Thanksgiving!!!

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year! For the last two years, I have had to work so when I was off this year, I was super excited!!! My Thanksgiving week started Tuesday afternoon when I went to the outlet mall in Commerce to shop with my Step mom and stepsister and 2 of her kids. We were all over that place and I got more of my Christmas shopping out of the way.

When we got home, I packed a small overnight bag and went to South Carolina to see my parents and siblings. Since I didn't get there until 1 AM, I went promptly to bed but then spent all day Wednesday just relaxing and watching movies with my family. Later that night, we all got ready and went to Cracker Barrel for our own little Thanksgiving meal. It was a great day just relaxing and having fun in our jammies.

I came home Wednesday night and Thursday I got up to help Grandma prepare our enormous Thanksgiving feast. The ?? of the day was not "what are we having" it was "what could we possibly have missed?!?" We had EVERYTHING. Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, macaroni and cheese, dressing, tomato/carrot cold soup, rolls, sweet potato pie, cream cheese chewy bars, blueberry and banana pie, and oh so much more. Needless to say, I had plenty to eat that day, and a few days after that!

Ahhhhh

The semester is almost over and I am super relieved. I cannot wait until the time comes when I can read a book or watch a movie and not be thinking "I should be studying/working on my design project." Of course, that won't last too long since I have another semester coming up immediately in January, but it is a small reprieve and I will take it! I am officially a junior now, which is exciting because my advisor said the next time we meet, in the Spring, we can make out my graduation plan. Very exciting!!!! Every semester will be mapped out which is slightly scary because this means I HAVE to make it in every class in order for the plan to work. But don't worry, no pressure.

Stress in Overdrive

Stress is really heavy. I don't know how you feel about or handle stress, but to me, stress feels like this weight that bears down on my chest. It's very heavy and suffocating, really. It takes over my mind; maybe not the stress itself, but the things that cause the stress. It affects my mood, my health, my overall state of mind. I can remember a time when I would have panic attacks so bad, they felt like heart attacks. My chest would hurt so badly I would dig my fist into my chest trying to reach and alleviate the pain. My arm would go numb. They were awful. And now, I can feel them returning. As I stress about my money, about my grades, about work, homework, I can feel very faint pains associated with my panic attacks, and it makes me kind of sad. It's been a long time since I've had one of these attacks. It makes me sad to think that my life has come to another chapter that stresses me to the point of physical pain. I don't know how to stop it, but I hope that everything works out.

Nook: Pros and Cons

Have you ever looked into an eReader? You know, one of those electronic devices that you download eBooks onto so that you have all your books in one place at your fingertips. Well, there has been much debate for me, and for my Mom, Grandma, and other people I know who are avid readers: is it worth it? Would I mind not having an actual book to turn pages in? Etc... However, after all debate, I think I have decided I want one. Here's where I'm torn:

Pros:
Don't have a lot of bulky books when traveling
Easier to read while eating
Books are typically cheaper
Have more books in one place at your fingertips
Less storage space necessary for physical books
New releases are waay cheaper as an eBook as opposed to a hardback

Cons:
Like having an actual book to read and turn the pages
Can't really borrow books from friends unless they have an eReader compatible with yours
Glare factor on the screen, depending on which one you get
Can't really lend to friends unless they themselves have an eReader compatible with yours
Am I limited to eBooks from one specific website?

So many Pros and Cons, how does one choose? There are still some questions I need answers for, but I think I have not only decided that I want an eReader, but which one I want: the Nook Color.

Credit Card Debt....

It's amazing how quickly it sucks you in. You think you have a handle on it, but it gets away from you every time. It just grows and grows until before you know it, it's grown bigger than you can keep up with. Then what? You can't afford the payments, you can't afford to be without it, you ultimately can't afford to pay it back. How do you deal? Well, if you're me, you ignore it hoping it will eventually go away and take care of itself. What can I say? Ignorance is bliss!! However, it has finally caught up with me. The time has come to face the music, and thank goodness, I can do that now. By the end of this year, one of my two big credit cards will be paid off and next year the other will be no more as well. It's a good feeling knowing that my credit will drastically improve, I will not have to worry about garnished wages, and this will not shadow me much longer. It's a good feeling. Then all I will have to worry about is paying off my car and my student loan debt. All manageable. I hope. Here is my advice:

NEVER GET A CREDIT CARD!!!!
and if you do, have it for emergencies only, and don't carry with you so that you cannot whip it out on a whim. Keep it in your undies drawer at home or in a safety deposit box. Make it hard to get to so that the only time it is worth getting it is if you really, truly need it. A TV is not really, truly needed and by the time you get it out, you will have time to let the whim pass. Be smart!

There, there's my soapbox.