Emily F. Hoffman's Blog

This is my Alice Story. I am going scuba diving on my first official dive really soon and I hope this doesn’t happen to me.

How do I view today’s world? That question was given to me by my Computer Science Class 106 professor, Dr. Wahl, at the University of Mary Washington. As I pondered this question, it was painfully clear that through adversity comes a deep appreciation for our freedom and all that is afforded to us through our system. Sometimes you have choices, other times you have no options. The choice you make may propel you to prosper, while other choices may hold you down like a weight to the ocean floor. Do you have a choice? Watch the following video about how I view today’s world.

It was an honor being included in my best friend Laurens wedding and putting together this video commemorating the occasion.

Lauren is that once in a lifetime friend who is always there for you, encouraging you through the rough times and celebrating with you on your victories. She is someone I look up to and admire for she is always thoughtful and patient. Never once did Lauren turn into Bridezilla as she prepared for her wedding. Instead, she enjoyed and embraced each aspect of the planning and the wedding was truly a celebration of love. So heres to Greg and Lauren whose love makes me believe that there can be Happily Ever After.

The Extreme Proposal

Created by Cole Eskridge, Emily Hoffman, and Antonio Toussaint

Our group was giving these four elements to make a story from: an environmentalist, late in the evening, at an expensive restaurant, and an important decision needs to be made.

The story opens and you are at an expensive restaurant named Garibaldi’s. It is 10 o’clock at night. There is soft Italian music playing in the background. There are not many people there, so it is very quite.  Jack Smith is waiting for Senator Grey to arrive so he can speak with him and for them to have dinner.

The cast of characters and group member who played the parts are as follows:

The environmentalist, Jack Smith: Cole Eskridge

Senator Wallace Grey : Antonio Toussaint

Waiter, Mrs. Grey, and Bobby and Samantha Grey : Emily Hoffman.

A Special Thank-you to Andy Rush for the equipment and time to record the voice audio and to Souvenir d’Italie for the Italian music. This was done for an education CPSC 106 class at University of Mary Washington

The extreme proposal

This is a picture story of Rudy’s first couple of months and some first things he did!

Living on a farm, has given me a lot of opportunities that I never thought I would have had in my life. I live on a farm with three horses, Vanity, Cajun, and April, one sheep, Fiona, 35 chickens, a barn cat named Max, two farm dogs, Billy and Molly, two indoor dogs, Rudy and Lily, and six white ducks. I remember the most interesting thing that happened on the farm that Sunday evening like it was yesterday.

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In the blink of an eye, my duck Lucky’s life is going to change. One day my playful dog Molly decided that she was going to play with the ducks by charging and chasing the ducks all over the farm.

“Whoosh” went Molly after one of the ducks and up went the duck in the air. Molly thought the duck was playing and jumped up after the duck and caught the duck.

Molly didn’t know any better, but she had ripped the ducks skin wide open. The duck didn’t have just a small cut either; you could see its whole trachea, heart and lungs. The duck was going to die if we didn’t do something and fast.

My family had to weigh the options. Let it die, take it to the emergency vet since it was Sunday evening or try to save the duck ourselves. Me having the soft heart that I do, I couldn’t let it die. I told my father, we have to take it to the vet or sew it up ourselves? My Dad couldn’t let us fix a duck that could end up being run over the next day by a car or that we could replace for 5 dollars. This left us with no other choice but to sew this duck up ourselves.

I didn’t know what to do, but I knew I had to do something. The first thing I did was created a place that I could work on the duck. I cleaned off my dad’s work bench and laid clean towels down. Then I thought to myself I hope this duck would stand still while I did this.

I disinfected and threaded an upholstery whipping needle with regular thread. I chose green thread so that I could see all the stitches as I sewed. I tied a knot and started to think about where I was going to start to sew up the duck. I had to calculate how best to sew him so that he would not be deformed and would have a normal form and gait. I decided to start on the left side on the underneath part of the duck. I put the needle into his skin then…

Squawk, squawk, the duck went nuts. It was not good. Blood flew everywhere and the duck was not doing well at all. So I had to develop another tactical approach.

I told my mom to go get the bottle of cooking brandy to sedate the duck. I needed him to relax, stay still and be as comfortable as possible. I had a hard time with the idea of him being in pain.

I filled up a liquid syringe with 3 cc. of brandy and made the duck drink it. I let it set in for a couple minutes before I started sewing up the duck again.

I sewed the underneath part of his belly on the left side. I also left a hole at the bottom for drainage because if I didn’t it would end of getting an infection. That was the easy part of the whole surgery. The rest was like a jigsaw puzzle. I didn’t know where to go next. I decide that I would start on the other side of the duck and hopefully meet in the middle. I finished the right side of the duck. The hardest part has yet to come.

I sat and looked at the duck for about 5 minutes trying to develop a way to sew up the duck so that it would look normal and be able to function like any other duck would be able too. That was not an easy task. Molly had totally exposed the ducks lungs, heart and trachea. I had to find a way to cover all this up with the remaining skin that I had.

The remaining hole was the size of both of my fists. I decide that I needed to make an upside down “T” pattern so that the duck would be able to waddle normally. I sewed up the trachea area until I was about three quarters of the way down. Then I started doing the arms of the “T”. I did the right top side first then the left bottom side. It didn’t look too bad after I had done that. There was only one problem. I had a hole about the size of a half dollar that I had to be put together. I worked from the two sides and came inward and left a whole about the size of half of a penny for drainage.

The surgery was done. Thank God now. We just had to sit and wait to see if he would make it through the night.

We put him in his cage, but then all of a sudden… Squawk, squawk. That darn duck ripped some of his stitches out because of his wings.

