So, my boss pulled me to the side today and reviewed my E.S.T.A. training with me. Even though I was ready, since I knew that this was coming, I felt like an idiot. One minute before he comes and announces that we will review it together I was bragging to my co-workers that I've got it all down. He pops in, "Since I know you've got this how about you go over it with me now?"

Face palm right there.

But HA! I did get it! He was quite impressed. The only thing I have to work on is the explanation of the observation process. I guess Corporate will be here this Friday, so bossman is getting a bit hyper over it.

When I came home from work, however, I find out that my dog is a sneaky...dog. I guess he hasn't really grown out of sneaking into trash cans and left over dinner plates left on coffee tables. Currently, he is still being banished. Maybe I should let him off now...?

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Today I will be going to the gym with Kimi, and I need to look into getting a pass. I want to get in shape even though my body loves to fluctuate so much.

I took my first paid vacation the week of the Martin Luther King holiday, and I went to Florida. Originally I was supposed to go with Ben and visit Mandy and Rostam at their condo, but Ben couldn't stay the entire week. He only got the weekend through Monday. He was so unprepared, though, that he was only able to get there Sunday afternoon.

We did get to spend all of Monday together. Rostam and Mandy gave Ben and I a tour of Disney World in which we hit all the highlights. I have to say, the most memorable ride was the Tower of Terror. So incredibly thrilling. Our last ride was the Aerosmith ride. Ben, Angel and Rostam went to that ride at the same time Mandy and I went for the Tower of Terror. We got to watch the sun set as our bodies were being thrown up and down. But every now and then, when the elevator doors opened to the outside, right before they closed and we were shot down again, we'd see a glimpse of the sun and the sky being illuminated by pinks, reds and dark blues. Breathtaking in more ways than one.

All that aside, during that whole week I began to grow out my nails again. To this day I haven't done anything traumatic towards them though yesterday I pulled out my Dead Sea Complete Nail Kit Treatment that Ben got me (one of my Christmas presents) and buffed my nails. Now they're really shiny. I guess it helps promote nail growth, so I'm gonna be all over it from now on. I've got many things about myself that I need to work on in the years to come. Especially with the big event coming up.

My New Years Resolutoion:

New Job

Get In Shape

I admit that when I'm waking up in the morning for work at 1:15am, my mind isn't in the right place. I left the house knowing that I was running really low on gas and that my phone charger is crap so I have 1 bar left...I also knew I'd be able to make it at least to work in Newington and then directly to Alexandria for school. Since I had some free time before classes started I went to get gas at that time, knowing it'd be only a handful of miles till I was completely out of gas. I got to the gas station and guess what!? I forgot my purse at the house! No money and no license...oh man.
I get back to school which was only down the road from the gas station and call dad. I explain the situation to him, and he says to jump on the road and he'd be on standby. Remember, my phone has zero bars at this point. Luckily, I got to the Lorton exit going S on 95 before the car shut down and I made sure I kept the call short and sweet to dad, just in case of emergency. My phone didn't shut off..thank you, but I wasn't so sure at the time. And worried that it would. No gas, no phone! But Dad did get to me a little over an hour after I made the call. Coming from Woodbridge in traffic...not bad. I am alive, and semi-trauma done.

I had received a statement from a collection agency the day after my previous post about my $9k debt. Really. Someone wanted to rub salt, no, fiercely rub salt on my wounds, right? Come on now. I'm not that interested in the realm of emo, I mean piqued...maybe?
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Alright, so I negotiated with those mean people and offered a settlement of $3k in which they took. As an aside to this joyous fact, I am left feeling that I could have brought them down lower... I can't be too greedy.
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I took my drivers improvement clinic class to redeem +5 points on my driving record. First, however, I must take the certificate to the DMV for processing. That shall happen today and on the 23rd of this month I will have another -6 points taken off my record when I get judged for my reckless driving ticket. This class was inevitable. I probably have about -9 points or so. I can't have another ticket like this for at least 11 years. I really hope I have luck in this aspect.
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Since I caught the flu in the last couple days I have almost completely lost my voice. It's kinda painful to talk, so I find that typing is the best way to convey my thoughts and feelings. I find myself on facebook a whole bunch more hoping that a special SOMEONE gets on to talk to me. Too bad that special SOMEONE hardly talks to me now that the special SOMEONE is back in the country. I just wanted to put that out there.
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Yesterday, while still sick and studying for an exam, I was in the library when I received a most shocking and unwelcome hello from Mr. Wasp. What? It's only nice to be polite. Anywho, Mr. Wasp tagged me on my collar bone and right next to my armpit on my chest. Even though I was in the library at the time, I seriously almost threw off both my shirt and my Redskins hoodie that I was wearing. I killed Mr. Wasp and now he will forever suffer in the plastic baggy in which I placed him. No, no forgiveness. That was my first time that he stole from me! He didn't seem to care.

