Warrensburg, Missouri, March 10-15, 2013

        On Monday I worked on my Excel 4 Capstone project in my Essential Managing Information class and found four more pebbles four my collection outside Ellis. I studied and worked on my notes for my Geology class and sent them to the other students in my class. I also finished my essay questions for my Transition Planning II class and made another toilet paper roll of Samye monastery in Tibet. On Wednesday morning before I went to sleep I realized that even if I don’t have a film degree, I still have credentials coming to UCM because it shows I can adapt to different environments. I got my clothes and my clothes for the THRIVE formal in the mail and I took my Geology Lab exam which I thought went pretty well. My instructor said it would be easier than we thought. I also did my homework for my Transition Planning II class and I realized my background in General Studies also shows I can adapt to different environments.

                The next day I went down to ProCuts and got my hair cut for the formal. I also got the latest Smithsonian issue for my magazine collection, though when I talked to my Granddad after that he said that I need not buy anymore issues because he gets Smithsonian and can just give me them when he’s done with them. Later I went to the formal at Bodies on Pine Street and danced with many sorority girls. The next day, I turned those pebbles I found into mani stones and I saw Mary see her grandfather come to pick her up and she screamed, “Grandpa!” and ran into him and fling her arms around his waist. I also took my Transition Planning II exam which I know went well and after that, Tyler and I rode home with my mom.

Kansas City, Missouri, March 8-10, 2013

I got home for the weekend on Friday and called my friend Erin. On Saturday, I didn’t do much besides go to Bruce Smith and pick up my prescription and buy a copy of Archeology magazine and ride my bike. The next day I did my laundry and rode my bike again. On the way back to UCM, my mom and I bought some shredded mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and plain mini bagels, some beef jerky, fruit snacks, and some Snapple tea for the rest of the year before the break and when we got back I discovered I didn’t have my key. Luckily, a Public Safety officer was walking through the hall at the time and opened it with her master key.  In the meantime, my mom would send my key tomorrow and I’d just depend on Tyler to get in until my key arrived in the mail.

Warrensburg, Missouri, March 1-8, 2013

On the first day of March I went to my Geology class and took a quiz, which I thought I did pretty well on.  The next day I went down to Hastings and bought the new Buddhadharma magazine, which had a cover article called Confessions of a Zen Novelist which interested me being a Buddhist screenwriter. Later that night I watched one of Tyler’s movies, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, about a young sorcerer whose life is changed when he learns it is his destiny to defeat the evil witch Morgana, with Tyler and Mary, a very short first-year THRIVE student with Down Syndrome, who recently became very close together. The next day I heard that Tyler’s grandmother had died and I promised him I would go to the funeral next Sunday so I called my mom to tell her I would be coming home next weekend, the weekend before Spring Break. I also asked her to wire one hundred dollars from my account at home to my account at school.

                Later I finished my Excel 2 Capstone project and my Excel 3 tutorial and exam even later in the day I worked on the outline to one of my screenplays. I figured that maybe I’m feeling more inspired to write them after I’ve done a lot of things to help other people. Then that night after I finished running on the treadmill, I watched another one of Tyler’s movies, Take the Lead, about several troubled teenagers who are taught dance by a mysterious Spanish gentleman to help improve their behaviors, with Tyler, Jack, Mary, and Ryan, another first-year THRIVE students. Late morning to early afternoon the next day I watched another one of Tyler’s DVDs with him, Mysteries of the Bible, Part One. Afterwards, Nathan asked us if we, the THRIVE students, would stand out in the hall outside his room and ask Jena, his girlfriend, when she came out, “Will you go to the THRIVE formal with Nathan?” We did, and she said yes, if he would buy her a dress. I also worked on my Geology notes and understood the material better.

               

                The next day I worked on the Excel 3 Capstone project in my Essential Managing Information class with the rest of the class and found some more pebbles outside which I turned into mani stones. During my Person Centered Planning I realized that if my inspiration to write comes from helping people, then I’ll probably get a lot of inspiration from leading the UCM Autism Spectrum Support Group. Later I did my Transition Planning II homework and I found out on Blackboard that I got a four out of five on my Geology quiz. I printed off my flyer for the UCM Autism Spectrum Support Group and I made another toilet paper roll diorama of Palkhor monastery in Tibet. After study hall I went to Phillip’s apartment in Foster/Naux with Hillary and a few other THRIVE students, to see his new hamster, leaving myself about twenty minutes to run on the treadmill.

