One month later ...

It's that time of the month again ... no not *that* ... it's time for my monthly blog entry. Seems to be how it's working with me any more.

Let's see ... this last month has brought:

Headaches and stress galore with that blasted accounting class. I finally had to drop it, I had no choice really. I'd rather take the incomplete instead of the failing grade. But never fear ... LOL ... when I went to my counselor to discuss my course of action, I found out that dropping it and changing my degree (dropping the entrepreneurship endorsement to avoid accounting) would actually cut my remaining required credits ... now I only need four 3-credit-hour classes instead of five (or six had I failed accounting and had to repeat it) to get my degree. Soooooooo ... that's just one more semester and I'll finally have that associates degree I put off for 30 years!! Yay me!! I registered for next (and my last) semester today. I'll have four classes on three different campuses. It couldn't be avoided, two of the classes are only offered once every few years - and then only one class is available when it IS offered - soooooooo ... I'm a commuter again.

My dad's been in the hospital for a few days with congestive heart failure. I was up to visit him yesterday and he's looking great. Hopefully he'll be allowed home in the next day or two. I can't mention anything about it on facebook as I have relatives on there ... and Mom's feuding with some of their parents - seems the cousins FB'ed about health issues with their folks, but NO ONE ever called my mom about it. Mom found out through me when she asked "so what's up on facebook with your cousins". Great. Put ME in the middle of it. Grrrrrrrr. Now mom's all ticked off ... and won't let me mention Dad's health on FB. It's all silly if you ask me. It sort of reminds me when we were kids and got into our little playground battles ... you remember those ... your best friend Little Susie wanted to hang out with Little Louisa ... but you were mad at Louisa for taking your brownie at lunch TWO years ago ... so you're pissed off at Susie, too!! That's what it reminds me of!!

So ... Single Son turned thirty a few days ago. I'm in denial!! I cannot be the mother of a thirty year old!! No sirree!! Not me ... but then again, I claim I'm too young to be a gramma to an almost 5 year old, AND a soon to be second grandson. And I'm not even fifty yet!!

Married Son will be back on the road driving a truck again before the end of the week. I take him to Flat Rock, MI tomorrow to pick up his truck. He'll drive it back here, pack it up with what he needs and wait for his boss to tell him exactly what his first pick up (or delivery) will be.

I'm pretty much betting that DIL and Grandson will be moving out shortly. If Married Son is on the road most of the time, she's sure not going to want to live with the MIL. Her folks live a mile away ... so I'm pretty sure she'll be moving in with them before Christmas.

Thank you Santa!! That's all I want for Christmas ... to get my sanity back ... lose the stress that DIL causes (she is about worthless as tits on a boar hog) ... and then be soooo much closer to the empty nest.

Although, honestly, I don't mind having Single Son around. He works hard. He contributes. And best of all, even though he occupies space in the house, I rarely see him.

On the Alien front ... not much news. I talked to her on the phone this morning. The doctors keep changing her due date. So basically it's anytime between now and December 10. She's big as a house, I hear. I haven't seen her since before she started showing, I'd guess six months now. She only calls when she needs something (gee, that's a surprise, eh). But today she said she was in a lot of pain ... had started to dialate ... and was just totally miserable. She said something about gestational diabetes, too ... I think she said borderline - but with all the background noise I can't be positive. And to get her to repeat or call when she's in a quiet environment is damn near impossible.

I do keep up with ya'll through email updates. I do think about ya'll from time to time, when my brain isn't busy trying to retain class lectures or when I'm playing some of the applications I've become addicted to over on facebook.

Well, I should get back to studying. I have a huge test tomorrow that I need to go over my notes. Since I'm taking Married Son to Flat Rock tomorrow, I'll lose about four hours study time tomorrow.

Guess this is where I wish ya'll a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Good Grief!!

Geesh, it's been almost a month since I last posted? So much for "I'll try to post more". Sad thing is there's not really a lot going on besides classes and a ton of homework.

The bleeder from jewelry class is still in class, but now sits at another table (yay). She's managed to get interested in the jewelry making process and is turning out to be not so much of a PITA. However, she needs to fill her toolbox with the tools she'll need - including the scissors and sharpie pen she always borrows from me yet never returns. Protests of "return it as soon as you're done" seem to fall on deaf ears!! I've settled well in the class. Even decided on two of my projects. I can't say what they are, as one of you will be the recipient of said projects eventually.

