Scott is an awesome guy and I really respect him. He's my math partner and yesterday I found out that he doesn't drink, or smoke,he's a Lutheran and in the protestant choir. Overall he is a really cool guy and a great math partner. I hope there are more people like him in the world.

No clouds in the sky. Wish I could fly. Don't worry, I won't try.

School would be great if they made the weekend a few days longer, made classes a few hours shorter, cut out the homework, and had summer/winter break for 11 months a year.

Do I overprotect myself? Today at Coach Hanlon's house some people were watching Hannibal in the basement. Last year for some stupid reason I bought that movie with out seeing it. A few months later I decided to see if it was any good. Five minutes into it I turned it off and gave the movie away to a friend. Watching it I experianced revolsion and a feeling of uncleanliness. Anyway, so they were watching it in the basement and part of me wanted to see it because I was curious, but I didn't. I did have to go down to the basement to get a different movie and saw a small part of it and part of me wanted to stay, but then the feeling came back and I went back upstairs. It's like I don't want to associate with anything dark or evil and I see that movie as evil. I don't know how to explain it. As Betsy once said " Silence of the Lambs had a purpose, but that movie only serves to glorify evil" or something like that. Okay, I guess this isn't a good example for me overprotecting myself because I don't think I should be watching those types of movies anyway.

I'm just arguing with myself for no reason. One part says that since I don't indulge in activities such as drinking, smoking, pointless relationships, that I am becoming socially inept and weird. Yet, as pointed out by many people many times, that is not the case because I find different ways to have fun with my friends.

As I told my parents last weekend, I feel like I'm supposed to live my life adhearing to high moral standards and be an example for people. I have no clue if this is actually the case, and if it is then why.

WARNING KATE! You are thinking too much. Stop at once or risk harm.

Recently I've noticed that I'm really hungry for news of the outside world. One of the things I really like to do is sit down and reading the whole NY Times.

Golly gee wiz, I love Saturday morning physics tests at 7:30am. At least it's not at 6:35 any more like it was supposed to be. Right the majority of the yuk class is studying their butts off for this cheerfull occasion. If only we could have a few more of these. Oh wait, we do. At least the test gets us out of the Regimental run that everybody else has to do tomorrow morning at 5:20. After the much looked forward to test I have a parade and then a mandatory football game to go to. Supposedly the Army Team is "the pride and dream of every heart in grey." I'm sure they would be if they start winning a game sometime. Having to stay and watch the football team mess up and lose is pretty demoralizing. The Comm made it mandatory for everyone to go to the games and stay to the end after the Alma Mater is sung. If only it was a Michigan game.

Today at crew practice we did a three mile head race from Con Hook to Duck Island. He had us in two eights racing against each other. My boat rowed really well together and I felt a lot better rowing than I have in a long time. When Coach Hall said that I was in an eight today instead of the quad I was kinda sad and dreading the race, but even though I pulled 100% the whole time I wasn't dying half-way through the race like I expected I would. It was great. On Sunday I have to row a 2k on the erg with Annah because I didn't row one yesterday because of the APFT.

Now it's time to go back to studying physics. I'm trying to decided whether to make some popcorn or not. hmmm?

YAY!!!! The APFT is done:) I did 35 push-ups in 2 min, 69 sit-ups in 2 min, and a 16:46 min on the 2-mile run. Usually I get around 40-45 push-ups, but around 6 were not counted and I also had to go down a tad bit lower than I usually do. The sit-ups was an all-time best and the run was my second best one, but my best offically counted one. Overall I raised my score by 1 point from my last APFT for a new offical high. Each APFT I'm improving a little. I'm so glad it's over.

It's sprinkeling outside and the weather is definetly cooler than it was a few days ago. I'm really nervous about the APFT, as always. At practice this afternoon we're supposed to do a 2k, but I don't really care about that at the moment. If you get a bad time on one 2k you don't get kicked off them team. Eddie is coming over and then we're going down the Amaka's room to meet up with her and Keegan before we all go down together to take the APFT. Right now I can't wait for the day that I never have to do PT again, but I have a feeling that day won't come for a long time, if ever. I can just see it now being at a nursing home when I'm 90 years old and them waking us all up at 5am to go for a nursing home run/walk/hobble/push. I wonder if they have PT tests in Heaven? I sure hope not.

