Friday, February 20, 2009

Girl Scout Cookies

It's Girl Scout cookie time!  And let's be honest, who doesn't love Girl Scout cookies!? (I always felt a little deprived in Utah because they're much harder to come by - maybe the Activity Day girls need to start selling cookies? Nah. I think the Girl Scouts have a lock on this one.) I remember going door to door selling GS cookies when I was a Brownie... Ok, I didn't love that cause I've never been a salesman, BUT I've had a love affair with the cookies ever since.

Somoas are the best! Sometimes I wish they were available all year. Then again, if they were I'd eat them too often. And then they would lose their charm after awhile which would be sad. So I guess I'm glad they only come around once a year...

And what's the deal with Thin Mints? Why do they always leave tiny black crumbs in your teeth? Even if you only eat one cookie? My word! Maybe that just means that you should eat a Thin Mint then follow it up with a Somoa so that the crumbs go away...  See? It always comes back to the Somoas...

Thursday, February 12, 2009

The Meaning of a Few Words

I'm reading Broken Things to Mend by Jeffrey R. Holland (it's so great!) and I just really liked a quote in a chapter about tithing so you get to hear it too.  (Well, I've really liked this whole book, not just this quote!)  He said:

"We would do well to lay up treasures in heaven, where not taxes but doctrines give meaning to words like estate, inheritance, testament, and will."

Wow!  Thinking of those words with an eternal gospel perspective changes them 110%.  And they mean so much more!  It makes you think about what else we see all around us that we might see in a different way if we just altered our thinking a little bit or changed our attitude.  

Monday, February 9, 2009

Ok, I think I've mentioned some of my pet peeves about school before but this one just kills me! My online class (big surprise that that's where the biggest problems are - always!!) is "taught" by a mostly-absentee professor who also happens to be a big jerk. His syllabus is full of comments like "it's frustrating when students don't keep pace" and the like. He in fact makes quite a point about how students who don't do their work just tick him off. 

For discussions he wants one type written page per original comment and 1/2 page per response and of course you must respond - with unique ideas and comments - to at least 2 people every week.  Little side note here, if you were in a classroom you would NEVER pose a comment or question that would equal a full page of text. But this is online and excuses the professor from having to be involved in any way whatsoever. But I digress...  It's not impossible but that's just one of his assignments that are more like busy work than anything. 

He does not have due dates on his syllabus just approximate dates. He doesn't even have places for us to turn in all of our work. I emailed him and asked him where we are to submit an assignment that was due (I think last week) - it took him 10 days to respond. Ten days! He finally replied that he would like it emailed to his personal email account. Um, isn't that a little weird? Yes. It is. 

Then he graded me down because my first discussion was not two pages long. (I don't like to have Bs so this is really bothersome to me.)  I emailed him and asked him to clarify because the syllabus states very clearly ONE page and that's what I submitted. I can do two pages but only if I know that's what's required. Perhaps I'll hear back by the end of February.

Discussion 3 is due and there's no where to post it. (The prof has to create a discussion board or assignment module to submit work.) How shall I do my work?  I just hate when teachers don't keep pace! It makes the whole process very frustrating. Oh wait! Isn't that what he hates about students?  I've learned over the years that when teachers go on and on about something they hate in their syllabus - they are very often the worst offenders on that exact issue. It makes me want to scream.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Library Movies

I started checking movies out from the library, mostly because it's free, and I just reserve them, the library emails me and says they are ready and I just have to run in and pick them up.  So convenient. The only drawback, that is only a drawback sometimes, is that it can take a really, really long time to get the movie you want. Long time as in 6-12 months sometimes. Since it takes so long and I never know when one will be ready it's sort of a nice little surprise and I can pick it up and watch it on the weekend. I'm talkin' new release movies, etc. I can usually get documentaries (duh! Of course I watch those!) and older movies pretty quickly.

Clearly this doesn't work for everything since sometimes I want to see a movie sooner than that, in which case I just have to break down and rent it or try to get to the theater before its gone. 

I just read an article the other day that said since the recent economic changes (don't you like that positive word choice?) library patronage is up. Oh great! I mean, I'm all for people using the library - that's what they're there for. But it makes me think that my wait time for movies is going to be more like 12-18 months. Nuts!