Agenda for today:

-Print out lab practicals for Anatomy
-Make keys for said lab practicals
-Go over notes for Bio
-Go over notes for Anatomy
-Teach
-Lunch
-Anatomy lab
-A quick stop home to drop of computer (damn thing is heavy)
-Class at UNCC
-Crash into bed

Today is the long day, and Mother Nature visited this morning. This is both good and bad in that I hate having it but it will be over and done with by the weekend. As I am going shopping on Friday afternoon, Ren Fest on Saturday with rivlee, and visiting my brother on Sunday it will be one less thing to worry about.

And next Monday and Tuesday is fall break for both work and school. Sure I'll have to come into work; we're required to. But I have grading and notes to catch up on, plus some homework I want to get a jump start on. But that will give me precious Monday evening to draw too. As much as I don't really like Ilar, "Seduction" isn't leaving me alone. Oi...

Now for those practicals.

EDIT: Yay! Almost done for the day!

The weekend was spent reading, drawing, and watching the first nine episodes of Code Geass. Which I LOVE. I am now about to go to Akadot and order all those magazines with Code Geass Rebellion covers that I didn't order on Friday. After that, mom and I go grocery shopping and I was sketch some more tonight.

Wheee.

Oh, rivlee, I have my ticket for Saturday. Just let me know what time you'd like to meet.

So, it's finished. I finally scanned it in, cropped it, highlighted it, and colored it with Adobe Photoshop. And now it's here for your viewing.

( Aurënfaie Royalty, specifically Bôkthersa )

Normally I don't get so hyped up about Thursday but it's a short day for me. Sure, I have to search out gas (but I think the local Shell will still have fuel; they have all week) but tonight I can do absolutely NOTHING work or school related. I am going to read Brisingr, scan sketches (so expect another post tonight), and make new sketches. Wheee!

Just let me make it through lab.

I've just had lunch. Hence the icon.

On the academic front: the Nutrition degree is a no go. They won't waive the college algebra for me, and I refuse to sit in a class for that degree. My pride as a science major won't let me even though I know it will be an easy A. Plus, they only offer one of the prerequisite nutrition courses I need online. They gave me a list of other colleges and their courses that would be equivalent, but did say that the credits may not transfer. I'm not about to waste my time and money on courses that won't get me anything.

There is a college up in Mass. that offers a MS in Nutrition that is entirely online, prerequisites and all. But I'm hesitant to take it because I know nothing about the school. Nothing like putting time and effort into a degree and finding out nobody will recognize it.

So I'm going to finish out French this semester and not return to UNCC in the spring. Come mid December I will be back where I was before August: work, gym, home. That will free up the time French is using up to go back to cosplays. I may not get my MeruPuri cosplays done by next year, but I sure as hell will get the TRCs and Nightrunner ones done.

And now I shall be leaving work for the gym, followed by a shower, and class. I have a quiz tonight, which I have not studied for. Not that it really matters parce-que je connais tout les vocabulaire et conjugations d'avoir et etre. Yeah, I won't need to study much. :)

Let me ask ya'll something. I have this urge to attend Comic Con next year because a) I've never been to any con other than Animazement, b) I might actually be able to go, and c) why the hell not? (If I go, who wants to go with me because I'll be needing roommates; I hate going to those things alone.) I want to cosplay, of course, and with the prospect of the lovely Lynn Flewelling being there to promote White Road, it's going to be Nightrunner centric. I want to do Seregil, because I can pull that off a whole lot better than Alec, and it's going to be from one of the Japanese covers, because I'm more used to cosplaying from anime and manga.

My problem is: which costume? I've narrowed it down to three, but it's still a toss up over which one to do. Should I do #1, #2, or #3?

I'm leaning towards #3 because a) it's the more Aurenfaie styled, 2) it's different from the others, and c) it will probably be cooler with a lack of sleevage. My few reservations: it's going to take some pattern modifying and where/how the hell am I going to do the accessories? But I adore the prettiness that is the coat of #1 and the tones of #2. Of course, they have belts and buckles to worry about as well.

So, which shall it be? Should it be #1, #2, or #3? (Feeling like a game show host here.)

On a more somber note, I actually have gas and it is enough to get me to and from work, school, and gym for the week. The trick is finding gas on Thursday afternoon again; it's my week to drive back to Raleigh (and once there to find gas to take us back). They say it should get better in 2 weeks. Here's to hoping so.

I give you full permission to do so are you hear about the revelation I had this weekend - which was filled with nothingness, sketching, and Brisingr (which is not as bad as I thought, but does it have to be 748 pages long??).

