I'm dreaming of a Vegas Christmas. . .

Uh, huh. I know that's right, Suga!  Peter has graciously offered to bring me home for the Holidays to give me a break from my studies (sort of) and treat me to his good company and that of beloved friends and family. Woop woop! I'll be in Vegas from December 22nd until January 4th, so . . . be sure to clear some time on your busy holiday calendars for a little scoop of Shawn    . . . Miss Jolley if you're nasty!

Finally

Today, for the first time since Election Day, I was able to think about Barack's victory without my eyes welling up with tears. I am such a freak!

A crazy day!

Yesterday I had the most hellish day since the semester started.  I had two exams and an oral presentation due. I was fueled by adrenaline all day long. My oral presentation consisted of a skit. The scene: Sigmund Freud and Rollo May meeting for coffee to discuss a client in common. I played Rollo May, the first American Existential Psychoanalyst and my partner, Candice played the part of Sigmund Freud. We psychoanalyzed our client and made fun of each other's theories. Sigmund blew a bubble pipe while I tried to explain my over the top explanation about human despair. It was fun.  I saw my professor sitting in a student desk at the back of the classroom laughing at all the jokes and having a good time.  Whew!  Glad it is over though. 

Tonight I study math again. . .solving systems of equations. It never ends. :-)

Isolation

Wow, I feel really alone lately.  For as polite as people are here in Kerrville, I haven't found a lot of acceptance.  I am starting to think that the stereotype of a "Vegas Girl" has followed me here. Funny, in Vegas I was too "down to earth". I am still trying to figure this out in my mind. Perhaps it really doesn't matter anyway. It's not as though I would change to increase my social life. Really, it's just this moment. It will pass. I'm sure I'll feel differently tomorrow. 

YES, WE DID!

At 1:03 a.m I received an email from Barack Obama that thanked me for my work.  He said this: "We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign. All of this happened because of you".  Well, he is quite welcome. I sent him an email as well, that a Llasa Apso is the best dog for a family with small children. . . just a suggestion. . . during his speech thanking the American people for their support and hard work, the millions of volunteers, and letting them know he will live up to all that he promised to the best of his ability.  .  . "And to those whom support I have not earned, I have not earned your vote tonight, but I hear your voice and need your help. . . Our climb will be steep but we will get there. . .  I will listen to you especially when we disagree. . . This victory is not the change we seek, it is only the chance we need to make the change. . . Let's resist the urge to fall back on partisanship. Let's heal our divide. We are not enemies, but friends. This is our chance.  This is our time. Out of many, we are one. Yes we can". -- Barack Obama, November 4th, 2008, the 44th President Elect of the United States of America. 

A miracle?

Okay, many of you know that I suck at math.  I really have to work hard to get an "acceptable" grade on my tests.  Well, this last test I received the highest grade on the test. Yep, no kidding. Yea, me!

My last effort to convince anyone who has a conservative open mind. . .

In my view, Barack Obama is actually a moderate and conservative and Bush/McCain are the radicals.  Please let me explain.  The Bush Doctrine, which is a foreign affairs policy of  "bomb now, ask questions later" is a radical attitude. Surely Ronald Regan would have disagreed with this preemptive strike way of dealing with other countries. Barack Obama, in 2002 said this: "I know that a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, of undetermined cost and undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without international support will fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than the best impulses of the Arab world and strengthen the recruitment arm of al Qaeda. I'm not opposed to all wars, I am opposed to dumb wars." In 2002, some "conservatives" (including McCain) shared Bush's blindness to history, abstract theory of forcing democracy in a world where religious and cultural hate has been the the norm for centuries. This decision has cost thousands of lives both our peoples and Iraq innocents, and $700 billion dollars.  The current situation is that we are not safer from al Qaeda.  They are alive and well and recruiting just like Obama warned in 2002. So, I submit that Obama is what our country needs, not McCain.  We need common sense, we need to come together and work out our collective economic and foreign relations problems. I've been abroad twice since we waged war on terror.  I've heard people say that the US is just a bully. . .a bunch of teenagers who think they know everything and unwilling to make sacrifices for the good of the whole. Some may say that it doesn't matter what others think of us, but trust me, it does matter. We need allies. We are falling behind in technology, trade, infrastructure, health care, and our military is stretched very thin and you can't blame the democratic party for that. We have an opportunity now to fix our domestic and foreign broken policies. If you think Obama is too liberal, do some research before you vote.  If you think he is a socialist, do some research, objective research.  If you don't like him because he is black, well vote for the white part!  We need him right now!  We need his formal operational thinking, his ability to see an issue from all sides and the long term consequences.  We need his ability to unify for the better of all people.  We need his compassion.  We need his discipline and values.  He was asked recently: "Are you sorry now that you may win the election, the country is not in good shape?"  He said: "If a person is running to do some good and make a difference, now is the time to be President." I believe he means it.

