Resolution

No worries, friends. I have managed to procure 3 tickets (enough for my parents and the Kevin).
Stinkin' EMU. I still feel like they suck but at least I was able to get tickets... I have been appeased.

THE END

I am currently sitting in my LAST class as an undergraduate student. After a rather frustrating hour spent trying to pick up my allotted graduation tickets (only to find out I missed the pick up deadline) and going to the bookstore and spending another $32.81 (after the $90 graduation application fee) for my cap and gown, I am finally FINISHED spending money at EMU.
Yes, I know it's my own fault that I missed the ticket pickup deadline. I've been a bit of a flake for deadlines for quite a while now so now I'm finally seeing some hardcore consequences for my bad habit. My parents are driving up from North Carolina to see me walk on Sunday and unfortunately they won't get to.
There was NO notification of graduation information available for graduating students other than a postcard that was sent out sometime in October (I think) that directed them to a commencement website which said that there would be no information sent to graduates by mail and that all information would have to be obtained by accessing the website. They want to save on postage and maybe be more green... I get it. I am beyond tired, however, of having to do all of the work regarding any and all paperwork that needs to be filled out and filed on my account as a student and getting minimal notification of when things are supposed to happen while at the same time working as much as possible and attending all classes and maintaining a decent GPA. Other people seem to have no problem doing this. Good for them. They're more organized and on top of things.
Since I was "let go" from my job in February of 2006 I have been BUSY piecing together random jobs to be able to make my ends meet and have also been fully enrolled in classes at EMU. No, I have not been a dogsitter, housesitter, data entry clerk, camp counselor, sales staff member, etc., etc., etc., by choice for the last 2 years. I am exhausted and have been exhausted for a really long time. Getting through all of the red tape and jumping through all of the hoops that EMU has provided me with has been the hardest thing I've ever done. Needless to say that all of my other commitments and having a tiny bit of a life on top of school has left me completely burned out. I have been gaining weight and having headaches and falling asleep on my date night for so long that I don't even really remember being relaxed and happy anymore.
Keeping my finish line in sight has been my only weak driving force. My finish line has arrived and I won't get to have anyone share it with me. I'm angry and upset and feeling like an idiot.
As I've been telling my students for the last 3 months, "forgetful people need reminders." How hard would it have been for an email notification to go out about ticket pick up?
I'm sick and tired of stupid EMU and I hope I never have to return. I certainly will NOT be back for my master's program. I will be happy to choose any other institution.
How sad that I haven't been able to have a positive university experience. I've spent the last 2 years wishing that WCC was a university so I wouldn't have to deal with all of the stupid, jerky, and apparently inept people at EMU.

another short one

I have been queen of the short posts lately... and here's another. Perhaps sometime soon I will get it together enough to write something a bit longer.
I recently watched this video on youtube and loved it. It makes me laugh every time. Please enjoy.

Something to Think About

Please read this article. I would love to hear comments back about it if you feel so inclined.

sad, sad Alexa

I am currently at the library to do my planning for the next week of solo teaching. I only have 5 more days to go! While the idea of graduation gets me feeling feverishly excited and oh so happy, those feelings are taking a back burner position to sad and depressed right now.

While I'm finishing up my career as an undergrad student, other changes are also taking place. My roommate, Bethany, and I are going our separate ways. Our lease is up December 1st. She has a new apartment a few minutes from where we've lived for the last two years and I will be returning home.

The thought of moving home is not all that depressing. True, I don't really have a bedroom there anymore (my brothers, who used to share a room, now occupy both upstairs bedrooms) and the house is about 15 minutes further away from everything, including Kevin, and all of my stuff will be in boxes for about 3 months. But I will be going home. I have missed being there. And I've missed my brothers, so reconnecting with them and seeing them more often before I go off and get married will be nice, I suppose.

But I've really loved having such a great roommate and I'm really sad that we won't be living together anymore. I feel like I'm losing a friend (and a pet). She's been great about putting up with me and my current messy ways and has been great to spend time with and see every day (even for a very short amount of time). There have been things about our living together that have annoyed me (and I KNOW she's been annoyed from time to time too) but it's just been wonderful to share a space with such a great friend.

