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...