Well, I got my grades, but have been reluctant to post them. I suppose it's time to 'fess up: I got an A- in Sociology, an A- in Writing 122, a B+ in Core & Cardio, a B in Biology 101, and a B in Math 93. My new and unimproved GPA went from a 4.0 to a 3.74. Next term, I'll be taking Bio 102, Math 94, Core & Cardio, Writing 227 (Technical Report Writing), & Sociology 230 (Intro to Gerontology) online for a total of 16 credits. But that's enough about school!!! (At least for another couple of weeks...)

I didn't get around to Christmas cards or baking this year. Ty will be at his dad's for Christmas Eve & morning. Other than doing transcription, the only other thing I've done is to sign up for a free 2-week trial to a tennis club with my friend from school. That way we can work out indoors while I don't have P.E. class. Tyson starts his 2-week break tomorrow. He had a basketball tournament all weekend, so that's what we did. I'm just totally drained & can't really get motivated to start any of the projects I told myself I'd do during break. Bah humbug!!

Well, school's out for the next few weeks, thank goodness! I was on extreme burnout there for a while. I think, overall though, I did well on all my finals. I'll post when I get my grades back to let y'all know how I did in the end.

My big plan for the break is to clean everything in sight - my house, yard, & jeep. I never have the time when I'm in school. I'm also planning to get caught up on the current season of Grey's Anatomy & maybe even Private Practice, the Grey's spinoff. This weekend, I'll be doing photography with Lisa's step-daughter & am supposed to go bowling with Lisa & Becky. I'm hoping that the break will allow me the time to catch up with some friend time that I've been neglecting & also some Tyson time. We've played a little Rock Band 2 (early Christmas present to us!) last night, but I didn't have time before because of finals. So, I'm looking forward to playing that some more & also being able to go to his last two school games. The AAU season has begun & it sounds like it's going to be 9 months long!

In the midst of finals, would you believe it - I'm having a fabulous day! I got an A on that stupid math test that I was bawling over & I still have a chance at an A- overall in math. I spoke w/ my bio prof after he corrected his grading & I have a high B, so I could possibly end up with an A there, too. Now I just have the research paper to worry about, but that's not due until Thursday. I took my soc final today & feel pretty confident that I'll get an A in that class.

Also, Tyson decided that he wanted to make his own $ for Christmas this year & has been selling items on ebay. (I finally created an account under my name for him.) In one week, he made over $100!! Some of that had to be paid out for shipping, but that still left him with an $80 profit. What an amazing & enterprising kid I have! Life is good...

Here is the link to my new article: http://clubs.roguecc.edu/Byline/

Must. Focus. On. Finals...

Well, the show must go on, as they say...and so must I. Even though I'm up to my eyeballs, I just wanted to reassure everyone that I'm back on track, at least for now. I'm not going to give up or withdraw from any classes. I'm going to get the bets grades I can & work as hard as possible to do so. And I'm going to have to settle for less than perfect. But, as with most things that haven't gone my way in the past, I will turn the mistakes into learning experiences & hopefully do better the next go-round.

This weekend will be a busy one. Today, I've been working on my Soc final. Tonight, I agreed to go to a womens' social at Becky's g'ma, Greenie's church in Shady Cove. Lisa & I will meet Becky in Shady Cove & we'll all drive out together. Tomorrow, Tyson has an AAU tournament that he needs to be at by 10 am & I think his last game is at 3:45. I'm planning to bring homework along or head home in between games if there's enough time. I won't miss his games, though. It really bothered me that I had to miss so many school games this term, but they always had them during Bio. I guess Sunday's tourney schedule will depend on Saturday's games. I also have a research paper to write this weekend & I haven't even started, although it's worth 40% of my grade!! So, yeah, still freaking out a little bit, but trying to be proactive about it. Anyway, I could go on, but won't bore you with the details. The important thing is that I'll drop off the map for the next week or so to try to get everything done in time, but didn't want to leave you hanging on the depressive note of my last post.

One positive & exciting thing: the Byline editor asked me to do an article on one of the college's new clubs & I was able to pull of the pic, interview, and article by deadline (all done yesterday in between classes)! Vince, my writing instructor & Byline advisor, was editing it last night & said it was a good article & that I had good interviewing skills. The article is supposed to be on the front page. I'll be sure to post a link when it's published. I really had a great time doing it & think it turned out pretty well, too.

I am in a serious funk & don't know what to do about it. I've always prided myself on being tough, smart, independent - a fighter. I don't know if I believe any of those things anymore. I am struggling in school & I look around & see all these other people doing just fine. I just want to give up, go back to the real world where it was easy to just do my time & get a paycheck, pay my bills, take care of my kid, and make everyone proud. When I made the decision to go to college, I was doing just fine, so I thought I could do even better. This is the last week to withdraw from classes without getting a bad grade. I'm looking at having to do this in Math & Bio, but it means that I paid for 8 credits that I won't get and that I have to redo a whole term of each, all over again. I literally walked out of my math class in tears today & I was so embarassed because I almost lost it in the hall when a girl from class asked me how I did on the test. Anyway, sorry for the depressing post, but I just needed to get it out there. Now I need to do a Bio lab for tonight's class before I have to pick up transcription.

Never one for false modesty, here is a link to my three Byline articles (and pics, complete with photo creds) that came out in the school newspaper today:
http://clubs.roguecc.edu/Byline/
Now I feel ready to do what I plan to do every day... Take over the world!!

I know, as usual, I'm a freakin' slacker...What can I say? You know this about me by now, yet you keep coming back. It must be my riveting prose or my so-dang-exciting life (or perhaps your lack of one...?).

I guess it's time I let everyone know officially that Lance & I aren't together anymore. It wasn't a big, ugly breakup & nothing really "happened." I just missed my old, simple life and thought I'd try to get it back. I'm still not really sure about why I made that decision or if it was the right one to make, but I figure that I should try to make the best of it, since what's done is done.

I wrote three articles for the college newspaper, which will be printed on Monday or Tuesday. I'm pretty stoked about that, and my writing professor and Byline advisor has been calling me his "star reporter." I've already learned from this experience that journalism is a whole lot different from essay writing. No one wants to go on record and sources must be sited in nearly every sentence, so it can be difficult to have a story with substance.

I still love my Sociology and PE classes. Although my Soc professor is a tough grader, I think I'm getting an A. I have to do some sweet-talking and perhaps some make-up classes to get an A in PE, since I've missed a few classes from being sick or tired (or sick and tired). As usual, I'm struggling with Math, but I think if I really focus for the rest of the term, I should be okay. There were a couple of sections that I really, REALLY didn't understand AT ALL, but I'm past those. I just need to review all the other chapters and study hard to get a good grade on the cumulative final in a few weeks. Biology is really tough. I have a professor who doesn't like to give questions from the text, because he wants to "discourage memorization and promote scientific reasoning." In theory, that's great, but in reality, I'm not much of a scientific thinker. There are a couple of guys in my class who've become my study buddies, which has helped. Part of the problem with Bio is that they only offer it in the evenings, so I don't get home until 7:30 on Mondays & 9:30 on Wednesdays.

I registered for next term & had to take the same schedule for Bio II, which is part of three science requirements. I also signed up for the next level of Math and Intro to Music, which will be 1 of 3 music classes in the series needed for my transfer degree. I took the advice of one of my college friends & signed up for a telecourse. It's a Sociology class dealing with the elderly and life changes, offered by my Psych 202 professor, who is also my advisor. The syllabus says the course will consist of ten 55 minute videos. I think I can handle that! I'm on the fence about Core & Cardio next term, because I really want to stay active and continue to lose weight, but the time it's offered has really been inconvenient for me & I'm trying to mellow out my schedule a little next term, while still staying on track with my requirements.

Anyway, that's school in a nutshell. Other than that, I've just been trying to get my house in order & spend more time with Tyson. He's been playing 7th grade varsity basketball for his school & is disappointed because his team hasn't won a single game yet (of like 6 games). We've signed him up for AAU (city ball), which will start as soon as school ball gets out. Ever since we got cleared after finding out his knee wasn't shot, he's been playing a lot more & dropping some of the weight he'd inadvertently put on with inactivity. He's also back to wanting a healthier diet. I have his parent/teacher conference this upcoming week. He got all A's, except for one C that was an 89.9%. I'm really proud of him, though, because he had to work really hard to bring his grades up & he pulled it off! He has all next week off of school for Thanksgiving Break & conferences. I foresee a lot of sleepovers (at my place, of course!), basketball, and video games.

I've agreed to mentor Lisa's step-daughter (from her last marriage) for her senior project. She's going to do photography & do senior pics for some friends. I made up with my friend Samantha, with the understanding that we both could've handled the situation better when she moved out. We haven't hung out, but it's nice to be on speaking terms again. My friend Ganey (whom I met through Lance & now go to school with) called me to see if she can crash with me for a couple of days next week. I told her I'd love to help her out, but it can only be for a couple of days.

I was considering fixing up the car I'm thinking about buying from my brother for the trip to Eureka for Thanksgiving, but I think I've run out of time. It's still something I might do when time & money permits, though. Thank goodness gas prices have gone down. That'll help with the cost of the trip, itself. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone!

