It's been awhile, sure. But I still love you.

I know. It's been almost a full month since my last email. I'm sorry. I've been kinda out there lately. This email has a lot of information to get out because of that, I know, but you can free feel to skim or skip or whatever you would like to do with this email.

First off the bat, how are you all doing? I hope that you're all in good health and happiness and enjoying life to its fullest. I know I'm trying to.

Secondly, I have changed email providers, and in doing so I lost my original list of people that receive this email. If you are receiving this email and don't want to, simply reply so. If you're sure that I'm missing someone from the list, please let me know and I'll add them.

Thirdly, I'm writing this email over the course of the next few hours when I have free time, so I'm sorry if I repeat or miss anything. This email will also be posted on the blog at http://tarincollege.blogspot.com All of the emails from this semester (and those from the summer) will be posted there.

Alright! So! Let's start at the end of the summer. It was awesome. My experience in North Carolina, while hectic, was a blast. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I learned a lot about what I like doing in the field of computer science and what I need to do to achieve my career goals. Geez, that sounds like something I wrote for a paper.. well, I might have, heh. I had to write a paper at the end of the summer over what I did. Now I know that most, if not all of you, won't be interested in that, but, if you are, you can find the paper, my presentations from the summer and my weekly blog posts at http://bebopdevelopment.com/Charlotte

After I flew back from Charlotte I had a few days in the Springs to catch up with family and friends before I drove back up to Fort Collins to watch Catlin for the weekend. We had a blast and we still are, just in case you were wondering. Her and I have worked out a little system that works for what we do when I'm supposed to be watching her. I don't really like to call it watching, though. At this point I see her more as a little sister then a.. um.. sitted-kid? I dunno how to phrase that but whatever, that's not how I see her anyway. I take her to school Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and then pick her up and hang out with her Monday and Wednesday afternoons.

But yeah.. I kinda just spent those two weeks working on websites for clients, getting my room together, getting everything ready for school and hanging out with the kiddo. Then school started and my world kinda exploded again. Ahh for the two weeks of my summer vacation..

I'm taking 20 credits this semester, but don't let that freak you out! 3 of those credits are actually just me earning credit for the work I did this summer in North Carolina, so techinquely I'm only taking 17 credits. I'm taking two history courses (yay!!), two computer science (Ugh..) and a business course (Database Systems Management.. think I really have to try?). My schedule isn't as nice as last semesters but I can't complain. I have enough time inbetween classes to do things like run home to see my kitty and send emails.

...

How many of you saw the kitty comment? Come on, be honest. Hehe. Yes, I got a kitten. I actually got her Thursday.. but yeah. She's very very lovable. I was having a very stressful week and I've been wanting a new pet for about a year now, as many of you know.. so.. I caved on Thursday and went down to the shelter to get her. I had been considering a new playstation or something like that.. but she's so much better. She's one of those kittens that loves to be around you.. she falls asleep curled up in my lap when I'm reading or working on the computer.. if she can't get my lap she'll curl up on my feet. Oh! And she purrs so nicely when I pet her. I sleep with her at night (she likes to sleep on me but she'll settle for the pillow) and I'm glad to say that she likes car rides. I had to take her to Colorado Springs with me this last weekend and she did awesome in the car! She just curls up and sleeps or watches the cars zoom by. Tirrel had her out of her carrier for a bit and she did fine then too. Just sat in her lap and watched traffic. Or me. Yeah.. she's very attached to me. And now, I bet you'd all like to see pictures. Now you know that I had to take a lot.. so I'll just send you the links instead of the pictures. I took most of these the first day I got her, but I have some that are from when we were driving.

http://www.bebopdevelopment.com/Kitty/100_0243.jpg - What's that?!
http://www.bebopdevelopment.com/Kitty/100_0251.jpg - She discovered under my bed!
http://www.bebopdevelopment.com/Kitty/100_0252.jpg - Look how tiny!
http://www.bebopdevelopment.com/Kitty/100_0259.jpg - no, she didn't pounce after this photo.. oh!1 When she's ready to pouce, she doesn't shake her tail.. she shakes her whole butt!! It's so cuteeeeeee!
http://www.bebopdevelopment.com/Kitty/100_0264.jpg - Okay, it's lame.. but I had to get one of me in there with her (and ignore the brace, it's nothing serious).
http://www.bebopdevelopment.com/Kitty/abby%20003.jpg - She's so tiny!!
http://www.bebopdevelopment.com/Kitty/abby%20010.jpg - This is her asleep on my center console with her head on my water bottle.
http://www.bebopdevelopment.com/Kitty/abby%20016.jpg - Bailey, Tommy's puppy, doesn't believe in blinking.


I know.. I'm so in love with her. It's a bit sad, huh? That's okay.. Mom loves her too. She spoiled her this weekend. Bought her new toys and a carrier and blankie.. now we know how her grandchildren will be treated, at least. Heh.

Well... aside from the kitty, the gang and I have been hanging out again. I missed them so much.. I mean, yeah, my NC friends were awesome and we had a great time.. but my CSU friends are like my family! Here's the scoop on them: Beth, Rachel and Tirrel are all living together in a house about 2 blocks from campus with their new kitty. Fish (Robert) and Bria have a house about 4 blocks from campus and live with their 2 cats (do you see a theme developing?). Donovan lives with two of his other friends in an apartment about 2 blocks from campus and no, they don't have a cat. Everyone had an okay summer but we're all glad to be back. We (as in most of us) went to Alley Cat (Oh, how we missed thee) and took pictures. Here's our favorite picture from that: http://www.bebopdevelopment.com/Kitty/thegang.jpg

On another topic, I'm flying out to LA in October to see Vassie and George ( I hope I can go) with my mom. It's a weird setup and I won't confuse you all with it, but yeah. For Thanksgiving I'm flying out to Florida to have my gord stuffed at the Thomas family dinner. My mouth is watering already. For Christmas I'm supposed to be going to Dubai for a few weeks (hello sun tan), we'll see what happens with my passport. My old one was expired so I had to send in for a new one (cause I was a child when I got the last one and blah blah), hopefully the new one will come in soon (Is Oct. 31st soon enough?). I'm not sure what I'm doing for Spring Break or the summer, but I know that I need to stay in the Colorado area this upcoming summer (it's going to be tough.. I love to travel). If you guys have ideas or what not, I'm dying for a roadtrip.

I think that I'm out of things to talk about.. I'm sure that I'm not.. oh! I remember! So there was this massive spider in my bathtub last week. Here's the link for the picture: http://www.bebopdevelopment.com/Kitty/100_0240.jpg and http://www.bebopdevelopment.com/Kitty/100_0241.jpg (yeah, you thought that it wouldn't make it this email.. but it did! It did!).

Also, Tom and Crystal set a date (April 28th) and I'm going to be a bride's maid, apparently. I like how I found that out from the Maid of Honor instead of my brother.. way to go Tom.

Last bit, I swear. Happy b-day to Tim, George, Tom and happy Aniversary to George and Vassie!! (Sorry if I missed you, let me know.)

This class is going to start soon but the real confusing thing is that I'm not sending this email until later tonight when I can get home and upload and scan pictures. Yeah, most those urls up there don't actually work when I'm writing this. But don't worry! They work now!

Love, Peace and may your weekend be like a summer.
Tar