comment spam?

    I don't believe this... someone spammed my comments. Don't people have anything better to do? Guess not, huh. What a pain.   &nbsP Has anyone else had to deal with this? Got a permanent solution?? LC

good news, bad news

    It's that kind of day. No big surprise since it is Monday. Told DH last night, it's not the 8AM class that's the problem, it is the 5:45AM alarm that wakes me. Once I'm up and in the shower, everything is usually pretty fine; even my nervous stomach seems to calm down once I am on the road to the campus. I've no cash for lunch and an hour to kill before Developmental Psych, so I wandered to the computer lab to check my email and blog a bit.     This is first day of classes since last Tuesday when Ivan threatened. The statistics test scheduled today was postponed until Wednesday --good news-- and he did a pretty thorough review today. Friday's personality psych test is not rescheduled, so instead two class periods of videos (of questionable interest) are sacrificed for the lectures that would have been given last week --also good news. Spanish test scheduled for Friday is rescheduled -- very good news -- but, we may be losing our professor -- could be very BAD news.     Funny thing, first time I saw him I was relieved he was not my professor. Just something too stern-looking about him. When I needed to rearrange my schedule and ended up in his class, I was apprehensive. Turns out he is not only an efficient and effective instructor, he is a warm and very accommodating person. I honestly do wish him well, as it sounds like he has been offered a good opportunity; I would certainly love to see him be able to finish this semester. I don't think any of us would enjoy having to readjust to another professor/style.     Ah, more good news. I just happen to check with the department secretary after statistics about how scheduling for advisement is handled and found out that just this morning all the information and scheduling sheets were posted right outside my class. So, all I had to do was to walk back about 20 sign up with my advisor -- on the first possible day during my lunch break.     Time to head out for last two classes, LC

quick update

    We were very fortunate not to feel but the barest effects of Hurricane Ivan, being on the far west edges of its path. Lots of leaves and pinecones in the yard, a few twigs and only a few branches off one of the large old pines in the back yard. Our power never even flickered; all my clocks were still set this morning.     But I suppose I was subconsciously more anxious than I thought; I had very unusual pains in my stomach since early afternoon yesterday, just about the time the outer bands started hitting the Gulf Coast. I had one son 40 miles north and one about half-mile east -- they were safe, but I'm still a mom and I guess I was concerned.     I napped on the sofa most of the late evening, and finally went to the bedroom when the eyewall was still about 50 miles off the coast of Mobile. Usually, the bedroom door is closed to keep out the cats, but I left it open last night so I could hear to the other end of the house. Slept horribly, but not due to the cats joining me or even chasing each other this morning. The winds and rain never woke me as I expected them to, but I woke up just the same (and frequently) to check. Lots of strange and troubling dreams... like TOTALLY forgetting to do the reading and work for one class for the whole semester and then remembering on the very day of the final that I had that class! Campus shut down on Tuesday night; no classes until Monday, so plenty of time to catch up on my psych chapters. Except that I've only been knitting!     We took a ride to check on a couple friends this morning, picked up some ground beef at the grocery and hubby made a great batch of gringo chili. It's in the 80s, but some how it 'feels' like chili weather... stormy?? Who knows. I'm just weird.     Off to do some reading for religion and psych. Blessing to all who weren't so fortunate from Ivan.     Oh! By the way, that paper I had to write -- got my grade: all 50 possible points. Have also had one test in that class and scored a 90, plus 5 extra credit points, so feeling pretty good about this class so far. LC

