Got my car back, and I got my passport and visa

I finally got my car back after almost a month of getting fixed. A lot of things had to be replaced in my car, including the engine. I don't know too much about cars. I just know how to start it. But anyway, the problems seem to finally be fixed. The car is now running good. It's too bad I won't be taking it back to Steubenville until August when the fall semester begins, since I'm going to Austria next semester. But I'm glad it's fixed. I just hope that I don't have problems with it when I go back to campus in August.

I also got my passport and visa in the mail yesterday. So now I'm all set to go to Austria. It's hard to believe that I leave in exactly four weeks. It's starting to become more and more real that this is really happening. The people who were in Austria for the fall are now home. So now it's our turn to experience Austria! I'm really looking forward to going. Although I'll miss everyone at home. But it's so much easier to stay connected with people now than when my father went to Italy with the Navy in the 1960s.

Semester is now over, and the grades are now in

So I got all of my grades back. Most of them were fairly good. I didn't do as good as I would have liked in Theology of Christ, and didn't expect to get the grade I got. But it could have been worse. And that just means that there's room for improvement next semester in Austria. So I got a C in Catechetics, a D+ in Theology of Christ, a C in Mariology, and a B in Catholic Social Teaching. They could have been better, and did not expect to get a D+ in Theology of Christ. Hopefully next semester will be better.

Bridge over troubled water

Originally I was going to post a song that was sung by Voorhees Choir at Rutgers, but blogger wouldn't let me upload audio files. So this had to be the next best thing. Anyway, I feel like this song just sums up this semester. I feel like there have been so many things that I've had to worry about: from problems with my car, to trying to find someone to sublet my apartment (with no success), to missing friends who are currently in Austria. Through all of that, I know that things will be alright. I just feel like this semester has been such a stressful semester. It hasn't been a hard semester. Just stressful with all of the papers and assignments due. I just pray that my semester in Austria will be my best semester ever.

What a difference a week makes

It's amazing what can happen in a week. A week ago, I didn't think I would be able to get the Eurail global pass. But after realizing that single tickets could cost hundreds of dollars, the global pass seemed to be a better deal. I also realized that if you divide the price by ten, you can see how much each ticket would cost. In the end I made my mother see that the global pass would be a better buy than buying single tickets. So I just bought my Eurail Global Pass just before, and it should arrive here in a few days. So I will be able to travel with everyone else after all! I'm really happy!

On a side note: I had quite an adventure trying to get home for thanksgiving break. I left Steubenville on Wednesday. Once I got into Weirton, I started to experience problems with my car. My car had almost no power, or acceleration I should say. I ended up having my car towed and serviced a couple of times in Pennsyvania. I ended up spending the night in Breezewood, Pa. There was some work done on my car, and then made another try to get home. I got as far as mile 228.2 on the Pa turnpike (I-76 east). I ended up having it towed back to my parents' house in NJ, 183 miles away. When my mechanic looked at my car the following day, he said that there were a lot of problems with the car. Basically I either got a bad engine (from when it was put in in August) or it just went bad really fast. The people who put the engine in in Ohio are working with the mechanic in NJ, and it may not cost anything to get fixed.

While that car is being worked on, I will bring my father's Dodge Intrepid back to campus...since we only have a week and a half left in the semester. Once the semester's over, I'll then head back to NJ with most of my stuff from the apartment. Then my parents and I will go back with the van to bring home the big things such as the desk and stuff like that. After that, I will just give my landlord the keys to the apartment and be completely moved out. Then a new chapter of my time at Franciscan will begin.

Less than two months until I go to Austria!

As the title says...I leave for Austria in less than two months. I am really looking forward to it. Although I think the people at the Kartause are going to be surprised to see a resident my age. It's not like people who were born the same year as myself never went to Austria. The Austria program started in 1991. So clearly there have been people who are now older than me who have gone. The only difference is that none of them have gone in their mid thirties. I will be the first. Hey, there's no age limit...and there's nothing that says I can't go. Besides, I'm thirty six. I'm not very old...I'm not even middle aged yet. I have grey hair, and so do the traditional aged students. So I'm not too worried about that. It'll be interesting when I get my Austrian dress (whatever it's called). I'm young enough to be able to wear the same styles as the other girls.

In other news, Stella got five new stars! They're mostly sophomores, and they'll all be on campus next semester. We currently have eight stars in Austria this semester. Next semester there will be three stars going to Austria (myself being one of them). I wish there was more, but it's better than one or two. I remember last fall we had 14 stars and one twinkle in Austria. There always seems to be more people going in the fall. Probably because the weather is nicer. I would have liked to have gone in the fall, but next semester is the only time I could go. It was either go to Austria next semester, or not go at all. I would rather go and have the Austria experience than to not go and wonder what it might have been like if I had gone.

