Halloween

I decided that Halloween is stupid, unless you're still at an age where you can go trick or treating. It's fun for kids, but once you get to college it's the worst "holiday" ever. It is an excuse for girls to dress like sluts and for everyone to get as drunk as they can apparantly, judging by a few roommates' (who will remain nameless) actions. What a lame holiday. Who wants to get so drunk they puke mulitple times in a few hours, or drink so much that they probably endanger their lives? What's fun about that? And costume parties in college are really an excuse for girls to dress as skanky as they can in the most creative ways. A few girls on my team dressed as cowgirls for a St. Olaf party they went to, the same one they dressed as "sexy schoolgirls" for last year. What a waste of time, money, and energy.

The Meaning of Life

Don't worry, I'm not going to spout off what I think is the meaning of life (not that I even know). This is more about the actual process of finding the meaning of life, or just thinking about the meaning of life in general. First I should clarify. By the meaning of life, I do not necessarily mean the actual meaning of life, at least not in this post. What I really mean is the questions people ask themselves about life and things in general, such as the meaning of life, or why are we here, or why do we do what we do. I really hope that makes sense, and I realize I'm not clarifying it very well and that there isn't a big difference. I guess I'm trying to say that in this case "what is the meaning of life" refers to any philosophical question.

My fill-in philosophy professor was talking to our class the other day (I know, how unusual) about how she thinks about deep philosophical questions at the weirdest times, such as when she is cleaning her windows and thinks "what is the point of all of this anyway?", not referring to the windows but to life. Most people in my class were a little weirded out that anybody thinks about deep things during their day to day activities and not just in school or because they have to. What I think is that most people begin to question their existence or the point of life, or the meaning in anything, or ask deep philosophical questions when they are bored with their life or have to do mundane things. Most people do not stop in the middle of something exciting, enjoyable, or new and ask what is the point? They just do what they are doing and enjoy it. However, when people have to do things such as homework, or cleaning windows, or they are just sitting in their dorm room on a Tuesday afternoon with nothing to do because they already wrote part of their philosophy paper that isn't due until the following Monday and played at least an hour of computer games, they begin to wonder what is the point of everything that they are doing. I find that a very interesting correlation. Boredom/Mundaneness=Deep Philosophical Questions while Excitement/Things to Do=Action and No Deep Philosophical Questions. Perhaps that itself could be the answer? Find something to do and you have the meaning of life? Hmmm. I doubt it. I think all it means is if you have something to do you just don't have time to ask serious questions. But I could always be wrong....

3 tests

I have nothing to write about. I had three tests today and they got progressively worse as the day went on. The highlight of my day is when I almost got in trouble for prank calling my supervisor while I was at work and sitting about 15 feet away. Everybody laughed, but we almost got caught by my boss. Ah well, the things youth will do when work is dumb and boring.

Mono

My post isn't really about mono, except for the fact that Eric has mono, and I'm not sick at all. Of course, everybody had plenty of jokes about that. Ah well, I'm probably just lucky and blessed with a good immune system. I probably got it from somebody, such as my roommate Rachel who had it for awhile and doesn't know if she is still contagious but might be, or someone on my cross country team since we occassionally share water, which we're technically not supposed to do just for that reason, but however I got it (if I indeed got it) I did not get sick and passed it on to Eric instead! That sucks for him, but I really hope I don't get sick in the case that he got it from somebody else altogether and I'm just next in the line to get it!
So, my post is apparently more about mono than I thought it would be. I guess, despite how busy I have been lately, I have very few post-worthy things to write about. That's how you all got stuck with the mono post. Suckers.
As I said, I've been very busy lately. This past weekend I did almost no homework at all and instead had a great time doing things with Eric and the cross country team. Saturday we had a race at LaCrosse (which nobody came to) and I finally broke 30 minutes in the 6K-in fact, I got 29:45, a feat that I am very proud of. Then on Sunday we had our team screw. That's pretty much when the team goes out on a huge group date, so everybody has to bring a date, and if you can't find one you get set up with somebody. Unfortunately, there were 3 girls without dates because the people in charge of finding dates didn't find anybody. Everybody still had a good time I think. Eric helped me find a date for my friend Sigrid (who is nice enough to help out with the jr. high lockin again this year whether or not I will be able to, isn't that nice?). He got his friend Dan, who is a very big guy at 6'6", and he for some reason or other because he is such a nice guy even paid for Sigrid, which none of us were expecting. We all went to Olive Garden and then bowling, and it was a great time. That's pretty much what I did with my weekend, instead of doing homework. Not necessarily exciting, but a good time.
I also finally copied my forms and passport photo page for my study abroad j-term program, so once I turn those in tomorrow I am pretty much set to go! November 19th is the big orientation/group meeting where I get my itinerary and all the little details for my trip. It's only about 2 1/2 months away, and I am incredibly excited already! And very very nervous, having never been on a plane before!

