Evidence...

Today at dinner I received proof via my boys of my unfailing geekdom.

The boys were having a typical kid argument about who is bigger...R or S, when it took a geeky turn.

It went something like this:

S: Well, you're smaller than me, you are my little brother!

R: No, I'm not, you are a bacteria!

S: Well, then you must be a virus!!

R: Okay, then you are an atom!

S: NEUTRON!!

And with that I had to leave the room!

C

P.S. Keep in mind I am a microbiologist in training

Meme...about me me me

So this is a meme about me, answer in my comments. Post on your site and I will answer for you!!

1. Your name: [Never mind. I can totally tell by your comments.]
2. Where did we meet?
3. Take a stab at my middle name:
4. What is the name of my personal religion?
5. How long have you known me?
6. What was your first impression of me upon our first meeting, real or virtual?
7. Color of my eyes:
8. Do I have any siblings?
9. What's one of my favorite things to do?
10. Do you remember one of the first things I said/wrote to you?
11. What's my favorite type of music?
12. What is my best feature?
13. Am I shy or outgoing?
14. Am I a rebel or do I follow the rules?
15. What's your favorite memory of me?
16. Any special talents:
17. Would you consider me a friend?
18. If there were one good nickname for me, what would it be?
19. If you and I were stranded on a deserted island, what is the one thing I would bring?

ABC meme

ABC's
A - Age of first kiss: 12
B - Band listening to right now: John Denver as always
C- Crush on: Orlando Bloom
D - Dad's name: Jim
E - Easiest person to talk to: myself
F - Favorite Song: atm? Skin...don't know who it is by
G – Greatest Love: Hubby
H- Hometown: Northern California
I – Instrument: pipet
J- Junior High: Pick one...lol
K - Kids: two rambunctious boys
L - Longest car ride ever: From CA to TX
M - Mum's name: Gertie
N – Nicknames: mom, mommy, Chrissy
O - One wish: to finish school finally
P- Phobias: being stinky
Q - Quote(s): “I should've been a plumber.” -Albert Einstein.
R - Reason to smile: my boyos...my hubby...
S – Something You Love to Do: in true geek fashion...watch microbes swim under the microscope.
T – Time you woke up today: around 6
U – Unknown fact about me: I don't trust very many people
V - Vegetable you hate: little green martians (brussels sprouts)
W - Worst Boyfriend/Girlfriend? Some air-force guy...not a nice person
X - X-rays you've had: hands, neck and feet
Y - Yummy food: anything...but gotta go with rib-eye's like hubby did.
Z - Zodiac sign: Virgo

Financial Aid

I have to vent, so fair warning.

On Thursday my school was supposed to send out my financial aid, I have been watching all January for any notices that there was paperwork or other things that might have held up my financial aid. There has not even been a hint that something might have held up the check. My FIL has been waiting for this check as much as I have been, I owe him money, Hubby is supposed to buy shoes and his own books out of this check. I need to pay some other bills with this fucking check.

It did not arrive on Friday or Saturday, just on a hunch I called today (Monday) to make sure it had been mailed and all was well. I felt the ton of bricks hit me mighty hard when they said that it had not been sent and in their own words "It had been attempted but something stopped it" They could not tell me what this "something" was because they did not know, the person I was talking to transferred me to the financial aid department (I was speaking with disbursement). The person at the financial aid department did not know why they had stopped my check so I would have to wait until later this afternoon.

Now I have two MAJOR problems here.

1. Why the FUCK did they not tell me that they were holding it even for a reason they did not know, I mean, shouldn't I have been notified that they didn't send the fucking thing. This is not the first issue I have had with financial aid, last semester they did the same thing...sort of, they "forgot" to tell me that they did not have all the info and so they held my check, this is why I have been so vigilant about checking holds and what not this time...and it did me no difference to be vigilant!!

2. When I told my FIL about the problem he got very upset...not at them...at me, for not calling them sooner! Cause I should have, with my ESP, known that there was a problem when there did not appear to be one.

I am just fucking livid here...I have to go talk to them now...wish me luck with these stupid fucks!!

C

Graduation

My dad called the other night to ask about the boys visiting (to which I very happily said yes) and also to ask me what day my graduation was on.

After some initial frustration at the CSU, Chico web page I found what I was looking for. The date of my graduation...and then it began to sink in...I am graduating in 4 months. I will have a degree to hang on the wall (sometime after...apparently they don't really hand you the diploma at the ceremony). Now I have put some thought into the whole crossing the stage thing and am absolutely certain that I want to do it, I want as many people there as I can possibly have...they want you to keep it small but it is in the stadium so screw 'em.

Here is my logic:

When I graduated basic training there was no one there, not that I blame anyone (come on it was in South Carolina for crying out loud) but I do feel a little shorted. Now basic training was by far tougher than college, but it was squeezed into two short months and it is easy to hang in there and keep your eye on the goal for two months...this has been 4 1/2 years of my life, during which I have sat (on occasion) and thought that this was stupid, that I had a good job at Dell, that I was too old to go to college...see I had lots of time to talk my self out of it but I stuck with it and am finally here...in 4 months I will realize this goal and my life will change (again). I want everyone who has been there for me, encouraging, congratulating and supporting me to be there and celebrate (yell really loud...lol). I could not have made it with out you all helping me.

I keep coming up on the whole graduation idea by accident like...lol...like it is waiting around the corner and jumps out to surprise me...I have a lot of stuff to do...like applying for a job, internship, license all that minor stuff...it is a little nerve wracking, and not necessarily in that order.

