Sometimes even the best need help. If, after you’ve donated to Damian’s Afghanistan fund, you can spare the time and a bit of change please consider donating to Sonny Rhodes’ health and expenses fund.

Sonny’s Bio:

Clarence Edward Smith was nicknamed Sonny Rhodes as a child and it stuck, bringing him recognition on his journey from Smithfield, Texas to the world stage as one of the most acclaimed Texas bluesmen and legendary status for his proficiency on lap steel guitar. Nominated numerous times for a W. C. Handy Award, Rhodes was honored for his cultural contribution to the arts by the Smithsonian Institute in 1976. Rhodes cut his teeth in the blues alongside Johnny Clyde Copeland and Albert Collins in Texas clubs as a teenager.

Sonny was born Clarence Smith in Smithfield, Texas in 1940. His early musical influences include T-Bone Walker, Mance Lipscomb, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. In the late fifties and early sixties Sonny played bass behind Freddie King and Albert Collins, and became based in California around this time. He went to Europe for the first time in 1976 and has been back each year since. Sonny enjoys touring in Europe saying that the BLUES are revered over there, and the financial rewards are good too.

Sonny has recorded several albums over the years. Sonny also recorded the theme song for the Fox TV series “Firefly”, a Sci-Fi -Western set 300 years in the future, which is probably a good omen for the long-term prospects of the BLUES!

You can help by clicking the Donate button at Sonny’s MySpace Music page.  Sonny’s health update is available here.

c/p: Dust My Broom, home of the Friday Night Blues and Beer

I work up early and planned to be into the office a good hour earlier than normal to deal with any issues arising from the start of a new semester. It was not to be. I spent nearly an hour in traffic stuck behind a grader on the drive to work. I forgot to wear my hat and scarf so my neck and ears froze on the walk from the parkade to the office. I spent my morning waiting for ears to thaw. I’m told there’s a mini-blizzard outside again today. At least I remembered to wear my boots!

There continues to be fall-out at work from last week’s game of guess what’s in my head.  Sometimes I wonder if the people who cause these types of panic attacks are completely oblivious to the root causes of the issues and their own responsibility for the occurrences or if they just don’t care about the impacts of their choices and behaviour on their sub-ordinates.

Both options seem poor but I think I’d rather it be the former than the latter.  Ignorance can be corrected. Downright abdication of responsibility as a leader and intentionally blaming those below you for issues that had been flagged for your attention – and that you played a part in the lack of resolution for – is a poor example to be setting from any position of power. The lack of ethical behaviour at higher levels often astounds me. The fact that everyone is too afraid for their jobs to call the perpetrator of the behaviour on it saddens me.

To recover from this one!

Yesterday evening I spent a huge chunk of time working through the first units of my Experimental Design and Statistics in the Social Sciences (Stats) courses. Today I need to finish those off and finish reading the articles for my Military Psychology class.  What fun names Psychology courses have.  Yeah.  I’m reaching for a bright side.  Cut me some slack.

The course instructor for my Stats class appears to be pretty responsive.  When my course pack arrived, there was a notice inside indicating that I’d need a calculator.  No other mention of it anywhere in the course calendar or manuals. I sent him an email last night asking if there was a particular model of calculator or specific functions I need to have access to in order to complete the course activities and he had a response for me this afternoon.  Considering it’s a Sunday that’s not a bad turn around time at all.  I wasn’t even expecting him to see the email I’d sent until tomorrow.

Turns out I don’t need anything fancy in the calculator department.  I can tell you that that’s a huge relief considering some of the graphing calculators on the market can cost hundreds of dollars and seem far outside of the budget range at the moment.  Getting the news that a basic 10$ calculator with square  rooting functions will do was welcome. A quick search of my office turned up a little solar powered Casio calculator that meets the requirements. Since I don’t recall ever seeing this before I’m going to assume it’s Drew’s.  It seems to me that he had one for his Management courses when he completed his diploma program a few years back. Which reminds me, I wonder what he did with his diploma?

This morning I had full intentions to do chores around the house and then go grocery shopping before I dove back into my school work.  Then I looked outside the window.  A mini-blizzard was taking place so I decided that I didn’t need milk all that badly and had enough food in the fridge and freezer to survive a few more days before heading out for groceries.  I certainly won’t starve in the meantime.  I’ll just need to use canned or frozen veggies instead of fresh ones if I decide to cook again. If I don’t want to cook there’s lots of types of soup to choose from.

