Putting Filters on Life

How do you make sure that only the good things matter in your life?  

I guess not every does that, or the world would probably be a much more pleasant place, but I try every day to let the bad things of that day leave with that day and just let them go.  Of course, I'm only human, and very often annoyances and hurt feelings will continue on into new days, but I really do try to let the things that I know won't matter once I forget about them go.  

Like if someone is upset at me because of something that I can't control, I try to let it go.  I try not to dwell on gossip and bad feelings because I remember what it was like to be in a job that made me want to cry every single day I worked there, and part of the reason for that is because I let everything get to me.  Even making less money know, I'm so much happier and less stressed out.  

I'm genuinely curious, so please, comment away.  

Community

One of the things that I love the most about my current job is that we encounter some of the nicest customers that I have ever met.  I guess the one thing about getting your coffee from the same place every day (sometimes more than once), is that you really get to know the people who make it for you, and you start to care about them.

I have a few customers that I really care about.  I've been at this place a little more than three months and I already feel part of a family, and I think that's beautiful.  Sure it can be dysfunctional, and occasionally annoying (like any good family), but the good bits outweigh the bad bits any day of the week.

I'm just amazed at the awesomeness of some of the people that have come into my life because of this job.

Family Moments

At the table tonight, as we're finishing up our delightful dessert (peach crisp!), we are discussing television shows about ghost stories and how much they freak out my cousins.

Aunt: Erin can't watch the ones about children
Erin: OMG YES!  I hate the little kid goats!

Everyone: ...goats?

I've been thinking a lot lately about what makes a good blog, what gets readers to come back.  I know one of those things is content, lots of content, but the problem for me is that I can't seem to focus my writing.

So, I'm looking for ideas.  If you read this, post a comment and let me know what you think I should write about.  In general, in specific, whatever you can think of.  Maybe I'll draw some ideas from there, or maybe one of the ideas will give me a direction.  We'll see.

Grandmom C, I love you

I'm having a sad post today. My best friend in the whole world lost her grandmother today. I'm very sad for her and her mother, but I'm also glad that her grandmother is finally at peace. She was a very beautiful and strong woman, who beat some really long odds when she was diagnosed with cancer in order to meet her great grandson, and she was able to spend two months getting to know him.

This is a meager tribute to her memory, but I need to do something because I feel she deserves it, especially after she visited my dreams two days ago to make sure that her family knew she was okay. I always thought of her as a surrogate grandparent for myself, as mine have all passed on as well.

I hope that you take everything wonderful from this life with you, and have a wonderful time in the next.  We here will miss you terribly, but we understand, and we hope to see you again someday.

Books and Other things

So, I've moved my thoughts on ditching shampoo to a new blog, so as not to make everyone crazy with daily updates and thoughts about my hair (superficial, much?), but so that I can still keep track of it personally, and if anyone is interested in my progress, they can follow it there as well. I will try to post a photo every day at the very least, and any thoughts I have about the process and how my hair feels.

In news that is not related to my hair, I am up way later than I should be considering I have to work at 6:30 tomorrow and really flipping early pretty much all week. Love it.

I'm excited because the second book in a series (I think?) I'm into comes out in a few days. Really it could just be a sequel and it ends there, but either way, I'm excited because the first book was excellent and I can't wait to see how it goes. Incidentally, the book is The Prophecy of the Sisters and its sequel is Guardian of the Gate. I'm looking forward to it.

Alright, to bed with me.

An experiment

I'm attempting the "no 'poo" method on my hair.  By that I mean that I'm ditching my shampoo for a few weeks (at least) as an experiment to see how it works on my hair.  This concept freaks me out a little bit, but the more I read about it, the more I think it will be good for my particular situation.

The shampoo that I have been using has a product in common with dish detergent.  Seriously?  Dish detergent?  That's frightening.  So yea.  I'm going to give it a go and see what happens.  

Finished object!

Topi complete
Originally uploaded by kitenarie

I'm so happy with how this hat came out - it's cute and I love the little flower detail, which was an addition of my own, because I thought the buttons it called for were a little boring. It's a little bit big on my head, but I'm okay with that in the hopes that it won't flatten my hair when I wear it.

Seriously, I'm pretty much in love with this hat and so excited that I was able to pull it off.

Reflection on Adolescence

I had several realizations while going through my yearbooks from middle school after reconnecting with someone that I knew from there.

