Greetings to my Skype Friends

For those of you who don't know, Skype is a free program that allows for online chatting. Unlike other chat clients, however, Skype also allows for free computer-to-computer audio and/or video interaction. For example, our team regularly meets to "chat" (type in messages in a chat window) since there are 6 of us, with varying connection speeds and locations. We choose to use the "chatting" services when we want to moderate our conversation and want to have a written record of what we've talked about. When 3 or 4 of us meet, however, sometimes we use the audio conferencing feature. We can all talk so much faster than we can type, and the interactions in voice conversations are different. So sometimes one method serves us better than another.

Even though most of my Skype conversations are with this group, as our work load for school is often very intense and we are required to complete a number of group projects, there are others with whom I Skype. These are people who, looking for someone to chat with, just pick my name, and my short little profile, out of a list and ask if we can be "friends". I have to say that I get a lot of invitations [which is interesting in itself since I clearly point out my age in my profile] that I turn down, just from the fact that I don't have time for more. But, my little list is composed of the most interesting group that I just love to chat with on occasion.

1. Erol (Istanbul, Turkey) owns a tour bus. His English is definitely good enough that we rarely misunderstand each other, and he has shared some wonderful and beautiful photos from his country with me. He has a wonderful habit of speaking to me in endearing terms that many here is the states would find "uncomfortable" (he occasionally expresses his love and sends me kisses), but Leo and I both recognize them as phrases that indicate just how much he wants us to be friends, and knowing the context, I find them exotic and wonderful expressions of friendship.
2. Sami (Helsinki, Finland) is my most recent friend, as I couldn't resist accepting a chat invitation from Finland. As it turns out, he is Palestinian, born in a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip and we are a couple of months apart in age. Sami is a currently unemployed electrical engineer and his English is very good. We talked of opportunities here in the states for him, both as a student and in the work force, but he told me the same story that I hear from so many others about how difficult it is to get into the country now, especially if your heritage is of a certain part of the world. I hope to be able to chat with him again soon.
3. Rachid (Rissani, Morocco) is a 45-year-old small business owner in Morocco. Rachid often wants to talk to me, using the voice feature of skype, but I usually only set up for that (headset and all) when I have a scheduled voice chat, so we've only actually talked on one occasion. [Rachid's typed English is good, but his spoken English is quite excellent.] We often speak of our very different lifestyles, especially when it comes to work. Rachid is always encouraging me to slow down, relax, and enjoy life a little instead of rushing through it, and I am always trying to explain how the crazy rush of my life is actually enjoyable for me (most of the time!) We talk to each other almost every week, and I very much enjoy these conversations.
4. Simon (Tianjin, China) is an electrical control engineer in a US-owned company in China. He is 45, with a wife and one 17-year-old son. Simon has been to the US once, but it was to a midwestern town and his visit was all work-related. Simon and I have a difficult time understanding each other only rarely, as when talking about our technical business experiences. Simon's primary reason for making friends around the world seems to be a lot like mine...just to learn and experience things by interacting with others who are very much like us in some ways, and very different from us in others. I ALWAYS enjoy chatting with Simon.
5. Tarik (Casablance, Morocco) is about the same age as my youngest daughter and is very interested in coming to the US to attend school. I tried to help him out by sending him links to the University of Houston, but we had so much trouble, I went ahead and entered his information into the Texas Common Application (the place where all students register for all colleges in Texas) for him while he fed the details to me in a chat. Tarik seems to be a very fun-loving young man and I always enjoy chatting with him. We sometimes have a difficult time understanding each other, but that just makes it more of a challenge and a lot more fun!

So, now you know about some of my international friends and what we talk about online. I have been thinking (a LOT recently) about setting us some more formal, scheduled small group chats with people just like these around the work to talk about things like home and family, work and career, neighbors and neighborhoods, as well as pre-conceived notions, misconceptions, and just interesting chitchat. If I ever follow up on this idea, I'll be sure and let you all know about it, just in case you want to participate!

Topless in Houston

Yup...that's right. This was definitely the week to go topless. Not me! (That's a scary thought!) No...I spent the week in Houston with Molly, and she spent the entire time topless. I fell in love with Molly about 7 years ago. Leo wasn't that excited about her at first, but after a few years, he changed his mind and fell in love with her as well. Now, we even occasionally fight over her. So who's Molly, you wonder? Molly is our 1995 Mazda Miata, one of the least expensive, and absolutely the most fun automobile we have ever owned. She's a teeny tiny convertible, and at twelve years of age, she's still a beauty.

This was a good week, a really good week. Not only did I have a really good time working on a group of spreadsheets for one of my customers, but I also got all my readings done, almost all of my homework done, and I even made progress on our new team technology, something that really looks promising. So, yesterday on my way home (after 4 nights in a noisy hotel, I was ready to get home) I decided to vary from my normal routine of listening to class readings on my iPod on the road and, believe it or not, I listened to music all the way home. I popped in an MP3 mix that covers quite a range of styles and listened to some of the following:

• James Taylor (Sweet Baby James, Mexico, Autour du Rocher...)
• Janis Ian (At Seventeen, The Roller Skate Song...)
• Eagles (Seven Bridges Road [I LOVE that track!])
• Jackson Browne (Loadout, Stay...)
• Bonnie Raitt (Louise, Kisses Sweeter than Wine...)
• Die Prinzen (Deutschland, Mein bester Freund...)
• Ladysmith Black Mambo (Hello my Baby, Oh Happy Day, Amaphiko Okundiza...)
• Rockabella (Sittin' on the Dock, Stand by Me, Lean on Me...)
• And more, more, more.

One last thing...I got my first check from the company I was having a problem with. Yup. I now have money in the bank, and am actively working on getting out of a hole. Absolutely, this week was a very good week.

Sleep Deprivation

Gee, after reading my last post I can see that Sleep Deprivation has some serious side effects. Namely, it appears to cause rambling and incoherency. The problem is, I'm still short on sleep, so this posting may not be any better. Still, I thought I should clarify some things that appeared in the last, and very strange, posting.

First is the issue that I started to bring up and never got back to about my MSSTC team. I started off with a topic that looked like I was going to spill my guts about being on a poorly functioning team. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. Despite the fact that we are ALL involved in some real life activities outside of class, we still manage to get our work done. This is nothing short of a miracle. Additionally, although I'm not going to ramble about my team members' personalities here, I will tell you they are an amazing group of people. We come from a very wide range of cultures, backgrounds, attitudes, and aptitudes, but instead of causing problems, this diversity is precisely what generates most of the discussion and most of the learning in our group.

Another thing that looked like it might pop up in my last posting was some ugly-headed monster crying about school and/or instructors being too hard. Yikes! Where did that come from? School and the instructors ARE hard, but my instructors at UT are also incredible, incredibly interesting, insightful and helpful. I realize that I said it all wrong last time when I was "crying" about my B's in class. Yup...I really do wish I was getting better grades. But other than that, I just couldn't ask for a better set of instructors to teach me about this strange new world of developing innovations into marketable products. The program is absolutely fabulous.

Tonight I'm on the road, staying in a cheap (but clean and comfortable) hotel in Houston. [I'm hoping Leo will come to town tomorrow...I miss him already.] I could easily go to sleep now, but have to attend an online class meeting at 9pm (3 hours from now), so I'm working on homework instead. Almost all my reading is done (I'm a fast reader and love to read, so the reading assignments are almost never a problem for me), but I still have several assignments to complete. My part of the research on our new technology is not going well as the inventors seem to be avoiding me. But, I'm still hoping for the best. And my Finance homework is still waiting for me. I always put it first on my list, knowing it will take me the longest to make heads or tails of, but always end up pushing it down the list, knowing it will take me the longest to make heads or tails of. Still, the honest truth about the program is that, even though the work is KILLING me, I am learning, growing, and improving so much every day. And on those occasions when I am not sleep deprived, I realize that I am having an absolute blast in life!

Doubts and Concerns

After so many stormy days in a row, today seems unusually bright and sunny. Leo's giving me lots of "room" though...he can obviously sense that I'm in a bit of a troublesome mood. I still have not received that illusive paycheck, so we are still living on borrowed money. Upset at not being able to make any progress, I went back to an old client, one who pays a lot less per hour, but is a LOT MORE DEPENDABLE with the pay. They have a project for me to work that will require >40 hour weeks for a few weeks. This is very problematic for my school work, but I'm desperate and have no real choice.

As far as school goes, while the program is still as exciting as in the beginning, and I am learning so very much, this weekend was the second time I seriously questioned whether or not I should drop out of the program. First of all, almost everything we are graded on is based on a team effort. If you remember back to some of my postings a year ago, this sounded a lot like my complaints about work in the UH program. However, I had a solution for that...I did all the work. Because I was the "senior" person on all my teams, because I am a grand champion wordsmith (my sister calls it "grand champion bullsh..."), and because I have ALWAYS been a workaholic, that worked just fine. I did all the work, our teams made all A's, and I learned what I needed to.

Here's the rub, though. In those classes, the reason I did well, I think, was twofold: 1) I'm a really hard worker and put a huge amount of effort into my work, and 2) I have a lot of experience, especially with team activities, under my belt. In other words, it was who I am and what I brought to the party that earned me those A's, and it had very little to do with what I was learning in my classes. Now, fast-forward a year and you'll find me struggling to make a single "A" in my courses. Why? Even though I'm still hard-working, I am now one of the people in the class with the LEAST experience in the field we are studying. So, who in the class are making the A's now? It's not those who are learning the most, but those who are learning the least. The A's go to the folks that are already out in tech fields doing the things we do in class. They are just here to get the piece of paper. Those of us who are working the hardest and struggling to make new contacts, learn new terminologies, learn new "games", etc. are the ones who are also struggling for the B's in the class.

