All I Need to Know I Learned from "Dawson's Creek"

Studying for the GRE is no easy task. I guess it's been awhile since I've studied for a standardized test, but I assumed that with college under my belt, I'd do OK. Eh, I'm having mixed feelings about it. This is not going to be a cake walk by any means.

Luckily, I've found some more entertaining exercises for practicing the Verbal section - watching old episodes of "Dawson's Creek." Whoever wrote that show must have had SAT/GRE flashcards by their side because the characters (who are supposed to be 16, by the way) sound like literary geniuses.

Not only is the show great for entertainment, but it gives me a fun way to practice big words!

Besides watching the show, my sister also let me borrow her GRE Verbal flashcards. Ugh, for someone who loves words as much as I do, I abhor studying these (ooh, abhor. Good one!). When will I ever use the word "perspicacious"? That's right - never. Some of these words are completely fatuous.

Now I'm focusing more on the Quantitative section a.k.a. math portion. We don't get to use calculators, which is so pointless - who will ever have to do some sort of equation in the real world when a calculator (or cell phone with calculator abilities) is not available? Again - never. Yeah, yeah. I need to strengthen my critical thinking skills and not just rely on thesauruses and calculators. It's still very frustrating though.

In other news, things are going very well. My friend Alanna is coming over tonight, and I'm making beef stew in my Crock Pot! Plus I'm baking corn bread, and she's bringing over an apple crisp. Ahh, the joy of getting fat. I love it!

I'm getting SO excited for the Miss America pageant this weekend. One of my good friends, Christina, is representing Nevada! And the competition is in Las Vegas, so she's the home state queen :) I'm so excited for her, even though this past year has meant that we don't talk as much since she's so busy. I do feel like we've drifted apart in a way, but I still wish her the best this week. She's the only redhead in the competition too! I hope she knocks the judges' socks off! Especially that detestable Rush Limbaugh.

Well, that's all for now. Back to work!

I'm Free to Decide

I'm proud to say I've already pretty much completed my New Year's resolution. I made the goal to be more decisive, so rather than sitting around, mulling over what my next step in life is, I grabbed the bull by the horns.

I'm now registered for the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) and headed for grad school! Pending my acceptance, of course.

I've been thinking about going back to school for awhile now, so once I decided what I want to do with my life, I took the steps to make it happen.

First off, what to get my degree in. Of course PR has always been my thing, but I was questioning it there for awhile. Now I know that this is an industry meant for me, even if it means I'd like to get into other areas of it later on. I'd love to work in-house somewhere, possibly at a university or an organization I care about. So I'm going to pursue a master's in organizational communication.

I bought a GRE study book the other day and am signed up to take the test on Feb. 6. Yikes! Right around the corner. I'm trying to study a little bit each day, with greater emphasis on weekends. So far, I'm feeling good about it. I know I'm not going to ace the thing, but that's fine because it's not like I'm shooting for Harvard.

Which brings me to my next decision - where to go. I've always considered moving somewhere an option, although my family and great life in this area are really what keep me here. Plus, I'd like to go somewhere relatively affordable so I'm not in any great debt in a couple years. So I'll be submitting my application to Sac State by March 1.

Next item - paying for school. I just completed my FAFSA application today (to apply for federal scholarships and loans). I doubt I'll get any free money, so I'm planning on taking out some student loans. That's the kind of debt that's worth it!

It was a huge weight off my shoulders once I got that all figured out. Of course, it'll be much more work from here on out, but I'm excited for the whole process.

Another great thing happened this week - I got a promotion! I'm now a senior associate. That was a very nice boost, and the raise ain't bad either ;)

Here's to a wonderful and decisive 2010!

The Hiney Flu

I was nervous this past Friday that I might have the H1N1 flu (dubbed "hiney" by my sister - those 1's look like i's. Not to mention, apparently the virus kicks you in the hiney).

I was scheduled to cover for my co-worker on Friday and go in early. Thursday night I started to feel a little under the weather, but I assumed I just needed some sleep and I'd be hunky dory.

Well, I woke up at 3 a.m. scorching hot (in temperature, not looks, naturally). I stumbled out of bed and took my temp - 100 point something degrees! (This may not seem hot to some people, but my temp runs cold on this particular thermometer - like 97 degrees).

