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I have less than two weeks of work left.
I have to ship my car, fix the crack in the windshield because Matson won't ship with it, arg!, plan my trip via rand mcnally, buy a one way plane ticket, and get home, apply for financial aid and rig a fishing pole.
I've pretty much sent everything post office wise. i may have one box of recent newspapers left to ship, otherwise, that's it.
The only thing in between me and home is time, and it's not that much any more. That's great.
ALSO --
I've got to devise a plan to get Jed to Indiana/where ever I go to law school.
I don't do distance very well. I'm worried about how I'm going to react when he's in Hawaii and I'm back home. I really like having a warm body next to me in the cold mornings (it's been in the 60s in Hawaii the past few weeks, aren't you sad for me.) He makes me laugh. He listens to me. He keeps me from freaking out, he keeps me in line. He lets me be quirky, but he also reminds me when I'm acting like a drama queen to stop it. Plus, i like his company. When we are bored, we do stuff, like watch movies and play scrabble. We drive around, we sing along with the radio. we talk about work. We eat almost all our meals together. I love our day to day life. I don't want to lose that, it's the best thing I've got going, seriously. Jed's the best because he gets me. When I'm being crappy, he makes fun of me, which makes me laugh, and then I'm fine.
Haven't I been through this same damn scenario before? History repeats itself, sadly. Except I have a lot more to lose this time.
I can't help it if I'm the kind of girl who needs to be in the same state as my guy. Not because I'll cheat -- I would never. But because I'll miss him too much, and I'll become a basket case. Any words of advice for getting through a long distance relationship for an extended period of time? (perhaps 6 months, is what we are thinking...) Not many people have had to do this, and not many people can do this.
I want to fish with my dad, play with my niece, garden with my mom, hang out with my friends, read books, write for myself, and get ready for law school. I'll have a full plate. But, it'll be sad, because I want Jed there with me, doing all that stuff too.
anyways, if one of us is off this rock, the other, i hope, is sure to follow. If not, I don't know. I guess this is our test.
I just have to remember not to call him every 5 minutes or leave him 10 voice mails every day, whining about missing him. That wont make it easier for either of us. And he's told me he hopes I don't get clingy, because he doesn't like clingy. He like me -- confident, normal terrie.
I like that terrie the best too, but this other terrie is there also, and she rears her ugly head at times like this. Because I like having things my way, and having Jed in Hawaii isn't having things my way. The truth is, my false sense of general awesomeness tells me things should work the way I want them to, and they usually do. But I can't control when Jed gets a job. I can't control when he moves back to the mainland. I can't make those things go my way. Because they are up to fate and Jed's decisions. I don't really play much of a role in those things.
So, instead, I think i need to focus on myself and my path, law school. But the hard part about that is that that's out of my control as well. I'm not the one making the decisions of where I'm going to go. It seems like my life is really up in the air right now.
Where is Jed going to land, where am I going to land. Can we land together in the same place at the same time? Why does it have to be this hard?
well, here are my predictions for where I'll be going.
Waiting for word sucks. It'll be April, likely, before I really know for sure where I'm going. I'll already be home. And if I don't get accepted anywhere, in the fall I'll be looking for a job. Hopefully not in newspapers, though. That ship's sinking quicker than I can jump off.
(hopeful) PREDICTIONS: (Stars before indicate desire to go there, out of 5)
*****IU Indianapolis -- Part Time, waitlisted or no (CROSS FINGERS)
*****Valparaiso -- yes (CROSS FINGERS)
*****Ohio Northern -- yes (CROSS FINGERS)
**South Texas -- yes
****Texas Wesleyan -- Waitlisted or yes
*****Loyola Chicago -- no
***Loyola New Orleans -- waitlisted or yes (new orleans crime and humidity, ick. but mardi gras, yay)
*****Michigan State --- no
***William Mitchell -- no
**Case Western -- no
*****John A. Marshall, Chicago -- no
***California Western -- yes
***Western State -- yes
*****Hamline -- no
**Arkansas Fayeteville -- no (Good school, but who wants to live in Arkansas (Jordan, haha)?)
**Arkansas Little Rock -- no
***Barry -- yes (it's in orlando and im over the tropics)
*****Wisconsin Madison -- no
*U Hawaii -- no (note the stars before the school. Get me off this island chain!)
