# Anyone from Illinois????



## Heather83 (Jul 8, 2003)

Hey i'm from IL and just wanted to see if there was anyone else from IL or even Missouri.Maybe we could chat about the nice flat lands of the Midwest or where the best doctors are.I go to college in DeKalb, IL (Northern Illinois University) which is an hour and a half west of Chicago. And my mom and dad live in Quincy, IL which is two hours north of St. Louis, right across the Mighty Mississippi from Hannibal, MO.Just wanted to chat about something other than the IBS of our Lives.Hope to hear from you guys!


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## erin5983 (Mar 25, 2003)

Hey! I'm not so much from Illinois but I live just north of it, in the very southeastern part of Wisconsin. I was born in Chicago, though. Your post caught my eye because when I was looking at colleges, I thought about going to Northern Illinois--it's a nice school. I also looked at Bradley University in Peoria. I ended up in Ohio instead, though. Also, now my sister is looking at colleges and she's look at Quincy College or Quincy University or something...it's in Quincy, IL, though. Didn't know if your parents or you are familiar with it. She hasn't visited campus yet. As far as doctors go, I usually stay in Wisconsin. Luckily I found a good GI finally, or else I would have come down the the University of Chicago doctors. Living so close to Chicago is nice, though...wish I had the kind of money to go and shop the day away downtown, lol, but not any time soon...Have a great day!


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## KatieCC (Aug 27, 2002)

I live in Belleville, IL... 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis. I attend Saint Louis University. And I've never been to Chicago... boo Cubs... lol







So you guys are pretty far from me.Kate


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## Heather83 (Jul 8, 2003)

erinjk,My parents live in Quincy,IL. That's where i'm spending my summer right now. And i live 2 blocks from Quincy University. I'm kind of partial to Quincy. It's not that small of a town (pop: 50,000) but there seems that there is nothing to do here! We do have a couple of good nightclubs, but i'm only 20! You can take a trip out on the Mississippi, that's always fun, but you have to find someone with a boat. As for the college, i know that it's expensive, since it's a private university. They just built a really NICE rec center. It has a pool, track and awesome excersice machines. Never really been through the campus or in any of the buildings, except for the music building. It looks like a nice college, especially if you like a close-knit community. For me, going there was out of the question. I wanted to get away from Quincy. I've lived here my whole life!As for Northern Illinois University. I absolutely love it!! I'll be going into my junior year. I'm a meteorology major. I'm so excited because this year i got my own townhouse with another girl. No more having to wait for someone to take a shower to have D! (the dorms had public bathrooms). Dorm life sucks! The campus is beautiful! They just redid the lagoons there. My boyfriend and i spend alot of time feeding the ducks. In between classes i go and pick a nice bench and just read, it's very relaxing. And in the winter you can go ice skating there! There's plenty to do at NIU. It was the only college that i looked at and the only one that i applied for. Definately go and check out the campus. Don't get all turned off by the small town, becuase with all the college students (almost 26,000) it doesn't feel like such a small town. And it's a short drive (10mins) to Sycamore which is where all the stores are. And it's building up even more! There's Walmart, Target, Old Navy, and much more.Katie----I wanted to go to St. Louis University, but i couldn't afford the out of state tuition. They have a meteorology program there. NIU is the only college in IL that has a meteorology program so i chose that school. I have a couple friends that go there. I also have one friend that goes to Washington University, which is also in St. Louis. I've read about your surgery on the IBD board. and i just have to say you go girl. you are one strong cookie!!! It's so good to connect with you guys with something else other than our tummy troubles!Let's keep replying and chatting.. k?


