End of Semester

My final project for Writing for Public Relations was a press kit. I asked the SVEDC if there was a project I could do and was given... doughnuts. They wanted me to help promote a the New Cafe they are incubating. As an event to promote at Zombie Doughnuts Cafe` they picked the Bernalillo County Employees Appreciation Day. For my project I had several things to turn in--like a press release and fact sheet. The picture above is the poster I made as part of the project.

ADVICE FROM THE BIRDS

Earlier this week I took these pictures of two Lesser Goldfinches bathing in the waterfall at the UNM duck pond.

***A Photo Essay about the recent state of emergency on the UMN Main Campus***









The University of New Mexico Main Campus went without drinkable water for almost 24-hours beginning Tuesday morning when a physical plant department employee noticed brownish colored water. A state of emergency notice went out shortly after 10:30am that discouraged students from using any tap water on campus.
As of Wednesday morning the tap water on campus was deemed good enough to drink or bathe in.

Spring Pictures

I have had my camera with me the last two days on campus. Spring is here. I hope you enjoy these images.

Me and my shadow... looking murky at the duck pond.



One of the nice things about photo shop is that I can add colorizing filters to my picture.... here I am Indigo.



This filter is really the closest to the original color. How can the ducks and turtles swim in this?

Spring Fashions

SPRING FASHIONS @ UNM.

As the weather gets warmer

Hemlines continue to rise

Mouse Eras?

As I have observed the hemlines on campus I have seen an increasing number of women wearing caps with…. Ears. Yep. Ears. Generally fleece caps with ears. Mousy-types, catty ears, jaguar spots.... I’ve only had my camera with me once to catch one of these and with the warmer weather, it may not happen again. What do you think about this fashion trend?

As for me? I make fleece hats for children, so why not adult sizes, too? Would I wear one? Maybe. Perhaps, I should make a hat with antennae, so I can look more like an ant?

Spring Fashions @UNM

Feet. Shoes. Hemlines? What type of shoes does the average college co-ed at UNM wear? How much shorter are hemlines going to go? This has become my unofficial research project for Spring Semester. So far, I’ve taken pictures several times focusing on hemlines and shoes. The average Co-Ed (is that an obsolete word now?) wears your average pair of blue-jeans with tennis shoes or athletic shoes. Boots of any type run a close second to tennis shoes. However, there are a large percentage of women at UNM wearing short skirts or tunics with leggings or tights and ballerina flats, or some type of flat heeled shoe.



I wonder if there is a correlation between the shorter hemlines and the economy. The saying is something like; when hemlines go up, the economy improves. Right? Perhaps after Spring Break I will get brave and survey a few students about their opinion of the current fashions and whether they really do correlate with the economy.

Dram-antic, Creative, Persausive

I finally got the link to the Dewey test to open and these are my results. I guess I'm not that far off with the type of education I am getting.

******

The Dewey Color System® is now the world's most accurate career testing instrument.
This report based on your personality traits indicates your two most enjoyable day-day-day occupation skills. It’s a summary of the full report, the Color Leadership Evaluation 5.0.

“Studies indicate workplace enjoyment is the key to success. So as you read, consider only “Was I mostly having fun at work?” Disregard your present and past employer’s environment.

**********

Best Occupational Category
You're a CREATOR
Keywords

Nonconforming, Impulsive, Expressive, Romantic, Intuitive, Sensitive, and Emotional

These original types place a high value on aesthetic qualities and have a great need for self-expression. They enjoy working independently, being creative, using their imagination, and constantly learning something new. Fields of interest are art, drama, music, and writing or places where they can express, assemble, or implement creative ideas.

CREATOR OCCUPATIONS
Suggested careers are Advertising Executive, Architect, Web Designer, Creative Director, Public Relations, Fine or Commercial Artist, Interior Decorator, Lawyer, Librarian, Musician, Reporter, Art Teacher, Broadcaster, Technical Writer, English Teacher, Architect, Photographer, Medical Illustrator, Corporate Trainer, Author, Editor, Landscape Architect, Exhibit Builder, and Package Designer

CREATOR WORKPLACES
Consider workplaces where you can create and improve beauty and aesthetic qualities. Unstructured, flexible organizations that allow self-expression work best with your free-spirited nature.

Suggested Creator workplaces are advertising, public relations, and interior decorating firms; artistic studios, theaters and concert halls; institutions that teach crafts, universities, music, and dance schools. Other workplaces to consider are art institutes, museums, libraries, and galleries.

2nd Best Occupational Category
You're a PERSUADER
Keywords:

Witty, Competitive, Sociable, Talkative, Ambitious, Argumentative, and Aggressive

These enterprising types sell, persuade, and lead others. Positions of leadership, power, and status are usually their ultimate goal. Persuasive people like to take financial and interpersonal risks and to participate in competitive activities. They enjoy working with others inside organizations to accomplish goals and achieve economic success.

