This Past Week...

   This past week has been far better than the last mainly because nothing "new" as far as bad stuff goes has happened. My financial fiasco has since cleared up so my money is finally back in my account and I can afford to buy gas again. I actually almost bought a car earlier this week-- well I was going to see one that seemed REALLY promising; however, the seller ended up changing plans last minute so I couldn't see it when I was planning to. It was actually a blessing in disguise because the bank took longer than I thought to get my money back so if I bought anything, I would have been flat out broke for a few days. So the car hunt continues and sadly, nothing quite as promising has shown up since.

  On Friday, Kris took me out on a date. He knew how stressed I have been lately and wanted me to have one day to relax. We started out paying bills which doesn't sound very relaxing but when you do not have to worry about your power being shut off...your whole day is better! We then went to the mall and on the way in, we saw Kris' best friend Chris Bell and Kris' cousin Stefanie (who is married to Chris Bell), they were going to Babies R' Us to fill up their registry since they are expecting a little girl. We actually went over to their house for dinner on Tuesday, something we haven't gotten to do in a long long time. It was a lot of fun to just hang out and talk with them again. Anyway, Kris and I went into the mall and bought nothing- which is not unusual. Afterwards, we went to the Vacaville outlets where Kris bought everything-- also, not unusual! He wants to be a rich old man, or at least look like one so whenever we go there, he drops a couple hundred at least. After we walked around and shopped, we went out to a sushi place that we haven't been to in years. It was hilarious because we walked in the front door and to the right, they had a big rock fountain set up. Kris was looking at it and said "Arynn, come here, look at these turtle statues" and then one of them moved. Kris freaked out because they turned out to be real turtles....I suppose you had to have been there but it was funny. When we sat down, we found out it was actually a half price sushi day so we ordered way too much, ate way too much and paid barely anything. Finally, we left the restaurant and went to see the Hunger Games. It was really good but I felt like a poser since I haven't read the book yet. My boss was going to let me borrow it a few weeks ago, but I forgot and so did she. I will have to read it at some point because I know they must have left a lot out of the movie. 

Overall it was a really nice, relaxing, fun day and I am glad that Kris and I had the same day off for once! We used to go out like that all the time and just relax but stupid grown-up stuff has gotten in the way! I hate being a grown-up! 

Okay, well that is it...I am in a better mood and not as stressed-- I hope that is how I stay, fingers crossed!

They Come in Threes... right?

   Bad things I mean, everyone says they come in threes and I hope to God that is true! So you all know about my first bad thing: my debit info being stolen and the next was my whole bad day that followed. Well, my third is an e-mail I just got from the financial aid and grant services. A little background for those of you may not know much about the financial aid situation in California, well...it SUCKS! A few people abuse the system and then everyone who truly needs the help (like me) get screwed because they start cutting funding. Last year, there was a prop that was trying to become law that would get rid of the Pell Grant completely; for any of you in college and receiving aid, you know that the Pell Grant is nearly 80% of your aid. I fought hard to make sure that the prop never got approved and thankfully it didn't. What I did not know was that now, instead of getting rid of the Pell Grant, they are limiting its dispersal, so if anyone has received it for six years already, they are now no longer eligible. Guess who has already hit that 6 year mark... ME!!! I got a lovely e-mail telling me that as of next quarter, I will no longer be receiving the Pell Grant and must adjust accordingly. Anyway, I have no idea what that will really mean for me-- will I even be able to continue school? Should I not get a car and save the money for tuition? Who knows! I need to make an appointment with a financial aid adviser so I can see what my options are, if any and hopefully be able to get through this next year and half without having to find a job on a pole (so joking...).

  So, if bad things come in threes than that is my third! Okay universe?! That is my third so now I need something good, c'mon! give me something good!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is a contest going on with the radio station I listen to, and I guess-- many others around the country as well since its a national contest. Every weekday there are 8 chances to win $1000 and on Thursdays it moves up to $10,000! So I have been trying to win that for the past few weeks but I only have ever gotten busy signals. So if you want to help me turn my luck around, start sending me some good vibes and wish me luck! Or, if you know of any good contests with cash prizes, let me know because I want to try for anything! My Aunt Marcie enters contests all the time and she has won quite a lot from them soooo, MY TURN!

