I'm an intern, but unfortunately there's no George O'Malley...

Today was my second day of internship. I'll do a quick recap of the days.
Day 1 (Yesterday)--I acutally got up earlier than I needed to so I could walk Riley. By "walk" I mean 30 minutes, not a potty walk. I was really proud of myself. I headed off to school, and realized that traffic on I-24 is crap. It took me 19 minutes to drive what usually takes me 5 or less. I really hate that road, because people are all weaving and trying to get good position and such. I just try to stay in the right lane and get past it all. Once I got past the downtown split off, the road was absolutely clear. Not too much happened during the day. I basically followed Tara around and learned a bit about what goes on. Right now they've got lots of schedule stuff, so I can't do much to help with that. I also sharpened pencils that are used for their standardized tests. I met with one student, and that might be a potential client (woo!). I was late to class due to traffic. Boo. Oh, I also wore new shoes that gave me 3 blisters in the matter of a few hours. I switched to flip flops, and probably won't wear those shoes again.
Day 2 (Today)--Today I tried to get up and walk Riley, but it didn't happen. I had a training meeting at 8am, so I had to get up a little earlier than "normal" (what will be come normal) anyway. The training class was pretty pointless for me. I thought it would be more general about what counselors do and such, but it wasn't. ost of it was geared towards computer stuff, and requirements for being in one class or another, etc. Basically, it was a lot of stuff that I won't be doing during my internship. So, I left during the break. I did meet someone that knew my cousin Stan, and used to go to church with my aunt and uncle (Rebecca, that's you). So I headed out to school and spent about 2 hours working on getting TCAP scores into the 6th grade files. There are a lot of 6th graders at this school. After lunch I shredded papers, watched as Tara went through new student files, and sharpened more pencils. A student came in right before I left, so I got to observe that, too. I wasn't late to class today, because I found a different way to get to Vandy. Hurray.
So things seem to be going well at internship. It's slow right now, but that's to be expected during the first few weeks. I have high hopes that it will be a really good experience. Let's hope I'm right!

Retreat!

So, the retreat went really well. I'm so glad, because a lot of us spent a lot of time planning it and trying to make it better than last year's. I had a few food issues (namely my hot pocket getting wet in the cooler) but I did really well considering. And the pie? It was soooo good. I knew it would be though. The best part is that it's pretty rich, so one piece was all I wanted anyway, and there was no temptation for other sugar stuff. I had 3 people ask me for the recipe, and they had no idea it was a Weight Watchers recipe. It's definitely going to be my new "Hey, I need to take something to a party" food. It's so easy, and way good. I was really excited people asked for the recipe, because I'm not a big cooking/kitchen person.
Anyway, on Thursday we left early to get everything set up. We spent time eating lunch, and talking in our mentor/mentee groups. We spent the day in Sewanee, which was pretty neat. We went to a little coffee shop called the Blue Chair. I got a Pinky Flamingo Smoothie, which had lemonade, strawberries, and frozen yogurt in it. The best part about it had to be the straw. =) We also found out that the Blue Chair sponsors a place called the Blue Monarch, which helpes abused women and their children. The women there learn how to make the pastries that were sold in the shop, and other things for job placements. It was really neat that we were helping support that group.
Yesterday was my first day to go by my internship site. Communication between the Vandy people hasn't been the best, so I decided to just call up the school and hope I could get in touch with Tara (my on-site supervisor). When I talked to her (around noon), she said that a meeting had already been set up for us at 2pm that day. I was *really* glad I called, because no one got the message to me that this meeting was set up. The good part was that she was already planning on meeting with me, and the time worked. I really like the two counselors there, and I think it's going to be a really good fit for all of us. She hasn't supervised anyone in awhile, but it won't be hard for her to be better than my last supervisor. I haven't seen much of the school, but they have a nice counseling office, and even have a room where I can do my individual sessions. We'll see how things go, but at this point I'm excited about being there. I like this feeling, especially considering I dreaded going to my practicum last semester. After hearing what they do, I think I'll probably end up in a school as opposed to a community agency. I was really disappointed that Daystar wasn't taking interns, but now I really think it worked out for the best. I'd still love to be connected with them in some way down the road (maybe summer sessions or something), but I think job wise I'll be happier in a school. This also means that I am definitely doing the extra semester at Vandy. I'll still graduate with my community track in May, and then I'll finish up the school track in December. I'm starting now to cross my fingers for a paid internship for that fall (or maybe an early job placement that will count as internship...that would be awesome). At this point I'm just really excited that I have more of a direction on what I really want to do. Hopefully this internship will cement that in my head.
Tonight I'm going to babysit for baby Sam again. He's a really cute kid and is easy to sit for, so I'm excited. It'll be nice to have that extra money, and it'll give me a chance to get some knitting done (because he'll go to sleep early).
I guess that's it for now. School's going to get crazy pretty soon. My DSM class is going to be a lot of work, and I have a big paper in there that'll be 30% of my grade. I still need to get the syllabi from two other classes, but hopefully those assignments will stagger a little. I just need to make it through this semester.

