Still Alive

In a manner of speaking... :P :)

Lotsa stuff has gone on, I've been down to TN again to see Union University more thoroughly, and come away very (unfortunately) impressed!  Means I have options.  I hate options!  I'm the kind of person who sees something that's just fine and wants to latch onto it.  I can just see myself buying a house... *walks in* "This looks fine! Where do we sign?" Poor Unsuspecting Companion: "Whoa, whoa, can we get out of the hallway first??"

And I just looked at the clock and it said 12:12pm.  I like these sorts of thing.  Unfortunately I was driving at 11:11am on Nov. 11, but I've still got 11:11pm tonight (shhhhh, don't tell anyone I stay up that late!) and it doesn't matter as I've got my thoughts all day.  :)

So anyways, can you tell I'm not easily distracted AT ALL... *not!*

Some more crafty updates, AT LONG LAST!  And a bit of a rip off as it is, sorry, since I don't have any pictures yet.  I'm anti-coats as a rule, it'll have to get down to the single digits for me to wear them regularly, but I must say it's not what you'd call "pleasant" to go out to the car at 7 in the morning and freeze my fingers off.  And I'm anti-gloves because they annoy me.  So anyways, I ended up crocheting some wristwarmer things to avoid frostbite in the mornings.

So anyways, can you tell I'm not dramatic or exaggerating AT ALL... *not!*

Pictures of those might come eventually whenever I'm un-lazy enough to go out to the car and get them...

Meanwhile, I bought something and I received it yesterday. :)  Nice to come home from work to a package!  While I was at Union, I met Rachel Carbonell, who makes hair accessory type things with her sister. See their etsy shop!  I was like, heck! I'll buy somethin'!  So I did. :)  And since my hair was already up when I got home, I just pulled out the flower I was wearing and clipped this in all ad-libbed like that. :P

So anyways, golly do I feel all domestic and female now... Hmmm.  I think a rubber band sneak attack is needed to re-establish my non-girliness. :P :)

.... *zing!* OUCH!  Me:  *evil laugh*

Well, duty calls, physics in particular, only slightly drowning out the yells of my calculus saying I ought to be studying for tomoz... off I go!

AMZi x x x x x

// he was one of us / he was just like us / but he loved this country enough to leave it / to go to blood and dirt and pain and keep believing / he was one of us / saving all of us / for God and country / i will proudly stand / giving everything / to defend this land / for Christ and kingdom / honor and freedom / i will take my place / no i'm not afraid //

Another Trip

Ayi, I know it's been forever... *insert eloquent apology type stuff*  Life is crazy now.  I'm graduating early, which means everything I was going to do next year I need to do this year.  Luckily (except I don't believe in luck) I've got my applications in to my two colleges and I've already been accepted to Covenant, which is nice. :)  Speaking OF, the pictures in this post are from a trip to Cov last weekend, but pretty much none of them are actually OF Cov itself (I got those when I went in August).  Mainly Chattanooga and some sunrise stuff from the overlook on the mountain. :)  The ship picture is of the Nina and Pinta replicas that sailed up the TN River and docked just before we were going down to the waterfront!

Lots of essays to write, so I'm glad I've got an early start thinking about them.  That's the most time-consuming part of the writing process for me, allowed a concept to roll around in my head for a couple weeks.  The writing itself I can get done in about half an hour, revision likewise, it's getting the POINT that I want to make that take some "fermenting" time.

 Aaand school is a handful, as always...  Between missing class from PSAT and trips, coming home and catching up, taking tests, and trying to get AHEAD so that I won't die come November when I take yet ANOTHER trip... Yeah, basically I just open a book and go until I can't go anymore and then open another book... :P

Not to sound like I'm complaining...well, not TOO much. :P  I still have a lot of fun. My calc class is great, and my physics class, though slow, is pretty darn awesome.  I mean, experiments with Nerf guns and an air-powered rocket launcher?  And I have amazing friends who make things better.  And I also have a ton of homework I should be doing right now, so off I go!

AMZi x x x x x

Camping Trip

Spent one night in a tent, and it was perfect weather, a great location close by, lots of fun. :)  And the next day we went to the range, which was awesome. :)  I took a few pictures, so here they are.

Unfortunately Dad walked through this guy's web later on...  ewww.  Pretty though!

Easiest-to-set-up tent ever!

 (Taken in the reflection of the car window)

Me playing with fire.  That's a stick burnt on the end so it's a glowing coal, spun in circles. :D)

Can you tell I love the fire part of camping??

Our little compound.

