Picking up sunshine and pocketing it...

Over fall break I exulted in homecooked food, embraces of family love, and new experiences. It was much of what I needed to reenergize and realize that before long, I will be home and everything will be as it should be.

Past all of the jibber-jabber, I was frittered and frettered over by Donna (Aunt Deb's sister that she and Uncle Rick introduced me to when they took me off campus for three days over the break) She cooked wonderfully delicious meals that made me drool...coming back to the cafeteria was just a lil bit dismal. Donna also sent home goodie bags with me, including: her own trail mix assortment (makes a great study snack) and...wait for it...homemade raspberry jam, my favorite - yummy!

Of all the food she made and put onto the table, I tried Leaks for the first time and they were just grand. But my biggest accomplishment concerning food was trying 5 different cheeses, all of which looked and smelled a lil iffy. But I did it, and about 3 out of the 5 I actually found tolerable with crackers. The one that looked least like cheese was called Irish Porter, I think it looks like marbeled chocolate, what's your opinion? (Oh and did I forget to mention that one of the cheese, some kind of Parmesian, had to be aged for 2 years before it was ready for eating, oh and also...I couldn't pronounce the name of most of the cheeses, sad day for Lexi)

Donna, Gary, and their son Mike have a yellow lab named Boomer....we became friends, whether I was really interested in doing so or not. :) He had surgery on his leg after tearing his ACL, and to keep him from bothering his stitches, he has to wear one of those cone things on his head...kind of a funny sight watching a 3 yr. old dog limping around and bumping into things with the plastic cone on his head. Such a sweetheart.

On Saturday, Mike (who's 22 and graduating from Eastern this year) invited me to go to a Yeasayer concert at the Blind Pig, a bar/club sort of place in downtown Ann Arbor. I had never heard of the group before, and I almost said no because I didn't know Mike, and I was feeling shy, afraid of awkard silences. But...I was kind of caught on new experiences what with the 5 cheese and I said, "Sure". So...we left the house, arrived at the Blind Pig (By the way, no awkward silences available, Mike and I got along quite nicely, bantering back and forth and talking about music) and people dressed up in costumes were streaming in. Mike got a funny look on his face when he looked at the schedule of events and realized that the concert was not until Sunday night, and his tickets were 'will call' so he hadn't checked them. He felt really really horrible, pathetic, and lame, for dragging me out late at night only to find that we showed up the wrong night. I didn't help him in feeling otherwise because I belly-laughed at him for about 14 minutes straight, I find mishap situations like that a lil funny. He insisted on making it up to me though, and picking me up from college Sunday night (if it wasn't too late and I didn't have too much homework) and we'd go to the concert, for real this time, ha ha. That night, we just went back to the house and he showed me some of the movies he's had to make for his classes (he's majoring along the lines of film, directing, and business management) It was still a blast.

Needless to say we went the next night and his girlfriend was supposed to come with us but at her apartment decided to stay and be productive with homework instead. (Aha...I met her guinea pigs, they were really cute, furry, and smelly. Their names were Ferris & Pig) Anyhow, the group grew on me through out the concert, with their assorted harmonies and nifty lil tricks with a synthesizer. I had a bloody wicked time!

I don't know if you can tell...but I had a really lovely time this past weekend. Mostly due in part being around family (especially my Uncle Rick, who has similiar qualities to my Daddy, and was a great substitute when I can't be with the real deal. :) and being cared for instead of having to take care of myself. It was what I needed.

Well...another week has started, and my oh my what a surprise (NOT), it's very busy... I must zaboomafoo out of here for now. I shall return shortly, yes please!

HUGS AND KISSES TO YOU ALL!

Toot and puddle rainy days...

Hello dear ones, it's me again.

First I'll start off with the fact that besides eating the french fries served in our cafeteria (which p.s. aren't as swell as you'rs Mom), I have not ate any potatoes since moving to Michigan...they're all out of a box...oh wait, one evening I had a baked potato...but it just wasn't the same.

Let's see where to begin...

It's extremely beautiful here at this time. It's been raining a lot lately, so all the vegetation is very healthy and as green as it should be. Besides that, autumn has arrived and the colors are very diverse, so many shades of green, yellow, orange, red, and brown.

Over the past two weeks I have been overloaded with homework and softball practice. I'm definately having to learn the art of balancing a schedule and remaining on task...strengthening and growing qualities such as: motivation, dedication, determination, and discipline. For the most part though, I am keeping up in my classes, and I have improved on all of the 3 math tests I've taken, and I've gotten 100% on both speeches that I have done. I feel proud of myself...although I'm waiting for the results of the 2nd Old Testament exam that I took...that one made me want to bite my nails a lil bit.

Softball....at college (or any sport for that matter) is at such a different level than high school sports. It takes a lot of hard work, no lie. My softball schedule on a weekly basis includes: M-W-F: practice on the field from 4:15 to 6:15.

