In the words of Kelso:

HELLO WISCONSIN.

ANYBODY ALIVE OUT THERE?

Well, this post has two themes:
1) A tribute of advice to Lindsay on her 18th birthday, and
2) Advice I would give to myself as a 28 year old if I ran into myself as an 18-year-old .

Therefore, I will title this Blog: Ten Years Later -- What I wished I had known then...
Fellow bloggers, feel free to add your own advice. But Lindzo, try to carry this with you and talk to me, the cousins or any of your siblings about this stuff. You are phenominally lucky because you can learn and live better as a result of all the mistakes we have made. So off we go...

Ladie-friggin da. So you're 18, the second to last magic age before 21 when your birthdays become relatively meaningless until you start to get the senior citizen discount at restaurants and movies. So what does 18 mean legally in the state of Nebraska? Well, unless you are planning to live a hedonistic life, not too much.

• You can buy tobacco. Don't do it. All my friends that started smoking or chewing are still doing it, and the habbit has cost them about $6,500 over the last 10 years, not to mention the health problems later in life and expensive health insurance.
• You can buy lottery tickets. Don't do it. Gambling is a voluntary tax on the stupid. You have a better shot of winning American Idol than winning the lottery.
• You can vote. Do it. Register, and educate yourself on all of the issues. One vote may not mean much, but beggn an active citizen and knowing what these elected people stand for is extremely important to you rmental health.
• You are still a minor. That's right. In the State of Nebraska, you are still legally a child until you turn 19. So go out and commit some felonies, run up credit card debt, sign a lot of contracts, and then default on it all because you legally are still a child that can't sign contracts. Don't really do that stuff by the way - becuase you can still be tried as an adult and get the electric chair.
• If you have a penis, you have to register for the draft. Which is interesting on many levels socially with all of the gender equality advances over the last few decades, but I won't go there. If you were a guy, you are involuntarily registered to kill, fight and die for your country agaisnt your will, but you are not yet responsible enough to have a sip of beer according to the law. That's messed up.

Thats' the legal stuff, but here's the stuff I would really tell myself if I had it all to go back and do it over again.

