I am happy to say, I made it!  The weekend seemed like it would never end.  It was one of those competitions that slated one child against another.  My cousins and I always have a good laugh at this.  We really don't care who has the better job.  We are all doing what we like, yet the adults have this overwhelming urge to compare us.  Take for example, my one cousin who is closests in age to me.  He's going to school for Biophysics and Earth Sciences.  I have no interest in that, nor am I even remotely good at that stuff.  I am going for History and several concentrations in that field.  Because I am not going to school for something productive, I am not going to get a real job (this comment even came from my own mother-love you too!).  I pointed out that I am curently employeed and actually make quite a good salary.  There was a debate over that and how good schooling wil get you a better job and therefore beter pay.  I do agree to some repsects, but I have seen people go through med school for 5-6 years, become $500,000 in debt for school and are flipping burgers at Mcdonald's.  I again pointed out that I am doing something that I love and getting paid for it.  I also pointed out that when I finish school, I will only have $5000 worth of debt and that I currently own a three bedroom home in a nice part of town.  I don't think they liked it when I asked, "so who took the more intelligent career path?"  My cousins thought it was funny, but none of the adults really laughed, oh well.  My grandmother keeps telling me that I need to get a job that is fitting a young lady.  Like a teacher or secretary.  Could you see me teaching kids?  I would kill them in the first week.  Don't get me wrong, I love kids and want a few of my own(another grief, when I'm going to meet someone nice and start on that family!! sure mom, I'll grab some random guy and get practicing right now. lol).  I also love teaching, but most of the stuff I teach really isn't for younger people or viewers. No dirty thoughts, unless you want to.  As for the secretary part.  Can I type, yes; do i know my way around a computer, yes;can I answer the phone in a professional manner, yes; sit at a computer all day, wear ridiculous clothing, possibly have a boss that has roaming hands and eyes, HELL no!  I'm more of a jeans and t-shirt girl.  That doesn't mean I get lost at a Japanese 13 course dinner or that I don't know the difference between a Mori and a Halston or a Kayne from a Cavalli.  I grew up hopping between two worlds, so BBQ and Urban Life are just as easy to get into as Five Star's and Wang's.  It is also almost a survival skill in my line of work.
When I'm finished school,not sure if I'll stay with this job or find something else.

On to better things!  
Huge hey to to everyone on FF.  Love all of you guys.  Writing these is an escape for me and it's so great to read all of your responses.
Love you all!

Hey.  Yep it's true,  had a complete system melt down.  We had a huge thunder storm last week and I lost most of the eletronics when a freak lightning stirke hit the house.  Radio, gone.  Stereo, gone.  TV, gone.  Satellite, gone.  Both computer, gone.  Woo hoo for insurance in Canada and the law that says you must have it.   Actually was smart and paid the little extra for inusrance against, 'acts of God.'  Went to my broker, he sent it to a repair dealer who verified everything was fried by an overlaod of electricity and got my cheque.  So sporting some nice new equipment, but still crying over the loss of all my files.  Thank God though for zip drives.  My friends think I'm obsessed with those things (I carry one on me all the time, incase I've gotta up or down load something), but this time I can say 'hah', see it pays to be obsessed sometimes.

