I went a searching for my old topic, but I couldn't find it. It was gone! So, since I've got things I'm proud of and I want to tell ya'll about, I'll just redo it. It's been at least a year.

So, life is good. I'm taking this psych class. It's called Human Sexuality. It's an awesome class. We had a guest speaker from Planned Parenthood. I felt special, because I knew all the answers to his questions...I wonder why?

It's rather facinating. Some of the things my teacher says contradict everything I've learned up to this point. I am also amazed at the amount of sexual misinformation in my class room. One particular lady was dead set on useing two condoms for protection. One was surprised you weren't supposed to.

Eh.

On a happier note, I'm going to Chicago this summer. What are some fun things there? I'll either be staying in the Hyatt Regency near O'Hare, or a very close Embassy Suites. I'm already going to Six Flags, The Hardrock Cafe, and I think it's the Brookfield Zoo. I heard there was an art and science museum somewhere around there. Any truth to that?

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We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.

I was so scared today! I got into my first car accident!

It was only a little bump. This guy isn't to credible either, because he stopped at a green light.

Scared me, none the less. I cried.

I made it almost 2 years with no tickets or accidents. Now I've got to start counting again.

My mum ran into a fence when she got her first car. My dad is always in accidents. So, I may be okay.

That !@#$%& is claiming $1500 worth of damage and personal injury for his passenger and himself.

My car is fine. If I hit him that hard, my car would be injured too.

He made fun of me for being under 21. That's why he's doing this!!!!!

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We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.

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BruinDan, "Number Three," PBOM

Apparently, they backed into some rockery to damage the car. That's what the guy at the insurance agency said. The woman handling their end of the claim doesn't believe them, either.

I am frightened. For everything. This is my last quarter in school. I graduate high school on June 12 and college on June 13. And then there's the whole Senior Project thing.

Last quarter I didn't do so hot. It's not my worst quarter, but it's not one I am proud of. There's a lot of pressure that I have put on myself, mainly because I am finally realizing my dream of graduating college ahead of schedule.

My best friend is pregnant, to top it off. And she flat out said I was no longer her best friend--the father of her child is. I have known her since she was 4. This was a crushing blow. She's also in that stage where EVERYTHING is about her. And it's horrible to see her be so selfish.

Another friend had her 18th birthday party on Friday. The pregnant one had the audacity to ask if the father could come with her to dinner and bowling. We aren't very close with the father. The birthday girl was not happy. It's a whole big drama, but that's the situation in a nutshell.

So, basically, I feel as if I've lost my best friend. I can't tell her, because she'll shift all the blame or what have you off of her and back on to me or someone else.

It seems as if all I have left is the birthday girl and my significant other. Both of which are busy.

My SO is losing his unemployment on April 10th. He is being charged an $800 fine for something the former owners of his house did.

Okay. I feel better having written all that down.

On the plus side, I'll be done done DONE with school June 13. I can take time and work, raise money, and apply to WWU.

I'm listening to my new cd. It's the Best of Jan and Dean. It's currently "Dead Man's Curve." Cue Chorus.

I finished one of my art projects. I still have a color theory one to do. And three papers. I should probably do them. But that'd be to easy. Right?

My room still isn't clean. But I can walk again. Oh well.

I need to curl up in a little ball. With a good book. Maybe "My Side of the Mountain."
And a big glass of water. Yeah.

I think at this point I want to go back to being a child in the middle of summer...when you don't have to worry about getting a job or paying for college or worrying where in the heck you're going to live and convincing your parents that when you do move out, it will all be alright.

To top it off, I haven't talked to my pregnant friend in about two weeks. I can't stand being around her--she is so insanely selfish at this point. And I honestly don't think she cares. I honestly feel like she's thrown our 13 year friendship away for some peruvian guy who got her pregnant.

So, last friday my SO bought me a diamond ring. It's goreous, but a little too small. But it's the thought that counts, right?

quote:

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Originally posted by sublime_15:
Who/What is an SO??

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Significant Other.

Term used interchangeably with boyfriend/girlfriend/lover/mate/friend-with-benefits, etc etc etc.

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BruinDan, "Number Three," FHOM

I don't really care, but that's his preference.

The insurance company thinks he's full of crap, quite frankly. They paid him about $300 for the damage *they* inflicted, and now the other party is suing the insurance company for more money.

I'm really looking forward to it. I get to go to the lego store and buy lots and lots of Legos. You can never have too many legos, as far as I am concerned.

For 13 people staying at the Embassy Suites for 8 days, it's less than $250 per person. That's for the entire duration. And our plane tickets were only $176 including tax. As the economy got worse, one of our adults kept negotiationg with the airlines. They didn't want to lose our business, so they gave us the the cheapest they could.

Wednesday the 30th, we get to go see the Lion King on Broadway. We have a hearing impared girl traveling with us, and because of that we have 4th row from the front tickets. I get to sit with her and her mother. Now that's really excited.

My youth group type thingy. A masonic youth group.

