Tuesdays . . .

For most, it's Mondays. For me, it's Tuesdays.

Got back to school safely, got through two days of classes, a midterm and I'm about to start the MOUND of homework.

Duane, I do not ask trivia questions to get others to do my homework. I take the trivia questions off my notes from classes, therefore I already know the answers, thank you very much.

Karen and Jocelyn were mostly right: the third estate (98%) left the Estates General called by Louis XVI and walked down the street to a Tennis Court and declared themselves the National Assembly. Louis promised to give them one vote per delegate if they would come back to the Estates General. They went back but then rumors started flying that king was lying.

Indeed, google is a wonderful thing!!! So is Prof. Claspill, he is AWESOME. He takes what most people think is a boring subject and makes it SO interesting!!!

Okay, I'm off to do homework now, but first:

Trivia question: what were the rumors that started to fly after the third estate returned to the Estates General and what did they do about it?

Love you all!!!

Cpt Skippy

Well,

So I've spent the week at home, and it has been interesting to the least. It's really kind of crazy; they tell you that moving to college will take lots of adjustment and that you should expect setbacks and all that, but that when you come home, everything will even out. Moving to college was no problem for me, really. I didn't have lots of problems, I lucked out and got great roommates, I love my life at school. But then I come home, and I have to adjust. I didn't have to adjust when I moved to college, I have to adjust when I come home for break!!!

Anyway, so this week has been good, crazy, but good. And I, of course, have gotten nothing done.

On the subject of comments, I was really excited to get four comments on my last post!!!! CMC - I don't really like white geese either . . . I've never seen a white goose, but whatever. Anna, the trivia question is coming, I promise!!!! Lesa - thanks for pointing out the typo, note I fixed it!!!! And to you, Miss Nicole: just because you don't think that geese are exciting doesn't mean that they're not. I happen to like my geese and I will appreciate you not dissing them.

I'm going back to school tomorrow; and, as usual, I wish I wasn't. Two weeks before vacation, I'm all excited about coming home. Two days before I leave to come home, I wish I was staying there. Then I get home, and I'm here for a day and I half and I want to go back to school. And then I settle in and get happy, and then I have to go back to school. And I'll get to school and want to come home again. ARG!!! Just like me isn't it? Always wanting what I can't have (Josh Groban for instance!!! LOVE his voice!!!) and finally wanting what I had after it's gone . . . (Becc - any ideas?)

Point being, I'll be back at school tomorrow - I get to drive, I'm excited!!!!! And then, it's back to the grindstone: homework, work, work, and homework.

And, yeah. So I'm done now. Love to hear from you!!!!!!

Coming next time: a child of the 90's. Thanks Lesa!!!!!!

Trivia: Who can tell me what the "Tennis Court Oath" of 1789 was and who made it and why they made it?


Love from,

Cpt. Skippy

Geese,

Tell me how sad this is: I have to come home to post this, which I've been meaning to most for a while, what's funny is that it's about school!!!!

Every day at the same time, our SIMPSON Geese (really, they live on campus and we all see them all the time) wander out across the edge of the baseball field and graze. What cracks me up is that it happens every day, and they're SO cute!!!!! So the point is, I've decided to share the Simpson Geese, with all of you!!! Especially those of you who remember that year that the two summer missionaries from Mississippi ran from the geese at Buck's Lake!!!!!















That's the view from outside my window.
















Aren't they cute????



Love from, Skippy

Olympics and trivia

I had a question about the trivia: it doesn't matter if it's your own knowledge or if you were helped by Mr. Google himself; just brag if you already knew it, and tell the truth if you googled it!!

Anna was right about the Latin words, as was Lesa - they are the Olympic motto!!!


I would appreciate the continued prayers for my family. Tomorrow Mom and Dad and I are going to San Francisco for doctor's appointments. Please pray.

Thanks!!!!

Skippy

And the title for this post shall be:

Who cares? It’s just a title. Okay, so apparently it’s been a while since I posted. I didn’t believe it, but it’s there in black and white, I haven’t posted since last Saturday, that’s 8 whole days. Sorry!!!

