Madison's Graduation

I forgot to mention it, but my beautiful granddaughter Madison graduated from kindergarten this morning. I was not able to attend the ceremony, but I'm hoping her Aunt Becca took some good photos. Until then, I'm including this one that I took on her first day of school. She's a real sweetheart and I think it's cool that she and her mother both "graduated" just a couple of weeks apart. Way to go Madison!

Step 1 Approved!

I got a phone message from the Student Services advisor this morning letting me know that my application for inclusion in the Honors Senior Project has been approved by my college and passed on to the Honors college. Yippee! What this means is that I will do a project that requires a lot more time and effort, and will be judged by a higher standard, and that in exchange, I will get a set of colored cords to wear at graduation. Um...something doesn't seem quite right here. Oh well. I'm not driven to excel in everything I do, but when I make my up to go for the gold, I'll usually wear myself out attempting it. I also got word from Mr. Wagoner, my instructor last semester for "Organizational Leadership and Supervision", that he would be happy to serve as my academic advisor for my Senior Project. Another Yippee! And for my final Yippee, my sweetie is coming to town tomorrow to stay with me for two days, then we'll head back his way for the long weekend. Five days with my husband is a bit of a record. Yippee!

Honors Senior Project Application In

I rushed over to the campus yesterday afternoon in order to submit my application for inclusion in the Honors Senior Project. The first requirement is that someone from my college (Technology) approve the request. I tried to get in to see the identified person, but surprisingly, she did not seem to want to see me. She took my application, however, via one of the department secretaries, and I came back after an hour for her decisision. She IMd said secretary to ask me to wait until tomorrow as she needed to delve further into my [colorful] academic history before making a decision. Hopefully, I'll hear something this morning! I have to explain a bit about my "colorful" history, by the way. When I was a youngster, 500 years or so ago, there was a rule-of-thumb about taking classes at a Junior College. Since there was no way you would be "graduating" from there, and since F's did not "transfer" to other schools, whenever you decided to drop a class, you had two choices: You could go through all of the trouble of Withdrawing, officially, or you could stop showing up to class and take and "F" (this was the "no hassle" method). Either way the outcome was the same. Fast-forward [oops...another out-dated term!] 500 or so years, and lo and behold, the colleges have decided to go and drag up all those old "F's" and put them back on the transcripts. So while they do not count toward anything since you get no credit at all for taking the class and making an "F", they now count AGAINST you by averaging in with your grades. Yikes! Couple that with the fact that they did NOT transfer all those lovely little A's from my major, since they were "technical" classes, and you'll see that my transcript at UH is not nearly as pretty as it was when I graduated with a 4.0 gpa from the 3rd Junior College I attended. (Note: I have 7 transcripts from 7 colleges to-date :-) So, now I'm crossing my fingers, hoping that this person who has no interest in visiting with me will "approve" my request to attempt a difficult Senior Project that will qualify for an Honors distinction. Wish me luck!

Apartment Hunting--YUK!

Now that I've had a little break from school, I'm back to looking for an apartment. I'm currently staying at my mom's place which is not a bad set-up (she likes to feed me!) but it's not a long-term solution. 1. I cannot do my work or my schoolwork without a broadband connection. I'm getting around this "requirement" at the moment by spending a LOT of time at the UH library, but that is also difficult. It's a long walk, the weather is not always good, and it can be noisy (although that's not the case at the moment). 2. I need to be able to have people come over. I know Mom wouldn't mind if I had a study group over at her place, but it is really too crowded for spreading books out, hooking up laptops (back to the broadband requirement) and gnoshing on popcorn during while studying/working. 3. I need some empty space. Some of my requirements for working (when I'm in my "creative" mode) is a LARGE whiteboard, something to play music on, and a place to spread all my books and papers out (the floor usually works just fine) while I work. 4. It MUST be located between URC and the UH Campus. Truth is, I put in such long and often difficult hours, I MUST be able to crash quickly, get up quickly, and get on the move without any wasted time. This means I'll probably be spending more than I want to on a place to live, but I'm at the point where I don't have the luxury of doing anything different.

