101.1
After so many years of putting off college for many reasons, I have come to terms with the idea of taking my first steps into this loooong journey. And I'm going to try my best to log in my day to day schooling. The following is the struggles of an adult college student.
Sometime ago I really began to think about my life. I mean really think about it. I ponder where I want to be and ultimately who I want to be and of course what's going to make me happy. So after much consideration, I took my butt to one of the local community colleges and enrolled. Well I enrolled online but I still had to go on campus to take my placement exam. Which was a 50/50 experience. By 50/50 I mean that I never minded taking tests, except for math ones. For someone being out of school for almost 10 years I did pretty damn well, with the exception of math. It was never really my strong suit, so i know I'm going to have a lot of studying on that subject. So I know that ultimately that's probably going to be one of the last classes I take.
Next step start registering for school. I knew that school would be expensive I just didn't realize how...expensive. Granted my tuition is double simply because I live out of county. You see I could go to an in county community college. But the one I am attending now offers an internship at the notable Smithsonian and I plan on getting one of those spots. So if I must pay double then lead me to where the free money is.
So at this point I knew that since I hadn't properly prepared myself and my wallet, that I would have to wait yet another semester to take classes. So now it brings me to this present day where living my daily life and expenses I had only manage to save enough for one class. Fortunately some of that free money did kick in so that helped. So now here I wait with my pigtails tied with pick ribbons and my Little Pony lunchbox and my book bag full of books for my class to begin.
1.19.2011
MY BIRTHDAY!!!
So few of you may know my I just celebrated my birthday. Go Caps! I'm a dork, I know. This year I wasn't too excited cause turns out that I wasn't going to be able to celebrate it the way I wanted to, so basically I was content with just something something not so...extravagant. I was planning a hike in one of our many parks or even visiting some of my favorite museums. After talking to my sister, I realized my plans were not gonna happen. She had an entire weekend celebration planned out for me and I just accepted any thing coming my way.
Friday goes as planned. I had planned a girl's movie night, fun! We watched the award winning Black Swan. It was really, really good, cept that I'm still kinda sorta trying to wrap my head around the end...."I don't get it." But it's an interesting must watch.
So Saturday rolls around and I am expecting to have a family lunch followed by a clubbing night.
Around 4pm I realize my sister hasn't called me or text me...hmmmm. She finally responds to me at 5ish and says she is just now waking up. So that plan is out the door and later I find out that the clubbing part is too! I didn't anything I wanted or could have done because I had planned other people's plans. I did however get to enjoy a relaxing night end with Mr. P.
Sunday I was suppose to take an hour drive to my aunt's house to relax and end the weekend in a peaceful way by eating cake! Yet another change of plans, home made dinner at home. Which was totally fine with me, as long as there was cake! The funny part was that I thought it was gonna be dinner for 8 adults and 2 kids, turned out to be a 12 adults and 8 kids. My mother and my aunt surprised me by coming over. Mind you I don't get to see them very much. Soon enough it was loud, messy and hot, but I wouldn't have it any other way. That sounds kinda nasty.
Overall I had a fantastic birthday, thanks ever so much to my sister and family. Muah!
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| My Little Pony Birthday Cake! I don't get either, but I like pink and cake! |
So few of you may know my I just celebrated my birthday. Go Caps! I'm a dork, I know. This year I wasn't too excited cause turns out that I wasn't going to be able to celebrate it the way I wanted to, so basically I was content with just something something not so...extravagant. I was planning a hike in one of our many parks or even visiting some of my favorite museums. After talking to my sister, I realized my plans were not gonna happen. She had an entire weekend celebration planned out for me and I just accepted any thing coming my way.
Friday goes as planned. I had planned a girl's movie night, fun! We watched the award winning Black Swan. It was really, really good, cept that I'm still kinda sorta trying to wrap my head around the end...."I don't get it." But it's an interesting must watch.
So Saturday rolls around and I am expecting to have a family lunch followed by a clubbing night.
Around 4pm I realize my sister hasn't called me or text me...hmmmm. She finally responds to me at 5ish and says she is just now waking up. So that plan is out the door and later I find out that the clubbing part is too! I didn't anything I wanted or could have done because I had planned other people's plans. I did however get to enjoy a relaxing night end with Mr. P.
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| My baby cousin trying to get as much cake as humanly possible. |
Overall I had a fantastic birthday, thanks ever so much to my sister and family. Muah!