I'm going to miss you, Beth. I know we'll still get to spend time together now and then but it just won't be the same. Thanks for putting up with me for so long and for being so understanding. Love you.

Bats, Strange and Wonderful

Boy oh boy! It has been quite a while since my last post. Many things have happened since last I wrote. I will attempt to bring everyone up to date.

Student teaching has been going well. I had a horrible 2nd observation. My lesson was a complete flop and I was an emotional wreck for about a week before and after. (of course I feel like I'm pretty much consistently an emotional wreck lately but those couple of weeks were particularly turbulent (spontaneously sobbing for no apparent reason is very draining... I think I need to learn some stress management techniques)) After hitting a wall the way I did I was kind of snapped into action. Things have so quickly and drastically changed for the better for me... it's unbelievable. I came up with a special rules chart specific to my time with my students, I started to get really prepared far in advance for every lesson I was teaching. I'm now in charge of math, word study, science and all transitions throughout the day.

Last week my CT was gone from Monday afternoon on. Monday morning was my 3rd observation (which went so well that I cried again) and then my CT had an appointment with her doctor. She's been dealing with some ongoing health issues and last week was hard for her. It was also hard for me as she was going day by day to see if she would be able to return to school... we had 4 different subs in 5 days. I can only just imagine the chaos that would have been our classroom if I hadn't been there all week. Things were difficult also because I was dog sitting for the Scampi last week. That basically meant a lot of extra driving and next to no sleep all week long.

The overall experience of the week was good. I'm feeling warmed up and fortified for my solo teaching (which starts next week). I gained some confidence to stand on my own and deal with any issues in the classroom by myself with little to no input from another teacher. I got so many compliments from teachers in the building (who came in to check on us), the subs I worked with, and my CT who I was in close contact with via phone and email all week. All of that was nice.
I'm still not feeling completely ready and confident: remembering of course that I have a final observation next week while I'm by myself and that I'm planning all of every day. It will be nice to prove myself and put all that I've learned into practice, however. I only wish I could stock up on sleep ahead of time... too bad it doesn't work that way.

Now for something a bit more fun.
Although Kevin and I did not really participate much in Halloween this year, we were able to attend a fun murder mystery dinner at church on Sunday. The mystery took place in 1847 in the Wild West and we were given characters to play and had to dress up in costumes and everything! We brought themed food and were acting for the night. I, admittedly, had a pretty difficult time staying "in character" and mingling with everyone. I felt a bit nervous not knowing the other people and stayed basically aloof for the night.... I'm ashamed to say I was not very friendly at all. I had a great time, however, watching all of the talented and enthusiastic people around me and I loved seeing the mystery unfold and get solved. Turns out my husband dunnit.





















As part of our recent studies in science and given that Halloween was last week, we have been learning about bats. We read some books, examined some posters, and watched a video to learn a bit about them before our extra special visit this afternoon. The Cranbrook Science Institute's Bat Zone brought in some real life bats for us to see! The presenter was great: even tempered, patient, and so informative. I got some rather blurry pictures but it was so cool! I've decided a visit to the Bat Zone to see the rest of their bats and the other exhibits is absolutely necessary (when I have the time).
































Our culminating activity for the unit I taught on Habitats was completed last week. My kids are so adorable. I got such great results from them and all of this stuff is going to be awesome for my portfolio. This was the reminder sign for our 'sharing museum' to make sure we were all respectful to all of the exhibits being displayed.


















Fall is my favorite time of year. I took pictures last year of some of the leaf prints I saw on the sidewalk on my way to and from classes... one of my favorite evidences for this season. Leaves are spectacular and such a pleasure to see as I drive, walk, peer out of windows. Another of my favorite things about fall are the bustling, chirping bushes I see and hear everywhere I go. Little birds have kicked their bodies into high gear and are so busy flying about and making noise... it's so energizing. I was next to this bush earlier today... I wonder how many little faces can be seen clearly here. There were easily 50+ birds in the bush.
















I can't stand drinking pop. I had one tonight with my "dinner" and felt awful afterward. Soft drinks are anything but soft. They upset my stomach and burn my nose when I burp. *bleah* They're too sweet and too fizzy... carbonation makes me sick. I've decided that in future I will forgo any and all "sticky drinks" that come my way.

