Essay writing time!

Happy Memorial Day! :)

I hope everyone is having a fabulous holiday and enjoying some sun, bbq and family! I fortunately have today off, but had to work Fri-Sun. Fun times, I tell ya, fun times.

Well, it's finally here. Friday is the day I take the Praxis. I know I will be okay, but it's hard not to be nervous because it's an important requirement for being accepted into grad school. I have all the other requirements. I just need the right scores on this test!

The test is made up of three sections. Math, reading and writing. I've been mainly studying the math portion as I have always excelled at reading and writing. Although, this week I am going to write a few sample essays and need someone to read them and give me a "score". Then I thought, who would be better judges than you guys?! So, all this week I will choose sample questions from the book I am studying from and write an essay like what I will be asked to do on the real test. If you all would be so kind to read them and grade them for me I would be so grateful!

From the 71 topics I have to choose from I will chose a few to write a sample essay for practice. I will give myself 30 minutes to write the response. Each of the topics are opinion statements and I am asked to agree or disagree with the statement. The essays should be organized, include an introduction, a body that supports your opinion and a conclusion. The essays are rated on a 1-6 scale, with 6 being the highest score.

Look for my first essay either tonight or tomorrow! Thank you in advance, I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

What I love about summer...

... running around in your swimsuit and cover up for days at a time.

... tanlines proving you have spent hours outside.

... never needing to put on socks.

... having sunglasses always on or perched on top of your head.

... cheesy beach reads.

... always smelling of chorinated water or salt water. (Or if you're landlocked like me... lake water)

... campfires at night once the sun goes down.

... s'mores.

... bright pink toenails

... my favorite summer beer, Bud Light Lime.

... grilling out almost every night.

... summer weddings.

... cute, little sundresses.

... not wearing makeup and letting the freckles show.

What do you love about summer?

Weekends, winners and a wretched toothache.

Wow, what a great weekend! First off, I apologize for only just now updating my little corner of the internet! Time is moving much too fast these days... guess I'm getting what I wished for. The past two months I have been anxiously anticipating summer and what is to come this fall. All good things! ;)

I meant to get this post up yesterday, but after going to the dentist to see why I had more tooth pain I ended up needing a ROOT CANAL! So, at around noon yesterday I got my first root canal. At first I felt fine and thought it was no big deal... then around 8pm I started to feel it. The paaaaaaaaain. I had taken 2000 millegrams of Vicodin since 2pm, was feeling super loopy, and it wasn't doing anything for the pain in my tooth.

Anyway enough about that! On Friday I made the three hour trip south to Kansas City to meet our former First Lady Laura Bush at a book signing for her new memoir, Spoken from the Heart. I attended the event with one of my close friends and my aunt and we had a great time. I think I fell in love with Laura Bush even more after hearing her speak in person. She is an amazing lady and a wonderful story teller!

They were a little picky about pictures and we had a very small window of time during which cameras were allowed so I did not get as many photos as I would have liked, but I did get a couple.

And now...what you all have been waiting for...We have a winner from my giveaway!!!

Using random.org I let them pick a random entry... and....

Out of the 16 entries for the Laura Bush memoir, number 2 was picked at random which is...

Shannon from It's Trickey!!!

Congrats Shannon! Shoot me an email at alittlepinkinthecornfields@gmail.com with your address and I will get it right out to you!

I planned on going into further detail about my weekend, but I am going to have to stop here! Hope you all have a wonderful day! I am going to try and go back to sleep. If I'm unconscious I can't focus on the pain, right?!

Blogging in bed

I did have a really dirty title, but I erased it... if only I had the courage to actually post some of the dirty stuff that runs through my mind sometimes. LOL!

I'm sick and blogging from bed today. I am home from work for half the day, but I'm not sick, as in throwing up sick, I have a toothache. Again.

Remember that awful toothache I had back in September? It's back with a vengeance. That tooth had always been sensitive and sometimes hurt for short amounts of time but yesterday I woke up and it was throbbing and I could tell my gums were swollen by the way I couldn't bite down properly. I called the dentist and he referred me back to the endodontist. The endodontist (who's name is Dr. Lilly. I just like saying his name) immediately prescribed me some amoxicillin and said the earliest I could get in was Monday. He thinks it might be the tooth next to the one that gave me problems due to it having such a large filling. I got the amoxicillin yesterday and started taking it right away and it helped a little. At least, I think I did. That might be in my head because I think it takes a couple days for it to really start working. This morning I woke up around 3am unable to sleep because it hurt so bad. I stumbled into the bathroom and found some pm medicine and that did the trick. I was able to sleep, but when I woke up I knew that I wasn't making it to work. Luckily, I have lots of sick time and it's such a slow time of the year for my store so it was pretty convenient to call. I do have to go in tonight for a few hours and my boss will be in my store tomorrow so I have to make sure everything is ship shape. :)

So, here I am. Blogging from bed. I did end up calling Dr. Lilly back and asking him for something stronger to take for the pain and he prescribed hydrocodone. I took some about an hour ago and it's seeming to really help. I can't bite down without searing pain, but I think that's normal...(I may have been wishing he would have prescribed Vicodin... don't judge me. That stuff is handy to have around for bad cramps, migraines...etc).

I've got a good book next to me, Libby curled up in a ball, the windows open and a gorgeous 70 degree breeze blowing in... it's going to be hard to pry myself out of bed and into work tonight...

Do you have a dirty mind? Are you one of those people that blurts it out or do you just giggle to yourself a little bit?

Makin' some extra dough!

