My Second Quilt

This quilt was a gift for my friend Kate, who crocheted a lovely afghan for me a few years ago before I left for Japan. I wanted to reciprocate, and was very pleased with the result. I'm a big fan of Japanese prints lately, and these ones were particularly lovely. She actually got better pictures of it when it got to her, on her own bed, and I'm so happy that she liked it as much as she did.

My First Quilt!

Pictures of my first experiment in quilting. My grandma has been after me to try this for ages, and I finally got to it. I chose all the fabric, did the cutting, learned how to use the sewing machine, and did just about everything by myself. I'm very pleased with the result. It looks quite lovely on my bed like this. I can't wait to do more.


I was surprised at the price of the fabric, but it's good quality and should last forever. I loved the contrast of the dark, bright red and black on the front and the soft, white and grey with black silhouettes on the back. In essence, I made this quilt reversible. I also got enough of the white fabric on the back to make a pair of pillowcases to go with this. It was the end of the bolt, maybe a yard left, more than enough to make pillowcases, so when I bought it I said "What the heck," and went with it.

The Odyssey of a New Suit

Thus ends a saga that began last March, when I ordered the new suit I was to wear as an instructor for formal occasions to do with Taekwondo. Apparently, as we learned as the months dragged on, the suits for the women aren't ordered as frequently as those for the men, so they basically wait for an order to build up then send it out elsewhere to fill. I got my suit a week ago, and I finally got to wear it to testing tonight. I think I look rather sharp, and I'm proud to be able to tie a tie. The alternative was a neckerchief, which I think looks rather ridiculous. The testing went well, and I got several compliments on how I looked in it. Here are some pics.

Combat Weapons!

Ok, so ten to one no one who doesn't do martial arts will care about this in the slightest, but I just had one of the most fun workouts in my life doing a combat weapons seminar with Master Jordan Schreiber, who was visiting our school this weekend for a banquet honoring our own Senior Master Thor. We do traditional sparring in TKD, of course, but this is something new, where we're sparring with weapons, a large padded stick approximately two feet in length with a small handle. Full sparring gear is required, unfortunately, but the headache of the chest protector and face mask was well worth it for being able to actually hit each other with sticks. Most of the strikes are named for animals, and mimic in some way their pattern of attack, like a cobra strike, which curls up and then lunges out, a tiger strike, which zigzags back and forth the way a tiger would move in tall grass, or a golden rooster, which is a diversionary strike to the chest and then a jump and strike downward, like a chicken attempting to fly. Aggression is a key to this, since many people are unnerved by a stick flying at their face (and yes, the face is a legal target, except the eyes and the front and back of the neck, the groin also being an illegal target) and they forget to block. I can't wait to do more of this.

Been a While...

Ok, so it's been a while since I posted in here. Mostly because I've been busy, but also because I just haven't had a lot to say that isn't venting about my job. But I am really proud and excited about some of the stuff coming up. We're hosting a banquet for my Taekwondo instructor, Dan Thor, to celebrate his service to the community and our region, not to mention his testing for his 8th degree black belt, on August 1st, with a fun tournament during the day and a banquet in the evening. It's been a lot of hard work, and I don't always like the way some of the others who are on the planning committee handle things, but I think it will go off beautifully. There will be a silent auction, guests coming in from several places, along with family and friends of Senior Master Thor, a picture/video presentation, and some gifts and presentations to be made. I'm also working hard, debating whether I want to participate in our fun tournament, and preparing myself to try a midterm toward my 4th degree in March at the Winter Nationals in Las Vegas, NV. I'm really proud of a lot of our students this testing cycle as well. We have some really young ones who would normally be in our pre-school class, Tiny Tigers, but who we decided to move up to Karate for Kids, which is a bit more demanding, and designed for slightly older children, and they've handled it beautifully. One doesn't really realize how much capacity to learn and focus and remember a five year old child has until you see some of these kids. They struggle a bit, they get nervous, they forget, but they test and they pass in the end, and I couldn't be more proud. I get just as anxious every testing as they do, praying that they'll be able to hold it together, and cheering as loud as any of the parents when they succeed, being there to console and reassure if they fail.


My most recent picture from TKD, which we get done every year. I ordered them this year because I finally got my black collar, which means I'm a fully certified instructor. I like how my sidekick came out, and also how the pose with the sword looks.