First Day o' Class!

So today was my first day back to school. I had my internship class, and it met at 9am. This was really weird feeling, because all my other classes have been in the afternoon. It was nice though, because I had the rest of the day to run around. Scott and I went to lunch at Shoney's, and I searched for "The Perfect Planner." Amazingly enough, I think I actually found it. I'm picky in that I want to have a decent monthly view (so I can put my stars on the days I have stuff to do) *and* a weekly view with appointment times. This was much harder than you'd think. I love the monthly planner I have, but I'm about to start seeing clients. I'm going to need to write down their times, as well as any other parent meetings/supervision/school meetings that might occur at internship. So until 2007, I'll be using two planners...one for school and one for internship. The only problem with "The Perfect Planner" is that it doesn't start until 2007. But, it does have all the monthly views right in a row. That way, if I need to know what I'm doing in August and Spetember, I just turn the page. I don't have to go searching through the weekly view pages to find September. It has handy little plastic markers that go on the month and week that is current. Yeah, I realize I'm a total dork for writing this huge paragraph about my planner (and posting pics) but it's so hard for me to find the right one that I'm way excited about it. And, get this...it even has pretty colors. Usually I have to sacrifice aesthetic value for function, but not this time! Franklin Covey, you have a customer for life if you keep making planners like this.

Aside from planner excitement, I made a chocolate peanut butter pie tonight. Oh. My. Goodness. It is so good. I haven't even eaten the pie, just tasted the filling that I licked off the bowl (and spoon and beater things). It's a Weight Watchers recipe, and is only 4 points for 1/8 of a pie (for those that have no clue about WW, 4 points for decent size dessert that tastes this good is amazing). So I'm going to take the pie, along with a pudding cup, to the retreat tomorrow. I know there's going to be a lot of cookies and brownies and sweet stuff, so I'm really happy to know that there's something I can eat. I'm also taking all my own food so I don't have to worry about trying to figure out how much I'm eating and all that stuff. I'm really hoping the retreat will go well. We've planned the heck out of it in hopes that it'll be way better and more organized than last year's. Last year was so badly organized that it wouldn't take much to make it better, but still. We want it to be awesome for the 1st year students. The students I've met so far seem really nice, and I can't wait to get to know them better.

I don't have much else to say, except that I have a wonderful boyfriend. I came home from our retreat meeting irritated because Scott didn't answer his phone. I got more irritated when I realized that my recipe needed a mixer, which I didn't have. I was getting frustrated with the thought of sitting there by cookies and wanting one soooo bad. Anyway, he said, "Put your shoes on. You go to Kroger and get the stuff, and I'll go to Target and get the mixer. I'll get you a blender too, so you can make those smoothies." It made me happy that he was willing to go to Target (which is about half-way home for him) and get me a mixer at 8:30pm just so I could make a pie. =) If anyone wants the recipe, leave me a comment (with e-mail) or e-mail me and I'll get it to you.

Look at my handsome boy...

After Riley went to Miss Kitty's on Thursday, this is the stance he decided to take when I got the camera. Obviously he wasn't in the mood.
This has got to be one of my new all time favorite pictures. This was taken on my bed, because I couldn't go to sleep because of groomer irritation. He does look better than he did in the pics I posted before the groom, but he still has hair in his eyes. But hey, it let me get a cute pic!
This is another one that was taken on my bed. I think he wanted me to leave him alone so he could sleep.

And *this* is my handsome boy after the groomer fixed him up today. Unfortunately he got into his water before I could take his picture, but I got him before he rubbed his head everywhere. As soon as I snapped this picture he jumped up and started pushing his head on the floor and rolling around like a crazy dog. He looks really nice. Rita (the groomer) trimmed his head for free, since I wasn't happy with it. I also had her touch up his back with the stripping. I think I've about decided that I'm going to get his back stripped, and just scissor his head (and maybe legs). Because all the hair on Riley's head is soft (and therefore old), it would all have to be pulled out in order for a new wiry coat to grow in. While it doesn't bother him on his back, that doesn't sound like it'd be too fun on his head. Also, he'd be pretty naked for awhile. I do think I'm going to try and get some little fingertip things and try to do his legs (and maybe some of his head) myself. Maybe if I can strip enough to keep him non-scraggly then I can get his new coat to grow. I guess we'll see. Either way, he's a good looking little boy. =)

Dogster!

