The Latest

So it's been a month or so since my last post, and I thought it might be time for an update.

I LOVE my Cracker Barrel job. It's a ton of fun, and I have a lot of friends who like me and how I work, so I have fun there.

I have recently begun listening to talk radio, thanks to my manager, who gave me his account information so I could listen online to the same stuff he listens to. We're always looking for interesting conversation topics for our coffee time chats, so I'm enjoying the interesting look into conservative talk radio. We're on the same page politically, so we don't argue, but have different perspectives, since I interact with a very liberal group of college peers, and he doesn't have any major outside influence on his opinions. It's made for some interesting conversation, and I relish the intelligent political discussion with someone who actually listens to my opinions as something credible and interesting, rather than uninformed and naive. We talk about other things, too. Everything from religion to military service, and from technological advances to funny stories of childhood adventures. So, Mart, JP, and I sit around between my clock-out time and Mart's clock-in time (he's night maintenance) with JP and talk about the world. I think I've learned as much from those two as I do in some of my classes.

The Special Olympics was an amazing experience, and I feel like the "something" I was missing by not being able to interact with intellectually disabled people is finally found again. I can't really explain why it was such a great experience, though the stories people pass through their emails about all of the athletes turning around to get someone who falls behind are true. There was a girl sitting on the track crying, and her opponents went back, got her up, and finished the race with her. There are so many incredible people who fall into the category of "intellectually disabled" and I was fortunate to meet a few. There was one particularly polite young man who impressed me with his consistent manners and friendly demeanor. He was very excited about being on the football team at his high school and was telling me as we were waiting for pasta in the cafeteria that he was changing from receiver to running back because he's not the best at catching the ball, but can run like the wind. He's the only "special ed" (his words) kid on the team, but he goes to half regular classes, half special ed classes. I didn't even get his name, but I enjoyed our conversation. Jeff basically asked me to be his girlfriend right before he threw in the shot put. With Steve sitting right beside me. It was really funny in a way, and very flattering. Katie gave me a huge hug as we were walking over to the awards tent just because. She was my first place winner for that round, too. Mary Claire and Whitney almost got into a fight because Whitney said "Wolves stink" and Mary Claire's team mascot was a wolf. They eventually got settled down again, but these two little tiny girls getting angry was almost laughable when I stood up next to them to calm them down. Thankfully the round was almost over, so nobody's throw was off because of their words. And then there was Colby, who has been a guest star on "Walker, Texas Ranger" and is a fantastic public speaker. He has Downs Syndrome, and his parents are two huge supporters of the Texas Special Olympics. There was a super cute kid named Juan whose teammates and coaches called him Buddha-Buddha. He had a Buddha face, though, really.

There was one athlete who was the only member of his team at the Games, and he was very sweet, but my encounter with him made me cry, and made me very thankful I am as outgoing and friendly as I am. I don't know his name, but I know his smile. I was handing out stickers from the TDCJ group to all of the athletes, and even had my picture taken by one of the guys. I had been through two stacks, and had just started my third, when I looked over beside our group--we were all interspersed throughout the athletes and police groups--and saw an athlete with his parents who had on a lovely wolf shirt, but no stickers. I walked up to him, having gotten comfortable with approaching athletes with stickers. I said, "You don't have any stickers! Would you like one?" He nodded, so I peeled a sticker off and asked him where he wanted me to put it. He pointed to his chest, where a badge would be, and I obliged. As I was walking away to look for more sticker-less athletes, his dad reached over with an indescribable look on his face and said, "Thanks." I was touched beyond belief, and honored that I could make his son's day by so simple an act. That's something I won't forget soon.

After my wonderful experience with the Special Olympics, Steve and I came back to Huntsville. I left Monday afternoon for San Antonio to see a friend who graduated last December. I enjoyed my drive, and the four hours there felt like three. The four hours back only felt like two, so I discovered a new love. An expensive one, but something I'll utilize when I can. I went to Sea World on Tuesday, too. I fed the dolphins, saw killer whales, dolphins, beluga whales, and huge Clydesdale horses, and rode several roller coasters. I had a ton of fun, and plan to make it an annual thing as long as my friend works there. I was delighted to learn that military personnel and their families get into the parks nation-wide for free on Saturdays. That warms my heart.

Now, it's back to work! The dorms open on Monday, and classes start on Tuesday. Here we go again! I have a pretty good break after the summer sessions end, so I'm hoping to save some money and have some fun, but we'll see how the cards unfold.