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## erin5983 (Mar 25, 2003)

heather83,thanks for the reply! I'll tell my sister what you said about Quincy. She's really into athletics, so I'll definitely tell her what you said about the new rec center. She's looking into playing college softball. I'm trying to get her to look at more Illinois schools because she doesn't want to stay in Wisconsin. She got some mail from Quincy and the brochure made the campus look really nice. She's looking for a smaller school so I'm hoping she'll go down and visit Quincy. I'm also going to be a junior, except I'm at the University of Dayton, in Ohio. My dad went there so while were checking out colleges a few years back, he made me "swing by" after we visited Bradley University in Peoria, lol...it's about a 5 hour drive from Peoria, so "swinging by" wasn't exactly the way it happened. I loved the campus and I can't wait to get back there...I need to start packing up my stuff because I leave in 2 weeks! Next week is my last week at work and I'm so excited. I work in a day care center with infants and toddlers, and even though they are unbelievably cute, the days can get VERY long. I'm an English major and I'm also being certified to teach grades 7-12. I'm hoping to continue in grad school after I graduate, but we'll see how that goes...school is so expensive. That's so cool that you're a meteorology major! I assume you plan to be a meteorologist? Meteorology programs are so rare...I think in Ohio, Ohio State University is the only school that has that as a major. I changed my major so many times...I started as journalism, changed to undecided, changed to English, then changed to English with a teaching emphasis, and I've finally found the right major. I love taking literature classes. I probably sound like this giant dork that sits around and reads, but I'm not, I swear, lol. What kinds of classes are you required to take for meteorology? I would guess you'd probably have to take all kinds of Earth Science type classes, but maybe I'm wrong. I know how you feel about your new housing situation! Freshman year, I lived in a dorm and it was the year I got IBS, and those public bathrooms were awful, lol. My floor wasn't that big, so everyone who could see under the stall knew it was me sitting in there for so long, how embarassing! This past year, I lived in a suite with three other girls. It had two bedrooms, a living room, and a bathroom with a separate sink and shower. Luckily, the girls I lived with were really close friends of mine who knew about my IBS and they were so understanding. My roommate also has the same kinds of problems as you do, Kate...she's had all the same stuff, except her chronic pouchitis is something she's trying to put up with for now. I told her how you went in and got a permanent ileostomy and she's scared to death that it's something she'll have to do. For now, she just keeps taking massive doses of antibiotics in the hopes that it will eventually get better. She's had the pouchitis for awhile now, I believe she had her colectomy when she was 17. Having IBS in college is something else...but I guess you just keep going. I'm glad that mine is not bad enough to usually keep me from going to classes. There has only been a couple of instances where I couldn't make it, because I usually suffer from attacks at night. I'm pretty much fine by the morning, just exhausted. When I move in this year, we'll have an apartment on campus that has a kitchen, so we'll see how it goes with me cooking for myself *scary idea*... I have to head off to a road trip to Michigan for the weekend but take care, everyone! It's so nice to have something in common to chat about


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## jrs (Jun 18, 2001)

Hey all. I'm in the northwest suburbs of Chicago (which is also far from St. Louis). I can't speak to the universities around here, since until three years ago I lived in Nova Scotia. If you want to know about Dalhousie or Acadia though, give me a shout!


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## KatieCC (Aug 27, 2002)

Heather- you know, I really wanted to go to Wash U... too expensive though, I'm not smart enough for them to give me any scholarship money. haha. I really like SLU though... have you ever been to the SLU campus (and see our 5000 fountains and statues







)? That's awesome that you're majoring in meterology... I would be really interested in that. Unfortunately I'm a science idiot lol- I haven't decided on a major, I've kind of been considering psychology/social work, or political science. Big difference there, I know LOL.erin- getting a permanent ileostomy was the best thing I have ever done. The first time my GI hinted at it I about died, I thought 'no way' but things got so bad and I am so happy just just be rid of the j-pouch. Even though my surgery was not even 3 weeks ago, the past week or so I've felt better than I have in YEARS... since before I was dx'd with UC. I finally feel normal again. If your friend needs support/questions answered, point her in the direction of www.j-pouch.org , the people on the message board there are awesome.yay for the Illinois thread!







