Christy's Blog

GREAT last weekend at Big Sky!

2011-04-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

Sadly, this weekend was the last weekend that Big Sky is open this year. It was however, the best day I had there! It was warm and everyone is in a great mood! The best part was that so many people were in funny costumes! I saw a banana and a guy in a speedo and Mario and a family of bears! and if you have seen the movie Out Cold you will appreciate this... I saw papa Muntz! Also this weekend was the annual pond skim. The pond skim is where you can sign up to ski down the mountain on to a pond (you should be going fast enough to skim over the top of it) then down a little more and then over another pond. Some people fell really hard, but others made it all the way across no problem! The top picture is taken from the chair lift of the pond skim course. You can see how crowded it was there! And the lower picture is of part of the group I was with at the top of the mountain. I am the one in the yellow!

University Day

2011-04-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

Howdy. Today is University Day which just means that we don't have school today! Good thing we don't because I was at work last night night 3 AM... blah. Today I still am going to the middle school to work with my seventh graders. Afterwards I am having a couple friends over for chili... since it wont stop snowing and chili is nice on cold, wet not-so-nice days. Tomorrow my cousin and I are going to Billings to be with Gramma for Easter so that should be fun and it is always nice to see her:-)

Final Stretch

2011-04-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

This week and next week are very stressful weeks for us college students. This is the week before dead week. If it were up to me, we wouldn't have class during dead week because every semester I get soooo stressed out because I feel like I can't get all my stuff done, and go to class, and go to work, and sleep and eat and shower. We get really good and eating on the go, taking three minute showers and multi-tasking these last couple weeks. I made a GIANT list of things to do so I won't forget anything... unless I forgot to put it on the list. that would not be good:-)

Boyfriend's Birthday Weekend

2011-04-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was my boyfriend's birthday. I took him to a restaurant called Weebee's. It was expensive but it was SO GOOD! I had a flank steak with potato enchiladas... yummy! I highly recommend it! Then on Sunday we went to Big Sky for some skiing... it turned out to not be the best day ever. We were off to a late start and didn't even get to the mountain until noon. I was wearing my cousins ski boot which were too wide for my tiny feet and I could hardly get down the mountain. and then as soon as we got there the warm sun went away and was replaced with frozen rain... which neither of us were prepared for. Also, I am not the best skier in the world because I jut started skiing (from snowboarding) this year. I lost control and sped down the mountain, couldn't stop or anything, wiped out. All I remember from the fall was I knew I was twisted and I caught a glance at the sky... MY SKI WAS ABOUT FIFTEEN FEET ABOVE ME!!! I thought for sure it would land on me... but it didn't. I twisted my neck pretty good, but it feels almost better now. Be careful when you are skiing! So, to celebrate not killing myself, I am going again on Saturday for the annual Big Sky pond skim. I will do my best to get pictures because I know I have been slacking on them!

Long Day!

2011-04-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

Wednesdays are not my most fun days. I have class ALL DAY. Today I got to school at 8, did some homework and printed off today's notes. class from 9-10, 10-12, 1-2, office hours from 2-4, class from 4-5, president's dinner from 5-7, Mortar Board meeting from 8-9... holy guacamole. So basically I have a full schedule. On days like today, I make sure to pack myself lots of snacks to help me stay focused. I know that sounded like a frosted mini wheats commercial but its true! By about 2 o'clock my focus goes right out the window... literally. It's almost as if snacks give me something to look forward to in between classes... or during classes depending on the class and teacher!

I was invited to go to president Cruzado's house for dinner tonight. All students that are in leadership positions were invited. I am excited to maybe have a real conversation with her rather than just a smile and a "hi" when I see her on campus. I will let you know how it goes!

New Living Space

2011-04-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

As you have probably gathered, I have been living with a whole lot of people for the past three years. First year it was six guys and two dogs, last year was three guys one girl and one dog, and this year its four girls two dogs and a cat. TOO MANY PEOPLE. But... this week I found an apartment three blocks from campus ALL FOR MYSELF!!! I move in May 1st. I will take pictures for you then, but until then I have to buy a whole bunch of stuff to put in it!! I'm so excited! and I just can't hide it! I'm about to lose control and I think I like it!

USP Grant!

2011-04-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

This Week has been a great week! You know that Grant/Scholarship that I was waiting to hear from for my trip to Europe?!?! Well, I GOT IT! I am so stoked! That will really help out with the whole getting to Europe thing. To celebrate, and to say thank you to the two people that are helping us out, we all went out for Ale Works for dinner! DELICIOUS! Joyce Herbeck has been a big advocate for this project and has helped us a lot in this whole process. She also applied for something else... I don't know exactly what, but we got accepted to present our project at a big convention in Chicago in November! I guess it is this huge Education gathering or something... I don't know, but it's sweet! I will give you more updates as time goes on!

Flu season is supposed to be over!

2011-04-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

So, this weekend was supposed to be awesome... working, getting a whole bunch of school stuff done and skiing... guess what... I did none of that. Well, I guess I worked, but I was not on top of my game at work like I should have been because I am sick... my nose won't stop running I am losing my voice (I sound like a stuffed up old man that smoked his whole life) I am tired and cold and achy... sounds like the flu to me! so I have been a couch potato when I am not at work, and homework just doesn't sound like fun to me... so I didn't do any. I think that it is important to give yourself a break every now and then. Honestly, I think I got sick because it is my body's way of saying "slow down a bit!" Maybe that is just a silly theory, but your body needs a break from stress, and college is a stressful environment. Well, that's my speech for the day, I hope you all are staying healthy and washing your hands often!

Revolution in the Classroom

2011-03-28T16:14:00.001-07:00

So I have been telling you about this Scholars Program project that I applied for where three of us read the book Revolution and visit a seventh grade class once a week to discuss the book and assign homework and projects and what not. Well, Friday was the first day in the schools and it was so much fun! We have a group of 8 girls that are all very chatty and fun. All of them seemed very excited about reading the book, some had finished it and others were just dying to continue reading... I like that. I hope that this experience continues to be a positive one! :-)

Free Powder Day!

2011-03-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

Moonlight Basin was nice enough to give everybody who works in the admissions office free ski passes yesterday. On top of free passes, they provided riding tours of the mountain and a complimentary breakfast of cinnamon rolls that were as big as my head! The day could not have been more perfect! It was snowing until about 11 and then the sun came out and it warmed up for perfect spring skiing weather! I skied for the second time in ten years and I nailed a tree-run which I was very excited about! I only really fell once and it was in powder up to my knees, so I didn't even feel it! Even the groomers had a few inches of powder on them!! Even though it was a weekend and a powder day, we never had to wait in line to be on a chair lift. That is one of my favorite parts about Moonlight. It's not crowded, always great snow, and they go out of their way to make your day awesome!

World Music

2011-03-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

I realized, after reading through some of my entries, that I always talk about homework and extra-curricular activities but I have never really told you about any specific classes. Right now, I am in a world music class, which is one of my favorite classes this semester. In this class, we are studying all types of music from all over the world, focusing specifically in India, China, Sub-Saharan Africa, Indonesia, Latin America and Native America. We study everything from dance to instruments to theater and teaching practices, to religious music, music influences and past and present music. This class is not particularly difficult but it is interesting and I feel like I am learning a lot from it.

Tickets are booked!

2011-03-23T11:34:00.001-07:00

So, over Spring break, my sister and I finally buckled down and booked our tickets to Europe. I am flying into Paris on May 18th and leaving from Venice on June 30th. I will spend one week in France, two weeks in England, a week and a half by myself doing what ever I want:-) (my mom's good friend lives in Norway so I might try to swing on up there!) and then two weeks in Italy with my sister. I am so excited! Booking the tickets was a disaster though. By the time we had our tickets booked and all straightened out, we had spent over 4 hours working on it. My advice now that I am smarter about all this = Call a travel agent before you purchase anything! they can walk you through what you want to do and then you can book the tickets yourself online, so you don't have to pay the fee for having someone else do it.
College is the time to travel! You have the freedom to be spontaneous and adventurous, PLUS, college students don't mind being broke (which is good because after a long expensive trip you will be!) Travel! Go on an adventure!

