What is more fun than spreadsheets?

So today the struggling attempt in submitting my spreadsheets/information systems assignment was worse than ever before.  There is an assignment once a week and it is over the internet and uses excel to step by step take instructions and produce a spreasheet or fulfill a question, or solve or create a chart etc. and than you submit it over the internet and it instantly produces your mark.  Unfortunately you can not save this file or it won't submit because that would lead to potential easy opportunities for students to cheat I guess? But in my case it means I have to do my spreadsheet assignment multiple times before I can get it to submit. My computer, although I love it and all of the goodness it helps me with in university, it loves to randomly delete or shut down my excel program while I am working on it or today as soon as I finish it 5 times consecutively.  After the third time it deleted, I gave up.

Tonight my older brother's friend had invited me to her Early Halloween Extravaganza and it was a blast. I was so glad she invited me to come.  Sunshine let me borrow her flapper costume, so cute and handmade btw!! And so I didn't even have to stress about that, and Jared and Sunshine dressed as Batman and Bat girl. Sunshine looked so edgy and babein'! Anywho so I was glad their last minute costumes turned out super well.

(not the best quality photos I know, but it gives the general idea)

ANYWAYS. so I gave up on my spreadsheets assignment, willing to take a zero since there was no way it was going to be submitted.  I went out and got ready went to the party and had a fun time just eating, talking, playing a great game of werewolf, even though I forgot who was the werewolf and I was vanhelsing(holga?) so I kind of let the entire village die, oops! Anyways, it was nice, I didn't have to stress, and just enjoy the company and evening.

So I got dropped off at 10, and since I had two hours before my spreadsheets assignment was due, I thought I would keep trying until midnight. I tried twice more, the frustration grew as both times it failed. I restarted my computer, and thought about asking my neighboring dorm lovely ladies if I could try on their computer, the computer was too slow and it didn't work on their excel, as well as another failed attempt on mine. I thought I was about to have my eyes sweat my way to sleep in anger and frustration at the fact that my course mark was going to be so damaged in consequence. I even took pictures of the process and shut down and emailed them to the TA saying, what can I do!? I sure hope he can help me since I have always had to submit multiple times before it works. Then Katie saw me in the hall, patiently asked me what was going on, I didn't let my eyes sweat, in frustration I tried again and she stayed with me and kept me company. I wondered if anyone else in my hall with excel and a pc would be willing to let me try on their computer, she immediately suggests a mutual friend- her room mate, who is fine with it, and I set to work of completing the assignment for what felt as if it were the thousandth time. I no longer even needed to read the assignment, all titles and alterations were memorized and executed on the spreadsheet.  I tried to submit the assignment, the excel did NOT delete itself or shut down, but it wouldn't submit because of the internet connection? which was FINE.  My heart dropped, Katie took the computer and tried again. Fail to submit.  I tried switching the internet connections and voila success. It submitted and I got a 96%. 

I can not even explain to you how happy I was at this moment in time. I almost didn't believe it. My hands shook and I grinned.

Wow, this does not even seem like a big deal, but this assignment was the death of me this evening, and in the joy of success, and plans to celebrate with ice cream with Katie my eyes even leaked a few drops of liquid joy.

She goes longboarding with me, talks with me, laughs with me and knows how to cheer me up. She's so wonderful and so much fun. I am so grateful I have met her this year! She even helped me to not give up on my spreadsheets assignment when I thought it was going to be the death of me.

I know that God wants us to succeed, and I know that he helps us through others. There are so many wonderful people that I have met this year at university who have been helping me to succeed. Even if it is just a short visit or encouragement, their impact on me has been so wonderful. Tonight it was Katie, earlier this week it was Lewis, Tiffany,and multiple times it has been my room mate Auburn.

Those relationships we spend so much time to build and develop, even though they are just torn away sometimes, they are so worth it. The friends that we make are the people that help us to be better, brighter, happier and they are the gems in our lives, even if they are only there a little while. I don't know where I would be without the support of my family and friends. I love them so much. I am so grateful that God has blessed me so much.