I want to take all my issues one at a time. I have so much on my platter right now. I never really thought everything could blow up the way it has. I mean, every factor of my life is being challenged right now. My brother said to me earlier today, which is not an uncommon statement, "What wont kill you will make you stronger." I think that through all these hard times, one really does lose a grasp on these cliches and you start spiraling into a very dark abyss of emo.

"Laugh it off" he said.

I'm hoping that in the hallway in which my upcoming prison is established, no one will find it odd that there is a weird cackling coming from cell # some-odd.

I thought daylight savings was supposed to be tonight. I was completely messed up this morning, trying to figure out why the time was switching around. I mean, I'd look at my wall clock when I woke up and saw the time, thinking I need to get ready for work. Then, about an hour later, I'd check my phone and see that it was only a couple minutes from the time I woke up. That was a weird feeling. Don't worry. I obviously put two and two together. It just took me an abnormal amount of time to do so. :P

My dad came back home from being overseas. With him, however, came the news of his being a diabetic. How come I didn't notice the signs earlier. Why did I equate his ailments as becoming elderly? We don't even have insurance. We don't even have money...
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...I just need to do something. Figure something out.

This morning at 3:30, I got a wreckless driving ticket from Police Officer Nasty. Okay, I was going 82/60 mph, but I was late for work! Don't worry, though, she made sure that I was. How come I get all the bad luck? Nah, man. I'm serious about it, too. I get all the bad luck. I can document this.

I found out this past Monday that I was promoted at my UPS job. Now I am a part-time supervisor, holding down a management position. When I was interviewing with HR, however, the interviewer told me that he would like it if I had experience where most of the employees work...loading trucks on the belt.

Not cool

That was last Friday, and all this week, I have been coming in early (as a sup would) and getting on the belts loading trucks.

In theory

I don't like being on those belts. Whats worse is the fact that I think they are going to make me supervisor FOR the belts. What!? One of their best DataCappers moved to the belt? What really irks me is the fact that a position that I was perfect for (controlling the datacapping section)was filled right before I was promoted. Too depressing. But the pay will be the same!

I also am taking the second semester of Organic Chemistry...at NOVA though. I had an exam yesterday and I really, really hope I did well since I felt that I did. We all know its the reverse when you feel confident, though.

So much has happened since my last post. Since I'm neglectful in updating my journal properly, I will give a rough time-line of events:

-Dog gets sick and has breakouts all over his body...and he smells funny
-Family from Iran visit
-Ben leaves for Afghanistan
-Celebrate Nowruz
-Arrival of '98 BMW
-Payment of fines + SR-22
-Grandmother passes (father's mother)
-Family leaves back to Iran
-Buy 72g bowfront fishtank
-My 22nd birthday
-Brother, sister-in-law and niece visit
-Brother, sister-in-law and niece leave
-Brother, sister-in-law and niece buy a condo
-Dog goes to vet, condition worsened...he has allergies and secondary staph + yeast infection
-Father leaves to country for funeral
-Brother comes back to watch over store for father
-Another family member from Iran comes back for interviews
-Sister's 19th birthday
-Family member from Iran goes back to Iran
-Edge comes into the family (kitten)
-Glasses break
-Brother + sister leave
-Farzi goes crazy by herself + father's phone
-Letter of Interest to UPS (for part-time management) is submitted
-Dog still has allergies + gets sick again
-Father comes back from Iran

Thank goodness all of that is off my chest now! I've missed my journal!

I just got home from work and checked my mail. It seems as though my license has been suspended until:

1.) Pay a $500 fine
2.) Pay $85 for a reinstatement fee (I believe)
3.) Get an SR22 for being insured until 2012

What is this crap!? All of this because I was driving my FATHER'S UNINSURED VEHICLE when someone else drove right into me! You know when this took effect? February 3rd. If you look one post down, you'd see that I got pulled over that day. Omigod! I mean, I had no idea, at the time, that my license had been suspended on that very day, since I got the letter mentioning all of this today.

What can I do, though? I work two jobs so I have to drive! I don't see any way around this. This is going to end up badly.

Plan: Use cruise control AT ALL TIMES and make sure the vehicle has all proper tags!

TT_TT I'm not even going to ask if there is anything else I should be expecting...

At 9:57, I got pulled over by a cop for going 56/35mph work zone. Since I've always made fun of my father for constantly going in and out of court due to traffic violations, I think I'm getting karma slapped across my face.

Dad...I'm so sorry!

Sunday was kinda good. I went to Petco's grooming salon early in the morning with my dog Tsuna. Early because my manager wouldn't be there.

