Intermural Volleyball: Underdogs in Skinny Pants

"How did this even happen..."

Well today, I witnessed a miracle.

True,

it wasn't walking on water

or bursting something into flames

or witnessing a new sister or brother come into the family.

But it was a miracle-- no matter how small.

The subject is volleyball. You see, I aptly title my blog posts so if no one else reads this, at least I'LL know what I'm writing about. Else, getting off-topic becomes a common enemy, and a deadly censor to creativity if I fail to eventually get around to my point.

And no, it was not me who was wearing the skinny pants. And no, it wasn't the other girl on our team either. 2nd West Smith Hall guys decided to create a volleyball team for inter-murals, and the primary rule is 2 guys and 2 girls minimum. Apparently, we HAD 15 people on the roster: 13 guys and 2 girls. We were totally set right? Wrong. Our other girl could not be at our first game at 8:15pm.

Well shucks.

Did anybody think to ask a few more girls?

So upon finding a replacement in the form of my neighbor, Bethany, we set out to meet our team, only to find 3... not 13... THREE Smith guys waiting outside. One of which was the RA who almost fractured my jaw, so his eyes were a bit downcast as I asked his name again. I told him to not worry about it; the doctor confirmed it wasn't broken, so he he shouldn't feel bad!

We arrived to West Campus 10 minutes late for our first game.

And the referees weren't looking too happy about their thrown-off schedules.

Looking around the gym, we come to the conclusion that we will get spanked.

Russell: Oh my gosh, we are totally going to get raped.

Kat: Oh we'll be fine. I think it'll be more of a mild abduction. But nothing too serious. Hopefully.

We get on the court, and yes, we totally lose hands-down. I don't think we made it into two-digit numbers. But then the RA's roommate (called RAR. Get it? Rawr? hahahaha!) came later and we had a full team of six. The next game stunned us all:

WE TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY OWNED!

The other team was older and more serious.

We were laid back and relaxed, totally laughing and joking the entire time.

I guess that is a good strategy, but God totally granted us an undeserved win.

The sudden death round went as quickly as it began; it was momentum at it's finest, and we had the win.

Currently:

-I am on vocal rest.

-Spent the weekend away from campus, varied and exhilarating experiences entailed.

-I got my fillings in today (25 October 2010) and stitches out on thursday (21 October 2010).

-Learning how to read music, for reals.

-Researching for her first paper in Christianity and the Creative Process.

Subject: Cormac McCarthy.

- Loves her Alpha group to death.

- Falling in love with the music department and it's atmosphere.

-Had callbacks for the Spring musical, Man of La Mancha for the part of Antonia.

-Still eats at the Dining Hall everyday, but no longer with a new person.

-Craves Bible study.

-Is in awe over how many talented people are on this campus. Professors and students alike.

-Will be teaching middle schoolers how to loan money for their dream car.

-Hahaha... oh that should be exciting!

-Loves cereal, and chips and salsa.

-Walks everywhere now. No bike, no trolley. Occasionally I wear leg weights.

-Loves how often she gets mail from her beloved friends and relatives.

-Dislikes how few letters she has sent out to her beloved friends and relatives.

-Feels the thickening presence of God changing her heart and molding her toward a less worried, less insecure, more loving, caring, listening, challenging, patient, gentle child of God.

-Our next Volleyball game is at 11:15...pm!

Now if only our faith was as automatic as using a fork.

We do not hesitate or question whether we'll grab something.

We just know. :)

A Hard Smack to the Pavement.

"Okay, Katherine? Are you taking the Vicodin?"

I love bicycling.

If God didn't know better, I'd suggest he replace our legs with wheels and we could be Whemen and Whewoms (male and female creatures on wheels). Biking is as easy as breathing, good for the body, and good for the soul.

Because of biking, however, I am on medication.

Although I grow weary of the story, the story is now a part of me. Growing wear of the story means growing weary of who I am. What a depressing thought, indeed. SO! Here we go.

"It was a dark and stormy night-"

HEY HEY HEYYYYYY. That is NOT how it goes, Kat. Put. Yourself. Together MAN.

I was riding to West Campus at approximately 5:20pm on Monday, October 11, 2010.

My theatre audition began at 5:45pm.

I was riding my bike in the street at speeds of 25-30 miles an hour,

And turned left at the intersection and decided to get off the street.

Veering right onto an opening in the sidewalk, I noticed the lip was raised 1.5 inches above ground level.

Too late; I already veered.

The curb rejected my wheels and the impact sent me flying over my handlebars.

Luckily, my jaw broke my fall.

Then, my chin.

Then, I rolled.

