Christmas Time is Money Time?

I've been working to raise my funds the past few days at my job and have been reminded how tiring retail can be! However, I have pushed through and am now enjoying some days off with my mother. I turned in my two weeks yesterday.


I can't manage to work at the store during the Spring Semester with classes six days a week. I will be working at school and doing grad school stuff. The major time for everything that is coming up and I need to be prepared.


Anyways, I have actually felt like I've had a Christmas this year, rather than a week and a day like last year. I love seeing the lights on my house at night I put up and the tree in the living room. I like sitting there with family in the dark look at the bright lights, even if my house is cold, because it reminds me of good times and future times that will be wonderful in my life.

Owls are the best, don't you think?

I will admit it. I think owls are one of the coolest animals/birds on this planet, despite the fact they are considered witches by some cultures (bet you didn't know that, did ya?!). The owl to the right, the Barn Owl, is also known as the monkey-faced owl. Not only is that a cool name, but owls in general are pretty bad-ass.

Ok, now why I am on this random rant about my love of these feathery creatures? I've been on a recent remembrance of all my geek fandoms over the years, good or bad. As my family can attest to, I have had several obsessions over the years that have consumed my life. I've kept some with me and I've left some behind. However, I have found it nice to remember that even if some of these things have been neglected by me, I still have a fondness for them in my heart.

For example,
Geek fandom that has stayed with Ellen:
My love for my all-time favorite movies, The Last of the Mohicans and Aliens

I was raised on Aliens and only discovered The Last of the Mohicans in high school, despite the fact my father attempted to gain my interest in it at a younger age. Aliens has always fascinated me with the badassery of Ellen Ripley and the fact that she can take on a Queen Alien. She has been a heroine of my life, inspiring me to be stronger and more determined in everything I do. The Last of the Mohicans was fascinating to me as I discovered the beauty of its background and the wonder of its soundtrack (i recommend it to anyone; it's truly lovely). I love the story even if it has nothing to do with the book. It inspired to research the pre-revolutionary era and search into the lives of colonials and british. It has also inspired my love of native cultures.

Geek Fandom(s) that have left Ellen, but she will always be fond of:
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Oh, how this consumed my life for three years. I absolutely loved everything about it, especially the elves. I still know a lot about the trilogy and stories...which is a bit sad. Although I don't celebrate LOTR with such fervor anymore, I will always love it. It reminded me of good times with my father and of my youth in general. I was a weird kid, but having something you could hold onto in a place like middle school made it better for me in the long run.


Oh, I've been obsessed with much more, but that's for a later date.
What were your obsessions when you were younger?

Oh, I totally love blogging about my ideals!

Sorry, that was from a commercial.

So, it's been a while, but school has been running me pretty ragged. Grad school applications aren't looking too bright, either, since each has a list of stipulations you must meet by a certain date while attempting to be bright-eyed and spectacular. How do some people do it?

I am currently working on a book review (not an oprah type) of a graduate thesis on projectile points and their distribution affecting hunter-gatherer mobility.

Let me put that in english for you: I'm writing a critique of a graduate student's thesis (who is not from this college) about arrow-heads and how they might predict where people lived in an area or not. Sounds thrilling doesn't it?

After climbing out of the fail-boat that was my first GRE exam trial, I'm going back into the lion's den December 21st for an all out brawl that would be worthy of Saturday Night Prime-Time wrestling. Not really, but I will be doing all I can to get that 1000 or more score this time. School will not let up until then. I have a fifteen page paper on birds in native american mythology, a garbology project, and a statement of purpose to write to mention a few things on my plate. How do I do it and not go crazy??

Grad school options are being expanded for the sheer fact of, even though I'd love to stay in the South and hope to do so, if I apply to the only 2 schools I want down here, I am SEVERELY limiting my opportunities. So, I am planning to apply to many schools now, realizing that I don't know where all the money for the application fees are going to come from. I mean, really, $50-65 bucks a pop is a little annoying. Thank you to University of Florida for only being 30 dollars. I hope they accept me. Seriously.

So, back to my writing as the coffee wears off. The assignment is due Monday, but getting some verbage in never hurt since I am going to see Amy in Tuscaloosa this weekend. Oh, Life.


Waiting for a break,

Ellen

Reminding myself that I don't want to live in a box

If the GRE is a beast, then tomorrow I am entering its den. My goal is to make 1000 or higher. If i can do that, I will be a happy girl.