futility

    Some days I am just too stupid to pay attention to all the lessons the Universe has been trying to teach me for the past forty-something years. Today was one of them.     In order to avoid the outrageous prices of textbooks (don't kid yourselves, it ain't about education,it's about M-O-N-E-Y!!), I purchased some of my books off of half.com and eBay. I'm still waiting to find one of them that I'm willing to buy, and for another one of them to arrive. However, in the class for the book which hasn't arrived, we have two papers to write from a choice of four topics, and rather than two due dates, there is a due date for each subject. So if you write on topic #1, it is due first; if you write on topic #4, it is due last. I am willing to do any of them except topic #2 (involves watching cartoons and counting acts of aggression [shudder]), and the first one (on prenatal development) is due Friday.     One of my son's friends is also in my class, so I asked if I could borrow his book to review the chapter which covers this topic (paper is to be written about personal experience but related back to the material within the text). So, since he planned to be using the book last night, I made arrangements to drive back to campus this morning. I also planned to assist other son in setting up his wireless network adapter if he needed it. He did... but....     phew.... this is going to get really long if I don't cut to the chase.... short of it is, I got a parking ticket and almost towed away for parking in a no parking zone of one of the lots. How the hell I missed seeing ALL the frickin' signs is beyond me! The parking fine is $50! But worse than that they are going to make me pay the towing fee because they 'already called it in' -- another $70!!! Can we all say 'stressed'? So much for trying to save $40 on a textbook.     I just should have stayed home in bed and hoped my book arrived, or that friend would loan it to me Wednesday night. Oh, no..... I had to plan ahead (for a change, since I nag the boys about waiting until the last minute and have to set a good example, right?). Who knows what might happen between now and Thursday night when I would need to finish the paper (this is a short little paper, y'all --- nothing to get all worked up about in the first place).     Why does this sh!t happen?? And one of the young woman on the ticketing staff had the gall to say, "why can't they all be like her" because I was calmly dealing with the situation and not fighting them about it. Heck no, the hell-raisers or those who can tell a big whopping lie, or name-drop someone important, they'll get their fines removed. Not me. Heavens no. And what makes it worse is that they probably don't believe I didn't realize what I was doing because I was so calm, therefore, fully cognizant of what I was doing and that I've been 'caught.' Right?     Wrong. Wrong. I just had a STUPID attack!     What really makes me sad is that this will basically cost me ALL the money I've saved by carefully shopping for books on sale -- which helped out those people who sold them to me -- and also, I sold two of my summer session books and a bunch of beads and a bunch of beading magazine, just so that the money for my books would NOT come out of our bill-paying money. It's really no wonder people get to a point where they just don't give a damn any more.     Ya know... I've always sort of had this superstition, that you didn't speak certain things aloud. You don't 'tempt fate' or the devil or whatever one wants to name "it." Yesterday on my drive home from classes, I was THINKING about how happy I was, how well things had turned out. Not perfect, and there was hard work ahead, but I was pretty happy. S M A C K ! ! ! !     Do I feel like writing the *&%^*@ paper now?? Oh yeah. Sure. LC

searching/finding/searching/finding

    Why is it that you -- okay, maybe not you, but ME -- always seem to find things you were looking for last week when you are looking for something totally different today? Know what I mean??     For instance, I have wanted to try continental style knitting for a while, and decided now was a good time. I remember seeing an article in one of the knitting magazines that I set aside for reading later, so last night I went looking for it. Meanwhile, I found a small illustration on the upper right corner of one page of IK's Spring 2004 issue for a K2TOG Bind-off. I decided to see if it would work for my baby sweater sleeves. It did. So, I'll learn tubular cast-off some other time -- perhaps in person with my knitting friend, Melody.     I also found the pattern for a dog sweater I wanted to make for my step-daughter for Christmas. She has a Scottie whom she adores. Back in May, I made an attempt to trade a Fiber Trends pattern. One of the patterns on my trade list was their dog sweater. This one will do fine though, and I've already paid for it.     Now, to get back to looking for the continental instructions. No telling what else I may find while looking, like all those sweaters I'd love to make but don't knit fast enough to finish them, nor can afford the 'luxury' yarns. LC

5HBS still unfinished

I'm still struggling with these 5-hour baby sweaters -- tho' I'm about to rename it the 5-headache baby sweater! I can not seem to get the tubular cast-off right, so the three sweaters are sitting there with only the sleeves to be bound off to be finished! I asked about it on StricktlyKnitting, so I hope someone can help. Both the book-sets I bought off of eBay have arrived: Statistics, and Spanish, paid for by the beads and beading magazines I have sold so far! I was fortunate to find great buys on both. I'm really looking forward to classes beginning on Monday. Tomorrow I take Son#2 to check-in at the dorm; we'll do some other 'business' while on campus: his ID card, buy books, get parking permits. I need to pick up papers/tests from my summer classes, and stop by financial aid. That seems to be working out, thank goodness! I finished reading Deception Point over the weekend. It was pretty good; the subject wasn't as interesting to me as his other two weeks. Ah, which reminds me to renew the MZB book tonight. Not much else to say, except the weather here is unseasonably cool, and just wonderful. Enjoying the Olympics, but not getting to really watch a lot. So, off to putter with myriad things, y'all. LC

did ya know it's friday the thirteenth?

