What good is free money if I can't use until March or April? I need books now. I will have failed my courses without books by then.
I should not complain too much. It is free money, but the school modified my loan amount without my permission to get me another grant. I love grants, but like I said, what good is free money later, if I need real money now, (even if it comes with a horrible interest rate)?
Dear Mr. Advisor Guy:
I just did a degree audit. I found the following note regarding the Hated-Political-Science class that I just completed:
>X = CREDIT REDUCTION FOR NON-DUPLICATABLE COURSE. GRADES AVG.
I only took this class because you advised me to. I informed you that I had taken two other hated-political-science classes at other schools that should have covered this credit. I waisted time and money on this class when I really needed to be in other classes for my major. Now, instead of having all fifteen credits of Fall '06 count toward graduation, only 12 do. I want to graduate by May '08, and I don't have time for anymore useless credits or credit reductions. What are you going to do to help me rectify this situation? I want my waisted time back. I'll settle for a financial credit for a class for this Spring '07 semester. Please advise.
Sincerely,
Me
A/K/A The Disgruntled Student
Samantha (my niece) and Maddie at play
Daniel (my nephew) being himself
I trust that you all had a great New Year's celebration, or at least a safe one. Me? I stayed up too late and am still sleep deprived.
How's the font color now? Better or Worse? Sounding like an eye doc yet?
After a long day's work of opening the presents that Santa brought, my cutie is zonked out in her new Disney Princess chair.1. No matter how many times my daughter hasn't been sick during the school year, she will run a fever, get an earache, and tonsillitis when I need to go to work.
2. I can be happy with less than straight A's.
3. Harry Potter books are much, much better than I thought. I read book four yesterday while tending my sick child. Yes, the whole thing. All 700+ pages.
4. Shopping around for my textbooks online will save me at LEAST $50. At least. Probably more. Even with shipping on each book separately.
5. All that I am thinking about is going back to school in a few weeks. I can't wait. It was a tough semester, but I'm really excited about my classes this coming semester.
6. I am not at all prepared for Christmas. Well, Santa is ready at my house, but other than that, nada.
7. I'm broke so I'm working; I'm working so I'm broke. Do you have any idea how far it is from The Burg to RMore? Over an hour. I'm crazy. But it's only for three weeks. I only had to work one whole day to pay for my gas for the whole three weeks.
I have two finals and that reflection paper. That's all then I'm done with my first semester back to school as a full-time student.
I made up my "plan" for the classes that I need for the rest of my school carreer. Sadly, I will be here until December '08, but my last semester before student teaching will be all the Upper-Level English electives that I need and want to take. Yea!
Yesterday, I took a nap. Which, to you may not be a big deal, but it was a very long nap. During naps, I don't get anything done. No papers. No typing. No cleaning. Nothing. But you know what? It doesn't matter. I have one more reflection paper to write. That's all. I just have to study for my finals and write one stinking reflection paper. Then the semester will be over.
I'm waisting time a little right now. I do have a funny Maddie story though. Well, it was really, really, really funny at the time. Erin came over on Saturday to just hang out. We were teasing Maddie instead of me getting her to bed. It was Saturday, after all. I blew a raspberry on her belly. She giggled and giggled. Then, she did returned the favor on the side of my face. Then Erin got her face and so on, and so on. Maddie started just holding up her shirt so we could see her belly and show that she was ready for me to get her. Erin said to me, "Your turn!" I tickled Maddie's belly; Erin got her face. Before I could "get" Maddie again, she turns to me and says, "Your turn!"
Okay, it was really, super funny at the time. I can't even type this with out laughing. I don't think reading it will do it justice though. Anyway, I think I'm going to go to the Union to study. I have almost two hours until my American Lit Final.
I haven't officially shared this news until now, because I did not feel that it was my news to share. But now, I'm just too dang excited not to share... Are you ready?
Really?
Matthew (everyone's favorite little brother) and his girlfriend Andrea (who is wonderful) are having a baby. Not only that, but they had a sonogram today and found out that they were having a healthy baby BOY!
I am very excited for them. I know that they will make great parents. Congratulations, Kids! (well, maybe I shouldn't call them kids any more...) I'm very happy for you!
