it's really good to hear your voice saying my name, it sounds so sweet

I'm done. DONE! Done with college.

My family came up last Friday evening. We went to the MOA for dinner, and then checked out LEGOLAND and the American Girl store. Guess who loved that?

Lego dinos!

Chrissa needs some birthday cake!

Bitty Babies!

Post-purchase. Wow!

The next day, they got to meet my good friends the Hall-Holts and the Melbys, both families that I've become close to at school. Dad and I went to the Orchestra concert while Mom and Hannah got to meet some of their online friends. Then, FarmBoy came over with his electric guitar, pedal, and amp. Guess who loved THAT?

You were expecting Hannah, weren't you?

She did have a great time. Just like Murray!
(every time I think the Wiggles obsession is over, it proves me wrong)

John played with effects, making it sound like an alien!

Then he rocked out.

Following the music-making, we went out to dinner with my close friends Dan and Erin. Melting Pot! Despite our lack of nook, it was really nice.

The next day, Sunday, was graduation! We had a lovely Jazz Brunch, then stopped in at the History major reception. I had to go rehearse, and then it was time!

Very hot, sunny, and long. My first graduation ever, and I'm not complaining that there weren't any others! My girlfriend Kelsey M. drove up from Rochester to come, and it was so great to see her! We were roommates at St. Olaf Summer Music Camp way back when, and have seen each other a couple times over the years. She had just graduated a week earlier from Whitworth University. FB's family came as well.

The Fam! (-Chris)

Dinner with FB's clan and Kelsey, then back to the hotel for some swimming and relaxing. Also some Sound of Music reenactments:

The hiiiills are alive!

It wouldn't be Kelsey and Kate without some Super Secret Spies!

FB and myself

Now we're getting ready for our annual beaching with the Morgans! Exciting! After that I have to serious start thinking about another job...I'm hoping for Starbucks, but I wonder if I would ever make money since the drinks are soooo tempting?

So....I'm done. With college. Wow.

Finals went well (as far as I know). Papers got finished, though I did have to sacrifice sleep. A lot of sleep.

I'm scheduled for 27 hours of check-outs this week, so we'll see how that goes.

I went to the MOA today with fb to celebrate....got an adorable outfit for my pre-graduation dinner. I can't believe that I'm finished!! I'm really excited (rezacted?) for Hannah to be here. I know she is too. All my friends can't wait to meet her, because I basically talk about her all the time.

I'm just now realizing how much stuff I have. And this is after giving away a huge trash bag full of clothes. I think I could fill a suitcase with my toiletries alone! Okay, I'm exaggerating, but not by much.
In other news, farmboy and I went to see Keane Friday night. I don't really listen to them, but I knew songs because fb and Scott play them a lot (Scott saw them in France earlier this year). They were absolutely amazing. I don't know what they do to his voice on the CDs, but live it is honestly one of the best voices I've ever heard. They're a British band, so they all have adorable accents. How do I know this? Because I got to meet them!!

That's right. I know my glamorous lifestyle may be overwhelming you right now. But seriously, John and I stood around in the freezing cold (literally. freezing. it hit 31 degrees that night. why?!?) in t-shirts because we hadn't planned on meeting them. Then they came out, and the keyboardist complimented John on his U2 shirt (have I mentioned that farmboy is obsessed with U2? He is.). John gave them all his business cards, so maybe his band will get discovered :).

I have rediscovered my love for Reed's Extra Ginger Brew All Natural Jamaican Style Ginger Beer! Good thing I didn't realize they sold it at Cub before this year, or I would have been even MORE broke all through college!

touchdown, turnaround, everything is safe and sound

hellogoodbye was pretty sweet....they saved their two best-known songs for last. I got some video....

Yeah. My friends, plus boyfriends, went to Culver's beforehand and got delicious custard. We then caught some of the opener (This World Fair)



Also, Star Trak was AWESOMEEEEE (despite getting ditched by farmboy because he decided to go to an earlier showing with his friends at the last moment). I am definitely going to see it again when I have time. Which, let me check, will be....never. Maybe at the beach or something (sooo close!).

