| Feeling Useful |
[27 Sep 2007|08:21pm] |
Today, I was responsible for implementing the email server switch at my school that we've been planning for the last few weeks. I've spent many hours reading documentation and getting things set up as well as consulting with tech people at our old and new providers. Thankfully, today things went flawlessly, and the teachers were able to make the switch relatively painlessly. I'm SO excited that it went well, and it's a huge weight off my shoulders. Moreover, I felt successful at work today - my hard work paid off, and I was able to contribute something tangible to my school.
I'm loving teaching, but some days it is very hard to feel successful. I know that I probably make a difference for someone each day, but some days are so incredibly trying. I can't help but feel discouraged when my dynamic explanations of proofs that I've invested a lot of time crafting are met with glassy eyes in my Geometry classes. But, when I think back, I'm more than 100% certain that I gave my poor teachers that same expression countless times. Heck, I gave that same expression in my NC Teach licensure classes during my seminar class last Saturday!
I have some difficult students - ones who make a special effort to challenge me and my authority. I must say that I don't think I always handle those situations appropriately. Sometimes I feel so frustrated that I let those students become disengaged as long as they don't cause trouble. I am hoping that I can find better ways to handle those students and make them feel comfortable in my classroom.
I'm still living out of boxes, but I must say my new apartment is so awesome! Matthew and I invested in new living room furniture and a dining room table. It's so beautiful :) I have walked in the door the last couple of days and not recognized my place....it looks like a real adult home! Likely for the first time since college graduation, the adult life is setting in on me. I have real furniture, not a college futon. I have a real job, not just a part-time endeavor. And, I am getting married. Hard to believe how much has changed in a little over two years, how different I feel, and how graciously God has blessed me. I'm so grateful for the ways that He's led my life!
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| moving on up... |
[17 Sep 2007|06:48am] |
Well, it's officially the start of my LAST week living in ghetto Kingswood. On Thursday, I will begin moving my stuff to a beautiful two bedroom apartment in Apex, the place that Matthew will move into with me once we're married, and hopefully the last place I'll live before investing in a townhouse. A part of me will miss the car alarm that goes off every morning at 4AM, the neighbors' babies that I can hear crying through the thin door, and having car lights shine into my aparment at all hours of the morning. I'll even miss the beat of the Shakira and other very popular Spanish-speaking artists as the young guys cruise though with the radio up full blast.
May this week be productive and nogstalgic :)
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| Real World :) |
[20 Aug 2007|03:48pm] |
Well, I officially began by first year-long full time job in the real world two weeks ago. It's been quite a whirlwind of getting my classroom ready, orientation meetings, financial talk such as retirement funds and insurance, and planning lessons. Before I know it, I'll be meeting my students, and though there is still much to be done between now and Thursday, I can't wait! My coworkers are pretty nice, with a fairly young staff to hang out with :)
The wedding is coming together - we sent out our deposit for church and reception site. I ordered my dress three weeks ago, and already got it in the mail, much to my surprise. Now, I just want to drop a little more weight before March, but it's very attainable as long as I don't gain back everything I've worked so hard to lose in the last eight months. We'll be sending out deposits for the cake maker and florist shortly...and are pretty much decided on the photographer. Hooray! It was pretty awesome how it all came together....considering we practically figured it all out in two full days of meetings.
I'm getting ready to move to a much nicer apartment in Sept, hopefully the last one I'll live in before buying a townhouse! Adult life is pretty awesome :) Expensive, but awesome ;)
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[23 Jul 2007|10:29pm] |
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My parents are driving me insane. Literally. All I have to say is AHHHHHHH! I can't wait until my health insurance picks up at my new job in October and I can finally get some therapy to help me deal with the crap my parents have been putting me through. Who knew that they could still get to you 500 miles away?!?! How the hell to small children deal with divorce? I can barely handle my parents as an adult!
