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Thursday, June 15, 2006

Hurrah! As of Monday, I was finished with exams. So, the first one was great, the second and third were just okish. It probably has a lot to do with the amount of study time allocated to each one. I also had a fun, near heart attack, when I mixed up the starting times for my third exam. It also involved a sprint across Waterloo Bridge and to the other side of the Aldwych, but I was lucky and only just missed the 15 minutes reading period. Still, I finished just a few minutes early and I don't think the time really mattered. But, yeah, English exams are so very IB. I might not have figured out the ideal study schedule, but I don't think that I was unprepared to write the exams themselves. I was also thinking about Mr. Ball, who I'm still going to credit with my ability to write an essay, back in AP US History, sophomore year.

So, I've been a bit lrazy since then. I've got some stuff to take care of, a haircut scheduled for Monday, decisions to make about language classes and Bulgaria to get ready for in less than a week. Also, WORLD CUP! WOOOOOT! This has been so much fun! Come on England! (Although, in a very inconsistant way, I'm secondarily rooting for Mexico and Germany. The US is not on my list; their sucking is only the least of my reasons. A country that cares deserves to win.) And, there's an exciting new personal development that just makes me giggle. :-)

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Ooooh, multiple choice!

One of the BBC commentators referred to Serbia & Montenegro as S&M during the halftime commentary.

That's:
a) wrong
b) hysterical
c) all of the above

*snerk*

I wonder if there are Milosovic football jerseys....
Can I refer to the Serbia & Montenegro v. Holland game as the ICTY grudge match? Please?

Must...not...think...snarky...thoughts...at...every...mention...of...player...named...Milosovic........too late.

And Good God! Those Dutch fans put the English, the ENGLISH to shame! I'm a quarter Dutch, you know. Probably explains why I'm so demonstrative over sporting events. ;-)

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Come on England!

This World Cup thing is fun!

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Race for Life!

All I have to say is w000000t!!! I finished Race for Life and I RAN the WHOLE way! It feels amazing to have started on this in January and to finally have done the race is just so cool! :-)

I didn't know it was possible to have goosebumps for 35 minutes straight, but the start was basically at the front entrance to St. Paul's and the bells were tolling as we crossing the start line. I love that church and there's nothing like knowing that the bells are ringing for you (well and 9,000 of your closest female friends!). The first 1K was so easy, I couldn't even believe it when I saw the sign and 2K was pretty easy, too. I didn't realize how much time you spend weaving in and out around people, particularly because I was at the back of the herd toward the start line. Silly me thought it was at noon, not 11. So we got there just as the first people were starting. No big deal, really, because there were so many people. It was a really, bright, sunny day in London (my weather widget is saying 72F) and I was so glad for wearing my hat and for when we ran between buildings so there was shade. For someone who usually runs at night because it's cooler and there are fewer tourists, it was a bit of a shock. :-) Still! AWESOME! I still can't believe it, even though I knew I was fully capable of the 5K.

I was also amazed when we passed the 3K mark, because I knew it was more than half over. I sort of went, huh? That was quick! I think it was a little harder after that, partially because of the heat and partially because the adrenaline makes you run faster than you would normally. But, I also knew that I was closer to done than I was to the start and that I couldn't give up! It was a funny feeling, realizing that I'd run down some of those streets before, around the Barbican, trying to make sure I wasn't late for the LSATs! I couldn't decide whether to wave or make rude gestures at Ironmonger's Hall, where I've taken the LSATs twice, but didn't do anything in the end. It was cool, though. I could run past and go "neener! I don't need a test to tell me how awesome I am! Look at Joyce run!" And, trust me, I was doing that in my head!

The finish was amazing and a bit of a blur, then I found Libby and had to go back for my medal (which I'm, um, still wearing). Libby, my awesome running buddy was so amazing back when we started in January, kicking my butt out of bed for those morning runs. It's been hard since Kenya, because of illness and stress and school and other commitments, but it meant a lot to have her there supporting me and playing photographer. Libby, you so rock and we'll go running just as soon as we kick these exams in the rear!

So, thank you to Jenni, Welling, Christi & Phil, Ken, Juliana & the Perrys, Patty, Deena, Valerie & Jed, Dave, Bob & Diane, Linda & Harry, Baaaaahar, and Irma (& Barry!) for your donations. And thank you to everyone else who encouraged me, believed I could do it, wished me luck, or just asked how my running was going! You guys mean so much to me and, really, to everyone who had the name(s) of someone they loved on their backs over the 5Ks today. I was thinking of how proud my parents would have been today and every time I saw a head of long, blond hair, I thought of Tricia. So, yay for Races and Relays for Life. Because, as Tricia says, there's always hope.

Love,
Joyce :-)

OOOOH, RIGHT! PHOTOS!:

w00t!
Big w00t!

and w00t again!
The I just crossed the finish line w00t! (the other one was taken after I got my medal & stuff)

back signs
My back sign. Everyone had one and they were both tough to read and inspirational as heck.

My time!
My time. Clearly, I'd been done for a bit...check out that pulse. :-)

The Finish Line
The finish line...9,000 women!

Friday, June 02, 2006

Sooooooooooda Bread!

That is all. :-)

I'm a legend!

Yestereday was a sort of poopy day. I spent all of it trying to redo my resume and defrosting the freezer (while FREAKING out when I couldn't get the fridge to come back on). But, I think the CV is now done and the fridge came back on its own accord (mysteriously right after I decided to eat a Magnum...that's vanilla ice cream with a hard chocolate shell on a stick), so I feel better. Today, starts the new round of revisions.

I did have some luck when I finally managed to set up GoogleChat in iChat, so now I can use it at home and not just at school (Irma, are you paying attention). Consequently, I found my Muppet and talked to him in the first time since...France? Eeeks. He happily informed me that I have become a Model UN legend for the stunt that I pulled at the Lake Eire conference (LEIMUN) two years ago. Basically, the US was being a punk, out of character and completely unwilling to cooperate. (This was a 1991 simulation, in case anyone was wondering why uncooperativeness would be out of character for the US on the Security Council.) He was also planning to veto our resolution on the end of Gulf War (the heck?), so when he took too long on a smoke break and didn't come back after unmoderated caucus, I moved that we enter voting procedures and essentially locked him out of the room (LEIMUN rules were really strict about would could enter or leave the room once voting procedures had started...no one but staff could come or go). We got in a bit of trouble over it and he was even worse than before, but the resolution passed. :-) Ahhh, the power of being able to use the rules.

Anyway, at Toronto this year, another delegate told Muppet this story (with some exaggeration, apparently) about some conference in Ohio and some girl from a Quaker college in Indiana locking the US out of a vote. He and his school hadn't been at LEIMUN, so apparently, it's been going 'round the North American grape vine. How awesome is that?!? *Feels smug*

Two days until Race for Life!