I saw my sister at the end of September in Chicago. It was a hectic weekend but seeing her was nice and I'm glad we got to spend some time together. This was my extra special birthday present. She did such a great job.
















I guess that's about all for now... hopefully I'll be updating the blog more often.

*** addition: As Kevin's comment reminded me, I forgot to mention our recent food tasting with one of the caterers we're considering for our reception. The food was awesome. We'll see how the other two turn out.... Exciting stuff! Decision coming soon. :) ***

that inept teacher...

Today my cooperating teacher, Jessica, was absent for the morning. She is the union rep for our school and so had a meeting to attend. Her student teacher from last winter semester was here as our classroom substitute. She's totally fabulous to work with because she knows all about all of the classroom routines and stuff since she became completely comfortable with them last year. She knows just what Jessica expects and likes and dislikes and how to manage the kids. Wonderful... easy morning, right? WRONG!

Jessica asked me yesterday if I would like to lead our math lesson for the morning and then transition and lead word study. I, of course, said "sure," (because when do you ever say no to a reasonable request from your cooperating teacher?) and then started to get nervous. She had the lesson marked in the math master's book for me to look at and I was able to teach right from the book. After two weeks of the word study routine both the students and I know exactly what to do there. It should've been easy and gone off without a hitch... but it didn't. Partly because the kids were all jazzed up because there was a substitute and partly because I've never officially led the entire class in a lesson before.

Things were unfamiliar for them and they were needing some comfort from their well-loved teacher, I guess. They were bananas. It was so frustrating and I just felt defeated in my attempt to gain control of the group. Laura, the sub, suggested I use the microphone system for the room, which helped a bit but I was just so discouraged that I would even need it! That might sound silly... but I don't usually need any voice amplification when trying to get the attention of kids. But then again, shouting at the top of my voice is not exactly encouraged in the classroom.

Anyway, I survived and so did the kids. Things were just a bit difficult while in the midst of the lessons. I ran long on time and the kids had to go back and finish work they should've had completed while I was teaching later on in the day.

Laura was super nice and said I did great... and I guess things weren't SO bad. I just had higher hopes. I suppose the more I develop my relationship with the class the more they'll grow to respect me and the easier it will be for them to follow my directions. I just don't want to be that inept teacher that everyone talks about, you know?

Things in general

This last week has been awesome. I had a workshop on Tuesday that explained all of my requirements for student teaching for the rest of the semester... just what I've needed and been waiting for! I left the WISD that day feeling relieved and much more confident, which was awesome.

My workshop ended just in time for me to scuttle across the driveway and work the 3 hour shift at HCrizzle's aftercare. I've missed being there! More than my co-workers and the kids, I've missed feeling comfortable in what I'm doing. Student teaching's been going extremely well (more about that in a bit as I continue the week's update) but I still feel uncomfortable enough that I've been having some anxiety symptoms popping up in my life (jaw clenching, migraines, etc.). So, it was nice to be back in the swing of something I'm completely comfortable with for an afternoon. I think working that afternoon in aftercare was the shot in the arm I needed to assert myself a bit more in my classroom at Thurston too.

My birthday was on Thursday. My class sang me happy birthday and I got to wear a lei all day and choose a pencil and eraser from the birthday box! :) The kids presented me with a card they'd all signed on Tuesday when I was at my workshop. It was awesome. After school I went right to Kevin's to open presents from all those Korpals. We stopped by my apartment to take care of the Lu and then went to dinner at the Olive Garden. While perhaps not the best Italian food ever and obviously a chain restaurant (which I guess means it sucks... :)) the Olive Garden is where we've gone every year for the last... uh... 5 years(?) for my birthday. I love the tradition of going there and getting the same dish... it's just familiar and comfortable. It also makes for an extremely relaxing birthday experience. I got some great gifts and just had a wonderful time.

Yesterday was the best day of student teaching yet. I got to do some real individualized instruction and my students accomplished so much in one day! It seemed like every strategy I tried worked perfectly yesterday and I was so excited. I'm getting to know the kids so much better now and I really feel like they're my class as well as my cooperating teacher's which is so great.

I'm working on my unit all weekend and starting to prepare for my first observation on the 22nd. My unit is on Habitats. I'm so stinkin' excited to do well this semester and I'm starting to feel confident that I will.

