In case you hadn't noticed (whoever you are, anyhow...), I've updated my blog header and changed my template. It was time for a change, since my last picture was taken last fall (in September, perhaps?) waaay back when I still had braces. Wow.
I realize the colors are a little bright, but I'm excited about spring (and daffodils!!!!!) and wanted my blog to reflect that excitement. So please bear with me until I decide to change it again.
This is going to be a really short post. [I think I said that last time. Oh well.] I only have three weeks left until I'm finished with the spring semester, at which point I will likely write another crazy post that will completely update everyone.
Last week was insane, with far too much due within a short amount of time for this frazzled girl. Stress and I do not get along well, and let's just say I'm thankful that God provides. Even when a term paper needs to be written in a day and a half.
Two things I learned over the last couple weeks: I fail epically at all-nighters. And I have not outgrown sleepwalking, sadly. [My sleeping habits have been pretty bad lately, can you tell? haha]
All righty folks, that's it for now! See you on the other side of finals!
~once a political blog but now the ongoing story of a girl who met a boy and fell in love~
Friday, April 23, 2010
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Some Kind of Wonderful...
Yep, that is the title to a sappy romantic song, but don't worry, I'm not talking about a guy. Not even close! I'm actually talking about Spring Break!! It's finally here, and it is some kind of wonderful!!!
(Please excuse the exclamation points. They won't go away.)
It's a short break (just from Wednesday to Sunday) but I'll take it! I was starting to feel a little burned out with all of the assignments due just before break started. In fact, it was one mad scramble those last few days with exams and papers due, but the thought of spring break motivated me to write my Hume paper on Tuesday. And now I only have three papers and six exams to go (I have five papers and eight exams down).
On Thursday, a friend came over and we went traipsing through the woods, had an epic snowball fight (in bare feet, no less), had an adventure involving quicksand (we survived) and went out on the Beaver Pond in a flimsy raft and were nearly eaten by the Loch Beaver Monster (who is actually just an orange fish). It was awesome!
I'm getting ready to leave in about ten minutes to sing in a cantata presented by area churches titled "The Power of the Cross." I've really enjoyed being involved in it and I'm really looking forward to performing it. I hope it blesses the people watching as much as it has blessed me. It was so nice to take some time off for practices over the past few months. Singing is great therapy for the college-zonked mind. Haha.
Real quick before I dash out the door (since I doubt I'll be blogging for quite some time...maybe not even until college is over), I've started planning summer classes. Actually, I think my summer is totally booked. I plan on taking nine credits (Euclidean Geometry from PHC and Spanish 1 & 2 from a SUNY college through DL), working pretty much full time, and hopefully campaigning at some point for some awesome Tennesseans. :)
Well, my time is up! Catch you all later...
(Please excuse the exclamation points. They won't go away.)
It's a short break (just from Wednesday to Sunday) but I'll take it! I was starting to feel a little burned out with all of the assignments due just before break started. In fact, it was one mad scramble those last few days with exams and papers due, but the thought of spring break motivated me to write my Hume paper on Tuesday. And now I only have three papers and six exams to go (I have five papers and eight exams down).
On Thursday, a friend came over and we went traipsing through the woods, had an epic snowball fight (in bare feet, no less), had an adventure involving quicksand (we survived) and went out on the Beaver Pond in a flimsy raft and were nearly eaten by the Loch Beaver Monster (who is actually just an orange fish). It was awesome!
I'm getting ready to leave in about ten minutes to sing in a cantata presented by area churches titled "The Power of the Cross." I've really enjoyed being involved in it and I'm really looking forward to performing it. I hope it blesses the people watching as much as it has blessed me. It was so nice to take some time off for practices over the past few months. Singing is great therapy for the college-zonked mind. Haha.
Real quick before I dash out the door (since I doubt I'll be blogging for quite some time...maybe not even until college is over), I've started planning summer classes. Actually, I think my summer is totally booked. I plan on taking nine credits (Euclidean Geometry from PHC and Spanish 1 & 2 from a SUNY college through DL), working pretty much full time, and hopefully campaigning at some point for some awesome Tennesseans. :)
Well, my time is up! Catch you all later...
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Oh, look!
It's a (relatively) non-boring post!! What do you know...
So, I've just posted two papers from this semester (I've also written one on Descartes, but I don't think that will be appearing here any time soon. Let's just say I hope to never look at that paper again! Unless, of course, I am satisfied with the grade...) and feel that I should write something slightly more lighthearted before my blog becomes hopelessly dry. In fact, I was informed that I could blog my papers, but that I needed to write about my life as well. But...but...but...papers + exams + reading = my life right now!
That aside, I will attempt to comply with my orders and write something more readable than incoherent thoughts on Anselm and Adam Smith.
Not that this post will be interesting. I am feeling rather drained of creativity right now; plus, it's nearly 1 AM and my brain may shut down at any moment (Yes, I assure you that there would be a noticeable distinction between Jessica-with-functioning-brain and Jessica-without-functioning-brain. I just can't think of what exactly that would be.)
Most of this post was written while hopping between blogger and writing philosophy discussion board posts. That may be helpful to keep in mind. Or not.
Today, my mom and I went to the oral surgeon. <--- That sentence alone strikes terror into my soul.
Oral.
Surgeon.
Very scary words indeed.
You see, now that I have gotten my braces off, it seemed that the next logical step would be to...spend MORE money on my teeth/jaw/whatever. So not only have I been to a real live dentist (with NO ortho prefix! Novel idea.), but I have also been to the oral surgeon to see about removing my "third molars," aka wisdom teeth.
Actually, going to the dentist was itself rather humorous, as I had been going to the Dental Van over the past...maybe five or six years of my life. (Yeah, the Dental Van is about as exciting as it sounds.) That was all well and good, except the Dental Van is for kids and they kicked me out (not literally, of course) when I turned eighteen. So a couple weeks ago I ended up going to my mom's dentist, who had not seen me since May of 1997. Yes, I was six then. But what cracked me up was the medical history form that I was handed so that I could update it. It was what my mom had written about me waaaay back then, and I started laughing when I realized that absolutely nothing had changed...not even the note she had written under "patient problems or concerns": "she brushes often but never flosses." Sadly, that is still the case. And yes, I am aware that this makes me horrible person.
Anyways, I had some x-rays done (which the staff found hilarious....apparently the roots of my teeth are excessively long and are positioned abnormally because of my small jaw. So, it looks like my teeth have legs with little feet at the ends of the roots. And I'm sure you all wanted to know that. Moving on...) and the dentist told me that I do indeed have four wisdom teeth that should be removed as soon as possible.
Great.
So. Today. We went to the oral surgeon. It was a consultation visit; you know, the kind where you pay $45 dollars for having the doctor talk to you for five minutes. As part of the "informed consent" process, I was required to watch an 11-minute video all about the horrors great fun of the procedure. I was just fine until the talking dude mentioned that one possible side effect was DEATH. Wait, what?!
"Oh, and by the way...this is potentially fatal."
Like, hello?
I'm not exactly sure why, but I don't actually want to die while having my wisdom teeth extracted. I'm just weird like that.
The nurse came back in and said it was an "informative" video. I told her that I was now sufficiently petrified. She didn't seem concerned. And when I informed my mom that I was certain to die, she just laughed at me. Such sympathy.
However, there is hope.
The doctor came in and told us that my wisdom teeth are sufficiently impacted as to be completely embedded in the bone. For that reason, he thought it would be best to wait a year or more before extracting them so that the surgery would be easier. And believe me, I was just fine with that!
After that harrowing fantastic ordeal, we went to Starbucks. (Note: Starbucks is awesome.) The closest Starbucks we have is on the college campus (SUNY Fredonia) and I go there when I want to feel like an actual college student. Sitting in front of a computer gets old really fast, and living miles from your classmates...and having never met any of them...is also a downside of distance learning. (Confession of the day: An example of the lengths I will go to convince myself that my classmates are real people and not just names on discussion board posts...I have found that by searching the student portal, I can learn all of the students' middle names. So, I have. Because I am just that much of a stalker.) Anyhow, sometimes I will go to the college library or Starbucks and brainstorm papers and pretend that I'm just one of the students. It's very sad how much of a thrill that gives me, actually.
Where was I? Oh, that's right. I introduced my mom to the campus Starbucks. It was fun. I conveniently had no money with me. Funny how that worked out. My sentences are getting choppy again. I would call it awesome mom-daughter bonding time...except I was reading an exhilarating book on FDR's New Deal and she was people watching. Whatever.
I have a feeling that this post is becoming ridiculously long, and my ability to write coherent sentences is flying out the window. So I think I'll just sum up some random things and then go to bed.
I have learned that...
*Rene is a boys' name...at least in France.
*Descartes is pronounced WAY different than it looks.
*Discussion board posts should not be attempted when very tired.
*It is actually possible to fall asleep while sitting at a computer, with your head on the desk. I wish it only happened in movies.
*Papers do not write themselves while you are asleep on said desk.
*Falling asleep while sitting in the van waiting for a piano lesson is extremely disorienting.
