i will

Hope everyone had a good Valentine's Day :D Danny and I celebrated Saturday. Just stayed in with alcohol, video games, Magic: the Gathering, and movies.

I've made lame money the last few shifts at work. Here's hoping the weekend will be better, because we'll need the money. Haven't heard back from Baka, our real estate agent, in a few days. Last we heard, the bank's figuring out the amount left due on the loan for the place so they can come back with a counter offer. I hope they get to it very soon. We need to get the heck out of this place.

School is hectic. Well, life in general. Internship 8-4 Monday through Friday, with an hour-long commute--though I do tend to leave around 3 fairly often to get to work/uni class/mandatory seminars. Three days a week at Hard Times--generally Monday and Friday evening, plus either Saturday or Sunday. Tuesday evening class at the university. Tutoring Shane on Wednesday. And a seminar about every other week on Thursday in a random location.

Teaching is good. I vastly prefer math and reading to science or social studies. I look at science and I'm just kind of like... "What am I going to do, exactly?" There's so much to choose from, but so little time to teach it. I'm taking over science now (slowly), so it's... blah. But reading is really good. It's so freeform you can do almost anything. And the kids are really taking to their writing journals. They love getting feedback.

I had to leave early today for my IUD appointment. I am the proud owner of a Mirena IUD that cramped like a bitch for the first couple hours. It wasn't super painful, just like really heavy duty menstrual cramps. But really gross since they had me come in and get it done on my period; apparently it hurts less then. I guess it's nice of them to consider my pain over their probable preference to not have to stick their hands in a bleeding vagina. For the next week I have to use backup protection, but then I'm good for five years. What what.

Also, I'm getting published. Alt Hist picked up Death in Theatre for its second issue. It's a new magazine, but it's been reviewed by Locus, among others, so it's getting good press. So that's looking up. Not that I've been writing. I'm really busy lately and feel pretty drained, and I'd rather not write unless I really feel like it because forcing myself to in the midst of all my other crap would just not be pleasant.

And I thought I did terribly on my Praxis II tests for Middle School Math and English, but I passed with flying colors. So I'll be qualified to teach middle school, either math or English--in theory at least. I'll be applying everywhere in Montgomery County (and possibly Howard too... or maybe Anne Arundel... depends on where we're living and such...) and then weeding through my options to figure out what I want to do. Because I really don't have any desire to teach science or social studies, but I want to teach math AND reading, so... blah. Makes a choice between middle and elementary school complicated.

Guess that's it for now? I mean, I've been reading--the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld and now I'm working on the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare--but eh. That's it. Overall life's good, just hectic and somewhat stressful.

Oh wait! Mirage Games accepted my response to the first work order they sent me and sent me confirmation of the credits earned, but I haven't heard about anything else forthcoming. So that's kind of sad.

I kicked the Praxis II's ass. 198 out of 200 on Content Knowledge (Recognition of Excellence notation on that one) and 172 out of 200 on Content Exercises (only needed 150 to pass). I'm done with all my semester work, except I need to send Tracy a resume, and now that I know for sure that I passed the Praxis I need to sign up for the January Middle School Math and Middle School Language Arts versions of the test so I can be certified there too.

I already know I have an A in Reading Methods. I need one more A (assuming the rest are Bs and there are no Cs to worry about) to maintain my 3.2 for my partial scholarship. Now, I've had no trouble maintaining at least a 3.2 so far; in fact, I've made Dean's List every semester but my first. But I slacked a lot this year, so we'll see.

SynTru is taking off again now that I've put it into the loving, dedicated hands of Assirra and Zap. I'm still nosing around quite a bit, but officially my only duty is running the Ezine, which I'm hoping to get out by the last day of January. I reactivated my portfolio on Red Carpet & Rebellion and entered a challenge. I'm hoping I can attract more people to check out SynTru that way; I have the ad banner for the site in my signature.

Ummers. Christmas is coming up and I haven't bought any presents. Well, except the one Danny and I split for his mom. I'm not sure how I'm doing on money since I haven't paid rent for this month yet. I have the money sitting in my wallet, though.

I am in such a slump. I just have no desire to write. Or at least zero motivation. Or, well, I'm not sure how you describe it--all I mean is that no writing is getting done, and I'm super stuck.

I took my final yesterday in MATH111. I skipped SO MUCH class--honestly, out of 28 days I only went for around seven or eight, including exam days. I took two quizzes (got a 10/10 on each) and got some form of participation points for one day, so I'm optimistically hoping that I have 25 quiz/participation points. I got a 95 on the first exam, and I'm not sure about the second exam but I know I got one question set wrong so I'm estimating an 85. IF that is correct, given that I need 360 points to get a B in the class and the final is worth 150... oh crap. Okay, so I'm pretty much guaranteed a C. Bah. That'll be my first C... ever. D: I mean, it's possible I got higher on the second exam, but even still I'd have to ace the final and I know for a fact that I made a silly little rounding mistake that will probably lose me at least some credit on a couple questions.

