I don't really know what to say. Its been an semi-interesting and fast year.

I wouldn't say I've grown in any particular way other then the experience with the day to day. I've met several new people I'm better off for knowing and I've lost track of several old people that at the time I was better for knowing and now we've gone our own way.

I've had my ups, downs, successes, crushes, disappointments, lonely moments, tired moments, happy moments, moments of triumph and failure like everyone has in the course of a year.

I'm tired now. I can say that without any reserve. I don't have the energy I did at the start of the semester and I have a few new aches and pains I'm sure are stress related. Overall it was a decent year. One left.

So...I got an A in public economics. Mathematically I didn't think that was possible. This could be a very good semester grade wise! Not a 4.0, but possibly close depending on how well Intermediate Econ goes. At the moment, the worst grade I'm looking at is an A- in Finance 301 which is freaking amazing b/c I hated that class with a passion.

So I guess its been...a month...yeah...

In that time a good bit has happened.

The search for a new place to live next year is continuing. Looked at a house the other day and did not like it as much as the first place we looked at. Turned in the credit check forms and I am hoping we hear back from the guy very soon because I want to have that set before I leave for summer. The place we are looking at now is nice because it is within walking distance if you don't mind a 20 min walk. Its separate rooms which will be nice because that is what I grew up with and what I am used to. I'm an annoying person generally and I'm sure my roommate would appreciate some space too.

Speaking of summer, the ball is now rolling on a place to live this summer. Just waiting to get the final OK to get started with that. Its gonna be tricky working this out with the lease and such but we'll see how that goes.

I'm booking my ticket for England on Wednesday evening. Over all it looks like with the scholarship it might only cost me 50 bucks for the ticket! I'm so excited to go.

The research paper continues. I hit a snag with some nasty correlation and having to lag my variables. Got instructions today about how to fix that up. The rough draft was due last Monday but even the teacher recommended I set up this meeting with another teacher to get this stuff explained. I guess tonight/Wed will be my day to get the first rough draft totally written and turned in.

Oh, since the last post I have turned 21. That was a great night. I remember it all and I did not get sick. My parents helped me out with a pickup truck so I'm driving new wheels since my last post too!

This past weekend was initiation for the fraternity. It went really well and we now have 10 new members for our chapter! I was the Vice President of Pledge Education so it was nice to see the pledges finish and become official brothers. It is sort of like a capstone to finish up the fraternity for this year for me.

Next weekend is the fraternity formal and I'm looking forward to that. Not sure what the plans are yet exactly but I have a friend coming up to go with me.

This coming Tuesday is going to be elections for the frat. I was nominated to be the president and also Vice Pres. Pledge Education again. I am not sure yet which I really want to run for. I have a basic speech outlined for president and I will probably just wing the VPPE speech.

Oh, also today I started putting up flyers advertising for this hauling business I'd like to start now that I have a truck. I don't have the exact prices worked out, but I'd really like to start putting some extra money in my pocket since the research position I have isn't really brimming with hours.

Speaking of research I was approved for my summer research and will be doing that. On Wednesday I am hoping to turn my summer research into my thesis paper to kill two birds with one stone.

Also this summer I signed up for an online class to do class 1 of 3 to get an SAP certificate.

So, yeah, been crazy busy lately but none of it is really new. They are just all ongoing projects that keep piling up. With any luck I'll have summer housing, next semester housing, study abroad, research paper, fraternity stuff, and job stuff worked out in the next week and it will be smooth sailing into finals week. But who am I kidding, nothing ever goes that smoothly.

St. Pattys day and stupid group project

So yesterday was St. Pattys day. I guess as days go it was a decent one. Not a whole lot to report. A couple of friends stopped over last night to hangout and I got absolutely no work done at all.

I only have one class on Mondays so it was going to be a work day to get something...anything...done, but it was the holiday so that ruined that plan.

During my one class of the day however, I was supposed to have a meeting with the other member of my randomly assigned debate group. It is only the two of us mind you, and of course she didn't show up to class. I asked the teacher about it because it is not uncommon for this girl not to show up. The teacher said if I have problems the rest of the week to let her know. I think today I will have to email the girl and see if she got anything done on the project ...sigh, this is for the class that I really just do not want to do it anymore. It is the same one I have that Literature re-write due again on Friday.

Anyway, today is my busy day, so we'll see how it goes. I tried sleeping in till 9 today and I just kept waking up so I got up and started my daily routine.

So thats about it, a good St. Ps day and a crappy group. That was about it for yesterday.

Blurry vision!

So not too much to report, but you'll have to forgive any terrible mistakes with my typing. My vision right now is really blurry because I went swimming this evening!

The drive up from Pittsburgh was uneventful. Spent the rest of the afternoon catching up and looking at my roommates slide show of NYC. He got some amazing pictures.

So my other roommate says we're going swimming, do you want to go? And I decided since I was so lazy over break I'd go and splash around. It was a lot of fun because we had the whole pool to ourselves. Only thing is I spent a lot of time underwater and now I'm paying for it. But it was fun. I sort of miss swimming, I used to go everyday in the summer when I was a kid and also a good bit in high school for gym.

Anyway, back to classes tomorrow.

It'd be happy if I wrote this 3 hours ago.

So I forgot to update on Friday. The trend is already starting.

Anyway, I got back on Friday alright. I thought I got the Literature Review done but I got an email today saying she felt like I only scratched surface. I think I misinterpreted what I Literature Review is for last semester when I wrote my first official paper. But, anyway she sent me a bunch more citations to read and is having my revise it for this coming Friday. So...whatever. I really do not have a huge interest in the topic and I am writing it more because I have to than anything.

