Christmas Should be 12 Days . . . Or More . . .

I don't really have anything to update. Things are pretty much the way they've been. Oh, I guess there is something! We're going to see Paul's family for Christmas! I'm super excited. It is very cold there, though. Thankfully, we both have warm coats. We'll be leaving a week later than we had initially hoped, but we'll still get plenty of time. We'll also get some couple time before we go, which I'm super excited about. I'm planning to make a Christmas dinner for two. We'll listen to Christmas music, maybe watch a Christmas movie, play games, and exchange gifts (so we don't have to take them on the plane).

Christmas (like birthdays) have always been more than a day-long celebration in my family. Growing up, we wouldn't always open our presents on Christmas because sometimes, we'd be out of town visiting family. We also had a family celebration a week or two before Christmas, one Christmas Eve, and another one around New Year's. Once, we even talked my parents into letting us open the presents after dinner one night, a week early.

So the fact that we had Christmas with my side of the family on Thanksgiving, we'll have our family Christmas a week early, and Christmas with Paul's side of the family on the actual day doesn't seem weird at all. In fact, it's kind of fun. And, I'm not completely sick of the Christmas season yet. I think it's because I've been avoiding TV.

Last Saturday, I picked up a shift at work from 2:30-6:30 and wound up staying until close (for an on-call shift). I had been running late and hadn't packed a supper. So, Paul and our friends Kyle and Lisa who were in town picked up burgers and brought them to the store. We ate them together in the car on my half an hour break. I was sad that I couldn't spend more time with them but was so happy that we could hang out. I've been so blessed with awesome friends.

I should probably go to bed. I've got a bit of homework due Saturday (last packet!) and some end-of-semester materials due next week. But then I'll be done for the semester! Yay! I will definitely be taking a brake.

Praises (and caffeine)

Sallie Mae disbursed my loan!!!! Finally, two months after they approved me for the loan. If you ever have to work with Sallie Mae, I'd suggest asking for a supervisor. Praise the Lord for providing! God is good.

I have a busy day tomorrow. I have to type my handwritten pages, proof my thesis, go by the bank, pick up new library books and read them, turn in old library books, do laundry, get the oil changed in the car, and pack for our trip Thursday. I'm probably forgetting something else I need to do.

I've been having a pretty good fall. I feel as though I know what's going on and we'll be moving on to the next phase of life soon. I'm over halfway done with grad school (yippee!!). My crazy health problems are pretty much gone, which makes me think they're stress/depression related.

I have a job I love, good friends, a wonderful family, and an amazing husband. I also serve a merciful God. Life may not be perfect, but it sure isn't bad. :-D

P.S. I went to a coffee shop to work on my writing. I always forget to ask for decaf . . .

A Good Day

I had a very productive day today. I got up at 6:30am to go to the grand opening of an organic food market. I got a free tote bag with groceries in it. :-D I then walked approximately 1.8 miles at approximately 2.7 miles per hour. I showered, ate breakfast, read some, checked my e-mail, and called Sallie Mae. I had a two hour meeting. I got home and got ready for a shopping trip with my friend's mom to pick out bridesmaid dresses. We had lunch, then went to two bridal stores. We didn't get back until about supper time. After supper, I looked up lemon recipes and downloaded the bridesmaid dress pictures.

And that's my day.

On an another note, my critical thesis is almost ready to go to the office. Yay! And Sallie Mae is extraordinarily frustrating. I applied for a loan 2 months ago, had it pre-approved, but the funds haven't been disbursed due to technical difficulties on Sallie Mae's part. I have the Sallie Mae phone number memorized. I called 3 times yesterday. :-\

Otherwise, I'm doing well!

Don't Let Your Left Hand Know . . .

My brain is fried from reading on the computer all morning. I have until Tuesday to get a complete draft of my critical thesis done (that's the deadline I've given myself).

