i was kind of a moron today and got lost while running. usually this isn't a problem but i was pretty far away from home, not really in a good neighborhood, and the sun had set by the time i found out where i was. i figure it was a good 9 mile run, in about 70 minutes. it felt great, but boy am i wiped out now. plus running likes to upset the 'plumbing' so i've been racing to the bathroom a few times since i've been back, in case you were wondering. now i'm really tired so i'll be in bed soon.
oh, and i went to DC for the first time in a year, and if you've never been there, the washington monument is absoutely bigger than you think. and the capitol and lincoln memorial, though the white house isn't much bigger than your average mansion (like the ada house).
my roommate ellen drove to wal mart today, where i purchased a bike for $64. i didn't realize that bikes come with shocks and quick-release seats, all for $64. i'd be surpised if i made it the whole year without getting it stolen, hence my cheapness. my older brother's been through three in four semesters at arizona.
i regained some confidence also after meeting with a professor who gave me some excellent advising. it looks like i'll be taking three graduate courses, plus TA-ing another, and so i should be very busy with that. hopefully i'll also join some organizations and meet some people, hopefully a few christians and a good church.
my roommates had a few people over tonight, which is cool because i now know ten people in this state. but they were all girls and watched a lot of tv, especially with gay people in it. i didn't realize this but i guess there's a regular show where five gay guys 'makeover' a straight guy. and this is entertainment. this is why i don't watch much tv.
jenna just called, so i'm gonna talk to her and not talk to you. only because she's on the phone and you're on the internet, and i can hear her voice but not yours. so call me and i'll talk to you too.
whew. what a day, again. i had to take my uhaul back this morning, only my parents had left with my papers in the backseat. so the people there weren't too happy (especially this one lady with one tooth in her entire mouth), so i had to get the papers faxed to the aerospace office. once my mom faxed them, i walked back to the uhaul place where the people were much nicer this time.
while walking back to campus, i was on the sidewalk on route 1 when two cars were going about 35 MPH really close to each other. then one sideswiped the other, they both headed for the sidewalk and thankfully the curb kept both cars in the street. more thankfully, both drivers got out and neither was hurt, only a little distraught. we called the police to file a report, but the cop said he couldn't do anything because it was such a small accident. its weird, i wasn't really involved, but just hung around to make sure everything ended up ok, but you would not believe how many people stared or pointed at us. but i'd be a hypocrite if i'd say i don't do the same thing. when i kept walking back to campus, a squirrel jumped out of a trashcan (with a tray placed over the lid) and sent the tray (and apple core) flying over toward me. it made a screeching noise and then bounded off.
welcome to the city, i suppose. the squirrels and mosquitos are everywhere.
on a run through the warm city this afternoon i prayed that my roommates might be home when i would get there, because the day wasn't going very well and i wanted to talk to someone i knew. not to talk about my sucky day, but just a person to talk to. as soon as i was finishing up my run, i welcomed home two, then three roommates. they're really cool. the one dude plays disc golf, has a saves the day sticker on his computer, and brought two guitars with him. one of the other girls is a music major who happened to be reading 'a case for christ.' i don't know much else about my roommates but thankfully they're here, because i was pretty down today. and that's an visible answer to prayers.
but i am always glad to talk to people, like kelly and kathy and brian on IM, so keep that up. i check all of your blogs every day so update them too! or whenever you get road runner, justin. i like fertel's updates. i may buy a digital camera soon so i'll take pictures and post them soon.
so do yourself a favor and come out to washington dc. reggie is playing tonight downtown but i don't want to be killed. so instead i'm going to a jazz night at a coffeehouse with my newfound roommates. finally, i'm feeling good.
well, i'm here. in the university of maryland's library, actually. i just said goodbye to my parents and am now officially on my own. i don't really have much to do this week because orientation doesn't start until aug. 25 i think, so i'm going to try and explore washington dc and run a lot.
i figure only a few of my close friends from bg will read this, then try to tell the others what i've been doing. for example, i'll write, "its really hot here" and maybe justin will read it and tell ben "eric said its like 100 degrees " and then ben will tell brad "i guess eric had a fever of 100 degrees and had to go to the hospital" and brad will tell kurt "eric is in the hospital" and kurt will see my parents in the grocery store and say "eric died in the hospital" and then i'll actually die of boredom instead.
how are things really you ask? i miss my friends already - we went to trotters for dinner and then out on the town on friday night, even ray made it out. as justin said, "i could use a little ray gibson right now." jenna said goodbye the next morning, and that was hard. see the previous post if you wonder why.
i'm gonna go rollerblade around campus and maybe head towards DC later on.