1. Middle school is a horrible horrible place.
I submit as evidence the following quote, directly from one of the autograph pages:  "you look good in your yearbook picture, but I know you could do better."  Hello, passive aggression.

2. I had a terrible self-image.
I seriously felt fat and unattractive all through middle school.  Now, my hair certainly left something to be desired, but curly hair is very hard to deal with and half the products I use weren't even on the market then, let alone in a price range my mom would have spent on me at that point in time.  But I'm looking at these photos, and realizing how flipping skinny I was!  I don't know what it was that made me feel so fat, although perhaps it had something to do with the "I know you could do better" referenced above.

3. I was incredibly shy and probably unpopular.
Evidenced by the very notable lack of signatures.

4. I really loved the friends I had and I wish I could find them.
But so far no luck.

I may expound on these thoughts at a later time - realizations that occur after 2AM are tough to flesh out.

I have too much crap

I'm serious.  I think it's time to declutter my life.  I don't know exactly where I want to start, but I do know that it's time to look at what I have with a much more critical eye, and think about whether or not I really need whatever it is.  I have lots of things that I haven't used in so long that I've forgotten that I owned them.  This is a problem.  This is a HUGE problem.

I need less stuff.

Of course I'm not thinking about things like my books - those are precious and I will not give them up.  But I do think that taking care of this will make me feel much better about what I'm doing and where I'm going.  Perhaps in my time off from work this week.

OMG! A post about knitting!

Haha, can you stand it?  So this one is actually going to be about the hat I'm knitting for myself.  I'm making the Topi Hat from Knitty right now.  I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out so far.

This is how it looks so far, and I'm pretty excited that it looks so good.  I will model it on my head as soon as it's finished.  The design calls for buttons on the brim, but I'm thinking I might do crochet flowers instead in one of my other cotton yarns.  I'll have to see how the colors work together.

I just think it is a nice, fun hat that works well for summer (it's cotton).

I'm also really proud of myself because I had to learn a new technique to make it work.  (And I love that you can see my laundry basket back there in the picture).  Heh.

How to be a Good Customer, or Why Your Barista Thinks You are an Idiot

I am throwing this out there for the consideration of anyone who uses a drive thru.  If you are unsure of what you would like to order, the drive thru is not for you.  If you think it is appropriate for your server to describe for you every single juice that we have in the store from the comfort of your car, with other cars waiting behind you, you are out of your ever loving mind.  Stop being lazy.

Though thankfully, I did not have to deal with the crazy lady, I just had the pleasure of listening in, and then watching her ultimately give up and come in anyway, as she well should have.

Late Breaking News

I'm pretty sure that I write this blog for myself. And I'm completely okay with that.

A day off tomorrow, but exciting nevertheless, because my BFF will be going to the hospital to be induced to deliver my niece or nephew! I'm so excited to meet this baby! Plus I'm house sitting for them tomorrow night to keep the pets company.

Started making tips in the new job this week, so that's pretty sweet!

That's really all I've got tonight - I can't think of too much to say, but I hate to break a routine before it's fully established even. I need to keep writing!

Move along, Baby, and reasons why my new job rocks (so far)

June 1st. Babywatch 2010 has been under way for well over a week at this point (in my mind anyway... really the baby has only been due since Friday). I really just can't wait to meet my niece or nephew in person, and for that kid to stop kicking my BFF in the ribs! :)

Meanwhile, in my personal life, well, nothing exciting. I no longer feel stupid in my new job - I think I've got a pretty good handle on the stuff specific to this job that I didn't have any prior experience with, or at least I don't suck too bad at it (I'm thinking specifically of the drive thru, here. I keep getting put on it, so I guess I'm at least passable at it).

I nearly lost my shit today though when a customer called her drink a "crappuccino" today. She rolls up to the drive thru and is describing this drink that has ice and caramel and whip cream and it's "F-L-A-T" but it's a cappuccino... so, I convince her to come to the window and have someone else listen in to see if I'm crazy, but no, I'm not, and we finally get to the drink she really wants, and she's like "right, a crappuccino." And when she finally got her drink, she told me her life story. Really nice lady, too, so it was really hard for me to not laugh my ass of at her.

