Congratulations, Carol!!

Congratulations are definitely in order!! Carol's debut novel, COST OF FREEDOM, was released today through The Wild Rose Press!

I already purchased my copy, and now it's YOUR turn. :)

Let's help make Carol's release a success -- go to www.thewildrosepress.com and purchase your copy today!

YAY, Carol!

As an added bonus, if 15 people come back with some form of proof of purchase -- let's say their order number from TWRP, I'll hold another drawing where I'll give away one of my _favorite_ books. I won't be able to part with any of these easily, so you know I'm big on supporting this woman. (g)

If you enter, you could win a copy of:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak




Looking for Alaska by John Green



The Host by Stephenie Meyer



OR

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld




*Takes a deep breath* This is serious, people. I mean business here.

No deadline on this one -- but the sooner we hit 15 people, the sooner you could own one of these books!!!

And The Winner Is...

*drum roll*

Rachel!! Congrats, Rachel. Send me an email with your email addy and I'll get a gift certificate to you so that you can go and download Carol's book. (To jnhendren @ hotmail dot com)

YAY!! :) And thanks to everyone who entered. Don't forget to go get your own copy HERE.

My Best Laid Plans...

(of writing)...SO fell to the wayside when a friend rang me up today to go out to lunch and a movie. Then, to make matters even worse (better...yeah, definitely better (g)), she was in the mood to go BOOK shopping.

I was so there. (g)

Anyway, we saw Iron Man, which was actually quite entertaining. I enjoyed it, and it's nice to see Robert Downey, Jr. back on his game. Then we headed over to B&N to see some friends. By that, I mean I picked up their books. (VBG)

Today's take:

THE TOUCH OF TWILIGHT by Vicki Pettersson (Yay, Vicki!)

DEATH BY BIKINI by Linda Gerber (Yay, Linda!)

THE GOLDEN COMPASS by Philip Pullman

FALLING by Christopher Pike (Who the heck knew he wrote adult books? I had to buy this as a matter of respect for the author whose books filled up MANY hours when I was a teenager. I love how one of the cover blurbs describes it as "literary crack cocaine." LOL)

OH...and I got such an itch to pick up Stephen King's Dark Towers series... So yeah, I have to dig them out. I haven't read any of them, but have somehow amassed close to the entire series. They're in storage...probably the bottom box of a HIGH stack...blurgh. That'll be fun. I should've bought them instead. (g)

Now that I've had Jen-time, it's time to let my characters come out to play.

Oh, and I tried to find another John Green novel...alas, nada. Also, I'm looking for recommendations of good mysery authors/series. Any suggestions?

REMINDER: Only another 24 hours, 18 minutes to sign up to win a free copy of Carol Spradling's debut novel, COST OF FREEDOM! Don't miss out!

Maureen Johnson and Libba Bray Strike Back Again, Part Deux

If you're looking for some hard-hitting answers about the writing biz...well, this video probably isn't the place to look. (g)

A Few Things

I have several reviews I want to write, but I'm holding off for right now. I'm running a writing marathon over at the forum, and I vowed that for the next five days the only thing I will do outside of my normal responsibilities is, yanno...write. So write I will. That means those reviews will be posted some time after Saturday. It's slow going right now -- wow, I'm seriously out of shape when it comes to pounding out the words. But words are words, and I'll be happy if I at least get something down each day. Hopefully it will get easier as I push through these rough spots.

And a reminder that the contest for Carol's book is closing THIS Thursday at 9PM CST -- see sidebar for link. Don't miss out on a great opportunity for a free book! :)

Anywho -- I'm off to work soon. Have a good night!

It's All Your Fault, John Green!

I hope I'm not alone in this little...ritual of mine. It's a new one, granted, born out of many frustrated trips out of town. Nonetheless, it's kinda weird.

Have you ever been caught out of town with a book you just cannot get into? It's happened to me MANY times, unfortunately, so I've developed this little "system" of making sure I have something suitable and for which I'm in the mood. If I'm not currently reading a book, I choose 2-3 to take with...and, if I have the time, I will read the first chapter of each to see if they pique my interest. Yeah...

