Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow?
Updating my LJ has been on my to-do list for a while, and it seems like I have been putting it off for a terribly long time. No update since late October? Ross fail! :(
Classes are going wonderfully. I am solidly at an A in all of them. However, I'm trying really hard not to care about the grade per se, because I've realized that the point of grad school is to develop the academic and professional skills that will make the foundation of my career. I really do feel like I'm learning a lot in my classes, especially my class on cognitive assessment (the one where I do standardized IQ and achievement tests). The fact that I feel like I'm learning and really comprehending everything in my classes is more important to me than the grades I'm getting - although, to be honest, the A's certainly do help confirm that I'm understanding stuff. ;)
The best part about my classes is that they're ALMOST DONE! I only have one week left of classes, and then final exams. Given that they aren't comprehensive, I've already written my large final paper for psychopathology, and I haven't had trouble with any of my other exams, I am basically in the clear for Christmas break. My own students are starting to skip class more, so they must be realizing how close the end of the semester is, too. Sigh.
Last weekend, I went to Michigan for the first time since I've moved here. I spent most of the weekend in Holland seeing friends that I haven't seen in forever. Andrew and Emily (two of my best frieds, who are now engaged! to each other) were there, and getting to talk to them a lot was fantastic and amazing. Andrew and I went to the holiday wine tasting at Butch's (mmmmmmm): 70 wines with food (toasted brie, sausage/meatballs, crackers and cheese, other great stuff) all for $30! We were basically the youngest people there, which wasn't really a problem except when some of the wine sellers blatantly ignored us because they assumed we were either 1) stupid or 2) poor. (Why anyone who hates wine and doesn't have money would spend $30 to go to a tasting is beyond me, but the reactions we got from one seller in particular was very annoying.) The first table we went to was the best, and Andrew says he has hosted the best table from the last three tastings, as well. The seller liked our enthusiasm about, and general interest in, wine so much that he gave us a sample of a secret $130 bottle of wine that he kept under his table. I can't for the life of me remember what it was (another Ross fail!), but it had the most rich, complex flavor I have ever tasted in a red wine. Simply stellar. Andrew and I stayed the night at Jon Weppler's house, which was a lot of fun because he is leading 12th Street Harmony (the a capella group I was in at Hope) and we got to ask him about that. He says everything is going really great, which I was happy to hear.
After driving back to Illinois for two days of classes, I promptly turned around and headed home for Thanksgiving! I had a simply amazing vacation. Because I got done with classes at 12:15 on Tuesday and had no class on Wednesday, I had a really long week spent with family and friends. I slept, played video games, ate great food, went shopping, went to church in Grand Haven, and enjoyed some time with my brother at his new apartment. I also saw The Blind Side, the new movie with Sandra Bullock, which was excellent! I love feel-good movies.
It feels really weird not being at Hope this year to participate in the Christmas Vespers! I was in it all 4 years at Hope through choir...this will be my first time in five years not to be there. I totally would've bought tickets and gone to see it, except that the church choir I'm in is performing our own mini Christmas concert thing on Sunday, and that is an important obligation to me. It's obviously nothing like Hope's production, but it's special in its own way.
I am really looking forward to my Christmas vacation, which is almost a month long this year! I am first actually going to California for about a week with Graham. We're going to explore San Francisco on our own for a few days just for fun, and then we're taking the train down to Justin's house for his bachelor's party and wedding! What an awesome excuse to leave winter weather behind for a week, eh? :D After I get back, I'll be heading up to dad's house for Christmas and family time, which will be fun because I haven't been to Traverse City since I moved to Illinois. The rest of vacation will be spent in Grand Haven for New Year's Eve and the first bit of January, partially so I can go to Tori and Caleb's wedding (!!) in Holland. It seems weird some times to be watching these people all get married so young, but I've really had the chance to get to know each of these people well, and I really think they are all truly in love. I am so excited for them all!
Now that I'm back at my apartment, I need to do some miscellaneous cleaning that I put off until after vacation, buy some groceries for lunch tomorrow, and do some grading and administrative stuff for my classes. I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving vacation. If I didn't get a chance to see you in the last week, keep in touch and I will try to see you over Christmas break! Take care!
