Goodbye's are never easy.

I'm an adult, I know that.  I know that as an adult I will not and do not have as many "close" friends as I did at, say, 16.  But, the friends that I am fortunate enough to call friends are very near and dear to me.  My closest friend, Dee, and I have only known each other for about 7 years.  In that time we have shared a lot of laughs and a whole lot of coffee!  She has helped me through the good times and bad, and I hope I have done the same for her.  It felt good to know that I had someone close by that I could call up anytime and I knew she would be there for me.  Anytime. Day or night...she was there.  Well, tonight her and the family packed up a U-Haul and headed to Florida.  Some 1400 miles or so away.  To say I am upset would be an understatement.  I am absolutly heart-broken!  Her children were like my own.  They called me mom and I considered her my sister.  What makes all of this even harder is the fact that tonight she had a "packing party" and they were planning on heading out in the morning.  Well, the packing must have went faster than anticipated because by 6:30 they were done and Chris wanted to hit the road. Now. Needless to say, I had been planning on going over at 7 - after dinner - but they were gone.  Like dust in the wind.  My daughter KC called to tell us and I cried.  I talked to Dee, and I cried.  I made promises to visit and passed the phone to my daughter then went in the bathroom and, you guessed it, I cried.  I got myself together for a while, then my husband asked why I hadn't left yet (for Dee's). I broke down again.  I know that's a lot of crying for one adult, but I really feel like I didn't have "closure".  I didn't get to say good-bye.  I've already been online to check plane prices.  $189 round trip.  I just have to fly when it's 150 degrees out and even the "palmetto bugs" (ie: mutant cockroaches)are despretly searching for ac.  No, goodbyes are never easy.

I hate argumentative essays!

I think I've finally lost my mind.  See, last December sometime I got this bright idea that I would finally finish my degree.  I originally started college back in 1993 and after 17 years and 3 kids I had exactly 28.9 credits. that's not even a half of a class a year.  Sad.  But, now that the kids are getting older and my 13 year old daughter has already taken a class at the the local college, I figured I had better step it up and finish my education.  So, in January I signed up at Asford University for their online degree and signed my life away - again - to NelNet.  Each class is only 5 weeks long and you complete 3 classes in a semester.  So, it's similiar to taking three 3-month classes but you only have to concentrate on one class at a time and it's all at your own pace.  Loved the first class and finished on the 8th with a 4.0. woo-hoo!  Now I am in my second class - English 122 (or sophmore level english).  Not doing so good.  Yesterday my first essay was due and I still haven't even nailed down my subject.  I originally thought to do the essay on Physician Assisted Suicide.  It's an argument essay and until recently I was for PAS, but now that I am born-again, I realize that Suicide is suicide no matter how you phrase it.  That is my only argument but I didn't feel comfortable writing a paper that had 10 pro's and just the one con. So, back to the drawing board and I decided to do it on Religion in schools.  Lots of Pro's lots of Con's and tons of variables.  Too many for a 2-3 page essay.  Now I'm on Freedom of Religion. I feel more confidant about this one.  Last night I was truckin' along at 9:00, working diligintly and then I dozed off...fingers still on the computer.  Needless to say I couldn't comprehend half of what I was reading or try to form any ideas or coherant thoughts.  It was only due by midnight.  So, here I've been since 8 this morning trying to research and write a paper and aside from my title page I have nothing else.  Can you say procrastination?  This is crazy!  I'm usually the type that can spit out the final draft of an essay within an hour or two and here I am a week after starting and no closer to the end than before.  I think part of my problem is that it has to be an 'argumentative essay' and I am simply and totally not a confrontational or argumentative person.  I avoid them at all costs.  Whenever I do have to argue my blood pressure rises, I feel faint and my tongue seems to swell to 5 times it's normal size.  My mouth goes dry and I lose all ability to think and speak coherantly.  I could never be a lawyer, that's for sure! 
Well, I suppose I should at least try to get something down before it's too late to get even a partial grade.