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.