Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Been Busy - Here's a list:

Wow! Been over a year since my last post. Sorry folks. School just takes a lot out of me, I guess....

What's been happening besides school?
  • A good friend moved away to SC. 
  • I moved twice, finally in a house I can stand. 
    • Got a washer & dryer
  • I'm thinking of moving again but if I do, I'll buy the place. 
    • That means selling the house in Knoxville.
  • Finally tackling the weight issue (again) 
    • This time from the emotional angle instead of the food angle
  • WRITING!!!  
    • Put in over 21,000 words on the female agent vs gun runner story
      • hit a wall
    • Writing other stuff 
      • grad school application essay
      • blog posts
      • updated e-portfolio for 2 semesters
  • Taking summer classes
    • grammar
    • 4th semester French
  • Working - BGCOP
  • Health issues 
    • Been healthy, but it takes work
  • Cats are good
  • Car needs work again
    • what's new?
  • SEO for one client
  • Website for one, one still due
  • Mentoring women in business
  • monitoring cat posts on FB 
  • lawncare at house
  • yard cleanup @ Knoxville house
  • career planning
  • trust event occured in June (US Bank & Oakland County MI Probate Courts)
    • Met many of my cousins!
  • Let's not forget the "NO on Amendment 1" campaign run by some friends in E TN. 
  • And political commentary never stops. 
    • I really DO try to restrain myself. 

Whew!

Yeah, I've been busy. Still found time to enjoy music, a few movies and read about 15 novels....

If I ever figure out how to "be still" it will be God's doing.


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

School Semester Ended

I've completed a semester at ETSU in the Women's Studies Program. I created a website for one of my classes that I would like to unveil to the audience of this website.

Women's Studies Education Experience

I hope you will visit the website each semester, as my experience is added.
One interesting result of this program is that the graduate of the program learns how to position herself and sell her experience and education in the work market. We apply what we learn in various ways. I guess that isn't generally done in a Liberal Arts education.


Sunday, September 2, 2012

Reality vs. Perceptions

The reality of the situation is that I'm in school and it will take 2 years for the Bachelors, and 3.5 years for the Masters. A masters allows me to teach and pay off the student loans, and I don't need school to write. However, going to school gives me access to test subjects and volunteers so that my projects can be completed. Reality also includes a book of original essays I'm in the middle of editing, and getting ready for publication.

My perception is that I'm running out of time. I'm concerned about the political climate, and finances, and my health. My health is the only thing I can control, and it's the one I'm focusing on when I'm not doing homework or attending class. I'm trying to eat better, walk more, and exercise a bit. I'm still eating too much and getting too much salt in my diet. I'm making little adjustments as I go to address the diet, and I'm doing as much as my legs will allow.

I hope my books will get published, that my words will be heard and that somehow they will impact the greater global female population and be the catalyst of a new thought about women's lives. I hope women all over the world will begin to honor themselves and stop allowing men to tell them what they are allowed to think, or learn, or do with their bodies. If men can take potentially harmful libido-enhancing drugs, or those that promote hair growth, why can't women take something or do something to prevent or promote reproduction? Why can't women everywhere take care of their health, feed their brains, exercise their senses, and develop into someone they would like to know and be? Who says that keeping a house is what women are supposed to do?

I'm wondering what December 21 2012 will bring that will change the perception of all the inhabitants of the globe that will "end life as we know it."  Will that be ET, Jesus, a change in climate or earth's tilt, or what? Will we stop ruining this planet? Will corporations be shown to not be citizens, but instead just another -particularly deadly- scam? Will it bring about the end of patriarchy?

The world is in trouble, and I don't know if it's going to end or not. I don't really care. I just miss my cats - they are at home 120 miles away - and I want to finish my work. If "the rapture" is going to take me away, I want to go with my cats. If the world ends in a firey flash, I want to be with my cats. But if the world doesn't end, and I do, I want my work to be done, first.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Off to School I Go!

Well, today's the day I change my life for a while. I become a commuter student, and my cats and I have a bittersweet relationship. My focus has to be on school.

