Gotta love Myspace

I just received this in my inbox this evening:

you are one good looking lady stacey hope to talk to you soon. by the way if you check out my prof. iam not married anymore just have not changed it yet.

I wish I were kidding.

Grr ...

If only alegebra and geometry made sense like grammar and punctuation!

I am so frustrated. I can't seem to find a private tutor, so tomorrow I'm going to our local Sylvan Learning Center to find out just how much money it's going to cost for what the man on the phone described as "homework help" tutoring.

I bet I'll be in there with a bunch of middle school students who will find it pathetic that a 30-year-old doesn't know this stuff. I'm going to die of embarrassment, I'm sure of it.

Mr. Bourdain, I think I love you

If a man doesn't mind cooking, I'm pretty impressed.

If a man can put together a meal that could be served in a gourmet restaurant, he's won some serious points.

But if a man doesn't mind venturing into the darker corners of the world, isn't afraid to smile, enjoys a good beer (or two or three ... ), can pull off an earring without looking like a complete fool and can prepare a fabulous meal fit for someone far more important than me, well, that man would be Anthony Bourdain. And, yes, I think I'm in love.

I've been glued to his show on the Travel Channel for months now. He's journeyed everywhere from Russia and Korea to India and Ghana - each time enjoying the local flavor and taking in the region's culture and customs - all while showing a geniune interest in each country's people and history. He seems to become a part of the local flavor himself, and you can see that most people he visits just love him. I can see why.

I hope that one day I'll be in NYC and will have the opportunity to dine at Les Halles, where he is the executive chef. There's something about fine dining that I will always love, and something tells me this restaurant will be unforgetable.

But until then I'll remain glued to my TV every time his show is on - whether or not I've already seen it. You should watch, too!

Saturday really needs to hurry up

Only two more days of work and I'll be home-free.
Eleven glorious days of vacation await.
Let's all cross our fingers that my sanity holds out for another 48 hours.
With a little luck, it just might!

Sew, whaddya know?

I believe I may be in the market for a sewing machine soon. I've never used one, but I think my inner crafter is about to burst at the seams, so to speak, if I don't buy one.

So, I'm asking those of you who are experienced in this area - is there anything I should be looking for? I am clueless, but basically it would be used for simple tasks at first, and then maybe more complicated things if I get that far with it. I don't want to spend a heap of money, but I'd like something that will work without too much frustration.

Any advice?

Tough decision

"Winners never quit. Quitters never win."

I remember staring long and hard at the poster mounted above the blackboard in my fifth-grade reading class.

Even back then I hated that saying because, quite frankly, there are some things that you absolutely have to give up - otherwise you'll go mad.

In fifth-grade it was the spelling bee.

Oh, yes, I could spell with the best of them. I probably could have at least come in second or third. However, stage fright was a very real thing for 11-year-old Stacey. It came equipped with hives, intestinal issues and closed off airways. Polka-dotted skin, urgent sprints to the bathroom and the inability to breathe left me with no other choice. Seriously.

So, spelling "elephant" wrong in the first round was my way of combatting the inevitible result of a full-blown panic attack, and to this day I feel it was the right decision.

E-L-A-F-A-N-T

Yes, folks, I butchered the word, but I saved myself.

That saying that hung above Mrs. Camp's blackboard has been resounding in my head over the last couple of days. I've been bogged down with the weight of an exam that I HAVE TO PASS, combined with the statistics course that I also have to pass. Both involve math. Both are super important. Both are seriously affecting my daily thoughts in a negative way.

The exam is the most important of the two. I seriously have got to pass the Praxis before November. Otherwise I won't be able to become a "real" student in January. Which means I won't be able be a student at all because I must have financial aid, and until I pass this test there're no aid for me.

All of this rambling is leading up to a very difficult decision I made last night after an episode that zipped me back in time to that spelling bee and that dang poster. I'm not a quitter ... I hate quitting anything at all. But, I'm dropping statistics and hiring a math tutor for the Praxis.

In the end, I think this is a good thing. I'll pick up statistics again at some point and will probably do better at it without having to worry about a standardized test that decides my fate for the next several years.

So, I'm not a quitter. I'm an informed decision maker.

Yeah ... that's it!

Is it too early to think about Christmas?

... I hope not, because I've been on a Christmas tear lately!

I've already purchased several gifts, which is completely unheard of for this girl. But I am *so* excited, and I have no idea why!

Also, remember last year when I went crazy and did the ornament swap? I'm definitely doing it again this year, and I've been scouring the Internet trying to figure out what in the world I'll create this year. So far, I'm leaning toward some sort of paper craft. Possibly origami ornaments with a little flair - you know, I've got to spice it up a little!

