The Semester is OVER...Among other things

I took my last final last night, and got it over with in 20 minutes. I'm SO glad the semester is finally over, freedom at last...for about a week. And then starts summer class, oh joy. Oh well at least it's only 1 class as opposed to 4, and it will only last 6 weeks as opposed to 16. So there is a bright side. I still have work and will be looking for another job, for when the school year is over.
I took some new pics, and decided to show how big Mariner's gotten by comparison pics. In the first pic, he is 8 weeks old and about 10 lbs. In the most recent (taken today) he is 7 months old and weighs 50 lbs. He's huge. He steals food off the counter ( he LOVES peanut butter) and he goes for "drags" not "walks". He is also going to puppy training class starting tonight. The last picture is the back of a pick-up truck I saw in the Walmart parking lot. It looked so cool, couldn't resist sharing.

The Omer

I'm not entirely sure which is worse, not listening to music at all or listening to acapella over and over and over again until Lag B'Omer. Either way, I may feel like going crazy before then (I think I say this every year, but especially in recent years when I spend so much time in my car.) Now I know that there are other things to listen to, such as torah tapes, comedy tapes, etc. However considering my tendency to zone out what the person is actually saying on those tapes when I'm driving it's not such a fantastic idea. I know, because I bought myself an audiobook last year. I thought "Hey, this is a great idea, I know this book and I'm sure it'll keep me from wishing for music!" Yeah, right. I barely made it past the first chapter before I got bored and started wishing for more music. How am I going to make it another 3 weeks?!

Pesach is Coming!

Yes I know that everyone who reads my blog must already be aware of this fact, but since everywhere I look I see blog talking about it, I figured I may as well add in my two cents, before the chag is actually here. Other than the insane things people do to get ready for pesach ( a topic which has already been beaten to death with a sledgehammer several times over) and the complaints of family members suddently inconvenitly (or conveniently) reappearing at you, neither of which is the case at my home, there is not all that much to blog about...well there's been family issues, but that's not exaclty a pesach theme. Actually this post is really just to wish everyone a happy, kosher, chametz free pesach, and enjoy your seder and your family. Chag Kasher V'Sameach!

Anyone know some sure-fire cures for stress?

On top of everything that needs to be done for pesach, I have two tests this week, a paper due next week (on the last day of pesach no less) and the week after that I begin finals. Talk about stress... by the end of this month I may be on the roof howling at the moon (hey, that was how people reacted to stress in the middle ages...)

The Argument for Crazy

When I listen to the radio, there is this advertisement that comes on that always makes me laugh. It starts; "Men and women are so different in so many ways. For example; men are crazy, women are not..." Excuse me, but I beg to differ. As a woman myself and from all I have observed...women are a LOT crazier then men. Men usually have rational explanations for what they did, though that does not include things that "seemed like a good idea at the time." But honestly? Women, quite frankly, are nuts, no ifs, ands or buts about it.

The Dog Park

The dog park is an interesting place, and you meet some very interesting people there. Even if you have nothing else in common with them, you can talk about dogs, after all that’s why they’re there. They love their dog enough to bring him/her to the park to get some exercise and socialize with other dogs. Some people spend the time on their phone, or read a book. Some play with their dogs, throwing whatever they find lying around or bring toys for their dog to the park. I remember the first time I brought Mariner to the park, I had to practically drag him inside the gate and he stuck to me like a burr the entire time, being somewhat afraid of the other dogs. Now however, HE drags ME into the park, and the moment I let him off the leash, he’s off playing with the other dogs. Or if there are no other dogs there, I throw a stick, he fetches it, and then he makes me chase him for the stick. He’ll fetch sticks, and even rocks, but he will not fetch a ball more than once. Though, that makes my life a bit easier, since you can just pick up a stick or rock from the ground, whereas you usually have to buy a ball, which then inevitably gets lost.

Happy Purim!!!

Freileche Purim one and all! I made hamantashen, for the first time in years...it's turned out very good, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get to the costume shop in time this year....so I cheated. I'm a pirate again...really all I need is a sword....but considering last year my sword brokw within an hour of my getting it, I think swords are overrated. Anyways, I hope everyone has a wonderful Purim!