I've been furiously packing and preparing for the last month. I have everything put in containers except for some loose ends. My pillows and two lamps will be loose in the car, but everything else has been contained.  I don't know if I have room for a TV, and even if I do, I don't have any way to get the converter box right now. I'm taking 8 movies, and I'll watch what I can on the computer.

Surprisingly, I slept kinda well last night. I was watching the Gene Kelly marathon on TMC, and was falling asleep during Singin' in the Rain. I love Donald O'Connor's "Make Em Laugh" number.  I started falling asleep during the "Good Morning" number with Debbie Reynolds. I figured I needed to sleep.  I saw the Pirate, and American in Paris. Why do they put the goods movies on so late, I wonder? Not everyone lives in California.

I got up just before 7 this morning, did the dishes and pissed off the cats because they only get crunchies today, and until I get back in two weeks.

I hope Fluffy makes it till I come back. She's so sick. I know she's gonna pass this semester. I just hope I'm home when she does. She has chronic renal failure. And I made it worse by giving her fish cat food for the last 3 weeks. I didn't know that was too high in protein for her. I found some chicken cat food in the cupboard and gave that to her this week, but it might be too late. She's pretty lethargic. She was up watching the birds this morning, so that shows she's still interested in life. But she hasn't been on my lap or on the bed for several days.

Doc has me taking my blood pressure readings at least twice a day again. He's got me on so much medicine, I feel like a pill bottle twice a day!  I'm sure all this stress isn't helping any.

The money hasn't hit my bank account yet. I can't get the microwave or dish rack - or pillows, so I'm taking my normal bed pillows. I also can't get any food except what I can get on campus. And the rear-end of the car won't get fixed here. I'll have to find a place there - since the garage here is closed on weekends. I can't wait on that repair.

I'm trying to set up an efficiency apartment sight unseen, and be ready for two weeks of adjustments and making do. In two weeks, I can bring stuff back and forth as I need to. But this first trip is the biggie. LOTS of stuff going! I just hope I can bring it all back home OK in spring....

Well, turn off the computer, get through the shower and take that blood pressure reading so I can take my morning meds. Then pack the last bits and load up. I expect to be on the road by 10:30. That will give me time to get settled.


Friday, April 20, 2012

Story is Completed!

YEA! I got the story done. I'm not completely satisfied with it, but it's done.

My deadlines are April 24, for the story version; and the screenplay version is due on May 3rd. Both are done. I finished it all last night, including figuring out "whodunit" and getting the article back to the original.

My characters could be stronger, there could be more plot complications, the character arcs could be better, but for a first time attempt, it's not bad at all. And it's certainly more than I ever could do before these classes.

I still have to do the "beat sheet" for the screenwriting class, but I re-did the logline/premise, since the original story was so reworked it no longer fit the old logline. And I'm not all that sure about the title.

But who cares! It's done!

I couldn't have done it without the classes, professors, and the most supportive writing environment I've ever known. This is not to say that all writing environments are hostile, but in my experience, editors can be notoriously critical. Are these efforts worthy of publication? In a small way, yes, but in the true sense of the word, I would never inflict this on a reading public. There are holes and incongruities all through it. One character is so weak and wimpy I'd sooner kick her butt than admit I wrote her that way. Things happen and she doesn't speak up or react at all. What a wimp! My villain is not evil enough, and my antagonist is supposed to be more evil but is only kind of evil. The whole thing has holes, like I said.

But to be able to write over 30 pages of fiction - ME! What a concept! What an accomplishment!

Perhaps, one day, I'll go back into this story and work it through. Maybe I'll take the characters and put them through their paces and make them "real" in my head. Maybe I'll fix the holes in the plot. And I have two other stories I wrote in my 20s that I'd like to put through this same process.

But for now, I'm walking away, glad to have made it this far. The sense of accomplishment is enough. The knowledge that I gave it all I had to give at the time is enough.