That's what I tried to do last night with John Green's LOOKING FOR ALASKA. It was late...around 2 am...I have to leave this morning at 730...I still need to pack and finish a few other to-do's... I read the first chapter...interesting...keep going...page 40... oh this is too good, I'll read another half hour... page 100...150...180...well, why stop now?? I finish ALL of it. Thank God it was only 220 pages. ROFL. I turned out my lights to hit the hay at about 545...and well, my alarm was set for an hour later.

DAMN. YOU. JOHN. GREEN.

Not only will I be completely dead by time I reach my cousin's wedding shower, but I'm in the same boat I started out in. I don't have a book to read.

DAMN YOU!!!

Gah, yeah...and thanks. Thanks for writing a damn good book. :)

(I'll review it...that is IF I survive today (g))

P.S. Jenna -- I finished THE HOST yesterday. Girl, we need to talk. (g) Loved it!

New Books

Thanks to a couple of my friends and family, I've been on a book buying spree. (They gave me the means to worship at church -- i.e. B&N gift certificates, for graduation and my birthday)

Oh, my...I've been in heaven. (g)

Some of the latest:

THE HOST by Stephenie Meyers (about halfway through this one...LOVE it)

SUITE SCARLETT by Maureen Johnson

MS. ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOk by KC Dyer (FINALLY -- my uncle gave me a Border's GC (hey, church is church as long as you show up) and I was able to order it through Amazon -YAY...can't wait to read this one!)

THE GAME OF KINGS by Dorothy Dunnett (Heard A LOT about this series)

THE MISTS OF AVALON by Marion Zimmer Bradley (I know, I'm WAY behind on this one, but what can you do? I saw the movie a few months back and have wanted to get my grubby paws on a copy ever since.)

And recently (can't remember if I've mentioned these):

DEVILISH by Maureen Johnson

JACK ABSOLUTE by CC Humphreys

A COLD DAY FOR MURDER by Dana Stabenow


What does this all mean? It means my TBR pile has grown to ridiculous heights. Goodness. AND, I just heard that Vicki Pettersson's new book, TOUCH OF TWILIGHT, is coming out next Tuesday. Good thing I still have another certificate. (g)

OH, and let's not forget Carol Spradling's debut novel, COST OF FREEDOM! I have 14 entries in her book giveaway, but YOU still have time to throw your name in. Remember, the deadline is May 29th @9PM CST.

Happy Reading!

Random Thoughts

Well, it's OVER. YAY. American Idol has ended, and David C. has won. I have to say I'm quite happy with the result. Don't get me wrong, I think David A. is adorable...it's just that I think David C. is a much more seasoned performer and well...yeah, I think he's fantastic. Either way, they're both going to do VERY well.

In other news, thanks to TARA (glare and VBG) I've become completely addicted to Brotherhood 2.0. I've spent way too much time watching Hank and John...are they a hoot or what? If you're wondering what I'm talking about, they're brothers who decided to communicate via video-blogs for an entire year. They are flippin' hilarious, and I've had to make myself shutdown in order to stop watching. If you're interested...

www.brotherhood2.com

You have been warned! Do not watch with a beverage on hand. Especially when John waxes his chin or Hank gets rather intimate with that bulldog statue. (g) Seriously, tho...I've never laughed so hard. Oh Oh Oh!!! And there's one day when John (John Green, btw) rents a hotel room with several other YA authors -- to yanno, write... The other authors included Maureen Johnson and Scott Westerfeld. !!!!!!!! Talk about a talented group of friends. Too cool, I say!

