Carrie

My head is throbbing and my back is sore, but what's important is that last night my friend Carrie died.
I met Carrie in the Alaska Children's Choir when we were 10. We were in the same social group in junior high and high school, and although we weren't close I considered her my friend. She was by turns irritating and insightful, and always brilliant and compassionate, and she had the most amazing singing voice you'll never hear.
Almost exactly a year ago, Carrie went to the ER because she was numb on half of her body. They found tumors on her brain, and they tried to remove them, but they didn't get all of it out. She went to Seattle for radiation, and she stayed there until they said she was about to die. I'd been afraid and avoiding visiting, but I drove up and caught her just as she was about to get on the plane to go back to Alaska. She looked awful. I'm not sure she even recognized me. I gave her a hug, and her wheelchair went through security, and I thought that was the last time I'd ever see her.
She went home and went on a crash juice diet, and her tumor started to shrink. When I got home for summer, she could walk with a cane, and by June she could hold things with her bad side. Her hair had fallen out, and it was scary to see her looking so terrible, but she was getting better, and she was happy. By the fall she was taking a class at the university.
Around New Year's, the tumor got worse again. She flew back down to Seattle, and they did radiation, and I didn't hear anything until about a week ago. Her sister, my friend Christina, said that she was probably pretty close to going. Carrie's old boyfriend from college came up and sang her songs, and her family was around her, and last night she died.
I know that she was comfortable and loved and it went quickly when it started, and I know that Carrie's in heaven. Even if I'm not sure I believe in heaven, I know Carrie's there. But I still hate it. It doesn't help that she was happy. She's still gone forever. She was so good, and now she's gone, and I hate it.

Lost in translation

I watched the entire original Star Wars trilogy yesterday, because it's the end of the quarter and I felt like it. I still have to write my self-evaluation, but other than that the next five days are mine to do with what I please. I predict a lot of lounging in the sun, punctuated with occasional toenail-painting and pie-baking.
I like not having to do anything.

I've discovered that the reason that my Japanese roommate and I have such difficulty communicating is that my speech is way too idiomatic. Today she was making chicken noodle soup from scratch. "Is it good for sickness?" she said.
"Yeah, it's great," I said. Then I tried to explain the concept of "Jewish penicillin", but since she didn't know either of those words it didn't really go over well. I think I need to learn Japanese.

I've started packing up my room... It's making me sad to see the empty walls. Time to paint my toenails.

In with the good air.

I've only been awake for half an hour, but I think that today is going to be a good day. I slept for twelve hours(!), and woke up with a functioning brain, for once. There was real hot water in the shower (this isn't a regular occurrance), and in a couple of hours I will register for next quarter's classes. I'm going to try my best to get into a constitutional law class, because it sounds really amazing, but otherwise I will try for one about the history and organization of protest marches. I chatted with the teacher at the academic fair, and he seems like he'd teach a fascinating class. Then at three I have my interview to be an RA next year. I'm having a minor fashion crisis, but all will be resolved when the time comes. I am taking deep breaths, and the sun is shining, and there are birds and frogs and squirrels making their bird or frog or squirrel noises...
I like today.

Breathe.

So here I am. I've been pretty much consumed with a) homework and b) watching bad 80's TV shows with my next-door neighbors. But here's some stuff that's been going on:

Next Monday, I'm going to a Bob Dylan concert with my dad and stepmom, which is amazingly cool. I saw him in concert a couple of years ago when he was touring with Paul Simon, but you can never see too much Bobby D. Am I wrong?

In a few weeks, I will be going to New York with my mother. I will be able to meet up with my two best friends, too, so I will be able to see the three people I've been missing the most. Not bad for one trip. We will visit my great-great aunt Sophie (for whom I am named), and make our usual pilgrimages (Pearl Paint, Chinatown, all the thrift stores in Chelsea. And maybe some museums and stuff, too). And when I get back, I will be moving out of my apartment to the aforementioned apartment next door. They asked me a while ago whether I wanted to move in with them, and since my room still smells a little funny from the flooding incident, and where I am now is on the main path to the dorms, and it can get pretty loud on weekends (Things Sophie Learned at College, #341: Drunk people like to yell a lot. No, seriously, a LOT.), and also because the guys next door are my friends and I like spending time with them, I said yes. This will be good.

I've been informed that my amazing Uncle Mike has a blog. I've linked to it in the sidebar, but here it is again. He breezed into town last Friday, and we had some family dinners and breakfasts before he had to go back to Chicago on Sunday. I have pictures that I took from Sunday breakfast here (I think that link should work... I'm not used to that site yet.)

Finals are upon me, and I think I'm going to do ok. This was a low-key quarter, which was a good thing after the stress-fest of fall. I'm not yet sure what I'll be taking next quarter, but I went to the Academic Fair today and got some good ideas.

I've been listening a lot to Iron & Wine. Everyone who reads this should go buy their album "Our Endless Numbered Days". It is beyond excellent.