State of the Union

Been a bit since I posted anything substantial here. I'm not sure how substantial this one will be, either, but it'll be something.

Lots going on. Too much, you might say. Julie and I don't get to see much of each other these days between her long hours at work and my class schedule. Classes start again tonight for the summer term. I will have class Tuesday and Wednesday night. Gaming Thursday, every other Friday, and Sunday. That pretty much leaves me Monday and Saturday open to accomplish everything I don't get done the rest of the week. I may have to shift one of my classes to online. We'll see. It's going to be a marathon until the end of July, otherwise. I've considered dropping one of the three gaming groups, but the problem is there are people in each group that I only see during gaming.

I was out sick last week for two days. Now I'm sitting at work feeling sick. Sinuses draining, mostly. Sore throat, icky feeling in the back of my head, upset stomach from the drainage. I think my body is just worn out. And work itself is turning into a marathon. Since our new administrator came in, I've been handed new responsibilities out the wazoo, and it's getting to the point where there aren't enough hours in the day. Problem is, they won't let him hire another person. So I'm doing a $60k/yr job (according to Sara, who knows what she's talking about) for 32. Welcome to 2010.

Tuition is kicking my ass. Back in 2006, the Bush administration passed a 37 or 40% (I forget the exact figure, but it's huge) tax on tuition benefits you get through work that go above $5,000 in a year. Pitt, of course, passes this tax directly onto us, which nearly doubled my tuition payments for the summer term (because the tax is on the total benefits, not on what you pay after the benefits). I had no idea this tax existed until I got my bill. Yay for the idea of taxing the very people who can't afford it.

Anyway, the last payment will be due next month, so I'll be out of the woods till next year on that one. It's honestly kinda ridiculous that I have to pay at all; it doesn't cost Pitt a dime to let their staff take classes, really. But it is what it is, and nothing can be done to change it. Still better than racking up tens of thousands more in student loans.

God, I hope there's a good job waiting for me at the end of the tunnel. I'm almost halfway there. July 24 marks the halfway point to my MLIS degree. I am currently carrying a 3.813 cumulative GPA. This semester's GPA was 3.875. I'm gradually stepping it up. First semester was 3.75. Let's see if I can pull 4.0 this semester.

I feel like my house is falling apart around me. I need to get up and clean my gutters, but it keeps raining so I can't do that, which leads to more water pooling around the side of my house, which increases the need to clean the gutters. I keep patching concrete all over the side of my front patio and stairs in a desperate attempt to shore them up so I don't have to come up with several grand (at least) to build a whole new porch. But it seems like every time I patch something, I notice a new crack somewhere else. I'm starting to think renting was better.

No new news on Broken Gods yet. I'm hoping it will see print before the end of the summer. While I don't think it's my best work, I do think it's my best hope at this point. I'll keep you posted, obviously.

So that's about it. Life is a marathon right now, and I'm trying to run it without having trained in advance. Too much stress and frustration, not enough leisure. At least I'm enjoying school.

Funny thing: If you'd told my 16-year-old self I'd one day be saying, "I'm enjoying school," that angry, long-haired metalhead kid would've told you you were nuts. Funny how things change as you grow up.

But I still dig Iron Maiden.