A long time yet again
So I know its been a long time since I updated. Everytime I get a journal, I swear I am going to be better about updating and it never happens. So we'll see if I can stick with it this time.
Break was great, very long though. Made coming back to school very hard after 7 weeks off. Won't give too much detail cause it is a little late for that. Saw a lot of friends and had some great times. Mom had shoulder surgery but is doing very well. New Years was great, went up to Traverse City to hang out with Squirrel, Craig, Pank and Ten Gallon. Just had a great time with old friends. Got to meet Craig's girlfriend Jamie too. She was so much fun. I can see how her and Craig get along so well. I wish them much happiness. Then flew back to Missoula a week before classes started. Thought of doing to Denver to see Robert Earl Keen with Dan and Craig, but decided not too. It would have been really expensive to drive Frank's Jeep and my car wouldn't have handled all the mountain passes very well. And it would have taken over 14 hours each way to get there. So we stayed home and actually got a lot of things done, things pile up when you are gone for a month.
Then school started. Have 3 classes again, but they are turning out pretty well. Geotectonics (took a very advanced class similar to it at Tech, but this is more general and covers more material and its with Becky and I like her), GIS and Geology (again a refresher course for me, but the GIS class I took at Tech was in forestry, so it will be good to have some geology application background) and then River Resoration and Management (a pretty easy seminar class, all I have to do for the first 7 weeks is read, and its pretty interesting). I started working in the lab too, got a pay raise so I'm making almost double of what I was expecting, yay to Christine (our friendly admin lady) who lobbied to get me more money. So I gave myself a getting a raise present in the form of a new ipod (named Schmoo) and I love him! The lab work is pretty tedious, but its coming together. And I'm going to start crocheting/doing homework while the tests are running (about 25 minutes each). So I'm busier this semester than last week, but still have some free time to just relax and go on walks with Frank. No class Tuesday or Thursday, but I get a good chunk of my 20 hours of work in on those days. M and W aren't bad, class from 8-11. Wednesdays are the only really bad day, class from 8-9, 10-11 and 2-5. So its long, but I think I am going to get my last few hours of work in during my breaks.
Frank got a TA for the semester which is very exciting, means twice the income for us each month and $6500 bucks less in student loans that Frank would have to pay back later. Also, Frank's mom and dad gave us some money to help pay for rent for the semester since we didn't think Frank would have a job, when he found out he got the TA and we weren't going to need, we tried to give all the money back to them. They said that we should keep it and buy something nice that we wouldn't buy for ourselves and we really wanted. So we bought ourselves a "Big Ass TV" as Frank likes to call it. Its really huge and widescreen and I enjoy it.
I haven't been feeling well and still haven't been able to see a joint doctor yet. Boo! I have an appointment in April because they were booked solid until then, I just wish it was sooner. But it turns out that I might have something wrong with my thyroid, I had more bloodwork done and I'll get the results tomorrow, but I think I might have to go to an endochronologist to have it checked out. My mom had similar problems and they can be familial, so its worth looking into. Maybe that will help explain why I am so tired all the time and why my hands go numb. We'll see how that goes.
My grandma is slowly losing it. She had to be non-volunarily admitted to a mental clinic yesterday because she was off her medication and acting very manic (she may be bipolar instead of just clinically depressed). She can only stay in the clinic for 2 weeks and after that she is going into Adult Foster care until my mom can sell her house so she has money to pay for assited living. I feel bad for my mom because she is still rehabbing her shoulder and can't really travel to take care of things. But my grandma has a social worker assigned to her now and she's taking care of things. Also my mom's friend Bill is going to take care of selling the house (he advised waiting until at least May when the price would be higher, and every $ more means more time my grandma can spend in a really nice assisted living), so my mom doesn't have to worry about that too much. But they will have to move my grandma at some point and it may likely be while my parents are trying to move into their new house. Its just a lousy situation, I feel like I have lost my grandma even though she is still alive. She just isn't the same old grandma. Mental illness is a scary thing, especially in my family.
