Hi All!
It is Friday! Yeah! Boo! Which is it?
I am glad that it is Friday since it means I am just that much closer to being done with classes. Then I will have time to do other things - like grocery shop, read books, make bookmarks, etc.
I am really unhappy that it is Friday since it means that I am just that much closer to being done with classes. Then I won't see the friends I have made in the past several months. I won't be learning new things. I won't be practicing my sign language.
Conundrum!
All I know is that Friday is here, good or bad!
Trisha
Voice Update: Still doing well. I am massaging and exercising but, after my finals, I will have more time to do more of that!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Baby, Look at Me Now!
Hi All!
Do you remember the cactus that my mother sent to me in the mail? Three little pieces of sad looking cactus all the way from Ohio. I was so proud when I took this picture of it - it had grown!
Well, look at that "poor little cactus" now!
It is blooming!
There are two flowers right now but there are probably six or seven more buds just getting ready to pop!
I think they are absolutely enchanting! What do you think?
Do you remember the cactus that my mother sent to me in the mail? Three little pieces of sad looking cactus all the way from Ohio. I was so proud when I took this picture of it - it had grown!
Well, look at that "poor little cactus" now!
It is blooming!There are two flowers right now but there are probably six or seven more buds just getting ready to pop!
I think they are absolutely enchanting! What do you think?
Go, cactus, go!
My parents and my uncle are here visiting from Ohio. Hubby and I picked them up from the airport and went to Babe's to eat. This is a local chicken place which serves stuff family style. The food was good and the atmosphere was fun. There was music and the setting was rustic. The waitress was wonderfully helpful and friendly. I think we all had a great time.
I did feel bad for the waitresses though when they had to do the "Hokey Pokey."
This morning we headed to the local Wal Mart which has a Budget rental car franchise in it so that Dad could rent a car for their trek up north to Oklahoma. Right now, Dad is out in the driveway washing the car that was just washed because it looked horrible. I took a look at the thing and he is right - they did a horrific job washing that car. It certainly wouldn't have passed my quality control test!
Today is my last day of "regular" classes. Next Tuesday is Finals! Yikes! I am starting to get a little nervous!
Trisha
Voice Update: Doing well and going strong. Massage, massage, massage, ta, ta, ta, da, da, da, ta, da, ta, da. Those are my exercises . . .
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Nugatory and Prescient
Hi All!
As I deal with all of the little stresses in my life, I have picked up a book to read - of course. This one is more of a non-fiction read about the founders of the United States. It is very informative and interesting reading but . . . I just wonder about the vocabulary sometimes.
Nugatory and prescient appear within a paragraph of each other. Say what? Do YOU know what these words mean????
Now, many people have said that I am fairly intelligent but I have no clue. Okay, to be honest, I DID have a clue about prescient but wasn't sure about its meaning. I dug out my good old electronic dictionary (present from Hubby for Christmas!) and looked up the words.
Nugatory: inconsequential, worthless
Prescient: showing foreknowledge of events
Hmmmmm. Cool words - especially nugatory. I mean, say it out loud. It is fun to say! What a good way to tell that annoying person at work just what you think of him/her. "You are just nugatory!"
Okay - my point. I love finding new words since I am sort of a geek that way but . . . do these people just write big words to prove how smart they are? Honestly, how many people are going to look up the meanings? Do the authors assume that the people reading the book will know what these words mean? Do most people already know what the words mean and I am just FAR behind the curve?
Just something to think about. Oh - by the way, the word nugatory was used in a 1790 statement from the state of Virginia regarding the choice of the site on the Potomac River for the new national Capital. Maybe people were just smarter back then!
Update time! My parents and my uncle are arriving this evening to visit the Texas/Oklahoma branches of the family tree. My niece has a dance recital this weekend and of course Grandma and Grandpa HAVE to be there!
I still have some cleaning to do around the house before the arrival of the parents. Doesn't that sound like fun? I also plan on going to the Deaf Action Center for a visit and then hitting Kohl's to see if I can use some Kohl's Cash which expires today. Maybe I will find some neat shoes!
Finals are racing towards me . . . Hopefully I will be ready for them! Last night at classes I had to leave early due to some stomach "issues." My last class of the day was cancelled so that was good but I had to leave early from my second class because my stomach sounded like it was going to explode. Actually, it sort of felt like it might too!
