The semester is finally over, and I could not be more relieved after being rather disappointed in myself.

Next semester and the study room with the study group cannot be a more welcome change!

Maybe now I'll be able to get back to writing more often again as well. Until then...


Christmas has me nervous this year. Double Champ says that he has known what he's getting me for a while now, which worries me. Other than my brother and Laura, I don't usually think of myself as someone who is easy to shop for, so for someone to come up with something that might have been easy at all, makes me a little nervous. I do trust that he has come up with something that I will like, but I'm totally lost on what to get him!

Any ideas on how to come up with something?

It is what it is.

Overanalyzing things is way over rated, and just going with it is totally better. I've been just going with it since my last post, and I have to say that I'm damn happy with how that's going. I guess we'll just have to keep this up and see how things continue.

I'm having a rough semester otherwise though, and I've made some decisions that are a bit disappointing, but will probably work better in the long run. Once I get through this essay that is seriously one of the worst I've ever written I may be able to say more.

Let's Do The Time Warp Again!

I guess here's a week and a half in one entry before passing out for 5 1/2 hours!

Last Friday the typical happy-hour-that-lasts-all-night crowd was out at our normal 10-11 two-for-ones bar, and one of the guys who was out with us said that he could get us into a club around the corner that none of us would typically go to because it's 18+ and has a high cover, but for free I'll totally dance the night away! Both Shadow Boy and Dodgeball were there.

Even after the weekend before and the disappointment of seriously unmet expectations, I spent the whole night dancing with Dodgeball. Sure I was a little drunk, but it was also rather exhilarating to flirt and dance knowing that I no longer wanted anything to come from it!

I was also able to determine that since I could have been flirting and dancing with a boy who was interested, I should probably not lead that boy on by accepting a date with him.

As of last night, I heard that Shadow Boy has been flirting it up with someone else who, from the little I know of her, he would be much better suited for. Win, win, win! (Option 5, I believe, for fans of The Office.)

This weekend has been a bit of a blowout to kick of the second half of the semester. It's one of the busiest I've had in a while, and I'm loving it!

Now it's time for bed after a great showing of the Rocky Horror Show, because the lovely Kasey is picking me up in less than 6 hours to get an awesome vanity I found on Craigslist. The addition of this vanity to my room will allow me to finish up the organizing of my room, which will mean a much better rest of the semester!

Working working working day and night!

It's all about the career now.

Well, not really, but since I'm not focusing on a certain boy right now I need something else to distract me until either another boy comes along to do the distracting, or I really don't care about the afore mentioned boy anymore.

So the career it is! Which right now means school!

I'm at school right now and need to get into class, but if I'm not updating here, please read my posts for my Writing and the Young Writer course. I should be updating there at a minimum of twice a week through December.

Oh! and I need some recommendations for classical pieces to buy. I want to get some things to listen to while studying, and I reorganized that section at work this weekend, which means I'm on total over load. Anyone have any favorite symphonies or anything to suggest?

Motivation Such and Aggravation

This will be my first post in that blog for my class as soon as I can come up with a name for it I like.

You know that technology is having a huge impact on school when one can turn a simple journal assignment into a blog only to motivate themselves to complete it more thoroughly and in a timely fashion.

Such is this blog. For what looks to be quite an exciting course, I must keep a journal of thoughts related to writing and the teaching of writing. With the help of Google Analytics, I will be able to motivate myself to keep writing so as to keep some sort of audience interested. On that note, I have my first self-created prompt for this journal…

How on earth am I actually going to ever get a student motivated to write before the eve of the assigned due date?



Having been one of those students, I know exactly the thought process of the ones who are more than capable of doing any mundane task assigned, but not coming anywhere near caring enough to do them. In the first meeting of my American Gothic course today I was reminded of Professor Sweet’s practice of short quizzes on the assigned reading material and it got me thinking about applying something like this to writing.

Because I had her for American Lit a year ago, I know that Prof. Sweet’s quizzes are very simple ones, only really intended to motivate and reward keeping up with the reading assignments. As much as I hated them at the beginning of the last course, I came to love the easy credit for just doing what I should have found my own motivation to do.

I’d already attended Writing and the Young Writer when thinking about these American Gothic quizzes, and thought that if there was a way to modify this practice for writing, one might just be able to show high school and middle school students the benefit of staying ahead of their writing from the beginning. But just how would I ever be able to do that? I guess I have a few years until I’m in a classroom, and I have lots of teachers to learn from until then, so maybe I shouldn’t worry about it for the moment. If I can figure out a reasonable way though, I can’t wait to try and actually get students motivated.

