The blog

Before I get going on the topic of spam, I thought I might just tell you all where I have been since I have definitely not been in school. Quite simply, I have a horrid case of Strept Throat. See, this is where Microbiology has its most useful applications, because, by the second day, I was able to identify it and my mom took me to the doctor and got me a prescription. Now, it may or may not have just been dumb luck that I figured out what it was, but one way or the other, I am no longer contagious, I can swallow solid food again, and am once again enjoying conversation with my family, thanks to Amoxicillin I do so love antibiotics. We really should invest more time and energy into creating new ones.

So, anyway, that’s where I’ve been, sadly. I would much more have enjoyed time off if I had not been sick, because, believe me, it’s no fun. Anyway, now I need to get back onto the topic of spam.

Again, I am not talking about the odd, little, canned, whatever-it-is, meat stuff, but, rather, internet spam. I don’t know how, or why, but the spam-killer on this site is finally starting to work! I think. One way or the other, after a week of letting it sit, I used to receive a good three hundred, four hundred messages. All spam. Now, I’ve got about thirty. I am enthralled. Whoever created the technology that is now working, I love them forever

But, there you go, that’s my update. Not a whole lot on the school front just yet, but I might post again this weekend about my Thursday, since that’s the only day I have school For now, I wish you a great week and a happy Easter if you are so celebrating it. Also, you are about to see the oddest pairing of pictures ever.

Have a great week!

Sarah

P.S. as always, beware when browsing outside sites as I cannot control their content. However, the encyclopedia britannica should be safe ;P

 This is what attacked my throat >:(

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic-art/183561/107762/Scanning-electron-micrograph-of-Streptococcus-pyogenes-associated-with-strep-throat

 And, on the other end of the spectrum….

HAPPY EASTER!!! Aren’t they cute

http://superdolly.blogspot.com/2008/03/apologies-and-happy-easter.html

I’m a few days late on my blog, so I will share with you all how to be the life of a party. The secret is in one small joke. Okay, now pay attention, it’s a good one.

So there are these two statues that have been standing across this path from each other in a park for well over a hundred years, a guy and a girl. One day, an angel descends from heaven and is like, “you know what? You two have been so good standing here for so long, and enduring all the weather, that God has decided to grant you a half hour of life.”

So the angel snaps her finger and the two statues spring to life, and they instantly go over into the bushes and you hear all this rustling and giggling. Fifteen minutes later, they come back, get on their pedestals and are all ready to go. And the angel is like, “Well, you know, you have fifteen more minutes; you could do it again.” And the guy statue nods and looks at the girl statue and says, “Alright, but this time we’re changing positions. You hold the pigeon, and I’ll poop on its head.”

Ta daa! Guaranteed to get a few laughs and a crowd of eager followers at your next casual cocktail get-together.

Now, on a more serious note, letting everyone know that the academic calendar does say we get Good Friday off. So, there you go. I’ve had some people in my classes wondering about it and it is official, you just have to look at the academic calendar on the Iowa Western home page.

Also, I have some very cool news! My prospective college for next fall, Wheaton, is a very good university. But that’s not the cool news. I was talking with their science chair last Wednesday while I was over there, and he had an excellent mention on IWCC’s Veterinary and Nursing programs. His daughter, after getting her Bachelor degree at Wheaton, actually came over here and went through our Vet Tech program and he said she was just absolutely thrilled. He said we have an excellent dedication to the sciences here, which I thought was very neat. That is one of the best things about IWCC; we have great programs that are actually affordable. So whatever ya’ll are doing, you’re doing it right.

Also, I’m excited; I’m starting to see buds on the trees. That means spring, which means summer, which means SUMMER BREAK!!!!!!!! Yes, folks, the last day of classes is May 15th, which means we only have forty-two days between us and the beaches, hot sun, and sleeping in until noon every day! Also, we get that nice, golden tan that is obviously not fake-baked on there, which makes it look like you have been living in Cancun half your life. Ah, yes, Summer in the Midwest. And don’t forget the thunderstorms I do love the thunderstorms…  now, you can forget the tornados because those are awful, but it just wouldn’t be June without some heavy rain and lightning.

Anyway, on that happy thought, I have one more thing to say before I split. My birthday is in 24 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’M FINALLY TURNING EIGHTEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*cough cough* and I will be starting a collection box for gifts from my friends and admirers…

Anyways… yeah. So… mark it on your calendar… Sarah’s Birthday… April 26th… 18…. yeah………………………. 

