Am I loosing it?

I feel like I am a pretty responsible student but somehow I've forgotten or just didn't do the journals. I feel like every week I posted a free response blog, obviously not or I wouldn't be writing this. Luckily, this is my last one, I think. I probably forgot weeks like spring break and other weeks like that. O well, I've kinda liked this whole blog thing. It's cool to just sit down and write whatever is on your mind or what you're feeling or how your day went, even if no one reads it. I hate to sound nerdy but my mom even reads my blog to see what's going on. I am grateful for this blog because it has allowed me to to just freestyle write. It's quite relaxing and we are getting credit for it. YaY

Weird Habits

Soooo.....I think I might be a little obsessive compulsive.....

Living alone with my dog I've been able to reflect on the many weird things that I do. Here is a little sneak peak into my life

1. In my cupboard I like all the labels on jars and cans to be facing the front. I also like to make sure that foods are grouped by their content i.e. grains, canned items, breads, chips, cookies.

2. When I'm grocery shopping I like to organize my food on the cashier conveyer belt. I do all the cold stuff first then grouped by vegetables, fruit, things in cans, things in bags, meats, toiletries...

3. I always like my toothbrush in the same spot in the holder facing the same way.

4. I HATE TOUCHING THE CART at a grocery store, probably because I picture tons of kids with boogies on their hands touching the handles.

5. I do the same routine in the shower every time, shampoo, face wash, conditioner, body wash. If for some reason I do something out of order I start all over again.

6. I wash my hands frequently

7. I don't really like kids, mostly because I picture them all with a million germs all over them. I hate it when kids touch you with their moist hands ewwww

8. I love having a plan. I'm very plan oriented and although I do enjoy surprises, I like to know what's going on

9. I have a weird thing with textures and foods. I don't like anything with a custard, jello, or smooshy texture.

10. Although I come from a country town, I do not like gravy. Totally out of character for growing up in the country where gravy is a staple

Maybe these are just weird quirks, feel free to comment with your weird quirks!

American Idol

Like many soccer moms, I am addicted to American Idol. I love it! I love watching from the beginning of the season when most of the people suck to the very end when the contestants are so great. At the beginning of this season I fell totally in love with Casey James or as I like to call him "Sexy cowboy man". His voice won me over. His voice was rough and raspy and he was nice to look at. I love a guy in cowboy boots.

As the season wore on contestants dropped off. I was happiest to see that young girl Katie Stevens. I really thought she was just a pretty girl not a good singer.

But my feelings toward Casey have changed, I still think he is the sexy cowboy man but I think that Crystal Bowersox and Lee Dewyze and now the best. I hope that either one of these singers win. Crystal Bowersox is a hippie mom that just can't go wrong. I like her because she is so real, she is always humble about her compliments. Lee Dewyze is also super humble and his voice sounds pure and honest.

I feel like a judge right now haha. But anyways vote for CRYSTAL or LEE

Shout Out to my Mama

I am so blessed to have such a great mom. I think that everyone needs to be grateful for their mom because without them where would you be? No where!

When you are just a little guy/girl your mom is your comfort, she is the nice one when your dad tries to punish you and she is always compassionate. As you grow older your mom grows into a friend, someone you can trust to have your best interests in mind and someone that you can count on to give genuine honest advice. Some of my favorite memories with my mom are when we are just talking on the back porch eating english muffin sandwiches or taking our dogs for walks. Is there anything better than talking to your mom. I'm sure some can oppose this statement but when I talk to my mom it is usually in utter panic about school or telling her about the daily trials of my life but either way she is always calm and super logical about how to solve my issues.

Now don't think I don't love my dad too cause I totally do. And don't think that every now and then I don't get upset with my mom but seriously how many people do you know that deal with all the drama of your life and still continue loving you no matter what? Pretty much family. When I think about my mom's love for me I cannot not think about when I was a youngster, still in diapers. Mom's change diapers and they still love you. That is some intense love.

I love you mom you are the greatest.

Happy Mother's Day!