And I leave in 15 minutes!

See ya all when I get home!

So, we get off the plane at Midway and hope on the L. We were trying to get to Bren Warr (sp?). We took the Orange and then the Red lines. Okay, we ended up at the wrong end of that street. Okay, see, the locals won't even go to that part of town, much less ride the Red line if they can help it. It was East Chicago. It's a step up from South Chicago, but not by much. We took taxi's to our hotel.

We pretty much stuck to the Blue line from there on out. Went to an Improv comedy club called ImprovOlympic. That was great. Went and saw the Lion King on Broadway (I got hit by a hyena!)The actors get to the stage via the aisles on the main floor, where I was sitting. I was crying for the first 15 minutes. I was that moved. See, Lion King is my all-time favorite Disney movie. I got to sit 4th row from the front!

I got to go to the Lego Store. I spent $268.90 on legos, and I'm proud of it. I had them shipped back home, so I didn't get to play with them for about a week and a half.

Six flags was intersting. The lines were horrible. I was only able to ride 3 coasters, because it was about an hour and a half wait. It began raining real hard, and everyone ran for cover except my group and a few others from New York and New Jersey.

On the way back to the Hard Rock Cafe (the first time they forgot the meal of our little deaf girl) we were caught in a real bad hail storm. But first it was only raining. See, some people made it to the side of the freeway before they stopped, but most just stopped in the middle of the freeway. We left the freeway by means of an on ramp. We finally made it to our area, and ended up at Hooters. I don't like Hooters.

In short, it was an interesting time. As for the convention, I place third in my individual competition, and second in my team competition. I was also drawn as an international officer. Which means I have a title for the next year, essentially.

Now, back to the job hunt, as Washington State's unemployment rates get worse...

Going through my grandmother's stuff, I ran across a clipping from a newspaper. It is from when Reagan was president. It's called a psalm of Reagan.

"Reagan is my shepherd. I shall not want.
He leadeth me beside the still factories.
He restoreth my doubt in the Republican Party
He guideth me to the path of Unemployment for the Party’s sake
I do not fear evil for thou art against me.
Thou Anointest my wages with freezes so that my expenses runneth over my income.
Surely poverty and hard living shall follow the Republican Party and I shall live in a Rented House forever.
5,000 years ago Moses said, Park your Camel, pick up your shovel, mount your ass and I shall lead you to the Promised Land. 5,000 years later, F. D. Roosevelt said, lay down your shovel, light up your Camel, this is the Promised Land. TODAY, REAGAN will tax your shovel, sell your Camel, and tell you there is no Promised Land.

I am glad that I am an American
I am glad that I am free
But I wish I were a little puppy
And Reagan was a tree"

I personally loved Jack Sparrow. I enjoyed the character. The fact it was Johnny Depp added to my enjoyment.

So, you all remember that gorgeous brig, the HMS Interceptor? Never call her a ship or a boat. Her crew gets mad.

Amazing. What an experience. I wanna volunteer really bad! But I don't have the $250 fee to do it. That pays for my food the two-four weeks I'm on the boat. Well, there's always next time...

Speaking of her, I saw Pirates of the Carribean again. For the 8th time. The Drive In theater five minute from my house is having their Labor Day triple feature. It's Finding Nemo, Freaky Friday, and POTC. Have a Disney movie or three.

The job search hasn't been going anywhere. There is nothing. I refuse fast food, and retail is a close second. But I'll do it if I have to. I plan on going to Europe next summer, and I kind of need to pay for that. On the plus side, My buddy and I are going on a 7 day tour in Ireland, along with spending a lot of time in Denmark. Some at Legoland Billund. Whoo hoo!

She and the father moved into an apartment yesterday. They're getting married at some point in time. The baby is now due two weeks earlier than first thought by the doctors, but right on time from what she told me early on. Eh.

This saddens me. I've been going stir crazy--I have no one other than my parents to talk to. I'm desperatley looking for a job. I'm not in school anymore. One friend is working full time, the other is knocked up. And gone. And distant. And dumped me long ago.

quote:

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Originally posted by DarkChild717:
He signed up for the Coast Guard, because they can give him the type of job he wants.

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Hey, good for him. A buddy of mine left for the CG in June of 2001...needless to say, things have changed quite a bit since he first started! He loves it though, makes me jealous with all his cool stories.

I can imagine how hard it'd be to have to deal with the cruises, though. And sometimes they get extended...my Marine friends left for a 6-month cruise in June of 2002, came home in December, and then left three weeks later for another 6-month emergency deployment. They're starting to rotate back home now, but I basically haven't seen any of them for any meaningful amount of time in well over a year. I can't imagine being married to someone who is gone that much. Hopefully now we'll be coming out of that sort of lifestyle. We'll see.

What sorts of things are you looking into doing for a living? Do you have any ideas or prospects? It's rough down here, and it's not much better up your way either. I've had it with this nonsense, my sweetie and I are saving up to leave this blue state once and for all.

