routine.

while today ended up being a pretty slow day, it was enjoyable. i have two highlights. the first was around 4 when i had nothing to do, so i did what i do when i'm bored - i went to barnes & noble.

it's relaxing for me to wander around our lovely huge bookstore, and take in all the books. i love seeing new ones that i would probably love, and old classics that i already do. i have a routine when i go there. i start downstairs in the new hardcover books that are right near the entrance. i then move to the new fiction books, located right behind my first stop. today i found four books that i would be interested in reading, however, since they were new and still only in hardcover, they were a little out of my waining budget. i then glance at the new non-fiction books, and on to the paperback best sellers of both fiction and non. next are the more "special" books of interest as deemed by someone in the barnes & noble corporation. after this today i headed to the music and dvd section. which reminds me that i need to tell my mom that they have twister for $14. she's been looking for it. up next is the part of my journey through the store that is most routine. i go up the escalator and turn left. always left. the only time i go right is if i've already done my usual routine upstairs and what i want or who i'm looking for is closer if i go right, or if i'm short on time and i don't have my leisure time. so, i turn left, glance at the teen fiction (sometimes there's something good), and hit more new fiction books. today i made sure to steer clear of the "required school reading table." i cringed at the thought (really, i did). i didn't feel like wandering up and down every aisle in the fiction section today so i just meandered my way through, stopping to look at only a few books before moving on. i always look at the tables that they have set up along the railing, to see if there's anything new or interesting that i may want to see. there usually isn't, but i always check. then i make my way past mystery, and the various religions. today i giggled at the women looking in the astrology section holding some book of astrology and love thing. i've yet to resort to that. i then checked the tables between that fateful astrology section and history. i noted a few books that i have already read and enjoyed but found nothing new. on my way to the women's studies and biography sections i noticed a women's studies profile on the side of one of the history aisles. there they had a book on american women with what i'd like to assume is all women of some note beginning with those women who came across the seas from europe. i hope they have things about ALL women, and not just those who came from europe, but those from africa, and the native women here. maybe if i get it i'll see. i moved on and hit the rest of the women's studies section, looked at a book in biographies about the women of windsor castle (ah, the british monarchy, what more could a country ask for. wait...), and finished out the upstairs giggling at a motley crue book and doing a little overlapping on my way to the down escalator. usually from there i go and look at the discount books and journals, but seeing as i really don't need to be purchasing any more journals at the moment i didn't even venture over. (the one i recently began writing in is large, and i think it will take me some time to get through. plus i have two or three blank ones still at home.) so, i wrote down the four books i first took note of and glanced at the magazines, and left. i've missed being close to barnes & noble so i can do this sort of thing. i suppose that a borders would even do, but i prefer barnes & noble.

the second highlight of my day was when i went to the mound elementary school spring choir program. no, i don't just show up at those things because i heard about them on the radio (i'm not even sure that a local station would mention it actually), but my little sister was performing and it was her final performance at the school for her elementary career, so i felt it important to attend. oh, and when i say little sister, i mean that sarah is the closest thing to a little sister that i have. she is a totally awesome 11 year old who i babysit during the summers with her 9 year old brother justin. we call it "camp corrie." i think i'm going to make t-shirts for it this summer. but anyways, back to the concert. those 67 4th and 5th graders are awesome. seriously. i saw them at christmas time too, and i was surprised at how good they were, and knew i wouldn't be disappointed this time. plus, i knew sarah would really like it. sarah was funny, because she's in this stage where she cares a little too much what others think, and spent a fair amount of her time up there chatting with her friend alyssa (when they weren't singing of course), and not smiling when everyone else was. and no matter how much i love her i think that my favorite girl was the small blonde one in the front row. she had a typical outfit like everyone else, a black skirt and a white dress top, but she also had her glasses (which i'm sure she wears every day but just added to the next part) and her black chuck taylors. yep, instead of wearing dress shoes like all of the other girls, she had a pair of chucks on. it gave me a good little laugh.

well, that was my day. it was good for me. tomorrow i work my first real shift (sort of) out at the stand in somis. hope i can remember all of the prices. (ha! not on my first day.)

