This semester’s class is Principles of Macroeconomics. We are just wrapping up week 4. Two weeks ago, I was telling anyone that would listen that I would never want to be an economist. Now, going into week 5, I’m almost enjoying this. What is happening to me???
So, its been ~7 months since I’ve been here! Hmmm! I actually had to go back and see what I had last posted. After reading it, I chuckled to myself because originally, the title for this post was going to be “One more thing to be thankful for…”
Many of you probably know that there is a lottery drawing in New England tonight that is expected to be worth more than half a billion dollars. Some of you also probably know that my BIL had a serious stroke back in the spring. Why do I bring these two things up now, you’re probably wondering…
When it was announced on Wednesday that there were no winners in the lottery drawing, my husband said to me “We have to get a couple tickets for Wednesday” (we don’t usually play the lottery). I said to him “You know, its almost getting too big. I don’t know if that’s what I’d want. It would change our lives. What would we do?” To which he responded, “Well, I’d have them take the taxes right off the top, which would cut the amount we’d get in half.” “Then?”, I asked. “Then, I’d go back to Vegas and build Tom a brand new home. I’d stay there for a month and design it so that his every need would be met.”
Now, THAT is brotherly love! THAT is what I love about my man! THAT is what makes me a VERY lucky lady!
Yes, I am.
The last couple of weeks have been trying, to say the least. The most upsetting is that my wonderful mother-in-law fell down the stairs and fractured a vertebrae in her neck. She is 81 years old and has Parkinson’s disease. Sadly, the disease is beginning to win the battle and this injury is not helping matters at all.
She spent some time at a great hospital in Boston before being transferred to a “5-star” rehab in the ‘burbs. Unfortunately, this meant she would not be home for the Easter holiday. Long story short, the plan was that (most of) her family would go to the rehab, where they reserved a room late in the day, and they would bring Chinese food.
It bothered my husband beyond words that his mother would be having Chinese food for dinner on Easter Sunday. Our plans did not have us joining in those “festivities” and he said to me a couple days before, “Let’s cook Mom an Easter dinner! You don’t even have to do anything, I’ll do all the work!”
So, Easter morning came, and the husband got up and put a ham in the oven. He proceeded to ask me if I wanted him to make the potatoes. Naturally, I said “No, I think I can handle that for you!” We brought the “dinner” to the rehab so that she could have it for lunch. When she heard she was getting a home-cooked meal, her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. She ate more off that plate than she’s eaten in one sitting in awhile.
As I stood at the kitchen sink peeling those potatoes, my eyes began to well up. They say that you can judge how a man will treat you buy how he treats his mother and I stood there saying to myself, “I am a lucky lady!”
Yes, I am.
Wow! Its a relief to see its only been since October since I’ve been here! It sure felt longer than that! I’m still having those “Do I keep this blog thing or not?” feelings, yet I must admit, I do kinda miss updating when I’m away for that long!
As I’ve said before, I consider this blog as a diary of sorts for myself and I guess that’s why I’m not likely to stop posting (oh, lucky you! 🙂 For some reason, I feel the need to record this.
Some of you know, I returned to college about a year ago. Yup, at my ripe old age of…. never mind, you don’t need the details! I never finished my degree way back when and just decided it was time. I can honestly say, I’ve been really, really enjoying this experience! Well, until this semester that is…
Last semester, I took Algebra 1 and I was completely horrified at the prospect. I was very fortunate to have a wonderful “tutor” in one of the guys I work with and I managed to complete that course with an “A”. I was so, so excited and yes, I was even proud of myself! I was so looking forward to progressing straight into Algebra 2 this semester! “Woohoo”, I though, “I can do this!” Then, Week 1 quiz? An “F”. The instructor seemed to think us students should be able to complete 21 algebra questions in 35 minutes. I was upset, horrified and maybe even a bit angry. I had worked hard at it (got an “A” on the homework!) Though, I was also somewhat relieved when I learned that I was not alone in my failure. The other students did just as poorly.
Today was the last day to drop that class. Last Friday, I did the only thing I could think to do and I emailed the instructor from Algebra 1 to see if she planned to teach Algebra 2 at any time in the near future. Did y’all hear my excitement where you are when she replied that she’s teaching it in the spring?!?!?! Now, I don’t consider myself afraid of a challenge (after all, I’m enrolled in college, folks, at my age….!) but I’m “afraid” of this teacher. Though she’s making adjustments as she goes (which is scary in itself), I just feel she’s too unpredictable. Its her first time teaching an online course and, I’m sorry, but I’m just not willing to risk my GPA (an A!) while she figures it all out.
