Dad, The Good Driver

I'm surprised that Mom and Dad are almost here. I really didn't think they'd get here until after lunch- considering the fact that they could have gotten stuck in a bit of morning rush-hour traffic. Surprisingly, however, they're extremely close- just about 20 minutes away from Springfield. Maybe this means that I'll end up getting home today- and the visit to the Mary Bryant Home will end up being for another time. Hey, it could happen!

My Last Night At UIS

My last night at UIS was interesting,
I really enjoyed the outing.
Going out for pizza was a blast-
Boy, I wish that time would last!
Being with good friends was fun-
It's a sure sign that the school year
is all done.

You guys are the best-
You've passed the friend test,
I enjoyed getting to know you,
And I hope you liked it, too.
I can't think of better people to share my life with-
You've given me a great gift.

No Concert This Time

I hate it when I get invited to something that I'd really like to attend, but I can't. This is the case today. Jeff McIntosh(J-Mack), a really good friend of mine, who is in CSF and whose church I've been attending for several weeks now, has invited me to a Christian music concert this weekend in Indiana. Timing is perfect, as I don't have anywhere I really have to go; however, there's also a downside to this invitation. On Saturday, I have to stay home to look after my two dogs during the day while my parents are in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to pick E.J. up from Marquette University. The other downside is that I have no way of getting to and from the concert, as it isn't in Chicago- but in Indiana.

Happiness To Mask How Sad I Am

After taking that 12-question math final, I'm both thirsty and hungry- for a "beast" of a pizza and Mountain Dew. You wouldn't think that taking a test would actually make me hungry, but it does. Unfortunately, though, I'm not going out to dinner with my friends until sometime later this evening- which means that I'm going to have to wait as long as I can to get some food and something to drink. Though having to leave/say goodbye to my church family is making me sad, I'm trying to mask those true feelings by attempting to be excited about going out to dinner tonight. Let me tell you, it isn't the easiest thing to do, especially so close to my parents coming to pick me up in less than twenty-four hours. . . but, I'm doing the best I can to allow myself to have fun with my friends.

2 Good Grades=1 Happy Kid

I pretty much did good on my online math final. I scored a 2.55, which is the average online score- kind've weird, though. Once gradebook added this score into my other scores, the total came out to 295.05, which is just under a B- that being 300 points for this class. Knowing that I was in the average range for overal points on the online test makes me now realize that my math enemy is finally beginning to lose its tight grip.
I'm not really shocked at my math grade, though. I attended every class, was never absent, and I tried to participate as much as I possibly could. However, that was a challenge, considering the quick pace of the class. Somehow, I actually managed to do well enough to get such a good grade.
Seeing as I'm getting a B in English and just under that in Math really makes me very proud of myself. I'm so proud of myself for doing so awesome this year, all I really want to do at this point is celebrate with my friends. Fortunately, I will have the opportunity later to do just that.

My Online Final

It's a good thing I can take my math final online. I don't think I'd do well if I attempted to take it on paper. As much as my hand muscles are often affected by the cerebral palsy, trying to do all that writing would probably take longer than two hours, not to mention that my handwriting might not really be legible enough for the teacher to successfully be able to read the work I did for the problems, along with the answers. I know this from having the experience of teachers having difficulty reading my handwriting. I also know that, from taking the makeup 2nd midterm online, that I score better when it's on the computer- again, I think it's because of the challenges of living with cerebral palsy. Thankfully, my visual impairment isn't much of a major factor when I can take a test this way.

A Celebration After My One And Only Final

After taking the math final this afternoon, I will be pretty hungry. It's a good thing my friends from One West are going out to dinner tonight. What's really cool is that we're going out for pizza this time. Last time, which was also the first time, we went to Buffalo Wild Wings; however, I'm glad that we're going somewhere different this time. Regardless, I know I'm going to be quite hungry after doing my online math final- any activity really. . . makes me hungry, whether it is taking a test, going for a walk, cleaning, or even doing laundry.

One Final Before The End

I only have one final today, and it's an online math final. The odd thing is that the same final is simultaneously being given in the classroom. I guess the teacher is doing it this way, so that everyone can decide how they prefer taking the final. Personally, I've found that taking a test on the computer is a lot easier than taking it on paper. With the test being given in these two formats, the time limit is still the same- two hours. However, there are only 10 questions, and I honestly don't think that ten questions is really going to take me very long- not in doing the test on the computer, anyway.
A positive side to taking this final online is that I'll learn my final grade right away. After completing the test, I only have to hit the "submit" icon. That will then show me my score- putting it immediately into Blackboard Gradebook. Already knowing that I'm passing English with a B makes me wonder if the same result might occur after the math final.

One Day Later

Although my profile status says "Nico is super sad about leaving my church family, but hiding it well under excitement about going to dinner tonight. Still sad, though- I'm not going to lie to anyone!!", it's going to be awfuly tough to try to be happy about going to dinner tonight with my friends from One West. Many of them already know why I'm sad- as I've had the courage to share my feelings with them; however, not everyone knows- and they might not know.
I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to hide the pain from everyone- the fact that everyone knows me as a normally happy kid- not usually sad about anything. Knowing that it's practically summer vacation- that I will be far away from my church family for quite some time- is not a very pleasant feeling whatsoever. Saying good-bye is something that I really wish I hadn't done yesterday- it made me way too sad.

The Only Bright Spot to This Day

The only real bright spot of my day-
Unfortunately. . . it was this way-
Was that the Cubs,
Not Scrubs-
Beat the Washington Nationals
In Exciting fashion-
A game with "passion.

I missed part of the game,
But all the same-
I got to hear an exciting finish
and my hope didn't diminish.
The Cubs rallied from behind,
which I had no doubt in my mind-
In the 10th inning,
My head was spinning,
To have a final score-
Which has happened before-
Of 4-3-
And that made me "happy".

The Pain Of Leaving My Spiritual Family For The Summer

As my profile status states, "Nico Echols is still quite sad because I had to say goodbye to my church family today- for the summer. I'll be back, but it's going to feel like a year to me. What'll I do?", I honestly don't have the heart to laugh right now, simply because I've had to do the most difficult thing today- that I really wish I didn't need to do. Saying goodbye to my church family made me cry. . . and think that I'll never see the people who I've gotten to know quite well over the course of this semester. . . ever again. That's how having to say goodbye has made me feel today.
Of course, I know that I will see them again when I return after summer vacation; however, three months is going to feel like an eternity. Three months won't fly by quickly, unless I'm occupied with other activities I enjoy. One thing I don't want to do, though, is go back to "traditional", boring church services- where praise and worship is only a very short segment of a forty-five minute church service. It's not going to feel the same, especially after I've already gotten to really like the three-hour service, where there are a lot of chances for praise and worship.
My friends have told me that I shouldn't feel so sad, that I'd be able to return to Living Word Fellowship Church after I return from summer vacation. O.K., I guess they are right; however, I feel as if I'm the only one who realizes that going away for such an extended amount of time is making me sad. I'm not sad- just about missing all the friends I've made at Living Word Fellowship Church- I'm also sad about missing out on all the excitement that usually takes place during the survices. Will this sad feeling ever go away- will the hurt of leaving my friends and spiritual family ever stop?

To The People I Love

To my three favorite people from Living Word Fellowship Church- and campus ministry. . .Marquita, J-Mack, and LaTrice:

First, let me just say that I'd like to keep in touch with each of you this summer. LaTrice- you already have my address, but here it is for Marquita and J-Mack. . .
Nico Echols
4136 South Ellis Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60653
773-285-3114
No cell phone number at this time, as I hope to get a new cell phone some time during the summer. When I have the number, I'll give it to you. But, I can give you my e-mail address- which I will check as often as possible. I probably won't check my necho2@uis.edu account much, but I'll try to check cubsrule2@hotmail.com and echolsnico@yahoo.com as often as possible.
You've all been like sisters and a brother (yes, you, J-Mack. . . you haven't been forgotten) to me. I know we just really got to know each other over the course of this semester, but it feels like I've known each of you forever. I have really enjoyed getting to know you guys this semester, and I hate it that I won't get to see you during the summer. Wait, I might be back at UIS/in Springfield for a disability leadership conference sometime in July; however, I won't know for sure about that for a few weeks.
I'll return to LWFC upon the start of the new school year- at which time I know where I'll be living so I can give you the address/location of where to pick me up for church each week. Though we've only known each other for a few short months, I feel as if God has already created a very strong bond between us that can never be broken- hopefully, no matter where we are for the summer.

Your sister,
Nico

P.S. Please keep a place for me in the LWFC family, even while I'm gone. I'd like to stay in touch with everyone to find out what you are all up to.

A Sad Day

Today's going to be a very sad day for me, as I'm going to have to say goodbye to all my Living Word Fellowship Church family for the summer. Although I've only attended this church for a very short period of time, I strongly feel like I'm a major part of this family/community. Leaving them for the summer doesn't bring a smile to my face at all. I really wish I didn't have to return to Chicago until the new school year, that I could just stay in Springfield- and continue regularly attending Living Word Fellowship Church; however, that is unfortunately not going to be possible. Therefore, I don't think I'll ever find a church in Chicago that I like, and feel I belong, as much as I've already discovered while regularly attending Living Word Fellowship Church for the past several weeks.

