Good to be home

I am finally home and free to get ready for Christmas!

Even though I am glad to have been to Chile and glad to have new stamps in my passport (that my parents don’t have yet!), I am so glad to be home!

I arrived home from Chile via Atlanta, Auburn and Haleyville today.  The flight was long and hot and uncomfortable and I would prefer to never repeat it in coach again (or at least without an exit row seat).

Grandaddy was also released from rehab today!  This calls for major praise and thanks for prayers on our family’s behalf.  I told him today that we are going to celebrate Thanksgiving now.  I am so thankful that I still have my sweet Grandaddy.  I just pray that 2010 is an easier year for him than 2009 was health-wise.  But we will take what we can get and cherish our time together as a family.

I want to post lots of Chile pictures, but all I have done is upload them into my computer.  It’s been about 42 hours since I have slept in a bed and I don’t think what little sleep I got on the plane actually counts, so I am going to bed.  Count on some pictures soon though.

PS—Even though the heat is on, I have never been so grateful to live in a land with functional air conditioning!  My hotel room was at least 26 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit) for the entire trip.  And even though I am always cold, when it was 80-92 degrees during the day that is too hot!  I will happily snuggle down in my bed tonight instead of sleeping on top of the covers!

Just a teaser…

 

To pack or not to pack

That is the question.

I have to pack for both my trip to Chile and my trip (however brief) to Florence.  Chile will be 80-90 degrees and Florence will most likely be below 50 degrees the entire time.

I can send almost unlimited things home, but I have a weight limit for my luggage going to Chile.  I also need about two outfits per day each day in Chile, so I have to pack wisely.

Thankfully, Mom, expert packer extraordinaire is coming tomorrow and can spend Sunday helping me to get things organized and paired down.  I’m an extreme packrat, so this is a job in itself.

But first, I have to wash clothes so I can actually have clothes to pack!

Long Journey Ahead

Grandaddy left the hospital today and went to the rehab facility.  It is called an “acute” facility and my definition of “acute” is that they don’t waste any time. 

The typical stay is two weeks (although some say only a week and it is possible to stay up to three weeks).  Unlike other rehabilitative facilities, the patients at J.W. Sommers spend about 8 hours in therapy Mondays through Fridays and 4 hours on Saturday.  They have about a hour for rest and a meal at lunch and are free after dinner.  In our experience, the patient is often too tired for family visits during this time and visitors often talk among themselves and don’t really interact much with the exhausted patient.

Another example of how they don’t waste time is that Grandaddy did upper arm workouts and walked some today after he arrived around 12:30.  Those people definitely make the most of the time they have and I’m sure Grandaddy will walk out, with the assistance of a cane, in just a few short weeks.

The biggest obstacle faced by patients at this facility is not physical limitations, but mental ones.  They have to want to work hard enough to get better.  Before, this was not a problem with Grandaddy.  I hope it will not be this time either.  He’s a fighter, as he proved this past week, and I know he will be better soon!

Prayers Answered!

Grandaddy should be going to a rehab facility tomorrow!  He will have been in the hospital for two weeks and three days without even one breath of fresh outdoor air, so I know he will enjoy the short trip across the river to J.W. Sommers.

Grandaddy spent about two weeks at J.W. Sommers earlier in the year as an inpatient and several more weeks as an outpatient.  Those people can work miracles!  I know that soon he will be doing much better and will be able to regain some semblance of independence. 

I am so thankful that we had such a good outcome from this surgery.  We were given such a scary outlook, but things went better than I dreamed they would.  A classmate buried her Grandmother yesterday and I thought how close we came to the same situation with Grandaddy.  I hurt for her because I was so afraid that was what we would be planning this week or next.

God is so good and protected our family this time.  I know that one day we all have to say goodbye, but I am thankful for every day longer that we each have together.  Family is everything!

Grateful

This Thanksgiving, I have so much to be thankful for.  First and foremost, I am grateful to still have my family intact. 

Grandaddy has had a horrible year and we came close to losing him this week.  He has had at least five hospitalizations this year, the shortest for about a week and the longest for over three weeks and then another two weeks in inpatient rehab.  Time will tell how long his most recent hospitalization will be.  He will be in the hospital for over two weeks before we consider discharge and we are hoping that he can go to J.W. Sommers again for heavy-duty rehab.

Earlier this week, we were faced with the decision of moving forward with a risky surgery or bringing him home.  Grams had her mind up for him to have the surgery, but we weren’t so sure after hearing how difficult the recovery would be.  Later last Monday, Grandaddy made the decision to have the surgery after discussion with his doctor.  We now know that this was the right decision because, while he is still very sick, he is so much better than he was.

Grandaddy is a fighter and still has so much fight left in him.  I can only hope I will be that strong and determined if I am lucky enough to make it to 90. 

For him and the opportunity to spend time with him, this year I am especially thankful.

Prayer Request

I know, I know.  I failed at NaBloPoMo.  I’m not surprised since I’m in Florence and with everything that’s going on.  Maybe next year.  Anyway, I am more in the habit of posting, so maybe I can continue this habit.

On to the subject of this post.  My sweet Grandaddy is having surgery tomorrow.  He made the decision to proceed and thankfully, this was the decision we had also reached as a family.  It’s going to be serious, especially due to his age.  It’s also going to be a difficult recover.

He is a fighter and this is what it takes to fight this illness.  Otherwise, we would have to concede defeat which is something that he, and we, are not willing to do at this point.

Please pray for him, and us, tomorrow.  The surgery should be mid to late morning.  We don’t really know how long it will last, but he will go straight to ICU from the OR.

Florence, Day 2

This morning, Daddy woke me up around 6:40 to help him with an errand before work.  After I got back home, I decided going back to sleep was pointless.  I decided, because it was a really foggy morning, to take Grams to her weekly salon appointment.

Once I decided this, I had less than 45 minutes to go get her and get her to the salon.  Luckily, we’re talking about Florence here and that was completely possible.  I was even able to get a shower and blow-dry my hair!

Once I dropped her off at the salon, I had to decide what to do with the next hour. 

First, I called the Lauderdale County Courthouse and checked on an issue with their property tax assessment.  Then I went to their house to get some paperwork I needed to pay the property taxes.  Finally, I was able to go to the Courthouse and pay the taxes along with taking care of some other business.

By the time I finished all of this, it was nearly time to pick up Grams.  I backtracked to get her, we went to her house to pick up some other papers I needed and then left for Muscle Shoals.

In Muscle Shoals, I had to go to Emma’s Vet to pick up some food for her.  That trip took longer to get there and back to Florence than it did to actually get the food.

After that, we went to an optician to get new glasses made for Grams.  That didn’t take so long, but getting her in and out of the store was difficult.

After that she asked to go to the mall for two items.  So, of course, we went.  After that trip, we went to pick up lunch and take it to the hospital. 

