Made it to the end!

Well we have made it to the end of another term here at Kaplan!! I have to say in one sense (this class) I am sad to see it come to an end. It has been a fun class and a great group of people! In another sense (My Diseases class) I am NOT sad to see it end. My instructor in my other class is making my life a living hell! She is a very subjective grader, and if it isn't up to her "unknown standards" she marks us down, even though the work is the same caliber turned in for every other class that gets perfect if not great scores. So it is very frustrating to say the least!
And the final nail in the coffin so to speak, was this week when I had no power from Sat. night till Wed. morning! I called and had Kaplan e-mail BOTH my professors to let them know and ask for an extension to turn in my work this last week. ALL I was asking for was like 2 days after I got power back so like Friday. Well Nancy, my Comp professor, TOTALLY is willing to work with!! But my Diseases professor, who will go un-named...said "I NEVER give students extensions due to weather or personal issues, only if the KU servers are down is the only reason I will give an extention."
Now I guess being the easy-going person I am, I don't GET why you have to be like that! I mean I get it is the last week of term, and final grades need to be turned in by next Tuesday, but THIS professor only got done grading our Unit 8 stuff YESTERDAY...so what is the big deal?! And she has been short, and downright rude to us in seminar and e-mails, treating us like we are children and uneducated at that!
I am finding now that some people just have no compassion for their fellow beings. And honestly, I find that sad. Life it way too short to be bitter and/or righteous to others. We need to love each other as best we can and treat people as we want to be treated!
Love and Peace to you, my friends!
Heather

Snowed IN!

     Well I have had a very eventful few days! I moved to the mountains of California up by Sonora a few months ago. We had our first snow storm this weekend....and while it was gorgeous all the snow we got, we also lost power. This is now our 3rd full day with no power!!! Cooking on a campstove, having the fireplace going 24/7 is an adventure, but I think I am done with the novelty of it all! I had to shovel out the driveway and put chains on my Volvo to get down the hill and across town to my Dad's house to get online. No fun, let me tell you.
     We are at about 3400 feet and the snow level was down to 1200 feet, so needless to say we got tons of snow. I knew moving up here we would get some snow, but this early and this much is very surprising to say the least! Everyone told us that we would get "a little snow, maybe 6 inches all year". Well we have over a foot on the ground right now!
     I am scrambling now to try and get all my remaining homework done while I have a little internet access! My Dad's computer is very old so I had to convert all my documents. And his internet access is sketchy at best sometimes. I guess this is the price I will pay for living in the mountains with a beautiful view and a nice big house.
     Well I guess I am done whining now...LOL...and will get back to my mad dash to get assignments done and turned in!

What Happens If...

My best friend recently lost one of her sisters and another friend's brother had a horrible accident at work and lost his hand and they got me to thinking and reflecting...and crying too!

What happens if...you forget to tell someone you love them and it's your last chance? (Whether it is a family member, a significant other, or just a friend) Do they still know that you loved them, or is that a forever lost admission. It is said you can feel when you are loved, so does it need to be spoken? And can you say it too much that it loses its meaning?

What happens if...you don't get to say goodbye? Will you ever get closure if something happens to that person before you see them again? My Mom passed 20 years ago and I didn't make it to the hospital to say goodbye and to this day, I still have a hard time with it.  

What happens if...you don't make that right turn and you miss something? Was it meant to be or just an act of fate? Are you the master of your own fate, or is it already spelled out for you?

What happens if...you have an argument with someone and something happens to them? Can you live with the fact that was the last thing you said to them? That's why I HATE conflict, and I always make sure when I argue with someone, I make sure before we are done, they know I still love them, but don't agree with them at that particular moment in time.

Because if I have learned nothing else in my 41 years on this planet, it is that nothing is promised to you. You never know when you won't be waking up in the morning. Tomorrows are not promised, they are given to you as a gift, so cherish them as such. Tell those around you how you feel, spoil yourself if no one else will, and remember there is always someone out there that loves you more than you may love yourself!!!

Be blessed, my friends and classmates!

I'm A Mom...To My Dog's At Least!

     I have always known I was the mothering type! I have never had children of my own, but helped my sister raise my two nephews that are now 19 & 21!!! And my dog, Rascal is now almost 11 has been my angel through my health issues before my now live-in boyfriend was around. Rascal is 1/2 Long-hairied Chiahuahua and 1/2 Jack Russell Terrier.







Rascal, my own little Superman!





And now we have a 2 year old dog as well, who we originally got for a mate for Rascal. Well Sophia, named for Ms. Sophia Loren, is a gorgeous dog, IF I say so myself! She is full blooded Jack Russell Terrier and little Miss Personality!!!



Sophia "Laughing" for the camera!





     Well we moved up to the mountains a couple months ago and have a big fenced back yard now for them to run around in. But they both perfer being couch potatoes on the beds in my office! Well this morning, Sophia came in front out back, limping a bit and favoring her front paw. Well the MOM in me went to work!! She doesn't like her paws messed with, but let me look at it. I didn't see anything obvious, but seeing her in pain and hurting just about tore my heart out! Now I know how parents act when a child is hurt! I know some of you think I am nuts for loving and caring about a dog that much, but I do!! LOL.....either you are an animal person or you aren't I guess! 

      I gave her a baby aspirin and put some ice on it, but still haven't found anything like a stinger from a bee or a bite or a sticker up in her paw. She is sleeping now, but I keep looking down to check on her like a Mother Hen! There might be a trip to a new vet in our future if she doesn't show signs of improvement by tomorrow.

     To all those non-dog people out there, I dare you to look at these eyes and not have your heart strings pulled....

Sophia- with a hurt paw....

To Each Their Own I Guess....

