test over... this week is lookin good

I am happy to acknowledge that this week seems pretty relaxed -- cool!
I've got to smile when I say this because I'm not used to feeling so "laid back" with my plans.
I've got a few things to look forward to: a flamenco show Thursday night, "Critical Mass" on Friday (whip out the scarf and pump some more air into those bike tires!), and then on Sunday there's a race (running/walking) and the St. Thomas Christmas Choir Concert. Oh yes, I have to advertise for Augsburg Advent Vespers, too - Jessie's in it! So I may possibly be working that, also.

Well, tonight I will go to bed at peace with all of this.

It's time to get out of the library.

Goodnight.

hmm pavo.

Thanksgiving break is coming to an end as I write this... my friends are minutes away from picking me up. I have to say, I am sad leaving my parents, my dog, and my house in general... I'd really just like to stay here, sit on the leather couch and read with my parents until I fall asleep.
But it is o.k. because soon I will be back into the crazy, yet happy school life that never quits bringing surprises. Tomorrow is my Scholar Citizen Theater Lab class and I will already start our two week countdown until performance time. Man, I've gotta practice my lines tonight.
Tomorrow will hit me with a religion test, which I am feeling pretty good about. I am thinking tonight there will be some quality locked-in-room time with the "mood lamps" (set officially for studying) on... sounds peaceful to me; we'll see!

Well, let's get a move on... they're here!

Scholar Citizen

The Scholar Citizen class, taught by Professor Crockett, is a great one I must say!
I just finished reading this morning some articles that seem to relate to Buddhism. We just handed in our 1st-to-last paper (last Friday), which was very relieving! That one was on Einstein, and I was really forced to make my paper as "argumentative" as possible -- the drafts were numerous. I'm trying to get into the whole "loving when you're writing" mood... which doesn't come as easily as one might assume! But it's all a process I suppose... Now, to finish off the semester, we'll be reading more and more philosophical articles from the internet... and in the end, we'll relate them all to the philosopher Rorty.

Favorite quote of yesterday, said by Don Gustafson (my HIS103 teacher):
"If you love Disney World, let me say that you would probably be a supporter of fascism."

:)

The Yearning for Some Turkey

The countdown for heading home is now set for two days. Thinking of this makes me so happy, just to know that I'll then be with my parents. Even more, the day after I get back will be Thanksgiving! How great is this!! I guess there'll be 21 people packed into my house and the good food aroma will be wafting through the air, hopefully laughter, and some good family conversations too.
I have realized that this will be the longest time I have been home since school has started. A good four days are set for this long weekend; so I'm trying to get as much homework done as possible. The only things I want to be bringing home are laundry and a couple of checks to deposit!
PS - the "Thanksgiving" lunch last week was a plus-- it helped instill some "holiday spirit". Maybe I'll even recommend cranberry sauce to the cooks at my house this year!

Night and Happy early Thanksgiving,

Annika

STAPLES

staples, MN will rock your socks off

we are here, mi ladies from augsburg, Becki, Erin, and I

tonight we are going to the high school play Pink Panther

and who said you couldn't have fun in a small town

the love is here and her parents made the good breakfast this morning

tonight we've also got plans of board games and a movie (a deep one, that is!)

yayyy for woman time!!****

cultural dinner night at Bryan Coyle Center**

Good food day~~~goood food**

There are two huge things I love in life--- family,... and ethnic food.

So today I got a nice mix of them by exchanging emails with my parents and eating dinner at the Bryan Coyle Youth Center (it's near Mixed Blood Theater)-- simply great:)

Campus Kitchens (an Augsburg program that delivers and serves its left-over food to different organizations-- well they headed the event that had somalian food, mexican food, ethiopian food, and more-- I would say the spicy, curried chicken was my favorite-- I'm such a sucker for spicy food
and then this bread was also delicious... very mild tasting but very thick - which made it enjoyable!
If you volunteer for Campus Kitchens, all days are great-- but Tuesday is the day to volunteer! Then you get to go with my RA, Mama Nats, and I. We go to the Bryan Coyle Center and it is so neat to interact with the kids/teenagers and get them to eat their veggies, etc

then, a good additive of the day was also the "Thanksgiving" meal for lunch:)
You've gotta love the cranberry topping.

I also am getting ready for the snow--- Midwest Mountaineering has a sale going on through sunday-- get your boots!

i'll be back again~

annika

jane fonda.

So everyone knows that the verse from the song "Baby's Got Back" --that says: "playin work out tapes by Fonda..." --is referring to the one and only Buns of Steel, Jane Fonda--right??

:)) Well my buddy, Sam Smith, wanted to find out for sure so he decided to look it up on nothing but the internet-- and yes; the answer of Jane Fonda remained the truth

So Ms. Fonda graced the Augsburg community with her presence today at convocation in the gym-- The responses were mixed-- some said her speech was all right.. others said they liked it a lot

I personally went in there expecting to hear more about activism and issues of feminism; but she mainly spoke of her "Three Acts" in life --referring to every 30 years of age she builds up to
My response was one of the "ok" ones
I was just bummed about a couple of her answers that were just "I don't know"

So, as Jane Fonda left it, as will I... I just "don't know" anymore...

Annika

Minnesota Thunder

Yesterday - 6 pm - MN Thunder V LA Galaxy. ...And yes, David Beckham was playing... and did take his shirt off at the end.. which I scoffed at (sorry!)
I'm not gonna push my personal opinion, but I just feel like he is becoming too much of a sex-symbol... sooo anyway!---This was my first pro/semi-pro soccer game; therefore I was pumped since last week! We got our tickets free from Res Life, and with that, awesome seats, too -- they were really close to the field and almost right behind the goal posts
:)
MN Thunder ended up losing by one (the game ended off with penalty kicks)... but we still clapped the players on at the end. I think my favorites just may be #s 10 and 14.

