News from my Corner of the Universe

6/30/98 - A lot has happened. A week and a half ago, I went to Thatcher to attend and be a part of a friend's wedding. Michelle went with me and we had a good time. Lori Johnson, now Lori White, got married on the 20th (I think that was the date) of June, a Saturday. I was the best man. Sadly, no pictures turned out of the wedding itself, but I got some pictures the next day of myself in a tux as a bride's man (no, I didn't know the groom). Check out the tux pictures on my picture pages. The ramada is almost complete. We have put a lot of work into it and I'll have to put some pictures of it up when it's done. I'm really pleased with how it's turned out. My brother Jonathan came up this last Saturday to visit me. Unfortunately, we didn't get to spend a lot of time together, but it is good to have a brother with whom I can do things. This weekend, I found out I got a Pell grant and a scholarship. Whew! I was getting worried as to how I would be able to attend college after the fall semester (well, it wasn't that bad, but I was still worried).

6/16/98 - Summer is going swimmingly. I go to work, come home, perhaps work some more at the apartments I live in, go swimming, watch movies, hang out and sometimes work on my web page. Been helping Michelle with a wood ramada she is building behind her room at her parents' house (they had no say whether it would be built or not, don't even believe we can do it). Friday night, my window got assaulted by bandits. Read the accompaning essay reporting the incident.

6/4/98 - Lisa Ballentine's mother died and her funeral was last week, down in Sierra Vista. I wasn't able to go but Michelle and her family went and got to meet my parents. Apparently, they all got along well. I have just been working and working some more, then swimming and relaxing and reading and having fun. This has been a pretty good summer so far, but I wasn't able to leave with my family for Utah. I miss seeing my older sisters. I moved this weekend to my new apartment, exactly one door away from my old one. Shortest move I've ever had. My new roommates are Mo and Joe. They are into skinny dipping and male bonding (I jest a little). We have fun together. My friend Jen Natoli came from Iowa (who would want to live in Iowa?) to visit me, so we got to meet for the first time. It was really fun. She stayed for the weekend and we got to hang out. With my roommates, Mo and Joe, we went to Nogales, Mexico and went shopping. Good fun.

5/26/98 - I'm preparing to move to my new apartment, which will be right next to my current one. The move should happen this week. I had my brother Jon up to see me this weekend. We got to play tennis and swim and hang out. It was fun. Then I went to Thatcher to see Kyle Gillete's farewell. He is going on a mission to Las Vegas. Climbed up Red Knolls to get some clay for Michelle (I carried the heaviest pack down at 70 lbs). Then went to Sierra Vista and spent time with my family on Memorial day. Michelle came with me and my family had a good time getting to know her.

5/20/98 - I went to Michelle's graduation on the 16th. It was almost a party, how boisterous the graduates were. It was a lot of fun. Greg Kinnear, actor in Sabrina and As Good as it Gets, and also a graduate of U of A 12 years ago, spoke at the graduation. I've been striving to catch up on sleep. Slowly but surely, it's happening. Now trying to get my room in order. I work in the mornings at the English Department and have been working on the Prices bathroom tile (for pay) in the afternoons. It keeps me busy. I found out I have all A's this semester. Woohoo! That feels so good. Other that that, my life has grown calm. I've finally found out where I'm going to live after this month. It's a good thing.

5/15/98 - Done with school this semester. Found out already that I have an A for my fiction writing class. Will find out today where I'm moving and when. Hopefully will talk to my insurance agent today (who is nearly impossible to catch). Wrote all night and got an hour and a half of sleep. But I'm done. Done!!!

5/14/98 - This is one of those times when I should be working on something else, but I'm not. I have a couple papers due tomorrow and so this will be another sleepless night. After that, though, it will be all over. I will be moving soon, possibly even sooner than I thought. Michelle will graduate on Saturday. I saw my friend Jason, who I've known since I was in seventh grade. Saw Deep Impact. Awesome movie, by the way. Just found out today that my friend, Cynthia, is probably getting married soon (shh! I didn't say anything, though).

5/11/98 - As school winds down, the pressure winds up and I feel like I'm losing sleep. I'm doing well enough, I suppose, but I can't wait for this week to end. I mean it, really. Other than that, not much is happening. I'm preparing to soon see and meet my friend Jen Natoli at the end of the month. I'll be moving to a new location within the same apartment complex (for those who care), also at the end of the month. My last orthodontist appointment (on Wednesday the 6th) was a two hour fiasco where he pretty much wasted my time. I've been having computer disk and word processor problems which have greatly increased my stress. I've started running and swimming, hopefully on a regular basis (too soon to tell), because I need my exercise. My apartment complex had a barbeque on Friday night for the tenants. Guess that's about it. Still no word on the guy who's sueing me.