                The next day Tyler put his name on the flyer and I got a better understanding of my Geology material when we did a review for the next exam. I realized I still needed to go over chemical and mechanical weathering, what percent of soil it’s different parts are, the qualities of poorly drained and well-drained soil, and the different factors in climate change and their effect on it. The next day I got the hundred dollars my mom sent me and I worked on my Excel 3 Capstone project. When I went to my Geology lab, I got full points on the last assignment and after the lab I ordered refills of two of my medications.  During study hall, I came up with a pneumonic for the order of the letters for each level of soil (O, A, E, B, C), “Ocean and Evening Beer’s Cool.”

                The next day I made an appointment with Dr. Mayfield about the group for three o’ clock the next day and I kept understanding the material well in my Geology class and took another quiz, which I thought I did pretty well on. I realized that these autism groups form a good bastion of solidarity for autistic people and later that night, Tyler came to me with the flyer which was full of names which he had gotten himself. The next day I learned that Tyler’s grandmother’s funeral was a private affair and his mom would tell my mom. Later I did my homework for my Transition Planning II class and I went to my appointment with Dr. Mayfield where I told her about the flyer and she decided she could e-mail her students about the meetings so they could know what was going on without giving away their private information and she made a copy of the flyer to give to people who would be interested so she could send them updates. After class, I found out my mom hadn’t gotten the message about Tyler’s grandmother’s funeral and was already at UCM, so I decided to just pack a few things for the weekend and go home, even though I would be going home the next weekend for Spring Break.

Warrensburg, Missouri, February 2013

On the first day of February, a Friday, I e-mailed Mrs. Fahrmeier about my textbook problem and then I did my homework for my Transition Planning II class. Later I took out my trash and found two pebbles one of which II already had so I decided to give the other one to Tyler, who collects rocks. I gave Tyler that pebble and he told me it was granite, which is volcanic. Later that night, I watched Pitch Perfect, one of Tyler’s favorite movies, with him and Jack. I also finished three decorative flowers, each one containing part of a saying of the Buddha: the first, “Do good;” the second, “Do no evil;” the third, “Purify one’s mind,” and I put them on my bathroom door. The next day I worked on my Geology notes, then I went to Hasting’s where I bought an October-December issue of a magazine called BBC Focus on Africa. After I got back to the dorm, I read an article of Mindful magazine, their premier issue which I had bought days earlier, that studies confirmed that racists were more likely than non-racists to suffer from heart problems which I found interesting because about a year ago I started to believe that “ableists” (people prejudiced towards people based on their abilities or lack of thereof) would be more likely to suffer something like that to. 

                On Monday I did the first two Word tutorials for my Essential Managing Information class. The next day, remembering how last year our former THRIVE instructor Mrs. Carter volunteered to be the faculty advisor for the UCM Autism Spectrum Support Group, e-mailed her asking her if she would still like to do it. On Wednesday, after my Essential Managing Information class, I bought a mineral set to help me memorize the different minerals for my Geology Lab. Later I got an e-mail back from Mrs. Carter saying she’d be happy to be the faculty advisor but thought Dr. Mayfield was doing it. I e-mailed her back saying I was meeting with her on Friday and she and I could talk about it. Then, after my Transition Planning II class, I did my assignment that was due in that class that day and e-mailed it to Mr. B. While I was at study hall that day, I took the time to study over my minerals.

                The next day I turned the pebble I found earlier into a mani stone and the day after that I saw someone smile and wave at me in the cafeteria as I was getting ready to leave. I looked and saw that it was Cassie. I smiled and waved back and she sat down with Mckinsey just as I was leaving. Later on I went to my appointment with Dr. Mayfield and we decided we got have Mrs. Carter as a backup advisor, in case she couldn’t make it to meetings. We also decided that the most important things for me to do would be to write the group’s constitution and put a flyer out in the THRIVE hall about the group where people who were interested could put their names on.

