Monday, September 29, 2008

Migraine

I had the worst migraine last night and I have no idea why! Because we got no rain, it is sunny and beautiful today. My head felt like it was going to explode, so I had a tea and went to sleep around 10:30. I think got up this morning at 6:00 to finish my homework. I'll have to say, it was a pretty amazing essay. I wrote.

Here it is, I'm so excited about it. It was for my geomythology class, and it is my take on the existence of the Garden of Eden based on the evidence we've been given. It was pretty fun once I actually sat down and wrote it.

The Garden of Eden is a story that has perplexed and interested researchers and theologists alike for many years. There are many proposed possibilities for the location of the garden. Although the evidence is strong, it fails to convince me of a specific Middle Eastern location of the garden. The idea of global climate change is a more compelling idea and addresses important issues such as mythic unity.

Many areas have been proposed for the location of the paradise known as Eden. According to the Heinberg article, Juris Zarins has used technology to locate the possible existence of the garden. After obsessing over the text of the bible, the geology of the Middle East and the geography of the area, he turned to satellite imaging. Upon finding that the Tigris and Euphrates were once met by two now nonexistent rivers in an area rich in both bdellium and gold, he postulate that an area that is now beneath the Persian gulf is the resting place of Eden. This broader, more scientific view seems the most probable. Other theories include the location simply being the fertile area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers where Mesopotamia once resided, as well as a very specific valley such as shown in the video. The story is also explained to possibly be an analogy of man’s change from a hunter-gatherer society to an agricultural society.

None of these explanations, however, convince me that Eden existed in the Middle East. One reason I remain incredulous is the questionable background of the bible. Because priests compiled it and the authors of the Old Testament are unknown, the dubious quality of the book is magnified. Another thing that makes me skeptical is the difference in style between the passage describing the location of Eden and the rest of the Old Testament. Genesis 2:8 reads “And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden.” Linguistically, that passage differs from the specifics of “The name of the first is Pison[…] and the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.” The passage giving the detailed location of Eden seems out of place. The second reason I am skeptical is the possible errors in translation of the text or changes that could have taken place in the text. When the Old Testament was compiled by Sumerian priests from scrolls and tablets, the various pieces could have been in existence for many years before that. Not only could the priests have added passages and or misinterpreted the passages provided, they also could have, according to The Memory Crunch by Barber, changed the location of events in order to make the story of the Garden of Eden more relevant. It is also true that if the people who brought the myth to the Middle East migrated from another place on the globe, they may have changed it to achieve that same relevance.

The most likely explanation, in my opinion, is that Paradise simply refers to better, warmer, more abundant times for planet Earth. The word Eden translates to “fertile plain”; what if the fertile plain was actually the whole Earth? The “fall” from Eden could be explained as the global climate cooling change that occurred just over 10,000 years ago. Instead of the “fall” being the change from foragers to agriculturalists, the “fall” would have precipitated that change out of necessity. This would, according the Heinberg, also explain “the presence of Paradise myths among [today’s] preagricultural peoples.” The last and most important issue that the idea of global climate change would elucidate is Mythic Unity. The idea that cultures all over the globe would have stories about a Paradise that occurred in one tiny section of the globe that they had never seen or heard of in unimaginable. If the fall from the paradise of abundance to a less rich and fertile Earth occurred on a worldwide scale, it would clarify the occurrence of worldwide myth.


This class is very exciting to me. I'm going back and forth between three science classes to fulfill my science credit: geology, light and color, and ancient astronomy. I'm thinking the third would be the best, but if I go with ancient astronomy, I won't be able to take it this semester, because I need a humanities credit first. I'm thinking perhaps a humanities class or an english class, a math class, and an art class for next semester. That is only three units, but I could possibly take a class at the center for reading, writing and learning or do an activities credit like ballroom dancing or badminton. I have to start thinking about it though, I register next month. I also have to pick a topic for my Geomythology final, and I'm thinking the geology and geological events of Montana and how they appear in Native American myths. I have to do a little research, but I think I should be able to find something to do with the mountains, old faithful, other things in yellowstone, or something!

