done! (almost)

We're already in our last days of the semester.  Geesh, it seems like the semester was just starting, and I was getting used to the whole idea of being a college kid.  I still remember fighting the urge to take my shoes off in that hot classroom.

I'll admit, it took me a while to get used to being a student again.  Luckily, the program I'm in has a lot of old people people from prior careers returning to get their post-bachellorate teaching licenses, so we're in similar boats.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I was enjoying the process.  My partner for elementary student teaching is a kid - literally, fresh out of high school.  Nice guy, a little quiet and tentative, but he puts forth a good effort.  Strange having someone young enough to be my own child as a partner, and I'm sure it was weird for him too at first, but in the end, we had a good time and worked well together.

For middle school teaching, I was partnered with another mom-returns-to-school.  She's working on her math degree at the same time, and her content knowledge is a little behind mine, but she's a whiz bang at power points and other classroom technologies where I'm lacking.  Perfect match up.

So this week we had final presentations for each of those classes.  They were fun and went well, and now... they're over.  I'm signed up for the next round of classes.  Next week, I have a final exam in my math class, and then it's time for a long break before the spring term.

As we wrapped up the teaching classes this week, I was almost sad they were ending.  But when we all compared notes to see what we were taking next semester, most of us will be continuing on together, so that was comforting.

Now, one more week - all these deadlines are being checked off and I find myself with some room to breathe for a while.  It's like that last part of a race where you can see the finish line and get this sudden surge of energy...

Except, it's not... not really.

It's more like when you're cleaning the bathroom and you're putting all the cleaning supplies away and then you notice the grime in the shower tiles that just need a bit of scrubbing, but you just say, "Ah, screw it".

But I'll get there.  THEN, I will kick my shoes off.

For Mama Kat's prompt:

5.) Talk about a problem you tackled this week.

Though not really a "problem" - still a tackling.
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Rifle: A Love Story

Based on actual events... of today...


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Nice to meetcha, Rifle.  (China and Napolion don't agree).


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Silver Liningness Sunday

Greetings fellow Ice Agers!  Cold enough for ya??

Oh well, I'm happy to report that the sun is visiting us, at least for the time being. It's still cold, but brightly so.   Like Magnum says, maybe the sun reads my blog.

Still much to be grateful for this week, like a warm home and clothing.  I was out yesterday and saw what I think was a coyote.  It didn't look in very good shape - scraggly, limping and near frozen.  And I'm taking advantage by defrosting our freezer today.  The contents are out in the big walk-out freezer that is our back deck.

I was glad to not have class on Thursday.  The university didn't close altogether, but cancelled all classes before 10 a.m.  Mine that day starts at 9:25 - woot!  Meego got two full snowdays, hasn't been to school since Wednesday.  And I am grateful for the Metro bus system that gets me to school when bicycle commuting is out of the question.  It's clean, safe, and economical!  Okay, I got that from my bus schedule pamphlet, but it's true.  I do have a car, but prefer to not be a part of the congestion if I can help it, and the transit system makes it easy and convenient.  Here's one of the fleet all decked out for the Parade of Lights:

I love that they included the bicycle!

On Wednesday, when the storm was moving in, my dad went to fill their car with gas.  My parents are old and not in the best of health, and my brothers and I worry about them still living independently in their old house.  My dad had some troubles while getting gas - probably a combination of the bitter cold and his general health.  The gas station attendant could've just left him to struggle, but instead took action to get him needed help.  My little hometown gets teased somewhat for being a little podunk town.  Add the fact that it was once the sex change capitol of the world, and it can be the brunt of many a joke.  The people there are of the best though!  

Finally, here's a pencil portrait of Meego that one of his friends made during Thanksgiving break.  Isn't it good?  The artist is a middle schooler!  

My own artwork has taken a back seat while I'm going to school, so it's good to know there are still kids out there with pencils and sketchbooks doing other things besides cyber bullying each other!

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reminiscing

Dear Sun,

I miss you.  I need you.  I realize that I can't live without you.  I'm just able to see you in pictures and videos.  It's not enough.

It feels only cold now.  Please come home.

Love,
Your Abby
xoxoxo


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only miss the sun when it starts to snow

Snowday  SNOWDAY   SNOWDAY!

School was cancelled today.  Even for me.  My first snowday as a college kid return.  It's really the combination of snow and c-c-c-c-cold that got the Powers That Be to cancel today's round of learning.

I post the above thread from Meego's fbook to illustrate the coldness.  Even HE broke down and put on long pants.  I almost didn't recognize him.  We actually had to go out as the storm was moving in on Tuesday night to buy him some long pants since his current stash didn't look to include any that fit.  

So I've made use of the day stuck at home to scrub.  My floors are shiny shiny, and I evicted a rather large colony of dust bunnies.  

And now, since its Thursday, I thought I'd do some Mama Kat action with one of her prompts for the week:

5.) Something your child did or said this week that made you smile.

For Meego, I present the above.  More specifically, the 

• "I lost".  *like* 

But, so as to not play favorites, I must include our other "children".

