Gotta go do schoolwork now. Sigh.

It's not like I don't have a hundred other things to do, but celebration is also crucial, yes?

As I told you earlier, I didn't think my French fold sucked compared to other people's even though it was simple and I still haven't done a linoleum block print.  I liked mine so much that even when I had a copy of everyone else's I still wanted to pick up and admire my own.  I didn't, because that would look bad, but now I'm home and nobody can see me coo over my own project.  There were some really good ones in the pile- in fact, I started to get disheartened at how awesome some of them looked- BUT afterwards I still liked mine best.  And that's how it should be, right?  : )

I also told you that my group got an A on our proposal.  Some of the other groups didn't get a grade yet- they have to go fix some issues first.  He he he.

I had some veggie strumboli for lunch (Mmmmmmaaaahhhhhh) and it was wonderful as always.  I finished transcribing the quotes from one book and I'll finish the other tonight.  Because I'm busy being productive, see?  So then I go to Art History and suffer through the class period because the teacher knows if he hands the test out first, no one will pay attention to the lecture.  I was worried because (maybe you saw that) Tracy had to yell at me to study.  I had to finish working on that proposal and I just didn't care anymore but she harassed me and so I gave in and tried to figure out what the important stuff was and focused on that.

I figured I had passed the test, but I wasn't willing to count on more than that.  The teacher reinstated the curve, so with that I got an A.  Without it I had an A-.  Holy bejeezus.  That's a B+ on the first test, A on the second, and even though I missed a day after the surgery it didn't get counted, so my attendance is "perfect."  That's 3 out of the 4 total grades for this class.  Oh, and 2/3 of the last test will come from this one we just did.

Chris wasn't there when I got out of class.  He used to be late a lot, but this semester he's really been on top of things.  He's normally sitting out there waiting for me and if he's not, he's about to turn into the driveway.  Today when I called he hadn't even left yet.  He apologized but I wasn't mad at all, which is strange for me, but he got really sick the other day and has not been feeling right since.  I was also on a grades high, so I started walking his way.  It was nice outside and I was feeling jaunty.  He picked me up about a block away and was thrilled about my grade.  At home, I found a thick letter from the VA in the mailbox.

pleasebegoodnewspleasebegoodnews


"You're entitled to receive 100% of the benefits payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill program for training offered by an institution of higher education."

WHEW!


"You have 9 months and 16 days of full-time benefits remaining."

The VA is transitioning from Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill) to Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill).  Those with Chapter 30 could get one extra year of Ch. 33 after the Ch. 30 benefits were used up.  I got a medical discharge shortly after 9/11, so I was worried that I wouldn't have enough time to qualify.  Because of the service-connected disability, I only needed 30 days after 9/11.  And if you're still paying attention, I was due to run out of Chapter 30 just after this semester started.  As long as you start a semester under the GI Bill, the VA will pay through the end of that semester.  That time does count against my Chapter 33 benefits, which is why I only have 9 months left of that.  BUT- Chapter 33 starts in May with the summer semester, so 9 months is just enough time to finish school.  I am grateful to have sorted out what I need to graduate so that I won't end up with a surprise semester tacked onto the end to take one more ding-dong class that got left out somewhere.

Chapter 33 works differently than Chapter 30, so I will actually get paid less now, but at least the income won't come screeching to a halt.  I'll take that as a victory.