3-1 final blog

This was the first time I have blogged. It was challenging at first because I didn’t know what I was doing. I was unsure of the procedures for creating a blog and posting to the blog and then getting the address of a blog. I had to ask my husband for help and we finally figured it out together and I created a blog page and the daily writing began. I thought this is going to be tough, writing every day over 300 words for 24 days. What do you write about, when do I find the time to do this every day made a plan to get up and do it before I go to work. I’m a morning person so I wake up around 4 am and get a drink of water and sit down at the kitchen table and turn on my computer and begin writing.  The first couple were easy, words flowed and I was surprised how easy it was. Then the problem came of what to write about. I would start off with a small concept and just build from there and before I knew it, I was done.

                I was afraid this assignment would turn out to be a burden, but it was the opposite. It became part of my daily routine and after I was finished I started thinking of topics for the next day. I wrote my blog in ten minutes some days, others around 15-20 minutes. I felt invigorated after I wrote my blog, I would arrive at work at 6 am and I had already done a homework assignment and started my day before most people were even awake.  I was proud of myself, I had accomplished what I wanted to do and more. Since I was up and writing in my blog I did some of my other homework. This made for more time in the evening to spend time with my husband.

                I enjoyed this writing assignment. I’m not just saying this to get in good with my teacher, I think this assignment will greatly help me in my school and work. I was dreading this assignment and it turned out to be an enjoyable writing experience, this has made me a better writer. My leadership class requires essay writing and I was cringing inside at these assignments, but now I know I can write them without worry. I am encouraged by this since I’m nearing the end of my courses. I have seven classes left and I am planning on taking three in the summer and four in the fall. I know it will be hard, but I have the drive to get it done.

                I feel more confident with blogging. My kids laughed at me when I told them I did my first blog post. At first I thought why is she making us blog, how does that pertain to compositions 101 class. I now realize being able to communicate with all the new social medias are important, like twitter, Facebook, blogging, face time, text, and instant messages. Knowing how to communicate in these formats will help me keep up with the trends. I know have the confidence to go on to my blog and post, there is no more apprehension, which is a good feeling.

                Overall I have enjoyed this writing assignment. It was actually easier than I thought it was going to be. I now have a different opinion of free writing. I look at it with different eyes, I see it as a chance to grow as a writer and student. The more I free write, the more ideas form in my mind and then I can keep writing and elaborating on ideas. This has been an enlightening experience.

2-28 hot tub

I am working on homework today. Tomorrow is my last free writing I have to do for this grade, besides my reflection. I can’t believe how fast three weeks went by. It seems like a long time, but in the grand scheme it’s not very long. I went in the hot tub this morning already. We bought it from Cragslist 5 years ago. We weren’t sure if we would use it, so we bought a mid size one, that seats four people. We went and looked at it and it was $2000, and it came with the cover, so we bought it. We use it more than I thought we would. My husband likes it more than I do. On weeknights we go in about 3-4 nights and on the weekend we go in both days. He goes out first then I come out a few minutes later. We talk and sometimes listen to music on my phone. It’s pretty to look out at the woods, we have five acres. I always come in first, then he comes later, usually 10-20 minutes later. He closed it up and I never have to, so that part I  like. We like watching the sun go down, but we really like to watch sunrises. If we leave the hot tub when we sell this house, we will get another one. We enjoy our time together in it. It’s relaxing and peaceful. The hot water makes my sore muscles in my shoulders and back feel good. We hope that if and when we move we can have the hot tub so we can watch the sunrise. We want to sell it with this house, and get a newer one and one that you can lay down and have jets all the way down. We didn’t know what we were looking for the first time and now we know we will use it and what we want. If you don’t have one, I would recommend it, I love it.

2-27 kids house

I’m glad today is Friday. It’s always the longest day of the week at work. You want it to go by fast so you can have two days off. I can’t believe February is done, this month has flown by. I can’t believe two months of 2015 have gone by. We are working on fixing up our house to sell and looking for our next home. We havne’t found that home that will be the dream home and it’s frustrating. We are selling our home in Springfield in May. Cody, my step son is graduating in May and we have told the  kids living there they will have to move out. I will be glad to get rid of the bills and headache of having two houses. The taxes and insurance get expensive. We also pay for the electric, cable, trash and internet. It has been nice having a place for him to live and be with his friends during college, but we are ready to close this chapter. We bought the house at a steal, because it was a big fixer upper. We did all the work ourselves, even putting on a new roof. We put about ten thousand in it and it’s been well worth it. We will make a good profit when we sell it. It’s in a good neighborhood in Springfield and we don’t think we will have trouble selling it. We will either sell it as is so a realator friend so he can rent it out. If that doesn’t pan out, we will have to fix up the kitchen some before we sell it. The counters need replaces, and so does the floor. If someone is going to rent it out, they would probably leave them, because renters don’t take care of things and there is no use to fix it up to have it get ruined. Time will tell and I can’t wait to get rid of that house and have less to deal with.