For Wolfgang, he's always been one to express his gratitude, very generous with the Thank Yous.  And he often relates things to me about how much he's enjoying college life.  He'd told me about a few kids from his high school class who like the local university, but didn't want to go there because they felt a need to get farther away since their parents would hover too much.  

• "I'm glad you don't make me feel like that!"  *whew* (Tank Girl, not Helicopter Mom, remember?)

And here are a few of Chaco's contributions from a conversation we had regarding a couple of his roommates:

• "I don't know why they're enrolled in college but don't care about their classes and grades" *inward beam*
• "Well, I like to play video games too, but not All.  The.  Time."  *inner sigh of relief*
• "Now I know why you got upset when we didn't clean up after ourselves!"  *Good God Hallelujah!*

And what the heck, here's my "daughter", China this morning:

"Jimminy Crickets, it's cold!"

I think that's dog expletive.  

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I won't treat you like you're typical

Baby, it's COLD outside!

The last few days, the meteorology people around town have been all a-twitter about this Siberian storm front headed our way.  It's here!

My weatherbug shows the temperature as one whole degree F.  Wind is 20mph.  That equates to a windchill of freaking cold.

So it was back on the bus for me this morning.  I arrived at the bus stop in all my bundled glory to find a large grocery bag full of a variety of snack bars sitting on the bus bench.  Was that left there intentionally or by accident?  I like to think that someone purposely left it there for bus rider freebies.  Still, I didn't take one - candy from strangers and all that.

Once on the bus, a woman I've ridden with before sat bundled.  She's also a student at the university - computer science.  Last time I rode it was snowing and she was singing "Let it Snow" at the bus driver's request.  

She actually has a very good singing voice.  When I first climbed aboard and heard it, I thought it was the music streaming through the bus radio.  

"You're not going to sing to us this morning?", I asked her

She covered her face, a little embarrassed, and said, "Well, the weather outside IS frightful...", but didn't break into further song.

Instead, we went into a more geeky conversation - she all computer science, me all engineer turned math teacher.  It occurred to her at one point that "Next March, we'll be able to celebrate a whole pi month instead of just pi day!"  Simple nerd pleasures, I can hardly wait.

For the ride home, I glanced out toward the bus stop from a windowed area in the University Center.  A woman in a motorized wheelchair was also there.

"Are you waiting for the 9 bus?", she asked me

"Yes, is that the one you're waiting for?"  

"Yeah, except I don't want to go out there because it's snowing and I'm in a wheelchair with no gloves and things are about to get real with this weather", she perceived.

I made sure the driver waited for her as things had gotten "real" since the morning.  It's snowing harder now, and sticking to everything.  I've shoveled the driveway, but you wouldn't know it.

I think the changes in atmospheric pressure are making the animals stranger than usual too.  My plecostomus, Jansen, has stopped his usual cleaning routine.  I got him a couple three months ago when it seemed that the fallout from the fishtank apocalypse had passed.  He went right to work and scrubbed that place clean.  But now, all he does is hang out with his fins up on the heater.  Drinking beers.  

My aquarium thermometer shows happy temperature, and I'll note that I keep the thermometer at the opposite end of the tank from the heater.  Yet it's as if Jansen's gone on a one-fish union strike.  The algae is getting the upper hand.  

Then there's the cat:

What does he think that is?  A heat sink?

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Silver Liningness Sunday

Welcome to the weekend wrap-up from the week of Thankfulness!

It was so nice to have a little break from the usual work/school grind and have all of the kids' smiling faces around the house.

Throw in a fun, charitable 5k and a colonoscopy, and who could ask for more?!

The local newspaper snapped this pic of Wolfgang and some Turkey Trot also-rans.  Wolfgang ran with a few of his running buddies from high school.  He finished at just over 20 minutes after not running for about a month and while nursing a slight cold.

I wish I could run at his bad day pace on a good day.



Although there was a bit of a break in classes, the actual work didn't slow all that much.  We're in the final push before the end of the semester, so lots of final projects and looming final exams.  The nice thing is that the light at the end of semeseter 1 tunnel is getting bigger and bigger, and I'm pretty happy with where I'm sitting.  I wasn't sure what going back to school would be like after so LONG, but it's been fun and I'm holding my own pretty well.

I also realized I've made a few school friends.  Even some classmates who rubbed me the wrong way in the initial weeks have turned out to be fun, and I find myself hoping they are in some of my classes next semester.

The house is currently very quiet except for the barking, sexing toads.  The menfolk all went to the shooting range while I finished some schoolwork.  Now that's done so I think I'll take China for her beauty walk.

Here's another newspaper photo from the Turkey Trot - The Flash winning.  I saw a bit of a post race interview with him.  He led most of the way but was passed at one point by the guy who would eventually take 3rd.   Flash regained the lead in the final mile.

"I had to, the crowd was all cheering for The Flash!"

There is something to be said for crowd support.

Thank you to my blog friends, for your support!
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