1. Work less and play more. After college, you'll have to work more and play less, so live it up now. Still work to pay bills and all that jazz so you don't have a ton of debt after college, but enjoy being irresponsible for a few more years. That said, take internships. They will get you a good first job.
2. Avoid credit cards. Get one and buy gas to pay it off every month. But DO NOT use it for more than that. Ever. Unless you are trapped in Tunisia or something.
3. Don't over-program in college. Clubs and activities are fun, and I've seen it 100 times that people get too involved and can't do anything well. After a year or two, whittle it down to a small handful of things you care most about and get really involved with them. It will look better on your resume too, you'll be less stressed and happier.
4. Your high school friends will move on. With the exception of 2-3 kids, most high school friends will ditch you at college or shortly thereafter if they haven't already. Don't spend your first two years of college trying to keep that gang together. Go out and meet new people. HS friends will move on and there's nothing you can do about it. Don't get ofended. Also, at least one high school person you got along with so-so will likely become a close friend during college. I don't know why this happens, but it does.
5. Meet as diverse a group of people as you can. College firends from Chicago, Alaska and California can make weekend or spring break trips much cheaper, and it helps you realize the wonders of the world outside of Nebraska. It also helps to have diverse friends that have experienced a lot and can help you through tough times. You will make some of your best friends in college, and you will lean on these peopel more than any other friends you have had.
6. Don't get any thing perminant in the next ten years. No police records, tattoos, STDs or babies. My dad gave me that advice the day he dropped me off for college and it served me well. Piercigns are OK -- just don't go too crazy. They can always come out when you grow up.
7. Rebel. Try a stupid haircut or dressing different. Or travel to a place you've never been just because. Dye your hair or do something different than the norm. College is about counter-culture, so find yoruself. Just dont' go overboard or end up Goth.
8. You are about to go through the biggest personality and emotional change of your life in the next year. You will become independant, make your own rules, set your own curfews, manage your own time and have more freedom than you ever had before. Journal or be sure to step back from everything once a month, if not more, to evalute the person you are becomming and make sure you still like who that is. I know that after a year of college, I woke up one morning and did not like the person I had become and it took quite a bit of time for me to get my life back and be who I wanted to be.
9. Guess what. Chip is going to go through the same thing, an dprobably worse -- guys tend to mature even later so it may take even longer. Make sure you still like or love the person he becomes. You cannot change or control his growth, and he cannot change or control yours. But constantly evaluate and make note of his growth and the growth of your relationship. Year one of college is a make or break year for HS relationships. What you have now will be much different this time next year. It may be better, it may be worse. Whatever you do, don't stay with him if it starts to flounder. THIS WAS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE I HAVE EVER MADE. Don't be afraid to take breaks (the best thing Ash and I ever did), or break it off all together. Lindzo, you are a catch and Chip is damn lucky to even have you, even if you think it is the other way around. And if he get's to college, would rather just sit in his dorm room, becomes a total jerk, and his eye starts to wander to other college babes, don't hesitate to kick his ass to the curb. There are plenty of other fish out there. I saw all the signs with my high school grilfriend and wasted two years of college trying to maintain a relationship with a girl that had become a terrible self-centered cheater who was a shadow of who I first started dating.
10. Look out for yourself. Professors don't care if you succeed or fail. Roomates don't care if you succeed or fail. Your friends can't help you with debt. Even though it's good to be selfless, college is a time to improve yourself and set things up for the rest of your life and don't lose sight of that. Look out for yourself, becuase nobody else will on that campus.
11. Learn as much about personal finance as you can. In a few years, you will have a salary, insurance, car payments, credit cards, etc. After your career training, handling of your own assets is the most important thing to learn about in the next few years. Do it well, and life seems easy at times. Make a ton of mistakes and it will haunt you personally and anybody you marry for the next 10 years.
12. Don't try to keep up with the Joneses. I lost a lot of sleep trying to be a better person, get better grades or be more involved than my academic rivals. College is the first time you learn that no matter how good at something you are, there is always someone smarter, better looking, more charming, or wealthier than you. Be happy with being your own personal best and do not compare yourself to others because you will always lose. Always. This the hardest things for me to learn, but when I was finally able to reach this level of enlightenment, it was the second best discovery of my life -- after discovering your sister at a board meeting. I have friends my age that are still trying to have the nicest car, biggest house, and that type of constant comparison is takign a toll on her marriage and her friendships -- see Ash's previous post.
13. Don't forget your family. It is very easy for you to get lost in the shuffle of self-discovery and newness that the next few years will bring. You will forget about your family support group from time to time, and may even move family down the priority list. Everybody does it and it's OK to some degree as long as it isn't long lasting. Everybody experiences this in a different manner -- but just remember these people will be your support group and help out no matter what goes right or wrong over the next 10 year. And guess what, they are all looking forward to you becoming an adult and having adult relationships with you. Your siblings will treat you differently, your parents will treat you differently. It's an interesting time, but we're all looking forward to having another lifelong adult friend.
14. This one may surprise you -- Question your faith and the existance of God. Stay up late talking about theology and question everything with your new found independence. True faith comes from accepting soemthing on your own, not because your family forced it on you. When I was able to rationalize and find my spiritual identity on my own, it took on a whole new meaning for me.
15. Make the discovery that you will learn just as much outside of class than you do in class in college. Your education lasts long after those bells ring everyday, be sure that your eyes are open at all times.
16. Read as much as you can. Yes, you will be required to read for classes. A lot. But read other stuff. Fiction, non-fiction, whatever. But keep your mind active at all times.
17. If you drink, drink responsibly. Never get to the point where you are out of control, unless you are completely surrounded by people you trust. I never drank to the point of blacking out, but still drank. Probably too much. Never get that bad -- mailnly because of the next two points.
18. Avoid peer pressure. Do something because you want to do it.
19. Do not trust guys. I could go into 1,000 reasons for this, but I know for a fact that there is one main motivation in almost every college guy and 99% of the time, this drives their actions. The cunning young lady can use this to her advantage, but this will bit you on the ass later on.
20. You will have a quarter-life crisis where everything seems to be all wrong. It's OK. It will pass.
21. You will want to change your major at least twice. That's normal. If you do, make sure it is for the right reasons.
22. Don't take yoruself too seriously.

