Week 4!

So, yeah.. its week 4 and I haven’t written a blog since week 1, does that say how NUTS its been!? My senior project class (IST 440W) has taken over my LIFE! We kinda hit the ground running in that class. Day one – everyone had to have a short topic pitch prepared. We each got an index card to write down our top 3 project topics we’d like to work on, top 3 people we want to work with, top 3 people we DONT want to work with. Day 2 – groups made. Week 2 – revised topic proposal PRESENTATION! Week 3 – Official proposal presentation. So yeah, we got to work and haven’t stopped. There are issues, in the works of being resolved, though I’m RARA-MAD-RARA that I am not going to like the “resolution”. You can read ALL about it here at my tumblr blog where I RANT like there’s no tomorrow about it all.

Otherwise, my other classes are going pretty well. I went on a wild goose chase to find a copy of The Crucible (that I thought I already owned) and ended up buying a Sony Reader. Which I love. I will definitely be buying more e-books and stuff for it. I will also blog more extensively about it another time because it really does deserve the attention.

Lets see.. Lion Ambassadors elected a new VP and Boobies Ball planning is well underway. I need to appoint my decorating crew and see what kind of money I have for said decor. Advertising is.. aware.. although not really “underway” yet, its still kind of early. We are having the ribbon sale the end of the month, so that will kind of be the first “advertising” for Boobies Ball. I want to try to get with Blue and White about some other kind of advertising  help.

I haven’t actually been to more than ONE Blue & White meeting because of this 440W project RUNNING MY LIFE! I went to the first one, missed the second because I had to interview a “client” (read: professor) as part of the project (that I will also explain in another post.. because this is gettin long to begin with), AND I’m going to miss this week’s because of my team is being called to the principal’s office… I MEAN PROFESSOR!… to aparently discuss the issue(s). Read the rant linked above, at most you’ll be amused by my use of shortcuts to avoid using really harsh language.

And I think thats all.. classes – underway.. clubs – underway.. Surviving at the moment.. not bald.. soo it hasn’t made me crazy. YET!

Week 1

The first week of classes is just about over, I have no classes today but I have one tomorrow morning.  So far, I’m… not dead.. so thats good. I am really enjoying my literature class, even though we haven’t really started reading the books yet. This is partially due to the bookstore not having them all yet (and mine from Amazon not due until tuesday next week), and the first week is always the intro information to the course. We talked about the witch huntings in europe and the US, the first book we are going to read is called Witch Craze and its about the witch craze in Nazi Germany and europe. Its more historical than the more fun books we’ll be reading later, but I think it’ll still be interesting. We also talked about the connection of witches to women, to Eve and the apple. These are things that were always there in front of me but I never thought about it. Eve is supposedly responsible for original sin, because she took the apple from the tree..  witches are supposed to be evil (sinful) and in a lot of drawings are represented with an apple, all the way through Disney’s snow white… the witch gives her the poisoned apple!

My other classes are IST classes, but I’m ok so far, not in a full panic – yet. The senior capstone course, IST 440w, is going to be huge. We have our groups, we’re finalizing a topic that needs to be  handed in/presented to the class next wednesday. This is the one I’m most worried about, because its so huge, although I have complete confidence in my group. IST 421, which is.. I’m not exactly sure, I’m going to say Integration, that doesn’t seem like its going to be too bad. This professor chooses the groups, so I’m not sure who I’ll have as group members I can only hope that the randomizer puts Jess and I in a group together (although I can’t get my hopes up..). The last course, IST 331 is the one I’m taking online through World Campus, shouldn’t be bad, I looked at the project thing we have to do and it really shouldn’t be too hard. Jess is going to be my partner, I’m not sure if we’ll get another person. Its weird with it being an online course were I know Jess and I are in the same place but the rest of the students could be anywhere.

