Oh no, no more time!!

Alas, I have run out of time to talk about other stuff, including orientation, which I promised Debbie I would do. Sorry. I'll try later.

I got tagged again...

Well, Meghan tagged me back, so here it goes:

Things you enjoy, even when no one around you wants to go out and play. What lowers your stress/blood pressure/anxiety level? Make a list, post it to your journal... and then tag 5 friends and ask them to post it to theirs.

1. Reading- Ah, the joy of abandoning my stresses and leaving them for someone else's. Plus, there is no need to think. I just let the story take me.

2. Ranting- It's awesome to tell my problems to someone who doesn't really care too much about them, so then it bothers niether one of us.

3. Driving- I really don't know what it is about it. Maybe it's about having control.

4. Doing paperwork- It gets me thinking about other things and I feel like I'm doing something useful.

5. Cuddling- With a pet, with a kid, with a person, with a stuffed animal- it's all good.

6. Sleep- It's true that everything looks better in the morning.

And now I tag... Maryanne, Ky, Lyn, Debbie, and... and... whoever else reads this blog.

Book Tag

I have been tagged to write about books, then, I get to pass it on.

Last Book I Bought: Authentic Beauty, be Leslie Ludy. I recommend it to any girl out there. It is currently out on loan to Amanda, because it is such an awesome book that it is impossible to NOT share it.

Last Book I Read: Oohh.... What was the title?? I forget. It was an awesome book anyway, and you should all read it, except I can't remember what it is to tell you. I read through them too fast, that I have no idea as to the title.
Oops, that was the 2nd last book I read. The last one was Stardust of Yesterday, a ditzy romance that I read in an hour and a half about this chick who falls for a 700 yr old ghost, then she breaks the curse, and he is a man again.
The last nonfiction book I read was Dr Phil's Family First, for studying purposes. (I'm trying to get into the habit of studying again.)(Who am I trying to kid. It's not again).

Book I Am Currently Reading: The Dark Moon Rises, by Denise Williamson. It is set in the pre Civil War South (1830s) and is very blunt about slavery. I've yet to finish it, so I can't tell how good it is.

Next Book I Plan To Read: I actually have three waiting for me at home. When Stars Begin To Fall (sequel to the one I'm reading), The Five Love Languages, and The Purpose Driven Life.

Five Books That Mean A Lot To Me: (Oh, this is hard.)
1. The Bible. To try to describe it would ruin it, so I'll leave it at that.
2. Authentic Beauty by Leslie Ludy. This book really changed how I view purity and relationships. I really recommend it to any woman out there.
3. The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. (Yes, I know I am cheating.) Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, Fiery Cross..... These are awesome books, impossible to fit into only one catigory, lots of odd little historical facts mixed in, very real characters, and they continue the story pas the happily ever after. Plus, they totally have re-readability value.
4. Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss. An odd choice I know, but it is an old favorite of mine, despite of, or more likely, because of, how impossible it is.
5. The O'Malley Series by Dee Henderson. It's interesting how devoted these characters are to their own created family, and how they all become saved and fall in love. Plus, they all have exciting careers, and each one has an well written mystery. All round good books.

And now I get to tag people! I tag Meghan and Debbie. Have fun! (That took 30 min)

Ooh-la-la...

Don't you all just LOVE getting haircuts? I mean, not only is it a serious change, but my hair is actually styled for once! It is so awesome for the self-confidance!!! Isn't there a song that goes "I feel good!", or something like that? Anyway, I feel good!

I'll leave everyone to their grumpiness, because overly happy people are annoying. Next time I blog, I'll be on a more even tempo.

It's Official

I have just come to fully appreciate that I am a true blue procrastinator.

"How did this come about?" you ask. Good question.

You see, I have only 2 things to do for a scholarship application due at the end of June, or is it July? Anyway, all I have to do is visit the county office and type up a letter. I REALLY don't want to do it yet. After all, I have a while yet, and I sent all my other ones off close to the deadline. And yet I could get it done early.

I realized all this after typing out the addresses of my letter.

I am also procrastinating on my paperwork- it got water damaged.

One thing I did not procrastinate on, though, (though I never worked on it- it sort of fell into my lap) was finding an apartment. I have a cheap apartment 4 blocks from college. Yay.

Update: I finished typing my letter, so I suppose I am not so bad after all.

I am such a copycat....

