Happy Haunting

I can't decide if I should go vote early today or not. It's the last day for early voting. I've been holding out for Tuesday ... there's just something sacred about voting on election day ... that's why it's called election day. I guess the upside to the whole early voting thing is that it's in anticipation of lots of people actually getting out and voting. Which makes sense, but still... At this point, the decision is going to be made by whether my laundry gets done early enough for me to leave early for work and vote on my way to work. hmmm... tune in to find out.
I'm still waffling on my "How to make a PB&J Sandwich" for my speech topic. I have to give it on Monday, so I need to make a decision. I have done a little research and have my random facts to throw out while I'm putting on the show, but ... is it a little immature? Probably. Am I a little immature? Definitely. Do I really care? Not so much. Comments?
Ok, Brandi, what the heck am I supposed to do with that tag? I read it, I commented on it, but now what? Is there something else?

...later that day...

Well we got our history mid-terms back today. wahoo! I got an "A-". I missed two very obvious questions (they were extra credit, tho... whew! - last week I asked him if he'd graded it yet; he said yes and that I missed something I was gonna kick myself for missing). So... what did I miss? I got the 13th (abolition of slavery) and 19th (women's rights) Amendments mixed up. D'OH!
Again with the speeches in my communications class. I'm really surprised at the topics my classmates choose. We've had topics from steroids (the guy works at a gym - everything he talks about has something to do with working out), organ donation, looking on the bright side of everything, economic impact of deporting illegal aliens, rights of voting, legalizing same sex marriages, lowering voting age, to saving for retirement. It's really interesting to see what people come up with. There is one guy in this class that I can't figure out why he's at a community college. He's in his early 20's and extremely smart (his speeches have been on embryonic stem cells and the economic impact of deportation). I'm just amazed that he's not someplace with scholarships, etc. Of course, he is married and has a baby (I think - on the baby thing), so that may be part of it. I dunno. Maybe he just seems really smart to me.
Oh, by the way, I made a friend today. Or at least I think I did. There is a girl in my communications class that I've really found interesting. She's very open and honest about who she is and what her past is (recovering drug addict) and is very much like me in that she says it like it is. Anyhoo, she asked me for my phone number today (of course, maybe she wants to ask me out, although I haven't gotten that vibe from her). It was kinda kewl but kinda weird, too. Funny, though, that she asked for it today... the day I said I was going to make a new friend! WEEEEEE!!!

Extend your life expentancy

So I'm determined to have a great week this week. I'm trying to think positively about this school experience. I'm hoping to find out today that I got an "A" on my history mid-term, and I have a test in math tomorrow that I'm going to get an "A" on - even without the extra credit (glad it's there to boost my score, though)!
I've also decided I'm going to make a new friend this week. They said on the news this morning that one of the things that helps extend your life expectancy is having a [good] social life. It also said regular exercise helps, which I'm going to try and improve as well, but I figure that since I'm in school and see tons of people every day, it should be fairly simple to make a new friend. Working nights certainly doesn't help increase my social circle.
AND ... since I'm going to be 47 by the time I finish my law degree, I'm going to need a little extra time to actually practice and to make the big bucks. So I prolly need all the help I can get!
I'm excited ... sort of ... that someone besides my daughter found this blog. She gave me a great recipe for another cake. I'll have to try it out. I'm all about easy and yummy... and it seems to fill both those requirements. Thanks for the recipe! wahoo! Here's the question, though... do I consider that as adding to my "social circle"? (the random person, not the cake!) hmmm....
Time for class, gotta run. More later.

TGIF

It's the end of another week... thankfully, not nearly as busy as last week. In fact, I'm sitting here at work and have checked and double checked all my homework, shopped online for a car (I need something that gets better mileage and has [way] lower payments), forwarded all the jokes I've received to other people, played several hands of solitaire online, read the newspaper online. BORING. Makes for a long night!

I just have to say that school is tough and that I'm very proud of my two daughters who are both in college. Brandi is in her final year - and having a tough one trying to put her new little home together, work, be a wife. She's gonna make it, though! Channing is working and going to school - she's in her 2nd year at Gainesville State and doing great.