And, oh yes...I've found a new obsession. Here:

http://www.ugoplayer.com/games/topchef.html

So, here's the thing. There was a Top Chef marathon on today, and they showed a little snip of a Top Chef video game. I was bored and tried to see if I could find it on the net. Ummm, yeah, this SAID it was the TC game, but really, I'm wondering if it's not actually Hell's Kitchen. This game is wrong in so many ways, and dang it if that doesn't make it Soooooooo right. (g) If you're bored of solitaire, I suggest this. Oh man, it's so addictive and funny. Erm, in a REALLY sick and twisted way. I won't say anything else except that...well, if you have a political grudge against Dubyah, or either Clinton...or yanno, Scientologists and socialites make you mad....this game is for YOU!

Okay -- one more thing. If you can get rid of an entire person, you'll be my hero. (g)

*Reads back over her post*

Clearly I have too much time on my hands. LOL.

Book Giveaway!!

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YAY. I am so excited to announce that my friend, Carol Spradling, is about to have her first novel, COST OF FREEDOM, released through The Wild Rose Press.

Cost of Freedom, book one
Release Date: Digital May 30, print Nov. 28
ISBN #: 1-60154-241-0
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press


In a Boston cemetery, Abigail Matthews overhears two Patriots plotting against her beloved England. She confides in her childhood friend William Jackson and is shocked to learn of his support and involvement with the Sons of Liberty.

Alone one night and surrounded by an English patrol, Abigail shoots a British soldier. She is no longer seen as a Loyalist and tries to escape the watch. William finds her and brings her with him to Berkshire where they discover hostile Loyalists, unstable Indian alliances, and each other.

William sets out on one last assignment and is confronted by the man Abigail shot and a female gun smuggler. In the flash of a discharged gun barrel, William fights for more than freedom.

Book Trailer:



**

To commemorate the moment, I'm going to be giving away a free digital copy of COF.

The rules are simple:

Simply respond to this post with a short message (in the comments) about how you learned of her book, and if possible, link this contest somewhere -- your blog, a writer's forum... OR write in to your favorite writer's blog and let them know. The idea is to spread the word, so don't be shy with the links. (You do NOT need to link in order to win... it's just a bonus.(g))

And if you don't have a blogger account, you can sign in using the "nickname" option in the comments thread...OR, email me at jnhendren @ hotmail dot com.

Deadline: May 29th, 9PM CST.

Include your name, please. If I can't reach you, I'll be forced to draw again.

Good luck! And let's all wish Carol a successful book launch!!

Carol's Blog
Carol's Website
To Order Cost of Freedom visit The Wild Rose Press

Introducing John Green!!

ROFL...an allstar in our hearts...LMAO!!!

Maureen Johnson and Libba Bray Strike Back, Part I

These women are goofy. That's why I lurve them. (g)

This Is Awesome!

Serious beverage alert, here! (g)

I've Been Tagged

Ive been tagged by Precie with a miscellaneous meme.

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

A Meme about Various Things

What were you doing ten years ago?

Good grief. *thinks back* Okay, I was in my undergrad program (criminal justice). I believe that at about this time, I was interning at the public defender's office, working for their in-house investigator. That entailed tracking down defendants and witnesses (sometimes they were in jail) and interviewing them for their pending cases. It was GREAT fun though I was more than a bit uncomfortable going into the prisons alone (which I had to do on occasion). The investigator was cool--he carried a gun which made me feel great when we were together, not so great when I went out alone. LOL. Thankfully that wasn't often.

I was also serving as resident assistant in my residence hall on campus. This particular year, I'd been assigned to the freshmen girls' dorm--that means I got very little sleep, spent a lot of time telling people to quiet down, and handled just about every potential problem you can think of--date rape, suicide attempts, extreme alcohol intoxication, pregnancies.... yeah, it was a BUSY, BUSY time, but I learned so much. On top of that, I was also volunteering for our local rape/spouse abuse hotline (I usually pulled the midnight to four am shift). Gah, where did I get the energy??

What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?

Write.

Work on my thank-you notes for graduation.

Work at the restaurant tonight.

Crazy, but I MUST finish The Golden Compass. It's driving me nuts. I've attempted to watch it several times, but I always fall asleep (not because I'm bored, but from exhaustion).

