I wrote this nice post the other day, but the computer ate it. And since I am studying for this FE exam I figured that I had wasted enough time that day, however, I feel like I should update my blog with something. I was thinking about what I could write about that everyone might be interested in, I could talk about the beautiful cherry blossoms that the Howard's took me to see last week, or how I had lunch with Sarah Meadows yesterday, or about the four different projects that I have to finish before May 10th (three of which I haven't started (two journal papers on how film capacitors fail and the reliability issues with them (don't ask me how they work, I haven't quite figured that out yet), a powerpoint and paper on how to work this computer program that builds circuit boards and routs the wires (which I don't know how to use yet and need to learn), and a building bridge or smoothing structural (which the professor hasn't assigned yet) or how I love the gym or how John (the intern in the basement) and I have almost finished the tree puzzle.

I opted instead to tell you all how much that I like one of my good friends, Jared Shelton, and how I think he is great (and am very thankful that he is my friend). He drove all the way up this morning to come to church with me because he knew that I was all stressed out about the FE and school in general. So he drove two hours to go to church with me and talk to a bunch of people that he doesn't know just because he knew it would make me happier. (On a side note: I totally miss my church. It is amazing and I have never been to a church I like more. Please keep up with your friendliness. It is so boring to not have anyone talk to you and be interested in your life. I love my church.) I just think that is totally sweet and awesome and worth a blog entry. We went to church, then to Chris's house for lunch with RUF, and then to walk around IKEA to check out furniture for Jared's new house. Then Jared had to leave to get back to Sunday evening church, which I also miss like crazy! I always really miss my church on Sundays. Sundays make me homesick for Salisbury more than any other day.

So Jared, if you decide to read my blog this week, thank you for being a dear friend and thank you for driving all the way up here (in the rain) and back to spend six hours of your day with me and four hours driving. Thank you for making me smile and for being a big goober. Sometimes I just need to take a break and laugh. Also, thank you for being serious and listening when I need that too. I thank God for you and for everything He has taught me through you, both the good things and the bad. I start to see how ALL things work for His glory and the good of those who love Him.

46 days until graduation...

There is something very rewarding about getting down on your hands and knees and cleaning the kitchen and bathroom floors. I really enjoy it. I don't enjoy how my hands feel all dried out afterwards, but oh well. I think it would be fun to clean my own floors, well until kids come and then I don't have time to clean the floors and I start going crazy because there is so much to do and I don't have time to do it all. I appreciate being single (single in the sense that I am not married) and childless while I am in school.

And there is something else rewarding about going running at 7:30 in the crisp spring mornings. Ah! It was beautiful out this morning. God has blessed us so much by surrounding us with such beauty. Have you looked at the trees this year? Maybe there are just more of them around this area, but the pink and white cherry blossoms are incredible!! I love them.

Alright, I have to get back to studying for the FE. Two weeks and a few hours until it is all over. I still don't know how I am going to last through an eight how exam - does one's brain work that long? If you think of me in the next two weeks, please pray that I can think clearly for that long and that I get a good night sleep before the exam (April 12th). Thanks!

Oh and thanks to Anna and Emily for coming to visit me on Wednesday! That was so great. You make me so happy. :) I love seeing people I know from home. There is just something great about a little bit of home being here for just a short while. It makes it less lonely and foreign. Below pictures from our Ikea shopping trip (where we ate six huge cinnamon buns). We also went frolfing and to Chipotle!!!

Until next time,
Faith

I really like my name.

A few things I love and experienced over spring break:

* My dad and Mr. Harts Sunday School class
* all the people in the previously mentioned Sunday school class
* my mom's baked chicken
* pineapple
* Hannah and Patrick (and cheese)
* my mom's fudge!
* my brother's sense of humor
* cribbage
* Mrs. Shelton's Swedish pancakes
* finishing crossword puzzles with Jared
* long talks
* boggle
* my sisters
* long walks
* the Taylors (family and house)
* Mary's delight
* rummy
* UNC winning
* Leeland and Casting Crowns
* wearing dresses and skirts
* matching Jared
* chinatown
* flowers!
* getting to use my awesome vase
* wonderful family
* great friends
* sweet Jared

* oh and no classes :D

Remember this movie?

youtube song

We heard the tale since we were young,
Heard the songs that have been sung,
About an evil spell.

