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Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Much Better

So frustrations are calming - life is settling into a routine for the final "semester" of my life. I look forward to one day not categorizing my life in such methods. :) It will be sureal at the very least. I have furniture! and loving it. It arrived on Friday and we (me) have been accessorizing around it nicely. I need another opinion or two on the coffee table, I think we need a bigger one. It's comfy, loving it... I finally, just this evening have been granted the classes that I want! I finally have the schedule that I want! It's going to be a lot of work, but it's worth it. I'm a happy camper (I normally hate that expression... we're not camping, and what is so unique about a happy camper anyway?) I am looking into a part-time, DOF position at The College out in El Cajon. It sounds really exciting, and I would love to do it. It's all up to God though if he wants us to stay here, if he thinks I can handle it, etc. Besides I am sure that I have plenty of peeps around to use for their services of knowledge and skill :) if I were to get the position. Well, I am off to entertain myself for the next hour or so-- and then it is off to Sammy's!

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Seriously?!

Ahh 2005 - what have you given me so far?
I rang in the new year quietly at home with Loving Husband. It was nice, low key and excellent.
On Tuesday at 5:00am it was off to North Dakota. Everyone's initial reaction when they ask where I went on my Christmas Vacation: "Why the hell did you go to North Dakota?!" I simply respond, my brother is in the Air Force there. With the reaction of "Ahh - ok." As if I need approval to go to the coldest (literally) place in the nation. So, yes my trip to Bottineau was one of hokey adventures. As the pilot is landing the plane, he informs us that they tried to located a colder place than where we were landing, but at that very moment Minot, ND was -20 (with wind chill it was -34) and the next coldest place in the NATION was some obscure place in Alaska that was a balmy -8 and that was including the wind chill factor. Sigh, so yes my 102 sack of bones schlepped off the plane, dressed like the little boy in A Christmas Story - to meet my brother at the airport. Once we met up I got my luggage from the only baggage turnstile in the airport and went to his car to head to Enterprise to get me a car.
At Enterprise:
The guys (the same two that rented me a vehicle back in November) were there and remembered me, knowing that I was from So Cal, CA -- they tried to find the best vehicle that I would be able to handle in the ice and snow. I received a bright burnt orange chevy cavalier... freshly WASHED! Seriously?! Yes, washed in -20 degree weather. Does anyone know what that does to a car? Well, let me enlighten you. It freezes all the doors shut (my brother had to put his foot against the car and pull with all his might to open the drivers door; if the emergency brake is on (because that is safety) it freezes the brake to the drum, making the rear tire immobile (NOTE: this was not discovered until a kind ND driver was waving frantically at me a mile down the road, I'm from CA I don't know the difference, I just thought that's how it felt when you drove on ice.) Yes, I did get the extra-total-a-car-for-free insurance... yah so here my brother and I are kicking, punching the gas in reverse, trying to pop the seal of ice from the brake pad in the McDonald's parking lot. Finally - we went inside and got a cup of hot water and dumped it on the tire. Problem solved now time to drive 65 miles to Bottineau, where they live.
On the road:
So we trudge on down the road, my brother in front of me so that a.) he can catch the deer with the front of his car and b.) when he goes sliding around I'll see where the black/thick ice is on the road. Sigh - luckily we made it home without incident.
His Home:
He has a zoo - not a home as I have mentioned earlier. I even started the 12 days of Christmas based off it, but I stopped at the 4th day because I couldn't think of a catchy 5th day.... 1- Homesick Couple 2. Random Rodents (ferret and chinchilla) 3. Puppy Dogs (they got rid of one more, while I was there to make 3) 4. Surviving Hamsters (1 of the females ate her husband.) The visit was uneventful, but nice. It was good to see them and how things are coming together for them at their home. By the time that I left it was a WARM 7' it was nice. Although I am still not "hot" here in California. I adjusted back quickly to my standard of "cold."
School:
Yep back to school. Back to the last semester ever. I got all the classes that I needed and wanted! WAIT... NO I DIDN'T. This week has been a mess of adding and dropping and making deals with the devil just to try and get the schedule that I need and want to take for my last semester of law school. I don't want to take a class on family law when I am going into corporate, real estate, intellectual property. Does that sound like I need FAMILY LAW to further my understand of those areas? Seriously?! Come on people. Sigh, all shall be sorted out or my fate will be sealed with annoyance in one or two classes by the end of this week. Cross your fingers that it is in my favor.
Furniture:
I won't spend long here - I have already sent email explaining this nonsense.... I just needed to memorialize it in the post entitled "Seriously?!" Bought furniture on 12/19. Paid for it on 12/19. Arrived in San Diego 1/9. At my door??? No. Coming within the 72 hours after arrival to the city as promised? No. Coming on Friday or I will blow a gasket? Yes. 2005 is well underway. Some frustration- some excitement, but never a dull moment in my life. May your posts be plentiful.