music: “Standing Still,” Jewel
Okay, long update as promised. I graduated on Friday night, and there are three things I will always remember. They are as follows [I was sitting between John C. and Aaron A.]:
First Thing
During the invocation, we were told to bow our heads. That was one looong invocation. There was a big, rusty bolt in the cement floor just in front of me. I stared at it. Aaron must have been staring at it too, because after a few minutes he leaned over and whispered, “For the rest of my life I’m going to remember that bolt in the floor.” And now I will too.
Second Thing
I was about to walk up to the Superintendent to receive my diploma. I was standing with my principal, shaking his hand and whatnot, and waiting for John to get his diploma in front of me. As I’m watching, the HUGEST horsefly I have EVER seen landed on his white NHS stole and began crawling around on his back. It was probably visible from SPACE. I started laughing, and whispered to my principal. He looked as well and started chuckling. That calmed my nerves enough to receive my certificate with poise. It was pretty damn funny.
Third and Final Thing
(Recounted Afterwards)
Roxie’s hard contact lens fell out of her eye right before she walked on the stage. In a panic, she shoved it in her mouth. For the rest of my life I won’t ever forget that she graduated half-blind.
Well, those are the highlights of grad. Now onto college life. (Very wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am, isn’t it? I think so, anyway.)
Flight was uneventful. Verrry uneventful. I hate to fly; it’s so damn boring. Anyway, I took a taxi to campus and got settled in. Things are rather difficult around here until you get used to them, mainly finding the right people to answer your questions. You would be amazed at how many clueless people there are walking around your average college campus. Really. Go do a survey or something--your jaw will drop. But, for fairness’ sake, there are just as many (okay, more) helpful and kind people around, so I managed everything all right.
Saturday I only did the basics…food shopping, sheeting my bed, unpacking. &c. Yesterday I walked all the way to Wal-Mart and bought essential things that I lacked: a pillow, alarm clock, extra towels, you get the picture. I had to take a taxi back because it was so far away.
Last night I watched A Perfect Storm and Armageddon with some of my dormmates. I have a single room so I haven’t met too many people in the hall yet, but the ones I have met are really nice.
I woke up early this morning and went shopping for some more groceries. I got my student ID, filled out and turned in the waiver form to get me out of two English classes, and got a map of the campus (with instructions to my classes) from the New Student office. Once I’d finished all that, it was time for some fun! I decided to go downtown and check out the capitol neighborhood and everything.
It’s really pretty down there. I bought some postcards in a little Idaho giftshop (they have everything imaginable in the shape of a potato. I mentioned to the saleswoman that I had gotten a lot of teasing about that before coming up here, and she pointed out that there isn’t a potato field within 200 miles of Boise. Figures.). I then went to the Public Library where I learned that you have to be 18 to get a library card (again, figures) and then to the post office to buy stamps, stamps, and more stamps. Letters for everyone!!
I stopped at a little Bistro and got a mango smoothie on the way home. That felt good, because I have developed a rather severe head cold that I credit to my lack of dairy foods. If you abruptly stop eating dairy, you will come down with a cold for two or three weeks, or until you start eating dairy again. Although I would’ve loved the opportunity to wean myself of the horrid, artery-clogging stuff, I just don’t have the energy to fight that long of a cold at this point. So I bought some cheese pizza to be eaten around dinner time.
Anyway, I suppose that’s all the news. I cannot WAIT until I get my own computer, I hate being down here on this stiff keyboard. I’m going to protest to the Center for Prevention of Repetitive Motion Injuries….or some such folly.