Padd Solutions

Oh man, the last couple of days have not been so great for me.  There hasn't been one really big thing has gotten me down just series of things that has really been pulling my spirit down.

Well....this week got off to a good start. I didn't have to write a story for the Ranger last week so I kinda go used to not running around. Time to get back in the game I suppose. Not a lot to report to the cyber-world right now so, here is what I learned today...

Busy, busy, busy...

Howdy! Well, the weekend is coming to an end, Monday is tomorrow, blah! I didn't do too much this weekend, a lot of hanging out around the apartment. I made pizza on Saturday night (for the first time) and it was yummy. Anybody like chicken barbeque pizza? The only place I've had it is at Mr. Gatti's, but I think my version is much better :) Thankfully, Friday night was uneventful, Saturday I watched a good movie, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (which was a cute movie, better than I thought. I'd have to give it a good review because of its music and relativity to young adults today) and today I've been lazy. Successful.





By the way, my sister is doing much better. She's out of the hospital and back home. She should be going back to school tomorrow.





A couple weeks ago my mom's friend's mobile home burned down. Her name is Candy Dobbins, she's married and has three small children. Some of Candy's friends from church have been gathering items for her (she lost everything) and put it in a storage unit. To make the situation worse for Candy, somebody broke into their storage unit this weekend and stole a lot of what they gathered. Anyways, if anybody is able to donate things to Candy, I know she would appreciate it. I'm working on getting on a list from my mom of her family's clothes sizes. I'll update the blog when I get it.



Update:

THE DOBBINS FAMILY NEEDS

Clothing:
Derek- Pants and shorts size 8 regular Adrianna- Pants and shorts size 3 Toddler
Shirts size 8-10 Boys Shirts size 3 Toddle
Shoe size 3 Shoe size 8
Aleah- Pants and shorts size 18 mths–2 Toddler Panties-size 3-4 Toddler
Shirts size 18 months – 2 Toddler
Shoe size 6
Matt- Pants size 36/30 Candy- Pants size 13-14 Womens
Shirts size Large-X-Large Shirts medium
Shoe size 11 Mens Shoe size 11 Women
Things for Kids Rooms:
Beds Blankets Pillows
Dressers Lamps Hangers
Toys/Books Movies Toy Boxes
Matt and Candy’s Room:
Bed Dresser Lamps
End Tables Blankets Pillows
Bathrooms:
Shower Curtain Curtain Rods Towels
Wash cloths Soaps/Shampoo Razors
Trashcans Hair Brushes Hair Accessories
Kitchen:
Toaster Coffee Pot Tea Pitchers
Dishes Silverware Pots/Pans
Pot holders Cookware Dish Soap
Trash can Trash bags Foil/zip lock bags
Wash cloths Bar Stools High Chair
Living Room:
Couch/Chairs End tables Lamps
Entertainment Center Coffee Table TV
DVD Player Area Rugs Door Mats
This and That:
First Aide Stuff Tylenol/Advil Diapers Size 5
Wipes(any kind) Sippy Cups Books Shelves
Cleaning Supplies Mop/Broom Washer/Dryer
We have also started a Benefit Fund at Amarillo National Bank for any donations. The account is under Candace Dobbins - Acct #7155093.
Thank You!!
To contact us: Candace Dobbins 14800 XIT Trail Amarillo, TX 79118 (806) 674-7364

I hope all of my bloggers have a great week, good luck...

So my dog woke me up at 6 a.m. yesterday acting weird. I've been up 18 hours waiting for this and she finally had her puppies. I've never seen anything give birth before so, it was a learning experience to say the least. The total was 6...which means I have a busy couple of months in front of me. They are half siberian husky and half timber wolf hybrid and all look really cool. What a day.

Man I'm exhausted.

I went to a movie tonight with my brother, its a thing we do at least once a week to keep in touch since we live in different towns and don't see each as much.

