Today marks the beginning of classes at many colleges, including Zachary's school and Edinboro, and I'm having a very difficult time with no longer being a student. True fact that this fall marks my third back-to-school year that I haven't gone, well, back to school (although technically I lived off-campus posing as a student during all of 2005- ( Read more... )

I haven't been at home on the first day of school in 18 years. Considering I graduated in 2005, I thought August 28, 2006 would feel like every other day. After all, I wasn't enrolled last year at this time, either. I still lived in Edinboro, though, so I tricked myself into thinking that I was still a college student whose classes were cancelled ( Read more... )

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I want to gush for a minute and say that I have the best boyfriend in the world. I've been having a rough week anticipating the trial of my newly arrived BiPAP (an upcoming post in itself), so on Monday night, after he had worked all day and done his laundry, Aaron drove the 2.5 hours to my house to help me through my first night. (Un)fortunately, ( Read more... )

Our dog, Gretel, is having minor surgery tomorrow morning to drain a hematoma in her left ear flap, but judging by my mother's reaction, I'm more likely to believe that the dog is being put to sleep. Zachary found the water-balloon-like blister yesterday morning and brought it to the attention of my mother, who had the vet on the phone and a ( Read more... )

I returned home last night after a 10-day vacation that hit every high, low and frustration possible in a family trip. The aspects of the vacation that I had dreaded, however, actually turned out to be the most enjoyable, while the parts that I had anticipated resulted in irritation and physical and emotional drainage. Luckily I could recouperate ( Read more... )

Despite the overall bleakness of the job hunt and the occasional loneliness, my days in Latrobe aren't too bad. I've been on an up-at-six down-at-nine schedule since week one, and while at times monotonous, I have always enjoyed routine -- much like a well-tempered toddler ( Read more... )

Upon Zachary's request for another entry dedicated to him, who am I to refuse ( Read more... )

For the second weekend in a row, Aaron came to visit, creating a very spoiled and very happy Ms. Schmucker. I'm so thankful he could steal his family's van again, though, because most likely we won't get to see each other for two or more weeks. That's a long time when you've all but lived together for the past year ( Read more... )

My brother's last day of high school was today. He graduates next Friday, June 2. In honor of his final days, he and his best friend declared it '70s Week -- for just themselves. Behold months, nay, years of thrifting modeled by a guy who was born decades after his time.

( I'm so proud. )