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*