I got home just in time to head to the bathroom where I was ensconced for most of the evening. Fun, fun! I am feeling better today but think I may limit my food intake a bit until I am absolutely sure!
Life is just so full of interesting things, isn't it?
Trisha
Voice Update: Still doing pretty well. I did some covert massage during ASL presentations but need to do a bunch more since my neck and shoulders are a bit tense right now.
As I deal with all of the little stresses in my life, I have picked up a book to read - of course. This one is more of a non-fiction read about the founders of the United States. It is very informative and interesting reading but . . . I just wonder about the vocabulary sometimes.
Nugatory and prescient appear within a paragraph of each other. Say what? Do YOU know what these words mean????
Now, many people have said that I am fairly intelligent but I have no clue. Okay, to be honest, I DID have a clue about prescient but wasn't sure about its meaning. I dug out my good old electronic dictionary (present from Hubby for Christmas!) and looked up the words.
Nugatory: inconsequential, worthless
Prescient: showing foreknowledge of events
Hmmmmm. Cool words - especially nugatory. I mean, say it out loud. It is fun to say! What a good way to tell that annoying person at work just what you think of him/her. "You are just nugatory!"
Okay - my point. I love finding new words since I am sort of a geek that way but . . . do these people just write big words to prove how smart they are? Honestly, how many people are going to look up the meanings? Do the authors assume that the people reading the book will know what these words mean? Do most people already know what the words mean and I am just FAR behind the curve?
Just something to think about. Oh - by the way, the word nugatory was used in a 1790 statement from the state of Virginia regarding the choice of the site on the Potomac River for the new national Capital. Maybe people were just smarter back then!
Update time! My parents and my uncle are arriving this evening to visit the Texas/Oklahoma branches of the family tree. My niece has a dance recital this weekend and of course Grandma and Grandpa HAVE to be there!
I still have some cleaning to do around the house before the arrival of the parents. Doesn't that sound like fun? I also plan on going to the Deaf Action Center for a visit and then hitting Kohl's to see if I can use some Kohl's Cash which expires today. Maybe I will find some neat shoes!
Finals are racing towards me . . . Hopefully I will be ready for them! Last night at classes I had to leave early due to some stomach "issues." My last class of the day was cancelled so that was good but I had to leave early from my second class because my stomach sounded like it was going to explode. Actually, it sort of felt like it might too!
I got home just in time to head to the bathroom where I was ensconced for most of the evening. Fun, fun! I am feeling better today but think I may limit my food intake a bit until I am absolutely sure!
Life is just so full of interesting things, isn't it?
Trisha
Voice Update: Still doing pretty well. I did some covert massage during ASL presentations but need to do a bunch more since my neck and shoulders are a bit tense right now.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Long Distance Wishing
Hi All!
Remember the last time my parents came to visit? Mom bought these shoes.
Well, lately, I have been thinking that these would be nice to have for myself. Of course, I haven't gone out to look for them but . . . maybe soon! Maybe tomorrow while I wait for my parents and my uncle to come visit.
Remember the last time my parents came to visit? Mom bought these shoes.
Well, lately, I have been thinking that these would be nice to have for myself. Of course, I haven't gone out to look for them but . . . maybe soon! Maybe tomorrow while I wait for my parents and my uncle to come visit.These shoes would look perfect with my dress slacks and skirts for the summer.
At the time I couldn't think of why I would need them. Now . . .
Isn't that always the way it goes?
Trisha
Voice Update: Still doing well. I am getting a bit of "tension" in my neck and upper back as we head towards finals time but I hope to get Hubby to give me some back rubs and I plan on "hitting the ball" to stretch things out. My new exercises for speech . . . well, they are going okay but not as well as they should be. I am going to have to get on that!
Monday, May 4, 2009
The Monday Mess
Hi All!
Has the swine flu hit where you live? In my neck of the woods, major school districts are shutting down ALL of their schools for a week or more. Tens of thousands (or maybe even hundreds of thousands) of school children are "at home" being told not to congregate for fear that they might pass on the flu.
Now, the media has been telling all kinds of different stories about this flu "epidemic" around here but, from what I can tell, only one person has died in the United States and somewhere around 100-200 in Mexico (actually, I thought the number was much smaller but my neighbor heard the larger number so . . .). It is hard to know what exactly is going on.
