Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Farewell

Well, this is it everyone. I finished my classes Tuesday, May fifth. I'm excited. I also feel a little strange. It's weird not planning my classes for next semester. Since it’s taken me seven years to finish my Bachelors, I've decided to take a little time off before deciding to return to school.

In my final entry, I really wanted to leave you with some words of wisdom.

...Unfortunately, I don't have any. (Seven years and no wisdom??) So, I'm going to do what I always do, and tell you how I spent my (last!!) week. My week started on a dramatic note - an email from a professor reminding us to turn in all our work as soon as possible. I was pretty confused because I had planned on turning in all my work in before the end of the semester. (I've blogged about my procrastination issues before.) So, in a complete panic, I left work and went home to try to complete my course in three days - instead of the ten days I thought I would have. (I was doing all of this while working Friday, having company from out of town and taking care of my crazy dog.) The good news is that I managed to do it. The bad news is that I was extremely frazzled for four days and didn't have to be. There was some miscommunication, and I really did have the whole semester to finish. (Ugh.) Either way, having to turn in all my work early allowed me to really enjoy my birthday…

…which is today! In four and a half years, I have never gotten flowers from Josh, so I was very excited to find these on my desk when I returned from a meeting:

Rosie and Carmen also got me flowers and took me to lunch. They also brought me this HUGE bag of all my favorite candy. Here's a picture of me with all my birthday flowers:

Well, I'm done with school, but I'm still here. I keep getting questions about my plans, what I'm going to do now, etc. Here's my answer: I like what I do. I love working at UHCL. I would have to have an exceptionally good opportunity to leave. Right now, I just want to relax a bit. So, no plans - I'm just going to be happy to have my degree (which will be in an excellent frame. Thanks Rosie and Carmen!).

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Crunch time!

Ok people, I'm down to the last week for two of my classes. I spent last week gathering research for my analytical report for Business Writing. I was pretty proud of the way it turned out. My boyfriend always laughs at the way I'm nonchalantly hanging out, although in reality, I am thinking about what I've got to do, and organizing my thoughts. That way, when I sit down, it just flows together (for the most part). I really enjoyed the course. I didn't think I would, but the assignments and lectures really hit home with the work I do daily. I always enjoy classes that I feel directly apply to my life.

I spent this past weekend at my family's lake house. We originally intended to just spend the day to get an idea of what we would need to do to prepare for my graduation party. (GRADUATION!!) We ended up staying the weekend because we were enjoying ourselves so much. It was a very relaxing, quiet weekend. Well, quiet except for my little cousin Trace, who has learned not to interrupt unless he says excuse me. (Now he yells "Excuse me Miss Emmy I just need to tell you something real quick! Excuse me!" and then goes on to tell me about his cartoon, or need for chocolate milk, or how his brother is doing something wrong.) Here is the cove that the lake house on:

We actually have a small alligator that lives in the cove, but I didn't manage to get a picture of him. I created some beautiful art with the 3-D sidewalk chalk:

Sunday afternoon I went to the Writing Center to meet with a tutor about my paper. I've used the writing center several times and found to be very helpful. Keep in mind that it helps if you know what your questions and concerns are ahead of time, so they can better assist you.

I'm almost done, and so excited. Good luck to everyone. :-)

P.S. I noticed something strange in the hallway the other day. Does anyone recognize this?:

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

April Showers...

First, I hope no one drowned in all the rain we had last weekend. Friday afternoon I left work thinking everything was fine, if anything, a little bit rainy. Hah! I ended up driving thirty miles per hour all the way up Highway 146. Once I got in to Baytown, I pretty much floated home, while praying I didn't flood my recently paid-off car. We had excellent seats for the Astros game so we swam back to Houston. (I think I might have to stop going since the Astros always lose when I actually go to the game.) I realize that my camera phone is crappy, but our seats were really good.

The night before (Thursday) I went to the Seether (!yay!) and Nickelback concert with my aunt. (My aunt's only about ten years older than me, so she's always felt like more of a big sister.) We had a good time, but (just to let you know how lame I am) we actually left the concert early, since I had to be at work the next day. (Really? Who leaves early?) Rena and me at the concert:

Last week the University Life Committee also met. (I'm a rep for Support Staff this year.) ULC is one of the shared governance committees at UHCL. One of the items brought up at this meeting was ID cards. Right now, many offices/departments on campus require students to have their UHCL ID. (I've blogged previously about the UHCL bookstore, when you need a validated ID to charge books to your account.) ULC is looking at adding a statement to the student handbook to require students to carry UHCL ID on campus. This doesn't mean wear it, but to have it accessible should you need it, or be asked for it. If you have questions/concerns you can contact your ULC rep so they can report back to the committee.

This week was also Administrative Professional week. :-) My office is fantastic. They show appreciation for me daily, but they always celebrate this day. We got flowers and had breakfast together..a great way to start the day.

Have a great week! We're almost done. :-)

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Easter

Ugh. I was sick for last week. It started with the most terrible sore throat and NOTHING helped. I ate milkshakes and mashed potatoes for days on end. (And now my clothes don’t fit!) I’m feeling a lot better though, which is great. Since I was sick I didn’t do much last week. Saturday Josh and I drove out to La Grange to see my mom’s family for Easter and my niece Gabby’s fourth birthday. (My mom has lived out there for about 15 years, and EVERY time we go I can find ZZ Top’s “La Grange” on the radio. Ahaw-haw-haw-haw…) Here I am with my little sister, Dallas:

I got to eat some good food and spend a few hours with my family and then Josh and I headed back home. I really meant to get out of the truck to take a few pictures of the pretty bluebonnets on the side of Highway 71, but I was feeling pretty bad. Here are the ones I got though:

Sammy is driving me nuts. I think his puppy teeth are coming out and he is chewing up something every time I turn my back. A pen, the gum from my purse, a notebook, my flip flops… He’s also started digging holes in the back yard. It looks like a minefield back there.

In other news – it’s definitely crunch time. I’ve got about a million things to do to finish up this semester and GRADUATE! I made the stupidest mistake in one of my classes… I uploaded a project to WebCT, but didn’t “submit” it for grading… and it now counts as late work, which my professor doesn’t accept. Zeros are NOT good your final semester of college.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

San Antonio

I have three brothers on my dad’s side, and two cousins that are boys. When we do any kind of family function, then women are completely outnumbered. I don’t hunt or fish so my grandmother tries to take a little trip with me and my aunt (Rena) every year to even things out. A couple of years ago we went to Austin for the weekend and saw the state capitol and everything, which was really neat. It rained the entire time, but we still enjoyed it.

