Oh, my - it has been AGES since I've posted. Sorry, guys! Well, here's a little update:

The last couple of weeks, especially, things were crazy, what with finals & all. I managed to pull an A in my Technical Report Writing class & my Sociology/Gerentology class. I actually got 103% in Soc, since he gave us an opportunity for extra credit. I did an "older adult" interview of my friend, Darlene, from the Eye Center. The Tech Writing was no easy feat - I learned so much from that experience, though, & even pulled my first all-nighter of my college experience thus far. I'm hoping to never have to repeat it, too! The prof actually asked me for a copy of my report to use as a student sample to inspire future students & that was really awesome, because I remember the first day of her class, seeing these student samples & thinking that I could never achieve that level of greatness. :)

Unfortunately, I did only get a B in both Math & Bio, but the good news is that I only need one more Math class (I registered for Math 243 "Probability & Statistics" for next term, which will be a nice change of pace from the last 4 terms of Algebra!) & one more Science. I've decided to cut back on my workload & not take math & science concurrently & also to take 12 credits rather than 16 so that I can get my GPA back up there. What's also nice is that I don't have to take another Science with a lab, like I've had to, & that means that I won't have those late night classes. So the rest of my Associates Degree from RCC will be spent immersed in Literature, Arts, Music, & Sociology/Psychology ~ exactly what I love! I enrolled in Intro to Rock Music & its Literature next term & am really stoked to finally get to take a Music class! I'm still planning to look into the Sociology Program Italy & they are starting to enroll for that now, so I need to get on it. For now, I'm just trying to use Spring Break (which only lasts for a week!) to get caught up on all the transcription I put off for finals. An added bonus would be to get some housework done & to read a book & watch movies with Tyson & maybe hike Table Rock.

I've also managed to go on a couple of dates & have another one for tomorrow night with a new guy I've never met (friend setup). I'm toying with the idea of using this whole crazy dating experience as fodder for some freelance writing that I'm considering submitting to mags for publishing. I'm pretty sure that's the kind of writing that I want to do & besides, I may as turn my dating nightmares into something humorous, right?!

Last but not least, Tyson's doing great - He got all As except for 2 Bs on his report card & was awarded the "Mad Skillz" award by his coach in AAU Basketball. The coach called to tell me he had to make up a special award for him, since he was "the best player on the team!" His social life is also going really well & he has made some really good friendships with guys from the basketball team & is even considering (gasp!) playing football next winter. The coach already told Tyson he wants him to be quarterback, because he knows he's a leader & has such great athletic ability. He's interested in girls but still manages to stay focused on his goals for the most part. As a matter of fact, his cousin from Seth's side of the family has "hooked him up" with a girl that he's been texting with the past couple of days & they want to meet at the mall & hang out.

Our birthdays are coming up! I think on Friday, I'm going up to my friend, Bridget's cabin & we're going to have a girls' night & ride motorcycles & quads. For Tyson's birthday, I'm still not sure what we're doing. He wants to play laser tag in Eugene but I could only take a couple friends. I was originally going to rent a suite in Medford & let the boys "party it up" so he could have a bunch of people, but I want to do what he wants, since after all, it is HIS birthday. We'll see...

So, that's the update. I'll try to keep up on this, but we all know that my good intentions don't always result in fruition. Love & miss y'all!

http://clubs.roguecc.edu/Byline/

I have recently discovered, or perhaps simply accepted, two things about myself: I am a procrastinator and I thrive on a certain level of chaos. As much as I don't like these qualities, that's the only explanation for my lifestyle. I always have too much on my plate and then, when I clear it, I still don't get everything done I said I would. I'm not really sure yet what I'm going to do with this insight, but felt like it was important to acknowledge it, at least to myself.