Battle of the Bands

This last Saturday night at UIS is going to be noisy. Tonight, there is a concert/Battle of the Bands competition. The odd fact is that it's being held at our soccer stadium. Since it's been quite a while since I last went to the soccer stadium, I can't remember the seating capacity- so it's entirely possible that this event could end up being a standing-room-only crowd, causing spectators to have to stand up for the three-hour-long event tonight.
Knowing that it is quite possible that this particular event could be quite crowded, I'm heading over to the soccer stadium almost immediately after I eat dinner in the LRH cafe, this way I'd be sure to get a spot on the lower-level bleachers. By this being the last official weekend that anyone is going to be at school, this is a perfect time for a "concert competition

Sox and Cubs Win In The Same Say

I wonder if the White Sox can do the same thing as the Cubs just did earlier this afternoon. To listen to two ballgames on the last weekend at UIS- that actually result in victories- would be awesome. Like the Cubs did before, the White Sox lead early over the Los Angelos Angels of Anaheim by the score of 3-0. A score like that makes me believe that the game is going to completely belong to the White Sox this afternoon. However, that lead didn't last long, as the Angels came back in the 4th inning to score two runs- and break the shutout and no-hitter. Regardless of the current score now standing at 3=-2, this game is not at all over. It's entirely possible that the White Sox could, at some point during the course of this game, and that would surprise me- especially considering that both the Cubs and Sox are trying to climb back into first place in their central divisions.

Last Weekend At UIS Hears 2nd Cubs' Victory Over The Washington Nationals

It looks like my last weekend here at UIS is about to see it's second Cubs' victory over the Washington Nationals. This game started off with a bang because the Cubs got an early lead, and had a four-run lead in the 3rd inning. Some innings later, however, the Washington Nationals began their attempt to make a comeback- in order to try and stop the Cubs from taking the second game of this series away from them. As the end of the game is near, it really doesn't look like the Washington Nationals are going to come out victorious.
I believe that the Cubs are about to win their second game in a row. If that actually happens, it'll be a first in a while- but, it won't matter, a victory is a victory to me, regardless of how long it has actually been since the Cubs had a winning streak. The sound of the Wrigley crowd- coming through my radio, tells me that the Cubs are definitely about to win the second game of the weekend. Excitement of the fans getting louder by the second, I have a pretty good feeling that the Cubs have won this game. I was right- a 5-3 victory has just been won by the Cubs. What a way to say goodbye to a school year!

What A Game

ISo far, my last weekend at UIS has come with a come-from-behind victory for the Chicago Cubs. To start off, the Washington Nationals had a 4-0 lead in the early innings of this afternoon's ballgame. I seriously thought that this team was going to hang on to that lead, and we would end up losing the first game of this weekend series That wouldn't have made me a happy camper- certainly not during the last weekend at UIS. Luckily, the Cubs came from behind, winning the game by the score of 6-4.

Return To Chicago

I only have one more weekend of living on the UIS campus this school year. I'm so glad that I actually survived a whole year of living on campus- despite the hardships I faced throughout the school year. I discovered just how much living on a college campus would show me about dealing with various issues regarding to physical accessibility. Hey, I didn't have any ideas of there being any accessibility issues before ever coming to UIS this year; however, I am now aware of the issues, and I hope to be able to come back next year facing absolutely NO accessibility issues whatsoever.
I am glad this year is coming to an end. It has felt like an eternity being here- so far away from my "puppies, Mom, and Dad. It'll be fun being at home, though it's going to feel weird for a while at the same timeOne thing I'm going to have to get used to all over again is going downstairs to the basement to do laundry, instead of having the washer and dryer all on one level.

Packing To Go Home For The Summer

am actually proud of myself for having a good majority of my stuff packed up to take back to Chicago. I didn't really have that much stuff to begin with; however, I didn't exactly think that I'd have anyone to help me start packing it all today, either. I honestly thought that my mom was going to have to help me pack all my stuff when she comes down here in a few days, but I'm glad she doesn't have to.
Although I am packing my stuff early, it's going to be a challenge to move everything to the van. Since I'm going to have some things in a box, a rolling hamper, along with what can't fit in boxes, bags, or other containers- I'm not sure how my mom is actually going to be able to move all my belongings to the van in just one trip. I think she might need some help moving all my things, as it currently looks like I have a lot of stuff- even though I don't have a lot of stuff anymore- especially since my mom took a good chunk of it home when she dropped me off after spring break.

An End To Academic Defeat

I feel like this semester has been more successful than last semester. Last semester, I didn't have any opportunity to take quizzes or tests online. Trying to neatly write my answers in pen or pencil was challenging, and it made trying to be successful often frustrating at times. Last semester, I really felt like giving up and quitting school altogether. I didn't think I'd ever be academically successful- and reach the goals that I had imagined for myself for such a long time.
This semester, those goals of mine finally came true. Passing English isn't anything new. I'm naturally good at writing, so it isn't a big surprise that I'm doing so well in English. Of course, I faced a few challenges in my English class this semester, like working with a group and writing a research paper. I worked as hard as I possibly could to try to make these challenges less of an obstacle, and I think I really succeeded at this.
Math didn't come as an easy hurtle to overcome. One of the challenges I faced was trying to understand what the teacher was saying. Because our teacher had such a heavy accent, it was really difficult for anyone to successfully be able to understand what he had been trying to tell us. I also had the challenge of trying to get him to realize and understand that I can't see what he writes on the blackboard because I'm legally blind. Testing was also a challenge, as all the tests were on paper, so it made writing clearly tough- even when I didn't really think much about how much time I had.

Math Requirement Completed

I am officially done with school for the summer. My math final on Monday is the very last thing, and then freedom for the summer. I'm sooooooo glad that I actually had a successful semester. Sfter the difficulty I had trying to get through last semester, I don't think I really had a lot of difficulty getting through this semester at all. For one thing, I am sooooooo relieved that I got my math requirement out of the way as early into my time here at UIS- as I actually did. I hope that this really means that I have fulfilled my math requirement, and I don't have to take anymore math while I'm here at UIS.

Babysitting

I can't wait to go home in less than a week. Babysitting my two "puppies" is a lot of fun, especially when Red, my mix-breed, sits on my feet. She makes getting up off a couch very difficult because all of her 80 pounds is on my feet. I can get up, but I can't move when she plants herself on my feet. She always wants to be with me, and she tries to get me to stay with her- solely by sitting on my feet, and making my toes feel as if they are being squished!
My little Chihuahua, Pocket, likes it when I don't go anywhere. As long as she has a lap to sit on, she's quite happy and content. She'll probably try to jump on my lap the second I try to sit on the couch to take my shoes off. . . not even waiting until I have changed into my slippers to try and get me to pay attention to her- and only to her.

Post Rainy Day

It's raining,It's pouring!T
his rain delay is boring.
The Cubs game stopped,My radio sounds like it popped-And the game may not resume til morning.
Rain, rain!
Go away,
Come back some other day!I
want you gone-and the clouds to clear the way,So the Cubs can continue to play.

Boy, do I hope this rain delay ends soon. I'm getting bored with the rain delay programming on WGN radio.

That's what I was wishing yesterday, when the Cubs game got rained out. Today, fortunately is another story. The Cubs are playing a game and a half today- thankfully, it isn't raining at all. The Cubs actually managed to pull off a victory from the game that got rained out yesterday- and had to be finished late this morning.

Celebrating Academic Success

No more classes! YIPPPEEEEEEEEEE! Really, I only have to take an online quiz and final for my math class; however, that's pretty much all that I have left to do to close out the very few days that are left of my very first year here at UIS. The fact that I have survived my very first year at UIS is totally amazing, and it has been quite exciting and fun all at the very same time. Was I the least bit scared about surviving this first-ever experience? Maybe a little to begin with, but that fear gradually disappeared once I got involved in activities, which I have thoroughly enjoyed all year long.
I can now say that I HAVE SURVIVED MY "FIRST" YEAR OF COLLEGE, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE HAD TO START ALL OVER AGAIN AS A FRESHMAN. It has allowed me to grow academically in subject areas that have, in the past, always been quite troubling for me. Math is an area that I feel I've overcome this semester, and if I had to take math again. . . I'd definitely do whatever it took to be a good student.

Academic Success

Today is my last day of English. The only thing that will take place is writing a reflection about the last essay- and possibly about what we learned from taking the class. I don't think this is going to be a hard day at all; it'll actually be fun for a change. Last days of school are usually a lot of fun, anyway. . . so this shouldn't be any different from other academic years- during elementary school, high school, and my first year or so of college- at Roosevelt University, of course.
I think that this semester was awesome. I have finally "overcome" my academic struggles. At least, I certainly hope so. If I've successfully improved academically, I hope that I can do just as well next school year. I certainly won't give up trying to acheive the goals that I set for myself, and I won't let anyone else try to tell me that I won't be able to acheive academic victory- because of the challenges my disability has given me all my life.

Rain And Baseball

It's raining,
It's pouring!
Rhis rain delay is boring.
The Cubs game stopped,
My radio sounds like it popped-
And the game may not resume til morning.
Rain, rain!
Go away,
Come back some other day!
I want you gone-and the clouds to clear the way,
So the Cubs can continue to play.

Boy, do I hope this rain delay ends soon. I'm getting bored with the rain delay programming on WGN radio.

Wow

I think I worked extremely hard this semester to be doing as well academically as I currently am- this close to the end of the school year. I'm actually surprised that I'm passing both of the courses I'm in- done with, actually. It has been about 15 years- third grade- since I got either straight A's or B's in all my courses. After that year, I no longer got straight A's or B's in anything; my grades began to slip, even though I thought that I was seriously trying my absolute best to maintain good academic records.
If my final grades stay where they currently rest, I'm not even going to be surprised. However, this will definitely call for a celebration when I finally return to Chicago for summer vacation. However, E.J., my annoying younger brother, might actually think that I didn't get good grades at all- that it never happened this semester.
See, last semester- while I was struggling- my brother was getting all good grades. I felt a bit jealous of him; however, I understood that school is more of a challenge for me because of the challenges that being legally blind has presented me with for so many years. I guess this semester allowed me to overcome this challenge just enough to get decent grades in math and English.