Someone beautiful is cursed
We feel sad through every verse
Til a kiss and all is well

The message that no one can teach
Is clearer to someone like me

There is no curse or evil spell
That's worse than one we give ourselves
There is no sorceror as cruel,
As the proud and angry fool.

And yet, we cry life isn't fair
Beneath our cries the truth is there

A power that will break the spell
We should know very well
Is locked within ourselves

Yet we'd rather blame,
And curse our faith and change
We run from everyone to hide from the pain
And all the shame

The story long we knew it well
About a wretched evil spell
A power that will break this curse
Oh I know all too well
Is locked within myself

I'm getting a new ring!!

This is from the order of the engineer. All I have to do is sign the pledge below, which is just common sense. The words in the pledge in square brackets are optional. But I really like the last set in brackets, "in humility and with the need for Divine guidence." I think that is great. The order gives out these rings, they are made of steel and worn on the fifth finger of your working hand, to remind engineers to think about the cost of their work. This started in Canada when a bridge collapsed because of bad engineering and shortcuts. They cut up pieces of the bridge to start making the rings. I like it. It comes in at the end of April! woohoo.

I am an Engineer, in my profession I take deep pride. To it I owe solemn obligations. Since the Stone Age, human progress has been spurred by the engineering genius. Engineers have made usable Nature’s vast resources of material and energy for Humanity's [Mankind’s] benefit. Engineers have vitalized and turned to practical use the principles of science and the means of technology. Were it not for this heritage of accumulated experience, my efforts would be feeble.

As an Engineer, I pledge to practice integrity and fair dealing, tolerance and respect, and to uphold devotion to the standards and the dignity of my profession, conscious always that my skill carries with it the obligation to serve humanity by making the best use of Earth’s precious wealth.

As an Engineer[, in humility and with the need for Divine guidance,] I shall participate in none but honest enterprises. When needed, my skill and knowledge shall be given without reservation for the public good. In the performance of duty and in fidelity to my profession, I shall give the utmost.

UNC beat Duke!

Tyler became only the 3rd junior ever to score 2000 points.

On senior night.

Sweet!!

#1

I banned myself from facebook to study for midterms. It is amazing how much work I have done in just the last day that I have not allowed myself to go to facebook.
So far I have:
* written four cards,
* did the crossword puzzle,
* journalled twice,
* did homework for next week,
* read two and a half chapters of a book (not for school),
* did extra work on our project report,
* and I studied for the FE exam.

And that is just the first 24 hours of being banned from facebook. I am trying to go an entire week. I wonder what else I will add to that list? This should be fun. I like getting things accomplished.

Tonight I decided that I like lentil stew (made by Joe). He makes the chili too. They are both good, especially when we have Trader Joe's cornbread! I also am becoming a huge fan or Good Friends Kashi cerael mixed with Trader Joe's Vanillia Almond Clusters. I am becoming my Dad and mixing ceraels. The Kashi would be to branish for me without the clusters. heh. Jared told me that I should always eat breakfast. So I eat a banana and a bowl of cerael most mornings before I rush out the door. I love having 10 and 11 o'clock classes. It is the best. I get up between 6:30 and 7:00 and have the whole morning to do whatever I want. It is so great.

And I am a HUGE fan of the elliptical machine at the gym ever since I figure out how to read and workout. It is like the best thing since sliced bread. And finally, we sang this song at RUF last night and I remembered how much I loved it and the Newsboys. :)

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Brought with the precious blood of Christ

We've all had a good laugh at me being misquoted in the Diamondback. I answered a whole list of questions and of the list of things they pulled out to phrases and stuck them in. I don't know what is funnier, the quote itself or how they described me.

"I like the stained glass windows," added Faith Harr, a senior mechanical engineering and regular member of the congregation. "It's classy."

We aren't really sure if I am a senior mechanical engineering major or a senior regular member of the congregation. Because if it is the second one, it is even funnier because I specifically told the reporter that I hadn't attended the church yet this year because I had been going home on Sundays. But somehow that translated into a regular member. We've been having a lot of fun with this article.

Thanks, Anna!
I hope you can use at least one of them for your photography class.
My sister is SO talented!
I am so proud of all my siblings.
And I am so happy, I have a new dress!!

