You take the Polish out of the name, but you can't take the Polish out of the girl!

So, I was riding my bike home yesterday like I do everyday, minding my own business. I picked up the mail from our mailbox and started to ride my bike into my front yard. Somewhere along the way the back tire slipped out from under me and me, my iPod and 20+ pounds of chemistry books took a dive right into the dirt. I was able to brace myself with my hand, so my head was safe (I was also wearing my helmet, I know...geeky), however my leg suffered some major damage. Luckily, books, bike and iPod made it through unscathed.

I now have an ever increasing bruise about 6 inches long and about 3 inches wide on my left lower leg. At first I was a total girl about it, but now I am being a total guy, hoping that it turns a dark purple-blue-black color. Cause really, if you are going to have a bruise, let it be a gnarly one that people can admire and stare at with amazement.

P.S. I would post pictures but our digital camera took a dump. When my Palm Pilot recharges I will try using that to snap some photos.

Peta: Genius or Unhinged?

Matthew sent this to be today (http://www.peta.org/sea_kittens/about.asp) and I thought it was adorable, he thought they were crazy. You can decide for yourself. The nutshell of it is is that Peta is trying to save fish, so instead of calling them fish, they recommend calling them sea kittens. Who would want to hurt a sea kitten? Not me!
Here is one that I created...so don't eat sea kittens!

Most Retarded Phone Call of the Day

I got the stupidest, honestly probably the most retarded phone call today and I just had to share it.

Me: "Hello?"
Girl: "Hello. Can I please speak to Mrs. Skibinski"
Me: "That is me."
Girl: "Hi, my name is ____ and I am a freshman at the U of A. I am calling today because we want to update our information so that you can still receive the parent's newsletter called The Pawprint. I see here that you live at ________. Is that correct?"
Me: "Yes."
Girl: "I also see that you have a student who attends the U of A. What grade is he/she in?"
Me: "I am the student."
Girl: "Oh I see, can I speak to your Mom? Is she home?"
Me: "No, I am thirty years old."
Girl: "Oh, (long pause) well than you obviously already know about our organization."
Me: "Yes."
Girl: "Would you be interested in donating money to our organization, it is 100% tax deductible?"
Me: "Umm, no thank you."
Girl: (sounding slightly rejected and upset) "Okay, thank you, bye"
Me: "Bye"

I just want to take this opportunity to thank the University of Arizona who makes their appreciation of me so obvious! Wow! I don't know what makes me more amazed, the fact that they don't even know that I attend their school or the fact that I enrolled in their school under my married name but they still are using my maiden name. Words cannot express how much this makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. It really reinforces that all the hard work I am putting in is worth it.

P.S. Oh by the way, U of A, I am sure that I can speak for every student (and parent) out there when I say that we don't want to give you one more cent than we have to. You already raised tuition by over $700 next semester, raised parking permits by an additional $250, and are charging a mandatory $50+ "security" fee that is supposed to go to policing and security but I haven't yet seen ONE SINGLE University police officer on campus. No one is interested in giving you any more money!

Murphy's Law is so Accurate it Hurts

I left home at 7:30 am to attend my 8:00 class.  It was a lab so we are required to wear closed toe shoes and long pants to protect our legs and feet from glass, chemicals, etc.  Class went fine, even got some homework out of the way.

Right after class I studied for two more hours for my OCHM test, grabbed an expensive and thoroughly disgusting bite to eat at the Student Union and proceeded to OCHM.  I took the test which was massively difficult and stressful, but I don't think I failed.

Immediately following I went to Calculus II to get my test and attend lecture.  This is where things took a nose dive.  My teacher made us aware that anyone getting a D or lower on the test should drop the class immediately since there would be zero chance of getting a passing grade by the end of the semester.  I, sadly, was in the bracket.  

BUT...there was still hope.  If enough people in the class did badly than maybe he would curve the grades. HE DOESN'T CURVE...EVER!  

I felt like someone punched me in the gut.  I had just gotten past the point of suicide and convinced myself that things were going to be okay.  I guess they aren't.  Regardless of the fact that I know the material and would probably be fine to continue the class, the grade was so bad that there was no chance of recovery.  I was forced to drop the class since today is the drop deadline and I will have to retake the class next semester.  What a hit to my self esteem and my long term goals!  This sets me back considerably.

So I proceeded, defeated and stunned, to my bicycle to ride home and drown my sorrows in "no-bake" cookies when I noticed that I had a flat tire. So...I proceeded yet again, defeated, stunned, and a tad bit ticked, to walk my bicycle home in the heat, wearing jeans and boots, with 25 pounds (no joke) of chemistry books on my back.  Luckily Matthew was able to pick me and Allura up about half way home.

