Emily, I hate math. I don't envy you the math. It sounds awful. As you know - I sometimes struggle with 3rd grade math.
To underscore my feelings about math - let me tell you about my math career. The last time I took math was my junior year in high school (geometry). When I got to the University of Oregon you had to take a math test so they could place you into the appropriate math class. So, I took the test and they put me in remedial math at Lane Community College. You had to pay extra for it, got no credits for it and it wasn't on campus. So, right there on the spot I declared a major that never required me to take another math test (political science!). I managed to get my BA without ever taking math. I love a liberal arts education.
The irony of all of this is that from time to time math is called for in my job. Floor area ratio calculations, rent calculations, and interest rate calculations all call for some degree of math. I can buckle down and get through those but not without some degree of apprehension (don't tell any clients please).
I'm not sure what the moral of the story is.
p.s. I've had a ton of really clever ideas to write about on the blog lately. All of them have come either in the middle of the night or while I'm driving. So, I don't remember them. But they're out there and I find that comforting.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
I'm here
And yes, I'm still blogging, Jill. However, MY welcome to 2010 was not marked by a numbing loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl but the terror that is Intermediate Algebra. I do over an hour of math homework a day and still am not sure whether or not I am getting things right by accident or not. Plus there is a little something called "MATH 95 SUPPLEMENTAL PACKAGE" that goes along with the math homework. This would not be noteworthy but for the fact that I have absolutely no idea how to do anything in it. I mean, for the first time ever in my online/classroom math experience, I am a model student. I watch the video lectures. I read the chapters and do all the exercises. You give me a problem out of the MATH 95 SUPPLEMENTAL PACKAGE and it's like, "Huh?" Perhaps it is just to remind us that we need to take Math 95 seriously. And let's not forget the specter of Anatomy & Physiology II that is looming as well. I am not sure if flash cards will take me as far as they did last term.
So that's what I've been doing. I did spend about two hours today looking for my quarterly tax coupon in my toy infested basement. I have a big box of papers that sat underneath the bin of moon sand in my laundry room, so the federal government and the State of Oregon will be getting a faintly pink and gritty tax coupon along with my checks. It is NOT anthrax and if they arrest me, Jill, I will expect you to defend me.
Back to math homework. Let me know if anyone needs help adding and subtracting fractions or finding the LCD. I am all over that. However, if you need help with f(x)<1 you are SOL.
So that's what I've been doing. I did spend about two hours today looking for my quarterly tax coupon in my toy infested basement. I have a big box of papers that sat underneath the bin of moon sand in my laundry room, so the federal government and the State of Oregon will be getting a faintly pink and gritty tax coupon along with my checks. It is NOT anthrax and if they arrest me, Jill, I will expect you to defend me.
Back to math homework. Let me know if anyone needs help adding and subtracting fractions or finding the LCD. I am all over that. However, if you need help with f(x)<1 you are SOL.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Rose Bowl
I haven't written much about the Rose Bowl but I feel I am finally ready. Let's start with the simple fact that it was great to win the PAC 10! And it was great to go to the Rose Bowl. And I really enjoyed the yellow and green spirit that filled southern California over the New Year's weekend.
Of course, the other simple fact is that it would have probably been really great to win the Rose Bowl. I'm not exactly devestated, but I felt oddly numb about the whole "we lost" thing. It was this long climb of building enthusiasm only to end in a crappy loss. It's not that I don't still love my ducks (I DO! I love my Ducks!). But we didn't walk out of the stadium feeling like it was a good fight and an exciting game. Instead it was just anti-climatic. We went from on top of the world to "where do you want to go for dinner" in four short quarters.
The loss aside, it was a great trip and I'd go again in a heartbeat. My top 5 moments ranked in order of the joy they brought me:
5. Some Ohio State fans told us we were the most gracious fans they'd ever played against. We thanked them and asked if they would consider voting in the fan poll for the PAC 10 next year.
4. The supwichugirl kids sang "I Love My Ducks" at the alumni tailgater. I danced. With a cold Coors Light in my hand. I could have been 18!
3. On the plane ride down after getting up at the ungodly hour of 4:00am our flight attendant played the fight song on take off. The whole plane clapped.
2. I asked my son what his favorite part of the game was - his answer? The Churro he ate. Best churro ever. A little perspective my friends.
1. Two players were on the plane home with us. They wore Oregon gear like the rest of us, but bag tags with their numbers on them gave them away. Leaving the airport their families greeted them with huge yellow and green signs that read "I Still Love My Duck" & "Way to Go #59." We watched them hug their families, who were so proud of them.
And I felt just the same - so proud of them. That's what I love about college sports. They're just kids with a Mom somewhere who is feeling really proud - win or lose.
Of course, the other simple fact is that it would have probably been really great to win the Rose Bowl. I'm not exactly devestated, but I felt oddly numb about the whole "we lost" thing. It was this long climb of building enthusiasm only to end in a crappy loss. It's not that I don't still love my ducks (I DO! I love my Ducks!). But we didn't walk out of the stadium feeling like it was a good fight and an exciting game. Instead it was just anti-climatic. We went from on top of the world to "where do you want to go for dinner" in four short quarters.