Enormous pressure and shock and pain exploded throughout my body.

My chin was numb, my jaw was numb, my head was throbbing.

A car pulled over, and a lady hand me tissues right as blood started spattering the sidewalk.

I spat and teeth shards shot out of my bloody mouth. I rolled my tongue across my teeth and another shard, larger than the first, dismembered itself from my left molar and popped out onto the sidewalk.

I was in total shock. What had just happened?

Some boys came by and picked up my bicycle while the lady named Jennifer attended to me while Campus Security called an ambulance.

Clearly, I was not going to make it to auditions.

Jennifer was the director's good friend and neighbor, so she got my information to pass along to him. Thank the Lord for sending her.

The ambulance picked me up and took me to the Emergency Room.

I waited for a room for what I think was a half an hour.

They scanned me. Another wait. They did a CT scan. More waiting.

Two hours later, I am in a white-lit room by myself, feeling numb and uncomfortable.

I broke my jaw, tore my ear canal, chipped two teeth, and sliced my chin to the jaw bone.

My phone was near me, so I text Arie, my RA, and my parents.

Lots of talking later, the story was out.

Hilary Hall, my RA came to visit me, along with two other mystery visitors.

The doctor notifies me of a visitor, and to my shock, it is Arie!!! She stays with me and we talk of silly personal things that cheer me up right away. I am so thankful.

Then Hilary stays with me the entire time, even when I got stitches.

I didn't feel a thing!

I hummed while he did it. He called me his favorite patient. Hooray!

By 11:00pm, I am out of the Emergency Room, in search for a 24-hour CVS Pharmacy to get my medications.

The nearest one is 30 minutes away. :/

Hilary drives me there and we have quite a fun adventure freezing to death, admiring the fake flower section, putting on fleeces, talking about pleasant things, and finally, picking up the medication.

I don't really remember much else of that night.

It was 12:45 when I finally got to bed, and I didn't go to classes the next day.

I am so thankful now, because never again will I take my face, or body, or the daily little things we do for granted. I need no surgeries for any of my injuries, and for that I am overwhelmingly grateful. I have been told I am being prayed for... and that... that is truly something special. I cannot pay it back, but can only take it in, and heal. The love that has been shared with me will go into my love basket in my heart, and it sounds super cheesy, but when love goes in there, it multiplies until I cannot contain it! My heart overflows, and I can only hope God will use what He gave me for His will.

I am automatically in Callbacks for the shows this Spring, thanks to Jennifer and our Director and Professors fro being so understanding. I pray God will lead me where He will, and that I will not hesitate to follow His glorious plans for me.

Meanwhile, my medication brings God's joy in a wonderfully dizzy form.

I feel like I'm always on a cloud.

"And no. It is NOT because of Vicodin."

Thanks be to God.

Amen. :)

High On God

~Whoa, Katherine. You're eyes are like... reeaaallly dilated right now.~

This week, unlike the others, has gone by SUPERBLY slow-like. Which I guess is good because it means a lot of stuff happens in between.

Like... if a quick week is slicing a hot knife through butter, my week was the equivalent of using an elementary school plastic knife (the ones without teeth) on a burnt loaf of Ezekiel bread.

And you know the saying "Time flies when you're having fun?"

My time went sailing into a melted cheese factory. :/

Imagine swimming through a big pot of THAT.

Subject #1 EXCEPT WEDNESDAY!!! Because all this week, the American Red Cross blood drive was drawing in patients and slurping up blood by the pints. There were portable vans at West Campus, and the command station set up at Trinity Hall lobby, one of two co-ed dorms. Monday Wednesday Fridays are pretty scheduled until 4:10pm. So after Bel Canto and Man Choir ended for the day, my section leader Arie, a bass named Sean from Man Choir, and I headed to the Cougar Den so Arie and Sean could eat before their next class. Upon ordering, we had just sat down in the refreshingly cool eating area when all of a sudden... a girl appeared in our general area... and just stood there.

After a few curious looks, I asked her if she knew anyone here, and she replied with a friendly 'no.' So I did what most anyone on campus would do... I enthusiastically shook her hand and introduced myself!

Eventually I found out her name was (I believe) Emily, a sophomore nursing major from (again, I think) Ontario, CA. After a few exchanges she invited herself to our fourth table position and Sean and I gladly accepted, since Arie and somewhat Sean were busy talking with someone at a nearby table.

Here's where things get interesting...

I space out a lot. Thoughts, circumstances, prayers, and songs... LOTS of songs... keep me internally occupied until reality once again catches my attention. So, the next thing I am consciously aware of, Emily has engaged both Sean and Arie in an explanation over HOW we came to know each other. But her answer, curiously, was not a "we-just-met-a-few-minutes-ago-but-just-clicked-like-that" kind of answer.

