On the plus side, I can now introduce myself and tell you what I’m wearing, including the colors of my clothing, in German:

Ich heiβe Jenni. Freut mich. Ich trage ein Hemd, eine Jacke, eine Hose, Socken, und Stiefel. Mein Hemd ist lila, schwarz, weiβ, und grau. Meine Jacke ist grau. Meine Hose ist blau. Meine Socken sind weiβ. Meine Stiefel sind grau.

English translation: I am Jenni. Pleased to meet you. I’m wearing a shirt, a jacket, pants, socks, and boots. My shirt is purple, black, white, and gray. My jacket is gray. My pants are blue. My socks are white. My boots are gray.

The second week of school is almost over, and I’m trying to learn how to deal with going to school and working full-time again. Luckily, most of my homework is reading, which does take time, but it’s not hard reading. I get to read about different grammar and usage rules with a few exercises thrown in here and there to make sure I understand what I’ve read. So far, I really like my classes (Modern American Usage and Grammar), and I find them both very interesting. It’s just that my “me” time has decreased significantly.

I haven’t found a way to do some of the things I did over the summer. But, once I get used to my schedule again, I’m sure I’ll be back in the swing of things, including coming up with more discussion posts for my blog. Please just bear with me during this transition period. It should only take one more week, maybe two at the tops, to get things down.

1. Finish watching LOST.
2. Conquer Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
3. Finish reading The Book Thief.
4. Reread Shiver and Linger, so I can read Forever.
5. Gather my sanity to get me through the next few months.

Now that I’m out of time, I don’t really care about the first four items. I’ll still do them, just during the semester instead of before. I’ll watch LOST over the weekends. After all, I only have 16 episodes left. And, I can conquer Zelda one week or another. After I get out of my reading slump, I’ll accomplish 3 and 4.

I had one thing that wasn’t on my to do list that I still had to accomplish. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to go back to school at all. BYU, the school I attend, doesn’t allow extreme hairstyles, which is anyone’s guess, but I was fairly certain my current color wouldn’t be allowed. Today, I remedied that and had my niece Carlee redye my hair. :)

Although I miss the purple … a lot, I really like the new color. I also love that it’s still a bit edgy, but within BYU’s rules. (The red isn’t quite as noticeable when it’s not in the sun.)

At this point, after I put all my supplies together tomorrow, I’m ready to go back and I’m quite excited about it!

I’m not ready for school to start again. I need to qualify that. I’m ready for school, but I’m not ready for how it’s going to affect my schedule, especially my work schedule.

Currently, I work full-time and go to school part-time. Because of this, I have to fit my school schedule into my work schedule. As I’m getting closer to graduation, this is becoming harder to do because the classes I need are only available at certain times. This next semester, they happen to be available around lunch time.

Each day, I need to be to work by 7:00 in the morning. Then, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I have a class from 1:00 to 2:00. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have a class from 12:00 to 1:30. After class each day, I’ll go back to work and stay there until 6:00.

I’ll still be working only 40 hours, but because I’ll be there from 7:00 am until 6:00 pm each day, it’s going to feel more like 60 hours each week. The things I do to better myself.

I was able to work out my class schedule so I have a class each day. I like that much better than last semester when they were all MWF classes and I had to make up the time away from work on Tuesday and Thursday by working 12-hour days. Thank goodness for small miracles.

Before School Starts To Do List

1. Finish watching LOST. I only have 16 more episodes.
2. Conquer Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I only have Ganondorf left to defeat.
3. Finish reading The Book Thief. I keep getting distracted and now I have no more time for distractions. ;)
4. Reread Shiver and Linger, so I can read Forever.
5. Gather my sanity to get me through the next few months.

In 2011, I want to:

• Continue to improve my relationship with Corey.
• Finish reading The New Testament.
• Continue to get straight As in school.  This includes As and A minuses.
• Read at least 25 books.  This includes at least two classics (and The New Testament).
• Lose another 30 pounds through healthy eating and exercise.
• Show up for everything I’ve committed to. This includes school, church, work, 12-step meetings, and exercising (whether this is through boot camp or on my own).

My relationship with Corey continues to improve daily.  I know it’s something we’re both fully committed to so it’s just a matter of keeping at it.

I finished reading the New Testament in May. After a year and a half of reading and plugging away at it, I finally finished. I started to read The Book of Mormon once I finished The New Testament, and I plan to read it in its entirety by the end of the year too.

I bombed my goal of getting straight As in school. I actually failed, literally not figuratively, one of my classes during Winter Semester. It was a conscious choice so I don’t feel sorry for myself. However, I do feel a little bit of regret for failing that class. All I can do at this point is not do it again. And, that’s what I plan to do for the rest of my school sojourn.

