But instead, I am looking at past posts on my blog, and thinking about how much I LOVE having a blog!
The other day I attended a conference session that was talking about how blogging can be used by writing teachers. A blog allows students and the teacher to comment on different writing assignments, and gives the students another forum for writing. I think that if I ever teach another writing class, on my own, I might incorporate a class blog into it. I think it would be fun and rewarding.
Having a blog has been a really great experience. I've used it to get to know myself better, write about my frustrations and joys, publish my writing from Two Good Things, and tell jokes. And now I get to share it with Dave. It's just so fun!
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
A Perplexing Conundrum
As many of you know, Merry is gluten-intolerant. I knew this when we started dating and it didn't really bother me too much because there are some great gluten-free foods and even if there weren't I would give up gluten for Merry any day of the week. However, we have discovered since our marriage than I am allergic to xantham gum. Normal foods containing xantham gum have very small amounts and don't bother me; gluten free foods of necessity often contain quite a bit more (relatively) because the xantham gum takes the place of gluten and binds everything together.
The upshot of all of this is that Merry can't eat glutonous pizza and I can't eat gluten-free pizza; since we're still poor college students we certainly can't afford to make/buy one of each every time we want pizza so for now we are just doing without and mourning the loss of one of our favorite comfort foods.
Ah pizza, how we mourn your fall
and weep your early demise
To be cheesy was delicious
But put that on crust? divine.
Alas, the crust was the end
And in it we see only hunger's pall
And though we cross Rubicon and Rhine
Never again your name we will call.
The upshot of all of this is that Merry can't eat glutonous pizza and I can't eat gluten-free pizza; since we're still poor college students we certainly can't afford to make/buy one of each every time we want pizza so for now we are just doing without and mourning the loss of one of our favorite comfort foods.
Ah pizza, how we mourn your fall
and weep your early demise
To be cheesy was delicious
But put that on crust? divine.
Alas, the crust was the end
And in it we see only hunger's pall
And though we cross Rubicon and Rhine
Never again your name we will call.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
New Blog
I was invited by my friend Christin to participate in a blog that is being started this week. It's a blog for LDS people to post some things about our beliefs. The instigator, Nate Nead, found that there was a lot of information out there about Mormon beliefs that is false. He also found that it was hard to find accurate information about our religion, and that it came from only a few places. So he has decided to start a blog that we can update with information once a week (and with several blog writers, it will be updated several times a week) in the hopes that it becomes a useful source of valid information to those that want it. The site is called Mormon Doctrines and Beliefs, and is not up and running yet. But as soon as we get started and have everything set up, I'll post a link here so you can get there.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Two Good Things - Motherhood
We finally had TGT again! It was fun to get together with the girls, especially because of two new developments. Sara had her baby boy Joshua! And she brought him with her to the meeting, so I got to hold him. Adorable! And Chelsea told us that she's pregnant! Yay! So our prompt last night was to write whether we thought Chelsea would make a better mom to a boy or a girl. I kind of twisted that prompt, and here's the result:
Chelsea, your motherhood is long overdue! Hopefully that has given you time to prepared for this blessed event. "How might I have prepared?" you ask? Well, let me tell you!
For the boy that your baby may be, I hope you have desensitized yourself to slimy things.
For the girl that you may be delivering in July, I hope you have learned how to make tutus and flowered headbands.
For the boy that may have Kevin's looks, I hope you have reviewed your imagining and pirating skills.
For the girl that may have your passion for Chinese, I hope you have practiced controlling your emotions for when hers are uncontrollable.
And for yourself, I hope you have laughed and loved and are prepared to laugh and love some more. You'll make a wonderful mother.
Chelsea, your motherhood is long overdue! Hopefully that has given you time to prepared for this blessed event. "How might I have prepared?" you ask? Well, let me tell you!
For the boy that your baby may be, I hope you have desensitized yourself to slimy things.
For the girl that you may be delivering in July, I hope you have learned how to make tutus and flowered headbands.
For the boy that may have Kevin's looks, I hope you have reviewed your imagining and pirating skills.
For the girl that may have your passion for Chinese, I hope you have practiced controlling your emotions for when hers are uncontrollable.
