Birthday Bash

This is a list of all the famous people who were born on my birthday, February 27th. My favorites are Josh Groban, Constantine, and Elizabeth Taylor.

272 - Constantine I, Roman emperor (d. 337)
274 - Constantine I, Great Roman emperor (306-337), adopted Christianity
1539 - Franciscus Raphelengius, Dutch book publisher
1622 - Rembrandt Carel Fabritius, Dutch painter
1649 - Johann Philipp Krieger, composer
1691 - Edward Cave, English editor and publisher (d. 1754)
1702 - Johann Valentin Gorner, composer
1711 - Constantine Mavrocordatos, Prince of Wallachia and Prince of Moldavia (d. 1769)
1745 - Silverius Muller, composer
1746 - Gian Francesco Fortunati, composer
1759 - Johann Carl Friedrich Rellstab, composer
1779 - Thomas Hazlehurst, English soap and alkali manufacturer (d. 1842)
1784 - Elias Annes Borger, Dutch theologist/poet (To the Rhine)
1784 - Job Plimpton, composer
1792 - Don Joaquin B F Espartero, Spanish adventurer/fieldmarshal
1802 - William George Frederick Cavendish Bentinck, Lord George Bentinck
1807 - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Portland Maine, poet (Hiawatha)
1811 - [Catherine] Mildred Lee, daughter of US general Robert E Lee
1822 - Eugene Gautier, composer
1823 - Ferdinand Van Derveer, Brig General (Union volunteers), died in 1892
1823 - William Buel Franklin, Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1903
1827 - Richard W Johnson, Bvt Major General (Union Army), died in 1897
1831 - Hiram Bond Everest, American cofounder of The Vacuum Oil Company (d. 1913)
1832 - Alfred Pollard Edward, Civil War journalist, died in 1872
1835 - Charles Cartuyvels, Belgian pulprit orator
1835 - Richard Garnett, English author (Ananda the Miracle Worker)
1841 - [Eleanor] Agnes Lee, daughter of US general Robert E Lee
1846 - Joaquin Valverde, composer
1847 - Ellen Alice Terry, Coventry Engl, actress/director (Imperial Theatre)
1848 - Charles Hubert H Parry, England, musicologist/composer (Jerusalem)
1850 - Henry Edwards Huntington, US, railroad exec
1861 - Rudolph Steiner, Kraljevic Aust, founder (doctrine of anthroposophy
1862 - Anastasios Metaxas, Greek architect and shooter (d. 1937)
1867 - Irving Fisher, US economist (compensating dollar)
1867 - Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, composer
1869 - Alice Hamilton, physician/writer (workmen's compensation laws)
1870 - Louis Coerne, composer
1874 - Max Ettinger, composer
1877 - Walter Briggs, Sr., American entrepreneur and sports team owner (d. 1952)
1878 - Alvan T. Fuller, 50th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1958)
1879 - Jose Sancho Marraco, composer
1881 - Luitzen [Bertus] Brouwers, Dutch mathematician
1881 - Sveinn Bjornsson, 1st president of Iceland (1944-52)/poet (Figur ild)
1886 - Hugo L Black, Ala, (Sen-D-Ala)/78th Supreme Court justice (1937-71)
1887 - James D Innes, English painter
1888 - Lotte Lehmann, Perleberg Germany, soprano (Fidello)
1888 - Roberto Assagioli, Italian psychiatrist (d. 1974)