2-26 home gma

I feel better this morning. Which I’m glad, don’t like feeling sick. I am getting really excited to visit my daughter, she is due next week. My Grandma went from the hospital to a group home. My Aunt can’t take care of her anymore. This is really sad. I know my Aunt is getting old and can’t take of her anymore and has done it for a long time. I’m just afraid she will go downhill quickly. My mom put her in a group home in AZ back when my mom was still alive and couldn’t handle my Grandma calling her at all hours of the night needing to go to the hospital. My Grandma hated living there. She made friends and played cards and still had her car and drove places, but felt her independence was gone. I felt so bad for her and I lived in CA so I couldn’t visit her very often. I am not there so I can’t see how she is really doing, it’s one thing to hear she is doing this way or that way. I am going in April and hope she is still there when I get there. I talk to her and she sounds ok, but they keep telling me she has good days and bad days. She has dimensia and forgets things apparently. I’m having a rough time with this, as I’ve wrote before, I love my Grandma very much. I have all these great memories and I know they won’t go away when she passes, but I’m selfish and don’t want her to go. I know she is ready to be with the lord and my Grandpa. He died when I was ten. I’m 42 now, so she has been without him for a long time. I sadly don’t have very many memories of him. He had had a heart attack and was not very physical when I would visit them. He didn’t play games with me like my Grandma. I’m not saying I didn’t love him, I just didn’t know him.

2-25 busy day

I have a busy day at work today, we have a meeting, I have to help file, I have to help at the switchboard, and do my regular work. The good thing is the day will go by fast. I don’t mind filing, I like doing it by myself, I can think while I file, and not talk to anyone else. My mind wanders and I think of things that I have to do later. It’s in a room with a door, so no one walks by and talks to you. The only draw back is it is cold in there. So I always wear a coat. The switchboard is at the front desk. I have to give breaks and lunch to the girl up front. I don’t mind this either, I like answering the phones and greeting people coming in and going out. I’ve met some of the vendors I’ve talked to on the phone. It’s always nice to put a face with a name. Our meeting is only thirty minutes with human resources. I think it’s just a meeting to see what are we thinking. It’s only a small group, they are are having several small meetings with employees. I’ve heard they are wanting input on what do we like, what do we not like, what would we like to see or change. I like this idea but most people won’t say what they really are thinking. They are more likely to go in and talk to human resources one on one. They will feel more comfortable in a one on one situation. I know I won’t say much, I will give praise to the work they are doing with charities and the small thank you gifts they give to employees. On Valentines, they gave us all cupcakes. They have given us jeans day for $5 to raise money for charity, and they have raffled off a day of work. I tried to win the day off, but did not.

2-24 sick

I have a headache and my nose is running and my throat hursts. We had our kids over the other night for dinner and my step son didn’t feel well. We played cards and I think now I’m getting his cold. I should have not played cards with him. My nose keeps tingling and then runs. I don’t like feeling like this. I have to work and do my school work, I can’t feel crappy. I went to bed early and didn’t think much about it, it was 8pm but I was really tired, so I went. I got up at my normal time and new immediately that I was getting sick. I hope my husband doesn’t get sick too. I just took some dayquill and a cough drop. Luckily we had some medicine from a month ago when my husband didn’t feel well. I am tired and wish I could go back to bed. We get sick pay at my work, 6 days a year. I only used 2 last year. I don’t want to be known as the girl you can’t depend on. I have a co worker who uses her sick days and more. She used to take her 27 days vacation and 6 sick days and take several other days off as sick. Finally my work made a rule that is you have used your sick days and still have vacation, you have to use a vacation day and not just take off with no pay. She was getting more than her 33 days off a year, she was getting like 43. It’s a lot of time off. Now she has to use a vacation day instead just getting a day off with no pay. Suddenly she took less sick days during the year. Funny how she wasn’t as sick when it would take away from her vacation days. I will not take a day off today, I will get through it.

2-23 work check list

This is one of those days where it’s hard to think of what to write. It’s early, I’m tired and I wish I didn’t have to go to work today. At work I’ve been working overtime for months now. We are short handed and then my co workers each get 27 days and 6 sick days each. I only have two other co workers and one is out on short term disabililty. I hope she doesn’t come back. She isn’t able to do her job fully and it’s hard on my because I have to pickup some of her work. Then my other co worker will call in sick more than the 6 days given to them (paid). So I feel like I don’t ever get caught up. That makes for a long week. Then I have school on top of it. I wish I would have stayed in college when I was young. Oh well, can’t change the past, only look to the future. I will be glad when I get my Associates in Bus. And don’t have to work and juggle school. I am pretty good at time management, but it’s not fun having no free time on the weekend or in the evenings during the week. I will have to make myself a checklist for work with my duties, I forgot to order break room supplies on Wednesday for Thursday. They like us to all create an order for the same day delivery so they aren’t making more than one trip a week. Luckily it’s coming from our own warehouse, so it’s not a huge deal. I emailed Helen in the warehouse and explained I was busy and forgot and could they deliver them when they had time today. She said no problem, but if it keeps happening it will become an issue with her. I will make a checklist and keep a close eye on it each week.

