MAC Daddy Update

Y'all:

I'm back! Sorry for my lengthy absence, but I did not have Internet access (gasp!), and little used my iPhone to check in in the interim. Now, however, I have Internet and (time permitting) I will be a more regular visitor on here once again. Woe be unto you all!

HOME
I am moved into my new trailer in Laramie, WY! Yay for that! My commute has now been significantly reduced, so the savings I will see in both time and fuel will be substantial. Excellent. Of course, this place comes with its own charm, quirks, and deficiencies, but we can work through most of that, yes no? The biggest issue is the heat; right now it's out, and I've had it on for less than 2 weeks. If propane is THAT expensive and lasts so little time, I could be in some serious trouble. I'll get pix of the new place up on here at some point. Of course, just because I'm moved in does not mean I'm unpacked!

WORK

As was foretold by the prophets of old, I was promoted at [censored] effective when I moved to Laramie. I'm a keyholder, which is the position I held when I first worked for this company back in NJ. The pay is a little better here than then, which is nice, and as before there are possibilities for advancement. I just need to keep working my tail off, hope I get more hours, and continue to excel working in an environment I enjoy.

SCHOOL

This semester willn't be plagued by ROTC, but poses its own set of challenges. On the plus side I am taking three English courses this semester, plus I'm enrolled in 2nd-year German. I'm very excited because most of these classes actually feed into my major, something which did not happen during last semester. However, all three of my English courses are literature classes which demand a great deal of reading. To be honest, I have not been the dutiful reader of books that I should have been over the last few years, and my speed at reading has suffered in turn. To further stymie my efforts, I'm terrible at taking notes while reading, and one class not only requires this practice, but will grade me on my efforts! I hate taking notes while I'm reading; it interrupts the flow of the story. Still, I must adapt and overcome.

My English courses include a survey class of literature, a class about 19th century American prose, and a class on the classical Epics (which I just learned I can minor in!). The latter class is the most interesting to me, while the other two offer up material that does not immediately command my attention. The reading required for all three of these classes is immense, and it will be difficult to keep up in all of them.

My German course also requires a lot of reading, but not nearly as much as any one of my English courses. Thankfully, I know a little German--her name is Nina and she can help me a lot in the class!

The bill for my schoolbooks from the University bookstore came to $472 and change. I spent two hours comparing my receipt to Amazon.com, e-mailing my professors, and so on, and made the decision to return almost every single book and order them from Amazon.com in physical form or (where possible) Kindle edition, and with the immense savings I'm also getting a Kindle! It's just the WiFi version, not the 3G, but honestly--my house is a WiFi hotspot, my University is a WiFi hotspot, and it's not like I ride a lot of public transportation where I'd need to download a new book while I'm commuting. Besides, my Kindle library is already quite vast, and with these new additions I'll have plenty to read for some time to come.

NATIONAL GUARD

Drill just passed, and it was one of the most productive drills I've attended since AT last June. To sum up, I'm still an Infantryman, I'm going to multiclass [this summer?] as public affairs, and for the time being I fall in with the medics. Which is awesome.

WRITING

I'm still working on my fantasy novel. There are a few of you out there in possession of a VERY rough, VERY incomplete version of it--delete it. It's crap. No, I'm not changing everything, but there are a lot of changes that need to be made, and I'm working on that while I'm moving towards the completion of my highly-anticipated first novel. Of course, with all the schoolwork piled in my lap, I need to manage my time better...

M.A.I.D.S. is not forgotten! Nor is the fact that I need to do one more edit on THE HEARTBREAK CYCLE to repair a few typos. I will move forward with both of these project as time permits. More information will be posted on my fan page as it becomes available, of course.

LIFE, THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERYTHING

So yeah, I've got a lot going on right now. Tonight I got to slack off some because 1) I don't have class tomorrow, and 2) my Kindle doesn't arrive until tomorrow, and I returned all of my books today. I'm only working one day this weekend (that I know of--new schedule wasn't posted yet), so I'll have time to devote to reading.

My video game obsession is in full effect, and that won't die. Which is fine. It's my hobby, it's something I love and enjoy, to which I'm entitled. Right now, however, I know I need to buckle down and focus on doing well this semester, and if that means less Nintendo and more Kindle, that's fine. Though I am loathe to repeatedly say "I'll get to that someday," by finishing my higher education I'm working to reach Someday. The games will keep; my youth, sadly, has not.

So this semester is gonna be awesome, and painful. Mostly awesome, I hope. I'm staring down the barrel of a busy year, for true, but I am determined to be equal to the task!

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