Picture Day!

I'm home now! This weekend our cousins from Minnesota are here to visit. This morning the Massner family took pictures down at Crapo Park, and they turned out well! I will hope to share some of the pictures when we get them in digital form. :) Everyone cooperated and smiled well, and we even got to take a few fun photos too!

In the spirit of family pictures, I will also do my best to give an update on the rest of the family, since they don't usually care to share.

Billy is enjoying his senior year of high school and has been spending his mornings at SCC taking Calculus and Physics. In the afternoons, he goes to BHS with Jonathan and some other Mediapolis students for an Engineering class. On top of those three, I think he has two to three more classes at high school to keep him busy. He had his senior pictures taken a couple weeks ago and is about ready to be getting started on scholarships and the works, before graduation comes.

Jonathan is a freshman in high school, and I think he's enjoying himself. He keeps busy with his classes and football. Right now he is taking an exam on the back computer for his online college psychology class.

Justin is in eighth grade and doing well. I'm not really sure exactly what keeps him busy, but I know he is in choir and plays the tuba in band, along with his other classes. He is taking Algebra I this year, so that is probably getting him into high school life.

Travis is our fifth grader, has been keeping busy with soccer, and is getting ready to start playing the alto saxophone in band this year.

Jesse is enjoying first grade too. He was playing flag football but has finished that now. Today he is outside raking leaves for dad to have a fire this evening when he gets home! That should be fun!

Mom is keeping busy at home, and I think it is a little different around here without any female companions to keep her company. Right now she and her sister are on a walk...it's been fun to have them here!

Dad is still ever so busy between city council, the church building project (which is to be done within 10 weeks!!), the ambulance service, and his job. He is currently at the new church giving a tour to some visitors.

And then there's me, which you have already been kept up to date about! I know these summaries do not do justice what my brothers could tell you in person! However, I have not been able to convince any of them to get on here and post. They say nothing exciting ever happens now that I'm gone... :)

Hope you all are having a good weekend and that the leaves are as beautiful where you are too! :)

Observations of a College Student, Part I

The Physics of Technological Etiquette

Something in high school physics taught me about waves. In recent months I have experienced continual longitudinal waves during my study time at college.

11:10am, Friday, Business Computer Lab: While working diligently on my Financial Accounting assignment, my arms are suddenly jolted by the impulse of a student's phone vibrating ten feet away, These so-called "longitudinal waves" are making their way from his table, through the table between us, and onto mine, where they reach my arms, which send a mad signal to my brain that I should be panicking. I panic, and, seeing his phone, subsequently realize there is nothing to be alarmed about. My focus returns to my work.
11:12am: Repetition. This time, it takes longer to refocus.
11:13am: It seems another phone has joined the chorus on the other side of the wall, this time a bit more faint. Perhaps they should create some sort of musical instrument out of the vibrations of a cellphone.
11:15am: Two more students sat down between me and the first vibrating cellphone. Two more phones have been laid on the table to join the band.
11:19am: Yep, it's definitely an orchestra now. I have fully given up on concentration and am headed to my next class.
11:24am, C125 PBB: In Financial Accounting class, I sit down and get ready for the class.
11:28am: A cellphone on an adjacent table 15 feet away vibrates and, once again, jolts me to a full alert. After calming, I slowly shake my head in dismay.

I always jump when I feel these types of vibrations. They are what wake me up in the morning on my alarm clock, and they are what alert me of communications throughout the day. Vibrations demand my attention. If my attention does not need to be brought to others' text messages, let's lay out some of my self-proclaimed vibe etiquette.

1. Turn your phone on silent if it is going to be sitting right in front of you on the table. Most phones will light up with the arrival of a message.
2. If it is a necessity to have it on vibrate, try putting it in your pocket where only you will be alerted by the vibes.
3. If nothing else, consider forming a band of vibrating phones so it can be enjoyable for the rest of us.

:) Happy Friday!

Midweek Musings

It's Wednesday! And it's time for me to fill inquiring minds in on the exhaustive details of my life at college.

I have been enjoying the luxury of staying home during the day except when I have class this week now that we have Internet. For meals we have been eating leftover tacos and chicken deluxe all week from the weekend. It also appears that I have completely depleted my stock of groceries and will be needing to make a run to the store before eating tomorrow.

The weather has been a lot warmer this week than before, though it was raining today to add a little chill to the air. The leaves and trees have been absolutely beautiful on campus with the onset of fall. I'm not ready for winter, but fall is great!

As for my classes, they continue to go well, though they are picking up the pace a bit. I have a law exam tomorrow, but after that I haven't a single exam for two whole weeks! (And midterm week is over, which means I have made it halfway through my first semester at college!)

