I'm Still Alive!

Hey all!

I'm still alive and kicking, now that the pigs were kicked out. No more swine flu, thank God! However, it's been replaced by a sinus infection and bronchitis. But, thanks to antibiotics, I'm almost over it. So there's the boring health update.
The weather has gotten a little cooler. I don't need both a fan and an open window to keep my room comfortable. I just use the window, and enjoy all the sounds of Summer's end. The breezes have been picking up, and fewer birds are in the area. The quail will be here soon, though. They are SO funny to watch! I miss the Fall colors, though. I'm looking out my window at the one tree in the backyard that changes before dropping its leaves. Right now, most of the leaves are outlined in russet. My favorite trees out here are the quaking aspen. They're tall, very slender, and absolutely covered in leaves the size of silver dollars. They're glossy green on the top, and a silvery gray underneath. They're called quaking aspen because, in the slightest breeze, the leaves start fluttering like mad, and, combined with the sunlight, they become beautiful masses of shivering, glittering greens and grays. Another interesting nature note, I saw a cougar recently. He was a little smaller than a full-grown golden retriever, tawny yellow, like a lion, and had a very long tail. He was actually in a neighborhood, stalking up a hill that was covered in straw-like grass. They're very curious, apparently, and also enjoy snacking on smaller cats. Out here, if Fluffy goes missing, you might not find him in the Pound. I think Fall is officially here; I just saw one leaf fall from that tree that's changing color.

School-wise, everything is going well. I've caught back up after being sick, and feel more confident about my classes. My Logic midterm was much easier than I'd expected, for which I was very grateful, and I took the quiz for Biology on the skeleton that I missed. I've always felt like I had a general grasp on the skeleton, thanks to Mom being in Radiology back when. So thanks to you, Mom, I did pretty well.
The main social event of this week was the Harvest Ball. A group at school called SRO (Students for the Relief of the Oppressed) hosted it as a fund raiser for people in third-world countries. Everyone had a great time! Attendance was down, due to illness, but we still had between one and two hundred come. Dress was semi-formal, though formal was not discouraged. The Grand March traditionally starts these events, and it is quite the march. It's different every time, but always involves lots of weaving, lines, walking, running, pulling, trying to keep up, slowing down, and lasts about a half an hour. It's great fun, but not for the faint of heart. I was fashionably late by ten minutes or so, so I missed the March. That was probably to my benefit, though, since I was still recovering from being ill. The Virginia Reel was next, followed by Posties Jig, Patty-cake Polka, the normal Polka, and lots of others I can't remember. The Electric Slide was pulled out, just to mix things up. The dances here are always a blast, and the gentlemen are very good about making sure every girl gets to dance, and then escorting her back to her seat. The decoration crew did themselves proud; a normal basketball court/gym was a ballroom, for all that. Lots of flowers, a chandelier that someone made for a wedding was hung, nice cloths on the tables (filled with goodies from several volunteers), and good lighting. We didn't have live music this time, but it didn't detract from the experience. Many of us danced barefooted, since we didn't have suitable shoes for the court floor, but for once, I didn't come out blistered. So it was a very lovely evening, and Cinderella slept very well that night.

One of the most amusing things about this week was my attempt to win a bet. One of the Freshmen girls, Hilary, looks and acts VERY much like me, and one of the Freshmen boys, Chris, kept mixing us up. I was Hilary for awhile. So, after the both of us talking one evening, a bet was contracted. I wasn't actually there for that part, but oh well. Hilary bet Chris that he couldn't keep us straight for a week, and if he lost, he'd have to give a dramatic recitation of "Little Jack Horner" in the Commons Room with at least five people in there. If he won, I'd recite, and she'd do her Gollum impression. We learned something important about boys from this experience: If you want them to remember something, turn it into a competition where humiliation is involved in losing. I never saw anybody get something right so fast. He was hopeless beforehand, but right when there was something riding on it, he came through. We tried all we could think of. One day, we both talked to him in the morning, then switched clothes, since we're the same size. We confused lots of our friends, but not him. Almost, but not quite. So at some point this week, we have a bet to ratify. Oh well. I'm determined not to be outwardly embarrassed, since he'd like that.

Anyway, that's been what's up! Hope y'all are staying healthy!