   Lets see, what else? Oh yeah! On Saturday, my Aunt Jan and cousin Daryl came out to my school for their Welcome Day meet and greet for potential new students. Daryl may be going there so I came along to show him around. I can't believe it has already been a year since I went and did the Welcome Day thing! Honestly, the whole presentation they put on is pretty pointless and I am thankful that other parts of the day and the school itself were better or else I may not have gone there. The first part of the day runs almost like an elementary school play-- just chaotic and lame haha. The people and the actual programs offered beyond that however, are wonderful. It was cool to be able to show Daryl around and be "in the know" about my school. It made me really want to join a club and get more involved-- I just wish I lived closer so that would be easier, we will see. I have to make sure I can even continue to go there before I get involved in the fun stuff!

   Okay, well a little shorter this time and not quite as depressing...maybe. Hope you all are having wonderful days! Enjoy the good things in life while you got 'em!

Arynn and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

   Yeah, it sucked! Let me just start with this disclaimer because if this happens to you, you may have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day as well! DO NOT USE FREE CREDIT REPORT.COM!!!! "Why" you ask? Well, first of all, that is not the company that runs the credit checks, it is actually a parent company called Experian Credit and they have 4 various titles under them that all deal with credit checks. This would not be an issue if all the companies were tightly connected but they are not! As a result, the company is very spread out and your information, such as your social security number, debit info, name, address and all that important stuff you do not want to share-- gets shared with numerous people! As a result of being an ignorant person and believing that I could trust the company just because they had a catchy jingle, my debit info was stolen and my account has been severely over-drafted by someone! The scarier thing is, that this person may have ALL my information and could do a lot worse damage then stealing some of my money. So with that said, learn about your real options for taking care of your credit! I am a big dummy head and I know it...

  

