Surprise Package!

Hi All!

Yesterday was an interesting day.  I finally took a tiny, little, baby step in technology and got a webcam so I could Skype with classmates.  Yeah!  AND I actually had a two hour session with the classmate who is my team for interpreting the play. 

Skype is so neat.  Now I just want to Skype everyone!  Of course, that means needing to look halfway decent when I am on the computer . . .so . . . that might not work too well.

In addition to Skype, I made cake balls yesterday.  Red velvet with cream cheese frosting!  Yum!  The cake balls are for a speech I have to present in class today.  While it is an ASL class, we all give speeches (spoken English speeches) so that classmates can practice their interpreting.  I made the cake but I still haven't really organized my speech.  I am sure I will think of something by class time today!

Then, Hubby got the mail and I had a pleasant surprise!

A package from Australia!

Inside was a note and two CDs.

Hubby and I met a very nice couple while we were on the cruise and the husband is a musician who has made a couple cds.  Being ever on the lookout for new music, I asked him about his work and he promised to send me a cd. 

Of course, I promptly forgot about that when I got home so when the package showed up in the mail yesterday, I was surprised!

I have the music loaded onto iTunes and am listening as I type this post.  One cd includes vocals and one is all instrumental. Nice!

Isn't it nice when you get surprises?

Trisha

Voice Update:  Doing well. Honestly, I haven't really thought about my voice too much lately as I have been dealing with classes and medication side effects.  I need to get more focused on my voice to keep it in top shape.

On a related topic - I have been getting information via email and the mail about the NSDA (a very wonderful organization for people with SD and those interested in learning more about SD).  This has brought up some old feelings.  I am not really sure how I feel about all of that yet. 



Wally World and a Treasure

Hi All!

Blogger's new interface is still confusing me but, hopefully, I have it worked out enough to get this post (with pictures) done today!  Keep your fingers crossed!

This weekend I was THRILLED to discover that I can SLEEP!  If you recall, my new medication was leaving me sleepless.  Now, it seems like my body has adjusted a bit to the meds and I have been able to sleep.  This "new" phenomenon started Friday night.  On Saturday, I woke up and felt . . . weird.  It took me a while to understand that what I felt was rested!

Of course, my meds didn't want me to feel too good so it kicked into intestinal upset mode for the day (Saturday).  Lucky, lucky me!

That didn't keep me from going with Hubby to watch Ohio State (his alma mater) play football.  Hubby really wanted to go since the freshman quarterback was starting for the first time.  They won but my stomach "issues" didn't let me appreciate the game too much.

Yesterday I had another chance to go to rehearsal for the play that my classmate and I are interpreting.  I think we are getting it!  Slowly but surely!

Today I have to work on my "how-to" speech for class (due tomorrow) and finish up a paper for  group project (also due tomorrow).  Doesn't that sound like fun?  I was supposed to meet my classmate to work on the script (for the play) but, I went to Wally World this morning and bought myself a webcam so we can Skype.

Welcome to the new technology!

Wally World is actually sort of peaceful at 7:15 in the morning.  Not too many people roaming around.  Of course, there aren't too many check-out lanes open either but you have to decide which is more important.

On the way out of Wally World, I walked by this machine.

 Hubby checked this machine out the other day (we go to Wally World a lot since it is the most convenient store for us!).  Hubby thought it was great that there was a "can of Spam" in the machine.  Can you see it?

 I thought it was a bit strange that there was a can of Spam in a machine so I took a closer look.

Spam The Dice Game!?!?

I had no clue there was such a thing.  It almost makes me want to play the game to try to get the game.  Just to see what it is all about.

Have you ever seen the dice game?

Trisha

Voice Update:  Doing really well. 

Ya Ain't Got A Thing If Ya Ain't Got That Swing!

Hi All!

Well, I am sad to say that I am still not feeling quite up to "par." I have always wondered about that saying because, generally, par is pretty low.  It I don't feel up to par does that mean I am below a 3 or 4?  It seems like even if I WAS up to par, that still wouldn't be very high.  Maybe it should be "I am not feeling up to cruising altitude." instead.  What do you think?

My new meds are treating me to a "lovely" variety of side effects which include stomach "issues," sleeplessness and headaches.  Of course, to be fair, the headaches are probably caused by the lack of sleep and not by the meds themselves.  I wouldn't want to be said to be unfair to medications!

This whole sleepy, headachy, grumpy thing is starting to get me down!  It feels like I can't do everything I want to do since I am in a "fog" of sorts.

Of course, I am not sure if the "fog" or "funk," which may be a better description of the phenomenon, is actually medically caused or if it is just the way I am.  I have been in this "thing" since summer.  Then again, I have been dealing with medicine "issues" since this summer.

