Tuesday, May 30, 2006

NOOOOO!!!!

I just had to say no to a teaching opportunity - teaching writing this summer to Upward Bound students - because it conflicts with one of my other jobs.

/cry

That totally sucks.
I would have loved to do it.

/sigh

I passed the opportunity on to someone else who I know can use it though. That makes me feel a bit better.

/S I G H

"Compassion Fatigue"

What does that mean?
Well according to This NZ Herald Article:

"'Compassion fatigue' may be behind New Zealanders' slow response to the Indonesia quake disaster, which killed more than 5000 people and has left hundreds of thousands homeless.

New Zealand aid agencies said donations have been slow to come in since the magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit densely-populated central Java on Saturday.

The latest death toll is 5,427.

Oxfam New Zealand spokeswoman Prue Smith said it was possible that the sheer number of disasters over the last year -- including the Boxing Day Tsunami in South East Asia last year, and the massive quake in Kashmir in October -- had stretched the charity dollar."


Mother Nature is not happy with us.

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Saturday, May 27, 2006

There was actual SNORTage...

And I'm not ashamed to admit it.

Today's Get Fuzzy!

Seriously. I laughed so a hard I snorted... maybe more than once... but you don't really need to hear about that.
Just go check out the comic. It's a cutie ;)

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

You're HIRED!!!

I got a 2nd (summer) job!
I applied over the weekend (sent my application in online) and got a call yesterday saying they'd like to interview me today.... After talking with the lady for 45 minutes or so she gave me a job!
The Details:
*It's weekend work, so it works with my current job!
*It involves working with children!
*The lady who will be my boss seems reallllly nice and I think she really liked me!
*She's giving me time off in August to go home and see my FAMILY!

It's for Concordia Language Villages! Basically I will handle transportation of children between here and Fargo/Moorhead and a few other places. I will be in charge of weekend overnights and getting the kids to the airport here in town. It will involve some EARLY mornings (4am) but I will manage. I'm excited to:
a) have a job
b) be working with kids
c) about the pay - it's really quite reasonable
d) not having to worry about making my rent!

Monday, May 22, 2006

It's been over a week since the semester ended...

And I KNOW you're just chomping at the bit for the latest scoop from Aspenland... ;)

1. Completely settled onto New Apartment.
2. Read The Da Vinci Code & saw the Movie (in that order - and as usual the book was better) - Might add Angels & Demons to my Summer Reading List (if I have time).
3. Checked Grades (as mentioned before).
4. Re-reading Garth Nix's Abhorsen in preparation for reading Across the Wall (which I bought last summer but ran out of time after re-reading Sabriel & Lirael).
5. Took an entire week off of work! (minus a few emails) and enjoyed a life of leisure.
6. Attended Aya's 2 (two) graduation parties - one for friends & one for families.
7. Hung out with Aya & D and various members of Aya's family (my adopted/ive family); watched movies, played cards, played the game of LIFE, made Smores.... aaaaaaah *happy sigh*
8. Turned in my GA tuition waiver.
9. Did financial aid paperwork for summer and fall.
10. Wondered how that took up an entire week... hehe...

Anywho... I'm on the job hunt as well. I've applied at two places so far. *keeps toes crossed*. I HAVE to find a 2nd job. I simply won't be able to pay my bills on the income I receive as a GA.

Hope everyone's summer is going well. I can't believe we're on the second week already. Oofda.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Looking for a new car?

I can highly recommend ElementsAndFriends.com

*teehee*

I really like the crab one.... hehehehe

Thursday, May 18, 2006

A-List

I'm rolling in the A's :)
Another successful semester.

/cheer

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Guicy Jossip

hehe Ohhhh Dearrrr....

I'm afraid this will be quite anti-climatic....
hehe :)
But here you go anyway... Pictures of my new apartment :)

The door through which you enter:


The first thing you see, the dining nook (minus the nook):


To the left, the kitchen (gotta love the retro-avacado green fridge):


To the right, the living room:


Down a tiny hallway to the left is the bathroom (too small to take a good picture of).

