3 A's down, two to go. I am almost through a series of "first tests" and mid-terms. It just depends on the prof as to what they call it. Some of the tests I have not made ligitimate A's on, but curves are great. I made an 87.5 (high B) and with the curve, I made a 104.5. Yeah, isn't that one weird? The highest grade in the class was a 92, so I figured on 8 points, but not 16.5. Crazy. I had another test where I made an 80 (barely a B) but the curve was twelve points! He had to throw out three questions on that one and then to boot he curved. Crazy. The third test, I haven't actually gotten back yet, but when you know the answers, you know the answers. There is only one real rule in Accounting: BALANCE. Not only did I balance, I put all the numbers in the right spots. That is the only way to balance. He is a funny prof, he calls me Dr. G. which makes me laugh because for the first time in my life I am being called my Dad's name instead of my Mom's. Crazy? Yeah, Crazy.

I got invited to a Toga party! Isn't that just the funniest thing ever? I was so tickled. I told the gal thank you, but I am a little old. She said no one was too old for a toga party. Maybe that is what I will do for John's 50th b'day, throw a toga party. I told her that I was going to a 50th b'day party on Sat night, but thanks. She snarled up her face and looked at me like I was a duck and said, how OLD are you?

Today is a great day. It is cool outside (thus inside my home). My husband is home. We are at our home together. It seems like we haven't done this in a while. He has something to do or I have something to do or we are not here at all but visiting someone. It has been a while. I like long mornings in bed with coffee and reading and a cool breeze.

Has anyone seen my week? I had an extra week lying around here, but I am not sure where it went. I could have sworn it involved a test, a quiz, a paper, a presentation, working, traveling to WV & back again. If you see it would you let me know? I could really use some perspective on how I did in my grades. I would think some thank you notes would be in order for the visit as well too. Let me know who to send those too btw. You know, maybe I should turn in a time sheet too-or a paycheck? I don't know what happened to my week. It was just here. Or there. Mom always tells me to look under my bed. Maybe I can find it there, next to my soccer cleats from tenth grade.

I wrote an essay. Well, I wrote a speech, I think. I am not sure, I have never written a speech. But the essay had repetitive key clauses that makes it sound like someone campaigning rather than someone entering a contest. The contest was for a prize of $125. The poly-sci dept issued it at school. One of the profs gave out extra credit to his students so they would enter it, which means that I have some competition. I didn't think I would have any, but as it is, a few who go for the extra credit, one of which I know, is taking the LSAT, threaten my chances for winning. Whew, smart gal. I don't know that I am that smart, but maybe I can win the contest. And, the money would be nice.

The question for the essay is: With the uncertainty of the upcoming 2008 Presidential election, is it time for: a woman president, a minority presdient, a mormon president?

I think the idea behind the question was to support one of the three and write about it. At the time I started brainstorming for the paper, I was watching the West Wing. This is something I do often. It helps me to write. They speak with the forethought and vocabulary which I like to write. I wish I could speak that way, but I am just now learning how to think before I speak and have only had a couple years practice at it. I still screw that up as a result. I had finished the second season and went to put in the third season. At the beginning of the third season, they perform a 9-11 tribute. It stirs me to watch that particular episode. It is called Isaac & Ishmael. (I might be spelling the names wrong, but you get it.) It directly answers the 9-11 attacks. It amazes me to see this episode. Strangly, as I watched the small play and it shifted my perception. Instead of seeing the question as choosing one candidate and supporting it, I saw it as a yes or no question. I answered yes.

I don't have many opportunities to write my opinions nor do I write well, but I am including the essay because I worked hard on it and I don't know that anyone will read it (outside of the professor judging the contest) and want some feedback. Know now, this is a long blog.