It's a moral imperative to at least start THE HOST. (g) It just arrived in the mail.


What are some snacks you enjoy?

Ice Cream!!!

Dip. All sorts -- with fruit, veggies, chips, crackers. You name it.

Cheez-its.


What would you do if you were a billionaire?

Pay off my bills and enjoy the feeling of not being in debt anymore. (g) After I enjoyed that for a while, I'd travel and write. Ah, that would be the life. There's all kinds of charitable things I'd do for friends and family, too -- too many to list. But suffice it to say I'd be doing it from some exotic locale. (g) I'd buy a home, too...don't know where. But everyone needs a place to kick up their feet and relax.

What are three of your bad habits?

Procrastination.

Letting self-doubt override my confidence, therefore finishing nothing.

Disorganization.

What are five places where you have lived?

Top five -- Chicago, Nashville, Kansas City, Los Angeles, and Lincoln.

What are five jobs you have had?

Undercover drug investigator, surveillance investigator, Waitress (at many, many restaurants), Student (does this count? It should. (g)), and clerical worker (at many, many offices).

What were the last five books you read?

HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost
ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT by Fyodor Dostoevsky
WHISKEY SOUR by J.A. Konrath

I'm also in the middle of reading MONSTER by Frank Peretti.

What are five web sites you visit daily (in no particular order)?

Facebook

Compuserve Books & Writers Forum

Erm, do my email and blogger count? LOL. I've been kind of scarce on the web lately.


Okay...*rubs hands together*

I tag Helene, Elizabeth, Kat, Jenna, and Beth.

HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE and ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost

This is an official review of ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE for Avon Books, but I first had to read HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE to know what was going on. Figured I'd kill two birds with one stone, and review both. There are some spoilers involved here, as I can't talk about book 2 without giving away some things from book 1. Therefore, if you don't want to hear them, continue no further. (g)



HTTG Synopsis: Catherine Crawford "Cat" is half-vampire, half-human and hell-bent on finding and killing her vampire father who raped her mother, resulting in her birth. One night, she runs up against Bones, a vampire/bounty hunter, and ends up being blackmailed into partnering with him. He trains her and teaches her all the "vampire" ways. Brought up to hate vampires, her attraction to Bones confuses Cat -- but she finds herself unable to fight it. Together, they attempt to hunt down a group of vampires that are responsible for the kidnapping and deaths of several young girls.

Okay, let me start by saying that I liked this book. Second, I want to say--I have no idea why. LOL. There are so many things wrong with this book, but for some reason I really, really enjoyed it. Don't get me wrong, it's not even close to the worst book I've ever read...it's just that if I were to walk through the book and analyze each scene/event, I'd say I could find reason to fault more of them than not. I guess it's a case of so many wrongs just equal one right for some indiscernible reason.

Let's start with the good:

+ I really like Cat. She's awkward and FUNNY. There were many laugh out loud moments in this book -- her one-liners are KILLER. In some ways, she's really the Maddy of the vampire world. I love that she's so inexperienced and uncomfortable with so many things--especially with her own sexuality.

+ Bones. What's not to love? He's sexy and smart, and he seriously wants Cat. Their scenes together were SO good. (He actually reminds me a great deal of Spike from Buffy...I kept thinking he had to be her inspiration for this character.)

+ The world Frost created is interesting, and the set-up for the relationship between Bones and Cat is fantastic. Instant chemistry and I was enthralled. The paranormal characters--especially the drunken cemetery ghost--were a riot!

+ The pacing. It was a real page-turner that had me running back for more.

The Bad:

- The pacing. While it kept me reading, there was something really strange about the time jumps -- disjointed is the best word I can use to describe it. One scene didn't necessarily flow into the next, and she's big on "two weeks later."

- While Bones and Cat were fleshed out, the other characterizations were glossed over. I can't really say, thinking back, who else was in the book...yeah...coming up blank. Her mother, I thought, would play a big role in the story...but every time she appeared "on stage" she was off so quickly that I didn't get any real sense of who she was other than this screeching banshee who wants her daughter to KILL KILL KILL vampires.

