Evil, no good, very bad Cherie...

I almost honked my horn today at an elderly man because I wondered if I could force him into a heart attack. I know, I'm horrible!!!!!!

There were of course a string of events that led up to this thought but all the same, I'm embarrassed that I had it.

Wow...

Sometimes things happen that just make you say wow (Andrea's thoughts on the word wow). An administrator at the church that I used to work for had been under some suspicion for quite some time and now has been officially charged. As messy as things were when I left, I'm thankful I wasn't working there during any of this mess.

Seasons change . . .

Feelings change... (are you humming the tune?). Who sang that anyway? I suppose I could google it and find out but if my memory serves me correctly, it's Expose. Anyway. I feeling a change in the air today. Allow me to bare my soul...

Today marks my last official day in the classroom as a TA for IUPUI, sniff sniff. It is really kind of sad. I've very much enjoyed my role in this position this year and wish that I could hang around for a bit longer. But I really need to launch into my thesis and finish that sucker this year. As I hiked to the fifth floor for one of the last times today, I reflected briefly (in between heavy breathing from walking up all of those stairs) on the past year. It's been a year of learning. I've learned how to grade, how to easily spot plagiarism, how to lecture (kinda - now if I could only stay in my chair). I decided not to make my life utter madness by finishing my thesis and TAing at the same time. I decided to launch myself into children's ministry more fully at CSC. I decided not to try to get pregnant this year (not closing the door entirely but I really felt like 05-06 wasn't the right timing). I learned that Anna needed to make her own way at school and that my role in her life is beginning to change. I'd like to think that I've accepted myself a bit more - as a woman, as a scholar, as a wife, as a mother, as a friend.

There are plenty things that I'm still working on and haven't learned though . . . still can't really manage my time effectively (laundry, laundry everywhere!), still need to take Minesweeper off of my computer (what the other TAs that I work with refer to as my "computer crack"), still am training to hopefully ride the RAIN ride this summer (the good news is that if I do ride it, I have about 13 lbs less to drag down the road), still writing, researching, reading for my thesis (when will it ever end?!?!), still trying to manage stress effectively and not leave things until the last minute (back to the time management issue) and take out my own negligence and procrastination on those whom I love the most (i.e. Brian and Anna).

It's been a good academic year. I'm not totally out of the woods. I'll still need grade finals, figure grades, organize my TA materials for the lucky soul who comes behind me but pretty much by this time next week this chapter will be closed and I'll be embarking on a new journey. I'm not sure what that path is yet but I'm excited to get on it.

Can you tell what I did today?

That's right, today marked the primary elections in Indiana. So I wore one of my favorite T shirts that really only seems appropriate twice a year and headed to the polls. They wanted to take my pic at the polling place since apparently I was only one of two dems to vote there that day(gotta love the variety and diversity of Johnson County). In other news, Brian worked as an Election Judge (guess the grand total would have been 3 had he not already voted absentee) at another polling place and Anna collected a few "I Voted" stickers for herself.

Am I still a credible source of information?

So yesterday, I was expounding upon the demographic shifts in the United States, post World War II in the hopes of preparing my students for their final exam (and honestly to prepare myself to grade their final exam) which is tomorrow. All of the sudden I forgot the cardinal "Four on the Floor" rule which I learned in 2nd grade and I'm sure impressed upon others when I worked for the church. And whoooop.... in a matter of seconds I scooted forward, fell on the floor and the high backed chair I was sitting in came down over the top of me. So I of course realizing that I was not bleeding or majorly injured began to giggle uncontrollably. What else can you do? And the students snickered too. I had to promise them that I indeed could read, did know what I was talking about - although how could they believe me since apparently I can't even sit upright - who knows what I am truly capable of?!?! And also I promised them I had not yet been drinking that day. I laughed it off but seriously, does God really need to humble me in such a humiliating way? I guess so.