Bulldozing

As I made my way on foot from Angell Hall over to the lovely Dennison Fortress this morning I encountered a very distracted walker ahead of me. Equipped with giant headphones and a blue backpack this boy first literally stopped traffic in order to poke at a frozen puddle with his toe (not gonna lie, it looked really tempting...so it was kind of understandable), and second just stopped out of the blue to bend over and pick up a penny (I would have done the same had I seen it...and considered giving him a slight nudge so as to start some sort of penny war...just for kicks). Now, given that I understand both of these actions, I also nearly plowed the dude over. I'm on a slight mission in between classes (especially on Friday mornings because my first discussion always gets out late and my second one always starts early) and so I tend to hustle through the Diag on occasion. This makes for bad things to happen when people enter my pathway. Also, considering winter came back for a little visit on this fine morning, I wasn't exactly dressed correctly for the slightly Arctic temperature and so I was really looking forward to entering the Dennison Fortress upon my arrival. Hence, hustle.

Australian Rules Football = Suh-weet.

Definitely not on top of my game this morning. A toss and turn filled night of slumber (thank you once again construction...slash body's inability to rest peacefully) led to extreme tiredness which in turn skewed my normal on-top-of-things state into a scrambling mess. Stats was A-okay...got there on time (early even!) thanks to Paratransit, but then it was off to Psych to take an exam. As I rode there the feeling of doom entered my stomach as I realized that the two pencils I always use for exam taking were perched atop my desk at home (and I didn't have any others in my backpack writing utensil pouch) and that my Student I.D. was sitting in my wallet in my rain coat since it was rainy yesterday as opposed to my fleece for the slight chill that was today.

Anyways, plopped in the nearest open seat (since I was late. Thank you, Paratransit), asked to borrow a pencil from a friendly neighbor, and continued to pound out the wonderful 62-question multiple choice test all the while scheming up a way to get out of needing my I.D. to turn in my exam. Now, on a normal exam day (for instance, the first two), the I.D. wouldn't be a problem because my GSI was always present and could confirm my identity...but naturally, the one time I forget it, good ol' Jessica is playing hooky in Psych 250. Womp. It turned out not to be such a big deal...and definitely wasn't worth the amount of sweat that apparently had poured out in all my worrying. I do believe the GSI who took my exam may have been aware that I was slightly distraught due to the red color of my face and sweat happening all over the place so he just made me swear I was who I claimed I was...which I did...and then I also blurted out an explanation that I'm the freak with the crutches who has sat in the first row that last two weeks with my giant leg up on the railing. I don't think he cared. Since he just kind of blankly stared. So I walked away mentally hitting myself for allowing that wonderful story to slip from my lips.

Sociology was great! My GSI lectured (the Australian with the great accent, huge and long super curly hair, and tiny little frame) about Rugby League, Rugby Union, and Australian Rules Football. If I ever get the chance to attain my dream of traveling to Australia, I must see both an Australian Rules Professional Football game as well as a Pro Rugby League game. So entertaining. Just check out this video:

2009 AFL Mark of the Year

The real question is...how do more people not acquire serious injuries? Or perhaps he failed to mention that stat during lecture...probably the more likely option!

The Sun Decides to Show Its Face...for more than one day!

Most of those who actually read this are probably very well aware of the unusually warm and sunny week we just experienced down here in the Southeastern Mitten Region, but boy was it glorious! Well...at least it was quite grand yesterday because I was actually able to enjoy it. The rest of the week was filled with the ever-exciting class and Slauson swim practice, both of which are unfortunately held indoors. Womp.

Anyways. Yesterday, the Mother of all Loser Cruisers dropped me back at the ranch at approximately 11:12 a.m. and I proceeded to take full advantage of the giant ball of incandescent gas that was showing its face in the sky. After feeding myself, I set up camp on the front porch (fully open to the possibility of a sunburn). Now...keep in mind that construction continues full speed ahead especially when it's super nice out, so I had to don my gimongous head phones, crank up the volume, and allow the productivity to ooze. I have to say, I was rather pleased with myself. Heck, most Fridays I just plop myself down and fart around on the computer instead of actually getting work done. I suppose that's what Saturday is turning into as I speak...but seeing as I have two exams and a paper this week, I should probably crack the whip and get back to it. Blargh. Not ideal.

Well, if you were wondering, since I forgot to comment on the outcome of the sun sitting up there...I did indeed obtain an ever so slight pinkish hue upon my cheeks and beak. Great success!

Alright. Back to work for this girl! Errr...starting work. Hahaha whoops! Pizza House dinner tonight...I literally woke up this morning wondering what I was going to order. Sometimes I really question my own sanity...

A One-Legged Potato

So they surger-itized the ankle...round two and I am now an even more uncoordinated mess. I have more mysterious bruises than ever and they keep fading to that gross yellow color that just looks dirty more than anything. I'm not sure...it's not pleasant. My knees are all bruised from the increased amount of crawling around various surfaces, my shins and such (perhaps from getting in and out of the tub...or crutching into things? I don't know...), even my arms have mysterious contusions. Baffled over here. Then my knuckles are really suffering too! I need to find me some of those hand guards that the Olympic skiers use...because I manage to scrape the back of my hands on the bathroom counter about once every three times I'm in there...among other various doorways and such. Hopefully I'll get myself under control and decrease the number of bruises and scrapes I am covered with. Hopefully.