So, when I went to bed at 2am on Friday night, I thought to myself, "What am I doing here? Why am I doing it? Is this what I really want?" I spent an hour or so trying to figure out what would happen if I dropped out of the program now.

But morning came, and I thought better of it. First of all, at my age and stage in the game, is making straight A's really that important to me? It was in undergraduate school, because it gave me a huge sense of accomplishment. It may have played a small part in getting me into Grad school, but then, it may not. So in actuality, the A's were for me and nobody else. So now the big question of the day is, can I be happy as a straight B student? Okay, maybe "happy" is stretching it a bit, so let me try again. How about this...is surviving the program and graduating with a B average going to further my long-term goals? Hmm...I'll have to say that while I lose out on things like bragging rights, the MS does actually propel me forward. For today then, the answer is "YES...I'm going to stay in the program, do my best to survive, and be the sponge in the class that soaks up every piece of information that I can. Yes, this is definitely furthering my long-term goals."

Diamondback Season

I'll post the details later, but this is what I get for sneaking out for a half hour of fishing. On the way back, I ran into this little fellow. Rocket-Arm-Leo took care of him with a couple of bricks while I went for a scrap of wood. This is the little guy now (his head is nailed to the grass). Whew!

Stormy Weather

I love storms. I really do. I haven't always, though. For years, our house was technically "dried in", but problems with the exterior door installations meant that storms were always an occasion to pull out the wet vac. Today, things are better for us.

On the water-side of our house, our view is about 160 degrees. Because of this, we almost always see the storms coming long before the rain starts. The storm approaching now is the second one of the day. I can see the rain on the water just a few hundred yards away now. It won't be long before the windows get a thorough washing, and it's possible I'll lose my satellite internet connection. Still, I love watching the rains come and go.

Today I got some big news, and I'm still in a state of shock trying to process it all. I was asked to look at a job, with the company I regularly contract for, a few months ago. I really like the site manager, and was hoping to do business with him. It is a long project (800 hours) and would be at a location that I really like. When I got a look at the budget last week, however, I knew that I would just not be able to do the work for the price they were quoting. I hated to turn it down, but really felt like I had to.

Today I got a message stating that the management team had met, discussed their options, and decided to offer me the work at my standard rate. I nearly fainted. A great job for some great folks at a great location...wow! How did that happen?

There are a LOT of preparations to be made, however. I will definitely have to relocate to Houston for the duration of the project, which is something I don't relish, but it must be done. Leo and I will begin looking at apartments in the area this week. Although the cost of an apartment hurts my budget a bit, "living" close to where the work is occurring means I can work long hours, still get all my schoolwork in, and avoid the Houston traffic. And while leaving home is hard, (I'll miss watching the storms, the deer, the dolphins, and the neighbors) it's not the first time, and it won't be the last. Having Leo available to help out (cooking, driving, taking care of things) makes the biggest difference of all.

So...time to prepare for a new battle, a new challenge, and a new "fun time". I'll get over my shock soon, and the real activity will begin. But for now, well now as the rain begins to pelt the windows, I think I'll just enjoy the storm.

That Wicked, Wicked Money

Leo and I are in a spot we haven't been to for a very long time. We have run out of money. I try to work enough to keep us going, and was doing fine for a while. Recently, however, something changed and my primary employer is not able to pay me for services rendered. So, we are camped out here at home, not answering the phone, and not responding to bill collectors. Have you ever been there? I certainly hope not. When we get out of this mess, I will certainly be looking for another job. I really love these guys and they have kept me busy for years now, but I just can't afford any more blunders like this one (which has cost me several hundred dollars in bank fees). So, if anyone knows of work that I might be qualified to perform, I hope you'll give me a call.

Saturday's Wildlife

With a long day ahead, I woke up early on Saturday morning to check my email and look at my homework. Just outside of my window, three does were grazing contentedly. They did not see me, I'm guessing, because of a glare on the windows, so I was able to watch them for nearly an hour while I worked. How peaceful is that!

Later, when I got on the road, I encountered my next wildlife near Palacios when I had to swerve to avoid an alligator in the road. He was much smaller (3' maybe?) than the last one (>6') which I encountered on the way to work a few years back. But, this one was still alive!

Finally, when I reached my destination in Houston, I encountered some of the most unusual wildlife. For a belated Mother's Day present, my girls arranged for themselves and my sister and I to spend a few hours at a day spa in Houston called "Fiori". Okay...even though I am not often impressed by the wealthy and their lifestyles, even I have to admit that it was REALLY nice. Oh yeah...I'm supposed to be talking about the "wildlife"...well, picture this. [And remember, I'm just a country girl!]

Picture a Tuscan villa with lots of wood, tile and stucco, large wooden doors, and gauzy curtained areas. After arriving, in almost every area of the building you encounter men and women walking around in matching brown terry robes and plastic sandals drinking from the ever-present jugs and pitchers of cucumber water or flavored teas. Because you are pretty much "in the buff" in your own robe, you quickly realize that everyone else you see is also naked with just a robe on as well, a thought which places me squarely outside my comfort zone. In each of the client areas, where you receive your "treatment", dimly lit rooms with what is supposed to be "soothing" music piped in (rather loudly, in my opinion) can be found. [Note: After I left, I was frantically searching for some Eric Clapton to listen to on the way home to clear my mind!] Although I am not so uncultured as to NEVER having a massage before, I have to admit that laying naked on a heated bed while some stranger attempts to drive the demons out of all but a few of your substantial (remember...I'm a big lady!) body parts, is still a little bit like living on the wild side. I had a wonderful time with "the girls", and will certainly go again if ever invited by such a fun crowd, but realize that this kind of lifestyle is really a bit too wild for me. Later, reading over some of the offerings in the brochure, I silently thank my girls for not going for some of the more exotic treatments, like the "Massaggio A Quattro Mani" (Four Hands Massage), the "Soin Velours" (Vichy Body Polish using Refurbishing Algo or Citro-Essence) which describes how "following the exfoliation, your new contours will be treated to a marvelous body massage with a rebirthing silky blend of botanical lotion and oils", or the "Arancio e del Canella" (Citrus, Mandarin & Cinnamon Body Wrap) which sounds to me like a good thing to try out on my yeast bread recipe at home.

So much for my walk on the wild side! Still, a fun time was had by all!

One Night in My Own Bed

We just returned from Austin a few hours ago, tired and ragged, but excited about making some team progress. I got to sleep in my own bed on Tuesday, and will get to again tonight. What a WONDERFUL feeling! Tomorrow, sis and I are being treated to a [belated] Mother's Day get-away by my girls. Rebecca, Rachael, Ginger and I will spend a few hours tomorrow being pampered in a spa in Houston. I'm looking forward to a nice massage and facial, but more than that, am looking forward to spending the day with "just us girls" doing something we've NEVER done before. While I plan on putting in some long hours at work between Sunday and Tuesday, the big events of the week will occur next weekend when our final Accounting project (take-home test with restrictions), our KTTA map, and our two Quicklooks (15 pages of in-depth research each) are due. So, tomorrow night I will sleep at my sister's or in a hotel in north Houston, Sunday and Monday nights will definitely be spent at the hotel, Tuesday night I'll get to sleep a few hours in my own bed before spending Wednesday and Thursday nights in a hotel in Austin, Friday night at a friend's house there, and Saturday night back home once again. (I hope you got all that, because there is no way I can repeat it!) Anyway, I just wanted everyone to know I'm okay, although stretched to my limits once again. I feel like I'm on that last roller coaster plunge before the final stop, but the problem is, the plunge lasts a whole year. Oh well...what is it I keep telling myself? "I can survive anything for a year."

Short Week, Short Weekend, Short Temper

I think I owe my dear hubby an apology. I think I was short-tempered with him this weekend. With school activities so demanding at the moment, I get very wrapped up in my own little world. It's just that everything that I am doing is SO IMPORTANT to the exclusion of all else. Ha! This is just not true, and not fair. What I'm doing is cool and wow, but it is not sliced bread, and is not the answer to everything. So, I'm trying here to apologize to mi amor. But also, I'm trying to get some balance in my life. I want to have fun, I want to do cool things, but I also want to sit down on occasion and enjoy the wonderful life I have with my man at Six Mile, Texas. Life is good...I just need to stop running and notice it now and then.

Class 3 Complete

We just finished our 3rd class session, and it was as invigorating as ever. I feel like such a dweeb in class since I continue to be excited about the things we are learning; I mean like overly excited. The team I'm on is really a good one, and that helps too. My biggest problem right now is money...I've been working steadily at EOM, but what I do for them is never a sure thing, so it often leaves me scrambling to make sure I have something planned that I can "handle" (time-wise) and that I can make an income with (>4 hours of work).

This week is a back-to-back week, meaning that I have to go to Austin two weekends in a row. We still have a LOT of reading and homework to do before Friday, so I do not have time to take a break at all. Still, I'm finding ways to work around the issue.

Multi-tasking seems to work for me sometimes. For instance, here is a photo of me studying and fishing at the same time. If you look carefully, you'll see I have my fishing line run under my right arm so that I'll know if I've got a bite. See how all of my studies about innovation are helping me? While the guys (Leo and Jess) get a kick out of it, it does accomplish a couple of things for me. First, I still get to fish. Second, I still get my homework done. Third, I still get to enjoy the outdoors, the water, birds, and wind, without wasting precious time. Yes, I think I'm beginning to get the hang of this "innovation" thing.

