THE Very Anticipated Baby Milestone

My very anticipated 1-monthaversary for living in my first apartment is approaching.  I’m pretty excited.  I wanted to note some of my loves and hates.

1.  Love:  Being off campus!

2.  Hate: It being my fault if I stay inside all day.  Since my kitchen is here, I don’t ever need to leave besides working and going to class on the weekends.  On my days off (like this one) the only fresh air I’ve gotten since yesterday has been through my window.  I can blame only myself for that.  That's one of my goals for this year is to accept it when I'm wrong, not to excuse my error onto something/one else, and be immediate when I don't deserve the credit (giving credit where it's due).

3.   Love:  My door.  I can close it and open it when I want.  This goes for my window.  It’s easily accessible by me at all times. I like my door.

4.  Hate:  Stairs.  There’s not many, but there’s more than 3.  I am grateful for being up high though.

5.  Love:  TRAIN!!! It passes by my window at least a million times a day and I still enjoy it.

6.  Hate:  Duplicates.  I’ve found 3 nail clippers and have enough detergent to last me at least a year given that I do one load a week.  I realized this year that I like to see and to have in stock exactly what I need.  Having bulk or duplicates stresses me out because I feel the need to use it immediately even when that option is not feasible, wise, or of being a good steward.  Thank you, Jesus, for the overflow.

7.  Love:  Large closet and dresser.  I went to go visit another apartment and it had neither of these.  I am grateful for the clothes that are carefully tucked away in them and for a place to store what God has blessed me with.

Although this is an odd number, one should always end with love.

Peace and blessings,

JLP

E.g. Life and curbs.

Some things should not be taken so quickly:  E.g. Life and curbs.

I have a new friend.  Her name is Edith, my bike.  She is a Trek 7.2 FX WSD for anybody who cares about numbers.  I normally don’t but since she’s new, I do remember them.  I also remember the check I wrote for her—ouch..

I’m an extra extreme new baby amateur rider.  I can ride to work and back which is one mile in one direction.  I can ride further, but it’s so hilly here that I tire very quickly.  I love love LOVE my bike.  And it doesn’t hurt that her name is shared with my favorite and most dear relative—my great-grandmother Edith Toussaint who is “101-plus” as she quips.  The names weren’t meant to match, but they do and I’m cool with that.

I just finished posting the next few weeks’ assignments for my students on an online database called Blackboard.  I have spent ALL day working.  I got to my office at 1030, made copies and caught a couple students up in homework assignments, taught at 1130, 1240, and 150, finished teaching at 240, posted assignments online until 945, and rode home.  It’s now 1017 and I’m eating cereal because even heating something up in the microwave is too much work.  Oh yeah.  I went potty at about 5pm.

But I had to tell you what happened on my ride home.  I got geared up to ride Edith and started riding.  It’s wonderful riding home because it’s all downhill and I can get up to 18 mph with no difficult whatsoever.  At the stoplight, I normally pop my front wheel and pedal to get up the curb, but today, I was going a bit too fast.  About 8 miles an hour too fast and didn’t break hard enough or proactively enough.  I made it up exactly 40% of the curb.  Before I knew it, my head leads my body toward the grass and over my handlebars. THUD! I blinked and quickly assessed the situation and thanked my Savior that it happened at night with no casual observers.

The front of my bike was turned almost 360-degrees and the chain was derailed.  I gingerly reattached the chain, checked the gears, picked up the pieces of my bike’s front light and put them in my back, and rode a bit more carefully home.

As I was thinking and meditating on my way home, I thought about how this situation so closely resembles life—mine in particular.  Sometimes we/I can plow right ahead and speed past roadblocks, traffic, stalled cars, and tough situations and assume that I am invincible until I have to switch gears and paths.  I have popped many a curbs in my bike riding days and this one has been successfully popped on many occasions.  What made the difference between the successful pops and the unsuccessful ones?  My speed and attentiveness.  I knew my path and knew the limitation of my bike and what I needed to do.  Also, I mustn’t just assume that because I’ve done something a million times that the “million-and-oneth (pronounced wonth)” time will be the same or be done carelessly.

