Christine: More of This & That

I am with Karla on her last post in that I haven't been too good about keeping up with my blog posts. In terms of the cleaning thing, I think I'm doing pretty well, but for some reason, I seem to be lacking in this department. So, what's new and exciting here at Ubuntu? Well, everyone's been running around trying to get everything finished before the week is over. Kristen was frantically finishing some journals for a class while Andie was cramming for the final exam for her online class. Jason and Karla have been finishing up internship/grad school applications. I have been trying to balance everything that life throws my way, which can probably be said for everyone else, too. However, as we come to the end of another crazy, hectic week, I know that the weekend will bring a time of relaxation and rest. Like most weekends, we stay up late on Friday night, playing Settlers of Catan or watching (recently) old episodes of Lost. Most of us sleep in to a reasonable hour on Saturday morning, then cook some breakfast or lunch in our kitchen, making use of the leftovers or continuing to put a dent in the pasta supply. I like our lazy weekends. This weekend, we are all looking forward to Erin's senior recital for the music department, followed by an Ubu-super bowl party. Instead of sharing a full meal together, I think we've decided to make appetizers and other snacks to chow on during the game (or maybe while we start worrying about what the next week will bring...).

Christine: This & That

I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into when I decided to join Ubuntu. Would I be living with a bunch of granola-eating, organic, and obsessive recyclers? The answer to that question is yes, but in a perfectly good, not weird, way. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I had some preconceived ideas of what "living in community" would be like. I never really considered myself very "green" or "community-oriented," but I am. I am not ashamed to search for the recycle sign on everything plastic that ever touches my hands. Nor do I mind setting aside time every Sunday afternoon to prepare and clean-up a meal with my fellow Ubuntu-ers. In fact, our Sunday meals are a highlight of my week. These meals give everyone a chance to be together - in community - and to share in a comfortable, relaxed setting. As Jennifer discussed in her last entry, it's hard to make time for all (or even a majority) of us to be together during the week. I myself can go a whole day 8-7 without returning to Riley Court. And by that time, all that's left to do is homework and then sleep.

Granted, not every day is as hectic as others. Sometimes all we need is time to relax. I'll often return "home" to find a few girls in the lounge, usually with the TV on TLC or HGTV, "actively" engaged with the show at hand (with four brides-to-be, a majority of the shows are wedding-related...). Let's just say these shows make us laugh - a lot.

Finally, just to add some more randomness to the mix, my favorite chore is cleaning the showers. If I could clean the showers every week, I would definitely do it. I know I sound crazy, but it is seriously fun. Let's just say my first experience with the showers was not a very dry one. First, there's a hose that attaches to the faucet on the sink. Well, I thought it was attached, at least until I had already finished spraying down the showers, about 10 minutes later. It wasn't attached, at least not correctly. By that time, water had been shooting out every which way and the countertop and the tile floor was soaked. All I could do was laugh. Yes, my floormates thought I was crazy, but I don't care. It's life, right? Why not laugh.