Valerie-Kalene

The task was to take anything from around the class room and create some type of lamp shade/cover.  We were not given any notice ahead of time as to what the project would be so we had 1 hour to come with something off the top of our head and could only use things found in the room.  We could not use any craft supplies other than clue.  This was what I came up with……

The picture was taken with my cell.  I took toothbrushes and put them through dixie cups at the 4 corners, then made what was suppose to be a tooth out of cardboard and attached everything together by dental floss.

While I was home sick in bed for 4 days, Jessie was not able to go out very much at all, which in turn caused her to start limping and not wanting to walk at all. By Saturday she wouldn’t even get up to come get treats for me, which is a HUGE sign something was wrong. Sunday it was worse and I couldn’t take it anymore. I called the vet and made her an appointment for first thing Tuesday morning. Thankfully it worked out so that Shawn Michael could go with me. The vet knew right away that Jessie was in a great deal of pain. I seriously thought that perhaps hip dysplacia had set in and that was what I was prepared to hear. About an hour and a half later, after x-rays, the vet proceeds to show me that her hips look perfect, but they found something wrong with her lung. Apparently dogs have 5 separate chambers on each lung and one of Jessie’s champers is completely collapsed. Instinctively the vet starts telling me about the possibility of a tumor and all that crap. She advised us that  she wanted to send the x-rays to a radiologist/specialist who could look at them in greater detail and provide us with an explanation. Fine. Whatever it takes to make my baby better. The doctor also gave Jessie a nice little dose of morphine for the pain and sent us on our way. Several hours later I get a call saying that I need to bring her back to the vet for further x-rays. The radiologist wanted more specific views of the lung so he could interpret them more accurately.   The next morning I take her back to the vet for the x-rays and several hours later I get a call on my way to work that the results are in. They think that it truly is a tumor in the lung chamber.   That was on Wed the 4th.  By Friday the 6th, Jessie had lost complete use of her back legs.  I rushed her to the vet that morning.  Of course my regular vet wasn’t in so this other guy comes in and basically tells me that there isn’t anything to be done.  That I should go home and spend the weekend with her and weight my options and decide what I want to do.  I was devestated to say the least.   Since then I have decided that I am going to take her to a holistic vet that also does canine chiropractics and see what he says.  I am hoping that he will be able to help her regain the use of her legs, cuz helping carry the weight of a 100 lb dog is not an easy task at all!!!

I think I am gradually going through the stages of grief over the whole situation.  Right now I am pretty angry.  Thankfully I have the next 10 days off work so it will give me plenty of time to spend with her. 

Please keep us in your thoughts/prayers. 

I’ve never been much for making pets do dumb things just for photos, but this is cute.

Surprisingly enough, I received an invitation from Sigma Alpha Lambdato join.  They are a National Leadership and Honors Organization.  I haven’t decided yet whether I want to join, but more than likely I will.

Mom went back to Indiana on Monday. Who knows how long she will be out there this time. Grandma has been having problems with her knees so the doctor took x-rays and found out that her bones were rubbing together. I understand that she has went twice now to have fluid inserted into the joint to help relieve the pressure.

I honestly thought that I would be able to pull off 3 classes this semester, but its just not working. I dropped the drawing class again, but now that I know how the prof starts off his course, I will be better prepared with I take it in the fall. Other wise classes are going great.  My 3D class is a lot of fun.  The same two girls that I sat with in 2D are in 3D so that makes it more interesting.  So far we have stacked bricks on top of paper, built 3 3d letters and a cardboard box to carry them in.  Next we have to design and make a functional & portable chair out of cardboard.  I have decided that I want to design some type of toilet seat with a toilet roll holder.  I think that will be hilarious.  

 It is currently 6 weeks till spring break and I have the count down going. I took the same week off work so that will make for a nice little vacation for me. I might just take a mini-vaca and head north for a few days.

I bought a new truck a few weeks ago. I am now the proud owner of a 2003 Pontiac Aztek.

Mine is gray, but otherwise looks just like this.  I love it.  It rides so smooth and is so comfortable to drive.  I am glad that I made the choice to jump on it when while I had the chance.   I kept the Prism and plan to drive it until it completely dies on me.

2009.

Welcome. 

This year I was sitting at work when the clock struck midnight.  I wished my co-works a happy new year and just that fast it was nothing more than just another quiet night at the office.  One of these years I am going to actually celebrate the new year!  The last time I celebrated the new year was New Years 2000.  I think everyone in the world celebrated that one though.  I was in Florida.  It was a great night, that’s for sure. 

2008  overall was a pretty good year.  I am anxious to see what 2009 has in store for me.  I know that my classes at school are going to get progressively harder, but I am looking forward to the challenge.   I am also hoping that this will be the year that I become a mommy!  Yep, you read that correctly.  I have everything laid out, I just need to put the plan into motion. 

Resolutions?  I don’t normally like to do those because they never seem to last beyond the 2nd or 3rd week of the month.  I do have goals set for myself, which are a carry over from last year. 