Early in the morning...

More fire.

We cheated with our fire...

Had a lot of fun with this guy!

AMZi x x x x x

*Cough Wheeze*

Made it!  I'm back!  Ayi, now I think life will settle down to normal.  Thank goodness the school year's starting!

Interspersed you find pictures of our latest venture, to Tennessee, to the lake house, plus some minor excursions on my part to a couple schools down there.  Bryan College and Covenant College, to be precise.  Both awesome schools, but Covenant is incredible!  And they gave me a T-shirt.  Which of course makes all the difference. :P Haha!

Aaaand just about to get my driver's license, just need to go take the test.  Nervous, yes?  But it'll be convenient so I can drive myself to school.  Maybe freaky, but still, good.  And we've created a thingummy, to remember the streets in order like you remember the planets in order.  Instead of My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas (minus the Pizzas now, poor Pluto!!) it's Queen Samantha Ate Muffins Not Rolls.  Clever, yes?

Aaaand not much crafting going on at my end, unlike all the stuff going on in the blogocosmos but I have some ideas floating round in my head!  Which is a promising sign.  Just as I plunge into the time of year when I have NO time whatsoever...

Aaaand writing isn't really happening, but it's because I'm waiting for cold weather.  It's vital to the "mood."  I'll get there, y'all.  Somehow.

Mainly still a lot of reading and studying going on!  Updated book list:

1. Understanding the Times by Doc (David Noebel)
2. Just Six Numbers by Whatsisname (Martin Rees)
3. Economics in One Lesson by The Other Chap (Henry Haslitt)
4. El Dorado by the Baroness (Orczy)
5. A Prince of the Captivity by Buchan (John Buchan.  Shaken, not stirred.)
6. Why We're Not Emergent by Two Guys Who Should Be (Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck
7. Just Do Something by The Guy Who Wrote That Other Book With That Other Guy (Kevin DeYoung again)

And still to come, as soon as I can justify starting new books...

1. Starship Troopers by Heinlein (already read but WANT to re-read!)
2. Unnatural Death by Dorothy Sayers (friend gave it to me and I STILL haven't gotten to it!)
3. Books by Kuyper and RC Sproul and Norman Geisler...piles of 'em!

AAAAND we got a dog!  And he's amazing.  Perfect little puppy!  About 5 mos. old, a cockapoo who's more poodle than cocker (pookapoo?) and we're calling him Kuyper.  Extremely smart little guy.  Very sweet.  

Aaaand I think that's it!  Had a lot of fun, but it is good to be home.  Lots on my mind, lots to pray about, but life is pretty darn good.  :)

AMZi x x x x x

Coming In For Landing...

*skids into home base*  We made it!  We survived!  For the most part, anyhow... 

After some cards...

My grandma's gorgeous baby grand...

A visit to the cemetary...

Some seriously adorable kittens...

And their very patient mother...

And a rainy day shot of a fence...

And a great sunset...

About 40 hrs of driving (this pic was taken as we set out for home)...

Going a little crazy...

Over 2,000 miles in a van with five other people... sleeping on friends' floors...sunburn and allergies...dogs and cats and LOTS of card games...

We Made It!

AMZi x x x x x

Checkin' In

Not much to report!  More driving... more goofy-ness in the car... shadow puppets, anyone?

Oh, forgot about those shots I got before we left that house.  Now we are very comfortable for two nights in a hotel with MUCH BETTER internet.  I therapied with grooveshark last night and it was sooo enjoyable!  Missed my music, I did!

AMZi x x x x x

Piece of China

Here's one ::

And here's another ::

I'm very lucky to have un abuelo fabuloso who travels the world.  Muchly.  Like eight times, they've been on these world cruise things.  The cool part is, every time they go somewhere, el abuelo brings me back some rocks!  I have quite a large collection now, rocks from various places around the world.  It makes me happy. :)

This is the rock that started it all...

I have lots more but can only share a few with y'all...

From Jordan... yes, the red sandstone one changes color in the sunlight!

...The southernmost city in the world, I believe.  The very tip of Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, Argentina, South America.

So... needless to say, this is VOLCANIC rock. :P

Generally the rocks are interesting (like that melded Devil's Island one) just geologically speaking.  Or sometimes they're just sentimental.  I've got several from railroad lines... have I mentioned my love affair with the railroads?  The old kind.  The real kind.  I caught the bug from the very same abuelo who made his fortune on the Illinois Central line and is just all about trains!  Something about them... even just coal carriers these days.  Love it. :)

AMZi x x x x x