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I'm Shen. Nice to meet you.

Occupation: Computer and Electrical Engineering Student
Work: IEOP teacher (I teach foreigners how to speak english...not good)
I don't know what else you want to know?

If you need help at all, I'd be happy to help. I know a lot about programming and overall how this works, considering I've been here for years and I'm going to school for computer engineering. So, I hope you enjoy your stay and that I don't offend you.

I was weak. Thats why I needed you...needed someone to punish me for my sins...but thats all over now...I know the truth.
-James Sunderland: Silent Hill 2

What will it be?

Seriously, I'm really wondering what car I'm going to get when I take my vehicle in to get fixed. It's leaving me next week and the company I'm giving it to for repairs give a free loaner car while its gone. I'm so used to driving large vehicles that if they give me a literal CAR I won't know what to do with it. Then again, I do drive cars for those going and taking the TOEFL test, so its not like I don't have any practice.

Last night was HORRID! I had three assignments to complete in the span of 8 o'clock pm to 8 am. I got it done, I just didn't get enough sleep. I have learned from this experience not to procrastinate on my Computer engineering homework. Or Electrical Engineering...I can for history though! Darn you essays that I'm going to have to write every week. The reason it started at 8 pm? Thats when I was done with classes. I have classes from 8 am to 8 pm on tuesdays...and most of it is lab work...I'm not going to survive this semester...

But good news is that I have successfully defragmented and repaired the disk space of my computer. It was a little rediculous how long its been since I've done that and it really needed to get done. So, since I wasn't using it most of yesterday, I just had it do it while I was gone. A clean computer is a faster and happier computer!

Lab Report for the lose

Ya, I'm basically just procrastinating on writing on of my lab reports...plus I need to update about my life. Before I came back to college we had a huge storm. There was baseball to softball sized hail, 100 mph gusts of wind and rain...lots and lots of rain. It was a monsoon. So my car was out in this storm and received damage. I didn't think it was that much, just a very cracked windshield and some dents...wrong.

Turns out its going to cost 5,500 dollars to get it fixed. Its also going to take a week and a half to finish. Luckily they give out loaner cars while your own car is getting fixed but its still going to be a car I'm not used to driving. And that is a lot of money...a LOT of money. Thats half of my tuition lot of money. Man, I really don't like this.

Anyway, thats the main reason I haven't been on for a while, I had to deal with insurance and the car repair shop. Its all just adding to my already full schedule. Engineering is a pain, but I enjoy it so I can't complain much. I can, however, complain about my EE 230 class. WHIIIIIINE! There, I'm done.

Back to school

Alright, I officially declare my hiatus status terminated! I'm back! So how is everyone doing? Doing well I hope! I've missed being on here. And a lot of things have happened quite honestly since I've been gone. Now the only question is where to start? Hopefully I can say it all without too many words.

First, I'm in my dorm now! Back to school I have come. My room is actually a lot larger than I though it was going to be. Its also a lot nicer than I thought it was going to be. I also have air conditioning. Its really really nice. One of my classes I can already tell that I'm going to fall asleep in all the time (digital electronics and systems) and another of them there is no way I'd fall asleep during (computer architecture)! The professor is awesome. And the only other two classes I have are a history class (Western Civilization) and something that I don't really know if I'm going to like or if I'm going to be pulling my hair out for (Discreet Mathematics).

Also, I finished my internship with no problems! It was really annoying that I had to talk all the time by teaching the same thing over and over, but it'll look great for my next internship I apply for next summer. It was fun and I'm going to miss my supervisor and my ... other supervisor? I don't really know what to call Patrick...sure, lets go with other supervisor.

This was also my last year working at the mowing service. I officially quit that job last week. I hope they are all going to do well now that I'm gone. I promoted one of my guys to take my supervisor position. He is a manager at another job, so I'm sure he will do just fine...its the others I'm worried about and whoever they hire to fill the empty slot. Oh well, there isn't anything I can really do about it.

I also applied to take on a job in a lab again. I am already teaching conversational english again this year, but I might also be a lab TA for it as well. I took over for someone my first semester here doing that. I even posted a great story that happened while I was doing that. Unfortunately, physics was kicking my butt the second semester so I couldn't continue with the lab, and instead helped with the conversational english class. I can't wait to see if I get it. It was a lot of fun, and I do really enjoy doing that type of work, even if I'm not very good at english.

The living room is painted now...mostly. All thats left is one more coat on one of the walls, but I can't do it considering I'm now 3 hours away. Bye Omaha, I'll not miss all your flooding.

Also, I had to take a set of pills again, but this time it was steroids for allergies and asthma. It made me really awake and hyper, but I only had to take them for five days. I'm really tired of having to take pills. I haven't had to take any prescription medication since my last allergy medication didn't work for me anymore. A good way to explain how life is for my body is my normal is a constant state of discomfort. I've honestly forgotten what its like to breathe normally, or what its like to not be in constant pain. I don't know what I'd do if that happens. I'd probably freak out and go to the doctor. XD

Phew...anyway, I have lab stuff to do now that you're all caught up on my life. I shall now take my leave.

