The Beahive

Commencement

So, I'm graduating this weekend.

Sort of.

I'm walking at Graduation this weekend.  I'll be recieving a blank piece of paper in lieu of a diploma.  Pending six classes.

Regardless, it's exciting.  My whole family is coming up, including one of my aunts, and even some of my friends said they'd come up, without me inviting them or anything.  Which is such a nice thing - someone else making a to-do about you, unprovoked.  I made reservations at some fancy restaurants, and I bought a pretty dress. 

It will be fun and I will try not to feel like a phony.

A Rough Patch

I hit a rough patch early this year.

As some background: I fell into a rather deep depression November 2005.  I left school on a Medical Leave of Absence, started seeing a therapist and was prescribed some medication.  I started feeling a little better and got a job working at a K-12 school for kids with physical disabilities - it was the most fabulous thing I'd ever done, I absolutely loved working there.  The school year ended and an internship in the city fell into my lap.  I had a good time, but it wasn't my cup of tea - I was working in the accounting department (I am an English major and a Studio Art minor).  I decide to wean myself off the medication, I am doing fine.

I get the proper paperwork in, and resume my classes Fall '06.  The fall semester goes swimmingly, except for a D in physics, but who can blame me.  But then, this January, I had a setback, and to make a long story longer, I am back on the medication plus a medication for anxiety that I'm only to take when I think I need it, seeing a therapist in Providence weekly and my old therapist in NY monthly, and taking only two classes this spring semester. 

I feel like a disappointment.  Or, felt like one.  But to be most accurate, too often feel like one.

I'm doing better now, March 9, 2007.  Back on track, and working with the Dean to see what I can do to just finish college already.  Though there's myriad options, they almost all begin with me walking during the May '07 Commencement, pending 6 classes, which is good, I want to do that - wear a cap and gown and make my parents proud.  I hope I don't feel too much like a fraud.  The option that seems most viable (and cheapest) is taking one class during the summer, and then coming on as a Special Status Senior for Fall '07.  That, at the moment, seems to be my course of action.

Special Status.  Not a status I've ever thought I was before.  (Or, a status I'm too familiar with?)  People keep telling me it's not unusual for people to feel the way I do sometimes, that I'm not the first college student to take five and a half years to finish.  They say it's not bad, and its not uncommon.  And it's true, I'm sure.  But I've still got this Special Status creeping up on me, making me feel too special.  I guess, thank God this is the worst of my troubles.

I'm planning on getting a dog.

Long Island

Reilly 003
Originally uploaded by CaitlinRosanna.

This is the home that I, for the most part, grew up in. I was actually born in Brooklyn, where both my parents were born and raised as well as three of my four grandparents, and my sister was born on Staten Island - even though my dad refuses to admit to that year of his life. My other siblings were all born in this town, although only one of them has lived his entire life in this particular house. Still, it's where almost all my childhood memories are... where I learned to ride a bike, where I got my boot stuck in the roots of a juniper tree during the blizzard of '96...or'93?  It's almost at that time when I'll be only a visitor.  How strange and exciting?  But also a bit sad.

A Family Affair

Recently, I started researching my family tree.  The whole personal-history-thing has always interested me, my mom even said so of my younger years: asking questions about my extended family.  But just this past week, I bit the bullet and actually signed up for Ancestry.com's pay service.

Surprisingly, I was able to get pretty far.  Although, I haven't determined too many dates just yet.  The furthest I have been able to get is my father's father's mother's father's father's father and mother. Phew.  Which makes Daniel Nalty (or Nulty, there is discrepancy) my Great Great Great Great Grandfather!  How exciting.

I snapped some screenshots and, feigning privacy, blurred out my last name, just incase anyone is interested. (note: click on the images to see them in full glory)

(second note: the little leaves - for those of you without A.com accounts - pop up when the website does an automatic search of the name you put in, and comes up with possible relevant documentation/information)

Firstly, as much of my family tree as can be shown at once;

and secondly, my paternal grandfather's family tree, which reveals up to the farthest I have climbed. 

The only problem: I signed up for the Ancesty.com US package.  And wouldn't you know it, by now they're all in Ireland!  A.com won't let me see any information they have unless I pay another $100 or so to see their international package.  That's how they getcha.

Most excitingly [not a word?], I found in their databases a scan of the Passenger Log for the S.S. Manhattan, the ship my father's mother came to America on in her teens.  That got me really excited.  I also found records of my Grandpa Tom's WWII enlistment papers, though that didn't excite me quite as much since it wasn't an actual scan of the documents - it was just the information.

Thanksgiving

Oh, who doesn't love Thanksgiving.  I had the most wonderful time.  My mom hosted, and we had guests from both my mother's and father's sides of the family over to celebrate. 

Has anyone ever played Scene It? You know, those board games that come with a DVD.  My sister bought the music and Disney versions to play on thanksgiving.  They're horrible.  For instance, the directions would be "answer the question that follows this clip," a clip would follow, and they would ask "how many members of the Bangles were wearing skirts in this video?"  Not to mention, you get something like 30 seconds to answer the questions, which, when playing a yell-out-the-answer-first-and-win trivia game, can seem like ages.

But, I digress.  I have made little to no headway on my Ghost of Christmas Present Lion Ornaments.  They just aren't adding up to what I had pictured.  Perhaps I will go with a cardinal or dove ornament - easier.  I also haven't recieved any yet, which makes me think I'm not the only one having production troubles.