Okay! I'm picking up all my discarded reins here. (Is it bad that I just had to double-check that I didn't want to use "reigns" there? Ugh!) Here is a quick update on my Project 101 stats.
013. Ready all bedrooms for the big move. (0/4)
014. Ready living/dining room for the big move.
015. Ready kitchen for the big move.
016. Ready basement for the big move.
In the area of prepping for the move, I am still pink on everything. No red just yet. Boo! I have finished a few areas within these bullets, however. For example, I have gone through all the baby clothes in the basement and I have consolidated all my recipes into one recipe box in the kitchen. Those were both pretty big tasks, so I'm quite proud of myself! I see a lot of headway being made in this area over the next couple of months. I am hoping to have the kitchen and basement done this month.
019. Buy, fill out, address, stamp, and SEND OUT Christmas cards.
Yes, I understand how truly sad this is. I am still going to send them out, though. I never said that the cards had to be sent out before Christmas, so even if they don't go out until June I still consider it a win. Yeah, I might have left that part out on purpose. So what?
054. Read Madeleine L'Engle's "Time" quintet with the boys. (0/5)
The boys got these books for Christmas. We'll start these up soon. Not sure when just yet.
059. Finish last 3 classes to complete AA. (1/3)
This is a small source of frustration for me. I enrolled in two classes last term, with the understanding that it would leave me one class short of my AA. The plan was to then CLEP that class before we left here. Unfortunately, the school screwed up. Halfway through the term (when it was really too late to drop the class without a penalty and long after I could have transferred over to a more fitting class), I was told that my writing course did not count toward my AA degree plan. When I first enrolled I was told differently. I can use it later, so it's not a complete loss, but it certainly derailed my short term plans. Oh well. I'll just finish the AA up when we get to our next duty station.
060. Find school for BA/BS. Apply and start.
I haven't marked this one yet, but I have started looking for a school at our next possible duty stations. (More on that later.) I have been relatively successful in finding programs near each location, which both surprises and delights me.
061. Leave the house at least 3 times a week for 4 weeks. (Yard/walks with kids don’t count.) (12/12)
062. Talk to one stranger a day for a week. (7/7)
I was going to give these a post of their own, but I changed my mind. If you don't know me (well) in real life you might wonder what on earth those two are doing on a list like this. I have an anxiety disorder which I have struggled with for years. Germany has been really rough on me at times because of it. I have to make a concerted effort to leave the house...otherwise I will just stay at home. Putting it on the list was my way of trying to bring the issue up into my every day thoughts. Last summer Jason and I went to the BX one day and he brought it to my attention that I hadn't left our house/yard in over two weeks. That made me realize that I spend a lot of time making excuses in my head as to why I don't need to leave the house when the real underlying reason is my anxiety.
076. Go 30 days with no fast food. (To include pizza that is not homemade!) (12/30) 1.24.10
I am in the midst of this now. It's actually not bad, although we are missing the weekly family pizza night. Next week we are going to start trying to make homemade pizza (including the crust!) on Friday nights.
082. Complete 365 photo project. Document via separate blog.
I am getting this back up and running soon. I may make some changes to it, though. Certainly the blog will have a new official "start date."
093. Get an iPod (or equivalent). Load at least 100 songs that I like into it. (1/100)
Jason got me an iPod for my birthday, so I'm starting to load up the songs. The first one is a Black-Eyed Peas song. I don't ordinarily go for Black-Eyed Peas (I absolutely loathe the Lady Lumps song) but Zander, Izzy, and I love the "Feels Like a Good Night" song. It is so much fun to "dance" with them to it.
And there you have it. The CalmCrazy 101 January Wrap-up. In February. Oops!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
a different kind of blast from the past
I am struggling with whether to put this here or not. It's a little premature, but I'm so floored by it that it's bumped our "big move" right out of the front of my head. You know it's got to be huge to do that.
No, I'm not pregnant. Geez, Danny.
