The Original Blog

I was reading through some old IM conversations today (you know, that time-wasting tool once known as AOL Instant Messanger?), and I came across a link to my very first blog.

http://shellystick.diaryland.com/older.html

It was like finding an old friend. I can't remember everything that's written in it, only that is starts in 2004 and ends in February of 2008, when I merged to what you're reading now via blogger.com.

I love looking into the past. Join me, won't you? :)

Upon Seeing My Cat Draped Over My Graduate School Textbooks

My husband asks, before bedtime, if I'm done for the night, with studying,
and I say that I haven't started,
but the cat is getting more use out of this rigid instruction than I, in her sleep-filled state,
her stress-free dreams, her to-do list done by her master,
no Gagne yanking her frayed leash, no Bloom neglecting her empty water dish,
just the perception of a calming surface of a textbook
serving no other purpose than a hard pillow on a cold night.

Manure or The Horse?

I can't resist sharing a cute story I read earlier today.

One day two little boys were walking through a field. Suddenly one of them stumbled and fell into a pile of horse manure and the other, who was right behind his friend, fell into it, too. The first little boy got up, disgusted, brushed his clothes off moaning and grousing and loudly proclaimed his unhappiness. The second boy got up and started running wildly around the field.

"What is wrong with you?" the first boy asked. "You crazy or something? What are you running around like that for?"

"The horse!" exclaimed the second boy. "I'm looking for the horse!"

"What do you mean?" asked the first boy.

"Well, if there's a pile of manure here, there's gotta be a horse nearby!" the second boy replied, happily grinning as he ran looking.

And so it is in life. Some of us, upon stepping into a pile of manure, see only the manure. Others look for the horse.

Graduate School (and why I'm glad I took five years off after college)

I'm going back to school. That's right. In just over two weeks, I'll be toting my three-ring binders and colored pens (or do kids use laptops these days?) to The University of Central Florida.

To be more specific: I've decided to pursue a master's degree in Instructional Systems Design.

When hearing this, most people have either given me a blank look, or have feigned enthusiasm, as opposed to admitting they have no idea what ISD is (and up until four years ago, I didn't either). Or, they've blurted out an amusing response.

"But... you're a writer, not an engineer." -Friend 1

"So... you'll be learning how to build stuff for computers?" -Friend 2

"Awesome! You can help me decorate my house, if I can ever afford one!" -Friend 3

It's something about the combination of the words "instructional", "systems", and "design" that connote engineering specifications or computer systems. It certainly doesn't sound like a career path a creative writer would take.

This is why I'm thankful for taking five years off after college to get some working experience. As it turns out, one of my natural strengths is process and procedural documentation; I avoided all business and technical writing courses that were part of my college writing track, so who knew? My days of poetry, prose, creative nonfiction, and journalism quickly faded once I started working as a professional technical writer.

Faded but not forgotten. It also turns out that pairing a creative writing skillset with technical writing experience "makes a lethal instructional designer" (according to a random YouTube video I watched a few weeks ago, but can't find now to reference). Taking a logical approach to creating a course and blending it with creativity to engage the learner will have a huge impact. And that's what's most appealing to me -- a career where I can make equal use of my left brain and right brain to connect with people.

Another benefit of taking time off after college: more and more graduate programs are being geared toward adults working full-time and needing flexibility, and online master's programs are becoming increasingly more desirable. With the exception of one of my classes this fall, I'll be able to pursue most of my degree in a completely online format.

So, I'm trading in my volleyball and part of my social life for textbooks and homework. For now, anyway. Eventually I'll strike the balance between my day job, my classes, and all of the fun stuff in between.

Farewell to a Festival of Friendship

"You only meet your once in a lifetime friends... once in a lifetime."
- The Little Rascals

Last night, Jolyon and I bid farewell to two of our dearest friends.

As I write this post, Dan is cruising up I-95 in his blue Fit with Buster, a playful if not slobbery mutt, towards a three-year stint at Cornell Law School. Kaleigh is driving "the best packed truck in the nation" (thankfully, the laughs outweighed the boxes) in pursuit of the Fit and their new life in Ithaca, NY.

I was wrestling with how to best write about this friendship; it's deserving of a public display in the finest gallery so that others can create replicas and enhance their own lives.

Or maybe it should be quietly preserved in a box, wrapped with a pretty bow, and tucked away in our private memory shelf.

Or maybe these pictures will be enough to convey how much these two crazy kids impacted our lives in a relatively short period of time (9 months; "Thanks for bearing my children." -Dan).

"Delicious."

Christmas Cookie Craziness, 2009

Fishy smell in Disneyland

Jolyon tries for a hug in Disneyland.

ShelLy and KaLeigh

The Icing Incident of 2009.

Celebrating Buster's birthday.

With Danleigh's housewarming gift.

Boys and their toys.

Celebrating for Buster.

Disneyland in California

Unforgettable

Hollywood, CA

Lovely lady legs.

Fun mirrors, or too much theme park food?

Hollywood ladies

Late night dinner in CA

Water park fun

A relaxing Sunday at the Sasse residence.

Definitely going to miss days like these.

Horseshoe show-down

Slumber party

Signing the pact.

The Pact

A goofy bunch

Epic Wii battle on their last night in Orlando; Jolyon wearing his "I Love NY" shirt in support.

Jolyon finally gets his hug.

Final moments.

An unforgettable foursome.

"The tender friendships one gives up, on parting, leave their bite on the heart, but also a curious feeling of a treasure somewhere buried."
~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Technology

Technology is amazing.

This coming from the girl who- not less than three years ago- still clung to her VCR and prized VHS tapes. I haven't jumped on the blueray bandwagon just yet (I'm not that much of a lemming), but it's only a matter of time.

I've gotten off track.

I'm writing this post from my new smart phone - a DROID X. It was released on July 15th and I still can't believe I own this fascinating miniature computer disguised as a cellular device, enabling me to be further socially connected and engaged with the world.

Two key features of note: 8 mp camera and speech-to-text functionality. I can snap a vivid picture of my chocolate gelato at lunch (did that), talk into my phone a brief caption for said photo (also did that), and click send or post. Instant connection. (Did that, too.)

I can now chuckle alongside other smart phone owners as we stand on our proverbial platform of "there's an app for that, you know."

And, damn. There really IS an app for everything.

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