2-22 bad movies

There are two movies that I absolutely hate, can’t stand to watch them. Most people love both of these movies. The first one is The Wizard of Oz. I watched this movie as a child and it scared me. My sister and I were so excited to watch it for the first time. My mom made popcorn and we set up pillows and blankets and sat down to enjoy the movie. From the beginning I didn’t like it. I didn’t know it at the time, but I don’t enjoy musicals. Then the lion showed up and I didn’t think he was very nice. Then the witch and monkeys made their appearance. That was all it took, I was scared and didn’t want to watch it anymore. My sister wanted to keep watching so I did too. Then the munchkins were on and I didn’t like them either. The other movie I don’t like it Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Again there is singing so it’s not starting off well. Then there was a scary guy looking at the kids. The kids were mostly rude and annoying and there is singing so I’m not enjoying this movie. Then they go to the factory and that was cool. I like seeing all the chocolate and candy. Then one of the kids falls in the chocolate river and Mr. Wonka uses his flute and calls for help. Then the scariest part of the movie happens. The little blue men show up and I walk out. I can’t even say their name, they are horrible and scary. I don’t have anything against small people, these characters were not memorable in a good way. If these movies are on I never watch them. They even made a remake of Willy Wonka with Johnny Depp. My kids wanted to watch it, so I rented it. I watched about 5 min, then did something else.

2-21 tv judge

My favorite tv judge is Judy. I have Judge Judy set up on my dvr. I like to watch it when I get home from work. I will also have it on while I’m getting ready for work. I can peek out of the bathroom door if I want to see what a plaintiff or defendant looks like, but otherwise I just listen. I don’t know why I like to listen to it in the morning, but it makes the morning go by faster. I hate doing my hair and makeup for work, but I do want to look nice. So every morning I get ready and when I have new episodes recorded, I listen to her preside over cases. She cracks me up, she says it like it is, or at least how she sees it. She doesn’t like when people use the system and calls them out on it. She doesn’t like when people with no license have a car. Usually they owe someone money for the car and are being sued for it and she asks them why they have a car with no licenses. She will be in favor of the plaintiff trying to get money from the defendant. One of my favorite things is when she says if you come to court without clean hands, you can’t expect me to rule in your favor. Another thing she points out is that we the tax payers are paying for things when a person says I use my assistance money to loan to other people. You aren’t supposed to have enough to save, it’s supposed to help support you. I fast forward through the commercials since it’s recorded. My Grandma and Grandpa used to watch Judge Wapner. I watched it when I was at their house, and that’s probably why I like watching Judy. I don’t care for Judge Joe Brown, he’s not tough like Judy.

2-20 mall

I don’t enjoy shopping that much. Most women love going to the mall and looking in all the stores. I on the other hand only go to the mall when I need something or my daughter ask me to go. I only go to the store that has what I need, or to the food court. I think the food court needs a better selection of food. I like Tacobell which they have, but you can get that anywhere in town. They have chick-fil-a, but it’s only good for chicken sandwiches. They have a new frozen yogurt shop. I was excited when I saw it, I like frozen yogurt. I got the bowl and served myself and paid. When I tasted it, I was very disappointed. It had a funny taste and I have never bought it again. I don’t know why it tasted funny, but I don’t want to try it again and see if it tastes better the second time. They have a pizza place, but to me they are expensive. They have Subway, and I like their food, but their sandwiches are getting pricey too. I feel like if I pay $8 for lunch it should be more than a sandwich.

The last time I made a special trip to the mall it was for shoes. I needed shoes for a dress that I was wearing to my daughter’s Christmas party. I looked in all the shoe stores and couldn’t find any that I liked. I was disappointed and frustrated. I then had to go to a few other shoe stores in Springfield. I finally found a pair that I liked and they were $70. That was too much for a pair of shoes I might only wear once. I sound like a cheap skate, well, I like to call myself frugal. I ended up going to Shoe Carnival and they had a sale, buy one get one half off. Sold, I found a pair and bought a pair of boots too. That was a happy ending to an otherwise bad shopping experience at the mall. You would think with all the stores in the mall I would find more, but this is why I avoid the mall, it’s not usually a fun experience.

2-19 cold weather

I really don’t like living is such a cold state. If I could I would live somewhere warmer. I am from Arizona and moved to Missouri with my ex-husband because he was in the Marine Corps. I have since remarried and that’s how I came to Springfield area. I like the way the seasons change. In AZ you don’t really have any changes, it goes from hot to really hot. I do like that there is no humidity there, as they say, it’s a dry heat. That is true, but it does get miserably hot. I like seeing the fall in MO, the reads, oranges, and yellows are truly an amazing site to see. I had never seen anything like it growing up. I like the leaves, but I don’t rain. It rains a lot here and is gloomy. The skies are dark and it makes me just want to crawl under a blanket and read a book. That wouldn’t be so bad, but I work, so I don’t have that luxury. After fall then the snow and cold weather start. I get cold easily and am usually cold when most people are warm. This makes me it hard for me to stay warm, so I’m under a blanket. I always layer up on clothes, this way I’m warm, but can get cooler if need be. I do like the summertime, because it does get hot here like AZ. The humidity is the part that makes it hard to stay out in the heat. I would move back to AZ if I could because it’s warmer and my family is there. My daughter is here, and my husband’s family and son are here, so I doubt we move. I sound like I hate it here. I don’t, I just wish it wasn’t so cold and snowy. I don’t drive when it snows, I carpool with my husband. Luckily we work close to each other and he is nice and doesn’t mind. 

