[nikcole]

In an effort to keep my screennames across the internet world the same (as OCD as that may be) if you would like to continue reading my journal, I suggest go here:

http://prevent1984.livejournal.com/

End.

First class cancelled today due to? Probably the fact that it is the first day back after Spring Break, I got up at 6 after getting very little sleep this weekend, and I drove the 45 minutes to my campus and walked to class. You know, I am sure it is all about me. Ha.
Well, it's not so bad I guess, as it is the first day after Spring Break so I don't have homework I feel obligated to complete in this window of free time, therefore, I get to post this little entry for you guys. You guys being whoever is out there.
Went to bed with one varmint (thats what I am calling our trillion pets) in bed with me, and woke up with two. The door was closed all night as far as I know, so the varmints must be plotting in advance so they can sneak into my room. Or Angeles is just opening the door for people at night. Either way.
School/Work is going pretty well. Things have gotten a little crazy at the grocery store lately, what with new policies and everyone being stressed out over said new policies. Though I don't like being personally responsible for shortages behind the customer service counter and in the office (because it makes you responsible for everyone's mistakes, not just your own), I have to admit the policy has been working thus far. The shortages have stopped. Or we really did get the theif and/or airhead off the counter. I don't know, I just hope it continues to work out. I am so seldom on the counter anymore it doesn't matter, I spend most of my time holed up in the office.
The real estate office has seen better times. Real estate is well...bad. However, I feel pretty secure in my job there, and you can't worry about things that haven't happened yet anyway. I wish I had a few more ads to run at times, but that's ok. We're doing what we can do. Cleaning has also been steady, though I would not mind getting that second day of cleaning at Watson back so I could earn that extra cash.
My editor has not contacted me in a while - my mom says the lady is just like that. She will be in touch everyday, and then suddenly fall out of touch for months. I am okay with it, really, as the articles were extra cash on the side and I haven't had any free time in a while.
We finally have HIGH SPEED INTERWEBS! It's through a satellite, through a wireless router, and it's fast, and I love it. I hope it all works out well and we get to keep it. So far, installation bumps aside, we are running well. I am thinking about downloading AIM again, however, does anyone remember my username? I think it was thefilmgeek or thefilmgeek87. Who knows anymore!?
Well, this is boring to y'all, time-filling for me, and I can't remember what has been going on much less type it all, so that's a wrap. Peace.

My debts are at long last paid off. As of Tuesday at 10:31 its all over and feels incredible. I should be a sophomore at the end of this semester. I am going to buy my parents the best gift eVar, even though it will probably take 3-4 months to save up the money. I have approx. 8 classes until I earn my A.A. I am taking my mother out to dinner to thank her for her time. I work at four jobs and even though some weekends, I don't think I like the grocery store, I really love every single job. I can save money now and it will actually be mine. I turn 21 in July. All these things make me :).

Call it a miracle or just what a week of preparation does for you… nonetheless, I scored a 105 on my first math test of the semester. Woo! Absolutely amazing feeling considering math and I’s brutal past of failure and disappointment. Brutal, I say.

Things I really need to do:
Laundry
Clean out my car
Empty my inbox at home

Things that are more important:
Homework
School
Work

I’d say I am just going to take a day off soon, so I can get all caught up, but…no. I have two major debts that have come together at pretty much exactly the same time, and hopefully, until the second one is resolved (I resolved the first one as of yesterday – feels great), I won’t be taking a day off.
These debts have really put a giant, gaping hole in my intentions to go to Pensacola for Angela’s wedding. I really don’t see how this can be possible now, unless the second company rejects my settlement offer and I start some kind of monthly payment plan. So I will wait until I receive an answer from them, and then I will know for sure. As much as I would love to attend Angela’s wedding and get a chance to visit in ole P’cola, I am really hoping they accept my settlement offer and I CANT go, simply because that will mean all my debts have been resolved. They are the last one...I can’t believe it, but they are-and I would rather go to P’cola later in the year and have this behind me, than go now and not be able to resolve my financial issues.
And really, that’s the grown up way to feel…which means a real change must be happening in my financial perspective, which gives me hope for my future.