Quick update on Ty's knee:

We went to see the specialist yesterday (after an incredibly loooong wait) & got some great news! Tyson basically just has Osgood-Schlatter's (aka tendonitis) & just needs to manage the pain until he gets through his major growing. He hasn't done any damage; his knees are a little out of alignment, which can increase the pain level, but overall isn't a problem. So, he's going to continue playing fall league basketball as tolerable & get back into shape. Lance & I were a little surprised by Tyson's blase reaction to the news, but he's becoming a teenager, so I guess that just comes with the territory.

Well, I need to get Tyson to school & then get ready for school, myself. Write more soon(?)...

Thought I should write, if nothing else, to let y'all know I am still alive & well.

Today was the first day of the fall term. (I did end up with another 4.0 for last term, btw.) This term, I'm taking Sociology, Core & Cardio again, Math, Biology, & Writing. I was elected to student government, but I'm strongly considering dropping it, since that's another 14+ hours a week & I have to pay books & tuition for a leadership class if I do it. When I originally applied, I was looking at having student government on my scholarship applications, but now that I have the Ford scholarship, I don't need it. Anyway, that's school.

As for work, I am totally stoked that I got another doctor's office transcription. He's one of the easiest docs I've done transcription for, so hopefully it won't take up too much extra time, but will bring in some extra cash.

Tyson started 7th grade. He's looking forward to getting to play basketball for the school team & his coach even singled him out & invited him to come play at the school yesterday (Tyson beat him 10-4)! Unfortunately, Tyson did exacerbate his previous knee injury during practice for the fall league, so he didn't play community ball. We finally got him on Oregon Health Plan, so I took him to the doctor, who referred him to a specialist. We have an appointment this afternoon & I'm hoping they'll be able to reassure Tyson that this doesn't mean the end of his basketball career & set him up with a treatment plan to strengthen his knee & bring down the swelling.

I saved the best news for last: Lance & I moved in together!! For now, we're staying at the apartment to save up $ for a deposit, but we're hoping to get a house sometime in the near future. Everything's going really well & Tyson is stoked about it, too. I just think it's so awesome how accepting & encouraging he's been about this relationship! The guys have been doing a lot of bonding over video games, which I'm pretty sure helps the way that Tyson feels about him, but I don't want to take away from the fact that Tyson sees how happy Lance makes me.

So, yeah... There's probably a lot more news, but I really don't have time for all the details right now. One thing I did want to mention is that we're planning to go to Eureka for Thanksgiving - I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone & giving everyone the opportunity to meet TG!

Life sure has been full of ups & downs - this hasn't been an easy summer or an easy transition from working girl to college student. I have to say, though, that I'm definitely on an "up" right now, & being the optimist that I am, I had to share how happy I am when things are good...

On Saturday, TG ended up coming to Talent to go see Princess Bride with me at the park (which is a good thing, since every single one of my girlfriends bailed, but no worries). He arrived looking incredibly adorable in a new hat that he just got & with a wonderful, sweet card in hand. I was wearing a new sundress I just got at the consignment store & it was a perfect warm, clear evening with a nice cool breeze. We took my Harley blanket that I carry everywhere with me (the one my sister, Laura, gave me for Christmas abut 6 or 7 years ago) & laid it out on the lawn to watch the movie. In addition to some much needed & enjoyed snuggling & romance (and "Twoo Wove!"), I was treated to a fabulous back rub! Really, it doesn't get much better than that.

I had an absolutely fabulous day today, too. I delivered my persuasive speech & got an A! The professor's only critique was that I made some smacking noises with my mouth. (It's amazing all the weird habits we have that result from nerves that we aren't even aware of.) Usually he has a lot of suggestions or comments or critisisms, however you want to take it... I take it for what it is: he knows what he's doing & is teaching me, which is what he's paid to do! But this time, there was only that one comment. I asked him after class what my overall grade was & he said that I definitely got an A in his class! I got several compliments from my classmates & one of them came up to me & told me that I set the bar really high for the rest of the class. After class, I bumped into a lady whom I had Writing 121 with who is also majoring in Sociology & going for her MSW. She told me that she was thinking about me the past weekend & wanted to tell me that I will make a great therapist & that I am a great listener who knows how to talk to people & make them feel comfortable & that I have exactly the qualities that a therapist should have. What an amazing compliment! Between that & the speech, I was really on Cloud 9. Then, on my way to stop by to see TG on his break on my home from school, I got a call from Tyson, who just wanted to tell me that he loved me. (Really!)

Tonight, I did some online homework & an online quiz in math & tallied up all my scores, along with the graded tests I received back from my math prof today & have an average score of 99.29%. And I've turned in all the paper homework, which will get me points just for doing the work, so as long as I do well on the final, I'm fairly certain I'll get an A in math, too! I was relieved to find out that the final isn't a review of everything from the term, but just on the last chapter of factoring & exponents, which has actually made the most sense to me of anything we've studied all term.

Anyway, sorry to go off, but I have so many things to be grateful for & just had to share. Now I've gotta get some sleep!

I was getting ready to retire for the evening, but thought I should take the opportunity to give a brief synopsis of my life as of late:

I got a call from my sister, Kathy, tonight & found out that her oldest daughter moved into her dorm at the aeronautical engineering school she'll be starting on Monday - congrats, Jenn! I shiver with anticipation born of simultaneous fear & excitement at the thought of my kid moving out. Also in recent family news, on Tuesday, August 19th, my brother, Allen, celebrated 9 months clean & sober! He also got hired on as a mobile DJ! He has his first solo gig tomorrow & I'm really stoked for him. And last, but not least, a happy belated birthday to my oldest brother, Deland on the 16th & to my cousin, Nissa, on the 14th.

Tyson will be starting 7th grade on Wednesday, September 3rd. Seth offered to take him school clothes shopping next weekend, which I thought was very cool. He & I are still making a valiant effort at being friendly toward one another and, for the most part, succeeding. I don't think Ty wants to do cross country this year because of how badly it injured his knee last year. He wants to save the knee for basketball season. He'll actually get to play for the school team for the first time this year!

Next week is the last week of the summer term for me. I'm so over it I can hardly stand it! (Mostly because of my math class.) I didn't really get a whole lot of feedback on grades throughout the term, but I'm pretty sure I'll get an A in my Core & Cardio & in Public Speaking (although I give my persuasive speech on Monday or Wednesday, which is worth 45% of my grade, so that definitely remains to be seen). I'm not so sure about Math, but I do know I'll pass & I learned a lot about what NOT to do this term. Instead of taking Math 95, I've arranged to take Math 93 fall term & 94 winter term, so that I can work at a little slower pace & hopefully retain the knowledge better & be more successful in the higher math classes as a result. There was no way I could make arrangements to go to Italy this year, but I am going to start planning for next year. They have a great sociology & language program & my Ford scholarship will pay 90% of my expenses whether I'm here or there, so I think I'd be a fool to not take the opportunity.

My friend, Samantha, has been staying with me off & on until she can save up for a place. It's been fun having her here & she & Ty get along great. TG stayed with me most of last week, but he had work & I had school. I never seem to see or hear from him on the weekends anymore, so I don't really know what to think... Time will tell, I suppose. Tomorrow night, they're showing Princess Bride in the park on a theater-sized screen, so I invited a bunch of girlfriends to join me. I'm planning to go, even if nobody else shows. I think it's a cool idea & summer is almost over. I feel like I missed out on a lot this summer. I haven't been to the lake at all or taken any roadtrips or gone camping. I've hardly spent any time laying out by the pool, either, believe it or not. My friends, Donna & Dave, are having an end-of-the-summer BBQ/party for their son, Dave, who moved to Vegas in December. Their parties are da bomb, so if nothing else, I have that to look forward to. As soon as I get out of school, I'll be doing some fill-in transcription for Brenda & her docs for a week, so I'll be a busy girl, but after that, I intend to make the most of the summer break!

Coming Soon - at a blog near you:

The story of a woman and the struggles and triumphs that are her life, complete with action-packed updates and wild adventures! It will make you laugh, it will make you cry...ok, maybe it'll just bore you to tears, but it really is coming soon. Promise!

Sorry I haven't been blogging lately - life is a huge whirlwind right now I don't even know where to begin, so I'll just keep it simple & say that Ty & I are healthy & generally happy, I'm still doing well in school & Lance is just as freakin' wonderful as ever. We went to the Steve Miller Band & Joe Cocker concert Sunday night with Krista, so I thought I'd post some pics for y'all to enjoy & be envious of...Enjoy!

I can't believe it's been three years now since I started this blog! A lot has changed since then. I was reading my July 28, 2005 entry:

Top 10 things I'd like to do before I die (in no particular order):

1. Write a novel
2. Record an albumn
3. Travel the world
4. Ride a Harley
5. Set up a trust fund for my son
6. Ensure that my loved ones know how much they mean to me
7. Go to college
8. Have a career that fulfills me & reflects who I am
9. Meet my soul mate
10. Become skinny (or at least toned!)

and I'm well on my way to accomplishing most of the items on my list.

Anyway, back to present day... Upon TG's suggestion, I wrote a letter to my advisor stating my grievance with the math prof. I've stopped going to most of his classes & have just been doing the work on my own. I'm not the only one in my class to take this route, either. I got an A- on my second speech & we haven't had any more yet. It looks like I need to get a job or pick up some extra transcription work. Apparently, none of my money for fall term gets distributed until October 11, and I do have bills to pay before then.