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| Bahama Breezes |
[20 Jul 2007|04:05pm] |
I have a honeymoon booked :) I don't have a dress, photographer, or even deposits down on my church and venue....but I have a honeymoon :) My priorities are in the right place! ;)
Let the next 8 months fly by so that I can be sitting on the beach with Matthew in the Bahamas at a Sandal's resort!!
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| Stupid Songs... |
[27 Jun 2007|03:29pm] |
So, I heard this song the radio that had a catchy tune, but I started listening to the lyrics and was seriously disturbed. Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girl" is nuts!
You're way to beautiful girl
That's why it'll never work
You'll have me suicidal, suicidal
When you say it's over
Encouraging/Condoning feelings of suicide for a broken relationship? Uhhhh.... YUCK! It's said so nonchalantly that it's seriously disturbing. Kids take things in songs and said by celebrities as fact...and now they have an artist telling them beautiful girls inspire suicide. Great. It makes me wonder what this world is going to be like for Matthew and my kids one day. Heaven help us!
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| Perspective |
[12 Jun 2007|12:08am] |
It's funny how things always get put into perspective. Testing is the least significant thing in my life, and I shouldn't have vented.
Please continue to keep my family in your prayers....particularly my father who was rushed to Canonsburg hospital tonight and then life-flighted to Allegheny Hospital. Thanks!
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| Testing, Testing, Testing |
[11 Jun 2007|06:49pm] |
Haha...I thought testing was supposed to be over once you were done with school!
Not so much: in the last month and a half, I've taken the GRE, SAT, and the Praxis (twice).
In order to start contributing more to Matthew and my wedding fund (so that hopefully we can actually afford to get married and invite people), I decided to take on a part-time position teaching Test Prep for Kaplan. It pays well for part-time work, and it takes place during evenings and weekends. Plus, I thought it'd be valuable teaching experience - there is no such thing as TOO much practice before I get into a full-year classroom. However, to qualify, one's test scores have to be in the 90%tile and current within 5 years. Thus, my GRE Verbal section had to be raised a bit. I studied, took the exam, and by luck memorized enough words to raise my score just enough. However, now that training is almost over, the center realized that they have plenty of GRE teachers for this summer and not enough SAT teachers (though when I was first hired, they were expressing their delight in my GRE teaching because there was a "shortage"). After getting over being a bit miffed and bargaining with them that my study time for this test would be paid, I took the SAT today. Geez - it has gotten TONS harder than when I took it! There's a whole writing section now with a written essay (in 25 minutes...yikes!), grammar, etc. The math and verbal sections are harded too. Oh....and now the test takes 4.5 hours for 10 sections + time bubbling in info and directions. NUTS!!! I feel badly for the high schoolers out there!! Fortunately, I at least qualified for math and verbal and am just waiting for them to grade my essay to see if I made. I hope so - I am tired of tests!
Oh, and the Praxis debacle. I decided to take the Praxis II for Middle Grades Math in order to take another step towards my license. I'll later have to take the two Praxis II exams for High School math in order to get that license as well, but one for right now is enough. I went at the end of April after studying tons. I had finished the multiple choice section and was nearly done with the written response section when the whole building had to be evacuated. Apparently someone spilled something in the chem lab. After waiting outside for about 2 hours, they told us we could either come back in another and MAYBE be let back in or reschedule with ETS. Since they thought that even if people stayed, the scores were compromised, I decided to reschedule. Unfortunately, that meant taking it again on Saturday. I guess it was fortunate though in that I paced myself much better this time and had studied a few of the concepts I noticed me struggling a bit with the first time. Thus, my score will probably be better than it would have been. But still....SO MUCH TESTING!
Just had to vent a bit! I hope everyone is doing well!!
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| Prayer Request... |
[04 Jun 2007|08:36pm] |
Please keep my family in your prayers. Though it's been a long time coming, my parents decided tonight to pursue a divorce. It will assuredly be a long, painful, and rocky road ahead for my parents, and they can use all the added prayers they can get.
Thanks!
