Last Blog!

    I did enjoy English 102; however, I am glad the semester is ending. I really need a break because the Christmas season, school, and work are all very stressful for me. I would have to say the best thing about English 102 was that we were able to pick any subject to write about in regards to the various essays we wrote throughout the semester. I think getting to choose your own topic broadens the choices one has for their essay and it makes writing the essay somewhat easier. When I choose a subject that I like or have knowledge of, it makes my essay better as less time consuming. Choosing a topic also helps because then, I want to research that topic and gain more knowledge about that specific topic. So choosing a topic and writing an essay is actually a learning experience because I am learning grammatical skills and gaining knowledge of the topic I chose.

     I believe the blogs made a huge difference. I think the blogs actually improved my writing skills. The blogs became tough at times because sometimes I had a difficult time coming up with a subject to write about. Even though I had a hard time coming up with topics, I always managed to get my blogs posted. I also liked responding to other classmates of mine. I like seeing what topic each person blogged about and I think that gave me a little insight into their lives. Overall, I really liked reading my classmates’ blogs because there were a variety of topics to read about and the variety gave me ideas to help me write my next blog. I also think posting a thread in the discussion boards in regards to the possible topics for each essay definitely helped when it came down to researching and writing the essay.

     In the future, I would like to continue to blog, but I doubt I will have time. With a new semester approaching, I will have homework assignments to complete, which will limit the free time I have. Therefore, I do not think I will have enough time for blogging. Overall, blogging was a good experience

     I really like this English class and it was a great experience. I actually like English 102 more than English 101. Last semester was my first semester at MSSU; therefore I had to take English 101. At the time, I did not believe that I was a very good writer and I was very nervous about taking English 101. In English 101, we had to read a variety of stories and post response papers summarizing those stories every other day of the week. It was very time consuming and somewhat difficult. However, I did keep up the with amount of homework and ended up passing the class with a solid A. I firmly believe English 101 adequately prepared me for English 102. I believe English 102 was a little easier than English 101 because we did not have to write “response papers” every other day. I know we had to write blogs, but I definitely prefer blogs over “response papers” any day.

     Like I stated before, I did enjoy English 102, but I am glad the semester is over (for this class anyway). I am glad to get a break! Well, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! I loved reading everyone’s blog posts and I wish all of my fellow students good luck in their future success! 

Oh, TGIF!

     As the end of the semester draws closer, I am becoming more in the mindset of “It’s almost over!” I am more stressed because it seems as though I have more assignments and tests, but I know it is a result of the semester ending. After next week, I will be completely finished with English and Sociology. Phew, two classes down, three to go. During the week of finals, I actually only have to take two finals: one in math and one in government. I am very nervous about my math final because my professor does not communicate well with his students, so I have no idea what the final will be covering.

     Moreover, work seems like it has been very hectic this week. Usually, work is crazy during the last two weeks of the month because we try to ship many products out the door, so that we can have a higher amount of sales dollars. This week was crazy because many changes were made and then reversed because some of our management team can never make up their minds as to what they want. Also, I had many shipments, which is out of the ordinary, to complete each day before I went home. Each day as I got ready to leave, more shipments would be brought to me. I became very frustrated with that issue because I do not understand why people wait until 20-30 minutes before I go home to give me a lot of shipments that “must” ship that day.

     Also, I had to go to the dentist on Tuesday. At first I was just going to get some fillings, but then the dentist informed me that I needed to have a portion of my tooth cut out. About a year ago, another dentist performed root canal therapy on one of my teeth. Root canal therapy is the same thing as having a root canal. Anyway, the white artificial roots that the dentist put inside my tooth were not long enough. Therefore, the tip of my tooth was abscessing. My new dentist, Dr. Ray Bolin, decided that the tip of my tooth needed to cut/extracted so that I would not get any more infections in that tooth. So anyhow, my dentist cut into my gum line and extracted the tip of my tooth. I currently have several sutures or stitches in my gums. The right side of my face is still very sore, making being at work even more miserable.  

In light of going to the dentist, I had to miss all of Tuesday from work. Missing a day at work always puts me behind in completing my required tasks. However, I came in early the rest of the week so that I could get caught up on my workload.