*U Nevada -- no or waitlisted
*****U Tenn. -- No.
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My LSAT score doesn't come until March 2.
My last day of work is Feb. 27.
I've applied to 24 law schools.
My last day in Hawaii is last day of March.
Here's the list of law schools, in case you were wondering where I might actually end up.
Valparaiso University
Barry University (Orlando)
Hamline (Minnesota)
Texas Wesleyan (Fort Worth)
South Texas (Houston)
Loyola New Orleans
Arkansas, Little Rock
Arkansas, Fayetteville
University of Hawaii Manoa
Indiana University Indianapolis
California Western
Western State (California)
Michigan State
William Mitchell
John A. Marshall School of Law, Chicago
(theres one more, but i cant think of it right now......)
here are the ones i applied to, but am expecting rejection letters from.
Case Western (Ohio)
Nevada (Las Vegas)
Loyola Chicago
Wisconsin Madison
U. Tenn. Knoxville
I've already been denied to:
Indiana University Bloomington. (this is a top school, so that's totally understandable.)
Illinois University. (again, the chances here were slim to none.)
Southern Illinois University. (This one pisses me off because I did the application wrong. This was my fatal error and reason for rejection. But, if I get above 150 on this LSAT test, they said they'd recosider me, and there is a good chance I'll score that or better.)
Ideally, I'd like to go to Valparaiso.
So, we'll see. When I know my score, I'll be able to realistically access where I'm going, and by end of April, I should know for sure.
Until then, I'm trying to take it a day at a time, but I'm super stressed.
Later
Terrie
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Christmas and New Years sure get in the way of plans, especially when you are trying to do something unpleasant.
I've been studying some for my LSAT, but not enough. I've probably put in a total of 20 hours study time since my last post. Not good at all.
So now, with 30 days until the test, and 13 days to totally dedicate fully to studying, (I'm taking a vacation the week before the test to prepare and psych myself up for it...) I'm back on the horse.
Tomorrow, Friday, I'm starting a comprehensive plan to get my test score up.
I'm going to get up every morning and walk to wake myself up. Then, I'm going to shower. Then, I'm going to sit down at the table and study!!!! I'm NOT going to study in pajamas, that doesnt work. I'm not going to study at night, that's dumb because the test is early morning and thats when i need to be sharp. I'm not going to try and study right after waking up, I need some blood pumping.
I take the test Feb. 7. Then, I'll know my score by Feb. 27 -- my last day at Tribune-Herald.
Side note: If anyone wants to come see me in Hawaii, you better come during March. That's my last month here. And you'll be welcome to crash on the couch, but I'll be poor, so don't expect a lot from me.
In April, I'm coming home. What I'll be driving, and what my future will hold, I don't know yet. What Jed will do, I don't really know yet.
I've been stressing out lately about a lot of this stuff, but i had several revelations today.
1. I should only worry about the NEXT STEP. Not what ifs four, five, steps down the line.
2. My worst case scenario right now isnt that bad. I am an industrious person and I can regroup if everything goes to hell.
3. I CAN Do this!!! I have no reason to feel scared or nervous or worried or to doubt myself. I CAN DO THIS!!!
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Okay, this is nuts.
First off, the law school thing -- I've registered to take the LSAT again. I'm hoping for a better score to increase my chances. I've asked Valpo and IU to hold my applications until my new score comes in -- which will be the end of Feb. (SO long to wait!!) I take the test Feb. 7. Until then, I'll be buried in a book.
Pray. Cross fingers. Send thoughts. I need all the support I can get right now!
Second, I finally did it!
I bought my dad a solid koa wood ukulele. Retails at $550, got it for $390. It's beautiful. Red wood. High Quality. And the last year they are using Koa for this particular high end ukulele, so it will become even more valuable as time passes.
It was expensive, but i wanted to get him this ever since I moved here. And I finally did it!! yay!
My mom, I also got her a very expensive gift, something she's been wanting, a Hawaiian Quilt Bedroom set, for about $260. Again, something that I've wanted to get her since I moved here but have not been able to afford.
how did I do this, you might ask. Remember that stimulus check we all got around tax time. I used mine for the gifts. I was saving it to ship my car back to the mainland, but I'll just have to replenish that fund as time goes.
