Funny how much has NOT changed since the last time I posted. I am still working on trying to balance out my work/school/family/social life, putting the emphasis on Tyson. I found out that the EMDA class was actually a requirement of my Journalism major, so I signed up for it over the summer and have one final project that I'm working on this week, but it looks like I should get an A! I'm not sure if I ever clarified on here that I am pursuing a second major in Journalism. So as it stands, I have completed the undergraduate requirements for my Bachelor's in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. Because I'm staying in school longer, I won't walk at graduation until next summer (in June of 2013). A couple of terms ago I started doing an internship for a local newspaper (the Ashland Sneak Preview: http://www.sneakpre.com/ashland-sneak-preview-archive) as part of my major's requirements. At the end of the term I was asked if I wanted to continue to write for them and get paid to publish one story a month. I have been given "carte blanche" to basically write about anything I want that has to do with Ashland. So far I've written about the golf course, a gala night for an SOU theater production, a city ordinance regarding urban farming and a stand-up comedy troupe. I absolutely love my editor and his wife (who is from Sams Valley and Gold Beach)! I have been volunteering at the Dunn House, a local shelter for survivors of domestic violence. This started out as part of my psychology practicum requirements, but I enjoy the work, so I have stayed on. Tyson got his license a couple of weeks ago and I bought him a '99 Honda Civic in November (black, 2-door, 5-speed, tinted windows & a moon roof) which he will buy from me for half the price I paid for it. It's been a struggle trying to come up with the money for car payments and now my insurance has doubled. However, Seth just got a job so I should start getting back child support which will help cover these expenses. I don't want Tyson to have to worry about monthly payments and getting a job with everything else he has going on, but he does have to come up with his own gas money. For the past three weeks, Tyson has been assisting his middle school basketball coach at summer clinics for kids ages 7 - 13, as well as going to daily weight training and football practice. Summer basketball just ended. We didn't do all that great, but summer ball isn't always a great indicator of how our school season will go because some of the major players choose not to play over summer for a variety of reasons. Tyson will be a junior in the fall and he is the captain of the boy's varsity basketball team and also the starting linebacker/running back for the varsity football team. His grandpa & uncle (Seth's dad & brother) bought him a letterman's jacket for his birthday. In addition to his sports accomplishments, Tyson has worked really hard on his grades this year and has earned college credits by taking advanced placement (AP) classes and still managed to not get a single C all year! If he continues to take AP classes, he has the possibility of entering college as a sophomore. Last month I was invited to my friends' wedding. They are a gay couple and the wedding was held in San Francisco at a rooftop garden. It was absolutely beautiful and an amazing experience to be a part of. When I arrived, the couple asked me to officiate the wedding (and of course I accepted)! I was dating someone for a while (a guy I knew from my high school days), but that didn't work out. However, it was such an incredible learning experience that I have absolutely no regrets about having gone through it. At the time of the relationship and the breakup I was taking a Positive Psychology class which really helped me recognize my own strengths and taught me how to be resilient and grateful. If any of you are interested in learning more about positive psychology, you can go to the website: http://www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/. Well, I really do need to get cracking on my EMDA project, but I just wanted to update people on all the new and exciting things that have been going on in my life (if anyone still reads this)!