Well, starting with news on Tyson... His AAU team still hasn't won a single basketball game. We played two games yesterday & he played really well, as did several of the other boys on the team, but the other teams played better. His knees are still not recovered to the point they should be, but are managable. We ice after the games & sometimes I give him some Iboprofen but I'm not really sure what the right thing to do is. I'd like to get an MRI & see if there is any damage to the ligament. Ty's doing really well in school. I got a letter from school last week that he was nominated for student of the month & got his report card the next day. He has all As except for two Bs and there was a comment by one of the teachers that said, "Superstar!" What a stud. I complimented him profusely on his achievements & told him how proud I was of him.

I wish I had a little more of his self-discipline. I got really behind when I filled in for Brenda & added six more docs to my already full transcription load for a week. I've been doing assignments the day they're due & barely getting things in by deadline. I didn't make the deadline for The Byline, the RCC newspaper, with an article I told the advisor I'd do. I was helping several people apply for scholarships at the time, though, so I put together some written advise & resources at my sister, Kathy's, suggestion & emailed it to him & he put it in the paper! I still need to do the other article, which is a review off the $1.99 breakfast special at a 50s/60s diner 4 blocks away from the school. I took my brother, Allen, there & we really liked it.

There's been a lot of other stuff going on, too, but I really need to go grocery shopping & get started on some homework. I really do want to get caught up & have some down-time! Just because I thrive on chaos doesn't mean I want it to be a constant way of life...

Well, today is the first day of the new term. I am bound & determined to do better this time!! I already did my online math homework, which is the only class I've had so far. That should free me up to go to the tutoring center all this week for the written homework due on Monday. I also bit the bullet & used my financial aid money to get the required calculator for this term. I was borrowing a more high-tech model from Lance & none of my tutors, teachers, or peers knew how to use it, so I had to do things the really loooooong way. Hoping that will change if I'm using the same claculator as everyone else. I'm all caught up on transcription & am planning to read at least some of the Bio text for tonight's class so I'll be ahead of the game. Right after class, I have a parent meeting for AAU basketball at Ty's school.

Yesterday, Ty & I went to see Yes Man with Jim Carrey. It was great! Afterward, we went out to dinner and, yeah, I'm broke again... I'm hoping to budget better when I get my school money this month, too.

Break was fun, but way too short. I went to a lot of house parties & out with friends & basically didn't get much rest, but did have a good time. It's hard to decide which of the two is more important! Anyway, I do hope that everyone had a great Christmas & New Year!

Well, I got my grades, but have been reluctant to post them. I suppose it's time to 'fess up: I got an A- in Sociology, an A- in Writing 122, a B+ in Core & Cardio, a B in Biology 101, and a B in Math 93. My new and unimproved GPA went from a 4.0 to a 3.74. Next term, I'll be taking Bio 102, Math 94, Core & Cardio, Writing 227 (Technical Report Writing), & Sociology 230 (Intro to Gerontology) online for a total of 16 credits. But that's enough about school!!! (At least for another couple of weeks...)

I didn't get around to Christmas cards or baking this year. Ty will be at his dad's for Christmas Eve & morning. Other than doing transcription, the only other thing I've done is to sign up for a free 2-week trial to a tennis club with my friend from school. That way we can work out indoors while I don't have P.E. class. Tyson starts his 2-week break tomorrow. He had a basketball tournament all weekend, so that's what we did. I'm just totally drained & can't really get motivated to start any of the projects I told myself I'd do during break. Bah humbug!!

Well, school's out for the next few weeks, thank goodness! I was on extreme burnout there for a while. I think, overall though, I did well on all my finals. I'll post when I get my grades back to let y'all know how I did in the end.

My big plan for the break is to clean everything in sight - my house, yard, & jeep. I never have the time when I'm in school. I'm also planning to get caught up on the current season of Grey's Anatomy & maybe even Private Practice, the Grey's spinoff. This weekend, I'll be doing photography with Lisa's step-daughter & am supposed to go bowling with Lisa & Becky. I'm hoping that the break will allow me the time to catch up with some friend time that I've been neglecting & also some Tyson time. We've played a little Rock Band 2 (early Christmas present to us!) last night, but I didn't have time before because of finals. So, I'm looking forward to playing that some more & also being able to go to his last two school games. The AAU season has begun & it sounds like it's going to be 9 months long!