The Final Journal

Well this is it, the last journal, I am having joyous feelings about surviving my first year of college especially English. I came into the college writing program like a baby chick and now I am leaving a full fledged spring chicken. My writing style and analysis techniques have developed tremendously and I can finally go without flinching when I hear the words "5-7 pages." The first year of college English has taught me to find my own voice in writing instead of the cookie cutter style tone I was taught in high school. I am now able to incorporate my personal style of writing into a paper and be confident that my work is what I want it to be. I really struggled in high school with English. I don't want to make excuses for myself but I had a brutally traditional English teacher that was a huge fan of the 5 paragraph essay so the product of my high school English knowledge was a great 5 paragraph essay writer. Starting college English was like jumping into a pool of chilly water. You don't want to do it but once you do it's not that bad.

I learned many things in my first year of writing, the main component being confidence and depth of analysis. There are always more than one right answers in English so taking a bold stand on a topic is never wrong.

More things I learned in college:

1. Taking handwritten notes is better than taking notes on your laptop-less distraction and better hand-mind memory connection

2. Meet with your professors often-you will probably be 1 out of 10 that does in a class of 300 so they will remember you, ask any question you may have about the material or the class.

3. Procrastination sucks-waiting til the night before is never a good plan no matter how much caffeine is involved

4. Make use of the library- it is a study area that is for the most part quiet and free of distractions

5. Call your parents often- they like knowing that you haven't forgotten about them and that you're still alive

The end is near!

I can almost see it, that dream I'm dreaming...

IT'S ALMOST SUMMER!

I am so pumped. I pretty much had my life due this week but phew it's all over now. Just a nice easy ride through finals and then summer! It's been a long time coming. The monday after spring break I started my countdown and now it's within sight. Days filled with pool parties and working will soon occupy my time as opposed to projects and essays and group assignments. I am writing this blog from my couch and I am having trouble figuring out what to write. For the past semester my brain has been squished so that every ounce of thinking is now gone. Hopefully it returns before finals.

Encouragement

I have come to the conclusion that in college the teachers are much different than the teachers in high school. In high school teachers are there to help you along and encourage you all the way to graduation. In college the teachers are not careless but there is a lot more self responsibility. College teachers are not going to hunt you down and find a student that they think needs help but the student must come to them. And as opposed to high school, the college professors usually just want to help you and get on with their day.

I would just like to give a shout out to my Jesus class teacher Dr. Borek. She is awesome and I would recommend her to anyone wether they have the interest in religious studies or are just looking for a trad. I entered into her class not knowing that the 3 in 378 meant it was a junior level course. I was in for a surprise being that I am a freshman. Her class was the most challenging, thought wise, that I have ever taken. The class has challenged me to think about the things I believe, why I believe them, and what history tells us. When I would go and talk to Dr. Borek about how I was doing in her class she always had positive things to say to help me. We had a movie review assignment on a past Jesus movie and I turned mine in, a couple days later I received an email from Dr. Borek saying that I did a good job and that my thought process was spot on. This made me feel so good. A tiny little "good job" can make someone feel so good. This made me think, I need to encourage people more often.

Journal #6 about Voice and Tone

I find myself writing this blog purely out of need and not out of enjoyment which is probably not the right tone. I am slightly discouraged about the shape my third essay is taking and I am confused about how to fix it. I want to have a bold, confident, interesting tone but I feel like I am all over the place and inconsistent with my tone.

My ideal voice and tone that I not only strive to attain but to read also is relatable and casual but intelligent. I think this voice can be achieved by paying close attention to your audience. With the type of audience that we are writing for in these essays I think the tone that should be taken is one of simplicity and directness. When someone tries to sound overly intelligent or overly complicated it is blatant and looses the ideas and value of your paper. I used to make the mistake of trying to replace every word with a more intelligent adjective or adverb. This was a giant mistake because my paper lost the meaning and was drown out by this fluff.

The best advice that I could give about writing in a interesting tone is to write how you would talk. Write how you would tell someone what you know and what you would say to argue your point, except leave out the ummms and likes.

I hope this is helpful. I feel slightly hesitant about telling people how to write when I myself am struggling but hopefully this is of some use.

The little things in life

There are many things in life that can bring complete joy to your day, extra caramel in your caramel macchiato, seeing a little kid running around in complete bliss, realizing that you can sleep in, and warmer weather are just a few that brighten my day.