   Okay, so that obviously ruined my day because now my accounts are frozen and I cannot access my money. I was not feeling too bad though because thankfully my bank 100% insures a refund in the cases of fraudulent transactions. So, overall I know I will get my money back, its just a matter of "when"? Anyway, Kris being the nice, wonderful, amazing boyfriend that he is, offered to lend me some cash in the meantime. So me, (being a big dummy head mind you) only borrowed $20 thinking "Well, I have five bucks already for bridge toll, I just need a like ten for gas and four bucks for swimming" which meant that I would still have $11 for whatever else came up. Now, I was only thinking that is what I would need at school Tuesday, obviously eleven dollars would not last me the rest of the week but I could worry about that when it came around. Well, I got to school and remembered, oh yeah! I need to get a parking permit, which is ten dollars for the whole day! Now, I had a twenty dollar bill and a five dollar bill...eleven dollars left in my mental budget...should work right? Wrong! The permit machine does not give out change. Okay, well I just thought "I need to break the twenty". That would have worked if I had time to, however, there was already a policeman in the lot giving out tickets and the only place to make change was all the way across campus and I wouldn't have time to walk to there, get change, come back, get a permit-- avoid a ticket and make it to class on time. So I used the five and scrounged up some quarters to get just a two hour permit. I came back after class to get my swim stuff only to realize that the 2 hour permit was about to expire so I needed to get another one. (This will be a very long rant I just realized so if you are already bored, go ahead and move on because it will not get any better, sorry) because I was convinced that I still wouldn't have time to get change and swim. Then I thought, well what if I try to find a parking space on the other side of the campus so I am closer, can get change and then just get a full-day permit; this would have worked if it was not noon and if all the spaces weren't already taken! I drove around the campus for twenty minutes! By this time, my gas gauge was hovering over "E" like a gnat over sewage and I was sweating bullets about my time. I ended up back in the same lot as I started and only two spaces down from my first parking place. Scrounging up more quarters, I managed to get a 1 hour pass and ran like hell to make change. At this point, I have given up on the idea of swimming, not only because of time but also because I had to split $20 among gas, bridge toll which is $5 and a full day parking permit which is ten.That left me with five dollars for gas! Five dollars would only get me a little over a gallon of gas...which meant at best, I could get 30 miles out of...my school is 47 miles from my home. Now, on top of all this wonderful parking drama and crap-- I still had classes! ASL went fine as always but then I had 19th Century English which is not that hard but the professor makes it hard. I ordered the book for that class 3 weeks ago and at that point, I still hadn't received it (I got it today)! Of course, that class is the ONLY one that requires the book in class and of course, the professor called me out, and OF COURSE she chalked my reason up to me being just another lazy student! On top of that I discovered that I have two midterms the day that Kris and I are supposed to be leaving for Disneyland! So I either have to take the exams earlier or we cut a day off our trip! Yeah, that all really sucked, but am I done!? Noooo, I am not done! That morning, I did not wash my hair because, I thought I was going swimming! I also did not do my make up because-- you guessed it! I was supposed to go swimming! I usually take a shower after I swim and wash my hair and do my make-up then but I could not afford to swim so therefore I could not afford to shower! I went all day looking like a wreck! I did not know I looked like a wreck until the end of the day when I finally stopped to look in a mirror. My hair was greasy, my skin was all splotchy, I had a zit in the middle of my forehead and I also got a mysterious black smudge on my face that was about an inch long! What was the substance that adorned my cheek? Dirt? Grease? Bird crap? Who knows! Just prior to this, I got stopped by some girl who decided that the person who looked like a wreck and was obviously in a big hurry was the right person to stop and proselytize to! I tried my best to be polite and to let her know that I was not interested in learning about her faith at the moment but she just kept right on talking. She eventually asked me if I believed in God and I said (and I feel bad about saying it now but my mood was just awful at that point) no and that's when she finally decided I was a lost cause and left. To put the rotten cherry on the crap sundae that was my day, I had to try and drive to the nearest gas station on fumes. Now, the nearest gas station is about 3 miles away from my school...uphill...and it was raining...and there was lightning...which meant everyone was determined to drive 1/2 a mile an hour up that damn hill. By the grace of God (who I apparently don't believe in if you ask that girl) I made it and put six dollars in my tank. It was only six dollars because a 1 dollar coin piece somehow made it into my purse. I do not know where it came from and I hope to god it was not a rare coin because several people have given me old coins in the past year and I know some were in my purse. So with an eight of a tank (maybe less, my gas gauge is a little wonky), I attempted to drive home. The weather was absolutely horrible, there were accidents everywhere and I could barely see the road in front of my car. Kris then texted me and asked if I wanted him to meet me at a gas station just past the bridge to which I replied YES! That is, if I could make it that far. Once again, by the grace of God, I made it! Kris met me there-- coming to my rescue as usual and put some gas in my tank. I was so happy when I pulled into my driveway and then got into my bed because that meant that the day was definitely over!

   So I hope (if any of you made it this far) that story didn't bore you to death...maybe just to pain but not to death. As I sit here, ready to wrap it up, more little things are coming to mind that went wrong yesterday...my fight with the Experian credit people, me slipping on the stairs, me getting my butt all wet by sitting on a wet bench, not having homework done  and the list goes on... but I think you have got enough examples for one post. I hope that your day yesterday and today was and is far better than mine. Thank you for being a trooper and reading all of this. I promise the next one will be happy and short(er)!

No Point to this Post...

   This post is going to contain a bunch of randomness but what the hey! I am a random person. 

   I said before that I was going to start swimming and I have! I have been to the pool at my school twice now and I love it! So the first day that I went was the first time I have been swimming in a few years so I knew I was not going to be very graceful in the water. I used to be a freakin' fish, swimming for hours on end but now, I was more like a cat being forced to take a bath...a lot of splashing and gasping for air. Overall however, I wasn't as bad as I thought I would be and I managed to swim for about an hour without dying. I had a bit of extra motivation that day as well because of a nice girl who got in a few lanes down from me (the more shallow end). I am doing my thing, practicing my strokes and working on my breath control, when I hear SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH.!! I look over and I see this one spot where the water is just going crazy-- it looks like a school of piranhas had found a carcase to feed on. 

