I guess it's time...

..for another blog that is. I haven't blogged in a while and today seemed like the perfect day to do so.

Well, I guess I'll update on my life first..then tell about today.

I've been living in Dallas since the beginning of January. So far, I like it alright. It's a great place to be, if you have money, because there are loads of places to spend it. But if you are like Kyle and I, and you are always living paycheck to paycheck, it can be kind of a downer. At least we have each other, though, right? Right:) (note: there was no sarcasm in that statement. or that one, for that matter.) For the first month of living here, I applied at countless part-time jobs in the area hoping to find something to bring in some money..and after a month the only place that called me was Michaels Arts & Crafts.....so that's where I currently work...as a framer. "Ever think about custom framing but when it comes to figuring out the cost your a bit overwhelmed?" Well, don't. Think about custom framing, I mean. (just teasing, other Michaels associates..gosh) It's an alright job, for now. I'm just waaayy ready to have a salary job already--so tired of living paycheck to paycheck (as I've already mentioned).

Anyway, now about today, before I forget. Well, I woke up and got ready for work like any other day. My amazing, future husband made lunch and coffee for me, so the day started off pretty well. I gathered up all my things and ran out the door (because if you know me, you know I'm typically running late). Well, I get to work...and well....it was work. Nothing to gossip about, as Quintin (one of my co-workers) would say. After work, I decided to take Miss Laney Ma'am (as Kyle and I call her) on a walk because the weather is absolutely amazing!! 80 degrees, praise Jesus! So I put the pooch on her leash and we started walking out to the car. This is when incident number one happened. She decided that she needed to take a crap..right then..and right there..in the middle of the sidewalk. I mean, she did go through this phase earlier on in her life when she would only defecate on concrete...but I thought she was over that. Apparently not. So then, I had to walk all the way over to the doggie poop bags that the apartment provides, so that we wouldn't get fined for leaving her poop on the sidewalk. Anyway, so after I took care of that little incident, we got in the car and head towards the park. Once we arrived at the park, Laney was so flipping excited that she was sniffing and wagging all over the place. After only walking, maybe 20 yards, she decided she had to take a crap...again (incident number two, pun intended). And once again, she did not go over to the grass like a good little (big) dog should..she awkwardly hunched over right in the middle of the path and relieved herself. That dog has no shame; I, however, do. I had to just stand there as people strolled by absolutely disgusted that my dog was taking a crap in the middle of the sidewalk. Don't worry, I cleaned it up. Once that incident was taken care of, we just continued strolling along. We circled this big pond and then made our way to a smaller pond right beside it. After we got almost all the way around, I figured Laney was thirsty so I walked her over to the waters edge so she could get a drink. Incident number three. She fell in. All the way in. I had to pull her out by her collar...poor thing was dripping wet, head-to-toe. I hadn't laughed that hard in a loooong time. I immediately called Kyle to tell him about it and at first he couldn't distinguish whether I was laughing or crying, haha. So we continued our walk, now dripping wet. We completely circle the little pond and then went back to the bigger one. We started making our way around when we came upon incident number four. This one actually doesn't have anything to do with Laney, but it was...strange. There is a very swanky retirement center right off to the side of the bigger pond. It is completely gated in (probably to keep the old people from running away...haha..just kidding..kind of) and there is a door about midway through the gate on one side that has a keypad on it. Well, as Laney and I made our way towards the car, I saw an old man trying to climb over the fence. Hah, when you first read that, I bet you thought I meant trying to climb the fence from the retirement center side to the pond side..but it was actually the other way around. He was trying to break into the retirement center. After a few failed attemps, he started asking passers-by if they would give him a boost over the fence. This old man was like in his seventies, at least!, and he was asking someone to push him over a fence! He must desperately want some new hips..or a knee..or something. Sheesh. So yeah..that was it really. I just couldn't believe that all that funny stuff kept happening....my life as a sitcom.

Update.

