Math Blues


Hello hello.... How are you? Fantastic, I hope. 

As for me, well I'm feeling less than spectacular about how I did on my math test yesterday, despite studying and going in feeling confident that I understood logic, probability, Venn Diagrams and all that. Well, I understand it better than I understood it years ago - the last time I failed Math. This is my third time, fingers crossed? Ugh. 

So, I squealed into a metered spot close to the building - for convenience, and let's face it, with ten minutes to spare there was no time to shark the parking lot for a spot! But when I started that test, my brain immediately turned to scrambled eggs. It was frightening! Let's call it the culmination of major test anxiety, pouring drive-five-mph rain on the highway as I so desperately tried to get to the classroom early (of course!), and the sweaty frizzy-haired maniac with the galloping heart that I had become after running through puddles to a stuffy 250 person class and squeezing arm to arm with people in those annoying stadium/auditorium seats with the flip up desktop. 

Yeah, I got there in time, but what terrible circumstances and environment for a good test experience, don't you think? Such is my life. So like I said, as soon as I started the test I had a mental strike, I don't know how else to describe it. As I panicked, I had an overflow of crazy thoughts, like what if I have a learning problem? Ha! Or, holy crap I'm going to fail the first test, the easiest test of the semester, think think! Or, I know it's in there, think!!!! Or, I need to tell the professor that my brain is feeling foggy, my heart is galloping and I might pass out... and she should call an ambulance. Sigh, yeah right. So then finally, again, I reminded myself that the information to solve the problems was definitely upstairs and that I just needed to calm the hell down and get it done, after all, I could have my meltdown after (foreshadowing? guess). Somehow (the fear of failing basic college math a third time, perhaps?), I managed to calm my screaming nerves and roll out the knots of stress in my shoulder enough to focus. That is, after dropping my answer sheet and pencil sharpener - to the stadium seating level below me! Nooooo, pencil shavings everywhere! I had to call one of the aids to get it for me, there was no way I could bend over that far down at such a narrow angle in front of 250 people in a stadium style seating auditorium class. Oh no siree. I couldn't chance falling on the person in front of me, or plumber butt. Meh...

So I dropped my answer sheet and sharpener, the aid comes to my rescue and then I continue on with my anxiety, I mean testing. Bottom line? I did okay, and that's optimistic. Maybe I'll be pessimistic so that if I do get a good grade, I'll be super happy and surprised... Either way, I don't care beyond the fact that I need to pass this class to graduate. With that said, I came out of the class with my shattered pencil sharpener feeling like I didn't know where to go or what to do, like I didn't want to do anything but sit in my car, in my expired meter spot, feeling disappointed in myself and staring into oblivion (you know, until your vision just blurs into colors). That's literally how I felt. Yes, I had a mini meltdown, hence the crying girl above. I hate you math, you are so mighty and powerful, I will never be worthy of you. I don't care about you, but I must. What torture. Oh well, I will get through this.

Anyone else out there have math horror stories? Come on, misery loves company, cheer me up with your woes. :) Just kidding, I'm getting over it. I have been up to quite a few things lately, as always. What can I say, I'm a woman of many interests. One thing I've been doing a lot of lately is cooking. I've been staying at my boyfriend's for a while and we've been cooking all sorts of sinful things, like our own pizza, garlic knots, chicken rolls, Jamaican beef patties, zeppole's and cinnamon rolls! Gasp. Yes, I've probably gained twenty pounds over the course of the last few weeks. No good, but ohhhhh soooo delicious! Yes, we made our own dough and it has all been fantastic. Word has spread through the grape vine and now my uncle and cousin are coming over for dinner tonight so we can make them pizza, garlic rolls and a key lime cake. Oh boy, I'm fasting today, just as soon I have one of those leftover cinnamon rolls! Hehe. I am going to take pictures of all our steps so that I can write up our recipes for you all and post them with step by step pictures!

What else have I been doing lately? Making jewelry! I've always loved jewelry and I've made quite a bit of it throughout the years since childhood. In fact, up until recently my mother would still wear a necklace I made her with a silver coin pendant of a Mayan Aztec calendar with turquoise surrounding it (don't remember where I got that pendant). It was on a piece of red thread with kuchi bells tied in every few inches. It finally broke, after over 11 years! She gave the coin and the bells back to me and asked me to make her another version because people always complimented her on it. 

A while back I was also painting with watercolors, the theme of my painting being mostly suzani and ikat patterns. I must scan those. As for the jewelry, I have quite a few bracelets made that I laboriously (and lovingly) twisted the wire for each and every link. They are quite bohemian and eclectic, just like me. I love them, and I'm confident you will too. I get a lot of inspiration from the jewelery that I fell in love with in the Grand Bazaar on my trip to Istanbul. As soon as I can make enough of them, quality test run them (wear them around everywhere), and bear to actually sell them/photograph them, then I will finally list my very first items on my Inspire Bohemia Etsy store! Eventually, I plan to list a variety of items in the store, such as my watercolor paintings/prints of them, coin shadow boxes similar to mine, more of my "Shadow Corks," and definitely lots of vintage and antique decor goodies. Not to mention, any number of the million more things I could think to create. Eeeeh, can't wait. I'll keep ya posted.

Okay, this post is getting long and I have to run to the grocery store, have a wonderful day!

Catherine
xoxo

(Image in this post sourced via Google images)