And for yourself, I hope you have laughed and loved and are prepared to laugh and love some more. You'll make a wonderful mother.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
The Jungle Cat
On Wednesday my boss, Maggie, threw a party to celebrate my graduation! It was a lot of fun, and I felt really happy! One of Maggie's good friends from school was visiting her, so she came to the party as well. While I was talking to her she related a funny story. She and Maggie had been communicating through email about what was going on in their lives. Maggie had told her that she was living in the mall. Her friend took this to mean that Maggie spent a lot of time in the mall. What Maggie really meant was that her condo is on top of the mall, and she really lives there! Her friend thought it was so funny when she discovered the truth. She had thought Maggie was speaking metaphorically.
So for our prompt tonight, I had everyone write a story about a metaphor literally happening. We got some creative responses. And I'm proud of mine, I must say. Here it is:
As I was finishing my daily walk, I noticed my neighbor's black cat sauntering down the road. Max was headed away from my neighbor's house, so I thought I'd pick him up and take him along home. He didn't seem too pleased with the idea, scratching my arm in a couple places, but I knew he was an inside cat and that my neighbor would want him returned.
As I walked up the front steps to Lynn's house, she came out to greet me. "You found him! I just noticed that he got out and I was about to go look." I handed over the cat, and in the process Lynn noticed my scratches. "Oh, he got you, did he? Come here to the kitchen and I'll get some band aids for you." As she rubbed some alcohol into the wounds, she talked about similar experiences in the past and apologized for the scratches. "He used to be quite the jungle cat, but I thought we had broken him of that habit."
Lynn was taking quite a bit of care to clean out the cuts, and being much more fastidious about it than I would have been if I'd been left alone. I wondered how much longer she would take. I wondered what time it was. I unconsciously tapped my foot.
"Oh, am I keeping you from something?"
"Oh...no. It's just a nervous habit." I couldn't bring myself to say that I was impatient to get home.
"Really?" She seemed intrigued. "Have you ever tried to stop?"
I wasn't really interested in the conversation; I just wanted to get home. I shook my head no.
"I have a great method for breaking all kinds of habits. Let me show you." She went to a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out something that looked like a chopstick. What was it? What was she saying as she waved it around? I couldn't understand her words, but that wasn't my main concern as I felt myself start to sink down towards the floor. I realized too late, and my only method of escape was to slither in my new, scaly body toward the door.
"Well, now you don't have any feet to nervously tap!" she said triumphantly. "It's a little bit of a radical change. I didn't have to change Max that much to break his deadly scratching habits. The difference between a jungle cat and a house cat is chiefly one of size. But I think I accomplished your remedy quite well." She opened the door politely to let me go.
So for our prompt tonight, I had everyone write a story about a metaphor literally happening. We got some creative responses. And I'm proud of mine, I must say. Here it is:
As I was finishing my daily walk, I noticed my neighbor's black cat sauntering down the road. Max was headed away from my neighbor's house, so I thought I'd pick him up and take him along home. He didn't seem too pleased with the idea, scratching my arm in a couple places, but I knew he was an inside cat and that my neighbor would want him returned.
As I walked up the front steps to Lynn's house, she came out to greet me. "You found him! I just noticed that he got out and I was about to go look." I handed over the cat, and in the process Lynn noticed my scratches. "Oh, he got you, did he? Come here to the kitchen and I'll get some band aids for you." As she rubbed some alcohol into the wounds, she talked about similar experiences in the past and apologized for the scratches. "He used to be quite the jungle cat, but I thought we had broken him of that habit."
Lynn was taking quite a bit of care to clean out the cuts, and being much more fastidious about it than I would have been if I'd been left alone. I wondered how much longer she would take. I wondered what time it was. I unconsciously tapped my foot.
"Oh, am I keeping you from something?"
"Oh...no. It's just a nervous habit." I couldn't bring myself to say that I was impatient to get home.
"Really?" She seemed intrigued. "Have you ever tried to stop?"
I wasn't really interested in the conversation; I just wanted to get home. I shook my head no.
"I have a great method for breaking all kinds of habits. Let me show you." She went to a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out something that looked like a chopstick. What was it? What was she saying as she waved it around? I couldn't understand her words, but that wasn't my main concern as I felt myself start to sink down towards the floor. I realized too late, and my only method of escape was to slither in my new, scaly body toward the door.
"Well, now you don't have any feet to nervously tap!" she said triumphantly. "It's a little bit of a radical change. I didn't have to change Max that much to break his deadly scratching habits. The difference between a jungle cat and a house cat is chiefly one of size. But I think I accomplished your remedy quite well." She opened the door politely to let me go.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Two Good Things...Again!
For Two Good Things this week we wrote things that we were grateful for for every letter of the alphabet. The constraints were that we had to write more than one word for each entry, although they didn't have to be alliterative.
