D

See ya in three and a half weeks!

Caitlin is lifeplanning.

Summer plans so far:

1. Japan: If cousin goes, I am contemplating going with her. But she has the opportunity of graduating this summer, and that would be a lot more beneficial to her than going back to the country.



2. Houston Chronicle: I am an English/History major. I may want to work in Journalism in the future. In that case, I should start interning now, instead of waiting five years. I will be applying for the Chronicle's intern slots, although being that I have no prior experience this hopeful job may not become reality. To insure some success in the future, I will also be looking into jobs at the Baytown Sun, a slightly less reputable and widely published paper, but will still provide me with decent exposure to the Journalism world and supply me with honorable credentials.



3. If this does not play out; however, I will be looking into other, minimum wage jobs, much like the one I had this summer. Let's all pray that this misery will not be bestowed upon me.



ahem.



4. Church Intern: I will be credentialed in May, and I figure that I should then work to my Ordination. Therfore, I will need some sort of church experience. I want to intern. Preferably Youth, but I will most likely take a Children's spot. I am not picky. But what I really want to do is plant Middle School Ministries in churches across the nation. I need some church experience. Know of any openings? I know most of you are preachers, hook me up, yo. Seriously. I am a hardworker, and I will definitely make positive contributions to your church as well as your community. It says so on my resume.



5. I do not want to live in Waxahachie this summer. It wasn't that great of an experience, mostly costly. Living at home and taking distance classes will definitely put my financial worries at ease, for the most part. I mean, I still have college to pay for.



6. Massuchusettes and Alaska: Rumors that a few of our family members will be relocating to different states. I've always wanted to live in a different state. You have kids. Here's my deal: Pay my way up there, treat me as one of the family, and you will be complete with a nanny. Although, I have to add, I want to make some sort of profit, so I will be looking for a paid job along with being your free nanny. I think this is a good deal. Call my cell, or my mother, or comment this blog so we can negotiate a contract between us.



I am simply procrastinating finishing my fourteen hours worth of homework. I should definitely get back to it. But please, this is me on my knees begging you, give me some options for this summer. I realize it's a ways away, but there is no time like the present! And I don't want to procrastinate my summer plans. 1) procrastination is a sin and 2) I don't want to be left with nothing.



Family, Help!



Sincerely yours,

Planning my life.

Won't you be my neighbor?

I'm babysitting in Arlington tonight for Cousin Kim and kids. I realize I should be studying for my test right now, but I believe I will wait until tomorrow when I skip chapel. Yeah, tuition bucks being put to good use.

A wise person once said, "Christians never have bad days." This is ultimately true, no matter how new-age your theology may be. As this semester has progressed, I have realized that I have not had a single bad day yet.

Sure, some may be more discouraging than others. Some days are more frustrating. Some days I lack energy. Some I lack zest. But overall, tears are sparse and laughs are multiplying.

I know that God is good, I trust in Him. I put my faith in Him. And the joy in my Lord is my strength through everything.Hence the sudden bursts of delightfulness.

I miss my family. Have I said that often enough? But more than that, I miss my past family. I miss the five kings and queens of the night. I miss sleeping in a bed together, and bring your own blanket parties. I miss the reason behind my laughter.

Pumpernickel and I spent a wonderful night in Dallas last Saturday, (pictures to come!).
We strolled West End with Victoria. We sang to High School Musical Soundtracks 1 and 2. We wore out my camera battery. We feasted on pasta and shot glass deserts.
I teared when she left.

Though my week was great, I didn't know that I was missing something until that Saturday.
I was missing her.
I was missing family.
She's the head queen.
My role model.

Kim talked about how she thought my mother was the coolest. My mother talked about how Kathryn and Landry think I am the coolest. Did I ever have someone that was the coolest?
I did.
I do.
Her name is Jordan.

The one thing I like remembering is how I wanted to be just like her. I wanted to have her same tomboyish qualities. I thought it was cool that she could count by 6's. I envied her senior ring, that she got it before I got mine. I wished I was as wise or as smart as her.

She says I am amazing, that I am the best ever, but I quite disagree. She is more to me than I will ever be to her. Her strength, her endurance, her unending faith and unceasing trust is what I model my own after. She just so happens to be the greatest. Ever.

I miss her being no more than 20 minutes from me. She's going to live in Japan, I just know it. I'm going to miss her more then.

And as life keeps going, and things keep changing, her constancy will always be there.

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

It's times like these.

"That's Caitlin. She hates me."
This is what Girl said when she "discreetly" pointed me out from across the room.

"I'm tired of you talking about me."
This is what Girl 2 said when asked why she was moving out of the dorm.

This is what I've discovered as of late: sagu people either hate me, or they think that I hate them.

