I am done with all the schooling I can handle for some years!

Well, I am a master now. I have been super busy these past few months, and my blog is showing it. So, here is a little rundown in pictures of what has been going on. Nothing fancy, just stuff.



















So, this has been it in a nutshell. Nothing fancy. I don't have any actual pictures of me graduating yet. I am sure I will get some. Hope everyone else is having some sort of a decent summer. I will update more promptly now because I have a lot of jibberish in my head that I need to get out!

Why Do I Have to Write a Paper?

So, here it is way later than my last blog post, and I have nothing interesting at all to say. Ho Hum. Really, I got nothing.

Life has gone the way life does. Eat, sleep, bath, talk to lover man, work, school stuff, eat, eat, work, sleep, eat, shower, brush teeth, sleep, eat, buy toilet paper, eat, watch TV, be obsessed with Facebook. You know, normal life things. Nothing at all interesting.

I did submit my rough draft of my master's project. I am pretty excited about it. For the most part, I got pretty good reviews. So, so far so good. I have some revisions to do. Then I have to resubmit it. Oh, it is so exciting.

Now, there is the subject of the other class I am taking. It is a class on the works of John Steinbeck. I am taking the course only for financial aid purposes. I don't need it for my degree. I have the appropriate number of hours to graduate. Unfortunately, I had to take another class to keep full time status and get my financial aid. So, what better than a John Steinbeck class because he is my favorite author and the reason I want to write! Right? Well, the fucking professor seems to have disappeared. For real. We haven't set a time for the class yet. We can't (me and the other person in the class) reach him by phone or email. We have no idea what is going on in the class! None. I have a reading list that I came up with, but it hasn't been approved by the director of our program. This is super fun.

With all that, I have a masters project due by July 26, and I graduate on August 15. Now, it would seem like maybe this fool would contact us in some way about meeting, assignments (which I have just decided is going to be three papers), reading lists, nothing. He has disappeared.

So, I the director if I can just drop this class because I don't need it at all. She says yes. So, I call financial aid to ask how it would effect my status. And get this, if I drop it, I have to pay back my entire loan right now. Now, I don't know if you know how much it costs to go to a private university for a masters program. Well, it ain't cheap. And unless I can come up with $3000, I can't drop the class. Yay!

Now, I just plan on writing three papers about I have no idea what, submitting them to this man who won't respond, and be done with it. Of course, if he gives me a C, I'm out of the program. But, fuck it. I won't get a C.

Of course, I have been in no mood to read or write as of late. Well, I have been writing. But I am not in the mood for academic writing. I am so over that! But, I shall do my best.

What else is going on? Maybe something far more boring than that last mess of words. Hmmmm. I do get to go to Houston on Thursday to see Jody's band play. Mandy, Tammy, Terra (I hope), my mom, and her new beau are going to be there. No pressure on the boy or anything. Haha. I am sure it will be great! I can't wait to hang out with everyone. I wish I could stay longer than just a few hours. But, we are trudging back that night because The Wooden Birds have to do a radio thing the next morning. Then they play Stubb's on July 4. Yay, heat death at Stubb's. I don't believe I have ever been to Stubb's when it wasn't 92840298402938 degrees. But, alas, I get to see my main squeeze in action! Hurray!

I did have a very odd dream last night. Anyone know what this means? In my dream, I was driving around doing errands. During the dream, I saw 4 car wrecks. I saw a police man directing traffic get run over. And, I saw a car fly off a bridge. What the hell does that mean? I imagine it ain't good. I looked it up, but it didn't make sense what it said. Anyone got a clue?

Okay, enough of Boring McBoringpants. I am off to read some Steinbeck (Let me just tell you how much getting a degree in the humanities will suck the fun out of reading.) I have read it all before, but I gotta brush up. I have papers to write. At least I think I do.

I get to be a normal person again. Well, as close as I can be to that...

Well, my hot lover man is off on tour again. I sure will be glad when I get him for longer than a few days! This last round will be the last for a little bit. And, I am happy for that. I miss the heck out of him already. July 2, I can't wait for you! That will be pretty awesome because I not only get to see my main man play his tunage, but I also get to see all my people! Yay!

Other than that, I got nothing going on. I am working on editing stories for my Master's project. That is going slowly. I keep changing things. And, I am supposed to be writing more, but I have some sort of writer's block. Or maybe the term is super laziness. It just isn't pouring out of me the way it can. And that is really pissing me off. But, the editing is going well.

I do keep doubting myself at every turn. And, I suddenly think I am a talentless hack. I do that often, though, in pretty much every aspect of life. I have no idea what is different about this project thing. Ugh! I just need to get the hell going. Maybe I should post stuff on here to get people's opinions. But, then again, I am not one for rejection. So, I probably won't do that. If anyone wants to read anything let me know. Just be nice to me, as I am fragile. Actually, I'm not at all. But, if you say that, people are nicer to you!

What the hell else is going on? God lord, not a damn thing. I haven't gotten our pictures developed from our little trip. I figure I will get that done sometime before Christmas. Or maybe sometime before Christmas 2939.

Oh, exciting news for me but no one else...I am going to be a daytime worker again soon. I have been working nights for well over a year now. I have turned into a freak zombie weirdo. I am a night person. There is no doubt in that. However, working nights (which I have done a number of times in the past) is just a different lifestyle. It is one I am sick of. So, starting next month, I get to function like a real live person again! Hurray! At least I hope hurray. I will let you know what I think about it.

