Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional...

I will pull on over-nighter in order to get what I want on Black Friday. Barb and I are both shopping. She for a winter coat and jeans and I for electronics (digital camera, SD cards, etc.) and clothes. It will be fun considering we will both be hella tired. I really wont have a Thanksgiving dinner or anything big. So I don't really have to worry about being too tired. My Friday will be spent bathing Jim and doing homework. Not sure what the rest of the weekend will entail.

On the other hand, my mother's surgery was a success. Given, I am not present for her homecoming. My father dropped me off at MCC early today. Which brings me to the next point.... I can't complete half of my to-do list. My father bought the dog food while he was coming home from the hospital, but he suggested that I go and buy another bag because PetSmart is having a safe on Blue Buffalo.

I have so much to do today. Two tests, a paper, workin' out.... I will be possibly meeting up with Mayra and friends for dinner. It all depends on if my class gets out when I want it to. Sometimes it happens, other times it doesn't. People are anxious to be on break, me included. I went and spoke to my instructor for the gym class I am taking. She is giving me an extension for February as long as I bring in a doctor's note as proof of being ill. Considering I'm moving out, I'll just take til December to finish my hours. I have around 5 hours right now. I'd like to do 23 more hours before December 23.

Things are beginning to be finalized for the apartment. My father is determined to succeed and I am determined to do well as soon as I permanently move out. I have yet to tell them that I will be living with Barb **AND** her boyfriend. Their possible negative reactioin is what is keeping me from telling them right away. They have to see the apartment first. I'm almost positive they will ask questions when they meet the subleasers. I will have pictures up of the place when I get a chance.

Is anyone going to the NFB Washington seminar? I am going to apply and send in my application as soon as I can. This is an exciting opportunity for me. I was already asked to be on the legislative board. I think I will email the president back and tell her that I will accept the offer and join the board.

OK - I should study for my test now. :)

It's been a rough week. Although some good news: my father passed his CNA certification test. I am at a peace of mind and can move out without feeling too bad. I am hoping he gets a job soon. He will be going out to Chicago tomorrow after my mother's surgery.
My feelings are mixed for the surgery my mother will go through tomorrow. She will leaving at the crack of dawn and returning at around 11 AM. My father will leave soon after to go job hunting in Chicago.
My tomorrow goes as follows:

• turn in topo paper (yeah, still have to write that tonight...)
• work out
• take a psych test (4 essay questions... SO screwed.. hate essays)
• schedule an appointment with an advisor at KCC
• call Social Security and ask about SSI benefits from moving out
• apply to be a bell ringer (heard that makes good money)
• go to bank
• buy dog food
• make a list for Black Friday

I honestly just want tomorrow to be over. I can concentrate on getting out of here when this is all over. Crazyness and more coming soon. Hope y'all have a great Turkey Day if I don't write again before Thursday.

Good news! I am moving to Dekalb in January. I just applied at Kishwaukee Community College. They have an open door policy. So that means I am accepted. The campus is kinda big or so it seems from the parts that I've actually been in. I've also come to realize how expensive MCC is in comparison. KCC said that they would not charge us out of district tuition if we show them proof of residence. So, classes are $75. MCC is $80 for a class. I am so excited for all of this to work.
The apartment has 2 bed rooms and 2 full bathrooms. The washer/dryer is in one of the bathrooms. We get a big screen TV and some furniture. Not gonna lie, that's pretty exciting. Barb, Josh, and I are getting together with the apartment people to talk about how we are paying for rent. The only thing is we have to pay 3 months rent in order to live there. There is a policy that I am not completely sure about.
The choir concert was interesting. The jazz band performed at the end. I was really impressed. The last song made me miss playing trumpet. I plan on picking it back up when I move.
My goal is to pass all my classes. I'd like to keep my 3.2 GPA.
So that's my news folks!