What was she saying?

That we were cousins.

And so I run with it.

1. We only met once in our childhoods.

2. I moved away from Huntington Beach when we were children, since my Dad was in the Air Force and we moved a lot (somewhat true, but I wasn't born yet).

3. We did kind of look alike.

4. We agreed with whatever else each other said.

So we spun this wonderful web of relatable instances that sounded almost truthful ourselves.

Arie began pointing out similarities in our facial expressions and looks to our utter delight! Sean just sat there with an awed smile belying a quizzical expression.

Until Arie asked,

"Wow! Really? Like, really you're both cousins?"

And we both cracked up and said,

"No. Not really. I just met her!"

Emily said,

"Sean! You SAW US introduce ourselves!"

He replied,

"Yeah. I did at first. And then you started telling your stories and I started believing you."

"Ohh! Well in that case, sorry I kicked you under the table."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! We died laughing.

Subject #2 Arie was okay with being fooled, claiming herself gullible and shook with laughter like the rest of us. We then turned around to view the wide window peering into the KAPU Radio Station. Inside, a young mother with a gorgeous one-year-old with blond, wispy curls tousled around her head and bright, watery blue eyes stared out at Arie.

Arie went up to the window and proceeded to play Peek-a-Boo, CopyCat, and Kiss Blowing at this young baby. At first, the baby smiled widely and continued staring at Arie. Then, she began responding, banging her tiny fists against the window with delight, mimicking Arie in a show the entire Den could enjoy! Eventually the little tike went crazy and Mommy had to pull her away from the window, successfully ending the show. At this point, Endorphins are flowing as fast and strong as the Class 4 rapids on the Rogue River, clouding our inhibitions and replacing them with laughter and easy conversation.

Subject #3 Arie and Emily decided to stay behind and talk some more. I began motions toward the door when Arie called out to Sean,

"Hey Sean! Are you going to give blood?"

"Yeah, I think so," he replied with a smile.

"You ARRRREEE????!!!!" I practically shrieked, "OhmyGOSH I love you right now!!"

We then bid our goodbyes and skipped out the door singing "We're off to see the Wizard" and "The Sound of Music," skipping and singing the whole way to Trinity Hall.

This was Sean's first time giving blood, and my first time in Southern California. So I kept verbally and songfully exclaiming my pure joy and euphoria at the prospect of giving blood (with a friend at my side! It makes the process less menacing I suspect). We signed him up first so I could be the friend-at-his-side-holding-his-hand during the "donating process."

Unfortunately, by the time Sean was called, I was called also, and I finished signing off my information when HE was done giving blood.

Well that didn't work out as planned.

So he laid there in recovery mode while I asked him how it went, gleefully watching the tube in my arm sucking away my precious life fluids. It was great! Afterwards we talked for awhile next to the apple juice boxes, packets of Oatmeal cookies, Cheez-its, knock off Oreos and untouched trail mix (the one without M&Ms. Of COURSE no one's gonna eat it). By the time we were done, two hours had gone by! The sky was dark and I couldn't see, so we linked arms with another girl I spontaneously met named Christina and walked back to my Hall lobby, talked some MORE and then went our separate ways.

Subject #4 As you can imagine, my homework laid neglected the entire day. I ran upstairs, shoved my supplies for homework due the next day in three subjects plus my laptop in my backpack and ran back down to make it 15 minutes late to my Alpha Meeting. Neglecting dinner as well as my homework, I got a protein mango smoothie and a wheat bagel. We immediately turned around and headed to the UTCC upstairs from the Cafeteria to get in line for Kaleo: AKA Wednesday night chapel-- where all the cool people go to make up Chapel credits missed from sleeping-in in the mornings. Luckily, I whipped out my lap top and finished my math project due at 8am the following morning before the first verse of worship. Whew! Kaleo ended at 10:30pm. Our Alpha group talked with our leader until 11pm, and we I spoke briefly outside without our leader, and that's when everyone peered at me and exclaimed,

"Oh my gosh Katherine! Look!"

"Whoa, Katherine. Your eyes are like... reeeaally dilated right now."

"Your pupils are covering your corneas."

"...Dude..."

And that's when I knew- finally snuggling into bed from THE most eventful day at APU yet-

I was literally high from the circumstantial blessings of the Lord.

P.S. The morning after was NOT fun. Three tests in three subjects in ONE day.

None of which I successfully studied for.

These are the lessons I learn in budgeting my time accordingly.

Luckily, I think I did fairly well in every test.

Welcome to college.