Sunday, December 19, 2010

Freedom, real freedom

As I write this I am a free man. Free from school, free from finals, free from work. For the next two weeks at least. This week I fought my way through four finals to finish out the school year by Wednesday. Monday morning found me at the JSB by nine o'clock for Biology, during finals week they convert the large auditorium here into an extra testing center for large section classes like American heritage, Physical science and Biology. I really dislike it thought because its pretty cramped and dark in there, and you can't have food an drink, so that really kinda kills my orange soda. But the test went well and it looks like I will escape my last science course with an A-. The rest of monday was spent completely engaged in studying for History, I met up with Elizabeth part way through as she studied for living prophets. I finally made it to the regular testing center at around four, thank goodness lines were small (it seems everyone decided to take religion monday because the lines in the Wilk were atrocious). I was abhorred to find that much of the multiple choice questions contained topics not listed on the study guide, I escaped with an 82, and can only hope my writing portion will raise that. I exited the testing center and ran for work. It was the last night with the whole crew from this semester since Allison left town Wednesday morning.
Tuesday morning was studying and then at 11 I took Pl Sc 150 in class. It was all short answer and essay, so its really impossible to know how it went, but it felt ok. Upon finishing that I began preparation for Pl Sc 200 the next day. Tuesday night Elizabeth and I went to the dollar theater for a study break and saw the Guardians of Ga'hoole.
Wednesday was my last final for the year, Pl Sc 150, it was pretty crazy to have finally finished that whole class. I walked out of the building and let loose a Dave Ramsey "FREEDOM" yell. What a beautiful feeling.
Thursday Elizabeth and I went to the temple and did baptisms and confirmations in the morning which was really nice. Most of the rest of the day was spent cleaning and packing and hanging out.
Friday morning it was off for Colorado with Gordy and Brooke. I stayed the night at Brooke's parents house in Peetz and Saturday it off to Sterling for my buddy David's wedding. Sunday it was church back in the Sterling ward.
Well folks, there's the week for ya.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

FREEDOM! . . . oh, wait.

So, it was good week.The cross-fire was still raging, but somehow I made it through. Not too much exciting news to tell however.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning were swallowed by the Hist 201 secondary source analysis, which was on Medieval warfare. With small efforts here and there to start tabulating the survey results and begin that paper.
Monday before work I went to the Carl Bloch exhibit at the Museum of Art here on campus. BYU currently has on lease five of his Alter Paintings which are just fantastic as well as dozens of his smaller works and study pieces. Interestingly I was there for Pl Sc 150 on an assignment I could have done all year to analyze an art exhibit for political influence.
Tuesday I did take opportunity to attend the devotional with Elder Halstrom of the presidency of the 70.
The Hist Paper went in after our last class with Dr. Davis Wednesday afternoon and then everything turned to the survey before work. After work it was over to Hilary's for more work on the paper and briefly over to Elizabeth's and back home for more paper.
Thursday morning I was at it again and had finished everything except the appendix by the time I went to my last New Testament class. We were finishing with the Resurrection. I was sad to see this class end as it had been a very enjoyable one for me. After that it was off into the periodicals to make the appendix and proof read with Hilary. Then we printed, which ended up being no small matter, and triumphantly put out last papers in the big wooden box in the bottom of the SWKT. What a feeling of sweet freedom as I walked out of that building. That night is was off to see the Voyage of the Dawn Treader midnight showing in 3D with Liz. It was a very good movie and, I thought, a nice adaptation of the book.
Friday morning the feeling of relief was gone as if finally started settling in that finals was really coming next week. It was immediately off to a review for Hilary and I with Dr. Cooper to review statistics and most of the course for the year. Then I went to a biology review with one of the TA's.
Saturday I went to a Pl Sc 150 study group with "the Party" which is what six of us who sit by each other call ourselves(for political party incase you didn't get that). Most of the rest of the day was spent making flash cards and reviewing.
Well wish me the best of luck and all that. No matter what happens at this time next week I will be home.
For mom's pleasure here are some pix of last week at Temple Square.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