Tomorrow, Lisa & I are hanging out together for her birthday. It'll be nice to get caught up on all the talking we haven't been able to do one-on-one. On August 3, Krista is coming down for the Steve Miller & Joe Cocker concert at the Lithia Ampitheater. Other than that, life is pretty much the same ol' routine.

Here I've been feeling guilty because I haven't blogged in so long, but - lo & behold - Christine's last blog entry was June 21, Allen's was February 3, Laura's was May 20, and even Kathy hasn't blogged since the 3rd.

Summer term started on the 7th. I got an A on my first speech in Public Speaking yesterday & have another due tomorrow (they get longer as the term progresses - the first one was only a couple of minutes). My core & cardio class is a killer, but as long as it kills some flab along the way, I will (almost) gladly suffer through it. The prof is a lean, mean, fighting machine! She's the epitome of the aeorobics instructor/drill sergeant, complete with marching & grunting. I've already signed up for her class again next term. My math class is annoying, for more than just the obvious reasons. My instructor is undoubtedly a bright man & has many degrees, but he is so disorganized that I've learned very little from him. Seriously, like today - he introduced the material discussed as section 3.3 all the way through class until one of the students corrected him that the section was actually 3.4. This was after he once again confused the x & y intercepts (as if I can't do that well enough on my own!) & made a couple of major math errors that were also caught by students. I'd like to say that I was one of the students pointing out the errors, but I was busy doing my homework in class, as I've already decided that I learn more from the homework than I do from any lecturing or misguidance the prof is providing. Annoying, I tell you...!

Tyson started summer league basketball. He had his first game (after only two practices) on Saturday. Because they hadn't even decided teams until the game, there were no drills & it wasn't a real pretty game to watch, but watch I did, along with my favorite companion, TG.

TG also helped us celebrate the 4th of July. We went to a potluck at Lisa's & then bought some fireworks & headed to Medford for the big show & to find a spot to set ours off. We ended up in a cul-de-sac that seemed perfect until we lit up the final firework & had an old, crotchety couple drive up & tell us that they'd call the cops if we didn't leave & that what we were doing was illegal. The lady actually stared us down while sparks from the fountain sprayed up & into her passenger side window! After the run-in with them & retrieving Tyson's cell phone from the storm drain, we were ready to go home.

We returned to Chadwick's the last couple of weekends for more comedy & karaoke. We were going to check out another place on Saturday, but decided to go see the 10 pm showing of Hancock. I have a lot of fun going out, but I must admit that some of my favorite times with TG are when we're hanging out around the house or going for a walk.

Well, I am absolutely exhausted from my work out today, so I'm gonna wrap some stuff up & try to have an early night tonight.

Last night, my nephew, Johny, & his girlfriend came to stay with us. It was his 22nd birthday, so I baked a cake & we visited for a while, looking at old family photos & stuff. We got up this morning & decided to do a photo shoot in Ashland, since I've done that for both Mary & Heather & also because they didn't have any pictures together during this trip. I took most of the shoot with Johny's camera so they'd have the pics & made him promise to send them to me to add to my Picasa albumn. Here's a link to the pics taken with my camera, which turned out pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself:

Johny's Photo Shoot

I just had a surprise visit from my cousin, Nissa, & her two beautiful little girls. They live in So. Cal. & were on their way up to Eugene to see my aunt for the 4th. So, anyway, that was cool to see them, even if it was short.

I went on Friday to see TG's friend, DianneStrong, sing at Chadwick's (really, the Rogue Regency part, but I know at least some of you are familiar with Chadwick's). Here's a video of hers that will give you an idea of what she sounds like:

After eating dinner & listening to Dianne, we stayed for comedy & karaoke. Yesterday, I popped in for a little bit at Darlene's to wish her a happy birthday & bring her a bottle of bourbon, which has kinda become our birthday thing. Later, we went to my friend, April's, wedding out in Jacksonville, before heading on out to Hugo.

Seth called & said he wanted Tyson to come stay with him for a couple of days - he just moved into a new place not far from mine (that could be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it). He tried to guilt trip me by saying that I was never home with Tyson anymore, until I pointed out that he still sees me a lot more than he ever has while I was working.

I'm trying to get my mind school-ready again, since summer term starts on the 7th. I think I'm going to read the first chapter in my public speaking text & try to stay a chapter ahead. Really, I should do this in math, too, but how do you read a math textbook...?

Well, I'm going to lay down & read for a while. It's really muggy outside & I could go lay by the pool to read, but I think I'm just gonna veg inside with the AC. Ty's back from his dad's, so we'll probably watch a movie later or something. Man, I love vacation!

My boy is back home!! I really missed him, especially the last couple of days he was gone, but I don't think I realized how much until we were driving back home & he was regaling me with hilarious tales from his advetures. He's becoming such a teenager in so many ways & he doesn't talk to me as much anymore, so it was cool that he jabbered on the whole way... He was singing "Sweet Home, Talent, Oregon" as we got closer to home & professed his love for his room & his home when we walked in. I'm sure he'll quit appreciating it by day's end, but forgive a mom for relishing the rare (and decreasing daily) moments when her child wants to be home & acutally missed her!!

I met my dad & his girlfriend, Sally, at Denney's in Crescent City a little after 6 pm. In addition to Tyson, Dad also brought me some homemade banana puddin'!! (That was devoured after he bought us dinner - thanks, Dad!) Ty & Dad were in rare form & bantering back & forth. It's really cool that my family is getting to know who my son is & that they can appreciate his personality, because it is different - but then again, I guess it makes sense that they would, since his sense of humor & attitudes are pretty similar to mine. Besides, my parents already put up with 7 smart-ass kids, so I'm sure it just kinda rolls off 'em now. I enjoyed visiting with Sally, too. The only other encounter that I've had with her was at Thanksgiving with everyone else & she had a headache. I was thrilled to see how much she giggles & is goofy & makes my dad laugh. It's obvious that she just thinks the world of him!

Well, I'm gonna roll out of bed & get ready - I'm meeting my lover for lunch today, then I'll probably see if Ty wants to go to the pool with me, but I think he's pretty preoccupied with renewing his acquaintance with Halo 3 for the time being...

Well, obviously I'm back from Eureka, just slow on getting blogging done. As most of my readers already know, I didn't end up taking the trip to San Diego. I underestimated the cost of getting to San Francisco & storing my jeep, & it just would've been too much money. I've basically been hiding out at TG's place & being the laziest I've been in a veeeeeeeeerrrrrry long time. Tyson was down in California with my brother for the week. He unfortunately didn't place in his events in order to progress to regionals, but I think overall it was a good experience for him & he had a good time, so that's really what matters!

I'm meeting Lisa & Susan for lunch today. I popped into the office last Friday to pick up tapes & was informed that it was Gary's last day & that Barb (another tech that's been there for over 7 years) had given her 2 week notice. Then, in speaking with another employee (I won't name names, cause you never know who reads this), I found out that she is looking elsewhere. I just now got a call from Lisa - looks like she's working through lunch & leaving early since she has a sinus infection, so I'll just be having lunch with Susan, unless she wants to reschedule too. Oh, well, like I said, I'm really enjoying this mini-vacation I'm on, so it doesn't really bother me one way or the other!

I'd better go so I can call Ty & try to figure out what's going on with him getting back up here...

I'm down in Eureka. I brought Allen down for Carey-Anna's graduation & put the pics on Picasa from yesterday. Here's the album link:

Carey-Anna's Graduation

I brought Ty down to stay with Knuckle Schmo (aka Uncle Joe) for the week to train for the Junior Olympics next weekend. (He's going to run the 800, the mile & try his hand at shotput.) My original plan was to drive down to San Francisco on Monday to fly over to San Diego to see Sarah & Maya until Thursday, but I didn't realize that SF is a 5 hour drive from Eureka. Between the gas, time, parking cost & everything else, I'm not sure if I'm going to go.

The police made an arrest in the case of the stolen wallet - unfortunately, they didn't recover the wallet, but at least they caught one of the two perps.

I'm thinking about taking my brother, Deland, to see The Hulk today. Tyson's supposed to be doing a bake sale with Joe & Joey to raise funds for the trip. I haven't been down to the boys' house to see if that happened or not. Dad's computer is painstakingly S...L...O...W... & I've been trying to upload the grad pics. I don't think I'll even bother checking my email this weekend! I think we're gonna try to arrange a BBQ tomorrow for Father's Day & Allen & I are trying to convince Dad that he needs to whip up some banana pudding.

I'm all done with spring term & I won't know all of my grades until the 16th, but my math grade is an A! (Of course, I'm in such a low math class that it's a Pass/No Pass, but I still know it's an A & that's what really matters!) I'll be out of school until July 7th, when summer term starts. I'll be taking public speaking & math, which are both requirements for my degree. I wanted to take a PE class, but the only one they offer is in the evenings. I'm considering signing up for yoga with my yoga teacher outside of school, but I'm not sure yet.