Classes are going wonderfully. I am solidly at an A in all of them. However, I'm trying really hard not to care about the grade per se, because I've realized that the point of grad school is to develop the academic and professional skills that will make the foundation of my career. I really do feel like I'm learning a lot in my classes, especially my class on cognitive assessment (the one where I do standardized IQ and achievement tests). The fact that I feel like I'm learning and really comprehending everything in my classes is more important to me than the grades I'm getting - although, to be honest, the A's certainly do help confirm that I'm understanding stuff. ;)
The best part about my classes is that they're ALMOST DONE! I only have one week left of classes, and then final exams. Given that they aren't comprehensive, I've already written my large final paper for psychopathology, and I haven't had trouble with any of my other exams, I am basically in the clear for Christmas break. My own students are starting to skip class more, so they must be realizing how close the end of the semester is, too. Sigh.
Last weekend, I went to Michigan for the first time since I've moved here. I spent most of the weekend in Holland seeing friends that I haven't seen in forever. Andrew and Emily (two of my best frieds, who are now engaged! to each other) were there, and getting to talk to them a lot was fantastic and amazing. Andrew and I went to the holiday wine tasting at Butch's (mmmmmmm): 70 wines with food (toasted brie, sausage/meatballs, crackers and cheese, other great stuff) all for $30! We were basically the youngest people there, which wasn't really a problem except when some of the wine sellers blatantly ignored us because they assumed we were either 1) stupid or 2) poor. (Why anyone who hates wine and doesn't have money would spend $30 to go to a tasting is beyond me, but the reactions we got from one seller in particular was very annoying.) The first table we went to was the best, and Andrew says he has hosted the best table from the last three tastings, as well. The seller liked our enthusiasm about, and general interest in, wine so much that he gave us a sample of a secret $130 bottle of wine that he kept under his table. I can't for the life of me remember what it was (another Ross fail!), but it had the most rich, complex flavor I have ever tasted in a red wine. Simply stellar. Andrew and I stayed the night at Jon Weppler's house, which was a lot of fun because he is leading 12th Street Harmony (the a capella group I was in at Hope) and we got to ask him about that. He says everything is going really great, which I was happy to hear.
After driving back to Illinois for two days of classes, I promptly turned around and headed home for Thanksgiving! I had a simply amazing vacation. Because I got done with classes at 12:15 on Tuesday and had no class on Wednesday, I had a really long week spent with family and friends. I slept, played video games, ate great food, went shopping, went to church in Grand Haven, and enjoyed some time with my brother at his new apartment. I also saw The Blind Side, the new movie with Sandra Bullock, which was excellent! I love feel-good movies.
It feels really weird not being at Hope this year to participate in the Christmas Vespers! I was in it all 4 years at Hope through choir...this will be my first time in five years not to be there. I totally would've bought tickets and gone to see it, except that the church choir I'm in is performing our own mini Christmas concert thing on Sunday, and that is an important obligation to me. It's obviously nothing like Hope's production, but it's special in its own way.
I am really looking forward to my Christmas vacation, which is almost a month long this year! I am first actually going to California for about a week with Graham. We're going to explore San Francisco on our own for a few days just for fun, and then we're taking the train down to Justin's house for his bachelor's party and wedding! What an awesome excuse to leave winter weather behind for a week, eh? :D After I get back, I'll be heading up to dad's house for Christmas and family time, which will be fun because I haven't been to Traverse City since I moved to Illinois. The rest of vacation will be spent in Grand Haven for New Year's Eve and the first bit of January, partially so I can go to Tori and Caleb's wedding (!!) in Holland. It seems weird some times to be watching these people all get married so young, but I've really had the chance to get to know each of these people well, and I really think they are all truly in love. I am so excited for them all!
Now that I'm back at my apartment, I need to do some miscellaneous cleaning that I put off until after vacation, buy some groceries for lunch tomorrow, and do some grading and administrative stuff for my classes. I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving vacation. If I didn't get a chance to see you in the last week, keep in touch and I will try to see you over Christmas break! Take care!