Not Submitting

Have you ever taken an online class? I'm taking microbiology online right now through a community college in Phoenix. Once a week I have to turn in an assortment of essays, quizzes, and projects through the class website. Having just finished turning in (notice the verb choice) one such essay, I was met with the following pop-up message: "Thank you for your submission. You may now close your browser window." Perhaps I am feeling a bit feisty because I am sitting in an airport along with so many other cattle... I mean people, but I AM NOT SUBMITTING! I am not subdued, you have not forced my submission, I am not an enemy to be vanquished, but if you want to go that route, let me repeat my earlier statement: I AM NOT SUBMITTING! Thank you very much for your easy and convenient online format for conveying the knowledge of microbiology, but perhaps rather than this adversarial relationship we can work together; you give me knowledge (and perhaps more importantly the documentation to prove it to other people/schools/employers) and I'll give you money. Not submission. And why the domineering tone of voice in the second sentence: "You may now close your browser window." By golly I'll close it any time I darn well feel like it, you know why? 'Cuz I AM NOT SUBMITTING!

Whew, ok, that felt nice. So why am I taking microbiology you may ask? Well, I suppose one reason is that there is still more in this world I don't know that I do know, so as long as that fact remains it is likely I'll be in school trying to correct that imbalance. For another reason, there is a better than average chance I'll be applying to nursing school in the spring, and for some reason they want you to know about germs and stuff if you are going to be a nurse.

Hah, and I bet you were expecting some sort of holiday/christmas themed post.

Commuting to work

This was my commute to work this morning. About a foot of new snow meant a chance to ski to work, strapping on in the drive way and skiing the entire way to the front steps of the Rec Center, where I work on campus, about 2 miles, half of that through the forest across from my house.