Why I Will Never Be A Kindergarten Teacher

I've been working in a kindergarten classroom since mid-February, with a little boy who is severely ADHD and has a rough home life, and I've seen behavior in this classroom, both from him and from others, that makes me wonder about the future of our society. These kids assume they can do whatever they want, they are disruptive, rude and disrespectful to the teachers and even their parents, and the parents either make excuses for them or ignore the behavior completely. When I was a kid we never got away with any of this kind of nonsense, and if we misbehaved, we were terrified of being sent to the principal, and even more terrified when our parents were called...mom and dad weren't going to take our side, they'd be furious and want to know why we did what we did, not excuse it away. And then when we got home, we'd get a spanking at the very least. Half the time when I work with this kid I wish he was mine just so I could give him the spanking he richly deserves, because he and I both know damn well that his parents won't do a thing. That's the hardest part about thisi job, I know there's nothing I can do to this kid as a consequence for his behavior that he really cares about...time outs are as much of a hassle as anything else because I have to hold him there to make him stay and he's sassy and whiny through the whole ordeal, and he wants to go to the office or be sent home so that he doesn't have to do work in the classroom. Taking away things like recess or other fun activities just means that I'm stuck with him alone in the classroom making him behave there and listening to him whine, and not letting him get his energy out. I'm just so sick of it...I'm parenting this kid for his idiot parents, and they have the nerve to look disappointed at me whenever I give them a bad report about his behavior. Maybe if they did their jobs and didn't expect me to do it all...

Twilight

I've just finished reading the second book in the Twilight series, and thus far here are my opinions on the subject. From the standpoint of a literature major I can understand some of the draw of these books to a certain age group or mind set, but by and large I really wish they weren't available to young girls and boys in particular for a few specific reasons. There will be *SPOILERS* in this blog, so stop here if you don't wish to be spoiled about the end of the books.

First of all, I was very displeased by the portrayal of the two main characters. Bella is downright frustrating, and her constant whining and moping and bemoaning her lot in life makes hearing the story from her perspective much less enjoyable than if it had been from perhaps a 3rd person perspective. Also, her constant "damsel in distress" issues were downright disgusting, and even when she did finally get the "perfect" guy, she moaned and fussed and worried more because she felt she didn't deserve him. No self confidence whatsoever, and also willing to be dominated, manipulated, and controlled by said "perfect" guy, even to the point of putting herself in physical danger just so that he can show up and save her. Not at all a good example to any girl, giving the impression that one needs a man to be "complete" and going into a severe depression if the man leaves. Also irritating was that she never seemed able to do anything for herself.

Now on to our "perfect" guy. Edward, a vegetarian vampire who is over a hundred years old, is the very picture of emo melodrama. He's so theatrical about his reactions to Bella in any sense with his overblown emotional responses that it's almost no wonder she reacts the way she does. Then, he is secretive (for good reason, but that's still not healthy to that extent in any relationship) manipulative, and controlling with her. Many parents like this series because the two of them don't actually have sex until they marry, but I would say whether they're having sex or not, if he's spending every night in her room staring at her while she sleeps, that's still beyond disturbingly creepy. Stalker much? And God only knows what he's thinking while he sits there, between wanting to eat her and wanting to screw her. Pardon my crudeness, but in terms of healthy relationships, this is like a manual on how not to do it, terrible example for young people.

On to some other characters. One of the more enjoyable characters in the series (aside from Edward's family, who are by and large a lot more fun than he is, especially Emmett, who cracked me up) is young werewolf Jacob Black, who steps in as friend and perhaps more to fill the void when Edward up and leaves and Bella falls into her depression. While he is also understandably secretive and a bit controlling (both he and Edward describe Bella as a "danger magnet" which is a somewhat apt description, and both are somewhat controlling for the purpose of keeping her safe) he is a much more open and honest person, and much more likeable than the aloof and somewhat snobby Edward. Unfortunately, as I've heard tell, he gets a personality transplant that seems to come from Edward's side of things, and of course, the guy who actually deserves the girl gets beaten by the snob.

These are not books I'd let my child read at any age, and I actually am debating whether to read the rest, since they never seem to fail to make me angry and irritable. The emotions are over the top and gag-worthy, and in terms of writing, it's barely on par with trashy romance. I like supernatural fiction by and large, but the vampires, while broken from the traditional mold to a great degree, are like a razor coated in sugar: making them "vegetarians" is just putting a pretty cover on what they really are, which is creatures who feed on others to sustain themselves. They are bloodsuckers. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather have the werewolf, so much more appealing, and in general so much more personable. Updates if I decide to read more of them.

Promised Update on My Trip

As promised, here's a fun update on what's been going on since last time I blogged.

I've started my new job, working with a very rambunctious and rowdy little boy in kindergarten. It's an emotionally stressful job, because he can be really difficult, but it's also rewarding to know that I'm already having a positive impact. I have a pretty no-nonsense approach to him and his issues, and even though he doesn't like it, he's already realizing I'm the boss and responding well. Even his teachers are commenting that he's doing better with me watching him. Before this he wouldn't do any classwork at all, and will still probably flunk kindergarten, but now he's doing work every day, and daily progress reports to mom where he rewards himself with stars when I write down good behavior are a big part of that. He's also learning to sit still and behave himself in the classroom, even though that can be a struggle. I think the biggest problem was that his previous BMS worker wasn't firm enough and tried too hard to be a friend. I think it frustrates him that when he says things like "I don't like you." I tell him I don't care. Whether he likes me or not, he's got to learn to behave himself, and I'm there to stay.

