Day Two: Soaked but Schooled

Apparently, what's left of Fay has made her way into our area here. Consequently, it rained all day long today. According to the forecast, I'll be toting an umbrella all week.

No worries, though. I attended three more classes today, and I'm pretty excited by all of the things I'll be learning this semester. So, I'll happily slosh my way from class to class.

At least today I was able to discover which shoes NOT to wear on a rainy day, ha ha. One would think that thong sandals might be a good rainy day choice during the summer, right? Oh no, once these particular shoes were wet, they became so slick that my feet were sliding around in them most uncomfortably. At one point, I was even walking barefoot! (By the way, I don't recommend that, either.)

So my plan for the rest of the week? Tennis shoes, baby, yeah!

Back to School

Today, I go back to school! Woo hoo! I'm really excited to go, and it feels like I've been back in Tennessee for ages now. In reality, it's been, like, three weeks. But, that's a long time to be just kind of waiting for a day to come, you know? Anyway, that day is finally here!

So, I have one class on Mondays and Wednesdays, and it isn't until 4pm. The bulk of my classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tomorrow, I have a meeting at the Center for Excellence in Math and Science Education to learn what my G.A. tasks, duties, and schedule will be. I have three professors total this semester. One was my high school economics teacher. I'd taken one of his classes my second semester in the M.A.T. program, and he was every bit as laid-back as he was when I was in high school, so I'm pretty stoked that he's the professor of three of my classes! The other two professors, I've never had. I've met one of them, and she seems pretty nice. I always get along with my teachers, so no worries there.

I have so much planned for myself this semester! Next month, I'll take the PLT and Praxis content area tests. I also plan to convert my portfolio to an electronic version. I see that as being a bit challenging, but will be a cool tool for me to secure a position once I graduate.

Wow, I'm just nerding right along, aren't I? I'm just so thrilled to FINALLY be getting to the reason that I'm living around 800 miles from my husband. Up until today, I didn't really HAVE to be here...although I most likely wouldn't have obtained my G.A. position via telephone from Florida.

I have managed to stay somewhat active while waiting for this day to come. I've been studying for those tests. Also, I've been camping twice. The first camping occasion was with my buds Robert and Leslie and some other folks. I made a couple of new friends on that camping trip, so cool! And, I just went camping the second time with Matt & Cora, from my church small-group. It was quite fun, too! We camped at Watauga Lake, and it was beautiful,albeit somewhat windy. I kicked booty at Yahtzee, ha ha! Then, on Saturday, I went to Robert & Leslie's house for a surprise party for their friend, Ian. It was quite fun, and I had the opportunity to play a Wii game called, "Rock Star." Oh, my gosh! That game is soooo addictive! We played it for HOURS. I find myself wanting a Wii, ha ha....But that would prolly not encourage my studies too much, so I'd better not!

The only other things that I haven't covered yet in this blog are some newsy bits that I've learned this week. Two of them are happy, one is not at all a happy report.

We'll start with the joyous new items. I learned last night, via a comment left on my myspace page, that my friend Tiffany is engaged! Yay for her! I don't know who this fella is, because Tiff and I don't regularly call or write one another, but I'm sure he's terrific! I'm excited for her, and since I'm only an hour from where she lives in Asheville, NC, I expect I'll get to meet him sometime relatively soon.

The other happy news is that my friend who was expecting has safely delivered her baby! Now, here's the funny part. I haven't heard this directly from her, and I didn't expect to, because this is a busy and hectic time for her. I certainly am not going to call, what with all of the upheaval of adjusting to life with a new baby. But, I really wanted to know that everything went well, so I clicked on her myspace friends (who I don't know, lol) and sure enough, a couple of them had listed her status as a new mom right in their status bars! So, I found out that I can stop worrying on her behalf. So, congrats to Crystal! I'm glad that little Evyn is here, and I can't wait to see pictures and hear all about it.

Now for the sad news. I learned this week that a friend has been diagnosed with cancer. He's a young guy, and I'm sure that he's going to be fine. I just hate that he is going to have to go through things like chemo. From what I've heard, he is approaching this situation with humor and optimism, which I think is the best possible way to handle it. I must say that I admire his ability to do that, and am not certain that I would be capable of doing the same myself. But, this isn't the first time that I've admired the great qualities this friend possesses. I don't know how much assistance I can provide to this friend, but I've pledged that he has my prayers and unwavering support until he has overcome this obstacle on his path to a bright, happy, and healthy future. I would ask that anyone reading this blog would also pray for my friend to have a speedy return to perfect health. Thanks.

I'm a worry-wart.

I've always been something of a worrier. It's strange, but I'm also an optimist. I find it very easy to encourage others to not have fear, but it occasionally overtakes me.