                After my meeting, I did my Transition Planning II homework right before the class itself started and I got my last two paychecks, more medication, an Ethernet cord, and some Valentine’s Day Reese chocolates from my mom in the mail. Later that night we arranged for her to come and visit me tomorrow and go shopping afterwards. The next day she came and we went to Crazy Dog’s with Jack and Autrey then took them to Walgreen’s before we went to Bi-Lo Mart. There I got some apples, frappucinos, IBC Cherry Limeades, more cheese pepperoni, and bagels to make pizza bagels, some tea, and some fruit snacks. My mom also bought me a current issue of National Geographic Traveler. After she left and I drank an IBC Cherry Limeade, I added the bottle cap to my collection and my sign. The next day I finished the last two Word tutorials.

                Next Monday, when my Essential Managing Information class was supposed to take place in the library, I forgot the room number and missed class but I e-mailed a student to ask him what I missed then e-mailed my instructor explaining. Later I went down to Walgreens and bought a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card and also a copy of Time magazine’s 100 New Scientific Discoveries: Fascinating, Momentous, and Mind-Expanding Stories. The next day I did my Word Capstone project for my Essential Managing Information class and I went to my Geology class and took the test, which I thought went alright. On Wednesday I took a test for my Essential Managing Information class and got a 77%. I made another mani stone and I went to my Geology Lab and did the Lab Practicum, which I felt somewhat confident about. Later as I was going to my Transition Planning II class, Mrs. Fahrmeier caught up with me and said she got the book yesterday and I got it during the class. During my study hall that night, I worked on my flyer for the Autism Spectrum Support Group. On Thursday I made two more mani stones which I put in my bowl. On Friday I took out my recycling bin and on Saturday I made another toilet paper roll diorama of the Buddha meditating under the Bodhi tree and I went down to Hasting’s and got the new issue of Tricycle magazine. On Sunday I did my assignment for my Essential Managing Information class that the class went over on the Monday class that I missed.

                The next Monday during my Essential Managing Information class, we worked on our first Excel tutorial Capstone project. Later on I went to my Person Centered Planning and talked to Teresa about how I didn’t think I could ever get around to my bird-watching because I thought most birds come out in the morning but then I realized I might be thinking about this one time when I tried to watch for birds on campus later in the day and didn’t see any. That night I also agreed to go see a play called Death Trap with Tyler on Wednesday night. The next night I made up study hall to go to the play the next day and I finished the Excel Capstone project. The next morning I found out I got a 49% on the Lab Practicum but I did do a worksheet in the lab that would definitely make up for it if I got full points. I found out on Blackboard that I got a 60% on the lecture test but I had other tests and assignments to make up for it. Later I got some brown colored paper at the Union bookstore so I could make some more toilet paper roll dioramas. Then, after eating at Hong Kong Express, Tyler and I went to see Death Trap, which I thought was alright.

                The next morning after the snow cancelled classes, I made another toilet paper roll diorama of the Jokhang Temple in Tibet and started working on some wall art made from toilet paper rolls based on Buddhist geometric patterns. I started on a piece of wall art meant to resemble a pattern from the Hausa people of West Africa also made from toilet paper rolls and another piece of wall art of a Tibetan Buddhist mandala, also from toilet paper rolls. The next day I found I was missing my flash drive.  Later I worked on and studied my Geology notes and after dinner I realized that I had left my flash drive in the Lovinger computer lab as I went in there to turn in my Excel 2 Capstone project because I was hurrying to get to my Transition Planning II class and I decided I needed to stop rushing so much.  As I finished running on the treadmill, I practiced not rushing as I prepared to get back.

                Tyler (Fuches), Emily told me, wasn’t coming to UCM for some reason so I had the weekend to myself. During the rest of the night I covered my shelf for my toilet paper roll dioramas with white construction paper and the next day I worked on my Excel 1 Tutorial exam, which I did horribly on but had two more chances to retake it. The next day I retook it and got a better score and I took the Excel 2 Tutorial exam. I also got the last bottle cap I needed for my sign from my beer at Crazy Dog’s, where I tried their delicious Baja burger, and used it to complete my sign when I got back. I then stuck it to the wall in the corner beneath my Buzz Sutherland photo.

