Tomorrow DH and I are taking a huge step in our lives together. We are choosing to do something that could ultimately change our lives forever. In a good way. In a very expensive way.
Wanna guess? I am sure people have two things on their minds. lol
We are meeting with a Realtor about starting the house hunt!!!! I'm kinda nervous about this, and a little scared, but mostly very excited. DH is like a kid at Christmas, but to be fair, he has been pretty trapped here for a year and a half, while I've gone out to work every day. If I were in his shoes, I'd feel similarly b/c when you rent a tiny condo, you can't do much but clean it.
Anyway, we haven't done anything re: mortgage and all of that stuff yet, we're just meeting with this woman (who has worked for my dad and grandfather, as well as a HS friend of mine) to see if we like her, what she suggests, etc. Our lease is up at the end of November, and while our landlord would probably do a month-to-month with us, we live in New England and trying to do a home inspection with snow on the ground is not going to fly. So we have to act fairly quickly.
I just hope all will work out for the best.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Schooool's aaaaalllll-most o-ver!
*sung to the tune of "School's out for summer"*
Ahem, yeah, so my summer class is almost through. My group and I (heh, just the two of us now that I put that crazy b*tch in her place) are working on our final project which is due tonight, and then the final on August 6 or 7. Since it's online, you choose when you want to take it.
I will be glad to be done with the class, especially the online stuff. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal to go to school. I didn't like the amount of work, and not getting to know my classmates better. You miss something when it's online. I'm sure I'll see these people later on in the program. I did NOT enjoy the group project. I don't enjoy it right now, with my one group member taking her sweet time doing her part, so we can splice it together and post to the board. I'm sitting around, waiting, and waiting...
We have 5 assignments, each worth 20 points, adding up to 100. I don't like this type of grading since I have to do more math to figure out where I stand. (and yes, this is why I've always worked with books and am going to library school, lol)
Assignment 1 = 15
Assignment 2 = 20
Group project =
Final =
Participation = 20 (I'm assuming. I'm pretty chatty on the class message board)
So far, that's a 92. Phew. If I get 20's on the other two projects, the highest grade I can get is a 95. I'd like to keep my A track record, but I won't die if I get a B or B+. I just want to pass so I can get into the program.
Ahem, yeah, so my summer class is almost through. My group and I (heh, just the two of us now that I put that crazy b*tch in her place) are working on our final project which is due tonight, and then the final on August 6 or 7. Since it's online, you choose when you want to take it.
I will be glad to be done with the class, especially the online stuff. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal to go to school. I didn't like the amount of work, and not getting to know my classmates better. You miss something when it's online. I'm sure I'll see these people later on in the program. I did NOT enjoy the group project. I don't enjoy it right now, with my one group member taking her sweet time doing her part, so we can splice it together and post to the board. I'm sitting around, waiting, and waiting...
We have 5 assignments, each worth 20 points, adding up to 100. I don't like this type of grading since I have to do more math to figure out where I stand. (and yes, this is why I've always worked with books and am going to library school, lol)
Assignment 1 = 15
Assignment 2 = 20
Group project =
Final =
Participation = 20 (I'm assuming. I'm pretty chatty on the class message board)
So far, that's a 92. Phew. If I get 20's on the other two projects, the highest grade I can get is a 95. I'd like to keep my A track record, but I won't die if I get a B or B+. I just want to pass so I can get into the program.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Group projects
I really thought that when I was in grad school (remember this is time #3, people) group projects would be easier.
GirlWednesday FAIL.
I'm not going to go into specifics because it would be too lengthy and upsetting...but someone dropped the ball, and basically left the game without saying anything, only to try and re-enter the game in the fourth quarter.
It was so bad, I HAD TO GET THE PROFESSOR INVOLVED. I am not like that, folks. I don't tattle. I don't ask for help. Fortunately he was good about it all and came up with a strategy. But then this person decided to get off the bench and play again.
GROW UP PEOPLE!!!!!! Leave this garbage in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
GirlWednesday FAIL.