P.S. The book I'm reading is "Crossing the Chasm" by Geoffrey A. Moore. I'm just getting into it, really, but like it a lot already.

My Official BS

Friday night, I graduated from college with a Bachelor of Science in Technology Leadership and Supervision. Today I found out I had a 4.0 semester, so I made the Dean's List once again. Although my GPA calculations show that I have a 3.796, which would round up to a 3.80, UH shows the unrounded 3.79 version. Oh well. Close enough. Believe it or not, I'm not bragging. I wanted better grades, and often deserved lesser ones. I never would have made it this far without Leo's help and a little luck along the way. I've learned there are two ways to make good grades--one is to be smart enough, and the other is to work hard enough. I fall into the latter category. I've also learned that grad school is a different story, however, and the hardest worker is not always the recognized achiever. My UH achievement is somewhat dampened by my foray into the big, bad world of grad school. I am in a class of overachievers, and often feel like a duck out of water. Today I spent the entire day working on what is probably to most students a simple accounting assignment. I struggled all day long and feel like I got close to the mark, but have no way (no expert to turn to) to verify my answers. Not sure what to do next, I've decided to move on to another subject. I slept a tremendous amount over the last two days, but still feel like I haven't caught up. In the morning, I head back to Houston for a couple of days of "real" work, and hope I don't forget anything I learned this weekend when my focus is so entirely shifted. I had a very nice Mother's Day, visiting with my mother at her house in the hill country. It made for a long weekend on the road, but was still a fun thing to do. She and I are both getting the hang of skype now, so we can say hello to each other, quickly and for free, throughout the week. After a long weekend on the road, Leo and I were ready to stay home for a day. We saw something in the yard today we've never seen before. We've seen deer, bobcats, hogs, javalinas, rabbits, squirrels, armadillos, racoons, and more bird varieties than I thought existed. But today, for the first time I can remember, we saw a paisano (a roadrunner) in the yard. He was alone, which is unusual, and put on quite a little show of strutting and popping his tail for us. We were entertained for the longest time. Tomorrow and Wednesday, I'll miss all the yard critters, and will look forward to getting back on Thursday. I apologize for this posting being such a "rambler", but it's the way my mind works today. Enjoy the summer! I'll try to post again soon.

A Visit with my Friend, Rachid

I have a handful of friends that I skype with on a regular basis. [Skype is a free internet service that allows people at different computers to talk with each other, whether in chat mode, audio mode, or video mode, for free.] Of course, my UT teammates and I get together several times a week, my UH friend Debbie and I try to talk once a week, I'm trying to get Mom set up so she and I can talk once a week, and my husband and I skype daily when I am away from home. Today, however, was my day to skype with Rachid. My friend Rachid lives in a village in Morocco. Before today, all we have done was "chat" just a bit, but today he convinced me to spend a few minutes with him on a voice call, and I'm glad he did. When he got on the line, he chastised me a bit for being too busy, and reminded me that life is too short to rush through. He's right, of course. I assured him that my whirlwind existence is just for another year, then I will settle down and begin enjoying life. There are two problems with this story however. One is that I really do enjoy the whirlwind most of the time, and the other is that I am not so sure after all these years I can slow it down. I guess a year from now, we'll see. Rachid also talked about his business and his town. He told me that he runs a shop that sells items of interest from other parts of his country. I think it focuses on handmade items from craftspeople in the area. He explained that these people are very creative and very knowledgeable about their crafts, even when they do not have any higher education. His shop is near the tomb of a holy man, so he gets a lot of business from pilgrims making the journey to the site. When I asked if he traveled much, he told me that he has only been to other parts of his country and other parts of Africa. He told me of transporting wares in a camel caravan and promised me that the desert skies are much bigger than our own and that the desert stars are an amazing sight. When I told him his stories were making me want to buy a airline ticket, he joked that a flying carpet was more authentic (and warned me that I would not enjoy such a long camel ride). We had a very nice visit and talked of many things. Although there are a lot of my friends who would find the conversation as engaging as I did, I got the idea he thought my openness and acceptance of other cultures and ideas was not typical of Americans. I hope he's wrong on this point, but wonder if he's right. I promised that if Leo and I get a chance to come for a visit, we'll let him know ahead of time. He said he would be sure and prepare a nice meal, "fit for a queen". In the end, I told him that I would try to talk with him again next Sunday, if possible, since the conversation was so enjoyable. Now I'm thinking I might like to invite some others, with interests similar to mine, to join us for a discussion of how our lives and ideas are similar, how we are different, and how much fun it is to explore those amazing facets of who we are. En shala, Rachid, God willing.

I'm Really Going to Miss You All

After my first weekend of "real" class, I've made a discovery. My life has just completely changed. I have just finished blocking out on my calendar 5 hours per day, 7 days per week, for the next year, to work on my classwork. I have also blocked out 12 hours per day, 2 days per week, for the next year, to provide enough income to feed us and pay our bills (as you can guess, we have very few bills, and are learning to eat on a more frugal budget!) With a nutty schedule like this, yes, I'm really going to miss you all this year. But for today, I'm feeling "free" for a few minutes, although my mind is REELING as it tries to process all the new data it has been presented with. We got a new team member this weekend who seems to be a really nice addition to our group. He lives, works, and attends class with us (via electronic classroom technology) in Portugal. The way it works is this...while we are in class, there are two video cameras recording everything going on in the room. One camera is located at the back of the room and is focused on the instructor--quite cool as it tracks his or her movements around the room via a device worn around their necks. The other camera is located at the front of the room and kicks into play whenever one of us presses a button located in front of us. The button actuates our local microphones so that our questions or comments are broadcast for the remote students to hear, but they also cause the camera at the front of the room to lock in on the person speaking, so that students located wherever they are in the world can see us as well. Because the remote students do not have access to this kind of room, their comments are submitted via a "chat" feature that is running at the same time the classroom activities are running. This is also quite cool in that I can watch, and participate in, this running conversation on my computer screen while I am sitting in class and listening to the instructor. The entire setup is fabulous and appeals to my crazy sense of participation to be technically allowed to, as well as personally inclined to, participate in several concurrent conversations/activities. Yup, it's a crazy setup but instead of causing my attention to be diverted, it actually seems to enhance the entire learning experience because everything going on is so detailed, related, and engaging. It's like I'm learning at an incredibly high rate of speed. The problem is all in the aftermath. Because things come our way at such a velocity and level of intensity, after it is over (like today), my brain goes into a kind of neutral gear. I read somewhere once a theory that when we remember things that happened long ago, we are not actually remembering the event, but rather remembering the memories of it. In other words, the event is long wiped from our memories, but the fact that we've thought about it again, retold the story of it to others, looked at photos and videos of it, etc. make us think we remember the actual event. (This goes a long way in explaining why two people in attendance at the same event can remember it in extremely different ways.) Anyway, this is the way that learning works for me. If I walk away from the weekend and only think of it occasionally, it becomes less and less vivid for me. But if I review my notes, review the videos (oh yeah, another cool thing is that the entire class sessions are recorded and placed online for us to review over and over at our leisure!), and work at keeping the information in my brain, I have a much better chance of retaining more and more of it. Whew! What a crazy "brain fart" this posting has been! Sorry...I guess my brain is in really high gear still, although my body is just about dead to the world today. I might surprise us all and still find time to do a brain dump here on occasion and share what's going on in my life, but I also might ignore this blog when my lifestyle forces it. But I want you all to know that I think of you often--my friends, family, coworkers, and even a handful of interested acquaintances. Leo teases me sometimes and asks if I'm going to forget him, you guys, and this quiet place in the country when my head gets all full of ideas and I'm out there trying to do something about them. My answer is, absolutely not. This is my life, my home, my base, my foundation, and my grounding. While the other activities satisfy my needs for intellectual stimulation and to engage myself in something exciting and demanding, my life here with him (which includes my interactions with all of you) satisfy the more basic needs to be safe, to be comfortable, and to be loved.

Time to Go Home

Our team has been finalized, and our two projects [for the semester] selected, and now it's time for me to go home and for the real work to begin. I'm pooped! Over the next two weeks my main goal is to keep my head above the water, and my a__ away from the alligators. A quick review of my next few weeks includes a TON of work, for work, which I can't list here (proprietary concerns, you understand). For the University of Houston (UH) I have two graphics projects, a quiz, and an exam; twelve current technologies to read up on and be prepared to be tested on (four are randomly chosen, and our test consists of four blank pages which we fill with as much information as we can about them); and a 60-page research project, and verbal presentation, on "The Use of Configuration Management Theories to Improve a Document Management Program". And for the University of Texas (UT) I have to read 6 chapters, research two technologies, and complete a stack of homework items. You know, I think I'm ready for a break. Too bad my next break appears to be in May of 2008!

Another Long Day

Today was active, entertaining, and educational, but coming at the end of a week of dawn-to-dark activity, it also made for a long day. Our topic today was the rather "soft" subject of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). In case you are wondering, I happen to be an INTJ (Introversion, Intuition, Thinking, Judging). While a good part of the day was spent learning to understand our own indicators and how those reveal themselves in our day-to-day decision-making activities, a good portion was also spent trying to understand those not like ourselves, and what motivates them. The final point of the day was that there are no "right" or "wrong" types, just different ones; if we make ourselves aware of that fact and attempt to empathize with others, we can learn to value our differences and make good use of them while striving for excellence in our teamwork. It was all interesting and our instructor was excellent, but I'm REALLY worn out, and our team still has not settled on a first choice technology. So, I hope you'll excuse me as I get back to my research. I have had the most incredibly interesting week, but I am really ready to go home tomorrow.

