It's that time again....

Like most of you, I haven't had much time for blogging lately. Actually, I haven't had much to blog about, until recently. But I find myself sitting in front of the computer, most of my housework done, my inbox cleared, the animals fed, my husband at work, a cup of coffee next to me, and I realize it's a perfect time for reflecting. And so, I will attempt to get down on paper (sort of...) a summary of recent noteworthy events, and thus preserve them for posterity.

First, and most important....today was the deadline for final grades to be posted, and as expected, I ended the semester with a 4.0. As for that chem class I've been sweating all semester, ironically, I had the highest grade in the class - 99.4%, and anyone with an A was exempt from the final. I don't think I've ever had a 4.0, not even in high school...maybe for one quarter, but never at the end of the year. I'm only halfway through this year, but next semester I'm taking the second half of the subjects I just took, so I'm not worried. As an added bonus, even though I went into this past semester with the solitary goal of learning, I managed to make a few friends on the way, and even had a couple nights of study group at my house during finals week. We even had a bonfire here a week ago...a small affair, but fun and very laid-back, a good way to relax and forget temporarily the stress of math and science. I'm so glad I'm not living in an apartment anymore!

Christmas is only five days away. Chris and I are heading home on Sunday, and he'll be coming back here on Tuesday...back to work for him, say sorry. I, on the other hand, am in a unique position to stay at home for a few extra days and come back next weekend. It's so exciting!! Not only will I get to see my best friends whom I haven't seen since August (that means you, Fletch, I can't wait!), but my mom is bringing me back and staying overnight. I'll get to show her the town, and the VT campus, where I'll be going to school in the fall. It's nice because when I was at DePaul, Mom never got to see the campus...and when I was in high school and looking at colleges, she went to see a few with me. Besides, it's so beautiful here, I can't imagine anyone coming here and not being happier for it. My sister might be coming as well, which would be awesome!

I know I've been saying for months that I'd get some good pictures of Mojo up here...well, these aren't good pictures, but they're pictures, dammit! :)

Remember how small he was when I brought him home in August? No? Okay, here ya go:



It's been four and a half months since then, and he's growing so fast!



He's gotten a lot more red, even though he's a little dull right now...he'll probably shed in the next week.





That's about all I have for now...the computer's so damn slow right now anyway, what with all the shows Chris is downloading, I've been working on this post for about two hours, and I'm hungry! Happy Yule, everyone!

An Overdue Visit

A holiday poem from the ACLU, who are NOT trying to destroy Christmas - enjoy, and happy holidays to everyone!


An Overdue Visit

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the nation
Friends of Freedom knew it was a special occasion.
Lady Liberty stood taller just off the shore
Her torch shining brighter than a few weeks before

But it wasn't the flame turning her cheeks all rosy
It was thoughts of Snowe, Feingold and Nancy Pelosi
And leaders from every side of the aisle
Who would soon bring the Bill of Rights back into style.

The Amendments had all hurried out of their beds -
Which was no easy task, they were nearly in shreds -
And they rushed to the window on papery feet
As a jolly old man flew right over their street.

"Could it be!?" they inquired as the roof shook and trembled
And they crept toward the mantle, peaceably assembled,
Just as someone emerged from the chimney with flair
In a shiny red suit, with a shock of white hair

And a top hat, and pants all in red, white and blue -
"Wait a minute," the Amendments exclaimed, "Who are you?"
"Don't be frightened my children," he said, "it's no scam.
"You can't have forgotten your old Uncle Sam!"

"Holy crap!" said Free Speech. "Stop right there!" yelled Bear Arms
And Privacy cried "Who shut off the alarms?!"
The Fifth remained silent, but Uncle Sam said
"We've been having some trouble, but Freedom's not dead."

The Amendments were cautious. "It's just been so long
"We've seen Liberty lost, we've seen so much go wrong.
"The President's trying to mangle and warp us,
"The Fourth is in tatters, so's Habeas Corpus!"

The old man sat down - he had had quite a ride -
But he told them "Don't worry, the Law's on our side,
"'Cause the nation's fed up and more people are crying
"For Justice and an end to illegal spying,

"And secret abductions by the CIA,
"And laws that would take women's choices away,
"And Gitmo tribunals and secret detention,
"And other intrusions too numerous to mention - "

"Not so fast," said a grinchity voice from above
And Don Rumsfeld pushed past the Fourteenth with a shove.
He was covered in soot and he looked kind of scary.
It seemed like his Christmas had not been so merry.