World of Warcraft has been sorta sidelined, I did play over the weekend some. I think my Death Knight has gotten to level 63. I haven’t been focused as much on leveling as usual because I’m trying to get the professions caught up to the level and the level area where I’m questing. So I do some quests, go do some mining and jewelcrafting, train those if I can, do some more quests. I’ve also been doing battlegrounds, I’m not all that good at it, I mean I do what I can, but the way it works is that you’re grouped by level range.. so at 63 there could be anywhere from 60-70 in there, and with higher level horde (i’m alliance) in the same battle its sometimes hard to beat them. I don’t get a lot of killing blows, but I do get my hits in. I’m sure as I level, and keep doing them, I’ll get better. I have my eye on this nice piece of armor that I can buy with my honor points and badge things you get for competing or winning the battle. I have enough badges, but I’m short 900 or so honor points, so.. I’m working on that too. I never had epic pvp gear before. I’m still afraid to take my druid into a bg, because even though she’s level 80, her gear is horrible and against other level 80s I don’t think she’d last very long.

Club Fest is next tuesday. Lion Ambassadors and Blue and White society will be represented, check out the tables and join!

American Idol started its new season, I actually caught most of the show yesterday and only the last half hour on tuesday.  Its just the auditions, I’m not sure when Hollywood Week is. I’m actually paying attention this year. I’m curious to see which past Idols will come back as guests this season.  Probably at some point Adam Lambert and Kris Allen (they always have the winner and the runner up), hopefully some others. The amount of talent that came out of last season though, its pretty amazing. Adam is still my favorite.

Back to the grind

Christmas was good, New Years was good (although I do still miss the Mummers Parade!), and now its time to get back to work. I’m working today and Wednesday, and half of Thursday. Tomorrow I am driving my dad to Philly to an appointment at the VA hospital, well I’m dropping him off there, then going to see Chrissy to do the Christmas present exchange. Its not the way I would have liked to do that, but I’ll take what I can get. On Friday I am hoping that my refund is in so that I can buy my textbooks and supplies. I don’t need much in the way of supplies though, so thats good.

I have lots of gift cards to spend: Borders, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, regular Visa, its gonna be fun to spend those. I already know what part of the Visa is going toward, a new planner. I want to be organized this semester, with Graduation coming up, I can’t miss anything.  I spent a little of my Borders card on this, a Calendar mousepad! It is really neat, its weekly sheets bound into a mousepad, you rip off each week. Its got sections for top priority, tasks, correspondance, and errands for each day, and a big block for notes at the bottom. I brought that one to work, I thought it’d be nice to have to write work and school stuff on to remind myself of things. I might go back and buy one for home. lol

As mentioned last time, I was looking forward to my week to do nothing. It was pretty successful. I mostly worked on my new Death Knight, I leveled to 62, played some more battlegrounds, and spent time working on professions. What is nice about a death knight is that you start at level 55, but whats bad about that is that you need to go back to the lower level zones to level your chosen professions. First I had to find where to go, I knew I wanted mining and jewelcrafting. So I needed to find the trainers, then figure out where I go to level up. I found a good website with maps and stuff, I got over 100 in mining and to 75 in jewelcrafting but I forget where the trainer is so I have to find it again and train so I can make more stuff. I also leveled fishing from 1 to 125 pretty quick which helped level cooking also. I remember leveling cooking on my druid in a matter of a weekend, but she was already 75 or so at the time. Its so helpful to have that leveled as you go so that you don’t have to buy food, fish helps too.. you can cook it most times. What is weird though is that I’m so used to having to worry about health and mana, but DKs don’t have mana.. which is good (less to carry in drinks, but northrend fish heal health AND mana.. which won’t matter lol). So, I’m hoping to get that leveled pretty quick into the 70s.. and repped.. so maybe I’ll get better in battlegrounds and get better gear. But I really only have this week and weekend that I can be focused on WoW, after that i’ll be back to CLASS and that whole grind. Then GRADUATION! YAY!