Kate


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## erin5983 (Mar 25, 2003)

Hey everyone!Heather, I agree with Kate on the no-science major thing...you are brave to venture into the meteorology world. I had to take Physics freshman year in college and I almost died...I technically failed the class but the professor felt sorry for me because I was going to tutoring 3 times a week so he let me slide by, lol. It was a disaster. Since then, I finished up my requirements by taking very, VERY basic earth science classes (like, "today we will talk about dirt and grass," lol).Kate, I'm glad to hear you're feeling so much better. The idea of having an ileostomy scares the hell out my roommate but she's always so sick...I think at some point you have to sort of step back and look at your quality of life...sure, it would suck to have an ileostomy, but if you're spending ALL your time feeling too sick to do anything, then what is the point? She's on massive antibiotics right now that she's hoping will kick out any infection. She went to a specialist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and found a doctor who has made chronic pouchitis like his life's work...the guy seemed to have some ideas, I just hope they work out for her. And if not...then I don't know what her next step will be. I directed her to j-pouch.org back in the school year when I saw in on the Crohn's/Colitis board. She's been looking at what people have said about medicines and stuff. I give you mad props for going ahead with the surgery-- good for you. I hope you continue to feel so great!!I took a road trip to Michigan this weekend. We went and bypassed Chicago on the way down there and sat in traffic for about 2 hours-- what a nightmare...on the way back, we took I-94 through Chicago, so even though we had a bit of traffic, it was pretty steadily moving and we got some great views of downtown Chicago (I was so enchanted by the nice view that I almost rear-ended a nice new Oldsmobile Alero, oops...stopped at just the right moment, thank goodness!). But that traffic in Chicago is something else...everyone drives like they are drunk, lol...people just pull in front of you with no signals even when there is no room...very scary drive. I'm home, which is all that matters, I suppose, but I'm scared to death to drive through it again, lol.Have a great week, everyone!


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## Heather83 (Jul 8, 2003)

Erin, Quincy is a nice town. The crime rate is low. For me, since living here all my life it seems that everyone knows everybody elses business. It was definately like that for me in high school. I would get dumped by my boyfriend one night and then the next day at school i had people that i didn't even tell coming up to me to ask how i was.When will your sister be going to college?I was going to warn you about the traffic on I-94/80. In June, my boyfriend and i (he lives in Orland Park-south suburb of Chicago) went to Valparaiso, IN for a wedding. It was 11:00 at night and we were sitting still on 94/80! And the thing is when you get out of the traffic jam there is no reason for it! And it sucks because it's really the only road into IL and IN by Chicago unless you take the old highways which take just as long!Did you have a good time in Michigan. I've never been there. I've never even been in Wisconsin. I guess my freinds and i will have to do a road trip this school year.Some of my friends think that i'm crazy for doing meteorology. When i was in 9th grade i wanted to be an English teacher and then write children's books in the summer, but that dream got smashed by a mean English teacher who told me i wrote like a kindergartener. So i turned my attention to math and science. I got all A's in math in high school.I'm excited because i survived all of my calculus classes in college. YIPEE! I got an A in Calc 1, a B in Calc 2 (only because i decided to take it as an honors class), and last semester i got an A in Calc 3! I can't believe that i did so well in Calc 3 considering that a week into the class i had to take a medical leave for 2 weeks to have my Gallbladder surgery! It's so hard to make up work from college. It took me 2 weeks just to catch up with all my classes.I also survived my 2 physics classes. I got an A and a B. I got the B in the electricity part. Like i care about circuits!This year i have Remote Sensing of the Environment with a lab, my first Metorology class with a lab, Ordinary Differential Equations, Theater and the Fine Arts (last GenEd class!), and Intro to Ocean Science. Oh did i tell you guys that i'm a math minor? Oh this will get you guys jealous!!!! I only have one class on Fridays and it's not until noon!!!! And it's my easiest class- the intro to ocean science one.I've always like the weather. And i'm really really good at math. I can't wait to see how i'll use all this calculus in my head to forecast the weather. I know i sound like a HUGE DORK! Heh- maybe i am!!ONLY 7 MORE DAYS TIL I MOVE INTO MY APARTMENT!!!I'm really glad that we can all chat together.Oh Kate--- I feel your pain about not looking your actual age. Whenever i tell someone that i'm going to college ,, they all ask me if i'm really excited to start my first year.. and i laugh and say more like my third year! They all think that i'm 14 too even though i'm 20. I guess that it doesn't help that i only weigh 95 and i still have the same hair style that i did in 9th grade! Everyone says that i'll be glad that i look so young when i get older!!! We'll just see about that.Well have a good day ya guys!!!!!