Snowed In

2011-03-22T12:20:00.001-07:00

So, yesterday almost 500 of us gathered for my grandfathers funeral. It was a beautiful, warm spring day and the family all gathered at my Gramma's house afterwards. My cousin Britta and I were having so much fun hanging out with the family that we decided to stay the night in Billings and head back to Bozeman at the crack of dawn to make it back for classes this morning. Well, we made it to Park City (Just outside of Billings) to find ourselves in a white out, driving on slippery slush. We almost slid off the road. Two hours later, we were back at Gramma's, snowed in. My dad and siblings are driving back to Minnesota today and they also got snowed in, in North Dakota. Well, looks like I get to do homework today... and I have even better ways to procrastinate.

Life doesn't Stop

2011-03-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

So, Spring break is not as relaxing as a thought it would be. While I am super glad that I don't have classes or work, guess where I am right now.... the library.. weird right? Well, my grandpa died this morning, so my mom left today to go to Montana, I have to miss the first part of next week for the funeral so I have extra work to do while I am here. But enough of the bad things....

Good things:

I brought my boyfriend home to meet my parents and so far so good!!!

I went to the Minnesota Science Museum yesterday and saw the King Tut exhibit and omni-theater movie and it was SO COOL!

The weather is getting warmer which means summer is coming!

My dad is taking us to Chino Latino tonight which could be the best restaurant in the world (but I haven't been to every restaurant so I can't judge)

My brother is home this whole week which is so cool because I never get to see him!

OK, enough procrastinating... I gotta at least get some work done while I am here:-)

SPRING BREAK

2011-03-11T06:50:00.000-08:00

THANK GOODNESS SPRING BREAK STARTS TODAY!!!!!! I was beginning to get really crabby from how much I had to do homework and work and not play! but I have most of my homework done! (I will finish today) and I am already checked into the airport even though I am not leaving until tomorrow! I am so excited to be going home for break even though there is three feet of snow in Minneapolis and I am kinda over this whole snow thing!

Well I will do my best to keep writing... who knows how well I will do on that!

Catch up

2011-02-28T08:58:00.000-08:00

I apologize for not blogging for so long! I have been very busy traveling back and forth from Billings... helping out the grandparents, and it seems like everything always happens at once! Last week I turned in a 5 page proposal for a research scholarship and if I get it I will get a large chunk of money to help out with my trip to Europe this summer. I also turned in my application for Mortar Board which is a senior honors society. Mortar Board puts on blood drives and helps out with and attends all types of events... I already do all those things so I figured I would get recognized for it! Good Idea! Well, this upcoming month is going to be just as busy, if not busier, than the last! Good thing Spring Break is in there otherwise I might suffocate under all this work I have to do! I am sure some of you can relate! Well, exciting news for me... I quit my job at JoAnn Fabrics. It's not that I don't like working, it's that I only work there on Sundays, and I don't have a day that I am not committed to something. I need at least one day a week to sit down and get some stuff done, clean my room and do laundry, and geez I need to relax some time! I am really excited about my new plan for Sundays: I am going to go to a different coffee shop every Sunday morning, do my reading for the week without the pressure of "I have to be somewhere soon!"
Spring is starting to peek through the snow here which doesn't help me pay attention at all. I can't wait for summer and all of the outdoor activities that comes with it! Our last MSU Friday of the year is coming up this week as well. We plan on this one being our biggest yet! If you haven't signed up yet, you definitely should! I am especially excited about this one because my sister is coming from Minnesota to join in on the festivities. Also on this Friday, the ASMSU Rail jam is happening so if you come to visit, you will get to see a few of the best skiers and snowboarders show off on campus's own rails!

Giving Blood!

2011-02-16T13:26:00.000-08:00

Every month, Red Cross comes to the MSU campus to put on a blood drive. Everytime I go in there to try to give blood, they are completely booked or I can't fit it in my schedule. But today finally got to give blood! I think it's a great and easy way to help somebody out:-) Even if you are afraid of needles... you can still give blood and just not watch, they are really good about hiding your arm from you if you don't want to see it. Funny thing: Every time I give blood, they tell me I have a different blood type. I don't know why, and I don't know what it actually is! I hope this time I find out for sure!

Valentine's Day

2011-02-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

So I have never been a big Valentine's Day advocate, but for those of you that are... Happy late Valentine's Day! This Valentine's Day was just like any other day for me... long hours at school and lots of homework, left-overs for dinner and early to bed. The day after, my morning class was cancelled, so my boyfriend and I went out to breakfast at the Cateye Cafe before class:-) I made cookies for my roommates, but that's about it. No gift giving or special day all planned out... that's just fine with me:-)

MSU Friday!

2011-02-11T09:06:00.001-08:00

I totally forgot to tell you about MSU Friday! Last Friday, we hosted the second MSU Friday of the year. Even though several people cancelled because of the weather, our final number was 642 prospective students! The last one of the year will be on March 4th, and it is supposed to be our biggest one yet!

If you haven't been to an MSU Friday, it is quite the experience! The day starts off with about 40 campus tours (5 leave every 5 minutes) followed by a welcoming ceremony and sample classes. Lunch is held in the ballrooms where tons of clubs, groups, fraternities and sororities, etc. set up little booths for you to see and get information. Then more sample classes and campus tours, residence hall tours, fitness center tours, greek house tours, and student and parent panels. Basically, it is a full day.

Why does this apply to me? Well, as an Advocat, part of what we do is help run the MSU Friday events. We get there at 7 in the morning to help decorate and greet, and stay all day until 5. The picture is my cousin Britta, Roommate Liz, and me at lunch representing our Advocats shirts and looking a little worn out!

It was a great turn out even with half of the airports in the country closed!

Title goes here

2011-02-10T08:02:00.000-08:00

So... I don't exactly have a theme to this entry, I just thought I should check in and say hi! :-) I was here at the library by 7:30 this morning... reading primary documents for my history class. I am really bad a history classes. I don't know why history doesn't click for me, it is kind of frustrating because in no other subject do I have that problem. Lots of reading, and putting things together, and making sense out of things I have only heard about... I guess everybody has there strong suits... and history is just not mine. I have been putting off this class since I started here at MSU... when you come here, take my advice, don't put your rough classes off, space them out evenly so you don't get all flustered, and when you do take those classes, try your best to keep up with the class and get to know your professors and TA (making yourself known will get you farther than anything else you can do!)
So anyway, I am in the library, procrastinating until I have to go to class. The library is a nice place in the early morning believe it or not. It is quiet and smells like coffee:-) plus, there is nothing else going on that can possibly distract you!
I guess that can be all for my random and rambling entry. I can't procrastinate too long because I actually have a lot of stuff to do. Homework and studying is never ending. My dad always said, "you have to work hard, so you can play hard." That's good advice, and it is so true!

The Dreamline

2011-02-07T19:05:00.001-08:00

So today I decided that I would make use of the streamline bus since it is free for everyone to use, and a great way to get around when you are like me and don't have a car. Usually, I either walk or bike everywhere, but today, since it was a total blizzard outside (and still is) I decided that the streamline (or the dreamline as I like to call it) was a good idea. It was a little slow today because of the snow, but it gave me sometime to read and drink my tea:-)

BLIZZARD!!

2011-02-07T13:06:00.000-08:00

Whoa! We are in the middle of a huge blizzard. Bozeman was lucky enough to miss last weeks blizzards that were in 38 states... I guess our luck ran out! Good thing I forgot my boots today! (insert sarcasm here). Well for those of you in Bozeman, I hope you are the kind that really like snow... it has been snowing in the mountains for way longer than in the valley so that means SKIING FRESH POWDER!! For those of you not in Bozeman... this is what you have to look forward to!

