Thursday 13: 13 things I’ve learned in the last 13 days

Happy Thursday Thirteen!

1. Victory tastes much sweeter after failure. After ending a really rough week at school not feeling confident about my midterm exams, I got a paper back from one of the toughest teachers I know. I’ve never appreciated an A- more in my entire life!

2. Making mistakes really sucks. So it’s Tuesday night and I’m taking my stats exam. I’m nervous despite the fact that I’ve studied, and studied, and studied, and done practice problems, and studied some more. But I tell myself to breathe and relax and calm down. I do okay until the last problem which asks you to figure out a regression equation and do four or five additional calculations. I look to my trusty note sheet and realize that I’ve copied down the last formula wrong. I know it enough to know that it’s wrong, and I want to cry. Literally, tears welled up in my eyes and there was nothing I could do. So I wrote a note. Here’s hoping a little pitiful explanation gains a point of sympathy. We shall see.

3. Chivalry is not dead. A kindly gentleman on the airplane helped me hoist my bag up into the overhead bin today. This does not happen often, and as my bag was weighted with books for the spring break I’m-going-to-get-all-my-homework-done party, it was not an easy task. Thank you stranger!

4. The world looks different when you have a partner in crime. This semester I’ve made friends with a girl in my cohort and delightedly, school is a helluva lot more fun now! Unfortunately, we talk too much and can’t get our stuff done half the time. Woe.

5. Miracles happen. I was talking to a former professor recently and he told me that his baby girl went from two to 16 pounds in a year. I don’t know all of the details, but that little preemie beat the odds and is thriving. Praise the lord and hallelujah.

6. But not often enough. A heartrending counterpoint to number five, I was talking to one of my best friends who lost her dear baby before he was born. On occasion, she tells me stories about how people treat her when they find out she’s lost a child and how some people don’t recognize still birth for the horrible loss that it is. (Those are my words, not hers) My heart aches for all of the mothers and fathers who have lost little ones, at any stage.

7. The oranges are blue.

8. I care about animals. Especially fluffy white ones.

9. Sacramento has some remarkable restaurants. Recent favs: Grange and Famous Kabob.

10. My sister rocks, literally. I’ve written a blog about my sister and her band, North Highlands. I keep reading reviews and hearing about how much people like their music. I am so proud!

11. I should be grateful for neighbors who are just noisy. I wrote a blog/bitch session about my upstairs neighbors the other day. And then I read a story about a young man who was killed in his apartment parking lot in Sacramento… a fluke drive-by, not intended for him at all, and now his child is without a father. Despite annoying neighbors and the occasional cockroach, I think I’m amazingly lucky.

12. Romance lives! My friend Kristi called the other day and a miracle happened. I actually answered the phone! She was shocked for a moment and then began to tell me about an antique table she’d wanted to buy but it was out of her price range. She told me how she thought about it and stewed over it and finally decided to go back and buy it. Of course, it was gone! During the conversation, we moved to other topics but it was clear when she arrived home. A joyful squeal pierced the air as she walked into her livingroom to see the table! That mystery buyer was her husband! AND he bought flowers. Read the full story (with pictures) here: Puppies and Pancakes.

13. I’m a total cheater. I don’t know if I mentioned it here, but the last time I was home, Mr. T and I bought our wedding rings. I am TOTALLY wearing mine right now, right this minute. Of course, I keep listening for the garage door so I can sneak it back in it’s box before T comes home from work. Tee hee.