Things I did instead of studying:

- made cake pops for church brunch (thats right, cake on a stick, with sprinkles. I would pick the most time consuming baked good ever but they are kind of amazing)

- bought fabric at Joann's weekend sale (40-50% off- how can you resist?)

- visited the book festival happening literally in my back yard. My favorite is the science fiction/ fantasy tent, which of course sports some wenches and pirates. The wenches were a little timid for my taste. I mean really, if you are going to dress up in public, displaying your not so hidden fantasy about living in the novels you read/attempt to write, please go big or go home. If you are going to be a pirate, BE A PIRATE. Don't mouse about and make me pity you for your lack of swash-buckle.

- had brunch with my dear friends that comprise Team Awesome here at nursing school. Crepes, farmer's market breads and cheeses, fritata and my favorite coffee....mmmmm...talked about the commune.

- made over a dozen mini meat loafs to freeze for future consumption. Baked them in muffin tins = brilliant. and delicious.

- cleaned my room

- wrote this blog

- watched the two hour Grey's anatomy premiere and displayed nurse dorkdom via my excitement that the safety checklist used pre-surgery prevented them from operating on the wrong person. Yay for safety checklists!

Okay, I am kind of into school again, having almost finished the first round of test. Truly, the only thing keeping me grounded is a daily run. and biscuits. I heard rumor of a run in DC in December some how based around chocolate or sponsored by a chocolate company....could there be anything better? I have a lot to do and hopefully I will do it all.

I keep a running list in the back of my calendar (yes I still use a hard copy, non-phone or web based thingy-me-bob) of all the things I want to read, see, and do. Its getting very long and I think will never be accomplished, but its nice to do all the same.

I have to finish re-applying for my masters. Eek! So many things to plan and do - take a year off? keep going? who knows.

I am attending a church filled with young people. Really young people. Like, I am considered old. Its kind of funny. But thankfully its close, its good, and they are all art students so no one bats an eye at my homemade clothes.

I find myself coming up with new idioms or slang words or phrases that I plan to integrate into the English language. Like, who first came up with "okay" "rad" or "Bird of a different color" as phrases we all (mostly) recognize in daily conversation. Today I threw into conversation, "Different color, same egg" (which is clearly just thievery of the previous statement). But I like eggs and generally classify all people as "good egg" or "bad egg" - it just felt natural and right. I got a look, but it was accepted as a sound contribution. So begins my plan....

Also, my brother's band's album is on itunes --> The Sea Wolf Mutiny, The Last Season. You should get it. **nudge nudge**

Resolved.

I have decided only to write in the font "optima" to perpetuate positivism and good will. This isn't actually an option on this forum, but just so you know, mentally I am typing in "optima."

I have allowed my school work to build to such a point that now I must study with the fervor and determination seen in the summer in order to catch up lost ground/ be successful/ get anything done. Excellent. Oh, and I am the unopposed candidate for my class' Vice President. That's right, I am finally redeeming my 8th grade failure to win a place in student government. My platform is a Halloween flash mob that involves our entire student body dressing up like Lady Gaga. or Florence Nightingale. Also, organizing a student mentor program, but that is secondary.

The Christa Alphabet

(borrowed from Abby)

ambition: to be in a musical, make a pair of shoes, cure diabetes

bad habit: loquacious and loud

city: baltimore, md

drink: water, room temperature

education: currently nursing, at J. Hop

food: apples and peanut butter, toast with butter and honey, kale

guilty pleasure: glee, young adult fantasy novels, roller derby

hometown: charlotte, north carolina

ice cream: cookie dough, peanut butter

jonesing for: my own home, which I will build from things I find, on land that will grow into a wild jungle of children and vegetables

kryptonite: pretty, small dishes or pretty pieces of fabric. also, bearded men.

look-a-like: drew barrymore (?)

movies: whip it, away we go, jane eyre, star wars, anything Austin, westerns, sci fi and the like

nicknames: calamity, megs, megakaryocyte, chriiiiiiiiiiista, christabelle

obsession: dresses, preferably stolen/ borrowed from old ladies or librarians

perfume: hypoallergenic soap

quirk: losing my words

regrets: not (yet) hiking the Appalachian trail

starbucks: café au lait, with honey

talents: spontaneous limericks, creating, writing, playing

university: unc, j. hop

vacation: Colorado, anywhere

wine: white

x: x to not speaking my mind

years: twenty-seven

zen: reading books in hammocks or bed, sewing, running, sitting in the sun