12/27/2004 10:20:00 AM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Greetings and salutations. I meant to write yesterday and document my most strange dream. I was too busy doing nothing, though. I had a dream that I was having an affair with Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots/Velvet Revolver. Why is that strange? Well, first of all, I have never found him to be attractive and it was just so bloody out of the blue. In my dream, I wasn't married and had no kids, but Scott was going through a divorce and had two beautiful little girls. It took place in my aunt Verlene's house. That was also strange. Even with his heroin and legal problems, I'm positive he can afford better digs than that. Any ways, Scott turned out to be pretty W.T., but quite nice and sensitive. You know I am a sucker for Mr. Sensitive Ponytail Man. The dream itself was a bit mundane. It was sort of a going through the daily motions dream. It ended as quickly as it began but stayed with me through the day for some reason. Probably because I was just so flabbergasted that I had a dream about Scott Weiland! As I mentioned briefly, I did pretty much nothing yesterday. Well, I started reading Sweet Thursday by Steinbeck. I haven't read it for years and I desired to immerse myself in the wonderful inhabitants of Cannery Row. Today, on the other hand, will be a bit busier. We are going to brave the mall to go coat shopping and buy some clothes for the kids. I need to get out of the house. I have been cooped up for days. I think that tomorrow I will take the kids on a drive up to West Yellowstone to visit the Wolf/Grizzly discovery center. I would like to take some wintry photographs but there is no snow here. My sister will be here sometime tomorrow evening. I can't wait to see her! She lives in Boise now so I can't just jump in the car and go see her. Have I mentioned that the drive to Boise from Idaho Falls is perhaps the worst drive on the face of the planet? I mean, it is right up there with Albuquerque to Roswell. Except longer. I definitely am looking forward to the drive to Missoula. Not only will I get to visit with my sister for a good while, I'll also be seeing parts of the country that I haven't see before and everyone knows that I love and adventure! Well, that's about all for today. I'll write later. |W|P|110416916659273783|W|P|Feeling Strange|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com12/25/2004 05:54:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P| Merry Christmas! Today has been a very good day. The kids were absolutely delighted by their bounty from St. Nick and I have had way too much Christmas candy! It's been a relaxing and laid back day and I think that's what pleases me the most. :-) I am now booking a hotel to stay at in Missoula on the 29th. I am going to go with my sister. I think it's going to be very cool. It's my first time going so it's even more exciting. I love seeing new places. Especially ones that I have the potential to live in, such as Missoula. Well, I have some Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban to watch so I am outta here. I wish you all the Happiest Holidays and will write again soon. |W|P|110402418388973716|W|P|Merry Christmas!|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com12/22/2004 05:34:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Well, I'm in Idaho now. Not without incident, unfortunately. On Monday, before I could even leave town, I was in a car accident in a Walgreen's parking lot. Nothing major, but it was "deemed" my fault and so my insurance is going to go up, which sucks. Then, as I was running egregiously late and in a hurry to get to Green River, I was ticketed for speeding through Monticello, Utah. :-( Bummer. Tuesday was great. No hitches whatsoever. The roads were a little scary through Malad to Pocatello. Nothing to get excited over, though. I am just so glad to be "home" for awhile. As much as I miss it here, I know I can't move back. I'll just continue to buy Idaho souveneirs for nostalgia's sake. Traffic was Godawful going down 17th street today. It gets worse every time I visit. I do miss the variety of trees that are here. Even though it's Winter and the leaves are gone, they are all still beautiful. I am in the Christmas spirit. We made fudge today and aregoing to make Christmas cookies next. We've also got Christmas ornaments to make that are going to be so cute. Little Christmas stockings. I bought little moose trinkets for mine. I am now wiping the HD on my Mom's computer and restoring the original software (I'm using my laptop). I hope it works. We got her hooked up to the net today and then came home to a uncooperative computer. No good at all. So, I'm knocking on wood and crossing everything possible. Wish me luck. |W|P|110376278051068883|W|P|Arrived Safely|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com12/18/2004 05:06:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Today has been a pretty good day. While I didn't sleep in (much), I did wake up feeling refreshed and fairly stress free. I haven't been running around like a maniac today- I'm reserving that behaviour for tomorrow. I did manage to mail out all my Christmas cards today so I feel like that's a step in the right direction. The theme of the day is dinosaurs. Gabriel's taken a shine to them (following in his big bro's footsteps) and, since I just finished Jurassic Park for the umpteenth time (hey, it's a good read), we settled down to a day of Jurassic Park Trilogy watching. I snuck out for the third since I don't really like it. It's Emilio's favorite, so I'll let him enjoy it. :-) I have also decided to take the Dinosaurs class in Spring of 2006 to fulfill one of my physical science requirements. I think it'll be very interesting and I can be my kids' hero, which is always a bonus! I was also fortunate enough today to catch up on reading my favorite blog, my pal A's. :-) Seems