SNOW!!!

It started snowing last night, and when i woke up this morning there was probably around an inch on the ground. I went exploring later into the forest with a bunch of friends.

End of the Quarter!!!

Yesterday was the last day of quarter one! This next week is reserved for evaluations which which isn't too much work. In my class we did presentations of writing pieces and other work an then had a killer potluck. People baked some amazing food including bread, banana bread, lentils, curry, humus, pasta, baklava, and many other great things. Currently i am will be continuing my class, Living in the Sacred Garden, and also intend to take a painting class. I really wanted to take a metal or wood shop class but those filled very fast. Later i went to a party hosted by the hip hop congress which had awesome music and was packed with people. Today i did major cleaning and even washed my rug! I also went swimming and did some sauna. Snow is expected here all week, and its supposed to be the coldest its ever been since 1990. Last night there was also wind storms (up to 45mph). I cant wait for the snow and i intend to xc ski (u can rent them) in the forest if we get the predicted 3 inches. Cant wait to see everyone!

Gardens of Light

Yesterday was very fun despite the large amount of work. After class i managed to fit in a swim and sauna, then began to do work. I finished writing and binding my book and also put together my portfolio. Later at five Ezzy and me went to red square to check out the lights. This was a very fun event and there was lots of fun things going on. There was fire dancing, a fire labyrinth, drummers, break dancers, and the flaming eggplant (student run cafe) sold special food.

Busy Day

Today has been nonstop action(no time for any sauna)! In the morning i worked on formatting for a book i will be making. Later i met up with my light group and we finished are light sculptures! Im getting very good at constructing and even broke a piece of wood with my hands. Tomorrow we will be setting them up and testing them for the big show on Wednesday. After this i met with my film group and we transferred our footage and began editing. We were working on my computer and i had nine people in it at one time (my groups only three, but friends were over for moral support). Later we got dinner and then worked some more. Once these big projects are done, which should hopefully be by Wednesday, my workload will begin to slow down.

Packed Week

Whew.... This week has felt very busy. Its nice to finally have some time to relax. The construction of our light sculpture is going very well. I have been learning to cut, measure, drill, and build support systems using wood and other materials such as chicken wire. The final presentation of the "Garden of Lights" is on Wednesday and should be a big celebration. The Flaming Eggplant cafe may be open, and there will be music and dancing. On Thursday it was Ezzy's birthday, however she had a big project due the next day so she was working on it for a long time. Later that night we got together with friends and kicked it and than watched a movie. Friday and Saturday were very nice and sunny. Yesterday, on Saturday, i slept in and then went to a self-evaluation workshop were i learned about the process of evals, the transitions from quarters, and the role evals play. I received the posters Grandma and Grandpa sent up and hung them up around the suite, which is now very homey. Today has been rainy and gray so far and i have just been cleaning and working. One week left of the quarter!!! I cant wait to see everyone soon!

Suite Decorations

School is going great, however with less then two week of the quarter there are many projects to be finished. Are sweet now has lights inside which give off a very nice vibe. The weather hasn't been to bad, and yesterday there was actually some sunlight!

Kennedy Creek

Hey everyone, I'm back on campus now and have a super clean and organized room. Over the break i left my bike in my room and had dirt and laundry all over. I have just finished cleaning my room, and it feels much bigger now. I had a lot of fun over the break and saw many friends and got many excellent bike rides in! Last Friday my class went to Kennedy Creek which is about twenty minutes off campus. This was an very fun and interesting trip. Salmon are finishing spawning right now (swimming upstream, laying eggs, then dying) and we got to witness this first hand. We also learned about how the future of salmon doesn't look to good and how big of a role the environment plays. It was super smelly here due the amount of dead salmon washed up from the river/lack of water. Its good to be back and there hasn't even been rain yet!

Day Off!

Today i had a day off, and was able to relax a bit. This week has been busy with reading and work, but is slowing down now. Tomorrow my class is going on a field trip to Kennedy Creek where salmon are supposed to be spawning and swimming upstream. However, Ezzy's class went there today and she said the place is covered in dead fish and really smells. I get to drive tomorrow, but dont worry, the rides short. Today was very rainy, yet i felt like going out. Elan and me went into town and explored around. We got food later then headed back to campus where i then met up with Ezzy. I cant wait to come back and soak up the sun in the bay!