TG, Ty & I went to Eugene last weekend for the Ford Scholarship awards banquet. The guys went shopping while I was at the orientation for the scholarship recipients & met me at the luncheon. I couldn't believe my eyes when they walked in! Tyson was wearing black slacks, a blue button up shirt and - get this - a TIE!! Chalk up one more point for TG! We stayed with Krista & Dustin & had a great time. They love TG (as I knew they would). We all went to Putters, a mini-golf, family fun center type place, and Dustin, TG & Ty played laser tag. Afterward, Ty stayed with the lil ones while the four of us went to Quackers for some adult fun. They had a live band (which honestly wasn't that great) & we did some drinking & dancing into the wee hours of the morning. We came back on Sunday & after dropping TG off at his place on the way, Ty & I went to see You Don't Mess With the Zohan (Adam Sandler's newest flick). I was so tired that I kept nodding off, but from what I saw, it was just as we expected - incredibly cheesy, but funny. The rest of the week, Ty & I finished up school. He's now officially a 7th grader & I now officially feel ancient!

Breaking news on the case of the stolen wallet:

Luckily, the officer on the case is a nice young man who is quite motivated in nailing the perps. I went down to the station today & looked at the security tape from Wal-Mart, but couldn't identify the couple. However, it was good to know for sure that it wasn't the neighbor kid that I was half suspecting due to prior conflicts Tyson & he have had. The officer was planning to show the video to my apt. manager to see if she could ID the thieves & is also waiting to hear back from a mini-market where they tried to withdraw money from an ATM. In the meantime, I'm in the process of renewing all my ID & cards. I seriously considered using this as an "opportunity" to change my last name back to Adams, but Kathy pointed out that, with all the other ID issues, this is probably not a good time to be changing names...

Soooooooo much to post, so little time. I'm in the computer lab in between math & yoga. I haven't had a chance to post about last weekend, and an abbreviated post won't begin to do it justice, but I'll summarize it, anyway:

Seth stayed at my place with Ty Friday & Saturday & I stayed out in Hugo with TG. The birthday party for his friend ended up being a lot of fun & I wasn't the only stranger there; she invited a lot of different people who didn't know each other, so that made me feel a lot more comfortable. The next day, we went to Boatnik in downtown Grants Pass & TG did the MANLY thing & won me some prizes. Afterward, we went to his grandparents' house, where the rest of the whole fam damily was. They're a great bunch & made me feel right at home. TG's dad picked up the banjo & the guitar & we had a little sing-along on the front porch. That night, we hung out with his dad, cousin, & uncle & just had a great time visiting. We made plans to go out shooting guns(sorry, I meant to say "firing weapons") the next day. We got up Sunday morning & picked up Tyson to come shooting with us. We all headed out to the family property & set up targets & proceeded to have a blast! (Heh, heh, get it? "Blast?") We got a lot of great shots (really, no pun intended there, but I'll take it) & even took some video of us shooting. Tyson was in hog heaven. He'd never really shot before & I think he also really enjoyed being around a bunch of guys. Monday was a holiday, so I didn't have school, but I honestly can't remember right now what I did...hmmm...

Anyway, that's Memorial Day weekend. I really don't have time to post about anything more current, except to say that my wallet got stolen this last weekend & it's been a huge pain in my arse, since the perp has been using my credit card & has all of my personal & financial info. I'll try to post before too terribly long & get caught up on the more recent stuff.

It's been a while since I posted, so here's my obligatory post (yup - that was for you, L!):

I registered for summer & fall terms this morning. I'll just be taking 2 classes this summer - Math & Public Speaking. I'm looking forward to having a real summer for once - I've been working every summer for the last 20-22 years (that statement really ages me)! I'll get a break between terms from June 12th through July 7th. Next week, RCC is having a recognition/awards ceremony for the RCC foundation scholarship recipients (i.e., ME!) & then it's up to Eugene for the Ford Scholarship banquet & orientation on the 7th. I had my psych test today & I feel like I did really well, although I felt that way last time & only got a C!

My brother, Joe, called & wants to get Tyson involved in the Jr. Olympics, so I'm going to drive down to Eureka (I was already tentatively planning on bringing my brother, Allen, down for his daughter's graduation) on the 13th. Ty will stay with Joe for the week so he can train with the rest of the team before the Olympics on the 20th. I found an amazing deal online last night & decided that, since I'll already be down that far, I may as well drive on down to San Francisco & fly out to San Diego to see Sarah & Maya. I talked to Sarah & her mom will be back from Italy & visiting during that time, so I can hang out with her while they're at work. It's gonna be such a blast!

I have a 4-day weekend starting tomorrow. TG's friend is having a birthday party in Grants Pass that he invited me to - I'm a little nervous, but I think it'll be fun. We went to Crater Lake last weekend & out to karaoke, which was a blast.

Last but not least, Susan ended up in the hospital this week because of an allergic reaction to the chemo & Lisa's son is going in for a biopsy of a growth they found on his kidney. Needless to say, she's a wreck. Becky just called me & told me that she got the job she was applying for in Grants Pass - just in time for her to move in with her boyfriend, Kregg. I'm happy for her, but it sucks that she won't be at SEC anymore. It seems like a lot of changes all at once, but I guess that's just life for you...

Mom's offline. She told Allen & Allen told me so that I could let everyone else know. Mom, make sure you let us know when you're back online, ok?

I got it! I got it!! I got the Ford Family Foundation Scholarship!!!! I came home from school today to find the letter in the mail. As soon as I opened it, I saw the fateful word: "CONGRATULATIONS!" I really believed that there was a big possibility I wouldn't get it - this is such a huge relief! I'm still not 100% sure on all the particulars of what this really entails, but I do know that I'm essentially set for the next four years & possibly grad school after that (as long as I maintain a 3.6 or better). They're having an orientation workshop & awards banquet on June 7th in Eugene & they will also be notifying the local paper in August. Because of the realistic person I am, I couldn't count on something like this to help me through college, but I really did feel like things would fall into place if it were meant to be & now it has, which makes me feel like I am supposed to be doing this.

Up way too late again doing homework. I know it sounds ridiculous, because I am doing well in my math class when you get down to it, but I'm really struggling with this section we're studying right now... I'm trying to keep my mental blocks at bay, though, so I'll get through it.

We had a sub in Psych today who is a practicing psychoanalyst (aka therapist) with great energy. He encouraged a lot of interaction, which we don't usually get with my regular prof, as much as I like him. It was pretty cool, because he demonstrated with a volunteer how he would approach therapy from four of the main types of therapy: psychoanalysis (dealing with subconscious & past), behavioral (altering one's behavior through reward/punishment), cognitive (dealing directly with thoughts and how we perceive things) and the humanistic approach (which is a lot more abstract, but basically operates on the belief that we all have the power within us to be our best selves - has a lot to do with transcendentalism, or internal growth). Sorry if I come across as writing a paper for my psych class. A.) I've been writing a lot of papers for my psych class! and B.) I love the fact that I get to learn about what my career is going to be like! I'm just excited that, at 31, I finally figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up...

Anyway, as usual, I'm writing way too much & I wasn't planning on staying up this late. My intention of this post is actually to mention that I picked up an application & talked to the Director of Clubs & Organizations for the RCC Student Government today. I saw a flyer that you can make up to $800 by being in government & it would look good on scholarship apps. She said that she felt really good about me & wanted me to take over her position. I may be too late for the application process, though, so we'll see. There's always the school paper, too.

Alright, enough of that school BS - I gotta get some beauty sleep!

Well, I suppose I've kept everyone in suspense long enough - time to regale you with the increasingly exciting events which my life consist of...

Ok, so it's not all that, but I do have a pretty fantastic life, for which I am incredibly grateful. Is it just that I'm an optimist, or is life just really great for me right now (or both)?

Still going strong in school - I recently turned in a compare/contrast essay for my writing class, in which I discussed the differences & similarities between myself & my siblings. Apparently, it pays to have such a crazy family, since I got an A+ on the paper!!

I went up to Eugene last Wednesday to interview for the Ford Scholarship, which I think I mentioned in a previous entry, but just in case, I'll debrief you: it is a renewable scholarship that covers 90% of expected costs of living during the next 4 years. In addition, if I graduate with a 3.6 GPA or higher (which, of course, I plan to do!), I can apply for grad school, too. I didn't feel very confident about the interview, but I spoke to two other applicants from RCC & they both thought they flopped, too, so maybe that's just how they make you feel...I guess we'll have to see! I will be notified either way by the end of May, so I'll keep you posted on that. I did receive a letter from the RCC foundation awarding me a $750 scholarship & am still waiting to hear back regarding the OR Opportunity Grant & 3 other scholarships from that application, in addition to the countless scholarships I've applied for in the meantime. I heard back from one of them today, stating that I didn't get it, but that was the one I got back in the mail a month after the deadline for insufficient postage, so I certainly wasn't counting on it, anyway... I'm looking into possibly joining the student government &/or the school paper. I emailed them both tonight, so we'll see what happens. I think it's important to be involved in school, especially for someone like me, who is counting on scholarships. Besides, I found out today that you can get like $800 for being in student government, so why not, right?

I went to an NA meeting with my big brother, Allen, on Saturday night to celebrate his 180 days clean! I am SO proud of him - even through the depression & all, he has still managed to stay sober & I give him MAD PROPS for that. I know it hasn't been easy (trust me, I know - I've tried to be there for him throughout this process)!

