The life and times of Pamela King

I just feel like lately I have been down in the dumps. I don't know why nor does Brian. I just feel stressed out all the time and I think that it has much to do with school. I hate that I allow such little things in life stress me out. I find myself crying for no reason and it is killing Brian. I keep telling him that nothing is (which there really is not anything wrong) and sometimes people just need to cry to let the stress out. Most people feel better after a good cry or at least I do. After shedding tears, there is generally a feeling of relief for me and renewed strength to face any and all situations. Yet after doing some research I found that evidence suggests that there may be more to crying than just expressing feelings. Scientific research has found that tears produced by emotional crying, may be one of the ways that the bodies dispose toxic substances. I guess that I just have a lot of toxins in my body that my body is trying to get rid of. Thats the only way that I can explain it. I would say that it would make more sense if I were pregnant but since they is no way that I can be then it has to be that I am just releasing stress.

I was absolutely blowed over by my PSY class tonight. I couldn't believe the relief that I got from learning that it was going to be basically an open book class. Take home quizzes, study guides and one research project made this class a welcome relief. So it truly balances out well with my math class.

So my only MAT class is turning out to be a very different class from what I expected. First off, we were very fortunate in our last two classes to get out way before 10pm. This class our professor believes in holding us until 10. Oh well! The second thing to surprise me was that this class will be just problem solving. The first night we were there we had a group activity at the end of class that involved us doing a Sudoku puzzle. The third thing was that we will have to do four research projects. I couldn't believe that when I read the syllabus. Lastly, the fact that we will be doing our homework online surprised me too. I would have bet that we would have had homework to turn in but we don't. This should be pretty interesting. Plus this time around we have 25 students in our class. Our last two classes had no more than 15. So I will have 4 papers to write (luckily not in any specific format, i.e. MLA or APA) and 7 assignments. i wonder what PSY will look like.

...and only 6 more to go. I finished my PSY and ENG class this week and next week starts MAT and my PSY 330 classes. Considering how hard my first psychology class was I wondering how hard my second class will be. I ended up getting an A in ENG and I am glad that that will be my only ENG class that I will have to deal with. I ended up getting a B in PYS, so now my GPA is 3.5 -for now.

I think that over all today was a great day--for the most part. I got spend part of it with him up at Tyler's (our favourite restaurant) while I was studying for ENG. I am just hoping that I get a good grade on it and on my exam as well. I am having Prof. McBride send my paper back to me so I can see what kind of grade I ended up getting on it. The presentation that I had to do along with ended up being long (way to long) and I didn't get to nervous while standing up there. Oh, how I hate to talk in front of people! I hate that I am like that but it is something that I am going to HAVE to get over. So all I have left is my PSY exam this Thursday and I will be starting my next set of classes next week. It's really hard to believe that I am already 5 weeks into this semester. I hope that time continues to fly on by the way that it has been. Only 6 more classes to go until the real fun begins.

So last night, early this morning, I began to blow up about 200 balloons so Kaity could have a whole mess of them to play with when she woke up in the morning. Well I dozed off on the couch and when she woke up at 2:30 she came out of her room and into the living room and saw all of the balloons and she has been up ever since. She is WAY too excited over these things. Score one for Mommy! She loves it when I put all of the tiny ones into a bag and just pour them over her. I felt bad because we woke Brian up. All I know is that it made her day and mine.

Oh, Kaity loves to jump into the 4 foot end of the swimming pool with no one around. She is such a little dare devil. The other day at the pool she decides to jump in with me being more than 6 feet away. I felt like a bad mom but when she came up she was laughing SO HARD. She loved it, I added a few more greys too my collection. She did the exact same thing to Grandma in her pool. She is such a butt.

Those storms that we had the last two nights were phenomenal. The wind had to of been close to 60 mph. plus the lightning coming down was gorgeous. I couldn't take my eyes off of the sky. Kaity loved it too. Lightning and thunder don't bother her at all. I guess she has the love-of-weather gene in her too :)! I just wish that I hadn't gotten so absorbed into the storm, otherwise I would have video taped it.

We are going to Joe's party tomorrow and I made my vegetable/flower arrangement. B helped and he liked how it turned out. I am going to take a pic of it right before I take it over. I figure I will go over around 3 so I can monitor Steve on the seasoning of the meat. We have differing views on how stuff should taste.

I got an A on my presentation. Now I am going to be curious as to see how I did on the actual paper itself. I am crossing my fingers that I got an A. That way I will end up with an A- in my PSY class. I am thinking that I will probably end up getting the same grade in my ENG class.