In the midst of finals, would you believe it - I'm having a fabulous day! I got an A on that stupid math test that I was bawling over & I still have a chance at an A- overall in math. I spoke w/ my bio prof after he corrected his grading & I have a high B, so I could possibly end up with an A there, too. Now I just have the research paper to worry about, but that's not due until Thursday. I took my soc final today & feel pretty confident that I'll get an A in that class.

Also, Tyson decided that he wanted to make his own $ for Christmas this year & has been selling items on ebay. (I finally created an account under my name for him.) In one week, he made over $100!! Some of that had to be paid out for shipping, but that still left him with an $80 profit. What an amazing & enterprising kid I have! Life is good...

Here is the link to my new article: http://clubs.roguecc.edu/Byline/

Must. Focus. On. Finals...

Well, the show must go on, as they say...and so must I. Even though I'm up to my eyeballs, I just wanted to reassure everyone that I'm back on track, at least for now. I'm not going to give up or withdraw from any classes. I'm going to get the bets grades I can & work as hard as possible to do so. And I'm going to have to settle for less than perfect. But, as with most things that haven't gone my way in the past, I will turn the mistakes into learning experiences & hopefully do better the next go-round.

This weekend will be a busy one. Today, I've been working on my Soc final. Tonight, I agreed to go to a womens' social at Becky's g'ma, Greenie's church in Shady Cove. Lisa & I will meet Becky in Shady Cove & we'll all drive out together. Tomorrow, Tyson has an AAU tournament that he needs to be at by 10 am & I think his last game is at 3:45. I'm planning to bring homework along or head home in between games if there's enough time. I won't miss his games, though. It really bothered me that I had to miss so many school games this term, but they always had them during Bio. I guess Sunday's tourney schedule will depend on Saturday's games. I also have a research paper to write this weekend & I haven't even started, although it's worth 40% of my grade!! So, yeah, still freaking out a little bit, but trying to be proactive about it. Anyway, I could go on, but won't bore you with the details. The important thing is that I'll drop off the map for the next week or so to try to get everything done in time, but didn't want to leave you hanging on the depressive note of my last post.

One positive & exciting thing: the Byline editor asked me to do an article on one of the college's new clubs & I was able to pull of the pic, interview, and article by deadline (all done yesterday in between classes)! Vince, my writing instructor & Byline advisor, was editing it last night & said it was a good article & that I had good interviewing skills. The article is supposed to be on the front page. I'll be sure to post a link when it's published. I really had a great time doing it & think it turned out pretty well, too.

I am in a serious funk & don't know what to do about it. I've always prided myself on being tough, smart, independent - a fighter. I don't know if I believe any of those things anymore. I am struggling in school & I look around & see all these other people doing just fine. I just want to give up, go back to the real world where it was easy to just do my time & get a paycheck, pay my bills, take care of my kid, and make everyone proud. When I made the decision to go to college, I was doing just fine, so I thought I could do even better. This is the last week to withdraw from classes without getting a bad grade. I'm looking at having to do this in Math & Bio, but it means that I paid for 8 credits that I won't get and that I have to redo a whole term of each, all over again. I literally walked out of my math class in tears today & I was so embarassed because I almost lost it in the hall when a girl from class asked me how I did on the test. Anyway, sorry for the depressing post, but I just needed to get it out there. Now I need to do a Bio lab for tonight's class before I have to pick up transcription.

Never one for false modesty, here is a link to my three Byline articles (and pics, complete with photo creds) that came out in the school newspaper today:
http://clubs.roguecc.edu/Byline/
Now I feel ready to do what I plan to do every day... Take over the world!!

I know, as usual, I'm a freakin' slacker...What can I say? You know this about me by now, yet you keep coming back. It must be my riveting prose or my so-dang-exciting life (or perhaps your lack of one...?).