1888 - Earl Caddock, American professional wrestler (d. 1950)
1890 - Freddie Keppard, American jazz musician (d. 1933)
1891 - David Sarnoff, US, radio/TV pioneer/CEO (RCA)
1891 - Georges E Migot, French composer
1891 - Anne Samson, oldest-ever nun documented (d. 2004)
1892 - William Demarest, St Paul Minn, actor (Uncle Charlie-My 3 Sons)
1893 - Joseph Messner, composer
1893 - Ralph Linton, US cultural anthropologist (Tree of Culture)
1894 - Robert-Lucien Siohan, composer
1895 - Edward Brophy, actor (Champ, Dumbo, Great Guy, Cameraman, Doughboys)
1897 - Bernard F Lyot, French astronomer (Lyot filter)
1897 - G Paul H Schuitema, graphic designer/photographer (System-O-Color)
1897 - Marian Anderson, American contralto (d. 1993)
1898 - Allison Danzig, sports writer (Tennis Pictorial History)
1898 - Rutkowski Bronislaw, composer
1899 - Charles H Best, Maine, physiologist/co-discoverer (Insulin)
1899 - Ian Keith, Boston MA, actor (Rochefort-3 Musketeers)
1899 - Sulo Nikolai Salonen, composer
1899 - Charles Best, Canadian medical scientist (d. 1978)
1901 - Marino Marini, Italian sculptor/painter
1902 - Ethelda Bleibtrey, 100m/300m US swimmer (Olympics-3 gold-1920)
1902 - Gene Sarazen, Harrison NY, PGA golfer (Masters 1935, US Open 1922, 32)
1902 - John Steinbeck, Salinas Calif, author (Grapes of Wrath-Nobel 1962)
1903 - Reginald Gardiner, Wimbledon England, actor (Great Dictator)
1903 - Grethe Weiser, German actress (d. 1970)
1904 - James Thomas Farrell, US, author (Studs Lonigan trilogy)
1904 - Renaat Verheijen, Flemish actor/director (Innocent Heart)
1904 - Yulii Borisovich Khariton, Russian physicist (d. 1996)
1904 - André Leducq, French cyclist (d. 1980)
1904 - Chick Fullis, American baseball player (d. 1946)
1905 - Charles de Keukeleire, Belgian director (Evil Eye)
1905 - Franchot Tone, Niagara Falls NY, actor (Dr Freeland-Ben Casey)
1906 - Alexander Matheson, NZ cricket pace bowler (2 Tests 1930-31)
1906 - H Algernon F "Algy" Rumbold, English diplomat (S Africa/Tibet)
1907 - Gerhard Alexander, [Veldheer], Dutch actor (Prince Willem of Orange)
1907 - Mildred Bailey, American singer (d. 1951)
1909 - Elisabeth Welch, singer (Song of Freedom, Over the Moon)
1910 - Joan Bennett, Palasades NJ, actress (Little Women, Disraeli)
1910 - Peter De Vries, Chicago, author (Reuben Reuben, Prick of Noon)
1910 - Ted Horn, American race car driver (d. 1948)
1910 - Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, American aircraft engineer (Lockheed Skunk Works; d. 1990)
1912 - Lawrence Durrell, Darjeeling India, writer (Alexandria Quartet)
1912 - Kusumagraj, Indian writer (d. 1999)
1913 - Frank Allaun, British MP (L)
1913 - Irwin Shaw, US, novelist (Rich Man Poor Man)
1913 - Kazimierz Sabbat, Polish president (d. 1989)
1915 - Arthur Gilson, Belgian attorney/minister of Defense (1958-..)
1917 - John Connally, (Gov-D/R-Texas), shot in Kennedy motorcade
1919 - Lawrence Durrell, writer
1919 - Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, composer