A few points and a real update later.
- paper is still unwritten
- at NIU until tomorrow.
- found another amazing apartment that is on campus.
- watched a play.
- it hasn't rained while i've been here.
- i'm hoping that all works out in the end.
- have to make decisions regarding school and such
- have yet to meet with Beatrice about DRS
- determined to move out in january
- have other plans if barb and josh decide they don't want to move out.
- Transvac (Dekalb's Paratransit) is being cut... <insert bad words>
- need to do homework
- jim needs a bath.
- still deciding on a ukelele that I want to buy.
- lots of things happening.

So yeah - I'll elaborate later. *grin* 

Happy Halloween! Hurray for my favorite holiday! I can't really be in sour spirits because it is the day of chills and scariness. I just got back from NIU. Good news and bad news I have. I believe I have a plan that will work out for me.
Anyway, I just wanted to emphasize how much I love Halloween and that I don't care if people hate it because the holiday itself makes me a happy Asian. Peace, love, and spooks...
Have a good one and I'll update soon!

Today I find myself in a computer lab messing around with an iMac while Bradford is at work. I've come to realize that the mouse that Apple provides really annoys me. Perhaps this is because I am normally a PC user. I am used to the left click and right click and a better scroll wheel. I do, however, appreciate the fact that I can help my posture by sitting up instead of being slouched over the monitor. I wish these computers weren't so expensive. My typing speed has decreased because this keyboard doesn't feel solid to me. I'm hoping that I can find a way to get over these minor details. The other thing I am kind of iffy about is the way the zoom feature doesn't follow the cursor as I type. I have to continuously move my mouse in order to see what I'm typing. Sometimes this gets to me because I don't know when I'm making a spelling error until I reach it after typing it. OK - I'll stop my nit picking. 

I rose late today. Bradford was actually the one to wake me up. You can't blame me for waking up late because his roommate was up late too. I got to eat a really good pita filled with gyro goodness. We attended a sketch comedy. Some of the scenes reminded me of when I was in "Selling Sex For Cash" at NIU. 

Arizona weather makes my throat so dry. Bradford asked me if I would go to school here. I said yes, but only if the weather is 20 degrees cooler. So I'm a bad sport and hate the summer... Tomorrow bring s a day of hangage, swimming, and walking about. Tonight brings a tour of Mill Avenue and good food. I'm hoping to get an idea of life in AZ.

I leave early Sunday morning and arrive in Chicago at 12:30 PM. I'll take the El to Jefferson park and ride the Metra into my home town. I'll probably get home around 4 PM. Chicago weather excites me at this point. *smile* I can't resist the biting cold of the midwest. I do admit though that ASU is quite the school to be at. 

While here, I continue to receive a lot of dog discrimination. This makes me incredibly angry and further makes me want to pursue a degree in public speaking. I feel that I am good at it. I feel that I can make a difference for dog handlers around the nation. I want to make it big and I want to be heard. No more of this bullshit will be tolerated. I am so SICK of people treating me like trash because I travel with a guide dog. 

Speaking of the beast, Jim is peacefully snoring at my feet. The weather has been killer on his skin. I usually hate the summer months because Jim pants so much. This is another reason why I would never live in the south. Anyway, back to Jim dog He's ben a great guide and I am very impressed with his work. I realized that I do not need a new harness handle at all. I don't know if this information has already been shared on LJ. His work is fine. But I've noticed that the harness travels all over his back. He has no chest like a lab and he's quite narrow. He's already learned the route back to Bradfor'd place from various locations on campus. I don't even have to ask. It's like he already knows where I want to go. After I am finished using this computer, I will head back I know that Jim knows where he is going and I will be very impressed if we make it back to the apartment without getting lost. Jim dog is wonderful.. I just wish there was a way to keep him cool. 

Hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend. Mine is just getting started and I'm excited for whatever will come next. If those of you are on LJ and also have a twitter, follow me if you have nothing better to do. My username is c_for_chaos . (What else would it be? *grin* )

 I"m just having so much fun messing around on this iMac. I'm in Bradford's class and they are all building sites and social networking online. 
My main goal is to see what I like about Apple computers and contemplate getting one in the near future. Apple should make netbooks. This is what I've decided. Why? Because I'd like to have a laptop/netbook and have an iMac. Damn it to hell, I shouldn't be messing around on these computers. It makes me realize what I don't have at home. MCC doesn't provide us with Macs, PCs are used instead. Although I now know how to use the zoom feature on the mac, Zoomtext has proven to be slightly better in quality. 