So - which came first - the funk or the issues?

Anyway.


Have I told you that as part of my ASL experiences this semester I am volunteering to interpret a play? Another student and I will be working as a team and will be interpreting the entire play in case a Deaf person shows up (we aren't sure that any will and are actually hoping that they don't so we don't feel as pressured!).  The play is called "A Samurai Nosferatu" and is about . . . . Samurai warriors and vampires.

To be perfectly honest, I had never heard of Nosferatu before this play and was woefully behind in my vampire and monster "lore."  Apparently, my education in lacking in that very important genre of movies - the B monster flick.

At rehearsal last night, everyone was talking about the various monster flicks they grew up watching and me . . . I had nothing to share (can I blame my parents for this???).  I am a quick learner though and I do have internet access so I am trying to catch up.  I won't be watching the movies though - monster films (good or not) freak me out!

Actually, the play must be freaking me out as well.  Last night I dreamt about vampires!

I think I need a break.  Or something!

Trisha

Voice Update:  Still doing really well.  My neck hurts from Susan's "work" on Monday but it is still loose and working well.

M.I.A. Kitty

Hi All!

First of all - I am trying the "new" blogger interface so . . . I am not really sure how this will go today so be patient!

Next, a report on the new meds.  So far, it seems like my body is starting to get used to the new meds.  My stomach still gets a bit upset but nothing like the first day I took the meds. Saturday marks the one week point as well as the point where I "get" to up the dosage.  Hopefully, it won't up the stomach "issues" as well!

Speaking of meds, I got two prescriptions filled yesterday and one had tiny little pills in a tiny little pharmacy bottle.  Then I pulled the other out of the bag - it is HUGE!  The pills are HUGE and the pharmacy bottle is HUGE.  It was a bit of a shock to see that HUGE bottle.  It makes me feel like an old woman with that big bottle in my cabinet.

In other news, I am behind in class.  This is something that is totally and unequivocally my own fault.  Well, I will blame the meds a bit but . . . I am sure that I could have done what I needed to do if I had just tried a bit harder.  Being behind isn't that big of a deal since I am really only about one day behind.  However, it means that I will be working like the dickens today to get everything done before class!

Last night, Miss Cleo gave me a bit of worry.  Hubby was home all day with a hurting back and as I was puttering around the house putting off my school work, I noticed that Miss Cleo was missing in action.  I called her name.  I put food in the bowl.  No Miss Cleo.  Finally, Hubby found her in the guest room curled up on the chair. She looked up when he came into the room but didn't move.

Now we knew where she was but . . . why was she in there all day?

We went about our normal business and she stayed in the guest room.  On the chair.

We went to bed and I had a hard time sleeping.  I was worried about class (being behind will do that to you!) and Miss Cleo (just why hadn't she come out?) and all kinds of other things I can't remember now. 

In the morning hours (EARLY morning hours!), Skor came in to let me know that he was lonely (Miss Cleo was STILL in the guest room on the chair when I peeked in) and needed someone to watch him eat breakfast.  Silly cat.

Now I am thinking that I might have to take Miss Cleo to the vet.

Then - right as Hubby was leaving for work (his back is much better - thank the Lord!)- Miss Cleo sauntered out and casually checked out the food dishes.

What is up with that????

Doesn't she know that we worry?

Kids.  Uh - I mean - Kitties!

Trisha

Voice Update:  Doing well.  Doing well.

Cool and Fuzzy!

Hi All!

Yesterday was a blessing of cool temperatures and cool breezes. Something completely unusual for Texas at this time of the year. Normally, we are in the upper 90s and low 100 straight through until October or so (yes, really!). However, yesterday was in the upper 70s to low 80s. Heaven!

Then, I woke up this morning to see this on the weather station . . . .
That is 59 degrees with 56 % humidity.
sfgj
What??
sfj
Another cool day?
dfj
Amazing, isn't it?
dfhm
In other news, since it was so nice out, I decided today would be a perfect day to start walking again. It has been a while since I walked due to the heat and I also haven't been swimming due to the eye infection(s). So - today was the day.
dfhjfdhj
I actually enjoyed it. I listened to my podcasts (this morning it was The Cisco Kid) and took in the neighborhood. It was my intention to take some pictures during my walk to show you but . . . .there wasn't anything too exciting. Everything is still pretty brown and dull from the summer heat.
gfhkgfk
Tonight in class I "get" to give a speech. Wonderful! Yesterday, instead of resting and relaxing, I worked on my speech and PowerPoint while Hubby waxed his car and then did whatever else he found to do in the garage.

Trisha

Voice Update: Still hanging in there.

So . . .

