I bought a vacuum

The Hoover Nanolite aka my new friend.

I went to wal-mart this morning determined to get at least one thing I needed (i secured a kitchen trashcan at the dollar tree Friday) for the move. $50 dollars later I emerged with this blue and green beauty.

Yep, it's starting to sink in that we're actually going to be on our own!
(though I haven't seen Denise in a few weeks, she's been in Pasadena working and staying with her sister).

So far i've--
done the yard
shampooed the carpets (well the parts that don't have furniture on them still)
cleaned the bathroom (still have to scrub the tiles really good--you try getting engine grease out of grout)
moved most of our possessions down stairs in boxes
dusted...everything (fans included!)
cleaned the baseboards (again the ones that furniture isn't covering)

so yeah...i want to have to clean up as little as possible after the move.

Thursday morning we'll be moving! Excited!

Thursday is also Mom's birthday! Yes, I'll call ;)

So that's all I've got so far!
I still need:
*Washer & Dryer (have a 10% off coupon from lowes! but don't know what hook ups i have yet, just that it's a full size space)
*Coffee pot/electric kettle
*pots and pans? I know i have dishes in my storage but i don't remember is there is cooking wear in there!
*Food! I'm going to have to stock a pantry! (and it's a big one!)
*Spices! (this kind of goes in with food)

and various other things I know but I won't know what those are until i unpack my storage.

I also know I'll have some things to get rid of including (likely) two TVs and some clothes. One of my supervisors at work works with the local women's shelter so I'll probably unload much of it there.

I'll figure it out ;p

Okay--time to go to sleep!
Happy memorial day everyone!

Weird month

It's been a weird month!!

My iPod has decided to stop working...which is driving me crazy because they're kind of expensive...
I need a new one, I'd like the iPod touch as it has wifi ability and so i'd be able to get online anywhere--which is helpful when profs decide to cancel class and send out an email five mins before class starts.
The iPod touch is around $200.
I have 65 in savings right now, just random savings, not for anything in particular.

I was thinking I'd need that for the move to get some essentials...like a trashcan.
I probably will, until then I'll be funneling the rest of my paychecks into my savings. I have 100 to last me a week before my next pay check. when that hit's i'll be taking the remainder and putting it in the account.


speaking of the move--ugh it's going to suck. I'm packing a lot of things, tossing a lot of things, and am worried about not having enough space. Nathan keeps telling me that it's going to be fine but uh...he's never had to move things himself before. I don't think he's even actually ever packed up before.

I've done it a few times, at least part of it, but I've never done like the full thing except when I moved here.
But when I moved here I didn't have to set up furniture or move things out of a second story storage unit, or set up utilities, etc...i don't think he's even thought about that or about simple things like forwarding your post.

he'll learn, if only in a crash course.


on a happier note--my grades for this semester and out of five classes i have five A's.
Yep, 4.0 semester.
:) Happy about that.


Also--Star Trek was awesome, X-men was meh.
anyway, that's what's up with me.
Summer is here and so i'm going to work like there is no tomorrow, get ready for the GRE, take the GRE and hopefully sleep at some time.

Victory!

So i've posted this elsewhere but for the family:

Some of you may know that since November, I've been working on getting my university to offer free HIV testing during class time (Kin 215--a mandatory class for all SHSU students) in order to remove all excuses to not get tested. I want them to have to say to themselves: I don't want to know. and not be able to rationalize it with: oh i'll get around to it when I have time.

Why? Early detection and early treatment mean several things, not the least of which being a longer and higher quality of life.
1/3 of all Houstonians diagnosed with HIV are also diagnosed with AIDS, meaning they wait until they're already sick to be tested.
No good, right?
No only for their health, but the health of those they have been romantically involved with in the meantime.

The best way to stop the spread of this illness is to make sure people are aware of their status so they can take care of themselves and their loved ones.

So I gathered data, wrote a proposal, sent it in and have waited.
patiently.
.
.
.
.
.
I just got this email from my faculty adviser (former prof):
Alicia,
I am happy to report that the HIV testing has been approved. We have 3 divisions involved in the effort. The Health Center , Student Life, and the Counseling Center. Sarah is working to get the AIDS Foundation of Houston to be involved in the fall. Thanks for the work you have done and your commitment to this effort.