*Waking up thinking that you've somehow slept through your piano lesson is very disconcerting.
*Being absorbed in studying for exams causes skipping way too many meals.
*Little sisters are awesome...especially when they bring me food in my room that I would otherwise completely forget to eat.
*Along the same lines...people will notice--and comment--if I lose even five pounds. Ridiculous.
*Hearing many people tell you to eat gets annoying. So, you eat. (No, I am NOT anorexic. I just forget to eat. Trust me on this.)
*Descartes was the dude who invented those horrid Cartesian coordinate planes. I KNEW there was a reason I didn't like him!
*Descartes should have stuck with math. Seriously.
*Adam Smith's invisible hand is awesome at helping to write essays on economics (sort of like a ghost writer, you see) but writes in invisible ink. (That's a definite downside.)
*My computer is run by a cave man.
*The cave man who runs my computer hates me with a passion.
*Having Firefox crash in the midst of a Philosophy exam is not a fun experience. (And yes, I am getting a new computer shortly.)
*Going OVER the maximum word count while writing a paper is an awesome feeling. And one that will probably never happen to me again.
*Microsoft Word is not really a fun place to hang out for a day. Or two.
*Giving up facebook for ten days in a row is an excellent idea. So much more can be accomplished, and I didn't even die! Shocking...
*Learning about soteriology from a reformed perspective is incredibly interesting. And much different from how I was brought up. And that's all I have to say about that. :P
*Asking dad the theology discussion board questions makes for an interesting conversation. And interesting in a very good way.
*Essentially is a good word. So is subsequently. (Does having favorite words make me a nerd?)
*I am overly excited when I use words in my papers that my mom has never heard of (I was almost giddy when I found a way to use epistemological and solipsism.)
This post is definitely too long. And it is 2 AM. Good night, blogosphere. It will probably be some time before I post again, so I hope this is satisfactory. Or maybe even phenomenal.
Yeah.
Phenomenal would be nice.
Out.
So, I've just posted two papers from this semester (I've also written one on Descartes, but I don't think that will be appearing here any time soon. Let's just say I hope to never look at that paper again! Unless, of course, I am satisfied with the grade...) and feel that I should write something slightly more lighthearted before my blog becomes hopelessly dry. In fact, I was informed that I could blog my papers, but that I needed to write about my life as well. But...but...but...papers + exams + reading = my life right now!
That aside, I will attempt to comply with my orders and write something more readable than incoherent thoughts on Anselm and Adam Smith.
Not that this post will be interesting. I am feeling rather drained of creativity right now; plus, it's nearly 1 AM and my brain may shut down at any moment (Yes, I assure you that there would be a noticeable distinction between Jessica-with-functioning-brain and Jessica-without-functioning-brain. I just can't think of what exactly that would be.)
Most of this post was written while hopping between blogger and writing philosophy discussion board posts. That may be helpful to keep in mind. Or not.
Today, my mom and I went to the oral surgeon. <--- That sentence alone strikes terror into my soul.
Oral.
Surgeon.
Very scary words indeed.
You see, now that I have gotten my braces off, it seemed that the next logical step would be to...spend MORE money on my teeth/jaw/whatever. So not only have I been to a real live dentist (with NO ortho prefix! Novel idea.), but I have also been to the oral surgeon to see about removing my "third molars," aka wisdom teeth.
Actually, going to the dentist was itself rather humorous, as I had been going to the Dental Van over the past...maybe five or six years of my life. (Yeah, the Dental Van is about as exciting as it sounds.) That was all well and good, except the Dental Van is for kids and they kicked me out (not literally, of course) when I turned eighteen. So a couple weeks ago I ended up going to my mom's dentist, who had not seen me since May of 1997. Yes, I was six then. But what cracked me up was the medical history form that I was handed so that I could update it. It was what my mom had written about me waaaay back then, and I started laughing when I realized that absolutely nothing had changed...not even the note she had written under "patient problems or concerns": "she brushes often but never flosses." Sadly, that is still the case. And yes, I am aware that this makes me horrible person.
Anyways, I had some x-rays done (which the staff found hilarious....apparently the roots of my teeth are excessively long and are positioned abnormally because of my small jaw. So, it looks like my teeth have legs with little feet at the ends of the roots. And I'm sure you all wanted to know that. Moving on...) and the dentist told me that I do indeed have four wisdom teeth that should be removed as soon as possible.
Great.
So. Today. We went to the oral surgeon. It was a consultation visit; you know, the kind where you pay $45 dollars for having the doctor talk to you for five minutes. As part of the "informed consent" process, I was required to watch an 11-minute video all about the
"Oh, and by the way...this is potentially fatal."
Like, hello?
I'm not exactly sure why, but I don't actually want to die while having my wisdom teeth extracted. I'm just weird like that.
The nurse came back in and said it was an "informative" video. I told her that I was now sufficiently petrified. She didn't seem concerned. And when I informed my mom that I was certain to die, she just laughed at me. Such sympathy.
However, there is hope.
The doctor came in and told us that my wisdom teeth are sufficiently impacted as to be completely embedded in the bone. For that reason, he thought it would be best to wait a year or more before extracting them so that the surgery would be easier. And believe me, I was just fine with that!
After that
Where was I? Oh, that's right. I introduced my mom to the campus Starbucks. It was fun. I conveniently had no money with me. Funny how that worked out. My sentences are getting choppy again. I would call it awesome mom-daughter bonding time...except I was reading an exhilarating book on FDR's New Deal and she was people watching. Whatever.
I have a feeling that this post is becoming ridiculously long, and my ability to write coherent sentences is flying out the window. So I think I'll just sum up some random things and then go to bed.
I have learned that...
*Rene is a boys' name...at least in France.
*Descartes is pronounced WAY different than it looks.
*Discussion board posts should not be attempted when very tired.
*It is actually possible to fall asleep while sitting at a computer, with your head on the desk. I wish it only happened in movies.
*Papers do not write themselves while you are asleep on said desk.
*Falling asleep while sitting in the van waiting for a piano lesson is extremely disorienting.
*Waking up thinking that you've somehow slept through your piano lesson is very disconcerting.
*Being absorbed in studying for exams causes skipping way too many meals.
*Little sisters are awesome...especially when they bring me food in my room that I would otherwise completely forget to eat.
*Along the same lines...people will notice--and comment--if I lose even five pounds. Ridiculous.
*Hearing many people tell you to eat gets annoying. So, you eat. (No, I am NOT anorexic. I just forget to eat. Trust me on this.)
*Descartes was the dude who invented those horrid Cartesian coordinate planes. I KNEW there was a reason I didn't like him!
*Descartes should have stuck with math. Seriously.
*Adam Smith's invisible hand is awesome at helping to write essays on economics (sort of like a ghost writer, you see) but writes in invisible ink. (That's a definite downside.)
*My computer is run by a cave man.
*The cave man who runs my computer hates me with a passion.
*Having Firefox crash in the midst of a Philosophy exam is not a fun experience. (And yes, I am getting a new computer shortly.)
*Going OVER the maximum word count while writing a paper is an awesome feeling. And one that will probably never happen to me again.
*Microsoft Word is not really a fun place to hang out for a day. Or two.
*Giving up facebook for ten days in a row is an excellent idea. So much more can be accomplished, and I didn't even die! Shocking...
*Learning about soteriology from a reformed perspective is incredibly interesting. And much different from how I was brought up. And that's all I have to say about that. :P
*Asking dad the theology discussion board questions makes for an interesting conversation. And interesting in a very good way.
*Essentially is a good word. So is subsequently. (Does having favorite words make me a nerd?)
*I am overly excited when I use words in my papers that my mom has never heard of (I was almost giddy when I found a way to use epistemological and solipsism.)
This post is definitely too long. And it is 2 AM. Good night, blogosphere. It will probably be some time before I post again, so I hope this is satisfactory. Or maybe even phenomenal.
Yeah.
Phenomenal would be nice.
Out.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Jessica erat in flagrante delicto...apparently.
Uh, for those of you who don't know Latin (I don't either, no worries), that apparently means that I was "caught in the act." I have been busted for lack of blogging! Actually, I have received two emails in the last roughly 24 hours that thoroughly impressed upon my heart that it is, indeed and truly, time for another blog post.
Wondering what kind of threats were used to force me to go to www.blogger.com this time? Here's the email I received:
"Yes, Jessica, the time has come once again when I must speak to you about how infrequently you post on your blog. I'm sorry this is such a hassle, but apparently you still have not learned that I want to know more about your life than an occasional and far-between facebook one-line status updates. I care about you and want to get a more comprehensive view on how you are doing. And I am therefore asking you to blog.
Very sincerely, ********
ps Please do not say that you have blogged recently. By any standards it has been since the 18 January, 2010, which is fully a month and four days. And by my standards, which means something that actually talks about your life, it has been since 7 January 2010. In such post you brought up that you blogged more than twice a month last year, which you have not come close to this year. You have not been blogging recently. With all due respect: Jessica erat in flagrante delicto. Please remedy this."