I’m definitely on my way to finishing my goal of reading 25 books this year. I’ve read 12 books so far. I thought I’d have more time during the summer to read, but I keep getting distracted by other things I don’t have time to do while I’m in school. Conquering Zelda: Ocarina of Time once and for all (I hadn’t played for almost four years and only had one dungeon and defeating Ganondorf left) and finally watching LOST (I’m in the middle of season 4) have been my major distractions. But, even with these distractions, I still feel like I’m on track.

Losing 30 pounds hasn’t gone well at all. I’m a little ashamed to say that I’ve gained all my weight back and then some. I know it’s my choices in eating and activities. And, I also think it has to do with some of my medications and their side effects. But, I’m woman enough to admit that my meds and their side effects are a very little part of my weight gain. I just need to get back on the horse….

As far as my commitments go, I’ve basically given up on those as well. I went to school while it was in session, but I missed a few days. I go to work, but I’m back into my old habit of using up my PTO (paid time off) as soon as I get it so I have no time for vacations and I’m even in the hole. I’ve stopped going to my 12-step meetings because most of the people in the groups bug me and I don’t feel like we’re there for the same reasons. And, church is really hard right now. But, that’s another story for another time.

I guess it’s time to step up to the plate for the last half of the year and do better than I have been. At this point, I’m not really committed to accomplishing all my goals (e.g. weight loss and commitments) by the end of the year. I guess that’s something I need to work on too. And, I need to remember my mantra, “I’m striving for progress not perfection,” so I can get back on the horse sooner rather than later. At least, I have accomplished a few things. ;)

My Engl 295 class, however, has me a little freaked out.  I was excited about the class until my teacher had us read the following on our syllabus:

At BYU, a grade of “A” indicates that student performance is “Excellent,” a grade of “B” equates to “Good” performance, and a grade of “C” indicates that student performance is merely “Satisfactory.”  I understand the use of the word “good” in the sense defined by the American Heritage Dictionary: “superior to the average.”  Accordingly, in order to earn a grade of “B” or higher, you must submit above-average work on a consistent basis.  If you understand the definition of “average,” you should be able to figure out that most of the students in most of my classes will receive a grade lower than “B”; the odds against an entire class being “above-average” are astronomical.

I’ll be the first to admit that some teachers do give As too freely.  However, the way this teacher is making it sound, it seems like it’s nearly impossible to get an A in his class.  I’m going to do my best.  I’m also going to challenge my perfectionist-nature during the entire semester to be okay with my best, even if it doesn’t coincide with what my teacher considers “good” or “excellent.”  My counselor even suggested that I don’t track my grade at all because I need to work through this issue of basing my “worth” on my grades.  Wish me luck! :?

• Continue to improve my relationship with Corey.
• Read The New Testament.
• Go back to school. :D
• Read at least 35 books.
• Lose another 30 pounds.
• Go to church regularly (every week).

Now that 2010 has come to a close, I’ve realized that I didn’t do a very good job at meeting my resolutions, except for two.  My relationship with Corey keeps improving daily.  I know we can continue to improve our relationship, but it’s a lifelong process and one I’m fully committed to.

I also went back to school this year.  I’m so happy to be back in school! :D Even though my life is extremely busy and hectic with school added into the mix, I feel like my life has purpose again and that I’m striving for something better.  If you count the two A minuses from this last semester’s classes, I’ve received straight As this entire year. :D (I know A minuses aren’t technically As.  But, with everything I had going on this last semester, I’m happy I got A minuses.)

I started reading The New Testament at the beginning of the year and I’m just barely in Romans.  I pretty much gave up in March.  I made a new commitment in July, but I didn’t follow through with that either.  I don’t understand it as well as I understand The Book of Mormon.  And, I don’t feel like I get the spiritual “high” from reading The New Testament like I do when I read The Book of Mormon, which makes “wanting” to read it each night a chore or a hassle.  But, I’m determined to get through it!  And, once I get through it, I’ll reread The Book of Mormon before I tackle The Old Testament. ;)

I only read 19 books this year.  I wanted to read 35, but let’s be honest–I had a ton going on this past year.  School alone kept me from reading as much as I wanted to.  The fact that I was still able to read 19 books is a feat in and of itself.

I didn’t lose another 30 pounds.  In fact, I’m pretty much where I was last year–a few pounds lighter actually–but that’s both good and bad.  I know I could’ve done a better job with my weight loss this year, especially before I started boot camp and during the last month.  I know what I need to change for next year so I can keep on track.

I didn’t go to church regularly at all last year.  It was only in the last two months that I went to church regularly.  I can’t use the 9:00-am church time as an excuse because that was sleeping in compared to the rest of the week.  I just get into a frame of mind where I don’t want to go.  At the beginning of November, however, I made a commitment to myself and my counselor that I wouldn’t miss a single anything between then and the end of the year, even if I was deathly ill.  For the most part, I came through with this commitment; although, I did miss going to church twice (last two weeks), I missed two 12-step meetings (bad weather and birthday party), and I missed one day of work (bad weather).  I have recommitted and I’m extending this commitment to the end of next semester (for now as I’ll keep extending this at the end of each semester since semester by semester seems more doable than an entire year all at once).