I watch as this miniature hurricane continues for a few more seconds and then up pops the girl, a foot further then where she started I might add, looking very pleased with her progress. I couldn't help but stare as she did it again! And again! And again until she made is (somehow) to the other side! So needless to say, Splashy Mcgee over there made me feel like Michael Phelps (without the weed)! I hoped that the next time I went swimming, Splashy Mcgee would be there again to give me that little confidence boost; however, no...instead I got freaking Olympic swimmer guy in the lane directly to my left (the deeper lane) who I swear didn't even breath for 20 minutes! 

He just swam and swam-- wasn't even kicking his feet, it was all upper body strength. He did his flip turns and continued on, making about 50 laps of the pool non-stop. Meanwhile, I make one ill-attempted lap and I am choking on water. I was his Splashy Mcgee. To add insult to injury, when he finally got out, I got a good look at him and he was like 60 years old! What the f***! And thanks to this AARP Michael Phelps, I stayed in the pool maybe 45 minutes longer then I should have because I was determined to outlast the guy by staying in the water for more time than him.

On the plus side, even though I am not that good at all-- I know I will get better quickly and I am getting a nice base tan so  I won't look like a ghost in future pictures! I am hoping that if I continue swimming twice a week, I will lose some of the extra weight I have put on in the past year. I used to never gain weight except for 5 pounds here and there but I could lose it very quickly. Now, I think my mind is still used to thinking that way about myself so when I look in the mirror I am like "oh, not too bad" but then when I see pictures of myself its like "WHO FREED WILLY???" I am going to be going to Disneyland next month and I know a lot of pictures will be taken so my goal is to not look like Ursala! If I could get back to this weight

...I would be a happy camper!!! Anyway, that picture is from five years ago...maybe longer. I realize as I get older, my metabolism changes and hormones go crazy and all that jazz but c'mon! Look at my mom, she is still the same weight she has always been! I need to get some of the good (physical) genes from her and not just the bad ones like sensitive skin!  Ugh, okay anyway-- I will end the randomness here. Hope the few that do read my blog enjoyed it...or at least tolerated it! Have a wonderful day!

Easter(s)

   So this Easter, my brother Travis and I went up to Sacramento and stayed the night with my Aunt Leslie because my Grandparents were at her house for Easter. It was nice to see them all and spend some time catching up on all that has been going on. I know right now there is drama here and there throughout my family so its good for us all to get together and cherish the moments when everything is peaceful. 

  My Aunt Leslie was supposed to give a talk at church on Sunday morning however, due to various circumstances, she traded with another woman. Leslie was relieved (she does not like public speaking very much) and it may have been for the best since another person gave a very similar talk to what she was going to say in her's. The only thing that she was sad about was not being able to read a poem that she asked me to write-- instead I just read it later. Here is the poem:

Her First Easter

Hiding child, the youngest of her family,

living among the sought prizes—

just for a moment, so she can see

from the depths of her hollow,

the traditions of which her parents speak.

Her day is cut in half by the moon

rising through the sky,

but even in her shortened light

the grass stains upon her dress

still reflect like medals-- awarded

to her, the victor!

Then in an instant, dinner is served,

the shouts of mothers, aunts, brothers

to come in to the moveable feast

ring out. She can finally enjoy

what we are all blessed to enjoy.

She hides behind the tall table,

the tall candlesticks-- that are only

ever for decoration. White linens with

hints of creases, are soon speckled

with the past week’s work.

Her mother fusses over her stained dress.

but a smile creeps across her face

as she looks upon her generations.

She peeks out from behind the silver,

knowing she no longer has to hide.

-------------------------------------------------- 

We had a delicious dinner: Chicken Cordon Blue (if that is how it is spelled???) carrots, potatoes au-gratin, and bread sticks, with angel food cake for dessert. Grandma also made us chocolate eggs with marshmallow filling! Yum!

   After we had a wonderful dinner with Leslie, Grandma and Grandpa, we said our goodbyes and drove back home. We then had a second Easter dinner with Eileen and Patrick and my mom and Ana. We dyed eggs and blew bubbles. For whatever reason, I forgot to take pictures of most of these things but I did snag a pic of my favorite egg that I dyed--

   Eileen bought me like 20 pounds of chocolate, I thanked her for my bag-o-diabetes and then we went home for a long needed rest. After eating four times your body weight in turkey, chicken, stuffing, carrots, potatoes (lots of potatoes), bread and chocolate-- you would need a rest too!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter, I know I did!