My Trilemma

Ok, so it's not really a "trilemma"; it is three related, but very different, decisions. With only two weeks of "freedom" left, and knowing that I can't do everything I want to, I'm hoping I can make a decision, set a path, and follow it to its completion. Is that even possible? 1. Pursuit of a Senior Honors Thesis I'm trying to figure out if I have it in me to pursue an undergraduate thesis project that will earn me University Honors. The program takes the committment of a year, and requires more work than a typical Senior Project. If I decide to pursue this, the first thing I have to do is apply for the program. Next, I have to decide on and complete a very detailed prospectus and timeframe for completion of the thesis. All of this must be completed 30 days before the start of the next semester, and I must remain committed to successful completion of the project for the next full year. Yikes! 2. Acceptance into the University of Texas' Master of Science in Science and Technology Commercialization Program Oh yes, it's a little more than just acceptance...it's the matter of finding the $42,000 tuition as well. Then there's the little matter of studying for, taking and ranking high on the entrance exams. Oh, there's also that bit about driving to Austin every other weekend for a YEAR, with only one 3-week break at Christmas. Do you think I can survive this? Is it worth it? 3. Pursuit of a Microsoft Certification for MCDBA This little item is the "iffiest" of the three, as it is NOT part of an official college curriculum, but it has the potential for the greatest return on investment ($2,500 if I choose self-study or $4,500 if I choose to attend a class). Not only will this teach me more about the pieces I am missing in my view of SQL database administration, but it will also give me a marketable certification. However, it will be VERY difficult to complete if I am left to my own timeline (self-study option) since it will be competing with my other projects. So, now you see my trilemma...three questions, three paths, three decisions. Yikes! So, as I sit here in the college library, researching past theses, and look around to discover that I am one of about 20 students in the entire building, I just have to wonder, "what the heck am I doing?!?"

Jessie's Luck

Oh my gosh...I've figured out that I LOVE to sleep! I woke up at an unusually late hour on Saturday and Leo and I spent the day just goofing off--absolutely nothing was accomplished. (Yes...it did feel good!) About 2pm we decided to head down for some fishing. I thought I had gotten lucky when I had a fighter on my hands, but by the time I got it close to the dock my fears were confirmed--I had landed a large (and ugly) stingray. I also caught a small croaker, but nothing else. Leo caught a series of hardheads, the largest of which was about 6" long and the smallest about 3" (hooked in the tail, no less). Jessie was the hands down winner, however, with a beautiful 23 1/2" redfish. He [the fish] put up quite a fight, so it was a lot of fun for us all to watch. I was actually surprised the fish was not bigger, considering the effort that went into landing him. There's no doubt Jessie is the "expert" among us, but we're all three a bit funny in that we all take pleasure in the catch, no matter who actually brings it in. Still, in spite of what you might think, for me, it's not about the catching as much as it is about the fishing. The day was beautiful. A nice breeze was blowing, but not so much as to be bothersome, the sun was shining, but it was not too hot, the water level and color was just right, and the company was absolutely perfect. I don't get many of these kind of days anymore, so I really cherish them when they come along. By tonight (Sunday night), I'll be headed back to the city, back to the grindstone, and back to the work I love. But for yesterday and half of today, I am reveling in doing nothing and enjoying it immensely.

Last Final...Finally

I'm at a Best Western this morning, around the corner from the Brookhollow site. I'll definitely keep this one on my list of "approved" places to stay! I'm drained, whipped, worn out, and ecstatic that I have TWO WEEKS of absolutely nothing to do do for school. What will I do? Last night was my final final. I wanted to (needed to) go in and ace it, but it just didn't happen. There was too much to cover and I had too little time available to prepare. I think I made a mid-B which pretty much means I won't make an A in the class. Still...considering everything that's been on my "plate" this semester, I can't complain about that; just to survive the semester is an accomplishment! Work is keeping me busy and I'm having a lot of fun. The Brookhollow folks are great to work with and I'm getting a lot of interaction with the "guys" (Techs, Operators, KBR, etc.) which I always enjoy. They know that I know what it's like to be in their shoes, so anytime I come up with ideas to make things easier on them, or even just take the time to listen to them and try to address some of their concerns, well, it's just good for us both. I plan on spending the next two weeks revisiting some recent projects and performing some clean up duties. There are a couple of items that need to be addressed in the URC PM database, some things (instructions, enhancements, etc.) to be implemented in the OI Plans and Measures, and a LOT of tiny database-maintenance-type items to work with in the Contracts Administration databases. So even though I'm not going to get a break of any kind over the next two weeks, at least I can sit in one spot and knock out a BUNCH of my to-do list. (Yeah!) Oops...it's getting late and I've had enough of this goofing-off time...I better hit the road. Although I saw home last week, I was just passing through and spent only a couple of waking hours there. Tonight I will be headed home for the weekend and will actually sleep in my bed (LONG hours!!), fish from my pier (don't care whether I have any luck or not), and cut up with Jess, Leo, Jose, Bro. David, and anyone else who happens by. Now THAT'S the life!!