    I should be leaving right now for my therapeutic massage, but she called to say she was sick with stomach-bug -- boy, am I glad I didn't go last night! Last thing I need it more stomach trouble. Need to do laundry yesterday. And hope to get some more beads sorted and listed for sale -- so hard to part with them.     I'm really just popping in to whine:     I'm now working on my fourth 5-hour baby sweater, and I've decided I must be the slowest (or worst) knitter alive! Does anyone really get this little jewel finished in five hours??     (At least I didn't start it on Friday --and the 13th, to boot!-- Momma always said never start anything on Friday you can't finish on that day. She never 'cut' any garment on Friday she couldn't finish on that same day.)     I started a pink one last night about 10:00pm. The thread was finer than worsted, so I used a double strand. It's coming out a bit bigger than the others, but that's okay, since babies grow. duh. The thread is some Patons Carolina (acrylic/cotton/polyester) a friend gave me. A BIG change from the Debbie Bliss Merino Aran I've been using on these! I went to bed after 3:00am, and I still have one sleeve and the body to finish! Now this morning, I've got quite an irritation across my right index finger, where the thread rubbed. It's not pretty, but at least the sweater is.     Usually, I get all messed up with the increase rows of the yoke, and have to tink and re-knit a lot... on this pink one, I only had to do that once, and still it seemed to take me forever.     Okay. Enough. It is a beautiful day here; all the hurricane weather went way east of us this time (my thoughts and prayers for those of you in the path), and I'm going to finish this little piece of torture asap. Right after I eat something. LC

omg!

I did it! I made an A in each of my summer classes!! Can I gloat a bit?? Can I be proud of myself?? Can I do a little happy-dance?? Well, good -- because I'm doing all three! It's probably the ONLY time in my whole educational career that I've carried a 4.0 GPA. Now, if we could just get the financial aid part worked out -- it is a mess, and I don't understand what is going on. How is it that we can be at 'poverty level' and still be expected to contribute over $4K ??? I'll just Scarlett O'Hara that though (i.e., think about it tomorrow) cause today I'm going to be happy about my success. Hugs and thanks again to all of you who are out there sending me good wishes, prayers and positive energies! LC

relaxing & productive

    That's what my last couple days have, pleasantly, been. I almost finished the baby sweater, but have taken a break. Turns out I didn't make the increases the same on the second sweater as I did the first, and I want them to match. So I'll be starting another one and keeping this one for the next baby boy born.     One of the things I was looking forward to doing during the break between terms was reading Dan Brown's DaVinci Code. Hubby read it last week while I studied for finals. I finshed it last night. What a great read! I really like his writing and look forward to his next 'Robert Langdon' tale next year. We read Angels & Demons first, and picked up Digital Fortress from the libray today.     While hubby reads that, I've started Zandru's Forge, the second Darkover book published since Marion Zimmer Bradley's -- co-written by Deborah J. Ross. I'm reading it more just because; I wasn't really impressed by the other books cowritten with Marion in her last couple of years(Fall of Neskaya nor Priestess of Avalon -- cowritten with Diana Paxson. Now I see there is yet another Avalon book written by Paxson, as well as third Darkover book coming out this month. Being as compulsive as I am about these kinds of things, I'll probably read them both, too.     Found a great deal on eBay for my Spanish textbooks for fall! And my Comparative Religion book I'll get at half.com. The psych books I'll get locally, because I may have to drop one of the classes and want to be able to return the book for full price.     12 days of vacation remaining, and 9 til my baby moves out. LC

another 'commercial'