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| Things keep getting better! |
[06 May 2007|01:22pm] |
Just when I thought I couldn't get any happier, I got a surprise that has assuredly sent me on an emotional high on life that has no definite end ;)
On Friday night, Matthew proposed to me! I have been so happy with this man over the past year and a half, and I'm beyond excited to enter this new stage of our relationship and begin preparing to begin our lives together as a married couple.
The proposal was beautiful and perfect! On Monday, Matthew had told me that he wanted to take me out to dinner since we hadn't had a date in a long time, and that it would be a nice restaurant, so I should dress up a bit. I was excited, because it's always fun to put on a dress and pretend I'm girly. After all, poor Matthew most sees me in sweatpants or pj pants around the apartment. Haha!
When he arrived, he asked me to go to the back room and not come out until he got me. He's done cute little surprises for me in the past like that...decorating my living room for my bday, putting out some flowers, etc. So, I still didn't see it coming! I totally realize how blessed I am to have a guy who does nice things that often that the hiding in the bedroom wasn't an indicator too ;)
He had gotten one of those breakfast in bed trays and filled it with red roase petals and white pillar candles and put it on my coffeetable. He then had 18 roses, one for every month we've known each other. He hugged me and told me he loves me and is so glad that I'm in his life. I returned the sentiment, but STILL didn't expect anything because he started talking about putting the flowers in water before we left for dinner. (I later found out he was purposely trying to throw me off if I expected). He then said there was something he had to ask before we left, and pulled a ring box from under the rose petals. He got on his knees and asked me to marry him. I wish I could say I remember all that was said, but it was such a shock! I remember I said yes and got down on my knees and started hugging him. I think it was 5 minutes or so before he asked if I wanted to see the ring. Boy was I surprised and elated!
He had called my parents on Monday and asked their permission, which was really nice! Apparently their lack of response to my calls this week was because they didn't want to accidentally blow the surprise too!
We made some calls to family and then went out to enjoy a wonderful dinner. It was such a beautiful night and surprise! I am so excited!!!!
So, it seems that God is really helping me to start a new life - graduation, a job, a fiance! I can't believe it! SO much change, but sometimes change is wonderful, and in this case, I think it is!
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| New Math Teacher in NC :) |
[30 Apr 2007|12:16am] |
As of this evening, I am officially employed at Woods Charter School near Chapel Hill, NC. I have spent the last few weeks interviewing like crazy at Job Fairs, etc. I must've sent out hundreds of resumes, but all that work and traveling has been worth it, because I think I've found a position in which I'll be happy for years to come!!
I was offered a job at Woods on my second interview, which consisted of going to the school, observing a few classes, meeting with the math department, assistant principals, and principal, teaching a lesson to an Algebra I class, and eating lunch with a group of students. I had such an amazing experience there - everyone was very friendly, and it truly seemed like a supportive place for a beginning teacher. The other teachers were welcoming and did not seem overworked or unhappy. The students were amazing - my lesson went very well despite the fact that the students didn't know me at all. They were receptive to my teaching style, and seemed to really engage. The students I ate lunch with were very interested in finding out about me as a person, and were very mature and intelligent. The principal offered me a job before I left, but I've taken about a week to think it over and compare it to a couple of other offers I received.
The principal was very generous with my salary, and it is very comparable to teaching in a completely public school in the area. He incorporated my interest in all the levels of students by giving me two middle school math classes and two high school math classes. I'll also have an elective which may be a comp sci one :) My classes will only be around 15 students, which is SO much better than the 30 student counterparts in the local high schools. There is a small amount of money available to me every year for professional development, which I really appreciate. Overall, I really got great feelings about how I'd fit in at the school!
Thus, I will be working at Woods starting mid-August :) I'll have to take several education classses over the next few years in order to make my temporary "lateral entry" teaching license become a permanent one, but it's very doable, and hopefully I'll be able to take most of them online. I'm so psyched!
The commute from my current apartment is only 10 minutes, though when my lease is up in October, I will move towards Raleigh a bit and still not have a long commute. It's also near many areas that are booming in the respect of townhouse building/sales, which is good for a few years down the road when I can finally think about buying instead of renting.
