Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
What a wicked and wonderful Christmas this year brought. Wicked only because we were so crazy up to Christmas Eve, it was hard to get into the true holiday spirit. Wonderful because we shared the time with a house full of loved ones. I waved good-bye to the last of the house guests this morning and have spent the entire day just hanging out with darling hubby, who has taken the next two weeks off from work. It is so nice to see him...the past months have been crazy for the both of us. Sigh. I love alone time with him- no housework that's getting done (what needs to be done is another matter all together)-just eating leftovers and watching stuff on the couch.
Right now he's building supports for the new speakers we picked up today. With the change in the living room configuration we are now able to put in surround sound. He is so tickled.
I managed, after two and a half years, to finish the curtains in the office and made new drapes for the living room.
I didn't bake, at all, except a caramel apple pie and a chocolate torte, but the presents we picked for family were big hits this year...so yeah team! It's always nerve wracking to buy for people you love, but don't get to spend a lot of time with. We picked brains for suggestions throughout the year and came up with some nice gifts. And as always, the reverse was true.
Tomorrow I have scheduled a manicure/pedicure with my best friend to celebrate the completion of a good semester...teaching high school for her and finishing the first upper-division semester for me. I can not wait, it's been too long since I had a nice pamper session.
Friday hubby and I are jetting off to the land of Louisiana for a New Year's Eve wedding. Should be fun, right in the heart of Cajun Country. Which reminds me, I have to check the weather and do some laundry...anyway, we'll be bopping around the south for a few days, which is an area of the country I have never explored. I really hope I can eat alligator. I'm not kidding. It's all part of the grand culinary tapestry of our country.
When we get back, I have reading and relaxing to attend to. And extended versions of LOTR to watch, with surround sound.
*Sigh* Life is good.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Four Down & One To Go
My first final was on December third. A standard mass writing exam where we had to give a close reading of a poem and break down the underlying structures that enforce the overall meaning. How very New Critical of us. I hated it. I am not a poetry fan, I dwell in a universe of snappy dialogue and non-elusive thought. I appreciate the complexities of the style, I admire those who can write it and those who really love it but I am not of that English major camp. I have been know to wax poetic about a new dish at a recently discovered restaurant...but that's hardly the same thing.
Anyway, my personal feelings about poetry aside, I do know how to structure a close reading and examine ideas within the lines. If only they had offered a classic poet, but we had a modern poem in all its free-verse glory to contend with. A verse acting as an answer to a 16th century Spanish poem. Don't get me started on the girl who showed up at the next (and last) class meeting who actually looked up the original poem in all its Spanish glory and brought in the translation and who then proceeded to regale the class for ten minutes (when I could have been having lunch thank you very much) on the differences between the two. Did she know all this during the test? No. Did it matter at this point? No. Then why bother? Because some students are just like that. (Perhaps I'm bothered so much because I used to be that student, but have since realized how annoying it is for everyone else to deal with.)
Anyway...to make this long story a bit shorter, I hated the test, spoke in length about punctuation and voice, and name dropped a bit. In the paper. Because I could. Ha! We, as students, are not allowed to see our grades on the test until after the semester ends. This would require a visit to my professor, and unless my grade is really lower than I am expecting in the class overall, I don't think I'm going to care all that much.
So, I have been on blog break because I have been finishing a slew of end-of-term papers (all correctly cited and noted MLA style Miss A...I thought of you) and projects leaving me with zero motivation to do any other writing. Today I used almost the last bit of brain I have left functioning and took three finals back to back. I tested from 8 am on the nose until I scrabbled my last editing notation at 2:30 pm. I had about a total of an hour and 15 minute break all day. But everything at State is done, hallelujah. I do not have to light rail it over there again until mid January. Woo-hoo!
Tomorrow I finish off Spanish Two with a flourish and then let the holiday madness consume me. I plan on baking oh...about four or five different types of cookies for the holiday visitors and then there is the pickle labeling to be done and the wrapping to complete...all things I dearly love.
Come January, I have a stack of novels to read, full of pithy lines and upfront action. I have baby stuff to acquire and lots of fun home projects. This is the first time I won't be working during my school break, and I plan on enjoying it.
Wish me luck tomorrow...I can't wait to finish this semester off!
My first final was on December third. A standard mass writing exam where we had to give a close reading of a poem and break down the underlying structures that enforce the overall meaning. How very New Critical of us. I hated it. I am not a poetry fan, I dwell in a universe of snappy dialogue and non-elusive thought. I appreciate the complexities of the style, I admire those who can write it and those who really love it but I am not of that English major camp. I have been know to wax poetic about a new dish at a recently discovered restaurant...but that's hardly the same thing.
Anyway, my personal feelings about poetry aside, I do know how to structure a close reading and examine ideas within the lines. If only they had offered a classic poet, but we had a modern poem in all its free-verse glory to contend with. A verse acting as an answer to a 16th century Spanish poem. Don't get me started on the girl who showed up at the next (and last) class meeting who actually looked up the original poem in all its Spanish glory and brought in the translation and who then proceeded to regale the class for ten minutes (when I could have been having lunch thank you very much) on the differences between the two. Did she know all this during the test? No. Did it matter at this point? No. Then why bother? Because some students are just like that. (Perhaps I'm bothered so much because I used to be that student, but have since realized how annoying it is for everyone else to deal with.)
Anyway...to make this long story a bit shorter, I hated the test, spoke in length about punctuation and voice, and name dropped a bit. In the paper. Because I could. Ha! We, as students, are not allowed to see our grades on the test until after the semester ends. This would require a visit to my professor, and unless my grade is really lower than I am expecting in the class overall, I don't think I'm going to care all that much.
