It Has Indeed Been A Looooooong Time...

I hardly know where to begin. It’s been nearly two months (possibly longer?) since I last shot off a newsletter.

Well, academic news first. I am in school, so that’s naturally first priority. Last Fall semester – straight As, except for neuroanatomy. Considering how sick I was, consider that a miracle.

This Spring term – yes, I am going to school. I am enjoying myself immensely. I’m taking Dance 280… for the third time. I decided I needed to force myself to stay active. Unfortunately, the ONLY dance class I could feasibly get into was 280. Splendid… Well, to be optimistic, this gives me yet another chance to get my Silver American medal, compete triple swing in DanceSport (this would be in August), master the steps and technique taught at this level, and maybe even get an A. I haven’t actually done any of those things before… so… Whoo!

I am also taking Pearl of Great Price, which has proved to be spiritually uplifting, intellectually stimulating, and even relatively homework free. In fact, I don’t there’s been any homework so far (except for studying for a midterm which was incredibly easy). The only homework there will be, in fact, is a six-page research paper due near the end of the term written on any subject we choose so long as we relate it to the Pearl of Great Price somehow. My professor encouraged us to consider writing our paper on Battlestar Galactica. …Which I just might do, by the way. [To any BYU students who may receive this: I’d recommend this class if you need two easy credits to bump you up to full-time that won’t add much to your workload.]

But, most exciting! I’m taking a four-credit chemistry class! I fully expected this class to be an absolute beast of a nightmare; however, I have found it to be quite the opposite, despite the fact that I spend sixteen hours in this class a week, and at least another six doing homework for it. This is the analytical chemistry class for chemistry minors. And what is analytical chemistry, you ask? This the field responsible for figuring out if the information on food labels is actually correct, and also for figuring out what that mystery compound is at crime scenes. So far, I’ve figured out exactly how much Vitamin C is in a Vitamin C tablet, how much iron is in an iron tablet, how much liquid my 50-mL buret actually delivers, and what the concentration of a bunch of mystery acid and base compounds is so we don’t accidentally kill ourselves in lab. I am currently working on discovered exactly how much calcium and magnesium there is in mineral water. And among the other exciting stuff I get to work on soon? Figuring out exactly how much caffeine is actually in that soda pop. Exciting, yes? I certainly thought so! My professor is absolutely AMAZING. [To any BYU chemistry students out there, I highly recommend Dr. Macedone. He’s pretty much awesome. He’s possibly as good as Dr. Brown (my neuroanatomy professor).] Oh, sigh of euphoria! Maybe I should have majored in chemistry? Except neuroscience is also pretty cool…

I’ve also moved since I last sent out a newsletter. I now enjoy six times as much closet, a quarter as many roommates, and a whole lot more peace and quiet. Also a more consistently empty mailbox, but that’s okay because on the occasion that there is something in there, it is something spectacular, namely a letter for me! (In the past few days, I got eight letters from little brother Cliftonius, written in a spread of four and a half months in reply to letters I don’t remember writing. Strangely, they came all at once. Holy Mackerel! Needless to say, I felt rather special.)

Although I only moved fifty steps away from where I used to live, I am now in a new ward. And may I just say – I LOVE this ward. I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT. I feel as at home here in the 11^th Ward as I did in the 68^th Ward, and that’s actually saying QUITE a bit. Especially since I was a little wary about moving here. See, there’s this fishbowl thing… There are two buildings in the ward. An enormous white brick building full to the brim with single men in it that directly faces an enormous white brick building full of single women. Add remarkably thin walls, balconies that face each other, and you’ve got a textbook fishbowl. Everyone knows what’s up with everybody.

Somehow, the fishbowl situation isn’t so bad because: 1) the girls are wonderful; 2) the men are wonderful; 3) a smaller percentage of the men in this ward are creepers in comparison to the men in last year’s ward; 4) although equal in good-looking-ness, I think the men might actually smell better here…; 5) the ward has a ballroom dancing activity every Wednesday night; 6) one of the guys is an amazing pianist, and when he plays everyone can inevitably hear it; 7) we actually have church in a real, live church building; 8) church is at 8:30 am so after church we actually have SUNDAY!; 9) I’m close enough to everyone from last year’s ward that I still see them all the time; 10) the ward was organized quickly; 11) the ward directory is probably the coolest thing I’ve seen in my life; 12) the ward choir is absolutely spectacular due to a large number of musically gifted men, 13) a few of the guys have cool accents – two are British; and 14) we’re right next to the pool. I love this place.

Somehow, I suddenly and mysteriously got ridiculously gorgeous. I’m not saying I wasn’t pretty before, but if we’re going to be honest… I got better looking. Weird. Unfortunately, some time in the past few months, I’ve suddenly and mysteriously learned how to flirt (who knew, but I’m actually good at it… ?!?!?!) and I don’t know how not to do it when I probably shouldn’t. Like when I’m dating someone. Which I am.

Speaking of Jared – I don’t actually see him very often ever since we moved out of the same ward. It’s nice that he’s not clingy and I’m not clingy, but at the same time… I see him, on average, about two hours a week. (Um, I easily spend more time than that with the guys in my ward, just because they’re there.) Although I’m a busy girl, he’s busier than I am. Plus, he’s moved far, far away… all the way to Arcadia. That’s like… a twenty minute walk from here. Lame! Although it’s a three-day weekend in a few days… perhaps I may see a tad more of him them. Who knows.

And speaking of the weekend, I turn twenty on Sunday. Weird. How many of you remember when I became a Beehive? Ahh!!! I’m not a teenager anymore!

Hm. Oh yeah, my health situation. That’s pretty important.

Um… I’ve got some autoimmune problems going on. And last week I went to the ER. Not to make light on that or anything, but I’d encourage you all to not worry about that. Like… at all. Just forget I even said anything of that nature.

Suddenly and mysteriously, as of last Tuesday, I feel much better. And not just that, but I actually feel rested after half a night’s sleep. This has not been the case... since ever. My skin and hair are softer and healthier than they’ve been in my entire life. No, really, this is not an exaggeration. It’s ridiculous. I keep having to touch my face to assure myself it’s real. And my lips aren’t chapped. Maybe to you that may not seem like a big deal, but it certainly is to me. My lips have been chapped as long as I can remember, despite obsessive-compulsive chapstick application. One of the few things I remember when I went in to the hospital for back surgery, the nurses kept telling me my lips were chapped and they’d try to fix it. They couldn’t. So the fact that my lips have been happy and healthy feeling for a week – means something to me.

People keep telling me I look healthier too. All of symptoms are… fading fast. I’m not completely sure how to react to that except with astonishment and utter gratitude. Ay caramba.

That’s all for the time being. Love, love.

Jenna.