I'm not going to go into specifics because it would be too lengthy and upsetting...but someone dropped the ball, and basically left the game without saying anything, only to try and re-enter the game in the fourth quarter.
It was so bad, I HAD TO GET THE PROFESSOR INVOLVED. I am not like that, folks. I don't tattle. I don't ask for help. Fortunately he was good about it all and came up with a strategy. But then this person decided to get off the bench and play again.
GROW UP PEOPLE!!!!!! Leave this garbage in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Busy as a little bee...
Yes, I am busy. School is over very shortly, and I have two mini-projects, a big group project (and one member is MIA, lovely!) and the regular weekly reading/responding assignment, all due within a day of each other. Yikes!I'm also helping DH get ready for his new job. Sunday we went clothes shopping and he got a bunch of new stuff. Today was shoe shopping, and it went very smoothly. He's not an apparel shopper at ALL, but all went well ;-)
I took yesterday and today off from work to spend time with DH. Ever since he got the new job, he's been really itchy about getting the heck out of this rental, and into our own place. I would love that too, but I'm not as itchy...then again, I haven't spent as much time here as he has. Yesterday we spent the majority of the day driving around our state, looking at the different towns that would be halfway (or thereabouts) between my job and his. Another benefit of moving would be that this general location would be an easy distance to other major cities, for future job prospects.
We are going to talk to a Realtor who has worked closely with my family and is family friends with one of my friends...and start the stuff with the bank, and then really get out there and hunt. Our lease is up at the end of November, so the timing is pretty good. I'm really glad I decided to take the fall off from school now! I'd much rather be unpacking and setting up a new home instead of doing homework and going to class! Although I do need to study for and take the GRE--bought a book today at Borders, so no excuses now.
Socially speaking, I've been busier than normal. It seems like everyone is getting married. I just got an invite for my 3rd shower this summer (had one in June, have one next weekend, and now one at the end of August). I have a wedding to go to in August, and probably one in September. I remember hearing people talk about the year of the wedding--when everyone you know is getting married, and I think this one is it! Two coworkers and a friend from college.
Just when you thought things were operating at a dull roar...now everything's waking up, almost like a reverse of the seasons...
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Many thanks...
to those who saw my good news on here and sent me comments. Thanks for listening and commenting and for all of the thoughts and prayers and contacts that were sent over these past 16+ months...
It's been a long and rough road, but we're finally on our way.
For the deets:
DH will be a case manager for an alternative incarceration center about 45 mins away from us (in the opposite direction from my job, of course
). His last job was at an AIC, but this is a higher position. This job has more pre-trial clients, whereas his last company was with post-trial/post-prison clients, so there's more hope when they are pre-trial. Sad but true.
A little less money than he was making at his old job, but he's not being picky, and they actually gave him more than the position was being paid b/c of his experience. Still it's a JOB and it's MONEY so we do not care. He starts August 3 and it's biz casual so we have to go shopping, hahahaha. (He haaaates shopping and haaaates wearing biz casual--he's a jeans and T OR a suit and tie guy.)
The schedule is a little tricky, but we knew this before he accepted. He'll be working Tues, Wed, Thurs and Sat from 9-5, and Fri 12-8. Sun and Mon off. But we'll make it work, we've been through much much worse. Now I just have to tell my coworker that he can't go to her wedding, after we've already sent in the RSVP....
We've already decided that Sunday will be our "family" day and that we won't do much but spend time with each other, even if it's just Mass and grocery shopping and hanging around our place. Speaking of "place" we'll be starting the house-hunt around September. So exciting!!!!!
It's been a long and rough road, but we're finally on our way.
For the deets:
DH will be a case manager for an alternative incarceration center about 45 mins away from us (in the opposite direction from my job, of course
). His last job was at an AIC, but this is a higher position. This job has more pre-trial clients, whereas his last company was with post-trial/post-prison clients, so there's more hope when they are pre-trial. Sad but true.A little less money than he was making at his old job, but he's not being picky, and they actually gave him more than the position was being paid b/c of his experience. Still it's a JOB and it's MONEY so we do not care. He starts August 3 and it's biz casual so we have to go shopping, hahahaha. (He haaaates shopping and haaaates wearing biz casual--he's a jeans and T OR a suit and tie guy.)