The post-Thanksgiving cross-fire

Well last week, of which their is no blog post, was really the eye of the storm. I had a wonderful time at home for the holiday, it was great to be with my family again. Then it was time to return to the hurricane
Sunday last I returned back to Utah with the Schumachers in Jessie's trusty, bright blue Explorer "Dora" who braved the Wyoming snows. We were fortunate and made it through with only hitting a couple bad patches. After I had arrived home David sent me a txt asking me to check the mail for his mission call, I did and there it was, on his way home David was able to spread the word and soon our apartment was full of excited friends and family, and Texans via skype. David received a call to the California Long Beach mission, which oddly enough is a mission he once lived in and where much of his extended family resides. Sunday night late some good news came through my email from professor Cooper of Poli Sci 200, he and his family were stranded outside of Utah county by the blizzard and he had to cancel class the next morning.
So Monday another email came through saying that because of class being canceled and several TA's not being able to get back as well, our regression assignment was moved back to Wednesday at five instead of Tuesday, huzzah!, since I had accomplished nearly nothing over the break. A lot of work was done that day in between classes and work.
Tuesday was laundry day and also the Dance departments devotional. The laundry was rather boring, the devotional was amazing. My old roommate Tyler Walker is a member of the folk dance team and they really did an amazing job. Like normal New Testament was my only class on Tuesday, it is probably the only class that I am really sad is ending this semester. Hilary and I worked like crazy on the Regression assignments that afternoon until she had to go to class. I continued to work until Elizabeth got done with class and then we came home. More regression work until Jenn got here and then she and I went up to our co-worker Cassie's semi-final flag football game, on an icy turf intermural field. After leaving the game I went over to Elizabeth's.
Wednesday was busy and stressful. When trying to print my regression assignment I got onto a computer that would not connect to the internet, so that was concerning, fortunately I always aim for at least an hour early to circumvent any problems like this, and it got in on time. What a relief.
Thursday early morning Elizabeth and I went up to the temple and performed baptisms and confirmations for the dead. What a wonderful start to the day. Attention was then turned back to the Political Science in the Real World paper which was due the next day, and to designing survey questions for the last Poli Sci 200 paper. I am actually pretty excited about doing survey research and statistical analysis on it. After New Testament where we discussed the Atonement I went to Jenn's house where I met up with Melissa and continued homework and finally finished the paper. Later that night I was trying to read the art of medieval warfare so that I can finally write my last paper for History 201 when Jenn and Alli showed up toting a squeeze coupon for Costa Vida. Then it was off to Costa Vida with them and my roommates.
Friday was a good day. School and work were basically normal, except for Poli Sci 15o which was the last day of lecture for the course and we watched an old british sitcom "Yes, Minister" to learn about Bureaucracy. I met up with Gordy in the morning and got his and Brooke's all sports passes, and then met Elizabeth at the Marriot center so we could redeem all four of the passes for two tickets each to the BYU vs. Hawaii basketball game the next day in SLC. The Marriot was swarmed with small children coming out of Christmas around the world, but we made it through and got the tickets. That night Alli picked me and Jenn up from work then we grabbed Melissa and we headed up to Wyview to get Elizabeth, Casey and David, we were on another coupon claiming mission, this time to Sammy's for shakes. Once we got here we discovered Casey and David had not returned from the ward talent show, even though Liz informed me it had been done for over an hour, apparently they had got out their social butterfly wings and were going at it. Once they finally returned we headed out. Sammy's was packed and our group made our way to the end of the line and took sometime determining our shakes, once we finally made it to the front we were informed that the shake machine had just broken. So we took to Center street to find and alternative finding nothing there we held a council on the street and after some deliberation determined to go to In and Out. Which we did. Then we came back to our apartment where we had every intention of watching a christmas movie, after some deliberation and much searching through net flix we settled on Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (which is of course not a christmas movie).
Saturday morning I had to hit a surprise assignment for Hist 201 on Aztec sacrifice (which you really don't want details and/or pictures on). In the afternoon Gordy and Brooke picked me and Liz up and off we went to SLC. We met up with the Johnson's at their home and then we went off to the energy solutions arena for the game which was a lot of fun (but the most fun was Aaron and Max). We then road the train to temple square(a rather short distance, but lots of fun for Aaron) and got to see the lights and of course take pictures as Nielsens do (none of which I have Mom, because I forgot my camera). And then back to Amy and Mikes for dinner, dessert and the nephews bed time. A very very fun night, after which Liz and I returned to my apartment and finished Cloudy With and Chance of Meatballs.
And here we are back at Sunday looking at the last week of school a head. I can't believe it's already here.
1 week, 2 of each class, 3 assignments, 4 days, 5 finals. BRING IT ON!