Locked Out

It was my junior year of college, and I was in the midst of taking several Social Work classes, one of them being an afternoon class. If you prod me as to which one, I will never remember...but it was a required one, I do remember that much...actually, all of them are required, so that's a moot point.

I attended my noon class as normal, and then I sat the break waiting for my 7pm Spanish class to begin. The class was a 2 hour class, and was held twice a week, as was my noon class, so I had a five hour break- enough to drop in and buy a snack for dinner and perhaps study some vocab on the way to the building which was quite a distance away. It had horrible parking, so I usually walked, then walked back to my car after class, seeing as the walking distance had multiple emergency boxes and was well-lit.

Because I didn't drive my car between my noon and 7pm classes, it didn't dawn upon me to reach in my purse and check for my keys before I left the building. Big mistake.

When I was leaving my 7pm class- at nearly 9pm, in the winter, so it was dark out- I reached in my purse for my keys. Not there. Ohhh shit. Maybe I clipped them to my bag? I have a carabiner clip, so this is entirely possible. I check my bag, but my keys are not there. I dump out the entire contents of my purse on my car. Surely, there must be a set of keys in there somewhere. I dig through it all. Nothing.

I shove everything back in my purse, throw my purse over my shoulder, and unarm my backpack. I search through the small front pocket. No such luck. A few pens and a few stray items like a bottle of lotion, some ibuprofen, a highlighter, some notecards. Great. I can't find my keys. I'm locked out of my car. It's dark out, I'm in a parking lot, at the university, people are leaving, I'm 35 miles from home, and I'm locked out of my car.

I empty the large compartment of my backpack. I find books and a notebook. A stray package of crackers. More notecards. A very crumpled piece of paper. No keys. Great. I decide to backtrack, back to the building where I was last- maybe I dropped them there. (Not thinking to maybe check the Social Work building, where I was parked, first)

I call my mom and tell her I'm locked out of my car in Arlington, and that I am backtracking to see if I can find them. She says she's on her way, very unhappily I might add, since she's driving 70 miles to drop off a set of keys, and I take off for Preston Hall basement, the location of my Spanish class.

Freezing, I make my way into the building, and nobody is there but the cleaning crew. They let me in after trying to communicate for about 5 minutes about what it is I'm trying to find, but nothing is there. I bid farewell, and back to the Social Work Complex I go. My mom hasn't arrived yet, so I trek to my 10am class- no luck there (surprisingly, the door was unlocked). I ran upstairs to my noon class- ah, it was Practice III- but the doors are locked, so I find a cleaning crew lady, and she lets me in, but no luck.

Finally my mom arrives, with my keys, and I drive home, racking my brains trying to figure out where the heck I left my keys. It had to be Social Work, because I remembered having them in the morning, but I didn't remember seeing them in Spanish class. I was very frustrated with this, so I drove the 35 miles the next day (why didn't I call?) to ask if they had any keys turned into the office the day before (at both buildings).

Voilá. My keys had been in the Social Work building, in the office, the whole time.

I was locked out of my car and my keys were right there, within feet of where I was. I felt really smart idiotic that day. Now I almost compulsively check for my keys. We live and we learn!

Phone a Friend

In Texas, currently, it is illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving a vehicle in a school zone during school zone hours while moving without a hands-free headset-fine $200. If your vehicle is stopped, it is ok. School zone hours are posted on a sign, with a lower speed limit and a warning about the cell phone law, typically with flashing lights indicating that the school zone hours are being enforced. Any other time and place has no law whatsoever against the use of a mobile device while driving, nor any restrictions on how a mobile device shall be used.

This may change in one city soon.

How absurd is that? The school zone law is a state-wide ordinance, and is well posted throughout the state, at the limit of every school zone, which is well defined. However, city limits, especially when cut off in the middle of a neighborhood, are not as clearly defined, and this new law will only apply in Arlington, Texas.

How do I know about it? Media coverage. My mom was watching the news and told me about the possible city ordinance. Do I know whether or not they passed the ordinance? Not a clue. I've tried to find information, but no clear cut "passed" or "didn't pass".

Now, I'm all for safe driving. I love when people drive safe. I have no problem, though, with the use of cell phones with driving, when it comes to certain people. Certain people, in fact, can use a cell phone while driving, it's called multitasking. Some people really can pull it off, and be just as attentive. There are those, however, that cannot, but still do anyway. Understandable that they would want to pass an ordinance.

