After talking to Aussie, I decided to head off to the student services office today and talk to them about my excessive levels of anxiety when it comes to test taking. And no surprise I was diagnosed with excessive test taking anxiety. So basically I qualify to take tests in special rooms, have people read the questions to me, blah blah blah, etc., etc., etc.

All this comes as I am about to take the most significant test in all of my life. It basically determines when I get hired, where I will work in the United States and how much I will make when I do get hired. So it's pretty much a vital test.

To make it worse, it's a 8+ hour computer based tested, no paper, no pencils, no calculators, no nothing. Just me, a video camera, and a computer in a conference room at the convention center here in town. Just the way I want to spend my Friday.

Oh lets not forget that I actually have to go to class still. Two major highly critical quizzes in one of my Air Traffic Control classes, a paper due for Anthropology class, and several meetings this week. It's like the managers at work and the professor's believe they own my soul these last few weeks of school and that I can somehow manage to please them all.

Friday is a busy day. AT-SAT testing til 4.30pm. Winter party at Kelli's & Kash's place.

Instead of some people who get stressed out and gorge on chocolate, I tend to stress out and book all sorts of places to fly to. For instance, I have had a not so hot week, so instead of chowing down on some Dove bars, I'm off to Washington D.C. (Dulles) for the day in mid December. A few weeks back after getting a lame mark on my Anthropology exam, I booked that flight to Charlotte, N.C. Lets just hope I don't get stressed out anymore because I'm running out of money.

Dec 3 (MSP-CLT-ORD-MSP)
Dec 18 (MSP-ORD-IAD-ORD-MSP)
Dec 20 ( MSP-ORD-STL)
Dec 30 (STL-ORD-SEA [business class])

Premier!!!!

Jan 5 (SEA-DEN-ORD-STL [business class])
Jan 6 (STL-ORD-MSP)

Man, maybe I should go to chowing down on the chocolate, my nervous stressed behavior is expensive.

Have a GREAT American Thanksgiving All. I'll eat plenty of pumpkin pie for you, Aussie.

I'm done. This little experiment of living in the northern plains is over. I'm more than ready to head back to Sydney. Whether it's the disappointment the roommates give me or the fact that they cause more drama during the holidays than my mum drunk, I just don't know. But I am more than ready to go back to Sydney.

We were suppose to go to the hot tub and swimming pool this past Saturday. We have been planning it for a month. He goes and gets drunk the night before and passes out hours before we were suppose to hit the pool.

We were suppose to get up on Sunday and clean the apartment. Guess who was up with broom in hand and no one awake?

We were suppose to have a nice Thanksgiving together with some friends. He decides we should scrap our plans and head to someone else's place instead.

I just hate that he is so god damn flaky. It's just not right.

And I absolutely loathe when he calls me his girlfriend. I feel belittled.

What the fuck did I do wrong with the karma gods? Seriously.

I'm back in North Dakota. I actually arrived Sunday but have been busy catching up and preparing for the upcoming months. Finals are quickly approaching and it's crunch time. All the malnipulation of the numbers to get that desired mark in a certain class. You better believe my ass will be at some stupid events writing papers for some of my classes in order to earn those few extra points.

As for my travels.... I went home for a quick 48 hours to visit the parents. I really loathe going home. Most of it stems from the fact that my parents got this "country" bug up their ass and moved to the country. We are so far out and I hate having to drive 30 mins just to see people, whom I just loathe to hang out with too. It's all about the newest clothing items, the newest car or who went to the better university. It's pathetic.

Oh by the way, a piece of advice, no matter how much you think your roommate likes you, no matter how much he flirts, he is always going to be straight, so dont go trying to make a move on him because it will just freak him out and you will feel like a dumb ass.

Missouri Pulls Through....

Congratulations to Missouri and their voters. They pulled through with sweeping win in the state. All of the so called "democratic" based ballot measures passed, which include sending our freshman Republican Senator packing, raising the minimum wage from $5.15 p/h to $6.50 p/h, and allowing the state to proceed with stem cell research without fearing criminal repercussions.

Missouri's urban areas came through and out voted the rural areas which tend to lean heavily red state. However some good news, the areas in southwest Missouri where republicans have a strong base, their margin of the vote has decreased. Two things have happened, you can see the area becoming more urban with the explosive growth of Springfield, Branson, Joplin areas, and you can see that the new Democratic Senator has been reaching out more towards those moderate republicans and those independent voters.

When it comes to the minimum wage, THANK god some people out there have some decent bones in their body still. As you can imagine suburbanites really didn't vote too much for this, but heavy support came from urban areas and rural areas. The victory was nearly 3 to 1.