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Have a happy weekend!!!!

Sarah 

P.S. As always, be careful if browsing the websites posted with my pictures. I’m just citing sources, not encouraging 

http://www.vikingimporting.com/index.php?cPath=165

http://www.posebud.com/balloons.html

As completely, utterly, and incandescently happy as I am to be back at school, I am feeling mixed emotions about the whole thing. I missed my classes, to be sure, but I just hate snapping back into actually having to DO stuff again. Call me lazy, but that’s the way it is. Anyway, it was an excellent break I caught a cold, was sick for half the week, got one of my projects for art done, hung out with some friends, and just enjoyed the rest. I only wish this first week back wasn’t always so dang awkward.

Oh, and one of my happiest achievements was that I’m finally working on my story again! I mean, not in the middle, but actually continuing the line of the tale

Other than that, there isn’t much to report. I’m tired and completely beat up from yesterday (I hung out with my cousins in central Iowa and ran into some stuff… scraped up my knee). Oh! I actually do have one thing I’m excited about though.

Spring is finally ACTUALLY here! It’s not just nice weather, it’s the real feeling and the smell that just changes when spring finally comes! And I’m so excited about it. Also, in exactly one month and three days, I finally turn eighteen!!! Just in time for the end of teh semester But anyway, now that’s all. I feel like I was rather lazy on this post, but I’ll supply you with something really cool to make up for it next week. For now, goodbye!

Sarah

 Enjoy the poppies as always, beware of where you browse.

http://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/EASTSUSSEXCC/Templates/Topic/Picture.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRORIGINALURL=%2Fleisureandtourism%2Fpictures%2Fpoppies.htm&NRNODEGUID=%7B163D642E-6B13-44BE-9FC9-63250FC82860%7D&NRCACHEHINT=NoModifyGuest

Well, if anyone is out of the loop on this, spring break is next week! You have probably been hinted about this by an over-abundance of midterms, but just in case, now you know.

Ah, and doesn’t the weather feel so springy right now? You know, frost on the windows, losing your extremeties to the frigid air, and, the ever-popular, frozen gas lines It just makes you feel… so warm and fuzzy inside. Not really, it actually makes you feel cold and bitter, BUT the advent of spring break must mean spring is near! And it is, I can just feel it, so don’t lose heart yet. After about four more weeks of frost, snow, and bitter cold , then you can start to despair.

Anyway, I, personally, am thrilled with a week’s break. I have some projects for school that I want to do over spring break, but for the most part it’s going to be a lot of fun and sleeping in I’ve decided not to inform my boss because I’m happy with the hours I have right now, so I’ll actually get some down time. For those of you who don’t, I’m sorry.

I am going to miss my classes though. I love my teachers and I am really enjoying what I’m learning this semester! In Microbiology we all picked up some unknown bacteriums and are trying to figure out what they are and, so far, I think mine is pathogenic (disease-causing), which is awesome because it makes it more interesting.

Weight training has been great too. Even though exercise is like some form of torture that people found out actually slimmed them down at one point (and, consequently, they then exchanged it for more painful methods), overall, it makes you feel better. Speech is awesome, singing even better, and drawing is totally cool! We just learned a new method of print-making to finish over break.

And now I have a great story from my honors class (maybe with a few emballishments to make it as funny as it was then ). So me and my class of about seven altogether were sitting there waiting for Sharon Eden, our teacher, to show up. Now, when I was headed down there I had noticed two girl scouts selling cookies in the kiosk by the student center. I had ordered some already, but I wanted cookies now! However, I was in a rush to get to class and skipped it. About five minutes ’til class time, though, I was talking to a classmate and tried to convince him to come with me to get girl scout cookies. He said no, he had no way of paying for it.

I stopped and though for a moment on this, then said they accepted checks if he had those. Again, he said he didn’t. Then I remembered the ATM machine beside the cafeteria and mentioned it, and he looked over and said, “you really want to get some cookies don’t you?” and I nodded fervently. So he agreed and I convinced the rest of the class to come along at about three minutes ’til class began. I wrote a note on the board to our teacher, detailing where we had gone, when we would be back, and why, and then we all filed out. As we left, we saw our teacher coming up the adjacent hall and scooted out of there quick (for fear of death). We all then trotted up the stairs and flooded the kiosk, got our cookies, and walked back to our classroom flushed with victory. Sharon Eden was sitting in her chair, hands folded, patiently waiting for us to come back, and we had a jolly good laugh over the incident The end.

