a rabid creature is holding me hostage

So an age old debate in my house is that I REFUSE to take out the trash. That's DATs job, a man's job. Now, before you go all woman's lib on me, I was raised in a house of all women. My mother was a single parent raising two girls. Her mother was a single parent raising two boys and a girl. In that house, the two boys took out the trash. In the house in which I was raised, I may as well have been a boy because I took out trash morning noon and night. (My mom *dramatization - rabid squirrel may or may not have red glowing eyes

has a thing about odors and trash causes odors, thus out with the trash......all of it, any time, any amount) I don't live with my mother anymore, so trash is now sis's job. Oh well, sucks for her.

But I vowed, when I finally started shacking up with some guy, HE was taking out the trash. Daily, sometimes several times daily I might add. So yes, I have unfortunately inherited my mother's freakish sense of smell (I also can hear and see freakishly well). So I walk into the kitchen this morning all set to make that breakfast I was telling you about and I IMMEDIATELY smell the rank coming out of the trash. The VERY trash DAT didn't take out last night after dinner. Phew. I almost pass out, but I manage to pick up the whole damn can and put it outside of the door. Terribly tacky yes, but no one can really see and I really don't give a damn ESPECIALLY as far as my home's odor is concerned.

So I'm all set to give DAT a good talking to when he gets home but later in the day I have to go outside to throw something away. I open the door and there's trash EVERYWHERE and holes in the bag. I look around and there's a rabid creature at the bottom of the stairs looking at me and aparantly waiting for me to go back in the house because as soon as I scream and run, I look out the window and he's managed to scurry his mangy ass back up to my door to finish his shopping. I tap on the glass and he stops, looks at me and turns back to his business. So far today he's come and gone as he's pleased. And DAT has been yelled (CAPLOCK texts) and I have to run to the market, but in the meantime I'm being held hostage by this rabid creature and dinner will have to wait.

No I'm not bringing the can in the house for two reason. One, the shit stinks. Two, now it's got creature germs on it and if you think I dont do odors, you have NO idea how I feel about germs...

Passion runs deep

Isn't it great when you find your passion in life? Your calling? I know I've found mine within the world of Student Affairs and with each new experience I gain under my belt, I love it more and more. I love my students, I love retreats (ESPECIALLY when they're over and I can look back on them. I'm not a roughing it kind of girl, but a good weekend long retreat here and there is always good). And I love conferences where students come together and further their interests!

We held the C&OR Conference on Saturday and because it is hosted by my office, my supervisor asked that I present one (or more) workshops. I chose to lead a workshop on Diversity Awareness within Campus and your Organization and I also lead a Forum for Black Clubs & Orgs. This was my true area of stress - I didn't know if any of the Black/African American student leaders would show up, find it useful, participate, engage, or stay in the forum for that matter. My supervisor was supposed to join me and stay for moral support, but ended up not being able to break away from prepping for her own workshop, so I was on my own.....and LOVED IT! The students sat in a circle and I'd written my four discussion points on butcher paper around the room. I asked everyone to gravitate to the discussion point they were most drawn to and just write. This was perfect in allowing us to facilitate discussion. EVERYONE shared, contributed, acknowledged one another, waited their turn, agreed or disagreed respectfully, and fed off of one another's engergy. Of course 50 minutes in not enough for student leaders to diagnose what they feel to be their biggest challeneges, let alone resolve them together, and that was the biggest dissapointment of the workshop.

The best part was afterwards - reading my presenter evaluations! Everyone wanted more, more time, more forums, more togetherness and opportunities to bridge gaps within their community of Black student leaders. It was amazing. From the best part stems the next part - that I've been given the go-ahead by my department to host a Black Clubs and Orgs Forum monthly to help these student leaders bridge their gaps, facilitate discussion and provide opportunities for networking and collaborative programming. I sent the email out yesterday letting those in attendance know and I've been getting awesome feedback from the students! It's awesome.

This is how I know I've found my passion and it runs deep. Here I am, a 2nd year grad student who literally, could not and should not be squeezing ONE MORE THING onto my plate, but I dont even care. I want to do this for these students and fill this void. I love it.

Culminating Conundrom

I have today off because of the all day C&OR Conference on Saturday (geesh). So I'm sure you think that means sitting around all day, lounging, relaxing, clearing my DVR box...right? WRONG! It means sitting in my diningroom (which is not my favorite place because it receives absolutely NO natural light, but happens to be the only place I can truly focus on writing comfortably without distractions.....hence in the computer room right now and blogging), and writing, writing, writing until my carpel tunnel begs for mercy. Its culminating activity time - no, not thesis, but comps. Still tons and tons and tons of writing. This is the price you pay for getting an advanced degree -they are truly making me work for it. But it's cool. Only 8 more months to go and then I'm done and we're gonna party like it's 1999 - more on that to come!

Anyway, just wanted to check in and say hey, I'm sad and writing while the rest of the world is living life. Ok, ok, I am gonna make myself a nice (and nutricious (a-la back on program with WW)) breakfast and watch just ONE episode of house hunters from my DVR. I will leave 90210, The Office, and GG untouched. And I know I said I was casting off GG as it failed to fill the void left by the OC, but I caught a glimpse last week and it was kinda saucy! So I'm giving it another go! God I can't wait for The Game to return - my current television line-up is SEVERELY lacking pigmentation!
Ciao