back to the grindstone

so it's been a crazy few days... let me enumerate:

1) after 170 questions, about 2 and a half hours, and a couple months of studying--i passed the clinical social work exam. quite exciting, though everyone's asking, "so, you're a fully licensed clinical social worker now?" no... still have about 2,100 clinical hours to log, which will take me about 2 years in my current setting. so, in a little over two years, i'll be fully licensed. this is just sorta a big hoop that i had to jump through. i'm very happy to have it over with, though.

2) i had planned to go out and purchase the new harry potter the moment i got back in greenville as my reward for passing the exam. fate was working for me, though, and i ended up getting it before then. i passed one of my coworkers on the highway as i was driving back home and called her up to chat while we were both on the road, following one another. i was telling her how excited i was to get back and buying the book, and she said, "don't do that! i have it in my trunk. pull over at the next exit." we pulled off at a little country gas station, she gave me the book, and i went straight home and started reading. the next afternoon, i was done :) soooooo good. so good, so good, so good.

3) we're back at school, and kids are coming in four days. this has become a comfortable routine now, but with new staff members and some changes around the school, it's not "same old, same old." i really like the new teachers we've hired, and i'm excited to see how the year starts out.

4) students are coming back to the university. i drove by college hill this week and saw colorguard auditions going on down at the field--made me miss it just a little bit (but not enough to be out there in the almost 100 degree heat). traffic is crazy, all of the stores are crowded, and parents are moving students in and stocking up on dorm/apartment supplies. as easy as it is to feel like a college kid still living in a college town, i realized today that i am getting past that point. i saw a girl today who was in the middle of shopping with her mom after moving in to the dorms. it was the middle of the afternoon, at least 95 outside, with a heat index of somewhere over a hundred. she was in target with a hooded ECU sweatshirt on. SWEATSHIRT. obviously an effort to wear something ECU for the move-in even though that was the only thing she had. i just had to shake my head and keep going.

5) we're celebrating justin's birthday tomorrow with family. it isn't until next friday, but this weekend worked better for everyone. we're grilling out, showing off the house, and having ice cream cake. doesn't get much better than that :)

alright, that's it for now. welcome back to school, everyone! bouquets of sharpened pencils and what-not... later, y'all :)