Return to Grants Magic

                It was at the end of August or the beginning of September when the library treasurer mentioned a grants program workshop she had signed up for and said the tuition would cover up to four participants.  I don't know if she had mentioned it in hopes I would volunteer - but I did.  She said the program would start in October and I would be receiving email from the instructor - and then I forgot about it.

            In September I attended a meeting in which clipboards were passed around in order for us to sign up for teams which would guide financing, library training, public relations and one other.  There were two that I definitely didn't want to belong to and signed up for training.  But wait . . . what happened with the Grants Magic (here) I had been signed up for?  I told the treasurer I had not received an email.

            This is an eight session class - the great thing about the online sessions is they can be watched at the participant's own pace.  This is good since that by the time I was finally able to log on, the workshop was halfway over.  I started watching the sessions in November.  I wasn't even halfway through the course when I received the final session.  There's so much I need to review now - but I at least have that opportunity.

            It was easier to go through the process when I had only one class, it was easy to take several minutes out of my schedule in order to review the videos and workbooks required for the Grants Magic course, but when I had my Psychology and Programming class side by side, even the bonus "Christmas goodies" had to be put on hold.  Oh, my goodness.  It's a wonder I remember any of it really.

http://www.grantsmagic.org/

            Now that I take only one class this mod and the lecture doesn't take place until Wednesday afternoon,  I have some free time to continue through these sessions - which I really am enjoying.  Hopefully I will gain more confidence that I am able to assist in an efficient way.  Thus far I haven't practiced methods with anyone else on the financial team - which initially I hadn't signed up for, but had received one email that indicated I was on the financial team.  It does make sense, but I have not met with the team as of yet.  I've pretty much been out of the loop with the library since the Children's Summer Reading Program came to its end.  But now that the holidays are over, I need to get back into the swing of things.  Hopefully I'll be more focused and become a leader in my field. 

Somewhere Between Walter and Sheldon

                There is a student in my accounting class who thrives on accounting.  She LOVES accounting.  Her interest is consumed in accounting.  It is her primary focus.  I don't know if she has any other interest. 

                When posting to the discussion, we are suppose to use at least 150 words (some classes say 300;  it depends on the class) and she always uses over 1,000.  At first I thought it was an attempt to show off her knowledge, but after having at least two other classes together, I can see that she is not only knowledgeable but passionate as well.  She wants to share her passion.

                I do not share her passion.  Accounting is a complicated language.  I don't think it needs to be.  I can pick out words that make sense to me, but overall I feel like the character on the outside of the "nerd-circle".  Two television shows come to mind.  Both series of CBS.

https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/scorpion-season-four-ratings/

The first is a drama/crime show called "Scorpion" which is about four geniuses who work for/with a government agent to solve problems that the average human mind wouldn't be able to grasp.  Walter is the over achiever who is academically gifted but totally lacks in reading emotions.  The only person he has ever seemed to be attached to is his sister who had a disability that he wanted to make better. He basically heads the group - or believes that he does.

Happy is the mechanic of the group. She is comfortable with infusing things together and making them work.  She is estranged from her father or any other relationship for that matter.

Toby is the doctor of the group.  He seems to understand what is needed to fix the human body, both physically and emotionally.  He uses humor as a defense mechanism.  Toby likes to gamble.

Spencer is possibly my favorite character of the four.  He's overweight, loves comic con,  excels in any and all forms of arithmetic, is germaphobic.

The first season introduces Paige and Ralph.  Ralph is a boy genius who excels beyond his peers.  He's eager to learn on a college level and understands complicated words - more complicated than accounting.  Paige is his mother.  She doesn't understand her son's mind.  She doesn't understand academic complication.  She doesn't seem to have a great handle on relationships as there have been complications with her mother and Ralph's father.  She does understand emotion and ends up working with team Scorpion even though she is far from being a genius. She has emotional intelligence.  I seem to identify most with Paige as I go through my courses of study: overwhelmed by the complexity of the trade, but understanding the personal aspect of self. 

http://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/

"The Big Bang Theory", a situation comedy, also focuses on four nerds who hang out together.  They are Leonard, Sheldon, Raj and Howard.  All four work at the same University in California.  Three are scientists and one an engineer. All four love comic con, "Star Trek", and "Star Wars". I would be most interested in going out with Leonard and Raj.  I would not want to date anyone like Sheldon or Howard.  Sheldon thinks quite highly of himself.  He's a gifted know-it-all who does not recognize emotions, sarcasm, or why people might find him offensive.  He's a highly exaggerated character who also loves trains.