she's been wrestling with finals and catching the Christmas spirit, as have I. I know how you feel, sis. Your fudge sounds awesome; wish I were there to gain five pounds with you. It's very strange not having a Christmas tree this year. I know things will look up when I get to my Mom's and I am able to weeze off of her Yuletide offerings. Until then, well I just feel like a turd in a punch bowl. I guess that means that I am feeling like I usually do. I do look forward to making some Christmas cookies and some fudge. And hanging the stockings by the chmney with care... I am going to brave the stores tonight to get Emilio the RC H2 Hummer before they sell out. My fairy godmother came yesterday and endowed me with some Christmas fundage so I'm in good shape. Didn't I hypothesize that my luck was changing? Good call, oh geeky one. I am entirely too excited about heading North for the break. I have already made so many plans that I may not have time to just relax. I am definitely going to check out the Missoula scene and hop up to Boise to visit my sis. If I can't go to Yellowstone, I am still going to visit the Elk feeding grounds near Jackson so my kids can experience some wildlife while we're there. I am going to convince my Mom to go skiing with me come hell or high water and I would love to just go driving through the mountains. It has been so long since I have been up to the Sawtooth's and I think it may be time to reacquaint with them. Yes, I know that sounds like a lot of in-the-car time, but I don't care. I am filled with a desire to just see Idaho again. That is, beyond the Snake River Valley. Well, I have to head out and brave the mall. Ew. On a Saturday. I must be insane. P.S. I laughed when Amanda wrote about her brain being too stuffed during finals. That's because, as I was cram studying with my classmates, we talked about wanting a plug in our brains that we could pull when we finished with one test to make room for cram studies for the next. Like A said, when you're studying similar subjects, it all tends to blend together!|W|P|110341578945899044|W|P|A Good Day|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com12/17/2004 03:03:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Oh. My. Gosh. I just received my grade from my Genetics final and my grade in the class. I am in shock. I got the highest grade on the final and ended up with an A in the class. How is that possible? There are way bigger geeks in there than me! I only studied for the final that day and was counting on a "C." Has my luck finally changed? One thing is for sure, I have one hell of a smile plastered on my face right now. |W|P|110332098331086924|W|P|Genetics Grade|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com12/13/2004 04:06:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Smoked it Like an Opium Pipe Just finished my Fisheries Mgmt final. And, as my title suggests.... ;-D So, I am in a pretty good mood today. It was rough doing all of the cram studying at the library today, but so worth it! I will be back up here bright and early tomorrow to cram for the Vertebrate Zoo final. And I am heading home right now to begin my long night of studying. Wish me luck!! |W|P|110297933373171774|W|P|Smoked it Like an Opium Pipe|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com12/10/2004 06:48:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|I don't quite know what to say about today other than, "Zoiks!" I missed 20 out of 50 on my Vertebrate Zoo. Lab final. Bonus, eh? Damn Anatomy. Gets me every time. I did okay on the skull IDs and parts and fine on the remainder. Thank goodness Dr. Keller counts Lecture and Lab together. That way, as long as I can keep kicking ass on my lecture exams, I should still get in A in both lab and lecture. However, I am now feeling a huge sense of relief now that school is over for the semester. I am going to bust my ass over the next five days to get ready for my three final exams. (I am not taking the Ecology final because I am getting an A that class and Doc drops your lowest grade [my final].) So, First and Foremost I have to start studying Fisheries Mgmt because that test is on Monday. Vertebrate Zoo is on Tuesday and Genetics is on Wednesday. However, I am going to study for all three at the same time. I don't want to cram study the night before. I want to have a solid grasp of the material. Other than my head cold and my aching back, I am doing quite well. No major depression today, which is nice. I think I am just so excited about the prospect of going to Idaho that I am not letting the little things get to me. :-) Well, it's officially get back to studying time. Have a great night, y'all. |W|P|110272970298735799|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com12/08/2004 04:51:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Just finished with my Fisheries Mgmt. practicum. I think I missed one or two but mostly nailed it! Yeeeeah. Okay, two down, four more to go. I now have to begin cram studying for the vertebrate lab test on Friday. I pretty much have the IDs and the names for the Order and Family down but I need to work on the skull IDs and the parts of the Coyote skull. That is going to be the tough part. After that test, I will be down to my three finals and my Vert Zoo test. It's going to be nothing but cram, cram, cram this weekend. I don't plan on leaving the house for anything. Well, I am about to head out for my Genetics review. That is gonna suck, y'all. *geek note: goosebumps occur when we contract pili muscles, which are specialized muscles that change the orientation of hairs for better insulation.