Initials for What?

Sorry for not explaining certain item used in my last post.  I still have ideas in my head but have not had much opportunity for sitting down and turning them into posts.  Today feels like a Saturday and I don’t know how I will be able to get into the swing of things as I have accepted a work assignment at Canyonville for the remainder of the week – and so may not get things typed up still. 

APA can stand for American Planning Association or American Poolplayers Association.  I created one post in which I refered to APA as American Preparatory Academy.  For the most part my APA references and what seems to be most popular for Google Reference is American Psycholgical Association -  which is a style of writing.  The “proper” style.  It often seemed like APA format was more important than the contents.  What’s up with that?  Also, many professors seemed to prefer third person as opposed to first.  I am grateful to those that allowed or even preferred first.   

https://www.mendeley.com/guides/apa-citation-guide

Owl Purdue is a website that adds complication and confusion to APA use – at least in my opinion.  Now that I understand what it is, I might be able to understand it better than I did in 2016.  But Owl Purdue is NOT the only website to refer to APA nor is it the most easily understood.

NOT a Short Essay

          February 14 was the deadline for the short essay contest through the University.  The topic to write about one of the following:

Most memorable class or instructor, most valuable lesson or how the university changed my life.  I guess I could have gone for the third one and stayed with the 150 word maximum limit.  But I was certain that I would have well more than 150 words for the others.

Recently I have gone back to revisit some of the discussions that were posted.  I notice that I got a late start on the discussions in my first two classes.  I had wondered why as I have always been among the first to post to a discussion but then remembered that unlike most of my classmates who had actually started on Monday, I was not given the opportunity to do so until Wednesday.  (That definitely feels like a run-on sentence)

There had been a miscommunication on the parts of administration and I wasn’t able to get into the system until Wednesday – back in June 2016 when I started taking courses for an accounting major.  The first two classes were generic – everybody-takes-these-classes-regardless-of-major.  There were no live lectures. The two classes offered prerecorded classes with a link to YouTube.  Each instructor took a turn of being available to answer any questions or assist.  Of course, being that they were my first two classes, I had nothing to compare them to and so did not realize that the conduct wasn’t the norm of each class I would have since. 

The university was big on APA format and I think pushed Owl Purdue.  Or perhaps it was just that first instructor really did have a thing for it and really did trust it and really thought it would be helpful to everyone and would constantly refer me to the site.  Owl Purdue did nothing for me but frustrate me – not that my instructor was a great improvement since we were obviously not seeing eye-to-eye about how to fulfill my understanding (or lack thereof)

There were a few instructors that had great respect for, good standing with, or admired in some other way.  One of them, Whitney, was my English instructor, who as it turns out is/was the Dean of English Department . . . I suppose I could look it up to see if she teaches there currently, but I’m choosing not to do so at this time.  As you can see from my spectacular grammar skills (meant in the most sarcastic way) I was a star pupil in her class. 

I really did receive high marks in the class, but this post may say otherwise.  But I am more interested in posting something right now and checking the grammar at a later time (if ever).  She didn’t seem to care for Owl Purdue much either – but I think was required by the University to mention it.  She had other resources and links and homework trackers and was very helpful – unlike my first instructor.  She explained things on my level.  I really enjoyed having her as an instructor.

There are several other instructors I had – one of whom I had already written about in another essay.  My first encounter with Sarah was while I was taking the Whitney’s English class.  One week the students were required to visit the writing center and have an instructor proofread our assignment.  I expressed my grief in this post but did not mention the final result.

I don’t know if Sarah could hear the tears or frustration in my voice.  She said she would correct my assignment and return it to the canvas inbox so that I could have it.  I was quite grateful to her to take the time to do that.  I didn’t realize at the time I would have three more contacts with her.

The second contact I made was at my first online assembly which I posted here. The following month I was in her history class.  That was when I made the connection – that she had taken the time to give me feedback when I had been in Whitney’s class.  In my final year, Sarah was the instructor for my sociology class.   