1920 - David Vere Bendall, former diplomat
1920 - Jose Melis, Havana Cuba, orch leader (Jack Paar Program)
1920 - Reg Simpson, cricketer (prolific England opener 1948-55)
1921 - Andras Szollosy, composer
1921 - Michael Fox, US, actor (Quincy, Dallas, Bold & the Beautiful)
1922 - Mervyn Jones, author (Nobody's Fault, 5 Hungarian Writers)
1922 - Hans Rookmaaker, Dutch professor and art historian (d. 1977)
1923 - Dexter Gordon, US, tenor saxophonist/actor (Connection)
1923 - Viktor Kalabis, composer
1924 - M M Shearer, former Lord Lieutenant of Shetland
1924 - Norman Marshall, cricketer (brother of Roy, one Test for WI 1955)
1925 - Hugh Leggatt, art dealer
1925 - Michael Kaye, director (City of London Festival)
1925 - Richard AFM Auwerda, Dutch journalist/writer
1925 - Samuel Dash, American Congressional counsel (d. 2004)
1926 - Peter Emery, British MP
1926 - David H. Hubel, Canadian neuroscientist, Nobel Prize laureate
1927 - Guy Mitchell, [Al Cernick], Detroit Mich, rocker/actor (Red Garters)
1927 - Lord Belhaven & Stenton
1927 - Michael Butler, Pro-Provost/chairman (Royal College of Art)
1927 - Lynn Cartwright, American actress (d. 2004)
1927 - Guy Mitchell, American singer (d. 1999)
1928 - Ariel Sharon, former Prime Minister of Israel
1929 - Djalma Santos, Brazilian footballer
1929 - Jack Gibson, Australian rugby league footballer and coach (d. 2008)
1930 - Joanne Woodward, Thomasville Ga, actress (3 Faces of Eve, Rachel)
1930 - Lieux Dressler, actress (Alice Grant-General Hospital)
1930 - Paul von Ragué Schleyer, American chemist
1930 - Peter Stone, American writer (d. 2003)
1931 - Andrew Sloan, Chief Constable (Strathcourt)
1932 - Dolf Zwerver, Dutch painter
1932 - Elizabeth Taylor, London, actress (Cleopatra) violet eyes
1932 - Lord Young of Graffham, CEO (Cables & Wireless)
1933 - 6th marquess of Bute, Scottish large landowner/bibliophile
1933 - Edward Lucie-Smith, poetry critic
1933 - Geoffrey Maitland Smith, CEO (Sears)
1933 - Malcolm Wallop, (Sen-R-WY, 1977- )
1933 - Raymond Berry, Texas, NFL hall of famer (Baltimore Colts)
1934 - Ralph Nader, Winsted Conn, consumer advocate (Unsafe at Any Speed)
1934 - Van Williams, Fort Worth Tx, actor (Green Hornet, Tycoon)
1934 - [Navarre] Scott Momaday, US author (House Made of Dawn, Pulitzer 1969)
1934 - Vincent Fourcade, French interior designer (d. 1992)
1934 - Van Williams, American actor
1935 - Alberto Remedios, opera/concert singer
1935 - Mirella Freni, Modena Italy, lyric soprano (Madame Butterfly)
1936 - Chuck Glaser, Spalding Neb, singer (Glaser Bros-Getting to Me Again)
1936 - Roger M Mahoney, Hollywood Ca, archbishop of Los Angeles (1985- )
1936 - Timothy Spall, actor (1871, Life is Sweet, Crusoe, Remembrance)
1936 - Virginia Maskell, actress (Suspect, Doctor in Love, Man Upstairs)
1936 - Ron Barassi, Australian rules footballer
1937 - Barbara Babcock, Pasadena CA, actr (Dr Quinn, Dallas, Hill St Blues)
1937 - Donald MacKay, CEO (Scottish Enterprise)