The schedule is a little tricky, but we knew this before he accepted. He'll be working Tues, Wed, Thurs and Sat from 9-5, and Fri 12-8. Sun and Mon off. But we'll make it work, we've been through much much worse. Now I just have to tell my coworker that he can't go to her wedding, after we've already sent in the RSVP....
We've already decided that Sunday will be our "family" day and that we won't do much but spend time with each other, even if it's just Mass and grocery shopping and hanging around our place. Speaking of "place" we'll be starting the house-hunt around September. So exciting!!!!!
6/100
One of my blogger friends had this on her blog and I though it was interesting.
The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up?Instructions: Copy this into your NOTES. Look at the list and put an ‘x’ after those you have read.
1 Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen –
2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte -
4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling –
5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee -
6 The Bible (lots of it but not the entire thing, hello Catholic college w/ many religious requirements, lol)
7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte –
8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman -
10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens -
11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott – X
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy -
13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller -
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare -
15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier – X
16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien -
17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger –
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger -
20 Middlemarch – George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell -
22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald – X (one of my faves)
23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy -
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams -
27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky - X
28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck – X
29 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll - X
30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame -
31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy -
32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens -
33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis –
34 Emma – Jane Austen –
35 Persuasion – Jane Austen -
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis – X
37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini - X
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden - X
40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne -
41 Animal Farm – George Orwell - X
42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown – X
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez -
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving -
45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery – X (LOOOOVE)
47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood -
49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding -
50 Atonement – Ian McEwan -
51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel -
52 Dune – Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons -
54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen –
55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth -
56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens -
58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley –
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in te Night – Mark Haddon -
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez –
61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck -
62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov -
63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt -
64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold - X
65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas-
66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac -
67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy -
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding -X (LOVE)
69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville - X (sr yr of college, American Lit)
71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens -
72 Dracula – Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett – X (another LOVE)
74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses – James Joyce
76 The Inferno – Dante – X
77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal – Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray -
80 Possession – AS Byatt -
81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens -
82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker –
84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert -
86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry -
87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White – X
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom – X
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad - X
92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint -
93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
94 Watership Down – Richard Adams -
95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole -
96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas -
98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare – X
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - X
100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo
22 total...not bad...a lot of them WERE for AP English and college lit classes. Yay American Studies major, lol.
Friday, July 17, 2009
The BEST. NEWS. EVER.
DH GOT A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Why I love CVS
If you're in a part of the country that doesn't have CVS, I'm sorry :-(
We needed a few things that you can get pretty much anywhere--laundry detergent, bar soap, paper plates, napkins. I really don't like Walmart and go there only as a last resort, even though it's 5 mins from my house, but Target is like 25 mins away, no joke. I also don't like buying things like that at the grocery store, because they jack up the prices on those things and I hate the grocery store to begin with. (One perk of an unemployed husband--he does the food shopping during the week day!)
As many of you probably know, years ago, CVS came out with those ExtraCare cards, giving you $$ off on purchases and money back in the form of coupons. I'd recently got a coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase, and an $8 coupon. Knowing that I needed those things mentioned above, I figured I'd get them at CVS (where they might be a little pricier than Target and probably less selection) but with the coupons, I'd probably come out OK. Plus CVS is also 5 mins from my house, so I'd save in gas, too. And I needed to pick up my RX for my allergy meds.
I grabbed my regular coupon folder before I left, and it's a good thing I did. Here's what happened when I went to CVS...
Laundry detergent--yeah, not as many varieties as Target, but we usually use Tide or Arm & Hammer. Also because we have to hike our stuff down to our complex's laundry room, we buy small bottles. I know, it's more money that way, but laundry is heavy enough! Tide was on sale for $5.99 (saving $3 from the usual price), plus I had a $1 off coupon for any sized Tide. Score!
