And So It Begins...

School started yesterday for me... And when I say that I actually mean:
"I threw my social life out the window yesterday"
I'm taking Communication and Aging, Neuroscience for Communication Disorders, Introduction to Audiology, Clinical Practicum, and The Bible as Literature. All of my classes ran very smoothly for the past two days except I honestly did realize that I'll have to study my life away through this semester.

This is also the semester where I apply for graduation (At this point, I think these people should offer me the pleasure of graduating from their university. And then apologize for being such a pain in my butt for the past years. Ha.) I also have to apply for graduate school and take the GRE.

I've already been studying for my first quiz of the semester, which takes place tomorrow... :) Lovely. And of course organizing the many handouts and 6 page syllabuses.

Hello Fall semester 2010! Goodbye life!
:) Happy Wednesday!

Proud

Summer has almost ended, my friends. I'm really having some bittersweet feelings about it because it is absolutely one of my favorite seasons to spend with Dylan. We have so much fun in the summer and he brings out an adventurous side in me (Post on that tomorrow maybe...) Last night, as we were eating dinner he said to me "I don't want to go back to school, Em." Which brings me to the title of this post.

Dylan has attended 2 semesters at the community college in Northwest Arkansas. He completed tech school for the air force (or military?) and hasn't been to school in at LEAST a year... maybe a year and a half... maybe longer. To be very blunt, he hates school. He has no desire to go but has a lot of future plans for himself that require a college degree. He's a smart cookie, but just does NOT like school (haven't we ALL felt that way?)

Tomorrow night, after he gets off of work... he will be attending his first college class of the week. That's right, my friends. Dylan is going back to school. And I am so proud! He is taking 12 hours this semester and all but one are at night. I am so thankful that he made this decision. I know he can do well and hopefully I can help him (in the organization department ;) and that should help him keep on track.

We've had the best weekend, and the best summer together. Bring on the fall and bring on the school work! Dylan is going to kick butt this semester!

Nervous

School starts in exactly one week for me. I lucked out and I don't have any classes on Mondays :) Which automatically means those are study days... :(

This semester will begin my senior year of college. (Which should have been last year except I had some trouble figuring out my major :) I will be taking a bunch of crazy classes like Introduction to Audiology :/ I'm not excited about this semester. AT ALL. I don't feel like I'm "apart" of this university and I especially don't feel like anyone is on my side to help me. I guess I'm mainly just nervous that I'm having to apply for graduation AND for graduate school. I'm just nervous about this semester. I'm not happy about it and not looking forward to it. I don't really feel like anyone in my family, including Dylan, understands how nervous I am... So I don't really talk to them about it. Luckily my blog allows me to get everything off my chest that I need to and it doesn't say "You're worrying too much" back to me. Ha!

Goodbye July

Happy August 1st!

This weekend started off rough. My relationship with Dylan took a small turn, and I'm happy to say now, that we've learned a little more about each other since Friday.

I have always seemed to have this idea in my head, that when you meet the person you're supposed to spend the rest of your life with, everything is perfect. You never fight, never argue, never disagree. When Dylan and I find something that we don't see eye to eye on, I immediately think the worst (as I have done with every relationship in the past.) Truth is, it is better that we don't see eye to eye on everything - if we were the same person, having the same opinion on everything, we'd probably be a very boring couple. So there is the small break through for me this weekend. And I say small because I know that I will be dealing with this issue more, and constantly reminding myself that our differences are good.

On Saturday, we headed off to Branson, MO. to spend the afternoon. There is a (fairly) new Titanic museum there that I've been dying to see! We planned to go there first, but unfortunately realized we forgot the camera :((( So instead we headed down to the Branson Landing, a very nice outside shopping mall right on the Lake. There are a lot of yummy restaurants (mainly seafood/fishy type restaurants) and the atmosphere is just wonderful. We've been there once before together, and we just think it is a nice little get-a-way. We did a little shopping, ate fish and shrimp at the Fish House, then ended up at Orange Leaf - a frozen yogurt place that is so fun! We shared cheese cake and pomegranate frozen yogurt with Kiwi and almond slices on top! It was delish! Of course we had to make a stop at the Bass Pro Shop there... and look at every fishing reel that could possibly exist on this earth. ;)

We got in late last night and poor Dylan had to work at 6 this morning :/

I slept in! Ha! Now on to the Sunday chores and Laundry!

I Just Want My Car Back

First they said I would have it before (last) weekend.

Then they said I'd have it by Monday (yesterday) night for sure.

Then they called today and said they were working on it and they'd let me know if it was ready by 4:30.

Now it's 5:20 and I still don't have a car.

I just want my car back.