I love how much better my writing is now that I start my writing earlier and have a chance to edit it. I wasn’t ready to admit that I needed that in high school though, and I’m sure I’ll run into plenty of students who feel the same way. I also feel as though I was able to scrape by and get B’s on papers that I pulled out of my ass the night before, so what real incentive did I have to start earlier?

Thinking about it in those terms has me remembering just last spring and my Advanced Composition course with Professor Dunstan. That’s actually where I finally found the drive to truly edit and give myself time to write. Dunstan was able to get me to see the light by having us turn in papers that were due at the end of the class around mid-terms, and giving us what our grades would be if we turned in that paper. Even the one that I had a solid B in then wasn’t enough for me when I still had the time to improve it. The notes that he’d made, made it very easy for me to spot what I didn’t like in my own writing and edit it to be more clear and definite.

I think before I write again I’ll pull out my old syllabus from that course and see if I can’t draw more inspiration from that, or in my current course with Dunstan!

Something to talk about!

Today was the first day of school, and man is this semester going to be insane! I'm currently signed up for 6 courses, though that does include a swimming course with minimal outside work. If I end up getting into the Sign Language class I want on Wednesday I might just drop the swimming course though, to make sure I have time to get everything done.

I think the thing I'm most excited about this semester is the journal I have to keep for Writing and the Young Writer. Since Professor Fanetti is totally down with electronic submission, I think I'm actually going to ask her if I can complete it in the form of a blog!

Now I know, I already have three blogs, one of which Mallory and I simply don't update, and one that I've let fall pretty far behind, but this is a little different. As soon as I figure out a decent name for it, I will have a link here, though I don't know if I will be making it entirely public yet. I don't know how she feels about comments, though I believe that she will actually like the idea of the open communication. The assignment is basically two journals each week on our thoughts about writing and teaching writing. With a prompt like that, I feel like I'm actually going to be able to start writing some blogs that I can be really proud of.

I started writing some ideas for my first one during my classes today, and I can't wait to get a chance to put it together tomorrow!

After a great idea like that, I ended up sitting in on a class that the awesome Liz is taking during what would have been a break for me. I ended up falling in love with the professor though, and now I'm hoping to add the class myself. That puts me at a grand total of 7 if I keep that swimming class and get the Sign class.

Yes, I know that I'm insane.

Grr to School

So this whole summer school thing is great right? I'll get my foreign language out of the way and be able to graduate on time, possibly with a minor in education, possibly with a jump start on the credential program.

That is of course until I have to actually PAY for my summer classes. I knew there was a down side to this situation that I was forgetting!

I'm going to have to start watching my money and really only spending it on dancing, food and gas. And by food I of course mean stuff from the grocery store, not so much going out.

Between dancing, school and work, I wonder what else I'll have time to do this summer.

Actually, it sounds kind of nice.

Summer Reading

Today on Facebook I asked for some help in compiling a Summer Reading list. I was very happy with the quick replies, but of course as soon as I posted the request, I realized that I have access to a list of possible books I will have to read this fall. Since I'm taking so many courses, I might as well get a head start on my reading and only have to skim them later, right?

So now I'd like to read about half of the books that I know I'll have assigned this Fall if I can make it happen. Here's what I've found...

For my American Gothic class:
Joyce Carol Oates: American Gothic Tales;
Charles Brockden Brown: Edgar Huntly;
Edgar Allan Poe: Tales;
Henry James: The Turn of the Screw;
Charlotte Perkins Gilman: The Yellow Wallpaper
Shirley Jackson: We Have Always Lived in the Castle

For my American Lit II class:
The Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry, Richard Ellman ed.
Kate Chopin The Awakening,
Joseph Heller Catch 22,
Percival Everett Erasure,
Alice Notley The Descent of Alette.

I can't honestly say that I'm excited about the Anthology of Poetry, but at least it's modern stuff, which I tend to despise less than other stuff I've had to read.

I have two more classes that I'll have reading to do in, so I should probably really get going on some of these books. Luckily a couple of them are ones that I've actually wanted to read before, so maybe it won't be so terrible!

Thanks to all who gave recommendations, I definitely wrote them down and will be checking them out if I manage to finish all of those by the end of the summer. Any encouraging remarks about what I have to read would be greatly appreciated!

