Jan 30, 2011

Update much?

So... I am a horrible blogger. But it's not my fault, I swear! We're not even into the fourth week of school yet and already I've had one presentation, three papers due, and hundreds of pages of reading (150 this weekend alone!). I'm in way over my head already, and I'm so scared of what's to come. I feel like having a nervous breakdown every weekend that I spend 20 hours working and 0 hours playing.

Since we've last spoken, I've managed to rack up $50 of parking tickets (including two in the span of five minutes... must be a new record!), survived (?) a $35 cut to my paycheck, and had my Comcast bill DOUBLED (do you all hate Comcast as much as I do?? Argh!). Needless to say, my financials are not great for January.

Oh, and I might be living in Germany next spring. Which makes for a hell of a lot of drama in finding a new place to live, because my landlords now won't let me sublet anymore.

Hmmm I feel like this post is really schizophrenic. Don't worry, I'll sit down and write a real post sometime soon. Things are just really stressful all of a sudden and there's a lot to think / worry about. But I am still alive.

Jan 5, 2011

Happy 2011!

Thank goodness that those 00 glasses are finally out! Also, how weird is it that it's 2011 now? Eek! Well anyway, new year new goals, and here are mine:

FINANCIAL
1. Save enough for the trips I have planned this year.
Realistically: California for my friend’s wedding, Austin for another conference (the funds from the dept won’t cover the whole thing because I’m flying), and a road trip to Boston.
Dream List: Those + a road trip to Minnesota and getting to Seattle.
For the realistic list, I’m estimating around $1,700. That includes travel AND wedding expenses, minus our conference travel stipend.
2. Pay down student loan debt to 14,500.
Seems I’ve had this goal since I started the blog.
3. Save $150 for future car repairs
I’m going to need new brakes and tires in about another 3? 4? years, so I’d better start saving a little now.

PERSONAL
1. Travel to at least FIVE new places
Since this goal worked out so well last year, I decided to up the ante a bit. :)
2. Get a new tattoo
3. Try THREE of Julia Child’s recipes
The boy got me her cookbook for Christmas, and I've been drooling over all the cool stuff in there. I found some so far that don't seem too complicated!
4. Work out at least twice a week
This would be a huge improvement, since I stopped working out altogether. The only exercise I get is my 1/2 hour walk to and from school everyday.
5. Read more books / watch more movies in German
I need to start practicing with the language again, I'm getting a bit rusty!

SCHOOL
1. Choose a dissertation topic
2. Pass my comps in the Fall
3. Publish a paper
I've got one in the works, I just need to fix it a bit and rerun the stats on it.
4. Do an internship in the summer