So Friday evening I spent with my family. Friday night I went and got coffee with a friend.

Saturday morning (today) I went out with Em and we went and got breakfast. It was really good to catch up. I haven't seen her in a month so I was glad we found a time that worked because I really didn't want to try to fit something in when I made my quick stop back for Easter next weekend. Also, we talked about figuring out a time that worked for her to come visit again since its been awhile since she has done that too. Nothing is planned yet, but we're working on it. So I picked her up around 10, and we didn't finish breakfast till about 1 =) good times. We're also looking into the weekend in April when Erie has the German festival and she could come up and chill that weekend and we could go think German thoughts.

So anyway, I had a wonderful morning and I get home and there is the email about the Lit Review on top of a whole bunch of stuff I get handed to me walking in the door. Not to mention 1/2 the Littles canceling on the meeting for Sunday which is aggravating but understandable.

I'm just not in a good mood, I think a lot of it is the lack of sunshine we've had. Also, for all the stuff I want to do with my obligations, there are two things I don't want to do. I don't want to be home but I'm also not looking forward to getting back to Erie as much as I thought. I think what I really need is a break from everything. No computer, no phone, no family, maybe a couple of good friends, and no responsibility or obligations. I do not want to think about all this crap for a bit. I would expect at the end of this semester to see me disappear for a few days before diving into my summer research.

**Em had me over her house last night to hang out. We watched a comedy troop that does all of Shakespeare's plays in one sitting. It was pretty funny to watch. It was a great ending to break and I put me back into a good mood for the ride back up.

**Also I'm playing around with that Rosetta Stone program. I think I am going to try to pick up basic Italian for the trip this summer.

A break in the days action

So I've finally got a little break in the action today to update.

I woke up at a little past 8 so that I could get ready and by 9 my sister and I were both ready so we got on the road. Dropped her off in Edinboro and came up to Erie. The Snow is crazy here! I had to dig out thigh deep drifts in front of our door. It took me a good ten minutes to clear a twenty foot path to get to the door! At home there is very little snow and whats left is quickly melting.

Anyway, by noon or so I was in the apartment. At one o'clock I walked over to the REDC to get started on the Literature Review. Its going pretty well I guess. I found two really good sources off of my first search on JSTOR and wrote them into my Lit. Review. Also, I have found some very good variables to use when I do my data search. My topic is, Is the deficit spending we are currently seeing in the United States actually making people worse off? Or is it just political hype? There is an economic theory called 'Crowd-Out' where the deep government spending causes inflation and interest rates to rise as the government borrows more and more money. The increases interest rates prevent private businesses from borrowing money and effectively 'harms' the private sector. With this tax rebate coming, I wanted to see if this effect is already happening because of the deficit spending. So far the research I've read has mixed opinions.

Around three o'clock I came back to my apartment for a break.

Now before I left for Erie a whole bunch of decorations got taken down off the walls in the apartment. So I spent a bit putting those back up and redecorating the place.

Since I've finished that I decided I'd order dinner and chill. Well I couldn't find our Papa John's sheet so I went online looking for a menu and address but their online site wouldn't take me to a menu or phone number until I put in my address. Again, this took forever because it wouldn't recognize the address here at school. I finally remember the road named and number changed first semester and put in what I could remember of the old address and that was enough. I've never ordered Pizza online before and it was kind of neat if not a pain in the butt. Anyway, now I'm waiting to see if my order actually gets here. The email confirmation says 30-40 minutes so we'll see.

Anyway, tonight after I eat I'm going back over to REDC for another hour or so I figure to finish up that Lit. Review. After that, just chilling out here I guess. I have some cleaning I can get done around the apartment and I have some updates to put up for the Fraternity pledge class I will take care of tonight.

**Wow that was actually quick. As I was typing that last paragraph the people from Papa Johns called saying they were leaving with my delivery! Looks like its Pizza tonight!**

Mmm, thats all that comes to mind. I didn't finish Dan In Real Life and it is on my laptop at home so I won't be watching that tonight. I brought my movies with me so maybe I'll just pick something from my binder, sit back, chill, and enjoy my little supplement of freedom before I drive back again tomorrow morning/afternoon.

**The paper is done, dinner was good, just gonna sit and chill tonight. I emailed it tonight so I don't have to be up early for anything tomorrow. I can take my sweet old time getting up and getting ready before heading back down the highway.

Need more days like this

So one of my friends from UP came to hang out today. I think if I had more days like this I'd actually enjoy coming home. =)

Started off the day with a good lunch at a local Italian place for lunch. Good food and good conversation makes the time fly by.

We decided to spend the rest of the afternoon ice skating so we went to the outdoor skating rink in North Park and did the laps. It was a gorgeous day! The right temperature to be outside but a little warm for the ice. The blades on everyone's skates cut right through the ice and 10 minutes after the Zamboni went by the ice was pretty rough. But I had a great time anyway. No blisters!

After skating we came back to my house and chilled and watched a movie, Big Fish, it was a great end to the day.

Its nice because we just spent the whole day catching up and shooting the breeze. I remember sitting up before Maraden's English 15 the night before till way early in the morning just chatting about the state of the world in one Almy lounge or another, getting one or two hours of sleep then walking down to class, and I missed that.

I'm in Erie tomorrow to get that Literature Review done. I'll be back Friday afternoon or dinner time at the latest. Wish me luck and hit the cell if you aren't busy Thursday night around dinner, or you're back in Pgh and want to say hello on Friday.

Nothing else constructive to add really. In the process of watching Dan In Real Life. So far it is alright, but nothing to write home about. Rambo never worked so I never got my mindless action flick.