been week what i've up past to this

I mean...what I've been up to this past week. Let's see:

Kim's Bridal Shower. I had a great time. It took me a while to compile my gift and then put it together, but all in all I think it turned out well. (I selected some pictures, tweaked them on the computer, printed them on photo paper, and framed them). I finally got to meet the much-heard-of Jenny, as well as many more of Kim's friends. I like them quite well, and I especially liked her parents. I shouldn't have waited so long to blog about this because now I don't remember any of the little details. I do remember sitting around at Darren and Kim's waiting for Darren to get off work - which happened around midnight on Friday, ten pm on Saturday, and then he had to go back in on Sunday, but came home before noon. Not to mention that he went back into work at 3:30 am on Saturday morning, and before six am on Sunday. Apparently there are huge problems with India, but I don't really understand them, so I won't say anymore. But the rest of us had fun getting to know each other in Darren's absence. When we girls left the shower, my Mom called my Dad and they chatted for a bit. When Mom got off the phone, she said that the guys had traveled down to the pavilion (where the wedding is going to occur), and then went out for a steak lunch. I couldn't believe that (my Dad's not cheap, but he doesn't normally do things like that). But Mom said it was true, so we took our time heading back home, stopping by Darren's work and dropping off some sustenance (the chocolate cake was sooooo rich and so very good). We stayed for about an hour, in which time I was given a large box with Captain Jack Sparrow's picture printed on the side (yum!) and a fruit-roll-up with William Moseley's picture (the cute kid from Narnia). I think I made out quite well. But when we got back to Darren and Kim's, we found all of the boys ravenously awaiting our arrival so we could all go out to dinner. Apparently Mom didn't hear Dad say that they were joking about the steak lunch and hadn't had anything to eat all day. So we went out to Ruby Tuesdays and had an excellent dinner, just like the excellent dinner we had on Friday, cooked by Kim. We left on Sunday for home, got back around seven, and life resumed as normal.

I now have a semi-extensive resume in recipes that I can prepare: Cajun pork chops, chicken parmesan on a bed of pasta and marinara sauce, pollo relleno (chicken stuffed with a pepper stuffed with cheese), dirty rice, chicken jambalaya, venison curry, foccacia bread, French bread, half wheat/half white dinner rolls, black beans and rice, red beans and rice, ranch pasta salad, blueberry crisp, apple crisp, coconut crème pie, lemon meringue pie (sans meringue), dark chocolate crème pie, and foogies (fig cookies). Ok, so it' s not so terribly extensive, but it was time-consuming and complicated. I also cleaned house quite a bit and mowed the lawn for over five hours every week (not that I'm complaining - I had fun doing so - no one can hear you over the hum of the motor when you sing). In appreciation of all my efforts, my parent's took the family out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant called El Cerro. I had the beef steak in salsa verde - muy bien y muy picante.

And now, I am typing from my room at NC State. I moved in yesterday and now the room is unrecognizable from the institutionalized white walls, fluorescent lighting, and cold tiles. I spent a record of $350.00 on books (less than 500, I can't believe it!). And I have reunited with the best roommate of all time - my friend Callie. We're currently jammin' to a Nelly song (I've never heard it before, but I'm told that it's our theme song this year just like Hips Don't Lie by Shakira was last year, and like My Humps by Black Eye Peas was my song last year). From where I sit now, Johnny Depp is looking at me from two giant posters next to my bed and two smaller notebooks displayed above the pictures. Did I say Johnny? I meant Captain Jack Sparrow, hottest pirate in the world. Johnny is looking at me, though, from a magazine I have displayed on the same wall. And speaking of walls, every surface on the walls in this room is covered with movie posters and pictures. Callie and I worked very hard to put them up. And she and I have matching Captain Jack Sparrow fleece throw blankets - and we love them! That's all for now, classes start on Wednesday, I'll keep you posted.