[Valerie Michele]

Well, this journal really has nothing to do with labyrinths, licorice or Lothlórien, except for the fact that it is my journal and those are all things or places I rather like.

I've never been a very active member of this forum, to this date I only have something like 20 posts to my name, but the idea of a journal here caught my attention. I happened to drop by these forums again after receiving a "happy birthday" e-mail from CGR last week. Just looking over the few posts I made 3 years ago made me remember things and happenings that I hadn't thought of for quite some time. Then I thought it would be neat if after another 3 years pass, I'd have this to look back on.

So, welcome to my fledgling journal! I doubt that anyone will read it, or that it will garner much attention, but that's really not my goal anyway... not that feedback and/or questions wouldn't be nice!

Anywho, I'm going to crawl into bed now. I need to work extra hours tomorrow to make up for some hours I missed today. I also need to go to class and take meticulous notes for my upcoming test on Thursday. There are many many more things I'd like to do, but for the time being, those are the top two on my list for tomorrow! So I'm just going to read a bit in the Bible and then get some sleep!

-VAL

[Tallahassee]

Originally Posted by Valerie Michele

Well, this journal really has nothing to do with labyrinths, licorice or Lothlórien, except for the fact that it is my journal and those are all things or places I rather like.

I've never been a very active member of this forum, to this date I only have something like 20 posts to my name, but the idea of a journal here caught my attention. I happened to drop by these forums again after receiving a "happy birthday" e-mail from CGR last week. Just looking over the few posts I made 3 years ago made me remember things and happenings that I hadn't thought of for quite some time. Then I thought it would be neat if after another 3 years pass, I'd have this to look back on.

So, welcome to my fledgling journal! I doubt that anyone will read it, or that it will garner much attention, but that's really not my goal anyway... not that feedback and/or questions wouldn't be nice!

Anywho, I'm going to crawl into bed now. I need to work extra hours tomorrow to make up for some hours I missed today. I also need to go to class and take meticulous notes for my upcoming test on Thursday. There are many many more things I'd like to do, but for the time being, those are the top two on my list for tomorrow! So I'm just going to read a bit in the Bible and then get some sleep!

-VAL

Welcome back to CGR. I will admit, I don't remember any of your posts. And I imagine that many people will read this journal. Lurking is a time honored tradition. And it is possible that it will garner attention. It all depends on the journal and it's writer. Once again, welcome back.

[Valerie Michele]

Originally Posted by el cabong

Welcome back to CGR. I will admit, I don't remember any of your posts. And I imagine that many people will read this journal. Lurking is a time honored tradition. And it is possible that it will garner attention. It all depends on the journal and it's writer. Once again, welcome back.

Thank you for the welcome el cabong! Lurking is fun, I'm quite adept at it myself.

Well let's see, what's going on with me today...

I'm at work right now. Just finished up some odd jobs around the office for my boss, and I'll need to run and pick up the mail in an hour or so, but for now, I can blog to my heart's content!

I was able to work out my time-card. Hooray! Now I just need to stay an hour later for the next three days and I'll have all my hours. The last few weeks have been SO crazy, it's been rather difficult to stick to my scheduled hours. Thankfully, this job is very very VERY flexible, and I can always make up hours I've missed. What a blessing!

Class was slightly boring, as usual...but at least we got out a few minutes early! My professor lectured today about implicit and explicit memory, the picture superiority effect, the reversed picture superiority effect, etc., etc. Basically there's tacit knowledge and conscious knowledge, and a picture really is worth a thousand words UNLESS you're just tested on picture fragments, in that case, word completion tasks are much easier... lol The final for this class, Psyc of Learning and Memory, is on next Friday, and then I'll be free from school for the rest of the summer! (Which isn't very long, unfortunately)

After work today I think I'll work out, help my sister start packing up her things, cook supper, study for the exam, work on my research paper due next Monday, and of course watch some HGTV. I'm truely addicted to that network! If I don't become a Psychologist/Counselor I'll end up being an interior decorator or something.

So why am I going to help my sister pack? She's getting married on 7/7/07! She and her fiancé are getting the keys to their new apartment on Friday, so we need to have the stuff she won't need here at the house for the next 2 weeks packed up and ready to move. We're all so happy and excited for them! Our house is going to be a lot quieter with just my Mom and I though (and my cat). Ah, so much is changing... And in just five months, I'll be the one getting married!

