The Dynamic Duo

Brief update on UltraMom the student.
Last week, while registering for classes, I spent several hours just walking around this small, pretty campus right in the middle of the town of Elko, soaking up the atmosphere and anticipating being, after a 30 year hiatus, a college student once again. It’s called Great Basin College, as I believe we are geographically in the “Great Basin.” The college is centered around an outdoor amphitheater, which in turn is surrounded by relaxing landscaping including a flowing stream. My one oncampus class, Political Science, is at the other end of campus in the Technology Building. Here are classrooms with the capability to include multiple sites in classroom instruction. There are two Television screens at the front of the room. Once can show video clips and tapes the instructor brings in; the other shows the students at the remote sites. In Eureka, I suspect the lone student is still in high school. I base this conclusion, not only on her youthful looks, but also on the fact that she was wearing a cheer leading costume last Thursday.
The Professor seems to know his stuff, and this class has the capability to be interesting. Politics-authority and power, or ‘Who gets what when and how.” Also will be studying Nevada’s constitution. We watched a movie yesterday on Nevada’s history, which was interesting for me, not being a native. Mining, trapping, and agriculture were start up industries, but of course Prizefight Boxing and Gambling brought Nevada and more specifically Las Vegas and Reno the prosperity they enjoy today.
But some things have changed since last I sat in a college classroom, most notably “the internet.” There are several online components to this class, including required posting of essays on a ‘bulletin board” and online testing. This will take a little getting used to.
My Music Class is entirely online. I thought this class would be an easy Fine Arts Credit, but I’m rapidly changing my mind. I can read a little music, play a little piano and violin. What else is there to know? A lot, apparently. The text book is dry and (to me) cumbersome and difficult to understand. But the most challenging part so far has been trying to view class lectures on my Mac computer. The first time, I appealed to my UltraWiz, UltraSon for help. “How can I view these exe. Files on my computer, Honey?” “You can’t.” was the reply. Helpfully, UltraBob took my files, converted them into a type I COULD view and sent them back to me. “I’ll write a note to your teacher telling him how he should be doing this,’ he told me. Thanks, Dad.
Meanwhile, the instructor tells me, that though time consuming, he will convert all lectures into Mac files. Problem solved, right? The next lecture I tried to view opened in a program called Xcode and opens in a text file of incomprehensible symbols. Sigh.
And meanwhile, my PC is fried, which we all knew would happen. So I guess its off to the computer lab with me, if I ever find the time.
Of course, lots else is going on. I’m still working at the prison, doing weightwatchers one or two times a week and trying to keep UltraDad fed and on a more or less even keel.
He is enjoying his ‘new’ pickup and this weekend it will be my turn to get a ‘new’ ride. I’m thinking Toyota Camry or Honda Accord, if I can afford it. Any other ideas on reliable, comparable vehicles? I’ll keep you posted on my search.
Last weekend, we brought the old, ‘76 pickup out to the Lear Ranch for UltraDad’s sister and bro-in-law to use for irrigating, feeding cows, etc. The Lear Ranch is about a 3 hour drive away, and we brought the ‘boys’ (the 4-legged ones) along for the excursion. We ended up taking a drive into McDermott Canyon, which is lovely with McDermott creek running through it. We scouted for arrowheads or at least obsidian that showed signs of being worked on by long ago ‘Native Americans.” UltraDad found a couple of broken ones, Sis Kathy found several as well. UltraMom found some pretty rocks. It was late when we got back to the ranch, so though not planned, we spent the night. Sis Kathy raises ‘MinPins” and has 14 of her own. She has a website, I think its “Nevada MinPins” and knows her subject through and through, including variations on cropped ears and tails as well as the numerous colors variants. The mutts are cute, but I find I prefer my fuzzy little poodles.
‘Brief update?” you are now thinking? Hey, this is UltraMom; we all knew the ‘brief’ part wouldn’t really happen, right?

UltraMom