So with all of that, you get to where I am now: sitting at the hospital trying to take care of Grandaddy as best I can.  Mom has gone home to get some well-earned rest.  She’ll be back in a few hours and I’ll go home to sleep and begin the process again in the morning. 

I don’t know how Mom has made it this long.  It’s exhausting running around town by myself, but add Grams into the mix and it’s almost impossible.  Thank you, Mom!  I want you to know that I truly appreciate what you are doing for Grams and Grandaddy!

Sitting with Grandaddy

As I am writing, I am sitting with Grandaddy in the hospital.  He’s a little better than he was when he first came here last Saturday, but we haven’t seen much change over the week.

His doctors are considering inserting a chest tube tomorrow to help his lungs fully expand.  On the one hand, I hate for him to go through the procedure and recovery, but the most important thing is for his breathing to become easier.  He can’t get a deep breath right now and it’s causing multiple problems.

I am praying that the chest tube will not be necessary because he would be bed-ridden while it is inserted.  Although he is virtually bed-ridden now, I was hoping that PT could get involved and he would be able to work on regaining some of his strength in the next few days.  Every day that he is in bed will require more and more time to recover physically.

If it is determined that the best decision is to move forward with the chest tube, then, of course, this is the direction we will go in.  We will deal with the consequences after we resolve the immediate lung issues.

Please pray especially for Grandaddy and for our peace that we are doing everything possible to treat his illness and to keep him as comfortable as possible.

Crazy Day

It's quite early, but I'm being a dedicated blogger in NaBloPoMo, so here goes...

This is such a crazy day! I have a presentation this morning (I'm afraid it's going to be so boring), another class, a break to study for my test, my Governmental Accounting test and two group meetings after the test. Whew, that's a lot!

Sometime this morning, I also have to pack for Thanksgiving Break. I started last night, so it's not as bad as it could be. I really want to leave by five so it's not so late when I get home. There's lots to be done at home and that's where I really want and need to be right now.

Sometime this morning, I also have to figure out what to wear for my presentation. I don't want to be uncomfortable all day, but I also need to dress up more than on a usual day. I better go try some things on and see what fits!

I have so much to do and so little time to do it in, so that's all for this very early morning post.

Gloomy Tuesday

I woke up this morning, before my alarm, and thought that I must have woken up much too early.  It was much darker than it usually is when I get up.  I picked Emma up and opened the front door to see that it rained overnight and it was extremely foggy.  Not what I was expecting, but I don’t exactly watch the weather forecasts all the time.

I don’t have to go out until 1 today, so I guess the fog is okay with me.  It did make it so much harder to wake up this morning though!

Today is going to be another busy day.  I have an appointment to get my bangs trimmed today then I have to go to my last Corporate & Partnership Taxation lecture.  We just have a review day and the Corporate Tax test left.  After class, I have a group meeting for my presentation tomorrow.

Sometime before or after all of that, I have to write a few paragraphs for two projects and study for my Governmental test tomorrow.  I also need to pack for Thanksgiving too.  I don’t know how I’m going to get everything done!  I guess I better get started!

Long Day and Getting Longer

Today has been my longest day in the Business Building…ever, I think.  I got there a little after seven this morning and left at five.  I scarfed down some dinner and I’m going back in a little less than an hour.  I’ve had three classes and by the end of the day I will have had two group meetings.

Poor little Emma has been alone in the house for 10 hours already, so (don’t tell anybody) I’m taking her with me tonight.  We’ll be in the MAc lab and I’m not going to let her on the ground.  It’s just cruel to lock her up after just getting home and I won’t do it.

Tomorrow will also be a long day, but not so bad.  I have a tutoring appointment at 9 so I won’t be sleeping late, but I have too much to do to really sleep late anyway.  I have class at 3:30 and another group meeting at 5.  Thankfully, this will be my last group meeting for this class and after Wednesday at 9:15, I will be done with everything for this class save some evaluations of other groups which will be presenting at a later time.  Sometime I also have to work on an Excel group project so I am prepared to meet on Wednesday after my presentation and test and before I leave for Thanksgiving Break.  Grams and Grandaddy and especially my Mom need me to come home and help with things.  And I need a break even if I’ll be running errands and sitting in a hospital.  As long as there is no Microsoft Access or Excel or PowerPoint involved, I will happily do almost anything!

Public Speaking

I really don’t like public speaking.  Not at all.  Well, let me take that back…when I was in school and a person would read aloud, I always wanted to read so we could just get it over with.  I understand now that the point of the exercise was for everyone to get practice so they would be better readers, but I really wanted to read since I read about the fastest of the entire class and didn’t like waiting.

But now, I don’t like giving presentations.  I can talk during class discussions without a problem, but there’s something about being in front of a classroom and having to “teach” something to my classmates and peers.  I have such good thoughts, but there seems to be a disconnect between my brain and my mouth.

I find that, even when I have notes, I usually read from the slides.  I know that makes for a boring presentation because we can all read, but that’s about all I can do without lots of words like“umm” and “like”.  I just can’t seem to form coherent sentences.

So, why am I thinking about speeches and presentations and the like?  I have two final projects this semester that culminate into a final presentation.  One is in front of the whole class and the other is just for two professors.  I almost think the presentation without my peers will be easier.  Only time will tell…

Writer’s Block

I’m trying to do NoBloPoMo where you post at least one thing to your blog every day for the month of November.  Tonight, I just can’t come up with anything meaningful to write about.

Auburn is playing Georgia right now.  For some people, this is the big rivalry and it’s apparently the oldest rivalry in the South, but to me it’s just the game before the Auburn v. Alabama game.  I actually like Georgia and pull for them on occasion.  Their coach is a good Christian man and I hate to see this game most likely determining their bowl eligibility.

I’ve got a lot on my mind.  I really wish it was Thanksgiving Break already because there are things at home that I need to be taking care of.  I need to be at home so I’m in the loop and not down here worrying when I can’t get anyone to answer the phone and tell me what’s going on.  I don’t like hearing that hospitals and ambulances are involved in a situation and then not being able to get any more information for hours and hours at a time.  Five years is too long and I’m so ready to be back in North Alabama where I can get home when I need to be there.

Well, that’s all for tonight.  Hopefully, I’ll be less anxious tomorrow and will be able to write something interesting and insightful. 

Please pray for my family.

TGIF

I’m so glad today’s Friday!  I have so much to catch up on this weekend, but it will make next weekend and all of the following week so much more worth it!

I took an exam for my Integrated Accounting Applications class today.  It was a take home and we had a week to set aside a four-hour period of time to complete the exam.  I hope it went well, but we’ll see sometime after next Wednesday (the final day to turn in the exam).  I still have a presentation the day before we leave for Chile and it will require a lot of work before my group is ready to present.