2-18 Big Bang

If I could guest star on a tv show it would be The Big Bang Theory. It’s my favorite sitcom. The banter between Penny and Sheldon is my favorite. Followed by Amy, she cracks me up. They did so good putting these group of actors together. They are smart and nerdy and sweet. They hang out and I would love to be a part of the group for one night. I would sit in Leonard and Sheldon’s living room with Bernadette, Raj, Howard, Penny, and Amy. My least favorite character is Raj. He used to funnier before Bernadette was in the picture. Howard and Raj had some good banter. They still do, but now it’s more of Howard with his wife, Bernadette. Penny’s contribution to the group is hilarious because she is the only one who is not a scientists or well educated. She is more like the everyday person, and I relate more to her than the others. I hate her new haircut. She had long pretty hair and now it’s really short and I don’t think it suits her. I wonder what made her want to change it. Not that hair is everything but I can’t get used to it. If I were her friend on the show I would have said, don’t do it! Anyway we would sit and talk and eat, they are always eating take out in the Sheldon’s and Leonard’s apartment. Leonard is so sweet, he deserves a girl who appreciates him more than Penny. I think her character takes him for granted and assumes he’s lucky to have her as a girlfriend since she is pretty. They make her seem shallow. Amy is funny because she never had friends growing up and doesn’t usually fit into a group. She tries hard to be friends with the girls even though most of the time it’s awkward.

2-17 haircut

My mom used to be a hair dresser when I was young. She did peoples hair out of our home, or sometimes drove to their house. She always did my hair, I never knew any different. When I was 13 I wanted her to cut my hair. I had really long hair and I wanted her to feather the sides like my cousin Traci. She cut it and when I looked in the mirror I cried. I couldn’t help it. I saw she had cut my hair short, like a mans short hair with a tail. I was so upset, I hated it. I didn’t mean to hurt her, but she started to cry when I was crying. Then my dad came and saw her upset and yelled at me for making her cry. It’s the most traumatic experience I ever had with my mom. We were very close when she was alive, she passed away 8 years ago. I would never hurt her feelings on purpose. It was so hard to deal with my hair. I was called a boy by other students and I felt so ugly. I became introverted and didn’t talk to hardly anyone. I was always a shy person, but this didn’t do anything but make it worse. I had few friends and didn’t join any groups or sports. I know it wasn’t all the hair, but I just felt so awkward and out of place.  I wanted to grow it out and she wouldn’t let me. I finally said I’m growing out, and when I was sixteen it was finally shoulder lenghth. I felt pretty again and had more confidence. I still didn’t participate in many school functions. Now I have long hair and when a hairdresser cuts my hair I’m always watchful and tell them just an inch. I tell them it’s me not you. I hate that experience and hate that I hurt my moms feelings.

2-16 hospital

        My Grandma is still in the hospital. I talked to my Aunt Judy yesterday and she had a huge hematoma that burst and blood was everywhere. It scared my Aunt and she called the paramedics and they went to the hospital. Her skin is so thin when she bumped her leg, it split open about 4 inches long. Then the blood flooded out. The Dr. said she needs to stay until Tuesday and the wound care center could come and look at and see how to take care of it. She has dimensia and they think she will have to go to a 24 hour care facility. My Aunt has been taking care of my Grandma for over 10 years. It’s getting harder and harder for her to care for her since she is in her 70’s. I talked to my Grandma in the hospital and she sounded good, tired, but good. She doesn’t know they are talking about the care facility home, she will not like it. Sadly she won’t have much choice if my Aunt can’t do it, there is no one else. Also the Dr. said she probably only has 3-6 mo left, maybe a year, but it is doubtful. I feel awful and wish I were there. My Aunt is really not my Aunt she was my moms cousin, and my Grandma is her Aunt Dottie. I call Aunt Judy my Aunt but we are really second cousins I think. I’ve always called her Aunt and she is an awesome lady. I love her very much and can’t believe the sacrifice she has made to take care of my Grandma. She is so selfless and does for others before looking out for her own needs. I know she is tired and it will be easier for her if Grandma goes into a home. I just hope that she is still there when I go in on April 9^th. It’s hard to live far away from family, especially when they start to get old and get hurt.

2-15 bad day

I woke up this morning and check my phone like I do every morning and there was a missed call from my Aunt Judy. This is not a good thing, because my Grandma lives with her and is old. I listened to her voice mail from last night and it was not urgent, but she had just returned from the hospital. My Grandma is in the hospital, she said call me tomorrow and I’ll tell you about it. At this point I don’t know what to think, it’s a 2 hour time difference, so I can’t call and wake her up and she said she works in the morning. I am really upset and worried. I don’t know what time to call, I don’t want to disturb them if they were up half the night, but I also want to find out the details. I have been dreading this day when something happens to her, we are so close. I hate living far from her and my other family. I miss them all every day and when something happens, good or bad, I’m not there to share in the experiences with them. I will find out shortly and then have to decide if I’m going to fly in. As I wrote before I have a plane ticket for April, but that’s almost two months away. I have a full-time job and school so if I just up and leave it will be hard on my work and my schoolwork will suffer. I went in September to visit, so I’m glad it wasn’t that long ago that I spent time with her. If she passes away I don’t know what I will do. I will be heart broken. My daughter will be very upset as well, I don’t look forward to telling her the news of the hospital or worse. What a crappy way to start off my day.