Filming

Yesterday was a very nice day. It hasn't rained in a while, but is supposed to soon. After some work i went and hit the gym, my ankle is beginning to feel better and should be better soon. Later my film group got together and we shot some footage and did some interviews. Its a lot of fun learning to use the cameras and film editing software.

Fun Friday

Friday was a very fun day. I had class from 930 to 430 and we did many interesting things. In the morning we had a writing workshop and seminars. In the afternoon we had a field workshop were we learned about identifying trees and concepts regarding landscape, ecology, and plants. After class i went to the sauna. Then Ezzy and me went into town got got some very good Tai food. On the way back we went grocery shopping and i purchased some slippery elm bark and ginko tea. It is very good. We also got ice cream and went back to the dorms and watched a movie and had ice cream. Today was very nice and sunny again!!!

The sun has returned!

Today was beautiful!! I was able to sleep in a little(was woken up by leaf blowers), and awoke to a sunny day. The weather report says sun for the next few days which im juiced about. I did some work in the morning then played racquetball, went swimming, and did some sauna. After diner i went to a lecture with Ezzy. Krishnammal Jagannathan was the main speaker and she had many interesting stories about growing up in India. She actually studied with Gandhi and met Martin Luther King Jr. She talked a lot about Gandhi, "the untouchables", and nonviolent movements. Well i have a full day of class and filming tomorrow so im off to bed.

Stencils

These past few days have been a blur. On Monday i did school work and other things i had been trying to get done such as change my meal plan. On Tuesday i had a full day of class and we did ceramics and learned about the seasons and five elements. Today i had a half day of class were we planned and formed proposals for the light sculptures we are going to be building. After class i went swimming with Ezzy and then did some sauna. I have also began to do more art in general and have been working on paintings, drawings, and stencils. Here is a stencil i just finished. I am currently working on a few other stencils and am having a lot of fun creating these. Cant wait to see you guys soon!

Door mat!!!

My little room is one step closer to a home thanks to Ezzy, who made me this fabulous door mat.
Also here's a pic of my updated mask, i still have a little more work though. I had a nice swim today and am very sore because swimming uses different muscles from biking and running. I cleaned up my room today and also got lots of work done.

Relaxing Weekend

I got to sleep in today which was very nice! Its very relaxing to sleep and listen to the rain. I grabbed some bfast in the greenery because the meal plans expire soon so i have to use mine up. Then i did some work and decided to start some stencils. Im also officially done with my 2 credit class community connections. I turned my final portfolio in on Friday!!! Later i went swimming and then did some sauna. Not much is going on this weekend so i will try to get many things done. It also finally cleared up a bit, but i think it will start raining soon.

Lots of Rain

It has been raining nonstop since last night, and is not supposed to stop soon. Unfortunately during a run yesterday i slipped and hurt my ankle, so im trying to take it easy. Plus i think im getting sick again. Im using today as a work day, and hopefully i can get a swim and sauna in. There are so many leaves falling, and the paths are covered in them, its very beautiful.

OBAMA!!!

I had a very exciting day yesterday due to the election. I had an interesting day in class were we worked with clay, hexagons, and forms of art. After class i did some homework and then kicked it with friends. After dinner i watched the election and once it was declared Obama was the winner the campus erupted in noise which pretty much lasted all night. Everyone seemed to be celebrating, and after doing some work i went and enjoyed my new found optimism with lots of people. I had a slow class today because everyone was worn from the night before. I wasn't feeling to good and took a nap after class. Im going for a run soon in an attempt to get some energy back. It also gets dark super early here, and by 5 its pitch black.

