I'm going "camping" with my family this weekend. I use the term "camping" very loosely because it's not so much camping as it is checking into an outdoor hotel. There will be electricity, clean water, showers, bathrooms, a pool, etc. I'll also have access to my parent's camper (which is really nice, actually; it's like a mobile hotel) which includes a shower, a flat screen TV, a bathroom, a refrigerator, heating and air conditioning, a stove, a sink, so on and so forth.

I tried to weasel my way out of it because my brother and sister in law won't be attending, which also means my niece and nephews won't be going either. My company will include my parents, my grandparents, my uncle, and my parent's friends Mike and Diana. My Grandfather will probably talk to me about how I'm doing with work, where I'm at with school and what I'm going to do to improve my life. Don't get me wrong, I love my Grandfather - I just don't enjoy any of those topics and they seem to be quite frequent when we get together. It's his way of showing interest and caring for me, though, so I always humor him and let him in on the rather boring details of my work escapades and what I'm doing to enhance my life.

Somehow by filing bankruptcy S&B has the ability to dish out more shifts, so I might be getting more hours there. I don't necessarily enjoy my job because I know a lot of people aren't fond of me (with the exception of Brian) and the work is so tedious (and sometimes exhausting), but Racine doesn't have a lot of options when it comes to employment. I really wish I hadn't quit Sunglass Hut as hastily as I did. My emotions wrecking my chances, I suppose.

After having my thyroid medication adjusted for the fourth time, I believe my headaches have receded. I rarely have them anymore (though when I do, they're still exceedingly painful). I noticed that they came back during a period of time when I didn't have access to refills on my prescription (what a hellish week that was), so I'm inclined to believe that the headaches were linked directly to my doctors fiddling with my thyroid levels until they were satisfied with my blood test results. Hopefully they're done tinkering with it, I can't take much more of those skull-splitting manifestations.

In any case, I'll be bringing my laptop with me on this "camping" trip. If I can't pick up a WiFi connection, at the very least I'll be able to dink around with Photoshop, solitare, watch movies and listen to Bob Marley.

I have to admit... I'm somewhat looking forward to falling asleep listening to a churning river, under the stars that try desperately to peek through the canopy of pine trees above my tent. Maybe the fresh air will do me some good. Perhaps I'll clear my head.

If nothing else, I'll have access to a rather nice camera; more chances to practice photography.

Take care, everyone.

Renovations for my new casa are under construction. Painting commences on Monday and I can move in shortly after. The cable company has been contacted so internet should be hooked up fairly soon at the new place. It's going to look different. It's going to be different. I'm excited. This is the first time I've ever gotten to play "Design on a Dime" in real life, and I'm jittery at the thought of exercising my artistic arm as far as interior decorating goes. I'll be moved in by the end of the month. Life will change dramatically, then.

I received my job back, as well. Thank goodness for small miracles. Things are slowly steadying and I'm thinking that the turbulence will subside altogether very soon.

All good things, all steps forward, all improvements. I'm trying to surround myself with positives in hopes that I'll absorb them via osmosis or something tantamount. Good thoughts, good thoughts.

I recently reacquainted myself with a friend I haven't spoken to in a while; it's incredibly nice having his company. I wasn't exactly a wonderful person when last we spoke in any sort of frequency; I'm hoping that the changes I've made in my personality and my life are shining through to prove that I'm worth sticking around for.

Completely opposite to that, I had a brush with a "friend" (term applied very loosely) this morning that resulted in me ignoring them. All kinds of unhappy memories came flooding back from the last time we were friends and things didn't go his way - he's incredibly childish and I don't know why I keep giving him more chances to hurt me. It needs to stop. I'm a pushover for people who seem nice - it's one of my strings, and people like him pull it often. Hopefully I won't have to deal with him again. Such an unpleasant man. If you would even call him a man... Someone of his stature doesn't exactly exude the maturity level normally associated with a true man.

I'm looking forward to starting my life over. It seems long overdue.

Current Music: Silversun Pickups - Three Seed