Things I've Learned

I'm beginning a new label to include in my blog. It is "Things I've Learned". I don't profess to know everything-or even a lot of things. However, I have learned many things in my 45 years on this earth. For example: As a person gets older they lose track of how old they are. Really!!! I always thought it was a joke the person played to not admit how old they are. If you ask how old I am I could say 29. That would be a non truth to cover up the truth. Usually I will tell you I am 46 years old. This would also be a non truth because when I do the subtraction I am really 45. This is actually better than in July when I turned 45. I told everyone I was turning 47. Why can't I figure this out? Most people would remember an age younger. I think I'm a year (or two) older. Weird. Anyway-if someone tells you they don't remember how old they are chances are they are being truthful. Just thought you would like to know this small piece of what I have learned.

Christmas

I always try to buy Christmas decorations in January when they are 50-70% off. Last year I got a singing Christmas tree. I can set it to play songs and blink lights to the music. It is so cool! I think I will post a video of it in a little while.

I am excited to visit my family for Christmas. This driving the distance thing is getting old. Perhaps I should move there sooner than I think possible. HMMM....

Screamers

Do you ever wonder why a grown woman would put herself in the situation where she would lose hearing? Well-in an attempt to give my son a great birthday present I bought concert tickets to a show in Las Vegas. I cannot divulge the artist performing as my son is a little embarrassed that he was one of about three boys in the audience. Of course there were dad's with their girls telling them they owed him big for this, but boys were rare in the audience.

Thank goodness I sat by my son though because at least there was a blank space between the stereo screaming at every beginning, end, and middle of the song. Ugggh! Since I never took a girl to a concert, I didn't realize how high pitched those screams really are. Austin left the concert and said, "Those girls were so loud! That teenager next to me was driving me insane."

I guess he's happy that I'm not a screamer.

football

Well, my family are all football freaks. If you look at my brothers blog you will see that he and a number of my siblings as well as my parents are University of Michigan fans. I used to watch football back in the day too. Then life sort of happened and football took the back seat to things like raising kids. Since my divorce I have been trying to bring fun back into my life. This meant the reintroduction of football. My 13 year old son has just decided in the last couple of years that he also enjoys watching football. So this year I started taking him to high school football games. One of my friends has a son who plays for Layton High. So we have been attending those games. We also watch a lot of Cowboy football games on television. This week has been the lead up to the BYU vs UTAH game. I decided to be a good alumni and root for BYU. I wore blue to work on Friday and guessed the score to win a printer. I told my friend Angie that if the Utes win I would buy lunch. Things were going as expected until the third quarter. I finally turned off the TV with six minutes left. I am feeling blue and now owe Angie lunch. Oh the pain of placing a bet.

Whew

Just thought you would like to know that when I woke up this morning the plagairism checker was finished--of course. I wasn't sure if I should look. After all I could just plead the university was at fault. Or-I could look and then fix the paper and resubmit it with an "I know you can't grade this version" disclaimer. However, the match was only 4% and those were the references which don't count. So-I won! I turned it in on time and I won't be penalized.

The trouble with online classes

I am having severe trauma at the moment. It is 11:46. I have a paper due at 11:59 and no later or it's docked points for me. The paper is written, I have had the online tutor check for mistakes. I have fixed those mistakes. Now it's 11:47.....48.... I had to sumbmit the paper to plaigerism checker. I did that at 9:30. It still isn't finished checking it. Now I'm in a pickle. Do I submit anyway at 11:58 without the results and risk having missed those darn quotation marks? Or do I wait until the last possible second 49.... and get it in? If it's turned in at midnight I lose points. If I plaigerized I get kicked out of school. 50.....I just refreshed the page and it still isn't back. UUUGGGHHH!!!! I should have finished it yesterday. 51....52....I realize an 18 page 6,000 word paper takes a while and everyone else in the entire world has the same deadline if they are online learners with the UOP. 53...I am going to just bore you all to death until I make my decision. I almost think something bad is going to happen in 7 minutes--like a bomb might go off right here in my living room--or I'll fall 54.... asleep and miss the deadline. Are you sick of this post yet? My hands are tired of typing. I've been doing it for three days nonstop as I've worked on this paper. 55.... 4 more minutes till it all ends. I just refreshed the page again and it still isn't done...tick...tick...tick.... I can't take it--what if the online classroom goes down in the next 3 minutes 56....57...Okay--I posted it. I am not a good risk taker. I think I have an ulcer. The bright side is I get to go to bed now! Good night.

Speaking of new beginnings-I went to a Madonna concert last weekend. Now-you may think like I did that it was pretty risque to go to one of her concerts. But let me surprise you. I would rather have my son go to a Madonna concert than a Bette Midler concert. It was far less graphic and it was rare to hear poor vocabulary. I know--it surprised me too. Of course the last row at the top of the stadium was row R and I was in row Q so I may have missed quite a bit of inappropriate dance moves. Of course my favorite song was dedicated to the girls. I just love those songs written for women who have been wronged in love!

Birthdays

Every birthday is a new beginning. I'm trying to be philosophical as I think about my son turning 13. His birthday is Monday. This is a new beginning for him. He is becoming a teenager (Oh No!) He doesn't know what he thinks about becoming a teenager. Yesterday he said if there was a teenager that was bugging me I could just get even by calling him or her smart. I kind of looked at him funny and then he explained that smart meant super mental and retarded teenager. I laughed and he said, "At least you can't say that about me." Then, after a pause he said, "Oh, the t could stand for 12 year old." Then I said, "But on Monday you will be a teenager. So-thanks for giving me a heads up. That way I can practice it for a few days to get it in my brain."

We tease like this all the time. This is something I couldn't do with the other kids, so it is a beginning for me each time we can tease back and forth. Another beginning for me is that I have a teenager who is fun to be around-well, most of the time. He is pleasant and respectful. I love it. I didn't really think having a teenager could be pleasant. Now, in reality it could all change as he gets older. I have enough experience to know that 14 is a turning point for young men and their feelings, behavior, and attitude. I'm hanging on to the thought that 14 with this one will be another beginning.

Creativity

Why is it that I think I have something to say but end up saying nothing? Okay. Now I've been to my sister's blog site, my brother's blog site, and my sister in law's blog space. They write exciting, good, entertaining material. Then there's me. The boring oldest sister. The one who thinks she is too old to be creative. Hmmm....I have to think about this for a moment. Okay maybe another moment. . . Okay. I've thought about it. I am the boring oldest sister and I don't think I would change that.

In the Beginning

In the beginning I was. The beginning is a place I do not remember. Beginnings come frequently. From birth throughout life beginnings happen every day. Each beginning brings blessings. Whether we accept those blessings or not, they happen. Give thanks for the beginnings. Without them there are no blessings.

This is the beginning of my blog site. Where will it lead? What path will it open? Will it connect me to loved ones? Will it allow friends to meet? What will this beginning signify? What blessings will come into my life simply by using this blog site? Only time will tell.