So that's a start.

Ash and I are extremely proud of you and you are standing on the edge of a cliff right now looking out at a very big world. As you jump off, enjoy the rush -- just make sure that you realize there is a lot of life after you open your parachutte and land, but that the next few years are a hell of a ride that will have lots of ups and downs.

Have fun discovering the world outside the clutches your parents, and we'll be there if you need us.

Happy 18th Birthday.

Cousin Central has a new look. Let me know what you think.

After reading this post, in combination with what I posted Thursday, ya'll probably are going to think I'm full of gloom-and-doom. I'm really not, but this is such an excellent place to get feedback that I can't help myself from venting.

How do you know when a friendship is over for good?

I've had a friendship that's really been struggling for the last 12 to 18 months. A few weeks ago, after a particularly nice evening with this friend, I told myself that I was going to let go of the resentment I had toward her and try to resurrect our friendship. Today, I received an e-mail from her that is making me second-guess my decision to extend the olive branch. I feel like she's interested in being friends for a specific purpose only, and I'm not cool with that. I refuse to let someone use me.

Maybe having a conversation to clear the air would help. But honestly, I'm having a tough time figuring out how to be diplomatic and cool-headed when I'm pretty damn angry. My pot of anger has boiled over, so to speak. I've also come to the conclusion that maybe we don't even have a friendship to save anymore. If that's true, how sad.

I guess if I've learned anything from this mess, it's that I should've confronted her the first time she hurt me. Interestingly enough, that happened 4th of July weekend last year. I didn't do anything because I thought it was an isolated incident that was the result of poor communication. Unfortunately, that one incident has snowballed into several, and my hurt has only intensified.

In this situation, what does "being the bigger person" mean? Confronting her? Forgiving her and moving on? I'm at a loss. We have a lot of mutual friends, so I don't want to have a big, awkward falling out that makes everyone uncomfortable.

I'm confuzzled. I haven't faced a situation like this since high school. I know how immature I was then, so I don't think that's a great example of how to conduct myself. :)

I applied for grad school this morning. I haven't applied to a specific program yet; I just submitted an application so I can take classes if I want.

I'm scared s*&tless. Now that I've been out of school four years, I don't miss taking tests, writing papers, and studying. My priorities have changed a lot since graduation. Do I even have the ability to buckle down and study anymore? What happens when I get a -5,872 on the GRE because I haven't taken a math class since 1998? Could I get kicked out?

I wouldn't be considering grad school if I worked for a mainstream journalism outlet. Journalists and P.R. people tend to believe that real learning happens on the job, and people with advanced degrees use education credentials to hide behind the fact that they're not very talented. In the communications field, there is some sad truth to that statement.

Here's the dilemma, kittens. I have chosen to make a career out of working for the public sector. Government- and university-types love advanced degrees. It's difficult to advance without "M-something" or "Ph.D" behind your name. I'm not arrogant enough to believe I have nothing to learn, but I believe the skills I need to improve are best learned through experience, not studying a theory from some textbook. Am I selling out by doing something I'm not enthusiastic about, or am I being smart and realistic?

Who knows, maybe I'll love being a student again. That's what I'm hoping for anyway.

Wednesday Wanderings of the mind.

