Observations of Gordon after one year (almost):

- While Lane serves chocolate, coffee, strawberry, vanilla, 1%, skinny, and whole milk, they do not carry 2% milk apparently--my milk of choice. Let's not forget about that chocolate and regular "Silk milk."
- Chicken fried steak from Lane should not be consumed unless one wants severe stomach issues.
- While I've heard some people call Chase "the hotel," we do have to lean our own bathrooms, unlike in the HUD dorms. Another note: bathrooms get dirty, and I am grateful for my mother for completing this tedious task for my first 18 years of life.
- When the fire alarm goes off at 5 AM, your roommate won't let you saunter over to the bathroom, put on a sweatshirt, and change into jeans. You must pick two--or maybe even just one if the building is actually burning (Note: take caution when cooking popcorn. Popcorn should not be in the microwave for twice its suggested cooking time).
- Even if you are convinced that your internet cord is busted and you buy a new one at the bookstore, you should probably check to see that your original cord isn't plugged into the phone outlet.
- Snow on the Quad greatly decreases travel time to class.
- Picking classes is not geared favorably toward freshmen --> first semester with 4/4 classes being core (and boring).
- Sweet potato fries are the best, but they are also quite rare.
- Tour greeting is a VERY, VERY good job.
- College is like high school but amplified and much better. I also didn't live at my high school.
- It's good to have snacks in your room such as instant oatmeal, Clif bars, baby carrots, peanut butter, and any sort of chocolate. Also, hot chocolate and apple cider are delicious too.
- Tough people go on La Vida have have stickers to prove it. These stickers are prominently displayed on Nalgene water bottles, usually.
- Losing your ID card = worst kind of punishment. Not only have you lost your ability to eat freely, but you can't get into Chase, or your locked room, and you can't easily get chapel credit.
- Rain boots are a great investment. Also, an extra umbrella is useful too.
- Chapels are usually a hit-or-miss kind of deal. You gotta pick the right ones, especially the ice cream sundae ones in Chester's (best chapel yet!)
- Hymn books are scare in the front row of the balcony (Note: if you sit here, you can put you feet up!).

Freshmen orientation 

High efficiency woes

I’m not convinced that the “free” washing machines these devices are in my best interest.  For me, there’s nothing free about risking the safety of your valuables each time you trek down the hall to stuff your dirty clothes into one of these high efficiency machines.

            At home, I waddle down the stairs to the basement, overflowing basket in hand (or arms, I guess) as I swerve for the lounging cat and my brother’s Nerf gun. Flipping the washer on and dumping in a generous amount of detergent, I heave in my inside out and crinkled clothing, stuffing in as much as I can while never admitting to my mother that yes, this probably should be two loads instead of one. I then amble up the basement stairs to collect the trail of socks and running shorts that flew out as I dodged a sleeping Fluffy. Moseying back down to the unheated laundry room, I take off the socks I’m currently wearing, intent on making this exhausting process worth it as I pop them in even though the machine is well into its second cycle.

            From my experience here at Gordon, washing my clothes must be a timed process. I have quite the aversion to the idea of someone getting to my washed and dried clothing before I do, for fear that they’ll take little care dragging my sweaters out of the dryer and dumping them on top so that there is the chance that they could slide off and hit the dirty, soiled tiles. In effort to avoid such a ghastly situation, I plan it out: 31 minutes for the wash and around forty-five minutes for the dryer (fifty to fifty-five minutes if I really crammed in the clothes). The tricky part about this process is even if you shuffle down to the laundry room when there is one minute left on the washer, this last minute always takes about three times that long, so therefore I sometimes estimate it to be longer than the proposed thirty-one.

            Now, the real predicament: when you shut the door, there’s no turning back. Once you punch in either “white,” “bright,” or “color,” that door locks and you’re out of luck if you accidently dropped those spare socks or underwear on your way down the hall. They’ll have to wait two weeks in your hamper until you brave the next washing experience. This also causes quite the anxiety attack when one realizes that maybe their ID or phone is thrown in there as well, forgotten when he or she quickly pulls off that sweatshirt in an effort to squeeze in one more possibly dirty item. From my observations, I see no “stop machine” or “emergency!” button in clear view, and as I’m squinting into the circular glass, I think of how my valuables could be spinning in there for at least thirty-one minutes.

"DOOR LOCKED"

SOPHOMORE.

I am now officially a sophomore. No, I am not confused as to the amount of time I have invested here at college (only one semester unfortunately), but I have enough credits so that when you search me on the go.gordon site you will see my full name and then "Sophomore." Not so cool is the huge picture of my face that comes up as well, but sometimes you can't help those things.

