Category Archives: Creativity

7 Quick Takes: Stunned Edition

Posted on by

7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

So, um, this happened. I received an invitation to the Honors Reception this year because I was receiving something. I had no idea what it was and thought it might be grades-related or something. Let’s just say that I was completely stunned when it was announced that I was receiving this:

President's Medal

— 2 —

An explanation. Apparently, my GPA was noteworthy and I met some other criteria that I have yet to find out. I’m one of 21 students in my graduating class who received it. I have been instructed to wear it when I graduate next week.

Redacted medal

— 3 —

Some more pictures. Here’s a medal selfie and a picture of me with my dad.

Car selfie
Me and Dad outside of McIntyre Hall

— 4 —

My last final. I got 6 of the 7 documents in rough draft form for my Document Production final while I was stuck outside the house today. (Mom was polishing the hardwood floors today, so we all got banished until early afternoon.) I have a report to key tomorrow, and then I’ll spend the weekend proofing them and trying to make sure my formatting is correct. Getting the medal is pushing me to finish strong. The highest I’ll get in the class is an A-, but I’ll at least keep my killer GPA if I focus on getting at least 90/100 on this final.

— 5 —

IBS. I started feeling queasy on Tuesday and having some stomach pain, and I’ve been fighting the less fun aspects of IBS for the last two days. Eating is hard enough already and I’m having to find things that are not making my stomach cranky. My coffee habit doesn’t help this and I’ve been pushing the liquids because it’s in the 80’s with humidity here, so I also face the threat of dehydration. Thank goodness for Starbuck’s Pink Drink!

— 6 —

My plans. I’ve had people ask about what is coming next for me. Daniel *STILL* needs to start his biobehavioral stuff and that won’t be until later this summer. I’m also looking at a likely hysterectomy, so I’m having to figure out that in addition. It looks like I’ll probably start applying for jobs around November, and I’ve got some tax-preparation training that is possible this summer and fall.

A parishioner joking asked me that now that I’ve won the President’s Medal, what am I going to do? My response: “I’m going to take a nap!”

— 7 —

Huh. Kelly provides some food for thought today with her ponderings about blogging as a side hustle vs. blogging for leisure. Go read it. Do it now.

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: June 11, 2019

Posted on by

For Today… June 11, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… sunny and in the 70’s. I was working on homework, so I was inside all day.

I am thinking… about my assignment due as well as my final for Document Production.

I am thankful… that I will be done with school completely as soon as this final is over. As much as I love my program and classes, I am ready to be done with my degrees and to find work.

One of my favorite things… club soda. It is helping to deal with avoiding Coca-Cola.

I am wearing… charcoal heather shirt from Old Navy and capri pajama bottoms from Target.

I am creating… formatted documents.

I am watching… Forged in Fire reruns on On Demand.

I am hoping… Daniel sleeps through the night tonight. He’s been having issues going to sleep and/or waking up super early.

I am learning… about the Mediterranean diet. I’ll probably move toward meal-planning it through this summer.

In my kitchen… pesto quinoa.

In the school room… Daniel has six days left.

Post Script… Captain Awkward, an interesting advice column.

Shared Quote… “Jesus did not simply die to save us from our sins; Jesus lived to save us from our sins. His life and teachings show us the way to liberation. But you can’t fit all that on a bumper sticker. So we try to boil it down to a formula. Four steps. The “Romans Road.” John 3:16. And yet the gospel itself, in its eternal scope and scandalous particularity, defies reduction.” — Rachel Held Evans

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: Almost Done Edition

Posted on by

7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Portfolio. I got my Portfolio back during my exit interview today. I got a perfect score on it… obviously. (I am motherfreaking Hermione, biotch!)

Title page

By the way, I made the background from scratch… and used it on my table of contents and all my divider pages.

— 2 —

Exit interview. My exit interview was today and was 30 minutes of shooting the breeze with my department chairs. I ended up with a 99 in my Final Project class (and yes, I am flipping out mentally about that point I lost because it was a stupid proofreading error I made on my reflection paper), so yay!

— 3 —

My Document Production class. I still hate Document Production and my instructor was laughing at me today when I told her. I hate it because I lose points for stupid things like extra spaces that will not be visible in the printed copy (or even when I turn off non-printing characters), and I told her that her favorite saying (“read all the words, not just the ones you like”) is completely true. The instruction I miss is something small in a margin or a couple of words in the midst of a huge paragraph.

— 4 —

What’s next after graduation? I have to chase down some therapy stuff for Daniel this summer and there is a possible hysterectomy on the horizon for me, so I can’t job hunt just yet. I’m looking for an accounting assistant or accounting paraprofessional position, so I’m keeping my ears open for now and seeing what comes up. I’ll also put my resume on GlassDoor and InDeed.

— 5 —

Comparison. I’ve had people ask if this is harder than my college degree and the answer is “not even close”. I have a 95 or above in all but two of my classes. I can’t say that this happened in more than a handful of my BA classes because the work expected of me was so much harder. I did my BA in three years, but unlike my AAS degrees at Skagit, it was three VERY full years. I was full-time EVERY quarter, if not more than a full load.

My MTS classes were all A’s, but that’s because it was a very specific area in which it was all my strengths.

