Back in School .. Back to Reality

So the semester has started. I'm back on the grind!! Lecture & labs for two sections of general biology. As the instructor, I'm thinking "There isn't that much time to cover all the material". The students are thinking "OMG how will I learn all this stuff??". Neither of us know the answer to the questions at hand. I really wanted to be innovative with my class and streamline a few things. They have these digital response pads that the students can respond real-time to questions I ask in class, take attendance, etc. That would have been really cool, but it didn't work out that way :( Maybe next semester.......... I have reduced the amount of time I spend outside of class doing extra work. I built quite a sizable test bank, almost eliminated the paper based assignment and moved everything online. #win

I often wonder why the Lord closed the door to my last job as a Quality Control Analyst. I suppose He has a plan that requires me to have collegiate teaching experience. To what end, I don't know?? So for now, I'll tweak my lecture notes and online quizzes.

A few days ago I had a panic attack. It happens every now again. My uncle passed away recently, and he was funeralized on this past Tuesday. Losing a loved one always forces you to realize your own mortality and how life is oh so short. Makes you think about what you have done with your life so far and how close (or far away) you are from your short term and long term goals. I've been feeling like my terminal degree, career, and financial stability is just out of reach. My birthday is next month and my ovaries and I are another year older O_O. Yeah, sometimes I have irrational baby fever. God knows I'm not seriously considering getting jump started on expanding our new family. Especially not in the financial position we are in currently. Unless we can feed, cloth, and education a wee little one on love and kisses, we would have a problem. I just have to keep reminding myself that I'm exactly where I need to be. Live the life I have now and don't wish away now for something in the future. I'm trying to be content and grateful for the here and now. It's and on going process.

Tomorrow is Monday........... another week of classes. Cheers to making it a good one!

Fried Potatoes & Gay Marriage

The caption: I support Waffle Fries, Free Speech, and Gay Marriage. 

Recently in the the news, the Chick-fil-A president made some disapproving comments about gay marriage. The media outlets ran with it sparking protests and kiss-ins. Many a facebook debate have ensued. I even joined in with what I considered a benign and semi-neutral FB post. NOT! Apparently I have offended people and jeopardized my educational career at my Alma matter with possible collateral damage. Geez... so much for tolerant & understanding Christians. People for the most part are not open minded and I don't have time to talk to them. So I'll do the next best thing and talk to myself on the internet until further notice.

I read this awhile ago. Read Here. This is the first time I've heard this argument from a gay black man.  Although I don't necessarily agree with his Biblical conclusion, I do think he has some valid points. The biggest one being that I do not believe you can pray to be healed from being gay, no more than you can pray to be healed from being man or woman. Second, I don't believe my personal religious beliefs should have any effect on marital rights of other people. Marriage is a civil liberty and thus should be granted to all Americans. Third, I don't think gay people are trying to equate African American civil rights movement to the homosexual civil rights movement completely, but they do share similar characteristics.  They have won the first battle, getting society to recognized them as human beings. Gays for the most part have not had to fight for this understanding. People do considered them humans, but the many times as the mentally ill, diseased riddled,  pedophilia, or contagiously vile type of human. The type of human who is required to be secretive about their sexuality in order to be treated without discrimination or general contempt by a large portion of our population. We are inflicting silent pain when we teach eternal damnation and hell fire across the board because they are sinning simply for being who they are, or by tolerating hatred and inequality because gays are choosing this path by their lifestyle,  or that gays are fundamentally different from heterosexuals and thus their civil liberties should be modified. It is very much a civil rights battle, and we as blacks should understand the plight and be more sympathetic not just sit back and nitpick why they can't claim to be borrowing from our struggle. Let the pursuit of happiness be enough.

Life, Love, Marriage

Yo....  I kinda suck at this blogging thing. I think up great ideas to write about, but clearly I don't follow through with actually dictating things into the cyber world. I'll do better!! I need to do better. Especially since I have exited [stage left] facebook (that's for another post).

Mini Life Update
Well.... I got married!! May 28, 2012. So my time away from blogging has been spent being extremely OCD, slightly manic, not sleeping, burning through thousands of hours cellphone minutes, suffering through crafting blisters and hot glue gun burns, checking endless checklists, and cold sweat nights after "I left my dress!!" nightmares. We hosted a 8 Day destination wedding cruise, and had our nuptials on the beautiful island of Grand Turk of the Turk & Caicos Islands. It was a lot of work pulling everything together, but the end result was amazing to say the least. A true fairy tale <3 p="p">
Going to the chapel ......
I learned so much during my planning adventures. 1)Our parents are awesome. If you didn't know weddings are expensive and generally people don't have thousands and thousands of dollars laying around ready to be spent on the random things that we have decided are necessary for the BIG DAY. The parental units came through in the clutch. Much sacrifice and expense just to give us, their children what we wanted and we are beyond grateful.  2) People will surprise you for better or worse. We have friends who went above and beyond to ensure that they were apart of our special day. Shout out to our wedding party: Clifton & Mai (newlyweds) who endured our wedding expenses in spite of their own impending expenses; Matt & Jailyn .. Matt stepped in as a groomsman right on time and Jai for planning the onboard Bridal shower. Kathy who planned the Bridal shower in Dallas with Dorenda (honorable mention-who wasn't able to attend the wedding); Carolyn who broke her leg weeks before the wedding and was our little hop along and through the pain she supported us; The entire Jenkins family who not only made the trip but rented 2 tuxes+1bridesmaid dress&shoes and gave us shower gifts AND beautiful Waterford crystal. The other members of the wedding party my brother and sister ... and even those that attended as guest did so without thinking twice about the possibility of not being there to celebrate with us. 39 guest made up of close friends and family we genuinely appreciate each and everyone of you!! So, on one hand the generous outpouring of love is dramatically contrasted by deep disappointment from those who claim that we are important to them. No bashing here, but I will never forget. A true eye opener about how people arrange their priorities, and how we were left off that priority list. #thatisall

Married Life (Highs)
Waking up everyday to your best friend in the morning. The feeling of completeness ...not that I was incomplete before.. but a different type of complete. I'm apart of something lifelong that is living and growing, dynamic.Very surreal. I look back at my wedding pictures and saying "wow.. it really happened".

Married (Lows)
Since I have been unemployed for the summer, I have been playing housewife. Sounds like fun, but the endless laundry, loading the dishwasher daily, collecting socks, undies, and other random articles of clothes from every room, wash-dry-fold-repeat, taking & serving breakfast/lunch/dinner orders. Being a live in maid/chef/personal assistant can be tedious and overwhelming. Leaving my old name behind and getting use to my new name and title "Mrs." has been quite an adjustment. My days have been running together like a twilight zone episode with weekend commercial breaks (if we have something planned). I look at the calendar and think.. it's only been 2 months.. and I have a lifetime to go?! It sounds bad... but you get married.. then you will understand. My marriage observation so far.... Nothing magical happens at the alter. Maybe we should have gotten married years ago, when I was starry eyed, love was new and exciting and I wasn't so cynical and jaded about life???? Maybe my time as an independent woman over the last 27 years has made me somewhat resistant to transitioning 2nd member of the now duo. I'll update you guys at the 6 month mark

Anyway .......That's my life in a nutshell. I promise, I'll be back with more post. I've got a lot of time of my hands (kinda) and a whole lot to say. TTYL :D