On the opposite side of the spectrum there are little things that can happen that just destroy any happiness you might have been feeling at the time. One culprit for me is stubbing my toe particularly the pinky toe. Is there anything worse than stubbing your pinky toe? I know having it cut off would be worse but at the moment of stubbing you feel as though it might as well be chopped off with a butter knife. Maybe I am just clumsy or don't pay enough attention to my surroundings but it seems like every time I walk by my couch I have to consciously focus on where my feet go so that I protect the toes. And why is it always the pinky toe, she is the most innocent and harmless of them all. I just don't know but with the weather warming up and wanting to wear sandals everyday I must pay more attention to the possible perpetrators of the pinky toes.

My dog Fly

I love my dog. Her name is Fly. She is awesome.

I named her Fly because of the movie BABE. In that movie the mama dog is a border collie named Fly so when I got my little border collie pup I thought there could be no other name. I've had Fly since she was just a little pup, she is a border collie Australian shepherd mix. She is white with large brown spots. Typical to the border collie breed, she is a genius.( like owner, like doggy) I have taught her many tricks such as roll over, fetch, and jumping really high. I have tried to teach her other tricks but I think she is too old and too stubborn now to try and remember them plus I think she knows I'm a softy and I'll just give her the treats anyway. Fly has a special spot in my heart and she knows it. I usually like having rules but this is impossible when it comes to Fly. When I moved into my house I said no dog on the bed and no dog on the couch. I bought Fly her own bed so that she wouldn't feel neglected. Well that plan did not even last one night. Fly does this thing where she puts her front paws up on the bed and lays her head down then she just slinks up onto the bed and goes to sleep. It is now a normal thing. Fly sleeping on the end of the bed has now turned into Fly sprawled out over 3/4th of the bed and me curled up in a nugget shape trying not to disturb Fly. Why is this? I'll tell you why, Fly is spoiled and it's my fault. O well what can I do. I just can't bring myself to be mean to a doggy that's so cute no matter how many times she drops her toy on my head when I'm sleeping.

Journal about Big Metal Statue (#5)

It's a sunny day and the field trip to the big metal statue by the Harvill building is a treat compared to our normal 2.5 hours in a bright windowless room.

I have never seen this statue before and my initial thoughts that come to mind are war, strength, calmness and opposites. When looking straight on the two men on the left side of the wall are calm and have smiles on their faces. The first man is calmly leaning against the wall and looks content and almost pleased with himself. The man further down the wall is pushing against the wall but still does not look strained and has a smile on his face. On the right side of the wall the first man is also leaning but is straining to keep his composure. His face looks pained and his lean is much more forced and not as calm as the man on the other side of the wall. The second man on the right side appears to be giving his all to push against this wall. He also has the same angry/painful face. The meaning behind these 4 men is some kind of struggle and maybe it is not a particular struggle but a depiction of any struggle that may be happening. In any kind of struggle there are opposing sides. This statue seems to have no emotion attached to it. It makes me think of very in shape athletes. The left side would be the winning side and the right side would be the team striving for redemption. The reason that there seems to be no emotion is because the colors are not vibrant although they are not black either. There is also an athletic aspect to these statues because of the muscle definition. On the left side of the wall the men's muscles are less contracted. They seem to be working less. On the right side of the wall the men have bulging muscles and appear to be trying to fight this wall or the people on the other side.

Overall, I see two sides with two men on each side. The left side is more successful than the right but the right has more depth and more heart in their goals rather than the laid back left side.

How much stuff can teachers cram into the last month of school?!?

First I would like to make a statement, I am totally confused in English about how many random blog posts we are supposed to have and comments we are supposed to write.

With that said on to my topic. I feel a little burnt out right now and it's only the second week back from spring break. I am finally starting to see the light at the end of this school tunnel(SUMMER) but it is just a twinkle because there are so many things to do between now and that glorious day when school gets out. It seems like every teacher I have, excluding Mr. Wermers, has decided to leave every project until the very end of the semester and to have exams and quizzes like crazy in this last month. My chemistry class has two exams and the dreaded crazy hard final left! That seems extreme to me and my other classes have, of course finals, but also projects and proposals and write-ups. I don't want to sound like a complainer, but I would have much rather done all of these projects and write ups towards the beginning or middle of the semester that way students could focus on just the final in the last portion of the semester. Am I making any sense here?

Lastly, I would like to comment on my Bio lecture class. It is taught by 3 different professors in roughly 6 week sessions. I think this is utterly ridiculous because we the students never get time to adjust to how each professor teaches and writes his exams, they are all different. I think it is a little strange how for one class there are 3 different professors and 3 different teaching styles all in one semester.