For now, I need to step away from school and clean the house, do laundry, and really scrub this place down. I have to clear out cat hair, cat puke, dust and body powder. I need to de-flea and deodorize the place. I need to open the windows and let light and air into the house. I need to work on my yard before the city does the lawn.

Yep, my life needs some attention, and I have a few weeks before summer school starts. I need the time.

And for now, I'm going to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment. I've done the work my teachers wanted me to do. I've completed the assignments. Both my classes were more of a "complete the projects" than getting test-as-you-go grades. Just turn in the work at the end of the semester for grades. So, I'm pretty much guaranteed a decent grade in these classes, which will help with GPA.

And I learned quite a bit. I'll be forever grateful to my professors. Edward Francisco has quite a few credits to his name, including publications and teaching. The other, Rob Lloyd, has a different list of credits to his name, in television news and gameshows, and scripts. Both are experts in the worlds they inhabit. To find these men at the junior college level is amazing!

Oxford and Gannett, both represented at Pellissippi. We are truly blessed.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

It's Been a Week!

So much going on!

I was robbed in November. A lady I'd hired to do some cleaning took some jewelery. I didn't discover the theft until December, and then only partially. It was January before I realized how many pieces had been taken. I hemmed and hawed about it for about a week then called the police to report the theft.

A month goes by, and I finally got the police report from them to give to my insurance company. I called my agent, and he intimidated me so bad I nearly didn't file the claim. But I had to file the claim!

Another week went by and I finally called them. They were fast, efficient, and downgraded my loss by about $2375, so I have to absorb that much of it. To be honest, that includes my deductible, so the amount of actual loss not covered is about $1375.

So that was story number one. Story number two...

I ordered some cat furniture from a reputable supplier. It was almost $400 for the order, and included two cat trees and one scratching post. One of the trees was 80 inches tall, almost to the ceiling, which I figured would give the cats a wonderful view of the bird feeders and space away from each other.

The items were all shipped separately, from different points of origin. The first never arrived, but the second arrived on Feb 10. I got another e-mail, for the third shipment, and looked into the three shipments.

It turns out that the wonderful, tall cat tree was delivered to someone other than me, left by a front door, with no signature confirmation. The delivery company says they delivered it to me. I'm sure it doesn't help that I had several deliveries that week, and continue to receive items I've ordered - specialty cat products, books, online-only office supplies, and so on. So, they closed the inquiry, and are offended that I would even hint at a mis-delivery.

Too bad. Now, I have to do a chargeback against my vendor. I hate to do that, but the item was the most expensive of the three that I ordered. In fact, the one cat tree that I received was a purchase afterthought because the large cat tree was $100 less on sale!

So, I went to my bank and did the chargeback yesterday. I really hate to do that. I really do. It's a black mark against any merchant when that happens. And it wasn't her fault, but the shipper's. The only mistake she made was allowing the shipment to be made without requiring a signature confirmation.

So much for story number two. On to story number three...

My doctor wanted me to take some allergy medicine because of the drainage I experience every night. She prescribed Zyrtec. It's known to make folks drowsy, so I took a pill at night with my other meds on Wednesday.

I had a very fitful night's sleep, came stark raving awake at several points, and my body seemed to slow down. The next day, I was in a fog all day, and had to slap myself awake during my last class. The drive home was a nightmare!

When I got home, I slept. Nothing but. The phone was ringing off the hook, and I just couldn't talk to anyone. I couldn't get the phone to my ear fast enough. I ended up with six messages on the machine. Two were the insurance company, one from the shipper, and three from friends.

I ended up sleeping till about 8:30. I got up and called two friends back, and it was too late to call the third. I ended up staying awake till about 4:30am and then went to bed. I slept like a log till 10:30 when the alarm went off.

It was now Friday, and I had a lot to do. I went to the bank to do the chargeback, went to the court and did my little research job there, and then went to get tires on the car before the next rain hits. I've not had time for that since I had the money, and it was becoming desparate. I almost hydro-planed during the last rain on Thursday, when I was groggy.

