A real update soon, hopefully. Until now, you'll have to be satisfied with this.
True English Nerd
You scored 78 erudition! |
Not only do you know your subjects from your objects and your definite from your indefinite articles, but you've got quite a handle on the literature and the history of the language as well. Huzzah, and well done! The English snobs of Boston salute you. |
 |
My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender:
|
You scored higher than 63% on erudition |
|
|
Well, I'm leaving to go to my parents' house today. I'm looking forward to spending time with family and friends, maybe getting some reading done, having a lot of time to do absolutely nothing. :)
If you want something interesting to look at about once a week, check
this out.
|
OK, totally borrowing this idea from
Mean Girl. These are - in no particular order - my top 15 favorites (currently) in my iPod.
I Shall Not Walk Alone - Blind Boys of Alabama
Take My Hand - Shawn McDonald
All Fall Down - Grits
Seasons of Love - Rent Soundtrack
Meant to Live - Switchfoot
O Praise Him (All This for a King) - David Crowder Band
And So it Goes - Eric Clapton
You Do All Things Well - Chris Tomlin
Wholly Yours - David Crowder Band
Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble - Delirious
Time After Time - Erin Bode
Lay Down My Pride - Jeremy Camp
Everything About You (Alternate Version) - Sanctus Real
There is None Like You - Shane Barnard and Shane Everett
Nothing But the Blood - Ronnie Freeman
|
If you have not see The Pianist, see it. Incredibly sad, beautiful film based on the true story of a Jewish piano player during the Holocaust. Definitely ranks as one of my new favorites.
|
And I made the Dean's List!! :) Hooray for me. That was one of my goals at the beginning of the semester!!!
Breakdown of the grades:
CSE 493 - B
COM 451 - B+
BEP 305 - A-
AY 102 - A
CSE 390 - A
CSE 469 - A
|
Went to the Bama basketball game tonight. We left early, but we were ahead by about 22 with 5 minutes to go. I'm pretty sure we won.
Also saw King Kong. Fantastic movie! I'm in love with Adrien Brody's eyes.
|
I made an A- in Ed Psych!!! Yea!!!!!!! I thought I was going to make a B in that class, so I'm really happy. Now I'm just waiting for grades from CSE 390 and CSE 493.
We had our Christmas Jollification party tonight, and it was much fun. Lots of friends, lots of laughs, LOTS of food, and presents, too. Renee was able to come, which I was really happy about. We all played Dirty Santa (I took Brooks's penguin, but he managed to get it back), then we played a lil bit of Mafia and a game called Apples to Apples, which was pretty fun. Altogether, it was a fantastic party.
Quote for the night:
Me: Why can you touch your eye and not mine?
Abe: Because it's my jelly!
|
Took my COM 451 final yesterday (and my "oral final" in CSE 469). I finished my CSE 493 take-home final last night. Only one left.
I'm about to go to work for a few hours, then go turn in the take-home, then come back home and study some more.
Highlight of yesterday: I made $130 selling back textbooks.
Grades so far:
AY 102 - A
CSE 469 - A
COM 451 - B+
|
It's finals week. I have a test tomorrow (COM 451) and a test Wednesday (BEP 305). I also have an "oral final" tomorrow in CSE 469. Then I'm done!!! :)
|
Had a great weekend.
Friday night I hung out with Abe and a bunch of his friends. We ate salad and lots and lots of fish. It was super yummy. Then we went and saw Chronicles of Narnia, which was FANTASTIC! Saturday was a pretty non-exciting day. I slept through most of it, then got up and went to Jessica's APO Holiday Spectacular. More good times there. This group of theatre students had 24 hours to put together (write, direct, cast, rehearse) a Christmas spectacular. It turned out to be hilarious! Much fun.
Yesterday I went to church, had lunch at the Creitz's and then took another long nap. I slept in today, too. I like sleep.
Today I've been at work for most of the day. Got a lot done on the newsletter. Tonight I have to study for my COM 451 final. And watch Gauntlet II. :)
|
Survey
10:43 PM
| Author:
Misty
| You Have a Melancholic Temperament |
Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything.
You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life.
You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you.
Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace.
You tend to be spiritual, having found your own meaning of life.
Wise and patient, you can help people through difficult times.
At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you.
You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others.
You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult. |
|
Ah, I like the feeling of being REALLY close to finished. I completed the second of my presentations today, and I feel like it went OK. Definitely better than the one yesterday. Jennifer and I met last night to go over today's presentation, and I think we did pretty well. Mostly I'm glad it's over with.
Now I just have to put together stuff for my presentation tomorrow. I think I'm going to talk about the importance of reading to children and use the dialogue from the beginning of The Princess Bride where the grandpa gives the kid a book for a present and starts reading it to him. Then I need to find some filler and will probably conclude with the very end of The Princess Bride, where the kid tells his grandpa that he wants him to come back and read to him again. I think that'll be good and hopefully a little more interesting than some of the other presentations.
I got my take-home final for CSE 493 today, and I don't think it's going to be too bad. Two essay questions; one essay is supposed to be about 4 pages, the other is 2-3 pages, so that's not bad at all. I've got to work on my CSE 390 final project tonight, as well, so that I can have it finished and not have to worry about it. Then I'll have my CSE 469 "oral final" and my COM 451 final Tuesday morning and my BEP 305 final Wednesday night. Hooray for a fairly non-stressful finals week. I suppose that having a really busy dead week has been mostly worth it. Mostly.
We are having a Christmas party at our house next Friday night, and I'm really excited about that. I have to take the APTT next Saturday ... not as excited about that, but I've heard that it's not that hard.
As of the end of next week, I will have officially completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Alabama. That's the part I'm really excited about. :)
|
Well, I finished up my first presentation today. It wasn't great, but it's over. Two more to go. I also now have a final project due Thursday, but I don't think it will be too hard, and she told us we can turn it in later if we don't have enough time to do it before then.
Good things today:
*Presentation #1 finished
*iPod is charged, updated and currently in use
*Productive times at work
*FREE LUNCH (including warm soup) today at work
*I got to wear a scarf
*I got up super early, so I had plenty of time to shower and get ready and to class on time
*My 8 and 9:30 classes are canceled Thursday
*God reminded me (through one of the presentations in my 12:30 class) that I shouldn't stress out about little things that won't matter in about 3 days
*I now only have 2 finals next week because of the final project I'm turning in for CSE 390
Bad things today:
*It took about 10 minutes to defrost my car this morning
*It was FREAKING COLD this morning, especially in my 8 a.m. class
*I have two more presentations this week, one of which I haven't started yet
*My presentation partner for my presentation tomorrow has not gotten in touch with me to go over our presentation
*I have to work at Old Navy Thursday, Friday and Saturday (blech ... but at least it's money toward Tokyo)
I am so ready for Christmas break it's not even funny. I really, really want some time off to just chill and not have to think. I'm excited that I'm going to get to go home to my parents house for a week and that I'll get to see some old friends. I'm excited for Christmas, too, and getting to play with my niece and nephew, who are the cutest kids ever! Also, getting to see Kristy, my sister who lives in Virginia, for the first time since May. And getting time off work... yea! Then No Comp is the first week of January, so that'll be lots of fun as always. I might even get to see a couple of my India gang.
Only one and a half more weeks. Three more class meetings. Two presentations. One final project. Two finals. I can make it. Really.
|
I would just like to say that dead week is a load of crap. A big, fat, stinkin' load of crap.
I have three presentations this week. I'm procrastinating.
I had lunch with Laura today. Dinner with Chris, Abe and Dianne. Good times. I'm watching a movie now and trying to think of an oral interp piece to teach a lesson on later this week. Only 10 more days until my semester is over. Thank goodness.
|
Hope this works. It's called City of Two Rivers and is by Jason Morant.
To play the video, you must have
QuickTime installed.
|
I survived the conference from Hades yesterday.
We finally had our statewide AQA conference at work yesterday. I had to be there at 7 a.m. yesterday and did not leave until 8 p.m. Some of the presentations were fun, but it definitely got old after a while, and a few of them went really long. It's over now - that's the important thing. The most interesting thing that happened was that some picketers were outside protesting one of the organizations.
I'm still feeling kinda foggy from the sinus infection. I've still got about 4 more days of antibiotic treatment left, so I figure it'll be all better soon.
My 8 a.m. class was canceled today, and that makes me happy. I'm not going to my 9:30 class (I already e-mailed my teacher and told her I'm sick still - I was supposed to teach a lesson, but at least I have the lesson plan ready to do it next week). I probably will go to my 12:30 class, and I also have to go to an astronomy lab sometime today. I'm tempted to do that at 12:30 instead of going to Frank's class. I'm also meeting with Dr. Dail today and working for a little while.
I had an interesting conversation with Bobby last night. I don't know ...
|
For those of you who aren't familiar, that's from Monty Python. It's said by the dying guy.
No, seriously, I am feeling a little better. I went to the doctor yesterday and got some antibiotics, so now I'm just kinda waiting for those to kick in. My face doesn't feel like it's going to fall off any more, although I am still blowing my nose A LOT. Anyway, enough sick talk.
I'm meeting with an adviser about my master's later this afternoon, so I'm going to spend some time this morning preparing for that. I've also got to go to the bank and to Target. The Christmas presents I ordered for my parents and sister came in yesterday. :) I'm excited.
Anyway, I'm going to head to the bank now.
|
X-Men!
11:49 PM
| Author:
Misty
 | You scored as Jean Grey. Jean Grey is likely the most powerful X-Man. She loves Cyclops very much but she has a soft spot for Wolverine. She's psychic so she can sense how others are feeling and tries to help them. She also has to control her amazing powers or the malevolent Phoenix entity could take control of her and wreak havok. Powers: Telekinetic, Telepathic
Jean Grey | | 75% | Colossus | | 65% | Gambit | | 55% | Storm | | 50% | Cyclops | | 50% | Nightcrawler | | 45% | Rogue | | 40% | Iceman | | 40% | Emma Frost | | 35% | Wolverine | | 30% | Beast | | 20% |
Most Comprehensive X-Men Personality Quiz 2.0
created with QuizFarm.com |
|
Ugh.
That pretty much sums it up. I still feel gross. My throat hurts. My head is super congested. And (this is gross, so don't continue unless you really want to know) I have been blowing nothing but bloody snot out of my nose for the past 24 hours. It's thoroughly disgusting. I also didn't sleep very well last night. Kept having weird dreams.
I need to go take a shower, take some medicine and go to the grocery store to stock up on some soup, orange juice, cough drops and Kleenex. I have to go to work at 2. I really wish I hadn't volunteered to come in early, because I'm going to be there FOREVER.
|
Tired
9:26 PM
| Author:
Misty
Wow, I am so stinkin' tired.
Let me share about my past few days. Wednesday I worked part of the day, then we cooked and watched Lost at Chris's Wednesday night. Yesterday I slept in until about 9, then sat around and watched movies and took a long, hot shower. After that, I went over to Chris's, where we cooked Thanksgiving lunch/dinner and watched more movies. We watched The Interpreter, which was pretty good, and Flight of the Phoenix, which was OK. After that I came home and went to bed pretty quickly.
Today I slept in again, this time until around 10. I went to work a little before 11 and was there until a little after 8. It was a long day, and I'm working again tomorrow. I'm really not feeling well. I think it's sinusitis or a sinus infection. I took some medicine, and it's a little better. I'm hoping I feel better when I get up in the morning so I don't have to feel gross again at work all day tomorrow. I think I might do a little Christmas shopping before work tomorrow, if I feel up to it. I've decided that I'm going to try to save what I make at Old Navy over Christmas toward my Tokyo trip next summer. It'll be at least a couple of hundred dollars, and that's certainly a start. The trip may cost up to $3000, so I need to get started now for sure.
Well, anyway, I think I'm going to end it now. I'm tired, and I will probably go to bed pretty soon.
|
Just wanted to wish the handful of folks that read this a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
|
Just wanted to provide a few more details and insights about my weekend.
It was definitely a time when some healing took place. Last summer, I decided that I wanted to take my dad to the Iron Bowl this year because he's never been to one, and he LOVES Alabama football. So when I ordered my football tickets, I coughed up the extra $100 and crossed my fingers that I would get tickets to the game. For those of you unfamiliar with this process, students are allowed to order tickets to away games, but you are not guaranteed to get thet tickets; that's based on the number of credit hours you have and how many people order them. Well, long story short, I got the tickets. I sent them to him for his birthday, and he was very excited.
I don't know how best to describe my relationship with my dad. He's always been pretty pushy toward me, sometimes to the point of being borderline verbally abusive. He drinks a lot. He stopped smoking finally after I got bronchitis for about the 6th time when I was a teenager. I know that he really does love me, but sometimes it's hard to tell.
So anyway, we went to the game together this weekend, and for once, it seemed like he really cared ... about me, about the fact that we were doing something together. He didn't criticize me or tease me like he normally does; he actually said the right things for once. It wasn't a perfect day, by any means, but it was a good one.
|
So I was reading Shawn McDonald's blog the other day, and he was raving about this book; I was intrigued so I headed to the bookstore. The book is called
The Barbarian Way, and it's by Erwin McManus, pastor of Mosaic in California. Here are some of my favorite quotes so far:
Yet Christianity over the past two thousand years has moved from a tribe of renegades to a religion of conformists. Those who choose to follow Jesus become participants in an insurrection. To claim we believe is simply not enough. The call of Jesus is one who demands action. Jesus began His public ministry with a simple invitation: "Come, follow Me." His closing instructions to His disciples can be summarized in one word, "Go!" A quick survey of the modern church would lead you to believe His invitation was "Come, and listen," and His closing mandate would be summarized in the one word, "No!" The tribe of Jesus, above all people, should rightly carry the banner, "Forward."
This is the simplicity of the barbarian way. If you are a follower of Christ, then you are called to fight for the heart of your King. It is a life fueled by passion - a passion for God and a passion for people.
The barbarian way is about love, intimacy, passion and sacrifice. Barbarians love to live and live to love. For them, God is life, and their mission is to reconnect humanity to Him. Their passion is that each of us might live in intimate communion with Him who died for us. The barbarian way is a path of both spirit and truth. The soul of the barbarian is made alive by the presence of Jesus.
Risking everything to live free is our only hope - humanity's only hope.
How have we come to this sanitized view of the faith to which Jesus calls us? Somewhere along the way the movement of Jesus Christ became civilized as Christianity. We created a religion using the name of Jesus Christ and convinced ourselves that God's optimal desire for our lives was to insulate us in a spiritual bubble where we risk nothing, sacrifice nothing, lose nothing, worry about nothing. Yet Jesus' death wasn't to free us from dying, but to free us from the fear of death. Jesus came to liberate so that we could die up front and then live. Jesus Christ wants to take us to places where only dead men and women can go.
The original call of Jesus was so simple, so clean, so clear: "Follow me." He wants us to surrender our lives to Him and follow Him into the unknown. And if it means a life of hardship, suffering and disappointment, it will be worth it because following Jesus Christ is more powerful and more fulfilling than living with everything in the world minus Him.
So, can you tell I like the book? Definitely highly recommended. I'm about halfway finished with it.
By the way, the weekend was great, even though we lost. I had a good time with my dad. :)
|
The weekend is so close, I can taste it.
Actually, I'm just tasting Diet Cherry Coke. But the weekend is close, and I'm excited! I'm leaving town in about an hour to head to the parents' house. I'll be there all weekend. Tomorrow a.m. I get to go take the Praxis test, then it's off to the Iron Bowl with my dad! I really hope we win. Sunday we are having family Thanksgiving, so that means I'll get to eat lots of yummy, yummy food this weekend. I'll probably also end up bringing back some leftovers, which is always nice.
I'm really excited that the Thanksgiving break is finally upon us. It's going to be nice to just kick back and relax, watch some movies, maybe do some leisurely reading. I'm working at Old Navy Friday and Saturday, but that won't be too bad, hopefully. I actually don't have to close on Friday night, which I was kind of surprised about, because they had told me I would have to count drawers. Guess they changed their minds. :)
I cleaned my car last night and today. Yes, it was that bad. It looks a whole lot better now, and it smells better, too. I also straightened my room a bit this morning, because it was a disaster zone. It's still messy, but I'm not ashamed for people to see it now.
Well, I guess I'm going to get back to counting down the minutes until I get to leave. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
|
I got my official acceptance letter to the UA grad school today. I'm happy. :)
I registered for my first graduate classes today. My schedule looks pretty good, if it stays the way it is. I'm taking a CSE class that meets on Saturdays; it only meets about 5 or 6 times during the semester. I'm taking another CSE class that meets Tuesdays 5-8:30, and I'm taking an English prose class that meets Wednesdays from 2-4:30. Pretty decent schedule, I think.
I'm definitely procrastinating right now. I was planning to go to a make-up AY 102 class tonight, but the weather is supposed to get really bad tonight, so I decided to just chill at home and work on my paper that's due tomorrow. Yeah, I am obviously doing a lot of work on that right now... Seriously, though, I've got my articles all printed and have almost finished reading the last one, highlighting along the way. I'm writing about communities of learners for my BEP 305 (educational psychology) class. The paper is only 3-4 pages, so it shouldn't take too long, hopefully.
Well, maybe I won't get blown away tonight. I'm going to get back to work on my paper.
|
|
It was a good one, though. Holly, Jess, Dianne, Lauren and I went to ARDT, which was pretty cool. Like I mentioned before, I love watching people dance. We saw Jarhead after that, and I didn't really like it that much. I thought it was a good movie, but I didn't like it. Lots of nudity, sex scenes and disturbing images. On the other hand, we saw Good Night, and Good Luck on Saturday, and I thought it was absolutely fantastic! I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good flick. It's about Edward R. Murrow and McCarthyism. I learned a lot. We also went out to eat at Buffalo Phil's Saturday night.
Yesterday, a group of us went to O'Charley's after church. We had an interesting run-in with a rather rude hostess. We were given a buzzer when we came in. Well, we had been sitting there for about 20 minutes when the buzzer went off. We got up and walked to the hostess booth. The hostess asked if we had kids; we said no. She took our buzzer and told us to sit back down. We were a little confused. So then a few minutes later, they called our party's name. We walked in there, the hostess looked at us and said, "Oh, you're the Converse party. Go sit back down." So at this point, it's been more than 30 minutes, the restaurant is not terribly busy, and we were all starting to get a little irritated. A few minutes later, Abe went and asked the hostess how much longer it would be. She replied, "Are you with pink shirt?" (referring to Ana). Abe nodded. "I told you it would be just another minute. We're getting your table ready, so sit back down and wait a few more minutes." Now, at this point, I think we were probably all thinking that maybe we should just go eat somewhere else. Finally, they called our party's name, and we walked in to receive directions on where to sit. The hostess was rude again, saying something to the effect of, "Pink shirt, follow her. All of you follow her." It doesn't sound horribly rude in writing, you just have to understand that it was not said in a pleasant manner. So once we sat down, we asked to speak to a manager. We told him what had happened, and he said he was sorry and that he would take care of it. A few minutes later, the hostess came over and made what was obviously a forced apology. Altogether, it was a rather strange experience. But, hey, the food was good! I had lemon artichoke chicken, and it was SOOOOO good!
Last night I led worship at Bible study. I really enjoy doing that a lot. Ana (aka Pink Shirt) helped me out by playing guitar. It ended up being a really good thing she did play, because I broke my D string in the middle of the second song in a three-song set. I think I kinda scared her when I stopped playing and looked at her because she didn't know a couple of the songs very well. She did an awesome job, though. We had a lot of fun with it.
This morning I did my laundry and had Bible study, both of which I seriously needed (OK, maybe the Bible study a little more... :)). I haven't spent any time in the Word lately. Yes, I've been reading lots of Christian books (recently read Every Woman's Battle, Passion & Purity, Captivating; currently reading Breaking Free), but I've been letting those substitute for studying the Word. I also haven't been praying much recently. So I decided to start a topical study on prayer today. One of my first Scriptures was the one where Jesus admonished the disciples for falling asleep in the garden on the night he was arrested. In this passage, Jesus tells them, "The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." That hit home for me, because lately I've been thinking about how I want to grow closer to God through prayer and reading His Word, but I haven't so much been doing it. I tend to sleep the extra hour or sit around watch TV or play on the computer. I've realized lately that I really waste a lot of time. Yes, of course, there are times when I really do just need to veg out in front of the TV or take a nap, or whatever, but I do those things way too often. If you read this, please pray that I will allow God to help me overcome this laziness/apathy/whatever it's called; I've wanted to, and now it's time for it to actually happen.
Anyway, I'm working for the rest of the day, going home for dinner, then it's off to astronomy class for me. Hope tonight's class is short. I have a test Wednesday and a presentation Thursday, and I really need to get ready for both of those!
|
So, I started my list of 100 interesting things, and I haven't added any for a while... I think I'm on #36, so here it goes again.
36. I have several current family nicknames, including Lulu, Puddin', Dumplin' and Miss.
37. I have several former family nicknames, including Poopsie and Mickey.
38. Almost everyone I know calls me by my first and last name, together.
39. I enjoy watching dance performances, and I like ballet the best.
40. I have double-jointed toes in my right foot.
41. I bite my finger nails.
42. I LOVE fried okra. And if you don't know what that is, I am really sorry for you.
43. Je parle francais... un petit peu. (I speak French... a little bit.)
44. It is very hard to make me angry.
45. I own a washer and dryer (the reason this makes the list is because it was my first major appliance purchase, and I am still in college! and I already paid them off).
So, anyway, I observed at Echols today. It was good. I'm about halfway done with my observation now. Holly, Jessica and I are going to watch Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre tonight; I'm excited about that. Should be lots o'fun. I'm also really excited that Good Night, and Good Luck is now playing at the Cobb. I'll probably see it sometime this weekend.
|
So, I slept through my first two classes this morning. Argh!!! I don't know what is wrong w/ me today, but I am just so tired! I want to go back home and go to sleep again, but I have to work. I think I might take a nap before small group.
I got my grade back for my presentation in COM 451 (the one on Dalits)... I made a 92! I am pretty pleased with that, because Frank doesn't give A's unless you do a really good job. His comments were pretty helpful, too... he loved the visual aids, but I needed to be clearer on a couple of points. Things to remember for the next presentation. I also had too much content, as was evidenced by the fact that it went for almost 16 minutes as opposed to the 12-minute maximum he had imposed. Oh, and he also really liked my reflection questions. Hooray for an A!
Today I'm working my tail off writing company briefs at work. It's not so bad, but it doesn't help the sleepiness. Anyway, I've had my five-minute break, so I'm going to get back to it. Just wanted to write about my good grade.
|
I was proud of myself tonight. I went to class, came home and did some homework, went to Target, came home and did more homework. No Halloween partying (or New Rock concert, which is where my roommates are), because I am being responsible. Hooray for me!
This weekend was fantastic. Friday night Jess and I went to see The Legend of Zorro, then Josh Mallory and I made cookies at like 2 a.m. Saturday a whole bunch of us went to Applebee's after the game, and I got to see Laura and LBO. After that, some of us went bowling, including Renee, who I only get to see about once a month since she is going to massage school in Atlanta. After bowling (and Dianne's car getting broken into, a low point of the evening - but it only resulted in a broken window, no lost possessions), we came back to the house and played Mafia. It was good to just be around old (and new) friends, to hang out, laugh, and enjoy being a college student.
Anyway, I need to go to bed.
|
I would just like everyone to know that I just gave the most awesome grammar lesson EVER in my CSE 469 class. I was really nervous, but it ended up going incredibly smoothly. The teacher even complimented me, which doesn't happen often in that class! I am so glad that lesson is over, because now I have an easy week coming up and I can kind of catch up on some of my work. This is going to be a much-needed break, because I've had a lot of tests and presentations these past couple of weeks. Of course, the week after next, I have tests and presentations again, but at least I get a week in between to recuperate from the hard blows of midterms. I feel like schoolwork has kicked my butt these past couple of weeks, but somehow I have managed to come out on top with all A's! (Well, except for an 80 on my COM 451 midterm).
In other news, I'm going to a leadership training thing for church at the McGee's house tonight. It's going to be a lot of fun, I think. And they are ordering food from Cypress Inn... yum! (For anyone who is not from Tuscaloosa, Cypress Inn is one of the nicest, most high-end restaurants in town). I have to make up an astronomy lab today, which I am not particularly excited about. I wish I could just drop that class, but I need it to graduate in December. Grrr. I got my application for grad school turned in and just have to write my objectives essay and get my recommendation letters turned in. Dr. Thompson (COM 451 teacher) is going to write one of those. I need to find two more people to write those for me.
Anywho... I'm off. Hope everyone is having a great day!
|
Whew!
2:37 PM
| Author:
Misty
Wow, I am so glad last week is over. It was crazy.
Like I mentioned in my last post, I had to give two presentations on Tuesday. So most of the beginning part of the week was spent getting ready for those. Then Tuesday-Thursday I had to meet two giganto-sized deadlines at work. I worked all day Wednesday and most of the day Thursday on those. Friday I went to my clinical observation and graded papers for 4 hours. I enjoyed grading papers, but it was a little strenuous because they were essays, and there were a lot of them. I also found out that my clinical teacher will be leaving for a new job in the middle of the semester, so that should make things pretty interesting. Then I decided to just chill at the house Friday afternoon rather than put in extra hours at work. I think I made the right choice.
The weekend was good. Friday night, Holly and I went to see Dance Alabama, which is a student-organized dance show that happens once a semester on campus. I really enjoyed it. Afterwards, the two of us and Jessica went to Olive Garden, which was yummy as always. We were planning to go to the LSP party after that, but we were tired, so we all went home and went to bed. I went to the game on Saturday. The Crimson Tide remained unbeaten with a 6-3 win over Tennessee. That game was a nail-biter. Jess, Jana and I walked over to the Quad before the game, and Jess and I bought sweatshirts so we wouldn't freeze to death. We found some for $10 at one of the vendors, so, of course, we could not pass that up. We met Abe on the Quad, then met Holly, Josh and Rebecca on the steps of Reese Phifer. We ended up having to sit really high up because there were so many of us, but I kind of like sitting higher up. I had stadium nachos, and they were yummy. And I was really glad I bought the sweatshirt, because it was kinda cold. After the game, we went to Cancun (local Mexican restaurant) and then hung out at our house for a little while. Yesterday was a fairly normal Sunday. I went to church, and the Creitz's invited me and some friends over for lunch. It was SO good. We had pot roast, salad, broccoli and bread. I took a nap after that, even though I really should have done some homework. I got up and went to Bible study, where I sang with Josh Gillis. Rob talked on spiritual warfare, which is always interesting. After Bible study, Rob, Abe, Brooks, Ana and I went to IHOP. I had country griddle cakes, which I had been craving for about a week. They were very satisfying.
So that brings me up to today. I slept in until 8:30 this morning, but I am actually considering taking a short nap when I go home at 3. Somebody from work called and woke me up because they had a question about taking something to the printer. So, I went in to work at 10 instead of 12. I had planned to do homework this morning. So much for that. Work was good, though. Just had to deliver a couple of things to the printers after making some corrections.
Well, I guess that's about all for now.
|
I scored in the 95th percentile on my MAT exam!!! Hooray!
I'm really excited, because I only had to score in the 50th percentile to make it in to grad school. Yea for Jesus for helping me get the score that's even better than what I needed and asked for!
Well, the most stressful part of the midterm is over. I gave two presentations today. The first was a five-minute mini-lesson in my CSE 390 class. I thought I presented the info really well, but I just got blank stares when I asked questions to my classmates. I was stuck with a bunch of math and history people, and I don't think they really cared anything about what I was talking about. The second presentation was for COM 451, and it went really well. Everyone was really interested in what I was saying and asked lots of questions, which made me go a bit over on my time. I really hope Frank doesn't count off much for that. I'm really hoping for an A (on both).
Well, now if I can get through work, classes and my clinical observation this week, maybe I'll have time again this weekend to relax! UA vs. Tennessee Saturday.... whoo! Roll Tide!
|
I had fun this weekend. I didn't get as much homework done as I should have. But I had fun.
Friday night Brooks, Angel and I went to see Elizabethtown. It was cute. Funny, in a weird, awkward sort of way. Altogether, I suppose I would grade it as a B.
I watched football all day Saturday. My Alabama Crimson Tide won and moved up to No. 5 in the AP poll! Sadly, USC beat Notre Dame at the last second. I was really hoping Notre Dame would pull the upset. Oh, well, at least FSU lost. Oh, and I also started raking the backyard. That's going to be a big task that will hopefully get done sometime this week.
Saturday night, Dianne, Brooks, Rebecca, Josh and I cooked dinner at our house. It was YUMMYLICIOUS! We had homegrown field peas and corn that my mom sent back with me last time I visited them, pecan chicken, cornbread, and cookies for dessert. After dinner, we carved pumpkins, which was a hecka lotta fun.
Yesterday I went to church, ate lunch at McAlister's, took a nap and went to Bible study. Then I went to Arby's. Then I came home and went to bed.
Note that there was no mention of homework anywhere in that weekend. Although to be fair I did do some research for one of my presentations this weekend. I got up this morning and put together my lesson plan for COM 451. I also put together my visual aids, which took most of my morning. Now I just have to put together the stuff for CSE 390. That shouldn't be too bad; I just have to come up with my topic.
Anyway, I'm going to work for a few hours this afternoon, then I'm going to work on some more homework, go to AY lab and come home for more homework fun. And that's all.
Peace out, yo.
|
So, I got grades back for 2 midterms and a presentation...
80 on my COM 451 midterm, 94 on my CSE 390 midterm, and 98 on my CSE 390 presentation!
Go me!!! :)
|
|
This morning was nice.
I slept until 9, then I got up and took as much time as I wanted to eat breakfast and have my quiet time. Got another day of my Beth Moore study done. I also finished reading Captivating and Every Woman's Battle last night. This was a nice way to start out the day. Then I chilled at the house all morning, ate lunch around 11 (yeah, I know, lunch and breakfast were really close together, but oh well) and came to work.
At work I finished up the mail-out I've been working on, updated our newsletter database and called the printer to find out what we need to do to get the newsletter published. I kind of missed all that last time since I was in India when they actually took the newsletter to the printer.
Tonight I have a quiz in my AY 102 class. Blech. I'm not a fan of that class. I also have a midterm tomorrow in my CSE 390 class.
OK, so some more interesting facts about me:
36. I bought a violin on Ebay last night!
37. My eyes change colors -- they might be green, blue or gray, depending on the day and what kind of mood I am in.
38. I have two older sisters, a niece and a nephew, and another nephew on the way.
39. I served a 3-year term as a board member for Blue Lake Chrysalis, a retreat I am active with.
40. I have spent two summers of my life in the Washington DC area because my dad was working there (he is a roofing superintendent).
41. I have spent an additional summer of my life in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee working at a summer camp.
42. I want to one day own a Canon Digital Rebel (camera).
43. I think my least favorite color is University of Tennessee orange.
44. I collect elephants. I only have about 5 so far, but every time I travel somewhere overseas, I buy a couple.
45. I have been considering taking up painting.
|
My weekend was OK.
Friday night was not the fun night it was supposed to be. Mary called an hour before we were supposed to go to Birmingham and said nobody else could go but that everybody wants to go next weekend. So, at 5:45 on Friday night, I sat in my bathroom and cried because I got to sit at home by myself yet again on a Friday night. I felt sorry for myself for about 30 minutes, then decided I would not have a bad Friday night just because everyone bailed on me. So I cleaned my room and then watched What Not to Wear. Then Abe invited me over to watch Charade with him and Stuart. I went, and I was glad I did.
Yesterday I just kinda chilled at the house, watched football and did a little yard work. I hung out with Dianne at the Ice Cream Club for a little bit and ate a Milo's cheeseburger, then I went with Josh, Rebecca and Holly to see Batman Begins for free at the Ferg.
I got up today around 8 and got ready for church. I sang with Rusty Selman and his band today (they led worship). I liked them... sounded good, and Rusty seems like a really nice guy. After church, Rebecca, Josh, Brooks and I went to O'Charleys, which was really good as always. Then I came home and took a nap. Ah, nap. After that, I put together some stuff for Bible study tonight and then headed over to the Ferg. I sang tonight, too, with Josh Gillis and his band. Good stuff. We went to Arby's after Bible study, so I just got home from that.
No lists tonight... my brain doesn't want to.
|
Hooray! It's 62 degrees outside, and I LOOOOOOOOOOVE it! Wow, such a nice change from the 90-degree weather we've been having.
So I think I'm going to stay home tomorrow and just enjoy the day here. I would like to go to Tennessee, but I can be more productive at home and still have a good time. I had a good time last night hanging out with Chris, Dianne, Josh, Rebecca, David, Mary, Ragan, Kosta and Abe. It was good to just be around a group of folks again, because we haven't done that very much lately. The only bad thing about last night was that I was on the receiving end of some pretty immature, classless behavior (I didn't get invited to my friend's wedding shower, which was thrown by a certain ex-roommate of mine). I'm tempted to call my friend and tell her that I was sorry I didn't come but that I wasn't invited. No worries, I'm not that petty, but it is somewhat tempting.
I also got to watch Lost last night, finally. Pretty good episode, but it definitely raised more questions. I think I'm just pretty much confused now. :)
Alright, here are some more interesting facts about me, then I'm out:
26. I've had 4 different hair colors in my life: brown (natural), blonde, black and red (favorite)
27. I wear a size 10 shoe.
28. If I was good at math and science, I would be a veterinarian. Unfortunately, I am not very good at all at math and science.
29. When I finish my master's, I want to go overseas and teach for at least 2 years.
30. I really like white water rafting. I've been twice.
31. I love roller coasters.
32. I can't cut raw onions because I have a violent reaction to them. Most people's eyes get a little watery... mine start streaming tears, my eyes get red and puffy and start hurting, and I have to flush them out with water. I can hardly even stand to be in the same room as someone cutting an onion.
33. My favorite color is blue.
34. People used to ask me if I shaved my arms because the little bit of hair I have on my arms is extremely light.
35. I own an iPod.
|
OK, here are some more items for my lists of 100 facts about me:
11. I have a chronic problem in my feet that prevents me from wearing high heels.
12. I have served as a group leader and crew manager for two international mission trips.
13. I'm going to Tokyo, Japan, next summer!
14. I have had 15 roommates in college, not counting pets. Counting my initial move into a dorm my freshman year, I have moved 9 times in college (since 2001).
15. I played shooting guard for my junior high's basketball team.
16. I am a newsletter editor.
17. I was once asked to sing back-up for a famous Christian musician.
18. I have sang and/or played with three different Christian musicians with CDs. I am not on any of the CDs, and none of the artists are well-known (yet!).
19. I have met my state representatives.
20. I got asked for my autograph once by somebody I didn't know.
21. I've never been to New York City.
22. I really want to learn how to play the violin.
23. I'm extremely good at organization.
24. My bedroom is almost always messy.
25. I have two cats, Tinker and The Cheat.
That's all for now. Got some other stuff I need to attend to. But first, a few more thoughts.
I took my COM 451 midterm today, and I think I did really well (probably an A or B). I also had to give a presentation in my CSE 390 class, and it went great. The newsletter is complete, so I should be able to take it to the printer Monday. And I've gotten a good start on the mail-out. I'm having dinner with Sharon at 5, then going to Chris's for a little while to hang out before heading home and doing some homework. Tomorrow, a group of us is going to Birmingham for dinner and to see Proof. I'm excited! I'm still toying with the idea of driving to Tennessee Saturday. I have a lot of stuff I could be doing, but I also would really like to have a day for myself. And I could take homework with me. Hmm... decisions.
17.
|
OK, so I've been inspired to make a list of 100 facts about myself. I just read this on somebody else's blog and thought it would be kinda fun, even if I only do a few things at a time. Who knows, somebody might learn something... :)
1. I am right-handed.
2. I do not wear contacts or glasses. In fact, my eyesight was slightly better than 20/20 last time I got it checked.
3. I have never had any type of surgery.
4. I've never had the chicken pox.
5. I was valedictorian of my high school class.
6. I was also captain of my high school's softball team.
7. I am finishing my B.A. in December at the University of Alabama with a dual major in communication studies and journalism.
8. I took the MAT Monday.
9. I really, really like Diet Cherry Coke.
10. I play guitar.
OK, that's all for now. I'm sure these will get more interesting as I run out of the run-of-the-mill stuff to share.
Today has been a good day. I was productive this morning, studying for about 3 hours before I came to work. At work, I started on the AQA flier. It's going to be more work than I thought, but I like the way it's looking so far. Hoping to have that mailed out by sometime next week.
I have class tonight, and I need to try to get somebody to tape Lost for me...
|
So I think I did OK on my MAT. They gave me a preliminary scaled score, but it's really hard to interpret. The score is on a scale of 200-600, with 400 being the average. I made a 444. But assuming that "average" means 50th percentile, then I'm golden, because that's what I have to make to get into the secondary education master's program.
So after I took the test yesterday, I got a flat tire on the way home. I called roadside assistance. So I'm sitting in the parking lot behind Calvary with my poor flat-tired car and this guy drives up in an old silver hatchback. He stops, gets out and asks me if I'm the one with the flat tire. Very strange. I swear, he looked just like David Crowder -- he had the goatee (or crowder, if you prefer), crazy hair, and he was really skinny. Well, he finally gets my spare tire put on, and I slowly drive home.
Well, by that time, it was really too late to go get a new tire put on, so I decided I would wait until today. I had class at 7 last night, so I got Mary to take me because I didn't want to drive on my spare tire any more than absolutely necessary. Well, class ended really early, and I had told Mary that I would ride home with Josh and Rebecca, who were planning to leave campus around the time I should have gotten out of class. So, I called Josh and told him I would just walk home. And that I did. It's probably only about a mile, but it was about 8:30 by the time I got going. Ah, well, good exercise, if nothing else.
This morning I woke up and decided that it would be best for me to take the car straight to Wal-Mart and get the tire changed because I wasn't sure how long the spare would hold up. So I missed my 8 a.m. class because I had to take my car to get a new tire. They ended up changing all 4 tires and changing the oil, wiper blades, filter, etc. So much for a low credit card bill next month. But at least all that is taken care of, and I don't have to worry about it again until January. I have decreed that I will do my best to service my car closer to the times recommended. I was almost a year overdue for this service. Not a good thing.
So after that I went to work and decided that I would miss my 12:30 class, too, so that I could make up the hours I missed this morning at work because of my car. I'm trying to get the newsletter to the printer this week, so I'm a little busier than normal.
Tonight I think I will cook, study and (hopefully) go work out. I get to sleep in tomorrow because my 11 a.m. class is canceled, so maybe I will go to the Rec late.
|
Eek!
12:54 PM
| Author:
Misty
I take the MAT in less than 2 hours. Holy cow!
I really hope I do well on it. I haven't studied as much as I would have liked. I studied a fair amount during the summer, but I just got too busy when school started. Well, I'll take it today and will find out in a couple of weeks if I have to take it again. Prayers are appreciated. I have to make at least a 50, but I really would love to make a 70. Yeah, high expectations.
So, Alabama is now ranked #7 in the AP poll. Wow! Talk about a jump! Looking forward to seeing how the rest of this season plays out.
Oh, another bit of good news: The school where I am doing my clinical observations is out for fall break all next week, so I will have the week off from that. This is a good thing, because midterms are here, and I have a couple of tests and projects and presentations coming up pretty soon.
Also a good thing: I had the best time with God yesterday. I went out to the dam on Lake Nicol and sat on a big rock overlooking the water and just spent some time in the Word and worshiping. It was great. I totally lost track of time, and it didn't matter.
Lighthouse was good last night, too. But anyway, that's all I have to say. I'm about to go eat lunch.
|
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=2178388
|
Certainly there are moments in the life of a college student that are tucked away in a special category called "memorable."
And today was certainly one of those memories.
Today the 15th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide showed incredible heart against a formidable opponent - the #5 Florida Gators. It was the most amazing game I have experienced in my five years of attending games at Bryant-Denny Stadium. And with a football tradition like ours, that's saying something.
The Tide dominated from the get-go, scoring 17 points in the 1st quarter and holding Florida to a mere field goal. It was the first time one of Urban Meyer's teams has not crossed the goal line.
We played like champions today. Those crimson-clad men gave the fans something to cheer about, and the fans certainly returned the favor, cheering louder and more fervently than any other crowd I remember seeing at Bryant-Denny.
So regardless of what happens the rest of the season, we know what it feels like to be champions. We know what it feels like to be so excited and proud and victorious that it seems your heart can barely contain all those feelings. We caught a glimpse of what it really means to be a part of the Crimson Tide tradition - a winning tradition that has covered many years and many great coaches like Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and Gene Stallings.
And the greatest thing is, this is the here and the now. Monday the players will hit the field, the most adament fans will have washed off the red and white paint that covered their bodies, the students will return to class.
But tonight we celebrate. Because today was our day. We were champions.
|
We just beat Florida, the #5 team in the country, 31-3 at Bryant Denny. What a great feeling. More later...
|
Ganked from Kenton's blog:
[x] I've consumed alcohol.
[ ] I've run away from home.
[ ] I have lied to my parents about where I am.
[ ] I don't like Bush because from what I hear, he is dumb.
[ ] I don't like Bush with my own reasons to back it up.
[ ] I am for Bush.
[ ] I listen to political music.
[ ] I collect comic books.
[x] I shut others out when I'm depressed.
[x] I open up to others easily (sometimes).
[x] I am keeping a secret from the world.
[x] I watch the news.
[ ] I own over 5 rap CDs.
[x] I own an iPod or MP3.
[ ] I own something from Hot Topic(a shirt someone bought for me in Kansas)
[x] I love Disney Movies.
[x] I am a sucker for hair/eyes
[ ] I don't kill bugs.
[ ] I curse regularly.
[ ] I paid for that cell phone ring.
[x] I am a sports fanatic.
[ ] I have "x"s in my screen name.
[ ] I've slipped out an "lol" in a real conversation.
[ ] I love Spam.
[x] I bake well.
[x ] I would wear pajamas to school.
[ ] I own something from Abercrombie.
[x] I have a job.
[ ] I love Martha Stewart.
[x] I am in love with love.
[ ] I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.
[ ] I am self conscious.
[x] I like to laugh.
[ ] I smoke a pack a day.
[ ] I loved Perks of Being a Wallflower
[ ] I loved Go Ask Alice.
[x] I have cough drops when I'm not sick.
[ ] I can't swallow pills.
[x] I can swallow about 5 pills at a time no problem.
[x] I eat fast food weekly.
[x] I have many scars.
[x] I've been out of this country.
[ ] I believe in ghosts.
[ ] I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room.
[x] I am really ticklish.
[ ] I see a therapist.
[x] I love white chocolate.
[x] I bite my nails.
[x] I am comfortable with being me.(most of the time)
[ ] I play video games.
[x] I'm single
[ ] I'm in a relationship
[x] Gotten lost in your city (When I was a freshman)
[x] Saw a shooting star
[x] Been to any other countries besides the united states
[ ] I Had a serious Surgery!
[x] Gone out in public in your pajamas
[ ] I have Kissed a Stranger
[x] Hugged a stranger
[ ] Been in a fist fight
[ ] Been arrested
[x] Pushed all the buttons on an elevator
[ ] Made out in an elevator
[ ] Swore at your parents
[ ] Kicked a guy where it hurts
[x] Been close to love
[ ] Been to a casino
[ ] Been skydiving
[x] Broken a bone (pinky toe)
[x] Skipped school
[ ] Flashed someone
[ ] Saw a therapist
[x] Done a split
[ ] Played spin the bottle
[ ] Gotten stitches
[ ] Drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour (No, but I did get one poured over my
head once for the sake of a video scavenger hunt)
[x] Bitten someone (My mom tells this really funny story of when I was really little
and was staying with a family friend, who was also keeping her nephew the same
day; he bit me, and so I bit him back!)
[ ] Been to Niagara Falls
[ ] Gotten the chicken pox (Surprisingly, no)
[ ] Kissed a member of the same sex
[x] Crashed into a friend's car (NOT a good memory)
[ ] Been to Japan (Going next summer!)
[x] Ridden in a taxi
[ ] Shoplifted
[ ] Been fired
[ ] Ever had a crush on someone of the same sex
[x] Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back (maybe more of an infatuation)
[ ] Gone on a blind date
[x] Lied to a friend
[x] Had a crush on a teacher
[x] Celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans (sort of... I was there for a couple of
days, and we didn't really celebrate Mardi Gras, but it was during Mardi Gras)
[x] Been to Europe
[ ] Slept with a co-worker
[ ] Been married
[ ] Gotten divorced
[ ] Had children
[x] Saw someone dying (I have not seen someone die, but I've had close relatives who
have had drawn out illnesses)
[ ] Been to Africa
[x] Driven over 400 miles in one day
[ ] Been to Canada
[ ] Been to Mexico
[x] Been on a plane
[ ] Seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show
[ ] Thrown up in a bar
[x] Eaten Sushi
[ ] Been snowboarding
[ ] Been Skiing (water)
[x] Met someone in person from the internet
[ ] Been to a moto cross show
[ ] Lost a child
[x] Gone to college
[ ] Graduated college (December!)
[ ] Done hard drugs
[x] Taken painkillers
[ ] Had someone cheat on you
|
If you read my blog, will you leave me a comment so I know who you are??? :) Thanks.
|
I made an 87 on my educational psychology test! Yea!
I have an option to retake it and try to make better, but I think I'm just going to stick with the 87. I only missed 4 questions, and I'm not sure if I would do better than that on a new test. I don't know. I have until Tuesday to decide.
Other great thing about last night: My teacher let us go early, so I got to watch Lost!
Today I'm just going to class and working, and I'm picking Sharon up at 5 for our discipleship time. I also have to e-mail Bob with our songs for Sunday.
Hope anybody reading this is having a great day! :)
|
Alright, so the illness seems to be going away. I went back to the doctor yesterday because I couldn't stop coughing. He gave me cough medicine and sent me home.
I napped for a looooooooooong time. Seriously, we're talking like 4 hours in the middle of the day. But I woke up feeling somewhat better. And after getting decent sleep last night, I'm feeling significantly better today.
I had my TEP interview this morning. I think it went pretty well. Dr. Dail and the other lady who interviewed me (I can't remember her name...) mostly asked questions about why I wanted to be a teacher and why I thought I would be good at it. I talked a lot about India and Ecuador and how I want to teach overseas, which was apparently a good thing because Dr. Dail did some teaching in Ecuador right after she finished her degree. Overall, I feel good about it. Now I just have to wait and get my writing score back, whenever that will be.
As for work, this quarter's newsletter is finished and waiting for approval from my boss, so now I just have to wait for her to return it so I can make corrections and take it to the printer. Then I'm going to work on a mail-out for an event we have coming up.
Tonight I have a test in my educational psychology class. Keeping my fingers crossed that I am fairly well prepared for it. I've been keeping up with the readings, and I completed the review sheet the teacher gave us.
By the way, over the weekend I saw Just Like Heaven. Really cute movie! I definitely recommend it.
|
So, we are getting all the leftovers from Hurricane Rita. This afternoon has been loads of fun.
Best I can tell, we've had somewhere around 4 or 6 tornadoes in county; at least that's what the news people said. There was a big one that touched down about 10-15 miles north of here and did a little damage. Thankfully everything so far has gone north or west of here. The RADAR looks like we're in for some more fun weather tonight, though.
So, upon sitting down to do some homework tonight, I've realized that I'm a little behind. I've got 4 or 5 chapters to read for my CSE 390 class and a couple to read for COM 451. I finished reading one chapter, so I rewarded myself with a 10-minute break. I also need to resume studying for the MAT since I'm taking it in a couple of weeks.
I really want to buckle down and do all this stuff. I need discipline.
On a happy note, I feel a lot better. My ear is almost back to normal, and I'm just a little congested.
My CSE 390 clinical placement officially starts tomorrow. I'm not too worried about it. I'm mostly going to be observing for now. I looked over the teacher's handbook that Mrs. Case sent home with me, so I kind of have an idea of what kind of school I'm going into, at least.
Well, my 10 minutes is up, so it's back to studying for me.
|
So I mentioned before (I think) that my sinuses were giving me problems. Well, I woke up yesterday feeling HORRIBLE. I was extremely congested, and my left ear and jaw hurt REALLY badly. I decided to go ahead to the doctor, who told me that I had a really bad ear infection. I got medicine and am feeling somewhat better today, but I didn't get to go to Chrysalis.
I pretty much rested at home all day yesterday, and I'll likely do the same today. I might watch a movie. I'll probably do some homework. Or maybe I'll wait until tomorrow to do that. I've got time.
On a high note, I bought some mango-peach salsa at Target yesterday when I went to stock up for the illness (I was just supposed to buy soup, but I decided to go ahead and stock up on sandwich and snack stuff, too). The salsa's really good.
OK, my nose is running, so I'm going to end here and go get a Kleenex.
|
Well, I feel much happier today and things seem to be getting back to normal, thank goodness.
I had to take the TEP writing exam this morning. From what I understand, this basically tells the folks in the College of Education whether I would be ready to go out and teach. They give you a packet with a controversial article and some paper, and you have to agree or disagree with the article. The article I got was about how schools "shortchange African American students." I went out on a limb and disagreed with the author, although I'm sure they would expect most people to just kind of complacently agree. Hale, the author, had some good points, but she focused in too narrowly about helping African American students, so much so that it seemed she wanted to provide a lot of services and opportunities only for black students. She also put a sort of stereotype on black students as being poor and white students as being rich, which I also seriously disagreed with. So, hopefully when I get my grade back, they will find that I presented my arguments well enough. If not, I get to take the test again in the spring. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I passed it this time. I also had to sign up for a TEP interview, the other half of this process. That won't happen until next Wednesday.
Well, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, I'm feeling great today, but my sinuses seem to be acting up a bit, so prayers, please. :) I write that because I know that Lauren will read this and pray for me even if nobody else does. Thanks for the encouraging comment yesterday, by the way.
Alright, that's about it. T-minus two days until Chrysalis starts, and I'm almost finished writing my talk... It'll all come together.
|
Man, Satan has been bringing out the heavy guns these past few days.
I wrote in my last post that I had decided about a church. When I called Wes, I left a voicemail, and he called me back. He did not seem particularly supportive of my decision and projected a sort of "I couldn't care less if you leave" attitude. He also told me that his advice for me would be "Next time you start something, finish it." Well, that pretty much made me feel like crap. I attempted to explain that this was a really tough decision for me, but I'm not sure that he cared.
So then on Friday night I ended up sitting at home alone, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I was already kind of down about the whole church thing. So, of course, Satan conveniently brought to mind the fact that nobody was calling me to invite me to hang out. Sometimes it really seems like I'm always the one doing the calling and inviting. To top this off, Josh and Rebecca were having a date night, but they came to our house, so then I couldn't even sit at home and watch TV without feeling like a third wheel. I left and got some food, and they left pretty soon after I got back.
Saturday we invited people over for Jessica's birthday party and to watch the game. Saturday was a better day for the most part, but Saturday night rolled around and it seemed that nobody wanted to hang out again. Mary and I ended up going to watch Batman Begins at the $1.50 theater. I went to bed around 11:30 because I had to be at church early, but I couldn't sleep because our idiot neighbors were being loud. They finally got quiet around 1:30 or 2, and I was able to go to sleep.
Sunday rolled around, and I went to church early because I led worship. Rob just kind of said thanks to me for leading worship and didn't really say anything nice about it, so I started feeling kind of upset about that. Last night it seemed like anything and everything bugged me. We went to Arby's after Bible study, and it was just me, Josh and Rebecca (again the whole third wheel thing -- and it's not their fault, but I can't help but feel that way sometimes). I felt like they didn't really want to be there with me. Kosta and Ragan came and then decided to leave. Then I mentioned something to Rebecca about chores around the house, and she made a comment about how she and Jessica talked about it last weekend while I was gone and what they thought we should do, which made me feel like they were talking about me while I was gone, even though I KNOW that's not the case. When I got home, I tried to be productive and write my talk for the retreat that I'm working, but I couldn't come up with anything. So I just decided that I would go to bed.
Thankfully, before I went to bed, I picked up Captivating and read a chapter. When I was reading, God reminded me that all of these things that seemed so awful about the weekend were really attacks from Satan. I do have friends that care about me and love me, and I am a good person. I'm also walking in His will, and that bothers Satan. I've realized that finishing what I started doesn't necessarily mean coming to an end point by human standards; it means stopping something when God says stop. It's over when He says it's over, and He told me very clearly that it was time to move on. That doesn't necessarily mean it's not a painful process, but it helps. I'm praying that I can forgive Wes for what I saw as a hurtful comment and attitude.
Today I woke up feeling fresh and much better about everything. I had a productive morning (finally put together notebooks for all my classes so I don't have a billion papers flying around everywhere -- I also did laundry, took the garbage to the curb, straightened my room, put the dishes that were in the sink in the dishwasher and cleaned out the litter box). Then I ate lunch, took a shower, met the girl that bought my Arkansas ticket (yea for $40!) and came to work.
Tonight I'm going to keep busy with class from 7-9, then homework. Hopefully it won't take too long!!
|
I met with my CSE 390 clinical placement teacher today.
I like her.
She was really nice. Her name is Sabrina Case. She gave me a tour of the building and introduced me to a lot of the folks there. We talked about my schedule for the semester. I'm going to try to go Monday afternoons and Friday mornings to observe, starting Sept. 26. I think it's going to be a fun, worthwhile experience - at least I hope so!
I had some good prayer time this morning on my way to the school. I also have made a decision about church - I'm going to be attending Lighthouse, Rob's church. For anybody who doesn't know about all this, I'll try to make a long story short. Rob was the pastor at my old church. When the other pastor and elders started making the church more "seeker friendly" by watering down the messages and telling Rob he had to do the same, Rob left. I (and a lot of other people) left, as well. I should make clear that people did not leave because Rob left; I think it was more a matter of people had been staying because Rob was there, if that makes sense. Anyway, Rob had not decided what he was going to do after he left, so Rebecca, Holly and I started going to Vineyard Community Church, which is where I currently attend. I've gotten rather involved there, and I really like it a lot. So when Rob told everyone he had definitely decided to start a new church, I was torn between the two. I already committed to help out with the college Bible study, but I had not made a definite decision on which church to attend. Last night I went over to pick up some fliers at Rob's house and spent a good deal of time talking with Taffy. After talking with her, I felt more strongly that I should start going to Rob's church. Then after reading my devo last night and praying this morning, I feel certain that's where I'm supposed to be. I also feel like God is telling me that I need to go now, because if I keep holding on at Vineyard it's going to be harder to leave later. So I'm going to have to e-mail Jon and Wes later today and try to explain all this. It's painful in a way for me to have to leave Vineyard, because I love the church and the people a whole lot, but I'm going where God wants me.
Anyway, beyond that, I'm working the rest of the afternoon, then I have class tonight from 6-9 before chalking the Quad at 10 for Lighthouse.
It's gonna be a busy day, but I'm happy. :)
|
So we kicked off Lighthouse, Rob's new Bible study Sunday night. It was pretty doggone successful.
We ended up with about 60 people there, more than half of whom signed up for small groups (Rebecca and I are heading up small groups). We've gotten e-mails out to everybody that signed up and are hoping to get groups put together this Sunday. Some of us are getting together tomorrow night to chalk the Quad, and we are hoping to hang up some fliers around campus before the weekend, too. I'm excited! :)
I got back my first paper from CSE 390 today and was disappointed to only have made an 88. I disagreed with some of the things my teacher marked, though, so I talked with her about it after class, and she said she would review it to make sure it was graded fairly. So maybe I will end up with an A (fingers crossed). Today I also had to give a 5-minute mini-lecture in Frank's class. I thought it went OK. Folks at least seemed interested in my topic, and Joe, the guy who sits next to me, said he thought I did a good job. I think it was a little short, but oh well. It's not actually graded, so I'm not too worried about it.
Today I've been trying to get my work hours settled for this week and next week. I'm working a Chrysalis weekend in Tallahassee next weekend, which means I won't be able to work Thursday or Friday, so I had to shuffle my schedule around a bit to work that out. It's going to work, though. I'm excited about Chrysalis. I've got to get on the ball, though, putting music together and e-mailing Sarah, the girl who's doing music with me, and writing a talk that I just found out I am giving (whoever was supposed to do it backed out, but thankfully it's one I've done before, so I kind of have an idea what to talk about).
Tomorrow I have my first meeting with the teacher for my CSE 390 clinical placement. I don't really know what to expect, but I'm hoping we hit it off. I'll try to write again tomorrow evening about how that went (if possible - I have class until 9, then I'm going to have to hit the books!). I'm going to have to buckle down and get a lot of studying done so I'm not behind after Chrysalis.
And finally, about my new obsession - Lost. Wow, what a fantastic television show! I just got season 1 on DVD and have hardly been able to drag myself away from it for homework, school and work. It's incredibly well-written and visually pleasing. It's also well-cast and well-acted. I really, really enjoy it and definitely recommend it to anyone.
Well, anyway, I guess that's all for today. Peace out, yo.
|
So I'm watching ESPN and they're doing a piece on the University of Southern Mississippi's football team. The team has been misplaced because of the hurricane, and apparently they had some sort of team devotional. Hearing a group of about 50 college football players sing Amazing Grace gave me chills.
|
I have done well so far this semester with being responsible and going to class and keeping up a little better with my homework (although I'm going to have quite a bit to get done before Tuesday... thank goodness for the weekend!). Yes, I know, I am only a few weeks into the semester, but small steps.
Get On Board Day went really well yesterday. I think we got around 100 folks signed up for the e-mail list, and we handed out more than 500 fliers. I'm sunburned.
I've been sending out e-mails and stuff about Sunday. I'm excited.
I'm supposed to go to Florida tomorrow. Not particularly excited about that, and I should be. I have a Chrysalis meeting. I have a lot of other stuff to do, so driving six hours is not sounding too fun.
I've been reading a book called Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. Good read. I may post more about it later.
|
I'm sitting at the CBH lab on campus with Josh and Rebecca, and I'm a little bored.
We've been working on the Lighthouse video for Get on Board Day for about 4 hours now, and we've finished everything except for the logo. The video looks awesome. If I can load it onto here later on, I will.
My back has been acting up the past few days. I'm debating over whether I should go to the doctor. It has felt somewhat better today but is definitely still not back to normal, and I seem to be having pretty painful muscle spasms every so often. I guess I'll probably wait and see how it feels in the morning and then go to the doctor if I feel like I really need to.
I don't really have much to say. I'm just trying to fill time while I wait for Rebecca to get done with the logo.
|
I went to donate blood today and was told that I can't donate for a year because of the part of India I went to. That sucks.
I'm volunteering at the Red Cross shelter tomorrow and with the Salvation Army on Monday. I'm anxious to do something that will help in some way.
|
There's very little of me that doesn't want to get in a car right now and drive down to New Orleans to help in any way I can.
I know it's rather illogical. First, I would have problems getting there because so many of the roads are washed out in the coastal areas. Even if I could get there, I wouldn't know where to begin to help. Obviously, I couldn't help a massive number of people evacuate. I have no means to gather large amounts of supplies to take to them.
But this does not mean I can't help in some way.
The UA Student Recreation Center has served as an evacuee shelter since Monday. Even though I haven't had time to make it out there this week, I am hoping to volunteer there this weekend. I also want to gather some supplies that I know my roommates, friends and I can spare that they need, like towels and blankets and clothes.
If you are reading this, no matter where you are, I want you to know that you can help, too. Donate to the Red Cross fund for victims (www.redcross.org). Volunteer at a local Red Cross shelter. Offer your home for victims to stay in, if you can (I've heard there's a list at www.craigslist.org).
This one's not half a world away, folks. This is in our backyard, and there are things we can do to help.
|
Trees also fell on railroad tracks in several places around town.
|
Several trees were down around campus including this one at the intersection of Marr's Spring Road and Campus Drive.
|
A tree fell on one corner of The Gates apartment complex on Campus Drive.
|