 Have a great week and an awesome spring break!

Sarah

P.S. The browser is acting up so I may or may not get pictures up later…

No, I’m not quoting Monty Python, as hilarious as that show is. I hate INTERNET SPAM. It’s stupid. And annoying. And, well, I hate dealing with it all the time. It SUCKS!

Anyway, great weather we got here, going into March huh? Brisk like November. Thankfully, ‘in like a lion, out like a lamb’ hopefully this year follows that pattern.

But enough small talk now. I’m going to talk about something you all are thinking about right now. MIDTERMS (duuh-duhduh-duh-DUH!) <– scary music

Yes, Midterms are right around the corner, this week and next week for most of us. Few instructors are so cruel as to give us a midterm after break most do it BEFORE… that is actually what I wanted to talk about though (and I can see heavenly light starting to come down and angels singing). SPRING BREAK!! Yes, my friends, after the long and dreary monotony that is MIDTERMS, comes the sweet, relaxing joy of spring break. March 16th-20th. And of course you have the weekends tacked onto those so we DO actually get the 14th through the 22nd off. And when you look at it like that, WELL, it starts to look really appealing. See, for me, it’s not like I hate ON my classes enough to want a break from THEM. Actually, I just want to be able to sleep in and have some down time. So if I could take a spring break from WORK, that would be great too. HARD enough as it is to convince my employers of that, however, I still try.

AND IF YOU DO YOU WILL HAVE A GREAT SPRING BREAK!

Sarah

P.S. Look at all the words that are conpletely in caps to read the subliminal message I was tranmitting to you Not really, I actually just noticed a trend and decided to go with it Have fun!!

Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss!! What a great man, and Google is honoring him in a very neat way. Check this out:

This is, of course, copyrighted both to Dr. Seuss and Google, and I think the image is only going to be up for a short time so I’d go look

Why is it so hard to love something we’re having problems with?

I have noticed a trend. Once I start having issues with something, like I get stuck on a piece of writing, or I get a bad grade in a class, I tend to start hating it. This is true in relationships too. So why does this happen?

I am, personally, a very passionate person. If I feel an emotion, I FEEL that emotion big time. So, when I get stuck with something, I get frustrated and start looking at what could have possibly gone wrong. Then, of course, when I look at what went wrong, I’m looking at problems, it’s part of being a perfectionist. Once you start to notice all the problems with something, you get overwhelmed and stop trying.

I dunno why I do this, but that, in itself, is frustrating. So then I start wondering why I have such issues with getting stuff done right and then I get mad at myself and the whole thing blows up in my face. So what is going wrong?

I had to ask myself this question as I looked over a story that I have been working on for some time. At one point I was thrilled with it, until it was ripped to shreds by my aunt and sister, and then all I could see was the problems. I kept trying without resolving this problem and wrote myself into a corner. School started right around then so I had an excuse to quit for a while.  But then yesterday I was looking at it, and I wondered why I hated it so much.

I realized that it wasn’t because any of the characters. They were actually quite a diverse crowd to write, very fond of emotions and such interesting things. No, no, I actually liked the characters very much in my own mind. So the story then? It needed a couple little changes, but that was all, nothing major. Style? Hmm, yes. I hated the style but that wasn’t a good reason to give up! In the end I discovered I just thought it was worthless.

But it was worth it. It is worth it. I just have to re-adjust where I think worth lies.

See, in the end, that’s what dedication comes down to. It comes down to an appreciation, an assignment of worth, of value, to whatever it is you struggle with. You have to know how much it is worth to you. If you don’t figure that out, you’re never going to follow through. Whether it is a relationship, school, work, or, in my case, a piece of literature, you must think about how much it means to you. How much do you want it. And, if you feel you don’t want it enough, you maybe should try making a craving for that goal.