             1. Maintain GPA ( I plan on graduating with Honors)

             2. Be more organized and keep a cleaner home

             3. Spend more time with my family/nephews

             4. Continue to work on being a better person

             5. Eat healthier and make better health choices

             6. Journal regularly

             7. Take more photos!!!

 Those are in no particular order.  Just a few goals for this year. 

In other news….. I had a full blood panel done a week or so ago since I had met my insurance deductible andI have found out that my liver enzymes are too high.  I haven’t seen the doctor yet about it, so I am not sure what is going on.  I was doing some research on the web and found that it can be caused from several different factors and is not necessarily a sign of liver disease so I’m not worried, at least not yet.

My birthday is 2 days away.  I’ve decided that this year will be my 30th.  I figure I will go backwards for a couple years and then just pick one and stick with it.  I must be doing something right though because every time someone guesses my age they aways put me in my late twenties.  I can live with that.

The semester is over!  I am so thankful.  I ended up with an A on my final project and a B+ for the semester.  I am happy with that, considering I really thought I would get a C or lower since I didn’t complete my lectures or museum visit.  I procrastinated way too much and it really bit me in the ass this time.  Next semester, no procrastinating allowed!!  LOL  Yeah right! 

The spring semester starts Jan 12th.  I wish this mini vaca would slow down!  Next semester is going to be a bear.  I have all the same classes except instead of 2D, I have 3D.  I think Intro to Ethics is going to be the toughest because there will be a lot of reading.  Luckily though, I was able to schedule only one morning class (3D) and the other two are in the evening before work.  I am sure that will make a huge difference in my ability to survive the 15 weeks. 

Mom is home for the holidays.  It’s nice having her back home.  I know how hard living in two places is on her, but it seems to be doing our relationship a world of good.  I have a sneaky feeling though that she won’t be able to stay for my birthday though.  My Aunt refuses to actually go out of her way and talk to her apartment manager to see if she could be out of town for longer then 2 weeks at a time and Audie has once again said he is moving back home, so if there is no one there to stay with Grandma, mom will have to go back.  It’s a crappy situation all around to say the least.  I just wish Grandma would come stay with us for longer periods of time so it would give mom a good rest.  Oh-well.

In other family news - my oldest neice, Shawna, who is actually 6 months older than me, has been diagnosed with cervical cancer and is scheduled to have a full hysterectomy next week (I think).  I can’t even imagine how aweful that must be for her and her children right now.  

Work continues to be a thorn in my side, but that’s nothing new. 

My best friend is back in Akron and I am happy about that.  I have missed him a great deal.  I just hope that he will be able to stay this time. 

For Your Consideration - Doody Howser @ Yahoo! Video

I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time.  I told this story to mom and she laughed so hard I think she just may have peed her pants.  Watch the clip!!!

I don’t normally enjoy “lists” that a lot of people do in their blogs, but I found this one interesting so I thought I would post it as something different. 

1) Look at the list and bold
those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones’s Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight’s Children, Salman Rushdie

Apparently I need to read more!   

This semester has went by so fast.  December 11th is the last day.  It will be so nice to have a month off.  Next semester I am taking 3D Design, Foundation Drawing (again), and Intro to Ethics.  Luckily I will only have drawing in the morning on Tues and Thursdays.  The other classes are in the evening on Mon, Wed, & Fridays so that will be much easier for me to manage. 

Thanksgiving was really nice.  It was great having Grandma here.  I just wish we could talk her into staying for Christmas as well but she is so stubburn and wants to go home. 

We put up our Christmas tree over the weekend.  We decided to go with a fake tree this year.  It is actually quite pretty.  Its about 4′ tall and looks like it has been lightly snowed on.  If only we would have a white Christmas this year. 

Mom and G’ma arrived home on Thursday afternoon with both Grandma’s dog, Buddy, and mom’s cat, Tink, in toe.  Talk about a full house.  3 adults and 3 animals in a single story 2 bedroom house.  Buddy is about 15 years old (in human years) and Jessie just doesn’t understand that she can’t play like a young pup can.  Jessie keeps jumping around her trying to engage her in some play and Buddy just stands there looking at her like, “are you crazy? I might break a hip if I try and play with your overgrown ass!” 

I had to go back to sleeping in my own bed again which has reeked havoc on my back.  I told mom that I am definitely planning on taking my tax return this year and buying a new mattress for my bed.  After sleeping on my bed for 3 nights, I can barely walk.  I feel like I am crippled and should be hunched over a walker or something.  I truly sympathize with anyone who has back problems.  It sucks! 

I am actually looking forward to Thanksgiving this year.  It is the first time ever being able to spend the holiday with G’ma here in Ohio, instead of in Indiana.  She told us the other night that this is the first time in her life that she has ever been away from home for Thanksgiving.  That is amazing to me.  We are having both a traditional style turkey and a deep fried turkey as well as all the fixings.  I truly hope that it is a memorable day for all of us.