Learning Challenge: Yesterday You Said Tomorrow

I love this quote. I think that this along with the other tips I have learned through extra credit assignments will get me through my busy week. I just have to think of my future self anytime I feel my motivation going. I need to remember that it is one going to get harder to get the assignment done and that's it's better now than putting it off.

(Photo from Flickr.)

Tech Tip: Word Count

I decided to try the word count tech tip out for this time. I chose that one because I use it for so many classes and always copy and paster my work into word. I feel like this will save me just a tiny bit of time. I sometimes have trouble going over the word count and sometimes am under. I am awful at guess how long my papers are, so this is definitely necessary for me.

Famous Last Words: Prepare for the Week

This upcoming week is going to be a very busy one. I have long lab on Monday, a chemistry 2 exam on Thursday, and my family comes into town on Friday. This in addition to a big portion of my capstone paper due on the following Tuesday, I am a bit stressed. In an effort to prepare for the week, I tried my best to be productive over the weekend besides Friday night. On Friday night, I relaxed with friends and just let out all of my stress since I know I won't have much time to hang out over this next week and half or so. 

I am a little nervous that I won't finish all of my assignments for this class with the mixture of big and small tasks I have to do all week long. For that reason, I tried to write out a mock schedule for the week. I am hoping I can stick with it because there is not more wiggle room to rearrange things.

Since I am worried about finishing my assignments for the week, I am trying to get done as much extra credit right now in order to even out any things that I do miss. I was about to call it quits for the night, but seeing my schedule definitely motivated me.

My goal for the upcoming week it to drink a lot of water and still try to work out 3 times. I feel like I put those things on the back burner when I need them the most. I made some checkboxes in my planner for both of those goals so I can stay on track.

I am hoping that this new way of approaching a busy week helps decrease some stress and keep me on track. There is nothing more stressful to me than having to turn in work that isn't my best because I didn't have enough time left for the assignment. 

(Photo from Flickr.)

Week 7 Story: Victory at Last

It was a rainy afternoon in Norman, Oklahoma, and there was yelling that could be heard throughout the library. 

"No, Jimmy! I am done with you!" Yelled a small, but powerful college woman named Jane as she stormed away with her arm linked to another man's. 

Jimmy broke down in tears right outside of The Bookmark. He didn't know what he had done. All he knew was that he loved Jane with all his heart and he did not every want to live life without her.

After recomposing himself, Jimmy headed home to cry in peace. As he laid on his bed watching Netflix, he scrolled through Instagram hoping that something would make him forget about everything.

"You're kidding!" He yelled as he came across his own post of him photoshopped with another girl. He was sharing with anger as he knew that man must have hacked his account just to steal Jane away from him.

Jane wouldn't answer any of Jimmy's calls, so he went straight to the new man who goes by Joe.

Jimmy called Joe to a battle to see who really loves Jane the most.

With confidence, Joe brought up the messages between him and Jimmy and asked Jane if she would agree to hosting a campus-wide event to prove that he is the one for her.

Jane agreed and the date was set.

A week passed by and it was finally, "Who loves Jane more," day. Jimmy put on his nicest clothes and headed to the library for the big showdown. 

Question after question and statement after statement, Jane's eyes slowly drifted away from Joe and over to Jimmy. She was starting to wonder whether or not Jimmy was telling the truth about being hacked.

At he intermission, Jane called her computer science friend and asked him to dig deeper and see if he could trace where the Instagram post came from. 

As the final round was coming to a close, Jane's phone rang and she put a pause on the game to go answer. It was her computer science friend.

"Jane...you messed up. Jimmy loves you so much and you know he would never do anything like this to you. I will send you documentation ASAP proving that he was indeed hacked...BY JOE." The computer science friend explained before hanging up.

Jane broke down in tears and roasted Joe in front of everyone and then gave Jimmy a public apology.

After that, Jimmy and Jane lived happily ever after and she never doubted his loyalty again.

(Photo from PixaBay.)

Author's note:
In my story, I basically just took the relationship between Rama and Sita and twisted it in every way, shape, and form. I made Rama and Sita college students and made the female in the relationship one that was no where near as loyal as Sita was to Rama. I did not even know where this story was going as I wrote it and it ended up way far from anywhere I imagined it going. 
In the actual story series of Rayamana, Rama is in love with Sita. Sita is later kidnapped while Rama is on a mission. As time passed, she never once betrayed Rama and refused to listen to the powerful, evil king who stole her away and offered her a luxurious life with him.

