BIG NEWS

Ok so I know every time that I post I feel like I say something like "no really guys, I'm going to post more!  Promise!"  Well I'm actually not going to say that at all because today I have some big news.  That's right!  I'm accomplishing one HUGE goal that I set for the company for this year...

I'm Moving!

Yep that's right I am SO moving on April 1st!  This is my last full work week and then I'm leaving work next Wednesday afternoon to finish boxing up my life, Thursday I'll buy furniture and Friday I will officially be moving into a new apartment!  Lots of pictures to come.  I have a top secret livingroom theme and some awesome furniture selected so I'm VERY excited to pick it all up (not so excited about footing the bill but hey...its worth it).  Tomorrow the current tenant is being kind enough to let me measure for furniture (to make sure it all fits) and then maybe I'll do a quicky sketch of what it will look like :)

Thirty six

Thirty six.  That is the number of exercises I have left to complete for school.  In...I believe 28 weeks (don't quote me on that though).  Holy crap.  My new plan seems to being well so far...(basically to do hw before watching tv for those of you tuning in) minus the fact that today I was performing my best impression of a zombie while alternating doubling over with cramps and playing mind numbing Facebook games (look I told you before, I am all about honesty here).  I meant to do schoolwork.  It just didn't happen.  Which is actually probably a good thing since it would be a wise idea to wait for a grade on my most recent assignment before handing in the next one.  Good in theory right?  Yeah not so much when my braaaaaains feel like they're going to pop out of my head at any given second.

I'm sorry.  That was graphic.  But really, I feel plain awful today.

So I was sitting here thinking about perhaps another blog since I can't go to bed at 8:30 on a work night... that's lame.  Even for me.  It occurred to me that I never really talk about school.  Sure, you know I'm in school, that I'm behind, what program it is and what not but I never really talk about it.  So now I will!

I'm currently in 2 classes, which is a great balance for me since I have a VERY limited attention span when it comes to school work at the end of the day.  So usually what happens is on a work night, I'll do more designed based stuff (since I generally code at work) and then on the weekends I'll code those parts and submit assignments.  Right now I'm taking Flash Web Design (something totally new) and Dreamweaver II (which I thought I rocked at Dreamweaver but man, I didn't know what I didn't know).  I hate to say this but I had the same teacher with Dreamweaver I and I'm not very creative with this class.  Its not for lack of effort on the work, trust me I certainly put plenty of time into the assignments. Its more that I'm so not used to doing things within Dreamweaver's design side (other than make sure that everything looks right) that I feel like I fixate more on getting things to be technically correct than artistic like most of my other work.  Don't worry, if I lost you, I have a perfect example.

This is my most recent Dreamweaver project that I submitted.  I realize that it looks rather plain, however there are some features that I tend to neglect such as borders, spry menus, overlaid background, etc that I really put time and effort into setting up correctly.  And then there's this:

My current Flash project (yes that's Latin, http://lipsum.com/ can explain Lorem Ipsum way better than I can).  You really can't compare the two!  Boring, plain yet technically proficient compared to fun, textured, loud and proud and exciting (btw the menu "signs" also drop down and change colors).

I'm having a hard time with this because I feel like I'm learning SO much great information in Dreamweaver II, yet my work comes out so blah!  Meanwhile, I really am having to work my butt off at Flash and it always turns out nicer than I expect.  UGH!

So yes, thirty-six assignments to go.  Plus the rest of life.  For now, since it is officially after nine o'clock which makes me not lame, this zombie is going to call it a night.