Tonight I created a dogster page. Basically, it's like myspace for dogs. To get to Riley's (and friend, me, too!) you can either click on the link on the sidebar (in the future), or just go HERE.
This week's actually been pretty busy. I got new jeans, so my mom hemmed those for me this weekend. Yay for new (smaller!) clothes! I took Riley to get a bath on Wednesday and groomed on Thursday. The grooming didn't go so well. Two of the things I asked for weren't done when I picked him up, but I was charged for them. They did them both in about a second once I pointed it out. I went back on Friday and complained, because he still had hair in his eyes. That's the reason I took him there in the first place, and I really wanted them to at least do a decent job. The good thing is that I got half my money back, and the grooming manager will fix Riley on Monday. His eyes are uneven, as well as his ears. Now, I'm not a groomer, but come on. It should be obvious when something's totally lopsided. I'm hoping Julie's groomer handstrips, and that it'll be cheaper than going to Miss Kitty's. I'd go somewhere else, if I knew anywhere else in the area that did stripping. I just don't think it's good business when the owner is stressed and nervous all day because they don't know if things will be done right when they pick their dog up.

Knitting
I gave Scott's mom her knitted articles (washcloth/potholder/washrag) yesterday. She really liked them, which is good. My mom saw them, and all of a sudden wanted me to knit her some, too. =) When I told her about it I don't think she really understood what I meant until she saw it. They're actually really cute (I think), and easy and inexpensive. I'm going to try to make one or two to go in the houses my dad sells, as a little gift thing to the new owner. That just kinda depends on how much time I have and how fast he sells the houses.
On Thursday I went back to Threaded Bliss to get some different yarn for the VA Tech hat. The orange I bought wasn't nearly orange enough. Luckily, there was a color that's about as close as I'll get in the same yarn that I'd already bought, so I only had to buy one skein instead of two. I actually like the first orange I bought...it's more of a rusty red/orange fallish color. I'm sure I can find something to do with it.

Party!
Since the wrestling show was cancelled tonight, Scott and I invited Julie and Jana over to hang out. We went to eat at Applebee's, then came back and watched a movie. It was something about a mirror mask, and was based on a story by Neil Gaiman. I fell asleep in the middle (typical), but I caught the gist of it. It was pretty odd though. After the movie we played Cranium. That was way fun. Scott and I lost, partly because he couldn't guess my acting (even though it was incredible) and partly because I know nothing about pop culture. I had to act out the word magnetism, and somehow Scott ended up guessing "porno movie!" Yeah...definitely on different wavelengths there. (For those wondering, I was trying to get him to X-Men, and then to me sitting in the magnetic spinner thing. Obviously, it didn't work.) I definitely want to play that game again. It was a ton of fun.

Tomorrow
Not sure what's on the plan for tomorrow. It may be a lazy knitting/watching Season 4 of Charmed, or Scott and I might go to Hooters to watch the WWE pay-per-view with Julie and Jana. I'm good with either, although there might be a problem if there's a two item minimum at the PPV. There's really nothing at Hooters that I can eat, especially because I went out earlier this week (and because Monday is my day when I check how much I weigh, and I don't want to screw that up). I think I should probably work on door tags for the retreat so I won't be doing that on Wednesday night. It shouldn't be hard, but I just have to do it.
Now that it's almost 1:30am, I should probably head to bed. It got late before I even realized it. I'll try and post pics of Riley on Monday after he looks all better.

Knitting
Since my last post, I've actually finished a few things. I still haven't dealt with the brim from Coronet, although I probably should. My socks are also hanging out in the bag. I did finish the presents for Scott's mom. I also finished another ball band washcloth from the Mason-Dixon book. I'll post a pic of that one (and its inverse) a little later. I also bought yarn today to make Scott's mom's hat for Christmas. The colors are kinda muted for Tech colors (and this isn't exactly a very good color picture), but I think they'll work ok. It's *so* hard to try and match college colors. I hope this hat turns out the way it seems to look in my head. =)














Riley
Riley is a scraggly crazy boy. He got a bath and brushing today, and proceeded to roll all over the floor as soon as he got home. At least he wasn't outside in the mud. =) Tomorrow morning he'll be getting his head done at Miss Kitty's. It'll be nice to see his eyes again. These pictures are from yesterday, when his hair went everywhere after he rolled around on the floor growling. He makes me laugh so much.
School
I really can't believe that I have exactly one week until classes start. Wow. The good part is that I *do* have an internship! I'm going to be working at Goodlettsville Middle School in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. My mom actually went to high school in the building where the middle school is, so that's kinda cool. It's a little bit out of the way, but it's supposed to be a really good site. After my experience last semester when my supervisor couldn't even remember my name, a good supervisor would be a very nice thing. I don't know my schedule or exactly what I'll be doing yet, but I should be able to visit out there before classes start next Wednesday. Yay for finally having a placement! We're also planning lots for the retreat that'll be next Thursday night. I think it'll go well (or at least better than ours did).