It has been fooorrreeevvveerrrr since I have blogged about anything, but some big changes have occurred so I feel as though I should update the world, or at least the small portion of people that may happen to read this (which even then, they probably already know..so I guess this is more actually for myself).

Well, first off, I graduated!! Not that it was ever any question that I wouldn't, but I am officially done with school and that is certainly something that should be celebrated. It hasn't really kicked in yet that I am done with school, probably because I still have in my mind that I will one day go back and get my PhD, but we'll see about that.

I also got engaged the Sunday after graduation to the one and only, Kyle Austin Jones. This also hasn't quite hit me yet, even though I have seen myself in countless wedding dresses and wear the most beautiful ring on my finger. ----------------------->

We are hoping to have the wedding in August but have soooo much to do!! We still have to ask the rest of our wedding party if they would join us for our big day, as well as do everything from pick a location and all that jazz. I want our wedding to be amazing so hopefully we can pull it off in 8 months:)

So, not only did I graduate and get engaged, but I also moved to Dallas! Yay! Well, I actually just moved in yesterday, but I'm here none the less (and currently bumming off someone's internet because we have no interenet...or cable--yes, we are living like freakin' Amish over here...no offense to any Amish people). Although we struggled back and forth about my moving in with Kyle before we got married, this is was just the best decision. I have seminars that I have to attend almost every Saturday and Tuesday in the DFW area in order to fulfill my requirements for my probationary teaching certificate, so moving here just made the most sense. This way, I can start subbing in the school districts up here and hopefully get my foot in the door with some of these school systems. I can also find out which districts I would even want to work.

My first seminar was today. I was super nervous and not sure what to expect at all. I figured there weren't going to be many people, but when I got there, there were people out the wazoo. Hundreds of people at this thing. Hundreds. And of course I got there way after everyone (granted I had to drive 40 minutes and was unaware that there was an email sent saying to arrive 30 minutes early..oops) and there were only a few seats here and there. So I searched through the crowd and found a table of harmless looking ladies and took a seat. They all ended up being really nice and we're going to try to find each other at the next seminar so that we can sit together again. It was interesting to see the range of people in the ACP (alternative certification program). I was the youngest at my table, and the oldest was probably in her sixties. All of us were either engaged, married or had been married, except for one (again just at my table). All of them lived in the DFW area except for one lady who drove in from Weatherford (my table only). The whole thing actually turned out to be extremely useful. I almost glad that I did this alternative program rather than getting my Education degree in school. It doesn't seem like they would do the things they were doing for us at a university. Today, we mainly talked about what we need to do in order to get a job. We also just talked about like what we think a teacher is and reminisced about our favorite teachers from the past. I have three.

Mr. Powell, 8th grade English, Wylie Junior High

Mr. Williams, Pre-calculus, Wylie High School

Dr. Beck, Psychology, Abilene Christian University

Mr. Powell is probably a huge reason why I chose to teach English. If he knew tha,t he would probably get mad at me because he always thought I should do bigger and better things with my life....like modeling (if you would see me when I say this, I would be rolling my eyes). If he only knew I've probably gained like 15 pounds since he last saw me, maybe he would be okay with my choice of career, haha. But seriously, I loved his class and I'm pretty sure that I kept everything I ever did in there in a folder, which I'm sure I still have at home (aka my parents house--which will always be home to me..at least until I have kids..and even then it will be debatable).

Mr. Williams--aka Mr. Will--is probably the coolest teacher ever. Okay, maybe not ever, but he is so flippin cool, in an extremely nerdy way. Just to explain how amazing of a teacher he is he made me love precal. Who is their right mind loves pre-calculus?? It makes absolutely no sense, but that's how great of a teacher he was. Oh the days of Sin-y, overhead musicals and throwing calculators. He also had a name for his hand, I believe, but I don't remember it. Hmm...I need to find that out...