Blah. Oh well, I guess.

Back to writing... I'm changing Blood and Heat around, putting more focus on Grey and changing the locale to Duos instead of the west. But that involves, well, a lot of change. And development of Duos that I hadn't gotten around to yet. And my phobia: making a realistic kingdom. It's hard for me to figure out how to make a king evil when he still has enough respect to BE king. -headdesk- Plus, I'm thinking about starting earlier, maybe even back when Grey was accepted into the king's guard, but I'm afraid of putting that much of a gap between the beginning of the book and introducing Kayden. Grey's becoming more of the main character, which is cool, but Kayden is still supposed to share the spotlight.

And then there's how in the hell to introduce Kella. I want Grey to meet Kayden first, and Kella could complicate things. Unless I did something really out there, like making Kella a friend of Grey's to start with--which would introduce its own problems but could be a lot of fun if I worked it out right... It would make Kella even less trustworthy. It would be very difficult to do well though. -headdeskheaddesk-

Danny and I are going to Ocean City tonight. It keeps getting shorter; bad timing all around, and as mad as I am at his work, it would have been easier to work out if I didn't have summer classes to limit my own time. But at least my limitations were solid, they didn't move around or appear out of nowhere. We originally scheduled a vacation for this Tuesday-Thursday and paid for a hotel by the beach, which would have been amazing, until his work decided to announce that his inventory would be on Thursday. So we moved it to this weekend, but then his FIFA tournament was moved to this weekend. It was supposed to be Sunday, so we were going to leave yesterday after my final. Leaving around noon, we would have gotten there with PLENTY of time yesterday and then all day today. But then he realized, no, his FIFA thing was today, so we have to wait for him to get home so we can go to Ocean City, so we'll be lucky if we get there while it's still light out... We can stay tomorrow, but it's still less time, and it pisses me off. D:

Eh. We're watching True Blood, and I'm really enjoying it. I really like Eric now and I'm basically rooting for Bill to disappear or die and for Sookie and Eric to end up together... lol.

Maybe I should make resolutions?

• Write 200,000 words on various projects (for that one community)
• Finish Blood and Heat
• Write something every week. (I won't say every day.  It won't happen.)
• Don't mutilate my liver. (Drink less, or rather get drunk less, since I don't drink that often but when I do I usually get drunk.)
• Keep Stories growing.
• Stay on track in school -- dean's list definitely, and try for 4.0
• Submit real writing to something, especially if WotF is a bust this time around.

I think I'll leave it at that.

TO DO LIST for today:

• Demitri's story
• Find a story of the month nomination
• laundry
• reply to princess round robin

Erm, I guess that's all.  I started rereading Ella Enchanted. Finally bought myself a copy while I was Christmas shopping.  I love that book.  It's weird how it's in like... the early readers section.  I always thought it was a young adult book.  Whatever though.  And I really want an eBook reader now.  After research, I want the Nook.  I'll have to wait for my birthday though.
 

I spent more money on Danny for Christmas :/ Naughty me. But it'll be worth it, he'll love it all. I can't wait for Christmas. After getting the presents, the waiting is the worst part.

I don't work until Saturday, and while that's nice, it also sucks because it'll be less money. As soon as I unbury my car from the snow drift at the bottom of our driveway I'll head to Hooters and talk to them. For real this time. I mean it. (Lectures self.)

Stories is doing well, but I'm starting to worry that maybe I'm always suggesting too many changes, haha. I'm just an idea machine. But anyway, we're getting new members. Our tournaments/battles are far more popular than our normal challenges, it seems. But that's cool. We've got some new things in the works. Like featuring a member portfolio every week for all the members to read through and offer concrit on. Stuff like that.

Ehm. There was a huge snowstorm. All very exciting. My car is stuck, Danny's car is stuck.

The semester's over. I got a B in a class that should have been a retarded easy A, but I think the rest will be As so it's okay. Erm. I think I had more to say but it's all gone now. Woohoo.

43390 / 50000 (86.78%)

Day ahead going into Thanksgiving. YES. So I'll try to write anyway of course, but if I can't find time, I'm okay.

And and and. I forget. Oh right. I'm going into the scene with the sirens, so I should have plenty of material next I start!

So Dennis, Heather, Danny and I went to Ocean City this weekend. Danny and I drove separate; we left Friday night at 7 or so, and followed Dennis and Heather. We all made it there around 11 and had time to go down to the Boardwalk before everything closed down at midnight. Heather and I rode the Zipper, but Danny refused. He might not have fit anyway. When we got back to the beach house we drank some, played Sorry, hung out on the beach, and Heather and I saved a horseshoe crab from a pool he'd gotten stuck in (much to the boys' annoyance).

