A+ In Friendship

I never got along with Algebra. Plain old 2+2 is just fine for me and probably millions of other Americans. For some sick and twisted people out there, math is—shall we say—cool? I disagree with this immensely, but I looked up several math terms (all clean) on the Internet. I came across fun math, A+ Math, cool math, enchanted math (what were they smoking’?), new math (it’s what they used to teach but is now obsolete) and of course, good old ‘cipherin’.

I am taking an on-line college algebra course this term and I am on my knees thanking God that the course is only five weeks long. The down side to that is if you make one failing grade (which I unfortunately did) your chances of passing decrease (see how I worked that math into my blog?). People say everything is numbers but I am a word person. I admire the fella who wrote the alphabet, he wrote everything!

While my words are plentiful, my math is severely suffering. I needed someone who understood and could teach me one on one. Most of the people I know are fellow wordsmiths and lack the same finesse where arithmetic is concerned. I do have one friend who was able to help. This is the same friend who convinced me to return to school and to attend the on-line learning institution of American Intercontinental University. My friend, Charles, has become a mentor and tutor.

I looked up mentor in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and the term originated in the times of the Trojan War. Mentor was actually a friend of Odysseus who was entrusted with the education of Telemachus, Odysseus’ son. Synonyms for mentor include tutor and role model. Charles is both of these to me and without him I would be failing my math class. However, my second class assignment resulted in an A…due to the mentorship of a good friend.

Thank you Charles, I really needed help and you were there.

Until next time.

What Is Love

With the observance of that recent wonderful day of love (I’ve been advised by my lawyers not to show bias toward one side over the other), I thought I’d discuss what love is and how to tell if you are lucky enough to fall into that category. A status held only by a few Americans since more than 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. I should note at this point that since I myself am divorced that I am in no way claiming to be an expert on amorous affairs. Also, I should say that the Internet is full of what many claim to be love, however we will discover as we delve into this topic that love and lust are two different things.

Lust is based on physical attraction and, while that is a factor in love, it does not constitute love. (Most of the articles I researched were geared toward teenagers.) Love should be based on friendship, trust, commitment and caring. Love is shared by two people, not something one may feel and the other doesn’t. In true love, there is no room for jealousy, contempt, insecurity, hate, pride or other evil deeds. Love is a positive feeling with a positive outcome.

According to Mike Hardcastle, Teen Advisor at About.com, love is the total surrender of your heart to another person with the security of knowing they will treat it better than you will. If you wanted to borrow your best friend’s car and they trusted you with it, you would take care of it better than it was your own. You would make sure you returned their car washed, filled with fuel and clean…in better condition than when you borrowed it. Why, because this is your friend and they trusted you to use their vehicle. You wanted to prove you would do a good job. Well, it should be an even bigger deal when someone gives us their heart. If you don’t feel compelled to treat their heart and feelings better than your own, then you are not in love.

Hardcastle composed a list of things you should know about love. I realize most adults think they should already know these things, and let’s face it…we should have learned lots of things in Kindergarten but they didn’t teach us this.

Love is an intense feeling of caring for another person. It can take many different forms (romantic, friendly, familial) but love is always about caring.

You should never be asked or feel like you have to prove your love for someone. When you love another person you don't ask them to sacrifice a part of themselves in the name of that love.

It is very easy to confuse lust for love. The true measure of romantic love is commitment and trust not physical attraction. Sex is NOT love. Love is NOT sex. Sex can be a part of romantic love but it is never mandatory.

Love should make you feel happy, secure and appreciated.

The best description of love can be found in the Bible. God created love and has a pretty good idea of what it is and isn’t, so why be surprised to find in His word what love is?

Love is patient and is kind; love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. -- 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

Another Disappointment

I was all ready to begin my illustration class at school. This is the class that works with PhotoShop, Illustrator and InDesign. I received the software for this class a couple of weeks ago and was so excited...finally, I begin to see something in my parent's investment!

Being the digital imaging nerd that I am, I installed the software right away and as soon as the classroom was open (about a week before classes begin) I looked at my assignments, set up my folders on my computer and got to work right away. I even finished the first assignment early. I realized how dull this makes my life sound, but hey, I'm the one who has to live it!

The day before the assignment was due, I logged into the on-line campus to read over the assignment again, making sure everything was good to go when to my horror I realized the school had switched classes on me. For family obligations and health reasons, I could not finish the last term's College Algebra class and I thought at some point later in my school career I would pick it back up. However, the university's policy is that you must complete the essential core classes before being admitted to the classes toward your degree (the fun stufff).