I picked up a bunch of silk ribbon on sale a few months ago... I was going to knit with it, just have some fun. Thought I'd offer it to anyone interested... 75¢ a card: LC

de-stashing

Not yarn (yet), but beads - - and great beads, my personal stash of Delicas. I uploaded a photo and a price list. BUT, the colors are off in the photo -- not too bad for most, but the ones on the top two rows, the last on the right are totally off... one is grey (772) and the other is blue (628). I tried to find a happy medium between the FMG's cheap prices and other bead sources. (Add 10¢ to the price of each if you want the fliptop container.) If you want all (or most, or a lot, LOL), I'll be willing to discount the total price, or pick up the shipping -- something like that. I also have some bead magazines for sale. Bead & Button (a surprising number of back issues are still available from B&B, but for $6 a piece): full years (6 issues @ $3.00 each)

• $12 - 1996, #13-16 (only four issues published in 1996)
• $18 - 1999, #29-34 (only #31 & 34 are available from B&B)
• $18 - 2000, #35-40 (only #37 & 39 are available from B&B)
• $18 - 2001, #41-46
• $18 - 2002, #47-52
• $18 - 2003, #53-58

single issues @ $3.00 each

• #45, October 2001
• #46, December 2001
• #53, February 2003

Beadwork (only 18 issues available from Interweave Press, and for $5 a piece):

full years (6 issues @ $3.00 each)

• $12 - 1998, Vol. 1, #1-4
• $12 - 1999, Vol. 2, #1-4
• $18 - 2000, Vol. 3, #1-6
• $18 - 2001, Vol. 4, #1-6*

incomplete years (5 issues @$3.00 each)

• $18 - 2002, Vol. 5, #2-6
• $18 - 2003, Vol. 6, #1-4, & #6

single issues @ $3.00 each

• Fall 1997, Special Issue
• Feb/Mar 2004, V.7,#2

Jewelry Crafts --$2.00 each

• August 1995
• July/August 1997
• April 1999
• August 2001

Lapidary Journal's Bead Issue -- $3.00 each

• October 2000
• October 2001

Leave me a comment if you're interested... my book fund will thank you!

LC

and now they are too!

I am SO glad my finals are finished. Probably did all right on the psych, but not too sure about worldciv. Probably did fine and hopefully well enough to keep my A, but still I worry. Of course, out of five possible essay questions I got one of the two for which I was least prepared, and absolutely no questions on the material I worked on so hard to catch up (Western Europe) -- I should have known. It's the professor's least favorite topic. Ah, well. What really shocked me was people leaving after 30 minutes for the worldciv exam! Were they really that fast or didn't they know the material?? I pretty much wrote constantly for an hour and a half! Enough of that! Now to look forward to Statistics, Social AND Developmental Psychology, Spanish and Comparative Religions in two and one-half weeks. Til then, I'll be reading DaVinci Code, catching up online, sorting out beads to sell, and knitting. My cousin's twin baby boys were born on Monday --- just one week shy of 20 years after my own twin boys were born! How cool! One 5HBS is finished, and I hope to cast on for the second tonight. They are both less than 6.5 pounds, so perhaps they won't have outgrown the sweaters by the time it gets cold here. Hugs to ALL of you who continue to be SO supportive of my return to college. You all mean SO much to me... I always know you are there thinking about me and I FEEL it. LC

it's all over but the finals

Thursday was the last day of classes for summer session. I am very thankful that I have a week to prepare for finals -- especially since I lost Friday being sick in the bed. I'm going to finish with the final chapter for Child Development tonight, and then review the three chapters once more on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, depending on how studying for WorldCiv goes. Best news, though, is that Thursday night I finished the baby's blanket without running out of thread! Just need to bury the ends and give it a quick wash. Am I weird for liking the wrong side? I so want to start knitting something new -- oh, and my reservation for DaVinci Code is available. Guess hubby gets to start reading it first! Enough for now, I suppose. LC

i'm gonna be a zombie!