When I was active duty and stationed in Florida, I went to a bone marrow donation registry event. I don't remember the details; either someone's kid or brother (maybe?) was very ill and needed a bone marrow donor. They couldn't find one in the registry and no family member was a good match so they did a drive at the base. I, along with several of my co-workers, went to add myself to the registry. I have thought about it very little over the years, although it did cross my mind a few weeks ago. I wondered if I should re-register because how on earth would they find me?
The answer: Through my mother and my brother-in-law. Apparently I listed them both as contacts in the event that I moved. I don't remember that part at all, but I can now tell you that it is an effective system. I got a phone call from both within 12 hours of each other, letting me know a man had called saying that I am a possible match for someone who is really sick.
Suddenly, that is all I can think about. I am a possible match for someone. Somewhere out in this big world there is an individual who is ill and there is a possibility that I can help make him or her well again. The very thought is surreal.
Over the course of the past 24 hours I have learned that I am not the only possible donor for this individual. It sounds like there may be three of us, although nobody has given me a number. I don't know if the other donors have been found or if they have agreed to further testing. I hope that they do. I hope that one of us is a great match and that his (generic "his" as I do not know anything about who this patient is) story can end happily. I hope it with such intensity that it is almost a prayer...and some of you know how hard prayer is for me.
I am scheduled to do the secondary testing next week. They have to send a kit over here from D.C. "Mr. C" (the donor dude) told me that the testing process takes 4-13 weeks to complete, after which time they will let me know if I am a good enough match. If I am, the procedure would take place relatively soon after that.
I've always wondered how I would react to something like this. You always hope you know but you can never be sure. I am so grateful to have just gotten this notice because now I know that my very first and purest thought was that I was so happy to be able to help someone. I will always know that and it means so much. This may yet be the year that I find my faith. Sometimes I feel like it's close. I'm just not there yet.
One final observation before I go, just to let you know the quirky, irreverent Amanda is still with you. I find this one fact absolutely hysterical: We were watching a television show when my mom called to give me the message. The show? True Blood. Now how funny is that?
No, I'm not pregnant. Geez, Danny.
When I was active duty and stationed in Florida, I went to a bone marrow donation registry event. I don't remember the details; either someone's kid or brother (maybe?) was very ill and needed a bone marrow donor. They couldn't find one in the registry and no family member was a good match so they did a drive at the base. I, along with several of my co-workers, went to add myself to the registry. I have thought about it very little over the years, although it did cross my mind a few weeks ago. I wondered if I should re-register because how on earth would they find me?
The answer: Through my mother and my brother-in-law. Apparently I listed them both as contacts in the event that I moved. I don't remember that part at all, but I can now tell you that it is an effective system. I got a phone call from both within 12 hours of each other, letting me know a man had called saying that I am a possible match for someone who is really sick.
Suddenly, that is all I can think about. I am a possible match for someone. Somewhere out in this big world there is an individual who is ill and there is a possibility that I can help make him or her well again. The very thought is surreal.
Over the course of the past 24 hours I have learned that I am not the only possible donor for this individual. It sounds like there may be three of us, although nobody has given me a number. I don't know if the other donors have been found or if they have agreed to further testing. I hope that they do. I hope that one of us is a great match and that his (generic "his" as I do not know anything about who this patient is) story can end happily. I hope it with such intensity that it is almost a prayer...and some of you know how hard prayer is for me.
I am scheduled to do the secondary testing next week. They have to send a kit over here from D.C. "Mr. C" (the donor dude) told me that the testing process takes 4-13 weeks to complete, after which time they will let me know if I am a good enough match. If I am, the procedure would take place relatively soon after that.
I've always wondered how I would react to something like this. You always hope you know but you can never be sure. I am so grateful to have just gotten this notice because now I know that my very first and purest thought was that I was so happy to be able to help someone. I will always know that and it means so much. This may yet be the year that I find my faith. Sometimes I feel like it's close. I'm just not there yet.