This past weekend we went San Antonio. It took us a while to pick out a hotel because my grandmother wanted to be able to see the Riverwalk from the balcony, and we wanted to be close enough to everything to walk around. On the way to San Antonio, we stopped in Weimar to see if they had any nifty antiques, but we didn’t have any luck.

Friday after we got to the hotel room Rena and I took off to explore. Friday night we picked a restaurant that we didn’t realize was super expensive, so we ordered dessert and decided to eat dinner later. We went to the mall to buy new crocs and to a little cantina in La Villita for dinner. I was back in the room and asleep by ten o’ clock. Saturday we decided to switch hotels, since the one we were in wasn’t meeting our (Rena’s) expectations.

After getting settled again we went to the El Mercado to do some shopping. I didn’t really find anything I couldn’t live without. I did take a picture of me trying on this hat…

…and another one of some of the merchandise they had to use for El Dia de los Muertos. By Saturday night we were tired of Mexican food, so we had Italian. We also finally figured out the RioTaxi (the boat that you can ride up and down the Riverwalk to get places). After dinner we rode the RioTaxi until they kicked us off.

It was a great weekend, and Monday I got to go to the Astros game! Here’s me and Josh.

Enjoy your week!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Homebody

Getting back into the groove after Spring Break is always tough. Since we’d been gone for several days we had plenty of stuff to catch up on around the house. I spent my Saturday cleaning the house and running errands (I live such an exciting life). I even went to Lowe’s twice. We had plans to go out Saturday night, but they quickly went from “dinner and going out” to “dinner and a movie.” We went from there to “dinner and renting a movie” to “dinner and watch a movie we already have.” Let me tell you - we ended up with drive through Dairy Queen and watched TV. Yay for date night! We did get a BBQ pit that is a smoker (I’m not entirely sure what the difference is except that Josh was really excited about it). We spent a good bit of our grocery budget on meat and had a feast on Sunday. Josh’s younger sisters came over to see our house for the first time. I complain about my house so much that I forget how proud I am to own one. (Well, I own 5/360 of the house.) We had to lock up the dog when one of our friends brought his little boys over. (That’s just easier for everyone involved.) His kiddos were super cute. They decided to battle each other with huge sticks from my yard, which was a great idea until someone almost lost an eye. Then they decided to sing at the top of their lungs (this can be easily confused with screaming) in the living room. I also discovered that puppy toys make good little boy toys.

I had to rush to get some Photoshop work done for one of my classes. Before spring break, I had turned in a midterm for a different class – and I turned it in without answering the last question, thinking “I’ll just take the loss, at least I’m done with it.” Wouldn’t you know that when I checked my WebCT that my teacher said the dates were a guideline, and to please turn the complete midterm as soon as I finished it. I don’t know if I’m glad for the second chance or upset because I thought I could mark it off my to-do list. Hope you have a great week.

These are some pictures of just a handful of the plants in my yard. I certainly have some work cut out for me this summer.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Spring Break Part Two

I hope everyone enjoyed their Spring Break as much as I did. Josh and I left for Louisiana right after work Wednesday night. I got almost no sleep the night before because someone in my neighborhood had a dog barking which drove Sammy crazy. I was determined to sleep on my trip since Josh was driving but every time I fell asleep he'd say "Em, change it to another song" or "Hand me a Gatorade" or "Can you open this jerky for me?" (I think he was jealous that I was relaxing while he was driving.)
 We arrived in Chalmette (outside of New Orleans) around 11:30 p.m. and I spent the next hour or so catching up with my best friend. Thursday we went on an airboat swamp tour. Very cool. I saw a 500lb alligator (and we got pretty close - it was a little scary). Our tour guide gave us all kinds of information, and we got to see some smaller gators up close when he threw marshmallows to them. He also caught a baby alligator for us to hold (they still bite!). Friday we went ate in the French Quarter and went to Harrah's. I've never gambled before, so I stuck to the slot machines. Of course we lost all our money, but I did redeem $30 when I got 4 Aces on the nickel slots. Saturday we were all excited about our nighttime ghost tour in the French Quarter, but it was a bit of a letdown. I got some interesting historical information about several buildings, but nothing too spooky or ghost-like. The rest of our time was spent hanging out with friends. I won a memorable game of Clue, lost a game of air hockey and cheered everyone else on in darts. (I'm terribly uncoordinated and they were using metal darts - needless to say I didn't play.) I also rocked out to SingStar (I can yodel the Cranberries "Zombie" fairly well) and tried my hand at Guitar Hero (no good at all, but I could see how that game could become very addictive).
 Hope you have a great week!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Spring Break!

Whew. I made it through my last midterm on Friday night with about thirty seconds to spare. I have completely surpassed senioritis. Saturday Josh and I went to Tomball for one of his niece’s birthday party. Josh has four sisters, and two of them are high school English teachers. I spent some time talking to them about their jobs, getting certified and everything. Another friend of mine has done ACP for Special Education. I wanted to be a teacher right up until I realized I wouldn’t be able to do the internship and still pay rent, so I switched degree plans. (and switched, and switched…) Teaching is another career option I might think about, especially since there are several Alternative Certification Programs available. (The School of Education has one too.)

Sunday Josh and I realized we were three days away from our trip to New Orleans and we both needed new clothes. I had been wearing jeans with a hole in the rear and didn’t even know it until Josh pointed it out. ( I wore them to work and everything! How embarrassing.) While shopping I realized that:

1. Josh is a pain to shop with – especially when he really should be shopping in the “Tall” section at the Big and Tall store.
2. If you want to buy sunglasses, you should shop in contacts. (I’m completely blind, and I couldn’t see myself in those tiny mirrors by the sunglasses racks.)
3. Josh and I are completely fashion clueless and couldn’t tell the which sunglass were for girls and which were for guys.

My graduations invitations came in the mail on Saturday. I’m very excited about sending them out to my friends and family.