Hope everyone is doing well, and hope to hear from y'all soon!

P.S. I have a new wonderful friend in Rosemary, an older lady I work with who told me she prayed for me on my week off. I love her a lot, and really enjoy working with her. She's like a grandmother or aunt. My Cracker Barrel family is a great one, though, that's for sure. Love and hugs, everyone!

Thoughts

I woke up this morning with an eighties montage playing in my head. I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Thriller, Listen to Your Heart, Here I Go Again, I Just Died In Your Arms… And then I got on David Cook’s version of Always Be My Baby. That’s a great song.

Ok, question. If a guy is 36 and a girl is 21, is there too much of an age gap for it to work? Just curious. For the sake of argument, and to get an idea of where everybody stands.

I have come to a few conclusions. First, when toilet paper is on the spool and not free from the wall or holder, women use less toilet paper than when it is free from constraints. Second, when a woman pees standing up, she should have to raise the seat like a man in order to accommodate the rest of the population that does not stand up to pee. Random, I know.

I’m tired. I was up really late last night writing a twelve page paper, and I only got about four hours of sleep. I have to work tonight, and will hopefully get plenty of sleep before work tomorrow. I have rehearsal for a scene that goes up next week, I have to prepare my resume for my Speech for Teachers class, and I have to create a presentation for my Dramatic Theory and Criticism class. I have the weekend, so I’ll be fine. I’m excited about turning 21 on Sunday, and I have my portfolio due on Tuesday. All in all, I have several small things to take care of, and some time to do it, but things are winding down and I feel more lethargic every day.

*sigh* Back to class. More later.

Good Day

I have diagnosed myself with musical Tourettes syndrome. I randomly burst out into song based on some phrase or jingle I hear. It’s quite fun at work, and I have a good time. At both jobs, actually. I am now working an average of 25 hours per week as a hostess at Cracker Barrel. I feel rather accomplished being able to say that I have two jobs. I don’t really know why, but it does. Honest, I’ll get car pictures up when I can. I have to have time to wash it and make it all purdy and stuff. I don’t have class at all on Friday because all three of my classes are cancelled. I have to be at work at the costume shop at all because my boss will be out of town and the show should be finished by tomorrow evening. I have to be at Cracker Barrel at 5:30, so I need to get dressed and leave at 4:45ish. Fridays are always fun. My managers are already really impressed with me. Kevin, the general manager asked me at our 30 second meeting if I wanted to be a server since I help the servers all of the time, but I told him that I’m happy being a hostess. I just help out whenever I can to make things move quickly and efficiently and help out the servers who are overloaded. Things like taking drink orders and bussing tables. I really do enjoy my job. Today was a good day, too. I broke my nail this morning and made my finger bleed, but then I ran into a friend of mine and we had a really nice conversation about life and the things happening with us, so that made me happy. Then I found out that all three of my classes are cancelled on Friday, and I have no assignments due tomorrow, so I have some free time! Yay!

There’s this really cute manager at work who’s a lot of fun and makes my job a little nicer. He’s older, so not really datable even if I WERE single, but a nice guy.

Steve’s fine. He’s actually going to start a new position at his unit soon. It’ll be a night job, and I’ll miss late evenings with him, but he’ll enjoy it much more than he enjoys his job now. The animals are fine, and everything’s going exceptionally well.

It’s been a really great Wednesday. Odd, I know. My ear hurts a little bit, and my allergies are acting up, but things are all in all really great. Amen to answered prayers.

So...

Ok, Mark, I'll post car pictures ASAP. I got a job!!! I start at Cracker Barrel on Tuesdsay with training at 3 PM. I'm pretty excited, but wish I could get started. I'll update with pictures soon, but for now, it's bbq night at Steve's with friends. I love being able to relax. More later.

Dee dee de deee, dum dee dee dum...

So, I have news! I have a new car! It’s a white ’07 Chevy Cobalt, and it gets fantastic gas mileage and is really fun to drive! The car payment (we call it a car note in Texas, by the way) is about $200 a month, so it’s workable. Speaking of work, I don’t particularly care for job searching, though I’m pleasantly surprised with the expedient results. I put in applications on Tuesday of last week and got things moving that day at Cracker Barrel. The next day I was called by a Toyota dealership and went in for a pre-interview. Rene told me that I would get a call some time this week and could come in for a real interview with the manager, but they haven’t called yet. I called earlier today, but the manager never got back to me. Other than that, classes are busy, life is great, and I’m happy!