                The next Monday I worked on my Excel 2 Capstone project and afterwards I bought a new flash drive at the Union computer store. Later that day, when I was about to leave the Lovinger computer lab, I asked them if they had my flash drive and I got it from their lost-and-found. The next day class was cancelled because of the snow again so I used that time to do some laundry, work on my Tibetan Buddhist mandala made from toilet paper rolls, and practice my flute. Class was cancelled again the next day so I used that time to work on my Tibetan Buddhist mandala wall piece and read a book that I recently ordered called Somebody Else: Arthur Rimbaud in Africa 1880-91. Later I finished my flyer for the UCM Autism Spectrum Support Group. The next day, when class was finally back in session, I copied my Geology worksheet from last class period and I took a quiz in that class which I think I did alright on.

An Exciting Prospect for the Semester Begins

When I got back, I found out my study hall days were Mondays and Wednesdays. I also found out, unfortunately, that my payments for my Geology and Lab class and my Essential Managing Information class had not been received so Kriti told me to go met with Jessica tomorrow at eight. 

                The next morning I met with Jessica and we got me signed up for Essential Managing Information at 9-9:50 on Mondays and Wednesdays and Intro to Geology at 3:30-4:45 on Tuesdays and Thursdays and a Geology lab from 12-1:50 on Wednesdays. I went to my Essential Managing Information class afterwards and after that I found two new pebbles for my collection and turned them into mani stones. Then I made a toilet paper roll diorama of the city of Timbuktu in Mali and started making flowers from paper plates, one saying, “Do good,” another saying, “Do no evil,” and another saying, “Purify one’s mind,” forming a saying of the Buddha. Later I went to Crazy Dog’s and then I went to Hasting’s where I bought a current a current issue of Sufi magazine and a November 2012 issue of National Geographic Traveler. I also went to my Transition Planning II class at 4 which I had on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 4-4:50 and there we got our textbooks.

                The next day I talked to my granddad and he mentioned my internship, which I still didn’t know what it was. He said he knew but wanted me to be surprised saying, “Oh, you’ll enjoy it!”

                On Wednesday I didn’t have my Geology Lab. I found out when my teacher dropped by the lab I was sitting in and explained that he sent an e-mail out to all the students saying it wouldn’t start until the week after next week but I wouldn’t have gotten it because I wasn’t signed up, so I sent that time deleting several old e-mails. On Friday I went to Crazy Dog’s with Tyler and that night we watched one of my DVDs called Secrets of Shangri-la about hidden Buddhist texts and art found in caves in the Mustang region of Nepal. The next day I found another pebble for my collection which I turned into another mani stone and I worked on my decorative flowers made from paper plates. I also made another toilet paper roll diorama of the city of Djenne, also in Mali. The next day I went down to Walgreen’s and bought some shampoo. Then I went to Hasting’s where I bought an issue of Total Film and Sci-Fi magazine which had front page articles about The Hobbit movie.

On Thursday of next week I got a call from Jessica and found out what my internship would be: starting the UCM Autism Spectrum Support Group. She told me to make an appointment with Dr. Mayfield to talk about planning it and I did for Friday at 2:30. I also got a call from Jessica that day about my Person Centered Planning time as my original one at 4:30 conflicted with my Geology class. I told Teresa that and she said she could meet me at 12:30 on Wednesday and I told Jessica that I could make it there that week because I didn’t have my lab until the next week. The next day I went to my Person Centered Planning and Teresa gave me a schedule of people’s times so I could find someone to trade times with.

                Later that day I went to Hasting’s and bought a Rolling Stone Collector’s Edition The Hobbit The Ultimate Guide and an issue of Ancient American, a magazine which believes Christopher Colombus was one of the last people to discover America, which featured on the cover an article about King Arthur’s colonies in Pre-Colombian America. I read a quote in there by Peter Jackson saying, “When you realize your film gets better with every day you work on it, it becomes hard to take a day off.” This really encouraged me as I often never get around to working on my screenplays.

                I read the Rolling Stone magazine later and felt inspired by how Peter Jackson could make a huge film career without having to move to a place like Hollywood, since I hoped to make my career and stay in my home state of Kansas. The next day I took one of my ripped socks and used it to insulate my coffee mug. On Friday I went to my appointment with Dr. Mayfield and I told her my plans for the group. She also told me of a meeting for student organizations at four next Wednesday. That night I went to Crazy Dog’s and bought some soap in town. Tyler left that day to work at his job at AMC over the weekend and on Saturday I texted him the homework assignment for Transition Planning II.  I wrote thank you notes to my grandmom and my Uncle John and Aunt Nini for their Christmas presents. The next day I went to Hasting’s and bought the current issues of Smithsonian and Shambhala Sun magazine.

