Totally Tuesday....

It's totally Tuesday. I can tell because the week has just began and I'm ready for Friday. It's not quite as annoying as Mondays but still a little irritating.


So far school hasn't been particularly overwhelming, thankfully, except for this week. The one thing that was/is MAJORLY stressing me out my lesson plan for my Teaching Methods class.

1. I strongly dislike public speaking to begin with, but to have to give a lesson in front of my classmates, my professor is just horrid. Oh but it gets worse. I get videotaped. And then I have to watch myself!!!!! I know, I know. It's so I can learn and grow and get better at teaching. I will realize this after the fact but before the fact....I'M FREAKIN OUT!!!!!!! I have to WATCH myself! That is just cruel and unusual torture. Great, great.

2. I had no idea what on earth I was going to teach. So I was brainstorming and then....WAM! I got an idea. After trying several dozen times to think of something else unsuccessfully, I'm sticking to my plan. Here's what I got. My audience is a 3rd grade class and I am going to teach them how to properly set a dinner table (yes that includes a bread plate, salad fork, and soup spoon). How? Well I am going to create a story about a princess spoon and her sister the soup spoon and their adventure with the prince fork and his best friend the salad fork and the evil knife Ned. Ultimately: the evil knife traps the princess and her sister on the opposite side of a crodible infested lake (the plate) from the forks. The drinking glass is going to be a volcano...of milk! It's a work in progress. I hope my professor approves my plan tomorrow.

Yikes. We'll see!

Back to school...

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." -Joe Fox on 'You've Got Mail'

Yes, if someone sent me a bouquet of sharpened No. 2 pencils, I would love it. Forget flowers (only this once), send me pencils! If there is one good thing about September, besides my birthday, it's school supply shopping!!!

I have completed, I think, all of my back-to-school shopping. Actually, by time you're a senior in college there's not a whole lot to shop for, especially if you're me. I love school supply shopping and so over the years I've accumulated quite a collection of pencils (No. 2 and mechanical), pens, sharpies, white-out, tape, pencil sharpeners, paper clips, staples, highlighters (good grief! highlighters!), and ink, among other spiffy gadgets to enhance my learning!

stress ball included!

Now, I was in Office Max the other day getting some binder pocket-thingys (new gadget!) for my portfolio I'm working on (due the first week of school and assigned at the end of last semester so we would do it over the summer. Did I? HAHAHAHAHAHA-NO.) Anyways, I was passing by the pens, pencils, and other really cool writing utensils when I came upon my most favorite school supply.....sticky notes.

I LOVE sticky notes.

I love to doodle, write notes to my roommates and friends, and make lists (oh I love making lists!!!!) with my sticky notes. I kid you not I stood in front of stacks of different colors and shapes of sticky notes arguing with myself as to whether I should buy some, knowing full well I had plenty back at my apartment. 5 minutes....still arguing. 10 minutes....still arguing. Then the more reasonable part of me got the best of me and I walked away. Sad day.

But I did come home to this....and made a list of something. :)

How I spent my summer...

[note: I realize I've been blogging a lot lately this past week...I don't really know why but I have.]

I received an e-mail from the president of the Student Dietetics Association, of which I am a member, asking us to write a little blurb about our dietetics related experiences this summer on our blog. I decided to see who had done it and what they'd written.
After reading it I felt....deflated. Like a failure. Inadequate. Unprepared. Sick.

One girl now knows how to chart things and she's seen all the cool stuff we've learned about at school. One girl practically runs a kitchen. One is a coordinator. They've all written magnificent little cute posters and handouts. Great. Just great.

I work in a kitchen at a hospital. The head dietitian has been a pain in my neck wasting my summer not giving me a straight answer if I could shadow her and the other dietitians saying it was some privacy thing...even though...I'm an employee already! LAME. I don't plan menus. I don't cook the food (although I do help). I don't make snazzy hand outs. I don't sit with clients and advise them. I've volunteered at WIC once because I work 2 jobs/50-60 hours a week so I can pay for my education.