My Reading List

I didn't get much sleep last night as I was researching a list of about 40 technologies that our team is to pick from when determining which one we want to follow through on. We are given a very short synopsis of what the invention is, what it is supposed to do, who it's target audiences might be, and must pick our semester-long project based on that information. So, we all hit the computers late last night to try and gather more information, as well as work through some justifications and challenges for selecting our technology. What a night...my mind is reeling. I have 12 minutes left in a download I'm doing, so I thought I would post my summer reading list for your enjoyment (and my reference, when I'm out of town.)

• Adams, A Good Hard Kick in the Ass
• Agtmael, The Emerging Markets Century
• Aubuchon, The Anatomy of Persuasion
• Bok, Universities in the Marketplace
• Chesbrough Open Business Models
• Christensen, The Innovator's Solution
• Friedman, The World is Flat
• Jacobs, Systems of Survival
• Jolly, Commercializing New Technologies
• Mackie, Marketing Technological Innovations
• Marshall et al., Accounting: What the Numbers Mean
• Moore, Crossing the Chasm
• Ross et. al., Fundamentals of Corporate Finance
• Wilson & Gibson, Technology Transfer

Well, my download should be done any minute now, so I guess it's time to pack up and head to class. It's definitely going to be a long day.

What a Great Team

What I feared would happen, did happen, but it turned out to be a really good thing. Go figure. When I got back after lunch, the groups that has established themselves began to assemble at different tables. There were several other people that were not already grouped up, but the funny thing is, NONE of them are the ones that I "feared" getting grouped with, but instead, are several of the ones I had on my "wish list". I'm not going to put names here, but rather a bit of a description. There are three women and two men on our team. One woman is our "remote" user and will be working online, but she is extremely interesting, accomplished, and has great ideas. She has a strong knowledge base about India, including the language, as this is her home country although she now lives and works here in the U.S. She also has ideas that run all the way out to the edge of the box and tries to go even further. She is a great asset on the team. [P.S. If you look back a couple of messages ago, you'll find mention of a woman I met when I first arrived. Well...this is her!] The other woman is young, and the quietest of the Taiwanese group that I've been "hanging out" with. However, she has a very strong incentive for being here, and has moved here just to attend the program this year. Although she doesn't speak up as much as we think she will later, when she does, she is very intelligent and has interesting ideas to share. One of the men is very young, out of undergraduate school only a couple of years. He is quite lively, and has a very strong computer skill set. It's funny that we have teamed up on conversation before, and have ended up together on this team, as we are at extremes in a lot of ways (old/young, female/male, tame/wild) but still find a huge amount of common ground. The other man is quite interesting, and is from Houston (lives, works, runs a business there). He was one that I selected on day one as someone I didn't think I could work well with, but I swung to the other extreme after we worked on a small activity together. He is extremely intelligent, well read, has a wide range of interests, and is very plain-spoken (forthright!), but has some incredible insights and is willing to share them, open-mindedly, with the group. So...that's us...we have a TEAM and I like it! We have tons of homework to accomplish, so I'll be up half the night, but I am so looking forward to this semester and finding out what kinds of things we are able to accomplish together. Whoo Hoo...I have a TEAM, and it's a GOOD one!

My First Bad Day

Well, I knew it would come...my first bad day...I just didn't know it would be this early in the semester. We've had time now to get to know each other a little bit, on a surface level anyway. So it's the time for doing all of that "sizing up" that I talked about earlier--it's time to get ready for the event we'll call "The Picking of the Teams". We all wrote down a bit about ourselves on the boards around the room, and then began the process of trying to "group up" based on our likes/dislikes, skills/weaknesses, and more. Although no one in the entire class has been rude to me, actually, no one as been anything other than nice to me, absolutely no one approached me to suggest forming any kind of teaming alliance. In other words, when all the kids were picked for teams, here I stand on the sidelines, and the teams are all full. So, I'm back in my hotel room, crying a bit over my lunch break, and wondering how much I would miss the $1,000 deposit if I go home right now. Anyway, no official teams have been established, but the process is scheduled to begin right after lunch. I don't know what the real deterrents are, and I still have another half hour to be depressed about what they could be (my bluecollar career, my old age, my smart mouth, my size and appearance, my country girl accent, who knows?) Hopefully you'll hear from me again this afternoon and all will be well. Again, I have a tremendous group of friends, family, and even a handful of what amounts to "interested" parties pulling for me, and I want you all to know I appreciate it so much! So, it's for all of you that I'm going to put on my gameface and jump right back in the mix!

Good Morning, Crazy World

I know I promised an update when I got back yesterday, but after reading my email and doing a little work, I just collapsed. And it wasn't from exhaustion, as we had been sitting in classroom settings all day, but from mental exhaustion. [I'm about to wear myself out trying to strategize on teams and projects, on working solutions for surviving the next month of being a full-time student in two different programs AND trying to earn a living, and more.] I've done TONS of prep work now, and have so much more to go. I have my collection of textbooks (14 of them for just this semester!) to begin on, and a HUGE list of things to do before I come back in two weeks. So, I'm feeling unusually frazzled at the moment, am in a high state of anxiety, and am off-the-chart on the excitement scale. I have to make a run to the truck now for some paper (I've got an office set up in my hotel room and my printer is hungry) and a hole punch, then have to be in class and ready to go at 8:30, so I'm going to sign-off now. Today is a big day, and I hope I'll have more to report when I get out. Thanks for thinking of me! P.S. In case you don't know it, you guys can send messages to my blog almost as easily as I can. Just click on the link at the end of whichever message you want to comment on that says "Comments". (Trust me...it's safe.) You can type in a quick comment to me there. It may ask you to do something small in order to verify that you are not a spammer, but again, I promise that it is a safe thing to do. The only other thing to be aware of is that everyone who sees the blog will see the comment as well. But it is this business of allowing other people to post messages here that makes it a blog and not just a website, so feel free to say hey!

Crazy Morning

This morning was a bit of a surprise to me as all we focued on was getting to know one another. It was a bit like attending a 4-hour ice breaker session at the beginning of an interactive conference. Still, there's no way I can downplay the usefulness of this activity as we are expected to arrange ourselves into teams by Sunday, so we really need to find the points of commonality, complement, and even contention before Sunday arrives. I've stopped off at my room for a moment before heading down to lunch. After that, we board a bus to go to campus and begin the process of getting id's, picking up our books, and getting all of the technical details worked out so we can get started working. (We've been assured that we will have homework to work on tomorrow night!) After that, we will be leaving campus to go a nice dinner together. So...although you won't hear from me for the rest of the day, I'm expecting to have another report ready for evening. I wish you were all here with me (especially you, Leo) enjoying the fun!

Checked In...Settled In

The drive was no problem at all, but I'm glad I didn't wait any later as I can see traffic building up outside. Although I'm staying downtown, 6th street at IH35, it was a straight shot from where I came into town. Not a bad drive at all.

The digs are really nice, though! In all my travels, I've stayed in my share of hotels. But I am generally just looking for a bed and shower, and a couple of hours of rest between two long days. So, I typically stay on the low end of the hotel chain luxury scale, and avoid anything that would cost more than a Grant (dead president) per night. With that nice, fat tuition deposit, I'm happy to see they've put us up in style for the week. My 14th floor room is fabulous.

I've already met one of the other students as well. She is an international student and was standing near the valet booth when I came in. I saw she was holding the same kind of "welcome" letter as I was, so we introduced ourselves to each other. I'm terrible with names, so I'll have to get it again later, and I was even so impolite as not to inquire about her country of origin [she did inquire about mine]. But she seemed genuinely nice, and I am looking forward to seeing her again.

Oh well. I have a couple of "emergencies" to take care of for some clients, so I'll take an hour or so to make some progress there before heading down to the meet-and-greet. But, I thought I would check in and let everyone know that things are starting off well, and I'm thrilled to be here.

Don't worry...you'll hear from me often this week as I encounter things that I want to share with you all!

Today I Become a Longhorn!

Yes, that's right. Today is the day I begin grad school at the Univeristy of Texas in Austin and officially become a longhorn!

Um...am I nervous, you wonder? Yikes! You bet! I am not at all concerned about whether or not I can "do this", as knowing what I am capable of is something I've grown into over the years. Yes, I can do this.

But as to the questions of "is it worth it", "will we ever recover from paying for it", "am I going to enjoy it", "is it going to meet our needs", and thousands of others just like it, well, I'm going to be optimistic and plan on all of those being true as well.

I'm currently in the process of packing all of my goodies (including tons of unfinished client work) into the truck so I can head to Austin in a few hours. I will be pretty much unavailable, by phone anyway, for the entire week as my days will involve classroom work from 8:30am to 5:30pm, with the promise of tons of homework and follow-up activities each night. Add to that the fact that several clients are waiting on packages from me, and you can see how I'm a bit "booked" for the week.

But...I am way off the top of the excitement scale, and unbelievably wired for the week. My only real disappointment with the whole thing is that Leo won't be there with me. However, with my new addiction to the high quality, and FREE, skype video calls, you can bet I'll be phoning home regularly. Wish me luck!

Bad News! BPPV is Back!

