I received an email toward the end of the week from the the registrar's office at the university from which I recently graduated. "Hey, Aubrey, we just wanted to let you know that we have received your final grades and you did, in fact, meet the requirements for your degree, so we submitted an order for your diploma to be printed."
Hey, guys...thanks! Graduation was a couple of weeks ago, so that would've sucked if it hadn't gone well. Insert all the eye rolls here.
So, remember that weird feeling I had? Well...it was entirely accurate, and it did, in fact, suck. Such is life, I suppose. I don't think it had as much of a negative impact on me as I expected, and this is due (in part) to my being a stubborn ass. At the risk of sounding cryptic (which is usually one of my favorite things), just because any number of scenarios don't work out at a given time, it does not mean that they never will...just not right now. And, oddly enough, I was totally good with that, and so was my brain. It still thinks nonstop, but it's tolerable. Sort of.
Last week, I pulled N out of school midday on Wednesday to take him to meet his father to go the afternoon Rangers game, the last game of the Angels/Rangers series at the Ballpark in Arlington. He had no idea it was happening, so he was confused (and pissed) when he got to the office. After I repeatedly told him nobody died (he was really suspicious because I don't ever let him skip school...for ANY reason, let alone to go to a baseball game), he was kind of okay with it, and even more okay with it when I assured him I wasn't going to the game with them. The Rangers won (yay!), but the game went longer than expected, so he started stressing out over whether or not he would make it to his own doubleheader that night. I suggested he change in the car to save time, and he hated that idea. BUT, when his dad got him to the ballfields with 20 minutes to spare, he climbed out of the car (fully dressed in baseball attire) with a hateful look on his face. THEN I passed him a bag with two sets of batting gloves in it (because his disintegrated in my hand as I put his stuff together to send with him), and I bet you wouldn't believe that both of them were totally wrong.
Then the zipper on his baseball pants and broken, and how could I not possibly just jump in my car and drive home to get him a new pair? Because I am not a slave, nor would it be worth my time, thank you very much. Luckily, a super mom had a safety pin, and after he got over himself (and attempted to close the pants unsuccessfully), I secured the pants and...between games...I also secured an apology from my kid, who admitted that he was pissed at the situation and taking it out on me, not actually pissed at me.
Yeah. I know!
I wound up taking a call for a sub job that night, so the next morning I got up to teach middle school math. I would've declined, but I knew I had at least one or two baseball boys during my day, so I went for it! It was also "Red Nose Day" AND "Dress like you're on vacation" day, so I got to wear jeans and a t-shirt and a BASEBALL CAP! It was the best! The day didn't suck either, so I took it as a good omen.
Friday, it poured, and that matched my mood, but my mood was considerably lightened when I found out that the baseball tournament was still on! Man, I love baseball...and I love watching this team play. It's probably one of my favorite things. On Saturday, I gave two of the boys a ride to the field they were playing on, and I'm pretty sure we laughed the whole way there...all of us, N included. They split their games that night, although they should have won both, but they played well. In the second game (it was close to 11 when they finished), N did a Pete Rose slide into second after smashing the ball to the left field fence. He started to slide about halfway between first and second, and when he got up on second (he was safe), he was covered in red dirt...from his chin to his ankles, and made no move to dust any of it off. I don't even know where those pants are at this moment, but I know they're still covered in dirt.
I woke up to thunder and a downpour a little before 5:00 am on Sunday, but jumped out of bed when I got an email saying the tournament was still on...just on an hour delay. This director is my favorite tournament director ever. He sends out emails and makes things happen and sends out more emails. I jokingly told one of the dads that I have an email crush on the director...and he said he might have one on him, too! I got a text from one of the dad's asking if we wanted breakfast, and a little while later, Einstein Bros. bagels and coffee were delivered to my front door! What a way to start the day! I picked up my favorite panda bear en route to the ballfields, and watched some of the best baseball they have played. They beat the team that beat them the night before...no, they didn't just beat them. They decimated them! The poor guys were from Lubbock, so it was quite a way to drive to get kicked out in the first round. N smashed a ball over the left field fence...just two feet foul. It would've been an amazing three run homer! Since they won that game, they didn't have to play again until much later that evening, so everyone went home to shower or nap or play Xbox (my kid). When we got back out there, there was a delay because a game went way over (our age group was only playing on one field), so the game that was about to end was the game BEFORE the game before our next game. Yikes!
Then it started lightning, so they shut the thing down for the storm to pass. Long story short, everyone was drenched. All the stuff was drenched. Everyone left. We went home, changed clothes, and then took one of the other players home and stayed there for dinner, fun, and conversation. The bracket was re-released for Monday play, but then it stormed again, and they scrapped the remainder of the tournament. Which sucks. Because they were totally in a great position to take the whole thing. As it stands, we were ranked first going into it, but wound up right in the middle since we didn't get to finish the whole thing. At some point in time, I hope we get to play a tournament in its entirety AND take the whole thing. The last time that happened, it was October.