I celebrated my 25th birthday by starting my new job last Tuesday. It's a bit odd to think of my birthday and that I'm a quarter of a century old, but really, it wasn't too big a deal.I didn't do anything too special either. We'd had a birthday party the previous weekend at my uncle's house, so my mum made lasagne for me for supper, and at TKD the students sang Happy Birthday to me.

The biggest news on this blog is concerning my trip to Colorado Springs to spend some time with friends. I had a great time, but I also had some interesting issues. I started reading Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, and quite frankly I don't care for it at all. Bella and her insecurities and whining are irritating, and Edward, for how cute and protective and whatever else he is, is a controlling jerk a lot of the time too, and the writing was terrible. And yet, I'm curious to see what happens next, and whether she ever becomes a vampire like she was moaning about at the end of the last book and the beginning of the next. My friend described it accurately as "book-crack" and I can definitely see why it appeals to a certain age group. Very possibly because of my surroundings (I was the only single in a group of couple friends who were being rather disgustingly cute with each other) the book brought out a lot of emotions I haven't thought about in quite a long time. I'm a bit ashamed and frustrated that a book like this one could reduce me to such a thing, since it was like a replay of all the worst relationship issues of high school. Meh.

The trip itself though was great, though I think I'd like to drive and have more control over the car next time. I hate being reliant on others for transportation. I got to see Brian and Sami, we stayed at Ella's house (I love spending time with her, she's so much fun) I got to spend an afternoon with Philip, which was pleasurably spent geeking out, and I got to give my campus minister, who is still a very dear friend, a little gift. We went out for fondue, played Munchkin and Bibliomancy (hilarious results there, you basically pick any book and flip through it pointing to words at random and trying to construct meaningful sentences, and we played with the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Twilight, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) and I spent entirely too much money, got a lot of new books and a few other things, gifts for friends included. I was exhausted when I got home, but it was still a very enjoyable weekend.

General Update on Life

Mostly because I haven't posted in a while, an update on what's going on with me lately. I'm finally gonna start work next week, I'm going in today to get my final paperwork taken care of, since my background check FINALLY went through. I'm glad it finally happened, I've been going crazy. I like taking a little break after a job like the one I had before, which was making me miserable, but this has gone on too long, and I'm eating up my savings and getting really restless about doing nothing productive. I'll be chasing around a 5-year-old starting next week, so I won't be dull anymore.

Other news, my birthday is next week, the 17th, and I hit the quarter-century mark! No special plans for celebration on the actual day, but the weekend after it I'll be going up to visit my friends in Colorado Springs, which I'm looking forward to. I haven't been up there since October, and we're going for a longer weekend this time, my friend Cole and I. I'm a bit broke, so I don't have a lot to spend there, but I do hope we can do some celebratory things. Even though it's a bit pricey I'd love to go to the Melting Pot, just because I love fondue and have great memories of a previous birthday party there. Other than that no special plans yet. Everyone keeps asking me what I want for my birthday, but aside from a Wii, which I know no one is going to get me right now, there's not a lot I really do want. I'll update again after my trip, but for now, that's all from me.

Photo Tag!

Ok, this is a new one, haven't heard of photo tag before, but I guess I'll play along. It said to go to My Pictures, open the 4th folder, and post the 4th picture in said folder. Here we are. My fourth folder happened to be one of my FMA folders, and this image, I believe, is from the manga. Edward Elric is in the foreground, and his brother Alphonse (the suit of armor) is in the background, and as per usual, it looks like they're causing some destruction. This may even be a manga cover from an early volume, I forget. I got it ages ago from a picture request thread on the ASMB.

A Few of My Favorite Things...

I had the greatest dream last night, and the best part was that I remember it so vividly. It seemed like a combination of some of the things I miss most and am most excited for in the coming months, and included people I haven't seen in ages. The first part of the dream involved theatre, and somehow some people, including a girl named Chelsea from my high school drama class, were putting an impromptu play on in my living room, which looked like a black box theatre. There was a pulley system on the curtain rods for drops, and Chels asked if anyone knew the fly lines, because they needed help. I said I did, since it was something I did well in college, and I remember also that the play was based on Fruits Basket, one of my favorite anime, and that they were using my mom's spider lamp for spotlights on a mobile that hung from a pipe with stuffed animals from the anime on it. Next thing I know I'm at a sort of B&B that reminded me of our retreat campus for school, called Baca, with a group of my friends, and we're all getting ready to go see the drag races. I realized that my two favorite racers, Tony and Cruz Pedregon, were staying there too, and talked for a bit with Cruz, which is unusual, since he's not as talkative or outgoing as his brother Tony. Then I was sitting outside with friends including my friend Matt from college, who was being a bit of a crybaby for some reason about a giant lollipop shaped like a teddy bear, and my friend Taylor from high school, who was showing me some tattoos on her chest, some which looked real and others that looked like she'd drawn them in marker. I woke up excited and hyper, looking forward to the race. I think this came from my dad saying we might try to go to the one in Phoenix in February, which we've never been to before. I think Baca came into the dream because I'm hoping to go there if I'm allowed to see my friends for our annual retreat with the school's Catholic Community. I only have a couple years left where there will be students I know well and am close to in the community since the ones who were freshmen when I was a senior are graduating next year. I have no idea how the random people wound up there, since I haven't thought about most of them in a while, but it was interesting nonetheless. As for theatre, it's one of the things I miss most from school. I loved working there in the drama department and learning all the different building and technical skills, then seeing the product of my work when the show went up, and then venting any frustration as I helped take it down.

