I have so many thoughts running through my mind at this moment.....

First and foremost.....it is officially my last day this semester. I cannot believe I made it through the most difficult semester of MY LIFE. And when I mean difficult, I pretty much wanted to cry every day, I got 0 hours of sleep a night (ok, maybe like 5), and I worked on homework 24/7. But man, what a sense of accomplishment.

Graduation is in a little over a week. Though I'm not walking (for various reasons including its at 7:30 am ugh) and I still technically have one more class to sit thru this summer (4 weeks tho...so not bad), I am DONE. I am DONE WITH SCHOOL! I'm kinda freaking out. But it hasn't really sunk in....

I am about to sit through my last class this semester (business plan class) and I just handed in my business plan. Let me give a warning to all you who think this class is a BS class....never have I put so much effort in a project just for my professor to say "it looks like you threw this together at the last minute." I also found out it was in the Top 10 most difficult classes in the entire WSU school. Had someone told me this 3 years ago...I would have switched majors haha. Handing in my business plan, though, was the biggest relief I have ever felt. Kinda like when you have to go pee REALLY REALLY bad, and you finally sit on the toilet and let it out...haha. Just like that.

My mind is still racing....I keep thinking I have so much homework to catch up on. Let's see, this semester I had 5 presentations: an hour-long one, a 30-minute one, and several smaller ones. I had 10 marketing cases to read and prepare for. I had to prepare a presentation to sell my product to a classmate. I had an individual research case (marketing again). I had a Human Resource Mgmt project that I had to meet once a week w/ my group. It's kind of like hitting a brick wall......I don't even know what I'm going to do with myself.

And finally, the best news of all.....I HAVE A NEW JOB! Its a small business in Derby (they install underground sprinkler systems) and I'll be learning how to run all the office stuff. She's going to teach me to do most everything (with the exception of payroll and taxes) so that she only has to spend 2-3 hours a day in the office. While it may not sound exciting to most, it goes so well with my major..entrepreneurship. It's pretty much like a crash course in running a small business. And that excites me....its exactly why I chose the major i did (despite all the hard classes). If anything, its great experience to put on my resume. And plus, within a months time (hopefully) I'll be able to quit CHANG'S!!!!

I am completely full of emotion right now....I need a nap b/c i'm exhausted from this past semester, I want to celebrate my graduation and jump for joy, I want to relax and do whatever the hell I want (even if that means a TV marathon for 8 hours straight). It's only just started sinking in like 30 minutes ago....Anywho, thats about all my emotion I can express through words right now. so ciao!

-Amanda

So everything seems to be coming together very much in my favor Graduation is approaching, spring break next week, and the best news of all.....OUR NEW HOUSE!

We're closing on the house in a few days and it should be ours by next week! I'm excited! Its a 3 bedroom, 1 bath w/ a basement, and we ended up gettin a reallly good deal on it. There's  no way we could have passed it up. It needs a bit of TLC, but right now, it just needs a good coat of paint, the carpet needs ripped up (all hardwood floors underneath tho), and we need to buy a fridge, and then we'll be ready to move in. Eventually tho....we need to replace the backyard fence, replace the AC/heater, paint the outside, replace the kitchen counters, and a few other things. So we've got a good 5 year project on our hands

School is still stressful, but its half way done. I guess if I can get thru the first half of the semester, the rest is smooth sailing! Im glad that all my family is coming down for graduation (my sister graduates HS the same weekend). Apparently we're having a party along w/ my sister, her boyfriend, and his sister (sisterS?) and all our family and friends, so that will be fun

And plus, the weather is freakin AMAZING! That always puts me in a good mood. Let's hope the happiness continues thats all for now...ciao!

-Amanda

Right now i'm feeling very....stressed and nervous. First and foremost, tomorrow is my first day back at Changs. And let me tell you, I'm not quite sure how I feel about that. I can say, I am excited to see all the people I used to work with and i'm excited to be working at a restaurant where it is always busy and i make money. I know that restaurant inside and out. But on the other hand, i'm scared it is going to be the same ol' bullshit. Scared to death that I made the wrong decision. Cuz I loved workin at Yia Yia's. And Changs, well, there's a lot that went down that I very much disagree with. Ugh, if only money weren't such an issue.

And then there's school. If someone would have told me 4 years ago how stressful my last semester would be....well, I probably would have not considered going to college. lol. I kid, but seriously.....I never thought I would be challenged so much. An hour long presentation, projects galore, 3 "capstone" classes (the classes that tie everything together and acknowledge that you actually learned something in your previous semesters). I just don't know how I can do it. Of course, I'll finish...and I'll look back and say "that wasn't so bad." And sometimes I try and tell myself, "its part of life. You just have to do it." But ARGH....i get too stressed.

I try to remind myself: "In the end everything turns out fine. If its not fine, its not the end." Life is stressful, yes. I have to learn to just live life, no matter how hard it seems. Cuz lookin back, nothin is ever as bad as it seems at the time. This time next year, I will have a real job (hopefully), I won't have school to worry about, and I will never have to serve a table again. If I can hold out for one more year......

Anyway, sorry for such a post. I try not to outwardly show how stressed/worried I am. I just had to get it off my chest. I pray, pray, pray that this Chang's thing works out for the best. If anything, I am working there to pay the bills for one more year. At the most. If its bullshit again....its not for much longer. *crosses fingers*

ciao

-Amanda

What weird weather.....Yesterday was warm. I woke up and it was freezing out. I walked to class in a blizzard. Two 1/2 hours later I leave class and its sunny. WTF? I hate Kansas weather...so wacky.

Its only been a week since classes began...and already i'm freaking out. I don't know how I'm going to survive. I have a lot of group projects and presentations, one of which has to be an hour long!!!! ARGH! I keep telling myself...this is the last semester I EVER have to put up with. I'm done...so close...i can see the end of the tunnel! I think that adds to the stress tho...what am I going to do when school isn't in my life? It's all i've known for 16 yrs of my life. Yikes. I hope this career thing works out well. And soon!

I'm back at Chang's. Yes, its true. I like workin at Yia Yia's, but the money is too inconsistent. I made way more at Chang's. Plus, the 2 managers I HATED are gone, so it will make my life easier. I really hope its the right decision. I will miss workin at Yia Yia's tho.

Reba/Kelly Clarkson concert thursday night!! I'm so excited!

That about sums it up. ciao!

-Amanda

Ugh, back to school tomorrow. Bright and early (8am) for that damn presession I had to take. BAH! Not lookin forward to sitting in class from 8am-12pm M-F for 2 weeks. Torture!

I did however, buy the $156 book online for less than $20. I feel very proud, yet very stupid for just now figuring out that Half.com is the way to go. I pretty much bought all my books this semester online...for less than $200. I would have spent around $600 at the bookstore. Why didn't I figure this out before my last semester? Oh well.

Anywho, I am very much looking forward to my 21st birthday!!! And because I have to take this stupid presession, I don't get to really celebrate until this friday. I swear, these last few days have been DRAGGING! lol. but i'm very excited!

I'm thinking about going back to Chang's...but I'm still on the fence about it. The 2 managers that drove me to insane have left, so thats whats makin me reconsider. Plus, I was brining home a lot more money and got the good sections. At yia yia's, its really inconsistent. One night, I'll get lucky and get a $100 tip off of one table, and the next I'll no tables the entire night. I'm giving myself a week to mull it over, to make sure I'm making the right decision. Ugh, either way....I hate serving....but I may as well make some money at it.

Well, I'm going to enjoy my last few hours of freedom for the semester.......ciao!

-Amanda