Trying to get back on a schedule

So, it's been a while, but in between moving in and the first/second week of school, I've really been attempting to figure out my schedule and what time I have for what.

First things first, for those who don't know, I got the internship at the Museum of Mobile! I am very excited about it! I'll be working for a man named Jacob (who insists I call him Jacob instead of Mr. Lawrence). I'll be 100-year-plus glass slides of India which were taken by a man who worked for Queen Victoria. Awesome, huh?

The museum staff seemed excited to have me and I was equal in emotions. I got to see tons of very cool artifacts. To say simply, I was a giddy as a school girl.

I'm working my butt off between my cashier job on Sundays and the library job during the week, but it's worth it because it pays bills and keeps me relatively poor, but able to support myself. To add an extra fire to my week, I am starting my workouts this week after work. I won't be doing them on Wednesday due to my long schedule on that day (class, work, night class), but I plan to be doing them every other day for one hour during the week.

Classes are going relatively well. A lot, a lot of reading. No major writing yet, but I will have some papers this semester, especially in Anthropological Theory. Anthropological Theory is a class I would definitely prefer to have in the classroom, but I am working my hardest to keep up and get good grades. (I made a 100 on the last quiz! YAY!)

My bits of relaxation come at night, Friday afternoons, and Saturdays which I tend to spend with my mother. I miss her very much during the week and love to chat away with her on the weekends. I have to apologize, of course, because I end up chatting away while she patiently listens to me.

There is still much to do, even tonight, but I am tiring out at this point. Working a 5 1/2 shift (9 hrs next Sunday! AH!) and doing homework tend to exhaust me.


Till next time,
Ellen

Moved In

After I spent half the week packing up my stuff (and worrying how I was possibly going to pack the cars with all of it), I proceeded to move to Mobile today with the help of my lovely mother. After waking up early with dogs so they wouldn't disturb the rest my mother needed so much, we got along with our day. We packed both my car and her car and drove to the University.

Traffic wasn't bad. Joe called me when I got there saying that his mom had seen my car and asking if we wanted their help moving in. I said sure and went to check in. There is a LOT of stuff to sign when checking in just to get a little key.

I have to say thank you so much to the Riders (who, yes, I will be sending a thank you card too), because their added help was wonderful to have. It only took two trips to the cars to get everything I had brought today and bring it up to my room. I still don't have everything, though. I will be heading back to Fairhope tomorrow to be getting a few things that didn't fit into the car and buy my groceries for the week. Then I will come back, spend the night, and start my final year here at South.

It's hard for me to believe that I am a senior now. It's funny to see all the bright-eyed freshman, so unspoiled by the toil of class and unwavering teachers. I want to tell them that they will learn so much personally and in the classroom. College is where life begins truly. Anyone who tells you high school is can be called a liar in my book.

On a side note, I am very happy to say I have a place at the Museum of Mobile for me, and by Tuesday, I hope to have everything wrapped up so that my internship will be official with the university. This provides such a great opportunity for me considering grad school.

I know my father would be very happy for me. His picture is a welcome image in my dorm room, watching out for me as he did in life.


---Ellen

I have returned.

School is looming. I am excited about this fact. Don't ask me why. I am just excited to do something other than be a cashier. I am excited to be in the familiar place with that eager sense of responsibility that comes with each year.

Add on that I am a senior, I have to take the GRE, apply to grad schools, be a full time student, and work on top of all of it.

I think I am ready. Of course, I always say this.

The week after this week I am taking off from work to get some much needed packing/organization done. New bedding, food items, etc. will be bought.

I know this is a short post, but i will be heading to bed soon.

I wish all of you a happy week.

Counting the hours until you arrive

I was going to post earlier this week, but the computer shut off on me, and I was too lazy to turn it back on since I had just gotten home from work.

My mother has been on vacation all this week, something I wish I could be doing, but I need the money. It's been a pretty good week, but I have missed her everyday since she has left. She comes back today and I am very excited about this fact.

Magnus and Bishop (2 of our dogs) got into a fight Tuesday evening. I had to lock Bishop up in my mom's room all night while Magnus hung out in the living room. I hate when they fight. Needless to say, I've been on edge the rest of this week and have been quick to dissolve any situation that may bring about tension. I think they both need to be snipped.

