I'm a Dropout!

They announced a few months ago that we were going to start taxing us for our tuition, if we spent more than a certain amount. Well thanks to my doubling up of classes, I reached that amount last class. So I decided after much thought to stop school until January. A first I was euphoric, thinking of all the activities I could do now that I don't have homework to hold me back! But I have been out of school for all of a week, and I am bored!! I open my computer and surf the internet aimlessly, just wanting to have something to procrastinate. I also realize that I used school as a reason to not do things I didn't want to do. "I can't, I have homework" is such a great out! So while I'm sure I will enjoy my time away from school, I am also excited to be going back. But someone please stop me if I decide I want another degree after this one. Seriously.

Bless My Broken Road!

It's become pretty obvious in the last few days that I am supposed to stay in San Antonio. Not that I really wanted to leave, but I am always looking for the next thing, and I assumed that the next thing would take me out of the state, or at least the city. So now I have to decide where to go from here. This is what I am thinking:

1) I will not play the victim and let my life happen to me. I am in control of my decisions, and I create the life I want. If there is something in my life I do not like I have two choices: change the situation, or change my mind.

2) I will count my blessings every day. I am blessed beyond anything that I deserve, and I need to remember that before I start whining about things I think I am entitled to.

3) I will make more of an effort to excel in everything I do, even things that seem small or meaningless.

I still do not know where I'm headed, but when I get there, it's going to be in style!

Why Say No, When it Feels So Good To Say Yes

I know this will come as no surprise to those who know me, but I have a hard time saying "no". Not that I say yes to things that I really don't want to do, that it no problem, it's that I actually, genuinely, want to do just about everything! Going to see a movie? Count me in! Need help with moving? I'm there! Going to breakfast/lunch/dinner somewhere? Call me! The problem is that I do not think, while I am giving resounding yeses to everyone around me, of my already full calendar. I never think to pull it out before agreeing to something, and make sure I don't have something else planned the same night. This has caused more than a little grief and loss of sleep for me in the past, but I never seem to learn my lesson.

I'm trying to take this as a positive. Hopefully it is only teaching me to manage my time more effectively. Maybe at some point in my life I will need the skill of juggling an insane amount of work, and it will be no sweat.

In more exciting and less whiny news, I am significantly blonder than I was two days ago! I got my hair done again, and I am remembering why I love the lightness!

Signs You Don't Update Your Blog Enough

1. Friends and family who used to read and comment regularly look at you blankly when you talk about your blog. "You have a blog?" they ask.

2. Your "automatic sign in" doesn't remember your user name or password anymore.

3. You forget what your layout looks like.

I know I have been not as great at posting lately, but nothing has really happened to me. I go to work, I come home, do church stuff, then homework, and repeat. But on Wednesday I flew up to Salt Lake and spent some time with my sister, my Grandma, and a great friend, and now I am road tripping it back to San Antonio, which has been awesome. Wyoming is FOREVER. It seems longer than Texas! We are staying the night in Colorado, and will be going through Oklahoma and then down through North Texas. So far, there hasn't been anything super exciting, but we did get an ice cream cone for 50 cents! So life is good!

Bountiful

Last week I did something I hadn't done in a really really long time. My laundry. All of it. There was nothing in my laundry basket for at least twelve hours! I even folded it and put it all away! And that was when I realized: I have a lot of clothes. Most of the time enough clothes are in the hamper, or not folded and laying on one side of my bed, that I never worry about hanger or drawer space. But with everything clean, I had to steal (borrow!) some hangers from my roommate, and then I had to squish everything down to close my dresser drawers. And now I laugh at myself when I think I have nothing to wear. Also, my shoe collection seems to be multiplying! I used to be able to fit everything in my over the door hanger, with only some three shoes to a pocket, but now, I have the door hanger, a basket in the closet, and a pile in Tina's room. It's a good thing Tina is patient!!

On the Road Again

I am in the airport, after another vacation/work trip to Phoenix. This vacation/training was perfect timing for me. I really needed a vacation, but didn't have much time off, and the way this worked out, I basically got a five day vacation, and only have to submit for 4 hours!! It was a total blast, and very relaxing, but I'm pretty sure I gained 10 pounds!! I sure do miss the restaurants here... I also miss the shopping. I went to Goodwill with my cousin after lunch on Saturday. The Goodwill's in San Antonio are dirty, smelly, and have next to nothing. They also do not have 50% of Saturdays. I do not shop there. The Goodwill here was amazing! I tried on a ton of clothes, but after discovering that it was not 50% off Saturday (they happen every other weekend) I decided that $9.99 was too much for a used dress, but I did score two extremely cute pairs of shoes for less than $15 (and that included two bottles of water! It's very important to stay hydrated when in the desert!). The only struggle was trying to pack them this morning... But I succeeded!

I feel like I am at a turning point right now, like the decisions that I am making now are going to be those that will affect me forever. Strangely, I don't feel any pressure like I usually would. I feel very calm, and confident that everything is going to work out. I think that's a good sign.

Relief?

I found out today I didn't get the job in Phoenix. I was a little sad, it's never nice to be told that someone didn't want you, but I felt pretty good about it, once my wounded pride stopped smarting. It felt a lot like when I didn't get into the grad school I wanted to go to. That very night, my cousin randomly called and told me about UOPX, and told me I should apply there. Things really fell in to place for me after that, and I think it's one of the best things I have done. Plus, now I don't have to make a decision, it was pretty much made for me! I feel like I have been holding by breath for the last month, and now I can finally exhale. A good feeling!

In other news, I have not been grocery shopping in a very long time (emphasis on VERY) and so I am eating a loaf of store bought bread that I got for our trip to the beach (which was AMAZING, btw!) and it is so gross! I remember now why I started making my own bread! Which made me pretty proud of myself. I make bread! How cool is that??

Tomorrow I turn 25. I'm pretty much over the freak-out stage, especially since I feel more direction now that I know I am staying here. Everyone has been so nice about my birthday. My amazing roommate is making me a breakfast that looked amazing even in the prep stages (and I wonder why I have put on weight lately??) and my coworkers are planning something, but I'm not quite sure what. They did ask what my favorite color was, and mentioned something about a tiara. I feel like a huge brat, but I love my birthday, and love making a big deal out of it! I always laugh at people that get mad when friends/family forget their birthdays. No one in the history of the Earth has ever forgotten my birthday. Possibly because I start a countdown at least a month before, and be sure everyone knows my shoe size, just in case they get the urge to get me a little something :) All of this is just another reminder of how amazing my life is, and how blessed I am in every aspect of my life!