Now I sit here, stinky and exhausted, hoping that some of this will appear funny to me tomorrow.  Here's to hoping!

My First Test at the U of A....

....and I failed.  I can't tell you how upset I am.  Of course, this was Calculus II, the class I knew that I would have to study the hardest for and get the most help.  So, I studied, I did the homework, and I studied some more, Matt and I worked on these problems almost every night.  

I walked into the test yesterday, took one look at the test and said "YES!".  I have seen every single one of these problems before and I know how to solve them.  

And than....my mind went blank.  I couldn't think, I couldn't breath, I couldn't do anything but almost cry.  I knew how to solve them but I can't get my brain to communicate with my hand. So in 50 minutes I ended up turning in the test with exactly one problem (out 4) completed.

Now, I somehow have to pick myself up and try to study and pass two more tests in the next 24 hours but I can't do it.  I am so bummed...I worked so hard and it didn't matter.  I invested so much time and it didn't matter.  To use one of my Dad's colorful euphemisms, I choked.  And I am so devastated about it.

The University of Arizona

I know a few of you have been waiting for an update about school.  Of course that is an interesting conundrum since 99% of my time is now spent doing homework or studying for a test and I have 1% of my remaining time to eat, sleep, blog, and be with my hubby.

What is bad about the U of A?  

1. Well, it isn't much different than Pima except that it is MUCH bigger.  There are people, literally, everywhere.  

2. When riding your bike, pedestrians insist on standing, sitting, lollygagging or simply blocking the bike lanes.

3. When you are a pedestrian, the bicyclists will literally run you down and kill you.

4. Monsoon season is awesome until you have to ride home in it, or better yet ride to school in it.  There is nothing worse than sitting through 3 air conditioned lectures when you are soaked to the bone.

5. Grabbing a bite to eat takes an hour, 55 minutes waiting in line and 5 minutes to swallow it on the way to your next class.

6. The professors simply don't give a damn.  Come, don't come, do the work, or don't.  It is all the same to them.  At least at Pima they pretended to care.

7. Sorority girls and Fraternity boys annoy me to such an extreme I may have to start taking hostages.

What is good about the U of A?

1. I have been accepted to the Honors college and they are accepting me as a Junior which will make graduating with honors an attainable goal.

2. I will most certainly lose weight since I bike an average of 15 miles per week and Matt and I are swimming at the UA Rec center 3 times a week.

3. There is more anonymity and people (generally) don't recognize or know me.

4. We are saving a ton of dough now that Matt is taking the Hyundai to work and I bike everywhere I need to go.

5. My CatCard gets me discounts almost everywhere...again saving money.  Nothing I like better!

6. I get to listen to my iPod everyday.  It is no longer a really expensive solitaire machine but an actual product I use everyday.

7. If nothing else, at the end of the day I can say I am a WILDCAT!

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My Classes:

Monday:  

Chemistry Discussion Hour

Organic Chemistry Lecture

Calculus II

Tuesday:  

Organic Chemistry Lab

Molecular and Cellular Biology Lecture

Wednesday: 

Organic Chemistry Lecture

Calculus II

Thursday:  

Molecular and Cellular Biology Lecture

Molecular and Cellular Biology Lecture (HONORS)

Friday:  

Molecular and Cellular Biology Lab

Organic Chemistry Lecture

Calculus II

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Alright everyone, that is all the typing I can tolerate for one day.  I have spent more hours at this computer today than I care to think about.  Will write again soon when something interesting or amazing happens!

Meet Princess Allura...

Please meet Princess Allura, my new bicycle, purchased the day before school started at K-Mart. She is beautiful and fun, but most of all she is pink! Her name is Princess Allura because I am watching Voltron right now and the pilot of the blue lion wears pink. I have already gotten several compliments at school about her and she is much easier to maneuver with 25 pounds of books on my back than Matthew's 10-speed. My only complaint so far is that I have been soaking wet for the first two days of school. If I am not sweating my butt off than I am drenched with rain. I don't do well when wet! YUCK!

I am hoping to add some upgrades to Princess Allura in the near future.  Most of all I would like a basket on either the front or back that will accommodate my backpack.

The New Princess Allura

The Original Princess Allura

More details will follow regarding my first week at the U of A after my first week has concluded.  Keep an eye out this weekend.

Esophagogasroduodenoscopy Update

I heard from the doctor's office today regarding my test results.  The good news is that all my biopsies came back normal and healthy.  The bad news is that we still don't know what is wrong with me.  I have a follow-up appointment with my doctor in September.  In the meantime I am still taking the pro-biotics and GERD medication.  Hopefully these will help and my doctor will have further advice when I see her.