Anyway... Sunday, May 21 9:00am I will no longer be a college student...

C

Resentments

The wierdest thing has been happening with me lately...I have become very resentful of my brother-in-law (BIL), and I am not sure exactly why it is happening. Not that I don't have good reason for being resentful of him, just that this is not normally my way of being...

Just a little background: He is as old as I am, has truly earned maybe $100 in his whole life, has no desire or drive to go to school or get anywhere in life. He truly acts as if he thinks that someone is going to support him his entire life. He knows how to push FIL's buttons so that there is no resistance there, he has tried to push mine so that I give in and start doing the work for him or whatever. Most of the people in his family make excuses for why he does the things he does...bad childhood, etc. He has been very helpful however with watching the kids for us, if he has money and we are short he will give that to us (no strings attached), he is nice and kinda fun to be around.

My problem comes from the fact he eats like a pig!! lol, I know it is silly and petty, but for instance right now he is at his Mother's, and we are a little tight on food and money...I keep thinking to myself "Thank god BIL is not here or else we would be out of food" Now truly, we have enough to go around but if BIL was here we would not...not remotely have enough. For instance I make this really fantastic meatloaf (pat, pat, pat) and he loves it, unfortunately when he is here I have to make TWO and there are no leftovers for meatloaf sandwhiches the next day!! This is a meal that is intended to take us two days atleast...I can't even make it last one meal when he is here even if I make a double batch. I know, lol, now having typed this, it seems silly. And I truly do like him, even with the other things he does, he is a pretty good guy. But every time food comes up this last two weeks or so, it flashes in my head..."Thank god BIL is not here" or "If BIL was here that would not last very long" or "Hey look, the diet coke lasts longer when BIL is not here" I feel pretty terrible about thinking these things...and I am hoping by blogging about it, I will not be so resentful about it...

Anyway...boys go to school tomorrow...yay...they are understandably both excited and unhappy about going back. Me, lol, I am thrilled...I will have two weeks to just vegitate...although I am already a little bored...probably will see more posting than usual.

Going to go...have a Yu-Gi-Oh date with S.

C

Update

Just a quick update on my goings on. Christmas was great, New Years was fun and we are all well...

For New Years Eve we had some friends over who had kids, the kids played most of the evening and into the night until they could play no more...lol...had about 6 kids crashed on the living room floor!! The adults proceeded to indulge in some serious nerdgame play...I enjoyed my favorite champagne...Asti...I was turned on to the Asti by my step-mother...and have been hooked ever since. I will admit that I got pretty tipsy but it was worth it...Asti tastes sooo good.

The boys are going back to school on Monday...R is just getting over a cold and S is as usual healthy as a horse...That kid rarely gets sick!! Thank GOD!! Especially with our recent health insurance debacle, which is now over. Hubby was absolutely sick of his job, we were not qualified for any programs that have health care, his job did not offer health care and we have been with out for 4 months...bad news since R has had SEVERAL therapy appointments prior to our finding out we didn't qualify for Medi-cal. But, fortunately, with hubby not working and going to school now we qualify again and R can return to his therapy.

Speaking of which..they still dont know what the hell is up with him...fortunately the raging has ceased. It has literally been months since I have been called into his school for any "incidents". But he still gets plenty angry and has many of the less violent issues he has had before...easily distracted, makes repeated noises at inappropriate times, says words that get reactions from people over and over (e.g. "guts, guts, guts"), stares off into space for periods of time, still not completely potty trained, jumps on everything, etc. I have noticed a new thing though...I asked him to count some blocks the other day, there were 25 of them and he was supposed to stop at 13, he several times continued counting past 13...having forgotten what number he was on...he does this all the time with different things...just only really noticed it the other day with the blocks. His therapist is leaning towards ADHD of course...I am sure I have posted this but you know me, I like to repeat myselt. He has already been diagnosed with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and this is what is believed to have been causing the "incidents" because when ever he feels unsafe or vulnerable he will lash out and get frustrated or angry lightning fast. This explains the reason I never saw it at home (yay...my son feels safe at home...lol) and it was always at the day care or preschool, until...he met his Kindergarten teacher...she is totally awesome!! She has a way of dealing with him that he feels good and safe with her... There are obviously other contributing factors to his behavior but the ability to eliminate the violence is a big relief.

S is doing good, he is still smart as a whip...reading Harry potter 4 right now and also just got the next Lemony Snickets book...think he is on 5 in that one. He is excited about school even if he doesn't claim it. He got legos and an erector set for christmas and is having a blast building things with it. He has been challenging me to a duel (Yu-Gi-Oh) at least one time a day...sometimes more often. A friend of ours got him a deck that is really good and he kicks my butt 9 out of 10 times.

Still missing my friend in Michigan...she is going through a rough time right now, being separated from her husband (not divorce separated but distance) and she will be moving soon (I hope) to meet him...She is doing very well considering the stuff she is dealing with. Told you I knew you were strong...love you.

Dad had surgery on his foot last week, had to have some arthritic bone spurs removed from his toe joint...he is doing better and is going to be back to work on Monday (first day of school for him so that is good news). He really needed the surgery...am beginning to think foot problems run in the family...me, brother, dad!!

FIL had surgery too today...had an angiogram(I think) they go in and open the arteries in the leg at the hip because he has been having such problems with his legs. He will probably be comming home tomorrow...hubby drove him up today.

Other than all this I have been blathering about life is pretty darn good!! I am going to have to go though...have to make some hot cocoa...with marshmallows!!!

C