Random Fun Things

At work, my mother's office is next to the sixth grade boys classroom, and it is very easy to hear them. This week was color war for the boys abd they were being a bit loud about it. I asked my mother, "Does it ever occur to you that being in your office is rather like being in an office next to the monkey enclosure at the zoo?" She said, "Yes" The reason I had brought it up in the first place was that the boys were making sounds rather similiar to chimps....

I went to the dog park and was priveliged to play with threee adorable 8 week old jack russel terrier puppies. I was SOOOO happy, as you can imagine. I got some pics of them on my phone which I am going to try to load onto the computer so everyone can bask in thier cuteness.

Oh, and Moshe asked for a video of Mariner, well, I have one, though since i took it from a kneeling/ sitting position (after being knocked over by Mariner) it's a lil bit dizzying, so here's a warning, don't watch it if you get motion sickness easily.

Spring Break

Ah, first of all I'd like to apologize for the Hiatus, I just did not feel like I was getting any news to write about. Now, however, there seems to be plenty. For one, I started a job as a secretary at an all boys middle school. My mom happens to be one of the principals, which is how I got the job to begin with. It involves a lot of typing, which, fortunately for me, I'm good at. So working there should provide me with lots of blogworthy material. Another thing is the dog park. Three weeks ago, I started taking Mariner to the dog park...there is SO much you can talk about there, the people, the dogs, the park itself, the weather....you get my drift. What else is new...oh, I got a new phone, the Samsung Instinct, which I love. It's pink. I would have preferred blue, but sadly they don't make it in blue...considering it took them this long that if they sold phones in pink and red, women would buy it, I'm not really surprised. I'm on Spring Break now, was planning on going to NY, but not happening, this time at least. oh, and I just took new photos of Mariner to put up. As a side note, he's now 5 months and 40 lbs.

At what price is friendship?

You can't pay someone to be your friend, as I think everyone knows. a friendship, like any relationship is one of give and take. Sometimes you gotta know when to give and when to accept help. I'll admit, one of my greatest weaknesses is my reluctance to ask for help. Why? I think it has something to do with my pride, I view asking for help as a sign of weakness, though when I see no other option, I will ask. Sometimes however, I do that when it's already far too late. It was an issue in school, and it's been an issue for throughout my life. It's something I try to work on, but when it comes to asking for any sort of help, my first reaction is to balk, and say, no, I can do this on my own. Fortunately for me, I have some good friends who see that I need help, even if I can't ask for it. This is just a shout out to those good friends, to say thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you.

Tests and Winter

Well, I got my test back....and let's just say it's a very good thing he give us a nice big curve. But at least now I know what his tests are like and I'll know how to study for the next one. Thanks to everyone who wished me luck, I really appreciated that.
On a side note, this has been such a ridiulously cold winter! I'm wearing pants under my skirt for the 6th time this winter, and considering in years past I could go the entire winter months wihout doing that....it's just driving me crazy, though I have to say the cold is better than heat...at least there's always the possibility of putting on more clothes.
And in other news....there isn't that much. When there actually is, I'll post it...in the meantime, why don't I put up pics of Mariner, showing how much he's grown?

Studying for a Test

I've always found that the easiest way for me to study for a test is to read the material right before the test. Though this time I'm a bit nervous because I don't know how this teacher will test and from what I've heard, his tests are hard...also the fact that he wasn't able to finish the material that will be on the test in class hardly inspires my confidence. On the other hand, MOST of the stuff on this test I've learned about 3 times before, perhaps more. So it can't be TOO hard, right?
I hate studying....wish me luck everyone!