I had a really great weekend. Our friends David and Lezli came for a visit with their two boys. We had a lot of fun hanging out, eating Mexican and German food, enjoying entirely too much sweet stuff, and eating a ton of home-grown watermelon. I hadn't had so much fun in a long time. The boys get up early, so we had a lot of time to hang out. Praise God for good friends!

This morning, I got up before Paul. Before I left the room, I went to give him a good morning kiss. He started yelling, and I realized that when I leaned down, I had accidentally turned my glass of water over, right on top of him. You know the part in the Bible where Jesus says not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing? Apparently, my body took that literally . . .

I leave for work in about half an hour. I haven't been to work all week, so I probably won't know where anything is. Oh well. I'm glad I like my job. I like my compy, too. :-D

Catch you later!

Short Random Thoughts

!!!!Celebration!!!!!

My first packet is in! I hope it was good. I hate proofreading when I'm tired. I always miss really obvious stuff.

I think I finally have financial aid worked out. AHHHHH!!!! Want to scream. Well, I guess I just did.

A couple of nights ago, I dreamed that I found a little kitten in the middle of the road. It was cold and raining, so I picked it up and brought it home. And I named it Table. Yup. Even in my dream, that was a weird name.

On my way home from work tonight, the radio played "You'll Be In My Heart." :-) Yay for summer!

Some of my favorite fall pieces at Eddie Bauer: Wool Bias Skirt, 3/4 Sleeve Sweater, Layering Tank, and Scoop Neck Tee.

This collection of Random Thoughts was brought to you in part by a tall mocha frappacino, lack of sleep, and viewers like you.

I've Been At Starbuck's Since 10:30 This Morning

So I'm definitely a slacker when it comes to updating my blog. On the uphand, I've been writing in my paper journal a bit more.

I've just spent the last five hours or so--let me think--four and a half hours at Starbuck's working on my critical thesis. And guess what? It's coming along really, really well. Yay!!!!! If I had felt like panicking, yesterday, I would have been panicking. I'm supposed to have a first draft due Thursday. Until this week, I mainly had research and bits and pieces of writing. I had planned to spend yesterday at Starbuck's, but I got caught up in the morning talking about important things that needed talking about. Then I spent all afternoon trying to sort out my financial aid. And feeling sick. So I read Fairest by Gail Carson Levine. The whole thing. Yesterday. I've gotten much faster at speed reading. I enjoyed it.

Since I got back from residency, I've been getting on a better schedule, which has really helped me with getting things done--except for school. I can't seem to get my school done. But I am getting better at chores, practicing piano, and cooking. Yay!

Oh, and I'm trying to get healthier. I bought a scale for my bathroom and discovered that I'm only about 5 lbs heavier than when I got married (yay!). Unfortunately, I'm a size and a half larger, which means I've lost muscle and gained fat. I'm not discouraged though. I used Web MD's food and fitness planners to help me get ideas on eating healthy and exercising. I'd like to drop a size by the end of the year. I did great on eating well for about a week. Then I realized that my brother is leaving for college soon, so we keep going to coffee or eating out. Plus, I've found that going to coffee shops really helps me get my school done--but it also helps me eat lots more calories than I should. :-)

That's probably enough of an update for now. I'm getting sick of Starbuck's, so I think I'll pack up and leave. Catch ya later!

P.S. My new favorite hot coffee drink is a hazelnut latte. Thanks to Christy and Carolyn for introducing me to hazelnut, my favorite coffee flavor.

Summer Res, July 2009

I'm at my summer residency right now. I have a brief respite between all the things I have to do. I just finished meeting with my advisor, and I have some good direction for my critical thesis. A problem is that I've never written thesis statements before, and I have to have one by the time I leave the residency.

I've been having a pretty good time. This residenccy isn't as jam-packed as last summer, but at the same time, I feel more tired than I did then. In fact, maybe I should go take a nap.

My class has picked our name, and we're going to announce it today. I'm excited. :-D

The weather here is a nice change from 102. The other day, the high was 66 and the low was 46. It's been really nice. It feels like fall. Of course, last summer was blazingly hot here, and since most rooms (including the dorm-rooms) don't have AC, I packed mostly shorts and tank tops. Thankfully I threw in a sweatshirt at the last minute.