A to Z What I'm Grateful For
A lazy day
Benjamin Packard
Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate
Dad
Erin Packard Householder
Friends that love me
Good books
Hymns, lullabies, duets
Ice cream!
Joel, Joy, Jenny, Jill
Karl G. Maezer (just kidding, I couldn't think of a K)...Kidding around!
Laughter that heals my heart
Mom, Matt
New clothes
Optometry visit discounts
Playing in the rain
Quiet afternoons with my journal
Refreshing beverages after exercise
Sunny days at Beaver Creek
Technological advances
Unique cups, plates, bowls
Voices that blend naturally together
Wealth in my country
Xanthan gum
Yellow and blue anything
Zest flavoring
A to Z What I'm Grateful For
A lazy day
Benjamin Packard
Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate
Dad
Erin Packard Householder
Friends that love me
Good books
Hymns, lullabies, duets
Ice cream!
Joel, Joy, Jenny, Jill
Karl G. Maezer (just kidding, I couldn't think of a K)...Kidding around!
Laughter that heals my heart
Mom, Matt
New clothes
Optometry visit discounts
Playing in the rain
Quiet afternoons with my journal
Refreshing beverages after exercise
Sunny days at Beaver Creek
Technological advances
Unique cups, plates, bowls
Voices that blend naturally together
Wealth in my country
Xanthan gum
Yellow and blue anything
Zest flavoring
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Two Good Things Part VII
It's been a long time! I was sick one week. And TGT was canceled one week. And I forgot about it last week! My schedule was thrown off because I normally get a ride with Sara straight from the temple to Chelsea's house, but I didn't go to the temple last week because of the need to get some school work done. So, aside from all of those excuses, it felt good to be back at Two Good Things tonight.
Each night we share good news with each other before we start writing. My good news was really fun, because it was more just sharing a good experience I'd had. While I was waiting for Sara to pick me up tonight from the temple, a lady pointed out the moon to me. It's a full moon, and there were clouds in front of it, but pretty wispy clouds so the light shown through pretty brightly. This caused a halo around the moon to appear, which was really pretty. I've seen the moon with a halo before, but as I kept looking at it I realized that on the outside of the halo there was a rainbow! Starting on the outside was the red, then orange, and so on, until the purple that was next to the white light of the normal halo! It was amazing! I just kept staring at it until the clouds blew away and I was left with just Mr. Moon. I've never seen anything like that before, and I don't know if I'll ever see it again. It was so beautiful. I'm glad I didn't have a camera with me because it could never capture the beauty that I saw, and I would have been so disatisfied.
Our prompt tonight was actually taken from The One Minute Writer. From what I've seen of it, it has some great prompts. It's really hard to write anything good in one minute, though, so it's a challenge. Normally we take quite a bit of time to write in response to our prompts, so having the limit was fun. Here are the results of 5 0ne-minute writing sessions:
1. What modern technology would you have trouble living without? - The modern technology I would have trouble living without would be my cell phone. I use it to connect to my most important people (sorry all you blog readers!).
2. Write about a war veteran you have know of, or known personally. - My dad is a ward veteran of the Vietnam War. He was in the National Guard (stayed in the U.S.), jumped out of planes, and developed a sense of independence to pass on to his family.
3. Write about a memorable party or gathering you attended. - A memorable party too place at my cousin's roommate's house. We read poetry, played guitar, and told jokes. It made me realize I like the "open mic" style of beatnik cafes and should seek them out.
4. What affect has a child, whether yours or someone else's, had on your life? - My niece Ellie has made me see my sister Erin in a different light. She is a strong woman, who can raise a child into adulthood. She is a mother who will have all the answers. She is beautiful in a way that is eternal.
5. Write about something nice a stranger did for you. - As I wait outside the temple, several people ask if I need a ride. I don't, but it's nice to be noticed and cared for. Even a stranger can make me feel loved!
Each night we share good news with each other before we start writing. My good news was really fun, because it was more just sharing a good experience I'd had. While I was waiting for Sara to pick me up tonight from the temple, a lady pointed out the moon to me. It's a full moon, and there were clouds in front of it, but pretty wispy clouds so the light shown through pretty brightly. This caused a halo around the moon to appear, which was really pretty. I've seen the moon with a halo before, but as I kept looking at it I realized that on the outside of the halo there was a rainbow! Starting on the outside was the red, then orange, and so on, until the purple that was next to the white light of the normal halo! It was amazing! I just kept staring at it until the clouds blew away and I was left with just Mr. Moon. I've never seen anything like that before, and I don't know if I'll ever see it again. It was so beautiful. I'm glad I didn't have a camera with me because it could never capture the beauty that I saw, and I would have been so disatisfied.
