This week's Friday Five is going to tell you all very little about me you don't already know.
1. What sport do you most enjoy watching on television (or tolerate most)? I don't watch sports, on tv or in person.
2. If you could be really, really good at one sport (we're talking world elite here), what would it be? I'll go with cross-country, because it seems way more interesting than track, and if I were good at it, it might be relaxing.
3. Have you ever been active in some form of sports? Ha! No. I did gymnastics when I was about six, and I was bad at it. So bad. I still can't do a cartwheel.
4. Would you rather be a computer geek or a sports geek? I'm closer to computer geek already. I'd rather be a great thinker than a fast runner.
5. What teams do you cheer for? Whatever school I'm at, but it's cheering in the general sense of school spirit, not actual cheering or support.

I spent Saturday and Sunday packing gradually for my second move to campus. I still have that weird sense of never really being "home" anymore. Most of my friends are at school, but my family and my books (among other things) are at... uh, my parent's house. When I'm on campus, "going home" can mean two very different things. And since I have no idea where I'll end up as an adult (maybe/hopefully married), I might not really find "home" for another ten or fifteen years.

I think that was my second favorite part of Garden State. (The first being the "ellipsis", because it's nice to know I'm not the only person whose lexicon includes that word.)

I got to sleep in on Monday, but Dawson's Creek had run around while I was working, so I could only watch the same reruns I always see. When my dad got back from work, we packed up and came to campus. Maura was out, so we just stacked my stuff haphazardly and went back home. We carried the first bit of it up the stairs, but then we got a cart from Queen Anne's (the dorm next door; mine doesn't have a desk). That was pretty much the highlight of my day.

On Tuesday, I had to get up early. I managed to finish packing and do my last load of laundry by about 11:15am, even though we planned to leave at 11. We went to Target on the way so I could return the dark blue sheets I bought. Maura was out again when we got to campus. We got the cart right away and managed to get everything in two trips. My dad insisted on cramming the last of my stuff into the cart on the second trip, but maneuvering it around the hill to the ground floor door was interesting, to say the least. Laundry carts are not easy to steer. (Reminds me of Halloween decorating on E4 last October. Good times.)

After we stacked the rest of my stuff, we went down to IKEA. We got a bit lost, but I stopped and asked one of the employees for help. I was looking for a rolling laundry hamper (since we don't have a laundry room in this building), so we went down to Home Organization.

I was in heaven.

The hamper I got doesn't roll, but it's sturdier than the one I had last year, and the old one's bottom is worn out from dragging it all year anyway. But that store... that section, really... oh, my. So many boxes and shelves and storage things -- and all so cute and so cheap! Unfortunately, since I was with my dad and men don't shop, I didn't get to shop like I wanted to. What a great place to discover on my birthday.

My birthday was Tuesday, but I celebrated with my family on Sunday night. My mom had wanted to buy me a cake, even though she knows perfectly well how much I dislike store cakes. I have no problem with buying things instead of making them, but store bakeries use way too much frosting. I like to taste the cake, not just have a vague sense of crumbs in my frosting. Courtney volunteered to make my favorite cake for me. That was incredibly nice of her. There's hope for that one yet.

My grandmother came over, and we ate cake and ice cream (fudge marble cake with chocolate frosting, and creamy vanilla ice cream), then did presents. It took forever, though, because my entire family is insane. I swear it must be genetic. A sample of our antics:

• My grandmother notices the Breyer's Extra Creamy ice cream, then comments on how hard it is to find creamy ice cream. I was like, "You mean like that kind right there?"


• My mom, who actually likes a ton of frosting, bought herself a cake.


• My mom cut my cake, then wiped off the cake server so she could cut her cake, but promptly forgot and got her fork all messy cutting that cake.


• As my mom was reaching for my grandma's cup to refill it, she accidentally knocked it all the way across the table and slid it right off the end. All I could do was watch in shock as it happened. Then we all cracked up.


• My grandma comments on how much easier it is to put presents in gift bags than to wrap them. She asks Ryan to bring her the envelope with my card in it. He brings her purse (a bag).


