It is difficult to believe that another month has already passed. Fortunately, we did not experience too many problems. As usual, we had our ups and down. But, it averaged out in the end. For example, we received a nice federal refund this year. That was quickly spent on repairs to the truck.

I am still waiting for my degree. If I can get a student loan or scholarship for about $7,200, I will be able to get my degree. It is so frustrating to be unable to receive my degree due to a lack of money. It is equally frustrating not to be able to start a new degree.

Every start of a new year, it is a weird feeling to write a different year on documents and such. It is even weirder to write years in a different decade. As with most years, the prior year seems to have flown by.

This month, I celebrated my one year anniversary at Cuyahoga Community College. I think it is wonderful to work with not only a good team. But, it is also inspiring to know you have a part in helping educate and improve the community. I still like going to work each day and I look forward to many years to come.

I am now within mere months of completing my Bachelors in Computer Science. I was able to submit an experiential learning portfolio that gave me credit for five classes. Moreover, while I am excited to be so close to reaching this next plateau, I am having difficulty getting motivated. Maybe I need a relaxing vacation. I have not had a good vacation in a couple of years now. While I have been able to get away for a few days at a time, I have not been able to detach myself mentally from normal life.

I hope everyone had a good holiday. Unlike most years, Rachel and I actually dressed up and went out to celebrate. It is the first time since our wedding since she has worn a dress! She looked wonderful in it. She will probably post the pictures we took on her site.

It has been a busy past few days. On Wednesday, I started my next school term. This term I am taking IT350: SQL, IT274: Intermediate C#, and EL205: Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) II. The PLA classes, I hope, will let me earn credits for experience. If I earn all the credits I am attempting, I knock out six classes.

On last Saturday, I turned in the last final for my classes this term. I am happy to state that I received an "A" for all three classes this term. This means that I will continue to maintain my 4.0 GPA (grade point average). Now, I am down to fifteen more classes before I earn my Bachelor's degree. If I continue to take the maximum of three classes at a time, I will be done around June. In the meantime, I will enjoy this short break until the next term starts this coming Wednesday.

So far, today has been a quiet day. I imagine that as it gets darker outside, it will become louder. Several of my neighbors have been setting off fireworks for the last few months. I enjoy fireworks as much as the next person does. However, I do not think that they have as much visual impact during the day as they would at night. Of course, I do not enjoy listening to the racket well past midnight. At least I do not have to work for a few days. Therefore, if the noise keeps me up tonight, I can sleep in tomorrow.

Last week, I was supposed to take my Microsoft 70-548: Designing and Developing Windows-Based Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework exam. On Monday of last week, I had finished with my exam preparation book. I went online to schedule the exam. I saw that Tuesday was already booked, but Wednesday was free. Since I am currently taking Wednesdays off, I signed up for the 9:30 AM slot. I wish I had paid attention to the date. Apparently, fellow exam takers had filled all the slots for last week and I had inadvertently registered for this week.

Several weeks ago, I received notice from my school that they would be holding a programming competition. Yes, I enjoy writing code. But, in a competition? I was dubious. I know I can code. But, could I code within the required time frame? Eventually, I signed up. I figured that the worse thing that could happen is that I would lose; if nothing else, it would be a good experience.

Last Wednesday, I took the Microsoft 70-536: .NET Framework 2.0 Application Development Foundation exam. I was a bit nervous. The testing center is located at the Lorain County Community College. I had driven by the LCCC numerous times but had never ventured on campus. Since Rachel is more familiar with the area (and because I wanted some moral support) she came with me.