Some Fun

I had some fun in band class. I sit next to the euphonium player (who is a very talented musician) and today he brought with him a little rubber fetus about 2 -3 inches long. He got it from some event at the University Center. This band mate is a character to begin with (during one song, which is very cartoonish, he kicks his one leg out for emphasis while playing - it is funny to watch) but with props, especially with something off the wall as a little rubber fetus, he is hilarious. Ok, maybe I just needed a good laugh too. He was putting that little fetus in all sorts of places - in his instrument (it almost got stuck in there), up his nose, hanging from his glasses. Of course the funniest spot was hanging out of the fly of his pants; naughty, naughty but very entertaining in a juvenile sort of way. It gave me the case of the giggles which is not good (although I did need the laugh) because I am not a very talented musician (at least not on the trombone) and need to be focused in band. I hope we were not irritating the band director. I felt like I was 15 and in high school again. I don't know if that is good, bad, or just makes me out to be a very silly woman.

 

Well I felt like a 15 year old until I went over to UCEN after to class, weighted done with my trombone, a big purse, and my backpack - I can barely walk with all that stuff and it makes my bones ache. I had to see if I could get a little fetus of my own but they were all gone. Darn it! I really wanted one.

 

Now I am sitting in the library with my lovely new pink laptop. I skipped my last class so I could come up to the top floor of the library and write. I like it up here - it is quiet and I sit facing a wall of windows, looking out on the campus and the Flint River. It is a nice day outside. I half thought about going out on the grass to write but although somewhat pretty to look at, the river often smells like sewage. PU... Flint is looking good up here though. It warms my heart and gives me hope. Spring is on the way, rebirth... and all that.

 

I love my new pink laptop. It gives me more freedom around campus and I am hoping it is going to give me a push to write more. It does seem to be working. I am thinking about hanging out in the library more often - I seem to get more done in here than if the computer labs at school. I think it is because of the quietness and also I have windows to look out of. 

 

I also have a new pink backpack to go with the laptop and it seems to lighten my load, even with carrying the extra weight of the computer. Must be that it distributes the weight better than my old backpack. Can't really do much about the trombone though. Now if only I could find a way to get some good hot tea up here everything would be perfect. Well that an the fact that I have to pack everything up to go to the bathroom. Note: Don't drink a huge bottle of water (1 pt. or 700 mL) quickly while trying to get some writing done in the library.

 

Well that is a little snapshot of my day. Today was a good day and I am grateful for these little moments of silliness and contentedness.

 

Good Quote, Good Wisdom

"The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them." ~ Maya Angelou

I love this quote - just heard it on Oprah. It was all about women who were betrayed by their husbands. Very interesting show and I agree with the quote 100% although these men were very good at hiding their true selves. Reminds me of a few people and a few mistakes I have made in not trusting my instincts. Of course, being a fair person I try not to let my intuition and initial judgments of people (I give people a few chances at least, always at first believing that I am to harsh a judge)  rule how I feel about them but it comes down to this: how many times do you have to be knocked in the head before you realize you cannot trust someone?

Health Care Passed The House!!

WARNING: This is going to be a rambling RANT because I am sick and tired of the pissin' and moanin' done by Republicans and HATERS against national health care. 

OH MY GOD people! I cannot believe national health care could ignite such a firestorm of divided opinions. I cannot even pretend to know a whole lot about this health care bill and I am not 100% sold on it because I think a lot of concessions were probably made to get the damn thing passed but WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ALL AMERICANS HAVING HEALTH CARE? Please tell me ...especially when the happiest countries in the world have nationalized health care. What does that tell everybody? If the happiest countries in the world have health care why can't the RICHEST?

Also WHAT THE FUCK IS SO RIGHT ABOUT OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM NOW THAT SOME PEOPLE JUST CAN'T EVEN CONCEIVE THAT IT DOES NEED TO BE OVERHAULED?

So you people who are against a national health care because America does not have the money, are you happy that all of our money has been going out the door to support fat cats at the nations banks? Anyone remember the BAILOUTS??? And Obama did not start that mess so fuck off. 

