Home sweet home!  Or something like that.  I was truthfully not looking forward to this break business due to bad experiences in the past (read: last summer) but so far it seems to have been okay.  I enjoy seeing my family all the time, and of course the two dogs Bandit and Tasha.

So much has happened in the almost one month it has been since you last heard from me.  First, a bit of sad news: my great-grandmother died at the age of 95 after suffering Alzheimer's disease for over a decade.  Sad, yes, but it was for the best by this point.  The funeral was a week before last Friday.  I had the privilege of playing the piano for it, something I think she would have liked.  Being there brought up memories I have of her from when I was younger.  That is the sad irony of Alzheimer's disease: it steals a person's memories and eventually life, leaving others with only memories of the person.  The last time I saw her alive, she was in a nursing home in Manhattan and unable to recognize anyone, speak, or do anything for herself.  I remember choking back the tears as I left, thinking what a horrible disease this is.  Family and friends are forced to stand by helplessly as the abilities and character of their loved one are mercilessly stripped away.  Memories made over a lifetime are extinguished, as if by a stranger in a home flicking off light switches one by one.  This is what I thought after seeing her in such a pitiful state several months ago.  Yet when I saw her lying in the church, she finally looked like the Granny I would visit often when I was little.  She was resting peacefully, all dressed up with everywhere to go.  I smiled at the thought that next time I see her, she will know exactly who I am.

Now for the more lighthearted stuff.  Finals are--well--FINALLY over.  What a relief.  I was exempt from taking my o-chem final (sounds like high school, huh), which left me free to focus on calculus.  What an a kicker that was.  Hoping for a B in that class, which I think I got.  Still secretly hoping I made an A, but not planning on it.  Physics final was Friday night, which really sucked.  Not only was it the last final of the entire week for anyone, but it was much harder than the review we were given suggested.  As I walked out into the hall after finishing I could almost taste the despair.  The looks on people's faces told me that yes, it was every bit as bad as I thought.  LoL.  Good thing is, I didn't have to do all that well on this one.  That's not to say I did badly though.  I think that the long hours spent in Ben's living room were well worth it.  Imagine old physics exams and notes sprawled out across the tables; music from the Titanic soundtrack, Enya, the London Philharmonic, and Big Tymers (LOL) blaring through a crystal-clear surround sound system; scores of emptry Dr. Pepper cans; insert me with one of my best friends ever and you get the picture.  Good times.

I will say that this is the hardest finals week I have yet experienced.  I didn't realize just how much I was stressing out until yesterday when I was home.  As much as I like to say that I thrive under stress, there is only so much pressure one person can put on himself.  I really should work on that.  New years resolution, anyone?

Editor's note: I just realized that I spend way too much time detail-izing (it is SO a word!) the things I put into these posts.  Following items will be brief, although if you have made it this far you probably don't need any special breaks from me.

Other than finals, I haven't really been up to much.

-Working alot lately, which is good.  Work still sucks, although I do enjoy seeing Halli and my married AND now pregnant (!) friend from high school, Tara.
-Battling some personal stuff lately that I went through last spring and summer which has crept up again in the past few weeks.
-Praying for my sister and her struggles daily.
-Realizing how much I love my roommates, and miss them terribly already.
-Planning all these fun-sounding road trips to see people over the break, but knowing that I'll probably just stay here.
-Thinking of how inviting my bed looks at this moment.  Goodnight all.

Succinctly yours,

-Brad-

Oh, where to start, where to start.  Much has happened in the 3 weeks since I last updated.  Mostly just the normal school stuff, everyday life.  Rocked my calc test this morning.  Ditto physics and organic last week.  It all seems to be going by so fast.  After this Monday, I will be done with my second round of midterms (yay).  This means we're at the halfway point.

As much as I am ready for the semester to be over with because it will mean no more studying, I do not exactly relish the thought of going back home for a month.  It seems like I just got back down here.  I really think of this place as home.  The beautiful campus.  My apartment family.  The busy streets.  All of my amazing brothers and friends.  I love everything about being here--well except the stress, but even that can be exhilarating at times.

Like last week.  Homecoming was great fun, even at 4 in the morning when the float is STILL not finished and you have only about 8 hours to complete it.  I spent Friday night last week at the Alpha Chi house, pomping on the float from about midnight until 8:30 in the morning.  It's one of those uniquely college moments, waking up at 7 one morning for class and still being awake for the next 7 a.m.  I had great opportunities to just hang out with everyone that week, and got to know some really cool girls too.  We won the pep rally dance which was so much fun to watch, and placed third overall.  Not a bad showing.

So to sum up in three words or less: Life is great.  As much as the stress gets to me, more and more I'm learning to enjoy each day.  For instance tonight, I am going to go watch Saw 2 with my roommates and hang out and smoke cigars with them.  You know, some good 'guy' time.

With that, I am out to go find some dinner.  Later everyone.

~Brad