The only drawback of the school is the facilities - they are in an old shopping plaza with the stores as the classrooms. Fortunately, they are building a new school, to open August 2008, which will be awesome to get to be a part of!
I know that I likely would have found a teaching position and that I was worrying more than necessary about it. However, I can't think of a better way for my prayers to be answered - this job is not only a teaching position, but an IDEAL position for me. I couldn't imagine a better fit. Hopefully this is a place I can stay for years to come :) Yay for good jobs!
Now, I just have to graduate - and it's coming fast! I unfortunately am not at a stopping point with my research, and will be continuing it through July, but at least I'll get my degree in two weeks :) And, my parents are visiting! Hooray! AND, the weather is BEAUTIFUL again! I LOVE NC!
I hope all is going well for everyone else out there in LJ land!!
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| :) |
[13 Apr 2007|03:07pm] |
Not so great job fair....
but VERY good interview for the charter school. Turns out they pay along the lines of the public schools and teaching at a smaller school has so many benefits that I'd be crazy not to continue to pursue it. It's in the area(about 10 minutes from Chapel Hill), teaching Algebra I and II in High School, classes are only 10-12 students, and they're moving into their brand new facilities August 2008 with adequate mobile units, etc until then. The interviewer said he'd be in touch next week to set up the next interview which would include meeting the main principal, a panel of students, and teaching a 30 minute lesson. HOORAY! Oh, and they want to hire someone by the end of April, so the decision will assuredly be very timely.
Okay, so I def need to relax a bit ;) Wine and chocolate tonight!!!!
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| nervousness |
[11 Apr 2007|07:51am] |
Haha...
It's funny how when you want something so much you get so nervous that it won't work out. I am attending a NC Public School Job Fair this morning, and I've been nervous about it - complete with butterflied stomache - for at least two days.
It's very unlikely that my attendance will result in anything, since I don't have my teaching license and have to be considered after those with it, but I still wanted to show my face and drop off some resumes.
I have a preliminary interview with a Charter school this Friday as well....to tide me over until the public schools can consider me in July ;) I don't know if it's something I'm seriously interested in, but the interviewing practice can't hurt.
I really need to learn how to leave it up to God - Easter's sermon at church addressed our need to give it up to God and not get so obsessed with control. It seems that no matter how often I hear that type of message, I am guilty of attempting over and over again to control my own life without God's help.
Here's to trying harder to leave it up to God!
Hope all are having a good week!
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| Whew! |
[03 Apr 2007|08:18am] |
I was getting a bit nervous about my NC Teach application because they advertise rolling admission, and I'd submitted all of my materials about two months ago. I'd followed up after a month and found out that though complete, my application hadn't yet reached the decision-makers desk. So, after continued waiting and not knowing whether I should be trying to find summer employment, I finally set up a meeting with the admissions person yesterday. Fortunately, she said they were going to admit me, they just hadn't created the admissions packet yet. So, I'll be taking some classes in Summer Session II this summer. Hopefully I can find something part-time to do during that period, which would be awesome to help pay the bills. Then, I'll have three online classes per semester, allowing me to attain a teaching license in only a year! Hopefully this will help my "lateral entry" job applications....we'll see though.
I had an interview with a private school in Raleigh, and though it seemed like a nice school, the pay kinda stunk and the position was for a middle grades "technology" teacher - meaning I'd be teaching typing classes....which isn't exactly what I'd like to do.
I missed a call yesterday from a nearby charter school that I need to return today. Online, they advertise "competitive" compensation packages, so hopefully it would be more liveable, and it's for a high school math position, which I'm MUCH more interested in.
The public schools can't really consider me until after they have exhausted the licensed candidates....so maybe June or July. Waiting that long makes me nervous, but hopefully something will turn up.
