I guess I should get this done since Bridget pulled me over here. I hadn't realized it'd been so long, but time has been kind of a blur for me lately. I've been busy with school, including the classes I teach. Grading papers has taken up a big chunk of time. The professor in one of the classes loves having the students write essays, and those take a lot of time to grade. They're also pretty hard to grade, considering how subjective it can be. So far I guess I've done all right, though.

It is getting a little tiring making the long drive twice a day. It's not terrible, but it would be nice not to have to spend so much time driving. It not only gets tedious, but it takes a lot of gas. It would be nice not to have to spend so much money on that. That's life, though.

I have been working on Christmas stuff, too. It's a good way to spend my spare time. I like planning presents and buying them. Most of all, I like watching Tamika get all excited about it. She's already planning on decorating, and has put up a few lights in her room. We're going to get a small tree for her to put in there as well. She's very excited about that. We're going to get one of the ones that is in a pot that can be planted after Christmas so it doesn't die. She's already decided where to plant it. She wants to get a special top for the tree, though she can't decide between angel and star. I guess she'll just have to see which one of those jumps out at her when we go shopping for it.

Duante seems to be getting into the season a little more than usual himself. He's trying to come up with something very special for Penny, but is having a hard time deciding. I know how hard that can be. I'm just glad to see him doing better and having good things on his mind. Penny's been so good for him. He even smiles a lot, which he's never really done. It's kind of amazing, actually.

Okay, I have three more essays to grade, and then I have to catch up on my reading. I'll be glad to have a four day weekend for Thanksgiving, and it might even turn into a five day weekend if I'm lucky. Then winter break will be very nice to have. I'll try to do better keeping up on this thing.

I've been so busy that I almost forgot about this. School's been a lot of work, and I lose track of time easily. I'm enjoying it, though. It's been a lot of fun and it's very interesting. I just wish I had a little more time to breathe. I'm at least staying caught up with things, and I'm a little ahead in my reading, so that helps.

It looks like Duante and Tamika are coming down with whatever bug's going around. I hope they don't get it too badly. Tamika's hard to slow down, but she was wanting to sleep more today than usual. Duante didn't even want to get out of bed, and he's having a little bit of a hard time talking. Hopefully they both get over it soon. Penny brought over some homemade soup for them, which was really nice of her. I think Duante ate some only because she asked him nicely and he can't turn her down for anything. He's not been wanting to eat much at all. He has to though, so if we have to call her up to get her to talk to him about it more often, we will.

It looks like Bridget might have it too, but it doesn't seem as bad, at least at this point. She says her throat's bugging her and she has a little headache, but she's still got the energy to run around and talk to people about Halloween stuff. And Gayle's birthday is this weekend, so she's spent time out shopping for that. I have to do some of that myself. Time crunches can be a pain.

I have to try and make time this weekend to go to the fair, too. Lots of people are planning on going, so hopefully people feel better by then. Tamika really wants to go and see the animals and eat elephant ears. She has so much fun at those kinds of things. Dad's going to make sure to give Top Hat some extra money because he loves to stop and buy Tamika things when he sees something that'll make her smile.

Okay, I think I need to go grab something to eat and check on my ailing siblings. I hope everyone's doing well.

Today was my first day of grad school. It was weird going to another school, and weirder making that long drive both ways. It wasn't a bad drive, but winter will be interesting.

I'm trying not to feel too overwhelmed with it all. I've got a teaching assistanceship going, which is nice because it pays and it gives me credit. I have to take 18 credits of that in a semester plus at least one graded course, although I'm taking two this semester. I'll see how well I do with that to decide if I'm going to cut back to one next time.

So that leaves me with a lot of work, but I only have to actually attend one class. I got lucky getting the teaching assistanceship, because a lot of people want one. There's also a research assistanceship, but I prefer the teaching one, at least for now. I got letters of recommendation from each of my professors at EWU and backed it up with ones from my professors at Idaho State, so I got my choice of which to do. I have to help teach some classes and do grading and a bunch of other things, but I think I'll have fun with it.

