Friday, October 26, 2007

A Day In the Life

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The blogstalking assignment for this week is "A Day In the Life" which narrowly beat out "My BellyButton" btw, or you'd be seeing pictures of Willamina (yes, my tummy has a name - doesn't yours?), and no one wants that.


Anyway, the assignment "A Day In the Life" was non specific as to year... so here is October 26th, 1993. The events of my 19th birthday as recorded in a letter to a friend back home, and thankfully also taped into my journal for posterity.


October 26, 1993,
Willamette University, Salem, Oregon

This has been the best birthday of my life! It started out with me watching Romancing the Stone with Jim-Bob* at around 1am or so. It was a cool movie, although I should have been in bed. I had been directing this play in theater class. It was just barely coming together last night and we had to perform in front of the class today. We all got up early and went out to rehearse at 7am which is unheard of in college. The rehersal went well but I was still sick to my stomach with nerves. I should mention that I was completely unable to sleep all night. I fell asleep at around 5:30am and needed to wake up at 7am - you do the math. I still needed to write a review for Spiderwomen Theater, and figure out something to say about the play I was directing. After rehearsal, I ran off a little program, and took it to be copied, then I skimmed the reviews on the back of the book our play came from and tried to come up with some good B.S. (I know this doesn't sound like a good birthday yet, but it's getting there.)

Next I called Jim-Bob, he doesn't have any Tuesday classes and said he would like to have breakfast once during the year, so we went to eat. I had been starving, but after eating I felt really sick so I went back to my room to sleep for half an hour instead of writing my review. At ten I went to Jackson Plaza where the play was to be set, dropped off props, and picked up the programs. Most of the cast stayed there to get ready while I went and braved the classroom. I got up and B.S.ed about the play, and told them what to expect.

We were doing theater of the absurd, and it was supposed to be funny and deep at the same time. It was a take off of Mac Beth. The way we had it set we used everything in the area. We used this ledge for a balcony, a grassy stretch near the mill creek was the battle field, a few steps where people usually sit and study for our main stage, and the stream itself for a walkway. We used this whole big area. I was extremely sick to my stomach, and had made Jim-Bob come and watch with me. As soon as we started, my Profs. started busting up (I was sitting right behind them). I leaned over to Jim-Bob and said that it hadn't been so funny before.

Basically the whole class laughed all throughout the play, which was good since it was a comedy and all. People who had just been wandering by actually stopped to watch us. Wow! Everyone got their lines, or ad-libbed well. I was really relieved when it was over. So the class gets up and starts to head back to the classroom when lo and behold, Robert comes out and says "No, no, wait we have a birthday to celebrate!" I was wary and of course Scott (not the one in my World Views class), and Sean came over and picked me up, and carried me to the mill creek. After being thrown into Chad's pool countless times I knew to hold on tight to the person doing the throwing, to make sure he gets wet too. So as my class is singing "Happy Birthday" Scott dumps me unceremoniously into the creek. I dragged him in too, and splashed Sean and half the class in the process. It was actually a good tension release.

I sloshed back into my room with Jim-Bob, changed clothes as quick as possible in the bathroom and ran back to class. The class was still journal writing their reaction to the play. The first think Lou siad after we were done writing was "I don't know about the rest of you, but Joe and I laughed our asses off." The next 45 min was spent saying how cool our production was. I was definitely getting my fair share of warm-fuzzies.

After Theater, we decided to go to lunch, and I convinced Jim-Bob to let me open my present. They had been teasing me all week about this really cool present they got me, they wouldn't give me any hints. All they would say is that it was something they knew I would love. They kept guaranteeing that I would love it. I was wondering what would be so great, you know, I'm not really materialistic, other than a trip home on Thanksgiving, I didn't really want anything. So I get this box, and we go to lunch, I was going to open it when we went to get our mail.

May sent me a letter and I got a package from home. Guang had sent me cookies!!!!! This is the worst part though, on his birthday card to me he said "I couldn't forget your birthday because mine is the same day." I had completely forgotten. I also thought he was in Thailand so I had been waiting for a letter with his new address. Boy am I a moron.

Anyway, there was a hand-written card attached to the front of my pressent. It had a picture of a mitten on it and my name. I'm still clueless. I open it up and there is a rolled up poster inside. It was a blown up picture of Mittens!!! I was so happy and surprised that I screamed. I thought that was the sweetest thing. Apparently Jim-Bob noticed the picture of her on my bulletin board, and got sick of me whining about how I miss her, so he had a poster made from the picture. It is so cool, I have it on the wall right near my bed. I couldn't believe how thoughtful they were. I was stoked

I came back to the dorm, and ran into Katie in the hallway. She had gone in on the gift too, so I thanked her and told her about getting mill-streamed so she wouldn't do it. I made my way to my room and found that the door had been covered with streamers, and that there was a card attached to the door. It was Katie's doing. I yelled thanks to her and went inside. I was a very happy camper, but I was still a happy camper who only had an hour and a half of sleep, so I napped while Cindy and Jim-Bob were in their Biology lab. I had a very cool day.

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*names have been changed to cover my ass ;)

7 comments:

Mag said...

Happy Birthday Missy Zuma!

October babies are the best. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday!

jenn said...

dude, was I that dorky when I was a freshman?

just kidding. well, sort of. you totally crack me up. it's adorable how sweet and innocent you sound. we're all jaded and world-weary now.

have a great day!

Sue, aka seiding said...

Awesome letter!

Happy Birthday!

weezalana said...

Now this is why it's good to keep a journal! Hope you enjoyed your birthday this year just as much!

Anonymous said...

I love it! And it totally made me nostalgic for WU (which is very difficult -- see above comment re: jaded and world weary). I hope you had a great birthday this year, too!

Rebel said...

I know... that's why it cracks me up so much, I was so young and full of hope. I wonder when it was that I became so jaded... oh yeah, when I graduated and discovered I had to get a JOB!!!