My Best of 2008 List

My Best of List for 2008, mostly at Kate's urging, but I did have fun thinking about these things. And now on, with no further ado.

Best Film: Dark Knight- This was a worthy successor to Batman Begins. I have a soft spot for Batman anyway, and Christian Bale makes him that much more drool-worthy. Heath Ledger was spectacular and left an unforgettable Joker etched in all our memories. Aaron Eckhart was a very strong Harvey Dent, and the cinematography and all Batman's new toys were amazing. Fingers crossed for at least a couple Oscars for this film, including a very much-deserved Best Actor awarded posthumously to Mr. Ledger.

Best TV Show: Jon & Kate + 8- Currently TLC's highest rating show, this follows the family life of the Gosselins, who have a pair of 8 year old twins, Mady and Cara, and a set of 4 year old sextuplets, Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah, and Joel. Very realistic, and no touchy subjects avoided. We get to see the sweet moments, the tantrums and meltdowns, and even fights between Jon and Kate, not to mention opinions and insights from the adults and older children...even a bit from the little ones, now that they're able to articulate thoughts and feelings. Very refreshing to see a real family that you can agree and disagree with and not feel like you're stepping on toes.

Best Anime: One Piece- I've seen plenty of anime that are way better than One Piece, but since I first started it this year and enjoyed it way more than I expected to, it gets the honors. My original opinions were formed by the 4Kids dub, which was frankly horrible, but FUNi got hold of it and made vast improvements. I'm dying to find out what happens next, and also interested in starting the manga, if I can afford it. Honorable mentions: Shin Chan and Baccano! Neither of these won for various reasons, but again, I enjoy them and am looking forward to seeing more.

Best Manga: Fruits Basket- I know I've been reading this for some time, but it takes the top over any of the other things I've read in the past few years. From a somewhat silly story about people changing into animals under unusual circumstances, it's become a powerful and heartfelt story of love, trust, betrayal, and very real people trying to deal with all this on top of their zodiac curse. There are two issues left in the English release, things are starting to fall apart for the Sohma family, Tohru is caught in the thick of it, and I'm so worried about Kyo's fate that if it goes the way I don't want it to I'll be throwing things. I just wish the anime could get this far and hadn't stopped after the most minor of all the dramatic moments of the series.

Best Book: The Harry Potter Series- Again, not the first time I've read any of these, and certainly not something new from this year, but since I've been reading so much literary criticism and studying them so intensively with the intention of writing a critical paper on them as part of my entrance package for grad school that I've come to love them on a whole deeper level. A powerfully written story of the classic hero's journey with memorable characters, magic, mystery, and real emotion that lets you relate to the characters to a point I've rarely experienced without reading an autobiography. Honorable Mention: JRR Tolkien: A Biography- Heightened my respect for my absolute favorite writer of all time, and realizing his very strong ideals and values and everything that he's been through that led him to create Middle-Earth and the races and situations that make me long to be an Elf...nuff said.

Best Sports Moment: Cruz Pedregon's NHRA championship- He started the season not doing so well, making adjustments to new aspects of his car and getting a feel for those adjustments as a driver...you could say he started out in a rebuilding year, not expecting to shine. First an inconsistent car, and then an inconsistent driver were definitely against him. He made it to finals several times, but until right before the end of the season he hadn't won any, though he was still sixth in points. Three wins and a couple of key losses by points leader Tim Wilkerson put Cruz in a place he hasn't been for 18 years: Points leader and championship winner for the year. Looking forward to another great season by him and his brother Tony!

New Years List (Even Though I'm Still Waiting for Christmas to Finish)

Yeah, the reason I'm not up to date on my Christmas post is that for us Christmas isn't really over yet, since a lot of my family couldn't make it for the actual Christmas celebrations and are coming this week. I mostly want pics of my godson to include, but in the meantime, Kate posted this list on her blog, and I like the idea of checking off the things you've already done. Maybe in five years I'll come back to it and see what I've been able to add.

