Week 5: Peak and Pit

Week 5: Peak and Pit (High and Low)

Peak: Anchoring on Wednesday. It was my third time doing so! The feedback from my professor was super encouraging…and simultaneously giggle inspiring. Here are his words:

“After watching, no one can say you’re not enthused about doing the news.  You’re full of energy.  Lots of smiles reading the budget story….considering the impacts and the layoffs, a little too happy for that story (…) nice work.”

Maybe I should actually take his advice and “listen to the story.” AKA:  what is it saying? What words do I emphasize? What is the important part of the story? Putting happy and sad faces on your copy to prompt facial expression when glancing down isn’t advised, but neither is wearing the wrong emotion. Stopping publication funding and consolidating colleges isn’t necessarily a smiling matter. :)

Pit: Second midterm week. Two quizzes, producing, anchoring, a paper and an exam led to slight over-caffeination.

Peak of the Pit: After the fact, I realize the assignments really helped me grasp the material (mostly!). I got to know and spend time with more Murrow people. I did not catch a cold, as one is currently housed in our apartment. And I skyped with Riley last night (which is not quite related to this Pit. However, the time spent with him is always precious, and was a beautiful way to cap off the week). :)

Last week’s Pit.

...with Peak-attributes in places. (I know, I’m tardy. Sorry!) Heads-up: traces of God and the Bible inserted here! :)

Note: this first section was mostly written last Sunday, September 4^th.

I wasn’t sexy this weekend.

Why?

I sat and did homework. It’s taking me a long time. I could “half” my assignments, but I’m trying not to. I’m also attributing my working speed/pace to the long summer hiatus from Spanish. Otra vez, here I am writing in my second language.

I first wasn’t able to attend YoungLife’s Malibu Leadership Retreat this weekend….I wasn’t able to obtain a replacement passport in time. So, I decided to go home (that’s semi-sexy) to visit my wonderful family (love them) and surprise my padre. (BTW – complete surprise success!) I BBQed, churched, movie-ed with the Bro, cheered on the Coug-like Totems, shopped, guzzled some Starbucks and had some quality conversations. Good to be back home.

Now I’m blogging about my weekend. I think that’s pretty sexy. Dang it, but now it’s distracting from my studies, and my big Tuesday deadline. WhatupwithTHAT?!

Back to the books. To retraining my bilingual-attempting mind. To remembering hard work, the unglamorous effort exerted, self-discipline and working towards long-term goals. It’s like running after a long weekend. Or summer.

Note: the following section was written today, September 14^th.

So you wanna know the ending of the story?

After initially hearing I couldn’t attend Malibu’s leadership weekend, I came to a peace. After all, I had 2 Spanish papers and 2 quizzes on Tuesday. Also, I love and missed my family (only had been 2 weeks since our road trip!). I knew I might not see them before Thanksgiving break. It was GOOD to see them. I especially treasured my quality time with Ben. I don’t get to have a lot with Ben – times with him are intermittent, and mostly happen when there are lots of distractions (namely, the holidays). I adored watching him cowbell at the Sammamish High School football game (let’s get more cowbell, son!), throwing around the football with him (training camp for TURKEY BOOWWWLLL!), and better comprehending Inception’s plot (only the 3^rd time around…).


Time with my parents was precious, too. Shopping and Starbucks with Mom, giving Daddy a HUGE hug when I first saw him…yup. I’ll hang onto all those small moments when I’m feeling dry on semester endurance. All in all…I believe God had a purpose for my weekend at home.

AND, I finished my papers and quiz studying with great time management. In case you wanted to know. ;) (BLESSING!)

Pit: But still, part of me was sad looking at Malibu pictures on Facebook. It made me realize all the peer relational time at this isolated paradise I missed. Seeing the face of my childhood friend Amy Grimm, and Jeff Hjort, a friend I’ve gone too long without made me teary. How I miss them! How incredible that leadership weekend seemed. It reminded me to pray for them. God obviously has a better timeline and plan to connect - a better date – but it just wasn’t the right time then. I’m grateful the lost passport made my decision to not attend. For now, I’m reminded God’s plan is best…and doesn’t always include being sexy.

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Psalm 31:15a 

My times are in your hands.

Week Three: Peak.

(3/16 of Fall Semester 2011)


This week was rich, sentimental, cougish, academic…hard at times, but mostly quality. I'll get to the Pit in my next post.


But first my week’s landmark highlight! (My Peak):


The anniversary of TUG (“Team You Guys” – so named by my Madre) marked a beautiful thing. One year of dating Riley Daniel Robertson. The man I deeply admired years before dating. I think he is so right for me. I probably feel that because he’s a gift from God. But anyways. I could go on and on and on. We talked, sweated over technology, but mostly talked. For 3-4 hours. :) I LOVE quality time with him! Abby was one HAPPY girl! :D


Thought I’d insert a picture from our first date to commemorate. You look ratherwinterish, you say. Well, you’re right. Our first date transpired 3.5 months after we started dating (Thanksgiving break)….wait, whaaat, you say?!? I know long distance confuses, but it’s a great story. Ask me sometime. :)

Finding the Upside

Like a good friend modeled for me in her blog, finding the upside is very attractive. And well, sometimes necessary. Like today.

Today my roommate Delaney and I hunted available bikes to ride to Moscow, Idaho. After frustrations (for an hour) in locating and obtaining a bike via the WSU Green Bike Program…we finally sweated our way to meet Nicole and Ryan.

Water bottled and rocking the shades with beautiful, breezy weather….things were looking bright. Until my bike didn’t shift, and stayed at a pansy-hilled gear number one. Ryan determined my derailer (gear-shifter) was out of order. :/ That is disgusting, slow and entirely unsatisfying.

My friends decided the 16-mile Moscow ride was not doable in my condition, and Plan B-ed for a Daily Grind adventure. They were so cheerful, even saying this would have been just as fun. Love them.

I needed some optimism, and thought I’d share my brainstormies!

The upsides:


1. I learned what a derailer is!
2. I realized again what cool friends I have. I made another memory with them!
3. I got to sport a cute outfit.
4. I learned to plan ahead by getting and testing my bikes the afternoon before a ride.
5. I got to practice patience!
6. In my slow riding, I had time to pray and think about Riley!
7. I’m a proud owner of a Daily Grind punch card (free drink after 10 coffees!)
8. The day would’ve been HOT…a 55 degree autumn day later will be beautiful, too. Many weekends for riding in Fall Semester!
9. We could’ve been hit by a SEMI TRUCK….or maybe not. But who knows with my one-geared bike?
10. I worked on my racerback tan.