Give me a chance to hold on...

Today I woke up after fifteen some odd hours of sleep. Not good you feel greatly rested sleep, but Nyquil and sickness-induced stupor that leaves you not wanting more sleep or to be awake. Which leaves me where?

Well right here, writing this blog entry in an effort to avoid even moreso doing these essays that are slowly becoming more and more pressing. I am nowhere near as far along as I would like, but that is ok. I will persevere. (Must believe this...)

The photo in this entry is the one that I think came out the best from the UF PhotoVentureGanza. I wish I knew a better way to frame it, I couldn't find a sort of photoshopping frame that I liked around it so it is now, as is.

Anyway, I'm off to do some more work (woo!) Any thoughts, notes, love, prayers, chicken soup, warm chocolate chip cookies, and offers for writing two 15-page French Papers on something I could care less about really interesting topics are greatly appreciated.

--M

P.S. In an ongoing theme of me complaining about weather in Florida. It is now the 3rd of December and it is not forcasted to have a high not in the 70s for the next 10 days. How depressing.

Florida: Sunshine State or Humidity State?

I am sick and tired of this weather.

Seriously, look at this.

The weather outlook for the next ten days is (as it has been for the past two months) either scattered or isolated showers with highs near 90 degrees and lows rarely dipping below 70.

Seriously.

And don't even get me started on the humidity.....

It should not be 70+% humidity EVERY DAY ALL DAY LONG!

Awe

In my room I have this huge window on the back wall. It's probably 6' x 6'. When it's rainding--or severe thunderstorming, as it is now--outside my window, I love watching the rain fall and the wind blow. Currently, it's almost like watching a light hurricane. It's kinda cool. I love watching the rain and the thunder and the lightning...I don't know what it is about it...it's intriguing, enthralling, calming...

Woah...there went the power. The room is all dark except for the faint light outside and the glow of my computer fueled by the battery backup and surge protector.

Now it's back. The incredible power of these storms...awesome.


I used to have a screened in porch when I was a little kid living down in Florida...it was huge (well, everything was huge back then) and even then, I loved watching, listening and feeling the aewsome power of thunderstorms. Here in Florida, we get a lot. I guess that's one part of Florida weather I really do enjoy.

Life keeps on moving forward...

It's already above room temperature outside and it's 9 AM. I hate hot weather and it's been hot and humid for the past month or so. Why am I moving to Florida where it will be hotter and more humid? Hurm. I must be insane.

So the roommate search is going alright. I've had probably around 20 people respond. Half of those have been women and I'm really looking for a guy to room with. I think it could just get a bit too awkward living with a female--for both of us involved. Out of those 10 guys, about half of them seem kinda creepy/scary and the other half seem to be not too bad. I'd like to get this nailed down as soon as possible; since I'm in Atlanta, however, it's really hard to show people around the place and such. I'm not sure how I'm going to remedy this exactly yet. We'll see.

But yes, things are going well with the home. There was a minor setback yesterday, but really it's not a big deal. The old owners installed a washer and dryer in a very innovative way out on the deck (it's not as redneck as it sounds, I promise.) Anyway, apparently it's against the Condo Association Rules. (I can't find where in the documentation that it breaks a rule, but whatever.) Anyway, they were pressure washing the outside and they noticed the washer/dryer unit and ordered them to remove it. Essentially we're either going to just put it back after I buy the unit or install it somewhere inside. Either way, I want my washer & dryer! *shakes fist* The old occupant wants to stay an extra week after closing though, so she's going to pay me rent for a week. Horray! Extra money!

Only two weeks and three days til closing! Very exciting.
After that there's just one week until Vacation.
And after vacation it's time for a road trip with Maggie to/from Iowa.

I need to hang out with people more. Time is running out!

I went to Becca's wedding last weekend. It's awesome that she's married. And kinda strange. She's the closest friend of mine to get married. It was great getting to hang out with the Freshman year Gang, though. It's been ages since we've all been together.

Almost There...

So, I think I'll be buying a home soon. It's ridiculously crazy...but awesome. Tomorrow we're making an offer on a condo in Gainesville, Fla. If this goes through, I'll have a place to live in Florida...that will be mine. Isn't that ridiculous? I'm very excited. It's an upstairs condo with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, balcony, and a little place to put a table (dining room? it's not really a room...whatever). It has some paint problems (i.e. the color needs to go)...but once this goes through, I can move in......I'm so excited! :D

Here are some pictures of the place. It's someone else's decorating style obviously, but you get a feel for it.

