Holy Cow, is it Really Only 6:22?!?!

Why yes, yes it is. The computer clock does not lie!

I'm in shivery Minnesota at the moment, & it's rainy--cold & rainy. :P I suppose that & my 8yr old cousin running downstairs & needing to be chased back up them might account for my lapse in time awareness. It really felt much later!

So anyhoo... Indiana was wonderful, but already feels too far gone. Ah well, that just means I'll have to go back sometime soon. :)

Blow-by-blow, as I remember, went something like the following...

I drove up Wednesday morning, a bit before 11am Chicago time (this is important as IL & IN are in two different time zones). The drive was relatively uneventful, I didn't get lost, didn't break down, & only stalled out twice--both times at the place where the toll is paid. I arrived at R. & L.'s home that afternoon, before dinner--don't ask, it was wonderful but I can't remember what it was. I was too busy drinking in the loveliness of the ladies themselves. ;) After dinner we went to Bethel campus where--because of Spiritual Emphasis week--chapel was happening! We took E. with us, because she arrived at the house shortly before we left--but we played a quick game of sardines before we left.

Still with me? :D So at chapel I was received with much merriment & joy, my heart was full to overflowing at the reception given to me by these friends closer then family. I sat with my SOPHOMORES (formerly my freshmen, but Z. took issue with being called that this year, so I compromised. They're still mine, but they are allowed to have progressed beyond the year I found them in.), and got several hugs from them throughout the night--particularly Z. & H., my little (but taller) brother & my protege respectively.

After chapel I ran down to see PastorReverendD.Sir & his wife L., dragging H. along with me. Prof. D., PastorD's brother, was also there, and we had a nice long visit. HostessL. & E. joined us later, & eventually dragged me off home to sleep.

Are the letters confusing you yet? :D

Thursday, what did I do Thursday... Oh yes! I arrived on campus at 9:30am to attend the Acting II class (Z. told me the night before that they were doing Shakespearean monologues, knowing my love for the Bard full well), where I realized my ignorance by taking a quiz with the students. Different profs, different material--I never did know much about Stanislavsky, we studied Meisner in my Acting II class. Anyhoo, the monologues were very interesting to watch, I learned a lot & was impressed at the talent in the group.

11am was chapel, which I attended--after a fashion. I decided to pop into the sound booth to say hello to DN, but he wasn't there. Instead I was met by screams & dancing by W., so we attacked each other in hugs, then I left her to settle down while I said hello to DN. He was his usual stoic & sarcastic self, as I fully expected & was happy to find unchanged. I spent the rest of chapel in the booth with W. & DN., we listened, joked, and admired the ASL interpreter's madd skills of interpreting two "rap artists" at work. She was absolutely amazing, and completely hilarious. If you missed that chapel, or if you missed watching her, you missed out.

After chapel I went to the Directing II class, where I got to sit in on some discussions & the casting of their next batch of shows. That's right, I knew who was cast before the cast did! :D Then, somehow, I ended up in Senior Seminar, where I got to hear the seniors pour out their life's agony, plans, dreams, and trials. No worries though, I'll never tell.

Oh yeah, there was a brief lunch somewhere in there too... between chapel & Directing class I think...

After Senior Seminar I think I went back to R&L's "bed & breakfast"... R&L's B&B :) L& I created some amazing hash out of scrambled eggs & whatever leftovers out of the fridge seemed appealing. We tried to chase R. out of the kitchen--she was feeling sick, but was loathe to admit it--but she ended up back every time, eventually we talked her into sitting on the freezer in the corner & laughing at our antics. So we ate eggs, then a crowd of people showed up to watch "Serenity"--which is a fantastic movie, ending a wonderful series, no I'm not getting paid to say that, but I really think you should watch them if you haven't. Let's see, who came, there was S., J., R., L., B., and me, & I think that's all? Yes, that looks like all. Wow, I thought there were more, but I suppose not. Anyhoo, we watched the movie, then just chilled for a bit, then everyone went home. We went to bed, since R. Wasn't feeling well, but I think we read a bit first...

Friday! On Friday I got up, said goodbye to L.--she was going home for the weekend to see her family--then made tracks for WB's office, to make sure we were still having coffee. We were, so while all the students headed for chapel, my former voice instructor & I went to Stone's Donuts, where they make the best donuts I've ever had. (Yes, that was a freebie too.) I had an Arizona sweet tea & cherry turnover (incidentally, I'm pretty sure I accidentally left the tea & a Pepsi in R&L's fridge when I left... oops...darn!), he had a coffee & bismarck, & we both enjoyed a delightful visit. The first half hour was spent chatting about bikes--WB's new hobby/lifestyle--and the second half was a very helpful crash course in the use of contacts in attempting to find a job. I can hardly wait to get home to get started on what we talked about, hope is a lot easier to have when there's a tangible goal in mind!

After "coffee" with WB I went back to Sufficient Grounds to meet with V, & found her there chatting with DN about the show she's directing. From there V & I went to Trade Winds for lunch where was had another fantastic 2 hours, reminiscing, catching up, and generally picking up where we had left off.

After lunch with V I was kind of at loose ends, so I meandered onto campus with some vague misty notion of finding people, maybe finding interwebs, and I did! Find people, that is. I spent most of the rest of the afternoon just chillin' by the pond outside the FA with people--mainly S.E. & SK. W happened by once or twice, & I creepered the choir students to get some laughs & hellos, but eventually I ended up inside.