Eventful!

I woke up pretty early this morning for having finally put down Wicked just after 3 last night, so of course I picked up my book and started reading again at 8:30. I was much more tired than I'd thought though, because I ended up falling back asleep again, only to wake up around 3!

It's really nice to have three days off in a row and not feel like I completely wasted my day by sleeping through it. Apparently I needed the rest. For the past hour or so I've done about nothing, which has felt good. I do plan on cleaning my room a bit and doing some laundry at some point today, but without anything to do tomorrow, why bother right away? I'm letting the process all marinate in my mind so that I may be able to move through it all better when I actually get down to it!

I'm pretty darned sure you should get that for me since my birthday is less than three months away! (Yes I am already counting down, don't judge, even with the large number that it will be, I like my birthday!)

I think I'm going to try to tweak my Fall schedule a little bit tonight. After I get my room a little bit more organized (read throwing some stuff out) I want to really look into the Spring semester and see just what I will need to do then to reach my goals. I'd like to find a way to get 20 hours of work in each week, and that great opportunity of a Jamba Juice on campus isn't such a fancy idea anymore. That location is going to be a franchise location, so working there wouldn't have all the perks of working for Jamba, like being able to transfer to lots of different locations in the country.

I definitely need some time for homework next semester though, since this semester's grades didn't turn out the way that they were supposed to. And of course there are some recent developments that I hope to have some time for next semester as well (which also means I'm hoping they last that long)!

I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but within 12 hours of my roommate telling me that she was giving notice, I already had a potential roommate. Let's hope that the character of this house doesn't scare him off though!

Lots of things!

I might just be crazy!

Click for a larger image of course, and see just how crazy I am!

Those are the classes that I am currently enrolled in for the fall semester. There are LOTS more that I would love to take, but I do have to have time for homework for these classes, and you know, actual WORK. With some luck though, I'll be able to figure out a pretty regular work schedule on campus so that I don't have to worry about a changing schedule. I just remembered that I should have more freedom from money next semester, so I won't even need too many hours working, which is pretty awesome!

It's been hot in Sacramento lately. Not exactly hot enough that it justifies leaving a fan on all day when only the cats are home, yet my roommate does it. The bathroom stays pretty cool, and they hang out in there anyway, why leave the fan on in your room if there is no one to benefit from it? If I didn't already move so much I'd be really tempted to find my own place and just make sure I work more next semester.

I've really enjoyed dancing the past several weeks, and can't wait to learn more. If anyone reading this knows more than me (and I know there are at least two of you) please share with me what you know! Watching some videos of friends completely intimidates me, but also excites me and motivates me to see how far I can go!

I had a pretty productive day today.

After completing an "exercise in time management" provided by my English teacher (it's funny, time management isn't in the course description or the syllabus) I went to the grocery store and got some gas. I don't actually remember the last time that I got gas, but I'l try to pay attention to the next time that I do. I love living so close to everything that I do!

While I was at the grocery store I bought the items pictured below.



To avoid eating most of the box in just a few sittings, I bought the snack bags and divided it up!



I checked the box, and a serving is supposed to be only 55 little fishies, which those bags are definitely not. There are supposedly 32-ish servings in a box, I divided it into 18 bags. (Please note the earrings on the table, it was totally intense work while watching the season finale of 24.)

I have some pictures of a car that I see a lot that amuse me, but I think I've made this entry long enough, and I might forget all the things I think of tomorrow to write about, so I will save it until then!

Nearing the End

This week has felt pretty crazy. Last weekend and the beginning of this week I seemed to have a kind of block on writing the about 30 pages that were due over 8 papers this week. I think a big part of that came from being forced to work on one piece all day Monday when I prefer to be able to work in short bursts.

Today I'm down to 5 papers that I have to turn in tomorrow. One of which is so done that it's got a fork sticking out of it, but another I have yet to begin. The other three I've made decent progress on and now I just need to get my brother over here for some truly brotherly (read brutal) editing and I'll be just about good to go.

I've got so much I could say about my process and how I intend to use the rest of my day, but this is just intended to be a short break so I can trick myself into working on one paper for two of those short bursts back to back!

I will have much more to say tomorrow afternoon and this weekend once my paper writing week is over!