Now, to complete my applications to all of the surrounding public schools, I have to beg for more references from the poor people I always harass for references. I'm so glad that my former employers have been so gracious in doing them, but this time I have to ask for five separate ones (though they are SO similar it's ridiculous). I'm sure they'll all be glad when I have a job and they get a break from me!! I hope one day I can repay all of their kindness by writing letters for someone else!!!
I wish that prospective employers would just call references if they are sincerely interested in a candidate rather than requiring three letters of reference that they may or may not read because they may or may not be interested in your qualifications. Grr.
Hope everyone is having a great week!!
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| Spring Cleaning Fever! |
[01 Apr 2007|01:07am] |
I don't know what it is about spring and the end of the semester....it never fails that in the height of the semester ending craziness, I get the urge to clean my space from top to bottom, making sure not to miss a crevice, and going through everything I own to weed out. Thus, instead of dealing with the huge list of things that really need to be done (including my stupid taxes), I've been cleaning all night. I can't believe how much crap I have....and it only expands. Oh how I miss the days of a dorm room and only one room to clean! Only one room full of crap!
As I was sifting through some old paperwork, I found my TEC and Kairos journals....that was cool to spend some time looking back through! It definitely got me in the sentimental, emotional, reminiscing mood though!
I also found a "Peterson's Guide to Wildflowers" book that I vividly remember getting. I was in the 5th grade, and we were doing a wildflowers unit where we pressed and labeled a bunch of wildflowers in a binder. I was that annoying perfectionist student aiming for the extra credit by finding additional flowers. I convinced my parents that I needed a wildflower reference book for identifying the flowers (this was before the age of google!). I remember my mom taking me to Borders, which we NEVER went to because of how financially strapped my family was at that time. I remember picking out this book, and my mom attempting not to wince at spending the money. I remember pouring over the book for hours, absorbing everything I could out of this book, because I knew that my parents didn't want to spend money on that book but did so because they saw how excited I was about this silly project. Flipping the book over tonight, I found the price tag - $15.95. It really puts things into perspective now! I was just a little kid with maybe $2 to my name, so $15 sure seemed like a lot to me then. And, the way my mom was reacting, I knew it was a lot of money for them at the time. I can't believe how little that seems to me now! I am very thankful that even on a grad student salary, I have the money to get everything I need, and several of my wants. My parents seem to be able to do so now too...which I'm also grateful for. I guess I never really realized how hard things must've been for my parents when I was growing up if $15 was so hard to scrape together! I'm so thankful for the many sacrifices they must've made along the way! Whew! Finding that book and recalling that story got me a little choked up.
Though my parents have been far from perfect, I only hope I can love my children as much as they did me one day.
My senior year in college, a horrible flash flood came through the Ohio Valley. The effects devastated the area, and even my family was struck in PA. A new housing development across the street ruined the natural water runoff, and instead, water came gushing down our driveway and straight into our basement. My parents say that the water reached about 5-6 feet in our basement, just enough to ruin everything down there. In the midst of having to invest in a new furnace, water heater, and clean up a whole basement full of muck and ruined things, my dad spent hours on end using a hair dryer to attempt to dry two boxes of college books and notes I'd kept in the basement. Page by page, he tried to thwart off the mildew. If any of you have had a wet book, you know that it's dang near impossible to salvage a completely drenched one. However, I can't bear to get rid of a few of those musty smelling, page-stuck-together notebooks to remind me of his efforts to save my stuff before worrying about the bigger problems in our house.
These stories, these memories are what children cherish in their parents. I can't really remember the specifics of the fights or fueds, but rather, I can relive these good memories as if they were yesterday. I know it's not mother's or father's day, but I'm so grateful for my parents, and I just had to record these memories.
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| memories.... |
[22 Mar 2007|01:52pm] |
Yesterday in NC was perfectly delightful - high in the 70s, bright and sunny, and just that smell of a beautiful spring day. I went to check my mail and was walking by the complex's laundary facility last night, and the propped open door allowed the scent of detergent and fabric softner to permeate the air. The whole experience of the sun fading, the spring evening air, and the smell of clean laundary took me back to WJU freshman year. I used to love walking through the courtyard in KST on a spring day when the windows were open and everything smelled like fabric softner from the laundary rooms.
