Can I just say . . . WOW!

I applied for graduation yesterday.

I feel excited and uncertain because, didn't I just do this like a year ago? I'm pretty sure that was me just attending graduation from Community College (see may (maybe june?) blog entry about putz teacher, it is called Grades Are In), but I feel like this one is SO much more important.

It cost me forty-eight dollars. Forty for the application fee and eight for the diploma. Yep, that's what I said, I bought my diploma yesterday for eight dollars. (I kind of can't help but chuckle.) 

Before you get too excited, you should know that I still have a year of classes before I actually graduate. You have to apply for graduation a year in advance. And yesterday was the lucky day for me. So yesterday since it was apparently be-productive day, I also set up my schedules for the next two semesters. I have a total of eleven classes left which means 18 units next semester and fourteen for my last semester. I am a little bit nervous that I will be graduating so soon. I just got to Chico State. 

This also scares me, because it means that it is also time to think about and get ready to apply for grad school and the credential program. It also means it is time to start thinking about finding a job. It is time to start thinking about teaching. This kind of scares me because of all of the horror stories I have heard about the teaching job market. But really, if I start worrying about this now, I'll go crazy.

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After I posted this, on a whim I went to google to find some images to post with this entry. (Photos make everything better.) I found this one, and got excited.

Click Here to Visit the homepage for this awesome cake!

I am so making this cake when I graduate!!! (or a version of this cake)

Promises and Confessions.

Do you remember that promise I made last time that sounded as if I meant to come in here often and write to you? well obviously I suck at keeping promises. Actually that is not really the case, when I make a promise I do not usually ignore it, or fail to keep up my end of the deal, it goes back to having promises made to me when I was a child and constant disappointment when they were broken. I don't make promises I do not intend to keep. So I fell terrible that I didn't make it in here to write to you. I could give you a laundry list of brilliant excuses (the dog ate my computer cable, my finger was broken... but all would be lies since my fingers are fine and I don't have a dog anymore.)

So here is the truth: last week was spring break, and I did absolutely nothing that I was supposed to do. (not entirely true, but let me elaborate.) I had chosen to be active and productive during spring break, and I was, but not in the way that would benefit my blog. I don't think my fingers hit this keyboard a single time all week. (I would love to report that I took spring break as a much needed relaxation week, but again not true.)

Here's a list of what I didn't do:
1. I did not write in my blog, even though I promised I would.
2. I did not bang out my semester project for health class, even though this would have been the perfect opportunity to do so.
3. I did not write my second short story for english, I didn't even work on revising the first.
4. I did not read Frankenstein as diligently as I should have, or was assigned to.
5. I did not touch a single article of homework until sunday night.

Here is a list of what I did do:
1. I cleaned my house (like really cleaned, we were having company.)
2. I had a glee marathon with a good friend to catch up
3. I helped my friends mom with a breakfast she was in charge of, for the California Alliance for Arts Education. This included set up, being there for the breakfast and clean up. It spanned two days.
4. I made the pattern for and cut out the pieces to a fishing vest I have been commissioned to create.
5. I cleaned my house again after some comments from my cousin made me feel like an inadequate housekeeper.
6. I had a fight with my sister. (not a very big one, but it made me cry, it made her cry and it took a few hours of two stubborn girls and their moods to resolve.)
7. I did copious amounts of Laundry. (I should not neglect my laundry.)
8. I looked at my garden, thought seriously of going out to weed, and made a loaf of french bread instead. (from scratch. If you've ever made bread you know this is a time consuming task.)
9. I came up with an awesome idea for a new musical-movie and made a playlist of all the songs I would like to include.
10. I watched the entire first season and most of the second season of Party Down. (this show is in a word, AMAZING. I don't know how I missed this before.)
11. I made enchiladas (some with chicken and no cheese just for me.), a kick-ass pot roast, corned beef and cabbage, and a delicious pot of chili. (among other littler meals that were by no means as epic.)
12. I had lunch with a friend, went shopping, thought about the health project but didn't actually get any work done.
13. I got a brief two-day stomach flu, but I didn't let it stop me. I ignored it to the best of my ability.