Alright. I'm off to meet Lori to go get my physical. Love you all! <3

Sunday, September 28, 2008

energetic!

Sunday is a weird day. I have no energy compared to the rest of this week.
I haven't decided if it is crew practice and the endorphins that releases that gives me so much energy and I didn't have crew today so I don't have the energy or if crew keeps me running at such a level of exhaustion that my body over compensates, but whichever it is, I love it.
I feel so much more outgoing and talkative and fabulous when I have all this energy pulsing through my veins.
This is just one more reason to love crew.

In other news, this blog is just a brief respite from my homework. I also found the dog I want. Another distraction. He's a pharaoh hound mix, from Washington nonetheless. Someday, I remind myself, Someday. (and I would name him Tale. Or Dacre. Or Tut.)

Thursday, September 25, 2008

rowing.


just a quick note on how much i'm enjoying crew.
it makes me tired. it makes me sore. i don't really know the other girls well.
but i love it. i love being in the water. i love erging. it rocks me.

alright. now i'm off to impersonate kelly clarkson in front of the whole school for song fest in order to help win money for regester. woot. go me!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

bubble-girl.

It is strange living in the bubble of security and happiness that campus offers. It feels like the economic problems are lightyears away when really, they are simply hidden behind our protective bubble. However, my communications professor, while asking us what we think it would be like to be running a political campaign right now, said something very true and interesting to us:

i can remember when we landed on the moon, when JFK was shot, and when many other things happened, but you, you are the generation that may be able to tell their children that they remember when capitalism as we knew it was redefined.

This post is pretty much for my dad, just to remind him that I have been paying attention, and I don't disagree with everything the republicans say and do (only same-sex marriage, abortion, etc... hehe). Sometimes I disagree with the liberals just as much. This post is also to let him know that moving to Tacoma and attending a liberal arts college has not turned me into another liberal-yuppie college student without a brain for herself.

I am going to have to admit that although conservatives are absolutely idiotic in a lot of situations, I thoroughly appreciate the Republican point of view on this matter (yes Dad, I said it, "I appreciate the Republican..."): "I must tell you, there are those in the public debate who have said that we must act now. The last time I heard that, I was on a used-car lot," said Rep. Mike Pence, R-Indiana.

Good thing there are a few people who aren't racing to mindlessly sign a blank check for 700 billion dollars with no terms or conditions. Just my thoughts, surprisingly conservative for myself, but I have no interest in rewarding these predatory loan agencies and bailing them out with my money, my parents' money, my friends' money, interest free. I want to keep our economy booming as much as the next person and don't want to jeopardize it, but let's not work ourselves into a blind, panicked frenzy and sign away our liberty.

campus. (part 2)










Well Dad. I have no idea what that place is. It is in/on trimble hall, a dorm. So maybe I can live there next year. :D

Yesterday was a really really good day. I got up, went to class (actually had the homework done), only kinda fell asleep and then Lori came to pick me up and she showed me around the neighborhood and showed me some good doctors to go to and where some cool things are (like COSTCO <3!!!).Voyager. It is pretty dank. No joke. She made me brownies too! <3<3<3>

I also got on the water for the first time with crew. It was amazing. I have fallen hook, line, and sinker in love with crew. I was the 7 seat and basically, the 8 seat(a varsity rower) and myself rowed the whole time. I got a break for maybe 5 minutes. It was so so cool. After that I went and did an hour of cardio. Suprisingly, I'm not even sore, just a little bit stiff. Once I stretch I won't even notice.

I hope everyone else had and equally good day. And mom, I'm expecting an update pronto. ;) <3<3

Monday, September 22, 2008

campus. (part 1)











Just a few photos of my gorgeous beautiful campus in the rain. More to come later...<3

Sunday, September 21, 2008

bicycles. (and my third arm).