Before the game, I made a run to Cub Foods, filled up Kate's car (that I borrow a couple times a week), and got my room stocked with yogurts! yes! Because of my roommate, I have found a new love for the Yoplait "Thick and Creamy" yogurt... good; very good.

Now I am sitting around w/ some friends for class (we've got theater lab).. after that, I'll be contemplating and arguing for Einstein - for his innovations that were made to the 20th century...

Polish-Polka Night was a Bust

Saturday night- get ready to head off to "the best polka/polish restaurant in MN" and eat some hardy authentic Polish food!
:)
...Well, that was the initial plan... then, after spending over a half-hour on the bus; all ten of us knew something had to be wrong. The bus driver lady was cranky, our groups were split-up (I, and three others, was in the back), and all except for two us us was feeling vomit-ish --and bad
We've gotta laugh about it now,...and, some of us were then
But the night ended up being great anyway...ending off at Applebee's where we got all the "half-off appetizers after 9" that we could handle... and trust me please, by this time the majority had been ready to eat since 5---and it was 9:30
So on the bus we made friends with some vibrant, one could say, interesting people in the back... one guy kept smirking and smelling his bag of "quarters", Renee's boyfriend got hit-on, and mine, Aaron, was dishing out high-fives like none other
ooh yes.. the "Date Night" gone crazy..and nauseous...:) But it was totally worth it after the laughs started up at dinner.. and went on until after the light rail ride home
~ It's always good to have some variety in your life, and, to use a cliche---"roll with the punches"...
So when the adversity is-a-comin... take it with a smile and excitement for something new

goodnight~

Peetz. (thank you, Sammers(/z) ~here we go...

Hi to my beautiful friend, Peter!
So, the theme of the night is "funny tray combinations"... which then in turn make the stomach a little woozy.. :)
and peter, the infamous full-meal-then-large bowls of cereal - boy... definitely knows how this goes
... or doesn't.. since he does this habitually every day.. for every meal

this brings up the point that saturday brunch is a little overrated -- I always end up having a waffle with pb and applesauce.. then, since it's mid-day, a salad stacked w/ tons of veggies.. and more canned fruit on the side.. and sometimes oatmeal..with brown sugar,.. too

..dont forget the balsamic vinegar and olive oil on top of the salad..

mmmm... the weird feelings usually wear off by about late-dinner time..

:)

different scenes

I've been thinking lately that it would be nice to get off campus a little.. sometimes your perspective can be refreshed by getting into a different environment for a bit!
I love Augsburg's ambience, but.. maybe today I deserve a little blueberry tea at Mapp's Coffee...hmmm. That is now my new favorite beverage.
Mapp's is a few blocks away so a walk will be nice.. it has felt like winter so much this week and I am now looking forward to some snow, actually! The other day I saw some very, very some flurries... but those went away with the wind soon after appearing. Now the dome's up over the soccer/football field.
Speaking of soccer, I am SO looking forward to the tickets that my friends and I got from Res Life-- free tickets to the LA Galaxy v MN Thunder soccer game this sunday!!! It'll be my first pro game!yesss can't wait!

more to come...
annika:)

estudiando w/ Juve :)

I've realized that I, more and more, am preferring to study not in the library--- or at least places that are extremely quiet..
So the place tonight, after theater lab, has been the coffee shop area (near the fish bowl) -- this is the place where a lot of the club meetings go on... for example, Outdoors Club (which I'm in!)
Tomorrow night for Outdoors Club we are going to Vertical Endeavors to go rock climbing-- sweet!
I have only done that once in my 18 years so it should be a very good time--- and Vertical Endeavors is quite reputable sooo..!

This week is a busy one, but I am not letting that get to me! I am getting better at that, actually.
History ("The Modern World") test Thursday, Spanish presentation Wednesday, set-up for Teatro del Pueblo (a CSA-Student Activism group- event tomorrow), meetings, flamenco class, .......
but wait! Friday night Juve and I are going salsa dancing with his friends and maybe I'll get my "Rooms" (erin, my rommate;) to go!!
yesss for the many things to experience!

American Gangster Movie Review

Just for common knowledge: If you want nice, reclining, good-cup-holder stadium seating (and cheaper- by $1 ticket prices), then head to "Block E" to see movies... although, you can use your student ID to receive $1 off for ticket prices.. But I would say Block E is your best bet for movies because it's a shorter light rail trip (much shorter) and better ambiance--- Even on Halloween some friends and I got let in for free! Sweet!
So I came to all these conclusions by going to a movie at the Mall of America last night-- we saw "American Gangster"
This was a good movie, very well made.
Denzel Washington- love him. Russel Crow- never stops doing great.
If you want a short movie, though, then save this one for later. It started at 7:40 and ended at 10:30. In my opinion, American Gangster had a lot of substance and kept you entertained.

From a new movie critic,

Annika

--Today is "paper" day!! Religion- paper on something in the New Testament-- my choice: Judas Iscariot.

:)

the weekend is here

happy friday to all!

last night i had an interesting driving excursion that led me to realize... "hey, if you get lost, just take the next exit off... it's all a learning experience.."
:)
so it actually turned out to be a pretty good time... I was by myself and listening (/singing) to Dave Matthews Band in my friend Kate's old white car
--which, by the way, i adore!
Thank you, kate!

So tonight is the premier of Ausburg's play--- oohh so much fun to accomplish!
The friends and I will go to that...
then, for saturday night--- to La Que Buena-- the awesome Mexican restaurant that's near E Lake Street!

I recommend it greatly-- open til 2 am on the WEEKNIGHTS! --probably even later on weekends.. :) and they've got spanish karoke so get ready!

gotta go to relig!

annika