A few years ago I found that I have this odd medical condition called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). In many cases, the onset of symptoms only occurs once, and never again. I was really hoping this was the case for me, but it turns out not to be. I've been feeling a little "off" for the last couple of weeks, and today I had another nasty episode. BPPV is actually a mild condition with only occasional violent episodes. But boy are they violent! Leo tells me I look really "spooky" when my nystagmus (uncontrollable eye flickering) begins. If you want to learn more about it, you can visit this article. Basically, BPPV is a condition where there are some calcium crystals in one of my ears that move around at often inopportune times and wreak havoc on my system. It is not painful, but causes [at least for me] very violent episodes of vertigo (the falling-down-drunk kind of episodes, with the eye flickering added on for amusement) and generally a strong feeling of nausea. Until the room settles down again for me, generally within a minute or so, things are really quite horrible. So now you know why I am posting this message at 3am. The episodes often kick in when I am asleep, and this violent interruption to my sleep is not at all helpful to my need for rest. Tonight, I slept a couple of hours before the episode hit, and I've been up, here on campus, ever since. I can now look forward to a week or so of poor sleep as I try to figure out ways to get past the problem. The last time this occurred, I spent a fortune on a physical therapist who helped me understand the problem and clear up the symptoms. Now that I have no medical insurance to help out with expenses, I am planning on trying to work the same exercises--a series of movements designed to bring on the episodes!--on my own. Anyway, in spite of this minor setback in my gameplan, I am still progressing on all fronts...senior project, undergraduate graduation, and graduate school attendance. I hope you'll all wish me luck on all fronts!

Honor Cords!

Last night, Leo and I got all dressed up and headed to the on-campus Hilton Hotel to attend an induction event. I was being added to the roles of the University of Houston chapter of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.

We arrived at 6PM, and were there for nearly an hour before I finally spotted someone I knew. A nice young man named Ian Bailey, who is in the College of Technology as well and has been in several of my classes over the past year-and-a-half, was also being inducted. I introduced him to Leo, then we headed into the Conference Room for dinner.

The meal, and the service, were both surprisingly good. After a nice salad, we enjoyed a chicken breast topped with avacado and cheese, green beans, and carrots. For dessert, we were treated to a delicious cheesecake. We sat at a round table with two other students (from other colleges) and their families.

After dinner, the keynote speaker was introduced. She was a young, African-American partner in a Houston law firm, and spoke to us about pushing outside of our comfort zones in order to achieve greater things. She shared lots of stories about her transformation from a shy UH freshman to the law firm partner and about the people that influenced her along the way.

Once that was over, several special awards were handed out. Then it was time for the rest of us. We got up in groups and stood on one side of the room until our names were called. Since this was done alphabetically, I was very close to the front. When my name was called, I walked across the room, shook hands with the chapter president, and received my Honor Cords, certificate, and chapter pin.

Honor Cords! I was never really upset about not being able to attend graduation before (I will be in class in Austin) since my academic achievements will not be recognized. Even though my GPA is between 3.75 and 3.80, I will not be allowed to graduate Summa Cum Laude because I am a transfer student with less than 66 hours at UH. But now...Honor Cords! Wow, I didn't know about the honor cords!

The food was delicious, the presentation was good, and the rest of the night was not bad at all. But my absolute favorite part of the night was walking back to my chair wearing my cords and holding my certificate, and looking up and seeing the grin on my husband's face. Although there were a lot of people there being recognized for their academic achievements, this man didn't care about all of that. He was there to see just me. As always, my number one fan was there to cheer me on and share the moment with me. Now, how cool is that!

Trip to Corpus Christi

Today I played "hooky" from the Houston madness. I drove home (130 mi) from Houston last night, then Leo and I drove to Corpus (95 mi) this afternoon. After we attended the Open House, we turned back around and drove home, and I have to be back in Houston for an 8am meeting tomorrow. Whew! But we had a blast today. The weather was absolutely beautiful, so we drove the Miata with the top down, cranked up a little bit of Joe Cocker and a little James Taylor, and had a blast. We went to the campus of Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi (TAMUCC). I'm looking at pursing a Doctorate program at their university, so we attended a Graduate School Open House on campus today. What a beautiful campus! It sits on a small island at the south end of the ocean-front drive. The campus is relatively new, so the buildings are modern and beautiful. I can't imagine how students there get work done, however, with so many fun things to do going on around them! But...we both liked the campus, and liked the program. Texas A&M is a prestigious enough institution, even though the CC campus is definitely ranked lower. Still, it seems like the doctoral programs are small, so there is not a lot of competition for placement or for aid, and I'm guessing the support is substantial just from the number of PhDs and EdDs available in the faculty ranks. The other thing that appears to be good, at first glance anyway, is the tuition. So, while I finish up with my BS and get going on my MS, I will also be pursing acceptance into an EdD program at TAMUCC. Yikes! Can it be done? Tune in later for another episode of "As Grandma Gets an Education" and see!

Beautiful Sunday

Although I can't afford to take a day off (I'm working on a long-overdue website that is difficult to develop content for), at least I can enjoy it while I work. Today is a bit overcast, but still lovely. The birds are hard a work over the water, which makes me wonder if the fishing is good. Jesse's feeder is entertaining a lot of the land-bound birds today, wrens and cardinals, grackles and bobwhites, and the ever-chattering mockingbirds. Although I can't see them from where I work, I can hear them singing and know they are busy over there. I received more of my UT paperwork yesterday. I'm expected to pay a deposit of $1,000 before class starts on April 11, another deposit of $18,500 for the Summer semester in June, then two more deposits of $18,500 for the Fall and Spring semesters. Leo tells me not to worry...we'll work something out. He says that something would have gone wrong long before now if this was not supposed to be. In his opinion, we haven't gotten this far for nothing. So, I guess I'll have to trust that he and the man upstairs are working together on this. Well...I guess I need to get back to my webpage now. Some people might think that working from a location that can be so distracting would be, well, distracting. Funny thing is, I find that I can work faster, get in [to the computer coding] deeper, and do better work when I am relaxed, comfortable, and happy. Go figure.

What a Wonderful Week!

I decided to take a Spring Break this week...what a wonderful time I've had of it! First, although I worked (and worked hard) every day this week, it was all while looking out over the bay while I worked. I saw some incredible birds, some beautiful storms blowing through, foggy mornings, sunny days, and a host of wildlife, all from my spot in the living room. Up until this week, I have probably spent less than 10 days at home since the beginning of the year. Although I had a hundred reasons to spend this week in Houston, staying home was exactly what I needed to do. Tomorrow morning, I'm headed back to the city, however, to start that life back up again. But for just a few days, "that life" was comfortably far away. I'm guessing that by morning I will be "stressing" about all of the reports, projects, questions, and activities that will be waiting for me in Houston, but just for tonight, I'm in heaven. Oh...I almost forgot my most important news. All of the pre-work is done, and I've been accepted into the Master's Program at Austin. While that is extremely exciting, and will definitely be a dream-come-true for me, it also means I have so much to get ready for! So, wish me luck, say hello to my husband for me if you see him before I do :-) and think good thoughts in my direction. Grandma is about to jump on another merry-go-round, and she's EXCITED about it!

Planning a Trip Home--FINALLY!

By our most recent calculations, it's been six weeks since I've been home. Can you believe it? Six weeks since I've seen the sun set on the water; six weeks since I've fluffed up the pillows in my own bed; six weeks since I've watched the deer feeding in the evening. So...I have a game plan this week. I'm going to go home. I took my GRE on Tuesday, with very little time allowed for preparation. I had mediocre performance in the Quantitative section (what a disappointment), but fared much better with my Verbal scores. My performance was the opposite of most test takers. I don't know what kind of grade I will receive on the Analytical (essays) section, but feel I did relatively well there as well. (As my sis says, I am definitely the queen of B.S.!) Still, poor performance and all, I am so happy to have the test behind me. Now I'm down to one final activity before beginning at the University of Texas (Austin) in mid-April...I just have to come up with $50K. Today is a full day with projects from school, ExxonMobil, and CAPS all awaiting my attention. And tonight I have my Current Issues class to attend once again. Tomorrow I'll be at Greenspoint working on some Project Management Tools all day (I like that group, and I like the tools we're developing, so I'll have a good day). Tomorrow night I HAVE to study for Saturday's exam. Saturday will be a long day, with an exam in the morning and class from 9 to 5. Saturday night Leo and I will be headed to Sis' house to work with Tyler on his history project, then when we're done there...we are going HOME! Leo and Jess have promised that we're going to have nice weather so we can sit on the pier and fish. I'm so excited! I'll stay home until Wednesday morning when I have to be back in town for a meeting. I have TONS of work that I'm taking home with me, and will put in my typical 12+ hours each day on it, but still...I will be HOME. Ah well...lunch is over now and I have work to do, so I'd better sign off and get to it.

Fishbones and Paretos

I'm sitting in class on this beautiful Saturday afternoon waiting for the other's to get back from lunch. We've been at it all morning, and we still have 4 more hours to go. The class is Quality Systems and today's topics are the quality tools. You might think that I would find this uninteresting, but the truth is, this has always been one of my favorite topics. I got my introduction into Quality Systems when I was at Exxon back in the late 80's. My teacher was the quality "guru" there at Mt. Belvieu and I learned that I really enjoyed the topic. When I went to Union Carbide, quality tools was not high on the list of tasks that I was involved in, but when I moved to Dow Freeport, I was back in the game again, and loving it. This time, the topic had grown to include the Six Sigma methodology, something else that I found fascinating. So, here I am once again spending my Saturday reviewing fishbone diagrams (Ishikawa diagrams), Pareto charts, and histograms. This afternoon, we are moving on to my all-time favorite...control charts. Hmm...10 more minutes...I guess I should make a drink/bathroom run then get back in here ready for more. Bye!