Our prompt tonight was actually taken from The One Minute Writer. From what I've seen of it, it has some great prompts. It's really hard to write anything good in one minute, though, so it's a challenge. Normally we take quite a bit of time to write in response to our prompts, so having the limit was fun. Here are the results of 5 0ne-minute writing sessions:
1. What modern technology would you have trouble living without? - The modern technology I would have trouble living without would be my cell phone. I use it to connect to my most important people (sorry all you blog readers!).
2. Write about a war veteran you have know of, or known personally. - My dad is a ward veteran of the Vietnam War. He was in the National Guard (stayed in the U.S.), jumped out of planes, and developed a sense of independence to pass on to his family.
3. Write about a memorable party or gathering you attended. - A memorable party too place at my cousin's roommate's house. We read poetry, played guitar, and told jokes. It made me realize I like the "open mic" style of beatnik cafes and should seek them out.
4. What affect has a child, whether yours or someone else's, had on your life? - My niece Ellie has made me see my sister Erin in a different light. She is a strong woman, who can raise a child into adulthood. She is a mother who will have all the answers. She is beautiful in a way that is eternal.
5. Write about something nice a stranger did for you. - As I wait outside the temple, several people ask if I need a ride. I don't, but it's nice to be noticed and cared for. Even a stranger can make me feel loved!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
10 Things About a Guy That Turn Me Off
This was our prompt for TGT tonight. Here's what I came up with:
1. Only opening my door on the first date and thinking he can get away with not opening it again after that.
2. Not listening when I'm talking (I can tell by the dumb questions he asks later).
3. Not adding to the conversation - We'll be sitting in dull silence if I'm not doing the talking.
4. A mustache.
5. Ending a phone conversation without saying "good-bye" or some other form of conversation ender.
6. B.O.
7. Too much attention early on in the relationship.
8. An annoying lip-smacking tick.
9. Not wanting to make decisions about the date (restaurant, activity, etc.)
10. Too feminine. (Enough said)
We had some new girls (I don't know why I call them girls; everyone's married but me) come tonight, and it was fun to have some new blood in the group. I hope Alisha and Jenny come again, and maybe some more new people. Does anyone who reads my blog live in this area and want to join Two Good Things? It's only for women who are interested in getting together to write, listen, talk, laugh, and eat dessert.
1. Only opening my door on the first date and thinking he can get away with not opening it again after that.
2. Not listening when I'm talking (I can tell by the dumb questions he asks later).
3. Not adding to the conversation - We'll be sitting in dull silence if I'm not doing the talking.
4. A mustache.
5. Ending a phone conversation without saying "good-bye" or some other form of conversation ender.
6. B.O.
7. Too much attention early on in the relationship.
8. An annoying lip-smacking tick.
9. Not wanting to make decisions about the date (restaurant, activity, etc.)
10. Too feminine. (Enough said)
We had some new girls (I don't know why I call them girls; everyone's married but me) come tonight, and it was fun to have some new blood in the group. I hope Alisha and Jenny come again, and maybe some more new people. Does anyone who reads my blog live in this area and want to join Two Good Things? It's only for women who are interested in getting together to write, listen, talk, laugh, and eat dessert.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Two Good Things - Part VI
I'm a little late putting up my Two Good Things post this week. Our prompt was to choose three songs that have influenced our lives and write about them.
-Each Life that Touches Ours for Good
-On an Island in the Sun
-When They Really Get to Know You, They Will Run
I like "Each Life that Touches Ours for Good" because of all of the good people who have touched me for good. Especially by my parents and my best friends from high school, I have been blessed with great influences that have guided me to who I am today.
And who I am today is someone who really enjoys the good things in life, including the gospel of Jesus Christ, school, family, good food, and sunny afternoons. All of these things can be summed up in my optimistic attitude. And a song that exemplifies this attitude is "On an Island in the Sun." I love this song! It brings me so much happiness to sing along because of the memories of so many good times I've had singing that song with friends, my cousin Geneil, and knowing that life was good.
Another song that i just discovered that has to do with being who I am is a song about being who you are, "When They Really Get to Know You, They Will Run." It's about not putting on a show for peopole when you realy want them to like you, and I like it when people show me that I can just be me aound them. That makes me feel valuable and worthwhile.