24 hours from now I'll be done with the APFT. Tomorrow I'm going down around 1:40pm to take it. I'm nervous. What if they cut a lot of push-up's and I don't get 25, or 19? The past few times I've gotten in the 40's, but I've been hearing of them cutting 5-20 push-ups a person. I'm also nervous about the sit-ups. The past few weeks I've been running, but I'm still scared about it. I want to do well, or at least make sure I'm not marginal. Augh! Wish me luck.

My mind has been tainted. I feel dirty. Okay, not really, but I didn't need to see all of that. Of course, as Annah said "she does need to grow up sometime," but I doubt that's the way:) I do just fine growing up on my own. Maybe I am a little socially stunted and all, but at least I didn't have 2 kids this summer to raise or move into the gehtto and spend tons of money on tatoo's last year like my sisters did. Actually, the kids were baby goats that Betsy helped raise from the petting farm and they were really cute even though I only saw pictures of them. The tattoo's were from Heidi's cancer treatment. Before she had cancer she lived in Detroit working for a Christian school. My only claim to fame is that my parents decided to kick me out of the house and send me to a military school. Oh wait, this was all my choice. I can't blame them at all, but I can make it sound like I have such a troubled family life :)

This week not as busy as last week was, but there still are stresses such as the APFT and physics WPR plus a few projects.

This whole not liking a guy right now thing is great most of the time. My emotions are a lot more level, but occasionally I still wish I liked someone and that he liked me back. I'll just have to wait for that person to come along. I wonder who it is? What if there is no one and I grow up to be a single old women with 10 cats? I don't even like cats that much. Dogs are much better in my opinion. Kittens are okay, but eventually they grow up. I don't want to be all alone in a nursing home when I'm old with no family to visit me. Okay, I'm scaring myself again. Time to stop. Things will all work out somehow and Ill be happy in the end. No pain no gain. I guess cats are okay...

Time for class. I heard that today we're watching a movie. yay!

Today the Econ lab convinced me that I need to start budgeting my money. Now I need to figure out where to start.

My company was missing around 100 people at lunch formation today. It was at 11:55 instead of 12:05, but they forgot to tell us. I'm happy to say that my platoon had the most people at the formation.

Formation was early because Prince Andrew and people (meaning a bunch of stars) joined us for lunch. He gave a 10 min speech where he read a message the Queen sent to us, and then talked a little on his own. Sad to say, but most of us zoned out of all of it because the speech was full of weird analogies about how Britain and the US are even stronger allies since 9-11 and something about a town in texas and a town in England. It was cool that he was here, but most of the girl's I've talked to were hoping that the thing the Queen sent was Prince William and not a speech. He didn't make an appearance at lunch.

Today was the day of interupted sleep. This morning someone decided to call my phone 3 times at 5:30 in the morning. I woke up just as Tara got up to pick up the phone, which proccedded to only have a dial tone. Today at practice Abby was telling us how she was taking a nap when her TAC decided to knock twice on her door and wake her up. She awoke to find that her TAC was talking to two Venezualen Generals outside her room and wanted to show them it. She was glad that by the time she got around to opening the door they were already walking away down the hall.

Mark is getting on me for being quiet. He sees me in the hall and yells "hi Kate" and tells me how he was just talking to some people in the company about how quiet I am and that nobody knows me. Perhaps I should make more of an effort to get to know the cows and firsties. He's also convinced that there is no possible way that my roommates and I have not had an argument yet. Our personalities are so different that he can't understand how we get along. Tara is really loud, I'm really quiet, and Alyson is in the middle. I think it works out perfect. I'll get louder as the year goes on and I get to know everybody more.

szfgsdfgsfdgsdfgsdfgsdf

WTF?!?

AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't tell me it just lost everything I wrote.

Today on the way to her last class right before lunch my roommate, Tara, ran into Prince William in Thayer Hall. I'm not sure if she actually ran into him, but that's what she said. Who knows. He's at West Point right now and tomorrow he's going to be talking to my friend Shannon's EE class. I have no idea why they want him to speak to an EE class, but I'm not the one who makes these decisions. What actually makes more sense is that a lot of people are saying the Duke of York is here also. That is Prince Andrew and perhaps he's the one who's actually supposed to be talking to the class. The question still remains, Why?

Being royal must really be a pain sometimes, or most of the time. Every action you do is watched and you're hounded by the media all the time. Oh wait, that's the same as life here. I have a new found apprection of how much it royaly sucks, and I don't have it hardly as bad as he does. Okay, my life and his life don't really compare, but I'm just trying to say that I'm getting sick of being watched every moment and feeling like I live in a fish bowl and I only experiance a tiny bit of what he must experiance every day.

New subject. I have an APFT this week and am really scared about it. People tell me that I'm in shape, but I don't know if I believe them. Augh! We'll see how this goes.

The other day I was in the C-store and I went to the second floor and saw General Brooks up there. He was talking to someone and saying "you don't want to where brown leather shoes with black pants because they don't go together." The person replied "It's like my mamma always used to say..." and then I walked out of earshot to look at the cd's. A few moments later I saw them pass by to go look at some clothes and saw that it was the Frist Captain with him. I never pictured the a cadet and a General shopping together, no matter what the cadet's rank. It was pretty funny and for the rest of the day I had a pretty good laugh over the Commedant telling Ricardo Turner what to buy.

This evening I went over to LTC Surdu's house and had dinner with him and his family along with two other cadets he sponsor's. After dinner we all played UNO and I ended up winning the first 3 games. It was a lot of fun. Since LTC Surdu is taking command and a new post at the end of this year LTC Phillips, my DAC, offered to sponsor me. It's pretty cool.

I hated saying goodbye to my parents yesterday afternoon. Last year I didn't want them to leave because I dreaded returning to the rigors of academy life, but this year I hate to see them leave because I truely miss them and love spending time with them. I'll see them again, along with my sisters and friends at Thanksgiving. Only 2 more months.

Tonight my parents and I went and saw Apollo 13 at the IMAX theater in the palasadies mall. One the way back I fell asleep and woke up just as we got back to West Point. When I got up to the company area there was a group of yuk guys gathered right outside the orderly room and they started talking to me. Since I was still half asleep they were convinced that I was drunk or had at least had a few drinks. It took me a few minutes and a little waking up to get them to belive that I was not drunk, did not drink at all, and actually never have or will drink until I'm at least 21. One of them then proceeded to tell me that next weekend I'm going with him to a tailgate where there's a lot of drinking. I laughed and said no. They all probably think that I'm even weirder now, but at the moment I don't really care.

Today was a good day. I had the first three hours off and managed to take a nap, but didn't sleep very well because I'm not used to taking naps anymore and was really anxious that I was missing a class or something.

Today in philosophy I started thinking about a different dimension. It's the spiritual dimendision. All around us there is a war going on, but we can't see it except for a in a few occasions that God opens our eyes.

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear Mommy
Happy Birthday to you.

Yay! I get to see my parents today :) They are coming up for the Michigan Parents Club tailgate after the football game tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to spend some time with them tonight since it is my Mom's birthday.

I think that this past week was the busiest week that I've ever had. What made it a little more bearable was that I've decided not to do the early morning practice everyday. I can't handle getting up at 5:10 every day and only getting 5-5 1/2 hours of sleep. My body requiers 6. Every other day I'm gonna sleep in until 6am and do the afternoon practice right before the real practice. It feels great knowing that I can sleep in until 6. There was a dramatic difference in my ability to function and stay awake in class.

