the ridealong and what happened after...

I haven't blogged in a while, sorry :(

Since I last posted, Jill came to visit for my birthday weekend. It was SO good to see her again! I was just like she'd never left. At least that's how I felt. She and Brittney and I went with my family to dinner. It was very very nummy. :)

I signed up to volunteer with ASPEN which is a battered women's shelter nearby.Volunteers basically go along and help be there for people in domestic violence, rape, assault, etc. cases. I figured that since I want to go into LE, it would be really helpful to know what the victims are dealing with and maybe know how to help them feel more comforted. So I start training for that on Monday. I have 2 weeks of training and then I can start shifts! My roomie is signing up to volunteer, too. If she passes her interview then we'll get to do it together.

Last night I went on a ridealong with campus PD. It was SO SO SO SO great! We had way more action than when I went on a ride back home. But the increased amount of activity was partly due to the fact that I rode 2200 to 0120. So of course, people are doing dumb things late at night in a college town. There was a situation that happened nearby where a bunch of freshmen were drugged at a party. (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/10/09/hospitalized-washington-state-overdosing-unknown-substance/) I didn't realize how big of a deal it was until the officer I was riding with said that CWU PD was getting called to go help out, so he had to cut my ride short. But the awesome thing is I was listening to radio traffic and heard a lot of what was going on, so I know way more about it than any of my friends. But with the whole "confidentiality" thing I can't release details that haven't been in the news already.

The press has been all over our school, trying to get us to talk about it. Every dorm is actually having emergency meetings about the situation, briefing us on what they know, and asking us not to talk to the media. After dinner, we ran into two reporters who asked us our opinions on the whole thing and I tried to be really vague and make it clear that I didn't want to be on TV (one dude was carrying a camera). It's just a really sad situation. Really sad.

I don't really have any other news. I mean, stuff happens all the time but I can't remember most of it. lol.

I'm a Barbie girrl in a Barbie worrrld

It's probably time to write an update. The weekend starts on Friday morning for me. :D I don't have any classes at all on Friday and just work. I can't even tell you what I did. It was kind of just a chill day. Oh no wait. I spent a good hour working out, worked, and then hung out with Alex, Brittany, Katie, and Emily. We watched a movie...and then yesterday we walked around Eburg, got frozen yogurt, and watched another movie. :) Today we drove to Costco in Yakima and I got cookie dough and fruit snacks! (next on my list is a tray to bake my cookies on) I don't think we have any plans for tonight...probably just finish my reading that's due Tuesday. Maybe get dinner at some point. Been back in Galatians which is good. Kinda over my head some nights. But I'm looking forward to listening to Mark Driscoll's sermon online tonight.

We are wild and young/and we have just begun/slow it down/these should be the best days of your life

Today I laughed so hard that my abs hurt. They literally ached. That might be partially due to the fact that on Fridays I don't have any classes so I slept in late and spent an hour in the gym, but it also partially has to do with the fact that Alex, Brittney, and Katie are just fantastic. Alex is my roommate, Brittney is our suitemate (who was also a friend of Alex's from last year), and Katie is a friend of Brittney's from last year. Yeah, life in Eburg is slow. But it's kind of nice at the same time. We'll see if I still think that after the weekend lol.

Thursday night I visited Fuel which is the Campus Crusade ministry. It seemed nice enough..I've just been spoiled with the hardcore preaching at Mars Hill. I think I'll end up going back. It's the only campus group that doesn't meet on Tuesday nights and I have a class on Tuesday nights this quarter. I gave my name to the girl who's leading the women's Bible study in my hall so there's potential for good happenings. Now I just need to find a church.

Work sucks. I've never had a good boss in any of my regular jobs and this job is no different. Ok that's not true. Half of the time I have a good boss. I just get annoyed because first of all, I'm new. So don't get mad at me for standing around because I thought everything was done since you never taught me I had other jobs. Also, if you see me slacking when there is work I know that I need to do, then I'll accept a lecture. But when I'm actually working and you come over and give me a list of things to do like I'm just playing around....that just ticks me off. Especially since there are half a dozen other people around me who AREN'T doing their jobs. Finally, don't take life so seriously. We're college students. We're running a cafe. It's not the CIA, people's lives aren't compromised if I'm actually talking with my customers. But it's a job and LOTS of people around campus are looking for jobs so I feel blessed to have it.

And it was beautifully sunny this afternoon. I just adore most of the weather here. We'll have occasional sprinkles but it's still sunny while it's sprinkling. It was cloudy one day, but other than that I don't usually need a jacket during the afternoon.

Let the classes begin!!

Classes started today! I have an 8am class every day except Friday.....So far they're all great. I'll be writing a LOT of papers this quarter. Not a lot of crazy-big ones, but quite a few 1-page reading responses.

Still working on making friends. And still working on Skyping with Caroline. I think the worst part is when I'm walking down the mallway under all the beautiful trees and with the warm sun, and think "oh I should call Hannah and see if she wants to hangout tonight." :(

Here I am...

in my dorm room. I have everything totally set up, and I love it. All I need is food. But I'll get some tomorrow. It's a really nice room. Not super big, but it's not the closet that some of my friends had. My roommate is cool. She's been a big help, showing me around everywhere and answering a million and one questions. I still feel awkward, though, without any friends. I would trade the nice room to have friends right now. And I KNOW it takes time, so no one needs to tell me that. It's just annoying to have to go eat lunch alone. I actually just decided NOT to eat because I didn't want to eat alone. That's also partially why I'm getting more food to have in my room. And tomorrow I'm also getting milk so I can make coffee!! :)

I have no idea what's going on tonight. Since we're not a Freshman dorm, we don't really have all those "welcome weekend" activities. I'll probably just watch a movie. I had my first day of work today, too, and I'm just exhausted.

Tomorrow

I'm moving tomorrow. So today is crazy packing day. I might get to babysit this evening, which would be really great!! I've had a really fantastic week, though. Like yesterday I hung out with Mary and Abby. Afterwards, I went to Panera for lunch and saw Arielle and Mrs. Rivard and talked with them for a little while, too! AND it was my mom's birthday so we had the whole family go out to Red Robin. It was just a fun day.

Thursday night I started getting nervous...just about the details. Will I like my floor? Will my room be big enough? Will I make new friends quickly enough? Will someone show me how to get internet set up & how the cafeteria works? (Cause it's really wierd) There's just so much change. I'm really hoping that the transition will go smoothly....and the good thing is that I know everyone else in my dorm is making the same move. Although most of them are probably returning students. But whatever. That just means there'll be more people to help me out! :)

9/14/10

When I talk in my room, I hear an echo. That's how empty it is. With Simba here, the days seem to fly by. That and I'm on the go a lot this week...I have somewhere to be every day except Saturday. And I have 3 books to read and 12 episodes of one of my favorite TV shows to watch before I head out. And that's about all I have to say.