My Philosophy Keeps Me Walking When I'm Falling Down

I am so sad for the pit bull breed of dog!

1. They are abused by humans to fight and become vicious animals
2. This has created a stereotype that now other humans are blaming the breed for (not the people who breed to fight them for)

I am disgusted with how many people actually believe the pit bull breed to be vicious...these people are as heartless as those who breed them to fight.

It seems that recently pit bulls have been in the news a lot and last night there was a huge bust at some losers house that had a whole barn of dogs bred to fight including equipment to train them to fight.

I think I'm going to adopt some pit bulls when I get my own house, along with a few grey hounds.

The other week my Mom and I were talking/delicately arguing about church and religion(as usual with us...). I mentioned that what if I don't get married in a church and she says to me that I might regret it 50 years down the road. I politefully responded with...if I am happily married 50 years later and upset about that, then I would consider myself very ungrateful. I also think God or whoever would much rather me be happily married- regardless of where the wedding actually takes place.

But we all know that isn't happening for awhile, it was just an interesting conversation.

To anyone who says, "It's just a dog:"

You are the reason rescues exist, why thousands of dogs die everyday in shelters, homeless and unwanted.

You are the backyard breeder or puppy miller, who looks at a dog and sees dollar signs, who cares nothing for the inevitable decline in the dog's health after having litter upon litter of puppies, nor for the countless dogs who will now die in shelters because the puppies you breed have taken up their homes.

You are the supporter of these backyard breeders and puppy mills, willing to pay $500 or more for a puppy rather than $90 for a rescued dog, because having a pedigree to show off to friends is more important than saving the life of a true and loyal companion.

You are the one who trains dogs to fight, whether for sport or protection, thus abusing your dog and bringing the call for the extermination of an entire breed of perfectly wonderful dogs.

You are the one who thinks nothing of putting your dog to sleep because it doesn't go with the furniture, or it urinates on the carpet, while at the same time balking at the thought of spanking an unruly child.

You are the one who dumps your dog at the shelter when you move, because you're too lazy to find pet-friendly housing.

You are the one who keeps your dog tied up outside, only bothering to provide the occasional bowls of food and water and possibly a tree for shade, because after all, it is just a dog, right?

To the 90 year old woman in the nursing home, abandoned by her family, yearning for companionship, stroking the fur of a new friend with the words "Therapy Dog" on its side, it's not just a dog.

To the young child who has become literate by reading aloud to a dog in the classroom, it's not just a dog.

To the person with skin cancer who had it detected by a dog when the doctors couldn't, it's not just a dog.

To the blind man who now can see through his companion, it's not just a dog.

To anyone who has been in bed, sick with the flu, and has felt the warmth of that cold nose as he curls up between your legs to give you comfort, it's not just a dog.

To anyone who comes home from a hard day of work to be greeted by someone who's so happy to see you they can't stop wiggling, it's not just a dog.

To anyone who has cried at Old Yeller, because they know what it's like to lose their best friend, to know that their friend is suffering and though it may be hard, the best thing to do is to help them go peacefully, it's not just a dog.

When you say, "It's just a dog," you really mean, "Why should I care about it? Dogs aren't important. They're useless. They don't give anything to us, so why should I give them anything in return? Why do I have to care about their feelings? They don't matter in the grand scheme of things. It's just a dog."

To everyone who says, "It's just a dog," I just have this to say to you:

"You're just a human."

(http://www.dogsadversereactions.com/justDog.html)

I don't understand it...why do people think that humans are not animals? I even looked it up on dictionary.com and it said "any such living thing other than a human being." Say WHAT?!?!?! Even more what doesn't make sense...the definition I just gave you is the #2 definition on dictionary.com, and the #1 definition is:

"any member of the kingdom Animalia, comprising multicellular organisms that have a well-defined shape and usually limited growth, can move voluntarily, actively acquire food and digest it internally, and have sensory and nervous systems that allow them to respond rapidly to stimuli: some classification schemes also include protozoa and certain other single-celled eukaryotes that have motility and animallike nutritional modes."

Now, that might sound like a mouthfull...because it is and it takes what I like to call a 'scientifically literate' person to understand it. If this is the #1 definition of what an animal is, then humans ARE animals (which makes definition #2 completely wrong). A little background for you if you didn't know...humans are part of Phylum Chordata and Subphylum Vertebrata...basically we have a nervous system (which includes a brain!) and a backbone, right? Even more, Phylum Chordata and Subphylum Vertebrata are completely under Kingdom Animalia!

