One Moment

To maybe look at things pessimistically for a second: I don't think it is possible to have a day where literally everything goes right. I think that something doesn't play out how it was meant to, expected, etc. Maybe there's days where everything is just in the middle, but I think there is some kind of balance that whenever there's a shitty day, something good seems to happen, or whenever there's a great day, there's some moment in it that's sub par.

Today started off terribly. I have been exhausted this week with all that has been going on and have been getting very little sleep. I went to bed last night after running a full day on about four hours of sleep, culminating with helping host and perform in an open mic night.

I woke up this morning for my 10 am class, at 10:45. The first word out of my mouth was not a pleasant one. Turns out, I was able to see what time it was so quickly because my phone was still in my hand. No I don't typically sleep with my phone. What happened was, I was so tired that while I was setting my alarm on my phone I fell asleep. I woke up and realized I was almost there too. Essentially all I had left to do was flip the setting to 'ON'.

I was then supposed to meet up with my research team and head to CT for my first dyad, and get hands on training so that when I take over the Bridgeport Site on my own I will know what I am doing. I no sooner get over my missed class when I get a message saying they are leaving very shortly, am I ready? I texted back and said that I needed at least 20 minutes and that if that was too long, don't bother. The response was basically a - we'll see you next week.

Feeling really pissed I was about to get back in bed. I had already missed class and my opportunity to go to CT, so whats the point in staying awake? Phone rings. "Hey, we are going to wait for you. Hurry up!"

The trip was highly informative and extremely successful. I got back earlier than I planned and felt happy that despite my poor start, today was not a wash. Then I get an email. I had submitted my fund raising event 3 days prior and today was when I was to hear back. Leaving the office after being told 'I hope that event isn't for this semester' left me with little hope. Around 5 o'clock today I received an email explaining that my event had been approved, with the extra requests authorized as well.

I think I may have danced. No, I know I did. And then I told anyone who knew I was worried about this. It just continued to baffle me. I still, as I am writing, can't believe that it went through. It is not like it should not have, but that they basically told me that it was too late in the year to book an event.

To add to things, my good friend Tom Murphy and his band Penrose played an amazing set trying out for the opening spot before MGMT for our spring weekend and they won the competition.

And, a woman whose blog I read frequently got back to me about something I had suggested to her. There is this book that was written for kids that I think that the reason it happened, the book itself, and what the goal for it is are all so incredible. Unfortunately I don't have kids, nor am I close with anyone who does, and so knowing about something like this ends there. I wanted so badly to share this with someone who could appreciate it and read it to their son or daughter, so I sent her the information on it to this woman. A few days passed and I never heard back so I assumed either she did not care/care for it or she did not see my message. Tonight I got a message back from her and not only did she see it, but she loved it, and wants to tell more people about it!

So yeah, maybe today was not perfect, but it was pretty damn close. I'm still ecstatic about it all. And now I need to try to sleep.

It ain't over til it's over: My Registration Saga concludes.

That has definitely been true about my registration this semester. After some problems and difficulties getting into the graduate class I hoped to get in to I thought my struggles with course registration had ended. It is my last semester, after all, how could there be more problems?

Silly me. After talking about how nice it would be to only have to take 3 classes I finally sat down yesterday to figure out if that was possible. At this point in my college career I have more than enough credits, and needed 1 more school-required-non-major course as well as any 2 other electives to fulfill the core requirements as well as the mandatory 36 courses to graduate.

I was registered for 4 classes. The core class, the grad class, a communications elective, and 1 psych undergrad course which is also an elective. The course in question was the psych course. It is at our other campus on Monday and Thursday mornings at 10 am. This means that essentially I lose Monday/Thursday AM between class time and traveling. In addition, the course requires a 1 hour (minimum) per week spent working one on one with a mentally ill child or adolescent. In addition to my course load I already have, I am also working a research study this semester and trying to maintain my 8 hours a week at the day care. I decided I had to drop this course. It would open up my Monday/Thursday mornings which is when I could do the day care. It would also be a substantial decrease in work.

Unfortunately, dropping this class meant I would fall to 11 credits. The school minimum is 12 to be considered full-time. The biggest thing students think of when you are no longer full time is - no housing. So for me- no big deal. That, however, is not the biggest thing. You also lose your scholarship and in many (mine included) cases you lose your health insurance. Not an option.

I was faced with the annoying decision of - what class can I take that will be easy to do well in with out needing a lot of attention, as well as not being in a time slot that would interfere with either of my jobs? I had 1 time slot available - Tuesday/Friday at 11:30. The only class that would work - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology.

Now I will be adding 3 hours of class time as well as homework, readings, papers, tests, and a final to my semester work load all because of one lousy credit that changes everything. After leaving my first class today I realized something - I could convince the professor I am working with on the study to submit my position to be a credited internship position. In doing so I would then be able to keep my 3 course schedule and not be overwhelmed/forced to waste time on a pointless course.

The problem: today is the last day to drop a class without penalty and it is 4 pm and everyone is going home in 1 hour. I had to skip my 4 pm class in order to set things in motion. I contacted the professor right before he left to teach his 4 pm class and asked what he thought. He approved the idea and sent the request in to the department chair. Unfortunately I was no copied on the email and until he got out of class I would not know. 6 PM came and there was no email. I realized he must not have heard back from the Chair and went home for the day.

I took it upon myself to email her. After a few emails back and forth, and to the Senior Class dean I was given the green light. As long as I get the official paper work in by tomorrow I will be in the clear. As of right now I am technically a part-time student as I had to drop that Anthropology class before the drop period ended and I would be forced to Withdraw from it in order to get out.

This year alone the Senior dean has helped me get into the Senior Values class that I wanted to be in, get me in to the graduate psychology course that I wanted to be in, and now give me credit for the internship study I will be working on. I might be a big pain in the ass for him, but I am incredibly grateful.

Off to bed. And happily to - with the way things transpired tonight I only have to worry about one class tomorrow instead of two. How nice.

Sorry for the long blog - fitting for the exhausting situation this was.

Picture today: my suit hung out for tomorrow - Senior Portraits.