Lord have mercy on the college kids. We need it in this final month.

Journal about Writing Errors

I read the whole list of errors on the Wisconsin site and depressingly I have fallen victim to all of the 12 common errors. In fact, during this post I will most likely make a common error somewhere. A few errors that I did not even realize to be errors were the dangling modifier, faulty parallelism, and the sentence sprawl. I had no clue how many technical errors I was making. I think this is due to the difference in the way I talk and the way that I write. Because I write how I talk it is hard to think about all of the technical mistakes that are occurring. I am also prone to not capitalizing my "I" because I am so used to word which capitalizes I for you automatically.

While I do find these common errors helpful, sometimes I think that a writing style is more important in getting the author's message across than by using the 100% correct technical styles. Just a thought.

Journal about Arguments

So I am at Sunrise the local ski resort working at the coffee shop for my former boss. I don't mind at all because I am able to watch all the beginning skiers/snowboarders eat it all from the comfort of my own little heated hut. When I was in high school I used to work at the coffee shop every weekend and peoples stupidity and rudeness never ceases to amaze me. On one particular occasion a woman came to the window and demanded the price of our hot chocolate. After telling her our prices she proceeded to stick the entire top half of her body into the window and complain that it is too expensive and that at the top of the mountain in the lodge the hot chocolate was only $1.50. I felt no pity for her, anyone who can afford to drive up for a ski weekend and pay $49 a day to ski can afford a large 3 dollar cup of hot chocolate. I reminded her that the reason the hot chocolate that the lodge sells is so cheap is because it is made with water and powder and because Cup o Joe(my coffee hut) does not compromise with the quality of our products we make our hot chocolate with 2 types of real chocolate and whole milk topped with homemade whipped cream. In short our hot chocolate tastes like it's strait from the teet of a chocolate cow. After politely explaining this to the lady she ordered a small hot chocolate and hesitantly paid and left no tip.

This was a brief but to the point argument with the complainer. I feel like I was the victor because I was able to make my point to the lady and I also sold her the hot chocolate. The rhetorical device that I used is the "common sense" technique. but as a wise man once said" common sense is not that common"

B.T.W. It is always polite to tip your barista especially if you have a complicated order or if you are demanding or a complainer.

F.E.A.R- False Evidence Appearing Real

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" Psalm 90: 12

"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippines 3:13-14

I would just like to let everyone know that I have set a goal/ wish for myself that I will be accomplishing in the very near future...

I have always been a very cautious person. I never did any crazy things when I was young, such as jumping off swings, eating bugs, sticking random things up my nose(that was my sister Alex and it was a bead- btw beads are harder than you think to get out of one's nose due to the fact that they have a hole in them). I never had the desire to jump anything on skis or a snowboard, I am even a relatively slow driver. During the latter part of my sophomore year I met my mentor who exposed this major flaw that I have, my fear was a great strength because it kept me safe from harm but also it kept me from doing things that would get me out of my comfort zone and into new experiences.

Many conversations later Brent(mentor) got into the inner workings of fear which led me to conclude that fear was keeping me from some major things in my life. This fear was like a detour on my walk with Christ. I also came to the conclusion that fear is from Satan. Nothing good comes out of fear and because someone is fearful it is like they are doubting the awesome power and knowledge of God. If something is not of God then it is of Satan. With that said, I am by no means condemning people that are fear or saying everyone is going to Hell for being fearful, but fear is just like any other emotion that is sinfully controlling i.e. lust, greed, jealousy and should be handled in a similar matter.

I have decided to set a few short term and long term goals for myself one of the short term being RIDE A HORSE FAST! I am not talking trotting or maybe galloping, I am talking on the borderline of out of control,hair flying back, eyes watering, heart palpitating speed. I have ridden horses many times before and my dad is a farrier(puts shoes on horses) so I've been around horses all my life, but being the cautious person that I am, never have I ridden at extreme speeds. So over spring break I will be suiting up and jumping on a very fast horse. I will be sure to take pictures and post them. Please pray for me as my anxiety level is at an all time high.

Trust God,

Erica

There's no place like In and Out Burger

Is there anything better than In and Out Burger? I suppose there are a few but In and Out is definitely top 5. From the super fresh fries, to the scriptures written on the inside of the cup, to the catchy secret not so secret lingo that goes along with ordering, In and Out reigns supreme in the burger world.