Headed for Another Motel

The kids sitting next to me here in the library have decided they want to jam while they study. Two of the study rooms have turned the lights off, and the kids are asleep inside. The kids behind me brought in pizza a couple of hours ago, and I've been thinking of pizza ever since! There are a LOT of students studying (none of them as old as I am) but they don't seem to be as disturbed by the noise as I am. So, I guess I'm going to pack it in and move to a hotel to finish studying. I can't go to my mom's because I have to have a high speed connection to get anywhere with my work. Ginger (sis) invited me to go home with her tonight, but she has the same problem...no high speed connection. [I heard the girl sitting next to me talking about some caffeine pills...gee I wish I had some right now.] I'm guessing it will take me more than an hour to get settled in to a room, and I still need about 6 hours of study time before the test, so I guess I'll sign off now and head out. Wish me luck!

Rachael Graduates!

While I am unbelievably proud of all my girls, last night was definitely Rachael's Night. Rachael graduated last night from the University of Houston Clear Lake with a Bachelor of Science degree in Legal Studies. It has been a long and difficult struggle, and we are so proud of her accomplishment. The commencement service was long, with little over 1,000 students graduating. It was the first time we had been in Reliant Stadium (yes, believe it or not!) but it was hard to be impressed as we were all about our girl. Rachael spotted us right away, and we were able to communicate a bit with silly gestures, pointing, and broad smiles. My favorite part was when we let Rae know her babies were there. We pointed to the left and tried to signal "2" as they were sitting two sections to the left of us. When she spotted them, her face lit up into a beautiful smile! Rebecca had to leave with the kids before they could see Rachael, but I got to visit with them for a few minutes. They were so thrilled to have seen Mommy on the "big tv screens". I don't know what Rachael has planned next. She would like to wait a bit before starting law school because of the expense, and because she has missed the babies. But she may be starting on her Master's in the fall if things work out for her. So, either way, I'm sure she's not finished with this. But whatever her choice, we'll support her in it. We are so incredibly proud of her and what she has accomplished. What a thrill for this momma to see her baby walk across that stage. And yes, in case you're wondering, I did cry.

Another Hotel Night

Tonight, it's the Mariott, in a part of town I've never stayed at before (NW). I got to work at 3:10am and left work at 3:30pm. I didn't make it more than a couple of miles before I found a hotel and checked in for the night. I was asleep by 4pm. I knew I'd be out-of-sorts if I didn't set an alarm, so I got up around 7pm and started working on my studies. About 9pm, I walked across the street (I didn't want to lose my close parking spot!) to eat at a Mexican food restaurant. There was only one other young man there, a traveler like me, and we chatted about the basketball game while we ate. He was surprised when I knew about his company (Swagelock) and what they do. The meal was not great, but it was good. When I got back to my room, I made all my phone calls, hit the books for a while, and in a few minutes I'll be headed back to bed for another few hours' sleep. By the way, after staying in the cheesy hotel on South Padre, this little Mariott is a SWEET stay! Tomorrow is an exciting day...I can't wait to see my baby walk across the stage!

