Back To The Daily Grind

I started my new (old) job at the old PT today. Lots of familiar faces and familiar tasks made me feel right at home.

I really just felt like writing a blog about relationships and my opinions on them. Be prepared for some insight and a lil' bit of venting. Here goes:

Today I learned that an acquaintance of mine is getting divorced. He and his wife were just married in September. Obviously, I don't know all of the details, so I'm going purely on my initial reaction: WTF, mate?

I was at their wedding and while it upset me that the husband got so intoxicated he passed out at the reception, I thought it was a lot of fun. It was tastefully simple; elegant but basic. They purchased a house and went on a lavish honeymoon. And for an 8-month marriage? What, are we in Hollywood and I missed it?

So here's what I've chalked it up to: Either someone cheated or did something so horrible that it cannot be forgiven. That being said, I find it a bit frustrating that "for better or for worse" is being so casually discarded.

My Main(e) Concern

For those of you who don't know, I'm not an outwardly religious person. I try very hard to keep in mind that other people have views different from mine. However, I have to chalk this one up to God, because at this point... what the heck else could it be?

(Brief backstory)

I hate DeKalb. There's not one particular thing that I can point out that I hate about it, but I just do. That really sucks, because I've built somewhat of a life here. I think I hate DeKalb so much because I've been here too long without having graduated.

Anywhoozle...

I'm talking to my boyfriend, Josh, about this and I'm rambling about moving away for awhile to find myself, yadda yadda yadda... then all of a sudden I utter this sentence: "I think I should just move to Bangor, Maine."

BANGOR, MAINE? Really, self, really?

So for shits and giggles (more for the giggles) I decided to Google "Bangor, Maine". Lo and behold, it is the town of my dreams. It's on the water, there's a very low crime rate, it's inexpensive to live there, and just a few miles away is UMaine, a college whose main programs revolve around science.... BUT WAIT. There's a french program in their grad school. Why, you ask? Because there's a large population of, you guessed it, French-speaking people from Canada!!

How unbelievable that I pulled a town that I had probably never heard of before out of my ass, only to have it be the town of my dreams.

Update: I filled out one of those "Tell Me More" forms, come to find out they're understaffed and their French graduate program is not taking anymore applicants until they can find professors.

So, I'm thinking I'll just live there.

Thoughts??

My life rocks!

GOOD NEWS!

I'm all set for graduation in December. I realize that it's 1.5 years behind schedule, but I'll be honest: I wasn't ready to be a grown-up in May '07. In fact, not too long before that I was contemplating marriage. Marriage?! On my budget? Yeah, right. I can't even afford to attend somebody else's wedding, let alone have my own. Now I feel ready to face the world. I love feeling relieved. It's...well... a relief. Right now I'm looking into the job market, just to see what's out there. Turns out there's quite a bit for someone with a French degree. I'd really prefer to just skip right to grad school, but I'm having some hiccups.

First hiccup
- I don't want to leave Josh or my family behind and it would seem that a lot of the jobs that sound the most promising are either on one of the coasts or downtown. Ideally I'd prefer to work downtown, but then where I do live? Do I try and get into a grad program at a university in Chicago? No clue.

Second hiccup
- Do I want to go to grad school at all? Yes. But at what cost? As it is I have a reeeeally hard time juggling school and work because I prioritize work. That being said, I've done quite a bit of reflecting and I think I figured this thing called life out. (Enough to know that school is way too damn expensive to be messing around the way that I have)

Things that are not an option for me:
1) Going to grad school at NIU. It's not that I don't think NIU is a good university, I just think their French undergrad program is weak, which leads me to believe that their grad program is even worse. Don't get me wrong, I think the professors are amazing, and I've learned so much from all of them, but the department is struggling. There are too few professors and I think that the students suffer because of it. Take the graduate catalog for example. I have to RETAKE a bunch of classes (we're talking like at least half of the required credit hours). These are classes that I've already taken that are undergrad/grad classes. Do I think they were beneficial and enjoyable the first time around? Absolutely. I'd looooooooooove to get another shot at Phillippe's two translation courses. However, I really think it's time to move on to some new scenery.