One final observation before I go, just to let you know the quirky, irreverent Amanda is still with you. I find this one fact absolutely hysterical: We were watching a television show when my mom called to give me the message. The show? True Blood. Now how funny is that?
Monday, February 1, 2010
what i've been up to when i wasn't here
You know how sometimes you put off doing something because it makes you really, really nervous? And then you finally bite the bullet and, hey! It's not so bad! You can't figure out why you put it off for so long to begin with? You should have been doing this all along! Your life is changed in so many wonderful ways!
Taking college classes online? Not one of those things. For me, anyway.
I really thought that I would struggle with online classes. I like to have a flesh-and-blood teacher who can answer all my questions. I like to sit in class and take notes that I never look at again. The simple act of writing what I am hearing and seeing helps me remember. The idea of not having that scared the tar out of me. How would I learn anything?
I have a couple of problems with the face-to-face classes, though. My husband works a ridiculous amount of hours and has a completely unpredictable schedule. He sometimes does not get home until 9 PM; sometimes he works nights. I can't make plans to do anything on one evening a week beforehand, let alone multiple nights over the course of two months. Paying for someone to watch the kids is pricey and just not in the budget. It's not a convenient time for night classes right now.
In addition, I am a mom to four kids: Two of them are school age, one is a new toddler, and the other is a hell-on-wheels pre-schooler. (I love him, but it's true!) A lot of people think that having kids gets easier once they go to school; after all, they are gone six to eight hours out of the day. How hard can it be? To those people I have a few words of warning: Homework. Band. Yearbook. Homework. Friends. Homework. Teacher conferences. Did I mention homework yet? And even if that were true, I do have the little ones all day anyway. So, yeah. Free time? Not so much.
Anyway. The point is that face-to-face classes just aren't an option for me right now; however, I really want to finish my degree! I think we can all agree that it is obvious that I have to figure out a different path or put my plan on hold. Enter: online classes. I was going to have to get over the fear.
The truth is, it wasn't that bad. I was most scared of the coursework; I didn't need to be. It was easy enough once I got used to the formats of the online classrooms. (Two classes; two different formats. Somehow, I did not see that coming.) I had my books, I had my online reading, and I had weekly assignments. It was relatively organized, really. The problem that I never considered was the interaction level with the other students.
When I take a class I like to really discuss things. I like to debate. I like listening to the viewpoints of the other students. It's another form of learning and I get something more than just knowledge out of it. Each student in the class has had a completely different life; it only makes sense that we would all see the world through different eyes. The neatest classroom moments for me are the ones when someone says something about their point of view and it becomes clear to me why they see it that way. Not that I change my mind, you understand; just that I can see where they are coming from when I couldn't before. I think that is one of the most important aspects of schooling; if not the most important.
It never occurred to me that there wouldn't be a good interaction level online. Had you asked me, I probably would have said that it would be better than face-to-face. Boy, would I have been wrong! The people in my classes weren't interested in learning for the sake of learning. They just wanted to check off a box on their transcripts. Most of them dialed in the effort--and it showed. People turned in their individual assignments and then everyone would post under them "Hey, great job!" in order to get their participation points. There was no debate to speak of--and there could have been great debate! It was so frustrating for me.
I can certainly respect that some people just aren't interested in certain topics. I also understand that a lot of people dial in the effort in a face-to-face class too. I just don't see a lot of discussions going on in a regular classroom where one student says, "Well, I think this" and then everyone else in the room says, "Oh yeah! Me too. I think that exact same thing." Had the same people been in a "real" classroom setting, I think things would have gone very differently.
If it is the only, best option that someone has I think that earning an online degree is not a terrible thing, but I can tell you that I won't be returning to an online setting. Luckily for me, I have the option to wait a year or two and then go back once the youngest is in pre-school. We may also be in a better place a few months from now; there's no telling what kind of job Jason might get. It's possible that he could get a steadier schedule, which would allow me the flexibility to take a class here and there. One can hope, anyway.