If you think about it, I'd appreciate prayer. I'm in a writing program for children and young adults, but I've had to walk out of at least three readings because of the sexual content. If you'd just pray that I'd have strength and wisdom, that would be awesome.

That's all I've got time for now. I hope you all are doing well!

Summer is Here!

I just had an awesome weekend! First of all :::drumroll::: I turned in my last packet of the semester!!! Yay!!! I have some time now to do some fun things and catch up on stuff (like blogging). So that was Friday. Yesterday, I spent birthday money at the fabric store getting supplies for my many sewing projects that I hope to work on this summer. Mom went with me, and we had fun. We also stopped by work so I could turn in some paperwork, and I got some new scents for 75% off at Bath and Body Works. Yay!

Paul, Harry, Mom, and I went to supper and then played Settlers of Catan (my birthday present from Harry). It was fun! Today, we went to church together (the four of us) and then had sandwhiches for lunch. Yum. I used some of my new sewing supplies. I also talked with Karen and Lina on the phone today. Yay!

So, a good weekend.

Eliza the Bot

While doing some digital literature research, I came across Eliza, the first computer bot. She's programmed to respond like the kind of therapist who repeats what you say. She provided a healthy break from homework. My packet is due Saturday. I've been working on it since eight this morning. Ah!!!!!!

My Conversation with Eliza, May 7, 2009
Me: Hello.
Eliza: How do you do. Please state your problem.
Me: I have too much work to do
Eliza: You say you have too much work to do ?
Me: Yes
Eliza: You seem to be quite positive.
Me: Well, yeah, it's a lot of work
Eliza: I'm not sure I understand you fully.
Me: I'm busy
Eliza: Is it because you are busy that you came to me ?
Me: No, I just came for fun
Eliza: Are you saying no just to be negative?
Me: No
Eliza: You are being a bit negative.
Me: I wanted to take a break
Eliza: Can you elaborate on that ?
Me: My brain is about to explode
Eliza: Your brain is about to explode ?
Me: Yes!
Eliza: You are sure.
Me: Positive
Eliza: Lets discuss further why your brain is about to explode .
Me: Well, I have two essays due tomorrow that I haven't even started
Eliza: Do you say you have two essays due tomorrow that you haven't even started for some special reason ?
Me: I've had to research
Eliza: Please go on.
Me: They're complex topics. That's why it's taking so long
Eliza: Why do you ask ?
Me: I didn't
Eliza: That's quite interesting.
Me: Yeah, I'd say so
Eliza: What does that suggest to you ?
Me: That you're malfunctioning
Eliza: What makes you think I am malfunctioning ?
Me: You thought I asked a question when I didn't
Eliza: We were discussing you -- not me.

Homeschool Fiction?

Dear Avid Readers, ;-)

I got sick the day I came back from residency, and I was in bed for a week. This week, I'm feeling better, but I'm having trouble getting back on a schedule. I feel really tired. I have a school/cleaning schedule that I'm trying to get going. I'm hoping that the more active I am the less lethargic/depressed I'll feel.

I'm trying to find out if there's much fiction written about homeschoolers. I mean where a homeschooler is a main character. Counting series as 1 book, I've found 8 middle grade books, 2 young adult books, and 1 picture book. I also found 6 Christian homeschooling books. That's not a whole lot. I haven't read those, but from the synopsizes, some of them don't paint a very accurate picture of homeschooling or aren't really homeschooling. Some of them say they're homeschooling but it's really more of a home-bound tutorship or a private school that meets in a home.

Have you read any books with a homeschooler as the main character? If so, would you mind commenting with the title and author and, if possible, a brief synopsis.

I'm also looking for books where a side character or friend is homeschooled and books where homeschooling is mentioned. For example, I just read My Last Best Friend by Julie Bowe where a new girl moves to town and starts going to the main character's school. She says she used to be homeschooled. That kind of thing counts in my mind.

