Cafe Victoria

As I was driving to Napa today, I thought of a few things I wish I knew:

• How to upload pictures on to my blog.
• German
• Coding
• Delegate work.

As for last week’s blog entry and the birds, I’m still rushing out the door. Yet, I am doing a better job of checking in on them before I leave. This week, I will try to stop and listen when I hear them. They do make for great company. By the way, we have five budgies. Cloud, Jeremy, Squall, Aeries and Gwen.

Yahoo! Another assignment done, finished, and delivered over email. As many of you have heard me talking about, these past 2 weeks I have been interviewing Napa Valley College Community College Transfer Students to find out if they joined Greek Life at the University level. Thank you Sonya, Ryan, Mariam, Vicente, Matt and Mario for being part of my focus group. Here are some of the common themes found between their interviews.

1. Greek Life builds a social community.

All of the students interviewed mention that Greek life is a social community and essential on a college campus.

2. Greek Life at the Community College.

The group was split on this topic. Interesting enough the three students who wanted to join Greek Life did not think Greek Life could exist on a community college campus, while the three who did not pledge, agreed that Greek Life could exist on a community college campus. (more…)

Matthias and I lost one of our birds this past weekend. His name was Yuna. He had been with Matthias since he moved to CA about four years ago. The weird thing is Matthias and I thought there was something going on with him. For the last week, all he wanted to do was get out of the cage and fly. Last Wednesday night he sat with us while we watched Til Death. On Tuesday, he was groomed by our newest bird Gwen. Yuna is the second bird we have lost in 6 month. Each time this happens, I think to myself, I need to slow down. I rush out the door. If there was one thing I could change about my life right now, it would be to slow down. If I am late, I am late. This week, I am going to try connecting rather then getting one more thing done. I will check back next week and let you know how I did. We will miss you Yuna.

Number one rule in grad school: just finish it. Another crazy 15 source lit review done. Now on to the next part, the focus group! It is amazing that while advising my students, managing the office and watching American Idol, I am achieving a qualitative research project. Down the road, I hope I say “Only in Grad School” was life this STRESSFUL! Favoriate day of the week: Sundays. No to-do list day!!

So, we lost one hour today. But in reality, we gain one more hour of sunshine. Thanks to Day Light Savings Time, you get one more hour of sunshine to be outside hiking, walking, or to drive to the store for this week’s breakfast food. Or to find yourself with more energy to finish homework or blog, when you really are suppose to be heading off to bed. Like I am right now…

For all of us who be zombies at work this week, hang in there. Just remember, when you get off work, there will be an extra hour of sunshine or evening energy for you to take advantage of and do whatever you want! Or take a nap…since you probably went to bed late.

Cool beans. This week I looking forward to finishing my latest paper, prepping for my student focus group for next weekend, and watching America’s Top Model.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”  by Marianne Williamson

Today I studied for 3 hours at my usual Starbucks in American Canyon. When you do graduate work online, schedule time to do homework and making sure you have a study buddy. It makes all the difference. This afternoon, I actually felt like I was doing something fun and not working. Part of the reason why I felt this way was because one of my students was working there and I did not have to worry or advise her. Now, she was working and I was doing homework.

This current class I am taking is very much on your own. I only have 4 assignments but these assignments are huge. There is no class discussion or reports on reading required on the ecollege site. Every time I have a class like this it reminds me how much you learn is your responsibility. It is your responsibility to do the research, ask all the right questions and manage your time wisely. Ironically, how well you do is in your own hands. Makes you wondering if this kind of learning is suppose to transform how you live your life. If no one is grading you on how much time you spend at the gym or with your family, how do you know when you are doing enough?

On a side note, my younger self would not approve of my studying at a Starbucks. He he.