First Week Back

It is my first week back after Spring Break and it hasn't been as terrible as I had anticipated. I'm keeping up with my work and even trying to work ahead on some things, which is good considering what my April looks like. I did my calender for April last night and it looks a little scary. 3 papers, 2 portfolios for German, 2 tests in German, 2 annotations due for my Annotated Bibliography. Not to mention the amount of reading I have to do for daily class work. I just keep telling myself "Only 6 more weeks!" It's actually almost 5 now since I just have one class today and class tomorrow. In other good news, I heard back from my case manager for BBBS! I need to call her either today or tomorrow to talk to her one on one. I am very excited about it, I can't wait to be a Big Sister!

Spring Break is Nearly Over

and I haven't accomplished much on my ever growing list...maybe today will be different though, I don't have much going on. So far on this lovely break, I have seen old friends, read one of the three books that I needed to read, and tackled the extra large pile of laundry. Still on my list? Dinner with Michelle, orientation for BBBS, take Taylor and Mariah to Horton Hears A Who, homework, and clean up the house. I'm working literally all weekend, so I doubt my monstrous list will actually be completed, but I'm going to give it a try. In fact, I'm headed off to begin my list! Hopefully next time I'll have lots to talk about!

***Since posting this earlier today I have checked numerous things off of my list***
-Walk Chester
-Sweep poop from deck
-empty cooler of soda cans/water/soda left over from Christmas party
-laundry
-went to BBBS orientation
-getting ready to have dinner with Michelle
-completed reading for ENGL 385, well on my way to 'being ahead'

Spring Break is Finally Here!

And with it, shitty news. As many of you know, exactly one month ago today my mom had to put Dory to sleep because of kidney failure. I got a call early this morning that she had to take Gus (the dog I adopted for Kasie in September) to Mission Med Vet because he couldn't breathe. After being treated like crap by the staff there because she couldn't pay their fees, she took him to our family vet. I'm not even kidding, when she told them that she couldn't pay they told her "you're more than welcome to take him to your own vet, but he won't receive the best care like he would here". Apparently something in his chest ruptured causing his chest to fill with air which collapsed one of his lungs. The only thing that could have been done was surgery and they would have had to break his lungs and cut him open in order to fix the problem. Long story short, she ended up having him put to sleep.

Hopefully the rest of my break will be better....much better.

Dear Stupid Girl,

You are the kind of person that makes me sad to be a female. Why? Because you date douche bags that treat you like shit and then you forgive them because they cry or are going to therapy. News Flash! Telling you that you are fat or look like shit is VERBAL ABUSE. So is telling you that you owe it to them to have sex because they gave you gas money. Using sex as a tool is not a sign of a healthy relationship (unless you're holding out so they'll vote Democrat). Just because they don't physically hit you doesn't mean you aren't in an abusive relationship. Stop and listen to yourself some time. Do you hear what you are saying? "He didn't mean it" "He apologized" "You don't really know him" These are the excuses of a girl who is in an abusive relationship. When you lie to your friends and family--people who really CARE about YOU--in order to spend time with the DB, you are only hurting yourself. When this guy breaks your heart or worse, your family might not be there to listen. Maybe you should think about who really has your best interests in mind the next time you sneak out to meet this person or defend their previous actions.

Sincerely,
Sick and Tired of Watching You Be Stupid

I'm not angry, just honest

I went to a poetry reading last week and the poet, Chrystos, wrote a poem about being angry at all of the injustice in the world and how most people will just sit around and bitch but not really do anything. She said that after the poem was released someone asked her why she was so angry. Her response? "I'm not angry, just honest". Damn! I just wanted to run up and give her a high 5! I hate that people say I'm negative and angry, I don't see it that way. I consider myself to be honest when I see injustice. When I see it I point it out. On second thought, I am angry. Angry that there are kids who don't have enough to eat and I worry about having too much. Angry because I wonder if I'll be able to go shopping with my tax refund while there are women and children being physically abused in their homes right now. I'm pissed that my government wants to take more money from my hard earned paycheck for taxes...but don't really tell me what said taxes pay...It makes me angry that the government officials are the ones running around in $60,000 cars and can afford to pay the outrageous gas prices. To all those who say I'm angry, you are correct...maybe the problem isn't that I'm angry, but that you aren't angry enough.

Damn Daylight Savings!

and Disney 'Enhanced' DVDs. As we speak, I cannot get the freaking DVD to work, if you push menu it takes you all the way back to the beginning and keeps reverting back to the menu. Grrr! to technology! Anyway, sorry it's been so long since my last post, I've been super busy between keeping up with school work and training. I'm very glad to be done with training and over the midterm hump at school, so my Spring Break should be mildly relaxing (hopefully!). Since I am known for my rants, I figure I won't mess with success, so here goes.