Thanks for your help! I really appreciate it.

Weather, Writing, and MLK, Jr.

Well, it turns out that all those clothes were a little much. The below zero weather really hasn't bothered me. That's partly due to all my amazing cold weather gear, and partly due to the fact that this is dry cold. I actually felt colder trying out my cold weather gear in Texas when I walked to check the mail in +30 weather. Here, it's not so bad. And I love all the snow. I'll try to remember to post some of the few pictures that I have.

I've been having a really good time. I'm excited about this semester. I'm really writer-ed out, though. I'm ready to go home (except that once I'm home, I have to start in on my first packet). I accidentally missed this afternoon's lecture when my alarm didn't go off. I have just one more full day, then a half day plus graduation. The next morning, I head home! Yay!

I find it significant that today is Martin Luther King, Jr. day. I don't think I can articulate what I'm thinking, so I will just say this: In Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, he says, "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." (http://www.mlkonline.net/dream.html). I don't think we're there yet.

Annie

Another Christmas Come and Gone

Well, it's been almost another month. Crazy! Christmas was really good. I enjoyed having Karen, Dave, and Harry home for Christmas. And me and Paul, too! I was going to work on Christmas Eve, but I got sick. I'm just now getting over it, so that part wasn't too fun. Karen and Dave left last Monday (I think), and Harry left yesterday. We had a lot of fun together. I'm sad that they're gone now.

I got to see my cousins from my Dad's side (not all of them, but several of them) this Christmas. Even though I live in the same town as Tiff and Liz, I've been very bad at keeping up with them, so I hadn't seen them in awhile.

The day after Christmas, Karen, Mom, and I drove down to The Valley for Holly's wedding. Karen and I got to stay with Audrey at her in-laws. I had a blast. I actually got to talk with Holly some (for those of you who haven't been to weddings, catching the bride for a chat is a challenge). I loved the wedding. It was so perfectly Holly. I also enjoyed the atmosphere and being in the Valley again. Karen and I had a lot of fun spending time with Audrey. Oh, and of course, we ate El Pato and brought some back for our boys.

Paul and I had a date today. He doesn't like shopping, but being the sweet man that he is, he took me to the mall to look for a wallet. I've been wanting a new wallet for ages (I wanted one as a college graduation present to myself, ha ha), and now that I have a little Christmas money, I thought I'd get one. I found one that I like, and I had a lot of fun hanging out with Paul.

I have a lot to do this week to get ready for school. I am NOT ready for another semester to begin. I haven't even recovered from the last semester. And I still haven't been writing. I've been sick and spending time with family. Oh, and making wedding presents and stuff. Oh well. I'll survive. I just hope I get over the remnants of this cold before I have to leave.

Catch you all later!

My Last Packet is DONE!

Well, I just mailed my last packet for the semester. Yay! Now all I have left are my end of semester evaluations, which I've already got halfway done. I don't get a real break from school the way I did in college, but I'm going to give myself a little break. I deserve it!

My plans are to crochet and sew the projects I've been working on or need to work on. I'm also going to read for fun (I've already started that one). I'd like to work on my web design a little. Oh, and I need to finish Christmas letter/cards. I'm not sure how well the cards will work, but I'm going to try an e-mail newsletter. I've probably already got you on the list, but if you think I don't have your e-mail address and you'd like a newsletter, let me know.

I am planning to prepare a little for next semester. I was not prepared for this semester at all, and that made the semester a lot harder than it had to be. I'm trying to finish the novel I want to work on next semester. I've already got a reading list ready, and I've been trying to figure which mentors are best suited for my style of learning. Oh, and in a couple of weeks, I'll get my workshop book. I wonder who my workshop leaders will be? Workshop was AWESOME this summer, so I'm excited.