I saw The Proposal starring Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock yesterday. It was really good. I love Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, so they made a good combination for me. Betty White was pretty awesome in it as well. It was good to see a chick flick that both Joe and I could enjoy.

There is a Bluejay here that keeps stealing some cat food from the bowl outside. I saw him today and his process is very amusing. He lands, looks around, flies a bit closer, then hops over to the table, takes a piece, and flies away. I believe this is the same bluejay that flies away in a hurry sometimes when I open the back door. I've decided to call him, "Tom".

Work this afternoon and evening until closing. I don't enjoy it, but I'm hoping for better hours this week. It's a short today and tomorrow, and I enjoy that idea. I'm going to have to watch the recording of UFC 100 at Joe's sometime since I'll be missing some of the fights.


Love,
Ellen

The heat may be frying my brain

Seriously, it has been extremely hot for the past month it seems like. I'm tired of the high pressure in the Gulf. I want two to three days of sweeping rain with comforting thunder. I would also like those two to three days without work so that I may nap in the afternoon comfortably while listening to the rhythm of the rain.

Chances of that happening? Most likely: zero.

However, I did venture out into the heat on my days off to spend some time with my mother and friends doing fun things. Tuesday, Mama and I went to Dauphin Island and visited the old haunts of her youth. We stopped at the old gas station (pretty much now rebuilt) where she got groceries as a child, saw the lot where the island home of my great-grandparents once stood, and went to the shell mounds/beaches before going to the Estuarium. We didn't necessarily want to go, or pay the fee to get in, but it was hot and there was nothing to do. Amy met us there and we proceeded to eat at the Oar House (funny name when said). It was good food. That night, Joe and I went to Mobile to watch a movie at a co-worker's house. We got lost on the way there thanks to the wondrosities of MapQuest. Not always something to trust. It was fun, though, after I calmed down.

Tuesday, I spent time with Joe. It was nice to see him in a less-stressed setting (for me). We worked on his Granny's birthday gift and got lunch at El Mexicano. They are never, ever as inviting as Nestor's is. I heart Nestor and the crew. Anyways, I ate dinner at the house and hung out with Mama before going to see Transformers with Amy's Dauphin Island crew and a few friends of past. I met up with Lydia by accident and got to watch the movie with her. Joe and I save Lydia, John, and their friend, Jason, seats. It was nice to watch a movie with my sister. I hope we can do it again soon.

Amy's crew (including high school friends Rucker and Chelsea) took up the entire row above us. It was good to see Amy. It reminds me, however, of how much I am going to miss have the luxury of having her down here. She will be gone to the coldness of Minnesota once again very soon. I wish her well in all her finals at Dauphin Island.

Today, Mama and I went shopping at the Gulf Shores Target and Foley Tanger Outlets. I always like the Gulf Shores Target. It seems to be bigger and have more stuff. It reminds me also of Super Target. I spent more than I would have liked on new summer wardrobe options, but in this heat, I need more shorts/summer weather bottoms because jeans aren't cutting. I spent 10 minutes outside Walmart the other day in jeans and felt like I was dying. I came home soaked in sweat.

I filled in for someone at work today. I don't like to think that I have to work the next four days, including two 9 hour shifts this weekend, but I will be making the money. As I say, it's my transition into the real world, which grinds against the student part of me, which somewhat longs for the independence of Mobile, where I definitely don't work weekends and have nights open. The job in my future will hopefully be a 9-5, not a night consumer. But I do enjoy days off still.



On a last note, I did get the room I wanted. A semi-private room near Joe and Jessica where I can live on my own. I don't mind sharing a bathroom with someone considering I've done it all my life. I'm hoping my bathroommate is Asian because they are typically clean.


Until I write again!

Ellen

Whosits, whatsits

Ignore the title. I couldn't think of a proper heading for this post. I'm still not sure of one.

I am alive. I just don't post as often as I should, I suppose. I'm back into the swing of things at work, regaining the schedule that I need to make money. However, I am fairly certain that I am missing a paycheck from a few weeks ago.

This week is a closing week for me. I was supposed to close today but got sick from the intense heat near the registers/my lack of current hydration. If you doubt the heat, it's a constant mid-80 near the registers due to the doors being opened constantly. It's even worse on register one.

I miss having a day off on the weekend. I will be making the money next week.

This weekend will be hard for my family and I. It is a reminder that along the path this year, we lost a member, a very important member.

I love you, daddy. I still miss our moments of chatting before bed at night.