Then it got me to remembering the many meals at WJU, surrounded by a table full of friends laughing and talking out on the deck of the B-room, or even in the B-room. Boy, I miss those days. Nowadays, I most often eat my meals alone in front of the TV or my computer. Besides Matthew, I could probably go for days without having a conversation with anyone else. Talk about sad! Wowee adulthood and grad school is exciting ;)
Oh, man, WJU was probably the best time of my life, and while I wouldn't still want to be there now and am excited to see where my life will take me, I certainly miss it in reminicent times. It wouldn't even be the same there now though...it wasn't the buildings that made WJU what it was...but rather the people. Now, everyone's all over the country, and I miss everyone so much!
Well, at least there are a bunch of GREAT memories from those four years of my life...and every now and then I can go back there with a scene or scent.
I hope all are doing well and you're having a good start to spring!
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| 2007 so far.... |
[27 Feb 2007|12:36pm] |
This year has had some significant ups and downs already - hard to believe it's almost March though!
I'm heading out to California this week for a conference for women in Computer Science sponsored by Google. It was complete with free wares and deliciously bad food last year, so I'm psyched. I did the tour of San Francisco thing last year, so this year I'm hoping to catch up with a few friends from past summer jobs that are out that way. We'll see :)
I've been working very hard to shed some of this grad school blubber this past month. It's been tough, but I am starting to see a little success. And, if all goes well, I'll be able to fit into my bridesmaid dress for Jenny's wedding (I ordered it a size too small as motivation) in late July, and I'm hoping to continue on to reach my goal weight by the time I turn 25 in 2008. I've also been considering entering a 5K race at the end of March....I've not quite made it to being able to run 3 miles without stopping yet, though. We'll see. If not in March, definitely sometime in the next year :) Mainly, I'm excited to be lowering my % body fat...attempting to get healthy so that I can decrease nasty health risks. If I don't do it now, I'm certain that I'll never do it. It's so much easier to maintain than lose, so I might as well face the challenge now :)
Things with my family have been stressful, but at least for now they seem to have cooled off a tiny bit.
I've applied for an accelerated teaching licensure program that would take place over the summer....and now I'm just waiting to hear back. I've also gotten all of my application materials in for each of the school districts I'm interested in. I've begun looking at private schools and community colleges too. I met a woman while working out that was able to get my name into the private school that she works at in Raleigh.
Public schools typically don't hire "lateral entry" teachers until June or July, so now I just have to play the waiting game. It makes me antsy to not know what I'm doing next year until that late in the summer...but I just have to leave it up to God. If no teaching jobs come about, there are some other options I can pursue.
Well, I need to get some sleep before catching a ridiculously early flight and jetting off across country ;) I hope everyone has a great week!!
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| whew |
[13 Feb 2007|05:54pm] |
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How can family be so stressful when they're more than 500 miles away? And, how come I feel stressed out because I can't fix things when they're not my issues (for once!)? Yuck.
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| Here's to 2007! |
[23 Jan 2007|10:52am] |
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mood |
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 calm |
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music |
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Gilmore Girls |
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Hmmm...well, it seems that the end of 2006 came rather quickly and it's nearly one month into 2007 before I've even taken the opportunity to think about resolutions, reflections, etc.
2006, looking back, had its ups and downs as any other year. It was my first full year as an NC resident (and UNC even recognizes me as a resident for tuition purposes this semester). With that has come difficulty in feeling close with the friends I have scattered around the country, but I suppose part of that feeling is my fault for not being better about keeping in touch. I had a *REAL* teaching job in 2006 that started to guide me to getting serious about finding a teaching career. Furthermore, 2006 brought a slight increase in salary with receiving an NSF Fellowship for the 2006-2007 school year. That was VERY welcome ;) I attended Jon Boehm's wedding, my sister got engaged, a few friends had babies/conceived babies, and I finally got into a real relationship that involves communication, honesty, and commitment. In fact, I suppose that is one of the best things that came out of 2006 for me - Matthew. I am so happy with him: he is kind, thoughtful, and considerate. We make each other laugh all the time, but even when we are frustrated at each other, we work through it well. He supports me through all of my decisions and even still opens the car door for me everywhere we go after a year. I am very excited to continue our relationship and see where it goes in the next few years :)
2007 started off with a bang - Julianna's wedding was beautiful, and it was wonderful to get to see her and Miss Lannette so much over the course of the few days we were all together. I got a bit emotional though because it happens so infrequently and I miss it so much.
