This is my life...of course.

I'll start off with a few good things, and move onto the crappy. I'm finally completely finished with undergrad, unless something comes up in applying for Optometry school. It doesn't really feel real; I'm sure come September when I'm not taking classes, then it will finally sink in! Work is still work, except a little hotter since summer started. The A/C in our building doesn't operate too well since it's old. Luckily, the customers don't notice nearly as much as the staff does. I visited home this past week, which was fun and relaxing. I also visited my boyfriend's home which was also fun, albeit a bit less relaxing (we spent Sunday building a grill for his dad--fun times with 4 boys!).

So speaking of that trip (to Cincinnati), we drove back Sunday evening. Now, I knew that my A/C wasn't working, so we drove most of the way back with the windows open. About 20 miles from Columbus we shut the windows and turned on the A/C just to get some air flow in the van. As we got off the highway, we both realized that the van was making a horrible roaring noise. We shut off the A/C, which did nothing. We pulled into a gas station, quickly shut the van off and opened the hood (as if either of us would have SEEN anything). A passerby asked what was
wrong and I told him. He had me turn the van back on and upon hearing it, told me that the clutch on the A/C was stuck. That in turn would break the serpentine belt if allowed to continue, and then all chaos would break loose. So, I had to call AAA (thankfully we have it) and finally at 10:45pm Sunday night my van was towed to the nearest Tuffy Auto Service Center (and the tow truck guy drove us home!) Monday morning my boyfriend and I walked to Tuffy (the van is the only transportation for myself, my boyfriend and my brother) and let them know what was up. Meanwhile, my family came down and picked us up so we could still go home as planned.

So...my van needed a new compressor and the works for the A/C, a grand total of $917.50. OUCH. We're starting to think that maybe it's time to trade in the van and look at a new car for me. I'm scared of that process, because I love my little van a lot. It's only 8 years old, but it's slowly starting to go. Sam thinks the transmission will conk out next, which is uh, NOT GOOD. It's a situation I really don't want to be in :-( Especially because of looking at finances, I would be much better off with a car instead of a van or SUV. I want a bigger vehicle because that's what I've driven since I started with my temporary license. The only cars I've driven are a Ford Taurus (big) and a Buick Century (bigger). Ack. I'm not ready!!! But I also don't want to be stranded if my van finally bites a big one. Again, cars suck!

Better Weekend at Work

This weekend was much better for me at work, other than the fact that we were not as busy as normal. My brother started working on Thursday as our dishwasher, and Saturday I helped him out after I finished my serving shift. We left about 2:30am (Sunday morning), which is 3.5 hours after the restaurant closes. Last night, when he worked without me, he finished at midnight, which was only 2 hours after close! Hopefully that's a good sign for the future!

I'm sick of the spring rains. I want sunny days to be the NORM not the exception like it's been for two weeks. Ugh.

The boyfriend is at his home for a few days to assist his dad recover from surgery. He was diagnosed with colon cancer last month, and last week he underwent surgery to remove his colon and biopsy his lymph nodes. All the biopsies (40-something) came back clean, so essentially he's cured. I'm very thankful that they seemed to catch it early, even though they had to remove his colon. There's a family history of colon cancer, so it was wise to remove the whole colon and not just the affected areas. Of course, I need to prod my boyfriend to get himself checked out, if only to get a baseline for the future.

Now it's onto my day. Class and groceries are my only required activities today!

On the cusp of my working weekend...

Tomorrow starts the weekly 4-day cycle of work. I hope that this weekend is a good one--I was off Sunday because they had too many servers (and I was the first one my general manager asked if I wanted to go home). I hope that if I close, it won't be as awful as last weekend--Friday and Saturday nights I was there till midnight! That alone left me whipped on Sunday, so I was glad to have the day off! I definitely like the days I work. The first day is Thursday, so we close an hour earlier than Friday or Saturday, but it's still relatively busy. Friday and Saturdays are pretty good business nights, especially when I close, and Sundays are pretty easy because of the brunch buffet and it's a nice end to my "work week". The only downside is that I only get to work under one of the managers for the most part...and he's not my favorite manager! Ah well, it's okay!

This past Saturday was my 4 year anniversary with the boyfriend. We celebrated pretty low-key, lunch and dinner out, but not ridiculously expensive. He also came to see me at work, and left a pair of earrings as a tip, which was incredibly touching!