                The next Monday I completed my Windows 7 tutorial at my Essential Managing Information class. On Wednesday I found out to my dismay at my first Geology Lab that I didn’t have the required textbook. After class I e-mailed Mrs. Fahrmeier, who was substituting for Mr. B in Transition Planning II and said I wouldn’t be able to make it because of the meeting. I did my assignment for that class and e-mailed it to Mr. B. Then I went to the student organization meeting someone I knew.  Mckinsey was there and she seemed glad to see me. We said hello and asked how we were doing before we sat down and heard the presentation. That night I helped Tyler with his Transition Planning II homework and the next day I switched my PCP time with Jennifer in THRIVE for Monday at 1:30 and helped Tyler with our assignment for Transition Planning II again that evening.

Winter Break 2012-2013

        I got home and I worked on my Lego City sets and the next day I cleaned out my room a little bit. We decorated our Christmas tree and I made three toilet paper roll dioramas by gluing pieces of paper to the inside of toilet paper rolls to make a picture. One was for Abby, my cousin, of Harry Potter riding a broomstick against the backdrop of Hogwarts Castle, and the other two were for my friend Erin for Christmas and her birthday, which was on November 22. One was of Bilbo Baggins running from Gollum with the ring from The Hobbit which was one of her favorite books, and the other was of a famous historical women’s rights advocate, Carry Nation, who I learned about in my history class last year, showing her taking an ax and chopping down a bar, for which she was famous. The latter I thought was a good idea for her since Erin was a die-hard feminist. The next day I got a call from Tyler asking me if I wanted to go see The Hobbit: an Unexpected Journey because he is an AMC employee and could go to screenings for free and bring one friend. Gladly, I said yes.

               

Later that day, my mom and I went to Barnes and Noble where I got a new journal for my meditation journal and a new bottle cap from a drink I bought at their café which I added to my sign when I got home. That night I also got an offer from my granddad to move boxes at his church for a food drive on Tuesday morning and I said yes. The next day, Tyler’s mom picked me up and took us to an Italian restaurant where I enjoyed some delicious steak before we went to see the movie. After the first few minutes of it, I was immediately hooked in, partly having loved The Lord of the Rings for most of my life, and could hardly think of anything else. It was a great movie, I thought.

                The next day I went to my granddad’s church and helped several elderly people there move boxes. I met them as well as their priest, a short, dark-haired woman, Mother Cindy. We got the boxes to a community center and my granddad paid me $20. Afterwards he took me to an ice cream shop in town where I enjoyed pumpkin flavored ice cream. We talked the whole time and then he drove me back.

                After my job for my granddad, I took to focusing on my real job and called Phil and told him I would be able to work over the break and he said he would put me on the schedule. I found the Kansas City star article about The Hobbit movie in our recycling bin and I retrieved it and hung it on my door, partly because of its significance to me as a screenwriter, and partly as a door decoration and a collector’s item. I also rode my bike for half an hour around my neighborhood, then got back and practiced my flute for half an hour. Later that night I called Erin and the next day I went to my old high school Horizon Academy in Roeland Park for a reunion and I saw my old friend Ian Sneid, who is also autistic and goes to Johnson County Community College. 

                Later that day I tidied up my room and the outside of it, which was full of Cam’s stuff, and picked up some airsoft gun pellets which I put in an origami box to use in making a cat’s ball. Later I took Wally for a walk and then my granddad picked me up and we went to the Pathless Land where I gave Ben a Buddha statue I made out of bread dough from the UCM cafeteria. He loved it and even set it on the table in the middle of our circle. The next day I made another toilet paper roll of the Buddha preaching his first sermon in Deer Park and later I read my book The Skull Mantra. The next day I made my dad’s Christmas present who is a psychologist: a toilet paper roll diorama of a quintessential therapy session with a guy sitting on a recliner. I also covered my toilet paper roll diorama with brown construction paper to make them look better.

