Radio Radio Radio Radio Radio Radio....

Whoa, I just named a blog based on a song that's probably older than me. (Wrong- 1986- I was 6 years old)

Anyway, dear Eko reminded me that I haven't posted a new blog since my little mini-breakdown a couple of weeks back. I guess it's time for an update.

In short, tonight was the final for my summer term Native American Studies course, and boy am I thankful. I feel okay about the final exam, so am pretty confident in the fact that I'll pass the class with at least a C. That's all that matters. Last upper division General Ed class DONE!

Since my week-long vacation ended, I have been a bit uptight, looking into next semester... I've looked at the cut-back hours I've been working this summer, and thinking forward to the fall, where hours will be cut even more because of class three days a week. I've looked at the paychecks I'm getting now, working 36 hours a week, and freaked out because I barely have the money to live. I'm prioritizing bills and realizing that after the obvious rent and car payments (and insurance), my Shell account is about the only bill getting paid on a regular basis. On occassion, I can throw $50 over to another account, but even my utilities get to threat level before they get paid. I owe Shane money, and despite my every intention to pay him back this last payday for money he let me borrow to get my cell phone turned back on (after an hour or two of dead time), it just couldn't happen. I had to get gas. The story of my life.

So rather than panic, I'm trying to get proactive. I'm talking to a friend and local bar/restaurant owner about hoping (*crossing fingers*) to get hired as a bar-back this summer, to train as a bartender for the next year. Tending bar is something my mom and I have talked about wanting to learn for years, and I think the impending school schedule, which will seriously only allow me two week-day work days in Ferndale (plus weekends), yet leaves my evenings and Friday afternoon open, means it's time to give it a try. Shane's not a big fan of the idea (something about legal drug dealers?), but he'll deal. As long as I promise to vote Dem in November. haha. (I think he's kidding)

I'm also happy that I'm picking up more writing for the Times-Standard. This is really, really good. Not that freelancers make bank, exactly, but as long as I don't actually think about what the hourly wage is, after I research, interview, and write my pieces, I'm fine. It's more money than I would be making if I *wasn't* writing, so that makes me happy.

I had three pieces in today's Northern Lights (Hillstomp, Dawn Drake, Leftover Crack), virtually arm-wrestled the singer of a band called Leftover Crack for some e-mail interview questions (and lost), and struck it lucky while cruising Hillstomp's Myspace page for research, and saw that the singer broke his ankle last week! Sucks for him, but at least it made my preview piece different from those in the other papers. I'm happy about that.

With that, I also have three pieces to write for next week, on top of my column. Anything excuse to write about music and get paid for it = happy Monica.

Essentially, I'm at a panic point with school/work/money and I'm conscious of it making me kind of a downer. Thus, I'm making the decision to make the best of it... at least publicly. hah.