I'm baaaaaaaaack

So, it's pretty much been forever since I posted. OK, so it's been since December. Still! That's a long time. Here's a brief recap of what has been going on.

December 20-31: Christmas (got an iPad!). New Year's Eve (saw my sisters). 

January: Went to NC to see my bestie. Started spring semester.

February: Adopted a new dog (Sgt Pepper).

March: Work, school, sleep, repeat. Niece (Bestie's baby) was born!

April: Finally done with spring semester. 

May 1-14: Saw Fluffy. Went to our 1st Brewers game of the season.

And now you're caught up.

You might notice some fairly big things in there. The first is that we adopted a new pup. If you're curious about Pepper, here's the description from the shelter: "Pepper is an approximately 10 year old mini schnauzer and was a transfer from Adams County Humane Society. His owner died and he was grieving and shutting down at the shelter, so they asked if we could take him for some more individual attention."

He lived most of his life in Kentucky, so he's not a fan of snow or winter. He's a tiny little thing (around 16 pounds at the vet in March), especially compared to Miss Maxine. He is an older dog and has health problems. He has a heart disease and, with it, a murmur. He's missing most of his front teeth (except for his ginormous canines), has a big bald spot on his back, and doesn't always have control of his bodily functions. He's thrown up more since we got him in February than Maxi has thrown up in the past year. And we have a vet appointment today where we'll probably be getting some blood work done to see how advanced his heart disease is and/or whether we can "fix" his bald patch. 

On the plus side, Maxine is wonderful with him. They sleep in the crate together all day, and then Pepper sleeps in bed with us at night. He gets super excited for mealtime and loves to romp around outside (as long as the weather is good). For the first few weeks we had him, Pepper didn't make a sound (unless you count the wheezing noises he makes when he's relaxed). These days, he barks more than Maxi does, mostly out of excitement. He's still cautious around us, not completely trusting us, but he's opened up a lot since February and already we love him like he's always been part of our family. 

The other important thing is that my new niece was born! Yes, I know, she's not technically my niece. But I am Aunt Riki, and that's good enough for me. If you want to know more about her, check out the Disney Hippy's blog for info and updates. Suffice it to say, she is one adorable, lucky, spoiled, and LOVED little girl. <3

Now that I'm on summer break, I should be back more often to update, but don't quote me on that. I do have my hands full with 2 pups in the house! Here's to my sanity... 

Blah.

So, let's pretend that I don't have a full-time job and I don't attend school part-time.  We'll just pretend I'm some slacker who has nothing better to do than sit around all day.  What would I do?  

I think my days would start around 9-ish.  I'd eat breakfast and chill with the dog.  There'd be reading.  Lots of reading.  And TV/movie time.  And video games (even though I'm terrible at them).  And time on the computer, of course.  I'd have more time to cook and bake.  And with all that free time, I might actually exercise now and then.  And, if I could motivate myself to go anywhere alone, I could go take pictures whenever I wanted.  Nothing would be rushed, and things would get done when I was ready to do them.

Now, back to reality.  My day starts at 7:30 when I let the dog out and get my computer all ready to go.  Breakfast normally occurs sometime between 8 and 9, and is eaten while I work.  I usually have some kind of frozen food or leftovers for lunch around noon and then take my official lunch break at one (during which I typically play video games or do chores).  I work until just after four and then I usually take a post-work nap to revive myself.  After that, it's a combination of finding/fixing/eating dinner, watching TV with Hubby, doing homework, keeping up with FB or Skype, and a few video games here and there.  By 11, I'm usually brushing my teeth (if not already in bed), and then (if I'm awake enough) I have time to read a bit before I go to sleep.

Weekends are only slightly different.  Instead of work, I do homework all day (alternating with naps, puppy cuddles, and computer time).  But the same general stuff applies.  

I'm not really complaining.  I like working from home (even if I'm not crazy about my job), and 7:30 isn't nearly as early as most people probably get up for work.  I do get time to do some fun stuff in between, but weekends are mostly blown because on weeknights, all I want to do after work is relax, so homework gets piled up for Sat and Sun.  It's not bad, but I do look forward to the day when it's only work and not work + school to worry about.  Too bad it'll be another 4 years...

This blog post really didn't turn out the way I thought it would.  Not going to bother posting on FB.  Whoever reads it, reads it.  No one will be lost or missing out if they skip it.     

Crisis Averted

So I managed to come up with a superstition I could test out (to the best of my ability).  Phew!  And only after an hour of confusion, another hour of crying and being sure I couldn't do it, and another 20 minutes of brainstorming!  That's like no time at all!  >_<

I long for the day when I have my degree and can put this school business behind me.

End of Semester Freak Out

Yep.  Here it comes.  I am approximately one week from the end of the semester and was HOPING to get through it without a freak out.  But here I am, freaking out.

I have a paper to write for my psych course that I cannot for the life of me figure out.  In a nutshell, I have to pick a myth or superstition and explain how I can use 2 of the following methods to evaluate it: observations of behavior, self-report (surveys, testimonials, etc), psychological tests (tests meant to evaluate limits or abilities directly related to the superstition), physiological measures (measuring based on heart rate, blood pressure, etc) and/or task performance (for example, measuring verbal abilities via crossword puzzles).

One little caveat: We can't chose a superstition that has to do with food or drink, OR that could possibly bring harm or death to participants (even if it seems impossible).  

I am beyond stumped.  Every time I think I have one, I can come up with ONE way to test it, but can't figure out how to test it a second way.  Oh, did I mention I actually have to execute one of the tests, too?  Yeah.  This paper's due on FRIDAY.  I haven't been able to pick a damn superstition yet, let alone come up with a way to test it, so clearly I don't have any willing participants signed up either.  

I'm about at the end of my rope, kids.  I mean, I could take a break and do some other studying, but it's pretty clear to me that I need to get the ball rolling if I'm going to finish on time, so I feel stuck. :-(  

Thanks for letting me vent, dear readers.  Enjoy the weekend and happy Easter!

A Simpler Time

So, things have gotten a bit stressful these past few weeks, with no intention of letting up until next month.  Oof.  Between a mandatory work meeting, an upcoming trip to visit my 80-year old grandpa in Mississippi and tons of work for my classes (including a paper, an exam, and several chapters of reading), I'm ready to go back to being a kid for awhile.  

You know what I'm talking about, right?  The hardest decision of the day would be shoes with laces or velcro.  Dinner would be on the table, already made and tasty to boot.  Homework would take 15 minutes (tops) and going outside was the fun part of the day.  I'm badly wishing I could do a reverse Big.

Since that's not an option (there's not a Zoltar machine in view), the only thing I can do is listen to music that takes me back to a simpler time.  Without further ado, here are 5 songs from my iTunes library that always make me feel like a kid again:

1) 4 Non Blondes - "What's Up?" I can clearly remember this song being played at every single middle school dance that I attended.  Whenever I hear it, I just find myself swaying back and forth and singing as loud as I can, "And I say heeeeeey-yaaaaay-yaaaaay-yaa-haaaay, heeeeeeey-yaaaaaay-yaaaaay.  I say hey, what's going on?"  (As a side note, this song also reminds me of my one night at Karaoke Kid...  someone did this song and the whole bar burst into song at the chorus; it was magical.)

2) Carole King - "You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman)" As my dad once told a boyfriend of mine (after a few drinks), "Picture this: 3-year-old Erika.  Flat-chested as a boy.  Belting out 'You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman)' in her carseat!"  Embarrassing as that moment was for me, it's all true.  Anytime I hear this song, I almost feel like I'm back in the car with my mom on the way home from one of dad's softball games trying not to fall asleep before we pull into the garage. 

3) The Jackson 5 - "I'll Be There"  When I was younger, there were only two movies in my life: Now & Then and Clueless (and yes, I have the soundtracks for both).  My best friend and I used to sing along to virtually every song in Now & Then, but we always had a thing for this song in particular.  "Just call my naaaaame-buh, and I'll be there."  No, I'm not sure why we added a 'B' sound to the end of name.  That's just how we rolled.

4) The Beatles - "Michelle"  This probably sounds like a strange one, but it makes sense to me.  Remember those Saturday morning classes that some of your parents probably made you take?  Well, when I was 8, my parents wanted me to sign up, so I picked French.  We really didn't learn much except the very basics, but it was fun.  One day I was listening to my dad's Beatles tapes and "Michelle" came on.  I recognized the phrase, "très bien" since this was something our teacher said to us when we got something right (it means "very good").  So I asked my mom (who had taken French in high school) what the rest of the line was.  Once I learned a whole sentence in French, I was on top of the world.  I still feel pretty cool when I sing along today.

5) Big Bird & Waylon Jennings - "Ain't No Road Too Long"  This one is classic.  I grew up on Follow That Bird (this has been brought up in the past, and will no doubt appear in later posts).  My sisters* (including my best friend) all baby sat for me at one point or another, and all were subjected to this movie multiple times.  I hear this song, and I can picture being in the basement at my parents' house, piling pillows and blankets on the floor to bounce on while singing along with Big Bird.  If that's not bliss, I'm not sure what is.

So what songs remind you of being a kid?

Hope everyone has a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend!  :-)    

*Technically, I'm an only child.  But if you ask me, I have 3 awesome big sisters (who are all actually sisters) that I grew up with.  We might not be blood-related, but we're definitely family. 

So Much Reading

My Psych class is clearly out to kill me.  I'm 2/3 done with the reading for this unit, and have already spent a total of about 7-8 hours reading.  Ugh.  Technically it isn't due until the end of next week, but I have other things to do, so, you know... Trying to get it done.  Not working.

I have determined, however, that I am going to live in my new pajamas.  They're Jack Skellington pjs from the Disney Store and even though they're too big, they are WAY too comfy.  Perfect lounging pjs.  <3

Tomorrow is the big game, and I'm really getting nervous.  On the one hand, the Packers are an AWESOME team, and I truly believe that we will come out victorious.  On the other hand, if (by some freak chance) the Bears win, the result will be intolerable.  Bears fans everywhere will give us shit for years upon years to come.  At that point, all I can hope is that whoever they play in the Super Bowl will beat them senseless in February. 

It's Frickin' Freezin', Mr. Bigglesworth...

Seriously.  Right now it's -5 degrees F outside, with a windchill of -24.  Today's high is 9.  I really hate when the high is a single digit like that.  Makes me frowny.  :-(

On the up side, it is finally Friday.  Huzzah!  This Friday I'm all anxious because I have lots (and I mean LOTS) of reading to do this weekend for my psych class.  I tried to make it through the first chapter of reading last night...  Of the 22 pages, I made it through 13 of them.  And it took me 2 hours.  I normally LOVE this stuff, but it's still intro reading and, as such, boring as hell.  Boo.

Anywhoozles, today I think I need some more mellow songs to keep me from jumping right out of my skin.  You know, something to sway to, something to sing to...  Things like that.  Nothing too bouncy, but not too sad either.  Here are my choices (links included):

1) Bruno Mars - "The Lazy Song"  I said last week that if you needed a more mellow song, this one would be my suggestion.  I just effing love Bruno Mars, and this song is the perfect chill out song.

2) Incubus - "Are You In?"  Actually, most Incubus songs would fit for a mellow day.  I picked this one because it's mellow-ish while staying fun.

3) Melody Gardot - "Baby I'm A Fool"  OK, so this one's maybe a touch sad, but still nice.  Melody has a great voice and her smooth, jazzy style is just right for today.

4) Plain White T's - "Rhythm of Love"  To counter the previous song, this one is a bit bouncier, but still calms my nerves.

5) UB40 - "Red Red Wine"  If you grew up in the 90's, you should have a soft spot for this one.  Yes, I know it's a remake, but this reggae version is more fun and more chill than the original, if you ask me.

Got any chill songs to share with me?  Leave a comment!

TGIF to you all! <3

Do You Mind?