The Blahs

You ever have one of those days when all you want to do is take a long nap? Yeah, it's one of those. I don't really know why. I know I miss Steve. He's been working a lot of overtime, so I miss him a lot lately. My fingers are cold. And I'm listening to my brother's music on MySpace. Good stuff. Rascal Flatts, believe it or not. My so-not-country brother. :p Anyway, I applied for housing. I'll find out my assigned place on December 1st. I haven't told most of my kids, but I think almost all of my coworkers and Dr. Young (the Honors Department Chair) know. I'm strangely excited to not have to come back at the very beginning of January. The dorms don't open until the 10th or something, and I'll have a few days to get settled in before class. Hopefully I'll have my "new" car by then. Yay!!!

I'm incredibly excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Mostly because I love family gatherings and really good food. And I'm pumped about my gifts for everybody! I still don't have anything for Lauren, but I'll talk to my brother about that. He probably won't know either. Hehe.

They opened the new mall area at school. It's pretty nice. Concrete and plants and lots of walking and sitting space. There are some benches in the awesomest place at the top of the new green area that I'm really looking forward to utilizing. I'm all registered for classes, too. Got advised Tuesday and yesterday and got into all but one of my classes. I have to be cleared for my 400 level English class because the computer's being stupid. I won't graduate until December or 2009, though. I should maybe have a summer off to work at the horse camp or something, so that should be fun. A friend of mine works out at a little ranch in the area and said I'm more than welcome to come stay with her for as long as I need to and work at the ranch. It's horses and kids all summer!!! I'm really trying to get a job there this summer, too. Just a little something to help me keep up with the bills while I'm taking my art classes and maybe a secondary ed. class. Is it weird that it's so close, but so far away?

Steve asked me how I felt about moving out of Texas. If we stay together, all of the big gaming companies are out of state. We're talking California (which is expensive, but I would LOVE), New York (also expensive, but AMAZING), Florida (which I could handle), or even Tennessee, which we both agreed might be the most favorable place right now. It's almost familiar like Texas, and the prices are much more reasonable. I don't know. That's a long way off, so we'll see. He has to graduate and find a job first, and then I have to graduate, and then there's the whole marriage thing, and making sure I can teach in Tennessee. Yeah, might have to look into that. I've seen pictures of out there and it's awesome. Plus it's not so far that I couldn't drive home for Christmas and Thanksgiving and such. And the Renaissance Festival. Now, before my father freaks out at the idea of me thinking about marrying Steve and moving out of the state (which qualifies as a foreign country in his mind, I think--kidding, Dad, kidding), I reiterate that it's a long way away. I'm not even ready to consider that yet. Maybe in another year, but not even then for sure. I love Texas. I'm not opposed to leaving, but I like being close to my roots. Granted, I don't want to live in my hometown, necessarily, but I could handle Beaumont or Houston. We talked about Fort Worth originally. That might be interesting, though the idea of driving there scares me.

Wow, this has been a rather long post. It's time for me to go jump in the shower so I don't have to take one later. I'm on duty tonight and I have group process tomorrow. That means that I have to go on rounds at 1 (with Jared, which takes about 30 minutes, because we're awesome), and then get up at 7 to open the doors and go to group process for RA interviews at 830. I don't like using ":" in my times, if you can't tell. Okay, I really am going now. Toodles, peeps!

God doesn't like SPAM

Ok, really random title, I know, but I just got an email saying "do what you think God would want you to do with this email." My first response: "God would want me to delete it because God doesn't like SPAM." Couldn't help it. I thought it was quotable, so there ya go.

By the way, I have my housing reserved, I have my letter of resignation in, and I'm beginning to sort through and pack up stuff. I'm going to store most of my junk over at Steve's for the break because I don't have a car to get it back and forth. I'll move all of it back into my dorm room in the spring. I'm actually pretty excited about the move and the change. Yay!!! I'm much better now. Less stressed and happier in general. Funny thing is, knowing that I won't be coming back makes me realize what I'll miss and even makes the job a little easier. Go figure. I'm not naive enough to think it's worth staying, though. I know when I've had enough, and this is it. *sigh* Sweet change. It's like a new life!

Alright, I'm out. Love, peace, and chicken grease! Later, y'all!