1. started your own blog
2. slept under the stars
3. played in a band
4. visited hawaii
5. watched a meteor shower
6. given more than you can afford to charity
7. been to disneyland
8. climbed a mountain
9. held a praying mantis
10. sang a solo
11. bungee jumped
12. visited paris
13. watched a lightning storm at sea
14. taught yourself an art from scratch
15. adopted a child
16. had food poisoning
17. seen in person the statue of liberty
18. grown your own vegetables I don't have much of a green thumb, but my grandma has always had a vegetable garden. I'm happy to keep my spider plant alive, frankly.
19. seen the mona lisa in france
20. slept on an overnight train
21. had a pillow fight
22. hitch-hiked
23. taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. built a snow fort
25. held a lamb
26. gone skinny dipping
27. run a marathon
28. ridden in a gondola in venice
29. seen a total eclipse
30. watched a sunrise or a sunset (both!)
31. hit a home run
32. been on a cruise
33. seen niagra falls in person
34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. seen an amish community
36. taught yourself a new language
37. had enough money to be truly satisfied I'm not satisfied yet, but once I start my new job I'll have enough to pay my bills again and feel self-reliant to a point I haven't thus far. My old job barely covered the bills, and this one should make a big difference in how much I can save every month.
38. seen the leaning tower of pisa in person
39. gone rock climbing
40. seen michaelangelo's david
41. sung karaoke
42. seen the old faithful geyser erupt
43. bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. visited africa
45. walked on a beach by moonlight
46. been transported in an ambulance
47. received a prestigious award
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. seen the sistine chapel in person
50. been to the top of the eiffel tower in paris
51. gone scuba diving or snorkeling (probably isn't going to happen, I'm not a big fan of being under water and never have been)
52. kissed in the rain
53. played in the mud
54. gone to a drive-in theater
55. been in a movie
56. visited the great wall of china
57. started a business
58. taken a martial arts class (this one was taken care of since I was 12, and I'm now a martial arts instructor)
59. visited russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. sold girl scout cookies
62. gone whale watching
63. got flowers for no reason
64. donated blood, platelets or plasma (I'm not too bothered by the sight of blood, but I'm rather attached to my own, which is weird, because I have friends who are terrified of seeing their own blood who have given it. I may need to man it up (figuratively speaking) and just go for it at some point.)
65. gone sky diving (definitely on my to-do list)
66. visited a nazi concentration camp
67. bounced a check
68. flown in a helicopter
69. saved a favorite childhood toy
70. visited the lincoln memorial
71. eaten caviar (and blech, it's nasty)
72. pieced a quilt
73. stood in times square
74. toured the everglades
75. been fired from a job
76. seen the changing of the guards in london (one of the coolest experiences ever!)
77. broken a bone
78. been on a speeding motorcycle
79. seen the grand canyon in person
80. published a book
81. visited the vatican (also on my to-do list, I want to go to Rome, and maybe hear Mass and go to confession at St. Peter's)
82. bought a brand new car
83. walked in jerusalem
84. had your picture in the newspaper
85. read the entire bible
86. visited the white house
87. killed and prepared an animal for eating (I grew up in a rural area, and have helped my grandpa butcher cows, pigs, and sheep, not to mention that my dad and uncles hunt, so I've helped prepare deer and elk also)
88. had chickenpox
89. saved someone's life
90. sat on a jury
91. met someone famous
92. joined a book club (I guess if GoodReads counts...I've always had discussions with friends about books but we never called it a formal club)
93. lost a loved one
94. had a baby (not yet, but something I'd like, once I'm married and settled down)
95. seen the alamo in person
96. swam in the great salt lake
97. been involved in a law suit
98. owned a cell phone
99. been stung by a bee
100. learned to play an instrument (I wish now that I'd learned to play the piano as a child, but I didn't. Now it's the violin that interests me)

I've done a lot of things that aren't on this list, so I may amend it to include some of the things that have been important to me in my life. Things like living in another country (Japan), getting a degree (want to go back for more, actually), becoming a godparent (twice, one godson one goddaughter), working in theatre (not acting, but doing tech, which I prefer), and having friends of all nationalities, beliefs, races, genders, and walks of life. I'm particularly proud of that, because I want to work as hard as I can on being tolerant of any person and their beliefs or ideals, so long as they aren't forcing them on others or causing harm to others by them. I think that if they are that way it's because God made them so, and we have no right to cast judgment on His creations when we have no fathom for the magnitude of his scope.

Holiday Preparations and a New Job to Look Forward to

I'm quite proud of myself, as of yesterday all my Christmas cards are in the mail and all the gifts I have that are ready are sent or wrapped. This past weekend my parents were out of town, so I took advantage of the time to myself to get all my Christmas cards done and ready to be sent. I also had fun wrapping presents. I'm only missing a few people as far as gifts, and most of them are merely on their way to me, since they've already been ordered. The only two people I have no idea what to get are my grandpa and my godfather. I'm also going to find out soon when we'll get our tree and discuss with mum how we want to decorate it. She wants to sort through our ornaments and see if there's anything broken or not worth keeping for any other reason, as well as lights that may not work and garlands that are too old and worn, and so forth. We usually do a theme color and stick with it, and then put sentimental ornaments to fill it out, and we haven't decided on colors for this year yet. One of my favorites was Red and Gold, though the blue and silver also looked very pretty, as well as the purple and gold. I think I may suggest silver and gold, though I don't remember if we've done that recently. There are keepsake ornaments, and things that my sis and I made during school over the years, and dad's Bronco ornaments. I kind of wish I'd gotten an ornament to put up from Japan. Oh well. We're also gonna try to put the tree in a new spot, perhaps the dining room, to change things up a bit and keep pine needles off the carpet.