The Amendments said they weren't happy to see him:
"You tried to throw all of us in the museum!
"You've done so much the Constitution forbids!"
"And I would have gone on, but for you meddling kids!"

Uncle Sam told him "Rummy, your plans just won't do,
"So we've got a brand new timetable for you!"
And as Rumsfeld retired and crept into the night
The Amendments cried out "Have a good secret flight!"

From the distance they heard him reply with a snort.
"Bye-bye, Rummy!" they answered, "we'll see you in court!"
Uncle Sam rode the chimney up out of the room
And, like Frosty, he said "I'll be back again soon."

But they heard him exclaim "Oh, and just one more thing!
"This year, when the holiday bells start to ring,
"Try to honor religion. Honest faith can't be wrong.
"It's America, can't we all just get along?

"So, on Christian," he cried, "Muslim, Hindu, and Jew!
"On Quaker! On Shaker! And Atheist too!
"On Buddhist! On Taoist! And to show we're not chickens
"We'll file a few lawsuits defending the Wiccans!

"Your belief is your right, so get out there and savor it.
"Uncle Sam's not a preacher, and he doesn't play favorites!"
So this holiday season, whatever you do,
Warmest wishes for Freedom, from the ACLU.

Whew!

No more finals - I took my last two today. Grades by Wednesday. 90% sure I made straight A's for the semester. Had a nice gathering here a few nights ago - more about that when I've had some recovery sleep :) I promise, I will post all about school when I get my final grades.

:)

What a geek I am!

Just in case you hadn't noticed the color changes, I've switched to Blogger beta. Went back and labeled all my posts and everything. Yay, go me! Cuz I'm technical like that.

:)

Looking for a great gift?

Grumpy Girl Auto Bird Turd Emergency Kit

This is the most damn clever gift idea I've seen in a long time!

I'm not sure what this means, but...

Changeling Yeah, that sounds just about right.

So very glamourous. You're a changeling, an Arcadian trapped within a human body, living a double life. Attuned to the dreaming, you're probably a creative, joyful spirit. Joy takes many forms, of course. Redcaps can enjoy what they do, even if most other people would find it horrible. You can find the beauty and worth of everything - from amazing art to emoitional breakdowns. On the downside, you're a bit unbalanced - people might actually think that you have two, very different sides to your personalities. And you need people so very much. You probably don't like to be left alone. Watch out for Autumn People and for Vampires. They can really cramp your style.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 99% on Joy You scored higher than 99% on Power You scored higher than 99% on Tech You scored higher than 99% on Dominance

Link: The World of Darkness Personality Test written by BlaiseBoy on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Even though I'm an introvert, this actually makes some sense...

Thanksgiving, and other things

I registered for my spring classes today. Second semester of everything I'm taking now - biology, chemistry, calculus, and US history - plus an added bonus...a class in backpacking! Since my goal after finishing college is to hike the entire AT with Chris, this seems like a great idea. Give me the necessary background and all that. If I have an A average in my chem class by Dec. 11, I will not have to take the final. Since it's the only one I'm worried about, this bodes well for my chances at a 4.0 this semester, which bodes REALLY well for my chances at successfully transferring to VT next fall.

Thanksgiving was....interesting. Not bad, but strange. It's hard to explain. As I become an adult, I'm having to reevaluate my relationships with family, and reinterpret our interactions. A lot of issues to deal with, issues that I've never even fully articulated to myself, let alone tried to deal with. I think, given time, everything will work itself out. Some things right now, though, still seem awkward.

I'm not ready to have a dog yet, especially one that only wants your undivided attention 24/7. Yet that's what we were left with when Andy left for Cali. Don't get me wrong, I love this dog (and, since Thanksgiving, so does my family). He's smart, beautiful, and attentive. I just wish I had more time to give. As much as I'd like to have my own dog, raised from a puppy, I won't even consider it until I know I can give it the time and attention it deserves. Since I'm not planning on having kids for another few years yet, I don't think this will be a problem.

I have an appointment to give blood in about ten minutes. I may come back and add to this, I may not. We'll see how the rest of the day goes.

:)

It's snowing!

I just saw the first snowfall of the season! Big, thick white flakes falling silently from the sky, and although it didn't last long and didn't stick, it was still beautiful. Looks like it may do this off and on all day.

I love the mountains.