In True Connelly Fashion...

    So on my mom's side of the family (her maiden name is Connelly, thus the title), the ability to start out on one topic and five minutes later be talking about something completely different is considered an art form. Say you were discussing the best types of cars-- to my mother and her siblings, that conversation should normally switch to zebras and then airports, maybe then cooking and somehow end back on cars. The reason I am telling you this is because I am about to do exactly that process...I just wanted you to know why I am this schizophrenic in my thought process.

                                                     

    Let me just start with one thing before the schizophrenic speech so you know why (sorta) I am bringing it up. Yesterday Kristopher had his Kaiser interview, he said it went well and he doesn't think he could have done anything better. He will not hear from the school until the end of May or maybe even the beginning of June. To celebrate his interview, I took him out to a sushi dinner in Napa. It was very good sushi and in quite a ritzy place I might add (I treat my man well). Overall, the day-- from school to the interview and dinner, was a success....

 The super California roll-- Topped with eel! Yum!

Yet, in spite of my good day yesterday, I am depressed today. Now it could just be my womanly hormones, running wild with my senses and making the world seem like an awful place; but truly I think that too many things are just spinning out of control. Well, I shouldn't say "out of control" because I know I can control them and I know that by next week, I will be fine but for now, I am going to vent. Here we go...

   I have been saving up for a car for quite some time now. Everyone knows I am saving up for a car, it is no secret! Yet, somehow, I am having to spend more and more money on this and on that. The savings that I have stashed away for so long is quickly depleting and I am afraid that the car that I was supposed to be able to afford by next week is now maybe a few more months away. I know I am a nice person but I can't afford to be that nice! Now its not like everyone is hitting me up for money, people are just like "Oh could you pick this up for me..." and "We need this...".  I am all for helping out where I can, but come on! Its also indirect, this money sucking vacuum that people in my life have created: the resources in our lives do not need to be used to their maximum! Conserve! Ration! Things do not need to be used constantly just because you aren't the one paying for them! And I am paying for things because I can, and because I want to, and because I have a responsibility to those around me-- it is my pleasure to help! It is my pleasure, however, I do not then become an endless resource. Now this is not just for money either. I can be a wonderful resource for friendship, help and attention but I do require some of those things in return. I do not ask for things very often so if at some point, I do ask...you can bet your behind that I really need that friend or help or attention right at that moment This would seem fairly "uhh DUH!" but sadly, it isn't. I have lost a lot of friends recently for this exact situation. Now, I know I have an abrasive personality at times. I am not blind, I know I can say stupid things and be possibly offensive but I am not above apologizing! Those of you who think of me as abrasive and "mean" or "b*tchy" cannot say that I haven't apologized to you! For those of you who used to be my friend (and are surely reading my posts out of curiosity), think about the nice things I have done for you. Think about the times that I bent over backwards to be your friend. Think about the kind words that I said wholeheartedly. Now, think about the "mean" things I did...I will wait. If you even could think of one, was it really mean? What were my intentions for saying/doing it? Was I just joking around and maybe went too far? If so, do you think that I would have thought we had known each other long enough for it to be okay to joke with you? Or was I trying to help you but you just didn't like my opinions on something or how I was trying to help? Whatever scenario fits you, take it and then ask yourself this question: "Was this one bad thing worth losing a friend over?". I am a damn good friend to people and I will always try to make up for my mistakes and apologize when I have done something stupid or wrong. The one thing I will not do however, is kill myself just trying to please you. I am and always have been my own person. I have never given a crap about what others are doing or how they think of me. I know I have alienated myself in many ways for being anti-drug, anti-drinking, anti-party until 8 a.m. the next morning-- I am okay with not being a part of those things. I am also okay with not being the girliest-girl on Earth. I could really care less about "designer this and make-up that". I will do girly things here and there of course but its only if I truly want to. Yet, so many girls do not like me because I don't do a lot of these things. Also, I joke around and act too "guyish" for them, so I lack a plethora of girlfriends-- that's fine with me. Some girls don't care about my male mannerisms and those girls know how great and loyal of a friend I am. At times, I do wish that the girls (and others) who now consider me mean would realize that I am not that way but overall I know that if they do not care or just want me around to tell them what they want to hear 24/7, then I do not need them in my life. I am confident in myself and love myself enough to know that I do not need that sort of negativity. I just wish that people wouldn't only see my good qualities when it served them and they wouldn't only see my one tiny mistake as my downfall. I will be your friend, I will help you whether it be with a listening ear or with my money-- just know that I am human too. I will need that listening ear in return and that money is in my possession for a reason. My pool of hospitality is only so deep.