Okay, so this session might have produced writing that's a little cheesy. What of it!?
-Each Life that Touches Ours for Good
-On an Island in the Sun
-When They Really Get to Know You, They Will Run
I like "Each Life that Touches Ours for Good" because of all of the good people who have touched me for good. Especially by my parents and my best friends from high school, I have been blessed with great influences that have guided me to who I am today.
And who I am today is someone who really enjoys the good things in life, including the gospel of Jesus Christ, school, family, good food, and sunny afternoons. All of these things can be summed up in my optimistic attitude. And a song that exemplifies this attitude is "On an Island in the Sun." I love this song! It brings me so much happiness to sing along because of the memories of so many good times I've had singing that song with friends, my cousin Geneil, and knowing that life was good.
Another song that i just discovered that has to do with being who I am is a song about being who you are, "When They Really Get to Know You, They Will Run." It's about not putting on a show for peopole when you realy want them to like you, and I like it when people show me that I can just be me aound them. That makes me feel valuable and worthwhile.
Okay, so this session might have produced writing that's a little cheesy. What of it!?
Friday, October 3, 2008
Two Good Things - Part V - Presidential Blurb for Grasshoppers
Our prompt tonight was to write a two minute speech (as if we were a presidential candidate) about our favorite cookie and why it was the best. These were hilarious, and we were talking politics all night!
Well, I would have to say that Grasshoppers are the best cookies out there. They are the perfect blend of mint and chocolate, and besides that, they have a crispy crunch that satisfies. I firmly believe that eating Grasshopper cookies makes you a better person!
Now, some people might try to dissuade you from eating Grasshoppers. They might say that Grasshoppers are too sweet to eat. I say no! No, they are not too sweet! No, they are not too fattening! We should all strive together for a country where a cookie will be judged, not by the content of its ingredient list, but by the rich flavors of chocolate and mint. A country where all will be free at last...to eat Grasshoppers.
On a side note, the breezy weather was absolutely gorgeous tonight. Jonny and I went on a nice walk, and it was cool enough to feel very comfortable in a sweatshirt. The fall is coming!
Well, I would have to say that Grasshoppers are the best cookies out there. They are the perfect blend of mint and chocolate, and besides that, they have a crispy crunch that satisfies. I firmly believe that eating Grasshopper cookies makes you a better person!
Now, some people might try to dissuade you from eating Grasshoppers. They might say that Grasshoppers are too sweet to eat. I say no! No, they are not too sweet! No, they are not too fattening! We should all strive together for a country where a cookie will be judged, not by the content of its ingredient list, but by the rich flavors of chocolate and mint. A country where all will be free at last...to eat Grasshoppers.
On a side note, the breezy weather was absolutely gorgeous tonight. Jonny and I went on a nice walk, and it was cool enough to feel very comfortable in a sweatshirt. The fall is coming!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Two Good Things - Part IV
Hmmmm...This is turning into a Two Good Things blog. I´ll have to start finding more interesting things in my life to blog about!
"Here was our prompt for the night: Write a thank you card for a bad gift you'll never use because you hate it." Just a quick clarification: This is fiction. I'll specify if anything I write for TGT is real.
Dear Aunt Maud,
I was completely surprised by the birthday gift you sent me. The joy it brought me was...indescribable. From the neon yellow and green wrapping paper to the baby blue card, it took a very short time to see that this present spelled out "fun," unlike the inside of he card, where pretty much everything was misspelled, including my name (It's Merry, not Meri). And the gift was good too. I can always accept another crocheted hot pad in my house. Many thanks,
Merry
Meh. Some of the other thank you notes written by the other girls were really funny. I enjoyed listening to them, mostly. I feel like I learn a lot from what they have to say about life, the universe, and everything. They told me that I should start taking notes on the things they say about their marriages and husbands (all three of them are married).
One thing that one of them said tonight was that she wants her husband to compliment her on the clean house when he comes home, and to work to keep it clean. She compared it to his school career: "We don't get A's and B's. We get oohs and ahs." She meant, women who are stay at home moms don't get chances to gain recognition very often, unless their husbands make sure to notice their domestic achievements.
More tomorrow...I'll post pictures of my latest adventure!
"Here was our prompt for the night: Write a thank you card for a bad gift you'll never use because you hate it." Just a quick clarification: This is fiction. I'll specify if anything I write for TGT is real.