Positive Outlook

In going through the papers that I've received back from my Professor with comments and unofficial grades, I realized that the two I've gotten back from him are actually marked as a B- and B/C. He's a pretty harsh grader, and I would be totally happy with a C+ in the class, especially since I don't feel like I've put as much into these papers as I should have. It looks like I'm on the right path though, since I'll be doing a bit more revision to those papers before turning them in, and I've done a decent amount of revision on the other two I have for that class.

I've still got two more papers for different classes, which are a little more involved and I need to get back to working on them now.

And yes, you read that right. I have 6 papers due before 5:00PM on Friday.
I've already turned in 3 papers this week.

Countdown!

Finals are totally killing me, but I think I'm starting to get a little bit of a rhythm. Before my classes start tomorrow I should have everything done that's got a hard deadline of Thursday. Then I get to stay up all night to finish the gajillion pages I've got to turn in on Friday!

On a more fun note, my hair looks kinda nice when I just take a shower and finger-comb it while writing essays. But apparently my chin doesn't really like finals because I'm a tad broken out!

Not a too terrible lot to go!

Time

I've got so much work to do, and simply can't get motivated to do any of it. I'm definitely starting to run out of time.

I got my shift covered at work this evening to be able to have more time to work on the 15 or so pages I have left to write. I don't really need the hours anyway, as long as I'm staying good about not spending money I don't need to.


In other news, I didn't think that there had been much activity with the toilet paper, but I looked in the cupboard yesterday and we're somehow down to 12 rolls again. I don't understand where it's going.

Written during British Lit on Tuesday

Sometimes when I'm in class and not wanting to really pay attention, I get really frustrated that I've left two essays* that I've already started at home. I've got more to say about each of them and would love to feel a bit productive if I'm going to tune out my teacher, but I also don't want to change the point that I'm making by joining two separately written pieces. I've done that before and it's a very ineffective way to attempt to prove a point. Some would take the leaving of the other drafts at home as a bit of a sign to actually pay attention in class, but not I! I see this as a challenge to distract myself by discussing the lack of things to distract me. I feel like I should receive some sort of an award or at least acknowledgement of this accomplishment.

Not quite yet though! I'm only 30 minutes into class and we're discussing poems that I actually enjoy. You never know, I might just cave and participate!

Okay, that was a little misleading. I've actually already participated, much like I normally do when writing during class.

I'm not sure why, but having something else to focus on during class sometimes allows me to pay attention better than attempting to force myself to pay attention. It probably has to do with the role of television in my life.** I've done so much homework and socializing while watching TV that I'm used to trying to focus on two forms of stimulation at the same time.

This is something I've been more aware of lately because I often feel as though I'm not really taking in either source while trying to focus on both. In an attempt to curb that problem I've cut down on some of the shows that I watch and try to do more listening to music while working on homework. The music is another form of stimulation, but slightly lesser with the lack of the visual. Sometimes I go as far as to put on something instrumental and eliminate the intellectual distraction of the lyrics.

Cutting back on the shows I follow has done a lot of good though. With only a handful to watch each week and all of them being online I'm able to set aside time to watch without doing much else. My infatuation with social media gets in the way of that sometime, but I'm getting a little better with keeping that compulsion at bay as well. One day I'll be better with all of it and maybe be more efficient in all aspects!

I think that this has quite adequately twisted and turned all over the place in the hour that I've been writing. Maybe I'll look like I'm paying attention for the next 12 minutes!

*I say essays because it sounds a bit more intellectual than blogs.
**Here I go getting all insightful and intelligent again.

School and such

I think I need to stop promising that I'm going to post on my breaks at school. I never end up doing it. There's always something like picking out classes to be done then.

I don't actually get to sign up for classes until the 5th of December, but I'd like to have a few potential schedules ready for things like possibly getting a part time job, or some classes being full. I'd also really like to take another class or two with some of the girls that I have in my classes this semester, so I'll have to see how that works out.

I thought that I was going to drop my incredibly boring, impossible to figure out Philosophy of Science course (I know, the name makes it sound either full of potential or totally unbelievably horrible, it's the latter) until a friend in the class looked through the grading scale and helped me to realized that I can put almost no work into the rest of the course and still pass with a C-. So instead I'll put a little bit of work into it and hopefully pass with a B+!

I went to two civil rights events this week and may be going to two more by the end of the weekend. I don't want this blog to become all about those, and I'm often too tired to process what's gone on when I get home, so maybe you'll get an update, and maybe you won't.