A Successful Semester

I am sooooooo glad I made it through my first year at UIS. This semester, I've all but passed the two classes I took-English and math. Having good grades in English isn't surprising at all; however, having a B- in math is unusual. I mean, I understand that these aren't even the final grades, but they are to me. . . a sign that this semester was a very difficult semester, and I tried to work really hard to be successful.
Doing well in English wasn't all that hard. I kept up quite well with any reading assignments we had, and I never really missed a writing assignment. Since writing is one of my passions, this class was absolutely no problem to keep up with. Unlike other classes, the pace of this one was not the least bit difficult to keep up with. . . NOT AT ALL!
Math, on the other had was tough to keep up with, but that's because the teacher didn't really take the time to thoroughly explain the lessons and concepts in a way that was easy for everyone in the class to understand. Not only that, but trying to take the quizzes on paper was hard because of the time limit. Finally, the make-up midterm was given on-line, and the teacher then realized that taking a test on the computer is easier for some students than taking a quiz or test on paper.

My Big Moment

Taking part in the ICRF convention yesterday was a good experience. Unfortunately, I had a hard time trying to understand just what was going on around me. It was my first time ever going to a political convention, and I had no idea really what people were talking about. Therefore, I didn't really gain a lot of knowledge out of my experience. However, witnessing how officers get elected really lit my fire to want to do something new.
I am still shocked at what I'm getting myself into over the next year. I only made the decision to take on this endavour after attending the ICRF Convention yesterday. Seeing how a larger group of CRs of smaller delegations of different schools all across our state come together to unite as one huge group is part of what has inspired me to run for 1st or 2nd Vice-Chair of the UIS CRs.
Aakash is the main person who has inspired me to run for one of the top officer positions in our CR chapter. He had talked to me about it once, prior to us going to the convention yesterday- then he talked to me again about it while we were at the Convention. I remember that I was excited about being nominated by the one CR who has mentored me all semester long- allowing me the opportunity to have political experiences to learn how I might be able to change the world someday.
So, I'm going to do it. I thought a lot about what it might be like to be in politics- starting now. I was so excited about this chance, I wrote a speech immediately after returning to campus last night.

My name is Nico Echols, and I am a transfer freshman from Roosevelt University in Chicago. Although I’ve only been here at UIS for almost a year- and involved with the CRs for a semester, I feel as though I have been a part of this political family forever.As First or Second Vice-Chair of the UIS College Republicans, I will do whatever, I can to improve our organization and bring a political presence to our campus.I will • Work with the chairman to recruit new members, both undergrad and grad students• Develop effective methods of improving our attendance rates for meetings and events• Help plan activities that will gain the attention of other CR chapters.• Bring attention to the idea that people with disabilities can be involved in politics.• Bring various CR chapters together to create a big network of students.I feel that I am extremely qualified for this duty.I have• Been active in the College Republicans this semester• Regularly attended the meetings• Worked on election campaigns for our candidates• Brought my helpful imput to the meetings• Attended two College Republicans’ sponsored events outside of the UIS chapter.• Been active in the athletic eventsPlease Vote for me, and I will work for you. By working together, we can all make a huge difference in the future of the College Republicans here at UIS. Thank You.

By giving this speech, I hope to win the election

The Night Will BEGIN

In only an hour and a half, Relay for Life starts. I'm sooooooo PUMPED for this event. I can't wait to help the American Cancer Society raise money for cancer education and research. It'll be a very positive experience on the campus of UIS, that's for sure. I'm glad I have the opportunity to actually be involved in such a worthwhile cause. Ending the semester on such a positive note- and showing everyone that even students with disabilities can be involved in something big- are the goals that I think I am now about to acheive in the next 12 hours.
A "Night of Mayhem" will soon take place just feet from LRH. It'll be amazing to see just how crazy things actually get tonight. I hope all of the teams and spectators are ready for 12 hours of craziness. After getting help taking a shower at 10 this morning (my personal assistant helped me), getting my hair style touched up, eating a MONSTROUS breakfast/lunch at 10:30, drinking two Mountain Dews, exercising for twenty minutes in the Great Room, followed by a nap- I'm ready for tonight!

Relay For Life Followed By a Convention

I can't wait for this evening's fun to get underway. "Relay for Life" is the name of the game for this particular Friday night. Luckily, I'm super PUMPED for it. Within the last three hours, I ate a HUGE breakfast/lunch, and I also drank two monstrous cups/bottles of Mountain Dew. Having done that, I will definitely be able to stay awake for quite a while.
I'm doing this event in my wheelchair, so my legs won't get tired. Even though this year's Relay for Life event is on the UIS campus, walking for 12 hours is just impossible. I don't want to get warn out early into this evening's festivities. That wouldn't make me happy whatsoever. Therefore, I'm going to do whatever it takes to stay up through the entire event- no matter how my body tries to shut down.
When Relay for Life has finished, I'm not going to be able to stop to sleep. It's off to a College Republicans convention in Macomb, Illinois. I've never been to an event like this, so it'll be yet another first for me. Hopefully, it will be a lot of fun and very exciting.

Results of Lobby Day

The Lobby Day on Wednesday was awesome! I got a chance to meet the president of the University of Illinois. My other two friends, who are trying to fight to get adapted sports and accessible fitness equipment on our campus- and I, met with the President briefly prior to the group heading to the Capital, and we told him about what we are trying to do. He was really impressed, and he later acknowledged me again during his speech in front of all of the other colleges/universities throughout the state of Illinois later that same morning. I felt like I had done something/in the process of doing a wonderful thing that might benefit the UIS campus some day- as he put me on the spotlight that morning infront of all those people. I wasn't embarrassed; I was excited that I'm actually doing something good for the UIS community.
Luckily, it didn't rain on our event, so that was good. I'm actually glad I attended, because I really wanted to represent the disability community well at UIS in our attempt to get what we want out of our UIS experiences. I'm very hopeful that I acheived my goal- and if not, I won't give up until my goal has been successfully reached.

Making Memories

The night before my big outing has been crazy. I've been thinking a lot about just how wonderful tomorrow's adventure is actually be- and just how exhausted I'm going to be upon returning later in the day. Of course, I won't mind being exhausted- after the experience. Having this experience is going to create so many memories that are definitely going to stick with me forever. Even when I'm on summer vacation, I'm still going to reflect on the awesome experience of Lobby Day.

The Countdown To Statewide Higher Education Lobby Day

Only 15 hours left until Lobby Day. I can't wait!

Lobby Day is Wednesday, not today. Unfortunately, I didn't learn the correct date until this morning. All this after I had cleared my entire day for this event. I was ready to learn what Lobby Day is; however, it's only a minor snag in my week- a snag that Student Life created because the incorrect was in the e-mail that had been sent out last week. When I had previously e-mailed my English teacher about this event, I was thinking that it was today. However, I typed Wednesday's date instead. Luckily, she said I could go. . . and I appologized for any confusion about today.Fortunately, I get to give this schedule another try on Wednesday. I'm really looking forward to a fun-packed day, and I am prepared to roll around our state Capitol in my wheelchair. This is going to be a HUGE event, bringing college students from all over Illinois, I imagine. I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to meet new people, but I'm also a bit nervous about this new experience.This is an event for lobbying for better education reform for all students in our state. I would like to have the opportunity to encourage our legislators to improve educate reform for students with disabilities. I feel that, like low-income students, we are a population that has a great deal of challenges when it comes to getting a decent education- whether it is high school or college.

Lobbying During A Spring Thunderstorm

I usually check a weather report before I do any outdoor activity or even venture outside. It doesn't matter if I'm going to school/class- or even just to the PAC to get food. No matter what the reason for venturing outside, I always check a weather report to find out whether I should dress warm, or even if it is supposed to rain.
Today was no different. As always, I logged on to www.weather.com to find out if the Education Lobby Day for tomorrow is going to be a wet one. Based on information that I looked at, there's a 60% chance of rain tonight; however, tomorrow brings an 80% chance of our event being wet.
I don't mind the ugly weather. In order to keep my hair looking neat, I'm going to wear my Cubs hat. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how well that is actually going to work for me. If the hat gets wet, my idea's not going to be a very good one. Well, I still have some time to completely figure all this out before tomorrow's big adventure.

An Experience 2 Years Overdue

This is my second rally-type event I'll have been to in the last two years. The first "youth" event I took part in was in Washington, D.C. two years ago. That particular event was supposed to be entirely geared towards the youth who were in attendance. Youth from practically all across the contry came to D.C.for this conference. Unfortunately, the only event that was remotely geared towards the youth participants was a youth panel. The remainder of the event was geared towards parents and educators.
This particular event appears to be the exact opposite. The whole thing is centered around students voicing their concerns about the state of our education system. It's nice that students are finally getting the chance to voice how they feel the current education system is being run. After about two years of not being able to speak out about education, I'm glad that I finally am getting a chance to speak to lawmakers about my concerns about how students with disabilities are not always "equal" when it comes to education, especially in college.
The difference between the two experiences is probably the amount of walking. In the experience from two years ago, the entire event was housed in a hotel, so there wasn't much walking involved. In the instance of this event, however, their's going to be a great deal of walking outside, as well as inside. Therefore, I'm using my wheelchair so I don't get tired during this AWESOME experience.

A Week of Craziness

This week is going to be so busy for me. Of course, school keeps me busy, but I have activities this week, outside of school craziness, that are going to keep me on my toes. Pretty much each day this week- beginning tomorrow is going to bring it's own form of craziness/busy time for me. Hey, I probably won't have much time to update my blog entries if I'm on the go each day.
Tomorrow is Lobby Day at the State Capitol, so that's going to keep me busy for the entire day. I wonder what Lobby Day's actually like. All I know for now is that there are going to be lots of people at this major event. Good thing I'm bringing my wheelchair. It would be a challenge just trying to get around among all the throngs of people. Regardless of this being a packed and crowded event, I am still very excited- and looking forward to it.
Luckily, there isn't anything going on between tomorrow and Friday. I hope I'll be able to use that one day's rest to recover from the craziness of tomorrow in preparation for Friday's major craziness. I don't really remember when I've actually had any downtime since I've been at UIS, especially since I've been getting involved in so many campus activities.
After my one day of "down time", it's back to craziness. Friday is when the craziness resumes. Relay for Life is going to take up the entir campus, and it's going to be all night. I think I'm going to have to drink a lot of Mountain Dew that day, just to be able to stay awake all night long. Staying up all night for a good cause is an acception to my normal sleeping routine schedule.

