As I’ve said before, I consider this blog as a diary of sorts for myself and I guess that’s why I’m not likely to stop posting (oh, lucky you! For some reason, I feel the need to record this.

Some of you know, I returned to college about a year ago. Yup, at my ripe old age of…. never mind, you don’t need the details! I never finished my degree way back when and just decided it was time. I can honestly say, I’ve been really, really enjoying this experience! Well, until this semester that is…

Last semester, I took Algebra 1 and I was completely horrified at the prospect. I was very fortunate to have a wonderful “tutor” in one of the guys I work with and I managed to complete that course with an “A”. I was so, so excited and yes, I was even proud of myself! I was so looking forward to progressing straight into Algebra 2 this semester! “Woohoo”, I though, “I can do this!” Then, Week 1 quiz? An “F”. The instructor seemed to think us students should be able to complete 21 algebra questions in 35 minutes. I was upset, horrified and maybe even a bit angry. I had worked hard at it (got an “A” on the homework!) Though, I was also somewhat relieved when I learned that I was not alone in my failure. The other students did just as poorly.

Today was the last day to drop that class. Last Friday, I did the only thing I could think to do and I emailed the instructor from Algebra 1 to see if she planned to teach Algebra 2 at any time in the near future. Did y’all hear my excitement where you are when she replied that she’s teaching it in the spring?!?!?! Now, I don’t consider myself afraid of a challenge (after all, I’m enrolled in college, folks, at my age….!) but I’m “afraid” of this teacher. Though she’s making adjustments as she goes (which is scary in itself), I just feel she’s too unpredictable. Its her first time teaching an online course and, I’m sorry, but I’m just not willing to risk my GPA (an A!) while she figures it all out.

I was disappointed that I would be losing an entire semester but then looked into a second-half course and will be enrolling in that for February, then back to Algebra in April. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders and I’m again telling myself “I can DO this!” Life is good….

Potatoes. Yes, that is a batch of mashed potatoes that I made over the weekend. I use a hand mixer to whip them and when I finished and removed the mixer, I looked down and those gosh darned mashed potatoes were looking back at me and… SMILING!!!!!

Seriously. I couldn’t make this sh*t up if I wanted to!

…grilling dinner when all of a sudden, the skies opened up. We were getting torrential downpours and it felt almost surreal to be sitting in the great outdoors, with rain pouring down all around us, yet we were cooking on the grill and staying completely dry. That’s another bonus at the “new” house – it can be pouring rain, yet we can still enjoy our yard!

As we sat listening and watching the rain, suddenly the sky was lit up by some of the brightest lightening I think I’ve ever seen and that was soon followed by some of the loudest thunder I think I’ve ever heard. It rumbled and rumbled and rumbled and rumbled! It seemed like it rumbled for minutes on end!

At one point, Brian had to get something inside so he ran through the rain and around the corner to go into the garage. Just as he took that corner, the sky lit up again and it was like everything around him was white. It was really a bizarre scene and I sat there thinking “holy crap!” when suddenly, another “CRASH! BOOM!” of thunder. I was so wrapped up in the site of everything being white that I wasn’t ready for that and I literally let out a scream (hopefully none of the neighbors were out cause I can only imagine what they’da been thinking!)

The entire experience lasted maybe 20 minutes. It was beautiful, surreal, thrilling and scary, all at the same time. Next time one of those goes through? I’m thinking I might just reconsider whether I enjoy it from the great outdoors again. Maybe I’ll just go inside and enjoy it from a slightly safer venue!

On a side note… that picture is a few years old now. Its amazing how much better the grass is looking these days!!!

I “met” Sandy on the ‘net some six years ago! She had to travel to the city where I work for a conference so we got to meet after all these years! Sandy is from Oklahoma and also works at a university. That is only the beginning of the similarities in our lives. Its amazing how two people, with two different backgrounds, from two different parts of the country, that randomly met on the internet can have so much in common.

We spent more time together than I should probably admit (considering I was at work!) but from the moment she hopped on that shuttle bus until the time we parted ways, we chatted away like we had actually known each other for six years! It was a wonderful time and left me to wondering how fun it would be to meet more of my friends I’ve met on the ‘net!