I have two groomer buddies that work only on the weekends there, Nicole and Alena, of which are moving by the end of this month. I wanted to show off my dog and see if I could bathe him and possibly get him trimmed up. By them, since they actually know what they are doing. I bathed Tsuna and Nicole taught me how to trim him up. She did one half of him and I did the other half. Yay! I do work there with them, but my job is just to bathe, brush, trim nails and clean the ears of the dog. I really want to post a picture of him here since he looks great.

I also learned from them that he could very well be a purebred Red and White Irish Setter, that almost went extinct in the 20's. To me, that's SO cool. I mean, even if he isn't, I know he definitely has that breed very dominant in him, especially with the freckles he has around his muzzle and down his forelegs. I think I just like knowing.

Nicole gave me a pair of her straights and one of her thinning shears so that I'd be able to continue doing him.

*tear* I love Nicole!

I said that it was a kinda good day...my manager came in the middle of all this. She is SO weird. Really reminds me of my mother... -_-

Nicole and Alena want me to move with them...

As of today, I have an undergraduate degree. Finally, I want to say. It's about time.

In good news, however, my ex-supervisor, as of this past Friday, told me that the higher-ups at UPS really like me and are trying to recognize me. They want me there earlier and leaving later. I can't say what "recognize" means in this situation (a raise? a higher position?) but it made me really happy. I also heard that when I pass the 90 day mark, I will get a pay increase of a whole dollar! Well, that means I'd be making $10.50 per hour. I don't believe that's bad at all.

On New Years Eve I had been working at UPS, and I was able to work in the Airs section. Now, of course it's not like this job is prestigious or anything, but this section is for those who are fast and efficient in their data-cap position (that's what I do). I was told to get there. The reason I bring this up is because on that day, I had gotten my hand stuck between the conveyor belt and rollers. I had to grasp my stuck wrist with my other hand and pull it out myself. I guess my adrenaline was pumping at that time since it didn't faze me at first, but after a little, when the blood was starting to drip from my knuckles, I started to feel really faint. I was getting light-headed and woozy. I was so angry with myself at that time. I was angry that I had this opportunity but I botched it up (like I said I know this isn't a pretigious job, but no matter what, when your doing a job, you want to be the best at it, right?)by becoming faint. I was still working, trying to keep myself together. I think I lasted pretty well, but when I saw a supervisor passing I had come to the peak of my ability in keeping myslef on my feet. I called out to her in a half alive half dead fashion and she led me down the set of steps I was above and into a bathroom. I felt even worse because by the time they were done bandaging me, I didn't feel faint anymore. I completely kept conscious the whole time. I guess, since they (the supervisor called another person in to get some supplies) were fidgeting so much it distracted me and kept my mind active. Afterwards, I was fine and I had continued my work, but at my regular station. It was the end of the day, so everyone was getting ready to pack up and leave. The reason I wanted to mention all of this, however, was for the fact that I thought I messed up my chance. This last Thursday, however, I was up in Airs and on Friday my ex-supervisor told me that they want to recognize me.

So, that's that. Oh, yeah, my knuckles are still healing! I think the fact that my hands have been so incredibly dry this winter season, it had hurt the situation even more. If my hands had been moist, I doubt it would have been in this bad of shape.

Ben contacted me last night. Seems that he's back on base and in the military again, doing what he was doing before he went MIA. Dropped one rank, fined 22,000 dollars and spent 5 days in prison. Oh, also on probation for awhile. He'd turned himself over to them on August 1st.

I was finally able to start my second job this cold morning. On Monday, I got a call from the UPS employer asking me to start the morning next. I said that it was fine and ended up going to the wrong facility. I went to the Springfield location when I was supposed to go to the one in Alexandria. Since I couldn't get a hold of anyone, I decided that I should go to my school, since it is literally down the street from where I was. And, well, since the Johnson Center doesn't open until 7:00 am, I decided to take a nap in a classroom within Robinson A. A lady ended up poking her head in and asking if I am a student here. Oh, good. Doesn't it sound as if I was just called a bum?

I tried again on Wednesday,and this time I showed up at the right place. The only problem this time was in the fact that I wasn't wearing the right shoes. I had on sneakers and so was sent home. I was told to buy a more hard shoe, like leather or a steel-tip shoe, and try again on Thursday. Well, I finally passed today and they started me right away. I sorted packages today, and I seriously cut up and dirtied my hands like whoa. Well, when I say cut up, this refers to the skin surrounding my nails. Since I bite the skin around my nails, I just agitated and pulled at the broken skin...making bigger and deeper cuts. So, I had some blood all over my nails and my whole hand was colored black. Nothing too big. I transfer to a new facility in Newington on Monday.