1937 - L Jay Silvester, US, discus thrower (Olympic-silver-1972)
1937 - Viscount Head
1938 - Pascale Petit, PAris, actor (Code Name: Jaguar, End of Desire)
1939 - Antoinette Sibley, ballerina (Turning Point)
1939 - Kenzo Takada, Japanese director (Dream After Dream)
1939 - Lester King, cricketer (WI fast bowler, 2 Tests 1962-68, 9 wkts)
1939 - Peter Revson, auto racer (1971 Indianapolis pole winner)
1940 - Barbara Kelly, CEO (Scottish Consumer Council)
1940 - Howard Hesseman, Salem Or, actor (Dr Johnny Fever-WKRP, Head of Class)
1940 - Bill Hunter, Australian actor
1941 - Ian McGarry, general secretary (British Actors' Equity Association)
1941 - Paddy Ashton, New Delhi India, British MP (Soc/Lib Democrat)
1941 - Sandy Wilson
1942 - Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Due West SC, news reporter (McNeil-Lehrer)
1942 - Robert H. Grubbs, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
1942 - Michel Forget, French Canadian actor
1943 - Mary Frann, St Louis Mo, actress (Joanna-Newhart, Days of Our Live)
1943 - Morten Lauridsen, American composer
1944 - Alan Fudge, Wichita Ks, actor (Man From Atlantis, Paper Dolls)
1944 - Graeme Pollock, cricketer (South African batting prodigy)
1944 - Roger Scruton, philosopher
1945 - Daniel Olbrychski, Poland, actor (La Truite)
1947 - Ashley Woodcock, cricketer (one Test Aust v NZ 1974, only knock 27)
1947 - Gidon Kremer, Riga Latvia, violinist (Tchaikovsky Prize 1970)
1947 - Marian G Klaren, Dutch mime/actress (Red Cabbage)
1948 - Eddie Gray, rock guitarist (Tommy James & Shondells-Crystal Blue)
1948 - Stephen Curtis, CEO (DVLA)
1950 - Franco Moschino, fashion Designer
1950 - Julia Neuberger, British Rabbi
1951 - Lee Atwater, Republican National Committee Chairman (1989-91)
1951 - Steve Harley, rocker (Come Up & See Me)
1952 - Dwight Elmo Jones, Houston Tx, basketball player (Olymp-silver-1972)
1952 - Henk Westbroek, Dutch singer (Good Cause)
1952 - Kevin Raleigh, rock vocalist/keyboardist (Michael Stanley Band)
1952 - Stathis Psaltis, Greek actor
1954 - Neal Schon, rock guitarist (Journey-Open Arms, Bad English)
1955 - Garry Christian, rocker
1955 - Sally Spencer, actress (M J McKinnon-Another World)
1955 - Peter Christopherson, English musician and video director
1957 - Adrian Smith, heavy metal guitarist (Iron Maiden-Aces High)
1957 - Viktor Markin, Russian athlete
1957 - Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator
1958 - Naas Botha, South African rugby union footballer
1958 - Nancy Spungen, American murder victim of Sid Vicious (d. 1978)
1959 - Johnny Van Zant, American singer (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
1960 - Andres Gomez, Ecuador, tennis pro (Madrid Grand Prix-1990)
1960 - Bolik Dahan, Suriname singer/radio host (Radio KBC)
1960 - John van Grinsven, soccer player (MVV)
1960 - Paul Humphreys, rock synthesizer (OMD-Crush, Pacific Age)
1960 - Stoney Jackson, Richmond Va, actor (White Shadow, Insiders)
1961 - Grant Shaud, actor (Miles Silverburg-Murphy Brown)