Yesterday, I finished one project for my Governmental Accounting class, but I plan to finish my other project for that class tonight or tomorrow.  It’s a special project that graduate students have to complete because this course can be taken for either graduate or undergraduate credit.  I also have a test in this class on Wednesday.  The test only covers one chapter of material, so there’s not as much to study, but since it only covers one chapter, the questions will be much more specific.

I also need to start my Corporate & Partnership Taxation project.  It’s due three weeks from yesterday.  That sounds like a long time, but I have to keep in mind that one of those weeks is Thanksgiving week and I am unlikely to actually work over that week.  I also have a Corporate test on the last class day (the day the project is due), so I need to catch up on my reading to be as prepared as I can before I begin reviewing and really studying.

My final class is Advanced Audit.  I have a case to finish because class was interrupted Wednesday by a fire alarm.  Also, my group has our final presentation on Wednesday.  After that presentation, I just have to attend class for the other groups to present, but I don’t have to do anything.

I know this is a boring post, but it was really an excuse to lay out what I have to do to finish these classes.  Sounds like a really fun next few days, doesn’t it?

I’ll try to post something more light-hearted and fun in the next few days!

Fetch!

Emma could play fetch all day long.  She has a collection of toys in my living room and all of them can be used when playing catch.

Until last week, her favorite toy was one of these foam practice golf balls.

Unfortunately, she decided it would also make a tasty snack.  She was playing with it one day and, before I knew it, there were little pieces of yellow foam all over my floor.  I don’t think she really ate any, but she definitely enjoyed shredding it into little pieces.  This is very unlike her.  Since we adopted her, she’s never been interested in destroying things.  She’s never eaten shoes or ripped her soft toys to shreds.  I guess she was bored and wanted some attention!

This past weekend when we all met in Birmingham to celebrate Uncle Mark’s Birthday, Emma got a present too even though it wasn’t her birthday.  Mom found this:

Tiny tennis balls!  They are about the size of a golf ball, but are made just like regular tennis balls.  This is absolutely her new favorite toy!  It fits in her mouth perfectly, unlike her regular tennis balls that she carries by the fur, and it’s so much fun to play fetch with.

I think it’s great that companies are starting to make smaller versions of toys for dogs.  Otherwise, I would have to buy cat toys for my very cat-like dog.  I already call her kitty, so I don’t need anything else that might give her an identity disorder! :)

Happy Veterans Day!

When I think of Veterans Day, my very first thought is of my own Grandaddy.  Of course I think of the other Veterans and those that are currently in our Armed Forces, but my very first thought is of my own sweet Grandaddy.

Grandaddy served in the United States Army from 1941 to 1945.  He fought in many major engagements in World War II.  It’s truly a miracle that he survived and returned home in one piece simply because of the number of major battles he was present for.  He received a Bronze Star and a Silver Star for his service to this country.  He does not want accolades for his military accomplishments.  To him, he was simply doing his duty to God and Country.

Grandaddy lived in horrible conditions and saw things no person should ever have to see during his military service, but he has never voiced any complaint about being drafted and serving overseas.  He actually has said feels he should express his thanks for the government allowing him to go to college through the GI Bill.  I think the way he has lived his life and provided for his family is the most appropriate way to express his thanks.

I have a hard enough time being 5 hours away from home, but I can’t imagine being an ocean away from home with absolutely no way to get home or even call home.  I can’t imagine how frightening that had to be.  I can’t imagine telling my family goodbye, not knowing if I would ever see them again on this Earth.  But Grandaddy did it.  And through it all, he survived.

Grandaddy selflessly served this country.  He fought to make the world a better place for future generations.  For that, I am thankful.

I love you, Grandaddy!

Hello, Hurricane Ida!

Hurricane (now Tropical Depression) Ida made landfall yesterday and we have gotten a lot of rainfall, especially over the last 12 hours, as a result.  Many parts of the grounds outside my house are flooded and the parking lot is full of standing water.   We haven’t gotten much rain lately and there was actually a burn warning last week, so I guess we needed all the rain from Ida.

Unlike many people, I actually like rainy days as long as I don’t have to be out in it.  Sometimes, I don’t even mind being in it if it’s not raining hard and I can wear my rain boots so I can splash around without getting my feet wet! :)

Emma, on the other hand, seriously dislikes rain.  She is not one of those dogs who likes to romp around and get all wet and muddy.  I guess that’s the prissy little poodle coming out in her!  She was upset, to say the least, when it started raining harder just as we went outside this morning.  Her bad day got worse when I deemed it necessary to dry her off with the hair dryer.  I think she was saying, “Two baths in less than a week!  What did I ever do to you?”

Anyway, the rain should be over before I have to go to class at 3PM, so I can’t complain.  I can stay inside and do homework and pick up the house a little bit and not feel any need to go outside in the rain.  If I didn’t have so much work to do, it would also be a perfect day for Emma and I to take a long nap!  I won’t be getting a nap today, but if I don’t bother Emma too much, she will get the nice rainy-day nap that I love so much!

Is it Thanksgiving Break yet?

I’m counting down the days until I leave Auburn for Thanksgiving Break…we are at 10 days and counting and it won’t come soon enough.  This semester is really wearing on me and I need a break from group projects and tests and basically class in general.

I feel like more and more things are getting piled on me basically in teacher’s attempts to cram everything into the last three weeks of the semester.  Now, in addition to the four tests and four projects/presentations I knew I had before the end of the semester, I now have a 5-7 page research paper, a powerpoint presentation, an executive summary of the 5-7 page research paper and a 3 page reflective paper all due between 11/30 and 12/7.  I know 5-7 page papers aren’t a big deal, but it’s just adding more work into an already extremely limited period of time.  Since we’re going to be in Chile for half of our Christmas Break, I’m going to fully enjoy my Thanksgiving Break and I don’t plan to do schoolwork.  That may not be realistic, but that’s what I would like to do in an ideal world.

I so look forward to crossing things off my to-do list!  It’s not even funny how much that makes my day!  Maybe, if I work hard for the next couple of hours, I might get to cross something off tonight!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Mark!

Tomorrow is my Uncle Mark’s 50th Birthday!  I think, with guys, it’s okay to give their age! :)

Mom and Dad drove down from Florence and I drove up from Auburn so we could all meet in Birmingham for a family lunch.  Since we couldn’t spend the day with him tomorrow, we wanted to do something special and make a little fuss over him today.  We picked up Jim ‘N Nicks takeout and went to a park so we could visit without pressure for the table and so Emma could come and play!  It was a beautiful day and a perfect time to enjoy some family togetherness!

Especially over the past year, Uncle Mark and I have gotten much closer.  I even lived with him for nearly three months after he generously offered his home to me during my internship last winter.

We typically have long phone conversations.  One hour is on the short side for us!  I have to plan for phone conversations most times because I know we will have lots to talk about.

