Food

Food always seems to taste better the more time and effort you put into it.  You know the old phrase "Blood, sweat, and tears?"  I once had a roommate tell me she thought there was some credit in that.  Sometimes you can have a recipe that is the exact same as your mother's/grandmother's/friend's, and it never seems to turn out the same.  She used to say it was because you put a bit of yourself into the recipe and it added a specific flavor and texture to the food.  At the time I thought it was pretty gross, but now I'm thinking she has a point.  Oh, and I also think that cooking with love (you know, from grandma or mom), makes things taste better as well.  ;)
The same goes for boxed dinners/desserts.  It may look delicious on the box, but turns out disappointing in the long run.  I've made better dinners by just throwing stuff together and calling it a casserole than by using the boxed dinners that you get from the grocery store.  More filling and less fattening too.  We had a caramel apple boxed dessert last night, and I must say I'm rather sad at the outcome.  *sigh*  I suppose I'll have to use my google skills and find a REAL recipe for that kind of thing. 

Are you a student, or a professor?

Just a vent.  I enjoy my class, I really do.  But I've enjoyed the assignments more than I've actually enjoyed the class so far.  I get to practice my "craft" (or see if there is a craft there at all!), and learn about new techniques and strengthening exercises. 
But good grief!  My professor is a really nice guy and all, but his appearance is distracting.  From someone who got their Bachelor's from a religious university where even the students tried to dress professionally, it is hard for me to see my teacher, who looks like he may be younger than me, walk in with ratty clothes and converse shoes, and a messy beard. 
The classroom is set up in rows, which does not encourage conversation, which is what the professor mentioned that he wanted.  Only three or four people spoke up the whole time.  I would have liked to, but was hesitant to speak up in front of the whole class.  Perhaps it is the teacher in me criticizing, but I would have liked to have smaller groups for discussion.  My excitement for the homework assignments is still there, but the excitement for class is tapering.   Hopefully he will change it up a little bit in the future. 

Off to a Good Start, at least I think so!

I've done it!  My first writing assignment!  And since I am so proud of it I think I will post it for all to read.  Of course, I will be doing 2 one-to-two page assignments every week until October or so, and it is pretty much guaranteed that I won't like all of them, so I will only post the ones I like.  Here goes...

I sat and stared angrily ahead as my fingers drummed the table.  The lights above flickered and blinked as though trying to shake a finger at me.  I glared at them in a vain attempt to keep them still.
The door opened suddenly, causing me to jump.  An officer strolled in, looking a little too pleased with himself.  He sat in front of me and placed an item on the table.  The Bat.  I rolled my eyes and glared at him, waiting. 
He sat back and looked at me with an irritating smile.  Oh how good it would feel to put a fist in his face, maybe he'd even lose some teeth.
Silence.  Just the buzz from the flickering lights could be heard.  I licked my lips and glared at the officer again.  I knew what he was doing, and it wasn't going to work.  I'd seen enough TV shows to know they played tricks in here.
I leaned back in the chair, allowing my knee to bounce.  My one nervous gesture.  He wouldn't see it. 
The officer followed suit, leaning back and crossing his arms, that annoying smirk still on his face.  Once again I thought about wiping it off for him, but I resisted.  I wasn't going to let him get to me.  No way, no how.  I stilled my leg. 
The silence between us droned on and on.  It was deafening, and he just sat there, smirking as though he'd figured out the world. 
I shouldn't even be in here, this is ridiculous, I thought.  I looked at the bat.  It had a dent in it.  I narrowed my eyes and turned to glare at the cop again.  He just smiled bigger.  I averted my eyes.  No way was he getting to me.  I was a rock.  What was that line from that awful movie my mom liked to watch?  "Wild horses couldn't drag it from me!"  I rolled my eyes.  Great.  Now I was quoting from Anne of Green Gables.  I glared at the cop again.  He smiled and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, shoulders haunched in a relaxed sort of way, as though he had all the time in the world to sit and stare at me. 
He cleared his throat.
I raised my eyebrows.  Ha!  I thought.  Easy game.  Is that all you got?  I win, I so win!
Then he spoke.
"So!  Get thirsty, did ya?"
"It's not my fault!"  I burst out.  "If they would keep the dumb machines working right, I would never have needed the bat!"

Textbooks

Finally, after waiting what seemed like an eternity, which was actually just a week and a half, my new textbooks have arrived!  Although I did stroke them lovingly as I took them out of their packages, I have  yet to open and really look at them.  Hm.  Seems as though in the last four years (and two children) I haven't changed much at all.  I still love to learn, and I still love to procrastinate.  Sometimes I even wonder how I managed to get my first degree. 
Despite the fact that I haven't opened my books yet to read them (on short fiction...taking a writing class, yay!)  I am soooooo super excited and I just can't wait to buy the school supplies so I can go and show up and put them neatly on my desk and show I am ready to go!  Of course, in a week I'll be rushing in at the last minute and randomly pulling papers out of this notebook and that, and probably hoping ever so hard that I am not called on because while I did do the homework I didn't do it well...
With all of that it would make you wonder why I love the classroom so much, why I wouldn't just take it online and get it over with, but there's something about being in the classroom setting that feels so great.  Perhaps it is my mind sighing in relief as I show it that yes, I really do use it for things other than potty training and meal planning and stain removing.  Ahhhh, yes, if only they had a class on that!