Been Busy

It's been a fair while since I wrote my last update. Since then quite a bit has been going on.

     Yesterday I was called by my Learning Adviser, it's great to finally be in touch with her again. She informed me of what an awesome start to the year we're going to have as the term is 12 weeks long. Meaning there's going to be plenty of time to rank up the workload and earn a bunch of credits. Well that's the intention anywho! As it's so early in the term, we aren't completely sure who my teachers are going to be as they're always shifted around at this time of year. So far though I've got last years Chemistry teacher - he's really nice but as my LA said - very difficult to get a hold of. For Biology I've got this lovely lady who is an amazing biology teacher. She was my Level 1 science teacher and she did the online tutorials for level 2 bio last year as well. We're going to have fun this year I think! And I've also got an Agriculture and Statistics teacher, neither of which I've heard of before. But then again, I've never done their subjects either!

     Since I had my first school stuff arrive mid January I've sent back the Ag and Bio questionnaire and what appears to be two maths books - the level 2 stuff I had to catch up on. Chemistry pre questionnaire is a little harder though. Unlike Bio and Ag which just ask a bunch of questions to see where you're up to, Chemistry is a really big booklet with the learning in it as well that you have to go over from Level 1 and 2 and then do the typical Teacher Marked Assessment section without the answers. It's not exactly difficult, but more frustrating and time consuming. There is a disk that should've been sent with it that you need to do certain activities. It is possible to do these activities online after doing a free download, but my computer doesn't seem to agree with it. It is also possible to do the activities without the download or disk, but that is also time consuming as you have to work everything out in your head or on paper. However, as most of these questions are so basic, I may just skip them. The only important part is getting the TMA right...Chemistry and I don't usually get along too badly, but we also don't go skipping in the park together because we love each other so much, like it is with Bio. Some things I do really well on, other things I just. Don't. Get. But hey, I can figure it all out eventually! Biology is less equations but big words and explanations. Much more enjoyable! :D My LA is happy I've made a good start to the year, so fingers crossed I can keep up the enthusiasm!

     This weekend I'm back into milking, it's not too bad at the place I'm at. It doesn't take too long these days as they're split calving farmers, they're in the middle of drying off half of their herd in time for them to calve in March. So it means a heck of a shorter time to milk. I just realised it took less than two hours to milk this morning, Mum and Dad will have to use the two hour minimum policy we've got to cover the cost of travel to the job, it won't increase by much though, only 15 minutes which is nothing really. These days we're only milking on the weekends because that is the only time people seem to be booking us for. Although we're almost fully booked out on the weekends until the end of the season - the end of May. So it's pretty great! We're desperately trying to find extra staff to help the four of us get through the workload so we won't have to turn so many people down. However we're also trying to convince farmers to have weekends off during the week. Sooner or later they're going to have to get the idea and use it to their best advantage.  But it's great for me though, because it means I've got definite work for the weekends and free weeks to get my school work done! Sweet!

     Last weekend I caught a bus and went to Te Awamutu in the Waikato to see my best friend. It's been four years since I'd seen her and we've been best friends since before we were born. I'm sure we have anyway! Lol, as our Mum's had been friends for years before then. So it was really good to see her again, and as per normal, we got on just fine and had a great weekend! We went Ten Pin Bowling, Go-Carting and shopping with her Mum and little sister at the Base in Hamilton, just basically hanging out and having a good time. Though it was pretty lame boarding the bus to go home again on Monday after only a short weekend visit, but hey, I'm glad I saw her. I'm hoping they will come this way at the end of this year so we can catch up again, and our Mum's can too. Fingers crossed!


   Wednesday night I went up to my youth leaders house for a few hours with other members of the group. Everyone kept ringing them asking if youth group was on that night, eventually they just said "nope it's next week but how about coming to our place for a movie and such?" The text message was sent out and I think ten of us showed up, had some roasted marshmellows and just caught up and chatted about the holidays and suchforth. It was fun, I took my famous chocolate brownie up there for them, yet again, they loved it. I'm beginning to think it isn't them just saying it's good, because it is almost fully devoured in minutes....I had to leave by 9:30 though to be home in time for my 10 o'clock driving curfew. Seriously, I can't wait to get my full license in August after doing a defensive drivers course. Not that I want to stay out late, I just hate having to constantly look at the time. Mum and Dad are happy so long as I'm back by ten, which is the main thing.