Now it's a yearly update?

Totally in a whatever kind of mindset right now. I'm not sure what I've updated over a year ago: I'm too lazy to figure out how to go back and read it. I guess I can give a current update:
I worked at Starbucks until last month... yes, I hop around with jobs a lot, but I kept that one for quite a while, and I think if anybody knew the circumstances, they would understand. I'm currently working at Best Buy... we'll see how that goes.

School, school, school. Normandale has been my college... I keep going back to them. I started this fall semester - I was going full-time, but not having a car and lacking time to study was going to make it difficult. I dropped my accounting class (it's boring anyway, I don't know how anybody can do that as a profession). I am currently taking a high school math refresher course (I haven't had math in years), a beginning chemistry class (I haven't taken chemistry since it was in a mixed math class in Jr. High), and Introduction to Creative Writing. They are all fun yet challenging classes and my teachers are hoots! I will be sad when this semester is over.

I'm still with the same guy: Kevin. We've had our fallouts, but whatever. Every relationship comes with work. He's a good guy, just human is all. I don't think I would be where I am at without him, though.

Hum-drum... My nephew was born on February 27th of this year. He's such a cutie. William Scott Houghtelin. He is called Liam.

I don't know what else to write about. We got another cat, Sasha... We live in Plymouth... I dislike people that run red lights and then lie about it... I dislike people that witness an accident and can't stop to report what they saw. ... my grandma grows amazing veggies!!!...

That's all I have right now. Toodles.

ADAP and Apartments

I just got out of the ADAP treatment program in St. Paul a month ago! Time flies by so fast!! I am currently searching for jobs and apartments. I may be moving in with my uncle Mike... we'll see what happens with that, tho. Oh, and I'm also going to be stealing my sister's cat, Fatty. His name will be changed tho. Fatty's Dings Dongs is so much better.

Longer Letter Later.

time off

Please let me know if this is good or if I need to ask for additional time off for other activities.

Here is what I'm turning in today:

March 24: family / birthday

April 7-8: personal (Tricadecathalonomania) - (not requesting off, not participating)
April 14: can work until 6p
April 15: personal (Spring Fever)
April 16: (normal unavailability) appointment

May 16 - 29: Europe

July 11: can work until 6p
July 12-16: personal, Canada (Hulla)
July 21: wedding

Silly Me

So I'm not so smart... I guess that happens. I went to my first pre-meeting for my trip to Europe. I haven't applied for a passport yet - yikes!! My professor was kind of upset about that... oops :( But I'm going tomorrow... er, today to deal with that. I hope it works out. Planning for this trip is super-exciting!!

I'm also waiting for Sunday... I get to meet Kevin's friend, Carrie, and her fiancee, Tim. Carrie is such a sweetheart, I'm so happy to be able to talk to her online, and now I will finally MEET her!!

My class for my PTCB exam (to get certified as a Pharmacy Technician through the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy) is going pretty good. So far it seems to be generally easy: subjects that I've been learning much about while working in the pharmacy (go figure). I have the calculations down-pat as I use them daily, so the only thing I need to really worry about is the drug names / generics / use, etc. That's probably a big part of the exam, though. Lucky for me, I have flash cards to help me study and learn. The test is in April, I believe. So many big events happening soon: meeting Carrie on Sunday, going to see DJ's in April, PTCB exam in April, going to Europe in May, Carrie's wedding in July, possibly going to Toronto in July... OOFTA! I'm so psyched, yet nervous. I'm so glad 2006 is over... a new leaf has obviously turned, and I'm jumping on every opportunity possible!

Not sure what else to write at this point. Loving photography and learning about the camera and how to take better pictures (and with meaning)... working on Black and White right now... searching for a place to develop them. I'm so happy to have this camera!!

Did I mention I'm going to be an AUNTIE?

Life... In a nutshell.