          I do have more to say about Whitney, about Sarah, about Jody, my guidance counselor.  I don’t know when I will be posting more detail.  It’s in the plan.  Right now I am tired.  I’m going to bed now.

Long Day

            The RS Pres. asked if I would pick up a food order in Winston.  I Googled the address but I did not like the option it showed on how to get there.  I DON’T wish to stay on the freeway so I can exit at 119 just so I can return back down.  There had to be another way.  I blew up the map and paid attention to the landmarks that were near the dentist office that I go to.  The addresses are on the same street!  I’m not going to get off 119 when I can get off 112 and work my way up.  That’s what I’ll do.

            Yesterday morning – before I was even out of bed – I thought about two streets in Myrtle Creek that don’t go through.  One cannot get from the post office on Broadway to a resident who lives towards Chestnut or Neal.  It ends at Spruce on one side and dead ends on the other.

            Same thing with Spruce.  You can’t get from the 7^th Day Adventist Church to the Catholic Church for example.  Once you hit Division you are at the school, and Spruce doesn’t continue until Rice curves into it above the hill at the corner of Coffenberry. Though a person could walk the distance of Spuce, I suppose.  Cross into the school parking lot and climb the hill and go from there.

            I am certain that I have mentioned before that the kids have a running joke about Coffins and being buried  (Coffen/berry) in the cemetery so close to their school.  The other day I received a text that asked if I would be working at “Cough and Bury” last week.  I laughed thinking she had typed it in that way on purpose, but really it was Google recording her dictation. 

Catholic cemetery, vineyard and Church taken from Coffenberry

            Yesterday I traveled close to 80 miles – which might not seem like a big deal to some people, but I personally am not used to driving that many miles in just one day.  I went 15 miles to the church in Winston(took about 35 minutes), 15 miles return (somehow that was shorter), another 7 miles to deliver (drive wasn’t as long as unloading), to homeward church from there (another 10 or so miles) stayed for 90 minutes, back to Winston for the dentist and return home. 

            Wrote this post.  Slept great last night.

Times Have Changed

            The earth spins around as it faces the sun and away from the sun.  It takes 24 hours to complete each spin.  We call the spin cycle of 24 hours a day.  While the earth spins, it also circles around the sun.  It takes 365 ¼ days to circle the earth.  Thus a full year is 365 days except every four years when we have a February 29 added to the calendar.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/02/26/leap-day-february-29-calendar/80618064/

            The earth has a northern hemisphere and a southern hemisphere – each experiencing seasons opposite of one another.  For example, someone from Minnesota may comment about how cold it is and how much snow they’ve had to shovel while someone in Indonesia may express how hot and muggy it is.  Both of these examples were posted the very same day – though maybe roughly twelve hours apart as one was experiencing night while the other was experiencing day.  But who knows?  The one in Indonesia may have gotten up during the night because he was too hot and sweaty to enjoy a comfortable sleep.

https://www.slideshare.net/geeta1967/motions-of-the-earth-presentation-1

            I had learned about the earth orbiting and rotation when I was in elementary school – I thought we had started learning it in fourth grade, but it could have been sixth.  Either way it had been in elementary school.  In this county the sixth graders start middle school. 

I also remember being more focused on geography in elementary school.  I specifically remember learning the names of the countries in Africa.  We would often have guest speakers from the different countries.  I remember labeling and coloring several maps.  I remember researching states and making posters about our findings. 

from my collection of scanned school work

I also remember learning to type in seventh grade.  I had taken typing as an elective and typed on an actual typewriter and not just a keyboard.  I understand the students are required to learn how to type now.  That is good – but I think it’s something they should learn BEFORE they get to middle school as the keyboard is now a part of their lives (computers were not a staple when I was in school).

Why not?

Another Facebook quiz - just for the sake of posting - I guess

40 things about me

1. Do you put ketchup on a hot dog? Sometimes.  Mostly just mustard and relish, but ketchup (catsup?) is good too

2. Choice of soda? Code Red Mountain Dew

3. Do you own a gun? No, Not even a squirt gun

4. Can you swim? Yes – perhaps it’s a lame version of swimming.  I can hold myself up and move quicker on my back than on my stomach.