Another thing I've noticed is that they keyboard on Macs are different. They don't really have a solid feel. I don't mind this, but at he same time,It's difficult to distinguish keys. I'm using a thin keyboard right now. There are some keys that don't seem to administer the correct letter even if it's pressed. I notice a lot of spelling errors in my past entries.

What do I like about the Mac? I enjoy its simple design, built in accessibility, and variety of programs that don't have to be purchased, but still produce cool videos, pictures, and songs. I have yet to figure out how to turn VoiceOver on. But so far, as a nube, I would hit a Mac in a second. The only thing that's holding me back is the cost. The price of fancy living is SO grotesque. I don't have $2000 to spend on electronics. 

Sad day... I should probably explore more stuff, but I wanted to give an update. 

Bradford was amazing in his show today. I really enjoyed the chance to see a show and I feel lucky to have such a friend. They played a variety of improv games. Half of them I knew, the other half reminded me of when I used to participate in theater. I miss acting. I want to start stand up comedy soon. I just feel like it'll help me get through my life when times are rough. Stand up would be a giant stress reliever. I was almost in a open mic night at MCC, but I was scheduled to come to AZ on the day that I would've had to perform. Tonight is the show at MCC. They are going to record it. Matt will have a copy donated to the library. I'm going to check it out as soon as I get home. 
Did I mention how much I love October? It has ben a busy month filled with adventures and a variety of annoyances. Visiting Bradford is one of my adventures. Did I mention how nice his place is? The dining hall for his dorm is super classy. 
Jim dog doesn't really appreciate the weather. He thinks it's too hot. We walked 5 blocks to Bradford's class. Jim was panting hard when we finally reached the library. Kudos to AZ for killing my one and only friend... Bahaha.. Jim's snoozing right now. His breathing finally slowed to his regular breathing. I'm finally cooled off too. Apparently it's around 95 degrees outside. Uck.. I'll be glad to be back in Chicago just for the cool weather. I never said I wasn't enjoying myself here. *grin* 
I'm not sure what tonight will bring me. Bradford is in class until 7:30 PM and we drove here. I'm hoping to meet more of his people. If not, we'll figure something out. 
Let me tell you a little bit about what my life at school is like. 

• Psychology: I don't know where I stand grade-wise, but it's getting harder and harder to follow along. She finally has paper guidelines out to us. I have to start on that soon. I failed the first major exam. The majority of the class did. In the end, I am hoping for a B. 
• U.S. Government: My grade is probably ruined thanks to the first exam. Talk about mui embarrassing. If you want to know how bad, it's bad enough to rattle anyone's bones. 38%... Ouch... However, I did well for the round table discussion. Fortunately for me, the instructor for the class offers a lot of extra credit. I hope again for a B in the course. 
• Oceanography: A pleasant surprise came in the form of 87% on my rock practical. I thought I was going to fail it. Goes to show what I know and it also goes to show that tutors are good. Class is cancelled for the upcoming week. So this Tuesday, I just have to worry about my voice lesson. In other awesome news, I don't have to do a topographic map practical, I get a paper assigned instead. Fine with me.. Oh! But I do have a midterm exam on that exact same day. Ew 
• Choir: I've missed 4 rehearsals thus far this semester. I'm not exactly proud of it, but at the same time, I do not feel any loss. Mr. S really likes me so I don't have to worry about getting anything lower than an A. He gives all of his students A's unless they are absent for more than half of the semester or misses a concert. We are rehearsing bits and pieces of The Messiah by G.F. Handel. I love singing it. Speaking of singing, I can finally sing after two weeks of not being able to utter one note on pitch. That alone makes me a happier person. 
• Voice lessons: NS did not turn me away this week. I was able to sing to the best of my ability. We worked on my piece. I felt invincible... Singing does grea things for the soul. 