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| I got not 1, not 2 but 3 purses for my birthday! |
It's Icy Outside
So the latest eastern coast winter storm hit us with a grand slap to the face! I almost slipped half a dozen times. The worst part of it all was that I had to go to work...which I didn't mind, I just really don't like driving in bad weather. Also it didn't help that I was leaving the house I had my purse, lunch and recyclables. The recyclables didn't make it that day...The whole entire ground was covered in ice! And I forgotten my "rubbers" ...boats at my place. Walking around in icy conditions and Adidas don't mix very well.
Nothing like winter weather...preparing for the unexpected.
1.12.2011
The Mis-Adventures of the Holidays - The Finale
Christmas!!!!!
Who doesn't love Christmas. All the presents, shopping, caroles, snow...spending all your money. Yea you kinda go broke too, forgot about that. Ok let's forget about that. So every Christmas I get to be Santa Claus times two. I mean not only am I buying gifts for my love ones but my Daddy who isn't to big on shopping gives me his list so that I can be his personal shopper for everyone else. It always start off good but ends up being the most horrific thing I can do. So this year I was determine to stay in the lovely Christmas spirit.
Two things I always try to do my very best is to...
A. Buy the gifts slowly, like two or three at a time.
B. Wrap them as I bring em home.
The second part doesn't always work so well, seeing as I'm at the mall for hours and am exhausted by the time I get home. So I tried to the weekend shopping and realize that everyone and their mother is at the mall on the weekends. Regardless I continued with my task at hand, once I finally make it home, I turned the phone on and start listening to Christmas songs on Pandora as I wrap my life away. You know trying to keep with the spirit. I love Christmas songs, all of them. However when you take your time to do everything like I do, around an hour or two, the songs aren't too "joyous" anymore.
So the days are being counted down and for some reason or another I find myself on Christmas Eve and I still have a few people to go. Oh no! Out of my years of Christmas shopping I have never, ever waited to the very last day to finish shopping, NEVER! So I was extremely foolish in thinking that I would be one of the "few" people who go to the mall. I was badly mistaken. Ha! I go to the mall after leaving work a couple of hours early, yes I HAD to work. It took my about 20-30 minutes to find a parking spot in a mall that has a valley of parking spaces. I didn't even park in a spot I had to make one next to an abandoned garage, in their driveway. I only did it because someone else had.
You know I go in, maneuvering my way through people traffic. I am literally in and out of stores. I am out of that store in less than 45 minutes...empty handed! Yet I am do not let myself get discouraged. I continue onto the next mall which I know I should have gone to first and it's not so packed. Thank goodness! And I make it out just in time to get home, finish wrapping and get ready for dinner on time.
I still managed to get frustrated this year but that was partially because I thought it would be fun to bring my kid nieces along for the shopping fun one day. Big mistake! Never again. But overall it's always worth to see the priceless smiles of everyone when they open the gift you spent hours, long lines, mall traffic, money, energy on.
Feliz Navidad.
Who doesn't love Christmas. All the presents, shopping, caroles, snow...spending all your money. Yea you kinda go broke too, forgot about that. Ok let's forget about that. So every Christmas I get to be Santa Claus times two. I mean not only am I buying gifts for my love ones but my Daddy who isn't to big on shopping gives me his list so that I can be his personal shopper for everyone else. It always start off good but ends up being the most horrific thing I can do. So this year I was determine to stay in the lovely Christmas spirit.
Two things I always try to do my very best is to...
A. Buy the gifts slowly, like two or three at a time.
B. Wrap them as I bring em home.
The second part doesn't always work so well, seeing as I'm at the mall for hours and am exhausted by the time I get home. So I tried to the weekend shopping and realize that everyone and their mother is at the mall on the weekends. Regardless I continued with my task at hand, once I finally make it home, I turned the phone on and start listening to Christmas songs on Pandora as I wrap my life away. You know trying to keep with the spirit. I love Christmas songs, all of them. However when you take your time to do everything like I do, around an hour or two, the songs aren't too "joyous" anymore.