What doesn't make sense, though, is that it's not the hand holding the phone that is the problem with the drivers. It is the distraction of being in a conversation with another person- just as if one were to be in a conversation with other passengers in the car. Engaging in conversations themselves are the distractions, not the holding of a cell phone. I can hold a phone all the way home, but it doesn't make it a distraction. I'm sure that's the case with the majority of the population. So why does a hands-free device make it any better? The person is still engaging in conversation, just in a more discreet manner. Safer? Probably not.

In my case, I often call people on the road because it keeps me alert, rather than submitting to the ever so dreadful highway hypnosis, as they call it in drivers' education. I've actually caught myself becoming a victim, even singing to the music. However, when I'm forced into thought processing, even if I'm not actually talking to the person about anything except the highway, it grounds me, so I don't start going cross-eyed on the road. Unfortunately, I don't have a hands-free headset, because Jabra is a crappy brand, and doesn't work.

What will get me is the enforcement of this. You see, in Arlington, there is a major university, where national and international students alike come every year, this year peaking at 35,000 student enrollment last I checked. That's not to include community colleges. Just University of Texas at Arlington, my (now) alma mater.

When these people, some of whom commute from Ft. Worth or other places in the metroplex, some of whom are from a different country, come to Arlington, how are they to know when, where, and how the rules are applicable to them? I don't currently know the city limits of Arlington. I also know that within Arlington, there are several independent cities, two of which are Pantego and Dalworthington Gardens...do the laws apply there too? Where do the limits start and stop? What if I pick up my phone outside limits, and drop it once I enter the city?

And this also begs another question- what about travelers? Do they expect travelers to look up the cell phone laws of every single city they will be traveling through in order to make certain that they follow all the cell phone laws? Will they let people off the hook if they're not from the area? Will that be fair to residents, if travelers are let off the hook?

So, I wonder, is it really responsible, and, furthermore, reasonable, for a city to make this kind of ordinance? It seems sort of unreasonable to me. If they want to make any sort of notification for this, they will have to post it at any point where a person enters the city, as well as any points of uncertainty...wouldn't this be ineffective cost-wise? Plus, we must consider- how many accidents really are the result of a phone call? How many are the result of other things? Is it more reasonable to find some other way to prevent traffic collisions?

Please, Arlington, consider your population. Consider how many people you draw in for Six Flags, Dallas Cowboys games, Texas Rangers games, Dallas Stars games, etc., and how this could affect attendance. Think about the people who would be affected by a law they might not even know about. Think about the actual effectiveness of this law, and whether it is really, truly called for. Are there other, more pertinent issues on the table...for instance, public transportation, seeing as we're living in the largest metro area with no public transport?

All things taken into consideration, I think that this is just another law that should probably be passed over. This is a state issue- if they really want it banned, it should be taken to a state level, so that the entire public, not just the partial population of one city and whoever watched the news that night is aware of these changes. We don't need to be funneling money into the police department because they keep finding ways to ticket us. Besides, like I said, I don't even know where the Arlington city limits are. Where do I drop my phone? Hm?

Besides, again, it is not holding the device that's dangerous. Reconsider what you're looking at. Revise your plans to fit the needs of the public. If you have a really big issue, take it up with the state so that there is a higher level of awareness. Address the real problem, and in a practical way. People are going to continue to use cell phones, so we need to find a more practical solution.

Ideas?

Freshman

As I'm finishing this week, I'm going into some retrospect as to how I got where I am today, and the first thing I think back to is the beginning of my college experience.

This is where it all began, 6 years ago, almost to the day. Same university, I even remember the first classes I took. At the time I was working at a fast food chain- for the sake of said chain, let's call it FFC (fast food chain). I'm laughing at that. Those who know me probably are too. I had just received my drivers' license less than a month before I started commuting there every day, and, the joy of everyone who wears orthodontia, I had just gotten my braces removed.

August 2005.

It seems like so long ago, but relatively, it wasn't. So much has changed since then.

It was my first year of college. I was in the honors college, after graduating second in my class and having an above average SAT score, and I had a stable, but not all that great, full-time job at FFC. I started out with honors Calculus, honors Biology (which I later dropped, after the realization that I was not at all a science person), a freshman honors class, and some other class I really don't remember.