                For the rest of the day I called Hen House and found out I work on Sunday from 9-5:30 and I cut rings from toilet paper rolls, covered them with construction paper, and glued them together to make a Christmas ornament. I also made a toilet paper roll of Punakha Dzong, a famous Buddhist monastery and Tibetan Buddhist pilgrimage site in Bhutan. The next day I went to a bookstore in Downtown Overland Park and I bought a drink, getting a new bottle cap for my collection. Later that day, Dad, Jamie, and I went to my grandparent’s house where we celebrated Abby’s birthday. I saved several paper plates we used to make into things like Frisbees and ring toss games and I poked a hole in a plastic bottle cap I saved to put a toothpick through it for Sherry for Christmas.

               

The next day I went to work where I got a new bottle cap for my collection on my first break and a USDA bottle cap where people write six-word memoirs inside during my lunch hour. On my last break I got some saltwater taffees and saved the wrappers to make into a bracelet. The next day I made a draddle for Sherry and an origami kawasawi rose for Cam for when on dates with Nora. I also made a toilet paper roll diorama of Taktsang Dzong, another famous monastery and pilgrimage site in Bhutan and I made the saltwater taffee wrappers into a bracelet.

The next day, Mom, Dave, Jamie, Cam, and I opened presents. I got some Beavis and Butthead boxers, a Buddha bar, a survival tool kit, some tweezers, a wallet to fit the shape of my pocket, a National Geographic 50 of the Last Best Places in the World, Lonely Planet’s Dream Trips 2013, a Lego Architecture Rockefeller Center, and a map showing the decline of European colonialism from Mom, a tree’s tooth from Washington from Jamie, some Nerds from Cam, a $200 check from my grandmom (my mom’s mom), and a $25 Lego gift card from my Uncle Andy and Aunt Marge. I built the Rockefeller Center and later Jamie, Cam, and I went over to our grandparent’s house with my Dad where we also met our Uncle Todd, Aunt Laura, and cousins Abby and Eric. From Uncle Todd and Aunt Laura I got a five-headed Ganesh statue that they bought in Colorado, a book called The Maya, a stamp magnifying glass and tweezers, and a Tibetan paper wall hanging from Colorado from my grandparents, and a book called Family Guy and Philosophy; Buddhas, Bouddhas, Buddas, and Boeddhas showing Buddhist sculpture throughout the ages; Good Citizens: on Creating an Enlightened Society by Thich Nhat Hanh; two Jew’s harps for my ethnic musical instrument collection from Kazakhstan and China; and a bird tweeter to attract birds from my dad. I gave each of them their presents and they all liked them as well, including my dad who got a kick out of the toilet paper roll diorama. Then we went on our walk through the park in Lee Summit, an Edwards’ family tradition, then came back and eat steak, fries, mashed potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding and I read Family Guy and Philosophy in a nock in my grandparent’s upstairs floor.

The next day I got my THRIVE progress report which said I passed all my classes, except not posting the grades for my credit courses on there, and good remarks about my internship and other areas of college life. That night my granddad and I went to the Pathless Land as usual and I got a new bottle cap from a drink I bought at the café and learned of several other books of J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing (published and edited by his son Christopher) such as The Lays of Beleriand, The Shaping of Middle Earth, and The Lost Road and Other Writings. I also bought a copy of the magazine issue Saveur: 46 Delicious Recipes from Around the World and two Lonely Planet books, one on Botswana and Namibia and one on Zambia and Malawi. The next morning I went to my art class with Jack and I got back and cut out several rings from toilet paper rolls to make Christmas ornaments. The next day I cut out pieces of construction paper to make toilet paper roll dioramas of Tango monastery, Tsonga, Cheri monastery, and Lhuentse Dzong in Bhutan and I got some more glue from Bruce Smith and a Snapple drink along with a new Snapple cap for my collection, and two sodas from Better Cheddar getting two new bottle caps for my collection and adding them to my sign.

The next day I called work and found out I worked 3:30-8:30 the next day and Monday and Saturday from 3:30-8. Later I went to see The Hobbit: an Unexpected Journey again but with Jamie, Mom, Dave, and Kate. The next day I got a call from Phil asking if I could come in that day at 12 and I said yes and I also got a new bottle cap (not a crown cap) during my break and a new USDA cap after work. The next day I got another USDA cap from my drink during my break at work and I found a new bottle cap lying around the house which I added to my sign.