Global pass definitely out of the question

Why you may ask? Because the prices for the global pass has gone up. A 10 day adult flexi pass is now over $800. I won't dare ask my parents to help me get that pass because they'll tell me to get lost. I'm not even sure if they'll help me pay for the select pass (or any pass for that matter). I know that things will work out.

In other matters: the semester is quickly progressing. I've had a few people contact me concerning my apartment. One person has even looked at my apartment. Hopefully someone will want to sublet it. Just keep praying.

Also, we are now in Warrior Week. The twinkles have been wearing their camo this week. Because of fall break, warrior week started on Wednesday, and will continue until next Wednesday. This Tuesday is Mission Night. So keep the twinkles in your prayers on that night.

Concerning train travel

I was looking around at the eurail passes, and the eurail select pass may be a more affordable option for me. I could get an adult eurail 3 country select pass for 8 days in 2 months for $535, and an adult 4 country select pass for 8 days in 2 months for $584. That's a lot better than about $750 for the adult global flexi pass. So we'll see what happens.

Update on schedule, and about Lourdes mission trip

I just wanted to update everyone on my schedule. I audited the German class. This way I can learn German and won't be weighed down by the tests. Plus I'm done with my language requirement anyway.

Concerning the Lourdes mission trip. I learned from one of my household sisters that I can do fundraising for the mission trip. That I can probably do. And it shouldn't be too hard paying for the trips to Salzburg and Poland. I figured that I could do the excursions that the school is doing. This way I can travel. I don't plan on traveling every weekend. Growing up, I only went on vacation once a year...to Florida. Besides, I'm already paying for room and board. I might as well get my money's worth. I'll get plenty of opportunities to see Europe. Not to worry!

Registered for classes today!

Like the title says, I've registered for the spring 2011 semester in Austria. Right now I'm registered for 15 credits, although I may audit one of the classes. So right now this is my schedule for the spring 2011 semester:

GRM 101 Elementary German I Prof Franz Schneider
PHL 212 Foundations of Ethics Prof Maria Seifert-Wolter
THE 214 Theology of the Church Prof Robert Cassidy
THE 341 Christian Marriage Dr Donald Asci
THE 409 Christian Spirituality Dr Donald Asci

Almost forgot...intensity has started

I almost forgot to mention that intensity has started with Stella. This week is covenant week. This is where the twinkles focus on the covenant. They also wear blue, yellow, and grey all week. Last semester I was going through intensity. It's strange being on the other side now. But it's good. Stella has five twinkles, mostly sophomores. So it's a good class. I'd welcome more, but that's alright. Just pray for the twinkles as they spend the week meditating on Stella's covenant.

Options with traveling by train.

After considering my options concerning traveling by train, I think my best option would be to just buy the train tickets when I need them rather than buying the eurail pass. I am too old to purchase the Eurail youth pass (who would be in 2nd class). I could only get the adult pass, which if I got the adult global flexi pass, would be over $750 (and would be in first class). Everyone else that would be traveling with me from Franciscan would be in second class since they're under 26. I could sit in second class if I wanted to with the adult class. But why should I have to pay more for sitting in the same class as my classmates? I definitely wouldn't sit in first class all alone. So my best option would be to just buy the individual tickets (since you have to make a reservation anyway). This way I can travel throughout Europe and not go broke. Would I like to get the global pass? Sure. Do I have the money for it? No. I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to pay for the trips to Poland and Lourdes. God willing I'll find some way to pay for it...even if it means working on campus all summer to pay for it.

Eurail pass

After considering my options concerning train passes, I might be able to get the 10 day global flexi pass. I figured that I can work on campus during part of the summer to pay my parents back for the pass. This way i can go to Lourdes and travel to different countries. So maybe there's hope after all. I just hope my parents will go for it.

May not be doing too much traveling while in Austria

Why not, you may ask? Because I can't afford to buy a Eurail pass. I'm not sure how I'm going to find a pass that is affordable. I'm too old to qualify for the youth price, and I can't afford the adult price. What makes this harder is that I feel that God wants me to go on the Lourdes mission trip during 10 day. How am I supposed to do what God wants me to do if I don't have the money to do it? I need the Eurail pass to get to France, and I don't have the money to get the pass. I just wish I could find a pass that is affordable.

Update on Household and Austria

I have booked my flight to Austria. Originally I was going to go through JFK, but realized that it would be too expensive. So I am flying out from Philly to DC, and then to Vienna. I can take the NJ Transit trains to Philly, and then take one of the Philly subway trains to the airport. So I wouldn't have to drive to the airport. I could take the train from Rahway to Trenton, and then take the train to 30th st station in Philly. I would then take the Septa Airport line from 30th st to the airport. By having my flight go out from Philly, I save $200. Plus it doesn't cost too much to take the train the the airport. Anyway, I have my return flight coming to Pittsburgh so that I'll be at the school for graduation. Plus I'll have a chance to see everyone before the summer break. So all I have to do now is find someone to sublet my apartment for the spring. Anyone interested?