Yesterday, I decided to try out the local public library with Miss Maddie in tow. We had not been there yet, and I thought I'd had enough of Cat in the Hat for at least a day. We parked in the smallest parking lot ever, only because someone else was leaving. Then entered the new looking library. When we got to the children's section, Madeline spotted a puzzle table and a play house and big bean bag chair; she spotted them rather loudly. After I got her shushed, I went on a search for "rhymie" books. This is not easy. I have not been in the children's section of the library since I didn't have to lean down to pick the books. I found five that seemed like they'd work well for her. I let her test them at the cutest little person table I think I've ever seen, then we were headed to the check out counter.
Madeline did not want to leave the children's section of the library. She let me know by "going limp," you know, the start of a fit when a child refuses to listen to her momma by simply sitting down on the floor while her momma tries to pull her along, that kind of "going limp."
Finally, I coaxed her to the checkout counter, and I started filling out the paperwork for a library card and getting the books ready to go.
"Mommy! Down!" which translates into, "Mommy, put me down right now, or I'll scream!" So, I put her down with a threatening warning (the kind you talk through your teeth to sound "meaner"), "Stay RIGHT HERE!"
"Okay, Momma, stay right here!" She was playing along the counter, then started heading toward the front, the glassed in entry-way to be exact. The kind of glass that you can see all the way outside to, yeah, that kind.
Last night was a blast. Madeline was on top of her game as a princess. She had the pink dress, the clip on ear rings, the septor, and (of course) the tierra. We walk to downtown "The 'Burg" and followed a huge line of trick-or-treators around the block. Local business (and local politians campaigning) opened their doors (and cars... weird, but strangely normal, I think) to kids looking for a safe place to get candy. I was happy to see that the kids came with adults/parents; so the place wasn't just overrun by kids. Maddie didn't really get into saying, "Trick or Treat;" she more or less just held her bag up for people to put candy in. The funny thing was that if she didn't see them put the candy in she would just leave her bag up there... and if there was more than one person in a location handing out candy, she was sure to put her bag up for both people!! It was very cute. Toward the end (note that we walked about 4 blocks there and around was another 4 blocks or so), I would ask her if she wanted to get in her stroller, "No Thank you, Momma." But she was so, so tired. I'll post pictures when I get them developed. She was too cute. We got more candy than we needed for sure... so if you come visit us, we'll give you candy, probably until Christmas!
Oh, yeah. I dressed up as a pirate.
Disclaimer: Venting
I love school, and I am thrilled that I have that going in my life right now. I really am. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have that going for me right now.
Recently, I did something unsmart. It wasn't stupid, at least not enough to be labled "stupid," it just wasn't smart. I emailed an old friend that I had tried to call before I moved. His phone number had changed. Who changes their phone number and doesn't tell a friend. So, wanting full closure on what I thought was a friendship, I emailed him. It wasn't the kind of email popping in your mind right about now... No, there was no cursing or drama. Just a simple, Hi, I'm happy. I'm hoping you are too, kind of thing. No questions that prompted a response. He responded with his phone number and a direct request to call him. I responded with my stupid closure excuse and that I would not call. If he wanted to talk that he could call me. I even put my phone number in the email...
He (gasp of sarcasm here) hasn't called. But now I'm having thoughts that perhaps I shouldn't have let that friend break away. Perhaps, I should not have severed that tie. I know it's for the best. But we had been friends for awhile and letting go has never been my thing, but now I know that "it's" over. Whatever "it" was. I don't like non-happy endings. Though it wasn't a sad ending either. But everything has to end. I suppose I am jsut spoiled by the fact that I have life-long friends and when I have to lose someone that I have been really close to, it just doesn't seem right to me. C'est La Vive.
Okay, I'm done. Thanks for listening; have a great day!
My 11am class was cancelled, now I have to wait around for my 2pm class. I am "working" on a paper. You can tell how hard I am working, can't you?
I developed more film this week. One of the rolls had been in my purse forever. What was on it? Pictures from when Madeline was just a couple of months old up to her first birthday. She was so little!! I cannot believe how time has passed! She is such a little lady now, not so much a baby!
H'ville Homecoming is tonight. I am going to at least some of the game. Probably not the whole thing; I sincerely doubt that Madeline can sit still that long.
That's all for now... Have a great weekend.
I love taking picutres of my daughter... These are of an adventure with a catapillar... notice the "redneck" overalls? And it's not the "being overalls" that makes them redneck. Enjoy.
Some of the pictures I took vertically... I like some of those better, but you all would be straining your necks to see them as I don't think that I can rotate after I upload them here. Please, please correct me if I'm wrong.