HUMANS ARE ANIMALS!

Why is this so difficult to wrap our brians around? I've even seen people who claim to love animals and want to save them or something but still think that humans aren't animals...that doesn't quite seem right to me. Excuse me while I barf on a stick.

Have a good day! ;-)

I just found out that ESPN gameday is coming to Iowa City this weekend for the Ohio State v. IOWA game!! WOO HOO HAWKEYES!!! This game is going to be tough considering Ohio State is # 1 in the nation, however with a loud crowd and well prepared team...we can do it! I guess it has been about 10 years since ESPN has done gameday coverage here in Iowa City, so this is a pretty big deal!

In other news, school is going well. Ecology is harder than I though and I didn't do as hot on the first exam as I would've liked. Organic chem is going well, I did awesome on my first exam- woo hoo! And my practicum is going great! I am teaching a lesson and getting observed a week from tomorrow (Monday) and my lesson is going to be introducing population ecology, so I'm searching for a way to make it fun!

On a random side note, I really miss my dog- SAMI!!! And I really want to get another one...that way she can have a friend! So we'll see...maybe I'll surprise some of you next summer! I'm looking into adopting a grey hound or a dog from a shelter. The other weekend Russ and I stopped by this "Paws in the Park" going on in Iowa City and there were a bunch of grey hounds and then other dogs from the shelter that had little harnesses on them reading "Adopt Me!". I almost couldn't resist- especially this one pup named Gilbert who was 6 months old! He was vibrant and beautiful and I hope he finds a nice home. I think I'm going to get a creature soon- whether it be a lizard or a fish! There used to be this really cool spider outside on our porch who spun a gorgeous web and would chill out and eat occasionally- but he's gone now...I don't think he was too smart to attach half of his web to our sliding screen door!

Well- maybe next time I'll write something more insightful...in the meantime it's time to look up a new nationalgeographic.com desktop background for my computer, listen to jojo (yes, a guilty pleasure...what can i say?!), and read about stereochemistry!

Alas, I am 21 years old! What a great weekend I have had...wonderful celebration with lots of nice people on Thursday and then Saturday was the first football game of the season- GO HAWKS! I tailgated legally for the first time and then we won the game (IOWA-41 Montana-7). Now, it's Monday and it's going to be a 4-day week...so, all in all, this has been a great weekend!

Back to reality...I have started my practicum in a local high school! I have a wonderful cooperating teacher...she is young, smart, and bubbly (she dresses really cute too!)! My class is a biology class consisting of mostly sophomores and a few "accelerated" freshman. I love, love, love them. I have only been in the classroom for 2 days but what I have done so far with them has been a ton of fun. I introduced myself and ever since then they have warmed up to me so much- asking me questions non-stop (which is AWESOME). We shall see how this week goes...we are introducing the ecology unit tomorrow- YAY for ecology! :)

In my other classes I am trying to keep up with the reading- especially organic chemistry...since it relies heavily on the fact that it is a cumulative subject. Other than that- there's not much to talk about...

I'm going back home next weekend to make a purse for my sister's wedding, YAY! I also get to see Sami, woo woo! Purses and Sami...2 of my favorite things- it will be a great weekend! :)

Sooooo it's time to grow up a little! I have been placed in a high school around here that I will be teaching in and observing all semester! This will be the most experience that I will get in a classroom before, *sighs*, student teaching! Yikes! The worst part about all of this is that I still feel like a high schooler sort of, I mean I know I have grown so much throughout college, but I'm still just a kid! Nonetheless, life must go on and I know this is going to be so much fun. I'll be getting quite busy this semester with all of my classes and being in the classroom on top of that, but I really would like to journal what's going on and everything throughout my senior year- and especially being in the classroom everyday. I'm just getting so much closer to actually being a teacher...kind of scary! Time to get some sleep... I will write soon! :)

So I guess in Korea they have now cloned a dog...yes thats right, a dog! I love science, but tell me, what the hell is the benefit of cloning a dog? (Or any animal for that matter!) I learned all about cloning this past semester...it can really do great things as far as humans are concerned, but cloning a dog? That is just stupid...I wish they would do more beneficial things with the concept of cloning instead of this. And if people say that this is a start for doing more beneficial things...thats crap. There is absolutely no reason to clone an animal of any kind...cloning a body part is entirely different.

