Finals

I just finished talking my chem lab final. And in about 4 1/2 hours I go to take my psych final. Wish me luck.

Pop Tab Prom

It struck me that I never did post about the magnificent pop tab creation that I made for Naomi's junior prom.

It started out with a trip the the Georgia Coca-Cola museum. After spending the day wandering through the place we ended with a trip through the gift shop. They position the gift shop so that you have to go through it to get out. Anyway, in the shop I spotted a really cool purse that had been made with soda can pop tabs, which had been crochet together. I thought that it was a really cool idea, and a fun way to recycle. Until I saw the price tag. $80! For a 5" by 8" purse! It was cool, but not that cool. So I said "ha, forget this. I can make it my self".

So after months of collecting and recruiting my sibling's high school classmates into collecting pop tabs I began to work out how I would make this purse. The result of that was the birthday present presented to Naomi for her 16th birthday. It was quite well received.



Anyway, I started to think about what else can I make with these pop tabs. They are really quite versatile. Well Naomi's prom was coming up and some how the idea formed; "Why not make a dress out of pop tabs? People make prom outfits out of duct tape, why can't I make one out of pop tabs?"

After actually fiddling with that for a while, realizing that that dress would be very heavy, not sure that I had enough pop tabs and not knowing how to design the dress with enough flexibility so the wearer could sit down, I decided on just doing a top. I was going to do a top with the pop tabs and sew a skirt, but Naomi and Mom ended up finding a really beautiful dress at a great price and bought that for the prom. So my top became a corset that went over the dress.

Of course Naomi's date would have to match. Therefore the pop tab tie also developed. I thought about doing a vest but that would take more time that was quickly running out.

I have had a lot of fun with these pop tab designs. I have in the workings now a belly dancing belt and top made of pop tabs. Someday I may even get around to making that whole pop tab dress. I have entered this photo into my colleges yearly creative magazine. With a little bit of luck it will get published.

November 30, 2010

For Thanksgiving break I had Wednesday off which is a normal class day for me. So I drove up to Alabama to see some friends there and mainly to see Jon. It is about 3 hours from my place to Chelsea where I was staying. There is a time change in the middle of that does some strange things to the internal clock.

Wednesday afternoon I spent with my friends just hanging out and playing with the kids. That evening after the kiddos went to bed, we watched Robin Hood and I balanced chemical equations.

Thursday morning I drove 2 more hours up to Huntsville to see Jon. Unfortunately it was Thanksgiving day so everything was closed and there was nothing for us to do but sit in the car and talk. Good thing I brought my knitting. Then we went to lunch with some of Jon's crew. After which I headed back to Chelsea, ('cause there was nothing for us to do on post) and had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with my hosts.

Friday afternoon I drove up to see Jon again, and hung out in the rec center watching videos and eating pizza.

Saturday morning another friend of mine was able to come over and have lunch with us. I was glad to get a chance to see him, as we where both very busy that week end. Afterwards I headed back home.

I finally got around to getting my flu shot yesterday. It's actually the first one I have ever had. I was on my down the driveway on my way to the CVS for my appointment, and thinking about possibly getting a new color of lipstick that I had been contemplating for a while. I was not sure I wanted to spend $8 on a new color that might end up looking terrible. However, I had was getting a few extra hours at the church sitting for the new bible study so I had a little bit of extra cash.

When it suddenly hit me that "OMG extra hours! This is Monday! I'm supposed to be at the church in 25 minuets!" Which is about how long it takes to get there if you don't run into 5:00pm rush hour traffic. So I called back home, and told them that I would be later than expected, and to please call and tell the pharmacy that I would not make it at 6. I managed to make it only 3 minuets late.

I was thankfully able to do a walk-in and get my immunization on the way back home.

Turkeys, Airzookas, and Grades...Oh My.

I found a really cool science toy for my Bio teacher. It's called an airzooka. It shoots a blast of air up to 20 feet. It's harmless but attention getting and you don't have to pick up any darts or balls afterwards. I saw that and imagined him nailing the students that fall asleep in class. It just struck me as hilariously funny (now that I'm out of his class), so I gave it to him as an early Christmas gift. Of course I have never fallen asleep in class...no not little angel like me (I have come to the point of totally zoned out though). I'm sure Dr. Bishop has made many diabolical plans to pester his students and co-workers with it. :)




Chem is not half so hard as I thought it would be, and I have made a couple of friends in that class. I have a 96.(?>5) (something bigger than 5). I just found out that a test I thought was going to be on Monday of next week is going to be on Wednesday. Which only gives me one day to cram. Ugg. I hate cramming by the way.

Psychology and I have a love-hate relationship. I think I'm still pulling an over all A (the grading chart is kinda messed up), but I have made several B's on some of my quizes. The big paper is due this sunday. The paper alone is worth 15% of the grade so it's a make it or break it as far as getting an A goes.