My hubs put a few gray hairs in my head last night. Not his fault, because he kept me pretty informed about where he was going, what he was doing. But my mind kept running through all of the worst scenarios.

He and his friend, Jason, met up at the beach yesterday. I knew about this and really didn't expect to be able to get in touch with Matt until a bit later. But, as it got dark, the worries about sharks or drowning started to set in. Now, I myself had gone for a moonlight swim with these fellas before I came back to Tennessee, so I really shouldn't have worried when I didn't get a call from Matt by midnight. But I did worry. When he finally called, I was so relieved!

He then told me that they were going to hang out in the downtown area for a while. I told him to be careful and call me when he was on his way home. By three a.m. I was petrified that he'd had a drink or three and gotten behind the wheel (even though I know Matt would NEVER do that), or had fallen asleep on his way home. My mind played out endless possibilities. At last he called! He and Jason had pretty much just hung out and talked. Such an overactive imagination I have!

Matt told me they were both pretty tired, and rather than drive home at such a late hour, they both decided to crash on the beach. I immediately championed that idea, because the visions of him falling alseep at the wheel had been broadcasting through my mind for the last couple of hours.

Of course, this morning, when I woke up, I immediately worried that someone might have harmed them while they were sleeping there out in the open on the beach. I mean, ANYONE could surprise you if you have your guard down. Once Matt called me this morning, I felt better.

But I'm troubled by my inability to avoid fretting. I have just realized that I fear that which I have no control over. And that's no way to live. I don't want to someday become a parent who refuses to let their child go outside to play for fear of them being hurt. I believe what I'll do the next time I feel fear taking the wheel is pray that God gives me peace and reminds me that He is the one in control.

Outdoor Fun!

I just returned home a few hours ago from a night spent camping among friends, old and new. It was terrific!

I hadn't been to this particular campsite before, and was really impressed. It was right on the river, and the ground was nice and sandy. I hate laying down to sleep in my tent only to discover a rock beneath my temporary abode! Luckily, that was not a problem for me.

You know what else wasn't a problem? Bugs. Yep, I was completely NOT consumed by mosquitoes; I was amazed. The closest thing I found to a bug problem was the chirping of the crickets, and I actually quite like that sound.

My friend Robert, who I have known since high school (when he used to copy my chemistry homework), is actually quite the good cook on the grill. Dinner and breakfast were yummilicious! I also discovered a new taste sensation: bacon-wrapped blackened marshmallows! Before you rule it out, try it. It sounds weird but it was such a tasty combination of sweet and savory.

Anyhoo, camping was a whole lot of fun! And to think, I've been invited to camp again next weekend (although it's with a different set of friends)!

Pretty Good

I've been buried deep in studying for the last couple of days. And the trend will continue, right on up until I take those tests on September 13. I'm feeling pretty good, though, and thinking that my preparation will pay off. I'm about one-third of the way through one of my three study guides, and I already have reviewed a lot of familiar information that I just needed to have brought to the front of my mind.

Despite all of my studiousness, I am making time for some leisure activities. Yesterday, I dropped in on some of my old pals at ERAC, and had a great time catching up. Even more exciting is the camping adventure scheduled for this weekend! Woo hoo! The only thing I have to figure out is what kinds of snack foods I want to take along...Hmmm.

I also reconnected with my small-group from church. They are still meeting on Tuesday nights, and are currently reading and discussing a book. I shall attend and somehow manage to find time to read along, as well. Additionally, they are planning a camping trip for next weekend! Wow, camping two weeks in a row! Does it get any better than this?!

Well, yes, it could be better....I still really miss Matt. But, I suppose that is just going to be a constant as long as I'm here and he's there. But, we do talk on the phone several times each day, and thank God for IM!

Everything is going pretty good.

So far this week...

Since my last post, I have obtained a position as a graduate assistant for the Center for Excellence in Math and Science Education! Woo hoo! That is a HUGE relief! No out-of-state tuition for me! I received that precious bit of news yesterday.

Today, I headed to my hairdresser for some much-needed TLC for my hair. Although there was a very nice lady in Arcadia that did my hair a couple of times, I much prefer Cheryl's handiwork. So, I treated myself in celebration of the tuition savings. I got some highlights (my beloved stripes) and a cut. My hair actually doesn't look vastly different than it did before. The color just has more dimension now and the cut shaped it up a bit. Matt had practically begged me before I went to not go short again. Hubs has a thing for long hair, I guess. Anyhoo, I feel quite glam now, ha ha. Here are some pics:














After I left Cheryl's, I stopped by my mom's office for a visit (and if I'm honest, to show off my newly improved 'do). I arrived just as they were doing a group lunch for my mom's birthday. I used to work there through part of college, so I visited with many familiar faces and it was nice to catch up.