Medical Stuff
So all my bloodwork came back normal last week. So, that means I can't blame my tiredness on the thyroid anymore. Riley and I are still walking a lot, and I'm doing pilates on the other days. I bought a new video and a mat today. The video was definitely harder than my other one, which is definitely good. So hopefully things will get better, especially since I'm going to be crazy busy.

I guess I'm going to go bind off the other washcloth and watch some TV. Oh, I bought Season 4 of Charmed today, so I plan on watching that soon. Scott's going to be in Illinois pretty much all of September, so (if I don't finish it before then) it'll keep me busy while he's gone. I wish I could go to Illinois too, but there's no way I will be able to get off work (I'm switching to Fridays) in time to go. *Maybe* if I get put in the earlier internship session I could work on Wednesdays. I don't know. I guess I'll just see how it works out. Either way, we'll live. Now, off to knit!

A little bit of everything

Knitting
Since my last update, I've been working on presents for Scott's mom, as well as Coronet from Knitty.

These are dishcloth things, and will *hopefully* match Scott's family's new kitchen. I haven't seen it yet, but supposedly it's brown and khaki colored. I actually didn't notice that there was a slight pattern thing going on in the towel until I took a picture of it. I still don't see it in the towel itself, unless I look at it in a picture. I worked on the cloth (in the back) while I was babysitting baby Sam last Friday.

Here's the brim of Coronet. I attempted to graft it together, but it looked all wonky. I then decided to look at the pattern (um, yeah, I was backwards) and realized that I'd knit one row too many. So...out came the graft (boo). Somehow I got a stitch screwed up, and one side only has 16 stitches while the other end has 17. I stumped Shelia at Threaded Bliss, so I'm just going to graft two stitches together to make it match. It's not in any rush though, considering how hot it is here. I don't think it's quite winter hat time.

School
Still no internship site. I cannot even really say more than that, because it royally ticks me off as well as stresses me out to think on it more. The good news is that I've decided that I'm going to double track. So, once this year is over, I'll have one extra semester where I'll finish up the school track of the program I'm in. I think this will be a really good decision, and will open more doors for potential jobs. I'm really hoping that I can find a paid internship for that extra semester, but that's kinda a stretch. They do come up though, so it might happen. I really can't believe I start classes in about two weeks. That's so crazy!

Shopping
On Saturday I decided that I'd take advantage of the tax-free weekend and buy some tennis shoes. Since I've started walking at night, I wanted some shoes that were actually more appropriate than my boot-type tennis shoes, old cheerleading shoes, or flip flops. I went to Green Hills and had to park about as far away as humanly possible. The good thing about the trip is that I was in and out in about 10 minutes. The women's shoes in my size (or as close as possible) weren't really my style, so that narrowed my choices down dramatically. I ended up getting some New Balance shoes that are gray with red accents. They were only $34.95, as opposed to the women's shoes which were about $100 more.

Riley
Riley and I have been walking about a mile and a half every night. It's not much, but that's about all I can stand before it gets either too humid or too dark. I refuse to walk after it gets too dark because the people in my complex drive like crazy people. I really don't like having to dive onto the grassy areas pulling the dog behind me because someone didn't bother to follow the speed limit. It's too scary to walk like that knowing that if I don't react fast enough, it could mean bad things for Riley. So, we walk at dusk and try not to sweat too much. I think he likes the walks, except he's tired afterwards. Tonight he decided that he wanted to roll in the grass of some of the houses we were passing. I was walking along, and all of a sudden I felt dead weight. When I looked back, Riley was flopped out on his back. Here's a pic of what Riley does in the grass, as well as what he does every time he sees people. This is the pose he took the other day, when Scott and I were watching TV (and obviously not paying enough attention to Riley).
This is the "You need to rub my belly right now" pose.

Random
This is my random picture of the day. This happened a few days ago when I was making popcorn (obviously). I've never had this happen, and it seemed quite odd. I think this occurred when the bag got pushed to the back of the microwave and didn't spin correctly. Still, I've never had the popcorn actually rip the bag open. This bag got thrown away and I made more. I also realized tonight that if I rub popcorn salt on Scott's face, Riley with try to lick it off. I enjoyed this for awhile. =) I've also found out recently that Riley likes apples (but not Granny Smith ones...must be too sour).

Plan for Tomorrow
Tomorrow I plan on knitting, as well as getting bloodwork done. Hopefully it'll show something about my thyroid, so we can decide what to do next. Tomorrow night Scott and I are going with our friends Julie and Jana to see Smackdown/ECW. It should be a fun show. I'm hoping Scott feels better tomorrow so he can actually enjoy the show.

Bad thing for the day...
One of my kids at daycare screamed for an hour. Today was the first day I've ever hated my job. But, one really bad day out of a year and a half isn't too bad. I'll take it. =)