I'm hoping to get lots done this weekend so I won't have much to worry about next weekend. I have that Wednesday off, essentially giving me a 4 day weekend. I'm going to drive over to AL to see Jon for Thanksgiving.

Fall Quarter

So I'm into the 3ed week of fall quarter. I'm taking chemistry and psychology. I just had my first lecture test in chemistry and I will have a lab test next week. I have made several friends in chem and we have formed a weekly study group. Which is nice, because I get to hang out with some people my own age for a bit AND we get some productive stuff done at the same time. :)

In psychology I have a large paper to write. I chose to do it on alcohol addiction. I'm not sure exactly what I will cover in it, I will work with it and see what I get. The hardest part of writing papers for me is the research. I spend so much time looking up and sorting information that I don't get much on paper very fast and it seems like I get nothing done. It is an interesting subject but a frustrating class.

Summer Quarter

Summer quarter is finally over. I passed both of my classes, Bio 2114 and Soc 1101 with an A. I made 100% on both the finals. With the extra credit offered in Bio I actually finished the class with a 101.95%. I still hold a 4.0 GPA for now.

Fall quarter starts on Sep 29. We have a rather short brake. For fall I will be taking CHM I and PYC 1101(online). I have to drive about an hour twice a week to get to my chem class. It was only offered at the one campus and I have to have it before I can apply to my program. It is the last one I need.

PFC Jonathan P. Landon

Jon's graduation from Basic Training. I had a test on that day but my teacher said that I could take it late without a penalty (because it was originally planed for earlier) so I was able to make it to SC.

The graduation was a logistical nightmare but it was good to see Jon again. He is now in Huntsville AL for most of his 10 months of EOD training.

Aug 18, 2010

So... it's just been a really bad week. Really bad. I don't expect it to get better soon.

Happy Birthday to Me

Today is the 14th of July. Today is my 21st birthday. The Gardners (the family I live with now)took me out to lunch at Tea Fusions (a little tea shop that I adore)and then we walked down to Claries and I picked out a new hat and some earrings, and we had fun looking at the stuff. Apparently I have made a reputation for myself at Tea Fusions as one of the very few who drinks the Russian Caravan tea. The Russian Caraven is a very strong, smoked tea, (it smells like a campfire) they use it mostly for cooking but I like it as just tea.

Blood Types

I got quite the shock in lab class yesterday. We are working on blood right now and understanding the different types, you know the A, B, O, AB and the Rh (which is what makes it positive or negative). In lab we got the chance to test our own blood, and I was one of the 6 who chose to do so. It turns out that even thought both mom and dad have a positive blood type (O+) I have a negative (O-). I didn't even know that that was possible but Dr. Bishop (my Bio teacher) explained it for us.

Here is how it works; every one has two parts of their chromosomes (genotype) that decide weather the blood will be + or -. The (big) D is dominant and positive; and the (little) d is negative and recessive. Each person has two that make up a genotype. If someone has positive blood they are either DD (homozygous dominant), or Dd (heterozygous dominant), if they have negative blood it's dd (homozygous recessive). For two positive blood typed people to produce a negative blood type child they have to both be Dd. That would give them a 25% chance of having a negative blood typed child.

So both my parents are Dd. The dominant D makes them both positive Rh, but when I got one from each of them the ones I have are both d's, so I am negative.

---D d

D DD Dd

d Dd dd (me)

Red - Mom
Blue-Dad
Yellow-possible positive child types (75%)
Green - possible negative child types. (25%, me)

ABO Type Rh Type How Many Have It

O positive 37.4% 44%
O negative 6.6%

A positive 35.7% 42%
A negative 6.3%

B positive 8.5% 10%
B negative 1.5%

AB positive 3.4% 4%
AB negative .6%

Knitting Help

This week-end I passed on the art of knitting to another budding knitter. :) However since we don't have regular contact with each other it will be hard to help her further her education in this great art. So here is one of my favorite knitting help sites. It has several over-the-shoulder videos that demonstrate stitches and techniques in both styles of knitting. http://www.knittinghelp.com/

New Car

My new car. A Hyundai Accent.


The Ford that I was driving had begun to have some potentially very serious problems, and I was uncomfortable with it considering the amount of driving that I do, and I will be doing even more if I get into my program. So we went car shoping and found this beauty. A new 2009 Hyundai Accent, that was on sale because they wanted the '09's out of the way for the '11. It's only the 2ed new car that my parents have ever bought. We went with a new one because of the bumper to bumper warranties and road side assistance, so that I (and mom and dad) would not have to worry about me having to deal with a broken down car by my self.
Mom and Dad financed this car for me. Which means that they bought it, and when I get a decent paying job I will begin to take over the car payments. When I have payed the whole thing off, the title will be transferred to me.