Speaking of graduation, mom already has half the party planned. Meaning, the menu and location at the very least. Patti has been ‘helping’ with that too lol its like they can’t WAIT to get started. Its in MAY peoples, I realize thats 4 months away but still. MAY. Its January.  I am excited though, its hard to believe I’m registered for my last 4 classes in my undergraduate degree. wow.

2 days till Christmas

Today is my last day of work until January 4th! WOO! I could have worked tomorrow, but I will be out shopping. About 8 inches of snow, not to mention a cold that won’t go away, fell on my finishing my shopping over the weekend. SO! I’ll have to do that tomorrow. I only have one person (Chrissy!) to buy for, OH YEA and one more thing for Jon.. that I hope I can find tomorrow. Jon is coming over Christmas eve (weather permitting), so I’ll be able to give him his gifts then. Who knows when I will be able to get to Philly to take Chrissy’s and her family’s presents down. Hopefully in the week between Christmas and New Years, but I dunno.

Grades are in, and I did ok. I DID pass Statistics, with a C! WOO! I could have done better in other classes, but what matter is that I passed what needed to be passed. My schedule next semester is a good one. I have 1 classes on monday, one class tuesday night, 2 classes on wednesday, NO CLASS on thursday, and one class friday morning. I am taking IST 440W (M-W 2pm) which is the senior project class, IST 421 (T night) which I forget exactly what that is, IST 331 (online, through world campus) which is human computer interaction, and an Comparative Literature elective so that I am full time.

I am looking forward to the CMPLIT course because the topic is the witch in literature, and some of the required reading includes Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Wicked. I am going to pick up a copy of Wicked, and the other book mentioned over break so that I can start reading something. I have a copy of Sorcerer’s Stone, but I might pick up a cheap paperback if I’m gonna need to highlight in it.

What I am most looking forward to (after Christmas of course) is the week where I get to do nothing. And by nothing I mean play world of warcraft. Which, I decided the other night to start a night elf death knight. I am loving being a death knight. The start zone was a little tricky, you need to finish all of the quests in the start zone before you can leave and do other quests. The good thing is that you start at level 55, and in the starting zone alone it is possible to level to 58. I was starting some outside quests when I met someone who asked for help with a quest, another newbie death knight, which.. we couldn’t even kill the 3 elites together so we went on to some other quests. He queued us for the Alterac Valley battleground. I’ve never been in a BG before (without dying 2 seconds in), but it was actually kinda fun. I got some achievements too! My level 60 death knight has seen more battleground/pvp action than my level 80 druid.. and has the achievements to prove it. I want to work on reputation and achievements on my 80, but I think I’m going to work a lot on leveling my death knight and going back for rep on that too (since they don’t really start in one of the 5 classic zones).

Final Week!

I take my last final tonight.. I am so glad, I’m totally ready to be done with this semester. I have one grade posted so far, a C+ in Discrete Math. I had hoped for a B, but I know I didn’t do good enough on the final for that. I had thought that might happen. I got the same grade at CCP when I took ‘computer math and logic’ which is the same type of course.  I have done many worst case scenarios using the gpa prediction tool, no matter what happens, I’ll be fine. I just need to do good next semester. Which, for some reason I always do bad in the Fall and better in the Spring. I’m pretty sure I will be taking Statistics in the spring, online through world campus. I expected that though, everyone I talked to failed it the first time they took it. I had put it off so long because of that. I’m keeping all my notes to refer to just in case. I wouldn’t mind taking the same professor next semester if I could get into a classroom class, but.. they’re all full. I might do better online, it worked miracles for calculus. I’m still waiting for grades to be posted, but they’ll all probably be in by Monday at the latest.

Tomorrow is Friday, I don’t have any finals and I don’t work AND I get paid.. so I am going to finish my christmas shopping.. and wrapping.. ribbon and bow-ing.. and of course baking. I also offered to come bake at Jon’s apartment so he can have some cookies made when his mom and aunt come to visit him after christmas. The only shopping I have left is one thing for Jon (he’s going to yell that I spent too much, but I don’t care.. he’ll love everything) and stuff for Chrissy. I have ideas as to what I’m going to get her, at least 2 little things, and I have one little thing already. And I’m getting PSU shirts for the 2 girls that walk my dog.