I got home, and forget the diet, I wanted a hamburger! So, I got one of those when it was time to have supper.

Story number four...

During all this, as if my week wasn't full enough, I printed the last of the research I'd done for my book. I organized what had been printed and started printing at home, and finished the job at school. I'm now looking for space to work.

I think I'll clear off the perfectly-good work space I have that's an accumulation of stuff that doesn't belong to me and wasted money. There is a furnace filter that's the wrong size, an older laptop computer, and a collection of stuff that belongs to a friend that moved to CA over a year ago. He want's it shipped to him if he ever sends money. Meanwhile, it's taking up space in my house. If I can get the table cleared off, I'll have a great work space for school work, sewing and other purposes.

Story number five...

Well, there's this mess that's been accumulating around my chair. Things fall and I'm not paying attention, so the mess gets bigger and bigger. Last night, I'd had enough. The reason for the mass purge was that my cat Fluffy, who never pukes up hairballs or anything, got sick. All over the place, repeatedly, and nastily. I had to clean up after her.

She started on a pair of shoes that got tossed yesterday afternoon. She has diabetes, so this is kind of a serious turn for her. She continued into several rooms, and hit the paid bills, computer programs (boxed), office supplies, clothes, and of course, all the stuff sitting around my chair. It was bad enough that the pile was growing, but her getting sick on it was more than I could stand.

So, it's been a very full week. Lots of ins and outs, lots of stuff happening. So much for not getting anything done!

Those pills from the doctor? - not taking them anymore. Once was enough.

Friday, December 16, 2011

School Term is Over

Whew! The term is over. It was momentous for me, since my disability came through and I completely lost interest in the classes I was attending, in the middle of the semester. I had a lot of trouble for about a week, keeping my momentum going. It shows in my grades. I got the first C+ since my intermediate algebra class in 1990.

One grade is still not posted, but that teacher has been late with grades all semester. I'm sure she will have it posted by this evening, which is her deadline.

I was able to re-join Phi Theta Kappa - the honors society. That will make it possible for me to be considered for some scholarships at ETSU, which is my next stop. I still have Spring and Summer classes to go at PSTCC, but for Fall 2012, I had to get stuff in order now.

Think ahead!

Monday, August 29, 2011

School commentary

Well, it's started for me - Fall semester!

My first class, that looked to be a real drag, might actually be fun. That's technical (business) writing...

Accounting is a real pain - I want the Tues/Thurs morning class but it's full. They don't have waiting lists anymore, so I'm stuck in the Tues evening class unless I can quickly react when somebody drops after the morning class tomorrow. We'll see...

The last class, Excel - it looks like I'm missing a book but I won't know for sure until class tomorrow - just after noon.

I'm enjoying it more than I expected so far. I just wish my body would cooperate. It hurts, I'm unsteady on my feet, and I have NO energy at all.

I'm stopping all the supplements for a check-in. I have my blood test for Lupus on Friday, and since I've been taking Pre-Natal vitamins for over 2 years, I decided to stop them and check in with my body. My nails are as thin and flimsy as ever, my complexion is a real acne mess, and I'm exhausted all the time.

I'm sleeping, but it's broken. If I take a sleeping draught - whether benedryl or melatonin, I wake groggy for at least 4 hours. The difference is that with benedryl I sleep 12 hours and with melatonin I sleep about 4-6 hours. How much time do I want to spend asleep?

So, I'm stopping all the vitamins - the pre-natals, B6, Biotin, Calcium, D3 and chromium piccolinate... I want to see how my body is truly assimilating food and nutrients. I wonder if maybe I've had too much supplementation and that my body is just flushing everything through.

Not taking the Triple-Flex is really affecting me already. My joints are so weak and wobbly without it. My knees hurt more today than ever and I've only been off it for a day.

Well, the blood test on Friday will show some interesting results, no matter what. The cholesterol, liver function and Lupus... I wonder what else it will show???


/

Thursday, May 5, 2011

God Is Good!

I returned my textbooks yesterday, and was able to get cat food and gas.

