SnowMyWhaaaaa?

Alright this snow storm definitely does not hold a candle to last year's "SnOMG" or "Snowmageddon," but it definitely takes the cake for worst traffic disaster in the DC Metro area in a looooong time (that's my unofficial report).  I have friends who have been on the road for HOURS with no hope of being home any time soon.

Luckily, today was a sick day for me so I haven't had to deal with any of it.  I'm just thanking my lucky stars that I have power and hope that it remains on.

Since I am now able to use older articles for my research paper, I downloaded a bunch earlier that I need to weed through and make sure I can actually use them.  What I really want to do is watch Fantasia and Beauty and the Beast that I just ordered and received from Amazon in the mail a couple days ago.  Sigh.  I'm trying to remain a devout student however and am answering the chapter review questions that we have to turn in.  In the meantime, I'm praying for a snow day tomorrow.

I also realized that I have not posted any pictures since the Redskins game I went to back in September or October and that's no fun.  So enjoy some of these gems from New Year's Eve!

Some of my bestestes. Jessica, Heather, myself, and Meg

This kid is like my little brother.  I <3 him!

Carlos looking faaaabulous!

My college bestestes! Mary, me, Cyndi, Catherine.

Mother of my godchild... love this woman!

Danielle is like my second mom.

Yeah, I'm goofy and I love champagne!  Poppin' bottles!

So All I Have To Do Is Ask?

I spoke with Professor Xanax (as my friend Kelly has so lovingly nicknamed her) over the weekend.  Really I almost feel bad for posting this because she is actually a lovely woman, she is just extremely calm and I don't know that she has ever been upset ever-- which isn't always a bad thing.  Anyway, I told her it was taking an act of Congress to find an article in a scholarly journal that wasn't more than two years old for this damn research paper.  So, she told me to use older articles that I am finding... SWEET!  Because I literally spent HOURS this weekend searching for articles that would work. 
1. That can be very daunting.
2. That can be very discouraging when you don't find anything after spending so much time.
3. Now I will be burning the midnight oil once again this week trying to get the summaries done on time... luckily our class is canceled for this Friday so we have until midnight to email our assignments for the week.

I promised my friend Heather that I would make a legit schedule for myself for the rest of the semester, once I do that I'll try to figure out how to post it on here.

OH! So I went to the third class Performance Based Contracting last night and I think it's going to be a piece of cake.  We have a midterm and final that are both open book/note/neighbor what have you.  And an in-class project?  No idea what that means or entails, but I'm SO THANKFUL there are no more papers to add to the Spring semester from hell pile.  And I remember when I thought last summer was hell.... sigh.

Fat Camp is postponed til further notice... I have been eating everything in sight the past couple of days... no idea what's going on with my body... it's probably trying to be a woman.  I am giving up my work gym membership and going to sign up at this other gym near my house that's only $10 a month.

Now a few fun facts about me!
I love driving, I think because I'm really good at it-- it's hard to come by good drivers these days.
I have had 3 surgeries on my ovaries... the last one ended up in removing my left ovary and fallopian tube (yes, I can still have children if I want them)
You know I'm drunk when I get really chatty and hyper-- I'm generally a more quiet and subdued person

Happy Chewsday! 

This Break Brought to You by...

PROCRASTINATION!

I swear it will kill me one day, or maybe just seriously maim me.

Since my head is about to explode I figured now is as good a time as any to update!  First let me start off with the fact that I had an A-mazing dinner last night with my good friend/sista from anotha mista Lauren who was in town on business and made room to spend a little time with moi on her last night.  We ate at Lebanese Taverna and indulged in some delightful conversation and Maggie Moo's after.  Yes, we did eat ice cream when it was 30 degrees out... in my car, with the heat blasting.  Don't judge.

I really need to make a schedule up for myself.  I honestly thought that I had done a lot of my work for tomorrow this past weekend.  In reality, I pretty much didn't do anything but decide again what topic to go with.  Oops.  So here I sit, trying my best to understand this article from a Public Law journal about small businesses and contracting-- with a ton of jargon that may as well be written in Greek.  The reason for this tiny break is because I have been Googling said jargon to try and make sense of this article that may actually not be useful to my paper at all, but seeing it's the 11th hour, I will have to make due and just add that tidbit to the end of my summary.  Back to the schedule-- I think I've been putting it off because I have yet to go to my third class which starts next Monday (after the add/drop date might I add) which means I am screwed if I was thinking about dropping one of the three classes due to realization of insanity and A. getting my money back and B. without it showing up as a big ol W on my transcript.  I'm pretty much balls-to-the-walls-ing it this semester.  Third class or not, I need to get my ass in gear on this seminar class.

