I got schooled.
Aug. 27th, 2009 11:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jackshoegazerI am finishing up my first week of school today. Tomorrow I am back to the taxi, but today, I have photography and weight training. This semester should be decent enough. My chemistry class will be the challenge. There's a lot of reading and homework - more so than any other class I've taken so far - which makes me realize how easy I've had it.
Everything else seems easy enough. Photography is an expensive class, but worth it, I hope. I'll be using an old Minolta Maxxum 7000, which I guess back in 1985 was the first autofocus SLR. Weight training should be easy enough. I have incentive - I want to lose weight and rebuild my post-heart surgery chest muscles. Weather & Climate is being taught by a young new teacher who was hired a week ago, who seems very disorganized and not yet jaded on teaching. She also managed to get her hands on a PDF of our text, so we don't have to buy it.
This is my first semester primarily relying on e-books for my texts. I am currently sitting here waiting for some readings to print and like all PDF's, it's taking forever. The bundled text+lab manual for my chem class is $180, but the e-book versions, I was able to get both for half that.
I went to Ethan's first cross country potluck last night. There's 127 kids in cross country, plus parents and faculty. I'll never get used to these kinds of school-events for Ethan. I am significantly younger than any of Ethan's peer's parents and I still haven't quite shaken that childish feeling being around a bunch of adults.
Does that mean I don't think of myself as an adult? Huh.
We've also gone on a major cleaning/redecorating spree as the summer winds down. It's hard to expend much energy on massive projects in the winter in these harsh climes. So much energy goes into just keeping warm. I tend to prefer fall-cleaning as opposed to spring-cleaning. In the spring, the warmth and fresh-air do so much on their own. In the winter, it's like you need to prepare the cave for the long hibernation.
In general, I have been feeling overwhelmed and tired. On Monday, I go in for a venogram (like an angiogram, but for veins) to check on my bypass. I had a CT done a couple weeks ago and they couldn't really see it. Add this to the fact that my symptoms haven't cleared up as much as anyone would like, everyone is pretty worried that it might not be patent. Worst case scenario is that it somehow closed and I have to have another surgery. Best case scenario, is that it's only blocked (clot or whathaveyou) and they can just open it right back up. Middle of the road - it's open and fine but it's just not working as well as hoped. Anywhere on that scale still has me constantly worried.
WTF, e-books? How long does it take to print? Geez.
Everything else seems easy enough. Photography is an expensive class, but worth it, I hope. I'll be using an old Minolta Maxxum 7000, which I guess back in 1985 was the first autofocus SLR. Weight training should be easy enough. I have incentive - I want to lose weight and rebuild my post-heart surgery chest muscles. Weather & Climate is being taught by a young new teacher who was hired a week ago, who seems very disorganized and not yet jaded on teaching. She also managed to get her hands on a PDF of our text, so we don't have to buy it.
This is my first semester primarily relying on e-books for my texts. I am currently sitting here waiting for some readings to print and like all PDF's, it's taking forever. The bundled text+lab manual for my chem class is $180, but the e-book versions, I was able to get both for half that.
I went to Ethan's first cross country potluck last night. There's 127 kids in cross country, plus parents and faculty. I'll never get used to these kinds of school-events for Ethan. I am significantly younger than any of Ethan's peer's parents and I still haven't quite shaken that childish feeling being around a bunch of adults.
Does that mean I don't think of myself as an adult? Huh.
We've also gone on a major cleaning/redecorating spree as the summer winds down. It's hard to expend much energy on massive projects in the winter in these harsh climes. So much energy goes into just keeping warm. I tend to prefer fall-cleaning as opposed to spring-cleaning. In the spring, the warmth and fresh-air do so much on their own. In the winter, it's like you need to prepare the cave for the long hibernation.
In general, I have been feeling overwhelmed and tired. On Monday, I go in for a venogram (like an angiogram, but for veins) to check on my bypass. I had a CT done a couple weeks ago and they couldn't really see it. Add this to the fact that my symptoms haven't cleared up as much as anyone would like, everyone is pretty worried that it might not be patent. Worst case scenario is that it somehow closed and I have to have another surgery. Best case scenario, is that it's only blocked (clot or whathaveyou) and they can just open it right back up. Middle of the road - it's open and fine but it's just not working as well as hoped. Anywhere on that scale still has me constantly worried.
WTF, e-books? How long does it take to print? Geez.
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no subject
Date: 2009-08-27 05:03 pm (UTC)My oldest just turned 17 (I was 17 when he was born), I went to a band concert he did last year and felt the exact same way!
no subject
Date: 2009-08-27 05:32 pm (UTC)back to the taxi? are you having a one-week semester? er?
anyway. e-books and print books are ridic expensive. I support you in finding ways to cut costs. (when I was in grad school, I just walked over to the bookstore... bought books... felt like a tool for thems were so expensive!) anyway, good luck.
(only from the mind of Minolta! do you remember those ads? I do.) I think you'll like your photog class. since it's something you already do, you might be able to hone your skills and develop new perspectives, which will be awesome...
127 kids in cross country!!!!! are they in training for the zombie apocalypse!!!!!! wow.
you probably are younger than the "other adults/parents." but it doesn't mean that you're not an adult/parent. stand your ground. most days I just think of myself as a person. then some old song comes on the radio and I'm all "WTF I'm 37!!! who is in charge of time???!!!!" I can't really offer much in the way of help: you are the age you are. tomorrow you'll be older. (and shit.)
nobody believes me when I tell them my age anyway. so fuck em all....
take good care of you, eh?
anna :)
no subject
Date: 2009-08-27 07:10 pm (UTC)I was just wondering about you, glad you updated. You've been quiet lately and we've both been all busy. I was thinking the other day that I never heard about whether your heart was okay, so I'm glad to hear that you're going to have it looked at again (unpleasant as it is) so you can figure out what on earth is happening.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-27 07:12 pm (UTC)I said reading about your books makes me glad all my books are free and online. 90 bucks for a textbook? Shit.
I'm glad you updated about your heart, I wondered what was going on. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages even though I know it's only been a couple of weeks. : P
no subject
Date: 2009-08-27 07:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-27 08:16 pm (UTC)And I suppose this is because of my own view on the world, but is there a possibility you are depressed? I know folks recovering from major injuries and rounds of chemo can easily get in a trough. Can you talk to your doc about this option, somehow?
And of course, you know. Weight lifting. Because I'm in love with lifting. Wow! I'm curious to see how it feels and how the trainer/teacher adapts things for your abilities and goals.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-27 10:18 pm (UTC)I really do hope that it's just something easy to fix. I'll be thinking about you, and hoping for best case. I'm sorry you're feeling poorly!
BTW, when you calculated that the ebooks were cheaper, did you factor in the cost of your printer ink as well?