I have one more paper to write for ENG along with studying for the exam and for my exam in PSY. Should be easy though. Last test I was one of two to get an A on the test, everyone else got a 46 (F---) or below. I felt bad since she said that she wasn't going to grade on a curve because of that. Oh well!

Bobby Flay Friday, Oct. 20 at the Dorton Arena at the NC State Fair Grounds during the fair......that's all I am going to say!!!!!! He's not Alton but he is my second favorite! Tickets are going on sale August 1st for $22. I am SO BUYING ONE or two if I can talk B into going!!

While driving down the road, and looking for an address, do you turn the radio down?
Yes, and for the life of me I can't figure out why I do....

Pretend you are a really good cook, what meal would you make?
I am a really good cook. Next I want to make Beef Wellington.....perfectly.

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your closet?
My jeans that fit me perfectly

If you could quit your job right now, and be anything you wanted, what would it be?
Ha! Been there, done that! Now I am in school again!

What do you think of when you look at the stars?
That I would love to see them up close.

When you add someone into your cell phone, do you use there real name, or there nickname?
Depends on who they are.....
Why?
Friends get their nickname that I have for them, business and school contacts get their full name added.

If you use there real name, do you add their last name?
Yes, because otherwise i would get several of them confused since 1/3 of them all have the same names......

How much information do you ask for before you sleep with someone?
Tons. I can't just sleep with some random guy without getting to know them first.

How long do you date someone before you sleep with them?
I go so far as to tell a guy I won't sleep with them UNLESS we go on at least 5 dates. Just ask Brian, he'll attest to that


If you could say ONE THING to the president, what would it be?
I am SO glad that your term is about up......economic stimulus my a**. Look at the good that did for the economy.

If you could meet ANY president, dead or not, who would it be?
Clinton
Why?
To thank him for what he did for our economy and that I wish he was still in office.

If you could get rid of the holiday season, would you?
Christmas
Why?
It is way too "Hallmarkie"

IF you could go to any state, which one would you go to and why?
VA. I plan on living there in my favorite city one day.

Would you ever get a personalized license plate?
Yes but only if would say one thing.

If yes, would would it say?
It would say *10-8*


If you could go to college, what would you major in?
Nursing!!!!

Before you go to sleep at night, what do you think of?
Studying.....

What is your favorite kind of weather?
Summer. The hotter, the better.

Do you find it a bit unnerving doctors call what they do practice?
Well in a sense it is a practice since the more patients they see the better they perform. Practice makes perfect.

So it has been a while-not intentional of course-since I have been on here to blog. It's just that I have been busy studying, taking notes and writing papers. Next week I have end of class exams and my English paper due. I am turning my Psychology paper in tomorrow, one week early. I didn't want to have to worry about trying to turn in two papers at once. I want to start and finish my last paper on Friday so I will have all weekend to study for both classes. Hard to believe that these five weeks are almost over with. I ended up choosing the subject on wineries for my process paper. Should end up being very easy for me to do.



Kaity now is into telling knock-knock jokes and giving people raspberries. I will be standing next to Brian and I will ask Kaity "What do you do to Daddy's belly?". She will lift up his shirt, take a deep breath and blow on his belly really loudly. I love it as does he. She is also into telling jokes. She will say "Knock-knock" and I will say "Who's' there?" and she will either laugh or say Kaity or something else. Two days ago however when her and I were doing playing, she asked me knock-knock and and after I replied, she looked at me for a second and said in a sad voice "Oh, s***". I died laughing. So now she THINKS it is OK to say that word. I am going to have to break her of that habit pretty quickly. Thought that I had before when she used to say it (like she did once in front of an old lady at Harris Teeter) but I guess I did not.

Now I understand why so many people can't or won't go to school. I am growing very tired of the whole extra loan process. I am thankful that I don't need near as much as others do or did in my class, but none the less, the process in which to apply is a pain in the a**. Oh well, just think of how much I will be making when all said and done........way, way more than Brian!

What else.....hmmm.....going to see the fire works at the Bulls stadium this year. I am not 100% positive though, have to see what Brian says.

Kaity's uncle Joe is having his party on Saturday. I am going to make a vegi arrangement and a fruit arrangement just like that one company does-yet mine will be far better than what they can produce. I am trying to think of something different to take over since I REALLY don't feel like cooking anything in the kitchen since it has been so hot. I am sure to wow everyone with what I can make. I will take a pic if I can remember.

I just had to post about the cutest little thing that Kaity is doing recently. She has been doing this "HMMMMM, (as she puts her index finger to her lips) and then will say I KNOW!" I love this because I always have to respond to her and then she does it all over again!


