Well, that was a big waste of my time. We're doing linear equations and graphs in my math class (remember those? You take something like y = 2x + 4 and draw the line on a graph, or you take the line on the graph and turn it into an equation). Easy, easy, easy stuff, which is nice, but at the same time it's like... why do I even bother to go? Usually I do my best to copy everything down, but on this occasion I knew the material so well that I just stopped writing, put everything back in my bag, and sat there, figuring out the answers in my head and waiting for class to be over. Ah, well, this is my last class for GE credit, thank goodness.

We played Ultimate Frisbee instead of swimming yesterday morning, since the O'Connell Center pool is closed down for synchronized swimming championships. My team lost (partly because it was essentially guys against girls), but it was a lot of fun; I hadn't played since those few weeks with the UF team, and that wasn't always a lot of fun because they were so focused on proper defensive technique and formations and such. I like just 'ragtag' Frisbee, where I'm usually one of the best on the field, so yesterday was a lot of fun. Even L managed to snap out of her moody funk and say in an impressed voice, "Nice throw, Jess!" the first time I threw off to the other team. I hope I wasn't too annoying, though - I started to get frustrated with my team, so I started yelling directions. Sometimes I'd catch a pass and none of my teammates would be upfield for me to throw it to (although the other team sure would be!), and other times, they'd catch the Frisbee, panic, and hurl it off as fast as they could without looking closely at their options (and without taking time to make a good, straight throw). I just said things like, "Move around," "Help her out," "Get back," and "Take your time," and I also made sure to yell "Good job!" whenever anyone did something right, so I don't think I was too irritating. But when I play a game, I want to play 'for real', not halfway. I don't even know HOW to play halfway. But I think that's what most of these girls were trying to do (at least, they weren't all red-faced, muddy, and dripping sweat like I was at the end), so they might have found me annoying. Oh, well - you know what - too bad! :)

It was a day of unusual sports, because I played water polo for the first time last night, too. I was pretty good at the basic ball handling - throwing, catching and shooting. All of which is harder than it sounds, because you can only use one hand - you have to do a sort of flick of the wrist upon catching to absorb the momentum and keep the ball in that one hand rather than letting it bounce away. One of the girls in the circle I was passing with kept shaking her head in disbelief and saying, "I am so impressed with you." I also picked up on the basic offensive and defensive setups pretty fast, because they're a lot like basketball, except that there are six players instead of five. I wasn't so good at other things, though, like faking, or moving quickly with the ball, and it's also hard getting used to how my body moves while doing basketball-like motions in the water as opposed to the air. I'd like to try being a goalie, because I definitely have the reflexes for it (right, Mom? Remember the kayak, and the branch? LOL!), but the girl they have has been playing for like eight years and is practically faultless, so I won't get to. Anyway, I didn't absolutely love it, but it was sort of cool, and I know that one of my worst faults is that I'm so used to being immediately good at things - particularly sports - that I tend to write something off if I'm not among the best at it. So I think I'll go to another few practices, just because I can. Like I said, the regular pool is closed all week for synchro, so why not?

Complete switch in topic: the Schiavo appeal was denied. Good. Hopefully this will all be over soon and the family can finally move on. Oh, and the rest of America too.

Another complete switch: I want to do this trip in mid-August before my time in Utrecht starts. It looks like so much fun! The other option is to do the Cyclades during my October break, but flying into Istanbul (the starting point) seems to be much easier and cheaper (115 euro) than trying to maneuver my way onto some random Greek island. Now it just depends on how much money I'm going to be getting from the university, if any, and I should know all that within the next few weeks.

Okay, off to call L (a group of us might be playing Ultimate Frisbee again tonight) and get something to eat. Ciao!