In other news:
I got a tub of composting worms from Barbara Naess. They are currently hard at work making fabulous dirt that I will use next year for planting things! How exciting is that?! I think they're also going to make an appearance in my classroom... :)

Remember that student teacher friend I made my first week? She's been placed at Thurston by my supervisor too along with the other girl that's down the hall a ways. We're "required" to meet at lunch and discuss how things are going so we all have some support system in place for when things are difficult. Anyway, my new friend turns out to be a wealth of information when it comes to wedding planning and Kevin and I have added a caterer she recommended to our list of people to check out. She promised to bring in her planning book for me to peruse and get even more ideas!

Life's good sometimes, you know?

Day 1

I am happy to report that I have survived my first day of student teaching! Holy cows, friends... I'm so glad that things aren't as scary as I was making them out to be in my mind. I did a tiny bit of talking to the class as a whole and a bit more talking one on one with a few of the kids. Things basically revolved around rules and procedures which is what I expected for the first day.

The class is super cute and I think I've gotten all of their names down already. There are a few kids that will certainly be a challenge to work with and given some information about their homes provided by their previous teachers, their parents will also be a challenge. One child in particular showed his true colors for mischief almost all day today: poking his neighbors, talking during directions, slumping in his seat, tapping his pencil, taking pencils from other students, getting up and wandering around the room, etc., etc., etc. (they don't sound like serious issues but of course all of those things can be very distracting and disruptive when done at inappropriate times) This was a bit surprising as most students are usually uncomfortable being little stinkers on the first day before they know how the teacher will react to their bad behavior... my new friend doesn't seem to have those inhibitions. We shall see what happens there.

The day went by very fast but I was so ready for the end when it came. Today was flippin hot outside and our building doesn't have any AC (except in the office). That was a bit rough but since that was my biggest complaint of the day I think things are going to go really well. I'm feeling more relaxed and I'm so thankful that my cooperating teacher is easing me in to the more prominent role I will have a bit later on in the semester.

Another exciting thing: there's another student teacher in the classroom across the hall that I kind of made friends with at lunch. I don't know if she knows my name but she was super nice and we had a fun talk about how the day was going so far and our EMU experiences. Further conversation revealed that we're both getting married next year and are trying to get wedding planning done AND that we're both having our receptions at the Milan Community Center! Holy cows, right?

Anyway: I'm feeling optimistic for the new year and am excited to be gaining more experience with more kids and another great teacher. Hooray!

Best Commercial Ever

This commercial is HILARIOUS and also creepy. Love it.
Happy Morning!

Cool Things

Just wanted to share some cool stuff I've seen lately.

My sister sent me this video. Pretty stinkin' cool. It made Kevin want a lion for a pet real bad.

Christian the Lion

Shellee showed me pictures of these crazy watermelons! Japanese farmers are geniuses. (the article is the first link)

Square Watermelon pictures

After the "What What" craze, Amy J. told me about this video. It has become HCreek's unofficial theme song for the summer. "How's your loony bun?" is frequently heard over the walkies and Ty is now known as Benny Lava.

Benny Lava

Ashley and Aaron had this video posted on their blog and I pretty much loved it. I sent it to some people on my email list and then while introducing a video assignment in my technology class, my professor showed it to me again. It's great.

Where is Matt?

I was shown these in my technology class also. They blew my mind. They also definitely present a challenge for teachers in the "techno age."

Cyber-Bullying #1 #2

This is just sweet.

Creeping Oobleck

Gotta Love Pirates

Most people I'm close to know that I love history more than the average goose. Those same people also know that I'm beyond in love with treasure hunts and was thrilled with the recent movie blockbusters National Treasure and National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Since treasure normally accompanies unscrupulous, greedy peoples and their exploits, I also happen to love pirates. Just a few of those fun, goofy interests everybody has, right?

As it so happens the Detroit Science Center is currently featuring an awesome exhibit called Shipwreck! all about the many shipwrecks around the world that have been found by the Odyssey Marine Exploration organization. The exhibit showcased many of the findings from the various shipwrecks and provided ample stories of the histories of the ships and how they sank. It was an awesome window into the past and I came away from it with a much greater appreciation for the difficulty of transferring people and goods across big waters and how the world has developed over time.

