Snow and Christmas

Well it is official. Pittsburg is getting it's first snow of the winter on November 24th, 2004. It's not a very strong snow. In fact it's really light and it isn't sticking to anything except parked cars. The ground is still kind of warm and so melts the snowflakes. But I'm so happy that it is snowing. I love it when it snows. Snow is so white and pretty, soft and wet. I really love the snow. What is ironic though is that the other night I bought that fake snow spray that you put on windows and stuff and put it on the windows in my room. When I wake up this morning I find that it really is snowing outside! How cool is that?!

I put some Christmas lights up last night too. I couldn't resist. I know that Thanksgiving is tomrrow and that Christmas comes after Thanksgiving. But I love Christmas too much to wait and put them up later. Christmas is my most favorite of holidays next to Valentine's day. I love the snow, the twinkling lights, the snowmen, snowball fights, the giving, and everything that goes along with Christmas. I remember that when I was little my family would all pile into the car at night and go driving through town looking at all the houses with their Christmas lights and decorations. I always enjoyed that so much. I can't wait until I have my own place. Then I can go all out on decorations and really go nuts putting up lights and wreaths, and all sorts of other things! And you know, unlike most people I don't want to get presents for Christmas. Sure it's nice to get them, but personally I'd rather give than get. I like to see the look on people's face when they open up a present Christmas morning and it's exactly something that they've been wanting. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling to know that I made someone happy by giving them something they have been wanting.

Ramblings

Well, Thanksgiving break is finally here, but mine hasn't officially started yet. Technically break starts after your classes are over with today. Sadly my only class today is my night class which starts at 5. And what stinks is that my partner and I have to give our presentation tonight for our research project. We're second to go as far as the order is concerned and we have to stay the whole class period too. That's going to be so boring! I'm not really looking forward to tonight. But I am looking forward to having the room to myself for a couple of days. It will be nice to not have my roommate around. She's a nice roommate and I like her, but I'm not used to someone being around all the time.

I've been getting a lot of hours in for work. I turned in my first time sheet last Friday. I had a total of 24 hours for the two weeks. This week I'm going to have to do all of my work early since the library will be closing for part of break. I've already gotten 9 hours in so far and that's just yesterday and today so far. I'd work in my room but my computer doesn't have PowerPoint, which is essential to my work and the floppy drive on it is broken. Plus it's been acting screwy lately anyway. But I don't mind working extra hours at the begining of the week. It's very mind taxing but this way at least I'll have more time to enjoy my break from classes.

I went on a date Friday night. It totally sucked. Needless to say I ended the date as soon as the movie was over and I haven't talked to the guy since. He was very needy, clingy and talked way too much. Kind of like the last guy I went out with. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever find a guy that isn't completely nuts. In retrospect I think the only guy I ever went out with that wasn't a complete nut was my ex-husband. He was still a nut but not as much as others I have gone out with. I don't really need a guy right now, but it would be nice to have one. I like the feeling that someone is there for me and I like to be held at night. It gives me a sense of security. Maybe that sense of security that I need is the reason I still sleep with my stuffed animals. Haha!

Quick Update

It's been about a week since I last wrote. In fact it has been a week, technically. But I've been very busy. With thanksgiving break just around the corner, my teachers are really piling the work on. I've been spending a good deal of my time at the library either working on things for classes or working on things for work. I logged in over 13 hours of work last week and over 8 hours so far this week. I have to turn my time card in on Friday. I can't wait until I get my first paycheck. It will be nice to finally have at least some money coming in.

That's all I've got for now. I've got to get back to my school work. Until next time!