I guess it's time I let everyone know officially that Lance & I aren't together anymore. It wasn't a big, ugly breakup & nothing really "happened." I just missed my old, simple life and thought I'd try to get it back. I'm still not really sure about why I made that decision or if it was the right one to make, but I figure that I should try to make the best of it, since what's done is done.

I wrote three articles for the college newspaper, which will be printed on Monday or Tuesday. I'm pretty stoked about that, and my writing professor and Byline advisor has been calling me his "star reporter." I've already learned from this experience that journalism is a whole lot different from essay writing. No one wants to go on record and sources must be sited in nearly every sentence, so it can be difficult to have a story with substance.

I still love my Sociology and PE classes. Although my Soc professor is a tough grader, I think I'm getting an A. I have to do some sweet-talking and perhaps some make-up classes to get an A in PE, since I've missed a few classes from being sick or tired (or sick and tired). As usual, I'm struggling with Math, but I think if I really focus for the rest of the term, I should be okay. There were a couple of sections that I really, REALLY didn't understand AT ALL, but I'm past those. I just need to review all the other chapters and study hard to get a good grade on the cumulative final in a few weeks. Biology is really tough. I have a professor who doesn't like to give questions from the text, because he wants to "discourage memorization and promote scientific reasoning." In theory, that's great, but in reality, I'm not much of a scientific thinker. There are a couple of guys in my class who've become my study buddies, which has helped. Part of the problem with Bio is that they only offer it in the evenings, so I don't get home until 7:30 on Mondays & 9:30 on Wednesdays.

I registered for next term & had to take the same schedule for Bio II, which is part of three science requirements. I also signed up for the next level of Math and Intro to Music, which will be 1 of 3 music classes in the series needed for my transfer degree. I took the advice of one of my college friends & signed up for a telecourse. It's a Sociology class dealing with the elderly and life changes, offered by my Psych 202 professor, who is also my advisor. The syllabus says the course will consist of ten 55 minute videos. I think I can handle that! I'm on the fence about Core & Cardio next term, because I really want to stay active and continue to lose weight, but the time it's offered has really been inconvenient for me & I'm trying to mellow out my schedule a little next term, while still staying on track with my requirements.

Anyway, that's school in a nutshell. Other than that, I've just been trying to get my house in order & spend more time with Tyson. He's been playing 7th grade varsity basketball for his school & is disappointed because his team hasn't won a single game yet (of like 6 games). We've signed him up for AAU (city ball), which will start as soon as school ball gets out. Ever since we got cleared after finding out his knee wasn't shot, he's been playing a lot more & dropping some of the weight he'd inadvertently put on with inactivity. He's also back to wanting a healthier diet. I have his parent/teacher conference this upcoming week. He got all A's, except for one C that was an 89.9%. I'm really proud of him, though, because he had to work really hard to bring his grades up & he pulled it off! He has all next week off of school for Thanksgiving Break & conferences. I foresee a lot of sleepovers (at my place, of course!), basketball, and video games.

I've agreed to mentor Lisa's step-daughter (from her last marriage) for her senior project. She's going to do photography & do senior pics for some friends. I made up with my friend Samantha, with the understanding that we both could've handled the situation better when she moved out. We haven't hung out, but it's nice to be on speaking terms again. My friend Ganey (whom I met through Lance & now go to school with) called me to see if she can crash with me for a couple of days next week. I told her I'd love to help her out, but it can only be for a couple of days.

I was considering fixing up the car I'm thinking about buying from my brother for the trip to Eureka for Thanksgiving, but I think I've run out of time. It's still something I might do when time & money permits, though. Thank goodness gas prices have gone down. That'll help with the cost of the trip, itself. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone!

Quick update on Ty's knee:

We went to see the specialist yesterday (after an incredibly loooong wait) & got some great news! Tyson basically just has Osgood-Schlatter's (aka tendonitis) & just needs to manage the pain until he gets through his major growing. He hasn't done any damage; his knees are a little out of alignment, which can increase the pain level, but overall isn't a problem. So, he's going to continue playing fall league basketball as tolerable & get back into shape. Lance & I were a little surprised by Tyson's blase reaction to the news, but he's becoming a teenager, so I guess that just comes with the territory.