I sewed him back up then wrapped him in gauze so that he couldn’t move his wings. I also put an old t-shirt around him to stay warm so that he didn’t go into shock. Then I taped the shirt so there was no way he could pull the stitches out and move those wings. I also was concerned about flies and infection so this should keep the area clean.

All night my family and I took turns checking on our duck. We gave him fluids throughout the night and he seemed to rest comfortably.

Daylight broke and my duck was still alive. He was definitely a “lucky duck” and I vowed if he made it through the night that I would name him lucky!!

After many rounds of antibiotics, Lucky remains alive and well and did not need any further surgery. I am so glad that I made the decision to try and save Lucky.

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Women have always played a vibrant and prominent role in society. Women are seldom acknowledged for their accomplishments, yet women perform more than fifty percent of the daily tasks necessary to make the world go around. As a woman, I do find that I run into a lot of challenges and set backs. I try not to let the problem define who I am, but rather I want how I get through these challenges to define who I am.

All the pictures show women of different races and classes in the world. Some of these women have overcome challenges and contributed to society and some are going through challenges. 

The opening picture shows the 8 leading women of the women rights movement. The women in America did not have voting rights and were thought not to be educated or able to make decisions about the government. The male population, otherwise known as the government and society thought that only men should vote. These women wanted to change rights for women and they set out and accomplished their goal.  Susan B Anthony is the first one who I spot on that photo that made a big contribution to society, to women especially. Watch the following video to learn more about Susan B Anthony’s achievements.

I also notice  Harriet Tubman in the first picture. Harriet Tubman is known for bringing many slaves to freedom. Watch a well done documentary about her.

The next picture helps to show that life is not always great. It shows a picture of Afghan women congregating together probably trying to support each other through the war and how they are just happy to get through the day alive. These women do seem to have rights to vote, but I wonder if their votes are really counted?

Our first- lady Michelle Obama and her two children are in the next picture. Many people thought that there would never be an African American president. President Obama defied the odds and Michelle is showing that she is by his side supporting him and the United States. Women have come a long way as she and other women can now vote.  President Obama didn’t become president on his own. His wife Michelle helped and encouraged him along the way. I am sure she was the presidents back bone when he needed her.

In the next picture, Suffragettes are not sitting down and are letting their voices be heard. Today we know that their voices were heard and women in America have the right to vote because they defied the odds and convinenced men to allow them to vote. There were many suffragettes through the years and all of them should be recognized. Here is a video on a few.

The other pictures convey a similar meaning. Women defying the odds. Women who persevere and overcome adversity. The best one is Queen Elizabeth. She became queen at a young age and has overcome trials and tribulations. She has also helped women feel like they can accomplish anything they want in life, just like she has. Here is a wonderful video on Queen Elizabeth.

Many of these women have made advancements in history that have inspired many, including me.

This helps me see that the world is about how we take the challenges of everyday life and turn them into a learning experience that makes history. Learning experiences develops our thinking, especially broadening the minds of men as women persevere to achieve appreciation for their impute into society.

I am going through a hard time right now as I was in a car accident. The cause of the accident was because I blacked out. DMV now wants to take my license away from me because I blacked out. I had to go through many tests and from that the doctors have found that I am hypoglycemic. DMV has now ruled that they are taking my license away until further notice.

I find this very hard to deal with. I cant go out like normal people. I wont be able to do my job or even go to college. I could go to college if I lived on campus, but I am a commuter student so this makes it impossible. I feel very much like an invalid. This makes it very hard to even just wake up in the morning.

It doesn’t help that I am also having men problems and have always had them.

I was in an almost two year relationship with a man in the national guard when he cheated on me.

Then I dated I guy for two months and the was dumped over a text message.

Then I was engaged to a man who I had dated for two years. A paper engagement ring from the man who can’t buy himself a happy meal.

He then told me “I need space.” That should of been my first clue . I later received a text message picture of him and another girl. He said in the message that I have been cheating on you and I don’t want anything to do with you. This was very devastating and hurtful to me.

 I then started dating a man in the army.

He got deported to Iraq and we both decided that this wasn’t going to work.

I then started dating a marine.

yes I know i must have an obsession with men in the military. I broke up with him out of rage because he asked me if I thought another girl was cute. Well, I regretted it a month later. I then asked him if we could talk and see if we could try it over again. He said yes, but things haven’t been the same since. He never calls and we only text occasionally. That brings you up to date on the problem of men in my life.

Looking at these picture and realizing the adversity or the challenges that these women had to over come or have to still over come makes my problems look small in comparison.

I am going to try to over come these problems and not let it hold me back or define who I am. I am going to solve my problems as these women have accomplished theirs. Through strength  and virtue alone!

Dear Alexzandra Satterwhite,

I am so looking forward to our visit to Germany. I cant wait to meet little Mr. Aryon Satterwhite. As you know I have already spoiled him to death, as all aunts have to do. I just couldn’t help myself. I miss seeing you and I miss spending time with you the most. You were truly sent from GOD to save me last semester. Thank-You! Please keep on posting new pictures of that belly of yours. I love them. Oh! and don’t forget about posting new ones of Aryon as you get them of course. I am really worried about you and how you are having contractions at 27 weeks. Please just take it easy and do what the doctor has told you to do. I don’t want to be getting an emergency phone call that I need to get on a flight right away to Germany because you are going in to labor.

I promise you are not the only one who is feeling the stress of the military. I am here with you!! You got your Army man and I got … (who knows? LOL), so I know what you are going through. I am here to talk 24-7. Just give me a holla. I love you and cant wait to see you and Aryon. Oh! of course Robert too…

We, the wives, girlfriends, husbands, boyfriends, parents and children, are the ones that got it tough. We have to sit at home praying and hoping our men and women come back home alive!