Well, I'm going to call it a night. I need to go get my car cleaned up so it looks semi-decent so I can get lots of $$ on a trade-in. I hate car- shopping.
Brandi is so domesticated. I'm glad she got that gene from her grandma!! I had someone send the following to me.
This is remarkable & just in time for the holiday baking season! Just click on the name of the cake and bam the recipe appears!

'Night Before Christmas' Coffee Cake
'Real New York Style' Cheesecake Supreme
A Cake That's Fit For A Queen
Amaretto Italian Sour Cream Cake
Amazing Tropical Fruit Cake
Apple and Nut Cake
Apple Cake
Apple Cake
Apple Sauce Cake
Applesauce Fruitcake
Apricot Nectar Pound Cake
Baby Cheescakes Baby Cheesecakes
Banana Cake
Barron Family Cheesecake
Baumtorte (Tree Cake)
Becky's Pumpkin Cupcakes
Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake
Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake
Broken Angel Cake With Chocolate Chips
Candied Fruit Cake
Carmel Coffee Cake
Carrot Cake with Hot Glaze
Carrot-Pineapple Cake
Cherry Cake
Cherry Cake Sauce
Cherry Cheesecake Cups
Cherry-Pineapple Dump Cake
Chocolate Angel Food
Chocolate Browny Cake
Chocolate Chip Muffins
Chocolate Cookie Sheet Cake
Chocolat e Éclair Cake
Chocolate Ice Box Dessert
Chocolate Logs
Chocolate Lovers Heaven Triple Threat Chocolate Di
Chocolate Sheet Cake
Chocolate welington fudge pudding
Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cake
Christmas Cake
Christmas choclate cake
Christmas Mixed Glace Fruit Loaf
Christmas-Comes-But-Once-A-Year-Chocolate Cake
Cinnamon Morning Delight
Coca-Cola Cake
Coconut Cake
Cookie Pizza
Cream Cheese Icing
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Cream Puff Cake
Creamy Chocolate Cupcakes
Creamy Chocolate Layered Cake
Decadent Chocolate Cake
Decadent Fudge Cake
Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Bars
Dream Cake
Dreamcicle Cake
Drizzle Cake
Earthquake Cake
Easy Cocoa Snack Cake
Easy Coconut Cake
Éclair Cake
Edie Ching's Cherry Cheesecake
Eggnog Cake
Extra Moist Coconut Cakes
Festive Pumpkin Gingerbread
Flower Garden Cake
Fruit Cake
Fruit Cocktail Cake
German Chocolate Upside-Down Cake
Golden Bacardi Rum Cake
Gooey Butter Cake
Gum drop cake
Heavenly Pecan Cake
Hedge Hog Cake
Holiday Cake
Holiday Poke Cake
Holiday Rum Cake
Honey Bun Cake
Honey Cake
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
Hummingbird Cake
Ice-Cream Chocolate Roll
Jewish Apple Cake
Johnny Appleseed Cake
Lemon Cake
Lemon Poppyseed Cakes
Lemon Pound Cake
Linda's Yule Log
Mama's Homemade Banana Cake
Mandy's Cake
Microwave Scottish Pudding
Mini Fruitcakes
Miniature Cheesecakes
Mississippi Fudge Cake
Mississippi Mud
Mock Lemon Meringue Cake
Neiman Marcus Cake
No Bake Fruit Cake
Norwegian Gold Cake
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake
Old Fashion Pound Cake
Old Fashioned Light Fruitcake
Orange Date-Nut Cake
Orange Slice Cake
Oreo Cheesecake
Peanut-Topped Devil's Food
Pecan Icing
Pennsylvania Dutch Pastry
Pineapple Heaven
Plum-Nut Cake
Pound Cake Pound Cake
Pumpkin Cake Roll
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin log
Pumpkin Nut Roll
Pumpkin Pie Cake
Pumpkin Roll
Queen's Cake
Red Velvet Cake
Reese`s white cake
Reese's Brownie Cupcakes
Refrigerator Chocolate Cheesecake
Russian Tea Cakes
Russian Teacakes
Santa's Breakfast Cake
Self-Filled Cupcakes
Shirley's Chocolate Sheet Cake
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Sour Cream Pound Cake
Southern Apple Cake
Swedish Nut Cake
Tiny Christmas Fruitcakes
Toll House Carrot Cake
Triple Chocolate Torte
Turtle Bars
Turtle Cake
Warcake
Watergate Cake
White Christmas Loaf
World War I Cake
World War II Cake