...
- corrie

itching for something to do.

i've been home a total of 5 hours, and i already feel like i need to go out and do something. after a week of being super busy around SLO, i am back in ventura with nothing going on. yet, that is. tomorrow i go out to underwood's in somis for my first day of training to work in the produce stand. my first actual day of work is saturday when i fill in for, of all people, my mother. from there i don't really know what my schedule with them will be but i'm sure i'll be getting busy with that. i'm getting tired, and feeling random. thoughts aren't flowing clearly out of my mind, so this blog is becoming hard to follow. i think.

my drive today took an extra hour because of memorial day weekend traffic, which was fine, but some of the drivers were extra stupid. i followed this one car for a while, and during part of my time behind them they kept turning on and off their windshield wipers for both front and back windshields, for no apparent reason. i thought they were nuts. and they very well could be. i don't much mind traffic as long as the other drivers aren't stupid. then again, i probably looked like a stupid driver when i was trying to drive and eat my in-n-out burger. that was good. i hadn't had in-n-out since my return to california, and felt today was the perfect time to change that. so i did, and stopped at the in-n-out in santa maria and got some grub.

i'm sure that there is more that i can write about, but i really don't feel like doing it anymore. maybe tomorrow i'll post a picture of a really cool shirt that i made last night. and it is REALLY COOL. okay, that's it.

whatever.
- corrie

i think i'm home.

i love san luis obispo. i've never spent much time in the city before but i'm totally loving it. sure, i spent a good chunk of my childhood in morro bay and cayucos, but i'm feeling more and more at home here in slo. i've always found it amusing when i see someone with the license plate holder that says "i love the SLO life," but each day i spend up here makes that saying true for me. it probably doesn't hurt that two of my best friends live up here, but as long as i had friends here, i think i could be happy.

today was nice. natalie had a wedding to attend in santa barbara (tear), but laura and i ended up having a great time. we went to breakfast at this great little place called louisa's place where i got the most yummy omelet ever! it was the "bleu bacon" omelet, and that i just bleu cheese and bacon. so good. then we wandered all over downtown (again), and i spent more money, and laura got her graduation dress, and it was all fun fun fun. not long before we left, we went to this little coffee cafe across from downtown brew. i can't remember it's name (something with an 'L') but it was great. i would love to go there everyday, and bring a book to read, or have a conversation with a good friend, or even with a stranger! later we went to morro bay to the embarcadero, where laura'd never been before, and i got to show her some of my favorite places and go to the aquarium and feed the seals. to top off the night we (natalie was back and with us by this point) made pizza for dinner and watched hope floats. so enjoyable.

i'm exhausted, and church is in the morning.

i never want to leave.
- corrie

half way through.

well, i'm half way through my first extended stay in san luis, and i've loved every minute of it so far. last night i could not have asked for more. laura, natalie, megan, and i went and saw sherwood, and it was great. they did not disappoint last week, and they did not disappoint last night. it was a completely different atmosphere than ucsb, but awesome in it's own way. the crowd was fantastic (no pun intended) and you could see on the band's face that they loved it too. so much fun, i can't even describe it tonight. the company plus the awesome show could not have been topped. tonight was great too. we went to the farmers market downtown, and wandered around. it was chilly but we still got bali's for dessert. it was probably a silly idea, but enjoyable when we ignored the cold. more on san luis another time. i'm pooped.

tired.
- corrie

simply lovely.

today was a beautiful day. after coming home to beautiful california only to experience an early bout with fog and grey, today was splendid. not only did the rain clear out and leave wonderful white puffy clouds and blue sky, but the ocean was beautiful. i drove from ventura to san luis obispo today and had an enjoyable drive that was mostly attributed to the beauty that surrounded me. the ocean was wonderful shades of blue, and the islands were gorgeous. it was perfect weather to go and see some wonderful friends.