My proposed schedule:
Tomorrow (Friday night): class from 6:10-8:40
Saturday: 12-whenever I drop: library time
Saturday night: Possible outing if and only if I have gotten said ass into gear
Sunday: 12-5 reading and possibly writing and preparing for Tuesday's class (so reading)
Monday: class
Tuesday: class
Wednesday: 5-10 more reading and writing
Thursday: 5-10 more reading and writing or whatever else I have to do

Hopefully I can stick to this because God knows I need to. He also knows I have trouble sticking to schedules like this... I pray for discipline!

Ok, I really wanted to be done by 10, but it looks like it's going to be more like 2 at this point.  Positive energy is always welcome. 

Must Keep One Resolution

I resolved to write more.  I haven't had a moment to physically write in my journal so I will blog.

I called my professor tonight in crisis.  We had to turn in proposals for our papers yesterday and mine was a hot mess (or so I thought).  After about five or ten minutes she had me totally calmed down and was able to help me keep the topic I want to write about, just spun it a little differently so it is more positive and more researchable-- yes I just made that up get over it red squiggly line.  I desperately need to create a schedule for myself and STICK TO IT.  Seems to be the only way I will survive this semester. 

As for all other areas of my life?  I gained some weight over the holidays, but hopefully I will be back to the gym despite the incessant pain running down my leg.  Work is a whole 'nother story-- I have a new supervisor-- 'nuff said. 

Since I have put in quite a bit of time today for school I am going to reward myself with a little trip to the pub. 

PS-- I'm a part of a music exchange and am so excited to give and receive!

Spring Eleven

I went to my first class of the semester last night and this definitely will be my most challenging semester of all.  But I still want straight A's.  Goodbye social life, hello library! 

Yesterday's class, Fed. Contract Management and Administration, consists of a text that's Bible thickness, a professor who reminds me of a slightly more neurotic Jerry Seinfeld (in a good way), and papers the sum of the page numbers equaling anywhere from 25 to 40 pages.  I realize, folks, that I am in grad school, and that people in grad school have to do research and write papers, etc.  Bare (or is it bear?) with me for a second.  Even though I have only attended one of three class I am taking so far this semester I do know that in my next class I will have a 25 page paper/project, several journals, drafts, and articles I'll have to read.  As for the third class-- I have no idea what to expect at this point. 

When I figure out how I'm going to work this and get everything done, I will let you all know. ;)

Happy New-- ahhh forget it!

I blinked and 2010 was out the door skipping down the sidewalk.  Tucked in its suitcases (I'm assuming) were the 10 pounds I managed to lose and keep off since August, the A- and B grades that ruined my pristine 4.0 average in GRAD school (yeah I knew it wouldn't last long either), the near-death experience with the PEs, bad choices, good choices, indifference, crazy people, attempts to better myself along with attempts at self-sabotage.  Heartache-- thank God that left with the crazy people.  I don't really know what else I accomplished last year-- aside from the few week breaks here and there, I was in school all year long; I worked really hard and I did well.  I have a 3.8something to show for that.  Love will not be leaving, because I have yet to find it-- maybe 2011 will bring someone who loves me for me, wouldn't that be nice?  Perhaps I'll learn to love myself first. 

What do I want from 2011?
I want to get all A's in the rest of my classes.
I want to stay sane through the Spring semester because I will be full time.
I want to develop self-discipline so that I produce the best work possible.
I want to develop self-discipline to create a healthy routine for myself.
I want to stop smoking.
I want the chronic pain to go away.
I want to go to Kosovo and visit my friend.
I do not want to be on coumadin for the rest of my life, though I probably will have to be.
I do not want to be the Michelin Man at my graduation in the Fall.

For an extreme goal I want to be happy and not think about death/dying.

Hopes for others: I hope my brother finds happiness even though he thinks he never will, and I hope my dad meets a nice lady to hang out with ;)

I normally call bullshit on new year's resolutions, which is why I just cut to the chase-- this is what I want and hope for.  Whether or not any of it happens, is up to me and the higher power.  I might also implore my mom a little, maybe my sister.