This is the program that I have been asked to join and been accepted into for this year and next year. I've spent the last few months trying to narrow down a professor to work with... I have it narrowed down to two or three now. My top choice does not have funding right now to take me on in his lab. So that leaves the other two or I could TA and get my funding that way and do research for free. So, I sort of need to be making a decision sometime soon... please, pray for wisdom. And what the paragraph below doesn't mention is that:
1. I will get my masters in one year.
2. I don't have to take the GRE.
3. I get paid salary. :D
There are other cools things about the program, but those are just the few that stick out. I might also add that I get to play with really cool stuff and work with really smart people and learn all sorts of new things. Oh, and I don't have to write a thesis if I don't want to... hmmm... But then I have to take more classes... so it is either 5 more classes and 9 hours of reseach or 8 more classes and no research.

ENME Joint B.S./M.S. Degree Program

The combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree (B.S./M.S.) Program is available only to current University of Maryland undergraduate students. The minimum requirements for acceptance into the Combined B.S./M.S. program are:

At least a 3.70 G.P.A.
No more than 30 credits of ENME courses remaining for B.S.
No more than 6 credits of CORE requirements remaining for B.S.
At least 3 letters of recommendation
An essay or statement of purpose

This is the research I am thinking about doing. It is probably my second favorite. This is a link to a blog that one of the professors runs. I am going to add it to my blog list as well, but if you want to do some really interesting reading, go here now!! heh.

Yesterday Jared and I celebrated our 29th month anniversary. I thought it was pretty neat that we celebrated our 29th month, in a February, during leap year (so it had 29 days...). It is probably just my insane love of numbers that thought that was cool. Ha.

Oh and for all of you who are married... go run up to your husband and tell him how adorable he is to you and give him a huge hug! I think one of the best things about being married is going to be the freedom to run up to my husband whenever I feel like it and give him a huge hug and tell him how handsome and attractive he is to me. I think that will be great!! So for all of you married people who have the freedom to do that now, go do it!! Living with my best friend is also another great benefit that I look forward to. *sigh* I could come up with a bunch of other things, but I have to get to class. I have been thinking lately that I would really enjoy getting to cook every night, but while I am in school I come home so tired I don't feel like doing anything. ha. Maybe... someday.

My favorite hymn of the week:

Isaac Watts meets igrace

(P.S. the verses are his, the chorus is igrace's)

(P.P.S. Michael W. Smith also sings this song, you may have heard it from him)

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My Richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride

See from His head His hands His feet
Sorrow and love mingled down
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown

Oh the wonderful cross
Bides me come and die and find
that I may truly live
Oh the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace
draw here and bless your name

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were and an off'ring far too small
Love so amazing so divine
Demands my soul my life my all

Oh the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find
that I may truly live
Oh the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace
draw here and bless your name

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Life so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul. my life, my all
and the beauty and the shame
in the glory of His name
Oh the wonderful cross

Oh the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find
that I may truly live
Oh the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace
draw here and bless your name

The GrandiHowards have to be some of the sweetest people ever.

I came down to breakfast this morning and Mary says, "Faith guess what we..."
Joe says, "no, no, no, Mary don't tell her." He looks at me. "Why do you use Dove soap?"
Me - "Ahhh, because it doesn't make my skin as dry."
Joe - "Well, you should look around upstairs and try to find a surprise for you."
Mary - "That is a much more interesting way of telling her."
Joe - "Mary insisted that we buy you something at Cosco yesterday."

So I went upstairs and looked and there is 14 bars of Dove soap. Like I could ever go through all of that in the next three months. Crazy sweet people. I love them so much!! One bar would have been enough to make me happy. :D

Hi.

I am so uncreative when school is going. I just feel like listing all the things I do each day and boring you all with the details of my life.