The bonus of going to the museum to see Shipwreck! was that our admission to the exhibit included admission to the rest of the museum too! It was a really fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon. (Plus we got to see actual things from shipwrecks hundreds of years old!!!!! holy cows!!!)















Steering the ship!!















AARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!















oh no! Kevin got shot!















Real life loot!!

on the topic of tolerance

Recently I have been involved in a small family squabble regarding the expression of opinions and how to respect them. This squabble became very heated but has been mostly resolved. Related to the subject of the squabble was the question of religion and religious tolerance. (I like the word acceptance a bit more as tolerance seems to imply someone is putting up with something rather than really being OK with it.)

I personally feel very confident in my faith (and have for most of my life) but there are members of my family that do not subscribe to organized religion and have differing beliefs from my own. I do not personally have a problem with this in any way, shape, or form but my parents, being rather uptight and set in their ways (for lack of a better term), certainly do. Upon disagreement regarding any religious topic my mother feels a renewed sense of urgency in praying for souls. She has been that way for as long as I can remember and by now I have grown used to her religious rhetoric and cannot be bothered by it. I love my family: they're the only one I have! And I have become comfortable with our differences and similarities and how to negotiate them (for the most part).

I have realized that just because some things work for me does not necessarily mean that they work for others. This has been difficult for me to come to terms with (as I have always been taught that there is a "right" and "wrong" way) and I truthfully still struggle with this idea.

On the topic of religion there is one principle that I feel is at the center of my faith and every other also. It is not always easy for me to remember, being imperfect as I am. But on the whole I do try to stick to this idea. -->

Norman Rockwell is pretty stinkin' awesome. His pictures wonderfully illustrate humanity as it is and, ideally, as it could be. This picture is one that I've loved for a very long time and I think fits very well with this post.

People are people no matter where you go. We should all strive to remember that everyone is valuable (even though they may not agree with our beliefs/opinions and may drive us up a wall) and has something to offer. Kindness and understanding is necessary to achieve cooperation and peace.

I'm working on being nicer: I am not always successful and there are people that have an extraordinary talent for getting the worst out of me. But I'm trying.

Music, Sweet Music

In preparation for our wedding next year, Kevin and I have been attending weekly Sunday church services at St. John's Episcopal Church in Detroit. It's located right next door to Comerica Park and right across the street from Hockeytown Cafe and the Fox Theatre. I grew up going to this church and have a ton of memories there, so it's nice to be back. I like sharing stories and past experiences with Kevin every week and it's neat to see all of the people I remember from my childhood after being gone for so long. My favorite part about going every week, though, is the music. I love to sing and I have many favorite hymns, not to mention the awesome choir and organ music we're treated to every week.
This week was a particularly good one, music-wise. Please find the hymn words and main tunes linked below. The first one was my pick and the second was Kevin's. These hymns are from The Episcopal Hymnal printed in 1940.
506 Father in heaven, who lovest all - Tune: Lledrod
519 Once to every man and nation - Tune: Ebenezer (Ton-y-botel)

Please be prepared to see more hymns listed here... since I love them so much. :)

Clearing things up

Never ask for comments: no one, save your roommate, is willing to oblige you. (btw, thanks Beth!)
In case anyone was wondering: the video to which Bethany was referring is hilarious, please check it out.

Running into people you haven't seen in a long time can be awkward... beware!

I LOVE Two Weeks Notice... it's just so funny. Kevin claims to really hate any movie with Hugh Grant, but then he is the one that told me to watch Nine Months (because he liked it himself).

Antoni Gaudi was an amazing architect. Most of his buildings are in Barcelona and all of them are fabulous. My favorite is La Sagrada Familia. This is the Nativity side. This is the Crucifix side. I think it's spectacular. It's been under construction since 1882 and is not scheduled to be finished until 2026. Being in an Art class makes me want to return to Europe and see things.

I still need to buy National Treasure 2. It's simply the best, in case you didn't know.

I'm excited to go camping! Are other people bringing their dogs too? Not that anyone will respond to that question... but I was just wondering.

Debating

While discussing whether or not we would enter our wedding reception to The Final Countdown, Kevin boldly stated, "If it's good enough for the Pistons, it's good enough for us."