Karen and Dave and Dave's parents visited this past weekend, with their cats. We had a lot of fun. As Dad said though, I need a vacation from food! We had salmon, fajitas, ham, and Mexican food. Oh, and doughnuts. Llyan wasn't too fond of her nephews, but they started to get along toward the end. Llyan even rubbed heads with them. I thought she'd miss them when they're gone, but no. She's extatic to have her house and people all to herself again.

Harry is coming home in a couple of weeks, and I am so excited. I've missed him. Karen and Dave are coming back then, too, and we're going to have Christmas together. I'm really happy.

That's probably a long enough update for now. Have a good holiday season, and don't forget why we have Christmas in the first place.

P.S. In answer to Lina, the residency is about 10 days long. I'll have to post some picks of the hats and scarves I made to take with me!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Late Thanksgiving, not Happy Turkey Day. Goodness, no wonder America is obese. Instead of thanking God for food and shelter and another year, we thank the turkey ‘cause we’re hungry. :::shivers:::

Anyway, I can’t believe it’s December, can you? Another year gone by! This has been a rough semester. Let’s just say that LETU spoiled me. :-D I am looking forward to next semester though. I think I’ve got a better handle on writing and grad school. I got a new winter coat for my January residency (er, and it just went on sale! Don’t you hate it when that happens?) It’s a really nice coat! I got the brown. And today, I just ordered some snow boots. Paul called his brother to get advice.

Karen and Dave are coming to visit on Thursday! Yay! I’m really excited. They’re bringing Dave’s parents and their cats. :-D

Yesterday at work, I kept a tally of all the Christmas songs they played. I can’t find the paper I wrote it on, but the count went something like this:

• Walking in a Winter Wonderland 6
• Santa Clause is Coming to Town 5
• Frosty the Snowman 4
• Let It Snow 4
• Jingle Bells 3
• Jingle Bell Rock 3

Yes, I am sick of Walking in a Winter Wonderland.

Awesome Summer!

I know; I’m a bad blogger. It’s all my love/hate relationship with technology. This summer has been pretty awesome. I went to graduation and Christy and Joel’s wedding in May. Seeing so many ELH-3 girls together again was awesome. We got some good pictures. In June, I went to Audrey and Jason’s wedding and got to hang out with Holly. And Karen came to visit, which was amazing! I’m so glad that she and Dave live closer now. I was going crazy without them!

In July, I went to grad school, which was also amazing. I had a blast and got so fired up about writing again. I went from grad school to Jonathan and Malori’s wedding. From their wedding, Paul and I went on a road trip to celebrate our first anniversary. I had so much fun! That was our first really long road trip. It was stressful in some ways—like that crazy mid-western storm! 120 miles long and at least 4 hours to get through—but a lot of fun. We ate original deep dish pizza at the original deep dish pizza restaurant! And guess what? The guy who invented it was from Texas! Yup, everything good comes from Texas. ;-) I can say that, too, ‘cause Paul’s mom was from Texas, so he came from here, too.

In August, I got to go to Kendall and Joshua’s wedding, which I didn’t think I was going to do. I road the train to meet up with Christy, Alisha, and Amanda and we road tripped up to the wedding. I had so much fun with the girls again. And guess what?? Christy and I got to be flower girls! Yay! And hanging out with Kendall was great since I hadn’t seen her in forever.

I finally found a part-time job. It’s been pretty good so far (I’ve been there about two weeks). They’ve been working with my schedule and mostly scheduling me for afternoons. Yay. Part-time is so much nicer than fulltime.

Grad school sucks right now. Not because of grad school but because of my infernal writer’s block. ARGH! Quick, someone give me an idea for a short story based on character! Any prayers for my writing would be greatly appreciated. I’d hate to waste this opportunity.

I know this is getting long, but I just want to thank everyone for their prayers for my brother-in-law. Jeff is doing pretty well. He got the back brace off this week. This whole situation has really been a miracle. God was really looking out for Jeff. Hit by a drunken driver while riding his bike and only two cracked vertebrae and no paralysis—I’d say that’s a miracle! Continued prayers for his recovery and for the medical bills are greatly appreciated. Neither Jeff nor the drunk driver has insurance. And if you wouldn’t mind praying for my mother-in-law, she has hepatitis or something crazy like that. The doctors hope it will clear up by December. We’re praying it clears up sooner.