i've been talking about coming up here for about a week, totally stoked, and it has not failed to disappoint. tonight was spaghetti and a movie at laura's lovely home. it was great to just hang out and continue to catch up with my friends.

this week is going to be wonderful.

enjoying everything.
- corrie

i am frustrated with this.

seriously. i cannot stand some of the commercials that are on tv. the one that i currently have the most disdain for is burger king's texas double whopper commercial. it's all about "being a man" and eating this disgustingly large burger because "men" are sick of "chick food."

it starts out with this man in a fancy restaurant and when his food comes it is a very small portion. he storms out of the place singing that he is man and he's tired of eating "chick food." he goes across the street to the local burger king to get his manly texas double whopper. he is then joined by a group of men, all with texas double whoppers in hand, and they proceed to walk down the street, men joining their group along the way, leaving "woman's stuff" to be with "real men" and eat "real man food." finally they arrive at a bridge where a mini van stops for them and a man hops out, they give him a burger, then between all the men the lift the van and throw it off the side of the bridge. it lands in a construction type truck and an iron man type guy pulls the truck towards a texas double whopper, which is being held in front of him by a scantily clad woman. as this happens the men all yell, "I AM MAN!" and shove their burgers skyward. the parting words of the commercial are "eat like a man, man."

that is one of the worst commercials that i have ever seen, on so many levels.

disgusted.
- corrie

good to be normal.

tonite i had the privilege of hanging out with laura and natalie. it was so nice to spend time with them again. it's been so long since we've all been in the same town, in the same place, for any length of time, that it made tonite really nice. all we did was hang out at laura's house, go get ice cream (marble slab. yum!), and watch a really awesome documentary film (invisible children. see it if you can.), and then we just hung out some more. it's been so long since we've done that, and it was slightly foreign until i stopped thinking about it, and it became normal. it's nice to be at home and be able to relax with my friends, and do things that we've done for so long together. i'm still looking forward to this next week. it is going to be so awesome. i'm not sure how else to describe it than that. it'll be like old times in a new way, which i think is the best. so many fun things to do, and so much catching up to do. this is what i've missed most about home. finally, i'm truely glad to be home.

tired and happy.
- corrie

recalling the past.

"But this is what the past is for! Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see."
- Corrie Ten Boom

yesterday i began reading the hiding place by corrie ten boom, and while reading the preface the people who helped corrie compose this book quoted her from when they were speaking with her about how her memories and past experiences are not only in the past but how well they apply to the here and now. as soon as i read this i loved it. it mostly makes me think of people that i have known in the past. people who i considered my friends, even best friends at times, who are now only memories and wonderings. it's especially meaningful, because lately i've had these weird feelings about seeing people who i used to know and be friends with. friends from high school, people i barely knew the names of but had a class with and share mutual recognition with when i see now. i suppose that it's part of being home after being gone for a period of time. even tonite while seeing the davinci code, i was reminded of this. they continually talked about the past and history. one of the characters could have cared less about it, while the other looked to it, in a way, daily. just something to think about i suppose.

oh, and did i mention that it is so incredibly true?!? wonder what i'm being prepared for...

tired but remembering.
- corrie

insecurities are funny. (a long entry)

well. i went. after much debate and silly nerves (i'm still at a loss for why i was so nervous) i decided to go to the sherwood concert at ucsb. and friends i'm glad i did! lemme give you a brief rundown of how this morning went. i left home around 10:40, which was good cause my departure goal was 10:30. i drove and drove and drove. okay so, it wasn't really that long but it was enjoyable. while driving i thought about how much i'd taken that exact drive for granted for so many years. i realized how much i missed and love the ocean. it's just beautiful. mighty, but beautiful. i also thought about how the bumpy roads of ventura and santa barbara counties hold so many memories. like when i was driving home from the santa barbara airport one morning and my dad told me to slow down because he felt i was taking a downhill turn too fast (i took it faster today, and it was fun). another dates back to my freshman or sophomore year of high school, when the kid i was carpooling with said that his stomach felt like he was going over a roller coaster when we drove over a hump in the road. i laughed and thought it was lame cause i didn't feel the same, but find it more amusing now to look back on. almost every time i go over that i think about it and smile. there are far more, but those are just a couple that came to mind immediately.