1961 - James Worthy, NBA forward (LA Lakers, 1988 Playoff MVP)
1962 - Adam Baldwin, actor (Full Metal Jacket, My Bodyguard)
1962 - Grant Show, Detroit Mich, actor (Jack Hanson-Melrose Place)
1962 - Kory Tarpenning, Portland Oregon, pole vaulter
1962 - Veronica Ribot-Canales, Buenos Aires Argentina, US diver (Olympics-96)
1963 - Francesco Cancellotti, Italy, tennis star
1963 - Pär Nuder, Swedish politician
1964 - April Heinrichs, Littleton Colo, US women's soccer coach (Olympic-96)
1964 - Ewen Vernal, British pop bassist (Deacon Blue-Your Town)
1964 - Richard de Vries, soccer player (De Graafschap)
1965 - Sandra Cecchini, Bologna Italy, tennis star (1995 Warsaw doubles)
1965 - Noah Emmerich, American actor
1965 - Frank Peter Zimmermann, German violinist
1966 - Chris Howard, US baseball catcher (Seattle Mariners)
1966 - Gregg Rainwater, actor (Buck Cross-Young Riders)
1966 - Pete Smith, US baseball player (Atlanta Braves, NY Mets)
1966 - Donal Logue, Canadian actor
1967 - Dallas Eakins, Dade City, NHL defenseman (Winnipeg Jets)
1967 - Frantisek Kaberle, Brno CZE, hockey forward (Team Czech Rep)
1967 - Robert Kron, Brno Cze, NHL right wing (Hartford Whalers)
1968 - Loy Vaught, NBA forward (LA Clippers)
1968 - Mike Sullivan, Marshfield, NHL center (Calgary Flames)
1968 - Ron Cox, NFL linebacker (Chic Bears)
1969 - Greg Stevenson, Sherbrooke Quebec, rower (Olympics-11-92, 96)
1969 - Robert Massey, NFL cornerback (NY Giants)
1969 - Robert Molenaar, Dutch soccer player (FC Volendam)
1969 - Victoria Fair, Jackson Michigan, Miss Michigan-America (1991)
1969 - Willie Banks, US baseball pitcher (Chicago Cubs)
1969 - Brad Vander Ark, American musician
1970 - David White, NFL linebacker (Buffalo Bills)
1970 - Michael A. Burstein, American writer
1970 - Kent Desormeaux, American jockey
1970 - Matthias Lechner, German art director
1970 - Patricia Petibon, French opera singer
1971 - Ivan Robinson, Phila Pa, US boxer (Olympic-92)
1971 - Jaroslav Modry, Ceske-budejovice C, NHL defenseman (Ottawa Senators)
1971 - Rich Tylski, guard/center (Jacksonville Jaguars)
1971 - Derren Brown, British psychological illusionist
1971 - Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, American singer (TLC)
1973 - "Pooh" Clark, rocker (High-5)
1973 - Terence Davis, WLAF wide receiver (London Monarchs)
1973 - Mark Taylor, Welsh rugby union footballer
1974 - Chris Dishman, guard (Arizona Cardinals)
1974 - Jim Maher, cricketer (Queensland lefty batsman victorious 1995 side)
1975 - Christina Nigra, actress (Out of This World)
1975 - Dana Marie Lane, Cheyenne Wyoming, Miss America-Wyoming (1996)
1975 - Duce Staley, running back (Philadelphia Eagles)
1975 - Marcus Robinson, wide receiver (Chicago Bears)
1975 - Prodromos Korkizoglou, Greek decathlete
1975 - Shelby Walker, American mixed martial artist (d. 2006)
1976 - Tony Gonzalez, tight end (KC Chiefs)
1977 - Lance Hoyt, American professional wrestler
1977 - Ji Sung, South Korean actor
1977 - James Wan, Australian film director
1978 - James Beattie, English footballer
1980 - Chelsea Clinton, daughter of President Clinton (1993-2001)
1980 - Bobby Valentino, American singer
1981 - Josh Groban, American singer
1981 - Elodie Ouédraogo, Belgian athlete
1983 - Hayley Angel Wardle, English actress
1983 - Kate Mara, American actress
1983 - Devin Harris, American basketball player
1984 - Antti Tuisku, Finnish singer
1984 - Lotta Schelin, Swedish female footballer
1984 - David Noel, American basketball player
1985 - Juliana Imai, Brazilian model
1985 - Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Russian Footballer
1989 - Kelly Breeding, American singer from B5
1991 - Azeem Rafiq, Yorkshire CCC & English U15 captain
1994 - Hou Yifan, Chinese chess player

