What A Nightmare

I registered for my Summer 2010 and Fall 2010 classes back in April. When I looked at my class printout I noticed that my College Algebra class which is a Tues./Thurs. class started on Monday August 30. I thought that was pretty weird but that's what the paperwork said. So yesterday I woke up and headed to class. I found my room and it was completely full and the teacher was already going through the syllabus. I freaked out because I was 15 minutes early and the class shouldn't have started yet. Before going into the classroom I saw a notice by the door about a cancelled algebra class. I freaked again and read the notice. Luckily it wasn't my class but that didn't explain why I was somehow late for the class in the room. I saw an office across the hall and decided to ask the lady there if she knew anything about the class starting early. The lady told me that my class probably started after the one that was in there. I waited in the hall until some guy came to me and asked if I was waiting for the next math class. I told him I was, but we discovered that we had different teachers and different math classes. What was going on? Then it occurred to me that I probably misread what my paperwork said. It probably meant that term started on Monday August 30 but my class was on Tuesday. I decided to go home and figure it out later.

Take Two: I woke up this morning and headed to class. Sure enough I misread my paperwork and my class really did start today. While the teacher was going over the syllabus I discovered that I bought the wrong algebra book. Actually, I bought the book in June and apparently they came out with a new addition to use this semester. Suck!! After class I went to the bookstore to buy the right book and ended up waiting in line for over an hour. The book is brand new so I decided to rent the thing since $200 for a new book is out of my budget. Ended up only paying $85 to rent it. I asked the cashier if I would be able to sell my old algebra book. She sent me to another line that I waited in for another hour. They did buy the book back BUT I only got $25 for a book I originally spent over $100 for. Lame!! At least I got some money for it.

Class itself was a nightmare. Most of the students in the class are right out of high school and math/algebra is fresh on the brain. My brain hasn't done mathematical equations in over 7 years. The teacher was putting equations on the board that looked foreign to me. I didn't even know where to begin to solve the problems. This class is going to be murder. I don't have class tomorrow and luckily I don't work till the evening so I plan on going to the school and getting some tutoring before class on Thursday. Hopefully I'll be able to freshen up a little before I start getting actual assignments. I'm really nervous and I'm just hoping for the best. I can't afford to fail this course.

Fall Semester 2010

Tomorrow I start my first class for Fall 2010! I'm excited to be going back to school and I hope that I'll be able to juggle my classes and continue working 2 part time jobs. I was able to continue working both jobs while I took my very demanding summer drawing class...so I think I can do it in the fall as well.

Tomorrow I start my Tues./Thurs. class: College Algebra (funny that it starts on a Monday)

Math was always one of my best subjects in Middle and High School, especially Algebra. I'm really nervous for this class cause I haven't taken a formal math class in over 7 years. I'm afraid that my math skills are a little rusty since the only math I've done since 2003 is balance a checkbook! I'm sure I'll be fine and that everything will come back to me. A girl from my drawing class had the same teacher that I have, and she told me the teacher is really good! Yeah!

On September 13 I start my Mon./Wed. class: Fundamentals of Interior Design

I'm especially excited for this class since it'll be the first class I take that focuses on my actual degree! I've heard from numerous people that the class is challenging but I'm sure everything will be just fine. I've mostly heard that the class is time consuming (which could be tough with two jobs) and that the projects are a little hard. I guess I'll find out in a few more weeks.

Work is going to be a little crazy this week which I'm NOT excited about. When I'm not in school it's easy for me to work both jobs in one day! I can open at one and close at the other...easy as pie. When I'm in school I can't do that. Mon.-Thurs. I can ONLY work one job a day. In order for both jobs to give me hours...I have to stretch myself thin. I've been working about 30 hours a week (5 days) at Palais Royal and anywhere from 4-22 hours a week at Gymboree. The past 6 weeks I've worked 40-46 hours a week between both jobs. When I took my drawing class back in June, I had to drop my hours drastically to 20-30 between both jobs. My last week of class I ended up working a total of 18 hours (both jobs). Both jobs are severely understaffed which is extremely unfortunate for me. Luckily both jobs have hired at least one new person and they continue to interview. I'm just afraid that I'll have to have words with my bosses so they don't schedule me like they have this week, again. Like tomorrow for instance:

• Class: 11:00-12:20
• Gymboree: 1:00-3:00
• Palais Royal: 3:30-9:30

Are they crazy? When am I going to work on my homework assignments, huh? I'll have to figure it out and hopefully they'll become flexible again! At least it's only the first week and I probably won't get MUCH homework after the first class. Luckily my other class isn't for a few more weeks either. I think I'm just tired because I haven't had a day off since the 17 and I've worked 81 hours since then.

I can do this!!! Yea!!

Taylor Swift

Apparently I look like Taylor Swift!

I think she is WAY prettier than me but I actually see the resemblance.

If I got a dollar for every time someone told me I look like Taylor, I'd be a rich woman!!

I get told almost everyday by someone....I hear it ALL THE TIME!!

Don't get me wrong....I don't mind being her look-a-like cause I think she is gorgeous!!

Already this week I've been told twice, once last night and once today!

In fact, I see a guy almost every morning before work that actually thought I was Taylor the first time he saw me. I heard this man calling out to me, "Ma'am!! Ma'am!!" I finally turned around and he told me that he thought I was Taylor Swift. Now when I see him he just calls me Taylor!! Kinda funny! I'm going to start keeping track of all the times someone tells me I look like her. This could be a fun little project!! Knowing my luck, people are gonna stop telling me that I look like her now that I'm keeping track!

Grotesque

Is it just me or could this man, William Devane, have modeled for Leonardo Da Vinci when he was doing his study of Grotesque faces?

I see a similarity!

I'm Going To Atlanta

30 minutes ago I received a text from Brandon asking if I would fly to Atlanta for the weekend if he were to buy my ticket?

OMG!!

I can't believe this is actually going to happen!

He is flying me to Atlanta for a weekend! I repeat....He is flying me to Atlanta for a weekend!

My heart is pounding and my pits are sweating up a storm! I'm extremely excited but extremely nervous at the same time. At least I have about a month to prepare!

Craziness!!!

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PTO

It's the middle of August and Brandon is not coming to visit. I believe it was sometime in June when I posted that he was coming for his visit this month. Just yesterday he informed me that he still plans on coming but he has to accumulate more PTO because he used his all up when he went to his mother's wedding in the Virgin Islands last month. "Boo" that I have to wait longer but "Yeah" that he still wants to come. Who knows when he'll have enough PTO to come visit but I guess I'll just have to be patient and find out. Yeah right....I think he just wants to get his six pack before he comes and he's using the PTO as an excuse ;-p

Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts

I love this song! I'm having one of those "I Hate Men" moments and this song portrays exactly how I'm feeling!

Honesty Pays

Today I went to Office Depot to buy some school supplies! I didn't buy much but I noticed that the cashier didn't charge me for my $2.99 pencils. I was looking at my receipt while waiting for a green light. Good thing I hadn't gone far when I noticed this. I made a U-turn and headed back to Office Depot. I could have easily just gone home and told myself, "It's only $2.99. There's no need to go back to pay such a small amount." Well I wouldn't let the devil on my shoulder get the best of me. The cashier apologized and told me it was her mistake and I didn't have to pay for it. She thanked me for my honesty and sent me on my way with free pencils. I guess honesty pays. I got to keep my 3 bucks and my pencils. Yeah!!

PS: Office Depot was my first job 7 years ago and it was really fun walking in there again. It brought back fond memories. The store has been completely remodeled and I got lost looking for the calculators. It was pretty cool because my favorite manager still works there. He was too busy or I would have stopped him and said hi. I'll have to say hi to him the next time I go buy supplies.

Jury Summons

Today I got a jury summons in the mail! Booooo! I was reading through the summons and noticed that it is on the day I start school. Double Boooooooo!! After I told my mom about my summons she told me that I would be exempt for being a student. Sure enough....students are exempt!!! Yeah!!! I don't have to go to jury duty anymore!