5. Hot dogs or cheeseburger?  Cheeseburger usually

6. Favorite type of food? Italian

7. Do you believe in ghosts? Yes

8. What do you drink in the morning? Water, juice, or milk (usually in that order)

9. Can you do 100 pushups? No

10. Summer, Winter, Spring, or Fall? Autumn

11. Favorite hobby? Compiling Memories

12. Tattoos? No

13. Do you wear glasses? Yes

14. Do you have a phobia? Accounting (numbers)

15. Do you have a nickname? Husband calls me “Sweet Pea” – but there’s no one that many people use

16. Three favorite drinks? Water, code red, cherry coke

17. Biggest downfall? Sweets (lack of will power)

18. Rain or Snow? Rain

19. Can you change a tire? I do know how.  Do I have the strength to remove the bolts?  Not hardly

 
20. Favorite flower? Marigold

21. Can you drive a stick? I suppose I could if I needed to but I prefer automatic

22. Ever gone skydiving? No.  There was a time I would have jumped at the opportunity, but I don’t see myself doing it now.

23. Kids? Yes

24. Favorite colors? Green and Purple

25. Employed? Yes, part-time right now.

26. Can you whistle? That’s up for debate

27. Where were you born? Utah

28. Siblings? 3

29. Surgeries? 3? – I was conciense for only one – my ingrown toenail.  The others were the removal of female parts

30. Shower or bath? Shower though I’d love the opportunity to soak in enough water to cover all of me

31. Last song you listened to? Roaring 20’s normally sung by Panic! at the Disco but the version I heard this morning was Jenna’s singing

32. Age? 57 soon to be 58

33. Broken bones? No, I have had sprains and torn ligaments though

34. How many TVs are in your house? 2 – which is 2 too many

35. Worst pain? Ectopic pregnancy – (see here) 

36. Do you like to sing? I do.  I’m not good at it, but I do enjoy it

37. Favorite sport? Watching Figure skating without the commentaries, participation in bowling

38. Do you like camping? I did at one time, but have outgrown that desire.  Give me a hotel

39. What do you enjoy binge watching? Did you notice my answer on 34?

40. Pecan or Pumpkin pie? I agree with my brother’s answer: They are both good. Maybe pecan by a nose.

Rain and Snow

We have had wild weather all the way around. 
Mostly rain. 
But it snowed on I5 between Canyonville and Azaelea. 
I got pictures on the way down to Medford. 

When we returned, the snow was gone.

Love For Music

           I’m guessing that before Jenna was born

she had learned the words and notes to music

of many authors and artists and carried it

with her when she came to earth.

When she was inside of me I would

put headphones over my belly and play

songs for her, mostly classical or

primary songs. She seemed to enjoy them.

And after she was born, I would sing to her. 

I would sing songs about whatever toy she was holding

or whatever picture we were looking at. 

For example, I would sing “You’re a Grand Old Flag”

whenever I caught her looking at the flag on my tee shirt. 

Or I would point to the animals on her teething ring and

sing songs about each animal if I could think of one.

I don’t know why it surprises me whenever

Jenna sings along with a song that is decades

older than she is. 

I caught her singing along with Sam Cooke

last night and asked, “How do you know this?” 

She hadn’t been aware that she had

even been singing along.  She shrugged.

I think Jenna has an entire stash of

music genre within her and she can’t

help it whenever it comes out. 

She is just a happy positive upbeat personality

and music is just one way she lets it shine through. 

I love listening to Jenna sing.

Smile Faces in the Hymn Book

          I know a post exists somewhere about how much Jenna loved the hymn book when she was younger.  Before she could speak she would treat books with respect and turn the pages.  But she never studied them quite like she would the hymn book.  Somehow the written music fascinated her.

          On Tuesday I went to the band room (which isn’t normally a part of the aide’s agenda) and the instructor drew some notes on the board and added a tie.  I smiled at the memory of Jenna, when after she was talking, asked me why there were so many smiley faces in the hymn book. 

