So I am giving you an update of how school is going (and why I have been so busy that I can't be on cam besides the occasional night blip of me watching the tube - or when I was cleaning my kitchen in my cute little white shirt). I am happy to report that school is going even better than what my parents thought would happen (which is somewhat disheartening that they somtimes don't think I am fabulous - but they have reason to believe since my last major in school - affectionately called "Drinking for Brain Damage).

Precalculus was a big fear for me as I had failed college algebra and then made a C in it the next time. I didn't have such high hopes since Habeeb was teaching the class either (I am only good at making fun of accents - not understanding them). However, his barney-style spoon fed teachings have led me to have a 91 average in this class (before the final). He even lets us have open book open notes on the test. To get an A in this class, I need to get an 81 on the final exam (which only covers two chapters and not a true full exam) and to get a B? I need to get a 32 on the final exam. - which means I need to get there on time and at least sign my name. I am hoping for that A, but I am also satisfied that a class I thought I would struggle to get a C in is now a B in my pocket :) Final exam is on August 8th. Hair Pulling level (little to none).

Photography leaves much to be desired. I am getting a B in this class, but the teacher kinda made it really boring (though he does try to be funny), and you have to scramble like the people on Survivor (yes, still watching that show and wishing they all had spear guns and blindfolds for the final challenge) to get to a darkroom to get anything done without losing an eye. It's a very stressful class, as everything pends on how you develop your film and film has to be loaded on a frame in complete pitch black. Then all the chemicals have to be just right and the temperatures just right so that the negatives come out perfect - all while people are breathing down your neck and banging on the locked door to use the same resources.. it's very harrowing and the last things I have due in this class (by this thursday) is a portfolio of 25 pictures and the exam is on August 7th. Hair pulling level - i am pulling others to get these pictures prinited.

Speech class was more difficult than I thought it would be. I am pretty good at content that I write and making others laugh (I can use comical hand gestures that I can't communicate otherwise in writing), but I get kind of thrown when I realize the "ums" that I am saying (which I used to throw in on stories to make them funnier when saying) are counting off points as well as the fact that I AM SHY ANYWAY and don't speak loud in the first place. I also found that I am better at improv on my worst day than if I am well prepared on a speech I wrote and practiced three days before. Case-in-point - the best speech I have done in this class was one where I wasn't aware we had a speech due, but it was impromptu and we had to make it up as we went along. We were given a card as soon as we got to the podium and had ten seconds to prepare before spewing what little knowledge we had on it. My topic was "The best animal in the world is a(n)__________" I was going to speak on what a good animal was not (see the last moment for us) and then decided to play by the rules and talk about my groovy iguana I used to have. I got more laughs (everyone loves jokes about animals making an effort to pee on you) and said less ums on that speech and yet I had gone to bed at 4am that morning and had run out of tea the day before so my caffeine level was at an all time low that morining. If that weren't enough, I have my final speech due on Monday that has to have a visual aid. Then we have to turn in an two page paper on a movie and the significant interactions and symbolisms in it (I am doing Sixth Sense - so if you guys have a good website I can look it -throw it my way). That's due before the 7th. On the 7th I also have to have a modern legend speech due. Hair Pulling level - looking very much like Sinead O-Connor before all this is over.

So give me a week and a half folks, and then i will have a month to relax until this rat race starts all over again :)