I am a failure. How can I expect to get an internship now?

{insert very, very sad face here}

BUT what I will say is this: I spent my summer working and in my spare time I went to the beach and collected sea glass while watching boats bob in the Atlantic and seagulls float in the breeze. I went to Maine, saw one of my best friends get married, read some awesome books, went to Boston, went to northern NH with some of my dearest of friends, hung out with my family, kayaked, slept, played with my dog, swung on my swing, admired my mom's beautiful gardens, and loved every moment of my time in New England. Sorry, but dietetics is my job not my life.

Home Sweet Home

My flight was perfect. I have no complaints (except for the freakin' obsession people have with AC. Seriously? Seriously? It was 93 degrees in Las Vegas and I was shivering in the airport. Not cool. Not one bit.). It was so weird driving home. I get excited over a lot of things, large and small. When I'm at school, seeing another home state license plate other than my own tickles me to death (it's a rare thing when you're 2500 miles from home). I kept getting that excited feeling as I was driving on 101, only to realize--silly me--I was HOME and I would be seeing a lot these plates for the next 4 months.

First let's talk about the flight, particularly my layover in the Las Vegas airport. I was bored so I decided to write down my observations:
*sitting at my terminal: RED SOX FANS GALORE! That was a wonderful feeling.
*a man who looks like an aged Frodo Baggins, with shoes on so I don't know about the hairy feet...
*bleach blonde lady with ridiculous stilettos (and therefore a very amusing walk), and definite implants. Yikes.
*a man with a NY Yankees hat that had a strong resemblence to Joe Torre
*of course, slot machines
*old men, fat men, bald me, black men, Asian men, skater boys, pretty boys (they took longer to get ready than me...awkward? For sure.), overly tanned men, men in cowboy hats and boots, attractive gray-haired man
*a man dressed in an exquisite gray suit, excellent black shoes, and a sharp tie....he was also very attractive and I'll admit I stared for about 30 seconds. A man in a suit kills me everytime.
*a woman spoon-feeding her very chubby baby who kept smiling at me--->reminded me of my Nutrition through the Life Cycle class and how much I am glad to be done with school and finals

Now let's chat home.
I got home around 1am, and under strict orders from mom, was not to stay up unpacking or going online but to get right to bed. So....I first said hello to my precious pooch Scottie, unpacked my laptop, got ready for bed, quickly checked facebook and was asleep around 2am. It wasn't too hard since I was working off of 4 hours of sleep.
Today, I partially unpacked, rummaged through my mom's closet to see the new stuff she's bought (I'm wearing one of her cute new cardigans), and got ready. As tradition, I went to my high school and visited my favorite teachers who are still there: Mrs. Miles (AP Eng/Lit teacher), Madame Hambucken (my French teacher), Coach P (basketball coach), and a few other people. It was so fun. I love Madame Hambucken. I told her I am going to Paris next summer and she screamed for joy. It was hilarious. She's one of the coolest people I have ever met. I aspire to be like her. Then we chatted and it just made my day. I just adore her. Mrs. Miles is just a doll. I was terrified, terrified, of her my junior year and loved her my senior year and from then on. These people are like old friends, I just love it. She had a class so I couldn't stay long but it was so good to see her.
Then I went to visit my friend Aimee at the bank. She's like an older sister to me and it was just fabulous to catch up. Then I went to the library. I was going to go to the beach, but it's gloomy and overcast. Everything is just about to burst open but it's still kind of dead looking. I can't wait for everything to bloom.

Random things:
*my favorite places: the beach, the library, my house.
*I like to see what Mom's been baking since I was last home and our freezer is stuffed with cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and other treats. The candy jars are also filled. Hmmm.....
*my favorite words (this changes, but for now): divine, swell, dreadful, vivacious, splendid, magnanimous
*Sometimes I think I talk too much
*I might get a masters in journalism

Can I just say one thing real quick? I miss college a lot. I am a people person and I miss that. Also for some reason I'm not looking foward to getting back to work...aka being a workaholic. BUT, I remain optimistic because I'm home in New England with a summer of fun ahead of me. Also, I prefer to work a lot and be self-reliant than to ask my mom for money or rely on loans (that's me trying to motivate myself). I know this will wear off in a week or so once I get into my groove but I can't help myself. I just want to call all my friends to talk. I miss them. But, I love being home. I just miss my social life. It's a pretty drastic change. *sigh*

"Forget yourself and go to work"

AND I bought a wicked cute green dress for my best friend's wedding. Heeheehee..
Also...I have yet to see my brother Dane. Where is that kid?