     Overall, I thank God that it is Friday. I have homework to complete all weekend and hopefully, I will get some time to relax a little bit over the weekend. I think I will be less stressed when Christmas break (from school) finally gets here, but we will see. Christmas may stress me out even more, but everything will work out alright. I am just thankful it is Friday because I was definitely ready for a break! If only the weekend lasted a few days longer…

No More Toys!

On December 1, 2011, CNN released an article stating that one major city in California was going to stop giving away toys and trinkets in kid’s meals. San Francisco has passed a new law that went into effect yesterday, December 1, 2011, that will halt all toys being included in kid’s meals unless the food in those meals meets nutritional requirements. The new law will affect approximately 50 fast-food restaurants, which include McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, Sonic, and Carl’s Jr. I think this law may be a good thing, but I do not think it should be limited to kid’s meals. The toys included in kid’s meals is not the actual issue, the issue is that meals served at fast-food restaurants are unhealthy and unbalanced nutritionally.

     Currently, McDonald’s Happy and Mighty Kid’s Meals do not meet the requirements of the new law. For example, the kid’s meals must be less than 600 calories and contain fruits and vegetables. The meal also must contain less than 35% of the total calories coming from fat, less than 0.5 milligrams of trans fat, and less than 640 milligrams of sodium. The city of San Francisco believes as a result of the very high calorie intake that the Happy Meals supply, it would be extremely unhealthy to include a meal that should be a balanced nutritional meal.  

     “This is not an anti-toy ordinance; this is a pro-healthy-meal ordinance,” says Rajiv Bhatia, director of occupational and environmental health for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. I still believe toys that are included in kid’s meals are not a bad thing. Personally, I take the toy out of the Happy Meal and put it up until my kids are finished eating. For my children, it provides them with incentive to eat so they can receive their toy when they have eaten all their food. I understand that the kid’s meals may be unhealthy, but if they are so unhealthy, then do not eat at unhealthy fast-food restaurants. Also, repair the meals to make them more nutritional, instead of taking toys out of kid’s meals. For instance, instead of making only the kid’s meals more nutritional, make all meals “across the board” nutritional and healthy.  In 2009, 63.1% of Americans were either obese or overweight.  That is a prime example of why meals at fat-food places should be upgraded nutritionally.

    As for the toys, parents can still purchase toys at the local fast-food restaurants. The toys will cost 10 cents extra.  I think this is a little ridiculous because the toys are not the issue. People have debated that the toys in kid’s meals “lure” children in to wanting a kid’s meal. I understand that a child may want a kid’s meal to get a toy, but the parents are the ones who decide whether or not to buy the child a kid’s meal. In regards to McDonald’s, what is a Happy Meal without a toy? Happy Meals have consisted of toys since their debut in 1979. I guess I just do not see why we, as Americans, cannot just make kid’s meals more nutritional and continue to add toys into those meals.

     Overall, this new law passed in San Francisco is ridiculous. Do we not have anything else worry about, instead of focusing on toys in kid’s meals? It has been said that this law may go nationwide. I will be outraged and on the front lines of the protestors. I just think that meals within fast-food restaurants need to be more nutritionally balanced and healthy for everyone to consume, not just children. I do not wish to see this law go into effect in my area.

     Pretty much it boils down to, Bah Da Bah Bah Bah, I’m not lovin’ it!

A Tragic Disease: Pancreatic Cancer

     My uncle James had not felt well in about six months, but he could still perform his daily and weekly duties around his house. He went to the doctor because he was feeling extremely sick and his doctor advised him that his sugar level was high. Uncle James was determined to lower his sugar levels before his next visit to his doctor. The next visit showed that his sugar levels had actually increased instead of decreased, so the doctor ordered another series of tests. After the tests were completed, he visited his doctor once again, but the news was very heartbreaking. In the middle of October, Uncle James was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is a very progressive cancer and it will spread throughout the body very quickly. His doctor gave him approximately three months to live.

     I took my children to see Uncle James on Halloween because I knew he was not feeling well. As soon as we walked in, Uncle James knew exactly who we were. This reassured me that he was still alert. I told him that we would beat this disease and that everything would be alright. He advised me that he was ready to go and he knew exactly where he would be going in his afterlife. After we left his house, I sort of took his words for granted because I felt as if he would live for at least year or so.