What about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - we spent a ton of OUR money (not to mention the blood of Americans) on those wars and on helping other countries build their infrastructures (are we back to colonizing?). We have gotten very little for our money spent on wars. Has anyone in AMERICA heard of INTELLIGENCE - that is how we stop terrorism here and against our people not trying to colonize other countries all in the name of democracy which is concept some people DO NOT WANT!! THE WAY AMERICANS SPIT OUT THE WORD SOCIALISM HERE IS THE WAY OTHERS SPIT OUT THE WORD DEMOCRACY IN THEIR COUNTRY; if they do want democracy they need to fuckin' fight for it themselves not have it thrust upon them. We do not even have peace of mind for all that money spent. WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION MY ASS!! WTF? We can't spend some kind of money on the American people for a change??... on something we all need - HEALTH CARE!! Anyone that doesn't agree with me can just SUCK IT because you know I am right. We spend tons of money on other countries and do little for the people here other than welfare mothers and old people so either you got to be poppin' out kids or have one foot in the grave to get anything from the United States, from your own tax dollars (Oh yeah, forgot to mention third world countries that give birth to and hide terrorists). IS THAT RIGHT? 

So what some people are saying is they are FINE with their tax dollars going to support people in other countries, AND people here that don't believe in common sense and birth control and also people that Americans most often forget about because they are to old and infirm to work anymore but they WILL NOT STAND FOR THEIR TAX DOLLARS TO SUPPORT REGULAR WORKING AMERICANS THAT PAY TAXES, THAT ARE THE FUCKIN' BACKBONE OF THIS COUNTRY? That is a damn shame.

P.S. 

Socialism is not a bad word.

OBAMA is not what is wrong with this country - GREED and CHAUVINISM is what is wrong with this country! Not to mention RACISM.

The 2 most interesting news stories of the day:

Hurt dog limps into New Mexico ER

German shepherd mix finds his way to a hospital after injury

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35896305/ns/health-pet_health/?gt1=43001

 

Cute and what a smart animal!

 

&

 

$365 a year for food

It's not a social experiment for her but rather a matter of a very tight budget.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SmartSpending/blog/page.aspx?post=1708340&_blg=1,1708340

I would love to be able to this but alas I am at the whim of my cravings and would be totally crazy the within the first few days. I will be checking this blog thought to see how it turns out for her and maybe get some ideas. Of course I have to consider my husband and stepson - they would not like this lady's menu.

So close...

I am so excited! A little bit of something to kick me in the arse and give me some get up and go. I went to talk to an advisor today and I am sooo close (a little closer than I thought - 8 MORE CLASSES CLOSE!!! I can't freakin' believe it!) to graduating with my Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I am actually even closer to getting a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology but because I want to go to graduate school, getting the Bachelor of Science is better. The BS offers an internship. If I had planned it better I could have graduated this May but I was fooling around working on a double major - silly me. I took way too many English classes (and I found out I do not need Foreign Language credits for a BS either). Yikes! I am a ways away from graduating with the 2 degrees I wanted (BS in Psych and a BA in English, it would probably add another semester or maybe even another year) so I decided I am just going to concentrate on the Psych and get that done. I can always finish my second degree later and I also want to investigate how to get a teaching degree because one of my goals is to work on a college campus either counseling or both counseling and teaching. 

The English classes were fun an interesting though and I am not sorry I took them (and I am sure my Spanish will come in handy too). I am kicking myself a little because I found out that when I graduate I can walk with the U 0f M - Ann Arbor class, and this May the commencement speaker is Barack Obama. I would have loved to hear him speak in person. Darn it! 

Well now I have to start looking at Graduate schools. I saw a couple of programs in Michigan that I was interested in. I think my top pick is at Wayne State - they have a combination Clinical and School Psychology Program. I have heard that it is really competitive to get in a Psychology Program so I am going to really have to study hard for the GRE. I need to get an outstanding score! I even have a back up plan if I do not get into Grad school right away and of course I hope I will be able to find a good job. So I have my work cut out for me for the next couple of years to say the least. 

