Hi & Welcome!

Sorry for posting so late in the day!

If you are visiting from Mrs. O's blog, WELCOME!  I feel so honored to be this week's spotlight.

My name is Lori and I have been blogging for about 9 months.  My blog began as a sounding board for me, but has grown into a place where I can really express myself (hopefully, in a good way).  I live outside of Portland, Oregon with my husband and four children: Michael - 19, Brandon - 11, Kimberly - 7, and Ellie who is almost 5.  I attend college, primarily Oregon Tech (Oregon Institute of Technology), but also Clackamas Community College in order to complete some electives in the least expensive manner possible.  I hope to graduate next year with a BS degree in Information Technology with a Business/Systems Analyst Option.

In my spare time (not much these days), I read and quilt, though I do not consider myself "crafty" in the least, unless a computer is involved!

I thought the best way to get to know me is to reveal some quirky facts about me, so here are 10:

1. I love disaster movies and shows of the same genre (Armageddon, 2012, etc.)
2. I have a slight addiction to Karaoke
3. I have a passion for football, and especially the Dallas Cowboys, that I cannot quite describe.
4. I have a hatred for Microsoft and their products that I cannot quite describe.
5. As #4 would suggest, I am a Mac user.
6. Another hobby I have is to find songs that match my friends and create ringtones out of them then assign them on my phone.
7. I am learning SQL this term, and am positively GIDDY about it!
8. I am the worst housekeeper EVER.
9. My family is running a fireworks stand this year.
10. I am a major GEEK.  I love all things technical!

Well, that's about it.  Thanks for reading this far.  I love, love, LOVE comments, so please leave them!!

-Lori

Grad Aftermath & Summer Term

I got some back story information about what happened on graduation night.  As I suspected, the individual in question decided that she wanted to make that night all about her (she even told a mutual friend as much), and made excuse after excuse for everything.  I now know that she knows how upset I was, but obviously does not care.  I have gotten no phone calls, text messages, or even a Facebook message.  An apology is a reach, I know (she doesn't think she did anything wrong), but an acknowledgement of my pain would be appreciated.  It is obvious that this isn't going to happen.  As painful as it is, this is a friendship that I am going to have to end.  That is very difficult for me, because, as an overachiever, I don't give up on anything.  I dearly love this person, but I really don't have a choice.  My feelings obviously mean nothing to them, and I do not think a healthy friendship can exist in that type of environment.  I may be wrong and would appreciate any feedback/advice any of you have on this.

Now, because this can't rule my existence, I am starting to look forward to Summer term, which starts on Monday.  I'm pretty excited about the SQL class, because I've been wanting to learn it for over a decade.  Plus, the History classes are going to be awesome.  Below is a list of courses I am taking.  Even though I have graduated, I will still be taking classes at Clackamas, because OIT doesn't offer much in this area.

CCC
History of the United States
The Great Depression and New Deal
Microeconomics
Statistics II (This is a late starting class which begins in August)

OIT
Relational Database Design I (SQL class)
Document Development
Finite Math and Calculus I

So that's it, just 7 classes, and only 6 at one time.  They are accelerated classes, however, and only last 8 weeks, so there will be a bit more work, but these classes will be much more enjoyable.  Hopefully, the situation mentioned above will be resolved also, which will make things much less stressfull.

Here's to a..

Great SUMMER Term!

IT Finally Happened

After 7 terms, 2 different schools, and 143 credits, I found something today that had never been on my grade report before:

B

Actually, two of them. 

I thought I would be devastated, but I'm kind of relieved.  Relieved that Spring term is over, relieved that the cloud of the "eventual B" is no longer over me.

Time to move on...One more year to go. 

Weird.

Graduation Day or Just Another Day

***Warning, this post contains a little bit of whining and celebrating via pity party.  If you are offended, read no further***

I graduated today.  I received my AAS degree in Project Management from Clackamas Community College.

Not that anyone noticed.

It was treated like another day by my family, and everyone around me.  That is, except by my friends who also graduated.  Then, apparently, they decided that they would "whoop it up" without me.

I went to have ice cream with the kids and they were supposed to call me and let me know what was going on.  1 hour went by, then another half hour.  Text messages did not get a response, and phone calls were rejected (yes, actually rejected, not just not answered).

So here I am, celebrating.

Alone.

Happy Graduation Lori!

Complete

All the work is done for this term.  It really has been a terrible term.  Between conflict with a teacher that was completely draining to having the most demanding class I've ever taken this term, it has been EXHAUSTING!!

I am waiting on final grades.  I may lose my 4.0 this term.  There's a pretty good chance of it, actually.

I'll update more tomorrow!