Hi All!

This week has been a bit crazy with classes, going out on observations, and, of course, the eye infection.

Hopefully, things will settle down a bit soon.

Well, I know it will be at least another week of eye drops since I went to the eye doctor again yesterday and learned that the infection, which had been in my left eye, is now in my right eye!

Wonderful!

Now I get to put drops in that eye plus the left eye (to try to keep the infection from going BACK there!).

Yee-haw, what fun!

As you may remember, classes last semester got a bit complicated due to conflicts between students, students and teachers, etc. Well, friends, I was hoping that this semester would be much different but . . . we have already had a misunderstanding about something the teacher said in class. This resulted in the teacher being called a racists and a bigot (not in class but apparently via email or phone and to the higher-ups at the college)!

Really?

I mean . . . really?????

How frustrating.

We then had to have a fifteen minute conversation about the intent of the teacher's comments and how they weren't meant to offend, merely to illustrate - which most of us understood the first time around.

I think I am getting too old for this.

Trisha

Voice Update: Doing well but for the past couple of days my neck has been hurting - the muscles, not the larynx. I don't know if it is how I am sleeping or the stress of the infection, classes, observations, etc. It seems like it is always something!

Here's Mud - I Mean Blood - In Your Eye

Hi All!

Yesterday's class was fabulous. I think (feel, hope, believe) that this semester will be wonderful. Compared to last semester it would be hard NOT to be but .. . . anyway.

After class last night I went to the Bavarian Grill with two friends from class. We had a good time chatting and listening to the accordion player. Since we were seated at a table right next to the stage, we even got to ask the player to play some songs for us (The Lonely Goatherd from the Sound of Music and In Heaven There is no Beer). It was a fun, fun night. AND the food was delicious!

One the way home my eyes were sort of bothering me but I just thought it was from the length of the day. So- I headed home. No problems. Got home. No problems. Got ready for bed (after playing with the cats and feeding them, etc.). No problems. Tossed and turned in bed (for some reason). No problems.

Woke up this morning. Slight problem.

My left eye/ eye lid hurt. I happened to rub my eye and instantly regretted it! Ouch!

I didn't think much of it and got up and got ready for swimming. Then, I decided to take a look at things in the mirror. My eyelid looked fine - no swelling and no redness. Then I peeled back my eye lid and saw this.
sfgj

Hmmmm!

sfj

Blood. Plus a spot that seems to be the "epicenter" of everything. Not good.

sfgj

This is the first time I have ever had blood in my eye (which is why I am not too talented at taking pictures of it - as you can see!)

sfj

Blood in the eye plus some aching pain. Not good.

sfj

I called my eye doctor (it is time for my eye check up anyway!) and made an appointment for this morning so, hopefully, she will tell me it isn't anything to worry about!

fgj

Keep your fingers crossed.

sfgj

Trisha

sfgj

Voice Update: Sitting that close to a stage with an accordion player wasn't a good idea. It was sort of noisy so I had to raise my voice too much. That left me with a nice, hoarse, tired voice which I will no doubt pay for today. When will I learn??

What's That On the Wall?

Hi All!

Well, I FINALLY got registration for my class figured out. It only took a 30 minute wait in line and then a 45 minute "discussion" with the people in Academic Advising. It wasn't that my English requirement wasn't satisfied now, it was that the computer had no record of my ASL classes (also prerequisites) even though my transcript on the SAME computer had all of the ASL classes listed.

Duh!

So - after all of that - I went to class. I think it will be a good one this semester. There is a different mix of people and it should be interesting.

This morning, I am sad to say that I did NOT swim. I know - Boo me!

However, I do have an excuse. Not a good one but and excuse nevertheless!

Last night was the first night that Hubby was away at his conference and I can never sleep the first night he is gone! I tossed and turned and tossed and turned well into the wee hours of the morning. When I finally did fall asleep, it seemed like only seconds later my alarm clock was blaring.

What did I do?

I got up and took my medicine I have to take on an empty stomach and then . . . . went back to bed.

After all the mess with the college AND starting classes again I figure I sort of deserve to sleep in a bit.

Maybe!

Something new has been added to my music room.

Sorry the picture is so dim - I took it the other morning in a hurry so . . . didn't take the time to make it "pretty."

dfjdfj

This is a frog that Hubby and I bought while in Mexico ages ago. He (the frog, not Hubby) has been wrapped up on my dresser ever since. While cleaning up, I finally ripped open the paper and pulled Senior Frog out.

dghk

Now he is literally climbing the walls!

dghk

I like him!

dh

Trisha

ghj

Voice Update: Doing well.

Today is the Day

Hi All!