Life is one amazing substance in our existence.  Just because we breathe doesn’t mean we have life.  It’s fascinating and can only be used/abused/dedicated/other verbs once.

Note to Self:  Watch out for life’s curbs.  

38 Minutes and Counting...

September 2, 2011

So I’m sitting in the Mass Media & Technology Hall at the moment aaaaannddd I can’t go in. I just can’t. In where? Into Gary A. Ransdell Hall. My home for the next 3 years. It’s across the street.

Today is the day I’ve been waiting for for years now. I will be starting my doctorate degree in approximately 38 minutes. I wanted to chronicle this moment because it’s kinda a big deal. I’ll be 24 and 1/3 (24 and 4 months) tomorrow and about to begin my last, final, ultimate, and TERMINAL degree. It shall outlive me…or so I’ve heard.

Am I nervous? Surprisingly no. I’ve had many a first days. First day of all the years of K-12—even preschool had a first day. And I like to celebrate all of my many “firsts.” I think they’re special. So today, my firsts are as followed:

1. First finished week of teaching as an adjunct professor/instructor.

2. First time I’ve ridden my bike to a night class.

3. First time I’ll really have to be an adult in class and not a young adult.

4. Last, but not least—First day of my Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Organizational Leader strand (emphasis) at Western Kentucky University, Doctoral Orientation.

All the hoopla for just a really long class this weekend. Friday from 5-9 and Saturday from 8-5.

I was talking to Jesus in my apartment before I rode my bike over here. I usually do that before something new in my life—and also whenever I do mundane things too—and basically all things I do in life. He gave me a verse for this new adventure, my doctorate that is. It is:

Philippians 1:9, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.”

Here, Paul was talking to the church of Philippi and sharing with them how he walk praying for them as the continued to press on in the Christian faith. So if you, my reader, is a believer in the saving power of Jesus and call it your own, and rely on it in your daily life for forgiveness and sustenance, Paul was also praying over you.

So oftentimes, really, really smart people become loveless because they forget about people for they always have their nose in books. I have that propensity sometimes, but no more. There’s another verse I’ve been meditating on lately that I’ll probably share later. Anyway, Paul encourages us to continue learning. In my case, He’s given me the task and the opportunity to learn in an academic forum. Others learn in real life. Wherever you are, he pleads with believers to keep learning. But also, we are encouraged to continue to love and to be overwhelmed with love—the supernatural love that God gives us in order to spread to others; human love is finite.

I hope and pray that I love and that I learn. I also pray that burnout doesn’t set in until I’m at least 2 ¾ way done. I also hope that I still have Cool Points left in m y Cool-Points-O-Meter. I also pray I won’t spend too much time daydreaming that I’m on a deserted island with my Chocolate Blessing during class whilst being in my Extra Single State.

Abba Father,

Give me an extra portion of Your Spirit so I may be a perfect example of a fallen person perfected by Your grace. Help me to love You more and love others the way You love them. Aaanndd…

Thanks for everything.

Your Daughter,

Jenaya

The Gitters and Successes of My First Day Teaching.

Instead of wasting away brain cells by looking at other people’s lives on Facebook whilst waiting for my soy protein and calcium infused protein shake to thicken in the freezer, I decided to blog a tad.

Today I felt like a real adult. I actually did all the things on my to-do list, followed up with a student who had an issue (instead of forget where I put the sticky note I put what I needed to do on). Oh! Speaking of students, this was my first day teaching. Happiness!

It’s kinda not my first day teaching per se, but it’s definitely my first day teaching—if that makes any sense. My first degree is in elementary education—so I’ve been teaching for a while. I never saw myself staying in a classroom for the rest of my life. Being a schoolteacher seemed like a death sentence. Just the thought of teaching carrying-over numbers in addition and science fairs and “let’s plot the continents” year after year made me very queasy in my insides. Some people can do that and I’m so happy for them because they may one day be teaching Leighton and her brothers and sisters (but I’m 89% sure I’ll be homeschooling unless there’s a bilingual school in the area).