Illinois Students Have Their Say

Lobby Day is Wednesday, not today. Unfortunately, I didn't learn the correct date until this morning. All this after I had cleared my entire day for this event. I was ready to learn what Lobby Day is; however, it's only a minor snag in my week- a snag that Student Life created because the incorrect was in the e-mail that had been sent out last week. When I had previously e-mailed my English teacher about this event, I was thinking that it was today. However, I typed Wednesday's date instead. Luckily, she said I could go. . . and I appologized for any confusion about today.
Fortunately, I get to give this schedule another try on Wednesday. I'm really looking forward to a fun-packed day, and I am prepared to roll around our state Capitol in my wheelchair. This is going to be a HUGE event, bringing college students from all over Illinois, I imagine. I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to meet new people, but I'm also a bit nervous about this new experience.
This is an event for lobbying for better education reform for all students in our state. I would like to have the opportunity to encourage our legislators to improve educate reform for students with disabilities. I feel that, like low-income students, we are a population that has a great deal of challenges when it comes to getting a decent education- whether it is high school or college.

Many Voices

I really hope that Lobby Day is inside tomorrow. Since it has started to get stormy, I don't think I'd want to be outside in the ugly weather. Even though I'll be in my wheelchair, I don't have an umbrella- so being outside for any length of time tomorrow would cause me to get quite wet. Getting soaked on Lobby Day would not be very fun at all. I know the other Lobby Day participants would probably feel the same way.
Regardless of the ugly weather, Lobby Day must go on as always. It's very important to fight for what we believe in. I'm participating in this day because I want to see a change in how the disability population in our state is currently perceived. Unfortunately, we don't seem to get much assistance. Majority of people with disabilities don't have an easy time getting jobs, and school is difficult for us as a result of the accommodations we often need to be successful.

An Interesting Opportunity

Tomorrow morning brings an awesomely amazing opportunity for me. I have the chance to lobby on the State Capital. I'm not really sure what that exactly consists of; all I know is that I would really like to see some chances for the disability community on our campus to have their chance to be able to enjoy life. Right now, that is a challenge- since there aren't really any sports/fitness programs that are tailored to our needs. Plus, there is currently no fitness equipment that is accessible to our abilities.
Hopefully, that will soon change. If not this year, I hope this happens in the near future. I, and a few of my fellow Disability Rights Activism friends have started a petition to encourage our University to impliment some adaptive fitness programs, so that the special needs students will feel like we are an equal part of this campus community.
I hope that- by lobbying tomorrow, I can try to inform our legislators that they need to help the students with physical disabilities all over our state, not just here at UIS. Disabled students all over this state often feel like they really aren't equal members of their communities, due to lack of accessible sports and fitness programs.

No More Cardinals

I hope that the Cubs can win their game against the Cardinals this afternoon. It would be amazing if that actually were the case. However, the Cardinals are a difficult team to beat, as a result of who their players are. The Cubs always have a tough time beating them- no matter if the game is at Wrigley Field in Chicago or Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Regardless, I'd really like to see the Cubs win the weekend series. I don't like the Cardinals much, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they don't repeat as World Series champions again this year. However, the way they're playing against the Cubs this afternoon sure makes me think that the Cubs are going to really have a difficult time facing the "birdies" this weekend.
Luckily, we just got a base-hit in our half of the ninth inning. Maybe there's a light at the end of this game's tunnel, meaning that we'll squeak by with our first victory against the "birdies" so far in this young 2007 major league baseball season. It would be completely awesome if we manage to win this afternoon's game.
Not cool! Some debris has been thrown out onto the field, and there was a short delay in the game. When play resumed, the Cubs struck out again. . . unfortunately, allowing a chance for the Cardinals to win the game this afternoon. Well, tomorrow's another game, and it's a later start. Hopefully, it'll be good for the Cubs, and they'll be able to win.

The Interview

I hope that my interview goes well this afternoon. It's been a while since I took part in the self-defence class, but I still remember that experience- even 6 months after I participated in the program. Because I still remember my experiences of that program The memories of being involved in self-defence training are still sticking with me- even long after the program has ended.
I hope that my participation in this interview will help to create a program that will be interesting and informative to the girls on the UIS campus.

A New Look

I am in the process of getting my hair done, so it'll be nice and pretty. Although my hair is nice every day, it's nice to have a change once in a while. This time, I've pretty much had the same hair style through my teen years- long to shorter-length hair that was only brushed and combed, but never put in braids or any particular style. Now that it's pushing the end of the school year, I believe that it's time for a much-needed "Extreme Makeover: Hair Edition".
I never thought that I'd go back to having a hair style, where my hair was in braids, since I was afraid that my hair might not be long enough at this time. However, my Personal Assistant- who comes twice a week (on Mondays and Wednesdays) told me that my hair was the right length to be put into braids, and she started working to prove it.
She informed me that we would need some hair items for the creation to fully be a success. She and I went in search of rubber bands, combs, and hair gel-type things. Unfortunately, most of the girls in 1 West weren't in their rooms during this time, so we pretty much were temporarily out of luck. So, my PA was only able to find a few rubber bands, and she put braids on the top of my head, informing me that we'd need some more.
Knowing that she'd probably want to continue styling my hair the next time she comes to visit, I e-mailed my mom to let her know what we'd need. My mom was happy that I was getting my hair done, and she said that she'd send the things that we would need in the next package. Once we get the other hair items, our styling party will continue.

An Amazing End

I am glad that this school year is winding down. At times, it's been stressful academically and emotionally. Making the transition from a fairly big school to a slightly smaller one has had its ups and downs over the course of this academic year- a year that has often made me wish that school wasn't quite so stressful. It's been especially stressful since I have a disability that can often make my life tough.
Luckily, I'm not the type of person who lets the stress of school and life get me down. If it does feel like school is too stressful, I try to not let that bother me for very long, and I do my best to focus on something I really enjoy- something that won't cause a lot of stress, such as writing blog entries or spending time with good friends.
Having such a complex life-long disability, plus trying to make it through school, has been exhaustingly tough this year. No matter what challenges I had this year, I have still enjoyed the new experiences I've constantly had throughout this academic year.

Transitions

I am so glad that the school year is coming to an end. This year has been a big transition for me. Not so much a transition into living in a college dorm, but a transition into making a decision about possibly living off campus while going to school. There hasn't been a lot of transition into the amount of homework I've had to do, as I got used to this type of study habit while I was attending Roosevelt University.
I feel that I've adjusted quite well in my transition into college, regardless of having to start all over again as a freshman. Even if I hadn't had to start over, I think I would have still needed to adjust into my new life. I guess all college students go through this same transitioning, no matter if they are just beginning college for the first time or if they're transferring to another school.

What A Day, What A Night

A lot has happened since my last blog entry. I'm soory I haven't been writing, but I've been on the go quite a bit this week.
Yesterday, I voted in the city elections, which was awesome. Luckily, a fellow College Republican came along to read the ballot choices to me- so I could vote successfully. It's too bad that it wasn't my "mysterious man" helping me. He would have been a good helper.
After voting, I made a stop at the home of one of the candidates. I learned that getting into her house was a challenge. The stairs only had a railing on one side, which was quite wobbly. I didn't stay for long, because I had yet another adventure waiting for me. Luckily, it was in Springfield, so I didn't really have too long to sit in the car. I'm glad a fellow College Republican, like myself, took time out of a crazy day to be a part of the political craziness.
I tried my hand at poll-watching; however, that didn't go very well at all. It was a bit boring, but the CR president bought me a can of Mountain Dew, so it wasn't like I had tried this experience for nothing. . . What would you have done in my place?
Next, on to Headquarters, where I did some phone-banking. I called people to encourage them to vote, if they hadn't done so already. After making the first call, I had the little speech I was to give memorized. This job only took me about thirty minutes or so to complete.
Back to school briefly to relax for a while, before party-hopping. That's what I said- partyhopping. I visited each winning candidate's victory party, all of which had food. Each party I visited, I drank more Mountain Dew. I ate a hot dog at one party, then two little slices of pizza at another; however, I drank a cup/glass of soda at each location. Boy, was I wide awake and hyper.
Upon returning to school late, like near midnight, I was exhausted. . . but happy. It had been a very successful and busy day. I don't think I've ever had so much fun like that before. Oh, wait! Yes, I have. . . BWW last week; however, the "mystery man" wasn't present

"Late" English Homework

I'm surprised that I'm the only one who has posted to the questions for English on Blackboard. Knowing that our teacher just set up the forum this morning really doesn't surprise me as to why nobody else has responded yet. Luckily, the forum is going to be up all week, instead of only for one class. . . allowing more people to have an opportunity to answer the questions completely and thoughtfully.
An interesting twist is that she's going to give extra points to anyone who posts to Blackboard before class tomorrow morning. I really don't need any extra credit; however, I look at it as an opportunity to boost my grade. I'm happy with the grade I have now, but I'd like to have a higher one- it would just make me happier, and make me feel awesome about all my hard work that I've been doing this semester.

BOOOO

It's the Cubs' half of the 9th inning, and we're still down by a run. We already have a runner at 1st base, and we have one out. Even though we have one out with a man on base, who's about to make a scoring attempt, I think that this is going to be our chance we've been waiting for all afternoon long. Two outs and a man on base. . . I think we can still manage to pull of a victory- even it if it's going to be a close call. I'm keeping my fingers tightly crossed that the Cincinnatti Reds don't let us lose to them again, allowing them to win this weekend series. Unfortunately, they ended up taking the series, and by a one-run margain.

