Past and Present Hopes...

I had hoped that I would be traveling to Greece this year.  This particular hope - or dream - had been on my "list" for a few years.  I figured since this year marks a landmark birthday (The Big FOUR OH for those of you who don't know), it was as good a time as any.

Alas, it isn't in the cards.  With my husband's layoff last year and his current contract job ending in a few months, I have to be realistic.

I shouldn't spend the money on a frivolous trip to Greece - not when we have two kids to feed, a large mortgage, and bills up the wahzoo.  It wouldn't be responsible.

And I'm all about being Ms. Responsible nowadays.  Long gone are the days of dancing on bartops or talking to strangers late at night.  Reality includes a preschooler who broke my Giorgio Armani prescription glasses and a tween who tells me she still doesn't like boys.  (Does this child think I'm stupid?  Um, okay.  And I can still do the splits like I did in high school...not.)

But you know what? 

I wouldn't have it any other way.  Even though I never thought I'd be married with kids, deep down inside, I guess I had always hoped I would end up with a loving husband and two beautiful children....(don't most girls dream of this?)

and I did. So, I guess my most secret hopes became a reality, and if that includes some broken glasses and a daughter in denial, so be it.  :)  And I'll take that over Greece any day!

Today was....a day...and not necessarily a good one!

If my head wasn't connected to my body, I probably would have left that somewhere else today. 

Seriously.  If it wasn't one thing, it was another. 

**Warning: I am completely frazzled and a bit queasy (stupid vertigo), so it is definitely possible that I am not making sense.  Please be aware of this fact before continuing.  I just need somewhere to vent.

Today, I went to my first class and left my glasses there.  I walked back to my office and proctored a make-up exam, hastily packing my bags for my next class.  With my TWO huge bags, I walked over to another building to pick up a bicycle (from a wonderful colleague who gave it to me for FREE - woo hoo), walked back to the main department office to drop off the bike, and then headed to my last class...in a building on the opposite side of campus, OF COURSE.  Trying to set-up the game activities with a hastily packed bag is not something I recommend.  It is incredibly difficult to find what is needed.  In my scattered disposition, I couldn't find my camera and thought I left it back at my office.  While re-packing everything at the END of class, I did find the camera.  This was when I realized that I had left my glasses in my first classroom - you know, the one on the opposite side of campus from where I was standing at that instant.

What in the world...?  Grr...

Seriously, what the heck?

Vertigo sucks.  I have an appointment with an Ears, Nose, and Throat doctor in a couple weeks.  Hopefully we can figure out how to eliminate or decrease the episodes.  I think three episodes lasting 4-6 days, in a span of 12 months, is not good.  I can't think clearly.  I think I'm too busy trying to concentrate on not moving around too much; moving aggravates it.

Fortunately, my students still seemed to enjoy today.  I had a good time, too.  I just wish I felt better. 

For now, I'm going to go sit down somewhere and not move my head.  Maybe I'll just fall asleep.  Oh, wait.  I have kids who are awake and need to eat dinner. Scratch that.  Maybe I'll get to rest in about 2 more hours.

Fabulous.

10 Things NOT to Ask Your Instructor

One would think that university level students would be more responsible, be more proactive, and care more about how they do in class.  One would be wrong.  Okay, I exaggerate. There are many, many, many intelligent, organized, and responsible students.  Sadly, there are just as many lazy nincomepoops.  Though I have no idea why, the same questions or issues continue to occur in classes everywhere.  It’s not just in my classes; it’s not just at my university; it’s a nationwide epidemic.

Here are a sample of questions to which professors and lecturers are subjected.  In addition, I have taken the liberty of answering some of them – just for fun.  I’m entitling it…

Ten things NOT to ask the instructor and the answers they want to give you.

Question: Where is your office?  What time are your office hours?

Answer: Look on the syllabus...that I just reviewed in class.

Question: I couldn’t make it to the last class (or classes).  Did I miss anything?