Come on, rain...SERIOUSLY.
Aubs
Monday, May 30, 2016
Sunday, May 22, 2016
I Feel...Weird
There's something in the air today. I don't know what it is, but from the time I woke up this morning, I've just felt kind of...jittery. Like, my hands feel like they should be shaking if I were to extend them to look at them, but they aren't. My gut feels nervous/excited and full of anticipation, and I have no idea why. Something's brewing.
I hope it doesn't suck.
Yesterday I hosted a game afternoon with my mom, Seester, Pal, and N. N was not expected to play games, but he joined us for several of them before reverting back to video game mode. It was a pleasant surprise, even if he DID target me on everything, which caused me to be slightly pissed. But it was all in good fun, right? Anyway, one of the greatest things about my Pal is that she always has so many bizarre games. We played BS (N's pick), then we played Dutch Blitz (I always yell "Blitzen" because...why not?), and continued to be multi-cultural with a German card game, followed by a game that was all about sushi. It was awesome! I haven't seen my Seester in forever, and it was good to get a little time with her, even though I hacked my way through the afternoon and my voice got more and more hoarse. My BIL is "deployed" to Baton Rouge for the next 6-12 months, so Seester is referring to herself as a single dog mom. Oh, that girl! We're planning some Seester time in June, and attempting to coordinate that with some Daddy-Daughter time, too...so I'm pretty excited about that!
Meanwhile, one of my friends asked me to come out to see a band in a neighboring town last night. When I took my Pal home, I decided to make a quick trip over to see what the hype was all about, and I am SO glad I did! They were really good, with a seriously huge repertoire of songs from all the genres. I didn't hear any country, but sometimes that's okay. As awesome as the band was, crowd watching was even more entertaining. Or terrifying. My friend said she was a great dancer...from a chair and from the waist up. Me, too! I knew there was a reason we were friends, and NOT just because it embarrasses my precious treasure! There were a few songs she rocked out to, and I met her with a deadpan stare and a, "Was I alive?" (In case you were wondering, I was NOT alive for some of them, but there were only a few I didn't know.) I sang along to Journey and Blackstreet and Eminem and just stared at all.the.dancing. It was a good choice, even if I did blast any small piece of my voice that I had left, and potentially fried my corneas with images I will never be able to unsee.
I woke up this morning to a text message that made me smile...and then stumbled blindly to the coffee pot. I opted for a full pot instead of instant gratification with my Keurig, and then wondered why it takes so long to brew a pot of coffee? Seriously. So. Long. I upped the boldness on my brew (perhaps that explains the weird feelings I'm feeling today), then made hash browns and bacon for when my man-child woke up...holding off on the eggs so they wouldn't be rubbery. We had a leisurely morning and I've spent the day (so far) watching baseball and reading a book. FOR FUN. My brain is whirring in eleventy-seven directions, but that's cool. It matches my gut.
I'm not sure what's going on with all that, but like I said...I really hope it doesn't suck!
This week is going to be great! There are three baseball games during the week, I'm surprising N with something midweek (his dad is my co-conspirator), and there's a baseball tournament this weekend...AND it's a long weekend...AND then there are only three more days of school.
We've got this!
Aubs
I hope it doesn't suck.
Yesterday I hosted a game afternoon with my mom, Seester, Pal, and N. N was not expected to play games, but he joined us for several of them before reverting back to video game mode. It was a pleasant surprise, even if he DID target me on everything, which caused me to be slightly pissed. But it was all in good fun, right? Anyway, one of the greatest things about my Pal is that she always has so many bizarre games. We played BS (N's pick), then we played Dutch Blitz (I always yell "Blitzen" because...why not?), and continued to be multi-cultural with a German card game, followed by a game that was all about sushi. It was awesome! I haven't seen my Seester in forever, and it was good to get a little time with her, even though I hacked my way through the afternoon and my voice got more and more hoarse. My BIL is "deployed" to Baton Rouge for the next 6-12 months, so Seester is referring to herself as a single dog mom. Oh, that girl! We're planning some Seester time in June, and attempting to coordinate that with some Daddy-Daughter time, too...so I'm pretty excited about that!
Meanwhile, one of my friends asked me to come out to see a band in a neighboring town last night. When I took my Pal home, I decided to make a quick trip over to see what the hype was all about, and I am SO glad I did! They were really good, with a seriously huge repertoire of songs from all the genres. I didn't hear any country, but sometimes that's okay. As awesome as the band was, crowd watching was even more entertaining. Or terrifying. My friend said she was a great dancer...from a chair and from the waist up. Me, too! I knew there was a reason we were friends, and NOT just because it embarrasses my precious treasure! There were a few songs she rocked out to, and I met her with a deadpan stare and a, "Was I alive?" (In case you were wondering, I was NOT alive for some of them, but there were only a few I didn't know.) I sang along to Journey and Blackstreet and Eminem and just stared at all.the.dancing. It was a good choice, even if I did blast any small piece of my voice that I had left, and potentially fried my corneas with images I will never be able to unsee.