Whoa! Don't step on that!

A pretty caterpillar that Sloan found just outside our back door.

Peter's Visit Last week.

This is Peter and I at dinner in Fredericksburg, TX.  We shared a steak and  a really amazing eggplant perogie.  During our weekend, we went to three wineries, tasted a lot of wines, and found a few that we liked at Grape Creek and Tierra de Pietra. On Saturday night, we drove to Kerrville and I took him to my beloved campus.  I showed him where I study, where my classes are located, etc. etc. He made fun of me big time but later remarked that he was happy that he now knows a great deal about my environs here in Kerrville. We had dinner with my brother and his girlfriend at Rails.  The weekend was very nice, I think. It took us one day to experience all that Kerrville has to offer. I don't know how I am going to lure him back. Hopefully my smiling face with be enough!

I find this Cartoon Hilarious!

Allow me to introduce you to my Algebra Professor, Dr. Sliva.

Five things I have learned from Dr. Sliva:

1. There is more than one way to divest the epidermis from a feline.

2. Adding and subtracting rational fractions makes Dr. Sliva feel warm and fuzzy.

3. Despite the rumors, he just knew I would show up to class.

4. Dr. Sliva has nothing against blondes, after all. . . he married one. 

5. He doesn't lie to us too much, so we should trust him. 

Sloan and I had our birthday celebration together this year.

Sloan and his girlfriend, Erin and Me and Natalie went to have dinner at Chez Nous in Austin. Then we went to Sixth Street to listen to some live bands. Fun night. 

I have Volunteered with Big Brothers and Big Sisters

If I'm going to be successful at counseling, I need to learn how children communicate, don't I? Also, I get tired of adults sometimes. . . Let me introduce you to my "Little" Brother, Alex.  He is nine years old. He wanted a Big Brother but after hearing about me, he thought I would be fun. Alex likes to play checkers and video games and wants to learn to rollerblade. I'm game. We have plans to go bowling this Thursday. This picture was taken on the day we met. (Photo posted with permission from his mom, who is a very nice lady).

Let's be careful.

McCain/Palin rallies have resulted in their supporters yelling: "Obama Bin Lyin", "Terrorist", "Off with his Head", "Kill Him" when Barack Obama's name is mentioned. Yet McCain does not correct or admonish his supporters.  This is dangerous!  And I am disappointed in McCain. On October 15, in front of 50,000,000 people, he could have done the right thing, instead he defended these supporters and trivialized the comments. I think his record has shown him to be a decent Senator, but just before this race and during, I think it is clear that he is willing to compromise his integrity to win this election. I think it is clear that the only negative ads Obama has aired are comparisons of their policies, not personal attacks, as opposed to McCain's ads.  Obama may not have a wealth of national experience, but I think he has shown that has good judgment and surrounds himself with those that do have experience. A president can not know everything, McCain certainly does not. Let's decide the election on the issues.  It is the smart way to decide, but if we are going to decide it on character, I think Obama has conducted himself above reproach during this campaign. You would not hear Obama saying that McCain cheated on his first wife and married a trophy wife with lots of money who funded his career. One could opine that it is true, but Obama will never stoop. The truth is that Obama has conducted his life more in keeping with "family values" than Palin or McCain. 

One more thing: If Obama were a white man with a "regular" name, this race would be a landslide in his favor. He is brilliant, compassionate, clear, honest, on the right side of the economy and the war (for most people, the polls show) the right religion, with Republican having control for 6 years straight and failing us miserably. Think about it. 

To Mel, Jay, Gloria, Marjorie:

HAPPY BOSS' DAY!!!!! MISS YOU!!!!!