Answer Option 1: Oh, of course not.  We were so horrified you couldn’t come to class, so we just sat there and stared at the ceiling for 75 minutes.

Answer Option 2: Yes.  :stare silently at student without any further response:

Question: When is the paper due?

Answer: It’s on the freakin’ syllabus.

Question: Do you have a stapler?

Answer: Nope.  Do I have Office Depot written on my forehead again?

Question: I know it says on the syllabus that such and such are the required readings, but are those the books that we need to read?

Answer Option 1: What?  Oh, that syllabus is just for the others.  YOU don’t have to read it.  You’re special.  :dripping with sarcasm:

Answer Option 2: Nope.  Everything is optional.  Even attendance is optional, but you will earn a grade of F if you choose not to read or do anything.

Question: I showed up for every class. How can I be failing?

Answer: Look on the syllabus.  See grade percentage breakdown.  There were things called exams and papers.  Oh, ya.  And even a group project.  You had to do them.

Question: I did half the work.  I should get a “C” then, right?

Answer: Um, no.  Honey, half the work equals 50%. Last time I checked, that equaled a grade of F.  It is on the higher side of the F, so you can be proud you didn’t get 14% though, right?

Question: What can I do to improve my grade in class?

Answer: Come to class.  Do the assignments.

Question: Can I get an incomplete instead of F?

Answer: Sorry, an incomplete is for a student with extenuating circumstances who missed assignments, not for half of the semester’s worth of work or for someone who repeatedly failed exams.

Question: This class is really important to me.  I really need a “C.”

Answer: I understand you are saying it is really important to you. Unfortunately, you demonstrated the opposite by being absent for two months and not turning in any work.  I do not “give” grades.  I record your effort.  The effort you demonstrated was actually below zero.  I had forgotten who you were, dumbass.

For the record, the diligent students think this is just as funny as I do.  I’ve seen them laughing when their fellow students ask an inane question! haha

Amazing Students!

I’ve been fortunate to have had some wonderful, inspiring students and I am grateful when they keep in touch.  I love hearing about their adventures, their accomplishments, and their dreams.  It always makes me happy to see my students make their goals and dreams become a reality.  But no matter where they are on their paths – if they are touching base for a recommendation letter, are needing an ear to listen to their struggles, or are just sharing their accomplishments – I am always happy to see or hear from them.

This week, I heard from quite a few students who I hadn’t heard from in quite some time.  One is going back to grad school, looking into vacating the Bay Area – maybe moving onto SDSU or Cornell.  Another student completed one of their Life List goals – bungee jumping – in Africa, no less.  Africa?  That’s amazing.  Another former student, whose passion was shopping, is now employed as a buyer.

Seriously, I have the best job. 

I thought I was daring but maybe not...

I've always considered myself a daring sort of person.  As a kid, I was often found playing on top of a fifth story building rooftop, climbing from one building to the next.  As an adult, I found safer ways to explore adventure: skydiving, cave rappelling, ziplining, mechanical bullriding, and whitewater rafting have been some of my more recent adventures. 

So, it's pretty obvious that I love adventure, right?  When the TV shows Survivor and Amazing Race came out, I always imagined what it would be like to get to try those crazy challenges in the rain or travel to exotic places.  I even considered trying out for the show...

Until they upped the ante!

It became more than the physical challenges that tests one's ability to face their fear of heights or one's strength and perseverance to pull a rickshaw; it became how much one could stomach, eating cow testicles or swallowing live baby octopus, while not throwing up.  After the Amazing Race episode where one dude had to drink his own puke because he vomited a bit back up in his bowl, I drew the line.


That's just gross.  I'm sorry, but no money or adventure is worth eating my own vomit.  That's completely disgusting.

