Isn’t it a guy thing?

So I finally scratched up my glasses to the point of no return.  After two years of wearing the same glasses and of basically avoiding the Optometrist, I had to admit that I needed new glasses.  I have astigmatism and a case of lazy eye on top of the normal myopia deal. 

I hate going to any type of doctor, not that I don’t think that they won’t help or anything.  It just takes so much time to get there and then come back… and then you factor in the time it takes to get ready… and then the waiting in the lobby room near magazines that you know that you’re not supposed to be touching because who knows how many other sick people read and probably sneezed through them.  Ah!  It’s just too much time.  I rather just let the problem grow… which is the worst thing that I can do and I know it.  But I don’t care.  I use my school work and other extracurricular activities to push those dreaded doctor appointments for later, much later…

            Well, everyone is due at some point and my time arrived.  And now I have to pay for being so irresponsible about my eyesight.  Hoping to get new glasses by the end of Thanksgiving week, I went to the optometrist early last week.  Well, alas things didn’t work out.  He ordered me to not use contacts for about a week and to then go take the eye test again because my eyes were a bit swollen from wearing contacts and hence my new glasses prescription might be skewed.  GREAT!  Two doctor visits in one week.  But I deserved it and so I stopped wearing contacts and basically walked around completely blind (because my normal glasses were impossible to see through).  This was fine because it was during Thanksgiving week.

But now, school is back and I have no glasses, irritated eyes and walking around with a pair of sunglasses with a two year old prescription. Lol I look ridiculously hilarious!  I take my sunglasses off for class but while studying in the library, GSE computer room, or any other place where I can study… well, I’m wearing my sunglasses.  Lol  I don’t care.  I desperately need them.  Even with them I am getting huge headaches for straining my eyes.  Imagine if I didn’t wear them?  I am not about to explain to every single person that stares at me in the library about why I am wearing my sunglasses. I’m just going to let them figure it out for themselves. 

Life is good.  I’m happy that I have my sunglasses but I do hope that my new clear glasses come in soon.  I have a huge headache and I really don’t like it (who does?).  Plus, I don't think that my daily dose of ibuprofen in order to take care of my headaches is good for me in the long run...

So it isn’t just a “guy thing” to avoid the doctor.  It’s also a thing for girls who “putt things to the last minute”.  I don’t know if I have learned my lesson though… the comical twist that my sunglasses have brought to this otherwise tragedy lol has sort of turned around the situation.  But I really shouldn’t do this with my dentist appointment…  I'll hopefully go to that one this month.  :) 

Thanksgiving Day

I have to say that I am very thankful for many things in my life.  Every day that I get up I always thank god for everything.  I come from a huge family and all of them are alive and well.  I myself am healthy and happy.  My husband and his family are also doing great.  AND it’s 64 degrees here in Philadelphia!  Lol

Even though all of my family is spread out we always call each other and through small details we make sure that all the other members of the family know that they are loved.  My mom is in Mexico, my middle brother is in Utah, two other siblings are in Los Angeles, and my dad and youngest brother live in Sanger, CA (Central Valley).  I am thankful that in this time of economic recession we all have the economic means to celebrate/fund these winter holidays.  But what I am most thankful for is that in the absence of the financial means to celebrate times like these; we would still know how to make these holidays special for us.  Also, I am thankful that my mom hasn’t gotten hurt by any of the cartels’ conflict in Mexico. 

It’s humbling to be so blessed in so many ways.  I pray that this stays constant and that it only gets better.  I do miss my family in these special times but I have good memories of past holidays with them that calm my nostalgia.  In all, I can sincerely say that I am happy and incredibly grateful for everything that has been given to me and my family. 

I wish this luck and loads of happiness to everyone that reads this blog.  J

Upcoming Info Session

Hey Guys this is just a reminder to (if you can) attend an info session this 
SATURDAY NOVEMBER the 12th from 10 to 12pm here at UPENN

Happy Thoughts when nothing else goes right...

I had an amazing blog that my computer just booted me out from.  It was about going out in the middle of mid terms and how amazing it was.  I am so annoyed by this... I hate computer malfunctions. 

I'm so sad that it got erased... it was so entertaining and actually funny... A!  I can't believe that it's gone :(.  I worked so hard on it.  Whatever!

I will concentrate now on happy thoughts.  One that comes to mind is celebrating the fact that my group and I finally turned in our mid-term Project for my Finance Management course.  I was in a group of six people and our task was to analyze the CAFR of the city of Philadelphia.  Basically we were suppose to analyze the financial statements and their components and assess the health of the city.  To do this we used financial ratios.  We compared the city to itself from 2006 to 2010 and we compared parts of its financial statements to similar cities, and we compared it to the state of Pennsylvania. 

After a long series of emails and hours worth of out-of-class meetings,  I am glad to say that this project is over and we did great! It took so much work. But I think that we will get the grade that we deserve.  I am very happy with this.

The "turning in" of this project has been the light of my week. :D
lol

Introductory Non-Formal Letter to my Professor

I am taking Finance Management-783 in the School of Government.  It is a course that is taught by two professors.  The first half of the course is taught by a professor who teaches us accounting and how to read, analyze and create our own financial statements for non-profits and government.  The second half of the course is taught by another professor who will teach us how to analyze and create budgets. 

Well, we just finished the first half of the semester and so we have to introduce ourselves to the next professor.  His first assignment is to write a non-formal letter to him so that he can get to know each one of us "through our own words". 

Here is the short letter that I wrote to him:

Dear Professor Mullin,

My name is Adilene Flores but everyone calls me “Adi”.  I was raised in Los Angeles, California and have three brothers and a sister.  Back in California, I have nine Chihuahuas and I miss every single one of them dearly.  When choosing where to further my studies, I have always tried to stay in the west coast but for both my undergraduate and graduate degrees, I have been very unsuccessful at this.  I received my bachelors in International Relations Political Science degree from Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.  Currently, I am working towards an M.S. in Education through the International Educational Development Program at the Graduate School of Education here at Upenn.  I will be applying to law school next year and hopefully I will be staying in California, but we’ll see…

My “big” life project is to open up a school for indigenous communities in Mexico.  I also hope to one day write a book about proper strategies to an effective bilingual education for Spanish speaking children.  I do hope that my guidelines will improve other bilingual programs but I will be making the guidelines specifically with Spanish speaking children in mind.  I am a very hard worker.  I love challenges and I would like to say that I am an open minded person. 

My biggest adventure that I have “embarked” on is when I was a junior in college.   Inspired by “The Motorcycle Diaries”, I tried to travel all over Latin America.  Unfortunately and comically, my trip was cut short because I caught the swine flu.  The reaction that both of my roommates had to the disease was a meager sore throat.  I, on the other hand, was bed ridden for almost a week.  And for like three days I literally thought that I was going to die. I have never felt so sick in my life!  But I survived, recovered and am now here taking your class J.  Hopefully you’ll enjoy having me as a student as much as I think that I’ll enjoy having you as a professor.

Best wishes,

Adilene Flores