So have you guys seen the commercial where Alec Baldwin lets us know he is an alien. I knew something was fishy about that guy. Actually, the website he is promoting, www.hulu.com, is really really cool and everyone should check it out. It is basically free TV and movies with limited commercial interruption. (about 4 that last 5-30 seconds) I'm not sure if you can watch whatever you want but, I have been on it constantly the past 4 days and haven't gotten bored yet.

Well, I hope everybody had a great President’s Day/Valentine’s Day weekend. I did a whole lot of catching up on laundry and shopping. Fun... So, has anybody noticed the HUGE desk that is missing from the library, 1st floor foyer? AC used to employ a student to man that desk but apparently, they’ve done away with it... Speaking of the library, I'm in here now. It's always good to make a weekly trip up here, it's quiet, has internet access, and keeps you from being distracted by things at home. (I take that back, there is a student sitting next to me with his head phones blaring to Good Charlotte... gag me. If you're going to jam out in the library at least put something good on!)

One of the most unfortunate things about being in college is your eating habits. Being that we are all so busy with school and work, we eat what we can- cheap and quick. Of course, McDonald’s and Wendy’s have some great dollar menus but it’s important to eat healthy to keep your energy up! I suggest Lean Cuisines, they’re only about $3/meal and they’re easy to cook- you just warm it up. Anyways, that’s my thought of the day!

I really like Zach’s blog- below mine. It has some valid points in it. Personally, I took Mr. Howard’s class a couple semesters ago and enjoyed it for the most part, and if you’ve had Howard- you know what I’m talking about. I can’t imagine how the staff plans to ease the transition but I hope it goes well.

Maybe you’ve heard but a Chinese blogger that goes by the pseudonym Qian, was stabbed after publicly reading his blogs in a Beijing book store. OUCH! “Last year, he was listed among the "20 Most Influential Figures in China's Cyberspace". That’s a pretty reputable guy. Thankfully, he should make a full recovery, but it makes you think: could something like this happen to me because I want to express my opinions? Obviously things are different in China with freedom of speech, but hey-it happened to Martin Luther King. Unfortunate things can happen to people, particularly to those that share their harsh, cumbersome thoughts. Nobody likes to hear the truth, or in this case, a person’s opinions especially if it affects a person’s well-being.

Here’s the full story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29224105/wid/11915829/


I’m running low on thoughts now, have a great week bloggers.

Alright, just incase you haven’t heard – Richard Howard, science instructor and fencing extraordinaire, has become ill and will not be finishing the semester and reportedly won’t be coming back at all.

Howard teaches most life science classes at AC.  Life science is the science class that a large majority of non-science majors take, which means a lot of people have taken a class with Howard.

As a result, all of Howard’s classes have been reassigned to student teachers.  Which brings to my issue…

Why when it comes to issues such as this are the students not consulted?  We pay for these classes, we agree to begin a class with a certain instructor then unfortunate circumstances occur and then we handed a new instructor without any prior consultation.

I’m sure the student-teachers/instructors that AC has chosen are more than qualified, but we paid for these classes and I don’t think it’s asking too much to be kept in the loop in situations such as these.

Why when it comes to our own affairs such paying for classes, getting books, studying for test does the school view us as adults, but then when it comes to situation like this are we treated as children and pushed off to the side as the decision is made?

I know things like these can’t be helped and life isn’t perfect.  All we can do is roll with the punches.

I know I speak for all of AC when I wish Dr. Howard a speedy recovery. 

Hold your horses; I’m referring to the comedian coming to AC, Spanky. I’m not familiar with his shows but myAC says he spreads the “message of racial harmony, religious tolerance and gender understanding”. Now, back to the “Men are Sluts” thing. I was walking around Parcells Hall and I saw a poster of Spanky and in the upper corner it says “Men are Sluts”. I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. It’s a little “out there” for AC’s tastes. Anybody get my drift? --I think it’s the name of the particular show he’ll be presenting at AC.