I joined Curves last November, but I've gotten very disciplined about going this month. I also have gotten together all of my application materials to submit to the surrounding school districts and apply for the NC Teach program. I WILL find a job. I will. I hope. Ironically, I got a call from a middle school in the area two weeks ago that was looking for an 8th grade math teacher.....but to start in February. Unfortunately, I've suffered too much in grad school to just quit so close to the end, so I had to turn it down. Fortunately, that means that my application is being viewed :) Hooray! Hopefully some district with an opening in the fall will pull it out!! There's some job fairs I'll be going to in March though to help present myself in person instead of just on paper. The Wake County job fair I went to in December got me an interview, but I haven't heard anything back from them yet. I'm sure it's a bit early for them to be thinking about next year though. The reassuring thing is that there are listings even now on some of the websites looking for math teachers at middle and high school levels. So, even if I don't get a job for the whole school year, I may be able to pick up a job a few months in. That's somewhat scary though, since kitty litter doesn't grow on trees ;) Gotta provide for my little ones! I'm choosing not to apply for C.S.-related jobs at this time....since I really don't want a desk job next year. Perhaps that is an unwise decision, but I would REALLY prefer a teaching job.
Goals for 2007:
- Fit into bridesmaid dress for Jenny's wedding (which I purposely ordered one size too snug. It's close to fitting...just can't zip the last inch or so)
- Get more fit and flexible: decrease my percentage body fat and for once in my life be able to do a split
- Get motivated to produce good research and do it - mainly have something good to submit to NSF in May.
- GRADUATE WITH MY MASTERS WITHOUT LOSING MY SANITY AND SELF-WORTH!
- Find a job
Hope 2007 is starting off well for all!!
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[15 Dec 2006|04:57pm] |
They say time flies when you're having fun. On the contrary...or at least in addition to, I think that time flies when you're trying to get stuff done. Particularly the hours between 2AM and 8AM. I don't know where they go when you're awake for them...the fly by! No wonder I always feel like I never get enough sleep when I do sleep through them. If they disappear so quickly when awake, I bet they do when asleep too! I saw those hours 4 times this week, and every dang day I looked at the clock sometime between 1 and 2 and was jarred from intense concentration and work by my phone alarm at 7:30 to move my car out of the lot that starts ticketing then and ride the bus back in. Crazy!
Another semester is over. I dread finals time SO much anymore because of what it means. I know that everything looks better in retrospect, but I seriously can't remember a finals period that was quite as hard as this one!! I've been working SO hard I've barely stopped the last three weeks. But, I can DEFINITELY say that I've worked non-stop since Sunday. I slept two hours Sunday & Monday, 1 on Tuesday, and about 30 minutes on Wednesday. Last night I got about 5.5 hours largely because I turned in a paper four hours late today. I should've probably stayed up last night to finish it...but I'm spent. At least I'm done. If everything goes as I expect, I think I may have gotten my highest GPA yet. Not really saying that much since my grades here have been so shitty, but I'm still proud of myself for working even harder than the usual very hard.
I'd like to crawl into a hole for the next two days and not leave my bed...but there is SO much to do to catch up with life! I've been shirking everything that needs to be taken care of...thus there's a huge list of stuff to do, people to call, people to visit, etc.
They say that stress increases belly fat. Maybe I'll blame my pooch on never ending stress ;) I need a nap.
Happy early holidays!!
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kirstielyn's journal