RESEARCH, BAD COMPANY, GRATITUDE

Okay, I am very appreciative of this quarter...among other things. It's been very "research intensive". The classes I've been taking are "Research and Design" and "Tests and Measurements". I don't know how I'll fare in them ultimately, but I'm enjoying what they're doing to what's left of my brain. What I've come to appreciate about school (at this late stage of the game), is the plasticity of the brain. Depending on what I'm studying, I can tell, by the 7th to 8th week, the parts of my brain which are really engaged. I think differently, I speak differently, I can feel the influence of the subject matter relative to the parts of my brain that are "lighting up". This particular quarter has been rather lovely, as research and design are linear and logical and call upon parts of my brain that are seldom used. It's like cleaning out a room in your house that has only been used for storage or junk and now it's nice to go in. I'm hopeful to keep it up, but we'll see. Obviously I can't keep it at this level, but I'll try to do something to achieve a "maintenance-type" level of care-probably by pushing myself to read and truly understand more peer-reviewed literature, statistics, etc.

Anyway, this leads me to my next point. I'm considering a little blurb with each of my posts; a little gratitude/appreciation/insight blurb. It won't be my main post, because that's where I write about weird stuff, or stuff that lights me up....I don't know...maybe I'll just do it as I'm moved to....yea....how about that?....as it moves me....

So today, I was happy about what I heard on the radio. Simple, true, but it lifted my spirits and made me smile. I had just dropped the boy off at one of his classes and was driving home. On the classic rock station, they had back-to-back Bad Company songs. Oh my gosh....I was just jammin' that car home....woo!!!!

I love that band. I love that bluesy guitar, that rock beat, and those soulful vocals...love it! They rocked the 70s. I saw them live on the campus at OSU. They were great. I was young. The world was easy. And there was no future, only present.

Thanks Bad Company....*great name*....but I'm pleased to be where I am now and have perspective. I guess that was the second part of the good feeling...to see how far I've come spiritually, emotionally, etc.

It was just a good few, fun, few minutes. :) BTW, the vocalist was on the far right-and I had a mad crush on him...