• I open Ryan's card, but it's in the bag with Courtney's gift.


• Then I reach into the bag Courtney gives me, but there's no card, because it's one of the bags from my parents.

Maybe you had to be there. But I laughed so hard for a good half-hour. It was the most enjoyable birthday celebration I've had in a while. I got new slippers (pink with Scottish terriers), a white hoodie (I get a new one every fall), and the first season DVDs of Joan of Arcadia, among other things. I'm so excited about Joan. Now I can see where it all began -- why didn't I start watching sooner? Stupid CBS. Nielsen ratings suck, too.

So back to move-in. It took a few hours to unpack and organize everything, but I managed to get it all set up. I think I did bring less than last year. My closet is smaller, though, and I have the top bunk, so I can't put stuff under my bed. I'll manage. I could use some more milk crates, but I'm good for now.

The first day of classes was okay. It was hot, which sucked. I hate being outside in the summer. My first class wasn't until 11, though. I forgot how angry my alarm gets if I don't turn it off right away, so it was beeping like mad when I finally got to it. I am not willing to break my neck scrambling down half-blind to shut it off, so I switched it to nature sounds. I used to only use that on weekends, since it's a gentler awakening, but I also don't want Maura to kill me in my sleep just so my alarm will quit bugging her. ENGL 280, Intro to the English Language, seemed very boring at first, but having had it twice now, it might not be so bad. It's a requirement. English is such a complicated language. I've been speaking it for over a decade and there's still more to learn before I can teach it.

The rest of my classes:

• SPAN 103, Accelerated Intro to Spanish: I think I'll do well. My teacher is from Argentina, so she's the first real Spanish-speaking Spanish teacher I've had. I have some trouble following her, since she insists on speaking only Spanish (for now). I've taken Spanish before, but not since freshman year of high school (which is why I didn't go straight to 201, which I need to fulfill that requirement), so I remember a lot of what we're doing. I still need work, though.


• COMM 107, Intro to Communications: My teacher is a Ph.D. student with a unique style. He purposely has the attitude that he's a student just like us, only older and with more knowledge on the subject. I don't really like that. If I wanted a friend to teach me, I wouldn't be paying all this money to study here. I also have to give speeches, which is already making me nervous. On our student info sheets, he asked which two topics we'd be able to speak easily about for ten minutes (just wondering, I guess). I chose Harry Potter and books in general.


• ENGL 301, Critical Methods: My professor seems good. I probed the UMD LJ community for recommendations, and I think I picked well. Anne M. from E4 showed up in that class. It was nice to see a familiar face.


• ARHU 205, the next one for HH: Gah. This is like 105, the remix. And I hated 105. I just don't get it. I have trouble keeping all this theory straight. I don't care about the study of the humanities and the justification for intellectualism and all that. I like to read. I like to write. Sometimes I like to sing and draw. I don't need or want to know all the theory behind it. Also, I have to get through a 500-page book by Thursday. Why am I in HH again?

It's so good to see everyone again. Scott and Andrew came to wish me a happy birthday, but I was at IKEA, so they left a message on our built-in whiteboard. (This dorm is so much better than Easton! Real walls, carpeting, air conditioning -- it's like a long-term hotel with shared bathrooms.) Dan came over for cake. I had lunch with Adrienne and Crazy Mike on Wednesday. I've had dinner with Sara every night (which I only just realized), and visited her single to watch Jeopardy! since my coaxial cable isn't long enough to hook up yet. I had an early dinner after ARHU yesterday with Sara, Andy, Scott, Maya, and Emily, then hung out next door in Maya and Jen's room. Andrew found me at lunch today. I had dinner with Sara, Hana, Dan, and some other Global Communities people tonight, then went to Hana's room to watch The Incredibles and Monk (which was fun because finally someone's crazier than I am -- Monk, not Hana... I think). And Jenny is back from Australia and living on this side of campus; saw her in ARHU. Yay for friends!

Still no verdict on the move to LJ. I like customizing, and I don't know if I'm willing to mess with overrides.

Now it is late, I'm tired, my eyes are bleary, and my glasses are smudged. Time for bed.

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