Monday was my first day back on campus and let's just say the morning didn't exactly run smoothly. After struggling out the front door to hop into the Paratransit van (The King of all Loser Cruisers), I secured myself into a seat and held on tight (learned that from last year's adventures...). Although, when it was time to get up I forgot that my backpack might cause a rather serious weight shift and throw me off slightly...needless to say I almost bit it on the floor of the P.T.V. but somehow saved myself from humiliation in front of my fellow rider. Yikes. Onward up the stairs of the School of Education Building. Now this building is one of those buildings where the door is also on a stair, so it's kind of a dangerous area to deal with (especially on crutches), but luckily I spotted a girl right ahead of me who could hold the door! Lo and behold, she was 'one of those people.' She opened the door with just enough space to squeeze through and then continued on without even the slightest of glances back. DARN. Struggle #2, door into the building. Alright, so we've entered the inferno of a building and crutch crutch crutch back to the back auditorium, make it through that door with the help of some fine gentleman nice enough to hold the door for me and then begin the navigation of the land of computer cords. Apparently all the outlets in this particular auditorium are along the back wall and I was doing great until the final cord. This sucker was raised off the floor because it wasn't very long...so I hopped over it with what I would like to call grace and then attempted to lift my crutches over it but...this didn't work. I ended up tipping over and falling into the heater, my crutches came clattering down with me, and Nat came to my rescue and lifted me back to my foot. Holy muffs.

Tuesday...not terrible. No collisions, didn't fall...hit a few doors, but hey, what did I expect? A day to go off without a hitch? Please.

Wednesday...successfully navigated that darn cursed School of Ed auditorium with ease and then made it to stats lab on time. Not too shabby. Just a solid twenty minute wait for the P.T.V. after lab. Although I suppose I shouldn't complain because I got to have a wonderful conversation with a very nice old man who had apparently had ankle surgery in a previous year. Told me to hang in there and such. So great. Everyone else who walked by kept staring because I was kind of standing in a position where it appeared that I had no lower segment of my leg...it was rather entertaining to watch their faces change when they realized that my leg was just bent and cocked up backwards in an attempt to elevate it...and cut down on the dark purple hue that my toes had assumed. Yikes.

Thursday. Talk about a long day. WOAH. So Thursdays always suck because no one likes to have class straight from 10-4. That is just insanity. I'm not sure why I did that to myself. But anyways, woke up and checked my beloved Weather.com and discovered that it would be extremely warm all the livelong day, so I donned my shorts and t-shirt and prepared for battle. Posted up on the porch so as to be ready for my ride to the MLB...only to receive a phone call that they would be fifteen minutes late. OH. COOL. I don't have class or anything...that's fantastic. So I just plopped and waited for quite some time, then hopped on and as we neared Hill Auditorium, I knew something was afoot. Approximately 67 yellow school buses from various school districts across the Southeastern Michigan area were swarming...and even more children were running wild everywhere. At any rate, traffic jam CITY...so I asked to be let out in the middle of an intersection and crutched the rest of the way. Ay yi yi. On the way to my seat, I tripped on some Asian's backpack, was laughed at, and managed to make a scene before landing in my lovely reserved chair. So awesome. After Stats I headed back out to be picked up only to realize that the field trip lasted the exact amount of time that I was in class...so it was Fiasco City with the reloading of all 67 school buses and millions of children. Schmee. So I was late to Psych...good thing my Soc class is in the exact same room right after Psych cuz I didn't have to move. Then it was time to crutch from East Hall to the USB. Hello lengthy journey and not being in shape. Talk about sweaty. Woah. Gross. AND my final destination was towards the World of P. O'Mahen...not the most appealing of endings to a difficult journey. Bahaha whew. After Comm Lab, I headed to the SLC to print off my homework only to nearly get stuck in some tiny room with a printer. Yikes. Then finally it was time to go home. HALLELUJAH. I headed to the elevators...and ended up in the basement of a parking garage...so I went back and went up a level...only to crutch out and not see a clear exit...so I went down the ramp and followed a bunch of signs to a DIFFERENT elevator...and went up a level...and BEHOLD! An exit to Palmer Drive!!! Rejoiceeee! Okay sorry this is huge, I'm almost done I promise. So I plunked down on the ground outside of this wonderful parking garage where it smelled of China (a lovely mix of roadkill and rotten eggs), waited for some twenty minutes or so...then decided to give Paratransit a call and see what was up. Well, apparently, the cab company is allowed to take up to twenty minutes to arrive at a destination, so they technically weren't late, but fortunately one of the Loser Cruisers was nearby so my main man Sean in the Paratransit Office re-routed it to me...and I got home 45 minutes after class ended. COOL BEANS.

Anyways. Today is Friday...things went well. I'm pretty pleased. I have also accomplished a grand total of ZERO things today. Cool cool cool. Oh well! Bath time?! Okay!