Monday, April 21, 2008

Demonstration Speech - Hummus

Here I am practicing my demonstration speech in my kitchen for speech class tomorrow. I'll actually be bringing in my food processor (it just barely fits into my rolling computer case) and all the fixings. I'll basically be doing everything the same. Except...

Improvements will be, I'm swapping out that metal spoon with something quieter. and I will talk more, no more silent places while I'm focussed on something else, that's just not entertaining for the audience, I need to talk - just like they coached the contestants for The Next Food Network Star.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

That which makes me busy...

The end of the semester is near. As I am a fairly new student (I was online classes before) I did not quite pick up on the fact that classes end before finals! Argh! When I kept hearing about x, y and z being due the last week of classes, I though that meant the last week when there was finals! So CRAP! I had to write two extra credit papers for Speech this week, one was 2 page minimum and I did 2.5 and the other was 3 page minimum and I did 6 pages.

I'll have an english paper due on the day of our final. The week of finals, I will have Math, History and Economics. I may try to take care of History the week of the 21st. Speech will be basically taken care of on the 22nd, I'll be doing my Demonstration speech. The day of our final the other half of the class will be doing their demonstration speech (and I will be doing a make up jackpot speech). Even though I'm a little cranky that the second group gets to do their demonstration speech with an extra 9 days to prepare... the more I think about it, the more glad I am... I would really rather have mine over with before finals and not have to worry about that at all that week.

Overall, I think I'm, in okay/good shape. I did some number crunching for my history class and I only need an 84 on my final to get an A in the class. Yay! I need to do similar number crunching for Econ...

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Tax Day Tuesday

Yee-haw, a Tuesday. This day has been a bit rough for me. I was up late last night, up at the normal time... and I was reading health advice... 6.5 hours of sleep is what should be considered the minimum. I may have just gotten that amount.

Get the kids off to school and now is the time to get serious about final practice for my speech. I'm writing out my main points onto notecards when I laugh at myself, CLASS starts in about 1 hour and I'm doing this now?? jeeze... generally I'm not that kind of student.

As I'm driving to school, I realize that I left my wallet at home and that I forgot to brush my teeth. Well, as much as it sucks to have no money, no id and no means of getting money... I was more concerned about not having brushed my teeth. It was group speech day and I thought it was very likely that I would be face-to-face with my group members and I DID NOT need to knock them over with my breath! Luckily I've done this before, and I have travel toothpaste and a tooth brush in my van. and I had an empty cup in which to spit and some water to rinse with. Good. I did this in the parking lot at school. I'm so cool, I noticed that there was someone in their vehicle to my right, so I made sure I did this while looking out to the left.

Well, I get out of the van, backpack over one shoulder and I take about two steps, I stepped on a rough seam of the pavement, my ankle twists and I fall. I fall HARD. Onto my knees and hands. OUCH! I'm totally amazed I did not tear my tights. Wouldn't that have looked great while giving a speech? Torn tights and white-ass bare knees! Well, that didn't happen. I recovered ok... but yes, the contact points have been sore all day, my wrists are sore, my neck is sore and I've had a headache all day. Is it possible to get a form of whiplash from falling like that? I'm certain my head was jerked when I fell so fast. Ugh.


My speech went well. My group was the first to go. Everyone looked over the outline and they were pleased. As we're getting up there, Heidi says "I'm setting the timer for 15 minutes" WTF? She harped on us about 3-4 minutes per person. That does not equal 15 minutes!!! WTF! Quanda was great and she really stretched her part. She later said she can't help herself, that's just the way she is... but man! She totally saved us on our time. We were still under time, hell, none of the other groups hit the minimum either - BECAUSE THIS SHIT INCONSISTENT INSTRUCTOR OF OURS told us 3 minutes per person was minimum. And today she insisted that it was 15-20 minutes.... good fuckin' lord. I will be so glad her class is over, she's so inconsistent and rather bitchy. You can not tell her what she did or didn't say... SHE knows best. Yeah right, she's totally guilty of not being able to keep her classes straight, and I don't totally blame her, I think she has 7 sections of the same class. yuck, not my idea of enjoyable teaching.

This has gotten too long. Not any great insight into being a student... I have a headache and while I've been writing this I've had both kids complain to me about 20 different issues that are really close to meaningless. I'm actually sitting out in the living room with my laptop, in the same room as the kids... I shouldn't allow myself to be such a target - by being available. What a lousy mother I am.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Mentally Hard Time

I am having a mentally hard time staying focussed on ANYTHING this afternoon.

So here I am working on a list of questions to go along with the book we just read, The Kite Runner... and I'm looking up the Kite Runner online, reading reviews, reading interviews... oh yeah I want to read more about Hazaras....