Unfortunately, I had to drop jazz ensemble. I don't remember if I have written this dreadful news or not. I was overwhelmed with my classes. 7 classes is a lot of anyone to handle. I am down to 13 credit hours instead of 14. Rehearsals were not the same and I was filled in a room full of men. I just felt kind of vulnerable. MB understood what I was going through and he was nice enough to tell me that i could still play at the festival as well as come to rehearsals when I was able to. I'm just kind of devastated that I couldn't keep it up. I feel like I failed. 

My sister and her boyfriend are driving me up the wall. I want to leave my house in January even if it's the last thing i do. I don't want to know what they are doing. I don't want to be a part of their annoyingness. They seem to know how to piss me off at exactly the wrong time. Perhaps I am just annoyed with their behavior. Although I guess I'm upset because she ignores the rest of the family and runs off with Matt. 

My father ran the Chicago marathon on Sunday. It took him 4 hours and 24 minutes to run the full 26.3 miles. I'm proud of him for continuing his passion. He's quite an athlete. So is my sister. I didn't get any of that from him. It's rather disappointing. I am, however, rather competitive. Usually that gets me into trouble. 

Using this Mac has mad me realize that I can live with a computer that is this capable. I'm curious about a lot of programs like iMovie and GarageBand. Anyway, I'll probably write again tomorrow because I can actually use this computer because it's accessible. 

OH! Annddd... Happy Birthday to KW!! She turns 21 today! (Lucky...) 

An update about the items listed in my last entry will be up soon. Right now, I'm currently working on a MacBook Pro from a couple years ago. My friend let me use his computer while I am here. I like how the zoom is built in and although the words are not as sharp as those for Zoomtext, they are still readable. I have yet to figure out how to turn VoiceOver on. I might be getting a Macbook from a student at MCC. I'm kind of skeptical about buying a computer from someone I don't know. The other concern is that there is a CD stuck in the CD drive. I guess I can buy an external CD drive because I don't like the slots that are provided in the Macbooks. Ah well, I'll have Susan mess around with it for me before I purchase it. If I don't like it, I'll get a loan and buy a new one from Apple. 
Anyway, Arizona weather is fairly nice compared to Florida weather. The AC is on in this apartment and I am fairly content. Waking up to it being 2 hours earlier is very rewarding. 
I've contacted the nylon harness maker and we've exchanged a couple emails back and forth. I'm considering just getting the harness and seeing if that makes a difference in Jim's work. I feel like I'm running out of options. The harness itself is $60 and if I can work it out with Jim, I'd rather not spend the extra $30 for the handle. 
I'm rather hungry right now... Hmm... what to eat while Bradford is gone... Not a clue... I have fed Jim and I'll take him out after my shower. He's peacefully sleeping. My worry is that he'll get sunburn while he's here. 
Today I will be exploring ASU's campus and attending a comedy show. I wish I was involved in comedy. MCC doesn't really give me many opportunities though. Off to take a shower I go!
Ah well, off to be productive. 

Ah HA! I copied and pasted and now it's time to elaborate.

•  new crush 
•  convention
•  thoughts about blindness
•  presentation review
•  upcoming AZ trip
•  sibling troubles
•  repressed frustrations about school

Mr. Crush is 7 years older than me. I've met up with him twice before convention at NFBI meetings. He shaved off his facial hair and looks way younger than he is. But we seem to have great chemistry. He's "boring" according to coolheart. Let me weave the story of my weekend before I go any deeper into talking about Mr. Guy.

Friday: I spent the day at home. Sickness is not fun. Adam ended up IMing me and asking if I wanted to hang out. I don't get why he asks me instead of some of the other friends that are around town. I asked him why and he said that I was the only one worth hanging out with. We explored Player's Bench and I got to take a look at some ukeleles and 12 string guitars. Starbucks was the next stop. I treated myself to a grande pumpkin spice latte and green tea for Adam. I ended up purchasing a kazoo for Barb. We drove it to her house after our Starbucks run. Barb was all suprised. *grin* We visited Best Buy, KMart, Office Depot, and Borders. I wanted to look at netbooks and digital cameras. I've decided that I'd like to get my digital camera on Black Friday. We were heading to Jewel for OTC meds when Adam's mom randomly called my cell phone. I was surprised enough to hand the phone over to him while he was driving. Adam doesn't multi-task well. Good thing we were only in the parking lot. I felt kind of out of place just then. The fact that he didn't tell his family that he was hanging out with me. I don't even know how they feel about me. I still care, but at the same time, I don't. He's not really a part of me anymore. He's got Raya now. I'm not really a part of him either. I didn't even buy anything at Jewel. I also found out that Kelly went to the game early. I ended up missing out on the game and spent my night brooding in my house. Stomach churning and all upset. I fell asleep hoping tomorrow would be better.