Here's the article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/science_korea_dog_dc;_ylt=AvrA.ox2565AU9X1t0Q38Kqk4LgF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5bGVna3NhBHNlYwNzc3JlbA--

The other weekend on "Extreme Home Make Over" on ABC, a family's home and their animal rescue (http://www.t-bar.org/) were redone! It was one of the best home make-over's I have ever seen! This family rescues anything from horses, llamas, donkeys, to pigs, dogs, and cats. They are amazing people and this was well deserved for not just the family, but the animals too. I went on their website after the show and checked out all the animals, which they do a great job putting up pictures and descriptions of the animals. They have beautiful horses for only $300-$600 (VERY cheap for a horse). My dream since I was little and I rode horses, was to own my very own horse, if not a couple. I honestly do want to try and make that happen...it would be a dream come true and I would love to rescue one from an animal shelter. I pledged to myself from this moment on that all animals I will ever have of my own will be rescued from a shelter- never from a breeder, ever. I don't like the idea of 'breeder'...it kind of makes me sick to my stomach sometimes. Not that people who have gotten dogs from breeders are horrible people...I just feel like there is a misunderstanding somewhere. I found this wonderful quote:

“I don’t use the word 'pet.' I think it’s speciesist language. I prefer 'companion animal.' For one thing, we would no longer allow breeding. People could not create different breeds. There would be no pet shops. If people had companion animals in their homes, those animals would have to be refugees from the animal shelters and the streets. You would have a protective relationship with them just as you would with an orphaned child."

This quote sums a lot of it up for me. The thing is that I know people who are allergic or don't want to 'deal with the problems that some dogs from shelters can have' go straight to breeders...and I can understand their point-of-view. However, dogs in animals shelters are a product of inhumane treatment done by humans...therefore, even if you are allergic or whatever...I'm sorry, but adoption should be the only option...and if that means not getting a dog or cat, then so it is. I have a big problem with people saying they dont want to 'deal with the problems that some animals from animal shelters have' because in my opinion, you probably shouldn't get an animal in the first place. Abuse to animals is on the same caliber of disgust/evil as abuse to children/infants...which means to me that both are absolutely, unacceptable actions.
There's another great quote that I found:

"Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace."

This quote means to me that as humans, we have a lot to learn from animals. We have this narrow 'circle of compassion' that consists mainly of only our own species, which lacks respect within, for the most part. Sometimes, looking to something else can help with your own issue or problem. That is what I feel this quote is reccommending. How do other animals get along in nature...and why can't we? You'd think if we the most 'rational thinkers' we'd have this down pat...but it's no secret that we really don't.

For now, I'll just stick to walking dogs at shelter's...but keep my dream of having a small farm one day where my companion animals can live a life full of love, space, and happiness.:)

Have a lovely week everyone!

It's been awhile I know...I really have to get better at updating this! Since I've been on my little livejournal hiatus, some thoughts/ideas have been brewing and the wheels are turnin'...

My most recent topic of wonder has been about something I have loved since I came out of the womb...animals! Although I'm still sort of researching my position on things concerning aniamls...I have formed somewhat of an opinion/stance/belief on animals and nature in general. I guess I tend to be quite an egalitarian because I honestly believe that all animals are equal- in particular, humans are equal to every other animal. To my unfortunate surprise, I guess most humans (at least the ones I have come across) do not agree. There's some theory out there that because humans can think 'rationally' or can read and do math, science, etc.(basically have civilization) we are superior to every other animal. Sounds logical, right? We look at a squirrel and they can't talk to us, we can't see them doing math, we don't see them going to school so we must be better or more superior to them. This sounds like to me, quite an egocentric way of thinking-- thinking in terms of the human mind only. Humans do not know everything and everything we do know has the potential to be completely wrong. I think this is what I love most about science-- using our wonderful brains to observe and come up with a human theory, but knowing that the theory could be totally wrong (and also knowing that this is what we can come up with to the very best of our knowledge). What I also love about science is that is looks to nature for examples. We live WITHIN nature, nature does not live around us and it is bigger than we are as a species. I believe that every species on earth contributes in equal importance to make a whole. I guess I should back up and say that human are animals as much as some don't think that- we are! I was thinking one time that maybe because humans are really at a disadvantage in every other aspect (we can't run fast, change color, or produce poison biologically within us) that our brain is really all we have, it is our only tool against predators (nature works in a predator-prey cycle for every species). Using our brain has done well for our species as far as we are concerned. However, more recently in the evolution timeline, we have left nature behind. Funny to think, bacteria (a kingdom that has been around for a lot more time that we have) has even started to 'outsmarted' us as a species...with bacteria that have mutated to work against our anti-bacterial medicines. I know it's difficult to look at bacteria, a kingdom that is single-celled and reproduces asexually, and say that they might be 'smart' but I don't know...I think this is a good example of a real need to stop and think of everything humans are doing and how it fits into nature and how nature might be reacting that we might be too egocentric to see. I know I sound like I'm saying human's are horrible...but that's not what I am saying at all. I prefer to say that I am using our tool as a species, the brain, and using it to self-reflect on what we as humans do, and to use our brain to explore/observe our effect on nature.

Another interesting topic to ponder within the previous one is the vegan lifestyle. Because I might also sound like I don't think humans should eat animals. I actually think that humans should eat meat. Other animals kill their prey (usually another living organism, even plants!) for food, and because the predator-prey cycle is part of nature I don't think humans are an exception. However, I do not think that humans should treat our animals the way they do to produce mass amounts of meat (for example, chickens in small shoebox sized cages producing eggs for us, cows/pigs in small enclosures with little room to move, and treating them as if they know nothing). Other animals usually hang out with their prey until they are hungry and need to eat and then kill the animal, they don't create a cages, pump them with hormones and force them to produce eggs. I think this human behavior is very low and egocentric in the fact that we are animals too and have no right to do that other animals because we have 'rational thinking'. Some might say that well we can because chickens are doing anything about it, but just because chickens aren't directly doing anything right now about it...well, it's sort of a karma thing, what goes around comes around in nature and our treatment of animals like this could be a source for other problems we are encountering within nature. So with all this...I am switching to buying cage-free hormone-free eggs, free range beef, etc. So I do eat meat and eggs...I just eat meat and eggs from animals treated with more respect.

As I said this is just a knew idea for me, but the more I think about it and research the more I love and learn. I know I sound crazy to some...it's interesting not the think like the 'mainstream' and the reactions you get but I stand true to what I believe. I'm a big fan of self-reflection...for everything and everybody. I'm also a big fan of the realization that we don't know everything as a species. Nature is bigger than us and we are part of it, not above it or better than it.

Well...I think I might be able to go on forever talking about this! I'm pretty passionate about this kind of stuff I guess! Have a great week everyone! :)

this is so sad... :(

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0509220169sep22,1,3358391.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

I was on a walk yesterday...just me and my ipod...and toward the end of the walk (after everything in my head is already thought about) I looked around and realized how much I love the place my parents are dropping a crap load of money on for me to be here. And so the list begins...

Why I love IOWA...
-campus...on my walk yesterday, the sun was setting, the river was completely still to my left, and there were art students capturing this beautiful view to my right...it was all so pleasant. :) I also feel very safe on this campus...the one thing all parents worry about when their child goes off to college.
-the college of education/science education, AKA my home (yeah...this IS what is being paid for after all...)! I have a wonderful advisor who is also my teacher for a few classes, which makes it feel small and personal when this is a HUGE campus in reality. But the huge side of IOWA is just as awesome, which leads me to my next point...
-football...yes, we really screwed up on the Iowa State game this year...but those of you who have ever been to a Hawkeye game (namely, the students section) we all know that it is an experience you can't really get elsewhere...the spirit, the tailgating, the spirit FOR tailgating...it's all there and in full force. Gotta love being a Hawkeye! :)
-the people...the other really awesome part of this school being so big is that there are so many different people (granted...not the most diverse school politically speaking...but I mean in terms of personalities, etc.)...if you want to stay in and do some homework, watch a movie, go to the coffee house, or get ice cream from Whitey's there's ALWAYS people doing that...and on the other other hand (the pretty big hand) if you want to check out Sport's Columns $1 -you-call-it's, Vito's-Ladies in free before 11PM, FAC at BoJames, or even a fricken foam party at The Union (one of the biggest bars in the Big Ten!)...there are also always people who will being doing that (any day of the week too!)...either way you go, you'll never be alone and people respect whatever you do! Gotta love the nightlife! :)