It all begins in October, I think. And considering stores already are putting up Halloween decor, it can't be too far away!

Oh God, I think I need this

Is this not the world's most amazing cake?!?

I stumbled upon it while over at Mrs. Mogul tonight and am now in the process of attempting to talk myself out of spending $28 on a cake pan, of all things.

Just imagine how fantastic it would be to show up on someone's - anyone's - doorstep with this as a birthday cake!

Oh, and this is what the actual pan looks like. Brillliant, no?

Yes, yes. I must buy it.

I feel so guilty

I don't know how it happened. I did everything the little card that was stuck in the soil said to do.

"Water only when completley dry, keep in cool environment out of direct sunlight."

But it still looks as though I left this plant out in the 100 degree heat with zero water.

Poor Fred.

Just another statistic

I'm shaking in my boots, scared to death of the next 4 months and what misery, torture and heartache they will bring.

I've signed up for Intro. to Statistics, and it's already not looking pretty. Before registering I did a quick online search of a professor rating site to kind of get a feel for the instructors at the school I'm taking the course. I focused my attention on all the good rankings and, like an idiot, didn't take much notice of the professors who scored low for various reasons.

Much to my sadness, classes taught by the two professors who seemed to be the most helpful to those of us who are not gifted in math were already closed.

So I blindly signed up for an instructor I hadn't taken note of. Tonight I looked her up on the professor ranking site. Bad news, bad news, bad news.

Here is a brief sampling of the 16 negative reviews (out of 18 total).

She expected us to automatically know it and made you feel stupid when you didn't get it quickly. She doesn't seem to have problems leaving you behind if you are having issues either. DO NOT TAKE HER.

Though friendly and reasonable, her teaching style is very undisciplined and she's not very clear on subject matter.

Straight up terrible.

Does not have a clue about teaching anything above college alg.

I know that I shouldn't stress too much because who knows what kind of students wrote these reviews to begin with. However, this professor is definitely the most disliked in the math department, according to the reviews, and that makes me nervous because I am just awful at anything related to numbers.

God help me.

20 lbs. lighter

My 12-week Weight Watchers journey has come to an end, and I couldn't be happier with the results! In three months I managed to drop 20 pounds, which I am so very excited about!

Check out my before and after:


The picture on the left was taken in May a few weeks before I started Weight Watchers. The one on the right was taken two nights ago. I can tell a big difference in my appearance, but the biggest change has been in my energy level. It's grown so much that I can't even describe.

See those jeans in my new picture? There's a story behind them!

I've been needing blue jeans for several weeks now because my old favorites were really beginning to look sloppy loose. But I've been trying really hard not to spend money because I know when I start school there are going to be a slew of expenses coming my way. So, when I walked into Old Navy this past weekend I and laid my eyes on these jeans I decided to only try on one size. If that size didn't fit perfectly, then I would put them back and not go up to the next size. BUT, if the smaller size fit, I told myself I'd buy the jeans.

Much to my shock (and delight), when I got to the fitting room, the jeans slid on perfectly! After a brief dance of joy in the dressing room, I bought the perfect jeans!

I've gone down two sizes into this, a size I never thought I'd see again:


I will continue eating like I'm on Weight Watchers, but I'll no longer be attending meetings. I think I'll probably lose another 5 lbs., or maybe even 10 lbs. It's not a goal, but the weight keeps coming off slowly and that is just fine with me!

It's been a journey, but not a difficult one. I never thought I could lose weight and still lead a normal life. It's wonderful!

Cleansing

I feel like my body has completely purged itself of any possible impurity after my 5-day battle with the stomach flu. Life is good in stomachland - finally - but it's time my spirit be cleansed as well.

Medatation is not something I'm good at. I can barely sit still through an action-packed movie, much less concentrate on clearing my mind for little more than 5 minutes. However, when I can make myself relax and focus on my inner self, it does wonders, as I reminded myself last night.

Life is so hectic, and I feel like we're often too caught up in schedules, finances and making others happy. Self-neglect is too common, but sadly it seems like it has become necessary to perform it this world. I'm hoping to change my attitude on this in the coming weeks as I get back to who I once was - before I got so bogged down.

I am so looking forward to a more peaceful spirit, as opposed to the very impatient and unhappy mindset I've had lately. Life is good, and it's time I remember to stop to smell the roses!

A poem

Stomach flu, O stomach flu
please go away
Stomach flu, O stomach flu
you can't be here to stay
My belly is grumbling
and here I go stumbling
to the bathroom
for the hundredth time

* I never claimed to be a good poet.