Hearts

Today has been an impeccable day! 


Eric and I went into Zales to get my wedding finger sized because my wedding rings need to be resized pretty badly. It's gotten to the point where I don't really wear my rings anymore because they are so hard to get off! Anyway - while we were waiting to be helped, Eric and I were looking around at the wedding sets, for future ideas. I ended up finding this set that I really, really, really LOVED. It's the same size karat as the ring I have now, but that's okay! I've never really been the type of girl to want a "huge" ring, as long as I loved it. Eric isn't 100 percent satisfied because it's not "big" enough, but eventually he may get that "dream" of his. Haha!


I'm so thankful for my husband. He is so good to me and I could never find a man who is as wonderful as he is. 

Changes

I had a realization tonight. I can talk about a certain someone I have loathed for years and not feel the anxiety I used to feel, nor the anger and hatred I felt toward that person anymore. I won't go into details about what happened or who it is, because that isn't important. The important thing is, is that I'm proud of myself for that. It shows I improved and changed quite a lot since we've been in Alaska. I even think that if I ran into that person one day, I would be somewhat okay with that and try to be civil. A year ago if you told me I'd ever say any of this stuff, I'd tell you that you were lying and were crazy. I never thought I'd see this day. 


I'm also slowly, but surely, learning to realize that as long as I do my best on assignments for school, then it doesn't matter what grade I got. I mean obviously the grade matters, but if I put forth my best effort, then I should be proud of that. It's a hard thing to learn, but hopefully I'll learn it in time and I won't be so disappointed when I don't always get the grades that I want. 


I'm also glad to report that I'm not nearly as stressed as I was at the time of my last posting! Somehow, I got two weeks of work done this week (including my huge forensic anthropology project), even though I hung out with Annie almost everyday. I didn't think I'd get so much done, but I did and I'm quite proud of myself. With all the work I got done today, I only have two more chapters to read in forensic anthropology. I hope to get that done this weekend, since note-taking isn't involved, which means, I can focus solely on studying for that class until my final. I also don't have much left in my forensic biology class either! The light at the end of that tunnel is getting brighter and closer!!


xoxo,
Megan

Game Plan

This might be long - bear with me.


About three or four Saturdays from this upcoming Saturday, I will officially be done with my summer classes. Even though the light at the end of the tunnel is there and I can see it, I still feel like I have an eternity until I reach it or until it gets brighter even.


I wish that I had it in me to stay focused these last couple of weeks, but honestly I don't. I think the main reason for that is because, well, the weather's been so lovely here and I'm tired of being stuck indoors doing homework. However, in order for me to get everything done, I have to do homework from 3:30 to 9:00 everyday; this includes studying hardcore. Another reason I don't feel focused is because I feel overwhelmed about how much I have to finish. It's all listed below

• Hundreds of notecards for Anthropology
• Notecards for Biology
• Study group project for Biology
• Case study project for Anthropology
• 6 chapters to read for Anthropology
• 6+ chapters to read for Biology
• 3 homework assignments to do for Biology
• Conferences for both classes

I'm dreading the projects. I HATE study group projects. I'm dreading even looking at my case study. I'm just dreading it all. But I can do this. I have to do this. 

I keep telling myself, "It's only 3 more weeks, only 3 more weeks," but that does no good; because I have an insane amount of work to do in three weeks. My head hurts just thinking about it all.

Another problem I have is the fact that I have it drilled into my head that I NEED to get "perfect" grades in my classes. I have a 3.919 GPA and I really do not want to get B's in either class, simply for the fact that it'll bring my GPA down. I blame this issue on the fact that people told me I would never go to college after I got married. I guess I drilled it in my head to prove them wrong with everything I have. In the end, that's backfired considerably; I feel like a failure if I get worse than an "A" on anything.  I hate it.

I'm just drained. And then three weeks after this semester ends, I'll be starting the fall semester and taking 5 classes. Although, I don't think any of English classes and the two Criminal Justice classes I'm taking will be as dense as forensic anthropology, I'm hoping my English classes be just the break from the Criminal Justice world.

BUT. I think I have a game plan to get through all this. While Eric's still at work tonight, I'm going to do as many notecards for forensic anthropology as I can. Then tomorrow, I'm going to look over the study group project information, see what needs to be done and see if I can get organized somehow and get an email out to my group members. After that, I'll be doing the last minute HW assignment my teacher assigned me in Biology and do more notecards. Friday -  you guessed it; more notecards.

Then - next week, I'm starting the week off with finishing my project for Anthropology. That will happen on Monday. Then Tuesday hopefully I can get a pretty decent start on the study group project (I hope I hear back from my group members rather quickly). After that, the rest of the week will consist of doing the readings and notecards. 

With this game plan, maybe after next week things won't be so difficult. At least I hope. 

XOXO,

Megan

Bones, Trauma, and Dirt - Oh My!

Ah, yes, a lovely post about Forensic Anthropology. 


