[Listen] "We Might As Well Be Strangers" Keane, again

Today was gorgeous and we took out eights! AND I was the stroke of one--AHHH! So, lately are crew schedule has been that we go out on the water every Tuesday and Thursday because the weather has permitted it. Rowing, naturally, is the joy of rowers and not erging, bleh, this is what we do the rest of the days. Also, we don't have enough varsity to fill two eights (boats that hold eight rowers and one coxswain) so we've been rowing in three fours (boats that hold four rowers and a coxswain). Fours are alright but everyone would much rather be in an eight, there's more community, it's more stable and you go faster. Well, today was that day, brilliant and fabulous. Also, since I've moved up to Varsity, which was just last fall, I haven't been the stroke, this is the person in the stern of the boat who sets the pace of the boat. This is fine but I've really missed since I was the stroke for the Spring season last year. At first, I hated stroking, my first practice in the stroke seat I was crying because it was so miserable. I guess this was for two reasons: there is a lot of pressure on the stroke because everyone else is following them so they have to have an impeccable stroke and stroke rating and ratio, etc...and the second reason is that the stroke can feel EVERYTHING in the boat, who is rushing their slides, if somebody isn't rowing together, if everyone else is completely not following them, this can be incredibly frustrating. But the joys of stroking are incredible. You make the difference when you're racing, kill the competition. There is nothing as exhilarating as feeling everyone insync with you and rowing as hard as you can and winning, of course. Anyway, today was super. Only ten days before we head to Florida for the most amazing week: eat, sleep, row.
A four:

[Drink] Water, I'm so thirsty!

Well, people, last night was Washington College's annual Birthday Ball. A formal dance held in honor of George Washington and the meeting ground for all students, faculty and alumni. Here are the first pictures that I have ever posted, courtesy of Laura M.:




The theme was "A Night in Rome." The decorations were incredible!
Here I am with Jamie, the only novice to make the varsity try-outs (this was the first year that they've had try-outs)


My roommate Amara



It was fun to get all dolled up for an evening of dancing but, like everyone else, I've gotten used to the typical weekend attire of sweatpants and a soft T-shirt. After Birthday Ball each year, the dining hall opens up and serves a midnight breakfast to all the party goers. It was weird to be in the dining hall in a nice dress, especially when a lousy boy near my table started throwing food. Before he was stopped, I was hit in the head with a piece of fried potato!
The breakfast:


After we had changed, Ashleigh, Danni, Laura M., John, Marian, Allison and I met in the basement of my dorm, which is enormous, to have a slumber party. The idea was to set up Laura M.'s tent and sleep in this but she hadn't thought to check to see if it needed to be staked into the ground. Lo and behold, it did. But never fear, Laura Messerly was there! At first everyone tried every possible idea to get it to balance against pieces of furniture but eventually we all gave up except Laura M. While Marian and Danni camped out on the floor, Ashleigh, John and I just sat around being goofy but, at 3am, Laura had made a tent.

First attempts


Marian and Danni give up


John, Ash and me


All of us except Laura M. and Allison


Finally, a tent


Marian and Danni decided just to sleep on the floor


I slept in the tent until 5am but then it was too hot and I switched to one of the supporting coaches. Oh, I forgot to say, that's how we got it to stay up, we stuck the poles into the coaches. But Laura M. was the only one who had the patience to keep fiddling with it until it actually stayed up. I actually slept very well for all of this and we had so much fun!
This morning



I've decided to give profiles of my closest friends here since you really don't know much about them. I know that seeing pictures of the friends of everyone else is fun for me. I'll break it up into different posts so that you aren't overwhelmed but hopefully you'll be able to get an idea of the people that I spend my days with. I will begin with Laura M. since she was the heroine of this last story.

LAURA MESSERLY
nickname: Laura M.(because one of our other close friends is also Laura), Mess or Messerly
met her: we were both on the novice rowing team (you'll find that this is a common theme with most of my friends ; )
Mess in her tent


Mess was usually the bow of my boat novice year but now she is one of our coxswains because she is so small. Mess is incredibly easy-going and sweet natured and I wasn't surprised when I found out that she was a Christian. She lives on my hall along with a lot of my other friends and she enjoys climbing trees, collecting hippo related goods (a hippo bib was her most recent find) and talking about crew. It was her idea to sleep in the tent in the basement. She and I are the ones that usually end up cleaning up after everyone else. When we were in Florida last year, we were the ones that made all the dinners and cleaned up. We all love her to death and I love talking to her when I feel depressed about being surrounded by all my other non-Christian friends. She's like a sunshine beam : )

[Mood] Lonesome for my Big Grandpa

Peculiarly, at random moments everyday this week, I have missed my Grandpa. It's a melancholy feeling that makes me want to cry and smile. Let me tell you about my wonderful grandfather:

When I was little, I remember calling him "the mean grandpa" to his face, to my everlasting shame and remorse. But he wasn't mean at all. He just had a gruff manner but, truly, he had the softest, most generous heart. He always laughed when we jumped on him at seven in the morning to wake him up and was kind and easy to please. As I grew up, everything he came down to visit we would talk and he would tell me about all the amazing things that he had done in his life. Like fight in World War II and help design innovative equipment, such as the helicopter! But he would always played down his part and say, "That's just how it was then." He always told me that I was getting prettier and prettier every time he saw me, nonsense, but it meant a lot. He, also, always tried to counter-balance my Grandma's quirky favoritism.

I didn't even cry when he died. I don't know why. But I miss him, a great deal. I think the spring-like weather elicits childhood memories, so, with this coming cold streak, I think that these moments of remembrance will stop. But I will always remember my Grandpa and how much I loved him.

[Mood] Pure Happiness!

I have the most beautiful and wonderful mother! Guess what she did? OH OH OH! She sent me a HUGE package of a boxed tea party for me and my friends! Here's every precious thing that was in it: red and pink decorated doilies, invitations to invite my friends to tea (they are thrilled!), one giant tin of goodies, one smaller tin of goodies, red cups, a huge box of assorted teas, a bag of shortbread, honey sticks, red plates, spoons and forks, powder sugar to make a glaze and a wonderful, funny note! My life is changed, my heart is touched and I am grinning wildly : D We are going to celebrate this momentous event on Saturday afternoon. I feel like the girls from A Little Princess when Ermingard supplies all the things for them to have a lovely party. Hopefully, mine won't be ruined by a bitter and wicked school marm.

Concerning packages: Receiving a package at college is a day-making event. Even if the package is something that you ordered yourself, you can walk across campus carrying your prize with pride as everyone else looks at you with envy. It doesn't matter if you are unable to lift your package, that only makes it better because the larger box signifies that you are loved more by your family. Get it? Big package = More loved. Of course, it is always best if the package includes a surprise and not just a text book.