Something I've never done before: graduate from college

I am now a college graduate. I am also 22 (I had my birthday this past month) and those two things combined are weird. I feel so old. Being out in the real world hasn't been all that exciting yet. I moved out of my house in CS and moved back to my parents house for the next month until I move to China. While it is nice to no longer pull all nighters, write 12 page papers, or work on group projects, it is sad to not be in a place I love and see all of the people that have been my closest friends. I don't necessarily mind the fact that I have graduated and moving to China, I just wish it could all be the same when I come back, but I know that it will not be. However, I am comforted in the fact that I know this is not really goodbye, and that I will see them all again, if not in this life, then in Heaven.

My graduation weekend was a lot of fun. My whole family came, (I guess technically that's not true considering that my family is huge, but my parents, sister, and both sets of grandparents were there) and we celebrated with a huge barbecue (with more food than we could eat) with my roommates and all of our family and some friends. Here are a few pictures capturing the events:

the day before (commencement) our speaker was General Petraeus

waiting

at dinner afterwards at Jose's Mexican Restaurant

my sister and I

the big day

the stage with a lot of important people

reed arena

so many seats. it was a long graduation ceremony

me with my family

grandparents

with one of my roommates Jessica

other grandparents

the whole group

opening gifts at the house

hanging out waiting for the food

my dad, one of the chefs

my roommates and I...

take 2...

Something I've never done before: compete in a triathlon

So, back in April (I know, I know I'm behind. Finishing out school kept me busy) I competed in a triathlon. I didn't do the whole thing. I did it as a relay with a couple of my friends so I only did the running part. I've been wanting to get into the triathlon scene, but with this whole moving to China thing, completing the whole thing/getting the gear and in shape for that, isn't going to happen too soon. But it was cool to be involved and see how it worked so that when I am able to do it, I won't be totally lost. Other than being sick (did not make this fun) and dehydrated/overheated from not drinking enough water the day before, it was fun and I hope to get to do it again in the future.

I also discovered how awesome these athletic tops are compared to t-shirts (I always hate having sleeves when it's hot outside...).

the correct usage of the word "whom"

In case you needed to know...

Ryan: What I really want, honestly, Michael is for you to know it so that you can communicate it to the people here, to your clients, whomever.

Michael Scott: Oh okay.

Ryan: What?

Michael Scott: It's whoever, not whomever.

Ryan: It's whomever.

Michael Scott: No, whomever is never acutally right.

Jim Halpert: Nope, sometimes it's right.

Creed: Michael is right. It's a made up word used to trick students-

Andy: No. Actually, whomever is the formal version of the word--

Oscar: Obviously it's a real word- but I don't know how to use it correctly.

Michael Scott: [to camera] Not a native speaker.

Kevin: I know what's right. But I'm not gonna say. Because you're all jerks who didn't come see my band last night.

Ryan: Do you really know which one is correct?

Kevin: I don't know.

Pam Beesly: It's whom when it's the object of the sentence and who when as the subject.

Phyllis: That sounds right.

Michael Scott: Well it sounds right but is it?

Stanley: How did Ryan use it, as an object?

Ryan: As an object.

Kelly: Ryan used me as an object.

Oscar: Is he right about that--

Pam Beesly: How did he use it again?

Toby: It was, Ryan wanted Michael, the subject, to explain the computer system, the object--

Michael Scott: Thank you!

Toby: ...to whomever, meaning us, the indirect object. Which is the, the correct usage of the word.

Michael Scott: No one, uh asked you anything ever so whomever's name is Toby, why don't you take a letter opener and stick it in your skull?