**Edit**
So, my program/major requires that all students have either a minor or a "cognative area." The difference? Cognative area is about half the hours. I hadn't declared and finally asked one of my advisors about this today... he showed me that I have enough French to cover my cognative area! I don't have to worry about it! Now, this may not be big news to you, but it is to me!! Scratch that off of my "Things to Worry About Later List!" Now, back to your regularly scheduled blog:
Okay, maybe a slightly reformed slacker. And maybe not a slacker so much as a procrastinator. I should be studying for my first mid-term, but I'm not. I should be starting a paper, but I'm not. And last night rather than studying, I watched United 93, and bawled almost the whole time. I couldn't help remembering all the fear that I felt then... Okay, I didn't even post on 9/11 this year... That's enough, Rachel (yes, I'm talking to myself).
I recently took in a couple of rolls of (gasp!) film into be developed. Two of the rolls were fairly old (a year?) and one of them had a few pics of our Christmas last year. They are really cute. I forgot my disk, or I would be posting them. I had one roll from just here recently, but it's taking longer to develop. SOMEONE (who I love dearly and will be my daughter forever, so is highly forgivable) switched my camera to panoramic during this last roll... They may cost more to develop too... I knew I should have just gotten the disk! (Can I make up for not posting pictures by having all sorts of fun links??)
What I have accomplished so far this week:
1. Watched Rainbow Bright
2. Bought The Little Mermaid
3. Rented Grey's season two, disks one and two
4. Typed a paper
5. Read Bridges of Madison County
6. Walked a mile (m/l, more I think) pushing a stroller
7. Looked at my midterm study guide
8. Went to classes
9. Ate dinner with a friend
10. Made it to the bank (in LS)
11. Had a weird "reaction" to Bridges of Madison County that kept me up until 2am.
To Do:
1. Quit thinking about Bridges of Madison County
2. Read Hatchet (for school assignment)
3. Study for midterm
4. Finish watching Grey's
5. Go for another walk (it made me feel better, even if it killed my back)
6. Pack for the wedding (Keri's getting married on SATURDAY)
7. Remind two teachers that I will be gone on Friday
8. Sleep. By 10pm at least one night
9. And remind myself that most of this needs to be done while Madeline's asleep or at daycare.
10. Tell Madeline's daycare that she will be gone on Friday
11. Sleep... Is that already here?
Is that enough info, Danielle?
Oh! And I had to post this for a funny...
WOMAN'S POEM
MAN'S POEM
Okay, I thought was funny... Laugh!
My cousin Keri is getting married on October 7th. I am pretty sure that I posted about it, but I'm currently too lazy to go dig up that post for you to link to. I think it was called "We're Going to the Chapel." Anyway, Saturday night was her bachlorette party. We had so much fun. I don't think that I have ever had that much fun with people that I barely know ever. My legs are so sore from dancing today though that I didn't think that I would make it up to the third floor. Yeah, we had that much fun. More later, I'm attempting to check my email, and the compture's not letting me into yahoo.com. Weird.
Free for 3 nights now... If only I could sleep. I didn't get Madeline to bed until 11:30, I stayed in there until midnight to make sure she was asleep. I laid in my bed for over two hours until I could fall asleep. Seriously. Seven thirty came all too early. I don't know how Danielle does the staying awake for days at a time thing.
I let Madeline sleep in this morning until about 8:15. Who wants a grumpy two year old? Pas moi!! But I had showered and brushed and make-up'd already. When she did get good and awake, she looked at me and said, "Pretty." I don't know if she was fishing for a compliment through her messy hair and half pj'd and half normal clothes or saying it to me. I'm going with "to me." Which was too cute. But I knew that!
When I got her to daycare, the director again came up to me and told me how well my daughter is doing. She said that her skills and vocabulary make her seem older than just over two. Makes this mom swell a little. Just to know that someone (unbias, b/c you ppl would fit into the "bias" category) else knows that she's intelligent beyond her years.
So, I haven't updated.... I can't really say why. I'll state the, "Uh, I was busy" excuse. And I have been. School is taking time. Which was expected. And I LOVE it. I love school. I'm such a nerd. I really feel like this is where I belong, and I am kicking myself for not taking this leap a year or so earlier.
I haven't been sleeping well lately though, and that mixed with the, "Uh...busy," makes things just down right tiring. Madeline's been having night terrors or really bad nightmares this week. In fact, last night was her first night without them for a whole week. I'm still tired, but I feel better after a whole's night's sleep than I have all week. As I yawn three times in a paragraph. It's just because I was thinking about it.
Happy weekend.
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