Household: Stella now has five twinkles. We had one after Tuesday morning mass, and one after holy hour on Thursday. Personally I'd welcome some more...but we'll see. It's looking like a good class. They're going to learn how to shine.

Oh, and I'm finally done with midterms! Yay!

Update on Austria, and other things

I figured it was time for an update. So here we go!

Austria: I have since had two more Austria meetings. I look forward to these meetings because it's at the end of the week, and I'm done with all of my classes by then. At the second meeting, we talked about flights to and from Austria. I will probably fly out of JFK, since it is close to NJ. The flight would depart JFK at 5:30pm on January 15, and arrive in Vienna at 8:30am the following morning. There would then be a bus that will shuttle us to the Kartause in Gaming. At the third meeting, we filled out the application for our visas. They have my passport photos and my passport. So all I have to do now is buy my plane ticket. I also have to find someone to sublet my apartment for the spring semester. So far I haven't found any takers. But hopefully someone will want it for the spring. Just pray that someone will want to sublet it.

Tentative Austria Schedule: I've been figuring out what classes to take for next semester. I think I've come up with a good schedule.
Art 205 Art Appreciation Healy, Jennifer
PHL 212 Foundations of Ethics Seifert-Wolter, Maria Michaela
THE 214 Theology of the Church Cassidy, Robert F.
THE 341 Christian Marriage Asci, Donald P.

Household: Stella now has three twinkles! Very exciting! It's strange being on this side now, being a star. But it makes it very exciting when I see a sign that says that we have a new twinkle. It tells me that someone wants to intent my household. I'm hoping that we'll get some more this week.

FOP: We had a FOP a few weeks ago. It coincided with Homecoming, and there were a lot of alumni there. As always, it was a blast!

Midterms: Midterms are underway. I had three midterms last week. I haven't gotten them back yet, so I don't know how I did yet. Hopefully I'll find out soon. I felt pretty good on them. So we'll see. I have one more (Mariology) on Thursday.

Hopefully the next time I update, I will have purchased my plane ticket to Austria. It'll be the first time I've flown since 1985!

Got my 6 photos for my visa in Austria

As you can see from the title, I got my photo taken for my visa while in Austria.

There are a few things that I'm finding that are different from the States. One is the type of outlet that Austria uses. It's different from the one in the U.S. So I have to get a plug adapter so I can plug electronics into the outlet. Plus I have to make sure that it can handle up to 240 volts. My laptop will work over there. I just need the plug adapter. One thing that will not work over in Austria is my cell phone. My phone does not have international capabilities. So I will have to use the phone that Franciscan will give us when we get to Gaming. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to do that because I like having the phone I have now. I've seen a photo of the phone that we will use in Gaming, and it reminds me of my old Nokia phone. I just hope that my parents will be able to call me once I'm in Austria. I guess we'll see.

First Austria meeting

So we had the first Austria meeting today. We got an idea of what to expect. We also got a folder full of info about the necessary things that need to be done. We also had a sheet that had the Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Glory Be in German. I hope I'm able to learn them by the time I go in January. I will probably have to increase the amount of financial aid for next semester so I can cover all of the costs. Most likely I will have to get a loan or something like that. Hopefully it will work out. But I am definitely going to Austria because I got a spot in the program! Thank God! I'm glad I didn't wait any longer.

Update on Austria

After making some prayerful considerations, I have decided that I am going to go to Austria for the Spring 2011 semester. I just feel that it's the best thing for me, since I have regrets about not going this semester. Plus, since I'm going in the spring, I won't fall too far behind with my major. This is mostly because a lot of the classes I need are offered in the fall. So I can concentrate on working on the Theology major, plus take a couple other classes. So I will probably take Theology of the Church, a Theology elective, and two philosophy classes. I figured it would be good to take some more philosophy classes in case I decide to got on to grad school. I can then take Content and Curriculum along with another theology class. I should be able to graduate on time. So the first meeting is tomorrow morning at 11am.

I'm happy that I'll finally get to go to Austria! :-)

Another Update

So I figured it was time to update what I've been doing.

