Are We There Yet?

So it's the second week of December and I had my first final of this semester.  How did I do?  I'm afraid I don't really know!  It's ISDS361-A, or Stats, for the non-business major, and I was able to answer questions with confidence... like some answers came too easily for me, which scares me to believe that something must be wrong!  I mean, I kinda studied for it - and had a couple tutoring sessions... but really, I came out of that final shaking my head in disbelief.  I guess we'll see how I did in a week or so when the instructor posts the grades.

This semester was tough.  I already know I'm not going to do so well on my Accounting final... but I'll study nonetheless.  Even if I'm already enrolled in it again next semester.

I'm hoping my Econ teacher will like me and my writing enough to pass me with a decent grade...

Management 246... well, that's a toss-up.  Even having read the book, the test questions are so confusing.  This final is tomorrow, and thankfully I've got a study session with some classmates.  We'll see how we do.

The only rewarding thing I allotted myself was Women's Choir.  What an honor and pleasure to be instructed by Dr. Robert Istad.  He's just wonderfully wonderful and fabulous and so fantastamazing.  I wish I could put him in my pocket and take him everywhere.  We would be such good friends, I think.

I've made some really great friends this semester and I hope we keep in touch throughout the rest of our college years.

Fall 2012 album

Little Girl Big Girl

Thursday was Leely's orientation for pre-school.  She just turned 3, and the day after she turned 3, I got a phone call from her prospective preschool to let me know that there was an opening for her.  She started the next day.

I am so grateful to be able to send my kids to preschool.  I never thought I'd be able to do it, but Head Start has given me this great gift.  I've pasted a speech/testimonial I wrote and presented at a Head Start Policy Council recognition dinner back in October of last year.  It should give you a good idea of how Head Start works.

For the record, I've removed the location for protection.

I never thought I’d send my kids to preschool.  Back when I was kid-free and let’s face it – worry-free, I’d hear my band mates and musician friends who had kids stress over:

• ·      the best school to send their toddler to
• ·      the dreaded waiting list, and even scarier,
• ·      the thousands of dollars it would cost.

At that point, I succumbed to the idea of homeschooling my kids when the time came.

Then my wonderful kids came along – Kingsley, my fiercely joyful 5-year-old and now in kindergarten; and Destiny, who is 2.5 and the brightest star in my sky.  But almost two years ago, when I started looking into homeschooling, a friend had mentioned Head Start.  Finding three centers within four miles of where I lived, I decided to enroll Kingsley at *** Head Start.  The process was smooth and easy, and the great, insightful staff, who saw my little Destiny with me at Kingsley’s enrollment, just happened to mention the Home Base program.  Within weeks of the beginning of Kingsley’s pre-school experience, I became a mom of two Head Start kids simultaneously.  At that point, I decided I really wanted to be a part of their pre-primary education.  I was elected Parent Committee Chair for both *** and Home Base, and Policy Council rep for Home Base.

What has that experience been like?  The first word that always comes to mind is EMPOWERING.  It is being involved beyond my children’s education.  It is being a part of something where my voice really makes a difference.  It is being involved in the community, and being able to give back to what has helped my family in so many aspects – from medical assistance to employability and more.  It is having a deep understanding of how successful institutions function, and because of that, it is inspiring.  Most of all, I got to be, on a monthly basis, in the company of some of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met.  Policy Council meetings, though attendance has been a bit of a challenge for me – with two kids, two jobs, music, and school all on my plate – have been a pleasure to attend, to say the least.  I will look back at this experience and remember that day that I was elected Policy Council rep for Home Base – overwhelmed and having no idea how I’d be able to juggle all these responsibilities – and smile, because it has been an amazing experience.

Ghost Hunting Love Affair

So ever since I've had to pay for cable (3 weeks after moving out of Mom's), I've indulged myself in paranormal TV reality shows from Ghost Adventures to My Ghost Story to Psychic Kids, and Paranormal State.  I'm hooked.  And aside from the premium channel TV shows like Game of Thrones and True Blood, I really look forward to watching them on my DVR. 

I'll give my two cents about my three favorite ghost shows.  Ok maybe four.

Ghost Adventures:  It's three guys from Vegas - Zak Bagans, Nick Groff, and Aaron Goodwin.  These guys are bent on showing the world that ghosts exist.  Zak is a semi-yummy beefcake and he does a pretty good job in ghost hunting.  He knows his equipment and has had his share of personal experiences, from getting mysterious scratches to being touched by a succubus.  And he says "phenomenas" which drives me crazy (if you wanna know why it does, email me!).  Nick Groff is Zak's partner and he's low-key... and unfortunately for him, he reminds me of my first boyfriend.  But I like him - he's mellow jello and brave.  Then there's Aaron, who seems to be the most transformed by his experiences with the GA crew.  Zak and Nick said that he used to wear John Deere t-shirts and now he wears black tees like the rest of them.  And he seems to have lost a lot of weight, but he's still the bitch in the bunch.  Whenever they need to send a "victim" to go solo on an EVP session, they send him because ghosts supposedly find it easier to manifest around scaredy-cats as opposed to macho men.

Paranormal State:  This show's kinda cool - like Ghost Hunters, the Paranormal Research Society try to help people out with their paranormal issues like "sixth-sense experiences, ghost sightings, demonic disturbances, and brushes with the darkest areas of the unknown".  From the few episodes I've seen, we get a fair amount of evidence on film, which makes for a good ghost hunting show in my book.

Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal:  By far my favorite paranormal show.  There are a vast number of children who have gifts they are afraid of.  They wish they could turn it off, and they are terrified.  And it affects their social relationships.  What happens in this show is that the two kids that are featured get to go on a weekend retreat where they face their fears with the help of psychics/mediums.  What I like about the show is how not only do the kids get help, but many times, they are taught to help these ghosts move on, into the light, onto the other side.  That's mainly the reason why they bother these kids in the first place anyway.

So these are my favorite three.  And they're very entertaining.  It's even sparked a curiosity in me - about possibly communicating with my late best friend Julia.  I never had a "last words" with her - although I was there to see her the day before she passed, I really never got my goodbye and to this day (it's been 2+ years), I haven't mourned or cried.  Something I've been thinking about, and something I know I can't do alone.

On a lighter note, here's a list of like shows I enjoy from time to time, including the ones above:

1. Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal
2. Paranormal State
3. Ghost Adventures
4. Ghost Hunters
5. My Ghost Story
6. Ghost Lab
7. Celebrity Ghost Stories
8. Destination Truth
9. Ghostly Encounters
10. Haunted History
11. A Haunting
12. Paranormal Challenge

Mid-semester trod...

Ah, March of 2011.  I knew this was the year.  I've finally moved out of Mom's and loving it!  We can all breathe and be freeeeeeeee.  There's no garden, unfortunately, but we are all here, under the same roof, and building up the blessings.

I've lost a couple inches since the beginning of the semester - it's just about midterm time.  I should've taken before pictures.  Oh well.  The distance is just a tad bit closer to school from here, and the ride is still great, when the weather is good.  I need to find something to do as far as cardio during the weekends.  My body feels the difference when my heart doesn't get to pump from Friday to Monday - that's 4 days without cardio!  Not cool!  I'm hoping to be able to continue the workouts during summer break.

The week of the moveout couldn't have been more hectic.  That same week, I had parent committee meetings for both Kingsley & Leely's schools, a policy council meeting, lean start class, my teaching some parents the fundamentals of Tai Chi as my final project for Tai Chi class (which really was more meditation and breathing exercises), and my teaching (with great help from another mother from Kingsley's school) some other parents on how to crochet.  I also had to request a transfer Kings from his home school to a school in the district that scored in the top ten in API.  Now that's only the kids stuff.  For MY schooling, I had a Tai Chi performance test, a paper due in Physical Conditioning, and a Math exam.  Gather all that and throw in some data entry, reports, and bill collecting for Aero-Clean, some administrative work for the music biz, and an interview with AppleOne for even more work!  Did I mention I was in the middle of moving throughout all this?  Hahaha... life is funny that way.

But we've finally begun to settle in, and it's nice.  Funny, it didn't feel like our place until the internet and cable was installed almost 2 weeks after the initial move.  Yay cable!  Now to get a nice TV....

Anybody out there want to donate a MacBook 13"?  I'll be your bff....

...just thought I'd throw that out there.

I've started a new crochet project.  I'll be making fingerless gloves.  I've already made myself a pair, and a pair for Kingsley.  They're pretty cool.  I'm making a pair for Haile to sport on stage.  Woot! :)  Pictures to follow.

my second release

Ok y'all.  Here's more music for you.  Available now on cdbaby.com, my second single is out for your listening pleasure.  It's another love song, if you haven't figured it out by the song title, and I'm particularly proud of this one because I wrote it myself. :)

The music for it was originally from a Haile Maskel unreleased original called "Heaven Door".  I loved the progression and really wanted to write to it.  I had no idea what would come up so I just one day meditated with the instrumental version on repeat and let my mind and heart flow with the music.  I came up with the romantic tune and recorded my lyrics to it on Garage Band.

When I took it to Haile and Josh at Stoney Eye Studio, I asked to change the key so I could let the pipes fly a bit, and Haile decided to give it its own bass line.  It was magic in the works.  So Lovely indeed.

Right now it's $2.99 on cdbaby but if you want to wait a couple more weeks, iTunes will have it for digital download at $0.99.

So give it a whirl, leave a comment, and tell me what you think of it, ok?
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/angelabarnes2

ride, baby, ride.

so i finally got my new bike.  it's a Ladies Schwinn 700C Hybrid, and I love it.  even with the tires not fully pumped, it's a smooth ride.

i'm still quite a bit shaken up from my last ride TO school with the mountain bike i bought from Craigslist - it was so traumatic.  it took me 1.5 hours to get to Bop's side of town and she had to drive me to school w/that bike the rest of the way.  then it took me almost 2 hours to ride home in that bike.  i had no lights, just reflectors... i gave up the helmet in her car.  i was freaked out.

so this past thursday, i was dropped off at school with my bike and i rode home.  it was lovely and exhilarating, the way it's supposed to be.  it took me less than an hour to get home.  but i was too tired to ride TO school again (in addition to the traumatic experience riding TO school the last time) so i gave it a rest.

when the weather is nice again (it's supposed to be gross for the next week), i'll man up and ride one day.  maybe i'll give myself a full 2 hours this time, just in case :)

Leely's 2nd bday present

So Kingsley taught himself (with guidance of course) to ride his bike on two wheels, and I'm in the market for a brand new mountain bike... It was only right that Leely had her own set of wheels.

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