I decide to IM a friend I'm not in too much touch with lately, send him a link to this blog, and my laptop starts being pyscho. I didn't trust myself to type out my web address, so I went to blogger to simply copy it. Then blogger had logged me out (I actually have two google accounts) I couldn't remember the password I used, the first three were rejected... so I went through the password request steps... but Google talks to me in Spanish and I tried to change my password in Spanish but got majorly confused even though I tried it about 7 times. I yelled at my spanish speaking friend who WASN'T ONLINE to help me here.... I tried to yell at my ISP but they told me Chat help wasn't available to people in Michigan ... WTF? I'm in Tennessee! I frustrate myself further with getting myself into English for Google and I think I may have solved it... but we'll see... I don't actually think the problem is solved.

So I get myself here into my blogger stuff. I realize, SHIT! I have an econ test tomorrow, I really should study for that. And @%%$#@$% There's a history quiz tomorrow too!! Only five points but still, I'm that kind of student, I sweat over 5 point quizzes.

My brain is fried with all my distractions, its not even funny. I think I'll pour a Diet Dr. Pepper and go outside and smoke. Maybe if I can figure out a way to do that for 20 minutes solid I can clear my brain.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Economics Unfairness

My econ instructor emailed the class today and the more I think about it, the more ticked off I'm getting.

From the very begining of his class he's stressed very clearly that he does not give extensions for missed tests (this is an online class and he even plainly states if you like to procrastinate, you won't do well in his class). Well, I took note of the deadlines for the 4 tests plus the midterm and final and even though I've been taking these tests ON THE LAST DAY POSSIBLE, I haven't missed one and I'd be in a total panic if I had... I know I'm risking **something** by waiting until the end, massive illness, car accident... I don't know what it could be, but it could be something.

So we're just about at the eve of our last test, and he sends out his reminder email... "Several students have missed one test this semester and will receive their lowest test score as a substitute. The second missed test will receive a score of zero. This usually happens because of procrastination and affects your semester grade. I encourage you to take the test well in advance of the deadline."

Well, how how fair is that? NOW if you miss a test, your lowest grade will substitute in for that ZERO you earned. This is not how he explained how things would go down for us at the beginning. I think people who missed a test deserve their zero... what if I choose to miss this next test coming up? I'll get an 82 on it for a whole lot less effort. and what if I score less than an 82 on this test? You can BET a million dollars that I will raise this issue with my instructor about subbing that 78 I theoretically earned with my previous lowest test score, the 82.

I would seriously consider following up on skipping this last test, but questions for the final will in part be drawn directly from this test... I definitely want to HAVE this test to study from, and if I don't take the test, I'm not certain I will have access to it afterwards. I hope this makes sense.

And please, tell me with comments below how fair you think this change in policy is. I think it's ridiculous and unfair to student who take tests seriously!

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Two A's

Yay! Finally something school related to cheer me up.... I got my persuasive speech grade back (A-) and my english conciliatory letter back (also A-) Yay! Two A's! I like 'em.... and yes, that's only like 'em. I don't know whats in my head lately, I'm not even THAT happy with these A's. I'm not quite sure I would feel much different if they were both regular A's. What's with me?

Last week, my 1st grader cried and cried, sobbing really, about 3 S's on her schoolwork papers. There are only S's and N's (Satisfactory and Not Satisfactory), and sometimes if the teacher is so moved there will be an S+ or S- ... so why would this almost 7 year old cry and cry about S's? because she expected herself to do better, she really felt that she had done better.

I talked to her the following day about how Daddy and I feel about S's, they make us smile and we know she's doing a good job. Even an S- would only make us frown a little bit because we know that she could do better but we wouldn't say anything to her about it. An N would definitely make us talk to her about this. Both my kids are quite intelligent, their only trouble in school really to date has been effort, and issues related to organization and laziness (gee, I wonder who they get THAT from.... )

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Monday Plans

Well, I think I'm actually in a good place for all the schoolwork I need to get done... I will plan on treating myself to a pedicure Monday morning. The weather is finally becoming warm and I want to wear sandals, so a pedicure is a must.

Tomorrow I will need to get my stuff together for my part of the group speech outline. I should also get a start on all the questions for english class. I should also finish chapter 16 in Econ... I started that last night, but all all amazing things, I fell asleep with the book in my lap.

Tomorrow though, I will bring my econ book to the nail place. My fingernails have been growing very nicely lately, I think I'll go for a manicure as well. Aren't I livin' the life? :P

Why I don't like Economics...

These are actual phrases I'm supposed read by the dozens and NOT have my eyes glaze over or my brain to become numb....