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## Heather83 (Jul 8, 2003)

Bump


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## jrs (Jun 18, 2001)

Heather -- I actually work with two people who graduated from meteorology at NIU -- both of them really loved the program. We're all working for an insurance company now though, so I'm not sure if you'll end up in the field when you end up looking for a job. Kate -- Go for political science, it was one of my majors (with Economics) and I loved it! I started out as a Physics major until I did this 'great books' program and decided that there was too much other stuff out there that I had been ignoring. It was probably one of the best decisions I've made.


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## erin5983 (Mar 25, 2003)

Hey everyone,Heather-- thanks for the info about Quincy. My sister is about to be a senior in high school and is just starting to fill out applications to different places. Hopefully she can get down to Quincy and see about applying and all that. Haha, I wish I had been warned about the traffic earlier. I know what you mean about it seeming like there is no reason for it once you get out of it. That was the most frustrating part for me...sitting in traffic on an endless stretch of road and then just randomly having it turn into normal travel. I would just be like, WHY were we sitting for two hours! Then there was a traffic jam on I-294 for about 45 minutes, and we realized that it was because a car drove off a road and there was a police car. People were just slowing down to see it! Go figure. My trip to Michigan wasn't bad. I went to see a friend from high school. After two years of college at different schools, we don't have all that much in common anymore, but it was still nice to see where she lives. She goes to Western Michigan University. It had a nice campus and her apartment was really big and roomy. It wasn't the best trip I've ever taken, but I'm glad I was able to make it up there and see everything.Congrats for you on the Calc classes! That is something I would never even begin to attempt-- math is just NOT my thing. My boyfriend had to take Calc 1 and Calc 2. He made it through Calc 1, but his class for Calc 2 was at 9am every morning last semester, and after being used to all of our friends staying up until 3am, he couldn't get to sleep and ended up pretty much sleeping through the whole first week. So he dropped it and is going to try it again this semester in the afternoon, lol. But I give you lots of credit for taking on classes like that. You know, people always say that engineering majors have the hardest major and all that, and I really tend to think that isn't true. Looking at your classes, there's a class load that most people would never even ATTEMPT to carry. I'm sure you'll have a great year next year, though. It sounds like you really know what you're doing. I'm sorry to hear you had to have gallbladder surgery, though. Hopefully you are doing better without it, though?English is definitely more my thing. I've always liked to read and so it's nice that I can finally use that to my advantage. I took American Literature this past semester and even though my professor was really hard, I loved all the reading and stuff that we did. It was like I finally got a chance to pick what I learned in literature, and I loved it. I'm so glad I finally found a major to suit me-- seems like such a waste of money for me to graduate with some random degree I don't want, you know?Kate- good luck in choosing a major! I noticed that jrs recently posted that you should be a political science major (at least I think that is what it said!) and although I haven't had too much experience in this area, it's a liberal arts major like mine, so I have some friends who are poli sci majors, and they all love it. I don't know about SLU, but our campus has lots of stuff for poli sci majors to get involved in (I'm sure SLU does too) and I think you'd find a lot of stuff to get involved in. I unfortunately have 12 days until I move into my apartment. I bought a kitchen-in-a-box set for my apartment at Target and I'm so hyped. It has 90 pieces...don't even ask me what some of them are, lol, but hopefully I'll eventually use all of them. We also have a dishwasher in our apartment, which I'm quite excited about as I hate doing dishes. Unfortunately my IBS hasn't given me a break and seems to have gotten worse over the summer. Hopefully when I'm back at school things will calm down. Heather and Kate, I hear you about the looking younger than you are thing-- I stand 5 feet tall in shoes, lol. I look like I'm about 13. The worst thing is when people say, "How old are you?" and you tell them, and they are like, "You look so young for 20! You look 12!" What are you even supposed to SAY to that? Lol, how would they like it if I said, "You're 40? You look like you're 70!" What a nightmare...Once I turn 21 I'll probably be carded for alcohol for the rest of my life, haha.Hmm, what else. Do you guys have summer jobs? What do you do? Kate, I know you must be recovering from surgery, but did you have a job prior to that?Have a great night


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## radar079 (Aug 11, 2003)

I am from IL as well I work in Lebanon and I live in Granite City as well. Do any of you have probs with bloating?


