SFAD

I'm excited, and nervous, today—tomorrow is my first Student For A Day touring. I co-run one or two of the events on the schedule, then do the second half by myself. Sort of worried, because it's my first time…I want to do well.

Any tips for confidence boosting…?

Pontificate

It's been a long time—too long, in fact.

I moved into my residence room today (scary!) and met my roommate, who seems pretty well matched. After the fiasco that was my OSEF matching, I was definitely needing a good pairing. We both like tea, don't drink, and have difficult-to-pronounce names. Sounds superficial, but it'll work. Our room is small, and we're both slightly on the messy side, so we've designated a room-tidy day and laid out some ground rules for us both. I haven't yet told her about my orientation, but I think it'll be okay. I'm really hoping so!

What else has gone on this month? I went back to work (I don't remember if I've already said that or not…) for three weeks, made a decent amount of cash, and have got lots of financial stuff sorted out. Hmm….

Oh! Friday night—I was loading stuff into the van, because it's a full day's drive here, and felt something on the bottom of my foot .I went to scrape it off, and misjudged it, instead lifting off the callous on the pad before my pinkie toe. I suppose, in my favour, it was my right foot. Usually this happens to my left….

Anyway, night before I leave, I busted my foot. Hurts to walk and all that—it's really a pain in the ass all around.

I feel like this blog has gone from being somewhat substantial, maybe-even-meaningful to a simple rundown of my day-to-day (or week-to-week, case in point) doings. I want to get back into some actually thought-provoking things…. Is it against internet etiquette to actually say that, though…?

My question for the day, becase I haven't done one in so long, is: how do you live with internet caps? I only get 75GB a month now, and that's costing me nearly $40 a month!! That's…almost 53¢ a gigabyte! Eep. YouTube restrictions, starting now!

To Do For France

It is literally a week until I leave for France. I leave at 0540, Friday the twenty-ninth of June. Holy freaking cats, that's soon. Here's what I have to do before:

• Contact my exchange family
• Clean my room
• Find space for my partner
• Gut my closets and wardrobe(s)
• Be ruthless
• Take undesirables to Thrift Store
• Purchase and load MP3 player with Zumba songs to choreograph
• Scholarship/Awards/Transcript/Residence forms filled out and mailed.
• WRITE MATH DIPLOMA
• 'Bonding Time' with my mother
• Grocery shop for the needed snacks 
• Rehearse my (trite) French phrases
• Make bed ready for return
• FINISH SCHOOL PROJECTS
• Two FAS (Fashion) modules
• One Art piece
• SLEEP
• Transition to Parision time
• Apron for my 'Mommy'

Well? Any strategies…?!

Crazy!

I'm seriously starting to freak out about my first class…only a week left, and I have to have it all ready, memorized, and smooth.

Bleepitybleepbleeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!!

That about sums up my mental dialogue right now…plus I have two essays to write this week, I need to re-read the book for one of them (The Handmaid's Tale, totally one of my favourites!), and do an outline tomorrow.

Fudge monkeys.

Passport Panic

So I had a scare tonight—I was solidly convinced I'd lost my passport. I turned my room, under-bed and trunk apart…then I finally found it in the middle of my lega box, tucked between two envelopes. Whew! I'd looked there before, of course, but I remembered after the fact that, at one of the UK airports I was in last year, they stuck baggage tags to my passport…resulting in a lovely sticky residue. I'm scared to try a remover—what if it wrecks the document…?!

Oh well. At least now I know exactly where it is, and can use it to get to France this summer!

On another note, my first Uni class starts tomorrow…I'm alternately terrified and thrilled. Wheeeee!

…

First day of second semester, work, karate…I am so completely wiped. I honestly have nothing else to give or say…complete an utter exhaustion.

Flatlined

I am utterly exhausted today. It's been a trying day at the house, as anything holiday-related always is. Today we finally took down the decorations from their celebration. I don't celebrate, but I can't denounce it completely while I live with them. I'm so ready to leave this place today.

Deck The STRESS With Boughs Of HEAD-DESK!

Today, the only thing that's really sticking out for me is how much I hate this time of year. Rather, I hate the stress that permeates it. The whole 'feel good, peace love and joy' stuff is great, but throw on some 'I've got to find gifts!' to some 'When does this need to be shipped by—yesterday?!' and a dash of 'Now I have to have "family time!"' and it sucks.

I honestly can say that my favourite part of the season is after the big holiday (that I don't even celebrate!) and before New Year's Eve. I can do New Year's, though usually with a very dear friend/cousin/sister/mind-mate of mine. (Unfortunately, seeing as neither of us are going to visit family down South, we won't get to have our holiday together, second year in a row!)

Other than New Year's, I'm really not into this whole holiday stuff. I shudder to think of how I'd incorporate that into child raising, should that be an option. Dear heavens, my child would be messed in the head!

What about you—what do, or don't, you celebrate? Why? How does your family act around that …occasion…?