Conferences and Confusion

I finally have a minute to sit and write. Last week I took a trip to Tampa FL for a counseling conference. It was the first plane ride for a couple of my classmates so the trip there was comical at least. I tried not to laugh at their fears but by the time the return trip came around you would have thought they had been doing this for years. Tampa was nothing short of gorgeous. They must ban poor people on the side of town we were on because I didn't see a hoopty insight. I even saw a Lamborghini for the first time in person. I had to touch it. I hope they didn't dust for fingerprints. LOL The hotel was very lovely. Expensive but lovely. The first night we met up with some other students and had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. My roommate complained about the food. Actually she complained the whole weekend. She was a bit of downer. She was also upset that the guy she has been sleeping with for the past month completely ignored her in public. Not sure why she still stays with him. Maybe its not for me to understand. The conference was well...a conference. Nothing much to report. I was terribly bored during most of it. I found the networking to be the most exciting part. I am steady on the job search. We went to this great bar one night and my roommates guy pal bought us drinks all night. I thought it was really sweet of him to do that. She said that he told her that he did it because it would look funny if he only bought her one. They played great music and a white girl asked me to dance. When I got back to the booth my classmate asked why I danced with a woman. I smiled at her and said "Hun, I went to a white school. That's what we do". She was satisfied with that answer, much to my own amazement. I had several arguments with the hotel manager the night before we left. First my hotel room didn't get cleaned until 6 that evening and I spent more time than I liked translating into Spanish to the maid what I needed her to do. I left my room and returned to find that the trash had no been emptied. the floor had not been vacuumed, and there was an empty, dirty glass still on my night stand. The head housekeeper came up and said that we were supposed to put the large trash outside of the room. She said that she would be back shortly to clean what the other lady had missed. An hour passed so I took everything that was dirty and tossed it into the hallway. I went downstairs later that night to buy a t-shirt for my momma and my card was declined. I checked my bank account to find that the hotel had charged $1200 to it. I went to the front desk and inquired about the charge. I was then told that since the school's credit card had bounced that mine was charged. I tried to get him to remove the charge, since it wasn't my bill to pay but he refused to do so until he got another card for payment. By then it was 8:30 and the bank was closing its phone line at 9. I got so irritated that I banged my fists on the desk and startled not only the manager but my classmates. They told me afterward they had never seen me so angry. I called my supervisor and she called me back and put it on her card. Have I mentioned how much I love her lately? All in all the trip was nice. It has its ups and downs but I would love to make the trip again, this time for leisure. I'd go to another hotel though.

This week has been a little stressful. It's coming up on the end of the semester and it seems like everything is due at once. I really need a couple days off to rest and catch up. I am behind in my schoolwork. But unfortunately my supervisor needs alot of help and my search to find her someone to replace me at the end of the semester has been very disappointing. I can't imagine leaving her in less than capable hands. I adore her so much its almost sickening. LOL So I have tried to do what I can, when I can, how I can. I have also been battling with the credit bureaus over incorrect data on my report. I am afraid that I won't find an apartment with my low credit score. I wish I had got to work on this months ago so I wouldn't fall into this hole. The fear of not being able to move out is absolutely depressing. I am so desperate for Independence that I find I go out of town almost every weekend. That and my search for something new and exciting. I need a change in my life but I don't know what. I figure graduation will be the gateway to all things new and exciting. At least I hope so. There are several job opportunities out there. I have been seriously considering Orpheus' offer to move to California. I asked my momma what she thought of the idea of me moving out there and she told me to go see the world. I found that to be really encouraging. It's such a big offer though... However, people's feelings tend to change about things within a matter of months. So we'll see. I have also seen an amazing fellowship opportunity here in NC as well as heard of job openings in Louisiana and Florida. It feels great to be able to say I can go just about anywhere and find an job. Its also daunting. The next few months are going to be interesting to say the least.

Well its late and I gotta get up and do guess what...homework.