Aimee, also look into the Honors program at the community college. I know a bunch of community colleges (including the one I went to) will give a "scholarship" to their honors courses. The classes are smaller and all honors students and the tuition is waived.

As someone who works at a college- I would say take the classes, but definitely make 100% sure with the college/uni you want to get your degree with that they will transfer from the particular community college you are going to, if that makes sense

If I continue at U of Phoenix, they should transfer just fine. At least, the other classes I took at this comm college transferred just fine.

I acquired the superstition that you're supposed to have your tree out of the house before New Year's.

Weird. Tree doesn't go until Twelfth Night!

Aimee, I'd say take the classes, unless the money you use for them is going to keep you from being able to pay off your tuition a UoP for too long.

Gonna get my student loan money back and use it here instead. That way, won't have to start paying them back which is another reason to take classes.

Hell, I wish I could go back to school, but gods know how I'd pull it off.

Let's look into it. Eastern and WCC have night classes. We could work it. We always do, babe. Student loans and grandparents. I mean shit, isn't handy babysitters one of the freaking reason we moved to where there is snow and ice and cold and gray for 6 months?

Tree doesn't go until Twelfth Night!

In my un-sentimental holiday world, the tree goes out whenever the city is sending the truck around to pick them up!

Thank-you notes, on the other hand, definitely do have to be handwritten and in the mail by New Year's, or I can't face my mother.

also, even though there are a lot of things that I wouldn't decorate my own house with, I love it all. Even the stupid inflatable things. I prefer lights and old fashioned and homemade but I just kind of dig the excess decorating. Of course, I live where I live. Just a few blocks from here:

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In my un-sentimental holiday world, the tree goes out whenever the city is sending the truck around to pick them up!

Unless you miss the pick-up, in which case you leave the tree in the stand but saw off all the branches and leave it in the living room for several months until your daughter moves it out to the porch and then you still keep it around until next Christmas and move it back into the house and hang some fronds and lights on it and tell yourself it looks just like a real Christmas tree!

Or possibly that's just my dad.

This is my second year in the neighborhood, and the competitive Christmas lighting is in full swing. I suspect the streetlights may eventually not bother coming on because of the wattage from the houses the next block over.

I think it's neat, especially because in the old neighborhood, there was an old man with a small house who added something new every year to hang lights on. There was no design, just another couple of square feet of scaffolding or framing that lit up. During Christmas, we didn't even bother turning lights on in the kitchen, his house was so bright.

Then he died, and his house went dark. The neighborhood lost a bit of its charm.

Aims, take the classes.

Joe, go take classes, too. You need to get out of customer service. It's a crappy field, and you don't belong there. You deserve better than answering phone calls from dumb, insulting people.

ION, I'm feeling much better. Still not 100%, but so much better than the last two days. My tummy finally seems settled, and my back no longer hurts. I have had a bit of Dr. Pepper this morning, and it's settling okay. Later this morning, there will perhaps be an attempt at real food.

Aimee - take classes, chip away at what you owe and then you can transfer the credits and finish quick, quick.

I admire you doing this while Em is still wee. I know I struggled with working and going to school and my kids were older. It is a challenge, but it is worth the effort.

Run with that itch to learn.