So 1^st – I’m HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I get to spend a WHOLE week at HOME!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that the important news is taken care of; what has happened this week? Well, first off it seemed to drag on FOREVER. Monday I had an RHA meeting and nothing else happened. Tuesday (Valentine’s Day) my roommate’s boyfriend took the three of us (my roommates and I) out to eat at Taco Bell, we had our own little candle and he spilt wax everywhere. Wednesday I got two whole free pizzas – YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thursday I watched the Mummy, again. Friday I worked for 4 and a half hours, and then went to Ashland to see Shakespeare’s “A Winter’s Tale” – it was AWESOME!!! And I don’t like Shakespeare!!!! Saturday I came home!!!!!!

See, so even though I didn’t post, you didn’t miss anything!!!!

Trivia update – Jocelyn had the right answer to the Black Hole of Calcutta question. Karen, oh sorry, Anonymous posted her own trivia question: who composed the theme song to the Olympics? Is there a 2nd rendition? So now I get to answer a trivia question!!!! The theme song for the Olympics was composed by none other than Mr. Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Saving Private Ryan, Jaws, Pearl Harbor, Home Alone, Superman, JOHN WILLIAMS. Not to mention the 100 (literally) other things he composed. There is however no 2^nd rendition.

And now it’s my turn: "Citius! Altius! Fortius!" What does it mean and where is it from?

And with that, bye all, I hope you have a WONDERFUL week!!!!!

Skippy

Just a note...

To say a couple of quick things:

1st - it's SATURDAY and the SUN is SHINING!!!!!!!!!!!

2nd - Indeed Jocelyn!!! You did answer the trivia and you answered it correctly (numbers were different but accounts always differ.)!!! And what have you won for correctly answering the trivia question? Another question: did you know that or did you google it?

3rd - what Karen?

4th - it's SATURDAY!!!!

5th - I have homework.

Love you all!!!

Skippy

Praise God!!!!

Why you ask? For several reasons: because of who He is, because of what He's done, because of what He's going to do, and because IT'S FRIDAY!!!!!

No one has answered my trivia question yet, so I'll give it until Monday, and then I'm telling you all the answer. I'll even give you a hint: Calcutta is in India. And if Karen can google the Lancasters and the Yorks, you should be able to google Calcutta.

As all of you should know, next week is Valentine's Day; so this week has been spent making Valentine's for every girl I know and a cute little holder thingy to put on my wall. The best part is that on Valentine's Day, I will be going out to dinner with Jen (my roommate) and Melissa and Brandon (our third roommate and her boyfriend)!!!!! Because Brandon decided that he was going to take us all out to Taco Bell. I'm SOOO excited!!! It's going to be SO much fun!!!

I have a complaint to make: today I went to check my mail, and once again, my cute little mailbox was empty. I have been at school since the end of August, and I could probably count on my fingers how many pieces of personal mail I have gotten. So whether it's a postcard from some cool place you've never been, a good book you think I'll have time to read, or a box of crackers, I would like some mail. No pressure.

This weekend is going to be crazy: tonight I have to go shopping with RHA (Residence Hall Association - we do stuff for the whole dorm) and then go to a 2nd Floor Valentine's Day party; tomorrow I have homework - lots of it - hopefully sleep, and the RHA is putting on Cafe Irwin (All dorm event, lots of food, a bunch of college girls, you do the math.)

Next week doesn't look too bad - I only have a test and a quiz and another quiz and another quiz and maybe another test. But no classes on Friday because it's SPRING BREAK!!!!!! And then Friday night I'm going to Ashland to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival again, and then on Saturday I'm going HOME!!!!!!!!!!!

Only 8 more days!!! Okay, I'm going now, got to get ready to go shopping. I wish you all the best of weekends, don't have too much fun without me!!!!

Oh, and please keep praying.

Love from Cpt. Skippy

Hold your head up to the sky, why?

For some reason - mostly because I'm listening to a Josh Groban song with those lyrics . . .

