Monday...

Well, managed to figure out that my truck's problem is the gas pump. Sigh.  Might as well change the filter(turns out the one on there was the wrong size, amazing it hasn't caused problems before now) and needed one new relay(kind of like a fuse, though different.  I'm not sure what the difference is, though I imagine its like the difference between a fuse and a breaker)as one was no longer working. Spent the morning making sure said filter would work in the same spot(it fit just fine) and getting the torque bolts(they have a star in the center instead of the outside hex or whatever shape to get them off)loose in the bad of my truck so when I get a helping hand I can lift it out of the way so I can access the gas tank without having to drop it.
Work was crazy Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Thursday was mainly rain, meaning we ran out of all the soups we had when I got to work by six so the manager had to find time during the never ending rush to get more made and we still ran through those.  Friday was more cold but we still ran out of soups by nine.  Lot more sandwiches so it wasn't as big a deal.  Plus quite a few more hot drinks(which I got to train a coworker on how to make those)to mix things up.  Saturday was Women's Conference(sad to think I haven't gone to one since I started this job, and that's over 3 years) mixed with half off pastry night and cold.  Bit of rain too.  So that one had all the cashiers stay until ten(good news is I wasn't on drive for once as another experienced cashier was there to take it) and took two of us to finish closing.
School's about the same.  Having to buy the truck parts put a bit of a dent in saving for next semester but I've still got through November to get all of it.  Just worried about the 13 week(according to the placement person I talked to about making sure I was on track and ready for it)bit where they don't expect you to have a job at all or any sort of life at all.  I can understand that a job during the week would interfere with school stuff that the student teacher needs to do, but three months without an income isn't an exciting prospect.  I'm hoping I can get away with just weekends at my job so I can keep up with bills and saving.  Really wish I could work in Institute but my work schedule isn't allowing that. Downside of full time.  Don't seem to have time for anything that has a set meeting time save sunday.
Ah well.  At least it's cold so I'm not dying of heatstroke trying to work on my truck.  Might kill what's left in the garden though.

ARGH!

Sheesh.  Now my truck's gone and decided to stop working, meaning it won't start.  So far my dad's helped me rule out the fuel filter and we think the fuel pump relay, so we're down to checking the fuel pump screen(basically a filter attached to the end of the pump in the tank) which I guess involves a air pump, and the fuel pump itself.  Both require jacking up the bed of my truck to access the tank(better than having to drop the tank, and doesn't require moving it from where it is)but neither is easy to get a hold of. Sigh.
Doesn't help that I have work all the rest of this week and our spare vehicle while working doesn't have plates or insurance.  Thinking of getting a permit for it, but I don't know where the title is.  And need a car to get to the DMV(don't like to think of how much THAT will cost)to get said permit.
And I thought things were looking up for school and stuff, now this puts a bit of a dent in saving for school and makes it tricky for work. And I have to get my truck inspected next month.  Sigh......
Still no word on my last praxis test scores too.  At least the weather's cooled off enough that I have to wear a jacket to weed the garden instead of sweating through my shirt.

YES!

Finally passed the practical exam for that last class! Good thing too, as I just got all the paperwork stuff for my preclinical experience and demonstration teaching out of the way so they can set me up with a teacher for the demo part.  I had to set up the preclinical, but that wasn't too hard.  The annoying thing was that even though I'm aiming for junior high I have to do the preclinical at a high school just because it's secondary stuff. Whatever...
No word on my content exam, but I have to send that to the state when I get them.  We'll see how that takes.  At least I know where and who to send it to now...
A day off! yeah!  Meaning that I wanted to sleep in but didn't really.  Did lots of weeding, homework(class up to 57% now) ran to the store, now I'm killing some time before going to work on the spigot in the garden that won't shut off all the way.  It's just a trickle, but that still can cause problems and get the water company mad at us.  And it bugs me too, as I have to keep moving the hose to avoid a sink hole or quicksand spot developing. Sigh....

9/11

Kind of missed it as I had work, but I watched World Trade Center tuesday to make up for it.  Nobody at my work seemed to think anything of it. Sigh.
Had another praxis test(the content exam) tuesday, so it was a bit of a rough day.  Hope I did well, but this one didn't even give me the 'unofficial' scores after the test.  And no word yet(usually takes a week just for the multiple choice stuff)on how I did. But I did my best and can't hope for more than that.  Little behind on class stuff, only two modules done(there's only fourteen, but two chapters, several videos and a practice lesson plan for each one so it can take me two days to get one done) so far.
Work was a bit hairy yesterday, as I woke up with a headache that left me queasy and unsteady.  Meant that concentrating on work was not fun and there were times were I don't think I was thinking at all.  Not really a bad thing, but not a good one when I'm earning a living.  At least my boss says I still did my usual good job.
Stupid cat will not leave me alone when I'm weeding! At least this time they didn't jump on my back, but I made sure to avoid giving them the opportunity.  Hard enough trying to work with them twirling around my legs and feet without being able to stand up straight.
Had rain and lightning last night, so that helped with pulling the weeds out, got more of the roots than I usually do.  The main hose valve seems to have broken or jammed as it won't shut all the way off.  Barely a trickle coming out, but it makes me nervous.
Then I got off work early yesterday, first time in a long time so even the assistant manger who told me to go home commented on it.  Then of course my truck wouldn't start so I was stuck there for another hour and a half anyway.  Had dreams last night of my boss and another part time manager telling me to just come work.  My dad got it started(using carb cleaner sprayed into the air line, a trick we've used on other cars before)so I finally got it home in time to make dinner.  Tried it later when the car was 'cold' as my dad put it and it started up fine again.  He still wants me to carry the carb cleaner tonight just in case.  So now I need to check into why it was having issues...
Figures.

Smoke

It seems a canyon not too far north of where I live is or was on fire most of the day, meaning there is smoke everywhere.  Being on drive for just 3 hours today has left me feeling like I'm having an asthma attack and I don't have those otherwise.  Doesn't help my allergies, that's for sure. Sigh.
Was weeding this morning and my brother's(or my dad's, I'm not sure which) cat would not leave me alone, to the point of climbing on my back and staying there despite my having to stand up and move around.  Just glad they didn't make me bleed with the  way they kept digging in their claws. Annoying cat....
Trying to finish up my last class' final and get started on the next one and the teacher keeps sending it back(lesson plan plus essay explanation) saying I need to fix stuff.  First it was citation stuff, which I fixed and now they say that's good but now there's a problem with the 'assessment' I included in the plan.  And I have to talk to the course mentor before I can resubmit it anyway. Sigh.  So I got started on the new class as the course mentor was gone by the time I got the teacher's email. And tomorrow's a long day where I won't get to it until late.
September 11 is coming up, and I wonder just how many people will remember what it is and try to celebrate it somehow.  Too bad I'm working....