So, it’s Friday the 13th… Ooo. When I get off work today I’ll be in the library, bonding with my textbooks, then to the gym, then definitely going to have drinks with mom. I’d like to rent a scary movie but I’ve never been a big fan of them (they give me nightmares!). Any suggestions? I’ve never seen but am thinking about getting Poltergeist. Wikipedia says they’re remaking it in 2010…

Last night was wing night. I love wing night, my friend and I have a tradition of going to Buffalo Wild Wings on Thursdays (so not only is it wing night, it’s girls night). It’s our time to relax and reflect on the week and think of things to do for the weekend! Since we decided it’s a tradition, it makes it more fun. BWW on Thursdays is apparently the place to be, every time we go there are more and more people. The majority of the crowd is guys, 20-25, but what can you expect: 60 cent wings and sports?

I hope my blogging friends have an amazing weekend. No walking under ladders, crossing the path of a black cat, or opening up an umbrella inside.

You know those Mazda commercials where they whisper "zoom zoom". That pretty much sums up my day. From 8 this morning i've been all over the place. To start out with I had a dental appointment, which is a great way to say good morning. After that I had to go to class, get a couple of interviews finished for a news article, another class, lab, another interview, help a friend move, write the article, run the dogs, clean the house, and then this. I can't remember the last day I had to speed-walk everywhere like someone out of an instructional exercise video.

I haven't been around a TV in a couple of days and just saw that 459 new jobs are coming to Bell Helicopter. Not only is this good news for the local economy but Amarillo College as well. The Site-manager, Roger Williams, said that over the past few years they have hired 250 grads from the AC program. For anyone who is interested, the average factory employee makes around $24.50 an hour. The program advisor is Richard Whitaker for those seeking information. (whitaker-rw@actx.edu)

Well it looks like Lacey is done with American Idol.

The first week of tests is here.

Everybody has them- certain weeks throughout the semester that it seems like all of your tests are in the same week. That is this week for me. Also, I have 4 huge presentations to make at work. Instead of going into my anxiety mode, I’m just going to stay calm, and get to work. Don’t procrastinate!

Well, I hope my fellow bloggers had a great weekend. Mine was pretty eventful. I hung out with some friends on Friday and stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, consequently, slept all day Saturday and family time on Sunday.

Valentine’s Day is almost here! I’m a believer that guys have no excuse to make it an amazing night for their gal. Look up ideas on the internet; ask your friends or uncles for suggestions… something! This Valentine’s Day is going to be a bit weird for me. I had been dating a guy for four years, and this will be my first Valentine’s Day that I can remember- that I’m single. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the single scene and I don’t know what I’m going to do on Saturday night, but I won’t be feeling sorry for myself. Maybe I’ll grab another one of my single friends and we’ll go see a movie, or I’ll take my little brother and sister out to eat so my parents can have a night alone.
I will suggest that Lincoln’s Steakhouse is romantic, you can never go wrong with Macaroni Joe’s, and renting a movie is cheaper and more intimate that going to the movie theater.

The thunderstorm last night was nice. I love the rain, it’s so fresh and it just makes me happy. My favorite kind of rain is during the day, when it’s cloudy and warm. Mmm!

Maybe I’m the only person that has been hearing about the digital switch for about two years now, but that’s not what President Obama thinks. He thinks that people haven’t had time to go out and get their converter box or switch to digital so it has been delayed…. Blah! It doesn’t affect me at all but it’s just annoying. I wish they would get it over with already. I’m a Suddenlink user so I’m good to go but nonetheless- annoying!

Well, my Monday is going by fairly quickly, thank goodness! Time to get back to work…

For many college students it is never too early to begin preparing for Spring Break. For those of us that aren't on rock-star budgets, staying right here in Texas can bring just as much fun. A road trip anywhere is always sure to yield great memories before you even get to your destination.

