Song That Makes You Cry (or Almost)

This is a song that my dad used to sing, so it reminds me of him. He used to sing it when he was playing his guitar, just walking around the house doing stuff, or working out in the garage.

Nutsy's Doggie Dash!

This past year has been a hard one for me and my friends and families. The wonderful man pictured above is Paul, my best friend's (Dawn) dad and a loving husband to Dawn's amazing mom. He passed away last year due to complications from chemotherapy for Lymphoma. It was very surprising and so unfair to the world that he should be taken from it.
His pillow in this picture is named Sasha, she was his best buddy. So, in order to do something to help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma and honor the memory of Paul, Dawn and her family have started a fun 5K run/walk that welcomes all comers and, of course all pets! Sasha will be there for sure!
Details-
First Annual Doggie Dash!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
9:00 AM

North Creek Park Farmington, Mn
Upper 182nd Street West and Echo Drive.
You can come and walk, come and run, come and push a stroller, or come and volunteer. If you want more information on the event, or want to sign up please visit the site here.
You know it will feel good to get outside after this winter!
Thank you for your support.

Dream House

This is as close as I could come using just an image search. I call these houses gingerbread houses. I don't know why. I have always liked them, and I love all of the different greenery in the yard as well. This looks to be a house with character, and I like that. If I could have my dream house and lived in the city this would be it. I would also want a glass paneled door.

Yet, when i was growing up one of my friends lived in the coolest log cabin home. It was beautiful. Ever since then log cabins have always held my attention and awe. This one is considered a luxury version. I love the three different levels of walkout, and off to the left it has a patio with a huge chimney fire, this is right off of the kitchen for convenience. Of course my log cabin would have to be in the mountains. Where else could you properly place and enjoy a log cabin such as this one.

A Non Fiction Book

NonFiction-

–noun


1. the branch of literature comprising works of narrative prose dealing with or offering opinions or conjectures upon facts and reality, including biography, history, and the essay ( opposed to fiction and distinguished from poetry and drama).

2. works of this class: She had read all of his novels but none of his nonfiction.

3. (esp. in cataloging books, as in a library or bookstore) all writing or books not fiction, poetry, or drama, including nonfictive narrative prose and reference works; the broadest category of written works.

(see the reasoning for this post in the following post)

A Fictional Book

Fiction-

–noun


1. the class of literature comprising works of imaginative narration, esp. in prose form.

2. works of this class, as novels or short stories: detective fiction.

3. something feigned, invented, or imagined; a made-up story: We've all heard the fiction of her being in delicate health.

4. the act of feigning, inventing, or imagining.

5. an imaginary thing or event, postulated for the purposes of argument or explanation.

6. Law . an allegation that a fact exists that is known not to exist, made by authority of law to bring a case within the operation of a rule of law.

This was on this list as something to blog about, but I couldn't figure out exactly what they were looking for as they had already asked for books in the first several days. So this is what I did instead seeing as I work in a bookstore and I KNOW there are plenty of people out there who don't know the difference between fiction and Non fiction so here it is, spelled out for you.

Something I am OCD about

I don't really have anything that I can think of that I am OCD about. I have things that I have issues with, but not to the extent that I consider it OCD. The one obsession I do have is with hair. I hate hair that has been separated from its source. It makes me gag, hack, and flinch. I cant clean out my own hair from my own brush because I end up gagging, and the feel of it makes me shiver. Just the sound of it being pulled from the brush is enough to set me off. Wet hair is the worst, but I really hate hairs that suddenly appear on things and there is no discernible source to trace them to.
I believe that this phobia if you will, can be traced back to when I was about 4 or 5 and was eating some boxed mac and cheese and felt a hair in my mouth, however when I reached in to pull it out half of it had already gone down my throat so I had to pull it out of my throat, gagging the whole time. It was my hair. This would explain the gagging and the reason that even my own hair bothers me.

Photo Of Me Recently

This photo was taken...I don't really know why it was taken. Just that I was making a kissy face and we were by the lake in Duluth.

Photo Taken Over 10 Years Ago

6th grade school photo. The only one that mom let me pick out what I wanted to wear!

Okay, Okay, Okay....Okay.