I was a busy person, and I didn't know what kind of sucker-punch I was in for. After 2 semesters, I was kicked out of the honors college, and I lost my scholarship after 3. High school doesn't prepare you for college. Nothing prepares you for college except starting college.

The classes are different. The professors are nothing like your teachers. The expectations are different. You have more freedom. You're not required to attend class, but it's recommended, and it definitely helps. You get a lot more out of the experience if you participate. You can go to class in your pajamas. You can eat and drink in class, and bring your laptop for notes (usually).

I, of course, was still in high school mode. I went to every class, even my 8am honors Calculus class through rush hour traffic in Ft. Worth. I worked my FFC job at night. Often I spent most of my evening at work, working until 11 or midnight, so that I could go home and do homework, and wake up again as early as 4-5am.

What I Learnt:

1) The routine got old. I learnt along the way that you actually don't have to sign up for 8am classes- they actually offer classes all day. It's better to choose classes that are more suitable for your sleeping and waking schedule, otherwise, you'll be less motivated to attend, which leads me to...

2) Motivation is key. If you're not motivated in the class, it will be a brutal semester, and you will have to force yourself to do the work. If you love the class, it will be much easier to complete the work you have to do because you'll actually like what you're doing. That doesn't mean you can skip the class, which leads me to...

3) Don't skip class. Really. The professors sometimes say that they don't give a flying flip whether you attend class, but really, your grade is at stake. If you really think you can skip all the classes and pass, you should have CLEP'd out of the class anyway, instead of paying to take it. Attending class is really important, and often you miss more material if you don't go. It helps to make the material sink in more easily. Some professors even consider upping marginal grades for good attendance. Remember that the next time you reach for that snooze button.

4) Parking will be bad, no matter what school you go to. Get used to it. Parking lots will be full, they will create increasing faculty lots. Think of it as exercise. Some people have problems with the "Freshman 15"....maybe this will help combat that. Plus, it'll give you some time to think, and learn how to navigate campus and dodge traffic. Always a plus....

5) Take good notes. It's a good way to get people who want to study with you. Don't be the one looking for people with good notes, because the ones with good notes will probably want to avoid you. So...errr...maybe you should take good notes secretly or something. Don't be a magnet. Don't do all the work on group projects.

6) Remember some of the stuff you're learning. It's actually kind of useful. I've found myself reciting facts I learnt in some other class and I'm like "woah, I actually did learn something useful in there!" There is something to take from almost every class. You may not think so, but there is a reason for every class.

7) Depending on your major, learn APA or MLA formatting really quickly. I have, on my jump drive, a document that is already APA formatted (running head, margins, page numbers, title page, and whatnot) so that I can just input the information I need. This has been extremely helpful, so that I don't have to go through and try to remember how I edit the individual running heads on each page. Since I'm doing social work, most of my documents will be APA. Usually, you know by the end of your 1st year of classes which format most of your papers will be in. If you can't figure it out, the library almost always has someone who can help you, and most college campuses even have a writing center that can help you out with this. Use your resources. They're there for a reason!! (also, learn the difference between their, they're, and there, as well as your and you're...these are very common mistakes).

8) When you must do group projects, which you will at one point or another, make sure to get names and phone numbers of each group member, and archive any contact with them, for your purposes. This way, if they don't communicate, you have record of it. If they communicate poorly, or tell you they don't "want" to do something, you have record of it. This can be helpful when going through the process, and make sure you keep in touch with the professor if you have any problems.

9) You absolutely must have a jump drive, and this thing will be your savior. I even have a follower, who will go unnamed, who can attest to this. She had a computer crash while printing out a paper, and was able to take the jump drive to another computer and print it out. It saves your files, and it is helpful during presentations, rather than pulling up your email account in front of the class to open a presentation. It also holds lots of information, and it's easy to carry. It plugs into a USB port, and is compatible with the majority of computers (but make sure they don't require encryption as major corporations do, otherwise it will mess up your drive). They don't usually cost much, often less than $10, and they last forever. Get one.

