I have finally returned to the xanga world.  Can't believe my last post was before Christmas!  Wow!  Anyway, this week is spring break and I'm loving it!  I'm working this break to earn some extra cash because I'm broke.  I forgot how good it felt to work outside and get dirty and be in the sun- being inside all day has not been good to me.  I also forgot how out of shape I am!  Man, I hurt so bad.  Soooo Bad!  I guess those toe rotations I've been doing during accounting class don't cut it for daily exercise amounts.  I've said it before, but I'll keep saying it- "If you're going to exercise, then exercise all the time.  If you're not going to exercise, then don't do it EVER.  If you only do it a little, you just hurt." 

I'm in pain.  Time to go.

Christmas break is here at last!  Thank God!  These past couple of weeks have been really busy.  Sorry to those of you who haven't gotten a weblog comment from me in while, it's not that I didn't want to write you, it's just that xanga and blogging got pushed to the back burner recently.

Finals went better than I expected.  I ended up not having to take two of them, which was nice.  The other three were manageable.  I'm only a little concerned about one of them- accounting.  Hats off to all of you who are planning on being accountants, I don't think I could do it.  I have two more semesters of it too.  : (  Adventist Heritage final was a piece of cake.  To all those at southern- HEAR YE, HEAR YE:  If you are wondering whether or not take Dr. Samaan's Adventist Heritage class, do it! It's very interesting and he's easy to listen to.  On top of that the class is a piece of cake.  Anyway,  that final wasn't very stressful. 

So I guess this is my year-end wrap-up blog.  I don't really feel like writing a ton about this past year, so I will just say that I have enjoyed this year immensely and can't wait to start 2007.  Part of the reason is that 2007 is going to be THE YEAR for skyscrapers.  There are so many new incredible buildings that will start construction this year!  It's really exciting!  But more on that later.  Hope you all enjoy your Christmas break and I will see you at GYC.  Ciao.

It's amazing how we just move through life and don't stop and assess what's happening to us until we're forced to.  Life is funny that way.  My mom just told us (Angela, Lisa, and I) that an older couple we knew from our previous residence in NE Tennessee were killed early this morning in a head-on collision.  Not that we were really close friends or anything, but they were nice people and I have good memories of them.  So sad......What a difference one day can make!  

It got me thinking though.  Facing your own mortality isn't fun.  Even after losing two friends tragically- one to a car accident, the other to a dorm fire- I still find myself becoming calloused.  The moment wears off, the initial shock leaves, and I go back to living like I did before.   Not that I intentionally try to; I just let it happen.

Whenever I hear about another person that died, it always makes me wonder what I'm doing in college, studying business, worrying about homework when there are real problems and issues in the world.  I guess it's necessary, but still................

Anyway, we're on break now for Thanksgiving, which is cause for thanksgiving- I needed a break.  I was so exhausted today, I took a nap.  Those are getting more and more frequent for me now.  It's scary.  I never could sleep in the middle of the day, and now it's so easy.  Something is wrong.  

Life is pretty much the same old story.  Wish I had something exciting and cool to write about, but I don't.  I thought about giving the latest news on highrises around the world, but I thought that most of you would cancel your subscription, so I didn't.  By the way, I still haven't received any money for your subscriptions.  I know you thought this xanga thing was free, but I'm trying to earn a little extra money.  So I'll allow you all a few more weeks to pay your subscription fees, and after that I start collecting.  : )  

Hope you have a great holiday and enjoy your time off of school or work.  I'm probably going to eat a lot (just thought I'd let you know).

This has been a good week.  For the most part, I like Southern.  I feel very lucky to be here, meeting nice people, enjoying my classes and for the the most part my teachers.  Next week is our midterm week, but I only have two tests.  The other two I took this week.  They weren't that bad.  Then next Wednesday I will be on my way home to Chicago.  I can't wait!  I have been living in the sticks of Chattanooga for too long- it's time to get down off the mountains and go back to the city.  I really love cities.  I don't know why.  I just do.  There is so much to see when I go back- so many construction projects that I haven't seen since July (except for checking the status every night online).  Anyway, I really love Chicago. 

My daily schedule is really very good.  My first class is at 8 am.  I kinda like getting up early- I feel like I get so much more done.  I have classes till noon, then I eat and practice piano, and go to work at 2:30.  Work is accompanying voice students in their lessons.  It's so cool!  I can't believe I get paid for it.  Sure, it's not that much, but I'm used to doing it for free.  I can't say that I'm entirely sold on the classical voice techniques and styles, but the piano parts are definitely challenging.  It's very good for my sight-reading and accompanying skills.  Thankfully the people are very compassionate about my mistakes and misreads.  At least I can see improvement.  That's what I like.  And I get along with the voice teacher, which helps (her favorite city is Chicago, so how can I not get along with her?).  Then I practice piano some more, maybe take a walk and clear my head, then I go see the tutors and get help with my homework, and go home.  I'm tired when I get home, but I feel good.

While I'm not that thrilled about classical voice, classical piano, on the other hand, is so much fun.  I just had my lesson today.  I love the pieces I'm working on (Bach, Chopin, Rachmaninoff).  I just need my hand to stretch.  It's way too small in my opinion.  I don't know how Chopin expects people with small hands to play his stuff.  And I have problems memorizing pieces.  If anyone has a good way to memorize a Bach fugue please let me know.  I have a recital coming up at the end of October.  I'm absolutely dreading it.  I would rather accompany 100 people than play in one of those.  Everyone's looking at you, you're in the spotlight, playing something you just learned for all these crazy good people (I've already met like 5 people with perfect pitch- they hear everything)..........and the list goes on.  Then there's juries at the end of the semester, where you play for all those awful evil music teachers while they sit there like rocks and grade you.  How unnerving!  The truth is that I like most of them as people, but when they're sitting there critiquing you, they morph into these monsters with the beady eyes and everything.  It's awful.  O well, at least I'm just a minor so it's not like I can denied my diploma for doing bad on juries. 

This is kinda long.  Hope you all are enjoying yourselves.  I myself am exhausted.  Ciao.  Buona notte!

Well, this is a much overdo update.  I think the last time I updated was right after I moved down to Tennessee, so it's been a while.  Let's see- what's happening in my life? 

I completed Smart Start successfully, and am now into my first semester of what I like to call "real college".  No offense to my beloved Moron Valley (it's actually Moraine Valley)  CC, but I think I like Southern better.  I like all my classes, which consist of Accounting, Music Theory, Aural Theory, Italian, and Adventist Heritage.  Yes, there is more homework, which I could do without, but otherwise they're all good. 

We are moved into our new apartment, which means that I have my own room now, so I'm off the couch.  Praise the Lord!  I will also be getting my piano down here soon, which will be nice.  Right now I'm tired, and have to get up early, so this is it for now.  More to come later.