Cowgirl in Training

2011-02-02T06:41:00.000-08:00

I have always had a thing for country boys/ cowboys (just like that song says "... girls like country boys...") I just recently started dating this boy, who grew up in the country with horses and such, and I simply can't get over how much I like that he wears cowboy boots everyday... I am a dork, I know. But for christmas he bought me my own cowboy boots! (yes, I feel like a fraud wearing them) but I love them! haha. This probably sounds really ridiculous to all you country folk out there but seriously, for a city girl like me, this is fabulous. So yes, I spent a whole blog entry telling you about my boots. Sorry that the picture is sideways... I couldn't figure out how to turn it and make it stay turned. All you cowboys out there... never change... Your boots and belt buckles are delicious eye candy:-)

It's Cold!!!

2011-01-31T10:41:00.000-08:00

Bozeman is acting up again! We have experienced an 80 degree drop from two days ago to today. I was getting spring fever the other day, with this close to 50 degree weather and people busting out their shorts and bright colors... only for mother nature to drop the temperature to 30 below zero with wind chill last night. not fair. But the good thing is, the weather will warm back up again and like I have said before, Bozemanites are not afraid of the cold! I hope everyone is staying warm!

Sri Lanka Fund Raiser

2011-01-31T10:32:00.000-08:00

Something I really like about Bozeman, is that there are always fun events to go to, and a lot of them are put on for a good cause. Last night, the Bozeman Brewery hosted a fund raiser organized by my friend John, for kids in Sri Lanka that don't have enough money to eat. There was a great band playing last night, along with a raffle and for every pint that was purchased, the brewery gave 50 cents. I like to go to things like this because 1) they are fun to go to and get me out of the house and give me a break from homework, and 2) it feels good to do something to help.

Literature and Art in Context

2011-01-27T14:11:00.001-08:00

So.... I believe I mentioned before that I am planning on studying abroad this upcoming summer and that I would give you more details later. Well, we just had our second meeting, so I am able to give you more details. The program that I am participating in, is made up of MSU students and led by three MSU professors. We will receive 9 credits for this trip or in other words we are taking 3 classes: children's literature, young adult literature and methods of teaching art. We start the trip in Paris. We will explore that area for one week, going to the Louve, the Cathedral of Chartres, and of course eating lots of crepes. Then we head up to England. We will be traveling all over the country (spending a lot of time in London) going to Harry Potter sites, and Beatrix Potter's farm (author of Peter Rabbit). Then I plan on staying in Europe for a few weeks. I will have one to two weeks there by myself (I haven't decided what I am going to do yet) and then I am meeting my little sister in Italy, where we really want to take a cooking class! That's about all I know so far about the trip, other than the fact that I have to read a heap load of books before this semester is over (which is not easy given the lack of time I have to do my current homework!) I am excited!

Phone-a-thon

2011-01-24T11:15:00.000-08:00

If you have applied for admission at MSU, you will most likely get a phone call from a student asking you if you have any questions and try to get you excited about being a bobcat! Most of the time, the students that do this are the "Tele-cats". For the next few weeks, I get the pleasure of supervising the Advocats while they take part in what we call the "phone-a-thon". Each student has to dedicate 3 hours to calling prospective students and put their knowledge to the test! I encourage you to take advantage of these hard core Cats fans that call you. Not only because it makes their job most exciting, but because they LOVE to talk about their school and Bozeman, and they all are full of facts and information that they would like to show off:-) Of course if you don't have time to talk, or come up with more questions later, you can always call 1-888-MSU-CATS.
(I don't mean to sound like an advertisement:-) I just wish I knew that number when I was applying to school!)

BIG SKY!

2011-01-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

This weekend, Big Sky Ski Resort was generous enough to give a free ski day to everyone that works in the admissions office at MSU. I have skied and snowboarded at 6 ski resorts in Montana but I had never been to Big Sky. I always just assumed that it would be too crowded and too expensive... Too commercial. Turns out, I was wrong. Big Sky has worked it out so there are ZERO lines to get on the chair lift. Their lifts are big and fast and efficient. Big Sky has so much terrain... fresh powder is not hard to find. I was most surprised by the price. On a regular day, a full-day pass for students is only $41! That is within a couple dollars of Bridger Bowl and Moonlight Basin. A representative from Big Sky Resort told me that they are trying to get more involved with the community and with MSU and make it more accessible for students. If you come to visit Bozeman, I recommend that you try out a ski resort or two. Even if you don't ski, it is a great way to get the feel of a small ski-bum town!

Spring Semester Starts!

2011-01-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

So, the semester has started and already my teachers are putting me to work! This semester I will spend most of my time reading. Reading for my classes this semester and doing the pre-reading for my study abroad classes this summer! I will spend less time in class this semester (even though I have the same amount of credits) but I will have to dedicate a lot more time outside of class to homework and reading.

Spring semester is way different than fall semester. Campus has a different atmosphere, activities, ward robes and attitudes change, and spring fever starts way too early for me. People come to Bozeman for the winter sports, skiing and snowboarding being the big ones. Campus is a lot more vacant during Spring semester than fall semester because every spare second is spent on the slopes. A lot of students organize their schedules so they don't have class everyday and many students take skiing or snowboarding classes for a little extra snow time! Bozemanites definitely do not hibernate... the snow brings people out and together! (I know that is kinda cheesy, but it's true!)

This semester should be interesting!

Hmm...

2011-01-10T10:21:00.001-08:00

So, I lied and I neglected you... my apologies. I do not have any pictures of the Madrigal dinner and I haven't written in over a month.

Well, to catch you up... Christmas was great. I went to Billings for a few days to see the family. It was awesome because all 22 of us were there! (which is a rare occasion) I worked on New Years Eve and New Years day. I also went skiing at Discovery Basin, near Anaconda about an hour and a half away from Bozeman, and skied at Big Mountain in Whitefish (northwestern Montana). Both were amazing and so much fun. My break has been semi-boring, which is good because I needed a little boredom.

School starts on Wednesday. This semester will be just as busy as the last with 20 credits, JoAnn Fabrics, Advocats, Blogging, Spectators, and planning my trip to Europe in the summer! Have a happy spring semester!

Someone needs to tug on the reins!

2010-12-06T09:02:00.000-08:00

So, I know I talk about being busy all the time, but seriously, this past weekend was one of the busiest yet! Note that I am not complaining in the least, because I volunteered to be this busy. Don't be afraid to be busy! I love having tons of things to do, and I told myself that as long as I keep my grades up and make it to class and work on time and get enough sleep, I can be as busy as I can be!

This weekend, starting after class on Friday... I went to chunch (free lunch - I'll explain later), went home to fix my hair and make a to-go dinner, went out to Gallatin Gateway Inn for Madrigal Dinner rehearsal, Madrigal dinner went long, came home and went right to bed. Saturday got up early and headed straight for the library (because this is the last week of school already) and up to the SUB for another Madrigal dinner. A bunch of people from the choir went out afterwards, although I didn't stay out long because I had to get up early the next day. Sunday I worked at JoAnn Fabrics from 8-noon, biked over to my new job at Spectators, worked there until 5:30, Madrigal dinner at 5:45. My grandparents were in town yesterday to see the Madrigal dinner and I felt bad that I didn't get to see them much! But i loved that they were there and it is always good to see gramma and grampa! Today, is just as busy. Tour this morning at 9 class all day until 2 (except my 10:00 class was cancelled!) get on the choir bus at 3 to go to Big Sky for the final Madrigal Dinner. We should get back around midnight.

Tomorrow, expect some pictures of Madrigal dinner (if I can remember where I put my camera) :-)

My New Job!