Recently we have had to switch too size 8 shoes for her since her feet are getting so big now. That's a shock in itself.


I am now known as "that girl" in my class since I strive to have all of my homework done. In our Psych class, we just had our first quiz and I received the highest grade (perfect) and everyone almost failed. I hate it and love it at the same time but hey who cares......I guess that I am "that girl"!




So in my Psych class I have to write about "Emotions, Stress and Health" and I have too prepare a 20 min in class presentation on Finding Nemo and the character Dory. In English I have to write a research essay on whatever topic I choose. That one is going to be hard as I am thinking about doing something with either cooking, wineries or on street signs and lights. Although I am thinking that my choice will be the second one since I already have a pretty exstensive knowledge base on that.

Brian loved his gift from Kaity and I. The frames turned out beautifully and I love them too. He had been wanting some more pictures of us and he has them sitting on his night stand.


Kaity is becoming more and more of a lover of art and music everyday. She LOVES to play on her full length keyboard and she LOVES to draw. She even uses her pencils as drumsticks as she is singing! She used to never get enough of my reading to her but now she just wants to express herself through drawing and music. I am wondering if there is some sort of correlation that I should be looking for. Will she be more adapt to understanding math and science? I hope so since many girls tend to not pick up on that as well as boys.


Poor thing though, she has been having to get used to me reading all the time now. Funny thing is that when I highlight stuff in my textbook, she thinks that it is a free-for-all and that she is able to do the same thing with her crayons and/or pencils. I feel bad telling her no because she sees me doing it and it is hard for her to understand that she can not and I can. All I know is that I can not wait until this is done. I am tired of suffering from "eyes-glazed-over syndrome".

OK so just because I got my paper for English class done the very next day, I am now known as the "over-achiever" by the rest of my students. I had taken my laptop into school so I could have one of the girls read it and for her to give me her opinion on it. So some of the rest of my fellow students saw that and now I am getting teased a little because of it. I don't care. I think it's great. SO I LIKE TOO STUDY AND DO HOMEWORK!!!!! That doesn't make me nerdy :)!Now I have everyone coming to me to be the go to person for setting up study groups. Going on, I just hated though how my professor wanted all of us to write our papers in MLA format and not in APA format. I am unfamiliar with that style of writing and would like to "master" it before starting Watts since that is what Watts requires. Then last night in my pysch class our professor decided that for our research paper for her class will ALSO be written in MLA! She came to that decision after some of the students complained about not understanding that style of writing. I mean come on, that is why we were given the concise style guidebook for APA, so we can become proficient in writing that way. So what is everyone going to do when we start Watts, complain there as well? Oh well. Nice thing about my pysch class is that we get to do research papers on a list of movies that Dr. Kornegay has picked out and I am doing a paper on the movie Crash. That is one of my favorite movies. So writing a 15 page paper should be pretty easy......or so I hope! Well back too reading. I have to finish reading 16 modules before the end of today so I can re-read those sections at least 2 more times before next thursday since we will have a test to take on those 250 pages. I figure I will have time while I am waiting for my car windows to be tinted. The sticker to place in the window to allow my windows to be tinted so dark is huge and neon green :(!

Wow for this being a 5 week course, I anticipated more writing assignments since she has to pack 6 months worth of lessons into 5 nights. Although they are 4 hour courses, I still expected more. We had a essay in class to write last night (Brian was right), we have another essay due on the 24th and our research essay is due the day of our exam. So other than reading a lot and taking a lot of notes, I will only have 3 homework assignments for this class. I guess that had a lot to do with the fact that we will also be in PSY and in that class you are guaranteed to read A LOT in there for sure. I really LOVE my professor as she is so sweet and down to earth. I can't believe that someone can actually make English fun. I have always hated the subject on English. We are taught to learn correct English yet in real life we never use it. So I am keeping this short as I am starting to work on my rough draft. Coming up with a thesis is a pain. I want it to be inviting enough for someone to want to read what I have written, but writing about the pros of school uniforms is not exactly great reading as everyone already has their own opinion. I mean why read one more?

Kaitlyn is such a little trip, she thinks that getting up at 6 every morning with me is acceptable now. I like/need to get up at 6 in order to finish cleaning up from the night before and too fix her breakfast. However the real reason I get up really is so I can fully wake up before she does. I always have to have a cup of coffee in the morning before that energizer bunny awakens! I have a feeling that I will no longer be allowing her to sleep longer than an hour. I like for her to sleep that long since it allows me to vacuum with out upsetting her (even though she is getting better all of a sudden) and to mop the floors. I think that from now on she will be getting no more than forty-five minutes at the most.