There are crazy things going on at BSA right now, and I'm not talking about their ABSURD smoking policy to potential employees. It seems that BSA is telling its patients that are just coming in, to go to Northwest Texas Hospital. They are diverting their ambulances’ as well. “The last few days the hospital has seen a large influx of patients sick with flu, pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses,” www.amarillo.com. The hospital has an overwhelming amount of patients right now and they are doing “damage control”, if you will. Thankfully, I received my flu shot a couple months ago. For most strains of the flu, it doesn’t take much to kill: a simple disinfectant around the house, and some soap and warm water when you wash your hands.



Am I the only person with a secret love affair with Wikipedia? You can look up just about anything, and find great information. However, sometimes you have to be careful. Anybody can get on Wikipedia and update or change information. Remember the Chris Benoit scandal? Apparently, Benoit killed his wife and son, then himself. Fourteen hours before their bodies were discovered, there was a posting on Wikipedia that Benoit would miss his next two wrestling matches because of his wife’s death. A moderator checked this posting and took it off because (to his knowledge) this wasn’t true. After investigations, the user that posted this contacted Wikipedia and explained that his post was a “terrible coincidence” and just speculation. It makes one think… did Benoit possibly see this and get the idea of killing his wife from it? Or, was it a coincidence?



On a lighter note, I am such a procrastinator, not that it is anything to brag about. I have yet to buy a book for my economics class. I have no reason to buy it until next week because our first test is then, but I also have issues with the bookstore. Maybe my issues are with the college textbook industry as a whole, but the closest frontier to battling this, is with the bookstore. The book that I have to buy sells for $180. I repeat: one book, $180. This semester, the cost of my books and supplies has exceeded my tuition. What really gets me is at the end of semester at textbook buyback, I may get $40 for it, if I’m lucky. Oftentimes, the authors of that book will publish a new edition each year, and then the original book is worth about $10. There are a few ways around this, 'half.com' where you can buy and sell your textbooks back for about half the price, and 'books on campus' or 'DogEars'. I haven’t mingled with the last two but I am a frequent user of half.com. You can find books at half price (that is, unless your instructor requires that you get the version with the cd, and to your surprise you never use it!) and it’s straightforward. Half.com is for anybody, and it’s owned by eBay.


Before I forget, if you haven’t applied for the Amarillo College Foundation scholarships, you should. The deadline to be considered for next year is March 2. The AC Foundation is loyal to its students. Even with mediocre grades from time to time, I have received a scholarship from them every semester at AC. I’m so thankful for the scholarships, though none of them have covered my tuition completely, they substantially help me out. There are even scholarships for students who plan to transfer to a university, and I intend to apply for that. It’s a general scholarship that you will apply for, which you can pick almost anywhere around campus but for sure in the CUB, 2nd floor, room 206. Thank you, AC Foundation!

It’s almost 3pm, just a couple more hours until Happy Hour!

To many being a music lover is having a favorite band or favorite genre of music. To Jen Williams loving music means loving everything about the music industry; from playing music to writing, to even producing and promoting local shows.

In a world where so many people would rather sing covers, Jen is one the few who actually write music. She doesn't just sit around waiting for an opportunity to get her music out there, she creates those opportunities. Occasionally she will broadcast impromptu performances over the internet via stickam. She says she uses these performances almost as practices to help her get ready for upcoming shows.

When asked about getting nervous, Jen replied "I'm always nervous before a show, but once I get on stage its okay," her response came so calmly and naturally you get the idea that she truly loves it, even the nervousness.

As if writing and performing songs weren't enough, Jen takes things one step further by producing and promoting local shows. She communicates with bands and band booking agents in order to keep new music constantly flowing through Amarillo. "I probably spend more time putting shows together than I do actually playing shows," she said with a cringe that leads you to believe she wishes she had enough to devote to both.

Throughout the month of March Jen will be producing 5 shows. When asked about producing shows, Jen replies "It's a lot of hard work, but I think it will be worth in the end."

Jen graduated from Amarillo College with a degree in Music.

Jen is playing a show tomorrow, February 4 @ The Nat Ballroom. $8.00 at the door. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.

