I passed...

I am one step closer to getting through graduate school. Yesterday, at 2:30 pm my thesis proposal defense commenced. I explained to my comittee what my research involved and then they asked a few questions and conveyed their concerns. I defended and answered their questions. After it was all said and done, they said I did I very good job. I have to get a paper signed and then send that to the graduate school of ASU.

On a teaching note, I have given 5 of the 7 exams I have to administer this week. My poor students have been freaking out. Several have told me that the test was too hard. Sorry, can't change the information the test is over. To those who studied hard and did well, congrats!!!

Turn the page again...I am going to the best fair in the whole wide world on Saturday. This means that I am going to the greatest state in the whole wide world on Friday, Oklahoma. I am psyched!!!

Fun Fact of the Day... According to experts, 30 percent of all marriages occur because of friendship.

Week of a thousand to-dos

Today was the first day of what will be a very CRAZY week. I have to give 7 A and P tests this week. By give I mean fabricate, set up and administer 7 A and P tests. Five A and P I and 2 A and P II. Crazy!!! Oh, and after the students are done taking the tests I have to take it down and then set up another one and then I have to grade all the tests that are taken this week.

In addition to all that, I have to defend my thesis proposal tomorrow at 2:30pm. I have to tell my committee why my project is a good idea and then they will tell me why it's a bod one. I should win in the end, at least I hope I will, because I have already started the project...

I am looking forward to this week a little because I know at the end of the week I am going to Oklahoma. That's right folks, the home land! To top it off, I am going to the Tulsa State Fair. Corn dogs, funnel cakes and the smell of cow poop. I love it and I look forward to it every year! We are going during the Sugar Art Show. Basically, a whole lot of talented people get together and make hella awesome cakes that are way too pretty to eat. They look more like castles and paintings than cakes. These are things Rachael Ray dreams about...I can't wait. This is the last year I will have to travel 7 hours to go to my favorite fair.

Only 3 more months till we move back to Oklahoma. With that move comes lots of excitement and apprehension. I can't wait to be so close to the family but, I really hate loading all my stuff up in my boxes and driving them somewhere only to unload them in a new place. The house we are buying has lots of rooms, that means lots of places to put things...

Enough about that...

Fun Fact for the Day... One-fourth of the world's population lives on less than $200 a year.

Think about that next time you get your paycheck.

Accepted...

I received a rather large envelope in the mail today. The return address was to the Oklahoma State Board of Education. They sent me a letter informing me of my status toward obtaining a teaching certificate.
About three weeks ago, I sent in official copies of my college transcripts, my CV, an official application and a check for $40.00 to the OSBE. I was basically asking the state if I was qualified enough to take the tests to become a high school teacher.

They sent me a letter stating that I was qualified to take the tests. So, now I have to apply to take the general and subject specific tests. After I do this (assuming I pass them), I will be licensed to teach in Oklahoma. I have a couple of years to take 6 hours of education specific classes and get a teaching job, after which I will be a certified teacher (assuming they give me the thumbs up)! Oh yea, in that packet also came OBI fingerprint cards that need to be done at a sheriff's office. So, I need to head to the Craighead County Sheriff's Office for a little inking of the fingers...

I am so excited. Now, I am a little nervous about the tests I have to take. I know I can pass them but, I usually wind up psyching myself out so I feel like I won't do good. In high school I had the mentality "I don't have to worry about this test. If I do bad, I can bring my grade up with homework," too bad I don't have that mentality now. It would be really helpful. I guess if I fail these tests I can always be a secretary somewhere in Bartlesville...LOL.

We are going to a birthday party on Saturday. Little Ben turned 1, today! You only turn 1 once, too bad no one can remember it.

This week I have gotten a huge amount of stuff done. I only have like 4 more classes to grade. Next week will be a difficult week because I have to set up tests. It won't be too bad because I will only have them to grade and not the homework, too. I almost look forward to that...is that bad?

So, the other day I made sauteed rice noodles with chicken...it was fantastic. So good in fact, that I asked a friend to get me more noodles next time he goes to the Asian market. I can't wait to make it again. It was so easy and it fed Josh and I for 2 meals. It even reheats well. Although, I plan on eating all the shrimp in the first go around because the leftovers tasted a little like shrimpy pencil erasers...blek!

Tomorrow we are going to Demo's for a little BBQ and herpy comradery. I can already smell the smoked pork!!!

Until I sign on again...


Fun Fact for the Day... A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.

I wish I had 11,800,000,000 dime ridges...

It's been awhile my friend...

Yea, yea, yea, I neglected this new found obsession. At what point does an obsession become old if you neglect it? It has been far longer than two weeks that I have written here. I really wanted to keep up on this, too. At any rate, here is what I have been up to.

Classes started three weeks ago. I have been super busy. I only have class Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but, Thursday is the only day of the three that I am not at school from 7:30am to at least 8:30pm. That's right folks, 13 whole hours at ASU. I am teaching nine labs...that is more than twice the amount I have ever taught before. I'm handling it well. I am having a little difficulty getting all the papers graded. While I have yet to be late in returning homework or quizzes it seems that I am up later than I want to be grading them so I can get them back by the proper class time. Ah, I'm living the life, so they say...

I had planned on having a committee meeting today to get my thesis proposal approved but, it didn't happen. One of my committee members was sick this week so, I have to put it off for another week. I guess it's to my advantage though because it gives me an extra week to prepare for it. I really wish the whole thing was over with.