I've also got some good news to report. I quit my job last week. I had put in my resignation, since I already had confirmation on at least one new job, and another pending, and then the company did something that I didn't want to be involved in anymore. There are specific laws regarding collection tactics for companies, and this company was breaking them fairly blatantly by calling multiple times a day starting as early as the second of the month, with two weeks or more left in the grace period for most customers, and also calling before and after the designated times allowed for calling. The customers, as can be expected, were very angry or quite panicked, and we were having to deal with a huge flow of calls from people either furious with us and swearing up and down and threatening suit, or else panicking and wanting to know what was going on, or else we were being expected to help participate in the calling, and having people swear at us about that. Along with being tired of being yelled at, I couldn't in good conscience continue to help this company harass people by means I knew to be illegal, so I resigned early. My parents are cranky, as usual, but I have money to last through the end of the month, and I'm still expecting my last check, which won't be a full check, but I don't care. I'm starting a new job as soon as the results of a background check come in. I'll be working on counseling with kids who have emotional or other problems, as a result of things like personal or family tragedy or broken homes or the like, sitting with them in school, helping parents with coping mechanisms, and making sure that if they're lashing out violently, they don't harm themselves or others. Better pay, guaranteed hours, and a job that seems really fulfilling. Not perfect, but way better than what I was previously doing. I can save more and hack down my existing bills before I go back to school, and I may even have extra to travel or something if I want to. I'd like to go visit my friends in other parts of the country and so forth. All in all, a good holiday season. I'll be home and able to spend time with my family, I'll have a new job to look forward to, and of course all the joy and blessing of the holiday.

Thanksgiving

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, and I was especially happy to spend time with my family. All my dad's siblings were there, and almost all of my cousins, and as always we had a wonderful meal. I got to spend some time with my nina (for those who don't know, that means my godmother, in Spanish) and also with my own godson. He's six years old now, and much more willing to actively spend time with people he doesn't see a lot. I played video games with him (I do wish he hadn't gotten into video games or been given a DS so young, but oh well) and also took him to a movie. We went to see Bolt, and he's such a good little boy, he was quiet and well-behaved. About halfway through the movie, he leaned his head on my shoulder, and I asked if he wanted to sit with me. So he crawled into my lap and I held him for the whole movie. Not that he was tired, or scared, he just likes to be cuddled, and is very affectionate. It made me feel so happy to be close to him and have him know that I love him and want to be a part of his life.

Another big family event that happened this weekend is that we had a dinner to celebrate my grandparents' 50th anniversary. The whole family went out for a dinner, we were all dressed up, and we all got up to make toasts and whatnot. Most of us were moved to tears, and my grandma was sobbing long before we were finished. Also, my godson was adorable there, too, he was dressed up in his tie and sport coat, and we told him he looked like a little politician, that we would be voting for him for president in a few years. I got an adorable picture of him on my phone holding his hands up in two peace signs like Richard Nixon.

I've also got some good news with regard to the misery of my job situation. Myself and several of my coworkers have been feeling bullied and treated badly in general by our company for quite some time, and I've been looking around for a new job. I had a couple of prospective ones, one for REA, the local electric company, and another for an organization called Team Builders, which does one on one counseling and support for kids with emotional problems or learning disabilities. Both of them are very promising, and depending on what I hear about the one from REA tomorrow, I should be out of there at the latest by the end of the month. Hopefully sooner though, since the place and the treatment really does make me feel miserable. I've actually had days where I've sat at my desk and cried because of the way they treat us. The hardest part is that until I do get a new job I'm supposed to just suck it up and deal with it, unless I want to be out of work and not be able to pay my bills this month.

I've also decided where I want to go back to school, and that I'm going to wait another year before I do so. I'm actually very impatient to go back to school, but I want to give myself the best chance to apply and get in to the school I want to go to, so I'm going to take the time to study and take the GREs, and also to do the writing I'll need as part of my application. I'll also have more time to save money and get rid of more of my debts, which will also help in the long run. It's still frustrating, but I think I'm making the right decision.

Reading Material

I'm starting to notice a trend in my reading habits. Along with my usual fantasy and Christian inspiration books and manga as new volumes of my favorite series come out, I'm finding myself seeking out things like histories or biographies pertaining to various subjects, things like historical info on the Roman Catholic church, the start of the Meiji era in Japan, or else literary criticism. I find the need to challenge my mind and really think about my reading is almost essential now, and it's making me feel so much better in terms of my mental state. For a while I was feeling downright dull, like I was in a mental fog. I want the stimulation and the challenge, because I'm working as I can to go back to school, and I want to be at least a little in the habit of studying and thinking critically. My writing has only been fiction lately, with a smattering of poetry, but I'll have to work on that too.