I'm trying to decide how far I want to go with this. I could go all the way to PhD, but I don't know yet. That's a lot more school and a lot more money, although I get financial aid and can probably get some scholarships. I try to avoid loans whenever I can. Being a teaching assistant will be a lot of help with the money too. PhD seems really daunting right now, but it's also tempting. It's a tough decision, and I want to make it soon so I can plan my courses accordingly. I am taking the thesis option instead of the non-thesis option. I need that to get the PhD, so that way I have it covered if I need it. I have a couple of ideas for a thesis that I'm going to discuss with my advisor, so we'll see where that goes.

Bridget seemed to have fun going with me today, which was cool. She had to entertain herself for quite awhile since I had a lot of things I had to do, which I felt bad about, but she insisted on going with me. Joseph's made noises about going occasionally as well, at least before EWU starts up. Nobody seems to want me to make the drive alone. I want to take Duante at some point so maybe he might feel a little interest in going to college, but we'll see. He'll have to get his GED, but I know he can do it. Hopefully something will spark for him. Right now he's kind of in limbo, and as much as he tries to hide it, I know him well enough to know that he's not satisfied with everything. In fact, I think the only thing he's really satisfied with is his relationship with Penny. I'm happy to see them together. I think she'll help him stay grounded, and maybe get him to take more of an interest in things.

I'm going to go do some reading now and try to get ahead with that. I have to give some thought to class discussions too since I'll be leading some, so that'll be interesting. I'm pretty hyped about all of this, so life's going pretty well right now. Let's hope that doesn't jinx me saying that.

Good morning, everyone. Good so far, that is. Of course, I just got up, so it's hard to say how it'll go. I hear Tamika running around and laughing already, so I think that's a good sign.

I actually slept pretty well last night, which isn't a common thing these days. I think maybe the fact that it's been cooling down has helped, even if there is air conditioning here. It's not as humid, so that's a good thing. I can't believe that it's fifty degrees in August.

I've been picking things up for school, and I think I'm almost done. I just need to get my books, which I won't be doing until the first day. They're going to be pricey, so I'm glad I have financial aid to take care of it. It's sad that textbooks cost so much when most people never open them again after the class is over. I will, but I'm weird that way.

I have to take my car in next week to get a tuneup to make sure it's going to be all right for the drive. I'll be getting the oil changed too, so hopefully it'll work out. I don't want to have to spend too much money fixing it up, but I think it'll be fine. If it looks like it'll get too expensive, Doug's brother Trey offered to help with it for just parts. I'd hate to not pay him for the labor, though. I know how much work goes into that kind of thing, even if I don't know how to do much with cars besides the basics. I'm not going to worry about tires until I have to get snow tires on since the ones I have on now were new as of last year.

My dad keeps reminding me of things that have to be done, but I think part of that is nervousness. He's feeling that way quite a bit lately, and I've been trying to reassure him that it'll be fine. Bridget's been worrying a lot too, and insists on coming with me at least some of the time. I know I won't mind the company. She can keep me awake if I happen to get tired. She's very good at that.

I'm kind of hoping we don't have a lot of snow this winter. I like it, so it's hard to not want it, but the drive could be a big pain if there is a lot. Of course, I'm sure my professors will understand if I don't go on bad days, so I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm used to driving in the snow, so I'm not too worried about it.

Tamika just knocked on my door to tell me breakfast is ready, so I'm going to go eat. If I don't, she might just come in and drag me out. She's been practicing her cooking.

I guess I should do this, huh? Bridget reminded me earlier today, or I probably would've forgotten. I just haven't been in the mood for much of anything lately. I won't make this a long entry so I don't pull anyone down or anything, but I don't want to not make it.

Life's just been kind of there lately. Problems here and there have been a pain, and I've been very stressed. I try not to let it bring me down, but it's hard sometimes. At least I have people like Tamika and Bridget in my life to help keep things from getting too far down there.

It's hard to believe that I start grad school in less than a month. Classes start August 24. I hope I'm ready for this. I don't feel very ready right now. It's going to be strange getting used to a new school again, especially when I'll be making a long drive each way. Hopefully gas prices don't go too high again. I'd need a second job just to pay for it.