Tuesdays are 7:30 a.m. weight lifting and conditioning programs with my roomie Jeni ran by our coach's brother-in-law Jason. (Picture 50 Cent, because that is who he resembles...he's hard core and very intimdating, but don't get me wrong he's also very friendly. :) The first time we worked with him we did manual resistance weight training, for about an hour afterwards my arms were pure jelly....and the next day they didn't move. His comforting words were: "It only gets harder from here" Jeni donned him the nick name, "J Master J") Also on Tuesday is a two hour study table with the team from 5-7:00p.m.

On Thursday I have the 7:30a.m. workout with J Master J again, and then the team has practice at 6:00. Oh, and don't let me forget, we're also supposed to work in a 15-30 minute cardio workout (such as running, riding the bike in the weight room, etc) on our own every single day....Most days I get it done, but some days I just can't cram it in.

Overall though, softball is going really well. Coach Young is spectacular at zoning in on someone's weaknesses or strengths and helping them fix or develop it, she doesn't mind spending individual time until you get it right. She definately knows what she's talking about. She played softball for University of Michigan as a pitcher/first baseman, has played on a national traveling team, and played pro softball overseas for one year. I think she has the ability to turn CUAA's softball program around. I'm super pscyhed about it!

Let's see... then besides classes, homework, and softball, I work on M-T-W, from 7:00-8:30 doing that Phone-A-Thon Job...it's not that grand, interesting sometimes though with the conversations you have with people, and it puts a lil extra cash in my pocket. Here's a picture of Jeni and I after we got our first check for the amount of $62.33 (we had only worked about a week before the first pay week ended)

Funny story...my suitemate Chloe thinks she's funny... and since neither Jeni or I have boyfriends decided to buy for us one of those toys you put in water and it grows...so she gave us a gift of a growable boyfriend since we can't seem to get one ourselves....ha ha hee harr... :)

On the weekends, I usually try to get as much R&R as I can, while at the same time being productive. On Saturdays, there's usually a home soccer game and I will attend if I have an open schedule. I actually skipped my first class to go support a few of my soccer playing friends including: Ben, Sean, Justin, & Yoni. It was a non conference game against Rochester who they ended up winning 1-0...their first win since the last 64 games of consecutive losses. I felt like a part of history supporting them on that big day of victory. :)

Other random tid bits... my dorm room happened to be one that went unused the past year, so a new heater system had to be installed. The maintenance crew that performed the job...was not professional and they ended up making my room and my furniture a dishevled mess, including scraping up my bed, breaking the mirror of my wardrobe, and spilling all my bubbles...I was extremely T'ed off, especially about the bubbles... But before they were spilt, I did enjoy blowing them with some friends.

So I do miss my pets back home, including all 11 horses and my cats Big Daddy and Pumba.... but I've tried to make do with the wildlife and somewhat tame animals that I find around campus. (One day my suitemate Chloe and I found a black/gray striped grasshopper that we named Joseph and gave to Sean...but he didn't last long, and he smelled) I've tried to make friends with the geese that gaggle around constantly and leave little droppings to dodge on

the sidewalks. One day I ran into their flock and they flew away...then another day a few were squabbling an in one's escape to getaway...it flew into one of the light poles and conked itself in the head, I laughed my socks off at that one.

There are also raccoons that run rampant around campus and get into our garbage... Some people are afraid of them, but I find them cute and cuddly and I try to make their aqquitance every time they cross my path. And there are a lot of scurrying squirrels, I took a few pictures of them but they move around so fast, all of the ones I took turned out in a blurr. I get excited everytime I see a squirrel, which is quite often.

Also these past two weeks I have recieved mail from an assortment of friends and family: including my Grandma, Vella from Spring Creek, my lovely friend Carls, the Youngs (another family I babysat for), and the Trafton girls made me chocolate chip/praline cookies (which were absolutely scrumptious by the way). Can I just say...receiving letters make my day, even if it's about the most normal daily activities, any news from home always makes me smile and chuckle from ear to ear...hint hint, if you need my address, I'll be happy to give it to you so you can send me niced little notes. :)

Well, as much as I enjoy writing to all of you in Idaho...I must flitter away. I have to go get ready to meet my Uncle Rick and Aunt Deb. They're flying into Detroit today to spend a lil bit of time at their cabin in Alpina...but they're being gracious enought to take me off campus for two days and to meet some of the family on Aunt Deb's side. It'll be a nice break. (I can do this because it's CUAA's fall break right now, we got Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. Most of the college kids went home, and the campus has been quiet here...but I've just lazed around and enjoyed my alone time and been productive with homework.)

Anywhoo...ciao for now loved ones!

I miss you all, always and forever,

Alexis (Not many people call me Alexis here, most Lexi...sometimes I feel like I lost part of my identity.)