So close ... yet so far. 

Fakiness

Doesn't seem sometimes that the majority of people in our society today are fake and are leading lives that are fake - more or less based on what they have seen on TV or built on an image they want to project rather that being a REAL person? They are unable to or are scared and/or lazy to do the work, take the time to become a real, genuine person. It seems like it to me and I cannot stand all the 'fakiness'.

It is Spring Break

It is spring break and I am in a reminiscing mood. I guess
it is not Spring Break exactly, maybe mid-semester break would be the more
proper term but anyway I have a week off. I can't really relax because I have a
few papers to write but it will be nice to sit a home. I have been in that kind
of mood for the past few months - just want to sit at home or hibernate. Yes I
an in hibernation mode, as I call it. I always get super tired in January and
February. This year it has been really bad. I can't stay up past 11pm and I need a damn nap everyday too! I hope
that after break I will start feeling more energized. 

I can't believe we are already 2 months into the new year
and my school semester is half over. I didn't really get to reflect and write a
blog on 2009 like I wanted to. And 2010 seems pretty HO HUM so far for me,
although besides being exhausted I am feeling a bit better in other areas. I am
hoping it will get a little more exciting. 2009 was a good year in some
respects but a bad year in others.

My husband and I took some good trips in 2009 - those were
the highlight of my year. Of course all the trips were in Michigan
but I love Michigan and the more
places I go to within my home state the more I find to explore. 

In May we went
to Grand Rapids, which was awesome
because believe it or not Grand Rapids
is a happening town! It is probably the place with the most growth in Michigan
right now. I hit up a few museums (the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum is
great!) and relaxed after a very trying winter semester. The best part of that
was that it was paid for by somebody else besides us, haha. My husband had to
go there for a Homeland Security Conference. On our way out of Grand
Rapids we decided to take a detour by Holland,
Michigan since the tulip festival was going
on. We saw the longest parade ever – the kinderparade. Holland
is a lovely place and it is close to my favorite lake – Lake
Michigan. Of course we stopped by the beach. I love it over there,
I just can’t say enough about it! 

Then we took our anniversary trip to Mackinac
Island. I was almost afraid we would be sick of Mackinac because
it is not a very big island and we have been there a lot within the last few
years but I was soooo wrong. We caught all the lilacs in bloom and it was
heavenly. We went on an island ghost tour - it was magical walking the island
at night. We also saw a band (Michal Bailey Band, blues) that we love there.
Then we hiked all over the island and discovered a few places we had not been
too yet like Pontiac Trail, a scenic path along the west bluff and Manitou Trail,
a quite arduous trail (the oldest on the island I have heard) off of the East
Bluff that goes to Robinson’s Folly and on to Arch Rock. I took some amazing
pictures and my love and appreciation for the island deepened. 

In July we had our annual family camping trip with my husband’s family. We went
and camped just over Mackinac Bridge
at Straits State Park
in St. Ignace, Michigan.
Our campsite was on the Straits with a terrific view of the Mackinac
Bridge. We had an amazing time - I
love the U.P. The weather was not the greatest but we did go to the beach a
couple of times. Of course we went to Mackinac Island
for a day and I got most of the family to hike the treacherous Manitou Trail to
Arch Rock. Then we (my husband, stepson, Wally the dog, and I) drove out (my
stepson actually drove the majority of the time – he has his learner’s permit) of
the bad weather to places all around the eastern part of the Upper Peninsula
that I really wanted to show my husband and stepson. We went to a ghost town in
Fayette, Michigan.
That is the on the Garden Peninsula
that juts out into Lake Michigan. Words fail me in
describing the beauty of that region. I had been there as a girl and it made an
impact on me - I always wanted to go back and I am so glad I made it and got to
show my husband and stepson. We drove up to Munising Michigan
on Lake Superior and saw Miners
Falls and Wagner
Falls – beautiful of course and I
took some lovely pictures. Our dog Wally really loved the waterfalls, so
thankful we got to take him. Then we took a scenic boat tour of Pictured Rocks. Again
words fail me but it was awesome, amazing, beautiful…. Lake Superior
water around that area is a clear emerald green and too beautiful for words. I
really want to go back to that region and do some hiking. Another day we took
in Tahquamenon Falls,
largest falls in Michigan and in
the top five of the biggest falls east of the Mississippi.
We drove on up through Paradise to Whitefish Point on Lake
Superior and went the Shipwreck
Museum. That was cool. And we got
to see the fog role on in from the Lake. That day I put
my foot in three of the great lakes, haha – Lake Superior,
Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. On
our last day we went on up to Sault Ste. Marie and took the Soo Locks Boat
tour. I had been on it when I was a girl but it seemed more interesting this
time around. It was something my husband and stepson really wanted to do so I
am glad we got to do it and I believe they enjoyed it. Really the whole trip
was awesome and writing about it makes me want to go back. Also I it makes
realize I need to come up with some new adjectives because I cannot express
enough how awesome, amazing, lovely and beautiful the Upper Peninsula
is with my limited vocabulary! LOL, it grows tiresome, cliché and boring but
the UP is wonderful!