|W|P|110255020125804312|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com12/06/2004 10:10:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|God bless the AAA I got a flat on the way home from school today. Called up AAA, said, "Hey, y'all. I got a flat here. Can you help?" Within 30 minutes, I was back on my way. Took the tire into get fixed and 15 minutes later it was a done deal. Not a penny spent. Life can be good sometimes. What do I really think of the anthropomorphizing of the Coca-Cola polar bears? Even with as much as I know about polar bears, I still can't help but love them. Yeah, they are totally unrealistic but so cute!! Well, I have papers to write and studies to get on, so I'm audi. |W|P|110239620689944076|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com12/04/2004 09:21:00 AM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Good morning. This time I can actually say it with gusto because it is morning! I had planned on sleeping in today (of course), but I got a phone call shortly after seven. Ouch. So, up I am. I am going to the school library today to study my arse off. I have so much to study, I hope I don't fall apart. I will take my arsenal of flash cards, notes, pictures and books with me. Not that I predict any help from them, but, you know. They jog the memory cells. Coffee's good this morning. Yesterday we dissected fetal pigs. It wasn't too bad except that they were extra juicy. I had to keep tipping mine over to let it drain. I almost threw up once, but managed to keep it down. Hands down, they were about three hundred times easier (and less smelly) to dissect than pigeons. Serafin Sr. is sick and in the hospital today. He has some mysterious illness. I prayed for him. I hope he gets well soon. I know he wants to go to Mexico for Christmas. I hope he'll be able to go. I am almost finished with all of my holiday shopping. It's a good feeling. I did 90% of it online. That was awesome. I really get anxious going into the stores during the holiday rush. It's just filled with all of the weirdos you never want to see. I am just waiting for stuff to arrive so that I can wrap it up or send it out. I am seriously not putting up a Christmas tree this year. The kids will just have to wait and see my Mom's Christmas tree. :-D Well, I best be on my way to the library. Have a great day, y'all! |W|P|110217729442882336|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com12/02/2004 12:36:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|I saw the funniest thing on VH1 Classic last night: David Bowie & Mick Jagger's video, "Dancing in the Street." *LMAO* I haven't seen that video since I was a kid, you know back when I thought it was cool. What a dork. Their outfits are so hilarious! Especially David Bowie's get up. He's wearing this gross, matching, black w/patterns shirt/pant duo and a white trench coat. Mick Jagger just looks unkempt Miami Vice. Their dance moves were the lamest ever. I also realized something. Mick Jagger has to be the most hideous looking man on the planet. If he wasn't a Rolling Stone, I doubt any woman would look at him twice. His lips alone give me nightmares. Yikes! Thankfully, today is my day off of school. I have a ton of errands to take care of and some much needed studying to do. Plus my house is approaching its filthy critical limit. S.O.S. I am starting to get so excited about going to Idaho. The drive alone is helping me to get through this not-so-wonderful time in my life. If I have the opportunity, I would like to drive to Montana and check out the Missoula scene. I would also like to take a day trip up to Yellowstone and check out the wildlife. I don't think I've been to Yellowstone since I was 19. I really miss it. Now that Serafin is not around, this vacation is going to be very different. He always seemed to be the designator of vacation activities and I always felt guilty for wanting to do my own thing. While I will miss skiing with him, I will be able to spend more time with Kelli and Andrea without feeling like a schmuck for leaving him at Mom's house. Not to mention being able to just relax. I look forward to that more than anything. I have registered for the Spring semester. My classes are: General Botany Evolution & Systematics Wildlife Management & Lab Astronomy & Lab Music Appreciation No doubt it is going to be another tough semester, but I have to get crackin'. I met with an advisor Monday and found out that I have seventeen classes to take until I graduate! So, I'll take five this semester, one this upcoming summer, six next fall and five in the following spring. That is, as long as nothing unexpected happens. I'll go ahead and knock on wood for that. Well, enough writing, y'all, it's time for me to get a move on. |W|P|110201619813409965|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com12/01/2004 02:22:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|I am so tired today. Sheesh. I'm a little tired of being tired. And of being whiney. Boy, this end of semester stuff is turning me into the ultimate whining machine. I must stop! Well, I am feeling a little better now since my last post. I really feel like I made the right decision about leaving the church. Now it's a just a matter of getting on with my life like a normal person. I kind of feel like the opposite of born again, you know? I am starting to get a little weirded out about all the tests that I have coming up in the next couple of weeks. It's like I know how extremely difficult studying is going to be and yet I haven't started yet. I am going to try and bribe one of my classmates into giving me a copy of his photos he took during our fish identification. Maybe ten or twenty bucks might sway him? *L@me* I can't identify a fish to save my life. Well, maybe Walleye, Gizzard shad and carp. As long as their morphology is so freakin' unique that I couldn't possible get it confused with anything else. Don't get me started on all of the scientific names and locations that I am supposed to associate with said fish. Pooey. Well, I think I'll register for next semester now. Later cats, And the spellchecker again with the foreskin....|W|P|110193664316089314|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com