Saturday: My father drove me to the metra station at 8 AM. I found myself at Jefferson Park at 9 AM. The bus terminal was right downstairs and surprisingly easy to find. A man asked me if I needed assistance, I asked him where the 81 bus was. He took me to the spot. I boarded the bus and sat down. I remembered to ask the driver if she would be stopping where I needed to get off. She said I was on the wrong bus. Fortunately for me, the bus was still in the terminal. She helped me to the rigth place. When I boarded the bus, I told the driver that I already payed the other driver. He let me ride with no questions asked. I listened to the automated voice and asked a woman iif the stop coming up was Cumberland and Bryn Myrr. She said yes, so I got off. Wrong move. I ended up getting lost. I was about 15 blocks away from the hotel. I ended up walking up and down the streets, west past the Des Plaines river. Almost in panic, I called Adam. He helped me by looking for at a map and directing me to the nearest intersection. My phone was almost dead. Fortunately for me, I got a hold of a cab. Just as I plopped down on the sidewalk, exhausted, both mentally and physically, a cab pulled up. You'd think that I would have a great rest of the way to the hotel. Nope - as soon as he pulled up, the driver saw my dog and asked me if there would be hair on the seat. He basically refused me a ride unless my dog sits on the floor. Being lost and having to walk around for 2 hours can put someone like me in a bad mood. I attempted to keep my voice calm and told him that my dog normally sits on the floor and that he wouldn't have to worry about his seats. Reluctantly, he agreed. The drive was at least 8 minutes. The hotel was north and east of where I was. I arrived just as the general session was ending. Finally, relief and the ultimate feeling of exhaustion... I met up with Glenn. Our room was a nice size with two nice beds. My stuff found itself on the floor. We headed back down for the luncheon. Eating with other visually impaired people has made me realize something. Patience is truly a virtue. There was some behavior that was completely unnecessary. The wait staff must've thought we were all bitter people. I was completely embarrassed and had no desire to sit there any longer. Sometimes I feel like I'm trapped in the middle with situations like this. Glenn and I returned to the room. We just started talking. He's one of the deepest guys I've ever met. For someone to argue a point and turn around and confess what they've never done is truly something that I respect. Sure, he's got 7 years on me. Am I gross for even thinking I have a chance? I'm surprised he's that amazing of a conversationalist and that he talked to me for a full 3 hours. He lives like 30 minutes away from me and there is no direct transportation from my location to Elgin. Anyway, we talked until it was time to go down for the banquet.

The food was not exactly amazing, but I got a chance to listen to a speaker.He made it seem like sighted people were demons. Like all sighted people were completely incompetant. Sometimes I see where he's coming from. Other times, or rather, the majority of the time. I do not believe what he says is true.

I had a lot of fun at convention. And this post is late... but here it is...

My updates are always so spaced out. What happened to the days when I used to write daily? I guess my life's not that exciting anymore. My laundry list is below. I'll write it all tomorrow when I have a spare moment and a computer with Zoomtext. Why don't I compose more of these lists? They're pretty helpful.

•  new crush 
•  convention
•  thoughts about blindness
•  presentation review
•  upcoming AZ trip
•  sibling troubles
•  repressed frustrations about school

Tada! Preview over. Now I'm off to bed... Hopefully I'll actually sleep this time.

I'm not motivated to write anything today. I'm writing to update and that is all. I feel kind of defeated, alone, and insignificant. Although after reading my eulogy Thursday night, I promised my grandma like I promised my uncle that I would succeed. I cannot do anything rash now. I can't bring myself to break a promise. So many thoughts are in my head. I think watching the coffin being lowered into the ground triggered everything..