There are a couple questions about this whole thing rambling in my mind. First, doesn't the "regular" flu kill at least that many every year? It seems to me that every year people are told that they need to get the flu shot to prevent death - from the "regular" flu. So . . . if this Swine Flu has killed fewer people . . . .
Second, the schools are closing so that the kiddos aren't congregating in large groups. However, you know darn well that all of the parents can't just stop working to stay home with the kids (true, some older kids can stay home by themselves but the younger ones need supervision!). They are looking for somewhere for the kids to go. Where is the most logical place? Day Care centers - where groups of kids are put together. Doesn't that sort of defeat the whole purpose?
And . .. what if the parents can't afford a Day Care or what if all the Day Care Centers close (many have for the same reason as the school districts). Then what? Leave the young kids at home? Miss work and risk losing your job all together? Have a neighbor watch them (again with the congregating)? Is it just me or is there a problem here?
Maybe the entire state should just shut down for a week or so. No one should leave their houses. They can stay inside and watch the new digital tv that might one day be the "norm." They can rent movies from one of those places that mail them to you - oh wait. Getting the mail could be a problem if you can't go outside. Hmmmm.
What a mess! Luckily, we are hearing that the outbreak is on the decline in Mexico so it should be on the decline here as well.
On to other topics . . .
It has been rainy here. And I do mean RAINY! We got another 3 inches of rain or so on Saturday which, when added to the rain from Wednesday, added up to more than 5 inches. There is rain in the forecast again for this week - I think. My poor strawberries need some sun to ripen before they rot!
Skor is getting better . . . I think. The growth on his neck seems to be getting smaller even though it is still pretty darn big. I get to talk to the vet again today to see what we need to do. The antibiotics are almost gone - hopefully, I won't have to get more and can stop the whole "antibiotic dance" Skor and I have been doing twice a day for a week now. The tooth issue seems to be doing well but it could be because of the antibiotics and the steroid shot. I have a feeling we will be going to see the vet again just to be sure. Fun, fun!
I am reading the final chapters in my Deaf Culture book. It is a good feeling to be almost done with the ENTIRE book! Yeah! I don't have any more reading to do for any of my classes but now the studying will start. I promised a girl from my ASL class - also named Tricia by the way (but she spells her name wrong!) - I would study with her. Apparently, she thinks that if she studies with me she will do better on her final than she did on her mid-term. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I don't really study too much. Maybe I will do really, really well on the final since I am going to study!
Okay - I am off to work on something related to school. I am trying very, very hard to remain positive. So far it is working. Sort of.
Trisha
Voice Update: Doing pretty well. My neck is still loose but I need to really keep up the massage. I am feeling a bit "down" about the whole SD thing - imagine that! I don't want to have anything to do with it. Bah!
Has the swine flu hit where you live? In my neck of the woods, major school districts are shutting down ALL of their schools for a week or more. Tens of thousands (or maybe even hundreds of thousands) of school children are "at home" being told not to congregate for fear that they might pass on the flu.
Now, the media has been telling all kinds of different stories about this flu "epidemic" around here but, from what I can tell, only one person has died in the United States and somewhere around 100-200 in Mexico (actually, I thought the number was much smaller but my neighbor heard the larger number so . . .). It is hard to know what exactly is going on.
There are a couple questions about this whole thing rambling in my mind. First, doesn't the "regular" flu kill at least that many every year? It seems to me that every year people are told that they need to get the flu shot to prevent death - from the "regular" flu. So . . . if this Swine Flu has killed fewer people . . . .
Second, the schools are closing so that the kiddos aren't congregating in large groups. However, you know darn well that all of the parents can't just stop working to stay home with the kids (true, some older kids can stay home by themselves but the younger ones need supervision!). They are looking for somewhere for the kids to go. Where is the most logical place? Day Care centers - where groups of kids are put together. Doesn't that sort of defeat the whole purpose?
And . .. what if the parents can't afford a Day Care or what if all the Day Care Centers close (many have for the same reason as the school districts). Then what? Leave the young kids at home? Miss work and risk losing your job all together? Have a neighbor watch them (again with the congregating)? Is it just me or is there a problem here?
Maybe the entire state should just shut down for a week or so. No one should leave their houses. They can stay inside and watch the new digital tv that might one day be the "norm." They can rent movies from one of those places that mail them to you - oh wait. Getting the mail could be a problem if you can't go outside. Hmmmm.