These are just some of the things I wish I had known my freshman year of college. I stumbled my way through college, not having many people to turn to for advice in my family, and not having any friends that had been through the process. Eventually, I got through it, and learnt how things work, and now I'm close to graduation, so close that I can feel it breathing down my neck. I have a lot of apprehension about it, and it's been quite a journey. There's so much more I could write about it, but for now, I'll just "save it for later".

Deuces

Driven

Last minute edit- learning to drive is different everywhere- in Australia, apparently, they have to drive with a certain plate on their car for a certain amount of time! I would hate that! It's like...drawing attention to the fact that you just started driving. Embarrassing. So glad they don't do that here in the states. Also, if you want to see another post about experiences learning to drive, Woogsworld, an Australian blogger, posted about her (very different!) experience earlier today, which, technically, is tomorrow compared to Texas.

My sister has gotten her learners' permit. In October, she will be turning 16- the age they get their drivers' license around here. So far, I haven't had to share the road with her. I don't know if she drives well or not, and I don't want to find out yet. My dad's been the one taking on the brunt of the driving with her, being her instructor and all. Honestly? I don't want to know how she drives until she has the license. It looks like the permit but it's actually a license. Yea, that one.

In fact, he was my brother's driving instructor, and he was my driving instructor. I didn't start the process til I was 17. It's all hypothetical about why this is. Perhaps I was too busy doing activities during high school. I didn't think my parents really wanted to pay for drivers' ed. My dad says he wasn't certain he was legal to teach the parent-taught drivers' ed. Whatever the reason, I was very late learning to drive.

When I first started to drive, it was in an SUV. An SUV is nothing like a car. They're taller. Much taller. It was 2005, and I had a 1995 Pontiac Grand Am waiting for me, but its reliability was....little, at best. Its battery would die in the driveway after a few hours, and we had no idea why. We tried replacing parts, we would jump start and try driving it every once in a while, but we finally gave up on it. We were still car shopping for something better, knowing that I was going to the university soon and didn't want to drive a truck to school, considering mileage, but that I needed my own vehicle, but the SUV had to do for the time being, for practice.

Once we got everything set into place and I started practicing, I realized it wasn't as difficult as I thought. Sometimes I got a little overconfident, but usually, I took to everything pretty well (as I remember it). I hated loved how every excursion included a driving lesson. "See how when I changed lanes back there, I checked my blind spot?" and such were common topics in the vehicle. I find them popping up again when listening to my dad teach my sister to drive.

Luckily, everything we've had in the family is automatic. Heaven forbid anyone bring a standard into the picture. It would be a death trap for all of us. One of the cars we looked at was at a Kia dealership- one of those too-good-to-be-true ads. It turned out to be a standard with nothing inside- no AC (in Texas, that's a sin), no radio, etc. We turned it down. We ended up finding a nice silver 1999 Taurus in very good condition, which I still drive to the day, and it's climbing toward the 150k mile mark (it was at 88k when we got it). Still runs pretty good, with the occasional problem.

The process of getting my license wasn't too bad. I read enough stuff to get the permit, which my sister has already done. However, our permits look significantly different because they have changed the background (the layout is the same, though). I still have my permit- tucked away in a drawer. From my permit, I had to do a certain number of driving hours under the supervision of an adult with a drivers' license in good standing, with no more than blah blah blah other passengers something or other. That stood for 6 months, at which point I was to take an exam. Well, for parent-taught driver's ed, since my parent was the teacher, he got to administer the exam, and we took the materials to the Department of Motor Vehicles, where they were very trusting, took our materials, took my picture, handed me a paper license, and told me to have a good day. Very quick! That was to be renewed every year until I was 18 (which wasn't long, since I was already almost 18 at the time).

Provisional licenses (permits) and under 21 licenses look identical, except one says "provisional license" and one says "Under 21 until mm/dd/yyyy" and the restrictions are a little different, but are just recognized by letters under "Rest" under the picture, almost invisible under all the other stuff they write on a license. I still have an under 21 license. I turn 24 this November (I had to check a calender. OMG). They last 6 years, I guess. There's the permit and the license, and that's it. Once you get a license they have a certain number of restrictions on you for like, 6 months, but since I was almost 18, they didn't apply to me for the full 6 months.

Just weeks after my drivers' license was issued, I started my courses at the university, and was driving 60 miles a day, every day, in my silver Taurus. I think I still had my paper license when I started even, but I don't remember precisely. A lot of stuff was going on, with work, just getting my braces off, school orientation, getting everything sorted for my first semester, getting my driving stuff sorted.

