dear isobel

1. Pay off my five credit cards. If I get a decent job, this might actually be a reality.  I need to pay them off and I think I might cancel all but the oldest. I know that if you cancel your oldest credit card, it messes with the credit history, but does anyone know if it counts against you if close the more recent ones?

2. Design my own Wordpress Theme. This one I’d like to accomplish in January. I’d like to convert Crimson Glass to WP. I’d also like to have a bit more freedom with this site. I also hate using other people’s layouts and themes. I don’t know — I just don’t enjoy it. I like creating my own things.

3. Finish a few older fan fictions. I have a bunch of old stories for General Hospital that haven’t been updated for a while and I’d just like to finish some. Top of my list are Shadows (started in 2003), Mad World (2004) and Come On Eileen (2006).

4. Become more comfortable with PHP/MySQL. I’m not saying I think I could become capable of writing anything complicated, but I’d like to be able to do simplistic things.

5. Complete transfer to Arts Institute of Philadelphia. I really want to start next Fall, and I think I might be able to swing it. I’ll be 24 by that time, and finally eligible for financial aid. I know it means another four years of school, but I’ve taken a really hard look at the curriculum for Web Design and Interactive Media. I know we’ll probably go over things I already know, but it looks like we’ll delve into more.

I can’t believe how fast 2007 went and how much happened this year. I was both hired and fired from a really well-paying job, my mom got her first job as a permanent teacher since graduating five years ago and my parents finally got back on their feet financially. We were never that badly off, but they never could get ahead, even when my brother and I gave them money for bills and treated for dinner as often as we could. That’s finally past us, so I’m glad for that.

We’re heading to my grandmother’s for Christmas Eve. We eat dinner, open presents and spend some time together. We started it the Christmas before my uncle died so it’s a good tradition for us to have because Uncle Gary loved Christmas and always went all out for my grandmother’s present so she will always need as much family around her as possible these days.

My aunt’s coming up for Christmas Day. Joy of joys. We get along so much better when she stays in Baltimore. She’s mad at my mother for spending so much time with my father’s mother instead of her own sister, but due, Aunt Bea does live a few states away. Gas is expensive.

We managed to get through Thanksgiving without any drama. *crosses fingers* Let’s hope we can do the same now. Read more »