And last, but certainly not least, Dr. Beck, one of the most fascinating men out there. He tells the best stories of all time. He makes freshman fall in love psychology (even though I didn't have him...I have actually sat in on his freshman psyc class--that's how amazing he is) and reminds seniors (because they have long forgotten) why they chose psychology as their major. ACU is lucky to have this man.

Anyway, I hope one day I am someone's favorite teacher. :)

Vanilla windows and two months of memories.

I am currently sitting in the ACU library on the second floor next to the big open windows. There is a woman, sitting approximately twenty yards from where I am, having the loudest phone conversation in the world. Apparently, someone was very upset for having not received an invitation to a friend's wedding and it is causing her significant stress. Her husband (the one allowing the world to hear her conversation) is stressing out to the point of paranoia, and supposedly has issues deciding on what to wear in the morning. Did I mention she has a small child with her who is banging things on the table? Oh, thank the Lord. Her phone is about to die; and that conversation is over. Oh, but then her child starts talking to her after she gets off the phone yelling "mama" and she hushes her. Be quiet child, we're in a library, but I'm going to call someone else and have another loud conversation. Child is now singing. And she is stilllllll talking on the phone. JUST DIE ALREADY. The phone, not her.

Aside from my extreme annoyance by this woman who evidently never learned proper library etiquette (who just claimed to the person on the phone that she is in the child's section of the library...which she is not...so that her kid could play--leave please), I have been people watching/reminiscing about last semester. I should be studying...but no studying is going to occur while this dang woman is yelling in the library.

Things I have observed from the window in the library: a guy was pulling another guy by a leash on a skateboard. Not sure what that was about, but alright. Some kid meditating under a tree--legs crossed, arms resting on knees, the whole bit. A lot of texting..nothing to exciting. ACU isn't the best place to people watch--I find that there is a lot of fairly generic people that go here. Not a lot of crazies, unfortunately for me right now.

Other than the very vanilla view from where I sit, I look out across campus and think about my time here. My first memory of ACU was when I was a lot younger. The fam went roller blading around campus and I believe, if my memory serves me correctly, that my mother twisted her ankle pretty badly. Ha. My next memories of ACU would take place second semester of my freshman year. I wasn't attending ACU at the time, but I was up here a lot, visiting Mabee dorm and the library. That's when Sadie and I met and instantly bonded over the common dislike for another person, haha. ACU seemed a lot more intriguing back then. Then I started attending school here in the fall and quickly became engulfed in the whole "college" scene. I decided to rush and somehow fooled myself into believing I could be a "social club" type girl. That didn't last. I quickly became annoyed with the drama and politics of it all. It was fun for like a whole minute. And then, probably my best memories of ACU involve Kyle. We would have never have met if it weren't for this school--well not unless God so greatly intervened in our lives. I remember spending an amazing afternoon in the Quiet Place in the bible building with Kyle, laughing, crying, talking about God, taking pictures. It was good--great even. I have a memory of the library, only 10 feet from where I sit...where we attempted to work on homework together, but just ended up talking. It was only like our third time to hang out and he told me straight up that he was not interested in me--so much for that, haha! ACU will always and forever remind me of Kyle Jones. The funny thing is I only knew Kyle for the last two months that he was at ACU. Out of the years and years that I have had relations with this school, it is two months that I base the way I look and feel about it.

Well, enough of me procrastinating...it's time to study. So long.

life goes on.

just so we are all on the same page here, this is my life.

on the 31st of this month, i am taking the TExES test to become certified to teach high school reading and language arts. along with the test, i have to complete 30 hours of observation, 40 hours of online training and 40 hours of face-to-face training (in dallas). once i have completed all of that, i will be eligible to teach school. whoop!

although there was a serious scare, i am still graduating this december! i got everything straightened out with my department and now everything is on-track. so, i will officially be a college graduate on december 11, 2009! yay!

also, i am no longer moving to dallas in december. after much serious consideration, it was deemed that it would be best if i stayed here until kyle and i get married and i get a teaching job in dallas. so, i will be in abilene for another whole 6 months or so...this decision is bittersweet for me and kyle but it is what is for the best.

