Randomness

I Bought 22, But That’s Too Many Right?

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

me (via email): Noah wants some Star Wars action figures for Christmas.  Do you already know what you are getting him.

mom (email):  You tell me what to get him.

me (email):  Get him some Star Wars action figures.  He really wants them–yoda, anakin skywalker, darth vader, luke skywalker, han solo, and obi-wan kenobi.

mom (email): I’m going shopping today.  I’ll let you know what I get.

Simple enough, right?

Message from mom:  So I went shopping today and got Noah some of those action figures.  I bought 22 of them.  So…I’ll have  you come over and pick out the ones to give him.  I don’t think I’ll give him all 22 at Christmas…that would be too many (she doesn’t sound so sure).  I could keep some and give him the rest for his birthday (in 4 months).  I also got the operation game and…..

Really?  Gotta love grandmas.

Clearly I’m A Masochist

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

Not the sexual kind–so if you were hoping to find that kind of site–this isn’t it.  But thanks for stopping by.

I am pretty sure that next to glutton for punishment, in some random online dictionary, you will find my picture.  Just when things look to be settling down and getting easier, I decide to complicate them.

Case in point–

It’s the holidays and I just signed up for Weight Watchers and bought a dozen homemade snickerdoodle cookies at a event this weekend.  Snickerdoodles are my FAVORITE.  I can’t not eat them and holy hell they are 3 points each.  Shit.

My course load for school is winding down.  I only have two classes to take and they are both a little on the “relaxed” side.  I was looking forward to a relaxing semester.  So, I accepted the offer to teach a class I have never taught in the Spring (it starts in 6 weeks).  Not only is it online but it is also ITV.  Yep.  I get to teach to a group of students who are far away and on TV.  The camera adds how much?   I must Keep away from Snickerdoodles and up my exercising.

Now I get to teach the course of my dreams.  But dreams are never as good in reality as they are in our heads.  I’ll be teaching TFA teachers how to teach.  Sounds interesting and fun doesn’t it.  I really am looking forward to it, but it’ll be difficult and I want to do it well.

My calm spring has now turned into a crazy spring.  But it doesn’t surprise me or anyone else who knows me.  That is what is irritating.  When did I get so predictable?

The Finish Line

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

WooHoo…Another November done. 30 days….30 posts. All this writing obviously has not encouraged me to cease using ellipses–or dashes.

By now everyone is aware of WikiLeaks and all the documents they have and are leaking. I will say it upfront–I don’t understand. I am all for transparency of government but at some point–we don’t need to know everything. Maybe I’m alone in this, but really do we need, as citizens, to know the communication of our diplomats? At what point are those public domains? It just irritates me that these things happen when they don’t need to. It’s a bit like caring what Tiger Woods does and releasing text messages.  Really…none of my business.  None of anyone’s business.  Just because someone is elected or even just revered doesn’t give us Carte Blanche into their lives.

Maybe I’m An Elitist Or Just Mean

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

Just because a person wants To do or be something doesn’t mean they get to. It’s really that simple. I wanted to be a veterinarian; sadly, I can’t do math or learn chemistry. I want to get my PhD; luckily, I have the type of intelligence I need for that.

I fielded a call in my office today from one of the graduate departments at my university. The professor had a student in her office who wants to go to grad school, but her undergrad GPA is WAY WAY below the minimum for even provisional acceptance. The professor wanted to know what options the person had. NONE, I wanted to shout. It is great that people want to better themselves and have more options. But grad school is a privilege not a right. I had to work really hard to get where I am, and it wasn’t easy. I am tired of the sense of entitlement we have. We have a right to an education and it should be good-but students bear a good portion of the responsibility.

I wish we could all live our dreams-but some of the dreams just aren’t possible. We have to accept that and accept our own responsibility in our successes and failures.

Business And Pleasure

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

Totally almost forgot to post today and after 17 straight days, I would have been so mad at myself.

I’m in Orlando for a conference an the family came along. Today was a relatively easy travel day-I am always so pleased when the kids travel so well. They really are awesome.

I’m conferencing tomorrow but will make time to enjoy some rime off with the family. I certainly haven’t been able to spend enough time with lately.

Thankful for time with my family.