Also, as lame as this sounds, I've grown accustomed to my professors' accents. Being that I've never been to France, I'd really like to expose myself to as much french speaking as possible, and I'd really like to be able to hear it spoken by as many people as possible.

Oh well, I've gotta go bar-hopping now.

Right Now

Right now...

• I need to e-mail two professors and beg them to let me do an independent study with them.
• Call Capital One and Chase Banks to pay my credit cards.
• Pay my car insurance.
• Write a paper I just found out was due for Monday.
• Find a second job.
• Do some laundry.
• Find a freaking doctor that is in-network.
• Get better at life, cuz right now I pretty much suck at it.

Wish me luck!

The Worst of Times, The Best of Times

Currently I am in a severe state of financial crisis. In a phrase - I'm broke. Most of the time I wish that I could just win a lot of money and pay off all of my bills. Then I remind myself that I take handouts from no one and that I will perservere. As you all learned in my previous blog, I am headed for a career of wonderful French-ness. In fact, the parameters of this very blog that I am writing are en francais.

Now, to address another issue at hand: the current job. I hate it. I'll tell you why I hate it. First of all, I don't feel that anyone there truly enjoys their job, and that frustrates me. As someone who very much needs money, I don't understand where exactly they think the griping will take them. If you hate it so much, then leave, and if you can't afford to leave then stop the griping. But I digress. I just feel like there's not a lot of energy there. I need energy. Also, I'm pretty sure that some considerably important people don't like me. That would be fine if they didn't feel the need to treat me as though I were invisible. I'm not invisible. In fact, as Scott Grandt so poignantly pointed out in the seventh grade, I'm pretty hard to miss. So why the dismissal of the new girl? My guess: They're haters. Hah. Ok no, but seriously... the car business blows major balls.

Je n'aime pas les travails automobiliennes. (Yeah, I made it up). Onwards to the weekend and a job hunt for a second job, perhaps a weekend one or a night job.

Let The Blogging Begin

Most of you reading may already know most of what I'm about to tell you. That being said, you all have my apologies in advance for anything that you feel may be repetitive. For those of you who don't know anything about me, let me fill ya' in:

-My name is Katie. Note the 'i' in Katie. Kate is not Katie. Again, note the 'i'. Sound it out if it helps.

-I'm 90% set to graduate in December and I will have a degree in French with an emphasis in Literature. Oh boy, the jobs will be in abundance. This, I know. You don't need to tell me.

-I have the best friends a girl could ask for. I know because I asked and they showed up one day. Weird, but what can you do?

-My boyfriend, Josh, and I have more fun having nothing in common than I ever thought imaginable.

- I plan on writing a book which will be entitled "This Only Happens to Me". In it, I will recount the stories I hopefully will write here.

-I've lived enough for one, and laughed enough for a million.

-I have PCOS. Look it up.

-I am a die-hard republican, and my views on politically charged things are as follows:

• I believe in the death penalty. Eye for an eye.
• I believe that abortion is abhorrent. That being said, I don't want to pay for your child if you'd rather not yourself, so by all means take your piggie bank down to the clinic and save a child from a life where he/she's not wanted. Maybe next time you'll be more selective with whom you sleep, and the methods used. If you can afford an abortion, you can damn sure afford a box of condoms.
• I believe that gays shouldn't be married. That also being said, I don't believe that it's any legal business of anyone's to say what gay people can and cannot do. I know plenty of phucked up straight couples that I don't want to see married either.
• I believe that universal health care is an overly ideal institution that should never be in place. I work hard for my money, and if you don't get to the back of the line.

Alright, well I'm unapologetically me, so hope you all enjoyed it!