I'll take this picture...nine times!

This is a photo from break that was taken at my house. Yes, that is our Christmas tree. If you're one of those tradition, have-your-heart-set-on real living tree that dies each year in your living room, then this concept will send you spinning and keeled over. It's a tin tree, popular decades ago in my father's era (Sounds pretty funny, my father grew up decades ago. Decades sounds like prehistoric term. Anyway...) The tree is from my father's era, he actually has a picture infront of his own tin tree growing up. (Even though he hated it as a child because who wants a shiny tree as a kid when everyone else gets the real thing?) But now we love it, at least I do. Honestly, it's different, fun, colorful (come complete with color wheel that spins that casts colors on the tree since you can't put Christmas lights on the thing or else you're going to have a problem). It rotates around in a circle and even plays music if you like (but rather not because it can become a but irritating hearing the same jingle over and over again at some rapid rate). The spinning feature is especially nice when setting it up because when it comes to the hanging of ornaments, all you do is stand and place, stand and place, and stand and place as the tree rotates for you. In this country, that idea should be selling like gold. Anyway, that is the story of our Christmas tree. All my friends were fascinated with the contraption, not everyone has chrome displayed in tree-form in their livingroom. If you wanted to see it, you still could have until today when mother finally broke down and took the holiday decor down. I don't blame her for holding out, I did the same thing. This picture was taken at an impromptu movie night at my house to watch Meet the Fockers and listen to country music. Every party at my house has country music incorporated somehow, a recurring theme....good theme. :)

"No Time For Love Dr. Jones!"

First off, I must apologize for the murdering of the word nuclear. I was busy (still am) and blogger was being stubborn about spell checker and I was being lazy for not putting it into Microsoft Word. Double oops. (Oh, like the picture? This was taken over break, it's me eating a pine tree to symbolize the crumbling of the PSP - the Pine Street Posse. If you're lost, that's probably a good thing because you really don't want to know, lol. So just sit back and enjoy the picture-age of my curly hair and the tasty tree.)

But anyway, it looks like this semester is going to kick my donkey. I am blessed to have two 100 level classes and cursed to have two 300 level courses and one 400 level course. The professor for the 400 level course is Dr. Jean Jones (hence the title) (if you know anything about great movies *cough*Temple of Doom Indiana Jones* cough* that line might ring a bell to you). Jean Jones is a woman who has a lot of opinions taken of her, some scary, some great, and well, I don't know what to make of mine yet. She seems dynamic, wanting the best of you, teaching a Comm course that is a 400 level the way it was mean to be taught, opening minds, and challenging her students. Needless to say, I'm the whipping donkey. Naeeee all the way. Roughly put, we will read 4 books for the semester, quizzes everyday, class discussions, and in-depth ponderin'. Hoo roo. Someone take me behind the stable and put me down, this ride seems like a long one, much better fit for a camel instead of a simple donkey like me that will receive a ghetto stomping by this class.

My next class that is giving me the royal treatment of animal abuse is Principles of typography AKA work it, work it, work it. It's not a dance class, it's an art class studying type and turning art kids into designers. I am half afraid and half excited for this class. The work load is measurably large from what I've heard. The first day of class was Wednesday (MW class) and there are three areas that are due for Monday. Thank you God for the weekends, thou gift to me is greatly appreciated.

Both together seem a little daunting, in fact, had me spazzing out last night. Between spending $200.00 on books and spending every waking minute reading and doing projects, I want to throw up. But I will not be defeated - I will give it my all - I will become a super student....or some revised version of a bookworm/better art kid.

So...if you don't see me for awhile, you know what. I'm getting whipped. Send the human society, and a care package of an additional brain, complete with jar!

Peace out peeps - catch ya around.

"Welcome to Advanced Nucular Physics"

I've made the triumphant return to the frozen tundra, also know as Edinboro, and have sucessfully completed one college level class for today. Unfortunatly, it was Advanced Nucular Physics.

I had time to get to my class, a brisk walk since I was a little behind but then again, I have timed out all the distances from building to building so I wasn't too concerned. Before I left the room, I made sure to check the appropriate room number to make sure I would be heading off to the right room. Unfortunatly, I checked last year's schedule and showed up in the wrong room. So from there I left and checked in at the department office in order to find out where I would have my public speaking class.

