This week started a new semester for me. I am a geology major, so generally I spend alot of time on campus in labs. However, last semester I just had lectures and no labs. I was able to take more classes, but overall spent less time than usual on campus. We got Sammy just before last semester began, so he has not yet had to deal with labs. Luckily I only have one lab this semester! I have one super long day, Monday I have classes for 8 hours straight (well, one half hour break). Sammy is not pleased.
Not only has classes begun this week, but also about a million things have gone wrong. I was on a waitlist for a class, but didn't make it in, making Monday a very stressful morning. I had to go to campus super early and check on my status. Found out I wouldn't be in the class so had to try to get in another class to bring me to fulltime status. Then I had an interview. Erik drove me for this because otherwise the 20 minute task would have been at least an hour and a half. We were back home for an hour before Erik had to leave for work. Then I had to leave a half hour later for my 8 hours of classes, meaning I would be gone for over 9 hours. Everything went peachy at first, parking went smoothly, plenty of space on the first shuttle bus, first class went well, lab went well. Unfortunately I have not been able to afford the lab manual for that lab, but otherwise it went just swimmingly. Then I went to the class I wasn't enrolled in to try to explain to the professor why I'm there but not enrolled, the day of class. He was a-ok, so I went to his secretary who yelled at me, calling me dumb and whatever all, and in front of people. She was not going to let me in the class. Then I went to my last class, a night sociology class. I took soc before, but got in an argument with the professor the first week and dropped it, so my spirits were not high for this. I got there, and found that my original professor decided not to teach the class, and we got a new professor. This meant she was not prepared, no syllabus, everyone needed to return the original book for her book....on and on. By the end, it was ok, just not how you envision your first day. It was 9pm now and freezing. I walked across campus to meet the shuttle back to my car. Got to the pick up only to find that the shuttle doesn't run that late. I don't take night classes, ever, and had taken it for granted I would have a shuttle back to my car. Nope. Called home, Erik had to take the dinner out of the oven to come get me to get my car to go back home and salvage dinner. Oh well, the day is over and I know now.
...Not quite. I get to my car and begin the drive home. We have recently had warmer weather (even above freezing) so we have had the freeze-thaw processes working hard on our streets. There is a hilly bend on our main road, that has not been plowed well and has never had appriote lighting for being in a city. Well, my kia rio hit the giant pothole. Tire down. Luckily it was a block from the turn-in to our parking lot so it was as good as it could be. Got in and found the whole darn thing was slanting and the wheel was obviously messed up, too. Got it parked, it's heat from the friction melted the snow and it sunk right in the remainder of the bluff. It's now almost 10:30. Great day.
Sammy is super happy see us, but he is very worried. I don't know how dogs know these things, but he knows that things aren't right. I ended the day like this: first round at school, fruitless, no chem class; one in over a hundred applicants at my job interview, it's gonna be awhile to hear from them, if I hear from them; 8 hours of classes equalled ten and half hours of adventures; still not a full time student, meaning no scholarship; no books or manuals; broken car; major migraine. Sammy was on my heels. He was tripping over my pants. He was super cuddly to sleep with, which was nice.
Tueday inevitably came. I had class at 10am. Thank goodness Erik had that day off. I drove his car to school while he had awesome times digging my car out and putting the spare on. I got back and we took it to the super busy Jensen. They didn't have the wheel there, so it was gonna be at least 24 hours. At least we got to go home. I had to email my professor about class. Then we had to take down the tree because it wasa the last day to drop it off. I wanted Christmas to last as long as it could, but then everytime we planned to take it, a blizzard or negative twenty plus temperatures came! This was about as much as Sammy could handle. He loved the tree! Not only did the tree go, but all the Christmas decorations had to be put away, and regular stuff (and winter decorations) put out. This meant every room was adjusted. Sammy didn't understand and took to sitting in front of the door closly watching with his head hanging low and puppy eyes out. I think he was trying to keep us inside, or for us to take him if we left. So we took him with us to drop off the tree. After we came back, he was very uplifted. It's crazy, but I think he understood what happened. We came back and he seemed reassured, like this was just normal and part of life. Good. I was feeling guilty about how his routine had been so uprooted! And the routine was completely weather dependant, so not quite our old routine that we loved so much.
Wednesday also had to come. I had 3 classes, spaced out. First at 10. Originally I planned to camp out on campus until the end of my last class at 5:30pm. However, it didn't sound as though I would have a for sure ride home while Erik was at work. So, I have already skipped a class. Erik took me to my 10am class and he and Sammy walked in the park across the street from campus. Then we went home hoping to hear from my professor about my class and my car. Erik had to work at 2 so either I was taking him and going to class then picking him up, or we were gonna be able to get my car back. 1:30 and my car was ready! Talk about a stroke of good luck ...finally! When I got back home, I got in my class! I am a full time student! Yay! Time to go back to campus and go to that class now. Poor Sammy. He saw me grab my keys again. He hates my backpack. He knows that it means I'm leaving. I am beginning to toy with the idea of leaving it in my car. He just gets so sad when I get it. Even if I get it to get a book or notebook out, he starts to worry! I gave him peanut butter, and he wouldn't take it. Oh well, things were gonna get better after this class. Or go to the new routine.
Thursday has now come and gone. I had class at 10am, so we didn't get much playing done before I had to leave. It's the first week, so I need to leave an hour before class to get parked and get the shuttle to campus. I had to allow extra time to get my notes printed out for this class. Tuesdays/Thursdays I have GeoChem, and it's my only class. It is what I have been waiting for! Right now we are discussing origins of the universe and solar system, chemically that is. Then relative to the abundances we have here on Earth. Today we got to work through some nucleosynthesis equations prudent to the big bang, and even one important to our own sun. Anyway, this is the class of all classes I need an A for! I had to get there early to get some stuff printed out, so I could be a super student! It is my only class on Tuesdays/Thursdays so that's an added bonus.
That is was brings me to this conclusion, and this blog. I don't really believe in New Year's Resolutions. I find that making a resolution with one's self is great, and can bring about better people. But why is it that it only seems to be remembered around new years. I'm sure it is a great way to check on yourself monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, and hopefully yearly. A was to re-begin. There is too much pressure to be this new and improved person for the year. Alot of times people seem to put too much, too fast upon themselves as well. I rather like the idea that we can wake up wanting to be a better person than the day before. Nicer, kinder, more empathetic, more forward thinking, better financially, more loving, healthier....etc. Then sometime down the line, you can see real improvement in yourself. It could be a month or five years, but it happened without too much pressure, probably easier to keep because it was a process that was behind the scenes.
I am going to go against this theory and idea. I am going to have my January 14th resoultion. I need to be better to Sammy. I need to wake earlier and play with him. He needs that time, so he doesn't think get up and my parents leave. He need some attention before I leave. This schedule isn't going to be fun with that, late classes on MWF and early classes TWR, but I can do it! Sammy will be better off and when it gets warmer we can take walks before class and we will both be better.
Now, if only I could explain my revelation to my poor scared, unsure, confused puppy.
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