F-Word Friday: Fast Forward

Don't let the title fool you - I have little faith that I'll be able to maintain a daily theme schedule anymore, but I felt it was appropriate since this is a follow up on exactly one year ago.

Last year, I wrote this:

Whining.

I'll save you the trouble...it was a post written on Graduation Day. My office has the unique feature of a window which looks directly out onto the plaza in which everyone gathers before entering the stadium each May. All the kids ("kids" who are 22, God I'm old) are in their Grad finery, all the family and friends are looking proud.

Last year...
I wrote about how every year I was a crabby, jealous mess as I watched the festivities, full of lament about my lost chances.

This year...
I just finished my first 4 classes. I got A's in all of them.

Last year...
I wrote about how I wondered if I could ever go back, if I could ever get to that day myself.

This year...
I proved to myself that although I am going to be up to my ears in student loans when I'm done, that I'm not too old, or too slow, or too comfortable to put in the work.

I know it's going to get harder - it was just some English comp and Algebra after all - but I did it.

Thanks to TR & The Kid, and all of you who have encouraged me, helped me get my act together, and who have been my cheering section. I may not get my day for a good six or seven years, but now I know it's coming.

Now my only problem is figuring out what I want to be when I grow up...

Happy Friday!

Well.

So that's it for another semester!

If anyone's still reading this blog, my apologies for being away so much. It was a very long few months, full of mystery and intrigue and algebra and researching effective ways to teach literature to teenagers in the Facebook age.

Here's a rundown of what I've been doing. I know you'll be riveted.

• I wrote 4 papers, one of which got a perfect grade from a teacher who doesn't give perfect grades.
  
• I did several thousand math problems.
• I drove back and forth to Arvada and Denver about 500 times (happily, but still).
• I lusted after gardening supplies (going to try just growing some grass first, though).
• As a temporary measure to quell my lust, I helped TR a little bit in his fabulous yard.
• I watched a lot of Top Gear episodes while I wrote papers and imagined myself in a Jaguar while I drove my ailing Nissan.
• I finally got to see Bob Schneider live - an awesome thing. Tarantula!
  
• I got really sick, sicker than I've been in a long time.
  
• I turned 37.
• I grew some grey hairs.
• The Kid grew some grey hairs for me.
• I gained some weight (stupid holidays!).
• I lost a little of it (yay stationary bike!).
• I spent too much money.
• I discovered I don't really like yeasty beer.
• I discovered that I really DO like wheaty beer. A lot.
• Tried to go to Moab, was stymied by weather.
• Went to a christening, complete with the first time I've been to mass in years; it made me miss my childhood faith...it was so easy then, ya know?
• Drove with TR through and to some of the most gorgeous country in Colorado.
• Discovered Penzey's Spices and OMG. The paprika!

Just in the past couple of weeks...

• I've taken my math final - no more math for a while I think
• I turned in my final paper (well, my rought draft, but the teacher felt it was done so there ya go... woohoo!)
• Been in Derby upheaval as we've tried to decide whether to stick with RMRG or not (long story for another day)
• Signed up for a Summer class to keep the momentum
• Registered for Fall classes
• Been to 3 meetings about the stupid new procurement system my work is foisting upon us
• Researched fencing companies (only one got back to me)
• Crocheted half a dragon (it's going to be SO CUTE)
• Cooked pulled pork for the first and definitely NOT the last time
• Cooked stuffed shells for the first time as well; good but needs modification
  

I've been so busy it occurred to me only after about 2 weeks that I hadn't even spoken to my mother for more than 5 minutes at a time - she's pretty busy herself, and our work schedules don't mesh very well. Or she's mad at me. Jury's out.

So you see, it's not that I haven't *wanted* to blog...

It's just that I had to shoehorn sleep in there somewhere.

So. What else.

I could talk about that Osama thing... I have my own opinions. They aren't shared by everyone. I believe it's a good thing he's dead, and that it was the right decision not to involve Pakistan; their culture is very different than ours. The man was living in a military neighborhood, and nobody even asked a question, just saying. I don't believe it's the end to "terra" but I do believe it's the end of an era (ooooh, poetry!). Bush is dead, long live Obama. Moving on.

Also, Donald Trump is a moron who got his ass served to him on a platter at the White House Correspondent's Dinner. I'm normally a very "let's all get along" sort of person, a "don't mock others" sort of person, but Trump? He can go piss up a rope, to put it succinctly.

Weirdo. RACIST weirdo.

Anyway.

Hoping to get back into the swing of things now. I don't think this will ever be a daily blog again, but I hope to share with you some of the cooler points of the Intro to Film Arts course I'll be taking over the summer. Apparently the teacher is a friend/acquainted of some friends of mine, and by all accounts he's a swell guy. Looking forward to it!

Tonight...

Trivia maybe. TR definitely. All this busy-ness has made it so our time is often really abbreviated. We had a couple of relaxing days around my birthday while The Kid was in Disney, and it was lovely. I need some more of that chilled time with him, and more often.

He calls to share his sunsets with me, I should tell you.

This pleases me.

Until later... here's a thing. It made me smile today.

Apache from oneedo on Vimeo.