We are the narwhals of the land

I just had a lovely weekend with my family. Yesterday I went out with my BFF in the morning and then I went out with my cousins to see Oceans. We had such a fun time together, with lots of "you had to be there" moments, and laughing so hard that my abs hurt this morning. :)

Today I had work and got to learn drive thru (OMG stress), and then I went to the party for my cousin's christening, and had another sweet time with my family. All in all, things are going well. I need better shoes, though. LOL

The nose does something

I ordered two new nose screws today. One that's clear with a flat top that I can wear to work that's better than the cheap one I got at Hot Topic that keeps sticking me in the middle of my nose because it's straight and not a screw. The other one is a pretty one with a pink cubic zirconia jewel. I'm pretty excited about both things because I haven't had a new nose stud in years and because I prefer the screw style to the "poke the inside of my nose" variety. So here's hoping that I like them in real life as much as I did on the internet.

I do still think it's kind of silly for a company to have a policy against a tiny nose stud, but I do understand where it could be complicated with the semantics. Like mine probably isn't so bad, but it wouldn't be fair to tell someone that my little one is okay but their ring is not. It's just frustrating to have to seek out a solution that doesn't poke me in the nose, especially since I'm so pale that I can't cover it up with tape or a band-aid without that being more obvious than the stud itself.

Oh well. Bed time. Both jobs tomorrow.

Thoughts and Crazy

I'm having a little bit of anxiety today and I don't know why. I hate days when this happens.

Also, I'm terribly annoyed by the need of members of my family to be "right." Even when they are wrong they need to add a comment about how they were right about some part of something. I just get tired of having nice moments and nice memories ruined by the need to be "right." Who cares? It was nice, the exact details don't matter.

Anyway, I'm working on a couple of crochet ideas. I want to make a case for my hooks, since right now they live in the plastic I bought them in. I'd also like to make a cute wristband/bracelet thing I found because I think it would be a pretty way to cover up my tattoo for work now/in the future.

I'm really looking forward to my student teaching in January. I think that's probably a little dorky, especially since I still have a whole semester in between now and then. But I really think it's going to be fun.

I guess I'll go to bed and let this anxious day end.

Back to Barista and other general updates

It's been 11 days since I last posted - what a bum!!!!!

Anyway, I started my new job this week, and it's cool because I already know how to do a lot of it since I've been a barista for as long as I've been working.  I really enjoy it, honestly.  I know it sounds silly, but I love that.  I love having that as a random fact about me.  It's almost as good as the "I'm citable" one, which is just way cooler than words.

My grades for my first semester have pretty much come down and they're all good.  I'm waiting for a final grade in the one course, but considering I got full marks on all the assignments, I think I'm in good shape.  First semester as a graduate student:  achieved!

An open letter

Dear Skin,

I appreciate and understand that you are the largest organ on my body. I marvel at your power. But today I fold. You are killing me. Like me, you are far too sensitive. We're going on three days of being itchy because we're allergic to something in the Bath & Body works lotion that we used on Friday. Not cool. Seriously? I've counted at least six spots where I've bled from this.

It's time that we stop this nonsense. Please?

With love,

Your tenant, Kristen

Beautiful Story

Last night, I read When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead.  This book was fantastic.  It's a children's story, and I picked it up because it won the Newberry, and I'm pretty much never disappointed in Newberry winners.  This book was no exception.  It was so engaging that I couldn't put it down, and it was so moving that I cried.  It's very rare for me to read a book that leaves me with the same feeling this one did.  It was utterly beautiful.  I finished it in four hours.

It's a story about a twelve year old girl named Miranda, who starts getting mysterious notes that predict her future, and tell her that the sender has come to save her friend as well as himself.  It's so great because it's a mix of the real hardship of hitting adolescence and having friendships grow, change and separate, and a little bit of the fantasy element of time travel.  I really enjoyed it and I wanted to write something down about it.

Other books that have moved me like this one:  A Density of Souls, The Secret Garden, Paper Towns.

School!

My mind is blown by the fact that there are only 2 more weeks left in my first semester at Rider. In 2 more weeks, I will be 1/3 of the way to my teacher certification. This is crazy and amazing!

I'm working on a lesson plan for one of my favorite children's books, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I just think it's one of the cutest things because poor Alexander starts off rough and then lets everything get him down. Sooo cute. If you haven't, you definitely need to read this book.

Other work left is a 3-5 page reflection on teaching literacy and a 5-10 page observation paper, both in progress. All are due by next Tuesday - YIKES.