Well, it's a good thing I'm at least ten times smarter than everyone to realize the stupidity of the situation.

Really, who needs people? I've got Victoria, three friendly roommates, and that's really all I need. To heck with everyone else. Sure, it gets a bit discouraging sometimes, but all I have to do is keep my head up and swim on.

You see, the thing is I'm apparently too smart to interact correctly with people on a lower intelligence level than I (I'm quoting my mother, don't comment on my vanity). I suppose social awkwardness is the price one pays for above average intelligence.

If I were a hypocrite, I would control my expressions and tone inflection, and I would simply smile and talk mess behind their back. Instead, I have to involuntarily make groaning noises or facial expressions that uncover my real feelings.

Dang my genuineness.

On a side note, I officially hate this school I go to. (Insert a disgruntled tone and horrid facial expression wherever you will.) A semi-close friend of mine just got kicked out for alleged homosexual tendencies. I say alleged because this person is nowhere near the same-sex preference nature nor does he possess enough effeminate qualities to make one think otherwise. He is an upstanding, Christian law-abiding person.

I see where the priorities lie. In the midst of speed mountains and sagunet proxies, we've come to expel those who possess different personalities and character traits than the standard norm. And we simply overlook those we have verifiable proof who deal drugs and have broken at least three major laws and should be in prison.

This is because sagu is afraid. The school is afraid of not having it's one unified, standard looking body. And they will do anything to achieve the magazine look of the school. Even if it means lowering our standards and not practicing the Biblical laws we preach.

That's right. I said it.
And I used the words "our" and "we."
I apologize. From here on out, I do not associate myself nor my morals with this school.
It's lost any respect I had left.

Birthday number three.

I'm currently sitting in Victoria's room waiting for her to get dressed. We're going to Theresa's birthday party. This is the third birthday this week. Christine's party was last night and it was an excellent turnout if I do say so myself.

I helped Victoria jumpstart her car today. And she taught me about alternators. We're the most unlikely pair of people you can find. Perhaps this is why I like her so much.

She's almost 19, a Mexican, short, and just like a boy. I'm halfway to 20, taller, white as all get out, and too girly for most. She wears heels most every day. I wear them on occasion. She drives a 1980s corvette that she works on by herself. I drive an almost brand new kia which I don't know the carbeurator from the muffler. She speaks fluent spanish and english. I'm monolingual. She jumps fences and climbs trees and is afraid of crickets. I have no muscle to jump a fence and no ability to climb a tree, and crickets do not scare me in the least. She can make friends with anyone. I'm so socially awkward no one knows how to perceive me.

I speak and write grammatically correct. She has trouble spelling the word "orange." I have the guts to stand up for myself at the drop of a hat. She's too submissive to most. I'm a fish in water. She can barely swim. I have a way with wits that creates laughs. She has a way of laughing at herself that makes others laugh. I trip over my own shadow. She can navigate a crowded lunchroom in her heels without swinging her hips. I need things. She wants things.

It's strange that we're friends.
But without her, I am left bereft.

Professor Alexander was shocked in class on Thursday. He asked me if I had a best friend. I shook my head yes. He asked if I would give my life for her. I said if it came to it, of course. He said she must be worth it. Uh, totally.

Well, at least I got a friend, right?

Lost and found.

I was supposed to wake up at 6am this morning, but I didn't get up until 6:54. That's 54 minutes after my alarm went off.

I took a shower but I couldn't find my pants that I wanted to wear. I searched and finally found them on my roommate's dresser.

I dried my hair and I couldn't find my straightener. "Where's my straightener?" I asked my roommate who was awake. She had put it in a drawer, but not my drawer. I couldn't find my brush. It was in a different drawer.

Needless to say, I was becoming a tad irritated.

I was couldn't find my eyeshadow, and it ended up being where I last put it. I couldn't find my sagu ID card, and it ended up being underneath my purse on my dest. I was 10 minutes late to breakfast and 5 minutes late to my first class.

My roommates seem to think that I do not have the ability to pick up after myself. Instead, they do it for me. Why? I ask myself. It's not as if I am a slob.

The thing with me is, I know where everything of mine is. It may not be in the correct spot, but I at least know where it is. Until it gets moved that is. And once it gets moved, I have no idea where it could be and my Self becomes annoyed.

I apologize that I don't make my bed every single morning. I'm sorry that I leave my straightener out when it's cooling. I regret terribly that my purse is on the floor in my corner by my desk.

Stop Moving My Stuff!!

This morning hasn't exactly gone very well. Not to mention I'm in computer applications and my text book doesn't have the correct pages in it. I suppose that's what you get when you borrow from a senior who had the class 2 years ago. Technology has changed since then.

On the bright side, I was able to eat frosted flakes and the orange juice machine still had juice left. Not only that, I might be expecting a phone call tonight.