I'm just going to try and get some sleep now. Sorry for a worthless entry, but I just don't feel very communicative right now. I'll try to do better next time.

I woke up a few minutes ago and can't fall back to sleep again yet, so I'll get this done. Maybe it'll help put me to sleep. You nver know, I guess.

Things are still pretty chaotic, although it comes in cycles. The cycles that are calmer aren't very long, though. It's kind of fun watching all the things going on with water (and other substance) fights, but just watching can get old, too. Hopefully I'll be able to take part at some point this summer. I hate being stuck.

Tamika's been having a great time, though. People are very careful not to douse her much, although she likes to be on that end of things too. They just have to be careful with the non-water things. Nobody wants to get her all sticky, or icked up, as Hacker puts it. Top Hat's gotten it a couple of times, but he enjoys it. He'll eat the pudding right off his clothes if we let him. I'm glad everyone has so much fun.

I'm hoping that I at least get to work part of the summer. I want to save money, and it's hard not working. I've done it every summer for as long as I've been able to, doing whatever work I could find. I at least know I can go back to the same job, but job security only goes so far. If the doctor says I can't work, then I'm stuck at home. I guess I just have to deal with whatever happens. That's how I've always done things, and it's gotten me this far.

It's hard to believe that I'll be going to grad school so soon. I'm hoping to be as close to a hundred percent as possible by then, especially since I have to drive so far. Everyone worries about that, but I'm sure it'll be fine. I can handle it without a problem, barring outside circumstances. I'll just have to be extra careful if we have a big winter like the last one. I like to drive, at least.

There's not much else really going on right now. Skyler's been keeping me busy and distracted, and so has Bridget. There are no better distractions then those two. Bridget's always finding something to do with me so I don't get too bored, and I like spending the extra time with her. She's just the best.

Well, before I start to drone on and on about things and bore you all with complaints, I think I'll try listening to some music and see how that works. I hope you're all doing well, and having a great summer.

Umm, do women have to put half naked pictures of themselves on their Facebook so that you see them when they want to friend you?

I wish whoever had the idea to put jello in water and let it partly set before tossing it at someone hadn't had it. Jello can get really sticky and gross. I've learned this now.

I should be careful about leaving the house. I should really be careful about who I'm around when I leave the house. Some people are natural targets, and if you're near them, that makes you one too. At least it's nothing a shower can't deal with, although it's a pain to get it in your hair.

Bridget has payback plans for the person who did it. It's good to have her around, because I'm bad at payback. I'm not a plotter, and I feel bad when I try to plot against people, unless it's Duante. I'm supposed to plot against him, after all.

I've managed to actually get my homework all done for the weekend. The good part of that is that it means I have tomorrow completely free. I'm going to read ahead a little tonight to make sure I don't have as much to do on Tuesday. At least reading doesn't take a lot of effort, and I can do that when I go to bed. It's quiet then.

I ended up getting a Facebook account because people here have been getting them and Tamika saw Bridget and then others playing some game on there she likes. I made the account so she could play that game, which she's really loving a lot. She gets to make a cute pet and dress it and buy things for it and all that. Someone gave her a top hat for her pet to wear, so that excited her a lot. Top Hat sits next to her and watches her play. They're so cool together. She told him he should make a pet too, but that would require someone else making a Facebook account for it. I'm not sure how many more people are going to do that, especially people who don't want to play that game so he can do it if he wants to. I know Mike made an account so he could stay in touch with an old friend of everyone's, which is why a lot of people got accounts, and then Mike is letting Rafiq play the game on his account. He started that last night and I guess it's helped keep Rafiq distracted. He's been having a hard time of it lately. I feel bad for him. He can't seem to catch a break.

I guess that's about it. I'm going to go see if the chaos has calmed down at all. Probably not. It's been going on all weekend, so why stop now?

Happy Memorial Day to everyone.