Well, that’s another brief update from the life of Annie!

P.S. I read this book Uglies by Scott Westerfeld for grad school. It’s not wonderfully written, but it’s not horrible either and it was pretty interesting. The main character kind of drives me crazy, though. I just finished the sequel, Pretties, and I’m taking a brake before I start the third one.

In Vermont, “BBQ” Means “Cookout”

This post is about cultural differences. Sometimes, we don’t realize what our culture is until we’re thrust into another one.

Example #1: Yesterday, dinner was scheduled as “BBQ on the college green.” One of my classmates, Katie, and I were sitting on the grass reading our workshop pieces for the next day. “Are we having hamburgers and hotdogs?” Katie asked as the smell of charcoal wafted our way. “Because that would be odd since we had that for lunch.”

I replied, “I thought we were having BBQ.”

Knowing where I’m from, Katie understood my confusion. “Do you mean pulled pork or pulled chicken?” she asked.

I didn’t really. “I meant brisket.”

Katie asked, “What’s brisket?”

She’d heard of it before, but thought that it was some kind of Mexican meat. I further realized my ideas on BBQ when I went through the food line. I was incensed when people passed up the potato salad. Alright, so it was fancy potato salad with no mustard and made out of red new potatoes, but how can you eat BBQ without potato salad? I got potato salad and coleslaw, noting the lack of charro beans. As I neared the end of line, where people were serving themselves lemonade with a ladle, I set down my plate and began looking for the sweet tea.

I guess this proves that I lived in East Texas for four and a half years.

Example #2: I was sitting at a picnic table today, writing a letter, when a few scattered drops fell from the sky. I heard people say, “It’s raining!” and head briskly toward a building. I stayed and enjoyed it. My paper barely got a few drops. Later on, when the rain grew harder, someone said, “Take an umbrella if you go out. It’s pouring!” I came out (on my way here actually). It’s raining, not pouring. My bag didn’t even look like it had the measles, just some acne. If my bag and I aren’t soaked by the time I get from one place to the other, it’s not pouring.

So, those are just some of the cultural differences that I’ve noticed here in Vermont. :-D

P.S. It feels like early fall here, not the middle of July. Which is good, considering the dorms have no AC.

P.P.S. Some of my classmates and I played Apples to Apples last night, and “The South” won for “Distinguished,” so I’m not alone here! :-D

Just a week away!

Ha ha, so I keep saying that I’ll get better about updating, but I never do. I think once I get into my grad school schedule, I will require myself to update once a week. That sounds like a good plan.

Guess what? I leave for grad school a week from Tuesday!! AHH!!! I can hardly wait. I’m also freaking out, too. I’m going to be extremely busy during the residency. We just got the tentative schedule. I want to go to practically everything, but there’s no way that I can. Thankfully, we can purchase CD’s of the lectures, so I don’t have to attend all of them to hear them. I have a lot to do before the residency to get ready.

On the writing scene, I’ve actually been working on another story. I’m really excited. It’s been a long time since I just sat down and wrote for hours without having to force myself to. It’s probably not much good right now, but I’ll get better as I get back into it. Oh, and it’s a NEW story, not a recycled story.

On the job scene, I had a second interview with Gymboree, and I thought everything was looking pretty good, but I didn’t get it. :::sigh::: Oh well. I know God has a plan, I just wish I knew what it was. Ann Taylor actually did offer me a job, but they were going to give me only 12 hours a week, plus or minus with emphasis on the minus. I really need more hours than that. Maybe I should have just taken it. At least it would have been something. But Paul and I prayed about it and felt like God said to wait. :::shrugs::: Oh well.