My Car: So you all remember the problems that I was having with my car. It turned out that it did need a new engine. So I had the mechanic do the repairs that the car needed, including the new motor. I had to rent a car so that I could get back to NJ to renew my license. I was home for just a few days because I had to come back to Steubenville to do Orientation. I was on the Orientation team. Once I got back to Steubenville, I had to get rides to and from my apartment, since my car wasn't ready yet. I then got my car back the day before the start of the Fall semester. But once I got the car back, I noticed that there would always be some kind of liquid on the ground underneath my car. Plus my car ran kind of rough. Then one day, I drove to the Kroger in Wierton. I parked in the parking lot, went in to get something, and then went to my car. I turned on my car, but it would not go into drive. It wouldn't go anywhere. So I had to have it towed back to the BP. It turns out that there was a hose that had to be replaced, since it was leaking oil. So I had to get rides to and from campus from my household sisters (especially for 6:30am mass...I wasn't going to walk in the dark from my place). I even spent one night in Tommy after Stella business meeting because I had an 8am class the following morning. But anyway, I got my car back this past Friday. It now works great. I'm really grateful to have my car back, especially since it had looked like I would have had to buy a new car.

Orientation: I was on the Orientation team again this semester. I was with the Grad - Non Trad group. This is the same thing I did last semester. I really enjoyed meeting the new students. Although it was a little stressful not having my car with me during orientation. But I enjoyed all of the different events at orientation. It's funny that I remembered a lot of the skits from my orientation a year ago. And I remember Fr Dominic Foster's address to the new students, where he wants to see adults four years from now and not eighteen year olds.

Household: Even though I've been a star for a few months now, it's weird being on the other side. I'm no longer a visitor or a twinkle. So I feel a sense of responsibility. I tabled at the household fair this past Friday with Genevieve. I found that I had a harder time trying to explain about our household than Genevieve did. But that might be because she's been in household longer. We haven't gotten any twinkles just yet. But it's still early.

People in Austria: This semester there are a lot of my friends that are in Austria. And a lot of them are Stars. I used to eat lunch in the Caf with them. Now when I go to the caf for lunch, I end up eating lunch by myself because everyone I would sit with for lunch are now in Austria. I'm getting to the point where I don't want to go to the caf for lunch anymore because I'd end up all alone. I really miss everyone, and am just tired of having to eat by myself. I mean, I live by myself. When I go to the caf, I want to sit with someone. If I want to eat alone, I could just go to my apartment and have lunch. It's also hard because I would have been in Austria this semester. Why didn't I go, you may ask? Well, the main reason is the cost. And considering that the last time I flew on a plan, Ronald Reagan was president (in 1985). I mean, I'm happy I'm at school. But there's a part of me that's wondering if I made a mistake by not going to Austria this semester. I hear so many people who talk about how amazing Gaming is. And it breaks my heart to think that I may never get to see it. I don't have to go for a semester. I just want to see the Karthouse for myself. I have a passport, and I've never used it other than to renew my drivers license. I just wish that I could go to Gaming.

Car update, plus orientation

So I figured I'd update about my car. So originally I thought that I would have to get a new car because my other car had too many costly repairs. Then my mother suggested that I bring it to another mechanic to get another opinion. So I had it towed to the BP gas station on University Blvd. What a difference. When the mechanic opened the hood, he noticed that the mechanic from the other garage left one of his tools in my car. Plus all of the hoses were undone and not put back together. In other words, the guy who had first looked at my car didn't know what he was doing. So my car doesn't need a new engine (which is essentially what they said that my car needed). It's getting a tune up, new spark plugs and wires, fuel filter, and a catalytic converter (I think that's how it's spelled). So my car should be ready by tomorrow. Either way, I am heading to NJ tomorrow. I don't care if I have to leave Steubenville at 5pm, I'm going home tomorrow. I'll then be in NJ until Tuesday, since I'm on the orientation team (I'm with the Grad-Non Trads). I'll be sure to update about that. I can't wait to see everyone, especially my household sisters!

Thank you all for your prayers!

My car

I just learned that my car has so many costly repairs that it would be less expensive to replace the car rather than get it fixed. This car is ten years old, and I've had it since 2005. So right now I'm trying to find a way to get to NJ. And I will probably have to get a new car, unless I want to walk to class and commitments. So if you all could say a prayer for me, I would greatly appreciate it!

Another summer update

I figured I'd update my blog again.

Class: This week has been very busy. I had a paper that was due this past Thursday. It ended up being really long. But I figured that it's better for the paper to be too long than too short. Anyway, the final was on Friday. I think I did much better than the final. I still don't know what grade I got in the class though. Hopefully I'll find out soon.

Mass: This week, I started going to Mass at St Peter's Church on 4th St (Downtown). Originally I thought that they just had a 5:15pm Mass. But I found out that they also have an 8am Mass. So I went to the 8am Mass at St Peter's. It's about a six minute drive from my apartment. But this church is so beautiful. And the priest is so nice. Plus there's an adoration chapel downstairs. I just loved it!

Work: I finished my summer job on Friday. Now I don't have work until after classes start for the fall. I think it'll be better then because the students would have moved back in.

