It's that time of the year...

There are only 2 1/2 weeks of the semester left, and I am slowly going braindead. I have nearly 70 pages to write in that time- 4 major term papers, a presentation, and 2 final tests. All are due on or before May 2nd. Every time I think about how much I have to do, I get instantly overwhelmed and resort to internet browsing to take my mind off things (right now I'm supposed to be editing a paper due Wednesday).

And then there's the wedding. In less than 3 months I'm going to be married! YAY! I'm super excited, but also getting to that point where I'm freaking out. I'm 5 states away and can't get any planning done because of school, distance, and too much other stuff to do. I have to wait 3 weeks until I go home and then just dive into the planning process. There's so much to do and so little time.

I just really want it to be the end of May right now. School will be over, I will be home and will have had 2 weeks to destress and get some of the wedding stuff out of the way (like a dress fitting and marital counselling), and I will hopefully have some of my sanity back. In the meantime, wish me luck!

I Scared a Human Today

I scared a human today. The night had gotten late, as usual. The bugs were scarce and I had had a hard time coming up with any. I knew she was going to throw a fit if I came home empty-beaked again. Not to mention the chicks are getting bigger,and louder. We can't skip meals anymore, and their cries are starting to attract attention. We can't afford negative attention, from predators or the neighbors. Times might be hard, but we still have our dignity.

I had finally tracked down a bug. A big juicy one. One of those giant ones that looks like a mosquito, but like, 40 times bigger. It wasn't enough for me and the missus, but it would feed the kids. I lunged at it, crippling it's leg and tackling it to the ground. I chased it from the tree into the grass and then onto the hard gray surface. I knew it was getting late. Humans were starting to stir, but this bug was proving tricky. If I could just kill it and be on my way...

One of them was coming towards me. I couldn't let the bug go, it was still alive, and damnit, I need dinner! But this human was getting closer. I had seen bigger ones. Humans attacking birds were rare, more likely, it was after my bug. I couldn't let it have my bug. It looked female, from what I knew of them, the female ones had the long fur on their heads. She stopped and looked at me. I knew I had to make a stand. It was my bug.

I puffed up my chest. The bug was down for the count and hopping away on its half-leg that it had remaining. I kept one eye on the bug and one eye on the human. I jumped between my prey and the human, making my fierce attack noise. Hopefully humans can't tell I'm getting over a cold. She moved forward. I kept myself between the human and the bug. IT'S MY BUG. She kept walking. I kept my feathers fluffed and my stance strong, keeping myself always with an eye on the bug and a glare towards the female. I think she got the picture, and she slowly backed away.

No one more humans will mess with me. I finished off the bug and brought it home. The kids were fed, the missus was appeased, and I got a compliment for scaring the human. I think she was actually worried about me coming home late. For once, I'm a little glad that I work in an area that's a little sketchy sometimes. I feel good about myself. I scared a human today, all in a day's work.

Pet Peeves

I've been here for awhile now, and there are some things that irk me. Some are unique to the south, Nashville, or Vandy, and others are universal. Regardless, I decided to list my pet peeves.

• These stupid little tree seed thingies. They are perfectly round, slightly sticky, and cover the sidewalk as I walk to school. Because my shoes are cheap, Old Navy flip-flops, by the time I get to school, they are EMBEDDED in the bottom of my shoe. So then I have to spend time picking the little tree seeds out of my shoe and then sticking to the floor as I walk. I don't know what kind of tree it is, but I never cease to be annoyed.
• Squirrels. More specifically, squirrels on college campuses. They are spoiled and eat people food. Squirrels should be wild, not fearless and staring at me. I got back at them one day though. I scared one when he was too brave and went into a trash can right next to me. I pounded on the trash can and he came flying out of there like it was the end of the world. Reckless and spoiled squirrel. Grrr.
• My Greek professor's obsession with accents. It's hard enough to learn the declensions and vocabulary. I do not care where the accent mark on the word goes. The 3 people in our class who took Greek in undergrad all said that their profs in the past shrugged it off as unnecessary, as does our textbook. I understand his enthusiasm, but I do not share it. Don't grade me on it.
• The fact that my roommate has a ginormous flatscreen TV, but won't pay for the HD channels. Or DVR.
• At coffee hour every Friday, the bagel slicer isn't sharp enough and it squishes my bagel. Totally flattens it. Then I have to somehow unflatten it in order to put cream cheese on it. It's a minor inconvenience, but still, annoying.
• The chairs in one of the rooms I have a discussion class in don't fit underneath the table. The arms go right up the edge, but don't quite go underneath, so we sit perched at the edge of the table without being able to put our legs underneath. It's very awkward.
• Nashville doesn't sell Diet Cherry Coke. At least not at Target or Kroger. This upsets me. I LOVE Diet Cherry Coke. It is my favorite. I have been drinking plain Diet Coke since I got here. And no, Cherry Coke Zero is not the same. I don't know what to do. It's driving me crazy.
• There is a girl in my program who looks just like my friend Laura. And the fact that Laura is my one friend from college who is also in Nashville, freaks me out even more. It's like there are two of her. This isn't exactly a pet peeve, but it's really freakin weird.
• I need new shoes and I don't know where to go to get some.
• You know that awkward moment when you're friends with someone but they're better friends with a mutual friend? And then you have to try to make conversation when the mutual friend isn't there? I have to do that once a week with this one guy when our friend goes one way after class and he and I walk the other direction, and I end up being the awkward conversation-babbler who is trying too hard to come up with things to say. It's annoying.
• Nashville doesn't seem to have right turn lanes.
• When walking across campus, people are texting and walking and weaving all over the sidewalk because they can't text and walk at the same time. This is a universal college-wide phenomenon.
• My GPS decides not to work when I need it the most.
• My belt buckle pokes a tiny hole in every single one of my t-shirts.
• And last but not least, because so many of my classes are with the same people or in the same classrooms, I can never remember who is in what class when. Even after two months, it's a constant surprise when I go to my discussion groups to see who I am discussing with.

