We Survived Mardi Gras 2011

Of course, I'll have to write about our trip in greater detail. We had a lot of fun, and I was homesick before we even left. Maybe someday I'll live in New Orleans again... or at least closer to it! It's such an amazing city; I'm fortunate to call it my hometown.

Now it's back to the daily grind... well, at least I feel like I have more goals in mind. Or maybe I've just become more determined to achieve the goals I've always had? Either way, it's working. This year is going to be prosperous on many different levels.

In other news, happy St. Patrick's Day! I scored some free chips and guacamole at Chipotle because I was wearing a green t-shirt. Holler!

Our Boys

Just a short video clip of our boys (Boston and Skippy) playing. Boston is a boston terrier/boxer mix, and Skippy is a chihuahua (possibly with some min-pin mixed in).

I love how crazy they are... they're more fun to watch than TV, sometimes. They're also the best boys I could ever ask for.

Yeah, yeah, I'm pathetically obsessed with our dogs... bite me. They really are amazing, though. Don't hate!

I Want to Borrow That Top!

I had forgotten how funny this video series is...

Oh, YouTube... ever-present solution to boredom!

Asperger's Explained for Children

A few months ago, when I was searching online for some general information on Asperger's, I stumbled on this video. Anyone remember the Arthur books? Well, they turned the books into a pretty fun cartoon series for kids. I was surprised to see the show tackle the issue of autism, and even more surprised that they managed to explain things so well. Yeah, it's a very generic description, but you have to keep in mind that this cartoon is aimed at a much younger audience. So, with that in mind, I'd say that the writers did a great job at explaining Asperger's in a way that young children can understand.

There are four parts to this episode, but you should be able to access them through the first part that I've linked to in this entry. Check it out if you have some time; it's a fun watch.

School Daze

After years of indecisiveness, I went back to school on 01/24/11. Well, okay, let me explain: I already have my BA. I went to Loyola University New Orleans and double-majored in Classical Humanities/English Writing with a minor in Philosophy. I had thought about attending law school after that, and I did pretty well on the practice LSATs, but I was majorly distracted after Hurricane Katrina. Several minor health problems, one interesting career at UPS, and a bad relationship later, and here I am: back in school. Funny how things work out.

For the longest time, I had no idea what I wanted to study. Sure, I have a great job, but I really don't want to make a career out of it; I could be content there, but I wouldn't be 100% happy with my life or what I was doing. I've always felt motivated to do more, to make some kind of difference in the world, no matter how small. When I came to terms with my Asperger's, I finally realized what I want to do with my life: I want to study autism and make a better future for kids who have been diagnosed with an ASD. Unfortunately, I don't have a background in child psychology from my undergraduate days, so right now I'm taking an undergraduate course called Infants, Children, and Adolescents. I'm also taking a graduate course called Introduction to Behavioral Intervention in Autism. Once I complete these courses, I can officially apply to the program that will lead to my MA. I'm pretty excited; it feels great to be back in school, and even better to be working towards a goal.

So, where am I going to school? UMASS (Lowell) online. Which is funny, because my BFF obtained her MA at UMASS, although she lived in Boston and attended classes on campus. The course work is fairly demanding for each class, but it feels amazing to be back in school and focusing on a subject that's important to me.

Oh, and despite my lack of scientific prowess, I've done really well on my exams... all three have been 90% or above! I can't wait to tackle more classes and earn my MA.