SprinklerBandit's Xanga

Pictures

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:56:47 GMT

Jenn took pictures of myself and Izzy this past Saturday. It was a lot of fun and she got some lovely shots, so I'm quite happy. They're viewable on facebook, if you're interested. If you don't have FB and you want to see them, I think you can email me and I'll send you a link.

There's nothing like seeing pictures of oneself. It's rather mortifying. My impressions were something along the lines of, "I need to work out a lot" and "Wow, my riding is not what it used to be". Both of these problems are fixable, but neither will be easy. Working out takes time, and my time is at a premium right now. I still have a stats test and ~45 pages of writing to do in the next nine days. Riding also is fixable. It would be best if I took a bunch of much-needed lessons, but those cost money. Money-earning takes time, and alas, school is eating all my time.

Oh well. I'll continue doing the best I can. After the semester ends, I'll hope for good weather and try to ride as many horses as Cathy will let me. The more I ride and practice, the better I'll be. I'll try to take lessons on different horses and I'll continue reading lots of horse books and trying to give myself mini-lessons. That was fairly effective this past summer.

Anyways... sorry for the mostly horse-y entry. I do try to keep that on my other blog.

In other news, I really am enjoying the challenges that stats presents me. I wish I'd been this engaged the whole semester; I'm learning a lot.

School Updated

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:38:16 GMT

Weekly reading summary for senior seminar: 10-15 pages (1) --DUE NOV 12
Weekly reading summary for senior seminar: 10-15 pages (1) --DUE NOV 12
Senior Seminar Final paper: 25-35 pages (1) --DUE NOV 19
Essay exam for Correctional Theory: 5-10 pages (1) --DUE NOV 3
Summary/analysis paper for Corrections in the Community: 5 pages (1) --DUE NOV 4
Case law paper for Corrections in the Community: 5 pages (1) --DUE by end of semester I don't need extra credit in this class, so I'm not doing it.

I got another paper back last night, and I did really well on it. It was a nice boost for my confidence. I've been really struggling this semester. I think part of it is being a senior and being burned out, but also the first grade I got back was from a test I did not prepare for and the score was correspondingly dismal. As such, I've been dragging through this semester in a weird sort of haze, not getting anything done and not caring that it wasn't done. I've wanted to go to graduate school for almost my entire undergraduate career, and even that goal was waning. I didn't think I was smart enough to even get accepted, much less get the needed assistant-ship.

I haven't applied yet, as I'll worry about that after I graduate, but I can feel a little more energy about school right now. I'm sorry that's worded awkwardly, but I don't know what to call it. I'm still contemplating asking the grad director if I have a chance by email so I don't have to face in-person rejection, but at least I'm back on track. It's good to know that when I study, I can actually do well. Obviously, happy feelings will not get me accepted into the program, much less provide funding, but it's a start.

On another note: I estimated that my first reading summary would be 10-15 pages. I just finished it at 19 pages. The 80 page total estimate may have been low.

What Would Anyone Do?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:33:29 GMT

Let me begin this by saying that I do not pick up hitchhikers ever. While I understand that some people have truly difficult circumstances, there are entirely too many crazy and/or dangerous people for me to think it is rational or safe to give a ride to a person, particularly a man, that I do not know.

However.

As I was pulling up to the office this morning, I saw a man running down the side street towards Overland. When he saw my car, he sort of put his thumb up like he was looking for a ride, and waved and went towards me. I slowed my car down as I watched him. Since he kept approaching, I stopped. Maybe he saw someone breaking to the office. I don't know. I don't have automatic windows to roll down the window to talk to him, so he opened the door and said with a thick Spanish accent, "Please (something Spanish) my baby needs help (more spanish)".

I gave him a suspicious look. He wanted a ride to his house. I didn't want a strange man in the car with me. Besides, was this some kind of ruse? It's not completely unheard of. "Where do you live?" I asked.

"On the rim," I think he said.

I looked at him suspiciously again, then nodded. "Ok, tell me where to go." I don't kow what prompted me to do this. I half believed his story, but the risks in my mind were very real. For all I knew, he was running from the cops. I don't speak any Spanish and his English was very limited. It didn't help that he glanced behind the car several times.

We didn't talk. I didn't want to know too much about what was going on in case he actually was running from the cops, and besides, he was on the phone with someone part of the time and texting part of the time. He did seem pretty frantic. I could tell that he wanted me to run a light, but I didn't risk it. When we turned on his street, he thanked me quickly, then got out of the car (didn't slam the door) and ran to his house.

I turned and drove away, wondering what had just happened. I hope I helped a man in need. I hope his baby is ok. I hope I didn't just aid and abet a felon leaving the scene of a crime. As I waited at a nearby stoplight, I heard sirens.

"Great," I thought. "Someone saw me pick him up and now the cops are after me." Still, I had a pretty reasonable defense. The baby thing was plausible. The light wasn't changing because the emergency vehicle I heard was headed through the intersection.

As I watched, a fire truck, sirens blaring, came into view. It careened around the corner, then turned down the street the man lived on.

Then and there, I said a prayer for the man's baby. I don't know any of their names, but I hope it turns out ok.

Swamped

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:47:46 GMT

I have to write roughly 80 pages between now and the end of the semester. It breaks down like this:

Weekly reading summary for senior seminar: 10-15 pages (2) --DUE NOV 12
Senior Seminar Final paper: 25-35 pages (1) --DUE NOV 19
Essay exam for Correctional Theory: 5-10 pages (1) --DUE NOV 3
Summary/analysis paper for Corrections in the Community: 5 pages (1) --DUE NOV 4
Case law paper for Corrections in the Community: 5 pages (1) --DUE by end of semester

This does not include the 20-30 pages of stats homework I'll have from now to the end of the semester or any online written work I do on a weekly basis.