so since i'm not moving to dallas in december, kyle decided that he would get a place of his own for him and OUR PUPPY! yes, we have a precious little baby named laney. okay, so she may be more like a dog than a puppy, but she is amazing

none-the-less. she is so precious and i can't wait until we all get to live as one happy little family:)

there she is...isn't she precious!! >>

anyway, last weekend we found kyle an amazing little apartment in one day and moved him in the next. it was truly a blessing from God! it was an amazing find--great location, very nice apartment, and a great price. it is perfect for him and laney:)

and i must say that i am sad that i can't be there with them. kyle and i have been together for seven months now..and five of those seven months have been long distance. by the time everything is said and done, we will have been long distance for at least a whole year. an entire year of being apart. ugh. and let me tell you, it is not getting easier. if anything, it's just getting harder. but the good thing is we both know that not neither of us are going anywhere. we are both in it for the long haul. oh man, i love him:)

well, i think that's all for now. but life goes on..so there will be more later for sure! stay tuned!

these are a few of my least favorite things.

people who "whisper" in a group setting while someone else has the floor. just shut your mouth. like we learned in first grade, unless you are about to throw up or go potty in your pants, there is no need to talk to your neighbor while the teacher is talking.

perfectionists. listen, i'm all for having high standards. but when your world practically ends because of one bad grade, on one assignment, in one class..i'm just going to tell you to get over it. i understand that getting bad grades sucks. i don't like getting bad grades. but something your parents may not have told you is that, you aren't going to succeed at everything in life..and in fact, you really can't do everything if you just set your mind to it.

group projects. okay, listen. i like working in teams, that's not what this is about. but when you expect me to have time, outside of the time i'm already required to be in your dang class, to coordinate my intensely busy schedule with 3 other people, i'm going to expect you to accept the fact that i hate you. okay, hate is a strong word...but know that you have now been added to my least of least favorite things. (which this semester is growing by the second)

reality television. sure, it's entertaining, but to call if reality is for sure false advertising. there is nothing real about the bachelor, or even the real world. in the real world (not the show, but actual reality), five strangers don't actually just up and live in some pimped out house where they don't really have to work or take care of any responsibilities. sure they are real people, but most of their actions are provoked by directors to make the show "entertainment worthy."

people who are obsessed with celebrities. i don't really feel like this needs to be explained. maybe this will move out of my least favorites when i become a celebrity and have a million people interested in all my "tweets" about the miniscule, useless details of my life. then again, maybe not.

there are actually many more things on my least favorite things list..but that's really all i feel like sharing right now. another one of my least favorite things is being bored, which is where i currently find myself.

XO

i am a bipolar freak.

well, turns out i AM more than likely going to be graduating in december. can i get an amen?? AMEN!!

also, kyle and i decided not to move in with each other right after graduation. this is probably one of the most mature decisions we have made and i'm really proud of us for it. he is going to get his own apartment and i'm going to...hopefully find a roommate to live with me in dallas somewhere. haha

anyway, life is back to being GREAT and i just wanted the world to know:)

update.

here is just an update on my life (which i currently hate)

i'm no longer going right to graduate school in the fall of 2010. i'm actually getting my emergency teaching certificate and am going to teach school for a little while, high school english to be exact. i actually take the test for certification on the 31st of this month. yes, halloween. so hopefully all goes well. before i am truly certified though, i have to complete 30 hours of observation, 40 hours of online training and 40 hours of face-to-face training.

so in addition to altering my future, i am now also no longer graduating in december..which is why i currently hate my life. it seems as though i was misled into believing that psyc 311, elementary statistics, was the only statistics course i needed to take to satisfy the requirements for my degree. when in fact, i actually need to take psyc 451, stats for psychological research. FML. i am going to have to stay in abilene and attend acu for one more semester just so i can take one class.

so as you can tell, my entire future is completely altered. and i am not happy about it. the end.