I swear, that class might just kill me! I cannot imagine how those who work in the career field learn EVERYTHING they need to know for this job. Well, I guess when it's your career, you have no choice. But gosh, I think I have over 200 notecards from the first two weeks of class. I have 10 weeks left of readings to go through and notecards to make. I am dreading to see how many notecards I'll end up with! 


With that said, I won't be able to do much writing for my book during the week. The majority of my time from 3:15 pm to 9 pm every night, Monday through Friday, is going to consist of homework and hardcore studying. Thankfully, finals are in three to four weeks. So, I can see the light at the end of this tunnel starting to appear! Exciting!


However, I am going to at least try and write some on the weekends. So we'll see how that goes. I'm glad I'll get about three weeks off between the summer and fall semesters to focus on things I enjoy doing and things I need to get done around the house. Although, I'm dreading the things I need to get done around the like, clean it really, really, really, really well, clean out my cabinets, organize my closets, and clean out my email folders. Oh well, gotta do what you gotta do, especially when your husband is going to do most of the cleaning during the upcoming fall and spring semesters. LOL! Just kidding, he is pretty good at cleaning the house; it just feels weird when I can't clean it. 


Other exciting news. Hm, well, actually I don't have any. I'm a hostage to school right now and don't have time for much of anything else. Story of my life, most definitely. Oh, wait, I forgot I'm having a girls' night next weekend sometime. Brittany, Moriah, Laura Ann, and Jodi are going to be there and we're going to have fondue and watch chick flicks! FUN! It will definitely be a much needed break from all this studying. 


Well, that's all for now I suppose. I'm going to go relax in my bubble bath and have a date with my book, Stone of Tears. There is no better way to relax than in a hot bubble bath with a book; except for the beach, that is!


xoxo,
Megan

Vent

Okay, so bear with me, I am going to vent. 

Before I begin, I want to state that I understand this was a luxury, not a right,  and that I am thankful for the money I did get from the program, but I still find what is happening unfair.

As some of you may know, there is a program called MyCAA. Before the new changes took place, the spouses of active duty military members could receive up to $6,000 in tuition assistance that did not need to be paid back. My plan was to use this money for this school year, which would helped out tremendously sine I would not have had to use a lot of my student loans. Obviously, this would save me money in the long run. 

Well, today I get online and check my email and guess what?! Starting October 25, those members with an active account will no longer be able to request money for tuition. This means, that I will be gipped out of $1500 that would have been used to pay for two of my classes in the spring semester. This is money they promised me and quite frankly, it's stupid they're taking it right back. 

It is also frustrating when I planned the tuition fees for this upcoming school year around the program and then now, I can't use all the money I was told I would get. 

Not only is this unfair to me, but with these new eligibility requirements, people who create accounts on October 25 cannot use the money toward BA's. That's another crappy stipulation. A lot of people are pursuing BA's these days and honestly, a lot of those people have a hard time paying for their degree. Why should they not be allowed to use that money for their BA's??

That's all I want to say about the matter, because well, I just had to get it out. I'll post another general update about things later tonight. 

xoxo,

Megan

Salem Falls

I am very excited to post about this book! It is probably one of my favorite Jodi Picoult books and as with any of the other books I've read by her, I LOVE it! 


Salem Falls tells the story about Jack St. Bride, an accused serial rapist who was just released from prison because of a plea bargain he was pretty much forced to take to avoid spending life in prison. After being released from prison, Jack finds himself working in a small town (Salem Falls) diner and falling hard for Addie Peabody, the daughter of the owner of the diner. 


However, rather quickly, Jack finds himself facing as second rape accusation. This time it's Gillian Duncan , the daughter of the man who "owns half the town," accusing the sexy former school teacher of rape. Little does Jack, Addie, or his defense attorney, Jordan, know, Gillian Duncan and her three friends are witches of the pagan religion, Wicca, who have specially targeted Jack. Is Jack innocent? Or, did he really rape Gillian Duncan?


In a lot of ways, Salem Falls is a modern day adaptation of The Crucible and this is precisely what first caught my attention to the novel. I have to say that I found myself getting attached to Jack's character and Addie's character rather quickly. The novel engulfed me so rapidly that I could hardly put it down. When I reached the end of the novel, I was surprised to find myself tearing up. In all the books I have read, this has only happened two other times. Thus, I highly recommend Salem Falls to anyone! 


Next: Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth Series, Stone of Tears. 


xoxo,
Megan

100

Yep, that's the magic number today, well, last night actually. I reached 100 pages in my book last night and I'm half way through with chapter 10. That means, I'll be sending my best friend, Steph, chapters 8 through 10 of my book very soon! I am so thankful to have someone like her, that I trust fully and completely, to read my book before anyone else does! =] =] =] 


I'm really excited (as always) about the direction my book is going in. However, I'm at a place in it, where I didn't anticipate it being hard to write. For whatever reason, it's extremely difficult to write this part of my book for various reasons. I honestly wish I could go into detail about it, but I can't because, well, that would give a crucial part (which happens to be the turning point or climax) of my book away. But hopefully, it becomes easier with time. I know once I get through this part, I'll be proud of myself for writing it and will give me more of a push to write other various novels in this way.


