It's been a loooong time.
This semester has been just about the craziest ever. I'm completely isolated this semester. Living in Webster has been good. I love my room, my suitemate and I get along very well, and I'm close to all my classes and my work. But I don't know the people that live here. I am the only senior on my floor besides the two RAs. And besides that, the building is about 90 freshman of 120 people. No one socializes; but it isn't like i have all this time to hang out. But I miss going to the cafeteria with someone. I eat alone three times a day just about every day. Of course Phil goes to the caf with me when he is here, but this semester I haven't seen him a lot because I'm especially busy most weekends.
I've also put on about 5 pounds this semester and I think it is from being busy and just trying to grab what I can eat when I have time or even trying to use eating as a reason to avoid doing some of my homework for a while. I really need to crack down on myself. I'm starting to really dislike how I look again. And now I need to lose 15 pounds instead of 10...
I wish I went to the gym more, but I'm tired a lot. I know going to the gym would give me more energy, but it is hard to make myself take the time. I wish I lived closer to the gym. Living is Webster makes it a 15 minute walk away from me. That doesn't really bother me normally, but since I work in the childcare center on campus four days a week I spend a lot of my energy there. I don't feel much like going to work out after playing with a group of two-year-olds or carrying around a few infants for a couple of hours. At least I don't take the bus around campus; I'll walk to where I need to be.
I've decided not to work at Blockbuster over the winter break. I've decided this because I'm going to be working about 30 hours a week from mid January to at least the end of June or maybe July for the co-operative education position I took. I'll have free time to concentrate on exercising and trying to diet like I did three summers ago. I wish I had the motivation I had then. I'd probably be able to do a better job exercising if my mom wasn't going to be home with me for the two weeks following Christmas. I love her, but I feel like I have no control over what I do when she is home. Also, I'd want to use the tredmill we have, but it is very loud and in the living room (where my mom spends most of her time when she is in the house). I feel uncomfortable trying to use it with anyone around cause I think it is too noisy.
I'm hoping to maybe bicycle to my co-op next semester. It is a few miles away in Verona, but I don't think it will be much worse than biking to Kansai Gaidai from my homestay in Japan. That would be great exercise. And about my co-op, I'm going to be working for The Children's Institute, which is a school for children with special needs, such as learning disabilities, communication delays, and other issues. My job is to be a one-on-one aide to a five-year-old autistic boy. I'll be with him every day (Monday through Friday) from 8:45am to 2:45pm. I'll be going everywhere with him, to his classes, his therapy sessions, etc. I'm very excited about it, but also nervous. It seems like a big job. I'm still working on the stuff I have to do for the job such as getting a physical and being fingerprinted, but I already signed the contract. They also offered me top pay, which is $12.00 an hour. That's a lot to me, who has never made more than $8.00 an hour for the few jobs I have had. I'm also taking three night classes with my co-op. I'm taking Physiological Psychology on Tuesdays from 5:30pm to 8:00pm, Metalwork & Jewelry Making, Intermediate on Wednesdays from 5:00pm to 10:00pm, and Developmental Psychology on Thursdays from 5:30pm to 8:00pm. Hopefully my homework load will be managable.
Well, I should get ready for class now. Other stuff to talk about, but it will have to be some other time. To my friends who read this, I'm sorry that I'm never around. I'm sorry that I haven't spoken to you or spent time with you. I miss my friends a lot. It makes me really sad to think so many of you are graduating soon and I won't see you much after that. I promise I'm going to work my best to be a better friend next semester.