Stuff and things...
Mom is back. She has already royally pissed me off twice. She decided to throw out some things that are mine. Long story; I am pissed. While she's not a mean person, she makes it very hard to like her.
Daffodils are finishing up and tulips are starting. As usual, I'm a week or so behind most around town, but the nice thing is that I get to enjoy theirs and then later enjoy mine! A lot of them are stunted because of the cold snap, many of the "mystery bulbs" I planted (gift from Andrea B) will remain mysterious this year since they must have been too young, and many of the dafs really didn't perform well, but, it looks like I got at least 90% germination from the new bulbs I planted in the fall. Some real winners in the bunch as well, including a nearly white, not double, not triple but looking more like quadruple blooming daf with a HUGE flower, OK fragrance and withstood the cold to tower over all of the others. "Obdan" or "Obdam" or something like that... I'll look it up when I go downstairs again. Maybe...
I wasn't going to run for any offices in Geo Club (elections today). I didn't think I could because I am not a matriculated student at Fredonia, but it turns out that due to cross-registration, I pay activity fees, and that is the only requirement. I ended up elected as Secretary. Oddly, I'm more excited about it than I expected. My original thinking, especially since I'll be the student rep for AWG (national) is that someone else should have a role and get the feather in their cap (resume/grad school app) but I thought about it and I really am very active and send out bulletins and take notes and meetings and this and that, so I may as well get the credit. The really neat part is that Sarah (current president and friend) added all of us (new officers) to be course editors of ANGEL, which is an online system used by SUNY Fredonia (and more extensively by my main school, SUNY Empire) so now I can explore everything it can do. Why is this exciting? once I finish my MS, it's my plan to teach online through Empire, since it means I can move if I want to, anywhere I want to, while working. They take MS grads as teachers, and science teachers are always in demand from what they tell me, and, unlike some universities, for obvious reasons, they're enthused about hiring alums since we know the system, the teaching philosophy and the type of student typically enrolled. Despire a lot of grievances in my life, things are still falling into place.
The check came for my GSA (Geological Society of America) travel grant today. It was $550, $50 more than expected. This is happy stuff. I deposited it along with the $400 AAUW scholarship and the $500 Foundation Loan (advance payment on my student loan/financial aid refund) so I won't die any time soon.
As far as the car goes... since I don't have the money to fix it, the warranty won't pay and my brother tiptoed around offering help by telling my mom his company has layoffs planned, something occurred to me. The ridiculously quiet ticking noise only started a few days before the screaming from the engine started. It stalled a few times before I got it home, but only around a mile was put on it when the shit hit the fan. I'm thinking I may go there with a few quarts of oil, fill it up and see what happens. If it doesn't sound bad, I may drive it home. I'm wondering if, since the shit hit the fan in just a few minutes, if maybe it isn't as damaged as feared. I still can't believe that all of this could happen with no warning. Maybe it's not as bad as they're telling me. After all, they haven't torn it open. Regardless, if the warranty won't pay and it does need to be fixed, I'm not doing it at the stealership for twice what other places, where I know and trust people, would charge. We'll see. I may have let them scare me.
The semester is winding down and not as intense as it could be since I've nearly finished a few things up. I surrendered myself to finishing the second season of Mad Men and losing myself in that world for a bit. Season 2 did not disappoint one bit, and I generally hate fiction these days. Betty grew up and discovered power and honesty, Don lost it and came back, Joan is losing herself to the expectations of marriage vs. "doom" if you don't do it ideals of the time, Peggy has amazingly come into her own, Pete is still a child, but at least Peggy told him about the one he has, Trudy could do better but is a bitch herself, the thrill of the manipulative, edgy 20 year old will wear off for Roger, Harry is becoming more shallow, Sal has his own identity crisis shoved in his face by the out and proud Euro kid, Paul needs to find his new cool, and I wonder if the bag of shirts from Mencken's portends another appearance from Rachel. I doubt Jimmy and Bobbie will be back. Season 3 will test the writer's ability to keep viewer interest while keeping Don a good boy, or perhaps the J.R. and Sue Ellen motif will play out: he's good for a while, goes bad again while she becomes a drunk. It's only as I've been writing this that I see the parallels. I now have to ask if they're working that script: it worked for Dallas for many years, even after Sue Ellen left J.R. Wow. Either way, brilliant fucking writing, brilliant fucking acting and delivery. Season 3 in July!!!
