I'm getting waaayyy too far behind!

Yes...I still exist. No...I haven't forgotten about my blog. This lovely page has been on my list of things to do (or the sticky note that will eternally be stuck to my desk) every day since the last time I wrote. I am just now getting to it.

Beings that classes are officiall over for the semester and all that is left is finals and Christmas parties I have found some time to get some of the long term things on my lest checked off. My blog being one of them. I am going to try to start doing weekly updates again- the past few weeks have just been extremely unforgiving.

Since the end of October life has pretty well been non stop. Not a lot of sleep, eating, or fun having per say...but it hasn't been horrible. My 21 credits rules my life along with two jobs, clubs, and occasional sleep! November started out with midterms which weren't bad...the only problem was that they all laid within one week. I took five tests and a quiz that first week of November- it was horrible. But, I managed to do well on the tests, although I did not manage to find time to sleep. We wrapped up the marching band season as well, so it was nice to have that extra time every day to myself. I started/finished my teaching hours in Faulkton- I ended up going three times. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it, but it did cost me a lot in gas money and time. No matter when I went I had to skip classes and leave Brookings by 5:30 (5:15 if the weather was crap). I would get there by 8:30- teach or help with teaching all day and then leave around 4, putting me back in Brookings by 7-7:30. So, it turned out to be some longs days. In fact, the last one I did not plan very well. I wasn't thinking and planned in on a Friday...but I worked the midnight to 3am shift the night before...leaving about 2 hours between the time I would get home and drive to Faulkton. Normally, 2 hours of sleep would not be a huge deal (it's doable) but I was not willing to risk driving three hours on 2 hours of sleep. So, I realized this at about 6pm that night and started calling. No one would take the shift and I had this huge project to get done- which meant I would not be able to sleep before work. Eventually, out of the goodness of a friends heart, he took the shift for me- whew!

So other than that...o I got sick, that was fun. We thought it was just H1N1, but after like three or four days I went in again and found out I also had strep. That put me out of commission for like a week and a half, and made me real slow for 2-3 weeks. I also had to miss the national Block and Bridle convention in combination with the North American Livestock Expo in Lousville...bummer. But, I was able to get out of the plane ticket and and life went on. The rest of the month basically consisted of a arrament of meetings, classes, work, and studying.

More recently at work we have been recieving corn samples and testing them for mycotoxins. Now, I dont' actually get to do all the testing (of course we can't do the fun stuff) but we do get to do all the prep work. So we orgnize and do spreadsheets along with moisture, drying, grinding, packaging...the list goes on. This has at least kept us busy enought to avoid our completely oblivious boss (alwasy a good thing).

December has teated me well this far. A slight lack of sleep and a strange illness, but nothing too terrible. Last week was the worst of all. I had all my final "regular" chapter tests to do as well as a gagillion projects. The education people like to make you do these huge projects and then tack on a final as well- annoying. My tests turned out ok. I will not have to take two of my optional finals as a result of doing well on them so I'm happy with that. Now, onto finals. It should not be too bad- I have three tests and one take home test. I started studying for a bit tonight but will do the bulk of it tomorrow.

The hardest test should be meats, but I ablsolutely loved the class and learned a ton, so studying should not be too difficult. My Indians of North America professor is doing a file test...meaning you just study the old tests (easy enough for me). The other is an education test that I am not worried about...although I have to stay until Friday to take the darn thing.

One last intersting tid bit...probably too much info but maybe someone has heard of this before- you never know. So about two months ago I had this random spot on my stomache. No big deal- looked like a spider bite. I get these things all the time and am very prone to allergic rashes and whatnot. Well it never went away and last week randomly grew like three or four times it size and spread. I decided that it must be ringworm or something that I picked up from Ace or cattle or whatever. So I went in to student death. I tell the lady about it and finally show it to her and she looks at it and goes "ummm that's not ringworm- I'll be right back". That's always a good thing to hear from a doctor! lol, so she comes back with a dermatology book and shows me some picture of what it is. Turns out it's a virus that has no defined cause. Who knows how or why I got it, but it is supposed to get worse over the next two weeks and then go away. I just though it was really random and intersting. This is one of those things most people would be grossed out by and possibly freaked out by. I, on the other hand was totally intregued! haha...imagine that- I am strange.

But, as far as that goes there isn't much else to add...I might have a friend...that's a boy. But nothing official (and we all know how much Sara loves drama) so that's all I'm sharing!

I'm thinking that sleep is a good choice at this point. So, that's where I'm headed. I WILL write back soon...sooner than a month! sorry...