GCF: Bachelor Food Storage Guide

Here it is, the secret chart used by bachelors worldwide, because they don't have wives who can recognize on sight (and sometimes before) when the Big Mac has become one with the special sauce.
FREEZER FOODS:
ICE CREAM - If you can't tell the difference between your ice cubes and your ice cream, it's time to throw BOTH out.
FROZEN FOODS - Frozen foods that have become an integral part of the defrosting problem in your freezer compartment will probably be spoiled (or wrecked anyway) by the time you pry them out with a kitchen knife.
IN THE FRIDGE:
EGGS - When something starts pecking its way out of the shell, the egg is probably past its prime.
DAIRY PRODUCTS - Milk is spoiled when it starts to look like yogurt. Yogurt is spoiled when it starts to look like cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is spoiled when it starts to look like regular cheese. Regular cheese is nothing but spoiled milk anyway -- if you can dig down and still find something non-green, bon appetite!.
MEAT - If opening the refrigerator door causes stray animals from a three-block radius to congregate outside your house, toss the meat.
LETTUCE - Bibb lettuce is spoiled when you can't get it off the bottom of the vegetable crisper without Comet and a brillo pad. Romaine lettuce is spoiled when it turns liquid. Endive never spoils, but you will never eat it anyway.
MAYONNAISE: If it makes you violently ill after you eat it, the mayonnaise is spoiled. Permanently.
CARROTS - A carrot you can tie into a clove hitch in is no longer fresh.
CHIP DIP - If you can take it out of its container and bounce it on the floor, it has gone bad.
UNMARKED ITEMS: You know it is well beyond prime when you're tempted to discard the Tupperware along with the food. Generally speaking, Tupperware containers should not burp when you open them. If the original can you put it away in has finally lost it's label, it's probably done.
EMPTY CONTAINERS: Putting empty containers back into the refrigerator is a fine old trick, but it only works if you live with someone else.
ON THE SHELF:
CANNED GOODS - Any canned goods that have become the size or shape of a softball should be disposed of ... Very carefully.
WINE - Should not be confused with salad dressing.
POTATOES - Fresh potatoes do not have roots, branches, or dense, leafy undergrowth.
THE GAG TEST - Anything that makes you gag is spoiled (except for leftovers from what you cooked for yourself last night).
GENERAL RULE OF THUMB: - Most food cannot be kept longer than the average life span of a hamster. Keep a hamster in your refrigerator to gauge this.
BREAD: Sesame seeds and Poppy seeds are the only officially acceptable "spots" that should be seen on the surface of any loaf of bread. Fuzzy and hairy looking white or green growth areas are good indications that your bread has turned into a pharmaceutical laboratory experiment. You may wish to discard it at this time, depending on your interest in pharmaceuticals.

CEREAL: It is generally a good rule of thumb that cereal should be discarded when it is two years or longer beyond the expiration date, or when it will no longer fall out of the box by itself.
FLOUR: Flour is spoiled when it wiggles, or things fly out when you open it.
PRETZELS: Normally eternal, pretzels may be discarded if they can no longer be picked up without falling apart. Otherwise, there's nothing to stop you from eating a pretzel that the Pharaoh put down only 4000 years ago.
RAISINS: Raisins should not usually be harder than your teeth.
SALT: It never spoils. However, if you can't chip off reasonable amounts from the block, maybe another box is in order, as fresh salt usually pours.
SPICES: Most spices cannot die, they just fade away. They will be fine on your shelf, forever. Put them in your will.
VINEGAR: If your grandmother made it, it is probably still good.
EXPIRATION DATES: This is not a marketing ploy to encourage you to throw away perfectly good food so that you'll spend more on groceries. Even dry foods older than you are may be ready to replace. Perhaps you'd benefit by having a calendar in your kitchen.

Graffitti in Bathrooms

Today after class I went to the Barnes and Noble across the street, I got a drink from the cafe and used their restroom. When I closed the door behind me, I noticed there was graffiti on the door. While I don't really understand WHY some ppl feel possessed to write on the door, I thought it was amusing and took some pictures, I will now put them up for your viewing pleasure.
This one is my favorite:

My Apologies....Yet Again

Today was the Presidential Inauguration....Barack Obama is now the President of the United States. Ok, I know I usually don't go into anything having to do with politics on my blog (for good reason, I have no wish to get into any political deabtes) but this is a historic day and should be noted....ok, it's been noted, that's all I have to say on it.
Anyways, I started my classes, I love all of them so far, which is a good way to start the semester. A bad way to start the semester however is getting a parking citation for not having a decal at one of my colleges. I'm taking 4 classes this semester: Personality and Social Development, Human Development, American History (with the same teacher that let me skip a final last semester) and Intro to Religion, which I haven't started yet and don't start till the 27th.
CJ came back from NY for a week, I hung out with her a total of twice in the time she was home. But at least I spent SOME time with her. She was enchanted with the pup (of course) though he kept on making spirited attempts to eat her clothes. (Which he does to me on a daily basis, he seems to think my skirt is very tasty)
Hmmm, what else...my brother is going back-packing with his best friend for two days, he's leaving on Sunday. And then on the 28th he's leaving to Chicago for a week to visit his rebbe, who just moved up there. Can't think of any other news now, but we'll see how the week goes.

