Hurricane Gustav Checklist

• Bottled Water CHECK
• Plywood for windows CHECK
• Non-perishable food CHECK
• Generators CHECK
• Window Unit Air Conditioners CHECK
• Prozac and Sedatives for the cats CHECK
• Jewelry packed up in case of looters CHECK
• Extra Batteries CHECK
• Flashlights CHECK
• Social Security Card CHECK
• Passport CHECK
• Extra Cash CHECK
• Full Tank of Gas CHECK
• Extra gas for the Generator CHECK
• All pictures or other family memories on the 2nd floor in water tight containers CHECK

I wish I was kidding, but I'm not. We are so prepared for the storm in case it comes our way. This list is just the tip of the iceberg...

Signs

1:30 am 8-29: HGTV House Hunters episode, Looking for a new home in Maui , Hawaii.

2:00 am 8-29: MTV True Life: I am a big wave surfer. Documentary about surfers in North Shore, Hawaii

11:24 am 8-29: Email from Teach For America inviting me to a special web-seminar

Hmm.... that is 3 signs in one day all about Hawaii......

It looks like there may be a Hawaiian adventure in my future.

Yikes....prayers please......

Wordless Wednesday- How cute are we?!

* Please just ignore my cleavage. I did not mean to dress so provocatively for lunch with my grandparents.

Working Girl

Man, I have completely forgotten how hard it is to work all day. After a year of unemployment, getting back in the swing of working is tough. I am tired and I feel like I no time to get anything done. I think I was meant to live a life of leisure. I am just not cut out for this working thing.

In other news, it looks like we may be getting a visit from Hurricane Gustav. So that means my brother is headed down in anticipation of helping my dad work the hurricane insurance claims. And of course my mom is busy with the necessary preparations. But I really hope that Gustav doesn't come here.

I can't help it...I love this.

Much to my dismay, I am a fan of Jesse McCartney. I know it is so teeny bopper but I just can't help it. He is a little young for me....does that make me a cougar? HAHA...only kidding... I know I am too young to be a cougar, but I still love me some Jesse McCartney. :)

Quick Updates

Internship = Awesome

Driving to Clear Lake = Sucko

Three lanes on the Beltway = Super

School = Blah

Having to find the super secret stairs to get to the 3rd floor = Lame

Not getting my loan refund = Boo

Not having my books for class = Not too terrible yet

Having to order books online and expedite delivery = Not fun and Not cheap

Last First Days

Tomorrow is most probably my last ever first day of school.

Weird.

But never say never, I could always go get a second masters or a Phd....haha....calm down Pick....I will be done with school eventually.

This is how I felt last night but the vote was 2-1

Rain Rain Go Away

I am so over this rain! It has been raining for days and days. And I just looked at the 10 day forecast and it has rain predicted for the foreseeable future. BLAH!

I am bummed that the summer is going to end on this gross rainy cloudy streak.

It has been a momentous couple of days

Tuesday-
I had my interview/meeting for my graduate internship at Early Childhood Intervention (ECI). I was nervous about that because my completion of the master's program is dependent on this. But every thing went really well and now I am officially the ECI- Keep Pace, Early Intervention Specialist Intern!! YIPPEEE!!! I am so so so excited to work with ECI; I think I will learn so much and it will be an awesome experience. So if you blog reader people don't know about Early Intervention, then you should Google it because it could really help your family or some one you know.

Wednesday (Today)-
Today was my meeting/interview/registration for the teacher certification program. I was planning on registering for and paying for 2 classes which were going to total about 800 dollars. That is a lot of money but I was planning on the money so I was prepared. Well I get there today and I am called in to an office with the head of the program, and I automatically expect the worse. I thought maybe for some one reason I wasn't approved and I couldn't get my teaching license. But no, the director wanted to tell me that I was exempt for one of the classes and I did not have to take it all to get my license. So that means I did not have to pay the $800! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!! I SAVED 800 BUCKS TODAY!
It was such a blessing to hear that fanstically wonderful news today. I have really been struggling if I was doing the right thing about my certification and teaching in general. I have been praying about it and asking God to lead my decisions. And today was just reinforcement that I am doing the right thing and God is totally in control of this situation. Money is tight for me and I have been solely relying on student loans for the past year and for this next year so an extra $800 is HUGE.

The past couple of days just make me incredibly thankful for God and all the amazing things he is doing in my life. I don't know what I did to deserve the grace I have received, but I only hope I can use my blessings to do nothing but glorify God. These past couple of days have been example of proof that if you trust in God, he will lead you in the right direction. I pray that I can keep my faith strong and be open (and willing) to see the right choices and decisions that God is leading me to.

Am I missing the boat?

What the heck is Twitter? I feel like I am out of the loop. I already have a Facebook page and a Myspace page....do I really need one more thing.....?

Prayer for Tricia

Be praying for Tricia today. She is having an even rougher time than normal.

New Template

So I have obviously changed my background template. What do you think? You better like it because it is going to stay for a while. It was a HUGE hassle to get all my stuff back on my sidebar. It was my first time to change my template from a non-blogger preset one so I might have done it wrong. But man it is not easy to put all that stuff back.

I like my background for now though. :)

Ashley, your over-educated pizza girl

I have just finished my ridiculously-bad-for-me-but-fantastically-tasty lunch of pizza. And on my pizza box there is an advertisement for jobs at the pizza place. They are offering $12-$16 an hour. So I am thinking that since I am apparently unhireable that I may your next pizza delivery girl.

