Thursday Night Thoughts

I am suddenly feeling the insatiable urge to write about something, anything, no matter how random. So, here I am, writing about the last few days I have had, in a modified version of a Ten on Tuesday!

-The volleyball game that I attended at Carissa's church went well. Although I was slightly nervous about going (mostly because I was going to stick out like a sore thumb), I ended up having a nice time, and I wasn't holed up in my room, like usual, so it was fun. We played about four games, and I managed to do a decent job playing. One revelation that I had while there was that I enjoyed playing with Mennonites more than I probably would with other groups. This sounds odd, at first, but bear with me. I have no skill at most sports, largely due to my lack of coordination (which is why I always chose to participate in the sport that requires the smallest amount of it), and I have been very self-conscious of this fact since the 6th grade, when some of my classmates not-so-nicely told me that I had no athletic ability during our volleyball game against the teachers. Ever since that day, I have been quite reluctant to put myself out into foreign situations like those, for fear of what others might say about my abilities. It sounds petty, and like I should buck up and move on, as I one day hope to, but for now, I am slowly beginning to put myself back out there. BACK TO MY POINT. The group of people I played with on Tuesday night were very gracious and accepting of my lack of athletic ability. They applauded my efforts and were very encouraging. It wasn't a big deal about who won, as it was more about the fun time we were having. I enjoyed that, and I wish that more young people would act like that, instead of being rude and constantly making derisive remarks. Perhaps I will go again..(No, I am not considering becoming Mennonite, if you were wondering. I am perfectly happy with being Catholic, and plan to stay that way for the indefinite future.)

-Last night, shortly after getting our food, Carissa and I were sitting in the cafeteria, and suddenly, the lights went out. No, no one was by the lights; the power went off. Lovely. Since the infamous ice storm of 2002, I am very pessimistic about power outages, while having no sympathy for those who claim the power was out for "forever". After your power is out for 35 consecutive days or more, then we can talk, but until then, spare me. Regardless, we made the best of the situation and continued to eat in peace, as there was plenty of light coming in through the cafeteria windows. (For whatever reason, everyone else was freaking out, which accomplished absolutely nothing, in my opinion.) After finishing supper, we sprinted across the street (it was cold, windy, and rainy) and went back to our room, which, of course had no power. We also had no heating or internet access, and Carissa already had plans to leave for the evening. Some evenings, our room is depressing as it is, so I knew that if I stayed in my room much longer, I would get into a funk, which is never good. I decided to call Tevis, and, miracle of all miracles, he had power and was at home! I proceeded to drive over there, and enjoy some time with him! Thankfully, by the time I came back, the power was back on, and I could proceed with my evening as usual.

-I have come to realize that my dorm room has many quirks. One of which is the door knob on my side of the closet, which is barely hanging in there. I'm not really sure how to fix it, besides pushing it back into place after opening the door and living with it. Also, as I have previously mentioned, maintenance is virtually useless. Another quirk is the towel rack in the bathroom. It is only used for holding Carissa's and my hand towels, which is probably a good thing, because it is made of very flimsy metal. It is also VERY unstable. I realized this on about my third day here, when my elbow grazed its edge, and it clattered to the floor, separating into its three pieces. This has become a standing joke between Carissa and I, as it always falls apart at inopportune times like, say, when one of us is asleep and the person in the bathroom is trying to not make too much of a racket. Well, yesterday afternoon, I was sitting in my recliner doing some Trig homework, when I heard a sudden crashing noise. I spook easily as it is, and that noise alone nearly gave me a coronary. I had no idea what it was, and I initially thought that it was the dishes in the dish rack falling over, as I had just finished doing dishes about fifteen minutes prior. It wasn't until I went upstairs to go brush my teeth before a dentist appointment I had that I went into the bathroom and saw the towel rack on the floor that I realized that that was the noise that nearly sent me over the edge. Sheesh...

-Another quirk about my room is the heating/AC unit. It is a window unit that reminds me of ones you see in hotel rooms that are impossible to regulate. I am beginning to realize the challenges of regulating temperature in a room with an upstairs. I have always lived in a one-story house, so this is totally foreign to me, and I am now realizing that in order to keep it warm downstairs, we must constantly keep a fan on upstairs, and turn on the AC at night to keep it from feeling like it is 100 degrees upstairs. Oh well, at least the heater works, right?

-For the moment, I have read all of Nicholas Sparks's books that are in the public library, and feel like I need a hiatus from his books, as they are beginning to run together in my mind. For a change of pace I am currently reading "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. I happened to watch most of the movie at Tevis's house one time, which was when his mom told me that it was actually a book. From that moment, I have really wanted to read the book. It was a good thing that I didn't want to read it that bad, because last week was the first time that it has been in the public library since I first wanted to read it back in May. (Like I've said, that's what I get for wanting to read bestsellers from the public library.) So far, I am enjoying it, and perhaps, I will get around to writing a review of it when I am finished. I wouldn't count on it, but it is a definite possibility!

Well, I hope that everyone has a great weekend; I plan to, as Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday, and I will get an extra hour of sleep, which I always need before going to 7:45 AM Mass!