Well, I need to get Tyson to school & then get ready for school, myself. Write more soon(?)...

Thought I should write, if nothing else, to let y'all know I am still alive & well.

Today was the first day of the fall term. (I did end up with another 4.0 for last term, btw.) This term, I'm taking Sociology, Core & Cardio again, Math, Biology, & Writing. I was elected to student government, but I'm strongly considering dropping it, since that's another 14+ hours a week & I have to pay books & tuition for a leadership class if I do it. When I originally applied, I was looking at having student government on my scholarship applications, but now that I have the Ford scholarship, I don't need it. Anyway, that's school.

As for work, I am totally stoked that I got another doctor's office transcription. He's one of the easiest docs I've done transcription for, so hopefully it won't take up too much extra time, but will bring in some extra cash.

Tyson started 7th grade. He's looking forward to getting to play basketball for the school team & his coach even singled him out & invited him to come play at the school yesterday (Tyson beat him 10-4)! Unfortunately, Tyson did exacerbate his previous knee injury during practice for the fall league, so he didn't play community ball. We finally got him on Oregon Health Plan, so I took him to the doctor, who referred him to a specialist. We have an appointment this afternoon & I'm hoping they'll be able to reassure Tyson that this doesn't mean the end of his basketball career & set him up with a treatment plan to strengthen his knee & bring down the swelling.

I saved the best news for last: Lance & I moved in together!! For now, we're staying at the apartment to save up $ for a deposit, but we're hoping to get a house sometime in the near future. Everything's going really well & Tyson is stoked about it, too. I just think it's so awesome how accepting & encouraging he's been about this relationship! The guys have been doing a lot of bonding over video games, which I'm pretty sure helps the way that Tyson feels about him, but I don't want to take away from the fact that Tyson sees how happy Lance makes me.

So, yeah... There's probably a lot more news, but I really don't have time for all the details right now. One thing I did want to mention is that we're planning to go to Eureka for Thanksgiving - I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone & giving everyone the opportunity to meet TG!

Life sure has been full of ups & downs - this hasn't been an easy summer or an easy transition from working girl to college student. I have to say, though, that I'm definitely on an "up" right now, & being the optimist that I am, I had to share how happy I am when things are good...

On Saturday, TG ended up coming to Talent to go see Princess Bride with me at the park (which is a good thing, since every single one of my girlfriends bailed, but no worries). He arrived looking incredibly adorable in a new hat that he just got & with a wonderful, sweet card in hand. I was wearing a new sundress I just got at the consignment store & it was a perfect warm, clear evening with a nice cool breeze. We took my Harley blanket that I carry everywhere with me (the one my sister, Laura, gave me for Christmas abut 6 or 7 years ago) & laid it out on the lawn to watch the movie. In addition to some much needed & enjoyed snuggling & romance (and "Twoo Wove!"), I was treated to a fabulous back rub! Really, it doesn't get much better than that.

I had an absolutely fabulous day today, too. I delivered my persuasive speech & got an A! The professor's only critique was that I made some smacking noises with my mouth. (It's amazing all the weird habits we have that result from nerves that we aren't even aware of.) Usually he has a lot of suggestions or comments or critisisms, however you want to take it... I take it for what it is: he knows what he's doing & is teaching me, which is what he's paid to do! But this time, there was only that one comment. I asked him after class what my overall grade was & he said that I definitely got an A in his class! I got several compliments from my classmates & one of them came up to me & told me that I set the bar really high for the rest of the class. After class, I bumped into a lady whom I had Writing 121 with who is also majoring in Sociology & going for her MSW. She told me that she was thinking about me the past weekend & wanted to tell me that I will make a great therapist & that I am a great listener who knows how to talk to people & make them feel comfortable & that I have exactly the qualities that a therapist should have. What an amazing compliment! Between that & the speech, I was really on Cloud 9. Then, on my way to stop by to see TG on his break on my home from school, I got a call from Tyson, who just wanted to tell me that he loved me. (Really!)