House Photos

Photo: 05-07-06
Several folks have asked about progress on the house, so I thought I'd toss in a couple of photos. If you look closely, you can see newspaper over some of the windows and scaffolding in the living room. The taping and floating of this room is a bit of an undertaking and is taking some time. Photo: 05-07-06
It may be another year before we begin working on the back yard, but we've got a lot to work with, so I'm sure it will be fine to wait. Bar-b-que pits, dining/seating, and a hot tub have made the list, but I haven't talked Leo into the pool quite yet. Like I said before...there's still plenty of time. Photo: 04-06-06
The next three photos are more than a month old, but taping a floating is a tedious process, so not a lot has changed. You can see from this photo that we have a great view of the bay. The area on the upper right is the "loft" where we are hoping the grandkids want to spend time. Below it is the kitchen/dining area. The floorplan is very open. This photo is looking back toward the Master Bedroom (the framed opening in the background will have a set of double-doors). The front door is the small door to the left of Leo. I am getting VERY impatient for this room to be finished, but am minimizing the effect by staying busy at work. [Note: We ALL worry that I will not want to go to work once the house is complete!] The Master Bedroom walls are completely finished. The double doors still need to be installed (in the framed opening in the photo), but the rest of the room is compelete. I really like the texture effect on the walls (it's subtle) and the unusual ceiling angles. I can't wait to move into this room!

6 Hours on the Road

The wedding was a beautiful affair and came off without a hitch. The ceremony was in a little chapel on the beach. From there, we moved to a restaurant on the bay for a delicious meal. The bride, groom, and wedding party sat at a table with a picture-perfect sunset in the background. The event finished up at a ballroom in the Sheraton where the music was good, company was fabulous, and bride and groom obviously had a lot of love and support from family and friends. This morning we are working our way back to the real world. It will be a 4 hour drive back to Port Lavaca, the unpack/repack event that is always a blast, then another 2 hours on the road to get back to Houston. I'm not sure where I'll stay tonight, although it will probably be at my mother's. This week, it is back to the nose-to-the-grindstone thing with a couple of major events to interrupt the flow. I have a final exam on Tuesday at 5:00, have to rush over to Reliant Stadium for my youngest's graduation at 7:00 (more on that later!), then my final final exam on Thursday night. After that, I get a break of 3 weeks before classes begin all over again. Whew! Lots of fun, lots of games, lots of sleepless nights, and lots of satisfaction in a life lived at the full-speed-ahead level.

From South Padre Island

Yes, that's right, I'm back. Let's see...it's been 5 months since you heard from me, but I'm still here. Tonight Leo and I are in a stinky hotel (Howard Johnsons, $120 per night) on South Padre Island, and having a great time. We just got back from the movies where we saw MI3, which was really good. Even though I'm not technically out of school for another week, things are winding down just a bit for me. This week I worked nearly 80 hours between Sunday and Thursday. One night I got 9 hours of sleep, but three nights I got less than 4. So you can see my crazy schedule has not improved any, in spite of my best efforts. As a consultant, I have to work when the work comes my way. Those impossible deadlines are ALWAYS possible if I am able to convince my brain it has to be done. This week's drop-dead project was a very complicated set of interconnected spreadsheets. I sometimes get a little crazy with Access coding, but in Excel, I have some strategies that make the errors jump out at me, so I can go for longer periods with my brain embedded in the program before I have to come "out". (Some of you are clueless what this experience is, this disappearing into the code for extremely long stretches of time, but I'm guessing others out there know exactly what I mean.) Anyway, I have a couple of little "tweaks" to finalize on the spreadsheets, but the bulk of the package is complete, and I'm a happy camper. So, that brings me to this smelly hotel room in South Padre. We are here for a wedding between two people we've never met (sounds crazy to me, but it's Leo's family so it's his decision). I've got two more exams to take this week, so I'm buried in the books in my spare time, but hey, we did actually make it to a movie tonight, so we are technically describing this weekend as a "vacation". Leo's in the shower now, and as soon as I finish this section on "Concerns of Management in Implementing an Employee Benefits Program", I'm headed to bed. I just wanted folks to know I'm still alive, even though I'm in a crazy spot in my life. If I can just survive the next two weeks, I'll be good for another semester at school...no really. Otherwise, you'll be able to visit me anytime at the state mental hospital in Rusk (although Kerville might be a better location) where I'll be working on my detailed collection of crayon shaded leaves. Note: That's the project I've picked to work on when I go crazy. So...goodnight folks!