B-I-O-L-A

Back at it again.

So now being back at school for two days, I remember why I hate the beginning of the year. I hate walking down the hall of my dorm and not knowing like ANYONE. I hate walking into the caf and looking around and not recognizing like ANYONE. I know both of these will change eventually but I can't wait for these first few weeks to be done just so faces start to look familiar.

Being back has been really good in other ways though. Getting to see a lot of people that I really missed over the summer. Having people on the floor that I DO recognize and LOVE that they are still here. Getting to set up our room again and making it feel like home. So in the end, I guess the good out weighs the bad.

My only question is, why do maintenance guys think that it is ok to come onto our floor at 10:15 in the morning? Clearly, since there are no classes yet, there will be girls getting ready for the day. Jess and I happened to be one of the rooms that they were going to to retrieve extra bed pieces so just my luck, when I walked out of the bathroom in the shower...there were two guys at the end of the hall walking into my room. SWEET... NOT. Luckily a friend's room was close so I slipped in there for a bit..but SERIOUSLY. That is not ok. And it's an hour later and I just heard the two guys working next door and talking about their girl problems. STILL NOT OK.

Did our first run back at school this morning. HOT. Luckily it was only 4 miles. Not looking forward to 9 on saturday...or sunday..or whenever we do it. O well!

Mandatory CE retreat this weekend that I'm actually somewhat looking forward to. I keep seeing friends from CE on campus and we don't have enough time to catch up just then so I know a lot of that will happen this week.

I'm really excited for the semester. I know God has a lot in store for me and I just pray that I won't miss Him! And that I will be open to anything he has to teach me. Wow, that's scary. But still something I gotta pray for.

I'm hungry...off to the unfamiliar faces at the caf....

Random

So it's November 13th. and the projected forcast for the weekend? 93! That is NOT how it's supposed to be! I realized this morning that I'm going to have the hottest weather I've ever had on my birthday..probably will be around 80's I'm guess..and since this is my first birthday away from home..SAD DAY...then the temperature difference would make sense. But ya.. those were my thoughts on the elliptical this morning.

I'm sick of politics.

Tomorrow night is our 3rd intermural football game. And probably our last. Ha. o well, it was fun when we did get to play and we got sweet blue barracuda shirts out of the deal so I guess I can't complain too much.

Next week we have tickets for the price is right. I'm pretty excited. There is only 4 or 5 of us going tho so it's not like we're gonna make shirts and go all out. We'll probably spend 4 hours standing in line to watch drew carey try and do what only bob barker could. O well, it still should be fun. And you never know, it could happen.

Weather, Politics and Football

I love the weather right now.
I mean, it's not like a minnesota fall, which I am craving big time, but it is the next best thing. At least in the mornings it has been cool enough that I have to wear a sweatshirt. The afternoons are a different story but I am rarely outside at that point because I'm working or working on homework.

But tomorrow I will be in nashville and it's supposed to rain! so I'm very much looking forward to that. And of course to see my family! all but sarah :( Gumbo for dinner! o how I have longed for it.

I tried to watch the vice presidential debate on sunday on the internet with some friends. I thought I'd give it a try because I should get caught up on what's going on. All watching it did for me was re-inforce the fact that I get bored with politics. I fell asleep like 20 minutes in. I figure if something important happens I will hear about it on the news or...the only news I get which is whatever pops up on the msn homepage. Ha.

I have a class monday nights so I wasn't able to watch the vikings beat the saints last night. I did use the play by play on espn.com until we broke into groups in my class and I was away from my computer. Little did I know that I was missing like the most intense part of the game! O well, sports center filled me in this morning when I was on the elliptical. Looked like an intense game all around. Wish I could have watched it. 2-3 and playing the lions next week who are 0-4...could the vikings actually get above 500? never thought I'd see that this year.

Tuesdays and the Twins

Tuesdays used to be my favorite day of the week.

* I don't have class till noon
* I would wake up, have some time with God, work out and have a leisurly morning
*No class after 1:15
* The day I could slack off and still get a lot of homework done because that's how much time I actually had free.

So now I have this job. 12 hours a week. And since I have to get my hours in somewhere I decided to write down that I can work from 1:15-5:30ish every tuesday. Shoot me now. Actually it won't be that bad. I get to listen to my ipod the whole time if I want. I downloaded a sermon last night by Mark Driscoll..recommended to me recently..and it's an hour long. That'll make the time go faster

And then at 4:30 the twins game is on. I'll try to find ESPN radio online and listen to it. Otherwise I'll just keep getting updates on espn.com. There's this weird thing that it gives you the play by play so you're kinda "watching" the game but not really. O well, it's all I get when I live in California and no one here cares about the Vikings or the Twins. Anyway, I hope they can pull out the win. Working out in the fitness center on Tuesdays and Thursdays is when I get updated on the world of sports. The game was one of the bigger stories this morning on Sports Center. Apparently the twins have out beat the white sox 10-8 this season. We'll see if they can pull out another win.