I got a pretty awesome belated Christmas gift yesterday. That’s all I will say, but I loved it.

Things are really strained in the real estate business – which has me a bit worried about my job security at Watson (which is my favorite job), but I am trying not to focus on trouble that hasn’t brewed yet. I see a lot of signs of improvement, and I think if we can all just last a little longer, we are going to make it through this dry spell in one piece. My other jobs are going well also, and quite honestly I thinking writing, cleaning and grocery are always going to be secure.

I picked up four lovely books from the school library today – all on the amazing author, Mr. George Orwell (you may know him as the author of 1984 and Animal Farm), and though I know I wont have time to read them in their entirety, I hope to enjoy a skim through of each of them.

Alas, I have bored you all long enough. As it stands now I have the following grades in the following classes:

Lit: 100
Sociology: 100
Humanities: 100
Math: 123

Wooo! Woo!

Take that, high school/first year of college.

Later all.

I wrote the first essay I've written in a year today. It felt amazing.

Tomorrow is a holiday which means work, but no school.

I am going to use it as catch up/get ahead day for school things.

Hence, I will have to do a close reading essay on the story An Old Man with Enormous Wings, which I read and at first viewed as a completely pointless piece of literature, to which I would in no way be able to relate irony or characters or any kind of element of literature, but then I realized (light bulb!) I could, but the story still lacked any kind of literary interest to me.
I don't know, I just did not like it.

Then there will be plenty of math/math studying to do, same with lit and socio, and overall, come Tuesday I hope to be way ahead thus eliminating any future stress.

As for life - work is going well and all. Uh, registration for summer will be coming up and I hope to find four classes I need that they offer over the summer, so I can play catch up with my credits. I am hoping finances will come together well so I can pay for school/pay this newest debt I am working on/also go to Angelas wedding with very little financial strain. All of this is falling very close together, though. It looks good right now though - especially if this lady accepts my settlement offer.

Anyway, not much more to say today. Or nothing I can think of anyway.

Well, 2008 has begun, along with a new school year, new diet and new things to accomplish.

Pending issues to deal with:

Angeles is due for her vaccinations, in addition to being sick and possibly needing to see the vet ($32 just for an exam). My mom suggests some different types of medicines – good idea, and I plan to try that first.
Looking for a way to be more active – thinking about paying a monthly fee for access to a swimming pool (NIKCOLE!? IN A POOL?) Very preliminary thought, may look for some other way, but swimming would be a good exercise.

End pending issues.

Classes are going well. Today marked day 4 and I am still alive. My days run from 630 am to 1100 pm now, with the four jobs and the four classes. I am busy, but happy, and feeling pretty well accomplished.

Currently taking:

Sociology; the teacher is not prejudice in any form = plus, her lectures aren’t boring = plus, one of my classmates is one of the cashiers on my front end at the grocery store = undecided.
Humanities; for anyone who went to HS with me and knew Mr. Ives, this is him, only a little physically different, Dr. Savage = exact replica of Dr. House, he is a very interesting guy and his lectures are great (so far)
Lit; first story we read in class was The Most Dangerous Game = plus, she has a lisp which makes me smile, I read the most boring short story in the world for homework Wed = negative
Math; kill me! Lesson 1 and I am a little confused but I am GOING TO MAKE IT, found two other ladies to study with who are in no way ever going possibly be friends = not a distraction from my studies = plus

Working World:

Hitchcocks; I am mostly in the office now = plus though every once in a while they have me close customer service which is still better than being a cashier
Watson; still a great place to work, still loving it, and it offers a lot when it comes to using printers and studying and using the internet for school stuffs
The Little Jobs; working one night a week cleaning now, so relatively light
Palatka Daily News; just wrote two more articles, think I have written about fifteen altogether now, nice little bonus every week or two

So my days pretty much go
Mon: get up, school, work, study, work somewhere else, home, study, bed
Tues – Fri: get up, school, work, study, home, study, study, bed
Sat: study, study, study, work, bed
Sun: repeat Sat

I am missing everyone and hoping you’re doing well. Angeles says hi.