During the break, I plan to get some time in World of Warcraft again. I’ve been checking in to download the latest patch and the little patch updates that happen after a patch hits that fix whatever the patch breaks. I haven’t actually completed any kind of quest in a while. I want to do some rep-work with my 80 druid, and work on some achievements that I can get (like questing or profession achievements). Since I don’t do dungeons or raids, I’m kinda out of stuff to do on that one until I meet some people that can show me how… without getting killed when something looks at me. My gear kinda sucks too so maybe with dailys and rep quests I’ll get more gold and can buy something worth doing dungeons in. I also have a human warlock and a blood elf mage that are low level that I can work on, and in my head I want to roll a tauren druid and a night elf death knight, maybe I’ll do one of those. I’ve also been making the effort to go into pogo and get my weekly badges in there – a game site that I paid for last year that I hardly played over the past year due to my increasing WoW obsession.

Contstruction Cam!

You can now watch the construction of our new residence hall LIVE by clicking here.

Finals!

Next week is finals week. I am so glad, I’m ready for this semester to be over. My “easy online courses” turned out to be a pain in the rear and not as easy as they were supposed to be. I’m totally ready for this to be done. My fall semester always sucks compared to my spring semesters. My fall grades are always worse than my spring grades, I always do worst-case scenario gpa predictions on elion just to make sure my overall gpa isn’t going to tank below 2.0, which it never does.. so thats good. I will have 4 or 5 classes next semester, depending on how my stat class ends up. I could get a D, in which case I would have to take it again. I have heard horror stories that people don’t pass the first time.. I am just horrible with numbers so I kinda thought it was good that I had room in my last semester in case I needed a re-do. It will be an online course through world campus because all of the spring sections of stat are full, but thats ok.. I tend to do better in online math courses, I can’t explain it. *I* got a B in CALCULUS over the summer, its UNHEARD OF!

This week is presentation week, I have 2 today and 1 tomorrow. Glad to get them out of the way too, I hate presenting. In general. I’d rather write an ungodly long paper all by my lonesome than do a group presentation.. and talk in front of the class.

Christmas shopping is.. 80% finished. I have presents purchased AND wrapped for my parents. I have my boyfriend’s presents, they just aren’t wrapped yet. I might get him one other thing. I like to have everything for one person before I wrap stuff in case I run out of paper, I’m weird in the sense that a person’s gifts have to all be in the same paper. Of course, I wouldn’t run out, the paper I’m using for him isn’t even open yet.

A funny thing, un-related to school, but totally related to christmas.. I bought my mom and I Bon Jovi tickets for Christmas. There aren’t many concerts that my parents would go to that I would go to willingly as well. Last year I got them (and myself) Meatloaf tickets, that was fun. This year, its just me and mom, because the concert is in Philly and it would be hard to travel with both power chairs. So, the funny part. I had asked my dad to simply CALL the Wachovia Center and find out how much tickets were in the handicapped section. So, he tried and couldn’t get through. I tried from school and couldn’t get through. I finally got to the point I was going to call my dad and ask if he thought mom would like Rockettes tickets instead.. but I couldn’t get him either. When he called me back, he had PURCHASED the tickets.. using their bank account. That my mom checks. Everyday. To make sure the checkbook is balanced. So uhm. Yeah, dad had to make up a story as to why he bought the tickets.. and that I would put the money back.. and yeah. So, dad told her they are wrestling pay-per-view tickets for me and him for a show in February. So mom was yelling, probably all day.. about how dad knows its close to christmas and why did he need to spend ALL that money for tickets he got for much less a few weeks ago. And on and on.. for a while. And so I sit there, looking in their online bank thing to get the exact amount I had to give back. This is when mom says I HOPE IT SNOWS! THEN YOU CAN’T GO! I almost fell off the chair laughing. Basically a recap of this happened last friday when I got paid and gave her the ticket money back along with my cell phone bill money. At which point I almost fell over laughing again. She is gonna be so surprised. I put thing in a hard eyeglass case and wrapped that. Its gonna be fun.