I was disappointed that I would be losing an entire semester but then looked into a second-half course and will be enrolling in that for February, then back to Algebra in April. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders and I’m again telling myself “I can DO this!” Life is good….
Okay, dudes! Y’all gotta see this!
Potatoes. Yes, that is a batch of mashed potatoes that I made over the weekend. I use a hand mixer to whip them and when I finished and removed the mixer, I looked down and those gosh darned mashed potatoes were looking back at me and… SMILING!!!!!
Seriously. I couldn’t make this sh*t up if I wanted to!
Last night, we were sitting out here…
…grilling dinner when all of a sudden, the skies opened up. We were getting torrential downpours and it felt almost surreal to be sitting in the great outdoors, with rain pouring down all around us, yet we were cooking on the grill and staying completely dry. That’s another bonus at the “new” house – it can be pouring rain, yet we can still enjoy our yard!
As we sat listening and watching the rain, suddenly the sky was lit up by some of the brightest lightening I think I’ve ever seen and that was soon followed by some of the loudest thunder I think I’ve ever heard. It rumbled and rumbled and rumbled and rumbled! It seemed like it rumbled for minutes on end!
At one point, Brian had to get something inside so he ran through the rain and around the corner to go into the garage. Just as he took that corner, the sky lit up again and it was like everything around him was white. It was really a bizarre scene and I sat there thinking “holy crap!” when suddenly, another “CRASH! BOOM!” of thunder. I was so wrapped up in the site of everything being white that I wasn’t ready for that and I literally let out a scream (hopefully none of the neighbors were out cause I can only imagine what they’da been thinking!)
The entire experience lasted maybe 20 minutes. It was beautiful, surreal, thrilling and scary, all at the same time. Next time one of those goes through? I’m thinking I might just reconsider whether I enjoy it from the great outdoors again. Maybe I’ll just go inside and enjoy it from a slightly safer venue!
On a side note… that picture is a few years old now. Its amazing how much better the grass is looking these days!!!
Yesterday, I got to have lunch with the lovely Sandy, author of Daisyspetals.
I “met” Sandy on the ‘net some six years ago! She had to travel to the city where I work for a conference so we got to meet after all these years! Sandy is from Oklahoma and also works at a university. That is only the beginning of the similarities in our lives. Its amazing how two people, with two different backgrounds, from two different parts of the country, that randomly met on the internet can have so much in common.
We spent more time together than I should probably admit (considering I was at work!) but from the moment she hopped on that shuttle bus until the time we parted ways, we chatted away like we had actually known each other for six years! It was a wonderful time and left me to wondering how fun it would be to meet more of my friends I’ve met on the ‘net!
One of Sandy’s stories got me to thinking. Well, thinking might be an understatement. I’m thinking I was doing something a little more like philosophizing. I don’t have time to right it out now, but I will. Come back soon!
Over the years, my blog has become a sort of journal to me. Its a place I can go and look back on the goings-on in my life. For that reason, I have to record here the fact that I experienced my first ever earthquake yesterday. In Massachusetts, no less.
It was truly a surreal experience. Late morning, I suddenly started getting an incredible headache. I took a couple Tylenol while wondering what the heck was causing me to suddenly get a headache in the middle of the day. I went about my business and then around 1:30, the pain was becoming excruciating. So I chugged down a couple more Tylenol. I was looking at my computer monitor and my eyes just didn’t feel right. I said to myself, “Maybe I better see if I can move my eye appointment up!”
I leaned back and pressed on my eye lids, trying to will the pain away. I was rubbing my temples, as that has helped in the past. Ouch, ouch, ouch. I was getting ready to go lay down on one of the couches in our area when I suddenly found myself shaking. WTF?!?!?! Was I about to black out????
Then people started emerging from their offices with the news that we had just experienced an earthquake. In Massachusetts. “WTF?!?!?!”, I repeat. As the day progressed, my headache slowly calmed. I thought to myself, could the headache and the earthquake be related??? So, google I did…
“Earthquake sensitive humans may experience physical, random or monthly type hormonal, emotional, and brain activity related responses to those energy field fluctuations. Headaches are among the most common responses. Nausea and dizziness can occur. ”
Apparently, I’m an earthquake sensitive human. Who’da thunk?!?!?!
Okay, well maybe it wasn’t lions and tigers and bears but geesh, did we have a busy week at the Wild Kingdom (aka, my back yard)!
Turkeys…
…and bunnies…
…and one camera shy deer!
