Thursday:

Just got out of a daydream about a Gore victory. Still counting and going. This time Texas is being re-counted. I'm here in a student lounge having a soda between classes. Oh, Bush is such an asshole! Well, maybe not GW... I suspect he's more of a pawn and an opportunist in the whole Bush dynasty saga. I really think Bush Sr. is the real asshole. Sharon once told me that he was sore when he lost the election to Bill Clinton in 1992 and I suspect he now wants to live on the glory through his son. Oh, well, just more waiting. I'm sooo glad I was able to vote this election! Even if Gore doesn't win this round, I'll still feel like my voice was heard in the government. It's drizzling out now and I have to head to class. Later!


Later Thursday night:

What a weekend coming up! Kristy's cousin, Brenda, who's now living in upstate New York, invited all of us...Mona, Ran, Kristy, Greta, and Wyser up to her place for the weekend! We're leaving Saturday late morning and it'll be about a two-hour drive there. She's renting a house with a roommate right up near the famous military academy, West Point. In fact, Brenda has a friend who's a cadet there. So, we'll all be renting a car and heading up there on Saturday and staying there overnight until Sunday afternoon. It looks like it'll shape up to be fun; I'm off work this weekend, so I'm free. So are Kristy and Mona. I just finished a stack of homework and am about to curl up in bed with a cup of tea and a good book. It's still raining, even harder now than it was this afternoon. It's so peaceful reading in bed and hearing the fall of rain outside.


Friday:

Am packing a few things and we're all getting ready to leave for Brenda's now. So, it might be a few days before I write here again. Hey, guess who else will be there? Kristy's step-cousin, Singer, a girl we knew in high school, who's our age. She went to Earhart High and I remember she'd had a baby near the end of our senior year in high school and gave the baby up for adoption. She a senior at Hartford U. now and is doing well. Well, we're about to hit it, so talk later!



Saturday night:

Well, here I am at Brenda's house in upstate NY. It's so quiet up here that my ears are actually ringing. I've gotten so used to living in the middle of a big city, so it feels like a big auditory void not to hear traffic, people, and other sounds here and there. Good seeing Brenda and Singer again. Both are doing great. Singer says she keeps in regular touch with the woman who adopted her baby and her baby is now near the end of toddlerhood and is in pre-school now. Singer says she's made the right decision and has no regrets. She's planning on going to law school. So, we got here early this afternoon and did some catching up. Then around mid-afternoon, we went on a hike. Brenda's place is near a wooded area, so we hiked through there. In the distance, you can see huge mountains covered with woods. It still looks so pretty even though most of the leaves are gone. We saw all these squirrels, raccoons, a few dear, a small bear, and even a black fox. Funny, we came right upon it on the path and it turned and looked at us with huge curious brown eyes. Kristy said, "Hi there" to it as if it understood human language. We stood still and watched it a minute while it grazed. Then it looked at us again and darted off into the woods, its bushy black tail streaked straight out behind it like a flying flag. We walked by and watched it disappear. The woods was even quieter than here. Several raccoons joined us on the path and it was like *okaaay, we'll share this walkway and these woods.* They were so cute! The ground is still bright with fallen leaves, so it was like walking on a huge multicolored carpet. We got back just as it was getting dark and ordered dinner from a Mediterranean place near West Point. Speaking of West Point, Brenda's friend wanted to come also, but her cadet troop had a special drill session, so she was out. Oh, well, we can meet her next time. We ate in the living room and had a blast, then watched a movie *A Beautiful Mind.* What a wonderful movie; of course I made sure I had several boxes of tissues. Brenda kind of laughed "Need some umbrellas, anyone?" She knows how much I cry. I managed a shaky laugh myself. It reminded me of the time back in middle school when Kristy would bring an umbrella as a joke whenever we'd watch *It's A Wonderful Life* at Christmas. Then we played the game If. It was a trip and a lot of fun, too. So, now it's around two-thirty in the morning, since we were up late playing the game. The others are asleep and I'm getting drowsy, so I'm going to sleep. Night. Talk later.


Monday:

Just a day and a half before the T-day break! I just got off the phone with Stace and she's headed to the old town on Tuesday night after her last class and offered to pick Kristy, Mona, and me up. I said sure. Oh, I can't wait to see our folks again! I just finished my last class of the day and am at work on a work break. Today is my day to do the inventory. A lot of other students are going to their folks' places for the holiday too. I'm going to pack tonight, so tomorrow once I get out my last class, all's I have to do is pack a few last-minute things and I'll be set to go. Stace told me that Claud and Janine will be in Stoneybrook for T-day too; they're coming in Wednesday. Oh, it's be swell seeing my old friends again! I can't wait to see the new porch Sharon's put up at my folks' house also. Hey, my break is almost over, so I have to head back.



Tuesday:

Just got back from my last class of the day. Waved goodbye to Greta and Wyser and am now here in my room, throwing a few last-minute toiletries in my overnight bag. My period just started today, so I just remembered to add tampaxes in there. Funny, I'm looking at the box as I zipped my bag shut just now and was thinking that I used to get cramps back early in high school, now I only get them occasionally and they're not as bad as they used to be. I also am reminded of how back the summer before we started ninth grade, I was the last of the senior BSC to get her period and was so embarrassed about it that I lied and claimed I had it. It had been at a sleepover at Claud's house and afterwards, I'd run into the bathroom and cried. I finally got it the weekend before we started high school and I fessed up about my lie. They'd understood and apologized for making me feel awkward. It's cold and windy out there, so I'm grabbing my heavier jacket. Stacey's almost here; she just called and said she'd just picked up Kristy at her dorm at Fellowdean, so Mona and I are booking now; hope I can squeeze in time to write here during the holiday! See you in the old town!





More later!