Rayamana, Part D. Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part D2

In Battle of Rama and Ravana, Shakra sent down his car and charioteer from the heavens named Matali and Rama went to get it. Ravana unleashed a rakshasa weapon that poured flamed over Rama, but Rama responded with a Garuda weapon. This unleashed golden arrows that changed into birds and devoured all of the rakshasa arrows. Rama then wounded Ravana so bad that his charioteer turned away from the field of battle. Rama was told to worship the sun and did so before turning back to Ravana once he was ready once again. Rama chopped off heads, but new ones would appear. He did not think he could take his life away.

In Ravana's death, Rama shot an arrow which took off one of Ravana's 10 heads  and it immediately appeared again. So, Rama unleashed the flaming weapon Brahma had created to protect him and it struck Ravana. Ravana roared in pain and fell to the ground dead. The heavens celebrated and flowers showered the plain of victory. Vibhishana then burned the body of his fallen brother and performed funeral rites before he was proclaimed the king of Lanka.

In Sita and Rama, Rama now turned his focus to finding his beloved Sita. He found her by the Ashoka tree still being guarded by the rakshasas. Rama asked for Sita to come to him clean and bathed, so she did. I am not sure why, but Rama requested that she also come to him by foot.

(Photo from WikiMedia).

Although so much happened in the stories following, I do not think I want to write my story over them. I am going to focus on the process leading to getting Sita rather than after because I feel as though both have so much too them, but I would have like to see the fight where Rama defeated Ravana go a little differently. I am hoping to drag out a few more details and see what I can come up with! 

Rayamana, Part D. Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part D1

In The Bridge, I wonder why the God of Ocean sacrifices did not work when Rama performed them. As I read, I am amazed with just how much power Rama seems to have. Will he truly be able to dry up the waters of the sea? I guess so since they listened and Nala constructed a bridge named after Rama. I feel as though I can make this into a story where Rama thinks he hold this much power, but then is defeated by the Ocean.

In Rama Attacks, I was shocked that the monkeys returned to tell Ravana of Rama's power and that he still refused to surrender Sita. I was also surprised when Ravan faked Rama's death to Sita, bringing her a bow and head that resembled his. I was very glad that they vanished after he left for war and Sita knew him well enough to know it was an illusion.

In Indrajit, I did not think all of the monkeys and rakshasas were doing to fight as well with Rama, Sugriva and Ravana. I am also curious as to why the rakshasas are strongest at night. I was very worried once Ravana's brother, Indrajit, injured Rama and Lakshmana. But, luckily Garuda came and restored their lives and told them that they will rise up and succeed.

In Kumbhakarna, the rakshasas awoke Kumbhakarna, the mightiest of all demons. They danced and made loud noises all around him, but he would not wake up until a beautiful woman caressed him. He was angry when he woke up as he usually sleeps for 6 months and only wakes up for one day. When he woke, he was ready for a large meal and started eating everything and then asked where the apes are so he could eat them too. He went on his was to find them and the apes were terrified, but Sugriva got them all together to fling items at him. None of those phased him and he defeated Hanuman and seized Sugriva. Kumbhakarna went against Rama which Rama responded to by flinging flaming arrows at him until he fell into the ocean injured.

In the mountain, Ravana became worried about defeating Rama. Indrajit vowed that he would slay both Rama and Lakshmana that day and performed sacrifices that provided him with more weapons in addition to being invisible. Rama saw him and counseled a semblance of defeat leading Indrajit to go home to Lanka victorious. Jambavan called to the wind-god's son for the 4 life-giving herbs from Himalaya, king of mountains.Hanuman leaped across the ocean, but the herbs were hidden from him and he uprooted the whole mountain in frustration and brought it to heal the monkeys and they rose up as if they had just taken a nap.He then returned the mountain to Himalaya and returned to Lanka.

In Lakshmana and Indrajit, Indrajit was angry and sent a message to Rama saying he would slay Sita. But, Rama was reminded that he would never do this as Ravana wants her as his spouse. Vibhishan went against his people and was shunned.



I think that I may mix some of these stories with the wind gods and their inability to lie and maybe have Sita ask them if it was true that Rama had been killed and then to maybe deliver him a message. I am still deciding as I need to read the last 10 stories. I feel as though these had much more action making it almost overwhelming with all of the ideas I have floating around! I am excited to write my story tomorrow and see what I can come up with.

(Photo by WikiMedia.)

Rayamana, Part D. Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.