I woke up this morning to a text message that made me smile...and then stumbled blindly to the coffee pot. I opted for a full pot instead of instant gratification with my Keurig, and then wondered why it takes so long to brew a pot of coffee? Seriously. So. Long. I upped the boldness on my brew (perhaps that explains the weird feelings I'm feeling today), then made hash browns and bacon for when my man-child woke up...holding off on the eggs so they wouldn't be rubbery. We had a leisurely morning and I've spent the day (so far) watching baseball and reading a book. FOR FUN. My brain is whirring in eleventy-seven directions, but that's cool. It matches my gut.
I'm not sure what's going on with all that, but like I said...I really hope it doesn't suck!
This week is going to be great! There are three baseball games during the week, I'm surprising N with something midweek (his dad is my co-conspirator), and there's a baseball tournament this weekend...AND it's a long weekend...AND then there are only three more days of school.
We've got this!
Aubs
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Insert Witty Title Here
A few weeks ago, I was subbing for one of my favorite Science teachers, and the lesson plans she emailed me included creating group names for the last unit of the year: The Amazing Race. After repeating instructions approximately eleventy-four times, I held up an example and said, "'Insert Witty Title Here,' put your name, draw a picture. Open it up, glue the world map, put the Texas map on the next page, and we'll go from there."
Obviously there were a few of them who were precious enough to put "Insert Witty Title Here" as their journal title. And those precious treasures made me giggle..
Sometimes I feel incredibly witty, but other times, I find it really hard to be coherent, let alone smart. I also really struggle with keeping myself in check. I feel like my brain never stops running. If only it were my legs. MAN! There would be no jiggle at ALL.
I not-so-jokingly told the baseball parents last night that I missed school already. I feel like I've lost my identity without homework and colorful calendars and stressing out about assignments or gpa...and obsessively checking Blackboard for grade updates? That is my jam. I already feel like my brain is getting dumb. I probably do REALLY need a mental break, but learning gives me such a sense of purpose. I feel like I'm a better...everything...when I have a full course load.
In reality, I know I'm probably the worst version of myself with all this extra stress, but it's who I am. For a while, I thought it was all I could be, but lately I've started to wonder if there's way more to me than meets the eye. Also, if I get to be a Transformer, I want to be a mixture of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee...with a little Jazz thrown in for good measure. Someone should make that happen, but it won't be me because I'm trying to let others lead and do things for me and delegate responsibility.
Y'all, I suck at all of those things. Big time. I am trying so hard to let others do things for me and lean on my people and let my guard down, but anytime something isn't all hearts and butterflies, I immediately think it's all gone to crap. Maybe it has, maybe it hasn't, and maybe I just need to slow my roll. It's okay for things to be in an in between state. It doesn't have to be "all or nothing" all the time, but the thing is...in my world, that's the way it's always had to be. It's always had to be one extreme or the other: disgusting happiness (um...how about never?) or total tragedy (every single day of my life for several years, it seems).
There's a song by Martina McBride called "Some Say I'm Running." I'm not really sure how it pertains to my life because I'm not running back to anyone (because going backward never helps you go forward), but there's a line that sticks in my head alllllll the time:
"Against the odds, I'll roll the dice. I guess my heart has won, despite all good advice."
On repeat, friends. I'm letting my heart lead here, and that's hard to do because my brain is one bossy broad, and she doesn't play second fiddle to anyone or anything. There's a constant war going on inside...between my organs...and also my gut. And it's exhausting. Or exhilarating. Maybe both, but definitely confusing.
I'm pretty sure I'm losing my mind with all of the stuff that's going on lately. Either that or I'm well on my way to a total emotional breakdown. Neither sounds pleasant. And entirely debilitating.
Can't wait for the fun to begin.
Sounds swell.
Aubs
Obviously there were a few of them who were precious enough to put "Insert Witty Title Here" as their journal title. And those precious treasures made me giggle..
Sometimes I feel incredibly witty, but other times, I find it really hard to be coherent, let alone smart. I also really struggle with keeping myself in check. I feel like my brain never stops running. If only it were my legs. MAN! There would be no jiggle at ALL.
I not-so-jokingly told the baseball parents last night that I missed school already. I feel like I've lost my identity without homework and colorful calendars and stressing out about assignments or gpa...and obsessively checking Blackboard for grade updates? That is my jam. I already feel like my brain is getting dumb. I probably do REALLY need a mental break, but learning gives me such a sense of purpose. I feel like I'm a better...everything...when I have a full course load.