* Section I: You and Your Team
This personality overview section highlights your natural workplace talents—the tasks you pursue with passion. You'll learn how your natural strengths complement those of your coworkers and how, joining forces, you can resolve on-the-job dilemmas.

* Section II: Your Key To Success
Here you discover your capacity for dispelling disruption and maximizing profitability. Use this proven, beyond-self-perception advice to create a more positive career path free of detours.

* Section III: Managing Strengths and Weaknesses
Your evaluation's highest and lowest scores result in this section's recommendations for staying on-track in your career and reversing wrong turns. In focusing on your talents and missteps, you'll re-stoke your energy and enthusiasm for managing costly mistakes.

* Section IV: Leadership Power Moves
This final section identifies your "street sense," those power moves that turn obstacles into insignificant details. Here suggestions based on your color-ranked evaluations will guide you towards making the most of an interview or harnessing your fast-paced workday.

http://www.careerpath.com/career-tests/colorcareercounselor.aspx

Do Ants Have Color Preferences?

In a news story in USA Today it says that when over 800 CEO's took an online personality color test, they were three times more likely to favor magenta than the public, three times less likely to select red, and 3½ times less likely to choose yellow.

Is this personality test an accurate way of choosing jobs? Do our favorite colors predict what type of job we will be good at? Why would a large percentage of CEO's choose similar colors?

I am seeking a job and was curious as to what type of job I might be good at. I followed the link to take the free test, but there were problems with the link. I do know I am more likely to choose Magenta than I am to pick red and yellow would be way down in my spectrum of color choices. Does that mean I am CEO material? Could I just apply for a job as a CEO and expect to get it, because magenta is a great color?

They list other qualities that may be found in a typical CEO. They can be more sensitive and private. They are less likely to be a perfectionist or to be dominant and more likely to be emotionally unstable. They are often creative and have the ability to motivate. They are more likely to be social workers, artists and teachers. Other professions in this group are executive assistants, bank tellers and cashiers (I've been all three) Yes, I think I could fit into most of that description. Where do I apply for the job?

http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2010-02-08-ceocolors08_ST_N.htm?se=yahoorefer

Delays?

The school district gave the kids a two-hour delay today. On the South West side of Albuquerque there wasn’t a lot of snow. The delay wasn’t really necessary. For me, the university did not give a two-hour delay. Grant enjoyed it because he got to go back to sleep, but he slept too long and missed his bus. El jay would have loved it, except, I didn’t wake him up until 8:15 and he didn’t have time to go out and play before the snow melted. Yeah, by the time I drove him to school at 9:45, the snow was mostly gone. I missed school because I have a 9:30 class and I can’t drop El Jay off at school until after 9:30. I missed my 11am class because I drove Grant to school and signed him in in the office. Otherwise he would have had a Saturday detention. I take the bus up to UNM and I would have had to be at the bus terminal at 10:15. I drove into my driveway at 10:35. Oh well, such is life. Such is stress.

I hated missing today’s classes. I have a test coming up next week in my Art History class and I really felt I needed to be there for today’s lecture. I had homework due in my Communication Theories class. I hope the instructor will allow me to hand it in on Tuesday. I got really stressed. Grant and I were battling. I am sure my blood pressure was high. As I drove home after taking Grant to school, I started off cursing life to myself. Cursing the other drivers. I cried. And then, I began to take deep breaths and reminded myself that it could always be worse. I reminded myself of all the blessing I have. I reminded myself that I have chosen my life as it is right now and I wouldn’t trade my children for anything.

If there is a message or two that come to mind as I write this, I would say that first, life is too short. The adage to Live, Love, and Laugh is important to remember. I’d add Learn to it. Always do your best to live, Love, Laugh and Learn. I found this quote and liked it:
Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.
(Maybe I’ll come back to that and focus an entire BLOG on it? For my source go to: http://321greetings.com/quotes/live-love-laugh-sayings-and-quotes/)

My second thought is to tell anyone reading this to finish their education. Do it while you are young. As a young adult you have your life ahead of you, so put your education first. In today’s world you have to get at least a Bachelor’s degree. Don’t be like I was. Don’t drop out your senior year in college. Yeah, I planned to go back, I was feeling burned out, I was getting married and moving out of state. It took me 24-years to go back. I did try twice. The first time I was 25, I got as far as enrolling in one of the three classes I needed for an Associate’s degree. I was at class the first night and my then husband showed up at class with our 18-month old son and left him with me. Saying, if one of us was going back to school it would be him and not me. The professor asked that I leave and told me not to return with a child.

That moment wasn’t a total loss. The opportunity was already there and I started my own special event planning business. I learned more doing that than I will ever learn in school. I loved what I did. Yet, I would have had such an advantage if I had had a degree. Okay, I have a Doctorate from the School of Hard Knocks and honestly, I’d rather have a bachelor’s degree.