My Weekend in Vegas

I've managed to survive another weekend trip to Vegas intact, and without killing any family, which is always important when we travel there together. We flew out Thursday night, fairly uneventful, though the flight was a bit late. I opted not to go out that night, since I was quite tired, but my parents and their friends went down to the casino at the Tropicana, where we were staying. Thankfully this time my sis and I had a separate room. My grandpa Zeke also retired early, and my other grandparents were scheduled to arrive by car the next morning. We slept in and relaxed, quite gratefully, got up for the breakfast/lunch buffet, and met my grandparents and my sister. My grandma isn't a big fan of gambling or drinking, so she and I and my sis went out to do some sightseeing. We went to the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, which was lovely and very calming, and full of small children in costume, since it was Halloween. Next stop was Circus Circus, at my grandma's request. Most of the stuff there was kid-oriented, and not to our tastes, though we did get to see the acrobats. That night for dinner we had a delicious meal in honor of my parents' 25th and my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversaries. We went to the Japanese steak house at the hotel, called Mizuno's, which is a Japanese hibachi-style grill. I was the only one who knew the etiquette and words for a Japanese meal, and who ate the meal only with chopsticks (note to self, learn how to make miso soup), and the filet mignon I had was delicious, so tender I could probably have not chewed it, it almost melted in my mouth. Again, I opted to stay in and relax that evening, playing my DS and listening to my iPod. Apparently I missed out on karaoke and a Halloween costume contest, but I wasn't terribly bothered. Next day, much to my delight, dad informed me that we were going to the drag races, which I'd been looking forward to. We had killer seats thanks to grandpa's cousin Chris, and for that race two of my favorite racers, Cruz and Tony Pedregon, did very well. Cruz won his second in a row race, which puts him in first place for points for this season with one race to go. We were all getting a bit tired by that night, I think, and tempers were running high. Dinner was very stressful, my grandparents wanted to eat early but no one was back on time, everyone was going off without telling anyone else, and my grandpa Zeke's obnoxious cousin June was in full form, loud, bossy, and just generally annoying. That evening, after we'd calmed down, we decided to see the Cirque du Soleil show Beatles Love, which my mom in particular had been looking forward to. That was really the highlight of my trip, as I'd never seen a Cirque performance. The staging was amazing, especially for being in the round, though I suppose an acrobatic show of that caliber is better performed in the round. I was enthralled through the entire show. The music was great too (I've been a Beatles fan since I was quite young, thanks to my mom) and all the acrobatics were just unbelievable. My only issue was that I was sitting next to June, and she had the gall to take a flash picture in the middle of the show, despite the warnings about photography. That really did make me angry, since as well as it being incredibly rude, it's dangerous to the performers because the flash could cause an accident in their stunts. Being the theatre geek I was, I was so embarassed to be sitting beside her when the usher came to tell her to put the damn camera away. Also because of my knowledge of theatre, I was amazed by the level of tech in the show. Of course it's a large professional production, but it was flawless, and though I knew how most of it was done, that didn't stop the magic from overwhelming me. I had a great time shopping afterward too, at the shop, and there were many other things I could have walked out of there with if I'd had the funds. I had a great time shopping on this trip too, bought some fun things for myself as well as a few Christmas presents...not saying what here, since some people read this blog, but some of the stuff I got for myself included a Beatles Help! t-shirt, some racing stuff, and a Nintendo Monopoly set to add to my collection. I wanted the Beatles Monopoly set as well, but couldn't afford them both, and I'd seen the Beatles one elsewhere, whereas I'd never seen the Nintendo one before. We were out late that night, at any rate, and we had a kind of early flight the next morning, so we went straight to bed. Next morning, thanks to the time change, we were rudely awoken an hour too early by my grandpa, who had forgotten to change his watch and was panicked that we'd be late. We got to the airport three hours early, checked in, and found our gate, then settled down to wait. My grandparents tend to panic about traveling by air, which is why we got there so early, but I got very frustrated by all their fussing. Then, to add to the fun, our flight was delayed by almost an hour and a half, so we got to sit at the crowded gate for even longer. *sigh* Oh well, I can't really blame them, they don't travel by plane as often as I do, and quite frankly, I don't worry anymore about anything that isn't an international flight, just because those are the real meaning of complicated. A short flight to Vegas is cake. Anyway, after followed a sleepy drive home from the airport, and that more or less concluded my weekend.