And to the right, from the hallway, is the bedroom.
The beautiful, wonderful, comfortable, new queen size bed:


The computer/dresser/tv nook:


The reading nook (also in the bedroom):


There ya go :)
It's small and perfect for me and I love it! It's my first apartment!

She's baaaaaaack!

Yes indeedy do.
It weren't easy sailing mind ye, but I found my way back to the wonderful net of free information.

The guy came today to set up my TV, Internet and Phone.
Unfortunately, due to one tiny setting on my computer I wasn't hooked up to the juice until hours later (after multiple phone calls to the internet company and the place I got my computer from - neither of which were helpful). The computer store even sent a guy over and he couldn't figure it out either :P
THEN I called (Aya's) D and he was giving me ideas of things to look at - when I stumbled accross a setting and went OOO! Maybe that's it... and it was. And here I be.
And I'm hyper cuz I'm on the net again. Oh how I have missed you.
/smile

Anywho.... Apartment is almost entirely set up (went grocery shopping earlier so the fridge and cupboards are no longer bare) and I'll have pictures up within a day or so.

Monday, May 15, 2006

I'm in!

Yes indeedy.
After spending Saturday night house/dog-sitting for Aya and her mom I spent my first (uncomfortable) night in my apartment. I slept on the floor on my foam and feathery bedding. Could have been better :)
I watched the Buffy Musical and then Strange Bedfellows last night...
Today I waited around until 1pm and then called the place that was supposed to be deliving my bed - the lady I bought it from said that they would call me with a delivery time. The guy had no knowledge of this but said they would try to be there by 3pm. Aya came over and hung out for a while and then went back home. FINALLY at 3:40 they showed up to deliver my bed and by 3:44 they were gone. *SNORT* Isn't that the way it always is? hehehe oh well I have a nice BIG COMFY BED! /cheer
I will sleep GOOOOOOOOD tonight!

And Wednesday I get to do it all over again. Waiting for the person to come and set up my TV, Internet, and Phone. Neeeeeeeed internet. I can watch movies and have the radio on and what-not, so I don't miss my TV much at all. But internet! EEEEP! I am at Aya's house atm after being without internet for an entire day. hehehe I am an adict. I admit it.

Anywho. As soon as I'm plugged back into the net I'll post pictures of the Apt. I'm almost totally settled in now. Just need to find some cheap bookshelves for all my movies.

Oh.... Saturday was my last RA-day. Ever. Was sad when I was getting/giving hugs.
Went to the local Irish pub on Saturday night and watched This GUY. Who is freaking awesome :) He's the son of a friend (and former professor) of mine. Good way to end a busy/sad day.

Friday, May 12, 2006

Congratulations Professor Aya

That's right ladies and gentlemen. She has finished her thesis. She has walked in the procession. She is.... Graduated!

/cheer

A 6:40am start makes for an interesting day....

Wake up.

Get dressed.

Check out resident.

Check email, webcomics & blogs.

Check out another resident.

Go sniffing for the origins of a mysterious weedy smell (origin found: basement, person not found) - oooofda was it strong. Feeling good now ;)

(edit- I knew I forgot something) As I was headed to brunch I ran into the guy who shot me in paintball. He asked me how my arm was (1st time) and I showed him and he got this weird look on his face and said, "Oh. I'm sorry." (1 week later... ah well better late than never :)

Go to brunch with Aya and D.

Time is now 11:59 am.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Doug's my hero...

So I don't know how she did it - because she's a tiny little - 5 foot woman - but she did it. She got one of the dorm beds TOTALLY stuck. Now I've lived in the dorms for five years and been an RA for 3 years - so I've seen some pretty stuck beds.... the metal spring part hooks into the wooden part and if you don't get it on straight to start with = MESS. But this little 5 foot - teeny tiny woman - got a bed SO freaking stuck I thought it was a gonner.