For now, I'm just glad it's over.
Taking college classes online? Not one of those things. For me, anyway.
I really thought that I would struggle with online classes. I like to have a flesh-and-blood teacher who can answer all my questions. I like to sit in class and take notes that I never look at again. The simple act of writing what I am hearing and seeing helps me remember. The idea of not having that scared the tar out of me. How would I learn anything?
I have a couple of problems with the face-to-face classes, though. My husband works a ridiculous amount of hours and has a completely unpredictable schedule. He sometimes does not get home until 9 PM; sometimes he works nights. I can't make plans to do anything on one evening a week beforehand, let alone multiple nights over the course of two months. Paying for someone to watch the kids is pricey and just not in the budget. It's not a convenient time for night classes right now.
In addition, I am a mom to four kids: Two of them are school age, one is a new toddler, and the other is a hell-on-wheels pre-schooler. (I love him, but it's true!) A lot of people think that having kids gets easier once they go to school; after all, they are gone six to eight hours out of the day. How hard can it be? To those people I have a few words of warning: Homework. Band. Yearbook. Homework. Friends. Homework. Teacher conferences. Did I mention homework yet? And even if that were true, I do have the little ones all day anyway. So, yeah. Free time? Not so much.
Anyway. The point is that face-to-face classes just aren't an option for me right now; however, I really want to finish my degree! I think we can all agree that it is obvious that I have to figure out a different path or put my plan on hold. Enter: online classes. I was going to have to get over the fear.
The truth is, it wasn't that bad. I was most scared of the coursework; I didn't need to be. It was easy enough once I got used to the formats of the online classrooms. (Two classes; two different formats. Somehow, I did not see that coming.) I had my books, I had my online reading, and I had weekly assignments. It was relatively organized, really. The problem that I never considered was the interaction level with the other students.
When I take a class I like to really discuss things. I like to debate. I like listening to the viewpoints of the other students. It's another form of learning and I get something more than just knowledge out of it. Each student in the class has had a completely different life; it only makes sense that we would all see the world through different eyes. The neatest classroom moments for me are the ones when someone says something about their point of view and it becomes clear to me why they see it that way. Not that I change my mind, you understand; just that I can see where they are coming from when I couldn't before. I think that is one of the most important aspects of schooling; if not the most important.
It never occurred to me that there wouldn't be a good interaction level online. Had you asked me, I probably would have said that it would be better than face-to-face. Boy, would I have been wrong! The people in my classes weren't interested in learning for the sake of learning. They just wanted to check off a box on their transcripts. Most of them dialed in the effort--and it showed. People turned in their individual assignments and then everyone would post under them "Hey, great job!" in order to get their participation points. There was no debate to speak of--and there could have been great debate! It was so frustrating for me.
I can certainly respect that some people just aren't interested in certain topics. I also understand that a lot of people dial in the effort in a face-to-face class too. I just don't see a lot of discussions going on in a regular classroom where one student says, "Well, I think this" and then everyone else in the room says, "Oh yeah! Me too. I think that exact same thing." Had the same people been in a "real" classroom setting, I think things would have gone very differently.
If it is the only, best option that someone has I think that earning an online degree is not a terrible thing, but I can tell you that I won't be returning to an online setting. Luckily for me, I have the option to wait a year or two and then go back once the youngest is in pre-school. We may also be in a better place a few months from now; there's no telling what kind of job Jason might get. It's possible that he could get a steadier schedule, which would allow me the flexibility to take a class here and there. One can hope, anyway.
For now, I'm just glad it's over.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
an update before we get back to business
I think things have calmed down enough after the craziness of school that I can get back here on a semi-regular basis. But first, here is a smallish update to bring y'all up to speed.
(Yes, I sometimes say y'all in real life. I married a good, old southern boy. What?)
School: Ended well. The biggest lesson I learned was that online school and I do not get along. The biggest surprise was that it wasn't for the reasons that I originally feared! More on this soon.