I bought my cap and gown yesterday, and signed off on my name in the "graduation binder", so it looks like I'm cleared to graduate in March. Finally. Not that it matters too much, since I'm taking a class spring quarter (organic chem) in order to fulfill the optometry school pre-reqs. So in June, I'll finally be finished with undergrad. Then it'll be working full time and working hard to have the best optometry school application that I can muster!

I'm ready for this dreary winter weather to end, pronto. I want to be able to walk to and from class without freezing or getting wet!

Panic Mode!

So, it's getting down to the wire on my upcoming holiday trip and I'm panicking about packing. We're driving, and with 6 people in a minivan plus luggage, it's imperative that we pack efficiently! I have a small suitcase, but I decided that it wasn't the best, so yesterday I bought a biggish duffle bag (being that it's entirely soft, it'll "fit" better). This is a great plan, except that my suitcase is already packed and waiting for me in Columbus to finish the last minute things I have here at home. Ack. I'm also having difficulty because I have to pack for Florida and a few days at the end of the trip in Cincinnati. Sigh, it's the typical panic. It'll all work out!

I leave for Columbus on Friday morning, and get picked up and taken to Cincy on Friday afternoon. Bright and early Saturday we'll be on the road and in Florida on Sunday. Excitement!

A Smorgasboard...

We'll start with a picture of my apartment's Christmas Tree, shall we? I'm a fan of both traditional and non-traditional trees. Though, with the non-traditional (colored, white, silver, and the like), I prefer it to be coordinated. Hence our tree.

After my last post, I did a little more shopping (and by that, I mean finding things my mom can give me for Christmas), and got two pair of Worthington dress pants for the price of a single pair. I love these pants because they are meant to be worn below the waist, which is where I wear my pants anyway. They fit me well, even without being "long" or "tall". Yay dress pants!

I saw the pea coat of my dreams at Macy's as well: just the right length (long enough to cover the waistband of my pants without going to my knees), a hood, double breasted, black, and pockets. I was thisclose to buying it, especially since my mom had a 20% off coupon (or $20, I can't remember). Until I realized it was marked "EDV"...meaning "Everyday Value". Meaning, NO COUPONS FOR ME! Ugh. I don't quite understand why Macy's needs to have EDVs, and thus I am perturbed. I decided that I don't want the coat unless I know what I'm saving (which they don't tell you, only that you're paying $99.95). I searched around the webs at different department stores, and the closest I came was buying the coat through Overstock.com for a bit more (no shipping or tax though, so it'd come out even). The debate is still weighing heavily in my brain as to whether I should get it or not. *sigh* Tough life, huh?

This week is the last week of classes. Yesterday I had a presentation and a paper due, so I'm glad to have that out of the way. I have homework due tomorrow, and then my first final on Friday. And in the meantime I need to start studying for biochemistry. Luckily 2 of my 4 finals are not comprehensive/cumulative, and they're early in the game. It gives me more time to study for my "bigger" finals. I'm glad to almost be done with this quarter, it's been quite dreary.

And it's almost time for the big Florida trip. I'm trying to figure out what to pack, both to pack lightly and smartly. I'm not sure of the weather in Florida, so I need to check that out. Packing lightly means taking a few interchangable pieces that are easily washed (there are washers in the condos we're staying in). And I'll have to figure out a few pairs of appropriate shoes. Stressful! :-)

That's all I have to chat about...I'll leave you with a picture of myself and my boyfriend at Macy's...

Cold toes!

The weather is a-changin'. I like fall, but I also know that it means that dreaded season is just around the corner. Luckily, it's not that bad in Columbus (certainly not as bad as NE Ohio).

I'm so anxious to move in! I want everything to go smoothly--I have a plan in my head for exactly how I want to move my stuff in. Only a few more days.

I observed (or shadowed, whichever you prefer) my optometrist on Monday as part of being able to apply to Optometry school. I enjoyed it! I talked with both my doctor and one of the other doctors in the practice and they were very enlightening. I'm nearly certain that this will be a good career path for me, so that's refreshing.

My brother is a very strange kid. From where my computer is, I can see him at his computer. And he is very good at performing for me. What a goof. I'm almost excited that he'll be in Columbus and we can hang out away from home. I'm almost not excited because it means my kid brother is almost grown up. Which makes me super grown up. I'm not an adult! I don't think of myself as a woman! (Really, what woman asks her mommy if she can go to a sleepover? This one!)

Speaking of old, my boyfriend is turning 23 on Friday. Thinking about that makes my brain hurt, then I realize I'm 22, and my brain nearly melts. WHEN DID I GROW UP?