Perks

I'm really liking my new job. I started on Monday and so far its a lot of fun. I spend a lot of time on the computer which is ok by me and I get to make power point presentations and notes for classes. Sometimes the work really taxes my mind because I have to think about if what I'm creating will make any sense to others. But the fact that I get to work pretty well whenever I want helps to outweigh that negative. I also really don't have any set work time or place. I was just given some tasks for the week and am supposed to report back to my boss on Friday. I've already finished the first task and am waiting on feedback for it. Either tonight or tomorrow I'm going to do more work on the second task. The one thing that sucks though, is that it is only for the semester. So when next semester starts I'll have to find a different job. :(

I've decided I'm not going to go home for Thanksgiving break. I really want to, but I can't afford it. I especially can't afford it since I won't be getting my first paycheck for about four weeks. For some reason whenever you have an on campus job, your pay is always two weeks behind. I have found a ride part of the way home for Christmas break. Just got to get someone from my family to meet me halfway and take me the rest of the way home. That is of course if I don't get the money to get my car tags renewed. Mom is seeing if she can get me on her auto insurance. She says that with my good driving record and having a third car on their policy that it will make their insurance cheaper. If thats the case and I don't have to pay her for it, then I'm all for it. I actually had a dream last night that I had gotten a letter in the mail and inside was a pink card that said that my car had full coverage insurance. Why full coverage and a pink card I don't know. But maybe that dream was telling me that mom was able to get me on their auto insurance and she just hadn't been able to tell me about it yet.

That's all for now. Take care all!

Success Begins with the First Step

Success. An interesting word that has multiple meanings. To some people it means being rich and famous, to others, success is seen as simply finishing school or starting a family. Regardless of what it means, it is something that everyone desires and strives for. I am just one of the many. The thing about success is that in order to achieve it, you've got to go after it. Success isn't just going to come to you. You have to take that first step along the path of many, in order to succeed at whatever it is you are trying to succeed at.

My journey for success started the day I was born and has changed often since that time. Some of my first successes were learning how to walk and talk to name a few. At the start of this semester I had several things I wanted to succeed at. I wanted to find a job, to do well in my classes, and to move on to my final semester so that I could graduate. I've been succeeding as far as my classes are concerned and did not receive any down slips at mid semester. And Monday I'll enroll for my classes in my final semester which will help me work on finishing up that path of success.

My path of success for finding a job though has been a constant struggle with many, many disappointments along the way. That though has thankfully changed recently. I applied for a job within the department that has my major and I found out yesterday that I got the job. I didn't think I would get it because I had been turned down for so many jobs earlier on in the semester. But I never gave up hope that I would eventually find a job. The job isn't what I ultimately want to do, it's just something to help me out for the time being. It only pays $5.15 an hour and it's only 4 to 8 hours a week. But it is a step in the right direction. With this job I can finally be able to pay for my car tags so that they don't expire. I might even get to go home for Thanksgiving without having to ask for someone to give me a ride. And once I pay for my car tags, all I'll have to do is save up the money for gas so that I can go home for Christmas break without having to ask my parents to come and get me. It will be nice to not have to rely on others so often. I really don't like doing that. And now that I have this job I have taken yet another step towards success. A step that though small, will help me reach my end goal.

So regardless of how you personally define success always keep in mind that to achieve it, success begins with the first step.

Gloomy Day

Today is a really slow day. It's cold and rainy and everything seems so gloomy. I like the cold weather that comes with the fall, but I don't like the rain. I went to my psych class this morning. It was pretty boring. We're talking about dissociative and somatoform disorders. Today we talked predominatly about multiple personality disorder. I didn't like hearing about that. It just seems to freaky to me. This afternoon I meet with my advisor to discuss my schedule for next semester. I only have two classes that I'm required to take in order to graduate. But if I want to get my money for school I have to be at least a full time student. A full time student carries a minimum of 12 hours. But the two classes that I have to take don't even add up to half of that amount of time. So I've been having to try and find other classes to take just to make it so that I'll be considered a full time student. It's kind of hard too because most of the classes I've either already taken, don't apply to what I want to do, or I just don't want to take them. Hopefully my advisor can help me out for once.

I really miss my family. I wish I had the money and time to go home and see them. I might not even get to see them for Thanksgiving break. I hope that that isn't the case but you never know. I'll just have to wait and see what happens.