Monday I had lunch with a friend who is working with Communities in Schools and really seems to like working with the high school kids at her campus. We were talking about starting the graduate sociology program here, and I would love to have a friend in my classes, but I think I need a break from school – at least the summer.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Computer overload

I’m feeling very technologically un-advanced this week. My boyfriend got me a fantastic iPod for my birthday last May, and we had fun downloading iTunes and a few songs that night. Then I wanted to put all our CDs on it (though it was a birthday gift, it is most definitely “our” iPod). Well, my CD drive just doesn’t work. The Geek Squad couldn’t figure it out, and neither could a techie friend, so I kind of forgot about it… Then with everything else going on this summer I never put anymore music on my iPod. (Did I mention that thing has more space than my laptop?)

I have been stealing wireless internet from a neighbor. I know, I read online that it’s a terrible thing to do… but I couldn’t decide what kind of internet service I wanted. Unfortunately stolen wireless isn’t very reliable (Especially with 3 online classes). Sunday I got a wireless broadband thingy (a very technical term). I was super excited… until I got home and realized I had to download software from a CD for it. Arg. Monday I got an external CD drive. I had to put that software on the computer, then the wireless software, then I could finally get on the internet. (And it was kind of disappointing after going through all that… I didn’t even have any new email or Facebook messages.) I spent all last night putting CDs on my iPod. My life is now complete… except my car is too old to plug the stupid thing straight into the stereo. Now I need a new car. ;-)

I also got new software at work, SnagIt, which I can use to capture screen images. I spent a lot of time on our webpage, updating and making new changes. I’m just about computer-ed out this week.

I hope you all did well on your mid-terms. I’m still finishing up mine. J

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

My Job and My Dog

I think my big news this week is that my position was reclassified. Yay! I work in the same office, but for a different supervisor and have new duties that I’m excited about. (I get to work on our webpage, which I really enjoy.)

I finished my map project and I’m very proud of it. There were several students in my class that had awesome maps with graphics and everything, but this was the extent of my ability.

I’m still working with my puppy Sammy. He is a great attack dog. We had friends over this weekend and had to keep him on a harness and leash to get him to calm down so he wouldn’t bite. (My friends were feeding him steak to bribe him.) He especially had fun attacking his reflection in my mirror while he was soaking wet from a bath. He’s so cute when I can get him to calm down enough to just lay on the couch. (Oh yeah, my “no pets on the furniture” rule is looong gone!) And how can you be mad at him when he looks like this?

On Mondays I get off work at 12 and head to the computer lab to work on school work for a few hours. After finishing my map project I spent some quality time in the back yard with Sammy letting him catch his ball. He can fetch it, but he doesn’t like to give it back to you. He really prefers if you chase him around to try and get it.

Hope you have a great week!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Mardi Gras!

I celebrated Mardi Gras on campus this year, at the Faculty and Staff Mardi Gras Party on Saturday. It was a lot of fun. I was on the committee this year, and helped with decorations. Actually, when it came down to it my job was scrubbing old wax out of the candle holders (sixty-four candle holders). Everyone did compliment how pretty and clean they were. :-P I also learned how to make a balloon arch, which I’m sure will come in handy sometime.

Saturday night we had food, music and dancing. We had gumbo, jambalaya, blackened chicken, rice and beans and King’s cake for dessert. I thought it was great. We also hired a Zydeco band that played some fun music (though we weren’t really sure how to dance to it). During their intermissions the DJ played songs everyone was a little more comfortable with. During one song the committee threw beads out onto the dance floor, which was a little scary because I hit several people in the head.

I slept through Fat Tuesday last night. I intended to take a quick nap before working on my Illustrator map project (I’m attempting to trace a map of Galveston Island for a travel brochure) and didn’t wake up until it was time to go back to sleep. I’m blaming it on Sammy (the new puppy). He is convinced that 3am is a perfect time to wake up every morning and starts whining to be let out of his crate. And he doesn’t stop. Every time you toss or turn he gets quiet, thinking that you are about to rescue him. Then you get comfy and he starts all over again.

Here I am with a mask I stole from the table centerpiece:

Carmen (SoE), me, and Rosie (A/P)

Carmen and me in our stolen masks!

I even made Josh come – doesn’t he look like he’s having fun? J

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Pet Ownership

Pet ownership is killing me. I mentioned last week that I read all those articles and felt prepared. Um… no. Good news is that I have a healthy, already house-trained puppy. Bad news is that Josh and I get tired of watching his every move, and as soon as we aren’t looking he’s in the trash or on the bed/couch/treadmill. He also enjoys whining in the middle of the night about being in his crate. My “no animals on the furniture” rule lasted about forty-eight hours. I do feel loved when I get home in the evening and wake up in the morning. It is nice that someone is so excited to see me every day. (Probably because I know where the Beggin’ Strips are hidden, but still...)

It is Girl Scout cookie time! Thin Mints have become a staple in my diet… as in I’m only eating Thin Mints. My boyfriend brought home a carton (12 boxes) because that is my favorite cookie… so guess who has had a box of Thin Mints every day? Luckily, a friend talked me into doing boot camp (exercising super early in the morning). So far we’ve done it twice, once outside in 50 degree weather and once in the rain… I’ve enjoyed it, but I’m super sore. I think the only thing that keeps me going is the fact that I need to work off all those cookies.

I missed Graduation Fest in the Atrium last week, and I’m a little disappointed. I don’t plan to walk, but still wanted to look at announcements. I think they may still have the information available in the bookstore.

This weekend we found a charcoal grill in our shed and had steaks for Valentine’s Day. I also finally watched Star Wars. I know - I still haven’t seen the Star Wars movies. Something about that scrolling text at the beginning puts me to sleep.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Sammy

Josh and I have been talking about getting a dog since we bought our house. We found out we have fundamental differences regarding pets (Inside vs. outside, big vs. small, all that good stuff). We finally decided to bite the bullet. We found the cutest puppy named Sammy at the League City Animal Shelter. He’s about 7 months old and at least part Jack Russell and probably Daschund. We’ll get him this afternoon after he’s been neutered.

In preparation for our new pet, we broke the bank at Petco. Sammy now has matching Astros collar and leash, but Josh drew the line when I started to head down the doggy clothes aisle. We’ve also spent time checking out the fence, and I’ve been reading a zillion online articles about how to housetrain, crate train and in general deal with a new puppy. We went to visit Sammy again Saturday to see if we could get him a little more comfortable with me. (Of course the dog we liked likes to bite at people, and I really don’t enjoy that.)

Sunday we watched the Pro Bowl and I did homework through the first half. I could have done it that morning, but I enjoy the rush of waiting until the last minute.