     Well as I am getting farther and farther into my writing process for both my classes, I am finding that you truly can't please everyone. I have used the same format for all my papers up until this point. And I might add gotten perfect scores on all my essay papers I have turned in. Yet, this term, my Diseases professor tells me my papers are not formatted correctly, my title page is totally wrong and is marking me down on anything she can subjectively! Now I understand that there is always room for improvement and I am by no means perfect. But if the rest of my professors have given me full credit and I am using the same "template" for every paper, wouldn't you think I am doing it correctly? Or has everyone else been wrong and she is right?
     I am perplexed to say the least. I have written two e-mails to my academic advising team that have gone unanswered, called and gotten no resolve. I have given up complaining to my Diseases professor because every time I do, she finds something new to mark me down for. So I guess my 4.0 is going to come to an end this term. Sad to say, since I bust my you know what to do well in my classes and because of someones' subjective grading I will not get an A in a class. Does this seem fair to anyone?
     I guess I need to stop being so hard on myself if I don't get a 4.0 every term. But it is a principle thing to me. I do things as the instructions say on the course home pages, make sure my assignment are turned in on time or early. I know deep down in the grand scheme of things, whether I pass classes with a C or an A doesn't matter to an employer. But to me it shows I pushed myself and challenged my brain!
     Any advise or comments would be greatly appreciated...have any of you had a professor like this yet? I just am thankful THIS class I have a professor that is on top of things, and is grading per our work not some hidden agenda!!
Thanks, Nancy, you're the best!

Reflection...

     I had the opportunity this past weekend to spend some time with some "old friends" of mine. As you know, I went on a roadtrip to see a musician I have traveled to see for about 10 years now. We have gotten to be what I consider friends over that time. My best friend and I are the ones that normally go to see his shows. Another friend of ours came down from Idaho for this one also, and I hadn't seen her in about 3 years. She has been through a divorce from an abusive husband in that time. It saddened me so much to hear that, she is only in her late 20's. I am so blessed to have the family and friends that I do!

     As we were sitting enjoying Eric's music, and being like schoolgirls again, I realized just how lucky I am! He truly made us see how much he appreciates us supporting him and his music. He has gone from playing bars to big arenas, and now back to bars again to try and build his career up again. It has truly been a rollercoaster ride watching him over the years. We all ended up talking, laughing and reflecting late into the night/early morning. It is so amazing to catch up with people you have known for a long time, whether it be in this case, or high school friends. I think those people that have known you awhile, and been through ups and downs with you, are the people that truly "get" you!



The view at Laguna Beach, (Main Beach)



     As we age, we do get wiser I truly believe. What may bother us in our 20's is nothing in our late 30's/early 40's. I have come to realize now that I am 41, that if people don't like you or can't appreciate you, they don't deserve to be in your life. And I came to a realization this weekend being down in the L.A. area at the beach with all the "pretty people". With all the skinny little beach bunnies around, I came to see what a truly phenomenal man Eric is. He had all these people to choose to flirt and socialize with and he chose us, older, FATTER women to hang with. Now, I have always been a big girl and was brought up to love myself, which I DO. But there are still people out there who aren't as mature and open-minded and choose to judge people just by their looks. I guess when I see the looks and stares from these people and get the snide comments as walk by to go the bathroom...lol...I just have to feel sorry for them. I am lucky to live in California and be raised to not be judgemental. I don't care if you are white, black or purple, skinny, fat, straight, homosexual, you are still a person with feelings and you deserve my smiling at you as we pass on the street and my "Hello". 

 With all the craziness in the world today, I think we all need to love more, laugh more, and above all else, don't let the ignorance and stupidity of the few spoil the greatness of the many! 

Love to all and thanks for listening to the ramblings of my therapy post!  



Road Trip...Last minute is better than nothin!

     Since most of you aren't on my Face Book page and don't know my history...I will give you the Reader's Digest condensed version. I grew up in a musical house, my Dad always had jam sessions at our house, my Mom played piano, I played piano and sang harmony for my Dad from a VERY young age. So I grew to appreciate all different kinds of musical genres. I mainly like Country now though. But not the Bubble-Gum variety of late. I prefer the more traditional, even into rock-a-billy and Alternative Country. I have lots of friends now in the business and travel around to see them when I can.

     A #1 pick for the past 10 years of so is a guy by the name of Eric Heatherly. (Eric's FB page) He is a mix of Country/Rock-A-Billy/Blues all rolled into one of best guitar pickers I have ever heard! And he is a wonderful person too, so that doesn't hurt! We have gotten to be friends over the years and I promote him whenever I can and when he gets out here on the West Coast, my best girl friend and I always get there!!
     Well, now onto my latest road trip. About a week ago Eric sent me a message telling me to keep the 14th open as he had an early birthday surprise for me. Well stupid ME, I thought he was doing a web cast from some show! Come to find out, he had managed to book a show in Southern California for US!!! It is at this divey little tavern in Laguna Beach..RIGHT on the beach...so needless to say I am getting my fanny down there! I am going to have to leave my house up in Tuolumne, CA about 5am to get to the hotel in Laguna Beach by about 3-4ish. LONG drive on my poor sore body, but will be so worth it! We will get to all hang out, go to dinner, then to the show. Then Friday & Saturday we are going to go sight-see at the beach, catch up and visit, and just have a relaxing day. I am gonna plan to stay till Sunday, my birthday, and drive home to hopefully make it to have a family dinner Sunday night. THAT part may be waiting till the next weekend. After that drive back, I may be headed straight for bed!
     So I got both my classes homework done for two weeks in a week so I can relax and enjoy my time away! I hope you all have a wonderful week and weekend!
Love to all!