But then again, I really don’t see myself doing ANYTHING consistently for the rest of my life. Even brushing my teeth and peeing seem so monotonous some days. I think to myself, “Did I not just pee like 2 hours ago??” Not saying that I can change the necessary functions in life, but if I could, I would. I like the new and exciting things that come with living.

So back to today.

My first day teaching.

I actually got a part-time adjunct faculty position at the university where I’ll be working on my doctorate. The sound of that sentence is so daunting and deathly. How in the world did I get to be in this place of my life?? Was I not just a sophomore and 19 a few months ago? I digress.

I will be teaching 3 sections of COMM 161 which is Business and Professional Speaking. It’s absolutely amazing that the Department of Communication here deems me qualified to be in control of the learning of 75 individuals. So cool! The favor of my Savior astounds me.

My day actually started at like 8 am (it was supposed to be 7) when I went walking. Jesus and I had an agreement that I was going to walk for 15 minutes—7.5 minutes in one direction and 7.5 minutes back to my bed. It ended up being 30 minutes of grief, but He kept telling me to walk further past my 15 minute comfort zone.

After my shower, I packed my backpack. This part was a bit tricky. I had to pack lunch, a change of clothes, MacKenzie my laptop, phone, a pen, textbook, notepad, blah blah blah. And shoes. It was a challenge because my backpack is little and I have to ride my bike to work. I get to the building right before the Fine Arts Building and change from my biking clothes to my work clothes—a bit awkward, but doable.

My classes started at 1130. My next one was 1240. My last was 150. Or something like that. Back to back. Very little time to take a bitty snack on my peanut butter sandwich and absolutely no time to play Words with Friends (an electronic Scrabble game you play with people I know on my phone.)

How was teaching?

Thanks for asking.

It was fabulous! I was a bit gittery in the first class, but about 4.5 minutes into it, I was fine. I absolutely loved it and can see myself teaching for the foreseeable future. I could probably teaching for like…10 years. Maybe 15. Who knows.

It was the weirdest thing to present my syllabus and my to my class. Like, I wrote it. It’s all mine. They were listening to me. I wanted to stop teaching and ask them if they knew that it was just a few semesters ago that I was in their shoes. Such a déjà vu experience.

The only most terrible thing at the moment is that I think my knees are broken. I haven’t really gotten out of bed yet. I’m not even that sleepy , but I did take a nap. Walking to the kitchen to get my soy-protein, calcium-enriched chocolate beverage is going to be very difficult. My mom said I should stretch my knees, buuuuttt you can’t stretch bone. I hope my knees are still alive tomorrow morning.

A few goals I have for this semester. I want to work on writing things down and following through with things I have to get done. No more random sticky notes. I used a small notebook today to jot things down and checked things off when they were done. I hope this system works. Also, I want to work on staying ahead by at least 2 weeks in the planning of my class. I also want to work on balancing. I will be taking a class, teaching 3, but I need me-time and time to focus on growing holistically. I’ll be taking a lot of time to revamp my eating philosophy and goals and focusing on exercising consistently.

And I think that’s all.

Buen semestre!

First Night in My Newly Leased Apartment...

I am settled..yeah no. I’m actually not settled. Not settled at all. My insides are settled, but my room is a mess. And it’s not even a room. It’s my very first apartment!!! A few observations if you will.

I think that somebody needs to install some Partier Insurance for those who are not interested in listening to a party happening under one’s feet—namely me. It doesn’t really bother me, but it is quite different. When I was at Murray State, I didn’t allow myself to go to the Scary Unknown—or off-campus apartments without somebody holding my hand. I heard that it was fun, but I didn’t want to take the risk of introducing my flesh to fun, liking it, and subsequently failing out of college. So, I stayed inside as a humble, meek school gal.

Now here I am. 24 and in an off campus apartment. The appeal is minimal. I’m too old now to be enticed by the Scary Unknown. The thudding of the newest and most hip rap songs I am hoping will lull me to sleep.

I am ever so grateful to have this opportunity to be in my own place—my own little nook of paradise. I think I will like this very much.

