FINISHED!!

Well, not quite! 


But I am finished grading at that is a HUGE load off. One of the courses I was teaching was a writing intensive course and so there was lots of papers to grade and grades to check. Having three classes and 170 students this semester has been a big load but it's been a lot of great experience so I can't complain. But I won't miss team teaching when it's over!


This weekend I'm working a couple events at the Breslin Center, studying for a final exam, and writing a couple exams. Monday I take my one and only final for the semester and turn in a portfolio and then my classes as a student are over! After that I'll have to give two finals on Wednesday and one on Friday, do some grading, and then I can kiss this semester goodbye! (Of course, then I only have a week off and then summer school starts but I always love a change of pace.)


This semester has been slightly less stressful as a student and more stressful as a teacher than any previous. I feel like I can manage this better though which makes the thoughts of teaching as a full-time job (whenever we can finally get out of here) exciting!


Mikel has been super busy at work with the weather warming up and the grass growing! He has been getting a good number of hours and making lots of sales so that's good for us! I can't wait for warm weather and new classes this summer!! The 75 degree weather today is making it even more real!

pretty pretty

The good thing about the spring is all the pretty flowers! All the flowers behind Sparty are blooming and it's so pretty every time I walk to my office. The lines of students are starting to form to take pictures in graduation gear and these flowers make them even better!

Now if the temperatures would just catch up and with the flowers and we could have pretty AND warm, I would be really happy!


Two more weeks of school!!!!

Mikel's conquests

Mikel got the chance to go turkey hunting with a friend and, of course, said yes. He had never been turkey hunting before so was excited to go!!


He figures 100% success rate isn't too bad!

These are fishing pictures that I had never got off his camera until now. These are all from his trip to Idaho...

And this one is from Ionia. Not too bad...

mom's visit

So my mom came and visited between Tuesday and Saturday last week for her spring break and it was so much fun to have her in town! I tried to get a bunch of stuff done early so I wouldn't have as much school work to do. I was still pretty busy and Mikel had a lot of hours at work but it is always great to have visitors!

While she was here we did some exploring around campus, taking pictures of flowers and walking by the river. She also went to the beginning of a MSU volleyball spring tournament with me which was lots of fun!

Here are some more of the pictures we took around campus and town..

This is by the railroad tracks across the street... 

The day after my mom got here it was 80 degrees and wonderful and the day she left it was in the 30s-- welcome to spring! Hopefully it warms up again... I'm ready to sit by the pool and get some color on my pale legs!

Other than that, work is picking up for Mikel and there's only 3 weeks of school left for me! It will be a race to the finish!

After that, I have one week off and then summer school starts. I always like something new and a change of pace!

procrastination...

This is what procrastination looks like....

On a positive note, my 25 page paper is done (and it was done before 10)!

Mikel's sweet new final four shirt (mine was in the laundry or you could see mine too)...

many pretty spring flowers...


These ones are all on campus at MSU...

Lisa's top secret advice for success in graduate school and life...

One of the interns who works in our office was with me when I was in Ann Arbor doing data collection (and slamming my hand in the car). She's super cool and was very excited because she just got accepted to graduate school. She was asking me all sorts of questions about what it was like, whether she was going to be able to do it, and for advice. I only had one piece of advice (well I told her she would be fine, she's a super smart girl and way on top of things). My top secret advice for success in graduate school and life: FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. Seriously, how hard is it?! For some people that answer is really really hard. I don't get it... It's actually easier if you follow directions; people are telling you what to do so you just have to do it. I try and pass this pearl of wisdom onto my students as well but some don't get it yet (although they might when they get their assignments back-- those that didn't follow directions didn't do too hot). 


Today, I had to give a presentation today on my current research project in front of all of our department along with three other students. All PhD students have to do it at some point. What don't people understand about 12-15 minutes?! This is a direction that the other students choose not to follow. Eight minutes over on a twelve minute presentation is a large departure from the directions. Anyways, my presentation went really well and people were very positive so that's all that matters to me. I got my grade and I can move forward. 


Unfortunately, my presentation was not drama free. Apparently, when I was packing last night, I only put one shoe in the bag. I didn't realize this until about 10 minutes before presentations were to start. Mikel didn't have the car so he couldn't bring it to me and I had to be in the presentations so I couldn't go. This left me with three options: wear my red running shoes, wear one of each (black dress shoe and red running shoe), wear no shoes. I initially thought the one shoe- one barefoot option was the best but I didn't want to walk around the building with no shoes so I would wear one of each into the room and then when it was my turn to go up with one shoe. Well, I forgot to take off the bright red shoe so I ended up wearing one of each. It was fine and nobody noticed but the people I had told until after my presentation but I couldn't step out from behind the podium so nobody saw. Marty (my advisor) and Brett (my friend from Idaho and officemate) had an extra good laugh when it was all over. 


On another note-- Mikel took pictures of these two beautiful cardinals (I think) outside our apartment the other day. We were teased with warm weather in the 70s for awhile but it was down to the 30s and 40s today; hopefully that won't last long...

I have to get ahold of some of Mikel's fishing pictures from his visit to Idaho so I can post them. He had a great time and caught some big fish!

Is it sad that, when I saw it raining today, the first thing I thought was: "that should keep the crazy rioting/partying down"?! Well, MSU is in the Final Four tonight and it should be an interesting game; hopefully they can win and make it to another national championship game! Unfortunately, I will be working tonight so I won't be able to watch it but I'm sure I'll be getting updates. This is one time that I hope ESPN is right and MSU pulls it out-- then I can watch the national championship on Monday night!


In other news, I've been working Alegria (a Cirque du Soleil show) and it's soooo cool! It's definitely what bad dreams are made of (creepy clowns and such) but there are awesome performers as well. 


Also, I showed my hand to an athletic trainer yesterday she recommended me get an x-ray to check it out. I'll spare you the miserable doctor story but the x-ray confirmed that it wasn't broken. The swelling has gone down but the bruising has taken over and it still hurts. Hopefully it gets better fast! It's hard to get a good picture of it but this is what it looks like now...

No big Easter plans here but the end of the semester is nearing and the subsequent stress level is rising!! I can't wait for it to be over!


GO GREEN!

FINAL FOUR!!!

So Izzo and MSU basketball has done it again and made the final four! It's incredible to be around such a successful program and a university and community that are so supportive. I have had a couple students tell me they have finals tickets and won't be in class on Monday if we make it-- I'm jealous but can't say I blame them! The farther we get into the tournament, the crazier the celebrations get so this afternoon I got this email in my MSU account:

"Dear MSU Student:

As we head to Indy on the last stretch of the road to the Final Four, we take with us your pride, support, and enthusiasm. We are honored to represent a great University and all Michigan State students and alums. We strive to be the best because we represent the best - both on and off the court. We are part of a proud and noble Spartan tradition of winning with class.

Representing the best of MSU on an international stage is a shared responsibility...and a shared opportunity. Let's all once again show the world that Spartans celebrate our unity with class. It's an honor to be a Spartan. Be very loud about it. Be very proud about it.

Go Green,

Tom Izzo"

Hopefully the nights will stay fairly incident free like last year. 

On another note, it's wonderful that Mikel is back here! And, my hand is less swollen but more bruised than when I originally hurt it on Saturday. Hopefully it will get better fast!