In reality, I know I'm probably the worst version of myself with all this extra stress, but it's who I am. For a while, I thought it was all I could be, but lately I've started to wonder if there's way more to me than meets the eye. Also, if I get to be a Transformer, I want to be a mixture of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee...with a little Jazz thrown in for good measure. Someone should make that happen, but it won't be me because I'm trying to let others lead and do things for me and delegate responsibility.
Y'all, I suck at all of those things. Big time. I am trying so hard to let others do things for me and lean on my people and let my guard down, but anytime something isn't all hearts and butterflies, I immediately think it's all gone to crap. Maybe it has, maybe it hasn't, and maybe I just need to slow my roll. It's okay for things to be in an in between state. It doesn't have to be "all or nothing" all the time, but the thing is...in my world, that's the way it's always had to be. It's always had to be one extreme or the other: disgusting happiness (um...how about never?) or total tragedy (every single day of my life for several years, it seems).
There's a song by Martina McBride called "Some Say I'm Running." I'm not really sure how it pertains to my life because I'm not running back to anyone (because going backward never helps you go forward), but there's a line that sticks in my head alllllll the time:
"Against the odds, I'll roll the dice. I guess my heart has won, despite all good advice."
On repeat, friends. I'm letting my heart lead here, and that's hard to do because my brain is one bossy broad, and she doesn't play second fiddle to anyone or anything. There's a constant war going on inside...between my organs...and also my gut. And it's exhausting. Or exhilarating. Maybe both, but definitely confusing.
I'm pretty sure I'm losing my mind with all of the stuff that's going on lately. Either that or I'm well on my way to a total emotional breakdown. Neither sounds pleasant. And entirely debilitating.
Can't wait for the fun to begin.
Sounds swell.
Aubs
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Humans Are Hard
Let me just be totally candid here. Sometimes other people just suck. There's no real reason why...they just do. Maybe the reason is some underlying cause that I don't know about, but maybe they just...well...suck.
I can be a pretty tolerant person. It doesn't happen often, but on the rare occasion, I can put up with a lot of stuff. I write it off as stress or ignorance or having a bad day, and make excuse after excuse. It never goes well, and all it does is leave me with a bad taste in my mouth and the resolve to never let it happen again. And it doesn't...
Until it does. Again. Without fail.
I don't get people who flake. It makes me crazy. Do I want to flake sometimes? Hell yes I do. But do I? No. If I DO have to flake on something, I feel really bad about it, and probably go a little too overboard on the apologies. Also, excuses. I make sure my excuses are probably entirely TMI, but I want people to be sure there is no question in their minds that I have done absolutely everything in my power to not flake. It miiiiiiiiiiiiight be overkill, but if you've met me, you're probably not surprised.
Also, while we're on the topic...and (for the record) I don't really think we are...why do I let the flakes get to me? Why can I not give them the benefit of the doubt and realize that, just as life happens in a big way in my household, it can also have that kind of an impact in another's household?
Because I've been burned way too many times, that's why.
Today, the hardest humans I've had to deal with are my children. This is also not breaking news, but it might surprise you to hear that it is NOT my teen that is giving me the issues (today, at least...tomorrow is a whole 'nother ballgame), but the "tween" instead. There's no rhyme or reason for it. He's been "off" for a few months since he's been ill and recovering, but he has kind of moved past recovery mode and morphed into a person I don't even know. And when his dad came to pick him up tonight (after he'd been at my house for approximately 4 hours during what's supposed to be my week), I looked him in the eye and said, "B, I love you always, no matter what, but sometimes liking you and your actions is really hard, and this is one of those times. We always love each other because we're family, but we don't always have to like what each other does. I know you don't always like what I do or say, and you know I don't always like what you do or say, but I always love you. Right now, though? It's really hard to like this kind of behavior."
That pretty much sums it up. Add a few more people, varying levels of closeness, and a killer cold that's left me hacking nonstop without a voice, and you've got a pretty fancy (and exhausting) trifecta.
Which will be awesome while I'm chaperoning the 4th graders tomorrow on their field trip.
Sigh. Hack. Sniffle.
Aubs
I can be a pretty tolerant person. It doesn't happen often, but on the rare occasion, I can put up with a lot of stuff. I write it off as stress or ignorance or having a bad day, and make excuse after excuse. It never goes well, and all it does is leave me with a bad taste in my mouth and the resolve to never let it happen again. And it doesn't...
Until it does. Again. Without fail.
I don't get people who flake. It makes me crazy. Do I want to flake sometimes? Hell yes I do. But do I? No. If I DO have to flake on something, I feel really bad about it, and probably go a little too overboard on the apologies. Also, excuses. I make sure my excuses are probably entirely TMI, but I want people to be sure there is no question in their minds that I have done absolutely everything in my power to not flake. It miiiiiiiiiiiiight be overkill, but if you've met me, you're probably not surprised.