I can't believe that it's already almost May. I feel like I lost a week or two in there somewhere. I usually don't put off posting for this long. I guess all the work I've had piled on me made me lose track of time.

There's just been a lot of work for school that I've had to do. I had to cut back my hours at work because of it, or I might not get any sleep. As it is, I don't get much. That's okay, though. I'm almost done with being an undergraduate. That's still a strange feeling. I'll definitely be glad to take advantage of the homeworkless summer. It'll be nice to just kick back and relax. I feel bad because right now my time playing with Skyler seems almost nonexistent. I know we do spend quite a bit of time having fun, but it just feels totally overshadowed by school. I'm going to make up for it several times over this summer.

I also feel like I almost never get to see Bridget. She's got quite a bit of work herself, so that cuts back on the us time. We do what we can, but it's tough. I have some plans for this summer for her and me too, so it'll be a nice break.

I don't think I said, but Skyler's living with me right now. It's nothing I can go into in any detail, but Wanda's been having some troubles and it's just best this way. There have been some big changes, but again, I can't go into them. Or I guess I could, but I just don't want to. Suffice it to say that I've kind of become his main parent for now. That's weird for me, but I can't say as I'm upset to have the added work. I like doing things for him. I just wish that it didn't have to be the way it is right now. I want things to get straightened out soon.

Enough of that, though. I don't want to say too much or get people thinking too many things. I really should go and get some things done before I head to school. Skyler should be up any minute now, so I need to make sure I'm ready to go so I can spend as much time with him while he's awake as possible.

Since I actually finished my homework a lot earlier than I expected, and since I'm going to have a whole lot more next week, I thought I should do this before I forget.

It's been my busiest quarter ever. I'm taking my capstone and a couple of other classes, and there just seems to be no end to the homework and studying. I'm going to be relieved when the quarter's over, especially since I'll be graduating. That's a weird thing to think about, although not as weird as knowing I'll be in grad school soon. I guess I should get used to all this work since grad school's likely to have a lot more.

I actually managed to pull a 3.1 in the class I had problems with last quarter. It was lower than I wanted, but higher than I expected it to be. The professor accepted my copy of the paper there was the dispute over, and graded it instead of giving it to the TA. It was a 3.8 paper before she took off points for it being late. It sucks that it had to be done, but the professor couldn't not penalize me for that and be fair to everyone else. I'm glad I ate least didn't get stuck with the D I originally got. Add that paper to the assignment that got lost somehow and not graded and I guess I should feel lucky to get the final grade I ended up with. I have that professor again this quarter, along with the same TA, but the professor told me to go ahead and give everything to her and she'll grade it. I don't know whether or not she believes that the TA did anything, but I'm pretty sure that's what happened. I'm grateful to her for doing it this way for me. I've gotten a couple of dirty looks from the TA when I see him, but there's nothing I can do about that. That's life, I guess.

Other than school, things have been pretty good. Tamika's all excited about Easter tomorrow. She loves these holidays, and she's been coloring eggs all day at different people's houses. She gets invited to them all to help, so she's been very busy. When I saw her about an hour ago, she had dye all over one side of her face and in her hair, but she was having a great time. I wish everyone could be as happy as she is all the time. The world would be a much better place.

Duante's doing quite a bit better himself. He's actually gotten involved in a few of the fun things that go on with people around here, and that makes me feel much better. I've been so worried about him for so long that this is a big relief. Penny's been very good for him, and he's been very good for her. She even made him his own personal cake that she brought over this morning. It's shaped and decorated just like an Easter egg. If they end up staying together as a couple, he's going to be fat in no time. I told him that and he threw a handful of the cake at me. I at least got that out of the deal. It's a good cake.

I guess now we just have to find someone to set my dad up with and we'll all have someone special. I wonder how easy that'll be. I'm not a matchmaker, though. I should talk to some people more in tune with that kind of thing. Who knows? Maybe it'll work.

I'm going to give Bridget a call and see what's going on with her. She's probably coloring eggs alongside Tamika. Maybe I can talk her into taking a late lunch break. I don't think that'll be too hard.

Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it.