Well, today is the day that classes start again for this semester. However, things are turning out significantly different from what I thought they would be.

First, the only class that I really needed to take was Interpreting III. Of course, that class was cancelled yesterday (through the grapevine because calling would be too logical!). So - ANOTHER semester of classes. I don't think I will ever finish this stinking program!

Next, I have been trying to sign up for Transliteration class (a type of interpreting) and the school has been adamant that I don't have enough English skills to take it. So - after MANY phone calls, I got a call from the school telling me that everything is worked out and I can register. I go online to register and . . . . guess what! I can't register!

And of course, I can't call to get things worked out because yesterday was the first day of classes and the Academic Advisers are all busy.

Should I tell you what I am thinking of the Academic Advisers at this moment?

At least the teacher of Transliteration told me to come to class tonight even if I can't get registered. That is good.

Finally, since Interpreting III is cancelled, I will be finished with classes much earlier than I anticipated. That is a good thing!

Whew!

Now that I have all of that off my chest.

I swam for the second day in a row (cheers, please!) today. Hubby was up early to head to the airport for his conference and so I got up early too and hit the pool before 7:00 A.M. Nice! The water was a tad bit warmer than it was yesterday but still refreshing!

After a few weeks of not wanting to read (this is a BIG deal since I read ALL the time normally), I forced myself to pick up a book last night and now I am hooked. It is a "fluffy" book - just right for my mood at the moment - and it is good. In fact, I think I will be reading for most of the day (after a quick nap to make up for getting up so early!).

It sounds like a good day!

Trisha

Voice Update: Doing well despite a cough hanging around now and again. My throat has been a bit sore but I think that is due to drainage (hopefully, the END of the cold not the beginning of another!).

Getting Back Into the Swim!

Hi All!

Splish! Splash!

I went swimming today for the first time in forever (okay - not really forever but for a long time - since before the cruise!)!

My cold/cough/upper respiratory infection is finally gone enough that I can do physical activity without dissolving into a coughing fit so I decided that today was the day! True, I did "cheat" and drive to the pool but - I thought I would start slowly. Well, that and it was 84 when I started out and I didn't feel like getting that sweaty by walking!

The water was nice and wet even if it was a bit warmer than ideal. There is no possible way that it could be nice and cool when we haven't had a day under 100 degrees for about a week now. I guess I can't really complain.

The pool was my own private relaxation station this morning and I enjoyed it to the fullest. The sky was lovely with clouds (! We haven't had many clouds around lately either!) spotting the sky and birds flitting here and there busy with their morning routines.

Then it was back to the house for a shower and my morning "chat" with Mom.

What a wonderful way to start the day.

To be perfectly honest, I am trying to stave off my anxiety about Hubby leaving town tomorrow morning AND classes starting tomorrow afternoon. Two big things that I don't really want to happen.

Hubby is going on a work business trip. I hope he relaxes and has time to socialize with friends while he is away.

Classes. I used to be very enthusiastic about classes. Now. Not so much.

This turn-about in attitude may be because of last semester's conflicts. Then again - it may be because this summer has been such a bummer for me. First the months on the "zombie pills" and then topping off a lovely, wonderful, amazing cruise with a horrible upper repsiratory infection that laid me low for two weeks plus.

Could it be that I didn't really get much of a "break" this summer?

Hubby and I have discussed this and have agreed that if things don't improve attitude-wise, we will have to decide if taking classes this semester is really the right thing for me to do or not. I know he is hoping that I will love classes once I get started.

I hope so.

Trisha

Voice Update: Still doing remarkably well. Honestly, I thought the coughing would set me back major time but . . . so far that hasn't been the case!

Finally, a Final!

Hi All!

Today is the day for my last final of the semester! Yeah! I hope that it is going to be as easy as the teacher claims it will be. IT shouldn't be too hard since most of the questions are being taken from previous quizzes we have had.

I guess I will find out!

Yesterday's speech appointment went well. My throat was a little tight (as always) but my voice get the seal of approval from Susan as doing well. I am definitely on the correct track with everything I am doing!

This is going to be a brief post as I am going to look over my notes and quizzes for my final. Hubby wants me to do my best! It was so nice - this morning while he was leaving he wished me luck. What a sweetie!

Have a fabulous day!

Trisha

Sam Houston

Hi All!

During my trip to Houston with three other members of my class, we passed the HUGE statue of Sam Houston. On our way home we stopped to take a closer look and to get some pictures. This statue is amazing!

This must be an extra face or a first try???? The visitor center was closed when we were there and there was no information plaque so the explanation for this face was left up to our imaginations!



Such a proud stance!


