My New Box of Crayons

Okay, I don't really have a new box of crayons, but I do have my first ever "art" class. It's called "GRTC 3353 Visual Communications Technology" and I wish I was having it in a not-so-busy semester because I think it's going to be fun. (I also think that I do NOT have really good instincts when it comes to graphics design, so I definitely can use the help!)

Our first assignment is to create 5 different "invitations". Now these are expected to be "amateurish" since we haven't had any training yet. They will be what we measure ourselves against at the end of the semester to see how well we've done, and how much we've improved. Would you like to see my "before" images? Check next to them to see what the assignment was. Also, click on them to see them in a larger size.

1. WEDDING INVITATION
The couple: young, sophisticated, wealthy, upscale
Clients: Daughter’s and grooms parents, who are among New York’s elite
Text: A wonderful day in our lives is drawing near. We would be honored and happy if you would share the joy of this union before God. Our daughter Katy and son Julian will be united in marriage on Saturday, the twenty-fourth of June two thousand and twenty at one o’clock in the afternoon / Saint Francis Church / South Hampton, New York / A reception will be held at 775 Rosewood, South Hampton / Mr and Mrs. Edward Roberts and Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Palmer

2. COLLEGE GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENT
The student: 21 years old male; college student; football player
Clients: student’s parents, middle class; both parents work
Text: Please join us as we celebrate Mark’s Graduation from the University of Houston, College of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Technology Leadership and Supervision on Saturday, the fifteenth of May at seven o’clock The Blue Room, The Hilton Hotel, 2343 Saddlers Way, Sugar Land/ Linda and Steven Johnson

3. 50TH BIRTHDAY SURPRISE PARTY INVITATION
The Birthday Person: energetic woman; lawyer; not shy about her age
Client: Birthday girl’s best friend
Text: The years just flew and before she knew it she's 5 decades old and accustomed to it! Help us celebrate Karen Green’s 50th Birthday and a lifetime of good friendship on October 15th at 7:30 PM / West Grove, Stafford, TX/ R.S.V.P. to Mary Anne 713-555-5555

4. BABY SHOWER INVITATION
Who: 28 years old expecting mother, who is interior designer. The woman is expecting a boy.
Client: A 39 years old co-worker
Text: Diapers and Bibs Bottles and more that’s what Baby Showers are for! In honor of Cynthia and her baby boy/ Friday, February 28, 2020 at 7:30 PM / 222 Sea Drive, Galveston R.S.V.P. to Tina 281-888-8888

5. SUPERBOWL PARTY INVITATION
Client: 36 years old football fan; middle class
Text: It’s a Super Bowl Party! Come cheer for your favorite team. There will be bowls of chips, bowls of dips, bowls of candy/ Sunday, January 28, 2030 / 897 Garden Avenue, Houston, Texas

10 Hours and Counting

I was SO upset when I got to class this morning to find that my instructor was in London and class was cancelled! I wanted to go home this weekend. I NEEDED to go home. After sending Leo on his way home without me, I went to the campus early so I could look over the book and get settled in, so it was 1-1/2 hours later, when class was supposed to begin, that I found out I could've gone home (or Leo could've stayed).

Anyway, once I figured out everything was messed up anyway, I walked over to the library and got settled in for the day. The "last call" was just given, and we've all been run out of the library now. But there's an area just outside the library doors, where the food court is, where we are allowed to stay for as long as we want, so, 11 hours after I arrived on campus this morning, I'm all settled in for a little more work.

I've been asked on more than one occasion recently whether "it is worth it". All these goofy long hours with my nose in books, my fingers pounding away on the keyboard, and my husband far away at home, I have to wonder too. On days like this, I could probably talk myself right out of finishing this course of action.

Oh well, enough dreaming. I'm knee deep in a book called "Engineering Documentation Control Practices and Procedures" where I'm learning all about Configuration Management Systems, which is the topic (I think) of my Senior Project. When I'm done with that one, the next book on my stack is called "Computer-Aided Facilities Planning", and I'm hoping to get a different perspective on the problem from that one. I can't give up and go "home" to Galena Park because there is no computer access there. So, if I really want to get a little further along on my homework, I guess I'm here for a while longer.

Sweetie (note: there are a whole LOT of people who qualify for the "sweetie" status in my book...Leo, Rebecca, Michelle, Rachael, Madison, Mason, you get the picture)...when you read this just know that I miss you lots and can't wait to see you again soon!

City Life, Country Life

With my recent decision to commute from home to work, I've had a little time to examine the two lives that I live and make a comparison between them. On the one hand, I've been living "inside the loop" in Houston, which keeps me in the most populated region in the state. On the other hand, I live in a community located six miles north of Port Lavaca, on a waterfront property in the country. Here are some of my comparisons: 1. High Beams. The first time I took a trip home to the country after a long stay in the city I realized that inner loop folks don't know where their high-beams are as they never have any occasion to use them. It took me a few minutes to locate mine on the way home. Living in the country you MUST use your high-beams if you want to avoid impaling critters on your front bumper! 2. Stars. I had absolutely forgotten about the fact that there are stars in the country. I nearly froze to death when I decided to open the sunroof in order to look at the incredible stars on a beautiful cold night on a recent drive home. 3. Puppy Poop. Even after a full year of being an inner looper, I cannot get over the fact that people in Houston walk around picking up doggy doo every day. The first time I noticed the prim and proper in my neighborhood walking around picking up the droppings from their little jewels, my jaw dropped. Just so you city folks know, we in the country would NEVER stoop so low as to have to pick up dog droppings...it's just not right! 4. Noise levels. If you decide to come and visit me in the country sometime, you may have trouble sleeping at night because it is so very quiet. Absolutely no sirens, car alarms, rumbling trucks, honking horns, stomping upstairs neighbors, or loud music will keep you awake. The occasional hoot owl might be a bit disconcerting however. 5. Convenience shopping. Finally, here's one in favor of the city life. When living in the city, I never have to worry about planning a shopping trip. Anywhere I go, at anytime of the day or night, I'm going to pass the grocery store, bank, post office, movie theatre, and an unbelievable variety of fast food restaurants on the way. Why would I every have to plan a shopping trip? In the country, however, a trip to town is a major event. I first have to decide whether the six mile drive to Port Lavaca will get me to a store that will have what I need, or whether the really BIG trip to Victoria (28 miles) is warranted. I have to make sure I have my list (because I won't be going again anytime soon), and that I have checked to make sure the store is going to be open when I need it. "Going to town" in the country can be a major event and requires planning in order for it to be executed properly! 6. Diversity. Another bonus for the city life is my exposure to the cultural and social diversity that makes life so interesting. In my country home, everyone I meet seems to be cut from a very narrow sliver of lifestyles. We have a large hispanic population in our area (including my husband Leo!), and a small slice of Taiwanese and Vietnamese in the area, although they do not tend to frequent the same places we do. I LOVE the diversity that can be found in all of my classes at the University of Houston, and miss that incredible mixture of people and cultures when I am at home in the country. I'm getting sleepy now, thinking about my 2.5 hour drive back to the city in the morning, so I'm going to bring my list to a close. Look for additional items soon, however, as I'm guessing that my new incredibly long commute is going to present plenty of opportunity for me to work on adding to this list in the near future.

One down, one to go

With one more "A" in my pocket (that Logic class that I was so worried about), my GPA is now at it's highest point in 20+ years...Whoopee! Just for today, just until that very last grade comes in (the one that I have absolutely NO FEEL for what it might be), my GPA is 3.718. I know that's not the greatest on some scales, and I know that over the years I could have done better. Still, I'm proud of myself in that I've been able to achieve this at my age, while working full time and living away from home. When my last grade comes in, if it's an "A", then my GPA will be 3.74. It takes a 3.75 to graduate Summa Cum Laude, which is my goal, and I really don't know how the policy works at UofH about graduating with honors. I mean, I heard from some other students that the GPA you have before graduating is the one that determines your honors status. What I don't know is whether that means mine will be set at 3.74, giving me Magna Cum Laude honors, or whether my professors will be polled toward the end of next semester in order to estimate my final grade. In any event, I'm not the kind to take pleasure in walking across the stage. But receiving a piece of paper with my name on it and any kind of honors designation a few weeks after graduation will certainly be cause enough to celebrate....BIG TIME! By the way, for those of you wondering, when I graduate in May it will be just after my 47th birthday. And if my miracles continue and I am able to pursue my Master's goal, that will be granted just after my 48th birthday. Wow...after all these years...can you see how pleased I am with myself?!

Last Final...Done!

I was totally bummed out after my test tonight (Logic). I studied so hard all day, but with everything that's going on, I just couldn't make all the details stick in my head. Still, I came into tonight with a nice mid-range A. So, if I was able to get anything right at all on the test, perhaps I'll survive without too bad of a final grade. When I got home, however, I took a look and found out that several of my other final grades are already in. I knew about the "A-" in Moore's Project Management class (boy, was I upset about that one!), but I just found out tonight that I pulled off an "A" in Kovach's Production and Service Operations class (that was a close one!) as well as an "A" in Cassler's Logistics class! Whoopee! Just for a moment in time, perhaps just for tonight, I have a decent 3.69 GPA. I know it's not enough for a Summa Cu Laude, but it's darn close. And for an old fart like me with a ton of things going on to distract me from my studies, I just have to say I'm really pleased with myself tonight. Tomorrow might be a rough day, and it might even bring more disappointing grades, but tonight...well tonight I feel like celebrating. Tonight I am just plain HAPPY!