— 6 —

A new show for y’all. Now that Game of Thrones is over and the writers did a horrible thing to Daenerys (she should have been queen and they know it!), y’all need to be watching Forged in Fire and learn how all those cool swords and knives were made. Seriously, it’s a fun show (and yes, I’m watching it while I blog) and I’ve learned a lot about an area of craftsmanship that is not my own.

— 7 —

Chucks. I was hoping to get myself a pair of Converse Chucks for the first time ever… and found out when I went to my local shoe store that my feet are too wide for Converse shoes. There was a pair that might have worked, but it still felt tight and like it would give me blisters. I was bummed, but I did end up buying shoes that worked better for me.

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum who is talking about writing her book.

7 Quick Takes: Reasons I’m Tired Tonight Edition

Posted on by

7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Daniel isn’t sleeping well. We think it’s him feeling hungry and not knowing how to process that. Because Daniel. I’ve been trying to enforce EXTRA drinking of milk to keep him full and I’ve upped his feed.

— 2 —

PTK induction. I was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa (international 2-year college honor society) tonight. I was invited to join in Fall 2017, but I’ve been a little busy. My mom was watching Daniel and Dad surprised me by showing up.

Dad and me at the induction

— 3 —

Portfolio. My portfolio for my Final Project class is due tomorrow. I have almost everything printed out and done, but Sage was being catty yesterday and I need to redo and print out a report for it. I blame the LA Dodgers.

— 4 —

Puke. I hadn’t been gone for five minutes tonight when Mom called to let me know that Daniel puked (of course) and asked if she should give him tomorrow’s meds as he presumably puked up tonight’s. I was on the road to school, so I said “yes”. Well, I’m not totally sure now and am keeping an eye on him. At least he’s sleeping?

— 5 —

Donald Trump is still in office. His mere existence tires me.

— 6 —

Pentecost. I’m writing the prayers for Pentecost and I need to translate them into Spanish… or at least send them to my translation staff, one of whom came into tutoring last week and scolded me for not having them done yet. (God bless my “translation staff” of students!)

— 7 —

Forged in Fire. I’ve been watching “Forged in Fire” reruns while I’ve done homework lately… and this sometimes has me up too late. Oops!

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: February 12, 2019

Posted on by

For Today… February 12, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… 34F and snowing.

I am thinking… about my design project for this week for my Publisher class.

I am thankful… to not have to go out today unless I want to.

One of my favorite things… quiet.

I am wearing… charcoal-colored shirt and khaki capris as I am in the house.

I am creating… business sets for Publisher

I am listening to… classical music coming from another part of the house.

I am hoping… we don’t have another snow day or 2-hour delay tomorrow. Today is my third snow day in two weeks and my paycheck will suffer as a result.

I am learning… design principles.

In my kitchen… defrosting something later.

Post Script… some fun stories to read.

Shared Quote… “I’ve never fooled anyone. I’ve let people fool themselves. They didn’t bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn’t argue with them. They were obviously loving somebody I wasn’t.” — Marilyn Monroe

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: February 3, 2019

Posted on by

For Today… February 3, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… It’s in the low to mid 30’s F, and we are getting our first snowfall of the year. Woo.

I am thinking… about my design homework for my Publisher class.

I am thankful… that Target had stuff to melt the driveway. I hate my local Target (it’s filthy, there is no pharmacy, and they rarely if ever staff their checkout stands appropriately), but I don’t have rednecks trying to pick fights with me like I’ve had when I’ve gone to Walmart in desperation. I think I’d rather slip and break a hip than brave Walmart.

One of my favorite things… watching the snow from inside rather than being out in it.

I am wearing… jammies. I finally got a shower.

I am creating… Publisher projects and my church’s Lenten devotional.

I am listening to… classical music coming from my room.

I am hoping… Tom Brady has been badly pounded into the field at least once. (It’s part of my sports philosophy — I always root against Tom Brady even when I am cheering for neither team because the teams violate other parts of my beliefs like not rooting for Cleveland or LA teams because they are eternal losers.)

I am learning… about the color wheel in designing publications. I just wish the demo mailer I’m working through in the book wasn’t so bleedingly ugly.

In my kitchen… probably some stacked eggplant parmesan or something.

Post Script… if you need nature pictures, go here.

Shared Quote… “The ego is incapable of seeing the world as anything but a zero-sum equation where if something good happens to you I have somehow missed out. The Spirit of God will always call our ego’s bluff.” – Father Paul (my priest)

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: January 15, 2019

Posted on by

For Today… January 15, 2019

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… dark. It was not bad today — not warm but sunny.

I am thinking… about the design project for my Publisher class on which I am procrastinating by creating this blog post.

I am thankful… for a good start to tutoring this quarter.

One of my favorite things… this song. (I am spoofing it for my design project.)

I am wearing… jammies. It’s only 5:30 p.m., but I’m fighting a cold and it’s been a long day.

I am creating… this blog post. 😉

I am reading… Nailed It by Anne Kennedy.

I am hoping… that people get all the Jennifer/Jenni puns in my design project.

I am learning… about alignment and proximity.

In my kitchen… salad tonight. My cold is making swallowing painful, so it was a chore to find something I actually wanted to eat.

Post Script… this blog. Because her book was AWESOME.

Shared Quote… “‘NO’ is a complete sentence.” — me on Sunday when asking people to write devotions for me this Lent.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.