Science class is proving harder than I thought. We just got test one back today. Our class has set the new record of having the worst scores of the Prof's entire 20 years of teaching. Not a record we're proud of. Our study group has now grown by three people (from four to seven). We're trying to organize an extra credit project of a trip to the local science museum. Or should I say ... I'm trying to organize it.

Accounting isn't going much better. The tutoring is helping some. We'll see on the next test just how well all this tutoring and online workshops are working.

At least jewelry and principles of supervision are going good!!

I'm still without a tv set. I'm finding I really don't miss it. I get the current weeks episode of COPS on hulu.com - so I'm not going through COPS withdrawl. Oh, and they even have that new comedy "Community" on hulu.com ... so I'm able to watch that. Funny how it reminds me of my life right now. If you haven't watched it, hop on over to hulu.com, especially if you've ever attending community college ... it's an absolute hoot!

Not really a lot else going on here right now. Haven't heard from Alien in a while. We're on much better terms now. She still has plans to marry that fool, at least that's what I'm still hearing. We can always continue to pray she wises up and soon. But with her 18th birthday literally a few days away, I'm not seeing that's likely to happen.

As always, I do keep up with ya'll through email updates. Hope all is well in your lives.

TGIF

I had hoped to write a blog the other day, but that didn't happen. Way too much homework to keep me from doing so.

I really need to change my background. I love this background, but sadly summer is over. Time to think about fall. Yay fall!! I'm so ready for the cooler temps anyway!!

School is going good. Monday was the first day of my jewelry making class. Gonna be a fun class! We have three projects to make. It could be anything, so long as it meets the instructor's approval. I had some stones I wanted to set in a ring, no such luck. Stone setting doesn't happen until advanced jewelry class. Poop!!! I won't be taking it since it's not a requirement for my degree (or maybe I will after I get the degree ... who knows).

So ... I'm all into the lecture by the art teacher. The gal next to me isn't and is rather distracting to those of us who want to be in class. She's there for the same reason most of us are ... to fill the art credit. Only ... most of us want to be there!! She kept saying she should have taken Piano lessons instead. I agree!! We had to cut a piece of brass into some shape ... I chose a heart ... she chose something abstract. Next thing I know she's bleeding on MY brass plate when she sawed right through her freaking finger!! I ended up having to patch her up (so much practice with my sons I'm pretty good in a bloody situation). That'll teach her to listen during the safety lecture!!

I still haven't decided what my three projects are going to be. One has to be a chain of some sort, I haven't even really decided on which type of chain I'm going to do, the other two projects we're pretty much free to choose between rings, bracelets, charms, brooches, earrings ... whatever our little hearts desire (so long as it doesn't require stone setting). I better decide and quick, teacher wants designs on his desk by the beginning of class on Monday.

Other than school we're back to "not much going on around here". Who has time for excitement, chaos, confusion or Gremlin visits with a full course load?

Hope ya'll are doing well ... have a great weekend!

Thursday Thoughts ...

Ya, I know ... a blog a week now. I'm on a roll! LOL.

School is going good.

Tuesday was accounting. It's pretty much a repeat from the accounting class I took last semester. That's okay ... the last teacher wasn't that good .. maybe now I'll get more of an understanding of the lingo and techniques involved. Things that I didn't learn last time around. It's a different class, though, so I'm expecting to learn more. And this teacher has a great way of explaining things. A few of those lightbulbs already went off  "OH ... so that's what that last teacher was trying to teach". I get it now.

Parking on Tuesday was nuts. I got there about an hour early because I knew there'd be problems with parking. Well ... three of the six parking lots were already full and closed off by the campus cops. The closest parking I could find was all the way across the campus. Ten minutes it took me to walk to the room. And wouldn't you know, the classroom was just a stone's throw from the parking lot I SHOULD have been able to park in. LOL.

Wednesday I had Principles of Supervision (or whatever it's called). I left way early, once again anticipating parking problems. I even stopped for dinner to eat in my car while I killed time waiting. I didn't need to rush!! I got front row parking on my non-home campus. I hate that parking lot, though. It's not designed for convenience. You have to walk uphill about a quarter of a mile (and not that well lit at night I should mention) through a really pretty park-like area. So ... I get to the top of the hill, sit a bit and recover my breath ... and of course smoke a ciggie before heading to "F" building for class. I get to the room only to see that we've been moved over to "A" building ... on the opposite end of the campus!! I figure out how to get to "A" building ... find the class room, look out the window to see there's a parking lot that's practically empty. Great. I know where I park next week!! At least the half mile walk was downhill to the car after class ... well for the most part. This campus makes me nervous ... the lack of good lighting and I read a few blurbs in the local paper about women being attacked (robbed at gun point, too) coming out of night classes. I tried to get another student to walk with me, but he was in some gawd-awful hurry to get to his car for some reason. Gee, thanks buddy ... I'll remember that should he ever need anything from me (like a pencil or scantron).