          In Myrtle Creek, the music teacher teaches three courses at the high school and ends his day teaching three courses at the middle school.  I would assume he gets to eat lunch sometime between. 

What Are They Doing To My Street?

            I have noticed orange diamond shaped signs indicating construction.  At first I noticed them posted near unpaved streets figuring that perhaps they were being paved – although it seems to be an unrealistic thing at this time of the year now that I think about it.  But that is what I had thought initially.

            This morning I heard what sounded like power drill noises.  What the heck?  I didn’t even check my window.  90% of the time I look for a source to match a sound, I don’t see anything.

            I had a dentist appointment at 10:00.  It wasn’t until I left the house that I noticed the orange signs were on our street.  Why?  What are they doing?  Why are they making so much noise?

 

that's our house btw

taken from our driveway

It doesn’t appear that I got a member of the crew who dressed in a uniform much bulkier than what's shown in this illustration:

Morning Song

“Fairy tales can come true
It can happen to you

            if you're young at heart”

Each morning, for the last three days, that song has been playing in my head.  I don’t know why. 

I don’t know if it was part of the bizarre dream that I posted on Monday or if I came up with it after I got out of bed.  It wouldn’t be so bad if I knew the words to the entire song instead of the same 15 words over and over . . . though sometimes

“And if you should survive to a hundred and five”

again, just one line.  I copied all the lyrics for the song that Frank Sinatra had sung.  But I haven’t committed any of it to memory except for what I have shared in this post. 

Switching Bodies

I thought I would share some thoughts on the bizarre dream that I had this morning – though many of the details were already gone before Roland requested that I make pancakes – and then chop up some vegetables for the meatball stew . . .

“I’m not even dressed yet!” I thought.  After all I had mentioned that I had two hours before I would leave for work and that I needed to take a shower.  Thus this post has been put on the back burner.  So do I start with the dream or the cake? 

          I took pictures of the cake that we made on Saturday.  Jenna had done the entire cake part by herself and I frosted it and poured over coconut.  The intention was not for the purpose of giving the appearance of a giant snowball, but that is what I thought it looked like:

          So moving on to the dream which took place sometime between 3 and 6 this morning.  I remember it involved multiple documents – I don’t know if they were from bill collectors or court documents or what they were – but I didn’t want them.  They were wrongly given to me and I was trying to dodge them.  Granted, I am reading a mystery novel in real life and so I suppose some of my reading could have made their way into my dream but the weird part was trying to hide from it and driving to someone’s house to discuss it. 

I don’t even know whose house I had driven to except for my cousin was there and in the dream she had gone into nursing and knew the secret of body switching – which I had heard of, but was really nervous about it – yet I was willing to take the gamble in order to dodge whomever was behind the paperwork.

Now in real life I used to see my cousins often which gradually turned into perhaps twice a month and less than that after grandma died. And that was just my dad’s side.  I don’t even know my cousins on my mom’s side.  Ironically the oldest one lives in Salem just three hours away.

          So probably out of all my cousins I have spent the most time with Michelle – but Michelle was not even in this dream, but rather her sister Rose.  She is the one that suggested we switch out bodies and she taught me what I needed to do in order to make that switch.  It seemed to make sense in the dream, but doesn’t even remotely make sense as I write this.

          So I returned to Myrtle Creek and she returned to Logan (or is it Layton?  I don’t know . . . some city north of Salt Lake that starts with an L.  See how close we are?) and I am me on  the inside, but my outward appearance is Rose.  The documents stop coming and I am no longer harassed.  I am skinny.  I can wear eight layers of clothes sopping wet and still not weigh as much as Rose does in my body.  Why is it she was willing to make the switch with a heavy blob?  Is she in trouble with the law or creditors, too?

          I am able to eat several pieces of the snowball cake and my allergies haven’t bothered me.  

with banana ice cream made on MLK day

But the chin ring that Rose wears is killing me (I highly doubt that Rose has ever had a ring in her chin) and at the end of the dream I ask her when she wants to make the switch back.  She doesn’t seem anxious and I tell her I’m going to have the chin ring removed.

