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.