The holidays: Were awesome! We had Jason for so much of the time and it was beyond spectacular. I really wanted to do an "after the fact" blog entry detailing all the things we did but it's too overwhelming.
My 365 project: I am pushing the reset button tomorrow. I would love to backdate, but it would take me way too long with the internet speeds we deal with over here. So we'll consider that first week a "warm up" to the real start.
My 101 project: Still in the works! Remember that school is one of my goals on there, so I've been working on it steadily for the past three months.
Our next assignment: Since I last updated we have played around with the idea of many different locations. An assignment opportunity came up and Jason volunteered for it...but we were pretty sure he wouldn't get it. He volunteered mostly so that we wouldn't wonder "what if" sometime down the road. We've also had some HUGE talks about our future over the past couple of days. More on that soon as well. At any rate, we don't know anything for sure and likely will not know until sometime in MAY. Blah!
Blogging schedule: I would love to set up a regular weekly line-up but would really like some feedback on what might be wanted. Family and friends, feel free to e-mail me or comment below. If you are an anonymous reader (isn't that so much nicer than "lurker"?) feel free to post your ideas too. What would you like to see more of?
I hope everyone is doing well and still checking in!
(Yes, I sometimes say y'all in real life. I married a good, old southern boy. What?)
School: Ended well. The biggest lesson I learned was that online school and I do not get along. The biggest surprise was that it wasn't for the reasons that I originally feared! More on this soon.
The holidays: Were awesome! We had Jason for so much of the time and it was beyond spectacular. I really wanted to do an "after the fact" blog entry detailing all the things we did but it's too overwhelming.
My 365 project: I am pushing the reset button tomorrow. I would love to backdate, but it would take me way too long with the internet speeds we deal with over here. So we'll consider that first week a "warm up" to the real start.
My 101 project: Still in the works! Remember that school is one of my goals on there, so I've been working on it steadily for the past three months.
Our next assignment: Since I last updated we have played around with the idea of many different locations. An assignment opportunity came up and Jason volunteered for it...but we were pretty sure he wouldn't get it. He volunteered mostly so that we wouldn't wonder "what if" sometime down the road. We've also had some HUGE talks about our future over the past couple of days. More on that soon as well. At any rate, we don't know anything for sure and likely will not know until sometime in MAY. Blah!
Blogging schedule: I would love to set up a regular weekly line-up but would really like some feedback on what might be wanted. Family and friends, feel free to e-mail me or comment below. If you are an anonymous reader (isn't that so much nicer than "lurker"?) feel free to post your ideas too. What would you like to see more of?
I hope everyone is doing well and still checking in!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
hello...hello...hello...echo...echo...echo...
Yeah, so for the six of you who show up on a half-way regular basis...I'm coming back. No, really! I had to drop something to keep doing well at school. My choices were to quit feeding the blog or quit feeding the kids; I figured that the blog would still be around after a few weeks of neglect so it was probably safer to go this way. Hopefully you understand!
Exams tomorrow and Thursday. One last assignment in one of the classes. That is all that stands between me and (relative) freedom. See you in a few days!
P.S. By the way, I will be back-dating over on the 365 blog. I didn't give up; I just haven't had the time to upload and edit photos.
Exams tomorrow and Thursday. One last assignment in one of the classes. That is all that stands between me and (relative) freedom. See you in a few days!
P.S. By the way, I will be back-dating over on the 365 blog. I didn't give up; I just haven't had the time to upload and edit photos.
Monday, January 4, 2010
really? seriously?
Okay, I was going to save these until Wednesday (Speechless Wednesday, anyone?) but I just can't. I've waited nearly a week as it is.
I'm guessing all the Oompa Loompas working at Wonka are virgin females. I'm talking from the lowliest of factory workers to the publicists to the lawyers--everyone. It's the only possible explanation. Explanation for what? Well, for this:
Jason found these at the shoppette a few days ago. We can't be the only dirty-minded people around, right? Please tell me that we're not alone in wondering what on earth those daffy people at Wonka were thinking! Really?! Seriously?
