Final Blog Post for Thursday July 19, 2012

19 July 2012

This blog assignment has had its ups and downs for me. I was new to the world of blogging, I do not think that I had ever even read a blog. I was forced into it, but I now consider myself a blogger and have a creative outlet for my ranting. Because of this assignment, I have written when I was uninspired, tired, and just plain lazy. I have written when it was the last thing that I wanted to do, and had nothing to say. But, I wrote each day, and it really helped me to push past the writer's block and get the creative juices flowing. I found myself thinking throughout the day about what I would write about that night. The exciting experiences became a topic for the blog, and old memories became stories. The assignments that I did my pre-writing for in this blog brought to the surface a flood of different emotions that I did not realize before. I enjoyed the exercises, however, because they gave me a concrete topic to blog about. I will not lie and tell you that I am sad this assignment is ending, but I will continue to write in my blog, just not every day! The summer class load has been pretty heavy, I did not realize when I took 3 classes this summer that there would be so much to do. Now that most of the hard work is behind me I am excited to be 9 credit hours closer to graduation. I hope that I have learned enough new writing skills to carry me through to Comp II; I think the blog probably was the best preparedness tool that I had.

Lindsey Johnson

Blog Post for Wednesday July 18, 2012

18 July 2012

I realized today that the Summer Semester is nearly over. It has gone by so quickly, but it has gone more smoothly than I could have imagined. I was worried when I took three classes this summer, but I am sure glad that I did. I am 9 credit hours closer to graduation; and though I am not crazy about the idea of going back to work,I also do not want to be in school forever either. Aside from school, I do not feel like I have accomplished anything so far this summer. The heat has been unbelievably bad, and I have hibernated in the air conditioning more than I would like to admit! My kids have done the same, and they are driving me insane. I sit down to write an essay or complete my class work; they are right on top of me all of the time. With the heat being like it has been, taking such a high class load turned out to be a great idea. I am really glad that things worked out, especially taking two of the classes online. I am a bit sad to see some of them come to an end, I actually enjoyed a couple of my classes this summer and wish that I would have taken them in the longer semester so that I could have experienced the full class.

Post for July 17, 2012

17 July, 2012

Tonight I went to an amazing concert, James Taylor. I have wanted to see him my entire life, and I never had had the chance. Last February, for my birthday, I bought a ticket and then began to wait. It seemed like a lifetime away, but I was already excited. As time passed, I forgot all about having the ticket. I had even gone to concerts in the interim, and then I would think about how excited I would be to go the next one. Last week, my Mom called me and said, "did you remember that we have tickets to James Taylor on Tuesday?" I said that I had not remembered what day it was, but I was even more excited than I had been before. 

We got to the stadium, and found our seats; they were AMAZING! First row of the risers behind the floor. Armed with my camera and a telephoto lens I was ready to go! It was better than I could have imagined, a night of incredible music and fun. He sounded even better than he does on his records. He signed one of my albums, and out tickets! What a great night!!

Blog Post for July 16, 2012

16 July 2012

I am taking a Religions of the World class this semester. I originally took it because as a teacher I will encounter students with a variety of different faiths, and I wanted to know more about them. I have always viewed religious faith as a weakness for people who cannot accept that there is nothing after death. Now that I am almost finished with the class, I realize that the concept is universal. Almost every religion is based on the same concepts and morals, and they are nearly all trying to explain to fearful people that death is not the end. This concept brings me no comfort, though I can see the attraction and I have really enjoyed learning about the various faiths. The one religion that I have an immense amount of respect for that was unknown to me before this class is Confucianism. The phrase "Good people enjoy life." really struck me as a beautiful basis for religion. 

Post for Sunday July 2012

15 July 2012

My little dog has learned that she can retrieve food for herself off of the coffee table. Today my husband got himself a slice of pizza and went to the kitchen for a drink. When he returned, the plate was empty. He looked at the plate and then looked around on the floor, there was nothing. Then he noticed out of the corner of his eye a terrier's but sticking out from under the sofa with it's tail wagging a million miles an hour. I am guessing that you can figure out what happened to the pizza, it was gone. I lifted up the skirt on the sofa, and there were a lot of things that have been missing, just sitting there. Flip flops, stuffed toys, golf balls, an entire collection of objects; discovered. Mike was pretty mad about the pizza, but when I had seen the little talk wagging back and forth, I couldn't let him yell at her. I asked him if pizza had ever made him that happy...he said, "NO."

Post for Saturday July 14, 2012

14 July 2012

The heat of the summer makes me reminisce about the cool, crisp, breezes of Autumn. Nights sitting on the front porch watching the leaves flutter effortlessly to the ground to join their fallen companions.  The smell of burning brush fills the air from the camp fire down the street as the smoke whisks it's way through the evening air to elate the senses. The last of the lightening bugs flicker their messages in the dim light of dusk, dancing in elation while the warmth of autumn still remains. I am right there now, if I close my eyes, though the drone of the air conditioner echoes in my ear. Evenings of pure bliss, bar-b-ques, roasted marshmallows, a cold beer with friends, all sharing the common bond of celebrating Summer's departure. The grass begins to turn brown and crunch beneath your feet, but the first snow flakes have yet to fall. Winter's chill is months away, and we are left with a time of pure perfection, Mother Nature's greatest gift before the cold. 

post for Friday July 13

13 July 2012

When I bought my bus, and got it home, it was covered in so much dirt and grime that it looked like it had been drug out of the bottom of the lake. Mold grew over the outside and around the jams of the doors. Opening the doors did not improve the situation, trash and old camping equipment poured onto the ground and a musty smell emanated from the interior. The flooring was curled, and there were holes in the floor big enough to put your foot through. I have never loved something so much!
There was only one problem, I could not drive a standard. My dad agreed to teach me, but he has never been one to be patient or understanding so I did not expect much of a lesson. I sat in the driveway and waited for him patiently. He emerged from the shop with a lawn chair and a 6 pack. I had no idea what was going to happen, but I was pretty sure he was not going to teach me to drive it. He walked around the building and came back driving my bus, and parked it on the hill behind the house. He handed me the keys, set up his lawn chair, and opened a beer. Dad said, " When you can get it off that hill, you can drive it!" Two hours later I got it off the hill, and I have never looked back!