Apparently, according to a quiz my cousin sent me, I am supposed to vote for Obama. Who would have thunk.

Indescribable

So for some reason Jess and I decided to start waking up early on mondays, wednesdays and fridays to run. As much as I really despise when the alarm goes off, it is a great way to start the day. In Minnesota I would probably have to get pretty bundled up in the morning to run. A long sleeve shirt at least. But not in lovely California. By 6:15 it was at least 70. Good running weather anyway.

So let me preface this story by saying that it never rains here. Never. It rained I think twice all last school year and people FREAK OUT.

So this morning..as I was making my way around the track..which is a crappy place to run I know..I saw lightning and clouds of rain to the north. I thought it was pretty sweet and was starting to hope that it would move in our direction. Nothin like a good thunderstorm. As I was running around in circles aimlessly..literally..I realized that my wish wasn't going to come true.

Jess runs a mile more than I do so I usually spend my extra time walking around the track. But not today. I sat on a bench and watched the view which God had set before me. To my front right was an orangle group of clouds with random lightening and you could see the rain falling. To the left was the sun behind a group of clouds. Seeing the suns rays through the clouds is one of my favorite things and at that moment the rays were pointing directly onto the rain storm. Loved it. I turned on some worship music and decided to praise God for this gift he had given me this morning.

I put on the song indescribable by Chris Tomlin. It seemed fitting. Right as the line "who has told every lightening bolt where it should go" came I turned my head farther to my left..past the rays of sun and saw a lightening bolt at that exact moment. Wow. I realized that in that moment God was trying to show me something. Besides the amazing gift, he was telling me, Abby, I am more than that song you are listening to. I am legit. I am the real deal. I DO tell the lightning bolts where to go and I have set this sight before you right now.

I didn't want to forget this moment and that's why I'm sharing with you. Look for those gifts from God that we so often take for granted.

I was then thankful that the rain hadn't made it to us.

AHHH!!!! :D

So pretty sure the last month has flown by SO fast. I've been working lots, went and came back from Detroit, chillin out with some peeps, and gettin stuff wrapped up for leavin...on Saturday!
I'm SO excited by the way!
Saturday morning my dad and I are leaving good ol brainerd, Mn at 5 am. Hopefully I'll sleep until we're out of minnesota and then take over some driving. We've got to make it to denver by that night. Which is totally doable. It's only like a 15 or 16 hour drive. So we'll get to the hotel at a somewhat decent time and probably watch a movie or something. a Little fatherly daughter bonding time. haha. how cute.
Then sunday morning I'll be leaving the hotel in Denver at like 8:30 to go to Jess's house in montrose!! It's like 4 1/2 to 5 hour drive. I think I can handle that drive by myself ha but through the mountains when I've never driven in Colorado before? Be praying for me! ha. o well., not too worried! So then I get to see Jess that day!! WOO!! I'm SO excited:D
Spending the week that week at the Pugh residence:) I'm SO excited. Then we're on our way to Cali on Friday the 22nd. Not to school till Saturday though and movin in everything then!
wow I am SO pumped! ha.

Anyway..gotta get through this week first. Starting with golfing with my dad today:)
It will be a really full week tho between visiting my grandparents, going out to coffee with at least 3 different people, a movie night, packing, and hanging out with my parents! All sweet stuff :D. o, and chels's post reminded me I have to register for voting too :s

Work..or no work I guess :s

I can't believe I leave 5 weeks from TODAY. SO pumped I can't even stand it :) but I know I have a lot to do before that day so I better get my butt in gear. ha.

So I work for my dad laying carpet as you know...but the problem with that is we can't work if we don't have any! this past week we only had 3 days of work and then this next week we got nothin so far! Man, it sucks cuz I'm not making as much money this summer as I thought I would be. I'm getting a few photography jobs here and there to keep me busy tho I guess. I took a family of 19's pics last tuesday and then a grad shoot today. That will make up for the lack of money from laying carpet for this week anyway.

I leave next friday for detroit. I'm pumped:) but I have to get all of my online homework completed before then because the classes end the next tuesday. It will such a relief to be done with all of that! talk about really being able to enjoy summer. not that I haven't, but I'll be able to not have to worry about it anyway. I'm glad I took both classes tho. Especially if i'm trying to graduate a year early...!!

But who knows about that. God is the one who does and until he tells me otherwise that's what I'm gonna stick with I guess.

Have I mentioned I'm ready to be back at school yet?