I guess the good news on that front is that I have the house to myself this weekend - my parents will be in Florida for a Confirmation, so it will be quiet in the house when I need to work.

Freewriting

So I have this problem where I think better in the middle of the night.  I convince myself every day that I will do my school work during the day and it will be fine and everything will be wonderful, but I simply don't get motivated to do it during the day.  I half-heartedly pick up all the stuff I need and then I am simply too uninterested to do anything about it.  Then, when I should be seriously thinking about sleeping, I find myself incredibly motivated to work on my school projects.  This doesn't happen all the time, but often enough that it's frustrating.

I'm hungry.  It's 2 AM and my tummy is grumbling at me, which is a little annoying.

I had to get my glasses fixed this week because I went to put them on one morning before leaving for work, and the one arm fell off.  Thankfully, it just needed a new screw, but how freaking annoying, right?

I think I need to go to bed now.  Good night!

Failure and Annoyance

So, I've pretty much failed at blogging every day this month, huh? Oh well.

Interesting news - it turns out that the supposed credit card fraud was actually Apple attempting to auto bill me for my Mobile Me account, which I discovered today because I got an e-mail from them to remind me about it. I find it incredibly humorous that almost a week after they tried to bill me is when they choose to send me the e-mail reminder. Seriously, they're so terrible at billing through their website for everything that's not iTunes. I will definitely go back to PC for my next computer. (They're also cheaper). When I got this computer, I was so frustrated with PCs because my computer had been through what felt like a billion power cords, and all of them were so damn heavy at the time. My mom's lappy is lighter than mine and has a bigger screen. So my next computer investment will definitely be a PC.

Anyway, I'm hoping I get called to work tomorrow... I need some money!

And now it's cold again

Early start tomorrow because I'm proctoring the ACT. It's decent money and probably some good experience for my resume.

I'm still lacking in the summer job front, and I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do about that. I didn't hear back from camp and I didn't hear back from Huntington. So really, I have no idea what to do. Perhaps it might be a good idea to go back to (ugh) customer service. At least I know I could get hired pretty easily and I wouldn't have to scrape by to make it through the summer.

I guess I'll have to see what happens.

My cousin Erin turned 19 today and we went out to dinner to celebrate! During this time, Erin decided she was going to start to keep a quote book of funny Kristen-isms, which started because I ordered Tuna and had no idea I needed to specify how I wanted it cooked, so I said "um, normal?" And then later, I told Sean that I would stab him with a straw, and when he asked how, I said "very carefully." I think most of them are funnier in context, and with my facial expressions, but nonetheless, they made her laugh.

Bit of stress

Very tired today. I don't know why because I slept so late. I think it's probably the stress from finding out that someone used my credit card today that wasn't me. Yea, that totally happened.

So, awesome. Fortunately, my credit card company caught it quickly, so I don't get stuck with it. Though it's definitely nerve wracking.

At any rate... that was my excitement for the day. Back to the schoolwork, I suppose.

(Also, I giggled today when I was flipping through the radio and came across Foreigner's Double Vision... oh ATHF jokes...)

Too hot to sleep

What a slow week I'm having. Blogging every day is HARD!

I'm reading Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson right now. So far it's awesome, and I think even better than Suite Scarlett (the first book). I needed to take a mental break from nothing but school work and read something fun. I'm glad I did.

Also, it's too hot for April.

Hooray!

So today marks the day when I've reached my "blog goal" for 2010 - this is my 16th blog of the year. I've now officially posted more blogs here than I ever had previously in all the years I've owned this blog. Not that this is a major achievement, but it's a goal I had that I met, so I'm excited.

Class was good today, even though the room was super hot. I'm so glad it's been nice this week because last week was such a bummer with all the cold and the rain. We went from light jacket weather, to winter coat and umbrella weather to no jacket weather all within the span of three weeks. What a weird year for weather, right?

I'm pretty excited because so far I've accomplished two pieces of the amigurumi elephant that I'm crocheting for my cousin. I thought it would be much harder than it is, but then again, I do have the nasty habit of overthinking things (also, I haven't gotten to the sewing it together part yet).

Okay, well, that's all for today. :)

Little bit.

My sleep schedule is so screwed up this week. I don't know how I got started on this path, but I've been up so late these past few nights and it's killing me.