So, my revelation. It all started with the lack of gas in NC, that got me to thinking that taking the degree at UNCC was a mistake. Driving to and from Charlotte twice a week for an hour and 15 minute class is not charming by any means, especially not during evening rush hour. I enjoy the class, I love the professor, but the driving is KILLING me. And when I really sit down and think about it, what exactly am I going to do with a French degree? Speak French with my mother? Visit France and actually be able to communicate? I can probably do that on my own reading Asterix, the French translation of Nightrunner, and watching movies. If all I want to be able to do is speak, then is it really necessary for me to spend five years and - imo - ungodly amounts of money on classes for a degree I'll never use?

Probably...not.

And, like I said before, the drives are killing me. Not to worry though; I am going to finish out this semester. It's only another two months so I can handle that.

So, what am I going to do with myself? Flash back to a brief mention during a biotech grant meeting my coworkers and I had last Tuesday. Why not a degree - a graduate degree - in nutrition? ECU offers one online that I've been debating about taking since it started three years ago. Since it's online, it should be easy as long as I discipline myself.

Problem: they say I need 4 nutrition courses - which I don't have - and a college algebra course - which, with my background, I shouldn't have to have. I e-mailed the head of the department as asked him if it's necessary for the college algebra and if the nutrition courses were offered online; I'll see if he gets back to me tomorrow. It's a rolling enrollement, and the official spring semester deadline is October 15th so I have a little bit of time. I'm going to talk to two of my coworkers and the VP of instruction at work this week and see if they will be my references once I hear back from the guy. Then I'll have to call and get my test scores and transcripts sent. If all goes well, I will know and be enrolled for classes by November. *crosses fingers* This will help me a whole lot more.

Now to see when my mom plans to order dinner. I'm hungry.

Because I won't have internet again until Sunday evening (and I have homework, reading, and drawing then), it's:

A HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY, pineappleofdoom and shikachou!!!

I have bills to pay and clothes to buy so I don't freeze my ass. Not to mention the long distances between us. But birthday wishes, hugs, and love to you both! :D

Despite the icon, I am not that hyped up. My downstairs neighbors, or at least one of them, decided that the best way to get the other out of bed was to shout "Get up!" repeatedly despite living in an apartment complex where the walls are thin. Needless to say I was awaken at an ungodly hour but managed to get back to sleep. Still, I don't feel rested because my sleep cycle was so rudely interrupted. Of the three people/families that have lived below me in the last three years, only the first was ever quiet. I don't know if that was because he was single or what, but even when he had people over I never had any reason to complain. What I find most amusing was that the previous tenants, a large Hispanic family, moved out and complained about the noise. Yeah, right; they made the most noise out of all of us. I don't expect my neighbors to be quiet as mice; I just expect them to respect the noise level appropriate for living in close proximity with others.

Anyways, it is Friday and despite the gas shortage mom and I are headed to Raleigh this afternoon. She's got things to do there, and I have Brisingr to retrieve and fall clothes to buy. I'm kind of not looking forward to reading Brisingr. It was supposed to be the last of the Eragon series, but taking a peek at it in Borders last week showed that there is a book 4 on the way. *face palm* The only series I want continuing at this point is Nightrunner. Twilight ended, and I was hoping Eragon was going to do the same. Ugh. Now I have yet another book I'm going to feel like reading just to get it over with. *mutters to self* White Road is coming...White Road is coming...

Now I must go set up a tissues practical.

I need an icon to show how incredibly tired I am. Sleeping Chigusa doesn't quite cut it.

It is Thursday. One of my classes is cancelled due to fall convocation, and I get a free lunch today. Not to mention I only had two classes to begin with. Yay! Apparently there are other community colleges in the area that are closing because there is a shortage of gas. I have not seen said shortage here in Statesville; I haven't yet spied a station that has closed due to not having gas. It has been over a week since the damn hurricane hit. Can you not hurry and clean up already? I'm tired of seeing people moan, groan, and whine about not having gas.

Tonight's agenda: homework, TV, YouTube, and drawing. "Almost" is eating away at me but I refuse to really work on it until "Aurenfaie Royalty" is done. It's almost there; I need to put patterns on sen'gai and sashes and add shading and highlights and it will be complete. Hopefully this weekend.

But for right now, work. I have to get a practical ready to set up early tomorrow. Blah.