Kaitlyn's drawing are becoming more defined. She can now draw straight lines and circles. It amazed me to see how her lines are so straight. She still draws with both of her hands and I was really hoping that we would've been seeing by now which one of her hands is more dominant but I guess that we will have to wait a while longer for that.

SO tomorrow is the start of my new semester and I am WAY TOO EXCITED! I know, I know I keep saying that but it is SO true. I can't wait to start as I know it will be so much fun. I went out to Target and bought this awesome and very colorful plaid tote to carry all of my stuff in. I didn't want to have to use a book bag since I hate to use a zipper. Zippers are very irksome, especially the one on this book bag since it is the same one that I have had since high school. I never throw anything away :)! Brian hates my backpack as he thinks it is ugly and he can't believe that I would want to use it. I told him that I could also use it for when we went to the beach. He replied along the lines of "well then you will be carrying it".

Any who like Brian said, I have a feeling that I will be doing some writing my first day. I hate to write on a whim about something that is given to me. I much rather write about what I choose. So if that is the case that should be pretty "fun".

Plus I am kinda curious as too how many students will be in this class. I hope there isn't too many since I love smaller classes as opposed to larger ones. I feel that it allows for greater class involvement. I hope that I don;t get called on too much!

....and I will be starting this new semester. I can't wait. I mean it's obvious. I can' sleep, i'm anxious, and way to excited. I haven't been in school for a while so I can't wait to see what is expected of me. I miss the whole having homework and studying thing. What else can I say other than I love school.

Our camping trip was so much fun....despite the fact that Kaity was bored for most of it. Our campsite was nestled far in the woods, away from our car, other people and away from the world as we know it. We had to hike down a small hill to get to our beautiful spot. We had a little clearing amid the tall long pole pines that gave us the most wonderful location to just see the stars through the canopy. On the opposite side of our campsite was a little trail that led us down to our own private beach. Aside from the occasional boater we felt all alone. It was perfect.
We got there around noon and immediately set up camp. That wasn't very hard to do considering that we only packed a little. I LOVE primitive camping!!! We made our lunch which consisted of hot dogs on skewers, pork and beans (heated and then ate right out of the can), and chips. Afterwards we walked down to the beach where we played and laughed. The water was so warm unless you walked more than 15-20 out. There the undertow was pretty chilly. Afterwards we headed back to camp and cleaned up. We then walked up to the mulch bathrooms and threw away our trash. We left there and walked around and checked out the other side of the peninsula. I wanted to make sure that we were going to be the only people there for the night.........and we were!!!! We headed back and and we laid Kaity down for a nap. Brian and I then talked about everything and nothing. It was so relaxing being able to sit in such piece and quiet and too be able to spend quality time with my husband. After Kaity awoke, we walked back down to the water and walked around. She also got wet again!!! We found such interesting tree roots that were formed from the water hitting them over and over again. At that point the sky was clouding over so we headed back to camp. The ranger came and collected our monies for the site and for the firewood (or as they say in the south "farwood"). We got our fire going with the wood we had bought and added our own wood and pine cones that we had collected from walking around. At that point I had decided that it would be best to start dinner (although early) because the threat of rain was imminent. We made hamburgers w/ cheese, chili (again heated and then ate right out of the can) and corn-on-the-cob. So after preparing and cooking and almost near completion, the rain had started to fall. So we took our food into the tent and ate. As we were finishing, the light rain ceased and we ventured out of our tent and played until Kaity got tired and we laid her down for the night. Brian and I again got to sit and talk and spend more quality time together. It was wonderful. At one point I heard something in the woods and asked B to get the flashlight. As I turned it on and pointed it in the direction of where I heard the sound, he and I saw a raccoon less than 40 feet from us. How awesome was that! The raccoons eyes glowed red as I shined the light upon him. I told him that it looked like we would be having some company tonight. We decided after building the fire up to head to bed ourselves. The wind I thought was going to be the only thing that was going to keep us up since it had picked up in intensity as it was getting dark. After about 30 minutes the raccoon returned and was clawing at our tent and at the grocery bag full of garbage hanging from the lantern post. I couldn't remember how high they could jump to get at things so at 1 in the morning I had to go out and retrieve it to bring it in the tent. The only person who got decent sleep that night was Kaity!!! She slept the whole night w/o waking once. The next morning I woke first and it was still dark and because of the cloud cover everything looked blue. I got the fire going again and got my pot of water going for coffee. One hour after I woke Kaity got up and she then woke Brian. I finished gathering all of the things for breakfast (Egg Beaters and bacon). Brian made the bacon on the grate using a sheet of foil to cook on and I used the fry pan for the eggs. Kaity and I enjoyed breakfast. Brian wasn't the biggest fan of the eggs. I still love you honey! Afterwards we broke down camp and packed the car and we were on the road by 8:02 am. We stopped at a strawberry patch on our way back and all 3 of us picked strawberries. She enjoyed that more than the trip.
So what did I learn about this trip...