A view from the front.
sdghs
Sam is 67 feet tall and can be seen for miles when driving down interstate 45 towards Houston, Texas. Remember - they say everything is bigger in Texas!

sfjsfj

Today I have a speech appointment and I am eager to see what Susan thinks of my voice this time. It seems to be doing really well despite the stress in my life recently. We will see what the "official" opinion is!

sdgh

As I am writing this, I am listening to iTunes (on shuffle, of course!) and there is a lovely Christmas tune playing. Vince Gill singing "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

dfgh

This leads me to wonder, once more, just why people relegate Christmas music to only one month out of the year. Yes, I know that it is Christmas music but what is Christmas music anyway? Basically a celebration of the birth of Christ, right?

sfgjsfj

Shouldn't we celebrate that every month of the year instead of just one?

sfjgs

Trisha

fhjsfj

Voice Update: The past few weeks have been stressful for me. First I had a really (REALLY) bad cold that involved coughing and drainage and wonderful stuff like that. Then, I recovered from that to enter into the "busy" part of the semester for classes. You can just read "busy" as "stressful." When I am stressed, my voice takes a beating. It is generally not very good in times of stress. However, this time, I didn't notice too many problems at all. Maybe I am getting the hang of keeping SD at bay!!

sdhsdhf

Did I mention that the NSDA national symposium is happening? Since my decision to separate myself from the NSDA I have also decided to not go to the symposium. However, (if I haven't missed it), if you are interested, go to the NSDA's website for more info!

What a Day!

Hi All!

Today I am attempting to add some pictures to my post even though that means more work for me - trying to get the html code correct so everything shows up right.

What a pain in the neck!

Before I get to the pictures . . . yesterday was quite a day! It started off with a trip to my general physician for a check up. At that appointment I talked to Doc about my depression/anxiety meds and how I didn't feel that they were working well enough. That led to a gleam in Doc's eye and an "experiment."

Don't worry. There isn't anything radical going on!

The experiment is simply to see which is the more "overpowering" force - the depression or the anxiety. So - we really put a handle on one and see if the other is "livable." Doesn't that sound like lots of fun???

I am not too thrilled but . . . if it helps in the long run!

After visiting the Doc, I headed to the pharmacy to pick up the new meds. That wasn't too bad since I got to wait and read my book while I waited! These days I don't get too much time during the day to read so that was a bit of a treat!

Back home from the pharmacy I decided to check in with my "stalker" to see how her research paper was going.

Wow!

It turns out that writing a research paper is a major stressor for her! It took me a while to talk her down and convince her to take a break. Then we agreed to meet before class so that we could talk about the organization of her paper - which is what was hanging her up.

I will admit that after that phone call I took a nap. Just an hour but I needed to recharge!

After the nap I got up, got some lunch, and headed to school. Now, I am not too crazy about the class I have on Tuesdays and Thursdays - as you may have figured out from a previous post! So - I wasn't too eager about going to school. Anyway - I got there and logged in almost three hours of lab time! I met with my "stalker" and we worked on her paper so that she felt better about the organization - now all she has to do is the actual writing. Fun, fun (am I saying that a lot this post??).

After class I headed home (it was still light since class ended early!!!!!!) and had some "down time" with Hubby and the cats. That was nice.

Today all I have to do is finish my research paper, meet with the insurance adjuster about the roof damage, and have my hair cut. Then I will worry about the video I need to have for tomorrow's class!

Now for the pictures.

My cactus is blooming. It is really blooming even more than shown in the picture but I haven't had time to get out and get new pictures.

I love the way the delicate flowers look along the nasty looking spines on the cactus!

This is the Sweet William blooming in our front flowerbed. Small but lovely!

Here is the "cage" I had to build to protect my Balloon Plant and Black-eyed Susans from the bunnies. I may need to get more fencing as the plants grow taller!

I hope I get through this week!

Trisha

Voice Update: Still doing boringly well!

A Heavy Heart and a Lower Grade

Hi all!

Today I am going to vent. In case you don't know what that means . . . it means I am going to complain about something to get it out of my system.

I know that some people don't like reading posts that involved venting so I am warning you up front. If you are that kind of person - stop reading now!

So . . .being a teacher myself, I don't like to complain too vehemently about teachers. I honestly try to give teachers the benefit of the doubt because I have been there. I have done things as a teacher that must have seemed insane to some of my students so I try to cut teachers some slack.

However.

When you are grading a project - any project - as a teacher it is always a good idea to have some kind of rubric to guide you as this helps keep you "honest." If you follow a rubric you can't arbitrarily give a grade to a person because they "normally" don't do well or because they upset you in class that night. It is also a very, very good idea to make sure that your students understand how you are grading them and just what you are looking for on assignments and tests. If you don't make your expectations clear students flounder trying to give you what you want without having any clue about what they should give you!