Also, while we're on the topic...and (for the record) I don't really think we are...why do I let the flakes get to me? Why can I not give them the benefit of the doubt and realize that, just as life happens in a big way in my household, it can also have that kind of an impact in another's household?
Because I've been burned way too many times, that's why.
Today, the hardest humans I've had to deal with are my children. This is also not breaking news, but it might surprise you to hear that it is NOT my teen that is giving me the issues (today, at least...tomorrow is a whole 'nother ballgame), but the "tween" instead. There's no rhyme or reason for it. He's been "off" for a few months since he's been ill and recovering, but he has kind of moved past recovery mode and morphed into a person I don't even know. And when his dad came to pick him up tonight (after he'd been at my house for approximately 4 hours during what's supposed to be my week), I looked him in the eye and said, "B, I love you always, no matter what, but sometimes liking you and your actions is really hard, and this is one of those times. We always love each other because we're family, but we don't always have to like what each other does. I know you don't always like what I do or say, and you know I don't always like what you do or say, but I always love you. Right now, though? It's really hard to like this kind of behavior."
That pretty much sums it up. Add a few more people, varying levels of closeness, and a killer cold that's left me hacking nonstop without a voice, and you've got a pretty fancy (and exhausting) trifecta.
Which will be awesome while I'm chaperoning the 4th graders tomorrow on their field trip.
Sigh. Hack. Sniffle.
Aubs
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Underwhelming Weekend (AKA This is a Boring Post)
I'm officially finished with my BS in Integrative Studies. I think. My English prof hasn't posted final grades, and that's the one class I'm the most worried about because I have no clue how I did on the final. And since it's 25% of my grade, I'm stressing out about it. I couldn't even enjoy the fact that yesterday was my graduation day. Granted, I didn't attend; N was supposed to be in Grapevine, playing in a baseball tournament...one that was scrapped because of a combination of a storm that blew through in the morning and the threat for more rain today. I have yet to see any, but most of my blinds are closed because I'm a social recluse.
Anyway, I mentioned I was exempt from one final, but there were two other finals that were, um, finalized, by last Sunday. For one final, I needed a 37.5 to maintain my A, and I got an 87.5, so that one was in the bag. (If you're keeping track, that's two As) The other online final was the one that scared me a little bit because I needed a 92 and a perfect score on my final discussion board. I figured she would be lenient on the discussion board (It was a "What was the most interesting thing you learned from this class" discussion...in case you were wondering, I am now fascinated by cults.), so I was really only worried about the final. So when I got an 84, I was bummed because I realized I would miss the A cutoff by approximately 2 points. I anxiously held my breath for two days until she sent out an email saying she was adding 6 points to the final, comfortably securing my A.
Three As toward my quest of ending my semester/bachelors with a 4.0.
And then there's Karen. Now, to be fair, I adore her. She is passionate about her career and truly enjoys her students and our discussions. She does not, however, grade in a timely manner. I would think (and clearly I'm wrong on this) that she would make sure she updated the gradebook for the graduating Seniors in her classes (there were six in our class) so we might know if we are, in fact, graduating on Saturday. Now it's Sunday, and I still don't know how I did in her class. I need a 47 to pass her class with a C, but I don't want a C. Not even a little bit. The final was hard. There were entirely too many stories that were considered "fair game," and I answered at least three questions with "I honestly don't even remember this story OR seeing it on the syllabus." because she should know. It is just too much. All of the short stories were deceptively long, and although some of the questions were very cut and dry, there were a lot of opinion questions. How can you grade someone based on their opinion? What if my opinion vastly differs from her opinion? It's been stressing me the hell out for almost a week. And as of 2:45 PM on Sunday afternoon, I STILL don't have a grade. Grades are due tomorrow, but man...it sure would be nice to know if I need to have a discussion with her prior to the final grades being...well, FINAL.
The major upside of my weekend was Friday. I spent the afternoon with my mom, and we had a total girls' day! I met her at work, then we dropped off my car at her apartment before we took off to Houston's for lunch. Their salads are AMAZING, and so is their cheese toast. I'm drooling. After that, we took off for IKEA, where we didn't really need anything (aside from ideas), but managed to find some dish towels and table runners and bathroom mats that we clearly couldn't live without. We also totally redesigned my living room in our heads about 8 different times, and ALMOST scored a new slipcover for my couch in the "AS IS" section. Alas, it was for a loveseat instead. BUMMER. I've decided to recover my couch in gray (because it is my favorite comfy, cozy color), and I'd love to get the matching loveseat in a stripe because I love stripes. And then...a new chair (also in gray) followed by a couple of storage ottomans to replace the bench that currently acts as my coffee table. It will be amazing when it's done, and it will be done...eventually. Maybe. I hope. The only downside about IKEA is putting the stuff together. I don't know if you know this about me, but I only pretend to be handy. I am slightly more handy than I come across, but only slightly. Just never ask me to do anything like rewire a dryer because I almost electrocuted myself (and my dad) last time I tried that. I lost track of the ground wire. It wasn't my fault! (Okay, it was totally my fault. Hush)
Anyway, after IKEA, we went to pick up N from school and dropped him at home. Then we hit Starbucks and spent an hour at Old Navy buying all the things. We ended our day with pedicures (She chose "Kiss My Tulips" and I chose "Flip Flops and Crop Tops") and burgers from Deliman's, one of which we took home to the hungry, hungry teen. I had to go back to her house to get my car, so we hung out for a few more minutes, and made plans to go to Nebraska Furniture Mart if the aforementioned tournament was cancelled.
