Cafe Victoria

Welcome Napa Valley College staff and faculty and who else might be visiting my blog. This week, I am asking for feedback on a Draft version of a “Frequently Asked Questions for Field Trips” for the Facilities Service / Risk Management Office.
I have been working with Susan Brinson in Facilities who’s role is risk management and coordinator of liability related to travel. She also does many other things at the college like coordinating campus reservations. Together, we have developed a set of questions to better inform and facilitate current and helpful information to all faculty, staff, and administrators of Napa Valley College with the intent to decrease the risk and liability the college faces when Napa Valley College students are traveling. This is part of an assignment for my grad school class Legal and Ethical Issues in College Student Affairs. To complete the assignment, I need your feedback.

Before Thursday afternoon of this week, please take a moment to click on Grad School at the top of this web page and scroll down to the section titled Draft Frequently Asked Questions for Field Trips.

• Read over the draft.
• Check to see if the information is helpful to you.
• Think about what might be missing.
• Then return to this blog entry and leave a comment.

  Cheers! Thank you!

You know you are doing enough when:
you are writing to-do lists just to keep everything straight,
when you stop everything and load the dishwasher,
when someone gives you a hug you actually stop and hug them back,
when your body is tired and takes on a cold as well,
when all you want to do is finish an grad assignment,
when the high for your day is toasting a beer over the phone with an old friend.
And you know you are doing enough when you have to say to yourself, “Hey that’s enough for today. Work will always be there. And you know you are rocking there! Relationships, grad school assignments..now those need your focus, passion and fun energy too.”

Woohoo, we’re like totally blogging now! Hello everybody! A while ago we made all sorts of signs for Victoria and here’s a picture! Stitch snuck into Victoria’s laptop while she was sleeping and cracked the codes, and now we can upload it. Cool!

Hi everyone! I have finished my grad school assignment Annotated Webilography for my Legal and Ethics class. It is published under the Grad School section of my blog. You will notice it at the top next to About. There are 50 different links for research topics such as risk management, FERPA, information technology and more. I want to thank Matthias for his help on formating the page. I am looking forward to using the web resources for future assignments. I hope they can help you too.

Sometimes being a grad student, life can be very stressful, exciting and unknown. One day you feel like you have it all under control, and then the next day you are wondering how are you going to get all these assignments done. If there is one thing I have learned, it is the importance of letting others around in on the action. Take time to lean on family, friends, partners, cohort members and co-workers for support and encouragement. Here are a few thank you’s I want to share:

• Matthias, thank you for making me laugh, and giving me a hug when I most need it.
• Missy, thanks for always listening to when I call and for being the best sister I could ever ask for.
• Mom and Dad, thanks for believing me and checking in on me when I most need it.
• Maria and Marta, thanks for always asking me “how are you doing?” because, i know you really care and mean it.
• To my awesome cohort: Tira, Heather, Shawna, Liz, Susie and Eirn. Ladies, thanks for being part of this amazing experience. You all rock and are going to finish this program with me!
• I want to thank my students who follow through on their responsibilies. It makes it so much easier on me as I balance work and school.
• I want to thank my health body and my car. Without you two..I could not do it!
• Universe, thank you for all the beauty that surrounds me and the life you have provided for me.

Have you thought to check around your work lately to see who really is on your team? Make sure it is not Brian Vickers. As NASCAR fans witnessed on Sunday at Talladaga, Mr. Brian Vickers in the #25 car, who is Jimmie Johnson’s teammate, “oh accidently” (yeah right) bump drafted Johnson right into Dale Jr. in the 3rd turn on the last lap to create a crash that sent Johnson and Dale Jr. down off the track and into the dirt. This allowed Vickers smooth sailing into 1st place. Let’s just say, Vickers is no team player. Don’t worry Jimmie, I would of helped you out. I mean..come on Vickers..you are not even in the race for the chase, yo! They should now start running commercials that instead of saying “Let me ask Jimmie Johnson”, they should now show people picking teams and everyone says, “I pick Jimmie Johnson!” (more…)

I realized today that lately I hardly share stories about my students with friends or family. If I do, it’s usually a stressful one. So, here is some fun stories about my current group of students.

• Today, I went to Home Depot with one of my students to buy wood to build a closet for next tuesday’s event: National Coming Out Day. The best part about the trip was fitting 2 96 inch long and 37 inch wide sheets of wood through the trunk of my Acura. And of course, having to tie down the back because the wood was hanging out the trunk. Hillarious. Only a Student Advisor would attempt to do such a crazy thing. (more…)
   

For T.V. shows, I am currently watching:

• Sunday:The Amazing Race (love it! First time watcher)
• Monday: 7 Days on Speed Channel
• Tuesday: Sex in the City reruns on TBS
• Wednesday:The Daily Show
• Thursday: Til Death on Fox.

For music, I am currently listening to:

• Dashboard Confessional’s new CD Dusk and Summer
• The Wreckers
• Carrie Underwood
• Kenny Chesney’s prior CD When The Sun Goes Down
• and Ani Difranco’s new CD Reprieve.