Everyone here rides bicycles. Some dorms have a few, like Regester. We don't quite fill up our bike cage. Other dorms have about one thousand, like Schiff, where the mountain bikes overflow off the racks and up into the entrance and down the otherside onto the other bike rack. So I thought I would take some photos of the bicycle craze.

In other news, I've lost my phone. My third arm has been violently ripped from me. Somewhere between the sub and Anderson Langdon, my phone has disappeared. Margaret and I went back and retraced our steps, checking EVERYWHERE for the phone. We then we back and walked back and forth between AL and the sub with my surefire, looking for it. It was ringing for a while and now it has started going straight to voicemail. We've ruled out a few possiblities because it was ringing. That rules out a violent death by water (aka, dropping in a puddle, flushing down a toilet) because that would have shut it down immediately and not let it ring for a good 2 hours. We haven't ruled out the freezer in the cellar, because I was bending over it and although I looked in there, I didn't look super hard. It fits the ringing for a while and then turning off situation too. We also need to look under the freezer. We looked all freeking over the cafeteria and went to security and asked if one had been turned in. I suppose if I don't find it, I'm going to have to locate the nearest verizon store and buy a new one... or order one online. We'll see. I'm going to spend part of today looking for it, but in the meantime, I can still check my voicemail from another phone, so go ahead and leave me messages if you need me or call me on my dorm-phone at (253) 879-4218.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Saturday Adventure

















(Val and I)


Today was an excellent adventure. I woke up around 10:40 and had a moment of euphoria when I realized that it was raining outside. I rolled out of bed to go to the bathroom and I was so stiff I could barely move. I must have looked like Frankenstein's monster. When I got back to my room I stretched for a good 10 minutes to loosen everything up. It worked, I felt 100% better afterwards. Once I could move I got dressed and went to get some breakfast with Lauren and Moira and Val. I had a delicious MnM banana waffle (because they were out of chocolate chips) and a pumpkin pie soy chai. After that we just hung around in the lounge outside the cafe, talking and being warm and dry.

Then, I went again to get my physical. I decided, however, to take the bus because I didn't want to bike in the rain. My amiga Val wanted to come with me, so we borrowed Lauren's bus pass and grabbed my free-ride tickets and we headed to the fieldhouse where our bus stop is located. Today was a big football game, so there were lots of people around, and luckily, I had decided to bring my camera. After we waited FOREVER for the bus, we hopped on the number 16 and headed towards the Tacoma Transit Center to transfer. Let me tell you, public transportation is a very interesting (and cuddy.) At TTC, we waited some more and I took more pictures, and we transferred to the number 10. 

We took the number 10 to Pearl and 26th. We practically ran to the clinic because I was told they don't do physicals after 4 on Saturdays and we got there at 4:02, but because I had the paperwork done, the woman was very kinda and said she'd get me in. I waited about 5 minutes before they called my name. When I got in the room, the nurse said, "you might need to go to your Primary Care doctor in order to get this filled out because you've had an EKG." So I told her that my Primary Care doctor is in Montana, and I was cleared by the hospital, could they please call the hospital. She went and got the doctor, who quizzed me about the asthma and the EKG, and then when she got to my ankle, and I told her how running and other things can mess it up, and she told me they couldn't approve me, I will have to go see a sports medicine doctor.

She referred me to a doctor who has his office near Target. She told me to call at 8 on Monday morning and they would try to fit me in in the 24 hours after that. I told her thank you, and Val and I left. It was quite infuriating! So instead of taking the bus back, Val and I simply walked the 2.6 miles to campus (in the rain). I got to break in my rainboots to Tacoma weather and I took some more photos. I wasn't as mad about this visit as the last. If they can't approve me, they can't approve me.

So now I'm back at campus, snug under my covers, in dry clothes, letting my hair dry. I took some great photos today, I'm only posting some of them. I'll get the rest up tomorrow and Monday. I'm headed to swim laps at 7 with Lauren and then later Margaret and I are going to watch Alice in Wonderland and Moulin Rouge (or Love Actually.) Tomorrow she and I are going to go do my crew homework (elliptical or bike for 40 minutes.) I would do it today, but the fieldhouse is closed. I figured the over two mile walk should count for something.

