I finally broke down and got an iPod mini 2 days ago. Been wanting one for a while, and when I learned about the educational discounts they give to college students, I said, "Now that's just cool."

So I got one. It's lime green, has my name laser-engraved on the back, and is about the size of my flip-top cell phone. When I opened it, my first words were "Wow... it's so tiny!"

Essentially, an iPod mini is a 4 gig hard drive with a screen and media player controls on the front. You can download anything you want from your computer, and charge up the batteries, by just plugging it in the USB port of your computer.

I am already extremely happy with this little thing. It makes work and exercising in Solheim go by *so* much faster. Sometime soon I may even put an audiobook on it... the Psalms would be especially cool.

So that was my happy little diversion of the past few days, which haven't been easy. I had two tests yesterday, one in Western Civ and one in Texas & the American West. I think I did OK on both... as always, better on the essay than on the multiple choice because you can make stuff up on the essays. :D

Actually no, I don't make up stuff, and to be honest, all that information about Texas Indians in my essay was actually legit stuff. Let us hope that it was enough to make up for the multiple choice questions.

After 45 multiple choice questions, 7 short answer paragraphs and 2 essays in one day... shouldn't people deserve a break? If not legions of cheering fans and free chocolate? :D

Well OK. Didn't get those either, but still had a good day.

I always stay so focused on what I need to get done, what I haven't done yet. If you go ask any LETU student how they are doing, they will usually begin spouting off the upcoming week's tests and assignments that are due, usually ended with some state of mental or physical exhaustion.

It gets tiring to hear, and discouraging to live that way. I've gotten into the habit of smiling big and saying "Fantastic!" or something like that, just because it's different, and for crying out loud, there's no reason it shouldn't be true.

Yesterday I actually sat down and thought, for the flip side, of all the things I *had* accomplished that day, and was actually impressed. If we spent just 25% of the time thinking about our accomplishments and blessings that we do thinking about the *next* day's toils, life would just be so much cooler.

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

And on that note, it is time for cranberry juice.