I Graduated! :)

I graduated from high school last night! It was pretty cool, and I even got to give a speech which was fun (though very scary, too).

All the girls, myself included, were thoroughly horrified by how we looked in the caps and gowns. Least. Fashionable. Clothes. Ever. Not to mention the "one size fits all" caps only fit about 3 of the girls correctly.

With my grandparents from my dad's side:

And from my mom's side:

Outtakes with the parents:

Mom and Dad:

Older sister Lindsey:

Japanese Exchange Student Anna and Lindsey:

Anna:
Yay! No more high school! :)

On a side note, I will be leaving for a week and a half trip to Alaska to visit my other sister Lara tomorrow. I doubt I'll be doing any blogging while I'm gone, but I promise to post pics and whatnot when I get back!

"OH YEAHHHHH!"

I like my headings in all CAPS just like I like my Alzheimer Grandma's taste in clothing (the good and the bad bad).

i.e. This lovely , downright ugly and completely awesome piece of clothing that would be absolutely perfect for an Ugly/Cosby Sweater Party
(only if we--the family who packed her shit up--didn't put it in the Goodwill pile... And We did--dammit.)

Don't worry though, I saved a TON of other fun stuff for amusing Flashbacks-to-Grandma's-Time pictures later.

meh.

Oh! Fun Idea:
I think I'm going to make Fridays in this blog-of-mine:

Uh-Uh's Flashback Fridays.

(Uh-Uh--yes, like "uh-uh" when you are telling someone "no, no"--is what my family calls my Grandma--who unfortunately has been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease--and at a later date I will explain why we call her that...)

On Fridays I will upload photos of some of the things I was able to snag from Alzheimer Grandma's condo before we moved her into the new apartment. And I'll share a few of her stories and a few of her photos from back in the day. Let me tell you, my Uh-Uh was one hell of an interesting woman in her Haaaaay-Day.

Get ready! Installment #1 (because technically today is NOT Friday) begins this Friday... Or maybe next Friday if I get too bogged down with the family who are in town for GRADUATION this weekend.

We'll see!

:)

SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!

My heading sounds like an announcement for a special ONE DAY ONLY sale at some skeezy car dealership... pardon me. Or maybe it sounds like an announcement for a ONE DAY ONLY throw-down-monster-jam-out-of-your-seat-excitement Monster Truck Rally show... (I like that idea better).


Anywho---

This Sunday I officially become a college graduate.

Hallelujah/Woo Hoo/Praise Allah/Mazel Tov/Fuckin' A!

Today marks the first day that I haven't been stressed out about graduating, finding a 'real' job, being newly single, or quitting my current job. Finally!

Today I feel amazingly happy. A wee bit sad that this is my (official/unofficial) last day at the liquor store--I'll be back to cover for the night guy when he needs off--but still, I am ridiculously happy that I no longer have to commute and deal with unnecessary stress and stupidity.

I am no longer a jumbled mess regarding the recent dumping I received because I have rediscovered the amazing friends that I have always had, and failed to truly appreciate while I was in a relationship. Those friends have honestly kept me occupied for the last two an a half weeks and I could not have been happier for their intervention.

I have also come to terms with the fact that I am better off being single than being with an individual who does not want to be with me. Regardless of the reasoning behind the breakup and the way it was (unfortunately) carried out, I am happy that we have been able to maintain a positive stream of communication and (what I like to consider) a friendship after everything has been said and done.

But getting back to this business of GRADUATING!

I am beyond excited.

Cory (the brother), Vanessa (+ baby #2 in the oven) and Brayden (baby #1) will be flying in on Friday and I couldn't be happier that they are going to be in town to share the big day with me.

The family (THE WHOLE FAMILY) is going out for dinner on Saturday night at Fogo de Chao--being the meat lovers that they (and me) are, I am definitely positive that Fogo will make everyone happy. The environment is CRAZY and the food is DELICIOUS and my family will be too involved with the food and setting to really get out of hand (THANK JESUS!).

Then Sunday is the main event!

Some of the rugby girls asked if I was going to have a party afterward... unfortunately probably not with the family in town. BUT next week I'll be meeting/hanging out with a gaggle of people to celebrate after-the-fact. I think I'm just going to declare the rest of January a celebration month.

One more piece of exciting news... I've finally decided on where to apply to for my #1 new 'real' job position. I've already sent my applications out to four options, and will hear back from two of them sometime in the middle of February, but this new decision is one that I am truly excited about. I don't want to mention it yet, but after I hear back (around the end of this month) I might post more.

I'm trying to stay positive and realistic about my applications. I understand that the current job market is a tough one and an offer/acceptance following my first string of applications is doubtful. However all I can do, and all that I will do until I hear back from something is to stay positive and hopeful.

With that said, and all the "WOOO"-s and "Yippee"-ing out of my system I'm going to get back to the final 3.5 hours of my last day of my Towson/College job.

Adios.

A QUICK BREAK

I'm neck deep in the final stretch of my finals...


Can I get a YAY! WOO! OMG! FINALLY!


I just wanted to post my that my past 24 hours and most likely my next 48 have been and will be full of the GLEE soundtracks + bonus downloads.

Dick was wonderful enough to get me both soundtracks and a little extra. Let me tell you they have SAVED my sanity. **Best gifts ever**

I have been blasting GLEE all over the place. Good thing no one has been in my car. My tone deaf-ness would not be pretty nor appreciated by anyone else. I am convinced that my neighborhood knows when I am near home because they can hear me miles down Route 1 singing over the speakers and along to my ipod. My poor car probably hates me by now too.

Oh well.

While driving through the back roads "Proud Mary" came on and I went a little crazy... I channeled Tina like no other! We were in sync--or so I like to believe.

I've been hounding youtube all day for GLEE videos. Unfortunately they didn't have the greatest video up of the cast singing "Proud Mary," but the music is clear, you get the point, so it'll have to do:

Now, no more distractions... unless Tina comes to me in a dream and tells me she wants to open a Vegas show and would love for me to be one of her back up singers... even though she knows that I can't sing a lick.