Friday, August 29, 2008

Panic, it's the new calm

Welcome to my new blog. Since not even I know what I'm doing on a daily basis anymore I thought we could all keep it together if I write things down in one place. It's also fun to read about someone who is crazy enough to go back to school and try to graduate 8 full years after she should have graduated in the first place.
You'll be relieved to know that I survived my first full week at school. There have been ups, there have been downs, actually there have been full fledged mental breakdowns involving screaming, crying, and cursing of the LAPD...but I survived. I have to say that I really like my school. I do NOT like the $324 I had to pay for a parking permit, but at least they have ample parking and you don't have to get there an hour before class and car-stalk people so that you can find a space like I had to at my last school. So far I've been able to blend in and pass for well under 25 so score one for me and one for my expensive eye cream that keeps me looking young and fresh.
I am taking Logic, European Lit, Geography and lab (barf), French, and Humanities. Oh and for those who don't know, I'm majoring in Languages and Cultures with a French Emphasis. That just means I get to pick from a larger selection of lit and hum courses than if I were a strict french major and that's how I like it. So for the fun stuff, some interesting anecdotes from my first week...
First off my Hum professor is crazy and/or on drugs. He spent 45 minutes of our first class playing with a teeny, color-coded child's piano and muttering about pot, beer bongs, and the girls he dated in 1962. He also spoke of random fantasies involving Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain....*shudder* His mad ramblings had the whole class giggling and wide-eyed in horror. We are all now fast friends.
I did happen to miss the 2nd session of my 8am class because LAPD couldn't direct their way out of a paper bag. Traffic's been a little sketchy being that everyone is actually attending the first weeks of class but I allotted for that and left over an hour early to make a drive that normally takes 25 minutes door to door. This was not enough as I was forced to sit in my car for 35 minutes just looking at the parking garage that was 50 feet away. Bastards! The 8am professor's kind of a dick and locks the door at 8:05 so I was stuck outside at 8:10 when I finally made it inside the building. Oh well, more time to read for FLIT 295a.
My first week ended with a near brain aneurism as I muddled my way through 2 hours and 45 minutes of a science lab. I now know all about latitude and longitude and have calculated the airmiles in between Memphis, TN, and Tokyo. My career as a pirate is off to a great start now that I've got the whole navigation thing in the bag. Take THAT Jack Sparrow, screw you AND your magic compass.

Mostly I'm very glad to be back in school. If I get all the classes I need I've only got 1 and a half years to go (i'm ignoring that this one just started.) I've met some really nice people and am doing my best to re-enter the land of the living. I do have to say, though, that if there were some way to make money sitting on my couch watching Stargate episodes I'd take it. Since there isn't, I guess this education thing will do. I'm panicked and stressed because I have no more income coming to me, period, and my loans are MIA. With Shannon always a half step and a strong breeze away from 'the bad place' it doesn't do for me to be up in the tower with her. I keep holding onto my faith that everything will turn out, but that thin veil of sanity is slowing slipping away as my rent is due and my savings account is now completely depleted after I pay it. I just remembered about my 401k tonight but has it really come to this??? Talk about last resorts and bottom of the barrel...