What a mess! Luckily, we are hearing that the outbreak is on the decline in Mexico so it should be on the decline here as well.
On to other topics . . .
It has been rainy here. And I do mean RAINY! We got another 3 inches of rain or so on Saturday which, when added to the rain from Wednesday, added up to more than 5 inches. There is rain in the forecast again for this week - I think. My poor strawberries need some sun to ripen before they rot!
Skor is getting better . . . I think. The growth on his neck seems to be getting smaller even though it is still pretty darn big. I get to talk to the vet again today to see what we need to do. The antibiotics are almost gone - hopefully, I won't have to get more and can stop the whole "antibiotic dance" Skor and I have been doing twice a day for a week now. The tooth issue seems to be doing well but it could be because of the antibiotics and the steroid shot. I have a feeling we will be going to see the vet again just to be sure. Fun, fun!
I am reading the final chapters in my Deaf Culture book. It is a good feeling to be almost done with the ENTIRE book! Yeah! I don't have any more reading to do for any of my classes but now the studying will start. I promised a girl from my ASL class - also named Tricia by the way (but she spells her name wrong!) - I would study with her. Apparently, she thinks that if she studies with me she will do better on her final than she did on her mid-term. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I don't really study too much. Maybe I will do really, really well on the final since I am going to study!
Okay - I am off to work on something related to school. I am trying very, very hard to remain positive. So far it is working. Sort of.
Trisha
Voice Update: Doing pretty well. My neck is still loose but I need to really keep up the massage. I am feeling a bit "down" about the whole SD thing - imagine that! I don't want to have anything to do with it. Bah!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
A New Day Dawns . . .
Hi All!
Yesterday's post was cathartic. After I wrote it I took a short nap and then headed to the ASL lab to watch the last required video of the semester and to chat with the lab assistants - one of my favorite things to do.
When I got home I felt lighter. Are there still things bothering me that I can't change - of course. Do I still have some feelings of negativity hidden in the dark corners of my soul - sure do! Is the need to wallow in negativity still around - nope!
Writing about wanting to be negative seems to have vented all that need leaving a lighter feeling in its place. No longer do I want to violently hit something until I can't hit any more. Now, I just think about the things I can't change and sort of shrug. Life goes on.
Speaking of which . . . it is the weekend! YEAH! I plan on being a lazy slug this weekend with a little studying thrown in for good measure. I plan to enjoy the slightly nutty flavor of multi grain Tostitos and the refreshing slide of ice cold water as it is swallowed. I plan to read and listen to music and to spend time with my husband. I plan to recharge so that I can face the negative with a more positive point of view in the coming weeks.
On Thursday, in Deaf Culture class, we started watching the movie "Mr. Holland's Opus." This is a movie I have never seen before and one I really have wanted to see. We watched about an hour and 45 minutes of the movie and, so far, it is really good. I can't wait until Tuesday when we will finish watching it!
Nothing else too exciting going on here - other than my change from negativity to positivity!
Hope you have a nice, restful, wonderful weekend!
Trisha
Voice Update: Still doing really well. I was massaging as the computer was booting and it is only VERY SLIGHTLY crunchy. Such an improvement. It is amazing how much of a difference it makes in talking when my throat is loose. I don't have to work so hard to talk! Before I got SD I never even imagined it would ever be an effort to talk (okay, maybe when I had a sore throat).
Yesterday's post was cathartic. After I wrote it I took a short nap and then headed to the ASL lab to watch the last required video of the semester and to chat with the lab assistants - one of my favorite things to do.
When I got home I felt lighter. Are there still things bothering me that I can't change - of course. Do I still have some feelings of negativity hidden in the dark corners of my soul - sure do! Is the need to wallow in negativity still around - nope!
Writing about wanting to be negative seems to have vented all that need leaving a lighter feeling in its place. No longer do I want to violently hit something until I can't hit any more. Now, I just think about the things I can't change and sort of shrug. Life goes on.
Speaking of which . . . it is the weekend! YEAH! I plan on being a lazy slug this weekend with a little studying thrown in for good measure. I plan to enjoy the slightly nutty flavor of multi grain Tostitos and the refreshing slide of ice cold water as it is swallowed. I plan to read and listen to music and to spend time with my husband. I plan to recharge so that I can face the negative with a more positive point of view in the coming weeks.
