Hurry Up and Wait

Hurry up and wait is a way of life in many arenas. I first heard of this concept while I was in the military. It seems to have become a common thread throughout my life; right now, I'm seeing it in my acedemic career. Professors will assign homework or projects with a definitive due date, but in between such assignments, there's a lot of waiting involved. For writing assignments, I tend to do them immediately to get them "out of the way." It has led me to a start-and-stop pattern. However, some classes require a ton of reading. Thankfully, I enjoy my program of study, so most of the readings I have to do are relatively enjoyable--if not entertaining. Today, since most of my homework and reading is complete, I plan on going home from school and forcing myself to relax. Yes, I have to force myself to relax. I've learned that I push myself too hard, and sometimes a little forced break in the normal grind is the only remedy for my inability to turn off. Sara Gehrke...out.

Can You Feel the Tension?

Ugh. It's that time again...finals. Every end of quarter it's the same thing: workload and study time increase; and stress levels are at their peak. I have OCD--actually diagnosed, not simply self-assessed. I always create Excel spreadsheets to help me figure out hypothetical scenarios for final grades. It helps ease my anxiety level to know exactly how poorly I could perform and still receive the desired grade. My friends tell me that I'm crazy for being so obsessed with routinely calculating my grades. Um, yeah, that's what OCD is. I look forward to a week and a half from now when the term is over, and I have a month-long break from school. Even on breaks, I have a difficult time relaxing. I make lists. I get things accomplished that I otherwise do not have time to do. Even a break is not really a break (See the picture of me on vacation reading a book about improving memory). Nonetheless, I look forward to having less stress in my life after December 14th. I may as well enjoy it; next term I will be taking 18 credits. Ugh, again...

Hope, Love, and Charity

Last year for Christmas, the only item on my list was an iPad for me to give to my best friend's autistic son. It made me feel so good to give to another something that would help him connect with the world. This year, my boyfriend asked me about a charitable gift again. Being as it felt great to give back, I selfishly want that same feeling again. The problem is that I cannot decide what charity is near and dear to my heart. I mentioned giving to the adopt-a-family drive at South University, but I want to be sure that I have a personal connection to my giving. In the next few weeks, I will be giving serious thought to the beneficiary of my gift this Christmas.

What I Know Is True

When I was younger, I thought that I didn't want to live to be older than forty. Ha! Since I have turned thirty, my life has become so much more enjoyable. I am more secure with who I am and what I believe. What I now know to be true is how important it is to be genuine--true to oneself. I wasn't the "normal" kid; I was bullied and tormented for being different. I never really conformed to the latest fashion trends or to the appropriate social behaviors. Yup, I was weird. What I know to be true is that the qualities that make children targets for bullies are the same qualities that will make them outstanding adults. Individualism is not a cherished quality among children--teens especially--but where would our world be without independent thinkers? It is important for people to express their opinions, however different they may be. I feel very fortunate to have survived my childhood, and I look forward to exploring more of who I am in the future. I've added a picture of me from the first grade in which I displayed all of my untapped awesomeness.

Holiday Card Complete!

Usually my family takes its annual holiday card photo on Thanksgiving when everyone is dressed up. This year we were away on vacation for the holiday, so I had to improvise. I decided to use the photo of the boys and I swimming with the dolphins at Atlantis. I'm very pleased with the way it's turned out. Shutterfly offers amazing services for creating photo cards and photo albums. I use the site all the time. I am known for always taking vacations, but my friends also know that I create a photo book for each of these vacations. On the coffee table at my home, you will find a stack of these books created on Shutterfly. Here is the link to this year's holiday card.

The Importance of Being Literate

Many people use social media to communicate--whether Twitter or Facebook. I have noticed that there are a plethora of people who seem not to care about how they present themselves to others. When I went to elementary school and junior high, we were expected to know the difference between an adjective and an adverb as well as to be able to diagram complex and compound sentences. I am in love with the English language. I find it impossible to text without using proper grammar, so posting on Facebook "c u l8r" will never happen! My composition class, in combination with most other classes at South University, has helped me to better appreciate proper grammar, syntax, and punctuation.

I just returned yesterday from my vacation to the Bahamas on the Disney Dream cruise ship, and I wanted to share a picture of my children and me with our dolphin Atlas at Atlantis.

Vacation Brain

Have you ever "checked out" of the mundane things or everyday life a few days before a vacation? I do this a lot. Over the weekend, I wrote three papers that are not due for a few more days; this affords me the luxury of allowing my brain to start its Thanksgiving vacation a little early. I stress out before vacations--remember to pay this bill, don't forget to pack that. Tonight, I need to start the task of packing. I haven't gone on a vacation (besides a couple days at Disney) with my children in a few years. Now that they are teenagers, I should trust them to pack their own suitcases...but I don't. If left to their own devices, they would pack a bathing suit and little else. I have already prepared them for the requirement of wearing at least a polo shirt for dinner. I don't do well with people showing up for dinner in tank tops and cut-offs. I think it is important for children to know that there are times when dressing up is important.

We are leaving in two days, and I cannot wait for the Mickey Mouse ice cream bars!!!