But then Doug came by on rounds and with the help of my trusty hammer (thanks to mom and dad for that tool kit - it has come in handy SO many times - especially as an RA). So anyway - Dougster and my trusty hammer whipped that puppy back into shape :) Literally!

/cheer

Oh... and I just turned in my last paper for this semester = I'm totally done with Spring 2006!

/bounce

Another smile...



Found HERE

Things that make me smile

When I'm on my way to the Union for another Campus lunch and a friend stops me - invites me in for home-made pancakes and COFFEEEEEEE. And we lounge around in comfort eating cinamon pancakes and sipping delicious coffee.... reading through The Lord of the Rings Trvial Pursuit cards.

and

When I get into a SERIOUIS discussion with friends about the most recent episode of LOST.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Momma don't take no lip....

In case you're new to this here blog... My fellow RA's call me "Momma" because I'm "motherly" and caring and I bake them biscuits. I'm usually quite easy-going.

Usually.
hehehehehehe

I was checking out a resident - not one of mine - and I go to said resident's room and they still have half their stuff in there and it's a mess. I tell them they need to have all of their items out of the room and they need to fix certain things. This resident procedes to protest and say "It's not my fault..." etc... the usual load of bs and I said, "No. It's your room and your responsibility. Either you take care of it or I will have them bill you for the clean-up." In the midst of this the resident continued to protest. "No." I said. "Either you take care of it or Res Life will bill you the charges for the person who does take care of it. It's not my problem. Don't start with me."

mwahahahaha
That felt good.
I stood up for myself.
This person was 100% in the wrong and was pissing me off and I said exactly the right thing at exactly the right time (for once in my life) and this person shut their mouth and began cleaning.

*jump for joy*

Good job Aspen.
*pat self on back

Resident even appologized to me later, once they had cooled down.

But I'll never forget that look of shock on their face. I could just see them thinking: "Holy crap. She's serious." The jaw dropped and everything.

*bounces off to bed with visions of that look in her dreams

Sharon... for you...

Chibi Generator

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Here's mine Aya...

Last night of duty...

Yuuuuuup

No more doing rounds, no more asking residents politely to close their doors because it's Grand Silence and I can hear them talking upstairs...

I'm almost done packing - just my clothes left to throw in bags and take over - and of course the big stuff (furniture). Then I'll be all ready in my new pad.

*grin

To do:
*Online Class.
*Turn in application for employment.
*Bowling tonight for Doug's birthday!

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Battle Wounds!

So I've spent an hour here, two hours there - whenever I have free time - moving.

Saturday I decided to hold off on the moving and go Paintballing (is that a word *ponder) and uhm yeah.... So this was my 4th round of paintball and I got my first REAL owie. Usually I have bruises and welts and such... But usually the people I play with are nice and if they come within two feet of you they yell "Surrender!" To which I reply "YEAH YEAH! I surrender! Don't Shoot!" (Cuz it freakin hurts when you get shot up close) But yesterday this guy came right up behind me and as I turned around he shot me three times - without offering me the chance to surrender. One on the hip, one on the thigh, and one on my left arm:



Wow. I'm quite freckledy.
hehehe

So yeah... blood and paint and bits of the shell lodged in my skin. Ouch. It hit at an angle so it scraped the skin off and got bits of it embedded in my skin - which were fun to scrub out in the shower *cringe.
I usually wear long sleeves, but yesterday was too warm for that :( Never again! Long sleeves or no paintball! hehe I learned my lesson.