This past weekend, PAN, was a lot of fun. More people should have been there, but its ok. Those who were there had fun. They raised over $1000, which is awesome for the first time an event happens. The committee did awesome!

The Home Stretch

There is just 2 weeks (including finals) left in the semester. It kind of went quickly.  I’m glad though, I hope next semester goes by quickly too, and then graduation!! WOO!

Classes are starting to wrap up, projects are getting done, presentations are being put together. I’ll be glad when they’re done. I hate this part of the semester because of all the presentations. I still think my mouth looks funny when I talk and that I sound funny when I talk because the nerves STILL haven’t fully come back into my face from the bells palsy. But I think its gonna be something I’m gonna have for a while, possibly forever. I mean, Jim Ross (wrestling announcer) has it too, and has a long as I can remember.. I think he had a stroke though, before I mean. I just woke up that way one morning.

Over Thanksgiving Break I finally reached level 80 with my druid in world of warcraft. I’m still questing (for the gold) with that toon, and doing dailies to get my cooking and fishing skills up, and workin on achievements. I’m not sure what else I can do to get ready for the new expansion. I don’t do instances (unless they’re 30 levels lower adn i’m taking someone else through). I want to max out my professions and skills so that when the new stuff comes in the expansion, a new secondary, I can focus on it and not have to worry about the others. I want to start some new toons, new combinations.. I might run a tauren druid as a horde toon, since I know how druids work and I really like the shape-shifting. It might level quicker since I know a little of what to expect and have experience with the forms and stuff, it would just be new zones (that I’d like to get used to, because i have a warlock and a mage sitting in horde territory that are still like under level 20). And also, a death knight. Its over a year since Lich King came out, and I still haven’t created one. I might even wait for cataclysm and just create a worgen death knight.. use both expansions new things.. although I guess it would make sense to learn how to use a DK before creating a new race AND class combo.. since DKs start at level 55, I’d miss out on the start zone for the new race. AHH such decisions. lol

And thats about all.

OH! PAN – PSH All Nighter – is this friday. Its a dance marathon where all the proceeds get included in our campus’ total THON donation. Come on out and dance FTK! Starts at 6, $10 donation to get in.

Whats on your repeat?

Its been a couple weeks, I keep getting sidetracked. I think of something that might be fun and useful to write about then I forget about it by the time I have a chance to sit and write an entry.

Since my stat professor cancelled class for tomorrow morning (friday), after tonight’s class I don’t have classes till after thanksgiving. I have 2 assignments to work on over break, but thats ok, I can still sleep in. I could work monday – wednesday, but I haven’t decided if I’m going to yet. I’m still toying with the idea of a quick overnight trip to Philly one day, but I’d be back in time for work the next day anyway if I decide to do it.

I’m going back to the blog topics from before, todays is 10 Guilty Pleasures.. i’m tying that into the songs most spent repeating on your itunes/ipod/media player thing.. and other things that aren’t music related. This is the time in the semester where the last thing I want to think about is school and classes, so these things allow me to slip away from that. So, here is my list:

1. World of Warcraft – 79! Finally! I’m about 2/3 of the way to 80. Lately I’ve been spending time on maxing out cooking (done!) and fishing (working on it) and working on achievements. I have some quests to do, which I will cause I also want the gold so when I hit 80 I can train in dual talent and so on. But yeah,definitely a good way to let my mind wander.

2. All things Twilight – I’ve read them all. Saw the Twilight movie countless times. Will see New Moon this weekend. I often go back over my favorite blogger’s Twilight recaps posts, especially her Breaking Dawn recap.

(now for some songs)

3. For Your Entertainment – Adam Labert’s first single off his album that comes out.. next week. There are actually 3 songs on his website and I listen to them A LOT. Aside from Time For Miracles from 2012 (the movie), its not the kind of music I usually listen to – but omg I love it. lol its strange. I put my headphones in at work and just let em play.