Stuff and things

Can't even begin to describe how far under I got last week! And it was NOT a good week to be buried. We were supposed to receive our History class mid-terms on the 9th - first half received on the 11th (T/F, multiple choice & fill-in-the blank) with the second half promised on the 13th. Second half received on the 15th (7 documents to read and 4-7 questions to answer for each doc.). All this due on the 22nd - not so bad. Assigned to give a "persuasive" speech on Monday the 20th. ...and then there's my favorite subject - MATH. For the most part I can accomplish a little bit of homework every night at work - my first hour or so is usually pretty slow. Not so last week, plus I was asked to come in early the last half of the week- so I worked about 14 hours 3 days in a row. Not so condusive to homework - or even brain cells. So Saturday I had a major cram session - started with math (7 chapters of homework to do, each with 30 questions to answer), got burned out and couldn't see the numbers/letters after completing the first 4 1/2 chapters. Moved to communications and starting my speech. My first thoughts were that it was a really lame subject and probably not a good one, but I couldn't come up with anything else, so I went with it. Tried to work on history, but sitting at home watching the world go by just doesn't make for good absorption ratio. Plus, I made the HUGE mistake of checking out an Ann Rule book that someone recommended to me. I'm a little addicted to reading (when it's good). I have a horrible habit of starting a book and not stopping until it's done. This one was particularly hard to put down because I could have substituted my ex-husband's name in it. Ann Rule writes fiction - mostly true crime stuff. This one was about a narcisstic husband who killed his estranged wife. Rang a little too close to home several times. I had to keep reading to make sure the guy was convicted!
So ... I spent more time working on my speech on Sunday - still wasn't any more impressed with it. Worked on a little more history. Decided to finish that in the library on Monday (quiet is good). And I did. Handed in both parts of my history mid-term. Oh, and I got my math test from last week (fractions) back. Got a 97% - my best score yet. wahoo... Gave my speech today. I was kinda hoping I would get bumped to Wednesday, but was one of the few who [appeared] to be prepared, so onward and upward as they say.... didn't do so well. I'm not so happy with myself.
Maybe... just maybe... if I had some friends and/or followers on this thing (not that I want any!) I could ask for ideas for my next speech. Actually, I have to do another informative speech next. I am considering giving it on "how to make the perfect PB&J." Figured if I take all the fixings and pass one out to everyone it might help my overall score... maybe.... thoughts on this, Brandi?
All appears to be quiet here at work so I think I'll crack my math open and see if I can accomplish anything. Later.

Been a few days

It's been a few days since I've been here. I've thought about it a couple times, but didn't really have anything to say. I don't really have anything to say tonight, either, but I'm sitting here at work tonight looking out my 8th-floor window at the gorgeous sunset wishing I could share it with someone (If I had a camera I could post a picture of it...). That is one thing that the cold(er) weather does well... creates fantastic sunsets.
The other thing I wanted to share with someone tonight is a quote I discovered. Actually, it's in a letter to the editor of Inc. magazine, so I don't really know who the originator is, but it's going to become my new mantra. At least until I find the next great one. It goes like this:

"There is no lmit to what you can learn or how much better you can become, as long as you keep reading, listening, and searching for wisdom."

Every part of that is so true. There seems to be a plethora of people out there who feel they are better than those around them. I wonder... do they think they have reached their peak? Do they strive to be better? or do they think there is no better than they?

That's enough food for thought tonight. Have a great one!