He’s always around if I need something.  If I’m stuck in traffic in Birmingham, he always knows a way around it.  If I have a photography question, he’s there.  If I want some pictures made, he does it—even posed pictures which he really hates to do! :)

He’s always been special to me.  When I was a little girl, I always claimed the seat next to him at the table and always had to ride in his car when we went somewhere.  I just wanted to spend time with him since he lives in Birmingham and I used to not see him very often.

I don’t have any pictures of him because the photographer doesn’t like to have his picture made.  Instead, I will post a favorite picture of his dog, Heidi, who I claimed as mine when she lived with Aunt Nancy.

Heidi had a big birthday last month, too.  She turned 16!

Turning 50 is a big deal in our family.  I’m so happy he’s made it to this point and I hope for many more happy and healthy years!  I love you, Uncle Mark!

Emma Pictures

Emma and I went to a nearby Elementary school twice today.  We were playing the first time we went and I kicked myself the whole time for not having my camera.  So, we went back later in the afternoon when the light was better—this time with the camera!

Not So Perfect Day

Emma and I didn’t have such a good day today.  We planned to enjoy the beautiful day, but things didn’t go as planned.  We went to a park that was new to us that we heard had a fenced-in dog walk.  It was perfect!  We were alone and Emma was exploring and enjoying being off her leash.

Just a few minutes after we arrived, two more dogs arrived with their owners.  Both dogs seemed older—they were at least past the crazy puppy stage.  Emma ran circles around them and they just padded around and didn’t seem to care about the furball chasing them.

Then disaster struck.  An Akita and an Akita mix arrived.  They were immediately let loose in the dog walk and the full-blooded Akita that had to weigh at least 150 pounds took an interest in Emma.  Before I knew it, the other dog was chasing Emma and she was running as fast as her little legs would take her.  She was screaming because she was nearly being trampled with every step of the larger dog.  All this commotion attracted the other three dogs who were there and before I could even get to Emma, all four of them were swarming Emma.  She was stuck in the middle and the Akita had it’s teeth on Emma.  I don’t know if it thought she was a rabbit or what.  I pulled it off her and snatched Emma away from all the others.  I really thought she must be dying at this point because when I was finally able to put my hands on her, she was laying motionless on the ground.  Thankfully, her little heart was racing and she was for sure still alive.

Emma and I quickly made our way as far away from the other dogs as possible so I could assess her injuries.  She was covered in saliva from the dog that wanted to take a bite out of her.  I think it could have taken her entire body into its mouth had it been given more time.  I am so grateful that Emma was seemingly unharmed.  She didn’t have any puncture wounds and could walk without a limp.  Physically she was ok.  I can’t say the same for either of our emotional conditions.  I’m afraid that she is traumatized and won’t walk off a leash or get near other dogs again.  I must have been showing signs of what had just happened because another dog approached us while we were leaving the park.  I must have jerked or showed some other physical sign of my discomfort because the owner apologized even though Emma was in my arms and the other dog didn’t get within 5 feet of us.

Emma and I went home and tried to recover from our experience.  Emma required a bath to get rid of the “other dog” smell that permeated her fur.  Just add another thing to Emma’s list of bad things that happened to her today.

We’re ok, but I don’t think we will be going to that park again.  Although the conditions pre-dogs were wonderful, I can’t take the chance that she would be in that situation again.  We were lucky that she wasn’t physically injured this time, but we might not be so lucky next time.

We won’t be going without my Dad at least—when I told him the events of the day, he said that he would be at the hospital having his broken foot seen to after kicking the offending dog until it stopped harassing Emma.  I never thought he could like such a tiny, girly puppy, but he loves her and she loves him even more.  I’ve always been his Little Buddy, but I think she’s his Littlest Buddy! :)

My perfect present…

What I want more than just about anything right now is knowing where I am going to be living come next September.  I’m the kind of person who has a five year plan and right now it’s really hard to solidify that plan without a location where the plan is going to be taking place.

I’ve been looking for jobs for over a year really if you consider my search for an internship.  I’ve known the firm I interned with was not hiring since April.  I’ve been actively searching for jobs since August with the help of my Graduate Program Director.  Interviewing during normal Accounting Interview Weeks didn’t go as I had initially planned.  I really thought that I would have a job at the end of those two weeks.  I applied for eleven positions and only got three interviews.  I was told during the first interview that there were no jobs with that firm.  I really don’t know why they even offered me an interview if they knew going into it that the Birmingham office had no positions in Tax.

During my second interview, they told me that they weren’t hiring right now, but in a few months they might have an opening.  Well, it’s been almost two months and I haven’t heard one thing.  Not one single peep.

During my third interview, they seemed interested and said the Birmingham office was primed to grow by 200% during the next five years, but again I haven’t heard a thing.

Ms. Campbell…Murphy…whatever has been trying to check with these firms along with any others she can think of to put my name out there.  I really want to knock down doors—hers included—but I especially hate to bother her on what seems like a daily basis.  I’ve had two teachers ask for my resume and I know it was forwarded to at least one firm in Huntsville.

At this point, I’m looking in Birmingham and Huntsville and Nashville (although Auburn doesn’t seem to have many TN connections).  I really want to live within a reasonable driving distance of home.  At this point, I have been in Auburn for over four years and I don’t really consider 5 hours a reasonable drive anymore.  I would love to be as close to home as Birmingham or Nashville and Huntsville would be wonderful too.  I really can’t imagine being about an hour from home.

I don’t feel that I made a mistake choosing to go to Graduate School.  The benefits of having my Master’s as well as my increased chances of passing the CPA exam on the first try make it more than worth it.  However, I have to wonder if I would have been hired after my internship if I would have been ready to work this past September.  I know hiring this far into the future is hard for companies, but it’s been happening for years.  The ones of us in the Auburn MAc program are the best of the best.  I just don’t understand why people aren’t jumping to hire the ones of us left without contracts.

I’m really tired of hearing that firms aren’t hiring because of the economy.  We all know the economy is horrible and is probably going to get worse because of all the debt this country now has.  That’s not a good enough excuse for me anymore.

I’m a Tax Accountant for Pete’s sake!  As long as we have a government, there will be taxes.  People are going to need accountants for their tax compliance.  It’s not like my skills are not in demand.

I know that I will get a job eventually.  I know Ms. Campbell won’t let me graduate without a job—1. because she’s told me so and I trust her and 2. because anything less than 100% employment post-MAc would hurt the program and she’s not about to let anything or anyone hurt the program.  Especially if I am CPA licensed and just need the rest of my year of experience to practice, I know firms will jump at me.

Sorry for the rant, but sometimes the uncertainty of it all just builds up in me and I can’t keep it inside anymore.  I’m a planner and this is seriously disrupting my planning abilities.  Come on, I just want a job!  Is that so much to ask?

Time’s up! Turn in your tests!