And in case you think perhaps it's just the packaging is bad, that surely the product itself is not nearly so, well... Ahem. Anyway. That's what I thought. So we opened it up. See for yourself:
The mushroom part and all its implications is a whole different topic and one that I'll just ignore for now. I'm just completely shocked that this made it through the entire process from brainstorming until production. Surely they have one immature individual somewhere who looked at these and, well...
C'mon! We can't be alone here!
I'm guessing all the Oompa Loompas working at Wonka are virgin females. I'm talking from the lowliest of factory workers to the publicists to the lawyers--everyone. It's the only possible explanation. Explanation for what? Well, for this:
Jason found these at the shoppette a few days ago. We can't be the only dirty-minded people around, right? Please tell me that we're not alone in wondering what on earth those daffy people at Wonka were thinking! Really?! Seriously?
And in case you think perhaps it's just the packaging is bad, that surely the product itself is not nearly so, well... Ahem. Anyway. That's what I thought. So we opened it up. See for yourself:
The mushroom part and all its implications is a whole different topic and one that I'll just ignore for now. I'm just completely shocked that this made it through the entire process from brainstorming until production. Surely they have one immature individual somewhere who looked at these and, well... C'mon! We can't be alone here!
Friday, January 1, 2010
happy new year...and stuff
It has been super-quiet here at the old blog lately. Jason has been home and we've been enjoying some serious family time. We didn't really go anywhere, but we did all sorts of fun stuff around the house: mock gingerbread houses, salt dough ornaments, paper snowflakes, Christmas cookies, a ton of Wii playing, movies out the wazoo, and a whole lot more. I honestly did try to upload and post some of these activities; I just didn't have the time to go through the entire process. (Have I ever whined about the internet speed here? Yeah, it's bad.)
In addition to all that I have hit major "we're moving" mode. I have started cleaning out the basement of alllll of our unneeded baby items. If you are here in Germany you are probably familiar with the RYS site. If you aren't, it is a good place to get used (and sometimes new) items at (most of the time) reasonable prices. (No, I am not getting anything for saying that. Take that FTC.) In addition to the four Rubbermaid totes and various "big ticket" baby items I have photographed and posted, we have also taken 15 bags of children's clothes to the donation station here in the village. I knew we had a lot of stuff but holy moly! I'm afraid for when I start the toys. It's going to be ugly.
This will probably be another light week on the posting front. I have a couple major projects due in my classes and I've let myself get a little behind. I have to get cracking! I have started another blog however, and I want to put it out here. It's for my 365 Project (which is, of course, part of my 101 project). There won't be a lot of words going on over there; it's mostly just pictures. The goal is to have daily pictures, though. It will be interesting to see how that goes!
I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year. I cannot believe that 2010 is finally here! This is going to be such a huge year.
In addition to all that I have hit major "we're moving" mode. I have started cleaning out the basement of alllll of our unneeded baby items. If you are here in Germany you are probably familiar with the RYS site. If you aren't, it is a good place to get used (and sometimes new) items at (most of the time) reasonable prices. (No, I am not getting anything for saying that. Take that FTC.) In addition to the four Rubbermaid totes and various "big ticket" baby items I have photographed and posted, we have also taken 15 bags of children's clothes to the donation station here in the village. I knew we had a lot of stuff but holy moly! I'm afraid for when I start the toys. It's going to be ugly.
This will probably be another light week on the posting front. I have a couple major projects due in my classes and I've let myself get a little behind. I have to get cracking! I have started another blog however, and I want to put it out here. It's for my 365 Project (which is, of course, part of my 101 project). There won't be a lot of words going on over there; it's mostly just pictures. The goal is to have daily pictures, though. It will be interesting to see how that goes!
I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year. I cannot believe that 2010 is finally here! This is going to be such a huge year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