Oh but the good news is the guy that was on my team told me afterwards - "I was going to give him a chance to surrender - but then he shot you from two feet away and I was like 'Hell no!' and so I shot him." The guy on my team was about 7 feet from the guy on the other team when he shot him in the back of the thigh. Guy on the other team was complaining on the way home that it hurt for him to sit. *snort
I really felt sorry for him ;)

And then last night I was invited to go out to the bar with a couple of friends - I'm so not the bar-hopper-type. But I decided - Why not.
I was reminded the answer to that question.
1. People drink lots and do/say stupid/hurtful things.
2. Creepy drunk people drape themselves over you - uninvitedly (I'm totally making up words tonight) but thank goodness for friends who intervene :)
3. Cop barges in front of you as you are leaving, grabs guy by the back of the neck and drags him (flailingly) out the door. Right in front of you - both of them knock into you in the process. Guy is slammed against the cop car with his arm pinned behind his back and read his rights.

Do be do be do...
Interesting.
Sometimes fun.
Never dull.

Aaaah. I like my nice quiet nights of book reading, tv/movie watching, playing games and hanging out with friends.
I'm a home-body.

Aya's all moved back home now - helped her do that most of the day.

I've got to work in the lab/my office this week. Check out residents. And do the stuff for my online class that has been consistently pushed to the bottom of my list :(

Friday, May 05, 2006

Residential Life

So today was ou End of the Year Residential Life Staff Banquet.
My last one.

We had a pirate theme and I dressed up and let loose with an "Arrrrg!" here and an "Avast!" there.

People enjoyed the slideshow I made - lots of chuckling and such - and were most appreciative of the umpteen hours C and I spent burning DVD's so that they could each have their own copy of the skits and slideshows.

I received the "Tour of Duty" award for 5 semesters and a recognition for my GPA being over 3.5... it's actually 4.0.
*beam*

I also received an award (given by my hall director) for Dedication to Res Life (going above and beyond) which totally shocked me and one that made me tear-up = Outstanding Peer. That's the one that my fellow RA's in Linden Hall vote on.... and they picked me...

I'm going to miss this lifestyle... living with my friends and working with them and feeling so connected and loved.
BUT... many of them will still be around and I will still see them.
AND I have a nice new apartment that will be GORGEOUS when I'm all situated....
And I am working on that, slowly but surely - one hour here, 30 mins there...

Aya's cracking me up. She keeps wanting to see what I've done. Like she saw it earlier today and then I moved in a lamp and my loveseat (yes by myself and it was a pain) and she just HAD to see it. She's hilarious. She also informed me that SOMETHING had better be different every time she comes over too - so she knows I'm working on it still ;) Like I wouldn't! Hello! I can't wait to spread out!

So anywho... moving is a pain.... excited bout new apartment... sad about leaving Res Life - they've been really good to me and being an RA is one of the best things that ever happened to me.

Thank you Stevie B.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Personal Glitches

Due to several things:
*Spending 7 hours painting my apartment
*Icky weather
*Every-freaking-thing I try to do taking twice as long as I originally estimated... like work in the lab yesterday - so many tech problems I couldn't believe it! like everything that someone tried to do - or I tried to help them with - had to be done the hard way. *Grrrrr*

Due to things like that...
I haven't moved ANYTHING into my apartment, I have only read ONE chapter of stuff for my online class, and I'm still running around like crazy.

Yup.
It's the end of the semester :)

I WILL get it done!

I am completely done with my ASL class. (My presentation was a tad too long and I stumbled on some of the fingerspelling - nerves - but otherwise ok).
I am completely done with my Blogs & Wiki's class (I think my presentation went well).
I am done for the semester with my Independent Study course (will finish up the bits and pieces this summer).

I still have the Res Life Banquet.
I still have a LOT to do for my online class.
I still have residents to check out.
I still have ALL my stuff to move in.

Of course I want to spend all my time working on my new apartment *grin* because it's MINE... and it's new.... and since Aya and I painted it's BEAUTIFUL!

That online list thing is helping me keep an eye on all the stuff I still have to do.

*deep breath*

I think coffee affects my typing. I fell more random than usual today!

At work for a bit longer.... then leaving a little early to run a few errands.

SO much to do! I love it.... it is stressful... but if I didn't have anything to do I'd be bored to tears.... BAH!