After "Aurenfaie Royalty":

-"Almost" - Seregil/Alec
-"Moonlit" - Isilme (OMC in a Celebrimbor/OMC story that resurfaces in my head now and again)
-"Haute Couture" - Dmitri/Cedric (OMCs for a story about a male model and the blind French linguist he falls for)
-"Opposites Attract" - Fier/Celic (these were originally pineappleofdoom's characters in the Asankite RPG - which we can never seem to finish, damn RL! - but I've played them so often they feel like mine; this will be their original incarnations as gods of Asankite)

.....

I am never going to get cosplays done at this rate! If I can just get Syaoran and Sakura done, I will be okay.

Another weekend has flown by. A lot happened this weekend.

Mom got a new computer because the other one practically died. It's an HP with Windows Vista. I spent the last couple of hours installing software and drivers, getting the virus and spy sweeper programs to scan the computer, and registering some product codes. It's up and working so she's ready to go.

I bought myself - among other things - new ink cartridges and a light box. Since we'll be using my printer from now on, it needs new ink cartridges. I'm going to see if we can split the cost from now on. It's a nice Epson printer, but it requires that you buy each color separately and total it runs about $65. The light box is for drawing purposes. I'm not so good when it comes to drawing from specific angles and even worse then I have to put two people in the same sketch and make them look proportional. My current light box has been the TV set, but when images are flashing across the screen and changing the intensity it makes tracing and copying a pain. Not to mention it's at a 90 degree angle. This light box fixes that problem.

I also got myself xxxHolic vol. 5, Monochrome Factor vol. 3, a new yaoi manga called Invisible Love (so adore it), and a sleeve for my laptop. My next Discover bill will not be small. Ah well, these were things I have been waiting for.

Next weekend I plan to do nothing but read Brisingr (I found out today there is supposed to be a book four in that series; did he not say just three books for was that my imagination?!) and working on this Aurenfaie Royalty sketch...and planning cosplays. Must move my ass on those. Need to get through this week though. What must I do? Give a test on Monday, a quiz on Wednesday, convocation is on Thursday...and I can't think of anything pressing for French. Hm...

Oh yeah, rivlee, when were you going to Ren Fest? I have to start planning my October schedule and I thought you said Oct. 11th but I could be wrong.

But at least it's Thursday. This is one of my short days at work and I have no class tonight. I also plan to put off studying until Sunday evening because I am wiped. I have two yaoi manga and a yaoi DVD waiting for me at home that I haven't touched yet. They arrived with two other yaoi manga on Monday, which I already finished. I plan on watching the DVD tonight since my mother will be out and then working on Seregil. I also need to finish rereading Luck in the Shadows since Brisingir comes out on Saturday (granted I won't get it until next Saturday, but I won't read Stalking Darkness until it's finished).

Had a test yesterday in French. Am not pleased that I did not know the opposite of "sauvage" and could not, for the life of me, figure out what "gai" was. I called my mom afterwards and she told me "gai" meant "happy" which meant it's opposite was "malheureux" (unhappy). We later determined "sauvage" meant what I thought it meant (wild, untamed) and one of it's opposites is "sociable" (sociable, gregarious). I felt stupid, but neither of those words were in the vocab sections, and they are probably the only two I missed so I'm like whatever. I got a 20/20 on my quiz on Monday despite a wrong accent so it's all right.

And I am so damn tired. I've been waking up a good hour before my alarm clock each day and it's taking it's toll. I'm glad tomorrow is Friday, and my it's my mom's turn to drive to Raleigh. I can doze if need be. Of course once we get to Raleigh we need to go computer hunting, but that's a minor detail.

Note to self: purchase need ink cartridges, a light box, and xxxHolic vol. 5 this weekend. May also want to look for some t-shirt transfer things. And probably hunt and price fabric. Really need to work on cosplays.

Now let me see about putting some notes up for students.

Happy Birthday doommuffin_chan!!!
You are officially a quarter of a century old! Go out and celebrate tonight (but make it home safely). :D

No no, not on my computer. If it had been on my computer, believe me you would have heard about it yesterday somehow. And I would have been crying in sheer frustration even now.

No, it's my mom's computer. Not more than an hour after I made yesterday's post did it appear on her screen. She had just checked her e-mail and had turned to consult one of her dictionaries for homework. She turns back to the screen and it's blue with the typical error message. We shut down and restarted...only to have the computer repeatedly shut down and restart itself. Wonderful.