4/28/98 - Went to Thatcher this weekend to see several friends at Eastern Arizona College and watch a choir performance. Then I went with Michelle, Mo (who will be my roommate over the summer) and another girl to the hotsprings. While there, we met a few other people who got not one, but two flat tires and we were kind enough to give one of them a ride (almost an hour ride) for help. Finally, before coming home, I went to Red Knolls, a kind of clay mountain that is very fun to climb and hike around. Should have some pictures soon. Talked to Lori Johnson on the phone, who will be getting married soon. I dated her a year ago or so. Talked with Dan tonight. He is doing well. Lisa Ballentine just announced she is engaged to the guy she is dating, named Vinnie. He seems pretty nice. My windshield is fixed, finally. The guy I hit on the bike is sueing me, so I'm considering counter-sueing. Frankly, I'd rather just let it drop, but he doesn't want to. His choice. School is ending in a couple weeks so I'm winding down on the school thing. Ready for it to end. Looking for a good job that will earn me the money I need. Oh, on Friday, the husband of a friend of mine, Amy Pearce Fife, got killed in a car accident. She is a widow at 19. Many of us are in shock. And finally, I am in a poetry competition and was just notified that I'm in the finalist group. Will let you all know how that goes.

4/20/98 - Been busy with school and such. Last weekend, I went to Mesa to see the Easter Pageant and got to see my buddy Paula. I am loving my bike and have found myself using it a lot. Especially since Saturday night, I hit a bicyclist who appeared in front of me and bounced on to my windshield, cracking it severely. Can't drive until I get that fixed. What a pain. Went biking with Michelle on Saturday afternoon in a canyon near Tucson. It was very pretty there. I can't wait for this semester to end, but have to worry about next semester and getting a good summer job and stuff.

4/6/98 - I got a partial tuition waiver recently, so got a return on a bit of tuition money. Plus, I finally received a small scholarship check I've been waiting for all semester. Now I am not in such dire straights concerning money. Whew! Still have to be frugal, but I was able to go and buy a bike today. Got a screaming deal, because of my looks (oh, she was just being nice). The sales lady gave me forty dollars off the bike and fifteen off the lock. I couldn't argue with that. Let's see. Other than that, the semester is going fast. I made a peach cobbler for the first time on Sunday. Talked to Jen Natoli on the phone tonight. Talked to my friend Kat a little while ago, and also talked to Cynthia recently. Turned in a story for my fiction class last Thursday, after having to retype the entire thing from memory (I love computers, but sometimes, I hate to be dependant on them). Saw General Conference this weekend (a big Mormon meeting, for those who don't know). Oh, I recently got a letter from my sister, Heidi, who is currently serving a mission for our church in Australia. She is doing well and loving the area.

3/24/98 - I got an A on my psychology midterm! Yes! Spring break was last week and I had a good time away from school but didn't do anything spectacular but go home for a little while. Unfortunately, it wasn't long enough. I gave a talk in church on Sunday in which I told of a dream I had. Maybe I'll post the talk online someday. There's a good possibility that I could win a scholarship, which I just found out today. I'm already thinking about what to take next semester. Sheesh! Not ready for that! Oh, financially, I'm not as impoverished any more. Money's still tight, but things are getting slowly better. That's about it for now.

3/09/98 - I continue to suffer from sleep deprivation as I study my brains out to do well on the midterm I have tomorrow in my Sleep and Sleep Disorder class. Should be fun (the test, that is). One roommate is moving out soon because he's getting MARRIED. My sister is in Australia now, on a mission for our church. Spring break is coming up soon, starting this Friday, the 13th (I think that's the date). Michelle and I are still seeing each other. My sister Karyn and my mother are both having birthdays this month. Not much else happening.

2/26/98 - The month of February is rapidly disappearing. After some rain from El Nino storms, things are starting to get sunny and nice here in South-Eastern Arizona. Many are already wearing shorts. My talk last Friday went very well. In fact, I had much more to say. Forty minutes wasn't enough. My friend Brian got married yesterday but I couldn't attend. Another friend, Brynne, is coming to visit me this evening, after my fiction class. I have to turn in a story tonight for that class to be workshopped next week. Perhaps that story will end up on this website. I am about to lose a roommate (one of three), but he's got a good cause. Getting married. Perhaps I will finally have a room to myself. That would be nice. As mentioned before, I'm looking around for a good summer job that will be higher pay, but not necessarily in Alaska. Who knows what will happen in the next few months?

2/12/98 - Why didn't someone say that I haven't been keeping up on the news page? I feel like I've been slacking! So then, no more delays. Let's see . . . ok, maybe the reason is because I haven't been doing that much but going to school. But there is news. I got asked to speak for forty minutes for a devotional here at the LDS institute of religion. Forty minutes. I haven't spoken that much since my mission (at least, not with a captive audience). I have a short story to turn in soon, another paper and a big test coming up next week. Fun. My friend, Brian Thaxton is getting married on the . . . 26th, I think. It's a Wednesday. It will be in the Mormon temple in Mesa, where room is limited. I've been invited. Quite an honor. I will willingly ditch school for a day to go see him get married. In other news, school is sapping all my money. I'm a pauper. Been thinking about working in Alaska over the summer. Depends on how things work out. I've done that once before and it was hard, but worth it, I thought (my sister Debbie would disagree).