Stem Cell research was HUGE in Missouri. Controversy with Michael J. Fox and Rush helped push the issue to the national level. Urban and suburban voters in St. Louis and Kansas City where nearly 75% of the people voting, voted to allow it helped shut up those white born again Christians in the rural part of the state. Can you pick out the education centers? The more red the county the more they voted for the stem cell to pass. The more blue the county the less likely the county is to have college students, higher health care status, and various other factors.

Finally, I have to say, I am worried that my vote didn't count. I did absentee balloting since I am temporarily living 1,000 miles away. When I submitted my ballot, I got a call from the elections office in my county, asking to send me a copy of my Driver's Licence. I obliged but then found out that in Missouri the Supreme Court blocked a decision that would require voters to have that ID when submitting an absentee ballot. Our own Sec. of State was questioned and asked for her ID when submitting her absentee ballot and had told the election official that the law was struck down and that no ID was required. Our Sec. of State, the person in charge of elections, was questioned on her knowledge of the voter law. It makes me wonder if my vote really did count.

I kind of wished there was some sort of way to print off my "receipt" or something along those lines and have it mailed back to me stating that my vote was counted. I'm not quite ready to embrace the touch screen voting machines that nearly the entire state has adopted either. What happened to the days where it was old school, I filled in a "scantron" sheet, slid it through the scanner and dropped it in the secure box?

Le Sigh... Oh well, Missouri went from Red to Purple. FUCK YES!

Things are starting to get back to normal around the apartment. Things have been smoothed over between Mike and I. It probably was a lot of combination of things that led to my ultimate internal and external conflicts with him.

Basically, he did not understand that I just wanted to spend time with him for the birthday. He gave me too much room after I got upset. I held him to too high of a standard. He didn't understand that. Things are working towards fine now.

I got this new cologne. I had it on the other day in class and its crazy insane how subconsciously it works on others. In a 100 room calssroom, with just a few people in the room I was surrounded on all sides by girls. They would come in and sit right next to me when the other 90+ seats were empty. The girl in Anthropology whom I talk to about cordinating our skipping schedule and normally leaves an empty seat between us, decided to sit next to me and lean in the entire time and talk to me.

Now if it ony worked on the boys as good as it ropes in the girls.

"When you get home we'll have some cake with you."

That's what I was told, that's what I was led to believe would happen. Did that happen? Nope. And they both wonder why bad things happen to them? Karma is a painful pay back boys.

12.10am SFND arrives home to an empty apartment

12.11am They are probably on their way home now.

12.45am I'll just put the cake back in the refridge so it stays semi solid.

1am Oh Robot Chicken is on.

1.35am I bet they are just on their way home now, they will be home in no time.

2am SFND throws cake in trashcan and heads to bed. Yay Year 23 sucks already.

3.02am First roommate arrives home, stops by to say Happy Birthday again. (He will not have such a back lashing from karma. He has been really nice to me lately.)

3.08am Second roommate arrives home drunk and making out with with my best female friend. SFND slams door in frustration.

Yet another year has gone by since I was born. Man do I loathe birthdays. I guess the only reason I really hate them is because my parents have forgotten to call me for the last few years. I don't understand either since my mother's birthday is just 24 hours ahead of mine.

I called my mother today to wish her a happy birthday and she told me:

"I was going to send you a card but I got busy... you understand right?"

No I don't fucking understand. You pass 4 Targets, 3 Wal-Marts, 5 Hallmark Stores, and 5 stores that specialize in gifts and cards alone on your way from work to home each day for the last 364 days. Did you happen to think, maybe I'll stop for a few minutes and pick out a birthday card for my first born son? You could have picked up the first card you saw at any one of those stores. I really wouldn't have cared if it was "sorry for your loss" or "congrats on the new baby" card. Just something to show me you actually do care about your kid.

Each year it seems like I have developed this mini tradition. I end up working amazing amounts. I probably do it subconcisously on purpose to block out the hidden hatred of my birthday.

I guess I do have something to look forward too. I've planned quite a few getaway trips in the upcoming weeks/months. I just love to travel. I don't care where I go, as long as I am going. I actually think I enjoy the whole traveling experience the most. The destination really is never important. I just like to do the travel thing. The airport and flying part is by far my favorite part.

I think standing in the TSA lines are one of the interesting places to meet people. I find myself people watching quite frequently.

Here's a round up of upcoming trips:

Fargo-Denver-St. Louis-Denver-Fargo (Nov 10-12) on UAL

Minneapolis-Charlotte-Chicago-Minneapolis (Dec 3, just a day trip for lunch) on UAL/USAirways

Minneapolis-Chicago-St. Louis-Chicago-Minneapolis (Dec20- Jan 6) on UAL (Business Class Bitches!)

St. Louis-Chicago-Seattle-Denver-Chicago-St. Louis (Dec 29-Jan 5) on UAL (Business Class Bitches!)

I'll make Premier on United Airlines by early December.