TGIAO!!!
Thank Goodness It's All Over!!!
I thought it was going to be so easy to finish school on a weekend. I figured I'd get it over with and have the rest of the weekend to enjoy the start of freedom with lots of energy and enthusiasm. No. Instead I got hit with massive burn-out. I had possibly the worst case of the I-don't-wannas in my entire two years of school. I had my usual crash day Saturday, but fortunately Dan got me out to get some shoes. But when we got back instead of getting started on all my plans I got the I-don't-wannas and started playing Sims. That was a BAAAAAAAD idea. I knew it would be, but I couldn't help it. I did not move from the chair except to go to bed or to give the dog bribes for skipping her walk. Sunday was the same, only I not only owed the dog a big walk; I also owed Dan a date, and I skipped out on both. About 10pm I finally got started on my homework and was a cranky whiny stinker 'till I started making some progress, then I couldn't stop. I finished at about 5am - as my previous post indicates.
So the good news, I'm DONE with this BS forever!!! At this rate, I do not see myself going back to school, at least not this seriously. One class at a time with tons of breaks, at the most. Like maybe a few classes a year and that's it, maximum. Any more learning I need, I'm hoping to do all on my own. No more school!
The bad news: I am exhausted (less than 5 hours of sleep is not a good way to start the week), I feel like crap (3 days straight of sitting & staring at a monitor without even so much as a short walk for exercise), I can actually SEE the muscle atrophy in my legs from putting off exercise to do (or procrastinate on) homework and I actually got winded just from doing a few squats this morning. I owe the dog 3 walks or a really really huge and awesome one, I owe Dan a dinner date and some fun time together, and I found myself this morning with almost completely empty cupboards and fridge and running late for work so I tossed together a strange medley of who-knows-what-but-I-don't-want-to-eat-today for today's food (till dinner). Oh great, to add to matters I just found out my monthly friend has come to visit and I have nothing on hand to deal with it. Actually this visit explains a lot of things... usually things start to improve from here so that's good.
Other good news: We found a pair of shoes that fit me comfortably and won't blow out with holes in the next few months! They're expensive, but cheaper than I was willing to go, and hopefully they will last longer than my shoes usually do. They're so comfy! This is the first time I've had shoes where my toes and the balls of my feet have air around them. I had to buy men's shoes because we couldn't find anything in a 9.5 Xwide in women's. We were lucky enough to find my size in men's: 8 4E wide
Also good news: Dan and I are doing the dinner date tonight. My boss is letting me leave early for it. My boss is almost as excited about me being done with school as I am. He did a happy dance and gave me a high five. Oh and I got a vet appointment for Zeta for Wednesday. The lady on the phone said it doesn't sound threatening and that it might just be that her "anal gland needs to be expressed". Eeeewwww!! But I hope it is just that and not a tumor or something. It does kind of look like a glandular thing. That dog and her butt. Ew.
With school out everyone's asking me, "What now?"
I give them the quick answer: "Now I can have a life again!"
My plans:
• Commence with celebrations this week - bringing treats to work, doing something with friends and family. Enjoy a few weeks with work and chores as my main responsibilities and see just how much time does it afford me (if I'm also getting enough sleep every night), THEN I can start making other plans.
• Spend more time socializing - I got onto FaceBook, will get a profile together and get on LinkedIn.
I'm hoping to do something social about 2 or 3 times during each week (not counting weekends) because I've noticed the more I socialize the less shy I am, but I do need my Me time still or I get really worn out.
• Start riding my bike or walking to work now that I have that little extra time and won't need my car for a place to nap during the day because I'm planning to get enough sleep. Also it'll help me get back into shape after all this time off from working out.
• I have a web design project to get started on by April.
• We're going to the Olympics in February - gotta map out our transportation for that since the only hotel I could book is right on the border (45 minutes from the Olympics, but it saves us from time waiting at the border and gets us just a couple hours more sleep between events).
• Some time by April I want to visit Jenn in GA
• Dave is coming back up in early March (which happens to be the best time to fly to GA)
• Some time I've got to book a camping vacation in Phoenix (instead of doing a grad ceremony)
• JJ and I forgot to talk about cruises... need to get in touch about that so I know how much time I need to take off
• Plan a trip to Australia
• I also want to do camping with my dad in the summer
• And we've been considering doing a stay-cation - it all depends on how I split my paid time off.
• Brush up on my programming languages because I've already forgotten most of what I learned in my classes.
• Get some more design practice in & develop a portfolio (all the stuff I have is way too out of date)
• Search for a new home (if Dan can get a job)
• Clean up this house inside and out
• If we get a new home, maybe get a couple of kittens or another dog for Zeta
• Start taking Zeta for more big walks and/or to the doggie parks on weekends
• IF I have extra time, maybe volunteer at the animal shelter
• Check into stocks, CDs, etc. for building my wealth
• Sell and donate a bunch of stuff from our storage
• Get all our shit super duper uber-organized
• Get Dan to open a retirement account (if he can get a job)
• Last of all, the scary thing: this is the year D and I were thinking about maybe setting aside the BC. But we are in no position for that financially or mentally... yet. Hell, I don't know if I'll ever be ready mentally, but our financial situation is a huge concern. We're getting really close to that age and we're hardly making enough to support us with opt-outs on insurance and other stuff that we really should have. Dan's got a few grey hairs on his head though I seem to be the only one who can see them, and they disappear when he trims his hair. It's just a little pepper which can only be discerned in the right light if you look for it. After his reaction to his first white hair (which hasn't reappeared after getting pulled), I decided it's best to wait for him or other people to notice the other grays, not for me to mention. Basically wait 'till it's obvious so he won't freak. Fortunately his hair is still thick and healthy, no signs of thinning or going dull. I think the minor grays are just from stress.