And, of course, I'm ecstatic that I got to spend the last two weekends with this fabulous guy we have come to know as "TG". I'm thinking maybe I don't blog often enough for him to check anymore, so maybe I'll indulge in a little gushing: he is FABULOUS!!! Smart, hilarious, thoughtful, attentive, honest & sweet. He just gets better all the time...*sigh*...

I'm not sure if I mentioned that a good friend of mine from work was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, but she has undergone a mastectomy & has been recovering incredibly well. She's such an amazing lady - I want to be like her when I grow up! She never complains - just takes things for what they are & makes the best of them. I'm praying for her continued good health.

Well, that's all, folks - Bones is on & Ace from last year's American Idol is guest starring. Should be good, if for nothing else than the aesthetic value...

Brief update, as it's pretty late & I want to watch the online episode of Grey's Anatomy, which resumed last Thursday...YEAH!!!

So, school: I had to write a narrative essay for Writing 121 on a person or event that changed my life. I wrote a five page story about Shannon & I got my grade back today & it was an A! I took my Psych 202 test over 4 chapters last Thursday & my prof actually called me at home last night to check on me following the oral surgery & informed me that I did better than most of the class, but still only scored high in the 70%. The good news is that there's an extra credit project I can do by May 8th that will help bump that up, which I fully intend to take advantage of! Yoga is yoga; how hard can it be? My College Success & Survival course met for the last time on Thursday night, so that's a done deal. I turn in a final essay tomorrow for the final grade, but it's pass or no pass, so it's no biggie. The prof is a poetry therapist, though, & I have a feeling I'll have her for a writing or sociology class down the road, so it can't hurt to make an early impression, if ya know what I mean... And, finally, Math. I've been worried about this one from the get-go, but I decided to just breathe deeply & remove my mental block where math is concerned. I completely forgot that we had a test over the last four sections this morning, but that turned out to be okay, because I just checked online & I got 100% on the test!!! Woo-hoo! There's a place where I can check my overall grade in Math & I'm at 93%. And I may or may not have mentioned it, but I got notified by the Ford Scholarship Foundation that I was selected as a finalist to interview in Eugene on May 7th. This scholarship alone pays for 90% of estimated cost of tuition, room & board, books, transportation, etc. The example they listed in the paperwork was for just under $11K. I'm going to take an interview prep training that RCC offers to prepare for this. I'm also going to attend a free luncheon/seminar that is being held at the library regarding higher education. I'm sure the topics will be insightful, but there are 3 scholarships offered as door prizes, so that's my main incentive for going...that, and free lunch!

Well, that's school. And this isn't the brief update I intended. Oh, well... As far as TG goes, if he didn't read my blog, I'd be gushing right about now, but suffice it to say that I think he's absolutely fabulous & I had the greatest time hanging out with him last weekend!

Transcription & work are still going smoothly. I emailed Brenda, the lady I do a lot of subbing for, and informed her that I'll be looking to pick up some extra work at some point in the near future. I'm reluctant to take on a whole lot more right now, but once I get through this term & settle in a little more, I think I'll be able to handle more work - and I know I could definitely handle some more cash!

So, there's the latest & greatest. I'm signing off to watch Grey's now...(yawn...)

In case there's a living soul out there that doesn't already know, I love my dentist!! I took my happy pill an hour prior to the appointment & Lisa came by & picked me up to take me in for the extraction. After being greeted warmly by the friendly staff, I was immediately taken back to the room. Dr. Schmidt came in within another minute or so, with a big smile, and inserted the IV needle quickly and painlessly. (This in itself is amazing, because I absolutly abhor needles!) Before I knew it, they were telling me that it was over & it had only been 45 minutes! The tech told me that the dentist didn't have to do any cutting, but just wiggled & pulled the wisdom teeth out easily, so not only would I have less pain & a quicker recovery, they charged me about $60 less per tooth extraction! Since they were done so early, I had quite a while to wait for Lisa to come back & get me. The tech made me sip an Ensure along with a Vicodin & I just took a little nap. At one point, they needed the room, so they wheeled me out into the waiting area, where I continued to snooze. I woke up at one point & my dentist was smiling at me & offered me a blanket & proceeded to tuck it around me all nice & cozy.

Then I came home, hung a blanket over my window & slept the rest of the night. Tyson came in around 9:30 pm & we had a great talk until 11, when I realized it was a school night - oops! Anyway, other than being a little groggy this morning, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm going to try to get away with just taking Tylenol for the pain today so that I can have a clear head & hopefully go to Dave's surprise party with TG tonight.

Ok, so I finally decided to leave my motel room in Portland...We're back home & I'm almost done being sick! I've been pretty drained lately, between having this stupid cold & trying to stay on top of school stuff & still make time to hang out.

I went to my Student Success & Survival class last Thursday & had somewhat of an epiphany. I've been skating by (yes, getting good grades) just doing the minimum required. I took a mental inventory & thought about my goals & how/when I need to accomplish them, & decided that I need to commit to school & studying more, especially at this stage in my schooling. Since making that decision, I've stayed more on top of things & applied for even more scholarships. From what everyone tells me, I shouldn't go to school full time during summer term, because they condense 11 weeks' worth of lessons into an 8 week term, and also because I need to save some of the financial aid money for the rest of the year.

I have my dentist appointment on Thursday to get my wisdom teeth out. I'm not sure if I wrote about it before, but they had to cancel on me at the last minute when I was scheduled before because the dentist got sick. Of course, this was after I took the happy pill...For my birthday, my friend, Susan, bought me an extra month of dental so that I'd get my teeth pulled, so really have to do it now.

I went out last weekend with "TG" & Samantha to go see an albumn debut concert of a friend of ours & had a great time, if I don't think about all the drinks I had & the ultimate effect they had on me. Let's just say it wasn't pretty! I, however, did look pretty fine in a new top that I got just for the occasion...

Tyson will be starting spring basketball before too long & he's pretty stoked about working with the 8th grade varsity coach. I've still been going in on Fridays to the Eye Center, but I don't know how much longer that's going to last. I've been dealing with some cleanup, but eventually I'll have that all done & Steve's getting pretty confident, so I'm not as indispensible as I once was, which is a double edged sword.

This weekend, I'm supposed to go to a surprise birthday party for Dave, my friend Becky's dad, who's an absolute hoot. I hope I'm feeling up to it, but I really don't know what to expect after getting my teeth pulled, so we shall see...

Anyway, I'm gonna go study for my Psych test (over 4 chapters) & print out my narrative essay for writing & stuff. Trying to get it all done so I can watch American Idol with Ty.

I'm sitting in my room at the Ramada Inn & Suites, getting ready to do my online math homework, but I thought I'd steal a few minutes in order to post about the trip to Portland.

I'd like to say it's been a total blast, and incredible, & I've had so much fun, but I believe honesty is the best policy. Actually, it hasn't been completely terrible, but I've been sick, which tends to dampen one's enthusiasm, for some reason.

We started on the road about 11 am yesterday - a later start than I'd intended, but I really didn't want to be stressed & rush out the door, and the important thing was to be in Portland in time for the game. I always understimate the drive time, because I once made the trip in just over 2 1/2 hours, but I have to remember that I didn't have kids with me, I was in my Honda, & that it was between midnight & 2 am. This drive was closer to 5 hours. I started getting progressively more sick the further we drove & my sinuses were on fire, my throat was raw & I had a hard time keeping my eyes open. We did make it safe & sound, however, & found the motel with relative ease. I was dying to take a nap, but realized upon check-in that we had just enough time to eat dinner & catch the shuttle to the airport, where we would take the Max to the Rose Garden for the game.

I was a little nervous about the whole Max thing, because I know how easy it is to get misrouted on buses & trains in a big city & I had three boys with me. But I asked a gangsta looking guy for help & he steered me in the right direction. So, we board the Max to discover that the half the city of Portland has been experiencing a power outage, which affected the train, which meant we were rerouted to the public bus system, who was going outside their normal route & taking at least twice as long to get there. By the time all was said & done, we arrived at the game right around 8 pm & it started at 7 pm. Once we entered the stadium, all of that stress disappeared & the awe set in. The boys were completely enthralled by the entire scene & of course knew all about the different players.

The halftime show consisted of a local drumming band, who were absolutely incredible & had so much energy. The performance was choreographed so that, at one point, there was a loud pause ended by all the musicians jumping into the air & landing in unison with a thundering drum beat. By the end of the performance, their band leader was standing on his stool thrashing on his drum set in a frenzy. (Obviously, this was the highlight for me!)

The Blazers won 107 - 104, so that was really cool. Also, because they scored over 100 points, everyone in the crowd got a coupon for a free chalupa at Taco Bell, which had the boys stoked.

After the game, the Max ride was essentially uneventful & we were shuttled back to our motel, where the boys set up camp in the other room. The setup worked really well, especially with me being as sick as I was last night. All in all, I succeeded in giving Tyson a memorable 12th birthday.

Now I've got to finish my homework, get the guys some grub & hit the road. I have 4 tapes waiting for me to transcribe when I get home!

You all know I'm basically a pretty optimistic & positive person. So I try to keep my serious blogging to a minimum.

However, I did want to acknowledge the 4 year anniversary of Shannon's untimely death. Do they call it an anniversary when it's not in celebration of something? Of course, I start thinking about Shannon more than ever on her oldest son, Kyle's birthday, on Krista's birthday, on my birthday, on Tyson's birthday, on Spring Break (because that's the last time Tyson & I saw her), and on Easter. Then, along rolls the 10th. Enough time has gone by that I can basically deal with the idea that my best friend is gone forever, but the time will never come when I don't miss her.