Dear Aunt Maud,
I was completely surprised by the birthday gift you sent me. The joy it brought me was...indescribable. From the neon yellow and green wrapping paper to the baby blue card, it took a very short time to see that this present spelled out "fun," unlike the inside of he card, where pretty much everything was misspelled, including my name (It's Merry, not Meri). And the gift was good too. I can always accept another crocheted hot pad in my house. Many thanks,
Merry
Meh. Some of the other thank you notes written by the other girls were really funny. I enjoyed listening to them, mostly. I feel like I learn a lot from what they have to say about life, the universe, and everything. They told me that I should start taking notes on the things they say about their marriages and husbands (all three of them are married).
One thing that one of them said tonight was that she wants her husband to compliment her on the clean house when he comes home, and to work to keep it clean. She compared it to his school career: "We don't get A's and B's. We get oohs and ahs." She meant, women who are stay at home moms don't get chances to gain recognition very often, unless their husbands make sure to notice their domestic achievements.
More tomorrow...I'll post pictures of my latest adventure!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Two Good Things - Part III
Our prompt this Thursday was "Write a short story based on the mixed proverb 'Bad News Cures All Things.'" My short story includes some facts from life, mixed with some fiction to help the story along. If you think you recognize yourself in it, it's probably you, but I will never admit it! Here's what I wrote:
The day had been the worst day of my college career. I accidentally slept in, making myself late to my 6 am job. I knew my boss would be furious with me because it was the 2nd time I'd been late that week. Fortunately she decided to express her anger by giving me the silent treatment and told me to get to work without addressing the issue.
The reason I was sleeping in that week was because of the late hours I was putting into a group project for my English class. We had to write a 15-page paper about a controversial issue, incorporating original research that we had done through a survey on campus. My group already had the survey done, and we had met late the night before to analyze the data we'd gathered so we could generate ideas on how to incorporate it into our research paper. The data was good and I knew we would be able to include it.
The late night study session had really tired me, however, and I was paying for it. I had a long list of things to do after work, and no energy to do them. At the top of the list was the next step for our project: to check on the progress of our IRB approval that was required for the publication of data gathered from experimentation (including surveying) on human subjects. I put this off until the end of the day, though, because even though it was the most important thing to do, it was the least urgent. After all of the immediately important things were taken care of, I walked up to the administrative building on campus where the research office was housed.
"We sent you notification in the mail over a week ago."
The words rang in my ears as I slowly walked home, perusing the 3-page document of changes that we had to make to our IRB paperwork before it would even be considered for review. I was devastated. The paperwork had been submitted for almost 2 weeks, and I had expected to go back to my group with the good news of our proposal being accepted already.
My mood sank lower as I mulled over the work that lay ahead of me that night. I amost didn't see Neal as I walked by.
"Hey Merry!"
He was like a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds.
"Hi."
"That wasn't very enthusiastic. Tell me what's wrong."
As the details tripped out of my mouth, his expression showed his concern for how stressed I was. But I couldn't focus on it because of the fingers I felt twining around mine. This was the first time we'd held hands. Maybe my stressful situation wasn't so bad after all.
Okay, so it's a little cheesy. The sunshine-through-the-clouds phrase is so cliche. But I was pressed for time, and I thought it was a creative idea. And, as always, it was fun to get together with the girls and chat.
The day had been the worst day of my college career. I accidentally slept in, making myself late to my 6 am job. I knew my boss would be furious with me because it was the 2nd time I'd been late that week. Fortunately she decided to express her anger by giving me the silent treatment and told me to get to work without addressing the issue.
The reason I was sleeping in that week was because of the late hours I was putting into a group project for my English class. We had to write a 15-page paper about a controversial issue, incorporating original research that we had done through a survey on campus. My group already had the survey done, and we had met late the night before to analyze the data we'd gathered so we could generate ideas on how to incorporate it into our research paper. The data was good and I knew we would be able to include it.
The late night study session had really tired me, however, and I was paying for it. I had a long list of things to do after work, and no energy to do them. At the top of the list was the next step for our project: to check on the progress of our IRB approval that was required for the publication of data gathered from experimentation (including surveying) on human subjects. I put this off until the end of the day, though, because even though it was the most important thing to do, it was the least urgent. After all of the immediately important things were taken care of, I walked up to the administrative building on campus where the research office was housed.
"We sent you notification in the mail over a week ago."