"No skulls, and no hearts."

And so it begins...

The holidays have whizzed past us, and before we know it Spring will be upon us. The first few weeks at ASU are kind of exciting. You sit up straight in your chair and take notes diligently, making sure that if someone happens to be looking your way, that you're not texting or looking around the room not paying attention. Well, that's how I feel anyway.

After a while, about week eight or nine in the semester, you begin counting down the weeks dreading each assignment as it comes, feeling like you're stuck in a never-ending mud pit. Like one in the Princess Bride, except instead of a large evil rat thing chasing you, it's a due date and a final grade.

Forty classes, all I need to graduate. Except forty-three in my case since some of my credits do not count towards my degree. I could have done without the snobbish arrogance of my freshman year art teacher who ridiculed my work, and the only piece she did like was the one that I based off of her rules for the project: "No skulls, and no hearts. I don't want to see any of that." So I did a bright charcoal print with a skull and heart pattern, I didn't like her very much. But she loved it, and completely forgot about her rules.

Even though her class doesn't "count," I spent a minute getting upset about the wasted time in that class, but then thought about what I learned in there. Because if it doesn't count as 2.5% of my diploma, what did it count for? I learned that sometimes people are put in positions of authority, and they don't know what to do with it. That one day, they got a promotion and celebrated that fact, and once they showed up for their first day, learned the frustrations of the vocation, and went along with it anyway. I learned that maybe we shouldn't get upset at that other person who just made a bad call on our team's game, because they're just a person, trying to get through the burning rings of fire that each day at a job brings, and make it out on the other side, un-singed.

Class number two: Dr. Heywood's Designing Life. Now, I could care less if this class counted or not. It gave me inspiration about how I should view a job, and what really mattered about that particular job. It was on my way to this class, that I ran into my now boyfriend, on campus for the first time. It was there that he gave me his phone number, and we went on a mini date after Heywood's class ended. He had taken that class a few years before me, so it gave us something in common to start off with. I could care less if that class counts, because I have Chris.

Class number three: General Business at PVCC. I think it is funniest of all that this class doesn't even go towards my degree, since it is the class that made me want to go into business in the first place. My life would be completely different if I hadn't made that decision. If we all looked at the things that "count" in terms of how important it was to us, instead of how someone else recognizes it, it would make things simpler.

6x6

My grandmother was a wonderful woman. I'll always remember how she drank tea in the morning, and I would always try it and never liked it. Now I do. For breakfast she'd have cinnamon raisin toast with butter on it, or waffles. I'd sit there and fill each and every little square of my waffle with syrup, then my little cousin Kara would want the same on hers (not very little anymore, now she's a senior in high school, time flies).

My grandma taught me to love Shirley Temple and Marlon Brando, Audrey Hepburn movies and Wheel of Fortune. We had tea parties and I'd help her water her plants. I loved days with Grandma Dot. She used to pick me up from Kindergarten and take me to get "pink ice cream" as I called it. We would see movies at PV Mall when there was a theatre there, and always check it they were rated 'G.'

Among many things, she taught me how to knit. I always used to watch her knit things, she had a special wicker basket she kept under a table in the living room. She'd knit while I watched Peter Pan or The Little Mermaid, I loved those movies.

When I got old enough she took me to Joann's and bought me my very own needles, and pink yarn. I was pretty bad at it, the rows were tight and uneven, but I was determined. Now I own about seven pairs of knitting needles, ranging from bamboo, to metal, to plastic.

I cried the first time I walked into Joann's after my grandma past away. I wanted to knit a beanie but I didn't know how to. The sales woman probably thought I was strange because after she showed me where the beanie knitting looms were, I started tearing up again.

Now as Christmas is coming closer than most of us are realizing, I remembered one tradition I did with my grandma. We'd knit 6' x 6' squares, and donate them to the Church of Joy in Glendale where a group of women would sew them together and make blankets for people living on the streets.

I'm making my first square of the season, and thinking about Grandma Dot. It almost doesn't seem right that Wheel of Fortune isn't on right now.

Fall, or don't.