Shannon was my partner in crime. She loved nothing else than to have a secret, devious plan, which I would be assigned to concocting, & she would encourage me & play along. Shannon was also my biggest fan. The last time I stayed the night with her, she asked me to sing "Teen Angel" to her twice in a row. She was always the one who stayed behind in choir with me & told me to "sing it in my loud voice". And she was my confidante. I miss talking to her. She & I could be raunchy & laugh together, or we could read the bible, or study together, or go for an all day walk or bike ride, or we could cry together.

As cheesy as it sounds, she really was the wind beneath my wings. I know exactly what Bette Midler is singing about in that song. Shannon was the one who gave me the courage & confidence to be the person I was, and she would stand quietly by, sometimes almost in awe, when I shined because of the strength she had given me. I know that she would be so proud & supportive of where I'm at in life & what I'm doing.

We all know Shannon wasn't perfect, & I don't want to falsely glorify her or the way she died, but I did want to acknowledge today how incredibly special she was to me & the major role that she played in my life.

Happy Birthday, Christine & Allen!!!!!

And now, the goings-on...

Well, as you may have heard, there is a certain someone I've been spending time with. Not nearly as much as I'd like to, mind you, but we did manage to get some quality time in this weekend. Can I just say how much fun I have with this guy?! It's so cool to finally meet someone that I can be myself around. We didn't do a whole lot - went to the bowling alley & played air hockey (still in search of a good air hockey table!) & Deal or No Deal & some other games with his friends, Mike & Chelsea. We got a bunch of tickets & brought home some souveniers (my personal favorite being the rubber chicken keychains). Afterward, we went to see 21 at the movies, but actually left early cause it was getting late.

On Saturday, we downloaded a pinball game onto Tyson's XBox 360 (thanks, L!) because there were no pinball machines at Lava Lanes & I've really been wanting to play. I have never actually played on the 360 before, so I wasn't really sure about it, but Lance did convince me & I proceeded to whup his narrow behind! It was so cool - you really get the feeling that you're playing on a pinball machine, complete with the sights, sounds & shaking from the controller. I grudgingly stepped away from the 360 in order to take Lance to an audition in Medford & then we met up & played some pool. Actually, he played some pool - I just sucked really, really badly! Afterward, we tried out a new Chinese food place that was really good & the waitress had an uncanny sense for what we did & didn't like, which we found a little disconcerting. I guess you'd have to be there...

We came back to my place & Lance & Tyson & his buddy played some video games while I did some transcription. (By the way, Ty was with his dad & grandpa Friday night & most of Saturday.) Then Lance & I went for a long walk & enjoyed some good conversation, as usual.

On Sunday, I got to experience Rock Band at his house. For those of you who don't know, this is a video game where you have almost life-sized instruments, such as a bass, guitar, drums & a mic. It was such a blast & I just love the fact that I can hang out with a guy that I like & still be such a dork & have such a good time!

Anyway, that's enough about "The Guy" - don't want him thinking I spend all my time writing about him & sighing...

I finally rented a "parlor suite" for us in Portland for the Trailblazers/Mavericks game on Saturday! I'll have the king bed & give the boys the living area & just have them bring sleeping bags - screw paying an extra $30 for rollaways! It's about 5 miles (20 minutes) from the Rose Garden, where the game will be, but the motel offers a shuttle to the airport, less than a mile away, & we can take the metro from there, so we won't have to worry about driving & parking. I think we'll have a blast!

Since I know that the whole fam damily is chomping at the bit regarding school, I thought I'd go ahead & fill y'all in on how things are going so far:

I picked Allen up yesterday morning for our first day. We were almost late, due to a quick stop at Dutch Bros. & trying to figure out the whole parking situation, but we both managed to get to our classes on time. My first class was Math 60 - Intro to Algebra. Some of you may know this about me already, but I have a huge mental block where math is concerned, which I consider a wee bit ironic, since I've been employed as a bookkeeper for almost six years. Well, the professor seems to be very approachable. She's probably about my age & has a genuine enthusiasm for math that I honestly don't understand, but do appreciate. I get the feeling that, if I stay on top of things & ask questions along the way, she'll do what she can to make sure I succeed in her class. I was able to rent the necessary graphing calculator for $15 from the RCC library for the term, rather than forking over $100+/- for something I'll probably only use in this course.

After math, I had Writing. We all know how much I'll love the course, itself, but the prof actually seems like a really unique, spunky, cooky lady - my kind o' people!

Tuesday was my first Yoga class & we spent most of the hour discussing Yoga & what we hope to accomplish "through our practice", but we did get to do about 15 minutes or so of some light excercises, which loosened up my shoulder at least temporarily. Dr. Ewing's daughter agreed to take the class with me, since we both are going to RCC & she's taking different courses in everything else. There's another girl, Sadie, that's in our Yoga class that I knew from back in the day. My big brother, Joe, used to live with her & her husband & two boys. She's divorced now & has another little boy. I always thought she was pretty nice & laid back, so it was kinda cool to run into her again.

On Thursday, I had my first experience with Psych 202. This is my only male professor, but I can tell I'm going to really like him. He's incredibly anal & neurotic & can laugh about it (which are all some really great qualities of the best types of people, if you ask me!), but it's clear how passionate he is about psychology & about teaching. I also thought it was nice that I'll be able to use the same book from my Psych 201 class, which was a 9th edition, instead of the 11th edition that they require, so I already had my doubts about using it through 201. What this guy did is, he designed his curriculum around the 9th, 10th, & 11th Editions, making sure to only include material that was in all three, in order to save the students some money.

So, all in all, it was a great first week at school. I've already made a couple of "friends" in all of my classes & Allen & I bump into each other on campus between classes all the time, as well as ride together, so that's been a lot of fun. He's also made new friends & is on his way to being his old, goofball self. (I've missed that guy a lot!)

Anyway, I actually started this post on the 1st & it's now the 7th, so I'm just planning to post this for now & will try to follow it up with a more current one with all the recent goings-on.

My birthday was so freakin' awesome! I truly did feel like a princess! While I was getting ready for work, I got a text from my big brother, Allen, wishing me a happy birthday. Then, I walked in to my office, where there was a big birthday balloon from Michele. Next, Darlene walked in & gave me a beautiful necklace. A little later, flowers were delivered to the office from Becky & Lisa (daffodils & tulips). I could feel the love, man! *sniff*

For lunch, we had a huge sandwich bar/potluck. Not only did Dr. England make the pumpkin roll (and an extra one for me to take home!), but Darlene also made me a cherry crisp thingy that I'm always begging her to make. Everybody at work had signed a going away card for me. Naturally, I got absolutely nothing done that pertained to work in any way, shape or form all day, & then I cut out early so I could go pick Lance up, cause he was going to be able to make it (hurray!).

Lance & I came back & got ready at my place, where we toasted "to being a princess" (his idea) over shots of Jägermeister, which I'd never tried before, but wasn't half bad. (During this time, I also got a call from my dad & my Aunt Linda, to wish me a happy birthday.) Lisa came by to pick us up & we stopped off to pick up Terri before heading over to the 4 Daughters (aka 3 Sisters, 5 Uncles, or whatever you wanna call it). By the time we arrived, I'd guess there were about 11 or so people there besides us. We had to rearrange the couches to accomodate everyone, & there was still a lot of lap-sitting (although some of that was optional, of course!). At 9 pm, the band started playing some pretty decent classic rock covers & we got our groove on. The way the place was set up, the party upstairs on the couches by the bar could see us dancing downstairs on TV. So...I'm pretty sure they were thoroughly amused.

Around 10 or so, it was time to go to Chadwick's for some karaoke! We lost some of the group in transit, but gained others who hadn't been at the Pub. Samantha came with her friend, Christy, & we sang a song together. I also did a song with Tobyn & "Under the Boardwalk" by myself (trust me, it was nothing to be particularly proud of, but it was my birthday & I was a princess, so...)

Then, Lance did the sweetest thing EVER: they called him up for his song & he pulled me onstage with him & sat me on the chair in front of him, where he proceeded to serenade me with "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker (which I had noted on this blog a year or two ago was one of THE most romantic songs ever)! After giggling like a complete idiot for a minute from being nervous, I sat there & just soaked in the moment. It was the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me. And to do it in front of all my friends that he hardly knows on top of it. Talk about "legendary"... (this one rates a really long *siiiiiiiiiiiiigh*)

Of course, nothing could top that, but the rest of the night was still fabulous, being surrounded by friends. Today, Tyson & I picked up Allen & took him out to Shari's for breakfast. Afterward, we drove around looking for the building where we'll have our first class in the morning! We both start at 9, so I'm going to pick him up on the way. I'm so excited! I just know that 32 is going to rock!

Here's a link to the Picasa albumn:

Sorry I haven't been blogging much the past few days - I've been hanging out with "The Guy" a lot (which has been pretty awesome!). Other than that, not really too much has been going on.