My car: After I left from work, I took rt 22 west. I was going to Fort Steuben Mall. As I was approaching the exit for Lover's Lane, my car stalled out. I later learned that I ran out of gas, and that there are other problems with my car. I'm hoping that it'll get fixed because I'm planning on going back to NJ for about a week. I have to get my driver's licence renewed. Just pray that they can fix my car, otherwise I'll be stuck in Steubenville for who knows how long.

Back in Steubenville/ Summer class

So I've been back in Steubenville for a few weeks. So I figured I'd update on what I've been doing.

Summer class: I've been taking a summer class. I'm taking Sacraments. It's an interesting class. We're learning all about the sacraments. It meets five days a week. Since the class gets out after mass starts at Christ the King Chapel, I've been going to mass at Holy Family Church. They have an 8am mass. I sometimes see people from Franciscan at mass there. But anyway, we're more than halfway through the class. There's about eight people in the class, which I suppose is a good number for a summer class. We had the midterm last week, and the final is in less than two weeks. Plus we have to do a paper, which is due by the last day of class. So hopefully I won't do too badly in the class. A bunch of people in the class have been getting together to prepare for the final, so maybe that will help.

Work: While I've been taking my summer class, I've also been working in the dorms. I've been working primarily in Tommy, although we've been working in Marian the last few days. During the year, I didn't mind working in Tommy. But it's so different during the summer. During the week, the building is empty. So I end up spending the entire time working without seeing anyone. It can be lonely when you don't see any of your friends while you're working. Plus it gets really crazy when it's a conference day. On those days, you have to stay busy. I think perhaps if I stay in Steubenville for the summer for summer classes, I'm not going to work. If I do work, I would work for the summer conferences. But I'm not going to work in the dorms during the summer again. It's just not the same as during the year. If I don't take summer classes next year, then I will just spend the summer in NJ. I think it's just better for me. That way I can spend my summer with my family.

Believe it or not, the fall semester starts in about a month. Hard to believe that the summer is almost over.

Summer update

Well, I figured I'd update on what has been happening during my summer. I spent the first part of my summer working at the physical plant. I didn't mind working, but I missed everyone. It's really strange working in an empty Tommy. It can be lonely at times. Especially since I live by myself. It just seemed that, outside of seeing people at mass, that I was always alone. It was just lonely. So this would go on for five weeks.

After working for five weeks, I then went home to NJ to visit family. It was good to come home and to see my friends and family at home. While I was at home, I got to go on vacation with my parents. We spent two weeks in Wildwood, NJ. It was really nice. It had a boardwalk with rides, games, places to eat, and gift shops. It was nice to see the ocean. But the vacation went too fast. I had a good time though. Once I got back home, I then spent a week at home. It was nice to see my friends at church. I was also able to get the car inspected.

This coming Monday, I will then travel back to Steubenville for my summer class. I will also be working, but not as much as before. That class (Sacraments) starts on Tuesday, and goes to August 5th. Once the class finishes in August, I will then go back to NJ until the beginning of the fall semester. I'm hoping that I will do good in that class. I usually do well in summer classes, considering my tract record at Rutgers, Middlesex, and in high school.

Either way you look at it, this summer is just flying by. It seems like it will be over as soon as you know it. It's too bad winter can't fly by like summer seems to do.

Hope everyone has a happy fourth of July!

Update

I figured it's time for an update, so here it is:

Classes: Classes are now done for the spring semester. Overall, it was better than the fall. I got a C in Intermediate French, a B in PBS II, and an A in Christian Moral Principles. I had the drop Catechetics because I had failed the midterm, and it didn't look like I would pass the class. So I'm going to take Catechetics again in the fall. Hopefully I'll do better this time around. So this is my schedule next semester:
CAT 204 Catechetics 3.00 Bolster, Ronald Edward
THE 213 Theology of Christ 3.00 Sirilla, Michael George
THE 305 Mariology 3.00 Miravalle, Mark I.
THE 320 Catholic Social Teaching 3.00 Pattee, Daniel J. T.O.R.

Summer: My summer is going to be pretty busy. I'm spending the first part of the summer working for the Physical Plant. So far I have been working in Tommy cleaning the rooms and bathrooms. It is so strange seeing Tommy so empty since I spent the year working there. When I left work today, all of the rooms on the second floor were completely empty. The floors are going to be waxed. The bed frames lined the hallways. I don't think they were able to put any furniture in the Stella common room since there was so much stuff in there to begin with. But anyway, the rooms on first and third have already been waxed.
For a few weeks in June, I will be going back home to NJ. I have a dentists appointment. And my church is having their church carnival, and I wouldn't miss it for the world. After getting the car inspected in July, I will then go back to Steubenville for a summer class. I will be taking Sacraments with Dr Hildebrand. That class lasts four weeks. After that, I will then go back to NJ for a few weeks. I have to renew my licence for one thing. I will then go back to Steubenville right before either orientation (I applied to be on the orientation committee) or the start of the fall semester.
I'm sure the summer will go by very fast.