 Howard can also be offensive - usually to the opposite sex.  He is overly insecure.  He lives with his mom for most of the series.

Penny is their neighbor who, for the most part, has no clue what the others are saying.  The expressions she wears are similar to the ones I wear in accounting.  It seems like she will sleep around with almost any breathing guy.  But even she is revolted by Howard.

I think the classmate I refer to at the beginning is somewhere between Walter and Sheldon.  I don't know that she gets emotions.  She has them, obviously, but they seem to be tucked away far beneath her intellectual passion.  She's asked me for "answers" to other class projects outside of accounting.  I've tried explaining to her that she should not expect to receive a grade based upon my opinion; rather she needs to have her own.  I think the idea of sharing emotional opinion is as foreign to her as accounting is to me.

 Have you ever seen those questionnaires on BuzzFeed or Zimbo that ask "What Disney Princess are You" or "What Scorpion Character" or "Big Bang Charter are you?"  I don't see how anyone can honestly end up with Sheldon or Walter.  I don't believe that either one of them would take the quiz seriously enough to sit down and actually take the time to take the personality quiz - which of course is only done in fun and has no relevance - which is another reason that neither one of them would take it.

To Be a Kid Again

         My mom had given Jenna a pillow pet for Christmas seven years ago.  Jenna loved that pillow pet and treated it as though it were a living breathing creature.  I had recently been reminded of this when I read about her first day back to school after the new year. 

          Before she left the house, she had made me promise that I'd watch her pillow pet (Fudge) and told me what movies it liked to watch and what kind of game it (he) liked to play.  I had actually placed "Fudge" back in her room with a coloring book and crayons.  I decided it would fall asleep and continue to "nap" until she got home.  I did not play games with it (him).

          When I shared this experience on facebook one commenter suggested that I shift things around a bit, mess up the room and tell her that Fudge did it and she would have to make him clean it up.  I did not think about it nor received his message until after I had gone to school to pick her up.  She grilled me on the events of my day and had not been pleased to hear that Fudge had spent the entire day on her bed napping.

          Yesterday I read this following conversation between my niece and my nephew.  I think it's hilarious.

Anna:         All of them were killed by an asteroid and volcanoes.

Gary:           Were more good ones killed or bad ones?

A:                I think more bad dinosaurs were killed

G:               I think all the bad ones were killed

A:                I think all dinosaurs were bad.

G:               I think there were some good ones.

A:                But all the dinosaurs were killed when an asteroid hit the earth in the 1980's

G:               And Volcanoes too

A:                The asteroid made volcanoes when it hit the earth in the 1980's.  It may have been the 1970's . . .  way back then

New Year to Finals

            It is really a sad thing to have finals right after a two week vacation.  Instead of having just one assessment or assignment - all of it is expected from here on.  Every week will be the same.  That is fine for the times I have just one class, but it seems quite challenging this particular week when I have two and have not bounced back with my mind.

            Theoretically I should be working on my assignments or posting a comment to a fellow student on discussion, but I first need to clear out my brain.  Perhaps if I brainstorm here I will have  a better understanding about what to write for my class assignment.

            We're supposed to set goals on improving our self-management.  Yesterday's daily check point had us watch a video on sleep hygiene.  Now there's my inspiration.  I haven't been sleeping well.  I KNOW I need to sleep  better to control my emotional intelligence.  I slept much better as a single person than one who is expected to share a bed.  Forget my disability to find comfort on a flat surface.  Roland and I have never been able to agree on room temperature.   If he's comfortable, I am too hot.  If I am comfortable, he is too cold.