Does anyone have any thoughts on this subject?

Poor Lucy Goose

This post is dedicated to my poor little dog, Lucy. (sorry, everyone, that it's taken me forever to write! I know at least one of you has been waiting for this post for a while.)

The subject matter of this post is rather funny but Lucy is really not enjoying herself right now (thus the post title).

For those of you who don't know: Lucy is prone to ear infections. She gets them about twice a year in spring and fall. I've been told she most likely has some kind of seasonal allergy. At any rate we have to make vet visits every time she has an ear issue to get a swab and to be prescribed the same cleaning solution and antibiotic ointment.

Cleaning Lucy's ears consists of me sitting on her head and squirting cleaning solution in her ears and then applying some of the antibiotic ointment, while all the time she is trying her darnedest to escape. Between ears I have to flip her over hog-tie style so she can't get away. It's pretty traumatic. Normally when she's got medicine going on for her ears she gets pretty comfortable spending a lot of time under someone's bed (not mine: I have too many things under there) because she feels like I can't find her and thus won't sit on her head; little does she know that I'm under the vet's orders.

Well recently Lucy began her yearly ritual of shaking her head and scratching her ears. I recognized the tell-tale signs of an ear infection and began cleaning them with the solution I'd had leftover from our last vet visit. Things did not improve and I knew I had to make an appointment. A couple days before we were scheduled to go in and get her ears checked out I discovered that Lucy's outer ear (the floppy part of her ear) was all swollen. I wasn't sure what it could be... I looked it up on the internet the night before we were to see the vet. Turns out it's called an aural hematoma. Basically, it's cauliflower ear for dogs and it caused by excessive shaking of the head when the ear canal is already irritated. The website I found told me that hematomas must be drained and treated with steroids in order to heal and if that treatment doesn't work: surgery. Needless to say, I started freaking out about money and poor little Lu (who has enough problems already with her allergies and epilepsy) having to go through all of that.

We went to the vet and got the usual ear stuff out of the way and then addressed the issue of the hematoma. Given that it was not too big or serious we were able to put in a drainage tube that would allow all of the fluid trapped in there to come out and her ear to heal. No surgery required! The only catch to this, the cheaper solution, was that she also had to wear one of those horrible plastic cones to keep her from being able to scratch her ears and remove the tube. And so we come to the amusing part of the story that I'd mentioned above.

Lucy's been wearing her cone since our vet appointment last Thursday and so has been running into things and getting stuck on furniture since last Thursday also. She hates wearing her cone: she can't see very well, she can't sniff the ground (or anything else) when she goes outside, she needs help getting up onto the bed where she sleeps, she can't get any toys out of the toy basket, she can't chew on any bones and worst of all: she can't scratch her ears. On top of the stupid cone (which is not just annoying for Lucy but also for her humans) Lucy must undergo ear treatment as she did before plus take oral antibiotics and aural steroids. This means she starts and ends each day with me sitting on her head and then shoving pills down her throat.

The only upside to this entire situation is that it makes for funny stories of the dog running into things and she had a "cast" for everyone to sign! The signing of the cone was Ashley's idea but I liked it so much that I asked others that came to visit to sign it too and Lucy ended up with 6 whole signatures (one of which was from Lola)!
This is what the signatures said:

• Even though you have a cone on your head you don't look like a conehead. Love, Ashley

• I'll help you get toys! Love, Lola

• I hope you don't bump your head too much! Love, Frances

• Keep your head up, goose! Love, Alexa

• Get well soon, beast! Love, Scott

• Beth's direct quote is currently in my trunk and so she will be quoted later on but it had to do with Lucy getting a lot of time for meditation throughout the cone experience. Whenever Lucy ran into something she would stop and be still and just stand there until someone came to free her. She seemed very reflective.

***Things have changed since I started this post and Lucy is no longer wearing her cone. Her hematoma is healing nicely and her tube was removed last Friday after having it in for only a week! We're all very happy without the cone and things are starting to get back to normal. We now have an arsenal of allergy medication and will hopefully not have to deal with this ear issue anymore.... wouldn't that be wonderful?!***

Please see some photographic evidence of the hilarity that was our cone experience below:
Lola was very supportive throughout the whole ordeal and even put on her own cone to make Lucy feel better... Lucy did not appear very grateful for the gesture.