2-14 Grandma

I am going to be a Grandma in three weeks. It’s very exciting and sad at the same time. My daughter lives in Arizona and I live in Missouri so I won’t get to be a big part of their lives. I am originally from AZ and moved here with my ex-husband. Then when we divorced in 2003 he moved back there with our oldest daughter. I have one daughter who lives here and Becca lives there. She just got married last year and now is expecting in March. I have planes tickets for my younger daughter, Miranda and me to fly out there in April. I can’t wait to meet Becca’s new husband and my new granddaughter. It’s bitter sweet. I have fond memories of playing games and spending time with my Grandma Kelm, my moms mom, and I want to have that too. I doubt we will ever live in the same state, as her husband is in the military. We were never that close and that’s why she moved with her dad. Since finding out she was pregnant, she has started to reach out more to me and text pictures and show me her progress. Her belly is really getting big now and the excitement continues to grow as well. I feel to young to be a Grandma, 42, but it is what it is. I love my daughter and hope that I will get to be a big part of their lives in the future. Miranda and I are so happy we get to see them in April and we will all go visit my Grandma Kelm also while there. She lives about three hours away from Becca, but she said they will go Saturday and spend the night and visit with the family. They are all looking forward to the visit too.

2-13 Grandma

I am visiting my Grandma in April. She is 91 and I can’t wait to see her. When I was young my mom did my Grandma’s hair every Thursday morning. She and her neighbor lady, who I called Grandma Blanche would come and play cards while my mom did both of their hair. They liked to play pinochle and since my mom was doing hair she couldn’t play, so they taught me. I was only four and I caught on quick. I loved playing. I was a timid bidder, but when I bid you knew I had a good hand. My mom and I also played with my Grandma on other occasions. Sometimes I would go home with my Grandma and spend the night for a few nights. I loved going home with her. We would go to a Mexican restaurant on the way home. Mexican is both our favorite kind of food. I would get beans and rice and mix it together and eat it with chips. My Grandma would get two tostadas every time. Then when we got to her house she had a closet full of board games. I would get to pick one out and the fun would begin. Sorry was one of my favorites, whether it was hers or not, she acted like it was. We would play for hours and I couldn’t get enough. At night she would make popcorn we would sit on the couch together and eat it and watch TV. Sometimes we would get orange sherbet and eat it out of a little glass bowl with ornate decorations on it. I have some of these bowls that my mom gave me that were my Grandmas. I think of her every time I use them. In the morning she would go for a walk around the park that was across the street from her house. I would wake up and go with her. There was a tennis court and sometimes we would find stray balls and I would keep them since no one was around. I love my Grandma very much and hope I’m half as fun a Grandma as she was to me growing up. She has arthritis in her hands and can’t hold cards anymore so we will play dominoes in April. I am anxiously awaiting the trip.

2-12 False Memory

One of the best books I have ever read was by Dean Koontz, it is called false memory. It’s about Martie and her best friend Susan. She takes Susan to weekly therapy sessions because she suffers from agoraphobia, the fear of being out in the open. Then Martie begins to suffer from autophobia, the fear of oneself. She doesn’t understand what is happening to her and she is scared she will hurt someone she loves. She has to find out what is happening to her and why. The deeper she searches the more things become unbelievable. I would love to go back and read this book. I have forgotten a lot of the story. I remember the main points and I believe I remember the ending. When I was done reading it I recommended it to several people, including my mother in law and my husband. They both read it and enjoyed it also. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. I think Koontz is a great writer. Some of his stories are wonderful, but I have read a few that I didn’t like at all. The City was boring and I didn’t finish it. I also read the first two Frankenstein books, but they weren’t very interesting to me, so I doubt I finish the series. I do like the Odd Thomas series, but I didn’t like Brother Odd very much. I saw that he just published Saint Odd, which is the final book in the series. I will definitely read it and I hope it ends well, I like the character Odd. I tried to read 77 Shadow Street and didn’t like it either, so I didn’t finish it. I know that’s terrible, I should finish a book if I start it, but then again I don’t want to waste my time on something I don’t enjoy.

2-11 Vegas

If I could do anything I wanted for a day I would go to Springfield Branson National Airport and board a plane with my husband to Las Vegas. We have never been before and I don’t think I would want to spend a week there, but a day would be fun. I woulnd’t go just for the gambling, I hate to spend money on nothing. I know there is a chance you can win big, but the chances are slim. I work too hard for my money to just put it in a machine and watch it all disappear. I would visit the lavish hotels like the Mirage and Bellagio. I’ve seen pictures of the Mirage and it’s beautiful and has an erupting volcano. They also have a 20,000 gallon saltwater aquarium behind the front desk and a beautiful atrium. They also have Siegfried and Roy’s Secret garden and dolphin habitat. It’s too bad they don’t have their tiger show anymore, that would have been a sight to see. Luckily Roy was survived the vicious attack. They have dolphins, white tigers, white lions, and leopards. That would be exciting to visit. The Bellagio has the famous fountain shows. They are choreographed to music and are spectacular from what I hear. I would sit and enjoy them with my sweetheart. We like to do things that don’t cost a lot of money. So walking around and looking at all the hotels and even people watching would be a good way to spend the afternoon. We would go have dinner at the Statosphere hotel and casino. Then we would ride the insanity ride. On second thought, we would just watch others ride it, it seems a little scary to be dangled over the edge of a building.  They don’t have the roller coaster anymore, now it’s an observataion deck. Then we would catch a flight home and go to bed, and go to work the next day.

