Back to My Future

I have been going "back to school" for over 20 years; right around the time I had my son.  I actually started taking classes while I was pregnant then again after he was born.  Going back to school was definitely hard not just because I had an infant at home but also because I still did not know what I wanted to do when I "grew up".  At age 22, I was certainly not too old to be in school but I was too old to be just starting to figure it out. I had a child to raise so of course I had to make an attempt at learning something and something that would get me a job where I could support him. 

It was difficult when I began school because I was not very decisive about what I should take.  I discovered the Women's Re-Entry Program at Cabrillo College, which was designed for women who had already had careers or had been stay-at- home moms and were looking to learn something new. Well again not sure what I wanted to learn but I knew I liked working in an office environment and wanted to learn more about computers.  I entered the Business Office Technology Certificate program which taught everything from filing to small business accounting.  After two years and straight A's I finally finished round one of "Kristen Going  to School Redux".

Fast forward about 22 years later and I am back at it again. In between then and now I had been taking classes here and there to cover my general education but now it is really time to "getter dun". I don't want to be a career student, I want a career. I want a place that I enjoy going each day (ok I will be honest, enjoy going most of the time).  What does that look like, I am not sure yet.  God has a plan for me and I am waiting for him to bring me in on the secret. 

After listening to Air1 radio station I heard an advertisement for a program called School of Professional Studies at William Jessup University. This program is designed for working adults wanting to change or improve their careers. I think I fit into that category...well accept the working part because I am currently not working...what a great time to change careers. Let me go back a few years when I heard about a very similar program at Bethany University which is conveniently only about a mile from my house. What I needed to do first before entering that program was to get more general ed courses under my belt first.  Well wouldn't you know it just when I was getting closer to being done Bethany closed their doors and so I thought also the doors to "My Future" were closed too, not so convenient. Well God does work in mysterious ways.  He knew this is what I wanted, He knew I was getting close so he opened up another door (turned on my radio that day) and brought me to William Jessup University. Well as it turns out when I went to the information night I met with many of the staff and a majority of them (all but one) had worked at Bethany when their doors closed. Wow, isn't God great.

So now it is almost time to begin.  On April 29th I will begin my first of about 28 classes towards my Business Administration degree.  The good part is each class is only 5 weeks long, that bad part is I have to driver over the hill (assuming I won't already be over there for a job) one night a week from 6pm to 10pm.  I am not complaining this will be great and God is definitely in it with me and I am going BACK TO MY FUTURE.

P.S.  It will now be a race to see who graduates first, me or that little boy who started this journey with me.

Out of Place Coffee Cups Revisited

What are people thinking when they leave their empty (or almost empty) paper coffee cup on the shelf of a store? Do you ever walk around shopping and notice the cup sitting there right between the books at the bookstore, or in betweenthe glassware at the thrift shop?

I have had that experience many times and it was not until recently I decided to take pictures; sort of as a game to see how many I could find. If I had the picture of everyone I had seen it would be wll over a dozen. Below are just a few of them and my sister has also joined in the fun and has pictures of her own.

I have also started a Flickr Group so feel free to add your own pictures and hopefully you will have some interesting stories to go along with them.

Antique Store in Soquel, CA

Goodwill

Kohl's at Christmas

Bonus - Two for One

Kohls' Part Deux

NobHill

Last but not least the basic styrofoam cup at Salvation Army

Kombucha

So I know Kombucha has been around for a very, very long time however I have just recently acquired a taste for it. It is an acquired taste but it does not take long. There are many different brands and so far Synergy is my favorite. There is a local company in Santa Cruz called Kombucha Botanics that is a close second. The benefits of this fermented tea is quite lengthy.

Kombucha is known as a Chinese tea or a plant. It's actually a living culture of beneficial microorganisms. During fermentation, essential nutrients form like active enzymes, viable probiotics, amino acids, antioxidants and polyphenols. All of these combine to create an elixir that immediately works with the body to restore balance and vitality. Kombucha has been used for hundreds of years throughout the world as a daily health tonic.

I am definitely hooked. I feel really good after drinking it and hopefully it is doing some good for my body. I try to drink one a day if possible and now my son is hooked on it as well. It does actually help as a appetite suppressor and it is suppose to help boost your metabolism.

Try some I think you will be hooked too.

Coffee Cup Candids

Why is that everytime I go into a store, mostly thrift stores and there is someone's used paper coffe cup left on the shelf. The first couple of times I thought how odd, then it became sort of game to find them. I wish I had my camera each time then I would have take a picture. Well I did find one at the Salvation Army in Napa and snapped this shot (see above). Now I am on the lookout for more kind of a treasure hunt of sorts.

Have you seen any rougue coffee cups? If I get more I might start of group on Flickr just to see what people find.

Dad's Bail Bonds

Dad's Bail Bonds
Originally uploaded by redgiantsfan

I was driving to the Giants game and while sitting in traffic I happened by the jail and across the street were several bail bondsman. So is this a Bail Bond's or a Bar or is it both? Well either way it is a cool sign. What signs do you have that are odd like this one? Let me know...

http://www.rhymeswithaqua.blogspot.com/

Bimbo's 365 - San Francisco

Bimbo's 365 - San Francisco
Originally uploaded by redgiantsfan

Yes once again I am here in San Francisco. Down on Columbus is the famous Bimbo's 365 Club. I thought the sign was cool so I wanted to capture it like it would have been 50 years ago. Bimbo's has been a night club in North Beach since 1922. There are many more hot spots in San Francisco that have an interesting history. Stay tuned.

My View From Twin Peaks

My View From Twin Peaks
Originally uploaded by redgiantsfan

One of my favorite places to go is San Francisco. Just recently I have started my trip out by driving up to Twin Peaks checking out the view before heading in to the city. It never gets old it is so beautiful.

It all started when I brought a friend to the city who had never really "seen" the city. That is a great way to start by seeing it all at once. You can see from bridge to bridge and see all the islands (Alcatraz, Angel, Treasure and even Belvedere). Of course the best time to see it is on a clear sunny day but even on a cloudy day the city is beautiful.

The thing I like about this photo is the orange telescope. Orange is my favorite color as you will find in some of my other photos. See my Flickr photos...