Household: Stella had 22 seniors graduate this past May. One of them was my big, Jenny. I went to the Baccalaureate mass thinking that I wouldn't be able to see the graduation in person because I didn't have a ticket. But on the morning of Graduation, Jenny called my cell phone and told me that she had an extra ticket. So I was able to see the graduation in person! I was really happy. Not only did I get to see my household sisters graduate, but I got to see my big graduate too. I will miss the seniors, but I know that they can always visit. Plus there are other ways to stay connected, such as facebook. It's strange to think that in two years, it will be me walking across the stage to get my diploma from Fr Terry, and becoming an alumna of Franciscan. I just hope that my family will make the trek to Ohio to see it happen. Hopefully they will.

This year sure has gone by fast. I'm sure the next two years will go just as fast.

I'm a Star of Mary!!!

As you can tell from the title, I'm now a Star of Mary! We had inductions last night. Like I had said earlier, I didn't know when inductions was going to be. Our ladies week went on for a week and one day. But anyway, my twinkle class was inducted into Stella Mariae household last night. I wasn't really expecting it, though I wasn't sure if it would happen that night either. Mama Poyo was to give a talk to us twinkles. She had the twinkles sit up front and close their eyes. That's when we were blindfolded and lead to inductions. I can't tell you what happened at inductions because it's a secret. But I can tell you that it lasted a long time, and that a lot of people were taking lots of pictures. I was so happy to finally be a star. Now I feel like I have a sister, times 60+. I'm honored to be a Star of Mary, and to be the oldest ever star (I'm older than the founders by a few years).

This morning, my door was all decorated. My big, Jenny, did a great job.

I hope and pray that I will live up to the standards of the covenant I signed last night.

Mary, our Star of the Sea, pray for us!

More Household stuff

Warrior week: As I mentioned last time, last week was warrior week. All week, we had to wear camouflage. The shirts I wore were from the common room. Part of the covenant is that we are warriors in Mary's army. So the twinkles were called PFCs, while the stars were called Sargent's. Tuesday was welcome to warrior week, and Wednesday was Mission night. I'm not going to say too much about them because I don't want to ruin the surprise to others who may not have experienced them. But it was intense. I figured that there is a reason for what happened at Mission night, and that it was to only make us stronger and to unite our twinkle class. I now realize that if I can make it through mission night, I can make it through anything. Because at the age of 35, mission night was the most intense experience of my life. I'm just glad it's over.

Ladies week: Now it's ladies week. This week (or weeks...depending on when we get inducted) we are to dress up and look pretty. We are to dress like a lady. It hasn't been too bad dressing up. The hard part is wondering when we're going to be inducted. Could it be this week, or maybe even next week? It's hard to tell at this point. It's just a matter of waiting. Inductions will come. We just don't know when. I'm sure the stars either know or will find out real soon when inductions will be. It's all about practicing heroic patience, one of Mary's 10 virtues.

Mary on the Mount: It is located in Pittsburgh. This church is connected to the founding of Stella back in 1999. As you can see from the photo, there is a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Although it's hard to see, there is also statues of Mary and John beneath the cross. This church is soo beautiful. And it turns out that the priest there used to be in AMDG. Just can't get away from AMDG, can we? Anyway, we did some praise and worship there. And the Stars prayed over the twinkles. I'll tell you, I felt such a peace while I was there. I just fell in love with this church. I just found it to be so funny that the founders of Stella found this church by accident. Perhaps it was by divine providence.

So perhaps the next time I write here, I could be a Star of Mary. Could even be tonight for all I know. We shall see. Mary, Star of the Sea, pray for me!

Update since spring break

So I figured it's been a while for an update, so here it is:

Spring Break: So I went home for spring break. It was good to see everyone at home, including my cats. And everyone was happy to see me. While I was home, I caught up on some homework. And I was able to go to daily mass while I was home.

New cell phone: Yes, I finally got a new cell phone after having my old Nokia phone since 2002 or 03, somewhere around there. I got a Samsung Alias 2, and I love it! It has a double hinge, and can flip both ways. I can call people, and it has a speaker phone. The keys automatically change from vertical to horizontal, and can change from numbers to a QWERTY keypad. I can go on the internet too, although I use it mostly to go on facebook. It also has a calculator and a calendar. It also has a camera. Overall, it is a great phone. And it works really well. It also wasn't that expensive either.

Intensity: As soon as we got back from spring break, intensity started.

The first week was Covenant week.

