Getting ready...

Pitchers and Catchers (this means Yadi!!) report to FL on Saturday to start Spring Training! Baseball season is right around the corner...YES!!! I downloaded my Cardinals app. to my Blackberry and have my #4 jersey dusted off and ready to go...I'll probably wear it Tuesday to class. I 100% wish I had the funds to take a quick Spring Break trip to Jupiter, FL and watch my Cards in the sun! Anyway...the countdown to Opening Day is on!

Stella is so grounded...

I'm starting to think that the drive from Worthington might be out to get me. Last time I made the trek, a giant ice missile almost killed me. THIS time I decided to leave during the day, while it was warm, and drive much closer to the speed limit than I am accustomed to (recent news has informed me that tC drivers are the 2nd biggest assholes on the road behind H2 drivers evidenced by the tC being the 2nd most pulled over vehicle on the road...). ANYWAY...all my precautions got thrown right out the window when I got a flat tire somewhere about 30 miles outside of Worthington! GAH! I immediately call my roadside assistance, who sends a nice man from Worthington to come put on my spare (I was NOT crawling around in the wet...no way no how). As he is doing this, a nice young man from the gas station I was stranded at (apparently Lakefield, MN is a real place...) comes out and accosts the old man about "stealing their work". Shit. All was well however because the old man was the young man's grandpa! WTF rural Minnesota!? Really? After all was said and done I was on the road about 90 minutes after calling my roadside people. On top of that delay, I had to drive 55 the entire rest of the way back to Rochester. Overall time for a one-way trip from Worthington to Rochester? 5 hours! Double what it normally takes me cruising nicely at 80. *sigh* Sorry Ryan, but I will NOT be making that trip again for a few weeks. :P

Ava wears clothes like a champ!

So last weekend I bought Ava an awesome new pirate shirt for her visit to her new friends Sadie and Sam...the shirt got wrecked during playtime (I think dogs might be more destructive toward clothes than infants...) so I'm glad I got a picture!

Missile Strike!

There I was, being extra careful given the cruddy roads, driving down I90 when a giant ball of ice/snow/and lord knows what else comes flying off a semi and rocks the front end of my car! Anyway...after a loud scream and an "Oh Shit!" I continued on my way back to Rochester. I call my insurance immediately and spoke with a sweet claims adjuster named Gabby who kept calling the ball of yuk a "missile"! Long story short, I take Stella in tomorrow to get fixed. Hooray for insurance and for my mommy who is going to spot me the deductible. Why does this crap ALWAYS happen to me!?!? Anyone?

Routine...

My Christmas break was awesome due mostly to the fact that I could finally spend my holidays with someone who has never once caused me to question whether or not I want to be with him. I honestly have not enjoyed my holidays this much since I was a kid...I'm so glad to have that joy back. We went caroling with his family, spent some time with my family/friends in Iowa, and partied it up with friends in Chicago over New Years. It's going to be a crazy busy semester with lots of things up in the air, so the time with friends was perfect.

Also...I got A's in both my graduate classes! I will officially be making the big bucks at school once transcripts get sent and HR does their job...which could take forever considering my previous experiences with HR. My confidence in their ability to do their jobs is low.

Anyway...now that the delight of the holidays is over it's time to get back to some semblance of a routine which for me this semester means working Tuesday-Thursday. :) I'm really going to need to find something to do with myself with my free time.

Donezo!

I finally finished my two grad classes last night! Everything is submitted and done. I'm pretty sure I should pull at least B's out of both of them... It was a crazy idea to take two online graduate classes during a single semester, but now that they're done...Awesome!

Also...Spring semester update: My honors class is definitely a go (with much thanks to my Dean for begging...), I teach 2-days a week, I'll be making more money since I finished those classes this semester meaning I have no graduate classes to take. Sweet...free time here I come!

Storm and Stress...

Holy Crap! I have been "working" on two online graduate classes through St. Cloud State this semester. One of the classes needs all the work turned in by 12/16...cool...I have another week to get it done. I ASSUMED that the OTHER class being taught by the same instructor would have the same due-dates. WRONG! There was nothing in the syllabus pertaining to due dates, but I did finally notice that all the dropboxes close by Thursday! SUCK! I guess I should get back to work...

Also...if you are a student and you didn't do the work for my class all semester and you end up with a D. That's not my problem. Accept responsibility for your lack of effort and take the class over.

In happier news: My birthday/Christmas gift from Ryan was transported yesterday and we spent the entire day napping on my NEW COUCH!!