• My friend just dropped $20,000 on a new car. Its an HHR and I think they are as ugly as sin. And he color is nto that great -- like a tomato red. How do I show my enthusiasm toward it, when I think it looks like a pregnant rollerskate?
• I'm really diggign some music these days.
• Listen to "Boston" by Augustana. Download it, check it out on myspace or purevolume.com -- it will make youhappy and sad at the same time.
• Also, check out Jack's Manequinn. They are fronted by one of the guys who used to be in Something Corporate. If you dig piano-punk, you'll love this. Try "Bruised" "Mixed Tape" and anything on this website: http://jacksmannequin.com/indexc.html
• The markets suck these days. I won't even go there. Volatile is an understatement.
• I ate potato salad for the first tiem in 17 years this weekend. Not bad, but it was a different type with bacon and ranch something. Good stuff
• I love the College World Series. It turns me into a 7-year old kid again. Even if I don't get to games. the opening ceremonies rocked. Literally. The fireworks were the best I've ever seen and YellowCard played a free two-hour concert. Good stuff.
• I have lots of left over beer from our BBQ. What to do.

Hi. My name is Julie and I have a problem. I've been neglecting the blog lately. With support, I will recover soon.

Thursday thoughts:

The Jazz in June festival is one of the reasons why I love summer and I love Lincoln. It's an event held every Tuesday night on the green space behind the art gallery on campus. For two hours, 7,000 people show up to listen to music, socialize, or just relax. My friends from high school started going to Jazz in June a few weeks after I graduated. Some of us are still going, and along the way, new friends have joined the tradition.

Ellie is one of my original Jazz in June buddies. I was starting to introduce Ellie to our friend Melissa, but they stopped me and told me they already knew each other from somewhere else. Ellie and I are constantly finding out that we have some of the same acquaintances, and we've never met them at the same time or place. Ellie's theory is that our overlapping social circles prove that we have a lot in common and are drawn to the same types of people. In other words, we're not friends JUST because we shared similar experiences growing up (though that's a nice aspect of our friendship.) We could've parted ways after high school, but something bigger than a shared experience holds our friendship together. I thought it was a nice theory. I don't think it holds true for all my older friendships, but I see where she's coming from.

To the 20-somethings feeling lost: Sometimes you have to figure out what you DON'T want in order to discover what you really are looking for. This lesson is very applicable to dating and career choices. :)

I just finished reading I Am Charlotte Simmons, a book about a girl who is academically brilliant but is in way over her head socially when she goes to college. It's not as fluffy as it sounds because it addresses a ton of sociological and political issues. It also took me 10 days to finish because it's 638 pages and the writing is incredibly descriptive, which meant I needed to take a break after about 45 minutes of reading. Anyhoo, has anyone else read this? I want to discuss this with someone other than reviewers at Amazon.com. I suppose it could make some thought-provoking blogging material. :)

I don't even really know what to write about. I've been back less than a week, I've had two days of work, and Nutella is my new favorite food. If I knew when I get out of work each day I could sign up for a sailing lesson or two, but I've never been that lucky. And I'm a little paranoid yet to spend money on anything but groceries until I know how much my trip cost in U.S. dollars. There's a mosaic project I'd love to start, but I guess that's just going to have to be put on hold. And I'd love membership to a fun little gym in town, but I know neither the price nor the practicality of a membership.

So I intend to stay in tonight... designing my masterpiece mosaic project that has no foreseeable future, and at the same time waiting for someone to IM or call with plans. I can no longer comfortably invite myself into activities for fear of not being wanted. But at the end of the day I just think about how berries were on sale at the grocery store yesterday, and all the world feels exactly as it should be.

So far this summer I have...

1. went to numerous baseball games to cheer on Chip and his teammates.
2. been working at the Beaver pool, putting up with obnoxious children and a lazy manager, and even though I'm right next to water all day, I still haven't swam.
3. visited/stayed with Hayley in her new apartment four or five times.
4. read three books and started on a fourth.
5. went to one of Margaret's softball games and had to sit by her dad because there was no one else there to sit with.
6. done other mundane and boring things that I won't list for fear that you may keel over and die from boredom.

After I've made this list I have to say, I sure hope some more exciting things happen to me this summer.

Deep thoughts:

So I got on MySpace last week and hooked up with a bunch of old high school friends I haven’t seen in like 9 or 10 years. Long story short, maybe its my connection back with them, marrying off all of our friends this summer, or just that I am feeling philosophical, but I started thinking about “the next step.”