I finally got my previous Psych grade rescinded for the new "A+" (yes, that's an A+!), so now I'll be able to apply for a lot more scholarships that I couldn't before, due to having such a low GPA. I also spoke with the bank & with the financial aid office today & got confirmation that my Stafford Loan application is being processed. My tuition & books are all paid for & I'm ready to start on Monday at 9 a.m.!!! I feel really positive about the whole transition & can see it all falling into place, but not a moment too soon! Also, the administrator asked if I could come in after my Friday class to continue to help with training & has been putting the word out that I'm looking to pick up additional transcription work.

Speaking of work, they surprised me a day early with a birthday cake & card. I guess tomorrow they're planning a sandwich bar & Dr. England has guaranteed the pumpkin spice/cream cheese roll. And then, of course, there will be the PARTY! I hope "The Guy" feels better so he can come, too...He's been pretty sickly the last couple of days.

I had a surprisingly good conversation with Seth today (I was hoping he'd be able to take Tyson tomorrow night, but that didn't pan out). He actually has another job lined up already! Ty's grandpa & Aunt Emily picked him up for a play today. As much as I have mixed feelings (ok, generally negative feelings, if we're being completely honest, here) about Seth's dad, I am glad that he's making an effort to spend time with him. Tyson has some pretty mixed feelings, himself, but told me a couple of days ago that he felt like it was important to spend time with his grandpa because he knows these are probably his last years.

Anyway, that's the latest and greatest around these parts. I'd better get back to work!

Yesterday, I finally did the photo shoot I've been promising Heather ever since I did Mary's. She brought her friend, Kristin, and Kristin's baby. I was really pleased with the results, so I thought I'd share. I posted the albumn on this page along with the others, but because I'm slightly retarded, I can't figure out how to format it like the others...ahem, Kathy...?

Anyway, they're there - you get the idea.

I've gotta run - I took Lisa up on her invite to Easter dinner at her dad's place. Ty's at his dad's for Easter & it beats staying at home & doing transcription! (Which I'll have to do when I get back, of course...)

Today, life is good. Life is very good! After the crappy day I had a couple of days ago (as posted about in "The Vest Incident"), I woke up determined to change my destiny. Ok, so that may be a bit of an overstatement. However, those of you who know me well know that I can accomplish a lot when I am determined & put my mind to it. I want to be productive & happy, and thus, I shall be!

Yesterday, I got up & went to work, where I trained my fanny off, despite the new guy's best attempts to deter me & dodge patient phone calls. I told him to suck it up - I was throwing him to the wolves & it would be better for him if I did so while I was still around to help out.

Ty called me to tell me that he had a better day at school & that the bad news is that he had to knock out an 8th grader that was shoving him & calling him, in his own words, a "female dog". Please note that Tyson has put up with a lot of 8th graders trying to pick fights with him & has listened to his mom, who told him to always try to talk his way out of a fight. I changed my tune earlier in the year when a certain kid that we've had a lot of problems with (3 yrs older than Ty, mind you) spit in Tyson's face in the halls at school & I asked Tyson what he did about it & he said, "Nothing. You told me never to throw the first punch." When I spoke to the Vice Principal & the school counselor about the incident, they both were appalled that Tyson hadn't stood up for himself, as was I. So, I told him that he shouldn't go looking for trouble, but he needs to stick up for himself. Well, yesterday, he did. He tried telling this kid he didn't want to fight, but the kid kept taunting & pushing him, so Tyson hauled off & socked him a good one to the temple & knocked the kid to the ground with one hit. The kid laid there & cried while the spectators gasped in awe at the fact that this short little 6th grader who wouldn't stand up for himself before had KO'd this 8th grade bully! Tyson later told me that he went out of his way to go find this kid later & told him that he was sorry that he had to do that, but that he had to stand up for himself. The kid told Tyson that he understood & that they were cool now. I'm so proud of my boy! Not only did he not take any crap from anyone, he also was the bigger man about it!

I came home after work & made Tyson a "real dinner", did three (long!) tapes of transcription, and studied for my 5 chapter Psychology test, while managing to text my ex-sister-in-law. Afterward, I went online & finally bought the tickets to the NBA game. We decided on the Trailblazers vs. Mavericks game on April 12th. It's a Saturday at 7 pm, so it works out better schedule-wise. The only good tix were WAY too expensive, especially since I told Ty he could bring a friend, since it's for his birthday. So, Tyson told me that the important part is that we'd be there
& to just get the $6 tickets. Maybe we can work out something with a scalper once we're there, but at least we're guaranteed some seats for now. I figure we'll probably head up to Portland early Saturday morning & check into a motel, spend the day doing the tourist thing & go to the game in the evening, then just head back on Sunday afternoon.

Needless to say, by the end of the night, I was feeling pretty productive.

Today was awesome. First off, I got a "good morning" text from "The Guy", who I thought was trying to pull a Houdini on me & we met for lunch. I called him after I got off work & was on my way to school & had a great conversation. I've been missing that! It looks like we'll get to spend some time together this weekend & I am looking forward to that.

I talked to Seth today & it looks like he's going to take Tyson for a few days over Spring Break. He informed me that he lost his job. Am I surprised? Nah, the only surprise there is how long he kept this one! Anyway, he still has to run it by his girlfriend, but it looks like they'll have Ty for Easter & a couple of days afterward. We'll see...

Another exciting upcoming event is: MY BIRTHDAY!!!! And, of course, my last day at work. I convinced my co-workers some time ago that they need to throw a party in my honor (along with a potluck on my last day). I told Dr. England that all I want from him for my birthday is his pumpkin spice-cream cheese roll that he makes that is simply TO DIE FOR! Anyway, the party planning is underway! We are going to Four Daughters' Pub for dancing/drinks first, then heading over to Chadwick's for some karaoke. We're talking about making it a theme party, too. We'll see - just watch, I'll be the only one who shows up in costume!

And, last but not least: I took my Psycholoy final tonight & hung around afterward for the test results. In order to get an A in the class, I needed 360/400 possible points. I ended up with 406/400 points & I didn't even do my second extra credit project worth 20 points!!!! I'm so stoked! When the prof handed me my test results & grade, she smiled at me & said, "You did REALLY well!"

Kristin just called, so I'm gonna give her my undivided attention, since I've been too busy to talk to her the last 10 times she's called & she's overdue for an update!

Work sucked the big one today. I'm burnt out; I'm feeling sad about leaving on the one hand & grateful on the other. I'm sick of training & feeling like I'm accomplishing nothing.

Then there's the issue of the vest. We have these incredibly cheesy & tacky "smocks" that they make us wear. I've always rebelled against these, because #1 I'm a bookkeeper, not a Wal-Mart attendant or a nurse, for that matter, and #2 did I mention they are tacky? Anyway, I digress...I haven't been wearing mine more than usual these days, since giving my notice. I figure, what does it matter at this point, ya know?! (Translates into "What are they gonna do, fire me?") So I get an email from the administrator at 3:30 pm requesting me to wear the vest! You know what I think? I got the email immediately after one of the docs came in from surgery. I think he saw my cleavage, got all hot & bothered, and needed me to cover it up before he lost all composure - but that's just my guess.

Songs that sum up your weekend...or were on your weekend playlist...and one picture that relates back. (oh, and if you feel like it, tell us why you picked the songs you did)

Travelin' Band - CCR (How could I forget?!)
Follow Through - Gavin DeGraw
Breakfast at Tiffany's - Deep Blue Something
I Feel Good - James Brown
Walking in Memphis - Mark Coen
Sleep While I Drive - Melissa Etheridge
Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
Hey Mickey - Toni Basil
You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi (as performed by Tobyn & Amanda)

These were songs that "the guy" & I did in karaoke last weekend. What a great time! (*Siiiiiiigh*) The photo will have to be added another time, since I'm posting this from work (gasp!) & my pics are at home.

I guess the cat's outta the bag about my crush, by the way...

Girl meets Boy, Boy makes Girl laugh & intrigues Girl. Girl likes Boy, but is nervous about letting Boy in on that. So Girl abstains from blogging.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
Basketball season is over, thank goodness! Tyson ended the season with a knee injury that still hasn't quite recovered & I'm more than a little worried about it. He has literally cried at the thought of his basketball career being over before it's begun. (Yes, I know - he always has been a bit of a drama queen. Got that from his dad!) I took him to the doctor a couple of months ago & they decided that he probably did have Osgood-Schlatter Disease (pretty much just a swelling of the knee cartilage & overuse of the tendon) but didn't seem to think it was a big deal. Anyway, I'm just glad he's giving it a rest for now & am hoping that will make all the difference. As most of you know, Ty's 12th (can you BELIEVE it?!) birthday is coming up & I gave him the option of having a party with his friends or taking a friend & going to a Portland Trailblazers' game & he chose the game. That should be a lot of fun! Tyson's never been to Portland & neither of us has been to a pro game before.

Work is work - it seems like I've done nothing but train for the past six months. The good news is, quite simply stated, that I just don't care anymore! Oh, I've tried to not be blatantly disrepectful in my "short-timer" demeanor, but it does show. Mostly because I have become quite taken with the phrase, "What are they gonna do, fire me?". On the other hand, I am really starting to freak out about the fact that I haven't heard back on any scholarships yet. I'm going to have to take a half day or a day off to discuss finances with an advisor & apply for loans, cause I'm really running out of time. My last day, for those of you who may not know, is going to be on my birthday! I am so excited to celebrate! My friends are planning a potluck lunch at work (complete with birthday cake, of course!) and then we are gonna hit the town after work & go wild! Since it's simultaneously my birthday & my last day, I have no remorse when guilting even the most reluctant people into going out with me, so it should be a great turnout.

