I should keep up with this thing better

My last post I talked about two meetings I had scheduled. Well, thanks to the Oklahoma weather they were both rescheduled for late January. However, I think I have made up my mind about which grad program I am going to pursue. But first let me tell you what helped me make up my mind. The first day of finals week was resheduled to that Friday and after taking my World Civ I final I went to work to find my boss pulling teeth and hair to get papers graded and grades turned in for reports. I jumped in started an marking written essays from a Comp I class and flew trhough them in about thirty minutes. My boss looked at me and asks, "What is your schedule like next semester? Do you wanted to teach the APA portion of my essay writing class?" I was sort of set back at first, but regained composure and ask what the time commitment was due to my Senior Research Project being my final obstacle and how I could do that not yet having recieved my degree. She explained in the developmental department only a bahcelors was required and mined was already confirmed. In addition, my experience in the lab and previous employment gave me more than an ample amount of experience. So to make the long story some what short. I am going to pursue the higher education degree to stay in the college atmosphere. I will still make my appointment with the Univerisity of Tulsa's Law school, but will not be pursuing the law degree, yet. My application packets for two other schools that offer the masters program I will pursue are waiting on sealed transcripts so I can send them off. Cross your fingers.

I made it through the finals weeks power outage fiasco. We had no power at home or on the farm. Life was pretty shitty for a few days, but at least we had family in the area. It was in-laws but they are still family. Fun to visit but defintely not to hang with for a week. Do not get me wrong they are wonderful people and deserve the best in the world, but there house is not mine. Anywho, studying that week was a bitch because not only were we stranded at the inlaws my sister inlaw, her two girls, her fiance, and his two boys were there. For the first time in four years of going to this school I spent three consequetive evenings trying to find a quiet spot in the library. Not to shabby a place to work but I would still rather sit on my couch and watch the news over the top of my laptop as I research a paper while sitting in my underwear. Grades for the semester came back on the 22nd and I pulled three A's an a B. The B in under appeal because several of us in the class who could have taught the class were subject to a different level of standard than the rest of the class. More on this will come down the road. The damn B dropped my GPA to a cumulaitve of 3.79, .01 from latin honors. Oh well, I better pull the 4.o for next semester.

The storm that caused the power outage also caused a lot of damage to the trees. The weekend after finals I got several fraternity brothers together and another buddy to start stock piling all the firewood we could over the X-Mas break. We have tracked a tree service for over a week and pulled over nine cord of wood between the first of two yards they worked next to each other. So far we have piled and stacked almost twenty cord, that has only cost us two tanks of fuel, a few lunches, and a couple 30's of Bud Light. Our next step after break is to cut everything to stove length and start splitting and staking ot to season then sell. Fortunately, these damn Okies do not buy a cord of wood, they buy a "rick" of wood which is precisley a half cord, 2x2x8. The rick as they call it goes for about $60-$85 depending on split, stack, and delivery, so we are in for a pretty penny when it sells.

Well, I am getting tired and am going to be hauling more wood tomorrow. So I hope everyone had a great Christmas and will have a Happy New Year. Take care and take the time to make at least one other person smile a day.

DB

Any input???

I am going to be meeting with two different grad schools this week about possibly attending there schools. Tuesday morning I meet with the Dean of the School of Education at Oklahoma State University--Tulsa about their Higher Education Masters degrees, one emphasizing a cirriculum in Student Personell Services (working admin or staff positions) and the other a Masters in Education (teaching and lecturing). Wednesday afternoon I meet with the President, Dean of Law, and several distinguished alumni from the University of Tulsa to discuss a possibility of attending their Law school. My problem is not getting into either school because I have busted my ass to retain a 3.8 GPA as an undergrad, and my decision is not based off the cost of either school. Even though the University of Tulsa cost $25000 per semester regardless of how many classes I am taking. My dilema resolves with what I want to do for the rest of my life. I completely enjoy every minute I spend teaching, and working in the atmosphere of a higher education institute, but will I get burned out on it. One of my passions is the law, I love to research the law and help people that cannot afford a lawyer. In addition, whenever I read or research the law it does not leave my mind. It becomes a hinderance sometimes when I cannot get a certain statute or code off my mind. I have to work that statute or code until I have answered the questioned I started with. Sometimes I just have to pour a tall vodka and cranberry to help forget about it. The downfall I see myself in the most involves income. Working in higher education really starts to pay once a professor or staff member has reached tenure and that is a process that can take upwards of ten years. Working with a general law degree to help the misfortunate only looks like it will leave me extremely in debt. The next level of degree is already a part of the Dirty Berg life plan, but choosing the one that will leave me and my wife in a better spot financially than we are now is the key. Any outside opinions would be greatly appreciated.