Okay, so that was a long rant. I am sorry to those of you who are not at all related to the above statements. Those of you who do care and love me unconditionally, know that I am okay and did not write any of this in order to gain reassurance that I am cared for-- I know I am. I just wrote it to get it off my chest and to possibly reach those that it is pertinent to. For those of you (and you know who you are) that read this and used to be close to me-- I am sorry you lost a wonderful friend. I hope that you are not lonely or sad. I hope that you have someone as caring as me in your life because if I was ever your friend, then that means you deserve someone caring in your life; I have only ever befriended wonderful people who may have a few flaws that blind them to certain things. Just know that I am not above accepting an apology or restarting an old friendship.

Favorite Part of my Day...

     I fricken love school. I do, even when I am sucking at it, I love it. I have more energy when I am here, I have more of those fluttery moments where I am just over the moon- excited for no reason. It is my first day back at the main campus today and I have just been running around, soaking up the atmosphere. The who aura of this place makes me feel good...I just thought I would share that.

                                                            The overlook at CSUEB

                                                                        The view -- love it!

     I had my first day of ASL 2 this morning and I am still waaayy ahead of the rest of my class-- so much so that the teacher and I were talking about the rest of them (we were kind of mean at times) and they had no idea! I have a feeling that I will ace this class no problem. I also found out we are using the same book as last quarter...so uh, yeah! Awesome! I get to save money! The other classes' books are pretty cheap too so the only expensive thing I think I will have this quarter is the parking pass... $150!!! To park at the school I am paying to go to! Seriously?! That is the one thing I do not like about being here...it is pricey!

     So I finally got to talk to my seester Audrey!! Her life is always so exciting and interesting. I feel so boring compared to her. She has always been on the go, changing things up and trying everything under the sun. I am envious of her energy and fearlessness. I have always known however, that I was the calmer one of the two; although, ironically its my fault she is the way she is. I corrupted her at a young age and showed her that the world extended far beyond what she knew-- from there, she hit the ground running. Anyway, I am going to try and see her in June. She will be in California so I am going to drive south to wherever she is and see her. It has been about 5 years since we saw each other! Far too long for best friends to be apart.

    I guess that is it for now. Kristopher is having his Kaiser interview today so I will post tomorrow how that went. Have a good day all! Adios!

Energy, Why You Leave Me??

    Lately, I have been completely drained of energy. I know there are a million things I should be doing but when it comes to actually getting off my big, fat butt and doing them-- well...I can't! Even last week when I was sick, I was still up and running around, baking cheesecakes and getting crap done. Maybe my body knows that after tomorrow, I will have no down time for 3 months. My new quarter starts tomorrow and it will be a busy one. I am also going to start swimming again-- I purposely made my schedule open enough to fit in a good hour long swim,  so maybe, just maybe...I will start getting back in shape! 

   So speaking of school, I just found out I made the Honor's list. I have never been recognized for grades or stuff like that so finally being acknowledged is very nice. A notation has also been added to my permanent record so I can brag about it for years to come haha. Also, I am going to apply for a scholarship that the school is offering. It is only going to bring another 1300 bucks but hey, every little bit counts!

  What else is going on lately?? Hmmm? Nothing really. I am feeling so drained of energy that even this post feels like a 20 mile marathon. I am sorry for the boring-ness of it all but what can I say? I am lazy.

  I hope you all are well and ... ummm...  yeah. Bye!