 

2-10 reality shows

One of my favorite bad habits is watching reality television shows. My favorite is Big Brother. Luckily my husband likes this show too. It one of the ones that is hard for producers to fake. I know that a lot of what I see is the way the producers edit the footage. This being said I still like them. I watch the Challenge on Mtv, Survivor, the Amazing Race, Top Chep, Hell’s Kitchen, Face Off, Little Women of LA, Project Runway, Chopped, Guy’s grocery games, Celebrity Apprentice and Teen Mom. There is prbobly more that I can’t think of right now. Survivor is coming on in a few weeks and we are going to do a pool at work. We are each going to put in $5 and pull out the contestants name and that’s your player. If your player makes it the fartherst you win the pot. It makes it more fun to watch and root for someone you wouldn’t normally root for.  I don’t like watching singing reality shows, I’m not into music, so I don’t watch the Voice or American Idol. My husband doesn’t like watching most of those shows, he likes Top Chef, Survivor, and Amazing Race, but he won’t watch any of the rest. I used to watch Abby’s Dance Studio and so you think you can Dance but I’ve stopped watching them because there were too many and I didn’t have time to watch them all. I will not watch Hell’s Kitchen anymore because it’s just the same think, Gordon Ramsey yelling at everyone. I would like to watch the Bachelor, but my husband doesn’t like that one either, and again I don’t have time. Face Off is a good one, if you havne’t seen it, it’s about makeup artists who are competing for a grand prize. Some of them are so talented. I like seeing people who have creative ability, I feel like I have none.

2-9 Odd

If I could meet a character from a book I would like to meet Odd Thomas. Odd Thomas is a character by Dean Koontz. He can see ghosts and tries to help them with unfinished business. He is a normal guy who doesn’t see himself as a hero. He puts himself in danger to help them, even though he’s a fry cook in Pico Mundo. I can’t imagine seeing ghosts. I would be terrified. It would lead to an interesting life. He can’t tell sometimes if he is seeing a ghost or not. Ghosts don’t talk and he even sees Elvis. He feels compelled to help these spirits and help the cops catch bad guys. He has a sixth sense that leads him to the bad people. I read Deeply Odd last summer and it was a good story about Odd trying to save children. Koontz introduced a new character who was an elderly woman with special powers of her own. I feel for Odd because he lost the love of his life Stormy while trying to protect people at a mall shooting. There was even a movie made about the first book. It starred Anton Yelchin who did a superb job capturing the innocence of Odd and genuine spirit. Your heart can’t help but go out to him for his loss of his one true love. He helps so many, but can’t help himself. I think that’s why he deosn’t  think about his own wellbeing, he doesn’t care if he dies, because then he could be with her. Koontz made this character so likeable he has written a dozen books about him. There is Destined to be together forever and Saint Odd that I haven’t read yet and can’t wait to get my hands on them. I wish Odd could find love again, he deserves it.

2-8 massage

Somedays it sure is easier to write than others. Today is one of those days where it’s not so easy. I know there are a million topics I could write about, but I can’t really think of anything to put down on paper. I have a headache and my shoulders are achy. I worked 48 hours this week and I sit at a desk for most of it. So from this I have tendinitus in my left wrist and in my right elbow. I did get a steroid shot in my elbow and it really hurt, but after a few days it started to feel better. Then the weird thing happened, my skin changed color right around the spot where I received the shot. It wasn’t that noticeable until summer time when I got really tan in Florida. It was like I had  no pigment in the area. I am scared to get another one, because that doesn’t seem normal and the spot is still different colored. It really stands out too, my daughter noticed it last summer and what wondering what happened. It’s strange, I guess I could google it and see if that’s normal. It’s really been hurting lately, especially with the overtime and all the writing I’m doing in this class and my leadership class. My supervisor doesn’t think I should get another shot, since the last one did that to my arm. My shoulders hurt from sitting at the desk all day and I get massages occasionally to help with the pain. I’ve been going to a girl for a few years and I go for thirty minutes and she just works on my shoulders and back. The last time I went, she popped my back, which she always does and afterwards it hurt worse. I hadn’t gone for a bout two months and I was feeling pretty good, but I have prepaid for 4 sessions and I still have three left, so I went last week. Now I feel worse than I did before I went. My husband doesn’t want me to go back, but I have two left that I paid for. It’s only $50, but I won’t get it back. I am still undecided if I will go back.

4.2 I believe creedo essay

              I believe helping someone else is gratifying. I believe that there are good and bad people in the world and we need the security of police officers to keep us safe. I would have loved to be a cop, I’m smart and physically fit, but I have a fear of the dark. This fear kept me from pursuing a career I feel would be a rewarding albeit challenging one. A police officer helps people every day and most of the time we don’t even think about it, until we need to make a call to 911. We about our day not giving a thought to what they go through every day. The challenges they face even when making a routine traffic stop. They are taking their life into their own hands just walking up to a car. These days you never know who has a gun. They overcome personal fears and do their job because they are passionate about helping others and giving back to the community.

