Yes, I have.

Have you ever...

• had someone throw you a donut from the car next to you while you are both stopped at a stoplight?
  
• done cartwheels on soccer field lines or down hallways to see how straight your cartwheels are?
  
• gone for a run after months of not running, just because you feel like it?
  
• dyed your hair, and then fear that it looks a little calico, because you may have missed some spots?
  
• tried to sleep in an academic building while the janitor blasts music in the hallway after midnight?

Or have you...

• made pierogies from a box and were reminded just how delicious even boxed pierogies are?
  
• stayed up until 3 in the morning reading a book - just because you're not tired and you want to finish it, and not really for any merit in the book itself?
  
• kicked a volleyball down a hallway to try to knock down the fans on either end of the hallway - at midnight?
  
• eaten most of a sandwich thinking your bread might be a little moldy, and then upon eating the last bite of cheese, realized that the cheese you'd been eating was awful, and the bread was innocent?
  
• made a triple integral out of clementine peels?

I can't believe research is wrapping up so quickly.  Our final presentations are tomorrow - we get to present at a conference!  I look forward to coming home soon, though the parting will be bittersweet.  

With love,

Laura

Kneeboarding and Scorching Heat

Hey-o!  I am having a splendid time.  Last weekend was particularly amazing.  First, we went bowling on Thursday night, and got unlimited tacos.  They were absolutely delicious.  The bowling place was weird, because if you knocked down 9 pins, it counted as a strike.  Tragedy, right?  Anyways, it was super fun!!!


We also went vacationing for the weekend to a friend's cottage up on Lake Charlevoix, which is right at the top of Michigan's mitten.  AMAZING.  I got to ride on a Sea-Doo, which was pretty awesome, and I got to kneeboard, which was SO MUCH FUN.  I also got to rock a paddle board.  Kind of felt like Robinson Crusoe.  Waterskiing didn't go so well, but that's alright.  It was fun to try :).

This is the beautiful cottage kitchen, in which delicious food like bacon was made.  Yes, one of those bags on the table does contain marshmallow cereal, and yes, that owl was creeping on everyone.

Here are two of my lovely housemates, Erica and Lisa, who also went to the cottage.  Yes, they are amazing, and yes, that is a Star Wars band-aid on Lisa's ankle.

The dock, the deck, and fun water toys.  Oh, yes, and that is Lake Charlevoix.  Oh hey, that almost rhymed! Joy. :P

Also, on Saturday, we saw floating lanterns released right next to us, just like those in Tangled.  Pretty sweet.  Never thought I'd see that.  Basically, the only down side is... well, really, there wasn't a down side.   I hurt my knee, but it doesn't hurt anymore unless I kneel on it.

So... the weekend was full of inordinately unfair amounts of incredible fun.  It was also full of bacon and off-brand lucky charms (but not together).

Heavenly.

Also, it's been like "a billion degrees" (that was a Mark quote) for the past... long time.  Seriously.  Check out the weather forecast for tomorrow (Friday):

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=42.7875235&lon=-86.10893010000001&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=Holland%2C%20MI%2C%20USA

It's supposed to be 101°.  That's ridiculous.  There's a small party of us headed over to the math building seeking refuge from the ridiculous heat, because it's 11 PM and 84°, and our apartments don't have air conditioning.  Also, we all have presentations in the morning, and Erica and I still have to finish ours.  Woot!