Battle with a Bee

I had a very relaxing morning, did some homework, played racquetball, and went to the sauna! All very nice until i came back to my room and had a bee buzzing around in it. I usually keep my window open to get fresh air and sometimes moths and other bugs fly in, but they don't really bother me. However, i could not get any work done with a bee around so i had a battle with it. I was finally able to get it out my window and the tranquility has returned! back to work now

Halloween

Friday was an awesome day filled with many fun things. In class we learned to classify plants based on the leaf, and did some artwork with them. After class i went to the sauna(it was very rainy so i was lazy), and then i meet up with Ezzy and we went to dinner with some friends. I dressed up as a Alb star(wore a bunch of Albany gear) and Ezzy was a pumpkin. We kicked it with a bunch of friends and explored around. There was a pumpkin dropping event which we arrived late to, but it was still very cool(they dropped pumpkins off the tallest building Adorm). After this we went to a party a few blocks from campus and had a lot of fun. They had a dj playing cool music and my friend Elan was freestyling. There were some crazy costumes. Eventually we left and went back to campus where we kicked it with more people. It was a very fun night and i also had plenty of candy to eat.
After waking up very late on Saturday, i went and got some bfest with Ezzy. I then went to the sauna and took a nap. Ezzy and i left around 4 to go see a speaker on poverty in town. THe class community connections wanted us to attend. We had a nice walk in town, and we passed many beautiful sites. Right as we arrived at the event it started pouring and we both got soaked. We heard Willy Baptist and a few other people speak about ending poverty. After the event we wandered back into town and got some dinner at QB. I had a really good tofu taco. We then caught the bus back to campus and kicked it for a while. All night it was raining super hard, but it has finally stopped and the sun might come out!

Fun and Wild Class

On tue we had a very fun class. In the morning we meet in the crc(college rec center) where we performed many theater actions and learned about the processes in myth making. Our next paper is about creating a myth. After lunch a group called the emerging scholars(group which relates to math) came to our class and showed us many relevant math series such as the Fibonacci sequence which is a pattern of numbers that creates a pentagram. This is a repetitive image which is a sign of rebirth(i.e. a starfish, which fits the shape of a pentagram, can regrow a lost leg, while the lost leg will regrow a body). The pentagram also match's the human body, hand, flowers, shells, animals, and even ancient architecture. I found this very interesting and it is amazing to see all these patterns in life. On Wednesday we had a media lab where we learned to edit film in the schools studio in help us create our video projects. I also learned that our final project for this quarter will be to create a light sculpture on campus, which altogether will form a "garden of lights". After class we had meetings with the teachers which went well. I then went to the gym and had a very intense and good workout, and then hit the sauna. After doing work i hung out with Ezzie and we got dinner then kicked it with friends. We ended up doing some painting later at a friends place which was a lot of fun.

Shopping and Sun

today was amazing! for the first time the weather report at 12 said Olympia was 2 degrees warmer then Albany!! granted it was only 62, i was happy. it was really sunny and warm throughout the day, but unfortunately i had lots of work so i didn't get to go outside. I did hit the sauna though which was nice. Later i went to dinner with Ezzie and some friends. After diner we took the bus into town and did some shopping. We went to target where i got lots of cereal, trail mix, tea, and Halloween candy... Ezzie got some stuff for her costume, and i am still debating what i will be. Im off to bed now, for i have class tomorrow.

Voted

Hey Everyone! I had a pretty chill day today. I got lots of work done and did some laundry. It was very sunny today so i needed to get out. I decided to go for a run and found a very nice loop covering both trail and street. Unfortunately the sauna closes early on Sundays so i ended up missing it. I also mailed in my voting ballot today! Go Obama!!! I spent the rest of the day chilling with Ezzie and finishing texts.

Fun and Busy Weekend

Friday was a really fun day in class. In the morning we had a seminar and discussed the readings. Later we had an ecological field techniques workshop in the longhouse garden. We mapped out the area we were located in the garden and discovered we were in a middle elevation location. We then recorded the shape, size, topography, slope, exposure, soil characteristics, water features, animal activity, and human activity. Our next task was to perform a simple inventory of plant species present. We then made a vegetation analysis and made a key and recorded the percentage abundance and habit of each species. We found many species such as Western Red-cedar, Douglas-fir, Skunk Cabbage, Snowberry, and Sword Fern. After class i went to the gym then the sauna. Dinner was very interesting, i had ratatouille(was very good) and a dessert waffle covered with maple syrup, camel syrup, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, nuts, and whipped cream!
On Saturday i went to the greenery with Ezzie and got some breakfast. I then went and worked more on my mask. We did not have enough time in class so we had to work on them later. I wasn't feeling to good so i took a nap and then went to the sauna which helped. After dinner Ezzie and me explored around campus and must have seen at least 20 raccoons altogether.
So far today, Sunday, i have done some laundry and am working on an essay about the presidential election and what the candidates consider sacred. I also have many small essays to write for community connections which deal with class time reflections. Its been very nice this weekend and we haven't had much rain!