Voting Update

 I was able to withdraw my registration in Texas.  I decided to vote in Nevada instead.  I know that my vote will count for more in Nevada, given that it is a swing state.  All the polls suggest Texas will vote for Republicans. Although I think that November 4th will prove to surprise many. 

And, I got the highest grade on the second Theories of Personality test. 

First Health Psych exam

I got the highest grade in the class. . . again. 

Happy Birthday to me.

This morning I was walking toward my math class and the VP of Schreiner University accosted me.  He just wanted to say Happy Birthday. 

I am registered to vote!

Schreiner held a Woman's Issue Forum last week wherein many issues of the day were discussed.  Representatives from both parties were present and the discussion was mostly intelligent and even handed. On my way in I registered to vote in Texas!  Can you guess who I am going to vote for on November 4th?

Road Trip!

Sloan and I went to Fredericksberg (a little town about 30 min. drive away) before school started.  Apparently Texas has a region known for some pretty good Cabernets and Pinot Noirs.  We had a great time.  This little town is super quaint and has several little wine shops with FREE wine tasting!  And I actually found a Merlot that drank like a Pinot.  Lea, can you believe that??  I tried about 7 different wines for free that day and paid $5.00 for a to-go cup. Just the right price for a school girl!  

Four Week Grades are Out!

Christian Theology            A

Critical Thinking               A-

Theories of Personality   A+

Exercise Science               A+

Health Psychology           A

Algebra Review                 B (won't be applied to GPA.  It's a review.)

Christian Theology

Today I got my results of the first exam in this class.  I got a 96%.  The exam was a difficult one and I studied/organized materials for 2 days.  It was definitely worth it. I am really enjoying the subject matter.  So far we have been studying the history of Christian Theology from before Christ was on the scene, through the patristic period, the reformation, the renaissance, post modern periods, and finally feminist and black theology.  How Aristotilian thinking, and the then fashionable Gnostic thinking influenced the way the patristic scholars interpreted scripture and how they answered such questions such as: "Does the spirit flow through the Father or through both the Father and the Son".  All protestant, catholic and orthodox doctrine is influenced by these decisions.  Super fascinating to me!  My instructor is a great orator and I am riveted from beginning to the end of each class.  A person who has spent some time in the Mormon church, served a mission, and actually read the Bible and other works has a good background for understanding these concepts and it is really very interesting to be able to fill in the gaps historically speaking.  However, one would really need to expand the mind in order to study this topic as a discipline, without making constant value judgments which cloud the ability to see the history in it context.

Results of my first exam. . .

Ladies and Gentlemen, the the results are in.  The grade that I received on my first exam in my Theories of the Personality class was 100%. Uh huh, I know that's right, suga!  I kid you not.  I missed 3 multiple choice questions and received the highest points on my essays.  The instructor gave each student 3 additional points because he wanted the curve to be reasonably fair.  He gave us essay questions that were more graduate school level than undergraduate.  Anyway, he awarded 3 A's and I got one of them.  I rock!

Girls' night Out. 9-12-08

These are two girls that I go to school with. Natalie is the one with dark hair.  She is a History Major.  I really dig her!  From San Clemente, a fiction writer, very deep and articulate.  She and I stick out like sore thumbs in this town with our liberal views and somewhat worldly experiences. 

Linda is the pretty skinny chick on the left.  She has four children and putting herself through school. Whew! I don't know where she finds the time.  She is a psychology major like myself.  This was the first time she has been out in this manner in over two years!  She really had a good time. We found a really quaint little restaurant where the professionals in the area dine.  "Rails".  Good wine selection.  When Peter comes for a visit next month, I will persuade him to take me there.  I think he'll enjoy it. 

Dinner was really good and someone had the brilliant idea to go to the "Inn of the Hills" lounge for some live music and drinks.  Good Hell!  It was so lame.  I don't even want to go in to detail about it because it would cause me to relive the experience and I lost 2 hours of my life already.  Suffice it to say that Kerrville is not the place for nightlife.  That's okay.  I'm not here for that anyway. When I want that I can make a trip to Vegas or Austin. 

