CANCUN HERE I COME!
The only draw back, I've been sniveling, and sneezing, all day. My roommate was kind enough to take care of me and bring me soup. I am so looking forward to soaking up the sun!
The journey begins in 2 1/2 hours!

The departure for Cancun is a mere four days away. I am so very glad for this break from school and seeing my family, laying out in the sun, dressing up and any other exciting events that come my way down south. However, before I can embark on this trip I must complete three papers and quite a bit of reading and research for two additional projects. I don't want to. Two stacks of books are waiting on the floor and the coffee table. I thought it would be easy to write these two history papers. I'm interested in both subjects: the spy network of the American Civil War, and how World War I influenced J.R.R. Tolkien and his writing. I had great plans for this weekend. My roommate is gone so I planned to be ever so productive. Measuring by tonight it's not looking too promising. But, tomorrow is a new day, and Sunday will be an even longer one. I don't have college group, so there is no excuse for me to escape the projects!

What Memories Are Made Of

It began as a trip to Fred Meyer to purchase some ginger ale. We had some for Heather's birthday and ever since then I've been hooked! I don't like soda (except root beer), but I have found one that I absolutely love! So, at 8:30 last night my roommate and I took a trip to the store. We tried on a few pairs of boots, couple of hats, and browsed the sale jewelry selection until we remembered why we had come. An hour later we walked out of the doors with one necklace, four pairs of earings, batteries, a pack of gum, and two chapsticks between us...and oh yeah, the ginger ale.

Sentiments

The rains have come and with them an intense desire to stay in my apartment wrapped up in the enormous blanket on the couch, a book in my hands, a coffee beside me, and Heather and David sitting on the other couch. School has become a bother and work a bore.
Subtract those two variables from the equation and I'm left with an incredible contentment. Junior year has brought many new delights. The best one is a roommate who has quickly become one of my dearest friends (amazing considering that we didn't know each other before we moved in together). I'm at a point now where people recognize me at school and at church despite my quiet temperament. Friends are emerging who I believe will be the friends that will be friends until we're old and gray and college is only a distant memory. The unknown future is beginning to reveal some things that a few months ago were utterly out of sight.
Not least among these is Germany. It has been a beacon of security throughout the last year, God's gift to me of allowing me to have one thing that I could hold onto and know that I had somewhere to go and something to do if everything else failed, I had three months planned out. The possibility of staying in Germany for another month or two to work at a camp makes me even more excited to travel abroad, to stretch my wings and finally leave the continent! Remarkably, there was no fear connected with this trip (I am one to worry intensely about the most ridiculous things). Now that things are falling into place up here in Salem and I feel as though I have a home again, I'm sad, and a little worried that the connections I have made here will fizzle away. But I keep reminding myself, God has it all planned out. All I have to do is go along for the ride and do what He desires me to do. Scary, mind-boggling, but SO exciting!

Zucchini Rice Casserole

Since moving into our apartment, my roommate and I have taken turns making dinner. She is an amazing cook and I'm one who kinda flies by the seat of my pants in the kitchen (that could be the reason for the mess). I usually forget to make sure that I have all of the ingredients before I start cooking and, if I don't have it I either leave it out or substitute it with something that I think might work. I also like to experiment with new recipes instead of going with the tried and true. So, whenever I cook, I always hold my breath.
My meal stats:
1. Chicken pot pie - good for me because it wasn't spicy in the least, however, it was really soupy
2. Green chile enchilada - I'm told it was really good, but it was SO spicy that I couldn't taste it and didn't finish it
3. Zucchini rice casserole - SO good. And not spicy at all, so I was able to enjoy it to its fullest

http://eatingwell.com/recipes/zucchini_rice_casserole.html

21st

It was my roommate's 21st birthday yesterday. We established a month or two ago that we would celebrate our birthdays for a week. I eagerly started planning. Sadly, my roommate got sick and wasn't up to doing everything that I had planned. Yet, we still had so much fun.
We have agreed that there will not be any alcohol in our apartment. Besides that, Heather had no desire to have her first legal taste of alcohol for her birthday (fortunate for all of her friends since she is the oldest among us). So, I bought her ginger ale. Everyday we did something different, big or small. A couple of days was a card or small gift.
Saturday night, we filled our apartment with some of our favorite people for a little party. Muffin and I went to Gonditerei for some cheesecake (oh my goodness gracious, it was so good!). When we returned with the delectable treat, Heather had already ordered pizza. So, we had a pizza/cheesecake party. Our friend from Idaho had come down to visit, so she was here with her roommate from the last two years. Heather and I each had our own guests. Heather's boyfriend was here, and another friend. It was so fun to have that many people in our house whom we really, really like.

This Weekend

Muffin is a friend from camp and she came to spend the weekend with me! It was so much fun. She is from southern California and doesn't get to see the turning of the leaves or feel the cold weather. We packed so much into three days. Friday we went to a late breakfast at the Sassy Onion and then to Lincoln City. She ran through the water while I took pictures. She crossed the little outlet. In order to get a photo of both of us I ran through the freezing water, trying to beat the timer on my camera (I was wearing rain boots so I didn't feel the cold water). Of course, we went to Mo's afterwards.
Saturday Muffin walked to my work and hung out until I was off. We rode my horse for a couple of hours.
Sunday we went to see Brandy. Muffin has heard so much about her that we had to go and visit her.