And exams begin...

I sat through my last microeconomics lecture last night!!!! But... this of course means the beginning of exams.

Tonight- HUMA exam: Level of preparedness- 60%/ Nerve Level- flips between a 1 and a 10

This is a 2 hour exam with short answer and essay questions for 20% of my mark. I'm trying to cram a little review in (how bad is that at work?) but I’m as prepared as I’m going to get. I simply can’t cram any more information into my brain for this class. I just have to review as much as I can and do my best. I guarantee that all the info will be released from my brain like air from a balloon as soon as I walk out of the exam tonight.

Next Thursday- ADMS exam

This will be a 3 hour exam with case study and essay questions for 55% of my mark. I’m really not worried about this one. It’s only on 5 or 6 chapter’s worth of stuff and I have lots of time to study. I hope that it doesn’t take me by surprise as an extremely difficult exam, but I’ll be as ready for it as I possibly can.

The Following Monday- ECON exam

This will be a 3 hour exam of multiple choice questions worth 50% of my mark. I’m going in to the test an 84%, but only because of an insane amount of studying for the first two tests. To tell the truth, I’m terrified for this exam and the amount of studying I will have to do for it in the 2 days I’ll have been it and the ADMS exam that’s just before it. I’ll be so happy when it’s over.

And that’s it! By 5pm on Monday the 14th, I’ll be done exams and have 3 weeks off from all things school related. I can’t tell you how excited I am for this. I need a break desperately (and that need will be even worse by the 14th) and I want to enjoy the Christmas season… which is my favorite time of year!!!

Okay… enough procrastinating. I have work and reviewing to do. See you on the flip side.

The Joy of Food

I have reignited my love affair with food. This is not a good thing, but I can't help it. I cannot stop eating. I'm hungry basically all the time and I'm never satisfied. Even when I can feel myself getting physically full, I still want more. It's soooo bad. I'm terrified that I'm going to slip back to my old weight when I've worked so hard to get it off... I can't let that happen. What doesn't help is that I have no time or motivation to exercise. I miss running, I miss walking every night with Bub and the dogs.... I miss it. I just don't have time now.
And the holiday season sure doesn't help. We went to a Christmas party on Saturday.... and the food.... OH the food. Breads and dips, meatballs, cheese and cracker platters, mini quiches, sausage rolls, spring rolls, veggies and dip.... and the desserts! Oi Vey! Platters of cookies and squares and cakes etc. including two of my ultimate favorites (and weaknesses) no bake cherry cheesecake and nanimo bars. So, so, so good. Combine all of that with the alcohol and I probably exceeded my calorie limit for the week in the course of a few hours.
Sunday was not great either. Bub and I shared a large (yes... a LARGE) popcorn at the movies and then, after my super healthy dinner of salmon, brown rice, salad and turnip... I topped it off with TWO bowls of PC Candycane and Fudge Crackle ice cream. I couldn't help myself. It's delish and I can only get it this time of year.
I haven't weighed myself, and my clothes are all still too big... so that's a good sign, but it won't last for long. Why is it that its food that causes weight gain? Why can't it be something like smoking or swearing or.... not enough sex? Just something that would be easier to give up or do more of? I love food, I love to eat and I HATE that I feel guilty for every little thing that goes in my mouth.
The scariest part is... we're just getting started with the Christmas season. I'm sure there will be much more overeating to come.

"I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feeeeeeeeel.... sooooo bad."

The stress of money and school has really been getting my down lately. So, I wanted to make a list of my favorite things. Be prepared... it's totally random. There are things that make me feel better, things that I do to unwind, things that I do just for me etc.  So here they are:

-snuggling/playing/walking with my dogs
-getting gift certificates for a bookstore
-long nighttime baths with a good book
-evenings when I have the house to myself to make/order a yummy dinner and dive into a good book
-weekend getaways- to anywhere with a jacuzzi tub so I can read (do you see the theme here?)
-summer weekends at the cottage
-tea
-unplanned afternoon naps
-a good hearty soup
-hiking in Algonquin Park in the fall
-the whole Christmas season- especially putting Christmas music on, making gourmet hot chocolate and wrapping presents
-phone calls from my Dad/ visits from my Dad
-dancing- any kind (a class, at the club, in my livingroom)
-singing (the best is in the car)
-buying a new outfit or a new purse
-gadgets: I love my bb, my itouch, my laptop, my DS
-any excuse to get dressed up and feel like a girl
-a singapore sling, a shot of tequila rose or a big pint of Guinness (sometimes multiples of all three)
-stopping for soup and sandwich lunches with Bub on the weekends
-skydiving

What about you? What are some of your favorite things?

The Lost Art of Napping

Naps used to be a regular weekend occurance for me. I rarely napped on purpose, but many Sunday afternoons spent lazily reading a book ultimately led to snoozing. And honestly? Taking a nap is one of my favorite things to do, especially on a rainy grey afternoon.

Since I started school, the ability to nap has become a thing of the past. A distant memory that seems to good to have ever been true. Until this weekend.

I decided that since I had no assignments due this week, only 1 online class left and exams to start ramping up for as of next weekend, that I was taking this entire weekend off of all things related to school. Yes- it means that I have to do my online class tonight or tomorrw night after work, yes- it means that I'll have to do the readings for my other classes on my lunch breaks at work.... but it was totally worth it. I really needed it too because Thursday night I dreamt about my microeconomics test (in which I realized I got an answer wrong) and Saturday night I dreamt about my humanities assignment that I handed in almost 2 weeks ago.