so, i eventually made it to ucsb, and had to find somewhere to park and get to where the show was going to be. i think this is what i was most nervous about. i've not spent a lot of time on that campus and i'd never driven myself (i'd only been driven by coaches for track). so i parked in lot 27, got my day parking thing (just to be on the safe side) and ventured off to find my way to storke plaza. yea, this is where i'm lame. REALLY lame. so, i start walking in what looks like a good direction (it was good, the lame is coming i promise), and i veer to the right at one point (bad move). for the next 10 minutes i wander around campus going in directions that appear to be correct until i spot the tower. from there i know that i can find my way. (i felt a little here like i was in lord of the rings or something and on a journey, and the tower was my goal. that's a little lame too but not the lame that i've been referring to.) so i sense that i'm close, and sure enough i am. it's just ahead of me, and i look to my left and see a building that i recognize as the building i started out at and turned right from. my head went "you've got to be kidding me." nope. instead of going right to begin with i should have looked around more and gone left, and i'd have been right there. (that was the lameness.) it was without a doubt silly of me, but it ended up being fine cause it was a time killer, and once i found where the place was there was still a good 15-20 minutes before they started playing.

once i'd arrived i wasn't entirely sure where to sit or anything, and it was too early for most people to have been there, so i scoped out the area. after taking it all in and wandering around (not in the same place twice as to not look funny), i decided that there was a bench that looked nice to sit in. i pulled out my book (yes, i brought a book to go to a concert), and began to read. the book that i'm currently reading (cause i just started it) is the hiding place by corrie ten boom. same spelling, funny huh? well actually i was named after her and since i've now shared a name with her for 21 years i decided that i should learn more about her and her story. but back to the concert. i sat and read for a while, trying not to stare at the guys as they set up. i enjoy people watching and observing what's going on, so to keep my attention on the book was difficult cause all i wanted to do was watch. eventually the time drew near for them to start playing so i made my way around to the steps where others had begun to gather.

after lots of sound checks, and being told that they had to turn down the amps, they began playing. i was not disappointed. i enjoyed the show and had some highlights that i will now share. a few songs into their set i was looking at dan's guitar and noticed that the strap had been duct taped to the guitar, and then looked over at nate's and his was the same way. just an interesting and funny thing. also, i noticed that mike stood on a little box. (or at least i'm almost positive he was) it was just a few inches but enough to raise his height a little. i didn't watch him as much as i'd have liked to but he was just far enough out of my line of sight that only when i made an attempt to watch him, did i actually notice him. dan was funny. wait, i should maybe correct that statement a little. dan was funny, but he was more funny because he was trying to be funny. a joke about the "squares" and turning down the music was amusing, but not laugh out loud. the "balls" acronym was funny. my favorite one was "servant heart." that was just funny. it reminded me that my church has one for mission trips. "atm;" attitude, teamwork, and maturing in Christ. brought me back to that. it was also, funny to hear dan and nate talk about the free ep, and how college students don't have money so no worries it's free, and the little "stay in school" pep talk type thing that dan gave before they began playing again.

