Almost Halloween!

Yes kids, tomorrow is my birthday! Whoopie!

And thats the last I want to hear about that, thank you. ( Note to Dad: thank you for the card, it was a nice surprise!)

Well October is almost over and the temp has dropped into the 40's most nights. I'm not complaining, I'm enjoying the mildness of it all. The yard is red and orange, leaves flying all over in the wind, its quite a sight to see. Joe finished planting the new lawn, just around the house, and we're hoping it comes up before winter sets in. He's managed to get sick and all other projects have been put on hold until he recovers.

School is plunking right along. I'm getting A's in all my classes so far. I registered for Spring and got into all the classes I needed. I'm still struggling with my research paper due next month but I'm expecting a big push over Thanksgiving break ( considering its due right after the break!).  I'm nervous about next summer, my classes start early and last most of the day. I still dont know what I'm gonna do with the kids when Joe cant watch them. I'll figure something out eventually I guess.

I decided a few weeks ago to go ahead and have the Lap Band surgery done.  I didnt even know if the military would cover it so I went in last week for a consult. I've been researching Lap Band for a long time and it has a zero death rate. It can also be removed easily if there are any complications ( which there arent many of). The military requires you to meet certain criteria before they will cover it, I meet all of them. So, I'm waiting for a letter ( takes about 14 days) to tell me where I will have the surgery done. As long as you have no other problems ( diabetes, high blood pressure, etc) it can be done as an out-patient surgery. The recovery time is about a week ( till the stitches come out). It could be up to a year before I can get in to have it done though. You have a series of tests that have to be passed and it takes awhile to set them all up. So, there it is. If you want to know more just type Lap Band Surgery into your browser. There is no cutting apart of the stomache, the band will only let your smaller stomach hold 4-6 ounces of food at a time. You stay full longer.  There is a very high success rate, I think it will be a good fit for me.

Mom will be coming down sometime in November, I think she's driving this time. We'll be working on sprucing up the house to sell this spring. It'll be nice to have her around, take some of the load off of me. Joe thinks we'll be fighting everyday but I dont think so. She's in a better place now than she was last X-mas, there wont be nearly so much stress.

HA! I'm the short one!

Ok, I gotta go. I'll try to write again soon!

O the pain, the horror!

       I feel her pain.

Ok, so its Fall Break at school. This means that we get yesterday (Thursday) and today off, no school till Monday. It should be a good thing, yes?! Oh and they make you think its going to be 4 days of relaxation, they lead you on and just before class lets out, BOOM, the hammer drops. "Uh, yes class and for the weekend I'd like you to do some exercises for me......have all of chapter 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 ready to turn in on Monday. Have a good holiday!" All of my instructors did just that. My Eng. Comp Prof decided it would be fun to write a classification research paper for the weekend.  I just finished 9 pages of Math and decided to take a break. I worked on that classification paper last night until 11. When I started falling asleep at the keyboard, I gave up. So today I'll be forcing myself to kick it up a notch and get everything done by Saturday, I need at least 1 day off. ( So I can catch up on housework, HA!)

Well thank goodness for Fall. My power bill has been cut in half since my AC isnt running as much.  We are still having some 80-90 degree days but mostly its down to the 70's. This morning was friggin chilly.

I'm starting to get nervous about selling the house next Spring.

I know the market isnt good right now but I have a friend that works in real estate in Prince George and she says I have nothing to worry about.  I want to get back all the money I put in to it, I wont be outrageous.  We'll probably put it up for sale next April.  I'm hopeful.

We've been scouting the areas we like.  It will not be as rural, HA! In fact, we'll be living in much the same kind of area as we were in Newport News.  Sydney needs friends and a neighborhood, she's dying out here in the boonies. She's very upset that we cant trick or treat this year. I just keep telling her, next year we will do all the stuff you cant do now. There are a few areas, just above Colonial Heights and just below Richmond, that we really like. The good thing is Joe will be closer to work and I will be closer to Richmond (VCU).  Its been a really stressful year, I cant wait to get back to civilization. Dont get me wrong, buying another house and the whole moving/changing schools/learning a new area shit will be even harder but we have to get out of here, we just arent country people.....well Joe says he is but he isnt the one that has to drive 30 minutes for a gallon of milk either. He hates this house with a passion (he cant tell you exactly why he hates it though) and blames me for us living here. Its a good thing I have thick skin or I might of taken that as an insult, HA!

These arent my neighbors. Mine have less teeth.

So, thats about it. Oh, its hunting season in case you didnt know. Bow hunting started a few weeks ago and shotgun season starts in a week or two. I just love waking up to gunfire, dont you?  And its so fun to dodge deer as they leap out in front of your car during the rutting season. I used to drive the backroads at night doing 50, until I almost plowed into a couple of deer mating in the road and almost wound up in the ditch. There are way too many animals around here, its creepy.

Ok, now I really do have to go. Goddamn paper to write. I'll check back soon! Tata!

 

Gotta Love October

I love October, and not just because I was born this month. I'm boycotting my birthday anyway, I'll be 21 every year from now on. The humidity leaves and the air is cool. After such a miserable summer I'm excited for fall.

School is okay. I was sick last week and it was a real pain to try and keep up when all I wanted to do was curl up and die. I managed though. Got a 100 on my math test and a 94 on my english paper. I have a huge computer test this Friday. I was worried but now I'm pretty confident. No school next Monday so I have a long weekend to work on my research paper. Registration for Spring starts on Oct 16 and I've already picked my classes Math 101, History 102, Religion 201, Biology 101 and Biology Lab 101. Sounds heavy but it will be fine.  The 2 classes I'll have the most trouble with will be Math and History. I'll be going to school this next summer too. From May 15,07 to June 9, 07 I'll take Chemistry 101 and Chemistry Lab 101. Then from June 12, 07 to July 7, 07 I'll take Biology 102 and Biology Lab 102.  Finally from July 10,07 to August 4, 07 I'll take both English 102 and Speech 101. I'll have a few weeks off before I start Fall classes which will consist of : Math 105, Chem110 & Chem 110 Lab, PE 107, History 101, Sociology 201.  And last but not least my last semester will be SPRING 08 (hurrah!) Organic Chemistry, Microbiology 211, PE 108, Physics 101, and Art Appreciation 231. Sounds like alot huh? HA! It is, I'm fast-tracking, which means I'm taking compressed courses......its harder but so far I'm doing fine. I should have a 3.8-4.0 GPA this term. My financial aid requires me to have only a 3.0. I'm golden. By April of 2008 I'll be applying to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond for their Applied Sciences program. So, there it is, the next 2 years of my life.

Once I get into VCU, I'll go through some orientation classes and then start more advanced classes like Hematology, clinical immunology and pathogenic bacteriology. The basic clinical sciences program only runs 2 years but I may try applying for their fast track Masters program, that runs 3-4 years.

Joe finally finished the shed, the inspector passed it last week. I'm so glad too, now we can get our stuff out of storage.  Lets see, what else? Ummmm. Oh yeah, Sydney starts Viola lessons this week. The county offers free lessons and renting the instrument is cheap so we thought we'd give it a try. She isnt happy that she'll have to practise out in the back yard.

Ok, well, that about does it. I'll try and write again this month. Tata!