So, I have been on blog break because I have been finishing a slew of end-of-term papers (all correctly cited and noted MLA style Miss A...I thought of you) and projects leaving me with zero motivation to do any other writing. Today I used almost the last bit of brain I have left functioning and took three finals back to back. I tested from 8 am on the nose until I scrabbled my last editing notation at 2:30 pm. I had about a total of an hour and 15 minute break all day. But everything at State is done, hallelujah. I do not have to light rail it over there again until mid January. Woo-hoo!
Tomorrow I finish off Spanish Two with a flourish and then let the holiday madness consume me. I plan on baking oh...about four or five different types of cookies for the holiday visitors and then there is the pickle labeling to be done and the wrapping to complete...all things I dearly love.
Come January, I have a stack of novels to read, full of pithy lines and upfront action. I have baby stuff to acquire and lots of fun home projects. This is the first time I won't be working during my school break, and I plan on enjoying it.
Wish me luck tomorrow...I can't wait to finish this semester off!
Wednesday, December 7, 2005
First Scare
I no longer feel guilt over my lack of nausea.
I found myself bleeding just a touch, only a small amount...but scary enough...this morning. After frantically calling the doctor, I had to wait for her or the nurse to call me back. She did, while I was in class...and I waited another hour to hear from her again. No big deal, I wasn't bleeding anymore but I was still worried.
Turns out it could be any of several reasons why I spotted a bit. Nothing out of the normal, but I am now on "pelvic rest" which boils down to lots of rest, no heavy lifting or any other activities that could cause stress on the pelvis. For a week. At least it's finals week, and I don't have to carry my really big heavy bag around. Whew!
Yes, stress could be a factor so I am done worrying about the holidays. And Finals. Finals alone will be enough, thank you very much.
I no longer feel guilt over my lack of nausea.
I found myself bleeding just a touch, only a small amount...but scary enough...this morning. After frantically calling the doctor, I had to wait for her or the nurse to call me back. She did, while I was in class...and I waited another hour to hear from her again. No big deal, I wasn't bleeding anymore but I was still worried.
Turns out it could be any of several reasons why I spotted a bit. Nothing out of the normal, but I am now on "pelvic rest" which boils down to lots of rest, no heavy lifting or any other activities that could cause stress on the pelvis. For a week. At least it's finals week, and I don't have to carry my really big heavy bag around. Whew!
Yes, stress could be a factor so I am done worrying about the holidays. And Finals. Finals alone will be enough, thank you very much.
Monday, December 5, 2005
I Feel a Little Guilty...
...for many things in my life right now. But mostly I feel guilty for having a good pregnancy. I am. I didn't have the three-month-heaves. I was tired, but I didn't get sore breasts, aching joints, or any other physical symptoms. I feel great right now, and good thing too...right in time for finals.
I feel guilty for feeling good. I have a friend that just went through an awful pregnancy and very hard delivery. We went to visit the baby and just visit in general. I haven't seen her at all since her shower. She was miserable for the first and last three months...and I was told I sounded gloatly (really...I'm not!) when I said how great I felt after being asked, "How are you doing?". I'm sorry. I didn't plan it this way, and I'm just glad to be able to function as well as I am, 'cause school is kicking me across the floor right now.
I've decided that pregnancy is the most personal thing a woman can go through. There are few normals, and even they vary widely from woman to woman. Plus...I don't like to complain if there's nothing really to complain about(those of you who know me are laughing right now...ok...I don't complain as much as I could). I could go into the stressful emotional roller coaster I'm on...most days I want to cry for no reason...lately I've been picking fights with my husband, just to get some of this tension out of me (I'm sorry to you, sweetie, for that). I could talk about bathroom ordeals, but NOBODY wants to hear about that. I could mention a hundred small things, but to what point? Basically, I feel fine and really hope it stays that way.
Right now, all I can really think about is getting through this week and next. Oh, and where my next meal is coming from...boy, am I hungry all the time. (Does that count as a pregnancy complaint?)
...for many things in my life right now. But mostly I feel guilty for having a good pregnancy. I am. I didn't have the three-month-heaves. I was tired, but I didn't get sore breasts, aching joints, or any other physical symptoms. I feel great right now, and good thing too...right in time for finals.
I feel guilty for feeling good. I have a friend that just went through an awful pregnancy and very hard delivery. We went to visit the baby and just visit in general. I haven't seen her at all since her shower. She was miserable for the first and last three months...and I was told I sounded gloatly (really...I'm not!) when I said how great I felt after being asked, "How are you doing?". I'm sorry. I didn't plan it this way, and I'm just glad to be able to function as well as I am, 'cause school is kicking me across the floor right now.
I've decided that pregnancy is the most personal thing a woman can go through. There are few normals, and even they vary widely from woman to woman. Plus...I don't like to complain if there's nothing really to complain about(those of you who know me are laughing right now...ok...I don't complain as much as I could). I could go into the stressful emotional roller coaster I'm on...most days I want to cry for no reason...lately I've been picking fights with my husband, just to get some of this tension out of me (I'm sorry to you, sweetie, for that). I could talk about bathroom ordeals, but NOBODY wants to hear about that. I could mention a hundred small things, but to what point? Basically, I feel fine and really hope it stays that way.
Right now, all I can really think about is getting through this week and next. Oh, and where my next meal is coming from...boy, am I hungry all the time. (Does that count as a pregnancy complaint?)
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