Free Hugs

Free Hugs in Sydney - Juan Mann One Love

I read about this guy in the Collegiate Times. Such a great idea...I wish I had thought of it! Free hugs for everyone!

To Heather, and beyond!

Want to put your name in a movie quote? I got some great ones:


When there's no more room in hell, the Heather will walk the earth. (Dawn of the Dead)

It's a Sicilian message. It means tonight Luca Brasi sleeps with the Heather. (The Godfather)

Heather, for lack of a better word, is good. (Wall Street)

I know this sounds crazy, but ever since yesterday on the road, I've been seeing this Heather. (Close Encounters of the Third Kind)

Listen to them. Children of the Heather. What music they make. (Dracula)

I want that Heather, not excuses. (Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back)

They don't throw their garbage away. They make it into Heather. (Annie Hall)

First rule of Heather Club is - you do not talk about Heather Club. (Fight Club)

Heather? We ain't got no Heather! We don't need no Heather! I don't have to show you any stinking Heather! (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre)

Love means never having to say you're Heather. (Love Story)


I could go on, probably for days...and it works with any word, too!

"You had me at 'slapshot' "

P.S.

I got an A on that Chem test, by the way. Not only that, but my average (pre-test) was an 85%. Looks like I might make it through this semester with A's and B's after all!

:)

My current state of academics

I had a brutal (although not as bad as I expected) chem test this morning. I think I got at least a C. I came home after the test, I think I was at school for about an hour and 15 minutes today. I'm skipping math class. The teacher always puts the notes up on the Internet. I'm also skipping a history test, but I have two opt-outs for tests I haven't yet used. There are two tests left after this one, and I only have to take one of them, since I took the first two. It's a nice system. There's a paper due in that class in about two weeks, which I still have to get seriously started. My topic is Levi Strauss, and I think I'm going to title the paper "The Birth of American Fashion". As far as I know, I'm getting an A in history. I've gotten A's on the first two tests and the three quizzes I've taken, and we're only required to take three of each, so unless I seriously screw up this paper or the final, I should have an A. Same for math - pre-Calc this semester (Calc next semester), and both tests have been A's so far. I took my third math test on Monday, and should get it back this coming Monday. Pretty sure I got another A. I've gotten A's on my first two biology tests, although I haven't gotten the third test back yet (took that on Tuesday), but I'm also pretty sure I got an A, and I'm maintaining an A in lab, which is 25% of my grade. I'm also maintaining an A in my chem lab, which might save my overall grade. Today was the third chem test. I got a 68 on the first one and a 90-something on the second. I've gotten A's and B's on the quizzes. I've been trying to find time to catch my professor in his office to see what my current grade average is, because the last day to withdraw from a class is Monday. I have to pass all of my classes with at least a C and maintain a 3.0 in order to guarantee my transfer to VT. Let's see, what else? I have an Internet research project on global warming due next week for my bio lab, and I think there's a lab quiz. I need to read ch. 40 in my bio book, since that's what we started going over in class yesterday. We've started taking notes for Test 4 in history, so I could go read them over, since I plan on taking that as my last test. We're learning about the Era of Good Feelings, Market Revolution, etc., starting right after the War of 1812. Fun stuff. Sometime this afternoon I'll look up those math notes, copy them into my notebook and do the homework for that section (should be 7.2). And chemistry? Maybe I should check my syllabus and see what we're studying next. You know, get a head start.

Muppet Personality Test

I lied. This was too good not to post!

You Are Scooter

Brainy and knowledgable, you are the perfect sidekick. You're always willing to lend a helping hand. In any big event or party, you're the one who keeps things going. "15 seconds to showtime!"

The Muppet Personality Test

He's even a redhead! It's fate! :)

How Do You Communicate?

Okay, last one, I promise! :)

You Communicate With Your Body

This isn't as bad as it sounds, it just means that you're a "touchy-feely" person. You need a lot of affection in your life. And for you, this means both giving and receiving little touches. Warm hearted, you bond with people easily. In fact, you often feel a little sad when you're not in the company of others. A little moody, you tend to be controlled by your emotions. But a bit hug always comforts you!

How Do You Communicate?

Au Natural

This came from the same site as the Soul Quiz. My curiosity got the better of me...