My parents new house is looking good. They are drawing up the final floor plans this week and picking out appliances (all brand new) and furniture and all the fixtures for the house. They are really excited about moving to Manitowac and having a brand new house, it will be a first for both of them. I am really happy for them. My dad will likely be retiring in May, just in time to move. He's not entirely sure yet because it depends on when his mill closes for good. Its just makes me feel better to know my parents are happy.
Sad news this morning too, a guy that I went to high school with and lives down the street from my parents and is now in the National Guard in Iraq was severely wounded when his humvee hit a roadside bomb. He's now in a German hospital, but its not sure whether he will recover. Andrew told me that on IM this morning, I think he's a little shaken up, but says he's doing okay. I think it just hit a little too close to home, for him and me. I just want him to stay safe and come home.
So I shouldn't end on a sad note, so I'll try something happy. I need suggestions on what to do for spring break... One options is to head to Denver with Frank to see Dan, I could go to the Society of Mining Engineers conference in St Louis and see Squirrel and a bunch of mining people from Tech, or Frank and I could go somewhere fun like Vegas since there are charter flights from here to there, or anywhere else fun. We kind of have to do it cheaply, but if you have any ideas of somewhere fun to go, please let me know.
I like Shannon's idea of ending with something witty or funny, but my brain isn't really on today either. So here's what's playing on my ipod:
"I have a crazy idiosyncrasy,
it's affinity to serendipity,
and in this eternal epiphany,
no hypocracy or duplicity."
~Dispatch "Bats in the Belfry"
I had coffee this morning, mmm mmm good. And now I'm really awake which is good, but I'm getting hungry, I will have to head over to the UC and get some lunch here shortly. I'm really craving a good sub.
Oh, and I am wearing flip flops right now. I have decided in I am going to have to be this asbestos riddled (yup, its everywhere, but we're all safe, or so they say) building all day, I am not going to be hampered by socks (I really hate socks) or shoes (not so bad, but usually require socks). So I'm running around in my fun sandals and going "flip flop" all down the hall. Sometimes its just the little things that make my day :)
Break was great, very long though. Made coming back to school very hard after 7 weeks off. Won't give too much detail cause it is a little late for that. Saw a lot of friends and had some great times. Mom had shoulder surgery but is doing very well. New Years was great, went up to Traverse City to hang out with Squirrel, Craig, Pank and Ten Gallon. Just had a great time with old friends. Got to meet Craig's girlfriend Jamie too. She was so much fun. I can see how her and Craig get along so well. I wish them much happiness. Then flew back to Missoula a week before classes started. Thought of doing to Denver to see Robert Earl Keen with Dan and Craig, but decided not too. It would have been really expensive to drive Frank's Jeep and my car wouldn't have handled all the mountain passes very well. And it would have taken over 14 hours each way to get there. So we stayed home and actually got a lot of things done, things pile up when you are gone for a month.
Then school started. Have 3 classes again, but they are turning out pretty well. Geotectonics (took a very advanced class similar to it at Tech, but this is more general and covers more material and its with Becky and I like her), GIS and Geology (again a refresher course for me, but the GIS class I took at Tech was in forestry, so it will be good to have some geology application background) and then River Resoration and Management (a pretty easy seminar class, all I have to do for the first 7 weeks is read, and its pretty interesting). I started working in the lab too, got a pay raise so I'm making almost double of what I was expecting, yay to Christine (our friendly admin lady) who lobbied to get me more money. So I gave myself a getting a raise present in the form of a new ipod (named Schmoo) and I love him! The lab work is pretty tedious, but its coming together. And I'm going to start crocheting/doing homework while the tests are running (about 25 minutes each). So I'm busier this semester than last week, but still have some free time to just relax and go on walks with Frank. No class Tuesday or Thursday, but I get a good chunk of my 20 hours of work in on those days. M and W aren't bad, class from 8-11. Wednesdays are the only really bad day, class from 8-9, 10-11 and 2-5. So its long, but I think I am going to get my last few hours of work in during my breaks.