So remedying I am. And I'll admit it. It has been forever since I blogged last. In fact, it has gotten so bad that I stopped checking my blog to see if I had updated.
My excuse is, of course, that I have been so insanely busy with college work that I hardly have time to eat and sleep, much less blog.
But for some people, that excuse just does not cut it. So, at the risk of killing my grades, failing classes, dropping out of college, ruining my life, and all other kinds of unspeakable doom, I will blog. Because that's just the kind of sacrificial person I am.
My life lately has consisted almost entirely of school work. I am only taking twelve credits (four classes), but it really is about all I can do to keep up. So far, I have completed the first four exams and have written one paper. I have three papers due within the next two weeks or so, and then exams again! It's never-ending, but it is doable...because God's strength is made perfect in my weakness, and man, have I been weak!
Philosophy has been my most difficult class this semester. However, thanks to Descartes I have made an amazing discovery: I can't think, therefore I am not. Which means I don't need to write any more philosophy posts or papers, since I don't exist! I was really excited about this until a classmate pointed out that I really can't think that I can't think, because thinking that I can't think is thinking. Snap!
Besides school, I have been still involved in Awana every Monday night, sometimes doing the council time lessons or doing the music for the Sparks. Choir practice seems to have been canceled a lot lately because of the snow, but I usually go to church for that on Wednesday nights. I am involved in an Easter cantata (singing soprano) that several area churches are organizing. I absolutely adore the music and am really enjoying learning the songs. (Chris Tomlin!!!! Yeah.)
I've been playing the piano every week in church (and starting to play the organ as well) to accompany the congregation. That has been a learning experience! I have wanted to play the congregational numbers for a long time, and it is a really amazing feeling to finally be able to (with varying degrees of success...but we won't go there). Currently I only play the chorus of the month, but I'd like to start playing the hymns as well.
What else is there to tell? I've gone to some political meetings and am back working at the Board of Elections every Thursday for a while. They have a project they needed help with that could not wait until summer, so I am attempting to work there one day a week and still keep my college classes afloat.
I hope that post suffices for now (AKA, are you happy now, ********?) I seriously will attempt to blog more often. Man, that's hard to say with a straight face. Fortunately, none of you can see my facial expressions, so you have no idea how insincere I am being. And Erika just walked in and said I "look horrible" so I guess that is one more reason to be glad you can't see me right now.
The End.
Wondering what kind of threats were used to force me to go to www.blogger.com this time? Here's the email I received:
"Yes, Jessica, the time has come once again when I must speak to you about how infrequently you post on your blog. I'm sorry this is such a hassle, but apparently you still have not learned that I want to know more about your life than an occasional and far-between facebook one-line status updates. I care about you and want to get a more comprehensive view on how you are doing. And I am therefore asking you to blog.
Very sincerely, ********
ps Please do not say that you have blogged recently. By any standards it has been since the 18 January, 2010, which is fully a month and four days. And by my standards, which means something that actually talks about your life, it has been since 7 January 2010. In such post you brought up that you blogged more than twice a month last year, which you have not come close to this year. You have not been blogging recently. With all due respect: Jessica erat in flagrante delicto. Please remedy this."
So remedying I am. And I'll admit it. It has been forever since I blogged last. In fact, it has gotten so bad that I stopped checking my blog to see if I had updated.
My excuse is, of course, that I have been so insanely busy with college work that I hardly have time to eat and sleep, much less blog.
But for some people, that excuse just does not cut it. So, at the risk of killing my grades, failing classes, dropping out of college, ruining my life, and all other kinds of unspeakable doom, I will blog. Because that's just the kind of sacrificial person I am.
My life lately has consisted almost entirely of school work. I am only taking twelve credits (four classes), but it really is about all I can do to keep up. So far, I have completed the first four exams and have written one paper. I have three papers due within the next two weeks or so, and then exams again! It's never-ending, but it is doable...because God's strength is made perfect in my weakness, and man, have I been weak!
Philosophy has been my most difficult class this semester. However, thanks to Descartes I have made an amazing discovery: I can't think, therefore I am not. Which means I don't need to write any more philosophy posts or papers, since I don't exist! I was really excited about this until a classmate pointed out that I really can't think that I can't think, because thinking that I can't think is thinking. Snap!
Besides school, I have been still involved in Awana every Monday night, sometimes doing the council time lessons or doing the music for the Sparks. Choir practice seems to have been canceled a lot lately because of the snow, but I usually go to church for that on Wednesday nights. I am involved in an Easter cantata (singing soprano) that several area churches are organizing. I absolutely adore the music and am really enjoying learning the songs. (Chris Tomlin!!!! Yeah.)
I've been playing the piano every week in church (and starting to play the organ as well) to accompany the congregation. That has been a learning experience! I have wanted to play the congregational numbers for a long time, and it is a really amazing feeling to finally be able to (with varying degrees of success...but we won't go there). Currently I only play the chorus of the month, but I'd like to start playing the hymns as well.
What else is there to tell? I've gone to some political meetings and am back working at the Board of Elections every Thursday for a while. They have a project they needed help with that could not wait until summer, so I am attempting to work there one day a week and still keep my college classes afloat.
I hope that post suffices for now (AKA, are you happy now, ********?) I seriously will attempt to blog more often. Man, that's hard to say with a straight face. Fortunately, none of you can see my facial expressions, so you have no idea how insincere I am being. And Erika just walked in and said I "look horrible" so I guess that is one more reason to be glad you can't see me right now.
The End.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Wondering...
Will someone please explain to me why I am getting tons of hits from people all over the country who are googling "Jessica Soapbox"?? Thanks!
EDIT: Mystery solved. Apparently everyone is looking for this and land on my blog in the process of searching. Here I thought I was suddenly amazingly popular (I'm getting roughly 30 hits per hour). Oh, well. It's nice to know what's going on...I was a little weirded out. Thanks for the tip, anon!
EDIT: Mystery solved. Apparently everyone is looking for this and land on my blog in the process of searching. Here I thought I was suddenly amazingly popular (I'm getting roughly 30 hits per hour). Oh, well. It's nice to know what's going on...I was a little weirded out. Thanks for the tip, anon!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
2010, really?
Can you believe that it's a new year?! We're in a new decade, in fact. Wow.
Isn't it amazing how much can happen in one year? For example, I blogged 27 times. Impressive, right? That's more than twice per month, people.
*waits several moments for applause*
*gives up waiting*
So, what's in store for this year? Really, only God knows what will happen in the coming months, but I trust that this year will be filled with blessings for all of my readers. (I feel like I can finally talk as if I have readers since I now have reached a whopping twelve followers....)
Yesterday I posted my last paper from last semester. My apologies for any formatting issues...Microsoft Word and Blogger don't get along very well. In fact, I spent at least an hour editing the html of that post so that it would look readable. There are still some problems with the footnotes, but let me assure you that they are correctly formatted in the actual document (proper spacing and all!).
Anyhow, it is the argumentative research paper that I wrote for my Research and Writing class. Yes, the "dangerous" paper that I wrote about a while back. And while we are on that subject, I must announce to a particular reader (*cough*Erika*cough*) that I STILL HAVE THAT SCAR!!! Just FYI. ((See, it wasn't exaggerated.))
In that post I mentioned my nightmare wherein I had worried that I had ended my paper with the word with. That's why it was rather humorous when my professor commented that my last sentence was good. If only she knew...
So, now I finally have my class grades and cumulative GPA. I am satisfied but not thrilled (Yep, I wanted that elusive 4.0.) But God is good! He is so faithful and it was only by His grace and the encouragement of friends and family that I got through the first few rough days of college and had the stamina to finish.
You see, I did something that I would never recommend anyone try: from the time that I was accepted at PHC to the day that classes started, I focused on anything but college. Finishing high school wore me out and my summer was busy while I worked a full-time job. My last day of work was Friday, my friend's graduation party (in our yard) was Sunday, and college started on Monday. So, that Monday morning, I logged onto the student portal and started trying to navigate my classes for the first time.
Incredibly. Bad. Idea.
That is why my first week of college was one of the worst weeks in my life. I learned that I did not have all my books, and I was just scrambling to keep up. In fact, the entire semester I was barely on track due to my stupidity and carelessness at the beginning.
Why am I saying all of this? Because I have determined to do better this time. College officially starts next Wednesday (or Thursday, depending on who I ask) but I have already started getting ready. I hope to be completely organized, have all of my books (I have many of them, but a few are still in the mail), finish the preliminaries (PKATs, etc), and have started the reading before the first day of class.
I think what I've just written is very much along the same lines as something my good friend just posted. She wrote,
Anyhow, what she said rings so true to me. I think it is so important that we seize the opportunities that God has given us. My acceptance at PHC was, I feel, an open door that God gave me to increase in knowledge and broaden my horizons. Rather than continually questioning what I will do with a degree and where God wants me to be in the future, I ought to focus on making the most of this amazing opportunity.
Moving on...
Break has been wonderful. I'm afraid that I took the catching-up-on-sleep-thing to an absolute extreme. I am definitely not going into details (though I'm sure Erika would be happy to satisfy your curiosity...please don't ask her!!). Let me just say that I think I've slept enough now that I could be up for the next week....