Update

Ok, really quickly, in case anyone reads this thing anymore, here's an update. The verdict passed via the parents is that I have to live on campus. Now it's just deciding where I can afford to live and when I'm going to quit. Some housing is waaaaay more expensive than others. We'll see. Peace out.

My Dilemma

So, serious props to me for posting for two consecutive days! Lol. I have a dilemma and I need advice and feedback and to just vent, so let me know what you think.

I'm burned out on being RA. I'm burned out with school, but I'm so close now that I can't quit. I'm seriously considering not being Resident Adviser after this Spring. I can't handle the workload with my schoolwork and feel like I'm not drowning in my own tears and sweat and blood. It's overwhelming and stressful and I'm tired of it. Yeah, my residents are okay people, but I don't like being around them all the time. They're not my friends. I have to maintain a professional appearance around them and feel like I can't quite be myself. There are perks, yes, but I can't do this anymore. I have days when I just want to pack my stuff, say "I quit," and throw in the towel. It doesn't help that I feel trapped, exhausted and at the end of my rope, but I still have so much farther to travel before I'm finished. I have no real friends except for Steve and a few of his friends and some mutual friends, and that bothers me. My close friends were awesome, but they're gone. I can't make time for them. Or they can't make time for me. Or maybe we're just not meant to make time for each other. I don't know. I'm lonely, but I can't make time for an outside life because I'm either working or doing school work. The responsible side of me won't let me go party and get drunk and high with the people I know (for which my parents are very thankful, I'm sure), and the crazy side is daring me to do something rash, to live and be bold. I'm at a loss, a dead end. I need something new. Something more. Here's the breakdown.

Problems with quitting: I can't afford an apartment; I would have to get another job; parents won't let me live with Steve; I don't have a working car; I would be a commuter student; I won't stay in a dorm and pay for it again; I love not having electricity and water bills to pay; I love having the Internet and cable for free and being 5 minutes away from my classes; I have a lot of stuff that would have to fit somewhere.

Perks to the job: free housing; steady paycheck; ... That's all I can really think of. And the pay's not even that great.

Problems with the job: I have a curfew; I have paperwork to do every week that's repetitive and boring; RC sheets (which would drive any normal person insane alone); meager paychecks; can't take days off when I'm sick without asking 50 million different people; have to hold new students' hands through the first semester; have to have random, pointless meetings; have to come up with ideas for and throw programs that people expect a good turnout for and never really matter; there are expectations for random things, like trying to get people to come hang out in the lobby just because "they" say we need to build a community; my wonderfully awesome boss is graduating and leaving us to the wolves; I can't handle the workload plus my required hours to graduate and maintain anything above a 3.5 GPA and keep my life and sanity, I'll have to quit in two long semesters anyway to do my student teaching.

I need help. I need advice. I need somebody to help me reason this mess out. I need a friend to tell me that my options could be worse and then tell me which one I can choose. I need my parents to open their eyes and see that I can't continue like this and either offer me a way out of the dorm or accept that I have no other alternative to staying at Steve's. I need to not be pressured from every direction to make a decision. I need to breathe. And I can't. I need something. I need help. Somebody? Anybody. Help me. Please.

Ahem...

Okay, so I know it's late, but I'm up, so I might as well post something. I'm on duty this weekend, which sucks, but it's manageable. I have a make-up test on Monday or Tuesday for my Political Science class and another test in psychology (which I've missed the past two classes). It's a big groan, but I can study tomorrow and do fine. I have patterns cut out for next year's Ren Fest costumes, so I'll be making those over the course of the next few weeks. I'm also looking into getting a new car with some help from Dad and Mom. It's a smart car (smartusa.com), and it's pretty cheap, so I hope it happens. My car is still dead. I have no idea where to begin repairs, so I guess it'll stay like that for a while. All of my friends want to "dispose" of it if I get a new car. Sledgehammers, paint balls, spray paint, etc. It would definitely be fun...

I promised pictures of Loki, so here's one for y'all!


This is Steve and Maggie.

Here's one of Maggie playing with Tora, the dog of a friend.


















Here's a squirrel hanging out on campus.



And here are a few flowers and a butterfly.















Lovely pictures, all taken on a friend's camera. With that, I'm going to bed. Goodnight! Love to all!

