Pedal to the metal

I passed the test I needed to take to get into the teaching program at UCF. I just have to wait three weeks to get my official scores so I can finally sign up for the classes I need. Now that that's over, I can finally focus on final projects and exams. With just two weeks of class and one week of finals, it really is pedal to the metal time. I have a unit plan to compose, two finals to study for, another astronomy test, and a couple reflection papers to write. Not to mention a formal, a birthday party, and two plays to attend. Why does everything always happen all at once?

It's honestly hard to believe this semester is almost over. I feel like last week was January and now it's suddenly the middle of April. Where did the time go?

HodgePodge

1. National Read a Road Map Day falls on April 5th. Would people say you have a good sense of direction? Do you rely on a GPS when you drive somewhere new? When was the last time you used a map?

- I have ALWAYS had a terrible sense of direction. I remember once, about five years ago, I was driving with my friend Blake. He didn't know how to get back to my house, so I was giving him step-by-step directions. All was going well until I told him to turn right at the 50/US1 intersection. Here's the problem: the river is on the right.... Oops. After that I bought a GPS and have relied on it ever since.

2. What's your favorite cookbook?

- I recently discovered my dads old cookbook. It's filled with a bunch of old recipes for cookies, cakes, lasagna, etc. I made the BEST applesauce cookie from one of his recipes a while ago. When I move into my apartment, I may try to steal the book...

3. What painting would you like to "walk into" and experience? Why?

- John Frederick Kensett's "Marine View of Beacon Rock". I saw it last year at the Cummer Museum and I fell in love. I absolutely love Newport Harbour and I think it'd be awesome

to step into that painting, sit on the little sailboat, and ride the waves. It just seems so peaceful.

4. What annoys you more- misspellings or mispronunciations?

- Depends on the word really. Misspelling difficult words is understandable, but when someone misspells "weird" or "definitely", I get annoyed.

5. What is something your mother or father considered important?

- My parents considered a lot of things to be very important. Manners, timeliness, and education to name a few.

6. Do you like or dislike schedules?

- I LOVE schedules. I'm the kind of person that has to be early wherever I'm going. My months are mapped out ahead of time and I have my entire college career basically planned. I like knowing what I'll be doing at any time of any day. Sticking to schedules is the only way I get work done.

7. Let's have some fun with National Poetry Month (that would be April)...write your own ending to this poem-

"Roses are Red

Violets are blue..."

I don't have much time,

But I've got a lot to do.

That's the best I can do right now. I'm not a huge fan of writing poems.

8. Insert your own random thought in this space.

- Time really does fly when you're having fun. I can hardly believe there are barely 3 weeks left in the spring semester. This school year has flown by MUCH faster than my year at Flagler. I just wish this year would slow down a little bit so I had time to enjoy the last few weeks instead of simply stressing over exams and tests.

April Fool's Hodgepodge

1. April rolls in at the end of this week and in celebration of that infamous date (April 1st) answer this question-What is something foolish you've done?

- A few years ago my friends and I decided to make "mystery cookies". We found random ingredients, threw them together, and popped them in the oven. One of the cookies was nicknamed "Shark bait". Basically, it was a sugar cookies with gummy bear bodies in them. Little did we know, gummy bears practically turn into glass when you bake them. Cleaning that pan took quite a bit of elbow grease.

2. With April comes Easter and that classic edible treat known asPeeps...so tell me...what's your favorite way to fix/eat chicken? That wasn't what you were expecting, was it? I 'fooled' you. teehee.

- I could eat Cracker Barrel's Broccoli Cheddar Chicken all day every day. It's baked chicken covered in cheddar cheese, ritz crackers, and broccoli.

3. What's the best museum you've ever visited? Or your favorite? Or the one you'd most like to visit?

- I absolutely love the Smithsonian's in Washington DC. I'm hoping to go back this summer when our old German exchange students come back. I love all the artifacts they showcase. I think the American History Museum is my all time favorite.

4. You know what they say about April showers...what's your preference-a shower or a bath?

- I love baths, but I rarely ever have time. I'm pretty excited that my apartment next year actually has a bath time. I'm definitely going to set aside time each month to relax.

5. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"...fact or fiction? Why?

- Fact. and Fiction. I love to make things complicated. Romantic relationship wise, if it's meant to be, being apart will make the heart grow fonder. If it's not meant to be, being apart will tear you apart. Or at least make your relationship fizzle out. In my experience, with relationships of any kind, absence makes my heart grow fonder. Being away from home last year made me realize how much I need my family and friends.

6. What's your favorite product made/grown in your home state/province?

- Orange Juice :)

7. What is going on in the world today that affects you the most?

- The fizzling out of the space shuttle missions. Countless families and friends have lost their jobs and have begun to move away. I'm afraid our town will die out once the missions are completely over. Tourism will definitely decrease, as will population.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

- I just got back from a family vacation and I'm finding it extremely hard to get motivated to finish the school year. Final exams and projects are upon us. Time flies when you're having fun.

In case you didn't already know,

life is short and often ends abruptly.

Case and point: This past February, I went to Alabama for my god-brother's wedding. While there, I met a guy, named Ricardo, from Mexico. My god-mother had taken him in after a mission trip and he has basically become part of their family. Ricardo is a fantastic person, so I added him on Facebook and started talking to him through messaging. He went back to Mexico at the beginning on this month to be with his family again.