Living on one's own is full of little learning experiences, including plumbing skills. Tuesday morning my toilet wouldn't stop running. (It flushed but then just continuously was running water.) I didn't pay much attention to it at first, but when I had finished getting ready and it was still running, I started to become concerned. I stared at the running water awhile to intimidate it with my gaze, then I (yes, me) lifted the lid and my eyes beheld the inside of a toilet for the first time. After much intent observation and trial and error, I finally was able to make a quick fix to the misplaced chain to make it stop running and fill up. It may seem silly, but I was pretty happy about acquiring the new skill and learning the mechanics of a common household utility! :)

Before I go, I have some photos to share from the past two months.

Billy's 17th birthday! (That's the official birthday hat of the Massner family, for those who aren't aware.) 

First Day of School! (Minus Billy, who was already off to class at SCC.) 

Dad driving the ambulance at T&C Days parade.

Justin playing the sousaphone at the parade.

Billy flipping pizzas, Travis holding the microphone, Me (not pictured) walking alongside of the Olde World Pizza float. 

Jesse's 7th Birthday!

Justin's 13th Birthday!

Hope you all have a good remainder of the week! :)

ReWired

After a two-month extension of absence from a home Internet connection at my second home, I wish to inform anyone who was concerned about me that I am back. Two months is a long time for a college student, you see.

Of course, by not having the Internet, I developed some fantastic time management habits. No time wasted online at home. Very little time was wasted online at school, as I needed to be as efficient as possible before going home. I learned to balance my work and plan ahead. But now, everything I had built up for myself seems to be crashing down on me, and it's only been six hours. What am I going to do??

I know what I am to do. I will set myself a goal. Here it is:

I shall use my time for doing good and being productive. 

With that said, it is time for me to productively finish packing for the weekend and get a good night's sleep. Happy Friday!

In the Words of a College Student

No, you aren't just seeing things...if you are reading these words (truly you are), then I just posted for the first time since school started! You see, the problem isn't that I haven't had time, or even that I fell off the face of the earth. Well, maybe those are both sort of contributors, but basically I just am only getting on the Internet at school because the electrician at our apartment hasn't hooked us up yet. But it is working out fine...I just haven't had any free time to sit here and fill everybody in on the comprehensive details of my life at college.

Why do I post now, you may ask? I understand this is extremely blunt, but I quite simply am tired of this long day on campus...I've been here for nearly eight hours now and I am becoming easily distracted. So, I thought...why not do a blog post?

Reason number two: I have heard tell of people who have been visiting this blog and finding it disappointingly lifeless.

Now that I have spend three entire paragraphs talking about this post, I will move on to something more noteworthy...if I can think of anything.

Basically, my classes are all going well. I am enjoying them and they aren't very difficult (though I say that with hesitancy and tentative declaration). All but one of my classes (Spanish) are in the Pappajohn Business Building, so I pretty much hang out here all day. It is a really nice building and makes the University seem a little smaller if I don't have to venture far.

Life at the apartment is going smoothly, apart from the rough patches of our disconnection from the Internet, my lack of cooking expertise, and a few car incidents that I won't explain in full detail. My roommate is wonderful and very patient with me!

I have made it home every weekend except during On Iowa, although I may not be home this weekend. Aside from week one, I have not felt homesick except for the hour I spend on the road ever Sunday night on my way back to North Liberty. That is normally the most difficult hour of my week.

For those who know my past encounters with school, it may be surprising to find that I had been keeping cool and had not truly felt stressed out until Tuesday of this week. Tuesday afternoon I officially was stressed and felt like it couldn't be done. However, after school yesterday (Wednesday) I was able to overcome my mind and I have been keeping productive, positive, happy, and calm.

I apologize for writing a book, but I just need something to give people to read as they await my next post, which will be coming after an indefinite period of time.

Apology Number Two: I also regret that I have not discussed my family's life, but I hope I can be excused from such since I am only with them for two of seven days each week. I will, however, say HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JESSE (7) and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOM (45)!!! Both of them celebrated their birthdays this week, and Justin will be 13 (TEENAGER) on Monday. So, since I probably won't get the chance later, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JUSTIN!!! Perhaps Jonathan can get on here and give updates on the rest of the happenings around there.

I just substantially increased the amount of text in this post, but there is one more thing I'd like to share before I go. I have had the same CD playing in my car for four of the six weeks of school, and there is one song in particular that brought me comfort through the major adjustments being away from home during the first few weeks of school, and serves as a reminder to me still:

I have a Heavenly Father sung by the Esh family

"Sometimes burdens too heavy to carry send me down to my knees,

In the Lord's presence, I will then tarry waiting for victory.

As I look upward into His glory, troubles all fade from view

When a sweet voice says, "Child, rejoice! I'm watching over you.

"I have a heavenly father watching over me each day:

I have a heavenly father watching every step I take;

I will not tremble in the dark shadows when I can't see my way,

For I have a heavenly father watching over me!

"Traveling over the hills and mountains I am led by His hand

When I am thirsty, He is my fountain in the dry desert sand

Crossing the troubled waters, He's with me, walking on every wave.

He's loving so much it's easy to trust with simple childlike faith."

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and hope to write again soon!