Post-surgery

My mouth is getting better day by day. The surgery went well. Apparently, God only gave me 3 wisdom teeth to take out. Nice, I guess? I got in, they gave me drugs, put me on a nasal tube with oxygen, and I remember very little after that.

I remember them giving me shots and it hurting, but I don't remember anything until waking up with cotton in my mouth and the nurse saying, "We're done!"

I mumbled through the cotton, "you're done?" and no one could understand me. Luckily, the nurse understood my mumbling enough that I was trying to signal for my glasses that she was ushering me out the door without. I weakly walked out with the nurse's help and slid into my mama's car with her help.

Anybody know why Wendy's is closed or was closed on a Wednesday at 10am? The one in Fairhope was very closed, and that baffles me. Instead we went to sonic, and I mumbled "malt shake" to my mom and someone how signaled I wanted chocolate flavoring. The cotton pads in my mouth were a hindrance to me, I must admit. I was ready to speak as soon as I got out despite the fact I had just had surgery.

Sleep, soft foods like yogurt and soup, and ice packs ensued that day, along with a slew of pills. Yesterday, I was more puffy and sore, and it was hard to hold open my mouth. Believe me, my mom and I communicated via hand signals and my low-talking for a while. We went out to Burke's, the church, and Walgreens. I got me some khaki's and size 12 jeans. Woohoo.

Today, I still can't open my mouth much more, but the soreness is subsiding. Some Aleve should help out. The Lor-tab makes my muscles stiff and my skin itch, so i don't like to take it. It makes the pain go away sure, but i'm only going to take if I really had too. There's a special on the Travel Channel about the Nazca Lines, and my dad said there is no hills in the Nazca deserts. Somehow I wish he was here to argue with him about it, but not really. I hated that argument.


Ellen

Before I'm incapacitated

Just wanted to say I have my wisdom teeth surgery tomorrow. Almost 21 and getting my teeth cut out! I won't be able to post anything until I become coherent again. Probably late thursday or friday.

Mama came back from Mrs. Kinard's farm today. It was good to see her again...I always miss her dearly when she's gone, more now that Daddy is gone. The dogs were relatively good despite her absence. Ripley let Joe touch her last night! It was a good thing considering Ripley is still quite shy around people. She's getting used to more and more people now. I believe she could get used to Amy if she stayed here for a little bit.

I got my haircut. I'll eventually post a picture. It's not too much shorter. I got 1 1/2 inches taken off, so it's a lot cleaner cut than it has been and looks pretty good. The hairdresser thought I was someone else completely than who I was, which I thought was funny. People have gotten my name wrong a lot today.

Tomorrow it will be my surgery and sleeping...yay for sleep!!

-Ellen

Love is all you need

This is me with my beautiful nephew, who was asleep at the time. Gus took it for me. I love this picture because I think it shows how I truly love that baby, and that he is a lovely product of my sister and my brother-in-law.

I gave Emily a poem today for Will's room for a late mother's day present. I think she liked it. I'll post it on here when I get some time.

I get to go on a date with Joe tonight. We're going to see Up!, the latest pixar movie. I have never missed a pixar movie in theaters, so I am excited to see this latest addition.

It makes me happy to think that one day I will be able to share my love of movies with my nephew.

Waves of Nostalgia and Money in the Bank

I didn't mention that Saturday we had a Ferrill Family get-together at my aunt and uncle's house. It reminded me so much of the gatherings that used to be had at my great-grandmother's, or Granny's, that I could see my Granny and Father sitting there too, laughing and commenting on life, and telling funny stories over again, as we all did that day.

I found an old camera that I got from goodwill around ninth grade in my sister's room. It works really well with black and white film, and I've taken some great pictures with it. I've decided I want to do a sort of photo shoot of the bay, Joe, Mama, and my friends with that camera, my mom's older 8 pixel digital camera, and my own camera. I think it would be something really fun to do with some time off, and I would love to have some great pics.

I got my first two paychecks today, which makes me happy. Now I have a little money to do some things like...ahem...shopping for summer clothes, which besides the purchase of new flip-flops because of my old ones being ripped up Ripley herself, I have not really bought any items for myself. That changes some time this week when I start with Old Navy. I'm not going to spend a lot, but get one or two items. I shall build over the summer.

I am going to miss the loss of my day off tomorrow....but it's money.