Slippery Trails

Today was packed with so many fun things. In the morning i had class and we discussed are film projects and worked on our masks. After lunch i went biking(the mtb magazine helped) and rode through the surrounding forest. It was very nice outside and the sun was actually shining. The trails were super narley and were very slippery. On the long downhills there is a lot of wet leaves so you instantly loose traction when to try to brake. The trails are definitely challenging, but i wished there were bigger forests closer. It was lots of fun and i ended up wiping out a few times(none were too bad). After i went and kicked it at the sauna, then did some reading. Later i meet up with Ezzie and we grabbed some dinner.

Long Fun Day

Im exhausted! I had class from 930 to 430 today. In the morning we worked on the masks again with paper mache. I had to go to the greenery(big buffet meals) because i have tons of block meals remaining which will expire at the end of the quarter. After class i went for a run and then did some sauna. Its tough running to get an equivalent work out because its so flat here, so i do a lot of sprints during long runs to keep me warm out of breath. Later i went and kicked it with my new girlfriend Ezzie. Shes from Reno, and has relatives in the bay. We had an awesome picnic in the forest, and made peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwiches.

Fall Colors

Many of the trees are changing colors and look stunning. Over the weekend not to much happened, did some work and hung out with friends. At night i went to a fire on the beach which was very cool. This morning it was pouring soo much, but now the sun is out!!

Trip to Portland

WOw... I have been super busy lately, but now things are starting to slow down a bit with the weekend. Early Wednesday my class left for Portland, i ended up driving so i had to pick up a large van early in the morning. I skated over to the motor pool where i revived a ~11 seat van, and then drove to the dorms to pick up all my stuff. We didn't have to bring to much because the hostel actually provided bedding. I then drove and met up with everyone in the parking lot where we loaded up. We then had a ~2 hour drive to a restaurant called "Bejing Hot Pot." The restaurant was very cool because in the middle of the tables were stoves with boiling water to cook our food. Unfortunately all they really gave the vegetarian table was lettuce and spinach. After, we headed to the Chinese Dao gardens which were stunning. The garden lies in the middle of the city and has old styled building and manicured gardens. Our tour guide let us walk around bear foot because the garden had a stone floor which was designed to improve circulation and revitalize senses. I also purchased some very good Tisane Tea Flowers which are similar to black tea. We then went to our hostel which was extremely nice. I shared a coed room with five other people and slept on the top of the bunk bed. We then hung out and explored around for the rest of the day. For dinner my mini seminar group was in charge of making dinner. We made an amazing burrito buffe with very tasty guacamole. For desert we had ice cream Sundays. The weather was very cold and gray and kinda rainy.
Day 2
After break fest we left the hostel around 930 to go to the art museum. We rode free intercity transit to the museum and then explored inside for 2 hours. The museum was very cool and there was a large amount of Native American art, Chinese, and Japanese art. After we went back to the hostel and had some amazing chili for lunch. We then met with the teachers and peer mentors to discus how things were going. After we got into our film groups and practiced filming and interviewing techniques in a park around the corner. For dinner we had some killer Indian food and chocolate. We then wandered around Portland and explored a huge 4 story bookstore for the rest of the night.
Day 3
We left at the same time today and went to the Japanese gardens. These gardens were huge and contained many giant trees and unique plants. in many of the ponds they had koi swimming around. This garden has many hidden Buddhist features such a curvy bridge to loose the evil forces. There was also an amazing view of Portland and mt. hood. There were a few sand gardens also with many cool designs. We then headed back had lunch and then bounced back to Olympia. We got back around 6, and i rushed to return the van and then caught some dinner. It was a very fun trip and i feel like i got to know all my classmates very well!

Fighting off the Cold

I think i finally have a cold coming on, almost everyone is getting sick because so many people are living together. The weather has been kinda rainy but really doesn't bother me. I woke up this morning and had a sore throat and stuffed nose. I had a chill morning just writing papers and other work. When i had done as much work as i could handle i went and played some racket ball with Elan then went to the sauna to sweat out my cold. I had my cc class today and it was the last day!!! Community connections was a interesting class with lots of busy work so im happy to be done with it. After class i grabbed dinner with some friends then kicked it for a little and did some reading. My core class is going to Portland in 2 days!!!