Those are the words I heard before I knew it this morning.  We had a hour and twenty-five minutes for the exam this morning, but I could have taken much more.  In general, I think it went ok, but I know my essay responses could have been more thought out if I had been given more time.  Oh well, it all depends on how my classmates performed anyway since everything we do is judged based on our peer’s work.  Audit is not my specialty, so I guess I should be happy if I get a B.  I’ll just have to see how things come out and hope I’m at least average when compared to the rest.

On another note, I have three weeks and two days of class left.  Officially, that is 14 days since we only meet Monday-Thursday.  In that time, I have one more AIS project and presentation, an Audit presentation, a Governmental project (not a big deal at all) and a Corporate Tax project.  I also have one more AIS test, two Governmental tests and a Corporate Tax test.  There’s lots to be done in the next 14 class days!

No Solicitation, Please!

One thing that irritates me about the condo complex I live in is that we have lots of solicitors.

Since I was a little kid, I have been taught to tell telemarketers, “We don’t accept telephone solicitation.”  Well, this time I want to publically say “I don’t accept any door-to-door solicitation, either!”

They come around offering such great deals or claiming to be doing work for school.  Today, for instance, this girl came by claiming to be working on a project for her Communications class.  She talked for a while, told me I looked like I was 18 tops, and then proceeded to tell me she was not in college, but high school and was trying to win a competition.  I don’t believe that because before I knew it she was trying to sell me magazines saying that her sales gave her points to win this “competition”.  I don’t know if that was real or not (I doubt it) but I politely told her I did not want to purchase any magazines and she left.

Unfortunately, I saw several other people going door to door and I assume they were other solicitors.  And this girl should have been in school too.  I wanted to ask why she wasn’t in school at 12:30 anyway as soon as she quickly said she wasn’t here for a college class, but she was in high school.

This has happened before.  Usually, they are not so convincing in telling you that it is a school project.  I have also had auto parts people come offering free oil changes and other regular maintenance, but you have to pay for the services up front and once you use them all, you get your money back.

Regardless of what they are selling, I wish they would just leave me alone.  I really want to put up a big sign that says “No Solicitation, Please!”

This may be harsh, but I just don’t want to have my time wasted or waste the solicitor’s time either because I am simply not going to sign up or buy something from them.

Monday, Monday

I have to admit that I was happy for it to be bright and sunny at 6AM this morning.  It made it so much easier to get up and take Emma out.  Neither she nor I are big fans of going outside in the dark.  However, I’m not happy about it being dark shortly after 5PM—AND it’s only going to get worse.  I’ll just have to look forward to springing forward, I guess.

I haven’t done anything special or unusual today.  All I did was go to class as usual.  Emma and I did go on a little adventure to get Heartworm medicine for her.  I let her run free for a little bit after that.  She usually loves being off her leash and runs like a crazy person.  She really has grown up though and usually comes when called.  Her only problem is that sometimes she’s not finished being psycho when I decide it’s time to go inside!

Emma is happily sleeping under the coffee table watching me type and read and study.  She is pretty good support and listens to me when I complain that I will never finish a reading or never learn the material.

I think Break Time is over and that I should get back to preparing for this test on Wednesday!  Until next time!!

November, Seriously??

Is it seriously November 1 already?  I can’t believe it.  I really can’t believe that I’m two and a half months into a year-long graduate program.  Minus a week for Thanksgiving, three weeks for Christmas, Spring Break and semester break in May, I have less than eight months of school left.  EVER!  I know people say to never say never, but I don’t see myself going back to school for a PhD.  I liked practice too much during my Internship.  I think I would much rather be a partner in firm than a professor at a University.  (Why is is a university and not an university…or is is “an”, but it just sounds funny?)

This week will be busy.  I have a project that was supposed to be due Monday, but the deadline was extended to Wednesday, if necessary.  I also have a test that was supposed to be tomorrow, but got moved to Wednesday because of the Ole Miss (Mississippi University, to you Dad!) game and because of Halloween.  I didn’t take part in Halloween festivities, but it’s apparently a big deal to some of my classmates.  Enough to basically beg to have extra time for the project and to study for the test.

I’m planning on making a trip up to Birmingham Saturday night or Sunday.  Uncle Mark’s 50th Birthday is next Monday and we are planning a little family celebration.  Turning 50 is a big deal to my family and we want to make sure Uncle Mark is not alone on the day before his birthday, at least.

That’s about all for now.  I need to re-read all the articles that were assigned in my class for the semester to get ready for this test.  I really have no idea what to expect, so I hope the review session is helpful tomorrow.

Tennessee Valley Honor Flight

This past Saturday, my Grandaddy was honored for his service to the United States during World War II with a trip to Washington D.C. to visit the World War II Memorial.

Grandaddy, Mom and I went to Huntsville Friday evening so we could be better prepared to gather with the other Veterans and their families along with the Honor Flight volunteers at 5AM.  We arrived at the hotel shortly before 9PM on Friday night and quickly unpacked for the morning and got Grandaddy into bed.  Neither Mom nor I slept very soundly that night since we were anxious about how Grandaddy would react to strange surroundings—especially without his bedrails on the hotel bed.

Mom and I were both awake before the alarm sounded at 4AM, so we got ourselves ready before waking Grandaddy since he would need as much energy as possible to make it through the day.  We got him up and dressed and he took his medicine and drank some coffee to help wake him up.

Before we knew it it was time to go to the terminal.  Thankfully, we stayed in the airport hotel, so we didn’t have to worry about cars or parking that early in the morning.  We took the elevator down to the second floor and were immediately greeted by the Honor Flight volunteers.  Grandaddy was brought a wheelchair and a Honor Flight t-shirt to wear during the day.  He also got a nametag and was asked to sign a poster along with all of the other Veterans making the trip.

There was a short ceremony before the Veterans left to go through security to the gate.  I got a little teary-eyed when the soldiers were called back to “Voluntary Active-Duty” and were given “orders” to travel to Washington D.C to view their memorial.

Before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye and let his guardian take him to the security checkpoint.  Both Mom and I were anxious when we had to let him go.  She said it was worse than letting me go off to school!

Mom and I packed up our hotel room and loaded the car before going to the top floor of the airport parking deck to watch the plane depart.  They were a bit behind schedule, but I can’t blame them considering they had several hundred people to manage and many of them required wheelchairs, canes, or supplemental oxygen.  We waved and cheered for the two fighters that served as the escort for the Veterans and then waved as the plane with our loved ones taxied down the runway and then took off.  It was quite cold and it began to rain, but Mom and I chose to stay until the flight took off.  We discussed how many of those soldiers did not have family to wish them well when they shipped out—it was the least we could do to say goodbye this time.

We returned to Huntsville around 7:30 for what was supposed to be an 8:30 ceremony to welcome the Veterans back home.  Soon after we arrived, we learned that the plane had mechanical difficulties and was going to be late arriving back in Huntsville.

Grams waiting for her husband of nearly 64 years.

