So I have a good friend Colette (who is another story entirely...ask me sometime when I've consumed too much alcohol) who's parents are amazing and took it upon themselves to mail every single inhabitant of ground floor a lovely CERTIFIED CARE PACKAGE full of wonderfully random things and a detailed letter explaining their motivation behind some of the things they included.  Somehow they got it into their head that I was the RA (resident assistant) for the floor, so my package was slightly fuller and a little more random.  It consisted of:

1 package Tide detergent (lemon scented)
3 shammies
1 Moon Pie (banana flavored)
1 set Tiki themed corn picks
1 portable first-aid kit
1 wet-nap
1 coffee mug (aquatic themed)
6 plastic army men
1 D6
1 Toy Story action figure (horse)
1 set Ping-Pong paddles with three balls
1 toy car (candy filled)
1 plastic meatball/boulder
2 zip-lock baggies
1 packet ice tea to go
1 clothes pin
1 small paper bag
1 plastic whistle (with lanyard)
1 bendy straw
1 eraser (plastic)
1 small package floss
1 blue container with snap shut lid
1 package portable tissues
2 plastic spoons
1 plastic fork
1 16oz rubber mallet with a wooden handle

I have a very interesting thank-you note to write now. 

Bumbershoot was amazing!  I only managed to go one day, as opposed to all three last year, but I still saw most of what I wanted.

We started the day with Head Like A Kite where a the guy sang into a phone he'd rewired to act like a microphone, then went to see Paramore on the mainstage before watching Strange Fruit on the fountain lawn (Victor insists that they're nothing more then mimes on sticks...I disagree) and returning to the mainstage for The Offspring. 

Sort of puttered around after that...there were some awesome vendors to be perused, and some tasty (if not overpriced) beer gardens to be visited.  Finally, the day wound down enough that we made our way back to the mainstage for a politically charged  Superchunk concert (which was awful...I go to concerts to hear music, not a political agenda...even if it is one I sympathize with) and finally the band that I really came to see, Death Cab for Cutie.

Earlier in the weekend, I went to PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) which some are starting to hail as the new E3.  Even though console gaming isn't really my thing (it's all about the PCs!) it was a blast.  I got to play the new Gears of War 2, Warhammer Online, Starcraft II, the latest World of Warcraft expansion, Fallout 3, a ton of new Wii games and plenty of other fun things.  Plus, there was tons of swag.  Swag = Free = awesome.  I got this really cute stuffed animal called a Baby Salabounder who is absolutely adorable, and probably the softest thing I've ever touched.  I don't even remember the game he's from, and I'm ok with that.

I think thats about it...I'm suffering some allergies this morning, but hopefully the sushi run later in the day will encourage my body to get over it soon.

Oh, and the "official" move-in day is tomorrow...so much for my peace and quiet.  24 hours from now my hall will be full of moving boxes and crying moms who don't want to let their freshman babies go.  Not that I blame them, but still.

Much love!

Last night there were two students from PLU who were killed in a car accident.  I didn't know any of them personally, but in a community this small it affects everyone.

Since I work for KCNS, I figured I should probably cover it for the student news.  I wasn't allowed into the memorial service (neither was anyone else from any of the other news stations), but I was expecting that.  What I wasn't expecting, was the overwhelming feeling of guilt and disgustingness I've got for intruding on people mourning.  Even as a part of the community I still felt it.

I can't imagine what it would be like to be sent out on an assignment to deal with people that I didn't know.  I'm starting to wonder if it ever goes away, or if once it does it means that you've lost part of yourself.  I don't know.