Happy New Year...albeight a day late....

OK, yes, I know, sould have done a new years post, but never got around to it. Did absolutely nada on New Years Eve, just was bored. On New Years, I spent the day putting together a schedule for next semester....which starts on Monday...and i don't even know all of the classes I'm taking yet. Talk about very last minute! Anyways, finally got the pics on my comp, so here are a few from Disney. Enjoy!!!

Fun Times

Okay, blogger is officially a pain...actually, I dunno if it's blogger or my comp, but one of them is frustrating me. I know, it's been a while since I updated...was going to after I got back from Orlando....and as you saw, that didn't happen. Chanukah was fun....especially lighting the candles in the middle of the parking lot in 40 degree weather (ok, not that cold compared to some places, but I was freezing) It was lots of fun having SC here, we had an...interesting time. We went to Magic Kingdom (which she thought was boring, and too kiddie) then MGM, which she liked...we went on the Rockin Roller Coaster 3 times. Then we went to Islands of Adventure, on her birthday...went on the Hulk roller coaster twice, Dr. Doom's Fall twice, and Dueling Dragons 3 times...all in all very fun. I got several pins, which I put on my hat, which I then lost bec I forgot to take it off before I went on the rollercoaster. Which was dumb of me, and I've been kicking myself over that. Okay...well, I think that's all for now, I'll be posting pics when I get them on my comp....and I hopefully won't be as long in posting next time!

End of the Semester and things to come

So the semester is finally over. I am SO glad. No more finals, no more papers, free for the next three weeks, life is good. I know I have been neglecting the blog, but hopefully, more updates will be forthcoming since I am no longer overwhelmed by school. Though I don't know how much I'll be updating when my friend SC is here, I'll certainly make some updates after that, and maybe include pics of where we went. So look forward to more updates, especially those on Mariner. I think he grows overnight...he's so big now! Will be putting up more pics once I load them on my comp, I think I lost my sd card adapter....but whatever. Eventually, you will be seeing more.

New Comp and Finals

Got up at 3 am Friday morning to get my new comp...went to Office Depot and waited 2 and a half hours for the store to open. I made friends with a couple of people already on line, an Isreali guy and his British girlfriend. Apparently his parents own a bakery in our area....and I found out later that my step-father knows the owner of the bakery. So I got my new comp finally, and now I have some pics of the pup on it. I also have finals this week whicdh means I prob won't really be updating till next week. In the meantime, enjoy pictures of the oh-so-cute puppy, Mariner!

Newsworthy

Well, Blogger seems to be working for me now...kinda...in a weird sort of fashion, but at least it's working. Anyways, what's newsworthy? First off, my computer died, a problem with a corrupted hard drive and can't save anything that had been on it. Doesn't really make sense to pay for a new hard drive when I can get a new computer for just a bit more. But that's not gonna happen till the end of this week. In the meantime, I get use of my bro's computer...sporadically. When he's not home or is otherwise occupied. We got the puppy on Sunday, he is cute beyond belief, but pics won't be up till I have my own comp....oh, well. His name is Mariner (for the Mercury Mariner, the car my brother likes) and he'll be nine weeks old tomorrow, which is also when he's going to our vet. That should be fun....considering last week when I took my cats to the vet they peed in their carriers and got it all over themselves....yeah, anything would be an improvement over THAT. Thank goodness the cats only need go to the vet once a year. Well, that's all the current news I can think of, can't say when I'll next update...maybe when I have a new comp. Oh, and one last thing, all you northeners are gonna hate me for saying this but we no longer have a cold front...it's aboojut 75 here....and as my teacher said, one of the worst things is an 84 degree Thanksgiving. I LOVE FLORIDA.