Since I am planning hoping to go back to school full time I figured I needed some sort of part-time job for extra moolah. I don't want to wait tables (I did that all through college and then some...), I don't want to work retail (because, hello! That would be defeating the purpose...) so what is there left to do? Well, one of my very good friends is the HR director of a local nursing home here in town for dementia patients, and they are in need of an activity aid. So, to secure the position for the fall when I hope to be starting school they need me to start now. I figured why not? It's only about eight hours a week and the pay is great. What else do I have to do, right? ;)

Basically, what my job entails is occupying and entertaining the residents (patients) while the nurses get paperwork and other things done. It sounds super easy and kind of fun. I've always enjoyed spending time with the elderly and learning from them.

Today I went in there to finish up paperwork, have a physical and get a TB test. I also got a tour of the facilities and met several of the residents.

Now, I'm not going into this blind and ignorant. I know it will be hard, I know that many of these residents are considered very sick and I know they may not remember me everyday. Many of them do not get regular visitors and their families do not come to visit them. I just didn't realize it was going to hit me so hard. As I was getting the tour and meeting many of them I felt a lump starting to form in my throat and immediately I was like, "oh no, Amber. Don't, do it! Don't cry!" Luckily, I didn't cry, but I just know that there will be days I leave there in tears over how sad it is.

I still want to do it because as my friend put it, these people need people like me during the last leg of their life. People that truly care and want to make their lives better. Just by sitting next to them smiling and holding a conversation for a few minutes a day will provide them enough joy and happiness that could last days or even weeks.

Next week I have my orientation and I should start shortly after that. I'm really excited and hope I like it!

Other than picking up a part-time job I have been trying to do other things to cut corners as well. I gave up my regular manicures, which I used to receive bi-weekly. For the past eight years I have gotten my nails done every other week that cost an average of $35 each time. I knooooooow. So indulgent. I always considered it a vice of mine and claimed that I could not do my own nails and make them look nice enough. Well, I took the nails off and have been taking vitamins (pre-natal vitamins to be exact. Ha!) to strengthen them and they're looking really good! I'm actually enjoying painting them myself and changing the color every couple days instead of every couple weeks!

My rent has gone down because I am living with my sister and I am also looking into trading in my car.

Ok, so trading in my car isn't going to help so much but I just want something different. Not new, just different. ;)

What are some of your indulgences that you know you should go without but just can't give up?

PS: Don't forget to enter my giveaway!!! It's a good one! :)

Laura Bush giveaway!!

Happy Wednesday everyone! How's your week so far? Is it just me or is this week crawling by? My weeks usually fly by but for some reason this one is moving at a snail's pace... Perhaps it's because I have lots of things coming up that I CAN'T WAIT for in June/July/August?

On May 21st I'm heading down to Kansas City for an appearance by Laura Bush at Rainy Day Books on Country Club Plaza. I. Can't. Wait.

First of all I adore her (no secret there) and I am long overdue for a trip to KC to see family and friends. I lived in Kansas City for two years right after college and made many wonderful friends. Almost all of my dad's side of the family is from there so I have tons of family and it's always awesome to see them.

I'm a little bummed though because I called Rainy Day Books yesterday to see if we needed tickets and what the tickets involved. The event costs $30 and includes a signed copy of the book. Too bad I already bought the book! Whoops! I guess I should have planned a little better, huh?

So, of course I'm still going to purchase a ticket which will result in my having two copies of this book... what to do, what to do...

Are you thinking what I'm thinking???

If you said GIVEAWAY! You are absolutely right! =D

All you have to do is leave a comment letting me know if you are a Laura Bush fan. What do you think of her? Do you know very much about her? Do you agree with her husband's politics? Who's your favorite First Lady? (Obviously you do not have to answer each question - leave any comment you want!)

I will take entries until Thursday May 20th at midnight and I will post the winner on Friday May 21st - the day of the signing! :)

That gives you about a week, so get going! And tell your friends! :)

Test taking time, baby!

I officially have 24 days left to study for the Praxis Pre-Professional Skills I Test... and I am so nervous. To be accepted into the program I need a reading score of 171, a writing score of 171 and a math score of 169.

The reading and writing shouldn't be a problem, I have always been a natural in those areas. But the math? Not so natural at that... All through school I had to study hard to excel in math. (And even then I did not excel.)

My plan is to study a little bit each day. Perhaps an hour or more? Cramming for tests is not really an effective study method for me, but my self-discipline is slightly lacking so it's going to take a lot of pushing to make myself study every day.

I can do it though. I HAVE TO! This is what I want and passing this test is a crucial and necessary step.

In other news, we are officially moved into the new place and my sister and I are not only sisters but roommates now! So far, so good. It's only been three nights though. I'm expecting blowups and tears, but I know overall we will have more good times than bad. (We're too old to fight like we used to, right? RIGHT?! Good Lord, I hope so).

My summer is also filling up super fast. I have three trips to Kansas City planned, four trips to the lake (YAY!), and one trip to small town Iowa for a wedding. I. can't. wait. Seriously, this is what I need. Lots of stuff going on to keep my mind off of other things!

I have also made a pretty big decision for myself. I have been trying so hard to get myself back out on the dating scene and find that person. But, I don't think that is what I need. I finally figured it out after the third date I had since Cy and afterwards I ended up driving around crying for about an hour. Seriously, I drove around aimlessly just thinking and thinking... and I knew that what I was doing was not right for me. Right now, anyway.

I need more time to get over Cy and what happened and just focus on ME. I have finally figured out what I want to do professionally and am ready to get going on that. I am finally feeling more comfortable in my own skin and I need to continue to work on myself before I can give my heart away again.

So, that is what's up with me! I'm trying to keep up with all of you and am trying my hardest to comment! I'm sorry the comments have been sparse lately!

Teachers out there... how was the Praxis? Did you pass the first time? Do you have any tips you would be willing to share with this hopeful soon to be teacher?