I also applied for graduation through E-Services. I printed out my confirmation page because I’m very nervous that something will come up later and I will get lost in the system. I’ve been working toward this for a very long time and I don’t want anything standing in the way of this degree. This may be late by the time it gets posted, but Graduation Fest is tomorrow, Thursday Feb 12th in Atrium II.

Have a great week!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Photo Session

Last Friday the student bloggers got together for a professional photo session. It was interesting, uncomfortable and exciting all at once. I met most of the bloggers last summer when we all came on board, but they aren’t people I regularly run into. So it was a little strange to have our arms around each other. That being said, everyone feeling uncomfortable together is a unique bonding experience in itself. I also have a new respect for professional models after this session.

Friday night used to be the highlight of my week. I remember meeting up with friends, going out, seeing people and doing things… and this Friday I was dead asleep by 8:30. When did I get so old? On the other hand, I woke up early, went grocery shopping, cleaned house, and did homework. Saturday we also got together with a few friends and watched the UFC fight. I can’t tell you who fought, or what they were fighting for, but I have fun cheering and spending time with everyone.

On Sunday was the Super Bowl. We had the Super Bowl party at our house and had tons of food – wings, chips, dips, banana pudding, pizza rolls, brownies, sandwiches. I think we had nine or ten people watch the game with us. It was a great game. We weren’t cheering for either team in particular and I was just yelling for the good plays by both teams.

Monday was the due date for my first project for my Computer Graphics course. In my normal Emilie fashion, I was working on it until about 2 hours before it was due. I’m not quite used to my online classes with due dates. I actually missed a chance to post my introduction the first week because I was waiting on my books. (Oops. My first 0. *sigh*)

Have a fantastic week!

I don’t remember what I’m talking about in this picture, but I look entertaining, right?
Also pictured: Kriti Anastasskis (left) and Ibrahim Husain (center)

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Back to School

I made it through the fall semester! Going to school full-time and working full-time, and I managed it. (I’m very proud of myself. Can you tell?) That being said, I did use up quite a bit of my vacation.

My Christmas break was wonderful. Being off work for 12 days had a lot to do with that. We celebrated Christmas Eve with my dad’s family in Lake Livingston. My family recently bought a two-bedroom house on a cove out there and we had 14 people stay the night. J It was crowded, but very worth it. Josh and I won a rolling cooler and a chopper thing for the kitchen at our White Elephant gift exchange.

Early Christmas morning we went to LaGrange to celebrate with my mom. I brought some delicious homemade Chex mix to share with my family (though that side of my family calls it “trash”). My 13 year old sister came back with us, and spent part of her Christmas vacation at my house. We watched movies, did a LOT of after-Christmas shopping and just spent time together. We also went to see Body Worlds II at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. It was fascinating. This exhibit focused on the brain and development, but they still had the different bodies on display.

I had planned to do all kinds of stuff during my Christmas break. We were going to finally buy a lawnmower (but didn’t because the grass isn’t even growing right now). Then I wanted to repaint some rooms in our house (but didn’t because we should probably get curtains first). I actually went shopping for curtains (but didn’t buy any because they are really expensive). Sooo… I read quite a few books. And nope, I didn’t get a head start on any of my classes or anything useful.

I hope everyone had great winter break, and I hope that you are ready to get started on another year.

Our Christmas card picture.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Thanksgiving Recap

I didn’t end up with a Wii. I went to my local Wal-Mart and was shocked at the number of people that were there – especially in electronics. It was absolute chaos. So, I meandered on over to the Holiday section and bought a little Christmas tree for our house. It’s six-foot tall and prelit, which is great, but it’s a little skinny. I also went on a bought gift cards for my little brothers (they are 13, so I’m sure they want cash) and some new ornaments for my tree. I also stopped by Kohls but it was a mad house. I don’t think I’m cut out for Black Friday shopping. My tree is in the picture below, and I want to clarify that I decorated it at 6am Friday morning in a sleep-deprived stupor, and that the people we bought out house from left those curtains…

Thanksgiving was great, my boyfriend’s mother is an excellent cook. My lemon pie was a hit with – oh, just me. I think everyone else was scared to try my cooking. We watched a TON of football this weekend. About the time I decided I was football-ed out, the Texans played on Monday (and you just have to support your team on Monday Night Football). They won which was awesome, though if they had been losing, it would have been a lot easier to get my homework done.

I accomplished a lot once I set down with my school stuff and got to work. I got about half-way through my online class in 3 full days on working on it. I finished my Mediation course last night, which is a huge relief. (Though that was the class I had the best grades in when I sat down and looked at it, I don’t know why I was stressing about the final paper.) I still have a Photoshop project to work on this weekend, another term paper and a final. Something about the last minute pressure just encourages me to get things done. (Or maybe it is looking at what my grades will be if I don’t get them done.)

I hope everyone had a great semester. I’m excited it is almost over.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

And the search begins…

So after the Thanksgiving turkey wears off, yours truly will be on the lookout for a Wii. I have the only boyfriend in the world who doesn’t own a video game console, and I want Wii Fit. I planned to order it online, and can’t find any for sale, except on EBay. (I know EBay is supposed to be great, but I’ve never bought anything that expensive off there, and I’m a little wary.) I will also be stocking up on gifts for kids that are 1, 3, 4, 13… and I need an awesome White Elephant gift for my family’s Christmas Eve exchange. (Last year I got a deep fryer and my boyfriend won a rice cooker… neither has been used…) This year I think I will join the Black Friday madness and hit up Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Kohls.

I will also be studying my tushy off. I have left my online class until the last minute (of course, what else would I do this semester?) so I have devised a study schedule that will keep my busy every day during my holiday weekend, except Thanksgiving.

I’m spending Thanksgiving with my boyfriend’s family. Thanks to my last minute schoolwork, I don’t feel like I should take the time to go out of town to visit my family. My dad’s family will be at the deer lease in Breckinridge, and mom’s family will be eating in La Grange. We don’t want to miss football, and I hate spending time in the car. My boyfriend’s mother is an excellent cook, and I will be contributing a lemon icebox pie using lemons from my own back yard. (I’m so proud of these lemons that I didn’t even grow…)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Agh!