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## Heather83 (Jul 8, 2003)

Hey Jrs,What year did they Meteorology NIU people graduate?? I might know them since i've been in the program for 3 years now. And to get them laughing just say "Dr. Song" to them. They'll get it immediately and start laughing or at least will have some funny stories to tell you! I would think that insurance companies would need meteorologists like for instance if someone claims that hail damaged their car wouldn't you have to be able to tell if it was possible for hail to dent it? What if the conditions for the time they said were not favorable for hail.. a meteorologist could determine that. Well if i can't find a job right out of college i'll definately go to graduate school. I won't be happy doing anything else unless it has to do with the weather!Erin-Traffic around Chicago is so lethal and frustrating. It's a good thing that you didn't have to use the bathroom while waiting in traffic! That would be awful. Don't even want to think about it-i'll have nightmares! I'm a big math dork--i actually look forward to doing my math homework, but you should see me before an exam, I freak out. Before my math finals i can't sit still and i'm so nervous i can't eat!! I don't worry about my other finals like i worry about the math ones! I guess because so far the other ones are multiple choice!What kind of classes are you taking this year?My gallbladder surgery went fine. I was in and out the same day, but i was in alot of pain! It was my first surgery ever!! The anastesia made me so nauseas and sick. If i had to cough or sneeze i had to put a pillow over my bandages. Whenever i coughed, sneezed or laughed it felt like my guts were falling out of my incinsions. I'm sure that Kate knows what i'm talking about!! But now after surgery I have post-cholestectomy D. It's basically a malabsorption of the bile which causes me to have green D. But all i have to do is drink a glass of this sandy gritty stuff a day (Questran) and it's gone. I just have to watch it so i don't get constipated. Oh what a world we live in!!Last year i worked at a pizza place called Papa Murphys. we would make the pizzas and the customers would come in and get it and take it home and bake it themselves. It was a hard job and i only got paid 5.50/hr. I had to quit because they weren't going to give me a raise and that's when i started to get sick from my gallbladder. I'm glad that i quit too!! My boss was so mean! She would make me lift and grate 90lb blocks of cheese. And i cut myself so many times rolling dough balls!







This summer i couldn't find a job so i'm working for my parents at their business that they do on the side. Erin aren't you excited about having an apartment!! I am. I move in in 4 days! and i just can't wait. My roommate is really nice. I met her through my boyfriend. She's an accounting major. Our townhouse has two floors, one and half bathrooms, and get this a fireplace!!!! For those cold nights in Northern Illinois. It'll be really romantic. I think that i'm just going to put candles in it instead of getting firewood.I turn 21 in April and i'm not too excited about it. Ever since this IBS stuff alcohol doesn't agree with me! My boyfriend's mom wants to take me out for margaritas when i turn 21!! How cool and a little weird is that??Kate- how are ya feeling today?? Hope your feeling better and recovering well from your surgery! When do you head back to school?? I have no opinion on what you should major in. I didn't enjoy my intro to psych class but it was interesting. I just had a bad professor. And i've never taken a poli sci class. One thing that i wouldn't major in is computer science. That stuff is so hard!! I'm suprised that i survived through the class that i had to take!! Radar-- i always have probs with bloating. Mine usually makes me feel really full. Haven't found anything that helps... but then again i haven't really looked either. I'm a woman i'm used to the big bloat!! HAHA.Well guys hope that your having a great week. Talk to you later!