Yeah, life is all about looking off into that great abyss and trying to figure out the next step. See, that was blatantly stolen from a movie called Garden State, but where I am going is all from my own head.

What I am really thinking about these days is comfort. Hear me out. Five years out of college, ten years out of school is an easy time to be comfortable. Comfortable with routine, habits, being in the real world, whatever your next step holds.

But I am starting to wonder if people get too comfortable. See, it’s easy at this point in your life to turn your back on things because you are comfortable. Forgetting your roots, ditching some of your friends, putting your faith on the back burner – all because this thing we called “life” is going well.

Well, think about what happens when you are in a really comfortable spot for too long. Something like your leg or arm falls asleep and gets all numb and tingly. And when you try and do something immediately after, it is painful pins and needles, and you can’t walk well or really use the limb.

What I am getting at is that it is easy to get comfortable in life and routines. So shake it up – it is Ok to be comfortable with things, but make sure you are adjusting and still doing something other than be comfortable, or you may start to get numb. And nobody wants to be numb. It sneaks up on you because you don’t really realize that your arm is asleep until you try to move around.

So either this metaphor is spot on and brilliant, or I lost you around the second paragraph. Either way, keep your eyes open and look for the next step.

It's been a really long time since anyone has blogged, so I have taken the liberty of "breaking the ice" and blogging. Perhaps someone will be inspired. It has now been a little over a month ago since I moved into my apartment and got a new roommate (her name is Shannon and we grew up together, for those of you who don't know already.) I am fully adjusted to apartment life and we are both enjoying cooking and baking for ourselves and whatever friends come over. I also am loving having my own bathroom and knowing that it is ONLY me making the mess in there (yucky dorm bathrooms no more!) Another perk to our lovely little apartment complex is that we have a great clubhouse with the essential workout machines and a 4 ft. deep pool. That may sound lousy but it's perfect for chickenfighting and playing ball with your sisters! (Oh and that was a really hot guy to oogle while I was cycling and lifting the other day in the clubhouse!)

Besides adjusting to the apartment I've had to adjust because this is my first summer away from home. You'd think that after living in the dorms for two years and being in school that I'd be used to not being at home, but since in past years I have so many wonderful memories of summers at home, it's been quite a time. Thankfully Lindsey comes into Lincoln quite a bit, Ashley and Andy are in Lincoln so I have workout/social buddies, and a lot of my friends stayed in Lincoln too. However, I do find myself wanting to go home quite a bit still, but I'm sure with time that'll pass.

Today I have my final for my Chemistry class and I'm looking forward to having a bit of a break from school. Oddly enough, I really liked this class though, so I might be a bit sad. I have worked hard in this class and for once it will show by my grade, which is normally not the case since I'm not a genius. I also start my new job tomorrow which is at a physical therapy clinic. I'm pretty excited even though I'll probably be doing mostly receptionist stuff, but at least it isn't 8 hours at a desk (sorry Ashley :( ) but only two hours a day. It will be nice to start making some money!

Now, I have an assignment for all of us. Let's tell each week if we did something that was extra fun or summer related so that I know that we're all taking advantage of it being summer and hot! Here's my list from the past 2 weeks:
1. Catching up with high school friends and our foreign exchange student from senior year
2. Making homemade ice cream and apple crisp with Shannon and Chase and sitting on our balcony under the stars eating it (my priest friend)
3. Having friends over to our new apartment and making lots of taco dip and playing in the pool at 10 at night. Chickenfights were DEFINITELY involved!
4. Going to baseball games with Lindsey to watch her boyfriend and my old friends from high school play.
5. Getting coffee and swinging in the park until 11:00 pm with one of my friends while talking of highly intellectual things. (Pretty impressive huh!)
6. Lastly, going for runs on the trails nearby and playing tennis with Ashley and HORSE with Ash and Andy. Exercise is the best in the summer!

I know the calendar says that summer doesn’t officially begin until Mary’s birthday (roughly). Bah. We all know it begins Memorial Day weekend.

It always seems that once school begins, everyone starts lamenting, “Where did the summer go?” Since I didn’t make any official New Year’s resolutions, I’m making some SUMMER resolutions.

