Update! Been a while, right? I wouldn't bother, only it turns out Kelli is actually reading this from time to time, so I shouldn't disappoint. Kelli = my sister. She got laid off and she could not be happier about it. She gets to spend time with her four-year-old son and her baby girl, so she's loving every second of unemployment. :)

COSTA RICA
I'm not going! It's a long story. Mostly to do with lack of funds and a boyfriend who suddenly didn't think I should go (due to aforementioned lack of funds). You know, I have a bill to school coming due soon that will be $800 and a bill for that ER visit for another $1400, so dropping a grand to go see my sloths suddenly made my $250-strong bank account seem depressingly weak. (No, really.) Anyway, we have it all worked out now... I'm not stressing about money right now and have loose plans to go to Costa Rica later in the year, with the sloth people's blessing. :) This is good, because before I resolved to go later, I was heaving and crying every time I thought about Costa Rica or someone faved my Fozzie pic on Flickr. The timing really was insanely better now, but what can you do?

JOB!
Yeah, since I'm not going to Costa Rica, I'm job hunting for the first time in years! I am looking for either something I love to do full-time or something I am satisfactorily willing to do part-time. Either will do. I actually prefer something part-time or temporary so that trips I have planned for this year can actually happen. I wanted to go to Wisconsin, and I want to go to Costa Rica and we want to, you know, get married. So yeah. I gots plans! But if I find a job I really would love to do, I'm going to go for it and figure all that stuff out later. I really want to find a job I will feel good doing, rather than just something to pay the bills. I'm lucky enough to have that option right now, so I'm going to try to take advantage of it.

RAIDEN
Remember that name? You know, my sister's step-daughter had a son and she named him Raiden. After a Mortal Kombat character? She originally wanted to spell it Radon but my sister pitched a fit and they changed the spelling. They try to pass it off as a Hmong name, which is hilarious but Hmong names are more like Sua and Fang. Not RAIDEN. ANYWAY. We were at Disney last week and my niece Amanda wanted to get Raiden a pair of mouse ears with his name embroidered on the back of the little hat. When she said the name out loud to the Disney lady, I laughed out loud. The lady looked at me. The exchange went something like this.

HER: Is that a real name? Because we can't put any non-formal name on the hats. No nicknames or anything like that.

ME: Oh, it's a real name. It's also a Mortal Kombat character, mind you, but it's a real name.

HER: Um... We really can only do real names. I think I have to go talk to my supervisor about this.

ME: It IS a real name. It's just that his mom is 19 years old.

Kamille heard us at this point and came over and asked what was going on. I recapped it quickly for Kamille, who said, "That is my grandson's name." As serious as a heart attack, sounding kinda pissed really.

I figure the Disney lady must be laughing at the Midwesterners about now. First a kid named Raiden, second his grandma is in her mid-30s. Wheeee!

SCHOOL
Almost done! I have a paper due tomorrow, then two tests and a paper due Tuesday. Then I'm done! Oh, this summer I'm taking my last two courses, an online class and a lit class later in the summer. Then I'm a degree holder, baby! Well, I guess I am a degree holder - I have my A.A. - but this is his big brother, and it's great. I'll be the first one in my family to earn a Bachelor's. My immediate family anyhow.. I have a wonderful smart cousin named Kimmy who went to school to be a nurse and is doing so awesome now for her and her family.

AMANDA
I'm trying to get her to visit this summer. I enjoyed torturing her during her visit by making her jog - twice! (This prompted her afterwards to say she was having "the trip from hell." Um, you're welcome!) So I am trying to get Kamille to send her here for a month or so. No, really, I'd like to have her here and I think she could use a bit of time from under her mom's wing. So, let's hope!

Um, I think that's all. :)  ¶ 10:39 PM