Our last trip of the year was to my parent's place in Manistee County, Michigan (west side, Lower Peninsula) - another beautiful spot, one of my all time favorites. My husband and I went there for Labor Day week-end and we got to take Wally too! We relaxed and went to the beach (Onekama, on Lake Michigan - I highly recommend) a couple of times and also did up the town of Manistee with Wally in tow. I took more great pics. We took Wally walking all around and swimming too so he enjoyed himself and got tons of attention from people we met along the way. Everyone made much of him and would tell him and us how pretty and well-behaved he was. He got lots of pets. Again I find myself so grateful for that opportunity of time spent with our poor doggie - the memories and also for all the pics I took.These are the moments I live for, truly.

The bad part of the year was I was sick (respiratory
problems) and stressed because of it a lot of the time, and so damn tired of
course. I started of the year with 3 pets (my two birdies and our poor dog,
Wally) and ended the year with none. Also a couple of me and my husband's family
members have major health issues so it was poopy to see them going through pain
and all the other stuff (a lot of changes and learning to deal with chronic illness)
that go along with being sick. To add to our (hubby and I) stress our well (sometimes I wish we had city water, or lived in a city or suburb) quit
working … twice! That cost a pretty penny to get fixed (had to replace the pump
and tank, the second time it was due to a defect in the new tank so luckily we
didn’t have to pay for that). Then to top it all off our furnace quit working
too! That wasn’t as bad of a fix as the well but we may need to get a new
furnace in the near future and we are so not looking forward to that expense. It
really was beginning to feel like we were stuck in a bad country song (are
there any good ones?? LOL)… “the well runned dry, my furnace broke and my dog
up and died…” But my husband and I made it through the year all-right. 

School last semester (fall) was pretty stressful. I thought I planned my classes so they would be lighter and easier to handle while I took a hard statistics class I had to take, but it did not quite work out as well as I planned. Even though I only work part time I have trouble fitting everything in. First I joined the Wind Symphony last fall because I thought it would be fun and easy - found out that I pretty much suck at playing the trombone, LOL. It is not like riding a bike. My memory has been getting bad lately so to remember all the notes and what stuff is supposed to sound like is challenging. I did get a little better but it was a struggle. I also took a creative writing class. I like to write but I found out that what I truly like about writing is the finished product and not necessarily the process. Plus I go through phases where I do not feel like writing at all and this summer and fall I was in one of those phases. Very difficult! The aforementioned stats class was a bear! I will not bore anybody with the details but it did have me wanting to pull my hair out at times. The other class I took was Spanish and that was fun and easy. When all is said and done I made it through the semester and made the Dean's List. Wahoo!

The Christmas holidays were nice. We had my family (my Dad's
side - my aunts and uncles, my cousins and my two great-aunts) over for a big
party. It turned out great! Our house looked beautiful and I can't believe it
can hold over or about 40 people. Everybody had a good time. My husband and I received a
lot of compliments and it was good to have everybody over, especially my two
great aunts whom I hardly ever see. That was also a highlight of my year.