Monday Monday

I did think about just abandoning this altogether over the weekend... had kind of a bad week last week. A "feel sorry for Jenn" kind of week. It's not really something I want to put out in the universe, so suffice it to say, it sucked and I'm working through it.
I did, however, have a great weekend. I went up to Idaho Falls and helped Brandi and Drew get settled into their new little house. They closed on it a month ago and Drew has been kicking ass getting the place all spiffy'd up so they could move in. He and his dad tore out the carpet, layed new, beautiful laminate down and he painted the entire place. I'm still shocked that he let Brandi pick the colors she did.... that's my girl! Red and bright yellow with black cabinets for their kitchen. It looks great, and once she gets stuff on the walls it'll come together really nicely. I'm pretty excited for them... despite my hesitancy (ok, I was downright against them buying it from the beginning)... but they'll make it work and I'm proud of them for taking the chance/opportunity and buying a house so early in their marriage.
Not much has been happening. I suppose I'll find out today how I did in my communications mid-term. No math mid-term (thank you!) and my history final will be emailed to us on the 9th (it's take-home, yea!). It should be fairly easy-ish, since it's take-home and is based on class lectures. Hopefully my note-taking will pay off.
Well, I'm off to math. Feels like it's gonna be a long week. I don't know why... just does.
Later.

Boring night at work

I've been reading about the bailout that just passed in Congress. I'm a little disheartened that the House caved so easily. I thought for sure my letters would pursuade them otherwise. There certainly were plenty of others who, like me, opposed the bailout. It seems many of us agree that Senator Bob Bennett is whole-heartedly backing himself. He stood to lose a lot if the bailout bill failed to pass muster. Just so you know, the blog I have been participating in re this subject was started due to an article on KSL.com. There were ays and nays aplenty, so it wasn't just a Bennett-bashing thing (although even those for the bailout generally agreed with the ouster of Bennett theory).

Realizing that [we] all stand to lose something, and that there is no "win-win" solution, I still feel that there has got to be a better way to solve this ongoing problem of fiscal solvency. One thought would be to take the "personal interest" out of the decision-makers hands. I mean, come on, it's an election year. We need to line pockets! and who lines the pockets... uh huh... you get where I'm going. One of the hair-brained ideas someone suggested in my history class today was to go completely crazy and put some people who actually have some financial expertise on the oversight committee. Crazy, I know.

Apparently there is an email going around with probably the best idea ever! While I haven't seen it, from what I gather, every adult US citizen would be given $437k. Of course, that money would be taxed... 30% ... which would go back into the federal coffers, and would pay back many millions of the deficit. The remaining $300k (give or take) would be ours for the spending. And honestly... tell me you wouldn't. Pay off the house (stimulate the economy) pay off the car... and heck, buy a new one! (stimulate the economy.) Pay off those pesky credit cards (got the idea yet?). By now we're all probably out of money. So guess what... back to the credit cards (stimulate away). Think about it. Would you be willing to help out your country this way? Ok, I know there are those who would do the "responsible" thing and invest [some of] it. But that's still helping out.

Okay, I'm tired of talking about this. I'm sure it will be a topic of conversation for many, many years to come. You've probably quit reading so I'm wasting valuable energy. Time to read some more of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and stimulate my brain.

How many congressmen does it take to balance the budget (I know it's old, but still...)

School is ... cool?

It's good to be consistent, right? Even if it's consistently bad. right? If I'm honest with myself I'm not even consistent.... unless you count consistently getting worse. My first math test I got 95/100. Second 90/100. I went in early this morning so I could get my results from Monday's test. ... you thought I was going to say 85/100, didn't you. Well... you're wrong. and I was WAY wrong. 70/100. yup. Failed miserably. Hopefully my Communications mid-term will turn out better. That was this afternoon. I'm pretty confident about that one.

Good news is - I have the next two days off for fall break. YEAH! If only I had the same courtesy from work! sheesh! of course, I'm wondering what I'm going to do with my time during the day. I can't imagine what I'd do with 4 entire days of no school and no work. I do have math homework, though, so it'll give me something to do... if I can figure it out. Fractions. ugh.
Maybe I'll go crazy and dust.