I don’t know what is wrong with me. I’m just going through the motions this semester. I’ve always been a good student (even if I sometimes left things until the last minute) – but that’s just not the case right now. I just turned in the world’s worst term paper and I’m not even upset about it. I’m mostly relieved that it’s off my plate, whatever the outcome.
In good school news, my group did our Role Play in Mediation last night, and I think we were fantastic. (I might be a little biased.) I mediated and John and Marissa played the conflicting parties. About half-way through we all got a bit more comfortable and started adding in little tidbits to our script. It wasn’t nearly as entertaining as some of the groups (we’ve got comedians and great actors in that class) but it got the job done.
I’ve mentioned before that I’m not entirely sure what I want to do when I graduate. After buying the house, it’s looking more and more like I just need to make more money… and those student loans are looming large. I interviewed for a job today in a completely different field. I was surprised they called me, because I don’t have any experience in that type of position. I was told that they would provide everyone with the training they need for the position, and that there is room for advancement (especially since I have a degree). I’m half-way keeping my fingers crossed. It would be a great opportunity for me financially, but I’m torn because it’s not what I’m going to school for – and because I like working here. Decisions, decisions…

I could use a break. I’d love to get lost in a book right now. :-)

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Housewarming, Stress

I was really excited to show off my new home to my family. I didn’t realize that since my house is over twice the size of my apartment, that it would take me twice as long to clean it. (And that’s not even counting the yard.) I spent the weekend buying a few things we really needed (like a new bed, and a Texans Bud Light sign…). Then I began cleaning. The thing with buying an old house is that it’s not nice and new (and clean) when you move in. It was worth the effort though. Sunday we watched the Texans lose (sigh) while my family and our friends stopped by throughout the day. I’ve also discovered people want to give me housewarming presents, which is fantastic, but I haven’t figured out where to put my towels, much less what color I want.
I’m still behind in my school work (you shouldn’t be surprised at this point). I think I might possibly have senioritis. (And I feel I deserve to catch it, I’ve been doing this for over six years now.) Next week I am doing a Role Play in Mediation, which is a little scary. I actually signed up for this class last year, and dropped it because I was scared to do something like that. (Nothing like being close to graduating to make you fearless!) I also have a term paper due. I’ve done a lot of the research – I just have to sit down to put it all together. I’ve got several days of vacation coming up, and actually, after this week things kind of slow down school wise. I think I’ve got one big item each week due…oh, and all of my online class.

Another Photoshop Project… The San Jacinto Monument.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Halloween, Elections and a HOUSE!

Ok, my first and biggest news is that I bought a house! (Well, I bought it with my boyfriend, so “we” bought a house.) We are complete nerds about it too – walking around calling each other “homeowner” and everything. I realized right before we bought it that my boyfriend and I met each other on Halloween in 2004, and we signed for our house on Halloween 2008. (It’s girly to remember that kind of stuff, I know, but it seems very cosmic or something.) We spent the weekend moving in, cleaning up, getting settled, and we still aren’t quite finished. I’m still a little disoriented when I wake up in the morning, I’m not used to being in my own house.

Also, I hope everyone took the time to vote. I voted early, and was a little surprised at the dedicated people campaigning outside the community center at 6:45 am. This was my first time voting, so I felt very grown up and proud to do my part. Monday I stayed up and watched the SNL Presidential Special and it was great. (Yes, I “stayed up” until 10 – I usually go to bed really early.) Tuesday I had class, and then watched ABC news until they announced Obama had won.

Halloween was so much fun! I dressed up with a group for the costume contest and we won first place! (I love winning.) The committee that put together the Halloween event did a great job. I had a lot of fun, and then I spent forever trying to get the eyeliner out of my eyebrows in the restroom. (I didn’t want to go buy the house dressed up like that!)

I’m the witch in the picture below. The rest of my group is Lance (UCT); Carmen, Yavon, Sue, Ron, Yvonne, Nichole (HR); Laura and Roberta (OSP).

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Drop date

When I checked in last week I was feeling pretty overwhelmed – and the drop date was looking better and better. I ended up waiting until the absolute last minute (of course – why do anything early?) and emailed my instructor. Because of the hurricane, the Spring Schedule isn’t out, and I wanted to make sure this course would be available to me in the Spring or Summer. I was irritated when I received a message back saying “Let’s talk! Many are behind, don’t feel badly about this!” and included her cell phone number.

Irrationally, my first thought was “Couldn’t you just answer my question so I can drop and feel better already?!” I spoke with her on the phone when I got off work and described how I was concerned because she didn’t want everything turned in at the last minute, but that my other classes are more intense than I had expected and the work for them keeps me very busy. She was willing to work with me, explaining that as long as I got everything in by December 12th, I would be fine. I also talked with my supervisor, and I have made arrangements to just about deplete my vacation so I can make it through this semester. On Monday and Wednesday I already work ½ days so I can attend class, and now I will be taking vacation on the other half so I can study. (Nothing like using vacation for something as boring as school!)

The important thing is that this will let me finish. Taking it a little easier and graduating in August was looking pretty good – but talking to my professor, reminded me of why I wanted to take so many classes this semester. I want to finish in May. I really do.

Me dressed up for a Halloween party this past weekend – hey, everyone deserves a break.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Midterms

I have no idea what I’m allergic to, but my allergies have gone completely haywire. I spent all of last week in a fog and slept for about 11 hours every night. (I feel sorry for the people that work with me, I was just a body at the front desk and pretty useless.) Last week was a terrible time to be sick since I should have been working on midterms.

I also still have not done anything for my online class, so I’m about to have to make a big decision – tough it out or drop it. I hate that I have the choice to drop a class. I want to, because I could certainly use less stress, but I don’t because if I could just suck it up and get the work done I’d be finished! (Well, not finished, but I wouldn’t have to take a summer class.) For me it’s the difference between graduating in May or August. I’d have to pay out of pocket to take just one summer class, and I’d spend yet another summer studying while everyone else is enjoying their break. I also think I have a better chance of graduating with honors if I graduate in August. The catalog states “Those who are in the top two percent of each school's enrollment of their class will be eligible to graduate summa cum laude; those in the next three percent, magna cum laude; and those in the next five percent, cum laude. The minimum cumulative grade point average for consideration is 3.500.” I’m trying to decide how important it is to me to graduate with honors, and if that would matter to any prospective employer.

Toughing it out could mean a lower grade. I like my GPA where it is, and I’ve worked pretty hard to keep it up. I may have to take some time off work – and we’re already trying to get moved and settled into a house. I’d have to put all that aside until mid-December. I could be done with school by my 25th birthday, which is very appealing.