Loki

I have a kitty!!! We got her last night from a girl who goes to school with me. I found her on Facebook and we met the cat a couple of weeks ago. We decided last night would be a good time to get her, so we did. I watched her and Steve and I discussed names and came up with a list of possibilities. Loki was a late addition, but the one I liked best. Loki is the Norse god of mischief. According to one of the baby naming sites I searched, the meaning is as follows:

Loki is the mythical being of mischief in Norse mythology, a foster-brother of Odin. He is a trickster and a malicious figure who is selfish and greedy, although not necessarily evil as he also comes to the help of the gods in numerous occasions. Loki is reported as being a shape shifter, and with the power of traveling through the air.

I thought that was pretty cool. She's so precious! She's spunky, feisty, adventurous, fast, strong, and very playful. She's talkative and defensive when Maggie tries to get her. It's great! Anyway, I'll possibly post some pictures us when I can get them. Until then, have a good one!

More cliches

Wow! It's been over a month, huh? I know it's late, but I figured now is as good as any time to blog. A friend stopped by a little while ago and she's having some serious bf trouble. She wants to be able to afford a house and a good life and have a husband who can provide for her and that lifestyle. Her boyfriend of nearly 4 years just quit the prison and is working construction. She's afraid that he'll end up like her father and work himself to the bone to make ends meet and they'll have to live paycheck to paycheck. Or else, he'll be traveling to make the money and never be home with her. She wants answers from him, and he's not ready to give them. He's still young and settling down isn't really on his mind right now. He's 21. She's almost 22. They went to high school together, and they love each other, but she's dealing with things in her way and he's doing the same thing over 100 miles away. I guess it really must be tough. It makes me really thankful that Steve's in town with me and is working his way through school to make a better life for the possibility of a future us instead of feeling like a wandering soul and not knowing what to do next. She needs guidance, and for once I can't give the words of wisdom needed. I used to be good at that. Still am, actually, but this is much bigger than me. In a few more years, I'll know what to say. As of right now, I have no idea. I guess we'll have to wait it out. I told her to make sure he was worth it. Her time, the wait, the possibility of moving around until he's ready to settle down and plant roots. She also wants to live in here, and he hates it. He's more into small towns and little communities. She likes bigger places where the beauty salons and convenience stores have more to talk about than her personal life. Tough choices. Rock and a hard place, maybe? I just don't know. Thoughts? Comments? Observations? Anybody still out there?

Jumbled Ramblings of a Not-So-Stable Mind

I really just want to vent to no one in particular. I'm tired. My office and room are both a mess. I still don't have a car. I'm STILL going through this auditing stuff with Financial Aid. I'm ready for training to be over and check-ins to be over so I can have a semi-normal life. I miss time with my boyfriend. I miss playing with the dog. I don't miss the dog's hair, but that's something we just deal with. I'm making friends with my staff team, so that's cool, but it's not really enough to counteract the frazzled state I'm in. I don't want to help my fellow RAs because none of them helped me. I don't want their help because I like to do things my own way. I hate being the one out of the loop, but I have a life and things to take care of. I have plans for my days. Usually those plans include sleep. My cameras should be in tomorrow, so that's a perk. I hope everything's fixed so I can start taking pictures. Apparently Dad was supposed to talk to me about the cameras, but I haven't heard from him since this weekend. I guess I'll call him tomorrow. My computer's retarded. I know, it's pretty much random rambling, but I'm all jumbled up--hence the title--about life that it's hard for me to focus. It's bedtime. Seriously. I will actually make it to bed tonight before 3 am. So excited! I miss a normal life. Sometimes I wonder if this job is really worth it. I need to win the lottery or something so I don't need loans and can pay for school and a house and for things to be all fixed and wonderful. Too bad you have to actually play the lottery to win.

Better Late Than Never

Well, I know it's been a long while, but I guess it takes a few bad days to make you realize what you need to do. I need a break. I've known this for a while. But I can't really do anything about it. I'm in college. My parents make me feel like there is no break until I get out. A friend told me I should take a semester off. He doesn't understand what it's like. This life. I'm tired. I'm frustrated. I'm busy. I think I might be going crazy. Yeah, it's my own fault. I know this, too. I accept positions. I take on extra work. People put me in a position of power or responsibility and I realize I expect more of myself than anyone else does. I'm "working" right now. My easy show. The last night. My hard show is tomorrow night. And the next night. We still haven't finished perfecting the cues and I feel like I need to cry. I want to take a break, a vacation, but those don't happen anymore. I can't do this. I won't do it again. I just need a rest. Will that ever come?