Now I'm watching my little sister go through the process (but she has to take a test at the DMV, the parents are no longer allowed to administer the test- they changed the law after my brother and I finished our licenses)....and I can't help but remember trying to figure out which way which blinker went, what P, R, N, D meant, turning on the windshield wipers, headlights, and actually following the speed limit and all that fun stuff that now comes as second nature. Nostalgia.

Tidbits of it all

I'm in one of those moods where my brain is a little bit of everywhere today, you know?

We had a snake create a habitation in our garage recently. I was a little peeved, and afraid to walk in the garage for a few days. In fact, I wasn't comfortable for a few days, until I had been reassured with the gruesome story of his death, although I would rather not have heard the story. We also had the aircon go out on the side of the house where my room is at, making it like an oven in the triple digit Texas weather, but I survived, and spent most of my time away from home in air-conditioned areas. It is now fixed, and I am comfortable. Thank goodness!

So, I had some appointments at the university today before my first class of the summer semester. I ran into some really bad drivers. No, I did not literally run into them, although I somewhere, deep down, probably wish someone else ran into them, because they were kind of asshats. You know, the people that can't stand waiting in line, so they just jump out of line and drive around everyone else, whether it's safe or not? Both of them were driving Mercury Le Sabres.**

Afterward, I went to fill up on gas, since my gas gauge was kind of telling me it was time for some food. There was this creepy guy on the other side of the pump, and he asked me if I could loan him some money to fill his tank, but I told him I didn't know how much money was in my account, and I couldn't afford to overdraft (which was being absolutely honest, so at least I wasn't lying). As I was pumping gasoline into my car, the cops pulled up, and approached the guy. He was sitting in the cab of his truck, waiting. They asked him what was going on with him begging other people to buy him a tank of gas, and he told them he was out of gas and had no money. They told him he shouldn't approach people like that. I don't know if they left or what, but I made sure to keep track of my total, $31.86, just in case this guy crept around after me to try to fill up on my card. I really couldn't afford it.

I went to my social work class. 'Tis going to be a challenge. Heavy group paper due in July, where we have to create some kind of intervention for something that we believe is a chronic problem. We have to create a personal kind of thing where we talk about our identity and what makes us who we are, what makes us want to be social workers, and create a pie chart of how much we think each little part influences us. We have to write a paper evaluating the effectiveness of our agency. We also have to write a letter to a "prospective" incoming intern (ie We're not putting names on it or anything), including things we want to tell them and whatnot. Have I mentioned that this is on top of completing our internship hours and supervision and going to class? Plus I have another class in the second half of the summer. This will be a challenge. 2 months until graduation. 2 months. 2 months.

Speaking of, I found out when my commencement will be, even though it will be long after I receive my actual degree. I'm still sort of excited!! December 16, 2011. Yay Class of 2011!!! (Please, please let me pass...lmao)

So...life will be busy. Blogs may be scarce. I will try to do as much as possible. I may do most of my posting on the weekends, even though that's really my reserved "homework time" (as of right now anyway). Is anyone else doing anything interesting over the summer? Taking on any big projects?

See how frequently I'm switching around? That's kind of how I am lately. Really having a hard time staying on topic. Recent changes probably won't help that, but I'm okay with that. I'm a little scattered, but I'm getting everything done, and that's all that matters in the end. Now I just have to be certain I can keep up with and remember everything. I also need a creative idea for my personal identity thing. A creative way to present it, I mean. I have a lot of creative people read this, so maybe someone will suggest something (this is the part where someone jumps down to the comments and suggests something...soon....it's due the 21st....thank you and I pre-emptively love you)

Oh, and I like this new blogger in draft thing. It's really cool. Blogger, if you see this, keep mine like this. Please. It's much easier to navigate. Thank you. ***

**I have nothing against Mercury or Le Sabres. I just happened to notice that both of them were driving the same color, make, and model of a vehicle.
***Despite the ease of navigation, I am still having issues reading some of the blogs I'm following. What's the deal with that? I'm getting frustrated.