So the days are being counted down and for some reason or another I find myself on Christmas Eve and I still have a few people to go. Oh no! Out of my years of Christmas shopping I have never, ever waited to the very last day to finish shopping, NEVER! So I was extremely foolish in thinking that I would be one of the "few" people who go to the mall. I was badly mistaken. Ha! I go to the mall after leaving work a couple of hours early, yes I HAD to work. It took my about 20-30 minutes to find a parking spot in a mall that has a valley of parking spaces. I didn't even park in a spot I had to make one next to an abandoned garage, in their driveway. I only did it because someone else had.
You know I go in, maneuvering my way through people traffic. I am literally in and out of stores. I am out of that store in less than 45 minutes...empty handed! Yet I am do not let myself get discouraged. I continue onto the next mall which I know I should have gone to first and it's not so packed. Thank goodness! And I make it out just in time to get home, finish wrapping and get ready for dinner on time.
I still managed to get frustrated this year but that was partially because I thought it would be fun to bring my kid nieces along for the shopping fun one day. Big mistake! Never again. But overall it's always worth to see the priceless smiles of everyone when they open the gift you spent hours, long lines, mall traffic, money, energy on.
Feliz Navidad.
1.11.2011
The "Mis-Adventures" of the Holidays - Part Deux
Then along came a little holiday called Thanksgiving, which is MY HOLIDAY!!!! Sorry I get a little over bearing of the holiday. I like to be the commander in chief/chef for this one, until I realized that I have one hour to go till dinner time I still have to cook about 3 more items! Thank goodness for appetizers. This year it was almost a one (wo)man mission, fortunately my sister and my cousin helped a bit.
So the adventure begins....first get the whole menu.
Prepping....I need EVERYTHING!
So the adventure begins....first get the whole menu.
Mind you I am standing in line to pay...in the middle of the aisle. Yes it's the one that everyone seems to be out in the grocery store...I wonder why?
Precious cargo, no riding in the truck
Prepping....I need EVERYTHING!
This turkey is covered in family "secrets", it's what makes it extra juicy.
I had to refuel at some point.
The end result...5 minutes into the meal. I still haven't gotten my plate.
So sitting amongst family and my family friends, we enjoy yet another Thanksgiving dinner. All the work feels good and yummy.
The Mis-Adventures of the Holidays - Part Uno
Well it's really not mis-adventures since for one I think my holiday went over pretty smooth, a couple of exceptions here and there, but nothing to big. I mean I can't be perfect! :)
Hollow's Eve aka Halloween
I absolutely love Halloween. Candy, costumes, scary movies, why shouldn't I. Every year I tend to do something a little different. Last year I partied till I couldn't anymore! This year I took a more quiet, family-friendly approach. BOOOO! It's all good tho. I had lots of fun, picking out pumpkins with the girls and trick or treatn'. And stealing all the crunch bars I could get my hands on. Unfortunately I forgot to take a lot of pictures of everything that happened in the craving incident. Lots of kids...to few pumpkins...lots of "guts". So I present to you the process of me craving my pumpkin.
Hollow's Eve aka Halloween
I absolutely love Halloween. Candy, costumes, scary movies, why shouldn't I. Every year I tend to do something a little different. Last year I partied till I couldn't anymore! This year I took a more quiet, family-friendly approach. BOOOO! It's all good tho. I had lots of fun, picking out pumpkins with the girls and trick or treatn'. And stealing all the crunch bars I could get my hands on. Unfortunately I forgot to take a lot of pictures of everything that happened in the craving incident. Lots of kids...to few pumpkins...lots of "guts". So I present to you the process of me craving my pumpkin.
TA DA!
11.24.2010
Thanksgiving
This is the time of the year that most people start to think about what they are grateful/thankful for. After all one of the main principals of this holiday (other than the turkey!) is to ask yourself, hey what am I thankful for? What do I have thanks to give for?
My family has a small tradition that we do every year, along with our Thanksgivings prayer, each of us go around the table and say what we're thankful for. For the past couple of years, a few days before the day, I've actually had to thoroughly think about it instead of just knowing. Last year, I can't even remember what I was thankful for, honestly I almost said "nothing". Or was it the year before last? Either way, it was one of those years and it was...a really crappy one. Of course, I managed to think of something for that year.
For this year again I really am thinking it through, there is one obvious "thankful" reason, but I seriously doubt that I will say it in front of my family because it's really corny! Other than that I really can't think of many things I'm thankful for...I don't mean to sound ungrateful...life in general this past year has changed soooo fast, not just for myself but my family as well. Some things for the best, others for the worst and some things we have yet to know. It makes me question things.