Today, I checked the bank balance, like I do every morning, and Whoa! There was money there!!! It turned out it was a refund for the class I dropped.

So, I got to pay a month's utility bills. That's cool! The second month is already on my credit for the internet/phone, and I saw the meter-reader yesterday for the lights & water.

I'll go talk to everybody today and tell them what's up. I guess I'll have to let them know when my next student loan payment is coming in, too.

Confirmed with my cousin on my trip this weekend. Everything is going as planned.

Got a call yesterday on a job I signed up for, for today. She said the supervisor would call me with details. He never did, so I didn't work today.

I'll use the time to clean up my suitcases, and get the laundry done so I have clothes to take with me.

God is Good! That money came just in time (as is God's way), and now I won't have to worry about the lights getting cut off while I'm on my trip. I had no idea that money was coming...

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Oy! Computerized Registrations!

Sometimes computers can be REALLY stupid!

There is no gray area. If you are supposed to have a prerequisite for one course program, then you have to have that prerequisite for all course programs - except when you don't!

And I'm in the latter category. So, they will have to "waive" the prerequisite so I can complete my course of study. Maybe I'll leave that class alone till the last semester, when I'm doing my internship....

Lots of Blog Traffic?

I'm thinking this is because of the post I made on Facebook after the announcement that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. I just can't sanction killing. It's against God's Law. When I see all the "jubilation" at his death, it saddens me.

Other than that, a busy week so far. Yesterday was the busiest so far, but today is shaping up as busy and filled, as well.

I have phone calls, outings planned, and so on. There's a Job Fair today, that I plan to attend. I have calls on both ends - to make and to receive.

Why can't I just win one of the Sweepstakes I've entered? It would make life a bit easier....

Yesterday, I had my final presentation in my last class of the semester. I hope she liked it. I did what she asked, and tried to make it work. With 3 systems at home that are not compatible with those at school, things can be quite challenging.

No matter what my financial situation, I really need a newer laptop! I need to upgrade to Windows 7, even though I hate Microsoft. I love my MAC, but the whole world lives on MS Office, so I have to keep a recent version working.

So, I guess I'll get one of the Dell's come Fall.

I've already registered for 2 summer classes, and 4 fall classes. I'm looking for more, but few are available. I need a Contract Law class, and it isn't listed. They may have changed the name or number. It would be nice to get that out of the way. I'll end up with all accounting and management classes after that.

The school accepted 43 credits from my transcripts! That was a nice surprise. Not all of them will help me in my current endeavor, but I can probably get that tutoring job at the school, now.

Kitties are good. Fluffy has some kind of yeast growth under a mat, so she will be groomed today. I have to do the job myself. It's a good thing she doesn't freak out about water! She's going to get a bath after her haircut.

Well, enough for now. I have to get ready for a busy day.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Too Much Math!

Well, I dropped the math class. It was just too much work, and I need an in-class style class. Then, it turned out I didn't even need the class! They re-evaluated my transcript, and accepted 4 more classes. That means that pretty much anything that is 1000 level I don't have to do. There is one writing class I have to do, but that shouldn't be hard. The rest - it's all gravy!

I have to continue my technology course, since that was never in my plans before - so the "Survey of Software" will continue. It helps to learn MS Office, but I actually have to take a no-credit course for Quickbooks. And since they dropped so many classes off the ticket, I'm going to take a second accounting course. I need it, and I have room.

The original program was 61 credits. Dropping 18 (my transcript) puts the total credits at 43. Add 3 for the accounting, and I need to take, and pay for, 46 credits.

Dropping the class moves me from 3/4 time to 1/2 time, so there will be an adjustment in Financial Aid monies, too. That's a bummer, but necessary. I just hope I don't have to pay any back! That will all be sorted by next week, so let's just pray, OK?

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Overwhelmed

I've been huddled up with school books, class DVDs, and a calculator. I'm not ignoring the world because I'm depressed- I'm extremely busy!