I've just got to give up eating pizza I guess... or at least not eat it two nights in a row. Went to bed about 11:30 last night and was quite uncomfortable and worried about getting sick here on the last day of classes. So far so good, but I woke up at 4:15am and could NOT go back to sleep. I finally got out of bed at 5:30 and started knitting on the baby's blanket. With no explanation of how the brain rambles from one connection to another, I found myself wondering, "does anyone play Rook any more?" Not that I necessarily want to play with a real person, though computer games do seem to have an unfair advantage. Anyway, didn't really find much on line. One shareware game that I'm half-afraid to install -- sometimes they come with lots of ad-/spy-ware and pure junk. One online game, but I don't really like to do that. Anyway, thought I'd pop a note here to say, I finished my second and final paper for psych yesterday afternoon. Will turn it in this morning. Maybe I can put another few rows on the blanket before I have to get a shower.  Only about 13 more rows. And now I'm hungry too. bah! LC

battin' 1000

We got our graded psych papers back yesterday and the only deductions on my grade were for APA style errors! One more test and one more paper (which I'm working on this weekend) and this one is finished. Although I'm anxious about getting all my work/reading done for WorldCiv, I'm trying to stay calm because there really is a lot of time before that final. Only about 16 more rows on the baby blanket to go. I still haven't heard if my cousin's twins have been born yet -- my biggest concern there is whether the 5HBS will fit them come cold weather here. I may just hold off on making the sweater(s)  -- but, I'd have to figure out (or ask around) about sizing the sweater because the directions are only in one size. There's a young woman we know in town who is also having a boy, but not until September, so I can always give her the one already finished. She so tiny, her baby may be small too. I have a plan to visit an elderly aunt, well, cousin actually (the one I mentioned on my birthday entry) in August; I don't think I have seen her in over 15 years. She tats. I have tried on a couple of occasions to learn, but never pursued it. There were always other things I was doing. But now, since I'm sort of giving up my 'small needle' arts, tatting may be something I can do without further injure to my hands. I feel like I need to keep doing something, as all the note-taking does make my hands hurt. Even the knitting and crocheting is a different repetitive task and helps. Tatting results in fine work -- which I love -- but holding the shuttle is not like holding a #26 Tapestry or #13 Beading needle!!  I think learning from an aunt will make it 'take' better than the exposure I've had in the past... she is frustrated that no one wants to learn and that it is a dying art. Weather is a little cooler today (at least at this hour). Yesterday was horrible on campus. Of course I wasn't feeling well all day and that didn't help.  Maybe we will have supper at the new Olive Garden this evening, since I have to go pick up a book for my paper that isn't in the library system. Happy Friday! LC  

purdee purfick

I guessed right: the psych professor threw out some questions and also curved the grades -- but, she also must have weighted grades for a few who did really well. I think that is great. The best news is that the 'final' is only covering the last couple chapters AND I managed to get my first paper turned in on time. I completed all the editing and APA formatting about 2:30am this morning. No, that's not right. It took me until then to get the durn thing printed!  Then it took me more than an hour to fall asleep. Amazing to me, I was inspired just about the time I lay my head on the pillow about the topic for the second paper, so that was another worry off my mind.  I have a somewhat euphoric feeling all afternoon. Seeing my son looking better than he did yesterday helped. Ya know that saying, 'if momma ain't happy, nobody's happy"? Well, if my boys aren't happy, I ain't happy. Have a special thought for them for me, will ya'll? I've been sending up a special request for each of them for this fall, and can use the help. Oh, more good news! My dear friend and her husband are finally headed home after his treatments. Now, if I would find out in the morning I have enough money in the bank to pay ALL the bills this month, my life would be pretty purrrr-fick. Heh, heh, heh. If my eyes will cooperate, I'll read some tonight and get some knitting time tomorrow. Only about 30 more rows on the baby blanket. Then I can make the second 5HBS for my cousin's twins. LC

