And it begins again...

Classes start on the 24th this month. I can't believe I'll be a Junior. A year and a half to two years and I'll have my degree. It's almost surreal. I've found myself immersed nearly completely in study, research and reading anything and everything with relation to crime scenes, homicide, the criminal mind, serial killers and the like. Not your average books but hey, truly fascinating stuff! You should see the looks I get when sitting in the break room at work and reading "Why They Kill" by Richard Rhodes. People think I'm reading a vampire novel like everyone else around me. Nothing against vampire novels... I'm just not into that right now.

My social life has struggled a bit. I've just been way too busy... I need to take more time for other things besides school. Well it's not like I haven't done that this summer. I did take the summer off from classes and that was a good thing. I was getting way too sick since I was so busy with classes, work and my internships. It was all too much for the system I guess. LOL! But taking the summer off also made me realize that I -really- need to be in the field! I miss it already and I wasn't even a real investigator yet. Oh well... soon enough.

I've been thinking about where I am going to do my internship in the Spring semester. I should head more toward the Raleigh area since that is my goal to be down that way. Problem is, it's got to be a weekend internship or I won't be able to do that hour drive after work and then and hour drive back!

I've gotten -some- knitting done. One of the gals in one of the labs I was with is pregnant and expecting a little one. So a bear is being knit! Here's proof! :D





I'll probably make a little pink sweater for it too. I think that would be really cute.

Well off I go... studying to start and classes begin in two weeks. I want to have a head start. ;)

I've been a bad blogger

Yeah... I used to update this thing regularly. Not so much so... been busy. I'd love to post a grand note about all that's been going on but well, I don't have the time! :D Instead here is a letter I sent to all my family and friends along with a picture of Trouble. She says "Hai".



Howdy all,

It's that time again. Where I actually am awake and have a few minutes to check emails and reply even! I know, it's so rare that I get that chance anymore. LOL!

If it's even humanly possible, I've been even busier than before. I really didn't think it was possible. Wow was I wrong! I'm working M-F 8-5 and then on my internship every Monday evening until 11pm (or later), every other Wednesday evening until 11pm (or later) and in class Tuesdays and Thursdays until 11pm. And then once a month, I ride with a Deputy on patrol from 3pm to 1am on a Saturday. I'm so very tired. :P

First off, I got a new job. Yay! I left my old job mainly because of the two gals there that were just awful, awful people to work with. Seriously. Hateful. It was like being back in fucking High School. I got tired of it. So I left. So this past Monday, the 2nd, I started at my new job. The people there are great! It's a rather large company and a rather large series of buildings. But no matter where you go, everyone is smiling, joking and generally happy. I'm happy to be there.

So after my first day at my new job I was also busy with my internship that evening. I am interning at the Sheriff's Office Crime Lab this semester. I got there about 6pm and at about 9pm we got a shooting call. From that point on we (meaning the deputies, the lab techs and I) were at the hospital talking with the victim, documenting his wounds and then on the scene of the shooting documenting the scene, collecting evidence and looking for the spent round. We never found it and that's because the scene had been altered. You could easily tell it had been altered. There was blood everywhere! Literally. You couldn't walk on the floor without walking through pools of blood or on blood spatter. And it was on the walls too (about to my knee height). Yet this one beige cloth recliner had no blood spatter on it at all. Yet there was blood spatter on the wall behind it, next to it and under it. When we asked the home owner when that recliner had been moved there his response was it had always been there. Yeah right. Blood can be amazing, but not amazing enough to make 90 degree turns in mid air, not once, but twice. I was informed after we left the scene that the house we were at was a known drug house. It looked like the man shot was either one the people who attempted to rob the place or someone there buying at the time of the robbery. The deputies were still unsure of that situation when I left them at 1am but by the evidence we collected and witness statements, they were leaning towards the victim having been the set-up man in the robbery and him accidentally being shot in the leg by his accomplice.