So I was going to leave you with this part and save the best for last, but for anyone that only skims and doesn't read the bottom part, here is the best part. I really enjoyed this reading from Spurgeon's Morning and Evening a few days ago. It was made all the better by the song at the end. It is a great hymn that I have had the chance to sing three times already this semester!! I have sung the old version at Mrs. Howard's church and the new version at RUF. Either one is awesome and you should find it somewhere and listen to it. It is my hymn of the semester so far. heh. So it was awesome to have this in my devotions one evening. It made me smile. I've never noticed the song in there before. Good stuff. :)

“There is therefore now no condemnation.”
Romans 8:1
Come, my soul, think thou of this. Believing in Jesus, thou art actually and effectually cleared from guilt; thou art led out of thy prison. Thou art no more in fetters as a bond-slave; thou art delivered now from the bondage of the law; thou art freed from sin, and canst walk at large as a freeman; thy Saviour’s blood has procured thy full discharge. Thou hast a right now to approach thy Father’s throne. No flames of vengeance are there to scare thee now; no fiery sword; justice cannot smite the innocent. Thy disabilities are taken away: thou wast once unable to see thy Father’s face: thou canst see it now. Thou couldst not speak with him: but now thou hast access with boldness. Once there was a fear of hell upon thee; but thou hast no fear of it now, for how can there be punishment for the guiltless? He who believeth is not condemned, and cannot be punished. And more than all, the privileges thou mightst have enjoyed, if thou hadst never sinned, are thine now that thou art justified. All the blessings which thou wouldst have had if thou hadst kept the law, and more, are thine, because Christ has kept it for thee. All the love and the acceptance which perfect obedience could have obtained of God, belong to thee, because Christ was perfectly obedient on thy behalf, and hath imputed all his merits to thy account, that thou mightst be exceeding rich through him, who for thy sake became exceeding poor. Oh! how great the debt of love and gratitude thou owest to thy Saviour!

“A debtor to mercy alone,
Of covenant mercy I sing;
Nor fear with thy righteousness on,
My person and offerings to bring:
The terrors of law and of God,
With me can have nothing to do;
My Saviour’s obedience and blood
Hide all my transgressions from view.”

Yesterday and today I spend all my free hours tracking down where I could get 1) blueprints to the freshman dorms and 2) the figures to how much water they each use. Now why would I want to know that you ask...? Well, I have this paper due on Monday that needs both of those things. I can't write it without the information found in both of these things. So, today at 3:45 I finally got directed to the blueprint archives building (which is in this weird creepy little run down building on like a random part of the campus). I arrived at 3:50 (you say, this is nice... well, not really because you see parking is free at four, you have to pay at 3:50, if you can find a free meter). I found a free meter and paid and walked to the building. This place was crazy. It was a room full of flatfiles. And each flatfile was STUFFED with every drawing that had ever been made of every building on campus. It sort of looked like this picture below. The right hand set would have another row behind them facing the other way that you could walk around in the middle of the room. On the far right was two copiers, a scanner, two desks, and a few tables to spread drawings out on.


And none of them matched, just like in this picture. So I thumbed through they files looking for plumbing diagrams from three of the freshman dorms AND I found them. Each of them was eight pages long. So 3*8=24. I thought for sure that it was going to cost me a fortune to get these copied and I would be stuck in this little messy office for hours copying down the figures I needed. But when I asked the girl working there she told me I could copy up to 25 pages for free. YES!!! So I did. And I am very happy. You can ask Jared because I called him afterward talking a mile a minute like I do when I am really really really excited about something.

These drawings are so neat too. They are all really old and hand drawn. They are beautiful. Engineering used to be such an art. I'm sort of sad that we don't get to learn how to draft and draw such awesome blueprints. Computers have taken away the beauty of blueprints. They all look roughly the same now. I know, it is easier and all, but it just looks so much cooler this way.

So, I still have to track down the water data, but I am halfway there. I've been through 11 different people so far in tracking the water data. I think I may go visit the office of something in person tomorrow if I can track down who would keep such records... And I get to come home this weekend for the women's retreat (where I am rooming with my mother and second mother!!! They are so sweet to include me).

Oh, and I have decided that I like vegetable spaghetti better then meated spaghetti. I like it with zucchini in it. Yum yum yum.

And one more last thing: this bridge in Dubai is going to be neat. Sorry for the vast number of photos. They are all stuck together and I don't feel like editing them. I really only wanted the top one. Oh well.