Besides sleeping excessively, I've been hanging out with family (sleigh rides, Christmas caroling, sledding, making snow angels), spending time with friends (especially one friend who will be leaving soon for several months...sniff, sniff!), playing piano (I've started playing piano with the congregation now...what an experience!) and overall just loving life.
Oh yes, I should mention the one adverse affect that college has had on me: wisdom teeth. At least, I think they are starting to come in (which means I need to get them all out right away before they ruin 4 1/2 years of orthodontic work) and my mom said that since college is making me so smart, it only makes sense that my wisdom teeth would come in.... Very funny.
Yep, break was fantastic, but...Spring semester, here I come!
Carpe diem, folks!!
Isn't it amazing how much can happen in one year? For example, I blogged 27 times. Impressive, right? That's more than twice per month, people.
*waits several moments for applause*
*gives up waiting*
So, what's in store for this year? Really, only God knows what will happen in the coming months, but I trust that this year will be filled with blessings for all of my readers. (I feel like I can finally talk as if I have readers since I now have reached a whopping twelve followers....)
Yesterday I posted my last paper from last semester. My apologies for any formatting issues...Microsoft Word and Blogger don't get along very well. In fact, I spent at least an hour editing the html of that post so that it would look readable. There are still some problems with the footnotes, but let me assure you that they are correctly formatted in the actual document (proper spacing and all!).
Anyhow, it is the argumentative research paper that I wrote for my Research and Writing class. Yes, the "dangerous" paper that I wrote about a while back. And while we are on that subject, I must announce to a particular reader (*cough*Erika*cough*) that I STILL HAVE THAT SCAR!!! Just FYI. ((See, it wasn't exaggerated.))
In that post I mentioned my nightmare wherein I had worried that I had ended my paper with the word with. That's why it was rather humorous when my professor commented that my last sentence was good. If only she knew...
So, now I finally have my class grades and cumulative GPA. I am satisfied but not thrilled (Yep, I wanted that elusive 4.0.) But God is good! He is so faithful and it was only by His grace and the encouragement of friends and family that I got through the first few rough days of college and had the stamina to finish.
You see, I did something that I would never recommend anyone try: from the time that I was accepted at PHC to the day that classes started, I focused on anything but college. Finishing high school wore me out and my summer was busy while I worked a full-time job. My last day of work was Friday, my friend's graduation party (in our yard) was Sunday, and college started on Monday. So, that Monday morning, I logged onto the student portal and started trying to navigate my classes for the first time.
Incredibly. Bad. Idea.
That is why my first week of college was one of the worst weeks in my life. I learned that I did not have all my books, and I was just scrambling to keep up. In fact, the entire semester I was barely on track due to my stupidity and carelessness at the beginning.
Why am I saying all of this? Because I have determined to do better this time. College officially starts next Wednesday (or Thursday, depending on who I ask) but I have already started getting ready. I hope to be completely organized, have all of my books (I have many of them, but a few are still in the mail), finish the preliminaries (PKATs, etc), and have started the reading before the first day of class.
I think what I've just written is very much along the same lines as something my good friend just posted. She wrote,
I must not hold back when God is clearing the path for me. I need to be watching for the opportunities He puts before me, and when He says 'go', I need to throw myself into it instead of asking "are You sure?"(Can you believe I just quoted you on my blog, bestie? You're famous now!)
Anyhow, what she said rings so true to me. I think it is so important that we seize the opportunities that God has given us. My acceptance at PHC was, I feel, an open door that God gave me to increase in knowledge and broaden my horizons. Rather than continually questioning what I will do with a degree and where God wants me to be in the future, I ought to focus on making the most of this amazing opportunity.
Moving on...
Break has been wonderful. I'm afraid that I took the catching-up-on-sleep-thing to an absolute extreme. I am definitely not going into details (though I'm sure Erika would be happy to satisfy your curiosity...please don't ask her!!). Let me just say that I think I've slept enough now that I could be up for the next week....
Besides sleeping excessively, I've been hanging out with family (sleigh rides, Christmas caroling, sledding, making snow angels), spending time with friends (especially one friend who will be leaving soon for several months...sniff, sniff!), playing piano (I've started playing piano with the congregation now...what an experience!) and overall just loving life.
Oh yes, I should mention the one adverse affect that college has had on me: wisdom teeth. At least, I think they are starting to come in (which means I need to get them all out right away before they ruin 4 1/2 years of orthodontic work) and my mom said that since college is making me so smart, it only makes sense that my wisdom teeth would come in.... Very funny.
Yep, break was fantastic, but...Spring semester, here I come!
Carpe diem, folks!!
Is it Morally Acceptable to Discard Unwanted Frozen Human Embryos?
Around the world, a debate is raging over the ethical and moral implications of scientific breakthroughs in the field of assisted reproductive technologies. At the center of the controversy is an organism so small that it can fit on the end of a pin: the frozen human embryo. [1] Suspended indefinitely in a place where time has stopped—frozen in vials in fertility clinics—hundreds of thousands of human embryos await implantation in a mother’s womb.[2] With storage space running low, many fertility clinics are left wondering what should be done with unclaimed and unwanted embryos. Discarding seems to be the easiest option, but some ethicists and scientists argue that destroying embryos is not morally acceptable because it takes the life of a human being.
The frozen human embryos in question are created using in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF is a process that allows infertile couples to conceive. In a study on reproductive technologies, Jacques Cohen and Robert Lee Hotz write, “These new technologies usually are aimed at women who cannot carry their own child and at those numerous couples—an estimated 2.4 million married couples in theUnited States
In the IVF process, eggs are harvested from the female which are then fertilized in a Petri dish. After five to six days of growth, having formed six cells, the embryos are in the blastocyst stage, and are ready to be implanted in the mother’s womb. Because the success rate for IVF is low, many embryos are created at once and some are cryogenically preserved, or frozen, for later use.[4] According to Andrea Bonnicksen, “During a woman’s initial IVF cycle, three or four of the embryos created are transferred to her uterus, while the rest are frozen for storage, to be thawed and transferred at a later date.”[5] If the first batch of implanted embryos is not successful, the frozen embryos are used.
Cryopreservation of human embryos is possible because the freezing temperature literally slows down time and stops the development of the embryo until it is thawed for use. Dr. Jerome Lejeune, a geneticist renowned for his discovery of the cause of Down’s syndrome,[6] explains: “But in the fundamental sense what we are doing by lowering down the temperature is stopping not totally but very deeply the movements of the atoms and molecule so…we have more or less arrested the flux of the time.”[7] Because the growth of human embryos is halted, they can be left frozen for an indefinite period of time.
The issue arises when the embryos go unclaimed, and clinics are left with the dilemma of determining their fate. The clinics mail out letters, asking the parents to determine an outcome for their embryos. In a study about the rationales behind opting to either donate or discard embryos, Sheryl de Lacey writes that the decisions are “extremely difficult and morally challenging.”[8]
The two options available for unwanted frozen human embryos are either donation (to another couple or to research) or discarding. According to researcher Sheryl de Lacey:
But is it morally acceptable to discard human embryos? The answer depends on one’s view of life. To a person who believes that life begins at conception, the embryo is a human life. Lejeune states unequivocally that the embryo is a human being: “But as a geneticist you ask me whether this human being is a human, and I would tell you that because he is a being and being human, he is a human being.”[11] Reproductive rights supporter Cheryl Meyer follows the implications of the belief that human life begins at conception: “If the embryo represents human life, this could become an insurmountable problem to medical research on, or even performance of, the IVF procedure. Theoretically, physicians could no longer conduct research using embryos or discard embryos, because to do so could be considered murder.”[12]
However, in a 1979 report by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare that supported IVF and embryo transfer, the Ethics Advisory Board concluded that “the human embryo is entitled to profound respect; but this respect does not necessarily encompass the full legal and moral rights attributed to persons.”[13] Scott B. Rae and Paul M. Cox from the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity disagree:
The fact that the frozen embryo has the potential to lead a normal life is another consideration when determining whether it is acceptable to discard frozen human embryos. According to a study in Human Reproduction, there is no noticeable increase in defects in children born from frozen embryos compared to children conceived naturally:
Ethicists Rae and Cox propose another possible solution to the unwanted frozen embryo dilemma. They write that the number of embryos that can be created at one time should be limited, for if the doctor limited the creation of embryos to the number that could be implanted at one time, cryopreservation would become unnecessary and difficult decisions about the fate of excess embryos would not have to be made. Rae and Cox write,
Clearly, the debate over the fate of unwanted frozen human embryos is not one that will find an easy solution. The issue is complex, with many moral and ethical implications. Donating to willing couples and limiting the number of created embryos are both viable alternatives to discarding which recognize the human life and potential in the embryo. The implications of a decision on the fate of the embryos are far-ranging and will affect thousands of frozen human embryos, so it is important that all options be considered carefully. An understanding of the sacredness of human life will be necessary as scientific research moves forward and new discoveries with moral implications are made in the field of reproductive technologies.
