I have filed for graduation. I brought Linda, my Transfer Center hero, some fiery red alstroemeria, also known as Peruvian lilies as a thank you for taking on my assorted battles. She was so pleased about it she gave me a hug. Then we sat down and went through all the paperwork. I filled out and signed a lot of things. She did the same. She'll turn it this week. Halleluia, that's out of the way.
Just out of curiosity, because I've gotten so many different answers from so many different counselors, I asked her what I'd need to do if I lost my mind and decided some years from now to pursue the bachelor's degree. Would I, I asked hesitantly, need that P.E.? The answer is not in order to be admitted, but eventually, yes, in order to graduate. Turns out Linda used to be the head of Admissions at SF State.
I knew that transfer counselor I talked to two years ago was full of shit, I knew it. Any California state school would let me in with 56 credits and four basic elements of lower division: Critical Thinking, Speech, Statistics, and English. The rest are graduation requirements, meaning the dreaded P.E., a science lab, and US government aka PolySci 200 plus a few extra hoops to jump through besides the actual courses in my major. No thanks. Not interested. Wild horses couldn't drag me back to college, I just wanted vindication. I could go to State if I wanted to, and that makes me feel one hundred percent better.
Meanwhile, I didn't spend the entire weekend frazzled by Journalcon duties and studying. I picked up Shelly Ross (who cracked me up by dismissing the concurrent Folsom St. Fair, an extreme sexuality extravaganza, by saying "I've seen enough men in assless chaps this year, thank you very much") and went to the Olive Festival at Canada College. We saw my friend Marley Kent and her bellydance troupe (she's in it, she doesn't run it). It was fascinating, especially the sword dances and the costumes. My ex-boss Beth Fishback, helped out by my co-worker Virginia, had a booth there (B's Beads & Baubles) and seemed to be doing a brisk business. It was motherlovin' hot so we stayed in the shade, tasted various olive oils and dips, tried on jewelry, and chatted with Marley, Beth and Virginia. Luckily for my bank account I had only five bucks on me. I love Beth's jewelry.
Okay, I admit it, I didn't study at all. Well, kind of. I looked stuff up for my history project but I didn't actually go to the library. I could not work up any discipline. In fact, I went to bed Sunday night at 7:30pm and didn't get up for twelve hours. Considering I've been getting by with five or six hours a night for six weeks that was a truly splendid use of my time.
The Index
Next Incarnation