I'm on a small dose of Metrodazole to regulate my system. It makes me incredibly moody. Fortunately, I don't have a thyroid condition and I don't have ovarian cancer. We'll see where that gets me in a couple weeks. My doc was really angry with my mother and I. Apparently She's kind of a jerk. I don't sere why we are even seeing her. She has no patience and is really grouchy.

Here's what's going on with my possible move to MN.

For my education, I would transfer to U of Minnesota or MCTC for the spring. I only have one more semester of gen eds and would finally get to major course work by the summer. I would change my major to psych and only have to do 36 credits of work to obtain a bachelors in psych. So I could only be in MN for a year and a half tops. Whereas, if I stayed at NIU, I would not know if I would graduate by May of 2011. After I get my bachelors, I would move back to Dekalb for a free tuition paid master's degree in TVI and possibly O&M. For NIU pays tuition for anyone who wants to be a vision teacher and is getting their masters. NIU's master's program is 16 months long whereas their bachelor's program is 4 years long. I figured I'd save some time. Not to mention, if I were to get a job, I'd be more likely to be hired with a master's in TVI than a bachelors.
MN's services for the blind will cover my tuition along with any tech and transportation needs. So, I would be spending virtually nothing while in MN. When I was at NIU, DRS had me pay $1324/semester out of my pocket. I obviously don't have money like that to spend. I've been looking for a job for years and still haven't found one. My case transfers. If all systems are a go, I'm moving in January. If everything can be transferred over to MN and I could be done with my bachelors and master's by 2013. That is only if I play my cards right.
The only downfall is that I will miss my friends and family. But I don't think I'll have the time to worry
I'd be housemates with shades_of_amber andjellybeanz1. They are like sisters to me and it would be a pleasure living with them. I am very appreciative of their offer to house me. Amber, let me know if any of this information is incorrect.

I just found out from MCC that my core credits transfer. All I have to do is send in NIU's transcript ad see if everything transfers. If all systems are a go, I'll be moving to MN in January. Whoo!!! 

My trip to Arizona has been postponed until October 14. I can't wait to see Bradford. It'll also be cooler in Tempe. Jim will like that more than me. *grin* 

I have things to look forward to... I just hope I can keep my head above water through the process.

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Happy Labor Day!
I'm still here in MN. It's my last day.
Today will consist of visiting a variety of places.
The night will be filled with movies and hopefully I'll be knocked out by 10 PM.
I have to get up at 5 tomorrow. Hurray for early flights. I'm so thankful that I don't have to take a 8 hour megabus ride back to Chicago.
My parents will pick me up at O'Hare.
Learning commands on the BookSense XT is getting easier. Although I'm having trouble figuring out how to find files. "No list"... *sigh*
I hope to have some form of entertainment for the plane ride back.
I might just be sleeping though.
Tuesday is a busy day. I have a voice lesson at 3:30 PM. So hopefully I get picked up when they say I'm going to be. I will be reunited with my iPod.
Wednesday I have an ultra sound... Ugh.. Then comes my long day until I pass out at 10 PM.
The good news? I only have two days of school.
Bad news? I have a test on Wednesday.
Busy... But the whole point is that I can manage and get through it all.
For now, I'm going to enjoy MN instead of worrying about my week.
Hope everyone else is having a great day!

My first couple days here in MN have been enjoyable.
I purchased a BookSense XT today.
It's actually really useful. I've learned how to set the time and alarms
Recording voice notes and surfing the different meus are also fairly self explanatory.
The sound quality is very clear and there is not fuzziness.
I believe this was a good purchase.
More of an update later. :) 

 

Call me a psycho, but I'm really anxious about flying first class. I know it's quite the experience from what I've heard, but I am afraid that I will not be in the right attire. I'm rather unsure of everything that I've picked out. I don't want to make the wrong choice. It's typical that I would act this way right before a trip. *sigh* On the other hand, Jim got his monthly dose of Frontline Plus. He will be spending the night on tie down upstairs in my bedroom. Usually he's asleep on the steps, but I suppose having his bed isn't so bad. 