I'm excited that it is still raining. Everything takes on this neon green sheen when it is wet outside. I mean, it is green normally, but the colour is out of this world when it rains. I hope the cooler weather keeps up. I mean, I enjoy the warmth (but not too warm) and sunshine (but not too sunny) but I am ready for it to cool down and become fall and let me start wearing many layers!

Well I'm off to do my lap schwimmen. I will post more pictures later! <3

Friday, September 19, 2008

plate and cleaning.




I made this plate back during orientation and I haven't gotten around to posting pictures of it. Well here it is. I love it. It turned out exactly how I wanted it to. It really is quite a bit prettier in real life, but the pictures don't do it too much harm.

What brought about this sudden remembrance to take a picture of the plate of amazing proportions? Well it is the sparkly cleanness of my side of the dorm. I was too tired to go party-hopping with friends so I decided to stay in. But as I was sitting on my bed contemplating watching a movie or going to sleep, I realized I wasn't tired enough for that. So I got up and cleaned my side. I hung up all of my clothes, put my schoolwork away, threw out all the trash, took out the garbage and the recycling, and generally organized. (You'd be proud mum!)

I also may have gone a teensie-bit cable-tie crazy! I cable tied stuff to stuff, and other stuff to other stuff. I never realized how amazing cable tying really is. My room is a much sturdier, cable-tied place after this evening.

Tomorrow I need to:
  • do laundry
  • swiffer/vaccuum
  • go get physical
  • bike or elliptical for 40 minutes
  • swim laps (perhaps)
  • fill out yellow form
I'm sure there will be more. But that is a small list for now.
I forgot to mention that on my frustrating journey, I found the COLDSTONE! The most amazing icecream deliciousness ever! That was something a little exciting on my shitty journey.

I had my first crew practice today. 3/4s of it was not amazing. We worked out, carried oars, carried boats, and then I stood on the dock for about a hour. However, when I got to get in the boat and paddle, I really really really really liked it. I basically fell in love. It felt like such a natural thing. So I'm going to stick with this crew thing for a bit, see how it works out with schoolwork. Truth be told, I think it will be fine because practice is from 4-7PM, and I generally don't do homework they anyway. I'm also thinking that I'll go to the retreat on October 11-12. The weekend before I will have been on my Geomythology field trip to steamboat rock (which I found a tent buddy for) and so I might as well fill up the next weekend. It is only like $28. 

With that said, I'm headed to sleep. Goodnight!

jerks.

yesterday was really great---
until it started sucking.

I had a great morning. I got all of my homework done. I sat with someone I really like at lunch. My communications paper was due yesterday and two days previous. And I discovered how much I enjoy riding my bicycle.

But then... (dun-dun-dun)
I rode my bicycle to an urgent care walk in clinic thing ALL the way down at the tacoma bridge (which is a really really long ways uphill on a bike!). Went into the clinic at 6:01 and was told that they don't do sports physicals after 6! (this was after I called earlier and asked when I could get one and they said between 9am and 9pm.) I was livid! 

So I filled out the paper work, got back on my bike and rode what took over half an hour on the way there back in less than 10 minutes. I was angry beyond angry! So I went to safeway to walk around and calm down, called Margaret and ranted, called Mom and ranted and eventually calmed down.

I went to the Center for Health and Wellness Services (CHWS... pronounched like Jaws with a CH) and the receptionist told me their first opening for an appointment is in October! So it looks like I'll be headed back to the urgent care again today! This time, I'm going to take my camer and possibly putz around a bit and take photos.

Oh! And you'll be so proud of me mum, when I was at safeway I saw a sign for flu shots, and I'm going on October 4th to get mine!

Monday, September 15, 2008

fun times.

So I spent yesterday evening in the ER. That was fun. I had a kind of anxiety attack due to the combination of not eating regularly, not getting enough sleep and a number of other things. I couldn't breathe so I used my inhaler, and that made my heart speed up, and it was quite scary. My heart slowed down but my chest was still really tight and cold on the inside, so I decided to head to the ER instead of waiting around. Better safe than sorry.

