I got to sleep in today. Woo! Of course, "sleeping in" meant that I had to wake up at 8:15, but that definitely beats the 6:30 mornings I've been dealing with for the past week and a half. All the Kem staff went to St. Martin's Community Center for our service project. We sorted toys and donations. Holy mother, there were so many boxes to go through. Mowat and I were the stuffed animal and doll/Barbie queens. We got a lot done in a short amount of time, and the place looked ten times better after we were finished. I kept sneezing though, thanks to all the dust and other airborne particles I'd rather not think about. Blech.

Megan came back today! Woo, suitemates!! We screamed and hugged when she walked in. It was great to see her. Mel said later that she heard screaming from down the hall and got really scared, but then she remembered that I had told her Meg was getting back today, so she figured I was safe. And safe I was! Just overjoyed. I love people.

I got to hang out with Andrew today! YAY!!

I went to my cousin Brian's graduation open house tonight. When the extended Pruett family gathers, it's sure to be a happening time. And by that I mean that most people end the night trashed and unable to function properly. Yeah, I always leave before that stage hits. I love my family dearly, but there is a vast difference in the ways they choose to lead their lives as opposed to my immediate family. It's sad more than anything, but I do what I can. Psalms 2:8. It was great to see my family, even if they were on their way to inebriation. I love my fam.

My aunt Cheryl was there, too, and that made it all worth it. We're each other's favorites. She lives in New York and comes home for either Thanksgiving or Christmas and important events, such as a graduation. She is pretty bald too but dyes her hair and refers to it as "luscious red." She's hilarious. She's also a Ph.D., as is her husband, Fred. I plan on taking a 4 day weekend sometime this semester just to drive out and spend a few days at their house. It's do-able. Who wants to road trip to NY with me?

Speaking of road tripping, Janeen got back today, too! I wore my pretty new CZ ring (courtesy of The Smellion. I wear it with pride), but she did not notice it at all. I was really, really disappointed but decided not to push the matter. Maybe I can save that surprise for another time. Such a trickster. :)

Happy birthday, Mamooshka. You're the best.

We dominated the ropes course at Botany Glen today. And when I say dominated, I mean that we, the Kem Hall RAs, left no survivors. Yes, it was a sight to behold as my fellow comrades and I battled our way across the rope-and-wire circuits at an altitude as breathtaking as The Matterhorn: 35 feet. Ok, so we weren't exactly in perilous danger-or any danger for that matter-but it was still an adrenaline rush to walk across a tightrope at 35 feet in the air. And climbing a 60 foot long rope ladder isn't as easy as it looks. Some recollections on my experience at Botany Glen:

1. Don't look down.
2. The longing to jump off of high places completely disappears when standing on a 6 inch platform attached to a tree that sways in the wind.
3. Carabiners are wonderful.
4. The fear of, "Oh my gosh, I didn't do a squeeze check on this carabiner before I stepped out onto this rope. I am not secure!" comes each and every time you begin a new exercise, even if you perform a squeeze check four times.
5. Having people cheer you on makes all the difference.
6. Kristina Dutton is my hero. What an RD.
7. People make funny faces when concentrating on keeping their balance.
8. You can do a lot more than you think you can.
9. God laughs. I'm sure he laughed at us today. I sure did.
10. The zip-line harness gives wedgies like it was its job. Ouch.

I had a great time. I definitely want to take my leadership staff to Botany Glen. Maybe next time I'll try to low ropes course, which are still 15 feet high.

*Randomness on campus* I looked out my living room window just in time to see two guys running toward Evans Hall. Nothing out of the ordinary, I thought, but then I noticed that they were running very closely together. Looking closer, I saw that they were actually duct taped together at the waist and in three places on their legs. I chuckled and thought about how nice it is to be back on campus. I have no idea why they were doing that, perhaps it was some sort of freshman initiation for the soccer team or something. But whatever. All I know is that it brightened my already cheerful afternoon. I love this place.

FREE Poison Prevention Kit in Pharmacy While Supplies Last: Poison Isn't Child's Play

That's what my t-shirt says today. Glorious.

RA training is in full-swing. Today we did an exercise called "Behind CLosed Doors," which is where we walked in to five different scenarios and were supposed to respond how we would if we ever encountered the situation. It was very enlightening, not to mention fun. Nerveracking, but fun. I had to deal with "Kelly," whose father passed away during the summer. The joys of coping with grief and loss. It went really well, but I think I got one of the easier assignments. For instance, a guy named Phil had to deal with "Adam and Steve." Let your mind wander. Not much imagination required to figure out his dilemna. I felt bad for the poor guy; I'd hate to walk in on 2 guys like that. Not that I will, because I am female, but still. I'd rather not encounter that. I guess if I attended a different school, it'd be different, but IWU is pretty committed to its standards. I'm learning all about how to enforce those standards this week. Oh, and next weeks's BHD will be about discipline. I have no idea what that means. It's an adventure, I tell ya.

My toilet is broken. Yep. Mel was in my bathroom over the weekend and I heard her say something about it not flushing. Lo and behold, she was right. That rod that pulls up on the chain that pulls up on the stopper inside the tank (technical terms, I know) had rusted through. I've been letting myself into the room across the hall everyday. Yay, master keys. :)

I kept finding myself singing "Elephant Love Medley" from Moulin Rouge today, but it wasn't until just a few minutes ago that I figured out why. Some of the guys from Scripture Hall were singing it during breakfast and I kept hearing bits and pieces of it, so I was filling in the parts I couldn't hear on my own. Now it won't go away.

My turtle seems to be having a little bit of trouble adjusting to his new environment. He isn't eating much and doesn't swim around hardly at all. He stays in the same place all day long, even when the heat lamp is off. Poor little üdlydüdls. He's so cute and little. I want to hold him all the time. I don't, but I'd like to. I hope he isn't dying. That'd be terrible, especially considering that none of my funeral-throwing friends are on campus this year.

I won a free t-shirt today. It's very cute and fun. Me gusta.

My sister flew out to Seattle yesterday, then she and Megan are driving back to Indiana over the next few days. I loaned her my videocamera in hopes that they'd catch some fun footage on the long trip back. I'm excited to see Megan. I haven't seen her since the end of April. She called a few times and I talked to her on Monday night. I'm looking forward to spending time with her. And to talk in The Accent. Yay! I'm also really, really excited about living with Kalee. We hugn out lots this summer and our relationship is just really great now. When I went home on Sunday, she seemed overly happy to see me and asked to ride with me to the picnic b/c she had lots to tell me. We confide a lot in each other these days, and I think she missed having me around to talk with late at night. She'd come into my room at about midnight and sit down on my bed and say, "Can I just tell you something?" which meant that I'd be in for a good, long heart-to-heart. Needless to say, second semester will be weird; she graduates in December. No more Kalee as suitemate.