thoughts whilst listening to a song Jason should sing... consult the lists.

Since it seems I never really update this anymore unless it's some sort of American Idol thing, here's what's really going on in my life, now that I've completely recovered from surgery and another transition is coming up.

1.) Johan the cat.



He's such a scrappy little thing, but I simply adore him. After I spoke to our leasing agent and got the a-okay to get a kitty, Cindy and I went to the animal shelter so she could get a little friend to keep her company. I wasn't expecting to actually find a cat, but I bonded with this guy who was originally named "Howard". Apparently his former family moved and couldn't take him and he'd only had his name for a few months, so I allowed Patrick to re-name him Johan [a Viking name!] just as long as I could call him Yoyo. And I do.

He's a little bit nuts - he steals Abbie's bed, stalks our flying squirrel, gets the crazies every few hours where he sprints all over the house and causes havoc, and is obsessed with climbing through our mini-blinds. Not to mention he looks like a junkyard cat, all super skinny with a tail bent in two places. But we love him and he's a sweet little kitten when he wants to be. Not to mention, Patrick has a playmate now [Abbie doesn't play... you give her a toy, she stashes it behind the TV. Johan actually steals her toys and plays with them.]



2.) The end of the semester and summer 2008.

So, my first semester at UCO is wrapping up. I'm pretty proud of myself for getting over the hump that is the first real semester back at school after a long time. It wasn't easy getting back into the groove of being a full-time student again, but I did and I'm already enrolled in two classes this summer - Principles of Public Relations and Principles of Advertising. I think one of the hardest obstacles of being new to UCO was not knowing anyone and feeling like the oldest person in many of my classes. I remember SFSU well - I was one of the youngest, even though I was a senior in my very early 20s. Here, I'm the oldest by what seems like at least three years. It's jarring.

3.) The possibility of finding a new job.

My hours were cut at my job - not because of me personally, but because of other not-me related reasons. With that said, even though we're only losing about $50 a week, it adds up because I only worked about 15 hours a week to begin with. But I was getting $9 an hour - incredibly good for this state - and it adds up. I don't want to find a new job. I'm perfectly happy waking up early and having a set schedule, and I really love the kids I work for. I've seen them grow up a lot in the past seven months, especially little Zach who is now walking and eating real food and babbling up a storm. I've grown really attached to the little dudes, and I like their parents a lot, so this isn't easy. But it's only been about two weeks since they cut my hours, and it's starting to show in Patrick's and my finances, so I'm looking for a second job. I have an interview tomorrow afternoon at a tanning salon, and they already phone-interviewed me and they seem interested. It's also a non-chain salon - from the sounds of it, it's a lot like the one I worked at in California... which I still consider to be the best job I've ever had. So I have that to look forward to.

4.) Going back to California for a couple weeks.

I'm seriously excited. I miss my parents and my friends, and I REALLY miss California. Plus I'm not driving this time! I'll actually go from Oklahoma to California in the span of one morning! That alone is worth raving about. It's going to be a really crammed two weeks, but it looks like I'll get to see most of my friends and my in-laws, and Mom and I already have a nice trip to San Francisco planned [I have to get some clam chowder in a bread bowl and some clam strips]. Patrick will be in Airmen Leadership School, so he'll be here watching Abbie and Yoyo. And I'll get to watch the top 3 and season finale of American Idol with Mom - we won't have to do the three-hours behind recap over the phone. With that said...

5.) The American Idol top 5... and onward.

If the massive bus-throwing and depimping of Jason last week on Idol couldn't derail him from the show, I don't know what will. I really believe at this point he'll make top 3. It amazed me how they turned him from "serious dark horse contender for the finale" to "Sanjaya 2.0" in the course of seven days, but they managed to. So not only is his [ginormous and highly organized] fanbase pissed, they're also coming up to Neil Diamond week which is a perfect fit for Jason. I see good things coming. And if something happens... well, David Cook is also pretty damn awesome. I can see him winning, and it'd be cool.

So even on weird days like today where I'm convinced we'll be in debt forever or I'll never find someone to fix my damn cell phone or I feel like this semester will NEVER end... I know that there are good things coming. And a trip home is exactly what I need to get re-energized for the next few crazy months. And because I am such a camera-whore, here are two fun shots from this month...

My mom gets me chocolate ladybugs instead of chocolate bunnies for Easter. That's love.



Why am I a full head taller than both Julie AND Cindy? I have no idea... it was probably the heels that made me about as tall as Patrick. Oh well. We had a great time at CityWalk for Cindy's and my birthday, despite me still being on painkillers.