President's List for Spring

Hey all. I made the President's list again, spring quarter with 13 credits. So I'm still holding down a 4.0 GPA. Yeah! I had to work for it though. http://www.westgatech.edu/Misc/PDList.pdf. I'm on page 8, column 3.

Belly Dancing

When Mom started her diet she needed to start to do some regular exercise too. One of the moms of a school mate of Jon told us about a belly dancing class that was held not to far from the high school. So Mom and Naomi and I started taking classes together. Naomi eventually found that she had other things that she wanted to do more and stopped going, but Mom and I have been having fun.

On Sunday a group of us performed in a small dance show with several other dancers of all ages and styles. Mom declined to perform, but I did. Fortunately the whole family was able to come and watch, including Gram and Grandad.


How low can you go? This is not easy to hold for pictures.



This is called the Teapot. I used a white veil for the dance, but the only one I had at home to pose with was pink.



I bought the coin belt a the renaissance fair.

President's List

I made the Presidents List for winter quarter, that is a 4.0 GPA. Granted that was not full time, 8 credits, but it's still cool.

http://www.westgatech.edu/Misc/PDList.pdf

2010 Garden

So here is my new garden. It's a bucket garden, because everything has to be moved the end of June, to the house I will be staying at. Don't ask me how I'm going to do it 'cause I don't know yet.

Me in my garden. Can you see me? There is mint, lemon balm (which I just found an ant's nest in, have to do somthing about that), eggplant, sweet peppers, watermelon, tomatoes, 2 different kinds of squash, cucumbers, rosemary, dahlias, freesia, a pink lily and gladiolus. I'm not so sure how the larger flowers will do in the pots but we will see.

Charlie in the garden. We were trying to get a picture of him looking at the camera, but for some reason he aparently thought I was about to beat him.
Eggplant.



Some starts that are growing under the porch (I know it's a fragment, my English instructor would be appalled, and look, there's a contraction too. Hahahahhahahahahah. Ok sorry, I'm better now). There are marigolds, some other pink flower thing, acorn squash, basil and lots of radishes. I also have more marigolds, sweet williams, green onions, morning glories, forget-me-nots, more basil, straw flowers, tea roses (from last year) and all the left over white lilies from the church's Easter decorations on top of the porch.

I'm out of the large buckets that I had, so I have been using cans or peanut butter jars and such to make planters. The next time I go to Kroger I will have to see if they have anymore empty icing buckets (the big white ones). I got all the black ones you see from the floral department.

Under the porch is where my garden's fairy godtoad lives. His name is Philip B. Hoppytoad. (B. is for Brown 'cause he is a brown hoppytoad.)

Favorite Crock Pot Recipes

A friend of mine just got a new crock pot. My family loves the crock pot because its so easy to use and you get great food. So I figured I would post some of my favorite crock pot recipes.

Sweet and Spicy Corned Beef.

3 lb corned beef
1 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup backed brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup mustard (I like brown)

In a bowl mix marmalade, mustard and sugar. Rinse off the corned beef and put it in the crock pot with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot. Coat the meat with the marmalade mix, cover and cook on medium for about 5-7 hours or so, or until done. Basting occasionally. Slice and serve.

This is my favorite corned beef recipe. I like it in a sandwich, on toasted lite rye, with pepper jack or muster cheese, and a little mayo. So good. Pair it with some cole slaw and you have corned beef and cabbage without boiling anything.



Crock Pot Lasagna

Make up your lasagna sauce and cheese mix however you normally do.
Some things my family likes in it are

Spinach
Tofu (if you freeze/then thaw tofu it will crumble just like ground beef)
Cottage cheese

Be sure to spray the crock pot with Pam or whatever oil spray you use, and your first layer needs to be your sauce mix. This keeps it from burning on the bottom. Don't cook your noodles first, just lay them in dry. A little extra sauce is good as this is the moisture that the noodles cook in.
Cook it on medium 'til the noodles are done. Don't over cook it or the noodles will get gummy.


Cranberry Roast

1 Beef Roast
1 pk. dried onion soup mix
1 can cranberry sauce

Rinse and trim the roast, put it in the pot with just enough water to cover the bottom. Mix up the cranberry sauce with the onion soup mix and coat the roast with it. Cover and cook 6-7 hours or until done. Slice and serve.

Pumpkin Pie Pudding
My mom makes this instead of pumpkin pie for thanks giving. She doubles it.
2 cups/15 oz can pumpkin (we use fresh that we have cooked and frozen from carved pumpkins)
12 oz can evaporated milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk baking mix
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp butter, or oil
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp vanilla
whipped cream

Sift together dry ingredients and add to wet, mix all together and pour into crock pot. Cook on low 6-7 hours, or until stiff like a custard.