- Parts of this book felt very contrived. Especially the ending. (The bad guy literally came out of NOWHERE...huh? Wtf?) And the decision Cat makes just didn't seem necessary. If the main character can't convince me that she has no way out other than the road she takes, even if that only means she's convinced herself with a well-thought out, albeit delusioned reason, I just can't buy into it. To be honest, the last fifty pages were a real struggle and the book nearly hit the wall on several occasions.

- The sex scenes in this book were okay (definitely better than book 2), but I found Cat's obsession with sex after that first time to be a bit...overwhelming. She was a walking, talking libido afterward and well, yeah...that gets old rather quickly.

- Cat went from this nice, awkward girl who is compelled to kill vampires, to this HARDCORE chick who uses swear words like they're gonna stop making them tomorrow, and who is just SO angry. I found her a little too gritty toward the end. I don't think her characterization before that point supported the sudden change in her. I'm sure people would argue this point with me...but yeah...*shrug* It got to the point where I didn't want to cheer for her anymore. Her actions were extreme and her reasons rather, well, stupid.

Okay, so that sounds like I hated the book...but like I said, I REALLY, REALLY liked it. Overall, I think some things could've been handled better...but there was enough there to make me immediately pick up the second book.

BIG SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!

OFITG Synopsis: When we last left Cat, she had joined a military operation geared toward exterminating vampires. In order to protect Bones, Cat faked his death and left him behind. It's four years later now--Cat is busy killing vampires as head of this military unit, she hasn't had any contact with Bones but still harbors a deep love for him. When she's targeted for assassination, Cat and Bones are brought back together--a reunion she both longs for and dreads.

Okay, this book had all the same issues as the first. The characters were so thinly drawn that none of them stood out for me. The pacing was erratic for the first hundred or so pages -- parts felt very contrived...the list goes on.

Again, however, I really, REALLY enjoyed it overall. LOL. I can't figure this one out, honest.

Cat...well, Cat is one tough cookie in this book. She's just so...BITTER and TOUGH as nails. I didn't really like her much, to be honest. I want back that awkward girl from the first book...the one that had me howling with laughter. She DID get a bit better once Bones reappeared, so that was a welcome relief.

Bones -- Gah, I love him. (Their first "reunion" was AWESOME!!) But... Well, I felt he was a little...wussy. Instead of being angry with Cat for leaving him, he shows up with all kinds of declarations of love. Sweet, but man, I wanted some of the old Bones back. The one who didn't take her sh*t and had that wonderful unruffled exterior. If I heard him say "I love you" one more time to her, I thought I might scream. (g) I know, I know...I can't figure out why that bothers me so much, but it does. I guess I wanted to see him play a little hard to get...I wanted to question his loyalties a bit. I think that would've made things a little more interesting.

The sex in this book needs to be addressed. I have to say, it was all a little too "insert A into B...and C...and D..." for me. I think this is a good rule of thumb for everyone: if you have an _entire_ chapter devoted to a single sex scene, you've gone on FOR TOO LONG. I was yawning by the end of it. There _were_ some good moments, but overall I found it a little too "1, 2, 3...change position...hold...1, 2, 3...change position...hold..." Maybe it's me. I do black out my sex scenes, after all. Mainly because I'm HORRIBLE at writing them. So yeah, this is all a bit of the pot calling the kettle black. (g)

The plot was a little muddled. I didn't feel any real sense of urgency or danger at any point. Everything tied up really well--and easily. No real sacrifices made, no real danger to be found... And the ending was abrupt to the extreme. I turned the page, thinking there was more...but there wasn't. Odd. I think if she had cut it off a couple of paragraphs earlier or added a couple of lines after, it would have resolved quite nicely. As is, it felt a little cut-off mid-sentence.

All of this said and you can bet your ass I'll be in line to pick up the next book.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS!!!!