Losing Ground

I got my first final grade back, and it was a disappointing A-. (I was almost SURE I was able to get that last little bit of credit to move me up to an A!) That doesn't really hurt my GPA, but it doesn't help. The real problem is, I think that may be the best grade I make this semester. I started out so strong, only to lose it at the end here. And it's not for lack of trying. It's just that work has gotten to the point where it requires so much of my time. That's really funny too, because I've made less money recently then ever before. I'm really struggling trying to make ends meet, but that also seems to be a losing battle. Anyway, I have one final tonight, in my hardest class--Production and Operations Management. Although I've put in the time reading the books, working example problems, and scouring my notes, I'm guessing the best I will do on tonight's test will be 85-89. I have some items (like our project) that will raise that score, but I also have a missed homework that will lower it. Next week, I have a final on Monday (Logistics) and have to turn in a "take-home" final for my "Leading Change in the Workplace" class. That means, of course, that my weekend will be spend with my nose in a book half the time, and the rest on the internet scouring through "leadership" articles and topics. My final final will be in my Logic class, which is one that I've really enjoyed this semester. Although I'm a TERRIBLE test taker, I've managed to do well on all the tests so far. However, these last couple of weeks have had me missing classes and missing quizzes (2 of each). That means I'm currently REALLY lost! So, wish me the best, and don't look for me for two more weeks, as you won't be able to find me without a set of notes in my hand and a harried look on my face. If I end up with nothing lower than a B in ALL my classes, I'll be surprised, but of course, not pleased.

This Roller Coaster Ride

Oh my gosh! My world is so flipped upside down, I don't know whether I'm coming or going. Some good, some bad, some crazy, all coming fast and furious...what a way to live! This week I had two nights with 6 hours of sleep, and felt like I was in paradise; the others were all 4-5 hours. Racing against deadlines in two different jobs and my full-time load at school has meant I've had to carry my thoughts around in a tape recorder in my pocket as there is not room for them in my brain. I've done some of my best and some of my worst work this month. While I thrive on the rush of a last-minute effort in some areas, I sink like a rock in other areas. But I can see a light at the end of the tunnel--I get a nice, long break in just three more weeks that will carry me into January, when I start all over again for one last push. I entered my application for graduation in May this morning. Can you believe it? After all these years and all these hours in school, I'm actually going to get a diploma to hang on the wall. I'm still hoping to go right into a Master's Program at UT in May, but won't be sure about that prospect until February. This semester, my goal was to bring home A's in all five classes. When work started getting really hectic for me, about 3 weeks ago, I had to abandon that plan. I fully expect to make A's in three classes (subject to change), but don't think I'll be able to pull it off in the other two. Still, if you could see "a day in the life of", I think you'd be amazed I've made it this far. These next three weeks are going to be at the same breakneck speed, but I've got the support of friends and family, and I'm on that last lap that has me grabbing for my second wind. I've had a blast at school this semester with interesting classes, excellent instructors, and a lot of really interesting young people that don't seem to mind that I'm older than many of their parents. What a rush to be able to interact with so many different kinds of people every day! Leo's doing well, even though he's had to take the brunt of my moodiness these last few weeks. He's a real trooper and up for almost anything. I just don't know what I'd do without him. I miss Jess, miss home, miss fishing, and miss sitting down now and then to do nothing more than just breathe. But then again, I'm having a blast interacting with my new workmates, classmates, and stretching myself to add some new skills and experiences to my "portfolio". It's been a long time since I was able to write, so I thought I'd take a minute and let everyone know I'm still alive and still careening through life. But now the caffeine and sugar in my system are waning, and I'm thinking I might be able to wind down enough to get some sleep in. So...I believe I'll say good-night now so I can get some rest and be ready for tomorrow's adventures.

Body Worlds 3--Cool!

A small group of us (6) went this morning to see the Body Worlds exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. It was really cool! The exhibits are all sold out, here at the end, so there was quite a crowd and there were no tour guides available. However, the displays were set up in a way that had visitors progressing in an orderly fashion while still allowing for us to take as much time as we wanted looking at each exhibit. We really did have a great time. Yesterday we had a blast as well. Since Madison turned 6 a little more than a week ago and Mason turns 3 in less than two weeks, we went to the combined birthday party in Liberty. The grandkids were almost as excited to see us as we were to see them. They are beautiful, sweet, and fun to be around. It was good to see Rebecca and Rachael as well. The weather was hot, but with a breeze, so we had a very nice time visiting, playing, and watching the little ones. Who knew grandparenting could be so nice?! I'm back home this afternoon, working on the TON of homework that will help me stay up-to-date with my studies. I have homework in every class but one, and I tend to do EVERYTHING that the instructors suggest (you know...because I need so badly to make A's this semester), so it really takes me a long time. At work I have such a heavy workload at the moment as well. I am supposed to have the Parking Sticker and Violation Database ready to roll out on Tuesday, the Facade Project Gap Closure Plan ready for Wednesday, and two Project Management "tools" (a spreadsheet and an org chart template) ready to roll out on Thursday. So, I HAVE to get my homework done today so I can work tomorrow, so I can survive the week. Wish me luck!

Scary! I'm Starting to LIKE Logic!

Yes, that's right. I just finished a TON of homework problems for tomorrow night's Logic class, and I really hate to admit it (because it really sounds crazy), but I really enjoyed it. Here's an example of one of tonight's problems, along with my solution. (I hope it's right). Number 5: (B-->E)-->(F-->(F-->E)),(E-->F)-->(B-->E),B-->(E-->F),(B-->(E-->F))-->B ⊢ F -->E 1. (B-->E)-->(F-->(F-->E)) A 2. (E-->F)-->(B-->E) A 3. B-->(E-->F) A 4. B-->(E-->F)-->B A 5. B 4, 3 -->out 6. E-->F 3, 5 -->out 7. B-->E 2, 6 -->out 8. F-->(F-->E) 1, 7 -->out 9. E 7, 9 -->out 10. F 6, 9 -->out 11. F-->E 8, 10 -->out If you think that was exciting, you should see the homework I had to do for my Operations class...it was 5 pages of calculations that had to do with "waiting line theory". Yes, that's right. TONS of information about how to caluclate all of the possible business implications that waiting in line at the grocery store, bank, oil change shop, etc. have on the business. Gee, who knows what exciting things I'll learn next week!

Logic I...Not Always "Logical"

Tonight was the last day of class for this week. Yeah! This is only the second time this class has met. We are in a cramped, fully-loaded classroom, located in the basement of Agnes Arnold Hall. The desks are small, and we are packed in like sardines. Beyond that, the class is interesting, I guess, but even the instructor pointed out on the first night that by the end of the semester, most of us will be asking, "What does this stuff have to do with ANYTHING?" I think he might be right. If Itchy is a mouse, then Itchy is a rodent. Itchy is a mouse. Itchy is a rodent. This argument is clearly valid and, on the instructor's word (that Itchy is indeed a mouse), sound. If Fido is a dog, then Fido reads philosophy. Fido is a dog. Fido reads philosophy. Again, this argument is cearly valid, but it is not sound. For those of you who have had Logic classes before, this is baby stuff...simple and straightforward...Class 1 basics. But for those of you who will NEVER take Logic, I think I can assure you that you really are not going to miss it at all. By next class session, I will be confidently explaining to you why Stan lives in South Park or Arlen. Stan lives in South Park. is invalid.(As if it matters in the real world!)

My Gosh, What a Load!

Believe it or not, I can remember back to my high school days (approximately 100 years ago). I remember that even in my little hometown, my Freshman year was a little hectic. By the time I was a Senior, however, the work didn't seem to be that much harder, and I had all of the routines down, so my Senior year was really a breeze. I guess that's why I was so mistaken about my Senior year here at U of H. Yikes! It's the first week and already I'm worn out! The good news is I seem to have an excellent set of instructors this semester. They all seem to be fairly intelligent, there are no real "prima dona's" in the lot, and they actually seem to care that we learn, participate, work together, etc. Yes, that's the good news. The bad news is that every one of my classes is going to be "homework heavy". Tuesday night is a killer night for me, as I tackle three classes back to back from 4:00pm to 8:30pm. When I got through last night, I headed straight for the computer lab to do homework and prepare for my other classes. I left at 10:30. Tonight, I was out of class at 5:30...not so bad. I came straight to the computer lab and worked on my homework for next Wednesday (complete), my homework for tomorrow night (complete), and a few odds and ends. I figured I would post this little update before I head home. As I glanced up at the clock, I just about fell out of my chair. I've been here 4-1/2 hours! (P.S. My butt's asleep.) Leo's at home in Port Lavaca, working hard to get ready for the texturing of the living room walls. I told him not to even bother coming this weekend as I would be snowed under and not have any time for him, but my little selfish voice is telling me that was a mistake. I need to see him, even if for only a little bit. So, I'll call him back in the morning and tell him not to come ONLY if he's just too busy to make the trip. I often get to the point where I feel like I don't really "need" Leo. As a matter of fact, I sometimes tell people that we are so good together because we are together because we WANT to be, not because we HAVE to be. But the older I get, the more I realize that those are sometimes one and the same. I WANT Leo around so much that it's created a NEED for me to be around him. Make sense? Hmmm...maybe I'm right in my argument, but then again, maybe the sleep deprivation I grew so accustomed to last spring is reminding me that it's something I'll have to get used to again. Thanks for visiting folks, but I believe I'm ready to go home now.