The words rang in my ears as I slowly walked home, perusing the 3-page document of changes that we had to make to our IRB paperwork before it would even be considered for review. I was devastated. The paperwork had been submitted for almost 2 weeks, and I had expected to go back to my group with the good news of our proposal being accepted already.
My mood sank lower as I mulled over the work that lay ahead of me that night. I amost didn't see Neal as I walked by.
"Hey Merry!"
He was like a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds.
"Hi."
"That wasn't very enthusiastic. Tell me what's wrong."
As the details tripped out of my mouth, his expression showed his concern for how stressed I was. But I couldn't focus on it because of the fingers I felt twining around mine. This was the first time we'd held hands. Maybe my stressful situation wasn't so bad after all.
Okay, so it's a little cheesy. The sunshine-through-the-clouds phrase is so cliche. But I was pressed for time, and I thought it was a creative idea. And, as always, it was fun to get together with the girls and chat.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Two Good Things - Part II
I provided the prompt on Thursday. We looked up random words in some books that Chelsea provided, then we tried to use those random words in writing some poems. We didn't have to use all the words, or even most of them. It was just an exercise to get us popping out poetry! It was fun, and produced some funny results. Here's my word list, and my two poems:
spittal
misbehavior
scotch
blame
brushing
journey
glen
defense
jaws
eight 0'clock
trendy
grim
whaler
egyptian
Poem 1:
5 Brushing leaves fall down;
7 On their journey to the ground
8 Contemplating misbehavior.
Poem 2:
A really trendy thing to do today is
To deface your body:
Tatto it up,
Guzzle down scotch and brandy,
Eat like there's no tomorrow.
I personally like that last trend.
I will take the beautiful blame
For having eaten a whole cake --
By myself --
Between the hours of 7:30 am and 8 0'clock.
Later that day my jaws
Were aching for ice cream.
I salivated as I contemplated
The 3 Klondike bars I had
Waiting for my lunch.
In my defense...
Oh, wait, I have none.
I was just following the crowd?
No masterpieces, but it was very fun to write! And it was fun to sit with those women and chat. Chelsea hosts the club at her house. Sarah is fun and has brought her kids with her in the past occasionally when her husband wasn't able to baby-sit. And yesterday she brought her sister with her little boy and I had fun playing with him. Yay for Two Good Things!
spittal
misbehavior
scotch
blame
brushing
journey
glen
defense
jaws
eight 0'clock
trendy
grim
whaler
egyptian
Poem 1:
5 Brushing leaves fall down;
7 On their journey to the ground
8 Contemplating misbehavior.
Poem 2:
A really trendy thing to do today is
To deface your body:
Tatto it up,
Guzzle down scotch and brandy,
Eat like there's no tomorrow.
I personally like that last trend.
I will take the beautiful blame
For having eaten a whole cake --
By myself --
Between the hours of 7:30 am and 8 0'clock.
Later that day my jaws
Were aching for ice cream.
I salivated as I contemplated
The 3 Klondike bars I had
Waiting for my lunch.
In my defense...
Oh, wait, I have none.
I was just following the crowd?
No masterpieces, but it was very fun to write! And it was fun to sit with those women and chat. Chelsea hosts the club at her house. Sarah is fun and has brought her kids with her in the past occasionally when her husband wasn't able to baby-sit. And yesterday she brought her sister with her little boy and I had fun playing with him. Yay for Two Good Things!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Two Good Things
Tonight I went back to my friend Chelsea's house. I attended a writing club she invited me to, Two Good Things. The two good things are writing and dessert. And boy were they good! The way it works is that someone brings a dessert, and it's the motivation for the writing (I mean, maybe some people are motivated to write just for itself, but the dessert doesn't hurt!). Another person comes with a prompt to give the others, and we take a chunk of time - however long we want - to respond to the prompt. Then we share what we wrote while we eat. Our prompt tonight was a question from a book about creative writing: What things do you like in good novels? What things do you not like in novels? Discuss. Here is my response:
Things I like in a novel:
*suspenseful chapter endings
*good dialogue
*symbolic description
*fun quotes
*realistic love
*thwarted love
*loyal characters
*self-sacrifice
*sad endings
*happy endings
*(subtle) humor
Things I don't like in a novel:
*cheesy jokes
*gratuitous sex scenes
*endless sentences
*assuming that the reader knows too much about something
*unrealistic goals/plot advancement
*no plot
*illogical jumps
As you can see, these lists are no work of art, but I think that it might help me as I prepare to write more for our club. I plan on posting my work on this blog each week, so we'll see how/if I improve. And while I'm sure I won't be producing anything like Henry Van Dyke's The Three Best Things, I will definitely get Two Good Things on Thursdays!