"Supply shocks increase the price level and increase unemployment, while an increase in investment would increase the price level but reduce unemployment."

" money multiplier

The ratio of the increase in total checking account deposits to an initial cash deposit. "



And I *always* enjoy graphs... $#%@#%$^ too many graphs all time... I just don't care!!


Feeling Calm

Well, I just looked over my previous post and I'm making good progress on all that I need to get done! How the heck is that happening? I ended up taking a long nap yesterday, prime studying time. Friday was mostly occupied by other activities, but I did manage to knock out my math homework (yay).... so how am I doing this? Jeeze, I wish I knew...

I've just finished my History quiz for this week, and I'm a bit ahead in my reading for econ, but then I could do the online exercises (yes, I really should do the online exercises because the readings sailed right over my head. I'm so tired of charts shifting to the left or right - econ is so not for me!!!!).

I suppose I will work on my portion of the group speech. My group will be addressing student stress, I will be tackling preventing stress - the overall type of speech is problem/solutions. My group is with three others. Brian will be coving the introduction and explaining why stress is a problem, the bulk of the speech will be preventing stress and Joseph and I will be covering that. Quanda will talk about managing stress and do the conclusion. I emailed everyone Friday morning and I've only heard back from Brian. I made clear what parts we're each responsible for and what we should have for class on Tuesday. Since I haven't heard back from two of them, I really don't know if they've read this. But that is Joseph and Quanda, they're otherwise pretty on top of things as far as students go and I will trust them to do their part, well, the situation I'm in I HAVE TO trust them....

Thursday, April 3, 2008

SO much to do!

OMG LOTS to do. Let's see.. let's simply bullet point these:
  • Math - maybe 3 hours or so of work to get done, its lesson 9, 3 different sections and the homework is due Saturday night (it's an online class)
  • English - by Tuesday I need to be up to chapter 15 of The Kite Runner, not too big of a deal, but still its about 100 pages to read... I will need to make time to sit down and read.
  • Speech - group speech is likely next week. I need to do a bit research and my part of the outline. I also volunteered for my group to DO the outline, and I'm also organizing and directing the efforts of others.
  • Econ - there's another big test the Monday after next. I CAN NOT put off reading and studying this chapters for the last possible week. I want myself to have read 2 of the 3 chapters needed by the end of this weekend.
  • History - close to the same situation, but I have a small brainless quiz due on Monday. I need to read and review that chapter (13?) over the weekend.
  • Parthenon - I'm nearing the end of my training to become a docent at the Parthenon. There's a class Saturday morning (we're likely starting early) to attend. Next Saturday is graduation and I will be doing a presentation of a paper I'm supposed to have written. So, next week I need to write that paper... only a page or two. I will be discussing neo-classical architecture in Nashville.
  • Misc. for next week. Let's see... Wednesday afternoon my son has an appt, Thursday morning there's something at my kids school at 730, then I have classes from 930-1220, then I have an appt at 1pm then at 430 I'm taking the kids to the rollerskating rink (school thing), then I'm volunteering in my daughters classroom Friday morning... and I think there's something else next Friday.
Tommorrow I'm volunteering at the Symphony, I'm a docent at the Schermerhorn and I've got a tour at 1pm tomorrow. I love doing tours, but I sure would love to have all of tomorrow just to get work done. With this load I'm carrying through next week, I'm highly motivated to get stuff done. I will reward myself with my favorite Greek place for lunch. Santorini's. I've totally been craving this place for about 2 weeks now. TOTALLY!

Tonight though, I'm still holding onto the fantasy of finishing my math work and then rewarding myself with a viewing of Survivor which I recorded earlier. That and a beer will be a wonderful way to finish the day.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Persusive Speech Day

Well, today was speech day. I wish I had prepared better to have had more time to rehearse. I really felt I was too dependent on my notes. Its recorded, and I think I'll actually dare to post it since I don't think anyone has really discovered this blog yet (and I have to admit, I haven't really turned it into something to want to visit much). Well, the video should post just below this one.

Other news.... I finally got my test results from that history test two weeks ago, I got a 93, very nice. My previous test score was 92 in that class. There are only 3 tests in this class, so instead of being mega-uptight about that fact, I'm actually feeling pretty good.

That week I had two major tests and a paper due within 36 hours of each other.... overall I got A's on both tests and a B on that paper (I had kinda veered away from the assigned topic some, but I would still argue over the wording of the assignment).

I have a new paper to write for english... I think I'm going to rely on the power of procrastination to get that done. There's nothin' like the last minute for motivation right?

My Persuasive Speech

I'm attempting to persuade you to change your health habits in order to reduce inflammation in your body.

Yes, I'm nervous, Yes I'm looking at my note cards too much.