1. We still need more stuff to make it a little bit better.......i.e. Floor Mat, larger cooler, taller pole (thanks raccoons)
2. Need to bring Kaity her ball.
3. That Brian now likes camping and would do it again since I have showed him the right way and how it can be fun.
4. That we are going to do it again.......sometime soon....like say a month from now.

Our own beach

Kaity and I making s'mores Our new friendEating BreakfastKaity after our trip going strawberry picking

OK well since I have been up I decided to edit some of the pictures that I have of Kaity and I am going to post this one as I absolutely LOVE IT!!!!

Ummmm.....Yea, remember when I said that I have a bad case of insomnia? Well Kaity has had it (sort of) tonight instead of me. It all started when she got out of her bed, opened her door, saw that I had the TV on in my room, came in and wanted up on my bed. So I laid her down and she was out with in a few minutes. Trouble is now that she can't sleep and has been waking up every 30-45 minutes. So of course I haven't slept a wink all night. Every time I doze off, she wakes up. I don't get it. Her and her daddy need to get their sleeping problems checked out. I think that I will call the nurse tomorrow at the peds office and she what she thinks about Kaity.

Wow was I ever tired today. I went to bed way to late last night and got up way to early. Kaity always gets up between 6:30 and 7:30. That depends on what time she has gone to bed the night before. She usually goes around 8:30-9. So obviously the earlier she gets up....well you get the point. So I have a huge case of insomnia right now and it sucks. I always get it right before I start something or go somewhere. I have it doubly bad since I getting ready to start a new semester plus we have our camping trip coming up. I swear I am SO pathetic sometimes it isn't even funny.

B thinks it is funny that I am like this.......getting "work up" over doing and starting something new. Ha! This coming from the man who suffers from insomnia like every over night for no reason. I just wish that he would go and see a doctor. I did when I had problems sleeping at night and that is how I got my free (except for the $50 co-pay) septo-rhinoplasty. Better known as plastic surgery or a "nose job". I had to have my septum and my entire nose re-shaped. I was bit on the nose as a kid by a dog. So due to the fact that I would stop breathing during the night I had to have a sleep study done. At one point during my sleep study at Kiron, I had stopped breathing 47 times.....that was in just one hour. The whole night (8 hours) I stopped breathing over 500 times......so that's why I got the plastic surgery for free. I love BCBS! I loved them even more when I was pregnant with Kaity since we only paid the first co-pay and then the hospital stay. We ended up paying $320 for the whole pregnancy. Pays to have the best. Any who, B is afraid to go since he knows that he will end up having to do a sleep study. He hates doctors. The last time he had to go was for both of his surgeries AND SINCE he didn't have to stay over night it was ok. Oh well. I told him that he just has to stay healthy for the next two years after that he is on his own. I can only nag him so much! :) I even told him "look I had/have 4 doctors appointments in the next two weeks. I have my physical, eye, dentist and girlie dr". I also have/had Kaity's eye, 2-year and her dentist. So I had all of these trips to the doctors and he won't make one other than the dentist and actually I had to do that for him. Wow now that was a rant!

So what else....hmmmm....well I ended up taking a nap today and felt bad about it but I had only gotten about 4 hours of sleep the night before. So here I am wide ass awake and blogging. I grilled our dinner outside and then afterwards took Kaity outside after the storm and the lightning had subsided and we got all wet from the rain as we played.....she loves that! Afterwards we went to the store, finished buying what we needed for our trip and came home. So now all I have left to do today is finish dishes and veg on the couch. I plan on vacuuming the floor tomorrow when B gets up since Kaity hates that thing.

I now have B added on as an author on my other blog. I have set it to private since I don't anyone on the Internet coming across that blog and using my recipes that we have created. I would rather that they use them when we have them published. One day we will be a published authors. That will be awesome! Some of our recipes are AMAZING! Not to toot my own horn but they truly are. If there was a cooking school (reputable, not the one in Durham) I would be doing that instead of nursing school.