I must make one claim though, In and Out tastes way better in California. I don't know what it is but it just tastes better. Maybe its the anticipation of heading to In and Out after a long day at the beach or maybe its just magic but nothing tastes better than a hamburger fries and a chocolate shake after boogie boarding all day. Not to say that the one in Tucson or Phoenix is bad it's just better in California.

So sorry Mr. Wermers you can keep your veggie burger, I'll take a hamburger with grilled onions extra spread fries well done.

Fat Tuesday/My love for mac and cheese

In the catholic tradition, Ash Wednesday marks the start of the Lent season. Although I am not catholic I have decided to partake in this activity since I was about 12 years old. The activity of Lent happens during the period of time between Ash Wednesday and Easter. During this period of time you are supposed to give up something that is really important to you. Some examples are candy, soda pop, chocolate, gossiping, etc. By giving something up you are appreciating and acknowledging on a much smaller scale the suffering of Jesus. Similar to fasting, by withdrawing from an activity or food you are constantly reminded of the suffering that Jesus went through. Of course no one can empathize with Jesus but by participating in Lent it shows you acknowledging Him.

Ok so what the heck is Fat Tuesday....well it is the day before Ash Wednesday (today). There is also a tradition that on Fat Tuesday you are supposed to eat everything that would be given up during Lent. My weapon of choice, home made mac and cheese. Growing up my mom always made home made mac and cheese. It was always my favorite. Well now that I live on my own and my mama isn't around I have to step up and make it myself, so happy fat tuesday and now I will get back to chowing down and panicking about tomorrow's essay.

CAN I GET A SNOW DAY PLEASE!

Growing up in a mountainous town I know snow. I know lots of snow. I know a dusting of snow. I know powder. I know hard pack snow. I know wet snow. And I know what snow makes the best snowball, what snow is the best for snowboarding and what snow is best for skiing, and what snow is best for making snowmen. The only problem, NO SNOW(at least not in Tucson). I really miss the snow. My sisters will text me the moment they find out that they have a snow day just to make me envious. A couple weeks ago they had 4 snow days in a row! That's almost a week! My hometown of Pinetop, AZ had a wonderful 5 feet of snow and you know that means that Sunrise( the ski resort) got way more than 5 feet! I would love to go up every weekend between now and when the snow melts so that I could go skiing or snowboarding but my car is a weeny and sucks in the snow/ice. I think it might be a little hint from God that I need to stay home and study chemistry.

Btw this is my house. You might have trouble finding it in all that snow. I find it crazy that they can get all that snow but here in Tucson we are enjoying blue skies and 65 degrees?! Anyways, I suppose this is defiantly a random post. Hope you all are making it through first exams and rainy days.

What the heck is rodeo week?

Ok so after hearing about this tucson rodeo week I have to ask what the heck? Did you know schools have a whole week off during this week? After hearing the words "no school" i immediately google searched our U of A schedule only to find that we have a normal week! I just don't get it! Coming from a rural town I know rodeos and I enjoy watching that kind of activities. I wouldn't mind having a week off for Tucson Rodeo Week, I mean it only seems fair since the other schools in Tucson get this week off. I did a tiny bit of research on this event and it's actually quite historical. It started in 1925 when the prohibition act was going on but this did not stop anyone from drinking alcohol at the rodeo. 25 stills were confiscated and 3000 gallons of moonshine were destroyed. This rodeo is a big deal for Tucson, it's part of Tucson history and I think everyone should be able to celebrate it! EVEN COLLEGE KIDS!

Who is The Church and where are they in 2010?

Holy cow, it took me forever to decide what my topic for this analysis post would be. But alas, I found it just sitting there waiting for me on the trusty Fox News website. If you would like to read it in its entirety you can find it at

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/01/08/shuler-relevant-jesus-christian/

"Can the Church be Relevant in 2010" written by Reverend Bill Shuler addresses an issue that is on many Christians mind, where is our church. The term church refers to the christian people and their beliefs. Reverend Shuler is bringing light that the current American people are loosing their faith. He addresses how people are straying away from what Jesus would want and creating their own religion or beliefs. As apposed to following the Jesus and his teachings they are doing what ever makes them happy. These lost people do have hope though, they "desire authenticity" and "they have a justice streak". Reverend Shuler claims that these traits with guidance will redeem them.

