Homeownership

Some of you may have noticed the picture I posted on Facebook.  Here is the explanation as to what happened.
Several months ago I noticed the linoleum in front of the sink was bowed slightly, fearing that water was leaking under the sink I checked under the cabinets expecting to find water.....there wasn't any so I just chalked it up to the house shifting.  It is an old house, built in 1951, it has a pier and beam foundation and is sitting on North Texas soil so it moves a bunch all the time.
And so it was ignored for a long time.  Then this last month during my cleaning frenzy I noticed that there was a ton of water under the bathroom vanity after I was running water during cleaning.  I called a plumber and when he came to investigate the problem he discovered that the areator on my faucet was clogged with "old pipe junk" and was shooting water out the back of the faucet under the sink.  Apparently this had been going on for some time unbeknownst to me.  Well I guess the water had been leaking through the wall and under the cabinet in the kitchen and then under the floor.  So lucky for me I have a good friend with the handiest husband on the earth.  He came over and after tearing up a bunch of stuff with tools, discovered this mess.

Under the three layers of linoleum was a primordial ooze of water and 60 year old dirt.  SO now my kitchen floor looks like this and will have to stay this way until it is dry.  Lucky me, I get to have my kitchen cabinet and floor torn up until this dries out....probably a month or so and then I get to spend money I have in savings (that I wanted to use to go to Las Vegas next December) on fixing this little problem.  Oh how I love having my own house!

On a good note I am lucky that Jeff is a great guy and is good at helping females in distress.

My Academic Plan

Well some of you have been asking me what I am up to at school and since it is quite a long story I decided to post it here.

I am currently working towards getting into the Radiologic Technology program at the community college I am currently attending.  I will be applying to the program next month and hopefully will get in.  I have one more hurdle to jump before that can happen.  I have to pass the Math portion of the placement testing to apply.  I am currently stressing on this quite a bit.  I have procrastinated and have one chance to take it and pass it.  If I do get in I will receive an associates of applied sciences in Radiologic Technology.  Once I have this degree then I take my state examination.  Once I pass that then I will be able to work in hospitals taking xrays.  Eventually I want to get certified to run the CT and MRI.

In addition to that degree I am also going to finish my Associates of Science at TCC.  This should give me a seamless transition into the four year college.  I am planning on going to University of Texas at Arlington to get a bachelors of Arts in Biology and then hopefully be accepted into their graduate program to get a masters in biology as well.  Once I do that I want to go on to get a PhD. in some biology concentration (as yet to be decided) so that I can teach college biology when I am really old.

Well there you have it.  I have a long road ahead of me but I can't think of doing anything better than learning stuff for the next 8 years or so.

Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants"

Today in Comp two we analysed Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants".  This is a short story that Hemingway wrote in the 20's.  It is a very short story about one page total and although it is quite short, it packs  a whollop!  I think that Hemingway may become one of my favorite authors.

 

The story is set in Spain at a train station bar and has three characters total.  A man simply referred to as "man" in the story, Jig his female companion, and the waitress that brings them their drinks.  The story is basically an exchange of dialog between Jig and the man.  The conversation they engage in is very tense and argumentative.  Jig is sarcastic and antagonistic from the start in that sweet way only  women have mastered. We, the audience are just bystanders watching this exchange and are not given access to what each is thinking in keeping with Hemingway's existential style..  This story has been analysed relentlessly since it was written and many people have many ideas as to what the meaning is.  Only Hemingway can tell us and since he is 1) dead and 2) was quite insane, it is difficult to know with one hundred percent certainly what he really meant by the story.  It is clear in the story that the couple is unmarried, and most would agree that the couple is talking about Jig having an abortion.  She is unsure and he, being a typical unmarried man, does not want the responsibility of a wife and child.  They have been traveling the country as is evidenced by the luggage they have with them.  Many have discussed what they think the refrence to the white elephant is and there are several ideas, I maintain that Hemingway meant for it to be the "Elephant in the living room"  It is there and it is big but everyone is talking around it.  You read the short by yourself and leave me a comment on what you think about it.  

"Hills Like White Elephants" By Ernest Hemingway
I promise it is short, and you will enjoy it.  I have read it several times!

The First "Real" Book I Remember Reading

This is the first homework assignment for my Comp II class.  We are supposed to write about a piece of Literature that changed our thinking about Literature.  I chose to write about the first real book I remember reading.  I am sure there were others however, I read these until the covers fell off.  Enjoy!  Oh, and if you haven't seen the movie.  You should.

The first real book I remember reading as a kid was “The Black Stallion” by Walter Farley.  At that age, I thought reading anything that was considered a “book” a pretty big deal.  Walter Farley wrote his first book titled “The Black Stallion” in 1941 at the age of 26 and it continues to be in print to this day.  I didn’t concern myself with things like that as a child; the only part I concerned myself with, was the book had a horse on the cover.  As a child and truthfully, into my teens, I was one of those horse crazy girls.  I remember sitting in my room reading that book all day, every day until it was finished.  Walter Farley easily transported me into the world of Alec Ramsey and his horse friend, The Black, and I had to tear myself away. 