Not as dumb as I thought

I guess I'm not as dumb at German as I thought it was. I got my placement test results back and I placed into German 300. Don't know how I managed that one. I don't even know if I understood half of what I read. Oh well, that's where they put me. I'm not actually taking that one though, because I think I would flunk out if it pretty much, so I'm going to be taking Intermediate German 2, which is the last 200 level class. That way, I know I won't fail it, but it will still be somewhat of a challenge for me, since I haven't had German in 2 years. And it will be my first class at St. Thomas, so also my first class in a year and a half with boys. Great, I can't wait.

Oh crap, I mean, Scheisse, or whatever

I decided awhile ago that I wanted to take some German classes at St. Thomas (they don't offer German at St. Kate's), so when I talked to my theology advisor a few weeks ago he got me some information about the program and yada yada, so I had to make an appointment to take a placement test so I know what German I should be in. Everybody thinks I'll test into a 300-level course, even though I haven't spoken German in 2 years now. Even with 4 years of high school German, this is quite some time, and I am very rusty to say the least. When I went home this weekend, I searched, to no avail, for my past German notebooks and verb/vocabulary sheets. Then today, I made my my appointment time. For tomorrow. At 10 am. Almost right after my 6:30 am pool practice. I'm trying to remember as much German as I can. It's not going very well. I better at least test out of Beginning German, or I'll be mad. I can't even remember what the word for building is though. Or floor. Or ceiling. Hope I don't need to know any of those! At least I remember the basic rules, the prepositions, and a few vocabulary words and verbs. At least, I hope. Hope=hoffen? Hey, I got another one! Oh yeah, I remember the alphabet and numbers too!

posting

Why is it that everybody cares about everybody else posting a lot (i.e., matt telling theresa she should post more, maria telling kendrick he should post more) but gina and I never have anybody telling us to post more? Apparently we just suck at writing our posts. Although sometimes I have interesting stuff in here.
Tonight I volunteered for my mom's junior high youth group. Middle-schoolers are so interesting, and somewhat difficult. They are very hard to relate to, and to try to get them to appreciate and enjoy what they are doing. I know they are at a difficult time in their lives, but it is really hard to teach them, especially faith and life stuff, when they already have so many problems and whatever that they care more about. Not that they are difficult people per say, but when they are all in a group together in a loud place with friends and strangers, it can be hard to keep them on task and interested in the subject. I really give a lot of credit to people who can work with them week after week.
I wish I had more to write about, and I actually do, but it's probably not exciting and I have to go write an email to residence life about how they screwed up (and in the process screwed us over) when Jes moved out.

stupid quiz thing

8Firsts...
First Best Friend: ooh, i don't know if i can remember. this girl named abby or mandy tollefson
First Kiss: yeah that's easy, eric
First Screenname: runergirl217
First Pet: snowball the rabit
First Piercing: ears
First Crush: troy gubbins
First Music: dunno, radio oz maybe
First Car: never actually had my own

7 Lasts...
Last Cigarette: n/a
Last alchoholic beverage: well, the last time i tasted an alcoholic beverage (cuz that's the furthest i've gotten, was at gina's bachelorette party, a twisted smirnoff
Last Car Ride: sunday
Last Kiss: same time sunday :(
Last Movie Seen: well, i'm actually in the middle of prince of egypt right now
Last Phone Call: not sure, either eric or my coach
Last CD Played: wow, don't know

6 Have You Evers....Have You Ever Dated One Of Your Best Friends: yes
Have You Ever Broken the Law: yeah probably
Have You Ever Been Arrested: no
Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: no
Have You Ever Been on TV: yes i was interviewed on channel 5 news after the pope died
Have You Ever Been on the Radio: yes

5 Things....
5 Things You're Wearing: jeans, tank top, sweatshirt, undergarments, hair clip
5 Things You've Done Today: woke up way too early, aqua-jogged, lifted, ate, wrote part of my paper
5 Things You Can't Live Without: eric, God, love, friends, family
5 Places You've Been: all over the country (ex.california, arizona, texas, florida, ohio), canada, mexico (just across the border), and in less than 3 months ukraine!

4 favorite things In Order….eric, God, other people, food

3 People You Can Tell *Almost* Anything To….
1. eric
2.erica
3.gina

2 Choices...Black or White: if it's clothes, black
Hot or Cold: hot

1 Thing You Want to Do Before you die….ask eric ;)