Sunday

This weekend has been quite uneventful. Friday night, when I finished babysitting my Dossett babies, I went over to Dylan's to hang out for a bit. Saturday he came over to my house at 10 in the morning and we drove around, what felt like the whole state of Arkansas, looking at houses that he'd found online. Did I tell you he's in the process of buying a house?? He applied for a loan a few weeks ago and since he's been approved he's gone c.r.a.z.y. searching for houses!

Saturday night, we went to a 40th birthday party for a lady I babysat for a couple years ago, who has since then became a very good friend of mine. Dylan teases me all the time that if we get married, all of my bridesmaids at the wedding will be over 40. ha! He might be right! Most of the "girlfriends" that I really love and trust are women that I babysit for or work with at the preschool. They're the greatest and I'm so lucky to have them as my friends! Anyway, the party was so fun. Julie, the birthday girl, went SKYDIVING on Friday to celebrate her 40th. She is so brave!! But what a good way to celebrate your 40th, right? I love her!

Today I have a baby shower to go to for a friend. She is having a baby boy in September :) I think this might be my first baby shower to go to. I'm excited!

These past two weeks have been AWFUL and I cannot wait to see if this week will be any better. Hopefully, by Monday night I'll have my car back. I can't wait to put all of my stuff back in it and CLEAN IT. I've missed it so much... I know that sounds silly. It is just a car. But it isn't the same without it! Hurry up Monday night!

Hope you have a great, lazy Sunday :)

Bad Luck?

These past two weeks have been rough...

It all started a couple of weeks ago. I was finishing up my lazy last few days being off from babysitting for 2 weeks. Dylan and I spent a rainy day in Eureka Springs, eating and shopping and such. We were on our way back and he was driving my car when a light came on the dash. I looked it up in that little book that you're supposed to keep in your glove box and it turns out it is a pretty darn important light... and i needed my car serviced immediately. Called the mechanic.

When we arrived back into town, Dylan pulled over at a tire store (still raining) and got me out of the car to look at my tires that were so "bald" you could see the wires poking out in some places. Turns out it is pretty dangerous to have bald tires... especially in the rain. So at this point, I need my car serviced, 4 new tires, and a towel. Because I'm standing in the pouring rain. Dylan prices tires for me at that store and we head home. A couple day's later my Mom buys new tires for me for $449.00 dollars (since I didn't have the money right then and they were kind of a necessity :) By the end of July I will have all the money to pay her back. Thankfully.

Monday the 12th I take my car to a mechanic to find out what the light is for. $35.00 later, I leave with a fixed car and an appointment for Monday the 19th to get my transmission fluid flushed because I was supposed to do it a year or so ago. I feel much better at this point AND it wasn't raining so I was dry and my hair still looked good.

I made it through Tuesday ok, Wednesday morning was pretty good too. But as I was on my way to babysit the Dossett kid's that afternoon, my car did something weird. Really weird. I would push the gas and it would only "go" a little bit. It did this for 2 or 3 miles. When I pushed the break the car would flip out... and then I would flip out. I called Dylan in a panic and he got frustrated that I wasn't "smart" enough to pull over. Then I got frustrated that he got frustrated and we didn't talk the rest of the day. :) Lovely.

This is turning into the longest story- I'll wrap it up.

Denise Dossett was the sweetest to me that day. She called her brother-in-law's who are mechanics and they came and took it to their shop overnight to fix it. My sweet aunt and uncle (who live close to the Dossett's) brought me an extra car they have so I could use it until mine is fixed. I got my car back the next day. Knowing something could be really wrong, but they did a quick fix to help me out (And I'm so thankful for everything they did for me! They were so nice to work me into their schedule!) Dylan and I took my aunt's car back to her on Friday and we were driving my car home when....

The transmission went out.

That was the problem. And guess what?

It is still OUT.

I had my car towed in to the shop on Monday (Same day it was supposed to have the transmission fluid flushed.. ya know.. to prevent the transmission from going out.) and they've had it all week. The new transmission will be almost $4,000 dollars. It will be a little more because they are doing some other stuff to it as well. All week I've been stressed out and signing papers for a loan :( I thought for sure I'd get my car back by today but the mechanic called yesterday and said the new transmission won't even be here until Monday. I hate Mondays. Seems like that's where the bad luck always starts!

So anyway. That's the bad luck in a nutshell. A big nutshell. Oh no wait- While borrowing my aunt's car and on my way to babysit on Monday (Did I tell you I hate Monday's??) I got a flat tire... IN HER CAR!! Seriously?!

The worst part of the whole thing... is this all could have been prevented if I just would've flushed that stupid transmission fluid a year ago. This is all my fault. :/

But beware. If you drive a honda... most of their transmissions are no.good. You can find this out on many websites where customers can post complaints. Most of their stories match mine.

So if you drive a honda (I drive a 2003 accord) START SAVING YOUR MONEY!

**Bless you if you've made it through this post**