:D Be safe friends.

The way I see it all playing out in my head at the moment, there will be many things accomplished in 2008. There will probably be no real resolutions, but accomplishments will be fulfilled - some long term ones that have required closure for quite a while.

 

The way I have it planned, I will have one of my three remaining major debts paid off by the end of the first week of January. An incredible self-esteem booster for me in almost every way.

Also, by the end of that first week in January, I will once again be a college student. I cannot explain my excitement - and in that statement I am very sincere.

In a bit of a longer range vision of the year, I will officially be a college sophomore by the end of May. Something that has been foolishly delayed, and will be remedied with my returning to school.

One other long term goal could play out in one or two ways. I will either satisfy another outstanding, rather large debt in one lump sum, or I will distribute the money I have saved to pay stated debt over a period of months. Either way, I see that debt and the third remaining one being paid by the end of 2008.

I see myself being thinner, healthier and in better shape this year - simply because I plan to take the steps required to accomplish those three things. I may fail, but I will try and that will be that. So I see at least a small improvement happening in my body in 2008.

If all goes according to plan, and other above-stated goals are accomplished as expected, I see myself holding an A.A. degree by the end of the year, as well as beginning the steps to apply to a four year college of my choice - most likely UNF, UF or some other university close to my family.

I expect by the end of this year to be a much more financially responsible and secure human being.

I also hope to become a monthly donor to the ASPCA, and a better kitty-cat mom.

If I can accomplish it, though it could be difficult to succeed, I would like to develop a financial cushion this year. Whether it be for the future or forever, I'd like to have about $5,000 saved, which I would not touch unless there was an emergency. However, I am not being over-zealous. I do realize with my outstanding debts to wrap up, my tuition and other life expenses, this money could be difficult to raise-however, I will try my hardest.

Though written last, certainly not the least of my goals - I would like to become a better person in general. I would like to learn to keep my mouth shut, complain less, help more, be more dependable and work on my personal flaws.

If things go as I expect, 2008 will be a better year, a year of personal growth and a year of financial smarts instead of no-nos.

I wish the best for my friends and family in the New Year, hoping they will accomplish all that they desire as well.

Today I heard the mailman drop a package at our door and I excitedly ran to the door knowing Mandy's gift for me was on it's way. I open the door and lo and behold, two gifts await me, not one.

I opened the one from the ASPCA first, and Mandy's gift was there-thanks Mandy.

Then I opened the other one, still not expecting a gift, as I have ordered some things recently, and there was a gift from Amy. Completely unexpected, a great note attached, with two of the best movies in the world inside. Ha.

It was special. Almost brought tears to my eyes.

It's on days like these that I am sad because of my busy life. I know I need to go back to school, I know I need to have these four jobs to go back to school and also handle my debts-but days like today make me wish I had just a little more time each day. If I had just a little more time, it would be so easy to sit down and call Mandy, Amy, Patrick, etc. It would make it so much easier to keep in touch.

You guys know I love you all dearly-and my lack of presence in your lives is at time regrettably necessary to keep myself focused and doing what I need to do. However, I love you all dearly.

This Christmas the best thing in the world for me is to be here with my family, getting my life back together (slowly but surely), and trying to make sure I am grow up to be the kid that makes my parents proud, the friend that is appreciated, the co-worker that is dependable.

But it's days like today, when I open an unexpected gift, or get a letter, or a phone call from one of you guys that reminds me that I have friends. We may all be stretched very thin, we may all talk very little, but we're all here for each other.

Thanks guys.