Time For A Little Break

Time to stretch our sore legs. . . but not before striking the Cincinnatti Reds out in order. They can't be allowed to score anymore, as they've already scored the game's only run. The Cubs still have a chance to win this game, but they first have to keep the Cincinnatti Reds from attempting to score anymore for the rest of today's game.
The Reds have now gone in order, and it's time to sing:
Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the Crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I ever come back.
Lets root, root, root for the Cubbies.
If they don't win, it's a shame.
And it's 1, 2, 3 strikes- you're out,
At the old ball game.

In The Middle of The Game

It's the end of the top of the 5th inning, and the current score is 1-0 in favor of the Cincinnatti Reds. Honestly, I really don't know when or how they managed to score one run, when I was actually hoping that today would be another chance for the Cubs to do a great deal of damage- and actually win two games in a row this weekend.
It's now the bottom of the 5th inning, and I really hope that this is the chance for the Cubs to turn things around. I don't think the Cubs are going to be able to do any scoring damage if they get struck out by the Cincinnatti Reds, who have struck out two Cubs hitters already in this part of the 5th inning. Boy, do I hope that our next hitter can get on base, rather than striking out. Finally, the guy at bat is trying to get on base. We needed scoring chances; however, the 5th inning just didn't allow that to happen.
On to the 6th inning, and I hope that we can strike Cincinnatti out in order, without allowing them to score again. It's about time the Cubs make an attempt at striking the Reds out in order. Cincinnatti most definitely doesn't deserve to win this afternoon, regardless of the nice weather. Good bye, Reds. Now it's our turn to do all the scoring.

The "Mysterious Man" of My Dreams

Dear Lupa, you wonderful "mysterious man",

You are the greatest person in all the universe. I hope that you and I can get to know each other better. I feel like I rarely ever see you, and you probably feel the same way about me. How I know this is from what your roommate has hinted about, along with what Faith has also told me. I'm sorry if you don't believe me, but I feel the same way about you.
You don't have to hide how you feel around me- I won't bite. I'm the sweetest, most lovable person you could get to know. All I ask is that I get the opportunity to get to know you better, too.

Yours truly with love,
Nico

The "Rubber" Game

I really hope that the Cubs can win again today to win their three-game series against the Cincinnatti Reds. After an exciting game yesterday, in which the Cubs shut out the Reds by the score 7-0, I hope a similar performance takes place this afternoon. For once, the weather is nice enough to allow a wonderful game to actually take place on this quiet Sunday afternoon in April.
It's the top of the 1st inning, and the Cubs have already struck out two Eeds' hitters. I think that the Cubs are going to be able to shut the Reds down quickly, so they can put some runs on the board and do some major early-inning damage. With now two hitters out in the top of the 1st inning, it appears that the Cubs are preparing for a huge bottom of this inning.
One, two, three. . . the Cubs have struck out the Cincinnatti Reds in order, making the first half inning go quite uickly. Now on to their half of this inning. Let the damage begin! Although we had two men on base, we unfortunately failed to do any scoring damage- ended up striking out. Oh, well, the game still has a long way to go. We still have lots of time left to do damage

No Longer A Follower. . . Now A "Leader"

I totally identify with the Church that I visited last night. It isn't "traditional", and there seemed to be more young adults there than I have seen at the churches back in Chicago that my mom and I have been to. I like it this way- young adults being introduced into a different way of looking at Christianity, and not being forced to believe what the Church thinks of the Christian religion.
Being the oldest of two kids, I'm glad I have the opportunity to "explore" my world, even if I have a challenging disability. If I were still attending Roosevelt University, I'd still be going to many different churches with my mom, not really getting a chance to really discover what's the best setting for me and my belief system.

A New Form of Christian Thinking

My decision to further explore and learn about being a Christian is unknown to my mom. She only knows that I'm trying to find a church that I like here in Springfield that I'd like to regularly attend. She also only knows that I'm very active in CSF events and other activities here on the UIS campus. I'm afraid of telling her where my faith is leading me, for fear that she'll tell me that I've "already completed my learning about the Christian faith".
Having had to pretty much only get exposed to "traditional" Christian faith for many years- as long as I can remember- I think that I need to try something new. I've figured out that "traditional" Christian faith just doesn't suit me at all. It doesn't seem like the lessons are presented in a way that college kids would be able to understand and be able to apply to their own lives.

Being A Christian, Take Three

I'm so glad I have my CSF family to back me up in my tough decision to further explore being a Christian, and to actually answer God's calling. I may not still know my exact purpose in life, but I'm pretty sure I will eventually discover just what it is God wants me to do with my life. I wouldn't be able to successfully make this tough decision to further explore my Christian faith if it weren't for my CSF family. You guys are the greatest!
With my CSF family at my side, I'm well on my way to learning what my true purpose in life is. I've tried to figure it out on my own, but that has been really tough. Discovering this by attending church back home hasn't really allowed me to see this opportunity for myself. Sure, I was attending church because I knew that God had a plan in mind for me; however, I felt like it was really something my mom wanted me to do- although I wasn't getting into any kind of trouble.
Now that I am at UIS, I'm taking the "first step" in finding out for myself exactly what God has planned for me. I no longer have to hear messages that make me confused- messages about what I should do to become a good Christian. When I began exploring Christianity, I was attending the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired, and we had to take a course to learn the ways of the Church, as well as regulary attend Service on Sunday- which was tough for me as a result of the church not being easy to get to. Therefore I had to drop out of the program.
About two years ago, I tried again, only I had to take a three-month course that covered the same things I had just attempted to learn in the high school course. I did get confirmed on Easter, but looking back on these two very similar experiences, I really don't consider myself as being ready and prepared for living the Christian life because the courses didn't really talk much about the history of the Church- mainly about what you are and are not supposed to do. . . which wasn't very informative for me, I think.
Here at UIS, I think that I am now ready to receive God as my Lord and Savior. However, I still feel that you, as my CSF family, can still teach me about what it truly means to be a good Christian; how to read the Bible with an open mind, and how to understand its teachings. With you guiding me, I know I'll be ready for the life that is awaiting me.

A Decision I Felt It Was Time To Make

Making the decision to join the Living Word Fellowship Church was a challenging and difficult decision that I had to make. Luckily, I had the opportunity to go to the church last night to see if it was someplace where I'd feel like I actually belonged, or if it just wasn't for me. After taking part in all the dancing and singing, it was quite clear to me that I had found a church to call home.
Breaking away from the traditional church has been something that I've explored in the past; however, actually finding a church to attend just wasn't really possible. Getting to and from church involved trying to get transportation, and it was often difficult to go to church- knowing that my friends all attend different churches.
Now, I feel that this dilemma has finally come full-circle, and I can now resume persuing my personal goal and dream of learning all about what being a true Christian is really about. Personally, I don't think you really get a complete understanding of this interesting faith just by attending a traditional church. Sometimes, it's better to have some fun while learning at the same time.

Realizing My Life's Purpose

The most exciting thing happened to me last night. I was in CSF all night- taking over two different locations, of course.The usual CSF met in the Housing Commons, but their wasn't all that much excitement taking place at that time. It was announced that there was an exciting "College Night" party following the normal CSF gathering, a party off campus at a local church. Hmmmm- an all-night party, I wonder what's planned?I soon found out. The Living Word Fellowship Church, where a friend of mine goes, was open to all of the college students in Springfield. I thought, at first, that this might be a lecture-type of event, where a paster would preech the entire night. . . and there'd be no chances for the students to get involved in the worship/ I was wrong, it was just like CSF. . . .only 1ox bigger and louder.Being invited to the Living Word Fellowship Church made me begin to realize what my life's calling might be. I hope that I'll be able to continue going back to that church, and be able to someday be a member of the congregation. The nontraditional church is where I feel the Holy Spirit is directing me to, but it has taken me a while to begin to realize this

To My Family of Faith

I know that fully becoming a part of the Christian faith is going to take a lot of work. I'm totally ready for this challenge. In the past, I don't really think that I was actually ready for this next stage of my life. I don't think I knew how I was actually supposed to respond to God's calling, but I'm now ready to face this challenging journey that is ahead of me.
However, I don't think I can do this alone. I'm going to need the help of all my CSF friends. Will you teach me how to read the Bible, and actually be able to understand the many messages that it has to teach? With your guidance, I will someday be completely ready to follow the path that God has been leading me down for so long.

The "Mystery Man" Learns The Truth

I wonder how the "mysterious man" is going to react to my "surprise". I haven't even put it together, but I'm sure that's going to happen sometime soon. Of course, I'm not putting this little "sneak attack" together all by myself; I'm getting help from my good friends, even though I'm the one who thought of putting something like this together.
Really, this is going to be the surprise of the century. I don't think anyone else would even be able to come close to what my friends and I are creating. We're going to put a surprise together to end all surprises. Oh, this is going to be incredible! I wish I had thought of this earlier in the school year! How could I be so dumb, and wait until the school year was practically coming to a close?

Where Do We Stand?

Although the Cubs had their game on Wednesday postponed due to weather, they didn't lose their place in the Major League standings. According to www.mlb.com, the are:
**STANDINGS**//AL EASTNew York 4 4Boston 4 4Toronto 5 4Tampa Bay 3 6Baltimore 4 6
//AL CENTRALMinnesota 6 3Cleveland 4 2Detroit 6 3Chicago 4 4 Kansas City 3 7
//AL WESTLos Angeles 6 4Seattle 3 2Oakland 4 6Texas 4 5
//NL EASTNew York 6 3Atlanta 7 2Florida 5 4Washington 2 8Philadelphia 2 7
//NL CENTRALPittsburgh 5 4Cincinnati 5 4Milwaukee 5 4Chicago 3 5 (last night's game postponed because of snow)St. Louis 5 4Houston 3 5 //NL WESTSan Diego 6 3Colorado 4 5Arizona 7 3Los Angeles 6 3San Francisco 2 7

After today's game, that will definitely change. It's still a long way before this game is completely over, and I really think that the Cubs can beat the Cincinnatti Reds, while their rival teams are, hopefully, going to lose their games later today.