Tonight, I did some online homework & an online quiz in math & tallied up all my scores, along with the graded tests I received back from my math prof today & have an average score of 99.29%. And I've turned in all the paper homework, which will get me points just for doing the work, so as long as I do well on the final, I'm fairly certain I'll get an A in math, too! I was relieved to find out that the final isn't a review of everything from the term, but just on the last chapter of factoring & exponents, which has actually made the most sense to me of anything we've studied all term.

Anyway, sorry to go off, but I have so many things to be grateful for & just had to share. Now I've gotta get some sleep!

I was getting ready to retire for the evening, but thought I should take the opportunity to give a brief synopsis of my life as of late:

I got a call from my sister, Kathy, tonight & found out that her oldest daughter moved into her dorm at the aeronautical engineering school she'll be starting on Monday - congrats, Jenn! I shiver with anticipation born of simultaneous fear & excitement at the thought of my kid moving out. Also in recent family news, on Tuesday, August 19th, my brother, Allen, celebrated 9 months clean & sober! He also got hired on as a mobile DJ! He has his first solo gig tomorrow & I'm really stoked for him. And last, but not least, a happy belated birthday to my oldest brother, Deland on the 16th & to my cousin, Nissa, on the 14th.

Tyson will be starting 7th grade on Wednesday, September 3rd. Seth offered to take him school clothes shopping next weekend, which I thought was very cool. He & I are still making a valiant effort at being friendly toward one another and, for the most part, succeeding. I don't think Ty wants to do cross country this year because of how badly it injured his knee last year. He wants to save the knee for basketball season. He'll actually get to play for the school team for the first time this year!

Next week is the last week of the summer term for me. I'm so over it I can hardly stand it! (Mostly because of my math class.) I didn't really get a whole lot of feedback on grades throughout the term, but I'm pretty sure I'll get an A in my Core & Cardio & in Public Speaking (although I give my persuasive speech on Monday or Wednesday, which is worth 45% of my grade, so that definitely remains to be seen). I'm not so sure about Math, but I do know I'll pass & I learned a lot about what NOT to do this term. Instead of taking Math 95, I've arranged to take Math 93 fall term & 94 winter term, so that I can work at a little slower pace & hopefully retain the knowledge better & be more successful in the higher math classes as a result. There was no way I could make arrangements to go to Italy this year, but I am going to start planning for next year. They have a great sociology & language program & my Ford scholarship will pay 90% of my expenses whether I'm here or there, so I think I'd be a fool to not take the opportunity.

My friend, Samantha, has been staying with me off & on until she can save up for a place. It's been fun having her here & she & Ty get along great. TG stayed with me most of last week, but he had work & I had school. I never seem to see or hear from him on the weekends anymore, so I don't really know what to think... Time will tell, I suppose. Tomorrow night, they're showing Princess Bride in the park on a theater-sized screen, so I invited a bunch of girlfriends to join me. I'm planning to go, even if nobody else shows. I think it's a cool idea & summer is almost over. I feel like I missed out on a lot this summer. I haven't been to the lake at all or taken any roadtrips or gone camping. I've hardly spent any time laying out by the pool, either, believe it or not. My friends, Donna & Dave, are having an end-of-the-summer BBQ/party for their son, Dave, who moved to Vegas in December. Their parties are da bomb, so if nothing else, I have that to look forward to. As soon as I get out of school, I'll be doing some fill-in transcription for Brenda & her docs for a week, so I'll be a busy girl, but after that, I intend to make the most of the summer break!

Coming Soon - at a blog near you:

The story of a woman and the struggles and triumphs that are her life, complete with action-packed updates and wild adventures! It will make you laugh, it will make you cry...ok, maybe it'll just bore you to tears, but it really is coming soon. Promise!