In 2011, I want to:

• Continue to improve my relationship with Corey.
• Finish reading The New Testament.
• Continue to get straight As in school.  This includes As and A minuses.
• Read at least 25 books.  This includes at least two classics (and The New Testament).
• Lose another 30 pounds through healthy eating and exercise.
• Show up for everything I’ve committed to.  This includes school, church, work, 12-step meetings, and exercising (whether this is through boot camp or on my own).

My mantra for next year is the following: “I’m striving for progress not perfection.”  I know I’ll make mistakes and I know I’ll cave under pressure every now and then.  But, the important thing to remember is what I do with those mistakes and how I respond to them.  As long as I’m determined to better myself, I can’t fail. Here’s to making the next year successful! :D

Sure Thing is a play involving only two characters, Bill and Betty.  Betty is reading a book in a cafe and sitting alone when Bill comes in and asks to sit at the same table.  It’s a very short comic play in which the conversation between Bill and Betty is continually reset by the ring of a bell any time one of them responds negatively to the other.  The use of the bell gives way to some very interesting topics and interactions between the two.  I thought I’d share a performance of the play from youtube.  (The F-word is used once during the play.)

Siempre he querido estudiar en el extranjero pero nunca he tenido la oportunidad.  BYU está organizando un semestre en Madrid durante la primavera.  Los estudiantes que pueden ir a España van a tener la oportunidad de estudiar en la Universidad de Alcalá y visitar a cuidades cercanas por siete (mas or menos unos pocos días) semanas.  ¡Quiero ir muchísimo!

Al principio, Corey y yo pensamos que yo podría ir.  Pero, después de mucho pensamiento y consideración, nos dimos cuenta de que no es posible.  Para ir, necesito tomar dos clases en el invierno–Span 206 y una para prepararme por el semestre en el extranjero.  Parece bastante fácil, ¿verdad?  No es fácil.  Es necesario que trabaje tiempo completo y los horarios de las clases contradicen con el horario de mi trabajo.  ¡Así es la vida!  Quizás pueda ir otra tiempo.

*****

I’ve always wanted to study abroad but I’ve never had the opportunity.  BYU is hosting a semester in Madrid during Spring term.  The students who can go to Spain will have the opportunity to study at the Alcalá University and visit neardy cities for seven (give or take a few days) weeks.  I want to go so badly!

Initially, Corey and I thought I could go.  But, after a lot of thought and consideration, we realized that it isn’t possible.  To go, I have to take two classes during Winter semester–Span 206 and one to prepare me for the semester abroad.  Seems fairly easy, right?  It’s not.  I have to work full-time* and the class schedules conflict with my work schedule.  C’est la vie!  Maybe, I can go another time.

*It’s not just a matter of having to work full-time.  Sure, I do have to work full-time so Corey and I can meet our financial obligations.  But, I also have to work full-time because my job won’t allow me to go down to part-time.  I could always find another job that works with my school schedule, but I probably wouldn’t be paid as much, which of course brings me back to the “meet our financial obligations” problem again.  (In the last 10 years, I’ve worked up to a fairly good salary.  And, I’m nearly 100% sure that any other job I took–before I finish my degree–would pay me about half of what I earn right now. But, at least I have a job, right? I know there are many people who’d kill to have my job.)

*****

Today marked the end of the poetry unit in my current English class.  I’m so happy!  Now, I just need to take the test tomorrow and I can leave poetry far behind me.  I must say that I’ve learned a lot in this class.  I’ve actually learned to appreciate meter and the words used in poetry much more than I thought I would.  I can actually see poetry’s relevance now.  I still don’t enjoy it all that much.  Actually, I should qualify that.  I still don’t prefer poetry over fiction.  But, I do appreciate it more.

*****

As I’m figuring out my school schedule for winter semester, I’m realizing how hard it’s going to be to maintain a half-time student status.  Most of the classes I need to take are either held at the same time or several hours apart, which doesn’t work with my work schedule.  This is a big deal because a student can only receive financial aid if they’re a half-time student.  Luckily, I’ve figured out a schedule that will work for winter semester.  I just hope I can continue to find something that works as I progress.

*****

Boot camp is still going well.  I was sick most of last week so I only went on Monday.  When I went for the first time this week, I could feel I hadn’t exercised for a week.  But, because my body is so used to exercising as hard and as often as it does, I recovered quickly.  The workouts are still very tough, but my stamina is getting better and better all the time.  Even though I don’t always enjoy exercising while I’m doing it, I love the feeling (other than the sore muscles) afterward.