I graduated! :)

Now that I've finally graduated from high school, I feel that I owe the traditional "post-graduation-reflection" entry to my xanga. Honestly, I'm really happy and relieved to be finished high school. While many graduates claim the time "flew by", I feel that I worked hard to earn this graduation. I will miss the people, but I don't think that will hit me until august when we all leave..........especially since I've been seeing them numerous times at all these graduation parties, haha. But they are fun.

This past week has been a lot of fun. On memorial day I had a picnic with my relatives at my aunt's house. I took all my little cousins to the park down the street. They're so cuuttteee.  Tuesday was the UNofficial, last-minute senior picnic at centennial park, which we totally pulled off, complete with a massive water balloon fight, boys vs. girls (you can totally tell how much we've matured through high school, haha). Wednesday was graduation, of course! It was miserable in the hot and humid weather, but I survived. I am STILL angry at the fact that I did not receive a real certificate of merit! After all the crap they fed us through high school about how we should take merit courses, and no real certificate?!?!  Maybe it will be mailed with our report card. Scratch that, it BETTER be mailed with our report cards!  

Besides that, it was a pleasant evening. My mom's 3 sisters and my grandfather came down for the ceremony, and we all went to nichi bei kai afterwards, a japanese steak house, which was really yummy. Then we came back to the house, I opened presents that were usually of the monetary kind, and we ate my graduation cookie cake.

Thursday I went over to leanne's house where her mother cooked a big, delicious graduation breakfast for us. Then we went shopping, or in my case, browsing-cuz-i-don't-have-any-$$$. But it was cool.

And Friday, er - yesterday, was my first day at work! For those of you who don't know, I'm interning at my dad's company for the summer, Advanced Acoustic Concepts (AAC). He's an electrical engineer, and they design sonar systems for ships. My job this summer is documenting these communications networks. It's pretty easy, just really tedious sometimes. And it gets really long when you're at the office 8-5. I was really happy that I brought my ipod, the silence in that office can be deafening. I need to bring some stuff in to brighten up my office, too, it's really blah in there. I'm still finding stuff that the last guy left in there, like a key, notes he wrote himself, and napkins from chipotle, lol. Anyway, I got a key card to get into the office, but I won't get my badge until next week. Hopefully my computer will be set up by then, too. I had to use someone's laptop yesterday cuz my computer wasn't ready yet.

Speaking of computers, I forgot to mention that I am writing this entry on my brand new laptop!!!!!!!!!  It's my graduation present from my parents. It came a week earlier than it was supposed to; I got it when I came home from work yesterday. It's pretty sweet. I'm still in the process of installing everything, but it works just fine.

Well I have to go. I need to finish packing for SENIOR WEEK!!!!!!  Tomorrow morning leanne and I leave for disney world!!!!  Everyone else who's going somewhere for senior week: have fun! And if you're not, you should have fun too!

Now that I've become completely internet-savvy and have a xanga, myspace, and facebook, I decided it was time to add one more site: webshots. I've had a digital camera for over a year now, so I think it's time. Here is the link:

http://community.webshots.com/user/Rachx24

^It was just updated with virginia beach pictures, prom pictures, and senior boat trip pictures!!!! Yay! AND.......I did it all on my own. I'm very proud of this technological leap, haha. So check it out!

And just like all the other cool xanga kids with webshots, the link to my webshots will be available by clicking on the link to the left that says "website: view my website." Get it? Got it? Good.

ONLY 5 MORE DAYS OF SCHOOL FOR SENIORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well kids, I finally made the commitment. Took the plunge. I'm officially attending Towson University next year.  It's kind of ironic actually, since when I first started looking at colleges I was totally convinced that I wasn't staying in Maryland, or at least not so close to home. And I ended up choosing a college a half hour away from home. One that I hadn't even toured before applying. In fact, I only applied there because they sent me an application. But everything just sort of fell into place for Towson. It's got a great music school and I got into the music department, I got into the honors college, and I got a scholarship for $5000.00 a year as an added plus. I toured the campus back in february, and it is pretty nice (not to mention it has a chick-fil-a and is getting a full-service starbucks in its library ), and the new music building is great. And it's right by the city, and I've always known I'd do better in a city setting than in the more rural areas. Anyway, I had already sent out my housing deposit, along with my request to reside in honors housing (so if i'm having trouble with a class, smart people are right across the hall ). But I wasn't completely sure until this weekend. So today I sent out my enrollment contract, along with written acceptance to the music department and honors college. Yay, I'm done!  At least, for now.....

Anyway, I applied to 7 schools total: Towson, College Park, St. Mary's, Salisbury, Hood, McDaniel, and William and Mary. I got into all of them except William and Mary, but I didn't really expect to get in there anyway, or go there........their music department kinda sucks. I applied just to see.....it was actually my first choice this time last year. But then I decided I'd rather do music ed than pre-law. And Towson's definitely the place to do that. I'm so excited for college!!!

Currently Listening Walt Disney's Fantasia: Remastered Original Soundtrack Edition see related

I felt like writing something today. I'll admit it, my first thought was to write a blog on myspace. But when it was time to start to write, it just didn't feel right (ooh that rhymed ). So I decided to pay a visit back to my dear old xanga.

Anyway, this past weekend, I had to go to a viewing and a funeral for my second cousin's husband. It sounds like a really obscure relation, but he was a very close friend of the family. He was my grandfather's best friend, and like an uncle to my mom. Everything went smoothly, though. As smoothly as a funeral can go, anyway. I hate the viewing the most, cuz I always find myself waiting for the person to wake up, like they're just sleeping; it's hard for me to realize they're just gone. But like they say, he's in a better place now.

I also went out to dinner at Longhorn with Leanne and Anni on Saturday night. Then we saw the Howard production of Over Here! Congratulations to the cast, band, and crew, you guys put on a great show!

So today I got a call from my supervisor at work, and I am now officially laid off from my job, along with almost all of the other hourlies at elkridge branch library. Apparently they don't have enough funding to pay us anymore, so they had to let all of us go, right in the middle of the paying period, too. The job wasn't always pleasant, but it was money. Now I feel almost helpless, with the realization that soon I won't have money coming in. I was planning to quit after graduation and get a full-time job for the summer, but still. I could have used more notice. I just started looking into summer jobs 2 weeks ago. Oh well. Time to start applying soon, I suppose.

Thank you, xanga, for fulfilling my writing needs. Now I must revise my lesson plans on Fantasia for my mentorship. Until we meet again.....

P.S. I wasn't fired from my job. I was laid off. My supervisor kept saying she was sorry and that it wasn't anything personal or anything I did, they just don't have the funding to pay me, or any of the other hourlies, anymore.

Dear xanga,

So I made a myspace a while ago to keep up with the online trends. I didn’t find it as satisfying as you are, xanga, so I never really used it that much. In fact, I hated myspace, and thought it was stupid. But I had a lot of free time over winter break, and well............even though it’s stupid, I’m addicted. I haven’t completely abandoned you yet, xanga. I just thought you should know.

Love,

   Rachel

P.S. http://www.myspace.com/rachx24