That was the title of last night's psych lesson about the mind-body debate.  Here's how I know I'm in the right field - I was geeking out right and left about some of the stuff being discussed.  No lie.  I am a nerd and a half, kids!  Love it.

Anywhoozles, there was some pretty crazy stuff that came out of the lesson and I figured some of it was interesting enough to share.  Here goes.

• People used to think that "madness" (what we would typically now call mental illness) was caused by, well, the devil.  They thought people were being possessed or that there were demons in the brain.  All sorts of crazy shit, right?  Even crazier was that in the Stone Age, they thought drilling holes into people's heads to let the demons out was a reasonable (and helpful) form of treatment.  Ouch.
• Approx 90% of Americans believe in some form of Heaven, and another 72% believe in Angels.  People tend to believe that the mind and body (brain) are separate entities and that one's mind - spirit - lives on after death.  In fact, some people actually think that within the next decade or so, we'll be able to upload our spirits to a computer once our bodies have expired so that we can later be downloaded to a new vessel.  And that, my friends, creeps me the hell out.
• Hippocrates (you know, the guy we named the Hippocratic Oath after) was kind of out there.  He thought mental illness was caused by an imbalance of what he called "humors" (biological fluids).  So, essentially, if one of our fluids was out of balance (too much, too little, etc), that's when mental illness strikes.  Even weirder is the fact that he related some of these fluids to different elements and personality traits.  For example, Fire = Blood.  This fluid is responsible for traits like confidence and optimism.  Whereas Earth = Black Bile, which causes depression and frustration.  I guess I have a little too much Earth and not enough Fire, then, eh?

These are just a few of the random things I learned last night.  I'm not going to lie...  I'm excited for the rest of this class now!  If we're going to be learning crazy things like this, I am SO in!  :-D

S A T-U-R D-A-Y Night!

Ok, not quite there yet, but I'm SO excited for the game tonight!

Even if the Packers lose (which I'm not saying is going to happen, but IF it happens), I think it'll be a great game to watch and I'm just pleased that we're this far into the playoffs.  :-)

I spent this afternoon struggling through the reading for my Psych course (intro readings are always the worst), so now I'm looking forward to a bit of a break.  

Hubby's out on a bar crawl (15 on 15 on the 15th - 15 bars on the 15th of the month along bus route 15, I think), so it should be interesting to see him later (it started at noon).  However, it does make the afternoon less exciting.  I can't help but feel so bored when I have the house to myself.  Even with Miss Maxine here!

Maxine, of course, is napping.  Shocking, I know.  Last night after a quick trip to the grocery store, we came home to find she had torn up a few cardboard boxes laying around.  This wouldn't have been SO bad except that one of the boxes was a Kleenex box that still had tissues in it.  Oh, and the fact that she has a bajillion toys laying around that she could have played with, but no.  Had to destroy boxes.  FCOL.

On that note, I'm off to find something fun to do.  Or clean.  But probably something fun to do. 

Rodeos & Dead-Cat Swinging

There are so many phrases and words out there that go underused in my life.  For example, "You can't swing a dead cat without hitting one."  Or "It's not my first time at the rodeo."

In fact, I think I'm going to start making every effort to use some of these underrated phrases.  Even when it's not appropriate.  Kind of like, "How's it going, Erika?"  "Well, it's not my first time at the rodeo!"

In other news, I am approximately 95% over my cold.  Huzzah!  Well, at least 90%.  Maybe not quite 95%.  After I typed that out, I had a case of the sniffles, so... I don't want to jinx myself, you know?

Also, I am back in classes!  Yes, after a semester off, I'm back on the path to my BA.  And I've already learned something new: there is such a degree as Turfgrass Science.

No, I'm not making that up.  Seriously, I don't even think I could make that up.  It would be awesome if I had, but it's a real thing.  There are at least 5 people in my science class this semester who are working toward this degree.  At least 3 of them work at/run golf courses, so I guess I get it.  But, really?  I didn't know this was a thing.  Never heard it before.  Huh...

Here's to a new semester, full of turfgrass!