My "To-Do" List

So this quarter has been truly overwhelming, but there's good news! Only 3 weeks left!... and there's bad news... there's only three weeks left. I have so much to do in so little time! And technically there are only 2 weeks left as the last week is finals... I have organized my duties by class:

Accounting: Project, weekly homework

Energy and Technology: 2 page paper, 2 page paper, 10 page paper

Economics: 4 page paper, 2 page paper, project.

Yeah. That's right. I got to cross one off the list today (: And I'm nearly done with my portion of the accounting project! And I thought I had everything under control for the end of the quarter. Ha! Just yesterday in class I found out about the 4 page paper due, and today I go to do my homework for my energy class and it turns out there are two two page papers due for the one assignment (which he has seen fit to change into two now). I just don't get these professors!

And on top of everything, finals are coming up AND I have to find a job in Santa Barbara (I'll explain later). Where am I going to find any time to do anything?

Why am I taking the time to rant on my blog if I'm so busy you ask? Well because I need to. I need to take breaks between scratching my brain out and attempting to rub it onto the computer screen. This quarter is going to be the death of me, and I know it! I just need to take deep breaths and take this one paper/project at a time. I know I'm going to finish them; I have to finish them. This has just not been my quarter. I knew there was a reason I hated non-art classes...

I want to go back to BC and take graphic design classes. Boo!

Okay. Meltdown over. Time to get back to business. Tomorrow I am only leaving my bedroom for food and bathroom breaks. I have to get this crap done! I can do this! I can do this. I can do this.... right?

Wordless Wednesday

A Day In My Life

ADay.org made history on May 15th this year. They orchestrated a worldwide photographic event. Photographers, or really just anyone with a camera, took pictures of their everyday lives and uploaded them to to the website. People from all over the world, from all walks of life photographed what they do and see everyday. May 15th has been recorded by millions of images. I chose to do mine in black and white... because it felt right.

This is a day of my life. May 15th, 2012:

Where I go to class at.

One of the goat babies.

What greets me when I get home.

Homework: an everyday occurance.

Every Tuesday/Thursday in econ!

Right before I go to bed.

Crossing the street to go home.

Another goat baby.

My commute to school.

Adult Wants... Or Are They Needs?

I remember as a kid, probably the most expensive thing I wanted was a barbie doll. I could even spend a dollar and be happy with what I'd gotten. As you grow up, your wants become much more expensive though. You want a fancy car. You want a computer. You want a phone. All of these things are wants. We'd like to express them as needs though.

When did the world get so expensive? I find myself sitting here, typing on my computer and thinking, my computer is slow, I need a new one. Or when I'm editing photos and the pictures aren't as clear as they could be, I need a better camera. When I'm out and about and would like to check my e-mail, I need a smart phone. When I'm driving to school and my stereo doesn't work, and my AC doesn't work, and my engine makes a racket; I need a new car.

I know what these are: first-world problems.

Some of these things are quite necessary though. My car, though it is not fancy... and the radio decides when it wants to play... is an essential day-to-day object. I don't need a new car though; this one gets me from place to place. My laptop still allows me to access the internet and type up this blog post; it's still good. My camera takes pictures and my (non-smart) phone allows me to contact people when I need to and the battery lasts for days without needing to be charged! I have come to appreciate the objects that I have and make do with them. And while, yes, I would like to have "better" ones, these ones will have to do until I win the lottery. Keep your fingers crossed for me (:

No Longer In A Book

Whilst walking around campus one might assume to see many students with their noses in a book, or at least looking around, enjoying the scenery. The campus is quite pretty, and there are plenty of cute furry animals to admire: squirrels, kit foxes, the occasional cat. But as I was walking to class yesterday I noticed something very interesting. There were many other students walking around, but 90% of them weren't enjoying the scenery, or even watching where they were going! They all had their noses stuck to their phones!

The only reason I was able to make this observation myself was because I had just stuck my phone in my pocket. Everywhere I looked there was someone either texting, talking on their phone or otherwise using it. Look how far technology has come. Most people wouldn't dare leave the house without their phones, let alone go to school without it. You can miss so many things when you're looking at your phone. A friend might walk by and, if both of you are looking at your phones, you might not even see them. You're so busy having conversations through texting that you don't even notice the real people right in front of you.

I've had friends like this. You're sitting there having a conversation and their phone goes off; they have a new text. They pick up their phone and begin to text back all the while you are still talking to them. After they're done texting they ask you to repeat what you said, because they stopped listening as soon as their phone rang. You forgive them and continue talking. A couple seconds later their phone goes off again. You notice that as soon as they start reading the text message they aren't even listening to you anymore. Now I wouldn't mind this too much; I know some conversations are more important than others, but if it's that important that you ignore the person that is right in front of you to text someone back (over and over again), just call them for goodness sake! That way the conversation will go that much more quickly! Also, this way, the person sitting in front of you won't keep getting interrupted and feeling like what they're saying doesn't mean a thing to you.

I have recently made a vow... to myself... that I will text less. When I want to talk to someone I will call them, or even see them in person! At least when you're talking on your phone you're looking around. When you're texting, you're phone is all you see. Too many students have the phones permanently glued to their hands. I refuse to be part of the majority.

...We'll see how long this lasts.

Road Rage

Road rage. We're all guilty of it. Anyone who has ever said "I never yell at other drivers" is a complete liar. People are just not good drivers. They talk on their phones, they text, they eat, they sleep, and worst of all, they think they have the "right of way". I can' tell you how many times I've been practically run off the road by some idiot who thinks, "Hey, she'll move" and all the while I'm sitting there thinking, "don't even think about it".

One of my biggest pet peeves is tail gating. For some odd reason people think you'll drive your car just that much faster if the drive right up behind you and stay there. The only thing tailgating makes me do is drive slower. If you're going to be a jerk and drive that close behind me instead of just passing me, I'm going to be a jerk and go even slower!... or just continue going the speed limit, which ever fits into my schedule better. I understand, sometimes people are in a hurry, but getting on other people's nerves is not going to get you to your destination any faster. It might get you a break check though...

Yes, I am guilty of tail gating (I think we all are), but I don't do it often and it usually only happens at this one spot! There is an RV park just off highway 58 at Edison Road called Orange Grove RV Park and I drive past it almost everyday on my way to school. I drive a good speed down the road; anywhere from 55-60 miles per hour. I don't know if the people that stay at the park are just in too big a hurry to leave the park, or they just feel like being butt heads but they always pull out it front of me, causing me to have to put on my breaks and come up just behind them. Mind you, the residents are usually people in trucks pulling huge trailers, so they aren't going to be going very fast. Now i'm assuming they look down the road and see me coming and think "she's pretty far down the road, I have plenty of time to pull out". This is a common misconception. When you are driving 15 mph pulling out of a park and there is a car coming 60 mph down the road, it's going to catch up to you quickly! I will drive right behind them, hoping they see how close I am and feel like the idiots they are for pulling out when they did. One can only hope.

You know what? If more people would drive like me, the world would be a much faster, safer, and better place :P I'm sure many people have thought that too...

What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to driving?