Supervision is an okay class. It's bad when the teacher admits right off the bat he's absent-minded. He assigns homework, but doesn't collect it. Instead you line up before class, flash your homework at him .. he marks it down - and thus doesn't need to take attendance either. I have to admit, though, he gets us into some lively discussions on supervision ... or more precisely being a supervisor or manager. Could prove to be more than an okay class. LOL.

Tomorrow is science class. That homework is killing me. It's a dimensional analysis exercise. I asked Single Son if he could help me ... he's not familiar with it. So I'm on my own. I *think* I have it, but I'm not sure. Tomorrow will tell when we correct homework in class. I'm thinking I'm going to need a little bit of tutoring this week to understand it to where I'm at least partially comfy with it.

Then it's off for a few days. A few days to do all this homework in my other classses. And farm ... and clean ... and ... who knows what else I'll end up doing.

Next Monday will be my first Jewelry class. Talk about geeked!! I can't wait!!

As usual I've been keeping up with ya'll when I can through email updates.

Gonna scoot. One more story problem to figure out with this dimensional analysis stuff ... hope it doesn't take the rest of the night ...

Hugs!!

Wednesday ...

Wow, it's been two weeks since my last blog entry?

As usual I've been keeping up with ya'll through email updates. Just haven't signed on to multiply to respond. Mybad. Hopefully with school starting in two days I'll be better with the blogging.

Who knows? Anything is possible.

We were back to the nothing's going on around here stage for a while. It was nice while it lasted. This week seems to be pretty crazy ... but that's typical for me ... a few weeks of quiet and then BAM! we get crazy around here for a few days.

Just the normal crazy. Getting ready for school to start on Friday. My first class is an early morning class. Heaven help me!! I am so not a morning person. I hope the gal I blogged about meeting in the bookstore line has extra coffee - or at least an understanding of night people forced to take morning classes. LOL.

News on the Alien ... I told you in my last blog entry that she's having a boy. She's picked a name, and thankfully it is NOT after the sperm donor. And best of all, it doesn't even start with the same letter ... "J". I got stuck in a J rut with my sons, and Grandson and that idiot that knocked her up share the same J name ... we so don't need any more J's running around! This little one will be a Z. The first Z in our family!

Alien WILL stay in school. Thankfully she's decided to NOT drop out after all. Bad enough the choices she's made lately, but dropping out would have been another bad choice. I was even at the school yesterday to have them sign a paper (for Friend of the Court saying she's staying in school) ... only as of yesterday before noon she had not registered for classes. I was devastated, thinking that she had decided to drop out after all. I even broke down in front of her principal, Mrs L, a real nice lady about all the bad choices Alien's been making lately. About two hours after my visit to her school Alien calls me ... "Mrs. L said you were in today. What's up?" Well it opened a door for a much needed conversation. And ... best of all, she had gone into Mrs L's office to register for classes. Yay!! She seems to have a few brain cells left after all! She'll continue to go to school after the baby is born late November, early December. She has a built in babysitter, that idiot who knocked her up ... he can't work (felony history that assures no one will hire him) ... he may as well do something positive for a change. Let's just pray he doesn't f* this up!

Not a whole lot else going on. I was hoping to get back up to Port Huron this weekend. Just a matter of finding the time. I may still try, who knows.

Hope all are well ... that life is being kind to you.

Ten Thoughts Tuesday!!

Yes, call CNN! I'm making a blog entry!!

Ten thoughts ... or my best attempt at it. I'm way out of practice here!!

1) It's way too hot for me!! The humidity is killing me here! Ya'll can have your dreams of retiring and wintering in Florida ... me ... I'm gonna summer in the Arctic!

2) Talked to my mom today. She's aware of the whole situation with the Alien, and she's going out of her way to keep in contact with O' Pregnant One. I guess Mom talked to Alien yesterday and found out she's having a boy. Dear Lord ... don't let her name the baby after that moron!!