            The air doesn't seem like it will push through the vents unless the thermostat is above 72.  There's another brilliant error design that came with our home.  The thermostat is set between the back door and kitchen and so never does get an accurate temperature of the entire house.  Duh.  Of course we never have the finances to fix or change anything.

            So last night we used a space heater that plugs directly into the wall and is not on the floor. 

   

          

The instructions are quite simple and say that the temperature goes from 60 to 90.  Who in their right mind is going to set it to 90 degrees?  I think 75 is too hot.  At the advice of a column I will reference for my assignment, on suggestion for better sleep is to keep the room cool.  I think 65 may have been a bit too cool - especially for Roland.  He was pleased to see me this morning as I usually wander into the living room during the night;  the air quality in the living room has been the right temperature for me - but the couch is a beast to sleep on.

              I don't know that either one of us really slept any better than we have been.  I usually wake between 1:30 and 2:00 because I'm hot.  My bladder woke me up at 2:30 - ah, the drawbacks of cool verses warmth.  My pipes don't leak in the warmth, but when I'm cold I've suddenly got water bursting through me.  Where does it even come from.  It's not as though I am sipping on Big Gulps during my sleep

 I've also noticed that electric heat seems drier than natural gas.  We don't even have a natural gas option in this house.  I wonder if that is what has contributed to my stomach rash.  It doesn't make sense to me, but is the only thing I can think of that is different from my normal routine - or what started out as routine anyway.

            Still searching for answers.  I do need to eat better, and that will help me sleep.  But I still need to find that perfect t temperature for both of us.

            I hadn't made the connection of exposure to light.  The article discussed getting out in the natural daylight.  There haven't been many hours of light for several days at a time.  It's been overcast, foggy, dim, kind of depressing.  The daylight effects the moods of almost all people.  All the sudden it has made sense to me.  I don't know if this post does, but I plan on posting it anyway.  Take a shower, say a prayer, get on with my day.  Hopefully I will become more alert than I am at present.

New Years Jar

104.9 the River is a radio station in Ohio.  My sister shared this post and I thought:  What a Cool idea!  I have added three "notes" to my jar already.  Think positive!!!!  Yeah!!!!

No! Not the Tree!

I'm really not much of a decorator.  I do put more thought into decorating for Christmas.  It is always so hard for me to take down the decorations - especially the tree.  Jenna must take after me as she is also having a hard time with it.

This year I have decided to make it just a bit easier on myself by taking down something just a bit at a time.  On Tuesday I packed up the books that I had only attempted to look at.  I don't think anyone else did.  On Wednesday I removed the cards from the door.  On Thursday I took down the plush toys that hung around the frame of the mirror.  And each day I would also remove ornaments from the tree.

Last night Jenna went to Roseburg with Roland and I decided to remove the remaining ornaments while they were gone.  I should have waited until daylight.  What was I thinking?  And why has every house I've lived in had such poor lighting in the front room?

The decorations from the outside trees were removed on Friday.  the lights no longer adorned our house.  The inside tree still stands with its light which we will remove tomorrow.  It makes the end of Christmas so final.  And Tuesday is back to school.

Crazy Dreams

I haven't been sleeping well and I somehow seem to remember more detail about my dreams - though I don't fully understand why I would dream them.

The house across the street really is for sale.  Earlier this month I had a dream that my sister-in-law's sister moved in with her daughter and that Jenna and Alex became really good friends.  I knew that Deb would need a job and remembered that they are always looking for teachers but then remember Deb had not gone into teaching but had gone to beauty school and helped her to get a job at a local salon.  I have no idea why I dreamed it.

The dream I had this morning made more sense - except for one part. But I could understand why I had dreamed it as Biff and his living situation has been on my mind and I had just recently  looked at photos that his girlfriend had posted.

I was having lunch with his girlfriend Clarissa and a friend from her photos - I'm guessing her sister. I asked Clarissa to tell me more about how she and Biff had gotten together, and she proceeded to rip some pages out of a booklet or magazine that apparently went into more detail about their  relationship, and then I told her about how Biff and Jeanie had gotten together. It felt strange to have dreamed both.