I can’t seem to get to sleep tonight - probably a case of being too tired to sleep - so I figure I’d take a few minutes and blog, It’s been a while…

School’s winding down, thank goodness. Only one more meeting of my Monday night class (management) and three more for my Thursday night class (stats). Yeah, I go practically right up to Christmas, with the final on Dec 20. That kinda stinks. Tonight (last night now, technically) was the end of my really stressful period. We had a presentation and a notebook due, and since I’m still stuck in my undergrad mindset of thinking I can do it all at the last minute, I had to cram some things in. Now that those two assignments are over, the only thing I really have to worry about is the stats final. That shouldn’t be too bad, though, since we’re allowed a sheet of notes and only 25% is cumulative, the rest being on material covered the last three weeks of class. On a random side note, there is a girl in my management class that looks a lot like Alexis Bledel.

For several years now, I’ve been hearing about Dave Ramsey, but have never read his books or listened to his show. I never thought his message was one I needed to hear. I thought I was good with finances, having been taught well by my parents, who have set a great example for me. However, during my visit to the Staifers, we talked briefly about Dave and his ideas - and that pushed me the last inch to take a listen to what he had to say. So I downloaded some podcasts and wow - I’m nowhere close to where I could be or should be. He has some great food for thought and I’m very anxious to finish shoring up my finances so I can “like no one else.” He had his books and other merchandise on sale for cheap over Thanksgiving weekend, so I ordered a couple and I’m working through them now. Like Mark Driscoll, Dave Ramsey is blunt and doesn’t beat around the bush. It’s some really good stuff. Take a listen/read if you haven’t yet.

Hmm, what else? Oh, if you need to get expensive books for school, try renting them instead. For one of my classes this semester, I order from bookrenter.com. I rented a brand new book for $30, one which typically runs for $100+ on Amazon, and probably more at the school bookstore. You can pick how long you want to rent it, paying less for shorter periods, so in the case of my half semester classes, it’s quite deal. This is only worth it, though, if you don’t want the hassle of selling the book back you’re done with it. Obviously, in most cases, renting is less expensive than buying then selling the book back to the school bookstore. However, if you don’t mind shopping for a deal on the internet, then selling it at near the buying cost, renting is probably not the way to go. I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of trying to find a buyer for this book, especially this time of year, so renting was the perfect choice for me.

Bracketology101 released their lasted college basketball bracket today - and guess who isn’t in the field of 64? Yeah, UK was left out. Not that I can argue against it, given the lousy start to the season so far, but there is still more than enough time to turn the ship around. There are many tough games against strong teams on the schedule, so they better get business done with the teams they should beat or it’s going to be a looong season.

I’m still not tired, but I should try to get some sleep. I’ll leave you with some Christmas songs. Stay warm and safe out there!

Kutless - It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

Hootie and the Blowfish - The Christmas Song

Barenaked Ladies - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Relient K - 12 Days of Christmas

Relient K - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas