I did good!

I meant to write about this as soon as it happened, but I get distracted. I had my first test in my Algebra course this last week. I studied and studied and even recruited some assistance using my calculator from one of those teenagers. I was certain it was broken as I had entered in what I was supposed to but each time I hit that stupid 'graph' button I would get an error. 5 seconds in the hands of Callie and waalaa, there's my graph. Turns out it wasn't broken at all, I had just inadvertently entered some weird numbers on a different screen. Calculators these days are advanced...

Anyway, I got an 86% on my test - woohoo! I felt I had done pretty well, knew there were a couple questions I was confused on, but overall felt good. Only 4 more tests to go, hopefully I can keep it up. I've got this math course to finish and then the next one to check off is Calculus. I can then consider my relationship with math over.

Van Halen IS cool!

I've always heard my husband say this and go on and on about Eddie Van Halen being the shit on guitar, but it was one of those things that went in one ear and out the other. I just was never much of a fan, sure I knew the main songs - but I was a bit under the curve for when they were popular. Lance though, was a teen and I can picture him doing the air guitar thing...

Anyway, through no fault of my own, I ended up at the concert. We had great seats, on the floor, right up front - like I've told others, I could see their sweat!! The weather here was awful and 2 friends that had planned to go with him couldn't, so diddly do and I stepped up and went instead. It was really kinda funny, she and I had just been saying the weekend before that neither of us really liked them and so were just fine not going along. I have to admit though, I'm totally glad I got Russ's seat - they rocked! I was way surprised at how great they sounded. The drummer dude was pretty freaky looking, but both Eddie and David looked awesome and they were both into going shirtless. I found myself watching David Lee Roth thinking, wow, Teri went to the VMAs with him....that's so cool! And I can totally picture it :) Our friend Teri mentioned that awhile ago like it was no big deal and so I didn't really think it was. But after having seen them, I'm thinking I need to ask her some more details about that.

So, moral here is - turns out everyone was right, they rock!

lyrics that I just spit out cracker to

I was just working away, doing some strange formatting in Excel, munching on a cracker when a Tom Waits song came on. (not unusual considering my obsession) I had to stop for a minute and listen, I then spit out a little cracker....its that funny!

Thanks, uh... You know uh, this is weird uh...
Most of us have dogs, allright? (applause)
I don't know if it's a local thing where I live, or if it's everywhere, and I'm checking it with you because uh, I don't get in the area that often and I'm just checking to see if...
There's a new kind of a dog treat. And uh (where I live) and they're available in the pet store and for the longest time I just thought that it was some kind of a prank. Or uh...
I wasn't really sure what it was, until I read the label on the back and it said "Bull Penis" (laughter).
I was a little shocked! I know you can get just about ANYTHING in this world.
You can get a whale's pancreas if you'd want one! I can get you one! (laughter)
But com'on, a bull's penis! How busy they were their whole lives.
And they throw it to a dog, like that, for a snack! (laughter)
Now, are they available here in the Los Angeles area? They are, aren't they?
Doesn't that make you a little weazy?
Makes you wanna live a long time.
And on the back, on the bottom it said: "100% natural"!
I mean... that's the part that really got me. And it said: "A Real Meat Snack".
There's just no dignity in that. Uh, anyway...
The other thing is that they're 36 inches long! (laughter).
They're so long they had to cut them into bite-size portions.
And then they take two of them and braid them together.
I know, I know! I never want it done. But uh...
This is a song written for Gregory Peck for his dating my mom...
That's a lie!

**this is a live recording of Dog Treat

College take two

College as a 'grown up' is WAY different than college as a teenager. Since I'm working at a University now, I may as well go ahead and finish my degree so that's what I'm doing. I started with a couple courses that were just web-based, so no actual going to class, rather just doing the work and turning it in online. This semester was my first back in the classroom class. Its an advanced algebra/trig and since I haven't had any math class in like 15 years, whoa. I look to be the only non-traditional student in my class, and that's okay. In fact, one of my new friends thought I was one of them and was surprised to hear I wasn't! That's pretty cool, lol.

