Thank you!

This is a note of appreciation to everyone in my life that has helped me succeed in my academic semester goals. I wanted to get only As and Bs this semester, and I have achieved it! My special thanks to my kids and to my husband. You see, this is a big deal for me in that I have never applied myself to school and so I passed through HS and such, with less-than-ideal apitude. My family and friends always felt I was capable of more, but I was easily distracted with other things to care much about what happened. However, once I went to BSC with the main goal of going to school to get my career in-line, I became extremely focused. Every semester since I started there has been an improvement over the previous one, and so I hope to earn all As in this next semester. My mom and sisters always thought that I was capable of at least a 3.5 and though I earned only a 3.46 this semester, I have shown a progress from all my other attempts at learning. And this 3.46 is with hardly any effort in studying (in a consistent pattern), not completing my homework assignments 100%, a job, a family, and something of a social life. Imagine if I didn't have all that?! Thanks again to everyone who encouraged me through their thoughts, their support, and their sacrifices.
--------------------------------------------
What do you get two girls for Christmass when they want the same exact thing that the other one has? You should hear these two when a commercial comes on for some girlish toy, "I want that." "I want that too." "No! I want that!" "No! I want that" "Mommm! N is saying she wants what I want" "Noooo..." "Yessss!" "Noooo...(is beginning to whine in a high pitch)" "Mommm!(yelling loud)" Calgon, take me away.

On Christmass day since we will be spending it with family I would like to get games like Othello, checkers, battleship, some new Carnium game for kids, and the such so that we can play games all day. We did that on Thanksgiving and it was fun. I also remember getting games and books for Christmass and that we read or played the games while mom slaved in the kitchen. However, most of these games will be of interest to N.M , but not to the girls. The girls are more interested in tea partys, ponies, dolls, and make-up. MY make-up most of the time. So, what do you do when you just want to load the kids up with gifts, but can only get a couple of things? And what do you do when one child is easier to buy for then the others?

Our van is trying to committ sucicide. It is punishing me for driving it out to OR , around OR, and back to ND this summer. It needs a LOT of work. I really believe that it is punishing me, or as my Aunt P. says, "The Gods are telling you that you shouldn't have gone." I thought that because it had hardly any miles on it for being as old as it was, that it should be fine. Hah! I got proved wrong!

Subject now relating to my job: I work with idiots. Well, not complete idiots but almost idiots. Our current managers (of who I will be speaking about only two) are...oh, what's the word for "do as I day, not as I do"? Since I was approached with the idea of possibly training me into a management position in January I have tried to be more aware of what is going one around me and to take my job more seriously. I have tried to be more of what I would want from a manager. I.E stepping in and taking control when things look like the person is "in the weeds", indicating an idea that might help someone earn better tips ("clear off your table as they finish their dishes"), and offering to do whatever I can to help out. These should be done by any hardworker, but truth is, the restaurant business is not a breeding ground for career minded people. Anyway, as my mentality has changed so have the things I notice. Do I want to work with two people who say, "Don't do this!" and then do it themselves some time later? Do I want to work with two people who are ...I do not know the word I am looking for. Oh, maybe it is "not very professional" with other employees. Part of me says no, and than the other part of me says that should the offer be fruitful I should step in and become part of the stability in the management team that I desire to see. IF the wage is worth my time and effort. I am also considering a job that has been posted at our local residental home for troubled teens as a Youth Counselor (basically a paid babysitter for emotionally unstable kids).
We'll see...