probably my favorite part of the whole thing was when the played "middle of the night." it's my favorite of the new songs, and i was anxious to see it live. dan encouraged people to dance, what was it, physically or metaphorically? i think those were the words he used. i danced metaphorically. i'd have actually danced, but only if it was more than just me. i'd have been far too embarrassed to do it. then at the end the rowdy part of the crowd wanted them to play one more song. so they did. it was "lake tahoe" and always enjoy hearing that song. after the show was over i sat where i'd been sitting for the duration of the show wanting to go and introduce myself and say hi and how much i liked it and all that stuff that they hear from everyone who comes up to talk to them. instead of actually doing it i continued to sit there because i was too much of a chicken. it's so much easier for me to be bold and step out of my comfort zone when there is someone else with me to be the chicken, and it seems like i'm pushing them more than myself. i have a friend who loves celebrities (mostly musicians and supercross riders), and i've gone to a number of supercross races with her and been the one who wasn't afraid to push my way up and meet someone, but she was there to be the chicken. also, i think i cared less about meeting those people, and just wanted to meet these guys and make a good impression. (yea... i think about this stuff. lemme just scream insecurities!) anyways, so i never ended up going and introducing myself but continued to make a few observations. (duh)

well, first, the majority of the people who made a direct beeline for the merch table were ladies. there were a few guys spattered here and there but it was mostly the fairer sex. then i began thinking about the people who were asking for autographs. items were kindly signed by the band, but i wonder what was the use of getting them to autograph "my new tote bag." (i didn't actually get a tote bag or have them sign anything, but i did like the tote bag. maybe another time.) nothing against those people who did, but for me i would have been less likely to use something that was signed, which would have then been a waste of my money, and it puts a value (tho i'm not sure exactly) on the band. don't get me wrong i love this band (if you know me you know this), but i don't need to have them sign any of my stuff. it's nicer to just meet them. (yes yes yes, i know i didn't even do that.) so, anyways, i eventually made my way to the merch table and picked up sing but keep going, which i didn't have in compact disc for, and wanted to get. (especially since my itrip wasn't working in the santa barbara area.) the girl who was selling merch was very nice, and a good person to do that. well, i think that is all. after i got my cd i left, and was so happy that i went. my comfort zone is now a bit bigger than it was yesterday, and it was a good time. part of me is tempted to go down to their show in azusa tomorrow, but that might be a little over the top. i am however trying to get a decent number of people to go to the show in slo next week. i'm looking forward to my friends seeing them too. i'll for sure be there.

well... that was my first sherwood experience, and i hope that this wasn't too insanely long to read. (it is insanely long tho.) one last thing. for those of you out there reading this (or at least the few who i hope read this) you should go to absolutepunk.net and get sherwood's summer ep. yea, that's the free download. FREE. as if free weren't good enough it is very good. ("very good" isn't even and adequate description.) okay. that's all. please take my advice and go download that.

so happy.
- corrie

grr.

okay. so there's this concert tomorrow at ucsb that i want to go to, but am lacking a friend to go with. the current debate that is raging in my mind is do i go without anyone, to a campus that i barely know, where i don't really know anyone, or do i not go and be bummed that i didn't go. i don't know what to do. i don't like not going to things that i really want to go to, because then i feel like i've missed out on an experience that would have been great had i just gone. typically this occurs because i feel remotely anti-social, and don't want to go out with people. now here i am, feeling fairly social and have no one to go with. this is similar to agape, however, i knew that if i went to that then i would know people there and wouldn't be alone. plus, its like 2 minutes from campus. ucsb on the other hand is a 45 minute drive, alone, then a concert alone, which isn't as much fun as with people. ugh. this sucks.

annoyed and stuck.
- corrie

beyond words.

i am so seriously excited right now. why you ask? i am the most excited that i've been in quite a long time because i am planning a trip up to see two of my best friends in san luis obispo next week. all i've wanted to do for the last month is to hang out with them, and now i get to go and spend a whole week just hanging out with them! i cannot wait. i just got off the phone with laura (one of the two), and we hadn't talked in awhile, so that was great, but we also talked about next week and i got so excited. seriously, i was smiling during the majority of the conversation which was almost an hour long. plus, another friend is going to be up there during most of the same time, and i haven't seen her since christmas time, so it's going to be an extremely fun filled week. i will be looking forward to next week for the rest of this week for sure. such a blast. i can't fully describe just how much i'm looking forward to it all. i could keep going on like this, talking about how excited i am in short burst sentences of average excitement words for quite some time i'm sure, but i'll end now. woohoo for visiting classic old friends! (not like the weird experiences with old high school friends. see previous post.) okay okay, i'm really done now. funny how sometimes you are just so excited that you can't contain yourself! it's fun to experience.