I want to write on that piece now. I actually want to skip my homework and do that instead. See, I realized there is so much beauty yet to be weaved in the story-telling and I want a part of that desperately! I love my characters so much that I want to continue to sculpt them and build them and create, essentially, their lives. I long for it truly. And all I had to do was build within myself that desire. I had to remember why I started and to what end I was shooting for. And it is hard. I’ll admit I’ve been fighting for this desire for a good few months already, and I know I will have to battle again. But in the end, it is well worth the effort.

This post much more involves my personal life than my life at my school for a school blog, I know. But I thought someone might get something out of this and I will, hopefully, have a few more good months to write about here at IWCC anyway. But best of luck to you all

 Sarah

P.S. My boss, Lindsey Koch, was extremely gracious to me today. I mixed up my schedule and missed a blogger meeting and she was very nice and just said thanks for telling her and to please make it to the next one. So thank you

 Fantastic comic strip. Bill Watterson was a genius with it. I found this at

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/6796/calvinonscientificlawin6.gif 

and, as always, beware when surfing outside sights, I can’t necessarily control their content…

(I broke it up into two images so it would fit…)

At least, spring was in the air before that dang snow. Now it’s freezing again! I blame Iowa Western. Why? Because I can. Everyone else seems to blame Iowa Western for stuff, why not me?

Lol, anyway, I couldn’t be much bored-er since we didn’t have school today, but it gave me a chance to sleep in, get some homework done and, of course, write a blog. Although, I do rather miss my two Thursday classes, Microbiology and Weight Training. I’m telling ya, the guys in my weight class are really fantastic. I’m the only girl in my class (the other one dropped or something) and am anything except a work-out junkie. I haven’t ever really used workout stuff before! EVER!!! But the other day a friend of mine was showing me some pointers on how to use stuff, and the other guys were talking an joking with me and it was really fun. They are really nice to me. So yeah, just thought I’d mention it.

Now, pardon my french here, but I wanted to grump a little bit about something I call Half-as-sing-it syndrome. H-AI for short. Unfortunately, I have fallen victim to this horrible disease. I didn’t necessarily do it on purpose, and thank heavens I didn’t do it because I was slacking off (completely…), but I have officially felt the sting of H-AI. I didn’t much like it.

Now, it’s not that I got bad grades because of it, well, not horrible grades at least, but it’s more a feeling, deep down, that I have done something morally wrong. like stealing a tootsie roll out of a bin, or walking off with your friend’s soda, then trying to say you forgot you had it when they come after you.

For starters I turned in an outline for a very important paper in Micro. Now, I did work on it, and I worked hard. Hours of labor went into making that outline. But, by the end of it, my case of H-AI was setting in and I just kinda jotted some stuff down and didn’t really work on that half…. which my teacher pointed out. The wonderful soul though, Miss Sharon Eden is, she still has faith I’ll do it right and, my gosh, I will.  She still only gave me 80% though

Well, I had another outline that was actually due the Friday before for another of Miss Eden’s classes, but, since we were a week behind, I begged, on behalf of the entire classs, to push this due date back a week (H-AI speaking…). And she did. Funny thing, no one else had finished it, so the whole class had H-AI!!! How horrible!

Well, then I didn’t completely finish an art project, which my teacher gave back for finishing when I turned it in ‘finished’ and I also H-Aed a speech in Public Speaking because I ran out of time because of my art project, so I was feeling horrible about myself. I couldn’t believe the symptoms of H-AI that were showing up!

I suppose this is getting rather long so I’ll finish up. I realized, that, yes, I had come down with a bad case of H-AI. But, at least I recognized it. There are too many people who don’t realize that they are H-AI all the time! Not to say that I’m great or anything, but I do give myself points for striving at least. And I suppose sometimes H-AI is necessary. The world doesn’t stop if someone you know dies, or you get really sick, or just any of those crazy things life throws at you happens. You, however, do stop for a bit. So being able to H-A a few assignments here and there is necessary. However, you have to get out of that pattern again which I don’t see a ton of people doing!

So here’s the scoop guys, if I can beat my H-AI disease, so can you! You deserve it, your grades deserve it, and the poor teachers who try so hard deserve it. Just try it for a bit, actually caring about what you’re doing and I think you’ll like the differences it’ll make. Anyway, have a great day and enjoy whatever weather we get chucked at us next. Farewell!