So, that’s where my thoughts are this week. I should have an answer by next week. Hope you have a great one!

The world needs lots of Emilies!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

House, Halloween and Homeowners

I’m still working on buying a house – and I have to say, it’s a very involved process. We’ve now had inspections done, and met with the loan people. Things are moving along, but I’m still keeping my fingers crossed and hoping nothing drastic happens. I’ve started the search for homeowners insurance – and realized I’m not even sure what all it covers. Is that insurance different from flood insurance? Wind and hail insurance? Do I need flying debris and random acts of chaos insurance too?

On another note, it’s one of my favorite times of year – Halloween. I think I have more fun looking at the costumes than actually picking one. My office usually dresses up for the faculty/staff costume contest, and we’ve placed the last two years. This year they are skipping out and I’m being adopted by another office, and our costume plans are top secret.  A friend of mine is having a costume party at her house Halloween night, and I think I’m going as Medusa (if I can find some plastic snakes for my hair). I’ve tried to get my boyfriend to be Shrek so I can be Fiona, but he’s not going for it. (Party pooper – he would make an excellent Shrek, he’s got the Ogre personality down pat!) I’m supposed to go to Frankel’s this weekend to check out costumes with a friend.

For the school update – I’ve finished a second Photoshop project, but I’m really not happy with it. We’ll wait until I do an excellent third project before I show you guys my mad skills again. I’ve also finished all the reading responses for one class and am almost done with the responses for another. I have a Photoshop quiz (which is really just another project) due next week, and a midterm (eek!).

All right people, I’m off to study before class. Have a great week.

My office as Cruella and the Dalmatians in 2006 and as Nerds in 2005.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Opportunities

I mentioned last week that we were getting started with the home buying process. We put an offer on a house yesterday, signed the contracts, etc. It’s exciting and nerve-racking. And with the current financial market I’m worried about even getting approved for a loan. I’m also worried that I don’t know the first thing about owning a home. What if something breaks and I can’t figure out how to fix it (or worse – can’t afford to fix it)?

I’ve also been looking into jobs. I don’t want a new one right now, but I like to know what’s available out there. I stopped in at the Gulf Coast Job Fair held here on campus a couple of weeks ago. I wasn’t registered, and I didn’t want to talk to the employers, I just wanted to check out who was there, how people were dressed, that kind of thing. I was a little disheartened – most of the recruiters seemed to be interested in IT, Science and Business fields. There were several state and county agencies that were looking for Social Sciences and Liberal Arts, but they didn’t make it to the event. (I’m assuming they were all on Ike duty.) I also took the Exxon operations test just to keep my options open. I’m not sure that would be my dream job, but they have good benefits and it would get my foot in the door with a good company.

I watched my dad get married on the internet last weekend, which was pretty cool. (He had a Vegas wedding in a small chapel.) We also celebrated my boyfriend’s birthday, and I’m still eating left over cake and pie. School is still overwhelming, but now that I’ve finished up a couple of projects and assignments I’m feeling better about this semester.

Hope everyone is doing fantastic.

This could possibly be my future home – keep your fingers crossed.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Whew

I swore I wouldn’t use the word “hurrication,” but what else can you call it? I’ve been back to “normal” for about 10 days, and I’m still not used to it. My instructors have been pretty good about extending deadlines and everything, but there is still a lot to catch up on. And I find myself getting confused – too many of my WebCT classes begin with SOCI 4____. I keep emailing the wrong professor questions about a different class. I spent hours (and hours) studying this weekend. I have banned myself from the library so I can’t get any new fun books, and I’m forced to read only assigned reading for class. I’m still a little behind, but hopefully will catch up by next week. I created my first Photoshop collage. I’ll put it on here, but you have to promise not to make fun of it. I’ve decided this class may take a little more creativity than I have.  Hopefully I’ll improve as we learn to do more in class.

Since we all went different directions during the hurricane, I haven’t seen much of my family. This week is full of birthdays (my boyfriend, his mother, my mother, a cousin…) and my dad is getting married in Vegas this weekend. I actually haven’t been to visit my mother in months, which is pretty terrible.

I watched Dancing with the Stars last night. (I find I’m watching more TV now that I’ve banned the library.) I’ve never bothered to watch it before, and actually only had it on for background noise when I watched Warren Sapp dance the Pasodoble – he did such a good job!

My first attempt:

Monday, September 29, 2008

Aftermath

I know. All my entries have been about hurricanes – sorry! I can’t control the weather.So, with my newest update, I hope everyone reading is safe and sound, and did not suffer too much damage.

I stayed in Baytown for the hurricane, and we were very lucky. No flooding, no trees on the house, though it took until this past Monday (ten days!) to get our electricity back.
I feel much closer to my boyfriend’s family, after ten of us being in the house together for so long. And one of the girls at work was picking on me about my new tan, which I got working in the yard picking up branches and raking for several days this week. I also feel very loved, my family was calling (and calling, and calling) to check on me the whole time. I read several books this week – My Sergei by Ekaterina Goordeeva (a very usual book for me, a friend let me borrow it), another Yellow Rose mystery, Stalemate by Iris Johansen (I forgot that I like her suspense novels), and Goddess of Yesterday (a young adult novel my little sister let me borrow by Caroline B. Cooney).

This is my street and some neighbors after we worked pretty hard on Saturday to start getting things cleared up:

My boyfriend’s grandmother’s house; It had a little damage we had to get over there and cover with some plastic.

Back to school and work this week. My Monday class is going to make up a day on Friday, which really doesn’t work for me. I understand that this gives us the lecture hours, but what I need is extra time to do the work.At this moment, I’m trying to catch up on homework and watching TV - which are pretty incompatible. I’m watching True Blood on HBO, having read the whole series of books (Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris) multiple times. I’m slightly disappointed in this show. It’s like with Harry Potter - after so many years, I know what I expect the characters to look and sound like, and can practically quote the books… and the show is just – not living up to my expectations.

Wednesday,September 10, 2008

Studying

I’m feeling a little smothered by the amount of work that is required for my courses.

My Photoshop class still seems fun, but I haven’t really gotten to get in there and played around yet. That’s what I’m dying to do, and I have to come up to a computer lab on the weekend to do it because I’m too cheap to buy the program for my computer at home. I’ve also discovered that I’m a terrible photographer, and that when I open the pictures on my computer, they don’t look like they do on the little camera screen. I had tons of blurry pictures, or dark ones, and my timing is just terrible. I always get people with their mouths half open.