The frozen human embryos in question are created using in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF is a process that allows infertile couples to conceive. In a study on reproductive technologies, Jacques Cohen and Robert Lee Hotz write, “These new technologies usually are aimed at women who cannot carry their own child and at those numerous couples—an estimated 2.4 million married couples in the
In the IVF process, eggs are harvested from the female which are then fertilized in a Petri dish. After five to six days of growth, having formed six cells, the embryos are in the blastocyst stage, and are ready to be implanted in the mother’s womb. Because the success rate for IVF is low, many embryos are created at once and some are cryogenically preserved, or frozen, for later use.[4] According to Andrea Bonnicksen, “During a woman’s initial IVF cycle, three or four of the embryos created are transferred to her uterus, while the rest are frozen for storage, to be thawed and transferred at a later date.”[5] If the first batch of implanted embryos is not successful, the frozen embryos are used.
Cryopreservation of human embryos is possible because the freezing temperature literally slows down time and stops the development of the embryo until it is thawed for use. Dr. Jerome Lejeune, a geneticist renowned for his discovery of the cause of Down’s syndrome,[6] explains: “But in the fundamental sense what we are doing by lowering down the temperature is stopping not totally but very deeply the movements of the atoms and molecule so…we have more or less arrested the flux of the time.”[7] Because the growth of human embryos is halted, they can be left frozen for an indefinite period of time.
The issue arises when the embryos go unclaimed, and clinics are left with the dilemma of determining their fate. The clinics mail out letters, asking the parents to determine an outcome for their embryos. In a study about the rationales behind opting to either donate or discard embryos, Sheryl de Lacey writes that the decisions are “extremely difficult and morally challenging.”[8]
The two options available for unwanted frozen human embryos are either donation (to another couple or to research) or discarding. According to researcher Sheryl de Lacey:
Once a woman and her partner have determined that further treatment is no longer possible or desirable, the decision about the fate of the frozen embryos typically involves selecting between options that commonly include discarding embryos, donating embryos to another couple (either anonymously or to a known recipient), or donating to research. [9]A study of current trends in Australia shows that a significant number of couples do choose to discard their unwanted embryos: “In essence, 64.7% of the patients applied for an extension or used the embryos themselves in the 6 months between the reminder and the expiry date. Only 5.9% patients overall opted to donate embryos to others and the decision was not influenced by pregnancy. This compared with 18.8% of patients who chose to discard their embryos.”[10]
But is it morally acceptable to discard human embryos? The answer depends on one’s view of life. To a person who believes that life begins at conception, the embryo is a human life. Lejeune states unequivocally that the embryo is a human being: “But as a geneticist you ask me whether this human being is a human, and I would tell you that because he is a being and being human, he is a human being.”[11] Reproductive rights supporter Cheryl Meyer follows the implications of the belief that human life begins at conception: “If the embryo represents human life, this could become an insurmountable problem to medical research on, or even performance of, the IVF procedure. Theoretically, physicians could no longer conduct research using embryos or discard embryos, because to do so could be considered murder.”[12]
However, in a 1979 report by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare that supported IVF and embryo transfer, the Ethics Advisory Board concluded that “the human embryo is entitled to profound respect; but this respect does not necessarily encompass the full legal and moral rights attributed to persons.”[13] Scott B. Rae and Paul M. Cox from the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity disagree:
Embryos are persons, deserving of full human rights. They are not potential persons, a concept that itself is problematic. Either one is a person, or one is not a person. What one normally means by this imprecise use of that term is that the embryo (and fetus also) is a person with the potential to become a full-grown adult. It is better to say that the embryo is a “person with potential.”[14]Those who consider destruction of human embryos to be morally acceptable often use the term pre-embryo rather than embryo. However, Lejeune considers the term a “meaningless neologism,” stating that “before the embryo there are only the egg and the sperm, and, inasmuch as no one of them has achieved fertilization, no new being exists. There is, therefore, no pre-embryo, since by definition the embryo is the youngest form of being.” [15]
The fact that the frozen embryo has the potential to lead a normal life is another consideration when determining whether it is acceptable to discard frozen human embryos. According to a study in Human Reproduction, there is no noticeable increase in defects in children born from frozen embryos compared to children conceived naturally:
A study of 91 children born after transfer of cryopreserved embryos and 83 children born after natural conception (Sutcliff et. al., 1995), showed no increase in the incidence of malformations, either minor or major. Nor was there any difference in later psycho-motor development between the two groups, as assessed using Griffiths’ quotient (Griffiths, 1976) (Table XII).[16]If Lejeune is correct that destroying frozen embryos takes the life of a living human being, and if it is true that the embryo has the potential to lead a normal life, what should be done in the case of unwanted frozen embryos? Donating the embryos to another couple is an alternative to discarding that preserves the life of the embryo, but statistics show that the option is not preferred.[17] A shortcoming to the adoption solution is that donating an embryo is a complex emotional decision, one that many couples are not prepared to make. Rae and Cox state, “Even though donation does not involve discarding the leftover embryos, and is more ethically acceptable, it is very difficult to accept emotionally for many couples.”[18]
Ethicists Rae and Cox propose another possible solution to the unwanted frozen embryo dilemma. They write that the number of embryos that can be created at one time should be limited, for if the doctor limited the creation of embryos to the number that could be implanted at one time, cryopreservation would become unnecessary and difficult decisions about the fate of excess embryos would not have to be made. Rae and Cox write,
The most prudent course for couples to follow and for their physicians to encourage in these procedures is to avoid having leftover embryos as best they can….A couple can inform the clinic of their views concerning when personhood begins, and tell the clinic they do not want any leftover embryos after they are finished doing business there.…The number of eggs to be fertilized depends on the number of embryos the couple wants implanted. [19]Limiting the number of embryos created to the amount that could be implanted at one time would dispel the need to cryogenically preserve embryos, but the solution would require effort and time to implement.
Clearly, the debate over the fate of unwanted frozen human embryos is not one that will find an easy solution. The issue is complex, with many moral and ethical implications. Donating to willing couples and limiting the number of created embryos are both viable alternatives to discarding which recognize the human life and potential in the embryo. The implications of a decision on the fate of the embryos are far-ranging and will affect thousands of frozen human embryos, so it is important that all options be considered carefully. An understanding of the sacredness of human life will be necessary as scientific research moves forward and new discoveries with moral implications are made in the field of reproductive technologies.
Bibliography
Bonnicksen, Andrea. “Embryo Freezing: Ethical Issues in the Clinical Setting.” The
Brinsden, Peter R., ed. A Textbook of In Vitro Fertilization and Assisted Reproduction: The Bourn Hall Guide to Clinical and Laboratory Practice.
Cohen, Jacques and Robert Lee Hotz. “Toward Policies Regarding Assisted Reproductive Technologies.” In Emerging Issues in Biomedical Policy 1, ed. Robert H. Blank and Andrea Bonnicksen, 225-237.
de Lacey, Sheryl. “Decisions for the fate of frozen embryos: Fresh insights into patients' thinking and their rationales for donating or discarding embryos.” Human Reproduction 22, no. 6 (June 2007): 1751-1758, http://cli.gs/6H3m2b/ (accessed September 25, 2009).
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Ethics Advisory Board. Report and Conclusions: HEW Support of Research Involving Human In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer. 1979. http://www.bioethics.gov/reports/past_commissions/HEW_IVF_report.pdf (accessed October 27, 2009).
Lejeune, Jerome. The Concentration Can: When Does Human Life Begin? An Eminent Geneticist Testifies.
Ludwig, M., S.Al-Hasani, R.Felberbaum and K.Diedrich. “New aspects of cryopreservation of oocytes and embryos in assisted reproduction and future perspectives.” Human Reproduction 14 (1999): 162-185, http://cli.gs/ZgnrvZ (accessed September 25, 2009).
Meyer, Cheryl L. The Wandering Uterus: Politics and the Reproductive Rights of Women.
Rae, Scott B. and Paul M. Cox. Bioethics: A Christian Approach in a Pluralistic Age.
[1] Peter R. Brinsden, ed., A Textbook of In Vitro Fertilization and Assisted Reproduction: The Bourn Hall Guide to Clinical and Laboratory Practice (
[2], and Cryopreserved embryos in the United States and their availability for research,” abstract, in Fertility and Sterility 79 Issue 5, (May 2003), http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282%2803%2900172-9/abstract (accessed October 18, 2009).
[3] Jacques Cohen and Robert Lee Hotz, “Toward Policies Regarding Assisted Reproductive Technologies,” in Emerging Issues in Biomedical Policy 1, ed. Robert H. Blank and Andrea Bonnicksen (New York: Columbia University Press, 1992), 225.
[4] Ibid, 232.
[5] Andrea L. Bonnicksen, “Embryo Freezing: Ethical Issues in the Clinical Setting.” The
[6] Jerome Lejeune, The Concentration Can: When Does Human Life Begin? An Eminent Geneticist Testifies (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1992), 22.
[7] Ibid., 36.