The entire time we were there, the door was open, as well as a window that the victim attempted to jump through and it was snowing. And not just spitting snow. It looked like a good North Country snow in February. It was freezing! I think it was about 40 degrees inside the house while we were looking around. And let me tell you, those latex gloves do not afford you any protection from the cold!

It was a hell of a night and I'd be there again right now if I could.

Eric is doing well too. He's at work right now. His last flight lands at midnight so he'll be home about 3am. He's been taking extra hours mainly because I'm not home as much either and well, a little extra cash in savings never hurt anyone! He's still liking the job except for this past Friday. he called me, nearly foaming at the mouth because of the rude passengers he'd had all day. Seriously. Just being assholes. One walked up to him and asked him "Where'd you learn to speak Japanese?" then stomped off the plane. Eric said he was so surprised he didn't even know what the guy was talking about until he realized he must have meant when the Captain was making announcements since the Captain was mumbling so much. But of course, this jackass thought Eric was doing it and well, proceeded to be a jackass to him. I told him he should have replied "fuckyoutoo!" very fast with an Japanese inflection. I loved our friend Maura's reply she said Eric should have said "Where'd you learn to be an asshole?" That got him laughing again pretty fast. I talked to him again yesterday and earlier today. He said the passengers had gotten better (not by much though) and he was happy that he'd be home soon to see me and the kitties.

Speaking of the kitties, they are so stressed. They climb all over me every night when I get home. I usually fall asleep with them purring on the foot of the bed. When Eric gets home they lose their minds! They follow him everywhere like they don't want him out of their sight for too long. I think that's why they sit on the end of the bed with me. I'll wake up at night and hear the purring begin again like "Mommy's awake! Yay! Purr, purr, purr, purr..." As a matter of fact right now Fang is sitting next to me and attempting to get me to lift my elbow so she can rest her head on the keyboard and look at me while I type.

I should get going... I have a paper to work on and well, now that Fang's gotten her head on the edge of the keyboard she's starting to snore and nothing is more distracting than a cat snoring.

I hope all is well with all of you. Love you all!

Lisa (and Eric, Trouble and Fang)

Yes we did. Yes we still are.

I've been watching the inaugural ceremonies/parade since 10am this morning. I'm sitting here in the CCE building on campus and streaming CNN. I -should- be reading my homework for Criminal Procedures class but I can't seem to pull my eyes off the new First Family.

Yes I'm swept up in all the joy. All the celebration. I'm an American. I carry a copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution with me wherever I go. (It's in my backpack. For a long time it was with my knitting...) Many people have said that they are proud to be Americans today. I've always been proud. I've not always agreed with my government and it's decisions and when I disagreed, I let them know. Tis my duty as an American.

It's a freedom others are still dying for. It's one that so many have died for before us. I pass historic monuments everyday on my way to work which mark different Revolutionary and Civil War battles. Their sacrifice, their spirit empowers me everyday. It's so wonderful to see so many empowered right now.

...

Now I better get empowered to do some homework... ;)

Hats, hats, hats, hats...

Apparently this yarn really likes being hats. I finished one the other day and I am flying through the next one. I just might finish it tonight. :)



It's great yarn too. Really snuggly and comfy.

Oh these will be great! :D

Now I've got to start the socks for Eric.

Finish some little sweater ornaments for everyone at work.

Finish my paper.

Study for finals.

No pressure.

Holy knitting content Batman!

Yes... I can't believe it either. I actually have a pic of knitting to post. :) And here it is:



Whoo hoo. Hat. :) I took that pic the other day. I'm at the PD now and I've actually gotten a lot more done. I think I may finish this hat by tomorrow. We'll see!

So speaking of being at the PD, as Shannon (one of the techs here) says "If you're not making a mess you're not having fun!" Here's the mess we made not too long ago:



Even with the fume hood on you would not believe how much fingerprint powder I still had on me. :) Good times!

Speaking of good times, I think Trouble really, really likes tiny boxes. I can't even think this box is comfortable but hey, I'm not the one in it... she is:



What? I'm getting comfy...



Ehnnh.



*snore*