Cool! Maybe we should get together and swap stories.
You know that saying that no matter how bad things are, someone else is always worse off? You, Giraffe are now my “someone else”. At least I didn’t spend 6 years with her!!! 
In college my first semester I had a boyfriend back home who was a nice guy. Did well at school my first semester. I got good grades, the whole deal.
Second Semester I dumped the nice guy, went out with an abusive jerk who never paid for anything. So I got a job, basically supported my boyfriend (who’s dad was a DOCTOR for god’s sake–couldn’t he have helped support?) did horribly my second semester.
Took third semester off while still living in the college town. Continued to work, and basically pay for my boyfriend’s groceries, and utilities…
4th semester I re-enrolled and NEVER went to class. Totally flunked out and failed.
I will say that I did finally dump the shitty boyfriend who wrecked my college career. In fact, I dumped him because I found out that the guy that I’d had a huge crush on for years liked me. I’m now married to the wonderful guy.
Only thing is, I still wish I’d finished college. I’m in the process now of trying to find a college that has online courses for everything (think University of Phoenix) that I can get a teaching degree from, or at least a bachelor’s degree in English from.
grrrrrr (can you tell it’s been a bad week?)
Did I forget to mention that I’m also still paying for my failed college career through student loans?
Breezy – Check out American Intercontinental University ( http://aiudegreeonline.com/aboutus.jsp )
They might have what you’re looking for
Darwin please forgive me if this is too personal, but you do seem to have a bit of a sense of humor about it, so I’ll ask anyway:
a) What do they replace esophaguses with?
b) Where did these kids get the acid?
(Still hoping that I’m being whooshed and it was a joke.)
My biggest mistake was probably Credit Card debt, too. Either that, or investing in the company I work for when it was $80 a share. Nothing major.
I’ll second that.
My folks encouraged me to follow my dad’s footsteps in the military, so I never even thought about college while I was in high school. For whatever reasons (there are plenty to choose from), my parents never brought up the possibility that I might go to college instead. Military service provides a huge amount of valuable experience and character, and I do value this; nevertheless, had I known then what I know now, I would have gone to college.
I was 27 before my night classes had accumulated enough to help me get out of the crappy factory job. If anything, the positive side of this is that it’s a hell of a lot easier to do well in a college class after a few years of busting your ass doing stuff you don’t want to be doing for the rest of your life.
Hey, wait a minute… That’s great for you, but when do I get to feel superior? 
<auctioneer>
I have six. Do I hear seven? Seven years with a hose beast? Seven? Seven years?
</auctioneer>
I think I’m just in a philosophical mood lately so please excuse the global generalization, but I think my worst mistake has and continues to be not believing in myself. Kinda like when you look back on pictures and think, wow, my life looks better in that photo than I thought it looked in real life at the time. I continually doubt myself and wonder if I’ll ever get to a place of confidence in the here and now instead of having to live my life in retrospect.
Openly and arrogantly engaging in an extra-marital affair. That affair cost me everything. Eighteen years later, it still costs me in the form of endless harrasment by the worlds most vindicitive ex-wife. It cost me the love and respect of my son, not to mention the best job I ever had. Oh, the “other woman” dumped me, too. I could have spared myself all that grief simply by saying “no.”
Hell, where do I start?
Dropping out of university, I guess. I went back, but it put me 5 years behind on the career train.
Rolling up all that credit card debt I’m just now finally getting rid of.
I’ve never made a really super-crucial mistake. Yet. Cross my fingers.
XJETGIRLX Thanks for the link. I checked out the site. That is the type of school I’m looking for, but they tend not to offer the degrees I’m interested in. Most of their degrees are computer or business related. Maybe I should just get a business degree. haha
I really want to be a teacher, though. 
I appreciate the link, anyhow.
Regrettably (from my point of view, anyway), it’s no joke.
As for the answers:
a) They used half of my colon. Something I was loathe to inform anyone of when I was younger, kids being kids, and all. I was on the receiving end of enough ridicule as a result of the reconstructive surgery (I received some bad burns around my mouth, as one might imagine); I didn’t need to give them more ammunition.
Anyway, that’s apparently how they did the esophagial replacement back in the early 70s. From what doctors have told me recently, they don’t do it that way any more. Of course, they didn’t tell me how they do perform them nowadays.
b) Haven’t a clue. Don’t know what became of them afterward, either, as I spent the next six months or so in the hospital.
Wow… thanks for the candid info, man. My heart goes out to you.
During a very drunk night out on the town I ended up punching a guy and breaking his nose. I know that most Dopers don’t need this advice, but I’m going to tell you anyway - It doesn’t matter what anyone says to you and it doesn’t matter who they say it in front of. Just walk away, seriously. This one act has destroyed what was going along as a pretty good life. I was laid off from my job for about 3 months and now and I am back at about half pay. I couldn’t afford to go see my girlfriend in Cleveland anymore, and that relationship ended for that reason. Just like the OP I’m also very in debt with credit cards, and before this my balance was $21.00 every month for Earthlink.
Before I get jumped on for not regretting what happened to the other guy, I don’t really, he deserved it as much as anyone ever did. I told him as such after the trial.
My biggest regret is that I didn’t try a little harder with my first girlfriend. Trouble is, long distance relationships are hard when you’re a horny and basically immature 16-year-old. Honestly, odds are that it wouldn’t have ended up working out anyhow, but I’ve always lacked closure, and now (we’re still friends) she’s just this perfect dream woman for me, except that she’s married and has a baby.
Also, I should have sold all of my stock in my company back when it was $17 per share. Or $12 per share. Or $6 per share. (You get the picture).
I HATE to correct people, but sometimes my nit-bitchyness gets the best of me.
No Offense to Giraffe and jk1245, but I’m pretty sure it’s Psyco Host Beast,I only think this because I have seen waynes world many times,and when he says that,there are subtitles.
Flowerchild, I think you’re wrong. I too have seen Wayne’s World many times, back in the day. More importantly, I lived with a psycho hose beast – you learn the most by observing them up close.
Also, a Google search for “psycho hose beast” turns up 673 hits. A Google search for “psycho host beast” turns up 1 hit, some weird-ass message board (not this one).
“I told you. I thought that police officer was a prostitute!” –Homer Simpson
Sorry. Maybe I should try to fight my dark side a little harder next time.
Not a problem. Everyone loves a discussino of Wayne’s World references. Besides, “psycho host beast” is a great phrase all on its own.