Dinner was had at Sufficient, where I tasted hummus once more--& more importantly ate with B., G., S., A., W., then chilled with B. after everyone else left for either rehearsal or other pre-arranged meetings. B & I waited there until 7ish when I discovered that my appointment was not going to come, then we proceeded to S.'s house where was happening...

SYFY FRIDAY! :) I am a total geek, I know, but it was fun! I hardly followed the SG-1 episodes we watched, and only stayed for a smidge of the ... Sanctuary episode, but I had a blast. M., F., S., & B. were there, there was candy abounding (including Dark Chocolate M&Ms, very important to people with dairy allergies... like me...) which I proceeded to sneakily redistribute around the room while NO ONE noticed... ;) ;)

After watching sci-fi, I went back to R&LsB&B, where I got to see R before we went to bed.

Saturday I ran onto campus really quick at 10am to meet with the photographer who had done pictures for my senior show last semester. He had the CDs ready for me--and at a very nicely discounted rate (which was only just, considering the time I'd waited & the run-around I'd been through just to get him to get them done). We made the exchange, pics for moneys, and I went on my way rejoicing. I tried to run into a couple of people to pass them out to, but only succeeded in finding F., my light designer.

After this rendezvous, I ran back to R&Ls, where I had promised the lunchtime to R. We had a grand time experimenting on egg plant, grilling sans supervision for the first time, making bruschetta--she makes amazing bruschetta, btw!--and adventuring through the blueberries praying for sweet ones. I love just being around that gal, she makes my heart full of sunshine.

After lunch I had kind of intended to go back to campus, but realized I didn't know what I'd do if I did, so I stayed at the B&B with R., & she introduced me to Avatar/Airbender, and I introduced her to Gir from Invader Zim. When the afternoon drew to a close we changed into our wedding attire & ventured forth!

To dinner at L&B's, where they had a lovely spaghetti dinner getting ready for the four of us. We had fun hanging out in the kitchen helping with dinner-more eggplant, incidentally, it was decided that day that none of us really knew how to cook it... Dinner was wonderful, then I was off to pick up MM, who was riding with me to the wedding reception of L&J, the whole reason for the trip in the first place. :)

The reception was lovely, the people were wonderful, and the bride & groom were as darling as can be.

Afterwards, a group of us went to Steak&Shake. To understand this you must know that there were four of us in my sophomore year who were in several classes together, including playwrighting. One of our favorite haunts for all-nighters, stress-relievers, & homeworking was Steak&Shake. Now, whenever the four of us are together in town, we must needs celebrate at Steak&Shake. So, after farewelling the bride & groom, away we went!

And what a night was had! It's nights like that one that make me wonder, if I'm that uninhibited when I'm stone-cold sober, what would I be like with a few drinks in me? Yikes... :)

The party wound up around 1:30ish, & we all went our separate ways.

Sunday morning I awoke, said a quick g'bye to R., who was off to a prior engagement, then away to College Park Church! B & W. were there too, so we had a merry back row again during the service (question: why is it called a "service"? Who does it serve, & who is serving? Just a random thought...). Afterwards, we all went to Grandma & Grandpa's house, where there were more people than I think I have ever seen there before.

Mind you, these two dear people are not my "real" Grandma & Grandpa, but they adopted me--along with several other college students--my junior year. They make a full-time ministry out of opening their homes, hearts, wallets, kitchen, and everything else they have to give, to the college waifs that come drifting into their church. They are largely responsible for my being able to communicate as well as I do with my "real" grandparents, because they showed me what that relationship is supposed to, & can, look like. The love these two have for complete strangers, it is awe-inspiring.

So, we had dinner--made in Grandma's kitchen by her & her girls. I got to sit in the dining room with BS (really those ARE his initials, I'm not just calling him names!) & the grown-ups, & I got to have some very good conversation & visiting with Grandma & Grandpa.

After this, I went to C's house to spend time with all my ZinZinDorf gals. Sorry all, what happens in ZZD, stays there. Suffice to say we laughed a lot & C's baby is absolutely adorable! :D

Then I ran away to get some ducks out of a vending machine with B, W, & G--after which I passed out the last of the picture CDs--and then I ran over to see J & V one more time before we all left. Then I ran to see PastorD & L--they were both sick by this time, and wouldn't be at the usual meeting, & I couldn't stand to leave without saying goodbye. Then I ran (sensing a pattern yet? Lots of running happening...) to the Gathering (my college-ageish small group). Since PastorD, our usual leader, was fallen ill, BS led us in prayer. However, there was no one with voice who could play piano, so instead of worshipping through song we worshipped via playing. :)

It was actually pretty funny... everyone was sitting around, agreeing that we ought to do something, but no one quite wanted to get up and start anything. I leaned over to R. & said "let's just start improving a scene, and see what happens". She agreed, so up we leapt, asked S. for a scenario, and proceeded to begin a rollicking game of Freeze. We played until 9pm, when I leapt into a scene and told R. "I'm sorry, but it's 9pm, and I have to go". She went on to tell me that I was about to turn into a swan, then a water buffalo, but if I could endure this for a couple hours the curse would be lifted & I would be human again.

Needless to say, I didn't find much sweetness in the sorrow of this parting.

Away I drove into the darkness, and I've been writing for an hour, so I think this is as good a place as any to say "the end" of this tale.

Guten Nocht!