Just turned in my LAST assignment...

.....and I am OFFICIALLY a college graduate.

Let's commence the celebration!

I am still on cloud nine! Time to plan our trip to Phoenix in May 2008. Whoohoo!

One more week until GRADUATION

Holy Shit! This coming week is going to go SO fast! Only 8 days until I finish my last class. It is going to be a very busy week, but will end with a lot of partying.

Whoohoo!

Homework and being sick SUCKS

...and one has to suffer one more day. I need my rest. I have a 6 day work week to tend to this week (and AFTER taking a 11 day vacation, which BITES!), which ends tomorrow. Paper has not started. (Very BAD Firefly!) No textbook yet. (Not until MONDAY!)

T-minus 1 more day until TATTOO day. I hope I make it until then...please!

Firefly pondering...

.....about her future education options. I am stuck right now, but need to move FAST to start the application process (and testing process too!) I am undecided between two programs. Here's the details so you can help me with a fresh set of eyes: Master of Science - Education with an emphasis in Adult Education Pros

• Online degree (like current degree program)
• Reputable school with an excellent program
• Focuses on my future goals for degree program
• Can be done in 2 years
• Can move around if needed during the two years and not worry about stopping program
• Do not have to spend $100 to take the GRE exam
• Only requires three letters and answering essay questions
• Can teach in Criminal Justice, Sociology OR Law Enforcement field if I want to
• Meets requirements for the program

Cons

• Would need to really buckle down if I want to go onto Ph.D program
• Will have to a tough time finding an appropriate post-Master's program

Ph.D in Criminal Justice Pro

• Get to be around other PEOPLE in the classroom
• Located in Chicago
• Can stop with Master's degree if I want to
• Will be a field where I did very well in my undergrad studies
• Provides a challenge
• Focuses on the field where I want to turn my career path around
• Only Ph.D program in the state (and the country)
• Meet requirements for the program

Con

• Will have spend more $$ and time to take the GRE
• Will have to spend 4-5 years of additional school to complete it

What do you bloggers think? I want to use either program to teach after completing my graduate work. Josh has confidence in me that I can do the Ph.D program. Any thoughts?

Busy...busy....and even more busy.

First, I would like to say: I LOVE my new job! I am starting to feel more comfortable in my place where I work. Comfortable enough that I made decisions today that I have never been able to do as an officer. Second, I wish I could take a breather during my shift to sink it all in and BREATHE. I run around the hospital most of time especially if it's involves doing something for my boss. Today was the first day in three days that I can actually SIT in my office and EAT LUNCH (while making phone call in between bites - still doing stuff)! Yes, you read it right. The last two days I have either had NO lunch until AFTER work or had a liquidified lunch in the form of a smoothie. Until I get trained, I am going to have to make sure that I eat something by putting a snack in my jacket pocket. I walk up...and down the stairs to and from my office (did it at least 10 times today - my knees are not happy about it.) It is to a point that I do not want to ANYTHING after work 'cept working on schoolwork which does not involve walking. (Josh can vouch for me on that.) Not mention that I have a HUGE blister/callus on the back of my right heel, which hurts like a bitch when I walk with my boots on. Besides good stuff on the job front, I received another "A" for a class I finished during the week I prepped to move to Chicago. Besides being busy with the moving stuff, I had to struggle with finishing homework assignments due on the day that I moved my stuff to Chicago. I started another new class on Monday. I am so looking forward to the graduation day when I finish my classwork and prep to walk during the Graduation ceremony in May 2008. Well, off to get relax the rest of the evening before heading to bed again.

Another day in Chicago....

...and having a great time. I am really having more fun now that I finished this damn last paper today that was due on Sunday night (ooooops!), but received an extension due to my trip since I did not have time to stay up until 2 am to work on it on Saturday night. Josh and I went out last night to celebrate two milestones in my life (besides the damn paper!)until past midnight. We had a great time as always. I am here for another day until I leave to return home on Wednesday AM. Work had a bet going when I called in and tell them that I would not be into work today. They did not think I was going to make it because of the whole damn mess and not surprised at all. It just more time with Josh with only two more trips (one for him and one for me) before another big step happens. But I won't be mention anything more until another day......and another blog post. **grin***

Cross-Training and a FINAL grade!

(Note: This post may contain more vulger language than written in any of this Firefly's posts before this. All apologies to any who I offend.) After two days of rest (which I needed because those DAMN hills nearly killed my poor legs - not much the ankle!), I finally got out to the gym and did some cross-training on the eliptical machine. The back of my right quad still is very tight, which I did my best to work out by stretching. In fact, this week is an important week in this marathon training. Saturday's my LAST long run with the 18 miler - not going to push myself to a 20 miler. They are talking snow or flurries at the end of the week right BEFORE the run so I am NOT happy about it. I do not want any surface issues that may affect how I run on Saturday, which may cause a potential injury. I do not need any more injuries before the marathon....PERIOD. My legs will be babied until race day. And on to the second part of the post. I am FINALLY on a three break from school. NO homework! Yayyyyy! But I start my first class of the Spring semester during the week of the marathon - UGH! I was also up until 2 am on Sunday night to work on a damn group paper which is a HUGE chunk of my grade....or I was screwed into writing it for the group. (A few people know the whole damn story of the situation.) I posted a note on our group message board (I am working on my degree online...yayy!) and asked if anyone would be interested on writing the paper. Well, no answers from anyone - just more submissions towards the paper - and waited until Sunday morning when everyone had their stuff done. After a long day of spending time with my kids and then having a postponed dinner with the in-law for my husband's birthday (He was sick on his birthday with a BAD bug!), I started SLOOOOOOOWLY working on the paper. In fact, I e-mailed my professor to ask about how she would like written in a section of the paper. Well, by 11:30 - three hours AFTER I e-mailed her who's REALLY good on responding, I had NO choice, but get the damn paper done before 2 a.m. By the time I got the paper done, I was SO damn tired. I could not keep my eyes open, but I was able to turn the paper in on time. Forward to today, I checked my final grade for the class this afternoon. I earned a PERFECT score for the paper, which was an easy A for my other group members who could not help outside of what they submitted. UGH! I also earned an A for the class as well - almost perfect 'cept I missed by a damn 1/2 point. Double UGH! Oh well. What can you do? It's still an A. I have two A's this semester and a damn C for Psychology class for my major between them, which I am NOT happy with. (Damn instructor - her first online class and decided to put the pedestal very high for us especially on the papers....nothing else I can say in this blog because it would not be lady-like!) Anyways, the rest of the week I will be on eliptical just to keep my legs loose and save my legs for Saturday. Today's work-out 35 minutes - Eliptical 3.58 miles 408 calories 9:46/mile

Let the countdown begin......

....and we are not talking about the less than 30 days until the marathon. We are NOW talking GRADUATION countdown. I am officially TODAY one year away from graduating with my Bachelor of Science degree. I have placed a countdown monitor to keep me and let everyone know what I am looking forward to.