                Being a police officer would be hard work and terrifying. They often get ridiculed and mocked. They should be celebrated and respected for the risks they take so we can feel safe. They are there when we need at all hours of the day and night. They should have a great sense of self-worth for the selfless acts they perform. They donate their time to give back to the community and make our streets a safe place to call home.

2-7 Gossip

           Office etiquette is very important. One major topic is gossip in the workplace. Usually women are the worst, but men join in too. I hate when you see people huddled together whispering. You wonder, are they talking about me? For some reason we feel the need to share the latest and greatest news with someone else. The more people you tell the more the secret grows. The person you told tells someone and they tell someone and so on. Then the story is exaggerated and most of the time full of inconsistencies.

            Gossip can be hurtful if the person who is being talked about finds out. This can lead to hard feelings. If a supervisor sees this happening they should put a stop to it immediately. It also looks bad if you are in the hallway always talking, your supervisor could begin to wonder if you have enough work to keep you busy. On the same token sometimes gossip is a good thing. It can be an easy way to get the word out about something around the office from a manager. It can also let a manager know whats being said around the water cooler. Sometimes it can give them insight to how people are feeling about the workplace or other people.          

            I try not to engage in gossip. It usually doesn’t lead to anything good. I don’t want to have the reputation as the girl you can’t say anything to because she will run and tell everyone. I work with a lot of women who are all very opionated. When they ask me have you heard about so and so, I just say no and move on. No one hardly talks to me and that is ok with me, I would rather have a clean conscious and look good in the eyes of management.

2-6 landscaper

           

I think my dad would have made a great landscaper. All he wants to do is mow the grass when it’s warm outside. He has a knack for it. He can keep almost anything alive, where I kill anything I look at. I don’t know if I water them too much or not enough, but I don’t ever buy real plants. If we get them free from work I bring it home and I’m all excited and it lasts a week maybe then it dies. I hate it, but it’s just not my thing. My dad’s backyard is very pretty and inviting. He has giant elephant ears, roses, tulips, and so many more flowers that I can’t name. He has a small little pond and water fountain, that his dog Spot tries to drink out of. He has some figurines strategically placed around his house and flowers. Some are birds, frogs, and squirrels. When I finally own what I call my dream house I will have him over to do the landscaping. I know he will do a beautiful job and he will feel good that he did something for his daughter. I will look at it think of him. One thing I have been able to keep alive is a weeping willow. I know I want several weeping willow trees in my yard at my dream home. They are the most beautiful trees especially the really big ones. I want some benches in the yard so I can sit and bask in the sun under the tree. I can picture myself reading a book and sipping on a cold lemonade with flip flops on in my 10 acre paradise under my wonderful weeping willow. Luckily my husband also like them and is on board for having at least three or four in our yard.

2-5 pit bulls

I was trying to think of what to write today I remember a conversation I had with my dad. He has a dog and another dog keeps hanging around his house. Its part pit bull and I told him the dog scared me. I though it was going to bite me when it growled at me. He said I was being ridiculous. Brownie as he calls him wouldn’t hurt anyone, but added that his friend Richard didn’t like the dog either. I disagreed but I don’t live there so I didn’t say anything else. The next week he had an insurance inspector over to see about changing policies and he tells me that he thought Brownie was going to bit the guy and maybe he should get rid of him. I’m thinking to myself, duh, the dog is mean wouldn’t insure him unless he got rid of the dog. I’m thinking the insurance representative told him he had to get rid of the dog or he they wouldn’t cover him.

I know everyone says pit bulls get a bad rap, it’s all on the owner, but my dad is not mean. He loves animals and would give them food before feeding himself and this dog was not a nice dog. Maybe he was in an abusive home before my dad found him, but he couldn’t risk someone getting bit or worse. In the end he realized that he didn’t want to be responsible for Brownie hurting a person or his other dog. I didn’t ask what he did with him but I imagine he took him to the humane society. I don’t understand people who have pit bulls as pets. I personally wouldn’t feel safe in a house with one. They have an aggressive tendency that I don’t think they can control. It’s just how they are born.

2-4 journal

             Today is the first of 25 that I will be writing in this journal blog. I’m a little scared about having so much homework from compositions class. It’s more than I thought it would be. I knew there would be writing, I just didn’t know how much. So I’m up at four am to write this so it gets done. I have a proctored event this week in my other class, leadership. I haven’t read the chapter yet, so I will do it today. It’s also supposed to snow today around 1 until 7. I don’t drive well in the snow and my van doesn’t do well, so I will carpool with my husband. That means we have to leave at 520am, he has to be at work at 6. Then he works until 430, so I will wait at work for him. Luckily we work about 5 min apart, so it’s not too bad. That is why I’m up early, so I can write this and then get ready for work.

                I need to write my credo paper of 250 words or less. I’m going to have to research a little bit, since I’m not sure exactly how to write it. I was interested to learn that credo was Latin for I believe. This will be a good writing experience. I have never written a three to four page essay paper. I am worried I won’t have enough to write about. I have to pick one of my I believe statements and basically elaborate on it. I am thinking of choosing the statement: I believe being a cop is satisfying or I believe being a cop is terrifying. I don’t know if that will constitute a credo of mine. I wrote my know your audience assignment yesterday, so that is done, but I will have to work on my credo Friday.

