Getting All Caught Up

Okay, so I promised this a little sooner (like two Sundays ago) but I'm finally getting to it. I think I have enough to make this a long one.

Well, last time we spoke, I was about to go to orientation. I have now gone to orientation and done the whole sha-bang. It was actually quite boring and pointless and a little annoying. They kept telling us that they realize we've done this before, they just want to make sure we can transfer smoothly. It felt like they were telling us that over and over during the opening ceremony just to take up time. Then, we split up into groups based on our colleges. There was about 20 people in Visual Art and Design and they all kept asking the same questions worded just a little different and it would confuse other people so they would ask the same question and so on and so forth. Once that was done, I went to go get advised. I didn't have to, but I wanted to make sure about what I was going to do with retaking classes. Come to find out, at this point in time, it's best for me not to. I can still use these next few semesters to raise my GPA to the appropriate level with my art classes and if I don't have it up by then, then I can retake them then. So it was decided that I would sign up for Design II, Drawing I, and Art History Survey I. The first two are going to take up a lot of my time apparently, but until I get there, I won't know. But I'm excited.

Now for apartment news. On that Thursday, I had it limited to two apartments. One was cheaper all around and seemed nice. The other was more expensive but had a really interesting layout. Well, turns out that one has some really bad reviews and low rating. So, the next day while I was at orientation, my dad went and filled out all the paperwork and I have had the key to my apartment since Saturday. Now the electricity is turned on and next Tuesday, I'll have cable and internet. On Thursday, dad and I will go up there and take up my old dresser and TV stand that have been painted new to match my new bed (which I love more than anything) and my bookcase that I got while I was in the last apartment. My bed really is amazing. It's white and has baseboards all the way around. And I have a purple and two tone grey floral bedspread. It's gorgeous and I'm glad that I'll get to come home to it every day. I'm going to stay at my parents until next Monday, but I'll stay up there Monday night so I can be there when the cable people get there on Tuesday.

Lastly, we had Samantha's birthday. It was designed by me. The theme: Tinkerbell. And the gifts she received from me were Tinkerbell too. I believe she had a good time. And it was nice having a gathering with the whole family, a sign of good things to come once Jan, Dale, and Samantha move down. I hope it's soon. I like the idea of having everyone all together, I wish it had happened sooner.

Well, that's about all for now, I'll write again once I get settled in the apartment.

Did You Ever Know That You're My Hero, and Everything I Inspire to Be?

Now, this is slightly anticipatory, but mostly overdue. I would like to tell my parents thank you for everything, these past few weeks and this next week especially. They have helped me so much on finding and obtaining an apartment, getting all the utilities that I need for it, buying new furniture that I don't have, or making old furniture look new, moving all of it from one place to another (multiple times), spending more than planned money, and helping me keep it as green as possible.

My parents have always been the kind of parents that every child should grow up with. There are many poor parents out there, many great parents, but few exceptional ones; my parents fall into that exceptional category. Now, being the only daughter they have, there have been some things different that they have had to do than they did raising my brothers, but still, they have done an amazing job. They never failed to let me try whatever I wish when it came to extra curricular activities, and never missed any event (accept when they went to see Paul McCartney one year instead of a football game, but I can't blame them, I would have missed that too). But more importantly, they supported me. Weather it was my dad playing basketball with me in the back yard to improve my lay up, or selling concessions at little league cheerleading games and during high school again, they were always very involved with whatever was my current passion.

They're love for helping me do my best was not limited to just activities outside of school. They always helped me when it came to school projects, especially with my high school physics projects and reading papers over and over to make sure that every word is spelled correctly and there is a period and comma where they should be. And outside of school all together, they have always been there. My mother would sit with me for hours on end listening to me cry and complain about this weeks argument with whatever friend or whatever teacher or anything that was bothering me. And my father would wait patiently for me to recover from the problem and try his best to make it better.

And not only are they amazing parents to me and my brothers, and grandparents to their granddaughters, but they have been amazing spouses to each other. For over 30 years now, they have been forever perfecting the art of marriage. I was worried about what would happen when I left for college, seeing as it would be the first time they would be alone in the house, but these past two years, I have only seen their love for each other grow more than I ever knew was possible.

My ultimate goal for myself when I am married and have children is that I can be the spouse they have been and the parents they have been.

Almost There. Just a Little Longer.

Well, I'm just a few days away from orientation. I'm really excited for it. My orientation for ASU was a fun one, I remember. And I'm glad that they have an orientation special for transfer students and I'm not with freshmen new to the whole college experience. And it's only a one day thing, instead of two, which makes me happy. I'd really like to get the whole thing done with and just register for classes.

I only plan on taking 9 hours this semester and raising my GPA, retake some classes that I didn't do so hot on in the past. I don't like the idea of retaking classes, but I know it's what's best. And I know that I won't be in a class full of freshmen. I'm sure a lot will be there, but if it's anything like ASU, there will still be juniors and seniors that have procrastinated and never taken them, or have to retake them for whatever reason.

Tomorrow I'm going up to Denton to look at rentals with my dad. I really hope tomorrow I can find a place to live. Not that I hate living with my parents, I just really want a place of my own, a place to call my own. I'm excited to start decorating and making a little cozy place for myself to live and paint and make a new life.

Well, I'm sure I'll have more Sunday, because I have a feeling that's going to be the next time I can write.