Stress, Stress, Stress!

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So I have read and heard that the three most stressful times in a person's life are having a baby, buying a house, and planning a wedding. Now, I'm not experienced on those things very well but I can tell you that the second one--buying a house--is VERY stressful. There is just so much to think about and so much to know and so much to consider...and then once it's done, it's done. There's no turning back.

Oi.

Even though I was incredibly stressed and probably not very fun to be around while I was in Gainesville this past week, I did enjoy the town and the University, I think I'll enjoy it even better when I move down there in two months. The place I'm looking at has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a balcony, kitchen, living room, it's on the second floor with no one above me and it's very close to the University. Now, the thing is, you can be very close to the University, but still be far from your classes. Most classes are in the the Northeast corner of the University and I'd be just across the street due south of the middle of the University....but whatever. It's still a nice place, if I can get there. If I don't I might rent out this place on the corner of 34th and W University across the street from the Law School and the UF Golf Course. I think that students get super cheap or free use of the UF Golf Course so I think Mike and I need to have a little golf game down there sometime. I think it'd be awesome.


Anyway, I should probably get back to work. Hopefully by the end of the week we will have this thing nailed out and I can be a little less stressed. Hopefully....

'Cause There's Just Too Many Scenarios To Analyze...

Today started out OK, I suppose.

I don't really know what happened.

Right now, however, I am feeling crappy.

I've been thinking far too much about where I'm going to live next year, how I'm going to survive living next year, why in the world a friend of mine from Berry thinks that Satan was the reason a group of us friends no longer hang out, how the crap this relationship with Maggie is going to work, how much it sucks being apart and how much that will be for the next year or so.

Gah, I'm done thinking. ever.

In other news I'll be thinking about housing all week as I will be leaving for Gainesville early tomorrow morning and coming back Sunday. Horray. :|

Two Weddings and a Party.

Whew.

I just got back from two weddings today. TWO. It's insane. Justin and Rebecca got married today up at Berry. I went up and got there just in time to sit down and get set to watch everyone walk down the aisle. It was a really nice ceremony and I'm very happy for both of them. I had fun hanging out with everyone at the reception, it was like a little mini-reunion of my closest friends. After about an hour at the reception, I drove down super-fast to downtown Atlanta (an hour and a half drive took only an hour....:$) and went to the Aquarium for Amanda and John's wedding. They already had their ceremony but I was wanting to go to their wedding as well so I went to their reception at the Georgia Aquarium. It was definitely, by far, one of the most lavish receptions I have ever been to: Open Bar, Four Course Meal, Live Band, Tons of Waiters, Assigned Seating, And Giant Aquarium viewing areas where you could see all sorts of cool aquatic animals. It was very cool. I really liked both weddings even though they were pretty much complete opposites. It was cool to go to the very fancy wedding, but it was a lot of fun to hang out with all of the people I know and love and actually be able to talk to the bride and groom and carry on a conversation with them. I dunno, they were both awesome, just in different ways.

Yep, so I had fun with that. Tomorrow is Mike's birthday party up at Kennesaw Mountain and then on Wednesday night or Thursday morning I'm going to head down to Florida to look at some places to live. I've got some ideas on places and I'm really excited and looking forward to this.

It's amazing how everyone around me is growing up in so many different and cool ways and to be a part of it....it's all really awesome. God is also awesome.

Summer Plans

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Working, working, working. That's what I tell everyone that I'm doing nowadays, and it's pretty much true. You wouldn't think that a job tht arequires you to sit t a desk all day would be that tiring but by the time I get home around six o'clock, I'm exhausted. Maybe that has to do with the fact that I don't get that much sleep at night. I probably spend far too much time talking to Maggie at night (stupid time zones...) but I enjoy it so it's not a big deal, and I'm not going to bed
too late normally.

