Today was See You At the Pole. So I got up about an hour early. The positive aspects to that were 1. seeing the pretty sunrise colors with the mountain. (Yes, I took two pictures. No, I don't have my camera with me as I right this.) and 2. getting to pray with other Christians at my school. There weren't many people there, but there were some, and it was nice. I think most of the Christians forgot or didn't know it was today or had a class at 7:00. Or they were like me last year and wanted to sleep. But the moral of the story is, I'm about an hour extra tired, so that by my third class at 11 I tried making a colorful design to stay in a reasonable state for absorbing lecture. Then I had a piece of peppermint gum, which worked quite well. Maybe I was mostly hungry. For my fourth class, following my lunch hour, I felt hyper. For my fifth class (directly following my fourth)...

That's what I especially wanted to write about. My fifth class is interpreted. I feel like I shouldn't watch it - like watching it is unfair to the interpreters. But sometimes I do watch. Today, I could see the interpreter well most of the time, and I didn't want to just sit listening to the lecture (not interesting enough or I was restless?). So I watched. The problem is, the interpreters can see me. And I'm pretty sure they can know I am watching and understanding. Eye contact and communication. Being part and yet not a part of this other world. But for a moment, or moments, I was understanding, and I'm pretty sure the eye contact was there. I miss being understood in sign language and listening in sign language.

Before long, I was walking through campus, looking at one of the impressive (for my part of the world) buildings with college students in front and thinking, "Who would go there? I wouldn't." And then remembering that I ACTUALLY was going to that college. So much for that idea. Apparently I would.

School

Well. By the end of the 5th class today, I am feeling tired and hungry. Maybe food will help. And then the final class of the day... a dance class!
But I'm feeling overwhelmed. It's one of those times when I wonder, "What have I done [by registering for these classes]? What am I doing [taking these classes]?" Thankfully, I think Mondays are my hardest days class-wise this semester. Last semester it was Thursdays, when I started at 9:00 am and ended at 8:30 pm.

The puppy's name is Rufford. (PS, next time you name a pet, consider the tongue-twister aspect, like "Ruff Rutherford.") (Or maybe you don't want to ask me at all for input.)

Puppy

Guard dog in training.

I think Belle (the older dog dog) will be tired tonight (unless she already slept enough after playing).

My family got a new puppy. He's about 3 months old, I'm told. He's very cute. He has lots of energy. I don't think his name has been decided on yet (if it has, I missed it).

change (and comments) (and more comments) (made by me, and part of the original posting)

ONE more day at the part time job that had hours drawing remarkably close to 40 hours a week. (Not a bad thing, but when I was/am working two part time jobs, and I counted up the hours scheduled on two of those weeks, and the hours scheduled in the week exceeded 50, and that didn't include driving time, well, you can immagine that I did/do feel a little overwhelmed.) It has been a good summer. I got lots of hours of work, which enables me to take lots of credits this fall in school. And I was able to go to church. Church was a big goal of the summer.

So MONDAY, my 18 credits of classes start, Lord willing. Actually, I think that every single class (except for Chemistry lab) that I'm taking meets on Monday. So Monday should be busy. (This may mean that I actually will have to finish school work on Saturday instead of trying to finish it on Monday.) (Then again, maybe I'll be able to put some of it off until Tuesday.) (Immagine finals at the end of the semester. What will it do to my finals since I take so many Monday classes?) (Do you think they will let me get out of some of my finals by having good grades up until then?) (I don't think I did so well on my last Math final.) (Either I didn't do well, or the teacher never got the final because there was confusion at the testing center.) (Because I got the grade I would have gotten if I didn't take the final or didn't do well enough on the test. -I think, but I could be wrong.) (But technically I could still tutor that math class, because my overall grade was still good enough.) (The moral of the story is, give yourself enough time to learn the material before taking exams. The secondary moral is, do well on the earlier tests that are easier for you and then you have more room for error in the later tests.) (Do you think other people will read this far, or have they given up?)

UM. School starting, one job ending. OH, and maybe I'll get my room partly cleaned tomorrow, and finish (or just continue) putting things on my walls. I got some new posters last Tuesday.

sunset

My mom's planter that I haven't killed yet (I'm more concerned about some of the grass...)

The sunset was beautiful last Friday evening.

The lighting was awesome, and pictures aren't as good as BEING THERE.

Awe. When I am not the only one consuming my brainspace as I see the amazing sunset God created. Knowing God's presence in a different way.

It is funny to look back at the picture from May (?) of the gas station sign... when gas was "so expensive" at 3.65 or whatever it was then.

July

It's RAINING!!!!!!! That makes me happy.

Sunday, I went on a walk with my parents. I wanted to take pictures of the Indian Paintbrush flowers, but I took more than that. I kept stopping for pictures. Thanks to my parents for their patience. As you can see, we got to see a butterfly. Up pretty close. That was exciting. I feel blessed.

Indian Paintbrush. It grows wild near the road in one area nearby.

This pretty purple-flowering plant is fireweed. I think it was that a neighbor told us that 6 weeks after the top flowers bloom should be the first snow fall. This plant above is from near my house. The blooming flowers are passed the bottom, but they haven't reached the top yet, so hopefully snow is more than 6 weeks away.
But look closely at this example of fireweed. There still are buds at the top, but not so very many... When will it snow? The fireweed seems to be giving a range of predictions. I guess we'll have to leave the future with God. :)

Gardening Retry. Yes, I had planted another garden, but I suspect the plants died before I planted them. One kind suffered from the sun and no water, the other kind from the sun, no water, and the weed wacker machine. So early this morning at 5:49am or some nearly equally early hour (I was driving almost past there... save gas; combine trips, you know), I went to a 24 hour store, and searched for the perfect plants. Well, there were distant friends and relations of my pet plant Esmirilda, but they would probably have to live indoors, so I didn't buy them (not to mention the influencial price tag). Actually, I was a little late in the summer to get to pick from the usual pony packs, but I did find this one kind of plant that had flowers in a pony pack of 6, so I bought it. It looks like it's called Angelonia. And I planted it today as well (after sleeping for a while to help make up for the early morning). So that is nice.