( Just in fairly brief summary... )

So that was the weekend. Today I had my first day at my new job, little mom&pop-type grocery store called Country Boy. I'm just ringing... it's pretty simple, although it's an old timey machine where you enter each price rather than scanning items, and you have to memorize what a lot of the produce is and how much it costs. It'll be boring but easy, and everyone's nice. The boss is willing to work with my school hours. We haven't talked pay yet, but the woman who trained me today said she started three months ago at $9.50/hr, which would be perfectly fine with me.

Uh yeah. I guess that's mostly it for now. I want to write some today. There are some new challenges at RCR, so I think I'll enter. Still not much in the way of response to my stuff, but my entries to two of the challenges have gotten a vote or two since they were posted, so that's something.

So I haven't really felt like updating lately. There's plenty of stuff going on, both good and bad. Danny's birthday is freshly over, he's now 26. We went to Dave and Busters for his work tonight. I have two midterms today/tomorrow. I applied at Fridays but I'm not going to pursue it just yet. I start my personal trainer course tomorrow for real; last week's classes were a misprint or whatever. Work has been retarded slow with not enough money. I'm still pretty broke. I haven't been able to add more money to my account, though the level has been pretty steady because I've been spending cash usually.

So yeah, stuff in general. Will try to update tomorrow after midterms/gym/first personal trainer class when I'm more sober.

♥

( Bleargh. Hooters is getting ass-retarded again. )

But anyway, I'm seriously thinking about trying to become a personal trainer. They have a class for it at Maryland, it's 8 weeks, two days a week, only $160. Not for credit, but it does give you all the materials you need to study for ACE certification, plus a 20% discount on taking the ACE certification. I'd do that instead of trying to buy a rowing machine, haha, since I can't in good conscience spend money on both.

Anyway, the class starts February 16th, and it meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 4 to 6, which is something I can manage. Then in the middle-end of April they have open interviews for joining the gym staff, so I could apply to be a personal trainer (they website says personal trainers are students who are often either certified or in the process of getting certified). I think I'd stand a better chance at that then I did before just going for something general and not even getting there early. I'd get there so early this time... Anyway, I'd be done with the personal trainer class, though whether or not I'd have taken the certification yet I have no way of knowing.

What I'm wondering is how much student personal trainers make. I know the rate for one training session is $32 for a student and $40 for a nonstudent, but I imagine the gym takes a good chunk of that. It'd be good, though, as something extra on the side. It's not like a real job where you get scheduled in four hour chunks or more; I'd just be available something like Tuesdays and Fridays before class, Mondays and Fridays after class, and maybe Sundays. No interference with my planned Hooters schedule at all (assuming I'm still working there). And if they had room, I'd gladly also work as weight/fitness staff.

It'd be awesome though. It'd give me extra motivation to go to the gym. For starters I'd already be there for class next semester and then for sessions assuming I get the job... and also, you can't very well be an unfit personal trainer!

I think that once the gym reopens I'll schedule a fitness test thing. It's $20 and it's with a personal trainer, so it'd be good on multiple levels. I could talk to the trainer about the job, see what my level of fitness is like, and probably get some good tips for staying healthy and fit. Woo!

Of course, the interviews in April would be for summer and fall work, which means my current schedule wouldn't apply. But that's okay. I'll endeavor to make the best schedule possible for work next semester. I may even be able to have class only three days a week because by then I'll be done with French. We'll see.

But I'm so excited! I just need a chance to talk it over with Danny.

So I was afraid I'd lose my job today at work. I went to the image class meeting assuming, hey, there are forty of us, someone will be able to cover my shift for me this morning. But no one could. Jordan had me call Margaret (he wanted me to tell her I was disappointed that she didn't handle it better finding me coverage) but she just said that if someone would work a double for me she'd try to let them go home before the Cowboys game tonight. In the end, since there were six of us scheduled, Jordan said if all of us showed up he'd let me go home and run a five floor.

So I stayed to wait. Not that I would have worked, but I figured that if all five of the other girls showed up and I stayed until then, it would look better to Jordan. And if they didn't, I'd deal with it then. But they all did show up, and he let me go home, and for my trouble waiting I learned an awesome card trick from the bartender Monica.

Last night I got very little sleep because I got far too much sleep yesterday: I slept until almost 2:30. And while I was lying awake being unable to sleep until 4 in the morning, I decided to go ahead and come up with some serious resolutions for the new year.

( Under the cut... )

Also, I need to find gifts for Justin, Alli, Dennis, and Heather. I'm thinking something Yoshi for Justin, maybe a plush or some funny Yoshi pajamas. I'm thinking a board game for Dennis and Heather, just address it to both of them, but make sure it's a fun one. And I'll consult Danny for Alli. I also need to get presents for my family. :( I think maybe a giftcard to a nice restaurant for my parents, and then something from Spencer's or Hot Topic for my brother. I don't know where the closest one is down there so I think I'll let him pick something off the website that's $35 or less.