1. Swim AT LEAST once a week. Preferably more.
2. Take a water-based vacation. This will probably involve tubing on the Niobrara River in Nebraska or returning to Colorado for whitewater rafting.
3. Go to Kansas City to shop and visit our lovely relatives.
4. Host a kick-butt summer BBQ. (If you’re available June 17, come to Nebraska!)
5. Do all my boring chores during the week so I can spend my weekends having fun.
6. Go camping.
7. Go to Worlds of Fun or another amusement park.
8. Spend time at the in-laws’ cabin.
9. Spend an afternoon riding horses and swimming at Mahoney State Park.
10. See the WISCONSIN cousins! (I had to save the best for last, you know.)

A note about summer fashion … I spent two hours last night shopping for the perfect summer tank top. The perfect tank is not see-through, does not cling in a way that makes a slight tummy pooch look like a pregnant belly, allows the wearer to wear a bra (or go sans bra without looking tarty), and does not require the wearer to constantly adjust the straps or tug on the neckline. A good tank will not shrink or stretch out after one washing. Kittens, thank me now for doing the research for you—head to The Limited and pick up the Favorite Tank. They’re on sale for $8.50 and are available in many lovely colors; I bought an orchid one and may go back for aquamarine. Old Navy also has nice ribbed tanks (2 for $10!) I also recommend the ProSpirit racerback tank, available at Target. It’s super soft and stretchy. Does anyone have good recommendations for a spaghetti-strap tank?

It seems that our blog site is made-up mostly of rants and personal conflicts that we are having, which is super because we can help each other out. So here is my rant.

I have found out in the past year or so that it is almost impossible to date a guy my age. Why you ask? They seem to all have the mentality that they should be wild-bar-hopping-idiots and the idea of having just ONE girl is one too few. I'm not going to say that in my young age that I don't enjoy checking out and flirting with cute boys, but lets face it, does that get you a date on Saturday night? NO! Instead I've found that on typical "date nights" I'm usually found hanging out with the girls or else my pre-Catholic priest friend that everyone thinks I should date (hmm...didn't I say he was CATHOLIC!) LOL needless to say, I'm not meeting anyone.

However, I got to thinking about that past three guys that I've been casualing dating (I use this term because it's never official it's just that we hang out when there's no one else to hang out with.) Somehow in the process I get my hopes up only to find out that I'm labeled their "back-burner" girl. Excuse me, but I believe that I'm more exciting than a simmering pot of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese dinner. No, I am a boiling pot of potatoes at the front of the stove that you need to worry about starching up your stove. I've been told on occasion that I'm a fun-loving, cool kid, but how does this personality type get dubed as a "back-burner" girl? I guess I'll just have to meet new guys that can appreciate my personality and treat me like potatoes.

Wednesday Wanderings of the Mind:

I can't wait for summer. But if we go tubing, i hope this doesn't happen: http://www.break.com/index/tubingtakeoff23.html

So I have to have a meeting with athletics today. its still somewhat intimidating because its at the stadium, and its with really powerful-like people that make like $500,000 a year. But honestly, these are some of the strangest people -- two of the guys I have been workign with forever, I really like. The others are barely competent at best, and still have these great jobs.

I know, how compenant can a guy be that misspells compatent three differet was in the last two sentences.

If you want a good laugh, throw a cat onto a wet deck and watch him wander around in total confusion.

Papercuts suck.

A quick Monday rant.

I know you may find this hard to believe, but I'm not very outgoing. Sure, I'm social around my family & my close friends because I'm comfortable with you lovely folks. However, I can be pretty darn introverted until I get to know someone well. I like to be social, but I also like being alone. I'm okay with this, so why do other people act like something must be *wrong* with me?

Some people act like being introverted is a huge character flaw, and it ticks me right off. In the last week, I've been described as "unemotional" and "a wallflower." I've been told that others wonder if I'm snobby, or just quiet. Anyone who knows me understands that I'm far from a wallflower, I'm not snotty, and I'm definitely not lacking emotion.