I have kinda slacked this week in the lab. I will be regretting that next week, too. I have got to get my second round of tissues sectioned and stained next week. I had planned on going in Monday to get a lot of it done but, Josh really wants to go 'hurricane' birding Sunday and Monday in SW Arkansas so, I may be birding. It's okay though. With our crazy schedules we don't get much 'us time' anymore so, birding would be good for us.

We are going to the Memphis zoo tomorrow with some friends for their son's second birthday. We are going as long as it isn't raining, even though gas is almost $5.00 a gallon. Thank 'ceiling cat' we are car pooling though. Gas won't cost us an arm and a leg just one or the other. When we get back from the zoo we are going to their house for cake and ice cream. I assume there will be ice cream. I was only told about cake but, there better be ice cream or I shall stage a coup and then go get my own!

The hedgehog is doing great. Eating and drinking and running in his wheel every night. It was a pain to give an inside out pin cushion a dose of antibiotic twice a day but, it was worth it to see the little guy feeling better. He looked pitiful.

Mom and I decided to make each other quilts. One of the lines of fabrics we buy from came out with a 'mother/daughter' line of fabric. They are the same patterns but they are in different colors. The mother line is a little more subdued that the daughter line. I am really looking forward to making this for her but, I also need to get dad's done. I have been working on it for some time. I had intended to make it for him for Father's Day but, I think it may be for Christmas now... Mom's quilt will be for her birthday. I have a great idea for it but, I can't say what it is as she reads my blog. No peeking, mom!!!

Let's see, what else do I have to do in my free time... I am in a 'brown bag club' that requires me to make one quilt block a month. I still need to do that. I need to give my mom an order for a stamp club I am in. I need to make nine ATC's for a swap...that needs to be done and sent to the coordinator by the end of this month. I also need to mail mom a can opener that she ordered from a friend about a month ago. I finally have it in my possession. Well, kinda, it's on my desk in the office. I need to grade and record about 600 papers (homework and quizzes). I also have a couple of bills that need to be paid. That's not that big of a deal, I just need to do it. I also need to finish the laundry. Holy hell, I have a huge to do list. Maybe I will get it all done in time for classes to start again on Tuesday...

On a happier note, I have lost about 15 pounds since I started walking 5 day a week. I have been a little slack on that this week and my energy level is showing. I usually don't walk on Tuesday and Wednesday because it's hot out and I am at school all day. Once it cools down though, I will start walking at school on those days. Losing those pounds, I can now fit into jeans that were a little too tight to wear outside the bathroom in my apartment...LOL. I am so excited!!! I just have to keep at it. I walked today but, I should have walked at least 5 more laps then I did because I had Sonic today and I should have gotten a salad. against my better judgment, I ordered a cheeseburger...bad, bad, bad! I WILL do better tomorrow, even with the cake for the birthday party...If not tomorrow, Sunday then!

Since it's been awhile I will leave you with a great quote and a fun fact...

Fun Fact for the Day: The original name for a butterfly was flutterby.

Good quote: It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment ---Ansel Adams

The river was nice...

So, we went on a little weekend vacation to the Spring River. Some friends of ours have a house there, a very nice house! We stayed for 2 nights. By Saturday I was getting a little edgy...I needed to go outside and do something so, I did. Me, Josh and Jacob took a little hike upstream, jumped in the river and swam downstream, past the river house to the falls. We played in the falls a little and then hiked back up the the river house. Fun, Fun!!!

It's only Tuesday and I am already worn out, O-U-T! I had class this morning at 9:00 and then again at 11:00. I don't have class again until 6:30 this evening. Tomorrow is even worse...class at 8:00 in the morning, another one at noon and then the last one is at 6:30. Did I mention the 6:30 class isn't over until 8:20pm?!?!?! I am looking forward to Thursday, even though I have a class at 8:00 in the morning. I am teaching these classes not taking them so there is a little less pressure off of my shoulders but, still...

The time between classes has been spent in the lab and will continue to be spent in the lab. I usually get sick during the fall semester (typical cold/flu bug) and I am not looking forward to it. Not that anyone actually looks forward to getting sick...I am dreading it.

I have a Betta that lives on my desk at school. I changed his water today. He is very happy now! His name is Abita. He is blue with long fins. Wow, that sounds like a 7th grade English paper...LOL.

Fun Fact for the Day: During the female orgasm, endorphines are released, which are powerful painkillers. Thus, making headaches a bad excuse not to have sex.

To Be Continued

The river called my name this weekend...I'll tell you about it later...

Fun Fact of the Day: The can opener was invented 48 years after cans were introduced.

I like it when it rains...

And I have been very content the last 2 days as it has rained almost all day, both days. The last 2 days I have ran in the rain, it's very refreshing.

I was sore Tuesday, so sore I couldn't go down stairs. I am less sore today but, I would be less sore if I hadn't kept it up for the last couple of days. So far, I have only missed one day...While I jog outside, the hubby has be doing Tae Bo inside, he is doing really good with it, too (today is his sore day). I just can't get into it. I like to do my own thing, at my own pace, with my own music in my head. It's my time...

We have also taken to eating a little better; Turkey bacon, fake eggs, lite pancake syrup, a lot of chicken and green veggies...it's time for a change, to quote the next president (I hope). Those fake eggs have come a long way from what I remember as a kid. They taste like real eggs and with a little Tony's seasoning and black pepper, they are fantastic. We've gotta stick with these changes!

Fun Fact for the Day: The town of Kennesaw, Georgia has required its citizens to own a firearm and ammunition since 1982.
This one's for you, Jonathan...