These few points really sum up a lot...there's a more specific list I have that I will also put in here one day when I get the energy...until then, GO HAWKEYES! :)

This is my junior year here at Iowa and when I think about all, I have grown so much academically and personally (kudos to the University of Iowa for doing it's job!). My classes this semester are pretty cool...I am starting my methods classes for science education and I am taking a very philosophical class called the Meaning of Science. These are probably my two favorite classes, because instead of being taught like I am a student it's more of like a teacher(my prof.) teaching a future teacher(me). I am more on the wavelength of looking at myself as a teacher and having my own class. I also have these classes with a lot of graduate students who have a degree in biology or something and didn't like the job they had so they want to teach science...so it's interesting to be surrounded by those kind of people in my classes. And the final exciting part of school this semester is that I get to teach a mini-science unit to elementary kids! :)

That's all for now...have a lovely day everyone!

So for some reason I have been in a pretty good mood lately and nothing really brings me down (or at least I try not to let it). Good things have been happening, for one I got into the College of Education to start my journey with the Science Education Department here at Iowa! That really brightened up my week and it actually feels like I'm going somwhere with my college career now.

Aside from that I have just been doing my thing- going to class, studying, going out, etc. I've come to realize that girls are just too complicated, myself included. We make everything so much more than it really is, we talk about each other behind our backs, we forgive but we don't always forget, we form alliances just to make ourselves feel like we belong, we judge (everything!), we're not always "real", we make up escuses, and basically, we make life difficult. Unfortunately, if even one girl tries not to be anything of the above- she will probably have no friends (at least that are girls). Being a girl is tough, I have to say I would rather be a girl than a guy, but it's still pretty rough. You basically can't get away with anything, but alas, that is how life is...and it's all about how you react to situations (and the consequences of your reactions). For now, I'll take the good with the bad and remind myself of how good life really is.

Hello all! It's been so long, I have been doing a bad job at updating this journal! Well Spring Break is over and it was nice and relaxing. I went downtown (Chicago) twice...once to see a beautiful ballet with my Mom and the other time with Russ and his parents to go see the Body World exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. The exhibit was so cool, I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind seeing real human bodies. It was informative as far as diseases in the body go and it was nicely organized as well.

In other news, I have applied to the College of Education here at the University of Iowa and I think I have a good chance of getting in without a problem. I can't wait to just get in and get on with classes because I have a lot of work ahead of me so I can graduate in 4 years...but me being the super-woman that I am will do it, hehe! Speaking of school, I usually don't like my general education classes but for some reason I really enjoy my Greek Civilization lectures (I'm such a nerd:)). I thought I would hate that class, but to my surprise I have a good professor and Greek literature is very interesting. Another weird discovery, I really like Kelly Clarkson! Her Breakaway CD is amazing and catchy. I suggest, "Gone", "Where is Your Heart?", and of course, "Since You've Been Gone". She has a great voice and works nicely with a piano or a whole band in the background. It's too bad she gets a bad rap from some people because she was on American Idol...but to each his own, right? :)

So I'm really looking forward to summer...I have a great job this summer and I'm going to Hawaii for two weeks! Hawaii is beautiful, clean, unique, and WARM! :) I'm going with my parents and my Aunt Mary, Uncle Cliff, and Emily (my cousin) so it should be nice just laying in the hot Hawaiian sun. :) Another exciting part of the summer will be our annual camping outing for a weekend with all my friends from back home...this is the only time I camp so I can't wait! I actually can't wait til next school year either because I will be living in an apartment, yay! I actually like the dorms but an apartment will be so much fun...and ours will be clean and so cute, of course. My roomies for next year are Lauren, Melissa, and Mike....they are such great people! :) Oh yeah, and we have a mini porch so we can have a BBQ...we're going to have so much fun! :)

Alright, time to go running with Becca because we are so good at working out! I will be in shape before Hawaii, I promise!!! Ta ta for now everyone...:)

So the Patriots just won the Superbowl again, eh...not my favorite teams playing but I'd wish for the Eagles to win it if I had to choose. Anyways, I just got done yesterday with Dance Marathon. It was a great experience, I mean my feet hurt more than they ever have in my life but it was worth it. Having sore legs and feet for 24 hours is nothing compared to what these little kids have had to deal with in the their life with cancer. God Bless them!