"Boom chicka boom! Boom chicka boom! Boom chicka ricka chicka boom boom boom!!!"

(some cheer my mom taught me last night...kinda funny)

Little Black Dress

Because Macy's has a 90% black dress code, I own A LOT of black! After working for them for 2 years you can only imagine exactly how much I have. Not having much money to go on shopping sprees I just wear all my old black dresses to my 2 new jobs here. Just last week some of my favorite co-workers at Palais Royal were making fun of me for wearing so much black. I decided it was time to wear some color and so last night I pulled out a brown, coral and cream colored skirt. My co-workers were so shocked and thought I looked beautiful. It was fun wearing some color for a change. I guess I'll need to wear color a little more often.

Will I Continue To Draw?

To answer your question, Kami, yes I will continue drawing! However, I will not be taking anymore art/drawing classes. I never realized how important drawing is for Interior designers until I started watching shows on HGTV like Color Splash and Divine Design. I do have a few more Interior Design based drawing classes that I will be required to take for my degree.

Technical Drawing for Interior Designers is one of the courses. I assume that I'll be learning how to draw floor plans in this class.

I guess I'll find out in the Spring when I take the class :-)

I'll also be taking a Presentation Drawing class where I assume I'll be drawing very detailed depictions of what an actual room is going to look like, almost like a photograph.

I'm not too nervous about taking the technical drawing class but I think the presentation drawing class will be a challenge. These are the only 2 classes that I know of that require drawing but some of the other classes may require it as well....I guess I'll find out when the time comes!

My Portfolio

I've been wanting to do this post since I ended my drawing class back in July but I've been too tired and maybe a little lazy to do this till now. On the first day of my drawing class the teacher told us that we would turn in a portfolio of our 7 best drawings done during the semester. She told us that we would choose our 7 and they didn't necessarily have to be the ones that we got our best grades on. It was really hard for me to find 7 drawings that were good enough for my portfolio but these are the 7 that I chose.

1. Scribble Portrait of Mike Owens

This assignment was done during class the first week. We were partnered with a classmate and required to draw them using a fine tipped sharpie doing ONLY scribbles. I picked this one because it was the first assignment we did in class that I actually enjoyed.

2. Chiaroscuro

This was our 4th out of 7 homework assignments. I wasn't particularly fond of this drawing but I chose to put it in my portfolio because it was one of the first drawings that I got a decent grade on. It was a study of light logic of different objects and their textures. This was done in graphite and pencil.

3. Shape and Volume Study- White Still Life

This was a class assignment done our second week in class. All the objects were white and we drew in the dark with only spotlights on the objects. This was my favorite class assignment and it was also my first good grade in the class. We were required to use charcoal and a kneaded eraser.

4. Happy Snowman #2

This was a classwork assignment using acrylic paint. We did 3 wet media assignments in class and this was my favorite of the three. I chose this one for my portfolio because I got an "A" on this painting.

5. Self-Expressed Through Objects

This was homework assignment #6. We had to draw 3-5 objects that expressed who we are. The cat shows my love for cats (dah), the nutcracker shows my love for the Nutcracker Ballet and ballet in general and the stiletto shows my love for shoes and fashion all together. Conte crayon was the required media for this assignment. I didn't get the grade I deserved for this drawing but I chose it for my portfolio because it was one of my drawings that I was most proud of.

6. Lost and Found Edges

This was our 3rd homework assignment and my breakthrough drawing of the semester. I "WOWED" my parents, my teacher, my classmates and best of all...MYSELF with this drawing. Using charcoal and eraser we were required to draw pots, pans, plates, bowls or any other like kitchen accessories and supplies. I received my first "A" of the semester with this drawing.