Here, we focused on the covenant. We also wore blue and yellow all week.

Next was Star week.

During this week, we wore our twinkle shirts all week and wore a star around our necks. We also had to say "Lord let your light shine unto others through me." whenever a star called us twinkle.

Now it's Warrior week.

This week, we have to wear camouflage and wear a shield. And people try to steal this shield. I don't understand why they have to steal it. Can't they just get their own?

Stella retreat: A couple of weekends ago, we had household retreat. We spent a weekend at one of the star's parents' house. One memorable aspect of the weekend is that the twinkles had to put on a skit for the stars. So we did a spoof off of the covenant, titled "The covenant Fr Gregory has not seen." A lot of people liked it. Overall, it was a fun retreat.

Easter: I spent Easter at Franciscan. It's the first one that I've spent away from home. But I really loved the services that they had during the Triduum. I went to the Tenebrae prayer service and the way of the cross as well. The Easte vigil lasted a long time. The line to get into the feildhouse stretched all the way back to Starvagi. During the vigil, they read all of the readings. There were 3 baptisms, and quite a few confirmations. There was a resurrection party after the vigil. It was great.

Well, I have to go. I have a twinkle date I have to go to. Talk to you later!

Got my big and my Twinkle shirt

As the title says, I got my twinkle shirt and my big. I took pictures of my twinkle shirt. My big revealed herself at the caf after morning mass. Her name is Jenny, and she had intented Stella last semester. I had no idea it was her. She had me completely fooled. But I'm happy. Stella now has a twinkle class of 12.

Guess what?

I intented Stella this past Tuesday! I intented after 6:30am mass. Originally Meagan Bartnick, who is the Stella household coordinator, was supposed to tell the girls at breakfast in the caf that there is a new "twinkle". Then I would appear from the area where the workers eat their meals. But since this past Saturday's Lord's day was a closed commitment, I went to TTMs Lord's day. One of the girls there told me that Sonlife was supposed to serenade Stella on Tuesday morning. So they suggested singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" right before I made my reveal. So on Tuesday morning, I stopped in the chapel at 6:40am to put up the new twinkle sign, and then went over to the caf to hide. Eventually when all of the girls from Stella got to the caf, they started to get impatient. They were shouting at one point "twinkle, twinkle." Eventually the Sonlife serenaders arrived, and sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", and I made my big reveal. I got them a big box of Reeses Puffs, since a lot of people like Reeses Puffs. The following morning, my front door was all decorated. Remember, I live off campus. So I was quite surprised to see the signs. I took a picture of them in case they get ruined by the rain or get blown off the door. It might have been better to put the signs on the inside door rather than the storm door. But that's OK.

So I am now a Twinkle. And hopefully in a few weeks, I will be a Star of Mary (which is what Stella Mariae means in Latin).

Time to update again.

Well, I figured it was time to update. So here we go:

Winter weather: As you can see from the Franciscan Friar snowman, we have been getting a lot of snow. This all started with the big snow storm that we got on the first Friday of this month. The weather was so bad, that I ended up spending the night in Tommy More (in the Stella wing). It was the first time that I had spent the night on campus. The night started with a humongous snowball fight in the Piazza. I figured at least half of the student population was involved with it. I thankfully was not. I chose to watch from the window in the Stella common room. I heard the following day that a lot of people were sore the next day from all of the snowball hits. But it was fun to watch nonetheless. Anyway, I spent the night in that dorm. Originally I had slept in the Stella common room (which I had the household's blessing, btw). Around two in the morning, the RA's made me move because I wasn't allowed to sleep in the common room. So I ended up sleeping in one of the Stella girls' room. They were nice enough to let me sleep in the bed (which I got to find out first hand how hard they are). It was a level 3 outside, so I couldn't have driven home anyway. Plus I learned later that the power was out in my apartment. So it may have been a blessing in disguise staying in Tommy. The following morning, I went to mass. I got to see first hand how much snow was out there. I think we ended up with about 10 inches. When I went to dig my car out that Saturday night, I had to get help because there was so much snow. I eventually got home. But since then, we've been getting more and more snow. The whole northeast has been getting a lot of snow. And it's snowing as I write this right now. I'll be happy when spring gets here so I won't have to deal with this snow anymore, at least until next year.

Household: I've been spending a lot of time with Stella. Originally, I had a date set to intent Stella. But it was pushed back so that the girls can better get to know each other before they accept intents. They have since begun to accept intents. So I'll be talking to the coordinator and assistant coordinator next week, and perhaps have a date set, maybe. Stay tuned.

Midterms: Got midterms coming up. This semester's midterms isn't nearly as crazy as last semester. It helps that Sr. Johanna's midterm is a take home (which I got on Thursday). My PBS II midterm is on Monday (please pray). My Christian Moral Principles class has five 2-3 page papers instead of a midterm. And my French class doesn't have a midterm. So my midterm schedule is much more manageable.

