Things.

Photography Things

In November, I registered my business as a trade name and set myself up as an SP (sole proprietorship).
When we get our taxes back, I am taking it even further: registering a domain, setting up my dotcom, opening a business checking account, rearranging myself from an SP to an LLC, and a bunch of other business things. I'm not letting it go this time. I'm trying to get the documentary session thing set up, I have a bunch of marketing stuff up my sleeve, and I'm super passionate about it. (I have been, but I'm not in a whirlwind of my own shit right now, so I can actually keep the enthusiasm where it needs to be.)

Other Work Things

My supervisor is hella impressed with the things that I've been doing (I'm doing so much more work than what was laid out in my job description) so she put in for a promotion. We did the work of rewriting my job description and essential duties and figuring out what percentage of time I did what. Then it was off to HR for approval.
The promotion didn't go through.
My supervisor regrouped and formed a new plan: if they won't take a promotion, let's try for a raise. So, same story, different verse: we added a few more essential duties and reworded a few things (our department's HR representative didn't know what a cohort was -- she said it was too department-specific) and submitted a request for a large percentage raise. I just got word last night that it was approved, effective today. (So the raise should be noticeable with my next check!)
I am so grateful and ecstatic for it -- we could sure use the money!

Life Things
As I said, we could use the money.
We had to spend $734 on repairing my car last month. A tune up (new spark plugs! yeah!) and new brakes, rotors, and hardware.

This is straining on anyone, especially when you're living paycheck to paycheck as it is, as we are. (Which is another reason why I'm going to be launching the photography thing with fervor.) Jake's car is going to need new tires soon and mine probably not long to follow. My car will be paid off this year, though, and then we'll have that money left over in the bank!

In the vein of money conversation, our monthly rent went up by $74. I hope that it forces and keeps away those who refuse to clean up after their dogs.

And one of the issues that we're running into here, too, is that some of our neighbors don't want to obey the law. Colorado says that you can smoke marijuana if you are 21+, but the apartment complex receives federal monies and, because of that, they say that you can't smoke it here. (I smell it enough times to know that that rule isn't being followed!)

School is going okay. I still have an A in the class. (It's so easy to get straight A's when you're taking just one class.) There have been a few weeks when I haven't posted on our discussion boards by the due dates -- a few times I forgot, once I didn't want to, and last night I was in and out of the bathroom so much that I didn't get a chance to between everything else. 

But, I'm still plugging along in that respect. I'm absolutely loving my class! I've enrolled for another one in the summer. We'll see how that goes -- summer is one of my busiest seasons at work, and this one will be even busier as my department is moving into a new building in mid-June.