Maybe it's the vampires...maybe it's just Bones and Cat... I want to see them together, and well, I guess I'm willing to plow my way through the rough patches to get to them.

Overall, it just has that certain sumthin' that makes me want more.

Buy or Rent? Buy.

Big Toe Goes First

Today I'm officially dipping my big toe back into FI. It's been a LONG time, so I'm trying not to set any major goals for myself just yet. If I have a goal, it's to reacquaint myself with the MS and get back into a routine of writing every day -- no matter how many words that may be. If I can manage that for now, I'll be happy. Baby steps. (g)

I've been working--literally--since graduation. LOL. It started with a Mother's Day that KICKED MY BUTT..and it hasn't stopped since. To say I haven't recouped from graduation is a MAJOR understatement. I'm exhausted.

To fill you in on graduation...

It started off a bit crazy. (g) I had to be at the graduation site about 40 minutes before the ceremony... and well, most of my family didn't show up until about an hour before. Too busy chitchatting, I didn't notice how time had seriously gotten away from us...and well, yeah, it was a HUGE rush to get me to the church on time. ROFL. The best part was when my grandfather (he's 86) said he had to use the restroom before we left. Uh oh. LMAO. Not a good thing--trust me. I promptly turned to my family and declared we MUST leave him behind and that a car with me in it had to hit the road PRONTO. They all understood.

Oh, and it was raining!!! I bought a new outfit for the occasion, and well, let's just say my blouse was _extremely_ thin, white material...getting doused by the downpour would not have been a good thing. Again--trust me. (g) Anywho, it was a scramble to find me an umbrella AND to get me as close to the building as possible so that I'd be decent for the ceremony.

In the end, I'm not sure what the big hurry was all about. We all stood around in our robes for _the entire_ 40 minutes...new shoes, people...new shoes. I was in PAIN by time we got going. But it was great talking to all of the graduates...nice moments to reminisce, etc. It was all very surreal.

Anyway, the ceremony was pretty cool. Instead of the usual graduation march, they had a five piece ensemble that played. Not sure what song it was, but it was a nice touch. (My family was right on the aisle I entered from, so it was cool to see they had all made it on time--grandpa included.) The speakers--especially our class speaker--were fantastic. Very funny and not nearly as dry as we all expected. And they were brief--a very welcome surprise. (g)

As I mentioned before, we were hooded--that basically entailed each of us getting our moment in the spotlight. When it was my turn, I stood in the middle of the stage while they hooded me, and then my dean announced my name as I strolled across the stage to get my diploma. The professor checking to see if our hoods were properly positioned for easy access said I looked like I couldn't wait to get across that stage! LOL. She was right. (g) It was great fun cheering on my friends as they each took their turn, but standing center stage in front of a huge theatre of people was a bit disarming. Plus, I was just super excited to be hooded so that it would all be "official."

Honestly, it didn't feel real until we changed our tassels from the right to the left side of our mortar boards. Weird how that little tradition has such an impact, but there it is. (g)

After the ceremony, my family and I promptly lost one of our members and spent a good long time scouring the halls for her. LOL. They had originally planned our reception for the gardens outside the theatre, but alas, the rain made that impossible. All of those people crowded into the Lied was TOO much... we found her and got the heck out of there. We had some celebrating to do.

My party began about an hour later. Nothing fancy -- we BBQ'd and ate our weight in potato salad and baked beans, etc. Oh, and we drank. Lots of vino. Some friends came into town for the party and it was so much fun seeing my friends and family mix.(g) It was a riot, to be honest, to see my grandfather sitting and chatting with my whacked out, goofball friends. LOL. He must think we're all insane.

We did the gifts thing (boy did I make out!!), and then we decided to go do karaoke. That basically entailed me guzzling down a couple of drinks in quick succession so I could muster the courage to get up and sing (ah, stage fright...my old friend, you.). LOL. And of course, no one else would.

When I got home, I CRASHED. It was a LONG day, and an even longer couple of weeks leading up to graduation.