There is a teacher in my life, currently, who - as I am sure you may have guessed, has shown no evidence of doing either of my two recommendations. There have been rubrics from things like finals and some videos but papers (yes, we are back to papers) - uh-uh. Also, some grades are given with little or no explanation of why they are given.

One example from my personal experience is a paper on which I got one point off (yes, I know it is minor but it is an example of a way of doing things) while there was not one negative comment or mark on the paper. Just a random grade?!?

The only comments on the paper were positive so that left me wondering just why I missed that last darn point!

This "trend" of grading without clearly stating why points were taken off of why certain things result in certain amounts of points being taken off has apparently touched other students.

Last night I was faced with the frustration of a couple other students about the entire grading issue.

As these students vented (and I completely understood their frustrations personally), it also became clear that this teacher's grading ambiguities were causing a general sense of disheartenment (is that a word?).

These students, whom I consider to be promising students, are now feeling like they are not capable and that they should not continue in their chosen career path. All because of a particular teacher's grading.

Well, that and a seeming favoritism. You see, about half of the class had this teachers last semester for another class and somehow, that half of the class always seems to do much better than the half of the class who has never had the teacher before.

What can account for this?

When the semester started I thought that this was simply because half of the class knew how the teacher graded and how the teacher liked things done while we (yes, I am in the "new" half) had no clue. Sometimes this was verified by things that were expected but not explicitly told to the class. The teacher would later claim that the class had been told only to realize that it was LAST SEMESTER'S class that had been told. Fun, fun!

Another frustration is that another teacher (same program, different class)is close friends - VERY close friends - with several of the students in the program. This friendship is not hidden from the other students and is very obvious in many ways.

While I personally think that the teacher doesn't show favoritism in ways that could hurt the other students, some people believe that the friendship leads the teacher to provide opportunities to the "friends" that are not provided to the rest of the class.

How can the teacher avoid this when talking to the friends daily and being in constant contact with them and not in constant contact with the rest of the students?

Another issue with the friendship is that some of the "friends" are not very friendly to other students. Again- I haven't experienced this personally but I have seen it in action towards other class members.

There are inside jokes which are laughed at in class. There are comments made in class which can be taken as "we know this so we are better than you." There are looks and facial expressions (and women are so sensitive to these!).There are even comments about activities done by the "friends" and the teacher which, honestly, make the rest of the students (okay, maybe not ALL of the students but the ones I have heard from) a bit uncomfortable.

Not good!

As one of the more "seasoned" members of the class (read that as oldest!), I look upon this behavior, by the "friends" and the teacher, as rather immature and sometimes downright mean. This does make me pause though because several of the "friends" are old enough to know better.

They are old enough to know that there really should be a clear line between student and teacher. That there should be a reservation of behavior among people who are not included. After all, who doesn't know that you shouldn't pass out Valentine's to only SOME members of your class? This makes the people who don't get Valentine's feel bad! Some principle!

Is it only because we are talking about a program where almost all of the participants are female? I do understand that females are naturally catty - I think it is hard-wired into the brain. Yes, some (if not most) of us recognize our ability to be catty and work hard to control the urge but some . . . .just let it fly!

This behavior - both by the random grading teacher and the group of "friends"- is damaging people. It needs to stop.

The question is - how?

Am I personally strong enough to stand up and deal with this knowing that there will almost certainly be ramifications? (oh - did I mention that it seems like if someone other than the "favored" half of the class or the "friends" complains or questions something - they seem to get some retribution?)

I like to think I am a strong person but, am I THAT strong?

Even if I AM that strong. Should I be?

Trisha

A special message for my friend Sarah - if she reads this - I am thinking about you and love you!

Voice Update: Boring as usual - doing well!

Papers, Papers, Papers!

Hi All!

It is Thursday already! Somehow it seems like it was just Monday yesterday. How did I miss two days??

Anyway . . . I went to class on Tuesday evening and it exhausted me! I guess I am not totally well yet. That is basically why I ended up "missing" Wednesday - I slept all day!

Tonight I have two classes so I am hoping that yesterday's sleep-fest will be enough to keep me going to both classes.

Speaking of classes - I have papers to write! Papers, papers, papers!

For one class tonight I have to write a text reaction paper over the required text for the class. This is the only thing we have to do with the text all semester. We haven't discussed it in class - nor will we! The book won't be on any tests - we just have to write this paper! Yuck!

It seems to me that if a teacher wants a class to read - and understand - a book for a class, there should be some kind of class activity - besides a paper - centered on the book. To allow the students to read independently with no discussion or guidance of any kinds allows the students to garner their own - maybe misguided - information from the book. Seems a bit weird to me!

