7 Quick Takes Vol. 8: Life Happens Edition

-- 1 --

Yes, I know... I dropped the ball for this week's What I Learned Wednesday post but it was for a good reason. I received my student number earlier in the week (officially an Aggie!) and I had to do my student orientation stuff online since I obviously don't live in Utah and can't go on campus easily. It definitely took much longer than anticipated so I spent my evening doing that. As for earlier in the week and day, I've been busy so I didn't get a chance. I may just write future posts ahead of time (when I have free time) so that I quit missing them.

-- 2 --

I found out that I have the option to attend graduation after I finish my post-BA/pre-MS program because I am technically getting a second Bachelor's (Bachelor of Science this time) degree. I am entertaining the idea but that is way in the future (at least a year and a half from now) so I still have time to decide. Still, it's so lovely of them to include us Distance Education students in the graduation ceremonies. I may just stay on for their grad program... which would mean moving to Utah for at least two years. We'll see.

-- 3 --

I had my spiritual direction meeting yesterday and it was all kinds of awesome. I need a major overhaul in my prayer life so these meetings are definitely necessary. It was also decided that I need to re-discern my vocation. I still believe that I am called to marriage (you know, when Prince Charming decides to stop for directions so he can get here. Men... :-P) but I want to be sure that I've properly discerned my vocation before I move forward.

-- 4 -- 

And while I'm on the topic of marriage: no, the Pinterest board I created (which I named "Going to the Chapel") is not for my wedding plans. I know some of you congratulated me on Twitter but I can assure you that I do not have any thoughts of matrimony at the present. The board was created to help plan the wedding of two other people, neither of who are me. I am not going to try to plan anything for myself until there's been a proposal. Capisce? lol.

-- 5 -- 

NaNoWriMo is starting in exactly one week from today... which means I'm going to be busier than usual. I have a ton of research to do this week in preparation for it, too. I want to write the entire sequel to Will and Lina (which is the current title to my first completed novel) during NaNo so that readers won't hate me too much for how the first novel ended. And that's all I'm saying so there's no spoilers. lol.

-- 6 -- 

I have been really missing some of my friends lately. Many of them I lost touch with when I deactivated my Facebook account because it's how they primarily keep in touch with everyone else. I've also been missing friends that have gone missing on Twitter. It's just a crummy "Emmy misses her friends" week for me. I need a hug in a cup (tea), a PB&J sandwich, and a hug. Stat!

-- 7 --

I've been encourage to either start podcasting or to prepare myself to start public speaking as part of my ministry (which I had no idea was a ministry? lol). I am not sure whether I have the time/energy to do it with everything else that I have going on but I may try it in the near future, before the SLP program takes over my life and after NaNo lets me breathe. lol.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

And that's it for now. See? I can do quick takes properly. lol.

I hope y'all had a great week and have a fab weekend. ;)

As always, thanks for reading and God bless. :D

Election Results; NaNoWriMo.

Well, the results were in a few days ago. Barack Obama will be the new president. *sigh* I really wanted McCain to win, and I even shed a few tears during his concession speech. I think Senator McCain was too hard on himself and I've gained a whole new level of respect for him. *sigh* Well, I think now all we can do is pray for Obama's safety (because regardless of his position on things like abortion, death threats are NEVER the answer) and that he changes his mind on his stance on important moral issues. Even Pope Benedict XVI has reached out to Obama in hopes the Obama does the right thing.

Proposition 8 passed in California. That means that marriage will be define as a man and a woman in this state. I was surprised (but a wonderful surprise) because California is known to be a very liberal state. Most of my classmates in English Lit class went on this rant about how it shouldn't have passed. Even my professor said that it shouldn't have. (She's on the liberal side but she's still such a caring and compassion person.) I kept my mouth shut because it was way too early in the morning to get into those debates. Do I want to get into an argument in which I'd be the only one on my side of the argument... while I was still sleepy? Not so much. I did, however, make it known through body language that I was not pleased when they started on McCain and his concession speech and the harsh words they said about it. Respect the man!

Sadly, Proposition 4 did not pass. I was keeping tabs on how the results came out in each county in California and most did not pass Proposition 4. It's sad. This was, I think, they only thing we (the members of my family who are allowed to vote) agreed on. I have no clue about how my bro voted but I think (hope) he made the right decisions. Hopefully they'll bring back this Proposition in future elections.

Besides the craziness of the elections, I am taking part in the craziness of the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo -- NaNo for short). If you're participating in it, please feel free to add me. :D So far I have 3456 (yes, seriously) words written. We have a minimum of 50,000 words pledged by the end of the month, though, so I have to really get to it! I have the long Veteran's Day weekend and don't have another class until Wednesday so I am going to take advantage of it.

You know what? That's exactly what I'm going to do right now. I need a distraction for schoolwork and I feel creative so why not? :D Maybe in the next post I'll update y'all where my friends (and fiance of one of my friends) are on our search for the perfect home in Ireland. We've decided to move out there because we're not happy with the way things are going in this country. Long story. lol. :D

Alright, well, I must get to writing. As always, thanks for reading and God Bless. :D
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