Paper, Schmaper. I Hate Papers.

Who was the moron who scheduled me to take four classes on campus plus two online? Oh, right, it was me. Durrr. That sure what stupid of me.

It’s not that it’s too much work, really, but I keep almost forgetting about the online classes. They are both pretty easy, one of them is only worth one credit…but it’s a required course. Both of them require a post or assignment to be turned in by Wednesday, with follow up comments due by Sunday. In the one class (Business Communication or some such thing), the assignements have required no more than 10 minutes of my time as yet.

So, last night, I log on to see what’s up for this week and see that our mysterious “white paper” is due for peer edit by midnight tonight. I looked through and found the instructions for our “white paper.” It’s a five-page paper telling people why they should a)choose our university and b)choose our major. Ok. Not to mention, we are supposed to interview someone in our chosen field and include the transcript from said interview.

It’s a good thing I have friends who are teachers, eh? Friends who love me and would do (almost) anything for me. Beks is going to answer my questions for me tonight so I don’t have to totally lie and make it all up. I’ve got the bulk of the paper written, so I have no doubt I’ll make the deadline. It’s just kind of nerve wracking. I’m also going to have a short research paper due before the end of the month. I’m really bad about not paying attention to the details of the syllabus until whatever it is is almost due, and then being frazzled and working like a mofo to get everything done in time. I find this odd, because when I have a job, I do the exact opposite. I want all my ducks in a row at all times. I often end up ahead and looking to see what else I can do. It’s a strange juxtaposition.

I did get a score of 108 on my first math quiz! Woohoo! True, I am in the “easy” class, but hey – I haven’t taken math in years in years, and have always had a fear of it. I’m pretty proud of how well I’m doing so far. I ended up with a 76 on my first paper in my Literary Interpretation class. The main reason was my paragraph structure wasn’t up to snuff for the professor. I kind of figured as such. He’s a stickler, and I just don’t like restraints! (Imagine that…) We are starting fiction soon, hopefully that will be easier for me.

I’m feeling better (i.e. it doesn’t hurt when I breathe), although I’m still very tired and I have gone through a box and a half of tissues within a three day period. I miss my Wonder Twin like crazy. Lots of happy, sweet and mushy feelings today. We’re going to try to get together for lunch on Saturday. Cross your fingers, babies!

Totally Music Tuesday

Damn, damn, damn this illness all to hell! Since we’re both sick, there will be no Wonder Twin Tuesday. I’m a little bummed out about it, but I know that neither one of us needs to stay up late, no matter how nice it would be to snuggle up close. We’ve both been sleeping a lot trying to fight off whatever this is. Here’s a new song for ya, it’s called Mystified by Rocco DeLuca and The Burden and I lourve it.

Croak

Gaaaaaah. Someone knock me out! I feel better than I did yesterday, but still pretty crappy. My voice is pretty much non-existent today. I did manage to make it to my early class, though I came home to rest instead of staying on campus all day.

I’m also missing my Wonder Twin. A week is a long time to wait.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got today. Going back to bed!

Cough-y McGee

So, yeah…I have bronchitis again. The bad news is that I’ve been coughing so much for the past few days, my head feels like it’s gonna explode. The good news is that I’ve got some handy dandy cough medicine with codeine! SCORE!

The boys both went with me to the doctor this morning, packed with tons of things to do (it’s a long drive). We were in and out of the doctor’s office in about 30 minutes. I swear, I have the best doctor ever. I just wish his office weren’t so far away. He gave me extra samples of the cough meds, and a coupon ensuring that my antibiotics wouldn’t cost me more than $20. So, my entire doctor’s visit and pharmacy bill only added up to about $80, which is great considering how much it would have cost to go to a doctor here without insurance.

I think I’ve written about the town the office is in before. It’s a cute, small town with lots of charm and sweet little shops. There’s a diner right down the street from the clinic, and while I’ve thought about stopping there before, I never had. It was right about noon when we left, so the boys and I pulled in and grabbed some lunch. This place was adorable! It had red booths and chairs, tons of Elvis and Coke memorabilia, and curtains with different things like Blondie cartoons and Betty Boop. The kids loved it! It was obvious that everyone else who was there knew each other. They were all talking across tables and kidding around. It turned out the owners were sitting right behind us, which we found out when Little J exclaimed, “I wish we owned this place!” Big J said he wished we could go there every Saturday. I told him that would be fun, but not at all practical since it was an hour drive from our house!

Once we’d eaten tons of great food (they even had floats!), it was off to the pharmacy. While there, we looked at every card, every package of stickers, and perused the magazines. We even checked out the fake Webkinz before the prescriptions were ready. Turns out my antibiotic was only one dose. I’d never heard of such a thing, but I happily drank it all down in lieu of swallowing three pills a day for ten days. Even if it did taste like a yellow conversation heart mixed with water and chalk. (Which it DID.)