Autumn is here, although you can barely tell in the good ol' AZ. It was in the late 80's today, at the end of October. I wish the temps would "Fall" a little more. One way you can tell it is Autumn: hiking season has opened up. A very eloquently spoken friend said, "It's like the state fair, except without all the fried stuff." It only comes around once a year, and it's a beautiful thing.

Lately my adventures have taken me to the bottom of the Havasupai: a trip that has been practically 20 years in the making. My mom is a lot of things, a great mom, a talented teacher, an avid outdoors-woman, and a backpacking guide for the Havasupai. Which pretty much equals: B.A. She has hiked it two to four times a year, since I was two.

The first time my brother went down the canyon, he was six. That was about the time I started hearing the question, "When's Briana going to go down the canyon?" So off I went.

I was fortunate to have my good friend and track buddy Jake along for the trip, along with about 8 other people in the group. We stayed at a "happening" motel in Williams, I do believe at one point in time, it was a happening joint. The asian couple that ran it were quite entertaining. They were nice enough to give refunds to the group members who found crickets under their pillows, so very generous.

Friday morning we drove to the trailhead, marked our bags, and headed out for the 10 mile hike down to the campground. I'm proud to say Jake and I hiked eight miles in two hours. We even passed a few groups, lets just say not everyone knows hiking etiquette. Like the middle aged man who started walking faster when he realized he was about to be passed by a blonde, ah well. I'm hoping he got over it.

We saw the most amazing waterfalls and camped at the sweetest campsite I've ever been to, and I've been to dozens (my garage looks like a mini-REI to say the least). The home-made Indian Tacos were well worth the $8, I could so go for one right this second.

After our 4-mile day hike on the second day, my blisters set in. The count quickly went from 2, to 4, to 7- between my two feet. I sat with my feet in the stream crying, not my most happy moment.

The next morning, a 4:30 wake-up call. We packed up our tents and gear, and hiked out at 6 am. By then, with every step I took it felt like little knives stabbing my heels. With a few stops and band-aid changes, Jake and I made the ten mile hike out in 5 hours, I was very proud of us considering the condition of my feet.

We proceeded to have the best burgers and fries any of us had ever tasted, on Route 66. We listened to oldies in the car ride home, it was like we went back in time to quieter days.

Sore and bruised from the rock climbing I did today, I'm so happy it's Fall. I'm so happy I didn't fall off the rock today, Im happy I didn't fall on the trail down the canyon. I may fall when it comes to keeping my desk clean, or being motivated with schoolwork at times, but hey...I'm just glad it is Fall.

The Truman Show

The grass is always greener on the other side, and I really think I need to sit back and appreciate what I have and all the amazing things that are happening for me.

I feel suffocated sometimes with the predictability of my days- Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I work. Tuesdays and Thursdays I go to school. I see the same people on the bus and light rail on the way to school, and when I drive to work I see the same people leaving their garages. It feels like the Truman Show type of world, where people talk about the things they’re involved in like it's a commercial. Where everything is the same.

I sit in the same row in my first class everyday. The same girl trips over my longboard every time she walks by (you'd think she'd look out for it by now), the same Industrial Design major-guy wishes me a good morning. Every Thursday in my accounting class I help the same girl with her homework before the teacher gets there, the same guy is late walking in, the same girl is sitting behind me click click clicking away text messages all stinking class. It's the same. Yet when everything was a variable, I was miserable. I never knew my work schedule until the Sunday before. I was involved in so many things that required so many different efforts and qualities, and I was exhausted. Now I'm exhausted (I'm still working my butt off), but it's a different kind of exhausted. I can't quite put my finger on it.

God is interesting like that, He gives us new challenges to overcome. We wish things were one way, and get mad when our prayers aren't answered. Then suddenly, without really realizing it, our prayers are answered and voila: you got your wish. You have stability, you know what your pay check is going to be, which night is date night, which night is family night, and which night is girl night, and so on. My life is so planned right now, that I have completely booked days...in December.