          I don’t know why my eyes fluttered, but I asked Roland what time it was.  He groaned as he turned to look at the clock and reported that it was six o’clock.  Jenna had forgotten to wake us again!  I woke up before Rose reacted or know if the chin ring was removed or not.  Weird

MLK Banker, Stubborn Healing and Mormon Deer

            We have not adopted a celebration tradition for Martin Luther King Jr. Day – though Jenna did have a nice suggestion:  watch Tangled because there’s that song “I have a dream” – only we couldn’t seem to find our copy of Tangled and the Myrtle Creek library doesn’t even carry anything that recent. 

            We had three bananas that were somewhere between brown and black.  I planned to purchase some vanilla ice cream to make smoothies or banana ice cream.  This would be in honor of “milk” day as my niece had initially thought MLK to be.  I had told reader’s to refer to her blog in this post, but alas, she has made it private and so no one will have that opportunity anymore (including me).

            Roland suggested we play Monopoly – and though it’s not mine nor Jenna’s favorite game, it is an opportunity to play games with Roland – and at his suggestion no less. 

            Jenna has now decided to set the timer each time monopoly is played with a two hour limit.  It was good for Roland to focus on something other than his pain.  They both dubbed me as banker which is really not a coveted role for me.  In our household, the banker makes the rules whether they really exist in Parker Brothers instruction book or not.

            All tax fees and other expenses go into the middle of the board giving free parking a purpose – to win the pile of cash that each player contributes when paying fees.  I decided that we would deal up half the properties and no other properties could be purchased or housing/hotel expenses until we had each been twice around the board.  Properties could be traded to fulfill an expense – for example, if you land on Boardwalk and have to pay 1400 but do not have that much, player can give up properties as agreed by Boardwalk owner.  Player DOES NOT have to mortgage properties in order to obtain funds.  And you don’t have to build evenly.  If you want to buy one hotel for one property and only one house on the remaining properties, with me as banker, that is allowed.

            I was out of the game after an hour and a half.  I had landed on Boardwalk.  I gave Jenna all of my unmortgaged property plus the less than 100 dollars I had in bills, but the three mortgaged properties I had were returned to the bank – plus all of the housing which is removed when the player loses and has to be repurchased by the new property owner.

            Roland landed on Boardwalk three times during the game and he was finally busted just before Alexa went off.  But Jenna wanted to continue playing forcing Roland to mortgage most of his properties and sell his houses.  But then he landed on Baltic or Mediterranean – both of which had hotels.  So he lost.  That was funny.

            During our game of Monopoly Jenna had played a variety of music on YouTube.  As we listened to Abba, she pointed out “I Have a Dream” and so after our monopoly game and ice cream making, we found some other songs on YouTube to celebrate “having a dream”  We listened to Abba, Tangled, this one, and of course, Martin Luther King, Jr (here)

            As we are down to half a driver and there is a family in my ward short a car and also providing rides for Jenna – we loaned out our second car.  As Roland planned on driving Jenna to the church this morning I wanted to make certain his back was up to it. So I had him help me move the cars so that the one to be borrowed was behind.  He moaned and groaned as he got into the car, but he is stubborn enough to make it work.

            This morning I went along for the ride when he dropped off Jenna.  We were quite near downtown when Roland started honking his horn.  Until we approached closer, I hadn’t even realized there had been a deer in the road (it was still dark and raining).

            Whenever he pulls into the lot, he has a habit of going all the way toward the grassy area before he turns around.  He likes to see how many deer are parked out on the lawn.  I told him we had already seen one deer for the morning and he shouldn’t expect the deer to be camped out in the rain. 

            I don’t know if it was him or Jenna that suggested that there was a difference between the one we saw in the road and those who “go to church”  I think it was Jenna who suggested that some of the deer get made fun of by the other deer because of their desire to be so close to the Mormon Church.  That made me laugh.