Day 2... How many days for a habit to form?

I got my history essay back yesterday. We were assigned to write an essay on an assigned topic (mine was "The Tyranny of the Majority), with 2 drafts and a final to be turned in at about 2-week intervals from the beginning of the semester. I got my second draft back yesterday ... 99% and I don't have to turn in a final. Considering I had no idea what I was talking about, I'm pretty impressed with myself! I might be getting this school stuff (second time around is WAY easier)! I just hope my term paper (another essay, but muuuuch longer) impresses him as much as this one did.

Wait... I take back that easier part. Did I mention I had a test in math yesterday? I don't want to mess up my karma and put out there that I completely bombed it, but I have a bad feeling. A couple of my fellow "developmental math" peers and I were discussing our shortcomings this morning before class started. My brain has this thing... which it seems it had the first time I tried algebra many, many moons ago... I have no problem understanding the concept during class and while I'm doing the homework (usually either immediately following class or that same evening). But when I get to the test my brain has moved to another hemisphere (did I mention we take tests every 10 days?!!? ARGH!). Once I finish this blog I'm going to go to my friend google and see what others have to say about this problem. I even did EXTRA work to study. The chapter homework usually consists of about 100 problems, of which we are assigned to do every 4th problem. Last chapter I did every single problem! You'd think it would be hammered into my pea brain (maybe it's pee 'cuz it pours right out... ok, that's kinda icky but I'm leaving it in 'cuz it's kinda funny, too). I'm going to go in and sit with Charlie (my math prof) tomorrow morning before class while he corrects my test. We have fall break starting Thursday and I'll go crazy if I have to wait until next week to see how [poorly] I did.

Oh, and I have my public speaking mid-term tomorrow, too! wahoo buckaroo! Wish me luck...

Bragging rights

One of the classes I'm taking is public speaking. Realizing that if anyone who knows me reads this, they are going to laugh themselves into hysterics, I have to tell you ... it's got to be the most evil required class (second only to math) the education system came up with! I DO like to talk and I DO generally add my 2 cents... wanted or not... but I can do that from the back of the classroom or the back of a conference room or among a group of friends/family. It is NOT the same when forced to stand IN FRONT OF a group of people (in my case, this group is made up of kids the same age as my kids). While I don't want to come right out and say that these [kids] intimidate me, I can say that I've heard what kids like these say about people [like me]. I've never really been one to care much what people think about me, but I have to see these people around campus every day for the next 3 semesters. I'm supposed to be old enough and wise enough to "get" this ... to supposedly know what I'm doing. I tried to explain to my classmates one day how hard this class is for me. They laughed at me of course, because I do generally participate in class discussions, which [should] make it a piece of cake to "just stand up in front of us and talk" like I usually do.

While I think I am getting a little less anxious about my speech assignments (I didn't throw up before last weeks "informative" speech), I will NOT be sad when this class is over and I am SO happy that the requirement will be fulfilled.

P.S. After my informative speech last week the teacher said I aced the speech due to my visual aides (my chosen subject was Drunk Driving and how if effects everyone. I used a PowerPoint presentation that included pictures... graphic pictures... blood and guts tend to leave an impression).

What the heck am I doing?!!?

I've been curious as to why people blog. I've read (and commented) on many public blogs. I have an artist friend who blogs on his own website about his current projects and his dog, so I assume he blogs for his clients. Now my beautiful daughter, Brandi and her slightly dorky husband, Drew, have a blog, to which her many friends can see what [they] are up to and comment.


Since I'm currently posing as a college student (which seems to be the main genre for blogging), I'm going to give this a shot... I'm assuming it's going to be similar to keeping a diary/journal, which is something I've tried numerous times over the years and gloriously failed at... it's so much work! The last time I [didn't] try was when Brandi so lovingly gave me a beautiful leather-bound journal for Christmas 4 years ago; I think I wrote myself a to-do list in it. Anyone want to take bets on how long this lasts? Oh... right... read on... no one is reading this!


I'm going to boldly assume that no one will read this, so I'll essentially be yammering to myself... which isn't much of a stretch, since I spend a majority of my time (outside class) alone and have, I think, 2 friends. Family I have in abundance, but I tend to be loud-mouthed, so they usually know what's going on in my life.