[8] Sheryl de Lacey, “Decisions for the Fate of Frozen Embryos: Fresh Insights into Patients’ Thinking and their Rationales for Donating or Discarding Embryos,” Human Reproduction 22, no. 6 (2007), 1751, http://cli.gs/6H3m2b/ (accessed October 4, 2009).
[9] Ibid.
[10] Neroli Darlington and Phillip Matson, “The Fate of Cryopreserved Embryos Approaching their Legal Limit of Storage within a West Australian In-vitro Fertilization Clinic,” Human Reproduction 14 no.9 (1999): 2343.
[11] Jerome Lejeune, The Concentration Can: When Does Human Life Begin? An Eminent Geneticist Testifies (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1992), 72.
[12] Cheryl L. Meyer, The Wandering Uterus: Politics and the Reproductive Rights of Women (New York: New York University Press, 1997), 64.
[13] Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Ethics Advisory Board, Report and Conclusions: HEW Support of Research Involving Human In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer, 1979, http://www.bioethics.gov/ reports/past_commissions/HEW_IVF_report.pdf (accessed October 27, 2009), 101.
[14] Scott B. Rae and Paul M. Cox, Bioethics: A Christian Approach in a Pluralistic Age, (
[15] Jerome Lejeune, The Concentration Can: When Does Human Life Begin? An Eminent Geneticist Testifies (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1992), 11.
[16] Ludwig, M., S.Al-Hasani, R.Felberbaum and K.Diedrich. “New aspects of cryopreservation of oocytes and embryos in assisted reproduction and future perspectives.” Human Reproduction 14 (1999): 162-185, http://cli.gs/ZgnrvZ (accessed September 25, 2009).
[17] Neroli Darlington and Phillip Matson, “The Fate of Cryopreserved Embryos Approaching their Legal Limit of Storage within a West Australian In-vitro Fertilization Clinic,” Human Reproduction 14 no.9 (1999): 2343.
[18] Scott B. Rae and Paul M. Cox, Bioethics: A Christian Approach in a Pluralistic Age, (
[19] Ibid.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
So.
I have just posted my Theological Term paper. I received it back from my professor today and was pleased (okay, thrilled) with my grade. If you've ever wanted to know what a ten-page paper looks like on blogger, take a look! And please comment and give feedback. Don't worry about offending me; believe me, this paper has been ripped to shreds before (constructive criticism, you know).
Just a quick update: I am alive, I am loving break, had my braces removed last week (pictures here), went on a harrowing shopping trip with Katrina, had a marvelous Christmas, turned 19 yesterday (I suppose I need to update my sidebar!), and am actually starting to look forward to college again. I definitely needed a break, though!
All right, I'm off to post on Erika's blog!
Just a quick update: I am alive, I am loving break, had my braces removed last week (pictures here), went on a harrowing shopping trip with Katrina, had a marvelous Christmas, turned 19 yesterday (I suppose I need to update my sidebar!), and am actually starting to look forward to college again. I definitely needed a break, though!
All right, I'm off to post on Erika's blog!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
In Which I Write Like a Hysterical, Relieved College Student
HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry, I had to get that out....
See that smile on my face? ^^^^ Josh drew that picture of me, and I think he captured my feelings quite well. :)
This post will probably be sickeningly exuberant with an excessive number of exclamation points because I'm currently floating in a state of delirious happiness. First semester down!!! I took the last final last night, and now I have 28 days free. (Yep, I counted them.)
Life is fantastic and God is amazing!!! Not only am I done with college for the semester (have I mentioned that yet?), but my braces are coming off next Monday (December 21st), I will be 19 the week after that, and I am majorly thrilled about my plans for break.
What are my plans for break? Well, basically, I plan on being a complete slob. Just kidding...I have a long list of things that I've been unable to do all semester. It's the simple things that I miss, like...
cleaning my room (it has gotten pretty bad lately...piles of projects that I need to work on and haven't had time)
-sleeping
-emailing friends back
-writing letters
-Christmas things, like the newsletter, buying presents, and more
-blogging
-writing in my journal
-talking to friends and family without watching the clock and keeping college assignments constantly in the back of my brain (It's true that I've been home since I do distance learning, but having assignments has meant that I've had to shut myself into my room [even when friends are here] and do school.)
Actually, it's a rather surreal feeling to have no assignments pressing on my brain. It's amazing.
But, I think my family is more relieved than I am...if that's possible. Why?
1) My mom has a list for me to do over break. And she's probably happy that I will stop completely forgetting to do the dishes!
2) My family will not have to listen to my incessant talk about college.
3) And Erika will no longer have to sit with me at late hours, performing the role of "study partner."
Oh, yes. This is where I tell the hilarious story about last night's frantic studying. At least I found it funny. I wasn't too concerned about the Theology Final, since the Theology Exams up to that point had been incredibly easy, but then I started hearing scores from the amazing geniuses in the class and panicked. Based on the numbers I was hearing, I was scared that I would completely bomb the test. So, I read through all the lectures and wrote 16 pages of notes to study. And who did I pick to help me cram my notes into my brain?? Yep, Erika. I bribed her with hot cider (I have a stash of hot cider in my room that only a privileged few can have!!) to stay up until 11 with me, reading my notes and quizzing me on them.
What was so funny was her pronunciation of the words. I admit, my handwriting was pretty bad, but she had never heard of most of the terms and was pronouncing everything completely phonetically. It was completely understandable (there were words like Patripassianism, anthropomorphisms, etc.) until we got to the definition of omnipotent, and she read it "om' ny po' tent *blink blink* Oh, omnipotent!" ...I burst out laughing, because she knows that word.
It was great. I love PHC. I'm glad to be done. That's about all I have in my head right now.
I've learned so much this semester which should prove useful next semester. I have learned those little details about how distance learning works and have some ideas about the standards of the professors. Next semester should be slightly easier, as I'm taking 12 credits instead of 13.
Today I'm cleaning, catching up on things, and loving life. Can life get better? I think not.
(Erika says this is a hyperactive blog post, which sounds a lot like me right now. So, I think I'll post it.)
Sorry, I had to get that out....
See that smile on my face? ^^^^ Josh drew that picture of me, and I think he captured my feelings quite well. :)
This post will probably be sickeningly exuberant with an excessive number of exclamation points because I'm currently floating in a state of delirious happiness. First semester down!!! I took the last final last night, and now I have 28 days free. (Yep, I counted them.)
Life is fantastic and God is amazing!!! Not only am I done with college for the semester (have I mentioned that yet?), but my braces are coming off next Monday (December 21st), I will be 19 the week after that, and I am majorly thrilled about my plans for break.
What are my plans for break? Well, basically, I plan on being a complete slob. Just kidding...I have a long list of things that I've been unable to do all semester. It's the simple things that I miss, like...
cleaning my room (it has gotten pretty bad lately...piles of projects that I need to work on and haven't had time)
-sleeping
-emailing friends back
-writing letters
-Christmas things, like the newsletter, buying presents, and more
-blogging
-writing in my journal
-talking to friends and family without watching the clock and keeping college assignments constantly in the back of my brain (It's true that I've been home since I do distance learning, but having assignments has meant that I've had to shut myself into my room [even when friends are here] and do school.)
Actually, it's a rather surreal feeling to have no assignments pressing on my brain. It's amazing.
But, I think my family is more relieved than I am...if that's possible. Why?
1) My mom has a list for me to do over break. And she's probably happy that I will stop completely forgetting to do the dishes!
2) My family will not have to listen to my incessant talk about college.
3) And Erika will no longer have to sit with me at late hours, performing the role of "study partner."
Oh, yes. This is where I tell the hilarious story about last night's frantic studying. At least I found it funny. I wasn't too concerned about the Theology Final, since the Theology Exams up to that point had been incredibly easy, but then I started hearing scores from the amazing geniuses in the class and panicked. Based on the numbers I was hearing, I was scared that I would completely bomb the test. So, I read through all the lectures and wrote 16 pages of notes to study. And who did I pick to help me cram my notes into my brain?? Yep, Erika. I bribed her with hot cider (I have a stash of hot cider in my room that only a privileged few can have!!) to stay up until 11 with me, reading my notes and quizzing me on them.
What was so funny was her pronunciation of the words. I admit, my handwriting was pretty bad, but she had never heard of most of the terms and was pronouncing everything completely phonetically. It was completely understandable (there were words like Patripassianism, anthropomorphisms, etc.) until we got to the definition of omnipotent, and she read it "om' ny po' tent *blink blink* Oh, omnipotent!" ...I burst out laughing, because she knows that word.
It was great. I love PHC. I'm glad to be done. That's about all I have in my head right now.
I've learned so much this semester which should prove useful next semester. I have learned those little details about how distance learning works and have some ideas about the standards of the professors. Next semester should be slightly easier, as I'm taking 12 credits instead of 13.
Today I'm cleaning, catching up on things, and loving life. Can life get better? I think not.
(Erika says this is a hyperactive blog post, which sounds a lot like me right now. So, I think I'll post it.)
Monday, December 7, 2009
9 Days!
But who's counting?