We were given word that the plane had arrived and that the first Veterans had deplaned.  Then, the ceremony started and each Veteran was called by name as he or she came into the public waiting area of the airport.

We waited for what seemed like forever for Grandaddy.  I was beginning to wonder if something was wrong when it seemed like everyone else had seen their family members.  Many people followed their Veteran and there were significantly fewer people left to greet our returning heroes.

Finally, Grandaddy was spotted by Daddy—one of the benefits of having a 6’3” father!  I had Grams right beside me and I made sure she knew he was coming.  It was the sweetest thing when she kissed him as soon as he got close enough to us to reach him.  This was something special to see because my Grandparents are not often affectionate toward each other in public.  Don’t get me wrong, they are loving toward each other at home, but not especially so in public situations.  I think that comes with the way the were raised and the time period in which they grew up.

These smiles are something we haven’t seen much of in the past year.  It warmed my heart to see him so happy, albeit exhausted.      

It was quite late when we dropped them off at home.  Grams said he slept like a log and they woke up much later than usual on Sunday.  He didn’t seem as exhausted as I would have imagined on Sunday when we ate lunch together though.

I’m so glad he was able to experience this and that we were able to see him have such a nice day.  We will forever be grateful to Davis & Beth Lee, the couple whose $100,000 gift made this trip possible.  I actually met them before I knew their connection to the Honor Flight program and they were such kind people who did not want recognition for their part in Saturday’s flight.  Beth Lee actually made pictures for us in Washington and was kind enough to email them to me last night.

All in all, it was a wonderful day! :)

My Graduation Gift

This past Friday, I received my Graduation gift from Mom and Dad.  This was a reward for doing well in school as well as for funding my own education through scholarships earned during High School and College.

My gift was…my very own New Car!  I picked out every aspect of it from the interior and exterior color to the rear lip spoiler.

Thank you SO SO SO MUCH Mom & Dad!! You’re the best!! 

Long Time, No Post

Sorry it’s been such a long time since I last posted.  I have been waiting until I had some good pictures of Emma, but we’ve either been too busy to take pictures or the weather has been too icky.  The only good opportunities I have had lately have been when Emma is in the exact same position and location as 1,000 other pictures I have of her.  So basically I could post one of the old pictures, call it new and none of you would know the difference! :)

It’s been a busy couple of weeks with projects due this week and a test tomorrow.  I can’t even remember what all I had last week, but I know it was a hectic time too.  I know I have one project due next week and the rest of the week is normal studying and group meetings plus studying for a huge test the next Wednesday.  That’s all I can remember offhand, but my trusty Google Calendar will remind me! :)

I know you all don’t want to read boring stories and recaps of what’s going on, so I won’t continue any longer.  Let’s face it, you come for the pictures of Emma!  :)

A Weekend at Home

Emma and I were able to go to Florence this past weekend.  It was so good to see everyone.  I actually got to see Uncle Mark too, so I saw the majority of my family plus my “just as good as family” friends!  (The only bad thing was I didn’t take a single picture—sorry you’ll have to read a boring post instead of look at adorable pictures of Emma.)

I arrived quite late on Thursday, but started my day around 7AM Friday.  Although I was awake quite early, I didn’t do too much in the morning besides catch up on the previous night’s episodes of Private Practice and Grey’s Anatomy.  That afternoon, Daddy and I went to Huntsville to look at new cars for me!  I have narrowed it to two cars—a regular one and a hybrid.  That’s all I’m going to say for now!

Saturday, I was able to surprise Gram and Grandaddy who apparently did not know I was coming into town.  It seemed like Gram was going to cry when she saw Emma and I!  We had a great lunch and good conversation.

Sunday, I went to church despite forgetting my church clothes on my bed in Auburn.  Thankfully, I could wear some of Mom’s shoes!  It was so good to see my choir friends and misbehave in choir practice!

Emma and I are finally back in Auburn and we’re gearing up for the week.  Hopefully, I will have out-of-town company this weekend, so we need to get some things done in preparation this week!

Have a wonderful week! :)

Glad that’s over with!

Watching TV

Will you please stop taking my picture?

I think I just discovered the single best thing about my new laptop…it has a media card reader built-in!  Well, to be honest, I knew it was there, but this was the first time I put two and two together and actually used it instead of getting my card reader out of my camera bag.

On to the title of my post—I had a take-home midterm tonight for my Integrated Accounting Applications class.  It was from 6-10 and involved identifying fraud in a database using Microsoft Access.  I really hope that I don’t need access extensively in the future.  I know many of my classmates are hoping we never see it again.  We are starting working with Microsoft Excel next and I’m much more comfortable with that!

Now that this midterm is behind me, I have one presentation, two group assignments and five classes before the weekend.  Emma and I are going home and are excited to spend some time with family!  I’m so ready to jump in the car and get home to Florence!

Emma through the months

Emma has been living with us for just over thirteen months.  I thought I would post some of my favorite pictures of her.

 

These are Emma’s first pictures.  She was a little over three months old.  They were taken one afternoon in September at Uncle Mark’s house.

 

Thanksgiving Day 2008—again at Uncle Mark’s house

 

Christmas 2008—the beginning of Emma’s nightmare—I got a new camera that’s always on the ready to capture her being cute.

These were made during my internship on a weekend home in Florence.  Emma had either her first or second real haircut about a week before this.

This summer when the hydrangeas were blooming at home.  You’ve seen this picture alot…

Well, that’s about all for now.  I’m sure I have more, but these are some of my favorites that show just how much she has changed.  I took some pictures yesterday that I need to upload and I will probably take some more tomorrow or over the weekend.  Emma got a haircut and I want to document how much more she looks like a Poodle and how cute she looks in her Halloween dress!

Hello, Fall!

Today’s weather was quite different from what we have been experiencing lately—heat and humidity or rain.  It was cool this morning and remained pleasant, clear and cool all day.

Emma was a little chilly this morning and wore her little Halloween dress all day.  She’s going to get some good wear out of it up until Halloween because she only had a couple of days to wear it last year.  Unlike a real baby, she hasn’t outgrown her clothes!

I wanted to walk Emma this morning, but she is a creature of habit and is used to rather hurried mornings where we go in as soon as she finishes her “business”.  We did walk around in the afternoon both yesterday and today.  This is the first time in a while that we’ve had a sunny day to play outside and she hasn’t been panting from the sun beating down on her.  She just can’t handle a lot of time outside during the heat of the summer.

I’m looking forward to a lower electricity bill since my air conditioning hasn’t run all day (yay!), but I know it won’t be long until I need to turn on some heat, at least overnight.  I am really glad that Emma seems to like to cuddle more when the temperature is just a few degrees lower! :)

One down, One to go

I had my second Governmental Accounting exam today.  It was harder than I expected, but that seemed to be the general consensus among my classmates.  I did pretty well, but missed my personal goal by two points.  Oh well.  I improved from the first test, so I guess a positive trend is good enough.  I just need to keep moving up!