The people with the audacity to describe me in these terms are people I tend to avoid. They're usually the types that are so in love with themselves that they're incapable of understanding that it takes all types of personalities to make the world function. I have a very important message for those folks: I'M NOT QUIET. I JUST DON'T LIKE YOU AND THE BORING CRAP YOU TALK ABOUT.

God bless the extroverts like Julie, Hayley and Andy who can make any introvert come out of her shell.

Hooray for internet access in Spain (but not the funky keyboard)!!!! I don´t usually have much time to check email and such, but we´re in San Sebastian right now, which is a very chill place. There´s lots of serfing and sailing, and if I´m feeling crazy I just may shell out the dough for lessons. It´ll be a good break to rejuvenate ourselves before Barcelona. Madrid was awesome, and in confidence, some of you will hear of ¨that one wild night¨. Mary, you are on the top of that list. Right after you pick me up on June 7, we should have a big dinner and chat of my adventures (and yours... haha for studying!). As for the rest of you, I´ll post somewhere online the highlights of my pictures. I´ve taken nearly 100 already, and the trip is only a fifth done. There´s some fun artsy ones in there, so that´s why there´s so many. AND there´s just a lot of gorgeousness here. I miss modern architecture, but this really is beautiful.

Wednesday musings. How about that.

Well, the weekend has been survived. I think that is the busiest one we will have this summer.

I have a box of Cheerios under my desk that I use as mid-day snack food. Everybody here thinks that is strange. Wonder why.

Well, got my first A+ of my academic career. Since I am so old and all, the +/- system wasn't around when I was in high school or college at UNL. But thanks to one of Ashley's friends, it is now in place at UNL. And it pisses me off. I am penalized for every "minus" I get, including an A-. Yet, if I totally master something and score the rare A+, I don't get any extra bonus. Seems out of balance to me that if you are goign to reward me for every other plus like a B+ or C+, I want the extra love for an A+. I know -- shut the hell up -- you got an A+. And I probably never will again unless NU starts teaching the "Spirituality of Star Wars" or some other geeky class. I just want the system to be fair.

Then there is my other professor. He uhhh -- left the country for the summer and forgot to turn in grades before he left. What the hell? Yes, this is the same bastard-coated bastard that made me thake a test the night of the prayer service and all.

that's all for today. More work to be done.

Too tired to Muse.

Need sleepy. And some buffalo wings.

Today I got 9 graduation cards in the mail. All week they have been steadily flowing in. This is all fine and dandy, but it makes me begin to wonder, "Is anyone going to be at my flippin' party?" Not to sound winy, but it totally sucks.

One more post before Jules leaves us for awhile. My random thoughts on a Friday:
Did anyone besides Hayley watch The Office last night? My celebrity crush on Jim intensified by about 1000x during the last two scenes. Talk about a hot geek ... rawr!

My bod got a bit squishy over the winter, so I've been on a fitness kick lately. On Tuesday I did kickboxing, and yesterday I worked my butt & gut. I'm also in Week 3 of training for a 5k. By the end of the summer my name will be Ms. Ashley Kickass. I hope.

Graduation season makes me really nostalgic, so I looked through my high school photo albums earlier this week. Guess what I found? A picture of Paul wearing my prom dress. It appears that he used Cole's Nerf basketballs for breasts. I wanted to scan and post it, but I decided not to do so without Paulie's permission.

I can't wait for summer. I want to swim, hang out at the in-laws' cabin, and eat barbecue. My father-in-law even fixed his pontoon boat, so maybe I'll become a fisherwoman.

God bless good husbands. Not only did Andy hang a bamboo blind this week, he endured two hours of dress shopping with me on Sunday. Although he was bored, he still offered opinions. He complimented me at the appropriate times. He even helped me pick out a necklace. Honey, I know that's not your thing, but I had a super-fun time with you. Pic of my new dress


Hayley's new apartment is very cute. It also has a pool, so guess who will be having visitors at her bachelorette pad this summer?

I can't believe my baby sister is graduating on Sunday.

That's all.