First Day of School

I certainly enjoyed my break, but it's over now...tonight I start all over again. Although I'm only taking 15 hours this semester, I'm worried about whether I can maintain my GPA. I'll do my best though. Here's what the semester looks like for me.

Monday

5:30pm to 8:30pm, Introduction to Logistics

Tuesday

4:00pm to 5:30pm, Logic I 5:30pm to 7:00pm, Production and Service Operations 7:00pm to 8:30pm, Project Leadership

Wednesday

4:00pm to 5:30pm, Leading Change in the Workplace

Thursday

4:00pm to 5:30pm, Logic I

Whew! I'm tired just writing that out! Anyway, I'm really looking forward to the semester, but am also a little concerned about burning the candle at both ends. Also, I'm sure I'm worrying for nothing, but it seems like the closer I get to "the end", closer to graduation, the more I worry that something is going to go wrong. Surely...after all I've been through to get this far...surely there's no stopping me now.

Straight "A" Semester!

It was a long and difficult summer, but I'm pleased to report I finished with a perfect report card. The classes I took this summer were:

TELS 4372: Proposal and Project Writing

Technical writing focusing on research and project proposals. Required for TELS seniors as preparation for the senior project.

TELS 3365: Team Leadership

Roles, processes, and strategies for team leadership. Creation of collaborative climates for team performance, team member development, leading successful team meetings, and strategies for dealing with global and virtual teams.

TMTH 3360: Applied Technical Statistics

Collection, analysis, presentation, interpretation of numerical data; probability, sampling, quality control with special emphasis on application.

Right now I'm in my two-week break period. You would think that would be what I would do--take a break--but I've been putting in some incredibly long hours at work in an effort to get ahead of the game, and I've been hitting the books already, trying to get a feel for the work coming up in the fall semester. I have one really big problem, however, in that I am not expecting to get paid until AFTER the deadline for my tuition has passed. I've spent a lot of sleepless nights, and have plans to make the rounds at some local banks this week, but I'm really worried. It's just that now that I have gotten so far along with my game plan, I do NOT want to hit a snag. So...wish me luck!

School Shopping Trip

Last weekend I made plans to go shopping with my daughter Rebecca and granddaughter Madison. We had a blast! Madison just started first grade last Thursday, and despite reports of problems with catching the bus, she seems to be off to a great start. I was thrilled to have the chance to help her get ready for school by picking out some school supplies, and helping her select some cool new outfits for school. Madison was a real sweetheart about the whole trip, taking the advice of grandma and Aunt Becca on occasion, but sticking to her guns on the items that were important to her. My life is busy, there's no doubt about that, but I am hoping to squeeze more time in this semester with Madison and Mason. My grandchildren are real jewels.

Hours at the Library AGAIN

I've been SNOWED under by project work both at school and at work, but perhaps I'm about to get a 4-week breather. Today I finished by Final Exam for my Statistics class. I have to say, I went into the exam with an A average and hope I didn't blow it today. The exam was much harder than I expected, and I got confused about a couple of the concepts right off the bat. The online portion of the exam is scored immediately, and I scored a 75. YIKES! That is NOT what I needed to maintain my A average. However, I know I did better on the spreadsheet portion of the test, and HOPE it was better enough to rescue my A. Wish me luck, folks! So, for the next two weeks I have only one class in progress. I made and A in my Project Writing and Proposal class, so temporarily, my GPA is good. The math class could really hurt me if I didn't pull off the grade. This last class is a bit of a crap shoot. I really thought I was going to get an A- last semester with this instructor, and I blew the final and came out with a B+ instead. I'm giving it my ALL this semester, but still worry about something showing up on the test that I'm not prepared for. Currently, I have an A in the class, but there are still 2 major project and 2 major tests to go, so I have no idea whether I can maintain that grade. After those two weeks are finished, I actually have a couple of weeks with NO CLASSES AT ALL. For the next two years, I have only 2 such "breaks" scheduled, so I will definitely have to make the best of this! Anyway, I've been here at the library for hours now, got the research material I needed to get, and am ready to go home for a nap. My sweetie is in New Mexico today, and won't be home for a week, so I'm feeling a bit glum. When the hubby and brother-in-law get back next week, I may have to take a day off and go fishing or something. I really need to get my head somewhere else for a day or two...maybe getting it in the water is the answer!

Dining Room Too

Sleek and beautiful bar-height dining. This has to be my favorite piece...isn't it just perfect? The bar-height table is that dark finish I wanted and has the clean sleek lines and tapered legs that I adore. Amazingly, even though it fits in my one-bedroom dining room, it expands (via a cool little contraption built in to it) to form a large square table when the need arises. ALL of the pieces purchased will do double-duty, meeting our temporary needs here in Houston and our long-term needs at home when this arrangement comes to an end. You know, thanks to Sis and Dear Hubby, I am SO happy to be all settled in now.

Living Room...Thanks to Sis and Hubby!

Living room furniture is oh-so-comfy. Although I spent part of Thursday looking at furniture with Leo, I HAD to get back to work on Friday. He reluctantly agreed to make some furniture choices and purchases without me based on what he thought I would like. When I told my sister of the plan, she agreed to go with him for a while and help with the decision-making. Oh my gosh! The two of them did an UNBELIEVABLE job picking out items that I wanted, needed, and am already loving! The large and comfy collection of sofa, loveseat, and double-wide chair is EXACTLY what I wanted. It took us a bit to find the right arrangement to actually fit it all into the living room, but we did it. And it is not only beautiful, but very funcitonal for the way Leo and I live on the weekends (when he's here) and the way I live during the week. The only "drawback", and the one that Leo absolutely LOVES, is the FREE TV they were able to pick up with the furniture purchase. NOTE: I've lived a long and happy year with no tv...now we'll have to test my willpower to avoid the thing when deadlines get tight! Anyway, a few items on the walls and this place will be "set", and meet all our needs, for the next year...at least.

Settling In

Kitchen and laundry are "fully loaded". For more than a year, I've done without a few essentials like a stove/oven, full size refrigerator, dishwasher, and laundry room (I hauled my dirty clothes home every weekend in order to wash them). Leo and I had a GREAT weekend here--the apartment is making us feel like regular people again. I can cook at home, eat at home, wash my clothes at home, wash my dishes at home...wow, who knew how much I missed these things?! I didn't know until I got them all back. Yup...life is good in the little hacienda!

New Apartment--Yippee!

Well, I picked up the keys to my new apartment yesterday. It's quite the "Fort Knox". I was issued six keys (2 front door, 2 visitor gate, 2 mailbox) and six cards (2 gate access, 2 exercise/club room access, 2 parking stickers). Yikes! I don't know if I'll ever get this straight. I would post pics of the apartment, but don't have my camera handy. So, just picture cream colored carpet, cream colored walls, and two pillows and a blanket on the floor in the center. THAT'S my apartment! Best of all, however, is that I went to work this morning right in the middle of rush hour. It took me TWO MINUTES from door-to-door. Wow! Ooh, ooh, one other thing...with my living arrangements for the past year, I have not cooked ANYTHING for over a year. This morning, I actually toasted two pieces of bread, added butter, and ate them for breakfast. My first home-cooked meal in over a year...SWEET! Work and school are piling up, so I gotta go, but just thought I'd share the update. New apartment--Yippee!

Saturday Morning on Campus

Yes, here I am again, camped out on campus. I've found that there's a nice, quiet, although always cold (I've GOT to remember to bring a sweater!) student lounge area in the Technology building that is PERFECT for studying in. Hold on a minute, and I'll take a couple of pictures for you to see... The first photo is the rest of the room...neat, orderly, and empty. The other two photos show my corner with books, computer, caffiene supply, etc. I'm currently working on creating a Team Charter for my Team Leadership class. Although this is something for the team to do together, our team has opted to do it together, separately. Anyway, I hope that by lunchtime I'll have the first draft of our Motto, Vision, and Mission Statement to pass on to the rest of the team. Then I can move on to my Statistics homework this afternoon, and my LOOMING (i.e. I'm a bit lost on what the instructor wants) Proposal Writing homework. So, it's back to the books and I'll check in with you later. P.S. Leo, if you decide to check in here for an update, I want you to know I MISS YOU, and Jess, and Saturday movies, and fishing, and...

School's Back in Session!

It's 3pm, and I've been on campus since just after noon. I expect to be here until 6pm, or later if I get "on a roll". Yes, that's right. School is back in session and I'm back on the treadmill. I took the photo on my webcam on the 3rd floor of the library. I sit in an area located between the staircase and the bound volumes of student theses. Since one of my goals is to have a thesis prepared and ready to defend by March or April of 2007, you'll probably find me here many a late night. (Right now, my average is about 4 hours per day). Work is going well in that some of my older projects are winding down while a couple of new projects are gearing up [my "life cycle", I think]. Leo and I got to spend a lot of time together over the last three weeks. You would think I would be ready to get back into our old habits of me-doing-my-stuff and him-doing-his, but I really miss him already. I suppose part of it is because I know it will only get worse, this long-distance short time together stuff, before it gets better. But, I'm committed to this path, so I'll be alright. Last week we went out to eat at a cool little Cuban Bistro in Sugarland with Leo's cousin Stella and some of her friends. We had a blast! I hope we'll be able to get together with her now and then because we had a heck of a good time. Ah well...I think my books are calling me now. So, I'll work a chapter of statics problems, read another chapter in my "Writing Proposals" book, and begin working on the charter for my class on team leadership. THEN I'll head home for a nap!