I have a Partnership Tax test on Thursday.  I’m not really sure what to expect because I have never had this professor before.  Also, this is more of a written concepts test rather than a practical numbers test.  This will be a first for me.  I have about 20 code sections and revenue rulings to memorize before then—not fun.  We’ve never been required to know code sections in the past, so this is new for me too.

I’m staying here this weekend to study for my Advanced AIS test next Monday.  I think that one is going to be a doozie.  I’ll have all weekend to study for that though.

Emma has been playing sick today.  She coughed several times last night and woke me up.  Today she has still coughed a few times, but is playing and bouncing as normal.  I think she’s mad because I took her away from her Mimi.  If she acts the same way again tonight, I will probably find a vet around here to get her checked out.  I’m  not too worried though—she is eating and playing after all! :)

That’s all for now.  Since it’s getting prettier, I will try to get some good pictures of Emma this weekend.  We also plan to enjoy the cooler and less humid air—Welcome Fall!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today was my Mom’s Birthday.  We did a low-key family lunch with my Grandparents and she opened her gifts from Gram & Grandaddy, Daddy, Emma and me.  I was very pleased that the clothes we got her fit and looked so good on her.

We came home and she played with Emma for a while.  We all took short naps and I ended up leaving later than I had planned.

I’m sorry we didn’t get to spend more time together this weekend, but I’m glad I was able to help at the hospital with Grandaddy so she could do other things.  Hopefully if I get to come home again in two weeks, things will be a little more peaceful.

Mom—We love you and appreciate all you do for us!  Emma wishes she was at home with you, but will take care of me for you.  I hope you get a chance to get to have lunch with your friends since you weren’t able to last Friday.  You’re the best! :)

What a Girl Wants…

I’m trying to decide if I should make a big purchase for something some people would deem a waste of money…a Wii.

I’ve wanted one for a couple of years, but haven’t been able to part with the money.  I’m an accountant…I don’t buy frivolous things like gaming systems. :)

Now that the price has fallen to $199, I’m starting to think I might just break down and get one.  I really want Beatles RockBand too—that’s a big reason for the latest rekindling of my desire to buy one.

So, my question is this: If I was to buy a Wii, what would you consider necessary accessories and games?

I’ll let you know if I actually get one.  I’m betting I’ll wait for Christmas when it’s easier to get toys, though!

Beautiful Day

I can’t express how happy I was to see the sun today! I really hated going inside the Business Building today because I would be in a cold classroom with no windows. (Speaking of cold, our tuition could be so much less if they would adjust the thermostats throughout all the buildings where it’s not less than 70 degrees—take note if anyone with power ever reads this!)

It just felt so good to have sunlight on my skin! After class, Emma and I played outside for a little while until she decided to run after some girls jogging around the condos. I guess she just wanted to join in! She doesn’t get to play outside off a leash near enough. I’m just so afraid of her chasing people and especially what would happen if a car came through and couldn’t see her. That’s one are of her training I really need to work on.

We have a busy couple of days ahead of us. Tomorrow is one of my long days with classes, then I tutor in the afternoon and I have a group meeting in the early evening. Thursday, I only have my one class, but we are going home for Mom’s Birthday as soon as I finish with class. It will be a late night, but I would much rather drive home on Thursday night and sleep one more night in my bed at home with my family. Emma’s getting a haircut on Friday morning too—it’s long overdue! I’ll try to get a cute picture of her when she’s all dolled up with painted toenails and bows in her hair—well, she’s always cute, so I’ll just try to get a picture of her!! :)

That’s all for tonight…

Busy Bee

There’s not too much to report these days.  I’m just incredibly busy with schoolwork.  Next week and the following week I will have tests or projects due in each class—some classes have multiple projects/test in this period of time.  I’m learning to cope with less sleep and make the best use of my time.

Dad came down to see Emma and I last weekend.  We were going to the game, but we definitely made the right choice staying home and dry!  I know several people who had their cell phones ruined during the monsoon.  I’m so glad we got another “W” on the schedule, but I’m also glad we were warm and dry in the house.

This weekend is Mom’s birthday.  Emma and I are planning on going home to celebrate!

That’s about all that’s going on here.  Sorry for a boring post with no pictures.  Maybe next time…

Job Interviews

UPDATE:  I woke up this morning to disappointment.  We get email notification to sign up for interview times.  I only had one email instead of the four I was hoping for.  I logged into the website and I was pleasantly surprised to see that two of the employers had extended their deadlines to offer invitations and I still had a chance with them.  I did get an interview with one firm and I wasn’t really expecting one from the other since it had already been implied to me that they weren’t hiring for full-time.

Thursday and Friday are my big days this week.  I should find out about four of my remaining interview opportunities on Thursday and I will have interviews on Thursday and Friday.

Keep the prayers coming!

Today marked the start of Accounting Interview Weeks.  Over the next two weeks, I hope to interview with the firm that will become my first full-time employer.  I’m really hoping that next Friday I will have an offer, or at least the offer to come for office visits.

I pre-selected eleven firms hoping for the opportunity to interview with them.  I was turned down from three so far because they are not hiring full-time employees at this time.  One so far has invited me to interview.  I will find out about four more in the morning and the remaining ones by the weekend.  Next week will be really busy since I could potentially have seven interviews.  It will all be worth it if I get an offer so I won’t have to worry about finding a job for the rest of grad school.

I’ll keep you posted…keep me in your prayers!

Yay! Weekend!

I love having Fridays off in Grad School!  I don’t know how I would manage without a day for just schoolwork with no classes.  I really don’t think we could go to classes five days a week and still function!

I have so much to do this weekend—really so much to do before tomorrow, too!

So, here’s a list to help me remember!

1. Chapters 5 & 6 Key Terms, Pull Quotes and Making It Real Sections for my assistantship—need to finish this tonight or first thing tomorrow morning
2. Email professor about photocopying exams for her
3. Proctoring Makeup Exams Friday from 4-6 (need to pick up exams by 3:40)
4. Cleaning house before Mom and Dad arrive tomorrow afternoon
5. Integrated Accounting Systems:
1. read over the AMG case again
2. read material for Monday
3. open Blackboard and look over what we’re doing Monday
6. Advanced Audit:
1. read for Monday
7. Governmental
1. read Chapters 4 & 5
2. Chapter 4 HW
8. Corporate & Partnership Tax
1. read chapters 5 & 6
2. assigned hw problems

Somewhere in here there is a football game and sleep!

Tomorrow I should find out if I will have the opportunity to interview with one of the eleven firms that posted jobs I was interested in for after graduation.  If I get this interview, it will be on Monday and the first of many, I hope!  I will be interviewing over the next two weeks—I think the second week is the heavier one, but it all depends on who offers me interviews.  I really want to get this behind me and I am praying so hard that I will get a job offer so I don’t have to worry so much.  It’s so hard when most of my classmates have already accepted positions with the firms they interned with.