I think we jinxed it. Also, Friday felt a lot like Saturday and Saturday felt a lot like Sunday, but since Tuesday felt like Wednesday, and I spent all day thinking Thursday was Wednesday, this is not news. My week is all kinds of messed up.
Saturday, we headed to NFM, and when we walked in, we found the PERFECT cushions for my chairs on my back deck...only they didn't come in chair cushions. Just benches. Curse you, NFM! My mom was overwhelmed, but we did find a few couches she likes, so all was not lost. Also, the rainbow wall of Kitchen-Aid mixers is a total cure-all for anything that ails you. It's just peaceful. We swung by World Market (after missing our exit), and sampled a really good Pinot Grigio whose name I can't remember, and hard Cherry Cola. Oh my gosh, y'all. It was AMAZING. I can't keep it at home because "they" would drink it and not even know there was alcohol in it. Seriously. That good. When I finally got back home, I took a nap and woke up sounding like a chain smoker. It went downhill from there. N suggested Chinese food to celebrate my graduation day (well played, kid), so I croaked the order to the sweet man who doesn't speak English with minimal communication issues.
Graduation: I'm a grownup, and I know it's really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it is a huge accomplishment as a single parent...I think. Or maybe it's not that big of a deal at all, but I worked hard to keep my GPA up to graduate (maybe) magna cum laude. And so it kind of stung when absolutely NOBODY (aside from my mom...and even then, I suggested the idea of a girl's day) said anything about it. Maybe it's because I didn't walk. Maybe it's because I downplayed it. Maybe it's really not that big of a deal. But it was a very underwhelming reaction to something I thought was a thing. I guess I'm in the minority here.
Bummer.
Aubs
Anyway, I mentioned I was exempt from one final, but there were two other finals that were, um, finalized, by last Sunday. For one final, I needed a 37.5 to maintain my A, and I got an 87.5, so that one was in the bag. (If you're keeping track, that's two As) The other online final was the one that scared me a little bit because I needed a 92 and a perfect score on my final discussion board. I figured she would be lenient on the discussion board (It was a "What was the most interesting thing you learned from this class" discussion...in case you were wondering, I am now fascinated by cults.), so I was really only worried about the final. So when I got an 84, I was bummed because I realized I would miss the A cutoff by approximately 2 points. I anxiously held my breath for two days until she sent out an email saying she was adding 6 points to the final, comfortably securing my A.
Three As toward my quest of ending my semester/bachelors with a 4.0.
And then there's Karen. Now, to be fair, I adore her. She is passionate about her career and truly enjoys her students and our discussions. She does not, however, grade in a timely manner. I would think (and clearly I'm wrong on this) that she would make sure she updated the gradebook for the graduating Seniors in her classes (there were six in our class) so we might know if we are, in fact, graduating on Saturday. Now it's Sunday, and I still don't know how I did in her class. I need a 47 to pass her class with a C, but I don't want a C. Not even a little bit. The final was hard. There were entirely too many stories that were considered "fair game," and I answered at least three questions with "I honestly don't even remember this story OR seeing it on the syllabus." because she should know. It is just too much. All of the short stories were deceptively long, and although some of the questions were very cut and dry, there were a lot of opinion questions. How can you grade someone based on their opinion? What if my opinion vastly differs from her opinion? It's been stressing me the hell out for almost a week. And as of 2:45 PM on Sunday afternoon, I STILL don't have a grade. Grades are due tomorrow, but man...it sure would be nice to know if I need to have a discussion with her prior to the final grades being...well, FINAL.