Time flies when you're... well, really busy actually.

So I've been in Nashville for a month already. I can't believe it's September. Part of that disbelief is because for the last 4 days it has been 100 degrees here while in MN it's been 75. I think if I continue living here, September might no longer be my favorite month, I may just have to push it back to November or something. Call me a yankee, but it's too hot down here.

What have I been doing for the last month, you may ask? I have actually been surprisingly busy. I spent the first week by myself being bored, but once orientation came around, I became a social butterfly! (Okay, not quite. I don't think any circumstance could turn ME into a social butterfly, but I did make a few friends). For starters, my roommate and a few of her friends took me out to a place called the Bluebird Cafe, where local singers/songwriters play music. It's a really laid back environment- it's even in a strip mall off the highway- and we just had appetizers and beer while listening to them play for a few hours. Nothing fancy, but I got a taste of the music side of music city USA.

A few friends from orientation and I decided to make a day trip out to the Jack Daniels distillery about an hour outside of Nashville (which, ironically, is in a dry county). So we took the tour of the distillery and spent the afternoon in a tiny town that looked like it was still in the 1800s, except for all the tourists and motorcycle gangs.

As for my classes, I am taking two big lecture courses that are required for all first year divinity students- Hebrew Bible and Formation of the Christian Tradition. The Hebrew Bible prof likes to joke and thinks he's funny, which he is, but when it's monday morning and we're all still half sleeping, he doesn't understand why our laughter is only half-hearted. I'm also taking Koine Greek, which is royally kicking my ass. I'm hoping it gets easier, but not counting on it. And last but not least, Contemporary Issues in American Religion, which is small and discussion based (reminds me fondly of Macalester), and should be really interesting, especially since it's broken into modules of discussion based on politics, sexuality, and the decline of church attendance. What I have learned thus far is that I am more prepared for grad school than most people. When other people see 10 books on the syllabus they think OMG WHAT?! and I think, "Oh, this prof is like Paula." Or when we had to read Perpetua for my Christianity class, I only half read it because this was my 4th time. Clearly my undergrad did something for me.

My work study ended up being in the library, and it is a completely pointless job. I get paid $9 an hour to sit at a desk, check books back into the library, sort them, sometimes shelve them, and on saturday nights, it's so dead that I just do my homework. It's pathetic that I get paid more to do that than I have at any previous job. But hey, it pays for groceries.

I also found a karate club on campus that I joined and am practicing with. It's goju-ryu instead of shorin-ryu, which is what I did at home, but they are both Okinawan and therefore VERY similar. I love the people and we have a lot in common. I can tell already I'm going to like it.

Last but not least, Shawn and I are moving forward with wedding planning for next summer. We reserved a venue in Cold Spring, and are having our ceremony at his church in Paynesville. So in addition to all the other junk I'm doing, I'm trying to plan a wedding from 5 states away. YAY!!!

As usual, my updates seem to be running long and I'm not sure how much actual substance is present. All I know is that I'm having a grand ol' time here in Nashville (hehe, pun intended). I'll try and keep you posted on a monthly basis unless anything major happens in the meantime :)

Greetings from Nashville!