Being Interviewed is A Big Deal

I'm brinh interviewed about my experiences being in the Rape Aggression Defense course last semester. I'm so glad I'm going to be able to share a little bit about my experiences doing that program last fall. The fact that I have such a challenging physical disability is what actually made the program worthwhile for me. Really, I'd love to share these thoughts about it- and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to do so.
The weird thing about the interview is that it has already been cancelled and rescheduled once. Originally, I tried to schedule it for next Tuesday, which would have worked out perfectly for me. Unfortunately, that didn't work- as there is something going on at the Women's Center that day. I got an e-mail, asking me if the appointment could be rescheduled. . . and it's now scheduled for a week from tomorrow in PAC, so I'd be able to get some lunch-to-go beforehand.

Tonight's A Special Night

Tonight is such a special night. Pretty much everyone in 1 West is going out for dinner to celebrate Steven Lupa's birthday, even though it's a week early. I'm so glad we're having a party tonight. It'll be glad to go someplace that I've never been before, and try some new foods. That's why I'm not going to eat dinner when the cafe opens in a half hour.
No, we're eating a late dinner tonight-having a dinner party to honor the "mysterious man". He's going to LOVE it, I hope. I can't wait to see the look on his face when I give him the surprise birthday card my PA and I found on line and colored. I hope he appreciates the fact that I seriously took the time to think about him today. Sometimes, I think he often feels underappreciated by his friends.
That's not going to be the case this time. I want the "mysterious man" to feel very special this evening. Nothing is going to spoil this wonderful occasion. I've been excited about this night for a while, and I hope that he is just as excited about it as I am.

Winter. . . In April?

Illinois' weather is so unpredictible. We're in the middle of April, and parts of northern Illinois are currently under a Winter Weather Advisory- according to information from www.weather.com. Come on, MOther Nature, can't you make up your mind as to what spring weather should really be? Possibly three inches of snow could accumulate in the areas affected by this unusual springtime "winter storm".
While this weird winter weather is up north, Springfield- fortunately, or unfortunately- depending on how you look at rainfall. . . is going to get rain. Luckily, we're on the warm side of the storm, and we're not going to get that yucky stuff that'll be coming down north of here.
It's 6:15 in the evening, and it's unusually dark. I think that the stormy weather is on it's way. I'm glad I'm not going anywhere tonight. Without a proper raincoat and an umbrella, I would most definitely get soaking wet. Staying inside during a heavy- fairly rainstorm suits me just fine; however, trekking in the mud it leaves behind- using my wheelchair, of course- isn't all that much fun.

Rally Time

It's the bottom of the 7th inning, and the Cubs are up to bat. This is a good time for them to RALLY big time. I'd hate for the Houston Astros to get anymore runs in this game. That would be just terrible. The Cubs are going to rally this inning, I hope, enough to keep Houston from having any more scoring chances in today's game. It's a shame that the Cubs couldn't score in their half of the 7th inning. Maybe, they can prevent Houston from doing anymore scoring damage in their part of the 8th inning.
It's now the top of the 8th inning. I really hope that the Houston Astros are tired of scoring, and they'll just turing lazy. If they become lazy, they won't score anymore, allowing the Cubs to have a scoring chance. Luckily, Houston has two outs already in their portion of this inning. Unfortunately, they also have a runner on second base. Houston now has two base runners, and I'm worried that they might try to increase their lead with another score. Fortunately, the inning has ended, and the bottom of this inning is going to belong to the Cubs.
It's now the bottom of the 8th inning, and an error by the Houston Astros has occurred. It resulted in a base hit by the Cubs, which makes me believe that the Cubs are in comeback mode. Judging by the sound of the crowd at Wrigley Field, it sounds like the Cubs are in the midst of turning this game around. With two outs, this will be a challenge; however, I believe that it can be accomplished. Unfortunately, the Cubs failed to score. Hopefully, Houston will strike out in their half of the 9th inning.
Now, in the top of the 9th inning, I really hope that the Cubs can eliminate the Astros from having any further scoring chances. I really wouldn't want to hear that the Astros had the dumb nerve to increase their score. Hooray! So far, my wish is coming true; Houston has already struck out once by the Cubs pitcher, and again by the Cubs pitcher. One more out would be nice. Luckily, the top of the 9th inning ended without anymore scoring from Houston.
It's the bottom of the 9th inning, and our first hitter is trying to get on base. I think that this inning will be the turning point of this very long game. Yes! The baseball was hit so hard that Houston's pitcher couldn't get it fast enough, resulting in our first base runner in quite some time. Another base hit scored our first run, which tells me that we're back in this game- although it's so late in the game.
In front of a decent-sized crowd at Wrigley Field, the Cubs are working to be victorious in this afternoon's game. There are no outs in the Cubs' half of the 9th inning, and I know this means we're going to RAILLY enormously in this half inning. Cliff Floyd just blasted a base hit, and the tying run is up to bat. I am certain that this game will be tied, and it's possible that a need for extra innings will be the result. The score is now 4-2, and this game is turning out to be quite exciting. Maybe, there won't be a need for extra innings; however, the tying run is at 1st base. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, and the Cubs ended up losing again.

Technology Upgrade

I've just discovered that my current cell phone is malfunctioning more than I originally thought. I just thought that, since I've had this phone for so long that the battery was the only part of the phone that was misbehaving so much. NO! I've now figured out that, even if my phone's on, I'm beginning to have difficulty receiving and making calls. I sometimes get a "Welcome to Verizon Wireless" message if I'm trying to make a phone call or check my voicemail. Those clues tell me that my phone is no longer in proper working condition.
I'm glad that my mom's going to get me a new phone- one that's in proper working order- this summer. I might end up having to change my phone's service to Cingular, which wouldn't be too much of a bother. However, I wonder if I'm going to have the same phone number, and if I'll be able to transfer all the information from my current phone into a new one. . . or, if I'll have to re-enter everything.

Let's Win Today

It's the 2nd day of the Cubs first home stand of this new baseball season. Unfortunately, it's beginning the same way that yesterday's game did. The Cubs, in the top of the 5th inning are trailing by a score of 4-0 to the Houston Astros. I hate the "Killer Bees" because they are trying to keep the Cubs from winning a lot of games.
It's the bottom of the 5th inning. I really hope that the Cubs can put the breaks on this four-run lead that Houston has. Houston doesn't deserve to win two games in a row. The Cubs now have one man out, and a man walked- so I hope that this is the beginning of a MAJOR Cubs comeback. Hooray! It's about time we have a runner in scoring position. Maybe, we'll finally get a score- and drag this inning on for a bit longer.

Countdown To The End of the Semester

With only four or five weeks left in the school year, time is definitely going to start to pass quite quickly. Luckily, I only have two classes, and being busy with them helps the time to "seem" like it's going fast. Coursework keeps me busy, but it also wears me out a lot. The most tedious thing about taking two courses is that I have to go to the opposite end of campus for them. Wheeling myself to another end of this campus is stressful on my arms. By the time my day is done, my arms are sore and tired from all that pushing.
Summer should allow me to rest my tired arm muscles, before another gruelling academic year. My dad at first thought that I'd only be using my wheelchair during adverse weather conditions, but my disability doesn't allow me to carry anything heavy like a backpack full of heavy textbooks. Using my wheelchair eliminates me from having to carry a heavy backpack to and from my classes, and it helps me safely get around during crazy weather- even though it's exhausting.

Do I Deserve This

The pranks just keep coming. Last night, I asked my "mystery man" if he'd keep a watch out for the "prankster" while I took a shower. He said he'd be on the lookout for any "prankster"-like jokes, but I guess the "prankster was just too fast for us both. While I was in the shower, just about to get out. . . I heard the doorbell to the bathroom ringing. After that, I heard the sound of loud pounding on the door. Once out of the shower, it was time to investigate. After getting into pajamas, I poked my head out of the door, and asked the "mysterious man" if he had rung my doorbell and knocked on the door. He said he didn't do it; however, he was pretty sure that the "prankster" had struck yet again.
I was pretty sure that the "prankster" wouldn't do anything else last night, as long as I wasn't visible to him. Boy, was I wrong! Sometime late into the night, I thought that I heard the sound of my bathroom doorbell ringing. . . again. Luckily, it didn't continue for very long this time, and I thought that the "prankster" had given up for good.
This morning, I notice what he had tossed into my room last night, just before I left for the College Republicans meeting. I probably wouldn't have noticed the evidence if I hadn't felt around on the floor area near my desk and dresser. I found, candy and a bottle of Coke. I threw out the candy; however, I kept the Coke to drink later. The water bottle that the "prankster" had tossed outside my bedroom door a few days ago is still there, and I'm not keeping that. Luckily, the newspaper and empty cookie box have both been removed.

End The Jokes

Prankster,

These practical, late night jokes have got to come to an end. You are annoying me. I wish I knew why you are picking on me, and only me. What have I done to make you want to play these practical jokes- ringing my bedroom and bathroom doorbells and pounding loudly on my bedroom door late at night? If you don't STOP these pranks, I am going to get revenge on you. You won't know what I'm going to do, but I'll make you wish you didn't pick on me. Why do you choose to pick on someone who has a disability?

Sincerely,

Your victim

To My "Mystery Man"

Dear "Mystery Man",

I think you're very special. You're the nicest person I have met during my time living in 1 West. You don't play any jokes on me like the "prankster", and you've been very helpful when I need to borrow a stapler or laundry detergent. You know how to make a girl, especially a girl with challenges, feel loved. You'll always be in my heart, and I know I'm always going to be in yours.

