feminist blogs

but I never claimed to be a lady!

I'm super duper proud of myself for getting the highest grade in the class on my Women's History essay. The subject was comparing and contrasting the ways in which the Depression and WWII affected women's lives and reinforced or defied gender roles at the time.

The average score was an 88% and I got a 98%. Yay me! I love school!

Last night in class we were discussing the radical feminist protest of the 1968 Miss America Pageant and got off on a tangent. We spent at least half an hour discussing bras: necessary, helpful support or oppressive torture device? The younger students leaned toward the former, older students the latter. Probably because we older students have been wearing uncomfortable bras for so much longer and would rather give our boobs the freedom to flop and let gravity take its course already!

I also enrolled for Spring semester. I'll be taking Spanish 2 with the same instructor I had for Spanish 1. I guess I'll be spending the winter break studying up on everything I've forgotten since last semester. Oy.

Not that anyone cares or even reads this blog anymore besides my mom but....

Work is really good and really, REALLY busy.

School is really, really great and super DUPER busy. I wish I could afford to quit working and just be a full time student for the rest of my life. I doubt I'd ever run out of interesting classes to take because my curiosity is sparked by each new thing I learn and I want to be an expert on all of it!

(Becker and I spent about six hours last weekend drinking beers and discussing turn of the century history through the cold war and it was awesome. The most fun I've had with him in AGES!)

Right now I'm working on my research paper on Charlotte Perkin's Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper", and how women's repressed and restricted roles in the early twentieth century had a hugely negative impact on their creativity and mental-health. It's fascinating, but it's hard and I tend to freak under the pressure of deadlines, therefore, I'm a bit of a stress ball at the moment. A happy stress ball though!

Also - The SF Public Library is so ruling! I'm still loving books on cd. I just finished SURVIVOR which is a great/hilarious book but the reader sucked so I hated it. Currently I'm "reading" Ethan Frome again and I love it and the reader is really good too. Next I'm "reading" The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. I've got a buttload lined up after that too so hopefully I'll get to finish them all before I croak.

The SPCA is still awesome and we've had lots of adoptions and lots of great cats I just haven't had time to spotlight. I'm on vacation next week to work on my paper and spend Thanksgiving with the kitties though, so hopefully I'll have time to spotlight a few winners.

And before I forget - Happy Birthday, Mama! Your gift should arrive by tomorrow on your official BDay. I love you! I hope it's wonderful and followed by an amazing year!

The class I had hoped to take next semester (Women In the Economy) isn't available at night. I could take Spanish 1B with the same instructor I had for Spanish 1A and it's at the downtown campus on Thursday nights, but there's also a creative writing/short story class on Tuesday nights in Noe Valley.

The question is, do I want to learn to better communicate in Spanish or better communicate the joy and/or sorrow and/or tragedy and/or comedy in my heart? A better question might be, do I even have anything to say?

Both professors are women so there are no men to discriminate against, and therefore I am torn.

What to do, what to do?!

P.S. I really love my Women's History class and Professor Adams. She's awesome. I think I only got a B on the multiple choice portion of my midterm last night though, therefore I must get a perfect score on the essay portion next week to maintain my A. I've been writing my ass off and spending every free moment at the library. I LOVE THE LIBRARY!

Also - have you heard of books on tape? OMG! They're like the best invention ever! I'm able to accomplish so much more in a day now that I can "read" books at work.

I can't believe how fast the summer is flying by.

I've been so busy at work lately and I'm going to start picking up some more hours at the SPCA when I start the Cat Behavior Program and then school starts again on August 15th. I'm taking United States Women's History this semester to get a feel for non-language classes and if I do well I'll take Spanish 2 and another class in the spring. I'm just trying to feel things out to make sure I don't take on too much. I want to maintain my GPA so I need to make sure I can handle it.

Needless (?) to say, I have had exactly zero time to blog, read blogs, or even read or respond to emails. Can you believe that? ME!? You know how I love my email!

Anyhoo, I just wanted to check in and let y'all know I'm alive and well. I'll get back into my old blogging routine when I can manage my time a little better. Pinkie-swear!

I just got my grades from last semester and I got an A en espanol so I'm currently carrying a 4.0. (Never thought I'd say that! Hee.)

They're not offering Spanish 1B at the downtown campus next semester so I'm taking Women's History instead and I'll take Spanish 1B in the Spring. I've still got my textbook and workbook though, so I'm going to try and study on my own so I'll be a bit ahead when I do take it. If I feel confident enough, I may even try and take TWO classes in the Spring, instead of just the one. I want to maintain a 4.0 to make up for all the fucking up I did in college though. I'm still working full time and I want to continue volunteering and maybe even have some type of social life so I'm going to try not to over extend myself.

Anyway, I figured you were dying to know and I was dying to brag so it's a win/win situation.

You're welcome!

I kicked that final's ASS!

I've got my Spanish final tonight and even though I studied for something like eighteen hours over the weekend, I'm freaking out. I really, really, REALLY want to get an A in this class so I really, really, REALLY need to get an A on the final.

Reading and posting will be non-existant today as I review and review and review my notes, homework and tests. Hopefully I'll be back with some good news tomorrow!

I'm busy with work, allergies, and studying for my Spanish final so I haven't had much time for reading or writing.

If I don't get an A on my final I'm going to be really bummed and disappointed in myself so no excuses. It's just study, study, study till the end of time, time, time.

I have been enjoying the Feminist Music Exchange Mixes I've received so far though, and am looking forward to the rest of them. It really is a great way to connect with other feminists as well as to find new female artists. It's definitely going to be an annual thing around here!

I don't have time to read or post anything substantial today, but there's always time to brag about my giant brain. It's enormous! hee.

We got our Chapter 2 tests back last night and I got a perfect score! 100%! That's never happened in my entire college career. I can hardly believe it. Yay me!

We only have two tests left so as long as I get an A on at least one of them, I'll get an A in the class.

¡Amo la escuela y español!

I know there are much more important things to discuss and thank Maude someone is doing that, however, I'd like to take this opportunity to toot my own horn AGAIN!

My Spanish professor handed back our midterms Monday night and she was a bit perplexed and disappointed. "There were no As this time," she said.

"WHA!?!?" gasped I. How was that possible? I was sure when I walked out of that test last week that she'd return it with a perfect score! (I know! I'm so conceited! Sue me!)

As we went over the test and she explained the correct answers, I tuned her out so I could add up my score again. And again. And again.

"The hell?" thought I. "I only missed 7 out of 110. How is that not an A?!" Being a moron with numbers though, it took me at least 20 minutes to figure out what she'd done wrong.

Then I, being totally shy and insecure and worried she would scold me in front of the whole class, mustered the courage to raise my hand in the middle of section 4.

"Uhm, professor? I think the reason no one got an A is because you divided by 120 when there were only 110 points possible." And then it was her turn to gasp.

Long story short, I was one of twelve people who got an A (a 94%, not an 86%!) on the midterm proving that she is as good of a teacher as she thought and that I'm better at math than I give myself credit for. Sadly, the rest of the class did not hoist me on their shoulders and sing "For she's a jolly good fellow", although I'm sure they all appreciated my mad skillz at raising their GPAs.

I'm a giver! It's what I do!! hee.