Last journal was June 28. Today is July 2. I have not been on the Internet since then. In fact, I haven't even been on my computer. ~Jedi-Kel went off to Latin camp (or something) for a month, so I didn't really have a reason to spend four hours on the computer. Usually, I'd spend that four hours RPing with her and doing dA "chores," but I haven't felt like even pressing my computer's power button. Today I had to break my abstinence (ha ha) because I needed access to the spreadsheet that I use to keep track of my piggy bank's contents.

So here I am! Back again! I probably won't be on all THAT much for the rest of the week, but that's fine. Dad's got the day off tomorrow, so we'll all go to town and do some awesome stuff like have lunch out and eat ice cream. 8D And then Saturday's the Fourth of July, so we'll be doing our little family stuff. I may have to dig out the National Treasure DVD for Saturday, that being Independence Day and all...

Anyhoo! Guess what I've started. *waits for some responses and gets none* Fine, I'll just tell you. Mom's helping me make a floor-length cloak with hood. It's, ah, actually part of the cosplay I'm eventually going to make. The cosplay of my LOTR fancharacter. You know her. Gaelira. (Too lazy to make fancy accent marks.) I sketched out a design for her traveling attire and so hope to make that my long-term costuming goal. After that I should probably make some Jedi robes to even it out a little. I'd do Mando armor if I had the patience to work with metal and stuff. The craziest material I'd be using for Lira's outfit is leather—faux leather, more than likely. Some nice soft, weathered upholstery material. Well, using upholstery fabric is not unknown to my mom. She made my brown coat out of some suede since it was heavier than apparel suede. 8D

Also! Fancy news. In August, I'm going to be a college student! I know, I know, you're stunned. Monday we went out and I took the COMPASS entrance exam for the Ivy Tech community college. Passed with flying colors. I did great on pre- and high school-algebra, though I did suck at college algebra. (Not my fault; it's been a year and a half since I did Algebra II.) As usual for these types of tests, my English grammar and writing scores were nearly perfect. *allows self to be proud of that* So the advisor said I did awesomely (my word, not hers), and we got me signed up for two online classes with Ivy Tech. I'm going to take English Comp 111 and US History 101, I believe. Stuff that I hope to find relatively simple, just to get my feet wet.

The beauty of this arrangement is that I'll also do a couple other homeschool courses from the A Beka curriculum that we always use. Maybe some kinda consumer math or something, and definitely French again. Seriously, people. Because I haven't taken any electives (French has been my only elective EVAR), I've actually completed all my high school requirements. Senior year is going to be mostly busy work, I think. And the even MORE awesome part? I get dual credits for my courses. And since I'm taking core classes, they should be able to transfer to Southeastern Louisiana University, which is where I want to go. Oh yes. Twice the glory without twice the work! Then again, I haven't started English Comp yet. -_-

If I like the work and the classes and stuff, I may take an English grammar course with Ivy Tech in January just to keep my skills up. I'd also like to find a literature course of some type; that'd be awesome. I love lit class. A Beka was going to have me doing Brit lit this year, and the curriculum would call for me to read Macbeth, but I've already read Macbeth. So I guess I might not be doing thaaaaat...

My online courses begin August 24 and run 'til just before Christmas (16-week courses), though my other schoolwork will begin probably two weeks before that. I look at it as getting an opportunity to slide into schoolwork again. 8D Before then, though, I have to order my textbooks, and I'll probably try to get an Ivy Tech sweatshirt, too. I've planned to get a hoodie from the two colleges I'll be going to: Ivy Tech and SLU. Funny thing; both schools have the same color: green. SLU is green and white, I think. Ironic; I once wanted my room painted like that. Now I want whites, blues, and grays. GONDOR ROOM, BABY!!

Okay, I probably ought to get a move on. I still have 112 deviations and 44 messages to look through (sorry, guys, but I didn't read any of your journals ), as well as an original fiction novel to write, and a trade to write, and some Nice!Atton lurking in my brain. If there's one thing I have learned, ScaryAtton does not come when called. The jerk.

Ret',
Steph