It's not just a summer of change, it's a year of change!

I better run and pick up the mail for all the offices in this hall now. I'll just close with a few random pics that I've taken here and there, since it's been scientifically proven that they are far more memorable than words!

My Shadow:


iPod and Textbook:


Sunrise on a plane:


Wildflower:


Enjoy!
-VAL

[Valerie Michele]

Wow, I have been WASTING time ever since I got home!!! Looks like this is going to be a late night. Someone needs to tell me to get busy.

Erm, I could be here forever if I wait for that... Sooo, I'll just get busy on my own accord.

My mom's watching Freedom Writers. My cat is prancing about the living room. I'm lounging on the sofa with my sister's laptop. (I broke my comp a while back and haven't gotten around to fixing it) I'm waiting from a call from Ryan. His boss switched him to the evening shift at his job and now I won't be able to see him until the weekends. I'm thinking this is a very fragmented style of writing... yeah.

Ok, I'm off!

[Tallahassee]

So you're studying to become a Psychologist/Counselor then? I think that would be a very difficult career. For me anyway.

What kind of work do you do? You mentioned an office, but I klnow that could mean just about anything. Heck, sometimes I do stuff in some of our offices at work, and I work on the dock.

[Valerie Michele]

Originally Posted by el cabong

So you're studying to become a Psychologist/Counselor then? I think that would be a very difficult career. For me anyway.

Well, that's the plan, however lately I've begun to rethink it all. I mean, I love my major, and I do well in my classes, but I'm just really not sure if I'm meant to go for a career in psychology. I've been told I'm a good listener, and I really want to help people, but I wonder, would I be good at it? Would I like it? Would I be able to forgot about all the messed up things I'd encounter each day at work? It's a lot to think and pray about. I have one year left before I get my Bachelor's degree. I hope God leads me to what I'm supposed to do with it!

Originally Posted by el cabong

What kind of work do you do? You mentioned an office, but I klnow that could mean just about anything. Heck, sometimes I do stuff in some of our offices at work, and I work on the dock.

My job is absolute cake! I just have a student worker position here on my campus. I do all the normal secretarial stuff: filing, faxing, answering phones, etc. I also have to attend various lectures on campus, create reports on all the faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences, and run around the entire campus delivering inter-office mail (which is not fun under this HOT south-Texas sun!). I really love my job though, my co-workers are awesome, and it's a really relaxed atmosphere. We do really random stuff like plant lemon seeds (they're actually growing!) and whatnot.

So what do you do on the dock? Oh and I forgot to say, welcome to my blog!

[Tallahassee]

Originally Posted by Valerie Michele

So what do you do on the dock? Oh and I forgot to say, welcome to my blog!

Right now I'm in charge of loading and unloading delivery trucks for Cintas. But I have recently gotten a promotion and sometime soon(looks like next week) I will be moving off the dock and doing new stuff.

[Valerie Michele]

Originally Posted by el cabong

Right now I'm in charge of loading and unloading delivery trucks for Cintas. But I have recently gotten a promotion and sometime soon(looks like next week) I will be moving off the dock and doing new stuff.

Oh that's cool. Congrats on the promotion!

Today has been interesting so far. I really didn't want to get out of bed though...sooo sleeepy. I kept hitting the snooze until eventually it didn't ring again and I woke up on my own at 8:20. That took away my time to blowdry my hair, so I put it in a pony-tail and went to work with it wet. Not sopping wet though, I had time to towel-dry! Anywho, now its just down and slightly damp.

When I walked outside I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually cool and cloudy, a rare occurence here. I wish more days could be like today.

Later, in class, I was diligently taking notes but not really listening to what Dr. Heredia was saying when I realized that he had asked me a question. I had a total moment because I had no clue what he was talking about. It was kind of funny actually. I basically said I didn't know and then he replied, "it's ok, I was just putting you on the spot." Then he started randomly picking other people to answer the question and no one could tell what he was asking either. It kind of sucked since he had just lectured about it yesterday. After he explained what he was asking a little more clearly, I could practically see myriads of little light bulbs flickering on about the room. Then of course I remembered the answer as well, just a tad late!

Haven't really had much to do at work so far, besides running downstairs to unlock some classrooms for a professor, and wrestling with the printer while three of us here tried to find how to change the ink cartridges.

Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh, something big just happened.... More later

[Valerie Michele]

Ok so I'm still debating whether or not to go into what happened earlier today...hmmm, maybe later.

I have been studying, and studying, and STUDYING for hours since I got home... and sadly, I have yet to actually read four chapters that I need to before the test tomorrow. I got a 104 on the last test so I'm not too worried, but then again I did, ahem, skip twice since then. I'm such a rebel. *smirks*

My mom is a total sweetheart, she spent hours today shopping for summer/beach clothes for my sis to take on her honeymoon. Almost everything she bought fit Rachel perfectly and was oh so stylish. My mom's shopping skills have improved immensely since the days she would bring home rather shapeless, ultra conservative, obscenely floral clothing for us! I always found it amusing that when she would bring home those clothes, she would try to convince us to keep them by saying, "It's the latest thing!"
But yeah, when it comes time for my honeymoon, she'll be buying me water-proof pants and ski jackets!! I wonder if they sell sexy ski jackets...*ponders*

Oh yeah, as I was wandering around various blogs here on CGR, I began to wonder if I'm just supposed to leave random "Hi, I'm Val! I'm a noob!" posts around the forums. I'm not quite sure what the netiquette is around here concerning introducing one's self and making friends. More to ponder.

Random note, I really really need to use the tanning bed at my gym a couple of times before the wedding next week. I am UBER white at the moment. If you'd find some snow to throw me in, I'd disappear entirely... well except for my clothes that is.

ACK, it's past 1 a.m. and I have yet to start my reading.... Time to get back to work after my CGR break! Tomorrow I go to work at 9:30, take the test at 12:30, then back to work as soon as I finish the test, and finally off by 6. Maybe I'll stop by HEB afterwards to use that change to cash converter thingie. I believe I have over 25 dollars worth of change in my piggie bank. Incidentally, it's not a pig, it's just a small wooden safe bank... but piggie bank just rolls off the tongue better, erm, off the fingers better, yeah. Hmmm, I think I get a tad loopy after midnight! O_o

Well yeah, no use procrastinating any further. *pulls out textbook*

[Tallahassee]

Originally Posted by Valerie Michele

Oh yeah, as I was wandering around various blogs here on CGR, I began to wonder if I'm just supposed to leave random "Hi, I'm Val! I'm a noob!" posts around the forums. I'm not quite sure what the netiquette is around here concerning introducing one's self and making friends.

We're pretty open and friendly as a whole. A "Hi" and some questions usually bring good results. The "I'm new, where should I post?" also works well. And the CPF(Cheap Post Forum) is a good place to kind of get a feel for people, and then find their blogs. At least those are ways I have approached it. Like I said everybody is pretty open and friendly, so feel free to just say "hello" to people.

[Valerie Michele]

Originally Posted by el cabong

We're pretty open and friendly as a whole. A "Hi" and some questions usually bring good results. The "I'm new, where should I post?" also works well. And the CPF(Cheap Post Forum) is a good place to kind of get a feel for people, and then find their blogs. At least those are ways I have approached it. Like I said everybody is pretty open and friendly, so feel free to just say "hello" to people.

Very sound advice Tim! *runs to CPF*

So I took my test and I feel that it went pretty well! Nice to have that over with. Now I just have one more hour of work left and then I'm freeeee for the weekend! It's going to be a very busy one too by the looks of it.

It's starting to rain! Thank God, we can always use it.

I could really use a nap right about now. *yawn* I didn't end up getting a lot of sleep last night, and I absolutely hate when I dream all night and then can't remember what I dreamt when I wake up.

[glorify_theLord]

Hey Val, I'm Rachel. Great to meet you. And a big welcome to CGR.

*subscribes to blog*

[Valerie Michele]

Originally Posted by glorify_theLord

Hey Val, I'm Rachel. Great to meet you. And a big welcome to CGR.

*subscribes to blog*

Many thanks Rachel! Welcome to my blog also! My sister's name is Rachel too, but I usually call her Rache or Rachie. Do you have any nicknames? Most everyone calls me Val so feel free to! Oh and I'm going to head over to your blog to suscribe too!