New Laptop: I just recently (as of this past Saturday) got a new laptop! I went to Best Buy in Robinson (which is near Pittsburgh). It was the first time I had been to Robinson. There is so much stuff down there! I felt like I was back in NJ, around Menlo Park Mall. Anyway, I got an HP laptop with Windows 7. It's 3GB, and it has Microsoft Office. It also has a web cam and wireless. I love it! It wasn't too expensive either. I found this one online, and then went to the store and bought it. Gotta save money some how. I now bring it with me on campus, and am able to go on the Internet while in the JC and the Library. It's great!

Well, I going to head over to Christ the King for 4:45pm mass. Since it's Friday, a lot of households use this mass as their household mass (such as TTM and MOS). And Lent has begun, so a lot of people have given up things such as sweets. I'm not able to go to Stations of the Cross because my French class is at that time.

Forgot to mention one thing

I also went to the March for Life a couple of weeks ago. I went with Franciscan. We had seven bus loads, plus others that drove to Washington DC. We had left Franciscan on the night of the 21st. The bus I was on had mostly Pre-The's on it. And one of my bus captains is a Pre-The. And Fr Dan Patee also rode on the bus with us. We rode overnight to Washington. We then went to Mass at the National Shrine. Later on was the rally on the Mall. There were so many people there. I couldn't believe it. I spent a lot of the march with the girls from Stella, who had drove down to DC on their own. It was good to be able to spend some time with them at the march. By the time the March was finished, my feet were tired. At one point, I spent some time with the CFRs because I got separated from the rest of Franciscan. I got worried at one point because I was afraid they would leave DC without me. But I eventually found them. Once we got back on the buses, we traveled for a while before dinner. While we were on the bus, we watched the movie "The Pacifier" with Vin Diesel. That movie was hilarious! It looked like it was made several years ago. But it was funny. Anyway, we eventually made it to a mini mall that had plenty of fast food restaurants. Some went to Taco Bell, and the majority of people went to Wendy's. Imagine this Wendy's stuffed to the gills with Franciscan students. God bless the workers for putting up with all of us. After dinner, we got back on the bus and headed back to Steubenville. We got back to Steubenville around 1:30am on the 23rd. It was a long and tiring day. But it was worth it. Especially the fact that there were practically no pro abortion protesters in DC (I only saw one, and it was a guy).

Back at Steubenville

So I've been back at school for a few weeks now. Here is what has been happening.

Orientation: I got back to school early to do Spring orientation. If only I knew that I would be coming back to snow. Once I hit western PA, the snow started flying. I was hitting my windshield washer fluid about every few minutes from the salt piling up. Anyway, we had orientation leader training first. All of our meals were free (courtesy of the caf, of course), which meant that I didn't have to worry about buying food. Whenever we ate in the caf, it was so empty (mostly because none of the other students had come back from break yet). I had never seen it so empty and quiet. Training lasted a few days, and we got our orange orientation shirts. When the first day of orientation came, a snow storm came with it. The weather was so bad that I went home early that night. My car was sliding down the hill at the entrance by the St. Joseph Center. The rest of orientation went off with out a hitch. It's smaller than Fall orientation. But I really enjoyed it, and enjoyed meeting the new students. I was an Orientation leader for the Grad Non Trad group.

Start of classes: What a difference one less class will make. I'm taking 12 credits this semester, and I feel like I have time to complete all of my assignments this semester. Plus all of my classes start after 12pm. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I usually go to the 6:30am mass. So after breakfast, I have about four hours of free time before my first class. It's great. I can get work done during that time. And I actually have free time this semester! So far I'm doing pretty good in all of my classes. So I am really happy about that, and pray that it continues (especially in Sr Johanna's class!).

Household: I have found out just how huge Stella really is. All of the girls who were in Austria last semester are now back, and there are now 50 girls on campus. If I hadn't have gone to Rutgers, that number would have scared me. Instead, I just tell myself that it is just a number, and that the size is bound to go down. Originally I had a date set to intent Stella, but it had to be pushed back indefinitely. They have one intent (they call them twinkles) that came back from Austria. So right now they have a twinkle class of one. Hopefully that number will go up soon, I just don't know when.

Life in general: Overall, I've been spending most of my time on campus. On the weekdays (when I'm not going to the 6:30am mass), I usually have breakfast in the caf before working in "Tommy" (mostly so I don't have to eat by myself in my apartment). And I don't usually leave campus until after dark (although it's been getting dark later). But I have no complaints, and I'm happy. Oh, I tried out for the music ministry again...and again wasn't chosen. I know I can sing, so maybe they just don't need many people. I tried.