Peace and Blessings.

JLP

P.S. I never really told my readers that I am back from Holly, Michigan. So, there you go. I’m back as of August 7^th or 9^th—the days run together.

My Date with Myself at Starbucks

There are a few things that I am looking forward to in my future. A few things that I am not looking forward to at all. Here’s an example of one per category. 1) My husband loving me. 2) My kids fighting. Both are in my thoughts today. I noticed these two things at Starbucks on my date with myself.

I was minding my own business when this 3.5ish year old child decides whilst standing to put his foot on his younger brother’s (about 2ish) shoulder trying to squash him. The mom told him to stop in a very hushed and appropriate, authoritative voice as any good mom would do. And the boy says honestly and with deep sincerity, “But Mom! I was trying to squash him!!” Hilarious. But I know that my squirts are going to do that one day and I’ll have to be the mom who does not think that is funny rather than the very single and casual observer.

Secondly. At about 2 o’clock from me, maybe 1:30, there is an older couple possibly retired who are sitting on the love seat together and not speaking to each other, but are transversally sending love vibes to each other. They have matching Toshiba laptops and the wife has a mouse. They came out on a Saturday morning to get their Starbucks beverages, do their internet work, but they did more than that to me. They showed me that love, the kind that lasts vintage, still exists somewhere. In a land where there is not much left of it, it is refreshing to see. I can have that one day. I pray I’ll have that one day.

But I still have an entire lifetime to acquire such a gift.

The one thing that amazes me is that their love started at my age. Her childrearing started at my age. Few people don’t equate their daily decisions and choices to lifetime repercussions. I forget this often as well. Marriages and childrearing take much planning and contemplation. You don’t just accidently raise children or accidentally stay married for 40, 30, or even 20 years. It takes work and time and emotional equity. So my sitting here reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett (an excellent read) is equipping me for parenting and marriaging one day. It’s amazing. How? It adds one more thing that I can instruct my children in (e.g. reading is a gift and should be used often.) It also adds one more thing when I talk to my hubs and ask him if he’s ever read The Help or a book about Southern living in the 1960s. He may say yes. He may say no. But it will spark a new conversational strand.

P.S. The orange-mango-banana smoothie with no protein, soy, and green matcha tea powder is uber green and uber delicious.

Holly Blog 34: Jenaya Clone

Have you ever met someone and you thought you were talking to yourself? How creepy and cool would that be! Well, that’s what happened to me last week. We indeed had 5 campers with 18 staff last week and the students were incredibly well behaved and we the staff actually made more noise than they did. The latter was a bit awkward at times.

As soon as one of the girls walked off the bus, I said to myself, “Wow! This will be interesting.” And indeed it was. She would just talk or breathe or think or feel something and I was just convinced that I was talking to myself. Here’s a list of some of the things I remember that we had in common:

Listened to NPR (National Public Radio)
Didn’t like her peers because they do things that don’t make sense or are good.
Would rather read than be with her peers.
Likes to wear her fro.
Prefers pie crust in a pie and if the pie crust is not good, she will not eat the pie.
Loved the husband and wife team “Rodrigo and Gabriela” on Youtube when I introduced her to them.
Saw herself in college earning several degrees.
Was planning on how she was going to make a huge impact in the world.
Knew that her hometown is not where she wanted to stay for the rest of her life.
Had roots in the South.
Wore what she wanted to wear despite opposition from peers and shallow authority.
Not a hint of girly.
Used the word “magnanimous” in a sentence correctly.
LOVED Scrabble.
Used synonyms and plays on words to make jokes.
Was the ONLY one who understood ALL my jokes.
Thought dancing was difficult because there was no mathematical equation to solve.

She encouraged me in her 16-year old way that who I am is ok. I don’t know why I still question this fact being 24. Some days, I’m perfectly fine with who I am. Others, I’m so totally not. It kinda depends on several factors including, but not exclusively bound to wind pressure, estrogen level, the minute I wake up, what day it is, who I’m around, type of toothpaste used, and/or leg hair length—the longer the sexier.

Peace and blessings.

JLP