How to Beautify Your Search Page

Dear Cockroach Killer,

I watched the movie My Sister's Keeper, and I couldn't stop tearing up or crying the whole time! I felt so sad afterward. I recommend it if you need something to help you cry because it will probably make you. Or if you just want to watch a movie you've heard was good, because that's why I watched it...

I definitely miss hearing all about your dreams, so thank you for that tidbit. I had one last night about someone telling me how to find out if there's someone in one of the rooms of your house - someone who shouldn't be there. I was told that you're supposed to sneak in the door of the room, look left and right, hide behind the door, and jump out and yell, "Boo!" Quite the roundabout way of discovering an unwanted house guest, if you ask me.

Recently, I came across a very interesting way to personalize your web-surfing experience. If you go to the Google homepage, on the bottom left there is a link that says, "Change background image." Click it and you can change the background of the Google page! For some reason, I thought this was really cool. Probably because I changed it to an aerial shot of Oxford that I took during our time there...

Your friend,

Ant Killer

Another Dream of Mine

JoAnna,

It makes me awfully happy that you think of me when you have water at your side. Maybe you can start thinking of me every single time that you take a drink of water. Then you could think of me all the time!

I have a friend who calls me cockroach killer. Can I call you ant killer? We can both have epic names relating to obliterating insects. How exciting is that!

Since I don't see you daily and haven't been able to share my dreams with you, I though I'd share a short one here.

I was being followed because I had some secret biotechnological weapon. My plan was to use it to destroy the world. I couldn't let anyone find out, so I was going to hide it in my shoe. However, I heard them talking about patting me down. Instead I hid the packet, which contained the weapon, in an ink pen. I barely managed to stuff it away before they caught up with me and I was able to convince them that I never had anything.

I know it's really random, but when do my dreams make sense?

Thirst

Dear Rebekah,

I'm so glad you didn't fall off the face of the earth! I'd be devastated partly because you would be gone from my life and partly because that would undermine all the arguments I grew up learning about how the earth was most definitely not flat.

I sit here in my room looking around, and I am struck by the oddest sight: four water bottles glimmer their shiny surfaces at me. I realize that I am turning into you. I always need water by my side. As of now, I have:

- a bottle on my nightstand, almost gone, but there to quench middle-of-the-night thirst;

- another bottle on my nightstand atop my current read, completely full and unopened, as I just placed it there to accompany my PB&J sandwich;

- a bottle totally empty on my dresser;

- another bottle not quite as empty as the one on my nightstand, also on my dresser.

I think I may even have one in my purse!

Anyway, I thought that was humorous. So I think I'm slowly morphing into another version of your unquenchable self. Either that, or I'm turning into that little girl from Signs.

Just so you know, I've become a battle-hardened warrior over these past few weeks. Yes, I am accomplished in the art of ant killing. Various outbreaks have occurred in our home, and my mother has taught me well. Armed with a can of Raid, I can do anything. Mostly I just use it to conquer the little buggers, though.

I really enjoyed your little story about your visit to that patient. I am glad that you were able to laugh at yourself for it!

Until next time,

Jo

I Didn't Fall Off the Face of the Earth

Dear Jo,

I promise I didn't fall off of the face of the earth. In fact, I've written to you every day but the letters must have been lost in the mail. Hmmm, or maybe not. I suppose that excuse doesn't work when we're posting things online.

I am missing you a lot as well. This next year will be a good one, though it is certainly crazy to think that it will be our last at ACU. How time flies! I thought of you and Anna when I went to the Houston Zoo this past weekend. It will be tons of fun all living together soon. Indeed, I have three and a half weeks left of my internship. This summer has certainly passed quickly.

I am so glad you had a good time with Justin. I wish that I could also come and see you. A nice vacation in California sounds lovely right about now. Of course, spending time with you also sounds lovely. You mentioned that the water in the Pacific is quite as clear as the Aegean. That is certainly true, but you can take pride in knowing that it's clearer than the Gulf of Mexico at Galveston. And colder too.

I'll leave you with a little story that you might find amusing. Earlier this week I went in to visit a patient. I looked at my patient list and walked in prepared. The patient had a sheet pulled all the way over their head and the patient's daughter was sitting next to the bed.

"Hello, is this Mrs. So-and-so" I queried. The daughter looked at me strangely.

"No. This is my dad. Mr. so-and-so."

At this, the patient pulled the sheet down from his face and simply said 'hi.' Needless to say, I was quite embarrassed. I suppose I'll check my list a little more carefully from now on.

Love, Rebekah

Summer Continues

Dear Rebekah,

I am missing you sorely. I am missing Abilene and everyone there a lot, too. It's funny how that happens when one is gone for a while. Fortunately, more than half the summer is over and we shall be reunited once again. Story of our lives, eh?

I hope you are having a great time in Houston still. I have been having fun here. Justin recently visited for 10 days and we had a lot of fun. Now that he's gone I've been thinking about Abilene and how I only have one more year there. And then I wonder where I'll be and where you'll be and if we'll be near each other enough to go out on coffee dates. Anyway, all this to say, I miss you a lot. I miss laughing about absolutely ridiculous things with you. I miss "researching" random things online with you. I miss "doing homework" with you... and how it always ended up in something random.

Lately there has been nothing too interesting to write about. I've been rereading a book I read in middle school called Firegold, and it's almost as good this time around. Not quite. Funny how things you read a long time ago for the first time were always better.

I was in Target last night and I saw the Pillars of the Earth book you were reading that one time... that one about the monk and the cathedral builder. Did you ever finish that? Was it good? Anyway, I think you got a good deal checking it out of the library, because it was selling for just under $20.

I am coming back to Abilene in just about one month. I will probably write before then, but just in case I don't... see you soon!

Love,

Jo