Looking Forward to Traveling with Grandpa Again

We're flying out tomorrow for Las Vegas to celebrate a joint anniversary: my parents have been married for 25 years as of September 10th and my paternal grandparents will have been married 50 years as of November 22nd. It should be a lot of fun traveling with more than my parents and sister. I'm not a big drinker and only mildly interested in gambling, which are the two things my dad and sis are really into. I'd rather see things, like the shows. Last time we went, the most fun I had aside from the drag races, which are fun no matter what, was seeing the Tournament of Kings, which is a staged joust at the Excalibur. I'm enough of a dork to enjoy watching the staging as much as the actual show, just because I know a lot about technical theatre. Anyway, this weekend my other grandpa is also joining us, and he was the one I traveled to Europe with, and we had so much fun together. I'm looking forward to traveling with him again, since he's willing to indulge me in what I like to see and is also more interested in the same things I am. He doesn't drink anything but wine anymore, and that only a glass with a meal once in a while, and he'll do only a little gambling. On top of that, he and I worked hard at wrapping a lot of change at his house the last two weekends. He and my grandma had been putting aside cans and jars and whatnot of change for several years, and I agreed to help wrap it. We filled 3 folders of the state quarters, still working on the Philadephia mints, since we have the full Denver mints, and set aside all sorts of rare coins like bicentennial quarters and silver dollars and whatnot. Aside from that we wrapped $545 in quarters, nickels, and dimes. Grandpa said he'd divide that up as spending money between me, my sister, and him, which is also nice. I'm looking forward to going, and I hope we get to see Cirque du Soleil or some other fun show. Not sure about the craziness of Halloween, and we're still not sure if we're going to the races either, but we'll see. All in all should be a very interesting weekend. I'll post pictures and give a rundown when I get back on Sunday.

Weekend in Colorado Springs

My weekend in C. Springs was quite enjoyable, though I had my issues with some of the things that happened there. I went up with my friend Cole, who I've been quite close to for many years. We get along well, but our interests and temperaments are very different. If we spend more than a day or two together I find myself growing weary of his company because he's very extroverted, and I'm very introverted. He loves to be surrounded by a crowd and have an audience for his antics, and he doesn't always understand that I want to be left alone or spend time with people one on one Also, I missed out on some of the church-related things I would have liked to do because he doesn't have any interest in such a thing. On that same note, I didn't get to spend as much time with some of my friends from that venue because he was driving and he doesn't know these people almost at all. Next time I go I'd like to go alone.

Nonetheless, I did have a great time. Our hotel room was nice, and we got to spend a good time with Sami and Brian, and also Ella. We went out to eat probably more than we should, and I spent an exorbitant amount of money. I went to the bookstore, bought some things from my school bookstore, and found some nice things in All Things Catholic, a little shop I really do like. I also got a jump on my Christmas shopping, which is another thing I'm very happy about. I got to spend some time with Valerie at her new place, and it makes me happy that she's settling in and has Lisa and Aaron and Lena around to look after her while she's going through such a difficult time. I wish I would have been able to see some others though, mostly my friends from school or church, like Beth and Patrick, Philip, and Carl. Next time I have any time off I would like to take a three day weekend so that I can stay and go to Mass with them. In the meantime...Go CC Tigers!!!!!

Feeling Like A Real Person Now That I'm Off Vicodin

It's been nearly a week since my wisdom teeth came out, and I feel so much better. I'm still a bit sore and having trouble chewing anything that's not very soft, but I'm feeling a lot better. A lot of the improvement came about yesterday when I opted to stop taking Vicodin. They prescribed it to me as a pain medication, and for the first couple days, I really did need it, since the pain was quite intense. Now though, since the pain isn't that bad and it's mostly just a bit of swelling and soreness, I'm so done with the Vicodin. While I really needed it it was fine, and I'm thankful that it kept the pain at bay, but once I didn't need it as much, I hated the side effects that came with it. It was making me feel very lightheaded and loopy, and also nauseous. Also, it was turning me into an emotional basket case with the mood swings. Over the last few days I'd found myself feeling miserable and crying for no reason just because of the meds. Yesterday I gave a call to my campus minister in one of those moments, and she recommended that it was time to lay off the Vicodin. Even making that decision made a huge difference, and by the end of last night I was already feeling a lot better. I'm still working that junk out of my system, but the pain is more or less gone and I'm so glad, I feel like a real person again. I feel more clear and focused and though I'm not fond of work, I'm looking forward to going back tomorrow just to feel like I'm getting back into my life. My work schedule is moved back an hour, which means I'm going from 8 to 5, which is also a perk in that when I go back to TKD I can go and help the kids in the second class instead of only making it to my own class. Also to look forward to, this weekend is Daddy's birthday and next weekend I'll be going up to the Springs for Homecoming with Cole, which will just be awesome. I've been dreaming about it, even, looking forward to seeing Sami and Brian, not to mention Val and Philip and Beth and Carl and Lena. Val's been having a rough time of things, and I think it will be a nice thing for her to get to spend some time just hanging out. I also need to remember to send Toria a birthday present, since her birthday is the same day as my daddy's.