Moved

Moved to:

http://bibliophilist89.blogspot.com/

Christmas Day

Christmas was pretty low key this year as my sister’s family was sick (and as of this posting we still haven’t exchanged gifts because of the sickness passing back and forth between members of their family and ours). We opened gifts late morning, each taking turns opening a gift, I received two blouses and 2 pairs of slacks. All of which will come in handy this semester as I student teach. Also a few days later my parents gave me a pair of earrings that I asked for that I was not expecting at all, they are amazing (picture) they just came in the mail after Christmas but I didn’t mind. This Christmas was mainly about what was needed instead of wanted for my brother and I but I didn’t mind. I don’t have to use my own money to buy professional looking clothing so I am happy.

I am heavily updating my other blog and most any information on this one was covered in the Christmas Letters I sent out this year

Finals are over

Finals are over! (they were over last thursday but it took me this long to recover)

It was a really hard semester, which thinking back to the beginning of it I thought it was going to be easy...boy was I wrong.

It was 15 hrs of near H*ll because of two particular classes but I made an A in one and a B in the other, kind of frusterated about the B as it was my only one but overall glad about my GPA inching up (not that I have to worry too much, it is really good right now)

Still haven't heard back from the Graduate office if I was accepted or not and it is starting to make me frusterated. I am a planning...I want to KNOW.

Also I am starting to stress about student teaching next semester, that should be interesting. I am going to teach high schoolers for a semester...without any prior experience, hoping my teacher in the class is a good mentor.

So no new pictures, Christmas cards are going to be mailed today (cross your fingers? hopefully).

"Dead Week"

This week has been crazy, its "dead week" at school. My school doesn't recognize that though so I have had a lot of work to do. I can't believe finals are next week. They are coming up way to quick, and I have way too much studying to do.

Less then a week and a half and this semester will be over with Yea!! It has been a very hard semester and still has the potential to get harder but I am hoping it will not.

I still am waiting to hear back if I got accepted into the Graduate program, this is a little nerve racking, I want to know! so I can start preparing financially for it by applying for scholarships and saving. But I should know by Monday or Tuesday at the latest.

This is a really short post but I have to get back to studying.

Update November

So this is a short post. Updates are going to be in the mail with Christmas cards which I will email next week (or as soon as the pictures I ordered get here). I figured some new pictures were in order for a good update. I also have a current dislike relationship with the camera so there is only one of me, but enjoy the ones of Sam. :)

West Texas

This is what West Texas looks like in October. No it doesn't get any better then this and yes I am heavily biased against West Texas. Figured I'd get that out of the way for now.

We were driving back from a town that was about 90 minutes away from where we live.

Update on Sam and this blog

Okay, the semester is slowing down...*crossing my fingers that I am not jixning myself*.



I am passing all my classes with a minimum of a B which is thrilling for me. I know I haven't updated this blog as much but I will try and do better, mostly I use this one to update family about Sam and I and use my other blog to update on anything fun. I know complicated. I will post the link to my other blog so you can see more of what I have been up to stuff I like.



I think I have decided to make this update blog password protected so I will email those that I know that read this blog the password and keep my other blog open to the public as it won't have much personal info (like how Sam is doing and talking about where I live). I realized that anyone could read this one and I am not really okay with just anyone in the world knowing where I live and where I go on a daily basis.



Anyone else who reads can just go over to: www.bibliophilist89.blogspot.com

And for an update

Sam is enjoying the first few days of his new job. I am just glad he has a job because he was driving me insane!

Pictures

Update: Finally some pictures

Also I am thinking of making this blog private because it is really just to update family. My other blog is more open and talks about anything. So I will try and email those that I know read this blog with the password and leave this blog open for another two or so weeks.

Update again

I have pictures, will be uploading them tonight.

Sam is still looking for a job and driving me insane in the mean time.

Dad is home now, he dropped out of his PhD program because it wasn't worth he said to continue doing stuff he hated (research).

I am working and keeping up with school. More to come later.

Life

So...I have written a letter updating people who don't read blogs, now my problem is actually mailing them. I am horrible at mailing stuff, I normally mail stuff once a year christmas and that is only because I kick my butt into gear at that time of year.

Update on Sam, he was just laid off this week because there isn't enough work to go around. He is searching for another job and hopefully studying for the test needed to get into the military like he says.

I am totally stressed out with school and having a hard time keeping my head above the water so probably won't post for another 2 weeks...

Wait take that back I will probably post in the next day or two because I finally have pictures of Sam to put up...it only took blackmail to get them...lol.

When I can safely swim again I'll write more posts.

another update

Another update for family:

This once a week thing is so not going to happen in the coming weeks because of the amount of papers I have to write in the next week and a half as it is mid-terms.

Sam is good, he got transferred to Midland pit and is staying in a hotel that is down town so he has lots to do when he isn't sleeping or working to occupy his self. He is working day shift till friday then he is back on night shift. He was home this last weekend but again no pictures he is hard to get pictures of lately. But since I need to take christmas pictures soon I will get some.

I am okay, super busy with school and getting ready for student teaching next semester...and writing this reminded me I have something I need to turn in today oops. Guess I will get to that after I finish writing this.

I take the GRE this friday and I am soo unprepared but I am too stressed about it because I just found out I really don't need it to get into Grad school at the school I want to go to so it is all good.

Still working at the archive and loving it as well as at the nursery at my church. Love both so it is good. I got involved in a bible study on wednesday nights so I am plugged in to my church at least once a week.

Sorry it is so short but don't have much time to write today.

Update

Quick update with no pictures

Now a month in to my senior year and it's going well, if a bit crazy.

I start observations at a local highschool for my education classes on Monday, that will be four days a week.

Went to the doctor again for a follow up (this experience has cemented in my mind I don't like doctors), and found out what my knee pain is about for the last like 10 years. I have Patella femoral syndrome, also known as: Chondromalacia Patella. It boils down to my kneecap likes to rub on my femur bone resulting in the pain and sensation of instability.

Wrote my first paper of the semester it was supposed to be 2-4 pages but I wrote 5 so I had to cut back on my paper, which is a first.

Sam is doing well. Working nights still, he is home this weekend and I will try and get some pictures to post.

Survived

So I survived the first 2.75 weeks of my senior year.

It has been so crazy with school, work and doctor's appointments.

Finally have my schedule down between work and school and it is about to be messed up in another week or two because of observations in a public school soon for my education classes.

I finally got my knee checked out and got an MRI, still need to get an X-ray done before tuesday I think I can get in either tomorrow or Monday, the Dr. on base told me I didn't have to make an appointment and just come back anytime to get it down but I haven't had time. I am going to call tomorrow morning to double check that because I am paranoid like that.

Sam is doing well. Still working nights, had a couple on call nights because of the weather we have been getting.

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.

History Facts

1984: Holly R. (11 Days) gets heart transplant

1982: U.S.S.R. preform underground nuclear tests

1981: Belgian Senate accepts laws against racism

1966: England beats West Germany 4-2 for soccer's 8th World Cup in London

1956: U.S. Motto, In God We Trust, authorized

1944: Heavy battles at Tessy-sur-Vire and Villebaudon Normandy

1913: Conclusion of second Balkan war

1909: Wright Brothers deliver first military plane to the army

1898: Will Kieth Kellogg invents Corn Flakes

I could go on but I'll stop there...
Found all at www.brainyhistory.com/days/july_30.html