2010-12-01T10:05:00.001-08:00

I have always wanted to be a bartender because my dad was in college and he always used to tell me about how much fun it was. Well, this week I started bar-tending/waitressing at a bar close to campus called Spectators. Mostly college students and sports fans hang out there (probably because it is a sports bar on a college campus). It is a very nice change of scenery from JoAnn Fabrics, where I still work at on Sundays. My first day went very well, except I shattered a glass into the ice bin. The second day was still fun, but I was on my own and it was a little more intense and scary. I had to wait on my boss (the owner and his wife). I didn't know the answers to his questions and I typed his burger in wrong and I think he was a little upset. But he left a hefty tip and gave me really good pointers. I hope that I can be a stellar waitress soon. I did get a very nice note from a couple of ladies saying that I was doing a very awesome job on my first day. I kept the note and pinned it on my bulletin board (cheesy I know, but it makes me feel really good!) Other mishaps from my second day?... I messed up nearly every ticket I printed out and I dropped the ketchup refill bucket and it went everywhere... I am the world's biggest klutz. I had a dream last night where I spilled a ladies nachos on the floor and tried to hide it and she got sick and the whole thing was a mess. haha. Nonetheless, I really like my new job. So far, I really like everyone I work with and the customer crowd has been nothing but nice and supportive:-)

Thanksgiving Break

2010-11-29T13:20:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving break is over :-( and I am back in the library (big surprise). I went to Billings to visit my grandparents on Wednesday and Thursday and drove back Friday morning to work Black Friday at JoAnn Fabrics. We had about 20 family members come in to town (sadly, no one from my immediate family) and my boyfriend came with us. My friend, Grant, also drive up from Denver to spend Thanksgiving with me! Grant and I were best friends in middle school and the beginning of high school and then he moved to Florida in 10th grade... I hadn't seen him in 6 years! It was so nice to catch up! We picked up right where we left off. The rest of break was mostly spent at work and showing Grant around Bozeman. After that tease of a break, I am ready for Winter break and for this semester to be over! I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving and I hope everyone ate until they couldn't move!!!

CATS WIN!

2010-11-29T13:12:00.000-08:00

As you all probably know by now, the Bobcats beat the Grizzlies in a very close game of Football last weekend! Winning this game was a big deal for us Cat fans because (a) we beat the Griz which is awesome, and (b) we are now the champions of the Big Sky conference and we go to play offs on Saturday! I will do my best to keep everyone posted about the Cats, but with finals coming up and I start a new job today, I might not get around to watching the games.

Last weekend, the game was in Missoula. Bozeman was practically vacant that weekend because everybody hitched on over to the University of Montana. I was hibernating and watched the game from a friends house where it was nice and warm. It was so cold in Missoula that only the really hot blooded, hard core fans stayed through the whole game!

Cat/Griz is Coming Up!!!

2010-11-18T11:28:00.000-08:00

As you all probably know, or should know, the CAT/Griz football game is coming up this weekend!! Since this year the game is in Missoula, I will not be going to the game sadly, but there is still plenty to do here to support the CATS!! All week we have been competing against the Griz in a food drive and a blood drive, I plan on participating in both. Most often, and sadly, the Griz usually beat the CATS in the game, but this year we have a really good chance of winning, and if we do we will be champions of the Big Sky conference! So everybody needs to be cheering for the CATS! It is our year!!!!

I learned a little background on the CAT/Griz game that I thought you might be interested in. The CAT/Griz rivalry is one of the oldest college rivalries in the country dating back before MSU was called MSU. Back in the day, the game was held in Butte Montana (in between Bozeman and Missoula) and it was called the Copper Bowl. GO BOBCATS!!!

The New Animal Bioscience Building!

2010-11-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

Since I am an Advocat, we get to tour a lot of the buildings on campus and we get to learn about what other students are learning, researching and working with. Last week, we got to tour the new Animal Bioscience Building, which I think hasn't gotten as much hype as it should. The building is on the edge of campus so a lot of students aren't even aware that it is open yet... they are missing out! It is by far the coolest building that I have been in on campus! The whole thing is incredibly well thought out and organized. Everything is up-to-date and is designed to be able to stay that way. For example, the labs are usually these huge, stationary chunks of equipment that can't be easily updated. The new labs in the Animal Bioscience building are mobile. So if a new big piece of equipment needs to replace an old out-dated piece of equipment, or a new piece is just desired, they can just push one lab out of the way and put the new one in. Also, even the paint on the walls were specifically picked out to enhance focus and learning (the walls are light blue and the front wall is dark blue to draw focus to the front of the room).

My favorite part of this building is the study areas. They are serene and quiet and spacious, plus there are huge windows everywhere that face the Bridger Mountain Range! A lot of the materials used to make this building are local or recycled materials! The rubber floors (so you can't hear cowboy boots:-) are made from recycled tires and the stone tiles are rocks from the Gallatin Valley! I am definitely going to start studying in that building. It is gorgeous!

Recycled Fashion Show

2010-11-13T10:20:00.000-08:00

When I first came to Bozeman, I figured that there wouldn't be as much to do as in the cities where I grew up... I was wrong for sure. In Bozeman there is always something to do. I am rarely ever bored. MSU hosts events and shows all the time, and last week, the big event that was hosted was the recycled fashion show. It is exactly what it sounds like... people make and model clothes that are made from recycled material. Oh boy, we have some creative and talented people at our school! I was so impressed with everyone's costumes! Everyone had fun and laughed a lot and the best part is that all the proceeds go to Engineers without boarders. A brief overview: Engineers without boarders is a group of students of campus that go to West Kenya and help purify water. They have dug several wells and created sanitary water for thousands of people. You don't have to be an engineer to be apart of Engineers without boarders... you just have to be enthusiastic about helping others.

The picture is the winning costume. It is the Belle's dress from Beauty and the Beast made out of caution tape! I know you can't see it very well, but trust me it was awesome!

I forgot about Halloween!

2010-11-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

So I completely forgot to tell you all about Halloween! Halloween was on a Sunday, so I went out on Saturday and went dancing at a costume party! I had so much fun that I forgot to take pictures, but I wish I would have because I saw some awesome costumes! I went as a butterfly: I made my antenna and outfit, and just bought the wings (which are now hanging on my ceiling). I saw Doc Holiday, a Rubic's cube, Strawberry shortcake, Minnie Mouse, Curious George, and the most legit looking Avatar I have ever seen! He looked like he was straight out of the movie! All in all, Halloween was awesome like always!

SNOW

2010-11-08T12:54:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was absolutely beautiful! Warm weather, sunny, and perfect! I am glad to say that I got out on Saturday and hiked the M one last time before the snow came today. I know I have said this before, but the weather in Bozeman is completely indecisive. Yesterday was warm and sunny and today is cold and wet and has been snowing all day! One of the best parts about Bozeman is that when it snows, the outdoor activities don't dwindle and the people don't hibernate. People here love snow and no one lets the cold rain on their parade. This is nice for people like me, who actually don't really like snow or cold. But I stay here because it is too pretty to leave, the people here are too nice and too fun and this is the perfect place to to go school:-)

This year we had the best fall I have had in a long, long time. Tons of colors, nice weather, not much rain or wind... perfect. Time for a perfect winter:-)

Passage Falls

2010-11-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

I love days off of school! Doesn't everybody?!?! Well, this week we had Tuesday off from school because it was election day. It was a beautiful day so I decided to go hiking. We went to the next valley over (Paradise Valley) and drove about 34 miles south of Livingston to the trailhead. Paradise Valley is probably the most beautiful place I have ever been. The mountains are huge, sky is wide open, and the fall colors were so vivid in the bright sunlight!!! Plus there are hardly any people in the valley so there are no big buildings or traffic lights... it is awesome. The hike was pretty easy and very well maintained. Oh my gosh, the falls were unbelievable! SO PRETTY! We had lunch at the bottom of the falls and then hiked up and around to the top of the falls were we explored around and climbed some trees:-) Every time I go on a hike around here I wonder why I don't live in a little tree house on top of a mountain because it is so quiet and so gorgeous and relaxing. Unfortunately (or fortunately) we didn't see many animals like I was hoping to (I wanted to see a goat or elk or something!) We did however, see two bald eagles and two huge golden eagles! I had never seen a live golden eagle before so that was cool! I couldn't get a picture of it though, because it was too fast! Moral of the story... hike. Hike all the time!