I'm half done with my easy paper, and about 1/20 done with my hard one. My presentation on Friday was okay...my partner kinda dropped the ball, but the discussion questions at the end were great. My favorite line (not to toot my own horn or anything): [on Jordan's diplomatic relations between both Israel and the Occupied Territories] "Yeah, they're kinda stuck between Iraq and a hard place." Ahahaha.

Farmboy is becoming an ebay entrepreneur. Or, at least, preparing to become one. Did you know that 500,000 Americans make their living solely off ebay? Me neither. The things you learn when you date an ebay entrepreneur....

'cause love's such an old-fashioned word

Whoo! Lots of news...

Last weekend was awesome! Saturday was Lutefest (school music festival), so I got a henna tattoo and tie-dyed a shirt. Then some of my friends and I went bowling! We all made up bowler names...I was Kandi.
After that I watched a movie for my Arab World paper, called The Band's Visit. If you ever have to watch it, don't. It was really boring, but easy to write about!

Sunday, I played in the King's Room per usual, but my teacher had left the harp there overnight so I didn't even have to move it! One of my closest friends, Sarah Bosch, came to listen to me play for a little bit. I played my jury piece for her, Debussy's First Arabesque (which I am OWNING, btw). I got tipped by my favorite regular, an elderly lady who comes every Sunday with her husband. I told her about the PC and she said "Oh, now I'll have to pray for you! Lord, please help save my harpist from terrorists!" Too cute.
Then I watched two more movies for my paper, Promises, a documentary about Israeli and Palestinian children, and Paradise Now, which is about suicide bombers. They were both really excellent films.

Concluding my weekend, I wrote my 10-page paper, and my precis for my Arthur paper (how did Merlyn's tutoring prepare Arthur for kingship in T.H. White's The Once and Future King?).

Monday I was on duty, and it was a quiet night. John and I watched Star Trek 8 (we still have to watch 9 and 10 before tomorrow night...uh-oh).

YESTERDAY was Sarah Bosch's 21st birthday! How lucky is that, to have your birthday on Cinco de Mayo instead of...some other...not as fun day....like a national tragedy. We all got ready together, then went down to the Cow (one of the two bars in town). Sarah had a VERY good time! I got her a pink zebra-striped shirt. Also my class was canceled so I worked on school stuff.

Today, I got two packages in the mail! I was expecting one, my new BATHING SUITS! I tried them on, and they are very awesome. And only $12 each! Yay clearance! The other package, however, was a mystery....It was from "St. Tropez" in Valencia, CA, which confused me, because I thought St. Tropez was an island....Turns out I won a self-tanning kit from Allure magazine! I looked it up, and it's like $45. I won a John Frieda hair glaze from them back in October as well. I guess I'm just lucky :)

So that made my day a lot better...I have an hour-long presentation on Friday (and my partner just canceled our meeting for tonight...ugh. I'd rather do all the work than let it suck, but it's still annoying), and my thesis paragraph for my 20-25pg paper due tomorrow.

Star Trek: The Movie opens tomorrow at midnight! John and I got shirts from hot topic to wear...NO, I'm not a nerd!

Friday evening is the spring concert here at school. Previous years we've had a medium-ish band for the Fall Concert, and small and medium-big bands (like, locally famous or indie) bands for Lutefest and the Spring Concert, respectively. Previous bands include Black Eyed Peas and Nickel Creek. This year, we had a medium-ish band for the fall concert, and are having a big-ish band for the Spring concert, but just campus bands for Lutefest. Hellogoodbye are coming! Tickets are free for students! So that's one more thing to look forward to after my presentation is done.

Realized today that there are only 5 more days of class. Ever. EVER. Can I start freaking out now?? After that it's nothing but work, work, work all the time! Anyone who says differently is selling something.