1/29/98 - School has been going well. I'm working more than I did last semester, which is good. Planning on spending the day Saturday up in Mesa with Michelle. Hope to see Paula up there. Prepping for the three month anneversary of this website with big changes (ok, maybe not too big). I'm approaching having been home from my mission two years (on Feb. 15th). Heidi, my sister, entered the MTC (or Missionary Training Center) yesterday. I saw her for the last time (for 1.5 years) last Saturday.

1/21/98 - A smattering of recent news. On the first weekend of the year, I went to Rocky Point, Mexico, for the first time in my life. It was beautiful. I recently gave a talk in church. It went very well, considering I changed everything last minute that I was about to say. Last night I tried my first veggie burger (it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be). I recently decided I like Cuban food. This past Monday I played tennis and went hiking up a mountain near Sierra Vista with Michelle. We were so tired at the end of the day (but it was a good tired).

1/15/98 - For those who've been keeping track, I haven't updated this in a while. Reason: I've been busy. My Spanish class went well, but I still don't know my grade, as yet. I think they won't post it until the end of this month. *sigh* Oh, well. Other than that . . . let's see. I started class yesterday. I'm taking a comparative literature class, fiction writing, biopsychology and lastly, sleep and sleep disorders. It should be fun. I'm also going to work more this semester. Busy, busy. My sister, Heidi is here in town and so she and I are going to spend some time together. She's about to head on a mission for our church in Australia.

12/30/97 - The class I'm taking over winter break is going well, although I would love to be able to actually sleep in every day. Oh, well. I keep telling myself that it will be over soon. And it's not nearly as bad as the past semester. In other news, my sister Heidi had her mission farewell this past Sunday. She will be heading to Australia soon for the LDS church. My older sister Debbie is also in Arizona and I hope to spend some time with her tomorrow. My good friends Dan and Angela came to visit me. My aunt, uncle and cousin also came to Arizona. Also, I have a new love in my life. Michelle. It's been a busy week, but I've been very happy. Hopefully, I will be seeing a couple of other friends soon, too.

12/22/97 - My life has taken a turn for the better. The worst semester of my life ended. I have been trying to have a better, less cynical attitude. So much has been happening. I am staying in Tucson to take Spanish class over the winter break. It will be good to be totally finished with Spanish, so I can focus on English. I am not sure how often I'll be able to do anything on the web page, because I won't have that much access to a computer, plus, I've decided to have a bit of social life, once more. I really am a people person, but got away from that for a bit. Tomorrow, I will leave Tucson for Sierra Vista, an hour away, and see my family and spend Christmas with them. This is a wonderful time of year. For those who believe in the Savior, Merry Christmas.

12/17/97 - Done with finals! Woo hoo! (need I say more?)

12/14/97 - Well, things on the web page have slowed down because I've been busy writing four (count them, FOUR!) essays for my finals, plus actually studying for the two classes that have finals. Other than that . . . I am planning on taking my last Spanish requirement over the Winter Break (fourteen class days), so I don't really get a break, but it will only be ONE class to worry about, in ONE language. *sigh* This will soon be over. I must remind myself, this will soon be over.

12/10/97 - I attended my last class today! Woo hoo! No I only have to worry about writing tons of papers and two finals. Life is getting better.

12/07/97 - My car was fixed for under $200, which is good. The car I borrowed from my parents in the interem gave me troubles when the battery died (not my fault; it was a bad connection and the battery wasn't charging). Prepping for finals and last minute assignments teachers love to give. I went to Thatcher (where Eastern Arizona is) to visit friends and attend the Fall Formal there with a friend of mine. Had a great time. Have finally gotten settled in my new place, but still hoping I won't have to share a room next semester.

11/30/97 - Well, I have had an interesting Thanksgiving. I moved most of my stuff to my new apartment Wednesday night. Thursday, I left for home, only to have my clutch go out several miles from home. Thankfully, a border patrol guy gave me a ride home. That will cost a bundle to fix, but other than that, I had a good weekend. Didn't do a bit of homework that I desperately needed to get done. Put up the Christmas tree, hung out with family. That's about it.

11/26/97 - Today, the day before Thanksgiving, I will move out of the hole I've lived in, leaving behind my foolish exroommate and his asinine games. Tonight or tomorrow, I go home to Sierra Vista for the weekend.

11/24/97 - I guess I'll just add to this when I feel like it, weekly, daily, irregularly, whenever I have the time, etc. The only real news I have is that I will have to slow down my pace as I work on this web page, because I am going to be busy with the end-of-the-semester kind of duties pressing me. However, I think I have enough to keep people entertained for a while. Never fear. There will still be some growth on the page, as time permits.

11/23/97 - It has been four days since my stupid ex-roommate shut off the phone. I'm living in isolation until next weekend, I am learning how to forgive (a slow process). No phone makes life difficult, but I still manage. Moving next weekend. Planning on changing to only a creative writing major and minor in psychology. Working on my schedule for next semester. Been thinking of two of my sisters who are about to have birthdays.