The three pictures are for you to see how gorgeous this day/hike was! The picture with the bridge was taken from the trail head... I liked the bridge and all the colors! The picture with me is at the falls... So gorgeous! and they are actually a lot taller than they look in the picture! and the last picture is one of the many spectacular views on the way to the falls!

Fitness Classes!

2010-10-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

The Fitness Center on campus is brand new and is filled with state of the art equipment. For full-time students, full gym access comes with tuition. There are indoor tennis courts, racquet ball courts, climbing wall, track, pool, open gyms, and plenty of weights, machines, and space. One of the best parts about the fitness center is the group fitness classes. For $40 per semester, you can go to any or all of the fitness classes that are offered. To the right is the class schedule, but in case you can't read it, some of the classes offered are yoga (which is my favorite class), pilates, spinning, zumba, Pink Gloves boxing, ab lab, Hydro fit, max core, Booty camp, and turbo kick.

I was really upset this year because none of the classes that I wanted to go to fit into my schedule. But today, when I walked into the gym, there was a big sign that read "Fall Fitness Classes half off! More classes added!" I am so pumped! I can go to yoga almost every day now! yippy skippy!

MSU Friday!

2010-10-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

Three times a year, MSU hosts "MSU Friday" which is a day that reevolves around prospective students. We start the day with coffee, doughnuts and about 30 tours that leave every five minutes! The rest of the day is filled with presentations, sample classes, parent and student panels, residence hall and fitness center tours, and of course, lunch. This past Friday was the first MSU Friday of the year, with about 800 prospective visitors! If you haven't visited the campus yet, MSU Fridays are a great time to go! We have two more this year: February 4th and March 4th. In this picture, Jeff Adams is giving a sample class for Physics. This is one of the most popular sample classes because he lays on a bed of nails and does some cool explosion demonstrations:-)

Busy Week!

2010-10-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

This week has been super busy!!! Midterms are around this time and the whole student body is feeling it! Tests, homework, projects, lesson plans, presentations, reading, and papers are consuming my life at the moment. Plus, spring registration begins next week and I am in the middle of the application process to study abroad. If I have already mentioned this, sorry I am going to say it again... I am addicted to traveling. I decided that studying abroad would probably be a fabulous thing to do. I started the application process (which isn't very extensive at all) today. I am planning on going to London for the summer to study at Kingston University. Studying abroad is a great opportunity to see the world, meet new people and learn things from a different perspectives. Studying abroad is the same price as staying in Montana for school (sometimes it's even cheaper for out-of-state students), you don't have to know another language and anybody from any major can study abroad. I will tell you more about it as it gets closer.

Basically, life is crazy and busy busy busy! but no less awesome!

Adventures in Bozeman

2010-10-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

The weather this fall in Bozeman has been absolutely awesome! Last weekend, it was so nice, and I needed some alone time, so I decided I would bike to the M (a big M painted on the side of the Bridger Mountains) and then I hiked up to it. I was feeling adventurous and I wondered off the trail a little bit, camera in hand, and started messing around with the settings and took a whole bunch of pictures.

One thing that I love about Bozeman is that there are so many things to do outside that you can't do in a lot of places. For instance, it only took me maybe 25 min to bike to the mountains (and I wasn't going that fast) and within just a couple hours I had gone on a much needed hike. You don't need a car to get to where you need to go. This is my fourth year here and I have never once needed a car to get around town or to go hiking near by. Here are a couple pictures that I took while I was on my biking/hiking adventure.

Jack Johnson at the Gorge!

2010-10-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts about college is that you have a lot of freedom. You can leave town for the weekend without a whole lot of thought and no one can tell you not to:-) A couple weekends ago my friend Chance and I drove out to George, Washington to see Jock Johnson in concert at the Gorge. It was great to get away from life for a couple days and the Gorge was so beautiful and the weather couldn't have been better! We stopped in Missoula to have dinner with a friend, stayed the night in Idaho, camped right at the Gorge, and stopped in Helena to have dinner with my uncle! Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love to travel and explore new places and I love little weekend road trips because they are not stressful, it gives you a break, and you get to visit friends and family that you rarely see!

The picture on the left is a picture of the Gorge while we were in George Washington. The picture on the right is a blurry picture of Jack Johnson on stage!

Homecoming Week!

2010-10-13T21:46:00.001-07:00

Homecoming was this past weekend!!!! The whole week was filled with fun events in the spirit of the Bobcats! Midnight Mania was hosted at the Field house again (I was sad to miss it but I spent the evening with my roommate because it was her birthday). And the 3rd Annual Blue and Gold Undie Run was held on campus on Friday afternoon. That is one of the funniest events of the year. Hundreds of students strip down to their blue and gold undies to show off their true Bobcat spirit and run a loop around and through campus! The football game was the first warm and sunny homecoming game I have ever been to here at MSU and it was fabulous! And of course, since he Bobcats rock, we won the game! As I was biking around town on Saturday, I was impressed by how much MSU spirit I saw. Everyone was wearing their gold shirts and even my banker was wearing her Bobcat apparel.

Did you miss me??

2010-10-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

Greetings! I know it has been a while so let me give you an update!

This summer was AWESOME! I spent the whole summer working at a camp on the North Shore of Lake Superior! No cell phone and limited Internet for three months! I got a total of 6 days off all summer and I spent those days in Duluth, Minnesota with my friends Luke and Eli. We did a lot of rock climbing and even went skydiving! It was great! I highly recommend jumping out of airplanes!
Campers were anywhere from 3rd grade to just graduated from high school, and there were also several retreats for adults to come up as well. So much fun and I miss it dearly, but I am happy to be back in Bozeman and back in school!

This semester has been my busiest yet! I am taking 21 credits and working at JoAnn Fabrics. This year I am the Advocat co-coordinator (which means I help coordinate the class for all of the campus tour guides and help out with MSU Fridays), and I am peer leading a section of the freshman seminar course. Needless to say, I am a busy girl this semester and I will do my best to keep you up to date!

Last 24 hours of School!

2010-05-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

I figured, since the next 24 hours are my last 24 hours of the semester, that I would take a study break and inform everyone on how excited I am to almost be done with finals! I got to school this morning at 9 and was lucky enough to find a nice big table to spread all my stuff on, but then needed a change of scenery and wondered up to the fourth floor of the library... It is my first time being up here... I feel adventurous! Here is a picture I took from where I am sitting. As you can see, the library is packed and everyone is studying hard to finish out the school year strong!
I am staying in Bozeman for the month of May, working and taking an online History course and helping my cousin fix up our house. The best part about being in Bozeman in the summer is the outdoor activities! You could stay here all summer and never do the same thing twice! There is tons of hiking and biking trails, climbing, floating, fishing, etc. I LOVE IT! hopefully the weather will cooperate and I can get outside everyday! The rest of my summer I will be on the North shore of Lake Superior as a staff member at the camp that I grew up at! I am very excited about that too!
Ok, enough procrastinating for me! I need a snack and then BACK TO STUDYING.

Finally Finals week

2010-05-03T11:12:00.000-07:00

It always feels like the semester goes so slowly, and then all of a sudden it's finals week! I had my math final this morning and I have two more this week and then I'm DONE! The library during finals week is always open until 2AM and it is always REALLY CROWDED! luckily there are two quiet floors and tons of cubby desks so work can still be done! I guess tonight and all week snacks and coffee are being given out at midnight in the SUB (which is open 24 hours this week) I will probably go check out the snacks tonight! :-) Good luck with the end of your year!

