Glass museum

When Cory was in the lower tri's, surviving week-to-week, students in the upper tri's would always tell us that "it gets better" and that we would have lots more "free time" when he reached the upper tri's. Well, he's now 2 weeks shy of the end of 9th, and entering his final trimester. Things are better... mostly. Alas, he doesn't really have the promised free time. Instead of studying non-stop, taking anywhere from 3-10 tests per week, he's now spending all his time treating patients. Case in point -- on Wednesday he had a rotation at one of the VA (Veterans Affairs) hospitals. He left home at 7am. He got home at 10pm. He had a 13-hour day at the hospital, plus 2 hours of travel time. The experiences the school provides to the students are great... just time-consuming. So, while we don't have much free time, and I still get to see him less than I would like, it's been wonderful to watch him transition from 'student' to 'doctor.' He's growing into his own and preparing to support our family -- and I support him 100% in that. We do what we can, and catch time together whenever his schedule allows.

Yesterday was such a day. We took the day off and drove down to Corning, an 1 1/2 south of us, to see the Corning Museum of Glass. It was pretty cool. I had no idea glass was so complex!

We watched a guy blow a glass bowl, start to finish, and it was so neat to see the process:

We also watched a guy work some glass rods (in the left hand corner of the picture) into an eagle, using just a blowtorch. Wow. In the forefront of the pic, you can see some of the other whimsical creatures he's made. Impressive.

They also had an extensive museum, filled with glass everything -- from glass viles that date to the Roman Empire, to modern-day pieces (like this glass table). It was really something to see!

It was a cool place to visit, and a wonderful way to spend time together!

Confessions of a college-hoops crazed fan

March Madness is one of my favorite times of the year. It's the "official" beginning to spring, the sun is starting to shine with greater frequency, and the best of college hoops is on glorious display. It's such a great time of the year!

One of my favorite annual traditions is making my March Madness picks. This takes me many tries to get it just how I want it. I print out like 5 brackets, fill one out ... think about it ... crumple it up and throw it away ... and repeat the same process. I read any and all online advice, from college hoops experts to 'bracketologists'. Once I get my bracket how I want it, I cling diligently to it, and cheer with gusto the teams I've picked to advance. I carry it around with me for the entire tournament. When my teams win, I happily circle or highlight them (and tell everyone within earshot how smart I am) and when they lose, I angrily 'x' them out (and get sulky).

I watch as many games as possible. I watch them on TV; I watch them online, streaming live. When not watching, I check the scores online, and refresh the page about a thousand times so I am updated with the latest information. As soon as the game is final, I whip out my bracket and circle or 'x' them. By the end of the tournament, my bracket has been folded, crumpled, scribbled upon, stained with food and generally battered (and occasionally cried on).

Since it's so abused, why fill out a bracket? Something magical happens when you have a bracket and you're cheering on a team with all your might. There's always one team that no one saw coming that swoops in and destroys your bracket. The surprise, the riveting games, the buzzer-beater shots, the agony of defeat and the thrill of advancing ... that's what March Madness is all about ... and I love every minute of it. Bring on the madness!!

The proof is in the pudding

As many of you know, I work in the Office of Institutional Quality and Assessment, at NYCC (the school Cory attends). A few months ago, we got a new boss. As a getting-to-know-you exercise, he thought it would be fun for everyone in our division to complete an online questionnaire, called a DiSC profile. It's based on the Meyer-Briggs personality test, and you're supposed to answer the questions to describe your work persona. When you're done, they label you as a D (dominance), I (inquisitive), S (steadiness) or C (conscientious).

Anyone want to guess what I am?

Apparently, I am an 'S'. Coming in a very close 2nd place was D. Coming in at a not-so-distant 3rd was I. And coming in at the very bottom (meaning apparently I have none) was C.

Yep, I am an achiever. This really didn't come as any surprise.

The profile they give you also comes with some adjectives that supposedly describe you. Some of mine are: adventuresome, decisive, competitive, inquisitive, charming, confident, amiable, convincing, serene, possessive, self-assured, generous, defiant, obstinate, sarcastic.

*Sigh* It's pretty spot-on. At least I've got some positive traits in that list. When I told my mom that it had labeled me as competitive and obstinate, she just laughed. Sad... but true.

Deluged

Well, it seems as if I got my wish... sort of. Our temps are at least out of the single digits, which is a definite improvement. We got a few days of temps in the 50's, but we got almost 2 inches of rain. Consequently, this is what our yard looks like:

Alas, we're in for more snow. Spring is not quite here yet... but at least it's not 5 degrees. At this point, I'll take what I can get.

Having nothing to do with the weather... I read a great book over the weekend. It's called The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester. Really, it's quite excellent. I would recommend you go out and get your hands on a copy. The storyline is great, very imaginative, and keeps you reading 'til the very end.

School work is ever on-going for Cory. There are 4 national tests that you have to pass in order to be licensed as a chiropractor. Cory has part 3 this weekend, so everyone keep your fingers crossed for him :)

Brrrrr

You know it's cold when the INSIDE of your door is frozen!

Believe me, I am sooo ready for spring!! Or at least temperatures out of the single digits...