Speak to Me, Blue Ant!

It's no lie that technology and I have a love/hate relationship; today only further pushed that relationship further to the hate side of it.

Now, I love my phone, I really do. I love it so much, that I think everyone should have a Windows phone. But I have finally found a problem and the solution is too annoying. When I got the phone, I had to set up a Windows account because I didn't have one. Well, now I have one that I use. Now, this is a flaw to the Windows phone: you can only have one Windows account and the only way to change my old windows account to my new one is to reset the phone to how it was when I bought it. That means no contacts, no apps, nothing. I would have to go and re-add everything and I'm just not sure it's worth it.

My next problem of the day: a range extender. For those of you who don't know what that is, it strengthens the signal of a router so Internet is more accessible everywhere. My room in Red Oak does not have very strong signal, so my dad went and bought one. We had issues from the beginning. It wouldn't connect to the router, it wouldn't connect to the computer, and then finally, we got it. I left my laptop alone for a few hours and when I get back, I have no internet connection. When I attempt to connect to it, it won't let me. My dad said to turn my computer off and back on. After doing this, it doesn't even list the Extender as something to connect to, it completely disappeared. Needless to say, we're going to have to call for some help tomorrow.

Now, of course technology isn't fully against me. I got this amazing Blue Tooth thing called Blue Ant. You don't have to wear it on your ear, it attaches to your visor magnetically or you can just lay it on a table. It works the exact way Blue Tooth does, only instead of using your phone to call and just talking through the head piece, all you simply do is say "Speak to me, Blue Ant" and it says "Say a command" and you go from there. Now, I'm not going to lie, I feel a little like a secret agent talking to another secret agent called Blue Ant. And I feel a little powerful, telling it what to do. It can call from my address book, redial the last person I called, call back the last person who called me, I can check the weather, the traffic, movie times. This thing is AMAZING! Yes, this is an example of good technology.

On a side note, I believe the new TLC show "House vs. Spouse" is going to ruin a lot of marriages.

You're Gonna Go Far, Kid

"You really do have raw talent. You're gonna go far, kid. You're gonna be great." Those were the words from the man who harassed me about paint and straight edges and my highlights being to bright. I didn't see it coming. I went in to pick up my last project to complete my portfolio, and this is what he told me. "With each project, I set the standards for you higher and higher." Although I only achieved B's on each project, he told me that by the third project, I was getting pure A+'s when compared to other classmates work. Now, I'm happy that he said that, but I'm still only going to get a B for the class. I guess that's because I missed class 4 times, only two of which I was sick. The other two, I really did sleep through the alarm clock and I did feel bad about it. I guess a B is better than nothing, and the compliments really did flatter me.

Other teachers, I'm not to happy with. Well, just one. I haven't been worried about psychology at all this semester until the other night. I was looking at my grades to find half of them missing. After e-mailing my teacher, I found that because I was late to class on certain days we had quizzes, those quizzes did not count. Now, I'm scared beyond all belief. I have no room to talk, it's in the syllabus. It's like I did it to myself. Every time I was late though, it was because of parking. I know, it's not the best excuse, but it's not like we have the best parking system in the world. Any student can agree with that. So now, I have no clue. I don't even need my Psychology classes anymore because at UNT, I'm not going to need it as a minor, Education will be my minor. Some things I wish I could go and change though.

A Thank You to All

Dear Everyone,

I just want to thank you for reading and all of your support. It really means a lot to me to see people reading. It is only encouragement to continue writing. I hope that in all of my writings, I help inspire people to blog also. I avidly believe in people at least writing about their life. It helps set stuff straight in your head, it gives you something to go back to and remember, and if you chose to make it public, it can help and inspire other people.

Again, thank you for the support, and I love you all.

-MK 

Standards

So, I've decided that I'm going to listen to one of my best friends, Casey, and make a list of my standards that guys must meet. After the fall of my last relationship due to the fact that I let myself be hurt, I'm not going to let that happen again. So here we go.

• He must have never cheated on another girlfriend. Once a cheater, always a cheater.
• He can't have privacy and trust issues. If I am going to be completely open with you, you better be completely open with me.
• He must be honest. I can't stand liars, and I refuse to have them in my life.
• He must have some belief system, but be accepting of other religions and belief systems.
• He has to be playful.
• He has to be okay with telling me he loves me in front of other people.
• He has to come from a good family.
• He has to tell his family about me. I refuse to be hidden.
• He has to be a family man.
• I want time with my friends, and I want him to have time with his friends, but I never want to be in second place.
• He has to like Italian food.
• He has to be there when I'm scared.
• He has to be adventurous, but also be okay with being lazy sometimes.
• NO drugs.
• He can drink alcohol, but he CANNOT be an alcoholic. 
• He has to love animals.
• He has to have an education, or be pursuing one.
• He has to like my art, and believe in my abilities.
• He has to believe in me. PERIOD. 
• He MUST like The Beatles. If he loves them, that's even better.
• He has to like my cooking.
• He has to be sweet, generous, and caring.
• He has to accept me for me and not expect me to change for him or anyone else.
• His friends can't be assholes.
• If I'm his girlfriend, I don't want to worry about another girl taking my place.
• A little athletic, a little nerdy, and a little preppy.
• He has to accept that I cry when I'm sad and when I'm happy.
• My family has to love him just as much as I do.