First off: I would just like everyone to know, that my shortest sister has answered the trivia question correctly: Lancaster was Red, York was white; however the internet would not allow her to comment. So I have been instructed to say that she not only answered it correctly, she answered it first (this is straight from her email) "so that every one that enjoys your blog will know for sure that intelligence DOES run in the family" . GO Karen!!!!!

Other than that - lots of homework, lots of regular work, some serious freakout sessions, a not so good night in the cafe, and an early bedtime tonight.

Love you all - please keep praying.

Captain Skippy

Trivia: What is the origin of the phrase "Black Hole of Calcutta"?

Ummm. Peanut Butter!!!!

Since Saturday I:

• Got to see a really funny really old movie.
• Got most of my homework from last week done.
• Went to an RHA meeting.
• Worked the basketball games on Tuesday (GREAT GAME SIMPSON BOYS!!!)
• Got LOTS more homework.
  
• Worked 3 hours in the library.
• Gone to a class meeting - FREE PIZZA!!!!!

So that's about it. Nothing exciting going on . . . although I did look at the calendar today and it is exactly, EXACTLY three months until my birthday!!!! There's only 87 days left until school's out - no I did not count, some else did and told me that. And, here's the best part - 15 days until SPRING BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm only a little bit excited about that . . . can't you tell?

Nothing else that I can think of is going on . . . my beds a mess and I really need to vacuum, but I've taken too much time from homework to post this, so I guess that'll have to wait!!!

G2G, nose to the grindstone and all that.

Cpt. Skippy


Trivia question anyone? English monarchy - why did the House of Hanover become the House of Windsor?

Homework, work work.

That's what my weekend looks like. Who needs sleep?

This week things have gone good, I guess. Nothing terrible happened . . . I got lots of homework, but what's new about that? Next week looks pretty bad though. I have at least one if not two quizzes on Monday; a quiz and a test on Tuesday; a quiz on Wednesday; and a quiz and a test on Friday. Not to mention that I'm working my usual 6 hours in the library and (between now and Saturday night of next week) will be working more than twenty hours for athletics. Fun fun!!

Dad's . . . better. Still in need of prayer, and lots of it, but better.

We had Chapel by majors on Friday, and that was really cool. I kinda wanted to go to the music chapel, but then Pinkston had us sing some of the songs in class right before it, and they weren't really my style, and I decided that a good 'sermon' about being a youth pastor would be MUCH better.

I can't really think of anything else that's going on . . . so I guess I'll sign off.


Love you all,
Captain Skippy :)

My Class Got Cancelled!!!!!

My Class Got Cancelled!!!!! That’s not why I’m posting now, I don’t have a class now anyway. But it was really nice!!!

Essuenes = isolationists. The people who wanted to go out into the desert so they could live as God wants them to instead of as the Romans want them to; oh and while we’re there we’ll copy the Torah. - According to my Faith and Culture professor. If that’s not right don’t shoot me shoot him, I just listen in class. CMC Inc – I think we are talking about the same thing. Thanks!!

Okay Duane – explain this to me: I listen in class, try to share some knowledge (and have a fun and interesting post title) and I get demoted. I don’t understand. Is it just because you don’t know what it means? Have a punked you AGAIN? (Just imagine me running away from you now and hiding behind Corinne out of fear for my life. J)

Family news: Mom and Dad got home yesterday around 3:30, and even though Dad came in and went to sleep for a couple of hours (the trip exhausted him) the WHOLE atmosphere in the house changed. I felt like I was home again. He’s much better, not so much confused as just tired and worn out (and out of the habit of having the girls and Karen and Jocelyn and I in the house).

They took out the upper lobe of his left lung, there were ten lymphnodes in it and two of them were cancerous. So the next step is chemo and radiation, but first he goes back to San Francisco in two weeks to have a check up deal thingy with the surgeon and his regular heart doctor – Dr. Ernie.

Other than that not much is going on, classes and homework and the occasional nap. I really appreciate the prayers – but I am still asking for more.

Going to go do homework now . . . actually I’m going to reply to a two page email that my niece sent me, and then do homework.