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## radar079 (Aug 11, 2003)

Heather - How in the world do you get used to it? Do you just keep buying bigger clothes? The other part that is bad for me is the fatigue. I work at a small liberal arts college and I have a 45 min one way commute. Sometimes I almost fall asleep in the car, even when I have had rest the night before. If anyone else has this issue let me know how you combat it.Thanks all,LeAnn


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## Heather83 (Jul 8, 2003)

LeeAnn, I usually feel bloated at night so i just put on some lose pjs or i'll just unbotton the tops of my jeans. i wear low rider jeans that let my tummy hang out.. not that i have a tummy mind you. Hardly any of my clothes fit that well anyway since i losed alot of weight from watching what i eat so much. I haven't gained it back yet so my clothes are a lil too big.. there's more than enough room to breath.


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## radar079 (Aug 11, 2003)

You are very lucky then. I have clothes in my closet that range in 4 sizes and when I bloated the last time i couldnt fit into a thing! If I may ask, how did you take the weight off? Just watching your intake? You dont have to answer if you want you can plead the 5th!Thanks,LeAnn


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## Heather83 (Jul 8, 2003)

I took the weight off unwillingly. I weighed 115 lbs before i started to throw up every week (June 2002) and i literally got scared of food. And then i went to the doctor who put me on an irritable bowel diet. all i ate was lunch meat, poached chicken, and mashed potatoes for the longest time. Which actually made me worse and when i finally went to a GI he told me to stop the diet immediately. By Feb. 2003 i weighed 92 lbs and that was before they figured out it was my gallbladder and i had surgery to remove it. I would not recommend losing weight this way. I am now struggling to gain at least 5 lbs back, but it's been a battle. Coincidently the doctor that told me to go on the radical diet also is the one now hassling me about gaining weight. It's probably just genetic because at 21 my mom only weighed 95 lbs.


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## jrs (Jun 18, 2001)

Hey Heather -- the names of the NIU people are Vance Wollmuth and Peggy Concannon. Both would have graduated in 2000. Unfortunately neither of them are actually doing 'meteorology' right now, Vance is working on a data team, and Peggy is working on countrywide rate indications (the amount we need to go up or down in price). I think Peggy used to do the 'storm chasing' thing while she was there. I eat lunch with her from time to time so I'll have to mention the Dr. Song thing. About traffic -- I got stuck on 80/94 when I first moved down here in the middle of an attack. Probably the worst experience I've had. Made it out though, although there were times when I didn't think I would!







I try to avoid rush hour at all costs though, and driving into the city is kind dicy -- I usually favour public transportation since it's less stressful.


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## Heather83 (Jul 8, 2003)

Bump for the Illinois Thread!


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## erin5983 (Mar 25, 2003)

Heather, sorry to hear about all your gallbladder problems, but you're definitely better off without it







. This semester I'm taking some okay classes and then some good ones. For English classes, I'm taking later British literature, structure of English, and images of modern men in fiction. The images of modern men is what I'm excited about-- the books we're reading look pretty interesting. One is set in Illinois, around Chicago, I think...it's called Lake Effect and it's by...Rich Cohen, I think. I'm looking forward to reading that. For education classes, I'm only taking one, called teaching reading through literature. It's basically teaching children's and young adult literature in the classroom-- it's another class I'm really looking forward to. I also have a religion class, it's a seminar on the Holocaust and the literature and social reaction to it. It's a pretty hard class to get into because it fills up so quickly but I was able to catch it when someone dropped it and I was busy stalking the registration website, thank goodness! I'm also taking a communications class on freelance writing. I'm a little nervous about that one. I'm getting excited about moving in my apartment next weekend, though! You townhouse sounds awesome-- I'd love to have a fireplace. What a great setting. That will be so nice after you get in from the cold as all get out weather in the winter, lol. The candles in there is a really cute idea. That's what I'd do too, so there's no hassle with firewood. It'd be a great decorating element. How romantic