And yes, you could argue that some of it I could have done by now instead of waiting. That is a legitimate point. However, I am running in a state of complete and total burnout right now. If I don't face this sort of immense pressure, I am simply not getting it done. It's hard, it's stressful, but it's the best I can do.

A Delightful Evening

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:21:19 GMT

Also entitled, "Even the Nazis can't find my keys."

Mom and I attended Knock 'Em Dead theater's rendition of "The Sound of Music" last night. I went because one of mom's most fun friends was in it and I like "The Sound of Music". Aside from that, I'm really not what one would call a theater fan. The last time I went to a play, it was for a class. I was so sick I was hacking up blood throughout, but the design of the theater was such that I couldn't leave until intermission, and even then I had to stay to get credit for the class. Needless to say, that play's three hour length did not endear it to me.

So I went in to "The Sound of Music" hoping to have a good time and see a good story that hopefully wouldn't be butchered beyond all recognition.

I was surprised. Blown away might not be too strong, considering my expectations.

The play was marvelous. The singing was excellent, the characterization wonderful. The sets were quite good for a local theater performance, and the actors were quite good. I was enraptured by the sweetness of Maria, the playfulness of the children, and the conflicted by strong Captain. Our friend Carol played a Nun (she even had a short solo) and several other bit parts. I didn't know she was an actress, but she was an asset to the play.

My only quibble with the whole production was that when I came home, I realized I had no keys. Dad helped me search the house, then drove me back to the theater. They were very kind and let me in even though they were closed, and two of the Nazi characters helped me search, but to no avail. I've spent an hour this morning trying to find the keys at BSU, but they are far less helpful than Nazis. (Excepting the physicas department. I'll allow them to be better than Nazis.)

So... go see the play. It's wonderful. And if you find my keys, call me.

Online Classes

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:52:33 GMT

I hate online classes. I've always hated online classes. I'd vastly prefer to attend lectures and skim through readings, then ace a test than actually have to do the readings alone and struggle through assignments. Besides, I will admit that I'm an abject nerd, and I get a buzz from completing a big assignment or getting a good grade.

This is another reason that I hate online classes: I immediately get my grade back on tests, so the first buzz of finishing is stolen from me and the second is diminished because I don't have time to anticipate it properly.

Lame.

I will admit though, that I'm only taking online classes this semester because it allows more time with my horse. I'll take a horse over a buzz, so I guess I'm a bad addict.

I graduate in 7 weeks

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:30:59 GMT

Just saying. I can't wait.

Willpower

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:46:37 GMT

I have found my dream bridle for an excellent (and non-sale) price. I have more than enough money in my account to buy it right now.

I want it.

On the other hand, Lewis just got neutered (my expense), Izzy just got her feet done (my expense), and I'm riding in a clinic this weekend (my expense).

So, while I have enough money, wisdom is to wait a while longer and rebuild my account before making any more purchases. Besides, I'm still rebuilding from purchasing a saddle a month or so ago. I know I promised not to make any more frivolous purchases until that was fully taken care of and I am well on my way. But, I argue, a beautiful new bridle isn't frivolous, is it? I found a really good deal, didn't I? This is a high quality product, isn't it?

Sigh. Sometimes, being responsible isn't any fun. I'm not buying the new bridle yet. Sometime I will. Maybe it will be a graduation gift from me to me. We'll see.

Happy Day

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:33:24 GMT

Brent and I went to the only good bookstore left in the Treasure Valley this week. It's in Nampa. Generally, when we go there, I get one horse book and then spend the rest of the time looking for something else so that Brent won't think I only ever read about horses. He lets me read whatever, but sometimes he rolls his eyes.

Anyways, on this particular trip I did not find a horse book that interested me, but I was having extraordinarily good luck finding everything else. The second or third book I picked up was a historical fiction about the women who surrounded Caesar. I thought it looked fascinating, but I'd never heard of the author and the book was like 800 pages long. I don't know about the rest of you, but I loathe investing 800 pages in a sub-par author. I didn't want to take a chance.

Fortunately, the author had several other books there, one of which was quite short and inexpensive. I picked it up, figuring that I could read it, and if I liked it, I'd come back for the others. I actually do this sort of thing fairly regularly. I have several sections in that store memorized, and I think I'm the only one who buys from them.

The book I picked up is entitled, "The Ladies of Missalonghi" by Colleen McCullough. It clocks in at a mere 192 pages of easy-to-read print, and let me tell you, it is thoroughly delightful. It's the story of three women in post-American revolution Australia, living in a tiny town that is completely dominated by their male relatives. They are intelligent and hard working, but it's not socially acceptable for them to have actual jobs, so they live in poverty with no hope for improvement or charity.

As the story unfolded, it reminded me just a bit of the equally delightful though perhaps more far-fetched "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" that I read earlier this year.

Cooking Again

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:29:59 GMT

I suppose you remember how irritated I was when I found out that most people in my sphere just assumed I couldn't cook for some reason. It was an extremely insulting episode of my life, but I've gotten over it.

The funny thing is that as I'm making new friends at church, they make the exact opposite assumption. For some reason, they all believe that I'm a phenomenal cook, which also isn't true. I get by and do well for myself, but I'm not one of those people who just cooks for the sheer joy of it.

Anyways. Life is good.