- Wow do I have a lot of catchin up to do. I took the day off to myself which was really nice. I guess I really didn't have a choice as I slept through any phone calls that woulda been for me. Oh well. Everyone needs a break every now and then. Well here I go getting ready to write perhaps the longest entry in the history of Blogging. What can I do though? I've got about 2 weeks of events to rehash.
- So, orientation first. It was a lot of fun despite the circumstances. I met a lot of new people and recognized a lot of old familiar faces from high school and overall, I really felt home. I fit in at CSU almost as if it was built for me. Though the informational sessions were mildly helpful at best, the trip could be described as successful based solely on the new level of preparedness and comradery I walked away with. College is gonna be fun. I know thats not all its supposed to be but if I can't enjoy myself and establish a friend base at my home away from home, its gonna suck. Suck is bad.
- So I stayed in my dorm overnight and woke up exauhsted (me and the other kids in my hall decided quiet hours and sleeping was for the school year and instead hung out and chatted all night) and went to some more informational sessions before fixing my for schedual next year (I'm now officially a Psychology major) then taking off on the long drive home.
- I got home late in the evening and was suprised to find that I was leaving the next morning at 500 for my flight to Cincinati with a leg in Chicago (I can't spell it either Courtney) because my plans to leave later in the week weren't looking so hot for me getting on the planes (I was flying standby). The planes weren't even looking good for me getting out there at all so, determined, I decided to try what I could. To our amazment I got on the first two flights that I was trying for. Kristen and her mom picked me up from the airport and I got to thier new house and set up shop in thier basement. We all went to Kings Island (amusment park where Kristen works) in the evening and Kristen and I hit as many coasters as we could before the park closed. I learned the lesson that you should never wearing long pants in Ohio during the summer. It was around midnight and I was standing there in 85 degree heat and suffocating humidity. Stupid me and my Colorado ways. Nobody in Ohio wears long pants in the summer even if they're just jeans. I stood out like a sore thumb. Luckily it was the hottest day of the week so it was kinda downhill from there. And also luckily I packed several pairs of shorts in my great wisdom.
- She didn't know I'd be comming so early so she had to work Thursday. It worked out ok though cuz I was still adjusting to the change in time zones so I slept until about noon Cincinatii time. We went and finished up the coasters and rides at Kings Island that we missed on Wednesday and called it an early night.
- Saturday was one of the real highlights of the trip. Kristen's uncle took me up flying in his WWI biplane in the morning and in the evening we went to the Red's game and sat in her grandpa's season ticket seats right behind home plate. The Reds even found it in them to win a game just for us (thier first win in 7 games) and I got to see Ken Griffy Jr. hit a home run. He was a childhood hero of mine. Red's fans fascinate me. Thier team sucks as bad as the Rockies but that stadium was full nonetheless. I guess when your only other sports team is the Bengals you gotta take what you can get.
- Sunday we went to mass in the morning and to a 4th of July weekend cookout with some of her extended family members in the afternoon. Everybody in Ohio at any social gathering plays a local game called Cornhole where you try to through bean bags through a hole in the top of a wooden box about as far away as a horeshoes stake. Such a stupid game but when I say everybody plays it I mean EVERYBODY. Its like my whole stay there I couldn't get away from it. Just one of the many quirks that makes the area what it is but I won't go into detail because the local culture is probably only fascinating to me.
- 4th of July was fun to. We went to her Grandpa's house by a lake and ate burgers, hotdogs, and shot off fireworks. Later, we watched a massive fireworks display from a local park (where everyone was playing Cornhole) and ate icecream from Graeters, the local gormet icecream joint.
- The rest of the week was filled with water park schenanagins, trips to the pool, more Kings Island visits, eating out at the various local Cincinnati food joints, drive in movies, and much much more. It was good being with Kristen again. We picked it up pretty much were we left off and it felt like she hadn't been gone for an entire month. Getting home was a sort of reality shock for me remembering what being half a nation apart felt like. She'll be visiting the first week in August though with her mom to see me and all her other Denver friends so its not like its goodbye. Just no fun regardless.
- As much fun as it was it feels good to be home. I missed all my family and friends as well as the mountains and definitly the weather. Denver is home to me and being away for a week was a lil taste of what college is gonna be like. Still struggling with mixed emotions regarding leaving but I guess God will provide.
- So thats that. If you read all that I owe you a cookie. Gotta write down the good times so I can count my blessings in the hard times. The summer trucks on. More ahead of me to look forward to. Church tomorrow will be good for me.