I knew I had one more stop to make. The last time I was in town alone, I stumbled upon a little shop called Flirt. It’s one of those frou-frou girly shops that men hate to be dragged into. Most of the things in there are too frou-frou for me, actually, but last time I found some great stuff. This time, I found a beautiful fairy picture (half-price!) and a snarky magnet, both for Honeywine. The magnet says, “Always a bride, never a bridesmaid.” How can you not love that!?! I also found myself a little prize (also half-price!). It’s a change purse with a pinup on it. I’ve been looking for a new wallet, and this is perfect. It has places for cards and everything, and is big enough for what I need.

We were on our way home, just for a bit, before heading out to see Coraline.. I had promised Little J I would take him, and I really wanted to see it, too. He invited a friend, and Big J decided to stay home. The movie was a.m.a.z.i.n.g! The kids kept looking at each other and saying, “this movie is so good!” After the movie was over, they had money for the arcade, so they played while I texted. For a freakin’ hour they played! I was starving!!! We finally left and had a quick dinner before taking Little J’s friend home.

Even though I was sick, today was such a great day. I spent the whole day with my boys and I didn’t have to yell, didn’t have to separate them, didn’t have to deal with my mother (much). I enjoy them so much when we aren’t around my parents.

It’s Friday Already?

I fear that I’m sick again. It’s only been a few months since I was terribly ill with bronchitis, and I’m worried that it may have reared it’s ugly head again. I don’t feel completely horrible, just have a nasty sounding cough that seems to be all in my chest, and I’m extremely tired. Hmmm, that’s exactly what E said at her shower…and the last time I was sick, she was sick right before me, too. Odd.

Anyway, the coughing started yesterday and while it hasn’t gotten worse, it sounds/feels just like when I had bronchitis before. That’s worrisome for several reasons, most of which that I have no insurance. My doctor only charges me $60 for a visit, but if I have to buy prescriptions on top of that, you get the picture. Add to that the fact that I can’t take penicillin and many other antibiotics because I’m allergic, and it’s hard to find a cheap script for me. Grrr.

I decided to go back to bed this morning after the boys were gone, and slept until 10:15, when I had to force myself to get up and head to campus for the testing. I’m the one who grades the weekly journals, so I had to go at least take those. I only stayed for the first test, which all of “my” students took, and then took myself to the movies to see “He’s Just Not That Into You.” Meh, it was okay. There were a lot of good actors, but the story was just…okay. I’m thinking about taking Little J to see Coraline tomorrow (Big J thinks he’s too old for that one), but it will depend on how I’m feeling. I broke down and called the doctor’s office and made an appointment for tomorrow morning. I don’t want to miss any classes.

DUDE I Just Flushed My Phone!

So, I’m not really sure what to write about tonight. On Wednesday, I came home from school, worked on my paper some, and then slept for about 3 hours. I was exhausted! When I woke up, I went on “date night” with Mom. We are trying to spend at least a little time together every week just us, and it went well. We talked about school stuff, and she asked me more about my Wonder Twin. I had told her on Tuesday that we had decided to be more than friends, so she was a little more curious, I guess. Then I came home and finished my paper after the boys went to bed. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a great paper, but…meh. There was a mandatory word count, which I feel is completely bogus. Why do I have to write 1,100 words if I can say what needs to be said in 900? Grrrr. I finished it and turned it in on time, and that’s all that matters, I guess.

Today was mentor group day, which means sticking around on campus after my class and having lunch with Bambi. We talked a bit about our group, and ways we can help them, but ended up getting very silly and actin’ da fool. She is so unintentionally funny. She’s a very smart girl, but also kind of ditzy and clutzy.

Case in point – it was almost time for our group to come in, so we decided to make a bathroom break. So we’re in there, along with other ladies, and all of a sudden she calls out, “DUDE! I just flushed my phone!!!….Oh, wait, it came back up. Oh my gawd.” So, I’m giggling, I come out of the stall to wash my hands, and everyone’s looking at each other like, “WTF is going on with that girl in there?!” It was hilarious. So she comes out of the stall, holding her phone, and goes to wash it off and dry it and see if it will still work. It came on, but was acting weird and wouldn’t let her call out or anything. Luckily, we were able to cheer her up before group was over.

People also participated more. Some of the folks who haven’t had much to say so far spoke up and gave answers, and that was nice. I’m hoping they do well on their tests tomorrow, especially the two who haven’t been as confident. I don’t think I’m going to stay all day for the tests, but probably will leave after the first round. Last week, I didn’t really have much to do, and I felt like I was wasting my time. If I do come home, I’ll probably sleep. I can’t get enough sleep lately.