Later!!!

Natasha

Quick Post:

Okay, the word thing later. Right now - Friday night I get a call - we're (Jocelyn and I) going to Biggs on Saturday night and then all of us (Jocelyn, Karen, the girls and I) are going to San Francisco on Sunday. Saturday, we're not going to San Francisco, but Jocelyn and I are still going home because - wait for it:

Dad's coming home on Sunday!!!

So Jocelyn and I came home last night, and I'm getting ready to go to church this morning, and Mom and Dad should be home around 1 or 2 this afternoon!!!!! His lung x-rays have been looking good, he's still a little bit confused, but he's definitely doing better.

I appreciate the continued prayers, and I'll post more tomorrow after classes.

Love to all:
Natasha

Essuenes

No, that title is not a curse word in another language; SERIOUS brownie points to anyone who can tell me what that word means!!!

On to news: classes are good, I have lots more reading this semester than I did last semester, but that's okay!!! Other than that: I work, I eat (every now and then), I sleep (even less) . . . that's totally not true. The eating thing is, but I've actually been sleeping a lot lately . . . . Although it hasn't been very restful sleep . . . hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Mom and Dad are looking to be home around the end of the week - PLEASE keep praying.

Going now, lots to do and I'm not in a very cheerful mood.

Captain Skippy

(THANK YOU DUANE!!!)

Title

My mom called me about an hour and a half ago, they moved Dad out of the ICU!!!! Mom didn't think that would happen until tomorrow, so he's doing REALLY well!!!

Thanks for all your prayers!!!

Natasha

I'm running out of ideas

Hey all. I've been doing really good lately!!!! Posting often and all, but it's leading to a shortage of ideas on titles. I have dropped Philosophy in favor of Music in History and Context. Philosophy was a junior level course that I don't have enough life or educational experiences to fully enjoy. Music in History and Context is a music class that is a foundational studies requirement, so it's full of non-music students, and that means we go very slow. Faith and Culture - still a blast!!!! I think I might have talked to much in the last class (no comment please) but may it was just because it was only the second class.

Music Theory - good times good times!!!! Glad to be back with all my music folk, 8:30 three days a week!!! World Civ is . . . World Civ - bigger room though. Music Theory Lab is different this semester because we have a new professor. She seems really cool, but I've only had one class with her and I won't have another until next Wednesday.

I'm all settled in my room (have been for a while now, the point is that) the room seems REALLY empty. Sheng moved out at the end of last semester to move into Morgan (the next dorm over). So my side of the room is just me . . . and the closet is full of luggage and random storage stuff. I like the clean feeling, but it's just so empty it's depressing!!!! I used to be able to avoid homework by staring at her spongebob sheets . . . now it's just a maroon mattress.

I'm glad to have fresh Belgian waffles every morning again, but I miss home-cooked dinners. And there are definitely perks to living in an environment with no children, or pre-teens either.

Today has been the longest day I can remember in the history of forever. Dad was supposed to go into surgery this morning at 7:30. I called my mom around 12:30 and she told me that they hadn't taken him in yet, but were planning to take him in at 6 pm. And then around 8:30 Jocelyn calls and tells me that they just got him 45 minutes ago, and it's a three hour surgery. So I did some homework, watched CSI and Without A Trace, and now I'm sitting here, on my bed, updating my blog, wanted desperately for my mom to call me.

I have faith that everything will be okay, it's not that. It's waiting. And there it is I've done it now. Okay, let me explain: I didn't want to go to church on Sunday because I knew nothing would get done at the house and because I would be all by myself. But I went (out of guilt, I'll admit it, but I was also hoping for something too.) and got pretty beaten up. The songs hit the spot, and being alone (and in the back) allowed me to break down. And the message was "Waiting Made Easier". Pastor talked about things that make waiting easier; knowing that God has a bigger and better plan than I can see and so on. It totally it me right were I was (it's amazing how God does that) and helped me to find a peace that I was able to carry back to school with me. A peace I had with me, until yesterday. I'm not sure what happened or why it broke, but ever since yesterday I have been getting more and more apprehensive. And today has been the culmination of it in the waiting for Dad.