4. Kris Allen’s remake of Heartless.. any version.. the idol one or the album one. I’m not into rap, or Kanye, but I know the original because Jon listens to EVERYTHING soo I’m subject to alot of music.. and its an ok song. Kris Allen, playing the acoustic guitar and slowing that song down so we can all actually understand the words makes it better. At the same time, -Kris Allen- singing that song -so we can all understand the words – is also the FUNNIEST THING I’ve ever heard. I like Kris Allen.. and I have no issues with Kanye.. but omg. Think about it! How does the line “cold as winter wind when it breeze yo.. just remember you’re talkin to me tho” (or somethin like that.. words could be slightly off although i’m listening to it now) sound coming *slowly* out of Kris Allen.. compared to being rapped out by Kanye.  So yeah, I like the song, and I can listen to it without chuckling.. now.

5. Party In the USA – Miley. Normally.. I’d hate anything teenybopperish like this. But, again, I heard this song at Jon’s and it kinda stuck. I dunno. lol its an upbeat kinda song.

6. Pepsi – I’m addicted to it. I love pepsi. I get a little crazy when I’ve had too much, like wired in a way. Its the sugar and the caffine in mass quantities that make even my best friends want to run screaming. But, I gotta wake myself up SOMEHOW.

7. Facebook games. My current addictions – farmville, farmtown, and fish life. I really do have to check my farms, harvest my stuff, sell it for coins aand make sure I do that before it withers. The fish tanks need cleaning, fish need fed, and when they’re adults they get sold. I just started with that game, but it levels quickly.. I’m too easily amused sometimes.

8. Twitter – just. twitter. I’ve said more than once I’m kinda hooked on twitter. I check it ALOT, make replies.. read stuff.. yeah. twitter.

9. Podcasts – this comes and goes, well not really.. I just remember to check for new episodes or I don’t. I listen to 2 Harry Potter podcasts, a twilight, and a world of warcraft. I think I’ve been listening to PotterCast adn MuggleCast for like 2 years or so, never sent them email.. till today I sent the one girl a twitter @ message about something she was noticing in World of Warcraft. Been listening to the WoW one for a couple months, I finally got caught up on all the back episodes I could download.. sent them mail this week too.. asking a question. I’ve never done that. So yeah, definitely into listening to podcasts.

10. (can you believe I don’t have a 10th.. yeah, can’t think of any more)

So there it is, my top 9! What are yours? Drop me an email, I could use some conversation on this blog.

Making Strides

I have a couple of things to catch up on here. First, for purely academic purposes I went to play bingo a few weeks ago, and look, I won a game! I wrote a paper for my American Studies class about bingo players and their routines. It was an interesting paper to do research about. I play bingo a lot, or as often as I my bank account will let me. It was nice to be able to take something I enjoy doing and write about it for a class. I submitted my topic suggestion for our second paper, we needed to pick a movie and talk about a social problem or statement. I chose Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (we had to focus on one), and I’m going to (if its accepted) talk about the family theme. Harry’s parents were killed when he was a baby, raised by an aunt and uncle who didn’t really want him, then finds out he’s a wizard and makes friends in that world that become like family.

This past weekend, as one of our community service events for this semester, blue and white society participated in the Making Strides walk for the American Cancer Society. It was raining, and a bit cold, but otherwise not a bad walk. It was the first 5K I’ve ever done, and I made it the whole way, so yeah, it wasn’t bad. This is the sign we were given to carry, Cori donated her blue and white ribbons to help decorate it.

As you can see, I’ve been using links to twitpic for pictures recently. That just makes it easier to cross-post them between my twitter and my blogs (and facebook if I remember).

I had planned to write something in the Chris Brogan blog topics, but I don’t see a way to work in the one I picked. I will get back to that. But for now, I have a meeting in a few minutes so I better get to that.. soo till next time!