I'm just praying for humility, because I have a lot of amazing things going on for me, and I feel like I'm taking them for granted. I should feel blessed that there is a free shuttle from Tempe to West, and not gripe that it takes an hour to get there. I should feel blessed that I am attending college, instead of complaining about the workload. I should feel blessed that I have a steady schedule, instead of debasing the robot-like feeling of it all.

I should feel blessed. I know that I am blessed, I'm just praying that God will continue to remind me of that daily.

ASU: First Day, JR. Year

I woke up on Tuesday with the scene from Finding Nemo stuck in my head, where Nemo is waking up his dad with, "First day of school! First day of school! First day of school!" Then, I said a little prayer about this semester, that God would give me wisdom and guidance, and motivate me to push forward even in the toughest times, and to help me have a good day of classes today.

As I arrived on campus, I located my 9 am, 450 person lecture, and Fall semester officially began. After my two classes at the Tempe campus, I have two at the West campus (lovely). I make the 20 minute walk from the MU to the light rail station, where I planned to pick up my bike, light-rail it home, grab some lunch & head to West.

Stolen. My bike got stolen. Shoot! It's name should've been Old Faithful, since it was my mountain bike that cost $70 in 6th freaking grade (I was just about as tall then as I am now, another fun experience in my life). It had green paint, and the breaks only worked on one side. I hope whatever sucker stole my bike learned about the break malfunction the hard way: I hope he ran into a pole.

Panicking and not sure what to do, I call Liz who precedes to look up the bus I'm supposed to take to West, low and behold it is in fact right next to the MU, which is 20 minutes away, and it leaves in 20 minutes. Oh joy.

I literally got there right when the bus pulled up, & yes there was running involved. I sat in the second row, & I look out the window. "Hmm...that looks like Kara." I think to myself. She turns her head, "Hmm, that IS Kara." Kara happens to be the girl in high school who slept with my ex while I was dating him- wonderful. She is now boarding the same bus as I am.

I pull out my phone, fiddling, fiddling, trying not to make eye contact. Guess who decides to sit right freaking in front of me....Kara. I still kept to myself as she stared directly at me, probably half wondering if she should move seats, and half wondering what the odds were at we'd be on the same bus, in the same two rows. Funny, I was thinking the same thing.

For the next HOUR I avoided eye contact & endured the awkward glances that were coming my way. I was very ready for this day to end. I get to West, went to Bio, and met up with Lizzy and Daniella for some much needed Chipotle and Starbucks.

Well, the Starbucks after a full bowl at Chipotle was not a good idea. I preceded to go to my next class, Accounting at 6 pm.

6: 15 rolls around, and no one is in the class. Hmm. I check MyASU, and guess which class is only on Thursdays. I trudged back to the bus for the hour long ride home. I called my boyfriend, asking for him to pick me up, knowing I couldn't handle the whole walking/light-rail situation after today.

While waiting, my feet began to sting. I look down, how wonderful. Red ants and covering them, and proceeded to bite. That was the icing on the cake, of my first day of Junior year. I hope the rest of the semester goes better than Tuesday...

ASU: On Wheels

There is a distinct kind of student at ASU main campus: casual, usually pretty trendy. But then again, right now not being trendy, is trendy. People usually carry their books in backpack, girls either carry their books/binders or have a large purse holding the contents of their life.

(In fact, I've even seen girls with the backpack/purse combo. I feel like that's a lot of luggage to tote around."

At West campus: Rolly-backpacks. I've never seen so many rolly -backpacks in my entire life! I mean I remember when that was popular in like 4th grade because that's when our backpacks got "heavy," but I never expected to see them in college. Some people even have little crates with lids, on a miniature dolly system, wrapped together with bungee cords. Now personally, that'd be the way I'd take care of business, if I ever wanted to invest in a rolling device to carry my stuff. 

Next up: Tamagachi's and Bouncy balls will become the next biggest thing that college students love. Since those were the next coolest items in 4th grade.