     Every day, my mother would call me to give me updates on Uncle James’ condition. She told me that he was in a great deal of pain. He had to have doses of morphine administered to him because he could not bear the amount pain he was feeling. About two after I visited Uncle James, he began to lose recollection of the world around him. He could not think very well and he did not know exactly who his family members were, but he could recognize their voices. He also became immobile; he could no longer get out of bed. I found this to be very peculiar because it has only been two weeks since I saw the man I knew as my Uncle James.

     On Sunday, November 20, 2011, my mother called me at about 4:00 p.m. to tell me that Uncle James had passed away. I was completely shocked because no one saw his death coming so quickly. My whole family was very devastated by our loss. I was told that his services would be today at Simpson’s Funeral Home in Webb City. Uncle James was a very simple man and he did not want any elaborate services for his funeral. He had written out his death wishes, so everyone knew exactly what he wanted.  Today, I attended his funeral services and I realized how much I would miss him. It is very hard to cope with a death in a person’s family, but it must be done. I know he is in a better place and he will be happy. He is out of pain and can live in a better world.

     To My Uncle James:  We miss you, we love, and you will never be forgotten. We will think of you always and you will be in our hearts forever. 

“Know What I Mean, Vern?”

     One of the most loved comedians was Jim Varney. He was better known as Ernest P. Worrell, his most famous alias. Jim Varney brought slap-stick comedy to life. He trademarked famous lines such as “KnowhutImean?” and “Hey Vern! It’s Ernest”. Even though Jim Varney portrayed a dumb-founded character, he was actually very close to being considered a genius for his intelligence.  Jim Varney made his first national appearance in 1974 at the age of 25. Shortly after that he was cast a regular on the television series Johnny Cash and Friends. Some of his famous movies are: Ernest Goes to Camp, Ernest Saves Christmas, Ernest Goes to Jail, Ernest Scared Stupid, Slam Dunk Ernest, Ernest in the Army, the list goes on and on.

     Moreover, Jim Varney’s first movie, Ernest Goes to Camp, was released in 1987. Ernest Goes to Camp is my all-time favorite movie because I think his character is hilarious. I also love this movie because it shows how having a little faith in kids brings about hope and determination within the kids. Ernest lives at Kamp Kikakee, where he is a handy-man and dreaming of becoming a camp counselor. When one of the counselors has an accident, Ernest replaces the counselor. Ernest must look after a group of delinquent boys and teach them the path of the brave. None of the other kids at Kamp Kikakee like the new group of boys; Ernest is the only one who will befriend them. Then, Krader Mining Company decides to overtake the land that Kamp Kikakee was located on, to mine for minerals. Ernest and the boys decide to have an all-out war with the miners. This movie shows how friendships develop and it teaches people to stand up for what they believe in. I would highly recommend that everyone watch this movie. It is funny and also teaches a lesson at the same time.

     Next, another favorite Jim Varney classic movie, which was released in 1988, is Ernest Saves Christmas. This is one of the best holiday movies that I have ever seen. Ernest is a taxi driver in Orlando, Florida. He picks up Santa Claus at the airport and gives him a ride to the Orlando Children’s museum. Santa is in search of Joe Carruthers to name his successor. Joe refuses to go along with Santa because he does not believe in him. As Christmas draws closer, Santa is running out of options. Ernest soon finds himself as the hero who steps in to save the day. My favorite clip, Ernest’s Truckload of Snakes, is in this fabulous movie! Basically, at the end of the movie, Ernest saves the day.

    In conclusion, Jim Varney is a great actor and comedian. I want everyone to watch an Ernest movie. I cannot think of anyone who does not like Ernest. It is sad that Jim Varney died in 2000, at the age of 50, but his movies and comedies will live on. If you like comedy, you must watch an Ernest movie. So go to Family Video and rent an Ernest movie today!

Thanksgiving Day Lunch

     About two weeks ago, my husband and I were invited by the daycare director to have Thanksgiving Day lunch with our children. We were very excited because having lunch with our children is something out of the normal routine. We were looking forward to joining them for lunch. Today was the big day. At about 11:30 a.m. my husband and I left work to head to the daycare. Once we arrived at the daycare, I saw our son, Malakai, waving at me. We went to join Malakai at the table that had been set up by the daycare staff.