Facepalm

I just thought today, it would be a little funny to look at some of the situations I've been caught in either in the distant or recent past; some of them built up a lot of anticipation only to realize...darnit, there's a catch. You know, that situation that you're like oooo, this is good, this is great, EXCELLENT..... oh wait, damn, this actually isn't as great as I thought. Yea, that's kind of what I wanted to look at. Those facepalm moments. Some of them I just threw in there that haven't happened to me, but I've seen them happen, and I really feel bad for the person they've happened to, but most of them have actually happened to me.

For those not speaking my language-

• Yay- excellent! A good thing has happened
• Facepalm- palm of hand meets face. That sucks.
• Double facepalm- both hands meet face. Shock and amazement at the suckishness.
• Headtable- drop your head on the table. That is amazingly horrible, and I really don't want it to happen.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not being pessimistic here, I'm just kind of looking at the ironic situations that sometimes make you look back and wonder how you fell for it. I know it's got negatives, but it's all in good fun. It also kind of helps to know you're not alone...we've all had these kind of situations where we just feel like...oh man, that sucks.....we all get stuck in situations like these sometimes. I'm just in a little bit of an irritated mood, so this is my backhanded note to the person I'm irritated at without actually writing to them. Enjoy!

Yay- Catching the things you want to buy while they're on sale!

Facepalm- Catching the things you want to buy while they're on sale, but you have no money, or they're out of stock.

Yay- The sun shining

Facepalm- The sun shining in your eyes driving down the highway when you're trying to see

Double Facepalm- You're driving in Texas (DFW to be specific)

Headtable- It's rush hour, you're downtown, and there's a wreck

Yay- Getting a coupon

Facepalm-The coupon expires within a few days

Double Facepalm- Getting a coupon that limits your purchases so much that it's pretty much useless anyway

Yay- Finding a coupon

Facepalm- Finding a coupon that has expired....recently.

Good- Finding something you thought you had lost

Facepalm- That something you find being messed up somehow

Double Facepalm- Finding out that it's beyond repair

Yay- It's raining! We need it.

Facepalm- It's raining! On your parade.

Double Facepalm- It's raining, hailing, thundering, and lightning, and you really did have plans

Headdesk- All of the above, and add tornadoes, subtract shelter.

Yay- Sleeping!

Facepalm- Sleeping when you're supposed to be doing something else

Double Facepalm- Sleeping when you're supposed to be doing something else, and it has a negative after-effect

Yay- Meeting with someone you've missed for a while

Facepalm- Finding out they didn't really care

Yay- Weekends

Facepalm- Weekends after a busy week, where you're forced to spend the weekend doing homework.

Yay- Jokes!

Facepalm- When you're the target of a bad joke (I was today :( it sucked, but I survived I guess)

Yay- Going for a drive

Facepalm- Going for a drive and getting lost

Double facepalm- Going for a drive, getting lost, then running low on gas

Headdesk- Going for a drive, getting lost, then running low on gas in the middle of nowhere, where you can't stop and ask for directions, fill up on gas, and your phone has bad reception, and there are no landmarks to even have someone help you get un-lost. [edit- head-steering wheel?]

I'm still laughing at myself for the last one, because that one really did happen to me. I went to Cleburne for something, I don't even remember what now, but I ended up not needing it. On the way back home, I was trying to take a road back home, but there was some construction going on, so I tried taking a different road, but the directions my mom gave me didn't make sense. I tried finding a different road I recognized, but after a while, buildings and roads gave to farmland. I had driven to Cleburne more than once that week, not realizing the one day had been a holiday, so I had forgotten my tank was low. That day, I looked down, and realized I was low.

I called my mom, but she wasn't near a computer and couldn't give me directions out there. I called my dad to see if he could pull up a map on the computer, but in all this farmland, there were no street signs, and most of the roads were CR (insert random number), posted on a teeny sign. I was panicking because my signal wasn't that great to begin with. It didn't help that my phone was dying and I hadn't yet gotten a working charger for the phone I currently have. I ended up being somewhere in Godley (some small ass town out in the middle of nowhere) but somehow navigated myself to a town closer to home. Thank goodness, because much longer in the country, and I would have deteriorated. I'm not a country girl. I was not made for the scent of cowpies and skunk.

Have any situations like this happen to you recently (or even not so recently)? Feel free to add them. I need a laugh, you need a laugh, we all do occasionally, right? These are my *facepalm* moments.