So, anyway, I need to get off of here & get to bed. I got all my psych homework done & was gonna either do my extra credit project that's due next week or try to catch up on the past couple of episodes of "october road", but I blogged, instead, for your reading pleasure. I do have to get up & be on time for work tomorrow for a staff meeting...but then again, if I am late, what are they gonna do, fire me?

Wow - I really didn't know the extent of my neurotisism until I just went back through some of my previous posts to see what someone might find out about me. That's some scary stuff, right there! Oh well, I guess that's me: I'm here, I'm not queer, deal with it!

I did my best bar-ho impersination last weekend. Actually, I started on Thursday at this little dive down the street from my place, The Little Brown Jug. (My friend, Tobyn, kept calling it The Big Red Jugs.) Anyway, I had class on Thursday, so I told Tobyn I'd call her afterward to see what she was doing since she'd be in Talent. Amazingly, I did pretty well on the Psych test I didn't get to study for & I'm thinking maybe I will actually do well in this class, after all. So, after class, I met Tobyn at The Jug, where they had just started karaoke! Luckily, there were only like 5 other people there, so we got a lot of singing time. I had a cold with a pretty severe cough, so again, luckily, there were only 5 other people there. It was not my finest performance! Friday morning obviously sucked, as Tobyn & I were both feeling the after-effects.

Friday night, I decided to take the ladies from the bank up on their offer & go visit the meat market. But at least I was going with a bunch of friends & knew I could just dance & have a great time, so that's what I proceeded to do. This guy kept on dancing next to me that had reached out & literally grabbed me on my way to the bathroom & I was just like, "whatever, I guess I'll dance with him" but wasn't into him or anything. Then this other cutie that I'd seen earlier danced up to me & just kinda aced that guy out & said that he was there to save me (likely story). Anyway, he was cute & had some moves, so I did dance with him a little bit. We kept on running into each other on the dance floor after that (not literally speaking, although I was smacking people & accidentally grabbing crotches & such, being the totally smooth chick we all know I can be). Eventually I ended up talking to the guy & was pleasantly surprised to discover that he had a sense of humor & a personality - he wasn't just your average sleaze. So I let him talk me into giving him my number before I left. Lo & behold, he called me the next day. Refreshing, considering most guys do the whole cocky phone game, so I thought I'd return the favor & called him back later & we had a great conversation.

On Saturday, Tyson had a couple of games in Grants Pass & Samantha came with me. He was the top scorer & super-stud, as usual, but they still managed to just barely lose both of their games. Later, I was debating about whether I should go do karaoke with Tobyn & co. or if I should chill out with Ty & rent some movies, when Samantha called crying & literally begging me to go back out with her because she needed to get out & have some fun. When I talked to Tobyn, it sounded like she wasn't sure if they wanted to go anymore or just wait till next weekend, so I told her we should totally save it until they REALLY wanted to go & we'd have a lot more fun. So, yep - I went back to the scene of the crime...Drank less, danced some, saw "the guy" again & we hung out. Samantha was ready to go pretty early, so "the guy" & I spent some quality time together after taking her home. I got home pretty late & spent most of Sunday recuperating.

Today I had to come in to work early to interview for my position - I did give my notice, by the way. They asked me to consider staying on full time & going to school at night & then acted surprised when I asked if they were on the crack pipe! Like, hell-oooooo, I'm a single mom - when would I ever see my kid, much less do homework?! Of course, it was flattering to think they didn't want to lose me. Anyway, they had a guy interview this morning. He may not have my people skills or personality, but does have extensive coding & billing experience & I think he'll be incredible once he gets going. I'm pretty sure they'll hire him. I was impressed by his poise, considering there were 7 of us in the interview, which I thought was just a bit of overkill & found a little amusing. I know it's stupid, cause I'm really looking forward to this new journey in my life as a college student, but I'm kinda getting sad about the reality of leaving this place. It's really been my rock through a lot of transition, during the divorce & all. These people are really my friends & I'm going to miss it, even if I am making new ones. *Sniff, sniff*

By now everyone knows about the issues my brother has been dealing with. Rather than go into detail regarding something that's not mine to share, I will simply ask for my friends & family to continue to pray for him, his sobriety, & his happiness.

In other news, I met with an advisor. I know what classes I will take, but I can't register until Feb 29th. We've narrowed down my major to an MSW degree (Masters in Social Work), which will allow me to practice for 3000 supervised hours necessary for my LCSW that I can use for private practice, and a minor in music. That way, I'll be able to study what I love & also incorporate that into my therapy! I will be taking Writing 121, Math 60, Psych 202, HD100 (which is a new student survival/success class worth 1 credit that the college actually pays for) & Yoga. I need to look into it more, but I think that I will rely on loans for my first year (along with the financial aid grants & scholarships - none of which I've heard back on so far) & devote my time to learning to be a college student. If I'm able to get the class times that I want, the way I've set it up, there's about 50 minutes between classes a couple of days, so I can just hang out at the campus/library & get my homework & studying done. Then I can come home & do whatever transcription I have & will be here with Tyson in the evenings. I am SO excited about this transition! I just hope that it all comes together the way I want it to. I don't think I'm doing so well in my current Psych class because of working f/t, doing transcription, & some other family issues that have come up.

Speaking of which, I probably should use this time to do some homework so that I'm all caught up. I'll try not to write all about school next time, ok?

Well, well, well...Will wonders never cease? I bet you thought I was done blogging, didn't ya? I can't believe how many things have happened since I last posted! Where to begin...

Let's see - Tyson & I flew to Arizona to see Kathy & Laura & co. We had a SUPER time & got to party, do karaoke, have fun with the kids, shop, go to the movies (we saw P.S. I Love You, which turned out to be more tear-jerker than romantic comedy, like we thought it was), jam out in Mark's music room, go horse back riding & do a photo shoot (I'll edit this later & add a couple of those pics) with Mark's Harley & with Hart, the horse that used to be Kathy's that is now Laura's & that is the first horse to ever throw me. I'm not even sure you can call it that - it was more like she ran so fast & weaved to & fro until I just lost any ability to cling on & went tumbling. I felt like a huge dork & Tyson didn't help matters by pointing & laughing & asking "Did anybody get that on film?" before inquiring if I was okay or not. He now thinks he has bragging rights, since he rode the same horse & managed to stay on. We also got to play Deluxe Encore, the board game I've been wanting eeryone to play where you have to sing songs with certain words or phrases in them. I thought I'd be awesome, but it's a lot harder than you'd think when you're put on the spot like that! I won't even waste my blogging space to detail the nightmarish flight (on Christmas Eve, nonetheless) other than to just say that it really sucked & I got patted down twice by security - ok, I did ask for it the second time, JK!!

So, we flew back on New Year's Eve. Lisa & Allen picked us up at the airport & we all went out to pizza, where I made my big announcement - are you ready for this? Ok, most of the people reading this already know, but it's still crazy exciting for me, thus the big presentation...I am going to college!!! I decided while I was in AZ that I needed to make a decision about what I needed to change in my life & this was the realization that I came to. I am going to get an LCSW degree, which stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker. It sounds like I want to work for CSD or something, but that's not it at all - it's so I can go into private practice as a family/child therapist. It turns out that what most people don't know (including myself, until I started asking questions) is that it's very rare for a psychologist to actually practice therapy. They're generally more into research & testing & writing, and it's more about the biological functions of the brain & how that affects human behavior, where as the sociology focuses more on environment & relationships. I went to Rogue Community College to ask the financial aid dept. some questions & it turns out that my placement test from 1998 is still on file & usable, but unfortunately, this means that when I moved & didn't attend classes, instead of the classes being dropped like I thought they would be, I actually flunked psychology by not attending! (Ah, the irony...) So, what I had to do is to pay to take the psychology class over (starting a week late by this time) & write a letter of appeal to the financial aid dept. explaining the circumstances. The good news is that they approved my appeal & kicked in $ for the class & I'm now on academic probation until I can pass this class with a C or better & then I can ask them to remove my previous grade & replace it with my new one. So, I've been attending a Psychology 201 class every Thursday night for almost 3 hours a night since January 17. I really love it! No surprise there - I always loved learning. I just let the social stuff get in the way in high school. I will start school full time in the spring term (3/31) & still don't know for sure what I'll do for part time work as income, other than keep the transcription contracts I have. I plan to discuss my options with an advisor next Tuesday & get registered for whatever classes for spring at that time. I've already applied for a couple of scholarships & have some great letters of recommendation (one from my therapist, who is also an LCSW), but there are some scholarships I can't apply for because of my low GPA. These have a 3/1 deadline & I won't get my psychology grade until 3/21. Major bummer!

The new girl is working out great - she is just as smart & hard working as I thought she'd be & I adore her. I've told her what's going on so that we can have a little more time to train, but I'm not planning to give my notice at work until 3/1.

There's even more stuff (SO MUCH MORE!) that's been happening, but I just don't have the time to go into it all right now. I will try (I know, I've said this before!) to keep up on this so that I can get y'all caught up on all the important stuff. Thanks for being patient with me!!!