Now, I'm back at the house, waiting for the timer to go off, indicating that it's time to remove the birthday cake from the oven. After it cools a bit, I'll make the icing for it. Some of you may be thinking, "I thought she couldn't cook!" Well, the fact is, I CAN cook, I just mostly choose not to. But, hey, you have to bake your mom a birthday cake, right!? And I just don't like the way store-bought icing tastes. I learned long ago that the best chocolate icing is easily made to taste with powdered sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and baking cocoa. Mmmm! Mom will be lucky if I manage to actually ice the cake instead of the inside of my tummy, ha ha! I feel a distinct need for some chocolate today!

So, mom's birthday celebration will consist of our family going out to eat together tonight. Which will be cool, because I haven't seen my aunt and uncle since I got back into town. Anyway, I'll prolly post some pictures of the dinner tomorrow.

When you get what you want...

Am I the most ungrateful person on the planet? Sometimes I think so...

So, I wanted to go back to finish my master's degree. Poof! Here I am in Tennessee, waiting for classes to start. And all I can think about is how lonely I feel without Matt here. I knew it would be hard, so I've got to power through this. I'm just feeling particularly gloomy today, and on top of that I feel guilty for feeling gloomy about something that I wanted. Sheesh!

Here's another thing I thought I would enjoy but don't: not working. Who'd have thought?! I used to think longingly about watching Regis and Kelly and all of those home improvement shows on HGTV during the day, instead of working. Now, maybe it's because I'm at my mom's house, and therefore can't really work on any projects that I might in my own home, but I have been not working for less than a week, and I am bored out of my mind! I'm speeding through books and spending countless hours on the internet in the effort to occupy my time and mind. Because, if I don't keep my brain busy with something, I'm going to continue to dwell on the fact that I really miss Matt.

Please don't feel sorry for me. I think I feel sorry enough for myself. I am, in fact, ashamed of how self-indulgent I'm being right now. I resolve to find something constructive to do, starting tomorrow, and to cease being melancholy.

Feeling a bit childish...

Ok, well it's confession time right now. I just did something of which I'm not too proud...

Anyone who knows me knows that I ADORE myspace, right? I like going to my friends' pages. I like leaving and receiving comments. I pretty much read everyone's bulletins (unless you post them, like, every ten minutes of EVERY day...THEN I might skip over yours).

So I have (or did have) this friend on myspace who was not (unlike most of my myspace friends) someone I actually know in "real life." She seemed like a nice gal, new to Florida, and looking for female friends. To be honest, if the town that she lived in hadn't been so far away from where I lived, I would most likely have met her in person for drinks and built up a friendship with her. As it was, the driving distance was too great, and so our friendship online was very limited. She left me the occasional comment and vice versa.

She apparently has gotten hooked on the myspace apps, like "feed my pet" or "I own you" or God knows what else. Anyway, it seemed like every bulletin on my board was from her about some application or quiz she wants all of her friends to try. Anyway, I just clicked on one too many of those nonsense bulletins and decided to delete her.

I'm feeling a bit guilty now, like I should have said something to let her know she was annoying the everliving crap out of me. But, then, I barely know the girl. Maybe she won't even notice that I deleted her....

So, was that as childish an action as it feels????

Settling In

The transition from life in the sleepy Florida town to the slightly less sleepy Tennessee town of my birth is complete. Matt and I made the arduous drive last week, and just yesterday he boarded a plane to return back without me. *sigh*

Before he left, we did manage to do a couple of fun things, like visit my sister at her lake house, go to the zoo, and take a bike ride. Here are some photos of our adventures:

















I'm glad we got to play a bit more before going through this separation. I am feeling a bit listless without my hubs, but I've plenty to keep me busy right now. Today, I ran a few errands that made me feel quite productive.

I dropped off some forms at E.T.S.U. and even found another G.A. position to pursue. I also managed to secure a wireless router, so that I can blog and read dlisted and feed my growing myspace and twitter addictions from the comfort of my bedroom. The installation was seamless and I'm very pleased.

I've unpacked and even organized my closet by clothing type! Having just read what I wrote makes me wonder if I might have a touch of the OCD...

I'm mostly anxious about obtaining a G.A. position. I've done all I can for now to acquire one, and I'm simply periodically checking in with the different departments where I've applied. I'll just have to pray for favor and wait.

I do have some exciting news to report...At least, I'M excited! Instead of the two semesters of coursework I thought I'd need to complete before student-teaching, I only have this one semester before being eligible! Of course, eligibility is partially determined by having passed the Praxis PLT and the Content Knowledge tests. I learned that I'll have to take those probably next month....So, I'm going to acquire the study guides and start NOW!!!

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. And the tunnel isn't nearly as long as I had thought it was. Thank God, because this first day without seeing Matt has been rough!