The Memoirs of Gluckel of Hameln

The semester has come to an end! Finals week was... interesting, to say the least! My poetry class had a reading at the end of the semester. It was my first reading, which was completely nerve-wracking but wonderful as well. The audience (and the poets) laughed, cried and journeyed to strange lands. The wonderful Sarah came along to cheer me on. Apparently, she almost literally cheered me on. Thank you again for not doing that! ;)

After finishing a paper that night I came down with the stomach flu and was in bed for two days. (Note to self: research immunity boosters for next semester. I think I was sick with one thing or another for a majority of Fall!) Next came work and then, my Jewish History final papers, one of which was on the book The Memoirs of Gluckel of Hameln. I read the book in one night so that I could write my paper and I have to say that reading the book in so short a period of time did not do justice to the book. It was extremely interesting to read a first-hand account of what life was like at this time and it was actually quite easy to read. But it was a bit much to read in one night! I would like to read it again, more slowly, reading a book at a time. This particular quote stood out to me because it represents Gluckel's outlook on life throughout the book and is one of those "putting things into perspective" quotes that really hit me:

“Even if our sages say « it is better not to be born, » meaning that men have so much to endure in this sinful world, still I thank and praise my Creator that He made me according to His will and beg Him to take me under His holy charge.”

So, coming up this week I promise I will write about one of my favorite photographer's and I'll start working on some book and movie reviews.

The Start of a New Class

It's October and I haven't posted once yet. So, what I have been doing? Not much! Basically studying, studying, studying, writing, writing, writing with TV, work and swimming with my niece and nephew thrown in.

A new class started tonight. It's with the community college I was at before moving to the university. Basically, in order to avoid taking another science class with a lab at the university I need to complete the transfer curriculum with the community college, so I'm taking one last general to get that out of the way. Since I really don't feel like making the drive all the way to the college itself once a week, I'm taking a course that meets off campus. In a location about fifteen minutes away from my house. The best part? It's less than five minutes away from my favorite Ethiopian coffee shop. My dad pointed out the building to me the last time we were in the area but I wanted to be sure it was the place I needed to go to. So, last night I mapquested the address, glanced at the directions to make sure a few streets were on it, and that was that. (On a side note, the teacher tonight discussed the days before mapquest. Can you imagine? I sure can't! Think about finding all those little pesky little roads on the map by yourself... it would take forever!)

Today, after my usual Thursday lunch at my favorite Colombian restaurant, my dad came to meet me. On our walk back to the school he and my mom volunteer at, we had this conversation:

Me: Last night I mapquested the address to make sure you pointed out the right building.
Him: You didn't believe me? When have I ever let you down?
Me: There was that one time you told me to take the bus in one direction and it turned out I needed to go in the other.
Him: Did I lead you astray this time?
Me: Well, no...

I'm sure with that little conversation you can see where this story is going. I drove to the building and, when I saw two cars in the parking lot, felt like something might be off. Luckily, the janitor was cleaning near the door and was able to point me in the right direction.

My teacher had to attend a conference this week so he sent his wife (who also teaches) to give us the introduction to the class. She was hilarious and I'm kind of sad she won't be our teacher for the semester. We also got out really early--we basically spent a half hour in class tonight. The best part about my new class? It's a ten week class and three of our class periods are canceled due to teacher conferences and holidays. I had to stop myself from doing a little dance when I heard the great news!

What else have I been doing while I have not been updating the blog? Playing Dark Nebula on my iTouch. Let me just say, it's as on the edge of your seat addictive as the article says it is!

And if you have a few more minutes after this loooong post, you should go check out Sarah's blog. (Yep, she's the same Sarah from Alex and Robin nights--which are, sadly, over now that we've finished Moonlight--and the oatmeal mask.) Her Strangers in the Library post is an exceptionally good one if you're in the mood for a fantastic crazy person story. Can you guess who her best friend in the story is? That's right! C'est moi! So go read and find a little story that I haven't told you!

Thursday Afternoons

One of my favorite restaurants is a small Columbian restaurant that is near my niece and nephew's school. Every Thursday, my parents volunteer at that school. (I had actually been thinking about volunteering as well and would have been placed in my niece's class, but with my work schedule I decided that I needed the time to study. Maybe next semester.)

Today, after my classes, I hopped on a bus and stopped at the restaurant. My sister recently mentioned getting a quesadilla for lunch one day and ever since I have been in the mood for one! So, today I ordered a quesadilla and an iced tea (tropical and so good!). Because it was a little chilly, I finished the meal with a hazelnut latte to warm up. Usually when I go I eat their breakfasts, which they serve all day. On the menu is a traditional Columbian breakfast as well as a wonderful array of pancakes. I'm not a pancake person but when it comes to eating at this restaurant, they are a tasty way to go! You can order pancakes plain, but why would you when you can also get them filled with many different types of fruit? One of the best pancakes on the menu is the plantain pancake which, of course, is a pancake made with plantains and covered in a type of cheese. I can't think of the name of the cheese (I'll check the menu next week) but it fits the pancake and tastes much better than it sounds. Believe me, I was skeptical at first, but I love it!

I think this will be my new Thursday routine, and it sounds much better than hanging out on campus all day (I used to spend the entire day on campus)! Go to my favorite restaurant, eat some tasty food, meet up with my parents and see my niece and nephew after school. There's also a bakery down the street and I'm thinking I might have to stop in once or twice. The pastries are all wonderful but are definitely very bad for you. But did I mention the pastries are good? And that you can smell them from down the street?

I might not be able to eat any other day of the week but let me tell you, it will be worth it!

