At midnight tonight the calendar will roll over to July 1st and another quarter at Strayer University will begin. But unlike the other quarters at Strayer, this one will be different. For this one will push me over to get my Associates Degree in Computer Science. Now granted, I will stay in school to achieve my goal of a Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree in Computer Science. But you cannot reach a trifecta without hitting the first one.
I got off to a rough start at Strayer in 2009. I was in the hospital for 45 days during that summer quarter and suffered a mild stroke during the fall quarter. That was really tough on me. The stroke initially affected my speech and memory. But as the days and weeks went on I gained it back and decided to enroll my winter classes on campus. In reflection that decision changed my life. When the year of 2010 would end, I would be so different that I was on January 1, 2010.
I took my first English and Math classes in the winter quarter of 2010 (Jan-Mar 2010). There I met Tiffany Leslie and Kristen Call who would eventually enter my circle of friends. During the spring quarter we were all in the Intro to Business course and we all got closer. Then in the summer quarter, I hit the jackpot in my Intro to Programming class. I think it was the second week when a guy walked in wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers shirt. I told him I was a lifelong Pittsburgh fan and we began talking and a friendship was stuck that day. His name was Bob Santmyer and though I didn't know it that day, I had made not only a friend, but a BEST friend.
The funny thing about that class was sitting in front of me was to be another BEST friend of mine. His name was Scott Hager. We all pulled together our intelligence, or lack thereof, and got through the class.
What was spooky to me was Scott lived about 3 miles away from me. Even more spookier was that Bob lived about 1/3 of a mile from me and in the winter when all of the leaves have fallen we can see each other's homes. I am as close to those two than anyone I have ever been. They are great friends and Tiffany has been a daughter to me.
My son is such a waste of talent, literally no ambition. Am I being hard on him? You damn right I am. But maybe I shouldn't be that hard. His mother always told me that "no one comes between me and my child". Well, as soon as she started her stuff, he wasn't allowed in her apartment, now house. But he is now such a loser, like his mother. I blame her for ALL of it.It appears to me that the Johnson's (her family) will always choose the path of least resistance. Patrick has chosen to lead the life of "trash". Looking back I can see why everyone tried to tell me about her. But when you are on the inside you can never make the intelligence decisions.
Patrick always figured that he was going to get everything my parents owned. Well, that was never the case, me being an only child. But I can tell you I seen the old will and the new will. It was always made out to me, lock, stock and barrel and still is. I recently added on to my will. If something happens to me and my parents are not here, he is going to be in for one hellacious downer and someone out there is going to get the happiest surprise of their life. I no longer put up with that shit. I have washed my hands of the entire Johnson family. Sadly, Patrick has half of that blood in him. And until the medical profession finds a "cure" for his situation, he will always be on the outside looking in. The rules of the game has not changed. If you do something to me you have to have the guts and gonads to come and sit down and talk to me face to face, eye to eye. Phone calls are NOT allowed. I don't answer phones nor respond to text. That's my little rule.
Now on the other hand, Tiffany is so driven and her grades will tell you that. She loves her husband, Ryan and her two kids, Michael and Haley and what I respect about her and Ryan is they build their lives around those kids. You don't see that too much in this world today and they have all of my admiration for it. Anytime they need any kind of help, I will always be there for them.
I also met Jennifer Kennedy and through her met her husband Scott Kennedy who is just a great friend as well. He keeps me loose and laughing through days I really don't want to laugh. I found out that Scott was a really great guy.
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't put Beth "Bethy Bug" Greter in here as well. She is a really great friend to me and she is someone that I know I can rely on day to day. She doesn't take any shit off of me and I like that. Again, just lives down the street from me.
What were the odds?
So there you are... these are my "peeps" as they say today and I love all of them.
So tomorrow will begin a huge 11 weeks for me. I want this so bad I can taste it now.
I think of two quotes I like:
Vince Lombardi once said "The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender".
Frank Sinatra once said "The only revenge is massive success".
Looks like I am going to find out what that is like.
Unlike 1998 and Michelin, no one is going to reap the benefits of my success this time, other than yours truly. (And two canines and maybe someone else out there who embodies the word "class".)
I am the one who God has looked down and blessed. All I know is someone up there must really like me. Sometimes I think God lets loves ones in Heaven place their fingers on our lives. If that is the case, I will take it the distance because my both of my grandmothers are there. He has blessed me with all these friends and though I lost my son, he gave me a daughter and son-in-law who I pledge to help anyway and anytime I can.
I sincerely love you all!
So it's 11:30pm and WE'RE OFF!!
Good luck Strayer University students for the Summer 2013 Quarter!
✙ ✙ ➲ ➲ ✙ ✙ ➲ ➲ ✙ ✙ ➲ ➲ ✙ ✙ ➲ ➲ ✙ ✙ ➲ ➲ ✙ ✙ ➲ ➲
So until next time K-Nation....
Swing away on vines!"