Grabbed the paper plates and napkins--both were store brand, so pretty cheap. Got the soap, realized we also needed toothpaste. had a $1 off coupon for that too. Wasn't sure if I had enough to get me to the $50 mark (and I know, those coupons make you spend more so you think you're saving) so I grabbed a box of tissues, also store brand. I was on my way to the pharmacy counter, and walked by the contact solution that I use. It was $2.50 off for the twin pack, and I also had a soon-to-expire $3 off coupon. Grabbed that too!
Here's what my receipt ended up looking like:
It was like getting my prescription, the tissues, and the soap for free, lol. I LOVE when I do stuff like this. I'm such a dork, that's why I had to share with you all. I'm also proud of myself for no impulse purchases, like a magazine or some gum or whatever. And the best part, I got another coupon for another $2 off a future purchase. Score!
We needed a few things that you can get pretty much anywhere--laundry detergent, bar soap, paper plates, napkins. I really don't like Walmart and go there only as a last resort, even though it's 5 mins from my house, but Target is like 25 mins away, no joke. I also don't like buying things like that at the grocery store, because they jack up the prices on those things and I hate the grocery store to begin with. (One perk of an unemployed husband--he does the food shopping during the week day!)
As many of you probably know, years ago, CVS came out with those ExtraCare cards, giving you $$ off on purchases and money back in the form of coupons. I'd recently got a coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase, and an $8 coupon. Knowing that I needed those things mentioned above, I figured I'd get them at CVS (where they might be a little pricier than Target and probably less selection) but with the coupons, I'd probably come out OK. Plus CVS is also 5 mins from my house, so I'd save in gas, too. And I needed to pick up my RX for my allergy meds.
I grabbed my regular coupon folder before I left, and it's a good thing I did. Here's what happened when I went to CVS...
Laundry detergent--yeah, not as many varieties as Target, but we usually use Tide or Arm & Hammer. Also because we have to hike our stuff down to our complex's laundry room, we buy small bottles. I know, it's more money that way, but laundry is heavy enough! Tide was on sale for $5.99 (saving $3 from the usual price), plus I had a $1 off coupon for any sized Tide. Score!
Grabbed the paper plates and napkins--both were store brand, so pretty cheap. Got the soap, realized we also needed toothpaste. had a $1 off coupon for that too. Wasn't sure if I had enough to get me to the $50 mark (and I know, those coupons make you spend more so you think you're saving) so I grabbed a box of tissues, also store brand. I was on my way to the pharmacy counter, and walked by the contact solution that I use. It was $2.50 off for the twin pack, and I also had a soon-to-expire $3 off coupon. Grabbed that too!
Here's what my receipt ended up looking like:
- RX item 10.00
- contact stuff 14.99 (saved 2.50)
- Tide 5.99 (saved 3.00)
- toothpaste 5.99
- napkins 3.49
- paper plates 3.99
- tissues 1.99
- soap 7.99
- -1.00
- -1.00
- -3.00
- -10.00 (I only used the one CVS coupon, decided to save the $8 one for another purchase, it was good through the end of August)
It was like getting my prescription, the tissues, and the soap for free, lol. I LOVE when I do stuff like this. I'm such a dork, that's why I had to share with you all. I'm also proud of myself for no impulse purchases, like a magazine or some gum or whatever. And the best part, I got another coupon for another $2 off a future purchase. Score!
School news
Some of you might have noticed the new list on the right hand side...I needed to put my school to-do list in plain sight, because I was getting a bit overwhelmed and afraid I might forget something.
I have to take a semester off. The MLS program that I'm applying to has two dates for admissions--Sept 1 and March 1. I won't make the Sept 1 deadline, sadly. If I didn't take the summer course I'm in right now, I would have made it. I need to take the GRE again, and since it's been almost 10 years since I last took it (YIKES!) I really need to study that stuff. Especially since there's a new section that wasn't there the last time...I can't do that in a few weeks (I'd need to take it by mid-August to ensure that the scores are reported to the school in time.