Semi Wordless Wednesday

Ok, so I haven’t quite finished the paper yet, so I don’t have a lot of time to come up with a meaningful post. It’s the first time I’ve done a Wordless Wednesday! This is a clip from the movie Super Troopers, which I watched last night. If you’ve never seen it, it’s HEEEElarious.

Totally Music Tuesday – A Two-fer!

I’ve gotta write a paper today! AAAAHHHH! Anyway, you get two songs today. The first one is “You Make Me Smile,” by Blue October (BONUS! They’re from H-town), and the second one is “I’m Yours,” by Jason Mraz.  Enjoy your Tuesday, kiddies, I know I will. Big smoochies.

Phenomenally Me

There are a million and one things I should be doing right now. For instance, starting that paper that’s due on Thursday, catching up on reading for my Intro to Special Ed. class, or cleaning my room/bathroom. Like usual, though, I’m procrastinating. It’s what I do. I know I can get it all done last minute, so I put it all off. C’est la vie.

There have been some things going on behind the scenes here that I’ve been reluctant to share, because it’s all mine. I’m still not sure whether I will or not, but don’t fret, my pets. They are all good things, and I am very content at the moment.

For one of my classes, we have to memorize, recite, and analyze a poem with two other people. I was paired with two young ladies, and we each had to find three poems to bring in so we could then narrow it down to the one we wanted to use.

I don’t have a great knowledge of poetry. I enjoy it. I’ve written some horrible poems in the past. I didn’t have a great database of poetry to go on, though. I kind of forgot about the assignment and ended up searching for poems about an hour before class. I stumbled upon this one, and it spoke to me. While we ultimately decided against using this one (it’s too long to memorize in a short time), I wanted to share it here.

Phenomenal Woman
By Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please.
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me.
I hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s in the fire in my eyes.
And the flash of my teeth.
The swing n my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman.

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.

I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Polar Opposites

This is one of those bulletin things from Facebook. I saw it when my cousin posted it, and I thought it was pretty cool. I don’t really have anything to write about tonight, so I figured I’d post this here. I would love to see yours if you decide to swipe this. Anyone? Ron? Bueller? Bueller?

This is how this works, you put iTunes on shuffle and put the name of each song under each line. You can’t cheat if you don’t like the song or anything so type the one you hear.

How do I feel today?
“Never Is A Promise” – Fiona Apple

What is your motto?
“Creme” – Buckcherry (I have never listened to this song before, LMAO)

What do your friends think of you?
“Bad Case of Love” – B.B. King

What do you think about very often?
“Free Until They Cut Me Down” – Iron and Wine

What is 2 + 2?
“Disturbia” – Rhianna

What do you think of your best friend?
“Four Walls” – Jim Reeves

What do you think of the person you like?
“Hot Cookin” – G. Love and Special Sauce. (Uncanny!)

What is your life story?
“Tear It Down” – Old Crow Medicine Show

What do you want to be when you grow up?
“If You Want Blood” – AC/DC (Whaaaaa?)

What do you think when you see the person you like?
“My Favorite Things” – John Coltrane (WOW!)

What do your parents think of you?
“Nuclear” – Ryan Adams (bwahahaha)

What will you dance to at your wedding?
“I See A Darkness” – Johnny Cash

What will they play at your funeral?
“Desperation” – Miranda Lambert

What is your hobby/interest?
“When Do The Bells Ring For Me?” – Tony Bennett

What is your biggest secret?
“Tymps (The Sick in the Head Song) – Fiona Apple (nice)

What do you think of your friends?
“Mr. Ambulance Driver” – The Flaming Lips (wow)

What is the worst thing that could happen?
“Broken” – Drowning Pool

How will you die?
“Bent” – Matchbox Twenty (ouch)

What is the one thing you regret?
“Easy From Now On” – Miranda Lambert (I guess it’s not shuffling too well)

What makes you laugh?
“Meet Me In The Bathroom” – The Strokes (that’s what SHE said)

What makes you cry?
“You Don’t Understand Me” – The Raconteurs (hmmm, interesting)

Will you ever get married?
“The Lighthouse’s Tale” – Nickel Creek

What scares you the most?
“Out of Order” – Fiction Family (holy crap!)

Does anyone look like you?
“One Thing” – Finger Eleven

If you could go back in time, what would you change?
“Breakfast After Ten” – Blue October

What hurts right now?
“Sweet Illusions” – Ryan Adams

What will you post this as?
“Polar Opposites” – Modest Mouse