Geoduck

Yesterday was a very interesting day, in the morning i had breakfest and then did some work. Later me and some friends went down to the beach and explored around. After i went and did some laps in the pool and then went to the sauna. For dinner i went to a Native American welcome dinner at the longhouse. There were many tribal elders singing and playing the drums, it was very cool. For dinner i tried geoduck fritters(almost like a pancake) and potatoe salad(which i didnt realize had geoduck in it), the desert was a very good wild huckleberry cobbler. Later that night i went out with some friends and saw a dj spinning. The rest of today is probably going to be a work day.

Burritos

I had an early class today where we discussed and had a seminar about the texts we have been reading. During lunch break i tried the burrito cart and was very pleased with the results! When i returned to class we had a lecture and then went to the longhouse and looked at many types of plants. They have a few native medicinal gardens and each area covers a part of the body. We also tried eating many of these plants which all had very surprising tastes. Later we had a computer workshop and were done with class at 430. I then grabbed some milk and picked up a package, then went for a run and sauna. Than i rushed to dinner and had some good tofu, veggies, and rice. Later i hung out with some friends and we went on a night hike into the forest and managed to find a tree house. We then returned and i chilled at a friends apartment.

Tasty Day

Today was a very good tasting day. In the morning i had a required meeting with the writing center were we reviewed one of my papers. Later i finished up another paper and dropped it off. After i went and played racquetball with Elan and then hit the sauna. It was Elans b day today so to celebrate a bunch of us went into town and got some very good Indian food. I got a veggie stuffed cheese ball dish and it was very good. On the way back we stopped at a grocery store and i purchased some cereal and tea. I got a very good apple cider tea which will be very nice on cold days. Im very exausted i will try to get lots of sleep tonight

HARVESTING THE LAND

Its was sunny again today! In the morning i had class during which we mostly learned how to use video cameras and plan the interviews we are going to be doing. After lunch i went to a farm called Left Foot Organics and helped harvest a wide variety of veggies. They are a nonprofit farm that employs people with disabilities and helps to teach them skills for the future.




These are all the veggies we harvested. The pumpkins are covering all the other stuff we cut. After cutting the veggies we hosed them down and then packed them up. It was tough but fun work for a good cause. When we returned to school i went to work out in the gym and then went to the sauna. I had dinner later and then worked more on a paper about Mayan culture.

Masks!

Its finally sunny!!! After 3 straight days of rain i now realize how much i love the sun. Today i had class at 930. We began the day breaking into 2 groups, one group does pottery and one makes masks. I made a mask and learned about the meanings, views, and uses of them throughout many cultures. We coated our faces in vaseline and then had a partner put plaster strips over. It was very fun and we will be decorating and transforming the identity. After lunch we regrouped and learned about first peoples values and lessons. We then had a computer seminar, which was pretty boring, where they explained how our class website works. I was feeling very lazy after not working out in two day plus i still had vaseline stuck to my face, so i went for a run. I just did a little run and hit the sauna for a bit, and then squeezed in dinner. Dinner is only from 5-7 and its easy to miss though not the end of the world. There are markets and cafes open to 11. I chilled with some friends later and then decided i should do some work. I am having a lot of fun, and have been getting good at skateboarding(no injurys yet). Its very nice to roll right to class without having to deal with hills.

New Guitar Strings!

Yesterday was pretty laid back so i ended up slapping on some new guitar strings. Lots of people play instruments around here so i am trying to play more often. It was raining the whole day yesterday so i spent most of the day chilling in friends dorms and reading and writing. I also restocked cereal and milk, but it was $14!!! I am going to have to start shopping at the grocery outlet in town because the corner store on campus is ridiculous. everything has been going good and i have met so many cool people!

FRESH SHEETS!!!