Forever yours,
Your Secret Admirer

Every Other Monday

You'd think that my week only consists of school craziness. Sure, writing papers is stressful, but once every other week adds a bit more craziness. Luckily, I get any homework done before the real craziness actually takes place- craziness that wears me out quite a bit. Most college students experience craziness every day, but my craziness comes every other week- creating a bedtime of 11:00 every other Monday night.
Every other Monday night I have a College Republicans meeting at around 10. I usually don't get out of these meetings until 10:30 at the latest. Although these meetings aren't very long, it feels as though they tend to last for an extremely long time. The meetings are interesting, so the time that they normally last is never dull and boring; it's always quite informative and full of group participation, which is awesome.

Feed The Needy

A canned food drive is taking place on campus this week. It seems strange that there was no announcements made about it last week, and I just learned about it today. Donating food to less fortunate people is a wonderful idea; however, I only wish I knew about this sooner. Maybe, I could have asked my parents to donate some canned food that they might have.
Even though I just found out about this, I've already e-mailed my mom to ask her to donate any canned food. Hopefully, she'll be able to help out. Although she has already sent my care package, she's sending a smaller one this week with things that she had forgotten to include in the original package.

Bad Luck On Opening Day

On a chilly day at Wrigley Field, the Cubs lost their Home Opener to the Houston Astros. Luckily, the loss wasn't be a lot- only by two runs. I'm actually surprised that the Cubs didn't win the home opening game. I was hoping that, even though it's a bit chilly for baseball in Chicago, the weather conditions wouldn't keep the Cubs from playing a wonderful game. . . one in which they'd end up victorious. Unfortunately, today's game just wasn't meant to be. Too bad- maybe tomorrow will have much better results

Don't Mess With Our Favorite Teams

I'm not sure I was supposed to hear what I just heard. I think that it's not right for anyone to say anything mean about another person's favorite sports teams- especially if the person likes two teams- one being collegiate and the other being a professional team.
Personally, I think it's cool that people can like more than one team. As for me, I like the Cubs, Prairie Stars, Illini, Bulls, and White Sox. I'd hate to have heard what I just heard. Talking bad about someone's favorite sports teams is AWEFUL. I don't think anyone would like it if they heard another person say something hurtful about them or their favorite hobby.

Ouch! This Crazy Weather Makes My Lips Chapped

I REALLY hate this unusually chilly weather. My lips are super chapped, and they hurt quite a bit. It's as if I'm suffering from winter dry lips, but it's no longer winter. I think I'm going to nickname it "spring chapped lips' because the season is actually spring, even if it has felt like winter the last couple of days. Honestly, applying chapstick at night doesn't help, but it's probably because I'm only applying it at night. Maybe, to combat my painfully chapped lips, I should try to apply the chapstick in the morning as well.
Maybe. . . if Mother Nature would make up her mind, we'd be in a season that everyone's skin can live with. Bouncing back and forth between spring and winter-like temperatures is absurd. Winter should be long gone by now, and spring flowers should have their chance to have a good blooming season, instead of being threatened by a freeze several nights in a row.

Cell Phone Problem At the End of the School Year

Since I've had to charge my cell phone battery for about 7 hours between yesterday and today, I knew that something wasn't right. When I first got the phone as a surprise Christmas gift, I only had to charge it ten hours the first time- as it was brand new. After that, I could charge it for an hour or two, and it would be completely charged.
My dad, earlier this semester, suggested that I try an experiment. He wanted to see just how long my little phone could hold a full battery charge. On the days I didn't have school, my phone was on for five or six hours. The charge would last a week, two weeks, three weeks, a month. Since then, that's no longer the case with the battery. It's old, and not keeping a full charge let's me know that Dad's experiment no longer works.
I e-mailed my mom to let her know that my cell phone no longer holds a charged battery like it used to. She told me to try to deal with a half-functioning phone as best I could until the end of the school year, and she'll replace the phone. I'm glad she didn't try to suggest only replacing the battery, as I can't charge one battery with a replacement battery in the phone. My dad's phone isn't like mine. Our phones are different, and that makes it quite challenging for me to deal with a battery issue.

It's 4:30- Where Did Everyone Go

It's 4:30, and LRH is still unusually quiet. One West, in particular, appears to be totally abandonded. At this time, people are often milling about on my floor, and there is usually quite a bit of talking going on. It's welcome noise after it's been unusually quiet for so long. As quiet as it has been, it feels like the summer vacation time- when there is NOBODY on campus, except for the Youth With Disabilities Leadership Summit group.
It has been quiet like this since late last week-welcome quiet, though. I was able to work on English homework with very few distractions, but I miss my friends a lot. It feels like everyone has left me behind. Am I the only one on this floor who chose not to leave town for Easter weekend? Because LRH is currently a "ghost town", it sure feels like everyone wanted to go somewhere, and I wasn't invited.

What Happened to the Cubs Today

In the top of the 8th inning, the Cubs are trying to continue their comeback. They're pouring on the power, and two men are currently on base. I'm hoping that someone else gets on base, and the bases are loaded full of Cubbies. With only one out, I'm keeping my hope alive that a scoring opportunity is in the favor of the Cubs this inning. If that happens, it would be incredible. I'm thinking that the Cubs would like to get some more runs this inning.
With two outs already and two men on base, I wonder just what might happen next. It would be cool if a third baserunner allows the Cubs to score another run or two. I know that Cubs fans all over the country would love to see and hear an exciting end to the top of the 8th inning. Unfortunately, the Cubs were unable to score in their half of the 8th inning. Now, it's time to strike out the three Brewers hitters and do damage in the 9th inning.
It's now time to strike out the Brewers, and prevent any chances of them scoring again. So far so good- one hitter just struck out. The rest of this inning should go just as well. The Brewers, with one out already, have a man on base- and they're trying to increase their lead. Yet, there's simply NO chance of that happening.
With a pitching change in the bottom of this 8th inning, I hope that it eliminates the Milwaukee Brewers from actually scoring again. If the Milwaukee Brewers are kept from scoring again, the Cubs will have their chance in the top of the 9th inning to make a HUGE comeback in order to sweep this series. Unfortunately, however, the Brewers have just scored three more runs to have the lead of 9-4. That's the last straw! They had better not score again, so the Cubs can make a MONSTER comeback in the upcoming inning.
Now in the 9th inning, I hope that the Cubs can score, and reverse the damage that the Brewers are trying their best to cause. Unfortunately, one hitter has been struck out already. I'd hate to return to Chicago and open at Wrigley Field without having swept this weekend series in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Returning to the home field with a series sweep would be cool. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. Maybe, tomorrow will be a better day.

Let The Comeback Continue

It's the end of the 6th inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers failed to score again. I love this because it gives the Cubs a chance to make a real comeback in the upcoming 7th inning. The way the Cubs played their half of the 6th inning made me think that they weren't going to settle for a loss to the team from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I think that's just wonderful.
It's the top of the 7th inning. I hope that the Cubs can make a giant comeback, and prevent the Brewers from even hanging on to their ever-shrinking two-run lead. The Cubs, it appears, are about to get a man on base; however, the first batter ended up striking out. The Brewers feel that they can prevent the Cubs from scoring if they make a pitcher-change. I don't think they're going to have much luck, though. I predict that the top of the 7th inning is going to belong to the Chicago Cubs.
The Cubs just struck out their second batter, which stinks, but they're only down by two runs. Unfortunately, the Cubs couldn't do anything in this inning to score. Hopefully, their half of the 8th inning will result in a MAJOR comeback, and the series will end in a sweep.

The Papers Never Seem to End

Lately, it seems like I'm constantly writing papers for English. It seems like every week or two a new writing assignment gets issued. The lengths of the assignments vary; however, it seems like there's just no break in writing essays. Although I enjoy writing, academic writing is a lot more challenging than creative writing. . . . especially if the type of assignment is a research paper.
When I attended Roosevelt University, I don't remember there ever being so many papers being assigned one right after another. When I took English 100, 101, and 102 at Roosevelt University, the length of the papers didn't really exceed beyond four pages. I guess that was how the English department there designed the course requirements for the students at Roosevelt.
Maybe the English class I'm in here at UIS is more of an honor's-level course, and the courses at Roosevelt were merely preparing me for tougher courses that I might someday take. I'm glad I'm ready for such challenging work; however, constantly writing papers is exhausting work.

This Isn't How It's Supposed To Start

It's the end of the 2nd inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers have drawn first blood. The score is 4-0. At this point, I thought that the Milwaukee Brewers wouldn't be able to recover after their previous two losses to the Cubs- Friday and yesterday. Apparently, they seem to want to avoid a weekend series sweep. Boy, that would just make all Cubs fans quite upset! A series sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers would simply be AWESOME, if I do say so.
It's the top of the 5th inning, and the score is still 4-0. I can't believe that the Milwaukee Brewers are actually trying to get away with salvaging a win out of this weekend series. Knowing the Cubs, they'll come back, and they will hopefully win this game in exciting fashion.
It's the bottom of the 5th inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers are now leading 5-0. This is NOT how I pictured today's game to begin. The Brewers have the bases loaded, which makes me think that they're going to make an attempt at increasing their lead and avoid being swept by the Cubs. A Milwaukee win would be aweful, considering that they just scored another run- making the score 6-0 with nobody out.

Let The Sweep BEGIN

A sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers by the Chicago Cubs would be a good way to celebrate Easter today. I really hope that my wish actually comes true. The Cubs can begin their home-opener tomorrow with a one-series sweep already under their hats. Boy, wouldn't that just be AMAZING! Only the course of today's game will tell how things are actually going to turn out for the Cubbies this afternoon.
Although the game has only begun, the Cubs already struck out in order in their half of the 1st inning. Now, it's time to show the Brewers just who's boss by striking them out in order in their half of the 1st inning. Wouldn't it be something if the Cubs can manage to pull off an exciting game on this cold Easter Sunday?

