Nothing like an airport mad dash

Written by Abi Humber Tuesday, 14 February 2012 16:02

Most people who have traveled by plane have made a mad dash through the airport at some point or another. You know what I’m talking about, right?

I’m not referring to that brisk stride when you feel as if you should be walking more quickly than usual, but aren’t fully committed to a jog.

I’m talking white-knuckle grip on all your belongings, desperately hitching up your pants as your feet fly across those moving walkway things, mowing over any patron who dares to stand in your way, laughing maniacally as you race toward your gate, letting out a fierce battle cry when you successfully board the plane just as the jet bridge pulls away.

Oh, what’s that? I’m the only one who has done this?

Well, I guess the best I can do...

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Old friend a welcomed change as a roommate

Written by Abi Humber Tuesday, 24 January 2012 15:20

Does anyone remember my friend Elle? I can’t recall if I’ve written about her, but I know I’ve mentioned her in conversation; she came to Hillsboro for spring break two years ago and met a bunch of my friends.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Elle, you’ll want to visit us in Chicago ASAP. She is, hands down, one of my four favorite people on campus. She is short, has long, brown hair, is studying to be an elementary school teacher, is always giggling her “Elle” laugh, saying very, very funny things, and generally making everyone around her feel happy to be alive.

And now she’s my roommate! I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome to my previously stressful apartment situation, really. Elle’s roommate...

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Incentives system helps get the homework done

Written by Abi Humber Tuesday, 10 January 2012 15:08

I’m currently in Milwaukee visiting Chelsey, one of my former roommates and current best friends. She and I have a lot of personality quirks in common, including the fact that we happen to share the throne as the Queen of Incentives.

One thing we discovered when we lived together was that we had similarly strange study habits. Neither of us are procrastinators, possibly because we have both been known to reward ourselves for every teeny, tiny homework goal we reach.

We would set goals for even the smallest tasks so that we could enjoy rewards almost all the time. This may seem distracting, but it kept us motivated and constantly moving forward.

Some of these incentives made sense and were perfectly normal:

“You can check Facebook...

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Family holiday trips can be eerily memorable

Written by Abi Humber Tuesday, 03 January 2012 15:03

It’s 4:15 a.m., the day after Christmas. The Omaha Hum­bers are expertly packed in the car. It’s like Tetris in here.

We are Nevada-bound for a Smith family reunion, but the next 18 hours of driving may prove to be the death of me (and all intra-family peace).

4:21 a.m.— The car is toasty warm. Dad prays for safety and throws the car into Drive. He eases off the breaks and away we—

“Wait!” cries a voice from the back seat.

4:22 a.m. — It’s Jacob.

“Just stay right here for like...20 seconds. It’s almost done, I promise.”

Jacob is downloading a last-minute game on his iPod and wants to stay within range of our home’s Wi-Fi.

I set my internal egg timer to two minutes. If the download takes a nanosecond...

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