As I said, I haven't really recovered yet...and well, my first day off is next Monday. (g) Wish me luck that I make it until then. Okay, I'm going to do a quick book review and then I'm off to write! YAY.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

I hope all of you mamas and mamas-to-be have a lovely day!! :)

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Daaaaaaah daah daaah daaah daaaaah daaaah...

It's the graduation march!!! Tomorrow is the day. YAY. :) (Don't forget that for 24 hours, it will be Dr. Jen. (vbg))

I've had a seriously strange week of a lot of hard work and moments where I've tried squeezing in a few treats for myself. Started with doing NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING on Wednesday. I felt like I had a hang-over and let myself sleep in late, laze around the house...ate some junk food. It was lovely -- made all the better by the fact my uncle had taken the pups to Camp Bow Wow for the day. (Seriously, we're becoming those reeeeeeaally weird dog owners that people rag on all the time. Well, THEY are anyway. (G))

Then on Thursday I got a massage -- lovely lovely LOVELY. Unfortunately, I had to work that night and any lingering effects were gone gone GONE by the end of my shift. LOL. Oh well.

This morning, I got up early to pick up my room -- then headed to the mall where I treated myself to a new outfit and shoes for graduation...even some earrings. Then I headed over to the hair salon for a cut and color/highlight. My hair is GONE! LOL. Seriously, it went from about mid-back to chin level. It's brown now, with blonde highlights. LOVE it. Totally fun. Then I headed home to do the maid thing. (g) Of course, I didn't finish, so after I get home from work tonight, I'll be scrubbing the kitchen floor, etc.

Tomorrow I'll have to finish the bathrooms before I head on over for a mani/pedi. Seriously, can I spend any more money?? It seems pretty crazy considering I don't have a real job yet. LOL. Oh well, graduation only comes...well, rarely, so there. :)

Then it's over to the ceremony at 3, back home for my dinner party...and after that, KARAOKE, baby! (g) Can't wait...good times will be had by all! YAY.

SQUEEEEEEEE!!!

I'm finished. FINISHED. :)

(Erm, with school. (g))

Another Milestone

I picked up my cap and gown today*. Graduation became REAL for me as soon as I held the sucker in my hands. OMG...graduation. LOL! I'm thinking I should've waited to pick it up...I can't seem to wrap my head around finishing the last of my school projects. I've been too antsy to sit still...keep going out to smell the freshly cut grass and the flowers that seem to be blooming everywhere I look. Aww, spring fever. I've got it. And man...talk about a serious case of 3rd year-last week of school-itis. Not even the last week, actually... I will be finished with _everything_ by 3PM tomorrow afternoon. That's the time I walk out of my last class/final. WOOHOO.

Alas, because of my procrastination, it will likely be a late night and VERY early morning. But that's okay. In less than 18 hours, I will be done done done!!! WOOOT!

*I was shocked..SHOCKED...to learn we don't get to keep our gowns. Especially since I paid so much money for "rental." LOL. OH...and have I mentioned I'm going to be hooded?? No really, have I? I can't remember. Anywho--apparently hooding ceremonies are pretty cool, so I'm really looking forward to it. I know I'm not technically a Doctor of Law, but I think I'm going to insist everyone call me Doctor Jen on Saturday. Just that one day...I promise. :)

Life is Sweet!

Why? Because my two sitdown finals are over, and my final paper is finished and turned in. YAY. On top of that, I only have three days to go until every last schoolwork obligation will be taken care of. Then...then I will celebrate by pampering myself a little. A new outfit for graduation...a new haircut...maybe even a mani/pedi. Oh man, I can't wait. Just the thought of it all, and graduation in _7_ days, is enough to keep me going. Woohoo.

And of course...it will be back to FI soon. I can't wait. It feels like years since I've worked on it, and I can't wait for the day I can sit down knowing I have nothing else to think about for a long long time. Okay, so I need to find a job, but whatever. (g)

Three more days...three more days...WHOOT.