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BruinDan, "Number Three," PHOM

I've got a pride issue with fast food. Retail is a close second. I'll take a secretarial job. But they all want experience, and I severely lack in this department.

My partner isn't going in as an officer. He is a welder, and a decent one at that. He's doing the engineering side of things. He's excited. His departure date is now October 7. Gives me more time (heh), but now he's got to last that long. He was doing a job in a construction site, but the General Contracter screwed him over. He decided not to pay my partner for the work he's completed and has yet to do.

Tuesday came. So did a phone call at 8 o'clock that morning. "Caylin, wake up! Turn on a tv!"

"Why, Mom...s'too early..."

"Caylin, we're being attacked."

"What?"

I spent the day parked in front of my television, calling my mum and dad with hourly updates...My dad had axcess to a computer, but my mother had only a radio.

That evening, I had a Job's Daughters meeting. We held our memorial a couple meetings ahead of schedule, and gave a Majority Ceremony to one of our older memebers.

The next day, I got my Edpass.

Where are we now, two years and nearly 3,000 lives later?

We've destroyed two countries, and we have a third on our to-do list.

How many civilians perished because of our bombs? Attack a country to get a man?

When did the hunt for that one man turn into a vendetta against Saddam? Last time I checked, the man we were hunting was Osama bin Laden. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Good had to of come from this, right? Well, maybe. Taliban are vying for power again. Saddam escaped our raids. al Queda still exists. At the cost of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Maybe the good will come years down the road, when people finally begin paying attention in History class and realize that those mistakes need never to be made again. That maybe some one will learn from all of this.

What about all of you? I think the most memorable moment for me was the removal of the last beam from Ground Zero. Draped with Old glory, and given that 21 gun salute.

"Day is done, gone the sun,
From the hills, from the lake,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

Go to sleep, peaceful sleep,
May the soldier or sailor,
God keep.
On the land or the deep,
Safe in sleep.

Love, good night, Must thou go,
When the day, And the night
Need thee so?
All is well. Speedeth all
To their rest.

Fades the light; And afar
Goeth day, And the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well; Day has gone,
Night is on.

Thanks and praise, For our days,
'Neath the sun, Neath the stars,
'Neath the sky,
As we go, This we know,
God is nigh.

quote:

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Originally posted by DarkChild717:
Where are we now, two years and nearly 3,000 lives later?

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A whole lot more prepared than we once were, I'd like to think. You'll notice we haven't been hit hard since.

Maybe the good will come sooner than you think, when people realize that if you take deliberate aim at innocent civilians, you'll be made to pay in the end.

Then again, maybe it won't. I've certainly been wrong before. It's all a difference in opinion, I suppose. But I sleep better now than I did two years ago, and I'll sleep even better once those AQ folks are put out of business for good.

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BruinDan, "Number Three," PHOM

I found some rather touching cartoons that are a tribute to 9/11. They're here.

quote:

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Originally posted by DarkChild717:
Would be nice to sleep a good night's sleep again, wouldn't it?

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Oh you bet...I slept pretty fitfully all week long. I guess maybe that's my subconscious at work.

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BruinDan, "Number Three," PHOM

One buddy is working all the time and will be going to school 80 miles away, one is pregnant, and my sig other is always working or too busy. I only get to talk to him on the phone.

I have to take what is thrown at me. I also have a house and kitten sitting engagement next week. The kittens are only 9 weeks old...I haven't been around kittens that young in years. We used to raise kittens, simply for the fact we had one cat that would get pregnant while still nursing a young litter. That was fun. Nonetheless, it's $75 bucks for three days. It's money.

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Milke, with an L, Mrs BD to you, RATS, TMNTP, MF, CWCD, WAOTA

In fact, I miss it terribly. When I'd get home from school, I'd have these furballs set on fast mode, tails whipping, run around my feet for attention.

And I'm still unemployed.

I have had a really eventful last week or so.

October 4th I was crowned Miss Washington Job's Daughter. Okay, that was fun. I worked really hard for it.

Yeah. In the last week, I've done about 5 million (50 or so) thank you cards. I'm not a thank you card person.

I've done offical things and not so official things.

My good buddy's baby was born.

And now, things are getting odd with my mum and I. She is my mother, but she is also my Bethel Guardian and a member of my committee for MWJD.

Throw into that mix that I am trying to assert my identity as an adult, and you've got a family suflee.

quote:

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Originally posted by DarkChild717:
October 4th I was crowned Miss Washington Job's Daughter.

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Hey, congratulations! The only thing I was ever crowned was Mister Detention in high school. And somehow that doesn't seem to have the same prestige...

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BruinDan, "Number Three," PHOM

Yeah. I started the patch on Sunday. My skin is more sensitive to adhesives than I thought.

So, come next Sunday, I'll restart my pill pack. And yes, I did discuss this with my doctor. Or rather, her nurse called on her behalf.

I'm upset. Lion King on Broadway won't even be coming to the Northwest on their US tour. I saw it in Chicago, but I want to see it again. Anyhoo. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.