Cowboy Boots And Wool Coats (And Dumpsters)

It's been about forever since I updated this thing. Sorry to anyone who had a spare 10 minutes on their hands and was desperate enough to wonder, geez, if Liz's thing were up, I could procrastinate a little bit more . . . But let me just say that right now, I feel good. My throat is sore and I'm all stuffy, but really, I'm feeling okay. Things (as of today) are coming together with school for the last push, and I'm SO ready for a good month-long vacation. I'm giddy at the thought of all the fun it's going to be, and I'm so excited to be getting on to spending all my time with my favorite people.

A quick update on why I didn't update. Okay, I lied, this isn't going to be short at all. But I haven't updated in a while, right? And it's the end of the year and you guys need to waste as much time as possible because there's so much to do.

I was going back and forth from Texas and then doing four reporting classes and working on Saturdays at the cafe . . . I spent Thanksgiving with Dan's family. It was a good time; they all feel completely like family, and how can I NOT have fun if I'm with Dan, but coming back I got a cold. Now, a week after I came back and got really sick, I'm still feeling a bit off and with school and work, I doubt I'll get better before I go to Tampa.

(For the record, this is the second time I've come back from Texas sick.)

But anyway, I got back and had this near panic attack because of all the work that has to be done. I have news articles, a big-ass feature article, and two documentaries, one of which is a group project. To make things better, it's a group project with Pat, a guy who drives me nuts, and Jon, a guy who actually dropped out of the program. So, that's awkward. Yesterday there was a fiasco when Pat and I agreed about a type of script that adhered to what the professor said and Jon wanted something completely different and would not compromise. At all. Merely yelled at us, instead.

The whole thing is bizarre. But my other documentary, my radio one, is slowly coming together. It's about Dumpster diving. It will hopefully rock like a mo'fo, and I'm trying to get out to go wade around in Dumpsters. I'm excited, I have to admit. There's a huge culture out there. It started with Loren sending me an article about freegans (free+vegan), vegans who get all their veggie-happy food out of Dumpsters. They get a lot of other things out of the trash, too. Now, I'm a huge fan of Goodwill, and half the stuff in there should in the trash, but actually swimming through trashbags and other, real, genuinely gross stuff? Stay tuned. Hopefully I'll have some awesome stories to share over drinks when I hit Cowtown again.

Also on the topic of radio, the professor offered me a TA position next semester. I'd get $1000 for about five hours of work a week, as opposed to the about $700 I've made this semester working eight hours a week at the cafe. This is happy because now I get to quit. I've never quit a job before, really quit. I'm excited. I want out of there fast. I don't hate it, but I really don't like it. Any not having to deal with difficult customers? Golden.

My articles are slow going, but they'll get done. Like I said, I had a near panic attack this week. I just felt like there was so much, and then there was a final exam thrown into everything, and it was a pain. Plus, sick and not enough sleep. But! There is good news. For example, Betty Crocker now makes little cakes you just pop in the microwave. And they're good, too.

It's Friday night. Next Friday night, I will be finished with everything but my feature article. Then a few days after that, on Monday, I'll be on my way to Tampa for Christmas (and to finish my feature article). Back to Fort Worth on the night of the 26th to join in the debauchery of Dan's 21st. The adventure of that may beat even Dumpster diving.

If I can survive the next week, I'll be set. It's turning cold again. I've been told it's been a really, really mild fall, and I guess I believe it. Today I broke out my wool coat. I love it. I feel important in it, and it was supposed to snow late this afternoon so I wore my boots. (Not my snow boots. I still haven't come to peace with those.) Cross fingers it doesn't snow before I go home. I don't want to deal with walking on ice in addition to everything else. I'm busting my ass as is without needing to fall on it, too.