Oldies

So since I didn't get a new picture of Sam and I haven't posted pictures in awhile, I went through my billions (close enough...) files of pictures and picked some old ones to post.

The one of Sam is at his 17th birthday party (2 years ago) and the one of me is 3 years ago in B.C. (with my much hated short hair at that point in time)

I also added two pictures of West Texas area (more around Big Bend), Welcome to my world...

Update

Okay another update on Sam and I.

Sam is working like crazy, from 7:30pm to about 7am. He does get a "dinner" break at like midnight and he seems to be liking working at night.
He has been looking for a car and it looks like he had found one but it didn't have AC and to add it would have cost $2500 on top of the cost of the car. And if you live in Texas AC is a must because inside of a car temp can be 30 degrees higher then outside (and when it is 103 degree F. it is unbearable).
He is thinking of working where he is now for another year or two and either testing to get into the military again or going to a trade school. He is beginning to save for retirement (crazy but good saving now (19) and retireing early because he was smart...me not so much).
He is starting to lose his tan now that he is only working at night but he will always be more tan than me because I think I am related to Casper or something...

Me: Getting ready for school to start in two weeks (from today), which is crazy. I have paid tuition now I just have to get my books which I am dreaded. I have at least two books $90+ and a couple in the $50 range. No fun but I need them for my classes.
I do have a doctors appointment on the 23rd (first day of classes but my class MWF don't start till 1pm and the appointment is at 10am) to get my knees checked out finally. Not really looking forward to it because I am not a fan of doctors (they do really good things I just hate having to go to one). But hopefully what ever is wrong with them can be easily fixed. But until then I am not jogging as much because it hurts my knees to much right now (think can't extend fully for the next 2 days after jogging).
I am praying for cooler weather to come quickly because this triple digit stuff is killing me! I want it to be like mid 80's but I can't really expect that till mid-October.
I can't believe I only have a year to go for my Bachelor's degree is finished. I have this Fall semester of classes and then in the Spring I student teach. The Spring is going to be the hard part lol.

Okay no pictures (because Sam is avoiding my camera :( I can't help it if I love taking pictures....

But hopefully next month I can get sibling pictures done so that I can use them in the Christmas cards in Dec. Yes I have to plan that far ahead because Sam is only home 2 weekends a month and Texas only stays pretty for so long...

want versus need

Okay the title is a little misleading because I am totally not going by the normal definition but by my own currently twisted one for the below products.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tower-with-2-Cabinets-Shutter-Collection-Espresso/11079895

This ---^ is something I really really really want so in my mind I translated it to I need! Its bathroom storage that I really want. Mostly because the current thing (it can't be called anything else) is pathetic and worthless. it collects dust like nothing else and it small and makes the bathroom too cluttered instead of serving the purpose of helping to tame clutter.

It really is pathetic, that I'm not even going to post of picture of it. Lets just says its 2 feet of white dollar store plastic stacked on top of each other. I have been looking for awhile but it is hard to find something that fits in the corner that is the only place you can fit in my very small bathroom.

Now my problem is justifying the cost to myself. I have been trying to budget but also look for things that serve a purpose to help clean my room a bit. I did manage to unclutter it enough to donate 4 bags of clothes to goodwill and put 3.5 bags to the trash. Yea it was a little too cluttered and it still is pretty cluttered because I don't have enough storage space just florr space that things get piled up on.

I think I may have found a bookcase in the local paper for $25 which is a really good price. :) I called them this afternoon but they weren't home so I will try again on Monday (not a good idea to call around here on sunday because most people are doing church stuff).

So there is the want and need perspective.

Oh and I have decided to really budget so far it is working out pretty good but I have decided to mostly ask for Amazon or Itunes giftcards in the future because I spend too much money there which doesn't help me stay on track budget wise so I have had to cut both cold turkey, so no new books for the Kindle or music for the Ipod for awhile :( I know it is for the best for now but doesn't mean I have to like it.

School??

So I have been playing around with my blog a little. I'm still not sure if I want to go with someone who designs blog headers to change it. I have tried step-by-step DIY but I'm not very good at web designs (currently I am hoping to change that but it is going to be awhile). It will probably change again in the near future.

On to another note,

School starts up in three weeks! Where did the summer go?? I have a theory it goes like this: school gets out later and starts earlier so the summer is shorter, sounds good right? Yea, not so much I have had 3 months off pretty much so I know it is not true but it sure feels like it.

I got my work schedule for the fall, 20 hours a week, which is the max I can work on campus but it will work out great. I have to do observations in a local high school, all 20 hours in 6 weeks. Doesn't sound too bad until you figure in my classes and work and then work around the high school teacher's schedule. It looks to be an interesting semester.

My classes don't seem to be too difficult this semester, don't get me wrong they are by no means easy because they are all upper level but they are not like economics which I struggled to make a C in. Two History classes (U.S. Constitutional history and U.S. Diplomatic Relations history), with at least one 10 page paper to write for one of the classes if not both. One English class (Fiction and Fiction Writing) which from everything I have heard is going to be fun but hard. Then I have two Education classes both online so it will be interesting to see when they schedule web discussions.

Currently reading

Currently reading:

Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town by Warren St. John rated: 3.5 books
(it will probably go up in rating once I finish it but I'm still in the middle part)

Dark Magic by Christine Feehan rated 4.5 books
(Very good read, a little darker than her other books but still has a good plot and because it is romance you know they end up together)

The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey rated 4 books
(Very long but very informative)

August 2, 2009: Two previously unknown works by Mozart - a concerto movement and a prelude, are performed in Salzburg, Austria.
From: www.brainyhistory.com/days/august_2.html

My rant

They invented AC just for Texas!

Uhh, it has been triple digits most of last week and all weekend. No one should have to live on the surface of the sun (otherwise known as west Texas). My family all don't get why I don't like living here, as they love this state. Which is fine but the minute I am able to I am leaving this place. I grew up in Vancouver, rainy, rainy, wet weather and I loved it! At least with the cold you can wear layers to become warm. In this heat, the minimum amount of clothes is the game except that would mean exposing way more skin than I am comfortable with so I am stuck sweating it out walking to and from home.

It is not natural to live in places that are this hot! The whole you can fry an egg on the sidewalk was coined here I am sure (not really but it is probably entirely possible with how hot it gets here). I am actually tanned which is not natural for me as I have Casper the ghost legs but tanned arms (I don't wear shorts).

I just keep telling myself 3-4 more years, just finish school with minimal to no loans here and probably teach for one year before moving to another state (preferably on the west coast or east coast) where cold is the norm.

Okay, my little rant is over... If you couldn't tell I'm not the biggest fan of the current place where I live. I know almost everyone else loves it but it is not for me personally.