Security drove myself and 2 friends to the nearest ER. They basically made sure everything was slowed down, gave me oxygen, and told me to quit stressing out and get more sleep.

I got back to the school around 2:30AM. And then I got up at 8:30 to go to class. That was a good time. After class I ate some lunch and then returned to my room and slept from about 1:30PM to a little after 5:45. 

Dad wasn't lying when he said big brother is watching though. This afternoon, the RD (resident director) came down to my room to make sure I am doing okay. Security passed it down the line until my RD and RA were informed and sent down to make sure I was going to live. It is kinda nice to know that I am being looked out for even when I am being independent.

I am now hanging in the lounge, trying to get my homework done. Reading, highlighting, even typing notes. I'll do what I can, then I'll go to sleep and get up in the morning and finish the rest. 

I'm cool. Everything is fine. But like my Mom said, it isn't in my genes to be able burn the candle at both ends.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

le nez.

So, Mom and Dad, much to your dismay, I got my nose pierced. I saved up the money a while ago in anticipation of moving to college, and yesterday my friends Val and Lauren went with me. 

Val went to get her conch pierced, Lauren came to hold my hand. (I didn't even break her little hand bones.)

It was REALLY painful. I teared up quite a bit, and it bled a little bit, but I had taken my iron pills that morning, so that probably helped. The piercer, Atom, told me nose piercings rarely bleed, and therefore I must be a bleeder. Strangely enough, that is what the guy who did my cartilage this summer said too!

I've always loved my little nose, but I love it even more now that it is SPARKLEY!!! I got a teensie green stud. It is cute and classy. It doesn't hurt any more either. 


Saturday, September 13, 2008

i am restless

I Am Restless from The Gardener
by: Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)



I am restless. I am athirst for far-away things.
My soul goes out in a longing to touch the skirt of the dim distance.
O Great Beyond, O the keen call of thy flute!
I forget, I ever forget, that I have no wings to fly, that I am bound in this spot evermore.

I am eager and wakeful, I am a stranger in a strange land.
Thy breath comes to me whispering an impossible hope.
Thy tongue is known to my heart as its very own.
O Far-to-seek, O the keen call of thy flute!
I forget, I ever forget, that I know not the way, that I have not the winged horse.

I am listless, I am a wanderer in my heart.
In the sunny haze of the languid hours, what vast vision of thine takes shape in the blue of the sky!
O Farthest end, O the keen call of thy flute!
I forget, I ever forget, that the gates are shut everywhere in the
house where I dwell alone!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Vote!

Hey! I'll be back with a longer post with some more about my week and my experiences and possibly buuuut I was hoping that everyone who reads my blog could visit http://www.haveuseensally.com and vote for me! I'm the one named Caitlin who just happens to look like this:


THANKS! <3

Saturday, September 6, 2008

LOGJAM!!!

Last night was Logjam 2008. Basically, all the clubs and events and sports of UPS set up on the big lawn in front of Wyatt Hall and the student walk around and sign up for what they are interested in. I signed up for the mailing list for the UPS newspaper The Trail. I picked up a brochure for student photographic service (which take pictures for the newspaper and yearbook and get paid for it) and I signed up for Crew. The school also provided free food(!!!) and live music including a UPS rock band, some hip hop acts, and the male (Garden Level) and female (What She Said) a capella groups. It was a really fun time. To top of the night there were fire dancers while we waited for it to get dark, and fireworks sposored by Farelli's pizza. I got some really nice shots in my opinion. I'm still wrestling with the idea of dropping Chinese and wondering if I did if I would want to replace it, or just take three classes. I have to have 32 units when I graduate, that is exactly 8-per-year, except I have 4 units (possibly 5 when I get my art portfolio reviewed) extra because of AP classes, so I have a bit of wiggle room. I guess I'll keep thinking it over, but the idea is looking more and more appealing as I hear about the commitment level that crew requires.