The other night, I dreamed that I went to Mars and went to the beach. The sun was so bright there that the Martians had to get shots to inoculate them against the sun. To prove how hot the sun was, one guy put butter on his leg, and it started sizzling! I got really burned. Then we all went to see the Beatles perform because none of them actually died; they just all went to Mars. ‘Cause that’s where they’re from. That was a fun dream. :-D The next night, I dreamed I was with Hermione, Ron, and Harry and I was trying to do magic to fight off these creepy little fuzzy things that looked cute but were really dangerous. My magic wouldn’t work though because my dreams seems to have a policy against violence.

That’s enough for now! Until hopefully soon!

P.S. I just finished reading Harry Potter all the way through. That is a good series. :-D And it makes a lot more sense when you read it the whole way through instead of reading with 2 year increments between books.

Meet Jameson

Wow. I really need to update more often. So, in the last month and a half, I finished Christy's wedding present, went to the Longview area for two weeks for graduation and Christy's wedding, got accepted into another grad school, sent my workshop submission to grad school (a ton of people I've never met are going to be reading my story!!! Ah!!!!), finished my scarf, almost finished my placemat, started working on more wedding present stuff, applied to a ton of jobs, and had one interview. Did I leave much out? Oh yeah, I got a new compy for my birthday!!! I guess technically it's only partially new. It's got new guts. But it's amazingly large and fast and new to me. :-D His name is Jameson.

I had an interview with Dress Barn on Monday and I have two interviews tomorrow, one with Ann Taylor and one with Gymboree. I have no idea which place I'd rather work. But thankfully, I think that they're interested enough that at least one of them will hire me (prayers are appreciated though). At this point, I don't really care too much what kind of job I get. I just need something part time to keep me busy and bring in a little money. Once Paul and I get settled in somewhere, I think I'd like to find an internship or something.

Well, seeing as how it's way past my bedtime, I should go. I'll try to get better about updating. Really.

P.S. I dreamed about Batman and Robin last night. All of the villains were after them. I mean all. I don't think they were gonna make it, but I woke up before then . . .

I have a wedding to plan, my wife to murder, and Gildor to frame for it. I'm swamped!

Get your rest. If you haven't got that, you haven't got anything.

Dear all,

Well, I didn't write on xanga much this year because I honestly was far too busy. It feels so good to be finally done with school. And I think that my creativity is coming back, slowly but surely. I've already written one song and come up with one new story idea. That's nothing compared the 20-something ideas I used to come up with in a year, but since I started college, the number has been zippo, so one is good.

Let's see, recap of this year: Classes were okay, worked 8-10 hours a week first semester (and around 2 second semester :-\ ), shared an apartment with three friends, apartment dinner once a week, Thursday night Alias (we watched all five seasons in three semesters), wedding planning, forbidden to wedding plan, practicing piano 4 hours a week for friends wedding, internship freakout, finished internship, Going to ENGLAND!!!!, not going to england . . ., Shawna visited, Shawna visited again!, Shawna visited again!!, 5 bridal showers in one semester, 7 weddings in a year, hysterics--school is evil!, happy times--I like school, graduating, walking across the stage, I HAVE MY DIPLOMA! Oh wait, that's just the case for the diploma, hurriedly snap pictures, run to turn in gown, THEN I get my diploma, clean, clean, clean the apartment, go to bed at 4am, spend Sunday asleep and eating, rehearsal dinner at Papacita's, wedding, played four songs for said wedding, drove six hours home with no one to talk to but Fer 'n' Gully my new pet ivy, get home, sleep, wake up, drive to Corpus, mother's day lunch, come back, crash, brother's graduation!, wedding planning, wedding planning, wedding planning, wedding planning . . . .

And that's this past year in my discombobulated thoughts with emphasis on more recent events. I hope that you enjoyed. Currently, I am trying to relax without forgetting to plan my wedding, apply to grad school, and try to find a job. :-\ Do I have to? I'm ready for the wedding to just happen and end so that I go hang out on the beach. Ha ha. I need a vacation . . . .

THE END!

I just finished my last college class ever!!!! WOOOOOOOPIIIIII!!!!!!!!