Oh well! Griping about it doesn't mean I can NOT write the paper! *sigh!*

The second class requires a RESEARCH PAPER! I have done enough research papers to know that I really don't want to do another research paper! However, I have actually done the research and now all I have to do is to actually WRITE the paper.

The writing of the paper(s) isn't the hard part for me - it is actually just getting motivated to sit down and write the papers. This is especially hard when I really, really, really have no interest what-so-ever in doing the papers!

Maybe I will actually start on the papers when I am finished blogging . . . .

Anyone know the world's record for the longest blog post?

Trisha

Voice Update: As boring as it is to report this . . . my voice is doing well. I shouldn't complain about this being boring to reports since it has taken me a long, long time to get to a place where my voice is good and holding its own.

Wednesday Woes

Hi All!

I just want you to know that I really can't deal with Blogger's "issues" today so I apologize if this is difficult to read (due to lack of spaces, whatever). We will see how it goes.

This week has been busy, busy, busy! And . . . . "interesting."

I started off with a night assignment on Monday followed by a day assignment and class on Tuesday. Can you say "little sleep?"

Add into this mix the fact that I have been struggling with what I now believe to be allergy issues. Lots of drainage and a stuffy nose (NO air making it through) when I do manage to get sleep. The drainage makes my voice sound bad, bad, bad. In fact, Hubby commented on it this morning! I am doing my massage (even though my throat is a bit sore with the drainage) and exercises (just in a really deep, raspy voice!).

Okay - I can't stand the no spaces thing so I will do a bit of html editing. Gah! I HATE having to do that! Do I need to contact Blogger about this individually??

At least I am learning a bit of code to get the paragraphs separated. Not exactly what I wanted to learn but . . . I guess you do what you gotta do, right?

Maybe I will really get into the html stuff and just forget trying to do it the easy way.

And maybe I will be an astronaut too!

My parents have gotten a new "crop" of goats for the summer. This time they have 12 goats (they had 7 last year). They are cute little buggers! I can't wait to see what they get into this summer. They are always worth a few interesting stories!

Well, that is about all I have energy for so I am off for a nap!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Trisha

Voice Update: I am sounding a lot like Bea Arthur at the moment. I am keeping up with my massage and exercises though in an effort to counteract the damaging effects of the drainage and the coughing which accompanies this "wonderful" condition!I have also been taking cough medicine when the urge to cough is the worst to try to circumvent that bad behavior (in case you didn't know, coughing isn't good for your vocal cords since it basically slams the cords shut as you cough - not good treatment for such delicate things!).

Lately I have been having a lot of conversations about my voice and my SD. I am not sure why but - I am still spreading the word about Spasmodic Dysphonia. Okay - I should say I am not sure why I have been discussing my voice a lot lately. It sounded like I was saying that I wasn't sure why I was spreading the word. I AM sure about that. More people need to be educated about vocal disorders so that they don't treat people who have difficulty speaking poorly.

Remember, people, think of how your words will be taken before saying something which could be hurtful!

Visiting With the Eagles

Hi All! It is time to check to see if Blogger is still insisting that there are no spaces between my paragraphs in my posts! Yeah! As usual, this past week has been busy, busy, busy! I am happy to say that I am now at 200 hours for my practicum class. So everything from now on will be "gravy!" That will let me relax a bit! I do need to "remove" some hours from a workshop so that I can write a paper on the workshop. That isn't good! I guess I will need to rack up some extra time to cover that! I don't think that will be too hard - I do have almost a month to go! Thanks to my mother I have a new "addiction." There is an Eagle's nest in Iowa which has an awesome webcam. There are three chicks and you can see them poking out from under their parent - still can't figure out which is the mom and which is the dad - from time to time. It is fascinating. At least to me. If you want to check it out, go here! Just be careful! It IS addicting! Trisha Voice Update: Doing my massage and my exercises like a "good girl!" I am hoping to spread out my speech appointments just a bit more!

Something's Fishy In This Post

Hi All!

Yesterday was a wonderful day of observations for me - six and a half hours! That is a good chunk on my way to 200! Actually, I am almost halfway there - 98 hours so far! Not too bad, huh?

Today I am excited because I have an excursion to the local school's annual book sale planned. This is the place that I get a huge pile of books for the amount of money that I would donate anyway! Score! I will have to show you all the books I end up with after the sale. I can hardly wait to get there and start browsing. The sale takes place in an old Old Navy store - it is huge and there are just rows and rows of tables full of books of all kinds! Maybe I will take pictures of that too!

