It's been a while!

It's almost midnight and I have to be at Van Hise Elementary tomorrow morning for my second to last day (sad!!!), but I've been meaning to update this thing for a while.

Update on the paper I mentioned in my last entry...it's currently at 47 pages and I still have one part to write yet. Yep, that's right, I said 47 pages. INSANE if you ask me. :P All I keep thinking is that there's only 2 1/2 weeks left of this crazy semester!! But then I have to start working 3rd shift at Panera again. :( Definitely NOT looking forward to that. I really should be thankful to have a job that is so flexible and that pays so well, but it really just brings me down every time. This year I'm going to have to work my butt off because I literally have no money (lots of people say that all the time, but this time I really mean it...none!!!). It'll suck for about a month, but it'll make things a ton better next semester. I also have decided that working my usual 4 or 6 hours a week at the preschool isn't going to cut it for next semester. So, I'm looking into getting another job. Part of me is considering the Gap on State St. because 1) I've worked there before and 2) I get 50% off :D That last one's probably not the best reason, but it's definitely tempting!! A more practical option is the education library a couple blocks away. They're hiring for next semester and I think I'd basically be getting paid to do my homework, like any other library job. Probably a better option than the 50% off perk. :P

Thanksgiving break was very relaxing last week. Being the lucky girl that I am and coming from a blended family, I had 3 Thanksgivings! Definitely one of the only perks of having divorced parents...multiple holidays. On Wednesday night, we went to my stepfamily's for dinner. It was the normal stepfamily get-together...my stepsister not talking to us, me playing with my adorable nephews, everyone (almost) bonding over beer and cigarettes...you get the picture. Needless to say, we didn't stay too long. Thanksgiving day, my brother, Dad, and I went down to my Dad's side of the family. I always love going down there to see my grandma, but this time was more enjoyable mostly because my annoying cousin wasn't there most of the time. I hate to say that, but she's very moody and crabby all of the time. Anyway, after we ate dinner, we sat around talking, playing Clue, and watching TV. I really think my uncle injected some kind of alcohol or something into the turkey because my whole family was so giddy!! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! My 92 year old great aunt was even being spunky and throwing out some good lines!! It was such a great time! The next day was one of my days off from eating turkey and the works. In the morning, my mom, sister, and I ventured out to the mall for the first time on the day after Thanksgiving. My mom wanted to take advantage of a sale she saw, so we fought the crowds. It actually wasn't that bad...except that the store didn't even have what my mom was looking for. Then my mom and I went to our hairstylist's to get our hair done. I always love Janet doing my hair, but man that lady can talk!! We were there for at least 2 hours! Afterwards, I went to my high school principal's wake. He died of West Nile virus (a rare death at his age!) the Friday before Thanksgiving. He was in the hospital for about a month and in a coma for a couple of weeks before the virus took his life. The wake was really sad to go to. They had bulletin boards up of things he was a part of and things he liked while we waited in line for an hour and a half. It looked like he had a really great life. Then we greeted his famliy, who all were very nice and seemed to be doing well despite the circumstances. Seeing his body was the hardest/weirdest part. It was so weird to see him in the coffin...it looked like he didn't belong in there, if that makes sense. Anyway, on Saturday, my family and I went to Minnesota to visit my mom's side of the family. I always love seeing them...they're all very fun to be with. We ate dinner on Saturday afternoon and then watched my favorite movie, The Polar Express, that night. :D We left on Sunday and I returned to all that is the madness of this semester.

The time is also closing on when I have to make a decision about where I'm living next year. I got a call from a friend that lives in the FLOCK this year wondering what I'm planning for next semester. When I told her I was actually thinking about living in the FLOCK, but wasn't sure, we started thinking about our options. She loves living there but was looking at other options and mentioned she would love to live with me, since we'll both kind of be in the same boat next year. In the fall, she'll be student teaching (music ed major) and I'll be student teaching in the spring. After some discussion, and a realization that we don't really have any other options in the amount of time we have, it looks like we'll probably live in the FLOCK together. We said to each other that it'll be fun to be some of the oldest women in the house and that we can kind of stick together. So it's nice to kind of have that decision out of the way!

Well, this entry is pretty long and it's getting late, so I should end. But before I do...
25 days til Christmas!!
16 days til I'm done with school!!