This summer has suddenly become busy with a few bridal showers and weddings to attend, so that hampers things. Work is also super busy, so between working, socializing, and wrapping up this summer class, I think I have my hands full!
The plan is to use the fall to get my academic "shizz" together--ask for recommendations, study for the GRE, etc (you can see my progress on the to-do list to your right) and I'll apply for the March 1 deadline. I'll take a class in the spring while I await my decision and go from there...
Why not take one in the fall while I'm working on my other stuff? Ha, good question. The MLS program does not allow non-matriculated students to take more than 9 credits (3 classes) before they are accepted, so that definitely throws a wrench into my progress through the program. If I take one in the fall while working on my other stuff, I'll have to take the spring off and then I wouldn't be doing anything but waiting, so I figured it was better to spread myself out.
While I'm not really pleased that I dropped the ball and lost track of time, it will be OK. A very good friend of mine had to do the same thing when she was in the program--for a different reason, and then she later doubled up on classes to finish quicker. Of course my grand plan is after DH finds a job and I'm accepted, to find a part time library job, quit my full time job and take more classes. But we'll see how that goes, especially these days.
I have to take a semester off. The MLS program that I'm applying to has two dates for admissions--Sept 1 and March 1. I won't make the Sept 1 deadline, sadly. If I didn't take the summer course I'm in right now, I would have made it. I need to take the GRE again, and since it's been almost 10 years since I last took it (YIKES!) I really need to study that stuff. Especially since there's a new section that wasn't there the last time...I can't do that in a few weeks (I'd need to take it by mid-August to ensure that the scores are reported to the school in time.
This summer has suddenly become busy with a few bridal showers and weddings to attend, so that hampers things. Work is also super busy, so between working, socializing, and wrapping up this summer class, I think I have my hands full!
The plan is to use the fall to get my academic "shizz" together--ask for recommendations, study for the GRE, etc (you can see my progress on the to-do list to your right) and I'll apply for the March 1 deadline. I'll take a class in the spring while I await my decision and go from there...
Why not take one in the fall while I'm working on my other stuff? Ha, good question. The MLS program does not allow non-matriculated students to take more than 9 credits (3 classes) before they are accepted, so that definitely throws a wrench into my progress through the program. If I take one in the fall while working on my other stuff, I'll have to take the spring off and then I wouldn't be doing anything but waiting, so I figured it was better to spread myself out.
While I'm not really pleased that I dropped the ball and lost track of time, it will be OK. A very good friend of mine had to do the same thing when she was in the program--for a different reason, and then she later doubled up on classes to finish quicker. Of course my grand plan is after DH finds a job and I'm accepted, to find a part time library job, quit my full time job and take more classes. But we'll see how that goes, especially these days.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Feeling sad...
And it has nothing to do with me (for once).
It seems like everyone's got something "big" going on right now. I think I'm getting more sensitive in my "old age," towards situations which other people are in, and while that's a good thing, it's obviously bad too.
--I have friends who can't find jobs, who are well qualified, talented individuals.
--I have friends struggling with infertility, who want to be parents in the worst way, and everyone else we know is getting pregnant.
--I have friends with health issues.
--I have friends with sick parents and others who have lost too many family members this year alone (especially at work).
--I have friends whose families are going through rough times, including divorce.
--I have friends who are having horrible times with their jobs.
--I have friends who are heartbroken.
Hugs and prayers to all of you. My heart hurts for all of them.
It seems like everyone's got something "big" going on right now. I think I'm getting more sensitive in my "old age," towards situations which other people are in, and while that's a good thing, it's obviously bad too.
--I have friends who can't find jobs, who are well qualified, talented individuals.
--I have friends struggling with infertility, who want to be parents in the worst way, and everyone else we know is getting pregnant.
--I have friends with health issues.
--I have friends with sick parents and others who have lost too many family members this year alone (especially at work).
--I have friends whose families are going through rough times, including divorce.
--I have friends who are having horrible times with their jobs.
--I have friends who are heartbroken.
Hugs and prayers to all of you. My heart hurts for all of them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
