Update

Our internet has been unreliable for about 10 days. We had a few days of the internet working in 20 minute spurts a few hours apart. But predominately the internet had zero connectivity. Dave and Jimmy looked under the trailer on Sunday and saw a jumbled mess of wires. It was hard to tell which wires went to what and there seemed to be a lot of unexplained redundancy. Today a service technician from Charter came out and looked under the trailer. The extra cables were acting like an antennae interfering with the internet connection. The technician and Jimmy got things spliced and simplified. The guy, Corey, talked while the boys worked on the problem. He said that Charter is interviewing for an entry-level technician and that Jim should apply online. Corey said that the job is about $10 an hour to start but after 6 months, there is a written test to qualify for a 20% raise. The job would come with free internet, free cellphone, free cable tv, and a company vehicle. Jimmy did the application as soon as the internet was re-connected. We're praying that he gets called for an interview. He's applied at a couple places but hasn't been called for an interview yet.
I'm all set at UNT for summer school. I'm taking that costume class that I need to graduate. I am impatiently waiting on my official degree plan to come in the mail from UNT. I want to receive it and set a meeting with an academic adviser from the Department of Arts and Sciences to plan out an EXACT map of which classes I need to graduate. I've been keeping track of everything and all the rules as best as I can. But I want to check on rules that are in the fine print, etc.
BAD NEWS: I intended to take Spanish 3 and possibly Spanish 4 this summer online from Midland College. I went online to register for the class and look into how much tuition will be. Spanish THREE isn't offered online (or in person for that matter) this summer. Just Spanish 1 & 2 are offered this summer. And the Fall schedule at Midland hasn't been published yet. So I can't register for the class at all yet. So that leaves me ONLY taking the UNT costume class this summer. I want to graduate Christmas 2008!!! I gotta sit with an academic adviser and see how all the timing is gonna work out. I'm P.O.'d that I can't take Spanish this summer and get ahead.
If Jim is hired for a standard day-job, I wont have childcare while I am in costume class for 5 hours, Mon-Thurs. Hope and Scott have offered to have the kids for a month-long visit this summer, if it'll help me with Summer school. I'm still debating the pros and cons of letting the kids visit some of their grandparents. I think I'll go a little nutty if I don't see them for a month, but I know Hope would do a good job of keeping me updated about the kids milestones. One positive aspect is that with the kids in Florida I could stay late on campus doing costume research in the library or sewing in the costume design laboratory whenever it is necessary without worrying about not having childcare for the kids. I'm still thinking it over. It all depends on which job Jimmy is hired at.

In less eventful news: I rearranged the furniture in my office. The broken recliner has been put out by the curb. The desks have been flipped to another wall, making a large 'L', and I moved a twin mattress into the room. It's nice to have somewhere soft to sit and watch my TV, after giving the recliner the boot. We also re-arranged the living room furniture and put Jim's computer desk in the living room. So now Jimmy can interact with all of us while he is tinkering on his computer. A bonus is that we can see the TV from the kitchen now, so cooking dinner or doing dishes does not mean missing our tv program.
I'm trying to think of anything else new.... hmmm....
My pastor okay'd the design I have for the church painting. I bought some supplies today and will start the painting later this week, after completing Dave's hockey drawing.
Oh! almost forgot to tell yall. I've started grinding my teeth in my sleep. I looked it up on WebMD. Seems like I am doing everything I can to help. I don't drink caffeine late at night any more and today I bought a night mouth guard. Berta grinds her teeth, so I wonder if it is an inherited trait...or if it's solely stress-induced. I dunno. But I'm giving the mouth guard a try. I think that's everything.

nope. Forgot to tell yall, Micah graduates from High School this coming Saturday. So we are going to that.