back by popular demand :o)
so, after a near semester-long hiatus, i decide its time for an update to the ol livejournal. i guess i had really just forgotten about it, that and there hasnt been much interesting going on. right now i am about half way done with a paper that is due at 2:00pm today, and in dire need of a study break. ah, procrastination. i wouldnt do it, but it always works out, so why stop?
the biggest news around here lately is that the entire apartment (minus katie) is sick. and the odd thing is that we all have something entirely different. jessica has strep throat, amanda has the stomache flu, and i have diagnosed myself with mono. well, i went to get a strep test done at health services because my tonsils are really swollen with white stuff on them, and that to me means strep. but the culture came back negative, and the nurse kept asking me mono-related questions. she asked me if i have noticed myself sleeping more than normal, but i told her that i dont think that that is possible, since i sleep so much already as is. she said that if i dont feel better by friday that i should come back and have blood work done. i dont have a fever, but i do have swollen glands and lymph nodes on my neck. the other thing i have noticed, which may be a slight case of hypochondria, is that i think my spleen is hurting me, which is a symptom of mono. anyway, enough talk about medical problems. ive been taking ibuprofen as often as the bottle says that i can, so i get by.
in other news, i have finally figured out my classes for england. well, kind of. we had an orientation meeting a few weeks ago, and i was given all the information for choosing my classes. the bummer is that i have already taken most of the lib eds that are being offered, so i have little choice in which classes i am able to take. i am ending up with chemical engineering, geology and chemistry classes, blah! but they are being taught by american professors...UMD professors, in fact. plus, they KNOW that the majority of us arent chemistry or geology students, so the classes are adjusted accordingly, suppposedly. anyway, there are only 132 days left before i leave, and i couldnt be more excited. im really not nervous at all. ive talked to enough people who have been on the program to know what an amazing experience it is going to be; i have already started shopping for things that i will need. i went out one day a couple weeks ago and bought a rain coat (aka a "macintosh" to the brits :o)), and the last time i went home, mom took me out and bought me an internal frame backpack. i already have tested it out by loading as many clothes into it as i could. i was able to fit an amazing amount into it! also, last week i went and applied for my passport, which will be mailed to me within 6 weeks, then i have to apply for a visa. after that i will be all set!
so i have 132 days to fill between now and departure, what shall i do...? well for the next 7 days i have school to worry about, but after next wednesday at 6:00, i am home free! dad isnt coming up till friday afternoon, so i have a day and a half to wind down and pack, that will be good. im thinking (and hoping) that i will be able to fit everything into my car and dads truck...i dont have much new stuff, so it should be ok. so after i get home, i work at christos on saturday, then start back at the county on monday! im super excited, john called today to say they are looking for summer people again. i honestly wasnt counting on that happening, so i have been stressing out about finding a job. I am going to work my butt off this summer to make money for england. supposedly i should bring $6,000-$7,000 spending money with me. i dont know what i could possibly spend that much money on, but everyone i have talked to has said that that is even a little conservative. i am a pretty frugal person though, so who knows, maybe it IS a lot of money for me. at any rate, i did the math today, and if i work 50 hours at the county all summer, i will make almost exactly $7,000 (after taxes), and i can probably make about $1,000 working at christos. so (knock on wood), i shouldnt have to take out any loans for england. other things planned for the next few weeks are booths graduation on the 16th, which i am very excited for, and proud of her! then i have nothing till june when i am planning to go see daves band play on the 10th, and then my cousin beckys graduation open house on the 13th. 4th of july looks like camping on the apple river with jenny and the crew...this is getting to be an extended forcast of the summer, but whatever. thats all the further i have planned the summer yet, but its shaping up to be a good one...i cant wait to be done!
thats about it for an update for now...i have to go finish this paper and get a couple hours of sleep before i have to go turn it in at 2:00 :o).
the biggest news around here lately is that the entire apartment (minus katie) is sick. and the odd thing is that we all have something entirely different. jessica has strep throat, amanda has the stomache flu, and i have diagnosed myself with mono. well, i went to get a strep test done at health services because my tonsils are really swollen with white stuff on them, and that to me means strep. but the culture came back negative, and the nurse kept asking me mono-related questions. she asked me if i have noticed myself sleeping more than normal, but i told her that i dont think that that is possible, since i sleep so much already as is. she said that if i dont feel better by friday that i should come back and have blood work done. i dont have a fever, but i do have swollen glands and lymph nodes on my neck. the other thing i have noticed, which may be a slight case of hypochondria, is that i think my spleen is hurting me, which is a symptom of mono. anyway, enough talk about medical problems. ive been taking ibuprofen as often as the bottle says that i can, so i get by.
in other news, i have finally figured out my classes for england. well, kind of. we had an orientation meeting a few weeks ago, and i was given all the information for choosing my classes. the bummer is that i have already taken most of the lib eds that are being offered, so i have little choice in which classes i am able to take. i am ending up with chemical engineering, geology and chemistry classes, blah! but they are being taught by american professors...UMD professors, in fact. plus, they KNOW that the majority of us arent chemistry or geology students, so the classes are adjusted accordingly, suppposedly. anyway, there are only 132 days left before i leave, and i couldnt be more excited. im really not nervous at all. ive talked to enough people who have been on the program to know what an amazing experience it is going to be; i have already started shopping for things that i will need. i went out one day a couple weeks ago and bought a rain coat (aka a "macintosh" to the brits :o)), and the last time i went home, mom took me out and bought me an internal frame backpack. i already have tested it out by loading as many clothes into it as i could. i was able to fit an amazing amount into it! also, last week i went and applied for my passport, which will be mailed to me within 6 weeks, then i have to apply for a visa. after that i will be all set!
so i have 132 days to fill between now and departure, what shall i do...? well for the next 7 days i have school to worry about, but after next wednesday at 6:00, i am home free! dad isnt coming up till friday afternoon, so i have a day and a half to wind down and pack, that will be good. im thinking (and hoping) that i will be able to fit everything into my car and dads truck...i dont have much new stuff, so it should be ok. so after i get home, i work at christos on saturday, then start back at the county on monday! im super excited, john called today to say they are looking for summer people again. i honestly wasnt counting on that happening, so i have been stressing out about finding a job. I am going to work my butt off this summer to make money for england. supposedly i should bring $6,000-$7,000 spending money with me. i dont know what i could possibly spend that much money on, but everyone i have talked to has said that that is even a little conservative. i am a pretty frugal person though, so who knows, maybe it IS a lot of money for me. at any rate, i did the math today, and if i work 50 hours at the county all summer, i will make almost exactly $7,000 (after taxes), and i can probably make about $1,000 working at christos. so (knock on wood), i shouldnt have to take out any loans for england. other things planned for the next few weeks are booths graduation on the 16th, which i am very excited for, and proud of her! then i have nothing till june when i am planning to go see daves band play on the 10th, and then my cousin beckys graduation open house on the 13th. 4th of july looks like camping on the apple river with jenny and the crew...this is getting to be an extended forcast of the summer, but whatever. thats all the further i have planned the summer yet, but its shaping up to be a good one...i cant wait to be done!
thats about it for an update for now...i have to go finish this paper and get a couple hours of sleep before i have to go turn it in at 2:00 :o).