The Good and Bad

'ello family,

I'm aware that this isn't much of a blog. Obviously, you can assume my life has been a bit too busy to update it since September 13.

I can tell you a couple of things. Number one: I'm tired. Humorology is this weekend, and I'm putting in six hours every day for practice. I hope you like it, Mom and Dad, because working at this has been basically equivalent to marching band. Astonishing, I know.

The work that I've put in has cost me a lot. First of all: my heath. I've gone from mild sicknesses from drinking out of others water glasses, to cracking my skull on the floor, to walking around on crutches for days...hamstring. Humo has also cost me my time. We began this in October with practices twice a week for three hours each practice, and this last month we have had practice every day for four or more hours. Tonight was six. Hundreds of hours that could've been spent studying.

After this weekend I'll let you all know if it was worth it. There's nothing I love more than performing, so I'm thinking that it should pay off.

The next thing that I can tell you all is that our sorority has been put on probation. sigh.... we didn't do anything wrong this semester. In fact, our Nationals have said that they waited to put us on this so we would have a stronger group of officers to pull through it. Essentially it means we can have no socials. Formal was cancelled and we have a hell of a lot of work to do in paperwork, and uniting the chapter. So, in addition to Humo, I've been working on keeping our sorority's head above the water.

Finally, I can tell you that I was not accepted into the School of Kinesiology. It's very hard for me to say out loud...so this is this the only time you will see/hear it from me. I will never bring it up again. Please do not ask me about it. I don't know why I didn't get in. I'll reapply next year....but I've never been told 'no' before. I've never been turned down because my abilities weren't enough. I've always pushed hard enough to get myself where I want....so this has been my biggest challenge; accepting that I wasn't quite good enough. I will tell you, however, that those bitches who made the selection are missing out.

One thing I've realized throughout all of this is that...school is important. I get it....but there are things that I'm learning outside of class that cannot be quantified with a grade. I have no idea how my grades are going to turn out this semester (sorry mom and dad). They won't be terrible. Probably 2 A's, a B, and a BC. Who knows, but at this point, I'm dealing with challenges and feeling ways that I never thought I had in me. I've never felt so overwhelmed. I've never felt so sad and angry and discouraged. I've probably never cried more....seriously. But somehow I'm happy with lots of things. I'm very content with my sisters here in Madison, and I couldn't be more grateful for the people who I have to come home to this summer.

All I know is that I have 30 days and counting until I come home. Wish me good luck on Humo, wish me good luck on my finals, wish me good luck on surviving.

Miss you all. Love you all even more.

Game Day Volunteer

Hi Family,

Guess what? I have found another thing that makes me so cool. A picture of me got put on the UW Badger Big 10 Website. I was handing out coupons and things that no one ever wants at the entrance of the game, and looky here...I got a photo taken of me, in my awesome vest.

http://www.uwbadgers.com/gallery/default.aspx

This link may lead you to a basketball player, but if you scroll to the top and select football from the drop down menu, it takes you to there, and then in another drop down menu you have to select game day...and that should be where I show up! If not, another drop down menu will appear and you can select UW versus Marshall, and it will for sure be there. ;)

So Silly

FINALLY FAMILY!

Recruitment is over for the Kappa Alpha Theta, and we were able to get 37 new very cute new members. Now over the next month, we'll get them educated, then initiated and we'll have more Thetas!! It seems like not so long ago, I was so scared and couldn't believe that I was joining a sorority of all things. I bet some of you couldn't believe it either. Oh and Meg, I didn't have facebook during recruitment because the girls going through weren't allowed to see our profiles and judge based on anything on there.

I'm going to be VERY busy for the next.....forever... with homecoming committee, Theta, and also organizing this other thing called Trick or Treat with the Greeks. I got nominated for Theta to organize it. It's a day where little kids from under privaledged neighborhoods etc. come in costumes and we color, decorate pumpkins, eat candy, and whatever else with them for the day. So I'm REALLY excited about getting nominated to do it!

Classes are going well, I finally have a concrete schedule, and I'm slowly taking care of requirements to work towards a major of some sort!

OH and here's some pictures from Bid Day, which was the day when all of the new girls (almost 600) got to see which house they got into...it's a huge party basically on Langdon. AND I sucked a helium balloon for the first time. Luckily for you all, I taped myself singing our fight song, except I forgot all the words for it except "On Wisconsin" Have fun laughing at it. I always do. I was completely sober also....so it's purely me being awesome, as usual.

It's All Good.

Hi Family.

This is a great idea...seriously great. Everyone asks how I'm doing, and I would like to take time and tell EVERYONE EVERYTHING about what's going on...but to do it 7 times gets hard. Hence, the blog!

First Post: The sorority house is absolutely wonderful.

For Dad, the money was completely worth it I promise. My room is great. My bed is not bunked, it's the only single in the room and it is placed next to the window which looks out directly on Lake Mendota. My desk is right next to it with the view as well. There's only been one spider which was an extremely large and thick version of a jumping spider which was spotted ON MY DESK AH! But we killed it.

Downstairs there is a room called the "nook" where a gigantic fridge is completely stocked with bagels, cream cheese, milk, meat, buns, yogurt, fruit, and veggies. The rest of the nook has drawers with hot choloclate and tea mixes, granola bars, crackers, peanut butter, cereal, and just about everything else we could ever want for snacking and breakfast. Lunch and supper is cooked for us by the chef, Elsbeth. There is also an exercise room in the basement with a couple of machines and weights.

What else to say?!?! School starts on Tuesday, and we've started recruitment practice for rushing the new class which starts on Sunday. We currently have practice from 10-4 every day this week to get ready for everything....you'd be suprised how tired you get by SCREAMING at the top of your lungs, clapping, talking, jumping, and dancing for 6 hours a day.

Saturday is the first football game, and I think I have to work at it for the Homecoming committee so that could be exciting.

Anyway, I can't think of anything else to say. I'm loving it here if you can't tell. I miss you all so much though. I've decided that I'm extremely lucky to be so busy and involved on this campus, if not I'd be having a very difficult time adjusting to being back here.

Soon there will be pictures and frills all over, but until I upload them, just take my word for it: It's all good. :)