Sociology is definitely more interesting than I anticipated, though the required readings are a lot more than I expected. I’ve always done pretty well by just taking notes in class and I’ve never bothered to do the outside reading. Not so for this semester. My professors have gotten smart, and now require summaries to be submitted before class. (Did I mention I have two classes that require this?)

And my online sociology… well, I still haven’t done much with that.

I’m going to blame my lack of interest on the weather. Who can concentrate while there is some much going on? It’s all I can do to get my paid work done daily, much less the school work. Sites that are currently feeding my paranoia: this and that.

And on houses – we’ve managed to save up a bit of money, and now the house search is on. HAR is an addictive site. There are so many options – an old house a new house, this neighborhood or that… I also didn’t realize I’d have to work with a mortgage person, a realtor and find inspectors.

I hope everyone else is getting more work done than me. Pretty soon I’m going to have to start taking vacation days to get my school done. It will be worth it though. Have a great week!

My first Photoshop assignment was to take certain pictures – this is sky & clouds:

Then we had to take pictures of a subject (and I didn’t get released from people, so you’ll get to see the creepy gnome that my boyfriend bought for his mother). He has a solar panel in his head and waves when the sunlight hits him.

And a background picture – the bayou in our neighborhood.

Wednesday,September 3, 2008

Hurricane Hullaballoo

I’ve discovered I have a strange obsession with the weather during potential hurricanes. Three years ago, my family evacuated for Rita, and spent days watching the Weather Channel together. I think that was the first hurricane I can remember affecting me and my routine drastically. When tropical storm Edouard came through a month ago I had my hurricane list out and was ready to go. We ended up just spending the day without power. This week I was obsessed with Gustav. My best friend lives in New Orleans, and I was very worried about her, her home and her friends there. I spent my time reading weather blogs, NOAA, watching the weather channel, and of course our local news. I am now intimately familiar with the paths the storm could have taken and the atmospheric trends that caused it to take the path it did. Toward the end of the weekend I spent time texting my best friend as she fought evacuation traffic for 16 hours. I’m glad it didn’t hit us, but I’m ready for my friend to get back home so I can email her.

I ended up with a 4-day weekend. Friday I went to lunch with several girls from work, and Saturday I finally finished the Sopranos (I’ve been watching them on DVD and I realize I’m a year late, but OMG, that ending! I don’t know if I’m disappointed or angry or what— stupid cliffhangers). We attended a pre-hurricane party at a friend’s house and watched baseball and barbecued. I also went bowling (I actually scored a 115 –great for me since my scored usually hovers around 90).

I know I should have gotten more studying done, and I really intended too – but I read all weekend! I bought a good book, and then checked out more from the library. The most recent is a mystery, so I have to keep reading to find out what happens. Oh well. After all, it was a holiday weekend.

Books I've read recently:

Pick Your Poison is the book I just read yesterday. I’m constantly reading the Berkeley/Signet mysteries. This one is actually set in Houston, and I think the author lives in Friendswood.

I also read The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham, who also writes as Sophie Kinsella.

And I finally got my turn at Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich. I’ve been reading the Stephanie Plum books since I was a sophomore in high school, so I was really excited about the newest one.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Back to School

I bought my books on Friday, which was a slightly irritating process. I wasn’t aware that you need to have your ID validated by Student Life to buy books with Financial Aid (By the time this blog is posted you will have already bought yours, but this could be helpful in the future).

As I’ve said before, I like to organize and plan. Not necessarily parties or events, but I like to have a personal plan. I’m super anxious about this semester because it will be my first to both go to school and work full-time. I know lots of people do it, but it is as first for me. This anxiety is what had me up here at 9 am Saturday morning to check out my WebCT courses. To my surprise all of my classes had information online and I was able to print syllabi and the first few assignments for each class.

I’m nervous that I don’t really have the self-discipline to study when I want to do something else. Monday, after I left work, I planned to work on my online class and get the first assignment out of the way for my Photoshop class… instead, I read a book and then finished it on my lunch break Tuesday. Tuesday night I finished work at 5, and had two hours before my class… and I decided to go get dinner, and read a magazine. Perfect time to start studying, but I really just didn’t want to. I’ll have to get out of this frame of mind soon. Hopefully I can enjoy the holiday weekend and then really get down to business.

I hope that everyone enjoys their long weekend. I’m off to take some pictures for class.

Taking pictures at the Baytown Marina.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Scholarship

I used to love getting mail. It made me feel so grown up when there was mail addressed to me (Even when addressed to “resident” I still liked it, because I’m the resident). After living on my own for the last few years, I’m not so fond of mail anymore. Mail becomes the bearer of bad news — bills and ads that have nothing to do with me or my life. Toward the end of my apartment life, I could never remember to check the mail and important letters would sit in a damp box on the other side of my complex for weeks.

Living at home is different. Some very responsible person checks the mail (and gets the newspaper) everyday. If I have mail, it is sitting on my placemat at the table when I get home. It is usually still bills and junk, but I never miss anything important. I came home last week and had mail from UHCL. Usually these are reminders to register, pay, etc… which I’ve done already. This time I had a letter from financial aid informing me that I had received a scholarship.

This isn’t the first time I’ve received a scholarship, I also got a two-year new student scholarship in 2006. Having been a student at many colleges (this is my, um, fourth…) I can honestly say we have the easiest process. Especially this year, when you can log into the system, upload documents and pick which scholarships to apply for — instead of dropping copies off and hoping they made their way to the right place. This year Financial Aid included a suggestion to send a Thank You note to the scholarship donor – this is something I’ve always wanted to do, but never took the time to figure out how.

I am so excited and grateful. Having gotten through school on student loans, any money that doesn’t have to be paid back is fantastic.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Transitions

For the last two years I’ve served on the UHCL Educational Support Association executive board as Treasurer (I’ve also served as Membership Chair and Registration Chair for the TESA Area Workshop). I sincerely enjoyed my time on the board because it gave me a bit of leadership experience that I desperately need and allowed me use my powers for good. This year I’ll serve as the publicity committee chair - creating flyers for events, brochures advertising our organization and maintaining the ESA board in the Bayou building. It will be a nice change of pace, creativity as opposed to record-keeping. Our HR Liaison helped us set goals for the new year using a snow card technique (I actually learned about this planning exercise in my Strategic Planning class). We’re focusing on membership involvement and expanding our offerings for professional development. It seems like we’re ready to dive in starting September 1.