I did get the chores on my list completed.  The cupboards were cleaned out and re-organized. Dishes and laundry are done. Garbage is gathered and out (so the dogs don’t get into it).  I’m actually pretty impressed with what I managed to accomplish considering how icky I feel.

Next up – soaking in the jacuzzi. I figured I’ve earned it and my hot water tank is certainly large enough to handle it so soon after dishes.

Then I’ll get back to studying.  That should take me through until the evening when I hope, thanks to some newly acquired melatonin, I’ll get a full night’s sleep.

Shopping trip successful.  Got lots of food related goodies to go in the next few care packages.  The Canada Post service counter attendant reminded me that I only have a week left to take advantage of the shipping program. It seems like she’s a big fan of it.  She wasn’t sure why the organization doesn’t allow it year round.  I suspect the Crown Corporation can’t afford to keep using taxpayer dollars to fund a program that only benefits a small part of the country.  On the other hand, my taxes help fund child tax credits, scholarship programs, sports credits, and other child related benefits that my family doesn’t partake in, so maybe it’s not such a bad idea to support military members in this fashion after all.

While I was at the post office I picked up the course packs for my Experimental Psych and Statistics courses *shudder* I’ve spent a bit of time reviewing the course introductions, assignments and welcome messages and plan to spend a bit of time tonight and tomorrow reviewing the first units of study.  If I don’t jump in right away I’m worried I may procrastinate – definitely not a good idea by the looks of these two course packs.  Since I did manage to get so much pre-reading done for my Military Psych class I shouldn’t have any problems completing my first assignment early.  I’ll have to keep on top of the readings and assignments in that class or I have a feeling I may quickly fall behind. I think I’m beginning to quickly realize why part-time students with full-time employment are limited to a maximum of 3 courses a semester with a recommendation that they take 2 courses at a time.  This is my first semester taking 3 courses (normally I complete 2) and I have the distinct feeling that it will also be my last.  While I’d finish my degree 6 months early if I took 3 a semester for the remainder of the program, I just can’t see myself managing the workload. Especially since I’m already going to school year round.  December 2010 can’t come fast enough. It’ll make the 5 month wait from completion to graduation well worth it I’m sure.

That 2010 completion date seems awfully depressing when I think about it.  I still have 2 years of courses left before I’m finished this degree and then it seems I’ll be on to the next without much of a break. Ok – that’s not the depressing part.  The depressing part is that I could be finished in less than a year if I were attending classes full-time instead of working. Of course I need to work. In this economy the idea of NOT working to attend school just doesn’t sit well with me. Besides, I’d probably go stir crazy if I weren’t working 5+ days a week.

I do know that I’ll definitely be taking advantage of an unpaid leave when I’m working on my Master’s thesis many moons from now.  There’s no way I’m going to try writing that while working full-time!  I’m slightly bonkers but I’m not insane!

Beef Jerky is apparently on sale at London Drugs so I’m off to pick up scads of it in order to fill Drew’s next package.  They’ve got a few other things on sale that I’m sure will make for a change in the type of contents Drew’s been receiving from me.  Apparently the Canada Post free shipping of military packages option is extended until January 16th so I’ve got time for one last package (after this one) before I have to start paying shipping.  Drew is being inundated with packages at the moment – having become a depot for sending things to soldiers who aren’t getting mail and for distribution to Afghan children (Afghan? Afghani? Anyone know which is correct?) – but I’m pretty sure that will all tail off once people have to pay the crazy Canada Post shipping rates.

On the bright side, I did remember to include the letters I wrote in this package.  Nothing like getting a home video that references the letters you’re writing and then finding no letters in your package.  I forgot to include them in the last one.  I’m feeling a bit guilty about the letters.  I haven’t written one in about a week.  I tell myself the little 5-20 minute home videos I’m recording every few days to provide the around the house, neighbourhood and city updates should make up for my lack of discipline.  But it’s not really that. I am disciplined; I’ve just shifted my efforts from letter written to my fall courses.

Speaking of my courses, I received a notice in the mail that a package has arrived for me so I’m hoping this is my course pack and textbooks for two of the three classes I’m taking this semester. I’ve had the books for the third class for a few weeks and have done some pre-reading and preparation.  The class started Monday and for once I’m not behind.  Give it a few weeks. I’m sure that will change.

Three classes while working full-time.  What was I thinking?  Well, most should be over by the time Drew gets home. I just won’t have much free time at all while I’m working on these. I’ll definitely be busy most nights and weekends though.  Hopefully not too busy to post.