totally stoked.
- corrie

back in the day.

i look forward to being able to be at home alone without either parent here. i was hoping that today i would get a few hours of joyful bliss all alone, without my mother hovering over whatever i'm doing, and being able to watch and do whatever i want. well, her meeting got cancelled, so now i have to "do something" which currently includes unpacking and getting organized. if there is one thing other than getting packed and leaving my location that i dislike it's moving into somewhere new (or old, and just coming back), and getting organized. i'm attempting to aviod it as long as possible, but failing with my mom around. i'm looking forward to tomorrow. she's got meetings in the morning, and both parents work in the afternoon. it'll allow me to do things at my own rate. i'm more likely to get things done out of my own motivation than someone elses.

on a totally different note. i was out running a few errands (groceries for dinner and a starbucks run for me) and i ran into an old friend from high school. she is probably one of the few that i actually don't mind seeing, as opposed to others that i hope to never see again. it was odd though. i suppose that she's the same person from high school, and that i've grown and changed, but it was just weird talking with her. everything is "me me me" and i try to not be like that. it's difficult to describe and that last sentence is probably not the best, but it's a description that is coming difficult to me. especially to try and put it into writing. coming home after living in a differnt state and a different way of life for 9 months is weird on so many levels, and seeing old friends is just one of those. moving back in is too.

well, i probably shouldn't make my mom any more irritated and go do some unpacking and laundry. bummer things can't always be done in my timing.

dragging my feet all the way.
- corrie

i have arrived.

well. i'm finally home. it's been a long week, but i'm home. it's weird to think that just last week around this time i was barely getting going on my packing and now i'm home. i'm relieved that our drive is over, and to be done with that part of the journey, but now comes the difficult part, readjusting to living at home. so far it hasn't been too bad, but then again, i'm still getting used to being here. the real trouble will come later in summer when i have my own agenda that won't meet with my parents. i can sense it coming already. i REALLY can't wait for my friends to come home. i'm surprisingly one of the first. natalie still has school up at cal poly, laura is working up there, megan stayed in philly to work and see friends graduate, and here i am, with not a lot to do. not that i can't do things without them, but to get back into the swing of things it would be easier if they were here. i've also got to start working out again for track. it would really help if i had a lifting schedule tho. this summer is going to fly by. i'm not sure how i feel about that exactly.

well, here are some pictures from our trip. just a few but they give a fine example of what the trip was like. (a lot of driving sums it up too, but i find that visuals help)

kansas

eastern colorado i love this picture. i turned around and took this from the back seat
of the truck. i didn't like it wheni first took it, but my opinion has since changed.

western colorado.

utah.

looking forward to something. anything.
- corrie

traveling alone.

or at least i wish i was. i am currently 2/3 of the way thru the long trip from illinois to california... with my parents. let me start off by saying that i really do love my parents, and i am truly excited to be going home (mostly because it's home and my friends are there). however, spending 10 - 12+ hours in my truck with my parents is draining. today i believe that we actually spent close to 14 hours on the road. this does include lunch, dinner, and potty breaks, but still, i'm always with them. when in such close quarters for long periods of time, i tend to get easily annoyed, and it tends to turn into some sort of disagreement/argument, in which someone always says something extra silly (not me typically), that sets someone else off (typically me). it's tiring, and not enjoyable. today was especially weird, but i'd rather not get into it. afterall it is over.