A Lot Happening

Hey everybody!!! It's the end of April! Can you believe it? A lot of things have happened so far this year, though I guess they are rather insignificant when compared to global issues and whatnot. A bridge collapsed yesterday in California. No deaths. Some crazy Korean dude shot up Virginia Tech. 32 deaths, including the shooter. I turned 20! And I played in some intense rain today! I lost my grandfather on the 18th. No more "blood" grandparents left. I didn't make the funeral. I had my very first surprise party on the 26th! I had some awesome lobster, crab, and shrimp with the family on Friday. Saturday was my kinda surprise party. Had a few friends over to Steve's, ate cake, had ice cream, played games. Sunday, we did it all again, only we went to the friends' house and ate, played games, and had fun. Good stuff. And bad stuff. Finals are coming up, and I'm stressed out. I've gained at least ten pounds this semester. But I have an amazing boyfriend and a group of wonderfully amazing and fantastic friends. Tomorrow is an award ceremony for excellence in writing (I was nominated by a professor), Wednesday is the RA banquet, to which we're wearing our prom dresses, and Thursday is a mandatory honor's meeting. Second class is canceled Wednesday. Third class is canceled Thursday. No class on Friday. It's dead day. Something may or may not happen on May 7th here at Sam. We shall see. It's been a semi-stressful, semi-eventful day. The kind that adds stress but doesn't get much accomplished. I have no idea when I'm going to get a break. I just want to sleep for a few days. I just want to do absolutely nothing and it be alright. Will that ever happen again? I miss childhood, when things were simple and beautiful in their childish intensity.

Spring Break Plans

It's so almost Spring Break!!! Only one more day until freedom! Tonight I'm on duty, which means I can't go anywhere, but it's alright. I'll do my homework for tomorrow, clean my room, pack my bags, and possibly even load my car. I have to do room checks tomorrow night, then Steve and I are leaving for Fort Worth on Saturday. I'll leave my car at his place and ride up there with him. We're staying at his brother's apartment. It should be fun. Everything I know about his family is really good, so I'm looking forward to the visit. We'll head back to my house on Tuesday. Should be fun. I'll let y'all know how things go. Have a good one!

February

Hello everyone! I have no idea who all comes here anymore, but here's the latest for those of you who care.

Valentine's Day was wonderful with Steve. We went to dinner at Olive Garden and saw some dumb movie in the Woodlands. We're still happily together. It'll be four months on the 3rd. Woohoo! I'm incredibly happy with our relationship and with Steve. He makes me feel beautiful, special, precious, and loved. Yes, he loves me. And I love him. It's a beautiful thing.

I have a new very good friend. Her name is Pam, too! We have a ton in common and I enjoy talking to her and listening to her talk. We are Pam [squared] at work. We go on rounds together and have a blast hanging out. We're going to be work-out buddies starting today, so that should be fun.

Steve's going on vacation on the 3rd and will be off for three weeks, so we're going to Fort Worth for the first few days of Spring Break, then off to my house for the rest of it. I'll see his parents and siblings (all three of them: one older brother - Robert, and two younger sisters - Tabitha and Ashley), plus his friends from high school. We also have to stop by Emily's aunt's house to visit. I met Emily's aunt and uncle when they were down helping Emily move stuff, and they like me a lot, plus they live within a few miles of where Steve went to high school, so he says it's no big deal to swing by and say hi.

Let's see... Other than that, the job keeps me busy, as do all of my classes. I have a crazy homework load, so I have to be very careful with my time management in order to get all of my assignments done. I've been doing alright, though. I'm making it. And making A's, to boot. I have to do some sketches tonight, but everything else is finished.

Ok, that's all I have to report for now. No profound thoughts, no interesting stories. They're all pretty routine nowadays. Have a nice day!

A New Beginning

2007. Can you believe some people said we'd never make it this far? Boy, were they wrong. Well, they were wrong about the whole "flying cars" thing, too. We're not holding grudges or taking score, so I guess it's all gravy.

My new position as RA has started out well. I went through training and learned quite a bit, made it through meetings, duties, and getting to know my coworkers with no troubles, and even called in a work order. Most of my job is self-explanatory paperwork. I know my kids and I know how to deal with people, so I'm not really as worried about things as I was. This should be fun.

I have a cold. Or something. Whatever it is, my nose is stuffy, I'm draining enough to cough, but with minimal results, I wake up without the ability to work my vocal cords, and I have pressure slowly building below my eye. I'll get some medicine today.