One of Sandy’s stories got me to thinking. Well, thinking might be an understatement. I’m thinking I was doing something a little more like philosophizing. I don’t have time to right it out now, but I will. Come back soon!

It was truly a surreal experience. Late morning, I suddenly started getting an incredible headache. I took a couple Tylenol while wondering what the heck was causing me to suddenly get a headache in the middle of the day. I went about my business and then around 1:30, the pain was becoming excruciating. So I chugged down a couple more Tylenol. I was looking at my computer monitor and my eyes just didn’t feel right. I said to myself, “Maybe I better see if I can move my eye appointment up!”

I leaned back and pressed on my eye lids, trying to will the pain away. I was rubbing my temples, as that has helped in the past. Ouch, ouch, ouch. I was getting ready to go lay down on one of the couches in our area when I suddenly found myself shaking. WTF?!?!?! Was I about to black out????

Then people started emerging from their offices with the news that we had just experienced an earthquake. In Massachusetts. “WTF?!?!?!”, I repeat. As the day progressed, my headache slowly calmed. I thought to myself, could the headache and the earthquake be related??? So, google I did…

“Earthquake sensitive humans may experience physical, random or monthly type hormonal, emotional, and brain activity related responses to those energy field fluctuations. Headaches are among the most common responses. Nausea and dizziness can occur. ”

Apparently, I’m an earthquake sensitive human. Who’da thunk?!?!?!

Turkeys…

…and bunnies…

…and one camera shy deer!

Originally, we just had the plain cheap-o plastic wallplates while we looked for something we really liked:

Then I ordered these:

Fortunately, I only ordered the three that we needed for the backsplash cause hubby says they’re too dark and he doesn’t like them. (I don’t completely disagree but I think they would’ve grown on me.)

So, then I found these:

This time, I only order one (this is getting expensive!) and we’ve decided we like them. Of course, now that we’ve selected something, I want them yesterday! What??? I’m having a cookout next weekend!

Oh, and did I mention that I can’t wait to be able to say “Yes! The kitchen is done!!!!!”

I wish I could tell you I haven’t been posting because I’ve been away on some long, exotic vacation around the world, but that would be a lie. Its just that there hasn’t been a whole lot going on. Well, the kitchen is now 99.9% complete, except those darn electrical covers! Yes, I ordered them. Yes, they arrived. No, they haven’t been installed.

Apparently, our contractor didn’t “nitch” the wall tiles so the screws can fit in. Not a big deal. Just need a dremel to fix that problem. Got one? Nope! Can we borrow one? Yup! Did we? Yup! Did it come with the right size bit? Nope! Can we buy one? Yup! Did we? Yup! Are the wall plates installed? Nope! Is hubby sick now? Yup? Will the wall plates ever get installed? Damn it all, they better! Soon!!!!!!!! Please!!!!!!!!

So, since the “Its done!!!!!!!” pictures aren’t quite ready, I thought I’d share a little itty bitty piece of the kitchen instead. I was scrolling through old photos the other day, when I came across this:

OMG!!!! Have you ever seen anything so funny looking?!?!?! That’s the old island and I never realized just how funny looking it was! The trash barrel used to be under that overhang and now I understand why my first comment to the cabinet guy was “The trash barrel must be hidden”.

Tada!!!!!!

Aaahhhh!!!! Much better!!!!! Its hard to tell from these pics but the new island is a bit bigger than the old one. Probably the best way to compare is to look at how it lines up with the windows in the back room. The new island is actually a few inches longer than the old one. The draw on the side there hides my trash which means the right hand door and draw on the front are actually fake! Yet, I still have as much, if not a little more, storage in the two remaining cabinets.

Love, love, love it!!!!

On a side note, it has to be a compliment when your contractor tells you he was so inspired that he went home and installed dark counter tops in his own kitchen!

Isn’t it a beauty??? The weather has been just right to keep it that way, too! A little rain here and there, lots of sunshine in between! So, what the heck happened here???

I had to do a double take when I looked out on my deck last night:

I’m pretty sure some beast has taken up residence in my beauty-ful plant!!! Those stems didn’t just lean over in pain, they were squished!