well gang it's friday the 26 of sep.
Jess told you about the sleep, to dance to school, to work, to home, to sleep. it is all true what she has said. it's a robust dance. I wanted to tell more of the story but I don't have the time. I'm taking Jess to Red Robin we've never eaten there togethor so I hope it will be exciting. and then we will go look for a new movie to buy hopefully we will be able to find the 3 season of lois & clarks superman. We finished the last season and it left it at a very dramatic moment. boy thats a good 90's series. yes we have both been sick this week. one right after the other, it was pretty terrible, hopefully that will be it for the week. My friend Matt Meads is engaged for the 31 of dec to married. and Greg and Heather got a Genuine scooter (it's black). thats about it.

I Live for Thursdays

We're three weeks into school already and I'm feeling like I'm drowning! I think Raimo feels the same. We just go in circles: from bed to dance to school to work to dance to bed. And then it starts all over again. Things always pick up on Thursdays though--you're getting close to the weekend, the majority of the work for the week is done, and you get to look forward to heavenly Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In fact, the anticipation might even be better than the actual thing.

That was not the case last week though! The anticipation was not as great as our weekend! We got to chill with LeAnne and Risto in our apartment on Friday night and on Saturday, we went to Ensign's peak where Brigham Young said the famous words, "THIS IS THE PLACE." We hiked to the top, took in the view, and read the first chapters of Twilight's fourth and final book. We're hoping it will be better than the third. That night we met Raimo's parents for burgers at Hire's Big H. YUM. It was a fun night. And Sundays are nice because we have time to watch tv or movies and I have time to make a real dinner.

Highlights of the Week:
- Raimo got a 90 on his math test this week. The quizzes hadn't been going so well so this was really awesome!!!
- I got to go get ice cream with Melanie
- Raimo washed my car (highlight for me only probably) and put gas in it
- I finally got a a package with the rest of my books for class from Amazon
- I made chicken divine
- The weather is still great!

Hope you are all doing great! And Reed: this was one poem I did for workshop this week. Of course there are a million things wrong with it. But here it is.

The Wizard of March

Gutters flooded,
dirty water runs
who knows where.
Puddle parade.
Reed jumps the stream,
splashes through pools--
dark pools like spilled ink,
deep as an iris--
on the cracked street.
His bright cheeks are smooth
ripe plums: soft, tight skin
warm, flecked with mud.
He smells of asphalt.
Mama's roses droop
along the walk.
Snails are out
leaving trails.
Reed salts one and watches
green ooze dissolve
like the Wicked Witch of the East--
bubbles and shrivels
until there is only house.
He grins.

*First Week of School*

It was a little scary as always. We had auditions for our ballroom classes and set up our schedules and spent all our hard-earned money on books. Let's start with the good news! Raimo and I made the very top class for Latin! We're in Gold Bar! It's totally exciting and totally a surprise. It's the best technique class for Latin ballroom and it will be so fun for us. So that is our only ballroom class. We are also both doing back-up team again; I had to quit Concert Choir (so sad). Now for classes. It's going to be tough, but we'll be okay I think. We're in an English writing class together that focuses on writing about the arts and humanities. I think that will be the easiest class for both of us, though it still requires a bit of homework and reading. I'm also in 3 other English classes. One is a poetry class, one is grammar, and one is American usage. They are all very interesting, but will require constant reading and projects and creativity! Raimo is taking the dreaded economics, which will take a lot of his time, and math 110, which is also a tough one. He is not looking forward to the classes, but is starting out well by doing his reading. YAY. We're totally freaked out, but it's only been a week.

Highlights of the week:

-making Gold Bar
-reading a whole book of contemporary poetry in the first week... of my choice (Natasha Saje) on the walk to and from school
-going to the Museum of Art as a homework assignment for English
-buying another chair for the apartment (total of 2 now.... and they look so cute in our little window nook)
-getting a beautiful print of an engagement photo from Mom
-getting more china in the mail from myself and a 4qt crockpot from the Fenns
-eating corn on the cob a ton since it's only 35 cents
-dancing again with Raimo

LOVE,
Jessica

Chapter 1

it's clear brisk autumn morning. in the faint light an alarm clock is ringing. beep beep beep beep... "what is that noise" thinks Raimo as he opens his eye's slowly. His eyes take a moment to adjust to the dark dry room, he is still trying to get his bearing on were he is. Slowly it comes back to him. today was the first day of college, and thats why the alarm is going off. It had only been about two weeks since he'd been home from his mission for his church in the "distant" land of washington state, and more particularily in the gig harbor area. the past few days he didn't really now what to think. "I'm starting college!" he says slowly under his breath as he gets ready in semi darkness. Raimo is living with his brother Risto who he hasn't seen for the past four years, and some other people he doesn't know. there's his other roommates hurrying to get ready, greg baker, arnold, rob, and some young freshman guy named steve. the apartment isn't much, and in fact, it isn't much of anything at all. it's really dingy dirty and hot. "well i'll see you guys later" raimo walks out the door. he heads to his first classes of the day. book of mormon, marriage prep, american heritage, bowling, and some dance classes. thinking to himself At least I have the silver latin class. I"m sure i'll do ok in that class. this would also be his first time on BYU's ballroom team. He had been put on the team just behind the back up touring team for ballroom. He didn't know a soul on any of the company there were five teams total, two begining, 1 intermediate, which he himself was on, and then back up and tour team. the day went by, the first week was a whir... and in the coming days, he got a little more comfortable with the thought of being in college. and thats when my silver latin proffesor Brent Keck, told me to stay after class. My heart did a few skips. Mr. keck though sorta skinny had an explosive energy about him. he is intense. He has a dark complexion with jet black hair, always slicked or cut in the roman style, very short. His passion for latin dancing moves most of us to always give our best. and he takes it very seriously when someone doesn't. So i was a little nervous . the bell sounds, and the students start leaving the classroom. I walk over to him slowly. "Raimo. you're really good.. do you have a class on mon wed, fri, at 8 am?" he asks me. I say no. he then asks if I'd like to be in his gold 1 latin class. I say yes before he can change his mind. "so will i be in both classes then. and he says ya I will. cool I"m feeling like the bomb, I just got moved up. so he reminded me that the upcoming monday I have class at 8 am in the KMB that building is the south eastern corner of byu campus. about 200 ft from my apartment complex. I was stoked.