Blogging my Community College Registration Trials

Beginning of the summer: I tell Mom that to get a jump on things, I should register for my fall classes now. I do, with no problems. Chemistry in Clio from 11:00-12:30 on Monday and Wednesday, leaving me an hour to drive to Flint for Spanish from 1:30-3:30. On Mondays, I'll go back to Clio from 6-9 pm for Intro to Psych. No classes on Tuesday or Thursday, no classes before 11=Perfect.

Middle of July: Bored in the staff office, I decide to check my MCC student email account (something I do maybe, MAYBE, once a month.) I click on the email labeled "URGENT" and realize that if I don't pay for those classes the NEXT day, I will be dropped from all of them.
I run to the main office, scream something along the lines of "I have to go to my mom's my classes will be cancelled we're all gonna dieeeee" to Laurie, and leave the Miracle Building.
By the time I get to my mom's cabin (about 5 minutes later), I have ANOTHER email on my MCC student account, telling me that the payment deadline has been extended by two weeks.  I figure, I'm already down here, so I go ahead and pay for the classes.

August 30-ish: Dad wakes me up with the phone in his hand.
"Sorry to awaken the Princess at the early hour of 10, but Mott wants to talk to you."
I take the phone, clear my throat, and croak "Hello?"
"Hi Alyssa!" says an all to chipper voice. "This is [I forgot] at the Northern Tier Center! I just wanted to let you know that your Chemistry class has been cancelled due to low enrollment! You'll have to register for 1 of the 3 open classes! There's a 9 am MW in Flint, a 1:30-3:30 MW in Flint, and a night class in Lapeer! What? You didn't want classes before 11, and the other Flint class is during your Spanish class? Sorry! Guess you're screwed! This IS Mott after all. Students first! Ha! Okay, buh bye hon! Have a great day!"
(note: embellishment can be neither confirmed nor denied.)

Sept. 3: I resign myself to taking the 9 am class in Flint. This will require me to sit on campus, in Flint, for 3 hours in between classes, but hey, who cares? At least there's a lot to do at Mott. And it's a really pretty campus, with some great people. (MY HAND IS RAISED SO HIGH IT'S BREAKING THROUGH THE CEILING.)

Upon registering for the class, I go to my account summary to make sure they didn't charge me. There's no charge for the class, but there IS a $3 Drop/Add fee. For the class that the college CANCELLED just SEVEN DAYS BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS. I resolve to call them later, and go to bed.

Today: After trying several other options, I decide to take a World History course online through MCC in between my MW classes. At least it will give me something to do, right? I log on to the website, find the class, click register, and... nope. Of course it's not that easy.
"Prerequisite not met: DLES-100."
I call the school. They inform me that this is a 3 hour, free, online course that is required before any online class can be taken through Mott. It teaches the basics of email, internet, and computer usage.
I hang up, hit my head on the table, and go watch Gilmore Girls.

Don't Tell Me It's Over

I've never dealt well with the end of summer. It's always been hard to let go of days filled with worship, games, and friends; and nights filled with stars, laughter, more worship, and girl time.  In the past, it wasn't easy to go home, to be back under authority, back to school. It's always been difficult to be away from people I was with every day for months. 

In the past, though, I had a best friend at home.  I had someone who would share in my pain.  I wasn't alone looking at pictures and finding the PERFECT songs.  The end of the summer was bad, but not so bad.  It wasn't the end of socialization or the end of being with my friends.

This year, however, the end of the summer is even worse than most.  I'm not just leaving freedom, I'm leaving all of my close friends.  I'm not just going home, I'm going back to being mostly alone.  

Just don't tell me it's over.

In which the author jumps back in as though she never left.

TOMORROW TOMORROW TOMORROW!!!! Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow, you're only a daaaaay aaawwaaaayyy!!!
What?
What's that?
You want to know why I am so excited for tomorrow?
...
TOO BAD. I'm  not going to tell you. Nanner nanner.
Oh.
What?
What's that?
We're not in second grade anymore?
*shrugs*
News to me.
Fine. I'll tell you.

Tomorrow, Mom and I shall drive to Dowagiac (or Dowa-wa, as Emiller calls it.)  We're going to watch the DUHS alumni soccer game, which will pit Craiger and E-Train against each other in an epic battle of the best friends.  THEN, the great fun begins. Following the game, we're gathering at la casa de Pastor Douglas y Tia Marilyn for a bonfire, complete with s'mores, hot dogs, and (almost) ALL OF MY DOWAGIAC PEOPLE!!

But wait! There's more! If you call now, I'll throw in this cheap book light!

On Saturday, I'm riding to Grand Rapids with Craig for the staff reunion. We shall eat Yesterdog, and swim, and reunite, and hug, and talk about things that happened at camp, and text the people that aren't there (cough, ROOMIE, cough) about how much we wish they were there. THEN, we'll drive back to Dowagiac. The NEXT morning, Mom and I will meet Aunt Kendra and drive back to Piatt Lake, where we shall remain until Thursday.

Plans. I like them.
What?
What's that?
NO. Of COURSE I wasn't just bouncing up and down with excitement.



ps: I apologize for making a lot of this post sound like a post written by someone I really can't stand. Jocie knows. Ohhh, Jocie knows. (I almost died today.)
pps: Expect a post soon-ish, In which the author goes on a bit of a tangent about ministry. That's right. Because it doesn't really matter if you sleep in a hotel or on the ground, whether the Gospel is being preached. One does NOT make you more of a missionary than the other. ...Must... wait... to... discuss...

The Last Song

Love is fragile. And we're not always its best caretakers. We just muddle through and do the best we can. And hope this fragile thing survives against all odds. 


At least you have the courage to feel. You feel everything so deeply.

...

This is the [insert superlative here] summer EVER.

shortest.
weirdest.
greatest.
saddest.
biggest.
etc.
-est.

Camp

(Check out the Peru Blog for info about that)

I'm sitting in the living room at Hobson's cabin with Craig, watching Spain and Portugal play soccer and hating vuvuzelas.  I can't believe HYC 2010 begins tomorrow. Insane. My mind is spinning.  The sunset tonight almost made me cry. It's going to be an interesting transition. I like fourwheeler rides. The curve of secrets just about heard another one tonight. Dang. Hello perfection. My mind is spinning. Pray. I need to minister. GLORIA! Yay! Moving in tomorrow. Peru pictures on the wall, a flag on my bed. Worlds collide. I can't. He can. Which is good. Because I can't.

Peru 2010

Leaving for Peru on Tuesday
The team blog is here