The story begins with Alec Ramsey, the main character, on a ship with his dad.  Also on board is a mysterious horse that belongs to a crazy Arab man.  The horse is unruly and causes quite a bit of commotion on the ship when he boards.  Alec’s father gambles with worldly men to pass the time and returns to their cabin with many treasures.  One of the treasures he decides Alec should have, a small metal statue of a horse.  His father claims that the statue is of Bucephalus the big black horse that only Alexander the great can tame and ride.  That night the boat catches on fire and sinks, Alec falls over board and the horse saves him.  They end up on a desert island together and after many days the horse, shy at first, begins to trust Alec.  They eventually become best friends and Alec calls him the Black.

Eventually, they are rescued and taken back to New York and Alec’s mother is grateful to the Black for saving her son, but is also wary of the bad tempered black horse in her suburban backyard.  The Black escapes from the yard and ends up in the stable of Henry Daly, a former race horse trainer.  Alec wants to race the Black, but Henry tells him that would be impossible, the horse is wild and does not have the proper papers.  Alec eventually talks Henry into it and they train the Black in secret, under the cover of darkness.  They enter him into a match race with two great thoroughbred race horses which he wins as the mystery horse.

As a young girl I was enthralled with this story from start to finish and read every word many times.  The book was made into a movie in 1979 which I saw for the first time much later.  The movie carries the same title as the book and was produced by Francis Ford Coppola.  This movie continues to be one of the most breathtaking movies I have ever seen.  The imagery is incredible and some of the actors are well known.  I am unsure as to who plays Alec; I have not seen him in any other movie since however, Henry Daly is played by Mickey Rooney and Alec’s mother is played by Terri Garr.  The Black is played by Cass Ole, who was a very famous and prized Arabian horse.

Later I found out there was a series of Black Stallion novels that began with “The Black Stallion” and then went on to the “Black Stallion Returns” and “Son of the Black Stallion”.  I think there was also a story about an island stallion, probably 5 or so in the series.  I remember many a lazy summer spent in my room reading every one of these books from start to finish many times.  I wanted to live in Alec’s world, to be him really.  I still watch the Black Stallion movie occasionally, I always appreciate its beauty and I remember my wonder of it as a little girl.

Spring Semester 2010.

Spring semester started this week for me on Tuesday.  This should be a great semester for a couple of reasons 1) I don't have to take a math class this semester and 2) All of the classes I have are fun and intersting.  I am taking English Compsition II on Monday and Wednesday from 12:20-1:40.  I have the same instructor I had for comp I that I loved so it should be great.  Also on Monday and Wednesday I have Intro to Philosophy from 1:50 to 3:10 pm.  I didn't get to meet my Philosophy professor because we did not have class on Monday due to the MLK holiday and then on Wednesday I had to get my wisdom teeth removed at 3pm.  I made the appointment months ago before I signed up for his class.  Wisdom teeth removal was NOT fun let me tell you...I don't think my body has been so violated ever.  I can't believe I have two giant holes in my head that I elected to have put there.
Anyway moving on.  On Tuesday and Thursday I have Biology for Science Majors at 11am.  This class will be great fun this time (see dropping biology blog April 2009) because I have an instructor who cares about whether or not we learn, and I am taking this class with a coworker/friend that is also super smart.  After Biology on Tuesday I have my American Literature up to 1865....this would be really boring if it wern't for my super cool ex-hippie cigarette smoking professor!  She is really cool and I think she will make this class super fun.  Also on Tuesday I have my Biology lab with the same caring instructor as for lecture and my same super smart friend.  So tuesday is the long day...starts at 11am and doesn't end until almost 5pm.  It is Okay I will take snacks.
So far I think this semester will be great fun and possibly even relaxing.  I think I will learn a fair amount of history in my Lit class and I get to write which is my favorite thing ever.  I will post anything I write here for you guys to read...but I warn you it will be about Literature so you may have to do some reading of Lit to understand or care about it.
The only thing that I do not like so far is the parking.....but most of them will be weeded out by the next month and closer to the end of the semester I can pretty much park where I want.
As always thanks for reading.

San Fransisco Trip Part I

Okay I know it has taken me forever to get around to this but I have been working every day since I returned and then there has been a problem with my photos of the trip.  Some of these are still not what I wanted them to be but I am working on trying to get the rest of the pictures.  There was a mishap with the pictures.  My camera is fine but some of my pictures got left in San Fransisco.  Kind of like a heart I guerss.  So here is the best that I can do for now.

My trip was great and I had a blast!  The trip started with the surprise visit from some old friends from LA!  They came up when they heard I would be there.  So Friday night was PARTY time!  We drank and laughed and played Wii.  Here are some pictures from that night.

My brother showing off the hat Joules made for him and his golf swing I guess.