Since I must needs give credit where credit is due, I stole this idea from the "Life of Turner" blog. The origanal will doubtless be much more entertaining than the copycat. So here is the life of Jen by Numbers:

10 000- in dollars, the amount of money I need for school and living expences next year.
1500- in dollars, the amount of money I actually currently possess. (How does that work?)
4- The number of real (by real I mean more than a two day favor) jobs I've had in my lifetime.
2- The number of the aforementioned jobs that have been in libraries.
2- The number of th aforementioned jobs that have been with kids.
2- The number of times I've been on TV
4- The number of phone numbers I have possessed (including cells).
3- The number of places I've lived (One was acctually an in-between-houses place)
80- My grade 12 average. (I believe).
8- The number of kids I currently work with.
6- The number of kids I will be working with this summer.
66- The lowest mark received in high school (once).
88- The highest mark received in high school (twice).
3- The number of times I've been to Victoria.
4- The number of times I've been to the USA.
1- The number of places I've been to in the USA.
0- Times I've been further east than Saskatchewan.
12- CDs I own.
1- CD I've given away.
19- The number of years I have resided on the planet Earth.
4- Weddings I've been to in my life.
Tons- Funerals I've been to in my life.
1- Concerts I've been to. (For interest's sake, it was Starfield.)(I enjoyed it.)
10- in dollars, the amount of money I made to go to the concert. (I drove.)
15- in months. How much older I am than my sister.
27- Items in my wallet.
1- Number of times I've stayed overnight in the hospital. (When I was born.)
4- Number of times I've gone to the emergancy room.
2- Number of crooked limbs on my body. (For interest's sake, arm and finger.)
5- Number of scars on my hands.
5- Number of glasses I have worn.
6- The grade I was in when I first received glasses.
2- High school graduations attended.
1- Grad dress sewn for others.
0- Grad dresses sewn for myself.
10- Number of cold toes I currently possess.
4- Numbers of the above I know will change by September.
9- Numbers of the above I hope will change by September.

I have no idea what I'll write about...

...so here it goes.

I just got the mail, and Grant MacEwan sent me the date of the social work orientation- June 23, so I'll have to miss work, but that's better than if it were a week later, when I'd have to miss camp.

Today I am working with some new clients, two boys about 8-10 years old, from 3 til 10. I'll be doing the same tomorrow. Then I'll begin working with them in July again. My summer schedule is starting to come together. I will be working with 6 kids, all of them boys. There will be 4 year old twins, a 5 year old, these two boys I'll be working with tonight, and the 9 year old I've been working with all along. I won't be working with the 16 or 17 year olds any more.

I am wearing: jeans and my old pathfinders shirt

I am annoyed because: I arrived at the library too late to get a good computer, now I am stuck on the sucky one, and the jr high boys next to me are yacking about junk, girls, and more junk. This is a library!!

My plans changed yesterday because: instead of going to Edmonton, I had to work.

Oops I did it again!

This post could also be entitled "That Road Is Cursed!"

For the second time in my life I have hit the ditch, and it was on the same road that I did it on the first time.

Just so those people who know local geography can picture this better, I did it right by Lyons' and Todd Smith's places.

Some of you may have heard me mention how terrible the gravel roads in our area are. So here I am, putsing along (OK, I confess. In no way was I putsing. A more appropriate adjective might be zooming along.), and I hit this HUGE crater in the middle of the road. My wheels must have twisted a bit while floundering in the bottom of this crater, for when I shot out of the crater, my car was completely out of control. I remember swinging one way, then the other, and I knew I was going in. I did hit the brakes cuz I was afraid I might kill myself at the speed I was going. I do remember praying a really fast one word prayer, then I was headed for a ditch with trees, swung the other way, and landed in the other ditch with mud and water. The car slammed to a stop, and the driver's side tires went *squelch* into the mud up to its axels.

All of that happened in about 3 or 4 seconds.

So I pocketed the keys, got out the passenger side door, and yelled at my car. (I know, that's really benificial.) I started out for the Smith's when the neighbors from by the crater came out of their yard. (They'd heard the squeal of brakes and me yelling at the car.) We spent several minutes gazing at it all (that section was oiled, so you could see rubber from all 4 of my tires) and I found out that a couple days earlier someone else had done the exact same thing as me, except they stayed on the road for another 100 meters. We all decided I was lucky I hadn't rolled it, and then they helped me contact Lyons's to pull me out.

The lesson? Prayer works. God was protecting me. And my lead foot had got to go.

May Long

Well, I am back from May Long weekend. It was lots of fun, and I miss it already.