I finally got to the post office yesterday to get stamps. I mailed the cell phone back to the provider with a "request" to cancel service. I'm so over them...

I checked out of Facebook early last week - posting a status that left no doubt as to why I'm not checking in.

I got another 150 e-mails overnight. This has got to stop! Not the good kind, either. Most were spam, something I don't need to see everyday, or just notifications. It all takes time to sort and sift. The remaining 10 or 20 needed to be read and dealt with. And that's not even including business and school e-mail!

Oh, well....

All will be well. I should be caught up on math by Monday, and have the management test done tonight.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Not Getting Woken Up! :-D

Well!!! How cool is this! Whatever the guys did in the attic at least moved the alarming watch to another location! I am not hearing it - or it's so quiet that I can sleep through it...

Now remember - this is not a blaring alarm, like my alarm clock! It's a tiny alarm like a watch would make, and it was coming into my room, the center bedroom and was likely located someplace between the two, perhaps over the guest bath.

It may have been on a rafter, so the sound carried.

All the guys from Habitat did, was brush stuff around with a broom. They didn't find it, and it's still up there. They were scratching their heads, trying to come up with a plan to find it. They moved all the insulation around in that quadrant of the house.

But I don't hear the alarm enough to be woken by it! YAY!!!

I'm still falling asleep at work, and at important and inopportune times of the day, but that will slow up and cease, now that I'm sleeping through the night.

And not a day too soon, either. School promises to be very intense for this 55-yr-old woman!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Started School & They Showed Up (?)

Yeah - lets jump to it - Habitat guys showed up, went up into the attic and then I had to take my shower so I didn't find out if they found that D*&)ed Alarm.

I slept on the chair last night, just so I could make it today. I had to start school, with my first class at 9:15. From there I went to work then home to eat. I have KEW (for those not privvy... http://womencreatingwealthonline.com/) and then I get to be home about 10 tonight.

No program stuff today, other than continuing to listen to speaker tapes. Oh, and got a call from somebody who probably will hound me for the next 3 months while she avoids doing what she should do Right Away! to stay sober. Oh well, at least I'm not her. And if she doesn't follow through this time, I'll tell her to quit calling. I'm not going to be her doormat or her excuse. If she wants to stay sober, she will make her amends, it's just that simple.

Next class is Monday evening. I STILL don't have the financial aid and school stuff sorted out! I called again tonight, and it's because the major - that I filed to change 2 days ago, still hasn't been processed. I'm in danger of being dropped from all the classes and having a huge bill because somebody didn't bother to put the change thru.

On top of beginner diabetes, this is not a fun time. Cats are good, though. I guess I can be thankful for that.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Too Many Possibilities

I did a "Career Scope" assessment at the unemployment office yesterday afternoon. It showed some very interesting stuff, of course!

What really showed was that I'm running into a glass ceiling of sorts -- I need a Bachelor's degree to advance.

I'd already seen that in many of the positions I've applied to, where my experience was being counted as the last 2 years of college toward that degree - and I still had plenty of years left to count toward the experience buffer!

So, I figured out a Bachelor's degree again last night. Then, after figuring out it will take 3 years with full summer course loads, and not getting any break in that time, I figured out the costs...

That broke it! There doesn't seem to be any way to get around $80K to be lower. I just can't take on that level of debt at this time in my life. If I were younger - say 20 years or so, and felt I could pay it back, then I would.

But I've only got 10-15 years left to my work life. Period. That's too much debt. At this time in my life, I should be saving like crazy instead of paying out like crazy.

If I could do anything to shorten the time frame, that would help a lot. Nothing I've found can shorten it. I've tried interdiscipinary degrees, math, psychology, english, and general degrees. I've tried BA and BS degrees. I have an AS in math. I've done all the basics. With no minor, sticking with my original major, it's over 5 years. It's too much time, with not enough return.

So, after 60, when I don't have to pay for tuition, I'll still have books. But then, maybe... I'll pursue something I love and see where that leaves me at the end of life.

Maybe art or history. Maybe creative writing.