This year I was also asked to serve as Support Staff Association alternate for the University Life Committee (I can’t take a lot of credit for this – they mainly asked because I’m already attending every meeting as the ULC secretary). We held the SSA board transition at Babin’s in Kemah. Michelle Dotter spoke about our responsibilities and commitment to all the support staff and how we shouldn’t let our personal feelings for an issue get in the way of representing our constituency. Chuck Crocker from Career and Counseling spoke on finding our strengths and working well with those whose strengths are in different areas. Focusing on getting information to staff in a timely manner and getting support staff more involved in the organization are just a couple of the goals for this year.

At the SSA Transition:

I’m thinking really hard about our goals… or what I’m going to eat for lunch. I really don’t know when this was taken.

Me, Fran Davis (08-09 President) and Daisy Aramburo (07-08 Treasurer)

Wednesday, Juy 30, 2008

Determined

I am determined to be good at a sport. They are supposed to teach team work and be good for you in all kinds of ways, right? So far I’ve tried bowling and golf (I can’t catch, so that knocks out lots of sports right there).

We have one of those basketball hoops in the driveway, and bought a new basketball so we could goof off. I played basketball in Junior High - for about two weeks, on the “B” team. Turns out those mad skills don’t really exist anymore. We attempted to start with a friendly game of HORSE and quickly noticed the only thing I’m good at is dribbling the ball. We even lowered the hoop so I could quit throwing the ball on the roof.

I was so proud because I started out with my own cheering section. Josh has an almost four-year old sister who loves me (pretty much because I’m a girl like her). As my designated cheerleader, Hannah sat at the end of the driveway and jumped up and down and clapped every time I made a basket… which was twice.

Anyway, long after everyone else went in to eat dessert and watch their favorite shows, I was still outside trying to make my self-assigned 5 baskets. This was a lot harder than it sounds because I am the most uncoordinated person I know. (I have to see my feet while I’m going downstairs or I fall.) It took a while, but I eventually went inside after making 7. I even stood the way Josh explained to me, and moved the hoop back up (but not all the way).

I went to bed proud of myself, and I’m actually anxious to try it again. Maybe we could actually have a competitive game one day soon.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

End of school, moving and vacation!

I had a very busy couple of weeks.

I absolutely loved my 5-week summer course. This was the first time I’d taken a class that was so short. I just took one Web Development class and I was able to put a lot of effort into it. I enjoyed creating web pages and really enjoyed working on my final project (here it is!). Having the class be so short really helped me stay on top of the projects, since there was one due every few days. And now I get to enjoy the rest of my summer.

To save up money for a house, we made the dreaded move back home this past weekend, which is only a little depressing (I figure this feeling will fade away as our savings increase). I’ve only been there two days and I already miss having my own bathroom. We share the back part of the house with a 4-year old, which was really exciting Sunday morning when she decided to play her piano at the crack of dawn.

I never really take a vacation; I usually just take a couple of extra days off around a weekend. This week my family rented a house in Lake Livingston, and I went up for two days. I sincerely believe that working full-time and going to school is less stressful than keeping up with kids all day (My aunt has two small children ages 2 and 4 plus my three thirteen-year-old siblings). My favorite time was when I couldn’t get any of the older kids to stop laughing at the fact we were going out to eat at Buster McNutty’s. I spent a lot of time chasing after floats and kids in the lake. I was exhausted by the time I left Tuesday evening. I’m actually looking forward to the next few days of work so I can relax!

I tried to get a sunrise picture, but I didn’t wake up early enough…

“Party House” I slept in with the older kids.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Fourth of July

Welcome back. I thoroughly enjoyed my 3 ½ day weekend, and I hope everyone else did too. This weekend I had a plan. Since I never have three (almost) completely free days, I decided to finish up my schoolwork and begin packing up my apartment this weekend. Of course, neither was accomplished. I always have a plan. I often spend so much time planning how to do something I end up wasting more time than if I just dove right it. Planning in my book is often synonymous with “procrastinating.” I plan the heck out of things I dread… term papers, workouts, and evidently - moving. It’s strange how your free time can fill up so fast. It seems like there is always something going on, or somewhere you need/want to be.

I spent my 4th with my boyfriend’s family. We fried fish, watched it rain, and did fireworks that evening. This was the first time his little sister was old enough to enjoy it, and she was really excited. I was also dragged to the driving range to hit golf balls and was surprised that I’ve actually improved. I hit most of them on the first try (Next lesson – “How to aim”). On Sunday I had the best time watching my best friend’s son turn one (That’s him in the picture). I’m sure I was way too busy the rest of the holiday weekend to attempt any of those things on my to-do list, but right now I just can’t remember what took up so much time…

I’ll finish up my Web Development class this weekend. Just one final project, where we are supposed to incorporate everything we’ve learned and other students will evaluate it. I’m really looking forward to having mine completed. (I’m actually getting up early just to play with it.) I think I may have found a new interest.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Introductions...

My name is Emilie, and I am finally a senior here at UHCL. I started taking classes here in 2006, and I’m very happy with the school. I figured my first post should be an introduction, so here it goes: I have lived around the Houston area my whole life, and graduated from high school in the big city of Dayton, TX. My major is Public Service Leadership – “It can point the way to many careers, but they all have something common—leadership opportunities in a changing world; opportunities that represent complex challenges.” Sounds fun, right? I plan on graduating next May. I’m not positive what I want to do after graduation (a fact that drives my family nuts), but I’m leaning toward applying for a fellowship position through City Hall Fellows. I’m only taking one class this summer, Web Development. So far, I absolutely love this class. If you’re asking yourself what this has to do with my major, I’ll tell you - absolutely nothing. I think that’s why it’s so great. No dreaded term paper, just lots and lots of HTML code I get to see turn into beautiful (or at least functional) web pages. I managed to save up a few electives for my senior year, and I am spending them on things that interest me personally. I highly recommend doing this, if you can. I also work full-time here at the university, in a department that shall remain top secret. I’m active in the staff organizations on campus because I believe they teach important leadership, communication and team-building skills. I don't have a lot of free time, but when I do I spend it reading, watching TV, listening to music and spending time with friends and my (gigantic) family.