Class Schedule Update

Well. . .I talked to several people on that first day of school that had to change their schedules 2 and 3 times and considered myself fortunate. . . until Tuesday when I appeared for my Research Methods class.  In that class I learned that the class was a statistics class. Oh hell!  I really need a background of college algebra first.  So I had to drop that class and take math instead.  So now my class schedule is this: Individualized Fitness, Algebra, Theories of the Personality, Health Psychology on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Christian Theology, Critical Thinking on Tuesday and Thursday.  So far, Theories of the personality (study of personality theorists like Freud, Rogers, Maslow, Adler, etc.) and Christian Theology are my favorite classes. Most of my professors are very interesting orators and all of them are serious about the work and attendance.  Today I am caught up on all of my classes and looking forward to the week.  I am enjoying my new environs, my new friends and my brother.  All is well. I'll post some new pictures next week.    

My first day of school.

My very first class of the very first day was super fun!  Exercise Science.  We will learn about proper nutrition, fitness and overall wellness.  Most of my classmates are adorable freshmen.  Most of them play soccer.  They are all very respectful in class and add a fun perspective.  Next week we will be evaluated for cardiovascular endurance, flexibility and muscular strength and later create a goal plan to improve our physical health.  How fun, right?  And I get credit for this! Funny story:  While walking out of class nearby four freshmen (probably 19 years old), one guy used the the "F" word and another boy said, "Well okay but you don't have to cuss, man."  The kids whose parents send them here are smart.  This place is safe and the faculty are kind and the caliber of students a bit more refined. If I had kids, I would encourage them to spend their first years away from home at this wonderful university.

My next class of the day was Personal Adjustment, a psychology elective.  In this class we will learn what healthy adjustment looks like and study maladaptive behaviors. Helpful for some who wants to be a counselor one day.  My professor is unique.  In a word, a duck.  Like me.  I totally dig her.  This will be a great class for me personally as well as for my future career.  

My last class is Theories of the Personality.  An upper division psychology class.  Since I clepped out of Intro to Psych, I get to get right down to some red meat.  This class is a study of the major Personality Theorists like: Maslow, Jung, Freud, to name a few. The professor gave us a list of works to read if we want that will prove valuable.  I like his style of teaching.  He is brilliant.  I hope to take as many classes from him as I can.  

I am loving my university experience so far.  Yesterday was a perfect day!  I love the classroom setting.  I love my beautiful campus.  Today is the very first day for 3 more classes.  I'll keep you posted, of course. 

In Mel's office. . .

Mel and me on my last day at Jones Vargas. Boo-hoo. I miss my boss!  

Sloan and Shawn on August 17th at the river front park.

Schreiner University

I love this place! So serene! Everyone is so nice. The grounds are beautiful. There are deer on the grounds that munch the grass as the students look on. Orientation on July 30th was wonderful. All the big wigs were there to greet us and they seemed so sincere in their message that the faculty truly care about the well-being of the students as well as their sucess. This place seems the absolute best environment for growth and learning. There's is a holistic approach to education. The mantra "Learning by Heart". I feel blessed and lucky to have been accepted.

Message for my best friend

Hi honey!  I can't thank you enough for all the wonderful ways you enrich my life. Don't forget to visit me.  Meet you in Austin any weekend you want.  The flowers on Daddy's grave are beautiful.  I miss you tons and I love you very much!!!!!

To Scott. . .

I wish we had more time to spend together while I was still in Vegas, but I have enjoyed our telephone conversations a great deal.  Thank you for being my last date in Vegas  . . . and for giving me that verbal spanking today. I needed it. You are a true gentleman and, dare I say it. . . cute as a bug's ear!

Leaving Las Vegas

Cathy! I miss you already. I thought I would miss Sushi but they have a place here in Kerrville. Whew!

Lea, Tami & Krystalle:

What a perfect way to close a chapter and begin another. That was a perfect day and night and morning. Lea, you are the hostess of the damn year, woman! I should leave Clark County everyday! Thank you ladies for that wonderful farewell sleepover! Thanks for your calls to check on me. I miss you guys so much. I'll be calling ya'll soon.

Very First Blog Entry

Hello All!

This is my first attempt at blogging. This blog is created to provide all friends and family the opportunity to catch up with me any time they want, given the two hour time difference, it's hard to get together on the phone. Hopefully I can capture a comprehensive view with pictures and stories of my adventures in Kerrville Texas, and my Schreiner University experience. I'll try to update this blog weekly provided school doesn't kill me.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me in this endeavor with money, cards, books, support, (my new mac), hugs, advice, and love, love love! I miss you all.