Welcome to the Twin Cities!

Okay, I know it has been a while since I have written....ANYTHING. As most of you know we have had a LOT going on, but things are starting to settle into a bit of a pattern again which helps a ton. For those of you who did not know, we have moved a little bit Northeast from Virginia to Eagan, Minnesota! Eagan is the main suburb directly south of St. Paul and directly west of Bloomington where the Mall of America is. I took a position at Argosy University Twin Cities which is about 2 miles from our house, and Justin is going to the Art Institute International - Minneapolis. His school is only about 15 miles away, but there is not a lot of parking in the middle of downtown, so he takes public transit directly to and from the Transit Center down the street to his school. It is rather cheap and quick, which is nice with gas prices still not being really cheap. Justin is enrolled in the Digital Video Production program here which he LOVES. Almost all of his General Education credits transferred from Ferrum which means he should have about two years left (three year program!). Currently he is enrolled in four classes (4 credits each): Critical Thinking, Computer Applications (for Digital Video!), Digital Video Production I, and something else I cannot remember at the moment. He also took two courses while we were moving and getting settled in online which were General Psychology and Art History. He did very well in those, although he did get a B in General Psychology. I should point out I got a C in my General Psychology course. :)

As far as my job, I am doing something a bit different. First, our school caters to both traditional younger students as well as people going back to school - so we have a LOT of non-traditional students which I love. It makes for a more diverse group and better discussion. Additionally, I am NOT in the Psychology Department. I am in the General Education Department! What does that mean? I teach a lot of the entry level courses such as PSY 101 - General Psychology, PSY 180 - Interpersonal Effectiveness, ASP 100 - College Skills. I am also still teaching courses online for South University, and have an interview this Friday to teach a one time Developmental Psychology course (Lifespan) at Inver Hills Community College - about 5 miles away. I know it sounds like a LOT - but I am actually teaching LESS, and getting paid MORE. I promise.

Now, the question you are all wondering....will we survive the Winter? I am sure Justin will be fine - he owns things such as coats...I on the other hand could be more interesting. I am terrified of driving on snow or ice. That is part of the reason we picked a Condo close to my place of work. I have 1) New Tires, 2) New Battery, and 3) Winterization of my SUV. Oh, and new Wipers! So I think I am good. I also have 1 set of gloves, a hat, and scarf. Lastly, I have a tall wool coat that is very warm, but also very HEAVY. My back is really not doing too great because it is infected, so I cannot really carry anything, which means this coat is out for now. I am looking for a stadium type coat but I cannot commit to one. I have looked online for ages and it has not happened yet. The bad news is it will be getting a lot colder this week. So...it is all downhill from here!

Well, I need to get back to sleep! Hope everyone is well and perhaps I shall write again soon... (if only I could train a cat to do it!).

Allison Deming