however, what is not over is that i think that my ipod has frozen on me. and i'm at a loss for what to do. i was trying to recharge it (after being basically drained from having been listened to all day), and it was acting funny and now it's frozen. this just makes me hate technology more and more. this is not the first piece of electronic equipment that has caused me problems after owning it for a brief time. my ipod shuffle stopped working properly after 2 months and the warranty was up (stupid me for buying it at target) and i was too cheap to pay the money to get them to tell me what i need to do about it. then there was my computer (which i am currently using). after approx 2 months of owning this it stopped working. it turns out that i needed to have the motherboard replaced. once i got it fixed it was fine, but i was still annoyed with it all. and now this. i was hoping that since i'd reached the over 4 month marker that i was in the clear of technical malfunctions with my ipod. alas, i was too hopeful. and now, when i really need it most (it is afterall my getaway when i'm in close quarters with my rents), it stops working. SUCK IT ALL! humph. hmm... it may be making some progress, the screen finally turned off. i'll see if i can't get it working. if not, well, i'll be spending some time on the phone with apple tomorrow, trying to figure it all out. at least i have the hefty warranty for this one.

technology... this is why i still write in an actual journal along with all this online/computer crap.

annoyed and in the mood for a fight.
- corrie

weekend fun.

okay, so... here are those pictures that i mentioned i was going to put up. sorry they're a couple of days later than i'd planned, but here they are none the less.

the parents and i at the meet.

me getting ready to warm up.

walking up to throw.
taking a deep breath before i throw.

starting my winde.

throwing.
the four lady throwers who qualified for nccaa nationals.

kelly & i. the one nice picture i let be taken of her and i.

andy running the steeple chase.

mi amigo curtis running the 1500.

christina flinging the disc out there.

missy spinning and spinning.
the highest placing women's track team ever.
second place!

our coaches won the male coaching staff award.

the guys got first place for the 6th year in a row.

woohoo! second place women's team!

all the lady throwers from the '06 season. (sans julianne)

missy & i. our last time together for a while, and she won't be back next season.

well... i suppose that is everything, and i hope that it recapped the weekend well. it was a blast, and i am glad that i came here to throw. even if it was half way across the country.

glad to be going home soon.

- corrie

another year down...

i am officially done with the 2006 track season. i am relieved, and a little sad all at the same time. this weekend was outdoor chirstian nationals at taylor university in upland, indiana. i was looking forward to this meet, not only cause it was the end of the season, but i had a real chance to do something for the team. we left thursday afternoon, and had an interesting ride here. all the throwers in one shuttler, singing, yelling, and all around creating trouble. i actually slept twice during our 5.5 hour drive, which is something that i NEVER do. i'm not enitrely sure how i slept the second time, because everyone was yelling and being loud, but i slept thru it all. after that particular nap they became acquainted with "morning corrie" who is very grumpy and will just about murder anyone who annoys her. the male throwers are particuraly good at doing that. so anyways, back to the meet. it went well. seeing as i only throw hammer, and my parents were here for the first time since last season (that's what happen when i go to school in illinois), i really wanted to do well. i ended up throwing decently and placing 5th overall (i threw 134'4"). I was a little disappointed because my last throw would have been a pr (personal record for those of you who don't know the lingo), but i stepped out because i had so much pull behind it. i was overall happy, and it was a lot of fun to have my family there. now all i have to do is eat and cheer for others. i'm going to be a good cheerleader for the team, but what i'm really looking forward to is eating as much as i want and not having to worry about being over full before i throw. for breakfast becky and i are already planning to split $16 worth of food at cracker barrel. i can't wait to have those strawberry covered pancakes again. good times good times.

on a totally different note, it is weird to think that next week at this time i'll be back home in california, trying to settle in. this week indiana/illinois, and next week california. despite this being the midwest i will be missing it. mostly the people; my lovely throwing buddies (breaks are okay tho), and my roommates (same thing applies here), and all the other friends that i've made in the last 9 months. what will be extra weird is that my fabulous senior friends will not be back next year, and everything will be completely different. i'm not one who looks forward to change, but adapts well once change has struck. i realize that its good, but i just don't like to have to make that change initially.

tomorrow i'll put some of the best pictures from this weekend up. i don't have them on my computer yet, but they will be coming. adios to another track season. 7 seasons down and 1 to go.

mildly sunburned
- corrie