Update - grad school?!

OK, so it has been a while since I have posted. My mind has been occupied by other things, I guess. So, I'll give you a little update.
At the beginning of this month, I saw my best friend off to Asia for two years. She'll be going to school, studying Mandarin Chinese. I'm really excited for her, but those few weeks just before she left were emotionally exhausting, as we said goodbye at least until Christmas. For me, emotional exhaustion leads to physical exhaustion, so I had very little energy around that time. But, she safely got to her destination and is slowly settling in, and I'm doing better. We can communicate by email and instant message. Someday, I'm hoping to get Skype setup, but apparently that's easier said than done. My computer-guru brother finnagled with it for a while, then he finally said, "Well, Melissa, your computer is rather old...." *sigh* So, I'm buying a new computer piecemeal, and he's going to put it together for me....someday....
In other news, I'm sending in applications for grad school! I plan to pursue a MSCE...that's Master of Science in Civil Engineering. The prospect is a little scary, but I'm mostly excited. I figure after earning one degree in engineering, then not using it for several years, it's time to earn another degree in engineering. I think this one might be a bit more suited for me, though. I think if I had realized that mechanical engineers spend the vast majority of their time sitting in front of a computer in a cubical all day...I might have gone for something else. (That is, assuming that the majority of mechanical engineers do in fact spend the vast majority of their time in front of a computer...a fact I have not validated since I have never actually worked as a mechanical engineer.) I think, there is a possibility that civil engineers get out a bit more than that...at least I hope. I guess time will tell, and I'll let you know. My basic motivation for this schooling goes back to my trip to Africa. Mechanical engineers aren't very useful in third-world countries (well, in some respects I suppose they could be...but I honestly don't care. I think I've gotten to the point where I have realized that I don't want to be a mechanical engineer. That's a whole new subject for another post...) Anyhow, what good is someone who can design you a cool car when you don't have decent roads? What good is someone who can design tools for your manufacturing processes when many people don't have enough food or clean water? That's where civil engineers come in. So, that's why I want to get a degree in civil engineering. Sounds good, doesn't it? Not sure how it will play out in real life, because real life doesn't always match ideals, but I've got the beginnings of a plan. Of the different choices within C.E., I think Hydrology and Water Resources sounds the most interesting. As my mom has often said, "you always did like to play in the water." True that.