Clearly, I'm not daring when it comes to food.  I'm far from adventurous when it comes to eating out-of-the-ordinary items.  In fact, I'm a little grossed out by the idea.  While my husband and daughter sit back on the couch and watch Bizarre Foods, I find myself in another room, either reading a book or playing on the computer.  I don't want to watch.  (This may be another reason I've stopped watching Amazing Race religiously.)

Anyhow, it's amazing what some people will try and these people are everywhere.  You don't have to look on TV to find them.  At the Jelly Belly Factory this past weekend, I saw people trying jellybeans in flavors, such as Baby Wipe, Rotten Egg, and Dog Food.  Further investigation of flavors resulted in learning about more off-the-wall offerings: Booger, Barf, Moldy Cheese, Pencil Shavings, and Skunk Spray.





W.T.F.

Who comes up with this stuff?

There's even a game called Bean Boozled.  If you're that kind of daring, check it out yourself and buy it online at the Jelly Belly Factory. Or not. HAHA.

Don't Cross That Line!

I'm all for people who are confident.  In fact, I love confident people; they believe in themselves, they persevere; they know they are capable of achieving their goals.

But there is a line between confidence and conceit.  

Need a specific example?  Look at Project Runway and compare Seth Aaron and Emilio Sosa.  Both are confident in their skills, are passionate about their work, and love what they do.  The difference between the two is a bit of humility.  Seth Aaron knows he is good; he is confident, but he also listens to other viewpoints and sees the value in others' work. In contrast, Emilio Sosa loves the sound of his voice; he loves his work and his work only; he thinks he is the very best, regardless of others' talents; and he can't seem to see past his own wonderful glory.

I realize that all contestants may have "trash-talked" one another at one time or another.   I know that some of what we saw was creative editing, making him out to be the bad guy...but let's be real.  Regardless of what they may have cut, they didn't add things in.  He still said it - OVER AND OVER AGAIN - he was the best; no one can do what he can; they cannot even touch him; he is the one with the showstoppers.  Blah. Blah. Blah.  I almost wanted to stop watching because he was simply, in a word, UNBEARABLE.

 Seth Aaron                   Emilio Sosa

I was so incredibly grateful that he did NOT win the fashion show.  While he definitely has talent and I loved a lot of his designs he showed this season, his pompous attitude and his overbearing arrogance was too much to take: "I will be the winner.  I am the best. No one else is near my caliber of designer."

Gah.  Shut up, already.

There is a difference between confidence and conceit.  Please, don't cross that line!  No one wants to hear you brag about yourself and your abilities ALL the freakin' time!

Time flies...and then they're big!

It's amazing how quickly time passes and how quickly the mind can block out things.  I still think of my son as my baby boy.  Nevermind the fact that he wears underwear, dresses himself (for the most part), puts his shoes on, gets himself water, and even sets the table sometimes.  Regardless of these facts, he always seems so little to me.  Maybe it is because he is on the small side. Maybe it's because he is our "baby" - our last child.  Or maybe it's because next to our 11-year-old daughter and her friends, he seems tiny.

Whatever the reason, after this weekend, I was jolted back into reality.

This weekend, we babysat our 13-months-old godson.  To be honest, I had forgotten how much a baby poops at that age.  I had also forgotten how tied to a schedule - two naps, meals, bottles, snacks, diaper changes - a parent gets with a young child.  It didn't seem that long ago that our son was so little, but after realizing that I had to do everything for my godson and not everything for my son, I realized how grown up my son actually is - and how much he can do on his own. 

Don't get me wrong.  I absolutely LOVED babysitting my godson and would do it again in a heartbeat (he's such an agreeable, happy kid), but I am perfectly happy with two children who I can take out without packing a bag filled with stuff.  (Snacks are in the car already, and usually so is an extra set of clothes, but that's it!)

My son turns 4 years old this summer. He tells me all the time that he is "a big boy" and shows this to me through all the things he can do by himself: go potty (even though I have to remind him...a lot), dress himself (sometimes he needs help with his shirts, though), put on his shoes, and set the table for dinner.