Frank got a TA for the semester which is very exciting, means twice the income for us each month and $6500 bucks less in student loans that Frank would have to pay back later. Also, Frank's mom and dad gave us some money to help pay for rent for the semester since we didn't think Frank would have a job, when he found out he got the TA and we weren't going to need, we tried to give all the money back to them. They said that we should keep it and buy something nice that we wouldn't buy for ourselves and we really wanted. So we bought ourselves a "Big Ass TV" as Frank likes to call it. Its really huge and widescreen and I enjoy it.
I haven't been feeling well and still haven't been able to see a joint doctor yet. Boo! I have an appointment in April because they were booked solid until then, I just wish it was sooner. But it turns out that I might have something wrong with my thyroid, I had more bloodwork done and I'll get the results tomorrow, but I think I might have to go to an endochronologist to have it checked out. My mom had similar problems and they can be familial, so its worth looking into. Maybe that will help explain why I am so tired all the time and why my hands go numb. We'll see how that goes.
My grandma is slowly losing it. She had to be non-volunarily admitted to a mental clinic yesterday because she was off her medication and acting very manic (she may be bipolar instead of just clinically depressed). She can only stay in the clinic for 2 weeks and after that she is going into Adult Foster care until my mom can sell her house so she has money to pay for assited living. I feel bad for my mom because she is still rehabbing her shoulder and can't really travel to take care of things. But my grandma has a social worker assigned to her now and she's taking care of things. Also my mom's friend Bill is going to take care of selling the house (he advised waiting until at least May when the price would be higher, and every $ more means more time my grandma can spend in a really nice assisted living), so my mom doesn't have to worry about that too much. But they will have to move my grandma at some point and it may likely be while my parents are trying to move into their new house. Its just a lousy situation, I feel like I have lost my grandma even though she is still alive. She just isn't the same old grandma. Mental illness is a scary thing, especially in my family.
My parents new house is looking good. They are drawing up the final floor plans this week and picking out appliances (all brand new) and furniture and all the fixtures for the house. They are really excited about moving to Manitowac and having a brand new house, it will be a first for both of them. I am really happy for them. My dad will likely be retiring in May, just in time to move. He's not entirely sure yet because it depends on when his mill closes for good. Its just makes me feel better to know my parents are happy.
Sad news this morning too, a guy that I went to high school with and lives down the street from my parents and is now in the National Guard in Iraq was severely wounded when his humvee hit a roadside bomb. He's now in a German hospital, but its not sure whether he will recover. Andrew told me that on IM this morning, I think he's a little shaken up, but says he's doing okay. I think it just hit a little too close to home, for him and me. I just want him to stay safe and come home.
So I shouldn't end on a sad note, so I'll try something happy. I need suggestions on what to do for spring break... One options is to head to Denver with Frank to see Dan, I could go to the Society of Mining Engineers conference in St Louis and see Squirrel and a bunch of mining people from Tech, or Frank and I could go somewhere fun like Vegas since there are charter flights from here to there, or anywhere else fun. We kind of have to do it cheaply, but if you have any ideas of somewhere fun to go, please let me know.
I like Shannon's idea of ending with something witty or funny, but my brain isn't really on today either. So here's what's playing on my ipod:
"I have a crazy idiosyncrasy,
it's affinity to serendipity,
and in this eternal epiphany,
no hypocracy or duplicity."
~Dispatch "Bats in the Belfry"
I had coffee this morning, mmm mmm good. And now I'm really awake which is good, but I'm getting hungry, I will have to head over to the UC and get some lunch here shortly. I'm really craving a good sub.
Oh, and I am wearing flip flops right now. I have decided in I am going to have to be this asbestos riddled (yup, its everywhere, but we're all safe, or so they say) building all day, I am not going to be hampered by socks (I really hate socks) or shoes (not so bad, but usually require socks). So I'm running around in my fun sandals and going "flip flop" all down the hall. Sometimes its just the little things that make my day :)