two days down... 262 days to go.

So, as of my discussion with the Department Head today, I am officially in my last year here. I'm relieved, but also, I've been a student here longer than I've been a student in any other city, ever. Think on that. But as the title of this post suggests, I still have a ways to go. I've finished all my technical electives for my major, and have now just a handful left, after this semester. Below is my schedule this year- it's going to be busy! That's what 19 hours looks like, folks!

The classes are:
BIOL 111- Introductory Biology I
ENGL 356- Literature and Film
GEOG 202- Geography of the Global Village
GEOG 325- Geography of Europe
GEOS 410- Global Change
POLS 206- American National Government

I know, I'm taking an entry level Biology class, but the reason is that my previous advisor (who I have since abandoned as helpless) said I could only complete my degree by taking Physics, and well, I hate phys. So I decided to put it off and put it off, but in a meeting yesterday, I was told I could take Bio instead. Bring it on! I'm good at Bio, I like Bio, and I get cells. Vectors, not so much.

My Literature and Film class is an English/Film cross reference, but it should still be interesting. It's being taught by one of my old English Profs, so I can rely on the fact that it will be more English, less *film.* Because I don't want to get stuck in a film class. Gag me. It's a writing intensive course (bring it!) and it's looking like we're going to be writing papers every week. We had to write a page today on a scene from a movie we could think of where there is no way possible to write the scene and convey the same emotion. I chose the scene in The Philadelphia Story when Jimmy Stewart's character is bringing a drunken Katharine Hepburn back up to the house from the pool and he's singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" but he's drunk and can't remember the words. I think I'm going to really enjoy the class. We're reading The Godfather, The Maltese Falcon, The Orchid Thief, The Virgin Suicides, Streetcar Named Desire and Fight Club. It should be great!

What else? Zach's on day emergency right now. It sucks. He has to BE at school at 6 am every day, and is supposed to get off at 6 pm. Yesterday he wasn't home until almost 9. Seriously? I swear, he was a zombie when he got home. He came in, ate, sat on his computer for a few minutes, showered and rolled into bed. And since he's not home yet and it's 6:30, I'm thinking he probably will have the same routine tonight. God help him. Next week, he's on NIGHT emergency, which means he'll have shifts from 4 pm to 4 am. Sucks!

Lastly, I've been on a Halloween warpath. Zach and I went to Michael's and bought ourselves a bunch of stuff to go with our village display. No new buildings, but I got a hill to set Frankenstein's Lab on, and he got some cemetery gates, a new cemetery display with the Grim Reaper, and a grave I insisted on. I got the Swamp Monster and a moss mat to put under my buildings I had to put on the table. I also have completed two paintings that I'm planning on displaying during Halloween. The first, a landscape of sorts, Shiner decided to help me with. The second is a portrait, of Beetlejuice, from the cartoons. I am particularly proud of that one. I'll take photos and post them later. THIS post is decidedly school dominated.