Self-Indulgence: The Commandments Do Not Have Amendments...Yet!

This morning our government class has its first major test of the semester.  It was actually a unit test which covered several chapters.  I studied my brains out for this test, and I believe I did okay.  It was four pages in length, and it took me about 15 minutes or so to complete it.  The test covered a lot of topics such as how the Texas Government functions and such, but the part of the unit which captured my attention the most was the amendments section. 
Our Texas Constitution has a lot of amendments in it.  It contains more amendments that the United States Constitution does.  It really fascinates me how an amendment can be proposed so quickly; however, thanks to the "checks and balances," an amendment does not get ratified so quickly.  In fact, only Texas voters can actually approve an amendment once it makes it way through the legislature. 
Anyway...I met Sara for lunch this afternoon, and we exchanged details about the highlights of our respective mornings.  Her day had so far been fairly monotonous despite where she works (she works for the Texas DPS as a Field Compliance Auditor and Classroom Instructor).  My day had been a little more eventful especially due to the government test.  I worried way too much about the test, but this a.m. as I began filling out the answers, I could not believe how easy it was.  Actually, it was not really easy.  I was able to complete it rather quickly because I prepared for it.  I took advantage of every available moment I had to prep for it.  Sara also quizzed me on it several times, and at times, she reworded things.  I am grateful to her for rewording certain phrases and facts because the questions on the test were not worded the same as in our textbooks nor the same during our lectures. 
Anyway, back from my tangent...Sara and I spoke about our state government, state officials, amendments, Texas history, and such.  BTW, Sara is a Historian; she has a Masters in Texas History so she lights up anytime she has the chance to talk about history.  At one point during our discussion (in between eating the awesome Mexican food), we both agreed that people love to make changes to rules and laws in an attempt to try to benefit their own situation and/or cause.  I added that in Texas, this is especially noticeable due to the 474 amendments to the constitution.  Sara chuckled knowing all too well how bureaucracy within the state government works (does not work sometimes).  I also stated that it would not surprise me at all, if one day, someone tried to amend the Ten Commandments.  Yes, we both got a big laugh out of that -- mainly because it is closer to the truth than most would want to admit.

Self-Indulgence: Contractions Are for Pregnant Women, and Shouldn't Be Used When Writing.

The title explains my post for the day, and the point I was trying to make. The way we all speak as we engage in verbal conversation is hilarious, but atrocious. If most people actually wrote the way they speak, we would all be in serious trouble.  Lucy would: "have some 'splaining to do!"  LOL!

Self-Indulgence: Extra, Extra...Read All About It!

Any chance I get to earn extra credit in any of my courses I have taken, but government has been the course in which I have earned more of those credits because I enjoy partaking in anything related to politics.  I have already attended a couple of events on our beautiful campus with my professor and a handful of other students.  One of the events was a town hall meeting, and our respective State Senator (district 31) was the guest speaker. 
Earlier this evening, Sara and I attended another awesome event with Vicente Fox and his wife Marta.  Mr. Fox is a former President of Mexico. The lecture (part of a lecture series at Midland College) and Q&A lasted about an hour and a half, but it was well worth it.  Mr. Fox had so much to talk about and so much to teach us, his neighbors to the north, and I hope many attendees listened as carefully as Sara and I did.

Self-Indulgence: The A, B and Cs of College: Alright, Better, and Crazy (in a good way)!

College has been going well.  It has only been about four weeks since I began my trek back to the land of higher education, and I have no complaints.  My classmates have been awesome, and I have managed to make some friends.  I have even become part of some study groups, but I have yet to try to get involved with any social clubs.  Maybe next semester I will delve into the world of social clubbing, but for now, I have my hands full with all my courses.  I am only taking 14 hours this semester, plus, I have officially declared my major to be in ATS/IT with the intent to receive a BAT.  The other non-computer classes are only going to enhance the knowledge I already have, respectively, and it has definitely been worth while for me to have returned to college. 
I want to add that all my professors have also been outstanding, friendly, inclusive, and a joy to be around.  They each have such different teaching techniques, which I love and appreciate.  Their different personalities and teaching styles have helped me learn to adapt at becoming more flexible with my own style of learning.  I have taken time to become acquainted with all my instructors.  I may not have done as such in my youth, but at present time and present age, I want to get familiar with them.  I want to give them the opportunity to get to know me, too.  They are so lucky.  LOL.  It is all good. 
My computer professor is a riot, but she is extremely knowledgeable in computer programming so I try to pick her brain with questions as much as possible.  My English professor is also fun to be around.  She has helped me improve my writing skills so much in just the short four weeks of being in her class.  My grammar has also improved along with my MLA.  Soon I will learn APA and maybe Turabian for future history classes.  My algebra instructor has helped me improve my mathematical skills more than I ever thought possible.  She is also an excellent teacher, and has a lot of patience and empathy for all her students.  Last, but not least, is my government professor.  He has a PhD in history, and he is extremely knowledgeable in all things government and /or politics. I really enjoy my discussions with him before or after class.  I especially like the discussions we have around other students because I like to see how they all interact.  It serves as a reminder that none of us knows everything, and that we can always learn something different if we allow ourselves to do so.