11 pages down, 9 to go

Hey all! Guess what time it is. Yep, you guessed it. It's crunch time. Finals are looming ever closer (my first final is two weeks from today - why are my palms sweating all of a sudden?) and my 20-page paper is due at the end of finals. I've noticed a change in my attitude toward my exams since last year. Whereas last year I was aiming for great grades, this semester I am hoping to get good enough grades to not have to retake any of my classes. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I care less about doing well in my classes. I'm just trying to set my goals at a level where they feel achievable considering the amount of studying I need to do in the coming weeks.

But enough whining about school. Let's talk about a more cheery subject, namely Brenda. She is at a rehearsal in Eugene, OR right now getting ready for a performance on Thursday. Before arriving in Eugene, Brenda was in Portland visiting one of her best friends. They had a great time together, and Brenda sent me a couple of pictures from her trip to include in the blog.

 Brenda's friend, Olivia, in a Japanese garden.

Some pretty espresso drinks. Is that a swan?

 The rental car Brenda drove from Portland to Eugene. 

She liked it.

Brenda will be flying back to Iowa on Friday and then she's off to France on Saturday. So by next blog day Brenda will be in Europe and I will be freaking out about finals even more than I am now. Luckily, I've got a few things lying around our apartment to help me stay calm. Such as this puzzle we got from Brenda's parents...

 Before.

 After. 

Brenda and I were both able to crack the mysteries of the puzzle. Come to think of it, I should probably have spent that time studying for finals. Oh well. I'm sure I can put "puzzle master" on my resume somewhere.

I should call it a night. I hope you are all having a great week, and I'll talk to you next Tuesday!