Taking time off.

I wish I were in school. I wish I were living in Olympia right now. Classes started up at The Evergreen State College this week. All my friends are now secure in their programs, all set for fall quarter and how I wish I were too. Instead I am working two jobs, one of which I love. The other I merely tolerate, but I manage. In total, I find myself working about 60 hours a week in addition to 28 hours on call time. I find myself to be physically exhausted most of the time and though two paychecks every other friday don't exactly make up for it, it is nice knowing that when I go back to school next year I'll worry less about money.

Even the normal ones have their vices.

"I dont like to put people up on a pedestal," he said as he took another bite of cafeteria meatloaf. I nodded. "It's a really unhealthy thing to do. They are only human, and humans always let you down."

We had just come from class, having spent the last two hours discussing the assigned reading. It was a journal, written by a girl who went to the same college we now attended. Classroom discussions, I found out, were very open. Each person (about 20 of us in the class) was given the opportunity to give their opinion, while everyone else listened. I had ventured out in class, saying I had a hard time trying not to put the author up on a pedestal. While she had been an incredible and articulate writer from a very early age, the message that she conveyed was that she wasn't anything but a normal person. Average in looks, speech, background, but she was passionate about human rights. And boy, she had a love affair with words. Enchanting to read, and very emotional. I now sat at a long wooden table with a plate of noodles and limp vegetables in front of me. Across the table sat a tall, average looking boy from my class. I learned he was from California, and decided to sit with him because I found comfort in his conservative appearance. In a sea of dread-head radicals dressed in wool, my classmate's outfit of jeans and a sweatshirt sent off a vibe of "normalcy." Shallow as it was, I sat with him because he didnt look crazy or weird. Crazy and weird are good sometimes, but not all the time. I took my eyes off my lunch and back at my new friend as he finished his thought.

"I dont put anyone up on a pedestal...except for maybe the original lineup of Black Sabbath."

I waited for him to laugh at his own joke or even crack a smile, but he didn't. I finished my lunch and left as quickly and politely as I could.

Afternoon in the Emerald City.

My father called me late Thursday night, asking me if I had any plans for the weekend. I said no, then he asked, "Wanna go see the Evergreen Campus?" Ecstatic, I said yes, and this morning we hopped a plane to Seattle, via virgin air (check 'em out, ridiculously cheap flights). Tomorrow and monday we will be in Olympia, but today we hung out in Seattle. After a long lunch with my uncle and his family downtown, we all headed back to my cousin's condo in Bellevue to watch some game that I had no interest in, but sat through anyway.

It was very nice to see family, as I rarely get the opportunity. I stayed with Brennan and Ryan at their condo for a couple weeks last summer, but I cant remember the last time I'd see their parents. It was great, especially to see my father interact with his older brother. Even though they are like 13 years apart, they acted almost like...well, little boys. Constantly teasing each other and laughing, and at one point they were trying to trip each other as they tried to get to their cars. Quite funny. I didnt see Uncle John much as I was growing up, just a handful of occasions spread out every couple years. The last few times, however, I notice just how much like my father he is. They've both got this bizzare, cheesey sense of sense of humor and a love of all things nerdy. John was telling us that he could easily name all 50 states (a bet my father lost on the plane), and on top of that, he could name all four state capitals that didn't have an interstate running through them, as well as name 50 different knots, (yes, knots) If you've ever even met my father, you know he loves stuff like that.

Much as it might make me shudder thinking about how they interact when left alone together, I can't deny how much fun it would be. Talking about the amounts of raisins that can be eaten without adverse affects, college basketball, and the correct term for a herd of lizzards, Floyds are, afterall, fun people.

Friday the 13th.

For a day dubbed unlucky, Friday turned out to be a pretty awesome one. My mother called me to let me know I got an acceptance letter from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. I was and still am terribly excited, as it is my first choice college.

Since I was 15 I dreamed of going to this school, and had nearly put it out of my mind after I decided to graduate high school early. I applied sort of on a whim, thinking that my not-so-hot grades would prevent me from getting in, but God smiled on me. Now my dilemma is the cost. I havent been a resident of Washington state since 1994, so I shall be forced to pay out of state fees and tuition, estimated at $27,672 as per the Evergreen website. Note that that is a yearly total, not for all four years.

Needless to say, I am going to do everything I can to pay for as much of my education as possible. That includes moving back to the valley and getting a job or two, besides applying for scholarships and filling cupcake orders. Noo more San Francisco. I've had a great run, but its the wrong time to live here. Almost like breaking up with someone, I feel the need to tell the city the standard "Its not you, its me..." line.

So if youre in Kingsburg, expect to see me around town soon. And if youre in San Francisco, order a dozen cupcakes before I pack up. I need the money.

:]