Bad Math

I had to go to school for 5 hours today.

Parking in the garage would cost me $9.

Parking at a parking meter would only cost me $2.50 (a savings of $6.50!).

Being the money-savvy parker that I am, I obviously chose meter parking and was lucky enough to land the spot directly in front of the doors to my building.  Perfect spot for a cold morning!

After spending an hour in class, a friend and I headed for the elevators to go do some shopping.  On the way down I remembered I needed to drop a few more quarters in the meter before heading out... and then quickly forgot.

I got back 30 minutes later to find an "expired meter" ticket on my car for $30.

Sure am glad I chose to park at the meter for a grand total of $32.50 just to save myself the extra $6.50 that the garage would have cost me.

That's what we call Bad Math!

The 6 P's

It's been (and will continue to be) an evening of P's for me.
- Pharmacology notes
- Pink paper
- Pens
- Pandora radio
- Pomegranate green tea
and..... Procrastination.

I'm in full-on study mode.  Hair is up, glasses on, full speed ahead.  See ya in 4.5 weeks or whenever I need a break, whichever comes first!

(this one may fall under good, bad, and ugly)
Sweats: VS semiannual sale... $7ish.  So comfy even if the hubs think they're one step above ugly.
Fleece: Old Navy, $5!

And back to studying.  Next topic?  Antidepressants.

Look at those

I wonder if anyone noticed that my legs were ten shades tanner than the rest of my body today?  I suppose that's my fault for attempting to get ready in the pool locker room

Dress: LOFT
Patent Nude Heels: Target (bought for the wedding last week and love them!)
Blingity Bling necklace and bracelets: Cookie Lee

After playing with the kiddos and freezing my buns off in the pool with them for a few hours this morning, it was time to head to Mt Washington.  One of my many cousins is getting married in May, and she had her shower today.  It was at a fancypants restaurant so I deemed it appropriate to at least wash off the chlorine smell and brush my hair.

My favorite little sisters apparently chose to do the same.

They must have thought I smelled ok because they got real close for a pic!

And then we threw in two more generations for good measure.

Strong genes, we have them here.  Does anyone else have strangers approach them at the grocery store that ask "Are you a (insert last name here)?"  More times than I can count.  What, just my family?

I may be biased but I also think the bride to be liked my present best.  See, she's excited just looking at the bag!

After the week I had though, I was changed into this outfit within a half-second of walking in the door today.

(I did say this Challenge would include the good, bad, and ugly!)
Black tee: Victoria's Secret
Leopard Pajama shorts: Target, in that heavenly material that I don't know the name of...

It took me another half-second to get to the couch and convince the hubs to watch a movie with me.  Couldn't think of any better way to spend the only downtime I've had in a long time!

Feeling Lucky?

Happy Shamrock Day!  A huge thanks for all the support and advice I got here and everywhere else on Tuesday.  Yesterday was a productive day.  I spent well over 3 hours in the computer lab with my internship group, but we got so much done.  I also figured out the little schedule conflict I had going on Friday between work and school which was stressing me out.  I went to bed Wednesday night a much more relaxed woman!

And even though if I didn't get my Shamrock Shake today, it was a good day.  Were you wearing your green and being Irish for the day today?  I think I was even showing off a paler than normal skin tone today to show off my Irish heritage!

Pumas: Macy's shoe sale for 75% off this week!
Yoga Capris: Costco, softest pants ever
Green tank: JCPenney
Green Hoodie: Calvin Klein from Kaufmanns... obviously a long time ago before Macy's took them over, hah
Necklace: Cookie Lee abundant virtues necklace
Earrings: Cookie Lee shamrock earrings!

Send a girl with some Irish blood to an Irish university where her collegiate soccer team is the Celtics and their emblem is a Shamrock.... and you can bet I've got lots of green and shamrocks in my closet!  I may have even bought Care Bear bedsheets for my dorm room in college because I was mildly obsessed with Lucky.  Not saying I did, just saying I may have...

Getting Burned

Warning: Total Debbie-Downer post ahead.

It's too early in the semester for burnout, but I'm already there.  I only have 5 weeks of coursework left after this week, and it feels like an eternity.  That's 5 weeks left, period.  After that I'll be purely on internship until graduation in April 2012.  I should be ecstatic and joyfully counting down the days with excitement.  Unfortunately, that's just not how things are flying.

I have a lot on my plate, of course, but that's always been when I really thrived.  My planner is full, there are mounds of wonderful things happening outside of school, and life is good.  I just feel completely... blah.  Oh, and annoyed, irritable, restless, anxious...  I'm ready to be in a new place in my life.  I know things will all change when I start my last rotation in May, but that just doesn't even seem to be in sight right now.

I have no motivation to work on the projects that I should be, no inspiration to be preparing myself for my placement in May, no passion for anything that we cover in class.  Don't get me wrong, my passion and drive for where I want to be in another two months and for the rest of my life is still absolutely there.  It's all those little steps I have to take in the next 6 weeks that I'm just dreading and letting bring me down.

The hubs tried to put things into perspective for me this evening.  He reminded me of how much I've overcome and accomplished since starting on the journey for my doctoral degree almost two years ago.  Grad school, especially full-time for 3 years working toward a clinical doctorate is a b-i-g-d-e-a-l.  I should be proud and motivated.  With 5 1/2 semesters behind me and only 5 weeks ahead though, I feel like I'm hitting a brick wall.  It doesn't make sense, but I just can't shake this feeling.

How do you all fight that feeling when you've just lost your motivation?  Whether it's school, work, hobbies, exercise... how do you get your head back in the game to finish strong?  I need some ZEST back in my step!