On the way down, my sister and I were in different cars. It was a rather nerve racking trip, as on the double highway, both of these drivers (names omitted to protect the guilty) spent ~45 minutes driving at 180 km/h. I put up with that. Then, on the single highway, the driver my sister was with was doing really risky passes. So, I phoned him up and totally spazzed at him, and he shaped up.

One afternoon we had activities where we split into groups. I was in group 7 and we totally had the most team spirit. Our team cheer was "Give me a 1! One!".... and so on until 7. Our lost call was "coocoo!". We even had a team hanshake which was snazzy. 'Twas awesome.

On the way home we had problems with someone's (names ommitted to protect the innocent) car. It was shaking and clanging all the way. For a period of time, Every two or three minutes it would backfire, and in the car behind we could feel the vibrations of it and see FLAME shoot out the tailpipe. That's right. Flame out the tailpipe. We did manage to limp the car home, where it will be buried.

That's just the highlights, but more fun stuff happened, it's just that I won't explain it cuz most of my readership was either there or won't know who I am talking about.

Some Q's

>1. What time did you get up this morning?: 10ish, as late as I could
>2. Diamonds or pearls?: black pearls are pretty
>3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?: ????
>4. Your favorite TV show(s): That 70s Show (I work during Gilmore Girls.)
>5. What is your middle name?: It is a wierd one, I've never met anyone with it, which is good, cuz lots of people have my first name.
>6. What is your favorite food?: that's a toughy... but I pick lasanga, cuz it combines 3 of my favorite things- noodles, hamburger, and cheese.
>7. What foods do you dislike?: eggplant! It is nasty.
>8. What is your favorite chip flavor?: regular (Yes, I have boring tastes.)
>9. What is your favorite CD at the moment?: one of my Wow Worship mix ones.
>10. What kind of car do you drive?: the gasoline sucking van
>11. What characteristic do you despise?: snobbery and plain meanness
>12. Favorite clothes: pretty dresses
>13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?: to a camp (just got back from one, and I am missing it...)
>14. Favorite brand of clothing?: I go by the individual item, not the designer/brand.
>15. Where would you retire to?: ummm..... I haven't thought about retirement yet..... but we'll say Edmonton or Saskatoon.
>16. Favorite time of the day?: after work
>17. What was your most memorable birthday?: my 18th, had lots of people over
>18. Where were you born?: In a hospital
>19. Favorite sport to watch?: I really don't care, but it is way better to watch with a bunch of people, cuz their enthusiasm is contageous
>22. What fabric detergent do you use?: I don't buy the detergent so I don't know.....
>23. Coke or Pepsi?: neither
>24 Morning person or night owl?: night owl... can I help it if in the morning my comfy, warm bed is the best spot to stay?
>25. What is your shoe size?: about a 7
>26 Do you have any pets?: dog, 3 cats
>27. Any new and exciting news you want to share with family and friends?: May Long was awesome!

Pretty, Pretty....

So the Bargain Shop just opened up in Redwater. My mom and I went on Monday and I spent a bunch of money, some reimbursed for work. Then I went today just to poke around and found a dress. It's a bit unusual, something I wouldn't usually buy, but it made me feel beautiful, so I bought it. It's a sleaveless dress, knee length, and sorta tan and pink colored. It's a summer dress, so I'll wear it to Maryanne's wedding.

I love it when I find pretty dresses like that. Plus, it only cost $14. Isn't that great?

A Rave, Not A Rant, For Once

This monitor is seriously annoying. Everything is way oversized on it. Anyone within 10 feet can read whatever I am working on.

You know what? Diana Gabaldon books (Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, next one out in September) are awesome! It is impossible to classify the kind of book it is- it has mystery, romance, fantasy, drama, historical, and who knows what else- so that you can't fit it to just one genre. It is full of odd little things- bitties of interesting and useless, therefore all the more interesting, information. Characters are believeable, I could go on and on. In other words, if you are looking for a good book to read- try it out.

Not a Quitter....

This is really getting hard to keep up, you guys. I'm not one of those chatty people that can just chat on their blogs. (Like you, Maryanne.) However, I am not a quitter, so...

I have a staff meeting today. I did a bunch of typing for it this afternoon, and discovered that I and one of my coworkers (the one I work with the most, thank goodness) are planning an activity for everybody in a couple weeks. Scary. Of course, at least it isn't just me. That would be terrifying.