Nothing else matters when the world is in your arms

I got to meet my nephew, William James Rios, aka Will, for the first time today, and I must say he is perfect and wonderful and lovely.

Words cannot begin to describe the immense love I already feel as an aunt to this tiny individual, and I know throughout the coming years, I will enjoy watching him grow, learn to walk, speak, and tell us his mind. He is so handsome and precious. I love holding him. I know I will get to plenty of times this week and it still will never be enough!

I love seeing my mom with Will. She is such a natural "Gram" to him and always seems so happy and glowing when she gets to hold the little boy in her arms.

Em and Gus are awesome parents to him and I know they will have many great adventures together in the years to come. Gus reminds me of my dad with us. Very natural, very loving, always wanting to take care and cherish his moments with his own.

A summer going well

So, I sent off my answers to the rest of the questions Ms.Berger at the museum had for me concerning the internship. I think I might need to resend it or Ms. Berger is possibly on vacation. Either way, I have not received a response back yet and am getting anxious.

I feel like cracking open a good book or writing a story for Carolyn's fall class. That way I can turn it in early and won't have to worry about writing it during the semester.

Sadly, I really, REALLY want to play my Crime Scene Investigation computer games after watching the shows on TV. I found the box with them the other day, but cannot for the life of me remember where I placed the box or where I found it. That is usually my luck.

I'm wondering if I can find a place to sell my medical anthropology book. I really have no need for it and since it got water damaged during a rain storm last semester, I can't sell it back conventionally. Maybe I can sell it on amazon marketplace. If Da still had his ebay account, I'd go that route.

I am looking forward to finally seeing my nephew in person this weekend! It's so exciting! I already love him so much and I haven't held him once yet. Hopefully I can get in some lovin' time with him in the next week.

Also, it's 2 weeks tomorrow till the big wisdom teeth surgery! I have to make my calls next week to pay for the procedure and get my prescriptions in line. Fun times. I also have to tell the manager I can't work the 10th, 11th, or possibly the 12th.


More to write later I'm sure!

Ellen

Wednesday, Wednesday...

I'm still waiting on housing to let me know if I got the room I wanted for next year (semi-private with shared bath). I, of course, won't be finding out until they find out who all payed....so the deadline is may 22... I am guessing I'll find out sometime in June.

I need to sign up for the GRE in the Fall. I also need to get me software to study or a giant study book....

This weekend I will do the FAFSA and get that covered....preparation for school...

Work is going good. I like it because it's a different sort of environment.

Summer is good so far. I having a great time with my mom, Joe, Amy, and all my friends.

I am looking forward to meeting my nephew in person for the first time.

Guess who's coming to town

I'm so happy that Amy is here for the summer...temporarily....

But she's staying with me right now, and that's good....


But I have to work today....that's okay though....I beez gettin the monies....

Junior Year Done

I finished my junior year on May 6th and checked out officially May 8th. I just found out my grades today!

A-Study of Religion
A-Fiction Writing 2
A- Museum Methods in Archaeology
B-Political Anthropology
B-Medical Anthropology

I'm happy with what I got!

Training, Training....

I started my new job at the pet supply store today. I'm not mentioning its name for practical reasons, including me not wanting to lose my job if i say something about the store on here.

Anyways, I started my training there today, not necessarily my exact job. Videos on proper procedure, worksheets, training manual occurred today. Didn't get to actual financial paperwork yet, but I will finish everything mainly on Wednesday.

I forgot to bring a lunch or something, so I became very hungry during training due to my hypoglycemia inherited from my father. Snickers are always good when you are in a fix, though they aren't on my diet. Once I get scheduling down, back to the gym I go.

However, I am still losing weight! YAY! 161 and hoping to lose 10-15 more soon enough.

Hopefully before I get my wisdom teeth pulled on the 10th of June. Fun times.

Tuesday is cleaning day for me. I'm getting all my dorm stuff put up. That's the bad part about moving. I wish I had a storage container just for me.

Another blog for good ol' me

So I thought I would start this blog now to record the (mis)adventures of this new summer and my final year of my undergraduate career. This includes a hopeful internship, working my summer job at a pet supply store, the whole process of applying and getting into graduate schools, and eventually graduating from the University of South Alabama.

My sister has a baby blog, and I have a growing-into-adulthood blog.

I'll try to update it weekly with how my slow ride into full adulthood is going.

Nothing bad here, just simple and straightforward.