I suppose this day won't end up so badly after all.

COED

Normally I don't like to air my dirty laundry, but on this particular day I found that I had no choice in the matter. My worn clothing was going to be publicly displayed for all to see.

If you don't know, Old Kendrick is now co-ed. In Layman's terms: boys live underneath us. And if you don't know, boys are gross. Really. (After a brief interlude with my dorm pastor just now, this fact is confirmed. She quotes, "It is gross.)

Now the main element about Kendrick being co-ed is the fact that our washing room is, too, co-ed. Meaning, boys do their laundry in the same washers girls use. And again, boys are gross. I will not mention the atrocity of what has happened in our laundry, only to say that a few female's unmentionables have gone awry.

I have not made my bed, and I have a sneaky feeling that my roommates (whose beds are made up promptly every morning because they are tidy roommates) may wish for the same tidy characteristcs in me. So instead of making my bed, I decided to wash my sheets. And when I decided to wash my sheets, I chose to throw in all my laundry at the same time. ALL of my laundry, if you catch my drift.

Anyhow, things are fine as my laundry is in the wash cycle. The story only comes once it is time for me to retrieve my clothes from the washer and put them in the dryer. You know, so they can dry. Then it's time for me to put my second load in. Why not do all of it?

Oh, now I know why. Because in walks Male Number 1. Tall, athletic, and, well, boy. And Male 1 is doing his laundry right next to me.

Normally this wouldn't bother me. But then I remembered this was not just any other laundry doer, it was a boy. I realized this as I was holding a certain piece of my laundry in my hand, frozen in mid air, as I thought about this fact. The minute I realized what he was actually looking at--and no, it was not my charming smile or my quaint good looks--I hurriedly stuffed the article in the dryer and continued on unabashedly. Well, only slightly embarrassed.

It wasn't until my loads were ready to be pulled out of the dryer and washer that Male Number 2 was in the laundry room. And boy was he Chatty Kathy.

Conversation between Me and Male 2:
Him: Wow, it's hot in here.
Me: That's because it's the laundry room.
Him: No, the air wasn't set. I turned it down though.
Me: Oh, okay good.
Him: I don't think I've met you before. What's your name?
Me: Caitlin. And you have met me. You were in my room that night fixing our beds.

OMG. Not only has this boy been in my room where we have yet to buy curtains for our closets, but he is now watching me do my laundry. That's right. This creepy guy was standing propped up against the washer/dryer combos behind me and was staring the backside of me down. Continue.

Him: Oh yeah. You live with some volleyball roommate, right?
Me: Two of them actually.

And with a hasty collaboration of my things (I didn't even put load number 2 in the dryer, no way was I going to let that really gross boy see my things) I replied a quick "See ya laters!" and headed straight for my room.

I suppose I'll start stocking up on febreeze and pray to God that no one notices an odor.

In addition to the burning bush.

It seems as if this school is operating on a faith in such a higher context of my own. SAGU feels as if the divine revelation of God will strike in the perfect timings, and we have no need for man-made warnings or devices such as fire alarms.

We like to use whistles.

I became aware of this one early, early, morning as I was suddenly jolted out of my REM cycle.

"Kelani, the RA just blew the whistle. We're having a fire drill. Get out of the shower. Should I wake Caitlin up, too?" my fine roommate says loudly in the front room.

Apparently, our RA had come to the fronts of our doors and blown a whistle as loudly as she could. This was to warn us that there was a fire and we should get out.

A fire drill? I groggily sat up in bed. Well, I never heard the alarm. I never heard the whistle.=

It takes all of Kendrick over three minutes to get out of the "burning" building. So we have to do the fire drill again on another night.

So here I am, standing out under the FLC overhanging in my pjs, wild hair while boys are mingling around me. (Why are we coed again?) And I realize one thing. The alarm never went off. And I never heard the whistle.

Okay, so let's say a fire hits Kendrick. Within three minutes the entire building will be aflame. Thats 180 seconds, if you didn't know. So within 180 seconds, our RA is expected to blow the whistle loud enough for all of us apartment-style-dorm-roommers to hear it and rush immediately to our safe place.

Sounds totally safe.HA!

This happens for a second time and all of old Kendrick makes it out within four minutes. Head Security guy says, "That was great for not having fire alarms and only using whistles."

I throw my hand into the air, as I have a burning question I just needed to get out. "Why doesn't old Kendrick have fire alarms?" I asked loudly.
"That is a good question," Head Security Guy answered.
I do believe even God was silent as the rest of us stood around waiting for the answer. Imagine crickets chirping right about now.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize that's your answer. Okay then."

That's right ladies and gentlemen. Why don't we have fire alarms? That's a good question.