Its the weekend!! After waking up i completed my second round of laundry. It takes almost 50 min to wash and about the same to dry, so i had some time to kill. During the washing i revised some work and read a bit. I also meet i new friend who wakes me up each morning. He is a little small, but still very nice and im sure leche and carmelo would like him. Im pretty sure hes a raven but the only real way to tell is looking at their tail shape while they fly. He hangs outside my window and sometimes even brings a friend. I was whistling to him and he was chirping back. I just wish he didnt try to talk to me so early. It was rainy all day, but never too heavy. After laundry i went for a run in the rain. It was very refreshing, cold, and wet. I ended up making it to the beach, which had a very low tide, so i continued down the rocky sand. It was so beautiful with the rain on the upper Puget and the sun shinning though on the lower end. I got nice and muddy on the way back and was very cold. I bet you can guess what i did next. Went to the sauna! After i got some dinner.

Very Rainy Day

Today has been nonstop raining. In the morning it wasnt that bad, however later it got worse. I had class from 930 to 430. We did many interesting things including Tai Ji, nature journaling, seminars, and watched a short film. Later i played racketball and hit the sauna. Then i attempted to go to a friends apartment but got lost and soaked, and ended up heading back. I then went with some friends to the art walk (art and music festival), but we ended up just hanging out instead becuase of the heavy rain. We played some foozball and then watched a movie. Later we played apples to apples and had a blast.

Rainy!

Today has been very rainy. The rain has been on and off throughout the whole day, but luckily it has been light. We also had some thunder and lightening (nothing like Mexico) which was fun. I had no class today so i was able to sleep in which was nice. After breakfast i went shopping on campus for materials needed in my core class. We are making nature journals which should be interesting. It will be a similar format to Lewis and Clark's journals. I then played racket ball with Elan(suite mate) and then hit the sauna. The internet has been down in our building so i went to the library today to get some work done. The library has very fast internet and comfy couches which is nice. Off to dinner soon, hope everythings good!

GUESS WHO IS GOING TO BE A TRUCK DRIVER?

Well im not actually a truck driver, but i did get a permit to drive a 15 person van!!! I may end up driving to Portland. Class was 930 again today, however it only went to 1230. Hirsh has studied Tai Chi (actually pronounced Tai Ji) and we began the morning with some excersises to get the chi(life force) flowing. It was very fun. We then learned about how in groups of three we will be making videos of community resources. My group is making one on residential life and we get to check out fancy video equipment! i went running, hit the sauna, and then grabbbed dinner. After are floor got together and decorated the area.

View from the Top

Hey this is a view from the top of the library at night. The roof recycle rain water and feeds plants. Those cool pyramids are skylights which change color.

Another Nice Day in Olympia

Hey, yesterday was sooo nice! It was very sunny and the temp hit the 80's! I spent a lot of yesterday doing work and reading. I went to a community connections meeting, but we didnt do to much. Later i went for a run up on evergreen park way and ended up getting lost in the city. I had to backtrack to find my way back. I did my daily ritual of basking in the sauna and then got dinner. I spent the rest of the night hanging with friends and writing papers.
Today was the first offical day of class and was also another nice day!!! Living in the sacred garden started at 930 (could be worse). Most of the morning was spent doing intoductions and discussing rules and such. We also talked about the field trip in oct. from the 15 to 17. We are going to Portland and will be visiting meusems and gardens. We will be staying in a hostel which should be fun. Next we had a lunch break during which i grabbed a Tai wrap with veggies "swimming in peanut sauce". Remy would have loved it. Class began an hour later and we talked about types of culture, sacredness, and types art. It seems very interesting, and both teachers Hirsh( heavy russian accent) and Marja (very into nature) are nice and interesting. Later i went to the sauna then dinner. We are going to be making some cool things in class such as masks, pottery, and nature journals.

First Laundy

Hey, today was very chill and relaxed. After breakfast i went rock climbing on the wall in the gym. The climbing wall is very nice and big, and has very squishy floors. It was a lot of fun and also a killer workout. After that i played some racquetball with one of my suite mates, Elan. We than hit the sauna afterwords. Then i did my first load of laundry! I through everything in together and after and hour and forty minutes my clothes were clean and dry. I was shocked to discover how easy it was. Then i grabbed some dinner, did some reading, went to a friends place, played video games, and then walked around. Now i am just finishing up reading and am starting a few reflection papers.