Yesterday was full of fun. Steve took me to dinner and a movie, then we went to supper with some friends to celebrate Cindy's birthday. (Cindy is one of Steve's coworkers.) We went to Main Event, which is a gaming place, and played Laser Tag (my new favorite game), bowled a few games, and hung out for a while. I came home and did rounds with Pam, the other RA, and that was very enlightening. Dinner was TGI Friday's and supper was Red Robin. All in all a very good day.

This semester, I'm taking three writing-enhanced English classes, two theater classes, and one writing-enhanced honors seminar. Please tell me I'm not suicidal.

In other news, I got my refund back, I purchased a meal plan for the semester, and cold clam-strips are not very good. Ryan is fine, though he's packing to move somewhere. Germany, hopefully.

I had a dream last night that Steve started playing World of Warcraft and didn't have time for me anymore. I left. Now I'm afraid that I'll take a backseat in his life. I don't think I could handle that. Not after these past two months of his unwavering attention. Now, don't get me wrong, I know his friends and family will be a major part of his life, and that's fine. I just don't want to be overshadowed by a video game. It was just a dream, but it felt too real for me to be comfortable with it. We'll see how things turn out after the computer comes.

Dad called at 730 this morning and woke me up. Then Jenna called me at about 1030 and woke me up again. Oh well. I'll sleep tonight.

Alright, time to head to the office. Talk to y'all later.

December 2006

Wow. It's been a long while, hasn't it? Things are still fabulous. I went through one of the most stressful weeks of my life trying to get some costumes finished, but they're all done now. Just some minor repairs before I hand them over for good. And I'll get paid soon, too. That'll buy the rest of my Christmas gifts. Something for Mom, Derek, and Dad, and something for Steve. I know what I'm getting for all of them.

Can you believe Christmas is two weeks away?! It snuck up on me. I have two finals, and then I'm checking out of my dorm so I can head home for the break after a few hours with Steve. He's fine, by the way. Still just as wonderful as ever. Still no fights (knock on wood), no problems, so we're doing really well. He hasn't told me he loves me yet, and I don't mind in the least. I think it's best to take this slow.

Other than being incredibly preoccupied by my wonderfully amazing boyfriend, I'm wrapping up classes, getting things packed, and getting ready to move downstairs for the RA position. Yay! For those of you who don't know, I did, in fact, get the RA position at Spivey, my current house for the Spring semester. If I can, I hope to stay here in this position until I graduate. That would be incredibly awesome!

Patti wants me to stay on at the costume shop, just to be on-call when they need me. I, of course, agreed. I love the shop, and I would've missed it terribly.

I've been writing Ryan regularly, and he's fine. We're talking about relationships and odd things in life, as usual, so I'm enjoying it. I think he knows more about me than some of my closest, dearest friends. Wait, he IS one of my closest, dearest friends! I need to talk to Alex, though. She doesn't know I have a boyfriend. And I have her Christmas gift to deliver.

Anyway, I need to grab some grub and finish all of this sewing, so I'm off. I love all of you very much! Have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!!!

Yay!!!

So, I suppose everyone would just looove to hear my news, right? Heh. I have a boyfriend! Yay!!! Finally, I know. His name is Steve, he's 22, he lives here in Huntsvegas, he's incredibly sweet, a gentleman, funny, kind, and an all-around wonderfully amazing guy. He respects me and likes me and pampers me (woohoo!), and he loves to make me smile. He posted a blog on his MySpace profile that said I am the "best person in the world." And he's equally great. He makes me happy. I feel safe and comfortable and just plain right when I'm with him. I don't have to worry about him taking advantage of me or pushing too far, and we have a mutual friend who just can't get over the fact that he liked me from the start. He says I'm amazing, and we have a million little things in common. Well, big things, too. Things like eggnog, strawberries, vanilla, pizza, movies, music, children, relationships... The list goes on. He's Steve, and I'm so glad we're together! We'll see how things progress, but I anticipate a happy and quite possibly lengthy relationship.

And for those of you who are wondering about Ryan, we still email, we still talk (no, he doesn't know about Steve), but we're friends. Until he indicates that he's interested in anything more than that, we're going to leave things as they are. I refuse to complicate issues that should really be so simple.

Oh, and Mom, thanks so very much for doing my laundry!!! I love you! And I love you, too, Daddy! I know you'll like Steve. *They're going to meet him on the night of the play. If you want to know more, email me, message me, or leave a comment and I'll get back to you. Lots of love! Mwah!