I think I was fairly productive, though my productivity included things I had been putting off and I finally got time to do. School and blogging got set aside and my life is getting in order. It's a happy feeling.

Also, I have a confession to make. On saturday I broke my promise for lent. I indulged in some Creamy delicious soup at olive garden and creamy pasta. It was entirely my fault. When I suggested Olive Garden as a great lunch spot, I hadn't even thought about the fact that my favorites would challenge my lent promise. So I indulged even though up until saturday I had been successful. I have not had any dairy since I made my lent pact. Until saturday. I did however get right back on the no dairy bandwagon, and have not indulged since. I will try my very hardest to keep this one. NO MORE DAIRY. (at least until lent is over.) next time for lunch, we're going to Hula's.

No, Please don't worry about me, And other stories.

White Daffodils through a window.

I am in a much better mood than the last time I had a chance to write here.

Unfortunately, I had to say good bye to Hannah, but I have come to the realization that the whole ordeal was a necessary evil, and I am trying to move on from there. Also, lots of tequila helped. Tequila always helps.

This is the week before spring break, which means midterms, term papers and frenzy. I have two huge midterms (took one yesterday, I did well on most of it, but other wise we'll see, and today is the health final, so not looking forward to that.) I turned in my term paper early today and feel pretty good about it. If there is one thing I can do well it is a five paragraph essay. I rock at essays (not to toot my own horn)

So I was listening to the radio (actually my sister was, but it filled the entire house with sounds this morning(well, EVERY morning.)) and the Dj mentioned that today was Ash Wednesday, which signifies the beginning of Lent.  Lent if you don't know is meant to make better people out of us, it is meant as a sacrificial experience to bring up closer to... whatever I am not a very religious person, but I found myself intrigued by the idea of lent. So this morning as I rode the bus to class I decided that I too will partake in the forty days sacrifice of Lent. I believe that during Lent you are meant to only give up one thing for the period, I however chose to give up a series of things they include:

1. Dairy Products (that means NO butter, cheese, yogurt, Ice Cream and the one I am honesty saddest about, Chocolate. I will really, really miss chocolate, but my butt will thank my for this one.)

2. Frivolous Spending (If you know me, you know that I hemorrhage money on little unimportant things that I could totally do without. My bank account will thank me for this one.)

3. Laziness. (While I am really busy all the time, I do tend to spend a lot of my time on being lazy. This is a terrible habit that I have picked up only very recently, in the end my house and my mood will thank me.)

I figure three is good. A trifecta of sacrifice. My plan is to post nearly every day, or at the very least every other day with updates on how well I am doing at sacrifice.  This will hopefully be a cleansing and very good for me time.

Also, (bear with me, this will be a very long post, but that is my fault for not being more regular.) I had tons of free time on my hands on Monday and I chose to take that free time to find Beauty in things around campus. (Yes Patty, I borrowed from your idea, but I liked it and love having an excuse to take pictures of nature.) And also, since Spring is on it's way and I love pictures of early spring, I have chosen to add some pretty pictures. I love when the trees and shrubs flower, I love summer when the Magnolia trees bloom. I love that the air smells like flowers in the early spring. I really love spring overall, and always find myself in a better mood, out of the funk of winter and ready for some serious rejuvenation.

The Tulip Tree.

The Tulip Tree has begun to drop its petals

I love the contrast between pavement and nature.
It's like the idea of Post and Pre industrialism.

The river on campus, it's been raining and snowing
a lot and the river is flowing very swiftly.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
- Robert Frost: The Road Not Taken (1915)

The Camellia bushes have begun to drop their petals.

I don't know what this yellow bush is, but I love the
bright ferocity of it's color and the contrast it provides

My plan is to continue a series of photos that illustrate the beauty of spring and just why this is my very favorite season. These are only a few photos, I promise to post more.