Also: something funny happened in church 3 Sundays ago:
It was time to listen to the sermon and I asked Kevin to keep our place in the prayer book by bookmarking it with his Sunday bulletin... and this is what I said:
"You wanna put your thing in there?"
Kevin leaned over and whispered:
"That's what she said."
I almost died holding in my laughter.

A Post for Ashley and Ayesha

This post is for Ashley and Ayesha who have both moved away from HCrizzle and so have missed the recent Earth Day celebrations.

Here are pictures of some of the many Earth Day poster entries (winners have a Green Footprint Award).

Hope you guys enjoyed these... I think they're awesome. There were obviously more of them... but that would've been A LOT of pictures!

Another thing to add to this post:

I was recently spending some good quality time with my good quality friend Frances and we stumbled upon a discovery that very much reminded me of the special performance of the well-loved group Urinary Tractor Convention. Frances lives in Ypsilanti and we had been out for a walk around her neighborhood and were returning to her house for a rest when we noticed a gathering beginning in the backyard of the house next door. We weren't sure what was going on and so forgot about it for a while. We were inside talking and then began hearing a strange sound... thus began the stalking:

This picture was taken from an upstairs window of Fran's house. We were still unsure of what the sound was but obviously something was going on outside. We snuck out onto her brand new back porch and took a little listen: Johnny Cash was playing! Well... not him (of course) but definitely someone playing a tribute! thus more stalking:

Holy cows! Some guy was hooked right up to some speakers and was giving a little backyard concert! (this picture was taken on the sly while pretending to play with Macaroni, France's dog)

I personally thought this was pretty awesome but we still didn't have any real explanation for what was going on. A little before my departure Frances brought in the mail and found this:

Guess Ypsi's not so lame after all, eh?

Lucky Ducks

This post will be a short one, but I saw something neat-o yesterday!

Recently at HCrizzle we have been needing to fill out all kinds of staff paperwork in order to update our child care license and make sure we're all current before the facility is inspected. I (as I often am) was put in charge of figuring out who needs what paperwork updated to be current and in the process of doing that discovered that only Sharonrose (the most recently hired person) legitimately works there. Bad news! Many of us needed current TB tests, as our previous tests had expired.

So: in an effort to be current and not be fired I, along with Amy J. (who was low on gas and needed to carpool), went to get shot up with TB on Wednesday afternoon at Concentra. (Amy and Ty decided that Concentra was some creepy government agency that was conducting experiments with its patients and that we were the next specimens... their motto seemed to fit the bill.)

After waiting an hour and a half before being seen by anyone, we got our shots and were able to return to work, promising all the while that we would return on Friday between 2:30 and 6 ("we close at 6 so...") to make sure we were TB free. We had just enough time to grab some pizza and a family sized salad from Little Caesar's because our entire lunch breaks were stolen by Concentra. Amy then informed me that we were now family because of our salad order. I'm OK with it.

Friday we did indeed return, abandoning our coworkers to the children, setting off in search of peace of mind (about TB and government experimentation). We went in, sat down and conversed for a short while with Matt and Lucas (who were there laying plans of turning the Concentra waiting room into an HCrizzle conference and planning HQ, and trying to work up a good pee, respectively) and then got our arms read. Nice and quick.

On our way out we saw something amazing!

That is a duck under a pine tree in the middle of one of those parking lots islands (you know the kind: with lots of rocks)!

I thought that was pretty amazing and then we made another discovery:

His wife! She appeared to be sitting on a nest and she looks exactly like a pile of pine cones!

Some more shots of the happy couple. Aren't they awesome?!

Animals are way cool.

At the End of the Tunnel...

This morning I took my last two BIOL 303 exams. I never have to go back to that class again! On Saturday I took my final exam for my PHED class. I have to submit a reflection via livetext for my MATH class and then take a final exam for ECON and I can kiss this semester goodbye!
After this week is over I must place myself for FETE 401. There's a week of no school at all and then I begin a brand-spanking-new Spring semester.
Spring semester is going to be a challenge because it means a new work schedule with no money and a lot of school work in half as much time.
I had a meeting with my cooperating teacher (for student teaching this fall) last week. She seems really nice and very well organized which gives me hope that I won't have a crappy experience. I also got to talk a little bit with her current student teacher. She gave me some good advice and reassured me that I was going to have a positive experience... which is nice to hear no matter how many times it's repeated.
I'm starting to feel hopeful for the end of my college career (which I don't think I've ever experienced before)!