---

I can't express how amazingly happy I am.
It's been a /really/ rough day but this makes it all worth while! I'm so freaking just like...WOW lol--it might REALLY happen. I might have an impact, a real impact.


PS! the walk was awesome! and pictures are included!!:







Included are my friend Alyx, Don Jensen (Radio DJ), Kelly McCann (the head of AIDS Foundation Houston), not one but TWO Miss Texas's, lots of people and of course--Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee

Some of you may recognize her! lol I don't agree with her politics but she was a pretty cool lady and we talked to her a bit while she was there. She's really supportive of the foundation and that day, that's all that mattered to me! So I got my picture with her ;p


OH!
okay so it was COLD that day, like...cold.
chilly.

It also decided to POUR rain on us right after we crossed the halfway point. That was fine, we all kind of looked up, laughed, and kept walking.
Alyx and I sang songs while walking with guys dressed up as Captain America, the Green Lantern, AND the Flash.
it was preeeeeeeeeeeetty funny.
I was soaked, Alyx was soaked, we got a case of powerade each (thrown at us by the vendors! lol)
oh and lots of goodies of course, they're big on goodies.


all in all--it was a great time and awesome props to Mom and Derek for sponsoring me!
<3

Poom does charity

This coming week is SPRING BREAK!
I'll be working all day Monday and Tuesday, sleeping, and then waking up Wednesday to go see my crazy mother ;p <3

I'll be staying there until Saturday morning because
dun
dun
dun

Sunday is the 20th Annual Houston AIDS walk and yours truly will be participating again.
Why? well I could go on a long socio-political-economic rant about why we need to halt the spread of HIV and facilitate supportive care to those infected both domestically and globally but i think the $15 billion dollars given to Africa for health care from Dubbya might attest to the importance.

Anyway, I've set my standards high, $1,500 this year. I've reached 982.
The walk is in a week.
So if you are so inclined--consider sponsoring me here: http://www.aidshelp.org/goto/stjoan09

New Hair and Tests tests tests

New hair on a whim. I'm digging it.


What I'm not digging is the four tests I've had since Thursday.
Quan Methods
Econ Geology
Cultural Geography
International Political Economy.

The last two i had today. The first two on Thursday. My geology test is back--94. WOOO
On a cooper test that's saying something. So I'm happy about that.

Dr. M said not to expect my Quan Methods (aka Stats) test results until Monday.
The last two I'll probably have back Thursday as well as a paper grade and another test grade for Conflict and Terror.

In the mean time I have five chapters and a whole book to read by thursday. So I'm going to be busy!!

<3
PS I like good news and this past week has held a lot of it :)

My Mom...

Has a blog.
so now i get to do this:

HI MOM!!!! *waves frantically at imaginary TV camera*

;p


My goodness. The past week and a half have had some good news! So right now, things are looking up.

This week I have two tests--down from three--on Thursday. Economic geology and Quan Methods. So, i'll be studying from now until then.

OH! Nathan got promoted. Yeah he got a couple of job offers but neither of them added up to the management position Allied Lube offered him. He's now a manager of his very own Jiffy Lube. Yeah, doubles the income. So WOOOOO!

Meanwhile, I've noticed that my past two journal titles have been 'been a while'
so um.... i should probably uh...update more often.

Ps if you don't know about lolCats you should seriously look into this website. It's been around for a while but NEVER gets old.

pps...i had an account here when i first got on the internet and this weekend Nathan and I were talking about old games we used to play. Um...i started a new account on Neopets Yeah, I did.
You know why? It's cheesy, but it's wholesome fun and gives me a funny little place to relax when I am not working, in class, studying, or other various activities that are much more productive.

Been a while

Because I've been rather all consumed.

In short-- my mom has cancer, a very good friend of mine has been taken off life support after suffering a stroke, my dentist keeps having issues with my crowns, they're going to charge me an extra 300 dollars, and I still have the flu.

All of this in the span of literally 4 days. Since Wednesday, I have honestly just been trying to get my feet back under me.