While I was out today, I saw something that made me stop.  There was a little girl who was pushing a man in a wheelchair.  She didn't look any older than 10 and he looked like he was in his mid 30's.  She was having trouble getting the back wheels up over the curb.  Several people walked right by as the girl struggled.  Finally I got close enough to ask if she needed help.  Just as I asked, a guy stopped too.  The little girl said she was having trouble getting her dad's wheelchair up.  The man took hold of the handles and lifted the chair easily up.   The man in the wheelchair gave us a tenative smile and mouthed a 'thank you'.   I smiled at the man in the chair and the one pushing and the little girl beamed at him.  He pushed the chair down the road a bit, as the little girl seemed content to walk down the street, holding my hand.  I asked her where she was headed and she told me, that she was going with her dad to McDonald's to get an ice cream.  The man pushing the chair said he needed to get going, so I took over.  The little girl said she could take it from there and she even apologised for inconviencing me.  I told her it wasn't and I was happy to help.  I also told her I was on my way to McD's too and would they mind if I joined them.  Her swinging pigtails and her smile said it all.  We entered the restaurant and immediately she was apologising to people about having to push her dad into the restaurant. I was shocked for a mament.  Since when have we become a society that children have to apologise for asking for help or for being helpful.  Her dad looked on, quiet.  We ordered and I paid.  She tried to tell me that she could pay and I told her that in my book, whenever you gie someone a hand, you also have to pay for their lunch too.  We sat down at a table and again the little girl apologised to a couple that gave her a dirty look, because one of the chair wheels hit their bag, that they had laying in the middle of the aisle.  This was also after she said, 'excuse me' at least twice.  Maybe it's because I usually hang out with guys or because I'm outside all the time, that I've lost my refinement, but if that were me, I would have punted the bag across the restaurant, raised my hands up in a goal position a screamed out, 'SCORES', then turned to the bag offenders and said, 'by the way, I said excuse me.'  Instead I got a lesson in patience.  The little girl simply apologised and made her way to the table.  She situated her dad and then reached into a bag on the back, pulled out a cloth and tucked it under his chin.  She then added peanuts to his ice cream and began to feed him.  I asked their names and for a moment, they both seemed shocked that I was talking to them, or at least I think it was shock that I was talking to him.  Apparently I was right.  Most people usually ignored her dad and spoke only to her.  For a minute I thought that maybe her dad couldn't talk, but then he opened his mouth and the most beautiful voice came out.  You know the one that is deep, clear and you feel it all the way inside!  He told me that most people think, that because he's in a wheelchair, it must mean he's deaf, mute and retarded.  The little girl simply smiled at him.  He then went to tell me that he had once been a free runner in New York and the only thing he ever got was a few scraped elbows and knees.  He was walking down the road, going home and ended up being hit by a car.  His neck was broken and he was paralized frm the shoulder blades down.  His girlfriend at the time couldn't take it and left him, leaving him with their five year old daughter.  He said at first it was hard and there were many times he wanted to call it quits.  There was even one time, social services were going to remove her from him.  He finally swallowed his pride and called his parents, who lived in Canada.  They came, packed him and her up and moved them in with them.  He said there are times he feels guilty that he has to put this kind of burden on his parents and daughter, but never once has he heard them complain.  At this, the little girl grabbed one of his hands and smiled.  When he mentined free running, I thought of my friend Blake, who free runs.  I also thought of my friend Erin, who had broken her neck while skiing.  I don't know if she would be considered one of the lucky ones, but she didn't make it.  Would she have been able to survive in such a cruel world, that punishes people for being injured?  We got to talking about being thrill seekers and adreneline junkies.  I think ever one of us 'junkies' in the world shares that irrepressable gene that no matter how you try, you can't calm it.  After a while, she said they had to get going, we exchanged numbers and I smiled as they left.  On my walk back home, I thought of the whole incident over again.  I had a number of feelings run through me.  Anger, that people could be so insensitive to someone who needs help, let alone a child.  How people could be so rude to someone who obviously couldn't help their situation and how people could actually make someone feel guilty for needing help.  I was also happy that the little girl was so mature about it and that she still had that innocense about her, to smile at the world.  I was also stunned at her capacity to forgive.  Even those that were too self absorbed to even notice what they were doing.  The one thing I didn't feel during that whole time, was pity.  They never once gave off the vibe that we should pity them.  They simply lived their lives the best way they know how.  It amazed me that they were aware of the world around them, but at the same time they manouvered through it like they were alone.  Is it really so much for us to show human kindness anymore or have we become so self obsessed and absorbed, that we no longer register feelings towards our other fellow human beings?  Are we in a society that gives more awareness and concern for animals, than it does for people and children in particular?
I have to say it was a great day.  Not because of the fact I helped someone, but because I learned something valuble, something that most can't learn from books.  Also the fact that I made two new friends in the process.
So Katie and Derek, McD's for ice cream again next Thursday?