.You turn 21 right around the same time as me, Heather-- I'm in May. I'm looking forward to it. Alcohol hasn't really affected my IBS. I've noticed that I don't do well with liquor, like vodka or rum. It gives me AWFUL stomachaches and can keep me in the bathroom for hours with cramps. I usually end up throwing it up as well...however, beer doesn't seem to bother me in the least. By complete accident, I found a way to eliminate hangovers...I was put on Zofran, this stong anti-nausea drug for my nausea, and noticed that whenever I took it and then drank some beer later on, I would have absolutely NO hangover...it's very odd. I used to get awful ones even when I only had one beer, now it's not even an issue as long as I stick with beer. So 21 is still looking pretty exciting as of right now. What is not cool is that all my roommmates and my boyfriend will be 21 within the first couple months of school







. Oh, well....I should be studying anyway







.We have Papa Murphy's by us, we got pizza from there once. It was pretty good! Sorry your job wasn't too great, though. For $5.50 an hour, it doesn't sound like a blast. Good thing you have your parents' business to fall back on for this summer. I'm sure you guys are getting excited by the prospect of starting school again. Kate, are you still feeling alright? Have a great weekend, everyone.


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## Heather83 (Jul 8, 2003)

Hey Erin,I'm getting so anxious about moving. We're loading the trailer today and leaving tomorrow morning at about 7:30am. The past couple of days have been pretty stressful. I have so much on my mind. I've only had one anxiety attack though. But i'm one of those people that don't eat alot when stressed. ARGH.. Hopefully it'll all settle down by mid-week, when i'm situated in the townhouse. I'm on a low dose (20mg) of an anti-anxiety pill. But it only catches every day anxiety. It really doesn't totally get rid of the big anxieties like moving. I have this fear that my parents will leave before i get everything done. Like they'll leave and i'll forget to have them go by and buy my books. Or that i'll forget to do something in the process of moving in. How's your packing coming along?? Did your parents rent a truck or a trailer?? We're using my older brother's truck (he's 29) and we rented a u-haul trailer. Thankfully my roommate lives closer to NIU and volunteered to bring the big stuff, like a couch and dining room table with chairs. Those books sound interesting. I read alot. I think that i read about 10 books this summer. It's so hard to read during the semesters though, because i'm busy with homework and reading textbooks that when i do have free time i just want to zone out in front of the tv instead of read some more. Even though it is for pleasure.At Papa Murphys i could make a pizza in 5 mins!! Whenever i apply for a job now it says what my duties were and i write down pizza engineer!! Sounds better than make pizzas.Well i'm off to do some more packing!!! Hopefully i'll be able to sleep tonite without being so anxious. Next time i post i'll be at college.. YEAHHHHHHH.... away from my parents finally!!







Talk to you later.


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## bad girl (Aug 19, 2003)

Hey all you St Louis people--I go to UMR, in Rolla, Mo. We're 100 miles SE of St Louis. We go up there all the time to shop, dine, go to the botanical gardens, whatever. Rolla is tiny and pretty dull so the drive is totally worth it.


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## betagirl (Oct 12, 2002)

Hey everyone, another Illinois kid here. Ok so I'm 27.







I live in the NW burbs of Chicago too. I went to UIC for undergrad and have my eyes on Northwestern for grad school. I'll be applying to NIU as well. My brother graduated from there in 1993 with an MIS degree. I have a good friend who went to Rolla, and a few friends in St. Louis too. I've lived in the city for about 5 years during college and after, then Oak Park for a few years after that. Moved to the burbs 2 years ago.JRS, what burb are you in? I'm in Bartlett. My GI is out of Northwestern.Happy to see some local peeps


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## jrs (Jun 18, 2001)

Betagirl -- I'm in Prospect Heights - sort of squeezed between Wheeling, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect and Northbrook. I don't have a regular GI. Went to one in Skokie (who turned out to be from Montreal) once but that's about it.Heather -- I mentioned the Dr. Song thing, and got some eyes rolled. The comments were tempered though, sort of the 'she's really brilliant but can't teach' type thing.


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## Heather83 (Jul 8, 2003)

Jrs, that's exactly how it is with dr. song. She knows so much about meteorology, but when it comes to common sense she's lacking a little. She didn't even know what a flashlight was. and when she did figure out what she was describing she called it a flashflight!.. But she's good for a laugh along with her very very hard courses.


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