Follow Jen on Twitter

Friend Jen on MySpace

I've gotta say overall the game was pretty entertaining. Major props to James Harrison for making the longest interception return in Super Bowl history, and to Roethlisberger for staying on his feet. It took the Cardinal's forever to take him down. That being said, I was severely disappointed in the commercial quality this year. I agree with Tiffany about the Miller High Life commercial...really funny but, that was one of few that was entertaining. Only a handful really caught my attention. I know everyone has the right to advertise but, this is the Super Bowl....I didn't really wanna see a Pedigree dog food commercial. Oh well, maybe next year. I didn't catch the 3-D parts but it seems that an old fad is starting to re-emerge. My Bloody Valentine, Commercials, Chuck, the Monster's move....I wonder who will jump on the bandwagon next. Girls Next Door? hahaha. Oh, and for those that didn't hear the glorious news, Denny's is giving everyone in the United States a free Grand Slam breakfast tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you love free food like I do then this is a calendar marker for sure. 

This blog is going to be all over the place, mainly, because I’m all over the place. My head is full of work/school/friends/guys/family. Ahh! I can’t concentrate on any one thing but I’ll attempt to cover each one of them individually.

For the most part, I enjoy my job. I have to be at work at 8:45 am (reasonable…) but I still feel like that is sooo early! I am NOT a morning person and it takes everything I have to make myself go to sleep at night. I feel like I’m missing out on something if I do. I can literally be sitting in my bed, watching a Law & Order re-run and I won’t want to go to sleep because I feel like I’m missing out. I’m weird. Nonetheless, I feel like I can never please my boss. I never get “good job” or “way to go”. In all fairness, my paycheck is my “good job” but it’d be nice to hear it from the horse’s mouth once in a while (hahah). Moment to complain: she doesn’t communicate well and doesn’t take my job seriously. When I see that my boss feels this way: it translates to me that 1) I don’t have to communicate well, and 2) why should I take my job seriously?

School is school. I’m taking Astronomy on T/TH night and so far it’s working out well. It’s complex and really gets your mind thinking. Mr. Hobbs, the instructor, is pretty laid back. He gets right to the point and you can tell that he enjoys teaching us- so we enjoy learning. Fun class. I’m also taking 3 classes online: which I enjoy. I love the concept of online classes. I’m such a computer-nut that I’m always on the computer anyways, so it makes it easier. Online classes tend to be very straightforward. Not much busy-work like in class; not always true though.


Ahh, I can not believe that I will be graduating from Amarillo College in FOUR MONTHS! That’s crazy. It’s been a fun ride but I’m excited to move on. I’m mostly excited to have a party or get-together for graduation. I’m such a social person, I love having parties.

The Superbowl was yesterday, and it was amazing. Like most people in this neck of the woods, I didn’t care who won, but after watching the pre-game show I got a weird, school-girl crush on Big Ben Roethlisberger. Truly, he’s an amazing human being. 6’5… 240… awww. :) He’s not married! I’m pretty sure that he is the only guy that my dad is okay with me getting married to. We decided this last night, as well as, Big Ben and I would have beautiful, tall, children (with big noses- thanks Ben!). The fourth quarter was exciting though. It reminded me of the Tech/UT game (that I went to!). Steelers were up the entire game and then the Cardinals are ahead… for about one minute, Steelers up again. The best part was sitting around with my family, makin’ fun of each other, and eatin’ some great food (ribs, wings, jalapenos, chili, chips, ribeyes, potato salad -mmm). That reminds me, apparently Miller Lite was trying to save money, so they had a 1-2 second commercial with a guy screaming “High life”. I think it’s a specialty of one of their beers? Either way, it think it was a great PR move for Miller Lite. Not only did they get some publicity with having a 1 second commercial, it was hilarious!

By the way, did anybody get 3-D goggles for the commercials? I looked like a dork but you better believe that I had mine on! If I have time I plan to sit in my apartment- BY MYSELF, and watch “Chuck”, it comes on tonight in 3-D. Heroes, season premiere is after that also. It’s going to be a good night!

Now to go to lunch with, and possibly fight with: my brother.