So I guess that's the news.
Daffodils are finishing up and tulips are starting. As usual, I'm a week or so behind most around town, but the nice thing is that I get to enjoy theirs and then later enjoy mine! A lot of them are stunted because of the cold snap, many of the "mystery bulbs" I planted (gift from Andrea B) will remain mysterious this year since they must have been too young, and many of the dafs really didn't perform well, but, it looks like I got at least 90% germination from the new bulbs I planted in the fall. Some real winners in the bunch as well, including a nearly white, not double, not triple but looking more like quadruple blooming daf with a HUGE flower, OK fragrance and withstood the cold to tower over all of the others. "Obdan" or "Obdam" or something like that... I'll look it up when I go downstairs again. Maybe...
I wasn't going to run for any offices in Geo Club (elections today). I didn't think I could because I am not a matriculated student at Fredonia, but it turns out that due to cross-registration, I pay activity fees, and that is the only requirement. I ended up elected as Secretary. Oddly, I'm more excited about it than I expected. My original thinking, especially since I'll be the student rep for AWG (national) is that someone else should have a role and get the feather in their cap (resume/grad school app) but I thought about it and I really am very active and send out bulletins and take notes and meetings and this and that, so I may as well get the credit. The really neat part is that Sarah (current president and friend) added all of us (new officers) to be course editors of ANGEL, which is an online system used by SUNY Fredonia (and more extensively by my main school, SUNY Empire) so now I can explore everything it can do. Why is this exciting? once I finish my MS, it's my plan to teach online through Empire, since it means I can move if I want to, anywhere I want to, while working. They take MS grads as teachers, and science teachers are always in demand from what they tell me, and, unlike some universities, for obvious reasons, they're enthused about hiring alums since we know the system, the teaching philosophy and the type of student typically enrolled. Despire a lot of grievances in my life, things are still falling into place.
The check came for my GSA (Geological Society of America) travel grant today. It was $550, $50 more than expected. This is happy stuff. I deposited it along with the $400 AAUW scholarship and the $500 Foundation Loan (advance payment on my student loan/financial aid refund) so I won't die any time soon.
As far as the car goes... since I don't have the money to fix it, the warranty won't pay and my brother tiptoed around offering help by telling my mom his company has layoffs planned, something occurred to me. The ridiculously quiet ticking noise only started a few days before the screaming from the engine started. It stalled a few times before I got it home, but only around a mile was put on it when the shit hit the fan. I'm thinking I may go there with a few quarts of oil, fill it up and see what happens. If it doesn't sound bad, I may drive it home. I'm wondering if, since the shit hit the fan in just a few minutes, if maybe it isn't as damaged as feared. I still can't believe that all of this could happen with no warning. Maybe it's not as bad as they're telling me. After all, they haven't torn it open. Regardless, if the warranty won't pay and it does need to be fixed, I'm not doing it at the stealership for twice what other places, where I know and trust people, would charge. We'll see. I may have let them scare me.
The semester is winding down and not as intense as it could be since I've nearly finished a few things up. I surrendered myself to finishing the second season of Mad Men and losing myself in that world for a bit. Season 2 did not disappoint one bit, and I generally hate fiction these days. Betty grew up and discovered power and honesty, Don lost it and came back, Joan is losing herself to the expectations of marriage vs. "doom" if you don't do it ideals of the time, Peggy has amazingly come into her own, Pete is still a child, but at least Peggy told him about the one he has, Trudy could do better but is a bitch herself, the thrill of the manipulative, edgy 20 year old will wear off for Roger, Harry is becoming more shallow, Sal has his own identity crisis shoved in his face by the out and proud Euro kid, Paul needs to find his new cool, and I wonder if the bag of shirts from Mencken's portends another appearance from Rachel. I doubt Jimmy and Bobbie will be back. Season 3 will test the writer's ability to keep viewer interest while keeping Don a good boy, or perhaps the J.R. and Sue Ellen motif will play out: he's good for a while, goes bad again while she becomes a drunk. It's only as I've been writing this that I see the parallels. I now have to ask if they're working that script: it worked for Dallas for many years, even after Sue Ellen left J.R. Wow. Either way, brilliant fucking writing, brilliant fucking acting and delivery. Season 3 in July!!!
So I guess that's the news.