Your Seduction Style: Au Natural

You rank up there with your seduction skills, though you might not know it. That's because you're a natural at seduction. You don't realize your power! The root of your natural seduction power: your innocence and optimism. You're the type of person who happily plays around and creates a unique little world. Little do you know that your personal paradise is so appealing that it sucks people in. You find joy in everything - so is it any surprise that people find joy in you? You bring back the inner child in everyone you meet with your sincere and spontaneous ways. Your childlike (but not childish) behavior also inspires others to care for you. As a result, those who you befriend and date tend to be incredibly loyal to you.

What Kind of Seducer Are You?

I can think of a few people who would vouch for the authenticity of this! :)

What kind of soul are you?

You Are a Visionary Soul

You are a curious person, always in a state of awareness. Connected to all things spiritual, you are very connected to your soul. You are wise and bright: able to reason and be reasonable. Occasionally, you get quite depressed and have dark feelings. You have great vision and can be very insightful. In fact, you are often profound in a way that surprises yourself. Visionary souls like you can be the best type of friend. You are intuitive, understanding, sympathetic, and a good healer. Souls you are most compatible with: Old Soul and Peacemaker Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Rollercoaster

What a rollercoaster of a weekend.

We had some new friends come over to hang out Saturday night, and it was good. Lots of beer, lots of great conversation...lots of connecting. I don't make friends often, being an introvert has that side effect, and besides, I don't feel like wasting my time on people I can't really connect with. It's so GOOD to find good people! Maybe I don't have a way with words, but I know what I know.

And I know that after they left, everything changed. I witnessed a falling out such as I never imagined was possible, between two people I thought would be close forever. I lay in bed, trying to sleep, listening to a conversation I didn't think these two people could have. So much pain, and bitterness, and cruelty, so much that I didn't even realize existed here, pouring out in a torrent of harsh words. Can I tell you something? I locked my bedroom door against the man I love that night. I didn't know where he was, but I knew he wasn't the man trying to get in. Deja vu, anyone?

We finally talked about it last night. It feels so good to be able to lay things to rest without the bitterness and drama I've grown used to with others. It's hard to see things change, especially for someone like me who, although I love adventure, thrives on familiarity. But, I've also had to learn that I can't stop change, and when it doesn't directly affect me, I have to let go and let it happen. Roll with the punches, as it were. Go with the flow. Give me a minute, I'll come up with another cliche. Just when I think I understand what it means to be married, to have that kind of commitment, something happens that threatens to shatter it, only to show me in the end that what I think of as commitment doesn't even scratch the surface. Do I have the strength to stay the course, no matter what? I think so. I don't want it any other way.

Farmhouse

I spent the weekend on my friend E's farm up near Strasburg. Chris and I had planned to drive up to Pittsburgh together to pick up our roommate, who stayed with his folks for the rest of the week after the Tool show, but when E called me and told me he was having an uber-bonfire on Saturday, I couldn't think of anywhere else I'd rather have been. So, I had Chris drop me off on the way up to PA Friday night with my tent and sleeping bag, and there I stayed until Sunday evening.

Oh, there was so much work to be done.

I've gotta tell you about this place. It's Civil War era, about 200 years old. 2 acres, with an old stone cottage, a barn, a chicken coop that's off its foundation, an office/milking building (it was a dairy farm back in the 1960's), and a building of undefined use in the corner. Oh, and an open garage, and next to that an outhouse. The ultimate goals are to turn the barn into a metalworking shop, the stray building into a guest cottage, the office into a livable building for the time being, and the stone cottage into a permanent home. The entire property had to be cleared from the start, and 6 months ago that work started. We didn't get to see it until the end of August when we moved back to VA, and even by then there was significant improvement. The barn needed a whole side wall rebuilt, the roof has almost been fixed, and quite a lot of the sumac trees choking every inch of the land have been cleared out. That's what we had to start with this weekend.

I wouldn't say we made headway in leaps and bounds, but we got a lot done. The roof was supposed to be finished Saturday, but we woke up to rain, so that plan was scrapped. We didn't do much until the afternoon, when it stopped raining, but all afternoon we hauled firewood from all over the property to the space for the bonfire. We cleared out all the dead wood from the space between the barn and the office, which was a lot of logs and quite a few dead sumac trees, branches and all. E and I made a grocery run, since his friend D was going to be cooking most of the food for the festivities that night, and I got stuff to make hot chocolate. I figured I'd be the only one drinking it, since most everyone else would probably be drinking beer, but what the hell, I wanted hot chocolate. Having the bonfire that night was incredibly chill and laid back, as always. It drizzled a bit, on and off, and rained for about 20 minutes at midnight, but it wasn't that bad. Made it a good night to burn. I met so many cool people that night. The next morning, talking to E, I reminisced about the group of people he was friends with when I first met him, and how we had both moved away from that group and formed new groups of friends, and how much fun it was to comingle with groups of chill people like that. I asked him, "Is it always this much fun to make new friends?" I'm pretty sure he knew what I meant. He was part of the first real group of friends I ever had, and that was years after high school. He said it was. That makes me look forward to what kind of people I will meet in the future.