After supper I am meeting with one of the students I am tutoring, whose attitude is getting.... lethargic. He's 17, which is plenty old enough to take responsibility for his own learning, and he's not, which is frustrating. I don't have to drive to Smoky Lake on Friday, my client got double booked with a school psychologist. So Friday will be less stress than usual.

I got my wedding invitation to Maryanne and Chris's wedding today. Yay! It turned out, I have that entire weekend off already, and there is a family reunion just outside of Regina that same weekend, too.

I am wearing: My sister's jeans, and a blue buttoneddown blouse, and my fuzzy jacket, cuz it is windy.

I'm resurfacing....

Well, I am finally starting to resurface under the mounds of scholorship papers that were dragging me down. The 4-H ones are in their envenope, ready to be mailed as soon as I leave, the Rutherford one is sent off, and the rest I have a few weeks til they have to be gone. Free money is awesome!

I likely have another couple joblets (clients in my job) on the way. One as a reading tutor to a high school girl, and another 13 year old boy in Gibbons. I have to rearrange my schedule with the boy I tutor, as there is a conflict with someone else in there. Juggling, juggling....

May Long is right around the corner, and none of the Edmonton people have sent off their reservations yet. How can we be this stupid? I must make some calls about that....

I am wearing: my blue jeans with a whole in them (as soon as I buy a new pair of jeans, I'm making these into cutoffs), and a red t-shirt.

Yuck!

It deleted it.....

I MUST stop procrastinating......

I'll do it again later if I have time.....

It's been a few days...

Well, I've been keeping busy. My dad is home this week and keeps wanting some help outside. He is trying to build a sheep shed this week. I have also endured through a rather yucky situation at work, which hopefully after tomorrow will be all cleared up (Yay for coworkers!)

I've started on some new projects (why do all my projects involve so much paperwork?) I am:
1. Applying for scholorships to hopefully reduce the size of my student loan by a sizable amount. I need ~$10 000 for next year, and I am nowhere near that amount.
2. Starting to look for a cheap but nice place to rent in Mill Woods (SE Edmonton) next year. Doesn't look like their are any roomies available, too bad.
3. Trying to keep up on my own paperwork from work. I was SO proud of myself on Tuesday- I was COMPLETELY cought up-- but now I'm behind again. :(

This weekend, the young people are coming out to my house to do some work for my dad- we're going to make a bonfire pile. After that we are having supper and young people's. Then the girls are having a sleepover at Kelsey's.

I have just finished writing an essay for a 4H scholorship- about safety in the home and farm. I narrowed mine down to be aimed at parents with young children.

I am also working more hours at work- full days on Tuesdays (I'll be in Newbrook) and Fridays, which, of course, means more money (yay!). Hopefully I'll be able to start saving up more (why can't I? This is rediculous.)

I am wearing: jeans, runners, and my 100% Canadian. EH! shirt.

I am happy because: I have discovered a new shampoo. My mom accidentally bought the wrong kind and told me to use it up, and now my hair is nice and unfizzy.

I am relieved because: I won't have to face an irate parent alone- as it happens, my coworker and I are going together.

I am annoyed at myself because: I kept forgetting my papers at home, and thus, my paperwork will be late (again) because it is unsigned.

I cheered because: When filling out my timesheets I discovered that for the month of April I passed the $1000 gross income mark. May 30 (when I get that money), here we come!!

Songs

Here’s a blog meme called the CD mix challenge, to which I got off of Janice's blog (Yay Janice!) In Blogspeak, a meme is an idea that is shared and passed from blog to blog, like a question posted in one blog and answered in many other blogs. So here’s the challenge:

From your own musical background, construct a CD song list in the following format:

1) A favorite political track. Battle of New Orleans by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2) One of those tracks that make you dance on the dancefloor no matter what. Ready to Run by the Dixie Chicks
3) The song you’d use to tell someone you love them. You Say It Best When You Say Nothing At All by Allison Krauss
4) A song that has made you sit down and analyze it’s lyrics. Independance Day by Martina McBride
5) A song that you like, that a two year old would like as well. The Barney Song by... Barney?
6) A song that gives you an energy boost. Every Little Thing by Hawk Nelson
7) A song that you and your grandparents (would probably) like. Let Them Be Little by Billy Dean
8) A song that you really liked when you were 14-16, and still really like now. Leaving on a Jet Plane by John Denver
9) A sad song that would be in the soundtrack of the movie about your life. Cry by Mandy Moore
10) A peppy song that would start the opening credits of the movie about your life. I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack
11) A good song from a genre of music that no one would guess that you liked. She's Not Just A Pretty Face by Shania Twain
12) A song that you think should have been playing when you were born. Only Yours by Mandy Moore
13) A favorite artist duo collaboration. I dunno, If I figure it out, I'll add it.
14) A favorite song that you completely disagree with (politically, morally, commonsenically, religiously etc.) Strawberry Wine by Deana Carter
15) The song that you like despite the fact your IQ level drops several points every time you listen to it. Let's Get Retarted in Here by Black Eyed Peas
16) Your smooth song, for relaxing. Jesus, You're The Sweetest Name of All by Tommy Coomes
17) A song you would send to someone you hate or are mad at. Anything from Dora, a little kids TV show that is millions of times worse than Barney
18) A favorite track from an outfit considered a “super-group.” Concrete Angel by Martina McBride
19) A song that makes you reminsce about good times with a family member. Where I Come From by Alan Jackson
20) Your favorite song at this moment in time. He Knows My Name by Tommy Walker

I dithered to the very end...

Well, when I saw Bonnie today to tell her my answer, I told her I was still dithering. So we sat down, and crunched numbers, increased my hours with some kids, and got me with about the same money as the more boring option. Seriously, hanging out with someone else at their job is very boring. So I have chosen option number one.

We didn't stay in the city last night with Saryn, she had to work. We are planning on doing it again tonight. I felt rather useless volenteering today. There were more adults than kids there. 'Twas quiet. I am working on the song thing, but man is it ever hard! Good job to those who managed it so quickly.

I am wearing: jeans, heeled shoes (I feel hot in them- shoes make or break an outfit, don't they?), and a blue t-shirt.

Today, I have:

Eaten: corn flakes and a glass of milk, I am actually rather hungry
Accomplished: Decided the course of the summer, Volenteering, Internet stuff, and talked to Saryn
Not yet accomplished: Work (kid to park and tutoring), Paperwork, seeing Saryn

The next decision on my agenda: Where will I live next fall? Any ideas, feel free to offer them. I welcome suggestions.

My weekend

Well this weekend Edmonton had lots of visitors. Ian and Angela and Saryn were all here. On Sunday, a bunch of us went out for lunch to Burger Baron, then Laura and I hung out in Saryn's hotel room. It is one of those shmansy (one of my made up words- fancy) places downtown with an actual bellboy type person in the lobby. Tonight, after I'm done work, we are going into Edmonton to have a sleepover with Saryn.

Before that, Saturday night I was going to my car after young people's and I realized I'd left my keys in the locked car. So instead of going home, Laura and I stayed overnight at Hofer's. So we had fondue with Julie and Jenna before going to bed. I had an excellent weekend.

I am still dithering (my new favorite word) about what to do for the summer. I have a choice: money, or experience/fun. Right now money is looking good (I'm nearly broke), but theother job is way more amusing.

Oh well, a few more hours to crunch time.

Choices, Choices...

So I just came from talking to my boss, and I have a choice on what to do for the summer. I can either:

1. Work with 4 boys: a 9 yr old who was my first kid to work with (I like his mom), a 4 year old I started with last week (His mom is nice, though we aren't on the same wavelength- I'll write about my wavelength theory one of these days) (Did I write about him? One of the stubbornest kids I've ever met- one of the twins.), a 5 year old I'm meeting tomorrow whose mom is supposed to be really nice, and a grade 8 kid I don't know whose mom is supposedly a pain in the neck ( none of the workers want to deal with her, but I can charm adults really easily). 35 hrs a week, lots of driving, more working with the other workers.

or:

2. Work with one 17 year old boy that I am already tutoring. I'll be helping him get a job and hanging out at his work. (There is a job open at Coral's chicken farm...) After work I have to find other stuff to do. He doesn't really talk much to me, but he is polite and always opens the doors for me. I'm one of the older workers, lot of the workers are his age, so they would be inappropriate to work with him, which is why it is offered to me. This choice has less stress, less paperwork, and less driving. 40 hrs a week, more working away from everyone else, which is what I've been doing so far.

So I have til Wednesday to choose. With both options, I will stop working with the kid I am with the most. His behavior is going downhill, so he will go with his overnight worker, which is a relief. Some days I am convinced this kid doesn't like me. Whichever option I don't take, another worker for just the summer will do. I get first pick because I have seniority. (I've never had seniority before, that is really cool.)