The essay(maybe speech):

Speaking with one voice, people of varied backgrounds filed for their candidacy for election to the Presidential office in 2008. The time for a president of another race, gender, creed is now. The Forefathers of our country created an idea, a foundation for this country, called pluralism. What started as an impetus to freely believe and worship as they chose, now employs the freedom to elect the office of the President of the United States as the people choose. Let the President believe as she wants to believe. Let the President be who he is and not pretend to be someone we want him to be. Let the President not just exercise the freedoms the forefathers created, but represent them. Let the President be elected based on the populace and their representatives. The idea that our country can have a society that embodies diversity on all levels of government stems from the building blocks upon which the writers of the constitutions constructed this country.

Pluralism challenges the people to utilize their free will to know that something new encourages the office of the President to grow stronger on a domestic and global scale. Changing the norm, while it admittedly presents a challenge, has promises of new diplomacy, peace and power. No one likes change. Change is difficult.

Change has been so difficult for the American people - they had to be told twice that people of color had implicit rights as citizens of this country. The first time cultivated a war great enough that more Americans died fighting in it than in any other war. The Civil War divided our nation, fighting over racial liberation. A second revolution through peaceful protests occurred over 100 years later.

Change is so difficult for Americans that it took 72 years to concede in 1920 that the constitution was clearly written to include both genders, that women have equal rights to citizenship as men. As insurance and clarification the nineteenth amendment was ratified. A second revolution occurred hand in hand with the revolution of race. Women began breaking barriers in the work force. The growing pains of this country lasted more than a century.

Change is so difficult for Americans that the founders of this country in 1773 rose against their authorities to fight for the rights to worship God as they chose. Looking for a new life, a new perspective, knowing that the end result would mean revolution and independence, to choose as they wanted, they went to war. This war, the American Revolution, which lasted for eight years, led to freedom of religion. As reinforcement that the efforts of these men, who fought so diligently and victoriously, would not be in vain, they founded a guiding principle of separation of church and state. This principle allows us to freely practice religion as stated in the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights.

Shifting perception can be a magnanimous event when it comes to convincing 300 million people. Luckily, the shift has begun. The voice of the people can be heard with the listing of the candidates. The people are ready. The people are ready to handle the change commanded by Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin.

These candidates embrace the possibilities available to them through the rebellion of the monarchy in 1776. Standing from their podiums, they shout at the top of their lungs that which you would counter at the top of yours. They are qualified, they are knowledgeable, and they are the essence of the populace voice. The candidates present opinions and solutions to issues that affect the heart and soul of this nation. With tenor, rhythm and pitch they stand heads tall convincing one person at a time the egregiousness of the necessity to vote. Listen to their voice and find one that is agreeable and vote.

In these days of the uncertainty of the coming national election, weighted issues persuade the candidates to voice their answer to the failures of the current administration. The “war on terror” falls short of the promised success in its initial campaign. These failures have generated its greatest weapon, propelling the people to act for change in their leadership. Armed with the same intentions of the Americans from over 200 years ago, the candidates thrive on their diversity. The failures of the current administration promote the pluralistic draw of contenders for the next chance at Commander in Chief. Side by side they stand to be elected, which in turn infuriates the Islamic extremists. Unknowingly, the Bush administration may accomplish exactly what it set out to do: strengthen and protect the country. To win this war, the time for a president of a different gender, race or creed is now.

Change is imminent. Change is difficult. Change is now.

There is a strange thing happening at school. The students are studying. Now, I know this may not seem odd to so many of you who have had a true college experience, but I haven't. The first test season is now in play (mine is not for another week and a half, but others are not as lucky). It lasts from now until the first week of October. There are students everywhere in the hallways, common areas, libraries and they are studying. Some of them look haggard from staying up late last night. Others are skipping a non-tested class in order to study for a testing class. They are in groups and individually wrapped around English, Finance, History, Economics. Some have even coaxed a tutor into helping them study.

The A students though are not studying like this. They have all been studying all along. They have been reading the chapters, reviewing notes everyday. They know the material already. That nervous studying that is going on with the non-A students makes the A students roll their eyes as though to say, where have y'all been? We've been in study mode all along. A students get to class early. They carry the appropriate book for the class. They don't skip classes for any reason. Most importantly, they are not frightened when they enter a testing class. They know the material. They test themselves everyday on the material. They can discuss the material critically in a discussion using correct definitions, key concepts and core principles. Who cares about a test, they are educated.