Today’s photo is obviously not of the UNM campus. I wanted a new snow shot and didn’t have one of UNM with snow. I took this picture yesterday at San Jose de Armijo Cemetery. Maybe it fits my mood this morning. AS if missing my classes when I had little other choice was putting a nail in my educational coffin.

Routines & Rules

I always struggle with the first writing assignment and even the first test in each class. Does anyone else struggle, too? I could blame it on being dyslexic and the anxiety school caused for me as a child. It has always got easier with each assignment. Every teacher expects something different and I always feel I am writing for the specific teacher. Some more than others. I have to admit I struggle with anxiety and panic attacks, even while writing assignments.

In my mass com 268 class we are required to write a summery of each chapter, along with several questions. I handed in the summery for chapter one last week. I didn't try very hard with it, because I wasn't sure what the instructor expected. He handed them back today and I am happy to say, I have a better idea of what to write for chapter three. I had worked on chapter two, but hadn't handed it in, so I will tweak it a bit and see if I get it somewhat right.

I often do my reading assignments on the bus to and from school. That will be a challenge for 286. The summery has to be one typed page. I think it will be easier to write and read at the same time. However, I found this quote as I was reading on the bus ride home today. It fit perfectly with my thoughts in this BLOG:

"For most of us, the first time we were assigned to write a term paper or research paper was a scary experience. What's a suitable topic? How long should it be? Where can I get information? How much do I need? How do I organize it? How much detail should I go into? How much of it should be my opinion and how much should be "just the facts"? When do I need to use a footnote? The teacher could answer some questions fairly specifically. Other answers were open-ended. Whereas writing that first term paper was hard, writing the second was somewhat easier, and the third a bit easier than that. That is so because we not only write the term paper but begin to learn the rules for researching, organizing and writing them." (Media Making, Grossberg, Wartella, Whitney and Wise, p. 76)

So, I am not alone? I like knowing that.

Today's picture is of the Communication & Journalism building on the UNM campus. It was raining on Thursday when I took my camera with me to school.

Happy

This has been a rough week for me. I have a lot going on. I just got a phone call. No, I got a miracle. It is a long complicated story, so I will just share the basic details and good news part. My house was in foreclosure. It was suppose to be auctioned on February 2nd. I had tried every resource I could find and was not having any luck. Then I was referred to United South Broadway. I called. Did an intake and waited to hear something. On Monday I finally got a call from an attorney who was handling my case. I met with her Tuesday. She filed a motion to dismiss the foreclosure. The phone call today was from the attorney saying the mortgage company had dropped the entire foreclosure. There will be no auction. I still have my house. For now. The mortgage company will work with me to restructure my loan. Now, I need a job that will pay enough to help me make the house payment.

One huge obstacle somewhat down... so many more ahead of me. I have to leave soon for a hearing in Family Court. This battle is more important than my house. or finding a job. Or... school. This battle is about my son and protecting him. I feel confident that again all will be well. I know I am doing what I have to do.

For the picture I am attaching to this BLOG, I am using one from 17-years ago. This picture was taken the day I closed escrow on my first house. We worked hard to buy that house and to renovate and fix it up. This picture and the event of buying that property is for me, proof that I can do whatever I set my mind to.

Spring Semester

It is Spring Semester 2010. When I started back to school Fall of 2007 I was projecting that I would graduate this semester. Life happens and it looks like if I am a good student and work hard that I will graduate Fall of 2011. Maybe.

I have used this BLOG as an example of my writing style twice now. Both this week. Both times planning to come to this BLOG as soon as I hit send on the job APS. Knowing that I really needed to post something new and do some editing. Every time I reread a previous entry I see something I need to correct or change. I’ve logged in both times and then, life happens and I don’t do it.

I haven’t really posted in here since my old camera died. My excuse was; first, that I would come back when I had my new camera. Second, Fall semester ended. I would post again when the new semester was under way. I no longer have any excuses. I have a new camera and Spring is under way.

I just wanted to check in and say HELLO. I’ll come back and tell you about the three classes I am taking. I’ll post some pictures with my new camera after I take the camera up to UNM.

Today’s pictures were some of the first pictures I took with my new camera. I got a Canon T1i. I bought the camera on Thursday. The weather Friday was not the best for taking pictures. However, I was determined to get some pictures. The weather was looking nice after school. I gathered up El Jay, the dog and my camera and we hopped into the car, just as it began to rain again. As you can see it was pouring rain by the time we got to the park. We had errands to run and gave up on the park. A mile down the road the sky cleared. The rain stopped. I pulled into the first park. The boy, the dog, the mom and her camera jumped out of the car. I snapped a few pictures to include the rainbow. And just as suddenly as the rain had stopped, it started again.