I did find my public speaking class - but it was in disguise. As I walked in and took an open seat, my eyes caught some of the words from the front board that said "Advanced Nucular Physics - T TH 9:30-10:45 Course 736". Alerted by the awkard message, I whispered to the person next to me "this is public speaking, right?" and they assured me that the writing on the board was only a ruse, but a ruse that many fell for and many left the room to only be convinced to return by the persuassive professor. It was mostly 30 or more minutes of rusing to late-comers.

The class will be interesting and fun, that is my prediction. The professor has been at Edinboro for 30 some odd years teaching and has the place pretty well mapped out and has plenty of teaching expereience.

It was good to see all the old pals from the hosue last night. I made a quick pit stop over to the PH before heading back to the room for bed to catch up and see those lovely faces! Oh, how I love the house, haha.

I know people have New Year's Resolutions and such, like weight loss and this and that. I don't really play that game but rather just make decisions about what I would like to see in my life. One of those is a less obsessive-complusive Lindsay, as far as anal-retentive behvaior when it comes to cleaning my room once a week and doing everything with such a tight and orderly schedule. Being at home over break alliviated me of all of that, and it felt good. That doesn't mean I'm throwing away organization - it means I am going to simply change the manner in which I do it. Another is to make this semester count for God, to give back and to learn. There are challenges that are on the horizion for me, but with every challenge, oppritunity is presented. I look at it this way: if I am trying to make a decision I am unsure about, I just ask the question "Is this something I will regret years from not because I chickened out?" Seems to make sense.

As for now, I think it's a snack and then off to class again. Catch ya'll later.

No Need For A Search Team

No worries, mates, I am alive! Send back the voluenteers, leash up the hounds, and put the first-aid kit back in your bathroom - the Queen has returned.

Now that that pathetic return statement has been issues, I might as well update myself and explain what on earth I could be doing around in Armstrong County that has consumed a lot of my time.

First, we'll start with 3 letters - S N S. Or as many ornory, eldery people know, Shop N' Save, as they barely make their cursive lettering out on their checks; or to the people employed there, Shop N' Slave. Anyway, I've been a bit busy working here and there through the week, being entertained and detained by all the occurances of the grocery store chain. But it's good to catch up with old chronies and assumes the meanial tasks of old - like cleaning registers and sorting the Haden House orders.

Next we have the ever-popular social life. I've seen so many of my friends over break and I have loved every minute of it. Well, I must take that back and say there were times I didn't love every minute of it, but when you have some friends from Kittanning who are members of the "PSP" (Pine Street Posse) (Yeah, I know, you're rolling your eyes and wondering how they could ever compare to the BHP, the Blanket Hill Posse, which I am a proud member of), you can't help but be irratted by the maturity levels present...or should I saw, not present and out to lunch, dinner, and a night snack. But anyway, getting together to bowl, eat at Red Lobster (classy bunch we are....well, we were for one night- and even that is questionable), or just hang out at houses, it's a blast. I even cleaned my friend K's room - which was a feat in itself.

I've also had some time to spend at home and around the house with the family and such. The holiday was great and the New Years was good also, getting together with old friends to watch that giant ball drop each year. It's been good to be at home, and will be a bit weird returning to my jail cell, I mean, dorm room, but in the end, it's all good. I have no urgent rush to return to school and work my rear off again and be busier than a farmer with a whole herd of milking cows, but it will be a bittersweet transition - saying goodbye to great cereal everymorning and my own bathroom but at the same time saying hello to old friends and getting myself back into the ministry for another semester of blessings.

I've also spent some time reading, which is unusual for me sometimes because I am not the most avent reader. Sure, I love to read label, I consider that a hobby in a sort. In the store before I buy something, in the shower waiting for my face cleanser to finally do it's job and destroying acne, and sitting at the kitchen table, I read it up and down with content facts, advertising, and even the design of the package. But give me a novel, and I'll give you a 3 month waiting list to finish the book, or more. But this one book captivated me, which proves that I can read with passion- I just have to find the book with the passion. I read "He's just not that into you", which I recommend to anyone who is single or even dating. I've learned a lot, and it's a hilarious book. Go out and get it. lol.

But anyway, work is calling my name. I will triumphantly return to the boro Monday. (Do I sound cocky and important in this blog? If I do, please don't take me seriously. For goodness sakes, I work at a grocery store and enjoy pumping the wells and playing with dogs. By no means and I some glory hound looking to make myself hot property.) As for now, have a good one and keep your tongue off the ice.