So I was sitting in my 2 o'clock class and listening to the professor lecture about boolean algebra and exclusive or and nor and nand gates. It was all nice and exciting, but I kept thinking about how I was going to miss that dress rehearsal because of this stupid meeting on Friday morning that I had to stay in College Park for. It was really bothering me because it made me sad and I know it was disappointing to Jared. So about half way through class the idea pops into my head, hey, why don't you drive home tonight, pick up Jared in Centerville and then the ride isn't as boring and go to his play tonight. So I called my dependable mother; I always call her in matters such as coming home because she always says yes. ha. So that is what I did. I went home for the dress rehearsal; no change of clothes or anything. Just me and a few schoolbooks and a box of frosted mini wheats.

* I left school at 3:20 pm.
* Picked Jared up at 4:30 pm at the Queenstown Outlets (where he gave me a dark chocolate Harry and Dave's chocolate bar... oh yum!!).
* Dropped Jared off at 5:40 pm.
* Got home at 6 pm.
* Ate dinner and talked to my family until 7:15 pm.
* Left for the play at 7:30 pm.
* Watched the play from 8 - 10:15 pm.
* Got home again and did my homework from 10:30 - 12:30 am.
* Went to bed at 1 am.
* My alarm went off at 5:45 am.
* Took a shower until 6:00 am.
* I arrived at Chicken Man to meet Jared at 6:30 am.
* He arrived at 6:40 am.
* I dropped him off in Centerville at 7:50 am.
* Parked in College Park at 8:50 am.
* Went to my meeting from 9:00 - 11:40 am.
* Drove to the Howards packed my bags for the weekend.

I have class now and then I am leaving for home again at 3 pm. So that was my last 24 hours. How were yours? Oh, and Charlie's Aunt is hilarious!! Matt is the strangest, but yet funniest old woman you will see in a long while. Buy your tickets today and go see the show. It is worth the drive. Of course when part of the drive is with someone you really like, then it makes it all the better. It was so much easier getting up this morning really early and with no sleep knowing that I was going to see Jared in a few minutes!

And I am having Chipotle for lunch today!! What a great day. You can't get much better then Chipotle, home, Jared, my family, and Charlie's Aunt all in one day.

Just in case you weren't planning on coming to Charlie's Aunt... This picture alone should make you want to come. I found this online today. :D I laughed outloud. This is amazing!

And if Matt in a dress isn't enough for some of you... Jared is wearing a tux! And boy does he look incredibly handsome!! However, in honor of Valentine's Day, let me declare that he is all mine and you all can't have him. And I can say that today because I can be all sappy on valentine's day. :D Too bad I haven't spent any of our three valentine's days together. Poor Jared. Someday maybe... ANYHOW, GO SEE THE PLAY!! It will be amazing.

New travel destination thanks to the grandihowards - The Canadian Rockies, especially Banff and Jasper. Man, oh man. They showed me photos tonight from their trip. AMAZING! The water is turquoise and the mountains are amazing and there are all these waterfalls everywhere. Isn't it wonderful how God created the world in so many different forms and colors? They were showing me pictures and I couldn't believe some of them were real. It is incredible. I just need to get my passport now so I can start traveling to some of these wonderful places.

This is the first picture that I found. There are better ones. The Howards have better ones. But I have homework to finish so I grabbed this one.

For Mrs. Huntington:

I found these on Washington Post's website.
Annie and Anna could come up some time and take pictures of it, but they probably find trees pretty boring. heh.

Grandipop is in the middle of this photo. Doesn't he have a great smile? I love that face. He is great. It is a whole lot of fun living with the Howards. Oh and that reminds me, I need to pick him up a copy of the diamondback so he can do the crossword puzzle. I always almost forget and have to walk back to engineering and get him one. heh. Anyhow, I included this picture because I love when Joe laughs like this and you all need to experience it sometime. :D

So, say you have class at 2 on Fridays. Also, say that one of your good friends has had a rough work week and has been sick and not feeling so great. Now say he is working in Centreville, Md (no, not CentERville, Md because that is near Rockville Md and is much closer to me). You google or mapquest or yahoo map the trip and it is only 1 hour and 11 minutes. Next you think about how much you hate driving. But you decide that when you wake up on Friday morning you are going to drive down and surprise this friend and eat lunch with him at 11:30. Then when you wake up it is raining, but not really that hard, so you decide to make the trip. The way down is pretty nice, just a little misty, but the way back is awful and it starts pouring and is windy. Would you still take the trip? Was I crazy to take this trip down to Centreville? heh.