So, here I am with my completed assignment for artwork on a classroom book and nowhere to turn it in. Not to mention, I am a week behind on my College Algebra, which is how the problems with the first class started. Since I can't share my work with my instructor or my class, I will share it here with my friends, family and fans (yeah, right).

I better get back to studying algebraic equations, and if you know a fifth-grader, pass them my e-mail address because I need a tutor!

Until next time.

Lousy Love Holiday

Anti-Valentine's Day

It’s no mystery as to why I don’t celebrate the Holiday of Love. If you are like me and you hate all the hoopla surrounding Valentine's Day, then we are not alone. According to the History Channel, recent years have seen a boom in the anti-Valentine's Day card and merchandise market, and you can even buy t-shirts promoting February 14th as "Singles Awareness Day." Like me, if you should find yourself single on Valentine's Day, or if you're in a couple and still prefer to ignore the overzealous florists, jewelers, confectioners and card makers of the world, you can still make the most of the day--or at least get through it with minimal discomfort. I have become aware that many men believe this “holiday” is a scam from the florists, greeting card and candy companies just to generate money in the economy and profits in their pockets. Well, it couldn’t hurt to stimulate the economy could it? Nevertheless, couples can take the low-key approach (maybe a quiet dinner at home, a movie or a concert) while like-minded single friends can organize an anti-Valentine's Day party or outing--no red or pink or chocolate allowed. If you're single, don't hesitate to treat yourself to a great meal, a warm bath, a funny movie or something else equally comforting and indulgent. Above all, take comfort in the fact that February 14th is, in the end, just another day. This year, I may be dining alone, watching an appropriate movie like Fool’s Rush In…no, not really. I think Van Helsing or another vampire movie may be appropriate.

Valentine Veritas

Looking for Love
- 188 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion. (This total excludes packaged kids valentines for classroom exchanges.) (Source: Hallmark research)
- Over 50 percent of all Valentine's Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the observance, making Valentine's Day a procrastinator's delight. (Source: Hallmark research)
- There are 119 single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) who are in their 20s for every 100 single women of the same ages. I wonder what the numbers are for those around 40? And where do I meet them?
- There are 34 single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) age 65 or older for every 100 single women of the same ages.
- 904: The number of dating service establishments nationwide as of 2002. These establishments, which include Internet dating services, employed nearly 4,300 people and pulled in $489 million in revenues. Maybe I should open a business. No, the last time I tried to set two people up I ended up married to the guy….still married to the guy. Lucky Jawana (not really, I am better off than she is).

Be Mine
- 2.2 million marriages take place in the United States annually. That breaks down to more than 6,000 a day. I must start making phone calls or set up a warning system.
- 147,300 marriages are performed in Nevada during 2005. So many couples "tie the knot" in the Silver State that it ranked fourth nationally in marriages, even though it's total population that year among states was 35th.
- The estimated U.S. median ages at first marriage for women and men are 25.3 and 27.1 respectively, in 2005. The age for women rose 4.2 years in the last three decades. The age for men at first marriage is up 3.6 years.
- 72%: The percentage of men and women ages 30 to 34 in 2005 who had been married at some point in their lives - either currently or formerly.
- 4.9 million opposite-sex cohabitating couples maintained households in 2005. These couples comprised 4.3 percent of all households.

Until Next Time.

New Year, New Me

Before the holidays I began an attempt to make myself healthier. I changed some eating habits, started drinking more water and less sodas...even the diet kind. I implemented some exercise and even lost a little bit of weight. I still had a long way to go. Then the holiday season began.

For most people the festive time of year begins at Thanksgiving. For me, it begins with Halloween. With the onset of October 31, a host of festivous days ensue. My brother Kevin's birthday on November 6, then my birthday 6 days later. My former wedding anniversary on November 18, which now I celebrate for another reason (ha ha), then Thanksgiving and the typical holiday season. Mine is sprinkled with an added day, my Mother's birthday on December 15.

As I began to say early on in this blog, my healthy lifestyle went right out the window with the holiday season. I was not a good girl. I took full advantage of the gastronimical delights that found their way to my plate. There was fudge, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, the family favorite of candy cane cookies, dressing, dressing and more dressing. I was sure that I gained many, many extra pounds.

Fearing the amount of added weight I actually gained I avoided the scales at all costs. I would scoot around them for fear they would jump under my feet without notice. Really, my scales see me coming and run the other way screaming in protest. One day last week I caught them and decided to bite the bullet...providing it wouldn't add extra pounds...and I got on them.

To my most pleasant surprise, I lost more weight. I had not gained any at all and in addition to that I lost more. I was very happy. Excited enough to jump on that ride and keep going. I was inspired to get back into my healthy lifestyle. I hope to inspire someone else to get into a healthy lifestyle.

Until next time.