It's an HP, about five years old or so, that mom got from my brother last year after he got a new Mac and went off to college. She was hoping it would last her through her years at UNCC, or at least until Christmas. Worst part is that she renewed Norton on it about three months ago. Even more unfortunate, we can't go and get her a new computer until this weekend so she's having to use mine. Rather, she's having me type up all her homework and check her e-mail on mine because she's scared to death she'll break my new comp.

It's not helping any that one of my window alarms - specifically the one in her bedroom - keeps going off and driving us insane. And I seemed to have missplaced the key to turn it off. Ugh.

I am back in Statesville after surviving another weekend in Raleigh. Everything and everyone is safe and sound...minus my mouth gelb (the thing that keeps me from having recurrences of my TMJ). I somehow forgot that and left it on the bathroom sink in Raleigh. Luckily I have the back-up gelb with me otherwise I might have TMJ come week's end.

I have yet another sketch in the works. This one will take a while because 1) Alec needs to be properly finished, 2) Seregil needs to be sketched, 3) Seregil needs to be traced, 4) a light box needs to be purchased, 5) Seregil needs to be retraced and finished, and 6) it needs to be fancied up. It's titled "Aurenfaie Royalty" (royalty being loosely applied here) and is inspired by a passage in Traitor's Moon I suddenly remembered. I aim to put fanciful patterns on the clothes and add some jewelry. Between work and school and trying to get myself motivated to do cosplay, it will take a couple of weeks at least. And I can't purchase the light box until Saturday.

I anticipate having a quiz when I return to class tomorrow. My French prof has finally returned and I'm sure she'll want to quiz us to see how much we learned. So much vocabulary to go through. Luckily I remember a lot of it.

And finally, before I head off to do said studying, thank you for all of the birthday wishes! I appreciate it all and it made me happy. *hugs* :D

It's a HAPPY BIRTHDAY cardcaptorkiki!!!!!

Hope you have a wonderful day!!! *hugs*

On more personal news, I feel like utter crap. Damn hormones.

And rains. I don't normally post twice in one day, but let me just quickly say that while NC needs the rain to elevate our drought, driving in rain down the accident prone I-77 to Charlotte is not fun. Everyone seems to become a maniac on that highway. Case in point: there have already been 2 - count them TWO - overturned 18-wheelers on the road, one on the southbound lane and the other one the northbound lane. My mother was caught in both of them.

I pray I make it there and back safe and sound, and on time. At least I am not as tired as I was.

Today...will probably not be the best of days. It won't be the worst, but it certainly won't be great either. For one thing, I am bone tired. I have said about three times this week already that I don't get any decent amount of rest until Thursday night. Monday I have work and school; I leave at 7 am and don't return until 8:45 pm. Tuesday is work until 4:15 pm and then I study for class. Wednesday is work, gym, and school. Thursday is work until 12:15, lunch, and gym; I get home around 3:30 pm. I won't do homework until Sunday so I get three good days of rest.

It's not that I don't sleep Monday through Wednesday. I sleep like the dead actually. It's just that I don't get any rest in between, not a lot of breaks to rest my body or mind. I just have to put up with it for a year. Starting next year I have to take day classes, and hopefully that will work out better.

It also doesn't help this week that Mother Nature is scheduling her visit. What annoys me is that she hasn't figured out exactly when to pay that visit. I woke up dizzy and slightly nauseous this morning, believing she had come but no such (un)luck. It best be soon; I want it over with.

Because our schedules are full this week, my coworkers surprised me with a birthday cake yesterday. They do cake for everyone but the trick is surprising the birthday person. They really got me yesterday; I was so focused on doing attendance rosters that I had no idea until I smelled the candle. *shakes head*

Now to do some grading and practice my handwritting. It is atrocious and I don't want my prof thinking the same thing I do about my students when it comes to reading their work.

First, let me say
HAPPY BIRTHDAY deathangelgw!!!!!

I would give you more than just happy wishes but this seems to be my year to either be so preoccupied I forget to get gifts or I have no money to get them. But I will send you lots of hugs and happy thoughts for your wonderful day. :D

I'd also like to thank siesuta for my birthday gift. It was a pleasant surprise to find it waiting for me on Friday in Raleigh. The penguin page markers are cute, the card was gorgeous, and the candy is so good. Thank you so much!

This weekend was fraught with more of the same annoyances as always, only this time not only was the internet issue brought up but so was money. I swear my dad thinks I spend my entire month's paycheck on stuff; he keeps telling me to save money for when I get old. He's a complete hypocrite on this issue because he saves nothing, while almost half of each of my paychecks goes into savings. Drives me nuts.

Anyways, I need to check my friends' page and get going on some leftover homework. *hugs Flist*