Anyways - on to other news. I'm currently reading Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult. Once again, it's a book I cannot put down. It's got me so intrigued that I'd even put off writing in my own book to read it; that's just how good it is! I cannot wait to write a synopsis for you all about it.


I've also decided that, despite how much I love the Enlisted Spouse's Book Club here at Eielson, I feel like reading the books assigned for the group is like a school assignment. The reading doesn't feel like it's done for enjoyment anymore. Yeah, I'm weird I know. But I decided to just go ahead and attend the Book Club meetings and read whatever books I want to read on my own time. I love the free enjoyment of reading. It's such a stress reliever for me.


Well, as you also know, when I was in Anchorage for the July 4th weekend, I bought a Nook. I loved it at first and I still think it's really awesome, but I found myself really, really missing holding a physical book. I mean I knew when I bought it that I would miss holding books and the smell of them, etc, but I didn't think it would be as bad as it got. So, this past Sunday, the hubby and I took a trip to Barnes and Noble and returned my e-reader. I really should have listened to him in the first place, but oh well, you live and you learn.


My husband and I started P90X this past week and I LOVE the workout. It wasn't as bad as people made it out to be. I went in with the impression that I would be completely and utterly exhausted and honestly, I am exhausted, but I'm not to the point where it makes me want to take a nap immediately afterward. Maybe that's because I'm already in shape. But, that's okay because I still get a great workout with it! I have to say my favorite one is the Ab Ripper X. I hate it, but at the same time I LOVE it. 


Well, I guess that's enough for an update tonight. I'm so sorry for being such a slacker at updating, but I've been super busy with school and my marriage and just life in general! I'll try to update tomorrow. 


xoxo,
Megan

A Lil' Update

It's been quite a while since I've posted a general update on how things are going with me. Therefore, I think it's time I did so. =]

Part of the reason I hadn't posted in so long is because I was extremely busy getting school work done for our short get-away to Anchorage this past weekend. I'm so glad I decided not to take Forensic Anthropology in the fall or spring semesters with four other classes because I would, putting it simply, be screwed. That class is so much work it's not even funny. Plus, I'm really, really slacking on my study cards. =[ So, I've decided that instead of handwriting every study card, I'll just cut up my notes I've been taken and tape them on study cards. I hope that doesn't come back to bite me in the butt. The great news though, is that I'm halfway done with these two classes. Which I'm very excited for because I should have never taken summer classes.

My husband and I just got back from Anchorage yesterday and I had an absolute blast! I bought some summer clothes that I desperately needed and I even buckled down and bought Barnes and Noble's ebook reader, the Nook. Needless to say, I LOOOOOOVE the Nook. I have so many books it's not even funny and being that we're military, I wasn't looking forward to having a crap ton of books and moving them wherever we are sent. The lady who was talking with me about the Nook in Barnes and Noble said she had 125 boxes of books when she moved one time and honestly, that scared me because at some point I would have that many books! With the Nook though, I'll have all the books with me and won't have to worry about shelf space. Plus, the ebooks are cheaper than physical books. Of course, if I really love a book, I'm sure I'll still buy the hardcover copy (that's only if I really, really LOVE the book or series) and not all books are ebooks at the moment. For example, J.K. Rowling hasn't released the Harry Potter series to be ebooks. Now I just need to decide if I want to sell the books I don't necessarily want in physical copies and use that money to buy them on my nook. Actually, I might not do that, it'd probably wast money. Lol.

Overall, I had a blast in Anchorage. It was definitely nice to get away from Fairbanks and have some one on one time with Eric, without having to worry about school work and such. I really can't wait to go back in September. I'm counting down the days!

As far as my book goes, I think I'm either writing the ninth chapter or have finished that chapter and started the tenth chapter. I can't remember (it's been a few days since I've written). Lol. Anyway - the progress for my book is coming along greatly. I've reached the climax (for the most part) of my book and things are starting to really play out. I love it so far.

Well, that is all for now,

xoxo,
Megan

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

First off, I apologize greatly for taking so long to post this! I've been extremely busy and have now just found somewhat of a down time to post this. Look for another post about my most recent updates!; it will be posted after this. =]

So, I finished The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner a couple of weeks ago, right before Eclipse was released to theaters, and I have to say that I loved the book. It was awesome getting to know the "other" vampires from the Twilight series who aren't necessarily "good."

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner follows a 15 year-old girl, recently turned vampire, who battles with right and wrong as the impending battle between Victoria's clan and the Cullen's and Werewolves arrives. Bree is introduced only briefly in Eclipse, but even then I found myself  feeling sorry for her. She didn't want to be bad, but it was all she was ever taught and that itself is heartbreaking and tragic. You'll see even more reasons why her demise was saddening as you read The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.

Overall, I loved the book, but wished it had been longer! Be sure to check it out! =]

Next book: The Neighbor, by Lisa Gardner. It is the book we are reading for book club. =] 

~Megan