Cory, Canterbury, Harry Potter, Pokemon, and a Sunday walk
August is halfway through (boo), and I'm busy cramming in social outings, hours at work, and other events before classes start up again on September 9th. I also have to complete my URGO application for a year-long research grant. Kristen and I have already figured out when we're going to meet for my research class (we're meeting at 8 A.M. every Tuesday and Thursday. I'm not thrilled about early mornings, but I can deal if that means I get home before rush-hour).
Guess what? Well, like I mentioned in my last entry, I've been applying for internships. I actually had an interview for a media relations internship at the Japan America Society of Minnesota. However, the day I was supposed to hear back from Ben, the Executive Director, I sent an email to their office saying I would like to withdraw my name from consideration. Why, you may ask? I've been agonizing over not having an internship for so long, after all. Well, the answer is: fitting in fifteen hours a week at an internship across the Mississippi River is simply not realistic. My semesters are already crammed with a full course load, almost twenty hours a week of work, and multiple student organization-commitments. I mean, I'm already pessimistic about maintaining my cumulative 4.0 GPA (Japanese is going to kick my butt), but I'm also stepping up my game with Homemade, and my position as the Day Student Government Chief of Staff won't be taken lightly. Not to mention I'm hoping to complete my URGO research this year (Kristen wants me to submit my work to the NCA, or National Communication Association, which means my paper's gotta be top-notch). An internship will just have to wait.
Anyway, it's been a great couple weeks. Last weekend, our high-school pal Cory came to visit us for a few days. Cory's been in Japan for the past year, so we hadn't seen him for a while. We went to Canterbury Park on Thursday night ($1 night, so nachos, soda...pretty much everything was only a buck). I didn't bet on any horses, but before every race, I picked which one I wanted to win. I'd say I was right about 30% of the time. Both Cory and Mitch bet well--Mitch came out even and Cory made money.
Me and Cory in Alan's car, on the road to Canterbury
Me and Mitch at the Park
The rest of the gang at the Park (from left to right: Alan, Katie, Tony, and Brian)
It was "Auggie Night at the Races" that Thursday. Basically, a ton of alum came for free goodies and camaraderie.
By Saturday afternoon, Cory had left. Sunday was one of those perfect days with perfect weather and nothing too important to think about. We went on a long walk with Per that evening, and took some pictures.
Mitch and Per
Me and Per
Oh, and I can't forget about our celebration of Harry Potter's (and J.K. Rowling's) birthday, way back on July 31st. Good times were had by all.
A sticky chocolate cake with green icing, just like the one Hagrid gave Harry on his eleventh b-day
My pal Alan showing off the cake
Lastly, I love Pokemon. I've been playing Diamond a little obsessively for the past two-or-so weeks. Did you know there are LiveJournal communities devoted purely to breeding, trading, and hacking Pokemon? Say what you will, I'm not embarrassed. :D
My "trainer's card," displaying my friend code (used for connecting to other people on Wi-Fi), my in-game-name (Mnemosyne), and my team (Luxray, Absol, Mew, Arcanine, and Meowth are all there all the time, but Chansey often gets switched out with Steelix).
Time to drink some coffee and root for Tiger (PGA at Hazeltine in Chaska!).
Guess what? Well, like I mentioned in my last entry, I've been applying for internships. I actually had an interview for a media relations internship at the Japan America Society of Minnesota. However, the day I was supposed to hear back from Ben, the Executive Director, I sent an email to their office saying I would like to withdraw my name from consideration. Why, you may ask? I've been agonizing over not having an internship for so long, after all. Well, the answer is: fitting in fifteen hours a week at an internship across the Mississippi River is simply not realistic. My semesters are already crammed with a full course load, almost twenty hours a week of work, and multiple student organization-commitments. I mean, I'm already pessimistic about maintaining my cumulative 4.0 GPA (Japanese is going to kick my butt), but I'm also stepping up my game with Homemade, and my position as the Day Student Government Chief of Staff won't be taken lightly. Not to mention I'm hoping to complete my URGO research this year (Kristen wants me to submit my work to the NCA, or National Communication Association, which means my paper's gotta be top-notch). An internship will just have to wait.
Anyway, it's been a great couple weeks. Last weekend, our high-school pal Cory came to visit us for a few days. Cory's been in Japan for the past year, so we hadn't seen him for a while. We went to Canterbury Park on Thursday night ($1 night, so nachos, soda...pretty much everything was only a buck). I didn't bet on any horses, but before every race, I picked which one I wanted to win. I'd say I was right about 30% of the time. Both Cory and Mitch bet well--Mitch came out even and Cory made money.
Me and Cory in Alan's car, on the road to Canterbury
Me and Mitch at the Park
The rest of the gang at the Park (from left to right: Alan, Katie, Tony, and Brian)
It was "Auggie Night at the Races" that Thursday. Basically, a ton of alum came for free goodies and camaraderie.
By Saturday afternoon, Cory had left. Sunday was one of those perfect days with perfect weather and nothing too important to think about. We went on a long walk with Per that evening, and took some pictures.
Mitch and Per
Me and Per
Oh, and I can't forget about our celebration of Harry Potter's (and J.K. Rowling's) birthday, way back on July 31st. Good times were had by all.
A sticky chocolate cake with green icing, just like the one Hagrid gave Harry on his eleventh b-day
My pal Alan showing off the cake
Lastly, I love Pokemon. I've been playing Diamond a little obsessively for the past two-or-so weeks. Did you know there are LiveJournal communities devoted purely to breeding, trading, and hacking Pokemon? Say what you will, I'm not embarrassed. :D
My "trainer's card," displaying my friend code (used for connecting to other people on Wi-Fi), my in-game-name (Mnemosyne), and my team (Luxray, Absol, Mew, Arcanine, and Meowth are all there all the time, but Chansey often gets switched out with Steelix).
Time to drink some coffee and root for Tiger (PGA at Hazeltine in Chaska!).