     The tables had gorgeous tablecloths and the “dinner room” had been decorated with autumn and Thanksgiving décor. The setting was beautiful. After Malakai sat down, I went to go get our daughter, Myrissa, so she could join us. When Myrissa saw me, she started screaming, “Mama, Mama, are you going to eat with me?” I told her, “Yes, me and daddy are going to eat with you and Malakai.” I was very happy because she was so excited to see me! When Myrissa and I walked back in the “dinner room,” she immediately saw Malakai and her dad. She became even more excited and began jumping up and down. I was thrilled that our children were happy and excited to have lunch with their parents.

     Next, the director of the daycare, Ginger, announced her appreciation for all of the parents and grandparents for coming to join the kids. Pastor Russell also led us in a prayer before we started eating. After Pastor Russell was finished, I got up to go get our plates of food. Myrissa decided she wanted to help me get my food, so I allowed her to come along also. We joined the other parents in buffet line. We got choose from a variety of different foods. My plate consisted of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green beans, and a roll. Myrissa, Malakai, and my husband all had the same.
     As we sat at the tables, eating our lunch, I noticed a little boy named Braxton sitting across from us. I could tell that he did not have a guest, so one of the preschool teachers sat with him to keep him company. I felt really bad for Braxton because it was very sad to see him all by himself. My husband and I began talking to him so that he would not feel alone. He seemed to enjoy us talking to him. Braxton started talking to Malakai and Myrissa; I could tell that he did not look quite as sad as he did before. I was happy that Braxton could also enjoy his meal with us.

     When we all were finished eating, I told Myrissa and Malakai that my husband and I had to go back to work. They were a little upset but I knew they would alright once they went back to their classrooms to play. When we left the daycare, I could not stop thinking about Braxton. His parents may have unavailable to join him for lunch, but I still felt sorry for him. I think family is the most important thing in a person’s life and my family always comes first. I hope everyone gets to enjoy the holidays with their families, just as I will. Have a great Thanksgiving with your family!

My Work Life: Chaotic and Exhausting

   I am looking forward to Christmas break because I will get a much needed break from work and school. I become very tired from working all day at work and then, I must come home to do homework. I know going to school full-time and working full-time is my choice, but sometimes I just need to rant a little about my life.

     Work has been very hectic lately and sometimes I dread even going to work. My place of employment has decided to make some changes and of course, these changes involve me as they always do. The managers at DLT have decided to change my duties and relocate my work area. Well, actually I will have two work areas, whereas now I only have one central work location. When I first heard about this possible change taking place, I became very nervous and I immediately knew that I did not want my work area to be moved. All the employees involved in this change held a meeting to go through the possible changes that were going to take place.

      We had another meeting this past Thursday, which was more detailed than the first meeting. I know; it seems as if all we do is have meetings all day long. Anyway, I was told I would have my second work area setup by Monday, November 14, 2011. I became so anxious that I just wanted to go home. I do not like moving, because I have already had my work area moved two other times in the past three years.

     My biggest complaint about having two separate work areas is that it actually makes my job harder than more efficient. I will have to run all over the plant just to complete the job at hand. I also do not want to be pulled away from the co-workers that are around me now. I have adapted to them and I love being around them. They are like my second family and who would want to be pulled away from their family?

     Now, I am going to hate coming into work. I have spoken to my boss about this whole situation and he basically feels the same as I do. He does not believe setting up a second work area for me is any more efficient than where I sit now. I feel there are no justifiable reasons for this change. I hope he will argue his reasoning to the other managers to try and change their minds about this whole change process.

     Lastly, if I must have two work areas, I hope it is only a temporary change. I hate complaining about things that may seem minute to some people, but I have been freaking out about this idea of changing things at work for about three weeks now. I hope the situation works out and I hope I can de-stress over the weekend. I feel everything will work out at my place of employment, but I have not gotten used to the idea yet. Well, I am glad I got my true feelings off my chest and thanks for listening to me rant. I am exhausted and now, I can go to bed. Until next time...