A very "special" education

I love education. I know that in the past I have complained much of actually having to do things like go to class and do homework, but in all honesty, my heart lies in higher education. Throughout history you can start to see what education can do to bring people out of poverty and empower them to make changes in their lives and in the communities they live in.

Staying away from the classroom is also something I have yet been able to do. When I graduated from Western Washington University in 2004 I swore I would never step back into a classroom.


Humble pie is what I ate when I graduated from Portland State University with a graduate degree in 2009. Friends can attest to the fact that all schooling really cuts into my socializing and television watching time. Living in Bellingham I used to complain that everyone was having fun without me while I toiled away writing papers and other such nonsense. I felt the same way when going back to grad school. Yet I feel compelled to go back. I get excited when learning new ideas and theories. My mind starts to race with possibilities and I feel gratification when I can put into practice book-learning in the real world. Every time I have graduated it is with a sense of euphoria and gladness that I no longer have to spend long hours pouring over research articles and drafting long soliloquies and reflections.

Yet despite all that I made a decision about a week ago to back again. No, not to get a doctorate (that's crazy talk.... but let's shelve that thought and I'm sure it will come back again). When I told one friend about this decision her exact words were "Are you crazy?????? You hate school remember?" Thanks for that vote of confidence. But it's just one class. It can't be that bad...


But I do find myself back in school again. This time to get a graduate certificate in Service-learning and Community-based learning. Quite a mouthful, right? My friend Charisse and I are doing this together. Charisse and I will see much of each other for the term. We are also co-teaching a freshman year experience course together, commuting once a week to Portland and getting into other mischief along the way. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Just remind me of that when I have to stay in and read articles and actually do my homework.

Creation, Dawning, Initiation, Introduction, Origin, Source or Blog One

Greetings friends, strangers and acquaintances. If you are reading this you are officially lurking through the internet to read these thoughts. Congratulations. I commend your fortitude.

For months (years?) I have thought about starting a blog. The reasons for not starting a blog are many...I have lived in several different cities and have good friends in each city and I like to keep track of them via the wonderful invention of the internet. I can see photo's of a good friend from college new baby or read recipes from complete strangers. By comparison, I am a single lady (waiting for someone to put a ring on it) and fear that no one would want to hear the thoughts and adventures of my simple life. However, through the urging of friends I have bit the proverbial bullet and begun. The blog is still under construction, but here we all are, for blog post number one. The pressure for the first post is incredible. Its like reading the first 5 pages of a new book. I have only this moment to hook you, and leave you wanting to know more about me and the crazy, wonderful life I lead. Well, friends, strangers and mere acquaintances I want to share something VERY important with you.



I found this little gem of a vending machine near my parents house in Boise, Idaho (don't worry, we'll devote entire postings to the randomness of Boise). There are so many questions involved with a "Live Bait" vending machine. Who puts in the bait? How frequently is the bait switched? What happens if you put in your dollar for a night crawler and its dead? Who replaces the bait? What is the optimal refrigeration for live bait? Who puts the bait in and what is the supply and demand of the field? When you saw this picture did you also envision young children selling worms dug up from the backyard just like me. The possibilities really are endless. Don't stay up too late thinking of new questions, my brain is still tired of thinking about this vending machine.