Friday night was New Moon night and I shall spare the details (see post below)... by it was simply A-MAZ-ING. LOVED it! If you haven't read the books, you may not appreciate the movie... but for me it was fantastic

Saturday I had a hair appointment, hung out at my Mum's for the afternoon and then dinner at MIL's. We all went to a play afterwards that was geared towards children (one of Bub's cousins was in it and therefore the only reason we went). We went home and tried to catch-up on weeks worth of PVR'd shows... but 1/2 way through Criminal Minds (at 9:45) I was asleep.

Sunday we slept in, took the girls for a huge walk in the bush and then came home to the best part of my weekend. At about 2:30 I laid down to read some of my book and the next thing I know, I'm waking up in darkness and it's 5:15pm. I had read about 11 pages of my books before passing out for an amost 3 hour nap. It was lovely.

I was so warm in bed with Jenny (Lola and Bub were watching football downstairs)... I didn't want to get up. I probably could have gone back to sleep and stayed that way until this morning. However, I made myself get up and get dinner together for Bub (who had to work overnight last night) and unfortunately I got a second wind that kept me awake until after 2am. Needless to say I was not impressed when my alarm went off a 6:30 this morning.

I don't think I've got that much sleep in a weekend in months and months and months and it made me realize how much I miss the carefree life I had before stupidly deciding to go back to school AND work full-time. I look forward to the next time I can just unwind like that and I recommend that everyone does it from time to time.

I've got a roast and potatoes in the slow cooker so dinner will be ready when I get home. I think I may put off my online class for one more night and spend tonight reading. I'm juggling two books that are due back at the library soon, so I need to get going! I should probably pick up my text book too... but I just don't feel like it. hehe.

**sigh**

New Moon was simply incredible. As much as I loved Twilight, New Moon was so. much. better. They followed the book about as close as they possibly could, the acting, effects, costumes etc were so much better in this one and you got a much better idea of the intensity of B&E’s love in this version (something that just didn’t fully translate to screen in the last one). And as hardcore Team Edward as I am, I was even wavering to Team Jacob during the movie… which seems to be the general consensus of a lot of people that saw it.  But, by the end, my fatih and love was fully restored in my Edward. I LOVE LOVE LOVED it and I can’t wait to own my own copy. I WILL see it again (probably several times) before then.

If B12 really increases memory retention... hand it over.

Update on our car: it was some valve thingy… it’s being fixed today and it’s not costing us a penny. The downside, I have no car at work today and have to wait for the dealer shuttle after work for the second time in a week. As of tomorrow though, our car should be in tip top shape. Other than the current issue, I really like the car.
Now on to more important things:

School: I have my second microeconomics test tomorrow night. I’m so not ready for it. I studied for 22 hours for the last one (5 chapters) but with this one, I’ve only put in about 10 hours so far and will do another 4ish tonight, but honestly… it’s just not sinking in this time around. It’s only on 4 chapters but I just can’t get my brain to concentrate enough to absorb anything. It’s going to be painful. However, as of tomorrow night at 8pm, it will be over.

I can’t believe the term is almost over already. I have 1 more online class to do, 2 more HUMA classes and 3 more ECON classes + an exam for each and the term is over. I’m nervous for all of my exams, but I’m terrified of my ECON exam. It’s going to be an excruciating experience to study for and do. Ugh!

You have NO IDEA how much I am looking forward to Christmas break. I still have to work my regular hours but I’ll get to come home every night after work and NOT have school work to do, or classes to go to, or text books to read. It will be amazing.

On a not so fun note, I figured out that if I continue school at my current pace (18 credits per academic year and 6 credits each summer excluding next because I have to take that math class), I will graduate in December of…. 2013. BOO! I’m really hoping that next year or the year after we will be in a position for me to start working part time and going to school for a full course load. That way we can speed up the process a bit.

Weekend Plans: I’m counting the hours until Friday afternoon. There are four main reasons:

1. It will be the first weekend in a long time where I have no assignment to work on. Just my regular old online class (with no case study) and that’s it. YAY! I have to enjoy it because as of the next weekend, studying for exams begins and will last for 3 weeks. I plan to read… A LOT, take a nap (I miss naps), have a bath, take the dogs for a walk. Just hang!

2.  One more economics test will be behind me, regardless of the outcome.

3.  I am getting my hair done on Saturday morning… highlights (I miss them already since I went dark) and a trim. Nothing crazy.

4.  NEW MOON COMES OUT ON FRIDAY!!!!! We have tickets to the 9:50 show on Friday night which likely means lining up at 8ish, but I’m okay with it. I’ll take a book and chill. I CANNOT FREAKIN’ WAIT! I miss Forks and the Cullen’s… and especially my Edward. It feels like such a long time since I’ve been in that world…. my happy place. I know I’m going to leave and immediately want to see it again AND reread the books, and I’m not going to deprive myself if that’s the case!

Alright, I really need to get some work done and then start going through my notes again for my test.

Here's what I'll be dreaming about for the rest of the week (in between ecnomic thoughts of course)

No, not FML... I have it pretty good.

Did I tell you that regardless of the fact that I'm absolutely steaming about the car... I officially have the best husband in the world???

Last night, I got home from class to:

a) a clean kitchen
b) a backyard clear of leaves and trampoline flipped (ready for winter)
c) my lunch and dinner for today made and waiting in the fridge

Also, I had to throw a load of laundry in before I went to bed last night and fell asleep before I could switch it to the dryer. When MH came in to say goodbye to me this morning and put the dogs back in bed with me (5:45am) I asked him if he would mind switching the laundry.....
d) When I came down this morning, not only had he loaded and started the dryer, but he had also properly hung the wet stuff that doesn't go in the dryer.

20 bucks says when I come home tonight, the vaccuming and dusting will be done too. These are his "chores" and he likes to get them done on Thursdays so he can relax on the weekend. Oh... except he does the laundry on weeekends. All of it. I maybe do a load a month, if that. He also does the garbage collection and take-out on Tuesday nights.

He's the best!