The Final Countdown

By this time next week I'll have turned in my very last assignment for my MLS. I'm so excited I could wet my pants! My motivation has ebbed slightly but I'm sure the adrenaline will kick in in time for the due date. It's our second exam, one in which the professor posts several essay questions. We select 2 or 3 to discuss and then turn it in within 24 hours. He's giving us 72 hours this time but I'm going to a teen conference the next day (yep, me, at a teen conference, with real professionals!) so I need to get on the ball. I only have one book to finish, Apostles of Culture by Dee Garrison, and one final lecture to take notes on. The first exam was extremely hard work so hopefully I'm better prepared for this one.

I'm already lusting after several books in our fiction section--items I will be able to read in a little over a week without guilt! First up will be Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore. It's supposed to be a humorous vampire romance (could life get any better?). The next book is You Suck which we have on audio. It's time to get out my books-to-read-after-graduation list. I also hope I can do some traveling and generally be part of the normal human race again.

Gift-giving panic is on like Donkey Kong. My family is again doing 'stocking-stuffer' only gifts. It was a huge hit last year because most of us are short on money and gift wrapping skills. Frances will be in town again so I'm super excited about that. My sister will also be in town so fellow Target shoppers beware!

Visiting

Last weekend was full of visits with old friends. Frances drove down from Ohio with my nieces. I drove to Warner Robins after work that Thursday, back to work on Friday night, back to Warner Robins Saturday after work, and then back to Atlanta Monday morning to get to work. It was well worth all the driving. I had lunch with some friends from my old university library job that Friday and stopped by my previous job (before the university job--keep up people!) to visit for a while there too. I also got to visit with my old high school friend Kelly. All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. The girls (my nieces) are getting so big! Lilian is gorgeous with her flowing white hair and angelic face and Rosie has such a sweet, beautiful face and the funniest walk I've ever seen. I think I'll get to see them again at Christmas.

I'll be going home for Thanksgiving. I plan on driving down Thanksgiving Day and will stay probably until Saturday. I need to get some serious reading done for school. There are only two more chat sessions left and then I never have to 'collaborate' ever again for school. Completing my last two assignments may not be such a struggle this time around--I wish they were due now! Then I would be done and I could dance around like a fool and celebrate the end of an era.

Work is very busy these days. We will close early on Wednesday and all day Thursday and Friday for the holiday. Luckily, this is not my weekend to work so I will have four whole days off and I'm determined to appreciate every one of them. My first TAB meeting date is getting closer and I still have not received the go-ahead to advertise. I am officially freaked-out about this! All my flyers are ready for display--I just need the OK from home office.

I pulled out my violin last week to play a little. I checked out a DVD at work on playing the violin for beginners. I hate to admit it but I've kind of already forgotten what I learned during my two sessions in September. I can still play the same portion of 'twinkle, twinkle little star' as before and my scales but that is only from memory. It needs to be tuned--which I don't know how to do--and I'm probably playing it all wrong. However, I'm thrilled to get back to my lessons next month or January at the latest (it depends of lesson availability). Anyway, I'm off to review The Dismissal of Miss Ruth Brown for school--some portions might be on our last exam.

Shame On Me

Another long period between posts (I'm beating myself up as I type). It isn't that I've been sooo busy that I can't post, nor is it that I have nothing interesting to post (or maybe that is it). However, these past few weeks I feel like I'm a ball of nerves. Three of my five assignments for my last semester have been turned in. Grades have been received for two (an A- and a B+, not my best work so I'm pleased with the grades) and the class is patiently waiting for the third. Our TA is grading this last assignment which has me biting my nails. For some reason TAs feel like they have to prove their worth and therefore grade rather harshly. Oh, well...no sense worrying myself sick. Graduation is approaching and I'm having mixed emotions. At times I'm so excited I'll just start laughing and at other times I get chocked-up. I can't wait to walk across that stage with hundreds of strangers (I've never met any of the people that I'll be graduating with) and knowing my family will be watching.

Now for a little update about work. I still love my job and the people I work with. My first Teen Advisory Board meeting has been scheduled for December 3rd. We're having a comic book artist stop by for a drawing workshop. I really hope it is a success. I'll advertise like crazy and stop by the middle and high school down the street to advertise as well. I've received a couple applications to join TAB which is very encouraging. I'm also learning the collection more and more each day and how to use the microfilm machines (we had several machines at my old job but I never really had to help customers use them) and our nifty new copier.

The Halloween birthday party was an absolute blast! The food was excellent and it was great seeing everyone celebrating.

It was fun dressing up but since the party was October 13th I felt as though Halloween had come and gone before the actual big day. At first we were allowed to dress-up at work as a book character (I was going to be Hermione again) but then that was canceled. Perhaps if we had been allowed to dress-up it would have felt like Halloween. I couldn't participate in any activities that evening because I had class and a paper due (blah!).

I shall post again soon (I promise!)