The major upside of my weekend was Friday. I spent the afternoon with my mom, and we had a total girls' day! I met her at work, then we dropped off my car at her apartment before we took off to Houston's for lunch. Their salads are AMAZING, and so is their cheese toast. I'm drooling. After that, we took off for IKEA, where we didn't really need anything (aside from ideas), but managed to find some dish towels and table runners and bathroom mats that we clearly couldn't live without. We also totally redesigned my living room in our heads about 8 different times, and ALMOST scored a new slipcover for my couch in the "AS IS" section. Alas, it was for a loveseat instead. BUMMER. I've decided to recover my couch in gray (because it is my favorite comfy, cozy color), and I'd love to get the matching loveseat in a stripe because I love stripes. And then...a new chair (also in gray) followed by a couple of storage ottomans to replace the bench that currently acts as my coffee table. It will be amazing when it's done, and it will be done...eventually. Maybe. I hope. The only downside about IKEA is putting the stuff together. I don't know if you know this about me, but I only pretend to be handy. I am slightly more handy than I come across, but only slightly. Just never ask me to do anything like rewire a dryer because I almost electrocuted myself (and my dad) last time I tried that. I lost track of the ground wire. It wasn't my fault! (Okay, it was totally my fault. Hush)
Anyway, after IKEA, we went to pick up N from school and dropped him at home. Then we hit Starbucks and spent an hour at Old Navy buying all the things. We ended our day with pedicures (She chose "Kiss My Tulips" and I chose "Flip Flops and Crop Tops") and burgers from Deliman's, one of which we took home to the hungry, hungry teen. I had to go back to her house to get my car, so we hung out for a few more minutes, and made plans to go to Nebraska Furniture Mart if the aforementioned tournament was cancelled.
I think we jinxed it. Also, Friday felt a lot like Saturday and Saturday felt a lot like Sunday, but since Tuesday felt like Wednesday, and I spent all day thinking Thursday was Wednesday, this is not news. My week is all kinds of messed up.
Saturday, we headed to NFM, and when we walked in, we found the PERFECT cushions for my chairs on my back deck...only they didn't come in chair cushions. Just benches. Curse you, NFM! My mom was overwhelmed, but we did find a few couches she likes, so all was not lost. Also, the rainbow wall of Kitchen-Aid mixers is a total cure-all for anything that ails you. It's just peaceful. We swung by World Market (after missing our exit), and sampled a really good Pinot Grigio whose name I can't remember, and hard Cherry Cola. Oh my gosh, y'all. It was AMAZING. I can't keep it at home because "they" would drink it and not even know there was alcohol in it. Seriously. That good. When I finally got back home, I took a nap and woke up sounding like a chain smoker. It went downhill from there. N suggested Chinese food to celebrate my graduation day (well played, kid), so I croaked the order to the sweet man who doesn't speak English with minimal communication issues.
Graduation: I'm a grownup, and I know it's really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it is a huge accomplishment as a single parent...I think. Or maybe it's not that big of a deal at all, but I worked hard to keep my GPA up to graduate (maybe) magna cum laude. And so it kind of stung when absolutely NOBODY (aside from my mom...and even then, I suggested the idea of a girl's day) said anything about it. Maybe it's because I didn't walk. Maybe it's because I downplayed it. Maybe it's really not that big of a deal. But it was a very underwhelming reaction to something I thought was a thing. I guess I'm in the minority here.
Bummer.
Aubs
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Weekend Wrap-Up
This has been quite the weekend.
Side note: I have "Good Will Hunting" going in the background because I haven't actually watched it in I don't know how long. I just looked up and saw Ben Affleck...who looks like he's roughly 12. Weird. I wonder if he kisses his mother with that mouth. Man, he does the Boston accent well. And if he looks 12, Matt Damon looks about 10. Wow. Anyway. Moving on.
Friday, my garage door came off the track while my car was in the garage. That would be problematic anytime, but it happened when I was getting ready to leave to go get N from detention. So, in a bit of a panic, I picked up the phone to call my knight in shining aluminum foil, but then I remembered that he wasn't around. I called my dad, but he sent me to voicemail (Thanks, Dad). I called my big sister to see if I could borrow her husband, and when she asked what I needed him for and heard my explanation, she said, "You don't need Sean. You need Emily. Emily fixes the things." So, I did the whole manual thing and got my car out, then went to pick up the kid. When I returned, Ems was sitting in my living room, and she walked me through how to fix it. Then it started to storm, so she stuck around for a while and we set up an NES...only to discover (much later...like Saturday night) that Duck Hunt doesn't work on HD tvs. Bummer.
Saturday, N had practice, and I had stuff to clean up around the house, but my mom called late that afternoon to see if I wanted to go to At Home (Garden Ridge) and Olive Garden. Um. Duh. So, we went and found so many things that were fun and interesting and totally practical. Then we went to Olive Garden and ate all the food and made our waiter's day by using his name and acknowledging that he was, in fact, a person. And then, with 20 minutes until Bed, Bath & Beyond closed, we made a beeline for the front doors to cross a couple more things off of her list. We walked out right at 9:00.
