Decal

My laptops bumper stickers are looking kind of worn out. I need to get new ones. Here's some:

I Dig Dirt

I have this one already, but I probably need a new one since it's all faded.

Dig

Biology Grows on You

I'll Be Bach!

Budgets

I keep falling out of spec with my budget plans and overspending. I do well with my budget for like a week or more, but then I forget about it, and it becomes a huge stressful thing that I have to fight every step of the way.

I decided to simply not get so stressed about it, and when I mess up on my budget, just simply remind myself to stay on it and keep my spending down.

So my bills monthly are: $60 for Cell Phone Bill, $23 for Violin Rental, $60 Something for Union Dues?.

Travel expenditures should not exceed $70 a month. This includes 2 bus passes a month, and carpooling fees.

Food shouldn't exceed $200 a month. Pharmaceuticals and other toiletries: $15

Altogether, for necessities that comes out to about $430 dollars. Rent is $300 a month, so $730 a month required.

For pleasure buys I'll set aside $50 dollars a month, so $780.

$100 a month goes to my Rainy-Day Fund. I guess around $75 to $100 should go to my car fund. I'm really not going to be making much progress on my car fund, really. That's kinda sad, but I can't do much about it because I'm not making enough income to even be putting anything away really.

I'm really under the gun here with the FAFSA dependency thing. I hope I can get it all in on time. I'm still waiting on Marie's Letter. I dunno how exactly I'm gonna get it or whatever either. Or who I'm gonna send everything to.

So yesterday, me and Erik went to clean out his brother's room. He was sent to jail for various reasons. I dunno what's really going on. But Erik is being lame and very withdrawn all day today. His mom really needs to whip her kid into shape and just spank that brat already. I mean you don't have to get as crazy as my parents but some discipline is needed at least. Anyway, I feel really sorry for her and their family, but coming from a family which hit us for looking at each other the wrong way, I really can't relate, other than to Erik's bro, because I've been in jail before too. xP

It really sucked. They stripped me to my boxers and made me sit naked in a room that had the same temperature as a meat locker. When I peed, they made me stand with the door open and a guy literally looking over my shoulder so you'd get hella nervous. They accuse you of doing everything wrong possible (they said my allergy pills were drugs and a bunch of other shit). It's not a fun place. Your neighbors aren't that fun either. The girl in the next room was trying to commit suicide by cutting her wrists on the screws in the wall for the electrical outlets. She only stopped when they wheeled in one of those straight-jacket contraptions and told her if she didn't stop they'd stick her in there.

This week at work they're making me pull a 2am to 9am shift in the middle of the week. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna fucking die. I don't know how I'm gonna get there either. I might stay at Erik's parents house, but that doesn't seem like a very fun place recently with current events.

I still need to call the Credential Center and see if they have all my documents. Bleh, I hope everything goes well. All this worrying is stressing me out. I'm not making enough money at work. I really need to finish school and have a career already.

Getting my letters in order

In order to get Financial Aid, I have to write a denigrating letter and get two references who know the situation between me an my parents. I really hated having to write these letters and it took me the better part of 2 weeks. I only need to finalize the letters now, and send them out. I'm still waiting on Marie's revision of the letter which I sent her. I will contact her about it again tomorrow.

I have work tomorrow at 5 in the morning again. Liquor department at Safeway isn't that bad. Stocking is nice and quiet and you just have to get your work done. I've been earning enough to pay rent and just enough for food every week; not much else.

The reality of having to start school in the Summer is beginning to hit me. I'm trying to get everything in order, and contact the Credentials department to see if they've received pretty much all of my stuff. I think the only thing they have yet to receive is Mr. G's letter of recommendation. That should put the final stamp on the confirmation. I've already been conditionally accepted and I'm so glad that's out of the way. The problem now is paying for it, which I'm trying to remedy with the FAFSA dependency override form. It's utterly ridiculous that a teaching credential is regarded as a 5th year undergraduate degree for "financial aid purposes".

I need 20,000 dollars at most for the entire year. I'll be making 30,000 dollars when I first get my job as a teacher at the very least. I probably won't use the entire 20,000, but if it comes down to it, I'll have to apply for a loan with my bank. I'm hoping that it won't be difficult to be accepted for such a loan. But if I have to put down my parents information on the FAFSA, there's just no way that it's going to get done.

I'd also like to try and get some scholarships, grants, or loan assumptions which are available for incoming teachers. I have to say that I've been putting my heart and soul into this goal. I'm even reading tons of material about good techniques for teachers and how to motivate kids. My favorite book so far is "Teach like a Champion: 49 Techniques..." etc. It has really really good advice and goes over all the aspects you should think about if you're a teacher. I'm planning to finish reading it over once, and then one or more times highlighting my favorite sections and perhaps taking notes before I start my credential program.

I also liked reading "How to become a Straight A student" which I've mentioned earlier. I will probably reference those techniques and attempt to teach them to the kids. Anyway, I should be getting to bed now, since I have to wake up at 4. Me and Erik are doing great right now. I just need to get in the mood to start cooking again for dinners or else he'll go hungry. xD

So I've been feeling like I've lost Focus

The problem is I don't exactly know what I've lost focus from. There are a number of things I should be doing such as: writing the letters of recs for my two recommenders and get them to the financial aid department of my school. This is of high importance. I should also check in on the status of my documents at CSU East Bay. Summer is fast approaching and I don't really have a plan on how I'm going to support myself through school, commute to classes, or anything.

Anyway, I wrote myself this little guide of what to do if I lose focus:

• reassess your goals
• identify your distractions
• limit your distractions as much as possible
• break down your goal into smaller achievable steps
• formulate a long term plan to achieve each step by a determined deadline
• use daily time management and scheduling to make progress towards goal
• note progress in journal

Taking some tips from LifeOptimizer.com which generally has fairly common sense tips, but brings to my attention things about which I should be actively thinking about anyway, I can utilize the 21-day habit forming technique.

I plan to do this with writing in this blog, and get back into the habit of daily blogging.

I should also share my goals or this journal with positive peers or like-minded peers.