So, I started out this semester registered for my Capstone, and an online Greek class that I had already taken. (bummer). That left me the day before classes were to start (when I realized my mistake) searching and searching for a new online class to take. I always prefer to take one online class during spring semester simply because the weather is so unpredictable. It also makes it easier when I don't have to drive all the way out to the different campuses ( yes plural-one in St. Paul, one in Midway and one in Mpls) twice a week in the cold weather, on both me and my car.
I did not find an online course and had settled myself in to take a Wednesday DAY course about museums and galleries. I knew there would be some transporting of myself involved, however I thought this would mean that I would be responsible for getting myself to and from each place on my own time. NO, nononono. Apparently we are to visit the different museums and galleries TOGETHER, as a class, but we have to all get ourselves there AFTER we meet at campus, and pay 2.50 to park in the parking lot for an hour.
So, I was going to have to drive from Chaska, to St. Paul, park, walk in to meet for 20 min to an hour. Then I would have to get back in my car and drive to a second meeting place in MPLS (they are all in mpls) possibly pay to park again, some days drive to a third location, and then drive home. This struck me as asinine. I was not excited about the logistics of this class AT ALL.
My friends and I had also been trying to plan a trip for late March and since all of the museum visits would be done during class there was no way to miss class! This eliminated all chances of travel until summer! So, I went back on the school website on the off chance SOMEONE had the decency to drop an online class that I could take, AND THEY DID! Yipee!

A Photo That I Took.

This is one of the flowers that was still growing in fall (October? November?) when we went to tour Glensheen up in Duluth. It was about the size of my face!

School As the New Prozac?!

Yesterday was my first day of class in the Spring 2011 semester. While I found the idea of driving from one side of the city to the other in the not ideal weather conditions not a real stirring reason to leave my warm abode I got ready and set off into traffic anyway. By the time I had run an errand for my mother, battled traffic on Crosstown, and 94, I was running, well not late but darn close. So, by the time I got on campus, parked and walked into the classroom there was little time to laugh and joke with some of the people I have come to know through my program. Yet, as the class started I found myself in a better mood being in the classroom than I have in any other place in my life lately. My spirits were lifted, I was just happy being there for the time. I didn't think or worry about others, and problems in my life. I just focused on me and what this was going to bring me. One step closer to my degree. It is starting to seem real I guess.

I Thought It All Looked...Familiar.

Tomorrow I start the Spring semester of school. The second to the last semester before I graduate after about 10 years in college. After that long things are bound to be a little fuzzy; stuff like if I have taken a class or not... So I was all jazzed about my classes for this semester. Last semester I signed up to take my Lit Capstone (required to graduate) and an online course about Classical Greece. All was well in the educational word of JoAnnaland. Until tonight. I ordered my books a couple weeks ago and had them delivered to the house and something about the titles were nagging at me. Sure many of the books looked familiar, but I work at a freakin book store! I could have shelved the same titles over and over within my time as a book seller. That could have been what I was remembering. Then I came across one of the books titled "Greek Lyric". If you ever have to read this book, you will remember it. It is not a horrible book, boring, or mind numbing (at least for an English major with a interest towards history), but it is structured in such a way that you will remember reading it. Greek Lyric is a book full of the ancient poets of Greece, separated by poet, and theme. The depressing ones that write about death, go here. The ones that write about love, they go in there, yada yada.
When I first got my books for my classes I had somewhat of a sinking feeling when 3 out of the four books looked familiar. I should have payed attention to the feeling. I didn't. Not until this evening when the idea that the class started tomorrow and I just better make sure everything was kosher...
I went online and sure enough it had wiped my perfectly good grade from the first time I took it and had me repeating it! GAH! I had one night to pick a new class, because said class might start at 9am tomorrow! After much fiddling trying to get my computer to hook up to the Internet:( and searching for online courses, as that is what I was giving up,  :(   I finally found 2 classes that wouldn't have me crying by the second day, one was about information access and research (and online), the other was an art class about Museums and Galleries and met Wednesdays from 1-420. While the Museum one had more of my interest I was all for the online one. However, after registering I realized that it would leave me 2 credits short of graduation, as the info class was worth less credits than the museum course. GRRRRR! I now am registered for my Capstone and a museum and gallery class. Neither I have taken before. I don't think.

Picture that Makes Me Sad/Angry

This picture makes me sad and angry because I had lost so much weight and proceeded to gain so much of it back.