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...

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.  

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.

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!

And the blame goes to...

Yesterday in my Politics & Power class we were having a typical discussion about how the rich men of America have screwed us all over and how the government can and must save us. The professor asked, "If you asked people on the street why we are in this economic mess what do you think they would say?" There were the typical answers about it's all Bush's fault and the war, etc. 

Then one kid said it's because of greed.  "The people who sell mortgages have been deceptive and really taken advantage of people..."  He went on for some time about how unfair it is that people are loosing their houses, etc. and how if the people at the top weren't so greedy then we wouldn't be here. 

Another girl said that people have also bought houses they couldn't afford, that are too big. The professor said the janitor in his friend's building makes you know about $8-10 an hour and he has bought two houses. Does that make sense? The conversation turned back to how awful those bankers and mortgage people are. "The person buying the house maybe didn't see the little black line that said they're payment was going to double or triple. That's not their fault."

I raised my hand and said, "Personal responsibility has to come into play here though too." I explained that when I was buying my house I was approved for a certain amount which was more than I had expected - cool! Then when I really looked at the numbers, (my bills, etc.) I realized I couldn't really afford that much so I bought a smaller house with a smaller payment. The prof said that's right (I was a little surprised!) and he said it seems fairly clear that a janitor making $8-10/hour probably can't afford 2 houses and he should know that.

This guy in the back said, "I agree with the young lady [well thanks! I'm probably older than all but one of the students but hey, I like it.] but I just have to defend the janitor. When someone tells you that you can have something that everyone else has you jump at it. You're just excited and you go for it and figure out the details later and worry about whether or not you can afford it later. For once you can have what the rest of the world has."

Who says the rest of the world has that??? I know very few people with two houses! Very few. Maybe I just don't live in the same fantasy world...

At any rate, I think he summed up beautifully why we're in the mess we're in. I'm not saying I'm perfect. Far from it and I've played into the material game far too often myself. BUT I'm not blaming anyone but myself for that and I have never expected someone to come bail me out. 

And, btw, if you are signing your life away on a huge loan for a house, you have the responsibility and right to fully understand what you are signing. If you don't, ask questions! Find out! Be responsible. 

Yes, it's true, mortgage lenders probably need to be more careful about what they approve people for but ultimately, you are the one making the final decision and you are the one responsible. 

I'll save you from my full political diatribe on this one. :) I just thought I'd let out some of my confused, amazed, disbelief at some of the things I hear far too often. 

Feelin' Guilty

We were scheduled to have the missionaries over for dinner tomorrow but they just called and canceled. They have another appointment that will conflict. My first thought was "Yes! That's goo-ood news." Then I felt a little bad. I wonder if he could tell how eagerly I accepted his cancelation? "Oh, no worries! We'll just reschedule another time." 

It's not that I don't want to have them over, it's more that I'm just feeling tired tonight and it sounds like a lot less work for tomorrow if I don't have to clean the house and make a big dinner. Is that really bad or what? That's probably a mark against me so now I better be extra good to make up for it, huh? 

Hallux Rigidus

I went to the foot doctor today because I've had toe pain for a long time.  It turns out I have Hallux Rigidus, which in a nutshell is "a disorder of the joint located at the base of the big toe." It's largely due to the way my shape is formed and it leads to a type of arthritis that makes the bones rub against each other because the soft tissue is mostly gone. In words I understand best - it hurts. 

They did X-rays and I definitely have a bone spur where the problem is (which happens with this hallux thing) and the soft tissue isn't so much there. No wonder I can't walk right. He said he can tell that it's made me start walking on the outside of my foot. I told him that was one reason I came in - if I start walking like that it'll just lead to other problems. He agreed and said it'll lead to knee, hip, and back problem. Like I need more back problems!

Short term solution - I had an injection in my toe, which didn't hurt near as badly as I expected it to, and he taped my foot as though I was wearing an orthodic. These don't solve anything but should make it so it's less painful until I elect to do my long term solution.  

Long term - I'll have to get surgery if I want it to actually go away. They'll go in and shave off the bone spur and clean up around the joint and then I'll be able to walk normally again.

When I left his office this morning I walked without pain for the first time in a year! That was great. The numbing is wearing off now so I can feel a little pain again but hopefully it won't be as bad as it was before... I think I'll do the surgery over spring break - because what else am I going to do over spring break? :) Seriously, I can only put this off so long. I mean, I can't wear heels again until I've had the surgery. Maybe that doesn't sound problematic to you... but to me it's an issue. And frankly, it would just be really nice to not to have to limp or wince every time I walk somewhere.  

One more quick side note, it was really kind of cool to see an X-ray of my foot. Hmm, those are my bones, not just a text book picture. Not that I didn't think those were real pictures, it's just different when it's your own body.