Surgery, Work, Dogs, Sister & School

As most of you know by now, I am home safe and sound from my out-patient surgery and am doing well. Other than having the feeling for a couple days that I swallowed a golf ball, I haven't had any other side effects. My test results should be back on Tuesday and hopefully they have given the doc some iota as to what is wrong with me. In the meantime, she has prescribed me Prilosec to maintain a condition called GERD which i didn't know that I had. It is my belief that the GERD and whatever else is wrong with me are not related but if it helps than I will take it.

Next is that I have officially submitted my two week notice to my job. It is something that I desperately worried over and stressed about, wanting to make the right decision. In the end I knew what I had to do...I had to give up the job in light of school, scholarship, health, and family. My boss was absolutely amazing about it and there are already plans to try to get me back in over the summer next year. I have to admit that I feel like a bit of a loser right now since college students all over America maintain a job and school simultaneously. I really believed I could do it all but fear overtook me and I just can't lose that scholarship. Here's to hoping that it was the right decision.

Thirdly, Matthew and I found a dog at the Humane Society which we are interested in. It is a boy schnauzer mix about 1-2 years old who is a stray. They don't know much about him but we are hoping to meet him today or tomorrow. I am staying cautiously optimistic.

Fourthly, my sister is awesome and bought me (with her trade) the first season of Voltron on DVD. I watched the first disc this morning and I am so happy!!




Lastly, school starts on Monday and I am a nervous wreck. I have waiting so long for this moment. I realistically know that it won't be the way I envision it to be but hope that I am not disappointed by the bureaucracy of it all. OH MY GOD, I'M OFFICIALLY A WILDCAT!!!

Esophagogasroduodenoscopy

I dare you to say that three times fast. Actually I dare you to pronounce it once correctly.

My outpatient surgery is going to take place tomorrow at 1:00 in the afternoon. I can easily say that I am apprehensive and nervous and will just be happy to have this over with. I will call and/or write on my blog as soon as I am feeling up to it. If all goes well I should be back to normal within 2-4 hours of the procedure. Lets hope that happens! Until next time....

Our Trip to Vegas 2008

Matthew, I, and all the pets are safely home from our vacation. I am still a little tired from the events of the week, so I will simply give a brief overview of what we did and later in the week will regale you all with stories from our trip!

Monday:
Star Trek: The Experience
Lunch @ Quark's
Checked into the Monte Carlo
Dinner @ the New York, New York
Watched Olympics

Tuesday:
Lunch @ the Silverton Buffet (delicious!)
Bally's for "The Price is Right"
The Palms for the Playboy store and club
Dinner @ In & Out Burger
Watched Olympics

Wednesday:
Relaxing morning by the pool at the Monte Carlo
Lunch @ Big Dogs
Dessert @ the Star Trek: The Experience
Rides/Museum @ Star Trek: The Experience
No Dinner....too full!
Watched Olympics

Thursday:
Breakfast @ Starbucks
Tix 4 Tonite (to get show tickets)
Mirage for Seigfried and Roy's baby tiger exhibit
Lunch @ La Salsa
Planet Hollywood for Popovich's Comedy Pet Theatre
Dinner @ the New York, New York
Watched Olympics

Friday:
Breakfast @ Panera's in Henderson
Back to Kingman to pick up the puppies!!
Dinner with Family
Drive back to Tucson

Saturday:
Arrived in Tucson @ 1:00 am

Summer School is Finally Over

Sign Language 101 and 102 are officially over. I took my last final this morning and just have a meeting with my teacher tomorrow to find out my final grade. Overall, my experience with sign language was a good one. I learned ALOT and enjoyed it for the most part. The language itself is very interesting and my teachers were nice.
The only thing I wasn't enjoying was that towards the end I found it difficult to juggle work and school. Work has been calling me in to pickup additional shifts and school was getting more stressful all at the same time. I guess this is good practice for when U of A starts in two weeks, but it has given me a good opportunity to really examine if I am going to be able to handle both. U of A is far more difficult than Pima and I will have more classes. I have a lot of thinking to do in the next couple weeks but ultimately my scholarship is what is most important.

Tucson Heat is Destructive

Due to some technical difficulties which have been resolved, the blog I tried to post a few days ago is now back up (albeit rewritten).

Matthew and I recently decided to move our master bedroom from its location to another room of the house. This came about for two reasons. First, the boys next door like to party. They like to party so much that they do it all the time. I wasn't getting any sleep and they weren't working with us. Second, the master bedroom is extremely hot. It is on the West side of the house and gets a great deal of sun exposure. We successfully moved the rooms...the master bedroom is now the computer room and the old computer room is now our master bedroom. It is working out marvelously thus far and we are glad we made the change.

The one surprising element we found in the old master bedroom was the ruined blinds. We had window covering overtop of the blinds to block the light. Little did we know that the Tucson sun could make the blinds look like we took a blow torch to them.