Getting them these things was something that was important to me. It was a solid investment that was worth every penny.
Now, it's time to get the nose to the grindstone and study for the damn LSAT again.
Later
Terrie
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I have a really, really bad feeling that I'm not going to get accepted into a law school.
My lsat score, well who am i kidding, sucked.
My GPA is okay.
My work experience is awesome.
I figured with all that, work experience and what I CAN DO would trump a test score. Right? That's good old, working class, midwest, blue collar thinking. Who cares about a score when i have the goods? Right?
Um. Law schools care.
They care enough not to open the door for someone who doesnt meet the lsat score they want, no matter what else the candidate has going for them. No matter how individually interesting and determined and intelligent they are. It's all about the lsat score.
And i sucked at that.
So, i'm reevaluating.
I'm, getting into law school, damn it. It's just going to take some sharp elbows and shoves. I hate to get dirty, but time to put some mighty effort into it.
which is going to mean dropping some coin. Reapplying. Taking the test again. Calling schools. Begging. Emailing. Pestering. Learning about each and every school and their requirements.
Damn it.
I'm getting in to law school.
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I told my mom about my blog today.. She said she would check it out. So I'm checking to see if she checked it out. Mom? did you find it? So, the other morning, I woke up, and Jed was awake looking at me. Then he held up his middle finger. It was all red. "Do you know what happened to me?" He asked. "did you stick it in the light socket." The humidity makes my body feel heavy, so I continue laying flat on the pillow. He says, "I don't know if I sohuld tell you this or not...." "What?" I say. "At around 6 a.m., I felt something bite me," He says. "I jumped up, and there was a centipede in bed with us. I swiped it out of bed, then killed it and flushed it down the toilet." I'm alarmed by this. My blood starts pumping, even before Mt. Dew has a chance to touch my lips. "Why didn'tt you wake me up?" I say, bewildered. "Did it come near me?" "No,' He says. "I didn't want a repeat of the last time." (Last time a centipede was in bed with us, we jumped up, cried (well, I did), cussed, cursed the island, waited until the sun came up, then crawled carefully back into bed with the lights on. I've slept with a nightlight on since that day, after Jed told me I couldn't leave all the lights on in the room at night.) I go home in about 36 hours!!!! Wooo hoo!!!!!!! No centipedes there!!! Side note: Yay Obama!!!!! Current Location: Work
Current Mood:  drained
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Personal Statement: Theresa Henderson While standing inside the peak of one of the tallest buildings at U.S. Steel in Gary, Ind., conveyor belts screaming and dust and unknown particles blowing in the wind, I watched a team of Indiana Department of Natural Resources biologists carefully cradling three tiny peregrine falcon chicks. It was the summer of 2005 and I was about to complete my undergraduate studies at Purdue University Calumet in Hammond, Ind. when I found myself in this situation, grasping tightly to a reporter’s notebook and pen. I had just begun freelance writing for The Times (Northwest Indiana), after leaving my post as editor-in-chief of Purdue Calumet’s student newspaper, The Chronicle, in December 2004. Ready to make a good impression on my editors, I called officials at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources in an attempt to sniff out any stories happening in my coverage area. That’s when I learned the biologists were headed to Gary the next day to tag some newly-hatched peregrine falcon chicks and test them for mercury and heavy metals. I asked the official if I could come along and report on the outing. He saw no problem with it. I called my editor, happy to report I had uncovered an exclusive story. He was pleased with my effort and ambition. This was my story, and my chance to make a lasting impression. U.S. Steel, I would soon learn, had put up three nesting boxes in the early 1990s for the birds. As I watched the biologists handle the chirping, hissing chicks with care, as the adult falcons screeched outside the plant, alive and wild against the backdrop of smoke stacks and industrial sprawl, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the meeting of two worlds: heavy industry and nature. I was there to cover a singular event, but there was much more happening. I wrote the story, focusing on the biologists’ task, but I also aimed to accurately describe the setting, and why it was so incredible these birds were able to live in this environment. What resulted from the experience was a front-page exclusive story with a lot of supplemental background information that undoubtedly helped to anchor my full-time employment status at the newspaper once I graduated college. This would not be the last time I’d unearth a story or dig deep into an issue as a reporter. I have grown as a professional