I don't really think so. You only live once.

I think I would have regretted not going more than going. :) Plus, it only took an hour to get down there on the way down and it was an hour and fifteen minutes on the way back. I got back to campus at 1:40 and walked right to class with about five minutes to spare. It was kinda funny, all the accidents were on the opposite side of the road both coming and going. It was nice. I would have been in so much trouble if the accidents had happened on my side of travel.

And another thing, there is just something about coming over that bay bridge that just says HOME to me. It is a great feeling to be on the Eastern Shore. Oh and the lady at the bridge was so nice on Friday. She was actually friendly and nice (which is funny because it was all rainy and nasty outside, you'd think she'd be even grumpier than normal). Anyhow, it was a nice trip. I encourage you to do things out of the ordinary sometimes. I like adventures. It adds a little fun to life.

So I've decided that I feel sorry for people that live in dorms during college and not with great people like the Howards. Not only do they cook me meal and clean the house and buy me stuff, but they also take me really interesting places and introduce me to many neat friends of theirs, who all have very interesting stories to tell.

Today, I came home from church around 12 and Joe tells me to get ready because we are going to see the biggest White Oak in Maryland and that it is on the farm of one of his friends. So I jump in the car with Pamala, Joe, little Joe, Jasper, and Mary and we all head up to the Rockvilleish area. I am not quite sure where we ended up, we headed up 270 for a while and then ended up in the most lovely place with rolling hills and driving through small little towns with cute little general stores. We passed a lot of big farms and houses and gorgeous houses. And we came to this HUGE farm that is across the road from this mountain called Sugarloaf Mountain. The land is beautiful!! I love rolling hills and trees!!! They are so amazing. Well, anyhow, this farm is huge and amazing as well. It used to be a dairy farm and now is an orchard and a farmhouse (with a wrap around porch (I dream that someday I will own a house with a wrap around porch, or at least a pretty decent size porch in the front of the house...it is a nice dream. I also dream I live on a farm like this that tucked away in a bunch of rolling hills and ponds and trees)).

We walked down a big hill and over some water and around a few fields (where on a few other hills this man has built two guest houses for his kids when they come to stay with him - beautiful). And around into this open area with this big White Oak tree with two chairs under it and a lovely view. Man, it is was so nice. It was like one of those settings that you read about in a book where the main character goes to read or think. It was great. I can't even describe it.

So this man and his wife own this farm. He grew up in Harlem after his parents moved here from Italy (so yes, he has major personal space issues and since he went to College park, he adored me and hung on my arm and got really closed to my face and talked to me a lot). So his mom always wanted to live in the country, but she ended up dying in Harlem and never got to move to the country. So this guy got in to construction and earned a bit of money and ended up buying this farm and he named it Stella's Dream (after his mother). He was the funniest little old man. He loved to talk and he greets you with a giant hug and a kiss. It was a very entertaining day. His wife was very sweet as well. She was really laid back and nice.

So this had been family week at the Howards. I normally see a few family members here or there and not very many of them. The Howards are normally going places and visiting people. Well, in the first week that I have been here I have seen a member of every family's but the Cambridge Howards. Pamela and her two boys have been staying here all weekend (and boy is Jasper a handful). Yesterday Melinda and Kevin came for lunch. Today Vernon and Emily and their two boys came with two of Michaels boys. And tonight David is coming over for the super bowl. So Kate and Damien, you all should stop by and make my week complete (although I saw you last Sunday.... so I can just say in the last eight days instead of the last week).

So yes, I feel sorry for people that live in dorms and eat dinner food. I meet the neatest people and eat the most interesting foods. Yesterday I got to try this Greek dish and a few days ago it was Ethiopian food. And the new intern (who lives in the basement) is a vegetarian, so Joe keeps making fun of me for not eating my salads, but I tell him that John can eat them all now because he likes that sort of stuff. ha ha. Life is always an adventure around here. I am really going to miss this place when I leave. It has been a fun two years. :)

Oh and Mom and Dad, you have to come see this tree sometime this semester. Joe really wants you to. So plan to come up one of these Saturdays, please.