Grateful Thursday

Hi friends. Finals are upon us college students and it's...well how would you like finals? Exactly.

I'm grateful for....

...snow and rain, even in April, to make me study

...sunshine because it just makes me happy

...my friend Curtis for fixing my car, and saving my sanity, during finals when he has tons to do

...my roommate Emily for being like a sister to me :o)

...my mom for her wise counsel to all life's problems, her patience as I learn, her faith, and her strength

...the director of my major for giving me hope that I can succeed when other professors make me feel like a failure

...for the opportunity to go to college and learn

...for summer breaks...to take a break!

...for my New England family because...they are family!

...for all my friends who make my life just blissful :o)

"Love life and life will love you back. Love people and they will love you back."-Arthur Rubinstein

"The good life is inspired by love and guided by knowledge."-Bertrand Russell

Optimism!

Here's what's up: I have 2 weeks---TWO WEEKS--before I go home for the summer. I'm pretty excited but then I'm also kind of sad. It's just how it goes. I'm also lacking serious motivation. This is what us college kids call being burned out and I think I have a 3rd degree burn. So here's the deal....

I'm going to rock my finals as best I can. I will somehow find the motivation and determination to study and study hard! This semester has been ridiculously hard. I've never been so frustrated and overwhelmed and busy and inadequate but I'm almost done and I can call myself a survivor of the dreaded junior year of the Dietetics program. ShaBAM! I'm also got to just accept the fact that I'm not perfect, I don't know everything, and my grades might not be 4.0 material (don't worry Mom, my grades are fine!) but you know what, I did the best I could and that's going to have to suffice.

I'm going to go home and love it. I'm not going to be sad to be away from the college life because New England has a dang lot to offer and I love it. Yes, it's different and yes, I do become a workaholic and have a pathetic social life, but that's what I've got to do to go to college and it requires sacrifices. I will not go through a two week mourning for college life. I won't. I don't have time and I don't want to. It's a waste of life and I've got stuff to do.

So that's the deal. Enough of this ridiculous mopey attitude. I don't like it, I don't want it, and I'll have none of it.

!!!!OPTIMISM!!!!

stressed

This is how I am feeling today. It has actually, as of late, become a common feeling, one that I don't entirely enjoy. I preface this by saying I am going to rant a little. Why? Because then I get things into perspective, feel better, and can get on with my life. The best part, you can stop reading right now if you'd like!
School. I love school but this month I wake up every morning with an incredibly overwhelming feeling. It's not that I've been slacking either, it's just that there is so much to be done and not enough time to do it. I guess what really makes me mad is that I feel like I don't have time to give 1000% and I hate that feeling.
I can think of other things that are stressing me out but I don't feel like sharing them. School is my biggest concern. Allow me to end with a burst of genuine optimism. I know I will make it through this week and that I will get the studying done that I need to and the projects completed that I need. I just know I will. I also know that I need to give myself a break, realize I'm doing the best that I can and that's all I can do. I feel better already. And as a treat, I'm going to go finish my culinary mystery book. Yeah!

Nerd

I am a nerd. More often than not, I really like to study. I think it's because I have this desire to learn everything about everything. I love it though. I enjoy the mental stimulation. AND I love learning more and more about everything because it makes conversations more interesting and diverse and it opens up a lot of opportunities.
This weekend I spent quite some time in the library and I loved it. I had my own little cubicle next to a window (I HAVE to have light. I will never be able to live in a dark house. My room at home is 75% windows. In my apartment, the first thing I do when I get up is open the blinds. I need the sunlight!!!). I digress...
I love my classes, which is a good thing since I'm paying $1000s to get an education. But seriously, I've had some horrid classes-the ones I go to, take notes, study, pass the class, and can't tell a soul what I learned. The classes I'm taking this semester are so interesting! Tuesdays are my busiest days (class from (9:35am to 6:40pm)--very long days. However, my last class is one of my favorites. It's just fascinating.
I have big plans for going back to school after I become an RD. A girl in one of my classes said her husband's grandmother goes back to school whenever the economy is in a slump. She's a real estate agent, a CPA, a CNA, and has a law degree, and is going back. THAT is motivating. That's what I'm going to do. I want to go back for photography, maybe culinary school, editing, humanities, maybe floral design. I've got big plans.
Hoooray for being a nerd! Shout out to all the nerds out there!

New Year

Hello again and Happy New Year!

Today was the first day of school. I actually didn't have my 5-hour lab today so my first class wasn't until 2. I woke up at 9, got ready, and then my roommate Emily got back! I was very excited!!! I did find it difficult to preoccupy myself until 2 however.
Buying books is, in all seriousness, a painful experience. Last semester I spent over $800 and these books are supposed to be used in my classes until graduate. Hooray right? Wrong. I had to buy some more books today and that hurt, literally. And it was for my nutrition classes. Ow, ow, ow!

But it snowed! I love snow. This was the big, fluffy, powdery snow that just kept falling. But then I had to drive in it and Provo doesn't plow very well so it was a tad scary but I made it.

Then...I locked my keys in the car. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I was so mad because, well one: I had locked my keys in the car and two: my roommates and I were expecting some friends over for dinner and I was already pressed for time so this fiasco did not help. Luckily dinner got made (Baked Ziti from Crepes of Wrath), just a half hour late and the boys were fine with it. (On a side note-it turned out wonderfully! It was easy to make, delicious, and quite filling. In fact there are a lot of leftovers for the next few days!!!!). Also, thanks to being a AAA member, a nice man came and unlocked my car for me. It took him about 10 seconds. I was impressed and ever so grateful. I have that whole damsel in distress thing down really well. I didn't panic persay, but I was a tad flustered. Then again, who enjoys having kinks thrown at them? It is a part of life I understand but why on the first day of school, in a snow blizzard, right before I was trying to make dinner? Oh well, it worked out.

Now I just have another semester of school to look forward to. Truth be told, I don't like winter semester. I don't have much to look forward to in terms of vacations--just Martin Luther King Day and President's Day--and that makes me already feel burnt out. Oh the life of a college student. I can't wait until I'm done.

And, I'm always a tad homesick the first week back. I miss my house. When I'm home on vacation--Christmas or summer--I become a bit of a homebody. I just want to be at home with my family. It's comforting and secure; my own personal haven. I miss my family. I miss my dog. I miss my room. I miss the ocean. I miss the view from my windows. I miss New England. I miss that secure feeling of being home. I hoep your home is like that because it's lovely, indescribable really. I hope you have a haven for yourself. It's wonderful.

frustrated

Generally I'm a very organized person. I'm a bit of a neat freak. Just to give you an idea: when I get my syllabi at the beginning of the semester, I mark down all the dates on my calendar, color-coded by class. Let's just be honest: I'm an obsessive neat freak.
This semester has completely thrown a wrench into my well-oiled, fine-functioning ways. I have more assignments than I know what to do with; I have a test every week and these are not tests you can cram for; I don't have enough time in a day to get everything done I need to and I hate it. I can never get to bed before 12am and I have to get up anywhere from 6:30am to 7:30am. I am an organized person I swear but this semester I feel frazzled, unorganized, and flustered---frustrated. I have a test tomorrow I don't think I'm going to do well in and the sad thing is, I should do well on it considering is a class for my major and therefore future occupation. Sometimes I just feel like a failure.
I will be ok....deep breath.....I will be ok.....deep breath.....I will be ok. I just need to make it to Thanksgiving and then CA here I come!!!