Hello All!
I have been in Nashville for 4 days now, 5 if you count last Thursday which was spent in the car all day. Doesn't seem like long to you, but it's been quite awhile already for me. For starters, I did not realize that my little mazda could hold all that stuff. I assumed that since I wasn't hauling any furniture it wouldn't be problem. "Surely a few boxes of books and clothes will easily fit into my car, especially since it's a hatchback." ... We had to throw away a lamp (we broke it while trying to cram it into the back), and drove all 14 hours to Nashville with my karate bo sticking right over my shoulder. Pillows and soft items were shoved into every nook and cranny, and I am proud to say that I managed to limit my shoes to one large tub.
Anyway, Shawn and I are in Nashville. He's here until Thursday, and after that, I'm on my own. On Friday we bought a bed and desk, and then proceeded to assemble the damn thing. I don't think I have ever seen something with so many pieces! The instruction book had 41 steps. But, like the car, we got it done. I also have a bookshelf, which was much easier to assemble than the desk, but still a project in itself.
So now that I am unpacked and my room is fully furnished, on to Nashville itself. The weather here is pretty much the worst of MN- HOT and HUMID. Oh, and rainy. It has rained every day except today. The worst part is that it doesn't stop being hot at night. It is just ALWAYS hot. I didn't really realize how bad it was until I decided to try my walk to campus. It's about a 20 minute walk, which wouldn't be too bad except that when I turn around and realize that the way back is mostly uphill. Needless to say, I will need to get in shape and get used to the heat. On the plus side, August is the worst month for heat, and it only gets better.
According to my roommate, people here are terrified of winter and the entire city shuts down for any snow, so I'm looking forward to that. I will be a seasoned expert when it comes to snow and ice. All the people laughing at me in the heat will be looking to me when it snows. HA. As for my roommate, her name is Teagan. She is really nice. She's working on her PhD in cell biology at Vandy. She's a little neurotic about keeping the condo clean, but hey, that works for me. She studies a lot, and there's not much else to say. I think we'll get along just fine.

Shawn and I have been trying to get acquainted with the city, with our limited budget. No, we have not gone to the Opry. We are students, not tourists. We did go to the life-size replica of the Parthenon though. That was cool; there was a 40 foot tall gold-plated statue of Athena inside. Shawn thought she was creepy; I thought she was pretty awesome. We attempted to eat at the Pancake Pantry for lunch one time, but that didn't happen. Apparently when the internet reviews say it gets "busy", that means a line of 30 people standing outside just waiting to get in, much less waiting for food. We might try again tomorrow when it's not a Saturday. However, we did find a good thing about Nashville that made up for our lack of pancakes- a Krispy Kreme. Farewell diet, Nashville has what MN closed down, and all donut-y goodness is just waiting to be eaten. This does not bode well for stressed-out studying.

So overall, the last 4 days have flown by. I have been super busy buying and assembling furniture, getting acquainted with the area, I got a new phone (because mine broke, AGAIN), and trying to figure out what is where and how to get there. From here on out, I will keep in touch as the year progresses. Orientation is next week and school starts the 22nd, so the real deal starts then. Until then, wish me luck!

Love and Math

Everyone knows that 1+1=2. Everyone has heard the phrase 2 hearts joined as 1. I have even heard when true love hits, 2+2=5, meaning that something extra is thrown into the package when it's really real. People have a way of putting love, the unexplainable, into terms that are concrete and unchanging, such as numbers. People are added together and eventually multiply to make families. This is what I mean when I talk about love and math.

It's easy to talk about love and math when speaking in terms of addition and multiplication. 1+1=2. Half and half equals a whole. It's all about coming together and creating something new, adding something into the equation that wasn't there before, and the situation becomes better for it. That's what love is.
But what happens when you work in reverse? What happens when you subtract or divide? What happens when love dissipates, or there are breakups or obstacles? In math it's tricky, and in life it's harder. There are remainders and decimals and fractions floating around.

When two people fall in love, it can be considered 1+1=2. But I'm moving to Nashville in two weeks. We aren't breaking up, we're going to suffer the long distance thing, work it out, we're even getting married next year. It's definitely an obstacle. I am still my 1 person, but I feel like I'm less myself without him. How many ways can you divide 2? Am I only 3/4 of me? Does that mean he's the 1 1/4? Or is that extra little piece of me just floating out there somewhere, waiting to be reunited? Maybe it's more of a case of 2+2=5, and we are just losing that extra 1 when the distance tears us apart? Except we aren't. We are just as much in love as we are every day, and it's me personally that feels like I'm losing a part of myself, not a part of love.

This is where my math metaphor falls apart. Love and math is fine and dandy as an addition, joining two people together makes for sweet poetry, but when they reach a hurdle or division, where does the split occur? True love joins people so completely that unlike numbers, they cannot be divided. It becomes impossible to distinguish the self from the other without losing a piece of the puzzle.

Took Long Enough

We set a date. I know not too long ago I was complaining and bitching and moaning about how jealous and resentful I was about people who are getting married all around me when I was first to get engaged... well, I did something about it. Shawn and I had a discussion and we decided that next year really is the best time to get married. We don't want to wait until after grad school. We don't want to wait until after law school. We definitely don't want to postpone into my PhD days. Next year is the time, and June 30th is the date (assuming we can find a venue that works for us, we may have to be a little flexible, but for now, it's June 30th).

So mark your calendars, after 6 years of dating, after almost 4 years of being engaged, the most indecisive couple in the world is finally tying the knot. June 30th, 2012 :)