Let the games begin!  We amused ourselves with the Wii for awhile.

Nikki never puts down her beer...or spills it.

Fun Times.

The next day we woke up hungover but managed to get cleaned up and headed out for downtown San Fransisco.

Piled in the car on our way to the BART station.  The BART is a metro rail that goes all over the bay area.

This pack of bike riders was cool.

My brother has to finish his smoke before we go down into the station.

Arrived at the BART now off to the train.

And so it begins.

Cool ceiling in the BART station.

I wonder why they didn't include defecating, urinating, bathing etc...

All of us waiting for the BART train.

The train finally got there.

Speeding past my brother and I.

Joules and John on the train ride into downtown.

Downtown San Fransisco.  Union Square.

These guys were tap dancing in the square.

The architecture was AMAZING!

The architecture in SF was amazing.  Most of the buildings are really old and the city seemed to have this layered look and feel to it.  I felt like I could have walked around all day taking pictures of all the amazing buildings I saw (much to the dismay of my travel buddies).

Out the window of the greasy spoon place where we had breakfast.

After a few stops for drinks and food (we were a little lit at this point) we arrived in china town.

The gateway in.

Joules found a froggy golf buddy.

This place was packed and the store goods spilled out into the sidewalk.

This guy was playing traditional Chinese music on what looked like a tin can violin thing.

This cristian like church was in the middle of China Town ....I wonder why?

One of the best photos from the trip, China town light post, check, cool China Town building in the background, check, the name California, check, genuine Cali graffiti, check.

The Trans America building taken from the streets of China Town

We are boarding a bus to head off to fisherman's wharf.  And this is where I leave you this time.  I have tons more photos and will share them with you another time..hopefully in better shape than these are.  I had an awesome time and San Fransisco comes highly recommended.  Make sure you bring a back pack and good walking shoes!

Web Logging

I thought I would kill some time before going to work on cleaning up the rest of the house and do a web logging.  Today it is cold here in Texas and it is supposed to get even worse the next couple of days.  The weather channel is calling it the Arctic Blast 2010!!!...you all know how dramatic they are!  I wish It could have waited until after I left for California but whatever...it is fine, my feet and hands have been pretty much numb for a month now...so a couple more degrees won't make too much of a difference.
My vacation started for me at 12:15 am on Monday morning and I have been really enjoying it.  I was awakned by the plumber on Monday morning at 8 am so only got to sleep for 4 hours but had plenty of time for a nap.  The plumber says that the problem was the aerator on my faucet... apparently I have a really lame faucet and when the aerator gets clogged up or otherwise unhappy in any way it leaks down the faucet where I can't see it under the sink... I am sure some genius designed it.  At least it is clean now.  I am not really sure what to do about the water that has accumulated under the house because of it but whatever i need to do it will have to wait until I get back.
I have already surfed out where the In-n-Out burger is between my brother's place and the airport..I can't wait and I can taste it already.  I can't wait to have my double double animal style with fries and a strawberry shake.  In fact there will be multiple trips to In-n-Out, the burger place that, one who lives in Texas can only dream of when they are not here.  A co-worker from San Pedro was feverishly trying to devise a plan for me to get one back to Texas, he was completely willing to eat it cold (they are OK that way)....we are still working in it.

I am also looking forward to getting some photos of San Francisco and me and my brother.  If I don't post some photos of my mug soon my mom is going to bust a gasket! Love you mom!  It is always nice to get pictures of yourself when you are looking your best and relaxed.  I will miss my fur kids but I'm not worried about them...they will be in great hands while I am gone.

Well enough babbling on the blogosphere...I have to finish cleaning and packing for my awesome vacation.  I want to say thanks to my brother John and my sister-in-law Joules for making this a possibility.

Thomas, the Human Kid in my Life

So I was made to feel guilty yesterday by one of my co-workers because I have a million photos of my dogs but not any of my super adorable nephew Thomas. So I thought I would post some of his pictures. You see, it is not that I don't take pictures of him I do...I guess I just don't think to post them.

This is an old photo...taken in February 2007, Thomas is 5 years old here...this was a sad time for us as my father had just passed away. My dad passed away on February 9th, two days before Thomas' birthday. We all spent a considerable amount of energy smiling and trying to not to scare him while on the inside our hearts were broken with grief at the loss of my Father. I know Thomas helped me through that...he made undoubtedly realize that time marches on and so does life.

Thomas hard at work on some homework for school I am sure....he is a really smart kid.

Thomas May 09' Showing off his mad skateboarding skills.






Bike riding in March of 09' My brother in law Jade was playing with my new camera and got these shots, I am glad he did, these are great!

Probably wishing he could go back outside and ride his bike again.

I love these Photos of Thomas and his mom. Those blue eyes are really that blue...no touch ups with Photoshop! He is so cute and smart and I love him to death...I will try to be more diligent about posting pics of Thomas as I get them! Until then ENJOY!