3) Got my college classes. I'm going easy this term with only four classes. I'll take five next semester, This term I'm taking: Accounting Procedures, Principles of Supervision, Foundamentals of Natural and Life Science and my favorite ... Jewelry Class. Gotta love those general ed requirements!! Hehe. Best of all I'm only on two campuses this term (gee, that's so typical isn't it?). Problem is one of the campuses is the furthest away from my home campus (and home). It'll take me an hour or more to drive the fifteen miles - down one of the busiest traffic corridors in the area.

4) Bought my books for my home campus classes today. I saw the cutest little stuffed squirrel just calling out to "buy me, buy me - you know you want to". I ignored him!! I didn't buy him. Geesh ... you have no idea how hard that was to pass up the "little" guy (who stands about eight inches tall). And now I'm wishing I had!! He was only $25 ... and would be a good driving companion while I'm driving to classes!! He even matches the interior color of my car ... gray! Oh well ... if he's there the next time I'm at the bookstore, maybe ... just maybe I'll adopt him!

Gotta love that smile!!

5) While in line to pay for my books, I got to talking to the gal behind me. Turns out she's in the same science class I'm in - and for the same reason. I'm wondering if she'll be my PITA. You know how I seem to attract one per semester. And since I didn't collect a major PITA the last two semesters, I'm figuring out I'm way overdue!

6) I really need to get a new digital converter box. Ya, already. I've had the one in my bedroom about a year, if that! It's overheating ... and takes forever to "catch" a signal when I first turn it on. I'm really disappointed in the quality of this one. It sucks! LOL ... they sure don't make things like they used to!

7) Have I mentioned I hate summer? The humidity around here is way too high. And I'm not the only one feeling this way, I'm sure.

8) And as is typical of past Ten Thoughts Tuesdays ... I'm running out of thoughts!

So I guess I stop here.

Hope ya'll are well.

 

Thursday Thoughts ...

Wow, again ... it's been a while. There hadn't been a lot going on lately ... and then there's this week, LOL .. .

After a long delay and many times having to refile ... I finally have my Pell Grant acceptance in hand! Yay!! I was beginning to worry I'd not qualify in time for classes to start on September 3. Whew!!

But now I'm going to have to take only night and weekend courses. I'm *hoping* to be hired for a day job starting after Labor Day. Won't give too many details about that just yet ... I'm so not wanting to jinx this!!

And of course, I'm still doing Elsie's Attic. Mostly catalog sales at this point ... I'll keep you posted on that, too.

Kids are doing good.

Single Son swore he saw something dripping from under my car last week. He took it to a friend of his, a mechanic friend. Comes home to tell me "well, Mom. I have good news and bad news. The good news is there is no leak. The bad news is you're missing the avatron on the passenger side." "What the hell is an avatron?" "It's part of the suspension system, Mom. It stabilizes you when you're banking right when you land." "WTF are you talking about ... when I land" ... Seems his friend is an airplane mechanic. This was son's attempt at practical joking. Grrrrrrrr.

I wonder if I'd get in trouble for smacking the hell out of a cop? He says I would. The Police Chief says the "Mom rule" applies ... there's no assault on an officer IF you gave birth to him (or her).

Married Son, DIL and Grandson are doing well. Grandson as usual is a hoot. He and I were playing a game on facebook today, called Yoville. DIL was calling for him from down in the kitchen. "Don't you hear your mommy calling you, honey" I asked. "No, I don't hear her. I can't hear her when I'm playing games, Gramma". Too funny!!! Oh ... and my Yoville friends ... Grandson went around to all my friends apartments and kissed each and every one of you!! It wasn't me, really!!

Haven't heard from Alien. Not since her last call a few weeks back when she wanted something. Gee, that's the only time she calls - is when she needs or wants something. Well ... we got into it again ... why I won't accept that loser, or allow him in my home ... and I told her why. For the millionth time I told her. So again she told me that if I can't accept him and welcome him with open arms, she won't be around.

I just pray she gets smart and soon. Riiiight, we're talking about an Alien here. Getting smart and soon just isn't gonna happen. This is gonna take time for her to see that this 17 time loser is no good for her or that baby. Please pray with me that she and my new grandchild don't get hurt in the process.

So ... that's it in a nutshell.

Maybe once school starts (and if I get that mystery job I briefly mentioned) my blog entries will be a little more regular. At least that's what I'm hoping!!

Hope you're doing well!