I almost forgot to blog today... I'm terrible at blogging every day, apparently.

I found a cute crochet pattern for a stuffed elephant. I'm making one for my new cousin, since my mom, my aunt and her sister have the whole blanket thing wrapped up pretty tight. I thought about doing a hat, but I'd really like to give my cousin something that will grow with her.

So yea, that's what I'm doing.

Happy Easter/Sunday!

Today was a very nice, quiet Easter. It was a smaller family turnout than usual, but that's mostly because of my new cousin arriving yesterday. We went to the hospital to meet her, and she is precious!

So yea, that was my day. How was your Easter/Sunday?

Other than that, I've got nothing exciting going on today. I feel like this week of blogging is going to be boring as heck since there's no work this week.

A post that's (mostly) about yarn and crafting

Okay, so I've been unsuccessful at BEDA (Blog Every Day in April), but I'm going to try to do a Blog Every Day except the first two (I'm still considering it April 3 even though it's after midnight because I haven't gone to bed yet).

We had a family blessing today! My newest cousin, Kelleigh Anna was born this afternoon. I haven't met her yet, but the pictures are absolutely beautiful. I'll probably meet her tomorrow.

I've taught myself how to crochet this week (it's pretty easy), and so I've become obsessed with making crochet flowers. I'm thinking of making them into headbands and selling them on etsy. It's a good way to use up leftover yarn, and they're really cute. Plus the pattern I found says to feel free to sell them as long as you thank her for the pattern (which is here). They're easy to make plus it's a great way to use up leftover yarn from completed projects.

Anyway, I've got some reading to do for class. See you tomorrow!

Short update

I'm teaching myself to crochet right now, mostly because I want to be able to make amigumuri, but also because I think it will be nice to have a new skill. It's nice to have time for hobbies again.

Also nice? The frequency of unexplainable bruises has decreased substantially. I don't know why that is though, because I'm accident prone, that had nothing to do with work.

The decided downside is that I miss the hell out of everyone I worked with. I really do.

Writing and Teaching and Thinking Aloud

I think I'm going to do BEDA (Blog Every Day in April) this year. I think it would be a good idea for me to do. It'll be a good way to jump into writing again, plus it will definitely ensure that I meet my blog goal for this year.

I guess I should say I'm going to try because I will still be in school. One of my favorite authors is doing it in August instead because of her schedule, so if I find I can't keep up, perhaps I will do that instead.

I'm working again tomorrow, which is good. I'm also considering a new direction for my career. With all the school budget cuts that are happening, elementary schools are suffering the most, so I'm considering looking into teaching high school english. It's not outside of the realm of things I am capable of doing, and I'm starting to think I could enjoy it. It's at least worth thinking about.

Work and School and stuff

It's been a full week now since I left BN. I really miss the people I worked with, but I don't miss the stress. I do miss the paycheck. I spent my tax refund a lot faster than I expected... mostly because I had a car issue I had to fix but also I bought some Vera Bradley stuff. Those are probably my last big purchases for awhile.

I had an interview at a tutoring center which I hope turns into a job because that would be really good on my resume. Plus, everyone I met there seemed really nice. Not many hours but really good experience to be actually instructing students.

I have a presentation this week, and I'm less freaked out than I would normally get for things like this. It's interesting.

Also, I refuse to use the word "random" in the title because I overused in the past.

Indeed.

Dear Dumbshit Children in the class I subbed for today,

Either your listening skills, or your powers of deduction/induction are terrible. From the start, I made it clear to you that my mother is the secretary to the disciplinarian. I will repeat that for you - my mother. is the secretary to. the DISCIPLINARIAN.

Why on earth would you think it would be a good idea to ask for a pass to the bathroom and then disappear for 15 minutes? Did you think I wouldn't say anything? Did you think I wouldn't notice?

And now you have detentions. Congratulations for thinking I'm stupid.

Love,
The Substitute Teacher You Now Hate

It's my Spring Jacket!

So it's pretty much public enough now that I feel comfortable talking about it on my blog. I quit my job. I'll start substitute teaching (hopefully) next week, but it depends on the work I can get at my old high school.

I'm terrified. This is quite literally the boldest thing I've ever done with my future and it's scary. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to the challenge, but it's also very very scary.

So anyway.