I can't wait to see jellybeans1 and shades_of_amber . It's been over a year and they have yet to meet the Jimster.
I just hope that I can muster up the courage to have the right outfit.

My mother will be driving me to the airport. We'll leave the house at quarter past 9. I hope that I don't forget anything. *knocks on wood*

Sorry this post is so short. Will update when I get the chance. I've decided to leave my laptop at home. There's no point in bringing it when I know that I wont be on it much.

P.S. I installed Window Eyes on my computer. Can anyone help me understand how to use it? I'm not really used to screen readers..... Jaws was not readily available.

I'm considering getting Jim a new harness.
I want one just in case I have a problem or the hardware gets broken. (It could happen...)
www.livingblind.com/guide-dog-harness.html
This link tells you all about it.
I was thinking red or burgandy in color. This way, I'll match NIU school colors. *grin* 
I'm also curious about a shorter handle and the lightweight materials used to make the harness.
Not to mention, this one is custom made and durable. I've read some good reviews on it.
The cost isn't too bad either. To all the handlers, would you do this?
In other news, Zoomtext expired AGAIN.
Arg... I'm going to go crazy.
Hopefully I can get a loan soon.
That way I can purchase the Macbook Pro 13 in, iPod touch, and BookSense XT.
Adam randomly messaged me and said that he felt the pains of us being broken up.
I honestly didn't know what to tell him. We talked for a little while and then I had to go.
I'm still glad we're friends.
Short and bittersweet.. Night everyone!

My one and only class today lasted 4 hours.
Ugh - I thought I was never going to get out.
The prof for that class is really nice and she's going to help accommodate me.
We had 3 hours of lecture and my lab was complete in one hour.
My lab group is nice. There are 5 people including myself at the table.
Jim was snoozing on the floor.
One part of our lab consisted of "a rave" AKA examining florescent minerals with a UV light. It was dark in the back room. My prof called it a rave. *smirk* My group also had a laugh when we couldn't identify what one of the samples were labeled. We went back and forth saying, "it's an M or a W.. or is it a 3?" LOL - what a riot!
I met Rebecca and Anna. Rebecca is from MN and she sat next to me in class.
Anna met me after class when I was about to walk upstairs.
The lock I purchased today fits my locker. Whew - I thought I was going to have a problem.
And now I get to gush about my awesome dog guide... *grin*
I was so totally impressed with his work tonight! It was flawless!
Words can't even describe how amazing it was to have him alert and working without slowing down. MCC is usually one of his problem sites. Tonight, there was really no flaw. Using the "find" command versus just the direction proved to be more effective. It also seemed to help when there were not that many people around. Jim received a lot of lovin's tonight for his fabulous work. I am so excited for tomorrow. It will be a long day.
It's thundering out... Ah, here's the rain...
I also got things accomplished.
I a) emailed the Lions Club b) checked in with financial aid about work/study (they still don't have openings.)
Tomorrow brings a schedule that looks like this:
11-11:50 AM Choir
1-2:30 PM Intro to Psych
2:30-3:50 PM US Govt
4-6 PM Equality club
7-8:50 PM Jazz Ensemble
I'll have my laptop with me. Such is life... Busy.

I just found out that one of my friend's is leaving for Iraq in early October.
The shock is still there and I'm rather depressed about the news.
Facebook is a great way of finding out. I could've known two weeks ago.
I never wrote my feelings about war in this journal. I don't think I will...
I honestly have nothing against the military because many of my cousins were in the Air Force.
They were deployed too. Now they're home and safe. But for my friend, his journey is just beginning.
My sister is considering joining if she doesn't get into the school of her choice.
Is it wrong of me to be paranoid? anxious? wary?
I can't imagine what it would be like to be deployed or have a member of the family be deployed.
Although I might be put in the same position as my friend, but it will be my sister going overseas.
I just can't shake the dread off.
So here's to JJ, the best of luck, strength, and courage combined. You'll be in my thoughts.
I wish to you a safe journey and an even safer return home.