Boy Band/TBA

2010-04-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

the "Boy Band" of MSU is the awesomest, funniest group of guys you can find on campus. I am so glad I have gotten to know all of them and had a chance to travel to Europe with them. All of the guys are from the Chorale, and on their own, they have created this acapella group. They sing mostly pop songs and are really fun to listen to because all of them are so into what they do. Sadly, a few of the members are graduating this year and won't be able to continue being in the group... sad day! The point of this blog is to let you know that there are hundreds of things to be involved in at MSU and if you seriously can't find something that interests you, you can always make up your own! being involved in things is the best way to meet people and really get the most out of your college years!

In the picture: (from the left) Steven, Jacob, Drew, Mark, Joe Travis, Tom, DJ

Relay for Life!

2010-04-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

If you don't know what Relay for Life is, you are missing out. It is a 12 - 24 hour relay to raise money for cancer research. You sign up with a team of friends and at least one person from your team needs to be walking around the track for the entire 24 hours. During the relay, other activities are going on as well, such as concerts, games/tournaments, free food and hanging out. This year, I joined with "Team Awesome Abs" which was really a team of my fellow choir members and we don't really have awesome abs at all :-) It was a really rewarding and fun experience and I encourage everyone to participate sometime.

Earth Week

2010-04-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

It's Earth Week this week! Perfect week for that too, the weather has been warm and fabulous! Today, to celebrate Earth day, we went on a walk in between classes and picked up trash:-) Our Plant Growth Center had a big plant sale to celebrate. and the Sun decided to celebrate by being out all day!

Rodeo!!!

2010-04-12T15:06:00.001-07:00

The MSU Rodeo was this weekend! I love going to the rodeo! This year we went on Saturday, which happened to be Wheat Montana night... meaning that everyone got a loaf of bread on their way out... but we went out the wrong door and didn't get any:-( But fun was had by all, and I heard that all 4 nights of the rodeo went very well:-) Congrats to all the Rodeo winners!

I think I can... I think I can...

2010-04-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

So, as you all probably gathered... school is not easy. This week, for many students, is not easy. It is the last big push before finals... the week that all teachers decided to make everything due and last minute tests. But after today, for me at least, school should slow down for a few days until I have to start studying for finals! There has been a little too much stress around campus for my liking.

Family time

2010-04-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

My Family left today, unfortunately. But we had a ton of fun while they were in town. They had a great powder day at Moonlight Basin, we got a long day of climbing in (the picture was taken of my sister and I at the climbing gym) and yesterday we went to the Boiling River in Yellowstone. I took the whole week off of work and did minimal homework so I could spend more time with my siblings. So, now, I have an ungodly amount of work to do and plan on spending the majority of tomorrow in the library. I am i Billings right now visiting my grandparents for Easter, but we (my cousins and I) plan on leaving early in the day tomorrow to head back to Bozeman. Happy Easter!

Family in town!

2010-03-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

My Family is in town this week! I went to Billing last weekend to surprise them. My mom flew in on Sunday morning and the rest of my family drove in later that night. It was fun to see everyone. A lot of my extended family flew in last weekend as well, because my grandpa went into surgery yesterday. (He came out just fine) :-) So I have relatives in town all week from Minnesota, Alaska, Oregon and other parts of Montana. You know what the best part about having parents in town is? FREE FOOD!!! :-)

Indecisive Mother Nature

2010-03-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of the phrase If you don't like the weather in Montana, wait 15 minutes? That statement couldn't be more true. Today, I woke up around 6 to thick fog, walked to school at 7 in rain, got out of the library to walk to class at 9 in snow, walked to a different class at 11 in the sun, walked out of class at 1 in hail, grabbed a snack and walked back to the library at 1:10 in the sun again... always be prepared for anything... It's kind of like a guessing game... "what will the weather be like next time I walk out side?"

...and Spring break is over:-(

2010-03-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

Spring break flew by! As all breaks do. The first part of the break I had friends from back home in town, then I had some down time, spent some time in the library, watched a few movies, baked a cake, led four campus tours, scrubbed my kitchen and went on a few bike rides. Then I worked all day Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Today (Sunday). Now, guess where I am?... Oh weird, I am back in the library! I don't know if I will ever be able to keep up with school! Good thing one of the books I was assigned is really good! Hope everyone had a good, relaxing week! Let the last month of the semester begin!!!

Spring Break Finally!

2010-03-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

FINALLY! Spring Break is here! and it has been snowing! Leave it to Montana to dramatically change the weather with no notice:-) I am sticking around Bozeman for Spring break. On Thursday, I had three of my good friends come to visit me from Minnesota! two of them already left and the other one leaves tomorrow. It is so fun to have visitors! Everyone have a fun and safe Spring break!!

Mustache March!

2010-03-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

I don't know how many of you know this, but March means you need to grow a mustache. I have been working on mine since I was born and let me tell you... growing a mustache is exhausting!
OK, since I am incapable of growing a creepy mustache, I decided that to take part in mustache march, I was going to be the Official Mustache Dyer of the Month! Awesome super hero title, I know. So, I gathered a few of my fellow blonde participators, and basically gave them an ultimatum... let me dye your mustache or we go on friendship time out! They all agreed to let me practice my dying skills. In the end, all three of the mustaches turned out to be the best looking mustaches on campus! (Obviously!)
Picture = Tom, Me, DJ, and JoeBogan

College sometimes makes me crazy

2010-03-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

So, this semester has been the busiest semester of my life. All of the classes that I am taking require several hours per day outside of class for homework.... I wish days were 30 hours long so I could get more stuff done!!! As a result I am moving into the library today and tomorrow and reading over 1000 pages, writing papers, taking a quiz, taking a test, and studying for another one that is on Monday. I am not trying to scare anyone away from college, because they have been the three best years of my life so far. I am just saying be prepared to study hard and play harder!!!! :-)

Mali Night

2010-03-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

Sometimes mandatory school events are quite enjoyable. My roommate has an assignment to attend a movie/dance/presentation for his poverty class. I decided to go with him because it seemed like the best way to procrastinate. It turned out to be quite an interesting night. Three Northern Cheyenne American Indians traveled to Mali, Africa to share cultures and knowledge. They put together a film of their adventure and premiered it at this Mali Night event. Some of the people that they met in Mali traveled to Bozeman for this event, and a few of the women were there as well. Food from the different cultures was served and an Indian singing group and dancers performed some of their traditional dances and songs. It was a very fun night!

International Food Bazar

2010-02-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

I am always looking for an opportunity to volunteer, and this weekend I volunteered at the International Food Bazar. The international students and teachers put this event on every year. Each country represented sets up a booth with all sorts of foods native to that country. The students also put on a performance to show the music and dance of that country. Some of the countries that I "visited" were Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Indonesia, India, Jamaica, Mexico, England, Ethiopia, and others. I was surprised at the turn out for this event! The SUB was packed! If you are like me and thrive on people-watching... you would love the food bazar. Not only is there a lot of people, but there is hundreds of international people in their traditional dress and speaking their native languages! LOVE IT!
The picture on the left is of my friends Emad and Fahad working at the Saudi Arabian booth. The picture in the middle is of a few of the dancers during the performance, and the picture on the right is just a picture of the crowd watching the performance.

Climbing at Spire!

2010-02-19T14:22:00.000-08:00

I have recently discovered the most fantastic way to spend my time... climbing. I got shoes and a harness for Christmas, and purchased a pass for the Spire (the Bozeman climbing gym). Since then, I have been climbing a few times a week and my arms are always sore... it hurts so good! I generally don't like to exercise, but I don't mind it so much now:-)

2010 Olympics!

2010-02-16T09:12:00.000-08:00

As you all should know, the 2010 winter Olympics have started. I spent my whole weekend watching them... and studying for my government test. I would like to give a cheesy shout out to the 21 athletes from the twin cities and a big shout out to the two athletes from my hometown, Edina, MN! (Jenny Potter, competing in Women's Ice Hockey, and Kaylin Richardson, competing in Women's Alpine, Ladies super combined and Ladies slolom) GO USA!!!!!