On Thursday, in Deaf Culture class, we started watching the movie "Mr. Holland's Opus." This is a movie I have never seen before and one I really have wanted to see. We watched about an hour and 45 minutes of the movie and, so far, it is really good. I can't wait until Tuesday when we will finish watching it!
Nothing else too exciting going on here - other than my change from negativity to positivity!
Hope you have a nice, restful, wonderful weekend!
Trisha
Voice Update: Still doing really well. I was massaging as the computer was booting and it is only VERY SLIGHTLY crunchy. Such an improvement. It is amazing how much of a difference it makes in talking when my throat is loose. I don't have to work so hard to talk! Before I got SD I never even imagined it would ever be an effort to talk (okay, maybe when I had a sore throat).
Friday, May 1, 2009
Nestled in Negativity
Hi All!
For all of those who believe that when I momentarily sink into negativity that I am complaining . . . stop reading RIGHT NOW and come back tomorrow. This post is going to be negative.
Fair warning.
All of my life I have been taught that I should rise above negativity in my life. When bad things happen, I should look at the positive side and try to make the proverbial lemonade out of life's "lemons." Putting a smile on my face was the way I should face negative events in my life and I should just "suck it up" and "move past it."
Generally, with a tiny bit of wallowing once in a while, I have managed to do all of these things. Despite my apparent negativity at a SD support group meeting, almost everyone who knows me struggles to think of times when I have been negative. I honestly try to deal with negativity by looking for the proverbial silver lining.
I have looked at negative people and tried to find the good in them. People who have tried to spread their negativity onto me have been viewed with a forgiving eye.
But . . .
Every once in a while - like now - I feel like taking in the negativity and holding it close letting it fester and grow for a while. I want to be negative and to look at the world in a non-Pollyanna way. I want to react with major passive aggression or just plain aggression. I want to get in the face of the negativity and out negative it. I want to tell negative people just how I really feel about their attitude and behavior. I want to punch people who tell me to "suck it up." I want to scream and cry and hit things. Maybe even throw an item or two.
I want to be negative. I want to be consumed by the feeling instead of trying to fight it back with positive thoughts.
I want to say whatever I want without thinking about how it will impact people who hear it. I want to tell the honest, brutal truth to people instead of either avoiding the comment or trying to find a way to "soften the blow." I want to tell people how they are inconsiderate and messing up my life!
I want to nestle in my negativity.
Is that wrong?
Trisha
Voice Update: Things are good. My neck is still sore from the massage Susan gave me on Wednesday. I did a bunch of massage yesterday while watching a movie in Deaf Culture class. It was a bit painful but I did it!
For all of those who believe that when I momentarily sink into negativity that I am complaining . . . stop reading RIGHT NOW and come back tomorrow. This post is going to be negative.
Fair warning.
All of my life I have been taught that I should rise above negativity in my life. When bad things happen, I should look at the positive side and try to make the proverbial lemonade out of life's "lemons." Putting a smile on my face was the way I should face negative events in my life and I should just "suck it up" and "move past it."
Generally, with a tiny bit of wallowing once in a while, I have managed to do all of these things. Despite my apparent negativity at a SD support group meeting, almost everyone who knows me struggles to think of times when I have been negative. I honestly try to deal with negativity by looking for the proverbial silver lining.
I have looked at negative people and tried to find the good in them. People who have tried to spread their negativity onto me have been viewed with a forgiving eye.
But . . .
Every once in a while - like now - I feel like taking in the negativity and holding it close letting it fester and grow for a while. I want to be negative and to look at the world in a non-Pollyanna way. I want to react with major passive aggression or just plain aggression. I want to get in the face of the negativity and out negative it. I want to tell negative people just how I really feel about their attitude and behavior. I want to punch people who tell me to "suck it up." I want to scream and cry and hit things. Maybe even throw an item or two.
I want to be negative. I want to be consumed by the feeling instead of trying to fight it back with positive thoughts.
I want to say whatever I want without thinking about how it will impact people who hear it. I want to tell the honest, brutal truth to people instead of either avoiding the comment or trying to find a way to "soften the blow." I want to tell people how they are inconsiderate and messing up my life!
I want to nestle in my negativity.
Is that wrong?
Trisha
Voice Update: Things are good. My neck is still sore from the massage Susan gave me on Wednesday. I did a bunch of massage yesterday while watching a movie in Deaf Culture class. It was a bit painful but I did it!
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