Now I know one of the reasons why I partied so hard and well as a kid in college - it was to escape the crazy difficultness of school work! One day after a mind-numbing lecture session and feeling like I didn't know what the heck the professor was talking about, I was driving home thinking...I wanna do shots. I'm pretty sure I haven't done shots since before I got married and I'm pretty sure I couldn't handle a night out like I used to. So, I'll just have to buck up and go through school sober this time :)

It is funny though, talking with these teenagers - priorities are so different for them and listening to what boy didn't call, which party to go to that night, and what is THE best outfit to wear just makes me laugh inside. It makes me remember back to when I was a teenager with all the angst and the drama and holy cow, I'm so glad of where I am now. College was alot of fun for me, but I like my life now much more. Call me old, but I like having a husband, a house, responsibilities, being in jammies after suppertime.. In fact, I have it made - I come home after a day of work and then school and Lance has got supper ready for me, couldn't ask for more!

Franklin's manhood

Franklin is no longer a boy...he got THE surgery yesterday. As a mastiff, it is better to wait until they are full grown before having the neuter done unlike all the other dog breeds. At 15 months and ~190lbs we figure he ought to be full grown, so in he went. I was, of course, nervous and had to have Lance drop him off because I always hate saying goodbye and leaving him at the vet even though I know they love him there. His surgery was scheduled for 9am and about 11am I got a call telling me everything had gone just fine and he was waking up, doing well. The woman was very kind on the phone and talked about how very sweet he was and that because he is so big, they didn't have any crates to hold him! So they put him in an exam room with the door open and a baby gate so he could see everything. I neglected to tell her he eats baby gates....

A few hours later I got another call from the vet. This time she was giggling and said that Franklin was snoring, snoring so loud that the entire building could hear him. She held the phone out for me to hear, and yep, he was snoring. I had to chuckle and tell her that yep, he snores...he snores loud. In fact, the more comfy he gets, the louder he snores. So I can only imagine how 'comfy' he is being drugged up!!

He got the pampered treatment while he was there, I have no doubt. Who doesn't like a person-sized, snoring, drooling dog?? They also told me that for his overnight stay he was going to get one of the spa-rooms in the resort section, again because the vet-side didn't have large enough crates for him. So he got to spend the night in a big bedroom with a heated floor, tv, snuggy bed and window. Yes, he is spoiled.

I think Eleanor wasn't overly concerned about where Franklin had gone last night. She did seem to look for him a couple times, but for the most part I think she was happy to see it was back to just her. She got special alone time with us like before he came along, wonder what she'll think tonight when he comes back home. LOL

First time caucusing

I've never been one to be overly involved in politics. But since we live in Iowa and Iowa is all about a caucus we both decided we would participate this year. What an experience! I was completely surprised by the turnout, the school library we were all crowded into was just packed. Two hours later and all the vote counts were final and we got what we wanted, Obama way in front of the Hillary. It was really something to be a part of it and to see everyone show their support for who they truly believed in. I surprised myself by flipping on the news as soon as we got home to watch the rest of the results roll in.

Go Obama! :)

Gone fishin'

A couple nights ago, Lance and I were hanging out in the poker room reading and watching the fishtank. I heard a kitty on the stairs and what sounded like a bit of a struggle...Henry came into the room with a bag of peppermint patties. Chocolate is very bad for animals, so luckily the chocolate he chose to hunt was all wrapped, but still, naughty kitty! It was kinda funny though because in order for him to have gotten the candy bag he would have had to open the cupboard we keep it in. Sure enough, a trip back downstairs to check and the cupboard door was open.

Christmas Eve morning, we got up early to hit the road only to find Henry had gone fishing during the night. The betta was in quiet time outside the main tank recouping from a bit of ick and had been in his bowl for several days. The kitties had watched him, but mostly left him alone and the plan was to put him back in the main tank when we got back from Christmas travels. I say was because Henry ate him. Lance came in the poker room to find Fishie (betta) on the floor all chewed up and not much left of him. Poor fishie!! Lance disposed of him so I wouldn't have to see him, and Henry was sniffing all around the floor like, where'd my fish go?? That one was our fault, I should have realized with Henry's 'abilities', fishie was not safe in a non-lidded fish bowl.

At least all the other fish are doing well, they were safe inside the tank while we were gone and Henry couldn't get them. Lesson learned.