---

Ok yesterday was absolutely insanely busy. I was at my sister's and her fiancé's new apartment from 11 to 7, cleaning, organizing, hanging up pictures, unpacking, and other such related things. It's looking so beautiful. They stole the color scheme that eventually I want to use in my apartment though, chocolate brown and pale blue. I am, ahem, famous for my rather excellent taste in decorating *smug look* so it doesn't surprise me that they chose my colors! They said I could still use them of course, but we'll see. Also, Ryan dropped by to see the apartment, and he was very impressed. We may end up getting our apartment there as well. What fun that will be to be so close to Rache and Chris! *does a happy dance*

But the day did not end at seven! After I returned home, my mom and I began cleaning her room and we ending up taking hours to do it! Let me explain, my Mom is somewhat organizationally challenged at times. She lets papers and magazines and books and DVD's and odds and ends stack up in odd locations around her room. Her desk was stacked a mile high, as was her dresser, and the floor was being used as one big storage device... So periodically I go through everything with her while impressing upon her the importance of THROWING THINGS AWAY. It is vastly improved now, and the floor and her dresser is actually completely clear.

Then, at eleven o'clock at night, we began our bathroom redo project. My mom had decided that she wanted to replace the mirror with a smaller more stylish one, as well as repaint the room before Rachel's bridal shower at our house tomorrow. I don't even know where to start to describe how much torture that one small room gave us. On the spur-of-the-moment, we decided to remove the wallpaper trim, and ended up having to soak the entire thing with soapy water and then scrape it all off. We were still painting at 3 in the morning, and then my Mom said that she abhorred the paint color and so we must redo the entire thing today............ *tears hair out*

Phew, so that was yesterday...

Today I must write three more pages on my research paper, clean the rest of the house for the shower, go help Rache and Chris move more furniture in, and of course repaint the bathroom... I've already gotten a really late start since I slept in! Must. Get. To. Work. Now. Pray I get everything done!!

[Valerie Michele]

OH OH OH! I told Chris that I would put a link to his youtube account up on here for some publicity. He's quite good at making some really cool videos!

Go have a look :
http://www.youtube.com/user/chrisbenavides

To see Rache, Chris, his nieces, and I do some rock-climbing, just click here. I'm the one at the very beginning, in the jeans and grey shirt.

[OrganaSolo]

Originally Posted by Valerie Michele

Ok yesterday was absolutely insanely busy. I was at my sister's and her fiancé's new apartment from 11 to 7, cleaning, organizing, hanging up pictures, unpacking, and other such related things. It's looking so beautiful. They stole the color scheme that eventually I want to use in my apartment though, chocolate brown and pale blue. I am, ahem, famous for my rather excellent taste in decorating *smug look* so it doesn't surprise me that they chose my colors! They said I could still use them of course, but we'll see. Also, Ryan dropped by to see the apartment, and he was very impressed. We may end up getting our apartment there as well. What fun that will be to be so close to Rache and Chris! *does a happy dance*

But the day did not end at seven! After I returned home, my mom and I began cleaning her room and we ending up taking hours to do it! Let me explain, my Mom is somewhat organizationally challenged at times. She lets papers and magazines and books and DVD's and odds and ends stack up in odd locations around her room. Her desk was stacked a mile high, as was her dresser, and the floor was being used as one big storage device... So periodically I go through everything with her while impressing upon her the importance of THROWING THINGS AWAY. It is vastly improved now, and the floor and her dresser is actually completely clear.

Then, at eleven o'clock at night, we began our bathroom redo project. My mom had decided that she wanted to replace the mirror with a smaller more stylish one, as well as repaint the room before Rachel's bridal shower at our house tomorrow. I don't even know where to start to describe how much torture that one small room gave us. On the spur-of-the-moment, we decided to remove the wallpaper trim, and ended up having to soak the entire thing with soapy water and then scrape it all off We were still painting at 3 in the morning, and then my Mom said that she abhorred the paint color and so we must redo the entire thing today............ *tears hair out*

Phew, so that was yesterday...

Today I must write three more pages on my research paper, clean the rest of the house for the shower, go help Rache and Chris move more furniture in, and of course repaint the bathroom... I've already gotten a really late start since I slept in! Must. Get. To. Work. Now. Pray I get everything done!!

Oh. My goodness. You busy girl you. What is the color your mom abhors?
I hate scraping off wallpaper. It is a bad, bad thing. Bad.

Hello! *is subscribing* Oh - by the way - I love your blog title. Because I love those things, too. Red licorice, not black.