Sunday, September 30, 2007

The Perfect Autumn Sunday

Today was one of those perfect early autumn days when it is warm during the late morning and afternoon hours, and is cool in the morning and evenings. I needed a jacket on the way to Church this morning, but on the way home it felt good to remove it and enjoy the beautiful warmth of the sunshine. Tomorrow is supposed to be the same, perhaps a even a little warmer.

Hubby and I have done very little since coming home from Church. We have relaxed, together, for the first time in several weeks. We both have needed that quiet time. He has played video games and I have knitted. You can't beat days like this.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Sizing Up the Mountain

Just who or what is my competition you say? It is this quarter of school. And, I want to make it perfectly clear to you, Dear Readers, as well as to myself, that I do not consider school to be my enemy. Oh no! It is my competition for myself. So, I guess, I am really competing with myself because, well, I am the only one doing these courses and being directly affected by them. Makes sense in a strange sort of way, to me at least.

This first week of classes has been...hectic. Almost beyond hectic. Already I have been close to the point of tears because nothing has worked right or out for an entire day and I seriously considered just finding a quiet room and bursting into tears. I didn't though. I made it through the day without a red nose and damp eyes. I am proud of myself because I did not burst into tears, but held on and stayed strong.

Thankfully the "first week of classes" is almost over and looking ahead I can see the challenges for this quarter are three times worse than last quarter. Class work is harder, actually difficult, and the constraints upon time is, well, difficult to explain to my Hubby or anyone else who isn't currently in school. Getting everything organized, well, we'll talk more about that later.

It looks like a mountain to me, really. Probably because I am quite familiar with them (and I miss them, too). It isn't an impossible climb or hike. It is difficult, though, and will call for all of my skills and knowledge and determination to make it to the top. I will reach the top this quarter, and, with luck and a lot of hard work, there will be an even better GPA than the last quarter.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

In an Almost-Quiet Moment You Can Take a Breather

Yesterday was the first day of classes for this quarter. With all intents and purposes I was planning on writing about it, until I came to the absolute and complete conclusion it would be a much better thing to be as forgotten as possible.

The long and the short of it is: 1) Voc Rehab had mislabeled funds I needed for books to tuition, so there weren't any textbooks with which to go to class with; 2) the family law class is one I need to take later on, preferably in the summer when my mood and body are doing much better; 3) added criminal law class back into the mix, although it is on-line and Louisville screwed up the notation of the proper textbook to be used, so there is a slowdown of what to do and when (hopefully it won't kill me); and 4) it was just an all around busy-work day with academic bureaucracy. I don't believe I have changed floors so many times in such a short span of time than I did yesterday. It is quite possible I was in the elevator more than I was in class or anywhere else in this place!

In re-reading the above it "looks" deceivingly simple. However, I cannot explain how bad a day it was. OK - I could explain just how bad it was because I am leaving out a few details, but it is best I do, I believe, merely because it is easier to go on and not look back. It is best we don't re-visit bad things when a good day is happening. Don't you agree? Thank you.

Today has been a much better day. My first class of the day has turned out to be math. So far so good. The main thing I need to do is just keep up with the homework because my current math teacher is as different from the previous math teacher as...Pepsi and milk. I like Pepsi. Milk...not so much. One good thing, though, is that I am more confident in getting a good grade out of this class than I normally would have thanks to said previous math instructor. Another thing that is making today better is that Voc Rehab and financial planning here at Sullivan have finally come together and I was able to get myself some books to go to class with! Well, actually it is only one book as Mr. W is having to double-check to see which book he wants to use for Real Estate Law. Having textbooks takes a lot of stress off of yours truly. I like to be prepared if assignments are asked of me. Since assignments are already assigned, it is good to have the tools with which to complete them.

Met up with some last-quarter friends today just by chance. It was spectacular to see them! It always amazes me how people end up becoming familiar so that when you don't see them you miss them. Amazingly, they appear to have missed me as well! Yes, I should be quite used to this by now, but I am not, not yet at least.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Putting my Face to the Wind

Change. It happens. Sometimes you encourage it. Sometimes you discourage it. However, it just seems to happen. When things are at their worst, or best change come along and...well...changes it. Usually it is for the better while sometimes it is just "different" and nothing more. It is hard to tell, at the moment, what sort of change is happening with me. I am trying with all my heart, mind, and Soul to go forward with the change and see where it is taking me. Being the logical sort of creature I am, I can't just let change happen. I have to try and map it out and see where it is going so that if, by chance, it isn't a good change, I can hopefully have enough time to make a course correction and let the change keep on happening.

The second quarter for school is beginning tomorrow for me. There are changes I would like to personally make on getting things done around the house for myself as well as for Hubby. I believe they would help us, but, having a very stubborn husband quite used to having his own way, it is sometimes difficult. This leaves me with only one course of action: Changing what I do to help me, for him to see, and then for him to decide what he would like to do either to join me or to change a course of action for himself.

Husbands are like that, though: It takes a while for them to agree with their spouses because they are predisposed to disagree. I think it is something they have in their DNA itself. So, I set my face to the wind and lift my chin ever so slightly and go forward.

I have a good husband.

Friday, September 21, 2007

No, It Wasn't Planned

The hiatus of late was not "planned" nor "expected." It merely occurred. I wish I could say that there was much great and wonderful excitement had by all, but, well, there wasn't. It was a time of sleeping, grumbling over bills that needed paid sans funds, and reading. Oh, and knitting.