Last night I made another foray into the world of Amazon's free mp3 downloads. If you like music and like free things (and have an mp3 device or like to listen to music on the computer) you should really check it out! I found several nice classical albums along with some soul songs and a jazz album. It is always interesting to see what you will find.

I enjoy looking at the free songs offered and then selecting one and checking out the ratings (there are some really good raters that make regular comments) for the song. I listen to the preview and, if I like it, I download it. Then I start delving a bit deeper into the world of free downloads. At the bottom of each song's page there is a list of songs that "people who have purchased this song" have purchased. I browse those and check out ratings and then check out more past purchases. Many times I end up finding songs/albums that don't show up on the main page and are "buried" in the other free songs. It is like a big treasure hunt and I really like it!

Continuing in my "theme" of past pictures I found these.


This is Hubby in front of a huge fish tank at the Texas aquarium (I think). We took a trip out to the aquarium to see a very special fish that someone had caught in a local lake.


It was this catfish. While the fish looks like it might be normal sized in this picture, it actually was gigantic! In fact, it was probably as long as I am tall (which is 5 foot 5!). I can't remember how much the fish weighed but I know it was a couple hundred pounds!

sdjh

Some guy actually caught this beast while fishing! He donated it to the state aquarium so that it could be studied and then released. While it was being observed and analyzed, it was in this huge tank where the general public could come and see it.

dfjfdj

It does make me think twice about wanting to swim in the local lakes if there are fish like this swimming around!

djk

Trisha

dhk

Voice Update: Rockin' and rollin'!

Man Down

Hi All!

My skipped days on the blog are due to observations - as usual. Not because I don't love you all!

Anyway. It has been a busy week. I had a lot of things that needed to be done and turned in to teachers (four papers and a video) that I delayed by procrastinating so I had to do them all (well, the video I did on Wednesday) yesterday. That means that I did a massive amount of typing yesterday - luckily I was having a "good spelling day" so I didn't have too many problems with spell check!

In addition to the classwork, I have had several observation opportunities this week which have kept me away from home. Normally this isn't a problem at all but . . . Hubby is sick.

That is right - Hubby is down. He is down. He either has a bad cold or the flu (how can you tell the difference?). He came home from work on Tuesday feeling bad and then didn't make it to work on Wednesday - he slept pretty much all day. When I got home from my day long observation on Wednesday I went to the store for medicine. After a lot of wrangling, I got Hubby to actually take the medicine.

For some reason Hubby is resisting taking medicine regularly. I don't know if he thinks he can overcome the sick by just being manly (!!) or what. On my way back from classes last night I called and Hubby was upset that his fever was back. Of course the medicine (which has stuff to reduce fever in it) had worn off and he hadn't taken more . . . .

As I am typing this I hear Hubby in the kitchen having a bowl of cereal. That is a good sign since he has hardly eaten anything for the past couple of days. Hopefully, he is on the mend!

Men with colds or any kind of sickness can be . . . . interesting!

Trisha

Voice Update: My voice is doing well. My neck is still a bit tense (I have to do more work on that)but for obvious reasons I haven't been able to have Hubby give me any shoulder rubs lately! I am working on my massage and exercises though! Plus I have been talking to enough people that I am getting in my talking workout despite the fact that I still haven't gotten back to the oral reading each day.

This Time They Are Current!

Hi All!

This morning I woke up and grabbed my camera to take these photos of our lovely Texas weather for you!

Yes, it is once more sleeting and starting to cover the ground like snow! YIKES!

dsgfsj

I have no idea if the schools and things are closed (my college is closed - they called this morning at 6:00 to tell me!) but Hubby's work is delayed until 10:00. He is just leaving as I type this.

sdfhsdhg

Hubby is actually taking my car to work this morning since it is front wheel drive and his is rear wheel drive - not as good on slippery roads as mine!

asdghsfh

As for me - I plan to stay in and get researching on my two (TWO!!) research papers. I did finally think of a topic for the second one yesterday so I am all ready to go. The other people in class were sort of making fun of me because I had spent an hour in the library at the college "researching my research topic." However, I did find books to check out and I know that I have enough resources to do the paper. Those silly kids!

dfhjdhj

Maybe I will even get my research done ahead of time and get the papers written before they are due so I don't get really stressed about the entire procedure. Wouldn't that be nice?

sfjsfj

I will keep thinking that way.

sfjsfj

Enjoy your day and may it be warmer (for your area) than my day is looking to be!

fjs

Trisha

dfj

Voice Update: My voice is still doing really well despite my continued neglect of the oral reading portion of my exercises. I think that is a good sign. There are even hours during the day that I actually forget that I have SD. And then . . . my voice reminds me by missing a sound. I think the SD just doesn't like to be ignored. Silly voice disorder!