Alert! Alert!

I have just posted on spartaninisrael.blogspot.com. And will continue to do so with greater frequency. In about a week, I'll stop posting on here for the summer. I'll do a few updates on this blog about Annual Conference, coming up this weekend, and then post an official notice of my switch to the Israeli blog.

Ah. Decisions

Sometimes, God makes us make decisions between two things we really want. Like Philosophy 452: Ethics and Development and Philosophy 391: a special topics course on Debating Development in Africa.
I wish God didn't do that. No fair!
Help...
Ethics and Development or Africa and Development? They have a time conflict, so I do actually have to choose one...

(And, for the record, I am fully aware of - and very happy about - the fact that I'm freakishly lucky to be having trouble choosing between two things I really want rather than two things I really don't want.)

Woohoo!

Sad news first: They changed who would be instructing ANP 422: Religion and Culture for Fall 2010. This means it's no longer a Muslims studies course, so I can't make it happen.
HOWEVER...I have just talked my way into ANP 834, the grad student overview of medical anthropology. Huzzah!!!!!!!!!!!
That will be fun. Like, masses and masses and masses of fun. I am beyond psyched. BEYOND.

Home!

I am home! Huzzah. Megan drove me back after the bell choir played in the jail today. (Lots of fun!) We did soup, salad, and breadsticks at Olive Garden, watched "Tropic Thunder" (she hadn't seen it before), and off she went. Chris came in just after she left. He has a flight back tomorrow, so I'll have the condo to myself Saturday-Tuesday. And then off to Annual Conference!

In Mount Pleasant

I'm in Mount Pleasant for a few days. The handbell choir has requested my presence for a special performance they're doing in the jail. (Yep, you read that right!) In between ringing rehearsals and performances, I'll be visiting friends and the like.
This weekend was the regional Girl Scout bridging ceremony. I got to go encourage the kiddos to remain in Scouting. Sang in the choir Sunday morning. Watched "Avatar," at long last, in blu-ray on the big screen at Wesley. 'Twas lovely.

"Tropic Thunder"

Chris and I watched "Tropic Thunder" tonight. He'd seen the movie but not the commercials (which are so totally the best part), so that was a treat.

Comedies

Dear Movie Industry:
"Comedy: a drama of light and amusing character and typically with a happy ending." (Miriam-Webster online).
It may be light. It may be amusing. And, since it's Hollywood, it should be typical! SO WHERE'S MY HAPPY ENDING!?!?!?!?!?!?!
I don't like it when I'm in the mood for a happy-go-lucky romp and instead end with a depressing, lack of guy-gets-girl. Grr!!!!!!!!

Good Facebook Moment

Kid on a Teacher's Wall: "Your the best teacher ever!"
An English teacher's wall...hahahahaha. I was so, so tempted to comment: "Well, apparently not." But I restrained myself.

Mum's Obsession

is becoming famous. I just got a text from a friend: "4ABNHX6557X6 - coke rewards code for your mom."

"Ballet Shoes"

Adorable drama about three orphans and the people who care for them with Emma Watson. Available on Netflix Instant Watch!

Chris has Arrived!

Chris is staying here for the first summer term. His flight came in last night. The boy has arrived and is now happily lodged in the condo. I'm having a grand time playing housewife!

Sherlock!

Megan and I had quite the Sherlocky time - we watched Robert Downey Jr.'s new version and then Mel Brooks' "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother" starring (who else) Gene Wilder and Madeline Kahn. Ahh, funniness.

The Great Can Return Adventure

Megan and I went on an adventure to return the massive number of cans in my garage. We found Aldi to return the Sweet Valley cans Mum gave me like a year ago. Aldi only takes theirs, though, so we went to Meijer's. I didn't need anything, but we had $6-plus in returns, so I figured I would grab a Frozen Coke. But after the purchase, I found that the machine had broken down. I hadn't grabbed a receipt, because I got cash back. The Customer Service counter said they could refund it as store credit, but people get only one return without a receipt. Did I want to save it for something bigger? No, I will never have this issue again. Okay, driver's license please. Hahahaha. Here, Megan, have some random expensive soda.
And there you have it. The Great Can Return Adventure.

Visitors!

Daddy stayed the night last night! We had fondue and watched "Mystery Men." Megan's visiting as well, and she hadn't seen it yet. This morning we had blueberry pancakes. And now he's off...and Megan and I are left with a gorgeous day and no plans. Hmm...

Well, that's pretty

Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time in a regular college semester:

Yay for lack of need for an Israeli visa!

I do not need a visa for Israel. I get up to ninety days. Huzzah! One thing to cross off the glorious "To Do" list.

Lazy Monday

Laying around transcribing Articles of Incorporation for Historical Churches (and being paid $10/hour) while watching "The Princess Bride"=one heck of a fantastic day.

Ooh! Ooh!