As the first day of January came, I started making a toilet paper roll of Tsonga monastery in Bhutan and later my friend Erin and I got together and I gave her a present for Christmas and her birthday. She gave me presents for Christmas and my birthday as well: two DVD’s History Channels Barbarians Volume I and II. We went and ate at the Cheesecake Factory and afterwards we went to Barnes and Noble where I got a Lonely Planet book on South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland, and a Winter 2012-2013 issue of Parabola magazine. The next day I met up with my Granddad and he gave me several old Smithsonian magazines he had for my collection and we went to Pei Wei, where I got a new bottle cap from my drink, and Half Price Books where I bought a Lonely Planet book on West Africa, The Lays of Beleriand, and The Children of Hurin, before going to the Pathless Land. I went to my art class the next day-Jack for some reason wasn’t there-and later on I got a haircut. The next day I made a toilet paper roll diorama of Lhuentse monastery in Bhutan and the day after that Dad, Jamie, and I ate at an Asian restaurant. The next day I went to work and made a bracelet from the Hershey’s Nugget wrappers from the ones I got on my break. On Sunday I went to brunch with Dad, Cam (Jamie left for Washington), and my grandparents at a fine Mexican restaurant before I went to work again.

On the first day of the week when I woke up I felt stressed that next year I would be making the big transition to regular UCM, understanding now how certain people who were going through big transitions felt. I felt a lot better after I did my daily meditation and on Tuesday I found a new bottle cap in the Prairie Village shopping center and I realized I was glad I didn’t live in a country like Sudan or Afghanistan, which might discourage bottle cap collecting due to its connection with alcohol content. I also made a paper mache bowl for all my mani stones. The next day I went to work and later went to the Pathless Land with my granddad and during the next day also I went to work. On Friday, I rode my bike and my dad and I ate together at BRGR so we could see each other one last time before I went back to UCM. He also ordered me some stamp hinges for my collection. I went to work the next day and the day after that I got a flu vaccine, suddenly sympathizing with all those professionals I know who do a lot of tedious paperwork, then I finished packing up and my mom and I went to Target where we bought shredded Mozarella cheese, pepperoni, and plain bagels to make pizza bagels, beef jerky, and some lollipops for snack food. After that we drove back to UCM.

Exit Internship, Enter Finals

On the first day of December I finished my paper mache paperweight with my name on it and I worked on my travel plans to Liberia. I did some laundry and I got my mom to wire $50 from my account at home to my account at school. Then at 6:50, I went down to the Black Box Theater where Tyler and Jack would be giving a performance for their Jazz Dance class. I saw it and thought it was great and I thought the school seeing them was a wonderful way to make students aware of people with disabilities on campus.

                When I got back I watched The Medallion with Tyler and a few other THRIVE students who came to join us and I started on another paper mache paperweight with six rocks embedded in it each having a letter painted in white watercolor pencil forming the word “Wisdom.” The next day I started making my Christmas present for my cousin Eric: paper maches bust of Aang from the show Avatar the Last Air Bender, which he liked. 

The next day I went to my Public Speaking class and listened to a presentation on the pros of space travel: apparently space travel had given us so many of the modern luxuries we have today. That night I went to a Christmas party over at a local resident of Warrensburg’s house where I filled up on turkey, rolls, but still had somehow room for cherry cobbler. I also ate some delicious mangos which suddenly made me eager to shop at fruit markets when I visit Africa and other places on my travels. The family who invited us let us THRIVE students take home some food and Tyler and I brought back some mangos and blackberries. I also talked to Mom that night and she said instead of her wiring me $50 she would just sent a check of $100 from my account at home.

                The next day I got a CD rewritable from the vending machine to save my power point for my speech on in the Lovinger building and I finished my notes and my power point presentation for that speech. I also went to the THRIVE Award Ceremony at Mazzio’s Pizza where I won five awards including: an award for finishing Plato, an award for Awesome Attendence in Person Centered Planning, All 4’s in Participation and Accountability in Transition Planning I, All 4’s on my Progress Report, and for the award we all get, The Reporter Award. For each award we got to pick out a prize from a table. I picked out three bouncy balls for my collection of bouncy balls (which I’m now thinking of quitting as I have so many collections), an origami swan, and a mouse pad to use as a coaster for my water bottle on my desk. When I got back I had a lot of trouble printing off my sources for my speech for my Public Speaking class until I decided to give it a rest for a while and go run on the treadmill. When I got back however, I had no luck with Tyler’s printer but then Hillary found out about my problem and let me use her printer so I got my sources printed off.