Know your audience Analysis

This was a fun homework assignment. What I learned was there are 45 students who posted questions to the board and 1210 total posts. I was surprised by the number of students and the number of responses. It was a great way to get to know your fellow classmates and for our teacher to learn about each of us. The participation was staggering, I don’t know how our teacher will have time to read them all. The fact that there was an incentive of extra points if you answered all the questions was a good way to get us to respond to every post. I know it was for me, so I did and am happy I will get the extra points.

            I learned that there are more dog lovers than cat lovers. I liked Kelly Anthony’s question; what color is your attitude. The answer that surprised me was gray. I hadn’t even thought of it to describe myself. They used it to describe a neutral, calm, or sad way about themselves. I learned that a lot of my classmates’ favorite childhood memory was of a vacation. I wrote about my favorite and only vacation as a child. Since I wasn’t able to go on a lot growing up, I made sure we had lots of family outings with our children. We would go to parks, or the river if we didn’t have money to go on an expensive trip. Hopefully my children will remember all of these as good memories.

            Another good question was why are you going to OTC by Danielle. There were several different reasons for going to college or going back to college.  Some are wanting to get the basics out of the way before going to MSU. Others are just expanding their knowledge. They are going for different careers also, including; accounting, medical field, teacher, and social worker.

            In conclusion, we are all taking online classes at OTC to fill a need. It may be a need to get a class done for a degree or to further their career. Whatever the reason is, there is a discussion board for questions and we have online resources at OTC to help us get through it. We are a diverse group of men, women, young, and old, but we are group for this semester and we will be successful.

I believe free writing 333 words

I believe I am a good wife. I was married at the age of 19 and by 21 I had two kids. We met in high school when I was 17 and so was he. We got married right after high school, wll a year later. I went to college for one semester on a scholarship and decided it was more important to get married. He jointed the Marines and we moved from AZ to CA. it was very hard to move away from family. He was very self-absorbed and mentally abusive. We had our two kids and towo dogs and lived on the base. I hated my life. He  was not supportive or helpful. I had to take care of our two small girls, run an in home daycare business, and work at a bank on the weekends and we still never had enough money. He like to spend it on things he wanted. We were then stationed in MO at Ft. Wood, I hated it when we first moeved here. It was cold and even more lonely than CA. When I was 30 I had had enough. I divorced him and the next year I found my soul mate. My husband now appreciates me and has respect for me. Going through an awful marriage has really made me appreciate good one. I stayed with an abusive man for almost 13 years and was accused of cheating and flirting all the time and I never did. Turns out he did. Going through that really makes me thankful that I dound my husband now. I know how mean some men can be so I appreciate him more I think because I went through a bad experience. I try and always be grateful for him and thank him for the small things. If he is working on a project, I help or keep him company sometimes. I cook and he cleans u the dishes. It’s a 50/50 arrangement and it works great for us.

333 words

I Believe statements

1.      I believe I am a good wife.

2.      I believe I am a good mom.

3.      I believe I am a hard worker.

4.      I believe I can play soccer well.

5.      I believe it’s cold outside.

6.      I believe that children are innocent.

7.      I believe there are some bad people in the world.

8.      I believe that people want to do the right thing, it just doesn’t always happen.

9.      I believe that some older people shouldn’t be driving.

10.  I believe being a cop would be a satisfying job.

11.  I believe being a cop would be terrifying.

12.  I believe being alone is scary.

13.  I believe that going to school will help me advance at work.

14.  I believe that hard work will pay off eventually.

15.  I believe that helping someone else is gratifying.

16.  I believe traveling would be a good way to spend retirement.

17.  I believe people text too much.

18.  I believe writing letters has become a lost art.

19.  I believe kittens are adorable.

20.  I believe little babies are sweet.

21.  I believe a crying baby is not so sweet.

22.  I believe living in MO with it’s weird weather is a blessing and a curse.

23.  I believe that going to OTC and working can be trying at times.

24.  I believe I try my best to get good grades.

25.  I believe being in the dark is scary for me.

Jung Typology Reflection

I took the Jung typology test. My results were ISTJ, introverted, sensing with extraverted thinking. Some of the characteristics of this type are responsible, planner, organized, detail oriented, punctual, and private. These are all characteristics that I would use to describe myself. There were a couple of characteristics that I read about that I don’t possess, one is anti-tattoos. I have three, and I don’t mind if people have them, I just think they should be tasteful and not on the neck and face. The other one is doesn’t accept apologies easily. I do accept apologies but I don’t forget easily. I learned that I’m not creative or musically inclined. Some of the disfavored careers for my type are; entertainer, artist, singer, massage therapist, and journalist. The one that surprised me was journalist, but I guess you have to be around a lot of people and feel comfortable around new people and that is not me. Some of the favored careers are; data analyst, financial planner, engineer and office worker. I am a senior assistant in an office, and I love my job.

            I learned that being ISTJ will help me with writing and being a student. I believe with my attention to detail and ability to complete tasks on time that I will get my assignments done in a timely manner. I am always looking ahead to make sure I get my work done and it’s done correctly. This test showed me that I will need to work on working in groups and joining in on the conversation rather than sitting back and listening.