"Good job guys," I went on, with everyone looking on amused, "we only half burned tonight. Make sure you continue to tune into those whistles every other night while you're sleeping." Okay, so this last bit of sarcasm wasn't necessary. But, hey, I was woken up for the second time by a whistle and not a fire alarm.

I suppose that the divine revelation of God will speak to our RA's in our time of need. As in, perhaps they will wake up in the middle of the night to hear a deep voice, coming from perhaps the burning bush, telling them to take off their shoes for it is holy ground and to blow their whistles because we're all about to die.

Now, don't get me wrong. God's great and all. But I just don't see anything of that sort happening. I can't imagine the RA's just knowing that there is a fire.

Let's say this whole situation does happen. By this time, it's now into a minute and a half and both stairwells are burning. I hear the whistle. What do I do? Rush out of my door and jump off the balcony and hope that I only break one of my legs. Because let's face it, I'd rather break my leg than burn in my sleep.

No, here is what will happen. I will pray every night before I go to sleep that God will not send a fire our way and if He does, to let my mommy and daddy know how much I love them. Because, I'm a goner.

So, farewell family. I hope the burning flames don't take me in my sleep.

I'm in college now.

Hello family and friends. Welcome to the new updated version of my life. Forget the olden days of word of mouth or snail mail, we're going technological now.

I'm a double major: English and History, and I will test for my ministerial credentials in May 2008. Overachiever? You betcha.

So far so good, though. Third semester, second semester sophomore. I work at a daycare; meaning I work with kids. For the most part they're pretty cool. Then you get days like today when they act better than my boss. But hey, what can you do? Nothing but call my mother and gripe to her about it.

I'm in the library at the moment. Why? Because my sagunet doesn't work at this school. In fact, a lot of things don't make sense. Here's a run down of things I've noticed so far:

1. Boys and My Laundry
It seems as if not only boys steal laundry, examine my laundry, and touch my laundry, they are constantly around when I am switching clothes and carrying them to and fro. Stop looking at my laundry. It's creepy. I probably lose all respect for you.

2. People in Computer Labs
Most importantly, people in places of academic progress. For example, when people are in the library computer labs, they are most likely doing something productive. They are probably not being obnoxiously loud with their boy/girlfriends. And what's this about checking myspace? Is that all you use the Labs for? Aren't you also on myspace during class? Stop texting and talking in class, too. You're worse than a two year old at a preschool.

3. Speed Mountains in the Parking Lot
This one amuses me. You see, instead of repairing giant potholes in the parking lots--these potholes are so large they are rumored to have swallowed small children alive--the administration feels the need to put in speed bumps to alleiviate the burnin' wheels problem. This is fine with me, but though these things are small in width, they are great in height. My car drags bottom across them. And there are at least 28 speed mountains on this campus.

4. Food in the Cafeteria
I believe this is self explanatory. The fact that you're eating last semester's leftovers says it all.
And what really makes me laugh, is when the leftovers make their rounds through the lines. For example, baked chicken appears in the Homecookin' line, shredded chicken appears the next day in the wrap line, choice of chicken appears in the stir fry line the next day, and we have chicken alfredo pizza for a meal the following.

5. People who can't park
I realize my own parking is shotty, but I at least have the capability to park my car inside the two yellow lines. Sure, it might be slightly crooked--okay, a lot crooked--but never has my wheels touched or gone over one of those parking stripes. It's those people who think the aim is to center their car directly over one of those yellow lines who I just don't get. Don't you understand that the car goes inside the lines? Sheesh, did you never take a driving course? I can't believe the DMV even approved your license. I found myself parked 3 miles away from my dorm room one evening when there were not enough parking spaces next to my door. Well, not enough room to park, there were at least four parking spaces that would have been empty if we could all learn how to park.

6. SAGUNET
Sagunet is quite different from regular internet. Internet doesn't exist at SAGU. We have our own internet proxies and everything. We're technologically advanced! HAA! I do believe the aim of I.T. is to screw over all of our laptops so that at the end of our stay here, we are left with heavy boxes of plastic that don't know how to function without the sagu proxies. Thanks, guys. And when your windows are smashed in one day, don't go lookin' at me. It's probably the other 1783 people that live on campus with future-crap computers.

7. Your Invited
This is grammatically incorrect. Don't know why? Get some schooling. Oh wait, you're already in COLLEGE!

8. People Making Out in Front of the Stairwells
PDA is gross. Period. End of story. Go get a hotel. I don't care, really. I just don't want to come to the stairs to find boy and girl sucking faces in front of me. Seriously, it's gross. I do not want to see that Public Display of Anything.

For the most part, my semester has gone wonderfully. I'm quite homesick, but sagu's student body and administration has definitely kept me occupied.

After all, if we didn't have these ridiculous impracticalites, it wouldn't be sagu.