                The next day however, I couldn’t save my power point to my e-mail account because my internet wasn’t working.  9:00, the time my class started had come and nothing was working. But then fortunately Kriti heard of my problem and lent me her flash drive. I got to class and gave my speech and felt incredibly relaxed as I did so and I apologized to my teacher for being late and explained it to him and he said it was no problem. Back at my dorm, I found some more pebbles and turned them into mani stones and I returned Kriti her flash drive. Later that day I went to the Muleskinner office for my internship and they said it would be better if I came tomorrow. I told them that I had something going on at 3:15 tomorrow so we agreed on 2:30.

                The next day I got as much done as I could on writing the first thirty pages of a screenplay for my Screenwriting class. I got done twenty-six pages and I turned it in. I went to the Muleskinner office at 2:30 and did some editing. Then I went to my mock interview with Mr. B realizing only minutes before I went in that I didn’t have my resume. Mr. B said that was alright and I could just e-mail him.  Otherwise the interview went pretty well. Mr. B said that I was confident and gave appropriate responses to his questions. When I got back I e-mailed him my resume and that night I also enjoyed taking several cartoon pictures with my cellphone camera, such as Tyler, Kriti’s boyfriend Josh, a female Asian student who swiped cards in the cafeteria at late night, and Salman from my Public Speaking class who worked in the cafeteria at late night. I also sent those pictures and several other pictures of my time in Warrensburg to my Dad.

                The next day I bought some new mechanical pencils at the Union bookstore and I went to the library and read that Lonely Planet book on Mongolia where I learned that Mongolia is a good place to buy stamps, such as ones featuring religious images, wildlife, traditional dances, and even ones with the faces of celebrities on them such as Princess Diana and Jerry Garcia. Then I went to the Lovinger building and printed off my take-home Screenwriting exam which I learned was due on the 13th. I did some laundry later that day and I worked on making two paper mache paperweights, one with six rocks embedded in it each with a letter on them forming the word “Wisdom,” and the other with ten rocks embedded in it with letter on each of them forming the word “Compassion.” Together they said two key Buddhist principles, wisdom and compassion. Then I displayed these paperweights from my window so people walking by would be reminded of these great values. The next day I finished those paper mache paperweights and later that day I learned that I can write twenty-six pages of a screenplay in only a few class days and suddenly I felt much better about my ability to get a screenplay done.

                On Sunday I went down to Hasting’s and bought a Winter 2012 issue of Buddhadharma magazine for my magazine collection and on my way back, a car pulled into the parking lot of a gas station only two or three blocks from UCM and called my name. I looked and saw Cassie and Mckinsey in the car with Cassie in the driver’s seat and she offered to give me a ride back to UCM. I got in and thanked her for doing this. She said, “It’s no problem. It’s really cold out right now. I’d do this for anyone. I just think it’s the right thing to do.” I enjoyed hanging around them and what a kind person Cassie really is. Afterwards at dinner while Tyler and I sat with Jack, Kayla, and Amanda, I asked the three of them if they would like to, with Tyler, who had already agreed, and me, like to buy our own house that we use as a hang out place and they thought that would be a great idea. Tyler told me Gabe, Zach, and Alex from last year’s THRIVE students were also up for it.

                The next day I went to my Public Speaking class and took my exam which I thought went pretty well. I also got back a grade for something else in the class and I had an eighty-two out of one hundred points. The next day I worked on my take-home Screenwriting exam and I went down to Crazy Dog’s where I got a beer and some food to relax, along with a new bottle cap for my collection that came with the beer. The day after that, I finished my Screenwriting exam and I signed up to be checked out the next day. I also started packing up. The next day I turned it in and also got my screenplay pages back and got one hundred twenty points out of one hundred fifty. Later that day, I finished packing up and I made a Christmas ornament from my origami swan as well as one of my Buddhitz sticky notes and a Feng Shui coin. Then Jenna, the CA from the first floor of Ellis came in and inspected my room then said everything was fine. After that, my mom arrived and I put my stuff in her car and we rode on home.