Isn't it a amazing (what a prayer can do? LOVE that song!!) how God can use a BLOG to get me to see the problem and bring around to hearing what I needed to hear? Even though I was the one who was saying (typing) it!!!

And would you look at that!!! My mom just texted me, Dad's okay and in ICU for now (precautionary). I've never felt so relieved, ever. All that worrying today and now it's all over. And he's okay. I know that now we have to wait for him to recover, and then we have to wait to find out if the cancer is really gone, but for now, he's okay.

Now that I know about Dad I'm not trying to pass the time anymore, and it's time for me to go to bed. Thanks for the prayers!!! Please continue to pray, we have a long way to go!!!

Love ya,

Natasha

Updates.

I'm back at school, got here Sunday around 4. Unpacking was a colossal job and took FOREVER. Monday I worked and slept and today we started classes.

I FINALLY have a Bible Class (Biblical Backgrounds) and I can't wait to get deeper into this class. Philosophy is...questionable right now. And Faith and Culture looks like it's going to be a blast!!! And the three classes that I have tomorrow are continuations of last semester, so I'm good to go there!!!

Now, about Dad. The confusion was caused by medicines he was taking: between what they gave him for the shingles and how much he had messed up his regular meds, he was TOTALLY out in left field. Now the doctors (in San Fran) have gotten that worked out so he's doing much better. He's sleeping better and more often and eating better as well (he went through a couple of days when he just wouldn't eat and we had to force him to drink water). At this point they are planning to do surgery (to remove the lung cancer) on Thursday, that means that he'll be there until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week and then he should be able to come home.

I'm going to ask for your prayers again, for me and Mom and my sisters as well as Dad. I really appreciate it, and I would still love to hear from you!!!!

Thanks!
Natasha

Dad

Mom and Dad left today for San Francisco around 11:30. Now all we can do is wait and pray.

Prayer Request -

SERIOUS prayer request - my dad is not doing too well. He has 'non-small cell carcinoma'. Lung cancer. And he's confused, very confused. And cold, all the time. And a jerk to live with (not that I begrudge him that, but it's still hard). So please PLEASE pray for my dad to get better. And please PLEASE PLEASE pray for my family, we need it a whole lot right now.

Thanks,

Natasha

Okay, so.

I feel like a an idiot.

Of the 13 minors that were down there, only one survived. There was a mis-communication somewhere and the word got out that there were 12 alive, but there's really not. Sorry for that misinformation.

I did the whole Redding trip yesterday, kinda fun, very tiring. Today I'm doing laundry, cleaning, and starting to pack, even more fun.

Dad's not doing so good, please keep him (and me) in your prayers.

When does/did everyone go back to school?

Natasha

Okay, so.....

It's been exactly a week since I have posted......what's new? Well, the week after Christmas I slept and cleaned and moved stuff and read. Saturday Night I had a WILD New Year's Eve playing Aggravation and Dominoes with my three nieces (ages 14, 10, 7), my mom and my sister. Sunday I went to church and to Casa Lupe for lunch (GOOD food, totally over stuffed myself). Monday I took my mom to Chico for the morning and in the afternoon I caught up with a good friend. Tuesday, today I got my hair trimmed and took my nieces to see Chronicles of Narnia and do a little bit of shopping. Tomorrow should be interesting, I'm leaving the house at 7:45 to go to Chico for an appt, and then I'm going to Redding to work for 10 hours (hopefully) and then arrive home around midnight. Should be fun!

Besides that, Dad's doing okay, still physically weak but better I think, and hope.

I'm listening to CNN, they've been talking about those 13 minors in...Colorado I think. 12 survived and CNN is saying that while the 12 have been gotten out and taken to the hospital, they will be coming back to the church where all the families members are waiting, which I think is cool.

Other than that.....I can't think of anything to say. (Don't fall of your chairs people, it does happen every now and then.)

Wishing you a Happy New Year!!!

Natasha