It's Friday

...and guess what that means? One week until I'm on official Thanksgiving break!!! Yah! I am very excited, this week went by super fast:) I am done with classes for today and I am planning on spending the rest of day, drinking a chaider (java house twist of apple cider and chair:), writing my travel story, practicing some Chinese, attending a photography gallery, and shootin the shit possibly later tonight. Not much more exciting news. This weekend I am going to book my plane ticket to visit my sister in Lake Tahoe, California (fingers crossed-hopefully:) Zaijian for now!

It's been a long, long time....

I've been....Well I'm back. Absent for a few days with my new obsession of stalking photos on flickr. That along with facebook. But I'm in remission now! I have some goals set for the next two weeks before THANKSGIVING BREAK!!! It's quite exciting! Some include: getting a job, staying away from facebook (1 check a day), staying positive, reading (newspaper, Foreign Babes in Beijing), and running five days a week! I had to restrain myself on the facebook, but all in all, it's not bad;) Breaking news in Iowa City, however, the 21 ordinance passed....and then failed, due to technical errors. So I guess the downtown will still have their "music." It was still quite a close vote 57% to 43%. In other news, I was extremely bummed earlier because my two rolls of film from Halloween didn't develop correctly:( None of it was usable. I was really, really excited to see the results too. No robots holding hands picture:( I wanted to cry a little, or punch something really hard.

*TGIF*

Yay! It's Friday and really at the moment...I don't have anything to do this weekend:( This is a first for the semester. I don't even have much homework. Gasp! Ohh, but I just had a thought I could rent a bike from TE and bike around Iowa City on Saturday. Maybe I will do that:) Otherwise current plans include sushi tonight! Yummy! Night games Saturday night and movie and hanging out with friends Sunday. Not bad, but I really want to road trip somewhere! Today I am going for a walk/photoshoot. I am hoping to catch the pretty fall colors before it all fades. Although at the moment, it is rather chilly. boo. Random note: I can't wait to see what my pictures turn out to be, especially my Halloween robots holding hands picture. I am going to take photos tonight at the "Saved by the Bell" dance in Currier....80's costumes and out of control nerds. It should be fun! Well, I must go because I have to practice with my Chinese partner for class. Today is italian cappincuno, fall, leaves, sushi, photos, hikes...ooohhhh I'm excited:)

Inspiration:) + Happy All Saints Day

Inspired by my scrapbooking idol, Elsie Flannigan. I wish I could link this. Here I will try: http://www.abeautifulmess.typepad.com/ Just maybe that might work;) I'm not tech savvy, yet somehow I was elected for web master of the Invisible Children University of Iowa Chapter. I, in no way, expressed that I wanted this position. I didn't even attend the meeting. Nevertheless, I added a link to Elsie's blog because posed an interesting question. Who is your hero? I would have to say....my older sister Ingrid. She is my role model in life. She is driven, determinded, and works harder than anyone I know. Plus, I feel like at times, she is the only person that really understands me:) She's my bff. In the scrapbooking world, it would be Elisie though:) Who is your hero/idol?

Happy Halloween!

Creepy and scary, it's finally the day where eating loads of candy isn't percieved as an eating disorder. So far it has been a mildly depressing Halloween, I followed around little kids trick or treating and then typed out two papers and now I am sitting here in my room, looking at pictures on flickr and writing on my blog. hmmm....yes, there are better things to do on Halloween:( Later I am going to scan downtown and look for costumes for my photo assignment. It should be interesting. I am all bummed out with no exciting news. Sorry.

Hard as a rock

Surrounded by Iowa farm lands the plains disappeared from view and forged to create a forest where Iowa's best rock climbing sprawled. For a first time climber, the challenge was more than enough, as I stared up at the rock trying to imagine being strapped to the ropes hanging idle from the 60 ft. rock. As soon as we placed our backpacks filled with food, homework that would never be touched, and a plastic bag with toilet paper (for obvious reasons), the instructor invited all those to the challenge, I stepped back a few feet. I would climb, there was no doubt, but I didn't want to go into it blindly, I wanted the comfort to see those before me mistake. It was a very selfish reason, I can't deny. After a few rounds, my confidence wavering, I began my first ascend. My heart was pumping like mad, my leg shaking like thumper, and at moments, I didn't breathe. At recovery points, I would rest for a moment, remind myself to take a breath, and attempt to calm my twiting leg(s). Only the first two were successful. While on the rock, I worried and stressed not out of fear of the fall or my life, but of failure. I wanted to be one of the best. For others to admire and for the instuctors to acclaim. In my mind, however, I never thought I could place my foot in the hold or grab the hook, yet I continued out of the pursuit of satisfaction. If I didn't accomplish what everyone else could do and if possible above the average, I would feel like a failure. I passed the flake on the first time, even though at certain points I rooted myself to a hold for longer than a reasonable shakeout. The second climb was much more frustrating, failure occured when I attempted to jump up and could force myself to get pass the difficult section. After the lunch break when I came back to it, I finally climbed to the hook and graced the crevice in the least gracefull manner. My belayer commented on my ability to lodge myself in cracks in very unusual ways. Not sure if it was a compliment. Because of my weird narcotic mannerisms, I had to at least touch the final, third climb, to rest my mind. I knew then, that I had to find a way to come back. As we left the leaf frosted grounds of the Monticello forest, I didn't feel like the best, but I had one more credit and the satifaction of learning to climb. I vowed to myself to return to the rock climbing wall within the next week, to practice and practice, and maybe I would master the rock.

Blur

This weekend went by way too fasttttttttttt. I haven't even touched my homework today. Or yesterday. I believe that is a first in my college career. Mark it. I'll be paying for that later this week. As an overcap, Friday evening I went for a run/walk around Iowa City, it was a beautiful fall day and the leaves were gorgeous. I found a cute street called "Friendship" I really, really wanted to take a picture:) Then I got some groceries at New Pioneer, ate half of them, and fell asleep for a "mini" nap that lasted 5 hours. I awoke at 10 p.m. visited a friend's house, had an awkward experience and then at 7:30 walked to the climbing gym for intro to rock climbing. The class was fun, but somewhat boring until we started climbing and belaying. I failed my first three attempts at the harder climbs and then felt my forearms forgo me. Rock climbing is a funny, odd sport. Not meant for super strong, but then again, one cannot describe the "ideal" build or inherent qualities. However, if there was a guideline, I don't believe I would fit it. Then I watched the second half of the Iowa Hawkeyes football game, in one of the most exciting. Somehow we won in double over-time and managed to bring our season record to 4-5. The students rushed the field in a manner of screams of forgiviness for the Hawkeyes past wrongings. The last weekend's embarrassing loss is erased off the slate. This was followed by another nap and then what seemed like a two hour session of preparing for Halloween. Clue came alive. I crimped my hair, applied two pounds of makeup, and shaved my arm pits. Big steps in my world:) The night wasn't a highlight, but taking silly pictures was fun. The weapons also were essential in creating the "ambience" (sp). Besides taking 45 pictures for my final project (still 20 short), I spent my time on the couch people staring with the fellow Clue gang. One word: Lame. I crawled in my bed at 2:30 a.m. until my alarm buzzed only a few mere hours later at 6:50 for rock climbing. To be finished later...