When things are not good, most of us are not grateful. When things are good, we tend not to be so grateful either. I think that's one of our problems as a society. We think that we work hard everyday, we deserve all these things, so why should we even be grateful. Not realizing that there are people who have significantly less that we do, who work 10x harder than we do and yet they may not even have a bite of food to eat at night. And when things are down for us, we surely have nothing to be thankful for. We can think of ALL the problems we ever had in life and somehow connect them all together and come to the conclusion, this is why my life is so terrible. Then way later down the line, we recall the depressive state of mind that we were in and think "God, why did I make such a big deal out of that?" Are we just ungrateful as a society? Do we not know how to truly value our life? Not things but our life?
The people in our lives, the things we do have in our life. I'm not just talking about materialistic things, I'm talking about having things like water, clean water. Not having to wake up to gunfire everyday, well depending where you live. Some people have lost loved ones and just lost in general this year, yet they can find a reason to be thankful. So not why us, when you put things into perceptive, why don't some of us have at least one reason to be thankful.
I guess...what I'm thankful for is being given other chance to find and keep (knock on wood) love and to have someone sincerely loves me back. I'm grateful for my family, even though we a little torn apart, but they're still alive. Thankful for my life, even though I don't have an ultra glamorous life, with fancy cars, nice clothes, no ability to take wonderful cross country trips, but I am alive. I do have a home (two of them, not a house, a home), a family, food...
like the Rihanna & TI song says...
"what you need to do is thankful for the life that you got...stop lookin at what you ain't got and start being thankful for you do got"
So maybe when I think about it, I do have a lot of things to be grateful for, things that I truly value, even though I may not show it very well. Now this of course is not some generalzation, just some of us. I am also learning to have a deeper appreciation for life.
Now it's your turn...
My family has a small tradition that we do every year, along with our Thanksgivings prayer, each of us go around the table and say what we're thankful for. For the past couple of years, a few days before the day, I've actually had to thoroughly think about it instead of just knowing. Last year, I can't even remember what I was thankful for, honestly I almost said "nothing". Or was it the year before last? Either way, it was one of those years and it was...a really crappy one. Of course, I managed to think of something for that year.
For this year again I really am thinking it through, there is one obvious "thankful" reason, but I seriously doubt that I will say it in front of my family because it's really corny! Other than that I really can't think of many things I'm thankful for...I don't mean to sound ungrateful...life in general this past year has changed soooo fast, not just for myself but my family as well. Some things for the best, others for the worst and some things we have yet to know. It makes me question things.
When things are not good, most of us are not grateful. When things are good, we tend not to be so grateful either. I think that's one of our problems as a society. We think that we work hard everyday, we deserve all these things, so why should we even be grateful. Not realizing that there are people who have significantly less that we do, who work 10x harder than we do and yet they may not even have a bite of food to eat at night. And when things are down for us, we surely have nothing to be thankful for. We can think of ALL the problems we ever had in life and somehow connect them all together and come to the conclusion, this is why my life is so terrible. Then way later down the line, we recall the depressive state of mind that we were in and think "God, why did I make such a big deal out of that?" Are we just ungrateful as a society? Do we not know how to truly value our life? Not things but our life?
The people in our lives, the things we do have in our life. I'm not just talking about materialistic things, I'm talking about having things like water, clean water. Not having to wake up to gunfire everyday, well depending where you live. Some people have lost loved ones and just lost in general this year, yet they can find a reason to be thankful. So not why us, when you put things into perceptive, why don't some of us have at least one reason to be thankful.
I guess...what I'm thankful for is being given other chance to find and keep (knock on wood) love and to have someone sincerely loves me back. I'm grateful for my family, even though we a little torn apart, but they're still alive. Thankful for my life, even though I don't have an ultra glamorous life, with fancy cars, nice clothes, no ability to take wonderful cross country trips, but I am alive. I do have a home (two of them, not a house, a home), a family, food...
like the Rihanna & TI song says...
"what you need to do is thankful for the life that you got...stop lookin at what you ain't got and start being thankful for you do got"
So maybe when I think about it, I do have a lot of things to be grateful for, things that I truly value, even though I may not show it very well. Now this of course is not some generalzation, just some of us. I am also learning to have a deeper appreciation for life.
Now it's your turn...
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