Oh, wait. I am.
Nine days until what? you might ask. Good question. You might also ask why I am writing in choppy sentences. That would also be a good question.
Anyhow. There are only nine days left until I will be done with my first semester at PHC. I am ridiculously excited! I finished the last two essays on Friday and now have only one more week of studies and then final exams. I'm seeing the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Or would that be, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel? I don't know (or care, at this point!).
It's 12:45 AM, which incidentally might not be the best blogging time for me. But I'm currently caught up enough in studies to justify typing this out.
About those essays...I know I said I would publish them, but let's just say that they will not be seeing the light of day for a long time. And if I ever publish them, it will be as a joke! Sometimes I really dislike my writing. Like right now. I am not exceptionally proud of the two essays I wrote this week. But I still plan on posting the Theology paper and Research and Writing paper.
Hmm, anything else of note? Tomorrow (or actually, today) I get my lower retainer (for you non-braces people, that's part of the orthodontic procedure), which means I'm starting to see the light at the end of THAT tunnel as well. I was starting to despair of ever getting my braces off!
All right, this is all for now! I hope to post more often now that college is almost done.
Oh, wait. I am.
Nine days until what? you might ask. Good question. You might also ask why I am writing in choppy sentences. That would also be a good question.
Anyhow. There are only nine days left until I will be done with my first semester at PHC. I am ridiculously excited! I finished the last two essays on Friday and now have only one more week of studies and then final exams. I'm seeing the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Or would that be, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel? I don't know (or care, at this point!).
It's 12:45 AM, which incidentally might not be the best blogging time for me. But I'm currently caught up enough in studies to justify typing this out.
About those essays...I know I said I would publish them, but let's just say that they will not be seeing the light of day for a long time. And if I ever publish them, it will be as a joke! Sometimes I really dislike my writing. Like right now. I am not exceptionally proud of the two essays I wrote this week. But I still plan on posting the Theology paper and Research and Writing paper.
Hmm, anything else of note? Tomorrow (or actually, today) I get my lower retainer (for you non-braces people, that's part of the orthodontic procedure), which means I'm starting to see the light at the end of THAT tunnel as well. I was starting to despair of ever getting my braces off!
All right, this is all for now! I hope to post more often now that college is almost done.
Friday, November 27, 2009
I love ellipses, apparently.
Looking down through the titles of my last posts, I've noticed a pattern. So, the title of this post is going against the norm and challenging tradition by being completely ellipsis-free!
It has been almost a week since I blogged last (not counting the little post I just published), so I figure it's time for an update. Mainly because a certain someone is going to get back to college and internet access soon, and she'll be checking my blog (I'm sure it's the first thing she'll do, even before email and facebook! Well, maybe not before facebook. But you get the idea.)
Someone needs to get out their little violin and play "My Heart Bleeds for You" because I'm having a pity party in my room. Not really! I came down with some bug--I think it's just a normal cold, but with some of the comments I've heard lately, I almost thought about going to the hospital!!--and I have been shunned from social activities. So instead of playing Uno and such, I'm sitting here writing discussion board posts for college. And blogging.
But on the bright side, I'm feeling much better than I did yesterday! The past two days I've had a fever. Not a high one, just high enough to make me dizzy, disoriented, and confused. (YES, that is unusual. Thanks for asking.) I didn't want to get anyone sick, so when the relatives came over for Thanksgiving dinner, I quarantined myself in my room and ate whatever my waitress (AKA my amazing mother) brought me while reading Luther's treatises. It was a unique combination. Unfortunately I don't remember much of what I read because I kept falling asleep. How annoying.
Speaking of fevers, we have quite the thermometer saga in this house. You see, *someone* in our house is a hypochondriac. I will not mention names. A while back, the aforesaid hypochondriac was certain she had a fever, and thus took her temperature. *Without* shaking the thermometer down first. So it still said 103 degrees (from--I think--the last time I was feverish)...and yet she wasn't sick. I still laugh about that one. But she has the last laugh, because I am completely incapable of reading a thermometer. I have tried and tried, and I can NEVER see the line of mercury. At all. I always give it to the aforementioned sister and she reads it. If I ever have kids, I will have to get the kind of thermometer with a digital readout, or else I will have to take them to their aunt's house whenever they are sick. Actually, I like that last idea. Hmmm....
Wow, I'm rambling. As long as I'm in a random mood, I'm going to write things without bothering to transition from one paragraph to the next!
I'm listening to some awesome music. I recently discovered the album "Where Strength Begins" by Phillips, Craig & Dean and basically fell in love with it. (Yes, my dear Tennessee reader, I put that phrase in just for you!) My sisters somehow aren't as thrilled. I'm not sure if it's the perpetual loop that I put that CD on, the volume, or the songs themselves. They nod appreciatively when I tell them I've found "a new favorite song," allow me to subject their eardrums to the latest and greatest, and then escape when I'm not watching.
I'm just glad my computer is allowing me to type tonight. Sometimes it gets so slow that I will type something, leave, and come back a few minutes later only to see that "I" am still typing. One agonizing letter at a time.
My computer died. But it was worth it, because when I turned it back on, Firefox informed me that it had lost my pages and gave me my favorite message: "Well, this is embarrassing." I LOVE that. So creative. It makes the frustration of re-opening tabs worthwhile.
But Skype is a different story. I hate the sound that plays when it starts up. It sounds like a bunch of people inhaling together, preparing for a blood-curdling scream. Always makes me jump.
Okay, I will stop now. I love writing disjointedly. I have two essays due next Friday, so I will not be blogging until after that. Sayonara! (No, I don't know Japanese; I just thought it sounded cool.)
It has been almost a week since I blogged last (not counting the little post I just published), so I figure it's time for an update. Mainly because a certain someone is going to get back to college and internet access soon, and she'll be checking my blog (I'm sure it's the first thing she'll do, even before email and facebook! Well, maybe not before facebook. But you get the idea.)
Someone needs to get out their little violin and play "My Heart Bleeds for You" because I'm having a pity party in my room. Not really! I came down with some bug--I think it's just a normal cold, but with some of the comments I've heard lately, I almost thought about going to the hospital!!--and I have been shunned from social activities. So instead of playing Uno and such, I'm sitting here writing discussion board posts for college. And blogging.
But on the bright side, I'm feeling much better than I did yesterday! The past two days I've had a fever. Not a high one, just high enough to make me dizzy, disoriented, and confused. (YES, that is unusual. Thanks for asking.) I didn't want to get anyone sick, so when the relatives came over for Thanksgiving dinner, I quarantined myself in my room and ate whatever my waitress (AKA my amazing mother) brought me while reading Luther's treatises. It was a unique combination. Unfortunately I don't remember much of what I read because I kept falling asleep. How annoying.
Speaking of fevers, we have quite the thermometer saga in this house. You see, *someone* in our house is a hypochondriac. I will not mention names. A while back, the aforesaid hypochondriac was certain she had a fever, and thus took her temperature. *Without* shaking the thermometer down first. So it still said 103 degrees (from--I think--the last time I was feverish)...and yet she wasn't sick. I still laugh about that one. But she has the last laugh, because I am completely incapable of reading a thermometer. I have tried and tried, and I can NEVER see the line of mercury. At all. I always give it to the aforementioned sister and she reads it. If I ever have kids, I will have to get the kind of thermometer with a digital readout, or else I will have to take them to their aunt's house whenever they are sick. Actually, I like that last idea. Hmmm....
Wow, I'm rambling. As long as I'm in a random mood, I'm going to write things without bothering to transition from one paragraph to the next!
I'm listening to some awesome music. I recently discovered the album "Where Strength Begins" by Phillips, Craig & Dean and basically fell in love with it. (Yes, my dear Tennessee reader, I put that phrase in just for you!) My sisters somehow aren't as thrilled. I'm not sure if it's the perpetual loop that I put that CD on, the volume, or the songs themselves. They nod appreciatively when I tell them I've found "a new favorite song," allow me to subject their eardrums to the latest and greatest, and then escape when I'm not watching.
I'm just glad my computer is allowing me to type tonight. Sometimes it gets so slow that I will type something, leave, and come back a few minutes later only to see that "I" am still typing. One agonizing letter at a time.
My computer died. But it was worth it, because when I turned it back on, Firefox informed me that it had lost my pages and gave me my favorite message: "Well, this is embarrassing." I LOVE that. So creative. It makes the frustration of re-opening tabs worthwhile.
But Skype is a different story. I hate the sound that plays when it starts up. It sounds like a bunch of people inhaling together, preparing for a blood-curdling scream. Always makes me jump.
Okay, I will stop now. I love writing disjointedly. I have two essays due next Friday, so I will not be blogging until after that. Sayonara! (No, I don't know Japanese; I just thought it sounded cool.)
This sums up my life lately...
My logic homework has started to remind me of doing proofs in geometry (felt like writing "QED" at the end of one of the problems!), and anything that reminds me of math in any way is bad news! So the above picture adequately depicts my experiences with Logic. :)
Saturday, November 21, 2009
On the dangers of essay writing....