I actually had this really interesting (to me, anyway) conversation at work about the "point" of our storytimes. I got to use something I learned to explain why it's important for children to attend storytimes and not just have their parents read to them. It was pretty cool. I know I'm dorky.

How about this weather? I'm so excited that it finally started getting warm! Now, let's hope it stays that way, right?

<3

Incredible Geekery Admitted/Nerdgasm

I am SO EXCITED for the premiere of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood on Adult Swim this weekend. I've been watching the subbed version on the Funimation website, but it didn't feel the same without the voice actors I already knew and loved. I'm a little disappointed that they replaced Scar and Alphonse (although they had to replace Alphonse, as I'm sure the original actor's voice has since changed and he can no longer play a 12 year old boy...).

Seriously, every time the commercial comes on, I get giddy. GIDDY, people.

I feel the same way every time I see The Last Airbender previews. I'm at least reasonably sure that M. Night Shamalyan can't screw it up with an incredibly predictable twist at the end.

Those are my nerdy confessions for the day.
~Kristen<3

Ok, Ok, I get it.

I know that someday, when I'm a teacher, I will be wishing for snow days just like the kids do. I know I will because I enjoy them. Except that it's stressful to have them when working in retail (as a manager) because you have to fight to justify them.

I don't think I should have to fight with someone to not come in to work when there is fifteen inches of snow on the ground where I live, but I do.

I think part of my problem is that I'm so frustrated by the dichotomy of what I'm doing now, and what I'm going to be doing in about 2 years.

Anyway, the point of this post was to complain about the snow. Yes, I get it, Mother Nature, you can make a lot of snow really quickly. We've seen this before. I remember missing school for a good week in 1996 because of the weather. It was lovely. But I'm over it now. I've had enough.

Please, please, please stop. Or at the very least, divert the one that's coming on Monday to somewhere that's not NJ.

Please.

Hooray for snow days!

So this is Blog #5 of 2010, which means I've officially tied the highest number of blogs I've posted in a year. Sweet.

I was so grateful for the snow day today because it meant I could relax and work on some of my schoolwork, although mostly the day was absorbed by working on my resume and belief statement for my student teaching application. It blows my mind that I have to apply for my student teaching placement after only two weeks of class.

I have a lot coming at me, but it's still good.

Taking the scenic route to being an adult

So my goal for this year is to post at least as many blogs as I ever had prior to 2010, which is only 15. I think that's a perfectly attainable goal, don't you? (Not that there is really a you, I think it's mostly just me).

School is going wonderfully. It's a lot of work - mostly reading, hence the lack of the blogging. I'm enjoying it terribly. Every day I'm more and more glad that I finally found "what I want to be when I grow up." I've always been kind of jealous of the people who knew right from the start. My brother pretty much always knew what he wanted to do, and has been working in his field since college. I find myself jealous of him for that.

Not to say that I'm not happy with the course my life took. I don't think I was meant to know right away because I needed the detour to find some of the people in my life who are the closest to me, and to learn some things about myself. I just think it would have been nice to have it all figured out at 18, or at the very least, easier.

Change is terrifying

But liberating. I can't wait to start class tomorrow.

I love how every time I'm on the verge of something big in my life, I feel the need to clean my room. I'm doing laundry like a mad woman. It must be a key step to changing my life, clearing out bits of the old, a little at a time.

I'm so excited. I even did the nerdy new student thing, pulled out my pens and my notebooks and all that fun stuff.

Isn't it funny

...how much can change in a year? In reading through the very few posts I have on this blog (commitment much?), I discovered one that I know find to be incredibly untrue.

I really wish I did blog more, because I'm curious how much more has changed that I just didn't bother to write about?

~Kit<3

I blog!

Can you stand it?

I always make commitments to write more, and do it diligently for about a week, and then I get distracted. So, I will make no promises about the consistency of my writing (not that I have all that many readers... or even more than 1 or 2...)

Anyway.

Two more items to check off my list of things I need to be a sub - fingerprinting is completed, and my transcripts arrived yesterday. Now I just need to take a physical, and spend another obnoxious amount of money, and then I'm good to go!

I think it's funny that I'm leery of any other job that requires you putting out money before you get any money, but in this case it makes sense. Also, I'm truly, incredibly excited about my upcoming career. I'm just so pleased to have found one, and not feel like I'm floating around hopeless anymore.

I think I'll leave off there. I'll possibly see you tomorrow.

~Kristen<3