Off to tackle #1 on my list!

Busy, but short week

I’m so glad tomorrow is Thursday.  It’s my Friday and I end up with two Saturday-like days (Friday and Saturday).  This extra time is so necessary in Grad School.  I’m learning this more and more each week!

This short week has been nice, but I have a feeling next week will hit hard when we have a full week.  I need to get a lot accomplished both school-wise and house cleaning-wise on Friday to get ready for Mom and Dad coming and football on Saturday.

I’ve been working a lot on a textbook for my assistantship and I have a deadline of Friday to get some work done.  I’m hoping I can get a good bit of it finished tonight and tomorrow morning so I can turn what is done in before class.  I hate having other people waiting on me, so I want to be as conscientious with my work as possible.

I had a group meeting tonight for a project that is due on Wednesday.  Unfortunately, things turned out a little more complicated than we had anticipated, so we will meet again on Monday and Tuesday before the assignment is due on Wednesday.

Once again, I’m grateful for late classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I can work late tonight and sleep a bit later tomorrow morning.  It will be nice to not hear the alarm at 6 tomorrow morning!

Sorry for no pictures!  I’ll try to take some pictures of Emma tomorrow or maybe of Thomas I, II, or III, my hummingbirds (I’ll explain their names later)!

Home

I came home after class last night.  It was late when I finally arrived, but well worth it to have an extra night to sleep in my bed!

Emma had to get her annual shots today.  Although she got two very big shots and another needle stick, she did so well!  The vet even gave her a treat!  She got the 3 year rabies shot, so she won’t need another one until 2012.  I want to keep her from being stuck any more than absolutely necessary.  She also had to get the Kennel Cough vaccine, a liquid that goes in the nose, since she goes to the groomer.  They said it was recommended for dogs that are boarded or get professionally groomed.

After Emma and I finished in Muscle Shoals (her vet moved there recently and bought out an existing practice), we went to see Grams and Grandaddy.  Grandaddy and I went to his barber and I must say he looked so handsome after the barber was through!  We went back home, some company came over, and then we just chatted for a little while.

Emma and I went home around dinner time and caught up on some TV we missed this past week.  Now, we’re going to eat some ice cream and unwind.

Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

New Layout

Last night, I played around with a new layout.  I couldn’t find something that was exactly what I wanted.  To be honest, I’m not sure exactly what I wanted.

Where do other people get layouts?  I got the last one from The Cutest Blog on the Block, but nothing was exactly screaming at me on that website.

I don’t know why it was so important to me.  I read all of my friend’s blogs in Google Reader, so I don’t even see what their layouts look like.  Everyone looks the same in GR.

So, for now, I’m going to stick with the black background and picture of Emma and I.  Maybe we’ll get a more recent one this weekend at home.  Or maybe not—I like this one of us—it has my favorite girl and my favorite flower in it!

I’ve also started using Windows Live Writer to write blog posts.  It came loaded on my new computer and so far I really like it!  It’s much easier to insert pictures and links and I like being able to see exactly what the post will look like when it’s on Blogger.  I guess this is why I was thinking about changing the layout—I could see it with this new program!

What’s been going on…

So much has happened since my last post.  I’ve turned 22, graduated from College, started my Master’s Degree, celebrated Emma’s adoption day plus many more things I’m leaving out.

My birthday was a pretty low-key day, but nice nonetheless.  I was served breakfast in bed…well I just happened to be on Mom and Dad’s bed when Mom brought breakfast to me.  Pretty nice room service, huh?  I don’t particularly remember what we did during the day, but we were able to go out to eat with Grams and Grandaddy for dinner.  I ate way too much and somehow our waitress overheard it was my birthday, so we enjoyed a wonderful chocolate dessert after our huge meals!  After returning home, I opened gifts from Mom and Dad and one of my gifts was a blender.  I’ve been wanting one for quite a while and they got me this Kitchenaid one.

 

 

So far, it has made some pretty good treats! :)

After my birthday was Graduation.  Quite possibly the hottest day of the year in a quasi-polyester black graduation gown.  And, of course, I had to get my picture made in front of the Auburn University sign and Samford Hall—along with the entire graduating class.  We waited for what seemed like forever, but really about an hour to get to the front of the picture line.  Thanks to Uncle Mark, we were able to start and finish in the time that it took other families to take just one or two pictures.  Having a professional photographer in the family is a REALLY good thing!

I seem to have serious problems with keeping my eyes open.  I guess that comes from my crazy sunglasses habit where I wear my sunglasses practically until it is dark every day—sometimes even rainy or cloudy days!

I’m so grateful Grams and Grandaddy were able to make the trip to Auburn.  It meant the world to have them there to see their first grandchild graduate from college.  Considering the year Grandaddy has had, I am so lucky to still have a grandfather, let alone have him make a 5 hour trip to see me walk across the stage and receive my diploma.

My good friend and fellow MAc program person, Morgan, and I sat together during the ceremony.  I was truly lucky to end up interning with her.  She’s become a good friend and I hope we remain friends after we leave Auburn next summer.

Smiling for the camera looking down at me from the top of the coliseum.  Uncle Mark seemed surprised I found him so easily, but I knew he would be around and with his “uniform” I was sure not to miss him.  The huge camera lens didn’t help disguise him either! :)

After Graduation, we went home for the rest of the week and then saw on of the best musicians of all time…Sir Paul McCartney!  The concert was in Atlanta at Piedmont Park.  We drove in the day of the concert, enjoyed the concert, spent the night in Atlanta, and then went our separate ways as I returned to school and Mom and Dad went back to Florence.

Before the concert, I experienced another first—my first trip to The Varsity!

 

Before I knew it, school was starting and is now in full swing.  I actually had my first test today.  Emma went back to Florence since I didn’t really have floor (more on that later).  I’m a Graduate Research Assistant this year and I’m actually working with the Director of the School of Accountancy.  He’s writing a new edition for a textbook and I’m helping with various aspects of that as well as some other things—basically I am available to fill whatever need he has.

Emma came back on Thursday of the first week of school along with Mom, Dad and a good friend of theirs.  Dad and John installed hardwood floor in the living room and bedrooms of my condo.  We never really liked the carpet that came with the condo and this floor looks wonderful!  I’ve had it for about two weeks and absolutely love it!

Got to sneak in a picture of Emma along with the new floor!

Mom spent part of last week with me re-organizing my things and cleaning up from the floor installation.  After she left, it was just me and Emma.  You know what that means…

 

PICTURE TIME!!

Uncle Mark gave me a new lens for my camera for Graduation and my birthday.  I’ve been taking tons of pictures of Emma since I got it and it’s so much easier with the longer lens!

I guess that’s all for now!  I’ll try to update more often in the future so updates are not this long again!