surprise of the day

Notice how I haven't posted since I mentioned the 'big psych' test? Well, I worked hard but could not get caught up on all the reading before the test. I did review notes and 'looking back' sections of each chapter, but my eyes finally revolted at about 2am Thursday and I went to bed.   I took almost the whole time allowed for the test -- I finally just left because I had answered everything I could recall and still there were blanks. I was very disheartened, but knew I had no one to blame but myself. I got behind and couldn't catch up -- exactly what I have spent, oh, the last two to four years harping at my sons about.   Today I drove up to campus to meet with my professor about the paper that is due tomorrow. I was very anxious about it and she had offered in class to look over papers prior to due dates. It's not all right, but it's not all wrong either -- narrow the scope, correct the format, and I should be fine. She even mentioned she liked the topic.   One the way out, I asked if the test grades were posted. They were.   I can't believe I scored as high as I did: 91.5 !   (do you ever accidentally hit 'hot keys' see the program/whatever come up and wonder, now how did I do that so you can do it again on purpose?? I do.. just happened)   Now I'm curious to see what she has to say about the test in class tomorrow. There were three scores above 90 and two above 100 (there is always extra credit on her tests).  I can't imagine getting so high a score without some kind of adjustment to the test on her part.   Still -- I am please and very excited. And plan to be sure all reading is done before the final in three weeks. There are four more classes to cover three chapters, and fortunately, both my finals are at the end of finals week. On the same day, unfortunately, but at least two more study days.   Enough rambling... got the second printer installed to the laptop. The first one is really dying and I was embarassed enough to take the paper up there today printed from it.   later-taters!   LC    

sugar, spice, everything nice & pink

I'm a great auntie! At least, I hope I am... but what I really mean is that I have a brand new grandneice. Alaina Marie was born about 5:15pm EDT today, and as far as I know, mother and daughter are well. No photo at the hospital website yet; maybe tomorrow. The blanket is almost done and would be if I managed my study time better! B-I-G psych test tomorrow, so back to the books & notes... LC

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is the first day of the last year of the first half of my life. How's that for optimism?? And as a matter of fact, while my father was visiting me today, he mentioned that my Aunt Callie (who is really first cousin, once removed) will turn 99 in October of this year... so it just might be possible! It's been a quiet day. As I said, my father came to visit this morning, my sister called, as did my dear friend, Ann. Worked a little on my psych paper. I was going to go get a pedicure, but ended up napping instead. Maybe Friday; and a haircut. Mexican supper and flan instead of cake. Now we are watching Cold Mountain -- there was only one copy remaining at the video store. Lucky me, eh? So, happy birthday to me, and also to my moonsister, KiwiEllen! We are lucky indeed: 7/7 LC

O M G ! !

We finally got back our graded World Civ mid-terms -- I made a 91.5 -- which was rounded up to a 92! He didn't return them until class ended. I stuffed mine in my tote and didn't dare look at it until I got to the car. Guess I was afraid I would cry if I did badly. I couldn't believe that I did so well, though I wonder what I stated incorrectly or left out of my short answer on Siddhartha Gautama to lose one point. I do believe that he was generous on the essay grade -- I don't expect that will happen on the final. He will expect improvement, and plainly said so today. So far, so good, in both classes, in class-/homework and tests -- but there's far to go: three map tests and the final in World Civ; two tests and two papers in Psych. However, I couldn't have asked for a better pre-birthday present! As I'm writing this, I'm in the last four hours of my ?9th year of life. Maybe there's not as much "fluff 'n stuff" in this 'pooh-bear' brain afterall. I've also got my schedule all set for Fall: Spanish, two psych classes, Comparative Religion and either another psych or an English course. I told dear hubby tonight that I wish I could think of some where special to go tomorrow to celebrate, but we spent two of the past four days in New Orleans, showing his daughter, son-in-law and grandson the sights -- yes, THOSE too. It was hot as Hades, of course, but I think they had a wonderful time, and fortunately we had afternoon rains both days for a bit of relief in The Big Easy. We toured the French Quarter and the Garden District, introduced them to beignets, bar-b-qued shrimp, red beans and rice, K-Paul's Kitchen, pralines, breadpudding, sternwheelers, Bourbon Street, The Big Muddy,... just about everything but a swamp tour! They held up longer than we did; thank goodness Son#1 took over for Saturday evening's events. Unfortunately, I'm now behind on my studies (Classical Rome & Byzantium; Preschool physical & cognitive development) and will spend most of my birthday with my nose in the books (two tests and a paper due next week). As soon as the dryer shuts off, the clothes are getting folded and this bear is going to bed! with a smile on my face! LC