Life is like...Uhh, I don't know.

Oh how the mighty have fallen.

My cable got cut off last week. This morning, it was my home phone. Though I tried to make arrangements with MTS last Friday, my attempt came too late. I couldn't pay a sufficient amount to keep myself connected, so they cut me off. (The disconnection notice came two days prior and was for $149--and change. I only paid $100 of it, with a promise to pay the rest on my next payday at the end of the month. The lady and her supervisor both informed me that it was too late, my credibility was shot. They refused.)

I can live without a home phone and cable, those things aren't even amenities. However, I won't deny that the feeling of being disconnected hurts the 'ol ego a little bit.

The bottom line: I effed up.

Going to school full time has been extremely difficult. College is a lot different than university, and the CreComm program is pretty much a nine to five gig that is loaded with homework to sustain us, the students, through the non-school hours. I knew this going in, but until you live it, you really have no idea how intense and time consuming it is. CreComm is a way of life.

That being said, this week I picked up a few extra shifts at work. -- I already work 20 hours a week regularly, so picking up a few extra hours here and there isn't really a big deal. By the time Sunday rolls around, I will have amassed 40 hours. Thank god! (I'm in a financial crunch at the moment, I need to work because I am too old to live with my folks, I don't have a significant other to share the load with, and I have financial obligations that I made before I became I student that must be paid.)

Needless to say that I am tired, but I know I can do this. I've come too far in this program to fall apart or quit now. (I know I joke about my nervous breakdowns and being overwhelmed, but it gets me through. Let me have it!)

I know that this entire experience will come in handy one day, when this chapter of my life has passed and things become comfortable again. -- The upside of any troublesome situation is that it makes for an excellent story in hindsight. And, hell, I'm a journalist, telling stories is what I want to do for a living...

It's almost time for winter break, which means that I can pick up more shifts at work. I have already decided to leave my television disconnected, but I will probably reconnect my phone and internet once I get back on track.

Life is short, can certainly be chaotic, but I am thankful for all of the experiences I've had thus far...Even the bad ones, like getting my cable cut off. The past year and a half has certainly given me empathy for anyone trying to fight their way through school.