Skipping the Super Bowl

2010-02-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

Parents are fantastic, aren't they? My wonderful mother came to town on Sunday. We decided to skip the super bowl frenzy and head up to Bridger Bowl. The snow was fabulous! Sadly, we were fogged out around 2:30, but until then, the day was great! My uncle came out from Helena to meet us. I fell a lot more than usual, but I guess that means I was working hard:-)

Peanut Butter and Rail Jam

2010-02-07T17:34:00.000-08:00

Saturday I went to Moonlight Basin for the first time. It was fantastic! We got there pretty early because the Peanut Butter and Rail Jam was going on. The rail jam is a rail competition for snowboarders. I certainly can't pull off any rail stunts, but the two guys that I went with both competed. I watched and took pictures:-) Moonlight Basin is mostly intermediate runs, lots of tree runs, and a fairly large park. The snow was fabulous! There was about 5 inches of fresh powder!!!
Pictures: Left: Me, James and Chris on the chair-lift. Right: James competing in the Rail Jam

I've got the whooooole wooooorld in my house!

2010-02-03T20:25:00.000-08:00

Having a Saudi Arabian roommate has some great perks. The best one, in my opinion, is all of the interesting people that come over! The other night, we had over a whole bunch of Saudi's, a Polish girl, two Moroccans, a Jamaican, a Mexican and three Americans! We have had people stay at our house that are from all over the world. England and South Africa and Japan etc. The other night, the Saudi's cooked a fantastic Saudi meal for us and played music on their Saudi instruments and sand and danced! Nights like those are the best nights to be a college kid!

The Coffee Shop

2010-01-26T17:47:00.000-08:00

As you all know (or have heard, studying is the biggest part of being in college. Well, the rumors are true. In fact, I spent more waking hours in the library than I spent in my own house! I have found that if you mix up your study spots, it makes for a not-as-boring experience. My favorite place to study is early in the morning at one of the local coffee shops, in particular, the International Coffee Traders. I can walk there in 8 minutes, and have my DELICIOUS coffee while reading or studying. It makes for an easy walk to school too because it is located across the street from campus. You will find a spot that suits you too.

POWDER DAY

2010-01-23T12:49:00.000-08:00

Finally, after a few weeks of "warm" weather, mother nature has decided to grace us with snow this morning! It is still snowing now and is supposed to continue all day! There is a few inches here in town, but most people on days like today like to go up to the mountains were the inches are more numerous! Perfect powder day for all you skiers and snowboarders!!!

Stars:-)

2010-01-21T18:15:00.000-08:00

My cousin and I were driving back from the hot springs the other night and decided that it would be fun to star gaze. Both of us LOVE the stars and I never get to see them because I am from a city. We stopped along the side of the road and got out... even though it was freezing and we both didn't have jackets. With no city lights even close to us, we could see more stars than I thought possible! We couldn't even tell were constellations were!!! We had to get back into the car for a few minutes to warm up, and then we were right back out into the cold to look at more stars!!! This is one of the many, many, many great and beautiful things about Montana. This is one of the reasons I came out here:-)

The Semester has started

2010-01-17T10:39:00.000-08:00

Even though there have only been three days of school so far this semester, I am already swamped with homework and reading. I have eight classes this semester: Literature, math, government, Native American studies, choir, advocats, sensation and perception, and drugs for educators. It's going to be a busy semester! On top all the classes, I am trying to find a second job. That may or may not happen because jobs are scarce right about now. Wish me luck!

Bridger Bowl

2010-01-12T19:02:00.000-08:00

So, since today was the last day before I start living in the library again... I decided that it would be a good day to snowboard all day at Bridger Bowl, Bozeman's closest ski resort (about 15 miles away from campus). Even though today was a bit icy, it was a perfect ski day... cloudy, semi-warm, and I had great company!
Here's a story. Last time I went to Bridger, I went up the Alpine lift for my first run. When I got back down to the lift, the lift stopped... the power went out. What happened was a power line broke and hit a car and the car set on fire knocking out the power for the whole mountain! The lift ticket from that day was worth 75% off of my ticket today:-) So my day at Bridger today was fantasic and cheap! Double whammy!

Back in Bozeman

2010-01-06T19:49:00.000-08:00

Well folks, I am finally back in Bozeman after two and a half weeks of bouncing around. I spent the last few days in Billings visiting my grandparents. I finally got my computer fixed... but still some websites don't work so well, so I still can't change the colors or style of the font... maybe that isn't such a big deal to you, but I kind of likes to play with the colors:-) I was happy to see a fresh bunch of powder on the ground when I got back today... super excited to go snowboarding!!!
The pictures are from my break: the left is of my sisters and I at a restaurant called Chino Latino on my mom's birthday and the right is of my little cousin Tracy on my shoulders at the Science Museum in Denver.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-12-31T11:59:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a safe and happy new year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2009-12-28T14:58:00.000-08:00

So, I celebrated Christmas in Denver and just got back to my home in Minneapolis yesterday. Last night I hung out with people that I haven't seen in six months, a year, and a year and a half! It was a lot of fun! Every time I come home, I am surprised to see how much everyone has changed!
Hope everyone had fun and safe holidays!
Merry Christmas!

Oh yeah, and my computer is finally in the shop, so more pictures should be up within a few days!

Winter Break!

2009-12-22T00:05:00.000-08:00

Hello Folks! Winter break has FINALLY started! I arrived in Denver, CO, to visit my uncle and aunt and cousins, and there are more on the way!. It's nice to finally have a break from school and college for a while:-) and the free, home-cooked meals aren't bad either!

End-of-the-year Formal

2009-12-13T17:21:00.000-08:00

Friday was the last day of classes! So, of course, my house decided to throw a formal party in honor of finally finishing fall finals! It was also my cousins brithday so we combined party causes. I hardly ever dress up at all, so it was fun to put on a dress and actually put make-up on! The turn out was a bit bigger than we expected, but fun was had by all:-) The picture is the group of girls that decided to get dressed up early to take my cousin out to dinner. We went to the Ale Works... DELICIOUS!

Madrigal Dinner

2009-12-08T21:29:00.000-08:00

This weekend was crazy for the chorale. Rehearsal on Friday night, three-hour-long concert on Saturday and Sunday and last night we left for Big Sky around 3:00 and didn't get back until close to midnight! I saw more than half of the choir at the library today trying to catch up with school work! The concerts went really well. My grandparents came out from Billings to watch on Sunday night. The Big Sky performance is always my favorite of the year and this year was no different. The picture is from last year, but it will have to do because I still don't have a computer to put up my own pictures.

LAST WEEK!

2009-12-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

So, as most students are well aware, the last week of classes for the semester is finally here. This makes for a heap of stressed out students and for extended library hours. Last week, I figured that I didn't have much to do, but everyday my list grows and grows. Basically, I am swamped, even after a semester of being on top of my game! My crashed hard drive doesn't help that situation at all. On top of all of my homework and studying, the chorale has a weekend full of work with the Madrigal Dinners. Tonight and tomorrow night we have dinner concerts here in town, and on Monday we have a dinner concert in Big Sky, which will take up most of the day. I just have to keep telling myself... one more week, one more week, one more week...

Such as Life

2009-11-29T19:05:00.001-08:00

Hello folks!
So, Monday night comes around and I have a huge project and presentation due on Tuesday. Knowing my luck, of course, my computer decides that I shouldn't turn in that project, and it freezes and doesn't turn back on again. Luckily, I was able to reconstruct a semi-acceptable version of my project. So, I appologize, but I will not be able to put up any pictures for a little while, until I go back to Minneapolis to get my computer fixed. Don't worry, I will still keep you updated about what's happening on the best campus in the world!

Museum of the Rockies

2009-11-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

Museum of the Rockies is a small, yet very cool museum full of dinosaurs and Native American artifacts. Every few months, there is an exhibit that changes, so every time you visit, something will have changed. There is also a planetarium, which I really recommend going to! People from all over the country come to Bozeman to visit Museum of the Rockies and has more visitors per year than any other College Museum in the country!