Sarah

P.S. according to the wonderful calendar provided to me by Brownielocks and the Three Bears (aways use caution browsing outside sites) at http://www.brownielocks.com/b3bcalendar.html today is chocolate mint day! So here is a wonderful Chocolate Mint Torte. Mm……

Or just a divine picture of one

http://www.sweetdietdelights.com/WhiteChocolateMintTruffle.jpg <– the website the pic is from. Always use caution, I cannot control websites outside of my own.

Well, it’s been yet another busy week. I could cry, I’m late blogging! It’s horrible! Lol, but it’s not all bad. Other than neglecting my readership, I have been up to some more useful things.

Like… HOMEWORK!!!!!!!!!! YIPEE!!!!! No, not really. Homework isn’t all that grand and I think it sucks your life away slowly, now that it’s mentioned… hmm, should prolly check into that…. oh well. Anyway, I have been doing homework because I fell behind over a couple of really weird weekends (curse the Steelers and all their stealing abilities; the Cardinals deserved that trophy!!). Aside from that it’s been work and school, and the voice of my mother constently buzzing in my ear “have you been checking your Wheaton site, have you been checking your Wheaton site..” over and over again like a broken record. But it’s been cool, I love her anyway.

It’s also been funny because my school schedule is in constant fluxtuation. Like Hersh Rodasky, one of my teachers. The poor man has been running around in a tizzy for the last three weeks because of a bunch of stuff with his daughter’s baby being born. Poor thing, both of them. But the baby is finally here and I saw pictures and he’s a doll! Beautiful little thing. Actually, beautiful GINORMOUS thing cause that baby was over ten pounds! Didn’t even look like a new-born, he looked liek a big, healthy baby

So that’s been fun. And I finally got to see what the ‘Master Classes’ were like for my Applied voice and now I feel like I’m gonna pee myself because I am going to sing at the next one. Scary….

But anyway, I’ll wrap up so I don’t start boring you. Man, I just can’t believe it’s my last semester though. I’m really gonna miss Iowa Western, for sure. We just have some great teachers and classes here and I’ve learned so much in two years, it’s crazy! But anyway, I’ll TTYL!! Have a great week!

Sarah

This is what we talked about in Micro today

Website I found it at here:

http://www.gdahvet.com/images/hookworm.jpg

Browse with Caution!!!

Well, having been at Iowa Western for two years now, I can’t help but feel horrible any time I see someone wandering around the Stuart, Ashley and Arts Center parking lot, lost, and looking for their car. So I have decided to blog a few quick do’s and don’ts of parking at IWCC.

1. Whenever you park, take stock of a ‘landmark’ near you. The lightpoles are usually your best bet. This way you’ll at least know the general area that your car is located in.

2. Count the rows back. There are only, I think, nine rows in at least the Stuart area, so knowing your row number is helpful.

3. I would NOT recommend looking at the cars around you are those may change before you get out of classes. However, this can be helpful if you feel it might be.

With these tips, it really should make parking easier So good luck and have fun.

Ah, I do love ‘Lord of the Rings’. When you think about that story and then your own life, somehow it makes everything more action-filled and just plain cool. ‘And so begins my third week in school and Middle Earth is in desperate peril…’ See? Just makes it sound so dang important! I don’t think that’s actually a line out of either the movie or the book, but still… 

Anyway, it’s been a rough start to the week and it seems like every time I say, “Well, at least it has to get better now” something even worse decides to hit. And yet, I keep saying it. Either I’m shooting myself in the foot, or, as my teacher ordered me to be, I’m an incredible optimist. Sometimes, you can’t tell the two things apart.  

One way or the other, I’m still excited for this semester, I really am. My classes are looking better and better as I go on (I think I might actually have a chance at this singing thing ) and I love weight training! As sore as I am after a solid exercise (yeah, I’ll admit I get sore… really sore…) it’s awesome just feeling a bit healthier. Besides that I’m gonna get a huge dose of Biology this semester… fortunately, my favorite subject. The process of getting enrolled at my transfer college, Wheaton, is going smoothly and Iowa Western has been right alongside me. It’s great! 

So, unfortunately things aren’t ideal, but I’m thankful things are still going well and I’ll keep you posted.   

As always, not my pic, someone else’s, here’s their sight:

 http://www.minersoc.org/pages/gallery/wilensky/images/tourmaline/greenCapTourmalineAfghan.jpg

Also, as always, beware of other sights as I cannot control their content and they could possibly contain items that are offensive or vulgar. Browse with caution! Thank you