Reverend Shuler uses many ideographs that are pertinent today. He uses phrases such as "global perspective", "armed with understanding", and "worldwide poverty". By using such phrases Shuler is not only speaking to christians but also non-christians. Touching on issues like overwhelming diseases and poverty creates universal unity in awareness of these issues. Most people no matter their beliefs can relate to the urgency and necessity to address these issues.

Shuler's use of universal diction that many can feel compassionate towards makes this article touching and important to all. Shuler does specifically call on christians to share their light and to focus on what Jesus was all about as apposed to what the world is all about. The relate-ability and no fluff stresses the importance of christian influence in the world today.

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

As I am "celebrating" Martin Luther King day and the day off school that we get because of it I thought to myself what's the whole history behind this day and its meaning. I knew that it celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King, obviously but that's about as far as my knowledge went on this holiday.

The first thing that I learned that the holiday is recognized on Dr. King's birthday which was January 15. Also Martin Luther King day is a fairly new holiday to Arizona. We, as Arizonans, did not start recognizing the holiday until 1992. That is 6 years after the holiday went into federal effect. Because of this reluctance to recognized the holiday, the NFL actually relocated the site of the super bowl from Tempe, AZ to Pasadena, CA in 1991. There were many people that refused to recognize the holiday because some believed that it should be celebrated as a Human Rights day instead being named after a single leader. Finally in 2000 Utah becomes the last state to celebrate the holiday of Martin Luther King day but renames it Human Rights Day.

Now I do not know the extent of your history knowledge, but mine is limited. After i did my research on today's holiday I am pleased to let you all know that I am wiser because of this blog topic. As a student I usually just took advantage of this 3 day weekend to sleep in and hang out with friends but now I realize that I was alive when the holiday was created. Martin Luther King day is not an ancient celebration but a recent occurrence. Because of my newly discovered knowledge about this important man I will be sure to keep the thoughts of human rights and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with me throughout the day.

Who is Erica Rath

While reading over the other posts and pondering about how I can compose an intelligent answer to the prompt "who are you", I've come to the conclusion to be completely honest about my life, activities and views. After reading Eden's post, I'm not going to lie, I will not be able to top her passion or length of writing. But I do promise to do my best to convey my ideas.

First things first, I do not find an immense amount of joy in writing. Being that I have a science based major, the right side of my brain feels drastically smaller with each growing college day. Also, I am new to this whole blogging thing. I've seen the movie "Julie and Julia" but that is about where my knowledge of this other blog world ends. However, this new venture into the blog realm is sure to enlighten me.

Ok, back to who i am. I am a freshman in college. Pre-Pharmacy/Public health major. And a new fan of the Tucson restaurant chain Eegee's. If you haven't tried the famous lemon Eegee, I strongly advise you to give it a taste, it might change your life.

I come from a very small town(about 2500 people), called Pinetop. The town of Pinetop is usually associated with Sunrise Ski Resort or summer homes for the "valley people" a.k.a people from Phoenix, AZ. Before my college days, I lived in Pinetop all of the previous years. I went to Blue Ridge High School where I was a cheerleader, participated in student council, and an active member of Community Presbyterian Church. I also like every other kid in my school, spent every weekend of the winter/spring season snowboarding or skiing. I have 2 sisters that are twins. They are double the trouble because there are 2 of them and 1 of me making it hard for me to tease them or any of the other hazing that older siblings do because i fear that they will join forces against me. I also, like every other person in the world, have parents. My dad is a farrier(he puts shoes on horses). I spent many of my first years in cowgirl boots and wranglers(don't judge me) helping my dad with the horses. This early exposure to animals has developed into a great love of all living things(although I'm not a vegetarian). My mom is a Pharmacist and this is probably where I got my passion for the profession and thus my major choice.

And finally there is a someone special in my life. No, not a boyfriend. Her name is Fly. She is my dog. I love her! She is an 8 year old border collie and wow is she smart. Being that I live alone, having Fly is a blessing. I love to jog and she is the perfect partner for accompanying me.

I do not know if this answers the question of who I am, but it does tell you where I come from and maybe transitively what kind of person I am.

Best luck to all in your blogging adventures and the coming semester,

Erica