School

Haha, in the last post I was talking about June gloom... fast forward five months, I guess!

I have been busy. Really, really busy. This past week I spent over thirty hours at school, and was just happy to be home yesterday and today. Sleep has become one of my new best friends.

The main reason for the madness is debate. Yes - the class I never thought I would be in. At the beginning of registration for the fall semester this year, while glancing through the class schedule, I saw it: staring up at me from the thin gray recycled page, threatening me. I quickly dismissed it until my registration appointment, at which time I somehow 'accidentally' registered for the class.

Whoops.

The first few speeches went well, but I still wasn't really enjoying it. It wasn't a necessary class for my GE or my major, and I already have my Associate of Arts in Language and Communications. It was more of a 'let's see if I can do this' type of thing. I've gotten to the point where I enjoy the class, but the more I enjoy it the less I seem to understand it. I don't 'get' it yet, but I am told that's normal. I stumbled through my first debate on Domestic Transportation Infrastructure, and I got royally beaten - but that only served to make me want to debate more.

I still don't get it. It frustrates me, makes me nervous, and coming up with logical arguments on-the-spot comes as naturally to me as flying does to pigs: but I am beginning to enjoy it. I noticed, too, that I can speak more fluidly off the top of my head in front of groups, which is definitely helpful. I've been watching the debate team at their practices to try to understand it better, but they're so far ahead of me that it's kind of more confusing than helpful sometimes. Once they had me debate with them (I'd been told that the fastest way to learn to debate well is to be soundly beaten by a much better team - and it's true), and I attempted to. Then we had a practice debate on a resolution of value (which we don't get to in class, we only have resolutions of policy), and that was hilariously atrocious. It was kind of fun, too, though. And somehow I have managed to get myself signed up for a rookie debate competition at the Fall Champs at our school. It's in two weeks. That's why I've been so busy at school - trying to understand as much as possible in the short amount of time remaining. I'm just hoping to have fun with it, I'm not going to worry about being serious competition. It's a round of four debates, and basically our goal at this level is to be as organized and clear as possible, and just talk. We'll see how that goes... I'm excited. It's one of those things that is making my stomach knot up, but I know if I don't take this opportunity now I'll regret it later.

So yeah, that's most of what's eating up my time right now - besides the reading and essays for my lit classes, which are time-intensive too. I have two essays due on Tuesday. At least I started one...

Three more weeks of school - only three! I'm happy, but I'm sad too. This semester has been my most involved at school and with people at school, and I have to say that though it was intensely busy I learned a lot - and kind of don't want to leave debate class. I've found that the classes that I suffer the most through are the ones I'm most hesitant to leave. I briefly considered joining the forensic or debate team, but I always consider those things a little too late. Ugh. Besides, I really enjoy it - but it's a whole 'nother world.

My first days on break I will probably be sleeping. My poor sleep-deprived body and mind are unresponsive to caffeine.

On a side note, there is a fly that is really bothering me right now. It's really slow: must be the cold. He zooms around every once in a while, futilely buzzing along the computer screen, and I can't seem to get rid of him. Dumb fly.

On another really random sidenote, I recently sold a guinea pig that now lives in Michigan. I think that's one of the farthest one of my pigs has gone yet. I've had pigs go to Arizona, Oregon, Arkansas, Washington, and Texas. None out of the country yet... ;)

I have also decided to paint one of my walls. It's going to be a mural of some sort, I'm still working out the details. Of course, that's assuming I ever get the time...

Well, I should probably attempt to get some sleep. Next week I have another debate! The last one before fall champs.