The outlook for this season in crew is good. Coach Hall put Beth, Molly, Abbie, and I together in a boat because we are the smallest people on the team and our personalities also mesh well. This season we'll row both a four and a quad. I'd never sculled before, but Wednesday he had us go out in the quad. It was really awesome and I felt like I was getting much more of a workout. It started out pretty shaky because it was something new for both Molly and I and Abbie had only one day of experiance, but by the end of practice we had improved a ton.

My day:

5:10am wake up
5:10-5:25 brush teeth, bathroom, contacts, shoes, ect.
5:25 go down to Mac Statue to meet Laura and Margret
5:30-6:05 run to Lee Gate and back (3-4 miles)
6:05-6:40 shower, strip bed, dress, put books away, send out laundry
6:40 go down to breakfast formation
6:40-7:18 breakfast formation/breakfast
7:18-7:25 go back up to 6th floor to room,get books, brush teeth
7:25-7:35 head to class
7:35-8:30 Physics
8:30-8:40 walk to LTC Phillips office
8:40-9:35 Offically declare CS as my major and organize courses up through Firstie year
9:35-9:45 walk to Math class
9:45-10:40 Math class. Major Farmer tells me that since I'm the only person who did all of the suggested problems I can leave if I want to, but I stick around because I didn't understand all of the concepts on the board sheet.
10:40-10:50 go from 3rd floor of Thayer to 4th floor of Bartlett Hall
10:50-11:43 Wellness class.
11:43-11:50 rush back to room, drop off book bag, change shoes,
11:50-12:27pm Lunch Formation, Dean's awards, Lunch
12:27-12:35 rush back to room, get new books and bookbag,
12:35-12:45 head to Robinson Aud.
12:45-1:20 DMI Introduction to branches briefing
1:20-1:35 bathroom, quick stop in Thayer bookstore
1:35-1:50 walk to CPT Allmond's office
1:50-2:45 Initial counseling with CPT Allmond, assigned 2-3 page paper on personal couarge due Monday.
2:45-2:55 walk to Economics
2:55-3:50 Economics
3:50-4:07 go back up to room, drop off books, change for practice, bathroom,
4:07-4:15 walk to practice
4:15-6:20 practice
6:20-6:30 drop crew bag off in Alex's room, head to dinner
6:30-6:45 dinner
6:45-7:10 come back to room, find Tara in a lot of pain, search for someone in chain of command, talk to Steph on IM
7:10-7:20 shower, get dressed
7:20- present type this
Still to come- make bed, couseling with Sabia, homework, prepare physics briefing, shine brass, clean rifle, and get ready for In ranks layout tomorrow.

It's been a very busy day and running on 5 hours of sleep did not help one bit. I've decided that I'm not going to get up for the morning practice tomorrow and instead do it at 3:30pm. Today I've had the headache that comes when you're really exhausted and need sleep. At least it's almost over and I can stay in my room and pretend to relax.

Attention Male Bachelors: Male cadets needed to entertain some lovely ladies as they present themselves to high society. All classes are eligible. Ballroom Dancing skills are not required (but HIGHLY recommended). Here is your chance to mingle in High Society and represent West Point as the premiere institution for producing Gentlemen that any mother-in-law would be proud of. The Debutante Ball will be held over Thanksgiving break in Washington DC.

I never expected to see that in the Brigade Daily Notes, but there it was today. wow.

In less then an hour I'm going to go meet with LTC Surdu and then LTC Phillips and probably make my choice about majoring in CS. All of my friends are telling me I'm crazy for wanting to major in it and that I'll hate it, but that's also what everyone said about me going to West Point and I I love it here.

I can't bring myself to say hi to Erich and if I see him I always look away and I'm not sure why. A few days ago I really needed help in physics because there was a big writ the next day and I didn't understand a bunch of stuff so I IM'd and asked him for help since I've heard he does really well in that class. He said he had a lot of hw to do but might help after that. He never did and so I ended up going to Reggie as usual and we kinda guessed our way through it together. I guess I didn't need Erich's help after all because I got a 90/100 on the writ.