Artist in the family

I'm not going to be on for a while...again. But it should only be a week or two. I have a bunch of things I have to do and a lot of things are going on. First, my parents are completely redoing the entire living room. This means furniture, the way the furniture is arranged, we are getting hardwood floors instead of carpet, we are painting one wall a dark color, and painting every other wall a different color. Of course, I'm the one thats going to be doing most of the painting. The reason for this? "Kelsey! You're the artist of the family, right? Then you will paint the living room before going back to college. Thanks, I love you!" Oh mom, you forget that I'm an engineering major... -.-'

So what does all that entail? It means lots of furniture moving, lots of throwing things away, lots of organizing, and lots of work. I'm also working two jobs and my only day off is Sundays, which means I'll have do this during the afternoons when everyone is home unless I get a day off this week at my IT job. Which might happen because we don't have much to do this friday (unless something goes wrong like last friday.) I also forgot I need to patch and sand the walls. Ugh.

Second, I need to start packing. After this summer is over, I am not planning on returning to home for the next summer. If I don't get an internship like I'm planning, I'm still going to stay in Ames and find at least one full time job for the summer and stay on for my last year and a half at college. This means that I have to go through EVERYTHING that I own, decide what to pack up and take with me to college now, and what I'm going to pack up and leave in the basement or in my closet till I can get it into an apartment. I also have to decide what I'm going to let my family keep and what I'm just going to throw away. I've already been through most of my closet, but I still have to go through my dresser (which I only used the top drawer all the time I owned it), my bookcase, my desk, and the area of the basement that belongs to me and my brother.

Third, my sister, brother, and I need to have a serious discussion about who is going to take what from the basement and how we are going to help our parents out while we are all going to college. My sister is going to try to get her masters degree in a year (or so she says), I'll be in my last year and a half for my bachelors, and my brother is going to be starting his freshman year in an out of state college. I only paid for less than a quarter of my college, my sister paid for roughly half of hers, and Shawn is hoping to get a legacy scholarship which should pay for 3/4 of his tuition (which still leaves about 20,000 still to pay, college is expensive). The issue is that its still a lot of money. I have a feeling my mother is going to be paying for all of hers because she has a full time job now that has a yearly salary and I'll try and pay for most of mine through loans. This way Shawn can have the support of our parents and we won't have to worry about them not having enough money for themselves.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go artist it up for a little bit and help my parents bring in the paint. Hopefully see you all sometime this week if I can help it.

Stack of papers a mile high

Bleh and a bleh and another bleh. I'm going through my college papers because I'm still not completely unpacked from Uni and I'm finding things from my first semester in college. It brings back terrible memories of physics. Calculus based physics. I am so glad I'm done with physics now, and I only have one more calculus class left. Its going to be a sigh of relief. I'm not so happy I have to take statistics as well. Oh well, I digress.

So we got rid of our old furniture that we have had in this house since we moved in. In fact, its been my mothers main furniture for 35 years now. It was about time for us to get new ones. 35 year old furniture isn't all that comfortable if its been used regularly. Plus it was falling apart. It just wasn't a good situation. BUT. We don't get the new furniture until thursday. Yes, that means five days without furniture. Its going to be a very uncomfortable five days. Especially because I need to organize cords for all the electronics that were behind the old couch that I couldn't get to. Not to mention all the cleaning. And now my mom is talking about getting hard wood floors in the living room and dining room. Everything is changing!

I'm happy she is finally doing this though. She has been talking about it since I got into high school. Its just good to see that she is doing something that she wants to do. Almost all of us are out of the house now. All thats left is my brother and he is a senior in high school. And this will be the last time I live here too. It hasn't really sunk in that this room won't be mine after winter break. I'll be moving into an apartment in Ames for my senior year of college and I will probably be somewhere else in the US or even another country for next summer for an internship.

Growing up is a weird thing. I'm working two jobs because I know my need for money, especially with my brother getting into college soon (and an out of state one at that) and my sister already out of college and in the work force. She has been explaining to me about a bunch of different college loans and grants. Its going to be chaos when I turn 21. Mom says I can stay on her health care for two more years, but as soon as I turn 23 I'm on my own. Not because its her choice, but because thats just how our healthcare works.

My room is as clean as I've ever seen it. And because of that, I have no idea what to do with my manga collection. Its in my book shelf for now, but when I move out I won't have that book shelf. I actually forgot that I owned any fruits basket manga. I liked it when it started but then its just got too ridiculous for me and I found it not going the way I wanted it. My friend likes them though. And I'd give it to her but she already owns most of the series. I was also surprised to find Othello in there. I forgot that I owned that series. Then there is wallflower, Fake (just because my friend gave them to me because she couldn't keep them), Saiyuki, and many more including some manhwas.

I should probably stop distracting myself and get back to the papers and finishing unpacking so that next week I can start packing again since I have to go back in exactly a month. Woo freakin hoo.