journalist since the U.S. Steel peregrine story, and have honed my investigative skills to produce a wide variety of groundbreaking series since that time, including working on a package that helped explore race relations in Northwest Indiana and close coverage of the development of a possible third regional airport for the Chicago area. In January 2007, I left Indiana for the first time in my life to work as a reporter in Hawaii at the Hawaii Tribune-Herald in Hilo. While I was able to achieve great success in my Midwest comfort zone, I wanted to test myself in a completely new surrounding. I enjoy challenges and am continually testing myself. I chose to move to Hawaii because I wanted to learn about a new culture, experience a new environment, and absorb and learn things I could not have been exposed to in the Midwest. I have learned about astronomy and reported on the observatories on top of the mountain, Mauna Kea, and I have covered the annual Merrie Monarch Festival, an event of important cultural significance to local Hawaiians. I’ve witnessed the sheer power of nature, and have reported on threatening Hurricane Flossie and lava eruptions at the Kilauea Volcano. But the stories I have covered in Hawaii that have brought me the most satisfaction are the ones that have shed light on problems that face the people who live here. Most recently, I focused on exploring the health care crisis on Hawaii’s Big Island. I’ve learned about the inner workings of hospitals, the challenges facing those in the medical profession, and the problems that residents who need medical attention often encounter. In Hawaii, for example, there are many people needing long-term care but there is nowhere for them to live. What happens is they just stay in the hospitals, which are currently losing millions of dollars each year. This means people with emergency situations or acute care needs are at risk of not getting the attention they deserve because there simply are no open beds for them. I believe I possess the traits that effective lawyers and journalists share. I’m constantly in search of the truth, and know there are often more than two sides to every story. On a daily basis, I ask questions and seek documents. My personal morality embraces the importance of social responsibility, and when I cover a story that looks at an issue or tackles a social problem, it is from the standpoint of trying to do my part to positively affect our society. As a journalist, I serve as a watchdog, and am trained to search for inaccuracies, injustices and untruths in society. I lay in bed at night sometimes wondering if the stories I write have an impact. With a legal education, I will be better equipped to make sure the law is upheld and will be able to take more of an active role in making sure that it is. I can’t say for sure where I hope to end up or where I want a law degree to take me. Life is unpredictable, and plans often change. But I am one that strikes when the iron is hot, and takes advantage of opportunities as they present themselves. My hope is that with a law degree, I won’t be merely stopping my involvement once an article appears in a newspaper. With my expanded knowledge of the law, I’ll be helping the next group of peregrine falcon chicks by making sure environmental protection laws are in place. Or perhaps I’ll work to protect health care patients, so that they don’t end up waiting in a hallway for a bed to open when they need surgery or after a bad car accident. As a journalist, I’ve reported on murders, scandals and political corruption. But I’ve also seen the inherent good in people and society. I’ve seen conflicts resolved and policies made that make a positive difference. There will always be overlaps, contradictions and conflicts that need resolution. The delicate balance of nature and industry, for example, or the need for acute care and long-term care beds in hospitals. With the right laws, policies and procedures, a balance can be found and problems can be resolved, benefiting all parties involved. I strongly believe, given the chance to earn a law degree, I can help make a difference. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Theresa A. Henderson (808) 430-0087 Redterzx2@yahoo.com Current Location: work
Current Mood:  anxious
Current Music: the sound of fingers on a keyboard
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Life is good. Jed's got a new job. Good. Law school application process is, well, progressing. Good. I'm going to be going to the mainland for two weeks in, well, two weeks. Good. I live in Hawaii. Still Good. Cause it's, well, Hawaii. I have a huge avocado to eat tomorrow for lunch and the vegetarian lifestyle is really working for me. Good. I'm going to be spending a lot of time in Kona on the weekends, and not staying in Hilo. Good. Christmas is coming up. Halloween and Thanksgiving are great too. Good. Obama's going to be president. Good. Nothing's ever perfect. But right now, things aren't bad. That's all I can ask for. Current Location: Hawaiian Paradise Park, Keaau
Current Mood:  good
Current Music: Britney Spears -- You Want a Piece of Me
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