The way most boring post I can come up with!

I don't mean for it to be, but I got nothing going on. Really, I don't. I have some school work to do. Nothing major. I have some work work to do. See, nothing exciting. But, I know that I get excited about reading anything new in a blog I follow (D.G., This means you!).

Tomorrow I am going out to lunch with Kathie. I am stealing her away because she only has about six weeks until her little munchkin arrives. So, I figure I best better get some super fun girl time before I never get to see her again. Or at least she won't have any time to have any Anders free fun (which I am sure she won't even want).

There are a couple of new pictures of my fellow on The Wooden Birds myspace page.



I gotta say that that haircut he has is looking mighty fine. Wonder who did it? Well, I think that would be me! But, really, he is just adorable. I get a bit googly over him from time to time if you haven't noticed.

Nothing else new is going on at all. One of our mice that so love to invade our house from time to time seems to have died in the wall. That's always a plus! It smells quite nice in the living room right now. And it is in a place that no one is getting to. So, I am guessing I will just chill out in the bedroom or the boy's room until it rots away. Oh, that sounds so gross. Schneider is loving it, though. I bet he wishes he could wallow in it. Yuck! Gosh, I love that gross dog!

And, that's about all. If I can think of anything else, I shall add it on later. Oh, how exciting I am. Isn't it sad?

Oh, I meant to inform all that smiley face tack man is still there! He is missing a nose which someone has placed next to him, but alas, it is still there! Hurray!

My boyfriend is going abroad!

He's not a broad. That's me. He is going abroad!

So, the fellow has joined another band. The Wooden Birds. He hasn't left his band band - Living Better Electrically. But, he has been given a pretty great opportunity to play percussion with a really cool band. They are the product of some of what was American Analog Set. I dig the music. One of his best buddies (who used to be in LBE) plays the guitar in the band. So, they are off for a month and a half(ish) to Europe. Oh, that lucky dog! I will miss him. I am really excited for him, and I am so proud of him! And maybe he will become a huge rock star and whisk me away to the casbah, so we can rock it!

Also, I just registered for my last semester of grad school. It freaked me out a little bit. Wow. I am really excited. But, I am also pretty clueless as to where to go from here. I wanted a Phd, but I just can't do it anymore-at least not with a full-time job. It is so hard. My undergrad was really easily doable while working full-time. It sucked, and I got no sleep. I didn't get to do a bunch of stuff. But, it was doable.

Grad school while working full-time has been killer. It really has. And I am a tough old broad. I really am. But, I am barely making it now. So, I just can't do the PhD while working full-time. I have no choice but to work full-time (how many times can I write full-time in one blog entry? Lets find out!!). The difference between grad and undergrad is so great, it is hard to explain. In most ways, I like it a lot more. No, I like it a lot more. I just wish I had more time to spend on actual school work. I feel sometimes like I am short changing myself and my education. But, I am a grown ass woman. I have to work. Even if I am not working in the field I am educated, I have to give my all to my job. Damn my work ethic! So, I am calling of the PhD (at least for now).

I am kind of sad about that realization. That was my plan. I truly don't think people expect much out of me (or expected, I should say). College wasn't not an option growing up, but I don't think my parents took college seriously for either myself or my sister. It wasn't really talked about. It was for sure that they wouldn't (or couldn't) pay for it. And it was no big thing that I didn't go. I really don't know that they thought about it one way or the other. Those years weren't so good in my household. So, I don't fault anyone. People have to think about themselves in order to deal with stuff. I did it. We all did. But, that made college an almost non option (even though I did get a scholarship in drama. I didn't take it. I very much regret that to this day).

However, it was a very big deal to me. I always felt like a loser. So, I tried it, then dropped out. Not because I was lazy (well, maybe a little. And I was 21 and moved to Austin). It was because I had to work full-time (there it is again!). And that's a lot for a dumb young kid to do. But, I went back once I got myself situated in life (or at least what I thought was situated in life). I really did feel bad about myself for not having a BA. So, I got one. Then I took about six months and realized I wanted to keep going. I don't know if it was more because I like school (I do) or just to prove that I could do it.

And now it is coming to an end. It scares me a little. I'm tired, though. Physically tired. Working long shifts at night; always being under pressure and a deadline has taken their toll. Sometimes I am just pooped out and feel like an old woman. I love school, but I realize that I would like to read a book for pleasure for once. I don't want to write anymore papers no matter how much I love it (and yes, I do love writing papers. I know that is weird and kinda stupid, but I do.). So, I think for now, I am done. Well, if this summer goes well, I am done.

Okay, I don't know if that is a downer or not. It isn't supposed to be. And, I am still excited for Jody. Him being gone will coincide with me having to do my final Masters' project which happens to be writing a book. I choose that over doing a research project because I am focused in creative writing. Hopefully, I will not procrastinate on this one, seeing as how it has to be really, really, really long. I have gotten out 25 pages in one night, but I am thinking a novel won't be so easy! So, I have something to occupy my brain while he is gone. I will still miss him. And, I will so still procrastinate! I mean, totally will! No doubt at all.

Okay, enough of that. Now for some happiness!