The PETCO job is going pretty well, too. I'm still in the process of learning, but I think I'm ready to actually pull my own weight the next time I work. that will be this Saturday. The people there are kinda nice. I guess I'm a bit insecure on whether Nicole and Alena (the weekend groomers) are annoyed with me. I got a couple snide comments from Nicole and Alena is the type to talk about you behind your back, seeing as she always does that to customers. I just want to tell them, "If I'm doing something you find annoying, just tell me. It's much better than having to work with someone you can't stand." No? At least we could work it out. But, I hope it's just me being insecure.

Hmmm, what else? Oh, yeah! My cousin, Halat is visiting again from Iran. She wants to vote for the Presidential Election. I'm happy that she is able to do so, but I'm going to be a bit embarrassed since I haven't been able to clean up the house properly. I don't even get to cook anymore. I really feel bad about this, but I'm not at home anymore.

Lastly, I am applying to the Schools of Medical Technology today. The only problem with this process, however, is making a good personal statement and the fact that I have no one to do my references. They want to have one professor, one lab instructor and a supervisor. I have the supervisor but not really the other two. I mean, maybe I can get a lab professor, but definitely not a lecture professor. I really wish I was a suck up, but for some reason, I don't feel comfortable associating with professors...maybe because I dislike suck-ups so bad? Looks as if I'm getting paid back for my point-of-view.

I now have two jobs and they both are unrelated to my field of study. What can I say, though? I needed some money STAT. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure if I've already posted...unless it was private, but I have a job at PETCOs Grooming Salon as a trainee. Yes, I know this is going to sound mean, but this is my journal and my feelings...but my supervisor is grossing me out! She had eaten four burritos back-to-back and indulged in a whole family size bag of cheese puffs. And then she comes to check up on me and she reeks of cigarettes. I know I'm being shallow, but I don't like it when people don't take care of themselves. She's a heavy-set woman, and she should be trying to help her body...but that's beside the point. I also may just have been envious, since I was as hungry as a bear. I wanted to shoot up from my seat (she was eating beside me) and grab it up in my hands and say, "ENOUGH!"

"...Share!" as I would happily munch on the burrito in front of her. Hmmmm...How I regret not doing so.

Besides that, though, I do have some happy-ish news. Remember I spoke of my fathers' uninsured car that I crashed with? Yeah, technically, my dad might have been able to find a loop-hole out of that one. Apparently, in May, my mother took one of our cars with her when she left the state. At that time, my dad asked the insurance agency to switch the insurance over to the Jaguar. The agent told him to fax over the registration, but my dad completely forgot to do so...so technically, having insurance for that car is still a no, but my dad has been paying the bill for that insurance every month even still. That means he's been paying, but they haven't officially transferred the insurance over to the other car. Luckily, around the same time, my mom got a separate insurance from the state in which she resides now on that car. So, if that's the case, the money my father's been paying goes....where? Good question. I hope they don't have a choice but to say that we have insurance on that car. I think they are working on that lately, and I hope it works out...really hope that it works out.

Very early this morning, at about midnight, I got into a car crash. Everyone is fine, but I had my little sister and her friend with me. I was turning out onto the Horner intersection when I was hit.

It was my fault.

My friends' sister asked me if she could pick up some things from her house, I said okay, and we did so. Getting out of her neighborhood, however, I stopped at a stop sign and started driving out into the intersection, like I said before, but left front corner of a black 2008 Toyota slammed the front right corner of my fathers' uninsured white Jaguar. My sister bumped her head and her friend bumped her previously bad knee causing it to swell.

Of course, I really, really didn't see the other car, but worse, I had assumed that this four-way intersection had 4 stop signs at every turn. It didn't cross my mind, especially since the roads all looked deserted, that the road I was in the middle of had the right-of-way. I was charged with reckless driving and have to appear in court for that, but I also was fined for not having an insurance card with me.

I'm really grateful that nothing serious had happened, but I caused a huge money problem. I don't know what to do. I really don't know what I can do.

I just got back from the John McCain Road to Victory Rally at the Prince William County Complex. Funny that I went, huh? Well, it was really, really nearby, and I am just a very curious person. But, I have to say that there was two things there worth seeing. First of all, there was the Secret Service that was looking down at us from above the stage. The other thing worth seeing was CNN. However, there was some stupid people, situated right next to the newscaster, that was hackling the poor guy. What's up with this Communist News Network, or Clinton News Network? Oh, and apparently, Fox News is objective...
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... Please tell me that you find something wrong with this statement. Why aren't they badmouthing MSNBC then?

I do want to comment a bit more, but I'll have to come back to it later today. For now, I'm leaving my dad's store!