The loss aside, it was a great trip and I'd go again in a heartbeat. My top 5 moments ranked in order of the joy they brought me:
5. Some Ohio State fans told us we were the most gracious fans they'd ever played against. We thanked them and asked if they would consider voting in the fan poll for the PAC 10 next year.
4. The supwichugirl kids sang "I Love My Ducks" at the alumni tailgater. I danced. With a cold Coors Light in my hand. I could have been 18!
3. On the plane ride down after getting up at the ungodly hour of 4:00am our flight attendant played the fight song on take off. The whole plane clapped.
2. I asked my son what his favorite part of the game was - his answer? The Churro he ate. Best churro ever. A little perspective my friends.
1. Two players were on the plane home with us. They wore Oregon gear like the rest of us, but bag tags with their numbers on them gave them away. Leaving the airport their families greeted them with huge yellow and green signs that read "I Still Love My Duck" & "Way to Go #59." We watched them hug their families, who were so proud of them.
And I felt just the same - so proud of them. That's what I love about college sports. They're just kids with a Mom somewhere who is feeling really proud - win or lose.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Why is it so hard to remember garbage day?
Welcome to 2010. I'm really not on my game yet. Wednesday I left my work lap top at home, forgot to drop by the Brownie troop leaders house for the cookie paperwork (anyone want to buy Girl Scout cookies?) and was 15 minutes late for a conference call.
Last night was the worst though. We forgot to take the garbage out. This is on the heels of forgetting to take the garbage out the week before. So, needless to say, we are in serious need of garbage service this week. The sort of good news is that when I got up at 2:30am to turn the heat down (because we'd also forgotten to do that) Ben remembered the garbage. Since I was already up, I trudged outside. Pajamas, Ben's sneakers, my puffy Oregon coat, the garbage and I all headed to the curb in the rain.
En route I discovered that the fence gate is officially broken. It's one of those household repairs that sort of limps along. You know the kind - the broken thing that you learn to live with until you put your house on the market and realize you haven't had functioning knobs on your stove for 7 years.
The gate has been almost broken from the time it was built 3 years ago. The problem is the latch. It's loose and sometimes one of the two screws falls out. We put the screw back in. Then we hope.
Well, last night at 2:30 am when I came back from the curb I found that the latch was totally gone. One can assume it was somewhere on the soggy lawn, but in the middle of the night there was no hope I could find it. I could still shut the gate but couldn't guarantee it would stay shut. And with the recent wind I could assume it wouldn't. Sounds like something we could live with for the night, but unfortunately the dog was pacing around when I got up like he wanted to go out so I was faced with two choices. Find a way to get the fence shut or actually walk the dog at 2:30 in the morning. I went with the fence. So, 20 minutes later I had a huge black plastic garbage bag rigged into a long rope that tied the gate to the fence. I then let the dog out to do his business. Waited some more. Let him back in. And finally returned to bed after 3:00.
Was that an interesting story? Blog-worthy? I really don't know. But, was I really mad about it? Yes. And did I really want to share it with all of you? Yes.
I hear people complain (and I'm often one of them) that the world of blogging is just a lot of narcissistic people talking about boring details of their everyday lives. But on the other hand, I read a lot of blogs that I find useful or funny or thought-provoking. I hope we aren't the boring narcisstic kind of blog. But what kind of blog are we? Emily, what kind of blog do we want to be? (and Emily, are you still blogging?)
Last night was the worst though. We forgot to take the garbage out. This is on the heels of forgetting to take the garbage out the week before. So, needless to say, we are in serious need of garbage service this week. The sort of good news is that when I got up at 2:30am to turn the heat down (because we'd also forgotten to do that) Ben remembered the garbage. Since I was already up, I trudged outside. Pajamas, Ben's sneakers, my puffy Oregon coat, the garbage and I all headed to the curb in the rain.
En route I discovered that the fence gate is officially broken. It's one of those household repairs that sort of limps along. You know the kind - the broken thing that you learn to live with until you put your house on the market and realize you haven't had functioning knobs on your stove for 7 years.
The gate has been almost broken from the time it was built 3 years ago. The problem is the latch. It's loose and sometimes one of the two screws falls out. We put the screw back in. Then we hope.
Well, last night at 2:30 am when I came back from the curb I found that the latch was totally gone. One can assume it was somewhere on the soggy lawn, but in the middle of the night there was no hope I could find it. I could still shut the gate but couldn't guarantee it would stay shut. And with the recent wind I could assume it wouldn't. Sounds like something we could live with for the night, but unfortunately the dog was pacing around when I got up like he wanted to go out so I was faced with two choices. Find a way to get the fence shut or actually walk the dog at 2:30 in the morning. I went with the fence. So, 20 minutes later I had a huge black plastic garbage bag rigged into a long rope that tied the gate to the fence. I then let the dog out to do his business. Waited some more. Let him back in. And finally returned to bed after 3:00.
Was that an interesting story? Blog-worthy? I really don't know. But, was I really mad about it? Yes. And did I really want to share it with all of you? Yes.
I hear people complain (and I'm often one of them) that the world of blogging is just a lot of narcissistic people talking about boring details of their everyday lives. But on the other hand, I read a lot of blogs that I find useful or funny or thought-provoking. I hope we aren't the boring narcisstic kind of blog. But what kind of blog are we? Emily, what kind of blog do we want to be? (and Emily, are you still blogging?)
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