Fall Is Here... And So Are New Beginnings

Swimming lessons began on Monday. I love these days! ... talking to my sister while my niece and nephew splash around in the pool. Afterward I stayed at my sister's for awhile to watch my niece and nephew while my sister and brother-in-law were at a business meeting. My nephew fell asleep on the way home and slept through the night. My niece and I did our homework together. When she was finished with hers we played with beads and then told stories over a dinner of Lebanese food. Once dinner was over we read another "Jack and Annie" book -- a Magic Tree House book -- before bed. I love spending time with my niece! She's a sweet, creative girl who says the cutest things. Highlight of the night: "My parents go to bed at 8:30, that's why I go to bed at 8."

Television shows are starting their new seasons. What shows are you watching? Last week The Vampire Diaries started and this week I watched the season premieres of Gossip Girl (will probably be dropping this one), Life Unexpected (I ♥ Baze), and Parenthood (I ♥ Lauren Graham).

Next week will be the premieres of Dancing With the Stars, The Event, Hawaii Five-0, Running Wilde, Bones, Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice (might be dropping this one now that my favorite character is gone). I know, I know, I watch too much TV! But hey, I have to find some way to procrastinate doing my homework, right?

Actually, I've been doing well with staying on top of my homework this semester. Maybe this is a new beginning too?

Conversations

Recent conversations with customers:

(With an older middle-aged customer who asked me out a few weeks after his son asked me out.)
Him: * sniffing the air * You smell good!

- - -

(Two separate conversations with the same customer. “Her” in the second conversation is my coworker.)

Him: What are you doing tonight?
Me: I have a friend coming over.
Him: A friend?
Me: Mm-hmm.
Him: Girl friend or boy friend?


Him: What are you doing tonight?
Her: Going home and going to bed. I have to work all weekend.
Him: And you. What about you?
Me: A friend is coming over.
Him: A friend, a friend! I’m always hearing about these friends!

- - -

Old Customer: You can see anything you’d like as long as I still have clothes on.
Me: Could you pull that on… out!?

(My coworkers had fun with that story when I told them about it.)

- - -

It's been a long weekend of work, work, work, a dinner out with the work girls, and a little bit of homework and movies mixed in. This all equals little sleep over the weekend, which is always a great way to start a new week of classes! Oh well. C'est la vie!

My niece and nephew start swimming lessons tomorrow and I'm going along to help my sister out. These are fun days, so I'm excited! At the start of a new semester with a poetry workshop (as my senior seminar!) I am full of ideas, which feels wonderful! So, things are good. In addition to that, I have a busy week of work planned. Hopefully at the end of this week I'll be ahead a few weeks ahead on my class reading. That would make life even better right now!

Back On Campus

Classes start this week and I had my first round this morning starting with Jews of the Mediterranean, which is a history class and the last of the upper division courses outside of my major that I have to take! I was relieved to see that the paper for the class will be about a book we'll be reading by an author that I've looked at numerous times in the past. For someone who writes essays about books all the time this is right up my alley!

I also had my Modern Theory class with a professor I had last semester. This is one that I had originally signed up for about a year ago, but dropped because the reading load was too much with my other classes. I was disappointed when I dropped it because the professor was wonderful; he had a dry sense of humor that he incorporated into lectures and he made class our fun. The first class period was an overview of the theorists we'd be studying, complete with pictures and fun stories of each. So when I saw that my professor from a class last semester would be teaching this one I had to sign up for it to make the loss of the previous professor worth it. She has so much information to share and I'm excited to continue to tap into all the knowledge she has. And... there are no papers in the class! This is because of all the reading we'll be doing, but still... no papers... and for that I'm excited!

The other great thing about these two classes is that our final will be a take home final!

Outside of school, my friend Sam knows that I support an organization called charity: water, whose mission is to bring clean, safe drinking water to those who don't have access to it. Clean water is a passion of mine and I believe in the mission of this organization. And this is one of the reasons I like this organization so much, after a mission that didn't go as planned they still report it.

Live Drill - No water for our birthday in Central African Republic from charity: water on Vimeo.

The One With Three: Numismatics, Classes, Cucumbers

Happy Labor Day!

I spent most of the day at work and most of that time was spent visiting different websites. We only have access to .gov websites so slow days end up turning into educational days as we surf different websites. Today I looked at the US Mint website and read up on the First Spouse coin collection. I've always been fascinated by the wives of the Presidents because so many of them have done great things. The first spouse coins feature a portrait of the first spouse on the front along their name, which number spouse they were and the dates that they were in the White House. On the back is an image representing the spouses legacy. For those President's who weren't married during their presidency, the coin features Liberty in her depiction in their day on the front with a picture representing the President's legacy on the back. Here are a few of my favorite coins:
-- Abigail Adams, I love their letters.
-- Jefferson's Liberty, for it's depiction of Liberty.
-- Dolley Madison, because the image on the back (and what she did) is awesome.
-- Julia Tyler, my favorite, for the image on the back (and the portrait is pretty cool too).
-- Buchanan's Liberty, for it's depiction of Liberty.

In other news, classes start tomorrow. I'll be taking Jews of the Mediterranean, Modern Literary Criticism and Theory and the Poetry Writing Senior Seminar. Starting in October I'll be adding a geography to the line-up of classes. I'm thinking that without French my semester will be much easier than the last three. I'm hoping, at least.

I'll end with a tasty way to prepare cucumbers. I have customers who regularly bring us cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers from their garden throughout the summer. Yesterday they brought in some bags and even though my dad had just purchased a good number of cucumbers at a local vegetable stand, I couldn't resist taking a bunch of the wonderful looking cucumbers that they brought in! My boss was telling us about one of her relatives who grows cucumbers and has found tasty and simple ways to prepare cucumbers. All you need to do is cut them in slices and dab a little bit of olive oil and black pepper over them. And it is very yummy! I'm sorry for the crappy picture. I took it quickly, in crappy lighting.