living vicariously

student life?....not exactly

I've officially started my classes at the University of Phoenix. With my schedule it would be impossible to attend actual classes every week, so I decided to get my degree online. Before I checked into it I always thought that online classes sounded silly. Maybe like the easy way out, or like buying a knockoff handbag cause you can't get the real thing. I could understand that if the situation is correct, but when it comes to education I didn't want to cut corners.  I'm actually impressed with the system they have come up with for students like myself. It's more interactive than I had imagined, and the work won't be simple.  I obviously make it a point to accomplish the things I set out to do, so within the next 2 years I'll have my degree in psychology.

But I won't be slowing down a bit between now and then. My schedule is really hectic sometimes and I'm adjusting to it fairly well. Sometimes it's all a blur and I have to remind myself to appreciate the details. I spend my time with amazing people, in beautiful locations, and I'm sure someday I'll look back and wonder how I got there. 

Today was the last day to pay taxes. Guess the envelope needs to be postmarked by today or you pay penalties. I'm wondering why they don't have official drop off sites for tax payments. I would have been more likely to pay on time if I could have dropped the check off while out running errands. Maybe that's a little far fetched, but I can't remember the last time I walked into an actual post office. I drive right by and never think to stop in. I actually have a p.o. box in California, but I've only actually been there a couple times. And not recently. 

My brother and his wife are adopting a baby boy from Vietnam. Every time I think of it I get excited. I can't wait for him to get here. Almost 2 weeks ago Josh and Jessie ran in the St. Louis marathon to raise money for their adoption. They had sponsors, and actually raised quite a bit of money. But the adoption process is more expensive than people realize. I also don't think people know that donations to families who are trying to adopt are tax deductible. (so if anybody is looking for a good cause to donate to, I know a sweet couple in Missouri who need help.. ) ...just thought I'd throw that out there.... ;)

They've kind of inspired me to want to run in a marathon. I'm not sure when I would have time to train, but I get these ideas in my head and it bothers me not to follow through. There are a few east coast marathons towards the end of June/ beginning of July that I've been thinking about....

blogging motivation

I took a little blogging vacation. Sometimes I like to take a step back and be silent for a bit. But I'm back now. 

I've managed to slow down for a few days. I guess in my world it's like slowing down, but by normal standards it's still quite insane. I ended up back over in St. Barths for a week or so, and now I'm back in the U.S. I'm running back and forth between Vegas and LA right now. Seems like I always have somewhere to be, but never in the same city. Right now there's a big poker tournament going on in Vegas at the Bellagio. Today is the ladies event, but I'm notorious for busting out of those quite early, so this time I'll spare myself the pain. The Venetian has a nice nightly tournament so I may go over there later. It's a deep stack tournament. I guess if you're not into poker that doesn't mean much, but for the rest of us it just means that it's a nice structure and you start with more chips.

I'm taking some online classes right now, so that's just one more thing to add to my full schedule. I read an article this morning about blogging in Business Week. Very interesting. It's such a nice tool, and I like the conversations we can have with complete strangers who have similar interests. I don't put a lot of valuable information in my blog, but I try to record my thoughts now and then, for what it's worth. I do get quite a few emails from people telling me what they think. And I get some emails that make me wonder how people have so much free time on their hands. But I do enjoy the feedback. Guess it kind of motivates me to keep my blog going. Knowing that some people actually read it. 

I guess for people who want to take it to the next level it can be a lucrative hobby.  I have a friend who writes a very popular blog and he gets a lot of feedback. Some positive, and some not so nice. He really puts himself out there with opinions on politics, current affairs, and personal issues. I think people really like that. Personally I have a hard time voicing my opinion so openly knowing that the information is permanently out there for complete strangers to read, but maybe that's the appeal of the whole thing. Knowing that we can communicate with people who would otherwise never enter our lives. Like one big coffee shop, and everyone is hovering over their laptops. And once in a while you peek at your neighbors screen and go where he goes to see what he's seeing. It opens our minds to things we normally would have no interest in. I don't see anything bad about that.