When my alarm went off at 6, I knew I couldn't go to work. Even if I could muster up the strength, I was still feverish, therefore contagious.

I felt really guilty calling in sick - for some reason, I feel like I should just push through things sometimes and suck it up. I don't want to appear like I'm not dedicated, especially since some of my co-workers have worked when they were sick. Plus, I was filling in for someone, so it was doubly inconvenient to miss work.

Then I reminded myself that no one else is going to look out for me - only me. And proper rest will heal me faster than if I push through it.

In the end, I was extremely glad I didn't go to work. I got progressively worse throughout the day. My fever remained, as did my head congestion. Then the severe body aches arrived - I felt like I'd just worked out for hours with Billy Blanks (minus actually seeing any results). I could barely move, let alone get up and make food.

Ugh, to be honest, it made me wish I had a boyfriend! Then someone would be there to make me soup and be there for my every beck and call. My mom used to give me a bell to ring so she could hear me in my room (what a gem!). Sadly, I was left alone with Cammie, who kept trying to cuddle with me, but I was too hot for any such affection.

I did catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror - that made me thankful I didn't have a boyfriend. Yikes. If I couldn't even make food, a shower was obviously lower in priority. I was not lookin'/smellin' pretty.

The good news is that it appears it wasn't swine flu. My fever broke that night (I basically swam in my own sweat all night - even had to change my shirt at 4 a.m. - ewwww), and by Saturday night I was feeling much more functional.

Thankfully I went back to work today. My days of rest were necessary, yes, but ultimately boring. I like being in tip top shape where I can actually be productive.

Work is super busy this week. Also, tomorrow I have my creative writing class. The professor asked 2 people to volunteer to have their stories read by the whole class tomorrow and then critiqued. I volunteered last week, in my typical overachiever fashion, so hopefully everyone likes it! And if not, I do appreciate the feedback.

Other than that, not too much is new. The new Twilight movie comes out this Friday, and yes I already have my ticket to go see it (on Saturday morning though). I can't wait!

Oh, and I won't be getting the hiney flu this year - someone is coming in on Wednesday to vaccinate us at work! Never thought I'd look forward to a shot.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Flashback

I don't know if you can spot me in my 4th grade class photo above, but I'll give you a hint - I'm wearing highly unfashionable clothing with unruly hair. Oh, wait. That doesn't eliminate too many people. (I'm actually 2 people to the left of the teacher)

Last Saturday night was an awesome elementary school reunion. I went out for a girls' night with 4 of my closest friends from Thomas Edison - we hit up the Stoney Inn, which is a country/line dancing bar that also had another room where an 80s cover band played. It was soooo much fun!

Then unexpectedly, we ran into 2 guys who'd gone to our elementary school too! So all of us chatted for a bit and had a great time. The only downside - apparently I'm forgettable. Those 2 guys didn't have a clue who I was, even though I remembered them. Wonderful. I hate when that happens! But no matter. I still had a blast.

Although Marilyn did creep Serena and I out at the end of the night. She gave us a rundown of what happens in that new "Paranormal Activity" movie. It sent chills all over my body, and I was NOT looking forward to going home all by my lonesome!

I guess that's the downside to living alone - if you're scared, there's not too much you can do. I do have my cat Cammie, which helps, but I hate to admit - sometimes having a boyfriend would be nice (ugh, I can't believe I uttered the words).

Speaking of boyfriends (or exes, really), I got my first full-length story back from my professor in my fiction writing class. I got a frickin' "B"! WT-mother-F. Yeah, yeah. A "B" isn't that bad. But if you know me, you know that I am the biggest overachiever, and a "B" ain't gonna cut it. I blame the ex for this one - it was a story based on him! Granted, the ending was what the prof said he didn't like. And I admit - I didn't base that part on real life. I had the 2 main characters, who'd broken up, get back together. Maybe that's a sign that getting back together is unrealistic and "F" worthy, which I'm fully aware of already.

Oh, well. Our next full-length story is due next week, and I'll be sure to stray away from my little romantic attempts. Man-hating is so much more fun to read about anyway!