Will blog for sanity. - AN INTRODUCTORY RANT

Hello, blogging world.  My name is Kacey.  Watch out.

Considering this is my first post, I am prepared to discuss a few topics, respectably ranting and rambling upon each one in its own right.   I'm obsessive in my constant list-making--just a heads up on what to expect.  Neurotic you say?  Probably.  Let's begin!

First, I've created a list affectionately entitled "10 Things I Wish to Accomplish for December 31, 2008."  While the title isn't exactly the most glamorous, the goals make up the "it" factor.  I'll break each goal down, respectively.  They are:

1.  Join the New Jersey Free Poker league.

While vacationing down in Seaside Heights last week, I did a little research on local clubs.  No, not the shitty techno-infused r&b places that charge you $20 just to get in.  I was thinking more along the lines of book clubs and whatnot.  Well, I'm not too shabby in the realm of Texas Hold'em Poker, so I figured I'd look up some poker groups.  Low and behold, there is this little old thing called the New Jersey Free Poker League, and they have groups throughout several areas in New Jersey.  It's 100% free, and you're competing for a sponsored ticket to the prestigious World Series of Poker tournament.  I've yet to join, seeing as though I need to get my feet on the ground with starting school again in September, but research has and is still being conducted in regards to joining.  You know, all of that FAQ nonsense.  Oh, and in case you were interested: http://www.njfreepoker.com

2.  Audition for American Idol.

I'm not sure if my friends and aquaintances are just being kind, but I've so much as heard from total strangers that I can carry a pretty good tune.  Therefore, I'm biting the bullet and auditioning for the one and only American Idol on August 19, 2008 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  If anything, I'm going for the experience.  All are welcome to come out and be my groupies.  As a bonus, anyone holding glittery poster boards that read "KACEY OR BUST" will be lavished with bear hugs and an I.O.U. for a Quick Chek iced coffee.

3.  Continue to receive straight A's in my Fall 2008 semester at college.

So, I'm a book nerd.  Hell, I'm an academic perfectionist.  I'm shooting for another semester of straight A's, coveted honor societies and deans' lists.  Throughout this semester, all three classes will be taken online.  They are:

Fine Arts (FA) 1000                   Introduction to Fine Arts
Biology (BIO) 1200                    Biology and Society
Mathematics (MATH) 1016       Statistics

While I feel I can more than handle Biology 1200 and Fine Arts 1000, this statistics course has my stomach churning.  All be it, this stands as my last course in mathematics for my undegraduate career.  Heck yes!

4.  Participate in at least two walks for good causes (i.e., Susan G. Komen/Avon Breast Cancer Walk).

I'd be lying if I said that half of this goal wasn't selfish.  Well, it's all in the name of getting healthier.  Walking and swimming, so they say, are the best forms of exercise one can do for the body.  That being said, I'd like to participate in some walks that stand for good causes.  Consider this as killing two birds with one stone, although my intentions in helping bring awareness to the cause I will be walking for is, indeed, sincere.  I'm contemplating the walk for suicidal awareness that was held in New York City last fall and the Susan G. Komen/Avon Breast Cancer Walk.  Both are held around the same time of each other, so we'll see how this pans out.  Research will need to be conducted.  Thank God for the internet.

5.  Read one novel per month.

This is pretty self-explanatory.  I suppose that, being an aspiring K-12 Teacher of English, I should be well-read.  Let's make it happen.  For the rest of this year, I've a date with Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, Lord Byron, George Orwell and the likes.

6.  Pass my Praxis II 0041 examination.

This goal certainly goes hand-in-hand with the previous one.  Last month was my second attempt in passing my Praxis II 0041 examination.  Needless to say, I didn't pass.  Instead of receiving a passing score of at least 162, I earned a 161.  That's right, I failed by one point.  However, I'm not one to cry over spilled milk.  Yesterday evening, I registered for my third time and am scheduled to take this hellish beast of a test once again on September 13, 2008 at Kean University in Union, New Jersey.  As I speak to myself in third person, no worries, Kacey.  You'll pass this one.  After all, third time's a charm, right?

7.  Take the initiative in learning how to snowboard.

I'm hell bent on doing something extreme.  So, why snowboarding?  Well, I'm into the mountains, and I'd like to get into a mountain-geared sport.  Skiing doesn't interest me as much as strapping my legs to a board, smothered in clothing, and falling on my backside on a snowy mountain top.  The downside to this:  equipment is expensive.  However, if I make some new friends and find that I can really get into this, it's worth the payout.  I've been conducting a lot of research about ways to avoid injury on the slopes, what to look for when buying equipment, what it all means and places where I can take a class.  I've found that there is a class held by major snowboarding label Burton that teaches adult riders to snowboard in Mount Vernon, New Jersey.  I emailed the people about the class, but have yet to hear back from them.  I'm patient, but if I don't receive a reply in the matter of a week, I'll email them again.

8.  Vacation in Vermont.

The security deposit is set on a lakeside cabin in Swanton, Vermont for the week of August 23, 2008.  I've been looking into things that I can explore while visiting the state.  It sounds a little lame to most, but I'd actually like to go to the Ben and Jerry's factory and get some Vermont white cheddar and maple syrup.  Oh, what the hell.  I'm also keeping my eyes peeled for a circular "VT" bumper sticker.  On a serious note, I plan to do a day of horseback riding and river paddling.  I'd also like to visit the ski and snowboard areas of Killington and Stratton.  You know, just in case yours truly is a natural at the old snowboarding sport.  Good friends, good times.  I'm excited.

9.  Keep a daily journal/blog.

Another goal that's faily much self-explanatory.  I'm a writer.  That's primarily the reason why I wanted to become an English teacher--I want my kids to yearn to express themselves through writing.  As much of a chore as keeping a blog can feel to me at times, I've noticed that I can't seem to shut my trap once I get it started.  Here, I'll document all of my senseless ramblings, note most practical and impractical confessions, etc.  Some entries will be made public, some will be locked and some will be kept in the privacy of a 'friends only' view.  I'm considering this as a therapeutic, if nothing else.  Not a painful therapy, but an overdue one.  A much overdue one.

10.  Pay off my Bank of America Gold Option Loan.

I've more bills than an average 23 year old should have.  For years, I've attempted to consolidate, pay down, eliminate, and all of that financial jargon.  Before this year is up, I'd like to pay of my balance on the Gold Option Loan I took out about two years ago.  It'd be somewhat easier if I didn't have a tuition bill to worry about, but I'm going to try like hell.

There you have it.  My "10 Things I Wish to Accomplish for December 31, 2008" list.  Moving onward!

A few short thoughts that popped into my head this evening:

Fall and winter need to hurry it up.  I'm sorry for the sun-lovers of the summertime, but today was such a dreery day out, that it reminded me of winter skies.  There's something to be said for curling up on a soft couch in a big sweatshirt, nursing a hot drink and watching brag-worthy film or immersing one's self in an exceptional book.  Perhaps this winter I'll be coasting down a mountainside on my snowboard.  Score!

I'm going to miss Jessica.  While I'm happy for her going to California, I'm aware that, some days, I'm going to feel lost here without her.

Dating is a nightmare.  Seriously.  Do I need to elaborate on this one?

Pressing on, I'd like to conclude this first entry by saying how surprisingly excited I am about keeping a daily blog.  While I mentioned Jessica's moving to California, I suppose I do need a place to jot down all of the shit that circulates through my head.  Some days, I feel as though I don't have an available ear to spew it into, so, instead, it shall be expressed in the written sense.  How elite this shall be!

Hello, blogging world.  My name is Kacey.  Watch out.