I thought it was going to be so easy to finish school on a weekend. I figured I'd get it over with and have the rest of the weekend to enjoy the start of freedom with lots of energy and enthusiasm. No. Instead I got hit with massive burn-out. I had possibly the worst case of the I-don't-wannas in my entire two years of school. I had my usual crash day Saturday, but fortunately Dan got me out to get some shoes. But when we got back instead of getting started on all my plans I got the I-don't-wannas and started playing Sims. That was a BAAAAAAAD idea. I knew it would be, but I couldn't help it. I did not move from the chair except to go to bed or to give the dog bribes for skipping her walk. Sunday was the same, only I not only owed the dog a big walk; I also owed Dan a date, and I skipped out on both. About 10pm I finally got started on my homework and was a cranky whiny stinker 'till I started making some progress, then I couldn't stop. I finished at about 5am - as my previous post indicates.
So the good news, I'm DONE with this BS forever!!! At this rate, I do not see myself going back to school, at least not this seriously. One class at a time with tons of breaks, at the most. Like maybe a few classes a year and that's it, maximum. Any more learning I need, I'm hoping to do all on my own. No more school!
The bad news: I am exhausted (less than 5 hours of sleep is not a good way to start the week), I feel like crap (3 days straight of sitting & staring at a monitor without even so much as a short walk for exercise), I can actually SEE the muscle atrophy in my legs from putting off exercise to do (or procrastinate on) homework and I actually got winded just from doing a few squats this morning. I owe the dog 3 walks or a really really huge and awesome one, I owe Dan a dinner date and some fun time together, and I found myself this morning with almost completely empty cupboards and fridge and running late for work so I tossed together a strange medley of who-knows-what-but-I-don't-want-to-eat-today for today's food (till dinner). Oh great, to add to matters I just found out my monthly friend has come to visit and I have nothing on hand to deal with it. Actually this visit explains a lot of things... usually things start to improve from here so that's good.
Other good news: We found a pair of shoes that fit me comfortably and won't blow out with holes in the next few months! They're expensive, but cheaper than I was willing to go, and hopefully they will last longer than my shoes usually do. They're so comfy! This is the first time I've had shoes where my toes and the balls of my feet have air around them. I had to buy men's shoes because we couldn't find anything in a 9.5 Xwide in women's. We were lucky enough to find my size in men's: 8 4E wide
Also good news: Dan and I are doing the dinner date tonight. My boss is letting me leave early for it. My boss is almost as excited about me being done with school as I am. He did a happy dance and gave me a high five. Oh and I got a vet appointment for Zeta for Wednesday. The lady on the phone said it doesn't sound threatening and that it might just be that her "anal gland needs to be expressed". Eeeewwww!! But I hope it is just that and not a tumor or something. It does kind of look like a glandular thing. That dog and her butt. Ew.
With school out everyone's asking me, "What now?"
I give them the quick answer: "Now I can have a life again!"
My plans:
• Commence with celebrations this week - bringing treats to work, doing something with friends and family. Enjoy a few weeks with work and chores as my main responsibilities and see just how much time does it afford me (if I'm also getting enough sleep every night), THEN I can start making other plans.
• Spend more time socializing - I got onto FaceBook, will get a profile together and get on LinkedIn.
I'm hoping to do something social about 2 or 3 times during each week (not counting weekends) because I've noticed the more I socialize the less shy I am, but I do need my Me time still or I get really worn out.
• Start riding my bike or walking to work now that I have that little extra time and won't need my car for a place to nap during the day because I'm planning to get enough sleep. Also it'll help me get back into shape after all this time off from working out.
• I have a web design project to get started on by April.
• We're going to the Olympics in February - gotta map out our transportation for that since the only hotel I could book is right on the border (45 minutes from the Olympics, but it saves us from time waiting at the border and gets us just a couple hours more sleep between events).
• Some time by April I want to visit Jenn in GA
• Dave is coming back up in early March (which happens to be the best time to fly to GA)
• Some time I've got to book a camping vacation in Phoenix (instead of doing a grad ceremony)
• JJ and I forgot to talk about cruises... need to get in touch about that so I know how much time I need to take off
• Plan a trip to Australia
• I also want to do camping with my dad in the summer
• And we've been considering doing a stay-cation - it all depends on how I split my paid time off.
• Brush up on my programming languages because I've already forgotten most of what I learned in my classes.
• Get some more design practice in & develop a portfolio (all the stuff I have is way too out of date)
• Search for a new home (if Dan can get a job)
• Clean up this house inside and out
• If we get a new home, maybe get a couple of kittens or another dog for Zeta
• Start taking Zeta for more big walks and/or to the doggie parks on weekends
• IF I have extra time, maybe volunteer at the animal shelter
• Check into stocks, CDs, etc. for building my wealth
• Sell and donate a bunch of stuff from our storage
• Get all our shit super duper uber-organized
• Get Dan to open a retirement account (if he can get a job)
• Last of all, the scary thing: this is the year D and I were thinking about maybe setting aside the BC. But we are in no position for that financially or mentally... yet. Hell, I don't know if I'll ever be ready mentally, but our financial situation is a huge concern. We're getting really close to that age and we're hardly making enough to support us with opt-outs on insurance and other stuff that we really should have. Dan's got a few grey hairs on his head though I seem to be the only one who can see them, and they disappear when he trims his hair. It's just a little pepper which can only be discerned in the right light if you look for it. After his reaction to his first white hair (which hasn't reappeared after getting pulled), I decided it's best to wait for him or other people to notice the other grays, not for me to mention. Basically wait 'till it's obvious so he won't freak. Fortunately his hair is still thick and healthy, no signs of thinning or going dull. I think the minor grays are just from stress.