Build It week is going to be the best week of camp this summer. My bedroom is slowly filling up with boxes and we're going to make THE best igloo out of milk jugs EVER!
I'm feeling tired and excited all at once!

The Big Day

So after all the complaining in my last post I felt the need to post something nicer.

Kevin and I are getting married next year! With this awful semester it has been easy to forget the excitement of wedding planning, but I have been able to get some things accomplished.

I've purchased my dress, decided on the reception site, and picked a pattern for bridesmaids dresses. We have a caterer in mind and are thinking about all of the other details.

Planning is a bit overwhelming but exciting too! The one thing that I don't really like about planning is starting to pay for things... but so far the things we have begun paying for have been relatively inexpensive and not difficult to manage. My dress was only $600 and the fee for the reception site was $550. With the wedding being more than a year away we have plenty of time to figure everything else out (and pay for things).


Bridesmaids will be wearing a blue version of the black dress in the picture below:





the reception site from one end and then the other:





I'm obviously not putting any pictures of my dress up... but I must say I look pretty fabulous in it! I have some ideas of flowers and such but nothing's officially chosen yet.

So... I suppose that's all for now.

Horrible Pressure

Update: it is now about 12 and 1/2 hours until my paper is due and I still haven't officially started writing yet. (I have an outline and a ton of research and ideas, but no beginning)



Stress is a killer. Things have been very stressful for me just lately. Not only have I been subject to the numerous and extremely lengthy assignments (ex: the paper mentioned above) that come with being a senior, but also: have begun planning my wedding (to Young Stan), preparing for student teaching, registering for classes for spring AND summer, and planning summer camp. I feel like there's always something I need to be doing and I'm starting to get my constant headache back.

I've decided that I don't like watching other people's pets for them while they get the privilege of going out of town and having some fun. I like to sleep in MY bed and now that my dog lives with me and needs medication every 12 hours, staying at another person's house is extremely inconvenient for me. Also: I like to go out of town and have fun... it's been a while.

I love to learn but sometimes my love of learning is killed by dumb assignments. Once, in one of my classes, the professor began a discussion comparing the United States to other nations in terms of the value placed on education. He said that on the whole other nations value education more and his evidence for this was foreign students in his various classes that try harder and have greater enthusiasm for class than his lazy-ass, worn out American students. Not to negate that Americans have a seemingly well-deserved reputation for being lazy, but I am beyond worn out and find myself growing increasingly frustrated with my "wonderful" education. I recognize the value of gaining an education and am very grateful for the opportunity to be learning all I'm learning. At the same time, however, I need to be working and studying and having a life (so I don't go insane), all of which does not allow much time for my work ethic and enthusiasm to bounce back very high. Also: I am tired of being undervalued as a student. Is my tuition money the only reason my university wants me to attend? I don't seriously believe that they want me to better myself. And I'm tired. It's been a long time since I've gotten a break and I often forgo sleep in order to get some "very important" thing done. So please forgive me for not jumping out of bed in the morning with a big beaming smile on my face, ready for a new day of classes with professors, that many times do not appear to take their jobs seriously.

I have had awesome classes that excite me and really inspire me to learn more and are taught by awesome professors with enthusiasm for their topic and obvious concern for their students (while still demanding excellence)... but sadly, those classes have been few and far between (especially at Eastern).

That said, I'm ready to finish this LONG ride that has been my college career. I guess the first step to doing that from here is finishing my economics paper...

Just beginning...

So: this is probably THE worst way I've ever procrastinated before. I was urged to set up a blog so that some friends would be more connected to me and my goings on. I told those friends that I didn't really have time to set up a blog right now, but perhaps after the semester ends. The semester is not yet over and I have a 10 page Economics paper due tomorrow, and yet I sit: setting up a blog. Shameful! I don't know that I have much to say right now... or that I ever will (or that anyone will really want to read what I'm writing)... but this is the beginning.