Cat/Griz weekend!

2009-11-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

Cat/Griz weekend is always epic and this year was no exception. On Friday, Bobcat fans showed their school spirit by participating in the "Blue and Gold Undie-Run". Starting at the gate by Roberts Hall, a crowd of students stripped down to their blue and gold underwear and sprinted to the Spirit statue and back. The game on Saturday was crazy to say the least! The student section was packed to the brim and everyone was sporting their blue and gold! All of my roommates and I painted our faces and we even painted our dog! Even though we lost the game terribly, fun was had by all!

Cat/Griz is soon!!!

2009-11-18T19:33:00.000-08:00

The biggest football game of the year is happening this weekend and this year it is here in Bozeman!!!! The Montana State Bobcats vs. the Montana Grizzlies. Last weekend students lined up nice and early to get their ticket to the wild and crazy game, which sold out on Monday, the second day tickets were on sale. The whole town is getting ready for the big game by setting up a Cat/Griz blood drive and food drive. I feel like this whole state is obsessed with this game. Everyone is getting really excited and people from all over are coming into town to take part in a weekend of fun! GO CATS!!!!!!

SNOW

2009-11-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

So this morning, I looked out my window and found about a foot of snow on the ground. Yesterday was relatively warm with no snow at all! Just proves the statement "if you don't like the weather in Montana, just wait a few minutes!" Even though I am not a huge fan of being cold and wet, I usually enjoy the first few snowfalls. Walking to school this morning was like walking through a winter wonderland! Everything was so beautiful and quiet and the snow actually is white! Unlike in the cities, where the snow is almost always brown.

Boiling River

2009-11-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

For Veterans Day (yesterday), the University was nice enough to give us a day off from classes! My roommates and I decided that I good way to spend our day would be by relaxing in the boiling river. Right outside of Gardiner, MT (about an hour and a half away from Bozeman) there is a super hot river that meets up with the Gardiner River, which is extremely cold. The hot river waterfalls into the cold river, and that is where you sit and relax. It is so easy to lose track of time there because you never get too hot or too cold because you are stationed where hot and cold meets. The best part about the boiling river... IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL!

Pray for Snow

2009-11-08T19:04:00.000-08:00

Every year around this time, a huge Bozeman-wide party is put together to "pray for snow". No praying is actually involved (unless you choose to do so by yourself of course) but activities are planned all night for the occasion. A band or DJ or a few come and everyone dances, games are played, and my favorite part... the huge, gigantic bon fire. People usually will start to dance around the fire and see who can get closest to it without getting too hot. Last year, I started a "dancing train" around the fire and got a whole bunch of people to join! The party is tons of fun and is looked forward to every year.

HALLOWEEN!!!

2009-11-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

Halloween around here is a big thing. Everyone dresses up and turns the holiday into a weekend event. This year, my roommates and I had tons of fun in the weeks prior of Halloween making our costumes! I was mother nature... inspired by customers at Jo Ann Fabrics (where I work). I saw tons of animals this year while roaming the streets (zebras, cows, an owl, bears, lions, cheetahs, an antelope, a rainbow fish, etc) and tons of super heros! My favorite though would have to be the construction cones. Three guys dressed up as giant construction cones and stood out in the street to stop traffic. When the cars tried to go around them, they would move right with them! I was laughing SO hard!

I didn't get a very good picture of my costume... so this is the best one I got.

Midnight Mania!

2009-10-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

Midnight Mania was, in my opinion, one of the most fun events that the University has ever put on. From 8PM - 1AM the field house was transformed into a wild child's heaven! There was a velcro wall and a climbing wall and an obstacle course you had to do while wearing drunk-googles, and sumo-wresting and FREE FOOD!!!! Tons of prizes were handed out and everyone was having such a good (and safe) time! My favorite part (besides the free food) was probably the velcro wall. You put on a velcro body suit and you jumped around on a giant inflatable floor and bounced into the wall. Then you were stuck on the wall for a while until you threw yourself off of it. Great fun! Great night!

The Top picture is of Me and a friend Sumo-wrestling. We ran into each other and fell over and couldn't get back up without help!

The bottom picture is my roommate, Jon, jumping into the velcro wall

Off-Campus Housing

2009-10-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

Bozeman is quite the college town, and college towns have many perks like lots of coffee shops and student discounts. Another awesome thing about college towns... lots of off-campus housing options that are ideal for college students. Most of which are close to campus, and some even have school year/summer leases. I was in the dorms my freshman year (North Hedges woot woot) but my sophomore year I moved into a house right across the street from campus. My sophomore year I lived there with six people two dogs and a snake...(i usually don't associate with things without legs). and this year we rearranged and now I live with four other people and one dog... and a fish that may or may not be dying :-( Off campus housing is big fun:-)

In the picture~ my roommates: Jon, me, Britta (my cousin), Hamdan, and Thor (also my cousin)

PS - the color of the text is the color of our super awesome shag carpet!

Football Games!

2009-10-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

I really don't go to football games to watch football. I actually have no clue what is happening on the field! Nevertheless, football games are fantastic and the best way to spend a free saturday. Tickets are free to students (thank goodness)! I dress up in my school spirit bling and yell and jump around a lot and chant and cheer when the crowd does! If you like to people watch like I do, you would like football games because people do weird things at sporting events! Tailgating is a fun part of the games too... assuming you're not walking around in waist deep mud. There is not actually waist deep mud, but after we get snow dumped on us and then it melts the next day... mud gets the best of me. I guess people out here in Montana are hardcore because a little mud never stops them from having a blast!

In the picture~my roommates and I about to leave for the game! All decked out in our Bobcat attire!

Road Trips!

2009-10-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

Road trips are always a good time, and in Montana, there are so many cool places to go and visit on a spur-of-the-moment weekend trip! Missoula was my first road trip that I went on in college, we went out there for the Tour de Fat (a bike festival thing). It was a crazy adventure and tons of fun! This past Labor Day, my cousin and I took a trip to Washington and Oregon to take our friend, Jessie, back to school in Oregon. We camped for a night in Washington and stayed at Jessie's house in Oregon the following night. Even though we spent almost three days straight in the car, we had SO much fun! Plus we got to see a bunch of aunts and uncles along the way and they fed us giant, delicious meals! (always a plus when seeing family!) This picture was taken while going over the bridge between Washington and Oregon... and my toes!)

Painting the M

2009-10-14T14:08:00.000-07:00

I love to volunteer, and MSU provides many, many opportunities to give your time. A few weeks ago, a group of 50 students or so, woke up nice and early and hiked up to the town's mountain "M". (Basically, just a gigantic M painted on a mountain) With 60 gallons of bright white paint, we gave it a nice looking, much needed facelift. A few weeks before, the M was vandalized, painted red, yellow and green, so there was a lot of work to be done. I was not so psyched about waking up that early on a saturday, but it was worth it for sure! The hike was beautiful! It was a beautiful, sunny day and every volunteer was given a free T-shirt (who doesn't love free T-shirts?) and lunch! It was a lot of fun and I met some really cool people in the process! The M is repainted by MSU students twice a year to keep it looking bright and sparkly:-) Even my grandpa painted the M when he was a student at MSU 62 years ago!

~In the picture: A few guys were kiting, and took off right above the M! They were really fun to watch! You can see some of the red and yellow that we were painting over too.

Chorale

2009-10-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

MSU has an excellent music program that is open to any students regardless of their major. This is my third year in MSU Chorale, the choir, and I love it! We just had our first concert of the year last night and it was awesome! I recommend participating in some sort of music ensemble! It is a great way to break up your day, and it is a ton of fun. I wouldn't have met some of my very best friends if I wasn't in choir.

Every three years, the Chorale goes on tour somewhere outside of the United States. This past May, we went to France and Spain. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! The picture was taken of the choir in France.

New at Blogging

2009-10-12T12:13:00.001-07:00

I'm a new MSU Blogger! Whoo-hoo!