Can't you see me knocking on doors and handing over pizzas for a $2 tip. Yep, my $100,000 education would be served well working at my local Papa Johns. Wouldn't you be proud Pick?!

I am only kidding of course, but I do need a part-time job desperately. I have had a really hard time finding someone willing to hire me. I think I just look too expensive on paper. I'm not, I swear! My only requirements are that the job pay me in US dollars.

Please pray that I find the right job opportunity soon or I really might have to be the pizza delivery girl.

Prayer Requests:
- I find a job
- The FOP blog scam quiets down
- For the scammers that orchestrated the FOP scam
- Daddy and Brian get to and back from Dallas safely
- School year gets off to a good start for teachers and students
- My 2 interviews go well this week

Olympic Update

I have watched more of the Olympics this time than I have ever watched. I have enjoyed it, but it is a little stressful. I get so tense for these poor athletes. Overall, though, I have been glad I have watched some much.

However, I am so stinking sick of women's beach volleyball! I mean, I know the 2 Americans are awesome, but seriously we don't have to watch every single match. I feel like beach volleyball is never going to end. By the time the medal ceremony actually happens no one will care; we will all be over it.

Wordless Wednesday- Bringin' It Old School

Teach for America

Anyone have any thoughts? Insights? Pros? Cons?

I am considering applying to Teach for America. It would be a unique opportunity for me to either go somewhere totally different for a couple of year or even stay close to home to teach in the inner city for a couple of years. It is definitely something to think about....

I wish I knew someone that had done and completed the program. I would like to have some real insight from someones experience.

Keep me in your prayers while I determine if this is God's will for me.

Getting Into You- Reliant K Lyrics

When I made up my mindAnd my heart along with that

To live not for myself

But yet for godSomebody said

Do you know what you are getting yourself into?

When I finally ironed out

All of my priorities

And asked God to remove the doubt

That makes me unsure of these

Things I ask myself

I ask myself

Do you know what you are getting yourself into?

Im getting into you

Because you got to me

In a way words cant describe

Im getting into you

Because Ive got to be

Youre essential to survive

Im going to love you with my life

When he looked at me and saidI kind of view you as a son

And for a second our eyes met

And I met that with a question

Do you know what you are getting yourself into?

Im getting into youBecause you got to me

In a way words cant describeIm getting into you

Because Ive got to be

Youre essential to survive

Im going to love you with my life

Ive been a liar and Ill never amount to

The kind of person you deserve to worship you

You say you will not dwell on what I did but rather what I do you say

I love you and thats what you are getting yourself into

Im getting into you (getting into you)

Because you got to me (because you got to me)

In a way words cant describe

Im getting into you (getting into you)

Because Ive got to be (because Ive got to be)

Youre essential to survive

Im going to love you with my life

Im getting into you (getting into you)

Because you got to me (because you got to me)

In a way words cant describe

Im getting into you (getting into you)

Because Ive got to be (because Ive got to be)

Youre essential to survive

Im going to love you with my life

You said I love you and thats what youre getting into

More on this later when I can better understand it and articulate how it makes me feel.

For now just know that I *heart* Reliant K!

I am done

Summer School is over!! Thank you Jesus, I survived!

And to make it even better, I am done with class for forever! I have completed all my graduate degree class requirements, so now all I have to do is complete my internship in the Fall. Yippee! I still have to take 1 class in the Fall so that I don't lose my health insurance but I am going to take something fun and useless.

Summer school was tough and long. It wore me out. But I persevered and now it is over.

Updates and Random Blurbs

Edouard was all hype and no bite. Oh well...we were prepared.

1 more day left of summer school!!! I am SO ready for school to be over. I am contemplating dropping my 2 classes I am registered for in the Fall since they aren't needed. That would mean I only had my internship to deal with. The thought of being done with classes makes me very happy!

I really want to buy a dirt bike or a sewing machine. I should probably go with the sewing machine... it would be way cheaper. I need a hobby....besides blogs and blogging. :)

Health insurance makes me crazy and stressed out.

I love that teachers are so giving and put their resources and ideas on the internet for us newbies to use. I don't know many other careers where professionals will freely give their ideas and tricks to others. I am off to finish my classroom management plan.

Ode to Edouard

Thank you for coming into the gulf.

Thank you for coming in at Galveston.

Thank you for cancelling classes tomorrow at UH.

Thank you Edouard! I needed a little excitement in my life!

But in all seriousness, I hope that this storm doesn't cause many serious injuries and people are careful and safe.

I hope that people use this storm as a reminder of the greatness and magnitude that God is capable of.

Be thankful for our weather.

Don't Call PETA on me

My Little Animal Experiment

Hypothesis: Chloe will be a fan of Mac & Cheese

Step 1: Introduce Kraft Shells & Cheese

Step 2: Subject approaches

Step 3: Subject smells

Step 4: Subject Licks

Step 5: Subject Tastes

Results: Chloe is indeed a HUGE fan of Kraft Mac & Cheese

I have weird tastes in sports

Anyone who knows me and anyone who looks at me would not guess my tastes in sports. No one would ever look at me and say, "I bet that girl is a NASCAR fan", but I am a HUGE obsessive fan. And lately I have been completely enthralled with X games. I am so not a skateboard, BMX, Moto X kind of girl. But I am loving it! I was completely into the Winter X Games too.

My sports choices are so random. I don't know what that says about me, I guess I am just a girl with varied tastes. :)