You know what I have been thinking for the past several hours as I walk through the hallways and common areas? Where have y'all been.

Acconting is bending my mind. Did you know that assets are a debit? They are a positive debit. Did you know that expenses are a debit--see that one makes sense, but wait-they are a positive debit. Liabilities on the other hand are a positive credit. So is owner's equity (capital). Accounting is trying to shift my perception. Ignore everything you know about credits and debits, my accounting teacher says. He is not a Dr.. He is a CPA. He is a gospel singing, West Virginian country lovin', right wing conservative republican. He wears his Sunday best every class. He could be on one of those Christian Network shows, except he would be teaching accounting.

Assets Dr+ Cr-
Liabilities Cr+ Dr-
O/E Cr+ Dr-
Revenue Cr+ Dr-
Expenses Dr+ Cr-

A=L+O/E

Now I have learned new things since I have come to this college, but none as difficult as this. Although, wanting to be an accountant means that this idea has to be second nature to me. If I look like a pretzel at the end of this sememster it will be because of beginning accounting.

I got the Snickers! Finally. I have a professor who teaches an 8 am Macro Econ course who is a very bland orator. His voice is pretty close to monotone and he loses volume at the end of his sentences which makes him sound as though he is mumbling. He is really deliberating, but it comes across as mumbling. He does wierd things like bangs on the desks arbitrarily to wake the dead--rather wake the sleeping in the class. If I were a traditional college student with no drive or clarity in direction for my life, the class would be hard for me to stay awake in too. As it is, I am always awake at 8 am on any day and I want an A. So I listen, take notes, drink lots of coffee. Another impetus to listen is the snickers bar. I don't know that I will eat the thing. It was just that I hadn't gotten one yet. He tosses snickers bars out to the people in the class who answer his questions correctly. I have been so busy taking notes that I have not found a successful strategy to answer a question and take notes. Today I found it: talk and take notes at the same time, but watch out for the throw. He asked a question and my head coordinated my mouth to open in an almost involuntary way and answer the question. Although, I was still jotting things down as he began the toss of the Snickers Bar. It was a quick glance that I realized I was being rewarded. Unfortunately, he only gives one bar per person. I was able to execute my new found tactic several other times, alas, no extras. There is a maximum. Now there is a quiz on the material that I have to take tonight. I hope that I can get another A. My last quiz was an A. He drops the worst three quizzes and doubles the highest two. I am not sure how this balances out, but I am sure he knows how it works, which is more important. I was begining to believe I would never get a Snickers even though I know the answers to all the questions. Whew, finally.

There' s nothing like being Mrs. Kahle. When I say that name out loud, I always think of John's Mama. But officially, as of yesterday and the Social Security Administration of the United States, I am Mrs. Kahle. My driver's liscence says so too. Strangly, I changed my name on my liscence but my renewal date is the same. They didn't harge me for it though.

My first duties as wife to a tenant farmer was to tend to cows. Yes, cows. Calfs actually. We had a dead calf on the farm yesterday morning. They sometime contract a disease called black leg. They get it from the dirt. Cows, as it turns out, don't just eat grass. Sometimes they eat dirt on purpose. It has minerals in it that they need to stay healthy. However, for the calfs, it is life threatening when not vacinated. Thus, dead calf. The cows, when they lose a calf, holler. They don't holler when the calf dies. So it is hard to know when one is dead until they are gross. So this morning, the other calfs recieved shots for black leg. We are not sure that is what the other calf died of, but it is better safe than sorry. Eight calfs, eight shots. Papa Bud and John rounded up the herd and seperated out the calves. I rounded up the vaccine and syringes. I also handled the dogs otherwise they like to play with the calfs. Finally the calfs are caroused into the chute. I hand the loaded syringes to John, who shot the calf and painted it. You paint the calf so you don't shoot it twice.