The real work came on Sunday. Now that we had the field between the barn and the office cleared of brush, E wanted to pitch down some of the old straw in the upper part of the barn to spread over what was left and so leave it to decompose into good growing soil. The land is in the Shenendoah Valley, so it's already good soil, and this way the sumac wouldn't grow back and the land could be used for gardening. (In fact, he's already told me I can use a small plot for a garden of my own, if I come up to tend it during spring planting and fall harvesting...one more excuse to come up for the weekend!) Between E and myself, we cleared out an entire roomful of straw, about 10x20 feet, a few feet deep by the door but about 8 feet high in the pile at the other end. I cleared out a good deal of it myself, since E went down after a while to start moving it from the side of the barn to the field. I was soooooo sore the next day....but it was worth it.

Friday night, E, D and myself were sitting around the (small) fire talking, and D asked me why I was going to college. When I mentioned that in the end I really wanted to do just what E was doing, D said something to the effect of you can't learn the kinds of things you need to live off the land like that in school. And you know what? He's absolutely right. I want to know the why of things, so I go to class and learn about them, but the only way to learn how to maintain a farm like that is to actually do it. I can't think of a better reason to spend as much time as I can on this farm. Not only is E getting a willing pair of hands to help out, but I'm learning so much every time I'm there, and things as simple as the correct way to efficiently pitch straw can make a big difference when you have to do it yourself.

When Chris and Andy got back on Sunday, we all went down to the local pub and had dinner, BSed around a bit, and then the three of us headed home. Last night, Andy mentioned how cool E was, and how everything he said about everything was right. He said he'd never met anyone like that before. I just thought about different groups of friends, and smiled to myself. It's all happening.

"Life Update" is so cliche...oh, well.

I have a history test in about 45 minutes. I'm sooo bored right now, but I don't want to study for anything else I should be studying for, in case I get confused :) I'm sitting in the school library, listening to Pandora (custom personalized internet radio, if you haven't tried it, get on over to Pandora.com and go crazy!) and reading up on all the blogs I've been missing. You know who you are! School's taking up much more of my time than I expected. Not more than I can handle, but my casual forays into the blogosphere have become rare. I'm doing well in all my classes, except chemistry, but one bad test grade isn't the end of the world. I took my second chem test this morning, and I feel pretty confident about it. Besides, if I have to withdraw, I can always take it next year. See, VT has articulation agreements (guaranteed transfer admission) with several of their colleges, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is one of them. That's the one I'm shooting for. All I have to do is take the required courses for an AA in Science, pass each class with at least a C average, and maintain a 3.0. That's not nearly as stringent as I was expecting, considering how fierce the competition for transfer students is in general. Turns out taking Bio and Chem in the same year is going to free up a lot of class time for next year. Maybe I can take physics for fun. Is physics fun? I don't know, I opted out of taking it in high school because I wanted to take AP Bio instead. That was DEFINITELY fun.

Went to the Tool show in Pittsburgh Tuesday night. I had to miss some classes to do it, but it all worked out. Now, I'm not a huge Tool fan (although my husband is), but this show BLEW me AWAY. What a great experience. If you're thinking to yourself, "I don't like heavy metal," think again. They're SO much more than that. You just have to look deeper.

Anyone heard of the Funky Meters? Yeah, they're before my time, but last Friday George Porter, Russell Batiste and Eric Stoltz (The FM minus Aaron Neville) played a show at the Lyric Theatre here in town with special guest Steve Kimock. You know, the guy who retaught Jerry how to play guitar when he came out of his coma. We got lucky on that, he's not playing the whole tour. Like funk? You'd have LOVED this show.

Next up? Flaming Lips sometime in October. My husband takes care of the details...I just show up :)

I feel good. Until next time....

:)

Favorite Quote #3

There’s nothing you can know that isn’t known.
Nothing you can see that isn’t shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.
It’s easy.

All you need is love,
All you need is love,
All you need is love, love,
Love is all you need.

~The Beatles