I like my ham with pineapple.

For the last few weeks I've been reading about hams...not the pineapple covered kind, but the amateur radio kind of ham. Frequencies, voltage, wattage, conductors, inductors, repeaters ... stuff that I normally would runaway from and leave to the experts, I have been studying over and over again. Brent, Mr. Radio Man, is a ham and frequently drops "So and so's wife got her license" and "So and so's girlfriend got her license." So, I decided that I'd bite the bullet and try to understand all of the gibberish that makes a radio operate and take the test myself. It's been an experience thus far, I think I've learned more about electronics than I ever cared to know, but maybe that will prevent me from getting electrocuted someday. The prospects of talking to someone across the globe or something is kind of cool. Although, considering that takes bouncing off of the Ionosphere (see, I have learned something), I probably won't be saying "Konnichiha" to anyone in Japan in the near future!

The studying will continue at least for a few more days. I have the opportunity to take the test this Saturday but I'm not through my study book yet so we'll see how the next few days work out. I would like to take it so that I can concentrate on studying for the Certified Archivist exam in August. Considering it's already the end of June (holy crap - the end of JUNE!), I should really start studying for that.

Anywho...

The Whole Truth...I'm loving this no-school thing!

Free time sure is nice! I've been checking things off my list like crazy anddoing other things that I've been meaning to do. Woohoo - cartwheels all around. The Brinkley web cam is up and working. He's a little restless today - barking and howling a lot. It may be because Brent left after me this morning. His routine for leaving is different than mine so Brink may be a little disgruntled. I also forgot to leave a distracting dog chewy behind for him. Lesson learned!

I finished thank you cards last night! All of my wonderful friends and family spoiled me rotten for my graduation so I had a lot of thanking to do. Over the weekend, I managed to move furniture, pack up some more useless stuff, and read! Yes, read! I finished David Baldacci's The Whole Truth, which I had started the week before school was finished. It was a nice mindless read. I have been a fan of David Baldacci for some time. I loved his Split Second book, which began the King and Maxwell series. I two books behind in that series so I think the next Baldacci books I read will be those. While The Whole Truth was good, I don't think it quite deserves all the acclaim it's been getting. It pales in comparison to his other works. It's not as suspenseful, funny, or just plain entertaining. The ending felt rushed, which is sad considering Katie and Shaw were well developed characters. It also felt too much like a personal commentary on Iraq. Views on Iraq - good, bad, and in between are everywhere - does it really have to be in a novel too?

Before I take on another Baldacci book I was thinking about picking up Twilight, if anything just to see what all the hype is about. I'm not a big fan of vampires, but I do love a good love story! And frivilous reading - without a deadline! Whoop, whoop - I love having my life back!

Time for some To Do lists.

I picked up my gown, cap, and hood today.  I also had to pick up my name card from the graduate school.  It came with a gift!  A silver business card holder.  It's kind of neat to think that I actually have business cards to put in it because I have a job in my field.  My new job in at the local history archive is going well.  Everyone that I have met so far has been incredibly nice.  My boss loves Disney so we'll get along just fine!

Right now I'm sitting at home with nothing to do.  I have filled out my application for the Academy of Certified Archivists exam that will be in August.  Basically, this proves even more that I know what I'm doing and can place me above other candidates for a job.  It's just a multiple choice test so I just have some reading to do through the summer.  It will be nothing like where I've been.  I'm working on To Do lists like crazy.  Painting here, packing there... the lists are growing fast.

Here we go again...

I may as well revert back to my very first post when explaining what is going on in my life at the moment - of course the 30lbs that I was so proud of remaining MIA during grad school have crept back into my life with a few of their friends. So, I have to start again...slowly.

I'm starting the Couch to 5k running program tonight before volleyball. My goal 5k will be the Firecracker 5k. The general gist of the plan is that I start by warming up with a walk then alternate between running and walking until two months from now I'm running three miles without stopping. It sounds easy, and it is. But it hurts at first and is tiring and I'm not exactly looking forward to it. Blech.

Where to start first?

For the last 2.5 years everything I've wanted to do has been put on the back burner because of school assignments. Now that the end is very near, I don't know where to start. It's kind of overwhelming. So much so that this past week when I have had the opportunity to do something other than school work, I've sat on my butt and done nothing. Maybe my mind needs to reset before I can enter normal life again.

I have one paper left. I haven't worked on it as much I should have up to this point. It should be one last boring weekend of reading and writing. I'll try to behave myself and be productive, but it's so tempting to procrastinate one last time and find something better to do - there's always something better to do.

A new show to love!

Last night I watched an episode of Castle on ABC.  I am officially sucked in.  Good comedy and a nice romantic tension between the two main characters - very reminiscent of JAG, minus the hot uniforms, of course.  

I found live streaming of the episode on ABC, but unfortunately it only starts with episode 3.  I also caught an episode of Greek on ABCFamily late last night.  Not too bad - I'll have to give a few more episodes before I can say I'm hooked.  I think it might just be something to kill time not an obsession.

Obviously, if I'm watching TV again, then school is lightening up.  I officially have four more tasks left and then I'm done with school.  One of those task is a hefty paper but compared to where I've been, I'm pretty sure I can handle it!

Casper or Bust

It seems so long ago when I was counting down the hours to go to Casper to see my man. The whole day would creep by until I could get on the road. I'd fuel up, grab some snacks, and hit the road. The excitement would wear off just after Cheyenne but I'd sing to the radio to entertain myself the rest of the way. It was always so nice to finally get there and get wrapped in a big bear hug. Everyone should get a hug like that after a few hours in a car!

I'm headed back to Casper this weekend if the snow holds out. This time, however, I won't be alone. The man and the dog are coming with me. I can still snack and sing and probably still get the bear hug at the end of the trip, but it's just not the same. And I'm totally okay with that! I'm spoiled rotten. I don't miss the long-distance relationship thing at all. I think about that almost daily. Those long weeks in between were too hard. And I hope that I never have to do it again.