7. Bathroom Composition
I didn't think I would have another drawing done as well as my lost and found edges piece but this was my personal best. Homework assignment #5 using charcoal and graphite. I wanted the bathroom rug to be the focal point and I personally feel like I succeeded in that department. The entire class, including the teacher, was extremely impressed and I received my first "beautiful" critique from the class. This drawing is my pride and joy and I almost want to get the dang thing framed.

So these are the 7 drawings I picked for my portfolio. I know that I've posted some of them in previous posts but I wanted to show them off AGAIN. Now I'll show you some of my other drawings that I considered for the portfolio.

Modeling Study In Graphite

Hallway Perspective In Pencil

Happy Snowman #1 In Acrylic Paint

Happy Skeleton In Pencil and Graphite

Final Exam: Psychological Self-Portrait In Graphite and Conte Crayon

To see a few more you can check them out on facebook!

Stupid Car

It rains a lot down here in Houston and I've had to drive through some floods to get home from work some nights. The weather is really hurting my car, I think. My brakes aren't working as well as they did before I moved here and my car screeches really loud when I turn it on and put my foot on the gas. I've been really concerned but too afraid of the cost to repair anything. Last Wednesday the check engine light came on in my car. I was hoping that the stupid light would turn off eventually but by the end of the week it was still there. On Monday I took my car in to get it checked out. Over $1,000 to get the car repaired. We asked what was necessary to get it fixed and they said it all needed to be done or the car would just die on me eventually. My dad was able to talk them down in price to $903 but that is still a lot of money, for me.

I just barely got home with my improved car and it feels great. I got some new brakes and I feel safe behind the wheel again. I better feel safe after spending 900 bucks, right? My checking account has seen better days and so has my savings but I'm happy that I had the money to take care of my car and that I'll have enough money to pay my bills before next pay day. I may have to apply for financial aid or something so I can continue going to school but luckily fall semester is mostly paid. I'm extremely stressed financially but I know everything will work out in the end.

Exhausted

I'm completely exhausted!

Wednesday was my first day off in two weeks! I worked a total of 97 hours between my days off. Wednesday came and I was SO excited to have a day where I didn't have to do anything. Early Wednesday morning I got a text from my Gymboree manager asking me to come in for a 4 hour shift. I literally started bawling. We've been having a ton of problems with the Gymboree management staff and I'm really the only reliable employee at this time. On Tuesday night my manager asked if I would like to be promoted. I turned down the position because I know I wouldn't be able to work the hours needed for that position once I start school in 3 weeks. Luckily I ended up not having to work on Wednesday and I was never so relieved in my life. One never really knows quite how tired they are until they take the time to actually rest. My work week has been pretty simple since Wednesday and I haven't had to work both jobs since Tuesday. Now that I'm not working ALL day I'm realizing how much these 97 hours have done to me. I took 2 naps today and I don't know how I'll be able to get through my short shift this evening. Should be interesting....luckily it's only 2 hours.

Not only am I exhausted from work but I'm feeling really down. I'm on my period and my stupid hormones always play tricks with my brain.

I love my dad SO much but I just don't have the patience that I wish I had when dealing with him. My dad thinks of me as that young teenage girl that lived here 7 years ago. He forgets that I'm almost 27 and I'm not that immature little girl anymore. He jokes around with me and tries to make conversation with me that seems pointless. I'm really starting to get annoyed with him and my first reaction is to snap at him. I feel SO bad and I find myself crying in my room because I don't want to be mean but I don't know how to get it through his head not to treat me like a child anymore. Back when I was growing up, I had no obligations. My parents paid for everything. Even after I graduated from High School and got my first job, my parents still paid for everything. This time around I have numerous amounts of bills to pay that cause me daily stress. I work so much and I make very LITTLE money. I'm lucky that I have parents that are letting me live with them for free because I would never be able to afford a place of mine own with the income I make. I wish I did make good money so I could live on my own. The past two weeks my parents were in Utah visiting family and I had the house all to myself. I never missed them once because I was enjoying my freedom. I feel bad for saying that because I do love my parents but I'm really needing my space.

Sorry that this post is mostly a venting post but I have to get it out somehow.