I had lunch with my family today and lets just say I left more than a little irritated. I don't know why I let myself get so easily annoyed, but it's like I walk in and they just start pushing my buttons. It isn't like they're trying to annoy me, it's just some of the things that they say. Today for instance began with 'Kevin Bashing'. I am not a Kevin fan, but I also don't feel the need to bash his every action. He isn't exactly the kind of person that I envisioned my sister spending the rest of her life with (or so she says, only time will tell), however, she could have ended up with someone a lot worse. My point being, he's been around for 3 years and it doesn't look like he's going anywhere anytime soon so just learn to live with it.

I also wonder where my family picked up all of its freeloaders. I wasn't raised to think that everything was going to be handed to me, so I often wonder why my sister and various cousins think it is ok to take from others and give nothing in return. What makes them think it is ok to spend all of their money on crap and not give any money to the people they live with. *Sigh* Where in the hell do these people come from?!

Food for thought

I've done a lot of driving the last couple of days and it has given me a lot of time to think and observe others. These are just a few things I have pondered and/or seen over the last few days:

-Have you ever noticed that it is often those who have either the 'Jesus Fish' or a 'Support the Troops' magnet on their car that drive like shit. It makes me wonder if those people think these items have some sort of power. Perhaps if God looks down on them from above and sees that them cutting in and out of traffic while speeding, he will take mercy on their souls because of the almighty 'Jesus Fish'. WTH, it's a piece of plastic, not a "Get Out of Dying Free Card". I'm glad that the support our troops, but maybe you would be doing a world of service if you didn't endanger the lives of said troops families. Just a thought.

-The name 'Ashley' has become synonymous with Bitch. I mean really, there are books out about cliques with only girls named 'Ashley'. In fact, on Disney's Recess the group of popular, snobby girls were 'The Ashley's'. It just kind of makes me wonder if everyone who has been blessed (or not?) with the moniker 'Ashley' is destined to become a huge bitch. That said, at least my mom didn't name me something really stupid (I'll leave you to decide what a 'stupid' name is).

-Have you ever noticed that in History classes, we learn about either the glorified person or the horrible monster. Take Andrew Jackson. He is considered by many to have been a fantastic president who did a lot to help create a working democracy and his house in Nashville is a hot spot for tourism. However, I am a senior in college and I just this semester learned about the Trail of Tears. I say just now because previously I had only heard of it by name and only knew that it had to do with Indians. I had no idea the lengths that Jackson went to remove the Indians from their land. It makes me wonder what else those lovely textbooks either kept from me or sugar coated for me.

These are just some things that I've pondered over the last few days. I'm sure there will be more seeing that I have lots more driving to do over the next weeks.

Things that really PISS ME OFF

This isn't just another 'Grind my Gears' segment; this one really pisses me off. Last night I was driving home and it was raining buckets. Seriously, I couldn't see my lines and I kept hitting standing water and sliding around. One might think that in weather like this, you might drive CAUTIOUSLY. Apparently not. I might be a little paranoid because of the car I'm driving and it not having the greatest tires, but when it is precipitating, I drive SLOWLY. It really pisses me off when people fly around me splashing rain or snow onto my windshield making it difficult for me to see. Just because you have a big truck or 4-wheel drive does not mean you don't need to drive cautiously, that 4-wheel drive isn't going to save you when you're rolling down a hill. Even more annoying are the people who are driving small cars who just whip around you without a care in the world. You are in a tiny car, what is going to save you from sliding off the road? NOTHING. As far as I'm concerned, God is doing us no favors when people who drive like this don't die in a fiery crash. They make it perilous for the rest of us who do try to drive carefully and I'm tired of wondering how much damage is going to be done to my car if I do get into a wreck because some people are assholes. If I had a gun, I would be tempted to shoot most of these people, but between them and the losers at Wal-Mart, I'd be spending a lot of money on bullets....maybe I could get a discount for doing a service to the community...

Pet Peeves!

Anyone who knows me knows this is one of my biggest pet peeves. BIGGEST! I love, love, love animals (did I mention that I love them?) HOWEVER, please do not go out and adopt an animal that you cannot take care of. And just to clarify, 'taking care' of an animal extends beyond making sure said animal has half a cup of dog food everyday and that you take them outside at least once a day. Anyone with half a brain knows that animals need more than that. So, if you even doubt for one second that you don't have the time or know how to take care of a pet, DON'T ADOPT ONE!

While we're on the topic of pets, it irritates me to no end when people PAY for an animal! There are thousands of unwanted pets that are being euthanized because of the overflow in animal shelters, so by all means, go pay for a dog or a cat instead of adopting one that is possibly on the brink of death. I will never buy a cat or a dog from a pet store or breeder; I would rather feel like I am doing something for the greater good by saving an animal from the shelter. You should too; it does wonders for the soul.