Last Travel Before Summer Vacation

As it turned out, I didn't go to church today; however, I don't think I would have wanted to venture out into the unusually cold weather. Who'd want to go outdoors when the air temperature is winterlike? Personally, I'd like to stay in when the cold air is around- knowing that it makes moving about such a challenge.
Knowing that it's Easter weekend, I'm actually shocked at how many people decided to travel in such crazy weather conditions. Some of my friends live up north-close to or in Chicago, and it's colder there than it is here in Springfield. I would have thought that nobody would want to venture up north, knowing that it definitely feels a lot like winter never actually left that region of Illinois. Boy, am I glad I am not one of the travellers.
Knowing that we only have just a short time left before the end of the school year, I would have thought that people wouldn't go home this weekend. I thought that as many people as possible would stay on campus this weekend, and have Easter celebrations with their friends. I mean, pretty much everyone's going somewhere for summer vacation in May, anyway. I think that going out of town now- and then going again at the end of the school year is a bit too much.

Has Winter Returned

It's the 2nd week of April, and it no longer feels like spring. Spring has somehow been replaced by winter. The only good side to this is there's been no snowstorms- only a few snow flurries last Friday. Whatever happened to the nice spring temperatures. Winter should take a long vacation, and return when it's actually supposed to in December.
According to information I found on www.weather.com, a Freeze Warning is again in effect for tonight. Freeze warnings in April are highly unusual, but this is Illinois, where we constantly have ever-changing weather conditions.
Because the weather is playing an "April Fools" prank in trying to make people believe that it's actually winter, trying to dress correctly hasn't been very easy for me. I still have some long pants, sweatshirts, and long-sleeved shirts; however, my big winter coat is at home in storage. I honestly thought that I wouldn't need it again until the winter months, so my mom took it home with her when she thought it was all right to set out lighter-weight clothes. I still have some of my winter clothes just in case, but I didn't think the weather would act this unusual.

My Crazy Cell Phone

I don't believe this! I'm now charging my cell phone battery for the 2nd day in a row, and I still only have 2 battery strength bars- making my battery juice only at 1/3 of it's usual power. Normally, I don't charge the battery for two days. However, the battery has lately begun to need a longer period of charging than it used to. That's strange, considering that I only used my cell phone for only 1 very important call within the last week or so, as well as periodically checking in with my parents- to let them know if I needed anything or to let them know the latest on the Mary Bryant Home endavour.
I've had my cell phone for 2 1/2-3 years, now, and I'm beginning to think that a replacement battery might be in order. Thus, that might be challenging. Unlike my dad's phone, I can't charge the battery by itself- while having a replacement battery in the phone. To me, this sounds like I'm going to need a new phone.

The Right One To Help

Since I have a disability, I feel that I'd be a much better person suited for working with special needs students- not the Prankster. I know the challenges that are affecting students with disabilities because I'm among the disability population here at UIS. I have personal experience of challenges that I've had to face and overcome as a result of my unique disability; whereas, I'm not sure if the Prankster has any knowledge of the different disabilities that exist in the world.
Having a disability would allow me to use my experience to help other special needs students overcome the trials and tribulations that come with being a college student among an otherwise "normal" student body. Although there are probably many students with disabilities, I don't often see very many. Maybe, some students are afraid to show that they have a disability because they're scared that they won't be accepted by their teachers and peers. Using my experience of feeling like I'm not always accepted as a result of my disability would help me teach others that they shouldn't be ashamed of who they are. I don't think the prankster can do that.

Who Can Work With The Disabled Students

I can't believe it. Apparently David Edelstein is considering- seriously considering changing his major to Disability Studies. Why? Honestly, I don't see him working with people who have special needs. To me, that just doesn't seem to fit his crazy personality. Who'd actually believe that David would be good at working with disabled people?
This is something, according to Zach, that David has been considering- and talking about- for quite some time. I'm just now hearing about it. How well would David actually do working with people who might have learning and physical challenges- especially if I'm the first person with a disability that he's probably seen?

The Life of My Cell Phone Battery

I am in the process of charging my cell phone battery. It's taking a long time. When I first got the phone, charging the battery only took about an hour or two. My dad, since then, suggested that I keep my phone on for six to eight hours whenever possible, just in case someone is trying to get in touch with me. Lately, on days I don't have school, I've kept my phone on for pretty much an entire day.
Now that I've had my phone for about two years, I am no longer able to just charge the battery for an hour or two. Keeping my phone on for several hours causes the battery to run completely down. Charging for only an hour or two doesn't give me a full battery, so I end up charging the battery for. . . . sometimes four hours.

It's Quiet. . . Too Quiet

It's almost 8:00 in the evening, and it seems odd that it's so quiet for a Saturday night. Normally, there are people roaming about on my floor, but it seems as though everyone has decided to venture home to have Easter with their families. It's odd, though, because not everyone lives close enough to be able to venture home for the weekend. By it being so close to the end of the school year, as well, I thought that not many students would want to go home until the school year actually came to an end.
I wish that I could have gone home to have Easter with my family, but that just isn't really possible. Living in Chicago makes travel quite difficult. Just to go home for the weekend really doesn't seem worth a trip to and back. PLus, purchasing a train ticket isn't something that I have had experience doing on my own. . . and it can get fairly expensive travelling back and forth between UIS and Chicago.

An End To A Baseball Day

It's the 8th inning, and this game appears to be pretty much over. I have a feeling that the White Sox are going to win this game. The way I see it, the Minnesota Twins aren't going to be able to pull off a victory. This would certainly make my parents extremely happy. Wouldn't it be interesting if today ends with both Chicago baseball teams have victories? That would be quite interesting, indeed.
It's the bottom of the 8th inning, and the score hasn't changed. The White Sox are still leading by the same one-run lead. Honestly, I don't think they're going to have enough time or even a chance to increase the lead by much. It would be awesome, though, if that actually did happen. It'd be miraculous if the Minnesota Twins actually ended up winning this game; however, I seriously doubt that's going to happen.
Now. . . it's still the bottom of the 8th inning, and Juan Eurebe just pelted a home run. This now made the score 2-0. Too bad nobody was on base. If there were any base runners, the lead could possibly be more than just a 2-run stretch. It's interesting that the White Sox are able to have a lead like this, despite the unusually cold temperatures. Scott Posednic just scored, increasing the lead to 3-0.
Although the score is 3-0, Paul Konerko is going to try to increase the score. He couldn't do it, but a ground-ruled double resulted from his attempt. I'm actually shocked that, like the Cubs, the White Sox have lead the entire game. They didn't let the Twins score at all- whereas, the Cubs only let the Brewers score just once. Maybe this is a light that means the Sox are going to try to have a season just like the Cubs. Two teams with good records would be interesting.
This inning is stretching on and on. The bases are loaded, and I think that the White Sox are shooting for more runs. That would be quite interesting. With only two outs and the bases loaded, it seems as though the White Sox are really trying to win this game. It's entirely possible that they'll be able to win this game.
It's now the 9th inning,and the White Sox now have to strike out the three Minnesota Twins batters. If they can hold off any hopes of scoring attempts by the Brewers, this game will definitely be theirs for the taking. Hey, this game already is theirs, as the score is so great this late in the game. With the "Jenks", as my dad has nicknamed Bobby Jenks, the White Sox closer, the Sox will probably have a great opportunity to have this game won.The final score in this game was 3-0.

Baseball Games Are Fun

It's the bottom of the 4th inning. The White Sox score is still 1-0. Ouch! Jermaine Dye just got hit by a pitch. For this reason, the Sox now have a man on base- and it's only the beginning of their half of the 4th inning. Maybe this simply means that the White Sox are going to make every effort to win their game today.
The 4th inning has concluded without a change in the score. After a hit batter, resulting in a man on base, a double-play was turned to quickly end the inning. I'm actually not surprised that the White Sox didn't manage to score again. However, this game isn't even half over, so there is still a lot of game left for this to be anyone's day to win.

Winter And Baseball

I wish that spring would make a return appearance. I don't like winter trying to be in the place of spring. Because winter is trying to take spring's place, it is definitely not a lot of fun being outside. Who wants to take a walk or sitoutside if it is windy, cloudy, and unusually chilly by mid-spring standards? Personally, I wouldn't like to be that person.
A baseball game had to be postponed this afternoon, due to this crazy weather. A game in Seattle just got postponed as a result of an unexpected early-April snowstorm. Originally, snow came down as just tiny flurries, and the umpires thought that they would just have to delay the game until it stopped snowing. However, the snowflakes got bigger, and the game had to be postponed.
The baseball rules used to say that the game could be picked up where it left off during a weather related delay- no matter what the score was. If the delay took place in the fifth inning, with one team leading the other, the game could be called with the score as is- and that would be the final score. That isn't the case anymore.
According to what the commentators have just said, if a game is called as a result of weather, a delay isn't going to happen- resulting in the game resuming from when the game got called. The new rule is that the game has to get rescheduled and played from the very beginning- played all over again, erasing the score from when the game was stopped.

More Baseball

Since the Cubs have already won their second game, it is now time to find out what the Chicago White Sox are going to do. Like the Cubs, they are also playing in cold weather. Whereas the Cubs played in an inclosed stadium in Milwaukee, the White Sox don't have that luxury at U.S. Cellular Field. They have to suffer through the Chicago cold air and windy conditions.
Unlike the Cubs, I'm not really sure if the White Sox are going to be able to pull off a victory this afternoon. It could happen, but it's still early in the season to even think about any playoff hopes. I would like to begin thinking about playoff adventures for both Chicago teams, but you never know what's going to happen so early in this young baseball season.
It's the bottom of the 1st inning, and the White Sox have drawn first blood. That's odd, considering they already have two men on base. Normally, there isn't a score this early in the game. Of course, this could mean that the White Sox could do the same thing as the Cubs. It would be amazing if the White Sox won their game this afternoon.
It's the top of the 2nd inning, and it appears that the 1-run lead that the White Sox have in the early going of this game could possibly become erased. Luckily, the Minnesota Twins couldn't do anything to delete the 1-run lead that the White Sox have this afternoon. This game might actually turn out to be just like the Cubs game earlier today and last night.