My ID picture that everyone can see...

I have so much to catch up on! I've been writing in my Creative Writing journal (required...and I can't write super personal things in it because we share in class. Not that I write really personal stuff here anyways). Anyways, I think I'll try to catch up by typing up those entries...

Interior decorator?

In the first few days that I was home this vacation, I decided that I was going to redecorate my room. It all started when I found Michael's cars stuffed under my couch and his Nerf gun parts under my bed (although he was unsuccessful as he tried to hide them, as my bed skirt was clearly tucked up under the mattress). So then I realized that my room, although clean and organized for the most part, is pretty much a storage area. In addition to this, my baby blue/teal painted walls are hidden as I'd tacked up so many of my art pieces over the past 4 years. In conclusion, I redecorated some walls, hung of Christmas lights (see previous posts for my newfound obsession with Christmas lights and the song that speaks of them), vacuumed up some nasty spiders and cobwebs, and put some up some wall stickers (TJMaxx, $8). Oh, and I also brought down some exotic plants from upstairs (unfortunately, I forgot that these require water so they died after the first few days, but after pouring in a few cups of water, I have since revived them! Now they are seriously thriving).

Isaiah

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Forever can never be long enough for me

Here you go, Mom: the song you've been harassing me about, saying that I just have to listen to it. Well, I listened. And I LOVE IT. So thank you for giving me a new song to obsess over and causing me to endlessly rush over to my computer and press "replay." I've also watched the beginning of this video a million times too :)

Promise me you'll

 always be h

appy by my side. 

I promise to s

ing to you w

hen all the music dies.

Bookworm

So my brother is ten years old, and aspires to be a librarian (like my mother). I hope he always stays so darn cute, because if he doesn't I'll be severely depressed. A few hours past his usual bedtime of 8:30, I'll find him huddled in the corner of his bed, eyes glazed over, staring at a book that cannot be finished the next day, but rather HAS to be finished that night, no matter what the hour. While my parents holler from the downstairs living for him to turn the light off and go to bed I'm secretly cheering for him to drag out the ol' flashlight and resume his reading under cover. Why? Because right now (in addition to last night and the night before), I've been eating up books like there's no tomorrow. And I'm serious; I actually can't wait to finish it the next day! I've been obsessed with Emily Giffin books ever since I read Something Blue, Love the One You're With, and Something Borrowed this summer (My absolute favorite place to read is out on my front lawn, in my bathing suit, with some cool shades and a cool drink. This of course ends when a huge spider randomly scuttles over my exposed stomach. It is then that I pack up and head to the safety of the great indoors. Anyways, this winter break I've continued to plow through these books and I've successfully finished Baby Proof and I'm almost done with Heart of the Matter. Let's hope that I don't suddenly have the usual spark of enthusiasm and reckless courage to try and read 300 more pages tonight. Or shall I say, "this morning" as it is now 12:02 in the morning.

Oh, these times are hard. Yeah, they're making us crazy, don't give up on me baby

I heard this song on the radio a few days ago and I love it! My favorite part is the ending... I've been listening to it all morning. I do still love Christmas Lights by Coldplay, but unfortunately Christmas is over :( Although I do still listen to that song a lot (because I now have Christmas lights in my room!)

Megan the clown

Since I've been at college, my dear sister has stolen my job at the youth center. Thank you, Emily. Not only do I have a compulsive shopping disorder, but my unreliable source of income has been snatched from me as well. But today, she graciously allowed me to supervise a birthday party (my original job). In addition to taken over this simple 2+ hour task, she just had to add in another form of entertainment to the party agenda: face painting. Apparently this is included in the party package now as well. So while I was struggling to paint the "B" from the Boston Red Socks, little boys were snickering at my terrible attempts, I thought of you, Emily. Another challenge: skull with cross bones. Thankfully, the girls of the party just wanted simple hearts and rainbows.

Highlights of the day: got a $10 tip and the mother called me "a doll" :)

2010 in pictures

Now I know there's a lot of them, but I tried to cut out the unimportant ones (even though I love them all!). I'm not sure what happened between the months of February and May, but apparently nothing interesting happened as I can't find any pictures from that time period.

Christmas & New Year's with Andrew, January

National Honor Society ball, February

senior class trip, May

prom, May

Award's Night, graduation, graduation party! June

York Beach in Maine, end of June

Lake Winnipesaukee, July

Goo Goo Dolls concert, August 6th

hiking Mt. Major, August

apple picking, September

field hockey, October

Harry Potter 7 (part 1) with Olivia! November

Winter Ball, December