Sorry I haven't been blogging lately - life is a huge whirlwind right now I don't even know where to begin, so I'll just keep it simple & say that Ty & I are healthy & generally happy, I'm still doing well in school & Lance is just as freakin' wonderful as ever. We went to the Steve Miller Band & Joe Cocker concert Sunday night with Krista, so I thought I'd post some pics for y'all to enjoy & be envious of...Enjoy!

I can't believe it's been three years now since I started this blog! A lot has changed since then. I was reading my July 28, 2005 entry:

Top 10 things I'd like to do before I die (in no particular order):

1. Write a novel
2. Record an albumn
3. Travel the world
4. Ride a Harley
5. Set up a trust fund for my son
6. Ensure that my loved ones know how much they mean to me
7. Go to college
8. Have a career that fulfills me & reflects who I am
9. Meet my soul mate
10. Become skinny (or at least toned!)

and I'm well on my way to accomplishing most of the items on my list.

Anyway, back to present day... Upon TG's suggestion, I wrote a letter to my advisor stating my grievance with the math prof. I've stopped going to most of his classes & have just been doing the work on my own. I'm not the only one in my class to take this route, either. I got an A- on my second speech & we haven't had any more yet. It looks like I need to get a job or pick up some extra transcription work. Apparently, none of my money for fall term gets distributed until October 11, and I do have bills to pay before then.

Tomorrow, Lisa & I are hanging out together for her birthday. It'll be nice to get caught up on all the talking we haven't been able to do one-on-one. On August 3, Krista is coming down for the Steve Miller & Joe Cocker concert at the Lithia Ampitheater. Other than that, life is pretty much the same ol' routine.

Here I've been feeling guilty because I haven't blogged in so long, but - lo & behold - Christine's last blog entry was June 21, Allen's was February 3, Laura's was May 20, and even Kathy hasn't blogged since the 3rd.

Summer term started on the 7th. I got an A on my first speech in Public Speaking yesterday & have another due tomorrow (they get longer as the term progresses - the first one was only a couple of minutes). My core & cardio class is a killer, but as long as it kills some flab along the way, I will (almost) gladly suffer through it. The prof is a lean, mean, fighting machine! She's the epitome of the aeorobics instructor/drill sergeant, complete with marching & grunting. I've already signed up for her class again next term. My math class is annoying, for more than just the obvious reasons. My instructor is undoubtedly a bright man & has many degrees, but he is so disorganized that I've learned very little from him. Seriously, like today - he introduced the material discussed as section 3.3 all the way through class until one of the students corrected him that the section was actually 3.4. This was after he once again confused the x & y intercepts (as if I can't do that well enough on my own!) & made a couple of major math errors that were also caught by students. I'd like to say that I was one of the students pointing out the errors, but I was busy doing my homework in class, as I've already decided that I learn more from the homework than I do from any lecturing or misguidance the prof is providing. Annoying, I tell you...!

Tyson started summer league basketball. He had his first game (after only two practices) on Saturday. Because they hadn't even decided teams until the game, there were no drills & it wasn't a real pretty game to watch, but watch I did, along with my favorite companion, TG.

TG also helped us celebrate the 4th of July. We went to a potluck at Lisa's & then bought some fireworks & headed to Medford for the big show & to find a spot to set ours off. We ended up in a cul-de-sac that seemed perfect until we lit up the final firework & had an old, crotchety couple drive up & tell us that they'd call the cops if we didn't leave & that what we were doing was illegal. The lady actually stared us down while sparks from the fountain sprayed up & into her passenger side window! After the run-in with them & retrieving Tyson's cell phone from the storm drain, we were ready to go home.

We returned to Chadwick's the last couple of weekends for more comedy & karaoke. We were going to check out another place on Saturday, but decided to go see the 10 pm showing of Hancock. I have a lot of fun going out, but I must admit that some of my favorite times with TG are when we're hanging out around the house or going for a walk.

Well, I am absolutely exhausted from my work out today, so I'm gonna wrap some stuff up & try to have an early night tonight.