Dangers? Yes.
As you may have inferred from my last post, this week has consisted almost entirely of writing papers. I smile when I think of the time it took me to write the health care paper (part of my application to Patrick Henry College). It was a 7-page paper, and yet it took me at least a month--maybe more. How did I suddenly learn to write a ten-page theological term paper in three days? One word: deadlines.
Deadlines are an absolute necessity for me. They force me to write when I don't feel like it, and also turn me into a raving lunatic. Well, not quite, but you don't want to hear some of the bizarre things I've said in the midst of a paper-writing brain fog (Erika just gives me this "look" and I know that once again, I am not making any sense and should either go to bed or write some more--and I unfortunately must pick the latter).
But where does the dangerous part come in? It comes from being entirely focused on writing, to the extent that everything else is blocked out. For example, I have a small electric heater in my room (I love it--it keeps me from growing icicles) and every time I would get up from my computer, I would trip over it. Embarrassing. And how did I literally not hear three girls practicing violins just a short distance away?
And I haven't even mentioned my battle scars yet! (Be very alarmed.) Actually, no, I think I will keep the origin of the scar next to my left eye a closely-guarded secret. Just know that my computer monitor has sharp edges, which my mom has threatened to put padding on (to kid-proof my room. When I get older and smarter she will take them off.)
So yesterday was the deadline for both my Theological Term Paper and my Research and Writing Argumentative Essay. <---- That is the stuff of nightmares. No, really. Last night, after submitting both essays, I had horrible nightmares about italics and footnotes. I kept waking up panicking, wondering if I really had ended my paper with the word with. I almost turned on my computer to check, but then decided that even if it were true that I had...
1) Left notes to myself in my essay (Such as "expand more here")
2) Forgotten to italicize book titles in my footnotes
3) Written a paragraph entirely about myself (what?!)
4) Used the word I throughout the essay (a major no-no)
...it was too late to change anything anyhow! Although one of the first things I did this morning was look at my conclusion to see how I ended it. I was paranoid.
A blog reader mentioned that by now I must be a coffee drinker, but I actually am not. I probably would drink coffee if we had it around the house, but maybe I prefer the bleary-eyed, physically-and-mentally-exhausted look! (I don't....)
So...that's the story of my last week. It sounds rather depressing reading about it, so I should add that college life is not all bad! I do enjoy learning (sometimes!) and I have met some awesome classmates from whom I have learned so much. Their diligence and academic achievements constantly push me to keep going and strive for higher goals. (It's hard going from homeschooling with no one in your grade level to classes with so many people who are ridiculously smart....keeps me humble.)
That's it for now! I'll try to post again next week. Possibly.
[Note: I had originally planned to post both papers now, but I've decided to wait until I get grades and comments back. Shouldn't be too long!]
As you may have inferred from my last post, this week has consisted almost entirely of writing papers. I smile when I think of the time it took me to write the health care paper (part of my application to Patrick Henry College). It was a 7-page paper, and yet it took me at least a month--maybe more. How did I suddenly learn to write a ten-page theological term paper in three days? One word: deadlines.
Deadlines are an absolute necessity for me. They force me to write when I don't feel like it, and also turn me into a raving lunatic. Well, not quite, but you don't want to hear some of the bizarre things I've said in the midst of a paper-writing brain fog (Erika just gives me this "look" and I know that once again, I am not making any sense and should either go to bed or write some more--and I unfortunately must pick the latter).
But where does the dangerous part come in? It comes from being entirely focused on writing, to the extent that everything else is blocked out. For example, I have a small electric heater in my room (I love it--it keeps me from growing icicles) and every time I would get up from my computer, I would trip over it. Embarrassing. And how did I literally not hear three girls practicing violins just a short distance away?
And I haven't even mentioned my battle scars yet! (Be very alarmed.) Actually, no, I think I will keep the origin of the scar next to my left eye a closely-guarded secret. Just know that my computer monitor has sharp edges, which my mom has threatened to put padding on (to kid-proof my room. When I get older and smarter she will take them off.)
So yesterday was the deadline for both my Theological Term Paper and my Research and Writing Argumentative Essay. <---- That is the stuff of nightmares. No, really. Last night, after submitting both essays, I had horrible nightmares about italics and footnotes. I kept waking up panicking, wondering if I really had ended my paper with the word with. I almost turned on my computer to check, but then decided that even if it were true that I had...
1) Left notes to myself in my essay (Such as "expand more here")
2) Forgotten to italicize book titles in my footnotes
3) Written a paragraph entirely about myself (what?!)
4) Used the word I throughout the essay (a major no-no)
...it was too late to change anything anyhow! Although one of the first things I did this morning was look at my conclusion to see how I ended it. I was paranoid.
A blog reader mentioned that by now I must be a coffee drinker, but I actually am not. I probably would drink coffee if we had it around the house, but maybe I prefer the bleary-eyed, physically-and-mentally-exhausted look! (I don't....)
So...that's the story of my last week. It sounds rather depressing reading about it, so I should add that college life is not all bad! I do enjoy learning (sometimes!) and I have met some awesome classmates from whom I have learned so much. Their diligence and academic achievements constantly push me to keep going and strive for higher goals. (It's hard going from homeschooling with no one in your grade level to classes with so many people who are ridiculously smart....keeps me humble.)
That's it for now! I'll try to post again next week. Possibly.
[Note: I had originally planned to post both papers now, but I've decided to wait until I get grades and comments back. Shouldn't be too long!]
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
An attempt to excuse my lack of blogishness...
Okay, so lately I have been receiving cryptic messages; messages of indeterminable meaning, such as this one:
[D]ear Jessica,
Please blog[.]
Love,
[name removed to protect the guilty]
However, after a serious study of the aforementioned notes, which included outlining them, finding key words and phrases, looking the larger words up in the dictionary, reading backwards, and reading between the lines, I have come to the conclusion that I need to eat chocolate!! No, wait, that was the first hypothesis. The final conclusion was that I needed to go to www.blogger.com, enter some log in information, and click "Create Post."
So, I did.
Now that I am here, all that I can think of is the necessity of doing a bunch of other things...chiefly, writing the two papers that are due on Friday (note: one of them is nearly done, the other is started). Unlike some people who have the luxury of Thanksgiving break, I have four papers due in the next exactly two weeks.
What does this mean? It means that I will be getting very little sleep, writing and revising, and in my spare time, I will be completing all the other college work (reading textbooks, writing discussion board posts, taking exams, etc). And it means that I can't justify sitting here and writing a post about my life. Sorry! I'd love to write a creative update-ish post. Really, I would. That's something that I will try to do after this semester ends (if it ever does).
On a positive note, it also means that I will have four blog posts in the next couple of weeks...and you know how much you love reading my academic writings! (Hint: nod vigorously)
Prayers are greatly appreciated for my sanity and for clearness and cogency in my writing!
[D]ear Jessica,
Please blog[.]
Love,
[name removed to protect the guilty]
However, after a serious study of the aforementioned notes, which included outlining them, finding key words and phrases, looking the larger words up in the dictionary, reading backwards, and reading between the lines, I have come to the conclusion that I need to eat chocolate!! No, wait, that was the first hypothesis. The final conclusion was that I needed to go to www.blogger.com, enter some log in information, and click "Create Post."
So, I did.
Now that I am here, all that I can think of is the necessity of doing a bunch of other things...chiefly, writing the two papers that are due on Friday (note: one of them is nearly done, the other is started). Unlike some people who have the luxury of Thanksgiving break, I have four papers due in the next exactly two weeks.
What does this mean? It means that I will be getting very little sleep, writing and revising, and in my spare time, I will be completing all the other college work (reading textbooks, writing discussion board posts, taking exams, etc). And it means that I can't justify sitting here and writing a post about my life. Sorry! I'd love to write a creative update-ish post. Really, I would. That's something that I will try to do after this semester ends (if it ever does).
On a positive note, it also means that I will have four blog posts in the next couple of weeks...and you know how much you love reading my academic writings! (Hint: nod vigorously)
Prayers are greatly appreciated for my sanity and for clearness and cogency in my writing!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Taking a deep breath...
This is just a quick update to say:
1) I am still alive.
2) I have not forgotten my blog.
The essay that I just posted below is the product of a couple late nights and early mornings. It was crammed in between a bunch of other things, and a good deal of it was written in my hotel room in Cincinnati. So...it is what it is. Not the greatest, but it had to be submitted!
The last couple weeks were absolutely insane, but I'm finally caught up and able to take a breath! I may post later about my life, including the conference in Ohio (or not, you know how I am about blogging), especially if I can find videos or pictures.
1) I am still alive.
2) I have not forgotten my blog.
The essay that I just posted below is the product of a couple late nights and early mornings. It was crammed in between a bunch of other things, and a good deal of it was written in my hotel room in Cincinnati. So...it is what it is. Not the greatest, but it had to be submitted!
The last couple weeks were absolutely insane, but I'm finally caught up and able to take a breath! I may post later about my life, including the conference in Ohio (or not, you know how I am about blogging), especially if I can find videos or pictures.
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