I'm excited because I'm pretty sure I'm going to be able to go up to Iowa (the Homeland, as I call it) for the Parker family reunion. "What?" I hear you saying "But you're not a Parker! There aren't any Parkers in your family!" I understand and no, I have not decided after a late-night screening of Wedding Crashers to start my own group called Reunion Crashers where we go to random family reunions and mooch off of them just telling them we are distant cousins. Maggie invited me up to hang out with her at the end of July with her fam in Iowa, so I'm gonna drive up with her dad (should be interesting....) and then drive back down with her. Hopefully around then I'll be able to move into my new place in Gainesville and all will be good. It's going to be a crazy new time in the life of this Matt.

I haven't really hung out with anyone from school yet. It's kinda hard when you work all day. I need to go by and see Becca's new apartment and hang out with Nicole & Drew. Mike and Kat are in Florida right now picking up some furniture so hopefully I'll be able to hang out with them too. I'm excited.

Alright, I should probably head back to work.

à+ M

So I'm twenty-two...now what?

So, picking up from where I left off, my birthday was not super awesome...but it's not because of any particular person. It's mainly because of all of this busy work-so-much-because-you-want-to-graduate life. I wasn't able to plan a fun thing for everyone to come hang out...we just all gathered and did some stuff...it was very low-key...but nice. I had to work most of the day though...it really didn't feel very birthday-ish. It did get better as the day went on, though.

Michael did come up and he and I went out to eat at Provino's (where you get a free birthday meal!) where we talked about all sorts of things like future plans, Maggie, my trip to Washington, Kathryn, his upcoming marriage, and a whole bunch of other stuff. It really was awesome getting to hang out with him for more than just a few minutes in passing (which rarely happens as it is). He's definitely someone I'm going to miss dearly when I move to Florida.

We came back and made some sangria and hung out with Drew, Nicole, and Jenni. It was an overall fun evening. Becca came over later but she couldn't stay long...turns out she didn't even remember it was my birthday until halfway through us talking.

I also am really growing fond of Nicole and Drew. I really didn't get to know Nicole until about a year or so ago and I've known Drew since nearly the first day of school but I've really gotten to know him better recently. They also are going to be sorely missed. It looks like they'll be off in Mississippi for a few years.

Anyway, this past week has been full of work and in the few moments that I do have a break I am either sleeping or cleaning. Since I've gotten back from Washington and after going home for Easter I've tried to be cleaner and healthier...so far it's been going alright, but it takes a lot of effort. It's just nice to come home to a clean appartment and to have something healthy to eat instead of nuking something in the microwave and eating it while watching reruns of The Office.

Anyway, I'm almost done with school. Two weeks of actual school left and then just some final touch ups and a few days of relaxation and packing and I'm home free. It feels wonderful to have accomplished something like graduating from college. I've only got a two-page paper, a thesis (10ish pages left), one final exam, and an oral defense of my thesis. And they are all well-spaced out. Also only two more days of student teaching. Horray! It's very exciting. :D:D:D My kids don't want me to leave, but I'm ready to be gone. I'll miss the kids, but I'm tired of the stress.

So yeah, also Maggie got into Miami. Yay. I know she's excited--if not for Miami, just to know where she is going and what she is doing and where God is putting her next year. Too bad she won't be down in this region til about August. Boo. Oh well.

A bientôt, Seattle; et bientôt Adieu...

---

So, in a week's time I will be where that picture is. It turns out that there is a very very very slim chance that I will be living in Seattle next year. In fact, probably about a 1% chance. It's super-slim. Instead I'll be living in Gainesville, Florida (the most likely candidate) or Urbana, Illinois (still a possibility). I'm still going to be visiting Jamie, Maggie, Meghan and a whole bunch of people in Cheney, Washington...and I get to visit Walla Walla...and the Prathers. Over all, next week should be awesome. I have a ton of work to get done with though in the next few weeks.

I've got six articles for a portfolio due on the 30th, an ELR due on the 2nd, the entirety of my portfolio due on the 9th, starting teaching again on the 9th, and my thesis has to fit in all the nooks and crannies that I can find between doing other things. I found out it only has to be at least nine pages now, which makes me feel better, because I was worried it was going to have to be 25. Nine is much more acceptable, in fact, I've only put about 1/6th of the information and it's already three pages. I just have to find time to put in the rest of it. I've got all of April to do that though, I should be ok. It's a lot of work.

Anyway, speaking of all that work. I'm off to go get started on it and eat some chicken and rice, I'm starving.