I've been thinking a lot about friends, and what a friend really is. It's not a question that has one answer because I have a different relationship with all of my friends. I hope that I have been a good friend, but no one can can be perfect all of the time. We all make mistakes. It's hard when your very best friend is your boyfriend, because it can be looked at differently than how it really is. I love having nights with the girls and doing things like Dance Marathon with the girls- it's so much fun! When Russ and I are with one other person though, the three of us will act like friends together. We aren't the type of couple to leave a third person out and that is exactly how it should be- for everyone. Any kind of relationship is a two-way street, as long as there isn't more giving or receiving on one end as the other. Anyways, I wasn't really going anywhere with this I'm just kind of throwing out some of my thoughts.

So I watched the President's State of the Union address, and people's reactions too. Many didn't like it, many did. To me, State of the Union address's are important because it lays the plans and thoughts out. But in politics you can say anything and it may or may not get done, we shall see what happens but I think we will be OK.

Time to do something...

Hello all who read my journal...it's been awhile but much has happened! My new class are going OK, and they are: Principles of Chemistry, Educational Psychology and Measurement, Human Genetics in the 21st century, Interpretation of Literature, and Greek Civilization. My favorite class by far is Educational Psychology, and my professor is amazing for that class. In my Interp. to Lit. class we are reading an interesting book called Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. It's a post-war book that gives me a differnt spin or look on war issues and also styles of writing.
On a non-school note, I decided to tutor at the hospital for children who have to stay at the hospital for long periods of time and miss a significant amount of school. I am really excited for this because it's really a mix of my two areas of interest, teaching and the medical/nursing field.
This summer I will be a mother's helper/nanny-type person for a family I have known for a bit that are expecting twins around the first week of May and already have a child under 2. I'm pretty sure they want me 5 days a week from about 9-3pm which will be such a great opportunity for me. I love kids so I'm pumped! I'm also going to Hawaii for 2 weeks this summer which I am also very excited about. Well just a few things that have been going on with me...time for chemistry lab. Have a great week everyone! :-)

Break has been going very well for me, keeping busy, making money, all of that good stuff. New Years went well, as I hosted a nice little party filled with punch and fondue- yummy! The rest of the weekend was spent resting and relaxing and going to Blue Man Group on Sunday with Russ. It was all very nice! I didn't really make any specific new years resolutions but I think one would definitely be to keep up the grades at school after an awesome start to my sophomore year and to get into the college of education. I can't wait to be in and just get on my feet. Another is kind of cliche, and that is to get into shape by work out more and eating healthier. For some reason I never like to work out as much first semester as second semester but it wil be done! Ok well, sorry this was boring- I'll try to think of something more enlightening to write about for next time. :-) Thats all for now, ta ta!

Merry Christmas everyone! It's finally Christmas and I woke up to some snow- YAY! Yesterday I went down to my Grandma's house for Christmas Eve which turned out to be a nice family gathering. Today I'm going to my other Grandma's house (my Mom's side) for a delightful Christmas evening. Santa was generous this year and gave me a new computer among a few other things. So far the Christmas experience has been great, except Russ has been on the East coast visiting relatives so he can be back in town for New Years- this will be out first New Years together!

On a different note, I am very proud of my "projected" grades this semester- 4 "A"'s and 1 "B"!!! :-) I guess you can look at your unofficial grades before they put them on your transcript and this is what I have so far! Next semester will be difficult but I should be OK hopefully- my chemistry class might kick my butt but I'll try not to let it. I'm taking a test for the college of education on January 8th in Evanston but after that I need to get everything ready to turn my application in by March 1. I think I should get in too the college with no problem too so that will be nice!

Time to go now- Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Hello everyone...I have made a decision with my life!!! I have decided to stay at IOWA and become a secondary/science education teacher! I am so happy with my decision, but I am also very, very thankful to have such wonderful people that responded to my journal entry, IMed me, or talked with me! It was pretty stressful so I really appreciate all of your help- I love all of you!!! :-)

Christmas is comnig up and I couldn't be in a better mood (despite finals coming too!)! I love Christmas and everything that comes with it...the spirit, the decor, the shopping for people, the bell ringing, the random lady who says "Happy Holidays" to me in Old Capital Mall, the music, the snow...everything!!! My room is in total Christmas mode- and I love it! The only thing I need to do now is work and get some money-- but I have stuff already lined up during Christmas break so all is well! :-) Well, off to dinenr but I will update more later...Happy Holidays everyone! :-)