I just realized that I haven't posted anything for a month... and that was quite vague as well. Life has been alright over here. I'm working at Walgreens as a Pharmacy Technician. It's a lot of work, but I am learning new things every day and gaining new responsibilities. I just started going to the certification class so that I can test to become certified with the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy to be a Pharmacy Technician. I've only been there since the end of November, I really didn't start working shifts until December (I believe)... yet about a week ago I was offered a promotion (assuming that I pass the test to be a certified pharmacy tech and work hard to learn the additional jobs and responsibilities that come with the title). I still won't be making as much money as I was when I worked the group homes, but that's okay. I'll have gained a new kind of knowledge and a new title. When I get certified, my title becomes CPhT, which comes with a 75 cent raise (the test is in April). After I get certified, they will have me do hardcore training with pharmacists and other senior techs to learn what I need to learn for my promotion. I should be a SCPhT (Senior Certified Pharmacy Technician) by May, receiving another raise, this time $1.50. I guess they like that I'm dedicated to my work, I'm eager to learn, and I'm willing to go beyond their level of expectation.

Kevin and I have been doing well together. It has been almost a year... actually, it will have been exactly 1 year together in 12 days (if I'm remembering correctly)... yay us!! We've had our bumps in the road due to lacking communication, small issues, not seeing much of each other - you know, those relationship hardships, but that comes with the territory. I've learned so much about him and so much about myself in this past year; I'm so happy we can be a part of each other's lives. I know the fam' doesn't exactly like our age difference, and nobody really sees what we find in each other, but what we share, I feel anyway, is so beautiful. It's shocking that a relationship is possible that actually is on a stronger, more emotional level. It seems that nowdays relationships are based on sex and nothing on communication and other important factors. I appreciate that ours is much more stronger, much more deep. I have never felt this way for anybody before. He has made me a better, more loving and understanding person. I hope that we have so many more years together. But enough of me being sappy.

Another super-exciting thing: I'M GOING TO EUROPE!! On May 17th, I depart with my photography professor and some classmates to travel Europe. We're going to do some major sight-seeing in Berlin, Potsdam, Warsaw (including the infamous Warsaw ghetto where Jews of Warsaw were imprisoned by Nazis), Czestochowa (to see the Black Madonna), Krakow, the Auschwitz death camp, Wadowice (we will see medievel castles on limestone cliffs here on our way to the Czech Republic from Poland... we also get to see the birthplace of Pope John Paul II), Prague, Telc (described as a well-preserved Renaissance town), and Vienna, ending our tour with the Schonbrunn Palace (where Marie Antoinette spent her childhood). There's so much we will be doing during our 12-day adventure. I'm so excited to go. Naturally, because it is through my school (Normandale and EF Tours worked together to let us go), there will be assignments that I will have to do before I go, during, and after the trip, but it will be well-worth it. Luckily, I am a photography student, so my final project will be required to be mostly pictures (break my heart)... Next Wednesday (7 March) is our first pre-trip meeting to gather information to prepare us for the trip and to get help with our assignment that we have to fulfill before we can depart (we have to read at least 3 books that teach about culture in one or all of the places we will be visiting, site our resources, then write a paper on what we read... kinda bites, but it will be good to get ready so we can understand just that much more of the people and places we will visit). I will write more about this trip later. Thank you, Grandma and Crystal (and mom) for helping make this dream possible!!

Back to right now: the snow!! What is up with that anyway? I thought winter was supposed to finish soon. :( People don't do a good job of driving, so it's scary... argh! It took me over an hour to drive home tonight. There were several times I had to avoid an accident, plus I drove by a huge accident involving semis and cars... there were pieces of vehicle all over the road on top of the snowy nastiness - so not only could people not control their cars, but they were distracted by a mess of damaged vehicles. Ugh, whatever. It will get better. :)

Ooh... I got to go on a double-date with Kevin, Kevin's co-worker, Logan, and Logan's wife, Melissa... I hope that made sense. It was a lot of fun!! We met at Perkin's (unfortunately, Kevin and I were late because I had to stay a little later at work) and had dinner, and then we went to see Jim Carrey's new move : The Number 23. Oh my goodness, that was amazing!!

Later days!

School = excitement... rah rah ree

So I was able to play with most of my buddies during winter break. Woot! Now I wait with anticipation (or rather lack of) for school to start on Wednesday. Yay for the wimpy classes I have: Beginning German II and Basic Still Photography. Someday (hopefully soon) I will suck it up and take classes with more difficulty than just the German.
T'Care y'all.

handy dandy sheet music blog

Free Modern Music Sheets: December 2006