DB

Somethings you just don't see everyday

I was checking out a bunch old emails that I had cubbied away in some folder in another folder and ran across these pics and thought everyone could use a good laugh. They are definitely not things you see everyday.

We see this last one quite often in the skies of Oklahoma, and it is usually the only warning we get. Hope you all got a kick out of these.

Check out the pics

These pics are of all sorts of crap I have been involved with the last four years. There are some pics of Teresa, myself, our horses, dogs, house, and friends. They are not in that exact order but that order is pretty close to rank structure around here. Check out the pics at: http://dirtyberg.spaces.live.com/photos/cns!67ABFB826A21A66D!190/

True PIKE Challenge

Here are some pics of the trip I was honored by my fraternity to attend this past summer in Southern Utah. The trip was a BOSS (Boulder Outdoor Survival School) 7 day field course. Ten times tougher than bootcamp, ten thousand times more rewarding in the end. Go to the following link to view pictures: http://dirtyberg.spaces.live.com

DB

My own internet

Well I get started writing on this damn thing the other day only to find out that the State Trooper living across the road has secured his wireless router. So, I am left high and dry without any internet access. Damn him, doesn't he know I am just a poor ass college student. I did not realize how much I rely on this technology. For the past seven days I have not checked my email, Facebook, Myspace, or any of the other communicative tools I have been hornswaggled into using over the past several years. I literally had withdrawals from using the internet. I swear it is digital crack with milder detoxing.

Anywho.....I had all sorts of stuff I wanted to talk about on here but homework calls and the assignments are due fairly shortly. I do want to say hey to the family I have not seen or talked to in years. I wasn't being rude when ro replies were sent I was digitally stranded. Please forgive, and when I get this damn thing figured out I will be able to communicate better. I might even throw some pics up here, only if I can figure it all out.

So tata for now

Dirty Berg

Just Poppin my Bloggin' Cherry

Hello All,

This is my first blog entry of any kind, ever. Now that is out of the way, I can move into introducing myself. My name is Dave Berglund (Dirty Berg) and I am turning 31 tomorrow. Holy Shit, where has time gone! Currently I am halfway through my senior year at one of the finest Regional Universities in the Midwest, Rogers State University, in the heart of beautiful Claremore, Oklahoma. I definitely found a diamond in a huge pile of shit. Actually there are many beautiful spots in Oklahoma but they are far too few and too far apart to really appreciate. There is no horizon, unless one gets real creative and get can get their eyes close enough to the ground while laying down. However, the sunsets are immaculate, but only when the skies are not covered with thunder storms and winds strong enough to move parked vehicles. I now know why so many country music stars are from Oklahoma, besides a little talent, they always have some crisis that hits close to home to write about.

I mentioned earlier I found a diamond in a huge pile of shit, well I have to qualify that statement a little bit because there is far more to this little corner of Oklahoma than a university. I found my soulmate, the one person who has let me grow and mature the way I needed rather than how someone has told or suggested I should. My wife of almost four years, Teresa, (I don't know if she will read this ever, but I thought twice about giving her age) use your imagination and be nice. She more than deserves it, especially after having to put up with me for so long. Teresa is currently the Farm manager of the areas only Oldenberg and Hanavarian breeding facilities. If you don't know what that means, maybe I can get her to start one of these blogs and tell you all about it because I don't want to screw it up.

As for myself, I am just about to finish my second to last semester of a four year journey of pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Social Science. Actually the degree is an emphasis of psychology and sociology, and I have completed a minor in History. In May 2006, I recieved an Associates of Arts in Psychology with Cum Laude Honors. As it stands right now I am on track to achieve the same honors unless the President of the University gets the legislative measures we passed through our Student Government Association to change the Latin Honors Standards to those more cmpetitive with other four-year universities. All that really means for me is that if it changes soon then I can cruise next semester and just get my shit done and handed in, plus if I happen to put forth some effort next semester and pull another good set of grades I could manage to pull Magna Cum Laude Honors. And that could mean more scholarship opportunity for grad school.
Beyond the classroom I have taken a path of almost total involvement with student activities on campus. My freshman year I was elected President of a newly formed Student Activity Board, that eventually became a governing board for student events. I was selected to become a founding member of a Greek Fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, which has been one the most rewarding experiences I have ever been apart of. And from those two points I have literally hand my hand in over 90% of the student planned activities on our campus. The faculty/staff planned events were influenced about 40% by the Dirty Berg. I have even had my hand in the cookie jar so to speak, of the schools freshman orientation program and this year our first ever Homecoming. Go HillCats!!! Yeah! Actually, our Men's Basketball team is outstanding, they have outscoed every opponent thus far by over 40 points each game. Too bad I am really not a basketball fan.
Well I think that is enough bullshit for now. So I guess this is how it works. I just writ a bunch of shit and hit submit.


Sincerely,


The Dirty Berg