Rocking Out

Today my friend Rachel turned 18 and to celebrate we went into town to the farmers market. I got some fresh carrots and Indian food. The food their is amazing!!! We wandered around town for a while enjoying the nice and WARM sunny day. Later we ended up stopping in a vintage movie theater and saw some short Charlie Chapman movies. It was very cool, instead of speakers their was a guy playing the piano. Before we left we stoped at the artisian well and got some water. The well is a free flowing fountain from a natural spring, the water was very good. We then headed back to campus and grabbed some dinner. I then proceeded to take my mountain bike on some trails! Even the short trails around campus are super gnarly. I just discovered that capital forest is about 10 miles from campus so it would be around a 30 mile ride, therefor im going to need a full day to ride out their. hopefully i will be their soon. I then hit the sauna and relaxed. It is so nice to have a sauna. Im probably going to be in it everyday. Later me and some friends went into downtown and went to a concert at the hiphop congress. It was sooooo cool. The bands were all very good and was able to get up front and rock out! THey even had a wood fired pizza oven with killer pizza. It was an amazing day

nice warm day

hey everyone! Yesterday was so much fun, and i did so many things. in the morning i went and played racquetball with Elan (one of my sweet mates). racquetball was so much fun and was also a good workout. than we went swimming in the pool, and then hit the sauna. after this we went to an all student convention were we meet up with people and headed to the beach. on the way to the beach we discovered a tree house and chilled in it for a while. we then made it to the beach and i actually went swimming in the puget sound. the water was very cold, but not as cold as our beaches and was also very salty. I meet more people on the way back and this time we discovered a three story tree house which was amazing. I then ate dinner with people from the beach, stopped at an acoustic concert, and then went to a friends apartment. It was a very fun day and i am learning my way around olympia very well. soon i will try to venture to capital forest!

Very Fun Busy Day

Yesterday was very fun! I participated in a community service project. We took a school van to the woodland trail in Lacy and helped pull weeds to help the growth of trees which will one day block the view of buildings from the trail. It was fun and very tough, especially when it started raining on us. I saw many cool spiders and frogs, and learned about many types of plants. We also got a free lunch, and when we returned we had a free pizza dinner. After dinner i went and worked out in the gym and then went to the sauna and relaxed. Later i meet up with some people and played ultimate frisbee in the dark with glowsticks, it was very fun. I then headed back and did some reading while drinking tea.
p.s.
mom, the book is "A Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe. The Mathematical Archetypes of nature, Art, and science. A voyage from 1 to 10." by Michael S. Schneider

Olympia

I had an awesome day today at evergreen. I was able to sleep in which rocked and then i went to an academic advising seminar. I started reading this cool book for class about how math relates to nature. Later i left the dorm and went mountain biking; the trails here are amazing and have a whistler feel to them. I only rode in the forest around the campus(which is huge), but hope to check out capital forest soon. When i got back from the ride i went to the dry sauna and relaxed for a while. Then i went on a walking tour of downtown olympia. A ton of people took the bus into town. The tour showed us a cool bike shop, music place, cafe, and many other places. Eventually me and a few people broke off and got some pizza at the old school pizzeria, which was very good. later we caught the bus back to campus and went to a mandatory seminar. At night i went to a friends apartment on campus and later went to a tea party with random people. its been very fun

setting up

After a rough few days of setting up the dorm, i can finally relax and read a book. I just learned that my main class will be taking a three day trip to portland, oregon to check out gardens and museums. Hopefully on friday i will be able to hike mt. rainier, however lots of people signed up for it. everythings going well and i hope to keep every one up to date.

GRADUATION

ITS FRIDAY THE 13TH AND THE CLASS OF 08 HAS GRADUATED!!!! NOW ITS TIME TO KICK BACK AND ENJOY SUMMER alright!

Monkey Bird

Some friends and me took our own senior trip and went backpacking at Henry Coe. We spent four days submerged in the wilderness and had a blast. We camped next to Kelly Lake, the one closest to a clean water supply, and even got to swim a little. We had two full days of exploring.







The second day we explored up to one of the highest peaks around and were rewarded with a beautiful sight












The third day were ventured around and found many old remnants of ranches



Our adventure was filled with many great climbing trees and animals. We saw many huge ant colonies, beetles, deer, fish, fireflys (very cool), and many birds(hawks+turkey vultures). In the morning were would be greeted by many of these birds who would fly over us and call out. My favorite bird was one i never saw but could hear from the reeds in Kelly Lake. We called this bird a "monkey bird" because it made monkey like noises.