I went to my computer class last night. We are working on MS Excel. I had a VERY brief introductory course in it about 3 years ago. We learned very little BUT it did help me organize and keep track of the HSA we had at the time...and I'll tell you, as long as I have kids that I am responsible for their medical bills, I will NEVER attempt a Health Savings Account again! DANG!

ANYWAY...this Excel thing is kicking ma butt right now. I messed with it during work session time last night and finally loaded what I had done onto my flash drive and left. The teacher stopped me and said, "If you want to stay after and I can work with you that's okay." mmmmmmmmmm...no...that's okay. I told him I am a 'wanna figure it out on my own' kinda person. Don't really wanna work with him in a room by myself at night when most of the college is empty...

So...hopefully, with the help of the tutorial disc my oldest sister gave me I might be able to decipher how to set up the workbook. I can handle everything else but this one assignment is really giving me headaches. I just need to think about it some more. When I get off of here I am going to run the vacuum cleaner. For some reason things 'come to me' while I vacuum. Sometimes it is an idea...sometimes it is a clarity about something...and sometimes it is a premonition. I am not kidding about that last thing there. It has happened. Many times. And it creeps me out every time. I'm not sure what it is...something about the vacuum cleaner making me one with the universe or something.

I also have my final for my Employee Training and Development class to get done and sent before next Tuesday. The thing about take home/open book tests...they take 4 times as long to do than if you just went to class and they handed you a test there to do. Of course the good point is, they usually give you a week to do it and you CAN look up the answers. Once I have that done and in, it is on to the next phase. This Tues. night class was the last one I needed in my 'Quick Start' class group that would give me what I needed to get out into that work world of Human Resource Management. So, I have to work on my resume and start looking. Yay?

Hey...I know I need it...I know I want it...but I haven't held a full-time job for 12 years! I've had part-time jobs.

Which is another thing...when I was getting ready to do my presentation for Tuesday night's class my daughter asked me if I was nervous. I told her it was no problem since I used to get paid to do what I was about to do for free. She said, "yeah, when you used to substitute teach, huh?" I kinda frowned and looked at her and said, "I taught for about 10 years full-time you know." She looked at me stunned and said, "I don't remember that...when did you do that?" Then it hit me! "Oh, wow! I haven't done that since just before your first birthday! I guess you wouldn't remember that would you?" "well...DUH! How WOULD I know?" "GEEZ! SORRY! I guess I assumed that somewhere over all these years you would have overheard a conversation at least about me teaching! It isn't like I don't tell stories about some of it!" They never pay attention when you think they should...do they?

There IS one thing she paid attention about...this morning she announced to me, "All I have to do is make it to school tomorrow then I get my allowance and you get to take me to the mall!" Oh crap. yes...I lowered myself to bribe her to go to school all week without giving me a sob story/hassle. And she heard THAT! I really really hate going to the mall. I wonder if I can pay her brother to take her? That would mean I would be available to go flat screen shopping with the hubby... I can't win for losing. Maybe I can fake a disease that causes me to go temporarily deaf and blind and lose the use of my legs for about 48 hours. It can only be cured by leaving me totally alone. Perhaps I could get a hotel room out of it...just me...my books...oh boy.

Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!

I got news from my mom a few days ago about my dad's MRIs and other such tests. No wonder the poor guy has had such awful headaches and neck pain. It seems he has 3 collapsed discs in his neck AND bone spurs. He is slated for surgery March 20...two days after my youngest sister's b-day. He sent me a video of how they do the surgery! ack cack hack...EWWWWWW! Now HE knows how squeamish I am! There is a REASON I didn't go to nursing school! Send it to my oldest sister for pete's sake! She's the physical therapy assistant...she LIKES that stuff!

Finally got my son on track with his school work. Only took 6 weeks almost. It turns out that cutting him off from what is left of his outside world gets his attention! (I know, I know...y'all have told me...I learn just as slow as he does). If you take his car keys and his cell phone away from him...hmmmm...

I am not sure whether or not to send emails of complaint to Bethany's school counselor or emails to some of her teachers to thank them. It seems that two of her teachers were talking to the other kids in her class about her when she was absent. 'summer school' was mentioned. Teachers talking to the students, especially in a derogatory manner, about another student is NOT acceptable in any case. However, Bethany DID seem to get a wake up call about it. She told me that she is not going to whine about staying home unless she is puking up a lung. I told her I wasn't going to let her stay home anymore anyway. Unless there is some reason she wants to repeat this grade. yea...I didn't think so either.

As for ME....I had my class presentation/project tonight. And I got 98/100!!!!! The only reason I lost those 2 freakin' points was becuz I didn't set a time limit on the interactive thing I had the group do. I didn't SET the time limit for a reason! Oh well...I got the highest score. So...now all I gots to do is ace the test. Piece o' cookie.

I slid home from class...literally. I am driving my son's car. My van is in the shop...new rotors, new brake pads, oil change, loose tie rod, front end alignment. I DID remember before plopping into that little red suped up tin can to take the magnetic red ribbon off the back that reads, "Support Farting".
I borrowed his car one day to make a quick trip to the store and it wasn't until I got out of the car and some elderly lady was walking up behind the car and looking at it and me with a funny look that I remembered about that magnet!

ANYWAY...slicker'n'a pig in mud on them roads out there! And it is snowing s'more. sigh. I know Bethany would be doing a jig if classes were cancelled AGAIN. And even though TJ has cyber school and I told him that he doesn't get snow days...guess what? They had half a snow day today cuz the snow storms took their web site out this morning. Now...I have to question the 'brilliance' of his math teacher. When the school site was finally back on line, I checked the email (you can only access it through the school site and it is the only email they will use to communicate with you). She had sent an email out to tell everyone that the iLinc classes were cancelled for the day becuz the school site was off line. THEN when it is back online she sends ANOTHER email to inform everyone that the school site is back up and classes will resume. REALLY?!?! OMG.

I don't know about any of you but I feel like a popsicle right now...and I'm wiped.

Banana Split? How about Rocky Road....

Chunky Monkey

Cherry Garcia

Chubby Hubby

Moose Tracks

Punkin Spice

Neapolitan

and THAT's all I'm sayin' on that subject.

I am feeling like some romantic/quiet kinda music tonight.

Hope everyone is staying warm and comfy!

We got dumped on with snow and ice again last night. Needless to say...no school. AND, I checked things out this time before I woke my daughter up. (hey Bry...na na na na...we got snow!)

And...true to form...I no sooner looked out the window at the driveway and sidewalks piled high with snow and wished that Snowblower Guy would come clear them..then TADA! There he was! (have I mentioned how much I love that guy?)

Speaking of 'love that guy'...I watched a John Cusack movie with my kids last night. My son had seen it at the video store and brought it home. He said, "I know how much you like John Cusack movies." Cool kid!

ANYWAY...the name of the movie is "Martian Child". It has to do with a foster child that is emotionally messed up from being abandoned. It is just such a COOL movie! I am going to be buying the DVD cuz I am going to watch that over and over and over...

Again...another day for me to be glad that I don't have a job to go to. Although, my own paycheck would be nice.