Recently, his facebook statuses have been rather sad. He's been talking about missing someone and how his life will never be the same again. I asked him what happened and here's the story he gave me.... Last weekend, his girlfriend went to Guadalajara to visit her family. A few days after she left, Ricardo received a phone call from a mutual friend. This friend delivered some terrible news. Ricardo's girlfriend was murdered, in her own home, while she was with her family. He is obviously devastated and doesn't know what to do. Who wouldn't be under these circumstances? What was supposed to be a relaxing trip home ended in horror.

I just don't understand what possesses someone to take the live of another human being. What could possibly cause that much rage within someone? Tonight, hug someone you love. Tell them how much they mean to you, because you never know when life will end.

Spring hodgepodge

1. Sunday was the first day of spring. So they say. Ahem.

What is your favorite outdoor springtime activity?

- I love picnics! I'm usually not a big outdoorsy person, but I'd have a picnic on Memory Mall at school every day if I could. *note to self - call Keegan and schedule a picnic next week

2. Who would you want to come into your kitchen to cook dinner for you?

- Buddy from Cake Boss! He apparently makes fantastic pizzas and of course he'd have to bake me a delicious cake too. If Buddy was busy, I'd call Rachel Ray. While a lot of people find her annoying, I find her sweet and funny. Her food always looks so delicious too.

3. When did you last fly a kite?

- I honestly can't remember.... I'm sure I took the Germans kite flying when they were here a couple years ago, but I can't remember the details.

4. What topic puts you to sleep faster than anything?

- Physics and engineering. Most of my friends are science majors and I can't stand listening to them talk about their coursework. It just bores me to the bones. I try to get excited for them, but in the back of my head I'm thinking "Why in the world would you enjoy that?"

5. Which flowers do you associate with specific people, places, or events?

- Poppies remind me of music class in elementary school. My music teacher was slightly crazy but every year she'd put on a fantastic Veteran's Day celebration complete with a poppy flower for each and every student.

6. What significant historical events took place during your elementary school days?

- John Glenn went to the moon again when I was in 2nd grade. He became the first person to fly on both the Mercury and the Shuttle missions. He is also the oldest person to go to space.

In 5th grade, the World Trade Centers/Pentagon were hit. I remember it being a Tuesday, because I was in GSP. My GSP teacher told us what was happening but then proceeded to say "But I think it's all a lie. The news stations don't know what they're talking about." I'm not sure if she was trying to comfort us, or if she was seriously that ignorant. But I lost respect for her that day.

I'm also still afraid of low flying planes (unless I'm near an airport).

7. Do you swear? Do you pseudo-swear? (You know crap, shoot, friggin'?)

- I do. I really shouldn't and I'm trying to replace my swears with pseudo-swears, but it's really difficult. It's an 11 year habit.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

- This week has been extremely stressful. I took an astronomy exam today, I have three group projects due soon, an online music module, and an online technology module to complete, and I was supposed to be able to sign up for classes on Friday. Turns out, I can't sign up until I take a test and gain entrance into the College of Education. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do about that, but my friend Whitney is in the same boat as me, so we'll figure it out together if we aren't able to get overrides.

U. C.an't F.inish

Best part about college: Your education is finally up to you.

Worst part about college: Your education is up to you and only you.

Flagler provided every student with an advisor. They required students to meet with their advisor twice a year, no exceptions. If you forgot to schedule an appointment, you could not sign up for classes the next semester.

UCF doesn't give first or second year education majors an advisor. You are expected to seek out advice if/when you need it or just grab a course catalogue and follow the seemingly simple instructions. At first, I welcomed the change in mentalities. I've always been able to develop my own plans for my future classes and I wasted no time creating my schedule for now until graduation. Or at least I thought I had created my schedule. I realized today that I can't sign up for the classes I need until I take the General Knowledge Test. This wouldn't be a problem if the GKT didn't require a little refreshing on my math skills and the classes I need didn't only have 25 seats. By the time I take the test, get my results, and apply for acceptance into the College of Education, my classes will be full. This puts me an entire year, instead of the original single semester, behind.

All of this stress on top of an astronomy exam I'm not prepared for, a group paper, 30 hours of service learning, a week long lesson plan, work, and trying to have something that vaguely resembles a social life. Yikes!

I'm praying for a miracle or a sympathetic professor to give me an override. It's days like today that I wish I was interested in something other than teaching.

St. Patty's Day Blues

As I've already mentioned, I'm not a huge fan of St. Patrick's Day. I've always worn green and participated in the fun, but I've never really found it that enjoyable. These past seven St. Patty's Days in particular have given me the blues. My cousin Evan was a St. Patrick's Day baby and he was as Irish as they come. Red hair, fair skin, kind, compassionate, Catholic, and fun. Growing up, my brothers had a bad habit of not including me in sports and games, but Evan always took the time to make sure I wasn't feeling left out. He taught me how to play pool and helped me beat my other cousins. He'd even sit games out to keep me company.

He also taught me that life is short. In January of 2005, two months before his 17th birthday, he was killed in a car accident on the way to school. Any death is hard, but the unexpected death of a young person cause extra pain. I wasn't a close to Evan as I would have liked to be. He lived in N.C. with his dad and I probably only saw him once a year. But I still miss him dearly. I miss the times we could have had together. Family get-togethers just aren't the same without his smile or his laughter. He'd be 23 today. Graduated from college, starting his own life, doing something amazing I'm sure. I'll try my best to enjoy today because I know Evan would have wanted me to smile. He's my Irish angel.