About the only productive thing about this hiatus was that the hat for Hubby was finally completed. He took it as soon as it was off the needles and I haven't been able to snag it for a picture yet. But I will. I will! I am quite proud of the little thing.

There is tai chi tomorrow, unless these cramps continue hideously as they currently are. I'll take a muscle relaxer and relax and see how it all goes.

I have missed you all, Dear Readers.

--The Editor

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Tidbits

Yes, it has been a while since I have regaled you with tales and thoughts, or just harassed you, Dear Readers. I have been a very bad Editor and I once again apologize. Life is...interesting...when you are a student. Once finals were through I believe I slept for a couple of days, and finals weren't that hard torturous (this time). I think it is just the stress of it all. It weighs on you and when you are tutoring, well, you get everyone else' stress as well and it affects you despite your best efforts to distance yourself.

There is a story I need to tell about tutoring this quarter, but I am preferring not to think about this so much at the moment....

I am almost addicted to Disapproving Rabbits! Every day I go there to get my daily dose of rabbity goodness! I adore rabbits. I really do. They are sweet, soft, and once they know you they know you and if someone else touches them they are very aware it isn't you. Part of me would love to have another rabbit, but I don't believe my canines OR feline would appreciate this very much. They happen to be just a little spoiled. Especially my beautiful golden lab, Chewie.

Chewie has really begun to fill my heart with gladness and joy. He is such a kind, tender soul. Recently Cappa, the Princess Feline of the household, killed a mouse. Chewie was heartbroken! He whimpered. He almost cried. Then he deposited the mouse into my lap for me to "make it all better" I believe, and when I couldn't he was almost beside himself. How can you not love such sweetness, such kindness?!

Have my grades. So far the GPA is 3.75! *happy dance* I didn't do as well as I wanted on the keyboarding final. I know my accuracy was dead on, and my centering was perfect. The table I was supposed to put into the letter was correct. What did I miss, then? Oh, well, I'll try not and think about it overly much. It is already done and there is room for perfection and having the 4.0. If I am not mistaken, this should set me onto the Dean's List. We shall see.

Currently I am applying for scholarships and grants for some more free money. The new wheelchair should be here sometime this month and I need some money to pay on it, plus I need to buy school books for the next quarter. It surprises me how little money I actually need to get everything done that needs to be, but, at the same time, it is quite difficult to come by. This means I have a number of essays to write of varying lengths on different topics and I have those creative projects to finish. Yes, it surprises me how busy I can end up.

-- The Editor

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Slowing down in order to speed up. More commonly known as finals.

Keyboarding 105. Although it would be horrible to sit here and toot my own horn, I am quite positive I have aced my keyboarding final. There wasn't a speed and accuracy test (which is a bummer to me), nor was there APA format which made my life and testing quite easy. All we had to do was a memo and a letter with a table inside it. No problem. I was really expecting something hard. Extremely hard. There wasn't. Therefore I am quite happy.

Since having taken the keyboarding exam this leaves me with a question: How did this one fellow fail the exam? He took it via night class. It isn't that hard to begin with. He said, "I can do 40 words a minute without a problem, but I just wasted $40 on a course because there just wasn't enough time to do everything the teacher wanted on the exam!" Having taken the exam, which is the same for all classes, I am not at all certain how in the world he failed! He has not even tried in class or something. A lot of people in my class were glad to get 40-50 words a minute. Their accuracy was good and although they were slow, the finished product was pretty and neat. So, how did this guy fail the final? Did he even try?

This quarter has come to amaze me really. People that don't really have a problem physically expect more and more things to be handed to them. "Earning" something is a concept they thing will happen later. Not now. Not while they are in a school learning and practicing for the job they are eventually going to have. It isn't just one age of people either. It is an amazing demographic of young and old, and older who expect the grades and class work to be given them in the easiest possible format. They don't want to work.Also, it isn't a sociological/money issue either. Poor students are expecting hand outs just as quickly and readily as those with money. If it isn't a generational thing nor a money thing, why is it here? Have people completely lost their sense of self worth? I mean, come on, let's face it--my self worth has been beaten, battered, bruised, knifed, kicked, you name it, but slowly the belief in myself is returning. It isn't anything I've done or wanted to do. It has just slowly come because this is the type of person I am. And, I also understand that people really need self worth to feel good about themselves and sometimes this self worth is abused by others and causes great harm. However, it doesn't seem right that almost half of the student body of this place should have this attitude. Is it?

It just amazes me. I don't understand this. I sincerely, truly don't understand this aspect of what is happening here at all.

*sigh*

OK, off my soapbox now. This was just an observation that I have been making all along, but today it hit with a major whack when I heard of the people failing the final exam in keyboarding of all things! And quite a number didn't even show up!

Ok. Ok.

The last final I have today is the math final. It begins at 12:30 p.m. and this means I have nothing to do between now and then. (The keyboarding final was finished in 30 minutes so I have been free for an hour already!) Let's see what I can find to keep me amused while the mp3 player charges.

Sunday, September 02, 2007

A quiet moment


Have been reloading the MP3 player for studying and finals' test taking. Ran across this and found myself just sitting. Listening. So I thought I would share.


R. Carlos Nakai - Whippoorwill (From Cahnges).wma