Crock Pot Pork Roast

Mock Disaster At WGTC

Wow, so it's March already. Winter quarter will be done on the 16th. My last class is on Tuesday. Then yeah for spring break.

For fall quarter I'm signed up to take SCT 100 (intro to micro-computers) and BIO 2113(anatomy and physiology). BIO is a tricky class, so I hear from my other class mates. It has already given me trouble and I'm not even taking it yet. I was getting mixed answers as to if it had a pre-req of English (which I have not taken yet) or not. My class mates said yes, but the course catalog said no and my adviser said no, and I have the e-mail, so if someone gives me grief about it I'll...make a fuss.

On February the 25th WGTC staged a mock disaster in the welding room for the EMT class to practice with. Several classes got together to pull it off. The EMTs and First Responders class did what they do. My AHS, as a health care class, was asked to help play patients and ER workers. Several other classes and individuals also helped, including kids from the high-school (a couple of whom I knew as class mates of my siblings) who take classes at the college. The Cosmetology class did most of the make up for the patients.

I played one of the patients. My description was "head wound, ashy, diaphoretic(sweaty due to shock) and confused" They really did a great job with the make-up, it all looked very life like. There was a guy next to me who was being made-up to have a spurting leg wound. They put bits of tin foil in with the make-up to look like shrapnel. We changed into clothes that we could rip or burn as if in a real explosion, or in my case pour fake blood all over. (just so that we are clear, this is all acting, no one got hurt).

I got there early, which was a good thing to because it was crazy, checked in with my teacher and went to Cosmetology to get made-up. They used a latex base and make-up to make me look like I had a head wound and powder to make me very pale, then poured about half a bottle of that fake Halloween blood down my face, onto my shirt and into my hair. (a CD is supposedly in the making with pictures. I will try to get one so that I can show you)

Then I headed off to the Welding room where the explosion was to be staged. They had turned over some of the big steel tables in there, and filled to place with smoke from a smoke machine. (the smoke was made from sugar, and was harmless to breath) It was so thick in there sometimes that I couldn't see 6 feet in front of me. We got some coaching on our part to play and staked out a spot to wait for things to get started.

The worst part was that the shirt that I grabbed from the pile was sleeveless and I was laying on a concrete floor. It was quite cold. It was hard to keep a straight face sometimes, especially when one of the patient who had minor cuts and bruises, was really into it. She was screaming about how she needed to go to the hospital but wouldn't move until she got a wheelchair, and about how she needed oxygen, and dang it, her purse was still in the welding room, really freaking out, it was great. Because we knew it was fake it was quite funny. I'm sure EMTs have to deal with that kind of stuff, and thats why we where doing this whole thing.

When everyone was ready the EMTs came in and began to triage everyone. We all played our parts well for the most part. We began to cry out as if in pain or confusion. I was put on a backboard and carried out of the room and lined up in the hallway where a couple of the EMTs came along to "treat" us. Then I was placed on a stretcher to be moved to the ambulance, and taken to the "hospital"(my health classroom). After a bit of confusion because the stretchers they had were old ones used for training and did not lock into the ambulance, a bit of brute force with about 4 or 5 people to lift the whole thing into the ambulance, and a very bumpy ride, I made it to the "hospital". I was then shifted to a bed, treated and sent home.

I then found my clothes, got the worst of the blood off my face and dashed off to my other class that I was already very late for, where I unintentionally succeeded in worrying the girl who sits across from me. I still looked pretty bad. She thought I had been in a car accident until she remembered the mock disaster going on, and asked if that was where I had been.

It was all great fun. Pictures to come later I hope.

Branching Out in Alpaca.

My Aunt had a coworker who raises alpacas and she knew I love to knit with fun yarns so she most graciously sent me some. She sent a ball of sparkly blue and one of a beautiful green for me to use and a black for me to make a scarf for her.
The pattern I used is called Branching Out by Knitty.com, it's one I have wanted to try for a while. My Aunt loves gardening so I thought that the leaf pattern would be perfect for her.



The yarn ended up going much further than I expected it to, so I was left with extra to use up. So I started making the least yarn intensive projects I knew how, that being mainly flowers. Flowers going well with the leaves and I, continuing to be left with more yarn that I intended after a project, ended up making several.


Flower Pin

Flower Necklace

Headband with Flower, modeled by the ever lovely Yorick.

College Girl

Yesterday was my first day of college. I have 2 classes twice a week, MAT 1111 (college algebra) and AHS 104 (intro to health care). I had about a half a class of math before the school shut down because of the snow, so I didn't get to my health class. My classes are at night, and in the mornings I babysit a little neighbor girl who's dad has classes the same days but in the mornings.