Sunday, I woke up to find I had a bit of a flat, thanks to a screw. I was able to get it patched well enough to make it to my best girl's baptism this morning. It was so precious to see her surrounded by her family and friend, all celebrating her decision to walk with Jesus. She is so loved. I'd be lying if I said I didn't burst into tears at least 3 or 4 times during her testimony, the prayer her father prayed over her, the image of her mom and dad praying over her before they baptized her, and seeing her emerge from the pool, washed clean. Of course, I almost burst into tears when she and her little brother saw me across the playscape, too. They're little sister was too busy being loved on by other family members, but I FINALLY got to meet Cookie, their sweet grandmother. We're Facebook friends, but we always just miss each other when she and Dandy come to town to visit!
Afterward, I went over to my mom's to help her finish the last trip from her house to her apartment. She cleaned out the fridge while I packed up the remaining things in the garage. Then I came home and ate the rest of my Olive Garden and watched the Stars and the Rangers disappoint...one right after the other. I might've drifted off to sleep briefly, too, but was awakened by my phone buzzing ON. MY. FACE. How did it get there?! I have no idea.
So, while the weekend wasn't crazy busy, it was still pretty busy. And it is nothing compared to next weekend because our tournament season starts on the 7th...you know, Mother's Day weekend. I'm one of those moms who will be thrilled to spend Mother's Day at the ball fields, but I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea. I just wish my cup of tea wasn't in dang Grand Prairie! Still, I'm excited to see all of these tournament weekends popping up...this is what I live for!
We're down to one calendar page of school days, and I have less than 2 weeks until I'm officially finished with my undergrad. My calendar is so full of scribbles, and I'm determined that my next set of pages will be written neatly and carefully.
I'm also full of it. Because messy is just par for the course around here.
Aubs
Side note: I have "Good Will Hunting" going in the background because I haven't actually watched it in I don't know how long. I just looked up and saw Ben Affleck...who looks like he's roughly 12. Weird. I wonder if he kisses his mother with that mouth. Man, he does the Boston accent well. And if he looks 12, Matt Damon looks about 10. Wow. Anyway. Moving on.
Friday, my garage door came off the track while my car was in the garage. That would be problematic anytime, but it happened when I was getting ready to leave to go get N from detention. So, in a bit of a panic, I picked up the phone to call my knight in shining aluminum foil, but then I remembered that he wasn't around. I called my dad, but he sent me to voicemail (Thanks, Dad). I called my big sister to see if I could borrow her husband, and when she asked what I needed him for and heard my explanation, she said, "You don't need Sean. You need Emily. Emily fixes the things." So, I did the whole manual thing and got my car out, then went to pick up the kid. When I returned, Ems was sitting in my living room, and she walked me through how to fix it. Then it started to storm, so she stuck around for a while and we set up an NES...only to discover (much later...like Saturday night) that Duck Hunt doesn't work on HD tvs. Bummer.
Saturday, N had practice, and I had stuff to clean up around the house, but my mom called late that afternoon to see if I wanted to go to At Home (Garden Ridge) and Olive Garden. Um. Duh. So, we went and found so many things that were fun and interesting and totally practical. Then we went to Olive Garden and ate all the food and made our waiter's day by using his name and acknowledging that he was, in fact, a person. And then, with 20 minutes until Bed, Bath & Beyond closed, we made a beeline for the front doors to cross a couple more things off of her list. We walked out right at 9:00.
Sunday, I woke up to find I had a bit of a flat, thanks to a screw. I was able to get it patched well enough to make it to my best girl's baptism this morning. It was so precious to see her surrounded by her family and friend, all celebrating her decision to walk with Jesus. She is so loved. I'd be lying if I said I didn't burst into tears at least 3 or 4 times during her testimony, the prayer her father prayed over her, the image of her mom and dad praying over her before they baptized her, and seeing her emerge from the pool, washed clean. Of course, I almost burst into tears when she and her little brother saw me across the playscape, too. They're little sister was too busy being loved on by other family members, but I FINALLY got to meet Cookie, their sweet grandmother. We're Facebook friends, but we always just miss each other when she and Dandy come to town to visit!
Afterward, I went over to my mom's to help her finish the last trip from her house to her apartment. She cleaned out the fridge while I packed up the remaining things in the garage. Then I came home and ate the rest of my Olive Garden and watched the Stars and the Rangers disappoint...one right after the other. I might've drifted off to sleep briefly, too, but was awakened by my phone buzzing ON. MY. FACE. How did it get there?! I have no idea.
So, while the weekend wasn't crazy busy, it was still pretty busy. And it is nothing compared to next weekend because our tournament season starts on the 7th...you know, Mother's Day weekend. I'm one of those moms who will be thrilled to spend Mother's Day at the ball fields, but I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea. I just wish my cup of tea wasn't in dang Grand Prairie! Still, I'm excited to see all of these tournament weekends popping up...this is what I live for!
We're down to one calendar page of school days, and I have less than 2 weeks until I'm officially finished with my undergrad. My calendar is so full of scribbles, and I'm determined that my next set of pages will be written neatly and carefully.
I'm also full of it. Because messy is just par for the course around here.
Aubs
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