Now I know it seems like I didn't do much. I sure didn't break a sweat or wade through cow manure. My husband was DISGUSTING when he finally got done and let the calfs out. He had sweat, dirt, manure all over him. Bleck. So he trapsed in and immediately took a shower. I sat down to blog and then, I could smell it. I smelled like cow. I smelled like icky, sticky gross cow. It was in my hair, a thin layer on my skin. whew. It was aweful. So I was next in the shower. I would have to say, I am officially Mrs. Kahle via the United States and the farm.

I have A's in all my classes as of this week. What does that mean? It means that I have only one class that has not given me a grade at all and won't except for an exam, so all the other classes the work I have turned in is an A. In English (two quizzes and team minutes plus two extra credit visits to the writing lab), I have an A. In Econ I (one quiz and participation), I have an A. In Management (three journals, class participation, one paper, three team meetings), I have an A. In Accounting (two homeworks), I have an A. Econ II, no assignments yet. I only have exams in that class. No extra credit either. Yeah, when he said that as he was giving out the syllabus, half the class dropped out. Wimps. I have all A's. Beat that with a stick. Hopefully it will stay that way. Time to study for my next quizz in English. She gives a quizz every class. So I go to the writing lab every class too. That way I am a point ahead. I want to do what Grace does and make 105 in the class. hahahahhaa.....105 in a college course that's funny.

I am supposed to teach fifth and sixth graders about the Armor of God tomorrow. I wish I could teach them about the amour of God. Alas, it is not to be. The passage is as follows:

Finally. to be strong in the Lord and in the strength fo his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but it is against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. Therefore, take on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, stand firm. Stand therefore and fasten the belt of truth around your waist and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arows of the evil one. Take the helment of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit in all times in every prayer and supplication. Pray also for me so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly.

Ephesians 6:10-20

Yeah--spiritual warfare and sixth graders. Somehow that baffles me. They will be shaped by the ideas that I am teaching them and you want me to talk about the devil to sixth graders. How do I know that the devil hasn't already repented and asked God's forgiveness? How do I explain that there is a fight going on that we can not hear or see that is going on to steal our souls when we are dead. Both sides want the soul. Both sides don't get to keep it. Which will you choose? Yeah, I didn't like it when they taught me about it in ninth grade at Gatlinburg, I am not really sure these kids will like it at sixth grade. Especially since they are Episcopalians and this is really Baptist material: wear your armor of be taken by the devil. Yipe. It sounds even scarier out loud. In the good fashion of being a West Wing watcher, I am going to spin it.

I think rather than giving them the whole passage, I am only going to give them the armor of God part. All the devil's fight, I am going to spinout. I think we can talk about how to use the armor in our world (ie we wear the breastplate of righteousness: do the next right thing; belt of truth: we don't lie; etc). I think they can grasp the good versus evil part. We talked about that a little last year in Narnia and all of them have read Harry Potter so that's an easy analogy. Then we can talk about how we use the spiritual tools in the world so as to represent Christian values. That sounds a bit more like it. If I had had someone say hey, we tell the truth, we make ourselves ready for the day and what the world will throw at us by taking God with us through out our days, I might have not been so offended or freaked out as a youngster. They are 11. At eleven I was worried about whether or not my brother was going to get the remote on Saturday mornings when we watched cartoons. When I was eleven I was excited about being chosen as a patrol. When I was eleven, I thought my strings teacher was stupid. When I was eleven there was a lunar eclipse that we got to go out and see during our library period and all the teachers were afraid that we would look at the sun and burn out our eyes. When I was eleven I was sad that this was the last weekend the pool would be open and it meant that School was really back in session. When I was eleven, I wasn't gearing up to fight the devil. The Devil? I mean come on...that is a really big deal. I mean God is a hard enough concept to grasp, but His arch enemy? And He wants me to be ready to fight against something playing at God's level when I am eleven? I just want to run the Labor Day race with my Dad, my brother and Uncle Carter and his girls.

I hope I can teach this lesson tomorrow. It overwhelms me.