Things I like in a novel:
*suspenseful chapter endings
*good dialogue
*symbolic description
*fun quotes
*realistic love
*thwarted love
*loyal characters
*self-sacrifice
*sad endings
*happy endings
*(subtle) humor
Things I don't like in a novel:
*cheesy jokes
*gratuitous sex scenes
*endless sentences
*assuming that the reader knows too much about something
*unrealistic goals/plot advancement
*no plot
*illogical jumps
As you can see, these lists are no work of art, but I think that it might help me as I prepare to write more for our club. I plan on posting my work on this blog each week, so we'll see how/if I improve. And while I'm sure I won't be producing anything like Henry Van Dyke's The Three Best Things, I will definitely get Two Good Things on Thursdays!
Monday, August 25, 2008
My Last Monday of Custodial Work at the MTC
I'm quitting my custodial job at the end of the week! Wahoo! I am so excited. I have plans to work at two other jobs on campus during the fall semester, jobs that use my BRAIN! Ha! I have been working as a custodian for the last 16 months, and I'm sooooooo ready to do something else. I've had other jobs as well, during those months, but I've always needed to have two jobs in order to get all the hours (and money) I needed to support myself. I was a full-time custodian last summer. Then last fall I only worked at the MTC part-time. Then during Winter Semester I was able to get a TA job for a linguistics class. My first job that really used what I was going to school for! This summer I've been working at the National Middle East Language Resource Center (NMELRC) while I've been working at the MTC. And this coming fall I'll still be working at the NMELRC, and I'll have a TA job for an ESL writing class! I've been volunteering in this class all summer long, while I've been working my other two jobs, so it will feel sooooo good to get paid for what I've been doing for free. And this is finally coming to fruition, now that I'm on my last week of work.
Through all of this work, I have come to realize the benefits and drawbacks of having both brainless and brain-full jobs: Brainless jobs don't require much mental effort and you can leave your work worries behind when you're done for the day, but you have a TON of time to think about things that are worrisome or unimportant so it feels like a waste of your time. A brain-full job is intellectually stimulating, but you sometimes need to think and plan on your personal time. I think I definitely prefer the brain-full job.
This morning, though, a used my brainless time at the MTC to do something kind of fun: I wrote a poem. Actually, I started a poem, and then finished it this afternoon. It's about a vacuum...
A Friendly Reminder
A vacuum is generally an ally in the war for cleanliness.
The bristles
The intimidating whir
The unstoppable suck of the vacuum are all favorable parts of the tool.
But today the vacuum was my enemy;
The POW (Panasonic on Wheels) struggled against me at every step of the way.
It's cord took a strangle hold on the bottom of the door, jerking me to a stop.
It's handle slipped off, tripping me up the stairs.
And the dirty carpet, inches away from my face, was a reminder of the reason
I should never cross the vacuum.
I never said it was good, but it was fun to write! I'd like to start writing some more poetry this coming semester, during all that "spare time" I'll have between working, going to school, finding a job for after graduation, and finding a new place to live in December. Not to mention trying to have a social life.
Through all of this work, I have come to realize the benefits and drawbacks of having both brainless and brain-full jobs: Brainless jobs don't require much mental effort and you can leave your work worries behind when you're done for the day, but you have a TON of time to think about things that are worrisome or unimportant so it feels like a waste of your time. A brain-full job is intellectually stimulating, but you sometimes need to think and plan on your personal time. I think I definitely prefer the brain-full job.
This morning, though, a used my brainless time at the MTC to do something kind of fun: I wrote a poem. Actually, I started a poem, and then finished it this afternoon. It's about a vacuum...
A Friendly Reminder
A vacuum is generally an ally in the war for cleanliness.
The bristles
The intimidating whir
The unstoppable suck of the vacuum are all favorable parts of the tool.
But today the vacuum was my enemy;
The POW (Panasonic on Wheels) struggled against me at every step of the way.
It's cord took a strangle hold on the bottom of the door, jerking me to a stop.
It's handle slipped off, tripping me up the stairs.
And the dirty carpet, inches away from my face, was a reminder of the reason
I should never cross the vacuum.
I never said it was good, but it was fun to write! I'd like to start writing some more poetry this coming semester, during all that "spare time" I'll have between working, going to school, finding a job for after graduation, and finding a new place to live in December. Not to mention trying to have a social life.
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