You say spoiled, I say selective

For those of you that may not know, I have recently started the great apartment hunt of 2011.  (side note:  now that I've typed that out three times it seems to be sticking despite blogger obviously not wanting me to post)  Apartment hunting in this area is...simply awful.  As a single (well dating but as far as Uncle Sam and my living situations are concerned...single) twenty some year old female that graduated in one of the worst economies possible, simply put, my dayjob certainly does not afford me a "cushy" lifestyle.  I'm happy at my job, don't get me wrong.  However a hefty raise would make looking for an apartment MUCH better!  Of course, that is also part of the reason why I started freelancing as well.  So I've started scouring the local advertisements and its a mess.  I have my eye on one particular community (also the most highly priced community I might add) which literally surrounds the area where I work, making my commute bike rideable if I so choose (YES PLEASE) but there are two other nearby areas that would be fine as well.  I'm quickly realizing that I need to make a list of my "MUST HAVES" vs my wants.  For example I came across a great ad tonight...reasonably priced, not in my preferred area but that was ok because its close enough, EVERYTHING included (super awesome), basement apartment (which is now on my list of things I probably don't want since I have no windows in my office and just not seeing light at all during the day would be so depressing) but there was one thing that made it a definite no for me.  Tell you what, let's make this a game.  I'll insert an image of the ad below and give you a chance to guess what isn't perfect about it for me.  Are you ready?  Here we go.

Normally I'll add credit from a site, but not this, but its a local site

Time's up.  Did you figure it out?  No?  Its the fact that there's no dishwasher.

Yes.  I am serious.  I'm sure that makes me sound awful but it is the truth.  I need a dishwasher where I live.  Not because I don't know how to wash dishes.  I do.  I hate hand-washing but I certainly know how to.  Its the fact that most days I work 9 hours, plus homework for an hour or two a night and 5 or 6 hrs each day of the weekend.  I'm sorry but if I have free time in the evening, I am NOT spending it washing dishes when I could have a machine do it for me.  Call it selfish, call it spoiled, call it lazy.  I don't care!  IT IS NOT HAPPENING.

So back to looking again and hoping I'll find a steal*

*sadly a steal is usually $800-850 not including electric, cable, internet etc for a 1 bed/1 bath

There are two sides to every story

I ended up watching the Lifetime movie about the Amanda Knox trial last night.  Don't judge me, none of my shows that I would usually catch up on  weren't on this week apparently so my Hulu options were... lacking.  The movie wasn't bad.  It was relatively well written.  The actors didn't overact...it really wasn't bad.

But talk about a way to convict a girl.  I don't know if anyone followed the trial or not, I remember watching it on Good Morning America when it first started (my only news source in college other than the semi-weekly Towson University paper) and wondering how it all really played out.  It might sound silly but I was kind of hoping that the movie would shed some light or new evidence or something to make the whole thing a little more understandable... but it really didn't.  All it truly did was made Amanda Knox look really strange and in her own little world.  And guilty.  Now don't get me wrong, I definitely don't know the full background nor does anyone else.  Plus she was convicted as guilty but I really feel there are two sides to every story.  Lifetime..."Television for Women" is generally known for their "YAY THE WOMEN WIN AGAIN" consistent theme (plus the rare "this woman is bananas" movie).  But this movie just straight up convicted her.  With the current appeal, I really felt like this movie damaged Amanda's chance of an early release heavily with a bad spin in the media!  I really felt as though they truly could have done a better job at perhaps showing Amanda's side of the story more.  Just a thought!

Catching up

So I am slowly catching up on schoolwork, although its certainly taken me long enough!  Spring in the near future certainly helps with getting me motivated.  Remember my little article about getting organized?  Guess I should be the one paying attention to it.  I took Tuesday off which was a semi-smart idea.  On one hand, I got caught up on one school lesson and I'm hoping to get mostly through another tonight.  I think I found the problem to my being organized...tv.

It seems like I've been having a hard time hitting  my 15 hours of homework each week, yet I've managed to watch almost 13 hours a week.  See the same problem that I do?  So now I'm banking tv time by doing homework first, then watching "my shows."  So far its helped a ton!  I've already done almost 10 hours this week and right now I'm hoping to get at least 5 hours done each day tomorrow and Saturday.

I finally ordered supplies for my friend's baby announcements.  The envelopes came in today, now I just have to wait for all the other stuff!  Good thing I'm a bit ahead of time because she found out today she's due in 8-9weeks.  YIKES!  I better get cracking!