I 4.0ed Epidemiology! That was the only one I was a wee bit concerned about. So I'm fairly sure that I 4.0ed the entire semester...but that has yet to be officially confirmed.

Happy Mothers' Day!

Thank you, dear maternal folks, for being maternal. Your love, care, and support makes an incredible difference to a huge number of pieces. Lots of love, always.

Yay!

This thing called "television" is kind of fun. I'm working on stuff on my computer, but it doesn't require my full attention. USA is having "The Mother of All Marathons" for Mothers' Day - "National Treasure 2" is on. How lovely.

TV Censorship

You can't say bull**** on TV? "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days" was on; I happened to catch the last half an hour. And that word is kind of critical to the plot...
"Bull -" just doesn't have quite the same effect.

All by Myself

Lindsey headed for her parents' house this morning. Chris and family are headed to their home; though he'll be back for the summer (and staying at my place) in a week. Bailey, Kelsey, and Lena are all home. Alec and his parents headed for Kentucky this morning.
Alone at last. : )

Finito!

Well, the jury's still out, officially. But I am pretty much guaranteed 4.0s in Gender Roles, International Political Economy, Modern Jewish Thought, and Ethics of Global Public Health. As I mentioned, I've already received notification that I 4.0ed Sociocultural Diversity, one of my core anthropology classes. The lurking question is Epidemiology...he doesn't have a set scale. He gives us approximations for each exam, but he adds all the points and then curves based on the totals. I 4.0ed the first, 3.5ed the second, and received a raw score that would have been a 4.0 on either of the first two exam's scales for the final. So I think I probably made it, but I'm close to borderline. In any case, we're all done with academics for the semester. In the next weeks, I'll be documenting some history of the Black Church in Detroit, working on the Peace and Justice Studies Archive, cleaning/rearranging my house (Kelsey is moving in next year, and she brought some stuff that needs to be incorporated into the furnishings), and getting ready for Israel!

Anthro Down, Religion Up

My gender roles exam took me ~20. Because I lectured in class a couple of times, there were questions on my material. I cannot express how weird it is to take an exam in which you see: "According to Rebecca Farnum..."
I hope I got those three questions right!

I love the Honors College

I'm sitting in the second floor lounge studying until a meeting with one of the advisors. Another advisor and I exchange pleasantries when she comes in to grab something from the fridge. Five minutes later, she pokes her head in: "Rebecca, you want some coffee, sweetie?"
I love my life.

MC 221 All Done

Took my exam for my international political economy class this morning; it went well. And even if it didn't, it truly does not matter...

I don't know if he's an easy grader or he just really likes my style...I just got a straight-up four-point on my Madison term paper. I didn't even know such a thing was possible.

Whoops!

My exam is at 3 today, NOT 5. Thank you, random classmate who sent four messages in a row asking when and where our exam is so that I double-checked after emailing you. I hope we both make it. lol.
That makes the day a bit different...seeing as how I scheduled a 3 o'clock with Bess. Drat. Sorry, darling.

Studying

Ah, studying. You're a funny thing. Everyone studies...so I feel like I should. And then I start to do so. And realize that I know all of this...so why am I bothering to study?
But it is fun to go through everything and realize how much I've learned this semester! : )

ANP 201

I've officially 4.0ed Sociocultural Diversity, just so you all know.
37/40 on final exam; 9/10 on final paper.

"Dave"

Finally, finally I saw "Dave." It's adorable. The ending is utterly fantastic.

I was wrong

I thought the anthropology final was going to take me twenty minutes. It only took me fifteen...

Ooh! Ooh!!!!

I am GEEKED. Like, geeked.
I was speaking with my good friend Megan on the phone today while walking across campus. And we had an inspiration.
Last summer, while I was in Egypt, she was in England. When we came back, we often joked about how I saw the real locations, and she saw all the real artifacts. We honestly could make a slideshow of Becca: "Here's a tomb I climbed in!" and Megan: "And here's an artifact that was originally inside that tomb! In England." Today, we suddenly realized that we should make this slideshow. We can do a senior thesis or anthropology project on the cultural impacts of colonialism, using our personal experience to shape the research. A joint project between the Michigan State and Central Michigan University Anthropology Departments! I am STOKED.

Weekend

Oh, the weekend. Everyone's trying to squeeze in everything...
Friday:
9 am - Breakfast with Carol
11:45 am - Peace and Justice Studies Specialization Reception
7:30 pm - Spartan Dischords Concert
11 pm - Bonfire with Bai and the Gang

Saturday:
8 am - Leave for Board of Church and Society Meeting
3 pm - Lavender Reception ("Gay Graduation")
6 pm - Unite 4 Haiti/Interfaith Celebration at Sultan's Restaurant
Make Cookie Dough

Sunday:
Bake Cookies
9:30 am - Church
12:15 pm - Lunch with Boyd, Judy, and Alec
(We went to the Chinese buffet Grandma and Grampa always go to after church...and sure enough, in they came!)
6 pm - Party for Justin